《The Marriage of an Esteemed Supreme Healer, a Noble Ruler》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tianling Dynasty. The royal family¡¯s ancestral hall. There was a strong smell of blood in the somber main hall. There was a woman trapped in the silver cage that sat in the middle of the hall. She lay on the floor, curled up into a ball as she trembled. Her ornate palace gown was dyed with blood, the skirt eerily empty¡ªher legs had been cut off! There was the sound of footsteps, and Shangguan Yue looked up with much difficulty. A familiar face appeared before her eyes. Her heart wildly trembled because the person who appeared was none other than her fianc¨¦e whom she was set to wed¡ªJiang Yucheng! ¡°Shangguan Yue, how does it feel to lose your force and become an invalid?¡± Shangguan Yue looked at him in disbelief. ¡°It was you!¡± Jiang Yucheng smiled. ¡°How does the snow tea that I have been brewing for you for the past three years taste with a side of mortalizing powder?¡± Shangguan Yue froze, then laughed desolately. She thought they had a perfect romance, but he had been out to get her right from the start! The expression on her face gradually turned cold. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, do you know what the punishment for murdering the princess is?¡± Jiang Yucheng smiled and remained silent, but a female voice appeared in the main hall. ¡°Sister, now that things have come to this, do you still think that you¡¯re still the high and mighty princess?¡± Shangguan Yue whipped her head around, and a girl walked in elegantly. It was the sister that she doted on the most¡ªShangguan Wan! The face that was usually gentle and timid was not obnoxious and arrogant! ¡°One day and one night, you¡¯ve lost almost all your blood. Who¡¯s going to come and save you? Our critically ill father, or your Thirteen Yue Guard far away at the frontiers?¡± Shangguan Yue¡¯s heart turned cold. ¡°Father¡¯s illness¡­ it was you?!¡± They were probably behind the departure of the Thirteen Yue Guard as well! Shangguan Wan blinked and patted her chest before she looked towards Jiang Yucheng coyly. ¡°Yucheng, sister¡¯s so fierce. Wan¡¯er is scared.¡± Jiang Yucheng smiled as he put his arm around her waist. ¡°What¡¯s there to be scared of? She¡¯s nothing but an invalid now. If we use her blood to cultivate your Yuan meridian, your talents will increase drastically. By then, everything will be yours!¡± Shangguan Wan looked at her sister with jealousy. ¡°Sister, you were born with a Tianjing Yuan meridian, crowned as the ordained princess. Everything you had was the best! But why? Just because your mother was the queen, while mine was a concubine?¡± She was indignant, so she wanted to take everything that Shangguan Yue had and make it hers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. From now on, the man you love and your future throne, I will take good care of them on your behalf!¡± Shangguan Yue felt that there were weights on her chest and that she was about to explode! The two people that she trusted the most were betraying her! As Shangguan Wan admired her sister¡¯s tortured expression, it did not seem to be enough for her. ¡°Oh, right. Sister, on account of your care all these years, I¡¯ll make sure to send you off properly. Hopefully, you can be reunited with your mother and brother, who died young,¡± she added. The words were like grenades that exploded by Shangguan Yue¡¯s ears. Could it be that her mother and brother¡¯s fatal accident by the frozen lake was not an accident? ¡°Did you know that when seventh brother died, he was still calling for you¡­¡± ¡°Shangguan Wan!¡± Shangguan Yue cried out. Harming her father, betraying her, cutting off her legs, and trapping her here. All of these crimes were unpardonable! Little did she expect that her revered mother and favorite brother had perished in their hands too! She glared at the pair with bloodshot eyes as if she were a demon from the depths of hell. In the next instance, a crimson fire swept across the hall. Shangguan Yue had activated the self-destruction mechanism of the Tianjing Yuan meridian in her body. A fireball the size of a longan flew out and headed straight for Shangguan Wan¡¯s dantian! Shangguan Wan immediately felt her Yuan meridian burning! She began screaming in panic. ¡°My Yuan meridian!¡± Even though Jiang Yucheng managed to avoid it narrowly, half of his right arm had been sliced off! ¡°If I get a second chance at life¡­ I¡¯ll have my vengeance!¡± Shangguan Yue¡¯s words were like a curse! Nobody saw the flashing cryptic characters that formed on the pool of blood! ¡­ Year 1653 of the Tianling Dynasty. Princess Shangguan Yue passed away because of Qi deviation. ¡­ Pain! Pain that could be felt in the bones! It was like her flesh was being ripped apart and burned! A fuzzy voice appeared in her ears. ¡°Heh heh, big brother, even though this lass is like a twig, her face is stunning. Isn¡¯t it kind of a waste to kill her just like this?¡± ¡°Yeah! Big brother, no matter what, she is the Chu family¡¯s Big Missy. It must feel good to play with her!¡± ¡°Cheh, what Big Missy? This useless thing that doesn¡¯t even have the Yuan meridian. The entire Chu family treats her as the family¡¯s black sheep!¡± ¡°Big brother, since Third Missy only said to make her disappear, can¡¯t we just burn everything after we¡¯re done? It¡¯s not like people from the Chu family will come looking for her.¡± Fire? Fire! There was a sharp pain in Shangguan Yue¡¯s brain, and she opened her eyes! Underneath the blinding lights, she saw a perverse looking man reaching towards her chest! ¡°You must be tired of living!¡± Shangguan Yue cried out, only to find that her voice was completely different from before! Her voice was raspy as if she had not had water for a long time. However, it was rather obvious that the voice belonged to a 12-year-old or 13-year-old girl! Before she could think things through, she grabbed the man¡¯s wrist and bent it hard. At the same time, she kicked her leg out! ¡°Ah!¡± A tragic cry echoed in the forest! In his moment of carelessness, the man was kicked backward, and his hand was in an eerie state. It had been broken with brute force! ¡°Big brother!¡± The two men behind him were stunned as they rushed to catch him. They were shocked to see that the man had been hurt as they turned towards the girl. What was going on?! Chu Liuyue was known for being the Chu family¡¯s most useless member. She could not fight at all. Otherwise, she would not have been brought to this misty forest after they easily knocked her out! But now, she managed to break the big brother¡¯s hand! ¡°You little b*tch. How dare you raise your hand against me, Song Lian? I think you are the one who¡¯s tired of living. Brothers, go and bring her over here!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Even though they were confused, they rushed over without much thought. The three of them were stage two warriors; how could Chu Liuyue be their match? That must have been a fluke! Shangguan Yue narrowed her eyes as she regarded the two men advancing toward her. A dark light flashed across her eyes. She then ran straight for the two men! Just as the three were about to clash, the two men swung their knives! Shangguan Yue seemed to have been expecting that. She bent and took a step aside, heading straight toward one of the men. Just inches away, she easily grabbed the man¡¯s wrist and pressed down hard in a certain position! A sense of powerlessness originated from her wrist, and the man¡¯s knife froze right above the young girl¡¯s head! Shangguan Yue¡¯s eyes turned cold as she turned. The direction of the knife changed and decapitated the man directly! Warm blood splattered all across her face, but she did not even bat an eyelid! Dong! She released her hand emotionlessly, and the headless man fell to the ground! A cold breeze came from behind her! She struck with the knife without looking back at all! The man, who was trying to sneak up on her, widened his eyes. Before his knife could land, he had been slashed across the waist! Dong! The clean cut sent chills down one¡¯s spine! Song Lian was stunned by everything that was unfolding before his eyes. What¡¯s going on?! Chu Liuyue managed to kill two stage two warriors in the blink of an eye! ¡°Ch-chu Liuyue?! Are you insane?!¡± Song Lian¡¯s voice was much sharper because of fear. Shangguan Yue turned and frowned as she looked at the man who was supposed to kill her. She did not know them. Besides, they were too weak. At the very least, they should have sent stage eight warriors if they wanted to kill her. But now this¡­ That¡¯s not right! Wasn¡¯t I already dead? I was harmed by Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan together in the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall! Now¡­ She suddenly looked down at her hand that was holding onto the knife. This was a pair of slender and weak hands, but they had a number of calluses because of all the hard work it had done. These aren¡¯t my hands! Also, that man from earlier called me¡­ Chu Liuyue?! Her gaze changed as she pieced everything together. ¡°Third Missy sent you to kill me?¡± Song Lian wanted to take the chance to kill Chu Liuyue, but the two people before him had died so tragically. Although he was not sure what kind of spell Chu Liuyue was under, he dared not act rashly. His actions of kneeling down and crying out changed her thoughts and expression. ¡°Yes! Yes! It was all Third Missy¡¯s orders! She asked us to abduct you while you were out shopping! She said she would give us 600 taels of silver as long as we made you disappear without anyone knowing! Big Missy, please have mercy on me! It was a moment of folly!¡± Big Missy? Shangguan Yue felt her head throb when she heard that as if something was rushing to her head! The sharp pain made her take a step back, and her face was pale as a sheet. Song Lian glanced at her, and his eyes turned vicious. In for a penny, in for a pound! The moment was now! ¡°Die!¡± As he cried out, he suddenly got up and flew towards Shangguan Yue! His energy was suddenly much stronger than it was before! He was already a stage three warrior! But just as he was about to reach Shangguan Yue, a knife pierced his chest first! It was the knife in Shangguan Yue¡¯s hand! Song Lian looked down in disbelief. How¡­ When did Chu Liuyue become so strong? He would never know the answer. Bang! The last one was killed too! There was nothing but silence in the forest. If not for the three bodies on the ground, nobody would ever expect such a skinny young girl to have that much strength! Shangguan Yue supported herself using a tree. When the pain subsided, she realized that another person¡¯s memories were in her head. After sorting everything out, she slowly opened her eyes and sighed. It turned out that she had been reborn into the body of a young girl named Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡ªthe big missy of the Chu family¡ªwas from one of the four big families in Country Yao Chen. Even though she was the big missy, her life was worse than the servants. She was born with a lacking Yuan meridian, so she could not cultivate. Therefore, she was seen as the shame of the Chu family. Chu Liuyue¡¯s mother died when she was very young. Her father, Chu Ning, had been first in line to be the family¡¯s next head but was injured a few years ago. From then on, his status in the family plummeted. As such, it was not hard to imagine how hard she had been bullied since young. The Third Missy that wanted to kill her was her second uncle, Chu Yao¡¯s daughter¡ªChu Xianmin. She wanted to kill Chu Liuyue because of the marriage agreement that Chu Liuyue had. It was with Country Yao Chen¡¯s Crown Prince, Rong Jin! Chu Liuyue would turn 14 in a month, and the engagement ceremony would be held then! It was not only Chu Xianmin, but countless people also tried to kill her in the dark! Shangguan Yue stood up, curling her pale lips into a smile. If she recalled correctly, Country Yao Chen was a subsidiary country of Tianling Dynasty! This was not the end of her! She was Chu Liuyue from now on! The vengeance from her last life would be paid back a hundred-fold in this life! Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue cleaned up the three corpses, then picked up the baggage on the side. It belonged to the original Chu Liuyue. She frowned when she opened and looked through it. There was quite a bit of money in the bag, alongside a bunch of jewels. Even though they were nothing special to the eyes of Shangguan Yue, who used to be a princess, they were quite a fortune to a downtrodden girl from the meager Chu family. Was she going to run away? Chu Liuyue scoffed. Chu Liuyue could never bear to leave her father behind if she were running away, not to mention that Chu Liuyue was a timid girl, who would never have the courage to do that. Most important of all, how could Chu Liuyue, someone who was pushed around by the Chu family, have the opportunity to get her hands on so much cash and jewelry? Someone was clearly trying to frame her! If Song Lian and his family were behind it, they had to put on a show just to keep things under wraps. If people found Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and saw the items, they would have assumed that she had stolen things and ran away under the pretext of shopping. Thieves deserved to die! Chu Xianmin was trying to ruin her, even after she died! Since she was borrowing Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, then she had to settle this for her host. Besides, Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity made her future operations much easier. After looking through everything, Chu Liuyue looked around. She could hear the faint sound of a stream. She was covered in blood and dirt right now, and she really needed to take a shower. Conveniently for her, there were fresh clothes in the baggage. ¡­ Cutting through the lush forest for about 15 minutes, Chu Liuyue finally arrived at an azure-blue lake. What was astonishing was the layer of fog floating above the lake. Even from where she was standing on the bank, she could only see the lake water near her. Everything else was obscured. Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand and was a little surprised when she ran it through the fog. This fog is formed by extremely concentrated force! If I cultivated here, I would improve drastically! As the princess, the heir to the Tianling Dynasty, she knew the ten subsidiary countries rather well. Even though such a place could not compare to the places where she used to cultivate, it was considered great in a small place like Country Yao Chen. At this time, there was a low roar. She looked up and saw a snow-white tiger by the lake, staring at her with icy-blue eyes! This was a high-stage demonic beast! Just as Chu Liuyue was thinking of how to deal with it, it suddenly shook its tail and lay down again, closing its eyes. Chu Liuyue was stunned. Is it going to leave me alone? However, guardian beasts are supposed to be very hot-tempered! Before she could finish her thoughts, the lion opened its eyes and glanced at her. It then stood up and walked towards her! When it reached her, the white lion raised its paw and swept Chu Liuyue¡¯s baggage to the floor and nudged her forward with its head. ¡°You want me to go in?¡± asked Chu Liuyue uncertainly. The white lion sat down on the ground as it looked Chu Liuyue in the eyes as if telling her that it would not leave if she did not enter. Chu Liuyue was speechless. She laughed, thinking the white lion was rather cute. She patted it on the head, and the lion closed its eyes contentedly. She then removed her blood and filth covered clothes and stepped into the lake, allowing the warm water to surround her. A vigorous and warm force gushed towards her. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes as she began examining the condition of this body. ¡­ Mainland Xuan Wu was about survival of the fittest. There were two kinds of cultivators. One kind was warriors, who absorbed the Heaven and Earth Force into their flesh and blood. The other kind was Xuan Masters, who could muster their force through amulets and see into the workings of Heaven and Earth Force. Although both were classified as cultivators, the conditions for becoming a Xuan Master were much higher, so they were rarer and more respected. In order to become a cultivator, one had to possess the Yuan meridian. The Yuan meridian was the only medium through which cultivators could take in Heaven and Earth Force, so it was especially important. There were four grades to a Yuan meridian: Tianjing, Dijing, Xuanjing, and Huangjing. Tianjing was the highest grade. Even the Tianling Dynasty had only produced two people with a Tianjing Yuan meridian in 1,000 years. The first was the founder of the dynasty. The other was¡­ her. This was also why she was the most revered princess! To her, cultivation was as simple as it could be. However, her current body had a defective Yuan meridian. It could channel force, but it could not contain it, much less transform it into powers for Chu Liuyue¡¯s use. Chu Liuyue was therefore born a good for nothing! ¡°Seems like I have to restore this Yuan meridian first¡­¡± mumbled Chu Liuyue. Other people¡¯s jaws would drop if they heard her. How could the Yuan meridian, which was inborn, be repaired? Probably nobody in the entire Country Yao Chen was capable of doing that! However, it was nothing to Shangguan Yue, who was once the princess of the Tianling Dynasty! Heavenly doctors were the most secretive and revered existences on the mainland. They could revive the dead and restore skeletons to human form. Nothing was impossible for them! But becoming a heavenly doctor was even tougher than becoming a Xuan Master! Their cultivation was different from Xuan Masters and Warriors as well. Even if it was a piece of rotten wood, Chu Liuyue could perform magic with it! I wonder what grade the Yuan meridian will be after restoration¡­ As she was thinking, a red light flashed before Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes! She looked towards her hands with knitted brows, only to see a strange crimson amulet text appearing on her palms! ¡°This is¡­¡± She had never seen the text, nor did she know of its origins. Did this belong to the original Chu Liuyue? Just as the thought flashed across her head, she felt a sense of familiarity. It was as if the text belonged to her! The text flashed, then disappeared quickly. Before Chu Liuyue could focus on it, she felt a new sensation in her dantian. The originally withered dantian was filled with a red light! Floating right in the middle of her dantian was the text that Chu Liuyue had seen earlier! She took a closer look and focused her energy. The text did not exist alone. It was inscribed on a transparent book page! The page was extremely thin as if it was ripped off from a book. The edges were uneven as the page hovered there. It would be hard to see if not for the crimson text. Just as Chu Liuyue was about to take a closer look out of curiosity, the transparent book page turned into a puddle and formed a small lake in her dantian. The amulet text disappeared completely as if it had never appeared. Chu Liuyue looked towards her palms. There was no trace of anything. Her body returned to its usual tranquility. As she pondered, she could not understand what was going on, so she chose to stop thinking about it. It did not seem like it would hurt her. It was more important to settle the troubles of her host first! She turned around, about to return to shore when her eyes turned cold. She hid her body in the water and looked straight ahead. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± At the same time, she removed her hairpin and held it in her hand, ready to strike! In the thick fog, there was an elusive, tall figure. It was accompanied by the deep, gentle voice of a man, which seemed to be concealing a smile. ¡°Little lady, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for you to be trespassing on other people¡¯s territory.¡± Perhaps it was because of the foggy atmosphere, but his words were a little dragged out, tinted with a hint of laziness. It was like a breeze plucking at the strings of a musical instrument. It was captivating. Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A man was actually hiding in the middle of the lake! Chu Liuyue was shocked. She had been coming here for so long, but she was clueless about it. Although she no longer had her previous body¡¯s strength, she was still sharp, and her eyesight still excellent. Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to take care of Song Lian and his two other companions by herself just now. This man must be very strong. ¡°Is this your territory?¡± she asked cautiously. The water rippled. Chu Liuyue could vaguely see a tall figure coming out of the water. His silhouette could be seen through a veil of white mist. Straight shoulders, a broad back, and a curvy figure were vaguely hidden by the lake. Chu Liuyue gripped her hairpin tightly as she continued to stare. She had just been reborn; she didn¡¯t want to die again. A low laugh came out of nowhere. ¡°Do I look that good?¡± A gust of wind dispersed the white mist. That man¡¯s figure became clearer. It seemed that he was keen to meet her face to face. Chu Liuyue sneered inwardly. She had seen worse. Why should she be intimidated by this? ¡°I can¡¯t get a good look with the mist in our way. Let me take a closer look; I can give you my answer then.¡± The flowing mist came to a sudden stop. The man probably didn¡¯t expect a young lady like her to talk in this manner. ¡°If you are really that keen, I will be happy to oblige. However, I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll stab me with your hairpin before you¡¯ve seen more.¡± He didn¡¯t seem annoyed because there was laughter in his voice. Chu Liuyue remained silent. The man was strong, smart, and definitely not easy to deal with. He had figured out her intentions with one glance. She wouldn¡¯t face such a person head-on when dealing with them. She simply rolled her eyes, pulled her hair back, and calmly inserted the hairpin into her bun smoothly. ¡°My apologies. I didn¡¯t know this was your territory. I thought there was nobody until I intruded. I hope you will forgive me for my intrusion.¡± The man was silent for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± His voice sounded distant. Chu Liuyue was flabbergasted. Was he letting her off this easily? Her mind was so confused that she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°The water in Lake Bibo may be good for health, but your meridian points are blocked. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t stay for long.¡± The man stood up and made his way to the shore as soon as he said that. In a flash, he was done dressing. Chu Liuyue could barely make out his silhouette despite the white mist. She could still see the man¡¯s figure. Indeed, it was a really good one. She, too, wore her clothes with haste without feeling embarrassed and left. This was not a man to be trifled with. Before she could take a step, the man¡¯s voice rang behind her. ¡°Young lady, I have no wish to pursue this matter, but I have to know who has intruded into my territory today.¡± The tone of his voice was smooth, but it carried a hint of a superior person¡¯s irrefutable nobility. Are his words meant to intimidate me into telling him my name? Chu Liuyue turned around. A man was standing not too far away from her. She held her breath. When she was a princess, she saw countless talented and handsome young men. Her fianc¨¦, Jiang Yucheng, was also the most handsome man in Tianling Dynasty. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed when she first laid her eyes on this man. He had a pair of saber-like eyebrows which slanted into his temples, a straight nose, and sparkling eyes. Even the most beautiful starry night sky couldn¡¯t compare to those deep eyes. One glance at those eyes was enough to make one crazy and sink into its light. His scarlet lips were lightly pressed together into a flawless radian, which appeared thin. However, the bead in the middle of one of his lips made them look redder. His eyes were the cleanest starry night in the world, while his lips were the most ambiguous spring color in the world. He was pure yet mysterious. He was elegant and noble, like an impenetrable contradictory form that seemed to drive one crazy as it attracted all the attention. Chu Liuyue sized him up, and a word came into her mind¡ªDemon! ¡°Chu Liuyue.¡± She had no intention of hiding her identity. After all, he looked like a man of many means. Lying would only cause more problems. The man stood across her and stared, but his gaze was like the moonlight as his eyes lightly grazed past her. They finally remained fixed on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about this since Xue Xue was the one who let you in.¡± Xue Xue? Is it that white lion? The man suddenly stepped forward and approached Chu Liuyue until he stood in front of her. Chu Liuyue was on high alert. However, she suppressed her feelings so as not to show him any hostility. She looked at him calmly. He stood unmovingly. Suddenly, he reached out and grazed her cheek lightly with his warm fingertip. ¡°Lady Chu, you can¡¯t go home in such a mess with blood on your face.¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. She looked down and saw the bloodstain on his fingertip. The two breathed, taking in each other¡¯s scent for a moment. His deep voice stirred her eardrums. ¡°Also, my name is Rong Xiu.¡± Before Chu Liuyue could say anything, he told her, ¡°You should go.¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. She might not know what he was up to, but she had a feeling that there was another battle to be fought when she returned to the Chu family. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡­ It wasn¡¯t until the young girl¡¯s slender figure completely disappeared into the forest that Rong Xiu finally withdrew his gaze and glanced at the white lion. His warm and friendly demeanor dimmed a few notches. ¡°Did you betray your master to get into her good graces?¡± The white lion was motionless. ¡°If you pretend to be dead, I will tell her your other name is Hua Hua when I see her the next time.¡± Roar! The white lion suddenly stood up. Its name was Xue Hua [Snowflake], not Hua Hua! It would be so embarrassing if others came to know about this. ¡°The Imperial City should be quite crowded these days, so I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Xue Hua¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡­ The atmosphere in the Chu family¡¯s hall was tense. Anxiety was written all over Chu Ning¡¯s face. He paced around uneasily while looking out nervously. ¡°Yue¡¯er has been gone for the whole day. It¡¯s already evening. Why isn¡¯t she back yet? First Elder, we should send a search party out quickly.¡± What should they do if something happened to her? Yue¡¯er was completely defenseless. First Elder, Chu Xiao, sipped his tea and told him nonchalantly, ¡°Chu Ning, stop fretting. This isn¡¯t the first time she has gone out. What could happen? Perhaps, she was having so much fun that she simply forgot the time.¡± Chu Ning was extremely anxious, but he knew they wouldn¡¯t agree to his request. It¡¯s getting dark. Yue¡¯er wouldn¡¯t be so insensible. She should be back by now. ¡°I will search for her myself!¡± He went out alone without waiting for them. The Third Missy, Chu Xianmin, came dressed in a yellow dress. She had a pretty face. She respectfully bowed before saying with a whimper, ¡°First Elder, I know that my sister hasn¡¯t come back yet, so I shouldn¡¯t bother you. B-but¡­ there is something that I don¡¯t dare to hide¡ªmy things have been stolen.¡± First Elder frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± Tears began to well up in Chu Xianmin¡¯s eyes. ¡°I invited my sister to my room this morning, wanting to give her some money so she could buy something for herself when she went out. However, when I checked earlier, all the money and jewelry my parents gave me were missing.¡± Chu Ning barked. ¡°What are you trying to say? Are you implying that Yue¡¯er is the thief?¡± Chu Xianmin cried harder. Aggrieved, tears fell from her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ How could I accuse my sister? However, she was the only one who has gone into my room today.¡± First Elder squinted his eyes. ¡°Perhaps¡­ she stole Xianmin¡¯s money and ran away? How dare she!¡± Chu Ning was about to argue when he heard the announcement. ¡°Big Missy is back!¡± Everyone in the hall froze. A tear had been lingering at the corner of Chu Xianmin¡¯s eye as she concealed her disbelief. How? Chu Liuyue should be¡­ A petite silhouette approached against the light. ¡°First Elder must be joking. As the Chu family¡¯s eldest daughter, I have a share of all the family¡¯s assets. Why would I steal my sister¡¯s money and betray my family?¡± Chu Liuyue walked into the hall with a smile, but it made Chu Xianmin quiver. ¡°Am I right, Sister?¡± Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Xianmin was so surprised to see this familiar face that she almost bolted from her seat. It really is Chu Liuyue! How could this be? Song Lian and his two lackeys aren¡¯t weaklings. It should be a piece of cake for them to deal with a mere Chu Liuyue. Everything has been arranged, but Chu Liuyue still¡­ ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Ning rushed over nervously the moment he saw his daughter. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what happened to you?¡± The worrying look in Chu Ning¡¯s eyes warmed Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. She could feel it. Chu Ning truly loved his daughter. Even though she was a loser, his love for her as a father had not lessened. A pity. The real Chu Liuyue was dead. Chu Liuyue patted Chu Ning¡¯s hand and gave him a reassuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I¡¯m fine.¡± Chu Ning was still unconvinced even after her reassurance. However, upon a closer look, she didn¡¯t seem to be hurt. He finally let go of that stone in his heart. For some reason, he was puzzled when he saw the smile on his daughter¡¯s face. There was something different about her. In the past, Yue¡¯er was always submissive and delicate. However, at this moment, her black irises seemed to be sparkling like the brightest stars in the night sky. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re back! I was sick with worry.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that Chu Xianmin looked ecstatic as if she was truly happy to see Chu Liuyue. Worried? Chu Liuyue sneered inwardly. Chu Xianmin¡¯s worry was more from fear of seeing her safe return. ¡°Oh? Were you really worried about me, Third Sister? I seem to recall that you were accusing me of theft just now when I was standing outside,¡± retorted Chu Liuyue, unflustered. Chu Xianmin felt a cold sweat form on her back in an instant. What the h*ll is going on with this Chu Liuyue? Not only did she survive her ordeal, but she also seems to be a changed person! She actually dared to question me in front of so many people! ¡°Dear Sister, you must be mistaken. You were not back, and it was getting late. I was anxious and came to ask First Elder about it.¡± With that, her eyes started to well up with tears again. ¡°After all¡­ you can¡¯t even protect yourself. If you were bullied while you were out, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself.¡± Chu Xianmin was deliberately mocking her for being a loser because she couldn¡¯t cultivate. If it was the former Chu Liuyue, she would have been deceived by Chu Xianmin¡¯s act, that the latter had truly been worried. However, Chu Liuyue was a changed person. She would not be tricked by Chu Xianmin¡¯s unorthodox means. Chu Xianmin was the most gifted amongst the Chu family¡¯s younger generation. By saying such things, she was implying that Chu Liuyue was useless. Even her leaving the house was a problem! Sure enough, First Elder¡¯s eyes immediately filled with disgust as he reprimanded angrily. ¡°Who knows what you¡¯ve been doing out so late today! If you can¡¯t even handle such trivial matters, don¡¯t bother going out anymore! You¡¯ll only shame our family name. Such a good-for-nothing!¡± Chu Ning¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold. He stepped forward, shielding Chu Liuyue behind him. With both fists tightly clenched by his side, he forced himself to restrain his emotions. ¡°First Elder, Yue¡¯er is still a child. Aren¡¯t you being too harsh on her?¡± He might not be who he used to be, but he simply couldn¡¯t allow other people to bully his daughter. Chu Liuyue was startled as she stared at the towering figure in front of her. She was overwhelmed. In her last life, she was destined to be a strong and noble princess. She always handled everything herself. To her, being loved was a foreign feeling that was too precious. She would do everything to protect the people who truly loved her this time. Whatever it took. ¡°Father.¡± Chu Liuyue tugged his hand and stepped forward. Chu Ning looked at her, fully expecting her to give in like she always did. However, all he saw was calmness in her eyes. The petite girl straightened her back and lifted her chin. There was an inexplicable strength within her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, First Elder. Everything that needed to be bought is in order and is being delivered to the warehouse. You can go and check if you don¡¯t believe me. As for why I came back so late today, I think Third Sister knows best.¡± ¡°Sister, what nonsense are you spouting?¡± Chu Xianmin panicked when she heard this. The tone of her voice became hostile. Has Chu Liuyue already guessed that I sent Song Lian and the others? Chu Liuyue looked at her with a smile, feigning surprise. ¡°Sister, didn¡¯t you give me the silver taels to help you to buy something?¡± Chu Xianmin was stumped. She did no such thing! But¡­ that was exactly what she had just said to First Elder and Chu Ning. She had wanted to take this opportunity to frame Chu Liuyue, but the latter had taken advantage of the situation for her benefit. Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand. A jade pendant shaped like a pomegranate was lying in her palm. ¡°Third Sister, since the money you gave me was not enough, I left your other Flower Moon Pomegranate Jade Pendant as collateral in Zhen Bao Pavilion. You may have it back when you send the rest of the money tomorrow.¡± The jade pendant was a dowry brought by Chu Xianmin¡¯s mother. Not only was it very precious because of its exquisiteness, but also because it could warm one¡¯s body. There was nothing like it in the whole of Imperial City. Chu Xianmin was very fond of it, and she wore it often. Everyone would testify that it belonged to Chu Xianmin for precisely the same reason. When First Elder heard this, he looked at Chu Xianmin with suspicion. ¡°Minmin, is what she said true?¡± The pendant was her treasured belonging. It would be difficult for anyone to take it unless she gave it to them. It would have been fine if she had bought something else, but Zhen Bao Pavilion was the most luxurious place in the entire Imperial City. Everything inside was of good quality and considerable value. Although the Chu family was also a noble family, its status had gradually declined in recent years. It was not as glamorous as it appeared to be. Even as one of the Chu Family¡¯s elders, he couldn¡¯t just squander money in a place like Zhen Bao Pavilion! Chu Xianmin gritted her teeth secretly. It was a deliberate plot to make everyone believe that Chu Liuyue had stolen something and fled. Who would¡¯ve thought that her plan would backfire? ¡°Y-Yes¡­ I like one of the items in Zhen Bao Pavilion. I asked Sister to go on my behalf. Lately, I¡¯ve been too occupied with my cultivation to leave the house.¡± She had no choice but to go with the flow. The things in Zhen Bao Pavilion might be costly. Nevertheless, she could still afford to buy one or two items. She would have to find out about the Song Lian trio¡¯s situation before she could deal with Chu Liuyue. At the mention of her cultivation, First Elder¡¯s demeanor softened considerably. He said warmly, ¡°What does it matter? You are the best in our Chu family¡¯s younger generation. You can have anything you want!¡± Chu Xianmin smiled sweetly. ¡°Thank you very much, First Elder.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed inwardly. It¡¯s not that easy to get away with this. For the time being, she couldn¡¯t completely antagonize Chu Xianmin. However, it was also impossible for her to suffer in silence. ¡°First Elder, are you planning to help my sister pay the rest of the money using the family¡¯s accounts?¡± asked Chu Liuyue curiously. First Elder and Chu Xianmin were stunned in unison. Then, both hesitated. The Chu family¡¯s rules were strict. Everyone¡¯s monthly salary was distributed according to their ranks. If First Elder forked out money for Chu Xianmin from the family¡¯s account, he would be upsetting the other family members. ¡°This is Minmin¡¯s business. She should be responsible for it.¡± Chu Xianmin worked hard to maintain her reputation over the years. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t allow it to be tarnished. She took matters into her own hands right then and there. The items in Zhen Bao Pavilion might be expensive, but she was everyone¡¯s favorite, so she managed to save a fair amount of silver. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to spend several thousand silver taels on one or two items. She pretended to be generous and gentle as she looked at Chu Liuyue with a smile. ¡°Sister, you can pick up the treasure tomorrow?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded as a sly look flashed in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve already paid Zhen Bao Pavilion with the 1,000 silver taels you gave me. You only have to give me the remaining 199,000 taels tomorrow.¡± Chu Xianmin thought she had misheard, and she screamed subconsciously. ¡°What?!¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Yes, Sister. Didn¡¯t you say that you fancied the carved red jade pendant from Zhen Bao Pavilion and asked me to buy it for you? Its price is naturally high as it is the most treasured item in the whole shop. Dear Sister, do¡­ you¡­ not have the money? B-but¡­ the staff at the pavilion has already made an exception for me. On account of our family name, they agreed to let me buy the pendant with an advanced payment of 1,000 taels.¡± Chu Liuyue looked embarrassed. First Elder¡ªwho had been standing beside her¡ªalmost stopped breathing. That was 199,000 silver taels! Even for the Chu family, it wasn¡¯t easy to come up with that amount of money at once. He stared at Chu Xianmin. No matter how much he had favored her, he was only greatly dissatisfied with her at the moment. He reprimanded her coldly. ¡°Minmin! You¡¯re too ignorant for your own good!¡± They had to buy this pendant at all costs now that their family name was on the line. Otherwise, if word of this was to get out, they wouldn¡¯t know what other people would say about the Chu family. Chu Xianmin opened her mouth to defend herself, but nothing could come out. She didn¡¯t even ask Chu Liuyue to buy anything for her, not to mention the carved red jade pendant in Zhen Bao Pavilion that was worth 200,000 silver taels. That pendant had been famous for a long time. It was a treasure made from the finest red jade. Although it was good for cultivation, it was far from being worth 200,000 silver taels! That¡¯s why it remained unsold in the shop for the longest time! She never expected Chu Liuyue to be so scheming. Chu Liuyue planned for Chu Xianmin to cough up the 200,000 silver taels herself! Chu Xianmin shook with anger. If First Elder wasn¡¯t here, she would have pounded Chu Liuyue and shredded her into pieces! Throughout all these years, all she had managed to save was only about 4,000 to 5,000 silver taels. Two hundred thousand silver taels were too massive a hole for her to fill. However,¡­ the Chu family¡¯s name was on the line. She had to take care of this matter at all costs. ¡°I-I¡­ I will definitely pay for this out of my own pocket. First Elder, you mustn¡¯t worry about it.¡± With gritted teeth, she forced a smile. ¡°Mother has always loved me. She had promised to fulfill one of my requests if I came in first place in the academy¡¯s assessment.¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s mother, Lu Yao, came from the Lu family¡ªone of the top merchant families in the entire Imperial City. She said this to show that she could get the money and wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for the Chu family no matter what. On the other hand, she also wanted to use the Lu family¡¯s name to elevate her status. As she expected, First Elder¡¯s demeanor softened considerably upon hearing the Lu family¡¯s name. ¡°Indeed, your mother loves you the most because you are an outstanding daughter. I recall that the academy¡¯s assessment is in one month¡¯s time?¡± Tian Lu Academy was the school Chu Xianmin had been studying at. It was also the most prominent academy to have ever existed in the entire Country Yao Chen. Those who entered the academy were all enviable geniuses. Even children of royal blood wanted to enter and undergo their assessment. Simply because of this, Chu Xianmin was loved throughout the Chu family. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Xianmin became much more energetic. Then, something occurred to her. A trace of shyness appeared on her pretty face. ¡°Brother Jin¡­ His Highness also said that he would reward me if I placed first in the assessment.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows a notch. The ¡®Brother Jin¡¯ Chu Xianmin had just mentioned was none other than the current Crown Prince, Rong Jin. He was also engaged to Chu Liuyue. From her expression, anyone could tell that something was going on between Chu Xianmin and the Crown Prince. First Elder¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± The Crown Prince, a favorite of His Majesty, was highly gifted and capable. The Chu family had been declining. If they could climb up this enormous tree¡ªthe Crown Prince¡ªeverything would be different. Chu Xianmin seemed to have suddenly thought of something. She gave Chu Liuyue a quick glance and explained somewhat nervously, ¡°Sister, there isn¡¯t any cause for misunderstanding. There is really nothing going on between Brother Jin and me. He is looking out for me simply because both of you are engaged. If you can get into the academy, I¡¯m sure Brother Jin will treat you¡­¡± She stopped talking abruptly. Everybody knew that Chu Liuyue was a born loser. She couldn¡¯t even cultivate normally, much less get into Tian Lu Academy. If someone had really cared about her engagement with the Crown Prince, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t have been bullied to this extent! Chu Ning gritted his teeth, but his heart grew cold. The official engagement was in a month. He thought that would change the situation, but it now seemed like it was just his delusions. He had heard that the Crown Prince was interested in Chu Xianmin. However, he didn¡¯t expect that it had already reached such a blatant stage! They didn¡¯t care about Yue¡¯er at all! To think that his poor daughter had loved the Crown Prince wholeheartedly. Chu Xianmin was secretly complacent with herself as she looked at Chu Liuyue. She had expected to see pain on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, but to her surprise, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care at all. Not only was she not shocked or disappointed, but she even laughed! ¡°It¡¯s wonderful as long as Third Sister can come up with the money.¡± Chu Xianmin was stunned. Why did she have the feeling that the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t as important as the 200,000 silver taels? ¡°Father and I will take our leave since the matter has now been settled.¡± After saying that, Chu Liuyue actually turned around and left with Chu Ning. ¡°You¡­¡± Chu Xianmin felt a blockage in her chest as if her punch had landed on cotton. Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped and turned around at the doorway. Her dark, cold eyes pierced straight into Chu Xianmin¡¯s, and it actually brought on a pressurized silence. ¡°By the way, Third Sister, it¡¯s better if you are careful with that mouth of yours from now on. If I hadn¡¯t come back in time today, everyone would have thought I had stolen your things and ran away. If that were the case, I would never be able to clear my name, right?¡± Chu Xianmin suddenly shivered. She knows! She must know. Chu Xianmin wanted to argue, but felt an invisible force over her head, making her unable to move. It wasn¡¯t until Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure disappeared outside the door that she gradually slowed down, her forehead covered in a cold sweat. Chu Xianmin¡¯s eyes flashed with fierce determination. She had to check on the Song Lian trio¡¯s situation before finding a way to deal with Chu Liuyue once and for all. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning returned to the remote courtyard where they resided. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯ve had a long day. Go and take a rest.¡± Chu Ning felt pained as he patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. Chu Liuyue took in her surroundings quickly. Despite having the memories from her last life, she still sighed inwardly when she saw her surroundings. It wasn¡¯t a courtyard, but a few dilapidated houses that were almost completely deserted. It became clear as to what kind of life the father-daughter duo had been living. Nobody would believe that Chu Ning¡ªwho was once the Chu family¡¯s next head¡ªand Chu Liuyue, the family¡¯s titular eldest daughter, would live in a place like this. Chu Liuyue nodded gently. ¡°The same goes to you, Father.¡± Chu Ning moved his lips. He wanted to ask her something, but he could only sigh in the end. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I know you like the Crown Prince, but I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not the right man for you. Chu Xianmin is talented and has the support of the family clan. If you go against her like you did earlier, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I know what to do.¡± Chu Ning was full of worries. Suddenly, he was unable to speak when he looked into those smiling, calm eyes. Yue¡¯er¡­ something is different about her. He nodded and ruffled his daughter¡¯s hair before leaving. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes landed on her father¡¯s right leg, which barely supported him, and quickly moved away while he pushed the door open. The night curtain rose outside. A pale ray of moonlight streamed in through the broken window. Chu Liuyue walked to the window. She tapped it gently, deep in thought. She had already asked for the date during the day. It was the seventh month¡¯s tenth day in year 832 of Country Yao Chen. It was exactly one year after ¡®she¡¯ died when she compared the date to the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s yearly calendar. In other words, she was reborn Chu Liuyue¡¯s body one year after her death. With her current status and strength, she needed to plan her revenge with great care. Suddenly, her expression changed. She swiftly turned her head towards her bed. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± There was dead silence in the room, and the air almost froze. For a moment, a pair of icy-blue eyes appeared in the darkened room. Taking a closer look, Chu Liuyue was shocked to see an enormous white lion lying obediently on her bed! ¡°Xue Xue?¡± Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue relaxed, and her tone became much friendlier. Even though this white lion looked extremely ferocious, she could feel that it was very close to her; it had even reduced the domineering fiend aura around it. The white lion got up and jumped down from its bed, silently coming to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. Its body was very big and bulky. In front of it, the originally thin Chu Liuyue looked even more petite, as if it could easily swallow her whole in one bite. Even the entire room seemed much narrower. Xue Xue¡¯s icy-blue eyes blinked, and it lowered its large head, swaying by Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Chu Liuyue was slightly taken aback and could not figure out what it wanted. As she did not budge, Xue Xue inched closer toward her and raised its head to look at her with its eyes wide open. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. Is it asking for a pat? She tentatively stuck out her hand and placed it on the lion¡¯s head to caress it gently. The unbelievably soft fur was great to touch; one could tell that it had lived a great life since it had such valuable fur. Xue Xue then closed its eyes in satisfaction and stretched its body. It wagged its tail and groaned in pleasure. Gu¡­ Chu Liuyue was speechless. Is it not intending to move away? ¡°Hey, shouldn¡¯t you return to your master? Why are you sticking to me?¡± However, Xue Xue did not mind her at all; its closed eyes did not move as if it really fell asleep. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. Although she did not know the white lion¡¯s intentions, the sky was already very dark, and if she insisted on it going back, it might cause some commotion. By then, things would be even more problematic. After thinking for a while, Chu Liuyue decided not to be conflicted about this anymore. She patted its head gently and climbed up the bed to rest on her own. When she touched the blanket, she noticed that it was warm. A thought flashed across her mind. Did this fellow come here to warm the bed for me? The next moment, she could not help but laugh. I¡¯m thinking too much! ¡°If you really must stay here, promise me that you won¡¯t let anyone else find out.¡± Xue Xue opened its eyes and wagged its tail happily. Chu Liuyue lay on the bed and went through her to-do list for the next day before she slowly drifted off to sleep. When she gradually fell into a deep sleep, the white lion¡ªwhich seemed to have fallen asleep much earlier¡ªslowly opened its eyes and looked at Chu Liuyue. Nobody knew what she dreamt of, but her eyebrows on her small face were tightly knitted; her forehead broke out into numerous droplets of cold sweat, and her lips were pale. A silver light glowed from Xue Xue¡¯s body and seeped into Chu Liuyue¡¯s body slowly and silently. In her sleep, Chu Liuyue just felt that her body was immersed in a pool of warm water, and it was very relaxing and comfortable. Then, she slowly relaxed her eyebrows and slept peacefully. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue was sleeping peacefully, there was someone who could not fall asleep at all¡ªChu Xianmin. ¡°Say it! What exactly is going on?¡± In Ting Fang Court, the main door was tightly shut. Chu Xianmin glared at the man kneeling before her, trying her best to control her anger. ¡°This¡­ I¡­ Third Missy, I have already investigated it in detail, but I really can¡¯t find out the whereabouts of the Song Lian trio.¡± Chu Liansheng¡¯s back broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°How could this be possible?¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s sharp shrill voice interrupted his words. ¡°The plan was perfect; it had no loopholes at all. Once Chu Liuyue stepped out of the door, she should have been directly hit unconscious and brought to Lin Zhong. That¡¯s it! Initially, you were the one who said that Song Lian was already a level three martial artist and that he wouldn¡¯t have a problem with dealing with a mere Chu Liuyue. What about now? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t die, and even the Song Lian trio went missing! Is this how you complete your tasks?¡± ¡°Third Missy, that should logically be correct. I personally witnessed them bringing Chu Liuyue out of the city gates, b-but¡­ who would have thought that she wouldn¡¯t die?¡± When he found out that Chu Liuyue came back alive, he felt that something was amiss and immediately went to trace the Song Lian trio¡¯s whereabouts. However, even when he had flipped the entire city upside down, the trio seemed to have disappeared into thin air. He then noticed that something was wrong. ¡°She must have known that I planned it,¡± said Chu Xianmin with hatred. She was frustrated beyond words when thinking about how she was previously stunned by a mere gaze from Chu Liuyue. ¡°Third Missy, so what if she knows? She¡¯s just a good-for-nothing. What else can she do?¡± ¡°Are you dumb? If she really didn¡¯t do anything, then how did Song Lian and the rest go missing?¡± Chu Liansheng did not dare to utter another word. Chu Xianmin gritted her teeth secretly. She could not live in peace if Song Lian and the rest were not found. Who knew how Chu Liuyue came back alive and how she defeated those few people? If she used this against her¡­ ¡°Continue looking for them! Also, send someone to spy on Chu Liuyue. If there¡¯s anything amiss, report to me immediately!¡± ¡°Will do!¡± After Chu Liansheng left, Chu Xianmin¡¯s eyes gradually turned gloomy. Chu Liuyue already dared to turn her back on her and target her. Then, she should not blame her for being merciless. ¡­ A good night¡¯s sleep. The next day when Chu Liuyue woke up, she found that Xue Xue had already left. It seemed like it was really keeping her company for the night. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. This was her first night after her rebirth. Initially, she thought that it would be hard for her to fall asleep, but she did not expect to sleep so soundly. Her body also seemed much lighter and more relaxed than before, probably because of her good night¡¯s sleep. After washing up, Chu Liuyue sat in front of the mirror and looked at her new face. In the old and blurry bronze mirror, there was a young lady¡¯s face. Probably because she was malnourished regularly, her originally 14-year-old face looked as if she was just 12. Her dark, round, and watery eyes looked even bigger. Even if so, it was not hard to tell that this small face was naturally pretty. Now, she was still young. Later on, when she grew up, she would definitely be an enchanting beauty. Perhaps because the core personality had changed, the pair of weak and shy eyes had turned into solemn and determined ones that shone like the stars in the sky. There was even a trace of an elegant aura coming from her. Just like a pearl covered in dust, it was time for the pearl to shine brightly after the dust was wiped away. Chu Liuyue stared at her face and her gaze changed. After some time, she sighed. This face was actually quite similar to hers in her previous life. Almost immediately, she calmed her heart and briefly packed a few things before going out. ¡­ The Chu family¡¯s rules were very strict, and they would check people coming in and out sternly. However, as Chu Liuyue was of lowly status and would usually be sent to do a slave¡¯s tasks, the guards did not interrogate her much when she left. Unknowingly, this also helped her greatly in her tasks. After leaving the Chu family¡¯s estate, she went straight to Zhen Bao Pavilion. The moment she stepped in, a middle-aged man welcomed her with a face full of smiles. ¡°Big Chu Missy, you¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you all day.¡± This middle-aged man was the second-in-charge at Zhen Bao Pavilion¡ªYan Ge. Normally when people met him, they would have to call him ¡®Second Master¡¯ politely. Everyone knew that there was a mysterious power behind Zhen Bao Pavilion, so they knew not to offend them. They also knew that they had to have a very respectful attitude toward Yan Ge and Zhen Bao Pavilion. However, Yan Ge was extremely passionate toward Chu Liuyue today. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It seems like Second Master Yan is very pleased with yesterday¡¯s business deal.¡± Yan Ge laughed out loud. ¡°It¡¯s all your hard work, Big Chu Missy.¡± That item had been placed in the store for quite a few years already. It was not that nobody liked it, but it was too expensive¡ªthe price was literally asking for a hand and a leg. However, when Chu Liuyue came over the day before, she immediately said that the item could be sold. At the start, he still did not quite believe her, but in the morning, the Chu family and the Lu family respectively sent their money over. Now, when he saw Chu Liuyue again, it was akin to him seeing the God of Fortune. ¡°Yesterday, you mentioned that there¡¯s still a good deal today. Why not¡­¡± Yan Ge rubbed his hands excitedly, and his eyes sparkled as he stared at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingers knocked on the table lightly. ¡°Second Master Yan, I came here today, not to buy things, but to sell them.¡± Yan Ge was taken aback. Chu Liuyue took out a piece of paper from her sleeves and passed it to him. Yan Ge took the paper, and his eyes immediately widened in shock. Chu Liuyue said calmly, ¡°Three hundred thousand taels. I¡¯m not selling it for a lower price.¡± Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Yan Ge heard the quoted price, he wasn¡¯t too surprised, but he still looked at Chu Liuyue with shock and uncertainty as he held the piece of paper with trembling hands. ¡°This¡­ Big Chu Missy, are you really going to sell this?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I believe Second Master Yan should know that you aren¡¯t at a disadvantage at all with this price, right?¡± Yan Ge laughed bitterly. Of course, he knew that he was not at a loss if he used 300,000 taels to exchange for this piece of paper. He would even profit quite a fair bit. However, the important thing was that this item was risky. ¡°Big Chu Missy, this¡­ you¡¯ve really given me a hot potato.¡± This was because this piece of paper was actually a title deed! Besides, it was not an ordinary title deed. It was the title deed for a hunting ground outside the Imperial City. The so-called hunting ground was actually a place specifically used to train fiends. In Mainland Xuan Wu, fiends were split into nine different levels¡ªwhere level one was the weakest, and level nine the strongest. Fiends had unreasonable personalities. They demanded freedom and would not be ordered around by people. However, once it made a vow with a human, they would be very loyal and become the human¡¯s capable assistant. Normally, a person could only establish a bond with one fiend. However, if the fiend died, humans could continue searching for other fiends to make another vow with. A higher level fiend was much stronger and could help humans even more. It was precisely because of this that the cultivators in Mainland Xuan Wu were all vying for fiends, especially ones that were of higher level. However, how could fiends be so easily found? An average cultivator could usually only venture into dangerous territories on their own, risking their lives to find fiends. However, it was different for families with authority. Since they usually chose to build their own hunting grounds. All they had to do was find a suitable place and gather a few fiends, which would save a lot of trouble for them. They could then allow their clans¡¯ disciples to choose any fiend they liked. They could even convert it into a training ground to strengthen the younger cultivators¡¯ capabilities. They would be more than happy to make this one move with multiple benefits. Although this sounded simple, it actually required a lot of effort and wealth to build a hunting ground. It was also because of this that only families with superior wealth could afford it, other than the royal family. Even the Chu family only had one hunting ground. Recently, the Chu family was gradually losing their power; it seemed like it would be hard for them to keep the hunting ground. Among the fiends there, the one with the highest cultivation was Jin Wanghu¡ªa level five fiend. He was a fiend the Chu family¡¯s master¡ªChu Zhong¡ªhad raised 20 years ago. However, the hunting ground title deed that Chu Liuyue produced was not the Chu family¡¯s, but her own¡­ The only reason why an invalid like her, who had been bullied multiple times, could have such a thing was because of her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince¡ªRong Jin. When she was first born, Chu Ning was still the most outstanding talent from that Chu family¡¯s generation, and he faintly had the power to take over the Chu family. In addition to his fortitude and loyalty, he was well-loved by the Emperor, so once she was born, the Emperor immediately set up a marriage agreement between her and the Crown Prince. When she reached 14 years of age, they would officially be engaged, and she would become the Crown Princess. The hunting ground title deed was gifted to Chu Liuyue by the Emperor back then. At that time, Chu Liuyue had already become the envy of countless people when she was just an infant. However, who would have known she would be born an invalid¡ªshe had a lacking Yuan meridian. From then on, she became Country Yao Chen¡¯s laughingstock. In a world where the strong were superior, the presence of weakness was a mistake on its own. When Chu Ning and his daughter fell into desolation, he did not forget about the hunting ground. However, in actual fact, it was long controlled by the Crown Prince. Chu Ning had asked to see the Crown Prince a few times to ask for help, but he was always ignored. Of course, he knew what it meant. Since then, he had no longer wished for anything more. The original Chu Liuyue always felt that she was not good enough for the Crown Prince, so she did not even think about it. It was a pity that the current Chu Liuyue was someone else. Her principle in life was very simple¡ªif one was kind to her, she would be a thousand-fold kinder; if one bullied her, she would definitely take her revenge and make that person suffer even more. It was impossible that the Crown Prince did not know what kind of lives her father and her were living, but he did not take any action at all. Then¡­ what was the point of having the title deed? ¡°I know, so I came to find Second Master Yan. Why? Can Zhen Bao Pavilion not afford to accept this title deed?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as she extended her hands to take back the paper as if she was disappointed. Second Master Yan hurriedly and carefully stowed the title deed into his sleeves and chuckled. ¡°Just listen to what you¡¯re saying! I don¡¯t dare to guarantee anything else, but in Country Yao Chen, there isn¡¯t any business that Zhen Bao Pavilion doesn¡¯t dare to take. Since you dare to send money to our door, we¡¯ll naturally dare to accept it.¡± The calm Chu Liuyue giggled. ¡°My name¡ªChu Liuyue¡ªis clearly written on the title deed. What wouldn¡¯t I dare to do?¡± Everyone knew that this title deed was gifted to her by the Emperor. However, she was just an invalid now. No matter which aspect one looked at, she had no right to be the Crown Princess. If she had a bit of humility, she would take the initiative and return the title deed. However, why would Chu Liuyue do such a stupid thing? Since they were mean to her, she would do the same. Before she came, she had already found out that Zhen Bao Pavilion held a special status, and everyone in the Imperial City was very polite to them. Zhen Bao Pavilion was the only option as others would not dare to accept the title deed. Truly, it was just like what she had expected. Zhen Bao Pavilion really could take this business deal. Yan Ge sized the young girl in front of him in detail once again. This is weird, extremely weird¡­ Rumors say that the Big Missy of the Chu family was born as an invalid, that she was weak and useless, and could even be bullied by the slaves in the Chu family. However, the person in front of me is clearly different. She is decisive, determined, generous, and calm. Even though her clothes are torn and tattered, her entire body exudes a strange distinguished aura. Her face still looks young, but one can tell that it reveals a rarely seen calm composure. He had only seen this aura in one person before¡­ ¡°Haha! Great! Our Zhen Bao Pavilion will accept this deal! Do you want it in banknotes or¡­?¡± Yan Ge rubbed his hands excitedly. That hunting ground contained quite a few fiends after the Crown Prince¡¯s meticulous care of it, and it was extremely valuable. This was a very profitable deal. However, Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s not rush into things. I want to pick a few items first.¡± Yan Ge was taken aback and immediately said, ¡°What would you like? I¡¯ll immediately get someone to get it for you.¡± At this point in time, he would no longer take the young girl in front of him as the rumored lowly invalid that could be bullied by anyone. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. ¡°I want a ten-year-old bamboo leaf, ice stone, Artemisia annua, 30-year-old hirsute shiny bugleweed, mulberry leaf¡­¡± As she spoke, she took out another piece of paper. ¡°Just prepare the items on the list for me.¡± Yan Ge took it and took a closer look in confusion. Initially, he thought that Chu Liuyue would pick a few valuable items, but he did not expect it to be these herbs. Some of them were quite common, but the items became increasingly valuable as he read through the list. ¡°Heh, don¡¯t worry. At any other place, they might not be able to give you everything that you want on this list, but our Zhen Bao Pavilion will definitely satisfy you!¡± Zhen Bao Pavilion dabbled in many trades, including medicine and herbs. ¡°However, these items are worth 20,000 silver taels when you add it up. As for the rest¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly. ¡°Just give me 10,000 in banknotes. Second Master Yan, you can keep the rest since I want you to deliver the items on the list to me every three days.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yan Ge, who experienced all sorts of scenes, could not help but widen his eyes. Two hundred thousand taels, which meant that he had to deliver the items on the list ten times in one short month! ¡°Is it difficult for you?¡± ¡°No, no! Not at all! Our Zhen Bao Pavilion will definitely not disappoint you. Just that¡­ do you want me to deliver these items to the Chu family?¡± asked Yan Ge tentatively. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked in a certain direction outside the window as she laughed with deeper meaning. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m the Big Missy of the Chu family; the items I buy naturally have to be officially delivered in from the main entrance.¡± Want to spy on me? I¡¯ll let you look as long as you want! Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The invalid Chu Liuyue from the Chu family had gone crazy! Everyone in the whole of Imperial City was discussing this incident overnight. ¡°My cousin¡¯s third uncle works at the Chu family; he personally witnessed the people from Zhen Bao Pavilion respectfully delivering half a year¡¯s worth of herbs. Also, they clearly said that it was for Chu Liuyue! Don¡¯t you think this is creepy?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Everyone knows that Chu Liuyue is naturally an invalid. How can she be related to Zhen Bao Pavilion? It should be worth quite a bit of money for Zhen Bao Pavilion to give half a year¡¯s worth of herbs, right? Can she even afford it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said that she went crazy! Zhen Bao Pavilion never makes a losing deal. Where do you think she got her money from? Could it be¡­ from the Crown Prince?¡± ¡°Hah! The Crown Prince has never mentioned Chu Liuyue in so many years. Why would he do such a thing? He definitely wasn¡¯t the one who gave Chu Liuyue the money. She even bought herbs¡­ Does she really think she can transform herself from an invalid to a talent just with all those herbs?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Everyone in Imperial City was filled with sarcasm and was waiting to see Chu Liuyue¡¯s farce. ¡­ In the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion¡­ In the study, a man wearing a dark purple robe was reading the documents on the table. He looked like he was in his early twenties; his features were sharp, and he was very handsome. His every move and action further brought out his distinguished aura. This person was none other than Country Yao Chen¡¯s respected Crown Prince¡ªRong Jin. ¡°Prince, there seems to be a problem with the Chu family¡­¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s personal bodyguard¡ªSong Yuan¡ªcarefully spoke. Rong Jin looked up. ¡°What can happen to the Chu family? Could it be Minmin¡­¡± Rong Jin realized something upon seeing Song Yuan¡¯s strange expression and squinted his eyes. ¡°Say it. What exactly happened?¡± Song Yuan hurriedly reported the happenings between Chu Liuyue and Zhen Bao Pavilion to him in detail. ¡°I-I¡­ have no idea where Big Chu Missy got all those silver taels from to afford so many herbs from Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± All the herbs were contained in jade boxes and delivered over, so outsiders would not even know their contents. Even so, one could just randomly guess and know that the items inside would add up to an astronomical figure. Rong Jin knitted his brows and said in a frustrated tone, ¡°What the heck is she doing?¡± If it was not for that marriage agreement, why would he even care about that invalid? All these years, Chu Liuyue had not only been the Chu family¡¯s humiliation, but she was also a stain in his life that he could not get rid of. He felt disgusted once he thought about it. Uncertain, Song Yuan said, ¡°Prince, although Chu Ning has lost favor in recent years, he was once pretty powerful. It¡¯s not impossible for him to have some savings. The point is, why would they buy so many herbs? Perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, she¡¯s just trying to solve her natural invalidity!¡± There was still a month left until the agreed engagement period on that marriage agreement. Was she still hallucinating and thinking of climbing her way up the ladder? ¡°Ridiculous! In the entire Country Yao Chen, nobody could solve the problem of a lacking Yuan meridian. If they really had a solution, she would not have ended up in this state. She¡¯s not worth mentioning. This is just a farce. The palace will break off the marriage agreement with her sooner or later. In the meantime, the more important thing is¡­ is Rong Xiu coming back?¡± Once Rong Xiu was mentioned, Song Yuan¡¯s expression changed, and he said softly, ¡°Yes. They¡¯ll be reaching the Imperial City today. According to what I found out, Seventh Prince only brought two entourages with him, and they¡¯re coming back in simplicity.¡± Rong Jin chuckled. ¡°At least he knows his place.¡± As Rong Xiu was naturally weak, he was different from the other princes. He was often taken to Mingyue Tianshan, which was miles away, to nurse himself back to health. He had only come back twice in so many years. It had already been three years since he had come back last time. Most of the people did not even take the Seventh Prince seriously; some didn¡¯t even remember his existence, but not Rong Jin, the Crown Prince. He was very alert about Rong Xiu¡¯s current return and had even sent people to follow him in secret. ¡°Tell the subordinates to be more alert. If there¡¯s anything amiss, immediately report it to me!¡± ¡°Will do!¡± Even though Song Yuan did not know why the Crown Prince cared so much about the Seventh Prince, who was weak and powerless, he still immediately answered him. ¡°Oh. Prince, a level five fiend has just arrived at the hunting ground. When would you like to go and take a look?¡± After thinking for a while, a dim spark flashed across Rong Jin¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯ll be my birthday very soon. This year, I¡¯ll hold my birthday feast at the hunting ground.¡± ¡°Will do!¡± ¡­ In the Chu family¡­ Half a year¡¯s worth of valuable herbs was ostentatiously delivered to Chu Liuyue and her father¡¯s yard. Chu Ning went out and had not returned yet, so Chu Liuyue brought the herbs bit by bit into the house alone. Very quickly, she discovered that the originally quiet and isolated yard had quite a few pairs of spying eyes. Chu Liuyue was very calm; she acted as if she did not know anything. Sometimes she would even open a jade box and check the herbs¡¯ quality. Zhen Bao Pavilion was indeed very meticulous toward her and had sent herbs of good quality. This was very helpful for her to get her Yuan meridian back. At this time, hurried footsteps sounds could be heard from outside the yard as a man loudly yelled, ¡°Hurry! Capture Chu Liuyue!¡± Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. They finally came. She looked up and saw that a bunch of people had already kicked open the door and rushed in. The man leading the pack looked ferocious, and there were more than ten strong and muscular men behind him. They looked like they were going to start a fight. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and finally recognized the man¡ªChu Liansheng. This person was Chu Xianmin¡¯s trusted assistant. He was one of the culprits who had previously planned to kill the original Chu Liuyue. What a coincidence. I was just about to look for him, but he came and offered himself first instead. In no time, two men rushed toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was as sharp as a knife as she yelled loudly, ¡°How dare you! Who gave you the right to trespass into my place?¡± Her questioning tone was strong and powerful, which immediately stunned everyone at the scene, causing them to stop their movements subconsciously. Chu Liansheng was also taken aback, but he immediately reacted over and said sarcastically, ¡°Hah, Chu Liuyue, why do you think we¡¯re here? Don¡¯t you know? How can you afford such valuable herbs from Zhen Bao Pavilion? Your money must have come from doing illicit deeds! I advise you to be more honest. Obediently hand your things over and leave with us. If not, don¡¯t blame me for not being polite.¡± Upon hearing that, Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and put down the items in her hands. ¡°Oh? Then what if I refuse?¡± Chu Liansheng was shocked and sneered afterward. ¡°What right do you have to say no?¡± He sized Chu Liuyue up, his eyes filled with contempt. ¡°It¡¯s already very humiliating for an invalid to freeload off the Chu family for so many years. Now, you¡¯ve used some disgraceful methods to buy all these items! Chu Liuyue, even if you don¡¯t want your reputation, the Chu family still wants ours!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him calmly and walked forward. It seemed like she was going to give up without a fight. Chu Liansheng got increasingly cocky and glanced at the people around him. ¡°Hurry up and confiscate the items! All of the items here are important evidence; none of them¡­¡± Piak! The sound of a loud smack cut across the air. The yard fell into deep silence. Chu Liuyue actually hit Chu Liansheng?! Everyone knew that he was Third Missy¡ªChu Xianmin¡¯s trusted assistant. Anyone who saw him would normally give him some face. However, Chu Liuyue had completely lost her mind and even dared to hit him. ¡°You! How dare you hit me?¡± Chu Liansheng was shocked beyond words. The fiery pain on his face ignited his rage. ¡°You must be tired of living!¡± As he was talking, he subconsciously raised his hand and swung it toward Chu Liuyue. However, his hand could not land; his wrist was caught by Chu Liuyue instead. Then, she retaliated and gave him a second fierce slap. Piak! This time, she made Chu Liansheng¡¯s entire mouth bloody. Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The air seemed to stand still. All those people inside the yard, who were prepared to see Chu Liuyue¡¯s farce, were all stunned. Chu Liuyue had eaten the guts of a leopard! How dare she slap Chu Liansheng twice? Chu Liansheng was the first one to react in this icy and embarrassing atmosphere. The fiery pain on his face and the bloody taste on his lips were all reminding him of what had just happened. ¡°You b*tch! How dare you hit me?¡± Chu Liansheng¡¯s eyes widened in extreme anger, and he directly unsheathed the saber on his waist before ring towards Chu Liuyue ferociously. The sharp saber was just about to cut Chu Liuyue into two. When the saber landed, even if Chu Liuyue did not die, she would be crippled. However, Chu Liuyue did not move at all, but nodded and stared straight into Chu Liansheng¡¯s eyes. She enunciated her every word clearly, ¡°Chu Liansheng, do you want to kill the Chu family¡¯s eldest daughter in front of everyone?¡± That one sentence was as if a lightning bolt zapped Chu Liansheng¡¯s ears. The words ¡®Chu family¡¯s eldest daughter¡¯ was like a curse that made him stop in his tracks. The tip of the blade was only inches away from Chu Liuyue. He subconsciously looked toward Chu Liuyue and met her black and silent eyes. At this moment, he actually felt a strong suppression that made people¡¯s hearts weaken. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was like a sharp blade that cut across his body inch by inch. Shua! Chu Liansheng immediately cleared his head. Oh, right! Even though the skinny young girl in front of him was wearing torn and tattered clothes, she¡­ was indeed the legitimate eldest daughter of the Chu family while he was just a servant that used Chu Xianmin¡¯s authority. ¡°The first slap was because you didn¡¯t know your place.¡± Chu Liuyue stepped forward. Chu Liansheng actually backed away subconsciously. ¡°The second slap was because you committed insubordination.¡± Chu Liuyue inched closer toward Chu Liansheng once again. Chu Liansheng¡¯s hand that was holding the knife trembled slightly. ¡°Even though I was born an invalid, the blood in my body is still the blood of the Chu family¡¯s first descendant. All these years, I¡¯ve kept my place and have not caused trouble at all. What about you? All of you started to bully me and humiliate me countless times. But have any of you ever thought of this? What rights do you have?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s repeated questioning finally made Chu Liansheng erupt as he rebutted, ¡°Chu Liuyue! You¡¯re just a good-for-nothing from head to toe! You¡¯re the humiliation of the entire Chu family! How shameless must you be to say all of this? In this world, only the strong are respected. You deserve everything happening today!¡± Even though his words were harsh, Chu Liansheng¡¯s voice was cracking slightly. He knew that nobody would care about it if he bullied Chu Liuyue privately, but it would be terrible if he had dragged the entire Chu family in. He was always careful in doing things. However, the Song Lian Trio¡¯s unknown fate made him anxious. Additionally, Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions that came one after another made him bring people over impulsively. He had never expected that the originally cowardly Chu Liuyue actually dared to retaliate. Upon hearing his words, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips suddenly curved up, and she smiled. ¡°Yes, I might be an invalid, but you seemed to have forgotten who my grandfather and my fianc¨¦ are.¡± Chu Liansheng immediately broke out into a cold sweat. Chu Liuyue¡¯s grandfather was naturally the master of the Chu family, and her fianc¨¦ was the Crown Prince. Even though everyone thought that Chu Liuyue had no chance of marrying the Crown Prince, the marriage agreement still existed after all. They could talk about these things in private, but absolutely nobody dared to say it to their faces. ¡°Did you call me a b*tch just now?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled even more warmly. ¡°Then, are you scolding my grandfather and the Crown Prince?¡± Kuang! Chu Liansheng¡¯s saber fell to the ground. His legs turned into jelly; his face was pale, and he had almost collapsed onto the floor. Chu Liuyue, of course, did not care about her so-called grandfather or fianc¨¦. If they had the slightest bit of sympathy or care for her, the original Chu Liuyue would not have ended up in this state. However, it was still okay to make use of them at this stage. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡­¡± stammered Chu Liansheng. If word of this incident got out, no matter if it was the Crown Prince or the Chu family, he wouldn¡¯t be let off, even if it was just to maintain their reputation. Chu Liuyue said calmly, ¡°Now, are you going to cut off your right arm and pay for your sins, or¡­ do you want me to get my grandfather and the Crown Prince to uphold justice for me?¡± Chu Liansheng was shocked. Chu Liuyue actually wanted him to pay such a painful price! Cutting off his right arm on his own¡­ That would mean that his entire cultivating career would be ruined! He clenched his teeth and secretly glanced at the people around him. Now, he needed to stall for time and wait for Third Missy to appear. ¡°Since you can¡¯t do it yourself, then, I¡¯ll do it for you!¡± Chu Liuyue did not even give him time to react as she moved at lightning speed to pick up the saber from the floor and chop down mercilessly. Chu Liansheng was a stage three warrior; logically speaking, he could have avoided Chu Liuyue¡¯s strike. However, for some reason, when the brandished saber cut through the air, he didn¡¯t even see Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions clearly! Tch! Chu Liansheng¡¯s right arm was cut off there and then. Blood spurted everywhere. ¡°Ah!¡± Chu Liansheng let out painful screams when the excruciating pain hit him. Everyone¡¯s hearts trembled as they stole glances at Chu Liuyue. That skinny young girl stood there with her back straight as she held the saber calmly. It was as if she had just cut down a tree branch and not someone¡¯s right arm. This made them even more afraid. Chu Liuyue had really changed into someone else! Even the people who were originally surrounding Chu Liuyue had canceled their plans to bully her after seeing the scene play out. What a joke! She had just made use of the Chu family master and the Crown Prince. Who would dare to go against her? Someone hesitated and wondered if he should help Chu Liansheng up, but he did not dare to step forward. What if Chu Liuyue went crazy and cut them too? At this point, everyone was still in utter shock; nobody thought about how an invalid like Chu Liuyue could defeat Chu Liansheng. Chu Liuyue casually threw the saber onto the floor, and it rolled beside Chu Liansheng¡¯s cut arm. The fresh blood was still dripping from it; it was very bloody and scary. ¡°Get lost!¡± As she said that, she turned around and walked towards the pile of herbs in her yard. Today¡¯s incident was just a warning to the rest of them. She must make all of these people suffer 100 times more and pay for all the sufferings and grievances the original Chu Liuyue had gone through. What could a 200,000 silver tael debt amount to? What could a broken arm amount to? Compared to Chu Liuyue¡¯s life, these were nothing. In and outside of the yard, the crowd looked at each other dazedly. Originally, they wanted to watch Chu Liuyue¡¯s farce play out, but they did not expect¡­ At this time, familiar footsteps sounded from the outside. A woman shrieked loudly in shock. ¡°Liansheng! What happened to you?¡± The crowd turned around; their faces were filled with excitement once more. The person who came was none other Than Chu Liansheng¡¯s master¡ªThird Missy Chu Xianmin. Chu Xianmin had lost out previously; she was very indignant every time she thought about it, so she did not want to let Chu Liuyue live peacefully and sent Chu Liansheng over. On the one hand, she wanted to find out what kind of herbs Chu Liuyue bought, and on the other, she wanted to take the chance to teach Chu Liuyue a lesson. However, she did not expect for her subordinates to pass on words that a problem had cropped up halfway through the plan. She hurriedly rushed over and saw Chu Liansheng lying on the floor and groaning in pain, while his right arm had been cut. Chu Liansheng moaned non-stop as he crawled over and bawled loudly. ¡°Third Missy! Third Missy, you must uphold justice for me! That b*t- Big Missy has cut off my right arm!¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s blood boiled instantly. Everyone knew that Chu Liansheng was her servant. Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions were akin to slapping her in the face. She glared at Chu Liuyue and tried her best to suppress the anger in her heart. ¡°Sister, may I know what is going on? Shouldn¡¯t you give me an explanation?¡± Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue turned back and lazily raised her eyebrows. ¡°Third Sister, I¡¯ve just punished a person that committed insubordination. Why are you so angry? Could it be that in your eyes, your elder sister can¡¯t even be compared to a slave?¡± You should have considered whose slave he was! Chu Xianmin was furious. If it weren¡¯t for the rather large group of people watching them, she would definitely not be able to contain her anger, and would directly go up and confront Chu Liuyue. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. ¡°Sister, your status is definitely more precious than theirs, but as the saying goes, ¡®look at the owner before you hit the dog.¡¯ Sister, you clearly knew that Liansheng is my servant. Why must you treat him in this way? That one cut of yours directly destroyed his cultivating career.¡± It looked like she really wanted to stand up for her people. The crowd could not help but compare both people in their hearts as they watched the commotion. Chu Xianmin was extremely talented, but she did not put up an act and was gentle and mature. She was clearly angry and frustrated beyond words at this point. One could tell that she cared very much about her servants. This point alone made people admire her. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue was very arrogant as an invalid. She was just like a maniac! Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh¡­ right. I actually forgot that he¡¯s your servant.¡± Chu Xianmin was furious to the point she almost spat out blood. Chu Liuyue was clearly acting in front of her. If she did not stand up for Chu Liansheng today, everyone would know that Chu Xianmin was trampled all over by an invalid when word got out. What kind of reputation would she be left with? ¡°Since Sister remembered it, then no matter what, may I ask¡­¡± Before Chu Xianmin could finish her sentence, Chu Liuyue interrupted her. ¡°In other words, you were the one who asked him to come and wreak havoc at my place?¡± Chu Xianmin was suddenly stumped. ¡°You commanded Chu Liansheng to bring people to capture me and snatch my herbs away, right?¡± ¡°W-why¡­ would I¡­?¡± Chu Xianmin subconsciously denied it. However, Chu Liuyue refused to believe her. ¡°Without your instructions, why would Chu Liansheng dare to do that?¡± Her one sentence made Chu Xianmin speechless. The entire area fell into a deep silence as everyone watched the good show. Chu Liansheng was very smart. He knew that if he let Chu Liuyue continue, it would not be good for them at all, so he hurriedly yelled, ¡°Third Missy, it¡¯s all my fault! Big Missy is a distinguished person; I shouldn¡¯t have offended her. If Big Missy insists on telling Master or the Crown Prince, I¡¯ll bear all the consequences on my own.¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s face contorted. Chu Liuyue was using her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince to pressure her. What exactly happened? Chu Liuyue long knew that she wasn¡¯t good enough for the Crown Prince, so she was too ashamed to bring the marriage agreement up. Why would she¡­? ¡°What¡¯s all the commotion about?¡± An angry roar suddenly sounded. Chu Xianmin was elated to hear this voice as she turned around to take a look. ¡°First Elder!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw First Elder¡ªChu Xiao¡ªwalking towards them. An unfamiliar man was following closely behind him. ¡°I told him to come. Why? Do you have an issue with it?¡± Chu Xiao stood in front of Chu Xianmin and knitted his brows toward Chu Liuyue. He did not even attempt to hide his hatred in his voice. Chu Xianmin was calmed. Actually, First Elder did not know anything about this issue, but she was more than happy since he was willing to take her side. Her heart was much more composed than before as she smiled and greeted the man behind the First Elder. ¡°Vice-Captain Song, why are you here?¡± The person was precisely the Crown Prince¡¯s personal bodyguard¡ªSong Yuan. Song Yuan hurriedly bowed and greeted smartly, ¡°Third Missy, you¡¯re too kind. I came here to pass something to you.¡± One could just think a little to know that he was acting on the Crown Prince¡¯s orders to give something to Chu Xianmin. The expressions on the crowds¡¯ faces changed. They had long heard that the Crown Prince liked Chu Xianmin, and now it seemed like it was true. Chu Xianmin was also very pleased; the numerous envious looks from the crowd comforted her heart more than ever. Her cheeks blushed as if she was shy. ¡°If Brother Jin wanted to give me something, he could just send anyone over. He shouldn¡¯t have troubled Vice-Captain Song to deliver the item over personally.¡± Song Yuan took out a letter and passed it to her with both his hands. He said happily, ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s birthday party is coming soon. I came here specifically to pass you the invitation card. Of course, there are people who will deliver the cards for the others, but the Crown Prince had specially instructed me to pass you the card personally.¡± The crowd then realized that it was the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday party invitation. It was normal for the Crown Prince to invite guests to his party, but only a handful of people would receive the invitation from Song Yuan. This showed that he really treated Chu Xianmin differently. ¡°I see. Thank you, Vice-Captain Song.¡± Chu Xianmin took the invitation card and was extremely pleased and elated in her heart. She knew that the Crown Prince liked her, but his previous attitude was always quite ambiguous. Now, he was finally willing to show it clearly. Very soon, everyone in the Imperial City would know about this incident. The Crown Prince had the intent to make her the Crown Princess. She took the invitation card and purposely asked Chu Liuyue, ¡°Sister, I heard that your engagement with Brother Jin is going to happen really soon. You must have received the invitation card much earlier, right?¡± The crowd erupted into chuckles. Invitation card? The Crown Prince must probably have forgotten about her. Chu Xianmin said very sincerely, ¡°You¡¯ve never gone to any of Brother Jin¡¯s birthday parties in the past few years. You are going this year, right?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. In the past, Rong Jin did invite the original Chu Liuyue to attend his birthday party, and she did attend it with high expectations. However, she only received countless scoldings and mockery in return. From then on, she refused to go, and Rong Jin naturally did not invite her anymore. This time, there would definitely not be an invitation card for her as well. Chu Xianmin covered her mouth in shock. ¡°Ahh! Could it be that you don¡¯t have it? T-this¡­¡± She looked at the invitation card in her hands as if in a difficult position. ¡°Sorry, Sister. I didn¡¯t know that you didn¡¯t have¡­¡± First Elder stroked his beard in satisfaction. Chu Liuyue that invalid almost ruined the marriage alliance between the Chu family and the Crown Prince. Luckily the Crown Prince has set his eyes on Minmin. Thinking about this, he looked at Chu Liuyue with a cold face. ¡°Why would an invalid like her go? To humiliate herself? Hurry up and kneel down!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him coldly. ¡°First Elder, shouldn¡¯t you give me a reason for that?¡± First Elder knitted his brows tightly as he pointed towards the herbs and his voice boomed. ¡°You still have the guts to ask? Say it! Where did you get the money to buy all these items?¡± Song Yuan looked at Chu Liuyue. Was¡­ this the rumored invalid of the Chu family¡ªChu Liuyue? He had never taken any notice of her in the past, and the Crown Prince did not even know what she looked like. Unexpectedly, she started to become out of place at this juncture. How ridiculous. Chu Xianmin started to feel uneasy when she saw Song Yuan¡¯s gaze land on Chu Liuyue. Song Lian was Song Yuan¡¯s cousin, and he had initially helped pave the way for her, which the Crown Prince might not even know about. Even though he had never stated his stance, his attitude showed that he silently agreed with his actions. However, Song Yuan still did not know about Song Lian¡¯s precarious situation. If he knew¡­ Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a while; when the crowd thought that she was about to admit her wrongs, she suddenly glanced at Song Yuan. Then, she spoke in a seemingly laughing manner, ¡°First Elder, where do you think I got so much money from? There aren¡¯t many people who would do this in the entire Imperial City.¡± Just as the First Elder was about to continue scolding her, he was suddenly stunned. Did Chu Liuyue mean that the Crown Prince gave her the money? He looked at Song Yuan with uncertainty. Song Yuan was also dazed. Why would the Crown Prince ever give her money? However, there seemed to be no other explanation other than this. ¡°Third Sister, you don¡¯t have to feel guilty. I won¡¯t be going to the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday party this year.¡± The moment a tinge of happiness flashed across Chu Xianmin¡¯s eyes, she heard the next sentence that Chu Liuyue said. ¡°After all, the engagement is just around the corner, and I have lots to prepare. How can I be as free as you, right?¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°B*tch! What a b*tch!¡± Chu Xianmin stormed back into her room angrily, and her mind kept replaying the words that Chu Liuyue had said before, which made her grit her teeth in anger. What engagement? She was clearly doing it on purpose! Chu Xianmin felt a fireball growing in her chest when she thought of Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalant expression. Piak! She slammed her door shut. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A woman¡¯s voice suddenly came from within the house. Chu Xianmin looked up and after seeing who the person was, and instantly ran over with grievances. ¡°Mother! You must stand up for me this time! Your daughter is being bullied so badly by that b*tch!¡± This woman was Chu Xianmin¡¯s real mother¡ªLu Yao. Although she was well past her thirties, she had maintained her looks very well and still looked beautiful as ever; her every move was very coquettish. Lu Yao normally doted on her only daughter very much, but this time, her face did not look like she cared about Chu Xianmin¡¯s cries at all. She even looked quite displeased. ¡°I¡¯ve only not been home for a few days, and you¡¯ve already caused so much trouble You really disappoint me. That Chu Liuyue is just a good-for-nothing that can¡¯t even present herself properly. What tricks can she have up her sleeves? How can you be played by her?¡± Chu Xianmin rarely saw her mother¡¯s stern expression, and she could not help but stand straight. However, her heart felt even worse. ¡°Mother, you have no idea. It¡¯s as if this Chu Liuyue has changed into someone completely different; her recent actions are extremely weird. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t win against her, she¡¯s just too cunning!¡± Once Chu Xianmin thought of her losses in front of Chu Liuyue these few days, she could not help but clench her teeth. ¡°Not talking about the 200,000 silver taels she took from me. Today, she even used her wedding agreement with the Crown Prince to pressure me.¡± Lu Yao knitted her brows and was quite unhappy. ¡°Speaking of this, I didn¡¯t even have the chance to talk to you about it. What exactly happened to those 200,000 silver taels? Even though the Lu family has money, I¡¯m no longer a part of them, let alone to ask for so much in one shot.¡± Chu Xianmin was pretty guilty, and she tried to explain the incident tactfully. Looking at Lu Yao¡¯s increasingly contorted expression, Chu Xianmin¡¯s eyes turned, and she hurriedly whined, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t grandfather and the rest like me a lot? They will help me, right?¡± ¡°But this is still too much!¡± Lu Yao looked away; she was very frustrated. Even though she was part of the Lu family, she was a concubine¡¯s daughter and did not have a high status. The Chu family she married into was also becoming increasingly desolated. All these years, the mother-daughter duo could only raise their heads in the Lu family because Chu Xianmin was outstanding enough. However, the Lu family would definitely treat her as a laughingstock if she asked for 200,000 silver taels in one go. Lu Yao looked at her own daughter from the corner of her eye and saw that she was not looking too well either. She stretched out her hand and patted Chu Xianmin¡¯s head. ¡°You, sigh¡­ You should think about why people like you! It¡¯s because you¡¯re very talented and you have the Crown Prince¡¯s favor. If not, who would care about you? Let me ask you, can you be at the top of your level at school in a month?¡± Chu Xianmin said nonchalantly, ¡°Of course!¡± Her talent was one of the best in the entire Country Yao Chen. ¡°But, the problem now is the marriage agreement between the Crown Prince and that b*tch.¡± Lu Yao did not care much about that, and she smiled with deeper meaning. ¡°Silly kid, what are you worried about? The one who doesn¡¯t want this marriage agreement to come true the most isn¡¯t you, but the Crown Prince! You can let her tease you these few days, but at that time, she¡¯ll have her own retribution.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue talking about her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince had indeed shocked everyone and successfully stumped First Elder and the rest, causing those people who wanted to see her farce leave in anger. When the yard was quiet once again, she finally brought all the herbs into the house and found a big black pot to start cooking. If she had the ability, she would not have to spend so much effort. Instead, she could directly use her force to churn up a fireball to boil the herbs. It was a pity that her cultivation was limited, and she could only use the most traditional method. Although this caused the herbs¡¯ effectiveness to be reduced, she had ordered ten sets of these herbs from Zhen Bao Pavilion, so it would probably be enough in the end. She put the herbs in one by one when the water started to boil. Very quickly, a fresh herbal smell started to permeate the air. Since each herb had different natures, the boiling times required to refine them were also different. She calculated the timing seriously; she carefully took out the herbs that had already been refined, and poured the remaining herbs in bit by bit. The color of the soup kept changing thereafter. The smell of the herbs had also become stronger. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and instantly felt a warm air rushing throughout her body, making her much more relaxed than before. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look bad,¡± she muttered to herself. As the princess of the Tianling Dynasty and having the cultivation talent to become an imperial doctor, Chu Liuyue had read all the medical books she could get her hands on in her previous life. As long as she had sufficient herbs, repairing her Yuan meridian posed no difficulty to her. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Ning¡¯s nervous shout could be heard from the door. Chu Liuyue walked over to open the door strangely and saw Chu Ning walking over at top speed. As he was in a hurry, he did not even care about his injured leg as he wobbled over in a staggering manner. ¡°Father, why did you come back so early today?¡± Chu Liuyue asked curiously. Ever since Chu Ning was injured, he was sent to one of the Chu family¡¯s stores to work; he usually would not return home until late at night. ¡°Yue¡¯er! A-are you okay?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly realized what happened. It seemed like Chu Ning had found out about the incident earlier. If not, he would definitely not have such a reaction. She smiled brightly. ¡°Father, you¡¯re too worried about me. It¡¯s only been half a day. What could possibly happen? Quickly, come in and rest.¡± As she spoke, she went over to hold him. However, Chu Ning grabbed her hand and stared at her sternly as he hesitated to speak. He had heard that something happened to Yue¡¯er earlier when he was working at the shop, so he hurriedly asked for leave and rushed back. The moment he entered the yard, he saw the scary pool of blood on the ground. Looking at his daughter¡¯s relaxed look, Chu Ning was even more solemn and subconsciously used even more strength to grip Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist. ¡°Yue¡¯er, d-did you really cut off Chu Liansheng¡¯s arm?¡± Chu Liuyue calmly nodded her head without a change in expression. ¡°Yes. He wanted to steal my things. I can¡¯t let anyone bully me. Cutting off his arm was just a warning to the rest.¡± Chu Ning took a really long time to open his mouth with much difficulty. ¡°H-he¡¯s Chu Xianmin¡¯s servant¡­ Your actions are clearly pitting yourself against her. She¡­¡± She is not someone that is easy to deal with! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand started to hurt from Chu Ning¡¯s grip, so she patted his arm and comforted him. ¡°Father, what¡¯s the point of thinking so much? If I didn¡¯t do that, would she really treat me as her elder sister?¡± Chu Ning was stumped. Yes, Chu Xianmin was the one who wanted to destroy Yue¡¯er the most because of her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®but.¡¯ Father, don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she lifted her chin towards the inside of the house and smiled. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯ve recently come across a folk prescription that is said to be good for body recovery. Do you want to try it?¡± When she was boiling the herbs for herself, she did not forget about Chu Ning¡¯s injury. She had secretly taken his pulse before. If he was treated properly, he could recover completely in less than half a month. While talking, she pulled Chu Ning into the house. Chu Ning did not budge. He was very familiar with the face of the young girl in front of him, but why did he feel so unfamiliar with her at this very moment? The next moment, he finally asked with trembling lips, ¡°You¡¯re not Yue¡¯er, are you?¡± Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Once he said that sentence, the entire atmosphere became stiff. Chu Liuyue then recovered her senses as quickly as the blink of an eye. She asked weirdly, ¡°Father, what are you talking about?¡± Her confused expression did not allow others to suspect her. However¡­ Chu Ning was very conflicted, and he kept replaying his memories of the past two days. Everything seemed to be very different ever since Yue¡¯er went missing when she was picking herbs the day before and came back very late. The previously cowardly Yue¡¯er was missing and was replaced by a calm and composed young lady. When she stood up against First Elder and Chu Xianmin, he thought she was wronged and could not hold it back in, but the incidents that happened later were way overboard. ¡°In the past, Yue¡¯er always thought of Chu Xianmin as her good sister and trusted her very much. Why would she go against her today? Besides, Yue¡¯er is very timid and doesn¡¯t even dare to talk loudly. It¡¯s impossible that she will cut off someone¡¯s arm¡­ Also, about the herbs from Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­ I¡¯ve never given you silver taels. How did you buy them?¡± The more Chu Ning spoke, the guiltier he felt; his voice was even trembling. Initially, he felt that something was not quite right, but everything was questionable upon deeper thought. Chu Liuyue quietly waited for him to finish talking, before asking softly, ¡°Is there anything else? Other than all of these, do you have any other queries?¡± Chu Ning shook his head. Weren¡¯t these suspicions enough? ¡°I know that I look like I¡¯ve changed into someone else in the past two days, but it¡¯s all with good reason. I don¡¯t care about other people, but I¡¯ll explain it to you clearly since you¡¯re suspicious.¡± Chu Liuyue held his hands warmly and determinedly. ¡°Come in; I¡¯ll explain it to you in detail.¡± Chu Ning subconsciously followed her in. After Chu Ning sat down, Chu Liuyue closed the door and went to check on the boiling herbs before adding two new ingredients in. Watching her every move, Chu Ning was more certain of his suspicions. The past Yue¡¯er did not know any of this. It probably has to be¡­ ¡°I think you¡¯ve roughly guessed that I did meet with some trouble the day I came back late. Chu Xianmin had secretly sent an assassin to kill me.¡± The moment Chu Liuyue opened her mouth, it shocked Chu Ning so much that he stood up from his seat. ¡°What?!¡± He had guessed a tiny bit about what happened, but he did not expect Chu Xianmin to be so cold-blooded to hire an assassin directly. Chu Liuyue looked at him and nodded seriously. She then explained the incidents that happened after that to him in detail. Of course, she cleverly hid the fact that the original Chu Liuyue had already died and she was a replacement. She had the original Chu Liuyue¡¯s memories; by mixing in her lies with the truth, there would be no loopholes. To Chu Ning, he realized that Chu Xianmin had tried to kill Yue¡¯er because of her selfish intentions. ¡°¡­ So from then on, I saw her true intentions and finally understood that repeated tolerance can never be exchanged for peaceful days. Only when I become stronger will others not bully me.¡± Chu Ning did not utter a word for a long time. Oh, right! I know this logic too. It was just that I¡¯m severely ill and can¡¯t continue cultivating. What else could I do? ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being useless¡­¡± mumbled Chu Ning as he lowered his head defeatedly. Chu Liuyue shook her head and said, ¡°Father, do you remember the time when I went to the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday party and was bullied by everyone? I came home crying, and you insisted on meeting the Emperor. You stood up for me by getting all of those people to apologize to me. Without you, I would¡¯ve been bullied to no end.¡± At that time, Chu Ning¡¯s status was already no longer like before; one could just tell how hard it had been for him to get everyone to apologize. Even if those people¡¯s attitudes were fake, it was enough to prove that Chu Ning could sacrifice everything for his daughter. Chu Ning was touched; he raised his head slowly as if in slight disbelief. Chu Liuyue gave him one last assurance. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯ll do your best to protect me if I¡¯m ever bullied, no matter in the past or future? Right?¡± Chu Ning¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. He did indeed tell Yue¡¯er that in the past. His voice started to crack. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡­ My Yue¡¯er!¡± The person in front of him was still his daughter! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes started to water. What does it feel like for a father to lose his own daughter? When I died back then, perhaps Father¡­ She always thought of her own father when she looked at Chu Ning. Since she was going to live as Chu Liuyue, she would naturally treat Chu Ning nicely and not let the world have another devastated father. Her personality was vastly different from the original Chu Liuyue¡¯s; thus, it became much easier for her to complete her tasks in the future now that everything was out in the open. Wasn¡¯t it normal to have a drastic change in personality after having a brush with death? A moment later, Chu Ning clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°Chu Xianmin is outrageous! I must think of a way for her to pay!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flashed, and she took the chance to say, ¡°Father, actually her actions helped me instead. I found a chance in Lin Zhong unknowingly¡­ I picked up a medical book.¡± Chu Ning was very surprised. ¡°Medical book? Do you understand it?¡± One had to know that it was very hard to understand medical books; it was impossible for an average person to self-learn medicine. Even with a specialized teacher aiding them, one might not be able to understand anything. However, Yue¡¯er¡­ Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I can only understand a little, so I wanted to try the remedy in the book. It seemed pretty simple.¡± Chu Liuyue did not even bat an eye when she told her lie. In actual fact, most medical books were pretty simple to her. Chu Ning slowly looked at the pot of boiling herbs and suddenly walked over. The color of the soup was accurate, and the strong smell in the air was clean. Although he didn¡¯t know much about medicine, he had seen quite a lot of things in life and knew that it was not easy to cook such a perfect bowl of herbs. The order of the herbs that were put in, the quantity of the herbs, and the method of removing the residues¡­ All of these things were equally important. It was only Yue¡¯er¡¯s first time trying, yet she could easily boil such a soup¡­ A thought flashed across his mind, which made him excited. He looked at Chu Liuyue anxiously. ¡°Yue¡¯er, is this really your first time trying?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Yeah. Why, Father? Is there anything wrong?¡± Of course, there¡¯s something wrong! This is unbelievable! This proves that Yue¡¯er possibly has the gift to become a heavenly doctor. Her Yuan meridian is blocked, and she can¡¯t cultivate. However, if she can become a heavenly doctor¡­ No, if she has the slightest bit of talent, things will be very different. Chu Ning had literally risen from hell to heaven, and he was extremely excited and emotional. If this was true, then nobody would dare to bully Chu Liuyue any longer. ¡°Yue¡¯er, follow me to visit a person tomorrow.¡± There were very few heavenly doctors in Country Yao Chen; he was on good terms with one of them. He should let that person check if Yue¡¯er really had the talent in this area. Chu Liuyue naturally knew what he was thinking. After considering for a while, she said, ¡°Father, why don¡¯t we calm down first? This might attract too much attention.¡± Chu Ning was dazed. That was true. If they went over now, someone would definitely come and cause trouble. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while.¡± He could also see if the herbs Yue¡¯er tried to boil really were useful. He felt much more secure after he thought of this. ¡°Oh, right. Yue¡¯er, how did you escape from those people that day?¡± Chu Liuyue was taken aback. She could not say that she was too capable in her previous life, and that stage three warriors weren¡¯t her match even without force. Her eyes turned, and the image of a muscular man appeared in her brain. The seemingly visible lines painted a mesmerizing picture. She opened a jade box and said casually, ¡°Oh, I met the Seventh Prince coincidentally that day, and he helped me.¡± Chu Ning was stunned. ¡°Seventh Prince? Is he not recuperating at Mingyue Tianshan? When did he return to the Imperial City?¡± Chu Liuyue froze. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue suddenly remembered that the Seventh Prince¡ªRong Xiu¡ªhad indeed left the Imperial City earlier on since he was not in good health. He had only returned once or twice in all these years. Even some court officials did not really take the Seventh Prince, Rong Xiu, seriously, let alone the original Chu Liuyue¡ªa small character that got bullied all day long in her residence. There were only a pitiful few memories related to the Seventh Prince, Rong Xiu, in the original Chu Liuyue¡¯s brain, so Chu Liuyue did not even realize that he wasn¡¯t supposed to be in the Imperial City. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that the Seventh Prince is coming back¡­ Yue¡¯er, did you say that you met the Seventh Prince at Lin Zhong?¡± asked Chu Zhong curiously. Chu Liuyue let out a sigh of relief secretly and took advantage of the situation. ¡°Yeah! I was also wondering about that then. I didn¡¯t expect to meet him so coincidentally just as he came back.¡± ¡°No wonder¡­ It seems like the Seventh Prince has really come back. However, there hasn¡¯t been much news in the Imperial City.¡± Chu Ning thought for a while as he knitted his brows, but did not care about this incident much. After all, Rong Xiu was part of the royal family, and he had his own logic in doing things. Now that he was no longer in court and was away from all these disputes, there was no use to think about this further. He caressed Chu Liuyue¡¯s head dotingly. ¡°This time, we really owe the Seventh Prince a big favor. If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll definitely thank him in person.¡± Chu Liuyue disagreed silently. What favor? I just made use of his Lake Bibo for a while. However, looking at Chu Ning¡¯s assured expression, she did not explain further and shifted the topic to the boiling herbs. ¡°Father, I boiled this according to the formula. I heard that it¡¯s useful for old injuries. Try it!¡± said Chu Liuyue as she scooped out a bowl of medicine and opened the jade box next to her to take out a one-inch-long red rhizome that was as thick as a thumb. She squeezed it hard, and red juice dripped into the medicine. Chu Liuyue then passed the bowl to Chu Ning. Chu Ning looked down at the light-red medicine and was rather unsure. ¡°Yue¡¯er, is this really useful?¡± Chu Liuyue naturally knew what he was worried about. Nobody could be confident about an ignorant person boiling herbs for the first time. He did not hope for the herbs to be effective; he just hoped that it wasn¡¯t poisonous. She could only let him try the medicine directly since she could not tell Chu Ning her real identity. She also could not say that his old injury was just a small case in her eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er, did you properly prepare this according to the medical book¡¯s formula¡­?¡± Chu Liuyue was just about to explain, but Chu Ning had already taken the bowl from her hands. He chuckled. ¡°Since Yue¡¯er spent so much effort to make this for me, I can¡¯t let your goodwill go to waste.¡± As he spoke, he directly finished the bowl of medicine in one go. When he was done, he even showed the empty bowl to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Look! I¡¯ve finished every single drop!¡± Even if everyone in the world wanted to harm him, Yue¡¯er would not. Even if he was not sure what effects this bowl of medicine had, he still drank it willingly because this was his precious daughter. Chu Liuyue was dazed as she looked at Chu Ning¡¯s delighted face, and asked subconsciously, ¡°This is my first time making this medicine. I don¡¯t have any experience at all. Father, aren¡¯t you afraid you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have experience now? With me here, you will never have to worry! You can do whatever you want.¡± Chu Liuyue felt her heart tingle as her entire body warmed up. Her heart was already frozen solid; even her bones and blood were cold after going through the painstaking betrayal in her past life. However, her heart warmed as she stared at Chu Ning¡¯s loving smile. She looked down and wiped away the tears in her eyes. After some time, she finally spoke. ¡°Father, you will get better!¡± Chu Ning was in a daze, but he heard her every word clearly. ¡°One day in the future, Father, you¡¯ll be as strong as you were before! No, you¡¯ll become even stronger!¡± Chu Ning laughed bitterly in his heart. Be stronger than in the past? His leg was already¡­ incurable. He could no longer advance in his cultivation. It was easy to say those words, but not easy to accomplish it. However, he could not bear to hurt his daughter, so he squeezed Chu Liuyue¡¯s cheeks with a smile and asked, ¡°Oh, yeah. The money for the herbs¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°The Crown Prince gave me the money. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Chu Ning did not quite believe what Chu Liuyue said, but he did not probe further after seeing her confident expression and left after some instructions. After all, he had come back on leave. Since his daughter was fine, he should return to work. Chu Liuyue waited for him to leave before continuing to boil her herbs. Chu Ning¡¯s injury was not a big problem; it only required her to boil a few herbs for two hours. The next medicine was the star of the show. ¡­ Time flew past quickly, and it was already nighttime. The herbal smell in the house became even stronger. Even though she closed the windows and doors, the yard was still filled with the strong fragrance that strengthened one¡¯s heart. However, as they were in an isolated corner of the estate and with this morning¡¯s drama, none of the Chu family members would step foot into this place. The moon hung high in the sky. It was completely silent inside and outside the house. Chu Liuyue poured all the medicine into the wood container for showering that she had already prepared at the side. The fragrance of the herbs and the rising heat merged together and permeated the air. She then undid her belt and prepared to take off her clothes. Even though she was very skinny, she already had some of a young woman¡¯s curves. Her clothes dropped on the floor, revealing her white, pearly shoulders. Dong! She heard a loud sound coming from outside. Chu Liuyue rapidly put on her clothes, went to the windows to open them, and took a look outside. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The yard was deadly silent; she could vaguely see a white figure flash past a distant wall. When she was about to take a closer look, the figure disappeared into thin air. She alertly waited for a while, and only stopped looking when there were no more sounds. Just as she was about to lock the windows securely, a thought flashed in her mind. Did Xue Xue come back? Other than this, she really could not think of anyone else who would be here. But why did it leave? After thinking for a while, Chu Liuyue closed the window but did not lock it. If it came back, it could come in from the window. After doing all of this, she took off her clothes again and finally entered the bath. The hot power followed her skin, and ferociously entered her body. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face immediately flushed red as all the blood rushed to her face. It was hard for her body to take such a strong surge of energy since her body¡¯s Yuan meridian was lacking, and she was very weak. Chu Liuyue opened the last jade box at the side and took out the jade-green cold pearl that was as big as a longan before placing it in her mouth. A cold air that chilled her heart immediately went into her lungs. Her body started to prick and hurt everywhere. Cold on the outside, warm on the inside. She felt like she was being attacked by ice and fire at the same time. However, her Yuan meridian could only be revived and recovered through this strong and intense shock. Chu Liuyue slowly closed her eyes. In her dantian, the torn and tattered invisible book pages became small lakes and suddenly started rippling. ¡­ A bulky figure hid in the darkness of the night, outside the Chu family¡¯s estate and in a dimly-lit alley. The shiny moonlight was not even as clear as his eyes. Behind him, a white lion was squatting down with grievances; there was a bruise on its forehead, which clearly just formed. Rong Xiu stood with his hands clasped behind his back and silently looked at the pitch-black, quiet yard. His voice was slightly cold as he said, ¡°If you do it again, I¡¯ll smack your eye. Do you understand?¡± Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was like a sponge as it crazily absorbed the energy from the herbs. The two extreme energies¡ªone as hot as fire and the other as cold as ice¡ªcirculated throughout her body and nourished every ounce of her muscle, blood, and bones. The excruciating waves of pain kept coming one after another. Chu Liuyue bit her lips tightly until they started to bleed. However, she did not even make a single painful moan from the start till the end. She tolerated it forcefully and swallowed all her sufferings. The lack of a Yuan meridian in her body was like the dry and dehydrated ground that cracked like a tortoiseshell. All the energy surged into her body like a thunderstorm flooding the ground. In the past, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body could not even keep the energy; she could only watch it slip away. Now, the waves of energy kept surging in her body, and there was finally a change in her body¡¯s Yuan meridian. The dry and cracked Yuan meridian started getting nourished and grew. As time passed slowly, the color of the medicinal bath also started to become lighter. All the energy in it was absorbed by Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue shockingly discovered that some of the energy from the herbs entered her body and nourished her Yuan meridian, causing its lacking part to grow. The remaining portion of the energy went to a small lake in her dantian. This lake was very small and had a clear color. When the energy entered the lake, it magically disappeared as if it was swallowed by something. Chu Liuyue had observed it for quite some time and discovered that the lake was like a bottomless pit. Except for a few rippling waves, there were no signs of all the energy it absorbed. She started to become curious. That lake was transformed from the torn, transparent page. The blood-colored symbol that appeared at the start had never shown up again. What exactly was it? How did it get there? She searched through the original Chu Liuyue¡¯s memories thoroughly but did not find any relevant memories at all. It was as if it had appeared out of nowhere. The crucial point was that she had clearly never seen such a thing before, but she felt a sense of familiarity towards it. It seemed like¡­ she brought it with her when she was reborn. Chu Liuyue decided not to think about it and focused on her Yuan meridian¡¯s recovery instead since she could not figure out what exactly was going on in such a short time. A night quickly passed. In the morning, Chu Liuyue woke up when the medicinal bath turned transparent. After briefly packing her items, Chu Liuyue found some wood, made a simple quincuncial pile, carved a wooden statue, and placed it at the side. She then tied one sandbag to each of her limbs and started training. The training was very simple, but this was the most convenient and effective method to strengthen her body quickly in this scenario. The Chu family had their own training ground, but she had always been ostracized. If she went there, she might cause some unwanted trouble. Even though she was not scared of trouble, she did not want to waste any time on it. She wanted to frighten the rest and cause them to tone down on the bullying a little by using Chu Liansheng as a warning to the rest. She even made use of her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince to shock First Elder, Chu Xianmin, and the rest. She then had to take advantage of this time to improve her body condition to the best that it could be. Her forehead started to sweat; her breathing started to intensify, and her entire body was as heavy as a rock after running around the yard for a short period. Chu Liuyue was helpless. This body was too weak. If she did not train it, she would not even be able to absorb the energy from the herbs, let alone from other sources. Sweat gradually drenched her shirt. It was currently July, the hottest month of the year. One could just imagine how hard it would be to train intensely under the ferocious sun. Her face turned red; her lips were pale as sweat trickled down her neck. Her black hair was stuck to her face, and she looked terrible. When she pushed her body out of her comfort zone, her legs turned to jelly, and she literally knelt on the floor. However, she did not stop. She went in front of the wooden statue, took a deep breath, and started training her basic moves. In her previous life, she no longer trained in this aspect after she became a stage three warrior when she was seven. She focused on higher levels of martial arts and the Xuan symbol. It was lucky that she knew all the harshest and most accurate moves. Her experience was very useful to her now that she was picking them up again. Bang! Bang! Bang! In the quiet yard, one could only hear the sounds of a body hitting a wooden statue. The atmosphere was very solemn. Chu Liuyue kept training herself like a maniac as if she did not know what exhaustion was. ¡­ Chu Ning worked as the Dragon Tiger Store¡¯s second-in-charge. The Dragon Tiger Store was a weapons store under the Chu family that normally sold knives, swords, and other weapons. He was sent to work here after he got injured since he was pretty knowledgeable about various weapons. He was supposed to be the second-in-charge, but his status was still very low since he was trampled on by his younger brother¡ªChu Xianmin¡¯s father¡ªChu Yan. Furthermore, all the servants also ostracized him. However, Chu Ning discovered that these people were targeting him even more today. When he went back to the store, he saw that all the weapons were placed haphazardly. He knitted his brows. ¡°Xiao Song, why didn¡¯t you clean this place up? Everything is in a mess.¡± Wu Song continued to sit and not move as he munched on his plum and said lazily, ¡°If it¡¯s messy, you can clean it up on your own. Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m busy?¡± When he talked, the few people in the store all turned around to look at them. Chu Ning¡¯s blood boiled as he saw Wu Song roll his eyes and chuckle. ¡°Do you still think that you¡¯re the Chu family¡¯s Eldest Young Master? You should pee on the floor and use it to take a look at yourself!¡± The crowd laughed in secret and were all waiting to see Chu Ning¡¯s farce. Everyone knew that his daughter, Chu Liuyue, had thoroughly offended Third Missy Chu Xianmin. The father-daughter duo would definitely not have it easy in the future. Perhaps they would be chased out of the Chu family soon. Chu Ning took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re not going to clean it up?¡± Wu Song ignored him, finished his last plum, and clapped his hands as he stood up. He walked to the side and extended his hands to make a mess out of everything that was arranged nicely. Cling! Kuang! All the daggers, swords, and knives dropped all over the floor. ¡°Isn¡¯t it even messier now? I think you should clean it up yourself. Haha!¡± said Wu Song as he laughed arrogantly. Once Chu Ning left, it would only be a matter of when he became the second-in-charge as long as he sucked up to the store¡¯s first-in-charge, Chu Yan. Chu Ning clenched his fists tightly. Wu Song whistled nonchalantly. ¡°Oh? Do you want to fight? I think you haven¡¯t improved much over the years, right? Do you want to test your skills?¡± As he was talking, his gaze purposely landed on Chu Ning¡¯s leg. His gaze made Chu Ning¡¯s anger erupt; he sent a flying punch out. Wu Song moved backward and dodged the punch very quickly. ¡°Hah, is that all¡­¡± Before he could finish his mockery, Chu Ning swiftly moved forward and sent out a second punch. Bang! Wu Song was not prepared at all and was hit square in the face. He directly fell onto the floor, and his nose and mouth started bleeding. However, Chu Ning did not let him off and followed closely after. He grabbed Wu Song by his collar and gave him a good beating. His punches rained down, and Wu Song quickly became unconscious. Everyone looked on with their mouths agape. Wu Song was not weak. Logically speaking, a half-crippled Chu Ning should not be faster than Wu Song! So how were Chu Ning¡¯s actions faster than Wu Song¡¯s? Dong! Chu Ning smashed Wu Song¡¯s head on the floor and finally stopped when he saw blood on his hands. His sharp gaze looked towards the crowd. ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to fight it out?¡± Everyone subconsciously took a step back. The weak and easily bullied Chu Ning¡­ seemed to have changed! Chu Ning wiped away the blood on his hands and was stunned the moment he turned around. That¡¯s not right? It seems like my actions are much faster than before. The force in my body also seems to be even smoother than before when I rushed over. He slowly lowered his head and looked at his right shin. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Yue¡¯er passing him that bowl of medicine. She had said that he would definitely get better. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue only ended her training for the day when the sun went down. Without even looking, she knew that her body must be packed with bruises, but she was very happy. Doing such training would not only completely unleash the herbs¡¯ effectiveness, but she could also strengthen her fitness, which would be advantageous for her future cultivation. Chu Ning noticed the extra quincuncial pile in the yard the moment he came home. A thin, young girl was currently removing the sandbags attached to her limbs beside it. Even though the sky was already dark, he could still see her exhaustion. Chu Ning¡¯s heart immediately started to hurt. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her head and smiled at him. ¡°Father.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s words of advice stopped at the tip of his tongue, and he decided not to say them anymore. Chu Ning knew that Yue¡¯er had gone through an enormous setback after the previous incident, and she had changed completely. It was obvious that she was trying hard to become stronger. The only thing he could do now was to do his best to support and protect her. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I think the herbs you boiled yesterday are pretty useful!¡± Chu Ning walked over and wiped her sweat. Although he had tried his best to contain himself, he could not hide his excitement and curiosity. Chu Liuyue showed a look of surprise. ¡°Really?¡± Chu Ning nodded and did not tell her about what happened in the store, but just said that he suddenly felt that his condition was much better than before. ¡°It looks like our Yue¡¯er really has the gift to become a heavenly doctor!¡± Chu Ning was extremely emotional. If they had discovered this earlier, Yue¡¯er would not have to suffer so much all these years. Chu Liuyue smiled and blinked. ¡°It¡¯s great if it works! It¡¯s not too late to discover this talent now.¡± Chu Ning thought that she was comforting herself and nodded. ¡°Yeah. Yue¡¯er, you should rest well during this time. We¡¯ll find you a good teacher after some time.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and did not say a word. Teacher? Even all the heavenly doctors in Country Yao Chen combined aren¡¯t good enough to be my teacher. ¡°Oh yes, your birthday is coming. By then¡­ what are you going to do about your marriage agreement with the Crown Prince?¡± Chu Ning spoke hesitantly. He did not bring this topic up previously since the father and daughter had literally been abandoned by everyone else, and his daughter always had some wild dreams about the Crown Prince. Now that they started anew, she should start to consider this problem. After all, there was only about a month left. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile turned slightly cold. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait and see.¡± She was not the first person to panic. ¡­ At night, Xue Xue appeared as usual, but there was an extra bruise on his head. Chu Liuyue asked about it, and Xue Xue buried its head in grievance. Was it easy for him? Its master clearly agreed to let it come here, but he hit it in the end. When it came the previous day, it did not know that it would coincidentally see Chu Liuyue taking off her clothes. It was frustrated to death. Chu Liuyue did not pay much attention to it after taking a look at its injury and realizing that it was not severe. She allowed the fellow to just lie in bed while she started to meditate and only slept in the latter half of the night. When Chu Liuyue was sleeping soundly, Xue Xue then opened its eyes and inched closer toward her, wrapping its exuded warmth and strength around Chu Liuyue. ¡­ Everyone quickly forgot about the conflicts in the Chu family. This was because there was new popular news in the Imperial City¡ªSeventh Prince Rong Xiu came back from Mingyue Tianshan. Even though he was dressed casually and was very low key, an imperial edict from the Emperor immediately made the Seventh Prince the hot topic during meals. Seventh Prince Rong Xiu finally came back after staying outside for so many years. The Emperor was so happy, he directly named him ¡®Prince Li¡¯ and gifted him a mansion¡ªPrince Li Mansion¡ªto stay in. One could see the important meaning behind this imperial edict upon closer inspection. Firstly, this proved that the Seventh Prince would stay in the Imperial City. Secondly, this showed that the Emperor liked and thought extremely highly of the Seventh Prince. One had to know that the current emperor had nine sons¡ªthree of them passed on early, and six were left. Other than the first son, Rong Jin, who had been made the Crown Prince the moment he was born, out of the remaining eight sons, only Fifth Prince Rong Qi¡ªwho had the same mother as the Crown Prince¡ªwas made ¡®Prince Ping.¡¯ One could tell from this that naming Rong Xiu as ¡®Prince Li¡¯ would attract a lot of attention. Initially, no one had much of an impression of him and did not really care that the weak Seventh Prince had come back. However, it was hard not for one to overthink now that he was made ¡®Prince Li¡¯ the moment he came back to the Imperial City. Overnight, Prince Li Mansion became a hotspot; many people sent letters to seek an audience. However, the Prince Li Mansion rejected all of them, claiming that Prince Li was exhausted from all the traveling and needed to rest. Chu Liuyue naturally did not know about all these secret happenings. Now, she was most concerned about her own body. Zhen Bao Pavilion was very diligent in their work; the second batch of herbs was delivered over punctually. Chu Liuyue did not busy herself with arranging the herbs, but chose to go out instead. This time, she did not directly leave from the main entrance but disguised herself as a young man. She wore a black robe and a hat, and flipped over the wall near the backdoor. The Imperial City was very crowded, and many people wore all sorts of weird outfits on the streets, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s garb did not gather much attention. She left the Chu family compound and headed all the way west until she reached Ghost Street at the city¡¯s west side. The name was Ghost Street, but it was actually a place where people from all walks of life sold or bought items. It was a very messy place, and it sold everything at different prices. It was unknown how much money was needed to buy what kind of items. It was precisely because of this that people loved to visit this place. If they were lucky, they could buy some items at a lower price. Chu Liuyue also came here today with similar thinking. Ghost Street was indeed very crowded, and it was filled with all sorts of stalls on both ends. Chu Liuyue leisurely walked as if she was casually looking around, but her gaze was actually rapidly sweeping past the items. Time passed slowly. After going through half of Ghost Street, Chu Liuyue did not find anything she liked and was quite disappointed. When she was considering if she should go back, she spotted something in a torn stall from the corner of her eyes. Her heart tingled, and she walked over calmly. It was a rock around the size of a fist. It was grayish-white on the outside and even grew green moss. It looked just like a rock that someone casually picked up from the ground. However, if one took a closer look at it, one could see the two red streaks coming from the rock. This showed that a precious ruby was most likely hidden in the rock. Just when Chu Liuyue was about to ask for the price, someone intercepted her and picked up the stone. It was a man around the age of 20. He had a chubby head, big ears, and was wearing a cotton gown. His entire body was exuding the aura of an upstart. ¡°Heh. I can¡¯t believe my luck is pretty good today, and I met with this red stone! Old man, name your price.¡± The owner of the stall was an elder with white hair. It was currently summer, but he was wearing a torn, cotton gown and was shaking a thin fan as he lay there lazily. Upon hearing this voice, he opened his eyes and extended one finger. ¡°One hundred silver taels?¡± The elder shook his head. ¡°Ten thousand silver taels.¡± The young man exploded, and his fat body started to vibrate. ¡°Are you crazy? I¡¯m already giving you face by quoting 100 taels for a red rock. How dare you try to scam me? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m the future Crown Princess¡¯s cousin!¡± Upon hearing this, the silent Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Why did she not remember having such a cousin? Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask around for the name of the Lu family¡¯s Fourth Young Master?¡± It suddenly dawned on Chu Liuyue. So, this is Chu Xianmin¡¯s cousin. Things haven¡¯t even begun to take shape, yet he was trying to claim his connections. Indeed, people who didn¡¯t belong together also didn¡¯t get to live together. The old man scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are! Ten thousand silver taels, not a penny less. You can¡¯t afford it, but there are many who can.¡± Lu Zhitao was so furious that he could only laugh. Playing with that red stone, he spoke openly, ¡°Really? I¡¯d like to see who would be willing to buy this thing.¡± He glared at his surroundings with a look of warning. Those who had been interested in the red stone stopped in their tracks. Nobody could afford to offend the Lu family¡¯s Fourth Young Master. A red stone of this size would cost 2,000 silver taels at most. Nobody would pay 10,000 silver taels for it. Moreover, Lu Zhitao deliberately made a spectacle of himself by announcing his name. One would be going against him if they bought the stone. Most people had heard that the Crown Prince was fond of Chu Xianmin. For the past two days, it was even rumored that the Crown Prince¡¯s personal bodyguard, Song Yuan, had hand-delivered her invitation to the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday banquet. It seemed that Chu Xianmin would be the future Crown Princess. To offend the Lu family was akin to offending the Crown Prince. There was dead silence in the area. Lu Zhitao was proud of himself. ¡°Old man, you should know better. No one will buy this except me.¡± ¡°Ten thousand silver taels. I¡¯ll take it.¡± A cold and clear voice called out. At the same time, a fair hand suddenly came out from the side and took that red stone away. Lu Zhitao never expected anyone to have the guts to steal what he wanted. It took him a while before he reacted. At first glance, the other party seemed to be a young girl dressed in a black robe with a bamboo hat. Lu Zhitao was so angry he almost hit the roof. ¡°Who do you think you are? Did you eat a bear¡¯s heart or a leopard¡¯s gall? You dare to steal what I wanted?¡± The old man was surprised too. He finally opened his other eye and took a closer look at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Really?¡± Indeed, the red stone had excellent color, but it was definitely not worth 10,000 taels. He had casually said he would sell it for 10,000 taels because he was short of money lately, and he didn¡¯t want to sell it to Lu Zhitao. He didn¡¯t expect anyone to buy it willingly. Chu Liuyue took out a 10,000 silver tael banknote and gave it to the old man. At first, the old man hesitated, but when he saw the banknote, his eyes lit up, and he immediately accepted it. Recently, he was in a state of poverty. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand that the highest bidder gets the item? Besides, this red stone is worth 1,000 silver taels. If you want to buy it for 100 taels, where in the world would you get such a deal?¡± said Chu Liuyue with a laugh. ¡°Or did the Lu family gain its fortune by resorting to such tactics?¡± Lu Zhitao¡¯s face turned scarlet-red from anger. His family had been implicated. Without a thought, he drew out his sword at his waist, intending to strike Chu Liuyue. ¡°I will do as I please. You are in no position to lecture me! Meet your doom!¡± The old man¡ªwho had just received the banknote¡ªclasped his hands. His eyelids fluttered, and he was about to move. He stopped in surprise and looked at Chu Liuyue. She moved aside with light steps, turned around, and somehow managed to avoid Lu Zhitao¡¯s sword. Seeing that he missed, Lu Zhitao flew into a rage out of humiliation. He charged at Chu Liuyue again. Instead of avoiding this time, Chu Liuyue moved forward. Her body strangely bypassed his sword. She raised her leg and kicked Lu Zhitao above his elbow hard. The kick numbed his elbow, making him drop his sword. In the next moment, he felt a coldness against his neck. Chu Liuyue had already picked up his sword and placed it on his shoulders. He might lose his head if he moved. The old man¡¯s eyes changed from amazement to curiosity because of what he saw. He examined Chu Liuyue carefully. ¡°Huh?¡± Apparently, there was no fluctuation of force from this young lady. So, logically, she wasn¡¯t a match for Lu Zhitao. Those moves earlier were simple yet deadly. If she wanted, she could have Lu Zhitao dead in an instant. Interesting¡­ Lu Zhitao immediately broke into a cold sweat as he stammered, ¡°W-What¡­ W-What¡­ are¡­ y-you doing? H-How d-dare¡­¡± Chu Liuyue exerted more force. Blood began to ooze from Lu Zhitao¡¯s neck. ¡°Noisy!¡± Lu Zhitao was scared to death. He swallowed the rest of his words. He could tell that the other party was reckless. She would do anything. He really didn¡¯t have the talent for cultivation, but over the years, the Lu family had thrown in a lot of money to allow him to become a stage three martial artist at the very least. A martial artist of this level didn¡¯t have a rich source of force. One could only master some simple martial skills. However, no ordinary person could compare to them, regardless of physical strength or fighting skills. The other party was obviously not a warrior, but she could defeat him easily. ¡°Get lost!¡± shouted Chu Liuyue. It made Lu Zhitao shiver as he stood up. He retreated continuously for more than ten paces before he finally shouted in return, putting on a show. ¡°You! Just you wait!¡± Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to respond, he turned around and fled. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take him seriously. She threw the sword down and turned to leave. It¡¯s a blessing to have bought that red stone. There¡¯s no point in staying here any longer. Besides, she knew that Lu Zhitao must have gone back to get help. She had no wish of revealing her identity so soon. The crowd that had gathered in a circle made way for Chu Liuyue subconsciously when they saw that she was leaving. Although nobody could make out this person¡¯s frame or face, there was something about her that made people submit subconsciously. ¡°Hey. You there, wait.¡± The old man reacted quickly just as she was leaving. He packed his things in a hurry and chased after her. However, when he looked up, Chu Liuyue was nowhere to be seen. He was so stunned that he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head as he chucked a curse. ¡°She¡¯s really an alert girl!¡± She must be dreaming if she thinks she can lose me like that. ¡­ Chu Liuyue soon realized that someone was following her. She quickly changed her route and walked through several streets. Instead of returning to the Chu family, she went further and further off the beaten path, which eventually led her to a remote and narrow street with a dead end. All was silent when she arrived on the street. She turned around. ¡°It must have been hard on you to follow me all this way. You may speak your mind.¡± The silhouette of an aged, stooping man appeared in the alleyway. It was the old man in the tattered cotton jacket. Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He rubbed his hands together in embarrassment. ¡°There, there. No need for you to get upset, girl. I didn¡¯t stalk you on purpose. I just felt guilty for earning the 10,000 silver taels. Although I am short of money, that doesn¡¯t mean I can bully a young girl like you against my conscience, right?¡± Chu Liuyue raised an eyebrow. ¡°There simply is no need for you to follow me because of this. To me, that red stone is worth 10,000 silver taels.¡± It was more than worth it; she bought it for a great price! The old man didn¡¯t believe her as he shook his hand. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to be so polite, girl. I¡¯ve seen my share of red stones, around 90,000 to 100,000 of them. However, none of them are worth 10,000 taels. How about this? I give you something else as compensation?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± The old man looked crestfallen. This girl was a handful. ¡°What was it that you actually want to ask? You might as well spit it out.¡± He looked at the calm Chu Liuyue. Her sparkling dark eyes had already read his mind, so he stopped pretending to be embarrassed. ¡°Actually¡­ I wanted to know who your master is.¡± Although there was no fluctuation of force from her body, he could tell that those few movements definitely originated from one or more profound martial art techniques. She must be learning from a highly-skilled expert. Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to defeat a stage three martial artist like Lu Zhitao. He had been leading a boring life all these years. It would be great if he could spar with the expert! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. ¡°What do I have to gain by telling you?¡± The old man scratched his head in annoyance. He was penniless, and she didn¡¯t look like she was in a shortage of money either. He finally patted his head after a long time and took out a jade pendant. ¡°Why don¡¯t we use this to trade? It¡¯s still worth something.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at his hand, and her eyes lit up briefly. It was a jade pendant with the carving of the Xuan symbol. From the looks of it, the pendant with the Xuan symbol wasn¡¯t of inferior quality. It was definitely worth more than 10,000 taels! How could he offer it to her so casually? ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sensing that his proposition somewhat moved her, the old man advanced a few steps and shoved the jade pendant into her hand. ¡°An old man like me has no use for this thing. Since you like it, it¡¯s yours.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Chu Liuyue accepted the pendant. She gladly accepted it since he dared to give it to her. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be honest with you. I don¡¯t have a master,¡± declared Chu Liuyue openly. The old man was so excited and full of anticipation that he instantly froze. ¡°What? No master? How can this be? Don¡¯t tell me you actually mastered the skills on your own?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. She really had no explanation. ¡°It¡¯s true. I don¡¯t have a master.¡± The old man caught her wrist in disbelief. ¡°Damn, girl. You better tell me the truth¡­¡± He suddenly paused halfway through his words. As he stared at Chu Liuyue, his face turned a few shades darker and gradually showed shock. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows knitted tightly together, and she intended to break away. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re that girl from the Chu family?¡± Chu Liuyue froze. He could actually tell who she was without looking at her face? She had no recollection of such a person. The old man grew incredulous at her silence. ¡°You¡¯re really Chu Liuyue, but I thought your Yuan meridian¡­¡± Oh, he recognized me by checking my pulse. Chu Liuyue let out a sigh of relief, and she removed her bamboo hat. ¡°Yes, I am Chu Liuyue. You are?¡± The old man was startled for a moment when he saw the beautiful face before him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve grown so big. But it shouldn¡¯t be¡­ your Yuan meridian was¡­¡± He suddenly paused, at a loss as to what he should say. When Chu Liuyue was young, he checked her pulse and repeatedly confirmed that she was born with a defective Yuan meridian. She would never be able to cultivate for the rest of her life. However, when he accidentally touched her pulse earlier, he noticed that there seemed to be a subtle change in her Yuan meridian! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked at the old man¡¯s changing expression. My Yuan meridian has only just begun to repair itself; ordinary people shouldn¡¯t be able to notice. Nevertheless, this old man could tell with just one look. He must be someone extraordinary. Could he¡­ be a heavenly doctor? At the very least, he is someone powerful. The old man shed his previous idle appearance and looked more serious. He let go of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand while he stared into her eyes intently and asked, ¡°Girl, you better be honest with me. Who is helping you?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head sincerely. ¡°There really isn¡¯t anyone. You can ask around if you don¡¯t believe me. I may be the Chu family¡¯s titular eldest daughter, but I¡¯ve been treated worse than a servant all these years. It¡¯s fortunate enough that I managed to stay alive until now. What else can I ask for?¡± The old man remained skeptical. He hadn¡¯t been bothered with the daily ongoings in the world, so he didn¡¯t really know much about what had been happening in the Imperial City. Chu Liuyue was a born loser. Anyone could guess the kind of life she had been living all these years. What if there is someone helping them behind their backs¡­ But she and Chu Ning have nobody to rely on. Who would they go to? ¡°¡­ There¡¯s some truth in what you¡¯ve said, girl. However, your Yuan meridian¡­ there simply isn¡¯t any explanation for it.¡± The old man thought long and hard, but he couldn¡¯t guess the reason for the sudden change in Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian. He hit his head with his fan in agony. Chu Liuyue glanced at the sky, noting its color. ¡°If there is nothing else, I will take my leave.¡± Although she couldn¡¯t be sure of this old man¡¯s identity, Chu Liuyue was certain that his origins were definitely not simple. She wouldn¡¯t offend someone like that now. The old man waved his hand casually, still frowning as he pondered the question that he didn¡¯t have the answer to. ¡°Is it¡­¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stay long; she left with haste. All that was left in the alleyway was that old man deep in his thoughts. ¡­ Everything was normal as Chu Liuyue returned to the Chu family. The new batch of herbs had been delivered. As per the norm, she boiled Chu Ning¡¯s medicine first and awaited his return to give it to him. Without saying a word, Chu Ning drank all his medicine. His initial misgivings had long since been dispelled by his apparent improvement in health. In his opinion, his daughter was an indisputable genius! He felt the warm power surge through his limbs. Chu Ning sighed softly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I¡¯ll take you to a master when I¡¯m feeling better. A talent like yours must not be wasted!¡± Chu Liuyue asked, seemingly unintentionally, ¡°Father, how many heavenly doctors are there in Country Yao Chen?¡± Chu Ning thought for a moment. ¡°The conditions for becoming a heavenly doctor are very harsh. Even those who are slightly gifted might not become one in the end. Today, there are only seven heavenly doctors throughout the entire Country Yao Chen.¡± Chu Liuyue asked some indirect questions, but it was a pity that Chu Ning had little knowledge regarding the heavenly doctors. In the end, she could find nothing to link that old man. She knew there was no point in rushing, so she stopped her inquiries completely. When Chu Ning left, she resumed boiling her own medication. Xue Xue didn¡¯t come that night. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. An unwelcome guest arrived just when Chu Liuyue was going to boil Chu Ning¡¯s medication¡ªit was that old man. He had apparently not entered through the main entrance. He was still clothed in the same tattered cotton jacket. There were even a few pieces of fallen leaves on his head; the dark eye bags beneath his eyes indicated that he had not slept for the last few days. Chu Liuyue was surprised to see him like this. ¡°How did you enter?¡± The old man¡¯s eyes were sad. ¡°I have pondered for the past three days and three nights, but I just can¡¯t figure out¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked to hear that he had not had a single day or night¡¯s rest since she last saw him. He reached out with his quivering hands, pointed to the pot of aromatic herbs, and complained as if he had suffered a great deception. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me who is helping you! You have made this old man very miserable!¡± Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As she listened to the old man¡¯s cries, Chu Liuyue realized that after she left that day, he had been thinking about how she had begun the process of healing her Yuan meridian. Alas, he was still clueless after thinking for three days. Finally, he had no choice but to come to the Chu family estate and see for himself. He almost lost his temper at the sight. The entire courtyard was filled with a strong scent of medicinal herbs. He knew they weren¡¯t any simple herb as soon as he smelled the fragrance. No ordinary person could have blended so many herbs together perfectly. It was a hard feat to achieve, even for him. This girl said nobody is helping her. She must be jesting! The old man¡¯s sorrowful face wore an expression of ¡®you¡¯re a big liar.¡¯ Chu Liuyue could do nothing but nurse her forehead with her hand. An ordinary man might not know her purpose for brewing these herbs, but not this old man. He certainly knew what these herbs were for. Not bothering to cover up, Chu Liuyue simply shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, so be it.¡± With that, she opened the jade box and resumed sorting the herbs. The old man was clearly shocked because Chu Liuyue had shown no interest in explaining further. He was so angry his hair almost caught fire, and he sat on a rock to sulk. ¡°Girl, I¡¯m not leaving until you¡¯ve given me an explanation!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded to humor him. ¡°Alright. There¡¯s water in the house if you¡¯re thirsty.¡± Oh! What sort of attitude is that? The old man waved his fan wildly with anger, his beard fluttering. This time, he was really up against Chu Liuyue! ¡­ Seeing that Chu Liuyue was actually ignoring him, the old man gave a low snort and casually surveyed the courtyard. The Chu family was, by all accounts, one of the Imperial City¡¯s four great families. It might be at the bottom of the pecking order, but it still had its heritage. Nevertheless, this courtyard was so remote and shabby that it was no different from any other poor house. Nobody would believe that the once magnificent Chu Ning and his only daughter resided here. To make things worse, these two were the Chu family¡¯s direct descendants, and this was what they ended up with. The old man sighed inwardly; his anger gradually subsiding. He then looked at the plum blossom stakes and the other things in the courtyard, which were clearly set up recently. Were these¡­ used for Chu Liuyue¡¯s training? It¡¯s too shabby. This father and daughter are living a miserable life! A uniquely bitter and sour smell suddenly drifted in. The old man twitched his nose. He saw Chu Liuyue take out a black dried vine, which was about an arm¡¯s length, and put it into the boiling pot. ¡°Hey, why are you adding the Dried Wall Vine in there directly? The boiling water will cause it to melt, and it will greatly lose its effectiveness.¡± The old man quickly rushed to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. He said hatefully, ¡°You, girl. The Dried Wall Vine is worth a fortune! It¡¯s not something that¡­¡± He stopped talking abruptly. The Dried Wall Vine should have melted instantly in the pot. However, it was lying well within it instead. Mist rose from the boiling water as the heat began puffing out. Nevertheless, the vine remained intact! Gradually, an ink-like liquid flowed out of the Dried Wall Vine and merged with the boiling water. That uniquely bitter and sour smell actually became sweet. This smell could only be achieved through the full distillation of the Dried Wall Vine¡¯s potency. The old man¡¯s eyes widened as he stared incredulously. ¡°H-How can this be possible?¡± The Dried Wall Vine had extremely powerful properties for repairing injuries. On top of that, it could only be found on steep cliffs, and it took ten years to grow an inch long. Thus, it was very valuable. However, such a rare herb was also troublesome to handle. Its texture was extremely thin and brittle. Once damaged, it would lose its medicinal effects instantly. The only way would be to put it into water and steam it slowly. Its medicinal effects would be affected by the water temperature, too. The water couldn¡¯t be too cold or too hot. When in contact with boiling water, it would quickly turn into waste. At this moment, not only did the Dried Wall Vine not melt in the boiling water, but it also stirred up its strongest medicinal effects! ¡°How¡­ did you do that?¡± The old man looked at Chu Liuyue blankly. Chu Liuyue pointed. ¡°Take a closer look.¡± The old man rolled his eyes and leaned a little closer. Finally, he saw a silvery layer of white ice crystals covering the Dried Wall Vine. ¡°Is¡­ this¡­ Silver Ice Grass?¡± This was an extremely common medicinal herb that was usually used to relieve pain because of its silvery-white body and icy-cold properties. ¡°Ground Silver Ice Grass into powder and add it into the water 15 minutes in advance. When the Dried Wall Vine is added into the boiling water, the powdered Silver Ice Grass will coat itself on the vine. This way, the vine will not melt,¡± explained Chu Liuyue. One thing to bring down another. Silver Ice Grass might be ordinary, but it had an excellent use in this instance. The old man was momentarily stunned. Then, he slapped his thigh. ¡°Right! Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± Chu Liuyue simply smiled. It wasn¡¯t really a secret. The heavenly doctor merely had a different understanding and application of the herbs¡¯ medicinal properties. ¡°This method¡­ where did you learn it from?¡± The old man finally reacted. He looked at Chu Liuyue with glowing eyes. Chu Liuyue fished the Dried Wall Vine out from the pot. Its effectiveness had been achieved. It would be better to take out the remaining residue as soon as possible. ¡°I figured it out myself.¡± The old man naturally didn¡¯t believe her. But after questioning her for a long time, he still didn¡¯t get an explanation out of Chu Liuyue. He couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. His eyes never left that pot of boiling herbs again. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t cover the pot but generously allowed him to see. This medicine was for Chu Ning; the recipe was quite ordinary, and there was nothing to show him. The technique and the heat control when boiling the medicine was more important. Some people had no talent. Even if one was to memorize the recipe or tried diligently, one still wouldn¡¯t be able to become a heavenly doctor. The courtyard was silent. The old man was watching Chu Liuyue boiling medicine from the side, his appearance gradually changing. Chu Liuyue¡¯s series of movements flowed smoothly, even the timing and the amount of each herb added was perfect! The medicinal fragrance grew stronger and stronger. It was a sign that the medicinal powers were fusing with each other. This would never have been possible without thousands of hours of practice. Even he could do no better than Chu Liuyue. Snap. The jade box closed, and the last of its herbs were put in. Throughout the whole process, not counting the ones Chu Liuyue had already put in before he arrived, she had added a total of 35 herbs at least! This was apparently not the limit of Chu Liuyue¡¯s level. She was definitely good enough to be a heavenly doctor! Whoever she had learned these skills from, he could be sure of one thing¡ªChu Liuyue had unparalleled talent in the path of becoming a heavenly doctor. What is wrong with the Chu family? How could they not cherish this once-in-a-century genius? How could they bully her so recklessly? He looked around the dilapidated courtyard with irony. He rubbed his hands together and looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. It was like he was looking at a great treasure. ¡°Girl, I won¡¯t ask you about those things anymore. There is one thing I have to ask of you though. I wish to come here and watch you concoct medicine in the future. Will you be alright with it?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. There were too many things she had to do; it would be inconvenient to have another person here. ¡°Then, then¡­ I¡¯ll just come once every three days?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head again. ¡°F-Five¡­ five days?¡± ¡°Once a fortnight. If you don¡¯t agree, one month then.¡± ¡°Fine. Fine. Fortnightly. Once every fortnight!¡± The old man was afraid that she would go back on her word. He nodded his head as if he was pounding garlic, and a smile broke on his face. Chu Liuyue suddenly tilted her head and asked thoughtfully, ¡°And may I ask in what capacity you will be here as?¡± Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Huh?¡± The old man was stumped. Troubled, he shook his head. This was indeed a problem. He had slipped in without anyone¡¯s knowledge, but he couldn¡¯t do that every time. Although the Chu family¡¯s defense didn¡¯t deter him, he couldn¡¯t be so casual if he planned on coming to learn something from Chu Liuyue. Moreover, the line of heavenly doctors had many rules and regulations. One should know that many Heavenly doctors placed extreme importance on their own concocting methods and its processes; they rarely allowed bystanders to watch and study them unless they were teaching their own disciples. Chu Liuyue had already promised to allow him to visit once every fortnight. In fact, she was already very generous. As for his status¡­ ¡°How about¡­ accepting me as your apprentice?¡± The old man spoke with excitement, but he frowned instantly and looked hesitant. ¡°Oh my, I already had a master. He might have passed on, but it¡¯s still a bit difficult for me to just acknowledge someone else as my master.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him, speechless. This proposal also placed her in a difficult position. She had no wish to have such an elderly apprentice. ¡°How about this? Why don¡¯t you be my master?¡± suggested Chu Liuyue. The old man was surprised as he played with his fan. ¡°Eh¡­ that won¡¯t do! How can I be your master when I¡¯m the one seeking your advice?¡± He could tell that Chu Liuyue¡¯s standard was as good as the others; he wasn¡¯t qualified to be her master. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows curved. ¡°Why are you being so polite? I am new to the world, and there are many things I don¡¯t understand. Naturally, I will need a master for guidance. Don¡¯t tell me that you have no wish to accept me as your disciple?¡± ¡°No, no, no¡­ how can you say that? How could anyone in this world not want you as their disciple?¡± Suddenly, something dawned on the old man. He stopped talking abruptly, his eyes widening. ¡°Wait, wait! You mean to say that you have not accepted a master up to now?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked sincerely. ¡°That¡¯s right! Didn¡±t I tell you that from the beginning?¡± The old man eyed her with suspicion, not daring to believe wholeheartedly. In the end, he could only guess that she definitely had a highly-skilled expert behind her, and for some reason, he couldn¡¯t come forward. ¡°You¡ªare you saying that you want me to be your master?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. The old man might believe her earlier words, but anyone else would doubt it. She needed a ¡®master¡¯ as a reason for her sudden change. In the future, all she had to say was that she had already been secretly taught by her master and had been biding her time before if anyone asked. The old man was silent for a long while. He wasn¡¯t stupid; he knew exactly what Chu Liuyue was planning. To have such a mind and tactics is enough to prove that she is definitely not as useless and incompetent as the outside world says she is! On the contrary, she has top-notch talent and superior intelligence. Such a girl was only 14 years old¡­ There was no telling how many secrets she was hiding. Once she agreed, she would definitely be involved in a lot of trouble. Chu Liuyue looked calm; she didn¡¯t rush him. The old man¡¯s expression changed; his eyes went back and forth between Chu Liuyue¡¯s face and the boiled medicine soup. He had already made up his mind that he would never get involved in those messy things, but¡­ He really wanted to watch Chu Liuyue concoct medicine! ¡°Yes! I promise!¡± The old man gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind. ¡°From now on, I will watch you concoct medicine in secret. But in plain sight, I will be your master.¡± Chu Liuyue was unsurprised by his reply. Her eyebrows smoothened at his words. She then folded her hands and bent her knees slightly. ¡°Master, your disciple, Chu Liuyue, greets you.¡± It was a formal ritual for a master to accept their apprentice. The old man was startled as he looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s somewhat green face. For a moment, he felt unrestrained joy rising inside him as well. This¡­ is.. My first disciple! In the past, he had always found it troublesome to take on a disciple. However, he had taken on such a genius as his disciple purely by coincidence! ¡°Good! Good!¡± He felt much closer to Chu Liuyue at that moment. He hurriedly helped Chu Liuyue up. ¡°We, as master and disciple, need not talk about those empty things. If you need anything in the future, just look for me.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved into slits. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Hearing her call him ¡®Master¡¯ filled the old man¡¯s heart with love and compassion. ¡°My last name is Ye. If you need to look for me in the future, you can go directly to Autumn Wind Garden in the city¡¯s west side.¡± Chu Liuyue quickly tried to recall in her mind, but she couldn¡¯t remember any character with the last name Ye, let alone Autumn Wind Garden. This was also normal. Being trapped in the Chu family for many years, she didn¡¯t know much about the outside world. This was not the time to ask about this. She simply didn¡¯t dwell on it any longer. She would know when the time was ripe. After that, Ye Lao and Chu Liuyue talked for a long time about the ways of refining medicine. He parted reluctantly when it was sunset. Chu Ning was naturally in the dark about all this. Chu Liuyue also acted as if nothing had happened as she recuperated calmly. More than 20 days flew by. Early in the morning, Zhen Bao Pavilion sent the last batch of the medicinal herbs. After Chu Liuyue counted the herbs, she began to refine the medicine in an orderly manner. Unlike the past, Chu Ning was home this time. He checked Chu Liuyue¡¯s room from time to time, feeling proud and nervous. After a few hours of boiling, Chu Liuyue finally stopped and scooped the medicinal soup out of the pot. ¡°Father, this is the last time. After drinking this, you may attempt to re-cultivate.¡± Chu Liuyue sent the medicine over. Chu Ning quickly moved forward to accept it with excitement. His body had improved significantly over this period of time. Not only had his previously crippled calves became stronger, but his perception of his force also seemed to be even stronger! His condition even hinted that he seemed to be even better than he was at his previous peak! He had been hoping for a comeback after being down and frustrated for so many years. He just didn¡¯t expect that his own daughter would be the one to give him hope. Chu Ning drank without hesitation. The blazing power extended downwards, then entered his dantian. He lay with his legs crossed, and his hands folded in front of him. With closed eyes, he began to channel this power. The Force of Heaven and Earth around them seemed to have been guided in some way and began converging toward Chu Ning. It was a sign of a breakthrough! Chu Ning smiled with satisfaction. Chu Ning indeed had some talent to be able to take advantage of this opportunity and attempt a breakthrough. It was a pleasant surprise. Chu Liuyue withdrew quietly and returned to her room. After this period of recuperation, her body¡¯s Yuan meridian had almost recovered. There was only one last critical step left before she finished healing. She began to refine the medicine for the last time. The sky had turned dark completely by the time the medicinal soup was ready. She shed her clothes and entered the tub. The medicine¡¯s rich fragrance lingered in the air. The rising white mist almost obscured her form. She held her breath and allowed her qi to sink into her dantian. Power seeped into Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs. Her Yuan meridian, which was originally crippled, had become moist and strong. Under the nourishment of the abundant power, her Yuan meridian continued to spread and grow. At the same time, that small lake within Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian was actually causing waves again! A pale-red water droplet was suspended in the middle of the lake, then transformed into countless tiny, unseen particles that merged into the Yuan meridian within Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Buzz! A majestic and vast aura overwhelmed Chu Liuyue. Chapter 20 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s whole body was shaking. At this moment, she actually felt a terrifying pressure from the ancient past that made one¡¯s soul tremble. A sudden fiery and horrifying burning sensation spread throughout her body before she even had time to be shocked. That one water droplet dispersed into millions of particles and rested on top of her Yuan meridian as though a comet had landed, instantly stirring up a great fire. Her entire body felt like it was wrapped in blazing flames. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart thumped. Subconsciously, she curled her body into a ball, clenched her fists, and gritted her teeth. A strong bloody scent filled her nostrils and mouth. It was as though she had returned to that nightmarish day all over again. The pain she was having now was worse than that day. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was red all over; her face was scarlet-red from the gush of blood. Her entire body was like a piece of burning charcoal. She was sweating profusely, but the steam from her blazing body dried before it could fall. For an instant, she was in complete despair. Betrayal. Burn. Death. But she bit her tongue so hard that the sharp pain woke her up the next moment. She told herself desperately that this wasn¡¯t the night for her to die in Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestral hall. She wanted revenge; this was what she had to go through. Right now, every second became more torturous than the last. At the same time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian had finally completed its connection. After an unknown amount of time, the intense pain gradually disappeared. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes slowly and saw the murky medicinal soup in her tub, which had been clear. She immediately examined her crippled Yuan meridian. Upon examination, she couldn¡¯t help but draw a breath of cold air. ¡°The Dijing Yuan meridian?¡± The Yuan meridian that was crippled initially was fully repaired; it was fluorescent and clear. It even had a faint red color. She never thought that her Yuan Meridian would reach the level of a Dijing Yuan meridian after it was restored. One had to know that in the entire Tianling Dynasty¡¯s 1,000 years of history, only two people had the Tianjing Yuan meridian. Although a Dijing Yuan meridian was a notch lower, it was still considered to be an extremely rare existence. For a body that was born with crippled Yuan meridian, she thought it would be good enough if she could reach the level of a Xuanjing Yuan meridian upon recovering, but she never thought she¡­ It was such a huge surprise! With this, her future cultivation will be twice as effective with half the work. Chu Liuyue quickly changed the water in the tub for a wash. This time, her Yuan meridian¡¯s reshaping seemed to have incidentally forced out the impurities within her body, making her feel much lighter. After tidying everything up, Chu Liuyue sat on the bed with her legs crossed beneath her and tried to absorb nature¡¯s force. She succeeded in condensing that force in her dantian and transformed it into her own power. Feeling the threads of power moving around her body, she was reassured by its familiarity. From now on, she would be able to walk the path of cultivation again! However, there was still doubt in her heart. That transparent page from the book in my dantian¡­ what is it? The water droplet that flew out from it seemed to cause the change in my Yuan meridian. The vast and terrifying pressure I felt in that instant¡­ what was it? Knock, knock, knock. Someone was knocking on the door. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you awake?¡± It was Chu Ning. Chu Liuyue looked around and realized one night had passed. She took a deep breath, got up, and walked over to open the door. Chu Ning was standing at the doorway. Instead of looking depressed and in dire straits like how he used to be, Chu Ning looked radiant. Today, he was obviously an entirely different person from before. Chu Liuyue tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Father, you¡¯ve broken through?¡± Chu Ning was stunned, and he whirled around to ruffle her hair. ¡°There¡¯s really no hiding anything from you!¡± Ten years ago, he suffered severe trauma when he was just a step away from attaining the fifth stage as a martial artist. He hadn¡¯t made any progress since then; he was even unable to exert half the strength of a stage four martial artist because of his physical disability. Unexpectedly, ten years later, he recovered to his previous condition and even broke through to become a stage five martial artist in one fell swoop! One should know that only the Chu family head and the two elders were the only ones to reach this level. ¡°Father, I told you it would be better than before!¡± Chu Ning¡¯s talent was inherently good. It was normal for him to break through to the fifth stage after careful recuperation. Chu Liuyue had a sweet smile on her face, yet there was no surprise in her eyes. Chu Ning thought for a moment and guessed that she must have known this would happen. Chu Ning sized her up carefully. His eyes widened as a thought suddenly dawned on him. ¡°Yue¡¯er, your Yuan meridian¡­¡± He could actually feel the force coming from her body. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Father, what day is it today?¡± Chu Ning turned pale. ¡°The eighth day of the eighth month. You will be of marriageable age in two days.¡± It was also the day of her engagement to the Crown Prince. Up until now, there weren¡¯t any apparent signs that the Crown Prince had been preparing for their engagement. Chu Ning thought Chu Liuyue was feeling aggrieved, and he said hastily, ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I will go to the palace to seek an audience with His Majesty today and request to cancel your engagement to the Prince. His Highness is not a good match for you. That will be a relief.¡± He was now a stage five martial artist and was considered worthy to speak to the Emperor. Chu Liuyue chuckled lightly. ¡°Cancel my engagement with the Crown Prince so that Chu Xianmin can sit back and reap the rewards? That would be too good to be true for both of them, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± She had not settled the score with them for all the years of grievances she had suffered! Chu Ning was confused. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what are you going to do?¡± Chu Liuyue replied softly, ¡°I have my own plans.¡± ¡­ Outside the Imperial City, the mountains extended forever. The sunlight dappled the lush forests with light and shadows. Somewhere at the foot of the mountain, a grand birthday banquet was being held. Precious white jade tables were placed on either side with all kinds of delicacies and top-quality wine. Most of the Imperial City¡¯s distinguished sons and daughters were here, drinking and gambling. It was lively. From time to time, they looked towards their leader. There was a jaded seat in purple and gold. A young man dressed in a red and purple brocade was listening to the crowd with a smile. It was the Crown Prince, Rong Jin. Seated below him, on his right-hand side, was Chu Xianmin, looking demure and beautiful. To be placed in this position meant that the Crown Prince did indeed intend for her to be the Crown Princess! ¡°Your Highness is so refined and elegant to have chosen such a scenic place to hold your birthday party. It really is extraordinary!¡± ¡°Haha. Brother Yue, there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know. The scenery here is beautiful, but more importantly, this mountain is the Crown Prince¡¯s hunting ground. His Highness cares about this place, but it¡¯s rarely been opened for years. Today will be a long day for us.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± With that, all heads turned towards the Crown Prince. Rong Jin nodded his head with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. Whoever can tame any of the beasts today will be able to take it away!¡± Everyone shouted in unison after hearing the news. ¡°Your Highness is so generous!¡± Someone couldn¡¯t help but ridicule. ¡°Your Highness is so generous. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not for us old men, but to get a smile from a beauty. Am I right? If my memory serves me well, it seems that Third Miss Chu hasn¡¯t made a contract with any magical beasts yet.¡± Chu Xianmin blushed, and she glanced shyly at Rong Jin. Rong Jin smiled and drank his wine. ¡°If you are not as skilled as the others, how can you blame Minmin for stealing your beasts?¡± The crowd humored him by laughing along. Naturally, the girls from other noble families felt annoyed and jealous. However, judging from the situation, they knew they had no choice but to hold back. Rong Jin waved his hand. ¡°Go on. Get them to open the gates.¡± Chapter 21 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With Rong Jin¡¯s command, Song Yuan behind him immediately clapped his hands to instruct the subordinates to inform the hunting ground. The crowd revealed excited expressions. It was rumored that the Crown Prince had spent a lot of effort over the years to take care of the hunting ground painstakingly. The types and levels of the fiends in the hunting ground could definitely not be compared to an ordinary hunting ground. If they were lucky, they could make a vow with a rare fiend! Chu Xianmin¡¯s hands were placed on top of her stomach, looking extremely elegant. However, her eyes were already sparkling with unconcealable emotions. She did not expect the Crown Prince to do so much for her. He actually prepared such a big present for her on his birthday. Even though she had not gone in to take a look, she knew that the Crown Prince prioritized the hunting ground; the fiends inside would definitely not disappoint people. Though the Chu family had their own hunting ground, they did not produce any good fiends, and she did not like any of them. It would undoubtedly be perfect if she could make a vow with a strong fiend as she was originally very talented. Rong Jin leaned in and laughed. ¡°Minmin, it¡¯s all up to you to snatch that top prize.¡± Chu Xianmin nodded shyly. ¡°I know your kind intentions, Brother Jin. I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Rong Jin laughed out loud. He liked Chu Xianmin¡¯s intelligence; she knew what to say and do at the right times. An idea flashed across Chu Xianmin¡¯s mind upon seeing him in a good mood. Afterward, she reduced the smile on her face and revealed an upset expression. She whispered, ¡°It¡¯s a pity Sister could not come.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s expression turned stiff and slightly cold. The surrounding crowd naturally heard her words and immediately turned around to look. How interesting! The sister that Chu Liuyue brought up was none other than the Big Missy of the Chu family¡ªChu Liuyue. Everyone knew about her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince, but since she was born an invalid, the Crown Prince did not even care about her. The Crown Prince had not invited her to his birthday parties for quite a few years already. If Chu Xianmin did not bring her up, who would still remember that person? Rong Jin said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s naturally stupid. Her presence will only ruin everyone¡¯s mood.¡± Chu Xianmin then seemed to realize that she had said something inappropriate and hurriedly apologized like she was in a difficult position. ¡°Brother Jin, don¡¯t get mad. I just remembered that Sister has nothing to do at home usually. Thus, I thought it would be a good thing for her to come out and play¡­¡± Nothing to do? What could a good-for-nothing possibly do? The crowd secretly exchanged looks with mocking expressions. The Crown Prince was also very unlucky. There were so many girls from distinguished families, but he unluckily picked an invalid as his fiance. How embarrassing! ¡°I¡¯m thinking too much. Brother Jin and Sister¡¯s engagement is coming soon. Sister is very busy and has no time to care about this¡­¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s voice became softer and softer and was filled with grievances and sourness, while her head gradually hung lower. ¡°I¡¯m the one that doesn¡¯t have the right to say all of this¡­¡± Rong Jin sneered in his heart. When Song Yuan came back previously, he had already explained that day¡¯s incident to him in detail. Chu Liuyue still dared to hallucinate about their engagement. Dream on! That night, a feast would be prepared for him in the palace. He would naturally tell his father that he wanted a clean break with that good-for-nothing. Thinking of this, he said nonchalantly, ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking about someone irrelevant? Nobody can predict the future for sure. Just take care of yourself and fulfill your own tasks.¡± Chu Xianmin was elated. The Crown Prince meant that he would not have anything to do with Chu Liuyue. When she first heard Chu Liuyue nonchalantly mentioning the marriage agreement, she thought that the Crown Prince was really thinking of continuing with it. Now, it seemed like Chu Liuyue was just puffing herself up at her own cost. Chu Xianmin nodded her head obediently and looked down to hide the pleasure in her eyes when she noticed that quite a few people looked at her with envy. The smarter ones amongst the crowd immediately continued when they saw the situation. ¡°Haha! The prince is so generous today. We can¡¯t let go of this chance!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I won¡¯t give in later!¡± ¡°Bring it on! I haven¡¯t dueled in a while. I¡¯ll practice with you later.¡± The crowd kept bantering with each other, and the atmosphere was very lively. Rong Jin laughed. ¡°Okay, okay. Judging by the time, they should¡¯ve brought the fellows over. It¡¯s a good time to enter the mountain now.¡± He led the way forward as he talked. Chu Xianmin followed right behind him. The crowd fought to follow behind him, very afraid of being left behind. The crowd was delightfully surprised by what they saw after passing through a forest. The lush forest made the entire mountain look as clear as jade as it stood securely in its spot. A light breeze came by and made the leaves whistle. There was someone guarding the tall, circular, black metal fence at the bottom of the mountain every few meters. These guards were muscular and looked very strong. The crowd could not help but be astonished. It must have cost an enormous amount just to protect the hunting ground. Nobody would be as wealthy in the entire Imperial City. With such emphasis on the hunting ground, there must be fiends of high levels there. Song Yuan, who was following behind Rong Jin, had his heart skip a beat. Previously, when he was in charge of the hunting ground, there were not so many people. The pageboy, who was sent over, was currently standing in front of the hunting ground and having a fierce argument with the guard in charge of protecting the place. ¡°Who exactly are you? How dare you trespass the Crown Prince¡¯s hunting ground? Have you lost your minds? How many lives can you afford to lose when you offend the Crown Prince?¡± The guards remained nonchalant. ¡°Do you have evidence that the hunting ground belongs to the Crown Prince?¡± The pageboy was so frustrated until he laughed. ¡°Everyone in the Imperial City knows that this is the Crown Prince¡¯s territory. Why are you acting ignorant? Let me tell you; the Crown Prince will soon be here. If you still¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What are you arguing about?¡± Song Yuan¡¯s voice boomed as he rushed over when he noticed that something was amiss. The pageboy immediately turned around and saw that Song Yuan was already behind him. Further behind was the Crown Prince and many others. He instantly started to panic. He might just lose his life for failing to complete the task the Crown Prince had assigned him. The others might not know, but the servants in charge of Eastern Palace knew his temper the best. He hurriedly knelt on the ground. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know where these people came from, but they¡¯ve occupied the hunting ground. Now, they¡¯re not allowing anyone to enter it.¡± Song Yuan was stunned. How dare they mess with the Crown Prince¡¯s territory? Were they tired of living? He looked at the duo and yelled angrily, ¡°Are you guys crazy? No, who are you?¡± These people were clearly not theirs. He suddenly thought of something and quickly looked at the other guards far away. They were all unfamiliar faces. Song Yuan took a deep breath of cold air. Someone actually dared to snatch away their hunting ground right in front of their eyes? Why did he not receive any news before? ¡°Who are you? How dare you occupy the Crown Prince¡¯s hunting ground?¡± His angered shout was very loud, and everyone with Rong Jin heard it crystal clear. Instantly, the atmosphere turned dead silent. Rong Jin¡¯s smile gradually stiffened. ¡°What is going on?¡± When the two guards saw him, they greeted him but were not polite in their words. ¡°Greetings, Crown Prince. My master told me to thank the Crown Prince for your painstaking efforts spent on taking care of this hunting ground. In the future, he¡¯ll definitely pay you back for your kind deeds.¡± Rong Jin thought that he had misheard him. ¡°This is my hunting ground. When did the owner change? Why do I not know about this?¡± A guard raised his head and asked, ¡°Crown Prince, if this is your hunting ground, then¡­ do you have the title deed to prove it?¡± Chapter 22 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Jin was stunned. He only recovered his senses after some time and understood the person¡¯s words. The face that was usually emotionless actually revealed an unimaginable expression. I-is¡­ this person asking me for the title deed? Just as he was about to holler, a blurry memory flashed in his brain. That¡¯s not right? I really don¡¯t have the title deed to this hunting ground. Even though it was gifted by Father back then, it¡­ was actually a gift for Chu Liuyue. The title deed¡­ is with Chu Liuyue! ¡°Crown Prince, the hunting ground belongs to whoever¡¯s name is written on the title deed, right? If I¡¯m not wrong, it seems like this hunting ground was never yours.¡± Even though the guard looked ordinary, he did not mince his words in front of the prince and even had a harsh tone. Rong Jin instantly felt his stomach flip around; his chest felt like it was blocked by a ball of cotton, suffocating him and making it hard to breathe. This was because he had no way of refuting the other party¡¯s words. The crowd following behind Rong Jin was also dazed upon seeing the situation. What kind of situation was this? Why did the Crown Prince¡¯s hunting ground suddenly become someone else¡¯s? What kind of people are they, to be so daring enough to ask the Crown Prince for the title deed? One of them suddenly remembered an incident long ago. If he did not remember wrongly, the title deed should be with Chu Liuyue. However, how can a good-for-nothing like her have the ability to go head-on with the Crown Prince? Some people silently looked at Chu Xianmin. Chu Xianmin was also in a daze for quite some time. She only remembered Chu Liuyue when she noticed that many people were looking at her intentionally and subconsciously. Rong Jin tightly clenched his hands into fists in his sleeves to contain the anger raging in his heart. He asked coldly, ¡°Did Chu Liuyue send you over?¡± The guards shook their heads. ¡°We have nothing to do with Big Chu Missy.¡± Rong Jin sneered in his heart. Nothing to do with her? They are even calling her ¡®Big Chu Missy.¡¯ In the entire Imperial City, close to nobody would call that good-for-nothing in that manner. He would never believe that Chu Liuyue had nothing to do with this. ¡°Do you mean that the hunting ground is currently yours?¡± The guard said politely, ¡°It belongs to our master.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± hollered Song Yuan as he stepped forward. ¡°The Emperor was the one who gifted the hunting ground to the Crown Prince. He has taken care of it diligently all these years. How did it suddenly become your master¡¯s? I think you¡¯re just looking for a fight!¡± As he was talking, he circulated the force in his body as he turned his palm into a fist and punched one of them harshly. ¡°Dragon Tiger Punch!¡± Song Yuan was around 27 or 28 years old, but he had already surpassed a stage four warrior. This punch used his manly force and enormous strength. One could seemingly hear the punch cut through the air like a tiger¡¯s whistle. At this time, one of the guards put on a stance and threw a punch calmly. He actually chose to fight with him head-on! Bang! The boring impact noise started sounding in the quiet forest. The immense force made the leaves gathered on the ground fly up. Song Yuan did not even think of the other party as an opponent, but once he met with the other party¡¯s fist, he could feel immense strength surging toward him. He could even seemingly feel that the other party was much stronger than him. As expected, his body uncontrollably staggered backward in the next moment. Deng! Deng! Deng! He actually moved back three steps from the impact. Stabilizing his body with much difficulty, he wanted to curse at them at the top of his lungs, but he felt something coming up his throat; his mouth was suddenly filled with the taste of blood. Song Yuan pressed this breath down forcefully and swallowed the blood with much difficulty. In no time, the atmosphere became stiff. The duo attacked again, and Song Yuan staggered backward once again, while the guards were still standing stably. Judging from Song Yuan¡¯s face that was as white as a sheet, anyone could tell that he was no match for the other opponent. He was a stage four warrior, but was actually beaten so easily. Rong Jin¡¯s face was as dark as coal. He had completely lost his reputation in front of so many people; first, he was robbed of his hunting ground. His personal guard was then taught a lesson. The guard took a step back and bowed toward Rong Jin. ¡°Crown Prince, my master has ordered me to guard the hunting ground closely. I don¡¯t dare to defy his orders. I seek your understanding in this matter.¡± It sounded like he was seeking forgiveness, but in actual fact, he had just ripped off the Crown Prince¡¯s face and stepped on it mercilessly. In the entire Country Yao Chen, the Crown Prince had the highest status, other than the Emperor himself. Only a few people dared to do this, even if he did not have the title deed. Rong Jin asked solemnly, ¡°Who on earth is your master?¡± The guards lowered their heads. ¡°We¡¯re from Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± ¡­ In the Chu family estate¡­ Chu Liuyue took a look at the sky and finally stopped her training, as she took off the sandbags tied to her limbs. She muttered to herself, ¡°It¡¯s almost time¡­¡± As expected, hurried footsteps were heard in no time. It was the First Elder¡¯s pageboy. His face was filled with happiness as he watched her misery without any attempt to hide it. ¡°Chu Liuyue, First Elder is looking for you.¡± When he came, he saw how terrible First Elder looked. This time, Chu Liuyue was doomed. Chu Liuyue looked at him lightly. ¡°Who were you calling previously?¡± A chill went down the pageboy¡¯s spine as he inevitably thought of Chu Liansheng. He heard that Chu Liansheng was cut by Chu Liuyue because he said the wrong things. He actually forgot that the current Chu Liuyue was different from the past. The pageboy¡¯s voice became guilty and his arrogance from before disappeared. ¡°Y-you¡­ Big Missy, First Elder is looking for you.¡± Chu Liuyue then walked over at a normal pace. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to call people properly, there would be no use for your tongue. Do you understand?¡± Chu Liuyue said her words nonchalantly, but it made the pageboy shiver in horror as he hurriedly nodded. Chu Liuyue then followed him to the living room calmly. The place she was living in was very isolated, so it took some time to walk over. The pageboy started to become anxious, but he did not dare to rush her and could only hold it in. After some time, Chu Liuyue then asked casually, ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Cro¡­¡± The pageboy answered subconsciously, only realizing that something was not right when he opened his mouth. However, the invisible pressure given off by Chu Liuyue made him explain himself obediently. ¡°It¡¯s the Crown Prince¡¯s people.¡± Chu Liuyue did not say anything but sneered in her heart. At this point in time, Rong Jin was still not willing to show himself. It was clear that he did not lose much. ¡­ In the living room of the Chu family¡­ First Elder was sitting opposite a middle-aged man. Chu Xianmin sat beside First Elder. The middle-aged man had a square face and looked ordinary, but the half-inch long scar on his face made him look ferocious. He held his broadsword and sat there without saying a word, but it made First Elder very uneasy. This person was the Crown Prince¡¯s capable assistant. His presence was already worrying, and in addition to his words previously¡­ This Chu Liuyue is too daring! ¡°Big Missy is here¡­¡± The few people in the living room raised their heads and saw Chu Liuyue walking in. First Elder could not take her behavior lying down; he slammed the table and hollered, ¡°Chu Liuyue! Are you crazy? Kneel immediately. Kowtow to admit your wrongs in front of Officer Zhao!¡± Chapter 23 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue looked at him lightly and smiled seemingly. ¡°First Elder, why do you like telling people to kneel so much? Do you really think that everyone else¡¯s knees are as soft as yours?¡± ¡°You! You!¡± First Elder was so angry until his chest felt tight as his face reddened with anger. This Chu Liuyue is really too arrogant! She dares to use that tone to talk to me like this repeatedly! Chu Xianmin at the side immediately went up to help the First Elder and comforted him. ¡°First Elder, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s not good for your body. Sister, s-she might have done it on impulse¡­ Sister, hurry up and apologize to First Elder and Officer Zhao.¡± She looked at Chu Liuyue anxiously as if she was really thinking for her sake. ¡°Minmin! Don¡¯t stand up for her. This evil, unfilial creature is heartless! If not, she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing,¡± hollered First Elder as his blood boiled even more. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold as she raised her brows and asked, ¡°First Elder, if I¡¯m an evil, unfilial creature, then what is everyone in the Chu family? Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m the Chu family¡¯s eldest daughter. Besides, I would like to know what exactly I did to infuriate First Elder. The same blood was flowing in their bodies. This kind of humiliation would implicate the entire Chu family. First Elder was instantly at a loss for words; he was so furious that his body started shaking. ¡°How dare you have the cheek to say that? You actually sold the Crown Prince¡¯s hunting ground to Zhen Bao Pavilion privately; half of Imperial City knows about it now!¡± The hunting ground that the Crown Prince took meticulous care of became someone else¡¯s overnight. He was even rejected at the door on the day of his birthday party. This was way too humiliating! On the surface, everyone did not dare to talk about this incident that concerned the Crown Prince¡¯s reputation. However, it had already spread like wildfire in private. All the distinguished families in the Imperial City knew about it. One just had to think carefully and would remember that the hunting ground was initially gifted to Chu Liuyue by the Emperor. It was naturally related to Chu Liuyue, now that the hunting ground had become part of Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s possessions. The Chu family had now become the laughingstock of the Imperial City. Chu Liuyue was instead thinking about how strong Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s backing must be to embarrass the Crown Prince. An average person would not even be able to withstand the Crown Prince¡¯s authority. Even if they had the title deed, they would not be able to take advantage of the Crown Prince right in front of him. It was clear that Rong Jin did not dare to offend Zhen Bao Pavilion. If she had a chance, she could check up on it secretly¡­ As Chu Liuyue thought of this in her heart, her facial expression did not change. ¡°That hunting ground was originally mine. Do I still need to care about others when I decide what to do with it?¡± She said it righteously as if she did not think that this incident was wrong in any way. First Elder was also taken aback. Zhao Cheng knitted his brows at the side. ¡°Big Chu Missy, do you mean that you took the initiative to sell the title deed?¡± At first, he thought that Chu Liuyue had no brains and was tricked into giving the title deed away. However, it now seemed that she had clearly done it on purpose. Chu Liuyue nodded honestly. ¡°So what?¡± Zhao Cheng suddenly stood up, and he glared at Chu Liuyue ferociously with his sharp gaze. An invisible pressure immediately filled up the entire room. ¡°The title deed is indeed written with Big Chu Missy¡¯s name, but don¡¯t forget that this hunting ground is a present the Emperor gifted to you for your marriage. Logically speaking, this hunting ground is only truly yours when you become the Crown Princess. Currently, you have no right to handle this on your own.¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head. ¡°Officer Zhao, you¡¯ve seemed to have forgotten that it¡¯s my 14th birthday in a few days, which is also my engagement day with the Crown Prince. I¡¯ll be the Crown Princess real soon. What¡¯s wrong with selling a hunting ground? Could it be¡­ that the Crown Prince has no intentions of being engaged to me?¡± She looked naive; her eyes were confused as if everything was logical and right. Zhao Cheng was instantly stumped, but his blood continued to boil. Was this Chu Liuyue really mental? How can a good-for-nothing like her dream about becoming the Crown Princess? When Chu Xianmin heard the two words ¡®Crown Princess,¡¯ she was furious. Chu Liuyue really will not stop until she sees the coffin. The Crown Prince has not even made any moves until now, yet she is still dreaming. An idea flashed in her head, and she took a look at the solemn Zhao Cheng. She comforted him softly, ¡°Officer Zhao, Sister is indeed in the wrong for this, but¡­¡± ¡°What right do you have to judge if I did the right thing or not?¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue. Chu Xianmin revealed a wronged expression, and her tears rapidly welled up. She said pitifully, ¡°It looks like¡­ Sister is still angry at me. However, Sister, Brother Jin and I are really not like what you think¡­ If Sister was angry and sold the hunting ground on impulse because of this misunderstanding, then it would really be my fault!¡± This one sentence seemed as if she was standing up for Chu Liuyue, but it would only make other people hate Chu Liuyue even more. They would feel that she was a very petty and self-centered person. Chu Liuyue smiled casually. ¡°What misunderstanding? I¡¯m the one with a marriage agreement with the Crown Prince. What is there to misunderstand? If not, can you really snatch my marriage agreement away?¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s face turned white. Now, it looked like she really did not have any right. Chu Liuyue became increasingly arrogant just because of the marriage agreement. She lowered her head in grievance and did not utter a word. Zhao Cheng sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Big Chu Missy to be so amazing.¡± Everyone knew that the Crown Prince liked Chu Xianmin, but Chu Liuyue still dared to talk about the marriage agreement. We¡¯ll see what pride she will be left with after the Crown Prince gives up on the marriage agreement. ¡°Since Big Chu Missy doesn¡¯t want to get the title deed back, then may I trouble you to explain it to the Emperor and the Crown Prince yourself?¡± As he said, he looked at First Elder and bowed. ¡°I would like to invite First Elder and Big Chu Missy to enter the palace and meet the Emperor for tonight¡¯s feast. You can also talk to the Crown Prince about the engagement.¡± The last sentence was filled with unconcealable mockery. First Elder hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Officer Zhao.¡± Zhao Cheng turned around and walked away after he finished his sentence. When he walked by Chu Liuyue, he purposely stopped for a while. ¡°Big Chu Missy, I¡­ wish you the best of luck.¡± His aggression went straight towards Chu Liuyue. However, Chu Liuyue still smiled lightly without a change in expression. ¡°I¡¯ll return this wish back to the Crown Prince.¡± When Zhao Cheng met with her gaze, he instantly felt an icy cold suppression. His heart unconsciously skipped a beat, and he unknowingly reduced the aggression he was giving off. He sneered, clenched his fists tightly, and turned around to walk away. First Elder glared at Chu Liuyue harshly. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still dare to be this arrogant after tonight¡¯s feast.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders. ¡°No one knows who will have the last laugh.¡± After she finished her sentence, she turned and walked away. First Elder cursed. ¡°Evil creature!¡± A smile darted across Chu Xianmin¡¯s eyes. After tonight, both the Chu family and the Crown Prince will not care about Chu Liuyue anymore. ¡­ Prince Li Mansion¡­ The officer handing over the invitation letter was waiting outside politely with his back bent. He did not dare to move casually, which would show his disrespect, even under the sweltering heat that caused his body to be drenched in sweat. Even though the person inside had just returned to the capital, the title ¡®Prince Li¡¯ was enough to reveal his status in the Emperor¡¯s heart. Screech! The door opened. A young guard wearing a light green gown came in. He knew that this person was Prince Li¡¯s personal guard¡ªYan Qing¡ªand immediately greeted him. ¡°Greetings, Officer Yan Qing. May I know if Prince Li will be attending the Crown Prince¡¯s feast at night?¡± Prince Li had come back for nearly one month, but he had not stepped out before. It seemed like he would not¡­ ¡°Of course, I will.¡± A young man¡¯s low voice, with a hint of pleasure, sounded clearly from the study as if precious stones had hit each other. She was going, so he would naturally go as well. Chapter 24 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ming Cui Palace¡­ All the distinguished people from the Imperial City were gathered at this place where the lights shone brightly and elegantly. This was the Crown Prince¡ªRong Jin¡¯s birthday party. Rong Jin was the Emperor¡¯s eldest son and was made Crown Prince when he was born. He was well-loved by the Emperor. With the addition of his outstanding talent and extraordinary capabilities, the Emperor favored him even more over the years. Many people would then naturally lick the boots of someone with such high status. Power and status would naturally come their way if they got into the Crown Prince¡¯s good books. The crowd entered gradually, making the palace increasingly lively. The crowd was not as restricted yet since the Emperor, Empress, and the Crown Prince had yet to arrive. In between the chuckles, there was a seemingly odd atmosphere. Quite a few people kept looking at the entrance as if they were waiting for someone to arrive. ¡°Hey, did you hear? The Crown Prince was humiliated today.¡± ¡°What? When did this happen? Why don¡¯t I know about it?¡± ¡°Brother Yan, you still don¡¯t know about this? It has been spreading like wildfire. Today, the Crown Prince said that he wanted to go to the hunting ground¡­¡± Everyone started chiming in with excited and nosy expressions. They were clearly talking about the incident. It was impossible to stop the news from spreading as Rong Jin had indeed invited quite a number of people with extraordinary statuses. One spread to two, two to three, and in no time, everyone knew about it. ¡°Isn¡¯t that person from the Chu family an invalid? Why does she have so much guts to sell the hunting ground? Everyone knows that the Crown Prince loves that hunting ground and has spent a lot of effort on it. How dare she just sell it?¡± ¡°Hah, what does an invalid know? She most likely wanted to attract the Crown Prince¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°Haha! That¡¯s too stupid. If she took the initiative to return the title deed to the Crown Prince, perhaps he would pity her. But now, she has really offended the Crown Prince thoroughly.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince has long given up on this marriage agreement. There will definitely be a good show to watch today.¡± Just when the crowd was talking about this excitedly, the notification command rang outside the palace. ¡°Chu family¡¯s First Elder¡ªChu Xiao¡ªis here!¡± The palace instantly quietened down, and everyone looked over. They saw a line of people walking in. The first person was Chu family¡¯s First Elder¡ªChu Xiao. Behind him was Chu Yan, Lu Yao, and Chu Xianmin. Chu Xianmin was wearing a long snow-white dress with flower embroidery. Her dress made her originally pretty face even more attractive. Her looks could be considered one of the top few in the entire Imperial City. In addition to her outstanding talent, she was also known as ¡®Imperial City¡¯s Most Beautiful Girl.¡¯ Her presence immediately made the crowd¡¯s eyes light up. However, nobody dared to look charmed by her looks. After all, this was someone the Crown Prince had set his eyes on. Who would dare to fight with the Crown Prince? The crowd looked behind them and saw a handsome yet familiar face. ¡°Chu Ning is here?¡± Some people gasped. Chu Ning was very famous in the Imperial City earlier on, but ever since he got injured and was crippled, he did not appear in front of a crowd. His sudden appearance then made everyone remember that there was such a person. ¡°He¡¯s Chu Liuyue¡¯s biological father. Of course, he had to come here and bear the responsibility¡­¡± Some guessed in secret. Everyone¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Ning, but he still looked calm and collected as if he did not notice the crowd. A young girl followed beside him. She looked younger than 13 or 14 years old, and she was decked in red. She was very skinny, but her back was straight. One look and the crowd confirmed that the young girl was Chu Liuyue. Almost everyone¡¯s eyes landed on her. She was never outstanding over the years, being an invalid. Yet, she secretly sold the hunting ground, humiliating the Crown Prince. How could this not attract the crowd¡¯s curiosity? In the crowd, the atmosphere became increasingly silent and stiff. The lights shone down brightly. She took a step forward, and the clear lights landed on her face. Everyone was shocked. Her innocent white face was in full view. Her brows looked as far as the mountains; her nose was high, and her lips were red without any makeup. It was an extremely clear and pretty face. Her pair of dark but shiny eyes attracted the crowd¡¯s attention the most. Her eyes were clear, clean, and pure. One look at her, and the crowd talked amongst themselves subconsciously. Her face still looked quite young; it was not hard to imagine how pretty she would look in a few years. The palace¡¯s atmosphere suddenly became special. Nobody expected the invalid from the Chu family to have such a mesmerizing face. Chu Xianmin noticed this, and her blood boiled. The hands in her sleeves clenched into fists; her delicately manicured nails dug into her skin, causing her to hurt. Chu Liuyue probably saw a ghost this month. Not only did her temperament change completely, but she even looks different. Chu Liuyue¡¯s original yellow and sickly face turned clear and pearly white. An indescribable composure also replaced her fearful eyes. Her five features clearly did not change much, but she looked way prettier than before. Before Chu Xianmin came, she was kind of worried that her limelight would be stolen away, and it indeed happened. Upon seeing her daughter¡¯s weird expression, Lu Yao silently pulled Chu Xianmin back. So what if Chu Liuyue became a little prettier? An invalid doesn¡¯t even have the right to become the Crown Princess. Chu Xianmin took a deep breath and suppressed her jealousy with much difficulty. I must destroy Chu Liuyue today. The crowd only recovered their senses and started muttering when the Chu family sat down. The palace regained its previous liveliness. Everyone looked happy and excited. However, their eyes were still on Chu Liuyue. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Chu family¡¯s invalid to be so pretty¡­ Why didn¡¯t I hear about her before?¡± ¡°Oh, do you have any thoughts about her¡­?¡± ¡°Haha! The Crown Prince won¡¯t marry her for real. What¡¯s wrong with thinking about it? After all, it¡¯s hard to find such a beauty.¡± The young, aristocratic children bellowed with laughter. Chu Ning¡¯s face was ice-cold. Just as he was about to stand up, Chu Liuyue lightly pressed his hands down. He turned back and saw her shaking her head. The main star of the show today was Rong Jin. As for these people¡­ she really did not need to spend any effort on them. Looking at her calm composure, Chu Ning did not insist any longer. He knew that his daughter was different from the past and that she definitely had her own ideas. Chu Ning did not realize that he already treated Chu Liuyue as his pillar of support subconsciously. ¡°The Crown Prince is here!¡± When the command sounded, the entire palace was silent once again. Chu Liuyue looked over and saw a dark purple figure appear in front of her. The figure had a considerably handsome face, but his gaze was cunning, which incurred people¡¯s wrath. She squinted her eyes. Crown Prince Rong Jin! The other party seemed to have noticed her looking at him and quickly glanced over. The two people¡¯s eyes met. Surprise flashed across Rong Jin¡¯s eyes. He had clearly not seen a girl of such beauty before. Even Chu Xianmin seemed ugly when compared to her. The next moment, he noticed that the young girl was actually sitting at the Chu family¡¯s seat. He instantly understood. She is Chu Liuyue! Chapter 25 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The charming and gentle thoughts in Rong Jin¡¯s mind dissipated instantly. Chu Liuyue is the one who has affected my reputation for years because of her status as a loser. She even sold the hunting ground without consulting me, causing me to lose face in front of the imperial families¡¯ sons. If he didn¡¯t take his revenge by ten times or more, he would have been the Crown Prince for nothing! Rong Jin forced himself to suppress his anger and walked straight forward. The crowd was shocked to discover that he was actually heading towards Chu Liuyue. He looked condescendingly at Chu Liuyue while maintaining a calm demeanor, but anyone could see the turbulent waves beneath his seemingly calm disposition. Countless pairs of eyes stared intently at the two. First Elder and the others immediately stood up and bowed. ¡°Pleased to meet Your Highness.¡± However, Rong Jin ignored them. His eyes were trained on Chu Liuyue as he asked pointedly, ¡°Are you Chu Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue met his eyes and answered frankly. ¡°Exactly.¡± Rong Jin slowly clenched his hands in his sleeves. He thought Chu Liuyue would panic, but the young girl before him was calm. He couldn¡¯t see any uneasiness in her at all! Where did she get her courage from? ¡°You¡¯re not very old, but you have a lot of guts. I thought you wouldn¡¯t dare to come today.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes. ¡°What made you think that I wouldn¡¯t dare to come? Your Highness, didn¡¯t you send word to the Chu family and demand that I come today?¡± Rong Jin choked at once. Then, he sneered. ¡°You really have a sharp tongue.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and responded, ¡°Thank you for your compliments, Your Highness.¡± Rong Jin glared at her before he turned around and headed towards his seat. First Elder turned and gave her a disgusted look. ¡°You don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°First Elder, if you wish to embarrass yourself in public, feel free to scold me,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly and sat down again calmly. It suddenly dawned on First Elder that they were in Mingcui Palace, not the Chu family estate. Everyone was waiting to see them make a fool of themselves. It would be bad if they made a scene now. After much self-restraint on his part, First Elder finally waved his sleeve violently and kept quiet. The Crown Prince obviously hated Chu Liuyue and was bound to throw a fit later. He would simply have to kick her out when the time came. ¡­ The palace quickly resumed its bustle, but many people were still secretly checking out Chu Liuyue. She didn¡¯t seem to mind as she sat peacefully in her seat. In reality, she had already swiftly checked them out. Apart from the topmost position in the middle where His Majesty and the Empress were seated, the main hall was divided into two parts from the left and right. The ones sitting at the very front were the princes and princesses of noble status. As she had already inquired earlier, His Majesty had given birth to a total of nine princes and three princesses. Among whom three princes and one princess had died prematurely. Currently, there were only six princes and two princesses alive. Seated across from the Crown Prince was a man dressed in a black powerful suit. He looked about the same age as the Third Prince, but his features were rigid yet handsome. Even his temperament was completely different. He had a murderous aura. It could only be honed on the battlefield. He was the Third Prince, Rong Jiu. He joined the Northwest Army at the age of 15. As a young general, he had a prestigious reputation in the army. For this precise reason, he could stand up against the Crown Prince even though his birth mother was only a noble lady. The court had long been secretly divided into two factions. The Crown Prince might have the advantage, but Rong Jiu was also not to be underestimated. On Rong Jin¡¯s side was naturally the Fifth Prince, Rong Qi, who was born from the same mother. He was also one of the only two princes with a title other than the Crown Prince. The Eighth Princess and the Ninth Prince, Rong Shu and Rong Feng, were seated next to Rong Jiu. However, there were a few empty seats. Further back were the four great family clans¡ªSi, Gu, Chu, and Lu¡ªon both sides. The Chu family was seated behind the Gu family. The Lu family was seated opposite them, behind the Si family. Among the four families, the Si family was the most powerful while the Chu family was the weakest. Originally, the Chu family had enjoyed a higher status than the Lu family. But over the years, they had fallen out of favor while the Lu family surpassed them with their wealth and sat in the third position. Shortly after Rong Jin sat down, a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the palace. At the same time, a loud and majestic summon could be heard. ¡°His Majesty has arrived. The Empress has arrived.¡± Here they come! Everyone rose quickly and bowed in unison towards the direction of the Emperor and his Empress. ¡°Long live His Majesty!¡± Chu Liuyue did the same as everyone else. ¡°Hahaha. Everyone, rise. Today is the Prince¡¯s birthday banquet. There¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡± A middle-aged man¡¯s powerful laughter rang throughout the palace. ¡°Alright. Zhen Zhen, go look for your brother too.¡± Only then did everyone see the Fourth Princess, Rong Zhen, who was behind the Empress. She was also born to the current Empress¡ªa true First Princess. She looked about 16 to 17 years old. Her gorgeous palace attire set off her face with increasing beauty. ¡°Then Father Emperor has promised Zhen Zhen?¡± Emperor Jiawen smiled in favor. ¡°Of course! You¡¯re the most mischievous of all. Look at the rest of them. None can rival your trouble-making ability. If I don¡¯t agree, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to create a mess today.¡± Rong Zhen wrinkled her nose, but there was a coquettish smile on her face as she happily made her way to sit beside Rong Jin. Any fool could see how much Emperor Jiawen doted on her. Everyone sat only after the Empress had settled down. Chu Liuyue quickly looked up and stole a glance at the Emperor. Emperor Jiawen, Rong Xiao. The last time she saw him was during the Grand Court Meeting. All of Tianling Dynasty¡¯s affiliated countries would come to seek an audience during the Grand Court Meeting, which was held once every three years. Those of Rong Xiao¡¯s status, however, could only stand at the very end. They basically didn¡¯t even have the right to speak to her. But she had an excellent memory. She was already preparing to take over her father¡¯s position at that time, so she was very careful to remember everyone¡¯s appearance and their relationship with each other. Compared to that time, Rong Xiao seemed to have aged. His face and aura were very different. Yes, at that time, he was humble and could only stand among the crowd, looking up to her from afar. Now, however, his and her position had been completely flipped! She quickly withdrew her gaze after only one glance. Emperor Jiawen was aware of the strange gaze falling on him. But when he tried to look, he didn¡¯t find anything unusual. As soon as Rong Zhen sat down, she saw the gloomy look on Rong Jin¡¯s face. She suddenly recalled something and looked toward the Chu family. She only managed to see a slender frame because Chu Liuyue was seated in the second row. She leaned close to Rong Jin and asked softly, ¡°Is that her?¡± Rong Jin muttered a ¡®hmm.¡¯ ¡°Hmph! Who does she think she is? Don¡¯t worry, Brother. I¡¯ll help you out.¡± Rong Jin moved his eyebrows but made no attempt to stop her. This was a tacit acceptance. Rong Zhen was rude and arrogant, and she always did things out of the ordinary. However, because her parents doted on her, nothing would happen to her even if she made a mess of things. As the Crown Prince, he would be at a disadvantage if he got himself into trouble with a woman because of a hunting ground. It would be perfect for Rong Zhen to step in. In the middle of the conversation, Rong Zhen opened her mouth and asked loudly, ¡°I¡¯m sure this is the ¡®famous¡¯ Miss Chu, right?¡± Everyone quiet down. Then, they immediately realized that Rong Zhen was going to find fault with Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue raised her eyes. Rong Zhen smiled unkindly and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you much throughout all these years. Today, I feel like I¡¯ve seen you for the first time. I plan to give you a gift for our first meeting.¡± With that, she clapped her hands. ¡°Someone, come and present the treasure that I won the day before yesterday.¡± Chapter 26 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A huge cage covered with black cloth was moved over. The crowd couldn¡¯t guess what was inside. However, Chu Liuyue could smell the light fishy scent, and she narrowed her eyes. Rong Zhen stepped forward and pulled the cloth away. Shua! A golden-yellow python was coiled up inside the cage. Its body was as thick as a human thigh. Its layers of pale golden scales reflected the cold lighting. Its blood-red vertical pupils were more like two sharp daggers, cruel and indifferent. It was a Golden Python, a third-grade beast. The sudden sight of light caused it to be alert. It raised its huge head, showed its fangs, and made hissing sounds which sounded creepy. The crowd in the palace were taken aback by the sudden revelation of this huge creature. Even Emperor Jiawen, who was seated up there, appeared to be surprised. He then followed Rong Zhen¡¯s line of sight and looked over. A young girl¡¯s unfamiliar face appeared before him. In his heart, he already knew that it was the Big Missy of the Chu family, Chu Ning¡¯s daughter¡ªChu Liuyue¡ªwho had a marriage agreement with Rong Jin. ¡°Zhen Zhen, what are you doing?¡± asked Emperor Jiawen. ¡°This is your brother¡¯s birthday banquet, not the place for you to fool around.¡± He remembered that Chu Liuyue was born with a lacking Yuan meridian and that she was unable to cultivate for her entire life. How was she going to handle this third-grade Golden Python? He wasn¡¯t concerned about Chu Liuyue, but she had an existing marriage agreement with Rong Jin. It wouldn¡¯t be good if things got ugly. Besides, if he indulged Rong Zhen with so many pairs of eyes on them, people would think that the royal family was ruthless. They would think that they treated Chu Liuyue so shabbily because she was a loser. Instead, Rong Zhen laughed. ¡°Father, this is my first time meeting Big Missy Chu. I like her so much that I want to give her the Golden Python that I tried extremely hard to obtain. I caught it myself. I initially wanted to keep it as a pet, but my meeting with Miss Chu is fated. I am willing to part with it, no matter how painful it is for me.¡± She looked at Chu Liuyue and said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that Big Chu Missy hasn¡¯t obtained a contracted fiend yet, right?¡± A few snickers came from the crowd. What kind of contracted fiend could a good-for-nothing have? Quite a number of eyes sarcastically landed on Chu Liuyue as they waited for a good show to start. Rong Zhen pulled a face as though she was displeased. ¡°What? Is it possible that Big Chu Missy doesn¡¯t care for the Golden Python that I¡¯m giving her?¡± She was the most favored true-born princess of the country. Who would dare to say they didn¡¯t like what she was giving them? Chu Liuyue stood up. ¡°The Fourth Princess is so kind. I am very grateful from the bottom of my heart. Why wouldn¡¯t I like it?¡± Only then did Rong Zhen smile again. She crooked a finger at Chu Liuyue as though she was summoning a lowly servant. ¡°Since you are so grateful to me, why don¡¯t you come here and accept your gift?¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment before moving forward. She first bowed to Emperor Jiawen, then she looked at Rong Zhen and bowed again. Her movements were very standardized, but they were even better executed than any of the palace¡¯s training sisters. All her movements were as smooth as a flowing river; it was pleasing to the eyes. Most importantly, she was carrying herself like royalty. Her disposition was more distinguished than that of the true-born princess, Rong Zhen, herself. Despite the fact that she was wearing old clothes with frayed edges, and her small face was unpainted, she stood out more strikingly than the gorgeous Princess Rong Zhen¡ªwho had dressed with care for the occasion. Like a pearl, she would be the first to attract everyone¡¯s attention in any location. Some people couldn¡¯t help but whisper among themselves. ¡°Isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue a born good-for-nothing and was thrown into the pile of inferiors since she was a child? How is it that she is so well-mannered?¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of strange! No one in the Chu family even took her seriously, so how can they be teaching her this? Was she taught specifically before entering the palace?¡± The voice of the person who said this gradually diminished. All of them came from great families, so they naturally knew very well that these rules could not be learned in a matter of a day. That noble and elegant temperament simply couldn¡¯t be cultivated overnight. ¡°¡­ How is that possible? Even Chu Xianmin didn¡¯t have such nobility and elegance.¡± ¡°Not to mention Chu Xianmin, don¡¯t you see that even the Fourth Princess can¡¯t be compared to her?¡± The crowd didn¡¯t dare to say this openly. But with one look exchanged after another, they knew what everyone else was thinking. Rong Zhen definitely sensed this too. A surge of anger arose from within her. What is Chu Liuyue pretending to be? She didn¡¯t believe that this loser could stir any waves. ¡°Miss Chu, although this python is my gift to you, there is a condition.¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s scarlet lips curved into a smile as she pointed at the Golden Python. ¡°This is a newly-captured Golden Python. It is wild and untamed. If you want to be its master, you will have to defeat it. So, how about you fight it instead?¡± The atmosphere froze instantly. Nobody expected Rong Zhen to make such a request. Chu Liuyue is a loser. She will only die if she fights the third-grade Golden Python. Emperor Jiawen frowned without waiting for Chu Liuyue to speak. ¡°Zhen Zhen, stop your nonsense!¡± The smile on Rong Zhen¡¯s face disappeared, and she said coldly, ¡°Father, I am not messing around. I¡¯m doing this for a reason! Do you know that she sold the hunting ground belonging to my brother, the Crown Prince, for private use?¡± Emperor Jiawen was stunned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Brother put in a lot of effort into that hunting ground. In the end, it was all for naught! He had been generous enough to leave her alone, but as his sister, I can¡¯t stand it. This Golden Python might be a third-grade fiend. However, it can¡¯t compare to what Brother has lost!¡± She raised her voice as she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Are you going to admit it or not?¡± Emperor Jiawen finally recalled that he had indeed given a hunting ground to Chu Liuyue. She actually sold it? In any case, it was something I personally bestowed to her. How could she sell it away so casually? This caused Emperor Jiawen to harbor some dissatisfaction toward Chu Liuyue. But if he were to agree with Rong Zhen¡¯s proposition, it was possible that Chu Liuyue might not live until the end of the day. ¡°Your Majesty, Chu Ning is willing to atone for my daughter¡¯s sins.¡± At this moment, Chu Ning suddenly stepped forward and knelt on one knee. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s attitude somewhat relented slightly when he saw Chu Ning. After pondering for a while, he finally nodded. ¡°This is possible.¡± Although Chu Ning was no longer the same, it shouldn¡¯t be too dangerous for him to deal with a third-grade Golden Python. Moreover, he was Chu Liuyue¡¯s father. It would be most appropriate for him to step in. On the one hand, it saved the Crown Prince and the royal family from embarrassment; on the other hand, the father-daughter duo¡¯s lives wouldn¡¯t be in real danger. In that instant, Chu Liuyue suddenly stepped forward. ¡°I am willing to try.¡± Rong Zhen had been annoyed about losing an opportunity to teach Chu Liuyue a lesson, but she didn¡¯t expect her to take the initiative to come forward on her own! ¡°What did you say? Say that again.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. Her black and pure eyes were as brilliant as the stars. ¡°I said that I am willing to try. I will fight the Golden Python.¡± Chapter 27 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped. What did she say? She really dared to fight that Golden Python? She¡¯s not being bold; she must be crazy! Even a stage-three martial artist could not subdue a third-grade Golden Python on their own, much less her. She must be courting her own death. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Ning was also taken aback, and he tugged at Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeve. ¡°This Golden Python is fierce and much more powerful than any ordinary third-grade fiend. You¡­¡± Chu Liuyue merely looked at him and smiled. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry.¡± Miraculously, these words soothed Chu Ning¡¯s troubled and worried heart. It was as if she had a magical power within her. Subconsciously, it made people believe in her. If she said not to worry, then all would be fine. Chu Ning moved his lips. He had already guessed that her Yuan meridian was fully repaired, and she had most likely started cultivating. However, how could she be a match for a third-grade fiend within such a short period of time? After repeatedly struggling with himself, Chu Ning finally swallowed his words and nodded gravely. ¡°I believe in you.¡± This warmed Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. This feeling of being trusted unconditionally was most reassuring. Rong Zhen naturally wouldn¡¯t let go of this opportunity. She immediately declared, ¡°You agreed on your own accord. I have nothing to do with this, regardless of the outcome.¡± Chu Liuyue mocked Rong Zhen in her heart. No ordinary person can display such shameless behavior in public. Emperor Jiawen hesitated as he exchanged a look with his empress. The Empress nodded her head and whispered, ¡°Your Majesty, this concerns the royal family after all. Wouldn¡¯t it be enough to teach her a lesson in person and have her protected?¡± Emperor Jiawen was deeply impressed, so he specially sent a few guards to rescue Chu Liuyue immediately if something did go wrong. Nevertheless, the crowd wasn¡¯t as optimistic. They all thought Chu Liuyue was courting death. Rong Zhen smiled proudly as she turned to reclaim her seat. However, Chu Liuyue stopped her. ¡°Fourth Princess, please wait.¡± Rong Zhen turned back impatiently. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°The Fourth Princess has given me such a great gift. I am deeply touched, so I have also prepared a gift in return for your kindness. It will be sent to you later. Please kindly accept it.¡± Rong Zhen sneered contemptuously. ¡°You¡¯re only a¡­ Fine. Just deliver it later.¡± A loser who has been disregarded by her waning aristocratic family. What good can she do? It¡¯s ridiculous! She walked over to Rong Jin and winked complacently. The corners of Rong Jin¡¯s lips curled ever so slightly. He gave her an affirmative look and quickly restrained himself. In the center of the palace, there was only Chu Liuyue and the Golden Python that was trapped in the huge black cage. Chu Liuyue slowly walked toward the Golden Python until she was in front of it. A woman and a beast faced off. ¡°Audacious fool.¡± Chu Xianmin was relieved by what she saw. There were plenty of people that would deal with Chu Liuyue without her having to do anything! Everyone quieted down unconsciously. ¡­ The Golden Python was inherently fierce. On top of that, Rong Zhen hadn¡¯t subdued the beast on her own. Instead, she rounded it up and used every trick in her sleeve to capture it. Moreover, Rong Zhen had deliberately starved it for the past few days. The python was on the verge of extreme violence, waiting to explode. This was even more dangerous than an ordinary python! Initially, Rong Zhen wanted to tame this Golden Python and have some fun with it. However, today she heard about what happened with Rong Jin, and she knew Chu Liuyue would be present. Thus, she ordered the python to be brought here specifically for this occasion to teach Chu Liuyue a lesson. Chu Liuyue took one glance and surmised that they were trying to give her a hard time. Hiss! The Golden Python, with its hostile eyes, turned more manic once it sensed Chu Liuyue¡¯s scent. She headed straight for the guard beside her and cupped her hands together. ¡°May I borrow your sword?¡± The stunned guard subconsciously looked towards Emperor Jiawen. Emperor Jiawen nodded. ¡°Give it to her.¡± Only then did the guard remove the sword at his waist and hand it to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Thank you.¡± She took the sword and waved it around with fluid motions. The blade is too heavy and not sharp enough; the materials used for forging the sword are also not good enough. Nevertheless, the sword is sufficient. ¡°Seems like she has some skills.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a charade! Her Yuan meridian is crippled, and she can¡¯t even absorb force. What can she do?¡± ¡°True. Maybe she asked for a sword to give herself some courage.¡± Chu Liuyue ignored them. She took half a step back with one foot, gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands, and raised it over her head. She whirled it and struck down hard. Clang! A spark ignited. The chain to the cage actually snapped in response! Everyone was horrified! What¡­ is she trying to do? Without waiting for anyone to understand, Chu Liuyue had already tipped the sword. The cage opened wide instantly. The Golden Python realized that the cage imprisoning it had been unlocked. It dashed out immediately. Its gigantic head lunged at Chu Liuyue without hesitation. It opened its mouth, revealing the sharp fangs. A mouth like that could kill, if not inflict some serious damage. In contrast to its huge size, Chu Liuyue looked extraordinarily small and delicate, as if the python could swallow her whole in a second. Right at this moment, Chu Liuyue advanced instead of retreating. She pointed her toes and leaped forward using that momentum. At the same time, the sword stabbed quickly. It went straight at the python¡¯s belly. The python¡¯s scales were extremely tough and couldn¡¯t be pierced by an ordinary sword. The only entry point of attack would be its abdomen, a softer area. The Golden Python also sensed Chu Liuyue¡¯s intentions; it immediately flicked its tail and slapped Chu Liuyue hard! It was too strong physically. If it smacked Chu Liuyue, she would die on the spot. However, Chu Liuyue was so swift on her feet that she somehow narrowly avoided the blow and circled to the side of the Golden Python. She stabbed at it without hesitation. Zing¡­ The longsword sliced along the hard scales, making a piercing sound. Yet, there was only a light, white scratch. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of blood! Rong Zhen sneered. ¡°Brother, Chu Liuyue is really stupid to think¡­ What?¡± Before she had even finished her taunting words, the situation changed dramatically. That attack from Chu Liuyue had completely enraged the Golden Python. It flicked its tail frantically in an attempt to entangle Chu Liuyue. But she suddenly released the sword¡¯s hilt and leaped onto it. By using this leverage, Chu Liuyue actually went straight for the python¡¯s head! She wrapped one arm around the python¡¯s neck and swiftly removed the hairpin in her hair with the other and thrust it into the snake¡¯s eye. Its eyes were its greatest weakness! Fizz! Blood splattered everywhere. The Golden Python let out an angry and painful shriek, but Chu Liuyue plucked out its eyeball without hesitation. The python shifted its body violently. There was nothing it could do to Chu Liuyue. In the blink of an eye, the second eyeball was picked out too! The python gradually went limp. Finally, Chu Liuyue jumped down, picked up her sword, and thrust it straight into the bloody hole. One harsh stroke! Just like that, she cut the snake open and beheaded it. ¡°Ah!¡± Some of the dainty noble ladies screamed at this bloody scene. Chu Liuyue, however, didn¡¯t even flinch. She reached in and probed with her hand before pulling out a turquoise pearl¡ªthe Golden Python¡¯s essence! Chu Liuyue then walked towards Rong Zhen¡ªwho had already stiffened¡ªstretched out her bloodied hand, and presented the pearl. ¡°Fourth Princess, this is my gift in return. Take a look. Do you like it? Chapter 28 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Zhen stiffened her neck and looked up at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face and hands were covered in blood, but she looked calm and relaxed with the Golden Python¡¯s corpse right behind her. She could actually smile! She looked like a demon from hell. Rong Zhen suddenly felt a chill. At this moment, a thought occurred to her: Chu Liuyue is not an easy target to bully like she appears to be. Chu Liuyue held something out. ¡°Fourth Princess, the Golden Python¡¯s essence is very nourishing to the body. Please¡­¡± It was still sticky and stained with blood. The fishy smell made one nauseous. Rong Zhen¡¯s face went pale. Nevertheless, so many pairs of eyes were looking at them, so she had to accept the ¡®gift in return.¡¯ Just when she was in a dilemma, Rong Jin¡ªwho was sitting beside her¡ªsuddenly spoke. ¡°Someone come and take this gift from Miss Chu.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a guard beside him immediately stepped forward with the intention of receiving the pearl on behalf of the princess. However, Chu Liuyue avoided the guard¡¯s hand and continued to stare intently at Rong Zhen. ¡°Initially, I thought it belonged to me because my name was on it, and I could do whatever I pleased with it since it was my belonging. However, I didn¡¯t expect my actions would provoke the Fourth Princess, enraging her. If so, please allow me to apologize to Your Majesty and Your Highness. It¡¯s a pity that the Fourth Princess doesn¡¯t seem to care for my gift, or is it not good enough for you?¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She might be wilful and petulant, but she wasn¡¯t a fool. Chu Liuyue was asking her to accept the gift personally. If she didn¡¯t, her earlier demands on Chu Liuyue would seem mean. So many people, including her father and mother, were watching her every move. It was no big deal if she tarnished her own reputation. After all, she had always had such a temper. However, she couldn¡¯t afford to have the royal family be criticized because of her. She was able to please the Empress in large part because she knew the limits, even though she always messed around. ¡°Of course, your Princess is satisfied with your gift.¡± Rong Zhen gritted her teeth, stood up, and got the guard to stand down while she accepted the Golden Python¡¯s essence. It was so sticky and disgusting that she almost threw it away! Rong Zhen thought she would be able to teach Chu Liuyue a well-deserved lesson, but in the end, the latter managed to turn the table around. She stared at Chu Liuyue with a deadly glare and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Chu. Liu. Yue. You are good! Your Princess will remember you!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled faintly and bowed. ¡°Thank you for remembering me, Princess.¡± Rong Zhen was so choked up with anger that she almost exploded. ¡°Okay,¡± reminded Rong Jin. Rong Zhen could only suppress her anger. Rong Jin gave her a look as if he was unhappy. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go and clean up? You look so dirty. What impression are you trying to make?¡± The moment he finished, there was silence in the palace. The Crown Prince seemed to be talking about the Fourth Princess, but in reality, he was indirectly targeting Chu Liuyue. The Fourth Princess merely had a little blood staining her hands. Chu Liuyue, on the other hand, was covered in blood from her earlier fight with the Golden Python. ¡®Dirty¡¯ was the exact description for the current Chu Liuyue. Soft snickering could be heard throughout the palace. All eyes, filled with mockery and ridicule, were on her. Everyone was well-dressed and clean in the brightly lit Ming Cui Palace. She was the only one covered in blood. Her hair was down and scattered because she had removed her hairpin. She was a mess. This was the sight that greeted Rong Xiu when he entered the palace. A skinny young girl stood in the center of the palace. Beside her were a huge, broken black cage and the Golden Python¡¯s bloodied corpse. The floor was covered in bloodstains. The girl¡¯s side profile and hands were also covered in blood. She might be thin, but her back was straight like the cypress tree on a mountain cliff. It never bent, no matter how hard the wind blew. His warm, clear eyes instantly turned dark and cold. He regained his usual gentle look in the next second. ¡°Prince Li has arrived!¡± The announcement broke the atmosphere in the palace. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Prince Li? The Seventh Prince? What is he doing here? He returned to the Imperial City a month ago but had not attended any banquets because he had been sick. Why today¡­ Chu Liuyue felt her heart stir, and she looked back unconsciously. A familiar silhouette appeared at the palace door. The octagonal glazed palace lamp hanging outside the palace door cast a soft, warm light, reflecting his tall and long figure. Chu Liuyue was stunned. He was actually wearing a white fox cloak in the middle of summer. His features became clearer as he walked into the palace. Although this wasn¡¯t her first time seeing his face, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from falling into a daze. Rong Xiu had eyebrows that slanted towards his temples¡ªwhich resembled two swords¡ªprofound phoenix eyes that were like the brilliant stars in the Milky Way, and a high nose. One look from him was enough to make a person melt willingly. Within the cloak, he was dressed in a snow-white brocade coat with dark-gold patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem. He seemed to be gliding on the moonlight. Only one thought occurred in everyone¡¯s mind with his appearance: like a well-cut and polished rogue gentleman. He looked really noble, regal, and as warm as a piece of jade. Some noble ladies were flushing and stared at him with adoring eyes. ¡°So¡­ this is Prince Li. I never thought he was so handsome!¡± ¡°The last time he returned to the Imperial City was three years ago. I didn¡¯t expect to see him back again with such a demeanor. Nobody in the city can compare to him in terms of looks.¡± ¡°Humph! What is there to see? He¡¯s just a sick kid. At the end of the day, he¡¯s nothing more than an idle prince.¡± There were whispers in the palace. Chu Liuyue looked closer, and her eyebrows rose. It wasn¡¯t surprising that those people had said all this. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips were pale, and he did look weak. At this moment, Rong Xiu¡¯s attention shifted, and he looked at Chu Liuyue. Their eyes met. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. In the next moment, Rong Xiu was actually making his way toward her until he stood before her. Everyone was looking at her strangely. Chu Liuyue froze. What is he planning to do? Is he here to settle the score because I trespassed into Bibo Lake last time? While she was thinking about this, she saw Rong Xiu suddenly extend his hand and hand her a handkerchief that was white as snow. Chu Liuyue immediately understood his intentions. He wanted her to wipe the bloodstains on her face. The circumstances of when she first met him resurfaced in her mind. That time, he had reached out, wiped the bloodstains on her face with his fingertip, and said, ¡°Lady Chu, you can¡¯t go home in such a mess with blood on your face.¡± The situation this time was so similar. Chu Liuyue accepted his handkerchief and bowed with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Rong Xiu looked at the young girl¡¯s curls of hair and her well-mannered demeanor that was a stark difference from her earlier wariness. His mood improved instantly. Chapter 29 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone had a different expression. Prince Li was¡­ Rong Xiu had already looked at Emperor Jiawen and bowed. ¡°Father, please forgive me for being late.¡± He couldn¡¯t stop himself from coughing twice after he said that. It seemed like he had been sick for a long time. Emperor Jiawen shook his head with some disapproval. ¡°You¡¯ve had a weak constitution ever since you were a child. You must take good care of yourself now that you¡¯ve just returned to the Imperial City. Why are you pushing yourself by coming?¡± Rong Xiu looked smilingly at Rong Jin. ¡°It is Brother¡¯s birthday banquet. As his brother and his subject, how can I not come?¡± Rong Jin sneered inwardly, but he wore a smile on his face. ¡°Seventh Brother, you¡¯re being too polite. It¡¯s only a birthday. I¡¯ll feel bad if your sickness gets worse. Quickly, sit!¡± Rong Xiu followed his advice and took his seat beside the Third Prince, Rong Jiu. He coughed a few times after removing his cloak. It seemed that he was suffering on this trip. The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. Indeed, Prince Li looked like he was in bad shape. Some noble ladies were disappointed. He might have the looks, but there wouldn¡¯t be much of a future with his weak body. A pity. He was so handsome and exuded such a magnificent presence. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to care. He sat, greeted a few people around him, and quieted down. What a gentle and humble gentleman. Rong Zhen had no impression of her seventh brother. However, she was disgusted by him after he offered his handkerchief to Chu Liuyue. She sneered and turned her attention from Chu Liuyue to him. ¡°Brother, you seem to care greatly for Big Chu Missy. Is it possible that you already know each other?¡± Rong Xiu simply smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve only been back to the Imperial City for a month. This is my first outing. How can I know anyone?¡± Rong Zhen remained skeptical. ¡°Then why did you help her?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s smile slightly faltered. ¡°I just feel that it¡¯s really not good to see blood as today is my brother¡¯s birthday banquet. Besides¡­ I¡¯m late. I don¡¯t know what happened earlier, and this place is actually in such a mess?¡± He poured himself a cup of tea and casually said, ¡°If I remember correctly, Miss Chu is engaged to my brother. I wonder who is bold enough to treat the Crown Prince¡¯s wife-to-be in such a manner on his birthday banquet.¡± Rong Zhen choked. Rong Jin looked even more embarrassed. Wasn¡¯t he being accused of letting others bully Chu Liuyue under his nose? The Empress sensed that things had taken a wrong turn. She said warmly, ¡°Prince Li must be mistaken. Rong Zhen felt close to her even though it was their first meeting, and she wanted to give the Golden Python to Miss Chu. They were merely taming the python earlier.¡± Rong Xiu was a little surprised. ¡°Tame the Golden Python? Big Chu Missy is born with a crippled Yuan meridian, and she can¡¯t cultivate. How can she possibly tame it?¡± His perplexed question made the Empress and the others suddenly feel extremely embarrassed. Rong Jin frowned. He felt that Rong Xiu had set the trap on purpose. However, judging from his shocked expression, he seemed to be asking the question out of genuine concern. Besides, Rong Xiu shouldn¡¯t know about what happened to the hunting ground. Rong Jin couldn¡¯t tell what Rong Xiu was thinking for a while, so he didn¡¯t say anything. Rong Zhen, however, couldn¡¯t stop herself from arguing. ¡°She obviously made the mistake of selling the deed for Brother¡¯s hunting ground to others! She has gone too far by doing that.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, Rong Xiu asked as he fondled his teacup, ¡°How did she do that if the deed belongs to the Crown Prince?¡± There was dead silence in the palace. Everyone naturally knew her name was on the deed, but anyone with a brain could tell that the Crown Prince highly valued the hunting ground. The fact that she sold it meant she was screwing the Crown Prince over big time! The Crown Prince was furious. He obviously wanted to deal with her today. Otherwise, why would a loser from the Chu family have the right to be present at a palace banquet? Everyone was well-aware of this. Even the Empress had acquiesced to it. When a man of Prince Li¡¯s status had pointed this out, it made the Crown Prince look exceptionally bad. Chu Liuyue wiped the bloodstains off with the white handkerchief as she hid a smile. Since Rong Xiu had the intention to help her, she would seize this opportunity. ¡°Your Highness, there is something you might be unaware of. Although my name is on the deed, it is still my fault for selling it away just like that because the Crown Prince and I have not been officially engaged. Earlier, the Fourth Princess also promised to let the matter rest if I can tame the Golden Python. Am I right, Princess?¡± Rong Zhen glared at her with bulging eyes. ¡°When did I say that? Don¡¯t put words in my mouth!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Emperor Jiawen in confusion. ¡°Is that not what you meant, Your Majesty?¡± Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be so direct, and he felt embarrassed. He coughed and waved his hand. ¡°It is just a hunting ground. Since Liuyue has already tamed the Golden Python as agreed, let¡¯s leave it at that. Zhen Zhen, you¡¯re not to talk about this again.¡± This wasn¡¯t just a warning for Rong Zhen alone, but also for everyone present. Rong Zhen was annoyed, but when she saw the seriousness in Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes, she could only agree reluctantly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Chu Liuyue had no intention of letting it go so lightly. She sighed softly and wore an aggrieved expression. ¡°Your Majesty, I know in my heart that you personally granted the title deed to me all those years ago, and I naturally treasure it very much. However, I would have never sold the deed if I had not been forced to do so.¡± Emperor Jiawen was stunned. ¡°What is it? Is there something else?¡± Chu Liuyue breathed deeply. ¡°Your Majesty, life hasn¡¯t been easy because I was born with a crippled Yuan meridian, and my father had been seriously injured many years ago. If I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t have to sell the deed away to raise some taels to sustain our living¡­¡± First Elder stood up immediately and shouted out in anger. ¡°Chu Liuyue! What nonsense are you babbling?¡± Is she trying to implicate the entire Chu family? Emperor Jiawen looked displeased as he glanced at First Elder. ¡°Let her speak!¡± First Elder was furious, but he didn¡¯t dare to interject anymore. ¡°There was a time when my father and I sought help from the Crown Prince, but we couldn¡¯t even meet him. Before I sold the deed, I tried to talk to the Crown Prince about it. Alas, I was turned away. So¡­¡± Rong Jin turned blue as he listened. This is some story from Chu Liuyue! ¡°Out of desperation, I was forced to do what I did. Your Majesty, I seek your wise judgment.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were half-true, but the people in the palace were inclined to believe her. Almost everyone in the Imperial City knew what kind of lives Chu Liuyue and her father were living. It was entirely possible that the Crown Prince had shut her out. Wasn¡¯t it normal for the Crown Prince to do this when he loathed her so much? If that was what happened, then Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t to blame. Emperor Jiawen looked more dignified when he looked at Rong Jin. ¡°Crown Prince, I¡¯m sure you have put in a lot of effort into that hunting ground. However, if you hadn¡¯t neglected Liuyue all these years, she also wouldn¡¯t have done this. If my memory serves me well, her birthday is in two days. You will be formally¡­¡± Rong Jin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Is it possible that Emperor Jiawen wants me to fulfill my marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue? Absolutely no way! Rong Jin jumped out of his seat at this thought. ¡°Father, I have a request.¡± He pointed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I wish to dissolve my marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue!¡± Chapter 30 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue had sold the hunting ground without consulting him. Rong Jin had initially planned to use this incident to sow discord between Emperor Jiawen and her. Thus, bringing about the dissolution of their marriage agreement. He didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this. Chu Liuyue had a valid reason to sell the deed, and it was the result of her being bullied by the Chu family and him. He had no way of pulling himself out of this mess. It was a waste of time to dwell on this. Besides, the situation had become worse. This evening¡¯s events had put the royal family at a disadvantage. He knew this was something his father wouldn¡¯t want. He had to cut the Gordian knot and propose to dissolve their marriage agreement immediately to make a clean break. Even if it resulted in him being criticized, it was better than his father having dissatisfaction with him. Emperor Jiawen was silent; his expression solemn. It was so quiet in the palace that one could hear a pin drop. A penny for a pound. Rong Jin stated bluntly, ¡°Father, I have no feelings for Big Chu Missy. Even if we marry, we wouldn¡¯t be happy. It would be better for us all if we dissolve the marriage agreement.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lowered her eyes to hide her contempt. This man was not only irresponsible; he was also cunning and sinister. He gave such a grand presentation because he felt that she was a loser and unworthy of his status as Crown Prince. Throughout their years of having this marriage agreement, he had never said he wanted to dissolve the agreement. Instead, he chose this moment to bring it up. Naturally, Chu Liuyue could guess his reason. He was a noble prince, whereas she was a born loser. If he had brought this matter up sooner, he would be ridiculed for being a snob. He lived an indulgent life without any care while Chu Liuyue suffered in the Chu family. Perhaps, he knew that she wouldn¡¯t live past the age of 14. If she had died sooner, he would have resolved a major problem without breaking a sweat. Never did he expect her to retaliate against him! With what happened today, he must propose the dissolution of their marriage agreement. Emperor Jiawen narrowed his eyes. Nobody could read his thoughts. ¡°Have you considered this?¡± Emperor Jiawen spoke in a deep voice a while later. Rong Xiu suddenly advised warmly. ¡°Crown Prince, Miss Chu is actually quite nice. Didn¡¯t she tame the Golden Python earlier? Even though she doesn¡¯t have force in her body, it seems she may have the strength after what happened.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s face fell. In fact, he was quite shocked when Chu Liuyue killed that Golden Python just now. But after careful observation, he had not sensed any force fluctuating within her. The main reason Chu Liuyue won was that she was ingenious enough to find the Golden Python¡¯s weakness and attacked it with all her might. This kind of strategy was fine when used once or twice. It would be ineffective when overused. The bottom line was strength. After more than ten years of having a crippled Yuan meridian, could Chu Liuyue have recovered? At this thought, Rong Jin replied with certainty. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± He was going to inherit the throne in the future. Someone like Chu Liuyue would be a stain to his status. ¡°Of course, in order to compensate for the harm caused, I am willing to make amends to Miss Chu.¡± As he said that, he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Feel free to state your terms. I will do my best to satisfy them.¡± Is he attempting to put me down further, or is he trying to erect a benevolent plaque for himself? How in the world could anything be so good? Chu Liuyue lifted her chin, looked at Rong Jin, and pursed her lips. ¡°Your Highness, you¡­ Actually, I once admired you¡­¡± Rong Xiu, who had just lifted his teacup, froze. He then set the teacup down as though nothing was amiss. His eyes scanned the girl before him. Chu Liuyue felt a chill at the back of her head suddenly and inexplicably. As Rong Jin listened, he frowned. Is Chu Liuyue unwilling to break off the engagement? Maybe. Even if she is stupid, she knows how precious the position of Crown Princess is. A moment ago, she deliberately accused me of neglecting her and her father. Now, she says she admires me? She is indeed a greedy girl! The thoughts that Rong Jin had when he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s face earlier had completely vanished. He cut her off impatiently. ¡°I told you. State your terms. There¡¯s no need to say anything else.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips were pale. Her eyelashes quivered, followed by a bitter smile. ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t worry. I know I¡¯m unworthy of you, so I¡¯ve never deluded myself. I know there is another person in your heart.¡± As she said that, her eyes drifted toward Chu Xianmin. ¡°In the past, I never had the chance to attend any of your birthday banquets. Third Sister would always describe the parties to me vividly whenever she came back. I didn¡¯t get to see you much throughout all these years. Third Sister would tell me everything about you. That¡¯s the only way I could get to know you.¡± She paused and lowered her head. Her voice was calm and clear. It made her audience¡¯s hearts ache for her. ¡°She knows what tea you like to drink, what books you like to read, and what incense to burn to make you sleep more soundly¡­ I, on the other hand, know nothing.¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This is not right! Why does this sound so wrong? As the crowd in the palace listened, they began to work out what was going on. Eyes began to fall on Chu Xianmin. It didn¡¯t sound like she had good intentions; she was clearly showing off on purpose! How dare she say all that when she knew for a fact that Chu Liuyue and the Crown Prince had a marriage agreement? Besides¡­ To know his preferred tea and books was one thing, but she even knew the incense he burnt when he sleeps. This was¡­ ¡°Tsk tsk. I thought Third Missy was extremely talented, gentle, and virtuous. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so bold.¡± ¡°There are countless noble ladies in the Imperial City. Why is the Crown Prince partial to her? So that¡¯s what it¡¯s all about.¡± ¡°Even if Chu Liuyue is useless, she¡¯s still her sister. But treating her like this, heh! What kind of woman gets together with a man who is engaged to their sister?¡± ¡°She looks quiet and virtuous. Who knows what is underneath that facade?¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s face reddened as if a fire wildly burned in her chest! Chu Liuyue¡¯s words had directly ruined her reputation! She stood up without a thought and snapped with a shriek. ¡°B*tch! What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯ll rip your mouth off!¡± Everyone heard the insult clearly. Chu Xianmin panicked as soon as the words came out of her mouth. Her shrewish actions were bound to displease the Empress and the Crown Prince! She looked toward Rong Jin and saw that his expression had indeed turned from shock to disgust. Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart sank all the way to the abyss, but Chu Liuyue sighed as if she was relieved of a great burden. ¡°Your Highness and Third Sister are a perfect match. I¡¯m willing to withdraw and break off my engagement with you. I don¡¯t need any compensation.¡± Emperor Jiawen finally opened his mouth. ¡°Liuyue, you are a good child. This is the Prince¡¯s fault. How about this? I will give you and your father 100,000 taels of gold. In addition, I can see that your martial arts are quite good. Why don¡¯t I find you a master from Tianlu Academy to teach you properly?¡± Many people dreamed of the opportunity to be taught by Tian Lu Academy¡¯s teachers. Chu Liuyue muttered to herself for a moment. ¡°Your Majesty, I want to enter Tian Lu Academy for cultivation on my own.¡± Chapter 31 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What?¡± Emperor Jiawen thought that he had misheard something and subconsciously asked again, ¡°You want to enter Tian Lu Academy?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Yes. Tian Lu Academy recruits students annually in January, so I would like to ask Your Majesty to give me a chance.¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at her with a complicated gaze. This Chu Liuyue is very strange. One may say that she is dumb, but she managed to solve all the problems perfectly from the beginning until now. One may say that she is smart, but she took the initiative to give up on the status of Crown Princess. She even says that she wants to enter Tian Lu Academy. It is impossible that she doesn¡¯t know that Tian Lu Academy is the top academy in the entire Country Yao Chen. One has to be the best talent to enter. She does not even have a Yuan meridian. How will she accomplish it? ¡°This isn¡¯t hard, but¡­ Tian Lu Academy¡¯s assessments are very difficult. Are you sure you want to go? You need to know that those old fellas won¡¯t give you an easy way out just because of me.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled lightly. ¡°I know that. I just want a chance to be assessed.¡± Emperor Jiawen stared at her and sighed after confirming that she was not joking. ¡°Since you want it, I¡¯ll grant you your wish. However, it¡¯s all up to you if you can get in or not.¡± Chu Liuyue went on her knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness.¡± Emperor Jiawen waved his hands. ¡°Okay. You must be tired today as well. You should return home to rest first. Chu Ning, accompany her and take care of her.¡± Chu Liuyue had no intention of staying any longer after settling the most important task, so she left with Chu Ning happily. Only when the duo¡¯s figures disappeared into the night sky outside the palace did the stiff and cold atmosphere in the palace start to warm up. However, nobody dared to say much after all that had happened that night. A happy birthday party became suppressed and boring. Rong Jin closed his eyes and rubbed his glabella. Logically speaking, he should be very relaxed after settling his marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue. However, his heart was still weighed down by a rock, making him very unhappy. He had initially planned everything well, but he did not know how it ended up like this. He did not know how the people in the Imperial City would talk about him after today. Although this wasn¡¯t a big deal, the most important thing was that his father was most likely unhappy with him. Chu Xianmin currently felt even worse than Rong Jin. She sat at her own seat with an ever-changing expression, but her entire body felt numb as her mind blanked. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words today had completely ruined her reputation. Who would care if these kinds of incidents were real or fake? She did not expect that she would get herself into trouble instead of teaching Chu Liuyue a lesson. All sorts of gazes and stares landed on her, making her very restless. She just wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Rong Xiu coughed once again. Emperor Jiawen knitted his brows. ¡°Why is your cough getting worse?¡± Rong Xiu waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ ahem¡­¡± Before he could finish his next sentence, he started coughing again, and his face became even paler. Emperor Jiawen commanded determinedly, ¡°Go back and rest now. It was so hard for you to get better at Mingyue Tianshan, but you¡¯re already in this condition after coming back for a month. What will you do in the future? If your illness relapses, I¡¯ll convict the people in your mansion.¡± Rong Xiu smiled helplessly and stood up. Yan Qing, who was behind him, immediately helped him put on a coat. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Rong Xiu then looked at Rong Jin. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve already sent your birthday gift to your mansion. I¡¯ll make up for the lack of company today.¡± Rong Jin forced a smile. ¡°Seventh Brother, you¡¯re too kind. Your health is very important.¡± Rong Xiu then turned and left. After he left, Rong Jiu said that he had to handle military tasks and left as well. The atmosphere that was originally weird became even more awkward and cold after the two people departed. Before this, nobody thought that the prosperous Crown Prince¡¯s birthday party would end up in this manner. ¡­ Rong Xiu walked through the palace doors and saw two people standing by Prince Li Mansion¡¯s horse carriage. They were Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning. He raised his brows lightly and walked over. ¡°Officer Chu, Big Chu Missy, why are you here?¡± Chu Ning held his hands in a fist and bowed solemnly. ¡°Thank you, Prince Li, for your help just now. My daughter and I will definitely remember your kindness.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flashed slightly. ¡°Officer Chu, you¡¯re too kind. I didn¡¯t help much today¡­¡± Chu Ning shook his head repeatedly. ¡°Apart from helping her get out of the awkward situation, you also saved her life previously. Without you, I don¡¯t know what would happen to us¡­ In the future, do let me know if you need me to do anything for you.¡± Previously? Save her life? Rong Xiu looked at Chu Liuyue and met with the warning glare in her sparkling black eyes. His lips curved up slightly; the corner of his eyes also looked happy. ¡°Officer Chu, don¡¯t mention it. It was nothing, really. I guess I¡¯m just fated with her.¡± Chu Liuyue secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Previously, she lied to Chu Ning and said that Rong Xiu had saved her. She did not know that he would take it to heart. Now that Rong Xiu was here coincidentally, Chu Ning was determined to wait around and thank him in person. She could not advise him otherwise and could only wait with him in the end. Not long later, the other fellow actually continued cooperatively, ¡°The sky is already dark. Let me send you two home.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately rejected it once she heard him. ¡°No need!¡± Who knew what he was thinking in his heart? There was no free lunch in the world. The more he helped her, the more alert she was. On the surface, this man looked as gentle as jade and was a humble gentleman. However, Chu Liuyue did not think that way. Although she could not see through his eyes and guess his thoughts, her intuition told her that this was a very dangerous man. It was better to keep this type of person as far away as possible. Chu Ning looked at her in disapproval. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude to Prince Li.¡± Chu Liuyue scrunched her nose. Actually, Chu Ning also felt that this was inappropriate, but before he could speak, Rong Xiu continued, ¡°It¡¯s on my way back anyway. I¡¯ll just bring you two along with me. Big Chu Missy must be exhausted from today¡¯s events.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s words of rejection got stuck in his throat. He was indeed worried about whether Yue¡¯er got injured during her battle with the Golden Python. After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke, ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to trouble you, Prince Li.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡­ Prince Li Mansion¡¯s horse carriage was indeed very big and comfortable. There was more than enough space for the three of them. Chu Liuyue sat beside Chu Ning and opposite Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue was very alert at the start, but Rong Xiu closed his eyes once he boarded the carriage as if he was resting. He sat there quietly and closed his pair of deep, seductive eyes. His features¡ªwhich were like carvings on jade¡ªlooked especially gentle under the warm light. Chu Liuyue took one look at him and immediately retrieved her gaze. They went all the way to the Chu family¡¯s estate without a word. Chu Ning got off the carriage first. Just as Chu Liuyue was about to descend, a hand pulled her back. The hand was slightly cold, but a weird sensation shot into her heart from his hand. Chu Liuyue was about to make a move, but a soft, gentle, and low voice sounded. ¡°Remember to return me the item.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. When she turned around, Rong Xiu had already let go of her hand and closed his eyes as if nothing had happened. She pressed her lips against each other tightly. ¡°How petty.¡± Chapter 32 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue directly moved the curtain away, got off the carriage, and went home with Chu Ning after she finished her sentence. Rong Xiu was actually taken aback; his lips slightly curved up later as he laughed with a deep voice. She was the first one to call him petty. Yan Qing was waiting outside the horse carriage solemnly and could not help but be shocked upon hearing his master¡¯s infrequent laughter. What kind of situation was this? Even though his master looked gentle normally, in actual fact, he did not show his expressions on his face and would rarely laugh. What did that person do just now? Did his master really fall for that girl from the Chu family? ¡°Return back to our mansion.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice had a tinge of rarely-seen happiness. ¡°Yes!¡± Yan Qing immediately led the way. Prince Li Mansion was not too far away from the Chu family estate. They took less than an hour to return to their residence. Rong Xiu returned to his bedroom. After a while, another one of his personal bodyguards¡ªYu Mo¡ªcame up and said respectfully, ¡°Prince, I have settled the issue.¡± Rong Xiu nodded, walked to the side of the table, and placed something down. Yu Mo took a look at it and was shocked. It was a teacup! The design of the teacup was very intricate. It was painted golden at the hems, which made it look very elegant. This was clearly something used in the palace. The next moment, Yu Mo saw the teacup shatter silently. In the blink of an eye, it turned into dust. Yu Mo¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he did not dare ask further. He glanced at Yan Qing to ask for help. It¡¯s very rare for Master to get angry. What¡­ happened? However, it seems like Master is not angry; it even seems like he¡¯s¡­ in a good mood. Yan Qing lowered his head and did not say a word. What should I say? Say that it was because of that lady from the Chu family? Rong Xiu put down his coat. Yu Mo then noticed that Rong Xiu¡¯s hand had bloodstains and immediately gasped in shock. ¡°Prince, you¡¯re injured?¡± Didn¡¯t the Prince just attend the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday party? How did he get injured? Rong Xiu lowered his head and took a look at his hand, and indeed found some bloodstains. This is¡­ from her hand. It seems like she did not wipe the blood off cleanly. That was true. How could a small handkerchief wipe off all the blood on her face? Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°What has Rong Zhen been up to lately?¡± Yu Mo did not expect him to ask this so suddenly and replied after thinking for a while. ¡°Fourth Princess seems to want to change her vowed fiend and likes to go to the hunting ground lately.¡± What a meaningful interest. After keeping silent for some time, Rong Xiu¡¯s long fingers lightly knocked on the table twice, and he said calmly, ¡°Let her play all she wants.¡± His tone was calm, but Yu Mo heard the murderous intent behind it. ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Mo could not help but sigh in his heart. I heard that the Fourth Princess was very unreasonable and never cared about anyone when doing tasks. However, Master rarely cares about this type of person. She must have done something to incur Master¡¯s murderous intent. ¡°Prince, do you want to take a bath and rest?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s fingers brushed past each other as if it had a tinge of warmth and gentleness. ¡°Mm, tell the rest that I caught the flu and that I¡¯ll rest in bed. I¡¯m not going to see anyone.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Qing answered and left immediately. Upon reaching the door, Rong Xiu added, ¡°If she comes, you must tell me immediately.¡± Even though Yan Qing was already prepared mentally, he was still taken aback and tried his best to control his expression. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Yu Mo left sensibly and quickly chased after Yan Qing. When he got out of the door, he asked, ¡°What exactly is going on? Who is Master referring to?¡± Yan Qing kept quiet. After being questioned for some time, he finally said, ¡°You¡¯ll know when she comes.¡± Yu Mo was very confused. What exactly happened that night? ¡­ That was not all that happened that night. That night was when even the wind tasted sweet to some people. However, it was not so nice for others. After the banquet ended, First Elder and the rest hurriedly returned to the Chu family estate. It was already very late at night, but Chu Xianmin could not return to her house and rest. Instead, she was interrogated by First Elder and the others. The doors and windows were tightly shut. First Elder sat at the main seat. Chu Yan and Lu Yao sat on the seats at the side while Chu Xianmin was standing in the middle. Everyone¡¯s gaze swept across Chu Xianmin¡¯s body like a sharp knife. ¡°Was what Chu Liuyue said today true or false?¡± asked First Elder solemnly. Chu Xianmin was furious and humiliated. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s fake! Why would I-I do such a thing? That b*tch was smearing my name!¡± Chu Yan kept a straight face the entire way. He finally could not contain it at this point, and he slammed the table. ¡°How dare you continue lying? If you didn¡¯t say it, how would Chu Liuyue know that the Crown Prince must light incense before he sleeps?¡± People who were not close to him would definitely not know about this. Chu Xianmin was frightened until she started shivering, instantly feeling guilty. ¡°I-I¡­ I didn¡¯t! I really didn¡¯t! I-I¡­ just smelled the incense when I went to find the Crown Prince when he was coincidentally resting.¡± All the people here were experienced, and all of them could tell from her expression. Even if the two of them did not finish the final step, they must have done something they were not supposed to. Chu Yan closed his eyes. ¡°Do you know that this incident will spread throughout the Imperial City tomorrow? Your reputation will be ruined completely. Also, you actually dared to curse in front of the Emperor like a crazy woman. How would the Crown Prince still choose you as his Crown Princess?¡± Chu Xianmin immediately could not say anything else. Lu Yao suddenly spoke up at the side. ¡°Since we can¡¯t contain the incident, then we shall not.¡± All the others looked at her in shock. Lu Yao¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°She can never absolve herself from this incident now, so we should just take advantage of the situation. If everyone knows that you¡¯re the Crown Prince¡¯s woman, he would definitely not leave you in the lurch.¡± Chu Xianmin felt a little wronged. ¡°B-but if we do so, I¡¯ll probably lose the proper status of his wife¡­¡± ¡°When you enter the Crown Prince Mansion, that proper status will be yours sooner or later. What else is important?¡± Lu Yao was nonchalant. ¡°Your only chance is to become as strong as possible. As long as you are capable enough, you can make everyone else shut up. The academy¡¯s assessment is coming up. You must rank first, do you understand?¡± Chu Xianmin bit her lips. This was the only way now. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue only felt comfortable after she returned home, took a hot bath, and changed into a set of clean clothes. When she was arranging her clothes, that handkerchief suddenly dropped down. She picked it up. The original snow-white, pure handkerchief was already stained all over with blood. She could not bear to look at it. Remembering Rong Xiu¡¯s words, she grunted lightly and used water to wash the handkerchief. I¡¯ll return it to him tomorrow; we¡¯ll owe each other nothing. Chapter 33 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day, the Crown Prince banquet incident rapidly spread throughout the Imperial City. Everyone partook in heated discussions. Too many things had happened that night, but the person who attracted the most attention was Chu Xianmin. She actually had an affair with the Crown Prince much earlier. At first, they thought that she was a pure, innocent, and talented young girl, but they did not expect her to be so immoral in secret. Even though Mainland Xuan Wu focused on one¡¯s capabilities, they were still quite conservative about such things. Chu Xianmin was currently still a maiden and had not even reached marriageable age, but her reputation was completely ruined after this incident was exposed. Everyone already expected Rong Jin to break off the marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue, so in comparison, the crowd was still more interested in Chu Xianmin¡¯s affairs. Of course, everyone was also shocked about Chu Liuyue wanting to enter Tian Lu Academy. However, nobody cared about it after the momentary shock. How could an invalid with a lacking Yuan meridian get into Tian Lu Academy? The crowd only thought she was delusional; some even felt that she was strongly affected when her marriage agreement was broken off, making her brain become abnormal. Most people were still thinking about the Crown Prince, Rong Jin. The Crown Princess spot was still empty, and the most worthy competitor, Chu Xianmin, was humiliated when the incident was exposed, so she would definitely not be able to have the proper status. Hence, quite a few girls from distinguished families started to get their hopes high. ¡­ Chu Liuyue woke up early in the morning and practiced in the yard as per usual. She only stopped when she exhausted her energy. By this time, the sky was only slightly bright. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s voice sounded from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Chu Ning standing in the yard and looking at her dotingly. She had already felt Chu Ning¡¯s presence previously, so she was not shocked. Chu Ning was long used to her crazily practicing every day, but he did not stop her. He knew that this was something she wanted to do, so he chose to support her silently. ¡°Father, aren¡¯t you going to the store today?¡± asked Chu Liuyue strangely. Her gaze quickly sized Chu Ning up; she realized that he felt different from the past. He had changed into a navy robe with a white belt around his waist. His hair was tied up nicely, and he had just shaved his beard, leaving some light stubble on his chin. Chu Ning had clearly meticulously dressed up today, looking much younger than before. The most important thing was that he no longer had a defeated gaze like before. Instead, it was bright and clear. His entire person looked energized as if he had turned over a new leaf. Chu Liuyue actually had already guessed this would happen. ¡°I have something important to do today.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s eyes seemed calm, but one could still see them sparkling emotionally. Chu Liuyue nodded. It seemed like Chu Ning had finally picked himself up. ¡°In the future, I will definitely not let Yue¡¯er suffer grievances like previously. It¡¯s time to calculate some debts properly,¡± said Chu Ning determinedly. In the past, his body was unwell, so he could not protect Yue¡¯er. Now that he had successfully overcome his injuries, he could not sit around anymore. He lowered his voice and said solemnly, ¡°Yue¡¯er, you said that one of the people Chu Xianmin sent to kill you was called Song Lian?¡± ¡°Yes. Father, do you know him?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s interest was piqued. Chu Ning squinted his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t know him at first, but I found out some things after asking around lately. That Song Lian was quite a famous thug. He¡¯s usually very arrogant and pompous, causing trouble everywhere he went. He¡¯s messed up quite a number of people in the Imperial City. He slacked around all day and had nothing serious to do, so he frequented all the major gambling dens. However, such a person has quite the background. Although he caused some serious trouble before and even offended some aristocratic children, nothing happened to him in the end.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°It seems like the person behind him is not Chu Xianmin, but someone else.¡± Chu Xianmin does not have such abilities. There must be someone else behind the scenes. It¡¯s no wonder that a mere stage-three warrior could be so arrogant. He clearly had someone backing him. ¡°Father, can you find out who his backer is?¡± Chu Ning paused for a while and shook his head in regret. ¡°Not yet. He seemed to be very cautious about this and hid it very well. I need more time to look into it.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Two may keep counsel putting one away. Now that he has disappeared for a month, the person behind him will not take his lying. He will be exposed sooner or later. After thinking for a while, she asked, ¡°Father, do you know which gambling den he likes to frequent?¡± Chu Ning asked weirdly, ¡°Feng Yun Gambling Den, but why are you asking about this? Yue¡¯er, you can¡¯t take the risk yourself¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I¡¯m just asking casually. I won¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Chu Ning then calmed down, and said after some thinking, ¡°Oh, right. Prince Li has helped us quite a few times, but we haven¡¯t thanked him properly yet¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless upon seeing the grateful look her father had toward Rong Xiu. If this carried on, she did not know what else her father would do. She hurriedly said, ¡°Father, you¡¯re right. I plan to look for him and thank him personally today.¡± The best solution was to return him his belongings and see less of him in the future. Chu Ning knitted his brows. ¡°Today? But we don¡¯t have any presentable gifts¡­¡± ¡°Prince Li is so kind, why would he care about this? Don¡¯t you think so, Father?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and squinted her eyes. ¡°We might not have gifts, but we have sincere hearts. Prince Li will definitely not care about this. What do you think?¡± Chu Ning then relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s true. Okay, then.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll head over right now!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue left the Chu family estate smoothly. Although her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince was broken off, the entire Chu family now knew that Chu Liuyue was not one to mess with after all these incidents, so they were much more polite toward her. Nobody even asked her what she was going out for and just let her leave. Chu Liuyue walked towards Prince Li Mansion happily. She did not hide her identity today. Quite a few people recognized her innocent and pretty face on the way. They all pointed and talked about her in secret, but they did not dare to bully her like in the past. Chu Liuyue did not care and pretended not to notice it. After walking for a quarter of an hour, she reached the crowded streets; the number of people around her started to increase. She walked on, and there was a sudden noise coming from the front. A figure then rushed towards her rapidly. Just as she was about to move away, she suddenly noticed something and squinted her eyes slightly as she paused. The other party bumped right into her. ¡°Catch that thief!¡± hollered someone from the back. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look, and the person that bumped into her disappeared into thin air. Her lips curved up unnoticeably, and she immediately followed him. ¡­ The sun was setting. The last bit of sunshine poured in through the windows and shone on a person¡¯s tall figure. Rong Xiu read the book in his hands silently and gentlemanly, but his eyes were slightly cold for some reason. Yan Qing said, ¡°Prince, I¡¯ve received 23 letters today, including the ones from Crown Prince Mansion. I have already rejected all of them.¡± Rong Xiu replied with an ¡°Mm.¡± The atmosphere became even stiffer. The sky gradually darkened. Rong Xiu flipped a page and asked nonchalantly, ¡°No one came to visit us today?¡± Yan Qing obviously knew who he was asking about. He could not help but feel bitter in his heart as he lowered his head. ¡°No one, Prince.¡± Piak! The book was slammed on the table. Chapter 34 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue chased the person that bumped into her the entire way, and she quickly left the bustling city. The running man finally stopped when they entered an alley. Chu Liuyue folded her arms. ¡°Return me my things.¡± The man turned around and looked at her ferociously as he waved the pouch he stole from Chu Liuyue. ¡°If you want it, come and get it yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the thin pouch and sighed gently. ¡°Are you so sure that I have money with me?¡± The man¡¯s expression froze and suddenly thought of something. He hurriedly ripped open the pouch and found out that there was nothing inside except for a white handkerchief. Frustration flashed across his face, but it quickly disappeared as he smiled at Chu Liuyue cunningly. ¡°Do you really think that I¡¯m targeting your money?¡± As he said that, he took out a dagger from his waist. His murderous intentions were obvious. However, Chu Liuyue was not anxious at all. Instead, her face broke out into a meaningful smile. The man was taken aback and immediately reacted after that. That pouch did not even have money in it. Even though it was stolen, Chu Liuyue shouldn¡¯t have cared about it, but she still followed me. That means¡­ she came here on purpose! ¡°You must be delusional to think that you can steal something from me with your middling skills. But since you wanted me here, I¡¯ll accede to your request.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words made the man¡¯s face contort. ¡°You must be tired of living!¡± As the man hollered, the dagger in his hands rapidly went towards Chu Liuyue. Stage-four warrior! The moment he struck, Chu Liuyue swiftly inferred his capabilities. She squinted her eyes. It seems like the missing Song Lian¡¯s trio made the person backing them fear me. This time, they directly sent a stage-four warrior to kill me. Chu Liuyue stood with her legs apart and rapidly moved back half a step. Her right leg bent slightly as she went on her tip-toes and suddenly exerted her strength. Her seemingly gentle and thin body was actually filled with shocking tenacity and explosive power as she unleashed it within a moment. She actually chose to go against a stage-four warrior head-on. Chu Liuyue kicked the man¡¯s wrist with one foot. The man¡¯s hands turned quickly, and he immediately used the dagger to stab Chu Liuyue¡¯s foot. Tsing! A crisp sound was made. That man only felt a strong impact from Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet, making his entire body turn numb. His dagger directly slipped out of his hands and left shocking traces. What¡¯s going on? The man was stunned; he immediately looked up to see cold, sharp, and vague glimmers coming from the bottom of Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoes. That was¡­ a cast iron blade! Before he could carefully think about why Chu Liuyue had such a weapon on her, he suddenly felt excruciating pain. Chuo! Chuo! The sharp weapon cut across his wrist and sliced off a piece of his flesh in no time. ¡°Ah!¡± He yelled out in pain and quickly moved backward. He looked down to see his entire arm already bloody. Chu Liuyue landed on the ground and shook her head with some sort of dissatisfaction upon seeing the scenario. ¡°It¡¯s still not sharp enough¡­¡± She long knew that danger loomed all around her, so she was very careful about her words and actions. As her strength had not recovered yet, she used other aspects to increase her combat skills. She specifically asked Chu Ning for the blades hidden in her shoes. If her attack was successful, the man¡¯s entire wrist would¡¯ve been cut off directly. It was a pity that the cast iron blade was not of good quality, so she could only make do with it. Seeing her calm expression, the injured man was frustrated and furious. He was a stage-four warrior no matter what, yet he was defeated by an invalid. His superiors had instructed him to find a way to catch Chu Liuyue; he could not fail at his task no matter what. Thinking of this, his eyes flashed as he sneered. ¡°So the rumored weak and useless Big Chu Missy is actually this harsh¡­ It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re still nothing in terms of real capabilities, no matter what kind of tricks you have up your sleeves.¡± He bellowed and threw his dagger aside. He then crossed his arms and started circulating his internal force. A green wind blade rapidly formed around his body. An enormous, forceful suppression exuded from his body. This suppression made the already narrow alley seem even smaller. ¡°Breeze Chop!¡± The man¡¯s voice boomed, and the green wind blade chopped down towards Chu Liuyue at the speed of lightning. Huala! A clear, white crack appeared on the bluestone as the wind blade headed straight for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue flew up, and the howling winds deafened her ears. The strong suppression she felt made her head whir; her moves were much slower than before. The fourth stage was the watershed for warriors. Even though warriors of the first three stages could absorb Heaven and Earth Force, it was just to strengthen their bodies and energy. Only stage-four warriors and stronger could circulate the accumulated force within their bodies and execute an explosive attack. A stage-three warrior could not even be compared to a stage-four warrior in terms of attack strength or attack speed. This Breeze Chop instantly forced Chu Liuyue into a corner. Chu Liuyue even felt her glabella hurting slightly. Her eyes stared at the green wind blade closely; her muscles tightened as she held her breath and waited. Her strong eyesight and rich fighting experience were the only reasons why she could win against Song Lian and the rest with her identity as an invalid. With these two things, one could make up for the difference between an average person and a stage-three warrior. However, stage-four warriors were different. The other party could imbue his force into an attack. Thus, it was very difficult for her to win. Even though her Yuan meridian had already recovered, she had not gathered much force. She could not even compete with the other party in this aspect. She could only look for the man¡¯s shortcomings. Shua! The green wind blade flew up quickly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist bent backward, and her body was almost parallel to the floor. The next moment, she used one hand to push against the ground with her strength to flip around, barely avoiding the attack. Kacha! The green wind blade struck the ground behind her and caused a crack to appear. ¡°You really know how to dodge!¡± The man was very surprised to see this, and the murderous intent in his eyes grew. ¡°No wonder Song Lian and the rest fell in your hands.¡± Something flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes secretively. As expected! I haven¡¯t even found them, but the other party has sent themselves to my door. Her gaze quickly swept past the man. ¡°It seems like your master is Song Lian¡¯s true backer.¡± The man was stunned for a while. He then started laughing loudly as if he heard a joke. ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart! What a pity, the smarter you are, the more you have to die!¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to find out more, but she suddenly felt a cold impact at the back of her head. She flew forward without thinking. Peng! A deep trench appeared at the place where she was standing initially. The remains of the strong attack caused blood to rise through her chest. She immediately raised her head to look and saw the man who yelled ¡®catch the thief¡¯ blocking the alley¡¯s entrance. The key was that he was also a stage-four warrior. ¡°Die!¡± The duo¡¯s eyes met, and they rushed to attack Chu Liuyue at the same time. The cold and harsh murderous aura immediately buried her. Chapter 35 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands quietly moved towards her sleeves. She definitely was not a match for two stage-four warriors attacking her together. However, this did not mean that she did not have other ways of defeating them. At this point, a white figure suddenly dashed in from the side. Roar! A strong power instantly erupted alongside the oppressive roar. Hong! Hong! Hong! Before the two men¡¯s attacks could reach Chu Liuyue, they suddenly died off. The remnants of the strong waves even impacted the two men instead. Sou! Sou! The duo could not even dodge in time and felt an enormous force blowing them away before they could even see who it was. They landed on the floor harshly and spat blood out as their chests shivered. Their originally arrogant auras immediately mellowed down. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The duo hurriedly lifted their heads in anger and fear. However, they were taken aback by what they saw. The one that suddenly attacked them was a white lion with a strong build. Its body was covered in snow-white fur, and its blue eyes gleamed with an icy-cold brilliance as its entire body exuded an oppressive aura. Previously, it had just casually waved its claws and easily defeated two stage-four warriors¡¯ attacks. ¡°Seventh-grade Heavenly Lion!¡± The duo could not help but gasp in surprise when they realized who had attacked them; anxiety filled their faces. Why would a high-level fiend that only seemed to exist in rumors appear here? There were only a few seventh-grade fiends in the entire Country Yao Chen, and Heavenly Lions were even rarer and never before seen. However, one actually appeared in the Imperial City. Chu Liuyue was also shocked. ¡°Xue Xue? Why are you here?¡± How did it appear so timely? Was it following me the whole time? However, I did not notice it at all before¡­ It seems like I have to increase my cultivation training. The duo¡¯s eyes twitched upon hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. This familiar tone¡­ meant that Chu Liuyue knew this seventh-grade Heavenly Lion earlier on. It clearly came to help her! The duo was pretty strong when they worked together, so they would still be able to fight if it were others helping her. However, the one that stood in front of them was a true seventh-grade Heavenly Lion. It only had to raise its paws to claim their lives easily. What was with Chu Liuyue? How did she have such a strong backing behind her? Xue Xue, who was originally filled with murderous intent, reduced its aggressive aura and lowered its head to rub against Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist after hearing her words. It let out deep purrs as if it was whining. Chu Liuyue patted its soft fur and secretly heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. These two people will not be a problem with Xue Xue around. Just that¡­ its appearance is too much of a coincidence. ¡°He sent you here?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as her eyes turned. Xue Xue immediately shook its head, but it nodded in conflict after remembering something. Even though it really wanted to claim all the credit, if its master found out about its independent claim, it would suffer a beating again¡­ Xue Xue had a strong urge to live. Chu Liuyue chuckled. She could sort of guess Xue Xue¡¯s thoughts by looking at her hesitant expression. It seemed like both the master and the servant had a part to play in this. What exactly is that Rong Xiu thinking? This question flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s brain very quickly, but she did not show it on her face as she looked at the duo instead. She had to settle this urgent problem first. The duo¡¯s eyes met with each other; they both saw the anxiety in each other¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue was no longer someone they could defeat with the seventh-grade Heavenly Lion helping her. ¡°Run!¡± Without hesitation, the duo stood up and fled in opposite directions. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. Xue Xue bellowed and suddenly disappeared. The next moment, it appeared in front of one of the men. It swiftly raised its claws and harshly slammed them against the man¡¯s chest. Huala! The man¡¯s clothes were instantly ripped apart, and blood spurted out in all directions. Bang! The gigantic force caused the man to land strongly on the floor; there was a long streak of blood, which only stopped when he hit against the wall. The other man also had a similar ending. He did not even run out of the alley before Xue Xue directly attacked him and smashed him beside the previous man. A seventh-grade Heavenly Lion was indeed very powerful. These two stage-four warriors did not even have the chance to struggle or escape and had lost miserably in Xue Xue¡¯s hands. The tables were turned in no time. Chu Liuyue walked to the duo and looked at them from high ground. ¡°Say it. Who is your master?¡± The duo was on the verge of dying but still refused to say a word. Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and smiled lightly. ¡°You refuse to say? Then let me guess¡­ is your master the Crown Prince?¡± The two men were shocked and looked at her subconsciously, but they immediately noticed something the next moment and nervously shifted their gazes. However, this reaction was already sufficient. ¡°Song Lian¡¯s real backer is Song Yuan, right?¡± ¡°W-what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand you!¡± The two people were not dumb and persisted with their denials. Chu Liuyue did not care at all. Actually, this incident was quite easy to guess. After all, only a few people hated her and wanted her to die in the wild. There were even fewer people who could send stage-four warriors to go against her. In Rong Jin¡¯s eyes, killing her ten times was not even enough to vent his anger from the new and old hatred. It was a pity that this person was not very smart. In the beginning, he sent out Song Lian. He didn¡¯t learn to be smarter after Song Lian died. Instead, he hastily sent two other people to kill her. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t admit it.¡± Chu Liuyue did not even care about the duo; she turned to face Xue Xue. ¡°Xue Xue, can I trouble you to do something for me? Drag these two people away.¡± Xue Xue looked at her in confusion. Why did she not want to end the people that wanted to kill her directly? Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around and picked up the pouch one of the men had previously thrown on the floor. She lifted her eyebrows. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ The silence in the room was almost suffocating. Yan Qing lowered his head and felt that the cold atmosphere around his master could literally freeze a person. Master never really liked to show his emotions or feelings on the outside, but he actually behaved in this manner just because that person did not come on time¡­ ¡°Master, Big Chu Missy is here!¡± Yu Mo¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from the outside at this point. Almost instantly, Yan Qing felt that his master¡¯s exuding aura had changed strangely. He quickly raised his head and saw that his master was already looking at the door. Looking out from the half-open door, he could vaguely see the blurred, thin figure hiding behind Yu Mo in the dark sky outside. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll invite Big Chu Missy in right away,¡± said Yan Qing happily as if a huge burden was lifted off his shoulders. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes sparkled like a starry night, but his eyebrows knitted slightly in the next moment. As he tidied his clothes and picked up the book again, he said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s late at night, and I¡¯m not feeling too well. I won¡¯t be seeing anyone today.¡± Chapter 36 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Won¡¯t be seeing anyone.¡± Chu Liuyue heard this sentence very clearly. She stopped in her tracks and raised her eyebrows slightly. Yu Mo was also dazed when he heard this. Won¡¯t be seeing? However, Master clearly said before that he would not see anyone, but that we had to report to him immediately if Big Chu Missy came. That¡¯s the reason why I dared to bring her in directly. Why did Master say he did not want to see her? He looked at Yan Qing and asked him what was going on with his expression. Yan Qing was also puzzled. How would I know? He personally witnessed his master waiting for Big Chu Missy for the entire day. It was clearly impossible that he did not want to see her. Didn¡¯t he just get angry because Big Chu Missy did not come? She finally came, but his master did not seem to cheer up and even refused to see her. ¡°Master, this¡­ Big Chu Missy¡­¡± Rong Xiu raised his head and looked at Yan Qing silently. Yan Qing immediately swallowed his words and lowered his head obediently as he stood aside. Rong Xiu retracted his gaze and flipped another page. As the wind blew, one of his hands formed a fist and covered his mouth as he coughed a few times. However, that pair of eyes did not look at Chu Liuyue from the start till the end. Chu Liuyue did not drag her feet and looked at Yu Mo. ¡°Since your master is unwell, I won¡¯t disturb him any longer. Please help me to return him this item, and thank your master for helping me,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she handed over the handkerchief in her pouch. Yu Mo looked at the handkerchief, and his eyeballs almost popped out. Is this not Master¡¯s personal handkerchief? Master is normally very concerned about this handkerchief and always has it with him, but¡­ why did it end up with Chu Liuyue? Yu Mo did not enter the palace that day and naturally did not know what had happened. Master actually gave this to Chu Liuyue¡­ ¡°Big Chu Missy, this¡­¡± Yu Mo hesitated to pick up the handkerchief, but he suddenly felt a chill running down his spine. He shivered and immediately rejected her solemnly. ¡°Big Chu Missy, this belongs to Master. You should return it to him yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Isn¡¯t it just a handkerchief? Why is he so serious about it? She wanted to return it too! If not, she wouldn¡¯t visit him at his place. However, Rong Xiu was the one who claimed that he did not want to see anyone. What could she do? She looked inside again. She could see the bulky figure through the half-open door. The warm light showed off his unique side view, which was flawless with its intricate details. His eyes were slightly lowered, and his thin lips were pressed against each other tightly. Rong Xiu¡­ seems to be angry? What is he angry about? Chu Liuyue had no idea what he was thinking and decided not to care about it after pondering for a while. She directly looked at Rong Xiu and said, ¡°I¡¯ve returned you your item. Prince Li, I don¡¯t owe you anything else, right? Thank you for saving me the previous few times, but I don¡¯t like to owe other people favors. We¡¯re vastly different people. To avoid any future troubles, let¡¯s not see each other anymore.¡± After she finished her sentence, she did not see Rong Xiu¡¯s reaction and shoved the handkerchief at Yu Mo. Rong Xiu laughed silently. He really could not do anything about her. He finally raised his head, and his eyes landed on Chu Liuyue, surrounding her invisibly. ¡°No, you still owe me two favors.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. ¡°Firstly, Xue Xue saved you.¡± His tone was gentle and calm as usual, but even colder than the moonlight. ¡°Secondly, the Crown Prince did not send those people to kill you today.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. ¡­ The Imperial City seemed peaceful that day, but it was secretly filled with uproars. In the study of Crown Prince Mansion¡­ Inside the room, there was only Rong Jin and an elder in a gray robe. ¡°Are you really sure that there¡¯s a seventh-grade fiend in the Imperial City? But I didn¡¯t hear any news about it¡­¡± asked Rong Jin suspiciously. ¡°That seventh-grade fiend only appeared for a while, and an average person can¡¯t even detect it. However, I have already gone to check, and there were indeed battle marks left behind by a seventh-grade fiend in Eight Corner Alley of the Imperial City¡¯s northeast region. The elder stroked his beard confidently. ¡°Also, I can confirm that it¡¯s not an existing fiend in the Imperial City, and it had just appeared here. Besides, I¡¯m pretty sure that it has an owner.¡± Rong Jin knitted his brows tightly. ¡°However, there are very few people who can conquer a seventh-grade fiend in the Imperial City¡­ Who would it be?¡± The elder shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate anyone in the Imperial City. If the other party can have a seventh-grade fiend, he definitely won¡¯t be easy to deal with. If he¡¯s coming for you, you must be extra careful.¡± The elder shook his head. ¡°Even though you¡¯re already the Crown Prince, quite a few people are still eyeing your status. Your marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue ended very badly, and the Emperor is very unhappy with you. You can¡¯t cause any more trouble at this point.¡± Rong Jin was furious when he was reminded of this. ¡°It¡¯s all because of Chu Liuyue that¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s just an invalid and nothing to be worried about. You should lie low for this period of time and wait until the rumors die down. The most important thing now is to elevate your skills and allow the Emperor to see your abilities.¡± Rong Jin took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll definitely remember your teachings.¡± ¡°This is your last year at Tian Lu Academy. You must grab this chance, do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ The news about the seventh-grade fiend spread quietly; it quickly reached the ears of distinguished families. Rong Zhen also found out about it. She was very excited. The previous few fiends did not have high grades. Now that there was a rare seventh-grade fiend, she had to go and take a look. It would be amazing if she could capture it and make a vow with it. Hence, she also started sending people out to investigate the whereabouts of this seventh-grade fiend. On the other hand, the assassination attempt on Chu Liuyue was as if it never happened. Even the disappearance of the duo did not attract any attention. In this seemingly calm situation, Chu Liuyue finally received Tian Lu Academy¡¯s notification. Tian Lu Academy accepted the Emperor¡¯s request and gave Chu Liuyue a special chance to enter the academy. As long as she passed the assessment, she could enter Tian Lu Academy and become a part of them. ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s 14th birthday was on the 10th of August. It was also the day of her Tian Lu Academy assessment. Chu Ning had already prepared longevity noodles for her to eat. In her previous life, her every birthday was spent extravagantly. Numerous people came forward to wish her well, and the list of presents was endless. Now, even though there was only Chu Ning to accompany her, this bowl of longevity noodles made her feel even warmer and more secure. Chu Liuyue finished the noodles cleanly and briefly packed her items before heading towards Tian Lu Academy. Chu Ning wanted to follow her, but she rejected him. She knew that Chu Ning was busy lately, and in her eyes, it was very easy to enter the academy, so she did not require anyone to accompany her. However, when Chu Liuyue arrived at Tian Lu Academy¡¯s entrance, she realized that there were many people waiting outside. Chu Liuyue¡¯s appearance garnered countless stares. Chu Liuyue instantly understood that these people clearly came here to watch a show. A middle-aged man stood in front of Tian Lu Academy¡¯s entrance and had a stern face. He looked at Chu Liuyue, and his eyes vaguely filled with frustration. ¡°Chu Liuyue, right? Since the Emperor spoke in favor of you, Tian Lu Academy will give you a chance. There are three categories for the entrance assessment: warrior, Xuan Master, and heavenly doctor. You¡¯ll succeed if you pass any one of them. Which would you like to choose?¡± Chapter 37 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue quickly surveyed her surroundings, and her lips curved up into an interesting smile. Tian Lu Academy was the top academy in the entire Country Yao Chen and held a very high status. Even in the Imperial City, where every inch of ground was worth a huge amount of money, Tian Lu Academy still occupied a very large area. The lapis lazuli structure made the entrance seem traditional yet magnanimous. In front of the entrance was a black crystal stone in the shape of a longsword that descended from the heavens and stabbed right into the ground. ¡®Tian Lu Academy¡¯ was carved in gold on it. These were already worth an extravagant amount, let alone the things inside the academy. Before the entrance was a wide court made up of white jade. This was also Tian Lu Academy¡¯s territory; it was the venue they used when they recruited students annually. However, there was nothing on the court when Chu Liuyue came to participate in the assessment. There was only a small square table in front of that middle-aged man. There were three black, wooden boxes on the table, which clearly represented the so-called three different assessments. It seemed like they did not even intend to give Chu Liuyue a proper chance of assessment on the court. Chu Liuyue bowed and asked gently, ¡°Thank you, Senior. Sorry if I¡¯m rude, but may I know your name?¡± The middle-aged man was originally upset with Chu Liuyue since he felt that she was delusional for wanting to enter Tian Lu Academy as an invalid. However, they could not reject the Emperor, though they knew that their efforts would be wasted. He originally had something urgent to do today, but he was sent over to assess Chu Liuyue at the very last minute. He was extremely upset and, of course, would not give Chu Liuyue an easy time. Thus, he also haphazardly prepared the things needed for her assessment. He sneered in his heart upon hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone. There was no use for anything else if she did not have any abilities. She did not even need to try to lick his boots. ¡°Bai Chen!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed and pointed at the court not far away. ¡°Senior, I¡¯ve heard that Tian Lu Academy assessments are usually held on that court, but it seems like it¡¯s not open today¡­ May I know if you will be able to do me a favor?¡± Bai Chen looked at her mockingly as if he had heard a joke. ¡°You should know that the other participants have their assessments on that court because they have all sorts of fights and battles there. The forces generated would then be neutralized by the array formation on that court. As for you¡­ do you even have a use for it?¡± The crowd heard this and burst out laughing. ¡°Exactly! Does she need it? Haha!¡± ¡°Tian Lu Academy only accepts the top few talents. How dare a person like her without a Yuan meridian dare to dream of entering? She¡¯s just going to humiliate herself.¡± ¡°Did you see how the rest don¡¯t even want to care about her? They only gave her a chance because of the Emperor¡­ There will only be an extra laughing stock in the Imperial City from now on¡­¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to have not heard the mockery, and her expression did not change. She looked at Bai Chen and asked persistently, ¡°Then¡­ what must I do to make you open the court?¡± Bai Chen sized her up and did not notice any force moving within her. He could not help but sigh. ¡°As long as you can open any one of these three black, wooden boxes.¡± The black, wooden boxes were made using great amounts of a special black spiritual wood. The boxes had different seals according to the various assessments. It was impossible for an average person to open them. If a student wanted to obtain the assessment questions, they had to open the black, wooden box personally. This was precisely the assessment¡¯s first stage. Chu Liuyue nodded and did not say anything else. She moved forward and directly went for the box on the left. The crowd¡¯s faces were filled with excitement for the show. The thin, white hand landed on the black, wooden box. Bai Chen frowned slightly. You don¡¯t even know where you stand. Kacha! A small, crisp sound was made. Chu Liuyue easily opened the box. The atmosphere turned stiff in no time. Bai Chen¡¯s expression froze. How is that possible? Chu Liuyue had already picked up the piece of paper in the box. ¡°You pass if you become a stage-three warrior.¡± The stage-three warrior requirement seemed simple, but the students that Tian Lu Academy accepted were all under 20 years of age. They would unquestionably be talents if they could reach the standards of a stage-three warrior. Bai Chen did not even have time to think about how Chu Liuyue opened the box. He saw the topic she chose and burst out laughing. ¡°Warrior Assessment!¡± He looked down at Chu Liuyue from above. ¡°You pass if you reach the standards of a stage-three warrior. However¡­ I remember that your Yuan meridian is lacking, and you¡¯re not even a warrior, right?¡± The crowd immediately chuckled, not even bothering to hide their laughter. The others might have a chance of achieving this condition, but as for Chu Liuyue, she would not reach it in her entire life. Some people even hissed. ¡°Get lost! Stop humiliating yourself!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Bai Chen shook his head and was about to pack his things. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. ¡°Senior Bai Chen, if my capabilities reach the standards of a stage-three warrior, do I pass?¡± ¡°What?¡± Bai Chen suspected that he had heard her wrongly. Chu Liuyue asked again, ¡°If I can win against a stage-three warrior, will you say that I¡¯ve met the condition?¡± Bai Chen hesitated for a while and nodded later. ¡°Of course! But¡­ can you do it?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°I want to try.¡± Bai Chen understood and waved his long sleeves. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll lower my abilities to a stage-three warrior. If you can last three moves from me, you win.¡± After he finished talking, he waved his long sleeves, and the court buzzed softly. After this, he suddenly raised his power and jumped up like an eagle that soared in the skies. He instantly flew more than ten feet away and landed in the center of the court accurately and silently. Chu Liuyue walked over step by step and stood in front of Bai Chen. ¡°Senior, please enlighten me.¡± Bai Chen did not care about her. Without talking, his palm turned into a fist and went straight for Chu Liuyue. Hu! He moved at lightning speed and appeared in front of Chu Liuyue in the blink of an eye. His strong punch cut across the air, and he utilized his immense strength. In the blink of an eye, his fist was only less than an arm away from Chu Liuyue. He did not need to use martial arts skills when he lowered his abilities to a stage-three warrior; he could just use his physical strength to go against Chu Liuyue. This one punch would end everything. Chu Liuyue saw the rapidly approaching fist from the corner of her eye. She stood there with her back straight and seemed frightened to death by the outsiders. Bai Chen thought the same way. However, when he thought that his punch would definitely land on her, the young girl in front of him suddenly disappeared. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body moved in some way, and she had actually avoided the punch miraculously. Bai Chen was instantly stunned by what he saw. A chill ran down his spine the next moment. A cold, murderous intent wrapped him completely. He! He subconsciously circulated his force and executed an attack. ¡°Lightning Shock!¡± Hong! Long! Long! A blue fireball suddenly exploded. However, there was no one there. Bai Chen was shocked before looking beside him in realization. As expected, an unharmed Chu Liuyue was standing right there. Chu Liuyue looked at him with a beaming smile. ¡°Senior Bai Chen, it seems like you¡¯ve used more than a stage-three warrior¡¯s ability, right?¡± Bai Chen¡¯s heart dropped. I fell for her trap! Chapter 38 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The spectators outside the court looked at each other in silence and only comprehended what had happened after a while¡ªwhen Bai Chen was testing Chu Liuyue, he had actually used skills above the standards of a stage-three warrior. This also meant that he did not even lower his abilities to a stage-three warrior, just like what Chu Liuyue had said. Then¡­ what exactly did this mean? Bai Chen¡¯s face flushed, and he felt embarrassed. He initially thought that this move could destroy Chu Liuyue, but he didn¡¯t expect that he was unable to control it properly and had spoiled the assessment. It was humiliating to commit such a low-level mistake in front of so many people. However¡­ What exactly happened just now? Bai Chen¡¯s eyebrows knitted tightly as he stared straight at Chu Liuyue. He was a stage-five warrior and was considered strong in Country Yao Chen. He had assessed a few students in the past, but he had never made such a mistake. He clearly remembered that he felt a scary murderous intent from Chu Liuyue earlier, so he subconsciously used his real abilities. However, how could an invalid like Chu Liuyue make him feel such intense suppression and oppression? Bai Chen did not understand it, no matter how much he thought about it. He looked at Chu Liuyue with suspicious eyes as if he wanted to burn a hole in her. ¡°Senior Bai Chen, you previously said that I¡¯d pass if I can last three moves from you. However, you exceeded a stage-three warrior¡¯s ability in the first move¡­ What should we do about this?¡± asked Chu Liuyue calmly as if the incident that just happened had no impact on her. This question made Bai Chen¡¯s face contort even more. Even though he was upset, he had to admit that the exchange just now could prove Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities to some extent since she could force him to use his true strength. This young girl must be hiding something up her sleeves. The spectators outside fell into dead silence. After a while, Bai Chen¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°If you can endure my next move head-on, I¡¯ll immediately let you pass.¡± After he finished his sentence, he moved his feet quickly and dashed towards Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up unnoticeably. An average person would know that it was slightly overboard for Bai Chen to ask her to face his move head-on and endure it. Even if he had lowered his ability to a stage-three warrior¡¯s standards, he was originally a stage-five warrior, so the abilities he executed would definitely be stronger than that of a stage-three warrior. Even a true stage-three warrior might not be able to go against him head-on. Chu Liuyue raised her eyes and saw that Bai Chen was already near her. The merciless punch went straight for her face. This punch had even more force than the first time he attacked. ¡°It¡¯s over. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even give Bai Chen any face. She¡¯s definitely going to be taught a lesson.¡± ¡°This punch will probably cause Chu Liuyue¡¯s bones to break.¡± ¡°Pfft, so what? Chu Liuyue was asking for it. She should just obediently hide in a corner as an invalid and stop hallucinating¡­¡± The spectators discussed silently as if they had already foreseen Chu Liuyue¡¯s miserable defeat. Under countless eyes, the thin, young girl in the middle of the court suddenly understood what to do. She did not make any extra movements. Instead, she spread her legs and lunged forward as her right hand turned into a fist. The crowd gasped loudly. Chu Liuyue actually chose to face Bai Chen head-on and formed a fist as well. Bang! A deep sound of impact was made. The duo¡¯s fists harshly smashed against each other. In comparison, Chu Liuyue¡¯s fist was only half the size of Bai Chen¡¯s. Her fist looked extremely small next to his. Some people could not help but hold their breaths as they thought, The bones in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand will probably shatter. As expected, they saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s body shiver in the next moment as blood started trickling out of her mouth. Just when they thought everything was over, they saw that Bai Chen¡¯s face did not have any signs of happiness. Instead, there was shock. He widened his eyes and looked at Chu Liuyue as if he were looking at a weirdo. ¡°You! You¡­¡± He opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say. However, his mind was thoroughly flipped around. Chu Liuyue¡¯s capabilities had exceeded his imagination. Logically speaking, Chu Liuyue should definitely not have been able to endure that punch. However, she was still standing in her original spot, without having even moved back an inch. Besides, he could clearly feel that Chu Liuyue¡¯s punch was much stronger than what he had expected. He silently clenched his teeth even harder. Kacha! The ground below Chu Liuyue started to crack, and the crack lines rapidly spread. However, Chu Liuyue did not move at all. In actual fact, her entire body was enduring an immense pressure. The strength within Bai Chen¡¯s punch was definitely not what an average stage-three warrior could exhibit. Even though she had already fixed her Yuan meridian and trained diligently these days, the difference between them was very large, and it was hard to overcome it. Her internal organs were squeezed into a ball by an invisible force as if they would explode in the next second. However, she had still met with this attack head-on. She looked at Bai Chen, and her clear, bright eyes sparkled. She enunciated every word clearly as she asked, ¡°Senior Bai Chen, do I pass this round?¡± Bai Chen clenched his teeth but did not retract his fist. His voice boomed as he said, ¡°Pass!¡± Chapter 39 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bai Chen¡¯s low but powerful voice echoed throughout the court. The originally noisy crowd was instantly silenced. Everyone looked at the court in shock and suspected that they had misheard something. What did Bai Chen say previously? Chu Liuyue¡­ passed? After the temporary deadly silence, the crowd erupted into heated discussions. ¡°How is that possible? How did Chu Liuyue pass that?¡± ¡°Exactly! She¡¯s not even a stage-one warrior, right? How can she pass so easily?¡± ¡°Did she really just enter Tian Lu Academy like that? It¡¯s way too simple!¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s weird, Chu Liuyue seemed to have really endured Bai Chen¡¯s last move,¡± muttered someone in confusion. Some people suddenly quietened down and looked at each other awkwardly. Oh, right! Bai Chen had said previously that Chu Liuyue would pass if she met and endured his move head-on. Chu Liuyue really did not move back a single step and had faced the impact forcefully. ¡°Did¡­ Bai Chen do it on purpose?¡± said someone uncertainly, but he hurriedly covered his mouth after he finished his sentence. Questioning Bai Chen in front of him was akin to questioning Tian Lu Academy. Bai Chen surveyed his surroundings with a gloomy gaze and took a deep breath before announcing, ¡°I know a lot of people might think that I¡¯ve let her off easily, but I dare to guarantee with my reputation that there was no problem in the entire assessment. Tian Lu Academy is the top academy, and we always conduct our assessments fairly. Chu Liuyue has indeed passed the warrior assessment.¡± Not only did he not let her off easily, but he had even secretly increased the difficulty of the assessment. Even a true stage-three warrior might not be able to pass the assessment this smoothly. However, Chu Liuyue did it. Even though he looked down on her previously, he naturally admitted her abilities after she did this. Bai Chen¡¯s determined words had successfully stumped everyone else. Bai Chen was famous for his terrible temper as a teacher at Tian Lu Academy. Since he had confirmed Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities, other people were in no position to say anything about it. Bai Chen looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. He never expected Chu Liuyue to pass the assessment. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re a student at Tian Lu Academy.¡± The crowd went crazy. Originally, they thought that they could watch Chu Liuyue turn into a laughing stock today, but who knew she could really make it in? Only the top few talents in Country Yao Chen could enter Tian Lu Academy. It was really strange for an invalid like Chu Liuyue to be admitted. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curved up. ¡°Thank you, Senior Bai Chen, or perhaps I should call you Teacher Bai Chen.¡± Bai Chen grunted. He clearly saw that Chu Liuyue did not look shocked at all. Composure was written all over her face, and she had clearly expected this outcome. In other words, she was confident of her admission into the academy. Bai Chen previously thought that she was delusional for telling the Emperor that she wanted to enter Tian Lu Academy, but it seemed like she was clearly very confident of herself. ¡°Entering Tian Lu Academy is just the start. There¡¯s nothing to be proud of. You should know that the academy is filled with talents. Only the top few can become true, strong warriors.¡± Bai Chen felt that he had lost face, so even though Chu Liuyue had passed the assessments, he did not give her a good time. In actual fact, he still looked down on Chu Liuyue. This was because he had never felt any force circulating within Chu Liuyue throughout the entire process. He did not know how she endured the last obstacle. A person lacking in a Yuan meridian could definitely not become a true cultivator. One could probably reach the standards of a stage-three warrior using other means, but it was impossible for them to advance. Even though Chu Liuyue had entered Tian Lu Academy, she would probably achieve nothing. After he finished his sentence, he waved his sleeves and was about to leave. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, please wait a minute,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Bai Chen turned around in frustration. ¡°What else do you want? You¡¯ve already passed the assessment. Someone will bring you into the academy later.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, the assessment hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡± Bai Chen knitted his brows. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and pointed at the two black, wooden boxes not far away. ¡°Aren¡¯t there two more assessments?¡± Bai Chen¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Didn¡¯t you previously hear the rules properly? You only need to pass one assessment out of the three.¡± Now that Chu Liuyue had already passed the warrior assessment, she did not need to carry on with the other two. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Can a person only be assessed in one category?¡± ¡°Do you not understand¡­¡± Bai Chen suddenly paused in his sentence. Hold on, Chu Liuyue is saying¡­ ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, from what I know, there¡¯s no such restriction in the academy¡¯s assessments, right?¡± Bai Chen did not speak for quite some time. They prepared three different assessments because there were three types of cultivators in Mainland Xuan Wu. Different people had different talents. Even though some were untalented as a warrior, they had shocking potential in other areas. This type of person would either be a Xuan Master or a heavenly doctor. There were very few such people, and even more so for heavenly doctors as there might not even be one in ten thousand. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that¡­?¡± Bai Chen opened his mouth and became nervous for some reason. Chu Liuyue took a step forward and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m saying that I want to be assessed in the other two categories.¡± Chapter 40 The entire court was deadly silent. Everyone looked at Chu Liuyue as if they were staring at a maniac. Is she out of her mind? She wants to be assessed on the last two categories? Does she think that she really can pass all three assessments? Only a few people could pass all three assessments in the entire Country Yao Chen. Bai Chen knitted his brows very tightly. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re asking? You really want to be assessed on the last two categories?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Bai Chen was silent for a moment before he waved his sleeves and clenched his teeth. ¡°Okay. I do want to see what kind of tricks you can pull off.¡± After he finished his sentence, he signaled Chu Liuyue to open the remaining two boxes. Chu Liuyue walked over and opened the one in the middle. There was a piece of paper and a chessboard inside. The black and white chess pieces were already placed on the chessboard, forming an endgame. Chu Liuyue took one look at it and noticed that the chess pieces were placed in a regular manner to form an array formation on the chessboard. The requirement for the Xuan Master assessment was written on the paper¡ª¡±You¡¯ll pass if you manage to solve this chessboard in two hours.¡± Perhaps two hours to solve an endgame was a tad too long for an average person, but in actual fact, this assessment was completely different from a normal chess game. The black and white chess pieces, more or less, had the forces from heaven and earth. They were placed in different positions and influenced each other, naturally forming a complicated chess game. If she wanted to solve this problem, she needed to feel the circulating force between heaven and earth sensitively. This point alone stumped most people. Even though some people could forcefully feel the circulating force, they could not clearly see the pattern amongst the pieces, let alone figure out the solution for the endgame. Hence, only truly talented people with the potential to become a Xuan Master could pass this assessment. Bai Chen walked over, and his gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. ¡°You need to take the chessboard out¡­¡± It would be easier for students to take the assessment as it lasted for two hours after all. Chu Liuyue shook her head in rejection. ¡°Thank you, Teacher Bai Chen, for the kind reminder, but it¡¯s okay.¡± Bai Chen paused and sneered in his heart. She must have rejected it so decisively because she knows that she can¡¯t solve it and wants to give up. He grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t act strong if you don¡¯t have the patience. Do you think it¡¯s so easy to become a Xuan Master?¡± As he spoke, he was about to close the box. When Chu Liuyue heard this, she pressed her lips against each other tightly. Is Bai Chen so sure that I can¡¯t pass and thought that I was going to give up? ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, wait a minute.¡± Bai Chen looked at her in frustration. What else is she going to play at? However, Chu Liuyue already picked up a black chess piece and placed it on the chessboard precisely without hesitation. Piak! The chessboard made a soft sound. Bai Chen was just about to scold her, but he suddenly felt a strange movement from the chessboard. He looked over subconsciously and saw that the black and white chess pieces were as if controlled by an invisible force and had flown up gradually before landing precisely in the chess compartment beside it. Pilihuala! The chess pieces knocked against each other crisply, but it sounded like thunder in other people¡¯s ears. Chu Liuyue had actually succeeded in solving the endgame! Bai Chen stood there dazedly and could not recover his senses for a long time. H-how long did Chu Liuyue take to solve it? It seemed like it had not even been a quarter of an hour. Including the conversation time between both of them, Chu Liuyue literally solved the chess puzzle after looking at it a few times. Bai Chen was really shocked. He had been in Tian Lu Academy for many years and had seen numerous Xuan Master talents, but he had never seen one that could solve this assessment so quickly and accurately. One either had to know the answer beforehand or be extremely talented to be this fast! This chessboard was one of Tian Lu Academy¡¯s treasured items. It would form different endgames for the various assessments. Even he did not know what the chessboard would look like before he opened the wooden box. This feat meant that Chu Liuyue was, indeed, very talented as a Xuan Master. All along, Bai Chen felt that Chu Liuyue had passed the previous warrior assessment by playing some tricks since he did not feel any force circulating in her body. If not, there really was no explanation for how she exuded such an intense suppressive aura and even faced his move head-on. However, everything in front of Bai Chen made him realize that Chu Liuyue was indeed talented. At the very least, she had the potential to become a top Xuan Master. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, do I pass the test?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up into a smile, and spoke in her usual nonchalant manner as if she did not notice how shocking her performance was. However, Bai Chen could not be as calm as her. His heart felt like it had been flipped right over. That was because.. he was also a Xuan Master! After entering Tian Lu Academy, the students would usually be assigned to various teachers to undergo cultivation. This was even more so for Xuan Masters and heavenly doctors as they were unique. Every teacher could be considered as individuals. There were quite a few Xuan Master teachers in Tian Lu Academy. They were all very competitive, especially when it came to showing off how incredible the students they taught were. Bai Chen was very confident that Chu Liuyue was a very rare Xuan Master talent that would only appear once every 100 years. Chu Liuyue waited for a while; when she saw that Bai Chen did not say anything, she could not help but call him. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen?¡± Bai Chen suddenly recovered his senses, and he looked at Chu Liuyue as if he was looking at a precious treasure. He rubbed his hands together, and a passionate smile was plastered onto his face, which looked very weird with his originally stern look. ¡°Pass! Pass! Of course, you pass! Hehe, Little Liuyue, what other requests do you have? Just name them! I¡¯ll do it for you!¡± Chapter 41 Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. Little Liuyue? Previously his face was still filled with frustration, yet his attitude completely changed in the blink of an eye. His face change came faster than flipping a book page. ¡°Um¡­ Teacher Bai Chen, you don¡¯t have to be so polite¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean polite? Since you¡¯re a student of Tian Lu Academy, I should take care of you as a teacher,¡± said Bai Chen hurriedly. As he talked, he carefully observed Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression and secretly regretted it in his heart. How could I treat her in that way previously? Little Liuyue must have had a bad impression of me. If I knew that she had such formidable talent as a Xuan Master, I would have treated her nicely. Upon thinking this, he could not help but ask about the Chu family¡¯s 18 generations in his heart. Invalid? How useless the Chu family is! They do not have the eyes to recognize true talent and even implicated me. If he did not trust the rumors he heard, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have treated her that way. ¡°Little Liuyue¡­ I had a bad attitude towards you previously. Please, don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± said Bai Chen embarrassingly as he scratched his head. Chu Liuyue looked at him in shock but saw that, although Bai Chen looked awkward, his gaze was sincere and honest. He was genuinely apologizing. Chu Liuyue blinked. This person is quite interesting. It was true that he looked down on her before, and also true that he wanted to get close to her. Was this change because she showed off her Xuan Master talent earlier? However, she had already tried her best to restrain her talent. This endgame was too simple. She had started learning array formations when she was four, and she could create Xuan arrays when she was five. She did not even care about such array formations. However, it seemed like she had to lie even lower now. ¡°I know that capabilities are the most important thing. Teacher Bai Chen, you don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡± Bai Chen was rather sincere when he dared to apologize to her in front of everyone as he had a relatively high status. This gave Chu Liuyue a better impression of him. This type of person was very straightforward. One only had to show their true abilities to change their attitudes. Bai Chen finally heaved a sigh of relief after hearing her say that and hurriedly asked her. ¡°Then, do you still want to continue with the heavenly doctor assessment?¡± The heavenly doctor assessment was even harder than the Xuan Master assessment. Previously, he thought that Chu Liuyue was just acting strong, but now he was slightly expectant. Perhaps¡­ she was also talented as a heavenly doctor? Chu Liuyue looked down. She originally thought that the Xuan Master assessment was a piece of cake, but she did not expect to shock these people. Based on Bai Chen¡¯s reaction alone, this incident was bound to spread like wildfire. The winds howl around the highest peaks. She had to be more careful about the heavenly doctor assessment. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Continue.¡± As she spoke, she opened the third box and took out the question paper from inside. ¡°Produce a drug formula with the ten herbs given.¡± Chu Liuyue took a look inside the wooden box and saw that the herbs were split into ten different compartments, with different herbs in each of them. Her eyes darted quickly, and she recognized the different herbs. Most of them were very common herbs, but their natures were different. Some were cold, and others were hot. Amongst these different herbs was a Silver Ice Cicada, which was also known as cold herb; it was extremely poisonous. Examinees needed to have thorough knowledge of all these herbs and neutralize their effects in order to create a good drug formula. One would fail if they weren¡¯t careful. One might even produce a poisonous drug instead of a useful one. The handling of the cold herb was the most important aspect. Of course, Chu Liuyue knew how to handle the cold herb and remove the poison in it, but she obviously could not show it now. After thinking deeply, she took out the herbs one by one, ground some into powder, and juiced the others. Then, she combined them in different ratios. Chu Liuyue¡¯s movements were slightly hesitant in the entire process, and she would sometimes make a small mistake. Bai Chen shook his head silently while watching at the side. Even though he was not a heavenly doctor, he had some understanding of medicine. Chu Liuyue was talented in this area, but her talent was very limited. An hour passed very quickly. Chu Liuyue finally finished her drug and passed it to Bai Chen. Bai Chen took a look at it and shook his head. ¡°This¡­ You barely passed, but¡­¡± It¡¯s nothing much. This talent could only help her become a doctor, but not a true heavenly doctor. Actually, it was already rare to find doctors. If others could pass this assessment, they would definitely be over the moon, but Bai Chen had previously seen Chu Liuyue¡¯s outstanding performance as a Xuan Master. This was just a let down in comparison to that. Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, do I pass this assessment?¡± Bai Chen quickly erased his other thoughts and looked at Chu Liuyue emotionally before laughing. ¡°Of course, you pass! Little Liuyue, you¡¯ve passed all three assessments and have been admitted to Tian Lu Academy! Not many people in Country Yao Chen can do this.¡± His deep voice boomed, and it clearly echoed throughout the court. Everyone was in a daze. What? What just happened? Not only did Chu Liuyue enter Tian Lu Academy, but she also passed the assessments with an all-kill? Was the world crazy? Chapter 42 ¡°Come on! I¡¯ll show you around the academy!¡± Bai Chen was very emotional and excited since he could not wait to accept Chu Liuyue as his disciple. It would be the biggest regret in his life if he missed such a talented Xuan Master. He was upset about being sent to host the assessment at first, but now he was just very grateful for the chance. He could enjoy the benefits of this favorable position and win Chu Liuyue over before the other fellows found out about her talent. Looking at his excited expression, Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, isn¡¯t this too soon?¡± ¡°No! Not soon at all! You didn¡¯t make it for the admission in January, so you¡¯re very late when compared to the other students. More than half of the semester is now over. You must hurry up and catch up with them. It¡¯s better if you follow me around to familiarize yourself with the environment first at the very least.¡± When he said that, he suddenly thought of something and slapped his thigh. ¡°Oh, right. After you start school, will you be living in the Chu family estate or in the academy? If you¡¯re living in the academy, I¡¯ll get someone to arrange your lodging.¡± Tian Lu Academy¡¯s students were normally free to choose. Students with homes in the Imperial City would normally choose to stay at home. Whereas the other students who came from other parts of the country would choose to stay in the academy. Tian Lu Academy was the top academy in Country Yao Chen, so it definitely had decent facilities. However, when compared to the various distinguished families¡¯ estates in the Imperial City, it was still considered simple and basic. Thus, many aristocratic children would spend more time at home, apart from their cultivation training. Speaking of which, Chu Liuyue was also the Chu family¡¯s legitimate eldest daughter. However, Bai Chen knew very clearly that Chu Liuyue did not have a good life after being called an invalid for more than a decade. Besides, the news of her dissolving her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince was still spreading like wildfire amongst the public. There were probably only very few people in the Chu family who treated her genuinely. Seeing Bai Chen¡¯s enthusiasm, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly since she knew that he was thinking for her. She bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you then, Teacher Bai Chen.¡± Bai Chen was slightly shocked and waved his hand. ¡°In the future, I¡¯m also considered your teacher. What¡¯s there to thank when it¡¯s such a small matter? If you don¡¯t have anything else to do, why don¡¯t you follow me around the academy?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± As they talked, the duo walked towards Tian Lu Academy one after another. The crowd then finally comprehended what had happened thoroughly. Looking at the thin, young girl, they could not even utter a single word in a short amount of time. Who would have thought that she could make it this far? Bai Chen also clearly looked very impressed by her. Chu Liuyue would no longer be the Chu family¡¯s invalid that could be bullied by anyone and everyone in the future. Chu Liuyue walked towards the entrance, step by step, and suddenly paused for a while as her gaze slowly swept past the three words ¡®Tian Lu Academy.¡¯ She was finally admitted to the top academy in Country Yao Chen. However, this was just the beginning. After Chu Liuyue followed Bai Chen into Tian Lu Academy, the happenings of that day spread across the entire Imperial City rapidly as if the news had wings. ¡­ Finally, Chu Liuyue formally entered Tian Lu Academy after passing through the boundary at the entrance. The moment she walked in, she immediately felt that the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force was much stronger than outside. When she was outside, she could already see that a gigantic boundary covered Tian Lu Academy. The boundary was clearly built using a Xuan formation, which merged with the entire academy perfectly. One look across and Chu Liuyue had already noticed quite a few Xuan formation focal points. She raised her brows and was quite surprised. Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Xuan formation was much stronger than what she had imagined. It was indeed surprising to see such quality in the small Country Yao Chen. It seemed like it was a wise decision to come to Tian Lu Academy. Bai Chen had been secretly observing Chu Liuyue the entire time. When he saw the changes in her expression, his heart tingled. ¡°Little Liuyue, did you feel something?¡± Chu Liuyue naturally knew that he was testing her and smiled. ¡°The academy¡­ seems to be different from the outside world. It seems like there¡¯s¡­ the power from a Xuan formation.¡± ¡°You really noticed it!¡± Bai Chen was very excited, and he sighed in his heart. Chu Liuyue is really the most talented person I have seen in so many years when it comes to Xuan Masters. When he thought of this, he could not help but ask, ¡°Little Liuyue, you are very gifted as a Xuan Master, why didn¡¯t you¡­¡± Even Bai Chen did not have the face to continue with his sentence. Everyone knew that Chu Liuyue was labeled as a ¡®good-for-nothing¡¯ for more than a decade. Even he thought the same way before the assessment today. Logically speaking, a family like the Chu family would definitely not miss such a talent¡­ Chu Liuyue smiled nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s all matters of the past. I¡¯ve also just coincidentally discovered that I have a little talent.¡± Bai Chen muttered to himself, ¡°If that¡¯s ¡®little,¡¯ then there won¡¯t be many talented people in the entire Country Yao Chen.¡± It¡¯s a pity that Chu Liuyue discovered her potential so late. Her capabilities would be much greater if her talent was discovered a few years earlier. The Chu family basically delayed her development. Bai Chen thought about this in his heart, but he did not continue talking when he saw that Chu Liuyue seemed reluctant to talk about this topic. Then, he started to introduce the academy to her in detail. ¡°Enough of that! Since you¡¯re a Tian Lu Academy student from now on, you¡¯ll be very different from the past. I believe you can also feel that the force inside the academy is much stronger than the outside world. This is because there¡¯s a Pit of Heavenly Origins in the academy. That Pit of Heavenly Origins can produce vast amounts of Heaven and Earth Force on its own. Back then, our first director created this Xuan formation to suppress the Pit of Heavenly Origins so that training in the academy would be much faster than training outside.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled. This was her real motive for coming to Tian Lu Academy. Chapter 43 ¡°I see.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and asked confusedly, ¡°That so-called Pit of Heavenly Origins is that formidable?¡± ¡°But of course!¡± Bai Chen raised his hand and pointed at a specific direction. ¡°Do you see Jiuyou Tower over there? That¡¯s the closest place to the Pit of Heavenly Origins. The Heaven and Earth force is even more concentrated there! It¡¯s a few times stronger! It takes half the amount of effort to cultivate in there!¡± Chu Liuyue pointedly looked at it before she smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t spending a year in there be the equivalent of cultivating for years outside?¡± ¡°Haha! That may be true, but no one has been able to spend that much time in there to date! The force is really concentrated in Jiuyou Tower, but it¡¯s precisely because of this that it puts a lot of pressure on the cultivators! Even a stage-three warrior can only last a maximum of three days in there! If you remain in there forcibly, not only will it not be beneficial to your cultivation, but it will also cause a great deal of harm to your body, even to your life!¡± At this point, Bai Chen¡¯s expression was much more serious. ¡°You should know the idea of being unable to digest too much food.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°But you can¡¯t just randomly enter Jiuyou Tower either. You just need a basic understanding of these places for now.¡± Bai Chen looked like he wanted to say something as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°It¡¯ll be better for you to look at this Xuan formation if you have time.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and did not say a word. She knew what Bai Chen was trying to say: It would be futile for someone with a damaged Yuan meridian to enter that place. Only Xuan Masters did not have a requirement for the Yuan meridian. All they had to do was to feel the inner workings of the force. What Bai Chen said was in consideration for her. Chu Liuyue did not explain much either. It was not necessarily a bad thing to enter as a Xuan Master. It would make a lot of things easier in the future while leaving her with a backup plan. It killed many birds with one stone. ¡°That¡¯s the academy¡¯s martial arts center. Students will usually spar there. To the side is the fighting ring. Students usually use it to challenge one another.¡± As Bai Chen led her towards the academy, he explained many things to her. ¡°Today can be considered your admission day. As you know, the academy only takes the most talented prodigies to develop them to their greatest potential. The academy is also rather particular about the way it teaches.¡± Bai Chen raised three fingers ¡°Warriors, Xuan Masters and heavenly doctors! The academy is divided into three main sections, but the number of Xuan Masters is only one-tenth that of the warriors. As for heavenly doctors¡­ there are even fewer of them. There¡¯s only about a dozen of them.¡± And only less than a third of them will become true heavenly doctors. ¡°Students will be assigned to different teachers based on their results after they enter the academy. People with different talents will naturally have different teachers. But¡­ if the student is extremely talented, sometimes a few teachers will fight over a student. We always let the student make the choice in cases like this,¡± said Bai Chen as he coughed. ¡°Take me for example. Even though I¡¯m a stage-five warrior, I¡¯m also a Xuan Master. I usually teach Xuan Masters as well. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Warriors were not rare. In comparison, Xuan Masters had a more prestigious status. It was normal that he would choose to teach Xuan Masters. At the same time, Chu Liuyue finally understood why his attitude shifted when she exhibited her Xuan Master talent. He clearly wanted to take her as his student! However, Chu Liuyue did not want to rush into a decision too early, so she did not say anything. She just maintained a smile on her face. Bai Chen was a little disappointed by her reaction, but he knew that he did not have any grounds to ask Chu Liuyue to choose him as her teacher because of his earlier attitude toward her. Chu Liuyue changed the topic. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, why is the academy so quiet? We¡¯ve been walking around here for a while, but I haven¡¯t seen anyone?¡± Bai Chen paused, then laughed out loud. ¡°Haha! That¡¯s because the academy¡¯s three-day-long mid-term exams have begun. Today is the first day. All the students and teachers are in the back mountain!¡± Mid-term exams? That sounds a little familiar¡­ If I recall correctly, Chu Xianmin aimed to place first in this exam earlier? At this point, there were a few female voices. ¡°Minmin, let¡¯s walk faster. The exam is about to start!¡± ¡°Why are you so anxious, Peipei? Don¡¯t we still have time? Besides, Minmin has always been well-liked by our teachers. They won¡¯t reprimand us even if we¡¯re late. Right, Minmin?¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s not good to be late. We better hurry up. It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t been delayed by a family matter, we wouldn¡¯t have been this late.¡± Chu Liuyue looked towards the voice and saw a few girls walking further up. Chu Xianmin was the one at the front. ¡°Minmin, you¡¯re just too kind. I heard that you got punished by your father because of that Chu Liuyue! That loser is clearly just taking revenge on you because you¡¯re better than her!¡± At the mention of Chu Liuyue, Chu Xianmin¡¯s expression froze for an instant but quickly reverted to the way it was earlier. ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s still my older sister¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, her? I remember today is the day she¡¯s taking the entrance exam, right? She really isn¡¯t afraid of embarrassing herself. If I were her, I would have killed myself out of shame already! Minmin, you¡¯re capable of placing first in our academy, and she¡¯s just a loser who can¡¯t even get into our school. What can she use to compete with you?¡± Chu Xianmin pursed her lips and kept her glee to herself. She suddenly felt that something was wrong at this point. She turned her head and saw a familiar face. Chu Liuyue?! ¡°You¡­ why are you here?!¡± Chapter 44 Chu Liuyue replied with a question when she heard that. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± After everything that happened at the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday banquet, Chu Xianmin hated Chu Liuyue to the core! When she saw her now, she wanted to rush up and teach Chu Liuyue a lesson! But when the words were in her mouth, she suddenly noticed someone standing next to Chu Liuyue. It was Teacher Bai Chen from the academy! She forcibly swallowed her words and retracted her vicious gaze. When she looked up and glanced at Bai Chen, she had her usual warm smile plastered on her face. ¡°Greetings, Teacher Bai Chen.¡± The others around her only came to their senses then and began greeting him too. ¡°Greetings, Teacher Bai Chen!¡± Bai Chen frowned without saying a word. He had clearly heard the entire conversation from earlier! Setting the enmity between Chu Liuyue and Chu Xianmin aside, Chu Liuyue had never provoked the others. He never expected them to be so harsh with their words while conversing! Although Chu Liuyue was not his treasure, he could not bear to hear anyone insult or defame her! Bai Chen had an explosive temper, and his heart was burning with rage from everything he had heard. Chu Xianmin worriedly exchanged glances with the others when she felt Bai Chen¡¯s anger. Did he hear everything that we said earlier? Even if he did, we were talking about Chu Liuyue, so why is he getting upset? ¡°The academy recruited you here to cultivate and become stronger, not for you to gossip. If your heart is not focused on cultivating, you should leave as soon as you can!¡± Bai Chen¡¯s harsh words were to the point. The girls turned pale. This was a little harsh! They had never been reprimanded like this before, and they felt their faces begin to burn. But given Bai Chen¡¯s status, they dared not talk back. The few of them furtively glanced at Chu Xianmin for help. Only Chu Xianmin, the teachers¡¯ favorite, could save them now. Chu Xianmin was also shocked by Bai Chen. We just said a few things about Chu Liuyue. Did he have to act out like this? ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, you might be a little mistaken. It was just a passing comment. We don¡¯t have any ill will¡­¡± However, Bai Chen clearly did not feel like letting them off today. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re saying that I misheard?¡¯ Chu Xianmin was stunned. The academy¡¯s teachers usually did not treat her like this, but today¡­ ¡°Minmin did not mean it that way. She was just asking because she was surprised to see her sister here.¡± They changed the topic, attempting to shift the attention away from their insults toward Chu Liuyue. At the same time, Chu Xianmin promptly recalled something. Bai Chen is the one sent to assess Chu Liuyue today! Looking at the time, the assessment should have ended by now. But why is Chu Liuyue here, instead of going home? Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. With a half-smile, she said, ¡°I¡¯m taking Tian Lu Academy¡¯s entrance examination today. Didn¡¯t you know, Third Sister? Weren¡¯t you just talking about this earlier?¡± Chu Xianmin gritted her teeth silently, but could barely keep her smile on her face. ¡°Yes¡­ that was why I¡¯m curious. Teacher Bai Chen, the academy rules state that ordinary people can¡¯t come in, right?¡± The others behind her began grumbling as well. ¡°Yeah, how can Chu Liuyue the outsider come in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a violation of the rules¡­¡± Bai Chen laughed coldly. ¡°Against the rules? Am I the teacher, or are you? I¡¯m telling you that Chu Liuyue is a student of Tian Lu Academy from today onward! What¡¯s wrong with her coming in here?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chu Xianmin cried out in surprise and looked at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. ¡°How can that be?¡± How could Chu Liuyue possibly get admitted to Tian Lu Academy? Bai Chen usually did not deal with Chu Xianmin, but now he was getting impatient. When compared with a Xuan Master, what is Chu Xianmin¡¯s so-called talent? The Chu family is a family of fools! ¡°Why, are you questioning me?¡± asked Bai Chen coldly. Chu Xianmin returned to her senses and hurriedly said, ¡°No, no! I just¡­¡± ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, are you sure you didn¡¯t make a mistake? Chu Liuyue has a defective Yuan meridian! She was born a good-for-nothing! How does she have the ability to enter the academy?¡± The girl called Peipei could not stop herself from voicing her suspicions as she looked at Chu Liuyue with doubt and hatred. Bai Chen was so upset that he started laughing. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that not only did she make the cut, but she also passed all three assessments!¡± Chu Xianmin and the others were stunned. When they realized the meaning of Bai Chen¡¯s words, they had very colorful expressions on their face! Caught between laughter and tears, Chu Liuyue looked at Bai Chen. He came to her defense before she could say anything. Chu Xianmin¡¯s face turned green then white, unable to believe what she had heard. But how could it be fake? Bai Chen was standing next to Chu Liuyue! What means did Chu Liuyue use! It was like a fire was burning in her chest, and she could barely stand! ¡°Minmin, Peipei, why aren¡¯t you all here yet? The exam is starting now! All the teachers are looking for you all! You¡¯ll be late if you don¡¯t leave now!¡± Someone appeared in the distance at this time. An idea flashed across Chu Xiamin¡¯s mind, and she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Sister, you came at the perfect time. The mid-term exam period is the academy¡¯s most exciting time. Why don¡¯t you go take a look? If you¡¯re interested, you can take part as well. This is a chance for you to familiarize yourself with more people in the academy. What do you think?¡± Is she trying to get a feel of my abilities? Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ Zhen Bao Pavilion was especially lively today. It was not noon yet, but quite a number of people had gathered on the first floor, and they were all people of status. They were all here for the same reason¡ªZhen Bao Pavilion had recently received a fresh batch of treasures, and they were holding an auction for them today! The pamphlet had been sent to the various families a few days ago. There were a few rare items, so several people showed up. Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s second-in-charge, Yan Ge, was making small talk with various people. ¡°Second Master Yan, we have waited so long for today¡¯s auction!¡± ¡°Yeah! I wonder who those few items will end up with!¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ll know when the auction starts! You¡¯ve worked hard, Second Master Yan!¡± Yan Ge was full of smiles. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have to thank you all for gracing me with your presence today¡­¡± At this point, an attendant hurried over to Yan Ge, whispered into his ear, and handed him a letter. Yan Ge smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Everyone, please excuse me.¡± With that, he retreated into the small room behind the main hall and carefully opened the letter. ¡°Why would Master suddenly send a letter now¡­¡± Yan Ge¡¯s words were cut short by what he read, and he widened his eyes in shock! His expression changed rapidly, and it took him a while to calm himself down. After a while, he walked out and stood in the middle of the hall. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. Today¡¯s auction is canceled.¡± Everyone seated was stunned. ¡°What?! Canceled?!¡± ¡°What is going on? We¡¯ve been waiting all morning, and you just decide to cancel it?¡± Yan Ge shrugged apologetically, but his tone was firm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. However, there¡¯s a good reason for this cancellation. Our master said that everything in Zhen Bao Pavilion, including the new batch of treasures, is temporarily not available for transaction. He would like to pick a gift for Madam from them personally.¡± Chapter 45 The noisy crowd was instantly silenced when they heard Yan Ge mention his master. The people eyed one another, not expecting the mysterious master of Zhen Bao Pavilion to be behind this. They could make an appeal if it were another reason, but it was him¡­ He was not someone to be trifled with! Yan Ge chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. To make up for everyone¡¯s loss, Zhen Bao Pavilion will send a little gift to you all after this; we also seek your forgiveness.¡± The crowd only relaxed when they heard that. This gave them some leeway; thus, they took it. ¡°Second Master Yan, you¡¯re too kind! Since it¡¯s the master¡¯s request, we can only oblige!¡± ¡°Of course! Zhen Bao Pavilion has been in business in the Imperial City for years. How can we make things difficult for them? We¡¯ll just wait!¡± ¡°A gift is not necessary. Second Master Yan is too kind!¡± Everyone present was the elites of Imperial City. What mattered the most to them was not wealth but their status and image. They would not let things slide so easily if this were a different place, but the place in question was Zhen Bao Pavilion. They still had their reservations. Yan Ge chuckled and continued speaking. ¡°Thank you, everyone! We¡¯ll gift everyone a Pobi Elixir later as an apology.¡± The crowd was shocked by what they heard. Pobi Elixir? That was a rare, top-tier elixir! Advancing from a third-stage warrior to a fourth-stage warrior was a huge challenge for all cultivators. Many never made the leap, forever remaining in the third stage. However, one¡¯s chances of succeeding in the breakthrough would double with a Pobi Elixir! Although it might not sound like an impressive effect, it could help some people break through successfully and advance to the next stage. Pobi Elixirs were extremely precious! Regular families could never get their hands on one! Even an existence like the four big clans could only produce a few! But Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­ was giving one to each person present! There were at least 20 to 30 people here. One for each person, that was¡­ Also, the Pobi Elixirs were just as an apology! Zhen Bao Pavilion was really generous! Some people¡¯s expressions changed as they began to reassess Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s standing. Such a number of Pobi Elixirs simply could not be obtained through wealth¡­ What exactly was this place¡¯s background? And who exactly was their secretive Master who never showed his face? The Pobi Elixir managed to quell all the people¡¯s discontent. Even if they were still unhappy, they could not say anything more. After a while, someone began to joke around. ¡°Second Master Yan, Zhen Bao Pavilion is losing a lot of money over this! Your Master can really bear to part with his money, huh!¡± Yan Ge stood up straight and laughed graciously. ¡°Nah, our Master and Madam love one another. What is all this if it can make Madam happy?¡± Everyone present laughed out loud and soon began leaving one after another. Soon, the hall was empty, leaving Yan Ge and a few pageboys behind. When everyone had left, and the door was closed, Yan Ge heaved a sigh of relief. He rubbed his face that was stiff from smiling forcefully before he turned and entered the small room behind the main hall. ¡°When did Master get a wife?!¡± he asked anxiously. Only he knew how stunned he was when he saw the letter from Master. The pageboy coughed. ¡°I also only found out today. It should be¡­ a recent development¡­¡± ¡°You follow Master around every day. Shouldn¡¯t you know this?¡± Yan Ge did not buy it. He immediately stepped forward and took the letter out again. He read it a few more times, and was still upset. ¡°I¡¯ve been following Master for so many years, yet I wasn¡¯t aware of this at all! It¡¯s fine that Master didn¡¯t tell me, but he also didn¡¯t tell you? Things almost got out of control by springing this on me!¡± The pageboy felt wronged. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of this either! If you really want to know, go ask Master yourself!¡± Yan Ge was shut down immediately. He did not have the guts to do that! After pondering for a moment, he could not help but ask questions. ¡°Hey, who exactly is Madam? You¡¯ve got to know that at least, right? Tell me? At least I won¡¯t offend her in the future!¡± The pageboy sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Yan Ge was more curious when he heard that. Their Master had not been interested in women before. How did he suddenly get a wife? What kind of fairy was able to conquer their Master? ¡°I¡¯ve delivered the letter, so I¡¯ll be heading off first. Settle whatever you need to get done here. Master will be here soon.¡± The pageboy left in a hurry after that. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Yan Ge rubbed his throbbing head as he watched the pageboy leave. Master risked offending all the elites of Imperial City just to choose a present for Madam¡­ It looks like it¡¯s true love this time! ¡­ Tian Lu Academy, back mountain. Many students were gathered here. There was chatter all around, and it was lively. Excitement and nervousness were clear on their young faces. ¡°I wonder what this year¡¯s exam format is! I heard that the prizes are especially good!¡± ¡°The academy has always been generous, so what¡¯s so special about that? The important question is if we can place in the top few!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! The higher one¡¯s rank, the better the reward! The three sections¡¯ students are examined and will produce three top scholars. The top scholar for our section has to be Chu Xianmin, right?¡± ¡°Sigh, speaking of her, why isn¡¯t she here yet? Teacher Bai Chen isn¡¯t back yet either.¡± As the crowd chattered, Bai Chen and the others finally arrived. A teacher wearing a green robe, who was preparing for the exam, waved at Bai Chen when he saw the latter. ¡°Bai Chen, you¡¯re finally back! Why did you take so long with administering one exam? You still have to deal with the Xuan formation¡­¡± Bai Chen laughed and cut him off. ¡°Ling Zhu, I was not wasting time. I found a treasure for our academy!¡± His voice was loud, plus he had his mind set on backing Chu Liuyue up, so his words spread and rang clear in everyone¡¯s ears! Everyone looked over. Ling Zhu looked at him confusedly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bai Chen laughed out loud as he stepped aside and motioned for Chu Liuyue to step forward. Chu Liuyue bowed graciously. ¡°Liuyue greets Teacher Ling Zhu.¡± Liuyue? Chu Liuyue?! Ling Zhu eyed her from top to bottom and looked at Bai Chen with a frown. ¡°Bai Chen, you¡­¡± ¡°Little Liuyue has passed all three exams and is officially a part of our academy! I just brought her here to check things out!¡± His words silenced the lively back mountain. Seeing that Chu Liuyue had stood out again, Chu Xianmin stepped forward with a smile. ¡°Teacher Ling Zhu, my sister wants to take part in the exam as well.¡± Chapter 46 The quiet back mountain burst into commotion when they heard Chu Xianmin¡¯s words. There was a stunned expression on everyone¡¯s faces, and they all looked at Chu Liuyue like she was insane. Chu Liuyue is taking part in their exam? Ling Zhu frowned and looked at Bai Chen disapprovingly. ¡°Bai Chen, what is going on? The academy¡¯s exam is beginning soon. You can¡¯t joke around like this.¡± Bai Chen chuckled. ¡°Am I the kind of person to joke about this? Since Little Liuyue is part of our academy, what¡¯s wrong with her taking part in the exam?¡± Ling Zhu was still doubtful, and he took another close look at Chu Liuyue. Everyone in the Imperial City knew that Chu Liuyue was born a good-for-nothing. Otherwise, she would not have been bullied by everyone as the Chu family¡¯s Big Chu Missy. But Bai Chen was now saying that not only did Chu Liuyue make the cut for the academy, but she also passed all three assessments? How could that be? There was only a handful who managed that in the history of the academy. However, he knew Bai Chen well. The guy had a straightforward personality; he would not have been that kind to anyone without any ability. But he clearly really liked Chu Liuyue! Seeing that Ling Zhu had not spoken in a while, Bai Chen waved his hand impatiently. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I know none of you will believe me. You can just see her ability for yourself later when the exam begins!¡± Ling Zhu could only go along with it since Bai Chen had brought up the idea. ¡°That works too. Which exam is she taking?¡± Chu Xianmin also paid close attention to the conversation. She really wanted to know what Chu Liuyue relied on, to be able to take the exam so boldly! Bai Chen popped up in front of Chu Liuyue, his face full of smiles. ¡°Little Liuyue, which exam do you want to take? Actually, the Xuan Master examination is a little easier. It also won¡¯t take too long. How about you pick this one?¡± Ling Zhu shook his head to himself. He really did not know what was up with Bai Chen. The shortest exam was clearly the warrior one. The other two, no matter whether it was the Xuan Master examination or heavenly doctor examination, was time and energy-consuming. Bai Chen clearly wanted Chu Liuyue to take the Xuan Master examination, but why¡­? Chu Liuyue knew what Bai Chen was thinking, so she smiled right back at him. ¡°Thanks for the tip, Teacher Bai Chen. I¡¯ll take the Xuan Master examination then!¡± The students in the crowd began whispering to one another when they heard that. ¡°Che, she¡¯s good at acting. I refuse to believe that she really can pass all three exams. She has a defective Yuan meridian. How can she possibly pass the warrior exam?¡± ¡°Who knows what means she used to pass the assessment? If she were really capable, she should just take the warrior exam and prove herself!¡± ¡°However, Teacher Bai Chen clearly seems to care about her a lot¡­ Doesn¡¯t he usually dislike mediocre but ambitious students?¡± ¡°¡­ Who knows! We¡¯ll find out in a bit!¡± Bai Chen¡¯s expression turned cold when he heard that, and was about to explode. ¡°These kids! I¡¯ve got to¡­¡± However, Chu Liuyue shook her head with a smile. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, it¡¯s normal for people to have doubts. I¡¯ll make sure that they¡¯re silenced by the end of the exam.¡± Bai Chen felt much better when he saw how calm and confident she was. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll silence them with your prowess!¡± Bai Chen explained things to her as he looked around. ¡°Little Liuyue, there are three batches of students, and that¡¯s the way in which the exams are administered. Even though all the students are in the back mountain, they¡¯re separate. You¡¯re a new student, so you¡¯re in the lowest level. They¡¯re all over there. You just need to head there.¡± Chu Liuyue followed his gaze, then nodded. Chu Xianmin suddenly spoke up. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, why don¡¯t I show Sister the way? It¡¯s more convenient that way.¡± Bai Chen narrowed his eyes at her and laughed coldly. ¡°You?¡± He still remembered the things that Chu Xianmin and her friends had said earlier! She clearly didn¡¯t harbor any kind thoughts toward Chu Liuyue! He did not feel comfortable with that! The surrounding students looked at Chu Xianmin strangely. Why is Teacher Bai Chen treating her that way? She has always been quite popular with the teachers¡­ Chu Xianmin¡¯s face turned red as she stood awkwardly. Ling Zhu could not bear to watch it and gently said, ¡°Minmin, since she¡¯s your sister, I think it¡¯s best that you show her the way. Head over now. The exam is about to start.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over with a smile. ¡°Thank you then, Third Sister.¡± Bai Chen did not say anything on account of Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. Little Liuyue is clearly not a pushover. Chu Xianmin spaced out for an instant as she looked at Chu Liuyue, who was standing before her. It had only been a while, but Chu Liuyue seemed to look better than she did before. Her skin was fair; her eyes were kind, and her smile seemed to tug at one¡¯s heartstrings. Chu Liuyue was just standing there, but it seemed like she exuded a powerful aura that made her seem more respectable. Her eyes were like the stars in the dark night, able to illuminate everything! The discomfort in Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart grew because she already knew that Chu Liuyue looked much better than she did. She gritted her teeth, repressed all her anger and jealousy, smiled, and led Chu Liuyue forward. A lot of gazes were concentrated on them. Chu Liuyue ignored them all, gathering with the crowd. The students standing there were clearly the youngest ones. They all had silver, circular name tags on the left of their chest. There was a sword engraved on the tag, and there were words in very small font underneath the sword. Chu Liuyue glanced at it, and the words were ¡®four-hundred-and-fifty-three.¡¯ The sword was clearly Tian Lu Academy¡¯s logo, and the number was the student¡¯s class. The same tag was on Chu Xianmin¡¯s left chest. Chu Xianmin pointed in a particular direction. ¡°Sister, everyone here is taking the warrior exam. That¡¯s the Xuan Master students over there. You can head over now.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced over and saw a dozen or so students standing there, emanating a different aura. They were looking at Chu Liuyue with hostile and judging expressions. Chu Liuyue headed over. When she was three steps away, a young man stepped out and stood in Chu Liuyue¡¯s way. A cold voice rang by her ears. ¡°Not everyone can be a Xuan Master. This is not where you should be, understand?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips and looked up. The young man had a black-and-white name tag instead of a silver one. This is the logo of Xuan Masters? Chu Liuyue was a little worried. Why are kids nowadays so eager to be thrown down? Chapter 47 She looked at the young man in front of her. He looked like he was 15 or 16 years old; he was slim, handsome, and looked tidy, but his entire person exuded an arrogance that made people feel uncomfortable. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen told me to come here. Are you saying that it¡¯s Teacher Bai Chen¡¯s mistake?¡± asked Chu Liuyue lightly. The young man¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he knitted his brows. Bai Chen was one of the top Xuan Master teachers in the academy. He also held a very prominent status. Even he did not dare to offend Bai Chen. If he insisted that it was Bai Chen¡¯s fault, it would not be of any advantage to him. After a while, he sneered. ¡°Do you only know how to use Teacher Bai Chen as your shield? If you have the capability, show it. If not, no one will look up to you, even if you were admitted into the academy.¡± Chu Liuyue replied with a simple ¡®oh¡¯ before saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t that why I¡¯m here for the examination? Brother, you¡¯re blocking my way.¡± The young man choked on his words until his face turned red. He wanted to lash out at Chu Liuyue, but he did not know what to say. ¡°Si Yang, come back.¡± A crisp voice sounded at this moment. Even though the tone was calm, it had a tinge of undeniable authority. Chu Liuyue looked up and realized that the voice was from another young man standing in the crowd. Chu Liuyue raised her brows when she saw that young man¡¯s face clearly. This was because that young man was very good looking. His features were intricate as if a knife had carved them, and he looked extremely handsome. He stood in the middle of the crowd, but all the surrounding people added up were still not as attractive as him. The sun shone brightly, and the trees waved gently. He stood with his hands behind his back like a sword that was about to be unsheathed. He exuded a sharp, fear-inducing aura. The badge on his front was also black and white. He was clearly a Xuan Master. This person¡­ isn¡¯t simple, thoughtChu Liuyue to herself. When she came over previously, she did not notice this person at all. Logically speaking, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have overlooked the obvious aura coming from his body. Thus, there was only one explanation left¡ªthis young man had completely hidden his aura previously. This was sufficient proof that he was definitely not weak. As if he had noticed Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, that young man turned around and looked at her. Shock flashed across his eyes. He had seen the Chu family¡¯s Big Missy before, and he remembered that she was a cowardly weakling. Why did she seem to have changed into another person? Once the young man named Si Yang heard this voice, he tightly pressed his lips against each other and said to Chu Liuyue with a lowered voice, ¡°I¡¯ll see your true abilities in the examination later.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders and did not say anything. She was not certain if he was capable enough. However, the name ¡®Si Yang¡­¡¯ It seemed like he was someone from the Si family, which was one of the top four family clans. ¡°Big Brother.¡± Si Yang walked over to that person and became much more obedient. Chu Liuyue instantly understood. It¡¯s him. The Si family¡¯s younger generation is filled with talented individuals. The most famous amongst them is the Si family¡¯s Eldest Young Master¡ªSi Ting. He was admitted into Tian Lu Academy more than half a year ago since he was the top scholar of the Xuan Master assessment. Back then, Tian Lu Academy¡¯s teachers had complimented him and said that his potential in this area was extraordinary. They said that he would definitely be one of the best Xuan Masters in the entire Country Yao Chen in a few years¡¯ time. This had caused a big uproar back then. The praises and compliments earned by Si Ting back then were way more than Chu Xianmin, who was the top scholar in the warrior assessment. However, after more than half a year, Chu Xianmin kept improving and became more and more famous. On the other hand, Si Ting¡¯s fame seemed to have died down completely. The crowd then gradually only remembered how outstanding Chu Xianmin was. ¡°Did you study the Eight Water Formation I told you about a few days ago¡±?¡± asked Si Ting. Si Yang hurriedly nodded. ¡°Of course! You said that as long as I understand this array formation, I¡¯d have hopes of becoming a stage-two Xuan Master from stage one. Thus, I have been studying it with all my heart these few days.¡± The people around him could not help but say, ¡°Si Ting, when you were in seclusion, Si Yang has already successfully become a stage-two Xuan Master.¡± Si Yang¡¯s face broke into a smile of happiness. ¡°Big Brother, even though I can¡¯t compare to you, I didn¡¯t give up. I have also been training hard.¡± Si Ting then forced out a smile; it was like a bright moon amidst the clouds. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Si Yang suddenly thought of something and inched closer to ask, ¡°Big Brother, did you hear? I think the rewards for this examination are pretty substantial. Especially for the top scholar, it seems¡ª¡± ¡°Everyone, take your places!¡± The examiner¡¯s voice boomed before Si Yang could finish his sentence. All the students immediately quietened down at the same time. ¡°Warrior examination in the first zone! Xuan Master in the second! Heavenly doctor in the third! All examinations will proceed at the same time.¡± As he was speaking, some teachers started leading the students into the various examination zones. Chu Liuyue and the rest were quickly brought to the second zone. Some teachers were already waiting there. Chu Liuyue saw that everyone here were all Xuan Masters, no matter whether it was the teachers or the students. She turned around to look and noticed that the three assessment zones were pretty close to each other. She could even see the other zones. However, the zones were still separated, with a gap in between. ¡°Welcome to the Xuan Master examination,¡± announced a teacher standing at the front. ¡°Actually, this examination is very simple. Do you see the forest in front of you? You¡¯ll succeed if you enter from here, make it through the forest, and claim the flag opposite it.¡± Not only did the students not relax after he finished his sentence, but they all became nervous. Everyone knew that it was not so simple to pass through the forest. There had to be Xuan formations set inside. ¡°However, you must know this. You all need to complete the task individually after you enter the forest. Your results will be made invalid if there¡¯s any alliance.¡± When that teacher said this, his expression suddenly became stern. ¡°The teachers will monitor the entire examination. You better hide all the tricks that you¡¯re thinking of. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The students were all very serious. Actually, these types of rules were very normal. After all, the Xuan Master examination was targeted at an individual¡¯s capabilities. What meaning would there be if they formed an alliance? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll announce that the Xuan Master examination¡­ starts now!¡± The teacher threw something out from his hands once he finished his sentence. Peng! Bright fireworks exploded in mid-air. ¡°Run!¡± Once the fireworks sounded, people ran inside without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, their figures disappeared within the thick forest. ¡°Why are they rushing? The fastest runner won¡¯t even win in a Xuan Master assessment,¡± grumbled Si Yang as he looked at Si Ting. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯ll go first!¡± It was better for them to go their separate ways since they could not work together. Si Ting nodded. Very quickly, people left one by one. Only Chu Liuyue and Si Ting were left. Si Ting was about to start walking, but he discovered that Chu Liuyue was faster than him, so he moved three steps to the right and back. He instantly squinted his eyes. Chapter 48 The Xuan formations were already set up in the woods. The assessment started the moment they entered the woods. Before this, Si Ting had already noticed that the Xuan formation was special and that it would be troublesome to enter from this position. The academy teachers had clearly done this on purpose. Only Xuan Masters with true talent and capabilities could recognize the Xuan formation and choose to enter it from another position. This was also the reason why he did not follow those people in the first instance and chose to stay at the back. He never intended to enter from that entrance. However, he did not expect that someone else noticed this apart from him. This person was precisely Chu Liuyue, who was just admitted into the academy. Thoughts flashed across Si Ting¡¯s mind as he looked at Chu Liuyue calmly again. Is this a coincidence, or¡­ is she really capable? Chu Liuyue naturally noticed Si Ting¡¯s gaze, but she continued moving back a few steps without hesitation and opened the correct entrance to the forest. She then chose to move forward in another direction. ¡°If you wait any longer, I¡¯ll be first instead.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled at Si Ting. Si Ting was taken aback and momentarily felt that the view surrounding them had lost its color. The young girl in red seemed to have gathered all the light, becoming so dazzling that his eyes hurt. However, her pair of charming, black eyes¡ªwhich were as shiny as a gem¡ªwas even brighter than all of those. Everything around her seemed to blur, and this young girl was the only one in color. Si Ting¡¯s heart tingled as if something had glided past it. When he recovered his senses, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had already disappeared into the thick woods; he could only see the leaves waving in the breeze. Si Ting closed his eyes and calmed his beating heart. After hesitating for a while, he moved back a few steps and entered from another direction. The teachers in charge of the examination only recovered from their shock after all the students entered the forest. They looked at each other in complete disbelief. ¡°How did¡­ Chu Liuyue go inside just now? Only stage-three Xuan Masters can identify this array formation. Logically speaking, only Si Ting can find the correct way to enter. How did Chu Liuyue do it?¡± Even though Si Ting had been very quiet the past half a year, a few teachers at the academy knew that he had already become a stage-three Xuan Master a few days ago. He was not even 15 years old this year, but his talent and capabilities were unmatched in the entire Country Yao Chen. He would not even lose to his seniors. It was more than normal for him to spot the trick in the Xuan formation. However¡­ how did Chu Liuyue do it? ¡°Hah, I said that Little Liuyue is a genius, yet you didn¡¯t believe me. When the results come out, remember to glue your eyeballs to your sockets, lest they drop out.¡± Bai Chen had already walked over. He was not the teacher in charge of the examination, so he could only watch by the side and not participate personally. However, this did not stop him from coming over to watch a good show. ¡°Let me warn you first; I¡¯m first in line if Little Liuyue wants to choose a teacher. None of you can fight with me,¡± said Bai Chen animatedly. When he saw Chu Liuyue choose to enter from the correct direction, he could not help but exclaim in his heart. After the results come out, these people will definitely not treat Little Liuyue the same way. A teacher nodded. ¡°It seems like Chu Liuyue does have talent in this area. Even if she can¡¯t compare to Si Ting, she¡¯s still pretty decent.¡± They were all Xuan Masters, so they obviously could see her abilities. This was not something they could deny. ¡°Can¡¯t be compared to Si Ting?¡± retorted Bai Chen as he laughed heartily, ¡°That might not be the case.¡± Chapter 49 When Chu Liuyue entered the woods, she immediately noticed the slight change in the entire Xuan formation. It was obvious that the academy¡¯s teachers completely controlled the Xuan formation; they would be the first to know about anything that happened inside. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and paused at her original spot for a while. She then chose to progress in a certain direction after some hesitation. This Xuan formation was too simple for her. If she thought hard about it, she could use the most accurate and shortest way to get out. However, she roughly understood what kind of standards she should show to be suitable after what she went through before. Hence, she started walking through the woods slowly. Since she had already entered the academy, the rest did not really matter. As for being the top scholar¡­ Actually, she really wasn¡¯t very interested in that. She only agreed to join the examination since she wanted to let other people know that she was not easily bullied in order to save some trouble in the future. Her words before were just an act. Chu Liuyue walked in this manner for more than 25 minutes and reached a three-way path. The three paths extended into the forest in different directions. Staring ahead, she could not see anything other than thick greenery. It was time for her to make a choice. Chu Liuyue stood at the three-way path and chose the middle one after some silence. Howling winds could be heard after she stepped on this path. The trees shook intensely while the leaves shook frighteningly as they flew towards Chu Liuyue. Chuo! Chuo! The leaves cut through the wind mercilessly. Cold, murderous intent was enveloping her from all directions. However, Chu Liuyue was still calm and not shocked at all. The next moment, she went on her tiptoes and flew out rapidly, barely avoiding the leaves¡¯ attack. At the same time, two middle-aged men and an elder were sitting around at the other end of the forest. The three of them closed their eyes and meditated, looking as if they had fallen asleep. A silver Xuan formation was shining brightly in the middle of the trio. The different silver lines intersected and overlapped to form a complicated drawing. Suddenly, one of the lines vibrated intensely. One man opened his eyes and shockingly said, ¡°She already made it this far in such a short amount of time. This Chu Liuyue is really a Xuan Master talent.¡± The elder also opened his eyes and smiled as he stroked his beard. ¡°Not bad. Out of so many people, only Si Ting and she went the correct way from the very start. Even though her choices weren¡¯t as good as Si Ting¡¯s, they were still quite outstanding.¡± The last person hesitated for a while and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the girl isn¡¯t walking with much pattern. I don¡¯t think she learned about Xuan formations. She¡¯s probably just walking based on her instincts. Look, she walked the wrong way.¡± The elder squinted his eyes and suddenly asked, ¡°I remember that this Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have a good time at the Chu family, right? The Chu family wouldn¡¯t have hired a teacher for her.¡± ¡°Elder Sun, are you saying¡­?¡± Sun Zhongyan looked down at the Xuan formation and saw that the previously intensely-moving line had calmed down. He laughed with deep meaning. ¡°Even though that girl walked the wrong way, she¡¯s not injured at all. Hah, the Chu family really destroyed her talent.¡± At this time, a star lit up in the Xuan formation. Both the middle-aged men were shocked. ¡°Elder Sun, Si Ting actually found the formation eye.¡± Chapter 50 ¡°Si Ting is extremely talented and seemed to have improved by quite a bit in this period. It¡¯s not a surprise that he can find the formation eye.¡± Sun Zhongyan was not shocked and waved his hands. ¡°However, I¡¯m surprised because he always kept a low profile after he entered the academy. Why did he¡­?¡± Showing off his abilities was not Si Ting¡¯s style. ¡°Perhaps he already noticed that a worthy opponent had appeared¡­¡± muttered Sun Zhongyan. The other two looked at each other in confusion. ¡°Worthy opponent? Elder Sun, are you being serious? Out of all the students at the academy, who can pose a threat to Si Ting?¡± Outsiders might not know, but as Xuan Masters, they knew how strong Si Ting¡¯s capabilities and talents were. It was not an exaggeration to say that the seniors from two cohorts before him might not even be his match. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Si Ting¡¯s talent as a Xuan Master was a rare sight that would only appear once in 100 years?¡± Sun Zhongyan extended his finger and pointed towards the Xuan formation in the middle of the trio. ¡°Take a closer look. Even though Chu Liuyue is walking messily, she has been walking towards a certain direction.¡± The two of them lowered their heads in confusion upon hearing his words. From the position she entered the woods, she was walking all the way to¡­ ¡°Formation eye?¡± Although her process was kind of messy, Chu Liuyue was indeed walking towards the formation eye in general. ¡°How is this possible? She¡¯s not even a stage-one Xuan Master. How can she find the formation eye? She¡¯s probably just walking around based on her intuition.¡± Disbelief filled the two men¡¯s faces. Sun Zhongyan laughed. ¡°If she didn¡¯t take the wrong path at the three-way path, she would¡¯ve already reached the formation eye. Perhaps¡­ she might even be faster than Si Ting.¡± This sentence made the two men fall into deep silence. ¡°No wonder Bai Chen was so emotional just now. It looks like he really did discover a rare talent.¡± Sun Zhongyan looked at the Xuan formation excitedly, filled with curiosity about Chu Liuyue. Either she is doing this because she¡¯s unfamiliar with Xuan formations, or she¡¯s doing it on purpose to hide herself. ¡­ Chu Liuyue navigated her way through the woods. At some point, she suddenly stopped and closed her eyes to feel the Xuan formation¡¯s changes. ¡°I¡¯m finally here¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered and opened her eyes. Si Ting should have already reached the formation eye. I can now proceed on. Firstly, she had no interest and did not plan to reveal all her skills today. However, her results could not be too bad. If not, other people would still label her as a good-for-nothing. She took a deep breath, changed her direction, and walked forward. ¡­ Si Ting heaved a sigh of relief in his heart after he arrived at the formation eye and realized that nobody was there. It seemed like no one was ahead of him. Thereafter, he immediately knitted his brows. Why am I afraid that someone will be ahead of me? I¡¯m absolutely confident in myself and have never felt this way before. What is wrong with me today? Is it because of what Chu Liuyue said? Si Ting clenched his fists tighter. In actual fact, he did feel a dangerous aura from Chu Liuyue. He did not know where this feeling came from, but his gut feeling was that Chu Liuyue was not simple. Luckily, he had reached the formation eye first. Since he reached the formation eye, the competition was close to being over. Si Ting waved his palm, and a silver line flew out, forming a weird pattern in mid-air. In the next moment, the silver line vibrated intensely and disappeared. Si Ting looked at the direction the line was at and was about to go forward. Once he moved, he heard footsteps coming from behind. He instinctively turned around to look. A thin, young girl¡¯s figure entered his vision. Chu Liuyue looked up and met with his eyes. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°What a pity, I¡¯m behind you.¡± Chapter 51 Si Ting looked at the young girl in front of him, and his gaze rapidly darted across her body. Completely unharmed. It looks like she did not meet with any trouble at all. However, this is not right. If Chu Liuyue walked the wrong way in the middle, she should have activated the Xuan formation and met with some trouble. However, she looks like she was just casually walking around in her backyard. If she really did not meet with any trouble, she should have been here much earlier. At the very least, she should¡¯ve arrived here around the same time as me. However, she was late by a step. Si Ting wanted to figure something out from Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, but there was only calmness in the depths of her sparkling eyes. He could not glean anything. It seemed like nothing in this world could falter her heart. ¡°You¡¯re very fast,¡± said Si Ting simply. Chu Liuyue opened her arms. ¡°Still slower than you by a little.¡± Si Ting did not say anything else and turned around to walk forward. There is nothing difficult about this competition at all. Chu Liuyue is the only variable. However, it is clear that she doesn¡¯t intend to show off her true abilities. Thus, it won¡¯t be too late to investigate her later. Chu Liuyue also did not say anything else and continued to move forward. After passing through some place, she set her eyes on the disc-like stones beneath her feet. Who would have thought that this is the Xuan formation¡¯s formation eye? This rock that looked more than ordinary actually contained the strongest energy in the entire Xuan formation. She would not be far from the exit once she walked through this place. Si Ting¡¯s figure quickly disappeared, and Chu Liuyue followed closely after. ¡­ Si Ting walked out of the woods smoothly without any obstacles and found Sun Zhongyan and the other two teachers waiting for him there. He casually picked up the flag, and a firework rose to the sky from the chessboard at the same time. Peng! The firework exploding meant that the Xuan Master examination¡¯s top scholar had already appeared. ¡°Si Ting, you¡¯ve indeed improved by quite a bit. You only used less than an hour to get out,¡± praised Sun Zhongyan. Si Ting looked calm and clenched his fists as he bowed. ¡°Thank you, Elder Sun, for the compliment. I still have much to learn.¡± Another middle-aged man laughed. ¡°You¡¯re only 15 this year, but you¡¯re already a stage-three Xuan Master. You have a bright future ahead of you. You¡¯re well-deserving of this top position.¡± Si Ting¡¯s expression changed upon hearing his words as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words in the end. He turned around and looked at the forest. As expected, a pretty face appeared in front of him not long after. It was Chu Liuyue. The time difference between the two reaching the final destination wasn¡¯t very large. Sun Zhongyan and the other two sized Chu Liuyue up seriously. The rumored good-for-nothing young girl was actually so¡­ Chu Liuyue walked over and picked up the second flag. ¡­ When the fireworks flew up to the sky, the students still competing behind the mountains were shocked. There was an uproar in the warrior examination zone. ¡°How did the Xuan Master examination proceed so quickly? The senior sisters said that they would take hours.¡± ¡°This should be the top scholar, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still quite early¡­ Who do you think is the top scholar?¡± ¡°Who else can it be? With Si Ting around, no one else can be at the top.¡± At this point, a thick but strong voice sounded in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°First place of the 453rd Xuan Master examination¡ªSi Ting!¡± The crowd burst into commotions once the voice faded away. ¡°It¡¯s really him!¡± ¡°Based on this efficiency, Si Ting is definitely a stage-three Xuan Master, right? I thought he had died down after not hearing any news about him for more than half a year. I didn¡¯t expect him to get first secretly!¡± ¡°Yeah! I think Chu Xianmin isn¡¯t a match for his talent.¡± ¡°How can a warrior and a Xuan Master compete?¡± A few people whispered amongst themselves and kept glancing at Chu Xianmin. Chu Xianmin tolerated the stares with all her might and pretended that she did not hear them, but her fingernails were already digging deeply into her palms. Si Ting had stolen all the limelight! However, it was okay. Si Ting was part of the Si family after all. He had nothing much to do with her. As long as she destroyed Chu Liuyue today¡­ Peng! The second firework rose into the sky. The crowd was taken aback. Did¡­ the second place for the Xuan Master examination emerge? Only a short amount of time had passed since the first firework had risen into the sky. ¡°Oh my god. Who¡¯s so capable to follow closely behind Si Ting and emerge as second place?¡± Questions rose amongst the crowd. The same voice from before boomed. ¡°Second place of the 453rd Xuan Master examination¡ªChu Liuyue!¡± Chapter 52 Even though the Tian Lu Academy examinations were split into different batches and the examinations proceeded in their own separated zones, they would normally announce the top three scholars. This was a reward to the outstanding students to some extent; it would also motivate the other students at the same time. It was not surprising for Si Ting to emerge as the top scholar for the Xuan Master examination. However, how did Chu Liuyue emerge as second place? The initial noisy mountain immediately fell into deadly silence. Chu Xianmin froze, and chills ran down her spine. She seemed to lose control of her own body. Her mind was completely blank, except for that one sentence that kept ringing in her head, which almost made her brain explode. Chu Liuyue! Second place in the Xuan Master examination! How is that possible? How is that even possible? Xuan Masters were very demanding when it came to natural talent. Even she was not lucky enough to become a Xuan Master, let alone that invalid Chu Liuyue. Very quickly, the crowd broke into heated debates. ¡°Chu Liuyue in second place? Are they mistaken?¡± ¡°This is impossible, no matter how you think of it. Didn¡¯t they say that Chu Liuyue was an invalid and that she lacked in a Yuan meridian?¡± ¡°There must be a misunderstanding¡­ Even if she could pass the examination, how could she come in second?¡± One had to know that there were quite a few other outstanding Xuan Master talents attending the same examination apart from Si Ting. All of those people had trained for more than half a year in the academy. How could they lose to Chu Liuyue? Someone hesitantly said, ¡°Maybe¡­ it¡¯s really true? Perhaps she really has shocking Xuan Master talent. In that case, it would explain Teacher Bai Chen¡¯s previous attitude.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± screamed Chu Xianmin subconsciously. She only realized that she had lost her composure when everyone looked over. Anxiously, she explained, ¡°I-I mean that Sister really doesn¡¯t have a Yuan meridian. If she¡¯s talented as a Xuan Master, it¡¯s impossible that our family wouldn¡¯t know¡­ I-I don¡¯t know how she did it¡­¡± In other words, Chu Liuyue¡¯s second place came illegitimately. Someone laughed lightly. ¡°Chu Xianmin, you¡¯ve stolen the Crown Prince¡¯s affection. Even if Chu Liuyue had talent, she probably wouldn¡¯t tell you, right?¡± This sentence caused the group of people to burst out laughing. The entire Imperial City already knew about what happened at the Crown Prince¡¯s banquet. Chu Xianmin took the initiative to offer herself to attract the Crown Prince¡¯s attention, which eventually led to Chu Liuyue and the Crown Prince¡¯s marriage agreement being dissolved. How was it possible for both parties to have close sisterly bonds with such enmity? Chu Xianmin still had the audacity to act like she cared for Chu Liuyue. Her acting was really good! Chu Xianmin¡¯s face immediately flushed red, and her entire body felt like it was on fire. ¡°Chu Xianmin, did you purposely say that because you¡¯re afraid of Chu Liuyue stealing your limelight?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± denied Chu Xianmin immediately, but the mocking stares around her made her feel restless. She clenched her teeth in secret. In the past, everyone knew that the position of Crown Princess belonged to her, and they all licked her boots. They would never dare to say such words. However, her reputation was already ruined now. The status of Crown Princess would land in anyone¡¯s hands except for hers. All these people immediately fell out with her and were very sarcastic towards her. ¡°I-I just feel that it¡¯s quite weird. After all, this Xuan Master examination progressed too quickly. Nobody knows¡­¡± ¡°Chu Xianmin, are you doubting Elder Sun?¡± asked Ling Zhu with furrowed brows. Sun Zhongyan held a very respected status in the academy. Even most of the teachers did not dare to challenge him, let alone students. A chill ran down Chu Xianmin¡¯s spine, and she finally lowered her head. ¡°I-I¡­ don¡¯t dare to¡­¡± Seeing her current look, Ling Zhu shook his head silently. He initially thought that Chu Xianmin was very smart, but he did not expect her to be so petty. ¡°The semi-finals are about to start. The most important thing now is to settle yourself first.¡± Chu Xianmin nodded and took a deep breath. She could only turn the tables around if she was the top scholar for the warrior examination. ¡­ In another area behind the mountains, the 451st batch of students was having their examinations. Rong Jin stood there and checked his sword. A few youngsters behind him were filled with enthusiasm. ¡°Your Highness, it seems like you¡¯re bound to be the top scholar for the warrior examination.¡± ¡°Your Highness should be the strongest in the entire academy, right?¡± Rong Jin laughed lightly and looked into the distance. ¡°This doesn¡¯t count for much¡­¡± Peng! Another firework exploded in the air. Rong Jin took a look at it and squinted his eyes slightly. A young man beside him laughed. ¡°Just now, Si Ting already emerged as first place in the Xuan Master examination. It seems like the top scholar for the warrior examination has also emerged.¡± Another young man turned his eyes and laughed sheepishly. ¡°Yeah! I think the top scholar for the warrior examination should be Chu Xianmin, right?¡± Rong Jin paused for a while, and his face looked much gentler. ¡°She is quite talented.¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s reputation would recover slightly if she emerged as the top scholar; his face would also be saved. A deep, thick voice sounded. ¡°Second place of the 453rd Xuan Master examination¡ªChu Liuyue!¡± Rong Jin¡¯s smile froze on his face. Chapter 53 Chu Liuyue? Rong Jin almost thought that he was hallucinating her name being announced at Tian Lu Academy¡¯s examination. ¡°It¡¯s just a similar name, right?¡± said the youngsters uncertainly when they saw that Rong Jin did not look right. Rong Jin sheathed his sword; his face was as dark as coal. ¡°Go find out what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± A young man hurriedly turned and left. The remaining few looked at each other in confusion. The Crown Prince really hated Chu Liuyue and would not be in a good mood upon hearing this name. The few of them all quietened down instantly as they were afraid of angering Rong Jin. However, they were not the only ones who heard the announcement. The other students waiting for the examination had heard it crystal clear. Some of them started looking at Rong Jin discreetly, wondering if this ¡®Chu Liuyue¡¯ was the famous one in the recent rumors that spread like wildfire. ¡°Who is this Chu Liuyue? Is she a hidden gem suddenly discovered amongst the junior sisters and brothers?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve never heard of her before. However, it¡¯s not that one¡­ right?¡± ¡°Oh! I suddenly remembered something. Didn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue say she wanted to be admitted to our academy? If I haven¡¯t remembered wrongly, her admission assessment was today, right?¡± ¡°Shh! Be quiet! Don¡¯t you see how upset the Crown Prince looks? Besides, how is it possible for Chu Liuyue to be admitted to the academy? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a mistake somewhere.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s face turned even darker when he heard the whispers around him. Yes, he had almost forgotten that the only condition Chu Liuyue raised for dissolving the marriage agreement was to have one chance to be admitted to Tian Lu Academy. No, it¡¯s impossible¡­ ¡°Your Highness!¡± A shout broke the anxious silence. It was from the young man who had gone to find out more information. Upon seeing him, Rong Jin stepped forward and asked quickly, ¡°What exactly is going on over there?¡± Even he did not notice that his voice had an unconcealable nervousness. ¡°Your Highness, the second place for the Xuan Master examination on the other side is indeed Chu Liuyue,¡± said the young man while gasping for air. Rong Jin¡¯s heart sank, but he was still harboring a last bit of hope. ¡°Is there someone with this name in that batch of students?¡± In a difficult position, the young man paused for a while and avoided Rong Jin¡¯s gaze. ¡°Y-yes, there¡¯s someone called Chu Liuyue¡­¡± Rong Jin closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief secretly. There is indeed someone with the same name. Exactly, how could that Chu Liuyue be a Xuan Master? ¡°Y-your Highness¡­¡± explained the young man with a shaky voice as he knew that Rong Jin had misunderstood his words, ¡°this Chu Liuyue is that one¡­¡± Rong Jin was taken aback. ¡°What did you say?¡± The young man pulled a long face. ¡°Chu Liuyue was admitted into the academy today. She participated in the Xuan Master examination as a new student. She placed second in the examination. All the students and teachers on the other end are currently going crazy over the news. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the people here will find out about it.¡± This news would spread to everyone in less than an hour. Not only did the Chu Liuyue¡ªwho everyone could bully in the past¡ªsuccessfully enter Tian Lu Academy, but she had also come in second place during the mid-semester Xuan Master examination on the day of her admission. This would definitely rile up the entire Imperial City. Rong Jin did not recover his senses for quite some time. Then, he grabbed the young man by his collar and hollered, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? How can someone without a Yuan meridian be a Xuan Master?¡± ¡°Y-your Highness, why would I dare to lie to you? Elder Sun Zhongyan said it himself. B-besides¡­¡± He gulped down a mouthful of saliva and was on the brink of tears. ¡°That Chu Liuyue was admitted into the academy after passing all three assessment categories. Teacher Bai Chen said that Chu Liuyue is a rare genius that only appeared once every 100 years and that¡­ s-she has a very bright future ahead of her.¡± Bang! Rong Jin directly smashed him against the floor, and his face contorted. Chapter 54 What else would be more of a joke than this? During the many years when their marriage agreement existed, she was a coward and a weakling, humiliating him through and through. However, once the marriage agreement was dissolved, she suddenly turned into someone new and became a top genius, attracting everyone¡¯s envy. Rong Jin could not believe this no matter what, but he knew that the academy would not make a mistake about this. This meant that¡­ Chu Liuyue was really a Xuan Master talent. When the crowd heard the news, they were stunned, including those joking about her earlier. They only said it for fun at the start, but who knew it would come true? Some of them looked at Rong Jin with complicated gazes. How unlucky must he be to meet with such a thing? Just after he dissolved the marriage agreement, the other party became an attractive genius, and she was even a Xuan Master. An outstanding Xuan Master talent was even more precious and capable than a regular warrior talent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s life would really be flipped upside down if she had truly used her own capabilities to place second in the examination. From now on, everyone would want to ride on her coattails. Rong Jin had actually given up on such a rare Xuan Master talent that had been his fianc¨¦e and chose Chu Xianmin instead. Even though Chu Xianmin was quite talented, she was still a warrior and worse than a Xuan Master. In addition to the incidents exposed during the banquet, many people felt that Chu Xianmin was shameless and unscrupulous in her ambition to climb up the ladder. It was a miserable fight between the two of them. Some of them looked at each other quietly and whispered. ¡°Pfft¡­ If this happened to me, it would be the biggest regret of my life.¡± ¡°Exactly! She¡¯s a Xuan Master! Si Ting placed first, and she came in second not long after. Doesn¡¯t this prove that her talent is on par with Si Ting¡¯s?¡± ¡°After all, Si Ting started training when he was young, but this Chu Liuyue seemed to have been bullied all the time previously. Even though I don¡¯t know how she suddenly became a Xuan Master talent, her life is going to be very different from now on.¡± ¡°Quiet down! Can¡¯t you see how upset that person looks?¡± ¡°Who can handle this large discrepancy?¡± ¡­ Prince Li Mansion¡­ Rong Xiu lay on his long, wooden seat, and the sun shone down on him from the windows, casting his eyelashes¡¯ shadows onto his face. His clean and distinguished appearance made him look pure and innocent as if his entire person was sculpted from the purest ice in heaven. His purely red lips made him look even more attractive. He was the only color of spring in this icy world, and he was the beastliest of them all. Footstep sounds came in from outside. Yan Qing walked in and bowed. ¡°Master, I have prepared the item you chose.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lashes fluttered slightly, and he opened his eyes. A spark flashed across his bottomless eyes. ¡°The examination results are already out, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Big Chu Missy has entered Tian Lu Academy by passing all three categories,¡± said Yan Qing calmly, but the rapid beating of his heart had not been appeased. Only heaven would know how shocked he was when he received the news. Even though he had already guessed Big Chu Missy was not someone simple, he did not expect her to have hidden such skills. ¡°Also, Big Chu Missy participated in the academy¡¯s mid-semester examination. I heard¡­ she came in second place for the Xuan Master examination.¡± Rong Xiu lifted his brows. ¡°Her show-off character is such a headache.¡± Yan Qing glanced at his master, and his eyelids twitched. Headache? Then what are you laughing at? You won¡¯t even be this happy if it happened to you, right? Rong Xiu looked at Yan Qing. ¡°Yan Qing, what do you want to say?¡± Yan Qing immediately straightened his back. ¡°I wanted to say that you have good taste, Master.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s long fingers knocked on the table, and he laughed with a deep voice after a momentary silence. ¡°Since she¡¯s having so much fun, I¡¯ll let her have her fill today. Double the presents we prepared originally.¡± Yan Qing asked with slight hesitation, ¡°Then for yours¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deliver it to her personally.¡± Chapter 55 Chu Liuyue did not have a single clue about what was happening outside. The moment she picked up the flag, fireworks immediately flew up and exploded in mid-air. She raised her brows in confusion. She initially thought that only the top scholar would have such treatment, but she did not expect that second place would be announced in such a high-key manner. She purposely came in second to not get into too much trouble. However, this was not bad as well. At the very least, there would be no ignorant people that dared to cause trouble for her from now on. ¡°Are you Chu Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw a kind old man sizing her up. Behind him were two other middle-aged men. A mini Xuan formation floated beside them. She realized that these three men were the Xuan Masters controlling the Xuan formation in the forest. She bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Greetings, teachers.¡± ¡°Elder Sun is one of our academy¡¯s five most esteemed elders,¡± reminded one of the middle-aged men. Chu Liuyue immediately changed her phrasing. ¡°Greetings, Elder Sun.¡± Sun Zhongyan waved his hands and chuckled. ¡°This isn¡¯t important. It¡¯s normal for Liuyue not to know about this since it¡¯s her first time here. I didn¡¯t expect the academy to be able to accept such a talent. It was no wonder that kid¡ªBai Chen¡ªlikes you so much. You¡­ are very capable!¡± ¡®That kid¡­¡¯ It seems like this elder is pretty senior here. She did not really hear about the five elders before, but it was obvious that they held a prominent status. Chu Liuyue thought this in her heart, but her facial expression did not change. She said, in neither an overbearing nor a humble manner, ¡°Thank you, Elder Sun, for the compliment.¡± Sun Zhongyan liked her even more after hearing her words. Even though she was young, she was very calm and collected. Most of the students that came in first or second during an examination would have a hard time hiding their proud expressions even though they spoke in a humble manner. However, judging from Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm eyes, it seemed like she really did not care about it. It was either she did not know what her ranking meant, or she did not even care about the difficulty of the examination. ¡°I¡¯m not praising you. You do have the talent to become a Xuan Master. You would definitely be very different if your talent had been unearthed and cultivated earlier.¡± What is wrong with that Chu family? How can they delay such a rare talent? If Chu Liuyue did not suggest entering Tian Lu Academy herself, her talent would¡¯ve been buried for the rest of her life. The two middle-aged men beside him looked at each other and saw the other party¡¯s shocked look. Elder Sun looked kind and gentle, but he had very high expectations; it was rare for him to admire and praise students. Even though Chu Liuyue¡¯s performance was decent, Elder Sun¡¯s comments were a little too much. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°You¡¯re really thinking too highly of me. I¡¯m already very happy to be able to enter the academy and learn.¡± Sun Zhongyan stroked his beard and smiled at Si Ting. ¡°Si Ting, you need to work a lot harder from now on.¡± Si Ting tightly pressed his lips against each other and looked down slightly. ¡°I will remember your teachings.¡± It seems like Elder Sun saw something in her. There¡¯s an 80% chance that Chu Liuyue hid her true abilities during the examination. ¡°Since you¡¯ve finished the examination, come take a look at the Xuan formation,¡± said Elder Sun as he pointed at the floating silver Xuan formation. Si Ting and Chu Liuyue readily agreed and followed him over. Sun Zhongyan personally arranged this Xuan formation, and it was very detailed and complicated. One would definitely benefit a lot if they could personally examine it and learn from it. After an hour roughly passed, hurried footsteps could be heard from the woods. Chu Liuyue looked over and smiled. The person coming was actually Si Yang. The current him had his hair in a mess, and his clothes were stained with blood. It was obvious that he had a hard time inside. He looked very different from his initial arrogant expression. His gaze swept across the row of flags and discovered that there were two empty spots. This meant that only two people were ahead of him. I¡¯m third! A smile finally appeared on his face when he thought of this as he hurried over and took one of the flags. Even though the journey here was very difficult, it was worth it to get such a result. He then looked up. In the woods, one could not hear sounds that came from outside the Xuan formation. Thus, he did not know who had come in first place and second place. He looked up and saw a familiar, bulky figure. As expected, it¡¯s Si Ting. He directed his gaze to the side, and his entire person froze when he saw the pretty face. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Chu Liuyue clapped her hands and smiled happily. ¡°Third place.¡± Si Yang was completely dazed as he asked instinctively, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Because¡­ I came in second place.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a pity. You said we would battle it out on the examination grounds, but you didn¡¯t catch up with me after I waited for you for so long. Thus, I could only make a move first.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so¡­ slow.¡± Chapter 56 Si Yang was so angry that he almost burst an artery. Me. Too slow? I came in third! Such an achievement was clearly something to be proud of, but he was mocked when it came to Chu Liuyue! He couldn¡¯t even refute her because she had come in second. Even if he didn¡¯t believe it, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t have the guts to lie in the presence of Elder Sun and the others. After comparing their achievements, he felt his face burn as he recalled what he had said earlier. Si Yang clung onto his last hope as he struggled and asked, ¡°You? When did you get out?¡± If Chu Liuyue had been slightly faster than him, then¡­ ¡°The girl came within less than half an hour of Si Ting, and you arrived one hour after her.¡± Sun Zhongyan smiled. Si Yang was a good kid in all other aspects, but he could get a little too proud and full of self-righteousness. By using Chu Liuyue, he could knock down the boy¡¯s ego by a notch. Indeed, after Si Yang heard Elder Sun¡¯s words, all his lucky thoughts were dispelled instantly. He lowered his head dejectedly. If there was a crack in the ground, he would have crawled into it immediately! He looked like a joke now because he had been the one to provoke Chu Liuyue earlier. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°If you have any regrets because we didn¡¯t get to spar today, let¡¯s arrange to do it some other day.¡± Her words seemed to rouse him, and he looked at her carefully. Upon closer examination, he was amazed to see that there wasn¡¯t even a single scratch on Chu Liuyue. He had suffered during the test, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all! He gritted his teeth and turned away. ¡°No need! I admit that you are better than me in today¡¯s examination!¡± He wished he was anywhere but here when he said that. He felt disgraced. ¡°Liuyue is indeed talented in this area. You are going to be classmates in the future. It¡¯s always good to communicate more and help each other out,¡± said Sun Zhongyan. Si Ting finally drew his gaze away from the Xuan formation. ¡°I will remember Elder Sun¡¯s advice diligently.¡± Sun Zhongyan nodded. Soon, the announcement for third place sounded. This time, Si Yang¡¯s name was announced. Initially, Si Yang had been looking forward to hearing his name announced like this. However, he wasn¡¯t happy at all now that it had actually happened. He even felt an inexplicable sense of shame when he thought about being next to Chu Liuyue. She had taken second place without saying a word. So, what was the big deal about him coming in third place? He walked and stood behind Si Ting in embarrassment, not saying a word. He couldn¡¯t help himself from glancing at Chu Liuyue occasionally. He couldn¡¯t fathom why Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was being mocked by everyone in the Imperial City as a loser¡ªcould be so powerful. When she looked at him, he quickly withdrew his gaze again as though nothing had happened. His ears were getting redder and redder, revealing his guilty conscience and nervousness. After this happened several times, Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°If you have anything to ask me, feel free to do so.¡± This time, it wasn¡¯t only his ears that reddened. Si Yang¡¯s face and neck also reddened. Actually, he didn¡¯t really have much to say to Chu Liuyue. However, he was simply too curious about her. Finally, he couldn¡¯t help himself from awkwardly asking, ¡°Ehm¡­ you¡­ So many people have called you a loser. Have you been faking it?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. A few people turned towards them once he asked that. In reality, this question bugged them too. Chu Liuyue shook her head and gave a crisp answer. ¡°No.¡± Si Ting leaned forward to hear more, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t elaborate further. She obviously didn¡¯t see the need to explain. He was a little disappointed, yet he knew that this was someone else¡¯s secret. He was in no position to ask more. So, he muttered, ¡°I told you. If you¡¯ve been faking it, you could have just come in first place. I hear that this year¡¯s first place will get to meet the ambassadors from the Tianling Dynasty!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly froze, and her pupils shrank. Chapter 57 Her eyes flickered to hide the shock, but it was quickly replaced by confusion. ¡°Tianling Dynasty?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Oh, right. You used to have such a miserable life in the Chu family. It is only normal that you don¡¯t know about the existence of different levels.¡± Si Yang finally gained some internal balance. At least he knew more than Chu Liuyue in this aspect. As the descendant of the Si family, all he heard was actually a few rumors. However, this was more than what any ordinary person could hear. Chu Liuyue curled her fingers, seemingly unperturbed by his words. She smiled. ¡°What? Is that so-called Tianling Dynasty that powerful?¡± ¡°More than powerful! The whole Country Yao Chen has to look up to them. That¡­¡± Si Yang got more and more excited as he spoke. Then, Si Ting gave him a look. ¡°Si Yang.¡± Si Yang suddenly quieted down and coughed. ¡°¡­ I know, I know. I shouldn¡¯t speak about such things.¡± Chu Liuyue was silent for a moment before she asked, ¡°Earlier, you said that whoever comes in first gets to see the ambassadors?¡± Si Yang cautiously glanced at Si Ting. When the latter didn¡¯t object, he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Although we don¡¯t have the chance to go to the Tianling Dynasty, it¡¯s a great opportunity to be able to see their ambassadors too!¡± Saying that, he looked at Chu Liuyue and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s futile for you to ask. The assessment is over. You came in second, so there¡¯s no chance for you.¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes. Si Ting suddenly asked, ¡°You seem to be very¡­ concerned about this?¡± As a bystander, he saw everything clearly. Chu Liuyue seemed to be different after hearing the news. When she came in second place during the assessment earlier, she was extremely calm, as if she didn¡¯t take these things to heart at all. It was like she was just doing it casually. But just now, Chu Liuyue had asked a question casually. However, the fact that she had asked about it meant she was concerned about this. ¡°From what Si Yang said, this is a rare opportunity. If I didn¡¯t know about it, that¡¯s fine. But now that I know, I naturally want to see too.¡± Chu Liuyue looked honest, with regret in her eyes. ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± I was reborn in Country Yao Chen, which is a great distance from the Tianling Dynasty. She originally thought that it would take many years before she could go back and exact revenge on those people. However, she never expected that people from the Tianling Dynasty would come themselves! Although she wasn¡¯t sure who the ambassadors were, she would be able to find out some information at the very least. However, it was exceptionally rare for the Tianling Dynasty to send ambassadors to its subsidiary countries. At least, she had never sent anyone to Country Yao Chen during the years she was in power. What is it this time? Chu Liuyue withdrew her gaze and looked at the Xuan formation again like she was trying to comprehend it. In reality, her mind was still thinking about the ambassadors from the Tianling Dynasty. She wondered how long she would have to wait for any relevant news about the Tianling Dynasty again if she missed this opportunity. Country Yao Chen was but an unremarkable country among the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s dozens of affiliated countries. This was a rare opportunity. Her current strength certainly wasn¡¯t enough to help her exact her revenge, but¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to obtain some information! A full year had now passed since the day she ¡®died.¡¯ She wanted to know what happened after her death. Chu Liuyue was torn as though two vile creatures were fighting inside her. ¡°Brother, you must definitely tell me what it is like to meet the ambassadors!¡± Si Yang leaned closer to Si Ting with envy and yearning written all over his face. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that all of them there are top-notch powerhouses¡­ I wish I had the chance to go there to take a look in this life!¡± Si Ting smiled slightly. ¡°Your chance will come if you work hard.¡± Si Yang¡¯s eyes lit up. He nodded vigorously, but his face fell in an instant. ¡°Ugh, I wonder when that will be!¡± It took decades for Country Yao Chen to have such an opportunity. It was rare indeed. Chu Liuyue suddenly spoke up. ¡°Elder Sun, I would like to ask you a question.¡± Sun Zhongyan nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I wonder if the academy has a rule that a person can only participate in one assessment?¡± Sun Zhongyan shook his head. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be such a rule. However, there are no such precedents previously because the assessments are divided into three categories¡ªwarriors, Xuan Masters, and heavenly doctors. Each student has their own specialized discipline, so they basically only take part in the one they study.¡± He looked at the young girl before him. Suddenly, he could vaguely guess what she was thinking. ¡°You¡­ wish to take part in the other categories¡¯ assessments?¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips and smiled, her eyes brilliant. ¡°Elder Sun is wise.¡± Another teacher spoke out and expressed his objection. ¡°How can you do that? You¡¯ve already participated in the assessment for Xuan Masters.¡± Chu Liuyue was calm. ¡°Teacher, you seem to have forgotten that I just enrolled today. I¡­ haven¡¯t decided which discipline I am going to specialize in yet. This means that I¡¯m eligible for the other assessments, aren¡¯t I?¡± Her words shut everyone up. Oh, right! Chu Liuyue had entered the academy with three passes in all three assessment categories. Therefore, she could actually take the examination for any category before she decided which one to specialize in. Another teacher couldn¡¯t stop himself from commenting. ¡°B-But, you have the most talent as a Xuan Master, and you have already come in second place. You won¡¯t be able to get a better result, even if you partake in the other assessments!¡± Chu Liuyue, however, was unmoved. ¡°I won¡¯t know until I¡¯ve tried.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Si Yang was stunned for quite a while before he realized what Chu Liuyue was planning to do. He rushed to her side and shouted, ¡°I admit that you are gifted as a Xuan Master, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll have an advantage in the warrior assessment or the heavenly doctor assessment! You¡¯re going to get yourself killed. Coming in second place is good enough. Why can¡¯t you just think about it carefully? If you get beaten half to death, let¡¯s see what pride you¡¯ll have when you come back!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him with some surprise. Is this brat worried about me getting bullied? Si Yang blushed and raised his voice when she saw his embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think otherwise! You¡¯re one of us now that everyone knows you¡¯re the second-best Xuan Master! If you embarrass yourself, people will laugh at us too!¡± Putting the heavenly doctors aside, the warrior students and Xuan Master students had been secretly competing against each other. Si Yang had already recognized Chu Liuyue as one of his own. Now that he saw her like this, he naturally objected. Chu Liuyue patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back after taking first place.¡± Chapter 58 ¡°It¡¯s finally time for the final round. Minmin, you¡¯ll definitely come in first, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard you had another breakthrough a while back. We¡¯ll get to see it all this time.¡± At the warrior assessment area, the process was halfway through. They had arrived at the final stage. This was the part with the most students, almost 300 of them. However, only two of them would be able to overcome the numerous hurdles and make it through the finals. Chu Xianmin was definitely one of them. Chu XIanmin¡¯s mood finally improved after listening to the several people rallying around her. She replied modestly, ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you say. Besides, Gu Mingfeng is also very strong. I may not be able to get first place in the assessment this time.¡± Gu Mingfeng was the other finalist. He, too, came from one of the four great family clans. ¡°He is just a commoner. How can he compare to you?¡± A girl smirked. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for his little bit of talent, why would the Gu family care about him?¡± In Country Yao Chen, people still valued the hierarchy between a true-born descendant and a commoner, as well as seniority. Chu Xianmin looked at Gu Mingfeng¡ªwho was standing in the distance¡ªand realized that he was staring at her too. Gu Mingfeng was actually quite good-looking. His features were exquisite as if they had been carefully carved. However, his amber eyes, which always seemed a bit gloomy, chilled one¡¯s heart. She immediately showed her disapproval and pulled at her friend. ¡°Strength is of the essence. Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t speak of such things in the future.¡± The girl named Yan¡¯er didn¡¯t even notice Gu Mingfeng was watching them. She stuck her tongue out. ¡°So what? I am the Second Missy of the Lu family; I dare him to find trouble with me.¡± Although the Lu family couldn¡¯t be compared to the Gu family, she was, after all, the first daughter of her family! Chu Xianmin glanced at Gu Mingfeng, but he had averted his gaze and didn¡¯t seem to hear them. Gu Mingfeng definitely heard them. She had intentionally wanted to do him a favor. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to be that easy to bait. In her heart, Chu Xianmin actually despised this kind of commoner¡¯s son, so she simply stopped thinking about it. Lu Feiyan tugged at her sleeve and whispered to her. ¡°Minmin, Chu Liuyue came in second place for the Xuan Master assessment. No matter what, you mustn¡¯t lose to her. You must come in first place!¡± Chu Xianmin stiffened. She was annoyed that Lu Feiyan had been ignorant enough to touch her sore spot. She nodded reluctantly. ¡°I know what to do.¡± At this moment, a firework exploded in the distant sky. ¡°First place for warrior assessment, Rong Jin from 451st batch!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Crown Prince! The first place is really him!¡± Lu Feiyan¡¯s eyes shone as she shook Chu Xianmin¡¯s arm with joy. ¡°Minmin, His Highness is really as strong as people say he is! I heard that their batch is very competitive. It is awesome that he came in first!¡± Chu Xianmin laughed unconcernedly. ¡°Brother Jin had it at his fingertips.¡± Lu Feiyan was both envious and jealous of the intimacy between Chu Xianmin and the Crown Prince. ¡°Hey, Minmin. His Highness sees you in a different light. Will he be present for your upcoming assessment?¡± Everyone surrounding her directed their attention to Chu Xianmin. Chu Xianmin felt slightly embarrassed. If it was before, the Crown Prince would definitely be present. Alas, his attitude towards her was much colder ever since that banquet so he probably wouldn¡¯t come. She forced a smile on her face. ¡°The assessment over there has just ended. Brother Jin should still be busy and won¡¯t¡­¡± Before she had finished, she heard a familiar voice coming from afar. ¡°Minmin, why did you say that? This is your finals, so I¡¯ll definitely come.¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately looked up. The Crown Prince, Rong Jin, was headed her way while dressed in purple brocade. Chu Xianmin was filled with joy and apprehension at the same time. He must also know that Chu Liuyue has come in second place for the Xuan Master assessment. Why is here to see me instead of being angry? Rong Jin came before Chu Xianmin. His expression was one of rare tenderness. He seemed to be emphasizing something with each word when he said, ¡°You¡¯re the best. First place will most definitely belong to you, right?¡± Chapter 59 Chu Xianmin read Rong Jin¡¯s mind immediately. He had just dissolved his marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue. As a result, she had entered Tian Lu Academy and even came in second place for the Xuan Master assessment. That was equivalent to slapping his face hard! At a time like this, she must take first place in the warrior assessment to regain her pride and prove that she was truly better than Chu Liuyue. Not only did this concern her, but it also concerned the Crown Prince! That was why he came under such circumstances. He wanted to show everyone that he had nothing to lose by choosing Chu Xianmin over Chu Liuyue. Chu Xianmin knew this was her chance and promised him. ¡°Brother Jin, rest assured that I will do my best.¡± As long as she performed well today, the Crown Prince would have an out, and everything after that would be easy. Rong Jin nodded with satisfaction. What he liked most about Chu Xianmin was her intelligence; she knew the appropriate action for every occasion. The teacher-in-charge of the assessment shouted, ¡°Chu Xianmin, Gu Mingfeng, are you done with your preparations? The finals are about to begin!¡± Chu Xianmin and Gu Mingfeng heard that, and they walked towards the open space in the middle. The other students had already formed a circle, waiting for the finals to begin. The two of them naturally had the talent and strength to be able to stand out among hundreds of students. ¡°The final will determine who takes first place! The battle has no time limit and will only end when one side concedes! However, absolutely no killing is allowed during the battle! Otherwise, you will be disqualified from the competition!¡± The teacher supervising the exam raised his voice as he looked at both of them. ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°We will remember it in our hearts.¡± ¡°The match¡­ starts now!¡± With the teacher¡¯s announcement, the atmosphere at the arena immediately became serious. ¡°Please share your experience with me,¡± said Chu Xianmin politely. As her words trailed off, she was the one who quickly moved her feet towards Gu Mingfeng with a swift attack! A sharp glint flashed in Gu Mingfeng¡¯s eyes! The two were engaged in a melee battle. ¡°These two are about to advance to the fourth stage as warriors. It should be some time before the winner emerges.¡± Some teachers from the academy were among the audience. They whispered while watching the battle on the field. ¡°Chu Xianmin has been playing it safe. I think she is the stronger one. She should win.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Gu Mingfeng has been diligently cultivating recently. It¡¯s still too early to tell who will be the winner.¡± Chu Xianmin and Gu Mingfeng did not have the same teacher; naturally, they would be compared at such times. A teacher beamed. ¡°Actually, I¡¯d like to head over to Xuan Masters¡¯ assessment to watch¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Yu. Normally, there¡¯s nothing wrong with you except that you like to go where the crowd goes. The Xuan Master assessment is nothing more than a mystic formation. You won¡¯t understand it even if you went. I believe you probably want to see Chu Liuyue, right?¡± There was derision. One who had been unmasked must simply admit it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? Everyone says she¡¯s a loser, but she became a Xuan Master in the blink of an eye. Did the whole Chu family go blind and never realize she was a genius throughout all these years?¡± ¡°Yu, let¡¯s stay out of their family business.¡± At this point, everyone looked at each other. They said nothing more and quickly changed the topic to the match between Chu Xianmin and Gu Mingfeng. An hour passed, and the two were still fighting. Chu Xianmin began to panic. She realized that Gu Mingfeng was much more formidable than she expected. If they continued like this, she might not get first place! She stole a quick glance at Rong Jin, who was among the audience. Indeed, he looked sullen. Chu Xianmin gritted her teeth. This mustn¡¯t go on! I must finish it quickly. She took a deep breath, transferred all her force, channeled it into her longsword, and thrust the longsword straight ahead. Chapter 60 Gu Mingfeng raised his sword at the same time! Zing¡­ The two swords clashed with an ear-piercing sound and sparks! Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart sank. The power contained within Gu Mingfeng¡¯s sword was even stronger than hers. He is hiding his strength! Chu Xianmin began to panic even more at this thought. No way! I must not be defeated by Gu Mingfeng! I must win first place today. Gu Mingfeng pushed with his wrist again, and the longsword came crashing down on Chu Xianmin. She felt her entire arm go numb, making it difficult for her to grip the sword in her hand. Suddenly she had an idea! She loosened her grip on the sword, lowered herself, and stepped aside to avoid his sword. Gu Mingfeng initially thought she would attack again, but he didn¡¯t expect her to abandon her sword and lose her pivot all of a sudden. The longsword in his hand, which had been filled with the force, fell short! He wobbled. Chu Xianmin had circled to his side by this time. In her hand, something flashed with a biting, cold light. ¡­ A sharp dagger! By the time Gu Mingfeng reacted, the dagger was already in front of him, no more than half an arm¡¯s length from his neck! He subconsciously tried to turn his longsword around, but it was too late! In his hurry, Gu Mingfeng had to retreat quickly! However, he hadn¡¯t been able to stand firm just now, and this caused him to lose his center of gravity directly. His gaze turned icy when he looked at Chu Xianmin. How dare she use such a devious move against me! The anger burned inside him. He was about to move, but he suddenly thought of something. His expression changed, and he hesitated. No, not now. Chu Xianmin had already arrived before his eyes at precisely this moment. Gu Mingfeng secretly removed half of the force from his leg and kicked Chu Xianmin¡¯s wrist! Bang! He actually kicked her dagger away. However, Chu Xianmin was prepared and immediately used the momentum to lift her leg. Her kick landed right in the middle of Gu Mingfeng¡¯s chest. With a muffled sound, his whole body flew back, somersaulted, and hit the ground hard. It left a long trail on the ground. The crowd outside the arena quieted down. An assessment teacher shouted, ¡°Gu Mingfeng, out of bounds! Chu Xianmin wins the battle!¡± As soon as she heard that, Chu Xianmin finally set the boulder of worry in her heart down. Everyone exchanged looks with each other. ¡°This¡­ whatever Chu Xianmin did just now couldn¡¯t be intentional, right?¡± ¡°I think so. The two of them are on par when it comes to strength. How could she have lost her grip on her sword so easily? If it weren¡¯t for that, Gu Mingfeng wouldn¡¯t have missed.¡± ¡°You guys aren¡¯t jealous that Chu Xianmin won first place, are you? It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know about her talent and strength. She didn¡¯t have to resort to these tactics! The teachers also haven¡¯t said anything!¡± ¡°But it just looked a little off¡­¡± One teacher laughed. ¡°It is a competition after all. Sometimes, it¡¯s not a bad idea to be smart.¡± There were other teachers who showed their disapproval, but they didn¡¯t say anything in the end. All of them could clearly see that Chu Xianmin had pushed the envelope. Although her actions weren¡¯t very good, it wasn¡¯t a big mistake. They would encounter much more dangerous situations than this when they fought in the future. Besides, Gu Mingfeng didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of fighting for first place¡­ Hearing the teacher say all this, the questioning voices in the crowd gradually subsided. Chu Xianmin walked up to Rong Jin and said with relief, ¡°Fortunately, I didn¡¯t disappoint Brother Jin. Rong Jin smiled. ¡°Your strength has increased by so much more than before. It won¡¯t take you long to become a stage-four warrior.¡± The process didn¡¯t matter. What he wanted was the result. ¡°I promised you before that I would give you a reward as long as you could pull off a victory.¡± Rong Jin was in a good mood. He was beginning to look at Chu Xianmin much more favorably again. The position of main consort was no longer available to her, but the position of side consort was still good. ¡°Warrior assessment for the 453rd batch, first place goes to Chu¡ª¡± The assessment teacher couldn¡¯t finish the announcement. He was interrupted by a clear female voice. ¡°Wait.¡± Everyone looked toward a certain direction in unison, and they were all taken aback. ¡°Chu Liuyue, what are you doing here?¡± The teacher was initially frustrated by the interruption. But as soon as he saw Chu Liuyue, his tone became gentler. Chu Liuyue smiled and replied, ¡°I would like to participate in the warrior assessment.¡± Chapter 61 ¡°What? You want to join the warrior assessment?¡± That teacher was shocked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already participate in the Xuan Master assessment?¡± Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s my first day at school today, and I haven¡¯t chosen which aspect I want to specialize in. So, I should be given a chance to join the warrior assessment, right?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The teacher paused. ¡°It¡¯s not wrong to say that, b-but¡­ there has never been such a case before.¡± Even if a person had a lot of talent in different aspects, they would normally just choose one to specialize in. For example, someone that could become a Xuan Master would usually spend all their efforts on Xuan formations, not warrior cultivation. All humans had a limit to their energy. If they wanted both ends of the stick, they would usually end up failing to obtain both. Besides, Chu Liuyue lacked a Yuan meridian, so it would be best for her to become a Xuan Master. What made her foolish enough to join the warrior assessment? ¡°The academy doesn¡¯t have a rule that states that each student can only join one assessment. Since the girl wants to try, let her have a go.¡± That teacher looked up and was stunned momentarily before he respectfully greeted the speaker. ¡°Greetings, Elder Sun.¡± Chu Liuyue also turned around and nodded in gratitude. Originally, she planned to come on her own, but she did not expect Sun Zhongyan to follow her. It seemed like he was standing up for her. Since Sun Zhongyan had already spoken, outsiders could not stop her anymore. After hesitating for a while, that teacher said with much difficulty, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for you to join the assessment, but¡­ the assessment here has already ended¡ªthe finals are over. If you want to join the assessment, you need an opponent to determine who wins and loses. However, there isn¡¯t anyone suitable at this moment.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone suitable there?¡± ¡°Chu Xianmin?¡± With disbelief, that teacher dazedly said, ¡°You want to go against the top warrior? Are you serious?¡± Is Chu Liuyue a fool? She lacks a Yuan meridian and probably might not even be a match for a stage-one warrior. How can she possibly compare with Chu Xianmin, who is about to reach warrior stage four? Only failure will await her if she goes on to battle. Chu Liuyue paused for a while and smiled abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m serious, because¡­ I came here to be the top scholar!¡± ¡­ After the finals, the warrior assessment zone had already calmed down; many people were preparing to leave. However, they did not expect Chu Liuyue to come over to participate in the assessment and even directly challenge Chu Xianmin. The originally quiet crowd burst into heated discussions. ¡°Is this true? Chu Liuyue wants to go against Chu Xianmin?¡± ¡°Hah, did I hear it wrongly? She wants to be the top scholar?¡± ¡°My god¡­. This Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t usually talk, but she shocks everyone once she does! Does she think she hasn¡¯t proved herself enough today?¡± ¡°A battle between the sisters while the Crown Prince is at the side. How exciting!¡± If it weren¡¯t for so many people watching her at the side, Chu Xianmin would burst out in laughter. Chu Liuyue actually wants to vie for first place with me? I can¡¯t do anything to Chu Liuyue regarding anything about Xuan Masters, but she is just asking for trouble by participating in a warrior assessment. ¡°Sister, do you really want to challenge me?¡± Chu Xianmin had a belly full of jealousy and hatred yet to be unleashed, but who would have thought that Chu Liuyue would offer herself? Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°You won¡¯t fight me?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll definitely obey. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be ¡®careful¡¯ and won¡¯t hurt you, Sister.¡± As she talked, she smiled at that teacher. ¡°Teacher, please allow for this match to take place.¡± Since both of them had agreed, others would not interfere with their decision. ¡°Okay! Then, we¡¯ll add one more match. However, I¡¯ll repeat this once more: the match stops when you score sufficient points.¡± Chu Liuyue did not say anything. Rong Jin¡¯s expression was complicated as he stared at the girl not too far away from him. The once inferior girl has now become a Xuan Master talent¡­ Did she purposely come here to prove something to me? However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even look in his direction after waiting some time; she acted as if he did not even exist. An unknown fire grew in Rong Jin¡¯s heart. He turned to look at Chu Xianmin and gently said, ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t let me worry about you. I¡¯ll organize a celebratory feast for you when you get first place!¡± Chapter 62 Chu Xianmin was shocked by Rong Jing¡¯s sudden warmth towards her. The Crown Prince did like her, but he rarely used such a gentle tone with her, especially when in front of so many people. He even sounded like he was pampering her. Does this not prove that the Crown Prince is determined to marry me? Chu Xianmin was filled with elation and delight as she smiled even more sweetly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll thank you first, Brother Jin.¡± Rong Jin nodded, but the corner of his eyes quickly swept past the nearby Chu Liuyue. However, she was already walking towards the arena. She did not care about what happened between them or his actions. Rong Jin¡¯s thin lips pressed against each other tightly, and the unknown fire burned even more fiercely in his heart. Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue previously say that she secretly had a crush on me? Why does she have such an attitude now? In the past, he only had hatred towards her. The marriage agreement between the two of them was like a gigantic mountain crushing his heart, which utterly frustrated him. However, he felt like something was wrong now that she didn¡¯t bother him nor take another look at him anymore after the marriage agreement had been dissolved. He felt¡­ uncomfortable. He did not even know why he would feel this way himself, but this feeling would not go away and kept annoying him. Rong Jin quickly retracted his gaze and looked at Chu Xianmin. Suddenly, he felt very bored. But Chu Xianmin did not notice Rong Jin¡¯s changes and turned around to head for the arena. The two sisters were against each other. The atmosphere immediately started to tense up. ¡°Sister, I haven¡¯t congratulated you. I didn¡¯t know you had such amazing talent as a Xuan Master. If our family finds out about this, they will be over the moon.¡± Chu Xianmin smiled as if she was genuinely happy for her. The crowd looked at each other with confusion and doubts in their eyes. What does that mean? The Chu family doesn¡¯t know that Chu Liuyue has Xuan Master talent? Then how did she start learning how to be a Xuan Master and attain second place in the assessment when faced with such outstanding students? ¡°Don¡¯t worry; they¡¯ll find out about this very soon. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be happy, but it seems like you aren¡¯t, Third Sister.¡± Chu Liuyue was very straightforward and had no intention of faking their ¡®sisterhood.¡¯ Chu Xianmin could not maintain her facade. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re seeing yourself as an outsider by saying this. It¡¯s a good thing for the entire Chu family if you can become a Xuan Master, so why wouldn¡¯t I be happy? The more talented and stronger you are, the happier I will be as your sister. For this warrior assessment, I still need you to kindly enlighten me.¡± The crowd choked with laughter. ¡°Chu Liuyue lacks a Yuan meridian and can¡¯t even be counted as a warrior. She is bound to lose this match. How could she possibly have the ability to ¡®enlighten¡¯ Chu Xianmin?¡± ¡°Hahaha, it seems like this pair of sisters¡¯ relationship has thoroughly fallen apart.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, then¡­ I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± Before Chu Liuyue finished her sentence, she suddenly vanished into thin air. Chu Xianmin was stunned, and her heart skipped a beat. Why is Chu Liuyue so fast? A dangerous aura suddenly attacked from behind her, and Chu Xianmin instinctively turned around and drew her sword. A red figure flashed across her eyes, and Chu Xianmin swiftly brandished her sword towards the front and stabbed harshly. The sharp sword instantly cut through the person¡¯s chest. Before Chu Xianmin could be happy about it, she realized that the other party was not injured. The other party¡¯s figure had even slowly disappeared. Chu Xianmin immediately felt that something was amiss. That wasn¡¯t even Chu Liuyue. It was her shadow! ¡°You¡¯re too slow.¡± A cold voice sounded. Chu Xianmin looked up and saw Chu Liuyue already standing three steps away and looking at her nonchalantly. Chu Liuyue gazed at her as if she were looking at a tiny ant. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze made Chu Xianmin feel inferior for some reason. ¡°What happened just now?¡± The spectators watching the battle also did not expect Chu Xianmin¡¯s attack to miss. They looked at each other in confusion. The few teachers¡¯ expressions changed slightly. When they looked at each other, they saw the shock in the other party¡¯s eyes. ¡°How can Chu Liuyue be so fast? It looks like she¡¯s not weaker than a stage-three warrior.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not even a warrior. How can she have such ability?¡± At this point, Bai Chen could not help but raise his brows in delight. ¡°Hehe, why don¡¯t you think about it carefully? What¡¯s so surprising about Little Liuyue having such ability if she could pass the warrior examination?¡± The few teachers were stunned when they heard his words. That was right! Chu Liuyue had passed all three categories in the entrance examination. This proved that her own capabilities were comparable to that of a stage-three warrior. Seeing their expressions, Bai Chen unleashed the anger in his heart. ¡°Did you think that I purposely made it easy for Little Liuyue to enter our academy?¡± The few teachers kept quiet for a while before shaking their heads since they knew Bai Chen was someone with integrity and honesty. He definitely wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. ¡°Hehe, let me tell you that an exciting show awaits at the back!¡± This group of people doesn¡¯t know how to think on their feet. They will start regretting it when they see that girl¡¯s true potential. ¡­ No! It should not be like this! Chu Xianmin clenched her teeth tightly. Chu Liuyue is just a loser, and I¡¯m about to become a stage-four warrior. How can I not be Chu Liuyue¡¯s match? T-that¡­ was just a mistake on my part previously. Chu Xianmin did not say a word as she circulated the force in her body and infused it into her longsword. Weng! Weng! The sharp sword started vibrating and made frightening sounds. ¡°Go!¡± Chu Xianmin stood on her toes and swiftly attacked Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked up. The sharp sword was coming right for her. Her hair flew along with the wind. ¡°Chu Liuyue won¡¯t be able to avoid it this time¡­¡± said someone softly in the crowd. However, the next second, the crowd shockingly discovered that Chu Liuyue did not retreat but had even advanced. Chu Liuyue took a step forward and planned to face the attack head-on. The most important thing was that she had no weapons on her. Was she going to fight Chu Xianmin with her bare hands? She was bound to lose if that were the case. Chu Xianmin¡¯s longsword was only half an arm away from Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. Chu Xianmin suddenly had an evil thought as she stared at the face getting increasingly closer. Her face really is getting prettier. If I can ruin it once and for all, Chu Liuyue will not be so arrogant in the future. When Chu Xianmin thought of this, her wrist tilted slightly, and the sword¡¯s blade moved an inch away, heading straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Murderous intent flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. She spun around and bent her left leg slightly as her right leg flew up and went straight for Chu Xianmin. Bang! Chu Liuyue directly kicked Chu Xianmin¡¯s wrist with her foot. Chu Xianmin felt excruciating pain as she yelled out loud. Before she could react, Chu Liuyue had already rapidly closed in on her. Chu Liuyue turned around, and her left leg went flying out. This time, she kicked Chu Xianmin¡¯s face directly. A silver light flashed across, and fresh, red blood gushed out. Chu Xianmin¡¯s face instantly had several deep cuts. Chapter 63 ¡°M-My face!¡± Chu Xianmin felt that something was amiss and immediately touched her face. Her hand felt sticky. That excruciating pain made her heart tremble. Chu Liuyue actually ruined my face! Anger erupted from the bottom of her heart, and Chu Xianmin threw away the last bit of her rationality. She quickly looked at the bottom of Chu Liuyue¡¯s foot. As expected, a few very sharp blades were hidden underneath. Chu Liuyue used this to cut her face just now. There was an 80% chance of her face being scarred. While covering her face in a hurry, she questioned with a shaking voice, ¡°Chu Liuyue! What hatred do you have towards me for you to harm me like this?¡± Chu Liuyue calmly glanced at the sword she dropped on the floor. ¡°Weren¡¯t you planning to disfigure me first?¡± Chu Xianmin was instantly stumped and felt guilty. Actually, it all happened in a single moment. When she decided to leave a scar on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, she only shifted her wrist slightly. If one did not observe the battle closely, they would not have noticed that something was wrong. However, Chu Liuyue had accurately guessed her intentions. ¡°No, I-I didn¡¯t! W-We¡¯re only dueling, so why would I do such a thing? You! It¡¯s you! You wanted to do this much earlier, right? If not, why would you react so quickly?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly as she mocked Chu Xianmin mercilessly. ¡°I¡¯m fast because I¡¯m stronger than you. You should¡¯ve known this from the start, right?¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s anger was stuck in her chest; she felt so uncomfortable that she was about to explode. She had no way of retorting Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. Chu Liuyue was indeed very fast when the two of them first exchanged blows. However, how could Chu Xianmin be calm with her possibly disfigured face? Murderous intentions rose in Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Chu Xianmin screamed and rushed towards Chu Liuyue. Even though her face was harmed, she still had her abilities¡ªwhich exploded at the highest speed with her current agitation. Even the Heaven and Earth Force in the surroundings seemed to have converged towards her body. In a short span of time, Chu Xianmin¡¯s aura became even stronger. ¡°Stars and Sky Fall!¡± The next moment, red force quickly gathered in her hands and formed burning fireballs. She harshly flung the red balls out afterward. The balls burned brightly in the air and headed straight for Chu Liuyue. The strong force was hurled towards the front at a high temperature, leaving the ground with long scorch marks. ¡°She truly is about to become a stage-four warrior. She can actually forcefully expand her warrior skills now. It seems like she¡¯ll still win this battle in the end¡­¡± said a teacher softly. All of them had seen Chu Xianmin¡¯s talent for themselves. If not, she would not have come in first place during the warrior assessment. Bai Chen sneered. ¡°Not to mention the fact that she isn¡¯t a true stage-four warrior yet, she might not even be Little Liuyue¡¯s match even if she were.¡± This sentence immediately attracted the teachers¡¯ attention. ¡°Bai Chen, why do you think so highly of Chu Liuyue? You need to know that it¡¯s a huge jump from warrior stage-three to warrior stage-four. An ordinary person can¡¯t casually overcome this gap.¡± ¡°Considering Chu Liuyue¡¯s previous reaction and moves, she should¡¯ve undergone some simple training. Her talent as a warrior is proven since she can execute such moves, but it¡¯s a pity that she has a lacking Yuan Meridian and is helpless in front of such warrior skills.¡± Bai Chen could not be bothered to speak to them. Even if Chu Liuyue really can¡¯t become a true warrior in the future, the capabilities she has are more than enough to go against a mere Chu Xianmin. The scene of the entrance examination appeared in his brain once more. He could still vividly remember that moment he felt his life being threatened when he fought against Chu Liuyue. In the arena, Chu Liuyue did not appear anxious in front of Chu Xianmin¡¯s unleashed powers¡ªwhich were in an uncontrolled state. She even raised her brows and laughed instead. ¡°Since you told me to enlighten you, watch closely. This is how you use a sword!¡± As Chu Liuyue said that, she rapidly stepped forward, lifted the sword with her foot, and quickly caught the handle. ¡°How fast!¡± The crowd gasped. Chu Liuyue¡¯s action just now was even faster than her previous moves. Compared to her, Chu Xianmin seemed like she had purposely slowed down her movements. Chu Liuyue spread her legs as she got into a stance and bent her knees slightly. Her muscles tensed up and gathered all the energy to be unleashed. She tightly held the sword in her hand and suddenly raised her arm when the fireball of force was about to reach her. The sword was high in the air, and the cold light was harsh. Shua! Chu Liuyue cleaved down without hesitation. This move was executed at the speed of lightning. The crowd did not even see Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions clearly, and only saw the gleam of a blurred silver shadow. They then heard a frightening sound of air being pierced through. The next moment, that silver shadow cut right through the middle of the red fireball. This all happened in just a moment¡¯s worth of time. To the crowd, Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword cleave did not have any effect at all. That frightening fireball of force was still flying towards her rapidly. Chu Xianmin sneered. ¡°With your abilities, you must be dreaming if you think you can stop my attack.¡± A loser who can¡¯t even be considered a warrior might not even know what warrior skills are. Chu Liuyue will be handicapped with this one move, if not dead. However, Chu Xianmin¡¯s smile froze the next moment because that fireball had actually stopped one arm away from Chu Liuyue. After a momentary silence, it suddenly exploded. Hong! The fireball exploded into countless sparks. The energy within the ball also quickly dissipated. When the scattered sparks were about to land on her body, Chu Liuyue raised the sword once again, tilted her wrist, and sliced the front. The strong sword power immediately erected an invisible shield in front of her, blocking all of the aftereffects. The countless sparks fell around Chu Liuyue like the beautiful stars in the night sky. However, her body was clean and did not even get dirtied by a single speck of dust. Her pair of dark eyes seemed to shine even brighter. Everyone was stunned! If they did not see it with their own eyes, they would never believe that Chu Liuyue could actually block Chu Xianmin¡¯s warrior skills with a sword. Chu Xianmin was shocked beyond words as her eyes widened; she had even forgotten about the excruciating pain on her face. She looked at Chu Liuyue in a daze, and her mind was blank. Chu Liuyue suddenly threw the sword towards Chu Xianmin the next moment. The harsh murderous intentions came from all directions, wrapping around Chu Xianmin tightly. The indescribable, deep fear made Chu Xianmin¡¯s body go soft, and she could not retaliate. Choo! The longsword flew past the top of Chu Xianmin¡¯s head and instantly cut off a part of her scalp. ¡°Ah!¡± Chu Xianmin screamed and instantly collapsed onto the floor. I-I¡­ almost died just now! ¡°Your reaction speed is too slow! You¡¯re too slow, and your moves are too clumsy! It seems like you¡¯re not very good yourself.¡± A harsh and cold voice sounded from above Chu Xianmin¡¯s head. Chu Xianmin trembled as she raised her head and saw that the weak girl she had trampled on so many times before had completely changed her look. It was as if Chu Liuyue had superior powers that no one could ever obtain, which humbled people and made them admire her from their hearts without any tinge of defiance. ¡°Third Sister, are you pleased with this enlightenment?¡± Chapter 64 Chu Xianmin¡¯s entire body trembled, and her face was pale as if she had just seen a ghost. Her lips moved slightly, but she could not say a word. The sword had previously flown right across the top of her head. If it had deviated slightly, she would have died. Everyone had their mouths agape. Since when did Chu Liuyue become this strong? ¡°Her sword had force in it!¡± muttered a teacher in shock. If not, there would be no other explanation for why the sword had such tremendous strength. Chu Xianmin¡¯s abilities were nearing that of a stage-four warrior. An average person definitely couldn¡¯t push her to this stage. ¡°This means that¡­ She has a Yuan meridian!¡± All the other teachers looked at each other in confusion, and their eyes filled with doubt. ¡°No wonder¡­¡± Bai Chen let out a deep breath. When he first exchanged blows with Chu Liuyue, he already felt that something was amiss. In hindsight, this seemed to be the only explanation. ¡°It seems like this girl has many tricks up her sleeve¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan was dazed for a moment before he smiled. He looked at Chu Liuyue with shock and admiration. Even he did not feel that anything was wrong. If Chu Liuyue had not battled Chu Xianmin, nobody would have known when the public would find out about this secret. ¡°What happened? I thought Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have a Yuan meridian.¡± The crowd¡¯s shock could not be appeased. ¡°If Chu Liuyue is a warrior, why did nobody notice her?¡± If Chu Liuyue showed a trace of her force movement before, the others would definitely notice it. Chu Xianmin would also not be so arrogant and lose this badly. Sun Zhongyan looked at Chu Liuyue calmly and stroked his beard with a smile before saying, ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s still not a warrior.¡± ¡°What?¡± The teachers were stunned when they heard his words. ¡°The Heaven and Earth Force her body has absorbed is plentiful, but she did not take that final step to become a true warrior. That¡¯s why no one noticed her.¡± Ling Zhu sighed softly and looked at Chu Liuyue with a completely different gaze than before. She is so young, but she already knows how to keep a low profile. Her mindset is already much stronger than that of other people her age. ¡°However, Director had once checked for her before, and she really did not have a Yuan meridian. Why¡­?¡± ¡°I heard that Chu Liuyue bought numerous herbs from Zhen Bao Pavillion after she sold the Crown Prince¡¯s hunting ground earlier on. This piece of news spread like wildfire back then. Could it be that was when she recovered her Yuan meridian?¡± ¡°However, there are only a few heavenly doctors in the entire Country Yao Chen. Who has such capabilities?¡± In their eyes, recovering a Yuan meridian was an impossible task. However, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho stood in front of their eyes¡ªwas living proof. They had to believe it. ¡­ ¡°Surrender or continue?¡± asked Chu Liuyue nonchalantly in the arena as she looked down at Chu Xianmin from above. Continue? Once Chu Xianmin heard that, her body started shaking violently. The excruciating pain on her face and head kept reminding her of what happened previously. If she continued¡­ her entire body would probably be destroyed by Chu Liuyue. However, she would be indignant until death if she surrendered to Chu Liuyue. Chu Xianmin raised her head slowly and looked at Chu Liuyue standing in front of her. The young girl¡ªwho was once trampled on, played with, and bullied by her¡ªcurrently stared straight down at her from a high position. Chu Xianmin never imagined that such a day would come. If she surrendered, Chu Liuyue would get first place. She would easily win everything. Two strong opposing forces in Chu Xianmin¡¯s body were tearing her apart crazily, making it hard for her to decide. ¡°Then we¡¯ll continue,¡± said Chu Liuyue. She did not have that much patience to wait for Chu Xianmin¡¯s answer, and she raised her right hand. ¡°I surrender! I surrender!¡± yelled Chu Xianmin out loud as if she was agitated greatly. At the same time, she swiftly moved backward and stared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s right hand in horror as if she were avoiding a humongous beast. Chu Liuyue shifted the loose strands of her hair behind her ear with her right hand and chuckled. ¡°Why are you nervous? I said I only wanted to come in first place during the assessment.¡± As she was talking, she looked at the supervising teacher at the side. ¡°Teacher, can we announce the results now?¡± The teacher was dazed when he saw everything happening in front of him. He only recovered his senses when Chu Liuyue spoke to him. Even if he had never thought of this scenario in the past, the truth was right before his eyes. He gulped some saliva down with much difficulty before saying, ¡°Chu Liuyue, first place in the 453rd Warrior Assessment.¡± Chu Liuyue came in first place! The teacher¡¯s voice immediately spread far and wide, echoing throughout the mountains. It entered everyone¡¯s ears crystal clear. Chu Xianmin¡¯s face immediately darkened, and her ears drooped down instinctively. It¡¯s over¡­ ¡­ ¡°The people in the Chu family are such fools! They will immediately regret this once they hear this news,¡± said a teacher while shaking his head. Everyone saw the battle between Chu Liuyue and Chu Xianmin clearly. They all knew who the stronger one was. Chu Liuyue had also attained second place in the Xuan Master assessment. Only a few people in the entire Country Yao Chen had such Xuan Master and warrior talent at the same time. This type of person would be lovingly doted on in any household, but how did the Chu family treat Chu Liuyue all these years? They allowed her to be bullied and insulted by anybody and everybody. Bai Chen chuckled and touched his chin. ¡°Pfft, I¡¯m afraid someone else will be the last to regret.¡± When the teachers beside him heard that, they instantly looked in a certain direction as if they understood each other¡¯s thoughts. They did not forget that another key person was here¡ªCrown Prince Rong Jin! Of these two sisters, one was the fianc¨¦e he abandoned, while the other was the new love he doted on. One sister got rid of her ¡®good-for-nothing¡¯ name with one move and became the talented one that everyone admired. The other sister¡¯s reputation was ruined, and she had even lost to the other party in the competition she was most confident in. Who would not regret when they realized they treated the dirt as treasure and had thrown the real treasure away? Rong Jin stood rooted to the ground, and his entire person became as stiff as an ice statue, exuding a cold and harsh aura. His face was expressionless, just like the frozen floor¡ªhard and stiff. Only the hands in his sleeves were tightly clenched together as if he was about to crush something to death. This entire battle didn¡¯t even take half an hour. The conversation he previously had with Chu Xianmin still seemed to be echoing throughout the mountains, but Chu Liuyue had already given them a tight slap. On the arena, Chu Xianmin remained collapsed on the floor, letting her mucus and tears flow on their own as her face was badly mangled. A part of her scalp was even sliced off, making her look extremely ugly and disgusting. However, Chu Liuyue was completely unharmed and looked just like the sun high up in the clouds as she stared down at them with her lips curved up into a gentle smile. She looked very beautiful. The people around Rong Jin were all as quiet as mice. They did not dare move an inch, nor did they dare to look at his current expression. However, Rong Jin could still feel countless gazes landing on him. Mockery, teasing, and contempt¡ªChu Liuyue was the cause of all of this. However, the culprit was already descending from the arena and did not even look in his direction. He swiftly went forward, blocked Chu Liuyue¡¯s path as if he could not control himself, and questioned her harshly. ¡°Did you lie to me on purpose? You were acting on the day of the banquet. You purposely wanted to dissolve the marriage agreement between us, right?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Crown Prince, how could you say that? You were the one who wanted to dissolve the marriage agreement.¡± Rong Jin was instantly stumped since he was indeed the one who made the request. However, how was he supposed to know¡­ ¡°I think you can save your efforts in preparing a celebratory banquet for my third sister.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile became even more mesmerizing as she genuinely said, ¡°However, I still need to give my blessings to both of you. I hope both of you will grow old together and build a wonderful family.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s anger was stuck right in his throat. Chapter 65 On purpose! Chu Liuyue did it on purpose! Rong Jin was not a fool and understood everything after seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s present attitude. She wanted to dissolve the marriage agreement a long time ago. If not, why would she even sell the hunting ground on her own and trigger the entire series of events? Rong Jin looked at the smiling young girl in front of him, and her eyes were sparkling brightly as if she long knew this day would come. ¡°If Your Highness doesn¡¯t have anything else to say, I¡¯ll take my leave,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she walked by him. There were no signs of reminiscence or regret from the start till the end. Rong Jin¡¯s heart was harshly pricked as if he had suddenly lost something important at this moment. Rong Jin clenched his fists tightly and relied on his last bit of rationality to prevent himself from rushing over to hold her back. What position did he have now? Everyone was taking him as a laughingstock. ¡°Brother Jin¡­ Brother Jin¡­ Please help me¡­ I¡¯m in pain. Brother Jin¡­¡± Chu Xianmin miserably cried while she stared at Rong Jin as though she was looking at her last straw of life. She wanted to walk towards Rong Jin, but her body was paralyzed. She laid on the floor uncontrollably and could not use any of her body¡¯s strength. She suddenly fell on the floor again after struggling for a while, and her body was dirtied with dust and dirt. Together with her messy hair, frightening wounds, and bloodstains, she looked as creepy as a scary ghost. Chu Xianmin currently no longer looked like that talented young girl¡ªwho was once proud and highly sought after. Many people looked at her with contempt. ¡°Pfft, Chu Xianmin has completely lost the match.¡± ¡°Hehe, didn¡¯t you like her a lot in the past? Why are¡­?¡± ¡°Pui! I don¡¯t dare to like such a pompous woman. Her reputation is completely ruined. She will never have good days like before, no matter whether it¡¯s in the academy or the entire Imperial City.¡± ¡°If not, how could she attract the Crown Prince? There are too many women in the Imperial City who want to suck up to the Crown Prince. However, Chu Xianmin is the most¡ªand only¡ªsuccessful one. The Crown Prince¡¯s taste is pretty feisty¡­ Hahaha!¡± ¡°Hey, do you think the Crown Prince will still marry Chu Xianmin after today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Crown Prince will marry her. I only know that Chu Liuyue will immediately become the most sought after distinguished woman in the entire Imperial City after today. Now that she has regained her freedom after dissolving her marriage agreement with the Crown Princ, the Chu family¡¯s gate will definitely be struck until it¡¯s broken. Besides, she¡¯s originally a very pretty girl. She is also talented, both as a warrior and a Xuan Master.¡± The whispers started spreading. Rong Jin¡¯s body suddenly became cold. At the same time, he felt as if lava was rolling around his chest, burning him. It was like he would explode in the next second. Rong Jin glared at Chu Xianmin with a deadly gaze filled with hatred. ¡°Someone! Bring her away and let her rest!¡± commanded Rong Jin while grinding his teeth. Someone immediately stepped forward from behind Rong Jin and carried Chu Xianmin away. When Chu Xianmin passed by Rong Jin, Chu Xianmin stretched out her hand, seeking some comfort from him. ¡°Brother Jin, Bro¡ª¡± Rong Jin glared at her warningly. ¡°You should rest and recuperate during this period. Don¡¯t come out if you have nothing to do. Do you understand?¡± Rong Jin had never directed such a cold and nonchalant gaze at Chu Xianmin. He looked at her as if she was useless trash. Chu Xianmin started shaking and retracted her hand fearfully, suppressing the horror and indignance in her heart. ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡°Little Liuyue, way to go! I said you were a rare talent, yet those old fellows didn¡¯t believe me!¡± On the other end, Bai Chen had already rushed to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and excitedly raised his chin toward that group of teachers. ¡°Do you have anything else to say about her results? Second in the Xuan Master assessment and first in the warrior assessment!¡± The teachers looked at each other and laughed helplessly. Capabilities would forever be the most powerful evidence. If they did not see it for themselves, they would never believe that the once good-for-nothing Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was mocked by the entire Imperial City¡ªcould actually have such skills. Sun Zhongyan smiled and shook his head. ¡°Okay, Bai Chen. From now on, nobody will suspect that you purposely made it easy for Liuyue to get in. On the other hand, people will praise you for not making the academy lose a true talent.¡± Thinking of his previous stony attitude towards Chu Liuyue, Bai Chen immediately felt guilty and scratched his head. ¡°Pfft, that was nothing much! The main point is that Little Liuyue is outstanding herself!¡± The way many students gazed at Chu Liuyue now had already changed from their initial contempt to their current curiosity and admiration. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, tell us what exactly happened at the entrance examination!¡± shouted a student suddenly. This sentence garnered several screams from the crowd. ¡°Yeah! Tell us!¡± ¡°How exactly did she pass all three of the examination¡¯s assessments?¡± Bai Chen playfully scolded, ¡°Are you guys trying to start a revolt? I¡¯m a teacher, not a storyteller! The incident is already spreading like wildfire in public. Go and find out for yourself!¡± The crowd burst into laughter. ¡­ Chu Xianmin only felt that this laughter was very harsh to her ears. At a point in time, she was in the limelight, and she was the one that everyone envied. However, Chu Liuyue had completely replaced her now. Chu Liuyue had even attained more than what Chu Xianmin originally had. And her? Now, she could only be carried away from the arena and leave doggedly, miserably, and pitifully. She closed her eyes with much hatred and almost crushed her silver teeth. Chu Liuyue, it¡¯s not over between us! Rong Jin was also in an equally awkward position as Chu Xianmin. He stood rooted to the ground and felt even worse when he heard the bustling laughter. ¡°I still have something to do in the palace. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Rong Jin turned around to bow to Sun Zhongyan and the rest of the teachers before leaving at lightning speed. He did not turn back even once. ¡­ ¡°Liuyue, it¡¯s your first day in the academy. Since you passed all three of the entrance examination¡¯s assessments, you can choose whichever one you want to specialize in. Since you¡¯ve participated in two assessments, I think you should have a deeper understanding of those two aspects. Have you thought about which you would like to specialize in?¡± asked Sun Zhongyan. Once he said this, the crowd instantly quietened down and looked at Chu Liuyue curiously. Bai Chen gulped down a mouthful of saliva nervously. He originally thought that Chu Liuyue had the most talent as a Xuan Master. However, he now understood that Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian was completely fine after the earlier battle and that she also had outstanding cultivation talent as a warrior. She had no obstacles in front of her. A bright future laid ahead of her, no matter which path she chose. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I choose¡­ Xuan Master!¡± ¡­ The Chu family estate. In the living room, all the seats were filled up. All the distinguished members of the Chu family were gathered in one place. Suffocating silence filled the spacious living room. Everyone sat quietly, and their expressions were strange. They came here upon hearing the news, so they knew why they had gathered here. Finally, Third Elder stroked his beard and said, ¡°The news has spread throughout the entire Imperial City, and many people have sent numerous gifts over¡­ According to the rules, we should celebrate Liuyue¡¯s entry into Tian Lu Academy¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to celebrate?¡± First Elder looked terrible and slammed the table harshly. ¡°We first need to punish her for lying and hiding the truth from her elders when she comes back!¡± Chapter 66 Third Elder Chu laughed in response. He asked with interest, ¡°First Elder, you must be joking. Liuyue¡¯s acceptance to Tian Lu Academy has brought the whole Chu family honor. Why do you want to punish her instead?¡± Everyone in the hall fell into a more awkward silence. If it were any other child of the Chu family who had gotten into Tian Lu Academy, they would definitely be exhilarated. However, this person happened to be Chu Liuyue¡ªthe person the entire Chu family had bullied for over a decade! The better she was now, the more embarrassing it was for the Chu family! She became living proof, showing everyone how blind the Chu family had been all these years. Since the whole Imperial City had learned of this matter, the family wondered how many people would be laughing behind their backs, even if they came to offer their congratulations! How many people were waiting to see them make a laughingstock of themselves!? First Elder was irate. ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason to discipline her! Clearly nothing was wrong with her! She¡¯s even quite talented, yet she pretended to be a good-for-nothing and deceived the entire Chu family. Now that she¡¯s basking in the limelight, where does that leave us?¡± Chu Yan suppressed the anger in his heart and seriously said, ¡°First Elder is right! I didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to have such deep thoughts, but I absolutely believe that she did this on purpose today!¡± He had been out dealing with things today, but he immediately rushed back when he heard the news. At the moment, all he could feel was extreme hatred and resentment toward Chu Liuyue. Not only did she get herself into Tian Lu Academy, but she even participated in the mid-term examinations! She came in second place for the Xuan Master examination while taking first place for the warrior examination! Chu Liuyue had completely surpassed Minmin. How could Chu Yan accept this? ¡°If all the children in the Chu family follow her example and behave like her, the Chu family won¡¯t exist in the future.¡± When everyone in the hall heard what Chu Yan said, they exchanged looks among themselves. Each of them wore a different expression. Chu Yan seemed to speak for the entire Chu family. In reality, everyone knew he was taking this opportunity to exact his own private wrongs. He was extremely proud of his daughter, Chu Xianmin, for being the family clan¡¯s most outstanding daughter. However, Chu Liuyue had outshone and defeated Chu Xianmin. How could he wholeheartedly accept it when he might even be plotting to kill Chu Liuyue? The Third Elder sipped his tea leisurely. ¡°Outsiders might not know whether there¡¯s an actual problem with Liuyue¡¯s body. However, as members of the Chu family, we should know better. At that time, His Majesty asked several people to diagnose her, and all of them said she had a defective Yuan meridian. When our family clan tested her a few years ago, we also detected no force in her body. First Elder, you say she has deceived us all, then are you suspecting that all those people lied as well?¡± The First Elder turned pale. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that!¡± He couldn¡¯t afford to mess with those people, who were of prestigious status. If word got out, he wouldn¡¯t have an easy time dealing with them. Chu Yan refused to give up. He snorted coldly and said, ¡°Of course, those guys can¡¯t be wrong with their diagnoses. Chu Liuyue is the only one at fault! According to Third Elder, she previously had a defective Yuan meridian. So, how did she manage to turn herself into a genius in the blink of an eye? She never said anything about what happened in between! If she hadn¡¯t gone to Tian Lu Academy and taken the exams today, there¡¯s no telling when this would have been discovered!¡± The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. In fact, this was what confused them the most. What really happened to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body for her to experience such a huge and abrupt change? ¡°Could it be¡­ those herbs she bought some time ago?¡± someone whispered with uncertainty. ¡°After the herbs were delivered, Chu Liuyue handled everything by herself. Are you trying to tell me that she repaired her own Yuan meridian?¡± First Elder was furious, but he only laughed at the absurdity! During that period of time, he had sent his men to monitor Chu Liuyue and her father in secret. However, his men never saw anyone enter their courtyard. Nobody could repair her Yuan meridian in the whole Country Yao Chen, so how could she manage to do that on her own? Either fate decided to give her a chance, or someone more powerful was secretly helping her! Whatever the reason behind her change, he was going to dig it up! ¡°The family head is still in seclusion, so I will handle all of the Chu family¡¯s matters. When Chu Liuyue returns, immediately bring her here for interrogation!¡± First Elder¡¯s eyes swept across the great hall, looking at everyone with authority, and finally landed on the Third Elder. ¡°The family head entrusted the whole family to me. Naturally, I have to be responsible for everyone. Chu Yin, you have been opposing me all this while. What exactly are your intentions?¡± The Third Elder sneered inwardly. He thought of how shameless this old thing had gotten! He is indeed a lawless man without his master! Chu Yin relaxed, leaned back in his chair, and said, ¡°First Elder, you misunderstood me. I am not opposing you. I just feel that there aren¡¯t many from the Chu family¡¯s younger generation that can show their skills. We finally have Chu Liuyue¡ªa top genius warrior and Xuan Master, who has been favored by Tian Lu Academy¡¯s teacher¡ªand her future is limitless. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she is the Chu family¡¯s future face. There should be a limit to the questioning, interrogation, or punishment, even if First Elder wishes to do so. Of course, considering how wise and devoted you are to the Chu family, you will definitely not do anything excessive. Right?¡± First Elder was choked beyond words. Finally, he swung his sleeves furiously. ¡°That goes without saying!¡± At this moment, a pageboy suddenly burst through the door in a flurry. ¡°First Elder! Big Missy has returned!¡± First Elder reprimanded him furiously. ¡°She¡¯s already back! Why are you panicking?¡± He looked up, towards the outside. ¡°Where is she? Tell her to come see me at once!¡± The pageboy threw himself onto his knees, looking flustered and helpless as he stammered, ¡°I-It¡¯s¡­ it¡­ Big Missy is back, b-but she¡¯s standing outside the front door. She refuses to come in!¡± ¡°What?¡± First elder frowned. ¡°What is she trying to do now? She won¡¯t come in, so we have to go invite her in?¡± All these years, Chu Liuyue had been a coward in the Chu family. Though she had just been accepted into Tian Lu Academy, she became so arrogant! He gave a low grunt and looked at the crowd. ¡°How is this not an issue? Look at her! She¡¯s already putting on airs!¡± The crowd in the hall had mixed reactions. Third Elder asked, ¡°What did she say?¡± The pageboy wiped the sweat from his brow. ¡°Missy s-said¡­ she wants you to go out and see her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s rebelling!¡± First Elder slapped the table when he heard that. ¡°Who does she think she is?¡± Third Elder stroked his beard and chuckled. ¡°First Elder, Chu Liuyue is not a nobody, but a rare genius seen only once a century. She has the most outstanding presence among the Chu family¡¯s entire younger generation. You said that the family is your priority earlier. Are you¡­ not willing to go?¡± ¡°You!¡± First Elder was irate. ¡°Fine! I¡¯d like to see what tricks she has up her sleeves!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue stood in front of the Chu family estate¡¯s main gates with her hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes were calm and indifferent as she stared at the two big golden characters ¡®Chu Family¡¯ on the gate. She had suffered much injustice and many grievances here. Today, she was going to reclaim everything! Chapter 67 First Elder and the others rushed to the gate and immediately saw Chu Liuyue in front of the main gate. A crowd had also gathered not far away. It was afternoon. News of Chu Liuyue¡¯s acceptance into Tian Lu Academy had spread throughout the whole Imperial City like wildfire. Many had rushed here to join in the fun. Even though they didn¡¯t dare to approach the Chu family¡¯s gate, the formed crowd had blocked most of the streets in and out of the family estate. It was a mess. First Elder had been seething with anger. However, it quickly turned into resentment when he saw the crowd. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Get in here now!¡± He shouted at Chu Liuyue, obviously in a bad mood. Chu Liuyue stood rooted on the spot. Did she want the whole city to witness their family¡¯s embarrassment? Chu Liuyue tucked the loose hair behind her ear and asked with a knowing smile, ¡°First Elder, I was useless in the past. When you ordered me around, I had nothing to say. However, I¡¯ve been admitted to Tian Lu Academy now. Why are you still being unkind to me? Am I that detestable to you?¡± First Elder choked and whirled around. ¡°It¡¯s naturally a good thing that you¡¯ve been accepted into Tian Lu Academy. However, if you¡¯re going to use this to your advantage, then I won¡¯t allow it!¡± His expression remained unchanged, and his voice increased in volume as righteously said, ¡°We, the Chu family, are one of the Imperial City¡¯s four great families. We have always valued our family rules the most. As a junior, you dare to make me¡ªa senior¡ªcome and invite you personally. Do you know that this is wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled as if she had just heard a joke and looked at First Elder. ¡°First Elder, you also know that you are a senior in the family? In all the years I was being bullied, did you ever show up even once as a senior to protect me?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± First Elder was tongue-tied. He averted his gaze. ¡°There are so many things going on in the entire Chu family. It¡¯s normal to have occasional oversights¡­¡± ¡°Those oversights lasted a decade.¡± Chu Liuyue cut him off. Her smile gradually faded, and her eyes turned cold. ¡°At the age of five, a servant fed me poison. I was unconscious for three days and three nights, but I pulled through. At the age of seven, I wanted to practice cultivation like the other children, but I was told that I wasn¡¯t even qualified to visit the martial arts training ground. ¡°At the age of ten, I could only leave the estate to go shopping for groceries. Even in the middle of the winter, I had to fetch water to wash the clothes for those lazy servants. My hands were frostbitten¡­ How could First Elder not know about these things?¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly. However, one could feel the deep despair and desolation coming from the bottom of her heart. What had a child done wrong to deserve such treatment? First Elder and the others were dumbfounded. The crowd fell silent as well. The whole Imperial City knew that the Chu family had a loser. Nevertheless, almost none of them remembered that this loser was also the Chu family¡¯s first trueborn. No matter what, there was no reason to be so harsh on her! First Elder flew into a rage out of humiliation and shouted, ¡°Th-That¡¯s all in the past. Besides, what happened didn¡¯t cause you any real harm, right? You have been accepted into Tian Lu Academy. What are you trying to do by bringing up all this now? Do you want the entire Chu family to apologize to you?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t respond. Her indifferent eyes swept past everyone like icy, sharp blades. Countless fragmented memories flickered in her mind. They all belonged to the body¡¯s original owner. Although she might not be the real Chu Liuyue, it was hard to suppress the anger and hatred welling inside her now that she had recalled those incidents. Perhaps, it was because she was using this body, or they might have even been in desperate situations. Since she was now Chu Liuyue, it was only natural for her to settle old and new grudges together! Chu Yan finally lost his cool and scolded loudly, ¡°Chu Liuyue, you¡¯re so insensible! No matter what, the Chu family raised you without seeking merit or reward. Not only are you ungrateful now, but you¡¯ve even turned against us and accused us of being unfair to you in front of all these people! What the h*ll do you have in mind?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t what I said the truth? Besides, the ones who raised me were my father and mother. When did the rest of the Chu family come into the picture? Chu Yan, I haven¡¯t settled the score with you for secretly bullying my father all these years, yet you have the nerve to say these things to me?¡± Back then, Chu Ning was injured, and his strength had decreased. However, he still excelled in other aspects. Chu Ning deserved half of the credit for running the shop under Chu Yan¡¯s name so successfully. Nevertheless, Chu Ning was not valued for his hard work. He was repeatedly exploited by Chu Yan instead. The days of this father-daughter duo got tougher, and they were unable to make ends meet. Chu Ning also became more and more depressed. ¡°You¡¯re insolent!¡± Chu Yan never actually expected Chu Liuyue to berate him in public. For a moment, he was consumed by his anger, then he shuddered and pointed his shaking finger at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You! You! Good for you, Chu Liuyue! Do you really think that you¡¯re so awesome just because you got into Tian Lu Academy?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t just pass the entrance exam; I passed all three categories of the assessment. Besides, I took second place in the Xuan Master examination and first place in the warrior examination.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m not that awesome. I just happened to be slightly better than Chu Xianmin.¡± ¡°You!¡± Chu Yan¡¯s anger hit the roof, but he couldn¡¯t outsmart Chu Liuyue! Everything she said was the truth! People with power were respected. There were no other words more powerful than these! ¡°Enough!¡± First Elder suddenly shouted in anger and glared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Go back right now! Think about your mistakes and repent in your room!¡± ¡°First Elder, you seem to be mistaken about one thing. I didn¡¯t ask you here to invite me back in.¡± Chu Liuyue remained at the same spot and declared, ¡°I came to cut all ties with the Chu family! From today onwards, I, Chu Liuyue, and my father¡ªChu Ning¡ªare making a clean break from the Chu family clan once and for all! We will have nothing to do with each other in life and death!¡± Chapter 68 Her declaration caused an uproar among the crowd. What did Chu Liuyue say? She wants to sever all ties with the Chu family? Is she crazy? ¡°What did you say?¡± asked First Elder subconsciously, stunned. Chu Liuyue¡¯s resolute look and resounding words struck everyone like thunder, causing horrifying waves! ¡°I said that my father and I will have nothing to do with the Chu family from now on! Do you understand?¡± ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± First Elder stared at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. He never imagined that she was capable of saying such things! ¡°Both of you have the blood of the Chu family flowing through your veins. You have shown us great impiety and disrespect to say that! I knew you were going to turn things against us when you got accepted into Tian Lu Academy!¡± Not only First Elder, but the entire Chu family was in a state of shock. It had just occurred to them that, once Chu Liuyue had turned over a new leaf, she might hold a grudge against them because of what happened in the past. She might even seek revenge. However, nobody imagined that she would have the resolve to choose to leave the Chu family! Even though she had become a genius, it was wishful thinking if she believed she could pit herself against the entire Chu family! The Chu family was one of the Imperial City¡¯s four great families and had a prestigious status. How many people would like the chance to form a connection with them? How could she have made such a decision? ¡°I¡¯m not here for a discussion, but to inform you.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care about the commotion that her words had caused at all. Her expression remained calm and relaxed. Her words were simple and clear, yet they carried a hint of indisputable authority! Third Elder finally frowned. ¡°Liuyue, you can¡¯t say such nonsense. I know you¡¯re upset, but you¡¯re being too impulsive¡­¡± ¡°Third Elder, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± Chu Liuyue was still polite when she spoke to Third Elder. This was because of the memories retained by the original body. Third Elder was one of the considerable few in the family who had ever helped her and her father. Chu Yin had no children. He had always held Chu Ning in high regard, even treating the latter like a son. However, too many things happened after that incident. As much as Third Elder wanted to help Chu Ning, he was unable to do anything about their situation. Third Elder wanted to say something when he looked at Chu Liuyue. In the end, he only managed a sigh. The bottom-line was that he was a useless man. If he had more authority in the family and helped them a little, Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t have been reduced to such a state¡­ If Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t been accepted into Tian Lu Academy today, there was no way he could¡¯ve mustered the courage to confront First Elder. This girl has obviously given up on the Chu family! It is too late for us to want to keep her now! Chu Yan¡ªwho had been seething with anger¡ªfinally came back to his senses. With some urgency, he abruptly asked, ¡°Chu Liuyue! Chu Ning is not here now. Are your words also a representation of his wishes?¡± The departure of Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning might not be a good thing for the Chu family. However, it would be beneficial for Chu Yan and his family! Chu Ning would no longer be around to compete with him for the position as the next family head. Chu Liuyue would also be unable to utilize Chu family¡¯s best resources for geniuses! Everything in the family would belong to him when they left! Chu Liuyue saw the spark in his eyes. It was easy to guess what Chu Yan was thinking. She smiled and took her time to answer him. ¡°Whatever I¡¯ve said definitely reflects my father¡¯s wishes. Rest assured, my father and I will walk away with no further disputes. We also won¡¯t be involved with the Chu family¡¯s matters after we¡¯ve settled the final issue. She raised a finger. ¡°First, my mother¡¯s dowry weighed a total of 120 catties when she married my father. If I remember correctly, after my father was injured back then, you used the pretext of letting him recuperate without worries to allow Lu Yao to handle the dowry at her full discretion. Since I am severing my ties with you, it¡¯s time for you to return the dowry to me.¡± Chu Yan and Lu Yao suddenly went pale in unison. ¡°Second, my father is the family head¡¯s son, after all. I was also once the entire Chu family¡¯s eldest daughter. Although the master of the family is not here, he will definitely feel bad if he knows that my father and I have left without a penny. It¡¯s not too much for us to ask for one-fifth of the Chu family¡¯s fortune, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re dreaming!¡± Chu Yan was the first to object. ¡°We have so many sons and daughters in the family. Do you and your father think it is that easy to walk away with one-fifth of our family¡¯s fortune?¡± Chu Liuyue bluntly said, ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you have witnessed how much my father has done for the Chu family over the years. If you don¡¯t want to give it to us, that¡¯s fine. I will go to His Majesty and seek justice. Let¡¯s see if it is fair for us to have a part of the fortune then.¡± Chu Yan promptly shut his mouth. Everyone knew that Chu Ning had injured himself all those years ago because he was protecting the emperor. If word of this really reached His Majesty, the emperor would definitely treat Chu Ning fairly, even if it was out of consideration for his benevolent reputation! That would only humiliate the Chu family more! First Elder laughed in exasperation. ¡°Fine! Fine! You¡¯ve got it all figured out! Since this is the case, both of you are not allowed to set foot in the Chu family again from now onwards! I¡¯d like to see how you are going to survive in the Imperial City!¡± Without the Chu family to back them up, they might not even have a place to stay! Chu Liuyue blinked and smiled. ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about us, First Elder. I already bought a new mansion on West Street a few days ago. It might not be as big as the Chu Mansion, but it¡¯s very clean and free from all the nonsense. Today is the tenth day of the eighth month¡ªan auspicious day to rid ourselves from the bad and move into a new place!¡± Chapter 69 Upon hearing this, it became obvious that Chu Liuyue had this planned already! She had secretly purchased a mansion and waited till she was accepted into Tian Lu Academy before completely turning against the family! This way, she could get rid of the Chu family once and for all! First Elder and the others almost passed out from anger once they realized that Chu Liuyue had made all the preparations. If it was in the past, there wouldn¡¯t be any objections if Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue did this. They would even be secretly glad to rid themselves of the two black sheep. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s status had changed drastically. This was equivalent to them being abandoned by Chu Liuyue. If word of this incident got out, the Chu family would lose face! ¡°First Elder, Chu Liuyue has simply gone too far. I think we really don¡¯t have to keep her any longer!¡± Chu Yan took a deep breath and started to persuade First Elder. They could afford to be embarrassed. What mattered most was to nip this in the bud completely! Nevertheless, not everyone agreed with Chu Yan. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be so rash. After all, Chu Liuyue is now a rare genius. The other family clans yearn to have one but can¡¯t. If we let her go just like that, it¡¯ll be our great loss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Besides, they are the Chu family¡¯s trueborn direct descendants. The matter of severing ties is of great importance. Our family head is not around, so we have to be extremely careful¡­¡± First Elder was unhappy to hear their opinions. He coldly glared at the ones who dared to speak up. ¡°What? Do you not trust me? Or you think I don¡¯t have the authority to decide?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get us wrong, First Elder. That¡¯s not what we meant¡­¡± ¡°Hmph! Chu Liuyue is conniving and unscrupulous! Minmin is her sister, yet she wounded her mercilessly! Moreover, she harbors a grudge against us. If we keep such a cruel person, she is bound to wreak havoc in the Chu family!¡± said Chu Yan with contempt. First Elder looked uncertain, and he was silent for a long time. After he got over the shock, he carefully considered it and was eager to agree to this matter immediately. Among other issues, the relationship between him and Chu Ning, as well as Chu Liuyue, was strained. They even had an ongoing feud. He absolutely didn¡¯t believe that they didn¡¯t hate him. If Chu Liuyue remains in the Chu family, she will definitely be highly regarded in the future. When she reaches adulthood, I fear that my bitter days will come! Nevertheless, it will be hard to explain to the family head. ¡°First Elder, Chu Liuyue may be gifted, but she is stubborn and vicious. She really can¡¯t stay! Besides, her future won¡¯t be easy after leaving the family. We don¡¯t have to worry about the consequences. As for Chu Ning, what¡¯s there to be concerned about a cripple?¡± said Chu Yan softly. First Elder clenched his teeth. ¡°Someone, bring me a pen and paper!¡± Chu Liuyue is the one who brought this up. Even if the family head does come out of his seclusion and seeks accountability, it will be Chu Liuyue¡¯s fault! ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I have already written the declaration for severance and property division.¡± After that, Chu Liuyue really took out two pieces of paper from her bosom and handed them over sincerely. ¡°First Elder, I just need your fingerprint on the papers.¡± A few snickers could be heard coming from the crowd. Chu Liuyue was really heartless; she had prepared everything beforehand! First Elder¡¯s face reddened. He almost exploded with anger! He snatched the two pieces of paper and read through them once while suppressing his anger. Once he was sure that the papers were in order, he bit his finger hard without hesitation and pressed it onto the papers! ¡°Take it! From today onwards, you are no longer a member of our family!¡± First Elder angrily threw the two pieces of paper back to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind at all. She examined the bright-red fingerprints and waved the two pieces of papers with a smile on her lips. ¡°Great! From now on, I¡¯ll hit the high road while you cross the log bridge! However, please remember to send the things on the list to my residence within three days. I don¡¯t like to leave my stuff with others.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± First Elder finally lost it. He shouted in anger, then threw his hands up before leaving and saying, ¡°Close the gates!¡± As soon as First Elder said that, a surprised feminine voice called out from not far away. ¡°Oh, so many people are here. What¡¯s happening?¡± Everyone turned in the direction of that voice and saw a pale, beardless man dressed in official attire. He was definitely from the palace! The crowd parted to make a path for him. That man approached curiously. Finally, he saw Chu Liuyue, First Elder, and the others at the gate. He was suddenly happy. ¡°My goodness, isn¡¯t this Big Chu Missy? His Majesty is so pleased to hear that you¡¯ve been accepted into Tian Lu Academy!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and bowed. ¡°Eunuch Min, you¡¯re too kind. I will be sure to head to the palace to thank His Majesty personally another day.¡± Eunuch Min was a popular person by His Majesty¡¯s side. His status was more prestigious compared to the average courtiers. Nobody should offend him. First Elder coughed, quickly adjusted his expression, and forced a smile onto his face. ¡°Eunuch Min, what brings you here? Does His Majesty need something?¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m here to announce the good news! It¡¯s a double blessing for your family today!¡± ¡°Double blessings? May I know what you are talking about?¡± Eunuch Min gave a joyous smile, gesturing with his thumb and middle finger joined while extending the rest of his fingers. ¡°Naturally, the first blessing is that your Big Missy has been admitted into Tian Lu Academy. She also did exceptionally well, taking second place in the Xuan Master assessment and first place for the warrior assessment. ¡°The second blessing is that Lord Chu Ning has successfully broken through to become a stage-five warrior after recovering from his old injuries! His Majesty is so pleased that he has appointed Lord Chu Ning to be the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief! I¡¯m here to give you these two pieces of good news! Two good things have happened to your family. It has caused many to be envious!¡± Chapter 70 - They Have Nothing to do with This Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Eunuch Min finished talking, a strange silence fell over the street. There was no joy on First Elder¡¯s and the others¡¯ faces. Instead, they looked like they had swallowed a fly! Eunuch Min¡¯s smile faded slightly, sensing something was amiss. ¡°T-This¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you people?¡± First Elder came back to his senses, looked at Eunuch Min, and tried to say something. However, there seemed to be a blockage in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t utter a single word. ¡°How can this be? He suffered severe trauma back then. Several heavenly doctors diagnosed him and declared that the probability of him recovering in his lifetime was slim to none! How did he recover so abruptly and even break through to become a stage-five warrior?¡± Chu Yan shouted, stunned. I don¡¯t believe it! This can¡¯t be true! Eunuch Min narrowed his eyes, his smile cold. ¡°What is this? Lord Chu Yan, are you suspecting me of falsely passing on an imperial decree?¡± Chu Yan froze. ¡°No, no! I didn¡¯t mean that! I was¡­ I was simply in shock. This¡­ There was no news of this at all before! H-how can¡­¡± Eunuch Min dusted himself. He was well aware of this matter. Chu Ning and his daughter had suffered some years back. Their position in the Chu family had been awkward, and they had been ostracized. It was normal that Chu Ning hadn¡¯t told them about his recovery and his breakthrough as a stage-five warrior. After all, some people in the Chu family would be anxious once they got wind of this news. Wasn¡¯t that how Chu Yan had just reacted? Chu Ning¡¯s rise would be Chu Yan¡¯s greatest threat, so he certainly wouldn¡¯t accept it! Nevertheless, Eunuch Min didn¡¯t bother to expose the elder. He smiled. ¡°Not to mention you, even His Majesty has also just been informed today. His Majesty has been brooding about Lord Chu Ning¡¯s injuries. When he heard that Lord Chu Ning broke through and became a stage-five warrior, he was overjoyed. Coincidentally, the position of the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief is vacant. Lord Chu Ning would be the perfect candidate for the job! His Majesty has also said he¡¯s keeping the lord in the palace tonight for a late chat!¡± Chu Yan closed his eyes. Eunuch Min¡¯s words were clearly a warning to him. Even His Majesty didn¡¯t know about it. So what was the big deal that he hadn¡¯t been informed? This only meant that His Majesty was the first person Chu Ning had told because none of them knew about it! What better way to show one¡¯s loyalty than that? His Majesty would just trust Chu Ning more! What else could he say? The Commander in Chief of the imperial guards was a powerful position. The only people who had ever held this position were those with outstanding capability and favored by His Majesty! Even Chu Ning¡ªwho was in the limelight back then¡ªhad only been a small captain in the imperial guards. Chu Ning actually skipped a few levels after his recovery and was directly promoted to the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief! From now on, he would surely be the most popular person in the Imperial City! ¡°By His Majesty¡¯s grace, this is a big deal. First Elder, the whole family should be rejoicing, right?¡± Eunuch Min continued. First Elder opened his mouth and forced a smile on his face. He looked worse than when crying. ¡°Y-you have a point¡­¡± Chu Liuyue stepped forward with a smile and interrupted First Elder by saying, ¡°Eunuch Min, thank you for making this trip. This is indeed a great joy. We will definitely throw a banquet to celebrate when Father returns tomorrow. Eunuch Min, no matter what, please grace us with your presence and come for the banquet when the time comes!¡± Chu Liuyue had spoken appropriately. Eunuch Min liked her even more after he saw her behaving so sensibly. ¡°Big Chu Missy, you are too humble! Lord Chu Ning and yourself are both persons that possess great ability! You only make me admire you more! I¡¯ll be sure to congratulate you in person then. Look at the doorstep. From now on, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s going to be a crowd at your door!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and cast a meaningful look at First Elder and the others. ¡°The step is too high. I¡¯m worried it¡¯ll wear you out. Let¡¯s move to another place. Oh, you might not know that I have just severed my ties with the Chu family. From today onwards, my father and I have nothing to do with the Chu family!¡± Although Eunuch Min was used to seeing all sorts of occasions, he, too, was shocked by Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled nonchalantly. ¡°In other words, the two joyous pieces of news have nothing to do with the Chu family and these people! You only have to offer your congratulations to me!¡± These people had bullied her in the past. Now, she refused to let them get a piece of the glory! Chapter 71 - Ive Waited for You for a Long Time Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°T-This is such a big issue. I¡¯m afraid the Emperor doesn¡¯t know about it yet¡­¡± said Eunuch Min hesitantly as he looked at First Elder and the rest. ¡°Is this confirmed?¡± ¡°The contract is already written, and we have many witnesses, so it¡¯s confirmed. Don¡¯t worry, Eunuch Min. I¡¯ll explain this to the Emperor personally another day.¡± Seeing that none of the Chu family members were willing to explain this incident, Eunuch Min knew that there was no turning back on the matter and could not help but sigh secretly. He did not expect that the rumored cowardly and weak Chu family¡¯s good-for-nothing could actually be so bold and decisive. Severing her ties with the Chu family was akin to gaining a huge enemy for herself. However, now that Chu Ning was the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief and Chu Liuyue was a talent everyone admired, the Chu family would not dare to do anything to them openly. Eunuch Min had always been a sensible person and quickly gathered his thoughts. As he bowed towards Chu Liuyue, he smiled and said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll congratulate Officer Chu and Ms. Liuyue on your honor. I still have other things to attend to, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that Eunuch Min did not want to interfere with their family¡¯s affairs and readily said, ¡°Eunuch Min, please be careful on your way out.¡± Eunuch Min then bade farewell to First Elder and the rest before leaving quickly. Chu Liuyue did not stay any longer and turned around to leave. When she took a step out, she suddenly remembered something and turned back to say, ¡°Oh yes. I heard that many people in the Imperial City sent gifts to the residence. All of these should be for me, so may I trouble you to send them over with the other items?¡± After she finished her sentence, she did not bother to look at those people¡¯s wretched expressions and left relaxingly. First Elder glared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s back view with a deadly gaze, wanting to go up to her and teach her a lesson. However, he still held himself back and hollered, ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Bang! The Chu family residence¡¯s gate was shut tightly after the crowd went back in. However, the major news of what happened in the Chu family had immediately spread across the Imperial City. ¡­ ¡°First Elder, this Chu Liuyue is such a bully! If we don¡¯t get back at her for what we suffered today, how can we hold ourselves up high in the Imperial City?¡± After they returned to the residence, First Elder only asked the few people who had the most say in the Chu family to stay and discuss the issue. Chu Yan was the first to speak, and he looked infuriated. First Elder¡¯s face darkened, but he did not say a word. ¡°Yeah! Even if she has entered Tian Lu Academy, she¡¯s way too arrogant! If she dares to do this now, who knows what she¡¯ll do in the future?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t do anything this time round and take it lying, the entire Imperial City will think that we¡¯re cowards. I won¡¯t let her go this easily.¡± ¡°Hmph, does that Chu Liuyue think she can have a stable life after leaving the Chu family? We should let her see what we are capable of. If not, she really will think that we have nothing against her.¡± The few people broke into heated discussions as if they wanted to let Chu Liuyue know how formidable they were immediately. Third Elder stood at the side and shook his head as he lightly said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that she still has Chu Ning.¡± The few people were instantly stumped. Chu Ning was currently the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief¡­ It was indeed a tough situation. ¡°¡­ So what? Can Chu Ning alone go against our entire Chu family?¡± Chu Yan laughed sinisterly, and cruelty flashed across his eyes. ¡°The various powers are deeply connected to each other in the Imperial City. It may seem like Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue have turned the tables, but things aren¡¯t so simple. Since they decided to sever ties with us, they need to have the courage to accept the consequences.¡± This sentence enlightened First Elder as he paced back and forth before finally making a decision. ¡°That¡¯s right! Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue say that she wanted to hold a celebratory banquet? I would like to see how many people in the Imperial City will go!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked to her new mansion alone. She was in a good mood today after settling a few issues. It was already evening, and a gentle breeze blew her loose strands of hair up in the air. The setting sun cast a long shadow over her. She walked step by step in rare relaxation and freedom. During the entire month after her rebirth, she had nervously been planning everything. Now, she could finally relax a little. The bustling noise in the surroundings gradually disappeared and quietened down. Chu Liuyue looked up and could see the green roof of her new mansion. She used 100,000 of the 300,000 silver taels she earned from selling the hunting ground to buy this mansion. The mansion was located in the Imperial City¡¯s western region. It was very isolated and quiet. Distinguished families would normally not like it here, but Chu Liuyue loved it at first sight. She had had enough of the beautiful but cold palaces in her previous life. She no longer held any interest in them after she was reborn. She liked quiet places like this even more. Her lips could not help but curve up into a smile when she thought of her and Chu Ning spending the rest of their lives away from the people in the Chu family. Suddenly, something cold dropped on her face. Chu Liuyue was taken aback and looked up. Water droplets fell down rapidly, quickly forming a line. It was raining! Chu Liuyue hastened her steps. Her house was located at the end of the marble path around the corner in front. However, Chu Liuyue was stunned after she turned around the corner. A person was standing in front of the mansion at the end of the simple marble path. He was tall and wore a snow-white robe with a black cloak. The sky quickly changed to grayish-blue as the rain poured down, erecting an invisible rain scene between heaven and earth. The rain landed and splashed on the marble path and formed a thin layer of white mist, causing the view in front to be blurred. However, she could still see the man¡¯s distinguished face clearly. The white and black clothes complemented his cold and handsome appearance. He was like a flower at the top of the mountain that one could only look at. It was actually¡­ Rong Xiu? The moment the name flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, the man started walking towards her. He looked like he was emerging from the darkness as the sky turned dark, and the rain poured down. For some reason, Chu Liuyue felt that this Rong Xiu was different from before. She could not help but inch closer towards him. Finally, Rong Xiu walked to Chu Liuyue and stood in front of her firmly. ¡°You¡­¡± Chu Liuyue spoke hesitantly. Hua! Rong Xiu suddenly raised his hand, and a black figure swept past. Suddenly, the rain above Chu Liuyue¡¯s head disappeared. Rong Xiu held a black umbrella up for her. Chu Liuyue looked up at him and met his gaze. Rong Xiu¡¯s dark eyes were as bottomless as the night sky. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± His cold and misty voice contained a tinge of undetectable love. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Chapter 72 - A Peach Blossom Hairpin Gift Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios His deep voice sounded like an instrument¡¯s strings¡ªwhich were played by the gentle wind, and every note rippled gently in the rain. Chu Liuyue felt dazed momentarily. It seemed like Rong Xiu really had been waiting for her for some time. She finally recovered her senses when the cold rain droplets splashed on her face, and a chill ran down her spine. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She bought this mansion secretly, and nobody knew about it. How did Rong Xiu find out, even coming to this place to wait for her? Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze shifted and landed on the raindrops on her face. He immediately bent down a bit lower and raised his hand. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively wanted to stop him, but she subconsciously retracted her hand when she heard his voice. Rong Xiu¡¯s fingers were long, white, and had distinct joints, but his skin felt incredibly soft as he gently wiped away the raindrops on her face. Rong Xiu was very close to Chu Liuyue, to the point that she could clearly feel his long black lashes trembling slightly. He looked very serious as if this was an important task. For some reason, Chu Liuyue held her breath. This moment seemed to be much longer than usual. After some time, Rong Xiu suddenly laughed before speaking in a low voice. ¡°Breathe.¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively answered with an ¡°Oh¡± and heaved a sigh of relief. The warm breaths that landed on his face felt like landing meteorites, burning his face instantly. Rong Xiu paused in his actions, and his eyes darkened. ¡°Are you done?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Is there a need to wipe so long? I was only in the rain for a while. Rong Xiu silently retracted his hand, and his fingers curled up and brushed past her lips as if it were unintentional. It happened in a flash, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she suddenly felt awkward. She looked up at Rong Xiu but saw that he had already retracted his hands. He looked very calm as if he did not notice anything wrong. It¡­ shouldn¡¯t be on purpose¡­ But why does he have to wipe my face every time we meet? Chu Liuyue muttered in her heart and suppressed the ripple she previously felt as she once again asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. He directly held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and walked back while slowly saying, ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we go home.¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her head, and her lips twitched. Go home? That¡¯s my home, not yours! What¡¯s with your righteous tone? ¡°Prince Li, what are you doing?¡± Even though no one is around, we shouldn¡¯t be doing this, right? ¡°I¡¯m cold,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. His righteous attitude stumped Chu Liuyue; she could not think of how to retort him in such a short time. Rong Xiu pulled her closer again. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Your Highness, you won¡¯t feel warm this way.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Mm, but at least I won¡¯t get wet.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed, and her gaze shifted. The cloak on his body was truly slightly drenched. She suddenly remembered that the umbrella was tilted towards her side when Rong Xiu held it up for her. After taking the umbrella incident into consideration, Chu Liuyue decided not to pursue the matter. The two of them walked on without saying a word and reached the front door. Chu Liuyue struggled a little, so Rong Xiu naturally let go of her hands. Chu Liuyue then opened the door and walked in. After walking forward two steps, she turned around as she suddenly thought of something. Rong Xiu was still standing outside the door, not looking like he intended to leave. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth in secret. ¡°Your Highness, do you want to sit in my humble home for a while?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips separated slightly. ¡°Since you¡¯re so hospitable, I won¡¯t reject you,¡± said Rong Xiu as he walked in. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Why didn¡¯t I see that Rong Xiu was so shameless before? ¡­ Chu Liuyue only came to this mansion once¡ªit was when she bought it¡ªand it was still rather dirty then. After the renovation, it looked much cleaner and more exquisite. Chu Liuyue invited Rong Xiu to take a seat as she went to make some ginger tea. ¡°My house is rather simple, and I have nothing much to serve you.¡± Chu Liuyue no longer busied herself after she offered Rong Xiu some tea and sat opposite him. ¡°This ginger tea will suffice.¡± Rong Xiu seemed like he did not mind at all as he poured two cups of tea¡ªone for Chu Liuyue and one for himself. He gently sipped his cup of tea. The white steam rose up, causing his brows to relax. His words and actions did not make him look like a prince, and he really seemed pretty satisfied¡­ Chu Liuyue was curious. This ginger tea is a very common item, and the smell is a bit harsh to the nose. Aristocratic children will usually find faults with it, but he is still drinking it so leisurely. Did he live bitter and simple days at Mingyue Tianshan previously? ¡°It seems like you didn¡¯t have good days before,¡± said Chu Liuyue on purpose. ¡°You¡¯re used to drinking things like ginger tea.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡±¡ªRong Xiu smiled¡ª¡±but it¡¯s rare for you to make it for me. Thus, I got used to it, even if I¡¯m not.¡± I got used to it, even if I¡¯m not¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was as calm as before, but the sentence sounded very flirtatious. Chu Liuyue did not know what to say and tightly pressed her lips against each other. She really would be stupid if she could not guess Rong Xiu¡¯s feelings towards her. Helping her once was a coincidence, but what about the second time and the third time? However, she did not know what exactly Rong Xiu saw in her. Her looks? When they first met, her yellow skin looked like a vegetable; she was definitely ugly then. Talent? She only entered Tian Lu Academy academy today. Identity? An average person would run away from her¡ªthe ex-fianc¨¦e abandoned by the Crown Prince and a Big Missy detested by the Chu family¡ªlet alone Prince Li with a distinguished status. ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s be honest with each other. Just say your thoughts directly.¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, straightened her back, and looked at Rong Xiu seriously. ¡°Why did you come here today? Or rather, what do you want from me? Even if I managed to turn the tables for myself today, I have very little power. I can¡¯t help you much, so you¡¯re just wasting your time and effort on me.¡± Rong Xiu turned the teacup in his hands and looked down in silence. After a while, he looked up at her. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes sparkled with countless stars, reflecting the young girl¡¯s entire face. ¡°I came here to celebrate your birthday.¡± Chu Liuyue was taken aback. Rong Xiu suddenly took out a wooden box, which exuded a light fragrance. It was a very intricate agarwood box. ¡°This is a gift for you.¡± Chu Liuyue took it hesitantly, and the box opened with a slight move of her fingers. A peach blossom hairpin quietly laid inside. Chapter 73 - Shining Peach Blossom Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That hairpin was delicately carved from black wood; there were a few lively peach blossoms on top of it, and even the petal details were intricate. The crystal snowflakes on the peach blossoms were the most attractive part. It was currently summer, so there would not be snow. Chu Liuyue took a closer look at it and shockingly discovered that the snowflakes were carved from a very valuable moonstone. Moonstones were a type of rare gem, which sparkled under the sunlight and gently glowed like the moonlight when in the dark. Chu Liuyue was very shocked. Even though Rong Xiu was Country Yao Chen¡¯ Seventh Prince, Country Yao Chen did not amount to much in the entire Mainland Xuan Wu. If it were her in her previous life, it would not be difficult for her to obtain this moonstone as the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s princess. However, this was definitely a rare treasure for the people in Country Yao Chen. Why does Rong Xiu have such a thing? Also, why did he give me such a valuable gift? Chu Liuyue closed the box and passed it back to him. ¡°Prince Li, this gift is too valuable. I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Rong Xiu looked straight into her eyes. ¡°Today is the day where you become of marriageable age. According to the rules, your family elder should hold a ceremony for you and give you a hairpin.¡± Chu Liuyue kept quiet. Rong Xiu was right. The day when one reached marriageable age was very important to the women in Mainland Xuan Wu. This was because it meant that a woman had become an adult and could marry now. Even if one were from an average family, their family would specifically hire someone to give a hairpin to the girl. This was an even more formal ceremony for girls from aristocratic families. Many neighboring countries had specifically come forth to deliver gifts to her when she became of marriageable age in her previous life. The celebratory banquet lasted for a total of three days and three nights. It was a really important event back then. After being reborn, she had always been planning how to escape from her perilous situation and take revenge. She did not even care about such things. Today was the day she became of marriageable age, but she had severed ties with the Chu family. Her only family member, Chu Ning, was still in the palace and had not returned yet. If Rong Xiu did not come, she would just spend her day like any other. However, he did come. He had even brought an extravagant gift. ¡°I accept your kind intentions, Your Highness, but I really can¡¯t accept¡ª¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t accept it today, I¡¯ll come again and give it to you tomorrow.¡± Rong Xiu ignored her rejection, and his lips curved up slightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t accept it, I¡¯ll just come another day. I¡¯ll continue coming every day until you accept it.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Upon seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s nonchalant and calm expression, Chu Liuyue confirmed that he could deliver on what he said. She ground her teeth. ¡°Your Highness, has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re very thick-skinned?¡± Rong Xiu leaned against the chair and laughed lightly. ¡°I just returned to the Imperial City and have been resting in my residence. I haven¡¯t heard anyone say this to me yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ka! Chu Liuyue opened the box again, pointed at the peach blossom hairpin, and asked, ¡°Your Highness, peach blossoms bloom in spring. Why does your hairpin have snowflakes on it?¡± ¡°Peach blossoms can bloom in winter too.¡± ¡°How can it be? Have you seen it before?¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled in her heart. Rong Xiu really could not say anything to retort. However, Rong Xiu suddenly looked up and stared at her deeply. This look reminded Chu Liuyue of the first time she saw him standing in the rain. He had also directed such a gaze at her back then. She could not guess what he was thinking and even felt that Rong Xiu saw another person through her. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it before.¡± He closed his eyes and hid the ripples in them. He sighed lightly and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve seen peach blossoms brightly shining as snow danced around them.¡± Chapter 74 - In Time Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue did not know how to describe Rong Xiu then. He seemed to be missing the scenery he was describing, but he seemed like he was missing someone even more. Where can one see blooming peach blossoms in winter? Also, who is that person he can¡¯t forget? No matter what, they clearly are extremely important to him. Chu Liuyue hesitated before she decided to keep the peach blossom hairpin. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Rong Xiu rested his hand on his cheek as he spaced out. The warm candlelight on his face accentuated his outstanding features. Chu Liuyue looked outside. The rain was getting heavier, with no sign of stopping soon. She then asked, ¡°Your Highness, do the people from your residence know that you¡¯re here? They should be coming to pick you up since it¡¯s raining so heavily, right?¡± Even though he had an umbrella, it was a little much to make Prince Li brave the rain on his return journey, especially since he had just given her a big gift. Rong Xiu glanced at her with a half-smile. ¡°Do you not want to see me? You¡¯re in such a hurry for me to leave.¡± ¡°How can that be? It¡¯s our honor to have you visit! However, our place is a little shabby and cannot be compared to Prince Li Mansion,¡± said Chu Liuyue seriously. ¡°I think this place isn¡¯t bad.¡± Rong Xiu knocked on the table. ¡°Besides, my body has been weak recently, so I can¡¯t stand the cold. If the rain continues, I might have to impose on you for the night.¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had picked up a teacup for tea¡ªalmost flung the cup out as her eyes widened in shock. ¡°You want to stay here?! How can that be?!¡± This was her first day in this place! Rong Xiu was not related to her in any way, so how could he just sleep here? ¡°Your residence is rather big. It should at least have a guest room, right?¡± Rong Xiu looked a little surprised too. ¡°¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was at a loss for words. There were a number of rooms in the mansion, but she bought it for its tranquility in the first place. Therefore, she only prepared two bedrooms¡ªone for Chu Ning and one for herself. There was no space for him! Chu Liuyue immediately relayed the situation to Rong Xiu. ¡°¡­ Your Highness, I¡¯m not chasing you away, but there¡¯s really no room for you here. My father will be back later tonight¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your father go into the palace to meet Father? I heard that Father is really happy and intends to talk with Officer Chu through the night.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu warily. It was not strange for him to know that. Eunuch Min had said this at the door earlier, so anyone who wanted to know could find out easily. Besides, as a prince, Rong Xiu had the clearest grasp on the workings of the palace. Prince Li was not as harmless and gentle as he looked. ¡°Father will return when they are done talking. As a daughter, I cannot not leave a room for my father.¡± Rong Xiu nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. As a junior, we should not impose on the elders.¡± But before Chu Liuyue could relax, he continued, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then¡­ I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to put Yue¡¯er in a spot.¡± Chu Liuyue was about to slam the table in protest, but she saw Rong Xiu begin coughing as if he would pass out if he caught a cold. This fellow is hell-bent on staying here! Chu Liuyue clenched her fists then released them before she got up. ¡°Our place is shabby and dilapidated. I ask for Your Highness¡¯s understanding should you catch a cold.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s coughing finally stopped. ¡°Thank you, Yue¡¯er.¡¯ ¡­ His skin is as thick as the city walls! What poised gentleman? That¡¯s all a farce! He is clearly a shameless lecher! Chu Liuyue thought to herself as she laid the bed. Hua! She flung the blankets hard. Bang! She slammed the windows shut. Bang bang bang! She threw the pillow down harshly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, even though the pillow is made of wood, I don¡¯t think they can take that much force¡­¡± Rong Xiu reminded. He felt his eyelids twitch as he watched her. Chu Liuyue broke into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s quite solid! Aren¡¯t I just afraid that you won¡¯t sleep well?¡± Rong Xiu kept his mouth shut. As he looked at her angry expression, he curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Okay! Everything is tidied up! You can rest here now!¡± Chu Liuyue was prepared to leave after she was done. Rong Xiu took a step forward and blocked her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. ¡°I gave up this place to you, so I naturally have to go somewhere else.¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°I get sleep paralysis easily, so I can¡¯t be left alone.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slowly. ¡°So, you¡­¡± Plop! A white figure broke in through the window, landing on the floor! The pair looked over. Chu Liuyue was pleasantly surprised! ¡°Xue Xue, why are you here?¡± Xue Xue laid on the ground, its fluffy fur wet because of the rain, making him look much slimmer. It wanted to turn and get up when it heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice, but¡­ a cold glare pinned it to the ground. It dared not move, pretending that it had accidentally fallen into the room. Chu Liuyue turned to look at Rong Xiu with a smug smile. ¡°Xue Xue is here, so it can accompany you. Xue Xue is smart, so it will take good care of you, right?¡± Rong Xiu looked at Xue Xue. ¡°En,¡± he said coldly. Xue Xue shuddered. The next instant, it shook off the rainwater as a blue flame enveloped its body, evaporating the rest of the rainwater. After that, it had returned to its usual clean look. It then ran over to Rong Xiu, giving him an obedient look. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gloominess was swept away, and she left with light footsteps. In the room, awkward silence enveloped the man and beast. ¡°You came in at just the right moment this time, en?¡± Chapter 75 - Choices Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t really upset that she had to give her room up to Rong Xiu. He had helped her out a few times, so she owed him. It was nothing to let him stay for a night. Upon walking out of the bedroom, she pondered for a moment before heading to the study room. There was a bed in the study room as well, but Chu Liuyue did not intend to sleep. She wanted to make a breakthrough and finally become a true warrior today! Chu Liuyue closed the windows and doors before she sat on the bed with folded legs and slowly closed her eyes. This body had the Dijing Yuan meridian, so she cultivated much faster than other cultivators. Therefore, even though her Yuan meridian had only been restored recently, there was an ample amount of Heaven and Earth Force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Since she had gotten into Tian Lu Academy, she no longer needed to hide the fact that her Yuan meridian had been restored. The room was rather quiet. Soon, the Heaven and Earth Force began converging towards Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Tonight, I shall make a breakthrough to become a warrior! ¡­ The rainy night was destined to be eventful. The Lu family. ¡°Yan¡¯er, did Chu Liuyue really beat Minmin in the assessment?¡± After the assessment, the school had a three-day break. The moment Lu Feiyan arrived home, she was pulled into the study room and interrogated over what happened in the academy. Lu Feiyan pouted. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± The members of the Lu family looked at one another. ¡°This¡­ Did Chu Liuyue really go from zero to hero?¡± They did not believe it when they first heard the news. How could Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had a lacking Yuan meridian that even heavenly doctors could not fix¡ªrecover? However, they now had no choice but to believe it! ¡°Hmph, I think it¡¯s strange. That Chu Liuyue must have resorted to some tactics to defeat Minmin! She¡¯s vicious. Not only did she defeat Minmin, but she disfigured her too! Minmin hates her guts now!¡± The adults were stunned and shook their heads when they heard what had happened. ¡°This Chu Liuyue has really offended the Chu family now! She is different than before, and Chu Ning has become the Commander in Chief of the imperial guards, so they are arrogant! But I think it¡¯ll be difficult for them to survive in the Imperial City¡­¡± ¡°The Chu family has sent word, Second Elder¡­¡± ¡°Even though we don¡¯t really get along with the Chu family, Minmin does carry Lu family blood in her. Besides, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. There¡¯s no need to offend the Chu family now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Gu family. Even though it was vacation time, Gu Mingfeng did not return home, as usual. The members of the Gu family were not bothered by it. Instead, they were discussing what attitude they should have towards the Chu family. ¡°Chu Ning¡¯s status is different now. If we don¡¯t show him some respect, won¡¯t it be the same as disrespecting His Majesty? The Chu family is on the decline, so there¡¯s no need to be so wary of them¡­¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, the Chu family still has some formidable characters! No matter how excellent Chu Ning is, he¡¯s still alone. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll prevail over the people from the Chu Family!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡­¡± ¡°Support the Chu family!¡± ¡­ Si family. No long after Si Ting and Si Yang returned home, the head of the household, Si Ye, called them in for questioning. There was only the trio in the room. ¡°What do you all think of Chu Liuyue?¡± Si Ye asked directly. ¡°Sir, that Chu Liuyue is rather formidable! She¡¯s only slightly weaker than Big Brother! The Chu Family has really been blind all these years!¡± Si Yang said excitedly. Si Ye put his hands behind his back. ¡°Chu Liuyue broke off her relations with the Chu family today.¡± ¡°What?¡± Si Yang cried out loud. However, he did not see anything wrong with her actions when he thought of the way the Chu family treated her. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s understandable she did this after the way they treated her¡­ She¡¯s bold!¡± Si Ting, who had been silent, looked towards Si Ye. ¡°Master, your choice?¡± Such wit and wisdom make a person made for big things. Si Ye looked at him approvingly. ¡°Chu family. In fact, it won¡¯t be just me. Everyone in the Imperial City will probably make the same choice. The Chu Family¡­ I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t give her the chance or time to grow.¡± However, Si Ting shook his head. ¡°I would like to ask you to choose Chu Liuyue.¡± Si Ye was stunned. ¡°Why?¡± Si Ting was silent for an instant. ¡°Her abilities are way above mine. Besides, it¡¯s her that will not give the Chu family any chances.¡± ¡­ Chapter 76 - The torn book page Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was still raining. In the study room, Chu Liuyue concentrated her energy and breaths as she rapidly absorbed the Heaven and Earth Force from around her. Time passed. However, Chu Liuyue found that something was not right. The Heaven and Earth Force was drawn into her body and flowed towards her dantian via her Yuan meridian. However, they did not form a pearl of essence. Instead, the force was absorbed into the small lake. In order to become a true warrior, one had to form a pearl of essence. In Chu Liuyue¡¯s case, she had ample amounts of force in her body, so forming a pearl of essence could not be any simpler. However, she still couldn¡¯t pool the Heaven and Earth Force together after so long! Instead, it kept on flowing into the lake. The energy disappeared without a trace as if it had been consumed. The lake didn¡¯t even ripple once. Chu Liuyue slowly realized the severity of the situation. If this goes on, does that mean that I can¡¯t form a pearl of essence and become a warrior?! A pearl of essence meant a lot to warriors! Especially after the fourth stage, the pearl of essence was of utmost importance to cultivators! If she did not have a pearl of essence, she could not be considered a true warrior, and her ability would be greatly restricted. Chu Liuyue tried to retain the force and pool it together, but she could not do it. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and muttered, ¡°The force of the lake is covering mine¡­¡± Based solely on her current ability, she had no way to fight off the lake¡¯s influence over her body. This is pressing! What on earth is this lake? Chu Liuyue was sure that the lake was not deadly to her. It would even protect and save her in times of danger. However, would she be stuck at this stage forever if she did not figure this out? Chu Liuyue looked towards her hand. She clearly remembered that a strange pattern had appeared on her palm when she first regained consciousness after her rebirth. The pattern disappeared later, and a transparent but torn book page appeared in her dantian. The book page became the floating lake in the end. The last time the lake reacted was when she restored her Yuan meridian. Chu Liuyue initially did not pay much attention to it, but she did not expect it to get in her way of forming a pearl of essence! Chu Liuyue tried a few more times after this, but it all ended in failure. The incessant sound of the rain outside the window frustrated her. ¡°What lousy thing is this?!¡± Right after she spoke, Chu Liuyue immediately felt a tremble in her dantian! A scary force burst out from the lake! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body shook suddenly, and energy rose in her chest! She stabilized herself and quickly observed her dantian! She was stunned by what she saw. The floating lake was rapidly transforming into a transparent book page! It was the book page that she had seen previously, but a red light was rapidly gathering on the page this time! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in her heart. What does the sudden change mean? The red light on the page was gradually coming together to form a¡­ Word?! Chu Liuyue concentrated her energy and scrutinized it carefully. At this time, a second word appeared! Chu Liuyue finally saw the words on the page clearly¡ª¡±Dumb, dumb!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. She did not expect the first words this transparent book page formed to be¡­ ¡°You¡¯re insulting me?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in disbelief. The book page trembled, and the words swiftly disappeared. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s shock did not dissipate. After what happened last time, she had speculated that the book page was a broken treasure, but she was not sure what it was exactly. It now seemed that the book page had its own consciousness! Chu Liuyue suppressed her surprise and coldly asked, ¡°What exactly are you?!¡± She felt a little unsettled about having something like this in her dantian. A new line of text soon appeared on the book page: ¡°The pearl of essence concentrates the Heaven and Earth powers. One scoop will overflow.¡± Chu Liuyue froze. Does that mean my pearl of essence does not have enough Heaven and Earth Force? However, isn¡¯t that normal? Countless cultivators exist. If one¡¯s pearl of essence held an unlimited amount of concentrated Heaven and Earth Force, won¡¯t things be in chaos? Besides, one¡¯s pearl of essence will get stronger as the cultivator levels up. It will carry more energy then! It is not a one-off thing! As if reading her mind, the line of text disappeared, which was replaced by a new one: ¡°Dumb beyond repair!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Even in both her past and present lives, this was the first time she had been insulted like this. Before she could say anything, the line of text had disappeared. Even the book page had transformed back into the floating lake. It seemed like the other party was ignoring her¡­ Chu Liuyue stared at the floating lake as she fell into deep thought. What does that line mean? One scoop of the pearl of essence will overflow¡­ Could it be that it is saying that my pearl of essence can contain more Heaven and Earth Force? At this thought, Chu Liuyue had an idea. She began to feel the force contained in the lake. Vast and ethereal! Chu Liuyue held her breath and carefully tried to guide the energy, and a ripple cut through the surface of the lake. Hong! In an instant, a scary burst of energy flew out from the lake and traveled towards Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs! Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes and pointed one finger straight ahead! Bang! The door broke into pieces! Chapter 77 Chu Liuyue stared at the broken door dumbfoundedly. Just now¡­ All I did was create a small ripple in the lake. Where did the explosive power come from?! At this moment, a figure dashed in from outside. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively followed the voice. It was Rong Xiu. He had clearly rushed over when he heard the door breaking. A thought flashed across her mind. My room is quite a distance from here; how did he rush over so quickly? Rong Xiu glanced at the door before he hurried in. ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡± He realized that Chu Liuyue was okay the instant he stepped in. He was relieved, but he could not put his mind at ease. Chu Liuyue paused. His usually lazy voice had hints of anxiety. Upon closer inspection, one could see an indiscernible look of worry between his eyes. This was rare for Rong Xiu, who usually kept a poker face. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just had a mishap while trying to form a pearl of essence. I didn¡¯t control the force well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her suspiciously. How did forming a pearl of essence create such a big commotion? Chu Liuyue knew that her explanation was a little preposterous. Not even a stage-three warrior could wield the amount of strength from just now! But that was the truth¡­ Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Please don¡¯t worry, Your Highness.¡± Xue Xue rushed in from outside at this point and leaped over to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. It sniffed around as if afraid that something was wrong with Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue was tickled by the fur at the top of its head, and she laughed. ¡°Okay, okay! Xue Xue, I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m not hurt!¡± Xue Xue blinked. When it saw that Chu Liuyue was really okay, it rubbed against her neck as if asking for attention. Rong Xiu glanced at Xue Xue. Xue Xue stiffened immediately. It roared deeply and obediently stepped aside, lying on the floor. Chu Liuyue rubbed its head and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, how did you get here so quickly?¡± she asked strangely. Xue Xue was a high-level fiend, and it was from the lion family, so it traveled fast. It must have started to make its way here when it heard the commotion, but it still lagged behind Rong Xiu. ¡°¡­ Could it be that you were nearby?¡± Rong Xiu could not help but laugh when he saw the girl¡¯s gaze turn suspicious towards him. He pinched her face. ¡°Don¡¯t go imagining things. I was just taking a stroll since I couldn¡¯t sleep. I headed over when I heard the commotion.¡± Chu Liuyue pulled his hand away, but she did not believe it. Such a coincidence? Besides, even if you were taking a walk nearby, I still remember how fast you moved when you came over. This sickly Prince Li is masterful at hiding things¡­ Chu Liuyue did not continue asking and instead said, ¡°Your Highness, it was a false alarm. Please, go back and rest.¡± Rong Xiu looked at the broken door pointedly. ¡°You sure you won¡¯t tear the place down if I leave?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. There really is no way to explain this, is there? ¡°Just continue to form your pearl of essence. I¡¯ll just be here, and I won¡¯t get in your way.¡± With that said, Rong Xiu sat down on a chair in the corner of the room. He picked up a book to read as if he did not intend to leave. Chu Liuyue was speechless. One clearly can¡¯t win if they fight this guy over the thickness of their skin? Whatever! The lake is in my dantian. There is no way outsiders will know about it. The most they will feel is the explosive power contained within it. All that can be explained with a pearl of essence as well. Hang on! A thought suddenly surged into Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she finally understood what the book page¡¯s sentence meant. It was telling me to use it as the pearl of essence?! Chapter 78 - My Lord Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Having connected the dots, Chu Liuyue found everything much clearer now! The blast from earlier had proven that she could in fact employ the force within the lake and that its powers were the same as that of a pearl of essence! She also learned that the lake carried energy several times stronger than that of the pearl of essence! Just a ripple was enough to trigger an explosive force. If she put in all her force, she could trigger an even mightier attack! Forming a pearl of essence was not necessary as long as this thing remained in her dantian. The only solution was to treat the lake as her pearl of essence! However, there was one problem¡ªthis thing had a consciousness of its own. It clearly didn¡¯t listen to her orders completely. If she was not careful with it, it could create a lot of problems! At this time, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt an anomaly in her body. She concentrated and looked towards her dantian. The lake was gradually transforming into a giant water droplet that had a strange pattern on it! It was the pattern that had initially appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm! In that instant, Chu Liuyue felt a strange connection between herself and the droplet! It was as if the droplet had become a part of her body! Chu Liuyue used her mind to try and deploy some of the droplet¡¯s strength. A ripple¡ªmuch weaker than the one before¡ªappeared, and force traveled through her body. Chu Liuyue could clearly sense that she had much better control over the force this time because of her connection with the droplet. It was like it was a part of her! She experimented a few more times and finally confirmed that she had formed some kind of relationship with the water droplet! A vast but ethereal voice echoed in her head as if it were a voice from ancient times! ¡°Three thousand worlds, chaotic heavens. My lord will prevail!¡± ¡­ After hearing this voice, Chu Liuyue could not regain her senses for a while. The words were arrogant beyond belief! She had seen many strong warriors in her past life, but none of them dared say anything like this! Mainland Xuan Wu was boundless and had countless tribes. Who could emerge at the top! Besides, it said ¡®my lord!¡¯ Was that not referring to her? This was a little preposterous¡­ As the voice faded, only the giant water droplet remained suspended in her dantian as if everything that had just happened was an illusion. Chu Liuyue wanted to overlook that statement but found that the voice was imprinted in her head. She waited for a while, then decided not to think about it. Since this thing decided to recognize me as its master, it won¡¯t harm me. If that is the case, I will use it as a pearl of essence for now! It took the shape of a lake earlier, and it probably became a water droplet because it formally recognized me as its master. Chu Liuyue still remembered the tiny drop of water from the lake that sent an enormous amount of energy across her body when she was repairing her Yuan meridian. Her ownership of the Dijing Yuan meridian seemed to be the result of that drop of water. However, that drop of water was not even one-thousandth of the water droplet in her dantian! At this point, red ripples suddenly appeared on the water droplet! The water droplet seemed to be wrapped in a clear membrane, on which the red ripples were inscribed. The water droplet was flowing, but the membrane remained still. In this state, the water droplet resembled a pearl of essence. For regular cultivators, their pearl of essence would change as they advanced to the next stages. For stage-one warriors, one single line would be present on their pearl of essence. For stage-two warriors, two lines would be present., and so on and so forth. Chu Liuyue solemnly thought as she stared at the water droplet. Other than the fact that its form is slightly different, this thing resembles a pearl of essence. Oh right, it has a consciousness of its own. However, that is much more convenient for me anyway. But¡­ Why is there only one line present? No matter what, I have a ¡®pearl of essence¡¯ now! Given my ability, I should be a stage-three warrior! However, why is there only one line?! Indignant, Chu Liuyue tried to add another line to it, but the water droplet did not even react. While staring at the line, Chu Liuyue finally realized something. Does the water droplet think I¡¯m not capable enough for a second line? ¡°Are you looking down on me?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in disbelief. ¡°I should have two lines at least, right?!¡± Why am I stuck with just one line? After all that fuss, I¡¯m just a stage-one warrior? The water droplet did not react, but Chu Liuyue felt despised. She glared at the water droplet for a while. In the end, she could only open her eyes in exasperation! ¡°En? You¡¯re done forming the pearl of essence?¡± Rong Xiu noticed her movements and looked over immediately. With one look, he could sense the aura emanating from Chu Liuyue. She¡¯s¡­ a stage-one warrior?! Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was a little stiff, and he eyed Chu Liuyue for a while before asking with uncertainty, ¡°You¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re not going to continue breaking through?¡± Given her ability, she should definitely be above stage one. Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth. How could she admit that she could not add a second line to her ¡®pearl of essence?¡¯ ¡°Being a stage-one warrior is pretty good! It helps me keep a low profile!¡± Rong Xiu had a wry smile. ¡°You wreaked havoc in Tian Lu Academy and the Imperial City. However, you¡¯re now thinking of keeping a low profile? Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to hold a banquet to celebrate?¡± Chu Liuyue huffed. ¡°That goes without saying!¡± Not only did she want to break off her relations with the Chu family, but she was also going to make them pay for all their insults and mockery! Rong Xiu could not help but laugh when he saw her pouting. ¡°It seems like Yue¡¯er is going to treat me to a good show.¡± Chapter 79 - Movement in the Jiuyou Tower Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She finally became a true warrior after all those struggles. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. It was already the middle of the night, and the rain outside had gradually stopped. While looking at the door she had accidentally crushed, Chu Liuyue started wondering if there was a necessity for Rong Xiu to sleep here. Suddenly, Rong Xiu¡¯s expression changed, and he looked outside. The sky was gloomy, hiding everything with its darkness. After a while, he said, ¡°Since the rain has stopped, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Chu Liuyue was very surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to stay for the night? Even though the rain has stopped, you¡¯ll easily get sick if you go out now, right?¡± Rong Xiu could not help but smile slightly when he heard her tease him. ¡°This study is no longer suitable for accommodation. Unless, you want to sleep in the same room as me?¡± Chu Liuyue grunted. She completely turned a deaf ear to Rong Xiu¡¯s teasing. ¡°You¡¯re free to go whenever you want, Your Highness. Suit yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come and visit you another day,¡± said Rong Xiu as he turned to leave. Xue Xue looked at Chu Liuyue before reluctantly following after Rong Xiu hurriedly. ¡°Your Highness, there are puddles outside. You¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was just about to remind him when her eyes suddenly widened. Rong Xiu stepped on the water surface like a light feather falling down without getting his foot dirty at all. Upon closer inspection, she could see that there was a narrow gap between the bottom of his foot and the water surface. He is walking on air! Only a stage-five warrior and stronger can do this! Chu Liuyue was stunned when she saw this scene. Rong Xiu was only around 16 or 17 this year, but his capabilities had already reached such a shocking level. Weaking? Everyone has underestimated this mysterious Prince Li. Chu Liuyue had never underestimated Rong Xiu, but she did not expect him to be a stage-five warrior at least. His talent was considered outstanding, even in Tianling Dynasty. Just when Chu Liuyue was shocked speechless, the man and the fiend had already disappeared into the night sky. ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to her own bedroom in the latter half of the night. When Chu Liuyue saw the black cloak by the bed, she suddenly realized that Rong Xiu had forgotten to take it away. Chu Liuyue frowned in contempt but still kept the cloak in the end. She even planned on finding some time to return it to him. She quickly fell into a deep slumber after she lay down, largely because of the many happenings in the day. ¡­ After Rong Xiu left the mansion, he walked on the marble path and turned around the corner. Right after, someone hurriedly went forward and said, ¡°Greetings, Master!¡± It was Yan Qing. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Rong Xiu lightly. ¡°Master, Chuan Qiong just sent us some news saying that Jiuyou Tower has strange movements,¡± said Yan Qing while panting and wiping off the beads of sweat on his forehead. If it were not something urgent, Yan Qing wouldn¡¯t have dared to contact his master at this time. However, this matter could not be delayed. Chuan Qiong was a teacher at Tian Lu Academy. Even though he was very experienced, he usually kept a low profile. Nobody knew he worked for Rong Xiu. Tian Lu Academy had an extraordinary status. Even the royal family did not dare to mess with them. Nobody would expect that Rong Xiu¡ªwho had been out of the city for many years¡ªhad actually planted a spy in Tian Lu Academy a long time ago. Chuan Qiong had been in the academy for many years and never contacted them before. This was the first time. Thus, how would Yan Qing dare to take it slow? He hurriedly rushed over anxiously. Now, he could only secretly hope that he had not disturbed his master. ¡°Mm,¡± said Rong Xiu coldly and nodded; he did not look surprised. ¡°Let him continue observing it.¡± Yan Qing was shocked. ¡°Master, y-you already guessed this would happen?¡± Jiuyou Tower is an important place in Tian Lu Academy. How did Master predict that it would have some strange movements today? Actually, how did he even arrange for Chuan Qiong to be there much earlier on¡­? Xue Xue yawned at the side as if it was frustrated. Rong Xiu took a look and Xue Xue and suddenly asked, ¡°What has the Fourth Princess been up to lately?¡± Yan Qing said hurriedly, ¡°Fourth Princess has been making a fuss lately about going to the hunting ground. She is even willing to pay an extravagant amount to do so. I heard that she asked several aristocratic children to come along to hunt for high-level fiends. They¡¯re going there tomorrow.¡± Rong Xiu replied with an ¡°Mm¡± and glanced at Xue Xue. ¡°You must let Fourth Princess have a good time.¡± Xue Xue licked its paws, and its icy blue eyes sparkled coldly. ¡°Master, your cloak¡­¡± Master always wears a cloak when he goes out. Why is it missing? Rong Xiu turned around, and the dark night sky blurred the outlines of the dark-green house. ¡°I¡¯ll come back and take it tomorrow.¡± Chapter 80 - Wait Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next morning. After Chu Liuyue woke up, she realized that Chu Ning had returned home and even prepared breakfast as he waited for her to join him in the living room. Chu Ning knew about this place since Chu Liuyue had already told him about moving to a new residence earlier on. ¡°Father, why are you back so early? Didn¡¯t the Emperor say that he wanted to talk to you throughout the night? Did you come right back home after it ended?¡± Chu Ning looked at her dotingly. ¡°Hurry up, come here and eat. I actually came back at midnight. However, I saw you asleep, so I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡± Chu Liuyue sat down beside him and could not help but tease when she saw the piping hot breakfast. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re already the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief. This meal is so precious!¡± Chu Ning raised his hand, seeming like he wanted to pat her head. However, he paused in his actions, retracted his hand, and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re the most precious person to me. Yesterday was the day you reached marriageable age, so I intended to come home right away after talking to the Emperor. However, I didn¡¯t expect to talk to him for so long, and it even rained. That¡¯s why I came home so late.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. ¡°Father, you already made longevity noodles for me yesterday. That was enough.¡± Chu Ning shook his head, looking regretful and apologetic. ¡°It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t hold a grand banquet for you.¡± ¡°Father, you becoming the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief is already the best gift to me. Besides, I¡¯m more than happy because you allowed me to sever ties with the Chu family.¡± Chu Ning was different from her as he had feelings for the Chu family. However, when he heard her say that, he agreed after keeping silent for a while. ¡°In the past, we were in a very difficult position. Leaving the Chu family would only make it worse, but everything is different now. We don¡¯t need to stay there anymore.¡± Chu Ning smiled, and his face filled with pride. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t realize that your Yuan meridian had recovered and that you also had so much Xuan Master talent. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already asked my subordinates to send out the invitation cards. We¡¯ll hold a banquet at Ying Bin Restaurant this afternoon to celebrate.¡± It was more than simple for him to do such things. After all, his current identity was different; he had also recovered his previous connections and resources. ¡°Yue¡¯er, how many tables do you think we should have? I told Zhao Ming to book ten tables. Will that be enough?¡± Chu Liuyue held up a bowl of porridge. ¡°You can decide.¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have ten tables first. We can add more if they aren¡¯t enough.¡± At this moment, a man wearing imperial guard armor walked in through the door. ¡°Greetings, Commander.¡± ¡°Zhao Ming, have you settled the matter with Ying Bin Restaurant?¡± asked Chu Ning while smiling. Zhao Ming seemed hesitant. ¡°Commander, Ying Bin Restaurant said that they are fully booked today and can¡¯t hold another banquet¡­¡± Chu Ning¡¯s smile faded. ¡°We can just change to another restaurant then. Chun Xing Restaurant is not bad.¡± Zhao Ming¡¯s head hung even lower. ¡°Commander, I have already asked Chun Xing Restaurant, and they said that they are also fully booked today. All the famous restaurants in the Imperial City said they are fully booked¡­¡± Chu Ning already realized something. ¡°So, all of them are not willing to let us hold a banquet?¡± Zhao Ming did not dare to speak. It wasn¡¯t only these famous restaurants; he had even gone to ask the average ones as well. Initially, they were all very polite when they heard that Zhao Ming wanted to hold a banquet. However, once they heard that the hosts were Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue, they rejected him and avoided him like he was a scorpion. Everybody¡¯s reactions were very similar, as if they had discussed it in advance. Chu Ning¡¯s face turned cold, and he gradually clenched his fists. The Chu family is obviously stirring up trouble. They are purposely humiliating us. ¡­ The Chu family estate. ¡°My pitiful Minmin! Chu Liuyue is too cruel to hurt you to this state.¡± Lu Yao almost fainted when she saw Chu Xianmin¡¯s appearance when Chu Xianmin returned home the previous day. Even after a night, she still trembled in anger when she talked about this. Chu Xianmin lay on the bed hopelessly, her face as white as a sheet. Her entire person looked much frailer than before. Shattered glass pieces from a mirror were scattered beside her bed. Her eyes did not focus as she kept muttering, ¡°My face¡­ My face¡­¡± She started crying again when she talked about it. ¡°Mother, my face is ruined! The Crown Prince won¡¯t want me anymore! It¡¯s all Chu Liuyue¡¯s fault! That b*tch deserves to die!¡± Lu Yao went forward and hugged Chu Xianmin dotingly as she ground her teeth. ¡°Minmin, your face will get better. I¡¯ll definitely help you. I won¡¯t let Chu Liuyue off the hook.¡± Chu Yan¡ªwho had a darkened face since the start¡ªfinally shouted in frustration. ¡°That¡¯s enough. What¡¯s the point of crying? Your face doesn¡¯t amount to anything. The point is that she crushed your talent.¡± Chu Xianmin trembled, and her tears dropped even quicker. Chu Xianmin was still his daughter in the end, so Chu Yan held himself back and suppressed the anger in his heart. He then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take revenge for you. Neither Chu Liuyue nor Chu Ning can play any tricks this time round. Weren¡¯t they very happy yesterday and even said they wanted to hold a banquet to celebrate? I want to see which restaurant will dare to go against the Chu family and allow them to host a banquet. With no backing, it won¡¯t be easy for them to make a name out of themselves in the Imperial City.¡± Chu Xianmin clutched the corner of her sleeves in indignance. ¡°However, Chu Ning is already the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief, and Chu Liuyue became a genius. Even if they can¡¯t hold this banquet, next time¡ª¡± Lu Yao sneered. ¡°They might not even have a next time.¡± ¡­ ¡°Father, don¡¯t bother asking. All these restaurants in the Imperial City have clearly received some ¡®hints.¡¯ Even if they didn¡¯t, a sensible person wouldn¡¯t go against the Chu family.¡± Chu Liuyue finished her porridge calmly and wiped the corner of her mouth. Chu Ning¡¯s brows knitted tightly. He said that he wanted to hold a celebration for her, but he could not do it. If word got out, he would become the Imperial City¡¯s laughingstock. ¡°Then, what should we do now?¡± Chu Ning was not willing to let his daughter suffer any more grievances. ¡°If it really can¡¯t work, I¡¯ll go personally¡ª¡± I¡¯m still the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief. They can¡¯t possibly not give me any face. Chu Liuyue pressed his shoulders and shook her head. ¡°Father, you don¡¯t need to show yourself. Everyone is watching us now. If you do this, everyone will think that we¡¯ve lost at the start.¡± ¡°Should we just let it go, then?¡± ¡°No, we need to wait.¡± ¡°Wait?¡± ¡°The banquet isn¡¯t important. The important thing is the people attending it.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at the sky. ¡°There are still three hours left to the stated time. Let¡¯s see if anyone will come.¡± Chapter 81 - Phoenix Restaurant Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Knock knock¡­ Knocks could be heard coming from the door. Zhao Ming went forward to open it and saw an unfamiliar face. The person was wearing clothes made of cotton and looked like a pageboy. One look at his sly-looking appearance made people unhappy. ¡°You are?¡± The person didn¡¯t seem to expect that Zhao Ming would be the one who opened the door. Upon seeing the imperial guard garb Zhao Ming wore, the person reacted and weirdly said, ¡°Oh, I thought you were someone else. It¡¯s you, Official Imperial Guard.¡± Zhao Ming¡¯s brows knitted, and his intuition told him that the incoming person had ill intentions. He hollered in a deep voice, ¡°Speak if you have something to do. If not, get lost.¡± He gestured to close the door as he talked. ¡°Aish¡­ don¡¯t be anxious! Of course, I came here to do something.¡± The man hurriedly went forward and blocked Zhao Ming¡¯s path, taking the chance to look into the residence as if he was looking for something. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless if you don¡¯t leave,¡± said Zhao Ming as he grabbed the person¡¯s wrist and harshly pushed him out. The pageboy staggered backward and fell onto the floor. He clenched his teeth in agony, and anger rushed up to his chest. ¡°Do you know who I am? How dare you push me? I¡¯m with the Chu family.¡± Zhao Ming¡¯s anger turned into laughter once he heard the pageboy¡¯s words. The Chu family is simply asking for a beating when they come here. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Chu Liuyue lives here, right? This place looks so plain and bare. Pui!¡± The pageboy climbed up and became even more arrogant. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say that she was holding a celebratory banquet today? Tsk tsk, why isn¡¯t anyone here yet? It¡¯s so quiet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not quiet at all with a lost dog barking wildly.¡± A cold woman¡¯s voice sounded. Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning heard the commotion and walked over. Zhao Ming hurriedly said, ¡°Commander, Big Missy, this person came here to stir trouble. I¡¯ll chase him away right now.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand and looked at the pageboy with much interest. ¡°Why? Is the Chu family so useless that they don¡¯t even dare to come themselves?¡± The pageboy¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°Who are you calling a dog?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Whoever is the one barking.¡± The pageboy was stumped. His eyes turned, and he laughed coldly. ¡°Hmph, didn¡¯t you say you were holding a banquet yesterday? It¡¯s already so late, yet both of you are still at home. Oh no¡­ Could it be that you don¡¯t have a place to hold the banquet? Do you intend to host your guests in such a rotten mansion? No, I think nobody would even come. Hahaha!¡± Chu Ning¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I think you don¡¯t want your mouth anymore.¡± A chill ran down the pageboy¡¯s spine as he backed away in fear. I heard that Chu Ning has already recovered his stage-five warrior cultivation, and his aura is indeed different. However¡­ so what? Nobody dares to do business with this father-daughter duo in the entire Imperial City. They don¡¯t even have a restaurant that is willing to host them. He shrugged his shoulders and teased, ¡°Oh my, Officer Chu Ning you¡¯re currently the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief; you won¡¯t hold it against a mere servant like me, right? Besides, I came here to help you. First Elder told me to tell you that there¡¯s still a way if you can¡¯t find a place to host the banquet.¡± ¡°The Chu family has several restaurants. If you¡¯re willing, First Elder won¡¯t mind lending you the place, ignoring whatever happened before. He will even give you a discount. What do you think?¡± They were riding all over him! ¡°Officer Chu Ning, don¡¯t be upset. First Elder just wants to help you. Look, yesterday you said you were going to hold a banquet. If you don¡¯t have a location today¡±¡ªthe pageboy hit his face¡ª¡±what do you think will become of your status as the Commander in Chief?¡± Chu Ning¡¯s blood boiled, and he gathered force into his palms. He was going to deal with this pageboy straight away. Someone walked over from not far away. ¡°May I ask if this is Ms. Chu Liuyue¡¯s residence?¡± The few people all turned around to look at him. The person who just spoke was a slightly chubby middle-aged man and looked very harmonious when he smiled. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°This is my house. May I know who¡ª¡± That man was slightly taken aback and smiled even friendlier afterward. ¡°So you are Ms. Liuyue. Apologies for not recognizing you earlier. I¡¯m Phoenix Restaurant¡¯s manager¡ªSu Hui.¡± Everyone was shocked when he introduced himself. Phoenix Restaurant was an old store with a long history in the Imperial City and was very famous. Rumor had it that Phoenix Restaurant had three bests¡ªbest taste, best price, and best appearance. The taste need not be mentioned since everyone who had been there only had praises for the food. Of course, the food was not something an average person could afford. Even some aristocratic children could not afford to eat there. In terms of appearance, Phoenix Restaurant overflowed with elegance from top to bottom and inside to outside. It was also known as the top view in the Imperial City. Phoenix Restaurant was definitely the best restaurant in the Imperial City because of these. Ying Bin Restaurant and the rest could not even be compared to it. However, why did Phoenix Restaurant¡¯s manager come here? ¡°You¡¯re here for¡­¡± ¡°I heard that Ms. Liuyue wants to host a banquet. May I know if Phoenix Restaurant can have the honor of being the venue?¡± The surroundings fell into deep silence. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°You mean¡­ you¡¯re willing to host this banquet?¡± Su Hui bent his back slightly. ¡°It¡¯s my honor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chu Liuyue really did not expect that Phoenix Restaurant would take the initiative to help them after she was rejected by all the restaurants in the Imperial City. Even Chu Ning could not stay calm. ¡°Manager Su, are you serious? I thought the banquets at Phoenix Restaurant had to be booked one month in advance? There won¡¯t be space if we go there now, right?¡± He did not dare say this about other places, but Phoenix Restaurant would definitely be packed to the brim. Su Hui smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Officer Chu Ning. Phoenix Restaurant has already cleared our place today, and we¡¯ll only serve Ms. Liuyue.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Su Hui¡¯s words sounded like thunder in the few people¡¯s ears, and they could not recover from their shock. Chu Liuyue was the first to react. Did¡­ someone save me from this mess? The point is, who did? I don¡¯t have any friends or backing in the Imperial City, and I even offended a bunch of people. Who exactly is willing to risk offending the Chu family to help me? That¡¯s not right. That person must come from a formidable background and has strong capabilities to get Phoenix Restaurant to do this, so why will he fear the Chu family? ¡°Manager Su, are you sure you want to help them? I heard a cup of tea starts from 500 silver taels. I¡¯m afraid these two people aren¡¯t able to afford the banquet. Are you sure you want to do a losing business?¡± That pageboy did not expect someone from Phoenix Restaurant would come, and he was stunned. However, he refused to admit defeat on the surface and continued talking arrogantly. Upon hearing this, Su Hui did not even look at him and smiled at Chu Liuyue instead. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Liuyue. Today¡¯s expenses have already been paid.¡± ¡°Who did it?¡± ¡°Second Master Yan.¡± Second Master Yan? Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Yan Ge¡­? ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? A high-level fiend appeared in the hunting ground you sold to them a few days ago. To express his gratitude, Second Master Yan specifically booked Phoenix Restaurant for you. He will also come and celebrate with you today.¡± ¡°Officer Chu Ning and Ms. Liuyue, please¡ª¡± Chapter 82 - Book the Whole Place Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Phoenix Restaurant was situated in the Imperial City¡¯s busiest street¡ªEastern Street. Chu Liuyue and the rest followed Su Hui over. Many people were on the streets, and it was very lively. Su Hui smiled and pointed to the front. ¡°It¡¯s the place in front.¡± Upon looking in the direction he was pointing at, Chu Liuyue saw a traditional two-story restaurant and could vaguely see the two words ¡®Phoenix Restaurant¡¯ on the plaque. She was slightly shocked. Every inch of ground was worth gold in this place. Even the rental price for a small shop was ridiculous. How can Phoenix Restaurant only have two floors as the top restaurant in the Imperial City? Chu Liuyue casually scanned her surroundings. Even the neighboring clothes shop had three stories. Phoenix Restaurant really looked much more low-key in comparison. Phoenix Restaurant¡¯s doors were tightly shut as two pageboys stood in front of the building. A few people were at the door and speaking to the pageboy. ¡°Closed? Phoenix Restaurant normally closes at the end of the month, right? Why are you closed so suddenly today?¡± The pageboy politely said, ¡°Sorry Sirs, we¡¯re only listening to our manager¡¯s commands. I seek your kind forgiveness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over just because you apologized. I already made a deal with my brothers to gather here today. How dare you tell me this? It will be so embarrassing for me.¡± The few people looked like young masters that were very rich. The leader of the pack looked very frustrated, and his words were arrogant. Chu Liuyue looked over and realized the person talking seemed familiar. ¡°Tell your manager to come out. How dare Phoenix Restaurant not care about the Lu family¡¯s reputation?¡± Oh, so it¡¯s him, Lu family¡¯s Fourth Young Master¡ªLu Zhitao. The pageboy matter-of-factly said, ¡°We won¡¯t entertain any guests today. Please, come another day. If not, there are many restaurants in the Imperial City, and you can just change to another one.¡± ¡°How is it the same?¡± Lu Zhitao raised his voice. ¡°How do you do your business? How can you chase your customers away? Do you believe I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Su Hui stepped forward. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m really sorry about it.¡± Lu Zhitao turned around and knitted his brows. ¡°Who are you?¡± The two pageboys immediately bowed. ¡°Manager.¡± Su Hui nodded. Lu Zhitao and the rest looked at each other and were slightly shocked. They did not expect the seemingly harmonious fatty to be Phoenix Restaurant¡¯s manager. Phoenix Restaurant was very famous, but only a handful of people could see the manager. Thus, they still did not know Su Hui, even though they had come a few times. ¡°So you¡¯re Phoenix Restaurant¡¯s manager. You¡¯ve come at the right time. You¡¯ve seen what happened earlier, right? We¡¯re considered regulars at Phoenix Restaurant, so how can you treat us like this?¡± Lu Zhitao still sounded very aggressive. The people behind tugged him and softly said, ¡°Fourth Young Master, Phoenix Restaurant is not simple. We should be polite¡­¡± Lu Zhitao still smiled coldly. ¡°It¡¯s just a restaurant. How powerful can it be? My Lu family also does business, but we¡¯ve never chased customers away so directly. Why, can the top restaurant in the Imperial City not care about their customers?¡± His voice was very loud, quickly attracting the surrounding people¡¯s attention. A few people gradually started to gather around. Some of them were watching the commotion while others were enjoying the show. Lu Zhitao felt even more justified. Su Hui cupped his fists. ¡°Phoenix Restaurant wouldn¡¯t dare to claim the title of the Imperial City¡¯s top restaurant, but someone has already booked the entire Phoenix Restaurant today. Thus, we¡¯re really sorry for the inconvenience today. I seek your understanding on this.¡± Once he said that, the crowd¡¯s faces instantly changed at the same time. B-book the whole place? Booked the entire Phoenix Restaurant? How much would that cost? Who is so extravagant? Lu Zhitao¡¯s anger was reduced by half as he clearly knew that it was not easy to book the entire Phoenix Restaurant, even for his Lu family. It was akin to burning money. The person who did such a thing¡­ could not be offended. ¡°Oh¡­ you should¡¯ve said so earlier!¡± Lu Zhitao exchanged glances with the people behind him. ¡°We¡¯ll come back again tomorrow.¡± Su Hui smiled. ¡°Sorry, that person has booked the entire place for three days straight. If you really want to come, please come three days later.¡± Chapter 83 - Digging My Own Grave Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The entire street fell into a strange silence once again. Almost everyone could not believe what they had just heard as they stared at Su Hui in disbelief. Three days? Booked the entire Phoenix Restaurant for three days? Is that person crazy? ¡°W-what¡­¡± Lu Zhitao could not even speak in a short amount of time because he was too shocked. ¡°Today is a celebratory day for our esteemed guests, so Phoenix Restaurant will not hold it against you. Young Masters, please take your leave.¡± Su Hui turned around after saying that and clearly did not want to continue talking to them. Su Hui might not even meet the Lu family head if he came on a normal day, so it was very rare for him to be patient enough to talk to Lu Zhitao. ¡°Fourth Young Master, Phoenix Restaurant can¡¯t be rifled with. We should go.¡± Anger rose in Lu Zhitao¡¯s heart, but he became more clear-headed once he heard the reminder. Just as he was about to cower and leave, his gaze shifted and landed on the pretty young girl standing nearby. She was just standing there quietly, but she seemed to make everything around her lose its color. Lu Zhitao¡¯s eyes immediately brightened. Since when did the Imperial City have such a beautiful lady? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shifted when she noticed Lu Zhitao¡¯s gaze. Lu Zhitao did not go to the Crown Prince¡¯s banquet that day. She had also disguised herself when they argued the previous time, so it was normal for him not to recognize her. ¡°Oh my, whose daughter is this? Why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡± said Lu Zhitao as he walked over. Su Hui moved and blocked his way. Su Hui¡¯s smile had vanished from his face, and his tone was packed with warning. ¡°This lady is Phoenix Restaurant¡¯s esteemed guest today¡ªMs. Liuyue.¡± ¡­ ¡°What? They¡¯re hosting the banquet at Phoenix Restaurant? How is that possible? They can¡¯t afford it!¡± The entire Chu family was stunned when they heard the piece of news the pageboy brought back. ¡°I heard that Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Second Master Yan booked the entire place for her as thanks for selling the hunting ground¡¯s title deed.¡± Chu Yan was so furious that his teeth were itchy. Everything was going well until Yan Ge appeared out of nowhere. ¡°I also heard that high-level fiends have appeared in the hunting ground recently, so the price surged drastically. Fourth Princess is also going to bring a few people over today.¡± ¡°This Chu Liuyue is so lucky. Even though she lost her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince after selling the hunting ground, she won Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s liking.¡± ¡°What kind of place is Zhen Bao Pavilion? Would they look at Chu Liuyue differently just because of a mere hunting ground? I think something must be up behind the scenes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the time to talk about this now. We should think of what to do next. The news about Zhen Bao Pavilion standing up for Chu Liuyue is probably spreading like wildfire around the Imperial City. Some might even go and support Chu Liuyue and her father because of Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± First Elder¡¯s face darkened, and he suddenly laughed coldly. ¡°Hmph, this incident isn¡¯t so simple. Zhen Bao Pavilion snatched the Crown Prince¡¯s belongings. Now that high-level fiends have appeared in the hunting ground, the Crown Prince will only hate Zhen Bao Pavilion even more. He might not do anything to Zhen Bao Pavilion, but he will definitely push the blame to Chu Liuyue. The people who go to the banquet today aren¡¯t only going against us but offending the Crown Prince as well. I want to see who will intentionally get involved in this mess.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked into Phoenix Restaurant and discovered that the place was huge, even though there were only two floors. Upon walking in, she realized that there was an annulus level apart from the main hall. A clear pond sat in the middle of the building. The pond was surrounded by borders carved from agarwood, exuding a light fragrance in the entire Phoenix Restaurant that refreshed one¡¯s heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Officer Chu Ning and Ms. Liuyue, I¡¯ve already sent out the news about the banquet venue changing to Phoenix Restaurant. You can just wait here peacefully.¡± Chu Liuyue was secretly touched that he had done so much. The other party was clearly prepared and settled everything for her. Chu Ning could not help but say, ¡°Yue¡¯er, we must thank Second Master Yan properly this time.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. In actual fact, she also wanted to ask Second Master Yan some questions. At this time, a voice sounded from the outside. ¡°Second Master Yan is here!¡± Speak of the devil. Chu Liuyue and the rest turned around and saw Yan Ge walking towards them. She did not expect Yan Ge to be the first to arrive. According to his identity, it was already very rare for him to come personally, not to mention this early. Chu Liuyue suppressed her surprise and welcomed him with a smile and bow. ¡°Second Master Yan.¡± Once Yan Ge saw this, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly moved behind. ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him curiously and noticed that he looked rather anxious and a little¡­ restrained. He seemed very different from the delightful and calm Second Master Yan she first met. ¡°Second Master Yan, what happened to you?¡± Yan Ge tried hard to pretend to be calm, and his mouth curved up unnaturally. ¡°N-nothing much. Ms. Liuyue entering Tian Lu Academy is a very happy incident. I came here to celebrate with you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up like crescent moons. ¡°Your gift is too much.¡± Yan Ge waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much! Nothing much! I even brought some gifts for you; they¡¯re outside.¡± Chu Liuyue casually scanned her surroundings and saw quite a few boxes outside. The corner of her eyes twitched. He¡¯s giving gifts in boxes? ¡°Second Master Yan, you¡¯re too kind¡­¡± Yan Ge forced a smile. I only gave 300,000 silver taels for the title deed of Master¡¯s wife¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be digging my own grave if I knew of this earlier. Chapter 84 - Fight Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°It¡¯s just a small gift; it¡¯s not much. Ms. Liuyue, you must accept it.¡± Chu Liuyue was silent as she stared at the gift boxes piled into a hill outside. Small gift¡­ Does Yan Ge have a misunderstanding of this term? Or does he think that Zhen Bao Pavilion has too much money? But Chu Liuyue could only accept them in the end. Considering Yan Ge¡¯s determined expression, she would be looking down on him if she didn¡¯t accept them. ¡°Then, I can only accept your goodwill respectfully.¡± Yan Ge finally heaved a sigh of relief in his heart when she finally accepted it. Only God knew that his soul was almost frightened away when he heard that his master was choosing presents for Chu Liuyue. He never thought that his master¡¯s rumored missus would be Chu family¡¯s Big Missy¡ªthe one he had recently struck a deal with¡ªChu Liuyue. ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great! I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Liuyue to have such outstanding talent. You really surprised me.¡± This was the truth. Who would have thought that Chu Liuyue¡ªwhom everyone thought was a good-for-nothing¡ªcould actually enter Tian Lu Academy and attain such great results? With Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent and forbearance, it was no wonder his master¡ªwho did not care much for girls¡ªwas attracted to her. Yan Ge had dealt with Chu Liuyue before during the hunting ground business deal, and he had admired her quite a bit. Now that he knew she was the apple of his master¡¯s eye, his attitude was naturally even better. He looked at Chu Ning and sighed emotionally. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve completely recovered, and you¡¯re now the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief. I haven¡¯t congratulated you yet.¡± ¡°Second Master Yan, you¡¯re too kind.¡± Chu Ning walked forward and looked at Chu Liuyue lovingly. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my Yue¡¯er¡­¡± He paused and did not continue. Even though Yue¡¯er passed all three examinations and entered Tian Lu Academy, her most outstanding achievements were her placing second in the Xuan Master assessment, followed by first place in the warrior assessment. Nobody seemed to mention her heavenly doctor talent. She also did not participate in the heavenly doctor assessment, nor did she perform ideally in that category during the entrance examination since she passed it forcefully. Chu Ning originally thought that she would enter as a heavenly doctor, but it seemed like she was hiding her talent on purpose. Even though he did not know the reason, Yue¡¯er definitely had her reasons for doing so. At the very least, she had a trump card up her sleeves. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°What are you talking about, Father? We¡¯ve relied on each other for so many years, and we have finally made it past the bad days. It¡¯s my blessing to have you with me.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s tears started welling up. ¡°Yue¡¯er is right! Today, we should celebrate properly! Second Master Yan, please head inside.¡± ¡®Inside¡¯ definitely meant the more central location. Yan Ge personally attending the banquet meant that Zhen Bao Pavilion was willing to stand up for the father-daughter duo. It was really rare for Zhen Bao Pavilion to do so with their current status in the Imperial City. ¡°Haha, Officer Chu Ning and Ms. Liuyue are the true hosts today. You two should head in first,¡± answered Yan Ge with a smile, but his gaze shifted to Chu Liuyue subconsciously. What a joke! How would I dare to walk in front of Master¡¯s missus? Chu Liuyue discovered that Second Master Yan was really weird today. However, it was not the time to ask questions. After seeing Yan Ge¡¯s persistence, Chu Liuyue did not force him. ¡°Second Master Yan, make yourself at home then.¡± Yan Ge immediately agreed happily. Something flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she seemingly nonchalantly asked, ¡°Second Master Yan, I heard that high-level fiends have appeared in the hunting ground. May I know what level they are?¡± Yan Ge immediately felt a bit guilty when he heard that and coughed. ¡°Actually, we only found traces of high-level fiends in the hunting ground previously. We haven¡¯t seen what exactly they are yet. However¡­ I think their levels aren¡¯t too low¡­¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. It was rare to see high-level fiends, so it was natural for Yan Ge not to want to talk about such important things in detail. Chu Ning looked outside the door, and it seemed like nobody else came other than the people Yan Ge brought. He could not help but say, ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for booking the entire Phoenix Restaurant. I really don¡¯t know how to return the favor. However, there won¡¯t be many people coming today; I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re just wasting your money.¡± Yan Ge chuckled and did not say a word. Waste? I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be enough! ¡­ ¡°Si family¡¯s Eldest Young Master, Si Ting, is here!¡± The second announcement shocked the people in Phoenix Restaurant. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw a young man in a blue robe walking over. The face of the young man was sharp and handsome. He exuded a cold and distinguished aura, similar to a sharp knife. It was Si Ting! ¡°W-Why is he here?¡± Chu Ning was surprised. As the indubitable top aristocratic family in the Imperial City, the Si family rarely interfered with other families¡¯ affairs. So, why did they send someone over this time? They had even sent Si Ting, who had the highest status amongst the Si family¡¯s younger generation. This banquet could be considered as the battle between the father-daughter duo and the Chu family. Everyone knew that they were pitting themselves against the Chu family by coming here. Logically speaking, the Si family had no need to get involved in this situation. Even if they had to choose, they would choose the Chu family. Then, why would they¡­ Si Ting had already walked over in the blink of an eye. He first bowed towards Chu Ning. ¡°Greetings, Uncle Chu.¡± Chu Ning hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal, Si Ting.¡± Si Ting exuded a faintly distinguished yet distant aura, but his gaze was calm and actions appropriate, which people would not be uncomfortable with. ¡°Did¡­ the Si family¡¯s Master send you over?¡± asked Chu Ning rather hesitantly. Si Ting nodded. ¡°Master has been rather busy lately, so he can¡¯t come personally. Thus, he told me to take his place. He heard that you became a stage-five warrior, and he¡¯s very happy about it. He said that he wants to duel with you if there is time.¡± Actually, Si Ye was only a few years older than Chu Ning. Both of them had some connections before, but Chu Ning got injured later, and Si Ye became the Si family¡¯s head. Thus, they started interacting with each other less and less. With Si Ye¡¯s current status, he had no need to come over personally. It was more than enough that he sent the Si family¡¯s Eldest Young Master, Si Ting, over. This was enough to show the Si family¡¯s stance. Chu Ning was touched. ¡°¡­ Good! Good!¡± ¡°However¡­ I came here today on behalf of my family and also myself,¡± said Si Ting as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Big Chu Missy and I are disciples in the same Xuan Master course, so I should come over to congratulate her.¡± The academy was split into the three factions¡ªwarrior, Xuan Master, and heavenly doctor. Originally, few people could be Xuan Masters, so they were more united and bonded. Thus, Si Ting¡¯s actions were considered normal. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Si Ting felt that the young girl¡¯s smile was bedazzling, and he could not look at it directly. His heart skipped a beat, and the weird feeling from before appeared again. He nodded lightly and subconsciously looked away. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people in the academy as we¡¯re on a break. However, Si Yang has already gone to call the others over. They¡¯ll be here in a bit.¡± ¡°Si family¡¯s Fifth Young Master, Si Yang; Ou family¡¯s Second Young Master, Ou Zhen; Sun family¡¯s Fourth Missy, Sun Xiaoxiang; General Zhen Nan¡¯s daughter, Wu Yingying¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw a group of young men and women walking towards her together. The person leading the pack was Si Yang, and he was filled with excitement. ¡°Phoenix Restaurant! We must eat until Chu Liuyue becomes poor!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± replied the crowd loudly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to be so powerful. I can¡¯t even eat at Phoenix Restaurant once every three months.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I came out late for the previous assessment, so I didn¡¯t even see how she looks. I must look at her properly this time.¡± ¡°The second place in our Xuan Master assessment got first place in the warrior assessment. Don¡¯t you think those people were driven to their graves? Hahaha!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fight with me later! I want to be the first to drink with her!¡± The lively chatter immediately made the entire Phoenix Restaurant livelier. Si Yang looked up and winked at Si Ting. ¡°Big Brother! I called everyone over! More people are still behind!¡± Si Ting softly replied with an ¡°Mm,¡± but the hands in his sleeves gradually formed a tight fist. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Si Ting, did you call them over?¡± Si Ting nodded grimly. ¡°Not really. We¡¯re all in the same school anyway, and it¡¯s livelier with more people around.¡± Yan Ge¡¯s brows rose up high. What a lad. Is he fighting with Master? Chapter 85 - Crowd Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re all Xuan Masters, so we¡¯re family. How can we not come to your banquet?!¡± Si Yang did not realize that he had betrayed his brother with his words as he hopped over to Chu Liuyue and marveled at things. ¡°However, I¡¯ve got to say that you¡¯re really generous! You reserved the entire Phoenix Restaurant for this? This must¡¯ve cost a bomb, right?!¡± Even he, who was the Si family¡¯s fifth young master, could not come here whenever he wanted. Chu Liuyue looked at Yan Ge. ¡°Actually, I have to thank Second Master Yan from Zhen Bao Pavilion for this.¡± Si Yang and the rest paused when they heard Chu Liuyue mention Zhen Bao Pavilion. It was only then that they saw Yan Ge, who was standing by the side. The few of them greeted him immediately. ¡°Second Master Yan!¡± Yan Ge waved and laughed out loud. ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony, everyone. Ms. Liuyue is the star today. I¡¯m just here to congratulate her on behalf of Zhen Bao Pavilion!¡± Everyone was secretly stunned by his words. What status does Zhen Bao Pavilion hold? In the Imperial City, only a handful of people have the guts to provoke them! Rumor has it that Zhen Bao Pavilion stood the big families up last right, but they did not receive any trouble for it! Here on behalf of Zhen Bao Pavilion to congratulate her? That sounds simple, but it will be very clear that Zhen Bao Pavilion is backing Chu Liuyue up if word gets out! Si Yang and the others took another good look at Chu Liuyue. Everyone used to say that Chu Liuyue was a good-for-nothing. However, she got into Tian Lu Academy with stellar results! Even though she broke off her ties with the Chu family, she had Zhen Bao Pavilion backing her up in an instant! There is probably little to no truth in the rumors about Chu Liuyue! How many cards does she still have hidden! ¡°Si Yang, what are you waiting for? Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?¡± A young man by the side nudged Si Yang and gave him a look. ¡°Only you and Si Ting met her that day. We were behind and could not catch up!¡± ¡°Come, come! I¡¯ll introduce you all one by one. This is Ou Zhen!¡± Si Yang returned to his senses and introduced them to Chu Liuyue one by one. Just as he finished the introductions, a few more young men and women came in from outside. Without a doubt, they were here because of Si Yang. Actually, it should be because of Si Ting. Even though they were all in the same Xuan Master class at Tian Lu Academy, their identities were not to be belittled. Most of them came from noble families. Some students came from outside the Imperial City, but they also had strong family backgrounds. After all, large amounts of resources and support were required to become a Xuan Master. Common families would not be able to afford these two things. Thus, their presence here was representative of their family¡¯s wishes. Of course, Chu Liuyue was not naive enough to believe that her status as a Xuan Master was enough to garner their support. These people were probably there on account of Si Yang and Si Ting. Especially Si Ting. His attitude was a reflection of the Si family¡¯s attitude! Si Yang was more extroverted, so he was good at livening things up. Even though Chu Liuyue did not know these people beforehand, things warmed up fast with Si Yang around. While Chu Liuyue was surprised by everyone¡¯s attendance, Yan Ge¡¯s presence stunned the rest of the people. They were there on account of Si Ting and the Si family, but they did not expect Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s second-in-charge to be here before them! No wonder Chu Liuyue had the courage to break off ties with the Chu family! With Zhen Bao Pavilion, the Chu family cannot act as they please! ¡°The rooms on the second floor have been prepared. If you all would please¡­¡± Su Hui smiled extra graciously. Si Yang and the rest were a little surprised. ¡°Rooms on the second floor? I thought they were not usually open to the public?¡± When ordinary people came to Phoenix Restaurant, they could only remain on the first floor. Rumor had it that the rooms on the second floor had exorbitant prices and hard to reserve. ¡°We usually have such a rule, but Ms. Liuyue has reserved the entire place today. Thus, it¡¯s of no problem. Everyone is classmates with Ms. Liuyue, so, of course, you all have the right to take a seat.¡± Su Hui smiled as he bowed. Si Yang and the others looked at each other, stunned. The rooms on Phoenix Restaurant¡¯s second floor! Led by the manager! What kind of treatment is this! The youngsters were still young and unfamiliar with such situations, so they could not help but look forward to it. They followed Su Hui up the stairs excitedly. Soon, only Si Ting remained on the first floor. Seeing that the others had left, it did not seem appropriate for him to remain there further. Thus, he took a step forward, intending to head upstairs. ¡°Si Ting, thank you for today,¡± said Chu Liuyue seriously as she looked at him. Without Si Ting¡¯s maneuvers, these people would not have come today. Even though she was not worried about it, she had to thank Si Ting for his good intentions. Si Ting glanced at her. Sparkles seem to be rippling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s bright, black eyes. She seems to see through¡­ everything. Si Ting felt his heartbeat speed up. He instinctively turned and hurried towards the second floor. ¡°It was nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Chu Liuyue confusedly blinked as she watched him leave, and then she chuckled. She did not expect the Si family¡¯s cold and sharp looking eldest young master to be shy. Si Ting paused when he heard the laughter behind him, and he felt his face heat up. In that instant, he felt like he had been seen right through. He felt a little exposed. Yan Ge suddenly asked, ¡°Ms. Liuyue, are you happy with the arrangements this time?¡± Chu Liuyue touched her forehead helplessly. ¡°Second Master Yan, your thank you gift is a little too expensive.¡± Even if high-level fiends appeared in a hunting ground, one would not be able to cover the expenses of renting out the entire Phoenix Restaurant! ¡°It¡¯s already too kind of you to rent out the place for three days. I didn¡¯t expect you to convince Manager Su to open up the rooms on the second floor¡­ I can¡¯t repay you even if I sold another hunting ground to you. Are you sure Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s master will not have any objections to your actions?¡± Yan Ge felt his head throb when he heard this. Madam, the entire Zhen Bao Pavilion is yours, yet you¡¯re saying this? Master is moving rather slowly. There are many things that Madam doesn¡¯t know about yet¡­ He looked around before breaking into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! To be honest, all of the arrangements were Master¡¯s ideas.¡± His ideas? Chu Liuyue was taken aback. She was just prodding for information, but she did not expect Yan Ge would actually admit to it directly! But¡­ she did not know Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s mysterious master! Why was he helping her? She did not believe that it was just because of the hunting ground! ¡°I don¡¯t know Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s master, so how¡­¡± ¡°Head of the Ou family, Ou Xiangtian; Head of the Sun family, Sun Xia; Zhenbei Duke, Jiang Yuan; Xiangnan Superintendent, Mo Qing¡­¡± At this time, more announcements came from the door! Everyone was stunned when they heard the names, and they looked towards the door. From the corner of his eye, Yan Ge saw Si Ting¡ªwho was going up the stairs¡ªfreeze. He laughed out loud and loudly said, ¡°Master¡¯s orders were to make sure your banquet is lively and crowded!¡± Chapter 86 - Protection Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Hahahaha! Brother Chu Ning, congratulations!¡± The laughter just broke out when several men entered Phoenix Restaurant. Chu Ning suppressed his surprise and went up to receive them. ¡°Brother Xiangtian, why are you all here?¡± These people were of high status. By right, they shouldn¡¯t have come¡­ ¡°Brother Chu Ning made a comeback after so many years, and you¡¯re now the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief. Your beloved daughter got into Tian Lu Academy with stunning talent. Of course, we have to come and celebrate!¡± said Ou Xiangtian as he patted Chu Ning¡¯s shoulder. The others nodded. They were clearly there for the same reasons. However, Chu Ning¡¯s doubt only deepened. He did know these people, but they were not close. After all, they were all outstanding members of their own families, so there was no way they would be particularly close. He had been down and under all these years, and people rarely paid attention to him. Based on these people¡¯s status, they didn¡¯t have to lower themselves, even if he and Yue¡¯er were different now. He could not help but take a look at Yan Ge. He clearly heard the words from earlier. Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s master said to make sure that Yue¡¯er¡¯s party is lively and crowded. Other than renting out Phoenix Restaurant, could it be that he has even invited guests on our behalf¡­? ¡°Brother Chu Ning, this has to be your daughter, right?¡± Ou Xiangtian and the others looked towards Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue greeted them one by one. ¡°The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree! Brother Chu Ning, I am envious of you for having such an outstanding daughter!¡± Ou Xiangtian sighed. He meant what he said. Everyone in the Imperial City knew that Chu Liuyue had rare warrior and Xuan Master talent. The key point was that she was talented in both aspects! She became her year¡¯s top warrior and second-best Xuan Master on her first day of school! Who would not be jealous?! Chu Liuyue was rumored to be a good-for-nothing while Chu Ning was downtrodden because of his injury. Who would¡¯ve expected both of them to be where they are now?! ¡°We¡¯re not too late, are we?¡± asked Sun Xia. Chu Ning shook his head with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re just on time, please¡­¡± After hearing the commotion downstairs, the youngsters on the second floor were uneasy. ¡°Why do I feel like I just heard my father¡¯s name?¡± Ou Zhen asked confusedly. ¡°Did he beat me silly this morning?¡± ¡°It might be, but¡­ I heard my father¡¯s name as well.¡± Sun Xiaoxiang walked towards the door, looked down from the corridor, and became stunned. ¡°My father really is here! Ou Zhen, your father is here too! You were not mistaken!¡± Ou Zhen¡¯s expression froze, and he hugged his head in agony. ¡°No way?! He chased after me all the way here?! He refused to agree when I said I was coming in the morning, and I finally managed to sneak out! I¡¯m doomed! Doomed, I tell you! I¡¯m going to get it from him this time. No! I¡¯ve got to hide first!¡± Ou Zhen got to his feet, preparing to jump out of the window. ¡°Why are you panicking!¡± Wu Yingying grabbed Ou Zhen by his collar with disdain. ¡°Look at you! It¡¯s just that your father is here. If he really wanted to come for you, can you really get away?¡± Ou Zhen had a pained expression on his face because he really could not defeat his father! Si Ting¡ªwho just arrived on the second floor¡ªplainly said, ¡°Your dad is not here to punish you.¡± Ou Zhen leaped over as if he had just seen his lifeline. ¡°Si Ting! You¡¯ve got to help me! If anything happens to me¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re here to offer their well-wishes too.¡± Si Ting¡¯s words stunned the others into silence and disbelief. ¡°Ho-how can that be? My father called me an idiot when I told him I wanted to come in the morning¡­¡± Ou Zhen mumbled. Sun Xiaoxiang cried out. ¡°They¡¯re really coming upstairs! They have smiles on their faces too!¡± The students huddled together to look over. The people heading to the second floor seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue! At this point, Ou Xiangtian looked up and saw Ou Zhen. The father-son duo¡¯s eyes met. Ou Zhen was ready to leave. ¡°Comrades, I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Haha! Ah Zhen, you¡¯re here already!¡± Ou Zhen knew that he could not hide, so he could only smile stiffly. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°This child; do you not know to wait for me? Did you come without preparing any gifts?¡± Ou Zhen, who was waiting to be lectured: ¡°?¡± ¡°However, Father has already brought the gift. Don¡¯t be so careless next time, okay?¡± Ou Zhen widened his eyes. Who was the one who said it was not appropriate to offend the Chu family? Who stopped me? Who called me an idiot? From the side, Sun Xia said, ¡°Brother Xiangtian, don¡¯t be mad. The children only wanted to have some fun. How could they have taken things like this into consideration? Look! My Xiaoxiang didn¡¯t bring anything either. As their elders, we have to bear the burden¡­¡± Sun Xiaoxiang, who was implicated: ¡°?¡± ¡°Sirs, your room is by the side. Please¡­¡± Su Hui was smart, so he arranged for the adults to be placed in a room further away from the children. Si Yang gave Su Hui a silent thumbs-up. After the adults left, the youngsters still could not come to their senses. ¡°This¡­ They were here for Officer Chu, right?¡± Si Ting stood behind them and quietly watched the young girl downstairs. Chu Liuyue was slender, calm, and collected, and had let her sleek hair down. He knew that Ou Xiangtian and the rest did not come for Chu Ning. No, they were here because of her¡­ An invisible hand is shielding her from the Imperial City¡¯s chaos. Who¡­ is that person?! Chapter 87 - The Dispute Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Time passed slowly, bit by bit, and an endless stream of people was coming to Phoenix Restaurant. Many people belonging to rich and powerful families in the Imperial City had come. Phoenix Restaurant, which was calm earlier, quickly became lively. People came in succession to exchange pleasantries with Chu Ning, but they couldn¡¯t stop themselves from looking at Chu Liuyue. Some were curious, others were confused, and some even looked fearful. This girl¡¯s status must be extraordinary if it can make Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Second Master Yan be so attentive to her. At the very least, with Zhen Bao Pavilion backing her up, few people will dare to provoke her in the open from now on. No wonder she dared to offend the Crown Prince and the Chu family without fearing the consequences. It isn¡¯t surprising when she has such backing. Chu Liuyue naturally noticed the different sorts of stares at her. She was calm on the surface, but in reality, she was becoming more and more confused. Who exactly is Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Big Boss? Why is he helping me, and what exactly did he do to make the whole Imperial City so afraid of him? These people have inevitably offended the Crown Prince and the Chu family by coming to Phoenix Restaurant today. Nevertheless, they still came! When this is over, I¡¯m going to investigate thoroughly¡­ Chu Liuyue pushed these thoughts away and followed Chu Ning to greet the guests. Yan Ge stood beside them and greeted the guests as well. He looked more eager and sincere than them. Chu Ning might have been in the limelight back then, but he had been silent all these years. Even with his recent and sudden full recovery, he still felt a bit awkward. As Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Second Boss, Yan Ge was best at getting along with all sorts of people. His presence made things easier for both Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning. Some people couldn¡¯t help themselves from whispering when they saw this. ¡°Second Master Yan has always been a distinguished figure. Even the princes and princesses treat him with respect. Have you ever seen him treat anyone like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. This morning, when I heard that Zhen Bao Pavilion would be present, I didn¡¯t think much of it. I assumed that Chu Ning had spared no effort with the invitations. Who would have thought that this was obviously arranged by Second Master Yan at the last minute!¡± ¡°Hey, do you guys think he¡¯s being extra attentive toward Chu Liuyue? It seems like¡­ he¡¯s being cautious? He takes Chu Liuyue¡¯s occasional words very seriously! Tsk¡­ do you think he¡¯s taken a liking to her?¡± ¡°Shh! Be careful about what you say! You guys arrived late. Earlier, Second Master Yan himself said he was following his master¡¯s orders!¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Doesn¡¯t he already have a wife¡­¡± ¡°Who knows what means Chu Liuyue used to deserve this? Anyway, the Crown Prince and the Chu family can¡¯t do anything to her for the time being with Zhen Bao Pavillion in the picture! I believe there¡¯s going to be more drama in the future!¡± ¡­ ¡°Are you speaking the truth? Ou Xiangtian and the others have gone?¡± The Lu family was taken aback after hearing Lu Zhitao¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken nothing but the truth! After Chu Liuyue offended the Crown Prince and the Chu family, I thought no one would attend the banquet even though she booked the whole Phoenix Restaurant. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t take long before people started to arrive one after another. Quite a number of high profile people are there too! I came back immediately with that knowledge.¡± Lu Zhitao recalled all the prestigious names, and he shuddered inwardly. There might not even be so many attendees, even if it were a prince¡¯s or princess¡¯s banquet! The Lu family members fell silent. Lu Feiyan listened from the side with disdain. ¡°So what? The Ou family may be powerful, but they can¡¯t even be compared with us! Apart from the royal family, we, the four great families, are the most powerful in the Imperial City. Si Ting and Si Yang may be there, but the other three families have yet to make their moves! Those people went for nothing!¡± Lu Ming, the head of the Lu family, was sullen. ¡°Fool! On their own, none of them can be compared to the four great families. However, they can¡¯t be ignored when they join forces! If it were just for the sake of Chu Ning¡¯s promotion as the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief, there¡¯s no reason for so many of them to go! There¡¯s definitely something fishy about it!¡± Lu Feiyan was reprimanded, and she became upset. However, she didn¡¯t retort when she saw Lu Ming¡¯s gloomy expression. ¡°I don¡¯t care if anyone goes or not; I¡¯m not going! Chu Liuyue ruined Minmin¡¯s face because of her own jealousy. If I go there, she might ruin my face too!¡± Lu Zhitao couldn¡¯t help from snorting as he listened. ¡°Big Sister, I have to disagree. Minmin may be pretty, but Chu Liuyue is much more beautiful than she is. Why should she be jealous of Minmin? Chances are that Minmin did something to offend her and got herself into trouble¡­¡± ¡°Four, what do you mean? Have you taken a liking to that b*tch?¡± Lu Feiyan glared at him with bulging eyes and scolded. Lu Zhitao sneered inwardly. Lu Feiyan had always been domineering in the family because she had gotten into Tian Lu Academy. She acted as if she couldn¡¯t be offended. He had had an issue with her attitude for a long time. ¡°Isn¡¯t what I said the truth? Besides, Chu Liuyue has become the envy of everyone as a genius, and she has a father who is also the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief. Many men will be asking for her hand in marriage! Minmin¡¯s reputation and her face are ruined. The Crown Prince won¡¯t bother himself about her well-being anymore. Sister, I advise you to keep your distance from her!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Enough! Shut up, all of you!¡± Lu Ming snapped harshly. ¡°You will all stay put at home today! No one is to step foot outside! I¡¯m going to the Crown Prince Mansion.¡± The Lu family had spent a lot of effort to maintain a cordial relationship with the Crown Prince. At a time like this, it was even more crucial for them to show their loyalty to him! No matter how powerful Zhen Bao Pavilion was, it couldn¡¯t be compared to the imperial court. In Country Yao Chen, only the words of the person sitting on the throne counted! ¡­ Chapter 88 - Investigation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Unlike the bustling Phoenix Restaurant, the atmosphere in Crown Prince Mansion had been exceptionally tense in recent days. All the servants in Crown Prince Mansion knew that His Highness had been in a bad mood ever since Tian Lu Academy¡¯s mid-term assessment. Everyone had been treading on thin ice, worried about incurring his wrath if they did anything wrong. As usual, Rong Jin sat in his study, reading. However, he couldn¡¯t take in anything because of his irritable mood. A beautiful girl¡¯s face also kept popping up in his mind, and he couldn¡¯t shake it away. He was still staring at the same folder after one hour without actually reading a single word. Finally, he put it away and rubbed the area between his brows. ¡°Song Yuan, how¡¯s the situation at the Chu family?¡± Song Yuan¡ªwho had cautiously been waiting outside¡ªcame in when he was called. He bowed respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, Third Missy Chu is still recuperating in her bed. Her condition doesn¡¯t seem to be good¡­¡± Rong Jin opened his eyes and looked at him. Bang! The prince slammed his palm against the tabletop and spoke in an icy tone. ¡°You know very well what I was asking!¡± Song Yuan shuddered and fell on his knees immediately. ¡°Your Highness, the Chu family sent news overnight. Hardly any restaurants in the entire Imperial City have accepted their reservation¡­¡± Rong Jin closed his eyes, his mood somewhat improved. So what if Chu Liuyue is a double genius? Without support from her family clan, she is isolated on her own! She will know the consequences of going against me! When she is at the end of the rope, she will regret dissolving our marriage agreement on purpose! ¡°I own a restaurant in my name. Send word to her. Tell her I am willing to forgive her and offer my help this once if she comes and begs for my mercy in person.¡± Song Yuan stood rooted to the spot. His expression became awkward. ¡°Your Highness, i-it¡¯s¡­ Chu Liuyue has found a restaurant for her banquet¡­¡± Rong Jin froze. ¡°Zhen Bao Pavilion has booked the whole Phoenix Restaurant for Chu Liuyue¡¯s celebratory banquet¡­¡± Clang! Rong Jin swept everything off his table. He had a murderous look on his face. Song Yuan dared not look up. He, too, had been shocked when he heard the news. However, this was not the most surprising thing! ¡°Your Highness, because of this, a rumor has started to spread in the Imperial City that Chu Liuyue has Zhen Bao Pavilion to back her up. Many people have gone to Phoenix Restaurant on account of Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­¡± A mighty pressure descended on Song Yuan! He didn¡¯t dare to resist. A blow struck his chest as he flew backward and slammed onto the ground! Poof! Song Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood but still managed to stand on his feet almost immediately. ¡°Your Highness, please calm down!¡± Rong Jin tightly clenched both his hands into fists. His entire being was being consumed by the anger inside him! Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down? I dissolved his marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue after much difficulty, even going as far as bearing Father¡¯s scolding. What about Chu Liuyue? She became a genius in the blink of an eye, and she is celebrating without a care! It¡¯s as though she wants everyone to know that she has been accepted into Tian Lu Academy! This is clearly a provocation from her to the Chu family and me! The more glamorous Chu Liuyue became, the more people would mock Rong Jin and the Chu family! ¡°And here I was thinking about how she could muster up so much courage to¡­¡± It turns out that she had already secured her position with Zhen Bao Pavilion! Rong Jin frowned as he paced in his study, and finally coldly said, ¡°Send someone to investigate immediately. I want to know everything about Zhen Bao Pavilion!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Song Yuan looked up in surprise. He scrambled to discourage the prince. ¡°Your Highness, please think twice! Zhen Bao Pavilion has a mysterious background and is incredibly wealthy. It¡¯s not wise to mess with them! As you know, people have tried to investigate Zhen Bao Pavilion secretly, but they failed to achieve their goal miserably! You really don¡¯t need to get yourself into trouble because of this!¡± How could Rong Jin not know this? Even his father treated Zhen Bao Pavilion like it was something important that must be kept secret. Otherwise, he never would¡¯ve given up on that whole hunting ground matter so easily in the first place! Tolerating it once or twice only means it will happen more in the future! ¡°Investigate!¡± Chapter 89 - Borrow a Place Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios People in the Imperial City always kept their eye on the course of events. After Ou Xiangtian and the others found out that Zhen Bao Pavilion had booked the whole Phoenix Restaurant for Chu Liuyue, they immediately changed their attitude and came without stopping. The news of their arrival caused many¡ªwho had previously maintained a neutral stance¡ªto fall in line and come one after the other. They couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Crown Prince and the Chu family, but the consequences of offending Zhen Bao Pavilion were much worse! When the Crown Prince had suffered a loss at Zhen Bao Pavilion, he hadn¡¯t been able to retaliate. As such, people from all over Imperial City began to arrive in waves. By noon, the large Phoenix Restaurant was actually filled to the brim. ¡°Manager, all the private rooms on the second floor have been filled up. The first floor is also full. We still have a dozen guests outside yet to be seated!¡± The pageboys at Phoenix Restaurant were so busy that they hadn¡¯t had time to rest their feet. Business in the restaurant was usually good, but the second floor was rarely open. Thus, things had never been this hectic. Chu Liuyue and the others had booked the venue. Although the first and second floors were packed to the brim, it still wasn¡¯t enough! Su Hui had a bit of a headache. He apologetically looked at Chu Ning and the others. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, Ms. Liuyue, Second Master Yan, what do you think we should do?¡± Phoenix Restaurant was an extremely high-end and elegant place. They never had this many people in the restaurant before. Chu Ning was at his wits¡¯ end as well. ¡°The visitors are all guests. Besides, they¡¯re not of ordinary status. It will reflect badly on us if we do not treat them with the hospitality they deserve. Manager Su, is there really no place for them?¡± Su Hui sighed helplessly and smiled. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, there¡¯s really no room. We can¡¯t possibly seat them at the cloister in the center of the lake, can we?¡± The four of them fell into instant silence. Chu Liuyue looked at Yan Ge. ¡°Second Master Yan, you¡¯ve invited too many people¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Ms. Liuyue, you¡¯re mistaken. I didn¡¯t invite those people that came towards the end!¡± Yan Ge quickly waved his hand. Those on his invite list were all respectable and dignified. The people that came later hadn¡¯t even popped up in his mind when he was drafting the invitation list. However, all of them came with an invitation! ¡°Lord Chu Ning, you¡¯ve sent out too many invitations!¡± Chu Ning¡¯s hands balled into fists as he coughed. ¡°At first, I thought not many of them would bother to come, so I sent a few more¡­¡± At the time, he thought it would make a difference if only one of the people he invited did come here. However, he didn¡¯t expect all of them to be here! They had now run out of room in the restaurant! Chu Liuyue naturally knew what was on her father¡¯s mind. For a moment, she was caught between laughter and tears. She pondered for a moment and suddenly had an idea. ¡°Officer Zhao, I wonder if it will be possible to trouble you for an errand?¡± Zhao Ming¡ªwho had been standing to their side¡ªimmediately replied, ¡°Ms. Liuyue, I¡¯m at your command.¡± Chu Liuyue pulled out an invitation and handed it to him. ¡°Officer Zhao, please deliver this invitation to the Chu family.¡± As soon as she said that, several people¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what are you planning to do?¡± Chu Ning frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t want to deal with the people from the Chu family on this joyous occasion! Zhao Ming took the invitation hesitantly. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, are you sure you want to do this?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Yan Ge also couldn¡¯t figure out what she was thinking. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ms. Liuyue, we don¡¯t have enough space in Phoenix Restaurant. Why are you still sending out invitations, and¡­ to the Chu family?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced and smiled at Chu Ning, who was wearing a disapproving look. ¡°Father, do you remember that pageboy sent by the Chu family this morning?¡± ¡°Of course. Why are we talking about him?¡± This morning, before they came to Phoenix Restaurant with Su Hui, they had already sent the pageboy away. ¡°Have you forgotten? He said we could ask them for help if we don¡¯t have a venue to hold our banquet. The Chu family happens to own a few restaurants, right?¡± Chu Ning¡¯s eyes widened slowly. ¡°Do you mean¡­¡± Chu Liuyue tapped on that invitation as her red lips curved. ¡°Their restaurants are not up to the standard, so naturally we can¡¯t let our VIPs go there and suffer. However, we can have them bring over some tables and chairs and set them up on the street outside Phoenix Restaurant. I¡¯m sure we can put quite a number of tables outside.¡± ¡°Phoenix Restaurant will still provide tea, wine, and food. At the same time, their staff can stay behind to help with the chores and save us from the manpower shortage. It¡¯s a win-win situation, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhao Ming foolishly asked, ¡°I-is this okay?¡± ¡°Why not? Didn¡¯t they also say they¡¯ll give us a discount for old times¡¯ sake?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°I, Chu Liuyue, can still afford to pay for this!¡± All those present were flabbergasted by what she said. It took them quite a long time to regain their senses. Yan Ge couldn¡¯t help himself from giving her a thumbs up. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, you¡¯re simply amazing!¡± This is no longer a slap; she is literally ripping the Chu family¡¯s face off, throwing it on the ground, and stomping on it! When this invitation arrives at the Chu family, it will antagonize them so much that they will vomit blood! She is indeed worthy of Master¡¯s love. This strategy is fantastic! Chu Liuyue urged, ¡°Officer Zhao, please.¡± ¡°Oh! Sure! I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± Zhao Ming broke into a wide smile. He took the invitation and headed to the Chu family without further ado. Su Hui regained his senses and cupped his hands in admiration. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, that¡¯s really clever.¡± ¡°Manager Su, I¡¯m flattered. However, I hope you don¡¯t mind the trouble we¡¯ve caused.¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Su Hui shook his head. Then, he sighed inwardly. The Chu family must have eight generations of bad luck to offend this lady! They thought they could teach her a lesson by utilizing their family¡¯s resources, but who would have expected them to meet their match! The Chu family is going to be a laughingstock in the Imperial City again! Chu Liuyue looked towards the door. She rested a hand on her cheek, then tapped her chin as she thoughtfully asked, ¡°As I recall, the Crown Prince also seems to own a restaurant under his name?¡± Chapter 90 - He Came Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Get him out of here!¡± First Elder tore the invitation to shreds, shaking with anger. ¡°Get him to tell Chu Liuyue that whatever happens in the future has nothing to do with us since they have severed their ties with the Chu family!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The pageboy looked at the irate First Elder and retreated hastily. He didn¡¯t dare stay any longer. The others in the hall didn¡¯t look good as well. ¡°Who sent that person this morning?¡± First Elder asked angrily. No one spoke. Piak! First Elder slapped the table so hard that the corners splintered immediately! ¡°Answer me!¡± Chu Yan cringed. Finally, he stepped forward and whispered, ¡°I-I was going to humiliate them. I-I¡­ didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± ¡°Humiliate them? Open your eyes wide and take a look! Who is humiliating who? If this gets out, it¡¯ll embarrass our family. This is all your fault!¡± The unfairness suffocated Chu Yan. At the time, First Elder had been aware of his actions and had agreed to send the pageboy, too. Now that things had taken a turn for the worse, he flipped out and made it look like it was all Chu Yan¡¯s fault. ¡°¡­ Nobody knows she¡¯s capable of doing this¡­¡± The gloom on First Elder¡¯s face was horrifying. This wasn¡¯t the most important thing. What troubled them the most was that half the city¡¯s most respectable people had already gone to Phoenix Restaurant! No matter what, it was a done deal! This event would certainly solidify Chu Ning¡¯s and Chu Liuyue¡¯s statuses in Imperial City! ¡°First Elder, I hear that the Lu family head has gone to Crown Prince Mansion. What do you think¡­ What should we do now?¡± someone asked. First Elder breathed in deeply. The Crown Prince is still fuming about what happened between Chu Liuyue and Chu Xianmin. He won¡¯t show the Chu family any kindness! We thought we could rely on Chu Xianmin when she climbed the social ladder with the prince¡¯s connections, but who would have expected things to turn out this way? However, this isn¡¯t the time to lose the support from Crown Prince Mansion! ¡°I¡¯ll have to go there myself!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue had expected the Chu family¡¯s rejection. Instead of panicking, Chu Liuyue asked Su Hui to send his men to the other restaurants to seek help. At the same time, she also sent someone to send an invitation to Crown Prince Mansion. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care whether Rong Jin came or not. However, she was happy to give some problems to others. Unlike the previous repeated refusals, quite a few restaurants immediately agreed this time. Their attitudes were completely different from this morning. Table after table was set up outside Phoenix Restaurant, occupying almost half the street. People mingled around, and the aroma of the wine was overwhelming. It was really lively! The focus of everyone¡¯s discussions naturally didn¡¯t stray away from Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue. Who would have thought that the father-daughter duo, who had been constantly bullied, would be in the limelight? This truly reflected the ever-changing world with an unpredictable future. As Chu Ning listened to his peers¡¯ countless congratulatory words, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. He knew very well that all this happened because of Yue¡¯er. ¡°Brother Chu Ning, if I remember correctly, Liuyue is of marriageable age. Now that she¡¯s single, and you¡¯ve just been promoted, I wonder if you¡¯ve been considering the sons from any families?¡± ¡°Yes! Your daughter is simply outstanding. Many people in the Imperial City will be keeping an eye on her! Haha!¡± ¡°Brother Chu Ning, what do you think of my son?¡± ¡°And my nephew! He¡¯s also a student at Tian Lu Academy! They must have something to talk about together!¡± Chu Ning was beginning to get anxious. After what happened with the Crown Prince, he had become more cautious. For the time being, he didn¡¯t see the rush in getting Yue¡¯er engaged. ¡°Gentlemen, Yue¡¯er is still young. Now¡ª¡± ¡°Prince Li has arrived!¡± Chu Ning was interrupted by this announcement. It also got everyone¡¯s attention! Countless pairs of eyes turned towards the door! Prince Li! This person hadn¡¯t received many guests since his return to the Imperial City. Many still didn¡¯t know what he looked like. Why was he here on this occasion? Chapter 91 - Wine Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A man dressed in white brocade with gold-colored clouds approached slowly. He was tall, lean, had broad shoulders, and a narrow waist. When he moved, a dark light seemed to be flowing on the hem of his clothes. The sun was high, yet there seemed to be a layer of cold air lingering on his body, surrounding him. He looked like an unattainable snowy mountain peak. A pair of saber-like eyebrows slanted toward his temple. His nose was straight, and his eyes sparkled like the stars in the Milky Way on a beautiful night. One could easily lose themself just by looking into his eyes. His scarlet lips¡¯ curves were perfect. It added warmth to the somewhat thin lips with the bead in the middle. The man¡¯s eyes resembled the world¡¯s most tranquil and brilliant starry night, while his lips had the colors of intimacy and seduction. He was warm as jade, yet cold and noble. The aloofness between his eyebrows made one yearn for him subconsciously. Everyone fell silent. Few had seen this man since his return to the city; most of the people here were even seeing him for the first time. Nobody expected Prince Li, the one rumored to be weak and mysterious, would be born with such features! Some of the women present blushed silently. Rong Xiu was oblivious to those gazes. He made a beeline towards the restaurant¡¯s most inner part. Chu Ning was the first to come to his senses. He was pleasantly surprised and stepped forward. ¡°Your Highness, what brings you here today?¡± In Chu Ning¡¯s opinion, Prince Li was a great benefactor to them because he had saved his daughter from difficult situations time and time again. When everyone had despised them, His Highness was the only one to lend them a helping hand. Naturally, he felt differently about Prince Li. He heard that Prince Li had been sick all this time and refused all visitors who had wanted to pay their respects. He had sent the invitation out of courtesy without much expectation, but the prince actually came in person! Chu Ning was simply delighted and surprised. Rong Xiu nodded gently and smiled. ¡°Lord Chu Ning¡¯s promotion is a joyous occasion. My health has improved lately, so I thought I should come, take advantage of the celebration, and join in the fun. However, I had been delayed because of some matters. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Chu Ning hurriedly said, ¡°Of course, not! Yue¡¯er and I are so happy that Your Highness is here!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s brows rose slightly. He finally laid his eyes on Chu Liuyue at the side, quickly sweeping past her. ¡°Oh? Does Ms. Liuyue think the same?¡± His tone of voice sounded polite. However, who would¡¯ve thought that this man had stayed in her room the previous night and refused to leave? Chu Liuyue was secretly cursing him. Since you want to put on a show, I¡¯ll go along with it! She bowed. ¡°My father¡¯s thoughts reflect my exact feelings. We are humbled and honored by your presence.¡± Rong Xiu watched her half-hearted appearance. The smile at the corners of his lips deepened. Everyone was astonished by what they saw. His Highness, Prince Li, seems to be friends with Chu Ning and his daughter. When did they get to know each other? Otherwise, why would he choose to be here today when he has rejected all the other invitations? His Highness, the Seventh Prince, had a distinguished status and was a member of the royal family. He might have spent most of his time away from the Imperial City, but he was bestowed the title of ¡®Prince Li¡¯ by His Majesty as soon as he returned. It was proof of how much the emperor liked him. When had Chu Ning forged a connection with him? ¡°Your Highness, please come inside.¡± ¡­ Although many people came today, nobody had a higher status than Prince Li. Naturally, they had a place for him upon his arrival. In other words, he was seated at the same table as Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue. Yan Ge was also seated at the same table. ¡°Your Highness, please sit down.¡± ¡°Lord Chu Ning, please don¡¯t stand on ceremony. I will follow your lead.¡± Chu Ning respected Rong Xiu, but His Highness didn¡¯t treat him with arrogance. The latter¡¯s behavior only made Chu Ning appreciate him more. Chu Liuyue saw the way Rong Xiu and Chu Ning were talking to each other, and her mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch. Her own father had been completely deceived by Rong Xiu¡¯s appearance! ¡°Chu Liuyue, why don¡¯t you pour some tea for His Highness? His Highness has helped us several times, but we have yet to thank him properly,¡± said Chu Ning. A sudden thought came to Chu Liuyue. She reached out and picked up a jug of wine, avoiding the teapot. The clear wine drew a line in the air and flowed into a cup. Its crisp, bamboo fragrance filled the air. ¡°Your Highness, please try this premium Green Bamboo Leaf Wine. You¡¯ll definitely like it.¡± A stunned Chu Ning stopped her with disapproval. ¡°Yue¡¯er, His Highness has just recovered. How can he drink wine?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, I noticed that you are wearing thin clothing. I was worried that you¡¯d catch a cold, so I poured you some wine to warm you up. You don¡¯t like it?¡± Rong Xiu stared into her sparkling eyes. He knew she was doing this on purpose. ¡°My body really can¡¯t take too much wine¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised an eyebrow, and she was about to take the jug of wine away. Rong Xiu suddenly lifted his hand and gently pressed on her wrist. His hand was cold, yet it seemed like a fire had started burning. ¡°Nevertheless, Ms. Liuyue has poured the wine yourself. How can I refuse?¡± He rested his hand for a moment, then withdrew it without fuss as if he was only stopping her from removing the wine jug. Chu Ning didn¡¯t see anything improper. He smiled helplessly. ¡°I have a wilful daughter. Please forgive her, Your Highness.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± I¡¯m already used to it. Chu Liuyue snorted inwardly, shifted her attention, and realized Yan Ge was still standing at the side. ¡°Second Master Yan, why aren¡¯t you sitting?¡± Yan Ge smiled awkwardly. ¡°No, no. I-I¡¯m¡­ having a slight discomfort in my back. I¡¯ll just stand!¡± He wouldn¡¯t dare to sit at the same table with his master, even if he had the gall to do so! Chapter 92 - The Fourth Princess Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Xiu glanced at her with a half-smile. ¡°Second Master Yan, have a seat.¡± Yan Ge¡¯s legs turned to jelly, and he almost dropped to his knees as cold sweat gathered on his back. It was fine if others called him this. However, for this person to call him this¡­ It was killing him! ¡°¡­ This, it¡¯s not appropriate¡­¡± Yan Ge forced a smile. ¡°Your Highness is of noble status. I think I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Liuyue asked you to sit. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Rong Xiu retracted his gaze. Yan Ge knew it would be strange for him to keep rejecting, so he sat down nervously. ¡°O-okay!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. Something is strange about Yan Ge¡¯s behavior today¡­ Even if Rong Xiu is royalty, given Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s standing in Imperial City, he doesn¡¯t have to act like this. The fuzzy thoughts flashed across her mind. However, just as she was about to look deeper into it, a hand suddenly reached over and took her cup of alcohol from her. ¡°Young ladies should just drink tea.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he switched her cup and poured her a cup of tea. His actions were so natural that none of the people around them thought it was strange. Even Chu Ning looked at him with increased admiration. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows as she looked at the hot tea before her eyes. Is this¡­ tit for tat? ¡­ ¡°Hey, why do you all think Prince Li is here today? All the invites previously sent to Prince Li Mansion were rejected. What does Chu Ning have to be able to get him here?¡± ¡°Who knows? Chu Ning¡¯s position as the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief is not low, but it shouldn¡¯t be good enough for Prince Li to attend, right?¡± ¡°However, I heard that Prince Li helped Chu Liuyue out when the Fourth Princess made things difficult for her at the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday banquet¡­ It can¡¯t be that he has his eyes set on her, right?¡± ¡°How can that be? He just returned to Imperial City!¡± ¡°How else can we explain why he stood up for Chu Liuyue? Surely he must know that coming here is the same as offending the Crown Prince and the Chu family, right?¡± ¡°Ha, I think you¡¯re onto something. I think Prince Li is taking the chance to taunt the Crown Prince. He was crowned a lord the moment he returned. How can the Crown Prince not have anything to say?¡± ¡°He¡¯s so sickly, what is there to fight for¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? I heard that Prince Li¡¯s mother was¡­ by the empress¡­¡± At this point, the person grew wary and stopped talking. It was quiet all around as the people stared at one another before deciding to change topics. ¡°No matter what, Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue will have a stable position in the Imperial City after today¡­ The Chu family has lost their face today. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll take it lying down!¡± ¡°Hmph, the Chu family has not produced a prodigy like this in years. Without Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue, their days are going to be tough¡­¡± ¡°The Chu family has occupied a position in the top four families for too long¡­¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue had just taken a sip of her tea when she heard a commotion outside. She walked towards the window and looked downstairs. Their room had the best view on the second floor. The open windows on one side revealed the restaurant¡¯s lake, while the windows on the other side revealed the street. Chu Liuyue saw a group of people approaching on horses. A number of stalls were knocked over on the streets, causing much chaos. But the owners of the disrupted businesses dared not speak and just hurriedly packed up their items. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes before she saw that the group of people was dressed in armor. It was the imperial guards. However¡­ what has happened for them to be this anxious? At this time, one of the guards broke away from the group and headed towards Phoenix Restaurant. ¡°Can I ask if Commander in Chief Chu Ning is here?¡± Su Hui was downstairs, and he knew that something was off, but he still promptly replied. ¡°Lord Chu Ning is here indeed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the leader of the seventh bridge, Ji Qingfeng. I request an audience with Commander in Chief!¡± The person looked like he was in his late twenties, and anxiety was plastered all over his face. ¡°Please hold on, Officer Ji, I¡¯ll report right away¡­¡± ¡°Please invite Officer Ji up directly,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Ji Qingfeng looked up and saw a slender silhouette by the window on the second floor. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with anything else and rushed upstairs. Even though Chu Ning had not met this person, he had a working knowledge of the imperial guards¡¯ situation, so he had heard of Ji Qingfeng. ¡°Greetings, Commander in Chief!¡± Ji Qingfeng had a tense expression. He was about to bow, but Chu Ning stopped him. ¡°What happened?¡± Chu Ning asked with tightly knitted brows. ¡°Commander, the Fourth Princess went to the hunting ground this morning. News just came in that she has accidentally fallen off a cliff!¡± Chapter 93 - Handicapped Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What?¡± Chu Ning was shocked. ¡°Fourth Princess has bodyguards, so how can something like this happen?¡± Ji Qingfeng shook his head. ¡°All of this is not clear. It¡¯s just that the river current beneath the cliff is fast flowing, and it¡¯s been an hour since she disappeared. She has not been found yet! His Majesty is very upset. He has sent the imperial guards to go search for Fourth Princess. I¡¯m here to ask you to join¡­¡± Chu Ning nodded quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He was the Commander in Chief. He had to be there during times like this. He had just taken a step when he suddenly remembered Chu Liuyue. He turned to look at his daughter guiltily. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°Fourth Princess¡¯s matters are more important. You should hurry and leave, Father.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Chu Ning was a little hesitant. ¡°I¡¯ll look after things here. Lord Chu Ning need not worry. Father has always doted on Fourth Princess, so please put your best foot forward for the matter.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s words put Chu Ning¡¯s mind at ease. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, thank you for the trouble, Prince Li.¡± With that, Chu Ning and Ji Qingfeng quickly left together. As the two of them stepped out of the room, Yan Ge sprung out of his seat. ¡°Prince Li, Ms. Liuyue, Fourth Princess disappeared at Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s hunting ground. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to hurry back as well.¡± Chu Liuyue understood, and she nodded. ¡°This matter is important. Second Master Yan should hurry back as soon as you can.¡± No matter what, the incident happened on their grounds. Thus, they were partly responsible for it. Yan Ge shot a quick glance at Rong Xiu, and he cupped his fists. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first. I hope that Ms. Liuyue will understand.¡± ¡°Second Master Yan is a busy man. Liuyue is grateful that you could join us today.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll send you off¡­¡± ¡°No need! There are a lot of guests today, and Lord Chu Ning has just left. You have a lot of things to do, so I won¡¯t trouble you! I¡¯ll be taking my leave!¡± With that, Yan Ge quickly left without looking back. Yan Qing, who was standing at the door, looked at Yan Ge with sympathy as he fled. What does Fourth Princess¡¯s disappearance count as? This fellow was probably traumatized from taking a seat earlier¡­ His heart probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to take it if he stayed any longer. The rather lively room only had Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue left. Rong Xiu rubbed his cup, with worry between his brows. ¡°I heard that the hunting ground¡¯s terrain is rather dangerous. This time¡­ Fourth Princess is in danger.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him. ¡°Your Highness, Fourth Princess is in an accident. Are you not going to take a look?¡± Rong Xiu drank the cup of alcohol slowly, and the fragrance of alcohol spread across the room. ¡°Father has already sent the imperial guards to search for her. My presence would only create problems, so I might as well wait here,¡± he said plainly. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Here?¡± Rong Xiu tapped on the sides of the cup as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I seem to have left something at your place. I¡¯ll pick it up when all this is over.¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively wanted to reject it. ¡°There¡¯s no need for so much trouble. Why don¡¯t I go back and get it for you now?¡± Rong Xiu paused and looked at her with a wry smile. ¡°You want everyone here to know that my clothes are at your place?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­ But it¡¯s even more inappropriate for Your Highness to go to my place, right?¡± Rong Xiu looked into her eyes, seemingly smiling, and nonchalantly said, ¡°No one will see if I go at night.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Shameless! ¡­ After both Chu Ning and the imperial guards were deployed, many people felt that something was wrong and sent people to investigate. Many knew that the Fourth Princess was at the hunting ground today. Besides, given the gravity of the situation, it couldn¡¯t be kept under wraps. The news spread quickly. Everyone was stunned. Hunting grounds were rather dangerous, but the Fourth Princess has bodyguards. How did something so serious happen? Besides, if they were right, the hunting ground the Fourth Princess went to seemed to be the one that Zhen Bao Pavilion bought from Chu Liuyue a while back? If anything happened to the Fourth Princess, a lot of people were going to be implicated! A lot of people connected the dots, and some even got up and left. Chu Liuyue knew what they were thinking. They were just fence-sitters. She was not bothered and sent them off. When she passed by the room that Si Yang and the others were in, she saw that they were all standing at the door. ¡°You all are leaving too?¡± Chu Liuyue asked. ¡°Forget about that. How can you still have the time to think about this now?¡± Si Yang hurried forward. ¡°Do you know that the hunting ground where the accident occurred is¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Why are you still so calm then? Aren¡¯t you afraid that His Majesty will blame you for this?¡± Si Yang was not the only one who was worried. The others were rather worried as well, believing that the matter was rather troublesome. ¡°That hunting ground does not have much to do with me. Besides, Fourth Princess is the one who insisted on going there to hunt for high-level fiends. I don¡¯t think anyone else is to blame for it, right?¡± Si Yang and the others paused. That seems to make sense, but something seems off¡­ ¡°But that¡¯s the Fourth Princess¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. Rong Jin can¡¯t even do anything after he was taken advantage of, not to mention Rong Zhen, who is asking for it. ¡°Fourth Princess is blessed and protected by His Majesty¡¯s blessings. She¡¯ll be fine, so let¡¯s just wait patiently. Si Yang and the others looked at each other and nodded. ¡­ The news came in the evening. Fourth Princess Rong Zhen fell off the cliff and broke both her legs. Since she was attacked by a mysterious high-level fiend and did not receive treatment on time, her pearl of essence was destroyed, and she was handicapped. Chapter 94 - Suffer in Silence Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The same night. Royal Palace, Jiaolan Palace. The moon was high in the sky. It was an especially quiet night. The entire Jiaolan Palace was enveloped in a somber atmosphere. Even the servants held their breath, afraid that they would get in trouble. Their eyes, which looked towards the inner palace, were filled with panic and fear. Fourth Princess had regained consciousness an hour ago. In this short time, she had given orders for the execution of five people! If they were not careful, they might be next! Pak! There was a sharp sound like something was thrown to the ground. Everyone was petrified. Nobody would be able to handle becoming handicapped overnight, not to mention Fourth Princess, who had been the apple of everyone¡¯s eyes! ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s voice was hoarse from shouting the past hour, but her voice grew increasingly shrill. ¡°You all must be lying! I am the talented Fourth Princess! How can I be handicapped?!¡± Inside the palace, Rong Zhen was seated on the bed. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were vicious and crazed. A few people knelt before her bed. The person in the front was struck on the head by an object. Blood trickled down, looking rather messy. Even if they were afraid, they had no choice but to plead with her. ¡°Fourth Princess, your pearl of essence was broken, and your Yuan meridian has been damaged. Cultivating is going to be tough for you from now on¡­¡± ¡°You imbeciles! So what if my pearl of essence is broken? I can just form another one!¡± Rong Zhen cut him off suddenly, her voice sharp. The few of them looked down silently. Her pearl of essence was broken, and her body had taken a lot of damage. It was impossible for her to form another one. ¡°Heavenly doctor! Call for a heavenly doctor! If you can¡¯t do it, the heavenly doctor can!¡± Rong Zhen refused to give up, refusing to accept the result. As she looked at the people who remained silent, Rong Zhen felt more and more desperate. She actually knew what kind of fate was awaiting her. But¡­ how could she accept it?! ¡°Zhen Zhen, your body is still weak. Why aren¡¯t you resting?¡± A person hurried in from outside the door. It was the Empress. While looking up at the person, Rong Zhen¡¯s tears began to fall. ¡°Mother! You have to help me!¡± The Empress hurried over. Her heart ached to see her beloved daughter in this state, and she brought Rong Zhen into her embrace. ¡°Zhen Zhen, don¡¯t worry. Mother has called for them. No matter what, I¡¯ll try my best to help you. However, you were too careless this time¡­¡± Rong Zhen wanted to get up, but the sharp pain from her legs reminded her that they were broken. Her anguish, hatred, and anger only grew stronger. She then burst out into a tantrum. ¡°Mother! It¡¯s all that beast¡¯s fault! If it weren¡¯t for it, I wouldn¡¯t be in this state! Also, that hunting ground! Mother, didn¡¯t you go and see Father? Has he agreed to close down the hunting ground? Chu Liuyue is the one who sold it to Zhen Bao Pavilion. They are definitely involved in this! I want them to pay for this with their lives!¡± The Empress¡¯ expression stiffened. She hesitated for a while before she spoke with much difficulty. ¡°Zhen Zhen, this happened because you insisted on going to the hunting ground. I¡¯m afraid¡­ it¡¯ll be hard¡­¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Rong Zhen pushed her mother aside but instantly understood something after seeing her mother¡¯s hesitance. ¡°T-this is Father¡¯s wish?¡± ¡°You are dismissed.¡± The Empress dismissed all the people in the room before she sighed. She shook her head indignantly. ¡°You know your father¡¯s temperament¡­¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Rong Zhen looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Father has always doted on me. Now that I¡¯ve been ruined, he doesn¡¯t intend to pursue the matter?!¡± How will I seek vengeance? The Empress closed her eyes. ¡°Of all the places, you went to Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s hunting ground¡­ You can only bear with it!¡± Chapter 95 - e gave up on you Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Zhen could not return to her senses for a while. What does Zhen Bao Pavilion have for them to be so wary? As the Fourth Princess of Country Yao Chen, do I not have the right to pursue the matter now that I¡¯m in this state?! ¡°Mother, just what is Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s background to have Father protecting them like this? Does he not care about the lives of his children?¡± Rong Zhen could not understand! ¡°It was the same with Crown Prince Brother! Zhen Bao Pavilion took over the hunting ground that he had carefully managed, but nothing came out of it!¡± ¡°You should know that even the Crown Prince doesn¡¯t stand a chance against Zhen Bao Pavilion!¡± The Empress cut her off. One was her son, the other her daughter. How could she not have hatred? Therefore, she went to plead with His Majesty despite knowing that Zhen Bao Pavilion was different to him. However, the results were as expected¡ªhe did not intend on punishing Zhen Bao Pavilion! ¡°Besides, they turned you down several times when you wanted to go to that hunting ground. They only made an exception for you because you insisted. Many people know about this! Who can you blame for your accident now? Everyone at the hunting ground witnessed it. You only fell off the cliff because you insisted on chasing after that beast! What reason do you have to pursue the matter?¡± The Empress felt anguished. Rong Zhen was in the wrong, so she could only suffer the consequences! Rong Zhen could not refute her mother¡¯s words. However, she had always been arrogant and prideful, so how could she admit that it was her fault? ¡°Even so, are they free of all responsibility? What will happen to me in the future?¡± Am I really going to become handicapped?! How can I take this?! The Empress suppressed her tempestuous emotions. ¡°Zhen Zhen, don¡¯t worry! Mother will not abandon you. Even if they don¡¯t have any means, we¡¯ll think of something else! The envoys from Tianling Dynasty will be here soon. Maybe they¡¯ll have an idea¡­¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± The Empress forced a smile. ¡°You know what kind of place the Tianling Dynasty is. For all we know¡­ they might have a way. I will help you then!¡± ¡­ Night. Chu Ning only returned home long after Chu Liuyue did. Chu Ning told her about the matter briefly and shook his head with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. Fourth Princess was rather talented. That¡¯s why His Majesty spoiled her. But from now¡­¡± He thought of how Rong Zhen had made things difficult for Yue¡¯er and mocked her for being a good-for-nothing at the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday banquet. Little did they expect the tables to turn. Yue¡¯er was now the prodigy, and Rong Zhen was the handicapped one. The father-daughter duo had been bullied back then, and they did not expect things to turn out the way they did today. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Life is unpredictable. You have to repay what you owe.¡± No matter how one looked at it, Rong Zhen was the one responsible for the matter. Nobody else could be blamed for this. However, Chu Liuyue felt that something was a little strange. It seemed like an invisible hand controlled everything, but she did not know who it belonged to. ¡°Oh, right. Father, did you all find the fiend that injured the Fourth Princess?¡± ¡°No, it was a high-level fiend. The people protecting the princess were not its match. They didn¡¯t even know what it was. His Majesty has ordered for a thorough investigation, but I think it¡¯ll be tough. I¡¯ll be busier during this time, so you should be more careful.¡± Chu Ning was a little hesitant as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the limelight for the last couple of days, so they won¡¯t do anything. But after a while, I¡¯m afraid¡­ I¡¯ll send someone to protect you in the dark.¡± Chu Ning was naturally referring to the people from Crown Prince Mansion and the Chu family. He did not believe that they would give up easily! Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. When the banquet ends, school will start again. You¡¯ve just been promoted, and you have to deal with this. I know you¡¯ll be busy, so I intend to stay at school first. What do you think?¡± Chu Ning heaved a sigh of relief. He had almost forgotten about this. Compared to outside, Tian Lu Academy was much safer. ¡°You can make the decision. Of course, I¡¯ll agree to it.¡± ¡­ ¡°You want to stay in school?¡± Chu Liuyue felt a cool scent when she returned to her room. She turned to look, and it was indeed Rong Xiu. His deep gaze landed on her body, gentle but powerful. Chu Liuyue was not surprised by his arrival. He was good at masking himself, so there was nothing she could do about it. She could always leave if he were here. Chu Liuyue nodded. She smiled as she removed his cloak from the cupboard and handed it to him. ¡°Therefore, it¡¯s better for Your Highness not to come. It¡¯s more important for you to recuperate in your mansion.¡± Rong Xiu glanced at the cloak and took it from her with raised brows. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Yue¡¯er to be so concerned about my body.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ve offended the Crown Prince. I¡¯m afraid your life is going to be difficult.¡± The Crown Prince clearly saw Rong Xiu as a thorn in his side. His attitude was clear from the banquet. Now that Rong Xiu was on her side, the Crown Prince was bound to be even angrier. Rong Xiu bent down when he heard this and inched closer. The distance between the two was closed; they were within inches of each other. Chu Liuyue was about to back away, but she saw two tiny reflections of herself in Rong Xiu¡¯s deep eyes. His voice was deep, like strings plucked by the wind. ¡°I can¡¯t thank him enough for giving you up.¡± Chapter 96 - Lousy Carria Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. His behavior at the banquet was deliberate, but¡­ why? ¡°Your Highness, you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue wanted the situation clarified, but Rong Xiu had straightened himself. ¡°You¡¯ve had a busy day. I won¡¯t bother you.¡± Rong Xiu put his cloak over himself and left. His tall, dark silhouette disappeared in the night. Chu Liuyue only sighed with relief after she stared in the direction Rong Xiu disappeared in for a while. She then curled her fingers. Just now¡­ Rong Xiu was so close to her, and her heart had begun to speed up. In theory, she would never let someone ¡®disrespect¡¯ her like this, but¡­ she did not seem to dislike Rong Xiu¡¯s closeness. For some reason, she seemed to believe that Rong Xiu would not harm her. She did not know where her sense of trust came from. After the heartbreaking betrayal in her past life, she thought that she would never get close to anyone. However, both Chu Ning and Rong Xiu were able to make her lower her guard gradually. Chu Liuyue thought about it for a while, but she could not think of anything, so she stopped obsessing over it. As usual, she sat on her bed and continued to cultivate, taking in the Heaven and Earth Force. She only lay down to rest after one Heavenly Cycle. ¡­ The celebrations at Phoenix Restaurant went on for two more days, but Rong Xiu did not appear again. This disappointed many who had wanted to take the chance to get close to Prince Li. However, he was royalty, and it was rare for him to come at all. Many tried to get information out of Chu Liuyue, but she dismissed them. They could only assume that Chu Ning and Prince Li had relations, but they did not get anything out of her. From the way she spoke, Chu Liuyue did not seem like she was familiar with Prince Li. That was expected. How could someone of Prince Li¡¯s status have dealings with Chu Liuyue? Even if she was in Tian Lu Academy and was a prodigious warrior and Xuan Master, there was a huge gap between herself and Prince Li since she didn¡¯t have the big families¡¯ support. On the other hand, Chu Ning was the Imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief¡ªthe Emperor¡¯s close aide. Thus, he was of higher value. However, he was busy dealing with the Fourth Princess¡¯s accident and did not appear at the restaurant. This disappointed many. The few events coupled together reduced the people¡¯s attention on Chu Liuyue. Thankfully, Yan Ge was there the whole time, which helped Chu Liuyue a lot. It was also his presence that suppressed any ideas anyone would have. No matter what, Chu Liuyue had the backing of Zhen Bao Pavilion and was not to be trifled with. ¡­ Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, school had reopened. This was Chu Liuyue¡¯s first day of classes since she entered the academy. Quite a number of people were at the academy¡¯s gates, which made it seem rather lively. Chu Liuyue¡¯s descent from the carriage attracted many people¡¯s attention. The lively entrance quietened. Countless eyes looked over with mixed feelings. ¡°Little Liuyue, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Following the excited voice, someone hurried towards Chu Liuyue. It was Bai Chen. Chu Liuyue greeted him. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen.¡± He looked at her happily. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a while. Why are you here only now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying in school and had a lot of things to pack, so I arrived a little later,¡± explained Chu Liuyue. Bai Chen chuckled. ¡°Your living quarters have been prepared. Just follow me!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you for the trouble, Teacher Bai Chen.¡± ¡°What trouble! You¡¯re not a popular character in the academy. Many wanted this chance, but they couldn¡¯t beat me! Hehe!¡± Everyone had witnessed Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent. Though she had chosen to cultivate as a Xuan Master, she had not chosen a teacher yet. All the Xuan Master teachers were excited. Everyone wanted a talented disciple! Today was her first day in school. Of course, they could not miss the chance to get close to her! Bai Chen did not have much hope about getting chosen, but he liked Chu Liuyue from the bottom of his heart, so he was happy to be here. ¡°Everything on this carriage is your belongings, right?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re just daily necessities.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get someone to help you¡­¡± Before Bai Chen could finish, a mocking voice cut him off. ¡°What kind of lousy carriage is this? Someone also has the guts to park it in front of the school?¡± The voice was a little familiar to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked around and saw a familiar face. Lu Feiyan. She stood from afar, covering her nose as she looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s carriage with disdain. Her arrogance was written all over her face. ¡°Is this carriage made of rotten wood? Why does it smell like mold?¡± Her gaze swept across Chu Liuyue¡¯s body as she smiled coldly. She raised her voice deliberately and spoke to the girls around her. ¡°Look, that horse¡¯s fur is patchy and of various colors. It¡¯s clearly a lousy breed. Will ladies of respectable families use something like this? They nodded in agreement. ¡°Yan¡¯er, she¡¯s no longer from a good family. Of course, she can¡¯t compare with us.¡± ¡°Yeah! So what if she¡¯s a prodigy? She¡¯s still just as poor. What a joke!¡± Bai Chen¡¯s expression changed, and he was about to scold them, but Chu Liuyue stopped him. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, I know that carriages cannot enter the academy, but I have quite the number of items. Could you get someone to help me?¡± Bai Chen paused and then said, ¡°Of course!¡¯ Chu Liuyue smiled as she looked at Lu Feiyan and company. ¡°Then, you all will do.¡± Chapter 97 - Lennart Green Wooden Box Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lu Feiyan¡¯s smile stiffened. ¡°Who are you to command me to do things?¡± Not to mention that Chu Liuyue had already left the Chu family and was worth nothing, even if she were still the Chu family¡¯s Big Missy, she did not have this right. ¡°Lu Feiyan, this is Tian Lu Academy, not your Lu family. Why are you throwing a tantrum?¡± Bai Chen spoke directly and harshly. He had seen such scenes often and was not affected by it at all. ¡°If you want to throw a tantrum, go back to the Lu family.¡± After getting scolded, Lu Feiyan toned down a little. However, it was impossible for her to be Chu Liuyue¡¯s servant. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, Chu Liuyue only entered the academy today. Even though we¡¯re in the same cohort, we shouldn¡¯t be doing this for her, right?¡± Bai Chen sneered. ¡°Even though it¡¯s her first day here, her capabilities and talent are way better than yours. In Tian Lu Academy, capabilities are the most important thing. Besides, I¡¯m just asking you to help her hold some things, yet you¡¯re so reluctant about it. Am I not a teacher in your eyes?¡± Lu Feiyan and the rest did not dare to rebut Bai Chen and could only reluctantly walk over when they realized that they could not avoid it. Lu Feiyan glanced at the horse carriage. What kind of good things can a lonely and poor household without backing have? I¡¯m worried my hands will get dirty. Chu Liuyue walked over and took out a black wooden box with flower engravings. It exuded a faint fragrance. Bai Chen took a deep breath in and felt that the fragrance had infiltrated his body and refreshed his soul. His eyes brightened. ¡°Is this lennart green?¡± ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, you have good eyesight.¡± Lu Feiyan knitted her brows once she heard the words ¡®lennart green¡¯. Actually, when Chu Liuyue first took out the box, Lu Feiyan could smell the vague plum fragrance and guessed that it was lennart green, but she did not quite believe it. Lennart green was very precious and only lived in harsh winter, growing an inch every three years. It would only blossom after living for more than 100 years. An average person might not even be able to see it once in their lifetime, let alone have it. The girl at the side could not help but softly ask, ¡°Yan¡¯er, your bracelet is also made from lennart green, right?¡± Lu Feiyan¡¯s face turned a little pale. When she first entered Tian Lu Academy, her mother specifically bought her a bracelet made from lennart green to reward her. She loved it very much and always had it with her, so the people around her all knew about it. This bracelet had attracted many envious stares. However, Chu Liuyue actually took out a wooden box made of lennart green. The box¡¯s material alone was worth a lot more than that bracelet of hers. ¡°Her wooden box costs quite a bit, right?¡± muttered another girl. ¡°What do you know? There are good quality lennart greens and bad ones. This wooden box might be big, but it¡¯s probably just made with some inferior and cheap material,¡± said Lu Feiyan with annoyance. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Oh, so Big Lu Missy has seen lennart green before. I can rest assured then; you can hold this.¡± Lu Feiyan was taken aback and suddenly felt some weight on her hands. Chu Liuyue had already placed the item on them. The box was cold to touch, and Lu Feiyan could vaguely feel the engravings on the box. The fragrance was also much stronger than before. She could not help but look down and see the intricate carvings of lively plum blossoms on the wooden box. She chuckled and could not hide her contempt. ¡°You¡¯re really from a poor background and haven¡¯t seen much of the world. Lennart green grows very slowly and is found in cold places, so the material is cold and heavy, which helps to refresh one¡¯s mind. However, once you destroy the patterns and randomly carve something on it, the fragrance will quickly dissipate, and it¡¯ll just become a piece of rotten wood. Your lennart green is completely destroyed.¡± Chu Liuyue did not show any form of regret after hearing her words and laughed instead. ¡°Everyone says that the Lu family¡¯s wealth is incomparable, and Big Lu Missy, you¡¯re really knowledgeable. Randomly carving on lennart green will indeed spoil it easily, but this problem won¡¯t exist if one soaks it in the juice made from lennart green flowers.¡± Lu Feiyan started stuttering. ¡°W-what? Lennart green flower¡­ juice? Soak it?¡± Lennart greens were so hard to find, let alone its flowers. She had not seen one before. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can take a closer look at the plum blossom. The petals are green because of the lennart green flower juice used.¡± Lu Feiyan hurriedly looked down and indeed saw that the plum blossoms had a tinge of green. The fragrance was also especially refreshing. Lu Feiyan widened her eyes in disbelief. This¡­ This item can really be considered super precious. Just this lennart green box alone is worth hundreds of thousands of silver taels. With that lennart green flower juice¡­ ¡°Y-you¡­¡± Lu Feiyan was stunned, but she refused to admit defeat. She could only put up a front and said, ¡°I think this precious item of yours is your family asset, right? You even need to bring it with you everywhere in the academy¡­¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°I put tea in the box, so I must bring it along.¡± Lu Feiyan was stumped and later chuckled coldly. ¡°Tea? What kind of good tea do you have?¡± Chu Liuyue probably doesn¡¯t have any tea that is worthy of this lennart green box. Chu Liuyue nodded gently. ¡°I really don¡¯t have any good tea. I just placed some flower tea in it for me to soak my feet when I have nothing to do.¡± Lu Feiyan was stunned, taking a while to recover her senses. Her face flashed green and white at the same time, which made her look amusing. Chu Liuyue actually made me carry her feet-washing items? Chapter 98 - Everything She Liked Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The worse thing is that Chu Liuyue actually used such a precious lennart green box to store the flower tea used for soaking her feet. She is simply¡­ simply insulting this precious item! Lu Feiyan really wanted to ask Chu Liuyue what she was thinking. However, when she was about to speak up, she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm expression and heard her light tone. It was as though everything was very normal and not worth mentioning. If I blow the matter out of proportion, it would seem as if I am overreacting and am not experienced enough. Lu Feiyan¡¯s blood boiled, and her chest felt as if it was blocked, making her feel like she was suffocating. Since when did I¡ªthe Big Missy of the Lu family¡ªever do things such as serve someone? She almost exploded once she recalled that the item she held contained the tea Chu Liuyue used to soak her feet. ¡°Who wants to hold such a rotten¡­¡± scolded Lu Feiyan as she acted as if she wanted to smash the box on the floor. ¡°Big Lu Missy, please be careful. Even though this item isn¡¯t very precious, I might have to trouble Big Lu Missy to compensate for it if it¡¯s broken.¡± Chu Liuyue was very gentle and polite as her hand lightly tapped on the wooden box. Lu Feiyan only felt a heavy force overwhelming her and suppressing her the next moment, causing her to be unable to move. Since when did Chu Liuyue become so powerful? Also, I definitely can¡¯t produce enough money to compensate for it. She was shocked. After much internal conflict, Lu Feiyan finally released her force and said with clenched teeth, ¡°I know! It¡¯s just a lennart green box, right? What¡¯s there to be happy about?¡± Jeers could be heard from the crowd. Lu Feiyan¡¯s sentence was filled with jealousy. When she first wore the lennart green bracelet, her chin was about to fly up to the sky. Besides, Chu Liuyue¡¯s box was just used to store flower tea. The two could not even be compared. Chu Liuyue smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Big Lu Missy, you¡¯re really a sensible person.¡± After Chu Liuyue finished her sentence, she took out something else from the horse carriage. ¡°Rainbow glass cup. This item is very fragile and will crack in extreme temperatures. May I trouble you to hold this carefully?¡± ¡°Purple jade fan. It¡¯s currently summer, and it¡¯s really hot, so it¡¯ll be good to have a fan with me.¡± ¡°Oh, this inkstone is a gold streaked inkstone that can¡¯t be directly touched with the hand. You must cushion it with a pillow made from silver thread.¡± Chu Liuyue took out several items and informed the others on the things they had to be wary of at the same time. The original arrogant Lu Feiyan and the rest were gradually dazed beyond words. Every single one of the items was extravagant. They had even only heard some of them and not seen them before. The originally angered and indignant Lu Feiyan¡¯s face became even more contorted as she stared at all the items. Initially, she thought that the lennart green box was the only presentable item Chu Liuyue had, but it was clearly not the case. Lu Feiyan felt like her chest was blocked, and her face burned as she recalled how she mocked Chu Liuyue earlier about being born in a poor family. She really wanted to dig a hole and jump into it. Even a fool could tell who the ignorant one was. If Lu Feiyan was in this state, the others were even worse. The few girls were long dazed as they stiffly held the items in their hands, not daring to move casually for fear of accidentally breaking something. They could not afford to compensate Chu Liuyue. The crowd, who was waiting to watch a scene, was also stunned. This Chu Liuyue is too much of a spendthrift¡­ Didn¡¯t she and Chu Ning sever their ties with the Chu family? Logically speaking, their pockets should be tight. However, it seems like their lives are better than most of the aristocratic families. Even Bai Chen could not help but take a few more looks at those items. He said, ¡°Little Liuyue, I didn¡¯t know you have so many valuable items.¡± These were not things that could be obtained even if one had money. He wanted some of those treasures, but he could not even find a way to get them. Chu Liuyue smiled and did not say a word. How would the original Chu Liuyue have all of these? Even the Chu family might not have such treasures. Actually, she picked those things up from the boxes Second Master Yan gave her. Just based on how the things I brought out have already attracted so many people¡¯s attention, I wonder how they will react when they find out that I have more at home and that these aren¡¯t even a tenth of my items. She was already shocked when she saw that Second Master Yan had sent her so many gifts. She did not expect an even bigger surprise waiting for her when she opened them. Every single item in those boxes were extravagant treasures. The so-called ¡®prized possessions¡¯ in Zhen Bao Pavilion could not even be compared to them. Chu Liuyue could not help but re-evaluate Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s wealth and background. It had already been quite a few days since the Fourth Princess¡¯s mishap, but there was no news of the Emperor punishing Zhen Bao Pavilion. One could already guess quite a bit from this alone. Zhen Bao Pavilion was much more mysterious than what she thought. As the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s princess in her previous life, she used nothing but the best, so the value of these items could not shock her. However, these things¡­ From the teacups to the ink and brushes used for writing, even the flower tea inside the lennart green box¡­ They were all things she liked very much. Everything was coincidentally her favorite. Chapter 99 - Choose a Teacher Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Without a doubt, this was the work of the mysterious Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s master. Chu Liuyue was becoming increasingly curious as she wondered who the master was and why he did so much for her. This was definitely not something that could be exchanged with a hunting ground title deed. Initially, she tried to ask Yan Ge and said that she wanted to meet the Master, but was curtly rejected by Yan Ge as he said that the Master was rarely in the Imperial City. It was hard for even him to meet the Master. If Chu Liuyue wanted to meet him, she had to wait quite a while. Chu Liuyue looked at it from another perspective. Since the other party sent so many treasures over, she would just accept them. She would naturally be able to meet the other party when he wanted to meet her. It would not be too late to talk to him then. Besides, she really liked all the items, and it would be a waste if she rejected them. While looking at Lu Feiyan and the rest who were forced to surrender, Bai Chen laughed out loud. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you your residence.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue followed Bai Chen into the academy, while Lu Feiyan and the rest followed behind them, looking just like her slaves. Their group of people had attracted quite a lot of attention on the way. Even though quite a few people had seen Chu Liuyue during the previous assessment, most of them were from the same cohort as her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s name was like thunder piercing through the ears of the students in the two batches above her. Now that she finally came, they wanted to take a closer look to see what type of person she was. However, nobody was insensible enough to cause trouble for her with Bai Chen around. Chu Liuyue quickly saw many houses in the academy. These houses were all independent ones with a small yard, and they were all equally spaced apart. ¡°The academy is very big, but we don¡¯t have a lot of students, so every student has their own house. This way, students could have their own place to cultivate in peace when they don¡¯t need to attend lessons,¡± explained Bai Chen as he walked. ¡°In the academy, even though the arena and library are shared amongst everyone, we have separated territories as cultivation is different for warriors, Xuan Masters, and heavenly doctors. The one we just walked past is the warriors¡¯ territory. After passing the Shuang Qing Lake, it¡¯ll be our Xuan Masters¡¯ territory.¡± Chu Liuyue looked in front and saw the clear water flowing past. A seven-hole stone bridge was situated on top of the lake. There were also individual houses on the opposite side of the river, but they clearly looked much bigger than the ones before. ¡°It seems like the students¡¯ lodgings are also different¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. ¡°Hehe, of course! Our Xuan Masters¡¯ living conditions are way better than the warriors¡¯!¡± Bai Chen smiled happily. ¡°The houses here are at least two times the size of those over there.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. It was normal for such a distinction as there were limited Xuan Masters, and Xuan Masters had a higher status than warriors. ¡°Look! You¡¯ll be living in that house!¡± Bai Chen raised his hand and pointed towards a house near the lake. ¡°It¡¯s near to Jiuyou Tower and the library, so it¡¯s very convenient!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Thank you, Teacher Bai Chen.¡± ¡°No need to thank me! Elder Sun specifically instructed me to do it! It¡¯s normal to have this kind of treatment with your extremely good talent as a warrior and a Xuan Master. After all, the teachers all wish for you to become a strong person.¡± Bai Chen looked very serious. Chu Liuyue could tell that he meant every word he said. Even though Bai Chen had a bad temper, he did not have evil intentions and did his job as a teacher dutifully. After reaching the house, Chu Liuyue could tell that the place had been meticulously cleaned, so she felt even more satisfied. When Lu Feiyan and the rest saw this, they became even more upset and left in a fury after putting the items down. Chu Liuyue did not care about them. She did not need to waste her efforts on these people. Bai Chen explained the things Chu Liuyue needed to take note of, and she wrote them down one by one. ¡°This is your nameplate and uniform. When you¡¯re done unpacking, make a trip to Peach Garden. That¡¯s the place where teachers normally attend to their tasks. Even though you¡¯ve already chosen to cultivate as a Xuan Master, you haven¡¯t chosen your teacher. After you¡¯ve made your choice, head over to Peach Garden to meet your teacher, register on the booklet, and then you can formally cultivate.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while and asked, ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, must¡­ I choose a teacher?¡± Chapter 100 - I Disagree! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bai Chen looked at her weirdly. ¡°Of course. Since you entered the school to cultivate, how can you not have a teacher? This is especially so for Xuan Masters as one needs detailed guidance from a teacher. If not, you¡¯ll take a long path. Why? Do¡­ you not want to pick a teacher?¡± Chu Liuyue hemmed and hawed. Upon seeing his weird expression, she shook her head and smiled. ¡°Not really. I just asked about it casually. There are many teachers in the academy, but I¡¯m not too familiar with them as I¡¯ve just come here. So, I haven¡¯t made up my mind for now.¡± Bai Chen did not doubt that she had another reason for asking this as he laughed out loud. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the case! Actually, you don¡¯t need to be so conflicted. It¡¯s not too late to choose when you see the teachers individually at Peach Garden.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then, I¡¯m assured.¡± Bai Chen winked. ¡°Actually, most of the students are like you when they first enter the academy and know nothing about the teachers. However, their range of choices isn¡¯t as big as yours. You took first place in the warrior assessment and second place in the Xuan Master assessment. All the teachers want to have you as their disciple now, so it¡¯s up to you to choose. Not everyone can have this treatment.¡± Only a rare talent like Chu Liuyue could stir up all those people¡¯s desires. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go over after unpacking my things.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s residence was a very clean two-story building. She scanned her surroundings and discovered that everything she needed was already prepared for her. She did not need to bring anything along. However, she still placed her items neatly and changed into the academy uniform with the nameplate on her left chest area. Then, she walked towards Peach Garden. Bai Chen had already told Chu Liuyue how to go to Peach Garden, so she arrived there smoothly. From far away, Chu Liuyue already saw a traditional and spacious building. When Chu Liuyue stood outside the door, she suddenly felt immense pressure coming straight for her. She focused her gaze but did not move. She stood still instead. Hua! The harsh aura suddenly disappeared when it almost reached her face. The remaining wind blew up the loose strands of hair in front of her forehead. Chu Liuyue stood there calmly and cupped her fists. ¡°Greetings, teachers.¡± Deep laughter sounded at the next moment. ¡°I said this girl has true capabilities, yet you insisted on testing her. You¡¯re not even afraid of being ridiculed by her.¡± It was Sun Zhongyan¡¯s voice. ¡°Girl, come in.¡± After he finished his sentence, the invisible force in front of Chu Liuyue vanished completely. She then stepped into the building. Unlike its name, Peach Garden had no plants or flowers, only rough rocks haphazardly placed around. However, Chu Liuyue could immediately tell that the rocks formed a special Xuan formation. With this place as the center, the Xuan formation energy exuded in all directions. The Xuan formation¡¯s power could definitely not be underestimated once activated. Chu Liuyue quickly retracted her gaze. Sun Zhongyan sat on a stone bench in the building and placed a chess piece down when he saw her enter. Chu Liuyue noticed that the chessboard was exactly the same as the one she used to enter Tian Lu Academy. However, today¡¯s chess pieces were scattered around like stars in the sky, clearly much more complicated than the chessboard that day. ¡°Girl, have you chosen your teacher?¡± After hesitating slightly, Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen told me to come over and meet all the teachers.¡± As she was talking, she scanned her surroundings and discovered that nobody else other than Elder Sun was in the yard. However, some hidden aura was in the building¡­ ¡°Elder Sun, the other teachers¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. Sun Zhongyan pointed towards the chessboard. ¡°Since everyone wanted to be your mentor, we held a small competition. Now, all of them have lost, and I¡¯m the only one left.¡± He smiled and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°What do you think of me being your teacher?¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly stunned. If she did not remember wrongly, Elder Sun was also Si Ting¡¯s teacher. When she was hesitating, a gray shadow suddenly dropped down from a distance, and a deep voice boomed like thunder in Peach Garden. ¡°I disagree!¡± Chapter 101 - Director Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This voice sounds a little familiar¡­ When Chu Liuyue was thinking, she saw that the figure had already rushed up to Sun Zhongyan. His figure was a little stooped, and he was wearing a torn cotton robe. Who else could it be if it was not Elder Ye? However, why was he here? Sun Zhongyan was even more shocked than Chu Liuyue. ¡°Uncle-Master? Why are you here?¡± Uncle-Master? Chu Liuyue was shocked. She had already guessed that Elder Ye¡¯s identity was not simple, but she did not expect him to be Sun Zhongyan¡¯s Uncle-Master. Isn¡¯t his status too high? Elder Ye panted and glared at Sun Zhongyan. Sun Zhongyan felt very guilty from his stares. ¡°¡­ Uncle-Master, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? How dare you ask me?¡± said Elder Ye as he directly slapped Sun Zhongyan across his face. ¡°You¡¯re a brat. How dare you fight for her with your Uncle-Master? You¡¯re too gutsy!¡± Sun Zhongyan did not dare to retaliate and could only cover his head and hide. ¡°Uncle-Master! Uncle-Master! Why are you hitting me? Even if I ate bear heart and leopard gall, I wouldn¡¯t dare to fight for a person with you.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately felt amused when looking at the highly respected Sun Zhongyan being chased around and beaten up. She coughed and turned around. ¡°Uncle-Master, even if you want to beat me up, could you make it clear when did I steal your person?¡± yelled Sun Zhongyan with grievances. Uncle-Master usually doesn¡¯t show up, so why did he hit me once he did? Elder Ye finally stopped and pointed at Chu Liuyue while huffing and puffing. ¡°Her!¡± The building instantly fell into deep silence. Chu Liuyue could sharply feel that the previously hidden aura had some ripples. It was obvious that everyone was shocked by Elder Ye¡¯s words. Sun Zhongyan was stunned for quite some time. ¡°T-this¡­ Uncle-Master, you want to accept Chu Liuyue as your disciple? But¡­ you¡¯re a heavenly doctor!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s strong talent as a warrior and Xuan Master has no need to be mentioned, but her heavenly doctor talent¡­ seems to be a little lacking. Sun Zhongyan looked at Chu Liuyue and could not help but advise him. ¡°Uncle-Master, did you hear that this girl entered the academy by passing all three examinations, so you wanted to accept her as your disciple? You might not know it very clearly, but this girl is talented as a Xuan Master and warrior. She¡¯s much stronger in those two areas than in the heavenly doctor aspect. Besides, didn¡¯t you always feel that accepting a disciple is troublesome?¡± His Uncle-Master had not accepted a single disciple all these years. ¡°If you really want to accept a disciple, there are quite a few talented ones in this batch of students.¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Elder Ye interrupted him frustratedly. ¡°Why would I not know about my own disciple?¡± After Elder Ye finished his sentence, Sun Zhongyan was suddenly speechless as if he had been strangled. At that moment, the surroundings were so quiet that one¡¯s breathing could be heard. Chu Liuyue quietly sighed in her heart. Initially, she wanted to choose a teacher quietly and then begin cultivating in the academy, but it seemed like this was not possible¡­ I didn¡¯t expect Elder Ye to have such a connection with Tian Lu Academy. He even popped up at this time. ¡°This girl has been my disciple for a long time. Dream on if you want to snatch her away from me.¡± Elder Ye was still brooding over the earlier matter as he glared at Sun Zhongyan as if he was looking at a thief. He walked to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Girl, all these old fellows are very bad! Don¡¯t be tricked by them!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Must you be so direct? While showing an indignant expression, Elder Ye said, ¡°This girl! Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were coming to the academy? Are you really thinking of finding someone else to be your mentor?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly. ¡°Mentor, you¡¯re mistaken. I¡­¡± ¡°I only went into seclusion for a few days. I went to look for you at the Chu family estate once I was out, but I couldn¡¯t find you after looking for you everywhere. I asked around for a long time until I found out this major thing had happened! If I were any later, won¡¯t you be this brat¡¯s disciple?¡± The scolded Sun Zhongyan did not care about feeling wronged or explaining himself. There was too much information within Elder Ye and Chu Liuyue¡¯s conversation, which caused him to be unable to react. Chu Liuyue froze and did not say anything. If she knew Elder Ye was from Tian Lu Academy, she wouldn¡¯t have wasted so much effort. However, she was pretty touched when she heard that Elder Ye had frantically searched for her. Elder Ye looked at the young girl in front of him and did not even have enough time to dote on her. Why would he have the heart to scold her seriously? His voice became warmer as he slapped Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm. ¡°Luckily, I came here early enough. You can¡¯t do this anymore!¡± Chu Liuyue replied to him with a delightful smile. ¡°Okay, Mentor!¡± The mentor-disciple duo was over the moon, but Sun Zhongyan and the building full of teachers were dazed. Upon seeing that Elder Ye was going to take Chu Liuyue away, Sun Zhongyan could not help but step forward and ask, ¡°Elder Ye, a-are¡­ you really accepting this girl as your disciple?¡± Elder Ye glanced at him. ¡°The girl called me ¡®mentor¡¯. Did you not hear her?¡± Sun Zhongyan was stumped. ¡°B-but her talent¡­ Her talent, I¡­¡± Elder Ye spoke halfway when Chu Liuyue gently pulled on his sleeves. Elder Ye¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at Chu Liuyue. He could guess what she was thinking. It seems like this girl doesn¡¯t want to expose herself¡­ That¡¯s true. It will attract too much attention if I expose everything. Elder Ye coughed. ¡°Anyway, she passed the heavenly doctor examination. I also have some fate with her. Since I¡¯ve already accepted her as my disciple, there¡¯s no use in whatever you say.¡± He looked very determined. Sun Zhongyan really felt that it was a pity. Chu Liuyue has no potential as a heavenly doctor. Even if she has a mentor, her future is bleak. ¡°Master, I¡¯m actually pretty interested in Xuan formations. I came to the academy to learn a thing or two about it.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words worried Elder Ye. ¡°Y-You really want to accept this brat as your disciple?¡± Chu Liuyue contained her laughter and shook her head. ¡°Since I already have a mentor, it¡¯s not nice of me to accept another teacher. I want to cultivate as a Xuan Master on my own. May I know if you¡¯ll agree to it?¡± ¡°On your own?¡± Sun Zhongyan immediately felt that it would not work. ¡°Girl, you must think this through. If you have no teacher to guide you along, your Xuan Master path will be a difficult one.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded her head in determination. ¡°Thank you, Elder Sun, but I¡¯ve already made up my mind. Mentor, do you have any objections?¡± Elder Ye was hesitant with his words. Actually, he had already vaguely guessed that Chu Liuyue really did not need a Xuan Master mentor. Similar to her heavenly doctor cultivation, her potential was untested, and she was more than worthy of being his teacher. ¡°Why would I stop you in whatever you want to do? This matter is settled.¡± Elder Ye waved his hand. ¡°Bring the name registry over!¡± Someone very quickly walked out of the building and brought a thick booklet. On the cover was a few words written in gold: ¡®Tian Lu Academy¡¯. Elder Ye placed his hand on the booklet and released energy. The pages actually flipped open on its own. Chu Liuyue stood at the side and could clearly see that the pages were filled with names. Students¡¯ names were in black, while teachers¡¯ names were in red. The pages finally stopped flipping when it arrived at a new page. Elder Ye looked focused as he extended his fingers and wrote his name, letter by letter. ¡°Ye Zhiting.¡± The sparkling golden words looked like they had a life of their own. His name was actually in gold! Very quickly, Chu Liuyue saw a line of words appearing below his name. ¡°Tian Lu Academy¡¯s 65th Director!¡± Chapter 102 - Classes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder Ye is the director of Tian Lu Academy!? Chu Liuyue stared at him in shock. This old and unkempt wore man tattered cotton clothes all year round. She wouldn¡¯t believe his true identity if she didn¡¯t see this with her own eyes! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but recall their previous few meetings. Elder Ye had clung to her, pestered her, and begged her to let him watch her brew the medicine. Her emotions became more complicated. The most powerful person in Tian Lu Academy was right in front of me this whole time! Elder Ye looked serious, which was unlike his usual demeanor. His finger continued to move along the page, and another name appeared on the page¡ªChu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue realized that her name was in red, the same color as the academy¡¯s teachers. After that, a small line of words appeared below her name. Cultivation discipline¡ªheavenly doctor, Xuan Master, warrior! Most students chose to focus on only one discipline due to the limitations of their talent, but Chu Liuyue was different. Elder Ye knew very well that her talent might be stronger than he thought, so he simply wrote down all three disciplines for her. This would also make things easier in the future. After he wrote the last word, a golden ray of light shot out from Elder Ye¡¯s name and merged with the nameplate on Chu Liuyue¡¯s left chest. ¡°Each student¡¯s nameplate contains their teacher¡¯s power, which can be used to identify themselves. In times of distress, this power can also be used as a trump card!¡± explained Elder Ye as he let go. The pages turned slowly and closed automatically. Then, he returned it to the teacher, who had given him the book earlier. ¡°Alright! We have registered your name. From now on, you will truly be known as my disciple, and I as your master!¡± Elder Ye felt emotional as he glanced at Chu Liuyue. He was unable to contain his excitement. Although Chu Liuyue had already offered him tea, the formality had taken place between the two of them only. Nobody else had knowledge of their relationship. With both of our names now written on the academy¡¯s roster, everything will be different! In the future, everyone will know that Chu Liuyue is my disciple! Elder Ye¡¯s heart filled with joy at this thought. He has lived most of his life. Many had advised him to take on a disciple, but he found it troublesome. Thus, he refused. He finally found one that caught his eye. On top of that, she was a once-in-a-century rare genius that put the rest of the teachers¡¯ disciples to shame! How could he not be happy? ¡°Come, come! I haven¡¯t seen you for so long. There is much I have to say to you!¡± Once the official business had been concluded, Elder Ye immediately left with Chu Liuyue, leaving behind Sun Zhongyan and the others to stare at each other. There was a long silence in Peach Garden before a helpless laugh erupted. ¡°To think that we have been vying for so long. In the end, it turns out that she has been the director¡¯s disciple all along!¡± ¡­ Elder Ye originally wanted to bring her back to his quarters. However, he suddenly remembered it probably hadn¡¯t been cleaned because he had been away from the academy for a long time. Finally, he followed Chu Liuyue back to her lodgings. Fortunately, most of the students in the academy had already started their classes or cultivation at this time. Thus, they didn¡¯t run into anyone on their way back. As soon as they entered the house, Elder Ye promptly opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Girl, if you wanted to come to the academy, why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? I could have saved you the trouble of taking three different examinations! I also heard that you participated in the mid-term assessments a few days ago. Did anyone give you a hard time? You can tell me. I¡¯ll definitely help you out!¡± He talked profusely without pausing for a breath. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue took her time to pour him a cup of tea. ¡°Please, slow down; there¡¯s no rush.¡± Elder Ye finally took a break and stopped to drink his tea. Chu Liuyue then briefly told him about the events that had occurred during his period of absence. Elder Ye had already sporadically heard some rumors before, but he only completely understood what had happened after hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s account. ¡°¡­ So much has happened during this period of time! Girl, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll come to me if you get into trouble? As your master, I didn¡¯t even help a bit¡­¡± Elder Ye was filled with guilt. In his opinion, Chu Liuyue was still a child. He wondered how many hurdles she had to overcome when she went against the Chu family and the Crown Prince. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. She laughed and jokingly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know your true identity at that time. I would have looked for you if I did.¡± Her words only embarrassed Elder Ye even more. ¡°It was negligence on my part as your master¡­¡± He was a free-spirited man, and he never liked to deal with the academy¡¯s matters. He usually left the mundane stuff to Sun Zhongyan and the others. Although he was the designated director, he had been running around all these years, so not many people had actually met him. He, too, would forget his identity very often. ¡°However, you need not worry. Everything is fine now, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Chu Liuyue. Elder Ye¡¯s expression became serious as he shook his head. ¡°Girl, you have no idea. The Crown Prince can be excessively mean and narrow-minded. Your achievements to date have caused him to lose face. He definitely won¡¯t let this go¡­¡± Buzz! Before Elder Ye could finish, they heard a buzzing sound coming from outside. The two of them looked out in unison but saw nothing. Nevertheless, Elder Ye didn¡¯t seem to relax. Instead, his frown deepened. He stood up immediately. ¡°Girl, there¡¯s something I need to attend to. I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ll see you next time!¡± With that, he shifted his feet and quickly disappeared. Chu Liuyue looked in the direction he left in and shifted her gaze slightly. Not far away, the magnificent and majestic Jiuyou Tower stood in silence. That strange noise earlier¡­ seems to be coming from there! However, it is a very faint fluctuation. An ordinary person won¡¯t notice it. She was able to detect it because she was very sensitive to the Heaven and Earth Force¡¯s transformations. Although she hadn¡¯t fully recovered her strength from her last life, her strong perception still remained. If I remember correctly, Jiuyou Tower is the Tian Lu Academy¡¯s¡­ Knock, knock¡­ A knock on the door interrupted Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked as she went to open the door. A familiar face stood outside the doorway. Chu Liuyue was puzzled. ¡°Si Ting? What are you doing here?¡± Si Ting was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect her to come so fast. Nevertheless, he quickly came to his senses. ¡°You¡¯ve already chosen your teacher?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Si Ting paused but didn¡¯t ask which teacher she had chosen. ¡°There is a meditation class this morning. Mr. Dongfang wants me to see how you are doing.¡± ¡°Meditation class?¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. Si Ting explained, ¡°While most of a Xuan Master¡¯s training is done independently, we do have to attend a shared class, which is taught by Mr. Dongfang.¡± It finally dawned on Chu Liuyue that Si Ting was here to bring her to class. She scrutinized him and couldn¡¯t help herself from messing with him. ¡°The teacher actually sent you here for such a trivial matter?¡± Si Ting shifted his gaze away. The expression on his handsome and smart face remained neutral. ¡°It¡¯s just that I was the only one available because I had cracked the first level. If you¡¯re done unpacking, please come with me.¡± Chu Liuyue followed him to their class without asking further questions. Chapter 103 - The Bully Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The meditation class was taking place in Autumn Frost Court. Chu Liuyue followed Si Ting and soon arrived at the class. When they stood outside the door, Si Ting whispered, ¡°Meditation classes are usually a way for us to cultivate our control over the Heaven and Earth Force.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. A Xuan Master¡¯s cultivation was nothing more than these few aspects. The front door automatically opened as soon as they arrived at the doorway. A rich voice, belonging to a middle-aged man, called out, ¡°Come in.¡± Chu Liuyue entered after Si Ting. It was a very spacious room. A square-faced man stood at the front of the room. ¡°Good day to you, Mr. Dongfang,¡± Si Ting greeted. Chu Liuyue immediately understood that the man was Dongfang Qing, the meditation class¡¯s teacher. ¡°You came quickly.¡± Dongfang Qing nodded with approval. His gaze soon fell on Chu Liuyue with some curiosity. ¡°Are you Chu Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue bowed. ¡°Good day to you, Mr. Dongfang.¡± Dongfang Qing¡¯s eyes rested on her nameplate for a moment. He was going to ask who she had chosen as her teacher. However, he found it inappropriate to do so with so many students present. He lifted a finger and pointed. ¡°You can sit next to Si Ting!¡± Chu Liuyue looked in the direction he was pointing in. Ten stone platforms had been placed in the room, and a student occupied each of the tables. A chessboard was placed on each table in front of them. Almost all the students were staring intently at their own board, thinking hard. Even when they heard the two of them enter, they merely glanced up quickly and directed their attention back to deciphering the Xuan formation on the board. At the front, two empty stone platforms were in the middle. One obviously belonged to Si Ting, whereas the other was hers. As she got closer, she saw a distinct character ¡®two¡¯ engraved on the stone platform. She glanced at Si Ting¡¯s platform beside hers. It had the character ¡®one.¡¯ It seemed that this seating arrangement was based on their mid-term assessment results. The moment Chu Liuyue stepped onto her platform, a chessboard suddenly appeared on the empty tabletop! The chessboard displayed a Xuan formation! ¡°Today¡¯s lesson is simple. You will pass as long as you can find these two Xuan formations¡¯ formation eyes.¡± Dongfang Qing looked at Chu Liuyue with hidden expectations. ¡°The top three students who take the least time will be rewarded separately.¡± He wasn¡¯t there during the mid-term assessment, so he wasn¡¯t sure what happened or how Chu Liuyue had come in second place for the Xuan Master assessment. Elder Sun and the others had hyped it up so much, even saying that Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent was not the slightest bit inferior to that of Si Ting. He wanted to see if that was really the case! Chu Liuyue looked at the Xuan formation before her. A formation of this level was not difficult for her. She immediately found a way to crack it when she first laid eyes on it. However, she couldn¡¯t pass the level so fast. Chu Liuyue certainly knew that Dongfang Qing was testing her when she sensed him watching her. She looked at Si Ting and whispered, ¡°Si Ting, how long did you take for the first level?¡± Dongfang Qing¡¯s eyes lit up even more. Is Chu Liuyue issuing a challenge to Si Ting? Si Ting looked at the girl in front of him. From her calm demeanor, he could guess what was on her mind. ¡°One hour.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. According to Si Ting¡¯s current age, he really is doing exceptionally well by reaching such a level. ¡°Please try to crack the second level as fast as you can. Perhaps, I may even come from behind and surpass you.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes at him. She would be able to spend less time here if Si Ting was faster. Otherwise, it would be torture for her if she had to spend a few hours here. Si Ting caught the crafty look that had flashed across her eyes. He nodded after a moment¡¯s silence. ¡°Okay.¡± From behind them, a girl suddenly asked haughtily, ¡°What? Chu Liuyue, are you challenging Si Ting?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and faced the girl, who was about 15 or 16 years old. The girl had pretty features. As she stared at Chu Liuyue with her almond-shaped eyes, she didn¡¯t bother to conceal her arrogance and hostility towards the latter. Hostility? A frown appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. I don¡¯t even know the girl. What have I done to deserve this attitude? Si Yang¡ªwho was sitting behind Chu Liuyue¡ªimpatiently retorted, ¡°Gu Mingzhu, why are you so nosy? It¡¯s normal for Liuyue to challenge my brother. After all, she¡¯s the second best! This is no place for a third runner-up like you.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly knew who this girl was upon hearing her name. Second Gu Missy, Gu Mingzhu. Since she was the eldest son¡¯s daughter and a Xuan Master in training, Second Gu Missy was widely adored within the Gu family. Gu Mingzhu¡¯s expression became more hostile after she was chided by Si Yang. ¡°I merely asked a question. Why are you coming to her defense?¡± Si Yang snorted. ¡°You know exactly what you were thinking! If you want to challenge my brother, wait till you get second!¡± Gu Mingzhu was so angry that she turned white. Finally, she replied through gritted teeth. ¡°How capable can she be? She came in second without a solid foundation or training. Who knows how she got second.¡± A Xuan Master¡¯s cultivation was especially delicate. Even if one had talent, one still might not succeed if they didn¡¯t have patience and a teacher¡¯s proper guidance. All these years, Chu Liuyue¡¯s life in the Chu family had been worse than a servant. She is now in her teenage years. She discovered her talent as a Xuan Master too late! Her achievement at the last assessment must be a coincidence! Si Yang was beginning to feel offended. ¡°What? Are you suspecting that Elder Sun and the others were wrong in their judgment? He came in third! Gu Mingzhu¡¯s suspicion of Chu Liuyue coming in second was as good as implying that he wasn¡¯t strong enough! When Gu Mingzhu heard this, she kept her mouth shut. Si Yang always had a way with his words. She couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. Aggrieved, Gu Mingzhu turned and looked at Si Ting. However, the handsome youth didn¡¯t even glance her way. It was as though he didn¡¯t care about what had just happened. Gu Mingzhu felt worse with every passing minute as she bit her lip. Si Ting was a quiet and introverted person with an aloof temperament. However, it didn¡¯t deter Gu Mingfeng. She still held on to a ray of hope after being rejected time and time again. Right now, she felt threatened by Chu Liuyue¡¯s appearance! A guy like Si Ting had never been interested in anyone before. Nevertheless, when Mr. Dongfang assigned someone to bring Chu Liuyue to class, Si Ting had volunteered! Although he said he had some time because he had cracked the first level, Gu Mingzhu knew better. When Chu Liuyue spoke to Si Ting earlier, she clearly felt that Si Ting¡¯s attitude towards Chu Liuyue was completely different! This was a woman¡¯s intuition! This also caused Gu Mingzhu to dislike Chu Liuyue even more. She placed one hand on her chessboard. Her knuckles began to turn white from the strain she was putting on the board. ¡°Chu Liuyue, I dare you to compete with me. If you lose, I¡¯ll take second place; If I lose, I¡¯ll give you the Long Xian Formation! What¡¯s your decision?¡± Everyone surrounding them looked up, clearly startled. It was rumored that the Long Xian Formation was a fifth-level Xuan formation! Being the Gu family¡¯s Second Missy, Gu Mingzhu was indeed generous! Nobody would refuse this jackpot! However, unexpectedly, there wasn¡¯t a trace of excitement on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Instead, she shook her head with a smile and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. After all, bullying is something I really don¡¯t like to do.¡± Chapter 104 - Does She Deserve It too? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios How could Gu Mingzhu not understand the meaning behind Chu Liuyue¡¯s words? The latter was obviously not taking her seriously! She laughed with exasperation. ¡°Chu Liuyue, are you afraid to do it?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Think what you want.¡± Gu Mingzhu was suddenly at a loss for words. She didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be immune against her provocations! She raised her voice in defiance. ¡°I¡¯ll add another, the Qing Mu Xuan formation! Are you in or not?¡± The room was in an uproar. Qing Mu Xuan formation was a formation just as good as the Long Xian Formation! In order to get Chu Liuyue to compete with her, Gu Mingzhu was willing to place two fifth-level Xuan formations as a reward! She was putting a lot at stake! Chu Liuyue finally turned back and glanced at her lazily. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course! I am the Second Gu Missy!¡± Gu Mingzhu lifted her chin haughtily. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± She wasn¡¯t a fool. The other party had taken the initiative to do her a favor, so why shouldn¡¯t she accept the bet? Gu Mingzhu was delighted when Chu Liuyue finally agreed. However, she sneered with despise. ¡°You didn¡¯t agree earlier because the reward wasn¡¯t appealing enough!¡± Her words implied that Chu Liuyue was money-minded. Chu Liuyue actually admitted it with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you know. If you want to ask for advice, you have to show your sincerity.¡± Otherwise, I would really be reluctant to waste my time on a person like this. ¡°You!¡± Anger began to well up inside Gu Mingzhu. Just as she was about to direct her anger at Chu Liuyue, she felt someone looking at her. It was Si Ting! Gu Mingzhu restrained herself with much difficulty and regained her usual arrogant demeanor. ¡°We¡¯ll use the two formations laid out by Mr. Dongfang. Whoever cracks them first is the winner!¡± ¡°Gu Mingzhu, you have the gall to say this? You have been trying for the past two hours. Chu Liuyue just arrived. You¡¯re obviously bullying her!¡± Si Yang spoke up, feeling indignant. Smirking, Gu Mingzhu looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°It can easily take one a few hours to unravel a Xuan formation. Sometimes, it¡¯s even impossible to crack it in a day. Chu Liuyue came late because of her own reasons. Can I be blamed for that? Besides, she came in second during the assessment. Surely she wouldn¡¯t be so calculative with the time. Isn¡¯t that so, Chu Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue waved her hand without a care. ¡°Have it your way.¡± Gu Mingzhu was annoyed again by her casual behavior. ¡°Begin!¡± With that, she lowered her head and focused on the Xuan formation that she had been working on. This time, I have to win! Chu Liuyue withdrew her gaze and looked steadily at Si Ting. It made Si Ting feel nervous for some reason. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. Si Ting is obviously the cause of this trouble. Nevertheless, Si Ting has helped me before. It won¡¯t be very nice of me to hold a grudge against him now. Si Ting was the first to break eye contact. Chu Liuyue raised a brow but soon directed her attention to her Xuan formation. ¡­ At the Royal Palace¡¯s Imperial Study. Emperor Jiawen leaned back in his chair and emotionlessly stared at Rong Jin, who stood facing him with his hands clenched by his side. ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself. Let this matter go. No one is to pursue it.¡± His low and powerful voice resonated in the spacious study with authority and nobility befitting an emperor. Rong Jin clenched his fists tighter. In reality, he already had an answer in his mind before he even came. However, it still puzzled him! ¡°Father, something is really fishy about the way Zhen Zhen injured herself. When I was tending to the hunting ground, situations like this never happened! How did this happen as soon as Zhen Bao Pavilion took over the hunting ground? If we don¡¯t launch a thorough investigation, how can we appease Zhen Zhen?¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at him solemnly. ¡°Crown Prince, are you blaming me?¡± Rong Jin suddenly panicked, promptly lifted his robe, and knelt down. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± ¡°Zhen Zhen insisted on hunting the high-level fiend even after Zhen Bao Pavilion discouraged her several times. She has only herself to blame for this! I¡¯ve spoiled her rotten. All these years, I have indulged her in her wilful ways instead of punishing her! I, too, am to blame for playing a part in what had happened!¡± Emperor Jiawen closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. ¡°How does my heart not ache for her when her pearl of essence has been shattered? I have ordered Chu Ning to lead the imperial guards to pursue the fiend that has injured Zhen Zhen. Those who followed Zhen Zhen but failed to protect her that day have also been punished. You¡­ what else do you want to investigate?¡± His last sentence made Rong Jin¡¯s heart skip a beat inexplicably. Although Emperor Jiawen wasn¡¯t looking at him, Rong Jin still felt that the emperor could read his thoughts. ¡°I merely think¡­¡± ¡°I already told you the last time not to have any ideas about Zhen Bao Pavilion, but it seems like you didn¡¯t listen at all.¡± Emperor Jiawen looked exhausted when he opened his eyes. He said slowly, ¡°Are you honestly asking for an investigation for Zhen Zhen¡¯s sake or¡­ for your own?¡± ¡°Father!¡± Rong Jin was stupefied. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes suddenly resembled ghostly fire, and Rong Jin was scared witless. ¡°Father, please! I have no selfish motives!¡± Emperor Jiawen remained unmoved. He knew everything about Rong Jin, including what he had in mind and his plans. Father and son¡ªone seated and the other on his knees¡ªengaged in a confrontation. The atmosphere in the study became cold and tense. After a long time, Rong Jin finally hung his head low, dejected. ¡°Father, I just want an answer! What¡¯s the big deal about Zhen Bao Pavilion that even you, the emperor, are so protective of them? I spent a lot of effort on that hunting ground, but they snatched it out of my hands in the blink of an eye! I simply can¡¯t reconcile with this fact!¡± ¡°You, the Crown Prince, are behaving like this because of a silly hunting ground? I think you¡¯re more concerned about your ego and reputation as the Crown Prince, aren¡¯t you?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s words hit the nail on the head, and the prince¡¯s face went pale. ¡°I-if they hadn¡¯t helped Chu Liuyue, I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen shook his head. ¡°You initiated the dissolution of your marriage agreement.¡± He knew that Rong Jin was narrow-minded, but what had recently happened really disappointed him. If Chu Liuyue had shown that she had an amazing talent in the first place, the current situation would be different. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Emperor Jiawen waved his hand. Rong Jin wanted to say more, but he swallowed his words when he saw Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Jin stood up and left. Just when he reached the door, he heard Emperor Jiawen¡¯s voice from behind him. ¡°I heard that the Chu girl, Chu Xianmin, hurt her face a few days ago. Go and visit her when you have the time.¡± Rong Jin had a bad premonition as he turned back. ¡°The rumors in the Imperial City are spreading like wildfire. With the current situation, it¡¯s better that you marry her as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Father, there¡¯s nothing between Chu Xianmin and me¡­¡± ¡°As the Crown Prince, you have to decide what the best solution is for yourself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ On his way back to Crown Prince Mansion, Rong Jin didn¡¯t utter a single word, but his terrifying expression explained everything. Song Yuan, who had been waiting outside for him, felt something was amiss. His heart skipped a beat in panic as he lowered his gaze. Rong Jin stood in front of Song Yuan. ¡°Send word to the Chu family and ask them to make preparations. I will marry Chu Xianmin in a few days.¡± Song Yuan was taken aback. ¡°Your Highness, are we¡­ adapting the formalities for a Secondary Consort?¡± Rong Jin sneered. ¡°Secondary Consort? Does she deserve it?¡± Chapter 105 - It was Hard Waiting for You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°The Crown Prince Mansion will receive her as my concubine in three days!¡± Song Yuan hesitantly asked, ¡°Your Highness, Third Missy is a trueborn lady of the Chu family after all. Isn¡¯t being a concubine¡­ a bit inappropriate for her?¡± ¡°I am already bestowing her an honor!¡± Rong Jin looked cold. There was no love in his eyes when he spoke of Chu Xianmin. The series of events had disgraced him! He was doing her a huge favor by giving her a place in Crown Prince Mansion! Song Yuan watched Rong Jin and realized that the prince had made up his mind. Since the matter had been settled, he didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Jin let out a breath of foul air and intended to walk into the mansion. However, Song Yuan stood rooted to the spot. There was something about his expression¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°What are you still standing here for?¡± Song Yuan bowed and whispered, ¡°Your Highness, the men we sent to investigate Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­ are gone!¡± Rong Jin¡¯s frown deepened; he was startled by the news. ¡°How is that possible? Those guys are stage four warriors!¡± He had no reservations when he made his move, knowing that Zhen Bao Pavilion wasn¡¯t a place to be trifled with. However, who would have thought¡­ ¡°Your Highness, those people had just started to poke around Zhen Bao Pavilion when they were assassinated one after another. The other party was so highly-skilled that they barely left any traces! We can¡¯t even find any evidence to prove that they did it!¡± Rong Jin clenched his fists tightly and said through gritted teeth in a tense voice, ¡°You mean to say that I have no choice but to suffer in silence this time?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t mean it like this!¡± Song Yuan hastily fell to his knees. Rong Jin shut his eyes, deep in his thoughts. After a long time, he sneered and said, ¡°If we can¡¯t investigate without them knowing, let¡¯s come out in the open!¡± Song Yuan seemed worried. ¡°Your Highness, didn¡¯t His Majesty ask us to stop pursuing this matter? If you investigate them openly, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to explain to His Majesty!¡± ¡°Naturally, I won¡¯t get it mixed up with this. However, Zhen Bao Pavilion has been operating in the Imperial City for so many years. Who knows if there are any issues with their accounts? It¡¯s just as well that those officials at the Ministry have been having a leisurely time lately. It¡¯s a good idea for them to check all those accounts now!¡± ¡­ The Chu family residence. Chu Yan and Lu Yao were dumbfounded as they stared at Song Yuan, who stood before them. They almost thought they had misheard him. ¡°Lord Song, you just said¡­ His Highness is going to marry Minmin and make her his concubine?¡± Song Yuan wore a smile on his face. ¡°That¡¯s right! His Highness has always been interested in Third Missy. As you both know, he has long intended to marry her. Although we¡¯re in a bit of a rush, His Highness has said that he wishes to keep things simple for the sake of Third Missy¡¯s health since she is still recovering from her injuries. Nevertheless, you can be assured that His Highness will never mistreat Third Missy, even though the formalities have been simplified.¡± Chu Yan and Lu Yao shook with anger. ¡°Lord Song, no matter what, our Minmin is still a trueborn lady of the Chu family. Even if she can¡¯t be the Princess to His Highness, he should make her his secondary consort at the very least! A mere concubine? He¡¯s asking for too much!¡± Chu Yan couldn¡¯t suppress the anger inside him, and the way he spoke sounded pushy. Song Yuan¡¯s smile never wavered, but there was a hint of coldness. ¡°Hehe. Lord Chu Yan, you should know very well why His Highness wants things to be done this way. The injuries on Third Missy¡¯s face may never heal. As the Princess or the Secondary Consort, she will have to go to the Royal Ancestral Hall to meet all the ancestors. Is it¡­ appropriate for Third Missy to do so with the way she looks?¡± ¡°Besides, not only did Third Missy hurt her face, but she has also hurt His Highness¡¯s reputation. His Highness is already being very kind to her to marry her as his concubine. Both of you should have a proper discussion. Don¡¯t forgo His Highness¡¯s good intentions.¡± Everyone could hear the threat in his words. Chu Yan and Lu Yao exchanged a look with each other. Both of them felt extremely sullen! Chu Xianmin was their only child. Initially, they had been counting on her to forge a relationship with the Crown Prince and become his princess. However, that now seemed impossible with their current situation! How could they possibly prepare everything in three days? It was a disgrace to marry like this! They would become laughingstocks in the whole Imperial City! ¡°I will marry!¡± Just when they were in a stalemate, a woman¡¯s voice could be heard from outside. It was Chu Xianmin. She was wearing a veil that covered most of her hair and face, revealing only a pair of eyes. Her eyes were no longer proud and vain like they used to be. Instead, they looked gloomy and cold, which unsettled people. In his mind, Song Yuan thought that this Third Missy wasn¡¯t quite the same as before. ¡°Minmin! What are you doing out here?¡± Lu Yao went to her side quickly and scrutinized her with worry. ¡°D-Did you hear our conversation?¡± Chu Xianmin nodded. ¡°Yes, I heard everything. I am willing to marry.¡± Song Yuan smiled. ¡°Then I ask that Third Missy make your preparations for your marriage to His Highness in three days¡¯ time!¡± With that said, Song Yuan didn¡¯t bother staying any longer. He turned and left. Chu Yan only came back to his senses when Song Yuan had left. He felt puzzled as he looked at Chu Xianmin. ¡°Minmin, you should think about this. You will be a concubine once you marry him.¡± Chu Xianmin laughed with self-mockery. ¡°What can I do now when I look like this?¡± Everyone fell silent. ¡°There¡¯s no Crown Princess or Secondary Consort in the Crown Prince Mansion, only a few mistresses. Anyway, I won¡¯t be bullied when I¡¯m there. Besides, I have no intention to be a noble concubine my whole life.¡± Lu Yao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Minmin, you mean¡­¡± ¡°My looks may be ruined, but I still have my talent and capability. I can make use of the Crown Prince¡¯s status once I marry him! I haven¡¯t forgotten who made me land in such a state!¡± Chu Liuyue. Let¡¯s settle our score bit by bit! ¡­ Meditation class. It was very quiet in the room. Everyone focused on the chessboard in front of them. Ka! A crisp sound was heard! Gu Mingzhu had unraveled the first Xuan formation! Dongfang Qing looked at her with surprise. He never thought she would be the one to crack the first level after Si Ting. Si Yang heard the sound and couldn¡¯t help himself from turning around to take a look. He felt even more frustrated. Gu Mingzhu lifted her chin arrogantly and glanced at Chu Liuyue, who was sitting in front of her. ¡°This simple Xuan formation is a piece of cake!¡± Chu Liuyue heard her and looked back at her. ¡°Huh? You¡¯ve unraveled the first formation?¡± ¡°Why? Are you surprised? Are you confused by this simple Xuan formation?¡± Gu Mingzhu had mockery in her eyes. ¡°Actually, as long as one has gone through systematic learning and received guidance from a famous master, one would know a Xuan formation¡¯s characteristics. With that knowledge, one is naturally fast when it comes to unraveling the formation. However, I think you must not have seen any decent Xuan formations. As such, it¡¯s only normal that you have no idea where to start.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded seriously. ¡°It¡¯s true. I have not seen many Xuan formations like this.¡± She hadn¡¯t played with one since she was six, so of course, she hadn¡¯t seen much. Gu Mingzhu rolled her eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t I wait until you¡¯ve cracked the first level as well? We can then start on the second one together. I don¡¯t want any disputes or anyone saying I won dishonorably.¡± Chu Liuyue turned down her proposal with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± After saying that, she turned back to her table. She held a chess piece and placed it on the board. Ka! It was the sound of an unraveled Xuan formation! ¡°I¡¯ve had a hard time waiting for you. Please don¡¯t bother to wait for me.¡± Chapter 106 - Cheating Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone was dumbfounded. Has Chu Liuyue¡­ unraveled the first Xuan formation? It looks a little too easy for her. If they remembered correctly, only one hour had passed since she came in, yet she had actually cracked the first formation right after Gu Mingzhu! No, she had obviously cracked it already, but she was waiting for Gu Mingzhu! Gu Mingzhu¡¯s smug smile froze on her face. Her eyes widened slowly, and she glared at the chessboard in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡°Y-You have unraveled the first level too?¡± Chu Liuyue was nonchalant. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Gu Mingzhu felt her mind going blank. She became confused as she looked at the indifference on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. How is this possible? This is a complicated Xuan formation. One won¡¯t be able to unravel it so easily if one isn¡¯t capable! When Gu Mingzhu said that it was a simple formation, it was a deliberate exaggeration on her part to mock Chu Liuyue. If it really were that easy, the dozen students in the room wouldn¡¯t have to rack their brains for so long and think so hard about it! However, this Xuan formation didn¡¯t seem to be a problem to Chu Liuyue at all¡­ ¡°Chu Liuyue is too good, isn¡¯t she? She had already unlocked the formation! Didn¡¯t she come in not too long ago?¡± ¡°Although Gu Mingzhu was one step before her, upon careful calculation, Chu Liuyue clearly solved it in a much shorter time!¡± ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you guys see that Chu Liuyue had already thought of an answer to the Xuan formation and was apparently waiting for Gu Mingzhu? I think Gu Mingzhu is going to be slower in cracking the second formation.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. Rumor has it that she used to be a loser. How did she turn out to be this good in the blink of an eye? Compared to Si Ting, her talent may even be on par with his!¡± The whispers from the surrounding students reached Gu Mingzhu¡¯s ears. Her face paled. ¡°Carry on!¡± She was used to being proud as the Second Gu Missy. How could she admit defeat now? Chu Liuyue remained unconcerned as she directed her focus back to the chessboard. Once the first Xuan formation had been unraveled, the chess pieces automatically shifted into the second formation. Gu Mingzhu withdrew her gaze in exasperation, but a trace of unease was beginning to surface from within. Chu Liuyue¡­ how is she so strong? She has only just embarked on the path of a Xuan Master. She apparently also didn¡¯t have the means to hire a master to guide her. So how is she so much better than me? Gu Mingzhu originally thought her results at the mid-term assessment was a coincidence. However, it now seems like she had been careless! Gu Mingzhu took a deep breath in and tried to focus all her attention on the second Xuan formation in order to crack it as soon as possible and win against Chu Liuyue. However, her mind was so distracted that her head felt like a jumbled pile of mess. She simply couldn¡¯t calm down. The more she tried to calm down, the more agitated she became. The more she stared at the Xuan formation on her chessboard, the more complicated she found it. Before she knew it, little beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her eyes turned red. Dongfang Qing, who stood at the front of the class, knew her expression well. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. Indeed, Gu Mingzhu has considerably good talent. She certainly can afford to feel proud. However, being overly proud is arrogance. She hasn¡¯t thought about the fact that Elder Sun and the others personally constructed the mid-term assessment¡¯s Xuan formation in the forest. How can it be possible for Chu Liuyue to pass by coincidence? It will be tough for Gu Mingzhu to win against Chu Liuyue. ¡­ Time always passed by quickly when one was deep in their thoughts. The light outside the window gradually went from bright to warm, then to dark. Chu Liuyue looked up from her chessboard and realized that it was already evening. I¡¯ve wasted three hours of my time by staying here. At this thought, she shifted her gaze, and it landed on Si Ting¡ªwho was sitting beside her. His back was straight, and his appearance was cool while he concentrated on the Xuan formation before him. The light reflected on his face drew a clear and sharp outline of his face. This young man resembled a sharp blade, ready to be unsheathed at any moment. He always had an air of aloofness about him. Although he seemed to be noble, restrained, and polite, Chu Liuyue could feel that this person was, by no means, as simple as he appeared to be. When Si Ting sensed Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze on him, his entire body tensed. Even his hand that was holding a chess piece froze for a moment. What is she so anxious about? Si Ting couldn¡¯t help himself from thinking this. Then, a strange emotion arose inside him. Her talent is indeed stronger than I thought! If I¡¯m right, then she unraveled the second Xuan formation a long time ago. Despite that, she never took that last step for some unknown reason. She seems to be waiting for me. Si Ting pursed his lips and stared at the formation eye. Then, he turned his wrist gently. The chess piece changed direction and landed in a position that he hadn¡¯t planned to place it in earlier. Ka! The second formation had been unraveled! The pieces on the chessboard in front of him suddenly flew up, divided into black and white ones, and automatically landed in the box beside him. Dongfang Qing looked at Si Ting with surprise. ¡°I thought you would need four hours to crack this, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Si Ting, you seem to be progressing very fast lately!¡± Si Ting nodded gently. ¡°I happened to see a similar Xuan formation a few days ago. That helped me to unravel today¡¯s formation faster.¡± Dongfang Qing stroked his beard, impressed. ¡°Haha. I heard you¡¯ve been borrowing a lot of books on Xuan formation diagrams from the library lately. It does seem to be quite useful to you today! Since you¡¯ve passed the two levels today, you can be dismissed from class early!¡± As soon as he said that, countless students looked at Si Ting enviously. Things really are different when one comes in first. Not only is he able to go out in the middle of the class, but he is also dismissed early! They didn¡¯t know how long they would have to stay to unravel the formations! Si Yang couldn¡¯t help but hold his head, mourning. ¡°Brother, why do I feel that you are even better than before? How do you expect any of us to live with it?¡± Si Ting stood up and gave him a look. ¡°Be more diligent. You can do it as well.¡± Si Yang murmured to himself, ¡°You seriously think that everyone is like you and are able to unravel the formation just by looking at something similar? If that was true, we would all be geniuses.¡± Those accepted into Tian Lu Academy naturally had the talent. However, there was always someone better. When many geniuses gathered in the same place, there would definitely be some with an advantage and others with a disadvantage. Si Ting, without a doubt, was one of the best! ¡°Where in the world are all these perverts¡ª¡± Ka! Before Si Yang could finish, another crisp sound could be heard reverberating throughout the room! This made everyone perk up. Someone has unraveled the second formation again! They turned in unison and looked in the direction where the sound had come from. Once again, they were all taken aback because that sound actually came from the chessboard in front of Chu Liuyue! This actually happened right after Si Ting finished. Chu Liuyue was the second person to unravel the second Xuan formation. Even Dongfang Qing was shocked. His arms, which had been folded at his chest, lowered unconsciously as he quickly strode toward Chu Liuyue. Almost at the same time, the chess pieces on Chu Liuyue¡¯s chessboard flew up, split themselves into their respective colors, and landed in her box! Everyone had no more doubts about her after witnessing this scene. Chu Liuyue had indeed unraveled two Xuan formations in succession! Chu Liuyue dusted her hands and stood up while she moved her sore shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s finally over¡­¡± Si Ting could see the relief on her face. The look in his eyes softened. However, it disappeared in a flash like lightning before anyone noticed it. Si Yang stared at her, dumbfounded. Finally, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and cursed softly, ¡°Damn pervert!¡± Chu Liuyue gave him a look that made him shudder and cower. For some reason, he always felt an indescribable aura from Chu Liuyue that made others think twice about provoking her. In reality, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care. She turned around, looked at Gu Mingzhu, and said with a smile, ¡°Second Gu Missy, those two Xuan formations that you promised earlier are now mine, right?¡± Gu Mingzhu¡¯s face went pale. Those two formations were also rare treasures to the Gu family. She dared to use them as a wager because she was impulsive and certain that she would win against Chu Liuyue. What should I do now that I¡¯ve lost the wager? Must I really give them to Chu Liuyue? Gu Mingzhu¡¯s expression changed. Suddenly, she thought of something and glared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You unraveled the formation immediately after Si Ting. Is it possible for such a coincidence to occur in the world? Chu Liuyue, you must have cheated!¡± Chapter 107 - Murdering My Husband Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Cheating? Are you saying that I peeked at Si Ting¡¯s method, and that¡¯s why I can solve the Xuan formation? Gu Mingzhu, both Si Ting and I are right under Mr. Dongfang¡¯s nose. We can be clearly seen if we attempted to do anything. Are you suspecting that Mr. Dongfang is protecting me?¡± Dongfang Qing knitted his brows and looked at Gu Mingzhu. ¡°Gu Mingzhu, this isn¡¯t a place for you to play around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not playing!¡± Once Gu Mingzhu said that, she regretted it in her heart. Saying such things in front of Mr. Dongfang meant stirring up trouble for herself. However, she had already said it. What else could she do? She clenched her teeth decisively and hardened her heart. ¡°Mr. Dongfang, don¡¯t you find it weird? Why did Chu Liuyue solve it so soon after Si Ting? Isn¡¯t this too weird?¡± The spectators looked at each other and cast their doubts on the matter. Dongfang Qing was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Gu Mingzhu, this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve had lessons here. Don¡¯t you clearly know whether one can cheat and look at how the people around solve the Xuan formation?¡± The room fell into silence. This was true. Even though everybody sat beside each other, there was some distance between the seats, and one could not see the other party¡¯s situation that easily. The most important thing was that this chessboard was used to train one¡¯s abilities to solve Xuan formations. So, usually, only the person sitting right in front of the board could see it clearly. One would just see a blurred figure when viewing it from anywhere else. Although Chu Liuyue and Si Ting sat right beside each other, logically speaking, Chu Liuyue should not have seen anything from her seat. Si Yang broke into a smile and mocked, ¡°Gu Mingzhu, you¡¯re pretty near my brother¡¯s seat as well. You can also look up and see how he solved the formation. Why didn¡¯t you solve the second one? Hm?¡± Gu Mingzhu¡¯s face flushed red, and she could not say a word. ¡°Even though I don¡¯t want to admit it, this pervert is actually pretty talented. Did you think that Elder Sun and the rest could be so easily tricked?¡± Si Yang very clearly remembered how Elder Sun¡¯s attitude towards Chu Liuyue that day was filled with admiration. Initially, he could not believe it as well. However, he realized Chu Liuyue really wasn¡¯t an average person after that. He could not win against her, but he was willing to admit her excellence, unlike Gu Mingzhu. ¡°Gu Mingzhu, could it be that you can¡¯t afford to lose?¡± Gu Mingzhu glared at Si Yang harshly. ¡°Shut up!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled harmoniously. ¡°Second Gu Missy, you¡¯re so distinguished, so you¡¯re definitely not someone who will go back on their words. Previously, you talked about how the two scrolls of Xuan formations are clearly in front of everyone else. If you go back on your words, then it would be very shameless¡ª¡± ¡°Who are you calling shameless?¡± Gu Mingzhu could tell that Chu Liuyue was scolding her and instantly became anxious. Chu Liuyue blinked in shock. ¡°Second Gu Missy, what do you mean by that? Do you really not plan to carry out your end of the deal?¡± Gu Mingzhu was very indignant. Chu Liuyue has said everything. What else can I say? She could not help but look at Dongfang Qing and noticed his annoyed expression. She knew that if she continued making a ruckus, it would do no good for herself. ¡°It¡¯s just two scrolls of Xuan formations. I¡¯ll just give them to you.¡± She pressed her hands against the chessboard and forcefully curbed the anger in her heart as she thought of how she would explain to her family later on. If it were anything else, it would be easier to talk about it. However, if her family head knew that she lost them because of a bet¡­ ¡°Second Gu Missy, you¡¯re truly generous. Thank you so much.¡± Even though Chu Liuyue did not care for those Xuan formation drawings, she had no reason to reject them when the other party had offered them herself. After Chu Liuyue finished her sentence, she looked at Dongfang Qing. ¡°Mr. Dongfang, can I end my lesson now?¡± Dongfang Qing originally wanted to keep her behind and talk to her, but he didn¡¯t force her to stay after seeing that she looked like she wanted to leave a long time ago. He laughed. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Dongfang,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she briefly packed her items and walked out. Almost at the same time, Si Ting bade Dongfang Qing farewell and followed Chu Liuyue out. While looking at the duo¡¯s disappearing back views, Gu Mingzhu bit her lower lip and slammed the chessboard in frustration. B*tch! ¡­ ¡°If you walk out with me, you¡¯ll just get me into more trouble.¡± After walking out of the room, Chu Liuyue turned around to look at Si Ting, who was behind her. Si Ting knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Sorry for causing you trouble, but there¡¯s nothing between Gu Mingzhu and me.¡± He knew that Gu Mingzhu was interested in him, but they did not talk privately on normal days, so he did not know that Gu Mingzhu would purposely cause trouble for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue was obviously intelligent as she had already guessed the reason. For some reason, he was nervous because he was afraid that Chu Liuyue would misunderstand, but he seemingly had a strange expectation. ¡°That has nothing to do with me.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. It was normal for a young and handsome man like him to attract all sorts of love. Initially, she did not really care about it. It would not be good if it affected her. ¡°However, I hope nothing of this sort will happen in the future. So, let¡¯s not meet if there¡¯s nothing important.¡± Si Ting felt as if a whole bucket of cold water was poured over him when he heard the young girl¡¯s distant and polite tone. His lips moved as if he wanted to explain, but a thought flashed across his mind. What right did I have to explain? Chu Liuyue walked forward and gently said, ¡°But thanks for today.¡± Si Ting hesitated for a while and hurriedly went forward to block her path. ¡°I promise that this won¡¯t happen again, but I have a question that I hope you can answer.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded, indicating for him to ask his question. Si Ting paused for a while and stared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s dark and clear eyes. He enunciated every word carefully as he asked, ¡°You solved the second formation long before, right?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him with much interest and retorted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you as well?¡± Si Ting was suddenly stumped. He had always hidden it very well. Even Dongfang Qing did not discover it, but¡­ Chu Liuyue noticed it instantly. Chu Liuyue had long noticed that something was amiss with Si Ting. She finally noticed the problem when they came to class together today¡ªhe was also hiding his talent and abilities. Even though Chu Liuyue did not know the reason, she had no interest in probing. ¡°Then¡­ how long did you take?¡± Si Ting did not deny it and looked at Chu Liuyue with a more investigative gaze. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up, and she walked past him. ¡°I¡¯ve answered your question. I have nothing else to say about the rest.¡± Si Ting turned around but only saw the young girl¡¯s slim figure gradually disappear. ¡­ When she returned to her lodgings, the sky had already turned dark. The moment she walked in, she alertly stopped in her tracks and quickly brandished a dagger towards her behind. ¡°Who are you?¡± Her wrist was held by a lukewarm, strong hand. With a forceful pull, she easily fell into the person¡¯s arms. Chu Liuyue was shocked and turned her wrist as a silver light flashed across her eyes. At this time, a familiar cold fragrance attacked her nose, which made her stop in her tracks. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you trying to kill your husband?¡± The lazy voice sounded beside her ear. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw a handsome face that one could not get mad at. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Chapter 108 - Wait For You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue asked in shock, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s long arm held her thin and soft waist, bringing the two of them even closer. Chu Liuyue raised her brows and was about to take action. ¡°Wu¡­¡± Rong Xiu seemed not to notice that danger was lurking as his entire person leaned against Chu Liuyue and his chin gently rested on her forehead. He sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. The duo¡¯s close to hugging posture allowed Chu Liuyue to feel the warmth of Rong Xiu¡¯s body through the shirt. She could even hear his clear and powerful heartbeats. The warmth from the duo¡¯s contact started to spread, making her feel a little hot. She clenched her teeth. ¡°Rong Xiu, if you don¡¯t let go of me, I won¡¯t be nice to you!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s hand that was restricting her moved slowly, and he knocked Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingers lightly, causing the sharp knife to land in his hands. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to retaliate, but Rong Xiu was too strong, and she was not his match. She could only watch on as the other party took her things away. Rong Xiu looked down and saw the blade shining brightly; it was as sharp as ever. If this knife slashed me¡­ Pfft. ¡°Yue¡¯er, why do you always hide weapons on you? If you accidentally hurt me, won¡¯t your heart hurt to death?¡± Chu Liuyue turned speechless after listening to his shameless words. ¡°I just use it for self-defence, so I¡¯ll naturally kill whoever has ill intentions. I¡¯ll only act faster towards shameless people.¡± Rong Xiu laughed deeply, and Chu Liuyue could clearly feel his chest vibrating. Just when Chu Liuyue really could not take it any longer, Rong Xiu finally let go of her. At the same time, his fingers bent, and the flying blade immediately contorted, turning into useless metal. Chu Liuyue glared at him. However, her gaze was bright and very comfortable to Rong Xiu. He chuckled lightly and walked into the house while holding Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. ¡°This is of poor quality. I¡¯ll give you a good one tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue really did not know how to reply to him. She looked down and saw Rong Xiu holding her hand tightly, without any intention of letting her go. There was no use for her to struggle, so she decisively gave up on that idea. Logic was useless in front of this type of person, and she was no match for him in terms of violence, so it was useless for her to struggle. ¡°Your Highness, did you come to the wrong place? This is Tian Lu Academy. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate if you come in just like this?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly had a question in her heart when she thought of this. ¡°That¡¯s not right. The academy has tight security, and trespassers aren¡¯t allowed to enter at all. How did you come in?¡± Rong Xiu pulled her into the house and walked straight to the bed as he smiled lightly. ¡°I have my own ways of coming in.¡± Chu Liuyue seriously looked at him. There are barriers outside Tian Lu Academy, and countless strong talents are holding the fort inside. Logically speaking, they should definitely detect an outsider trespassing into the area. However, they clearly did not detect him. How exactly did Rong Xiu do it? Just when Chu Liuyue was thinking about this, Rong Xiu had already reached the bed. Chu Liuyue secretly gathered her strength and suddenly pushed him. Somehow, Rong Xiu seemed to have predicted this, so he turned around. Chu Liuyue¡¯s strength struck the air, and her entire person fell forward uncontrollably. Rong Xiu moved backward and conveniently fell onto the bed. The sound of impact between the body and the bed made one¡¯s teeth ache. Chu Liuyue landed straight on Rong Xiu¡¯s chest. Rong Xiu grunted but still held her tight, using his body to block the impact. Everything happened in just a moment. When Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, she noticed that she was in Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace. And he¡ª ¡°Yue¡¯er, I can be pushed easily. You don¡¯t have to use so much strength,¡± teased Rong Xiu. That bit of guilt in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart instantly vanished into thin air. She looked up at him. ¡°Who wanted to push you¡­¡± Before Chu Liuyue could finish her sentence, she saw Rong Xiu¡¯s slightly pale face and the faint dark green beneath his eyes from the moonlight that shone in through the window. She paused, and her brows knitted slightly. ¡°Your Highness, since when did you become so weak?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you really care about me.¡± Chu Liuyue glared at him angrily but felt that something was indeed wrong, judging by his appearance. ¡°I haven¡¯t slept in the past two days, so I am pretty tired.¡± ¡°Yet, you didn¡¯t forget to come over even when you¡¯re tired. Prince Li, you really have a lot of energy,¡± muttered Chu Liuyue, but she eliminated the idea of kicking Rong Xiu down from the bed. Rong Xiu looked at her, and his eyes sparkled. He laughed deeply. ¡°I can only sleep well in your place. What else can I do?¡± His voice was low, similar to the strumming of an instrument. He looked especially genuine under the brilliant moonlight. Chu Liuyue tightly pressed her lips against each other. She naturally did not believe his words, but she could not help hesitating when she saw Rong Xiu¡¯s appearance. After some time, she then said, ¡°Your Highness, you come and go as you please, and others can¡¯t say anything about it. Go ahead.¡± She was about to stand up. ¡°Really?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows and exerted some strength with his hands, trapping Chu Liuyue in his embrace. The both of them were very close to each other. When Rong Xiu talked, Chu Liuyue could even feel his warm breath by her ears. Rong Xiu shifted his gaze, and it traveled around her face, finally landing on her petal-like lips. His eyes were dark, and he slowly inched in closer. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt uncomfortable, and her entire person froze. Unexpectedly, Rong Xiu stopped and smiled. ¡°What are you¡­ waiting for?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and only recovered her senses afterward. She immediately stood up. ¡°Whose waiting for you?¡± Rong Xiu liked Chu Liuyue even more as he stared at the young girl with a pair of bright and fiery eyes in front of him. Her current appearance¡ªwhich was different from her usual calm and composed demeanor¡ªwas the most attractive one. He started to relax, and the feelings of lethargy kicked in. He laughed deeply and looked at Chu Liuyue before closing his eyes to rest. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief for some reason when she saw him close his eyes and hide his mesmerizing gaze. That earlier look made her heart beat a lot faster. ¡°Rong Xiu¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was about to say something else, but Rong Xiu breathed deeply as if he had already fallen asleep. Chu Liuyue swallowed her remaining words and looked at Rong Xiu for a while. This is weird. How can someone with such complicated thinking fall asleep in someone else¡¯s place so quickly? Is he really not worried that I¡¯ll do something bad to him? Rong Xiu is definitely someone that doesn¡¯t trust the people around him easily, but he never guards himself against me for some reason. Why exactly is that so¡­. Chu Liuyue looked at him for a while and turned around to leave. After walking out, she heard a faint mutter. ¡°¡­ Yue¡¯er¡­¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, and he had not woken up. He dreamt of me? What did he dream of? However, his tone is very warm and loving. Chu Liuyue inched in closer, but Rong Xiu did not say anything else. She waited for a while and finally stood up to leave. Perhaps¡­ I heard it wrongly. When Chu Liuyue left, the room fell into dead silence once again. Rong Xiu seemed to have a nightmare since he knitted his brows. After a long time, his lips moved slightly, and he let out a light mutter. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t go back¡­¡± Chapter 109 - Yuan Meridian Advancement Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Even though the house that the academy arranged for Chu Liuyue was not big, there were extra empty rooms. Chu Liuyue no longer got angry when Rong Xiu stole her bed once again; she had even faintly adjusted to it. She went to the neighboring room and closed the door. After listening intently, she was reassured when she did not notice any commotion in the other room. Since Rong Xiu could quietly enter Tian Lu Academy, he definitely would not be discovered so easily. She was not worried about this. Even though it was already late at night, Chu Liuyue did not go to sleep directly and meditated instead. She focused on her breathing and absorbed the Heaven and Earth Force. Invisible streaks of energy gradually entered her body and circulated throughout her limbs and bones before silently flowing towards the water droplet in her dantian. Ever since she created this special pearl of essence and formally stepped back onto the path of cultivation, Chu Liuyue had never relaxed for a day. She would insist on cultivating no matter how tired she was, not wasting any time. Even if nobody forced her, there would always be a voice in her heart that kept reminding her that she had many things to do. Being born again was an enormous work of destiny, so she had to strengthen herself. After some time, Chu Liuyue finally opened her eyes slowly and breathed out foul air. She could feel the aura in her body gradually strengthening day by day. After all, this body had a Dijing Yuan meridian, so she cultivated much quicker than an average person. However, this was not enough. In her previous life, she had a Tianjing Yuan meridian, and her talents were outstanding¡ªwhich were not something that a Dijing Yuan meridian could compare to. However, Chu Liuyue knew that she could not rush this. Her enemy¡¯s status was also much higher than her current self, so she could only work hard on strengthening herself. Si Yang previously said that the top scholars in the mid-term assessments have the chance to meet Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoys. Calculating the time, it should be soon¡­ Chu Liuyue finally completed a Xuan formation drawing in her mind and stopped cultivating. ¡­ The next day, Chu Liuyue woke up early in the morning. After arranging her items, she remembered the sleeping Rong Xiu in the neighboring room and went over to knock on the door. Nobody answered her. She pushed open the door and saw that the person had indeed disappeared. Chu Liuyue touched her forehead and was caught between laughter and tears. The high and mighty Prince Li really seems to treat my place as an inn. However, it would be a little troublesome if he was still here at this time. Chu Liuyue did not care about it and turned around to leave. ¡­ ¡°Hey, did you hear? Gu Mingzhu failed in her challenge with Chu Liuyue during the meditation class yesterday and lost two scrolls of fifth-level Xuan formation drawings!¡± ¡°Are you for real? Isn¡¯t Gu Mingzhu quite strong too? How did she lose to Chu Liuyue?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! This incident has spread all over the academy. Gu Mingzhu is talented, but don¡¯t you know that Chu Liuyue came in second in the mid-term assessments on her first day? However, she is pretty gutsy since she was so merciless, even with Gu Mingzhu¡¯s status¡­¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t even care about the Crown Prince, let alone the rest.¡± ¡°It seems like this Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t someone to be trifled with¡­¡± Chu Liuyue heard all this chatter when she came to Jiuyou Tower. Upon seeing her appear, these voices quickly disappeared, and everyone looked at her with uncomfortable gazes. Perhaps many people in the Xuan Master¡¯s side had not seen Chu Liuyue before, but she was pretty famous on the warrior¡¯s side. All the warriors were there when she battled against Chu Xianmin. Chu Liuyue did not care about all of these as she headed straight for Jiuyou Tower. ¡°Hold on!¡± A teasing voice sounded, and Chu Liuyue looked over. The person who blocked her was none other than Lu Feiyan. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Chu Liuyue lightly. Lu Feiyan¡¯s brows knitted tightly, and her shrill voice became even louder and harsher to the ears. ¡°Of course, I have something to tell you! Chu Liuyue, what are you doing here?¡± Chu Liuyue righteously said, ¡°Of course, I came here to cultivate.¡± ¡°This is warrior territory. Why has a Xuan Master like you come here?¡± Lu Feiyan had had enough of Chu Liuyue from the previous day and did not have a good night¡¯s sleep. The more she thought about it, the more indignant she felt. Just as she was thinking about how to handle her, Chu Liuyue offered herself up. Many warriors would back her up here, so she was not afraid of Chu Liuyue. When Chu Liuyue heard this, a ripple appeared in her calm eyes. She raised her brows and asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t I¡ªsomeone who took first place in the warrior assessment¡ªcome to warrior territory?¡± Lu Feiyan was dazed. She only then remembered that Chu Liuyue did indeed take first place in the warrior assessment, even though Chu Liuyue went to cultivate as a Xuan Master. She clearly had more rights than anyone else here. Lu Feiyan froze. ¡°My time is precious. If you continue to block my way, I won¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Chu Liuyue was calm, and her tone was cold as if she was talking about something unimportant. However, this particular look of hers made Lu Feiyan even more fearful for some reason. She almost instinctively moved a step backward, but she became increasingly indignant with so many people watching her. When Chu Liuyue walked past her, she could not help but curse. ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of? You¡¯re just a dog without a home.¡± What can Chu Liuyue, someone without a family to depend on, do? Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue did not stop in her tracks but smiled slightly. It was not the first time she heard such a thing, but she did not care at all. To the public, the Chu family had a lot of businesses and was a stable support. However, they were just a dirty cage to Chu Ning and her. The earlier they left the family, the earlier she would be happy. As for people who did not know how to talk, such as Lu Feiyan¡­ She would handle them another day. Lu Feiyan even thought that Chu Liuyue was scared of her as she ignored Lu Feiyan, so Lu Feiyan became even more confident and turned to the people behind her. Lu Feiyan said, ¡°Did you see? Chu Liuyue is just glorious on the outside. She¡¯s going to have a tough life ahead after offending the Chu family and the Crown Prince.¡± However, her sentence did not garner the agreement she expected. The few girls looked at each other awkwardly and hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°Yan¡¯er, I heard that the Chu family¡¯s situation isn¡¯t very good. They say that the Crown Prince will become in-laws with the Chu family soon, but Minmin is only a concubine¡­¡± In the past, everyone thought that Chu Xianmin would definitely be the Crown Princess, so they thought highly of the Chu family. However, everything was different now. Chu Xianmin did marry the Crown Prince, but her status was akin to slapping the Chu family. It was just adding salt to the Chu family¡¯s wounds. However, Chu Liuyue had a smooth road ahead of her after leaving the Chu family. Lu Feiyan¡¯s gaze suddenly changed as she purposely sighed, looking sorrowful ¡°Minmin is already disfigured. Of course, the position of Crown Princess will be left for someone else¡­ When will the ceremony be held? Let¡¯s go and show her some support.¡± She would not miss any rare chances of seeing the Crown Prince. ¡­ On the other hand, Chu Liuyue had already arrived at the bottom of Jiuyou Tower. An elder wearing a white robe sat in front of the door and was pretending to be asleep. Every student had to pause in front of the elder before they went in. Chu Liuyue saw that the students took off their nameplates from their left chest and placed it on the square piece of black jade in front of the elder before picking it up again. When she walked in closer, she could see that a few lines of words would appear on the jade after a nameplate was placed on it. It was her turn soon. When she placed her nameplate on the piece of jade, the elder suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°Are you Chu Liuyue¡ªthe girl who came in first during the mid-term assessment? He pouted. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you registered your Yuan meridian level?¡± Chapter 110 - Awakening Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue paused in her movements. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this.¡± The elder laughed and waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s normal that you haven¡¯t registered. When new students come in every year, they¡¯ll go for a mass test and be registered in the booklet. It¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t have it because your situation is special. Just find some time to take the test later on.¡± Chu Liuyue then remembered that, when the people in front of her placed their nameplates on the black jade, it would show their names and their Yuan meridian and cultivation levels. However, the stone only showed her name after she placed her nameplate on it. No, there was still a number after it¡ª19. Chu Liuyue curiously looked at the number behind her name. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°This is the amount of time you can spend cultivating in Jiuyou Tower. According to the mid-term assessment results, every student will be allocated different cultivation durations. Since you took second place in the Xuan Master assessment and first place in the warrior assessment, your total cultivation duration is 38 hours.¡± The elder was very patient and explained everything to Chu Liuyue. When he finished his explanation, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel quite a few people turn to look at her. Their gazes were filled with envy, unlike the previous curiosity and fear. Envy? Is it because of these 38 hours? Chu Liuyue knew that one had to meet conditions to cultivate in Jiuyou Tower, but it seemed like it was much harder than what she imagined. With her results, she only had 38 hours. It was easy for her to guess how many hours other people had. ¡°Teacher, can I freely allocate these 38 hours?¡± The elder smiled a little cunningly. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Even though you have many allocated hours, there¡¯s a limit to how long you can spend cultivating inside every day.¡± Xuan Masters and heavenly doctors did not really care about cultivating in this area, so they rarely came to Jiuyou Tower to absorb the Heaven and Earth Force. Warriors were the ones who came the most. After all, Jiuyou Tower¡¯s Heaven and Earth Force was much denser than outside. One¡¯s cultivation speed would greatly increase if they could enter the tower and cultivate. This was an enormous attraction to any warrior. ¡°The cultivation duration is naturally allocated according to the warrior¡¯s stage. Stage-one warriors can train for up to two hours in Jiuyou Tower a day. Stage-two warriors can train for four hours, and so on and so forth.¡± The elder¡¯s eyes shone with excitement and curiosity as he stared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I heard you beat Chu Xianmin previously, so you should be a stage-three warrior at least, right?¡± When Chu Liuyue heard him talk about the warrior stages, she knew that something bad was about to happen. She was not weak, but who would have guessed that she had just become a stage-one warrior? No matter how hard she worked, an extra line would not be added to her pearl of essence. Chu Liuyue could not do anything about it. She could only helplessly and shamelessly say, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ a stage-one warrior.¡± ¡­ The Chu family estate. ¡°First Elder, do you mean that you¡¯re not giving Minmin a dowry?¡± Even though Chu Yan and Lu Yao were not satisfied with their daughter marrying the Crown Prince as a concubine, they did not have any other choice now and could only agree. Three days were too much of a rush, so they could only prepare a bigger dowry to make them look good. It would also allow Chu Xianmin to live an easier life after she married Rong Jin. However, they did not expect to be stopped by First Elder. First Elder was expressionless. ¡°The family doesn¡¯t have much income these few years, and the two of you know this the best. Now that the ceremony date has been settled so abruptly, we don¡¯t even have time to prepare such a big dowry.¡± Chu Yan suppressed his anger. ¡°Minmin is going to marry the Crown Prince, and she represents our Chu family. If Minmin gets belittled, our Chu family¡¯s reputation will also be tarnished.¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not bad that she¡¯s marrying the Crown Prince, but she¡¯s only going to be a concubine.¡± First Elder forcefully placed the teacup in his hand down and looked at the duo with a darkened face. ¡°If her dowry is too extravagant now, what will she do when the Crown Prince marries a Secondary Consort and a Royal Consort? Rather than showing our affluence temporarily, we should just be low-key and avoid getting into more trouble.¡± His words stumped Chu Yan and his wife, but the anger in their hearts rose even more. Even though the Chu family could not be compared to the past, they still had enough money to afford this. Besides, Chu Xianmin was the first wife¡¯s daughter, and the Chu family had long been preparing gifts secretly ever since she got close to the Crown Prince. First Elder only said he did not have the gifts because Chu Xianmin had lost the Crown Princess position. Thus, he purposely became mean to her and wanted to save his money. How could Chu Yan and his wife agree to this? ¡°First Elder, even though Minmin is not marrying the Crown Prince as his legitimate wife, it¡¯s hard to tell the future. If you insist¡ª¡± ¡°Who can accurately predict the future?¡± When First Elder heard Chu Yan¡¯s words, he interrupted Chu Yan. However, he was slightly convinced, so he said, ¡°But seeing that you two only have one daughter, the Chu family will fork out 32 gifts to be her dowry.¡± Lu Yao sneered in her heart. He is just brushing us off with this slight amount of money! It¡¯s too shameless if the strong Chu family only forks out 32 gifts to be Minmin¡¯s dowry! First Elder seemed to have read her mind as he calmly added, ¡°Lu Yao, you¡¯ve been in charge of the household for many years. I bet you¡¯ve already prepared some gifts for Minmin. It¡¯s already very nice for the family to give so much. What do you think?¡± First Elder is essentially threatening me about me pocketing the money. Lu Yao clenched her teeth. However, she really did not dare to cause much trouble as her reputation would be ruined if word got out. She was also very indignant. Yes, I did take money, but clothes and food both need money. The three of them were too used to living luxurious lives and only loved the best of everything. Thus, they did not have much savings. The most important thing was that Chu Xianmin had spent more than 100,000 silver taels in Zhen Bao Pavilion the previous month. Lu Yao was planning to ask her marital home for money after Chu Xianmin claimed first place in the academy¡¯s assessment and earned the Crown Prince¡¯s liking. Who would have expected Chu Liuyue to appear out of nowhere and disrupt her plans? The Lu family was now mocking her openly and secretly. Why would they give her another cent? Zhen Bao Pavilion had also chased her very tightly. She definitely did not dare to offend them, so she could only use her own money. She no longer had money to prepare a dowry for Chu Xianmin. However, judging by First Elder¡¯s look, it was clear that he would not change his mind. Saying anything else would only humiliate her. Lu Yao stood up and glanced at Chu Yan¡ªwho wanted to say something else¡ªbefore the two of them left with many grievances. ¡­ Tian Lu Academy, Jiuyou Tower. Chu Liuyue ignored all the gazes around her and pinned the nameplate on her left chest again. She calmed herself down and looked up. Jiuyou Tower was a majestic tower with nine levels and was made of black cast iron. When viewed from the bottom to the top, the tower looked like a sharp knife going straight for the clouds, as if it would tear the sky into pieces at any moment. Every level had eight corners that curled up. A bell hung from each corner. When the wind blew, one could hear crisp bell rings nearby. The person in front of Chu Liuyue had already entered the tower through the dark-green copper door. The door was rectangular and had a weird drawing etched on it. It seemed to be an eagle. The eagle looked down slightly, and its eyes were tightly shut. Its pair of enormous wings were folded in front of it, making it look especially stern while enveloped by a fiery and crazy aura. For some reason, Chu Liuyue took one look at it and felt its ferocious aura. She suppressed her strange feelings and stretched her hands out to push the door. At this moment, the eagle suddenly opened its tightly shut eyes. Bloody! Violent! Terrifying! Harsh, cold intent went straight for Chu Liuyue. Chapter 111 - Ferocious Beast! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next moment, the palm that she placed on the door seemed to attract all sorts of fire as it burned crazily. Almost immediately, the fire seemed to extend from her palm to the rest of her body. The fiery, boiling heat surrounded her. It was as though every inch of her body was scorching because of the burning fire. It was as if something had wrapped around her organs tightly, hurting the depths of her heart. Chu Liuyue was shocked and angry. This fire is killing me. She wanted to move backward, but she discovered that she could not move at all. Her entire person was controlled by something else. The fire rapidly burned her limbs and bones, heading straight for her dantian. The harsh and petrifying murderous intent made Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair stand on end. The dantian was the most important thing to a cultivator. Once it was spoiled, one would never be able to cultivate again. This fire was actually going straight for her dantian. When the strong force was about to strike her dantian, the water droplet¡ªwhich had always been quietly floating in Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian¡ªsuddenly started spinning rapidly. Hong! An invisible pressure burst out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and went straight out. Chu Liuyue could even clearly feel the two forces intensely clashing as the terrifying strength spread around her body. At this moment, Chu Liuyue felt as if her entire body had been invaded by molten lava. Every single inch of her body hurt. The lucky thing was that the energy exuded by the water droplet was very powerful. It had almost overwhelmed and killed off the energy that wanted to kill Chu Liuyue. The horrifying pain then gradually dissipated. However, Chu Liuyue did not dare to relax as she stared at the etching on the door. The eagle¡¯s eyes were actually closed as if everything that happened just now was just an illusion. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly. No. That definitely wasn¡¯t an illusion! Without the water droplet¡¯s power, I would¡¯ve died. She had never expected her to walk on the edge of life, even before she entered Jiuyou Tower. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡± asked the elder curiously when he saw Chu Liuyue stand in front of the door and did not move. Chu Liuyue turned back. The elder and the surrounding people seemed not to have noticed what just happened the moment before. A thought flashed across her mind, and she shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡± Then, she no longer stopped in her tracks and walked in. ¡­ Jiuyou Tower had nine levels in total and many different rooms. It was very spacious inside. The people who walked in had already familiarly walked towards the rooms they liked to start cultivating. A spiral staircase was situated in the middle of the building, and it was clearly connected to the higher floors. Some people did not stop at the first floor and went straight up. The higher the floor, the denser the Heaven and Earth Force in Jiuyou Tower. However, every floor was separated by a boundary. Anyone who wanted to enter the higher floors to cultivate had to make it past the boundary. This would then be based on one¡¯s capabilities. Normally, students with lower cultivations could only practice on the first floor. Chu Liuyue did not eagerly choose which room to cultivate in, but she stood still and lowered her head to look at her palm. The scorching burn mark could still be clearly seen. She had previously placed this hand on that door. That petrifying fire had also entered her body through her palm. That burn mark was the best evidence for whatever had just happened. But why did it happen¡­? All the other students clearly had no issues entering Jiuyou Tower, so why did such a situation happen to me? Why did the eagle suddenly open its eyes and direct such murderous intent towards me? Perhaps¡­ the murderous intent wasn¡¯t directed at me, but the water droplet in my dantian. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly, but she had no answers. ¡°Chu Liuyue, have you not picked a room?¡± A voice suddenly sounded from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw an unfamiliar young girl¡¯s face. The girl was quite pretty, and her pair of almond-like eyes were very cute. She raised her hand and pointed at the side. ¡°Actually, the rooms on the first floor are the same. You can just choose any one of them and go in to cultivate. However, those with names on the door means that there¡¯s someone inside. Therefore, you can just choose the ones without anyone inside.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± That young girl smiled and revealed her teeth. ¡°What¡¯s there to thank? I¡¯m Mu Hongyu. You can just call me Hongyu.¡± It turns out that this girl is an extrovert and makes friends easily. Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. Chu Liuyue liked her personality, but she did not know the girl, so why did the girl seem so enthusiastic? ¡°Okay. You can call me Liuyue then.¡± Mu Hongyu curiously sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°You¡¯re really different from the rumors.¡± Without needing to ask Mu Hongyu what the ¡®rumors¡¯ said about her, Chu Liuyue could already guess. She also did not have any interest in asking. ¡°Everyone is avoiding me, so why did you take the initiative to help me?¡± Mu Hongyu grunted. ¡°You taught Chu Xianmin a lesson, so I¡¯ll naturally stand at your side. An enemy¡¯s enemy is a friend.¡± Chu Liuyue felt amused. It seems like this lady purposely helped me because she had grudges against Chu Xianmin. However, I do agree with whatever Mu Hongyu said. ¡°I can¡¯t talk to you anymore. I need to go up and cultivate.¡± After Mu Hongyu finished her sentence, she decisively turned around and went upstairs. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to head upstairs as well. However, upon thinking about what had happened earlier, she hesitated and chose to cultivate on the first floor instead. Chu Liuyue generally surveyed her surroundings and discovered that the layout of every room was the same. Eventually, she chose a room in an isolated corner. After closing the door and hiding away from everyone¡¯s gazes, Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged on the stone in the room. She was not in a rush to cultivate. Instead, she looked at the burn mark on her palm. Just looking at it made her feel pain. Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. Jiuyou Tower is the most important place in Tian Lu Academy. It is also the academy¡¯s foundation. If there were any movements in it, the academy teachers definitely wouldn¡¯t sit around and do nothing. However, that elder was so near to me, but it seemed like he did not detect anything. Chu Liuyue did not dare guarantee that nobody else knew about this. However, the most important thing now was to find out why Jiuyou Tower would target her, or perhaps, target the water droplet in her body. ¡°Where did you come from? Why did you attract so much trouble?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in her heart. However, the water droplet remained motionless. ¡°Today is my first time coming here. Luckily, I was only shocked and not hurt. However, this won¡¯t happen again if I come here in the future, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°If this happens every day, I can¡¯t come to Jiuyou Tower anymore.¡± It¡¯s so troublesome! This time, the water droplet vibrated lightly and finally made a line of words appear. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of a mere evil beast?¡± Evil beast? Chu Liuyue was stunned as a cold feeling rose from the bottom of her foot. ¡°You mean that Jiuyou Tower has fiends? How can that be possible?¡± Chapter 112 - A Big Gift Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Pit of Heavenly Origins was located beneath Jiuyou Tower. This was precisely why the Heaven and Earth Force within the tower was exceptionally abundant. For a cultivator, Jiuyou Tower was the most desirable place because it quickened one¡¯s cultivation speed. However, it was the exact opposite for a fiend. The Pit of Heavenly Origins was a natural vault for force. It contained an extremely dense amount of Heaven and Earth Force, but it was also mixed with many impurities. Inhaling an excess amount would harm the cultivator¡¯s body, damaging their Yuan meridian in mild cases. For the more severe cases, it could be life-threatening. A cultivator could discharge these impurities in their bodies through various means, but fiends couldn¡¯t. Besides, most fiends were cruel and fierce by nature. The Pit of Heavenly Origins had a great impact on them. If they stayed too long, they might lose their minds and eventually go berserk or even self-implode and die. Jiuyou Tower is built above the Pit of Heavenly Origins. How is it possible to keep a fiend here? The words on the water droplet quickly dissipated without further explanation. Chu Liuyue frowned. It was a ridiculous statement, but she believed it for some reason. Earlier, when that eagle opened its eyes, it had the scent of a fiend! I am absolutely sure of it. Why¡­ would the academy do this? It is a great lurking danger for both the fiend and the students training in the tower! As the director of the academy, does Master know about this? ¡­ Prince Li Mansion¡­ The prince had disappeared for the night. Upon seeing his master return, Yu Mo greeted him in a hurry. ¡°Master, you¡¯re back.¡± Rong Xiu nodded, looking well-rested. Yu Mo was surprised when he saw the hidden smile on his master¡¯s lips. As long as he stays with that person for a while, Master¡¯s mood will always be good. I¡¯m immensely impressed! ¡°Master, it looks like you¡¯ve had a good night¡¯s rest.¡± Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°Was the house still lively yesterday?¡± Yu Mo bowed. ¡°Yes. They sent another group of men. However, we caught them when they were about to break into your bedroom.¡± ¡°Are they also doomed warriors?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. Just like the ones who came two days ago, these men were willing to sacrifice themselves. When their break-in attempt failed, they consumed poison and killed themselves. All but one died. We have locked him up. Yan Qing interrogated him all night and used many different methods. Finally, he gave up and talked.¡± Rong Xiu stopped walking. ¡°Oh?¡± Yu Mo whispered, ¡°The Crown Prince sent them.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s still the same old trick after all these years. He may not be tired, but I¡¯m sick of it.¡± Yu Mo asked hesitantly, ¡°Master, do you think this man¡­¡± ¡°Is Third Brother still in the Imperial City?¡± Rong Xiu asked abruptly. ¡°Yes. His Majesty said it¡¯s been tough on His Highness, the Third Prince, who has been fighting at the border for many years. Now that there is no war and the Third Prince is of marriageable age, His Majesty¡­ wants him to remain in the Imperial City.¡± Rong Xiu chuckled. Rong Jiu¡¯s reputation was on the crest of a wave from his outstanding achievements in the Northwest Army. Would his father feel at ease to let him go back? The safest option was to keep him in the Imperial City. ¡°I have been back for some time now, but I have yet to pay a visit to Third Brother. Tell Yan Qing to bring a few men with him. I¡¯m sending my brother a big gift.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Rong Jiu joined the army when he was young and was away for many years. In the past, he always stayed in the palace for a few days before leaving. However, this time, Emperor Jiawen said he was too old to stay in the palace anymore. As such, he specially arranged a residence for the prince outside the palace. The size of his residence was similar to Rong Xiu¡¯s Prince Li Mansion. Even so, the emperor¡¯s decree to bestow him a title never came. Initially, Rong Jiu had held out some hope. He waited day after day. However, Emperor Jiawen refused to let him leave each time. Deep down, Rong Jiu understood his intentions. A title bestowment was a small matter. However, keeping him trapped in the Imperial City was not! The Northwest Army had been asking him to return, but Rong Jiu knew in his heart that it would be difficult this time. Once he figured this out, he calmed down and continued to stay in the Imperial City as though he hadn¡¯t noticed the emperor¡¯s fears at all. Rong Jiu and Rong Feng were sparring in the backyard. The glint from their blades resembled lightning during their friendly exchange! Rong Feng was quite gifted, and he had been cultivating diligently with his master in the palace. Although he was only 15 years old, he was already a stage three warrior. Nevertheless, he was still a bit young when compared to the experienced Rong Jiu. After ten rounds, Rong Jiu found the right moment. He thrust his spear and disarmed Rong Feng easily, causing the latter¡¯s sword to fly out of his hand. Rong Feng watched his sword fall and smiled bitterly. ¡°Third Brother, can¡¯t you give in to me? It¡¯s so boring every time!¡± Rong Jiu waved his spear around with ease. ¡°Who would give in to you on the battlefield?¡± Speechless, Rong Feng shrugged his shoulders and gave him a smug smile. ¡°I know you mean well! Those people in the palace are always worried about hurting me. It¡¯s no fun at all!¡± The corners of Rong Jiu¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to Tian Lu Academy? The teachers there don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going when the Crown Prince is there!¡± Rong Feng rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been compared to him since I was a kid. I¡¯m sick of it.¡± Rong Jiu simply stared at him. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been hiding your strength from everyone, pretending that you¡¯re inferior to him?¡± ¡°Who dares to be better than the Crown Prince? Wouldn¡¯t that be asking for trouble? It¡¯s not like I have nothing better to do!¡± Rong Feng threw himself onto the wooden rattan chair at the side. ¡°Look at Seventh Brother. He hasn¡¯t been back to the Imperial City for ten years, and he got himself into trouble just because Father bestowed a title on him. Third Brother, I think you being here is a thorn in his eye!¡± Rong Jiu was about to say more, but he saw his trusted aide approaching quickly. ¡°Your Highness, someone from Prince Li Mansion is here. He said His Highness, Prince Li, has a gift for you. It¡¯s been placed outside the door.¡± ¡°Gift? Bring it in.¡± Rong Feng was right behind him, looking all curious. ¡°Ah? Third Brother, what gift did Seventh Brother send you? Isn¡¯t your birthday still early yet?¡± Rong Jiu didn¡¯t speak, but he was thinking to himself. Soon, a wooden box was carried in. Rong Jiu narrowed his eyes. He stretched his arm out, turned his wrist, and thrust the spear at the box. It opened! His face was hit by a strong scent of blood! A man covered in bruises and blood was lying in the box! His body was twisted into a bizarre position and stuffed into the box. The sight sent chills down one¡¯s spine just by looking at him! Rong Feng exclaimed. Almost immediately, he turned pale and started to retch. He had never seen anything like this before. Rong Jiu looked at the box with furrowing brows. ¡°T-Third Brother! Is this a d-dead man?¡± Rong Feng struggled to speak. ¡°Why did Seventh Brother send you this?¡± Someone beside them reminded, ¡°Your Highness, this man is still alive. He just lost a lot of blood and passed out.¡± Rong Jiu stepped forward. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t go!¡± Rong Jiu thrust his spear, and an object flew out from the box. It was a small seal. Rong Jiu picked it up and studied it. His expression then changed. After a moment¡¯s thought, he said, ¡°Lock this man up and keep him alive. He must not die!¡± With that, he turned and walked away. Rong Feng hurried and followed him. ¡°Brother, where are you going?¡± Rong Jiu didn¡¯t look back. Since Rong Xiu had sent him such a big gift, he obviously had to accept it. Chapter 113 - Urgent Summon Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Three days flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was Chu Xianmin¡¯s wedding day. With the exception of her own residence, the rest of the Chu family did not have any decorations to commemorate the festive occasion. In the past, whenever there was a wedding ceremony in the house, the servants were always eager to rush to work. On the one hand, they wanted to leave a good impression on the master. On the other hand, they wanted to earn more money. However, Chu Xianmin¡¯s courtyard was deserted. Only those who usually worked here were busy. If it wasn¡¯t inevitable, they wouldn¡¯t want to be here either. The news had spread throughout the whole household¡ªthis time, Chu Xianmin was getting married to the Crown Prince as a concubine. It was really humiliating! For this reason, First Elder didn¡¯t even prepare a dowry for her. This was proof that this marriage wasn¡¯t a joyous occasion. A few servants whispered as they were packing Chu Xianmin¡¯s belongings. ¡°I thought Third Missy would become the Crown Princess when she married the Crown Prince. Who would have expected her to be his concubine! How will this look on the Chu family?¡± ¡°Exactly! Life in the Chu family hasn¡¯t been easy for the past few years, and now the trueborn lady is marrying to be someone¡¯s concubine. What a joke! Third Missy used to be so glamorous, but now she¡¯s the whole city¡¯s laughingstock!¡± ¡°Who can she blame? She¡¯s disfigured, and she can¡¯t go anywhere without wearing a veil. Besides, her reputation was ruined long ago. Even if she wanted to, nobody would want to marry her! She has nowhere to go other than Crown Prince Mansion.¡± ¡°Shush! She¡¯s coming out!¡± The door opened, and Chu Xianmin came out¡ªhelped by one of the ladies. All the servants in the courtyard shut up immediately, but their eyes constantly scrutinized Chu Xianmin. She wore a red wedding dress with a veil covering her face. However, she didn¡¯t wear a phoenix coronet on her head. Instead, there was only a jade hairpin with gold trimmings in her hair. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to dress up for the occasion. It was due to a rule. The phoenix coronet and the scarf over the bride¡¯s ceremonial robe were reserved for first wives. She was marrying the prince as his concubine. As such, everything about her wedding must be kept simple. The courtyard was deserted when Chu Xianmin walked out of her room. Except for her usual servants, no one came to congratulate her! Well, it¡¯s better this way. They would just come and mock me anyway. Chu Xianmin gritted her teeth, and her nails dug deep into her palms. Only then did she manage to suppress the anger and grievances inside her. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet. I don¡¯t hear any gongs or drums. The Crown Prince isn¡¯t here yet?¡± Chu Xianmin asked, holding back her anger. Those people at Crown Prince Mansion are too much! In the past, they would suck up to me. However, they are neglecting me on my wedding day just because I¡¯m in dire straits! The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. Lu Yao, who stood beside her, looked stiff. She had forgotten to tell Minmin that the Crown Prince need not be here to receive her in person. Someone approached them quickly at this moment. ¡°Aren¡¯t you packed already? Why aren¡¯t we leaving? The palanquin is waiting outside. Third Missy, please hurry!¡± Chu Xianmin thought the man looked familiar. He was only an ordinary guard who used to bow and nod to her. However, he dared to speak to her in such a disrespectful manner now! This wasn¡¯t it. The most important thing¡­ ¡°W-what do you mean? His Highness isn¡¯t coming?¡± Chu Xianmin stared at him. Lu Yao pulled her aside and whispered, ¡°Minmin, according to the rules, this is correct¡­ Chu Xianmin finally came to her senses. The Crown Prince isn¡¯t even here to receive me on my so-called ¡®wedding day.¡¯ Instead, he simply sent a random person over! That guard broke into a sarcastic smile. ¡°Third Missy, His Highness is a very busy man. He doesn¡¯t have the time for such trivial matters.¡± Trivial matter? This is the most important thing in a woman¡¯s life. He actually said this is a trivial matter! Chu Xianmin had imagined marrying into Crown Prince Mansion countless times. It should have been a grand event with a flurry of flowers, not as crude and disgusting as it was! It was at this moment that she came to her senses and realized she was a concubine! Chu Xianmin didn¡¯t know how she had endured the waves of emotions inside her or how she had gotten into the palanquin outside the gate. She only came to her senses when she finally arrived at Crown Prince Mansion. She lifted the side curtain to look out. The gates to Crown Prince Mansion were shut. It didn¡¯t look like a wedding was going on at all. Yes. She could only enter via the side entrance. A strong sense of humiliation welled up inside her! Chu Xianmin had been the most beautiful girl since the day she was born. She had been the envy of everyone for so many years, but she had never been so lowly! Her hatred for Chu Liuyue increased. A servant led her to a courtyard at the back of Crown Prince Mansion. ¡°Ting Feng Court will be your residence from now on. His Highness is occupied with other matters for the day and won¡¯t be able to come. You can wait for him here.¡± With that, the man, who showed her around, left. Chu Xianmin glanced at her surroundings. A few girls and a pageboy were outside, presumably sent to wait on her. She felt suffocated and couldn¡¯t care less about them. There was only one way left for her. No matter what, she had to win the Crown Prince¡¯s favor! ¡­ Chu Xianmin waited for the whole day. It wasn¡¯t until nightfall that the courtyard suddenly became lively. ¡°His Highness, The Crown Prince!¡± Chu Xianmin got up in a hurry upon hearing this. Rong Jin had already opened the door and entered. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re finally here.¡± After the previous incident, Rong Jin had been displeased with Chu Xianmin. If his father hadn¡¯t pressured him into marrying her, he didn¡¯t even want to see her at all. As such, he had kept himself occupied during the day and delayed coming here until nightfall. The second he walked through the door, he saw a familiar silhouette. Chu Xianmin looked pretty in her red wedding dress as she stood waiting. The warm and dim candlelight in the room cast a hazy glow around her, giving her a rare charm. Although she wasn¡¯t dressed to the nines, the cutting of her wedding dress enhanced the curves of her slender and exquisite figure, making her waist look wholesome. Rong Jin examined her with narrowed eyes. Other things aside, Chu Xianmin was indeed beautiful. The red veil hid her face, only revealing a pair of timid eyes that was particularly attractive. Rong Jin approached her. His voice sounded gentler. ¡°There¡¯s too much going on today, so I haven¡¯t been able to get away. That¡¯s why I¡¯m late. Minmin, you won¡¯t blame me, will you?¡± ¡°How could I? Your Highness remembers me even though you have more important things to deal with. I am already very happy, ¡± Chu Xianmin said with a smile. However, tears filled her eyes, making her look extremely pitiful. It pained Rong Jin to see her like this. He reached out and caressed her shoulder. Then, he suddenly moved and pulled her veil away. ¡°Minmin¡­¡± Chu Xianmin never expected him to be so direct. She had a bad feeling, and she tried to stop him immediately. Alas, it was already too late. Rong Jin had already seen the horrible, red scar along her cheek! ¡°Y-You¡­ Your face¡­¡± He backed away quickly as though he had seen something terrifying. The moment of intimacy from earlier had vanished! Chu Xianmin felt like he had slapped her across her cheek. She pulled her veil back in place in a panic. When she was about to defend herself, she heard Song Yuan¡¯s urgent voice coming from outside. ¡°Your Highness! There¡¯s been an urgent summon from His Majesty!¡± Chapter 114 - Fiend Tidal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Jin was instantly relieved when he heard this. ¡°Y-You can go to bed first! I¡¯ll come back and see you another time!¡± Instead of waiting for Chu Xianmin to respond, he turned and strode out of the room. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± In her panic, Chu Xianmin tried to catch up with him to explain. However, Rong Jin turned back abruptly and said with a frown, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s better if you stay at home as much as possible instead of going out unnecessarily. You can still go to the academy, but your face¡­ It would be good if you wear your veil!¡± After saying that, he left in a hurry as if some beasts were chasing him. He felt his stomach churn whenever he thought of that horrifying face! It¡¯s disgusting! It is a wonder I even thought she was beautiful just a few minutes ago! Rong Jin vanished like the wind, leaving Chu Xianmin alone in the room. She stood there in a daze for a long time before erupting into a laugh filled with hostility and resentment! ¡­ Rong Jin strode out of Ting Feng Court as he asked Song Yuan, ¡°What happened to make Father summon me so urgently at this hour?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either, Your Highness. Eunuch Min came personally. It looks serious.¡± True enough, Rong Jin looked up and saw Eunuch Min. He became more confused. What could have happened that Eunuch Min personally had to come this late at night? Eunuch Min was pacing anxiously while he waited. He promptly stepped forward when he saw Rong Jin from afar. ¡°Oh gosh, Your Highness. You¡¯ve come out! We have to hurry. His Majesty is expecting you!¡± Rong Jin frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, Eunuch Min? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I have no idea either, Your Highness! This afternoon, the Third Prince came into the palace to see His Majesty. They talked for a long time in the Imperial Study. After he left, His Majesty ordered you to come and see him as soon as possible!¡± Eunuch Min put his hand against his chest and hesitated. ¡°Erm¡­ Your Highness, there¡¯s something you should know. His Majesty is fuming at the moment. You should be careful when you arrive¡­¡± Angry? Rong Jin frowned even more. Did Rong Jiu have anything to do with this? I have had no dealings with Rong Jiu all this time, so why would he be involved? ¡°Thank you, Eunuch Min.¡± Rong Jin asked no more and went with the eunuch. ¡­ It was an extremely hot summer night. Rong Jin was covered in sweat by the time he rushed to the Imperial Study. When he entered, he felt despair once he saw his father¡¯s icy glare. ¡°Father¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen suddenly picked up the inkstone from the table and hurled it at Rong Jin! Rong Jin dared not dodge. He took the blow and suffered a wound on his forehead. Blood began to flow like a river! He knew the situation was against him and immediately fell on his knees. ¡°Father, if you want to teach me a lesson, I¡¯ll gladly accept it. However, can you tell me why¡­¡± ¡°You know very well what you¡¯ve done!¡± Emperor Jiawen was livid as he interrupted the Crown Prince. This was the first time Rong Jin had seen his father like this. His heart continued to sink. What¡­ the hell is going on? ¡°Rong Jin, you are already the Crown Prince! Is there a need for you to make a move against your own brother? Is his presence that intolerable for you?¡± Emperor Jiawen rebuked angrily. Rong Jin came to his senses. He was terrified. Does Father know that I sent someone to spy on Rong Xiu? ¡°I know that Rong Jiu has made a lot of military achievements and that he can fight with you in court to a certain extent, so you dislike him. However, he¡¯s your younger brother after all. You¡¯re also the Crown Prince already, so how can you be so petty?¡± Rong Jin was dazed. Rong Jiu? That¡¯s not right! I clearly sent people to¡­ ¡°Father, kindly investigate. I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°How dare you deny it? Your man has already been detained by Rong Jiu!¡± Rong Jin¡¯s remaining words got stuck in his throat, and he could not say anything else. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him being in the military for so many years and was alert enough, he might have already died!¡± Emperor Jiawen took in a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯ve greatly disappointed me!¡± As if struck by lightning, Rong Jin¡¯s heart felt like the stormy sea. That¡¯s not right! My man went to investigate Rong Xiu, and I did not do anything to Rong Jiu. There must be a problem here! I am indeed fearful of Rong Jiu, but I did not do anything to him. He very clearly knew that Rong Jiu had a lot of achievements and that his father had already noticed this; it was the very reason why his father made Rong Jiu stay in the Imperial City for so long. Emperor Jiawen wanted to strip Rong Jiu of his control over the Northwest Army. He could just sit this one out and reap the spoils later, so why would he cause trouble for nothing? Could it be¡­ Rong Xiu and Rong Jiu have joined hands? When Rong Jin thought of this, his face darkened even more. In Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes, Rong Jin¡¯s changing face naturally made it look like he had admitted to his wrongdoings. ¡°Harming your own brother¡­ You¡¯ve really grown up!¡± Rong Jin could not argue back and did not say a single word. Since Rong Jiu dared to lodge a complaint with Father, he must have solid evidence. If I denied it and the investigation continued, I would just cause trouble for myself. Besides, I can¡¯t say that I was going for Rong Xiu. The consequences would be even worse! After much thinking, Rong Jin could only clench his teeth and admit it. ¡°I¡­ know I¡¯m wrong! I just wanted to test Rong Jiu¡¯s abilities. I didn¡¯t intend to kill him. Father, kindly rethink your decision! I was just too impulsive and made a huge mistake. Father, please punish me!¡± Emperor Jiawen stared at him with a deadly gaze. ¡­ Cultivation time always passed very quickly. In the blink of an eye, Chu Liuyue had already stayed in the academy for five days. In these few days, she had gradually familiarized herself with all the classes in the academy and had begun adjusting to life at the academy. Actually, the students could choose the majority of their classes; their teachers would not force them. As Chu Liuyue had chosen only a few lessons, she had more freedom with her time. Other than going to Jiuyou Tower to cultivate for two hours a day and occasionally attending lessons, Chu Liuyue spent most of her time cultivating in her own residence. After the first day, the weird scenario did not occur in Jiuyou Tower again, but Chu Liuyue still felt that a pair of eyes seemed to be staring at her in the dark. After some serious consideration, she did not ask Elder Ye about this. She felt that this was related to the mysterious water droplet in her body. Rong Xiu did not come back again. Chu Liuyue finally returned to her own bed, but she could still smell the faint, cold peach blossom fragrance, which caused her to think about that person from time to time. Chu Liuyue wanted to move into the neighboring room, but she decided against it in the end after she thought of the faint fragrance in that room and how she always slept especially well. ¡­ Today, Chu Liuyue went to Jiuyou Tower to cultivate as usual and left after two hours. When she came out, she coincidentally met Mu Hongyu. Chu Liuyue nodded to greet her, but she did not expect Mu Hongyu to follow her. ¡°I heard that you come here to cultivate every day.¡± Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve heard quite a bit.¡± ¡°Really? How can you be so willing to use your cultivation time quota?¡± Mu Hongyu gasped, and her eyes were filled with unconcealable envy. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ You have 38 hours. Even if you come every day, you can cultivate here for half a month at least. Unlike me¡­ I spent all that effort and only earned four hours of cultivation time at Jiuyou Tower. Thus, I have to use the time frugally.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°How do you earn the hours?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? That seems right. You¡¯ve just arrived at the academy, so you shouldn¡¯t know much about it. There are many ways to earn cultivation time. I¡¯ll slowly tell you about them in the future. However, let me ask you this first: Who will you group with in the upcoming Fiend Tidal?¡± Chapter 115 - Form a Team Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Fiend Tidal?¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. ¡°You don¡¯t know this too? Wan Ling Mountain will experience a Fiend Tidal every August, and countless fiends will fight to go there, even the powerful ones. If you¡¯re lucky, you might even meet an advanced fiend. This is the best time to hunt for fiends, and the academy sends elders to bring us there every year. Students can form teams on their own, and we¡¯ll take action in teams after we reach Wan Ling Mountain. The kind of fiends we get to hunt will then be based on our own abilities,¡± explained Mu Hongyu. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized what happened. The original owner seemed to have a blurred impression of this because the Crown Prince, Rong Jin, hunted his fourth-grade fire-eyed leopard during the Fiend Tidal a year ago. When the news spread, Rong Jin was put in the spotlight for quite a while. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince was strong and could even personally hunt such a fiend. One needed to know that a first-grade to third-grade fiend could only be considered as a low-grade one, while fourth-grade to sixth-grade fiends belonged to the middle-grade. Seventh-grade to ninth-grade fiends were fiends that only existed in rumors. Even though a fourth-grade fiend was only one grade higher than a third-grade one, both were actually worlds apart. However, Chu Liuyue had been busy cultivating recently and did not care much about that. Mu Hongyu is telling me this¡­ ¡°You want to team with me?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°Yeah!¡± Mu Hongyu nodded magnanimously and did not hide her intentions. ¡°You¡¯re the top scholar in the warrior assessment and also a Xuan Master. Thus, you can be considered as one of the most capable people in our cohort. Who else should I team with? Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t drag you down. In another half a month, I can likely break through and become a stage-four warrior.¡± Chu Liuyue was not worried about this. Mu Hongyu did lose to Gu Mingfeng in the previous assessment and came in third. This ability could be considered as one that was stronger than average. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s work together then.¡± She had no reason to reject Mu Hongyu¡¯s passionate invitation. Mu Hongyu was surprised at Chu Liuyue readily agreeing to her request. ¡°Y-You really agreed?¡± ¡°Yeah, is there anything wrong?¡± ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just¡­ Xuan Masters always look down on us warriors, and we don¡¯t really like them too. Thus, we rarely team together. Won¡¯t they say anything if you¡¯re teaming with me, now that you¡¯re a Xuan Master?¡± asked Mu Hongyu hesitantly. Chu Liuyue laughed. This fight is really childish. Why would anyone care about this in a world where abilities are prioritized? ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Upon seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalance, Mu Hongyu smiled, and her almond-like eyes sparkled. ¡°Okay, this is a deal then! You can pull anyone over if you have any other people in mind. We need five people to form a team, so we still need three more.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while before saying, ¡°You can just make the decisions.¡± She was not familiar with these people, so she would just let Mu Hongyu do the work. When Mu Hongyu heard that, she instantly felt that Chu Liuyue completely trusted her, giving her an even better impression of Chu Liuyue. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue went for the meditation class in the afternoon, she saw Gu Mingzhu standing at the door. The moment Gu Mingzhu saw her walking over, her face darkened. Chu Liuyue walked over at normal speed. ¡°Second Gu Missy, did you bring the two Xuan formation drawings today?¡± Gu Mingzhu looked even worse as she took out two rolls of Xuan formation drawings from her sleeves and threw them at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Aren¡¯t they just two Xuan formation drawings? What¡¯s there to rush me about? Here they are!¡± Chu Liuyue gently took the items and opened them to take a look. After she confirmed that they were fifth-grade Xuan formation drawings, her lips curled up, and she delightedly said, ¡°Second Gu Missy has said before that my status has degraded after leaving the Chu family. Therefore, fifth-grade Xuan formation drawings are very valuable to me. I¡¯m not like Second Gu Missy, who can easily wager these items in a bet.¡± Gu Mingzhu was so angry that her face turned white. She did not even dare to tell her family head about this. Even though she was doted on in the Gu family, the family head would never have let her off if he found out about this. However, Chu Liuyue rushed Gu Mingzhu every time she saw her, saying that she would go straight to the Gu family and demand for the drawings if Gu Mingzhu didn¡¯t give her them. How would Gu Mingzhu dare to let Chu Liuyue suffer so much? She could only beg her mother in private and bring the items over. She was even badly scolded for this. After seeing how happy Chu Liuyue was, the resentment in Gu Mingzhu¡¯s heart was about to burst out. ¡°Chu Liuyue, I¡¯ll remember you for this. You better pray hard that I won¡¯t find fault with you. If not, you¡¯ll get it from me!¡± Chu Liuyue waved the Xuan formation drawings in her hands. ¡°Thank you, Second Gu Missy, for remembering me. If there are more good presents, I¡¯ll be more than grateful.¡± Gu Mingzhu was furious, but she could only swallow her anger because class was about to start and more people were coming in. She harshly glared at Chu Liuyue before turning to enter the room. Chu Liuyue ignored her and walked in as well. The people in the room had gathered into groups as if they were all discussing something. Once Chu Liuyue sat down on her seat, she saw Si Yang waving at her. ¡°Hey, sick perv¡ªChu Liuyue! Why don¡¯t you group with us for the Fiend Tidal?¡± It turns out that everyone was talking about this. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already agreed to group with someone else. Thanks for asking.¡± ¡°What? Someone already asked you? Who?¡± Si Yang gave up once he heard her words. ¡°Mu Hongyu.¡± Si Yang was stunned and painfully said, ¡°Mu Hongyu? That princess? Is there something wrong with you? You, me, and my brother¡ªthe three top Xuan Masters¡ªcombined will be unbeatable. Why did you group with her? Besides¡­ she¡¯s a warrior!¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a warrior.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°Is there a rule which states that warriors and Xuan Masters can¡¯t group together?¡± Si Yang was stumped. ¡°No, but¡­¡± I planned it so well at first, but why did Mu Hongyu act so fast? ¡°We already have four people now, and we¡¯re just missing you. If you don¡¯t join us, what will we do?¡± When Chu Liuyue heard that, she shook her head silently. If it was only Si Ting and Si Yang, she could still discuss with Mu Hongyu, but four people meant trouble. Besides, she originally did not want to interact with Si Ting much, so this was better. ¡°I already made a deal with Mu Hongyu, so I can¡¯t go back on my words. Sorry.¡± After she finished her sentence, she took out her chess pieces and had no intentions of continuing the conversation. Si Yang defeatedly looked at Si Ting. Si Ting looked nonchalant. ¡°Since it¡¯s so, let¡¯s find someone else.¡± Si Yang sighed in his heart. He could tell that his brother had feelings for Chu Liuyue and wanted to create an opportunity for him during the Fiend Tidal, but¡­ ¡°Si Ting, can I join you? I haven¡¯t formed a team yet.¡± Gu Mingzhu had been eavesdropping on their conversation and immediately spoke when she saw the opportunity. She looked at Si Ting, filled with hope. Chapter 116 - Stuck Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Si Yang glanced at her from the corner of his eye. ¡°No!¡± It will definitely spell trouble if a spoiled missy like Gu Mingzhu joins our team. Besides, can¡¯t she tell that Big Brother has no interest in her? Gu Mingzhu felt her face burn up when Si Yang outright rejected her in public. She looked at Si Ting in grievance but saw that he did not look at her at all. He even seemed nonchalant, as if he did not care about her. Gu Mingzhu felt increasingly uncomfortable, and a fire burned in her stomach, causing her turmoil. She tightly bit her lips and controlled her impulsiveness. However, she became even more jealous and hated Chu Liuyue even more. How can Chu Liuyue be invited by them, yet I was rejected when I asked? Chu Liuyue can easily get what I badly want but can¡¯t have. I do not believe that Chu Liuyue can continue to be so proud all the way. Dongfang Qing quickly walked over. The discussions in the room immediately died down. Dongfang Qing happily smiled at the crowd. ¡°It seems like all of you are looking forward to the Fiend Tidal. There¡¯s still half a month left, yet you¡¯re all so excited.¡± ¡°Mr. Dongfang, is it true that high-level fiends will appear during the Fiend Tidal?¡± asked a student curiously. Dongfang Qing stroked his beard. ¡°Hundreds of fiends will gather at Wan Ling Mountain during the Fiend Tidal. If you¡¯re lucky enough, you might meet a high-level one.¡± Once he finished his sentence, the students¡¯ eyes lit up and filled with unconcealable excitement. ¡°If a cultivator can successfully make a pact with a fiend, it will undoubtedly increase their attacking power. The higher the fiend¡¯s level is, the more it can help you. This is especially so for Xuan Masters. Our bodies are relatively weaker, but we don¡¯t have to worry about it if we have fiends with us.¡± Xuan Masters had a higher status than warriors, but their weakness was that they were not good at fighting. They needed time and effort, especially when they were setting up Xuan formations. If fiends helped them at that time, it would be akin to adding wings to tigers. Thus, Xuan Masters were more interested in fiends than warriors. ¡°Some of you already have your own fiends, but most of you don¡¯t. You can take this chance to find a suitable one for yourself. Give it a shot!¡± ¡°Mr. Dongfang, can¡¯t a cultivator only have one fiend?¡± ¡°Yeah. Fiends are naturally temperamental and arrogant, so they won¡¯t serve a master who already has made a pact with one. If you want to hunt for a new fiend, you need to release or kill your original one. Once fiends have a master, they¡¯ll have a human scent on them. So they will be ostracized, even if they return to their packs. In most scenarios, they will only die if they¡¯re abandoned by their Masters.¡± The crowd nodded in understanding. ¡°Even though fiends are ferocious, it seems like they¡¯re pretty prideful¡­¡± Dongfang Qing emotionally sighed, ¡°Yes. Once a fiend recognizes a master, they will forever be loyal to them, living and dying with their masters. Hence, you must be very careful and choose properly when hunting for fiends.¡± The students were thrilled. ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the chessboard in front of her and suddenly stopped in her actions. Live and die with their masters¡­ So, after I died¡­ ¡°Okay, you should use the remaining time to work hard in your cultivation. When your abilities are elevated, you can then hunt for higher-grade fiends. Today, we¡¯ll be testing you on water formations¡­¡± Dongfang Qing waved his hand, and the chess pieces flew out to form a new formation on the board. Chu Liuyue looked down and collected her thoughts. ¡­ Chu Liuyue was pretty distracted during the lesson. Even though her eyes were glued to the chessboard, many different scenes appeared in her mind. As the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s heavenly princess in her previous life, she naturally had her own fiend. However, it had coincidentally been breaking through to the next level and fell into a deep sleep when she was in trouble. When she was betrayed and left in a perilous situation, she could only choose to commit suicide. However, she did arrange for its lodging before she took action. I don¡¯t know what happened to it after that¡­ Country Yao Chen was very far away from the Tianling Dynasty. Based on her current status and ability, it was as hard as going to the moon for her to hear news from them, let alone going back there. Perhaps she could only find out what happened when the so-called envoy came¡­ ¡°Hm? Chu Liuyue, haven¡¯t you solved the formation?¡± After more than two hours, Si Yang solved the formation and noticed that Chu Liuyue was actually motionless and still staring at the chessboard when he turned around to look at her. She had solved the formations not long after Si Ting the first few times. At first, everyone was still shocked, but they were all used to it happening now. He did not expect to come in second this time, in front of Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue recovered her senses. Gu Mingzhu also solved the Xuan formation at this point, and the pieces loudly fell into place. She glanced at Chu Liuyue and sneered. ¡°Pfft! One can only see a horse¡¯s power by traveling long distances. Everyone will know if one truly has the ability after some time.¡± Chu Liuyue was too lazy to care about her weird behavior. She lowered her head and started to place her pieces instead. Her actions were very fast, like a moving cloud and falling water. It was as if she completely did not need to think about it. After making a few moves in such a manner, the Xuan formation sounded and unlocked. Afterward, she did not even look at the surrounding weird stares and directly stood up. ¡°Mr. Dongfang, can I leave now?¡± ¡°Sure, of course! Tomorrow is a holiday, so you can go home earlier.¡± Dongfang Qing readily agreed since he also noticed Chu Liuyue looking somewhat off today. Chu Liuyue thanked him and left. Gu Mingzhu coldly shouted, ¡°What¡¯s there to be happy about?¡± Si Ting looked up but could only see the corner of her clothes floating away. What¡¯s¡­ wrong with her? In his mind, Chu Liuyue had always been calm and collected as if nothing could move her. She could decisively sever her ties with the Chu family and live independently. Chu Liuyue was definitely much stronger than what she looked like. This was the first time he saw her so distracted. Si Ting turned around, and his gaze landed on the fixed chessboard as his brows knitted tightly. If I did not remember wrongly¡­ Chu Liuyue seemed to have taken only one look at the chessboard before directly placing her pieces. ¡­ The academy had a break every five days, so Chu Liuyue just lightly packed her items and went home. Chu Ning had not returned yet, so Chu Liuyue ate dinner on her own and went back to her room to rest. Once she lay down on the wooden chair, a weird noise sounded from outside the window. Chu Liuyue looked over and saw a huge white head stuck at the window. A pair of icy-blue eyes stared straight at her. It was actually Xue Xue. Chu Liuyue looked at it and broke into laughter. The window was not that big, so almost half its head was gone with its head sticking through it. ¡°Xue Xue, why are you here?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as she walked over. Xue Xue placed its paw on her hand and looked at her pitifully. Only God knew how busy it had been outside the past few days. It missed her like crazy. ¡°Quick, come in.¡± Chu Liuyue patted its head and moved backward. Xue Xue wanted to barge in eagerly, but the sound of wood splitting was heard. It immediately stopped in its actions and had a stiff expression. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned, and she noticed that the edges of the window were broken. Her eyelids twitched. ¡°Y-You¡¯re stuck?¡± Chapter 117 - Danger Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xue Xue looked at Chu Liuyue with its eyes wide open and did not know what to do. Its gigantic head was stuck at the window, and it looked very comical. ¡°It¡¯s broken anyway. Just come in.¡± Chu Liuyue touched her forehead and waved towards it in an angry yet laughable manner. It was originally difficult for someone of Xue Xue¡¯s size to barge in through the window. Also, it could easily destroy the entire ledge with its strength. Xue Xue only relaxed when it realized that Chu Liuyue was not angry, and it jumped straight into her arms. Chu Liuyue caught it and stabilized herself with much difficulty. The big fluff ball in her arms made Chu Liuyue¡¯s originally depressed mood a lot better. She hugged Xue Xue and stood on the tip of her toes, feeling a little shocked. ¡°Hm? Xue Xue, you seem to have slimmed down.¡± It seemed to be slimmer from the first time they met. Xue Xue passionately rubbed its cheeks against her face, tickling Chu Liuyue until she kept moving backward. ¡°Okay, okay. Xue Xue, stop messing around. It¡¯s ticklish¡­¡± Xue Xue only stopped after harassing her for a while. Xue Xue then obediently rested by her feet. Its tail kept wagging continuously, and it looked very cute. Chu Liuyue could not help but smile. If anyone else saw this scene, they would think that Xue Xue is my fiend. When Chu Liuyue thought of this, she felt even more amused. Now that she thought about it, Rong Xiu was Xue Xue¡¯s Master, but it seemed much closer to her. From the first time they met till now, Chu Liuyue always felt strangely close to Xue Xue. She also genuinely felt that it would not hurt her. Fiends were ferocious, and high-level fiends were especially arrogant. Logically speaking, they would not care about anyone else other than their masters. However, Xue Xue¡­ ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you lately. Where have you been?¡± asked Chu Liuyue casually as she brushed its fur. Xue Xue closed its eyes in comfort. When did it have such enjoyment when its Master was here? This was worth the hard work these few days. Chu Liuyue did not mind when she saw the face of enjoyment Xue Xue, who acted as if it did not hear her words¡ªhad. At this moment, she did not feel as lonely with Xue Xue¡¯s company. ¡°Speaking of that, you and your Master are both very similar in one point.¡± Xue Xue moved and opened one eye to glance at her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s thin, white fingers tapped its wet and rough nose. ¡°You both love to barge into other people¡¯s houses in the middle of the night.¡± Xue Xue closed its eyes guiltily and rubbed against Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm as it purred. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. Its shameless appearance is even more like¡­ ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you home?¡± Chu Ning¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from outside the door. Chu Liuyue stood up to open the door happily, but Xue Xue was even faster than her as it jumped out of the window. The originally damaged window now had an even bigger hole. Chu Liuyue looked at it speechlessly. I didn¡¯t even say anything, so why was Xue Xue so anxious? She opened the door and saw Chu Ning, whom she had not seen for days. He was wearing the black imperial guard armor and looked weary. However, his tired eyes brightened up once he saw Chu Liuyue. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re really home.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and whined¡ªa rare action from her. ¡°It¡¯s a school holiday tomorrow, so I came right home after lessons today. I miss you a lot after not seeing you for a few days.¡± When Chu Ning heard his daughter said that, the tiredness he felt in the past few days had completely disappeared, and he instantly felt much comfort. ¡°I also missed Yue¡¯er very much! I was very busy recently, so I didn¡¯t even have time to visit you at the academy.¡± Chu Liuyue helplessly smiled. ¡°Father, our house is pretty near the academy. You don¡¯t have to send me there. Also, you¡¯ve just been appointed as the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief, so you definitely have a lot of things to handle. It seems like you haven¡¯t rested these few days,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she invited Chu Ning in and poured a cup of tea for him. ¡°That¡¯s right. Other than handling the imperial guards¡¯ affairs, I still need to investigate the Fourth Princess¡¯s incident. Previously, the Fourth Princess met with an accident at the hunting ground, and her pearl of essence was destroyed. The Emperor is heartbroken and keeps asking us to investigate properly. We¡¯ve already punished tens of people in these few days.¡± Chu Liuyue gently replied with an ¡°oh.¡± She then asked, ¡°Pearl of essence destroyed¡­ Does that mean she can¡¯t cultivate anymore?¡± ¡°Yeah. This matter has affected the Fourth Princess greatly, and the palace is in chaos now. She even told us to find the fiend no matter what. However, she was the one who chased after the fiend and fell to the bottom of the cliff. Nobody else was around, so nobody knows what the fiend looks like. How do we even find it?¡± ¡°Fourth Princess should have seen it, right? If she described its appearance, it should be easy to find it.¡± ¡°Fourth Princess herself didn¡¯t look at it properly. Also, she can¡¯t even talk about it properly as she¡¯s too shocked. Finding it will be as hard as finding a needle in a haystack.¡± Chu Ning sighed and did not have much hope for this. Chu Liuyue did not care about it. Rong Zhen had been spoiled. Thus, she thought she could do everything she wanted, just because she was the Empress¡¯s first daughter. The past love she had would disappear very quickly after she became a good-for-nothing. Only a bleak future awaited her. The people in the royal family were the cruelest and most heartless. People without any use would be abandoned immediately. It was a pity that Rong Zhen had not noticed this. Chu Liuyue propped her chin up and casually asked, ¡°I heard Chu Xianmin married the Crown Prince two days ago. That was really fast. The Crown Prince and Chu Xianmin finally got what they wanted.¡± Oh, maybe not Chu Xianmin. When she racked her brains to get the Crown Prince¡¯s attention, she probably did not think that she would marry him as a concubine. I¡¯ve only entered the academy to cultivate for a few days, but many things have already happened in the Imperial City. Chu Ning looked stern. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t talk about the Crown Prince¡¯s situation so rashly. It was hard for us to have a clean cut with him, so it¡¯s better if we have nothing to do with him in the future.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s reaction made Chu Liuyue feel weird. Upon seeing Chu Ning¡¯s guarded appearance, a thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­ Did something happen to the Crown Prince?¡± Chu Ning did not expect Chu Liuyue to be so smart and guessed the main point in no time. After thinking for a while, he knitted his brows and sighed. ¡°This incident has too big of an implication. Yue¡¯er, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t ask about it. Just be careful about what you say.¡± He literally broke into a cold sweat after Emperor Jiawen called him over, and he found out about the incident. Luckily, they had already severed ties with the Chu family and dissolved the marriage agreement with the Crown Prince previously. If not, the father-daughter duo would definitely be implicated. In the past, Chu Ning hated Rong Jin. However, he was just thankful to avoid all of this now. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I know what to do,¡± said Chu Liuyue, but she wondered what exactly the Crown Prince did to give Chu Ning this reaction. When she came out of the academy today, she did not hear any news. It seemed like the palace was keeping this confidential. However, the Crown Prince¡¯s situation was probably very dangerous¡­ As the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief, Chu Ning was Emperor Jiawen¡¯s knife. It seemed like this knife was hovering above the Crown Prince¡¯s head this time. Chapter 118 - Chase Debt Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Jin really did not have it easy these few days. Princes hurting each other to fight for power and authority was one of the things that the Emperor hated the most. Emperor Jiawen had earned his throne in a similar manner back then, so he was extremely sensitive and suspicious about this. Of course, he knew that this was an unavoidable fight in the royal family. However, he did not believe that Rong Jin was the first to strike. Back then, the Emperor¡¯s father did not appoint the Crown Prince until way later, causing his other brothers and him to fight brutally. Thus, when it was his turn to choose, he appointed the Empress¡¯s eldest son¡ªRong Jin¡ªas the Crown Prince early on as he was afraid that history would repeat itself. However, reality was different from his wishes, and Rong Jin really disappointed him thoroughly. Emperor Jiawen did not understand. Rong Jin was the Crown Prince, had a distinguished status, and was more talented than the rest. As long as the others did not revolt, the throne would be his. So why couldn¡¯t he hold himself back? Emperor Jiawen did not announce this incident, commanded that everything should be kept confidential and that nobody should spread a word about this. He then told Rong Jin to reflect on himself in his residence and confiscated his authority to supervise the six divisions. All the booklets that had been sent to Crown Prince Mansion were sent back to the Imperial Study overnight by Rong Jin. Rong Jin knew that the Emperor no longer trusted him. This was his biggest loss, compared to the rest. If the Emperor still could not trust him in the future, then¡­ Rong Jin did not dare to overthink as he knew that he was in the wrong. He did his best to admit his mistakes and clearly showed his stance in hopes of reducing his father¡¯s anger. This was the biggest secret loss he had incurred since he became the Crown Prince. However, he could not take revenge on the instigator. Rong Jin was very indignant, but he did not even dare to throw a tantrum as his father was definitely watching him in secret. What else could he do? After much thinking, he could only shut himself in the study and not go out for two days. On the third day, Chu Xianmin brought soup over as usual and was halted outside the door without surprise. Chu Xianmin could not hold herself back much longer. On the first day she married the Crown Prince, he was called into the palace overnight and went straight to the study when he returned. She could not even catch a glimpse of him. These three days, all the servants in the mansion talked bad about her. Many of them were also very rude to her as they saw that the Crown Prince didn¡¯t love her. I must do something for myself today. However, Chu Xianmin knew that forcefully barging in was not advantageous to her. Therefore, she could only swallow her indignance and face the tightly shut door before saying, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll put the fritillary bulb and pear soup here. Do drink it when you have the time and don¡¯t tire yourself out. Also, I have a request. My body has recovered quite a fair bit after resting for a while, so I would like to go back to the academy tomorrow. What do you think?¡± If she were the Crown Princess, she would, of course, be too lazy to head back. However, she was disfigured and was only left with this path. If she still had capabilities, the Crown Prince would not be overboard with her. She had to go back, even if her most hated enemy, Chu Liuyue, was inside the academy. After Chu Xianmin finished her sentence, she waited outside the door anxiously. She only heard Rong Jin¡¯s reply after a long time. ¡°You can go back to the academy if you want, but you¡¯re not allowed to stay there. Come back to the mansion every day. Also, you should always take care of yourself. Don¡¯t embarrass me.¡± Chu Xianmin acted as if she was granted something extravagant. ¡°Thank you very much, Your Highness.¡± ¡­ Early in the morning the next day, Chu Ning left in a rush. Chu Liuyue guessed that the Crown Prince was in even more trouble than expected. This thought put her in a good mood, so she did not rest at home and walked out of the house and headed to Zhen Bao Pavilion. Once her figure appeared in Zhen Bao Pavilion, a sharp-eyed pageboy went to the back and told Yan Ge. Yan Ge, who was busy checking the stocks, did not continue with his work and reached the front desk in no time. His face was filled with enthusiasm, but he did not lose his manners. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I have a break today, so I came here to take a look.¡± ¡°Hehe, that sounds great! Look around and see what you like!¡± Yan Ge rubbed his hands, and his gaze was filled with hope as if he would immediately give Chu Liuyue the item she liked. Chu Liuyue hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°No, no. Second Master Yan, you¡¯re too kind. I still have many of the things you gave me, and I haven¡¯t used them. I came here today to get a few people from you.¡± Yan Ge was dazed. ¡°You want some people from me? What are you planning to do?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Chase a debt.¡± ¡­ In the Chu family¡¯s main living room. First Elder sat at the head of the table, and a stack of account books was on the table. The few people, who looked like they were managing things, stood in front of him with their heads hung low with faces filled with nervousness. The room was very quiet, and one could only hear the sound of First Elder flipping the books. With every page First Elder flipped through, the darker his face looked. At the very end, his gaze completely darkened, and he slammed the books on the table. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Not only did the stores under the Chu family¡¯s name not make any profit, but we have even suffered losses! What are you all doing?¡± The few managers were frightened until they shivered. One of them wiped the sweat off their foreheads and had a bitter look as he muttered, ¡°First Elder, we have no choice. This year is a bad year, and we can¡¯t collect the rental fee for the fields. Our business is also doing badly, and there¡¯s nothing we can improve on. Besides, the residence has a large expenditure¡­ so more money went out than in, resulting in huge losses.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t a few stores earning money? Where are their accounts?¡± First Elder flipped the books in frustration. The few of them exchanged looks and spoke even softer. ¡°¡­ First Elder, did you forget that those stores were given to Chu Ning by the head of the family? They¡¯re all written under his name¡­ When he severed ties with the Chu family he sent people over to claim those stores.¡± First Elder was shocked and only remembered the incident then. Chu Ning was originally very loved in the Chu family, publicly thought to be the next family head, so he had quite a few assets under his name. After he lost favor, his name was still written on the title deeds even though his situation was bad and the stores were taken away. When Chu Ning was appointed as the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief, it was not a problem for him to claim those stores back. The Chu family also did not have the guts to go against Chu Ning upfront. First Elder¡¯s blood boiled, and he almost ripped the book apart. If this goes on, the Chu family¡¯s lives will be even worse! ¡°First Elder, C-Chu Liuyue is here!¡± At this moment, a pageboy suddenly ran into the house with a face filled with panic. Everyone thought that they had heard him wrongly. Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue sever ties with the Chu family? Why would she dare to come here? First Elder squinted his eyes. ¡°Is it really her?¡± ¡°Y-Yes it is.¡± The pageboy was on the brink of tears. ¡°She even brought a few people with her, and they¡¯re outside the door.¡± ¡°She really ate bear hearts and leopard galls!¡± First Elder slammed the table and stood up. ¡°How dare she come to the Chu family? I want to see what she¡¯s up to this time.¡± Even if she knelt down and begged him, he would not go easy on her. The pageboy huffed and puffed before speaking with much difficulty. ¡°First Elder, Chu Liuyue s-said¡­¡± ¡°Said what?¡± ¡°She said she came to chase a debt.¡± Chapter 119 - Bloodshed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Chase a debt?¡± First Elder was so angry that he laughed. ¡°What does she want to chase?¡± The pageboy staggered backward in fear. ¡°S-She says that you haven¡¯t given her things you promised to give in the agreement you signed when splitting the family assets previously¡­ She also wants to claim the dowry her mother brought when she married into the family¡­¡± The pageboy¡¯s words shocked First Elder because he had almost forgotten about it. That day, he was driven to his grave by Chu Liuyue and did not even look at the details before signing the agreement. After thinking about it now, the items he agreed to give to her were worth a huge sum of money. Just the dowry that Chu Liuyue¡¯s mother gave to them alone was worth an extravagant amount. If he really returned all of the items to Chu Liuyue, the Chu family would lose a lot of money. First Elder staggered backward in frustration as he glanced at the scattered account books on the table in the corner of his eyes. This put him in an even worse mood. The Chu family was currently losing money, and taking out this sum of money was akin to adding oil to the fire. Why is Chu Liuyue so thick-skinned, daring to come to our residence and demand the items directly? ¡°First Elder, you should hurry up and go take a look. Chu Liuyue says that if she doesn¡¯t get the money today, she¡¯s not leaving¡­ They have already blocked the entire gate¡­¡± ¡°Useless!¡± First Elder howled and walked outside with big steps. Can a mere Chu Liuyue really take down the entire Chu family? ¡­ First Elder walked to the main entrance and almost fainted in anger upon seeing the scene in front of him. Chu Liuyue stood at the main entrance, and a group of curious onlookers surrounded her. She was currently talking to the people around her in a sad tone. ¡°¡­Yeah, when I was young, my mother left the world first, leaving my father and me to depend on each other. I think all of you know that my father got injured while serving the Emperor, so he couldn¡¯t cultivate any longer. The Chu family said that my father and I had no ability to take care of my mother¡¯s dowry, so they passed all of it to Lu Yao¡­¡± ¡°It has been so many years, and my father and I have finally made it big in life. I feel that everything else doesn¡¯t matter. However, that dowry belongs to my mother, and it¡¯s the last thing my mother left for me. If I don¡¯t get it back, I¡¯ll feel extremely uneasy¡­¡± The crowd nodded in agreement. Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning were considered ¡®famous¡¯ in the Imperial City, so the public always talked about them in private. They knew that Chu Liuyue was speaking the truth. Actually, everyone clearly knew that the Chu family had done this to take over the dowry of Chu Liuyue¡¯s mother. The Chu family looked like they ran a big business on the surface, but they were very greedy on the inside. ¡°Yes, yes! The dowry is yours! Other people shouldn¡¯t take it. You must get it back!¡± ¡°Exactly! The Chu family is one of the four biggest families. It¡¯s too much if they refuse to return you the dowry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ If the Chu family really does that, they¡¯re shameless.¡± The crowd broke into discussions, and First Elder¡¯s face turned green. He hollered, ¡°Chu Liuyue, what are you doing?¡± Chu Liuyue looked over and lazily glanced at him. ¡°Oh, Chu First Elder, don¡¯t you know what I¡¯m doing here? Previously, you agreed to split the family assets and claimed that you¡¯d send the things that belonged to my father and me to us. However, nobody showed up after such a long wait. I didn¡¯t even see the items¡¯ shadows. I thought that you were probably too busy and didn¡¯t have time to arrange trivial matters like this, so I specifically brought some people over.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand and pointed at the few people behind her. ¡°These two are Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s managers, and they¡¯re very proficient at reading through account books. They¡¯ll help us check on the assets later and will definitely not miss anything out. These four people are Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s pageboys, and they¡¯re very strong. Therefore, they can help carry the items away, and we won¡¯t bother the Chu family members. Chu First Elder, what do you think of this arrangement?¡± First Elder was so angry that he could not say a word. This Chu Liuyue has it all planned out. She brought people along with her to block the gate and is determined to bring those items away. If I do not accede to her request, she will directly snatch the items away from me. ¡°How dare you! This is the Chu family residence, not somewhere that you can mess around in.¡± Chu Liuyue retorted, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to do this? I just came back to take back the things that belong to my father and me. Why can¡¯t I do that? Chu First Elder, are you planning on going back on your words? Hah, many people have witnessed what happened this time and the previous time, so it won¡¯t look too good on you if you act in this manner.¡± Her smile faded slightly. ¡°Of course, I know this is the Chu family residence. If it weren¡¯t because you didn¡¯t carry out your end of the agreement, I wouldn¡¯t have come. I¡¯m afraid that coming here too many times would dirty my eyes.¡± ¡°Chu Liuyue, what are you talking about?¡± scolded Lu Yao, who had rushed over once she heard the news. Hatred flashed across her eyes. Whenever she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, Lu Yao would remember her daughter¡¯s disfigured appearance and miserable wedding. ¡°Even though you don¡¯t have anything to do with the Chu family any longer, everyone here were your elders previously. Did you lose your manners after leaving the Chu family?¡± With Lu Yao¡¯s last strand of rationality, she did not scold her loudly in public as she knew that it was better not to do things the hard way with so many people watching. However, Chu Liuyue did not buy her tactic and was too lazy to even be superficial. ¡°Lu Yao, you came here at the right time! My mother¡¯s entire dowry is with you. Even if you needed to check the stocks, the time given is more than enough. Since I have already come here personally, return the entire dowry to me. Or¡­ are you unwilling to give it up?¡± Lu Yao could not refute Chu Liuyue¡¯s words in front of so many people, so she could only forcefully frown. ¡°How can that be? Not mentioning the big businesses the Chu family runs, I¡ªLu Yao¡ªam from the Lu family, so why would I covet your things?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted her and took out a list from her sleeves. Chu Liuyue passed the list to the two people behind as she said, ¡°This is the dowry list my mother brought with her when she married into the Chu family. Later, I¡¯ll pass it to Manager Wu and Manager Zhang to check through them. Those are all things that my mother left behind, so I won¡¯t take it lying down if even half an item is missing.¡± Lu Yao was dazed. That list is something from more than ten years ago. How does Chu Liuyue have it? Something seemed to be stuck in Lu Yao¡¯s throat as cold sweat drenched her back. She did touch those items after all these years¡­ At first, she thought that Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning could never make a comeback for the rest of their lives, so she righteously claimed the items as her own. Who knew they would make a comeback? Now, Chu Liuyue even wanted to check on the items meticulously. What should she do? While looking at Lu Yao¡¯s expression, Chu Liuyue clearly knew her thoughts and could not help but sneer in her heart. If I don¡¯t skin the entire Chu family alive today, they won¡¯t know that I, Chu Liuyue, am not someone to be messed with. ¡°Xiao Wen, bring a chair over,¡± commanded Chu Liuyue, and a muscular young man behind her immediately obeyed her order. He hurriedly walked to the horse carriage, took out a purple chair, and put it behind Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue ostentatiously sat on the chair, feeling very relaxed. ¡°Chu First Elder, Lu Yao, please hurry up. There are a lot of items, and I only have a one-day leave. You must check the items faster.¡± Chapter 120 - Exposed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If so many people weren¡¯t watching them, First Elder would have rushed up and personally taught Chu Liuyue a lesson. Her arrogant attitude made his blood boil and almost explode. ¡°Lu Yao, you¡¯ve always been in charge of the family¡¯s items. Go and check the list against theirs. Give them everything they should have, nothing more.¡± Lu Yao was frightened by First Elder¡¯s holler and subconsciously agreed when she saw his face filled with anger. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± First Elder did not think this was enough as he shouted at the other managers. ¡°The few of you, follow them and keep a close eye on them! Don¡¯t miscalculate the accounts!¡± The few of them hurriedly agreed. Lu Yao¡¯s entire body tensed up, and her footsteps were heavy. However, she knew that she had to obey First Elder, no matter how reluctant she was in her heart. On the other side, the Zhen Bao Pavilion Manager duo had already started the battle and was checking the items based on the list given to them. ¡°One pair of eight-colored glass cups, two sets of jade December accessories, a pair of gilt horse pots, two colored Chinese harps¡ª¡± Lu Yao could not do anything but clench her teeth. ¡°Did you not hear them? Go to the storeroom and bring the items over.¡± The subordinates replied to her, and hurriedly rushed to get the stated items. When they brought the items out one by one, the few people Chu Liuyue brought over would hurriedly go forward and receive the items. After some serious inspection, they would put them back properly and place them in the horse carriage. Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°These few people are the most helpful ones in Zhen Bao Pavilion. Even though they don¡¯t have a high status, they have the best eyes for recognizing treasures. They will know if the item is real or fake with one look. Now that they¡¯re carefully inspecting the items, it would be more convenient for all of us in the future, right?¡± This sentence dashed Lu Yao¡¯s last bit of hope. She resigned herself to her fate and closed her eyes. Chu Liuyue was thoroughly going against them today. ¡­ In the restaurant not far away from the Chu family residence, someone was clearly observing the scene. ¡°Her character is really the same as last time¡­¡± Low laughter bellowed from behind the curtains. ¡°Did you send all those people over?¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Ge bowed and courteously said, ¡°Yes, Master. Madam came to Zhen Bao Pavilion early in the morning and said she wanted to borrow some people. I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± At that point in time, he was still very confused and did not know what Chu Liuyue wanted to do with a manager. Who knew she wanted to cause trouble for the Chu family? Yan Ge was pretty experienced and had seen quite a few scenes, but it was his first time observing such a debacle. Chu Liuyue was obviously chasing a debt. The point was that her debt was logical, and the Chu family could not deny it. The Chu family had power in numbers. Therefore, Chu Liuyue would definitely die a horrible death if she went alone. Hence, she found a few people and explained the incident in public, causing a big scene. This would then force the Chu family to follow her words since they cared about their reputation. After all, the Chu family still wanted to live in the Imperial City. ¡°You did well for this.¡± Yan Ge was shocked upon hearing his master¡¯s praises. He had followed his master for many years, and such compliments were very rare. He greatly benefited since his master was extremely happy with him because he had sent a few people to help Chu Liuyue. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Master, but I really didn¡¯t do much. It was all Madam¡¯s plan.¡± The person behind the curtain seemingly shook his head and smiled. ¡°Of course, only she could think of such an idea. She¡¯s also the only one who can do it so cleanly.¡± If it were someone else, they would not dare to go against the Chu family alone. Yan Ge thought for a while and could not help but say, ¡°Master, Madam seems to be unsure of your identity. She also doesn¡¯t know about the things you¡¯ve done for her. Do you want¡­¡± ¡°She will know when the time is right. Just focus on your own tasks.¡± Yan Ge lowered his head. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ The Zhen Bao Pavilion manager duo was still checking the list in front of the Chu family. ¡°This pair of crescent moon wine cups is fake. This pair of bamboo jade bangles are fake too.¡± The few people Chu Liuyue brought over were very clean with their work. They moved the items and did not forget to check for their authenticity at the same time as they threw the fake items aside. Every fake item identified was akin to a slap across Lu Yao¡¯s face. The Chu family members were also humiliated, so some of them could not help but glare at Lu Yao angrily. Who would have expected Lu Yao to pocket the items unreasonably? If it were not for today¡¯s stock checking, they would not have known how much of the Chu family¡¯s assets were used by Lu Yao. All of these items were just part of the dowry Chu Liuyue¡¯s mother had left behind. There were so many other assets in the residence. Thus, who knew just how much money she had pocketed? Upon sensing all the stares, Lu Yao¡¯s face became as white as a sheet, and her entire figure trembled as if she was a leaf on a tree that could be easily blown away in the middle of a thunderstorm. If she could, she really wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. Every single second and minute here was torture. Chu Liuyue held her chin with one hand as her gaze swept across the fake goods taken out in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°It seems like your family had a great life for the past few years. No wonder Chu Xianmin is so willing to buy an accessory worth more than 200,000 silver taels casually. Not everyone can buy something made from red jade.¡± Lu Yao wanted to rush up and rip Chu Liuyue¡¯s mouth apart. How dare she talk about that? That was clearly a trap she set for Minmin. She has even distorted the truth now. However, before Lu Yao could say anything, she felt the increasingly furious gazes from the surrounding Chu family members. Her heart sank as she knew that they believed Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. How would they still believe her after all those fake items were taken out? Even if Chu Liuyue did not say anything, they probably already wanted to kill Lu Yao. Time trickled past, and Chu Liuyue remained sitting on the chair in a relaxed manner. Manager Wu had even specifically brought her tea and exquisite snacks in between in case she got hungry. Chu Liuyue readily accepted them. Instead of saying that she came to get money, you could say that she came here to get someone¡¯s life. Finally, the dowry list was completely checked after an entire afternoon passed. Chu Liuyue then requested them to split the assets according to the contract made that day, forcefully snatching away quite a bit of money from the Chu family. When the money was brought up to the horse carriage, even the strong First Elder¡¯s eyes could not help but twitch as his heart ached. The few managers just watched on quietly, feeling their muscles ache when they thought of the messy accounts. The surrounding people were all dazed from seeing so many treasures. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue¡¯s mother to bring so many valuable treasures when she married into the Chu family back then.¡± ¡°I heard that Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning led a tough life these few years, and their daily necessities couldn¡¯t even be compared to the ones the servants used. It should be enough for them to survive if they sell some of these treasures, right?¡± ¡°Chu Ning loved his wife dearly, so he was probably reluctant to sell them¡­ Besides, these things were in someone else¡¯s control. He probably didn¡¯t even see the items, so how could he sell them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. The Chu family has really suffered a huge loss this time.¡± The horse carriages made several rounds and finally brought all the items away. All those fake goods that were thrown out seemed extremely awkward outside the door. Chu Liuyue then stood up and lazily rolled back her shoulders. She was tired after sitting here all day long. ¡°That¡¯s enough. We¡¯ll end it here today.¡± First Elder¡¯s eyelids jumped. What does she mean? Is she still going to come in the future? As if Chu Liuyue could read his mind, she casually waved her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be coming here anymore. However, Manager Wu has already recorded the accounts for these fake items, so kindly and gradually compensate for them in the future. You can send it over to my house, or I can send someone over to collect them.¡± While having much difficulty hiding his anger, First Elder looked at Lu Yao. ¡°This is the good thing you did from being in charge. You fill this hole yourself!¡± Lu Yao staggered backward. Chu Liuyue smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Chu First Elder, why are you angry? It¡¯s just a few items. Even if the Chu family refuses to give them up, the Lu family¡¯s wealth is comparable to that of the country. This is just a simple matter for them, right, Lu Yao?¡± Chapter 121 - Stand Up for Her Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lu Yao had a bitterness that she could not talk about. She was just a concubine¡¯s child and did not have a high status in the Lu family. She originally thought that their lives would be a lot better after Chu Xianmin became the Crown Princess, but who would have expected this situation? Chu Liuyue turned around coolly. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± First Elder suppressed the anger in his heart. ¡°Close the door!¡± When everyone in the Chu family returned to the mansion, he took a deep breath in and shouted, ¡°Go and inform all the family elders. Tell them to come to the living room now. I think we should properly clear up the Chu family¡¯s accounts today!¡± After he finished his sentence, he did not forget to glance at Lu Yao, who had already long lost her soul. ¡°Especially Chu Yan! Get him to come over!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lu Yao¡¯s legs felt like jelly, and she collapsed on the floor; her face was as pale as a ghost¡¯s. ¡­ Tian Lu Academy. ¡°Did you hear the news? Chu Liuyue went to cause a scene at the Chu family residence yesterday! The entire Chu family is in chaos now!¡± ¡°I heard that Chu Liuyue only went back to take back what belongs to her and her father, which includes her mother¡¯s dowry¡­ Logically speaking, this isn¡¯t much, right?¡± ¡°Hah, isn¡¯t much? That isn¡¯t what the Chu family members think. Do you know how many valuable items and money Chu Liuyue took from the Chu family yesterday? She literally skinned off a portion of the Chu family¡¯s meat!¡± ¡°I think Chu Liuyue is really harsh! After all, the Chu family was the one who brought her to this world and raised her up. Now that she¡¯s successful, she just turned her back on them and took away so many things from the family¡­ The Chu family¡¯s status as one of the four biggest aristocratic families was already facing danger, and this just added oil to the fire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better if we don¡¯t ruffle the feathers of such a person¡­¡± The students¡ªwho had rested for a day¡ªcame back to the academy today and heatedly discussed the matter within their own groups. The commotion was too huge, and they couldn¡¯t even pretend not to know about it. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± A clear female voice interrupted their whispers. They turned around and saw Mu Hongyu. Once they saw her, many students started to become scared. Mu Hongyu had a fiery temper and was very capable, so she was not easy to deal with. The most important thing was that she had a formidable background. She was Prince Ping Jiang¡¯s only daughter¡ªthe legitimate Princess Yong Ping. Even though she was not a royal princess, her status was equally prestigious. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking anymore? I thought you were having a great discussion just now.¡± Mu Hongyu raised her leg and walked in as her eyes swept across the crowd with much interest. Even though she was smiling, the crowd could hear the threat in her voice. ¡°Hehe¡­ Hongyu, we¡¯re just casually talking. We didn¡¯t say much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mu Hongyu crossed her arms and raised her chins. She crisply said, ¡°I heard what you said just now very clearly. Let me tell you that Chu Liuyue is my friend. If I hear anyone talking bad about her in the future, don¡¯t blame me for being harsh.¡± The crowd fell silent. They looked at each other awkwardly since they did not expect Mu Hongyu to say this. Friend¡­ Since when did she become friends with Chu Liuyue? Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was coincidentally passing by¡ªhad also heard her words. She paused in her tracks and weirdly looked at Mu Hongyu, who was not far away. Actually, they only talked to each other twice, but Mu Hongyu still stood up for her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Hongyu.¡± Mu Hongyu then saw Chu Liuyue behind the crowd, and the coldness on her face immediately dissipated. Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond eyes sparkled, and she waved at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Chu Liuyue walked over and smiled in a way that made her look like she did not notice the weird and stiff atmosphere. ¡°Why are you standing here? Aren¡¯t you going to reach the next stage soon? You should grab the time and go to Jiuyou Tower to cultivate.¡± Mu Hongyu grumbled, ¡°They were talking bad about you.¡± Chu Liuyue nonchalantly shook her head and smiled. ¡°Just ignore it. I just chased a debt yesterday, and my pockets are heavier now. Next time, I¡¯ll bring you to Phoenix Restaurant to eat. You didn¡¯t come the previous time, right?¡± Once Mu Hongyu heard Phoenix Restaurant mentioned, she excitedly went to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. ¡°Really? I love their crystal prawn dumplings, but my allowance only allows me to go there once a month.¡± Chu Liuyue lost her smile. It seems like Mu Hongyu loves to eat. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! I¡¯ll treat you to those dumplings every day. However, you need to reach the next stage first.¡± ¡°Okay! Oh, right, I found a few people for our Fiend Tidal Team¡­¡± ¡°You can just make the decisions.¡± As the duo talked, the remaining people found their conversation boring, and all left on their own respectively. ¡­ ¡°Liuyue, are you really not angry about what those people said about you?¡± asked Mu Hongyu when nobody was around them. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about? Since I dare to do it, I won¡¯t be afraid of other people talking about me. Besides, you¡¯ve also seen that they only dare to talk about me behind my back. They can¡¯t even say a single word in front of me. If I need to scold everyone that talks bad about me, I¡¯ll be busy to death. It¡¯s not worth wasting my effort on these people.¡± Mu Hongyu pouted. ¡°You¡¯re pretty similar to my father when you talk, but I can¡¯t get over it. I will definitely take revenge for anything that makes me unhappy.¡± Mu Hongyu was straightforward and did not beat around the bushes when she talked, but she was also someone that was reluctant to suffer losses. Chu Liuyue knew that it was useless for her to advise Mu Hongyu otherwise. Besides, Mu Hongyu helped her this time, so she smiled and changed the topic. ¡°You said you found a few other people? Who are they?¡± Mu Hongyu extended her hand. ¡°Other than us, there are three other people. Liao Zhongshu and Cen Hu have agreed to join us already. The two of them are pretty strong, and they placed ninth and seventh in the semester assessment, respectively. They¡¯re also on pretty good terms with me. They¡¯re definitely trustable! Oh, right. There¡¯s still Gu Mingfeng! You should know him¡ªhe battled against Chu Xianmin in the finals.¡± ¡°Gu Mingfeng?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. She had some understanding of this person and heard that he was a concubine¡¯s son in the Gu family. As his mother came from a lowly background, he was not doted on in the family. Even though he entered Tian Lu Academy, his status in the Gu family was still very low. She did not have much of an impression of Gu Mingfeng when he battled against Chu Xianmin in the finals. She only remembered that he was a cold and gentle young man. ¡°Oh, right. Don¡¯t judge him by his usual lack of words, but he¡¯s actually pretty strong. I lost to him the previous round, and it was hard for me to get him to join our team.¡± ¡°Is¡­ he not teaming with Gu Mingzhu?¡± ¡°Tch, he doesn¡¯t really interact with Gu Mingzhu, so how can they form a team? Also, Gu Mingzhu is very arrogant because she¡¯s a Xuan Master. Why would she join us?¡± Mu Hongyu did not care about Gu Mingzhu. Chu Liuyue nodded. Mu Hongyu suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Oh, did you know that Chu Xianmin is also coming back today?¡± Chapter 122 - Marry Me to Repay My Favor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Of course, Chu Xianmin will return. With her current miserable state, she can only depend on herself. However, I don¡¯t know how Chu Xianmin will feel when she comes back since the Crown Prince and Lu Yao has gotten into trouble one after another. ¡°Minmin, why didn¡¯t you invite us to your wedding? We were all waiting to follow behind the sedan chair and join in the fun.¡± A familiar voice sounded from around the corner. Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu looked at each other and walked over. The person talking was indeed Lu Feiyan. At this point, she surrounded a person with a few other girls. That person was wearing a face veil, and her figure looked similar to Chu Xianmin¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s right! We didn¡¯t receive your invitation card, and we didn¡¯t even know the date. If you asked us to go, we definitely would¡¯ve gone, even if we had to take leave from school.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on such good terms, so why did you hide it from me?¡± Lu Feiyan was actually furious. She originally planned to follow Chu Xianmin when she married the Crown Prince, so she could at least meet him. However, Chu Xianmin did not even invite them. They had no way of going without an invitation card. Lu Feiyan could not help but suspect that Chu Xianmin did it on purpose to have the Crown Prince for herself since Lu Feiyan had missed such a good opportunity. Even though she said that sentence while smiling, her eyes were filled with displeasure. ¡°It was on very short notice, and we didn¡¯t have enough time to do many things. T-thus, I forgot about you all¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± said Chu Xianmin while clenching her teeth. She clearly knew what these few people were thinking. No way will I let you laugh at me. Lu Feiyan purposely smiled and said, ¡°The Crown Prince has always liked you and even allowed you to come back to the academy for lessons. Minmin, you must be having a good time at Crown Prince Mansion, right?¡± Chu Xianmin forcefully agreed and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t come to school for a few days, soI need to find the teachers. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± She then walked away from the few people to leave. However, she coincidentally saw the person she hated the most once she looked up. Chu Liuyue! Chu Xianmin¡¯s blood boiled as her nails dug deep into her palms. If looks could kill people, Chu Liuyue would probably have wounds all over her body. Mu Hongyu alertly glared at her. ¡°What do you want?¡± However, Chu Xianmin did not say anything and directly walked past Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu. ¡°That was strange. If it were last time, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have taken it lying. Why did her personality change after she married the Crown Prince?¡± muttered Mu Hongyu softly. Chu Liuyue looked at Chu Xianmin¡¯s departing back view, in deep thought, and smiled. ¡°The good show is at the end. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ The Imperial City looked calm as usual, but some people had sensitively detected that something was amiss already¡ªthe Crown Prince seemed to be in trouble. The most obvious point was that the books sent to Crown Prince Mansion in the past were all sent back to the palace now. On the surface, Emperor Jiawen said that the Crown Prince was about to break through to the next level, so he did not want to distract the Crown Prince for the time being. However, in reality, the smarter ones knew that the Crown Prince¡¯s authority had been taken away. Besides, the Crown Prince had been stuck behind closed doors recently and rejected all invitations. There was obviously a problem. However, the palace strictly prevented any news from spreading, so the public did not have any way of finding out what happened. They could only guess the situation secretly, choosing to observe the changes quietly. Some people were also sitting on the fence and started to make preparations for themselves while acting in secret. ¡­ ¡°Third Brother, what exactly is Father planning to do? There¡¯s solid evidence that the Crown Prince sent someone to kill you. How can Father just allow him to reflect on his mistakes in Crown Prince Mansion? No matter how highly Father thinks of him, Father shouldn¡¯t just casually end the matter like this.¡± Rong Feng knitted his brows tightly and did not understand his father¡¯s actions. Rong Jiu and I immediately understood after receiving Seventh Royal Brother¡¯s ¡®big present¡¯. We then worked together to gather a lot more evidence over the next few days. After that, Third Brother presented all of the evidence to Father. The Crown Prince couldn¡¯t even deny them. However, why did Father get so angry but let him off so easily? Rong Jiu looked calm. ¡°Those pieces of evidence can severely affect the Crown Prince, but it¡¯s a little too naive to think that the evidence can destroy him.¡± ¡°But this matter can¡¯t just end like this.¡± Rong Feng anxiously stood up and paced back and forth. ¡°Even though he really didn¡¯t attack you, he can¡¯t deny what he tried to do to Seventh Brother. We merely changed the victim to you. How can Father protect him like this? As the Emperor, shouldn¡¯t he hate this type of matter the most?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, but you forgot that the Crown Prince has still kind of hit the right spot, even though Father hates the fact that the Crown Prince attacked me. It¡¯s because of this that the Crown Prince¡¯s punishment became a lot lighter,¡± said Rong Jiu as he smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Doesn¡¯t Father want to do this to me as well by making me stay in the Imperial City? Now that the Crown Prince has acted for me, it makes me much more relaxed. Hence, Rong Jin¡¯s status as the Crown Prince will not waver. Upon seeing Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze, Rong Feng suddenly understood something. ¡°Third Brother, are you saying that Father¡­ However, things have already come to this stage. Isn¡¯t it better to just drag the Crown Prince down?¡± Rong Jiu closed his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡± ¡­ The outside world was secretly chaotic, but Chu Liuyue had a peaceful life in the academy. Time flew to the end of August, and with the Fiend Tidal just around the corner, the academy¡¯s atmosphere became even more exciting and boisterous. Thrilled chatter could be heard everywhere as the students cultivated even more intensely. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that more people were going to Jiuyou Tower. She did not know that cultivation time in Jiuyou Tower was very hard to earn, so many people could not afford to come every day. They would only come more often when they were about to break through to the next stage or when key events neared. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to try to break through to the warrior¡¯s second stage, but she failed once again and decided not to think about it. When Chu Liuyue returned to her lodging at night, she saw a familiar figure once she walked in. No, it was two figures. Rong Xiu and Xue Xue. Chu Liuyue found it a little weird. ¡°Hm, Your Highness, why are you so free today?¡± Rong Xiu seemed to be very busy during this period. Even though he came a few times, he always came in the middle of the night and left early in the morning. Sometimes, she did not even see him and only knew that he had come here when she smelled the faint cold fragrance. Today was a rare occasion. Rong Xiu slightly raised his brows, took out a box, and passed it to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Open it up and take a look.¡± Chu Liuyue received the box and opened it with a light flick. A dagger was quietly lying in there. She removed it from the black sheath, and a harsh glare instantly flashed in her eyes. This dagger is very sharp. Chu Liuyue was surprised. Upon closer inspection, she could see two very thin, leaf-sized flying blades. One look at them, and Chu Liuyue could feel the immense suppression inside. She looked up in confusion. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°The toys you have aren¡¯t usable. I specifically prepared this for you.¡± Chu Liuyue then remembered that Rong Xiu had said similar words before. However, she thought that he was kidding and did not expect him to be serious. Her heart tingled. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve been going out early and coming back late at night recently. Could it be because of this?¡± Rong Xiu inched in closer, and his eyes sparkled like the night sky filled with stars. In a low and enticing voice, he said, ¡°Then¡­ how are you going to repay me? Why don¡¯t you marry me to repay the favor¡­¡± He suddenly paused and looked down to see the blade in front of his chest. ¡°¡­ I can also marry you to repay the favor instead.¡± Chapter 123 - How Fierce Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s better if you request for something more realistic.¡± Chu Liuyue held the knife and used a little strength to push him away. Rong Xiu knitted his brows but did not move backward. Instead, he inched forward. The two people were extremely close to each other, and they were almost a breath away. Rong Xiu honestly put everything he had in front of her and did not care about the rest. His dark eyes reflected Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. It seemed like¡­ he would still inch closer without a care in the world, even if she held a sharp blade. She was stunned, and there was a delay in her actions. A dark light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, and his lips curved up slightly in a flirty manner. A faint sigh landed beside Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears. ¡°¡­ How fierce.¡± This sigh in the dark sky was akin to the wind strumming a harp¡¯s strings, which resounded in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart and did not leave after a long time. Her heart uncontrollably skipped a beat as if something cunning had opened a window in her stiff cold wall and went in. She almost moved backward instinctively and avoided Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your Highness, with your distinguished status, you can just wave your hand, and countless elegant girls would fight for your arms. I¡¯m ferocious, harsh, cold, and heartless. Your Highness, don¡¯t waste your time on me.¡± Rong Xiu looked at her, and his eyes sparkled, which finally resulted in nonchalant laughter. ¡°However, my eyes can¡¯t see them. I only see you. What else can I do?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she could not help but look at him. The cold moonlight shone in, causing Rong Xiu¡¯s face to be half in the light and half in the dark. He knitted his brows lightly as if he was frustrated. However, his eyes were still filled with pampering love. These straightforward and close to expressing devotion words stumped Chu Liuyue. The duo quietened down, and the flirty atmosphere intensified between them both as if the wind from the end of summer had become gentler. It was not that Chu Liuyue had not heard confessions before. In her previous life, she had a distinguished status, formidable capabilities, and her appearance¡ªwhich attracted many young men¡¯s admiration did not need mentioning. Logically speaking, she should not feel emotional if she met with similar scenes again. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s words seemed to have a certain strength that could easily affect her mood. Chu Liuyue looked down. Without mentioning the few times Rong Xiu helped her, he was very meticulous towards her, just based on the peach blossom hairpin he gave on her birthday and today¡¯s intricate dagger. The things he had done for her would touch any other girl. It would be a lie if she said did not feel anything because of his actions. However, she had experienced the worst, most painful betrayal in the world, so she could no longer easily trust anyone any longer. Her first reaction toward Rong Xiu¡¯s kind acts was not to accept them happily but to run away. When Rong Xiu inched in closer towards her, her heart would vaguely feel fearful. That terror came from the pain she could never forget, which laid in the depths of her memory. She could not talk to Rong Xiu about this. Besides, the most important thing after her rebirth was to take revenge. If she was too close to Rong Xiu, he would definitely be dragged into the mess. This was not fair to Rong Xiu. Countless thoughts flashed across her mind. After a moment, Chu Liuyue looked up at Rong Xiu again with a new gaze. She looked calm, and her eyes were clear as her lips curved up. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re so funny.¡± Her cold voice shattered the flirty atmosphere. Rong Xiu stared straight at her. Both of them were smart and could understand what each other meant without being explicit. Chu Liuyue was waiting for Rong Xiu to turn around and leave. Any man will not continue pursuing after doing so many things for a girl and still get rejected, right? Besides, Rong Xiu is of such high status. However, out of her expectations, Rong Xiu did not show any signs of embarrassment as if he did not care about whatever Chu Liuyue just said. He then extended his hand and grabbed the dagger in front of him. ¡°You just need to say if you like the gift.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. However, she could only nod after seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s persistent look. ¡°Your Highness¡¯s gifts are always good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± Rong Xiu chuckled softly and suddenly extended his hands to pinch her cheeks. ¡°I spent a lot of effort when I made this, so you need to accompany me to rest to express your gratitude for me.¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°You¡­ made this yourself?¡± As she was too shocked, she did not even have the time to care about Rong Xiu pinching her face. While looking at the dazed girl¡ªan infrequent sight¡ªin front of him, Rong Xiu was put in a better mood as he turned around to walk upstairs. ¡°I¡¯m very tired today. I¡¯ll talk to you about it tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled in her heart. Does he really need to talk about this another day? ¡°Your Highness, even if you¡¯re willing to talk about it tomorrow, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have the chance to listen.¡± Rong Xiu paused in his tracks and turned to look at her. Chu Liuyue walked forward and paused for a while when she reached his side, lifting her chin slightly. ¡°We¡¯re going to Wan Ling Mountain tomorrow, and we¡¯re leaving first thing in the morning, so you can just talk to yourself.¡± After that, Chu Liuyue did not even look at Rong Xiu as she went upstairs and headed straight for her room, directly locking the door from the inside. Rong Xiu only recovered his senses when she locked the door, and his brows raised slightly upon seeing the tightly shut bedroom door. After a moment, he could not help but laugh. She still loves to calculate and doesn¡¯t want to admit defeat. At this moment, Xue Xue¡ªwho was trying very hard to reduce its presence¡ªsuddenly jumped up from the first floor and landed in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s room on the second floor. Its claws kept scratching against the door. No! This can¡¯t be! Xue Xue¡¯s claws were very sharp, and every swipe left tidy marks on the door. Rong Xiu instantly felt disgraced upon seeing Xue Xue¡¯s appearance. It is still a high-level fiend in the end. Why is it so uncollected when it met with things and embarrassed itself by scratching the door? ¡°Xue Xue, what are you doing?¡± asked Rong Xiu while suppressing his voice. Xue Xue turned back to look at him with indignance. What else can she do at Wan Ling Mountain? Of course, she¡¯s going there to hunt for fiends. Does Chu Liuyue not like me? Why does she want to find another wild dog¡ªno, wild fiend? Then, what about me? This can¡¯t be! Xue Xue did not care about Rong Xiu as it kept scratching the door. Rong Xiu immediately understood what Xue Xue was thinking from its gaze. Hang on! Tian Lu Academy does indeed bring students to Wan Ling Mountain for training at this time every year. If I did not remember wrongly, the students have to form teams to participate¡­? Then, who did she group with? A crack appeared in Rong Xiu¡¯s calm expression. Chu Liuyue has just entered Tian Lu Academy and doesn¡¯t know many people. The people she knows the best are probably the ones who are Xuan Masters like her. If she formed a team, it should be with them. Is she grouping up with that kid from the Si family? Chapter 124 - Late Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wan Ling Mountain was a two-day journey away from the Imperial City, and the Tian Lu Academy teachers would bring the willing students there to train every year. Some students went there to obtain fiends they were satisfied with, while others want to upgrade their skills through the rare real battles. One¡¯s potential usually increased after battling with fiends, allowing them to unleash greater strength. Sometimes, this would help cultivators break through their bottlenecks and advance to the next level. Hence, the majority of the academy¡¯s students had signed up for it. When the sky just started to brighten up, the students had already gathered together. The older students looked normal, but the new students brimmed with unconcealable excitement. ¡°I wonder if I can find a fourth-grade fiend in this Fiend Tidal.¡± ¡°Haha, just based on yourself? Don¡¯t overthink. Only the most talented and capable people can have such high-level fiends.¡± ¡°Hah, that might not be true! Maybe I¡¯ll be lucky enough to meet with one. Besides, our group is pretty strong! If we work together, there¡¯s a chance of us succeeding.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thinking so far ahead. I just want to battle against a few strong fiends.¡± ¡°Pfft, when you meet a high-level fiend, you will only be worried that you don¡¯t have enough time to run away.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The crowd discussed amongst themselves and teased each other, clearly showing their high hopes for the event. Outside of the crowded bunch, a few people were exceptionally quiet. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Liuyue here? It¡¯s almost time to leave.¡± Mu Hongyu looked at the sky and was a little anxious. She had specifically reminded Chu Liuyue twice about today¡¯s departure time and told her that she could not be late. However, everyone was already here, but her shadow had still yet to be seen. ¡°Is she delayed by something?¡± asked a skinny and tall young man beside Mu Hongyu. He had white skin and looked very gentlemanly. He spoke slower than an average person and sounded especially gentle. This person was Liao Zhongshu. Mu Hongyu shook her head. ¡°What can be more important than Fiend Tidal? Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t forget about it¡­¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem like someone unreliable. ¡°Do you know where she lives? Why don¡¯t we go and find her,¡± comforted Liao Zhongshu. Mu Hongyu covered her face. ¡°Did you forget that she¡¯s a Xuan Master? She lives in a different place from us.¡± She had gotten much closer to Chu Liuyue these few days, but she did not ask Chu Liuyue where exactly she stayed. Liao Zhongshu was silent for a while. He really forgot about that¡­ ¡°What¡¯s there to be conflicted about? If she really doesn¡¯t come, the four of us can just group together. We can still go, even if we are short of a person,¡± said a muscular and dark-skinned man beside Liao Zhongshu. ¡°Cen Hu, are you a tiger1?¡± Mu Hongyu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Everyone else has five people in their group, and we only have four. That¡¯s too disadvantageous for us! Don¡¯t forget that we battle in our small teams when we reach Wan Ling Mountain.¡± Cen Hu shuddered from her scolding and scratched his head. He muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s find someone else then¡­¡± Mu Hongyu glared at him. ¡°Everyone has already gathered in groups of five by this time. Where can we find another person?¡± Cen Hu finally kept quiet. ¡°All teams, come forward and collect your items.¡± The few of them turned around to take a look. ¡°We¡¯re really leaving after we collect the items,¡± said Liao Zhongshu with his brows knitted. Mu Hongyu bit her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Teacher Bai Chen!¡± ¡­ On the other side, Bai Chen was currently counting the number of Xuan Masters. After counting, he found something amiss. ¡°¡­ Where¡¯s Chu Liuyue? Why isn¡¯t she here?¡± The crowd looked at each other, but nobody said a word. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen! Do you know where Liuyue stays? She hasn¡¯t come yet, so I want to look for her,¡± said Mu Hongyu in a straightforward manner as she rushed to Bai Chen. Bai Chen was shocked. ¡°Is she really not here yet?¡± Upon seeing Mu Hongyu¡¯s anxious look, he thought for a while and immediately turned to Si Ting. ¡°Si Ting, you know where she stays, right? Take Mu Hongyu with you and have a look.¡± Si Ting nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Before the two of them moved, Gu Mingzhu¡ªwho had been watching from the side¡ªcould not help but mock, ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, time is almost up. If they go and find her now, what if they don¡¯t make it back in time? It¡¯s Chu Liuyue¡¯s fault for not taking note of the time and missing the event. You can¡¯t implicate the others just because of her.¡± Mu Hongyu glared at her in frustration. ¡°Gu Mingzhu, is this related to you? We¡¯re in different teams. Even if it causes a delay, you won¡¯t be delayed. What are you anxious about?¡± Gu Mingzhu¡¯s face flushed red from the scolding. ¡°Am I not speaking the truth? Chu Liuyue is on the same team as you. If you want, you can go look for her yourself. Don¡¯t drag anyone else into your troubles.¡± Gu Mingzhu sneered as she frowned. ¡°I think there¡¯s an 80% chance she purposely didn¡¯t come because she¡¯s probably scared.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Mu Hongyu suppressed the anger in her heart. ¡°I have no time to talk nonsense with you. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson when I come back. Si Ting, lead the way.¡± The two of them then turned around to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t need to look for me. I¡¯m here.¡± A familiar voice sounded, and Mu Hongyu looked up in surprise. As expected, she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure. ¡°Liuyue! You¡¯re finally here!¡± Mu Hongyu quickly walked to Chu Liuyue and could not help but pat her elbow. ¡°Why are you so late? I thought you were going to stand us up!¡± Chu Liuyue clasped her fingers together and teasingly said, ¡°Sorry, something happened. Am I on time?¡± ¡°Of course, you are!¡± Mu Hongyu purposely raised her voice as she glanced at Gu Mingzhu. ¡°Some people would love it if you didn¡¯t come. If you didn¡¯t, they¡¯d step all over you.¡± Gu Mingzhu wanted to argue, but she forced herself to calm down when she saw Si Ting standing at the side. She then turned around, upset. ¡°Little Liuyue, you almost didn¡¯t make it!¡± Bai Chen shook his head but was reluctant to scold her. Thus, he could only wave at her. ¡°Hurry up and go back! It¡¯s your turn soon!¡± ¡°Thank you, Teacher Bai Chen.¡± Chu Liuyue then went back with Mu Hongyu and met with the rest. Mu Hongyu poked her and softly asked, ¡°Hey, what happened today? Why are you so late?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Something minor happened, but I dealt with it already.¡± Mm, it was just Prince Li and Xue Xue bugging me the entire time. Chapter 125 - Wan Ling Mountain Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The personalities of this master and subordinate, man and fiend, really came from the same mold. After they realized she was going to Wan Ling Mountain, they made a huge fuss about it. If she hadn¡¯t stopped them in time, Xue Xue would¡¯ve scratched the door into pieces. Xue Xue seemed to be very upset about this and whined about it. Thus, Chu Liuyue spent a lot of effort to comfort it. As for Rong Xiu¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears went red, and she closed her eyes. How can there be someone so shameless on Earth? ¡°Liuyue, why are your ears red?¡± asked Mu Hongyu curiously. Chu Liuyue immediately shook her head. ¡°Nothing much. I came here in too much of a rush.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded her head in understanding, and she wrinkled her nose. ¡°Hmph, you knew we were setting off early in the morning. How can you come so late? If you didn¡¯t make it on time, I wouldn¡¯t have let you off.¡± Mu Hongyu only calmed down after Chu Liuyue promised her that she would not do it ever again. With Mu Hongyu¡¯s introductions, Chu Liuyue met Liao Zhongshu, Cen Hu, and Gu Mingfeng, respectively. Like what Mu Hongyu said, these few people were all stage-three warriors, especially Gu Mingfeng¡ªhis aura made it seem like he was about to break through to the next stage. As the team leader, Mu Hongyu joined the queue to collect the items. The person leading the teams this time was Sun Zhongyan. Under him were a few elders and more than ten teachers, all going with the students. When everyone had gathered together, Sun Zhongyan¡ªwho was standing right in front¡ªsaid, ¡°Dear students, I believe everyone has been looking forward to this trip to Wan Ling Mountain. This time, I¡¯ll lead the teams. Other than me, Tian Lu Academy has sent three elders, who will each be in charge of one cohort.¡± ¡°There are ten teachers under every elder, and each teacher is in charge of three teams. There¡¯s a signal bottle amongst the items passed to you. If you meet with any danger, just pull it to activate it.¡± Chu Liuyue looked down at the black bottle and saw two strings below it. ¡°Pulling one string means you¡¯re asking a teacher for help. If you¡¯re in danger, pull both strings! The elders will immediately locate your position and come and help you,¡± bellowed Sun Zhongyan clearly. ¡°Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Sun Zhongyan paused, and his expression became more stern. ¡°Wan Ling Mountain is a dangerous place, even more so when the Fiend Tidal happens. If you¡¯re not careful, you might lose your life. Therefore, no matter how much you want a fiend you¡¯re satisfied with, you must remember that safety is your priority.¡± The crowd answered in unison, ¡°I¡¯ll remember your teachings!¡± Sun Zhongyan then nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ There were too many people, and they could not float in the air, so they could only walk. It was good that the academy¡¯s students were all of a certain caliber. Thus, they did not walk at a slow speed. With the large number of students, the atmosphere was pretty lively, and the entire journey there was a pretty happy one. Everyone¡¯s topics obviously did not leave Wan Ling Mountain and the Fiend Tidal. The senior brothers and senior sisters, who had participated before, would regularly talk about the situations they met with in the Fiend Tidals one or two years ago, attracting the freshmen¡¯s attention. ¡°It would¡¯ve been great if I became a stage-four warrior,¡± muttered Mu Hongyu as she walked. She had been working hard on her cultivation lately. She had even touched the barrier leading to the next stage, but she always lacked a little something for some reason. Initially, she planned to choose a stronger fiend she was more satisfied with during the Fiend Tidal if she had successfully broken through to the next stage since her abilities would be greatly strengthened. However, it seemed like this was impossible. ¡°Hongyu, cultivation can¡¯t be rushed,¡± reminded Liao Zhongshu kindly. ¡°I know, but who doesn¡¯t want to break through? Don¡¯t you want to as well?¡± Liao Zhongshu did not argue with her and only shook his head. Mu Hongyu sighed. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be like Liuyue? Even though she¡¯s a stage-one warrior, she has the abilities of a stage-three warrior at least!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and did not say a word. I don¡¯t want this either¡­ Mu Hongyu looked at Gu Mingfeng. ¡°Oh, right. Weren¡¯t you also going to break through? Why hasn¡¯t it happened yet?¡± Gu Mingfeng¡ªwho had kept quiet the whole time with his calm eyes¡ªlightly said, ¡°I guess the time hasn¡¯t come yet.¡± Chu Liuyue took another look at him in deep thought. Gu Mingfeng¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be simple too¡­ A cold and sinister gaze suddenly landed on her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes moved and coincidentally met with Chu Xianmin¡¯s retracting gaze. The vengeance and hatred in Chu Xianmin¡¯s pair of eyes had not subsided. Chu Xianmin did not expect Chu Liuyue to be so sensitive and hurriedly turned away. This was a rare opportunity that she had gotten from the Crown Prince, so she must make use of it¡­ Chu Liuyue chuckled in her heart. Chu Xianmin really has not given up on her weird antics. Rong Jin did not come this time, so the matter¡¯s seriousness is way over her expectations. She did not know what the Imperial City would be like when she returned. ¡­ After two days of walking, the crowd finally reached the bottom of Wan Ling Mountain on the third morning. When they looked up, the many mountains, with their beautiful curves, were covered in lush greenery. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Chu Liuyue could already feel a weird aura coming from there. Sun Zhongyan was still instructing the students in detail. ¡°The Fiend Tidal will happen within these two days. Everyone, prepare yourselves and enter the mountains. Please remember to do what you can. Don¡¯t barge into Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s hinterland. You must leave Wan Ling Mountain three days later.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The students answered with a louder resounding ¡®yes¡¯ when they reached the bottom of the mountains, which had a vastly different view. All the teams went their separate ways, and their figures quickly disappeared into the forest. ¡°Let¡¯s go too!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond eyes sparkled with delight. Chu Liuyue looked up. The tall mountains were like quiet, sleeping, ferocious fiends, which was unsettling. She took a deep breath in and suppressed her anxiety as she followed Mu Hongyu and the rest into the forest. ¡­ Wan Ling Mountain was very big, and Chu Liuyue and the others quickly separated from the other teams. The surroundings became increasingly quiet, and they could only hear the leaves crackling under their feet. The leaves swayed in the wind, and sunlight shone down brightly. After walking for about two hours, Mu Hongyu finally could not help but ask, ¡°Mr. Dongfang said that fiends would appear around the mountains when the Fiend Tidal comes. However, why haven¡¯t we seen a single one after walking for so long?¡± Chu Liuyue was about to say something when she suddenly felt a cold aura coming towards them. She sharpened her gaze and looked in a certain direction. ¡°Get out of there!¡± Chapter 126 - Targeting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mu Hongyu and the rest were frightened, and they hurriedly looked over. However, they saw no movement at all. It was very calm in the silent woods. Mu Hongyu could not help but softly ask, ¡°Liuyue, did you sense it wrongly? There doesn¡¯t seem to be a fiend aura¡­¡± Chu Liuyue did not say anything as she stared straight in front of them. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out, don¡¯t blame me for being merciless.¡± Mu Hongyu and the rest looked at each other awkwardly. There were only trees around them and not even a bush. How could fiends hide here? However, Chu Liuyue did not look like she was kidding, so the rest subconsciously stayed quiet. The next moment, the fallen leaves suddenly rustled in front of them. ¡°There¡¯s something there!¡± Mu Hongyu and the rest suddenly became alert. There really is a fiend here! Sou! Sou! A small ball of fur suddenly wiggled out of the leaves. ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± The few people, who thought they were up against a formidable fiend, were dazed. ¡°Ah-choo!¡± That small ball suddenly sneezed, and its round body started to relax and expand. It was only the size of a fist and was very red. Its fluffy tail was as big as its body, and its pair of black eyes were lively and cute. It blankly stared at Chu Liuyue and the rest as if it did not notice what had just happened. The fellow rubbed its eyes with its small paws as if someone had interrupted its rest. It was actually¡­ ¡°A small fox?¡± Mu Hongyu blurted out. Once the small creature heard that sentence, it suddenly stopped its original movements and quickly shook its head. No! I¡¯m not a fox! ¡°This is a blood ferret.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. All of the others were shocked. ¡°The rumored most useless third-grade fiend¡ªblood ferret?¡± The small ball¡¯s face suddenly turned dark. Chu Liuyue nodded. A third-grade fiend was actually of decent grade, but a blood ferret was too small and did not have much attacking power. Besides, it was too lively and active, so it was not suitable to be a hunter fiend. This kind of blood ferret was usually taken in as pets, and aristocratic children would play with them. ¡°Aish, forget it.¡± The few of them were disappointed. They did not expect that the first fiend they saw after they entered Wan Ling Mountain would actually be a blood ferret. Chu Liuyue nodded. The few of them did not have fiends, so they had high hopes when coming here. However, a blood ferret really was unsuitable for them. The few of them ignored it and turned around to walk away. Once Chu Liuyue moved, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and lowered her head to take a look. That small thing bit her clothes at some point in time and was looking at her cutely. Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a moment. They did not want to hunt a blood ferret, but it seemed to want to follow them? Chu Liuyue bent down and wanted to move it away, but the little thing seemed to know her intentions. With a shrink of its body, it moved to the other side to bite her clothes again. The blood ferret was very fast. If Chu Liuyue tried to catch it with her own hands, she definitely would not be able to succeed. Thus, she did not move any longer. Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Liuyue, it seems to like you a lot.¡± Her face was filled with curiosity. She only heard of blood ferrets but had never seen one before. It seemed pretty cute! Chu Liuyue also found it weird and said to that thing, ¡°We don¡¯t intend to do anything to you, so don¡¯t follow us.¡± The little thing blinked dazedly and only understood Chu Liuyue¡¯s meaning after some time. Does she¡­ not want me anymore? The little thing¡¯s eyes quickly welled up with water, and bead-like tears kept pattering on the ground. It looked up at Chu Liuyue as if it was silently complaining to her. Chu Liuyue was speechless. It seems a little off? ¡°Liuyue, do you want to bring it along? Even if you don¡¯t want to make a pact with it, you can just keep it as a pet. It looks so lonely and pitiful.¡± Mu Hongyu had no resistance against these types of small, furry creatures. She could not help but say, ¡°Why don¡¯t I let you follow me?¡± The little thing frantically shook its head. Mu Hongyu was a little disappointed. ¡°I think it only wants to follow you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while before saying, ¡°Then, listen to me obediently, and we¡¯ll bring you along with us.¡± The little thing hurriedly nodded. Like a red lightning bolt, it jumped onto Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. With a sit of its butt and a sweep of its tail, it directly sat on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder. From far away, it looked like a red furry ball. It was light and not heavy at all. Chu Liuyue looked at it, and her lips curved up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ Afterward, the few of them continued to walk in the forest. Not long later, they met a third-grade livid horse fiend. Livid horses were bulky and were considered a stronger third-grade fiend. ¡°Livid horses have a cold temperament, and their attacking power is a little low. It normally won¡¯t battle humans. It¡¯s suitable to be a horse for you to ride on, but not suitable for you to hunt with,¡± said Liao Zhongshu softly. Cen Hu was a little tempted but immediately rejected this idea when he heard what Liao Zhongshu said. ¡°Let¡¯s continue walking then. Perhaps we¡¯ll meet something better!¡± After saying that, Cen Hu led the way in front. However, the livid horse didn¡¯t just leave them. It stood in front of them, and its hooves scratched against the ground a few times. It breathed out roughly, and its eyes were filled with vague enmity. Cen Hu noticed that something was wrong and knitted his brows to ask, ¡°Nerd, didn¡¯t you say livid horses won¡¯t take the initiative to attack people? Why does it seem it wants to go against us?¡± Liao Zhongshu was also shocked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. My family has a few livid horses, and all of them are very gentle. Why is this¡­ Is it because Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s fiends are generally more ferocious?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the livid horse neighed and dashed towards the few of them. Cen Hu was in front of the pack. ¡°He!¡± bellowed Cen Hu deeply as his legs bent slightly. He also raised his muscular arms as he tightly clenched his fan-like palms into fists before suddenly attacking. ¡°One Punch Up!¡± He was originally a stage-three warrior and physically strong. Together with the power in his fists, he was not one to be underestimated. His fists were very harsh as they went straight for the livid horse. The livid horse raised its front hooves and was about to avoid the fist. Cen Hu immediately followed up and directly went under the livid horse. Right after that, his fists turned into claws that went straight for the livid horse¡¯s stomach. Huala! A cut immediately appeared in the livid horse¡¯s stomach, and blood spurted everywhere. Even Cen Hu¡¯s face was stained with blood. However, this ignited his fighting spirit. ¡°Die!¡± hollered Cen Hu as he wanted to take its life. At this moment, the livid horse suddenly raised its leg and harshly kicked Cen Hu¡¯s chest. ¡°Be careful!¡± Mu Hongyu and the rest all noticed that something was amiss, so they immediately backed him up. The livid horse was attacked and distracted, so its attack was much weaker than usual. However, it was very angry and kicked Cen Hu¡¯s back. Poof! Cen Hu suffered the heavy impact and collapsed to the floor. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face became much paler than before. Gu Mingfeng stared straight at the livid horse and saw the vague red color in its eyes. ¡°This beast is going crazy!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Why did a gentle livid horse attack us for no reason? This crazily too. At this moment, Mu Hongyu suddenly yelled, ¡°Liuyue! Danger!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that the livid horse had rushed past Mu Hongyu and the rest and was heading straight for her. It was targeting her! Chapter 127 - Encountering Danger Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes darkened as she unsheathed her sword and thrust it towards the front. Poof! That bright and sharp longsword accurately pierced into the livid horse¡¯s neck. The livid horse let out a painful moan, and its eyes became crazier. With a move of its body, it recklessly went straight for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was cold as she turned her wrists. Her longsword sliced forward and split the livid horse¡¯s neck in two. Bam! The gigantic head that had turned green landed on the floor and made a loud thud. The wound Chu Liuyue had dealt to the livid horse was still spurting blood out, but the livid horse¡¯s eyes were already wide open. It had also lost its breath after struggling for a short while. Chu Liuyue kept her sword and glanced at the corpse on the floor. She thought to herself, I don¡¯t know this livid horse, and I didn¡¯t do anything unreasonable to it, so why was it so against me? Mu Hongyu and the rest were stunned for quite some time before they recovered their senses. ¡°L-Liuyue¡­ how did you act so quickly?¡± asked Mu Hongyu dazedly. The few of them attacked the livid horse together but still could not stop the crazy animal. However, Chu Liuyue only used one sword attack to kill it. What kind of strong ability did that need? ¡°My God! You still hid some of your abilities when you battled against Chu Xianmin that day?¡± Cen Hu got up with much difficulty but did not care about the bloodstains on his face as he widened his eyes to look at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. He knew about the horse¡¯s capability after he battled with it earlier. Even with his strong abilities, he had suffered under the livid horse¡¯s hooves. If it weren¡¯t for Mu Hongyu and the rest¡ªwho came to help him¡ªhe might not have been its match. However, Chu Liuyue actually killed it so easily. Chu Liuyue recollected her thoughts, looked up at the others, and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Since it wanted to kill me, I obviously won¡¯t show any mercy to it. As for the mid-semester assessment¡­ Didn¡¯t the teacher say that we have to stop adequately?¡± Cen Hu widened his eyes and could not help but curse upon seeing how relaxed Chu Liuyue was. Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°You can take the pearl of essence.¡± Cen Hu¡¯s eyes widened even more. ¡°What do you mean? Are you looking down on me? You killed this horse, so its pearl of essence should be yours. I¡¯m not someone that will take advantage of people.¡± This Cen Hu is so rash¡­ Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. ¡°You were hurt by it. If you don¡¯t recuperate properly, you¡¯ll take at least half a month to get better. You will recover faster if you take its pearl of essence to nurse your injury.¡± This sentence stumped everyone. Cen Hu was slightly touched, but he still suspiciously asked, ¡°Really? How did you know that?¡± Chu Liuyue was too lazy to reply to him, so she turned around and walked away. ¡°A mere third-grade pearl of essence isn¡¯t anything good, and you can dismiss it. However, Hongyu will be the first not to let you off if it affects our team, let alone me.¡± Mu Hongyu felt very blessed and suddenly slapped Cen Hu¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Liuyue said? Go and take it!¡± Cen Hu staggered backward from the slap but was not angry at all. He happily smiled instead. ¡°T-Then I¡¯ll take this pearl of essence first! When we meet other fiends, I¡¯ll be the first to rush forward and help you!¡± As he talked, he walked to the corpse and slashed open the horse¡¯s head with a knife to take out the green, longan-sized pearl. Three distinct lines could be clearly seen on the pearl. Cen Hu wiped away the bloodstains and opened his mouth to swallow it. A wave of warmth emerged from his stomach, and the previous excruciating pain was reduced. Cen Hu¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°It really works!¡± Chu Liuyue did not turn back and lightly said, ¡°A fiend¡¯s pearl of essence will be poisonous to some extent, and livid horses are no exception. You need to cut your thumb and let blood out every hour. This must be done thrice to remove the toxins in the pearl naturally. Originally, it would¡¯ve been better if you used Three Pure Leaves, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any here. Therefore, we¡¯ll just use this stupid method first.¡± She said it nonchalantly as if it was just a minor thing. However, Mu Hongyu and the rest all widened their eyes and felt dazed. Chu Liuyue walked a few steps and finally turned around when she noticed that there was no commotion behind. She saw that all of them were looking at her weirdly. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Liuyue, how do you know so much?¡± asked Mu Hongyu hesitantly. Gu Mingfeng, who kept quiet all along, suddenly said, ¡°Did you forget that she passed all three examinations to enter the academy?¡± The three assessments naturally included the heavenly doctor assessment. One could not blame Mu Hongyu and the rest for not remembering about it as Chu Liuyue directly participated in the warrior assessment and Xuan Master assessment the day she entered the academy, coming in first and second, respectively. Those two achievements were too outstanding and outshone her ability as a heavenly doctor. The few of them only recovered their senses when Gu Mingfeng mentioned it. ¡°Oh my! I really forgot about that!¡± Cen Hu slapped his head and gave Chu Liuyue a thumbs up. ¡°Admiration! Chu Liuyue, I really admire you!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°I know a little, but it¡¯s nothing much. Let¡¯s continue walking.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± answered Mu Hongyu and the others in unison. Their team leader was originally Mu Hongyu, but they had subconsciously taken Chu Liuyue as the core already. It seemed like her mere presence would make people admire her unknowingly. Gu Mingfeng was at the back, and he squinted his eyes. Does Chu Liuyue¡­ really know that little? Livid horses aren¡¯t common. Even if an average person has seen one before, they won¡¯t have much understanding of it. However, how did Chu Liuyue know how to remove the toxin within the livid horse¡¯s pearl of essence? Is it really a coincidence? ¡­ The day in the woods ended very quickly. The sun set, the night sky was up, and the bright moon hung high in the sky. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for the day, shall we?¡± suggested Mu Hongyu after walking to a rather spacious area. However, Chu Liuyue suddenly held her back. ¡°Hold on.¡± Mu Hongyu weirdly looked at her and saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s alert expression. Chu Liuyue had tightly knitted brows as if she was very nervous. She could not help but become nervous as well. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± After what happened during the day, Mu Hongyu completely believed in Chu Liuyue. If Chu Liuyue felt that something was amiss, something was definitely wrong! Chu Liuyue tightly pressed her lips against each other and did not say anything, but sweat started to break out on her forehead. ¡°What exactly is¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly stopped speaking. A pair of cold green eyes, like two ghoul fires, appeared in the dark. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a wolf?¡± Chu Liuyue held her breath. ¡°Not ¡®a¡¯ wolf.¡± The few of them looked over and saw a second pair and a third pair of eyes beside the emerald one. Very quickly, they were surrounded by the same cold ghoul fire. Greed, cold, and cruel. The forest was deadly silent, and only endless murderous intent was spreading like wildfire. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a pack of wolves!¡± Chapter 128 - Her Sword Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°T-this is a third-grade demonic beast, red wolf! There has to be ten of them at least! How can the five of us be their match?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s face was a little pale. They were so unlucky to have run into this kind of danger the instant they entered Wan Ling Mountain! They had a chance of winning if only one or two came, but there was no way they could win with this many red wolves surrounding them! Liao Zhongshu knitted his brows together as he muttered, ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­ Even though red wolves are highly aggressive social animals, they are rather aloof as well. They usually will not go after humans for no reason¡­ Why are they after us? We have not done anything.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She thought about how the livid horse from before seemed to be targeting her as well. Were the red wolves here for her as well? Both sides were at an impasse, and the air seemed to be frozen! ¡°What do you all want?¡± After a short, brief silence, a cold voice broke the eerie atmosphere. It was Chu Liuyue. As she spoke, she stood in front of the others. Mu Hongyu grabbed her sleeve tightly. She is insane! Red wolves are highly aggressive. If she goes over now, she is asking for death! Chu Liuyue patted her hand gently to reassure her, but Mu Hongyu refused to let go, afraid that Chu Liuyue would go over recklessly. ¡°Liuyue, we¡¯re not their match. We have to find a way to escape! I¡¯ll send a message to the teachers and elders now to ask for reinforcements!¡± As she spoke, Mu Hongyu took out the signal bottle. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank, and she tried to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Before she could finish, Mu Hongyu had already brought out the signal bottle. ¡°Awoo!¡± A loud howl echoed in the forest. The sudden noise startled Mu Hongyu, making her tremble. She was unable to pull the signal bottle¡¯s strings in time. A group of wolves closed in! The other wolves followed suit, howling. ¡°Awoo!¡± Under the moonlight, the howls were eerie and terrifying. Chu Liuyue felt her organs tremble as she frowned. Given the sheer number of wolves, even if each one took a bite out of them, it was more than enough for them to suffer. ¡°They seem to be angry?!¡± A nervous sweat broke out on Cen Hu¡¯s face. Chu Liuyue held a longsword in her hands, her muscles tensing as she mustered her strength. ¡°Red wolves are highly intelligent. They knew we were calling for help when Hongyu took out the signal bottle. To them, it was a challenge.¡± It was because of me? Mu Hongyu began to panic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for this.¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted her, her voice powerful and calming. ¡°Since they have their eyes on us, they won¡¯t leave easily. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they attack us.¡± Even so, Mu Hongyu¡¯s face was full of self-reproach. The pack of wolves suddenly divided and formed a path in the middle. A white, strong red wolf walked out from behind the pack. Its fur was smooth and reflective. The moonlight reflected on its fur as it walked out from the dark, making it look extra majestic. The most important thing was the murderous look coming from its eyes. Chu Liuyue saw it clearly, so she knew that they had no chance of negotiating. She softly reminded the others, ¡°That¡¯s the leader of the pack!¡± The others increased their wariness. ¡°According to books, every pack has a leader. If the leader is killed, the pack will be badly affected and will disperse¡­¡± Liao Zhongshu¡¯s voice was barely audible, but the others immediately understood what he was trying to say. To defeat the pack, they must take down its leader! They had no chance of winning if they fought all the wolves. Their only hope was to kill the leader! Their only chance of survival was if the pack ran off after killing their leading! Gu Mingfeng suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the leader. You guys watch and strike at the right moment.¡± Chu Liuyue looked back at him in astonishment. Gu Mingfeng¡¯s face was expressionless. The only thing giving away his nervousness was his clenched jaw. Gu Mingfeng made this choice because he knew that the situation was really dangerous. If they were not careful, all of them would die here today! He was the strongest out of all of them. Naturally, he had to take the lead. Mu Hongyu and the others looked at each other. They knew it was the most dangerous moment, but if anything happened to Gu Mingfeng¡­ ¡°The strongest body parts of a red wolf are its claws and teeth. If you get hit, you might not even survive! Remember, don¡¯t attack head-on. I¡¯ll support you,¡± said Chu Liuyue softly as she told the others to try their best to distract the other wolves. If they bought enough time, they had a chance at winning! Mu Hongyu bit her lips. ¡°Please be careful. It¡¯s really dangerous.¡± ¡°You all must be careful as well.¡± After Chu Liuyue spoke, she quietly held the dagger in her other hand. The next instant, the leader of the wolf pack moved. It moved really quickly. A snow-white silhouette could be seen in the air, and it arrived before them the next instant. Gu Mingfeng stood on the tip of his toes as he rushed forward. He waved his sword towards the leader of the wolf pack! Chu Liuyue closely followed behind him. The three of them formed a triangle. On the other side, the wolf pack rushed in. Mu Hongyu and the others fended them off back to back! Just as Gu Mingfeng¡¯s sword was about to hit, the wolf pack leader leaped onto the trunk of a nearby tree! It crouched and used its hind legs to propel itself forward! It landed right in front of Gu Mingfeng! Gu Mingfeng was stunned and immediately used his sword to shield his torso! Huala! The wolf¡¯s claws clashed with the sword, making a shrill noise. Gu Mingfeng felt a heavy weight on his body, and he took a few steps back uncontrollably. When he managed to stabilize himself, he looked down and saw claw marks on his sword! They were left behind by the wolf pack leader! Its claws were even more dangerous than swords and knives! Gu Mingfeng¡¯s eyes darkened. The wolf pack leader is almost a fourth-grade fiend! I won¡¯t be able to defeat it alone! As this thought flashed across his mind, he felt a force coming towards his face. The wolf pack leader was attacking again! Gu Mingfeng drew out his force to imbue it to his sword, but the wolf pack leader had forced him to the ground! Gu Mingfeng could not resist and fell to the ground! He wanted to get up and run, but he could not move at all! The wolf pack leader opened its mouth, its sharp teeth reflecting in the light as it went for Gu Mingfeng¡¯s neck. Gu Mingfeng could feel its teeth on his skin! All the blood in his body seemed to freeze suddenly. However, just as he thought he was about to die, another aura suddenly surged. Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword came from behind the wolf pack leader! Chapter 129 - Injured Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Upon sensing the danger, the wolf pack leader stopped its attack on Gu Mingfeng and turned to lunge at Chu Liuyue. Her sword scraped across the wolf¡¯s back, but its fur was as strong as steel needles! Her sword only managed to leave a small cut on it! Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Even though the wolf pack leader was only a third-grade fiend, its ability could be compared to fourth-grade fiends! The most important thing was its fur coat! However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions completely angered the wolf! It landed on the ground near her after their exchange of blows, a cold and murderous aura coming from it. ¡°Awoo!¡± The wolf pack leader howled as it ran towards Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue raised her sword to meet the wolf¡¯s attacks. The wolf went straight for the sword¡¯s body with its teeth. Kacha! Her sword broke in half! Chu Liuyue only had a broken sword in her hand now! The wolf pressed on and went for Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck! Gu Mingfeng¡¯s heart dropped when he saw this! However, Chu Liuyue did not back down. Instead, she shoved the broken sword down the wolf¡¯s throat. The wolf cried out in pain. The next instant, it mustered all its anger and energy and bit the sword to pieces! Blood splattered everywhere. Chu Liuyue felt a few drops of the warm liquid splash on her face; the smell of blood was nauseating. She quickly let go of the sword and backed away. The wolf attacked again. This time, even faster than before. Chu Liuyue could not avoid its advance in time. She could already see the wolf¡¯s sharp teeth. She tilted her head and narrowly avoided the wolf pack leader¡¯s attack. In the next instant, her eye filled with killing intent. She brought her knee up and kicked the wolf¡¯s stomach. That kick would have been fatal for regular people, but it was not much for the wolf pack leader. It only paused briefly before it continued attacking. Its sharp claws went for Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart! If she got hit, she would definitely die! Gu Mingfeng¡ªwho had just managed to get up¡ªfroze when he saw the scene before him. His pupils constricted, and his heart jumped into his mouth. At this time, a light flashed. The wolf pack leader saw something flash before its eyes and felt a cold sensation on its front leg. It finally stopped attacking, but it saw that Chu Liuyue had a dagger in front of her. Its front paw¡ªwhich had just reached for Chu Liuyue¡ªhad been severed! The crippling pain suddenly set in! In that short time, Chu Liuyue raised her leg and struck again. Having lost a paw, the leader of the wolf pack fell to the ground heavily. It was covered in dust and blood, looking rather pathetic. ¡°Mingfeng! Liuyue! Hurry up! We can¡¯t hold on any longer!¡± Mu Hongyu cried out suddenly. Chu Liuyue turned and saw that the other three were already overwhelmed by the pack. They were barely visible! Without hesitation, Chu Liuyue quickly charged forward and jumped up! With her dagger in hand, she sliced through the wolf pack leader¡¯s head! A gash instantly formed as its eyes popped out and flesh was sliced open. It struggled to get up as Gu Mingfeng got up and dealt another strike to the wound! The wolf twitched twice, then stopped moving. Following its death, the wolf pack sank into chaos. They soon dispersed, disappearing into the dark forest without a trace. The surroundings finally quietened down again. Only the blood, filth, and the wolves¡¯ carcasses bore witness to what happened. Chu Liuyue made sure that the crisis had been resolved before she relaxed, laying against a tree to catch her breath. Her current ability was rather good compared to Chu Xianmin, but it was still quite lacking when it came to battling fiends like a red wolf pack¡¯s leader. The brief exchange earlier had drained her of her energy. If she did not use the dagger to block the deadly attack from the wolf earlier, she would probably be¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down at the dagger in her hand. The thin but sharp knife glistened in the moonlight without any trace of blood. However, she had felt its might earlier. She had Rong Xiu to thank for this. Her previous dagger would not have killed the wolf pack leader that easily. Rong Xiu had saved her yet again. She spaced out a little as she stared at the dagger. ¡°Liuyue! Are you okay?!¡± Mu Hongyu hurried over and eyed Chu Liuyue up and down. Chu Liuyue returned to her senses and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Aiya! Your arm is bleeding!¡± Mu Hongyu was about to relax when she saw a few cuts on Chu Liuyue¡¯s right arm. Chu Liuyue glanced at her arm. ¡°The beast scratched me by accident just now. It¡¯s nothing.¡± She then nonchalantly asked, ¡°What about you guys? You were attacked by the wolf pack just now. Are you all okay?¡± Mu Hongyu only put her mind at ease when she saw that Chu Liuyue looked and talked perfectly fine. Her eyes darkened when she heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but Liao Zhongshu is seriously injured because he tried to protect Cen Hu and me¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw Liao Zhongshu seated on the floor. Cen Hu was holding him up. Liao Zhongshu¡¯s body and face were covered in blood. A glaring wound was on his thigh. It seemed like the wolves had taken a good bite of him. She frowned and walked over. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Liao Zhongshu¡¯s face was pale and without a trace of blood. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°How are you fine!¡± Cen Hu¡¯s eyes were filled with worry and anxiety. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! The wolves lunged forward just now, and I couldn¡¯t hold them back. Zhongshu was helping me, so¡­¡± Liao Zhongshu shook his head and weakly said, ¡°You¡¯re injured, so it¡¯s normal for you to struggle. You don¡¯t have to feel bad¡­ We¡¯re a team, right?¡± His voice got softer and softer as if he was about to pass out. Mu Hongyu was about to cry. ¡°Liuyue, what do we do? You¡¯re a heavenly doctor. Can you do anything?¡± Chu Liuyue bent down and inspected his wounds. She thought about it, then shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too serious.¡± ¡°Even you can¡¯t do anything?¡± Mu Hongyu turned and wiped the corner of her eyes. Liuyue was the strongest amongst them, but even she said that she could do nothing¡­ Liao Zhongshu pulled his lips into a smile. However, coupled with his pale skin, it only added to their anxiety. ¡°I know my own body¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop your bleeding first. Cen Hu, activate Zhongshu¡¯s signal bottle and have the teachers pick him up. He can¡¯t continue in this state.¡± Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s terrain was treacherous. It would only become more dangerous when the Fiend Tidal erupted. Thus, Liao Zhongshu had to go back and recuperate. The others looked at one another and quietened down. Cen Hu looked down and took out Liao Zhongshu¡¯s signal bottle in the end. He then pulled its strings. Poof! A firework soared into the sky! Chapter 130 - Continue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Since things had already ended like this, everyone decided to rest in their spot. Mu Hongyu went to start a fire, while the others sat around it and waited for the teacher to come. Chu Liuyue found some herbs and helped Liao Zhongshu bandage his wound to staunch the blood temporarily. The others were also hurt, so she distributed the herbs and let them handle their injuries themselves. In the end, she applied the remaining herbs on her arm, which triggered the previously weakened pain, causing her to knit her brows. A person walked over, and Chu Liuyue raised her head to take a look. It was Gu Mingfeng. ¡°Thanks¡­ for just now.¡± The bopping fire reflected on Gu Mingfeng¡¯s face, causing his expression to look more ambiguous. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. That wolf leader was very strong, and neither you and I were its match alone. We could only win if we worked together. We¡¯re lucky that our luck was not bad.¡± Gu Mingfeng looked at her, and many thoughts flashed across his mind. Even though Chu Liuyue said it casually, it was a life-and-death battle previously. She would¡¯ve lost her life if she was not careful. However, Chu Liuyue did not hesitate at all. Especially when I think about how I was going to die under the wolf leader¡¯s fangs¡­ If Chu Liuyue did not appear in time, I probably would be worse off than Liao Zhongshu at this point. She saved me, but she doesn¡¯t seem to care. Is there really such a selfless person in the world? Chu Liuyue detected that Gu Mingfeng had not left, so she raised her head and looked at him. She coincidentally saw his touched eyes. Gu Mingfeng knitted his brows and immediately avoided her gaze. Chu Liuyue smiled in her heart. She had seen too many people who overthought in her previous life, so she could immediately tell what Gu Mingfeng was thinking. Perhaps it was because of his family background that he had a sensitive nature, and instinctively did not believe the people around him. Even if they were on a team, Chu Liuyue believed that Gu Mingfeng actually did not care about the few people¡¯s survival. The main reason why he decided to lead and go against the wolf leader was that he wanted to survive. ¡°I conveniently saved you. You don¡¯t have to take it to heart. In such a situation, I¡¯ll save whoever it is,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Gu Mingfeng was shocked since he realized that Chu Liuyue had seen through his thoughts. He knitted his brows and felt a little discomfort. He planned to turn around and walk away. He took one step and still stopped moving. ¡°No matter what, I owe you a favor.¡± He then walked to a place far away to sit and closed his eyes to rest. Chu Liuyue looked at him in deep thought and had a better impression of him. This Gu Mingfeng is much better than his step-sister¡ªGu Mingzhu¡ªwho shares the same father. ¡­ After waiting for around an hour or so, Mr. Wen Yan, who led the teams, finally arrived. He looked exhausted, and his body was stained with spots of blood as if he had just been in battle. Upon seeing the bandages on Chu Liuyue and the others, he hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°You were attacked by fiends too?¡± Too? Chu Liuyue¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°How did you know, Mr. Wen Yan?¡± Wen Yan knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Lu Feiyan and the others also met with such a scenario earlier. Three of them had serious injuries while the other two had minor ones. I received their call for help two hours ago, and I rushed over after sending them out.¡± Mu Hongyu and the rest were shocked. ¡°Their condition is so serious?¡± Mr. Wen Yan looked serious and nodded. ¡°Yeah. According to them, they met with an attack from cloud-reaching leopards.¡± Cloud-reaching leopards were also third-grade fiends, and they were very strong and ferocious. It was no wonder that Lu Feiyan and the rest were so wounded. ¡°Then¡­ Did they all leave and withdraw from the hunt?¡± ¡°Yeah. The three deeply wounded did not have any attacking power any longer. Lu Feiyan and the other person were also badly affected by the battle and did not dare to carry on,¡± said Wen Yan as he walked to Liao Zhongshu. After thoroughly checking his wound, Wen Yan heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Luckily, you treated your injuries in time. Though your injuries are serious, you can still make it if you go back now.¡± Liao Zhongshu knew himself that he would only be everyone¡¯s burden if he stayed. Thus, he said, ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Wen Yan.¡± Wen Yan sighed. ¡°Zhongshu, you are capable and could¡¯ve hunted a suitable fiend this time¡­¡± It¡¯s a pity that he has to forget about it due to his current state. Liao Zhongshu¡¯s pale lips moved as he weakly smiled. ¡°Mr. Wen Yan, you don¡¯t have to worry. I know that my life is more important.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think this way. There will be plenty of chances after you recuperate. It¡¯s really not worth a moment of impulsiveness.¡± Wen Yan felt comforted. He then looked at Chu Liuyue and the rest. ¡°Then, what about the four of you?¡± Cen Hu roughly said, ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going to continue!¡± It¡¯ll be very cowardly of them to retreat now. Liao Zhongshu almost lost his life fighting against the wolves. What would be the point if they retreated together? ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mr. Wen Yan sighed. ¡°Wan Ling Mountain is pretty weird this time. Some of the fiends that usually only walk around in the inner areas have actually appeared in the outer areas. They¡¯re very strong. I contacted the other teachers just now, and quite a few teams have met with similar situations. It¡¯ll be dangerous if you continue to go deeper into the forest.¡± Cen Hu was taken aback. He scratched his head and looked at Chu Liuyue subconsciously. Mu Hongyu and Gu Mingfeng looked over at the same time. ¡°¡­ Liuyue, what do you think?¡± asked Mu Hongyu. Mr. Wen Yan was a little surprised. Isn¡¯t their team leader Mu Hongyu? Why does it seem like Chu Liuyue is the core? After thinking for a moment, Chu Liuyue calmly looked at the rest. ¡°I¡­ choose to continue!¡± Chapter 131 - Save Me Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll continue then!¡± As if Mu Hongyu ate a pill of reassurance, she clenched her fists as her originally hesitant expression became determined. Cen Hu nodded. ¡°Since you said to continue, we¡¯ll follow your lead!¡± Even though Gu Mingfeng did not say anything, he lightly nodded in agreement. Mr. Wen Yan was taken aback by the scene in front of him. Chu Liuyue is actually making the decisions for this team now? She said to continue, and the others had no opinions whatsoever. It seems like she¡¯s more confident than before. They¡¯ve only entered Wan Ling Mountain for a day. What exactly happened to them? ¡°Liuyue, are you sure?¡± asked Mr. Wen Yan worriedly after hesitating slightly. ¡°Wan Ling Mountain is different from the past, and it¡¯s much more dangerous. Even if you really want to hunt for fiends, I don¡¯t think this is the best time¡­¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, there¡¯s no reason for us to retreat.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke lightly and calmly, which reassured the rest. ¡°Mr. Wen Yan, you can just bring Liao Zhongshu back. We know our limits, and we won¡¯t risk our lives. We¡¯ll be really indignant if we go back just like this.¡± Mr. Wen Yan was quite anxious. ¡°Liuyue, I know that the few of you are pretty strong, and you all have your own pride¡­ However, the four of you are now injured, and this place is bloodied. Do you think that I don¡¯t know how much danger you were in previously? You¡ª¡± He suddenly saw a fiend corpse not far away while he was talking, and his voice faded away. That¡¯s¡­ ¡°¡­ A red wolf? You were attacked by red wolves?¡± He came in a rush, so he did not notice the red wolf corpse at first. Mu Hongyu was still scarred. ¡°Mr. Wen Yan, that¡¯s the corpse of the red wolf pack leader. We¡­ were just attacked by a pack of red wolves!¡± This sentence stunned Mr. Wen Yan, making him speechless. He hurriedly went forward to take a closer look at the corpse. It is indeed a wolf leader! Even though it is dirtied and covered in blood, the sliced head¡¯s features are very obvious. ¡°Y-You guys killed it?¡± ¡°Liuyue and Gu Mingfeng killed it.¡± Mu Hongyu sighed. ¡°The three of us were in charge of blocking the pack of wolves. Zhongshu got injured because he was saving Cen Hu and me.¡± Mr. Wen Yan opened his mouth but could not say anything since his heart was in turmoil. Red wolf pack! Red wolf leader! The few of them actually handled them successfully¡­ Other than Liao Zhongshu, the other four seemed to have suffered minor injuries only. Even though he knew these few people ranked decently in the assessments, he did not expect them to be so powerful when they worked together. He was silent for quite a while. While looking at the fire jumping in front of her, Chu Liuyue lightly said, ¡°Mr. Wen Yan, I know you¡¯re worried about us. However, such is the life of cultivation. If we want a peaceful road, then we¡¯ll never become true formidable warriors, right?¡± Wen Yan was shocked, and he looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. I was thinking too much.¡± If they¡¯re fearful of everything, how can they grow up? ¡°I¡¯ll send Zhongshu out first then. The rest of you must be careful and immediately seek assistance if anything goes wrong.¡± Chu Liuyue and the rest nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, teacher.¡± ¡­ After Mr. Wen Yan left with Liao Zhongshu, the few of them decided to rest in shifts. Chu Liuyue took the first shift. She had the lightest injury out of all of them, so she let the others recover first. The surroundings became silent once again. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and regulated her breathing as the fight scene with the wolf leader kept replaying in her head. This body is still too weak¡­ When I head back, I should consider improving the body¡¯s strength¡­ Chu Liuyue felt her shoulders sink, and she turned around to take a look. A red furball was squatting on her body. ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart. You run the fastest when there¡¯s danger and come back when it¡¯s over.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly poked it. The blood ferret¡¯s tail waved as it showed a pair of watery eyes filled with flattering intentions. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brow and looked at it. The blood ferret inched in closer and slowly extended its claws. It looked very wronged and worried as tears welled up in its eyes. It looked like it would cry if Chu Liuyue was any sterner. This appearance made nobody able to blame it. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. It¡¯s logical since blood ferrets are the weakest third-grade fiends. They don¡¯t have any other abilities except for escaping the fastest. I had no intentions of scolding it. I never really expected this thing to help us defeat the red wolf pack¡­ ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s okay as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Chu Liuyue patted its head. The little thing finally relaxed when it noticed that Chu Liuyue was no longer angry. It then closed the gap between them and rubbed against her face. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡­ Nothing happened the entire night. The few of them set off again the next morning and headed towards Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s depths. The further they traversed into the lush greenery, the quieter it was. However, this atmosphere made the few of them even more alert. ¡°It seems like this place is a little strange¡­¡± muttered Mu Hongyu as she surveyed their surroundings. Chu Liuyue, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped. The few of them stood still as well. ¡°Liuyue, what¡¯s the problem?¡± asked Mu Hongyu. After experiencing what happened yesterday, they completely believed in Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows knitted slightly. ¡°Go back!¡± ¡°Go back? But we just arrived¡ª¡± The few of them were very confused, but they did not say anything else after seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s serious expression. However, a girl suddenly screamed from behind after they walked a few steps. ¡°Save me!¡± Chapter 132 - Chase and Kill Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Even though this voice was very shrill, Chu Liuyue was more than familiar with it. Gu Mingfeng¡¯s brows undetectably moved, but he did not say anything. ¡°Why does this voice¡­ sound so familiar?¡± Mu Hongyu wanted to turn around and take a look, but Chu Liuyue stopped her. ¡°Let¡¯s go! If not, we¡¯ll be the ones calling for help!¡± Mu Hongyu was shocked and hurriedly followed after them. The few of them hurriedly retreated using the same path, but the shrills were ear-piercing and were getting nearer! ¡°Save me!¡± Hurried footsteps accompanied the shrills. It was obvious that someone was running for their lives. ¡­ Gu Mingzhu wanted to take this opportunity to hunt for an appropriate fiend at Wan Ling Mountain. Her family had previously suggested picking a fiend for her, but she was too prideful and refused their help since she wanted to hunt for one personally. Thus, she had anticipated this Fiend Tidal for a very long time. However, she did not expect to be in a perilous situation after coming to Wan Ling Mountain for only a single day. She hurriedly ran forward without caring about the direction. Her heart pumped wildly as if it were about to jump out from her mouth. Actually, she was pretty exhausted. However, she did not dare to stop and could only run forward relentlessly. She did not even dare to turn back. In a blur, she seemed to have seen a few figures far away. Even though she could not clearly see their faces, their clothes belonged to Tian Lu Academy. She was elated and hurriedly called for help, but those few people did not walk toward her. They had retreated after hearing her cries instead. Gu Mingzhu instantly became anxious and used the last bit of her strength to chase them. ¡°Help me! I¡¯m also from Tian Lu Academy! H-help me!¡± When Cen Hu heard the voice, he could not help but turn around to take a look. His eyes immediately widened when he saw the person. ¡°Gu Mingzhu?¡± Cen Hu knew Gu Mingzhu, but she did not recognize him. After all, she looked down on warriors all along. Therefore, she didn¡¯t even care about warriors, other than the most famous ones. When she realized that Cen Hu knew her, she immediately became happier. ¡°I¡¯m Gu Mingzhu! If you help me, I¡¯ll definitely repay you for your help when I go back!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped and looked in front with a serious expression. Mu Hongyu and the rest felt that something was amiss, so they stopped in their tracks. Gu Mingzhu then carefully looked at the people in front. Other than Cen Hu, the other three¡¯s backs were facing her. However, their backs looked familiar to her¡­ She stared at one particular back for quite a while before knitting her brows and suspiciously saying, ¡°Gu Mingfeng?¡± Gu Mingfeng turned around and looked at her expressionlessly. Gu Mingzhu showed a disgusted look. ¡°It really is you! I¡¯m so unlucky to have met you today!¡± Her words and facial expressions seemed like she did not see a family member, but something dirty instead. Coldness flashed across Gu Mingfeng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Liuyue, is there a problem?¡± asked Mu Hongyu softly. Once Gu Mingzhu heard Mu Hongyu utter Chu Liuyue¡¯s name, her eyes widened in shock. Hang on! No wonder I found their backs familiar. Isn¡¯t this back view Chu Liuyue¡¯s? Her face darkened even more. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that I met Gu Mingfeng. I didn¡¯t expect there to be another one!¡± Cen Hu scolded her. ¡°Be nicer with your words!¡± Gu Mingzhu was frightened by his thunder-like holler and became even more annoyed. Warriors are so rough! Birds of the same feather flock together. These few people really are getting increasingly annoying. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at Gu Mingzhu with an icy cold gaze. ¡°It¡¯s our bad luck to have met you.¡± Gu Mingzhu felt chills travel down her spine because of Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze. ¡°What do you mean by that? You clearly heard my cries for help, but you pretended not to hear me! You are¡ª¡± ¡°I heard them.¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted Gu Mingzhu with brutal and honest words. ¡°I just miss you. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Gu Mingzhu was so angry that her face turned white. ¡°You! You! Chu Liuyue, even if you don¡¯t like me, we¡¯re still from the same academy! How can you ignore me when I need help? You¡¯re too selfish!¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°I have no relations with you at all. Why should I help you? You think too highly of yourself! However, you have caused trouble for us. I¡¯ll remember this for sure!¡± Gu Mingzhu instantly felt guilty. ¡°W-what nonsense are you saying? What trouble have I caused? I j-just¡­¡± She stuttered for half a day but could not say anything. Mu Hongyu and the rest started to become anxious when they saw her behavior. Hoo! A howl sounded from the woods, and the ground even seemed to shake! Bang! Bang! Bang! It sounded as if something heavy had landed on the floor, which made people anxious. The few of them turned around in unison and saw a gigantic shadow closing in on them from the woods. The thick trees in its path were easily broken. Finally, the gigantic brown bear¡ªwhich looked like a hill¡ªappeared in front of them. Its entire body was brown, and only its neck was golden¡ªwhich was dazzling under the sunlight. The most frightening thing was the shocking suppressive aura coming from its body. Cen Hu opened his mouth. ¡°This¡­ is a fourth-grade golden mane bear?¡± Gu Mingfeng immediately recovered his senses and looked at Gu Mingzhu. His voice was cold as he asked, ¡°Did you offend it?¡± Gu Mingzhu avoided his gaze and forcefully said, ¡°I-I just thought that golden mane bears are pretty strong and they¡¯re of a high grade, so I wanted to try¡­¡± ¡°Dumb!¡± Mu Hongyu really wanted to slap Gu Mingzhu twice immediately. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you anger a golden mane bear? Where are the others on your team?¡± Gu Mingzhu¡¯s face instantly became as white as a sheet. Everyone immediately understood what happened from the eerie silence. ¡°Are they all dead?¡± asked Cen Hu in shock. ¡°No! No! Two of them separated from me. I-I don¡¯t know where they went¡­¡± Gu Mingzhu tried to defend herself, but she sounded even guiltier. That means two have died. The people who grouped with Gu Mingzhu are all Xuan Masters. This is too much of a loss! ¡°So, you also want to drag us down after you caused the death of two Xuan Masters?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was icy cold. Gu Mingzhu¡¯s lips moved, and she turned around. ¡°You guys ran over here yourselves! I didn¡¯t force you to come over. Anyway, we¡¯re all surviving on the same stick, so no one can escape! You should decide for yourselves!¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned by her shamelessness, but she was still very clear-minded. Thus, she knew that this was not the time to fight with Gu Mingzhu. ¡°Liuyue, this is a fourth-grade golden mane bear. Do you think we can win against it if we work together?¡± Chu Liuyue was so angry that she laughed instead. ¡°Golden mane bears are too formidable and powerful! It¡¯s not easy to deal with them. The key point is that it¡¯s a mother bear!¡± The few of them were shocked. ¡°Do you mean¡­¡± Chu Liuyue walked forward and stared straight at Gu Mingzhu. ¡°What exactly did you do? Why is the mother bear chasing after you to kill you?¡± Gu Mingzhu was forced to a corner and irritatedly said, ¡°I just wanted to carry the small golden mane bear away when it went out to look for food. However, I was discovered once I stepped out. I didn¡¯t even carry that small golden mane bear away!¡± Mature golden mane bears were not easy to discipline, and the infant ones were the easiest to deal with, so she decided to take the risk. ¡°The others all agreed to go together! You can¡¯t blame it on me if they died.¡± I just didn¡¯t expect to be discovered in the end. Chu Liuyue just wanted to strangle her to death! ¡°Don¡¯t you know that golden mane bears especially care for their young ones? If you touch their cubs, they will go after you and won¡¯t stop until you die! It doesn¡¯t matter if you die, but can you afford to pay for it if you dragged us down?¡± Chapter 133 - Stage-Two Xuan Master Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Gu Mingzhu heard that the bear would not stop until she died, her eyelids violently twitched. She took a deep breath in and forced herself to stand up straight. ¡°Chu Liuyue, I was never frightened as I grew up. You don¡¯t have to make up these lies to scare me. Golden mane bears are powerful, but I didn¡¯t even take the cub. It¡¯s still safely resting in their cave. This golden mane bear won¡¯t resort to¡ª¡± ¡°You should be clearer than any of us if it will resort to doing that!¡± It was as if Chu Liuyue¡¯s face had been covered in frost as her cold glare made Gu Mingzhu increasingly nervous. She opened her mouth to argue but could not utter a single word under Chu Liuyue¡¯s glaring eyes. Finally, she turned away in embarrassment. Actually, she also noticed that something was wrong. After the golden mane bear discovered her, she knew that something was wrong and hurriedly threw the cub back before turning around to leave. However, this golden mane bear seemed bent on killing her and continued chasing after her. It kept on following her, no matter where she went. This was also why she had nervously called for help. She knew that the golden mane bear was following behind her and that it would kill her at any moment. She very clearly knew that Chu Liuyue¡¯s words had an 80% chance of being true. Upon seeing Gu Mingzhu¡¯s guilty appearance, Mu Hongyu and the rest understood everything. They became so angry that their teeth were itchy. This is akin to pushing us into a fire. If it weren¡¯t for Gu Mingzhu, we wouldn¡¯t have met with such a troublesome matter! Just as the few people confronted each other, the golden mane bear took another step forward. Bang! The ground trembled, and so did their hearts. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look. The golden mane bear stood not far away from them, and the nearby trees were all broken. The entire ground was messy. It looked down at the few of them, and its gray eyes¡ªthe size of fists¡ªwere cold and heartless. Chu Liuyue could distinctly feel the anger and contempt in its eyes. It was as if it were looking at ants. Fiends of this size would usually win with their strength, but they lacked speed. However, golden mane bears were an exception. Based on its abilities, killing Gu Mingzhu was as easy as ABC. However, Gu Mingzhu actually survived till now and had run so far away. It undoubtedly wanted to use this method to force Gu Mingzhu to break down. It would only act when she suffered enough pressure and pain. Chu Liuyue did not expect for them to be so unlucky to meet with the fiend coincidentally. The golden mane bear would probably kill them as well. ¡°Liuyue, how should we escape¡­?¡± asked Mu Hongyu nervously. Even the courageous Mu Hongyu had noticed the severity of the situation. ¡°We can¡¯t escape. A mature golden mane bear¡¯s attacking power is almost similar to that of a stage-five warrior. Even if we work together, we won¡¯t win against it. Besides, we¡¯re all injured.¡± ¡°What should we do then? Are we going to die here today?¡± Chu Liuyue held her breath. ¡°Hold it off first. I¡¯ll set up a Xuan formation.¡± Once she said that, everyone was shocked. ¡°Xuan formation? Right! We¡¯re all injured, so a Xuan formation will be even more powerful than us right now!¡± Mu Hongyu heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. Gu Mingfeng suddenly thought of something. ¡°What stage are you at as a Xuan Master?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Stage two.¡± Once she finished her sentence, the surroundings fell into dead silence. As if Gu Mingzhu had heard the biggest joke on earth, she let out a mocking ¡°Hah,¡± before arrogantly saying, ¡°Stage-two Xuan Master? Chu Liuyue, are you okay? You want to win against the golden mane bear just based on your cultivation level? Dream on!¡± Chu Liuyue looked calm and collected. She had only been reborn for two months or so, so she could only control a limited amount of Heaven and Earth Force. She could only set up stage-two Xuan formations temporarily. Even Mu Hongyu and the rest showed faces of disappointment. They really had no chance with a stage-two Xuan Master¡­ Gu Mingzhu had previously become a stage-three Xuan Master, but she was not its match, let alone them. ¡°Cen Hu, Hongyu, both of you need to think of some ways to hold the bear back later. Gu Mingfeng, come and help me set up the Xuan formation.¡± Chu Liuyue cleanly instructed them. Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± No matter what, they had to give it a go! Gu Mingfeng slightly knitted his brows. ¡°I¡¯m not a Xuan Master. How can I help you?¡± Chu Liuyue explained what he had to do. ¡°When I set up the Xuan formation, circulate force into its core.¡± Gu Mingfeng knitted his brows even more tightly. ¡°How can a Xuan Master use other people¡¯s force when setting up a Xuan formation?¡± If this worked, Xuan Masters could just casually find a few people to help them when they were battling. How could a Xuan formation work if the force didn¡¯t match, let alone work against this golden mane bear? Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll settle this problem myself. I just need you to do your best.¡± After seeing her nonchalant and confident look, Gu Mingfeng finally agreed after hesitating slightly. ¡°I still owe you a favor, so I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°I hope you can do what you say.¡± Gu Mingfeng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, he always felt that Chu Liuyue had seen through something¡­ He opened his mouth to say something, but he saw that Chu Liuyue had already held her breath in and focused all her energy as she raised her hands and started setting up the Xuan formation. Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu went up together and blocked the golden mane bear. The golden mane bear looked down with contempt and mockery as if it were mocking these few people for not knowing their own abilities. ¡°Cen Hu! I¡¯ll go in front, and you¡¯ll be at the back,¡± said Mu Hongyu coyly as she stood up. ¡°Okay!¡± Cen Hu immediately answered her and attacked from another direction. While staring at the petty little human beings in front of it, the golden mane bear mercilessly slapped them. Mu Hongyu barely avoided it and landed on a tree trunk nearby. Even though this slap did not hit her, the harsh wind still made Mu Hongyu feel like her face was on fire. It was not hard to imagine how serious her injuries would be if the bear¡¯s thick, gigantic palm landed on them. Mu Hongyu fearfully blinked and did not dare to relax a single bit as she baited the golden mane bear instead. ¡°Come on!¡± The golden mane bear¡¯s anger burst out and heavily swung its palm at Mu Hongyu. Mu Hongyu was agile. Once it saw the figure moving, she used the tree branch¡¯s elasticity and jumped across the golden mane bear¡¯s head to the other side. Pak! The tree she was originally standing in front of was suddenly split into two. On the other end, Cen Hu was also taunting the golden mane bear. The two of them angered the bear one after another so that it threw a tantrum. The surrounding trees were all swept to the ground, and it was very messy. Chu Liuyue waved her finger in the air. A silver line came out of her fingertips just like water. The second and third lines came out very quickly. Not long later, tens of silver lines appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. These few lines intersected with each other and formed a weird-looking pattern. From far away, it looked like the Eight Trigrams, but it looked a little weird with its empty inside. Gu Mingfeng stood near her and intensely stared at the front as he circulated his force, prepared to act at any moment. However, Chu Liuyue stared at the Xuan formation in front of her and had no intentions of asking him for help. Gu Mingfeng knitted his brows and found the Xuan formation a little weird. He had seen Xuan Masters in action. In his memory, Xuan Masters didn¡¯t take this long to set up a stage-two Xuan formation¡­ Besides, Chu Liuyue¡¯s Xuan formation looked a little weird, like it was too¡­ spacious. He soon discovered that Chu Liuyue did not stop in her actions. Instead, her fingertips continuously drew silver lines as she continued setting up her Xuan formation. Chapter 134 - Stage-Four Xuan formation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Gu Mingzhu, who was standing afar and watching the scene coldly, finally felt that something was amiss. Thus, she put her crossed arms down and knitted her brows tightly. That¡¯s not right! Chu Liuyue is a stage-two Xuan Master. Logically speaking, she can only control a little more than ten strands of Heaven and Earth Force, so how can she still continue? Besides, her movements are very smooth. It¡¯s as if setting up the Xuan formation is very easy for her. Time trickled past, and the Xuan formation in front of Chu Liuyue gradually became complicated. Gu Mingfeng watched until his eyelids twitched. It is no wonder I felt that the Xuan formation looked weird. It turned out to be a general outline. It only started to look normal after Chu Liuyue filled it in. From a distance away, Gu Mingfeng could already faintly feel the strength of it, and he was shocked by it. Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue say that she is a stage-two Xuan Master? This Xuan formation is obviously stronger than a second-level one! What exactly is Chu Liuyue doing? Compared to Gu Mingfeng, who did not know much about Xuan formations, Gu Mingzhu¡ªwho was also a Xuan Master¡ªwatched on as her mouth was agape. She could clearly see that the Xuan formation Chu Liuyue set up had reached the third stage. However, Chu Liuyue had no intentions of stopping. Perhaps¡­ Is she going to continue? How can she do it? Hong! Hong! Hong! Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu had already been battling the golden mane bear for quite some time, and both of them gained more and more injuries as their energy began to deplete. The golden mane bear also became more ferocious than ever after the repeated taunts. It kept on attacking them violently. ¡°Liuyue, are you done?¡± In a moment of carelessness, Mu Hongyu was hit by the force wave and roughly fell on the floor, causing abrasions all over her face. Chu Liuyue stared at the Xuan formation in front of her with all her might. ¡°Half a minute more!¡± Mu Hongyu clenched her teeth. Actually, half a minute was not long. However, the point was that their abilities were no match for the golden mane bear. Every second and minute was torture! However, Mu Hongyu still agreed without hesitation. ¡°Okay!¡± Without caring about the injuries on her body, Mu Hongyu clenched her teeth and stood up. ¡°Hongyu, move away!¡± hollered Cen Hu all of a sudden. Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When she looked over, Cen Hu was actually running towards the bear. Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart stopped. Cen Hu had a muscular build and was considered one of the bigger students amongst them. However, he appeared much smaller in front of the golden mane bear. Does he not want his life? Going straight up like that is very dangerous! When it saw Cen Hu rush up to its side, the bear¡¯s eyes burned with fire. It suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a ball of fire. ¡°Oh my god! This guy still has more moves!¡± Cen Hu cursed as he bent his body, barely avoiding the fireball. However, the high heat still made him feel scorching pain on his face. After this, he pushed himself up with his palm and ran straight for the bear again. An axe appeared in his hand, and he swung it straight at the golden mane bear. Tsing! The axe landed, but the bear remained unharmed. Cen Hu just felt that the axe landed on a terribly hard platinum stone. The axe directly broke into two, and half of his arm was numb. He knew that the situation wasn¡¯t good in his heart. This fiend¡¯s strength was way higher than what he thought. However, this move had really angered the golden mane bear. The golden mane bear roared loudly, and the strong suppression almost burst Cen Hu¡¯s eardrums. Roar! At the same time, its palm was heading towards his head. Cen Hu would definitely die if he was hit! Cen Hu held his breath, circled the golden mane bear¡¯s thighs half a round, and bent his back to avoid this attack with much difficulty. The golden mane bear was very fast and strong. Cen Hu only had a small advantage when he was close to it. However, this situation did not last for long. After failing to catch Cen Hu twice, the bear decisively gave up on fighting and turned around to rush for Chu Liuyue. It had already vaguely felt uneasy and realized that it had to stop Chu Liuyue immediately. Cen Hu was anxious and actually went forward to hug the bear¡¯s thigh. The bear flung him away easily, and he landed on the floor loudly. Poof! Cen Hu¡¯s organs were about to burst after he was attacked repeatedly. The old and new injuries made him vomit blood out suddenly, and the atmosphere immediately became dispirited. The moment the bear took a step toward Chu Liuyue, someone ran forward. It was Mu Hongyu. At this point, she had already exhausted all her strength and could only use the most stupid and dangerous method to block the bear, just as Cen Hu had done. ¡°Liuyue, quick!¡± yelled Mu Hongyu anxiously, as her throat filled with a bloody smell. At this point, Chu Liuyue finally finished the last stroke of her Xuan formation. Her face was as white as a sheet, and her body was trembling. It looked as if she would crumble any moment since she had forcefully set up a Xuan formation higher than her current cultivation stage. However, her eyes were still determined as usual. ¡°Gu Mingfeng, help!¡± The moment Chu Liuyue said that, Gu Mingfeng immediately acted. With a push of his palm, he injected his force into the Xuan formation. Buzz! The Xuan formation immediately glowed brightly. The Xuan formation¡ªwhich was originally the size of a chessboard¡ªinstantly expanded when Gu Mingfeng injected his force into it. Chu Liuyue stared at it closely and merged both of their force bit by bit. The Xuan formation was already the size of a human the next moment. It was very bright, and the suppression was faint. Chu Liuyue felt like all the energy in her body had vanished since her entire person was very weak, and her vision kept turning black. From the corner of its eyes, the golden mane bear flung Mu Hongyu away in frustration and raised its legs as if it intended to trample on them directly. Its stomp would be filled with strength. Mu Hongyu lay on the floor with blood all over her, and she had lost all the strength to move. Upon seeing the bear paw coming for her, Mu Hongyu lost all hope and closed her eyes. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. ¡°Go!¡± Hong! The Xuan formation suddenly activated. At this moment, the countless shining rays of light within the formation went straight for the bear at lightning speed. The mighty suppression overwhelmed all of them. The golden mane bear felt the danger and panicked. However, the frightening force had already landed on it. The bear¡¯s gigantic body looked as if it was drowned by a running wave. Everyone could only see countless silver lines wrapping around it, tying the bear down in a deadly fashion. Upon seeing this scene, Gu Mingzhu finally could not help but gasp. ¡°Stage-four Wood Origin Formation?¡± Chu Liuyue actually knows how to set up a formation of this level? Chapter 135 - See if you have the good fortune Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The streaks of light continued to wind tighter as the golden mane bear struggled in vain. Before long, its range of movement was reduced. It¡¯s angry cries also quietened down until it finally stopped moving, not making any sound. Crimson blood spread on the floor, staining it and making it extra bloody and eerie. Everyone only saw what had happened within the streaks of light when they faded away. The strong and muscular golden mane bear had shrunk. It was covered in wounds and had been twisted in an unnatural manner. The blood on the floor came from it. Mu Hongyu turned and gagged after she took one look. Cen Hu barely held on, but his pale face had lost its last signs of blood. Only Gu Mingfeng fared a little better. The corners of his eyes just twitched a little when he saw the scene. His heart was put at ease. After settling the pressing problem, they could finally be considered safe. But¡­ more problems were brewing quietly. He could not help but glance at Chu Liuyue. The latter was rather calm. Other than having a pale face from exhausting all her energy, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were peaceful and calm as if she did not mind the bloody mess before her. But then again, she was the one who created it. If she did not create that Xuan formation to kill the golden mane bear, they might be dead there and then. What kind of person is she? She can actually¡­ Gu Mingfeng pursed his lips. He knew long ago that Chu Liuyue was different. However, he realized that she was far more complex than he had thought after the battle today. Chu Liuyue could finally relax after confirming that the golden mane bear was dead. When she relaxed, the exhaustion caught up with her. She didn¡¯t even have the energy to move a single finger. She said to Gu Mingfeng, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that its body is ruined, but its pearl of essence should still be there. Go get it.¡± The latter shook his head. ¡°You killed it. Therefore, it belongs to you.¡± If I weren¡¯t too tired, I would have picked it up myself, Chu Liuyue thought to herself. The blood ferret from before appeared again and skipped over to the golden mane bear¡¯s carcass. It swiped its paw and easily found the pale-red pearl of essence. It then cleaned the pearl with its tail and returned to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. It presented the pearl of essence to Chu Liuyue with both paws as if presenting her a treasure. Its big eyes looked at Chu Liuyue without blinking as if waiting for her to praise it. Chu Liuyue laughed. This little fellow runs faster than anyone when we¡¯re in trouble and returns to acts coy when the danger is over. It¡¯s definitely smart. However, it doesn¡¯t draw my disdain. Chu Liuyue took the item and thought about it, planning to give it to Mu Hongyu later. At this thought, she walked over to Mu Hongyu and helped the latter up. ¡°Hongyu, are you okay?¡± Mu Hongyu thought that she was doomed, but Chu Liuyue saved her at the last second. For that, she was relieved and grateful. While bearing the pain, she wiped the blood away from her face. ¡°I¡¯m fine! They¡¯re just superficial injuries. I¡¯ll be fine in no time. If it weren¡¯t for you¡­¡± ¡°We could only win because you and Cen Hu held it back.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head, and her eyes landed on Mu Hongyu¡¯s shoulder. It looked like it was fractured. ¡°Sit down and have a rest. I¡¯ll set your bone for you later.¡± Mu Hongyu only realized then that Chu Liuyue had seen right through her. She laughed bitterly. ¡°Your eyes are too formidable.¡± Chu Liuyue did not reveal that she had taken Mu Hongyu¡¯s pulse while she had helped the latter up. But these external injuries weren¡¯t the most crucial ones. Mu Hongyu¡¯s most serious wounds were her internal injuries. After helping Mu Hongyu settle down, Chu Liuyue went to check on Cen Hu. His injuries were worse than Mu Hongyu¡¯s. He had been injured before, and things had only become worse. His left forearm was fractured, and he had broken two ribs. Things did not look good. Thankfully, Cen Hu was rather hardy. He could really put up with the pain. He did not even make a single sound when Chu Liuyue set his bone. He even smiled when she dressed his wounds. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re amazing. Even a fourth-grade fiend is not your match! That Xuan formation was not a stage-two one, right? To think you said that you were only a stage-two Xuan Master¡­ You would¡¯ve fooled us if we didn¡¯t see it with our own eyes!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I really am a stage-two Xuan Master. I would not have been able to execute it without Gu Mingfeng¡¯s help.¡± Cen Hu felt that something was off, but he could not put his finger on it. ¡°In any case, you¡¯re really strong! I think you¡¯re better than those arrogant Xuan Masters on campus!¡± The entire Imperial City called her a good-for-nothing. Little did they know that she was a true prodigy. Chu Liuyue paused when she heard that. She turned and looked behind her. She had almost forgotten about the other person, Gu Mingzhu. Upon sensing Chu Liuyue looking at her, Gu Mingzhu shuddered as she felt fear build up in her. The earlier scene was too scary. Her stomach had churned for a long time, and she had finally managed to calm it down. However, her emotions were still in a jumble. Chu Liuyue actually created a fourth-level Xuan formation! Didn¡¯t they say that she was still new to this? Isn¡¯t she a stage-two Xuan Master? How does one explain everything that just happened?! ¡°Wh-what do you want?¡± Gu Mingzhu stammered. ¡°Nothing much. I just think we should hold you accountable now that we¡¯ve solved the matter,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she looked towards Gu Mingfeng with a smile. ¡°Gu Mingfeng, do you mind watching her for me?¡± Gu Mingzhu cried out sharply. ¡°How dare you!¡± Gu Mingfeng nodded without saying a word. He walked towards Gu Mingzhu and tied her up tightly with rope. Even though Gu Mingfeng was a stage-three Xuan Master, running for her life earlier had exhausted her. She was no match for a martial artist like Gu Mingfeng in her current state. Her face was red from anger as she continued yelling. ¡°Gu Mingfeng, are you crazy?! You know what kind of status you have! How dare you raise a hand against me! I¡¯ll tell Master what happened when I get home, and he¡¯ll make you pay for this!¡± Gu Mingfeng ignored her as he expressionlessly tied her hands behind her. ¡°You disrespectful b*stard! You¡­¡± Pak! A loud slap cut off her string of insults. Her face was slanted to the side as her left cheek quickly swelled up. Gu Mingfeng looked at her coldly. ¡°I never said that I don¡¯t hit women. Besides, you¡¯ve got to make sure you live long enough to complain if you want to do it!¡± Gu Mingzhu stared at him. The silent, lowly teenager that she could bully at will had grown up and become a dangerous man! Chu Liuyue walked over to Mu Hongyu. She pressed down on the latter¡¯s shoulder as she carefully set the bone. Without looking up, she calmly said, ¡°It¡¯s not too late to get rid of her after she has repaid what she owes us.¡± Chapter 136 - Asking for Pats Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s words unsettled Gu Mingzhu, making her cry out sharply. ¡°Chu Liuyue, wh-what do you want?! I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m the Gu family¡¯s Gu family. If anything happens to me, they¡¯ll never let you off!¡± Chu Liuyue could not be bothered with her. ¡°Make her shut up.¡± Gu Mingfeng looked around and ripped out a section of the sleeve from Gu Mingzhu¡¯s shirt. He crumpled it into a ball and shoved it in her mouth. Gu Mingzhu felt embarrassed and upset by her exposed arm. She tried to cry out, only to find that she was gagged and could not speak. Gu Mingfeng suddenly looked at her. Gu Mingzhu immediately thought of the slap from earlier, and she instinctively kept quiet. Gu Mingfeng seems exceptionally quiet and aggressive today. I even feel that Gu Mingfeng might actually kill me if he is provoked! At the end of the day, Gu Mingzhu valued her life. She chose to keep quiet. Chu Liuyue ground the golden mane bear¡¯s pearl of essence into powder. She added two herbs that could help with recovery and blood production to the mixture before feeding it to Mu Hongyu. Cen Hu saw this and could not help but ask, ¡°Liuyue, why does Hongyu get better treatment than I do? I swallowed the pearl of essence directly, but hers is so refined. You can¡¯t just treat me like this because I¡¯m a guy!¡± Mu Hongyu felt that she was recovering, so she was in a good mood. She raised her chin arrogantly and said, ¡°Cen Hu, you still remember that you¡¯re a guy? Why so jealous? Of course, Liuyue treats me the best! You all are behind! You¡¯re not as lovable as I am!¡± Her words amused the others. Chu Liuyue explained the reasoning behind her actions. ¡°The livid horse is a third-grade fiend, so it¡¯s okay to consume its pearl of essence directly. However, the golden mane bear¡¯s pearl of essence is different. Hongyu is injured and weak right now. If she ingested the entire pearl of essence now, it would be more harmful than it is helpful.¡± She placed the remaining powder in Mu Hongyu¡¯s hands, and solemnly gave her instructions. ¡°Split the rest into two portions and take one portion every eight hours. Your internal injuries should feel much better then.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Mu Hongyu put it away carefully. ¡°I never expected that I could actually use a powder made from a golden mane bear¡¯s pearl of essence to treat my injuries! Not to mention the pearl of essence from one that I helped kill!¡± She said her thoughts aloud as she thought about everything that had happened. Liuyue said that we were key participants too. This victory belonged to the four of us! Even though we are hurt, such a result will make us look good when the others find out! Rong Jin was the talk of campus for a long while after he hunted a fourth-grade fiend back then. Our achievement is definitely better than his! Even if one looks across the entire campus, we can definitely be considered the best! ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that the golden mane bear is dead. If not, it would be great if we could hunt and tame it,¡± said Cen Hu. ¡°That¡¯s a fourth-grade fiend after all!¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips. ¡°That golden mane bear is a mother bear that has been angered. There is no chance of taming her. You would only create problems for yourself if you kept her by your side.¡± Cen Hu laughed. ¡°Just kidding! It was either the bear that died or us. Of course, we had to end its life!¡± Mu Hongyu agreed as she leaned against a tree with her non-injured shoulder. ¡°Yeah, a fourth-grade fiend is a rare sight¡­ Now that all of us are hurt, it¡¯s going to be tough to take down a fiend of this grade.¡± They finally ran into one, but it was a death trap brought by Gu Mingzhu. Chu Liuyue and Gu Mingfeng were in better shape, but Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu¡¯s injuries were rather serious. They probably would not get much out of their time in Wan Ling Mountain this time. ¡°Sigh, I wanted a fourth-grade fiend. I guess there¡¯s no hope now¡­¡± However, Chu Liuyue suddenly knocked on her head. ¡°Who says that there¡¯s no hope?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait¡­ are you going to help me hunt for one?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled cryptically. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. We already have one present, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s right inside,¡± said Gu Mingzhu unwillingly as she stood in front of a cave. ¡°You walk ahead,¡± commanded Chu Liuyue. Gu Mingzhu suppressed her anger as she headed inside. Chu Liuyue and the others followed closely behind. Gu Mingzhu had been tied up well, so they were not worried that she would have any tricks up her sleeve, nor were they afraid she would escape. The cave seemed narrow but was actually rather spacious. The few of them only arrived at the cave¡¯s innermost area after walking for a while. Chu Liuyue saw a nest. ¡°That¡¯s where the golden mane bear cub is,¡± Gu Mingzhu said unwillingly, her resentment slowly killing her. She thought that she had found a shortcut, only to realize it was a deathtrap, which left her stuck with Chu Liuyue! She had been tied up since yesterday. She could not lie down nor sit down. She stood all night and looked more haggard than ever. However, Chu Liuyue did not let her leave. Instead, she forced her to divulge the whereabouts of the golden mane bear cub. She could do nothing else but bring them here. As if noticing the commotion, a noise came from the nest, like something was moving. A small round head peeked out. ¡°It really is a golden mane bear cub!¡± Mu Hongyu cried out. The cub was only the size of an adult human¡¯s forearm. Its fur was still a light gray, only the ring of fur around its neck was a little darker. It was clearly a newborn. As it grew, its fur would turn into a golden-brown. It blinked and curiously looked at Chu Liuyue and the others as it scratched its round ears as if it were confused by what was happening. Finally, its eyes landed on Mu Hongyu, and it stretched out its arms. Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°W-what does it mean? D-does it want me to pick it up?¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because you consumed the mother bear¡¯s pearl of essence. Therefore, it feels a familiar aura coming from you. That¡¯s why it¡¯s especially close to you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mu Hongyu did not fully believe it. As they spoke, the golden mane bear cub realized that it was not getting a response. It made its way out of the nest and stumbled over to Mu Hongyu¡¯s side. It grabbed her leg tightly. Mu Hongyu felt her heart melt, and she picked it up. The cub rubbed its head against her shoulder intimately. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It¡¯s still too small and young. It will not survive if we leave it here. Why don¡¯t you take it with you?¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned and elated. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°No one else here is a better fit.¡± Mu Hongyu obviously did not turn the offer down. It was the cub of a fourth-grade fiend. It was easier to hunt and tame. Besides, the cub was really close to her, and she was really fond of it. ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡± Mu Hongyu carried the cub carefully and pinched its ears. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt an itch on her cheek. She looked down and saw that the small fellow had poked its head out as if waiting for something. The blood ferret¡¯s ears trembled when it saw that Chu Liuyue did not move. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. It is¡­ asking for pats?! Chapter 137 - Here for He Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue reached out and tapped its small head. ¡°Don¡¯t always compare with others.¡± The little fellow trembled as it looked up. It looked as if its heart was aching; it did not expect Chu Liuyue to say something as heartless as that. I¡¯m just asking for pats! Is that a lot to ask for? It grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s finger and pressed it against its ears. Pat me! Chu Liuyue was speechless. It is so small, but it has a big attitude. Chu Liuyue could only pinch its furry ears. They were quite nice to touch. Only then was the little fellow content. It grumpily turned around and hid its face in its tail. Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°Can you all let me go now?¡± Gu Mingzhu suddenly spoke up in a stiff tone. She was clearly very upset about what she had been put through in the last day and night. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Are you dreaming? We almost died because of you, and you think we¡¯re just going to let it go like this?¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve already gotten the golden mane bear cub! You¡ª¡± ¡°We deserved it since we defeated the golden mane bear. With its pearl of essence, it was only a matter of time before we found this place. You just saved us a little time, so do you really think that you deserve credit for this?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was calm and even, but Gu Mingzhu did not know how to respond to that. She finally realized that Chu Liuyue really did not intend to let her off easily. ¡°Then what do you want? Chu Liuyue, don¡¯t push it. I have a signal bottle on me. If you try anything, I¡¯ll make the teachers and elders hold you responsible!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the agitated Gu Mingzhu and sarcastically replied, ¡°That¡¯s great! We can take the chance to ask how we should punish a student who caused the deaths of two classmates and the disappearances of another two, and dragged us into danger.¡± Gu Mingzhu bit her lip. Hong! Long! Long! A loud rumbling that resembled thunder suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue frowned and hurried towards the cave entrance. She was stunned by the scene she saw at the middle of the mountain. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? The commotion¡­¡± Cen Hu caught up with her first. When he noticed her stiff expression, he followed her gaze. His eyes widened as well. At the foot of the mountain, a horde of fiends was headed their way! ¡°Second-grade silver feathered deer!¡± Cen Hu took a closer look and instantly identified the beast with a silver feather at the top of its head. Silver feathered deers were rather common and tame. They ran fast and were often hunted to be used as mounts for the noble families. However, they were solitary animals, so why were so many gathered in one place?! There were thirty to forty of them! But that was not all! Behind them was a group of black bats flying their way. Cen Hu¡¯s face twitched. ¡°Third-grade purple lightning bats?!¡± Aren¡¯t these venomous creatures nocturnal animals? Why are they out here in broad daylight?! They also number more than the deer! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand tightened as she glanced around quickly and pensively. Mu Hongyu and the others had caught up at this point. They, too, were stunned when they saw the situation at the foot of the mountain. ¡°Hold on! There are some in the northwest direction! Those are¡­ fire leopards?!¡± ¡°Some are in the south too! They¡¯re golden-eyed demons!¡± The others looked at one another. Mu Hongyu could not help but ask, ¡°Could this be¡­ the Fiend Tidal?¡± Otherwise, there was no way to explain why so many fiends suddenly appeared in synchrony! ¡°Aren¡¯t they supposed to be heading for the heart of Wan Ling Mountain? We¡¯re still in the periphery, so why are they headed our way?¡± Cen Hu did not understand. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, which was hidden in her sleeve, tightened. ¡°We¡¯ve been surrounded.¡± ¡­ At the same time, everyone in Wan Ling Mountain had sensed that something was amiss. Somewhere, Si Ting and the others were surrounded by third-grade red tigers. Both sides were at an impasse, and both sides suffered injuries. Si Yang wiped the blood away from his face as he gritted his teeth. ¡°Big Brother, the red tigers seem hell-bent on fighting us all the way. What do we do?¡± They had been rather unlucky. They ran into a stranded red tiger earlier, so they helped a teammate hunt it. Little did they expect the red tiger pack to find their way here based on the scent, which led to this conflict. After the difficult battle, they had almost depleted their energy. However, the red tigers seemed determined to fight them to the bitter end. They did not remember being told that Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s fiends were this difficult to deal with! Si Ting knitted his brows together. ¡°Zhou Yun and the others are seriously injured. They have to be sent back immediately.¡± Si Yang laughed bitterly. ¡°I pulled the signal bottle¡¯s strings earlier, but the teachers are not here yet. Big Brother, the current situation does not seem right.¡± Si Ting pursed his lips. He had the same thought. The fiends seemed to have been triggered by something. They were especially aggressive! They had run into other groups earlier. The situation was tense and dangerous, and many had backed out because of the severity of their injuries. The teachers probably got held up on their way here. ¡°Roar!¡± A red tiger suddenly roared deeply. Si Yang and the others stared at the red tigers nervously, afraid that they would all run forward simultaneously. However, the tiger that roared, surprisingly, turned and ran toward the forest! The other red tigers followed suit! They were gone in the blink of an eye! ¡°Wh-what just happened?¡± Si Yang was stunned. ¡°Could it be¡­ that the Fiend Tidal has begun?¡± According to their teachers, Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s fiends would head to a specific spot at a specific moment. However, Si Ting¡¯s heart was in his mouth. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right! They¡¯re not headed for the heart of the mountain!¡± ¡­ More fiends were gathering at the foot of the mountain. The people stuck in the middle of the mountain sank into an eerie silence. They felt that extreme danger was headed their way! ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are they headed towards our way?¡± The golden mane bear cub in Mu Hongyu¡¯s arms was also a little antsy; it only calmed down after she cajoled it for a while. Chu Liuyue kept silent. The fiends aren¡¯t here for them. They¡¯re here for me! Chapter 138 - Way Out Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue could not understand why. She had never been to Wan Ling Mountain, nor had she hunted or provoked any of the fiends. However, whether it was the livid horse at the beginning or the red wolf pack later, she became increasingly certain that the fiends were targeting her. ¡°Liuyue, what do we do now?¡± Even the bold Mu Hongyu felt uneasy because of the scene. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Mr. Dongfang once said that Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s fiends rarely leave the woods. If we head out, we might be able to shake them off.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s hurry and get out of here!¡± One or two fiends were fine, and a pack of fiends was somewhat manageable. However, innumerable fiends were heading their way! They were as good as dead if they fought head-on! Even their teachers and elders might not be the fiends¡¯ match! Gu Mingfeng suddenly spoke up, his expression tense. ¡°It might be quite difficult to leave now.¡± The others looked towards the foot of the mountain and saw that the golden-eyed demons from the south had stopped moving as well. They had neatly lined up like an army and looked up in unison. The fiends¡¯ eyes were filled with cold cruelty. Their gazes were also as sharp as knives as they looked at the group. Within their eyes was the pure and unadulterated desire to kill! ¡°Th-they have blocked off the path!¡± Cen Hu cried out. Gu Mingfeng shook his head. ¡°No, all our exits have been sealed shut.¡± Almost at the same time the golden-eyed demons arrived, the other fiends arrived and sealed off all exits. As far as their eyes could see, fiends were lined up with murderous intent in their eyes. The few of them sank into silence. Anyone could tell that they were in a desperate situation. Given the strength difference between both parties, the outcome was quite clear. Mu Hongyu¡¯s face was a little pale. ¡°Are we going to die here today?¡± She looked towards Chu Liuyue almost instinctively, but the latter¡¯s eyebrows were knitted tightly together. Mu Hongyu then laughed at herself. I must be crazy. In this situation, Chu Liuyue would not be able to do anything, no matter how capable she is. The others kept quiet. The atmosphere was heavy and somber as if it was frozen. ¡°Go back,¡± Chu Liuyue said suddenly. The others froze. ¡°Back where? We¡¯re surrounded now. There¡¯s no way we can break out¡­¡± ¡°Back into the cave,¡± Chu Liuyue said as she headed back to the cave. The first person to react was actually Gu Mingzhu. She backed away and screamed out loud. ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡± Chu Liuyue looked back with a frown. Perhaps it was because she had been frightened by the scene at the foot of the mountain, but Gu Mingzhu was a little hysterical. ¡°Chu Liuyue, don¡¯t drag me along with you if you want to die! The entire mountain has been surrounded! Going back to the cave means death! I won¡¯t go back with you all!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her like she was looking at a lunatic. She did not have the energy to deal with Gu Mingzhu right now. Besides, she did not even intend to bring the burdensome person with her. ¡°Sure.¡± With that, she looked towards Mu Hongyu and the others. ¡°Come on; time waits for no one.¡± The others immediately caught up with her when they heard her. Even though they did not know what Chu Liuyue was thinking, her tone and expression inspired confidence in them. Besides, after everything they had been through, they saw Chu Liuyue as their leader. They would follow anything she did at this point. Their group quickly disappeared into the cave. Only Gu Mingzhu was left on the mountain¡¯s midway point. She only returned to her senses, filled with disbelief, when the others disappeared completely. Chu Liuyue and the others actually let me off that easily? Hoo! The roars of the fiends jolted Gu Mingzhu back to reality. She looked down and felt the murderous intent. Her legs went soft, and she almost fell to her knees on the ground. No, no! I cannot die here! I have to make it out alive! Thankfully, I have a trump card¡­ ¡­ As the others headed back into the cave, Cen Hu looked back indignantly. ¡°Liuyue, we have not taken our revenge yet, but we¡¯re letting her leave like this? That¡¯s letting her off too easy!¡± ¡°Since she¡¯s tired of leaving, why should we stop her?¡± Chu Liuyue said calmly. Cen Hu¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been surrounded outside, so it¡¯s impossible for her to escape. Death is inevitable.¡± She saw right through Gu Mingzhu¡¯s plot. Rather than spend the energy to deal with her, Chu Liuyue would rather Gu Mingzhu send herself to her own doom. ¡°Whatever, enough of her! Liuyue, let¡¯s focus on what we can do! We can¡¯t keep hiding in this cave!¡± said Mu Hongyu worriedly as she hugged the golden mane bear cub. ¡°Who said we¡¯re waiting to die here?¡± retorted Chu Liuyue softly. The trio eyed one another. ¡°Golden mane bears are strong, but they hibernate every winter. Normally speaking, they will not hibernate in their usual nest to avoid being disturbed by other fiends. Instead, they will choose a more secretive location that is usually linked to their original nest for ease of movement,¡± explained Chu Liuyue patiently as she headed deeper into the cave. However, the others caught up immediately. ¡°Are you saying that we can quietly leave from the golden mane bear¡¯s hibernation spot?¡± As they spoke, the group arrived at the golden mane bear cub¡¯s nest from earlier. Cen Hu rushed over and looked around, but he was disappointed when he did not find anything. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here? Liuyue, can it be that this doesn¡¯t lead to the golden mane bear¡¯s hibernation spot? After all, this entire mountain belongs to it. Isn¡¯t it the same if it just directly leaves from outside?¡± ¡°If it really were that easy to find, the golden mane bear would not have lived till now.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she indicated for Mu Hongyu to put the golden mane bear cub down. The golden mane bear cub was still a little confused about being removed from the warm embrace. It blinked as it began to crawl towards Mu Hongyu. Chu Liuyue asked Mu Hongyu to step further away as she stepped forward herself. She then tapped the cub on its forehead, and it tumbled backward. It refused to give up and got up to continue forward. Chu Liuyue stopped it again. After a few times, it finally stopped. It glared at Chu Liuyue angrily and indignantly before it turned and left. It crawled to a certain spot and lay down next to the cave wall. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up when she stepped forward and found that the wall¡¯s color was indeed different from that of the rest. ¡°This is it!¡± She placed her hand on the wall and pushed it with force. Creak! A hole appeared in the wall! Chapter 139 - Pressure! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Found it?!¡± The others were all really excited to see the hole. Chu Liuyue glanced inside. It was dark, and barely anything could be seen. ¡°Use this.¡± A hand suddenly stretched over. On the palm was a grape-sized luminous pearl. Chu Liuyue took it and nodded at Gu Mingfeng. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Using the light from the luminous pearl, Chu Liuyue could see into the hole. ¡°The path in the hole leads downward. There are stairs, so please be careful.¡± With that, she led the way down. Mu Hongyu picked up the golden mane bear cub, kept it in her embrace, and followed suit. She smiled when she passed by Gu Mingfeng. ¡°Gu Mingfeng, you have a lot of things hidden on you, huh! Luminous pearls are really valuable!¡± Gu Mingfeng¡¯s status in the Gu family was low. He was usually somewhat frugal in the academy, so both Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu were surprised to see him produce the pearl. Gu Mingfeng looked down without saying anything, and he caught up to Chu Liuyue. Mu Hongyu froze and looked at Cen Hu. Did I say something wrong? However, I did not say much? Chu Liuyue¡¯s interest was piqued, but it looked like Gu Mingfeng did not want to talk about it. Thus, she did not ask and continued forward. ¡­ It was a narrow and long passageway. Even though they could only see what was directly in front of them, they sensed that the road was full of twists and turns. Chu Liuyue secretly calculated the distance they had walked and wondered if they had arrived at the foot of the mountain. However, she was unclear about their current direction. The most important thing now was to get away from the fiends¡¯ attacks. ¡°Oh my goodness! This golden mane bear is amazing. A passageway like this should have taken a lot of effort, right?¡± Cen Hu marveled at the path as he walked. ¡°This is a big project for regular people. However, it¡¯s not much, given the golden man bear¡¯s size and strength.¡± Cen Hu was stunned. ¡°No matter how strong it was, you defeated it, didn¡¯t you? I still think you¡¯re the scariest, Liuyue!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. She had said that defeating the golden mane bear was a team effort several times, but Cen Hu seemed to think that she had hidden abilities. He greatly admired her because of this. Cen Hu was a simple guy. Once he understood something, it was hard for him to change his mind. Thus, Chu Liuyue gave up on explaining and let him be. After walking for a while, they still did not see the end. Cen Hu felt a little frustrated. ¡°When is this going to end¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, the golden mane bear cub in Mu Hongyu¡¯s arms suddenly moved. Chu Liuyue was relieved when she saw that. ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± The few of them continued. As expected, the road in front of them cleared up! It opened up and led to an enormous cave! Cen Hu walked faster and headed over first. He looked around, and the excitement on his face faded away. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not right. Liuyue, why isn¡¯t there an exit here?¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples a little. ¡°The golden mane bear hibernates here. This place is meant to prevent disturbances, so why would there be an exit here?¡± ¡°How are we getting out then?¡± Chu Liuyue walked over and looked around. ¡°We¡¯re breaking our way out, of course!¡± Her tone was even and calm as if she was describing the weather. She did not think that her words were very surprising. However, even Gu Mingfeng could not help but frown. ¡°Break our way out? From here?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°If we combine our strength, it shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡± ¡°Liuyue, are you serious?¡± Mu Hongyu stared at her dazedly. ¡°We don¡¯t even know where this is! What if we¡¯re at the very bottom of the mountain? Won¡¯t we be stuck here digging for months then!?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take that long. I¡¯ve taken a look around earlier. The walls here are the same material as those in the cave, so we¡¯re still in the mountain. The cave was at the heart of the mountain, so we¡¯re definitely nearer to the surface now. It won¡¯t be a problem as long as we make ourselves an exit.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the others, who were still stunned. ¡°Do you all have any better ideas?¡± They remained silent. Gu Mingfeng took a deep breath. ¡°So, where do we begin?¡± ¡­ As Chu Liuyue and the others traveled through the passageway, the situation outside got increasingly tense. Slowly but surely, fiends had completely surrounded the mountain. The murderous aura in the air was terrifying. However, the fiends did not attack. Instead, they lined up neatly. It was as though they were waiting for something. Anyone in the right mind would definitely sense that something was amiss, but not Gu Mingzhu. She found a deserted corner and hid behind a rock. She was relieved when she realized that the fiends did not attack after a while. Thankfully, not all hope is lost. Even though I do not know why they have stopped, I am relieved. What I need the most now is time! She reached towards her belt eagerly. As long as nobody interrupts me, I should be able to get away safely! However, her smile suddenly froze as she looked towards her belt in disbelief. That¡¯s not right! I clearly put that thing there! Why is it gone now?! ¡­ Somewhere in Wan Ling Mountain Range. Wen Yan was hurrying along when he heard footsteps. He carefully looked around and turned, only to see that it was Bai Chen. Following behind him were Si Ting and the others. They seemed as if they were rushing somewhere. Wen Yan went forward and asked, ¡°Bai Chen, where are you going? Did Si Ting and the others get hurt?¡± Bai Chen hurried forward when he saw Wen Yan, his expression somber. ¡°Wen Yan, do you feel that something is amiss?¡± Wen Yan paused. ¡°Are you talking about how Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s fiends are more aggressive?¡± Bai Chen nodded and then shook his head. ¡°Not entirely. We saw inklings of this yesterday. The teachers and elders knew about this yesterday, and we¡¯ve sent many heavily-injured students out. However, there¡¯s something more pressing now.¡± ¡°Oh? What happened?¡± Wen Yan asked. Bai Chen took a deep breath and explained what Si Ting and the others had told him after running into him. ¡°¡­ In reality, they¡¯re not the only ones who have run into something like this. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the fiends in Wan Ling Mountain seem to have received some kind of call or order! This is why they¡¯re so in sync! Most importantly, they always headed into the mountain range during the previous Fiend Tidals. However, this time¡­¡± Wen Yan¡¯s heart was in his mouth. ¡°To be able to control these fiends, I¡¯m afraid it would have to be¡­¡± Hong! A loud explosion came from the sky. Everyone looked up and saw a mountain peak explode as an enormous demonic beast spread its wings and soared towards the sky! Heavy pressure spread across the land. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ an advanced demonic beast!¡± Chapter 140 - Black flying python! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was a blood-red python. Its scales gave off a cold shine and aura under the sunlight. When it spread its black skeletal wings, they almost covered up the sun. The strong but terrifying aura was stifling. Everyone was stunned by the scene. Bai Chen widened his eyes as if he had been hallucinating. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a seventh-grade fiend! It¡¯s a black flying python?!¡± Si Ting and the others were stunned. Seventh-grade fiend? A creature that only existed in legends and rumors? ¡°Hurry! Leave!¡¯ Wen Yan cried out with a pale face as he returned to his senses. ¡°Send the message to everyone from the academy. Tell them to Leave Wan Ling Mountain now!¡± ¡­ Hoo! All the fiends in Wan Ling Mountain roared the instant the black flying python appeared. This was their way of expressing their respect. The black flying python flapped its wings and quickly flew towards the mountain where Chu Liuyue and the others were. All the fiends received it respectfully since fiends had a strict hierarchy. As a seventh-grade fiend, the black flying python was the ruler. As a matter of fact, Wan Ling Mountain was its territory. It moved fast and arrived at the mountain in a matter of seconds. Its green eyes were filled with murderous intent when a strange sound tore out from its throat. The fiends at the foot of the mountain called out in response. All of them then rushed towards the mountain! ¡­ How did it disappear? The family head gave it to me as a reward back then because he was afraid I would run into trouble. Gu Mingzhu could not even bear to use the trump card when she was chased by the golden mane bear, but she knew she had to use it now. However, why can¡¯t I find it now? Gu Mingzhu quickly looked through her clothes and began to panic when she did not find it. How am I to leave this place safely without it?! She could not help but glance at the fiend in the sky. Even though she did not recognize what type of fiend it was, she was certain that it was a highly-dangerous advanced fiend! It seems ready to strike! What should I do?! Gu Mingzhu¡¯s heart began beating wildly. Her face was pale, and her limbs were cold. Hong! Long! Long! Just as she was worrying, she heard a loud sound. She stared at it in surprise, only to see numerous fiends rushing towards the mountain peak. The mountain shook because of the sheer number of fiends moving. Fear grew in Gu Mingzhu¡¯s heart as she blindly ran in one direction. ¡­ Just as Chu Liuyue and the others started searching for an exit, they felt a powerful force. A few pieces of stone fell from the wall. Mu Hongyu was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s going on! What¡¯s happening outside?¡± Cen Hu said, ¡°I think someone is attacking¡­ No! It should be the fiends!¡± What else could it be but the fiends? ¡°Why are they attacking the mountain? Are they trying to force us out?¡± Mu Hongyu knitted her brows together. ¡°Why are they targeting us?¡± Chu Liuyue looked down. Gu Mingfeng narrowed his eyes when he saw her expression. ¡°Are we going to continue?¡± Gu Mingfeng looked at Chu Liuyue. Staying here and making an exit didn¡¯t hold much meaning any longer. They might not even have that much time to do so. Given how aggressive the fiends were, they were as good as dead if they remained here. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°You guys continue. I¡¯ll head back.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned and grabbed Chu Liuyue. ¡°Are you crazy? Aren¡¯t you looking for death by going back?¡± ¡°The entire mountain has been surrounded. Even if I don¡¯t go, it¡¯ll be hard for us to get out. If I go back, I can buy some time. You guys should use the time to move forward and make a new exit. It should be safer to leave from there.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke as she took something out from her sleeve. The object was a palm-sized black crystal plate. It was round and seemed to have a pattern engraved on it. It seemed mysterious, and it gave off a sense of authority. Gu Mingfeng stared at Chu Liuyue in shock when he saw the item. ¡°This is¡­ a black Xuan formation crystal?¡± Mu Hongyu cried out when she recognized the item. ¡°Why do you have something like this?¡± Black Xuan formation crystals were Xuan formations carved into black crystals to seal the force within. Black Xuan formation crystals were extremely precious items because even low-level Xuan Masters could activate the Xuan formations beyond their level with just a little energy. Black Xuan formation crystals naturally had greater attacking power. However, black Xuan formation crystals were extremely hard to carve. Therefore, they were a rare treasure even among the noble families. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not mine; it¡¯s Gu Mingzhu¡¯s.¡± ¡°Gu¡­¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned but immediately came to her senses. ¡°You stole it? When?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯s not important. She owes us, so we¡¯ll just take this as interest.¡± Cen Hu raised his thumb in awe. ¡°No wonder you let her off that easily! I did think that you were too easy on her, but it turns out that you had something else in mind! No wonder Gu Mingzhu refused to come with us and dared to remain up there when all the fiends were at the foot of the mountain. She intended to leave by herself since she had this trump card!¡± ¡°This Xuan formation carved on the black crystal is a fifth-level one. It¡¯s extremely powerful and can help you all quite a bit.¡± Chu Liuyue handed the black Xuan formation crystal to Gu Mingfeng after she spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve activated about half of the formation carved into the black crystal. You can activate it if you just infuse a little more force. I¡¯m leaving Hongyu and Cen Hu in your hands.¡± Gu Mingfeng paused because he did not expect Chu Liuyue to say something like this. Handing the two of them to me.. She trusts me? Chu Liuyue curled her lips and looked at Gu Mingfeng with conviction as if she could read his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys on the outside.¡± Gu Mingfeng did not know how to describe how he felt. He had never been so trusted by anyone. Even though he was talented, people looked down on him because of his low status. Everyone in the Gu family called him cold and heartless. They shared the same blood, but they hurt him the most. However, Chu Liuyue¡­ They had only known each other for a few days, but she was willing to trust Gu Mingfeng this much. Gu Minfeng looked into her eyes. Her eyes were clear, without despise, sarcasm, or mocking. Her gaze was calming. She is serious. Gu Mingfeng felt something move at the bottom of his heart before he reached for the black Xuan formation crystal. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. Since Gu Mingfeng had agreed, it meant that he would put in his best. Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu were both injured, so they could only rely on him. She returned the luminous pearl without saying much. She then turned and disappeared into the darkness. ¡°Liuyue¡­¡± Mu Hongyu stepped forward and wanted to stop her. Gu Mingfeng walked over. ¡°Since she said that she¡¯d meet us outside, she¡¯ll fulfill her promise. Rather than worry, let¡¯s move fast and meet up with her. We don¡¯t have much time. The longer we take, the more danger she is in.¡± Mu Hongyu bit her lip. She struggled internally before she finally nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 141 - Surrender! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue ran to the path alone. The closer she was to the outside, the clearer she could feel the strength of the attack. One could just imagine what the scene outside was like. Rocks kept falling from the mountain and landed beside her. However, Chu Liuyue did not stop and determinedly ran outside. She had to go forward, even if there was danger. Besides, she really wanted to know why the fiends in Wan Ling Mountain had targeted her¡­ She felt that her neck was itchy, so she looked down and saw the blood ferret on her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous outside. You shouldn¡¯t follow me.¡± The little fellow shook its head. No! I want to follow you! Chu Liuyue laughed softly and tapped its head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you very scared? When we met with danger previously, you ran faster than anyone else. Why must you follow me this time? I¡¯m not joking with you. You clearly must know what the situation outside is like. You really don¡¯t have to follow me.¡± However, the little fellow seemed to be hurt by her words. It puffed up its cheeks and glared at her. It decisively turned around and faced her with its bottom. I said I¡¯m not leaving so I won¡¯t! I¡¯m not a coward! Do I seem like that in your eyes? I want to be with you! Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears, but her heart was warm. ¡°You can follow me out, but just run for your life by yourself if there¡¯s danger, okay?¡± The little fellow shook its tail and covered its ears. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and continued walking outside. ¡­ At the same time. On another side of Wan Ling Mountain, Elder Sun and the rest were helpless as they stared at the black flying python that suddenly appeared in the sky. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why did the black flying python suddenly appear here?¡± Elder Sun was stunned. The other teachers looked at each other awkwardly. ¡°Elder Sun, did you know that a black flying python was here?¡± Elder Sun grimly nodded. ¡°Wan Ling Mountain is its territory. The so-called Fiend Tidal actually started because of it. A black flying python¡¯s cultivation requires it to swallow large amounts of energy, and this includes low-level fiends. Due to the fiend¡¯s power, the low-level fiends could not help but gather together and let it do whatever it wants.¡± ¡°Three years ago, Uncle-Master and I met it here coincidentally. However, it was still in the sixth-grade then. I didn¡¯t expect it to break through to the seventh-grade after a mere seven years.¡± Everyone was shocked. Elder Sun tightly knitted his brows. ¡°The center mountain in Wan Ling Mountain is the black flying python¡¯s nest. It never left it before, but it has appeared at the borders for some reason¡­ Qingye, how many more students are there in the mountains?¡± A teacher beside him counted in his heart and immediately said, ¡°Quite a few fiends with extreme attacking power appeared a few days ago, which caused quite a number of students to be injured and withdraw. There should only be less than one-third of the original number left inside.¡± As he stared at the frighteningly large body, Elder Sun muttered, ¡°No wonder it¡¯s so weird this time. It was because of this fellow¡­¡± Even though he was a distance away, Elder Sun could clearly feel the ferocious murderous intent in the black flying python. What exactly did it want? Suppressing his uneasiness, he commanded, ¡°Let¡¯s work on our own and bring the remaining students back. Remember, you must be careful not to trigger the black flying python.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue reached the cave very quickly. Here, she could clearly feel the ferocious aura getting increasingly closer. She took a deep breath and walked outside. When her figure appeared at the cave entrance, coldness flashed across the black flying python¡¯s eyes as it snarled in mid-air. All the running fiends stopped in their tracks in unison when they heard the command. However, they had already occupied half the mountain, and the golden-eyed demons in front were staring straight at Chu Liuyue. No, Chu Liuyue was already completely surrounded. Following the snarl, Chu Liuyue looked up and was shocked when she saw the gigantic figure. Seventh-grade black flying python? It is no wonder these fiends are so obedient. This fellow was here. The human and the fiend had a staredown. Chu Liuyue could clearly see the harsh murderous intent in its vertical eyes. It really did come for me! It wants to take my life! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart gradually sank. The sun was high up in the air, but her body was cold. If she were in her previous life¡¯s body, she would not care about a seventh-grade fiend. However¡­ how could she be its match now, let alone talk about the numerous stern fiends surrounding her? Chu Liuyue undoubtedly knew that the fiends would immediately rush towards her and shred her to pieces as long as the black flying python gave the command. In the frozen atmosphere, the black flying python moved and flew to Chu Liuyue. When it got nearer, the golden-eyed demons all bent their bodies. The fiends above this half of the mountain were all fearful as well. The black flying python looked down at Chu Liuyue from above. It was just one look, but an invisible suppression overwhelmed her. This was the frightening power that only an advanced fiend would have. Chu Liuyue felt something harshly slam against her body, and she felt excruciating pain. Her face immediately turned pale as sweat covered her forehead. The little fellow resting on her shoulders also felt the impact and let out a painful moan. The blood ferret was a fiend and naturally wouldn¡¯t feel well after suffering the black flying python¡¯s scary suppression. Chu Liuyue glanced at it and saw that it was terribly trembling in obvious fear and anger. However, its claws tightly clutched onto her clothes as it refused to let go. She forced herself to continue as she turned around to look at the black flying python. She enunciated each word clearly as she said, ¡°You can have my life, but you should first tell me why and let me die a peaceful death at the very least.¡± The black flying python looked at her nonchalantly and did not say anything. However, it increased the strength of the force acting on them. Ka! The ground underneath Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet immediately split open. Excruciating pain spread throughout Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, causing her to see black. She clenched her teeth and stood up straight, but a light flashed across her mind. It is very easy for this fiend to kill me, but the black flying python didn¡¯t directly attack me. Rather than wanting my life, it seems¡­ like it wants me to surrender even more! Chapter 142 - Go Forward Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I don¡¯t know this black flying python at all, and it¡¯s my first time seeing it. So why is it treating me this way? Chu Liuyue could not understand at all. However, this black flying python seemed like it didn¡¯t want to explain as it stared at her with its deadly gaze. It also kept increasing the strength of the suppression acting on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue grunted, and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. However, she remained standing straight. She extended her hands slowly to wipe away the blood from her mouth before looking at the black flying python determinedly. After a momentary silence, she laughed. ¡°¡­ If I kneel just because you want me to, won¡¯t I lose face?¡± Anger flashed across the black flying python¡¯s eyes when it heard her words. Hong! With a whip of its tail, a strong wind came hurling towards her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body flew backward, and she landed heavily on the mountain rocks. Bang! A low sound was made, and blood flowed out from her back. Chu Liuyue coughed and spat out blood. Her originally pale lips were tainted with blood, making her look especially miserable. Her shoulder blade was probably crushed. She used her arms to push herself and forcefully stand up. Before she could even stand still, another terrible force went straight for her. Bang! Chu Liuyue was flung backward again. This time, her injuries were even worse than before. The little fellow tightly clutched onto her clothes and flew along with her. It nervously looked at Chu Liuyue, and its eyes were filled with tears. Chu Liuyue took a long time to recover. She then bore with the excruciating pain as she used a nearby rock to help her stand up once again. At this time, her body was covered in patches of blood, making her look ghastly. It was not that she did not want to retaliate, but the other party did not even give her a chance to do so. A seventh-grade fiend¡¯s ability was undetermined. She was also no match for it with her current cultivation level. But¡­ why? The little fellow quickly wiped away its tears with its claws as it angrily looked at the culprit. It clenched its teeth loudly before it finally jumped forward and went straight for the other party. It wanted to kill that fellow! ¡°Come back!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and wanted to stop it, but it was too late. The black flying python¡¯s eyes turned and looked at the rushing blood ferret like it was looking at something dead. You don¡¯t know your own limits. With another wave of strong suppression, the little fellow¡¯s body suddenly stiffened, and it collapsed onto the floor. It lay on the ground motionless, and Chu Liuyue did not know if it was dead or alive. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed. A cold gaze landed on her body. She looked up. The black flying python bent down to look at her as if it was looking at an ant uselessly struggling. ¡­ After receiving Elder Sun¡¯s command, the teachers immediately took action. They very quickly found the remaining students in the woods and brought them out safely. The process was very smooth. Before they left, Elder Sun kept reminding them not to enter the depths of the mountains. Thus, most of the students were still at the borders, which silently made their retreat convenient. Elder Sun was a little surprised when the teachers came back and said that the majority of the students had been sent out. ¡°So quickly?¡± ¡°Yes. The students did not go in too deep. Even though they were separated, it was easy to find them. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the black flying python, but the fiends in the mountains seemed to have been called over. Therefore, we didn¡¯t meet any obstacles.¡± The teachers were also thankful for their luck. Elder Sun nodded, and his heart felt a little more assured. ¡°How many students remain inside?¡± ¡°Other than the three who are dead, our batch of students are all out,¡± said an elder lowly. ¡°Four have died, and there¡¯s one missing. The rest have already left.¡± Another elder looked grim. Sun Zhongyan kept quiet for a while. This was the worst battle situation the academy had ever been in. If he had known it would be like this¡­ ¡°Bai Chen, what about the freshmen?¡± asked Elder Sun as he suppressed his emotions. Bai Chen looked terrible. ¡°Two people died in Gu Mingzhu¡¯s team, and we found their corpses in the woods. The other three are missing, and¡­ there¡¯s no news from Chu Liuyue¡¯s team of four.¡± Sun Zhongyan was shocked. ¡°Why is there no news? The borders are only so large. Besides, they have their signal bottles with them. Why can¡¯t you¡ª¡± He suddenly thought of something, and his voice faded. Bai Chen bitterly laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve searched the other areas, but it was to no avail. There¡¯s only one place I haven¡¯t gone to.¡± Everyone knew the place he was talking about. They had all avoided the mountain that the black flying python occupied as they acted. ¡°¡­ They¡¯re very possibly there!¡± Everyone then fell into dead silence. The black flying python was very dangerous. If the few of them really were there, it would be hard for them to survive. Sun Zhongyan tightly knitted his brows. The next moment, he decisively said, ¡°You guys leave first. I¡¯ll go there on my own!¡± ¡°Elder Sun, please think twice. That black flying python is ferocious! In this situation, we have no idea what it¡¯s going to do. If you go now, you¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°I can¡¯t worry so much. If they¡¯re not in the other areas, then they can only be there. It¡¯s precisely because the black flying python is too formidable that I have to go there!¡± The other students most likely can¡¯t hold on much longer in front of so many fiends. ¡°Elder Sun, what if they¡¯re not there? Why don¡¯t we take¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time.¡± Sun Zhongyan shook his head. Bai Chen immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you!¡± Si Ting stepped forward, and his handsome face looked very calm. However, something stirred in his eyes as he said, ¡°Master, let me go with you!¡± Chapter 143 - Perilous Situation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°No! It¡¯s very dangerous there. How can you go with me?¡± Elder Sun rejected him without thinking. Si Ting was talented and capable, but that did not mean that he was currently strong enough. If anything happened to him, what would he do as his teacher? Si Yang could not help but close in and softly said, ¡°Big Brother! Are you crazy? That¡¯s a seventh-grade black flying python! Don¡¯t you want to live?¡± He looked at his surroundings hesitantly, and his voice became even softer. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take the risk because of¡­ because of other people! Besides, you might be Elder Sun¡¯s burden if you go with him!¡± However, Si Ting was insistent. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s dangerous that I should follow you there. You¡¯re my teacher, so I have no reason to sit aside and watch the show. Besides¡­ you know my abilities the clearest. Perhaps I can even help you later on.¡± Si Ting usually did not speak much. Even though he had good grades, he was usually very humble. Today was the first time he said such words, and it subconsciously garnered the glances of many other elders and teachers. Si Yang looked at him and knew that he could not advise him otherwise. He instantly felt his head hurt. Big Brother always does things decisively and will definitely not change his mind on things he has decided on. If he wants to go, then¡­ he¡¯ll definitely go! Other people might not know why, but I do! It¡¯s precisely because that person is there! ¡°Aish!¡± Si Yang sighed heavily as he walked to one side because if he could not see something, it would not hurt him. Elder Sun looked at Si Ting weirdly. ¡°¡­ You really want to go?¡± Si Ting nodded. After keeping quiet for a while, Elder Sun finally agreed when he saw Si Ting¡¯s serious expression. ¡°Since it¡¯s so, follow me then!¡± ¡­ ¡°The exit should be outside this!¡± Cen Hu knocked on the side of the mountain and wiped off the beads of sweat on his forehead at the same time. He looked elated. Mu Hongyu walked forward and knocked on the surface like Cen Hu before leaning in to listen. ¡°The sound seems different from before,¡± said Mu Hongyu, somewhat uncertain. ¡°Cen Hu, are you sure this is the exit?¡± ¡°Of course! When I lived at home, I loved to follow my father up to the mountains. Even though I¡¯m not super familiar with it, I can tell a thing or two.¡± Cen Hu patted his chest. ¡°If we break open this layer and it¡¯s not an exit, you can deal with me however you want.¡± Upon seeing his confidence, Mu Hongyu believed in him even more. She then turned around to look at Gu Mingfeng. ¡°Shall you do it?¡± Gu Mingfeng nodded and indicated to the other two to move backward. He stood in front of the wall and held the black Xuan formation crystal. His thoughts changed, and he injected his force into it. A faint light suddenly glowed¡ªthis was the indication that the Xuan formation had been activated. The surroundings were deadly quiet, and this light became the brightest existence. The three of them stared straight at the black Xuan formation crystal. The golden mane bear cub moved uneasily, and Mu Hongyu hurriedly touched its ears before wrapping it even more tightly. If anything bad happened later, she could still protect it. Gu Mingfeng kept injecting his force into the black Xuan formation crystal, and the light shone even more brightly. Very quickly, a Xuan formation outline appeared. A faint suppression started to spread. Cen Hu suddenly said softly, ¡°I wonder how Liuyue is doing on her side.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Actually, even though they were here and could vaguely feel the movements outside, they could not guess what was happening. Nobody knew what was going on outside. She suppressed her inner worries and took a deep breath in. ¡°Liuyue is very capable and super smart. She¡¯ll definitely be alright. Since she said that we¡¯ll meet outside the mountains, she won¡¯t go back on her words. Let¡¯s hurry up and get out of here to meet her!¡± Cen Hu nodded with all his might. ¡°Right!¡± Buzz! A faint buzz suddenly sounded. The two of them looked over and saw a complete Xuan formation forming on top of the black Xuan formation crystal in Gu Mingfeng¡¯s hands. It was shining brightly and exuded strong suppression as it dazzled their eyes. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Cen Hu excitedly waved his fists in the air. However, the light suddenly dimmed very quickly. Even the suppression they felt before had suddenly become unstable. ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Cen Hu¡¯s smile stiffened. Mu Hongyu suddenly realized something. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Gu Mingfeng¡¯s strength isn¡¯t enough to activate the black Xuan formation crystal?¡± Since they were not Xuan Masters, they were at a disadvantage because warriors normally wasted more energy to activate the black Xuan formation crystal as compared to Xuan Masters. ¡°However, the two of us can¡¯t help him any longer¡­ I have already used up my force,¡± said Cen Hu bitterly. As he spoke, the light grew even dimmer. Mu Hongyu weakly closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯ll be great if I became a stage-four warrior.¡± If I was, this wouldn¡¯t have been a problem! Liuyue left her trump card for us and is facing the danger on her own. Yet, we still can¡¯t succeed¡­ The atmosphere became stiff. Weng! Weng! The soft buzz sounded again, and Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu were stunned when they realized that Gu Mingfeng¡¯s aura was becoming stronger. The black Xuan formation crystal in front of him shone brightly once again. Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes widened. Cen Hu could not help but curse. ¡°Damn! Gu Mingfeng, you freaking became a stage-four warrior already?¡± Hong! A frightening force burst out from the black Xuan formation crystal. ¡­ Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth, stood up once again, and walked forward. She walked very slowly as blood kept dripping down. Every step she made would leave behind frightening bloody footprints. The black flying python nonchalantly looked down at her, and the murderous intent in its eyes intensified. Chu Liuyue¡¯s reluctance to surrender had thoroughly angered it. The more she behaved this way, the more unwilling it was to kill her directly. Chu Liuyue finally stopped. Then, she bent down to pick up the motionless little fellow. Upon closer inspection, its body seemed to be trembling slightly because of its breathing, so it was clearly still alive. Chu Liuyue instantly heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. Even though it was not her fiend, she did not want it to die because of her, especially when it chose to be with her at the most crucial point. Just as Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand was about to touch it, a strong wave of force hurled towards her. Chu Liuyue went flying backward once again! This time, the black flying python finally moved. Its wings vibrated as it rapidly flew toward Chu Liuyue. Then, it opened its mouth, which was extremely big. It was like it could swallow the ground whole. Chu Liuyue almost fainted from this impact, but she used her last bit of perseverance to stay awake. However, when she spat out blood and forcefully opened her eyes, she saw eerily sharp teeth. The black flying python was right in front of her eyes and planned to swallow her. Chu Liuyue instinctively wanted to shy away, but discovered that her body was already numb. She could not move at all. Mockery flashed across the pair of vertical eyes from above. The weak can be played by anyone. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth tightly. I can¡¯t die here! Buzz! The water droplet in her dantian suddenly twirled. Chapter 144 - Desperation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The moment the water droplet started twirling, the black flying python¡ªwhich was very close to Chu Liuyue¡ªsuddenly felt life-threatening danger. It looked at Chu Liuyue in shock, and the mockery and contempt its eyes had disappeared. It was replaced by unconcealable, deep fear. The next moment, it anxiously moved backward without even choosing where to go. It acted as if Chu Liuyue was some formidable existence. All the surrounding fiends were stunned by the scene. What¡¯s¡­ going on? I thought it wanted to kill that despicable human? Why¡­? Chu Liuyue suddenly recovered her senses and noticed that the water droplet in her dantian had moved. The immense strength kept moving, and a small water droplet separated from the main one the next second. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt her palm itch. When she looked down, she widened her eyes in shock. A small water droplet had suddenly appeared on her bloodied palm. The water droplet was the size of a bean and was completely transparent. It looked just like a normal water droplet. However, she could feel the formidable suppressive force inside it when she went near it. Chu Liuyue looked at it dazedly. This scene was very similar to the one where she recovered her Yuan meridian. The only difference was that the previous water droplet was used to recover her Yuan meridian while this was used to attack. Without waiting for her to react, the water droplet rapidly launched forward and went straight for the black flying python. The black flying python swiftly retreated, but the water droplet was much faster than it. In the blink of an eye, the water droplet had already arrived in front of it. The black flying python¡¯s wings flapped, and an orange fire emerged, forming a barrier in front of it. However, shock filled its eyes the next moment. This was because the water droplet had directly flown past the fire barrier and did not even decrease in size. The water droplet travelled at lightning speed. Upon closer inspection, it could see a hole in the fire barrier. Before the fire barrier could even properly form, the water droplet had passed it. The black flying python was even more stunned. It had previously already felt that something was amiss, and the scene in front of it had proved its thoughts¡ªChu Liuyue had an unusual source of formidable strength in her. Even it was not the strength¡¯s match. As it thought in that way, it rapidly flew backward and wanted to avoid the water droplet. The large, red fiend crazily spun in the air as its route was very disorganized, making it look very weird. However, the water droplet kept following closely behind it and decreased the distance between them as if the water droplet had eyes. ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elder Sun and Si Ting silently rushed over, but felt that something was wrong. When they looked up, they coincidentally saw the black flying python crazily spinning in the air. It seemed like it was avoiding something. Si Ting quickly looked up and knitted his brows. His eyes turned and landed on the middle of the mountain. There was still quite some distance between them and the mountain, but they could roughly see the situation there. He could vaguely see a familiar figure on the mountain. If it isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue, who else can it be? At this time, she leaned against a rock and seemed to be unwell. Si Ting¡¯s heart stopped, and he wanted to continue forward. However, he was stopped by Elder Sun. ¡°Si Ting, if you move forward any further, it¡¯ll be the fiends¡¯ area, which is within the black flying python¡¯s control. It¡¯s not easy to come out if you go in. You should wait here while I check what¡¯s going on.¡± Si Ting¡¯s thin lips moved as if he wanted to say something. However, he swallowed his words when he saw Elder Sun¡¯s determined look, which did not allow for any objection. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Sun Zhongyan then stepped forward. Bang! A loud sound was heard! Elder Sun and Si Ting were frightened. When they looked in the direction of the sound, they saw a hole on the ground nearby. A hand suddenly stretched out from below. The both of them were alarmed. Elder Sun hollered, ¡°Who are you?¡± The person below seemed to be taken aback as well since they quickly retracted their hand. However, a figure quickly jumped up from below. It was a young man of muscular build and dark skin. He had injuries everywhere, and the blood made him look terrible. However, he wore Tian Lu Academy¡¯s uniform. Elder Sun heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. Once the young man came out, he immediately looked at Elder Sun and Si Ting. When he recognized their faces, he could not help but be dazed. ¡°Elder Sun?¡± The worries and hesitations in his heart immediately dissipated as he turned back and yelled into the cave. ¡°Hongyu! Mingfeng! Quickly, come out! The person outside is Elder Sun!¡± Once they heard these two names, Elder Sun and Si Ting immediately understood what was going on¡ªthat they were the ones in Chu Liuyue¡¯s team. Mu Hongyu and Gu Mingfeng quickly climbed out from the hole, looking equally miserable and bloodied. Elder Sun¡¯s eyes quickly swept past the three of them, and he could not help but knit his brows. ¡°What happened to you guys? Why are all of you so severely injured?¡± When he finished his sentence, he saw Mu Hongyu actually carrying a golden mane bear cub. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Elder Sun, we were harmed by Gu Mingzhu and suffered a golden mane bear attack. We barely killed it and managed to survive.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s simple sentence had summarized the happenings of the previous day and night. Elder Sun and Si Ting were stunned after they heard her words. ¡°Golden mane bear?¡± That¡¯s a fourth-grade fiend! How did they actually kill it? Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°This little fellow is a golden mane bear cub. I took it to be my fiend.¡± Elder Sun wanted to ask further, but Si Ting suddenly questioned them in an indifferent tone. ¡°There¡¯s only the three of you?¡± Cen Hu immediately said, ¡°Yeah! We separated from Liuyue. She said she¡¯ll meet us outside the mountain. Where is she?¡± Cen Hu then realized that Chu Liuyue was nowhere to be seen. Si Ting clenched his fists even more tightly in his sleeves. ¡°She¡¯s not here.¡± Gu Mingfeng had already discovered that something was wrong on the other end, so he silently surveyed his surroundings. Finally, he saw a familiar figure on the far away mountain. ¡°She¡¯s there!¡± At this point, she was clearly surrounded by countless fiends. However, this wasn¡¯t the scariest thing! Gu Mingfeng stared straight at the large figure in the air. Black flying python? It is no wonder Chu Liuyue had not appeared yet. She is obviously in a perilous situation. Elder Sun could not care about their situation and swiftly gave instructions to Si Ting. ¡°Wait here. Immediately take action if anything weird happens. Protect the three of them first. I¡¯ve already contacted the other teachers to bring them out.¡± Si Ting nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, teacher.¡± Elder Sun nodded and turned around to leave. However, the moment he took a step, the black flying python in the sky suddenly roared crazily. It seemed as though it was suffering excruciating pain. After it crazily moved in the air, it directly slammed into the middle of the mountain head first. Chapter 145 - Spare its Life Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The water droplet swiftly pierced through the black flying python¡¯s belly. It was clearly just a small droplet, but it had immense strength as it left a bloodied hole¡ªthe size of a fist¡ªon the black flying python¡¯s body. The hard scales were easily shattered, and blood spurted everywhere. The black flying python had never suffered such a loss. It painfully shrilled, hating Chu Liuyue even more. When the spectating fiends at the foot of the mountain saw this scene, they were all stunned. To them, the black flying python was the strongest existence, and it was the king that they all had to succumb to. However, it was actually injured by a human. The fiends started to become uneasy. The ones at the outermost area had started to move backward hesitantly. They all had decent intelligence and naturally knew that Chu Liuyue was not that easy to deal with when they saw this scene. Thus, they felt it was better for them to temporarily stay away from the battlefield in consideration of themselves. Of course, most of the fiends still stayed there and closely watched the black flying python in the sky. Feeling those gazes, the black flying python became even more furious. It had been known as the king of Wan Ling Mountain for years, but its status was dropping just because of a Chu Liuyue. If it lost to Chu Liuyue in front of everyone today, it would lose its authority. Upon thinking of this, mania flashed across the black flying python¡¯s eyes as it went straight for Chu Liuyue again. Hong! It whipped its long tail, and Chu Liuyue barely managed to avoid it. However, the rock behind her shattered into pieces, and the broken pieces flew everywhere. Even though she had forcefully avoided the impact, her injuries felt even worse. Chu Liuyue turned around to look at her left shoulder. The other injuries did not matter, but the important thing was that her shoulder blade had shattered when she slammed against the rock. She probably could not hold on for much longer. I must quickly think of a way to escape! As she was thinking, she ran to the side to hide. As if it was a psycho, the black flying python followed closely behind her. The places Chu Liuyue went to were all shattered into pieces. Bang! A low moan suddenly sounded. The movements behind her suddenly stopped. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look and noticed that the black flying python¡¯s injury had widened as if it was attacked again. At this point, it curled up into a ball because of the pain. Chu Liuyue tightly knitted her brows. So this is actually¡­ the water droplet¡¯s strength. The black flying python painfully struggled, and its chaotic strength crushed all the surrounding rocks. Now is the best time to escape! Chu Liuyue turned around. However, when she took two steps forward, she suddenly felt a hand stretching over. Her gaze darkened, and she immediately turned around to take a look. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were like a sharp dagger, which made the other party fearfully stop moving. However, Chu Liuyue had already clearly seen the other party¡¯s face. ¡°Gu Mingzhu?¡± Gu Mingzhu¡¯s entire body was currently dirtied by dust and blood. Her face was also scratched, and her hair was unkempt. She seemed anxious and looked terrible. She stared straight at Chu Liuyue and anxiously said, ¡°Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue, help me! Take me with you!¡± Chu Liuyue did not say anything, only scanning her appearance instead. She could guess what Gu Mingzhu had been through. However, Chu Liuyue turned around and walked away expressionlessly. Gu Mingzhu did not expect Chu Liuyue to be so heartless and felt even more anxious. ¡°Chu Liuyue! You can¡¯t abandon me! We¡¯re from the same school! If you treat me like this, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Chu Liuyue did not stop in her tracks and just ignored Gu Mingzhu. It was already hard for her to save herself. If Chu Liuyue added Gu Mingzhu into the equation, she was bound to die. Therefore, why would she want to bring along this burden? Gu Mingzhu turned around and glanced at the black flying python¡ªwhich was painfully struggling¡ªas she bit her lips. Even though she did not want to admit it, she knew that she would only have a slim chance of survival by following Chu Liuyue. She tried finding her trump card for a very long time but still could not find her black Xuan formation crystal. This was why she could only brace herself and go down the mountain, hoping that she would be lucky enough to avoid the fiends and escape safely. However, after walking for a while, she was discovered by them and almost died in their hands. Unable to do anything else, she could only choose to come back again. It was then she discovered that the fiends no longer climbed up, probably because of the black flying python¡¯s suppression. However, though they could not come up, they could not leave as well. Thus, they blocked the way down the mountain. Chu Liuyue used some method and actually temporarily stopped the black flying python from attacking. I must leave with her! When Gu Mingzhu thought of this, she quickly followed her, but Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around and coldly glared at her. ¡°I may be injured now, but it¡¯s as easy as ABC for me to kill you. If you want to live for a while longer, you had better leave me alone.¡± Gu Mingzhu was stunned by the obvious murderous intent in Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice. She only recovered her senses after some time. How dare Chu Liuyue threaten me like this? Chu Liuyue has completely disregarded our relations at this point and actually said that sort of thing! ¡°Chu Liuyue! Are you pushing me to my death?¡± yelled Gu Mingzhu in disbelief. Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°You should¡¯ve expected this day to come when you lured the golden mane bear over.¡± After saying her piece, Chu Liuyue did not stop again when she turned around to leave. Gu Mingzhu was furious, and her hatred for Chu Liuyue had reached its peak. Nice one, Chu Liuyue! You clearly have a way to help, but you¡¯re still so cruel! You want to push me to my death! Thus, don¡¯t blame me for being heartless when you¡¯re like this towards me. Chu Liuyue only walked two steps forward when she suddenly felt a cold gush of air coming from behind. She swiftly avoided it, and a rock flew past her ear. The rock was one of the broken pieces from before. It had sharp edges. The point was that this rock was thrown towards her back injury. If she had not avoided it in time, the rock would have smashed against her crushed shoulder blade. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and turned around. ¡°Gu Mingzhu! You¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Gu Mingzhu suddenly lunged at her. Chu Liuyue raised her leg and harshly kicked Gu Mingzhu¡¯s chest. Gu Mingzhu fell backward and spat out blood. However, she clenched her teeth and climbed over to grab onto Chu Liuyue¡¯s legs tightly. She turned around and yelled to the black flying python, ¡°I-I¡¯ll help you to hold her back! C-can you spare my life? You just want her life anyway, right? Can you not kill me?¡± Coldness appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Chapter 146 - Rong Xiu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Something seems to be wrong there.¡± Elder Sun noticed that the black flying python suddenly stopped for a while after flying toward the mountain. It looked really weird from afar. ¡°I¡¯ll go over. You must be careful here,¡± reminded Elder Sun before he quickly left for the mountain. Mu Hongyu dazedly looked on, and her eyes were red. ¡°I-if it wasn¡¯t for us, Liuyue wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± She choked on her words and could not continue on; her tears kept falling. She had always been strong and competitive. She also never cried in front of others as she thought it was too cowardly. However, she no longer cared about that at this point. The guilt and sadness had overwhelmed her like the seawater at this point, making her unable to breathe. Cen Hu¡¯s face was also very pale. He could only walk to the side and harshly punch the tree trunk. Gu Mingfeng was the calmest one. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± When the few of them heard that, they turned to look at him. Mu Hongyu could not help but ask, ¡°Really? Mingfeng, why are you so sure?¡± Gu Mingfeng¡¯s gaze was light, and he did not say a word. Why did a girl, who is so intelligent and decisive when killing, allow herself to be in a passive position? Her abilities are definitely way greater than what we saw earlier. She really is too mysterious. It¡¯s like she knows everything. Hasn¡¯t the fact that she completely and safely withdrew herself after offending the Crown Prince and the Chu family proved her abilities? He had some unknown confidence in her at the bottom of his heart, even though he did not even know where the confidence came from himself. But¡­ They just had to wait. Si Ting looked at him, and a dim glow flashed across his narrow and sharp eyes. He then retracted his gaze and looked at the mountain as his hands in the sleeves gradually formed fists. He also knew that Chu Liuyue had hidden her abilities, but¡­ that was a seventh-grade black flying python! What must she do to escape unscathed? ¡­ Elder Sun silently inched in closer and quickly reached the foot of the mountain. As he was afraid of attracting attention, he did not dare to fly in the air and could only hide in the woods. Even though he was not discovered, the bottom to the middle of the mountain was completely occupied by fiends. If he continued forward, he would definitely be discovered. While looking at the sea of fiends in front of him, Elder Sun was secretly anxious. The entire mountain was surrounded, and it was impossible for him to enter from the outside. Not mentioning the black flying python, it would be hard for him to fight off all these fiends if they went for him at the same time. However, Chu Liuyue and the rest were still there. He found a hidden place with a clear view, and he looked at the mountain again. From here, he could clearly see the scene at the top. However, just one look at it had made Elder Sun¡¯s heart skip a beat. Chu Liuyue and the black flying python were going against each other amidst the chaos in the mountain. The black flying python curled up into a ball and kept on flinging its strength around crazily. It looked petrifying. On the other end, Chu Liuyue seemed to want to leave, but her leg was held back by another person. Elder Sun took a closer look and discovered that that person was Gu Mingzhu! What is she doing? Since she is already there, why didn¡¯t she leave with Chu Liuyue? Why does she want to hold her back? It looks like she isn¡¯t helping Chu Liuyue, who is from the same school as her. It looks like she¡¯s helping the black flying python instead. Elder Sun¡¯s blood boiled, and he wanted to rush over immediately. This Gu Mingzhu is really crazy! ¡­ Chu Liuyue wanted to kick Gu Mingzhu away, but Gu Mingzhu seemed to have steeled her heart. She seemed very determined to hold Chu Liuyue back in exchange for a chance of survival. Gu Mingzhu had already exhausted most of her energy during these few days of struggles. However, this did not bring too large an injury to her. Compared to Chu Liuyue, she was even better. Thus, with Gu Mingzhu¡¯s grit and determination, Chu Liuyue could not fling her away. On the other side, the wound on the black flying python¡¯s body kept expanding. However, it could finally catch its breath when the water droplet¡¯s energy depleted. It looked up, its vertical eyes filled with vengeance and hatred. Even Gu Mingzhu was frightened by it. Fear grew in her heart, and she shouted even more anxiously, ¡°I-I¡¯m helping you hold Chu Liuyue back. C-can you let me off? I¡¯m begging you!¡± The black flying python endured the pain and roared. Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears buzzed as if a small mountain had suddenly put pressure on her shoulders. The immense suppressive force made it hard for her to move. Her heart sank. The black flying python seemed to have recovered its energy. It looked like it would crazily take revenge afterward. Chu Liuyue had exhausted all of her energy at this point, so she could not fight back. She looked down, and her gaze landed on the black flying python¡¯s stomach. It had a gigantic injury there, and its bloodied look was terrifying. The wound was left behind by the water droplet earlier. She secretly clenched her teeth. If¡­ If there is another water droplet, I might actually win! Just as the thought flashed across her mind, the black flying python suddenly moved. This time, it did not move forward but flew into the air instead. Its wings vibrated, and a strong wind came hurling over. Then, it suddenly opened its mouth, and an ear-piercing shrill was made. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank, and uneasiness overwhelmed her. The next moment, the originally bright sky suddenly darkened. A round black hole appeared on its head. The surrounding clouds were rapidly drawn in. As objects kept flying into the black hole, it kept expanding. The black hole quickly became the size of the mountain. After a while, the rocks on the mountain started shaking, also flying up while getting sucked into the black hole. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart completely sank. This is the black flying python¡¯s killer move¡ªSwallowing the Sky! This move will exhaust its energy, so it clearly is planning to put its life on the line. Chu Liuyue kicked Gu Mingzhu away and harshly stabbed the dagger into the nearby mountain. A strong suction force began acting on them. Gu Mingzhu¡¯s body flew up uncontrollably. At this point, she finally felt that something was amiss. Once she was swallowed by the black hole, she would definitely die. She hurriedly looked around and wanted to grab onto something, but it was too late. ¡°No! No! I can¡¯t die! I¡¯ve already helped you hold Chu Liuyue back! Why must you kill me?¡± Gu Mingzhu was anxious beyond words, and her shrills were sharp. The black flying python did not even look at her. It was completely uninterested in an ant like her. Gu Mingzhu felt that the pressure on her body had increased. She could not help but look up, discovering that she had already reached the black hole. The inside was pitch black like a deep abyss. Once she entered it, she could never escape. Her face was as white as a sheet as she tried to escape. However, her efforts were to no avail. ¡°No, no!¡± The next moment, her body was completely swallowed. It was as though millions of blades instantly slashed across her body. ¡°Ah!¡± A miserable cry reverberated throughout the mountains, but it quickly disappeared without a trace. Ka! The dagger that Chu Liuyue stabbed into the mountain suddenly created a large crack, and her body uncontrollably slipped forward. The black flying python roared once again. The black hole in the sky started spiraling crazily. The mountain beside Chu Liuyue suddenly collapsed, and she lost her anchor point. The formidable force then instantly tugged her up towards the black hole. Happiness flashed across the black flying python¡¯s eyes. As long as it killed Chu Liuyue¡­ Upon seeing the black hole getting increasingly closer, Chu Liuyue could even see the streaks of black forces intermingling right in front of her. Her body was completely swallowed the next moment. The devastating black color poured in from all directions. Then, when the surrounding force was about to kill her, a white figure suddenly appeared. A long, white hand pierced through the darkness and tightly held onto her. That hand was as cold as ice, but Chu Liuyue suddenly felt very hot. The scorching heat spread from the point of contact to her heart. In the next moment, she landed into a warm and spacious embrace, separating her from the violent and terrible suction force. She had not seen the person¡¯s appearance clearly. However, the familiar cold fragrance reassured her unknowingly. She could not help but raise her head. ¡°¡­ Rong Xiu?¡± Though she could not see his face in the darkness, she was very confident that it was him. The person who hugged her lowly chuckled as if he was elated. Chu Liuyue could even clearly feel his chest vibrating. ¡°Yue¡¯er, your vision is really good. You can tell that it¡¯s me without even looking.¡± Chu Liuyue felt her ears heat up. One could not see a single thing in this darkness, but he still said that she had ¡®good vision.¡¯ He was clearly mocking her. If she was not overly familiar with him, how could she have recognized that it was him from a mere hand and hug? ¡°Why are you here? It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Chu Liuyue then remembered that Rong Xiu actually entered the black hole together with her. Rong Xiu¡¯s hands gently swept past her back, becoming very sticky. She must have lost a lot of blood. It was as though something had harshly stabbed his heart when he paused in his actions. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s dangerous that I need to come here.¡± Chapter 147 - Chaos Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Still in Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel his heart beating and the breath on her forehead when he spoke. He said he came precisely because it was dangerous. He said this sentence so dotingly and naturally. It is as if doing this is the right thing to him. However, everyone cherishes their lives in this world, so who would willingly do so much for someone else? He has even ignored the dangers, not caring about his own life. Chu Liuyue suddenly grabbed his collar tightly and softly said, ¡°¡­ Rong Xiu, I really thought I was going to die.¡± She had experienced the overwhelming and the helpless loss of hope once, and it was clearly etched in her memory. She could never forget about it. Once she thought of it, she would feel excruciating pain that even extended to her bones. Rong Xiu did not dare to touch Chu Liuyue¡¯s injuries and could only hold her waist carefully with one hand. As he gently brushed her hair with the other hand, he lightly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± Chu Liuyue felt her tears well up, and her heart was sour and uncomfortable. If someone also told her that they were there and not to be afraid¡­ The scorching pain spread throughout her body, and it was heart-wrenching. She closed her eyes and leaned closer, resting her forehead on his chest. Rong Xiu suddenly stopped in his actions. ¡°Rong Xiu, why me?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in a low voice. It wasn¡¯t the first time Chu Liuyue asked such a question. However, this time was clearly different from the rest. Rong Xiu kissed her forehead and closed in on her ear. In a gentle and low voice, he said, ¡°You¡¯re worth it.¡± The person in his arms did not say a word. Rong Xiu pronounced every word clearly as he said, ¡°I have a whole lifetime ahead of me to prove that you¡¯re worth it.¡± She didn¡¯t believe me the first time. She also didn¡¯t believe me the second time. However, she will believe it one day. Chu Liuyue still kept quiet. Rong Xiu knew her character the best. He also knew that she would not completely trust him in such a short period of time, but he had enough patience. Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°Hold me tight.¡± Chu Liuyue guessed that he wanted to break free of the black hole, so she obediently grabbed his thin waist. Even though she knew that Rong Xiu had been hiding his abilities all along, the other party was still a black flying python. It was not easy to defeat. She thought for a while and could not help but ask, ¡°How confident are you?¡± Rong Xiu was about to say something, but he felt that the arm around his waist was especially soft and warm. The person in his arms was at the prime of her life, exactly when a young woman blossomed. He smiled lightly. ¡°I¡¯m confident, but I need time.¡± ¡­ Elder Sun saw everything that happened on the mountain. His heart was thoroughly crushed. The black flying python was insistent on killing Chu Liuyue and had even used its killer move. Elder Sun¡¯s back broke out into a cold sweat when he saw Chu Liuyue being swallowed by the python. No! I must do something! Even though I have no chance of winning, I can¡¯t just watch as Chu Liuyue dies! Elder Sun clenched his teeth and held his breath to gather his focus. His fingertips glowed with a silver light just as he was about to set up a Xuan formation. Then, the skies suddenly changed again at this point. A muscular fiend, as white as snow, suddenly appeared! It looked like a lion, but Elder Sun could not identify what it was. It did not seem to exist in his memory¡­ However, he could not deny that this was an advanced fiend. It ran over from the horizon at lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, it appeared in front of the black flying python. When it saw the approaching fiend, hatred filled the black flying python¡¯s eyes. It looked like it had suppressed its anger for a very long time. Xue Xue stared at it and was furious. A few years ago, Xue Xue had come here and fought with this fellow. Back then, the black flying python was still a sixth-grade fiend and was brutally tortured by Xue Xue. Xue Xue did not expect that this fellow would actually lay its hands on Chu Liuyue a few years later. It was asking for death! Hoo! Xue Xue roared angrily, shaking the forest. All the fiends instantly felt an intense suppression and were petrified. The fiend that suddenly appeared seemed to be even stronger than the black flying python! The suppression on their bodies made them stay rooted to the ground, unable to move. When the black flying python saw this scene, its blood boiled. It swiftly whipped its tail towards Xue Xue. Xue Xue quickly jumped around and avoided its attack in no time. Xue Xue then appeared in front of the python and harshly slammed its paws against the black flying python¡¯s head. Pak! Blood flew everywhere! The black flying python¡¯s large body fell forward uncontrollably and landed loudly on the mountain. A crack appeared on the mountain, and half of it collapsed. Elder Sun was shocked. Are¡­ these two advanced fiends fighting? Hoo! Xue Xue closed in on the python and hit it once again before it could even stand up. A slash of its claws directly cut away a large part of the python¡¯s scales. The black flying python painfully moaned. The two forces intertwined in an intense battle. Hong! Long! Long! The large mountain started to collapse. The countless fiends at the foot of the mountain started running for their lives. The entire Wan Ling Mountain became chaotic. Elder Sun wanted to take the chance to go forward but met with a bunch of golden-eyed demons. They seemed to have been agitated as they went for Elder Sun carelessly. They attacked as if they were putting their lives on the line. Elder Sun knew that something was wrong when all the fiends seem to have gone crazy. He battled with the golden-eyed demons, trying to break through the circle to save people. However, these fiends recklessly held him back. Elder Sun hurriedly looked up and saw that the black hole in the sky had suddenly exploded. He was taken aback, and his face was as white as a sheet. ¡­ On the other side, Si Ting and the others were speechless when they saw the scene. Mu Hongyu turned around and covered her mouth as her shoulders kept trembling. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± A few teachers rushed over anxiously. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat! The fiends in Wan Ling Mountain have gone crazy! We need to leave now.¡± ¡°No! Liuyue is still there! She¡ª¡± Cen Hu angrily shouted, but he fainted before he could finish his sentence. A teacher carried him and commanded with knitted brows, ¡°Take all of them away. We can¡¯t stay here for long!¡± Si Ting suddenly turned around and ran towards the woods. Chapter 148 - Aura Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Si Ting, stay here!¡± A teacher swiftly moved forward and blocked his path. ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous there. How can you proceed?¡± Si Ting¡¯s handsome face had a layer of frost over it, and he looked extremely cold. When the teacher saw him, he was taken aback. However, he still insisted on dissuading Si Ting from his foolish actions. ¡°Two advanced fiends are now fighting each other, and the entire Wan Ling Mountain is in chaos. If you go over now, you¡¯re just pushing yourself to your own death. Even if anything happens, there¡¯s still Elder Sun. We must evacuate!¡± Si Ting coldly said, ¡°There are other people who haven¡¯t come out yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still caring about other people at this point? If this continues, we might not even be able to leave safely!¡± The teacher behind the two couldn¡¯t stand aside and do nothing when he saw this. He knitted his brows and asked, ¡°Si Ting, you¡¯re always calm and disciplined. What has gotten into you today?¡± Si Ting¡¯s lips moved, and his jaw tightened. Hong! Hong! Hong! The loud sound reverberated throughout the woods. The black hole in the sky exploded and turned into countless black sparks that descended downwards. All sorts of fiends loudly shrieked at the same time, which made people panic. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Without hesitation, that teacher pulled Si Ting away by his shoulders. With the other teachers, they forcefully brought the students away. Just as they took a few steps out, a loud sound reverberated through the mountain once again. Si Ting¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When he turned around, he saw that the entire mountain had collapsed. ¡­ Xue Xue and the black flying python battled very intensely. Their immense strength made the entire mountain collapse. The forest looked terrible. If one could head closer and take a look, they would realize that this battle was one-sided. The black flying python was on the losing end, unable to retaliate at all. After battling for a few rounds, its body was filled with injuries. The originally pretty and hard scales had almost completely disappeared. Blood also spurted out from the few holes in its stomach. Even its forehead was injured; blood was spilling out of the injury, making it look extremely miserable. Its initial arrogant attitude had completely disappeared; it only felt endless regret and fear. The black flying python really regretted its decisions! When it battled with Xue Xue previously, it had been completely tortured. Therefore, the black flying python was furious about it and took it to heart. After all, Wan Ling Mountain was its territory. How could it allow other people to mess around here? All these years, the black flying python held its anger in and cultivated in seclusion, finally breaking through and becoming a seventh-grade fiend. Since the black flying python had met Xue Xue again, it was determined to kill Xue Xue. However, it did not expect Xue Xue to improve faster than it did. Previously, the black flying python could still unleash a few moves. However, the black flying python was totally defeated this time. The main point was that this thrashing happened in front of so many Wan Ling Mountain fiends. The black flying python¡¯s reputation was thoroughly tarnished. Pak! Xue Xue bit the black flying python¡¯s tail and harshly flung it. The black flying python drew long streaks of blood on the ground and finally smashed against a pile of rocks, covering its body in dust and blood. It hung onto its last breath and could not move at all. The black flying python looked as though it would die in the next moment. Xue Xue looked at the black flying python with eyes still filled with anger. Xue Xue¡¯s anger had yet to subside. From the start till now, Xue Xue had never cared about this fellow. However, it did not expect the black flying python to be so vengeful. It even wanted to kill Chu Liuyue¡­ Who else could Xue Xue hit? Just as Xue Xue was about to go forward and teach the python a lesson, Xue Xue suddenly paused and turned around. A transparent ripple appeared in the air. Afterward, a muscular figure emerged from within. It was Rong Xiu! He carried a woman¡ªChu Liuyue¡ªin a princess carry. When Xue Xue saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s bloodstained clothes and frightening wounds, its eyes filled with guilt and pain. It hurriedly ran over to take a closer look. Rong Xiu glanced at it slightly. Xue Xue suddenly stopped in its tracks and lowered its head in a self-reproaching manner. The scene in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes was suddenly bright. She then recovered her senses and realized that they had escaped from the black hole. She looked at Rong Xiu dazedly. He actually¡­ did it? How strong is he? After noticing the commotion at the side, she turned around and saw Xue Xue. She saw the black flying python lying in the middle of the rocks near Xue Xue. She didn¡¯t know if the python was alive or dead. The black flying python¡¯s entire body was covered in injuries, not a single spot remaining uninjured. This clearly showed how harsh Xue Xue was when it attacked. Chu Liuyue opened her mouth. Xue Xue¡­ is so powerful as well? Xue Xue can actually torture and injure a seventh-grade fiend to such a state, yet it remained unscathed? ¡°Punish yourself after this matter has concluded,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. Xue Xue wept softly and lowered its head even more. ¡°Why are you punishing Xue Xue all of a sudden?¡± Chu Liuyue pulled Rong Xiu¡¯s collar. Xue Xue even taught the black flying python a lesson! Rong Xiu squinted its eyes slightly. ¡°It has spent too much time with you, so your body has its aura. This black flying python has a feud with Xue Xue, so it brutally acted when it detected Xue Xue¡¯s aura on your body.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned for quite a while. So¡­ it was because of this? She was caught between laughter and tears for a moment. She was confused about why the black flying python hated her so much. However, she did not expect this to be the reason. ¡°Forget it. Xue Xue didn¡¯t do it on purpose. We can only say that it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± Chu Liuyue really liked Xue Xue. Even though this trouble occurred because of Xue Xue, she still could not blame Xue Xue at the end of the day. When Xue Xue heard her, it became even more remorseful, and its tail drooped down. ¡°However, I was only close to Xue Xue for a short period of time. It also isn¡¯t my fiend, so why is Xue Xue¡¯s aura on my body?¡± muttered Chu Liuyue in confusion. Even if Xue Xue¡¯s aura is on my body, it should be very faint. Logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t have triggered the black flying python¡¯s immense murderous intent. Xue Xue¡¯s body stiffened. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes darkened, and a layer of mist covered his eyes, preventing anyone from seeing their depths. He lightly said, ¡°¡­ Perhaps you¡¯ve spent too much time with Xue Xue. Just try not to meet Xue Xue in the future.¡± Xue Xue raised its head in shock, unable to believe that it had been betrayed. It had diligently infused Rong Xiu¡¯s strength over all those nights, carefully transferring it to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body to help her recover her Yuan meridian. I should be credited for my efforts! Why did he ignore me now? The aura around Chu Liuyue¡¯s body wasn¡¯t Xue Xue¡¯s; it was clearly Rong Xiu¡¯s. Xue Xue and Rong Xiu were master and servant, so their auras were connected. It didn¡¯t matter if the black flying python had misunderstood, but Rong Xiu had even misled Chu Liuyue. Xue Xue wanted to retaliate but was met with Rong Xiu¡¯s cold gaze. It immediately quietened down. Chu Liuyue nodded and did not pursue the matter. She surveyed her surroundings and discovered that the tall mountain had been leveled to the ground. She sighed in her heart. The fight between two advanced fiends with formidable power is indeed terrifying. Rong Xiu found a clean spot and put her down. He placed one hand near the back of her heart and kept injecting his force into her. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re all light injuries. You don¡¯t have to do this¡ª¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s other hand lightly covered her eyes. ¡°Rest for a while. We¡¯ll leave after I¡¯m done.¡± Chu Liuyue could only see black, and she could not help but ask, ¡°¡­ Done with what?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly, but his smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°Finishing things that should be gone¡­¡± Chapter 149 - Punishment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Outside Wan Ling Mountain, Tian Lu Academy¡¯s students and teachers quietly waited together. The atmosphere was stiff, and nobody said a word, resulting in a suffocating silence. Some students had fainted because of their severe injuries. Although the others were not too injured much, they looked upset. At one glance, one could see that nobody had come out unscathed. Time trickled past, and the waiting time became increasingly terrible. At times, some would even look towards the flattened Wan Ling Mountain. Their faces weren¡¯t filled with excitement and hope like before, but fear and horror. Who would have expected this to happen to Wan Ling Mountain? Now that they thought of it, they felt scared. A sudden sound broke the silence, and a few figures rapidly ran out of the forest. Everyone looked over. The teachers standing at the front revealed elated expressions. ¡°You¡¯re finally back! It seems like Wan Ling Mountain had a very big commotion earlier. What exactly happened? Also, that black flying python seems to have used its killer move. The situation was way too dangerous! Luckily, all of you made it out in time.¡± Since they waited outside, they could not see the situation inside. They could only hear the loud sounds, which reverberated as if an intense battle was happening. Two teachers walked forward, going past Cen Hu and Mu Hongyu, to the people beside the duo and looked at their injuries. One of the teachers sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it. That black flying python went crazy and made all the fiends in the woods surround that mountain. Mu Hongyu and the rest escaped with much difficulty. Afterward, another advanced fiend appeared and fought with the black flying python. That is why the entire mountain has been leveled. If we came out any later, we might not have even survived.¡± ¡°What? Another advanced fiend appeared?¡± The crowd looked at each other, shocked. ¡°Didn¡¯t Elder Sun say that this place is the black flying python¡¯s territory? What was the advanced fiend that appeared later? It actually dared to fight with the python?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t see it clearly, but it was very powerful. It was even stronger than the black flying python.¡± The crowd was speechless. The black flying python was a seventh-grade fiend and had formidable might. What could the fiend more powerful than it be¡­? It seemed like such fiends only existed in rumors. They were really unlucky to have met with such trouble this time. ¡°Where¡¯s Elder Sun? Did he not come out with you?¡± asked Bai Chen when he surveyed the surroundings and did not see Elder Sun around. The few teachers looked terrible. After a while, someone said, ¡°¡­ Exalted One went to save the people on that mountain alone. We can¡¯t contact him.¡± ¡°Why did he¡ªIsn¡¯t that too dangerous?¡± Bai Chen knitted his brows tightly, and something popped up in his mind. Hang on! Save people? Other than Mu Hongyu and the rest¡ªwho have already returned¡ªthere is¡­ ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Liuyue and Gu Mingzhu?¡± ¡°They¡¯re both on the mountain. Mentor went to save them,¡± said Si Ting suddenly. The crowd quietened down. Elder Sun was the strongest amongst them, but even he wasn¡¯t the python¡¯s match. Going there alone was akin to¡ª ¡°Elder Sun!¡± A teacher unintentionally looked up and coincidentally saw a familiar figure walking out of the woods. The crowd hurriedly looked over. Bai Chen heaved a sigh of relief in his heart and saw that Elder Sun was stained with blood. Bai Chen¡¯s face darkened, and he quickly went forward. ¡°Elder Sun, are you injured?¡± Elder Sun waved his hands. ¡°Just minor injuries.¡± Upon seeing Elder Sun¡¯s dejected face, Bai Chen felt uneasy. Elder Sun came back alone! ¡°Elder Sun¡­ Liuyue and Gu Mingzhu¡­¡± Elder Sun tiredly shook his head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m useless. I couldn¡¯t save them¡­ They both flew into the black flying python¡¯s killer move¡­¡± Once he said this, the surroundings fell into a silence where one could hear a pin drop. Even Elder Sun had said this, which meant that the duo¡¯s deaths were almost confirmed. How could they be the match for a black flying python? Mu Hongyu suddenly stood up and quickly walked forward as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! I want to see her body, dead or alive! I¡¯ll go and find her!¡± After taking two steps forward, her vision turned black, and she fainted. The teacher immediately checked on her. ¡°Her internal and external injuries are very serious. It¡¯s already very hard for her to last until now, considering her excessive blood loss. She fainted because she suddenly became agitated. Elder Sun, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make some medicine for her later. She¡¯ll recover after she recuperates.¡± Elder Sun nodded, but his gaze was blurry. He was still blaming himself for not being able to save the last two people. ¡°I should¡¯ve properly checked before we came¡­¡± If he had a better understanding of Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s situation and noticed that something had changed, then he wouldn¡¯t have brought so many students with him and caused so many deaths. This was the most tragic hunt in Tian Lu Academy¡¯s history. ¡°Elder Sun, don¡¯t blame yourself. Nobody can predict these things accurately. Who would¡¯ve known that the black flying python would go crazy¡­¡± Bai Chen comforted him, but he also felt terrible in his heart. He always had a good impression of Chu Liuyue. Besides, he was the one in charge of her entrance examination into the academy. Even though he was not her teacher, he always cared about her. He did not expect¡­ ¡°Elder Sun, Wan Ling Mountain is already in chaos. We should return to the academy as soon as possible,¡± said a teacher. Elder Sun also knew what to do at this point. However, how am I going to explain to Uncle-Master when I get back? Even if it was for myself, I didn¡¯t want to see Chu Liuyue die here. After a momentary silence, he closed his eyes and finally said, ¡°Tell the rest: Everyone from Tian Lu Academy is to head back right away!¡± The elders and teachers hurriedly took action and left in groups. Even Cen Hu and Mu Hongyu were dragged away while they remained unconscious. Gradually, most of the people from Tian Lu Academy had left. Si Ting walked to Elder Sun. After hesitating slightly, he asked, ¡°Mentor, is what you said true?¡± Elder Sun looked at him with a complicated gaze. He could clearly see through Si Ting¡¯s thoughts. However¡­ He sighed and patted Si Ting¡¯s shoulders. The last bit of hope in Si Ting¡¯s eyes was dashed. ¡°Gu Mingfeng, let¡¯s go,¡± said a teacher when he saw Gu Mingfeng rooted to the ground. Gu Mingfeng meaningfully stared in the direction of the mountain. The originally tall mountain peak was missing. Even though he was standing here, he could still seemingly see the scary scene of the mountain collapsing. She said that we would meet outside the mountain, but the mountain isn¡¯t even here now. Perhaps I may never see that pair of clean and trusting eyes for the rest of my life. That teacher walked to him. ¡°I know that you feel terrible because your sister met with an accident, but things¡­¡± Gu Mingfeng took a deep breath in and turned around to leave with the teacher. As the sun set, everyone¡¯s figures disappeared. Only the lush greenery shone under the evening light. A stream¡ªwhich extended from the forest¡ªreflected the sunlight and shone brightly. That stream was gradually stained red, looking very pleasing. The red then intensified, and the stream almost became a blood river. A golden-eyed demon¡¯s corpse mysteriously appeared there. Chapter 150 - Blood Ferret Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Darkness covered the sky, and a bright moon hung high as moonlight shone down like water. The leaves and branches shook alongside the wind, and the shadows cast by them were like seaweed gently moving in the water. It was a very peaceful scene. Chu Liuyue leaned against a thick tree, and Rong Xiu sat beside her since he planned to clean her wounds. Chu Liuyue¡¯s most severe injury was the crushed shoulder blade. If it didn¡¯t get treated in time, it would never get better. Luckily, Rong Xiu seemed to be familiar with these things, so she didn¡¯t need to teach him. His actions were gentle and swift. Rong Xiu softly spoke as his detailed finger gently pressed on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll help you push your bones back. Endure it.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. She had suffered countless similar injuries in her previous life, so they did not mean much to her. Rong Xiu gently placed his hand on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder and pushed with his palm. The pain caused Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body to tremble. Rong Xiu looked at her and saw that the young girl¡¯s face had gone pale and how sweat covered her forehead due to the pain. However, Chu Liuyue did not utter a single sound from the start till now as she endured the pain. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold, and he slightly regretted not properly torturing that beast before killing it. His actions were even lighter as he took off his outerwear. ¡°Si!¡± He ripped it into long pieces of cloth and used them to wrap Chu Liuyue¡¯s injury. When Chu Liuyue heard the ripping sounds, she turned her head to the side and could not help but chuckle. ¡°Your Highness, your clothes are very precious. Isn¡¯t this very wasteful?¡± Rong Xiu smiled because he knew that she was teasing him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a piece of clothing. You can compensate me when we go back.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°You¡¯re really not willing to suffer any losses. Your Highness, you¡¯re so petty.¡± Rong Xiu paused in his actions, and he smiled with even deeper meaning. ¡°I¡¯ve always been generous, but I¡¯m only petty towards you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be gently tickled. After this incident, the invisible barrier between her and Rong Xiu seemed to have been broken. Even though they did not say anything, they were indeed much closer than before. ¡°I¡¯m used to Your Highness¡¯s petty ways. However, I am curious about something; how come you are here so coincidentally?¡± This place was a two-day journey from the Imperial City. It was impossible for Rong Xiu to come here instantly, which meant that he was at Wan Ling Mountain a long time ago. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Rong Shu said she wanted to hunt for a fiend, so I personally came here to take a look since the Fiend Tidal was going on. I planned to find a suitable fiend and bring it back for her.¡± Rong Shu was the Eighth Princess. She was already 13, the age when one could make a pact with a fiend. However¡­ Rong Xiu could¡¯ve just instructed a subordinate to do it. Why did he come here personally? In a seemingly smiling manner, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°You¡¯re really nice to Eighth Princess.¡± Rong Xiu did not care that she saw through him. He turned around and looked at her seriously instead. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m indeed very nice to ¡®her.''¡± Without explicitly saying it, they all could understand who the ¡®her¡¯ meant. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she did not know what to say momentarily. Coincidentally at this point, Xue Xue finally came back. The lion walked to Chu Liuyue and put down the thing in its mouth. It was the blood ferret. When Xue Xue left earlier, Chu Liuyue asked it to help find the little fellow since Xue Xue was an advanced fiend and should be very sensitive to other fiends¡¯ auras. After the mountain collapsed, she actually did not harbor much hope. However, she still remembered the little fellow as it had sacrificed its life for her. She didn¡¯t actually expect to find it. At this point, the little fellow lay on the ground motionlessly. Chu Liuyue carefully inspected it and noticed that the blood ferret was still breathing weakly. She instantly heaved a sigh of relief. It is still alive. Upon sensing her touch it, the little fellow¡¯s tail suddenly moved, and it slowly opened its eyes. The blood ferret¡¯s pair of round eyes clearly reflected Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. It dazedly looked at her and blinked as if it had not recovered its senses. Chu Liuyue carefully held it up and pinched its ears. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re all safe now.¡± The little fellow then realized that it was not dreaming. It widened its eyes and hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s thumb as it cried. The little fellow thought it had already died! It thought it wouldn¡¯t see Chu Liuyue again! Upon seeing its devastating cries, Chu Liuyue found it funny and touching. ¡°Okay, then. You¡¯ll follow me back, and such things won¡¯t happen again in the future, okay?¡± That little fellow was fated with her, and she really liked it. Since it was still alive, it was best for her to bring it back. Even though the blood ferret could not be a battle fiend, it could be a pet fiend and stay by her side. When the little fellow heard this and realized that it could always stay by her side, it could not help but cry even louder. It only stopped after a long while, but its body still shuddered. Its eyes were also red, looking pitiful and cute. The blood ferret spotted Chu Liuyue¡¯s injured shoulder and obediently stuck by her side. Rong Xiu looked at it and suddenly said, ¡°Its vitality is pretty good.¡± Chu Liuyue was in a good mood, and her eyes had curved up like a crescent moon. ¡°Yeah, it was attacked by that black flying python when it tried to help me. The mountain then collapsed¡­¡± As Chu Liuyue talked, she suddenly felt that something was amiss. This little fellow is just a third-grade fiend and doesn¡¯t have much attacking power. How did it survive the fierce attack from the black flying python? It also survived after the mountain collapsed and everything became chaotic¡­ Chu Liuyue held the blood ferret in her hands again and flipped it around to examine it. The little fellow seemed to be tickled and rolled around in her palm. Chu Liuyue was taken aback. It seems like the little fellow hasn¡¯t suffered any serious injuries? Other than a few abrasions, its entire body is unscathed! When one saw its energetic and lively behavior, who could possibly imagine what it had been through? The main point was that Wan Ling Mountain was the black flying python¡¯s territory. Thus, all the fiends there had to listen to its commands when they felt its suppressive aura. All the fiends that had surrounded and attacked her were the best evidence. However, this little fellow seemed¡­ to be unaffected! Not only did it not join the other fiends and attack her, but it also stood by her side and went against the black flying python. Chu Liuyue felt increasingly weird when she thought about it. She then examined the little fellow closely, but she did not discover anything weird. The little fellow hugged her finger dotingly and waved its furry tail around. Just as Chu Liuyue was dazed, Rong Xiu suddenly extended his hands and picked the little fellow up. ¡°You need to rest now. You can think about such things later on.¡± Chu Liuyue agreed with him and nodded. The little fellow was suddenly forced to leave a warm place. It instantly woke up and glared at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu lightly glanced at it. Hmph! The little fellow was scared and immediately retracted its gaze as it turned around to wait. ¡°Why does there seem to be a bloody smell coming from Xue Xue?¡± asked Chu Liuyue weirdly. Even though the smell was faint, she was certain it was there. It was even more intense than the scent that permeated after Xue Xue killed the black flying python. Xue Xue¡¯s body stiffened, and it turned around to lie on the floor, pretending that it did not hear anything. Rong Xiu paused and casually changed the topic. ¡°We¡¯ll return to the Imperial City tomorrow, after your body recovers.¡± Chapter 151 - Lonely and Unwanted Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Two days later, the teachers and students returned to the academy, but they had lost their initial excitement and happiness. This time, the chaos in Wan Ling Mountain had caused many injuries and deaths. They were already very thankful to come back alive, let alone care about anything else. The news quickly spread around the Imperial City and created a huge uproar. ¡­ Peach Garden. The elders and teachers were gathered together, and the atmosphere in the meeting room was stiff. After a long while, Elder Sun sighed. ¡°Uncle-Master is cultivating in seclusion these days. I¡¯ll report to him personally and punish myself when he comes out.¡± The crowd looked at each other and started to advise him otherwise. ¡°Elder Sun, this was an accident. You can¡¯t blame yourself¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Wan Ling Mountain has always been quiet for the past decades, and it¡¯s not the first few times we¡¯ve gone there to hunt for fiends. Nobody would¡¯ve expected that this time¡­ Elder Sun, more people would¡¯ve been injured or dead if you didn¡¯t ask us to evacuate in time. You shouldn¡¯t blame yourself any further.¡± Elder Sun waved his hands, indicating that they did not need to talk any further. ¡°Wrong means wrong. I have to fix the situation. Did you tabulate the injury and death count?¡± Wen Yan immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ve settled it. Not including the number of minor injuries, 57 people have serious injuries, and 14 people are¡­ dead.¡± Elder Sun slowly clenched his fists. ¡°Why are there so many? I thought only ten died at first?¡± ¡°Yes, only ten people died at first, but¡­ Yeqing found the corpses of the two missing people near the foot of the mountain.¡± ¡°What about the other two?¡± Wen Yan looked at Elder Sun¡¯s expression carefully and lowered his voice. ¡°¡­ The other two are Chu Liuyue and Gu Mingzhu.¡± How could they survive after the mountain collapsed? They were also swallowed by the black flying python¡¯s black hole! Thus, they were also included in the death count. Elder Sun was dazed when he heard the two names and kept quiet for a while. ¡°Inform their family members of the news. Also, our academy will be fully responsible for this incident, so do your best in terms of compensation.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Gu family. Pak! A crisp slap broke the room¡¯s silence. Gu Mingfeng¡¯s head turned to the side, and his face instantly swelled up. ¡°How did you take care of your elder sister? Why is everyone okay, but she is dead? Gu Mingfeng, you better clearly explain yourself today. If not, don¡¯t think of leaving this house!¡± The Gu family head, Gu Wenhui, was furious. He felt that one slap was not enough, so he slapped Gu Mingfeng one more time. Gu Mingfeng¡¯s face was clearly marked with palm prints. He expressionlessly glanced at Gu Wenhui before looking down. Gu Wenhui was his so-called father. However, Gu Wenhui only had Gu Mingzhu in his eyes. To him, Gu Mingfeng was just an irritating obstacle. ¡°I didn¡¯t team with her. I don¡¯t know how she died.¡± ¡°How dare you lie?¡± Gu Wenhui was beyond furious as he kicked Gu Mingfeng¡¯s chest and hollered, ¡°She used her black Xuan formation crystal, but she didn¡¯t survive. Who else but you knew that she had this trump card? You already hate her normally. Didn¡¯t you steal her item and push her to her death this time? Why do I have such a b*stardly son like you?¡± The numbing feeling in Gu Mingfeng¡¯s chest caused his face to turn pale. Gu Wenhui used all his strength in the kick. If it weren¡¯t because Gu Wenhui was a Xuan Master and wasn¡¯t too physically strong, this kick might have taken Gu Mingfeng¡¯s life. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she died,¡± repeated Gu Mingfeng mechanically. ¡°Besides, even Elder Sun couldn¡¯t save her. Father, do you really think a black Xuan formation crystal could do the trick?¡± Gu Wenhui was so furious that he laughed. ¡°Great! Great! You even know how to talk back to me now! Your wings have hardened. Why didn¡¯t you die instead?¡± Why didn¡¯t you die instead? Gu Mingfeng¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched, and he felt that a part of his heart was completely crushed. Hah¡­ I should¡¯ve known earlier. What am I? I¡¯m just a despicable stain in Gu Wenhui¡¯s heart. This so-called father of mine is very willing to exchange my life for Gu Mingzhu¡¯s. What is his disdain for me based on? Is it just because my mother had a lowly background? Or is it because I¡¯m the product of Gu Wenhui¡¯s drunk actions? Gu Mingfeng wiped away the blood on his mouth and slowly stood up. His gentle face was expressionless, but his entire body was cold to the point that it emanated a terrifying aura. Gu Wenhui was even angrier when he saw Gu Mingfeng like this. ¡°Get lost! The Gu family doesn¡¯t have someone like you!¡± Gu Mingfeng looked up. ¡°Since you¡¯re chasing me out, I¡¯ll listen to you. From now on, I won¡¯t take another step into the Gu family, and I won¡¯t get in your way.¡± Then, Gu Mingfeng directly turned around to leave. Gu Wenhui slammed the table. ¡­ When Chu Ning heard the news, he was discussing important matters with Emperor Jiawen in the palace. Since this situation was serious, Tian Lu Academy had sent someone over to report the news. When Chu Ning heard the news, it was as though lightning had struck him. He wasn¡¯t able to recover his senses for a very long time. When Emperor Jiawen saw Chu Ning¡¯s behavior, he could only sigh and allow Chu Ning to go home and rest for a few days. Chu Ning did not know how he walked out of the palace. He also didn¡¯t know where he went. His surroundings seemed to be a blur, and there was only himself left between heaven and earth. He had never felt his feet so heavy before, and every step he took was exhausting, even painstakingly difficult. However, he did not dare to stop. He was afraid that the pain and hopelessness would overwhelm him once he did. As Chu Ning dazedly walked through the streets, someone quickly walked past him and accidentally bumped into him. ¡°Aish! Do you not know how to walk?¡± That person cursed at him, but he immediately knew that he had offended someone important when he saw Chu Ning¡¯s clothes. Thus, he kept quiet and left. When he left, he still said something to the people around him. ¡°¡­ Yeah! Who would¡¯ve expected Tian Lu Academy to have so many injured and dead people? I heard that more than ten people had died!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really such a pity! All of them are rare talents!¡± ¡°Sigh, I heard that Chu Liuyue¡ªwho just entered the academy¡ªalso died. She was a super rare talent!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point? She¡¯s dead, and she¡¯ll never come back alive again¡­¡± Chu Ning forced himself to stand up. He then lowered his head and continued to walk forward. Someone blocked his path. Chu Ning slowly raised his head and took quite a while before he recognized the person in front of him. It was Chu Yan. His face was filled with curiosity and pity when he enunciated every word carefully as he said, ¡°Big Brother, I heard that Chu Liuyue is dead. Aiyo, what should a lonely and unwanted elderly person like you do in the future?¡± Chapter 152 - Come Home Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Chu Yan heard the news, he immediately rushed over to find Chu Ning and indeed saw him in a dejected state. The anger he had held in could finally be released. ¡°Even though you¡¯re not part of the Chu family anymore, you¡¯re still my biological eldest brother no matter what. Something happened to Chu Liuyue, so I¡¯m very worried for you as your younger brother. Big Brother, the dead can¡¯t be resurrected. My condolences¡­ to you.¡± Chu Yan put on a devastated expression, but the delight and arrogance in his eyes were about to spill out. Every single one of Chu Yan¡¯s words were like a sword that harshly stabbed Chu Ning¡¯s heart. It was as if they were about to tear his heart apart. Chu Ning used all the strength in his body to stabilize himself, and he stared at Chu Yan with a deadly gaze. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± A stage-five warrior¡¯s suppression could not be underestimated. Chu Ning¡¯s gaze made Chu Yan subconsciously shudder and fearful. However, Chu Yan was in too good of a mood to care about this. ¡°Aiyo. Big Brother, why are you angry? You can¡¯t blame me for this. I was just too worried, so I came over to comfort you. Remember when Chu Liuyue entered Tian Lu Academy by passing all three examinations, and you booked the entire Phoenix Restaurant to celebrate the joyous occasion? How lively it was! Back then, who would¡¯ve thought this day would come, right?¡± said Chu Yan as he purposely sighed. ¡°At first, I thought my Minmin wasn¡¯t as outstanding and was a lot weaker than Chu Liuyue. However, I didn¡¯t expect Minmin to avoid so much danger just because she was especially cautious due to the fact that her body just recovered. Big Brother, you see, it¡¯s really true that blessings and misfortunes come together. Sometimes, when a person is in the limelight, at any point, they might just¡ª¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± hollered Chu Ning as he harshly kicked Chu Yan aside. Chu Yan was not prepared at all, and the kick landed squarely on him. In addition to his weaker capabilities compared to that of Chu Ning, Chu Ning¡¯s fierce kick had directly broken a few of his bones. Chu Yan landed on the floor, and he was in so much pain that his face turned as white as a sheet. Chu Ning¡¯s face was dark and scary as he quickly approached Chu Yan. Chu Yan was struggling to get up. However, Chu Ning¡¯s leg had already mercilessly stepped on his wrist before he could stand up. Kacha! The sound of bone cracking was crisp. ¡°Ah!¡± Chu Yan yelled out in pain and almost fainted. Chu Ning directly lifted Chu Yan up by his collar and punched him square on the face. He could not tolerate this mouth or this person a single bit! The people at the side had already recognized the two of them. At first, they did not dare to stop the fight. However, someone carefully stopped Chu Ning when they saw his eyes turn red as he crazily beat up Chu Yan¡ªwho had fainted¡ªas if Chu Ning was determined to kill him. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, Lord Chu Ning, stop fighting. He¡¯ll die if you continue¡­¡± Chu Ning did not care at all as he smashed Chu Yan¡¯s head against the floor. It¡¯ll be better if he dies! If he dies, the Chu family can come collect his corpse! When Chu Ning thought of this, he stopped in his actions as an idea flashed across his mind. Yue¡¯er¡­ Eunuch Min reported that Wan Ling Mountain had collapsed and that Yue¡¯er¡¯s body was nowhere to be found. However, I must see her body, dead or alive. Even if it means combing the entire Wan Ling Mountain, I¡¯ll still go! Chu Ning threw Chu Yan on the floor and turned around to leave. ¡­ Upon hearing the news that Chu Ning was here, Elder Sun personally went up to welcome him. He was shocked to see the bloodstained Chu Ning. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, what happened to you?¡± Chu Ning stared at him. ¡°Elder Sun, I have a request. I want to go to Wan Ling Mountain and find Yue¡¯er. I heard that you¡¯re the last person that saw her, so could you tell me the general location? I want to start looking for her from there.¡± How could Elder Sun not know what Chu Ning was thinking? But¡­ ¡°Lord Chu Ning, we¡¯re all saddened by Liuyue¡¯s situation. I understand that you want to find her, but she was swallowed by the black flying python¡¯s black hole¡ªwhich is its killer move¡­¡± Chu Ning¡¯s face became increasingly pale as his body shook; he almost collapsed to the ground. He knew what a black flying python was. Once someone was sucked into the black hole, it would be very hard to find the person¡¯s corpse. Elder Sun hurriedly helped Chu Ning up and closed his eyes. ¡°¡­ So, even if you go, it¡¯ll be to no avail¡­ Our academy is fully responsible for this¡ª¡± ¡°Please, tell me the location. I¡¯ll go and look for her,¡± said Chu Ning calmly as he pushed Elder Sun¡¯s hands away. ¡°Lord¡ª¡± Elder Sun wanted to advise Chu Ning otherwise, but he could not do it when he saw Chu Ning¡¯s expression. He took a deep breath and finally said, ¡°Lord Chu Ning, I¡¯m not going to hide it from you. When we brought the students back to the academy, I felt very uneasy and went back to Wan Ling Mountain to check one more time.¡± Chu Ning was taken aback. Elder Sun paused, terrified when he recalled the scene he saw. ¡°¡­ The entire Wan Ling Mountain was washed out by blood. All the fiends were completely killed. The rivers that came from the mountain were saturated with blood, and countless fiends¡¯ corpses floated on them. That scene really was¡­ like a mortal hell!¡± The originally lively and energetic Wan Ling Mountain became dead silent. Only the bloody smell in the sky made people fearful. Elder Sun guessed that it was 80% likely that this was done by the advanced fiend. He still looked for an entire round, but he did not find the other party¡¯s traces. In such a situation, it was hard to find a person¡¯s traces before they died, let alone finding Chu Liuyue. Chu Ning looked defeated and was silent for a very long time. In the end, he still stubbornly insisted, ¡°I must make this trip. I must go, whether or not I can find her. My Yue¡¯er is most afraid of being alone¡­ I¡¯ll bring her¡­¡± He stiffly turned around. The moment Chu Ning took a step away, he spat out blood, collapsed to the ground, and fainted. ¡°¡­ Home¡­¡± Chapter 153 - Visitation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder Sun got someone to send Chu Ning home and take care of him in case of any accidents. He could understand Chu Ning¡¯s feelings, but he did not know what would happen if they let Chu Ning leave alone. How could his heart not ache? He had thought very highly of Chu Liuyue and even wanted her to take her as his disciple. If not for Uncle-Master Ye, Elder Sun actually might have become her mentor. Elder Sun also felt miserable, having helplessly watched a star student fall before his eyes. After sending Chu Ning away, Elder Sun locked himself in his room for a long time. ¡­ The half-dead Chu Yan was sent back to the Chu family, but it did not cause much commotion. Instead, many Chu family members were there to laugh at them. Ever since Chu Liuyue came and took away a rather large sum of the Chu family¡¯s assets, almost everyone hated Chu Yan and Lu Yao to their cores. The two of them abused their positions to embezzle funds and make trouble. Thanks to them, the Chu family was almost bankrupt. If they hadn¡¯t intended to make the couple pay them back, they would have chased them out of the family already. Besides, Chu Xianmin was just a concubine at Crown Prince Mansion. There was not much she could do, so they had nothing to be afraid of. Who would possibly respect them now? First Elder simply laughed coldly when the servants reported the news to him. ¡°He was tired of living and decided to go taunt Chu Ning. There¡¯s nothing we can do!¡± Everyone in the Chu family was secretly happy that Chu Liuyue was dead, but only Chu Yan was brainless enough to go straight to Chu Ning. No matter what, Chu Ning was a stage-five martial artist. He was not to be trifled with. Only brainless people would provoke him! ¡°First Elder, as the Imperial guards¡¯ Commander-in-Chief, Chu Ning beat up Third Master. That¡¯s rather inappropriate. Should we make a complaint to His Majesty?¡± First Elder tugged at the corners of his mouth. ¡°Chu Yan is stupid, and you¡¯re following suit! Chu Liuyue just died, and Chu Ning is grieving. How could His Majesty possibly pursue the matter? Besides, Chu Yan provoked him first. So many people were present and heard everything he said. Even if we made the complaint, we¡¯re in the wrong. Rather than do that, it¡¯s better to pretend it never happened.¡± ¡°First Elder is wise! However, it¡¯s such a pity to let Chu Ning off just like this¡­¡± It would be great if we could bring him down now! First Elder laughed coldly. ¡°Chu Ning will collapse without us doing anything. Chu Liuyue was his only hope. Now that she¡¯s dead, he will be crushed. The trauma from back then was enough to keep him depressed for a decade. He only survived because of Chu Liuyue. Now that she¡¯s dead, he has lost all hope. He¡¯s as good as dead.¡± With only Chu Ning left, we have all the time to deal with him. ¡°Such a pity¡­ Chu Liuyue died out there so easily¡­ It was too easy on her¡­¡± First Elder muttered. He could only vent his hatred if he had gotten rid of Chu Liuyue personally! ¡°Did you hear anything from the Crown Prince¡¯s side? Why has His Majesty been so cold to him recently?¡± First Elder changed the topic after a while. ¡°The palace has kept it quiet. We haven¡¯t managed to get any information despite all our efforts. However, there¡¯s one strange thing. The Crown Prince was urgently summoned to the palace on the night of his marriage to Third Missy. Nobody knows what they talked about, but the Crown Prince has not left his residence since he returned. The Third Prince also entered the palace before that¡­¡± ¡°This has something to do with the Third Prince?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure, but the Third Prince is being kept here in the Imperial City by His Majesty. He has not returned to the Northwest Army. However, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t sit around and wait for his doom.¡± First Elder knitted his brows tightly. I sent out a calling card the other day, but it was turned down. It is quite clear that the Crown Prince¡¯s situation is much worse than we had imagined. He had a feeling that the Crown Prince was in a precarious position. The Chu family had been on good terms with the Crown Prince. They were in the same camp, so it was impossible for them to ally themselves with another prince. Thus, they had to find a way to break through the situation before them! ¡­ Mu Hongyu was unconscious for one day and one night. After she woke up, she sat on her bed dazedly. It was as though all her strength and life had been sucked out of her. Her mind was blank, but it also kept replaying everything that had happened on Wan Ling Mountain. All the events replayed in her mind clearly, and she felt miserable. If we had stopped Liuyue back then, would things be different? We were careless! No matter how strong she was, Liuyue was a student just like us! She even entered the academy half a year later than we did¡­ How could we actually let her face a seventh-grade fiend alone? That¡¯s a legendary existence! Even the elders of the academy might not be its match, not to mention Liuyue¡­ Mu Hongyu dazedly thought all this as tears streamed down her face. She then slapped herself hard. Pak! The sharp noise was especially audible in the quiet room. The burning sensation on her face was nothing compared to her self-reproach and guilt! ¡°Wu¡ª¡± The golden mane bear cub felt the deep sadness emanating from Mu Hongyu. It stumbled over and whined as it hugged her arm. Mu Hongyu buried her head in her arms and sobbed silently. A knock came from the door at this point. Mu Hongyu looked up hurriedly. She wiped away her tears and dragged her sore and tired body to the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Her expression then turned cold when she saw the person at the door. Without any hesitation, she closed the door. Even though the person at the door was wearing a veil and only revealed a pair of eyes, Mu Hongyu immediately knew that it was Chu Xianmin! ¡°Hey¡­ hang on!¡± Chu Xianmin pulled the door and stopped Mu Hongyu¡¯s actions. ¡°I came to visit because I heard that you¡¯re injured. Why are you so eager to close the door?¡± Chu Xianmin spoke as she eyed Mu Hongyu¡¯s face. Mu Hongyu was aggravated, and she coldly said, ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here. Hurry up and leave. There¡¯s nothing in it for you if you anger me!¡± Chu Xianmin smiled. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even beat me at your peak, not to mention now. There¡¯s no meaning in such a threat.¡± ¡°What do you want!?¡± Mu Hongyu had lost her patience. Chu Xianmin closed in as viciousness flashed across her eyes. She smirked. ¡°Chu Liuyue is dead. I heard that she was close to you, so I came to visit. Judging by your current state, she must have died a horrible death, right?¡± Chapter 154 - Replacement Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You!¡± Upon hearing this, Mu Hongyu¡¯s anger was piqued, and she swung her hand towards Chu Xianmin¡¯s face! Chu Xianmin did not back down. She grabbed Mu Hongyu¡¯s and shoved her hard. Mu Hongyu fell back uncontrollably. Several of her wounds ripped open, and blood flowed out, leaving stains on her clothes. She had been severely injured and was at her weakest now. She definitely wasn¡¯t Chu Xianmin¡¯s match. Chu Xianmin stepped through the door and looked down at her mockingly. ¡°Are you angry? What¡¯s there to be angry about? Was anything I said untrue? I heard Chu Liuyue died in the hands of the black flying python. The entire mountain collapsed! I¡¯m assuming her body hasn¡¯t been found either?¡± Mu Hongyu felt something churning in her chest, and black shadows flashed before her eyes. ¡°You¡­ get out!¡± Chu Xianmin laughed. ¡°I¡¯m visiting you out of goodwill, but you¡¯re so unappreciative. However, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let things go so easily after Chu Liuyue did this to me. It¡¯s such a pity that I didn¡¯t get to see how she died or get rid of her myself. However, you shall pay for it then since you¡¯re close to her. I¡¯ll make sure to do it slowly.¡± With that, Chu Xianmin turned to leave. The golden mane bear cub suddenly caught up with Chu Xianmin and bit down onto her leg tightly. ¡°Ah!¡± Chu Xianmin cried out in pain as she looked down. She was stunned and angry to see that it was the golden mane bear cub. ¡°Get lost!¡± The cub was flung away and fell to the ground. It trembled but spat out a piece of bloodied flesh from its mouth. It had bitten off an entire piece of flesh from Chu Xianmin¡¯s calf! Chu Xianmin¡¯s face was pale from the pain. Her heart trembled as she looked at her bloody calf. I finally recovered, but that little beast attacked me! Such a deep wound is bound to leave a scar! ¡°You¡¯re tired of living!¡± Chu Xianmin pulled out her sword from her waist and slashed in the direction of the golden mane bear cub. The cub looked up at her as all its fur stood up on end, its eyes full of enmity. As the sword arrived, the golden mane bear cub charged towards Chu Xianmin. The sword grazed the cub¡¯s back. However, the golden mane bear cub was a fourth-grade fiend by birth. It was very strong and evaded quickly, so the sword only cut some of its brown fur. It did not even draw any blood! Bang! The golden mane bear cub charged into Chu Xianmin¡¯s abdomen and knocked her down to the ground. The back of Chu Xianmin¡¯s head heavily landed on the ground, making her head ring. Chu Xianmin was driven mad with anger. She sent the golden mane bear cub flying with a kick before she struggled up and thrust her sword at the golden mane bear cub¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Congcong!¡± Mu Hongyu cried out as she lunged over. The tip of Chu Xianmin¡¯s sword was at Mu Hongyu¡¯s back. Tsing! A flying rock hit the sword with precision, knocking Chu Xianmin¡¯s sword away. It missed Mu Hongyu narrowly. Chu Xianmin looked back angrily. ¡°Who dares¡­¡± The instant she spoke, she was silenced as if there was something in her throat. It was Mr. Wen Yan! He hurried over and helped Mu Hongyu up. He only glared at Chu Xianmin sternly when he had ensured that Mu Hongyu was okay. ¡°Chu Xianmin, what are you doing?!¡± He was going to check on Mu Hongyu¡¯s recovery, but he saw Chu Xianmin standing at the door with her sword when he approached from afar. When he got close, he clearly saw Chu Xianmin attacking Mu Hongyu! ¡°This is the academy! Are you crazy? You actually have the nerve to attack your classmates!?¡± Damn it! The door wasn¡¯t closed. Mr. Wen Yan must have seen everything! Chu Xianmin tried to defend herself. ¡°Mr. Wen Yan, listen to me. It¡¯s not what you think. I just wanted to visit Mu Hongyu, but her fiend attacked me first! I just retaliated out of self-defense!¡± Wen Yan did not believe a word she said. ¡°Enough of that! Since when were you this close to Mu Hongyu?!¡± Chu Xianmin bit her lip and said, ¡°Wen Yan, everything I said is true! Look if you don¡¯t believe it! This is an injury the fiend left on me!¡± Chu Xianmin pointed to her calf. Wen Yan looked over with a frown and saw that her calf was indeed missing a chunk of flesh. He looked over at Mu Hongyu and the golden mane bear cub. The cub was still highly alert and staring at Chu Xianmin intently. Wen Yan shook his head disappointedly. ¡°Fiends are really sensitive, especially the young ones. It¡¯s very wary of you because it had sensed your enmity. Mu Hongyu is its master. Do you really want me to keep asking?¡± Chu Xianmin panicked. ¡°Mr. Wen Yan¡ª¡± Wen Yan cut her off impatiently. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯re injured too, so we¡¯ll call it quits, and I won¡¯t pursue this. Hurry back! Don¡¯t let something like this happen again.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Chu Xianmin knew that there was no point in arguing. She had no choice but to take it lying down as she hobbled away. Wen Yan stared at her back and sighed after a long pause. Chu Xianmin used to be smart and hardworking. How did she turn into who she is today? Mu Hongyu hugged the golden mane bear cub in her arms and gently patted before it recovered and lay in her arms comfortably. Wen Yan turned around, but he did not know what to say when he saw Mu Hongyu¡¯s dazed and broken appearance. In the end, he pulled out a letter from his sleeve. ¡°Hongyu, your father¡ªPrince Ping Jiang¡ªhas sent a letter.¡± ¡­ Chu Xianmin returned to her residence and dressed her wound, but her anger grew when she thought about it. Chu Liuyue ruined me when she was still alive. She disfigured me and forced me to marry the Crown Prince as a concubine. Even now, I am looked down on! Even though Chu Liuyue is dead, things have not changed! I cannot take this lying down. As she thought this, she got up and headed for Peach Garden. ¡­ Inside Peach Garden, Ling Zhu was dealing with the compensation for dead and injured students when he heard that Chu Xianmin had arrived. He set the documents down and headed to the courtyard where Chu Xianmin was. ¡°Xianmin, what brings you here?¡± Ling Zhu used to admire Chu Xianmin. Even though he had sensed that she had changed since she returned, he did not pay much attention to it. Changes were normal after everything that Chu Xianmin had been through. Chu Xianmin looked towards the inside quietly. ¡°Teacher Ling Zhu, is Elder Sun here? I have something I would like to report.¡± Ling Zhu shook his head. ¡°Elder Sun is busy, so I doubt he¡¯ll have the time to see you. You can just talk to me, and I¡¯ll relay it to Elder Sun. Chu Xianmin hesitated but spoke anyway. ¡°¡­ Teacher Ling Zhu, the envoy of the Tianling Dynasty is going to be here soon, right?¡± Ling Zhu paused, and his expression turned more serious. ¡°En, why are you asking about this?¡± Chu Xianmin paused as if she were a little hesitant. ¡°¡­ Sister¡¯s accident happened too suddenly. However, it doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to go back on our word at the last minute. I was wondering if Elder Sun intends to send a replacement?¡± Chapter 155 - Help Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ling Zhu did not expect Chu Xianmin to rush here this soon after Chu Liuyue¡¯s death to say that. Even if Chu Liuyue has broken off her ties with the Chu family, they share the same blood. How could Chu Xianmin possibly say something like this with a straight face? She is capitalizing on Chu Liuyue¡¯s death. Ling Zhu¡¯s expression was a little stiff. ¡°Xianmin, you wanted to speak to Elder Sun about this?¡± Chu Xianmin noticed that his expression was not right. She looked down and feigned sadness. ¡°Teacher Ling Zhu, I know now is not the right time for this, but the dead can¡¯t come back to life. As the living, we have to move on with our lives. The Tianling Dynasty is such a powerful existence. If we don¡¯t take this seriously¡­¡± ¡°This is not something you should be worried about. You should go back and go get some rest.¡± When Ling Zhu looked at Chu Xianmin¡¯s sad demeanor, he felt sick. If Chu Xianmin truly cared about Chu Liuyue, she never would¡¯ve done something like this. If she has the nerve to say it, is there a need to put on such pretenses? Chu Xianmin did not notice his gaze. She hesitantly asked, ¡°Then, this matter¡­¡± Ling Zhu looked away. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss the matter with Elder Sun when he¡¯s free.¡± Chu Xianmin only felt more at ease when she heard this. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll head back first then. Thank you.¡± After Chu Xianmin finished her sentence, she turned and walked away. After she left Peach Garden, Chu Xianmin¡¯s face broke into a wide smile underneath the veil. Since Chu Liuyue is dead, the academy has to find someone to replace her. Since I placed second in the warrior assessment, I am the perfect fit. Tianling Dynasty¡­ that is an existence that only existed in legends. If I can get on good terms with the envoy this time, then¡­ I will have nothing to fear in the future. Everyone looked down on her now. Even the servants at Crown Prince Mansion were disrespectful towards her. When I make my comeback, I shall see how those people will react! ¡­ Ling Zhu sighed as he watched Chu Xianmin disappear. He then rubbed his temples. Other than anger, there was also confusion in his heart. When did Chu Xianmin¡­ become like this? Or was I wrong about her right from the start? ¡­ Chu Xianmin wanted to go back and have a good rest after settling the matter. However, she was brought home by a message from the Chu family before she returned to her residence. They said that Chu Yan had been beaten up by Chu Ning, that he was half-dead, and Lu Yao wanted her home immediately. Chu Xianmin was stunned. She asked her teachers for a day off and rushed home. When she arrived at the door of the Chu family, emotions welled up in her. For an instant, she did not feel like entering. Ever since she married the Crown Prince, she had not returned. Chu Xianmin had thrown away all her pride in her sad wedding. She had thought of returning after her days at Crown Prince Mansion were more bearable, but the Crown Prince had locked himself in his study and refused to see anyone. As she hesitated, the servants at the front door had seen her. One person mockingly said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the Third Missy! I was wondering who it was. You don¡¯t look so well! Has your time at Crown Prince Mansion been unpleasant?¡± Chu Xianmin felt embarrassed, but not entering would make it seem like she was scared. Thus, she took a deep breath and walked right in without saying a word or making eye contact. After she left, the servants looked at each other and burst out laughing. Chu Xianmin dug her nails into her palm and repressed her anger. On her way, all the passing servants made comments and jokes. They clearly had no regard for her. When Chu Xianmin finally arrived at Chu Yan and Lu Yao¡¯s residence, her nails had already cut her palm. Lu Yao¡ªwho was standing outside the door¡ªhurried over when she saw her daughter. ¡°Minmin, you have to see your father!¡± Chu Xianmin took a deep breath and walked in. ¡°How is Father dong?¡± Lu Yao wiped the corner of her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all that Chu Ning¡¯s fault! He actually beat up your father in public! If he had not received treatment in time, he might have¡­¡± Chu Xianmin walked in and saw that Chu Yan was still unconscious. He was bruised. Every part of his body was also swollen. There was barely a clean spot. It was not hard to imagine how much force Chu Ning had used. ¡°Why is Father injured so badly? Didn¡¯t anyone send for a doctor?¡± Lu Yao sighed. ¡°Ever since Chu Liuyue caused a ruckus last time, your father¡¯s and my standing in the family has fallen to rock bottom. We¡¯ve become a thorn in everyone¡¯s eyes. They couldn¡¯t be happier to see your father get beaten up, so why would they get help? Most of our money has also been taken away by them. What we have left is not enough to call for a good doctor¡­ Hence, we¡¯ve been dragging it out¡­ Minmin, I called you back because I was hoping you would have a way.¡± Chu Xianmin was frustrated when she heard that. The treatment I received was partly because of this!? ¡°What can I do? I¡¯m also in a tough situation, so how can I help you? The Crown Prince has been staying in his study for the whole time. I don¡¯t even get to see him, much less get help from him!¡± Lu Yao panicked. ¡°What do we do then? Are we just going to watch your father suffer?¡± Chu Xianmin paused for a while before she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry for now. I¡¯ll find a way to get some money to you so that you can get a better doctor for Father. I¡¯ll work on the Crown Prince. Things will get better after the people from the Tianling Dynasty come. We just have to hang on till then!¡± Lu Yao was confused. ¡°What?¡­ Where are you coming from?¡± Chu Xianmin touched her veil. ¡°Chu Liuyue is dead. I¡¯ll take her place to meet the envoy of the Tianling Dynasty. As long as we meet, I¡¯ll have a chance to change!¡± Lu Yao¡¯s eyes lit up. Why did I not think of that!? ¡­ Chu Xianmin then returned to Crown Prince Mansion; it was already night. She headed straight for the study and requested an audience with the Crown Prince. She was rejected without surprise. However, Chu Xianmin was rather insistent this time. ¡°Your Highness, I know that you¡¯ve been troubled recently, so I¡¯m here to help. Please, meet me once. If you think the idea is bad, I won¡¯t disturb you again.¡± She quietly waited after speaking. After a while, she heard Rong Jin¡¯s voice. ¡°Let her in.¡± Chapter 156 - Go Home Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Mansion. Chu Ning did not regain consciousness until the next morning. After opening his eyes, it took him a while to re-orientate himself. That¡¯s not right! I was at Tian Lu Academy, talking about how I would head to Wan Ling Mountain to look for Yue¡¯er. How did I get home? He struggled to get up and toppled the teacup next to his bed. After hearing the noise, the person waiting outside hurried in. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, you¡¯re awake?¡± Chu Ning blankly stared at the man who entered. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a teacher from Tian Lu Academy, Xin Shi. Elder Sun asked me to send you back. Now that you¡¯re awake, I can return with peace of mind now.¡± Due to standing guard outside for a night, Xin Shi looked a little haggard. However, his eyes were sincere. ¡°You fainted because you were too agitated yesterday. It¡¯s nothing grave. You¡¯ll be fine after resting for a day or two.¡± Chu Ning only returned to his senses then. ¡°Thank you.¡± Xin Shi shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re all worried about your health. Please, take care. Since you¡¯re fine, can I head off first?¡± Chu Ning nodded. Xin Shi put his mind at ease when he saw that Chu Ning seemed much calmer. He left some words of comfort before he left. From inside his room, Chu Ning heard the door open and close. His eyes were empty; they were like bottomless pits. After a while, Chu Ning finally stood up, taking heavy and stiff strides outward. Shortly after Xin Shi left, he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He turned and saw that it was Chu Ning. Chu Ning¡¯s face was expressionless, and he gave off a cold and hopeless aura. Xin Shi hurried over. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, why are you out here? You have to rest, considering your current state.¡± Chu Ning pushed Xin Shi¡¯s hand away and stiffly said, ¡°I have to go find Yue¡¯er. I¡¯ve been delayed one night, and this can¡¯t wait. I have to hurry over.¡± Xin Shi did not know what to do. Considering Chu Ning¡¯s current state, people might believe me if I say that Chu Ning has gone crazy. How can I possibly let Chu Ning go to Wan Ling Mountain alone when he¡¯s like this? Xin Shi tried to pull Chu Ning back a few times but failed. He could only run in front of Chu Ning and block his path. ¡°Please, listen to me! Chu Ning, no matter what you want to do, you have to take care of yourself! What if something happens to you in your current state?¡± Chu Ning walked around him and pressed on stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go. I have to go¡­¡± At this point, a young girl¡¯s bright voice came from behind Chu Ning. ¡°Father, where are you going?¡± Chu Ning trembled. This is a voice that I¡¯m very familiar with! However¡­ Am I imagining things because of how much I miss her? ¡°Father?¡± Chu Ning wanted more than anything to turn and look behind him, but his body was stiff. Xin Shi looked up and saw a young girl coming from around the corner. The young girl with a smile on her face was slender and pretty. Her eyes were bright and reflective, seeming to outshine everything around her. Who else can this be besides the dead Chu Liuyue?! Xin Shi froze and opened his mouth. He could not help but raise his finger to point at her.¡±Y-yo-you¡¯re Chu Liuyue?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me, Teacher Xin Shi?¡± Chu Liuyue stared at him strangely. Although I don¡¯t deal with him much, he should recognize me¡­ Xin Shi pinched himself hard. It hurt, but his heart was filled with joy! ¡°It¡¯s you! It¡¯s really you!¡± Xin Shi patted Chu Ning¡¯s arm agitatedly. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, look! Liuyue really is back! Look!¡± Chu Ning¡¯s ears rang. Chu Liuyue finally sensed that something was amiss and hurried forward. ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xin Shi hurriedly explained the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Everyone thinks that you are¡­ Lord Chu Ning insisted on going to Wan Ling Mountain to look for you! I didn¡¯t expect you to come back! This is great! Chu Liuyue suddenly realized what happened. Then again, given the situation, no one would have expected her to return alive. The place Father wanted to head to was Wan Ling Mountain! Even when everyone thought that I was dead, Father still thought of going to look for me¡­ Emotions welled up in Chu Liuyue, and she was filled with guilt. She reached out and hugged Chu Ning¡¯s arms. ¡°Father, Yue¡¯er is back!¡± Her touch seemed to bring life back into Chu Ning. The stiff and cold aura around Chu Ning instantly faded as warmth spread across his body. It was only then that Chu Ning could move. He slowly turned and finally saw the face that he thought he would never see again. Chu Liuyue was stunned by the way Chu Ning looked. In just a few days, the originally clean and dashing Chu Ning looked totally different. His face was covered in stubble, and there were dark circles under his eyes. His eyes were also bloodshot as a sense of despair came from between his eyes. It was like he had become the walking dead. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Father, I¡¯m sorry I came back this late.¡± Chu Ning stared at her without blinking. He gripped Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand tightly as if afraid she would disappear. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡­ Yue¡¯er¡­ my Yue¡¯er¡­¡± Chu Ning¡¯s cries broke her heart. She forced her tears back. ¡°Father, let¡¯s go home first.¡± ¡°Right, right! Go home!¡¯ Chu Ning finally came back to life. ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± Xin Shi, who was by their side, was ecstatic. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, Chu Liuyue, you both should go home first. I¡¯ll head back to the academy and tell Elder Sun and the others the news! They¡¯ve been worried sick!¡± With that, he turned and left. Xin Shi really admired Chu Liuyue. Since he had seen Chu Liuyue return safely, his joy could not be hidden. Back at the academy, many were intrigued by the joy written all over Xin Shi¡¯s face. Xin Shi bumped into Bai Chen along the way. ¡°Xin Shi, didn¡¯t Elder Sun send you to look after Lord Chu Ning? Since you¡¯re back, does it mean that he¡¯s better?¡± Bai Chen asked curiously. Xin Shi chuckled. ¡°But of course! He¡¯s not just feeling better; he¡¯s all healed! Where is Elder Sun? I have something I need to tell him immediately!¡± Bai Chen felt like Xin Shi¡¯s behavior was rather strange. ¡°Really? Lord Chu Ning was still heartbroken yesterday, yet he¡¯s all better today? Elder Sun is still busy, so what important matter do you have to tell him?¡± Xin Shi patted Bai Chen¡¯s chest. ¡°Haha! I won¡¯t keep it from you since the entire Imperial City will find out about this sooner or later. Chu Liuyue is back, and she¡¯s alive!¡± Chu Xianmin¡ªwho had just walked in from outside¡ªfroze in her steps as she looked up in disbelief! Chapter 157 - Pay in Blood Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bai Chen was shocked. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said that Chu Liuyue is not dead! She¡¯s still alive, and she¡¯s back in the Imperial City! She¡¯s at home with Lord Chu Ning right now!¡± Xin Shi repeated himself loudly. ¡°Elder Sun has been feeling really guilty about this, so I¡¯ll let him know of the good news now!¡± After saying that, Xin Shi left with a smile on his face. Bai Chen stopped him hurriedly and asked in disbelief, ¡°Is it true? Elder Sun said that Little Liuyue had been swallowed by the black flying python¡¯s black hole. In theory, there¡¯s no way she should have survived. How did that happen?¡± ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m curious too! However, she stood right before me, so I had no choice but to believe it! Bai Chen, if you don¡¯t believe me, take a look for yourself! The father and daughter are finally reunited, and I think we should wait until she has taken care of her father and returned to the academy. I¡¯ll talk to you later; I¡¯ll go see Elder Sun first!¡± Xin Shi hurried away after he spoke. Bai Chen hesitated for a while but decided not to interrupt the father-daughter duo at this time. He had seen Chu Ning¡¯s appearance yesterday. The father-daughter duo probably had a lot to talk about. It was better for him to wait here peacefully. ¡°Hey, Xin Shi, wait for me! I¡¯ll come too!¡± Bai Chen called after Xin Shi as he ran after him. He wanted to hear about the matter in detail. Even after the two left, Chu Xianmin was still stunned. Chu Liuyue is still alive? How can that be possible?! Elder Sun said that she died in the hands of the black flying python, so how can she be back now?! This is ridiculous! The news sounds like a hoax, but Teacher Xin Shi has no reason to lie. He is clearly rather certain, considering how he is acting! However, if Chu Liuyue has returned, what is going to happen to me?! Chu Xianmin¡¯s face turned a little pale at this thought. She had finally managed to get an audience with the Crown Prince yesterday. She told him that she could replace Chu Liuyue and meet Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy. She told him that, as long as she received this opportunity, she had a chance of changing his situation. Even though she did not know what had happened, she assumed that His Majesty had punished the Crown Prince. If she wanted to help the Crown Prince, someone with enough weight had to speak on his behalf. The Crown Prince had clearly thought of this too. His attitude towards her turned for the better. Not only did he move her to Wutong Garden¡ªwhich was much closer to his residence¡ªbut he even gifted her a number of things. The people in Crown Prince Mansion were pretty pragmatic. When she left the residence this morning, they were a lot more eager and respectful. She had just sent a doctor to go see her father. She thought that everything had changed for the better. But now¡­ Chu Xianmin forced herself to move forward. However, she found that her legs were soft after taking one step. She dropped to the floor. ¡­ News of Chu Liuyue returning from Wan Ling Mountain alive spread across the academy and the Imperial City. The news made waves. Some people were stunned, some were happy, and some were upset. There were a variety of reactions. Many were curious, but Chu Liuyue stayed at home to take care of Chu Ning. She did not even leave home. Her heart ached for Chu Ning, who had become this haggard because of her. She put everything else aside and took good care of him, taking the chance to recuperate as well. ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s return set Chu Ning¡¯s mind at ease, but others were stunned. The Chu family residence. After the doctor¡ªwhich Chu Xianmin had sent¡ªleft, Chu Yan regained consciousness, only to see Lu Yao¡¯s somber expression. He was about to get up but found that he was unable to move. It was only then that he recalled Chu Ning beating him up. He immediately became depressed and angry. ¡°What are you looking all somber about?¡± The couple¡¯s lives in the last few days had been miserable. Chu Liuyue¡¯s fiasco had exposed their misdeeds, especially Lu Yao¡¯s years of fund embezzlement. The other members of the Chu family did not easily let her off after they found that she had harmed their interests. Now that they had lost the Crown Prince¡¯s backing, their behavior became bolder. Lu Yao was stripped of her money management rights, and all the shops under Chu Yan¡¯s name were taken back. Their titles were only in name, and they no longer had any status in the family. Even the people who used to butter them up had changed sides. Nobody had come to visit Chu Ning after he got beaten up! Lu Yao looked at him and frowned. ¡°Do you know that Chu Liuyue is still alive?¡± Chu Yan paused. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°She returned yesterday morning! The entire Imperial City now knows that she didn¡¯t die at Wan Ling Mountain!¡± Lu Yao knew how bad the situation was for them. All of Chu Xianmin¡¯s plans were for naught! ¡°No, we can¡¯t sit around like this¡­¡± Lu Yao got up and paced around in the room when a thought flashed across her mind! Hang on! If Chu Liuyue came back, then what about Gu Mingzhu? She hurried to one side and began writing a letter. Chu Yan did not understand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lu Yao did not even look up as she said, ¡°Writing a letter to the Gu family¡¯s Madam.¡± ¡°You still have the time to think about such things in a time like this?¡± Chu Yan was upset. However, Lu Yao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect time to do this. Rumor had it that Chu Liuyue died together with Gu Mingzhu. However, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a problem since Chu Liuyue is back, but there is news of Gu Mingzhu?¡± Chu Yan paused but quickly understood. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± A vicious smile appeared on Lu Yao¡¯s face. ¡°So what if she has come back alive? Many people in Imperial City want her dead!¡± The letter was sent to the Gu family that night. ¡­ The next day, Chu Liuyue returned to the academy after seeing that Chu Ning had recovered significantly. However, she was stopped at the academy¡¯s gates. ¡°Chu Liuyue! Stop right there!¡± Chu Liuyue turned and saw a woman in her thirties walk over with people. The woman was in white, and her eyes¡ªfilled with anger and pain¡ªwere red. She got agitated when she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°Pay for my daughter¡¯s life!¡± she cried out sharply. Chapter 158 - Justic Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That shrill voice pierced Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, making her knit her brows. ¡°Who are you?¡± When the woman heard that, she rushed forward as if she was greatly agitated and slapped Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°How dare you have the cheek to ask who I am? I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Chu Liuyue moved her legs and avoided the woman¡¯s attack. That woman did not stand properly and almost landed on the ground headfirst. Luckily, the people behind her helped her up swiftly. ¡°Madam, you must be careful!¡± The woman¡¯s blood boiled as she pointed at Chu Liuyue and hollered, ¡°Go! Capture her!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When the few people heard her command, they immediately went forward and surrounded Chu Liuyue, preparing to take action. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression did not change, but her voice was much colder. In a tone that was not angry but very authoritative, she said, ¡°This is Tian Lu Academy. I would like to see who has the guts to stir up trouble here.¡± This sentence successfully made the few people stop in their tracks. They also became uneasy. That¡¯s right! No matter what, this is Tian Lu Academy¡¯s entrance. If we really do anything unreasonable here, Tian Lu Academy will not let us off. However, that woman seemed to ignore Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. Her voice became even higher and louder. ¡°What are you waiting for? Take her down immediately! Who will dare stop the Gu family from taking someone away?¡± Gu family? Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind whirred, and she then remembered this woman¡¯s identity¡ªthe first wife of the Gu family head¡ªGu Yunfei¡ªand the Gu family¡¯s mistress, Yue Zhenling. The original owner had only seen this woman once several years ago. Thus, Chu Liuyue only found her familiar and did not recall anything else. However, Yue Zhenling¡¯s arrogance and the way she talked about the Gu family made it easy for anyone to guess her identity. Chu Liuyue then understood her initial sentence. That was because Yue Zhenling was Gu Mingzhu¡¯s biological mother. ¡°So you¡¯re Madam Gu. I don¡¯t think I have anything to do with your Gu family, and I didn¡¯t do anything to offend you. May I know what made you come here and ask your men to capture me?¡± Yue Zhenling was so angry that she laughed. She looked at Chu Liuyue with eyes filled with hatred. ¡°How dare you ask? You very clearly know what you did!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Why don¡¯t you explain it to me first?¡± Yue Zhenling was so furious that her body trembled. ¡°You!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why is there a ruckus early in the morning?¡± When the two parties were about to start a fight, someone quickly walked over from the academy entrance. Chu Liuyue turned back and greeted, ¡°Teacher Bai Chen.¡± When Bai Chen saw Chu Liuyue, his heart skipped a beat. Even though he had heard the news the day before, he was still exceptionally emotional when he saw her in person. ¡°Little Liuyue! It really is you!¡± He swiftly walked towards Chu Liuyue and carefully sized her up. ¡°A-are you really okay?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back; it¡¯s very good that you¡¯re back!¡± Bai Chen¡¯s inner emotions were in turmoil, and he had a lot to say. However, only this sentence came out of his mouth. When he heard that somebody seemed to be quarreling outside the academy¡¯s gates, he hurried over to take a look. However, he did not expect it to be Chu Liuyue. After being anxious for a whole night, he finally relaxed. When he calmed down a little, he surveyed his surroundings, and his facial expression changed. These people seem to want to attack Little Liuyue¡­ His gaze finally landed on Yue Zhenling. ¡°Madam Gu, why are you here?¡± Yue Zhenling took a deep breath in and suppressed the anger in her heart. She then coldly said, ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, this is between the Gu family and Chu Liuyue. You better stay out of it.¡± Bai Chen was amused. ¡°Madam Gu, what do you mean by that? Little Liuyue is a student of Tian Lu Academy, yet we don¡¯t even have the right to ask for the reason when you want to take her away?¡± Yue Zhenling was not a fool and could immediately tell that Bai Chen was on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. Though the Gu family had a distinguished status, Tian Lu Academy was not one to be trifled with. If Bai Chen was determined to protect Chu Liuyue, she really could not do anything to take her away forcefully. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Chu Liuyue instead?¡± Bai Chen looked at Chu Liuyue with a questioning gaze. Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. I was just walking to the academy when Madam Gu suddenly commanded her men to capture me without saying anything. She says that she wants me to pay for her daughter¡¯s life.¡± When Bai Chen heard this, he suddenly understood something and looked at Yue Zhenling suspiciously. ¡°Madam Gu, are you saying that¡­ Liuyue harmed your daughter, Gu Mingzhu?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± When she heard her daughter¡¯s name, the emotions Yue Zhenling forcefully suppressed earlier were triggered once again, and her tears kept falling. ¡°It¡¯s her! She killed my only daughter!¡± Bai Chen¡¯s expression became amused. ¡°Madam Gu, you can¡¯t randomly blame a person. I understand that you¡¯re devastated about losing your daughter, but the situation at Wan Ling Mountain was chaotic, and even we don¡¯t know what exactly happened. How are you so sure that Little Liuyue killed your daughter?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m certain! I heard that Mingzhu and Liuyue were trapped on the same mountain and were surrounded by the black flying python and countless fiends. In that situation, why is only Mingzhu dead? How did Chu Liuyue come back in one piece? She must have done something!¡± Yue Zhenling agitatedly yelled with much certainty as if she had personally witnessed everything. Bai Chen heard her words and did not care about them; he even felt that it was a joke. ¡°So¡­ because Little Liuyue came back alive alone, you¡¯re certain that she harmed Gu Mingzhu and pushed her to her death?¡± Yue Zhenling sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t this evidence enough? If not, why don¡¯t you let her explain what exactly happened and how she escaped alone?¡± If Chu Liuyue was also dead, Yue Zhenling would have nothing to say and could only admit that it was Chu Xianmin¡¯s bad luck. However, Chu Liuyue was standing here in one piece, whereas her daughter¡¯s corpse was nowhere to be found. How could her heart possibly be appeased? Bai Chen was speechless. ¡°Do you have any evidence for your claims? If not, you¡¯re defaming and slandering her.¡± Yue Zhenling was taken aback and did not know what to say at that moment, showing that she was clearly guilty. Chu Liuyue gently rubbed her brows and lightly said, ¡°There¡¯s no evidence or witnesses, yet you determined that I¡¯m guilty just based on your own imagination. You even want to take me away? Madam Gu, isn¡¯t this too unreasonable?¡± Yue Zhenling was stumped by the duo¡¯s words, and her originally red face turned white. However, she was pretty experienced and quickly defended herself. ¡°Then you should clearly explain what the exact situation back then was like. Also, explain why only you managed to come back alive. If you had a way to survive, why didn¡¯t you help Mingzhu?¡± Chapter 159 - Teach Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Why didn¡¯t I help her? Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart and wanted to ask why she should¡¯ve helped Gu Mingzhu. Chu Liuyue was not related to Gu Mingzhu, and Gu Mingzhu had even sold her out to the black flying python to save herself. I did not even calculate this debt, so why does the Gu family have the cheek to ask me to compensate for Gu Mingzhu¡¯s life? Chu Liuyue lightly said, ¡°The situation was very dangerous back then, and it was already very hard for me to survive. How can I still care for other people? Madam Gu, don¡¯t forget that it was a black flying python. Do you think I¡¯m its match?¡± Yue Zhenling was stumped. ¡°T-then, how did you escape? Who knows if you used my daughter¡¯s life to exchange for yours? Yes, it must be so!¡± When Yue Zhenling said this, her voice suddenly went higher as if she was certain that Chu Liuyue had used despicable means to survive. Chu Liuyue was so angry that she laughed. The saying went ¡®like father like son.¡¯ Yue Zhenling and her daughter, Gu Mingzhu, really thought the same way. If the person at the scene were Yue Zhenling instead, she would probably make the same decision as Gu Mingzhu and use other people¡¯s lives to exchange for her own. ¡°Madam Gu, I¡¯ve already explained it clearly. I was lucky to survive, but you don¡¯t believe me. What else do you want me to say? You only believe in your own imagination. Since that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t stop you. However, if you can¡¯t produce evidence, I¡¯m not leaving with you. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue turned around to leave. ¡°You can¡¯t go!¡± Yue Zhenling went forward and tried to grab Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeves, but Chu Liuyue easily avoided her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s patience was running out. ¡°Madam Gu, I¡¯m not that patient.¡± Her tone was calm, but a harsh cold light flashed across her black eyes. For some reason, Madam Gu was suddenly afraid, and she did not dare to hold Chu Liuyue back. Chu Liuyue turned around and walked to the academy. Bai Chen walked to Yue Zhenling and sighed before saying some comforting words. ¡°Madam Gu, I know Mingzhu¡¯s incident has greatly impacted you. As teachers, we¡¯re also very sad. However, even so, you can¡¯t randomly accuse someone else, right? Besides, we all know Little Liuyue¡¯s character very clearly, and she would never do something like that. So, I think you should go back home and rest today.¡± Yue Zhenling refused. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, you¡¯re just bent on protecting Chu Liuyue, right? How exactly did she brainwash you to believe her in this manner? Think about it, if she didn¡¯t use some tricks in that situation, how could she possibly escape?¡± Bai Chen¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Madam Gu, do you mean that all the teachers and elders in Tian Lu Academy are protecting Chu Liuyue?¡± Yue Zhenling thought that this was possible, but she did not dare to say it aloud. She glared at Chu Liuyue with resentment. Lu Yao is right. This Chu Liuyue really is a cunning and poisonous snake! ¡°Hah, I don¡¯t know what kind of person Chu Liuyue is, but I know that she could even betray the Chu family that brought her up. She even stirred chaos in their family after she left. Who knows what she could do to other people? Chu Liuyue, if you don¡¯t give me a satisfying explanation, I¡¯ll never leave.¡± Yue Zhenling¡¯s legs then gave way, and she collapsed on the floor. She loudly cried, ¡°Mingzhu! My pitiful daughter! You¡¯ve died a terrible death! Other people harmed you, but I can¡¯t do anything about it! I¡¯m so useless. Your mother is so useless!¡± When her few subordinates saw Yue Zhenling on the floor, they immediately knelt down and cried in unison, ¡°Second Missy, you were harmed by a despicable person!¡± Is she planning to cry in front of Tian Lu Academy? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. She knitted her brows and turned around. This is ridiculous. No matter what, Yue Zhenling is the Gu family¡¯s Mistress and has a distinguished status. How can she do something like this? No matter how depressed and furious she is, doing this is akin to tarnishing the Gu family¡¯s reputation. Why didn¡¯t she consider that at all? When Yue Zhenling saw Chu Liuyue give a reaction, she thought that Chu Liuyue was scared and instantly cried even louder. Her miserable shrills could be heard from miles away. Very quickly, many people gathered around to watch the commotion. Some people started pointing at Chu Liuyue and looked very nosy. Bai Chen had never seen such a scene and was shocked. When he recovered his senses, he was furious. Their cries will defame Chu Liuyue; they have also disregarded Tian Lu Academy completely! He knitted his brows and said, ¡°Madam Gu, this commotion isn¡¯t very suitable, right?¡± Yue Zhenling pretended like she did not hear him and continued crying, ¡°You¡­¡± Bai Chen¡¯s temper exploded, and he became anxious. Chu Liuyue hurriedly held him back. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, don¡¯t.¡± The first person who acted in this situation would be in the wrong. Bai Chen was beyond frustrated. ¡°Am I supposed to let her cause a commotion here then? What about your reputation?¡± The surrounding audience had generally understood what happened and began discussing the situation softly. ¡°I knew that this person¡¯s status was different. It turns out she¡¯s Madam Gu! It¡¯s no wonder she dares to go against Tian Lu Academy!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ Tian Lu Academy isn¡¯t one to be trifled with.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Gu Mingzhu is Madam Gu¡¯s only daughter, and her status in the Gu family was only secure because of Gu Mingzhu. Now that Gu Mingzhu is dead, many people are eyeing her position. She¡¯s in a perilous situation, so how can she not hate Chu Liuyue? You can¡¯t blame her for causing a scene.¡± ¡°No wonder! According to her, it seems like Chu Liuyue caused Gu Mingzhu¡¯s death?¡± ¡°I find it weird as well. Think about it, why did only Chu Liuyue survive in such a dangerous situation? Gu Mingzhu was the Gu family¡¯s most doted on Second Missy. She must¡¯ve had a trump card on her, yet she died. However, Chu Liuyue¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I wanted to say that this Chu Liuyue is a little sinister. When the Chu family was bad to her, she severed ties with them. The Chu family¡¯s days then became miserable. I heard that Gu Mingzhu wasn¡¯t on good terms with her, and she died after being trapped with her. What happened in between¡­ it¡¯s really hard to say¡­¡± Upon hearing the discussions, Bai Chen was beyond furious, and he looked at Chu Liuyue. However, not only was she calm, but even her lips had curled into a smile. ¡°Aiya! Little Liuyue, how can you smile at this moment?! If these people continue babbling, you¡¯ll really become responsible for Gu Mingzhu¡¯s death! Don¡¯t you know that the majority wins?¡± Chu Liuyue hugged her arms and lightly smiled. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen, someone purposely arranged such a show for us. Won¡¯t it be a waste if we don¡¯t admire it properly?¡± Bai Chen was stunned. ¡°Y-you mean that these people¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe Madam Gu would do such a despicable thing, considering her distinguished status,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly as she walked to Yue Zhenling. ¡°Madam Gu, who taught you this?¡± Yue Zhenling¡¯s cries suddenly stopped. Chapter 160 - She Did It! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She guiltily avoided Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze and purposely raised her voice. ¡°What are you saying? Nobody taught me anything! I just want to seek justice from you! I-if you don¡¯t explain what happened to Gu Mingzhu clearly, I won¡¯t leave!¡± Chu Liuyue gently replied with an ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Madam Gu, you can choose not to say it, but you need to think if it¡¯s worth risking your reputation as the Gu family¡¯s Mistress for a moment of impulsiveness. Yue Zhenling really could not cry anymore. ¡°What are you trying to say? What do you mean if it¡¯s worth it?¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. I really don¡¯t know how Yue Zhenling kept her position all these years. It is useless to advise a person who is so easily manipulated and triggered. She lightly said, ¡°You insist on saying that I caused Gu Mingzhu¡¯s death, but you can¡¯t produce any evidence. If word gets out, it won¡¯t be good for me. However, it also won¡¯t be good for you, Madam Gu. After all, you¡¯re defaming me right now.¡± ¡°Who is defaming you? You did something against your conscience, and you¡¯re just unwilling to admit it!¡± Yue Zhenling was certain that Chu Liuyue had something to do with Gu Mingzhu¡¯s death, so she would not listen to reason now. She sneered. ¡°Chu Liuyue, are you very happy now? Yes, you got into Tian Lu Academy and became a so-called genius. An average person really will not dare to trifle with you. Even the Chu family was played by you, and they¡¯re almost going to split apart.¡± ¡°However, who knows how you attained everything you have today? In the earlier years, you were clearly someone without a Yuan meridian. Therefore, your current so-called ¡®genius¡¯ title definitely has way more secrets behind it! If you¡¯re really honest, do you dare to explain it in front of so many people?¡± Her explosion of words silenced the crowd. Countless pairs of eyes stared at Chu Liuyue with curiosity and excitement; the crowd obviously wanted to know the answer as well. Upon hearing Yue Zhenling¡¯s words, Chu Liuyue relaxed her brows. As expected¡­ it had to do with the Chu family¡­ Only those few people hate me to the core. Chu Liuyue could already guess the general situation without asking. It was just a brainless scheme. The person behind Yue Zhenling had spent so much effort to try and teach Chu Liuyue a lesson. They even went as far as manipulating Yue Zhenling into bringing the Gu family over to cause a commotion. Chu Liuyue lightly said, ¡°Madam Gu, you¡¯re standing up for other people, but you don¡¯t even know that you¡¯re being used.¡± Yue Zhenling ignored her and sneered. ¡°What, you can¡¯t say anything? Let me tell you, even if this reaches the Emperor¡¯s ears, I won¡¯t let you off easily. Only your death can repay my daughter¡¯s life.¡± It seemed like she really wanted Chu Liuyue to die. ¡°Madam Gu, isn¡¯t it too unreasonable for you to demand one of my Tian Lu Academy student¡¯s lives?¡± An old voice boomed, immediately suppressing Yue Zhenling and the others¡¯ cries. Chu Liuyue looked at the incoming person weirdly. ¡°Elder Sun? Why are you here?¡± Elder Sun looked at her and tried his hardest to maintain his composure. However, his eyes could not help but look elated. ¡°I heard that you came back, so I came out to take a look. I didn¡¯t expect to hear people crying from afar. It turns out that someone is causing trouble for you.¡± Chu Liuyue coughed in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry for disturbing you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a disturbance. Even if it was, it¡¯s other people¡¯s fault, not yours,¡± said Elder Sun as he looked at Yue Zhenling. When he saw her on the floor without regard for her image, his face darkened. ¡°Madam Gu, what are you doing?¡± Yue Zhenling was frightened. She did not expect Elder Sun to come out as well. Even though she was fuming, she knew that Elder Sun held a very high position in Tian Lu Academy. Hence, she really did not dare lose her temper in front of him. Therefore, she hurriedly stood up and said, ¡°Elder Sun, you came at the right time! Mingzhu is also part of the academy, but she died so miserably outside. Even her corpse¡­¡± Her tears fell once again as she continued, ¡°It¡¯s all Chu Liuyue¡¯s fault! She caused Mingzhu¡¯s death! This sinister person doesn¡¯t deserve to stay in Tian Lu Academy!¡± Elder Sun¡¯s brows knitted even more tightly. ¡°Liuyue caused Mingzhu¡¯s death? Where did you hear this from? Why don¡¯t I know about it?¡± ¡°Elder Sun, did you know that both of them were trapped on the same mountain? Mingzhu is dead, but Chu Liuyue came back alive. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a problem? I¡ª¡± Elder Sun grimly glanced at her and mercilessly interrupted her words. ¡°Of course, I know about this. I was at the foot of the mountain and saw everything clearly.¡± Yue Zhenling was taken aback, but elation immediately filled her afterward. ¡°That¡¯s great! That means you saw everything that happened, right? Chu Liuyue caused Mingzhu¡¯s death, right? Chu Liuyue, don¡¯t you want evidence? Elder Sun is here. His words will be the evidence.¡± As one of the more important elders in Tian Lu Academy, Elder Sun had an extraordinary status and normally wouldn¡¯t side with anyone. Nobody would doubt if his words were true. Chu Liuyue was also surprised. ¡°Elder Sun, you were there too?¡± Elder Sun nodded. ¡°Back then, the two of you were trapped on the mountain, so I told the others to leave first before I went up alone to save you. However, when I reached the foot of the mountain, I realized it was surrounded by countless fiends. I had no way of climbing up, let alone do anything else.¡± Chu Liuyue understood what happened, and her heart felt warm. ¡°I see.¡± She did not actually expect him to do such things. Elder Sun had really done his best to try and save them. ¡°You don¡¯t have to blame yourself. The situation back then was dire, and you also might¡¯ve been in danger if you forcefully barged up the mountain.¡± Elder Sun sighed. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I saw the two of you being swallowed by the black hole that I thought¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that you could come back alive.¡± He was actually very curious as to how Chu Liuyue escaped, but now was not the time to ask about it. He stepped forward and looked at Yue Zhenling. He then said, ¡°Madam Gu, you should apologize to Liuyue.¡± Yue Zhenling was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Elder Sun enunciated his words properly as he stated, ¡°Apologize because the person who betrayed their classmate and used someone else¡¯s life to exchange for their own was not Chu Liuyue, but¡­ Gu Mingzhu!¡± Chapter 161 - Sorry Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder Sun spoke his words with much determination and sounded as if thunder had sounded beside one¡¯s ears. It wasn¡¯t only Yue Zhenling who was shocked beyond words; the surrounding crowd was also dumbfounded. This means¡­ ¡°Elder Sun, what are you saying?¡± Yue Zhenling instinctively retorted, ¡°The person alive now is Chu Liuyue, and the one dead is my Mingzhu! How can it be¡ª¡± ¡°Back then, both Chu Liuyue and Gu Mingzhu were stuck on the mountain. The black flying python had led many fiends to surround the mountain completely. At the start, the flying python wanted to kill Liuyue, but it was trapped for some unknown reason. Liuyue then took the chance to escape.¡± ¡°However, when Chu Liuyue was about to escape, Gu Mingzhu suddenly stopped her. Not only did Gu Mingzhu attack Liuyue, but she also hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s leg, not allowing her to leave. Even though I was some distance away, I clearly saw her holding Liuyue back and talking to the python. In spite of this, the python didn¡¯t seem to care about her, and it directly swallowed her into the black hole. Since Liuyue was held back by Gu Mingzhu, she could not withstand the black hole¡¯s suction force for long and was sucked in as well.¡± Every word Elder Sun said made Yue Zhenling¡¯s face turn a shade paler. In the end, she was as pale as a ghost. It was as if the strength in her body had been sucked away at that moment. Yue Zhenling abruptly collapsed to the ground. The people beside her hurriedly went forward and held her up. ¡°¡­ Impossible¡­ This is impossible! Mingzhu isn¡¯t like that! She definitely wouldn¡¯t do such a thing!¡± Yue Zhenling looked fierce as if she was holding up strongly on the surface, but she already felt guilty. Gu Mingzhu was her daughter, and she knew her personality best. When Gu Mingzhu was home, she repeatedly expressed her displeasure for Chu Liuyue. Also, due to the bet¡ªwhere Gu Mingzhu lost two fifth-level Xuan formation drawings to Chu Liuyue¡ªshe hated Chu Liuyue even more. If the two of them were trapped together, Gu Mingzhu really would¡¯ve¡­ Elder Sun coldly asked, ¡°Madam Gu, do you mean that I¡¯m lying?¡± Yue Zhenling could not say a word, and her forehead had broken out into a cold sweat. How could she possibly dare say that Elder Sun was lying? Besides, even if Yue Zhenling did not believe him, Elder Sun was highly respected. Thus, others would think that he was speaking the truth. When she received Lu Yao¡¯s letter the day before, anger got the better of her, and she wanted to take Chu Liuyue¡¯s life. However, even Elder Sun had stepped up to speak for Chu Liuyue at this point. The verdict was out, so it would be of no use if Yue Zhenling continued to make a commotion. ¡°I-I¡­¡± When the crowd saw Yue Zhenling¡¯s behavior, they recovered their senses as well. Yue Zhenling wanted to cause trouble for Chu Liuyue, but she could not continue with her actions since Elder Sun had spoken. When some people realized that the situation was not right, they silently left. Chu Liuyue watched them leave but did not stop them. Since she had already guessed the mastermind, there was no point in caring about those minor characters. Just when Yue Zhenling did not know what to do, hurried footsteps could be heard from afar. The crowd quickly made way, and a middle-aged man rushed over, looking very anxious. When he saw Yue Zhenling, his face darkened. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Upon hearing this holler, Yue Zhenling trembled as she turned around to look. ¡°¡­ Master?¡± The person had a normal build and a square face¡ªwhich looked authoritative but not angry. It was the Gu family head¡ªGu Yunfei. He harshly glared at Yue Zhenling. ¡°Did you forget everything I told you yesterday?¡± Yue Zhenling¡¯s entire body trembled as she lowered her head, not daring to look at him. ¡°I-I¡­ was just thinking of Mingzhu¡­¡± Gu Yunfei was about to explode from anger. Everything was going well yesterday when Yue Zhenling suddenly ran up to him and told him that Chu Liuyue had definitely done something to Mingzhu, which allowed her to come back alive. Thus, Yue Zhenling demanded that he capture and interrogate Chu Liuyue. Gu Yunfei only half-believed her words. He had always doted on Gu Mingzhu, and he was devastated when she died. However, he did not lose his mind. On the one hand, this was just their conjecture; they had no evidence to prove that Chu Liuyue did something to Gu Mingzhu. On the other hand, Chu Ning had a different status from before, and Chu Liuyue was respected in Tian Lu Academy. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to teach Chu Liuyue a lesson. Hence, he told Yue Zhenling not to act rashly and to think about it when they found solid evidence. Yue Zhenling agreed then. However, Gu Yunfei did not expect that she would still cause a scene. She had even brought people along to storm Tian Lu Academy. When Gu Yunfei saw Yue Zhenling¡¯s unkempt look, he knew that their Gu family and his reputation were all tarnished. ¡°Shut up!¡± Yue Zhenling was frightened and did not say a word as she knew that she was in the wrong. Gu Yunfei took a deep breath in and hurriedly walked to Elder Sun. His face was very apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Elder Sun. I didn¡¯t discipline her properly, which resulted in such a commotion. You¡¯ve always been very magnanimous, so could you please let this incident pass, in consideration of us just losing our daughter?¡± Elder Sun waved his hands. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say this; you don¡¯t have to apologize to me. This matter tarnished Liuyue¡¯s reputation, so you should ask her.¡± Gu Yunfei was taken aback and surprised by how Elder Sun seemed to take extra care of Chu Liuyue. At the end of the day, Chu Liuyue was a student at the academy, and this commotion had also ruined Tian Lu Academy¡¯s reputation. However, Chu Liuyue was the first thing Elder Sun was concerned about. Gu Yunfei suppressed his shock and grunted at Yue Zhenling, ¡°Did you hear what Elder Sun said? Come over here and apologize to Liuyue.¡± ¡°Master, you want me to apologize to her?¡± Yue Zhenling widened her eyes. I¡¯m the Gu family¡¯s Mistress! How can Chu Liuyue compare to me? Gu Yunfei sneered. ¡°Do you want me to apologize for you?¡± Yue Zhenling was shocked and immediately calmed down. Without Mingzhu, I¡¯m about to lose my current position in the Gu family. If I offend the family head¡­ Yue Zhenling clenched her teeth and walked towards Chu Liuyue as if her feet were packed with iron. She squeezed out a tiny voice from her throat and said, ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Madam Gu, what did you say? I couldn¡¯t hear you properly.¡± Yue Zhenling was so furious that her body trembled. How can she not hear me? She¡¯s purposely making it difficult for me! Gu Yunfei looked at her warningly. Yue Zhenling had no choice but to do it. She shut her eyes resentfully and shouted, ¡°Sorry!¡± Chapter 162 - Punishment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue revealed a look of pity. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. Madam Gu, you¡¯re of distinguished status, and I simply can¡¯t accept your apology. However, Madam Gu, I think you cried too hard earlier on. Listen, even your voice is hoarse.¡± Yue Zhenling was so angry that she could not say anything. Is she purposely being sarcastic? ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± boomed Gu Yunfei as he looked at the subordinates behind him. ¡°Hurry up and send Madam back to rest.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The few of them hurriedly went forward and half-dragged, half-helped Yue Zhenling away. Since Gu Yunfei was here, Yue Zhenling did not dare to cause a commotion any longer, no matter how angry she was. Hence, she could only leave with the rest. Gu Yunfei only heaved a sigh of relief when their figures completely disappeared. ¡°Elder Sun, Liuyue, about this¡­¡± ¡°Master Gu, Elder Sun clearly explained it previously that Gu Mingzhu was the one who harmed me and caused her own death in the end. In actual fact, that was not the only time since she did so previously as well. She failed in stealing the golden mane bear cub and was chased by a golden mane bear, yet she purposely dragged my team down with her and caused all of us to be threatened by the bear. If it weren¡¯t because we were lucky enough, not only me, even Mu Hongyu and the rest would¡¯ve died.¡± Chu Liuyue looked nonchalant, but her words shocked the crowd once again. ¡°I¡¯m of ordinary status, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I die. However, Mu Hongyu¡­ is Princess Yong Ping. If she died because of Gu Mingzhu¡¯s actions, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d be in trouble, Master Gu.¡± Gu Yunfei¡¯s remaining words were stuck in his throat. He did not know if Chu Liuyue was speaking the truth. But even her lies would become the truth since Elder Sun was standing on her side. ¡°Since Gu Mingzhu isn¡¯t around anymore, I thought there would be no need to pursue this matter as the victims are prioritized. However, I didn¡¯t expect my tolerance to be rewarded with countless scoldings and accusations. Master Gu, even if I¡¯m not an important character, I will definitely not admit what I¡¯ve not done. If other people want to smear my name, I won¡¯t sit by and quietly watch on. Luckily, Elder Sun was here today; if not, my name would have forever been tarnished. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Gu Yunfei¡¯s back was drenched by cold sweat. ¡°Then, what do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and smiled. ¡°Since Madam Gu has already apologized to me in front of everyone, I won¡¯t hold this against her. We can just let this matter slide.¡± The rock in Gu Yunfei¡¯s heart was finally lifted. ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± ¡°However¡­¡± Chu Liuyue went forward and lowered her voice to say, ¡°Master Gu, Madam Gu is devastated from the loss of her beloved daughter, so she was easily manipulated by people. Perhaps someone has fed her some ideas and taken advantage of her. You should¡­ be more alert of such happenings.¡± Gu Yunfei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡­ The commotion finally ended. Chu Liuyue then returned to the academy and briefly explained the past two days¡¯ happenings to Elder Sun and Bai Chen. However, she used one sentence to summarize how she escaped from the black hole. She merely said that she was unconscious and that she found herself lying in the woods when she woke up, not knowing what had happened. Elder Sun did not really believe her in his heart, but he did not pursue the matter and just reminded her to recover properly when he saw that Chu Liuyue did not want to say much about it. He then let her go. Before Chu Liuyue reached her lodgings, she met Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu¡ªwho were looking for her. The two of them were extremely elated when they saw Chu Liuyue standing right before their eyes. ¡°Liuyue, it really is you! It¡¯s you!¡± Mu Hongyu hugged her as she cried and smiled. Cen Hu stood at the side and scratched his head; his smile was about to extend to the back of his head. ¡°Haha! I told you Liuyue wouldn¡¯t go back on her words! We agreed to meet outside the mountains, and it did come true!¡± When she saw the duo¡¯s frail appearances, Chu Liuyue knew that they had a difficult time the past few days. Her heart felt sour, and she patted Mu Hongyu¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I always make good on my words, but you guys look so sickly.¡± ¡°Do we?¡± Mu Hongyu wiped her tears. As she spoke, Mu Hongyu could not help but burst into laughter. ¡°I heard Madam Gu came to cause trouble for you. How dare they have the cheek to do that?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°The matter has been settled. I think Madam Gu won¡¯t be having an easy time in the future.¡± Cen Hu curiously asked, ¡°How do you know? After all, she¡¯s the Gu family¡¯s Mistress!¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because she¡¯s the Gu family¡¯s Mistress that the incident¡¯s consequences are even more severe.¡± ¡­ The Chu family residence. When they heard the news their subordinates brought back, Lu Yao could not recover her senses for a long time. She dazedly sat on her chair and muttered in disbelief, ¡°How can this be? Why can¡¯t this affect her?¡± Not only did the incident not affect Chu Liuyue, but it had even helped prove Chu Liuyue¡¯s innocence. With Elder Sun¡¯s vouching for her, nobody would dare to spread such rumors in the entire Imperial City. Chu Liuyue cleanly cleared her name up without spending much effort! What kind of backing does she have, which allows her to survive such ordeals time and time again? ¡°Look at the good deed you¡¯ve done! Everyone now knows that Elder Sun is backing up Chu Liuyue.¡± Chu Yan was suffering from serious injuries and temporarily could not get off the bed, so his temper became even worse, and he easily scolded people. Lu Yao was very frustrated. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this would happen!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because you don¡¯t have a brain!¡± As the two of them quarreled, hurried footsteps could be heard from outside. Lu Yao looked up and saw a bunch of people rushing into the yard with ill intentions. ¡°What are you doing? Is this a place that you can randomly barge into? Get out!¡± The person at the front sneered and weirdly said, ¡°Third Madam, we came here on First Elder¡¯s orders to bring you to the living room.¡± Lu Yao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why is First Elder looking for me?¡± ¡°Heh, don¡¯t you know what you did? Now, even the Gu family¡¯s members are waiting for you. Kindly make your way there.¡± Lu Yao¡¯s heart thoroughly sank when she heard the two words ¡®Gu family.¡¯ Chapter 163 - Poisoned Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mu Hongyu was worried that Chu Liuyue had been bullied by the Gu family¡¯s Mistress, but when she saw how calm Chu Liuyue looked, Mu Hongyu¡¯s mind was at ease. Then again, since Chu Liuyue had survived the black flying python, was there anything that she could not do? A mere Gu family was nothing. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Enough of that! We have to celebrate your return this time,¡± said Mu Hongyu with bright eyes. ¡°Liuyue, you previously said that we could go to Phoenix Restaurant! I haven¡¯t been there in a long time!¡± Chu Liuyue knocked on her forehead gently. ¡°We can go with everyone when you¡¯re feeling better. However, you¡¯d better stay here obediently for now!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s smile collapsed, and she raised two fingers. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t drink! Okay? We¡¯ll just eat!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Is that so?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°Really! Come on, Liuyue! Agree to it, please!¡± Chu Liuyue pretended to think for a while before she agreed. ¡°Okay!¡± Since they have been worried sick about me for the last couple of days, they deserve to relax. ¡°What about tonight? Cen Hu, call Liao Zhongshu and Gu Mingfeng as well.¡± Cen Hu scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°This¡­ Liao Zhongshu is still not well. He¡¯s been sick in bed. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to make it.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°Why are Liao Zhongshu¡¯s injuries so severe? I remember that his injuries were rather superficial. He should be feeling better, so why can¡¯t he leave his bed?¡± Both Mu Hongyu and Cen Hu¡¯s expressions were stiff as they spoke of the matter. ¡°Yeah. The teachers of the academy have checked on him. They¡¯ve used medication as well, but his condition has been relapsing for some reason. He has not shown any signs of recovery.¡± Cen Hu continued, ¡°Also, Gu Mingfeng has not returned to the academy in the last couple of days. I heard¡­ I heard that he was chased out of the Gu family¡­¡± Chu Liuyue froze. ¡°Why would the Gu family do this out of the blue?¡± Mu Hongyu pouted. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of Gu Mingzhu? Gu Mingfeng has been looked down upon in the Gu family, and they pushed all the blame for her death to him this time!¡± Cen Hu clenched his fists. ¡°He hardly returned there before anyway. It hardly counts as his home. It¡¯s better that he left!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± Gu Mingfeng being looked down on is one thing, but being chased out is another. No matter what things were like before, he carried the Gu family name. Hence, people were a little more careful, but now¡­ Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°I think we can¡¯t have dinner today then. Cen Hu, go and look for Gu Mingfeng now. Let us know if you have any news. Hongyu and I will go over to see Liao Zhongshu.¡± The two agreed when they heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. After all, they had been through life and death together; they could not just leave him in the lurch. Mu Hongyu¡¯s expression became more serious. ¡°I know where Liao Zhongshu lives. Come with me.¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue arrived at the warrior student residence area with Mu Hongyu, they attracted a lot of attention. The news of Chu Liuyue¡¯s safe return had spread like wildfire the day before. Hearing that she had returned, many were rather curious. Chu Liuyue¡¯s presence in the warrior residence area naturally drew quite a bit of attention. Chu Liuyue ignored all of that and followed Mu Hongyu to a particular building. Mu Hongyu walked to the door and knocked on it. ¡°Ji Yurong, are you there?¡± The door was opened by a slender and tall young man. He recognized Mu Hongyu and gave her a warm smile. ¡°Mu Hongyu, are you here to see Zhongshu?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah! Liuyue and I are here to visit him!¡± The young man paused when he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s name. It was only then that he noticed that another person was next to Mu Hongyu. A strange expression flashed across his face, but it was fleeting. ¡°I see that you all are here! Hurry on in! Zhongshu just woke up, so you¡¯re just in time to see him!¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. Mu Hongyu did not sense that anything was amiss. She pulled Chu Liuyue towards the second floor. ¡°We¡¯ll head up first then; it¡¯s been hard on you for the last couple of days!¡± Ji Yurong smiled. ¡°We¡¯re all classmates, so it¡¯s what I should do. You guys chat; I have something to attend to, so I¡¯ll head out first.¡± With that, he tidied things up and left, closing the door behind him. Chu Liuyue turned and glanced at him. She wondered if she was imagining things, but Ji Yurong seemed like he was running away¡­ ¡°Does Ji Yurong live here too?¡± Chu Liuyue asked as they ascended the stairs. ¡°Yeah! He lives here with Zhongshu! This is the warrior residence area. Everyone here shares lodgings. Our amenities are not as nice as the Xuan Masters¡¯ lodgings, which allows individual courtyards. Zhongshu talks about Ji Yurong often, but Ji Yurong doesn¡¯t really talk to us because he¡¯s a little introverted.¡± Mu Hongyu spoke as she walked. ¡°But he¡¯s quite nice. He has been the one taking care of Zhongshu for the last few days.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded but did not ask any further. As they spoke, the pair arrived at the second-floor bedroom. Chu Liuyue was stunned when she entered the room and saw Liao Zhongshu, who was lying in bed. Over the past few days, he had lost a significant amount of weight. His cheeks were sunken in, and his eyes were dark and lifeless. He looked rather haggard. Liao Zhongshu broke out into a wan smile when he saw the pair and barely managed to raise his hand. ¡°You¡¯re here? Have a seat.¡± Mu Hongyu frowned. ¡°Why do you look worse than before? Have you been taking your medicine?¡± His voice weak, Liao Zhongshu said, ¡°My body has failed me, but it¡¯s okay. Liuyue¡­ it¡¯s great that you are back.¡± Even though he was sick, he had heard about Chu Liuyue¡¯s matter. He was really happy to see her standing before his eyes well and alive. Chu Liuyue stepped forward and took his wrist. ¡°What did the teachers say about your body?¡± Liao Zhongshu moved his lips and coughed. ¡°Cough cough¡­ There¡¯s not much of a problem¡­ It¡¯s just that my body is too weak, and I can¡¯t absorb the medicine well. Hence, I have not been recovering¡­ The teachers said that they¡¯d observe me for another two days¡­ Cough¡­¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Mu Hongyu asked curiously. ¡°Liuyue, is something wrong?¡± Liuyue suddenly pulled Liao Zhongshu¡¯s blanket away! ¡°Hey¡­ Liuyue!¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned and tried to stop her, but Chu Liuyue was too fast. Liao Zhongshu did not expect this either. He was embarrassed and tried to pull up the blanket. However, Chu Liuyue was not bothered as she intently stared at his left leg. Liao Zhongsuh¡¯s injured leg was swollen beyond recognition. It was double the size of the other and stretched his pants to its seams. Mu Hongyu cried out in surprise. ¡°Wh-what happened?!¡± Liao Zhongshu¡¯s face was grim. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s been like this since I returned. The teachers don¡¯t know why either¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯ve been poisoned!¡± Chapter 164 - Heavenly Pharmacy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Poisoned?!¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned. She tossed her embarrassment aside and stepped forward. ¡°Are you sure? Do you know what poison it is?¡± Chu Liuyue covered Liao Zhongshu up with the blanket again. She did not answer Mu Hongyu¡¯s question. Instead, she looked towards Liao Zhongshu. ¡°Has your leg been itchy? Also, does it bleed when you scratch it?¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ How did you know?¡± Liao Zhongshu nodded dazedly. Chu Liuyue just took a glance at my leg when covered by my pants, yet her guesses are spot on! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how I know. More importantly, the poison had spread across your body. It will enter your organs within three days. By then, there really would be nothing I can do.¡± Liao Zhongshu became anxious immediately. ¡°S-so serious? But I haven¡¯t even left the room since I got back! How did this happen? Besides, the teachers didn¡¯t say anything either¡­¡± ¡°This type of poison is called ¡®Red Blood Gu.¡¯ It¡¯s a rare poison. Once you are poisoned by it, the wounds on your body will fester and be unable to heal. What¡¯s worse is that blood will gather around the wound. It will be itchy and hard to bear. It will rip open, even if you touch it gently. In the end, you will die from chapped skin and blood loss!¡± Liao Zhongshu and Mu Hongyu¡¯s faces paled more and more as Chu Liuyue spoke. By the time she was done, the two were pale as ghosts. Especially Liao Zhongshu¡ªwho was already pale to begin with; he could barely breathe at the end of her explanation. ¡°Th-this¡­ I don¡¯t know how¡­ Could it be I¡­¡± He did not finish his sentence, but Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu knew what he was worried about. The academy¡¯s teachers did not even recognize such a formidable poison, not to mention treating it! He probably only had a few days left to live his life! Mu Hongyu looked at Chu Liuyue worriedly. ¡°Liuyue, is it really that bad? D-do you have a solution? Since you can recognize it, you must have a solution, right?¡± Liao Zhongshu looked at her hopefully. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°I know this poison, but it requires hundreds of herbs to create the antidote. Most of them are rather precious, so it would be tough to find them on such short notice¡­¡± If this were her last life, treating such a poison would not be a problem. However, with her current conditions, it was rather tough! Some things could not even be found in Country Yao Chen. The light in Liao Zhongshu¡¯s eyes dimmed. He stayed silent for a while before finally saying, ¡°I guess¡­ I can only await my doom¡­¡± He laughed bitterly. Mu Hongyu looked at Chu Liuyue and Liao Zhongshu, her heart aching. She had always been close to Liao Zhongshu, and he did a lot to ensure their survival this time around. Their relationship was much stronger than that of regular classmates. But she had to watch him die now? The room sank into silence. Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°How did you contract the poison?¡± Confusion was plastered all over Liao Zhongshu¡¯s face. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either. I was fine before I went to Wan Ling Mountain. The wound just didn¡¯t seem to heal ever since I returned¡­¡± ¡°So, you contracted it in the academy?¡± ¡°I think so¡­ I haven¡¯t even left the room since I returned.¡± Liao Zhongshu frowned as he spoke, thinking hard. ¡°However, I don¡¯t know where things went wrong. Since I returned, I¡¯ve listened to the teachers¡¯ advice, rested well, and took my medicine. I haven¡¯t touched anything else.¡± Chu Liuyue folded her arms across her chest and suddenly asked, ¡°How does Ji Yurong usually treat you?¡± ¡°Him? He¡¯s really nice to me. He has been taking care of me for the last few days¡­ You suspect that it¡¯s him?¡± Liao Zhongshu finally understood what Chu Liuyue meant, but he immediately denied the possibility. ¡°That can¡¯t be! We¡¯ve been staying here together since we both got into the academy. We¡¯ve also gotten along well. Even though we¡¯re not like family, we¡¯re really close! He doesn¡¯t have a reason to target me.¡± Mu Hongyu could not help but cut in. ¡°Yeah! Liuyue, I know Ji Yurong too. He¡¯s quite nice, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s capable of doing something this malicious. ¡°You¡¯ll never really know what a person is thinking. If it isn¡¯t him, did you poison yourself?¡± Chu Liuyue was unaffected by the pair¡¯s words. If he were innocent, why did he seem so nervous when he saw me? Liao Zhongshu and Mu Hongyu did not have an answer since Chu Liuyue¡¯s words made sense¡­ ¡°Then, what do we know? We can¡¯t just interrogate him, right? Even if he did do it, he¡¯d never admit to it!¡± Mu Hongyu rubbed her temples. She could feel her head throbbing. Chu Liuyue looked around and saw an empty bowl next to Liao Zhongshu. She could still smell the faint herbal scent. ¡°Is this your bowl for medicine? Why is it so clean?¡± Liao Zhongshu nodded. ¡°Every time I finish drinking my medicine, Yurong will wash the bowl clean immediately. He said that he was worried the strong herbal scent would prevent me from getting proper rest. Hence, he¡¯ll always wash the bowl once I¡¯m done¡­¡± Liao Zhongshu¡¯s voice faded away as he began to look at the bowl strangely. ¡°Could it really be him?¡± Initially, he had been really grateful toward Ji Yurong for taking care of him. However, things seemed a little odd now. I am patient and tolerant, so what is wrong with the smell of medicinal herbs? I¡¯m not even bothered by it, so why was Ji Yurong so particular about it? I even told Ji Yurong that it did not matter several times, but the latter insisted on washing it. Mu Hongyu jumped up, ran toward the bowl, and examined it carefully. ¡°Liuyue, are you saying that there¡¯s something wrong with the medicine? It¡¯s a pity that the bowl has been scrubbed clean, and there¡¯s no evidence left. How about we examine it the next time Zhongshu takes his medicine?¡± Chu Liuyue pulled her lips into a faint smile and shook her head. ¡°He won¡¯t take action any longer. Zhongshu has also consumed sufficient poison. Ji Yurong just has to wait a few days. Besides¡­¡± Besides, Ji Yurong should have sensed my wariness. He won¡¯t give me a chance to get to the bottom of it. Mu Hongyu was in despair. ¡°What should we do then?¡± Liao Zhongshu forced a smile onto his face. ¡°Hongyu, don¡¯t think about this. Even if we find something, I think it¡¯ll be too late. My body¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head disapprovingly with a small smile. ¡°The more it¡¯s like this, the more we have to investigate. There is only hope of getting the antidote if we can find the person who poisoned you. Zhongshu, you should rest well. Hongyu and I will investigate.¡± ¡­ After reminding Liao Zhongshu to rest well, Chu Liuyue left with Mu Hongyu. After they left, Mu Hongyu turned back to take another glance and worriedly said, ¡°Liuyue, how are we going to investigate? Without the antidote, Zhongshu won¡¯t be able to hang on for much longer. Will we be in time?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced in a certain direction. ¡°The most important thing now is to stop the spread of the poison in his body.¡± Mu Hongyu paused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the antidote is tough to¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough to remove the poison entirely, but it¡¯s not very difficult to suppress it.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she began walking away. ¡°Hey¡­ where are you going?¡± ¡°Heavenly Pharmacy,¡± replied Chu Liuyue without looking back. Chapter 165 - Making Things Difficult Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mu Hongyu was stunned, and she ran to catch up to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Heavenly Pharmacy? Isn¡¯t that where the academy stores all sorts of herbs? You¡¯re going to¡­ get herbs?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. As the top academy in Country Yao Chen, Tian Lu Academy should have a number of treasures in its storage. I¡¯m going to go take a look there first. ¡°I¡¯ll go there myself. You should go check and see if Ji Yurong has been acting strangely recently or if he has been meeting someone more often. He¡¯s of ordinary birth, so the poison has to come from somewhere.¡± Mu Hongyu was a little hesitant. ¡°Of course, I can do that. However, the Heavenly Pharmacy is heavenly doctor territory. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that easy for you to go get herbs¡­¡± Mu Hongyu was being as subtle as she could. In reality, most people could not set foot in the Heavenly Pharmacy apart from the heavenly doctors. It was not that they were not allowed, but the rules around it were too strict. Students who wanted to take herbs from the Heavenly Pharmacy had to apply for it. Also, their request would only be approved if they had a good enough reason. But heavenly doctors were easily able to get anything they wanted because they could say it was for refining. Unfortunately, it was not that simple for warriors and Xuan masters. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Are warriors and Xuan Masters not qualified to go there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ We only go there when we¡¯re hurt occasionally¡­¡± Mu Hongyu wrinkled her nose. ¡°You don¡¯t know it, but the heavenly doctors are all really arrogant! They¡¯re all so hard to get along with!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. The talent requirement for heavenly doctors was rather high, so they usually were like that. ¡°Even though I¡¯m not cultivating there, I did pass the heavenly doctor examination. Hence, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll make things difficult for me.¡± Mu Hongyu pouted. ¡°That might not be the case.¡± Chu Liuyue patted Mu Hongyu¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡­ The two split up, and Chu Liuyue headed for the back mountain. The Heavenly Pharmacy was built on one of the academy¡¯s steepest mountains. The other students did not go there if they did not have any business there. The further she went up the mountain, the quieter it was. After about ten minutes, Chu Liuyue finally saw the Heavenly Pharmacy¡¯s signboard. The building was five stories tall. It did not seem that much different from other buildings, but she felt an invisible ripple when she got closer. There was a strong barrier erected outside of the Heavenly Pharmacy. Young men stood outside the bronze doors as if standing guard. ¡°Who are you? What are you here for?¡± asked one of them coldly when they saw Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I¡¯m Chu Liuyue, here to collect herbs.¡± Surprise flashed across their faces when they heard her name. They knew her name very well. After all, she was the prodigy who placed first and second in the warrior assessment and Xuan Master assessment, respectively. Not to mention the fact that Chu Liuyue had made these accomplishments on the same day she passed all three of the academy¡¯s entrance examinations. Even though they did not pay much attention to the affairs of warriors and Xuan Masters, this was not the first time they had heard her name. However, they did not expect her to show up there. ¡°You¡¯re Chu Liuyue?¡± The young man scrutinized her. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°You must send an application to collect herbs from the Heavenly Pharmacy. Fill in the form first!¡± The young man flung his sleeve as he spoke, and something flew towards Chu Liuyue. She caught it and raised her eyebrows. It was a plank of wood and a brush. The wood was blackish and palm-sized. It was rather rough to the touch. ¡°Write down whatever you want, and we¡¯ll send the application in for review. If it¡¯s approved, we¡¯ll hand you the items.¡± The young man spoke nonchalantly in a strictly business-like manner. Chu Liuyue looked at the object in her hand and laughed. It seems like Mu Hongyu was right about them. The heavenly doctors really are arrogant and like to make things difficult for others. The plank was not ordinary; it was made of a Black Sage Vine¡¯s trunk. The material was strong and hard. A knife might not even be able to leave marks on it. As for writing¡­ The brush was dry, without a drop of ink. How was she to write? She shook the items in her hand. ¡°Write it on here?¡± The two young men nodded in unison as they prepared to see Chu Liuyue embarrass herself. Chu Liuyue did not say anything. She picked up the brush and began to write on the plank. The brush did not leave a single mark on the plank. Chu Liuyue paused and frowned, a little surprised. The two young men looked at each other, mocking expressions on their faces. What genius? How is she a prodigy that passed all three assessments? Is this all she is capable of? Chu Liuyue looked up and smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there seems to be a problem with this. Could you give me another one?¡± ¡°Another one? Each person only gets one, why¡­¡± One of them immediately rejected her, but his friend immediately cut him off. ¡°On account of this being your first time, you can have another one.¡± With that, he flung another plank at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Hey, Mo Liang, according to the rules, we cannot¡­¡± said Cui Yao disapprovingly, but he saw Mo Liang make a face at him. Cui Yao paused for a moment before he understood that Mo Liang was playing a prank on her! If the replacement still does not work, won¡¯t it be extra embarrassing? Since Chu Liuyue had entered the academy, she had received countless praises. She had also been in the limelight the entire time. Now was the perfect time to take her down a notch! So many people have praised her as a genius, but she does not seem so intelligent now! The two exchanged glances and kept quiet as they watched Chu Liuyue, waiting for her to embarrass herself. As expected, Chu Liuyue did not manage to leave a trace on the plank. She paused as if a little embarrassed and confused. Cui Yao and Mo Liang could barely contain their smiles. ¡°Chu Liuyue, it seems like this one doesn¡¯t work either. Would you like another one?¡± Mo Liang asked teasingly. Chu Liuyue glanced at him before hesitantly saying, ¡°Thank you for the trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble! We¡¯re all schoolmates, so it¡¯s only natural that we help one another out.¡± Mo Liang suppressed his smile and threw another plank at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue now had three planks. ¡°Hey Chu Liuyue, if it still doesn¡¯t work, how about a few more? When you¡¯re done trying, a good one is bound to appear, right? Hahaha!¡± Cui Yao burst out laughing. Even a fool would be able to tell that something was off now. However, to their surprise, Chu Liuyue was not embarrassed. Instead, she shook her head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. These planks are more than enough.¡± With that, she walked over to the side and picked up an amygdalin leaf. Cui Yao¡¯s laughter was cut short when he saw this. A sense of uneasiness also rose in Mo Liang¡¯s heart. Chu Liuyue used the amygdalin leaf to wipe the plank before picking up the brush again. As the brush flowed across the plank, white words appeared clearly. Chapter 166 - Approved Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Amygdalin leaves and Black Sage Vine did not go together. Hence, it would leave a layer on the plank after wiping. Even though the brush did not have any ink, it was made of snow wolf fur. Thus, it could easily leave marks on the plank. It was a rather simple method, but it would stump anyone who did not have an understanding of it. The pair wanted to make things difficult for Chu Liuyue so that she would embarrass herself. They were gloating when Chu Liuyue said that the item was not working, thinking that they had successfully played a trick on her. However, they could no longer laugh when they saw the words on the plank. The smile on Cui Yao¡¯s face stiffened as his eyes filled with surprise, making him look rather odd. Mo Liang was not any better. He realized what had happened almost instantly. Chu Liuyue did it on purpose! She knew exactly what to do but pretended not to know. Both of us thought we were pranking Chu Liuyue, but she had everything under her control all along! She probably mocked us inwardly when we were mocking her! Chu Liuyue finished writing a line of text before she looked up at the pair with a smile. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s not broken. See, it writes pretty well.¡± Cui Yao¡¯s expression was stiff as if he had just swallowed a fly! Mo Liang suppressed his anger as he pointed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You knew how the plank worked all along! Were you playing with us?!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Yeah.¡± She said it so plainly and nonchalantly that the pair did not know how to respond. This Chu Liuyue is too arrogant! ¡°You! Nonsense! Chu Liuyue, do you know where this is? How dare you lie to us!¡± said Mo Liang during his fit of anger and shame. Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. ¡°Weren¡¯t the two of you making this difficult for me first? I¡¯m just here to get some herbs, yet you¡¯re making things so difficult for me. I¡¯m just giving the both of you a taste of your own medicine. Is that too much?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply silenced the two. Yes! We were the ones who started it first, but this is the custom! Other than heavenly doctors, we do this to everyone else who comes here. Chu Liuyue is not an exception! However¡­ they did not expect things to turn out this way with Chu Liuyue. Not only did their prank fail, but they even embarrassed themselves! Chu Liuyue looked down and continued writing. ¡°Senior Brothers, please hold on. I still have quite a number of things to write.¡± The pair immediately looked over when they heard her, only to see that her brush strokes were smooth and continuous. It was like she did not need to think at all. In a short time, the plank was already half-full of words! Chu Liuyue also did not seem like she was going to stop writing anytime soon! It was only then that the pair realized that things had spiraled out of their control. Chu Liuyue clearly came prepared! The most important thing is that she has three planks in her hand! Mo Liang swallowed stiffly. ¡°Chu Liuyue, each person can only fill one application. Return the remaining Black Sage Vine planks to us now!¡± Chu Liuyue did not even look up. ¡°But Senior Brother, you gave them to me. It doesn¡¯t make sense if I can¡¯t write on them, no?¡± ¡°I said stop writing!¡± Cold sweat dripped down from Mo Liang¡¯s forehead. If the teachers know that I gave Chu Liuyue three planks in one go, I will get into big trouble! Chu Liuyue had already filled up the first plank. She beamed at the pair as she held up the remaining two planks. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Senior Brothers.¡± With that, she continued writing on the two planks! What a joke! She needed numerous herbs to suppress the poison in Liao Zhongshu¡¯s body in the first place. Plus, the two of them were asking for it, so how could she not teach them a lesson? As they watched Chu Liuyue, Mo Liang¡¯s heart sank. Finally, when all three planks were filled up, Chu Liuyue handed them over. ¡°Senior Brothers, these are the herbs that I¡¯d like to pick up this time. Please send in my applications for the teachers to review.¡± Mo Liang¡¯s entire body was stiff. Cui Yao was frustrated by the smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, and he grabbed the planks from her. ¡°You¡¯re biting off more than you can chew! We shall see if the teacher approves of your applications!¡± With that, he opened the door and headed inside. Bang! The door was closed shut. Chu Liuyue shrugged, took a few steps back, and waited patiently. Mo Liang only returned to his senses when he heard the door slam shut. That¡¯s right! Cui Yao is right! It doesn¡¯t matter how much she wrote. If the teacher doesn¡¯t approve of her applications, there¡¯s no use! Chu Liuyue is a heavenly doctor, and this is her first time here. Hence, the teacher might approve of her application if she were just asking for one or two common herbs. However, she is too greedy! The application definitely will not be approved! At this thought, his heart fell back into place. ¡­ Time seemed to pass incredibly slowly as they waited. Mo Liang looked towards the door from time to time, but Cui Yao did not come out. He got more anxious as time passed. That¡¯s not right¡­ The teacher should have immediately rejected the applications the instant he saw them. Cui Yao should also be out by now. Why is it still so quiet? He turned to glance at Chu Liuyue, only to find that she was standing there casually as if she was not worried at all. This frustrated him, and he knitted his brows tightly together. The door finally opened after another 15 minutes, and Cui Yao walked out. There was nothing in his hands other than the cleaned Black Sage Vine planks! He did not have any herbs in his hands! It must not have gone through! Mo Liang was elated and hurried forward! ¡°What took you so long? Was Teacher too busy, so he took a while to reject it?¡± Cui Yao¡¯s expression was a little strange. He handed the planks to Mo Liang and walked over to his side without saying anything. Mo Liang felt that something was amiss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Cui Yao looked at Chu Liuyue with a complex gaze and spat out the words stiffly. ¡°¡­ Her application was approved.¡± ¡°How could this be possible?¡± Mo Liang jumped up instantly, his face full of disbelief. Cui Yao rubbed his face. ¡°Mr. Zuo Rong said that they were too many things and that some are in rather obscure places. Hence, it will take some time. He told us to wait for a while and that he would personally bring the things out later.¡± Chapter 167 - There are Better People Out There Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mo Liang thought he was hallucinating, but Cui Yao did not look like he was kidding. Mo Liang was dazed for a while before he muttered. ¡°How can that be¡­ how can this be?¡± Cui Yao did not want to say anything because he was also very shocked! He wanted to know why as well! When he handed the application over, Mr. Zuo Rong looked at it with a frown for a while. However, his frown turned into an excited smile as time passed! After that, he set everything he was working on aside and started to prepare the herbs Chu Liuyue wanted himself. Cui Yao felt uncomfortable when he recalled the smile on Mr. Zuo Rong¡¯s face when he left. Mr. Zuo Rong has always been strict. Sometimes, he doesn¡¯t even approve of heavenly doctor students¡¯ applications. However, Chu Liuyue requested three planks¡¯ worth of herbs! On what basis?! ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother. I¡¯ll wait here then,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Cui Yao looked away. Out of sight, out of mind. Mo Liang had many questions, but he chose to keep quiet when he saw how Cui Yao¡¯s expression did not look right. The place sank into an awkward silence. ¡­ The door finally opened again after a few minutes. A plump man walked out briskly. His eyes lit up when he saw Chu Liuyue at the door. ¡°You¡¯re Chu Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Greetings, Mr. Zuo Rong.¡± Zuo Rong laughed and waved the gold bag in his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony! Everything you want is here!¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°Cosmic Bag?¡± ¡°You know about this thing?¡± Zuo Rong did not expect Chu Liuyue to know about Cosmic Bags. However, then again, she was the Chu family¡¯s Big Missy previously. Hence, it was not surprising either. ¡°Yes, this is a Cosmic Bag! You requested too many things, so I placed all of them in here for convenience! You can just return it to me after you head back and take everything out!¡± Zuo Rong¡¯s magnanimous words surprised the pair standing next to him. Mr. Zuo Rong is actually this generous towards Chu Liuyue? Cosmic Bags are invaluable treasures. Not even the academy¡¯s teachers can afford one. Mr. Zuo Rong only received the Cosmic Bag when he saved a person of great importance a few years ago. He drew a lot of envy because of it! We usually can¡¯t even catch a glimpse of the Cosmic Bag, but now Mr. Zuo Rong is loaning it to Chu Liuyue?! Chu Liuyue was surprised too. It wasn¡¯t considered a rare item when she was the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Crown Princess in her previous life. However, this was Country Yao Chen, and this item was probably rather rare here. This is Mr. Zuo Rong¡¯s first time meeting me, yet he is being so kind. The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face deepened as she stepped forward and took the Cosmic Bag from Zuo Rong with both hands. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zuo Rong! I¡¯ll return it as soon as I can!¡± There was no reason not to take Zuo Rong up on his offer! ¡°No rush! But I have a few questions that I would like to ask you. You have to answer me honestly!¡± When she saw his expression, Chu Liuyue knew what he wanted to ask. Hence, she nodded and said, ¡°Please ask. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡± Zuo Rong chuckled. ¡°Okay! Tell me, did you write that prescription yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zuo Rong¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Why did you write this prescription? Is this medicine for someone?¡± Chu Liuyue did not keep it from him. ¡°Yes, this is for a friend.¡± ¡°Is that person Liao Zhongshu?¡± Zuo Rong asked urgently. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Zuo Rong slapped his thighs. He had checked on Liao Zhongshu¡¯s condition before. He had an inkling that Liao Zhongshu was poisoned, but he did not know what type of poison it was. Even discussing Liao Zhongshu¡¯s situation with other teachers did not yield much result. However, when Zuo Rong saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s prescription, he suddenly realized that a few herbs seemed able to treat Liao Zhongshu¡¯s condition. This was also why he wanted to prepare the herbs himself. He wanted to meet Chu Liuyue and get to the bottom of things! ¡°You¡­ You know about his condition?¡± Zuo Rong asked subtly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered a little. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a similar case before.¡± Zuo Rong took a deep breath. ¡°So¡­ this prescription¡­¡± ¡°I learned of it by chance, and I also don¡¯t remember it very clearly. However, I thought of trying it since we don¡¯t have any other way now.¡± Disappointment appeared on Zuo Rong¡¯s face the instant Chu Liuyue spoke. ¡°I see. I thought¡­¡± He had thought that Chu Liuyue had come up with the prescription herself. However, he knew that it was a ludicrous thought after thinking deeply. Even the academy¡¯s teachers did not know what to do. Chu Liuyue was just a student, so how could she have come up with something like this? Even the director might not be capable of this! His excitement slowly faded, but he was still heartened by the fact that Chu Liuyue had a solution to Liao Zhongshu¡¯s problem. ¡°You should head back first. I¡¯ll head over with the other teachers later.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first then.¡± With that, she left with the Cosmic Bag. Zuo Rong turned and looked at the pair in front of him. ¡°If she wants to take any herbs in the future, give her whatever she wants. Don¡¯t let there be a repeat of today, understand?¡± Cui Yao and Mo Liang were still a little confused, but they had a feeling that Chu Liuyue had talent as a heavenly doctor. Zuo Rong also seemed to value Chu Liuyue, so they dared not say anything and could only agree. ¡°Yes, of course! We¡¯ll keep this in mind!¡± When Zuo Rong saw the indignance on the pair¡¯s faces, he shook his head to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re better than the others just because you¡¯re heavenly doctors. There are people out there who are better than you!¡± Mo Liang could not hold it in any longer. ¡°Mr. Zuo Rong, do you mean that¡­ she¡¯s more talented than us?¡± Zuo Rong looked at the two of them pitifully. ¡°She¡¯s keeping a low profile, yet you think she¡¯s incapable. Don¡¯t say such childish things in the future. People will only laugh at you, understand?¡± Chapter 168 - Form a Family Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue brought the herbs back to her lodgings. After taking out the herbs from the Cosmic Bag and packing them nicely, Chu Liuyue planned to return to Heavenly Pharmacy and return the bag to Mr. Zuo Rong. However, she suddenly felt movements outside. She walked to the door and saw Mr. Zuo Rong bringing the other teachers to her house once she opened it. When Mr. Zuo Rong saw her, he immediately smiled and said, ¡°Liuyue, these are the teachers who have previously diagnosed Liao Zhongshu. I brought them over to see you.¡± The other teachers quietly sized Chu Liuyue up. Zuo Rong had said that Chu Liuyue knew what poison Liao Zhongshu was affected by and that she even had a way to control the poison in his body temporarily. All of them were shocked and curious about it, so they followed Zuo Rong over. Actually, they had more suspicions in their hearts. After all, Chu Liuyue did not even cultivate at the heavenly doctor¡¯s side. Someone said that Chu Liuyue had limited abilities as a heavenly doctor when she entered the academy. So why does Zuo Rong make it sound like she¡¯s very capable? Chu Liuyue was well aware that they did not come to see her, but how she prepared those herbs. She did not expose them. She greeted the teachers and invited them in instead. ¡°Mr. Zuo Rong, you came at the right time. I was planning to return the Cosmic Bag to you after taking out the herbs,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she returned the Cosmic Bag to Zuo Rong. Zuo Rong happily accepted it. ¡°You act really fast. If you ever need more herbs, feel free to make a request.¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zuo Rong.¡± The duo¡¯s conversation surprised the other teachers. Zuo Rong usually treasures this Cosmic Bag very much and never even lends it to us for a while. Yet, he is very generous to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Is all of this the herbs you took from the Heavenly Pharmacy?¡± asked another teacher as he pointed towards the stacks of jade boxes. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Chu Liuyue calmly said, ¡°Mr. Xuan Cang, don¡¯t worry. I know that these herbs are very hard to find, so I¡¯ll use them wisely. I also won¡¯t waste a single bit.¡± Xuan Cang still looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Use them wisely? How are you going to handle all of those herbs alone? Aren¡¯t your words too much of an exaggeration?¡± Chu Liuyue did not explain herself. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Xuan Cang, you don¡¯t even know what poison Liao Zhongshu is affected by, yet you¡¯re talking so much here.¡± Zuo Rong¡¯s single statement made Xuan Cang swallow his remaining words. Xuan Cang grunted and said, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll see what you have to say.¡± The others immediately listened intently. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not too familiar with this type of poison and only coincidentally saw it before¡­¡± She obviously couldn¡¯t expose her true abilities. Hence, she briefly explained the poison using vague words. Zuo Rong and the other teachers wanted to ask her about the poison in detail, but they found out that Chu Liuyue seemed like she didn¡¯t have much understanding of it. Thus, they gave up on their ideas. Xuan Cang kept quiet for a while before knitting his brows and saying, ¡°According to what you say, you seem like you don¡¯t have confidence in this formula, right? Aren¡¯t you treating Liao Zhongshu¡¯s life as a joke then? What if something happens¡­¡± ¡°What else can happen? Others might not know, but don¡¯t you clearly know Liao Zhongshu¡¯s current situation? If his treatment is delayed for another day or two, he will die. What do you mean by ¡®treating his life as a joke¡¯?¡± interrupted Zuo Rong in frustration as he waved at Chu Liuyue. ¡°This fellow is very stubborn! Liuyue, just ignore him and do whatever you want.¡± Xuan Cang unhappily kept quiet. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. She originally wanted to make the medicine for Liao Zhongshu quietly, but she did not expect Zuo Rong to care about this matter so much. They clearly wanted to watch how she was going to make the medicine. Chu Liuyue quickly decided to ignore them and started to prepare the herbs one by one. ¡­ At the Imperial Study in the Royal Palace. Rong Xiu stood outside the door and quietly waited in his black cloak. His muscular and fit body looked just like a sturdy tree. Though he simply stood there, he made it seem like his surroundings had lost its color. Quite a few palace maids stared at him with eyes filled with envy from afar. ¡°Prince Li is really handsome! I think nobody in the Imperial City can hold a candle to his charismatic attitude.¡± ¡°Right? Once Prince Li showed up at the Crown Prince¡¯s banquet, many girls became attracted to him. It¡¯s a pity that Prince Li has a weak body and doesn¡¯t walk around the palace much. It¡¯s so hard for us to meet him even once!¡± ¡°I wonder which elegant lady will have the honor of marrying Prince Li¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that Prince Li is weak, and he doesn¡¯t hold much actual power. He¡¯s just a leisure prince in name, so it might not be that good either.¡± ¡°So what if that is the case? It¡¯ll be one¡¯s lifetime of blessings to be able to see that face every day. How can they expect so much? The Crown Prince used to be pretty authoritative, but now¡­¡± ¡°Sh! How dare you say that? Do you not want your life anymore?¡± Bang! The sound of something shattering came from the study. The palace maids in the dark were frightened, and they immediately dispersed like birds in the sky. Rong Xiu looked up slightly, but his deep eyes were not affected at all. A person staggered out of the study with a pale look. ¡°Your Majesty, calm down! Your Majesty, calm down! I¡¯ll take my leave!¡± This unkempt person was the Chu family¡¯s First Elder¡ªChu Xiao. He wiped away the cold sweat on his head, looking very weary. Originally, he came to meet the Emperor to speak in the Crown Prince¡¯s favor. However, he did not expect to anger the Emperor once he mentioned the Crown Prince; he was even directly kicked out of the palace. He then realized that the Crown Prince had thoroughly offended His Majesty. I¡¯m really stupid for coming here so suddenly! Chu Xiao heavily sighed. Too many things have happened lately, and even my brain is clouded now. Desperate times called for desperate measures. However, this made Chu Xiao¡¯s and the Crown Prince¡¯s situations even more perilous. Eunuch Min followed Chu Xiao out and glanced at him. ¡°Officer Chu Xiao, you shouldn¡¯t come to the palace for this period of time.¡± Chu Xiao was hesitant with his words but could only agree in the end. ¡°Thank you, Eunuch Min.¡± Eunuch Min despised Chu Xiao in his heart. Chu Xiao is old and foolish. Chu Ning is highly favored at this point, and he is very unhappy with the Chu family. However, Chu Xiao just had to choose to come to the palace and speak in the Crown Prince¡¯s favor at this time. This is akin to dragging the entire Chu family down. Eunuch Min was too lazy to care about Chu Xiao. Instead, he looked up at Rong Xiu, who was standing nearby. Eunuch Min immediately put on an enthusiastic smile on his face as he walked towards Rong Xiu. ¡°Prince Li, you¡¯re finally here! His Majesty keeps talking about you these days.¡± Rong Xiu leisurely smiled and lightly said, ¡°My body hasn¡¯t been feeling very well the past few days. But, I came to see Father once I felt better.¡± ¡°Hurry up and¡­¡± The Emperor was fuming at this moment. If it were anyone else, Eunuch Min would not dare to invite the person into the Imperial Study, but Prince Li was different. When Chu Xiao heard this, he could not help but look up and stare at Prince Li, who rarely showed his face. Rong Xiu calmly looked at Chu Xiao and nodded. Then, he extended his long legs and walked towards the Imperial Study. Chu Xiao could not help but follow him, yet he was quickly chased away by Eunuch Min. Once Rong Xiu entered the Imperial Study, he saw the shattered cup pieces all over the floor. Emperor Jiawen looked furious. Rong Xiu smiled slightly and asked, ¡°Father, what made you so angry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worth mentioning!¡± When Emperor Jiawen saw Rong Xiu, his facial expression warmed up. ¡°Are you feeling better these days?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Father. I¡¯ve been feeling much better, and I can walk around outside now.¡± Emperor Jiawen heaved a sigh of relief but still knitted his brows. ¡°This can¡¯t continue¡­ When I have the chance, I¡¯ll definitely find a capable heavenly doctor to check on you.¡± Rong Xiu laughed, looking nonchalant as he said, ¡°My body has always been like this, and I¡¯m already used to it. Father, you don¡¯t have to worry about me too much.¡± ¡°How can I not worry? You¡¯re my¡­ You lost your mother at a young age, and you have lived in Mingyue Tianshan¡ªwhich is far away from the Imperial City¡ªsince you were a small kid. It¡¯s been so many years, and I really owe you a lot.¡± Rong Xiu looked down slightly. ¡°Father, you¡¯re being too hard on yourself. I understand your kind intentions.¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at Rong Xiu for quite some time before shaking his head and sighing. ¡°You have always been the most mature one, unlike that useless¡­ Forget it; you don¡¯t like these things, so I shall not talk to you about them. I asked you to come here to ask you something. You¡¯ve been back in the Imperial City for quite some time already; have you seen any girls that you like?¡± Rong Xiu was taken aback. ¡°Father, you¡¯re¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen burst into laughter. ¡°You¡¯re already a prince, yet you don¡¯t have anyone to serve you. Building a family and having a successful career naturally starts with having a family. After that, you can work hard on your career. I have already prepared the portraits of many suitable elegant women. Come and choose one of them, and we¡¯ll settle on a date for your marriage.¡± Chapter 169 - Willing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I did not expect Father to call me over because of this. Rong Xiu kept quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°Father, my other brothers haven¡¯t married yet, so it seems a little early for me to think about this¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen coldly grunted. ¡°All those brothers of yours cause trouble for me! It¡¯s not worth mentioning them. I haven¡¯t been able to take care of you properly all these years, so I have to arrange a suitable marriage for you.¡± Emperor Jiawen raised his chin. ¡°I know that you haven¡¯t been back for long, and you don¡¯t really go out of the house. Hence, you¡¯re unfamiliar with these women. The portraits are there, and you can go and choose from them. If you fancy anyone, you can just tell me about it.¡± Emperor Jiawen waved his hand and looked like he would immediately grant Rong Xiu the marriage, no matter which woman he picked. This arrangement caused Rong Xiu to be caught between laughter and tears. Without even looking at the portraits, he honestly said, ¡°Father, my body has been plagued with illnesses since I was young. Marrying someone will just be causing trouble for them. Let¡¯s talk about this matter another day.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Whoever can marry you is very blessed! Who will dare say that you¡¯re trouble? Just pick whoever you like!¡± When Emperor Jiawen heard what Rong Xiu said, his face darkened. Coming to think about it, Rong Xiu stayed beside the Emperor the shortest. Hence, logically speaking, both of them should not have a deep relationship. However, nobody knew that he doted on this child the most in his heart. ¡°The Si family¡¯s Fourth Missy has decent character and talent, but she¡¯s born from a concubine and doesn¡¯t really fit your status. However, if you like her, you can marry her as your second consort. The Lu family is a family of merchants, and the girls in their family all have some power. Hence, I don¡¯t like them. Even though the Yang family¡¯s Big Missy has average talent, her appearance and elegance are one of the best. You can consider her. Oh yeah, Zhenbei Duke¡¯s daughter..¡± Emperor Jiawen mentioned almost all the girls from outstanding families in the Imperial City. To an average person, all of these women were of distinguished status, and all of them were excellent. However, to Emperor Jiawen, all of the girls had their own flaws. This was not his fault. Just based on Rong Xiu¡¯s appearance alone, he would make most of the women lose their color. Rong Xiu was also the only other son that had a prince title. Once he got married, honor would come their way. Hence, it was understandable that Emperor Jiawen was picky. As for Rong Xiu¡¯s body¡­ It did not pose too much of a problem to Emperor Jiawen. Upon seeing Emperor Jiawen¡¯s excited expression, Rong Xiu¡¯s brows rose slightly. Then, he clenched his fists and placed them over his mouth as he coughed twice. Emperor Jiawen paused and looked at him in worry. ¡°Why did you start coughing again? Have you not recovered?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head, and his lips were slightly pale. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Father. You don¡¯t have to worry¡ªcough cough¡ª¡± Upon seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s current condition, Emperor Jiawen was no longer in the mood to continue with the previous topic. ¡°Forget it. Since you¡¯re reluctant, we¡¯ll stop talking about this for now. However, you must take this matter to heart. When you have the time, go out and walk around more and see if there¡¯s anyone you like. I can¡¯t make the decision for you, so you need to choose for yourself.¡± Rong Xiu slightly bent his body. ¡°Thank you, Father, for your kind understanding.¡± Emperor Jiawen shook his head and sighed. ¡°I wonder what kind of woman you like¡­¡± What kind of woman do I like? A beautiful face flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s mind. Even though she looks childish, she is very experienced. Her eyes are especially dazzling, just like the stars in the night sky. His gaze moved, and he quickly masked his emotions. ¡°I still have a request to make.¡± ¡°Oh? After you returned to the Imperial City, you¡¯ve been recuperating in your residence. This is the first time you¡¯ve made a request. How rare! Tell me about it.¡± Rong Xiu paused for a while before saying, ¡°I have been living outside for many years, and I didn¡¯t have the chance to pay my respects to my mother properly. This time, I would like to execute my duties as her son.¡± Emperor Jiawen was taken aback when he heard Rong Xiu talking about his mother. Then, he rested against his chair, sighed deeply, and closed his eyes. ¡°¡­ She has indeed left for many years¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen seemed to have aged a lot at that moment, and his tone was filled with unconcealable regret and nostalgia. ¡°It¡¯s good that you still think about your mother. However, you should know that¡­ your mother¡¯s tomb isn¡¯t in the palace.¡± Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°I know. I remember that Mother once stayed in Tian Lu Academy for a long time, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Back then¡­ she refused to stay in the palace, so she moved to Tian Lu Academy instead. Your mother had ties with Tian Lu Academy¡¯s director and was very capable. Hence, she was considered as half a teacher at the academy. She stayed there for two years and didn¡¯t even come back once until she passed on.¡± Emperor Jiawen spoke slowly as if he was narrating a story that had nothing to do with himself. But his helpless expression of nostalgia and trembling hands proved that his inner mind was not as peaceful. Even though so many years had passed, that person and those things were still clearly etched in his heart, and he could not remove them. Rong Xiu quietly looked at his father with a calm and composed gaze. It was as if he did not care about Emperor Jiawen¡¯s reminiscent look. However, he quickly hid his nonchalant expression. ¡°So, I was planning on going to Tian Lu Academy to take a look at the place Mother had stayed at before. May I know if I have the permission to do so?¡± Emperor Jiawen opened his eyes. The young man in front of him had unknowingly grown up. He stood there with his back straight, and the sunlight shone on his jade-like face, making him look fresh. Rong Xiu was very similar to his mother. That light, distant, and nonchalant aura especially made it look like both of them were made from the same mold. This was why Emperor Jiawen was especially patient and doting whenever he saw Rong Xiu¡¯s face. ¡°I won¡¯t disagree, but you need to ask the academy¡¯s director about this. Ordinary people can¡¯t enter Tian Lu Academy, but your mother had a different status. Perhaps the director will make an exception for you.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already written a letter to ask the director. He has agreed.¡± Emperor Jiawen was dazed and said, ¡°Then¡­ you can just go ahead!¡± Chapter 170 - Disguise Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tian Lu Academy. Chu Liuyue started preparing the ingredients while Zuo Rong and the other teachers watched her. First, she took out a white palm-sized shell and started grinding it with the pestle. After some time, small white powder started to trickle down. The shell was very thick and very troublesome to grind. Even after grinding for 15 minutes, Chu Liuyue still had more than half of the shell left to grind. Xuan Cang kept tolerating and enduring it. However, when he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s clumsy actions, he finally said, ¡°Chu Liuyue, do you know what you¡¯re doing? You¡¯re not supposed to handle the White Xiang Bei like this!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her head in shock. ¡°Really? However, the books said that White Xiang Bei has to be ground to powder to maximize its effects.¡± Xuan Cang rubbed his glabella since he had a headache. ¡°That¡¯s true, but how long are you going to take to grind this White Xiang Bei completely and thoroughly at your current pace? Besides, this is only the first piece! There¡¯s still another one in the box. Have you thought about how much time you¡¯re going to waste?¡± Chu Liuyue seemed embarrassed as she humbly asked, ¡°Then¡­ what do you think I should do?¡± Xuan Cang shook his head in disappointment and said to Zuo Rong, ¡°Look at how clumsy she is! How does she look smart at all? She can¡¯t even handle White Xiang Bei, let alone the other herbs that come after it! I think there¡¯s no need for us to continue watching. I think there¡¯s an 80% chance that her formula won¡¯t even work! I¡¯ll think of a way to handle Liao Zhongshu¡¯s injury myself!¡± Xuan Cang then stood up and left, disregarding Zuo Rong¡¯s intervention. The remaining few teachers looked at each other awkwardly. ¡°Zuo Rong, um¡­ Xuan Cang¡¯s words make sense. Chu Liuyue herself said that she did not come up with the formula herself and that she accidentally got it from someone else. Besides, she can¡¯t even remember the formula properly, so most of it is unclear. Nobody knows if this formula is effective!¡± ¡°I heard that she passed the heavenly doctor examination rather forcefully when she entered the academy, so I think she doesn¡¯t have much talent. Zuo Rong, I think you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± ¡°I had better go back and think of a plan with Xuan Cang. Everyone, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°Wait for me! I still have something to do¡ª¡± Xuan Cang¡¯s departure directly took away two teachers, leaving Zuo Rong and one other teacher. The atmosphere was a little awkward. Chu Liuyue apologetically asked, ¡°Mr. Zuo Rong, did I do something wrong?¡± Zuo Rong coughed. ¡°Nothing much; they just have their own things to do. Ignore them and focus on refining your medicine!¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to say something, but she stopped herself and continued to grind the White Xiang Bei. After a long time, she finally ground the first shell to powder. She wiped her sweat and took out the second White Xiang Bei to grind. Finally, the other teacher could not watch on and left after apologizing to Zuo Rong. Zuo Rong looked at Chu Liuyue in confusion. Did I think wrongly of her? Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent doesn¡¯t seem to be as outstanding as I expected. However, if that really is the case¡­ how did she directly solve the problem that Cui Yao and Mo Liang set for her? Zuo Rong stared straight at Chu Liuyue, and a thought flashed across his mind after he pondered for some time. Could it be that Chu Liuyue is deliberately hiding her capabilities? Why is that so? Many people dream of having heavenly doctor talent. People with such potential always show off their skills desperately, yet Chu Liuyue¡­ This is really weird. Zuo Rong thought for a while, but he didn¡¯t want to expose Chu Liuyue purposely. Hence, he found a reason to leave. The room was finally empty apart from Chu Liuyue¡ªwho lightly exhaled. Chu Liuyue did not want those people to infer anything, so she purposely acted as if she was not good at it. It did not matter if they disliked her; the most important thing was for the medicine to be ready. Zuo Rong seemed to notice something, but he did not pursue the matter. After closing the doors and windows, Chu Liuyue looked at the pile of herbs again. I don¡¯t have much time left now¡­ ¡­ After asking people in the academy and confirming that Gu Mingfeng did not come to school for the past two days, Cen Hu purposely asked the teacher for leave and went out to find Gu Mingfeng himself. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to find Gu Mingfeng in such a short time just by himself. However, Cen Hu luckily had a bunch of brothers in the Imperial City. Hence, he immediately gained many helping hands once he spoke up. He finally found Gu Mingfeng in an old yard in the evening after running around for more than half a day. However, Cen Hu was greatly shocked when he saw Gu Mingfeng. Gu Mingfeng¡¯s face and body were filled with injuries! ¡°What happened? Who beat you up?¡± Cen Hu¡¯s anger started to rise. ¡°We¡¯ll take revenge for you!¡± Gu Mingfeng avoided him as if he did not want anyone else to see his unkempt appearance. However, when he Heard Cen Hu say that, Gu Mingfeng froze for a while before finally showing his injuries openly. Gu Mingfeng¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Thank you, but you¡¯re not his match. Forget it.¡± Cen Hu widened his eyes. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®forget it¡¯? Even if he¡¯s not my match, there is still Liuyue and Hongyu! They told me to find you, and they definitely will not let this matter slide if they see you in this state!¡± Gu Mingfeng¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°¡­ They told you to come?¡± ¡°Yeah! You know that Liuyue has come back safely, right? We originally wanted to celebrate at Phoenix Restaurant today, but both you and Zhongshu can¡¯t make it. Liuyue and Hongyu went to take care of Zhongshu, and they asked me to look for you as they did so. Something seemed to be stuck in Gu Mingfeng¡¯s throat, and he took a long while to find his voice again. ¡°It was the Gu family¡¯s members.¡± Cen Hu suddenly raised his voice and asked, ¡°The Gu family? Why did they do this to you? Aren¡¯t you already¡ª¡± Gu Mingfeng did not say a word. It was precisely because he was chased out of the Gu family that quite a few people came to cause trouble for him. Many people in the Gu family disliked him in recent years. If they could make Gu Mingfeng suffer, they could even get into Gu Yunfei¡¯s good books. Hence, who would not cause trouble for him? Gu Mingfeng wanted to return to the academy after his injuries had healed, but he did not expect Cen Hu to look for him directly. Cen Hu patted Gu Mingfeng¡¯s shoulders and seriously said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve been through life and death together, and we definitely will not ignore you. Let¡¯s go back first. Liuyue and Hongyu are still waiting for us!¡± Gu Mingfeng could not explain what he felt. After much hesitation, he finally nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Chapter 171 - Intentional Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Zuo Rong and the others left, Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions became much faster. She extended her hand, and a red fire suddenly appeared on her white palm after some concentration. The small fire energetically jumped around like an elf. Even though it was weak, it was filled with energy. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. This was the first time she summoned her force after officially becoming a stage-one warrior. If it were an average stage-one warrior, it would be impossible for them to circulate their force outside their body. One could only do this when they became a stage-four warrior. However, heavenly doctors were different. Heavenly doctors used their force to refine medicine. Since Chu Liuyue was only a stage-one warrior now, she could only summon this small ball of force. Even though it was clearly insufficient for medicine refining, it was much better than the time she used a huge pot to make medicine. Chu Liuyue found a square cauldron to refine her medicine. She then kept her hand hovered over the cauldron and injected the ball of fire inside. Second Master Yan gave her this square cauldron to refine medicine back then; Chu Liuyue spotted it when she was checking the gifts. She then brought it to the academy because she lacked such a cauldron. Hua! When the small fire landed in the square cauldron, it suddenly burned brightly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. This square cauldron is great! Previously, Chu Liuyue already felt that this square cauldron was made of good materials. However, she did not expect it to give such surprising results. By using this square cauldron to refine medicine, Chu Liuyue could save a bit of energy. With this convenient item, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to put the herbs into the cauldron in order. When the second White Xiang Bei landed in the cauldron, the red fire immediately turned it over. In the blink of an eye, the White Xiang Bei became white powder. Chu Liuyue was in a rare trance. When heavenly doctors use their force to refine medicine, the speed can¡¯t be compared to an average person. However, this¡­ is way too fast. Does my force have such a strong effect on the herbs? Chu Liuyue suddenly noticed something and tightly pressed her lips against each other as she added in the second herb. It was a hundred-year-old castle ginseng, and it was as long as one¡¯s forearm. The numerous roots tightly intertwined with each other. The ginseng was hard and cool to the touch. The most useful portion of the castle ginseng was the sudo in the middle. However, to maximize the ginseng¡¯s effectiveness, one had to use a lot of effort to juice the sudo. Chu Liuyue carefully controlled the fire, and the flame¡¯s tip lightly licked the castle ginseng. The surrounding sudo rapidly withered, leaving a drop of orange herb juice in the square cauldron. Chu Liuyue dazedly looked at it and could not believe it for a short period of time. This¡­ this medicine refining speed can be compared to a third-grade heavenly doctor! The stronger a heavenly doctor¡¯s abilities, the faster the medicine refining process. Chu Liuyue had originally prepared for a long battle, but she did not expect her refining speed to be so high. The most important thing was that the herb juice produced was clear and clean, extremely pure. This had saved her a lot of effort, and the medicine would be even more effective. Even after looking at it for quite a while, Chu Liuyue was still in disbelief. In her previous life, she had the rare Tianjing Yuan meridian. She also had advantages in warrior, Xuan Master, and heavenly doctor cultivation. The force that the Tianjing Yuan meridian produced and the standard of the medicine were definitely not things an average person could compare to. However, she clearly only had a Dijing Yuan meridian. However, it seemed no different from her original Tianjing Yuan meridian. There must be a problem here. Chu Liuyue had seen heavenly doctors with a Dijing Yuan meridian. Even if they cultivated for many years, their force was naturally limited. They also could never catch up to people with the Tianjing Yuan meridian. However¡­ Chu Liuyue wanted to check again if she really had a Dijing Yuan meridian. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath to calm herself down. I definitely wouldn¡¯t remember this matter wrongly. After rebuilding my Yuan meridian, I definitely had a Dijing Yuan meridian. However¡­ the force that this Yuan meridian produces is comparable to that of my previous life¡¯s Tianjing Yuan meridian. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started beating wildly. Perhaps¡­ this Yuan meridian of mine will become my greatest support. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and suppressed her overwhelming emotions. When she opened her eyes once again, the shock and suspicion in her eyes had disappeared; they were replaced by her usual calmness. However, nobody knew what kind of troubles the secret movements behind this calmness would bring. Chu Liuyue started to add herbs to the cauldron in an orderly fashion. Time trickled by, and darkness filled the sky. All the herbs that were originally piled up like a hill in Chu Liuyue¡¯s room had already been processed by her. The fire burned on brightly in the square cauldron as the various herbs combined to form an emerald substance that quietly floated. A strong medicinal fragrance permeated the air. ¡­ ¡°Liuyue, I¡¯m back!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s voice sounded from outside. Chu Liuyue injected another ball of fire into the square cauldron before heading out. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re really accurate with your guesses! That Ji Yurong is actually¡ªhmm? What¡¯s that fragrant smell?¡± Excitement filled Mu Hongyu¡¯s face, but her attention was attracted by the herbal fragrance before she could even finish her sentence. She looked up and widened her eyes in shock when she saw the blazing fire in the square cauldron¡ªwhich stood in the middle of the room. ¡°My god! Liuyue, you¡¯re actually refining medicine?¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears as she pulled Mu Hongyu into the house and locked the door. She then said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I would be heading to Heavenly Pharmacy?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say that you can refine medicine!¡± Mu Hongyu walked over, utterly surprised. ¡°Such a strong fire¡­ Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re only a stage-one warrior? Why do you have enough force to refine medicine?¡± Even though Mu Hongyu was not a heavenly doctor, she knew that heavenly doctors had to turn their force into fire when refining medicine. Mu Hongyu knew that she did not have this ability, so she did not become a heavenly doctor. However¡­ How can Chu Liuyue produce fire as a stage-one warrior? When Chu Liuyue saw Mu Hongyu¡¯s look, she was secretly thankful that Mu Hongyu came back a little late and did not see the pile of herbs in her room. If not, Mu Hongyu would probably tear the roof off. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you discovered something? What¡¯s up with Ji Yurong?¡± Chu Liuyue silently changed the topic. Mu Hongyu then recovered her senses and hurriedly said, ¡°Oh right! Let me tell you that Ji Yurong indeed has a problem! I planned to follow him today and find out what he¡¯s up to. However, he is very careful and has been cultivating for the entire day. He looked perfectly normal. Thus, I talked to the people closest to him to find out more, and guess what? He likes Chu Xianmin!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows when she heard the name. ¡°Even though he has never told anyone about this, I heard that he was completely drunk on the day that Chu Xianmin married the Crown Prince. This Ji Yurong has always been an honest and introverted person. He has always closely abided by the rules, so why would he do such a thing on that day?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the medicine in the square cauldron and asked, ¡°Are both of them on good terms?¡± ¡°This¡­ I found this a little weird. The two of them don¡¯t seem to interact at all. You also know that I never liked Chu Xianmin, but I never heard Ji Yurong say anything in her favor. If it weren¡¯t because I heard that he was drunk, I wouldn¡¯t have known that he liked Chu Xianmin!¡± Chapter 172 - Rumors Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Previously, Chu Xianmin was very beautiful; she also came from an established family and was talented. She was once the most famous distinguished woman in the entire Imperial City. There was no surprise in Ji Yurong liking her. However, they needed to continue investigating to see if Chu Xianmin was involved in this incident. ¡°Let¡¯s not act rashly. Investigate Chu Xianmin secretly first.¡± Mu Hongyu flung herself onto a nearby chair and propped up her chin with a hand. ¡°Sigh, this is a little hard. You also know that Chu Xianmin isn¡¯t staying in the academy. After she married the Crown Prince, she has gone back to Crown Prince Mansion every day. Due to this, it¡¯ll take a lot of effort to investigate her part in this incident.¡± Crown Prince Mansion was heavily guarded, and they could not barge in, even if they had the best abilities in the world. Chu Liuyue thought for a while before saying, ¡°We¡¯re not in a rush. Many people know that I went to Heavenly Pharmacy today. Plenty of people will also be talking about me since Zuo Rong and the other teachers visited me in the afternoon. The person who poisoned Zhongshu is definitely observing the happenings in the school closely. Hence, they will know about this.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Mu Hongyu clapped her hands and excitedly said, ¡°I already heard a lot of people talking about you when I came back today. They even talked about Mr. Zuo Rong or something like that. It turns out you did it on purpose! Are you planning to lure the enemy out?¡± A dark light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°The enemy is in the dark, and we¡¯re in the light. Therefore, it is already a bit hard for us to do anything. Since it¡¯s so, we should just go on the offensive. When the other party knows about this, they will have to do something about it. Once they take action, we can then find out who they are.¡± Mu Hongyu sized Chu Liuyue up in shock. ¡°Pft! Liuyue, no wonder you can teach the Chu family a lesson! You¡¯re so tricky, just like a wise, old man. Whoever goes against you is surely unlucky!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. Tricky like a wise, old man¡­ Mu Hongyu, do you even know how to speak properly? ¡°If others don¡¯t offend me, I won¡¯t offend them.¡± I won¡¯t take the initiative to offend anyone, but don¡¯t blame me for being merciless if anyone wants to bully me. Mu Hongyu rapidly nodded in agreement. Then, she pouted. ¡°Hmph! Let me tell you that this Chu Xianmin is such a tough nut to crack! Even though you taught her a lesson previously, she started committing evil acts after such a short while.¡± ¡°Did you know? When everyone thought you were¡­ Um, when they thought something happened to you, Chu Xianmin ran to the teachers at the first instance. She then said that she wanted to replace you as the warrior assessment¡¯s top scholar to meet the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy!¡± Mu Hongyu was previously too immersed in her pain and sorrow, so she did not know what happened in the academy. She only found out about this after asking around today. However, not only was Chu Liuyue not angry when she heard this, but she even laughed instead. Mu Hongyu asked in disbelief, ¡°Are you not angry?¡± ¡°Her character has always been like this. I¡¯d find it weird if she didn¡¯t do such things.¡± Chu Xianmin was currently in a very difficult position. Hence, she naturally wanted to find ways to be in the spotlight once again. If this road did not work, she would still try another. Mu Hongyu suddenly thought of something and clasped her hands while looking at Chu Liuyue. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ Liuyue, can you do me a favor when you meet the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s face had a tinge of sadness. ¡°My father sent me a letter a few days ago, which talked about how my mother isn¡¯t doing well again. He heard that the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy was going to come, so he wanted me to ask them if they had a way to cure my mother¡­ But how will I have the chance to do so now? So, can you please¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue paused in her actions. ¡°It seems like you really look up to the Tianling Dynasty. The other party is just an envoy, yet you¡¯re pinning all your hopes on them. Isn¡¯t this a bit too unreliable?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Liuyue, the envoy is from the Tianling Dynasty! A rumored existence! If even they can¡¯t do anything about it, we definitely can¡¯t! Sigh, do you know about the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s previous Heavenly Princess?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a little awkward. When Mu Hongyu saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, she thought that Chu Liuyue had not heard of the princess before. Therefore, she kindly explained, ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s normal if you don¡¯t know about her. Tianling Dynasty has always been very mysterious, and I only heard about her from my father. Rumors have it that their Heavenly Princess has a Tianjing Yuan meridian and that she was born to be an outstanding genius!¡± ¡°Also, she was already a fifth-grade heavenly doctor when she was ten! You also know that our Country Yao Chen barely has any heavenly doctors these few years. Those that are fifth-grade heavenly doctors are even rarer. Just think about how incredible she is!¡± Chu Liuyue coughed and touched her nose. ¡°Sigh, we can¡¯t envy those people, and there¡¯s no need to anyway. Everything was good about that Heavenly Princess, but in the end, she went crazy from cultivating too much. She eventually died, and I think she wasn¡¯t even 20 then¡­¡± Mu Hongyu looked emotional. However, Chu Liuyue was stunned. Went¡­ crazy? She tried to suppress the emotions in her heart and asked, ¡°For a genius like her, her cultivation road should be very smooth. Why did she go crazy from cultivating?¡± Mu Hongyu spread her hands. ¡°Who knows? That¡¯s what the rumors say anyway. If not, why did she die so suddenly? I heard that her fianc¨¦ was devastated¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started beating rapidly. Her mind was blank, and her body was stiff as she asked, ¡°He¡­ Is that what the rumors say?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t know anything else. Who will know about things that happen thousands of miles away for certain? Hm? Liuyue, you don¡¯t seem very well. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and shook her head. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just a little tired from refining the medicine.¡± Mu Hongyu was slightly worried. ¡°Can you continue? Let me stay here to accompany you.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You should go back and rest today. You still need to investigate Ji Yurong tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay then¡­¡± Mu Hongyu was also exhausted from all the running around today. Thus, she stood up to leave after hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. After Mu Hongyu¡¯s figure disappeared outside the door, Chu Liuyue finally relaxed her hand. As she used too much force, her palm was stained with blood. She almost could not control the anger burning in her heart! I died from crazily cultivating? He¡¯s devastated about my death? These people can really fabricate anything! I must make them pay this debt back a hundred-fold! Chapter 173 - Just Like That Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At night in Prince Li Mansion¡¯s study Rong Xiu stood in front of the bookshelf with his hands behind his back, and he was carefully picking a book. ¡°Move the top two rows over and the few series that I usually read to the bottom few rows.¡± As he carefully packed the books, Yu Mo answered, ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Qing looked at his Master hesitantly. ¡°Master, are you really going to stay at Tian Lu Academy?¡± Rong Xiu glanced at him. ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s just that¡­ There are many people at Tian Lu Academy, and I¡¯m afraid many things won¡¯t be as convenient as before.¡± Yan Qing did not expect his master to decide to go to Tian Lu Academy after making a trip to the palace. Yan Qing was overwhelmed. Yu Mo silently glanced at him. Are you stupid? Other people might not know why Master is going to Tian Lu Academy, but don¡¯t you know it clearly? Yan Qing had a severe headache. Ever since Master came home from Wan Ling Mountain badly injured and quietly sat in the study for an entire night, I knew Master would make a move. However, I did not expect Master to take such drastic measures. Yu Mo shook his head. How can we stop Master from doing what he wants? Yan Qing heavily sighed. ¡°Say whatever you want,¡± said Rong Xiu suddenly. Yan Qing knew he could not hide his thoughts from his master, so he decisively said, ¡°Master, if you¡¯re worried about Ms. Liuyue, you can just send more people to protect her in secret. Why must you head there personally? It is currently a very risky period since the Crown Prince is under house arrest, and the Third Prince is stuck in the Imperial City¡ªunable to return to the Northwest Army. It¡¯s very risky for you to make such a big move so suddenly!¡± Rong Xiu quietly stared at Yan Qing. ¡°Anything else?¡± Yan Qing paused for a while before shaking his head. He was mainly worried about his master¡¯s safety. Even though he knew that his master was very formidable, it was not Rong Xiu¡¯s style to put himself in such a perilous situation. ¡°Since you¡¯re done talking, help Yu Mo pack my things.¡± ¡°Master¡ª¡± Yan Qing wanted to continue, but he knew that there was no use in saying any more when he saw Rong Xiu¡¯s expression. Hence, Yan Qing could only obey. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu knocked on the table. ¡°Did she go to Heavenly Pharmacy today? Why didn¡¯t Yan Ge do anything?¡± Yu Mo hurriedly said, ¡°Master, Yan Ge said that he didn¡¯t receive any news from Ms. Liuyue. It seems like Ms. Liuyue specifically went to Heavenly Pharmacy.¡± Rong Xiu lightly replied with an ¡°mm¡± before asking, ¡°Do you know what she wants to do with all those herbs?¡± Yu Mo and Yan Qing looked at each other. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not too sure.¡± Rong Xiu slightly raised his brows. Numerous valuable herbs were part of the gifts Zhen Bao Pavilion gave her. It was impossible that Chu Liuyue did not know that going to Zhen Bao Pavilion would be more convenient for her if she wanted anything. However, she went to Heavenly Pharmacy. This was definitely on purpose. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know?¡± Yu Mo coughed and secretly thought to himself, As expected, I can¡¯t hide it from Master, but¡­ He clenched his teeth and bravely said, ¡°I heard that Ms. Liuyue went to Heavenly Pharmacy to take herbs to help a classmate with their injury.¡± Rong Xiu leaned against the chair with his ten fingers intertwined. His posture looked lazy, but it gave off an indescribable suppression. ¡°Hm? What kind of classmate?¡± Yu Mo closed his eyes as if he viewed death as going home. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ Liao Zhongshu!¡± The entire room fell into dead silence when Yu Mo finished speaking. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips strangely curved up. ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s a male classmate¡­¡± ¡­ The next morning, Chu Liuyue finally finished refining the bowl of medicine. She planned to deliver it to Liao Zhongshu after placing the medicine in a sealed jade box. Once she walked to the door, she saw Mu Hongyu running over with an excited face. ¡°Liuyue, Liuyue! Big news!¡± Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°What kind of news can make you so agitated? Did you find any evidence?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°Not really, but it isn¡¯t that easy!¡± However, she quickly cheered up once again, and her eyes shone brightly. ¡°Did you know? Prince Li came to Tian Lu Academy today!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why is he here? Did he enroll in the academy too?¡± Mu Hongyu did not notice that Chu Liuyue sounded very familiar with him, when Chu Liuyue talked about Prince Li. Mu Hongyu had even thought that Chu Liuyue was confused. Hence, she giggled. ¡°How is that possible? Prince Li has always been weak and sickly, so how can he enter our academy? I heard he came here to pay respects to his mother. Back then, Consort Wan was a teacher here at Tian Lu Academy for a period of time. She was not buried in the imperial mausoleum afterward, so Prince Li came here.¡± Chu Liuyue found it a little weird. ¡°Is that¡­ appropriate?¡± ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about this? Both the academy¡¯s director and the Emperor agreed to this, so Prince Li can obviously come. Did you know? Back then, Consort Wan was the only consort His Majesty doted on in the entire palace! Now that Prince Li wants to pay his respects to her, the Emperor will definitely agree!¡± ¡°Besides, the academy¡¯s director also seems to have some relations with Consort Wan back then! Elder Sun is already bringing Prince Li into the academy. If it isn¡¯t because everyone didn¡¯t dare to join in the commotion of watching Prince Li, I¡¯d be there right now!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows slightly moved. ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there not to see? Rumors have it that this prince has an outstanding appearance. Many women pray for him to look at them. Hm? Liuyue, I remember that you and Prince Li both went to the Crown Prince¡¯s banquet previously, so you should¡¯ve seen him, right? Quickly, tell me if he¡¯s as handsome as jade and extremely unique, just like what the rumors claim.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly had the urge to slap her own forehead. However, a person¡¯s demonic appearance appeared in her mind. She coughed. ¡°¡­ He¡¯s just like that.¡± Mu Hongyu was unsatisfied with this answer and continued questioning Chu Liuyue. ¡°I heard that Prince Li stood up for you when the Fourth Princess put you in a difficult spot. Were you¡­ not touched at all?¡± Chu Liuyue immediately said, ¡°How can that be possible? He¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar tall figure entered her view. Her words suddenly got stuck in her throat. Mu Hongyu weirdly asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real.¡± A low and cold voice suddenly sounded from behind in a gentle yet lazy tone as if the wind blew across the surface of a lake. ¡°After all, I¡¯m ¡®just like that¡¯ in Ms. Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Am I right, Ms. Liuyue?¡± Chapter 174 - Are You Two Close? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The man in front of the duo wore a white robe and looked pure and clean. His appearance and five features looked as if they had been carefully carved by the heavens. His eyes, which were as quiet as the night sky, were especially attractive. They were clean and pure yet mysterious. His thin lips curved up slightly, and his originally handsome and calm appearance looked slightly coy. The man¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue, and his lips curved up into a distracted smile. Mu Hongyu was dazed for quite a while. When she finally recovered her senses, she widened her eyes. ¡°Prince Li?¡± Rong Xiu slightly nodded. ¡°Princess Yong Ping.¡± Ever since Mu Hongyu came to the Imperial City and entered Tian Lu Academy, she had always been low-key and rarely talked about her identity. She had not heard ¡®Princess Yong Ping¡¯ in a long while. When she heard Rong Xiu say her title, she could not help but become dazed again. ¡°You know me?¡± Rong Xiu lighty smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Ms. Liuyue talk about you before. Now that we¡¯ve met, Princess, you¡¯re indeed straightforward and generous as described. You really do take after Prince Ping Jiang.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s praises immediately put Mu Hongyu in a good mood. She admired her father the most, and she was even happier to hear other people compliment him than when they complimented her. She curiously asked, ¡°Prince Li, have you seen my father?¡± ¡°Even though I haven¡¯t met him before, I¡¯ve long heard of his name.¡± Mu Hongyu thought for a while and agreed. Prince Li had a frail body since he was young and was sent to Mingyue Tianshan to recuperate. He didn¡¯t even return to the Imperial City much, let alone go to a faraway place to see her father. However, he still had good taste! Mu Hongyu happily pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeves and softly said, ¡°Liuyue, your expectations are too high. I think Prince Li is not bad!¡± Chu Liuyue speechlessly looked at her. I really don¡¯t know when Mu Hongyu¡¯s brainless nature will change. She was bribed with just one compliment. Perhaps she will be sold by someone in the future, and she might even help the person count the money! ¡°Hey, he said that you talked about me in front of him. Are you very close to him?¡± Mu Hongyu suddenly thought of something and looked at Chu Liuyue with a weird gaze. ¡°You were still saying¡ª¡± ¡°His Highness has helped me a few times before, and he casually asked me a few questions about the academy when I went to thank him, so I talked about you,¡± said Chu Liuyue without a stir in emotions. Who doesn¡¯t know how to lie? Since he purposely exposed me, don¡¯t blame me for doing so! Mu Hongyu understood what she said. ¡°No wonder¡­ I think he probably wanted to come to the academy then, so he asked you about this, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids slightly twitched. Rong Xiu silently looked at the jade box in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re busy. I won¡¯t disturb you further.¡± Chu Liuyue bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Goodbye, Your Highness.¡± Rong Xiu silently looked at her before turning around to leave with Elder Sun. Mu Hongyu could not help but rub her arms. ¡°Liuyue, why do I suddenly feel cold?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go! If we¡¯re too slow, this medicine will cool down.¡± ¡­ The two of them quickly reached Liao Zhongshu¡¯s lodgings. Mu Hongyu went up and was about to knock on the door when it suddenly opened. Ji Yurong was standing inside. He still had his usual gentle and harmless smile adorned. ¡°Zhongshu said that you¡¯d come today, so I¡¯ve been waiting for you here. Quickly, come in!¡± Chu Liuyue sized him up. Compared to the previous day, he looked much more natural, as if nothing was wrong. However, this precisely proved that he had a problem. When Mu Hongyu secretly investigated him yesterday, she did not completely block out the news. Hence, Ji Yurong would find out about it if he asked around. However, he did not seem any different today, which clearly indicated that he was hiding something. In a seemingly smiling manner, Mu Hongyu said, ¡°Oh, how embarrassing! You must have been tired from taking care of him for the past few days, right? We¡¯re just here to see him, so you can carry on with your own tasks.¡± Ji Yurong¡¯s facial expression was slightly stiff, but he quickly recovered from it. ¡°We¡¯re all friends, and we live together. This is something I should do. Then¡­ you guys can go up first. I¡¯ll make some tea for you later. I couldn¡¯t entertain you properly when you came here yesterday.¡± ¡°Are you very free today?¡± Mu Hongyu crossed her arms. ¡°I remember that you have a class today.¡± Anxiety flashed across Ji Yurong¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah? Oh, I took leave today. I finished using my cultivation time at Jiuyou Tower, so I was planning to do some assignments today.¡± Mu Hongyu did not doubt him. ¡°This is pretty urgent, so we shan¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± She was clearly asking him to leave. Ji Yurong was slightly hesitant. ¡°A-actually, it isn¡¯t that urgent¡­ I¡¯m afraid Zhongshu will¡­¡± ¡°The two of us are here. Are you worried that we can¡¯t look after him?¡± ¡°No, no! T-then, I¡¯ll take my leave. You guys can go ahead.¡± Ji Yurong knew that he would make matters worse if he continued talking, so he could only leave indignantly. When his figure disappeared, Mu Hongyu then pouted. ¡°Can¡¯t he think of another way to watch us in secret?¡± Chu Liuyue did not say anything and went up the stairs. ¡­ Liao Zhongshu looked even worse than the day before, and he was even more lethargic. Mu Hongyu was stunned. ¡°Did he poison you again?¡± Liao Zhongshu shook his head with much difficulty. ¡°After you told me about him yesterday, I didn¡¯t touch any of the things he gave me.¡± Chu Liuyue checked his bowl and saw that it was still clean. ¡°The Red Blood Gu¡¯s poison is very strong. Even if he doesn¡¯t poison you again, the toxins will just get worse. In the later stages, you¡¯ll just collapse like a mountain,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she took out the bowl of medicine from the box. An intense herbal fragrance permeated through the air. Mu Hongyu took a deep breath in and instantly felt comfortable. Chu Liuyue passed the medicine to Liao Zhongshu. ¡°This medicine can only stop the poison temporarily. I¡¯ll think of another way to get the antidote.¡± Liao Zhongshu did not say anything else and finished the medicine in one go. ¡°You trust us quite a lot,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Liao Zhongshu¡¯s pale face revealed a helpless yet genuine smile. ¡°In my current state, who else can I believe if not you?¡± They had once been through life and death together. Besides, this was the only path he could choose now. ¡°Rest well first. Hongyu and I will continue investigating.¡± Liao Zhongshu nodded. ¡°Sorry for the trouble. I really don¡¯t know how to repay this favor¡­¡± ¡°Liuyue! Hongyu! We¡¯re back!¡± Before Liao Zhongshu could finish his sentence, Cen Hu¡¯s voice sounded from downstairs. Chu Liuyue let Liao Zhongshu rest on his own, and she walked out with Mu Hongyu. When they reached the first floor, they saw that Cen Hu and Gu Mingfeng had come back. Gu Mingfeng¡¯s face was injured, and it seemed like he had been through a lot these past two days. Mu Hongyu was shocked, and she hurriedly walked forward. ¡°Mingfeng, what happened to you?¡± Gu Mingfeng looked down slightly. ¡°Just some minor injuries.¡± ¡°How are these minor injuries?¡± Gu Mingfeng clearly looked like he was brutally beaten up. However, Gu Mingfeng did not say anything else, and it was clear that he did not want to talk about it. Originally, he did not want to see Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu with his injured face, but Cen Hu forcefully dragged him over. Chu Liuyue glanced at him and retracted her gaze. She asked in understanding, ¡°The Gu family¡¯s members did it?¡± Chapter 175 - On Purpose Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Gu Mingfeng did not say anything, but his silence meant an affirmative. ¡°How can the Gu family be so harsh on you?¡± Mu Hongyu was shocked. No matter what, Gu Mingfeng still was part of the Gu family¡¯s bloodline! How could they do such a thing? Even though she knew that Gu Mingfeng was never liked in the Gu family and was treated very differently from Gu Mingzhu, they had gone overboard by treating him in this manner after he was chased out of the family. She really did not understand why Gu Yunfei hated Gu Mingfeng this much, even though both of them were his biological children. Gu Mingfeng calmly said, ¡°They just don¡¯t like me. I¡¯m already used to it.¡± Chu Liuyue stared at him for quite a while. After making sure that there was no sadness in his eyes, she could not help but laugh. ¡°Leaving is better than staying in such a family. It¡¯s a good thing you could stop the damage in time! When Liao Zhongshu gets better, we can all go to Phoenix Restaurant to celebrate.¡± Gu Mingfeng did not expect Chu Liuyue to be so straightforward, but he saw that her eyes were genuine. That¡¯s true; she left her family earlier than me. Even though Chu Liuyue willingly severed ties with them while I was forced out of the family, the outcome is still similar. The stone in Gu Mingfeng¡¯s heart was finally put down, and he felt a lot more relaxed for some reason. He exhaled. ¡°Mm.¡± Cen Hu asked, ¡°Oh yeah, what did you say about Zhongshu earlier?¡± He had been outside for an entire day and night, so he did not know what happened in the academy. Chu Liuyue silently surveyed the surroundings. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it clearly in a sentence or two, so I¡¯ll tell you in detail when we have the time later on. Cen Hu, you and Gu Mingfeng should go back and rest first. If there¡¯s any news, Hongyu and I will tell you immediately.¡± Cen Hu did not suspect anything else and readily agreed. Gu Mingfeng knitted his brows, but he did not say anything. ¡­ ¡°Look, that¡¯s the place your mother lived in back then.¡± Elder Sun walked alongside Rong Xiu and introduced the academy to him. Rong Xiu followed his gaze and looked over. There was a small stream that shone brightly under the light, and a quiet house below the mountain stood near the end of the stream. ¡°The Xuan Master students lived at the side of her lodging. She loved the serenity, and the students respected her very much. Hence, they rarely disturbed her, even though they lived nearby,¡± said Elder Sun as he recalled the gentle and magnanimous woman. ¡°Oh, yes. You should know that your mother was a Xuan Master and that she taught here before, right?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°I heard Father mention it before.¡± Elder Sun shook his head and sighed. ¡°Your mother was very talented as a Xuan Master. If she had a few more years, it was highly possible she could become an outstanding Xuan Master. But¡­¡± Her life was unfortunately short, and she passed on after staying here for two years. Even Rong Xiu¡ªwho had been sent to Mingyue Tianshan shortly after he was born¡ªhad not seen her more than a few times. While they talked, the two of them arrived in front of the yard. A peach wood plaque was hung on the door, and it was engraved with a few words: Yi Feng Courtyard. ¡°Back then, she carved this on the wood plaque herself.¡± Elder Sun looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Nobody has come here in many years. When I heard that you were coming, I wanted to send a few people to clean the place up. However, I felt that everything here was her old belongings, so I decided to leave them here for you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Elder Sun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. There¡¯s no need to thank me. Then¡­ I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Elder Sun.¡± When Elder Sun left, Rong Xiu pushed open the door and walked in. Yi Feng Courtyard was not very big, but every inch of it was simple and elegant, proving the owner¡¯s taste. The courtyard had a tall, lush peach tree, unlike the usual flowers and grass an average person would plant. Under the peach tree was a rattan chair. Beside the rattan chair was a marble table, where some tea equipment laid on top. Rong Xiu waved his robe, lightly swept away the dust on the rattan chair, and lay on it. The chair creaked as it had not been sat on for a while. Rong Xiu closed his eyes. The light wind blew over and swept past his snow-white clothes. A few emerald leaves dropped down and landed on his face and body. An extremely small and thin leaf coincidentally landed between his lips. The two contrasting colors painted a very beautiful picture. This was the scene that Chu Liuyue saw when she walked over from Shuang Qing Lake¡¯s bridge. She and Mu Hongyu took action separately, so she wanted to go back to take some items. Before she even reached her lodging, her eyes were attracted by the scenery in front of her. Yi Feng Courtyard and the bridge were very near each other, so Chu Liuyue could very clearly see the scene. She blinked. She had noticed the courtyard before. It was very quiet and tranquil as nobody had gone there before. Is that the place where Rong Xiu¡¯s mother stayed when she was alive? Her gaze swept across Rong Xiu¡¯s face. Under the sunlight, his skin was like jade and even a little translucent; his eyes were like a painting. His nose was also high, and his cheeks were properly defined. Every inch of him was perfect. This kind of person had literally received extra blessings from the heavens, which allowed them to have such an outstanding appearance and demeanor. Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled her comment about his appearance: ¡®Just like that.¡¯ She suddenly felt a little guilty. If this did not count for anything, nobody in the world had the right to say that they were good-looking. As if he had noticed her gaze, Rong Xiu¡¯s lashes fluttered, and he suddenly opened his eyes to look over. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. Rong Xiu seemed to have rested for quite a while under the tree as his eyes looked lazy and dazed. It was as though he had not woken up yet, but his eyes were still as clear and pure as ever. Chu Liuyue instinctively looked away as if she was caught red-handed for doing something against her conscience. However, she regretted it once she turned her head. Doesn¡¯t this show that I¡¯m clearly hiding something? Previously, I didn¡¯t feel much when I saw him all day and night. However, why does this one glance make me feel so uncomfortable? If I walk away now, Rong Xiu will probably mock me and say that I ran away in embarrassment. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and looked over again, wanting to use her killer gaze to shock him. Look! So what if I¡¯m looking? He is just lying there, and everybody who walks past can see him! There¡¯s nothing wrong with me taking a look at him. A few girls¡¯ voices sounded behind her. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s¡­ Prince Li?¡± ¡°I think so! He really is exactly like what the rumors said¡ªhe has a unique and outstanding presence!¡± ¡°It seems like he¡¯s staying there? That¡¯s quite near to us!¡± ¡°Shh, keep quiet! Aren¡¯t you afraid someone will hear you? You need to be more pristine.¡± Without turning around to see who they were, it was not hard to imagine their excitement and admiration. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a little irritated. Did that fellow lie there on purpose? How can the honorable Prince Li not care about so many people passing by and judging him? When she thought of this, her eyes suddenly looked more annoyed. Rong Xiu looked at her and suddenly opened his mouth slightly, holding the leaf in his mouth. Chapter 176 - Qing Jiao Competition Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios From Chu Liuyue¡¯s angle, she could clearly see him stick out his tongue and curl the leaf into his mouth. His move was very flirtish, but his eyes looked pure and clean. It was as though he did not realize his previous action was so¡ª L-U-S-T-F-U-L! Chu Liuyue¡¯s face immediately burned up. He¡¯s too overboard! It¡¯s fine that he secretly crawls into my bed at night, yet he actually dares to seduce me openly now! It doesn¡¯t matter if he seduces me, but there are still people around! Chu Liuyue subconsciously turned around and realized that the few women who spoke previously could not see what Rong Xiu was doing. Maybe it was because they were positioned very far to the side. For some reason, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. However, something seemed to be stuck in her chest. She pressed her lips against each other tightly, decisively retracted her gaze, and walked towards her lodging. Bang! She slammed the door tightly shut. Rong Xiu looked at the scene, and his eyes suddenly gained a hint of a smile. Is she¡­ angry? ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to the room to find her things, but the earlier scene kept replaying in her head. Her heart was irritated for some reason, but she could not pinpoint why. She decisively went up to the second floor and tried to calm down. However, she saw Rong Xiu when she pushed open the window. Rong Xiu¡¯s place and hers were not too far away, so she could directly see him from the second floor. Chu Liuyue was even more annoyed, so she closed the window. Rong Xiu¡¯s arrival at Tian Lu Academy was too sudden and accidental. He had always claimed that he was sick and stayed in Prince Li Mansion, not even heading out. He even curtly rejected everybody¡¯s invitations. Everyone in the Imperial City knew how weak Prince Li was and that he could not withstand strong winds, let alone meet many people. He clearly had his own reasons for acting like he previously did. But why did he come to the academy? Isn¡¯t this moving himself from a secret place and into the open? A guess appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but she did not quite believe it. Did Rong Xiu do this because¡­ Her shoulder sank when a furry thing jumped on her. Chu Liuyue glanced at it. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The little thing stretched his body and nodded in satisfaction. Chu Liuyue smiled and pinched its ear. ¡°You really can sleep for a long time.¡± The blood ferret fell into a deep sleep for two days and two nights after coming back from Wan Ling Mountain. Chu Liuyue picked it up and checked its body in detail. She was a little surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve recovered from your injuries?¡± Even though the blood ferret wasn¡¯t severely injured before, it did have a few wounds. However, those wounds completely disappeared in a mere two days. Not only did the injuries not form scabs, but they had completely healed. It was as if the blood ferret had never gotten injured! When one looked at the little fellow¡¯s body now, nobody would believe that it had been attacked by a black flying python before. The little fellow blinked. ¡°I remember that blood ferrets don¡¯t have such strong recovery power¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. In her previous life, she had seen some aristocratic daughters raise blood ferrets. But they only treated them as pets. This was because blood ferrets had weak combat skills and often had to be meticulously protected. However, this one¡­ ¡°Since you¡¯ve followed me, I¡¯ll have to give you a name. How about¡­ Xiao Qiang1?¡± The little fellow¡¯s fur stood on end, and it bared its teeth as its tail crazily moved around. No! I still want to survive in society! Chu Liuyue looked at it and seriously added, ¡°Look! You¡¯re so strong, so this name is the most appropriate one for you, right?¡± No! The little fellow rolled its eyes up and directly pretended that it was dead. Chu Liuyue shook it. ¡°Since you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll change to another one. What about¡­ Tuan Zi?¡± The little fellow¡¯s legs became even straighter as it directly closed its eyes. It refused to wake up and face this terrible world. ¡°Since you¡¯ve silently agreed, then we¡¯ll stick with this one!¡± The little fellow immediately opened its eyes. Chu Liuyue held its head. ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± Tuan Zi kept its mouth shut, filled with grievances. Forget it! What else can I ask for after following such an owner? Chu Liuyue looked at it, and vague doubts emerged in her heart. Blood ferrets are just third-grade fiends. Logically speaking, their intelligence should be around the same as a one or two year-old¡¯s. However, this one is clearly much smarter. It really has so many mysteries¡­ Knock, knock¡­ Knocking sounds could be heard from downstairs. Chu Liuyue curiously went down to open the door and saw Si Yang¡ªwhom she had not seen in a long time. ¡°Si Yang? Why are you here?¡± When Si Yang saw her, he immediately went forward and scrutinized her. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re really okay! You¡¯re so strong.¡± Previously, he did not dare believe the news he heard. However, he was even more shocked when he personally saw her today. Everybody clearly knew how dangerous Wan Ling Mountain was back then, yet Chu Liuyue had managed to survive on her own! ¡°Actually, I wanted to come over yesterday. However, something happened in my family, so I¡¯m late.¡± Chu Liuyue did not mind that and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m doing well.¡± Si Yang saw Tuan Zi on her shoulders and was slightly shocked. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a blood ferret? Since when did you obtain it?¡± ¡°I¡­ I coincidentally met it at Wan Ling Mountain. I thought that we were pretty fated, so I brought it back with me.¡± ¡°What? You kept it? Liuyue, even though this blood ferret is cute, its combat skills are very weak. It¡¯s pretty troublesome for you to bring it along!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes widened halfway through Si Yang¡¯s words. Chu Liuyue originally thought that it would get angry, but Tuan Zi just coldly glared at Si Yang. Then, Tuan Zi closed its eyes and swept its tail as if it did not care about Si Yang at all. Si Yang¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°W-was it despising me?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Obviously.¡± Si Yang immediately doubted how life worked. How dare a mere third-grade blood ferret look down on me? ¡°Do you have another reason for finding me today?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Si Yang angrily glanced at Tuan Zi before saying, ¡°Yeah! You missed lessons two days ago, so Mr. Dongfang asked me to come and ask you if you¡¯re participating in the Qing Jiao Competition half a month later.¡± ¡°Qing Jiao Competition?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s an annual Xuan Master competition! During the competition, the neighboring Country Xing Luo and Country Huai Cang will send their youngest talents to compete with us. The Qing Jiao Competition is very grand, and they give out great rewards each year. Do you want to join the Xuan Master competition?¡± Chapter 177 - I Have Someone that I Like Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue was not very interested in it and wanted to reject him. However, an idea popped up in her head, and she asked, ¡°What rewards are there?¡± Si Yang chuckled. ¡°Many! The Qing Jiao Competition is organized by each countries¡¯ top academy. Other than Tian Lu Academy, there¡¯s still Country Huai Cang¡¯s Nan Feng Academy and Country Xing Luo¡¯s Tai Yan Academy. This year, it¡¯s our turn to be the host.¡± ¡°According to the rules, other than the common rewards, the most important thing is that the top Xuan Master can choose whichever academy they want to borrow Xuan formation drawings from for a month! Think about how much that¡¯s worth!¡± These three academies were the elites in their respective countries. All of them had formidable libraries. It would be the greatest reward for any Xuan Master to enter any of the academies to borrow and read their Xuan formation drawings for a month. Chu Liuyue thought to herself as she said, ¡°The rewards are pretty worth it¡­ Help me tell Mr. Dongfang that I¡¯ll participate in the Qing Jiao Competition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even though there are seniors above us, and it¡¯s not very likely for us to come in first, you¡¯re one of the top students in our Xuan Master cohort. Hence, you should come and hold the frontline for us,¡± said Si Yang. He suddenly thought of something, so he curiously asked, ¡°Oh, yeah. Since you¡¯re participating in the Xuan Master competition, then¡­ are you still going for the warrior one?¡± Looking at his nosy appearance, Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°Does it matter if I go or not?¡± ¡°Of course, it does!¡± Si Yang raised his voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t go, won¡¯t Chu Xianmin begin stirring up trouble for you? I¡¯ve seen her diligently cultivating, and she looks like she really wants to make a comeback.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly remembered that Mu Hongyu had previously mentioned Chu Xianmin thought she was dead. Mu Hongyu also mentioned that Chu Xianmin even wanted to replace her as the warrior assessment¡¯s top scholar. ¡°Can one person only join one event?¡± ¡°Of course not! If you want, you can join two or even three events!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Aiya, what¡¯s there to consider? Are you still thinking about your sisterhood in the Chu family? She has already married the Crown Prince, and she¡¯s in his family now.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she calmly looked at him. ¡°What has this got to do with her marrying the Crown Prince?¡± ¡°T-this¡­ I was just randomly saying something! Ahem!¡± Si Yang felt that he had accidentally said the wrong thing and immediately avoided Chu Liuyue¡¯s inspecting gaze guiltily. Chu Liuyue inwardly thought, Everyone knows that I¡¯ve already severed ties with the Chu family. I have even exposed Lu Yao in public not long ago. Any human being can tell that I have fallen out with the Chu family, so why would I still care about our so-called sisterhood? Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. ¡°Si Yang, you don¡¯t actually want to ask about the sisterhood between Chu Xianmin and me, but my current attitude towards the Crown Prince, right?¡± Si Yang immediately denied it. ¡°D-did I?¡± Si Yang did not expect Chu Liuyue to catch onto his single question. However, his voice was trembling, and his gaze was shaky. Anyone could tell that Chu Liuyue was right. Chu Liuyue was not angry but found it strange. ¡°I haven¡¯t had anything to do with the Crown Prince for a long time. Why are you so curious about this?¡± Si Yang coughed to hide his thoughts. ¡°I-I was just casually asking about it¡­ Didn¡¯t you really like the Crown Prince previously?¡± The last sentence was as soft as a mosquito¡¯s buzz, but Chu Liuyue still heard it clearly. Looking at Si Yang, she suddenly realized something. ¡°I don¡¯t think me liking the Crown Prince or not has anything to do with you, right?¡± ¡°However, my Big Brother¡­¡± Si Yang spoke halfway and suddenly realized what he said. He hurriedly covered his mouth. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze became fainter. ¡°I already told Si Ting earlier on that we¡¯re just classmates and that I don¡¯t want to be anything more. It seems like he didn¡¯t understand my words.¡± ¡°No! I wanted to ask you myself,¡± said Si Yang. Suddenly, he was taken aback. ¡°Wait. Y-you mean you¡¯ve already talked about this?¡± The main point was that Big Brother was already rejected! No wonder! It was no wonder Big Brother seemed very cold when I told him that Chu Liuyue was back and asked him to visit her. It turns out¡­ Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. It seemed like Si Yang did come on his own accord. ¡°I¡¯ll let this matter slide, but you can¡¯t mention it again.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue tried to leave. Si Yang hurriedly stopped her and awkwardly asked, ¡°Why? Big Brother¡­ He¡¯s genuine to you. Why won¡¯t you consider him?¡± Si Ting was handsome, came from a distinguished family, and was very talented. Many young women in the Imperial City wanted to attract him. However, Si Ting was never interested in anyone. It was extremely hard for him to like someone, yet he was rejected so decisively and straightforwardly. Si Yang did not get it. ¡°How does my Big Brother not deserve you?¡± Chu Liuyue was calm. ¡°It¡¯s not whether he deserves me or not; it¡¯s about whether I want to consider him.¡± Si Ting was great, but she did not like him. Thus, she decisively cut him off from the start. ¡°Besides, Si Ting and I have already reached an agreement. This is already in the past, so you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± Si Yang finally could not take it any longer and exclaimed, ¡°What do you mean in the past? If it¡¯s in the past, why would he risk his life to save you at Wan Ling Mountain that day?¡± The surroundings suddenly fell into silence. Si Ting also went there to save me? Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this.¡± Si Yang looked away. ¡°He went with Elder Sun that day, but they met Mu Hongyu and the rest at the foot of the mountain first. Thus, Elder Sun told him to stay with them. I know that he might not have helped you, b-but¡­¡± Since Si Ting was willing to make such a choice, it means that he was willing to risk his life for her. Chu Liuyue instantly felt that the situation was getting difficult. She never liked owing people favors, especially this kind. However, she could not say anything about it because Si Ting had wanted to save her. ¡°I know now. I¡¯ll thank him when I have the chance later on, but there¡¯s really nothing else.¡± When Si Yang heard this, he instantly felt uncomfortable. He determinedly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t accept him now, you might regret it in the future!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°How do you know? Feelings¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was quite frustrated and decisively said, ¡°Because I already have someone that I like!¡± Chapter 178 - Request for Tea Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Si Yang was stunned. ¡°W-what did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue also did not know why she suddenly said that herself. But when she saw Si Yang¡¯s expression, she decided to continue with the conversation. ¡°I made myself very clear. Do you need me to repeat it again?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ Who do you like?¡± asked Si Yang instinctively. Who can be more outstanding than Si Ting in the Imperial City? Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue previously say that she still liked the Crown Prince? Why has her crush turned into someone else in such a short time? ¡°Are you lying to me? Who is he?¡± ¡°Whoever he is has nothing to do with you. That¡¯s my own business. Si Yang, I treat you two as my friends. Both in the past and in the future.¡± However, my relationship with both of you will only go this far. Si Yang understood the meaning behind Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, but he refused to believe it in his heart. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to be lying, considering her calm expression and clear eyes. After being conflicted for half a day, Si Yang frustratedly rubbed his face. ¡°Okay! I promise that I¡¯ll never bother you about this ever again! We¡¯ll still be friends in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up into a slight smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Si Yang still felt a little defeated. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave then. I¡¯ll tell Mr. Dongfang about you participating in the Qing Jiao Competition.¡± After saying that, he turned around to leave. If he stayed any longer, he would really annoy Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue raised her voice and said, ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Si Yang did not turn back. Instead, he waved his hands and quickly left. Chu Liuyue stood rooted to the ground for quite a while. Suddenly, she thought of something and turned around. Far away, Rong Xiu was lying on the rattan chair. His eyes were also shut as if he had fallen asleep again. Considering the distance, he probably didn¡¯t hear me. Right¡­? Chu Liuyue started to become anxious. She hurriedly retracted her gaze and left. The surroundings became quiet once again. The light breeze blew gently, and a leaf landed on Rong Xiu¡¯s face. He turned his head slightly and opened his eyes. His pair of clear eyes seemed much deeper now as if he suffered inner turmoil that confused people for no reason. How was he asleep? He had obviously been awake all this while. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips slowly curved up into a smile, which extended to his eyes. Then, he took the leaf out of his mouth and folded it. A clear and relaxing whistle reverberated throughout the air. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had already walked quite the distance¡ªheard the sound coming from behind her and suddenly froze. ¡­ When Yan Qing brought the items over, he felt that his master seemed to be in an especially good mood. As he swept the yard, he kept looking up to glance at Master. When Rong Xiu plucked another leaf and placed it by his lips, Yan Qing could not help but ask, ¡°Master, do you like blowing peach leaves this much?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Do I?¡± Yan Qing was speechless. So many peach leaves¡ªwhich you have blown¡ªare on the floor. Do you think I¡¯m blind? You¡¯ve been whistling for more than an hour! Even if you¡¯re not tired, my ears are about to burst. Yan Qing yelled in his heart, but he definitely did not dare to say his thoughts aloud. ¡°Is it awful?¡± Yan Qing suddenly raised his thumbs. ¡°Melodic.¡± Rong Xiu nodded in satisfaction. Actually, it didn¡¯t matter if the whistles were pleasing to the ears. It was more important for someone to hear it. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve already unpacked the items you¡¯ve brought from the mansion. Do you want to check if you¡¯re still lacking in anything?¡± Rong Xiu thought for a while. ¡°I¡¯m missing some tea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make some tea for you right away,¡± said Yan Qing. How can you not be thirsty after blowing for so long? ¡°It¡¯s okay; I¡¯ll go request for some tea later.¡± Yan Qing obediently answered him as he looked at the faraway yard and silently prayed for his master. Ms. Liuyue, you must come back early! ¡­ Chu Xianmin did not have a good time for the past two days. She originally thought that Chu Liuyue was dead and that she could replace Chu Liuyue as the warrior assessment¡¯s top scholar. Thereby elevating her status in Crown Prince Mansion and the Chu family. However, Chu Liuyue actually managed to come back alive, and she looked fine! Chu Xianmin¡¯s plan was ruined, and she had to rethink everything. The current situation was even worse than before. Chu Xianmin was overwrought as she stared at the letter her father, Chu Yan, sent her. Mother actually instigated Madam Gu to cause a scene in front of the academy? What was she thinking? It¡¯s fine if she wants to cause trouble for Chu Liuyue, but why did she have to drag herself into the mess? If she wrote an anonymous letter, nobody would find out about her actions. The trouble today also wouldn¡¯t exist! The Gu family now has blackmail over her, and they definitely won¡¯t let this matter slide. Madam Gu humiliated herself and tarnished the entire Gu family¡¯s reputation. They would definitely push this blame to Lu Yao. Lu Yao already had a hard time at the Chu family, and this was just adding oil to the fire. Chu Xianmin looked at the letter in her hands. The words were very messy, which clearly looked like they were written in a hurry. Chu Yan was currently injured, so how could he save Lu Yao? He could only pin all his hopes on Chu Xianmin. However, when the Crown Prince found out that Chu Liuyue was alive, he harshly chided Chu Xianmin. Right now, she could not even save herself, let alone have so much energy to do something else. She frustratedly tore the letter into shreds and walked out. Since she had entered the academy with good grades, she lived in a house alone. She walked to the courtyard¡¯s left wall and felt around the gap in the bricks for a while. Then, she took out something and quickly returned to the house. This object was a golden cylinder even smaller than a pinkie. She lightly twisted and opened the cylinder to take out the note. She opened the note and tapped her brush in water before brushing it against the note. A line of words gradually appeared. ¡°The matter might fail. You must be careful!¡± Chu Xianmin was stunned, and the note dropped onto the floor. ¡­ It was already late at night when Chu Liuyue returned. The round, bright moon hung high up in the sky. Chu Liuyue, almost instinctively, shot a glance at the side and discovered that Rong Xiu was not at the faraway courtyard. Then, she could not help but heave a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± A low voice sounded. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she looked up to see Rong Xiu standing beside the window on the second floor. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Words rushed out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s mouth. Rong Xiu looked into the distance, and his facial expression seemed a little strange. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty, so I came here to ask for tea.¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°Your Highness, you are of formidable status, and you¡¯re very intelligent. Do you really need a cup of tea from me?¡± Rong Xiu finally looked at her with his charming and mesmerizing eyes. ¡°Yeah. Peach leaves are bitter, and only your tea can resolve this bitterness.¡± Chapter 179 - Torturing People Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue silently called him shameless in her heart, but her ears became warm. It was lucky that the sky was pretty dark, so Rong Xiu probably could not see her clearly. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She then went up the stairs and pretended as if nothing had happened. ¡°Your Highness, you already have your own place in the academy. Why must you come to my place every day?¡± Rong Xiu did not answer her, but he had a half-smile on his face. ¡°Your place is great, and you can clearly see whatever I¡¯m doing from here. However, instead of that, isn¡¯t it better if I come here personally?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Your Highness, I chose this place first.¡± If she knew that Rong Xiu would come and coincidentally stay at that place, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen this house, no matter what. She walked to the cupboard and took out a fragrant ginger slice before scattering it over the teapot. As the hot water brewed the tea, a bitter and spicy fragrance permeated the room. She purposely poured a cup of tea and passed it to him. ¡°Your Highness, have some tea.¡± Rong Xiu looked at her and laughed. ¡°Why is it always this ginger tea whenever I come here?¡± Chu Liuyue seriously said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any good tea here. If you¡¯re so picky and unwilling to drink it, you don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡± Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning as he directly took the teacup from her hands. Both of their hands touched for a brief moment. The point of contact was slightly cold as Rong Xiu¡¯s white long fingers casually slid across the back of her hand, causing a ticklish sensation. Chu Liuyue looked up at Rong Xiu but noticed that he looked as calm as usual. It was as if he did not notice anything wrong. His skin is still as thick as usual! Chu Liuyue silently cursed to herself. ¡°You smell like herbs. Have you been refining medicine the entire night?¡± Rong Xiu sipped on his tea when his gaze landed on her face, and his smile faded slightly. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. ¡°Your Highness, how did you know that?¡± Did he come over yesterday? No, I don¡¯t remember that he did. Rong Xiu raised his chin. Chu Liuyue extended her hands and touched her face. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Rong Xiu sighed helplessly and chuckled. Someone who has always been smart is somehow always confused at times like this. He walked a few steps closer and stood in front of Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu¡¯s tall body¡ªwhich increasingly got closer¡ªinstantly made Chu Liuyue feel an unknown suppression. He extended his hand the next moment. Chu Liuyue wanted to move backward, but her gaze met with his eyes. Rong Xiu¡¯s calm and deep eyes seemed to have silent ripples and some undetectable faint signs of love. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body seemed to have completely frozen, and she could not move at all. Rong Xiu¡¯s warm fingertips landed beneath her eyes. Under the candlelight, he could clearly see the faint black areas under her eyes. If she did not stay up for an entire night, she would not look like this. ¡°He¡¯s just a classmate. Is it worth it for you to do so much?¡± His voice was clear and low, but Chu Liuyue could not see through his eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. She did not mind Rong Xiu knowing that she was helping Liao Zhongshu. After all, she intended to spread the news and lure the enemy. ¡°He has once experienced life and death with me, so I can¡¯t just leave him to die.¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes. She is not wrong, but I¡¯m not in a good mood. If I find out that she has any other intentions¡­ ¡°Never again.¡± His tone was calm and composed, but he did not allow for any rejection. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Your Highness, this is my business. I don¡¯t think you have the right to control me.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°Oh? What if I say that I have the right?¡± Chu Liuyue snickered. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re indeed of distinguished status, but why must I listen to you?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s fingers slid down Chu Liuyue¡¯s cheeks, and he held her face. He suddenly leaned in closer. As she stared at the demonic-like appearance in front of her that rapidly closed in, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. She wanted to move backward, but her hands in the sleeves clenched tightly before unclenching. She still did not move in the end. She was not sure when, but she seemed to have gotten used to Rong Xiu¡¯s intimate actions. It seemed like¡­ everything was natural. He looked at her with a profound gaze as if an unknown force was going to swallow everything. Then, he tilted his head, went to her ear, and laughed in a low voice. ¡°Because¡­ I am very familiar with the person you like.¡± His lips gently touched her thin ear, and it felt like a comet was burning them. However, the words he uttered were like terrifying lightning that struck Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. He really did hear it! He definitely heard it very clearly! Previously, Chu Liuyue could still pretend that she did not know that he heard her words. But she could not continue with her act now. Her heart started beating rapidly as if a fire had descended from her ear and ignited her entire body. She hurriedly extended her hands and pushed him away. ¡°Your Highness, I think you heard me wrongly. I didn¡¯t say that the person is you.¡± ¡°Did I say that the person was me?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s simple retort stumped Chu Liuyue. Her hands were on his wide and hard chest, and she did not know what to do for a moment. I revealed exactly what I wanted to hide! Rong Xiu looked down and satisfyingly admired the young woman¡¯s shy appearance. He felt very comfortable. Suddenly, he hugged her waist and carried her princess style. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°Shh. You didn¡¯t sleep well last night. Let me accompany you today.¡± Rong Xiu carried her to the bed and gently put her down. Then, he sat down beside her. Chu Liuyue was surprised and blinked. ¡°¡­ Oh. Your Highness, are you not sleeping?¡± Rong Xiu leaned down and lowered his voice. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep when I¡¯m so close to you. You can just sleep; don¡¯t mind anything else.¡± Chu Liuyue swallowed her remaining words and closed her eyes after some slight hesitation. Chu Liuyue was probably too exhausted for the past two days, which was why she quickly fell into a deep sleep. Rong Xiu held her wrist with one hand, and a faint silver light silently entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. Chu Liuyue¡¯s breathing started to slow down. Perhaps she had a nightmare, but she furrowed her brows tightly, looking like she was in extreme pain. Rong Xiu looked at her and extended his hand to relax her brows. He leaned close to her ears and whispered, ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here¡­¡± His voice was very light. It was as though it could disappear into the wind at any moment. However, the pain on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face seemed to subside, and she looked calm again. She instinctively leaned in closer to the warm place until her entire body was in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms. It was only then that she finally quietened down. Rong Xiu closed his eyes and suppressed the unknown restlessness within his body. She really knows how to torture me¡­ Chapter 180 - Break Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Chu Liuyue woke up the next morning, Rong Xiu had already left. She extended her hand and touched her side. It was still slightly warm, and it showed that he had not left for long. The sky was starting to brighten up, and it would be quite inappropriate if anyone saw him here. Chu Liuyue stood up, and she could smell a faint tinge of the cold fragrance that lingered on her body. This was Rong Xiu¡¯s smell. Chu Liuyue unknowingly heaved a sigh of relief since the previous night¡¯s situation had truly put her in a tough spot. Now that she could not see Rong Xiu, Chu LIuyue did not need to think so much. Tuan Zi crawled out of the blanket and rubbed its eyes, looking as if it had not woken up completely. While tidying up, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°You seem really tired. Did you not rest well?¡± Tuan Zi let out a huge yawn, and its eyes were filled with deep anger. What do you mean ¡®not rest well¡¯? I didn¡¯t even sleep the entire night. Tuan Zi originally wanted to sleep together with Chu Liuyue, but it was chased away every time it jumped onto the bed. Hence, Tuan Zi could only wrongfully sleep in a corner the entire night. It only returned to the soft bed after that certain someone left. I only slept for a while before you woke up. How can I not be tired? ¡°Then, you can stay here first. I¡¯ll be back at night,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she prepared to leave the house. Once Tuan Zi heard that, it was reluctant to stay. Hence, it immediately jumped onto Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders before using its furry tail to wrap itself into a ball. Chu Liuyue patted its head and placed it on the bed again. ¡°You can¡¯t go to the place I¡¯m going today, so you can just rest here and wait for me to come back.¡± Tuan Zi could only shake its tail in agreement. ¡­ Chu Liuyue went to Jiuyou Tower again. Unlike the previous times she came, Jiuyou Tower was especially quiet today. Chu Liuyue did not really meet anyone on the way there. It was probably because quite a few people were injured at Wan Ling Mountain, so most of the students were still recuperating and recovering from their injuries. When Chu Liuyue walked to Jiuyou Tower, she suddenly heard a commotion. She looked in the direction of the sounds and discovered Lu Feiyan and a few others surrounding someone and talking to that person in a slightly isolated corner. The person in the middle was Chu Xianmin. ¡°Minmin, I remember that you have quite a long cultivation time quota in Jiuyou Tower, right? I finished my cultivation time a few days ago, so can you lend me six hours?¡± Lu Feiyan seemed like she was asking for a favor, but she had a very righteous attitude as if she were asking for something that originally belonged to her. ¡°Also, the few of them don¡¯t have the time to complete any tasks. They don¡¯t have high expectations, so they just need two hours each.¡± Chu Xianmin looked at the few people in front of her and suppressed the anger in her heart. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much cultivation time left either. I really can¡¯t produce so many hours in such a short time¡­¡± ¡°Are you reluctant?¡± Lu Feiyan looked at Chu Xianmin from the corner of her eyes and mocked, ¡°Minmin, we¡¯re good sisters. How can you not even be willing to give me this small thing?¡± Chu Xianmin tightly clenched her teeth. What good sisters? You¡¯re just a bunch of idiots who are attacking an abandoned dog. At the side, one girl purposely said, ¡°Yeah! Minmin, I heard that many things have happened to your maiden family, so you wouldn¡¯t have time to come cultivate at Jiuyou Tower, right? Why don¡¯t you lend me some hours?¡± The girls looked at each other and couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. Who didn¡¯t know that Chu Yan was severely beaten up by Chu Ning and that Lu Yao offended the Gu family? The couple couldn¡¯t even protect themselves now, let alone care about Chu Xianmin. As for the Crown Prince¡¯s side¡­ If Chu Xianmin was liked by the Crown Prince, why didn¡¯t he solve her family issues? This sentence touched Chu Xianmin¡¯s Achilles heel, and her face immediately distorted. ¡°I said I don¡¯t have any hours left.¡± Lu Feiyan raised her hand in anger. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Hold up!¡± An anxious young man¡¯s voice sounded. Chu Liuyue looked over and smiled. The person who spoke was actually Ji Yurong. Chu Liuyue watched him walk towards them quickly and hand his nameplate over. ¡°I still have six hours; you can use them first. We¡¯re all classmates, so is there a need to make things so ugly?¡± Lu Feiyan and the rest looked at him in a teasing manner. ¡°Oh, Ji Yurong? Are you standing up for her? Did you forget how she rejected you in the past? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too spineless?¡± Ji Yurong was a little awkward. ¡°I-I¡¯m not thinking of anything. We¡¯re all classmates, and there really isn¡¯t a need for us to quarrel over such a small matter. Besides, we¡¯re near Jiuyou Tower, so it won¡¯t be good if the teachers find out.¡± This sentence successfully made Lu Feiyan and the rest calm down. Lu Feiyan took Ji Yurong¡¯s nameplate swiftly and drew a line on her own nameplate. A faint light glowed. She then threw the darkened nameplate back. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off today!¡± After that, she left with the others. After making sure that they were not coming back, Ji Yurong carefully inspected Chu Xianmin. ¡°Are you okay¡ª¡± Pak! ¡°How many times have I told you not to appear in front of me in public?¡± Ji Yurong felt very awkward. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry. I just saw them bullying you, so I¡ª¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Ji Yurong could not say anything more, so he backed away, feeling conflict and heartache. Chu Xianmin closed her eyes and hated Ji Yurong more than ever. Everyone was currently treating her like a laughingstock, yet Ji Yurong only knew how to cause trouble for her. ¡°How many times have I told you that we need to act like we¡¯re strangers in front of others? Do you not understand human language? Do you know how terrible my days will be if word goes out?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact the Crown Prince has been busy with his own matters lately¡­ He will definitely teach me a lesson if he finds out. Let alone¡ª Ji Yurong hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get Lu Feiyan and the rest to shut up. Nobody will find out about¡ª¡± ¡°So what if they find out?¡± A clear voice sounded, shocking Chu Xianmin and Ji Yurong. Both hurriedly looked back. Someone is still eavesdropping on us? Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and leaned against a wall as she stared at the amusing expressions of the two people in front of her with much interest. ¡°What a devoted young lad. Chu Xianmin, he¡¯s so nice to you, yet you treat him like this. Aren¡¯t you too much?¡± Chapter 181 - Mastermind Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Xianmin fearfully looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You were here all along? What did you hear?¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. ¡°Um, nothing much, but I saw a good show. He has kindly helped you. Yet, not only did you not appreciate his efforts, but you even slapped him. Pft, isn¡¯t this a little inappropriate?¡± She must have seen and heard everything! Chu Xianmin¡¯s gaze changed. I¡¯ve always been very careful and never interacted with Ji Yurong in front of others, but I did not expect to be caught red-handed by Chu Liuyue. Now, I can only flatly deny it. An idea popped up in her mind, and Chu Xianmin sneered. ¡°There are many people who like me. Do I really need to attend to every single one of them? Besides, I didn¡¯t need him to help me; he just acted on his own accord.¡± Then, she harshly glared at Ji Yurong. ¡°For the last time, I¡¯ve already married the Crown Prince. So please stop disturbing me from now on. If not, you¡¯ll suffer the consequences!¡± Ji Yurong also knew that if Chu Liuyue spread word about this, Chu Xianmin and he would not have an easy time. Thus, he hurriedly cooperated and said, ¡°Yes, I-I know¡­ I didn¡¯t know my place. I won¡¯t do this ever again.¡± Chu Xianmin turned around to leave. ¡°Hold on.¡± Chu Liuyue stepped out and blocked Chu Xianmin¡¯s path. ¡°What else do you want?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you clearly know what else I want?¡± Chu Liuyue coldly glared at her with a speechless suppression in her gaze. ¡°Hand me the antidote!¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart suddenly tightened, but she forcefully said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze kept flitting between Ji Yurong and Chu Xianmin until both of them felt increasingly guilty. ¡°So you don¡¯t dare to admit it? Then¡­ Why don¡¯t we look for Elder Sun and reason it out with him? Let them check what¡¯s going on. I heard that the Chu family has been in a mess lately, so I think no one will help you, right? A sin like harming your own schoolmates won¡¯t be let off so easily¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t harm my own schoolmates, and I didn¡¯t poison him! Don¡¯t try to smear my name!¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s voice suddenly became a lot sharper. Chu Liuyue slowly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say ¡®poison.¡¯ How did you know about that?¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s throat seemed to be strangled. Nervousness was written all over Ji Yurong¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing you after I returned to the academy. I¡¯ve only said two sentences, yet you already mentioned ¡®poison.¡¯ Isn¡¯t this the best evidence? Now, do you still dare to say that I¡¯m smearing your name?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke slowly but every single word formed a sharp knife that cruelly slashed Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart. The blood in her body seemed to stop flowing, and her head was getting dizzy. It was as if it was going to burst open. ¡°No! I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± blurted Chu Xianmin anxiously. ¡°Do you want to admit it now and take out the antidote? Or do you want me to go to your place personally and show Elder Sun the evidence of your communication so that he can evict you from the academy?¡± Chu Xianmin suddenly raised her head and looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. Why does she know about this? After seeing her reaction, Chu Liuyue chuckled. Ever since Mu Hongyu found out there were some unusual interactions between Ji Yurong and Chu Xianmin, they started to look for evidence in secret. After she heard that Ji Yurong went out to do some tasks, she followed him in secret. Everything was normal during the day, but he finally showed his true self at night when he went to Chu Xianmin¡¯s place. He did not even enter the door; he just walked around the wall for a while before leaving. Taking advantage of the dark night sky, Chu Liuyue managed to find their secret compartment. Both of them were actually sending messages to each other through a gap in the wall! Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart was in a mess. She suddenly turned around to look at Ji Yurong. ¡°You betrayed me?¡± Ji Yurong hurriedly explained, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t! I also don¡¯t know¡ª-¡± He really did not know how this happened. Ever since he felt that Chu Liuyue discovered something, he had been extremely meticulous and could not be more careful in the past two days. However, he was still discovered in the end. He did not know that Chu Liuyue was still excellent in hiding her aura, even though her cultivation wasn¡¯t high. Hence, it was as easy as ABC for her to stalk him until she found some evidence. Chu Liuyue originally planned to find some real evidence before confronting Chu Xianmin, but she did not expect to see such a scene directly. The timing was just right. She could only say that Ji Yurong was too overwhelmed with caring about his loved one and lost his senses, causing the matter to be exposed very quickly. ¡°Antidote,¡± repeated Chu Liuyue in frustration. Chu Xianmin clenched her fists tightly and closed her eyes as if resigned to her fate. ¡°I don¡¯t have the antidote! You can kill me however you like.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have it?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes became colder. Chu Xianmin knew that she had no other escape routes, so her suppressed emotions suddenly exploded. She crazily screamed, ¡°If I say I don¡¯t have it, means I don¡¯t have it. There¡¯s no use asking me a million more times. Since you¡¯ve already found out about this, you can go and expose me however and when you like. But I really don¡¯t have this antidote!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. It seems like she really doesn¡¯t have the antidote¡­ ¡°Then, where did you get Red Blood Gu from?¡± ¡°Red Blood Gu? What Red Blood Gu?¡± Chu Xianmin was dazed. Chu Liuyue stared at her for quite some time. ¡°If you really don¡¯t know about it, why did you poison Liao Zhongshu?¡± Chu Xianmin angrily said, ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s on the same team as you, so he deserves to die! Everyone around you, including yourself, deserves to die!¡± Chu Liuyue flipped her wrist, and a silver light flashed across. A sharp and cold dagger instantly reached Chu Xianmin¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t kill her!¡± Ji Yurong was shocked and immediately wanted to rush over. Chu Liuyue coldly glanced at Ji Yurong, and he felt the sinister murderous intent, causing him to stop in his tracks instinctively. Chu Xianmin also did not expect Chu Liuyue to act so quickly. Before she could even react, the other party already had the advantage. Her cold sweat kept trickling down. Chu Liuyue is so heartless! She really dares to make a move! ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one last time. Give me the antidote.¡± Chu Xianmin lost all hope and closed her eyes as her body trembled. ¡°I said that I don¡¯t have it!¡± ¡°Then, where did you get the poison from?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s¡­¡± Chu Xianmin seemed to be frightened and refused to open her mouth. Chu Liuyue used some force, and the blade rapidly cut Chu Xianmin¡¯s neck. Chu Xianmin finally opened her mouth. ¡°Someone else gave it to me! I-I don¡¯t know who it is either!¡± Chu Liuyue was surprised at this answer. Hence, she continued to ask, ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know! That person is always wearing a mask, so I don¡¯t know what he looks like. Even his v-voice has been purposely changed. He only appeared once and asked if I wanted to take revenge on you. I said y-yes, so he gave me a bag of poison¡­ I don¡¯t know anything else!¡± stuttered Chu Xianmin, and her entire person looked defeated. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can¡¯t do anything about that. You can just kill me!¡± Chu Liuyue slowly squinted her eyes. Who exactly wants to kill me? Chapter 182 - Threat Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Many thoughts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She had offended quite a lot of people, but none of them seemed capable of producing a poison like Red Blood Gu. Even Tian Lu Academy¡¯s teachers did not have much understanding of Red Blood Gu, let alone the other people in the Imperial City. The Chu family? The Crown Prince? Or someone else? She was in the light, and the enemy was in the dark. The path in front of her seemed to be covered by mist, obscuring this incident¡¯s truth and causing her to be unable to see it clearly. After thinking for a while, Chu Liuyue finally let go of the dagger. Chu Xianmin then heavily breathed as she angrily glared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡¯ve said all that I can say. Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Of course not. I want the antidote, but you didn¡¯t give it to me. You harmed my friend and me, so do you really think I¡¯ll let this matter slide?¡± Chu Liuyue amusingly stared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too naive?¡± Chu Xianmin knew Chu Liuyue would not let this matter slide. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I just want to tell this entire story to Elder Sun and the rest. After all, having a person that can risk anything just to kill her own schoolmates will cause others to be unable to sleep at night.¡± ¡°Y-you want to chase me away?¡± ¡°You made a mistake first, so how can you blame others?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her with a half-smile. ¡°What a pity. I heard that you entered the academy as a top scholar. Who would¡¯ve thought that you¡¯d be sadly expelled from the academy one day?¡± ¡°No!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words completely agitated Chu Xianmin. When she hurriedly walked forward and wanted to grab Chu Liuyue, Chu Liuyue shied away from her in time. ¡°You can¡¯t expel me! I won¡¯t leave! I¡¯m not leaving!¡± She could not go back to the Chu family now, and the Crown Prince still had not made a comeback. If she were expelled from the academy, her entire life would be ruined. How could she possibly give up on her only chance of making a comeback? Chu Liuyue looked nonchalant. ¡°You caused your own demise, so you shouldn¡¯t survive.¡± Chu Xianmin was very anxious. After thinking for some time, she finally begged Chu Liuyue. ¡°Take it as I¡¯m begging you! Please, don¡¯t expose this incident. If you can promise me this, I guarantee that I won¡¯t go against you in the future! I¡¯ll do everything that you say! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue did not respond, Chu Xianmin clenched her teeth and actually knelt down.¡±What must I do for you to let me off?¡± Ji Yurong felt his heart ache and went forward. ¡°Minmin¡ª¡± Chu Xianmin vengefully looked at him, which immediately glued him to the ground. ¡°Do you think that you haven¡¯t caused me enough harm? Get lost!¡± Ji Yurong was extremely guilty and knelt down as well. Chu Liuyue looked down at the two from above, but did not feel any emotions at all. On the other hand, she even thought of Chu Xianmin differently. Chu Xianmin was very arrogant in the past. Chu Xianmin hated me to the point that she wanted me dead, yet she has knelt down today. She can be considered as knowing how to retreat and advance. This character of hers seems to be much shrewder than before. It seems like the continuous impacts these few days have pushed Chu Xianmin to the corner. Seeing that Chu Liuyue was nonchalant, Chu Xianmin closed her eyes and heavily banged her head against the floor. Chu Liuyue glanced at Chu Xianmin¡¯s hands, which were tightly stuck to the ground. If I ever have the chance, I¡ªChu Xianmin¡ªwill definitely repay the humiliation I¡¯ve experienced today by a hundred-fold. ¡°You can stay if you want, but you need to promise me something.¡± The waiting time was especially long, and Chu Xianmin felt that every second of silence was cutting off a part of her dignity. When she thought Chu Liuyue would not agree to her request, she finally heard a desirable answer. Chu Xianmin suddenly raised her head, and tears welled up in her eyes. Chu Liuyue enunciated every single word properly and said, ¡°You just have to pretend that nothing happened today and wait for that person to come again.¡± Chu Xianmin was stunned; then, she clenched her teeth. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and turned around to leave. When she took a step, she suddenly turned back. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you that my dagger is smeared with poison.¡± Chu Xianmin was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue kindly advised her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This poison takes effect slowly. If you do your duty properly, I¡¯ll naturally give you the antidote in time. However, if you dare to play any tricks, don¡¯t blame me for being heartless.¡± ¡°This poison will enter your body and decompose your organs first. It will then go to your bones. One month later, your entire body will rot from inside-out. Tch, I think you don¡¯t want to die in such an ugly manner, right?¡± ¡°You!¡± Chu Xianmin¡¯s blood boiled, but she endured it with much effort. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Ji Yurong. ¡°You will move out on your own, and you don¡¯t need me to help you, right?¡± ¡°No need! I know what to do!¡± Ji Yurong hurriedly agreed. Chu Liuyue then slowly left. When her figure completely disappeared, Chu Xianmin harshly punched the floor. ¡°B*tch!¡± ¡°Minmin¡ª¡± Ji Yurong wanted to help her up, but got a slap in return. Chu Xianmin stood up by herself, but the rough floor cut her skin because she put force on her palm. Her entire hand was bleeding now. However, what can this small pain compare to? The humiliation Chu Liuyue gave me today is something I can never forget! Looking at her reddened eyes that were sinister and petrifying, Ji Yurong was worried and scared. He wanted to say something else, but his face still burned in pain. Hence, he could only keep his mouth shut. Chu Xianmin touched the injury on her neck, and doubts appeared in her heart. Is that dagger actually poisonous? However, no matter if it was poisonous or not, she Chu Xianmin did not dare to do anything recklessly. Thus, she could only allow Chu Liuyue to order her around. She turned around and planned to leave, but she suddenly spat out blood and collapsed to the floor after taking a few steps. ¡°Minmin!¡± Ji Yurong gasped and hurriedly went forward, but he found that Chu Xianmin had already fainted. Chapter 183 - Scared? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Chu Liuyue arrived at Jiuyou Tower, only Elder Wei Yun was at the door. He sat on the chair and napped as usual. But before Chu Liuyue could even speak, he opened his eyes and looked at her. When he realized it was Chu Liuyue, he instantly rubbed his eyes in shock. ¡°Liuyue? Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue immediately went forward and smiled. ¡°I obviously came here to cultivate.¡± Elder Wei Yun was even more surprised as he scrutinized her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just come back from Wan Ling Mountain? Don¡¯t you need to recuperate? If you cultivate at Jiuyou Tower with injuries, it¡¯ll cause you more harm than good!¡± ¡°Thank you, Elder Wei Yun, for your concern. However, I¡¯m already much better,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she handed him her nameplate. Wei Yun hesitantly accepted it. ¡°Is that really true? Those fools that were protected on the way back are still pretty injured. You barged out on your own, but why are you still okay?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯m just luckier, so I didn¡¯t suffer from many life-threatening injuries. My body also heals faster.¡± She naturally could not say that she had indeed been severely injured. However, she had the Dijing Yuan meridian, so she recovered faster than an average person. Besides, she was a heavenly doctor herself. With the herbs from Zhen Bao Pavilion, she recovered from her injuries in no time. When he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s energetic appearance and red cheeks, Wei Yun couldn¡¯t help but be happy since she really didn¡¯t seem injured. ¡°Heh, you really have a way, little girl! Go ahead!¡± He then slid Chu Liuyue¡¯s nameplate onto the black jade stone before passing it back to her. Chu Liuyue thanked him and walked towards Jiuyou Tower¡¯s entrance. When she walked to the door, she felt the harsh aura again. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that the engraved eagle had not opened its eyes. However, she could still feel the terrifying aura. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Everything went back to normal, and the aura quickly vanished as if it had never even appeared. Chu Liuyue looked calm as she entered a room on the first floor. Actually, the eagle only opened its eyes once, almost taking away her life. Such things no longer happened when she came over afterward. Perhaps it was because the water droplet in her dantian had battled the other party before, causing the other party to be scared. She had never experienced anything weird since then. However, today¡­ ¡°Jiuyou Tower¡¯s beast seems a bit frustrated¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue. For some reason, she felt like something was about to happen, but the water droplet quietly floated and did not respond. Chu Liuyue pondered the situation for a while, but did not waste any more effort after that. She gathered her focus and started to cultivate. Recently, Chu Liuyue vaguely felt the signs of a breakthrough, but the water droplet still had only one line. Still, there was no use in rushing these things. Hence, Chu Liuyue could only patiently inhale the Heaven and Earth Force to try to advance to the next stage earlier. She wanted to see how much her abilities had to improve before the water droplet allowed her to break through to the next stage. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue entered Jiuyou Tower, Elder Wei Yun closed his eyes once again and planned to continue sleeping. However, he felt someone coming not long later, so he opened his eyes. An unfamiliar face appeared in front of him. The young man was handsome and calm, and he was wearing a befitting robe with cloud embroidery on the sleeves. This showed that the man had a special status. Elder Wei Yun thought for a while and vaguely guessed the incoming person¡¯s identity. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Rong Xiu. Greetings, Elder Wei Yun.¡± As expected. Elder Wei Yun looked at Rong Xiu for quite a while before abruptly shaking his head and smiling. ¡°I knew it was you. You look really similar to Ru Yue.¡± Ru Yue was the late Consort Wan, Rong Xiu¡¯s biological mother. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Elder Wei Yun to know Mother too.¡± ¡°Of course, I know her! She had such outstanding talent¡­ Forget it. It¡¯s all matters of the past and aren¡¯t worth mentioning. I heard that you came to the academy to pay respects to her.¡± It was probably because Elder Wei Yun admired Consort Wan back then, so he looked at Rong Xiu with a very gentle gaze. ¡°Yes. I heard that Mother loved to cultivate here back then, so¡­ I wanted to go in and take a look.¡± A look of reminiscence filled Wei Yun¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah. Even though she was a Xuan Master, she was also a talented warrior. Hence, she would come here whenever she had time. However¡­ She started to become unwell and no longer came after that.¡± ¡°Also, there are rules to entering Jiuyou Tower, you¡ª¡± ¡°I heard Elder Sun talk about this before. I¡¯m not one of the academy¡¯s students, so I don¡¯t have the right to enter. However, I just want to see the places Mother went to when she was alive. I¡¯ll leave after looking around for a while. I wonder if Elder Wei Yun can grant me this favor?¡± ¡°Forget it. Since you¡¯re Ru Yue¡¯s child, you have the right to enter. However, I heard that you¡¯re not feeling too well. The Heaven and Earth Force in Jiuyou Tower is very rich, so it¡¯s not good for you if you stay inside for too long.¡± Rong Xiu slightly bowed. ¡°Thank you, Elder Wei Yun. I¡¯ll go in for a while and won¡¯t stay for long.¡± Elder Wei Yun nodded. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Rong Xiu thanked Elder Wei Yun again before heading towards Jiuyou Tower. As he stared at Rong Xiu¡¯s back view, Elder Wei Yun regretfully stroked his beard. It¡¯s a pity¡­ Ru Yue was so outstanding back then. If Rong Xiu were healthy, he would definitely inherit her talent. If that were the case, he would also be a rare genius now. However, all of these are just my thoughts. Rong Xiu walked to the door and placed his long, white hand on the door. The door was cold to the touch, even chilling to the bones. The next moment, something flashed in the eagle¡¯s wings as if they were about to spread! The fire below it also started to burn crazily, and the scorching temperature reached Rong Xiu¡¯s palm. It looked as if the eagle from the copper door was about to become alive! Rong Xiu was calm, and his eyes slightly darkened as a powerful force was unleashed from his palms. Hong! The two forces intensely clashed with each other and silently burst. The fire was instantly extinguished, and the glow on the eagle¡¯s wings darkened. Everything returned to normal in the blink of an eye. Rong Xiu looked towards the side. This momentary clash did not attract Elder Wei Yun¡¯s attention. He pushed open the door and entered. There were very few people in Jiuyou Tower at this moment. After he entered, he walked one round and went to the centermost position. He looked up and saw several sets of spiraling stairs that connected to the higher floors in Jiuyou Tower. Rong Xiu looked at the highest floor. His eyes were as dark as the night sky, which made people feel fear and suppression. His surroundings were silent, and everything was normal. Rong Xiu stepped on the stairs. A sharp whistle suddenly sounded by his ears. It was a crazily harsh shrill! Rong Xiu dangerously squinted his eyes. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Then, Rong Xiu continued to walk up. At the same time, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was cultivating¡ªsuddenly opened her eyes, completely shocked. ¡°Was that the beast yelling?¡± Chapter 184 - Punishment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She immediately stood up and walked to the door. However, when she walked outside, she realized that the large space was empty. Only the stairs in the middle had a familiar white figure. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. He isn¡¯t a student of the academy, so how did he get in? It looks like he¡¯s going higher! Rong Xiu heard the footsteps and turned around. The cold suppression in his eyes immediately disappeared, and it was replaced by shock. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Your Highness, I should be the one asking you that, right? Only people from Tian Lu Academy can enter Jiuyou Tower. How did you come in?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°I came to see what my mother¡¯s favorite place looked like, but I¡¯m just casually looking around. You can just return to your cultivation.¡± Other people might believe this, but Chu Liuyue would not. Even though she had no concrete evidence, she felt that Rong Xiu¡¯s motive in coming to Tian Lu Academy was not pure. She surveyed her surroundings and noticed that nobody else came out of their rooms, other than her. She tried to ask, ¡°Your Highness, did you hear a sound just now?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes seemed to be confused. ¡°What sound?¡± A frown appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. Perhaps Rong Xiu really didn¡¯t hear it? The others didn¡¯t come out as well, so it didn¡¯t seem weird. However, I can confirm that it was definitely not a hallucination. I heard the shrill shriek very clearly! ¡°Hm?¡± Rong Xiu lifted his chin. ¡°Do you want to follow me up and take a look?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Your Highness, you might not know this, but it¡¯s not so easy to ascend Jiuyou Tower. I¡¯m just a stage-one warrior, so I can only temporarily stay on the first floor. I can only go up to the second floor when I become a stage-two warrior.¡± Even though it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to go up to the third floor with her true abilities, she did not plan to do so for now. She purposely scrutinized Rong Xiu and teased him, ¡°Your Highness, your body is weak, so you should take care of yourself.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly. She¡¯s still purposely targeting me because of yesterday¡¯s incident. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb you any further. I¡¯ll leave by myself in a while.¡± Then, he continued to head upwards. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. Actually, she had a vague guess in her heart that perhaps the previous beast shriek was related to Rong Xiu! However, she did not hear any more sounds after listening intently for a while. It seemed like everything that happened earlier was just an illusion. At this point, Rong Xiu had already gone up to the second floor and disappeared from Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision. Chu Liuyue stood rooted to the ground for a while before turning to enter her room. Rong Xiu¡¯s abilities are very strong and undetectable, and they are more than enough for him to go up to the second floor. However, I wonder which floor he will stop at. Also, why exactly did he come here? After closing the door, Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged, closed her eyes, and started to cultivate again. ¡­ Rong Xiu went upstairs step by step. He walked up to the second floor, paused, and surveyed the surroundings. There were clearly fewer rooms here than the first floor, but every room was relatively bigger. The weakest people that could come here were stage-two warriors. As many students were still recuperating, the first floor did not have many people. The second floor was even worse. Rong Xiu continued to go up. The suppression strength at different levels was different. Hence, an average student would slow down when they came here. Even a stage-three warrior had to try a few times before they could successfully proceed to the third level. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s steps were as calm as usual. He didn¡¯t hesitate the slightest bit as he directly stepped on the stairs to the third floor. But he did not stop! Da. Da. Da. Thin and clear footsteps reverberated throughout Jiuyou Tower. Very quickly, Rong Xiu could feel that the higher staircases had transparent barriers blocking them. This was the barrier for the fourth floor! Other than the elders and teachers in Tian Lu Academy, barely any students were stage-four warriors. Hence, very few people came to this floor. Even with the barrier in the way, Rong Xiu could still clearly feel the rich Heaven and Earth Force above the fourth level. The density of Heaven and Earth Force here was a few times higher than outside. If one could cultivate here, their speed would be greatly increased. Similarly, the suppression and danger within would also increase by a few folds. He looked up slightly, and his dark and quiet gaze landed on the barrier. Buzz! With just one look, ripples quickly appeared on the barrier, and it broke from the middle. Rong Xiu continued walking up. He waved his hands when he walked past the barrier, and the barrier quickly repaired itself, going back to normal. It was as if nobody had been here. ¡­ Elder Wei Yun lazily lay on the chair, one of his hands holding his head up as he dozed off. At one moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, and his originally lazy gaze suddenly became sharp as he looked towards Jiuyou Tower. He clearly felt some unusual movements in Jiuyou Tower earlier! When he wanted to sense the movement again, he realized that the unusual ripple had disappeared. Elder Wei Yun tightly knitted his brows and walked two steps closer to the tower. However, no more noises came from Jiuyou Tower. Elder Wei Yun stood rooted to the ground as he stared at Jiuyou Tower with a complicated gaze. He did not feel relaxed at all. In fact, he felt even more worried. Actually, this was not the first time such things had happened at Jiuyou Tower. Recently, unusual movements occurred in Jiuyou Tower, but they always stopped very quickly. He had tried to check on it a few times, but it was to no avail. Perhaps I should talk to the director about this soon¡­ ¡­ Rong Xiu made it all the way to the sixth floor without attracting anyone¡¯s attention. Other than him, there was nobody else on this floor. Even the teachers in the academy might not be able to endure the dense force here. However, Rong Xiu looked normal; he did not look uncomfortable at all. He repaired the sixth floor barrier once again and finally stopped. He looked up. In actual fact, the upper three floors all had barriers, so he could not see anything from his spot. However, it looked as if he could see past the barriers and notice the innermost happenings. ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± A deep and cold voice echoed throughout the empty sixth floor, together with a suppression that only the strong would have. Nobody answered him. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, and your temper has only become worse.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze lightened. Woosi! A strange sound, with a tinge of craziness and unconcealable fear, was heard. Naturally, it feared Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu cupped his hands, and silver force immediately gathered, finally condensing into a long whip. Rong Xiu expressionlessly raised his hand and harshly lashed it out. Pak! The long whip strongly hit the seventh floor barrier. A miserable shriek was heard once again! ¡°This whip is because you didn¡¯t stay in your place. Pak! The second whip quickly followed. ¡°This whip is because you were greedy and tried to steal someone¡¯s body!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were cold and sharp as he slowly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, the third whip will destroy your pearl of essence. Do you understand me?¡± Chapter 185 - Stand Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Rong Xiu came out of Jiuyou Tower, Elder Wei Yun was kind of shocked. ¡°You came out so quickly? Did you see everything clearly?¡± Rong Xiu smiled lightly and nodded. ¡°I only wanted to know what Mother¡¯s favorite place¡ªJiuyou Tower¡ªlooked like, so I went in for a while. Besides, I¡¯m already very grateful that you let me in even though I¡¯m not one of the academy¡¯s students.¡± Elder Wei Yun thought to himself: Rong Xiu¡¯s body is very frail, and I think he can only forcefully look around the first floor. He probably can¡¯t go to the higher floors, so it¡¯s normal that he took such a short time to look around. However, Elder Wei Yun could not say this aloud. ¡°It was no trouble at all; there¡¯s no need to say thank you. I hear that you¡¯ll be staying in the academy for some time. If you want to come again, just go ahead!¡± Ru Yue had helped the academy quite a bit back then, so they naturally looked after her only descendent¡ªRong Xiu. ¡°Thank you, Elder Wei Yun.¡± Rong Xiu thanked him again and coughed. Upon seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s pale face, Elder Wei Yun thought that his body was indeed unwell. Hence, Elder Wei Yun hurriedly made him return home. Rong Xiu readily followed his advice. Elder Wei Yun looked at Jiuyou Tower again. For some reason, the faint uneasiness from earlier on seemed to have dissipated. ¡­ Just when Rong Xiu returned to Yi Feng Courtyard, Yan Qing came up to him and anxiously asked, ¡°Master, did you go to Jiuyou Tower?¡± Yan Qing left the academy in the afternoon, but once he came back, he heard that his master had actually gone there. ¡°Didn¡¯t you previously say that we¡¯ll do nothing for now?¡± Rong Xiu walked under the peach tree and lazily sat on the rattan chair. He said lightly, ¡°I obviously must teach those disobedient ones a lesson.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s heart dropped, and he then realized that his master seemed a little angry. This anger seems to be targeted at Jiuyou Tower? ¡°You can just ask Chuan Qiong to do such things; you don¡¯t have to go there yourself.¡± Yan Qing really did not understand his master. Master has already attracted so much attention by coming to Tian Lu Academy, and he has even gone to Jiuyou Tower in public. If news of this spread, those people might do something about it. Rong Xiu closed his eyes, and the sunlight shone on his lashes, leaving a faint shadow on his face. Yan Qing curiously knitted his brows. Didn¡¯t Master rest at Ms. Liuyue¡¯s place yesterday? Why does he look like he didn¡¯t sleep well? Doesn¡¯t he always sleep better when Ms. Liuyue is with him? But when he saw that Rong Xiu did not say a word, Yan Qing knew that his master was planning to rest. Thus, Yan Qing bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± He retreated a few steps before turning around and walking into the house. When near the door, a thought popped up in Yan Qing¡¯s mind. Wait a minute! When did Chuan Qiong tell us that Jiuyou Tower had the biggest unusual movement? I think that day was coincidentally the first day Ms. Liuyue stepped into Jiuyou Tower? Chuan Qiong even suspects that the unusual movements are connected to Chu Liuyue¡­ Yan Qing could not help but turn around to take a look, and his eyelids twitched. After such a long day¡­ Master just personally went over to stand up for Ms. Liuyue? ¡­ Chu Liuyue absorbed the last bit of Heaven and Earth Force into her body and combined it with the water droplet in her dantian before slowly opening her eyes. It seems like this body is much stronger after recovering from the training at Wan Ling Mountain. I can vaguely feel that I¡¯m going to break through and become a stage-two warrior. When that happens, I can go up to the second floor and hasten my cultivation. As Chu Liuyue thought of this, she looked at the hourglass on the wall. She then realized that her cultivation time had just ended, so she stood up to leave. When she walked to the stairs, she could not help but stop and look up. She could not see what was on the highest floor of the spiral staircase. Also, Rong Xiu did not seem to be around anymore. Jiuyou Tower was very quiet as if the previous shrill shriek had not happened at all. ¡­ Chu Liuyue arrived at Mu Hongyu¡¯s place and saw her flipping a booklet in her hand in boredom. Mu Hongyu seemed to be worried about something as she had furrowed both her thin eyebrows. It looked as if she wanted to use her eyes to see through that booklet. ¡°Hongyu.¡± Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice, Mu Hongyu recovered her senses and looked at Chu Liuyue. She weakly held her chin. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Why do you look so bored?¡± Chu Liuyue sat down beside Mu Hongyu, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept past the booklet. ¡°It¡¯s because my body hasn¡¯t recovered, so I can¡¯t cultivate!¡± Mu Hongyu looked up at the sky and sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t been so severely injured since I was born! Who knows how long I¡¯ll take to recover? I¡¯m getting sick of being bored.¡± Chu Liuyue minded herself and poured herself a cup of tea as she highly doubted Mu Hongyu¡¯s words. ¡°You weren¡¯t this bored a few days ago. Why are you bored now?¡± Mu Hongyu grunted. ¡°Ji Yurong went to the teacher and requested for a room change. He then brought his belongings to somewhere else at noon. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know about this.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, holding the teacup, paused. ¡°Mm, I coincidentally met the two of them today and directly solved the issue.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m bored!¡± Mu Hongyu leaned back and looked up before she used the booklet to cover her face. ¡°My body requires quite a few more days to recover before I can move around as I wish. Just thinking about it bores me!¡± She suddenly thought of something and sat up straight. She stared at Chu Liuyue with a scrutinizing gaze. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re injured too! I also remember that your injuries are even more severe than mine. Why do you look like you¡¯re fine? I heard that you even went to Jiuyou Tower to cultivate today.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll really go mad from comparing people!¡± Even if Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent is better than mine, this is too much! Chu Liuyue simply smiled. A person with a Dijing Yuan meridian indeed had much faster recovery speed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t go there tomorrow.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve finished my 38 hours.¡± Chu Liuyue pointed at her nameplate. Mu Hongyu was first shocked before showing a look of contempt. ¡°Who told you to go there every day? It¡¯s already very good that you lasted all the way until now, okay?¡± ¡°Thus, I came here to ask you about how one earns the cultivation time.¡± Mu Hongyu threw the booklet in her hands to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Here. All the ways to earn cultivation time is here. Take a look at it.¡± Chu Liuyue had noticed this booklet earlier on, but she did not expect it to be related to Jiuyou Tower. She flipped open the first page and saw the top line: ¡°A third-grade fiend¡¯s pearl of essence can be exchanged for two hours.¡± ¡°This was given out when the school term started, and everyone has one. You came in in the middle of the term, so it¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t have it. All sorts of tasks are written on it, and the harder the task, the better the rewards.¡± Chu Liuyue flipped to the back. ¡°A fifth-grade fiend¡¯s pearl of essence can be exchanged for 200 hours.¡± The difference was pretty big. However, this was understandable as it was a lot harder to obtain a fifth-grade fiend¡¯s pearl of essence compared to a third-grade one. Chu Liuyue looked at the booklet, and Mu Hongyu suddenly leaned in. She excitedly lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Oh yeah, I heard that Prince Li went to Jiuyou Tower today too?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her. ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who knows! The entire academy knows, alright? Did you know that Prince Li has already become the most famous existence in the academy now? Of course¡­ that¡¯s only for women!¡± Chapter 186 - Exchange Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Oh? Why?¡± Chu Liuyue was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s obviously because of his face!¡± screamed Mu Hongyu. ¡°Do you really think that Prince Li looks average?¡± There¡¯s nothing wrong with Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, right¡­? ¡°¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she was at a loss for words at that moment. Mu Hongyu was not wrong. Rong Xiu¡¯s demonic appearance could truly trick a lot of people. ¡°In the past, the most famous person in the academy was the Crown Prince. Objectively speaking, the Crown Prince is pretty handsome. But when compared to Rong Xiu¡­ Pft, it¡¯s tragic!¡± The difference in their charm was as wide as the distance between heaven and earth. ¡°I heard that Prince Li¡¯s mother was greatly loved by the Emperor back then and that the present most doted on consort can¡¯t even be her match. It¡¯s not hard to imagine why from Prince Li¡¯s appearance. When he showed up yesterday, countless women fell head over heels for him!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly remembered that Rong Xiu was just quietly lying down to rest in Yi Feng Courtyard the previous day. Yet, he had already attracted many women¡¯s admiration. Her heart felt stuffy for some reason, but her face did not show it. She quietly flipped the booklet in her hands and seemingly asked casually, ¡°Prince Li is pretty handsome, but he¡¯s always sick, and his body is very frail. Don¡¯t they mind that?¡± ¡°Why would they? Did you forget that he¡¯s the Seventh Prince¡ªPrince Li? Just this title alone will cause many women to pounce at him, let alone with him being this good looking. I think there¡¯s a whole bunch of girls who are willing to take care of him.¡± Chu Liuyue paused in her actions. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I heard that Prince Li is going to be staying at the academy for now, and many people have set their eyes on him. However, it¡¯s lucky that his lodging is kind of special, so an average student doesn¡¯t dare to go near him. I remember that you live quite near him, right?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at her. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Mu Hongyu chuckled. ¡°Nothing much, but I just think that Prince Li treats you differently!¡± She lowered her voice, and her nosy desire burned. ¡°Prince Li hasn¡¯t really appeared in public much after he returned to the Imperial City., The only time he did was at the Crown Prince¡¯s banquet, and he even helped you out then. Isn¡¯t that weird? Anyway, I just feel that he treats you differently¡­¡± Something flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as she picked up the booklet and hit Mu Hongyu¡¯s head. ¡°So when you said you were bored, you spent your time thinking about this?¡± ¡°Aiyo!¡± Mu Hongyu touched her forehead. ¡°I was just kidding!¡± ¡°I think your injuries are still pretty serious. Is your cultivation time going to run out soon?¡± When Chu Liuyue mentioned this, Mu Hongyu pouted. ¡°Yeah! I went to Jiuyou Tower to cultivate many times because of Wan Ling Mountain, but it¡¯s a pity that I haven¡¯t become a stage-four warrior until now.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while. ¡°Do you really want to break through?¡± ¡°You have a way?¡± ¡°Actually, you should be on the verge of breaking through. If you cultivate for a while longer after your body recovers, you can smoothly become a stage-four warrior.¡± Mu Hongyu held up her chin with both hands and curiously asked, ¡°I heard that some pills can help one in breaking through? Liuyue, since you can help Zhongshu with his poison, can you help me¡ª¡± ¡°No matter what, using pills still means you¡¯re depending on an external force. Even though you can rapidly break through, it¡¯ll pose a huge disadvantage to your future cultivation. If you consume such a pill now, it will most likely halve your future progress.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Mu Hongyu was shocked and hurriedly rejected, ¡°I don¡¯t want it then! I¡¯ll just diligently cultivate.¡± ¡°Just rest well for the next few days, and I¡¯ll lend you some of my cultivation time later. When you become a stage-four warrior, you can just return the hours to me by completing the tasks listed in the booklet.¡± Chu Liuyue then returned the booklet to Mu Hongyu and wanted to stand up to leave. ¡°Aish¡­ Liuyue, how do you plan to earn cultivation time? The tasks are pretty troublesome!¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes gained smiling intent. ¡°I have my own ways.¡± ¡­ ¡°What? Are you sure you want to use this fifth-grade Xuan formation drawing to trade for your cultivation time?¡± asked Elder Wei Yun in shock when he looked at the Xuan formation drawing in his hands. Chu Liuyue left and returned just because of this? ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I exchange it?¡± ¡°You can, but¡­ this fifth-grade Xuan formation drawing is very valuable. Are you sure you want to use it?¡± Elder Wei Yun still could not believe it. An average person wouldn¡¯t even see a fifth-grade Xuan formation drawing; they would also definitely treasure it to death once they have such an item, but what¡¯s with Chu Liuyue? How can she directly use it to exchange for Jiuyou Tower cultivation time? This is too wasteful! ¡°Liuyue, I think you should consider this carefully. You don¡¯t have to cultivate at Jiuyou Tower since you can cultivate somewhere else. It might be slower, but it¡¯s stable. Why are you so anxious?¡± Elder Wei Yun had already tried very hard to say his words curtly. Actually, he really disapproved of Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. Does she not understand what ¡®more haste less speed¡¯ means? Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. Of course, I know that I can absorb Heaven and Earth Force to cultivate at any place, but the Dijing Yuan meridian can withstand the force much better than an average Yuan meridian. Not only will I not feel any adverse effects in Jiuyou Tower, but I can even increase my cultivation speed. Why will I not do it? Besides, I¡¯m truly in a rush for time. ¡°Elder Wei Yun, I know what I¡¯m doing. Could you help me exchange it?¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s determined look, Elder Wei Yun knew that there was no point in advising her, so he could only agree. He accepted the fifth-grade Xuan formation drawing, placed Chu Liuyue¡¯s nameplate on the black stone, and lightly drew on it. Chu Liuyue clearly saw that the number above changed from ¡®0¡¯ to ¡®200¡¯. ¡°Thank you, Elder Wei Yun!¡± Chu Liuyue happily placed the nameplate back on her chest. With these 200 hours, she temporarily did not need to worry about earning more cultivation time. Elder Wei Yun secretly shook his head. This child¡¯s mindset and thinking aren¡¯t far-sighted enough. I need to properly advise her another day¡­ Chu Liuyue glanced at him and knew what he was thinking, but she had no plans of explaining herself. If she told him now that she would come again and continue to use Xuan formation drawings to exchange for cultivation time, Elder Wei Yun might even want to beat her up. ¡­ Chapter 187 - Promiscuous Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What? You used a fifth-grade Xuan formation drawing to exchange for 200 hours?¡± Mu Hongyu was so shocked that she jumped up when she heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s explanation. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Chu Liuyue calmly handed her nameplate over. ¡°I¡¯ll lend you 40 hours first. You can return them another day.¡± Mu Hongyu hopelessly covered her face. ¡°Elder Wei Yun didn¡¯t scold you? Do you know how precious a fifth-grade Xuan formation drawing is? Forget it if you¡¯re a warrior because you don¡¯t need it, but you¡¯re a Xuan Master!¡± ¡°That Xuan formation drawing doesn¡¯t even belong to me in the first place. I won it from Gu Mingzhu the other time. Isn¡¯t it great that I used it to exchange for 200 hours?¡± ¡°But even Gu Mingzhu never did such a thing!¡± When she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalance, Mu Hongyu was so angry that she did not know what to say. Even when Gu Mingzhu was loved and doted on in the Gu family, she could not bear to do this. However, why does Chu Liuyue not care about it at all? ¡°Then, what are you going to do if you want to become a fifth-grade Xuan Master, but you don¡¯t have a Xuan formation drawing to study?¡± ¡°Oh, I still have another drawing with me.¡± Wan Ling Mountain¡¯s fiends were all killed, so it was not possible to use a fiend¡¯s pearl of essence to exchange for hours. As for medicine refining¡­ she didn¡¯t really want to expose her abilities. After much thinking, exchanging the Xuan formation drawing was the best way. Mu Hongyu could tell that Chu Liuyue was very stubborn and could not be convinced. Hence, Mu Hongyu took the nameplate with much pain, and her hands were slightly trembling. What kind of boss did I follow? Do two Xuan formation drawings mean nothing to her? ¡°Liuyue, tell me honestly. You¡¯re thinking of exchanging the remaining drawing, right?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°You guessed that too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A third-grade Xuan formation drawing can only exchange for two hours, and a fourth-grade one for 20 hours. Thinking about it, only a fifth-grade Xuan formation drawing is the least troublesome one to exchange.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°These hours should last for a while. After I¡¯ve finished with the cultivation time, I¡¯ll look for more Xuan formation drawings.¡± ¡°¡­ Liuyue, Xuan formation drawings aren¡¯t radishes. Where are you going to find them?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll just draw one myself if I can¡¯t find them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mu Hongyu cupped her fists in admiration. ¡°You¡¯re really heartless.¡± Mu Hongyu heard that creating a Xuan formation drawing required a lot of time and effort, but Chu Liuyue looked so calm as if it did not matter at all. Thus, Mu Hongyu could only keep quiet. A genius¡¯s thinking is indeed different from an average person¡¯s. Chu Liuyue looked at Mu Hongyu and could not help but laugh in her heart. This might be difficult for others, but it¡¯s very simple to me. Even though I¡¯m only a stage-two Xuan Master, my brain contains memories of more than a million different Xuan Master drawings. I can just randomly pick one out to draw. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not think so much. The Qing Jiao Competition is coming soon, so you should prepare for it.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue decisively transferred 40 hours to Mu Hongyu before taking back her nameplate and leaving. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue returned to her place, she discovered that the usually quiet Shuang Qing Lake was much more crowded. Suddenly, there seemed to be many people by the river and on the bridge. They were all especially beautiful women. Their eyes looked in a certain direction from time to time. Chu Liuyue followed their gaze in understanding. As expected, they are looking at Yi Feng Courtyard. Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t resting in the yard today. However, this did not stop the enthusiastic women. All of them continued to look in the same direction with admiring and hopeful looks. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched as she headed straight for her lodging. When she made it past the fragrant crowd, she finally heaved a sigh of relief, and a thought flashed across her mind: Attracting all the bees and flowers! It seems like Rong Xiu purposely lay at Yi Feng Courtyard to rest that day. Originally, Chu Liuyue thought that not many people would like Rong Xiu since he always claimed that he was ill and did not have much power in his hands, even though he was very handsome. However, it seemed like she had predicted it wrongly. Chu Liuyue went up to the second floor, prepared her inkstone, and started writing the formula for the antidote to Red Blood Gu. She had once seen such a poison in her previous life, but it was when she was very young. Back then, she had been helping her mentor out and wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor yet. She did not see the formula in detail back then, so she could only remember half of it after such a long time had passed. She needed to think of how to finish the formula. The brush was placed in rich ink, and the faint ink fragrance permeated the room. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and instantly felt much calmer when she smelled this. She especially liked the inkstone and the brush. Suddenly, she remembered that she had not been to Zhen Bao Pavilion in a long time. I wonder if their Master has returned to the Imperial City yet? If he has the time, I would really like to meet him. ¡­ Time trickled past. When Chu Liuyue was done with the formula, it was nearly evening. She walked to the window and looked at the sky. The setting sun¡¯s remaining brightness painted the sky with a mesmerizing warm color. As if unintentionally, Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at the far away yard. There was still nobody in Yi Feng Courtyard. However, it seemed much quieter outside. Chu Liuyue was curious and went to the other side to take a look. The originally crowded Shuang Qing Lake was currently empty. Hm? All of them left? Just when Chu Liuyue was thinking about this, she saw Yan Qing walk past the bridge. She folded her formula, put it in her arms, and walked down. Upon seeing Chu Liuyue walking toward him, Yan Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, ¡°Greetings, Ms. Liuyue.¡± With a smile on her face, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Yan Qing, did you just come back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Prince Li is living in the academy, but you¡¯re the only one serving him?¡± ¡°Yes. His Highness wishes to rest and doesn¡¯t want to cause much trouble, so he only brought me along.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°Quiet? I think His Highness¡¯s wish is a little hard. I live nearby, and even I find it noisy.¡± Yan Qing was dazed. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, do you mean¡­ Don¡¯t worry; such a scene will not happen again!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°I¡¯ve already told them that the Prince needs to rest and that I hoped they wouldn¡¯t bother him. Hence, they immediately left. I¡¯ve already made a trip there and just came back.¡± Yan Qing hurriedly explained as he felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were too chilly. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smiling eyes made Yan Qing feel guilty. ¡°It seems like they¡¯re really genuine towards the Prince.¡± Yan Qing just said that the Prince needed to rest, and all of them obediently went back since they were afraid of disturbing him. ¡°Prince Li really has many women bending their backs to help him.¡± Chapter 188 - They have an Excellent Relationship Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yan Qing felt that there was something wrong with Chu Liuyue¡¯s statement. Why does Ms. Liuyue seem to be¡­ angry? However, Chu Liuyue had already left before he could say anything else. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, you¡ª¡± Yan Qing thought for a while and hurriedly returned to Yi Feng Courtyard. When he walked in, he saw his master reading a book. ¡°Master, Ms. Liuyue went out just now and asked me about some things.¡± Rong Xiu said, ¡°Mm¡± and flipped to the next page. Upon seeing his master¡¯s behavior, Yan Qing could not help but mutter to himself: Master must know what we¡¯ve talked about, but why does he have no reaction? Did the two of them quarrel? ¡°Master, I¡¯ve already explained to Ms. Liuyue that you said a sentence to make all those women leave.¡± Master has already done so much to keep himself innocent, but why does Ms. Liuyue still seem unhappy? Rong Xiu finally looked up from the book and glanced at Yan Qing. ¡°Yan Qing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t had a wife yet, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been following Master since I was young, so you know that I don¡¯t have a wife.¡± Rong Xiu rubbed his brows. Yan Qing is good at everything, but he¡¯s dumb in terms of relationships. However, this is good since he is the most suited to do the task. Seeing his Master¡¯s expression, Yan Qing felt that he did something wrong and immediately bowed to show his remorse. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s all my fault! When Ms. Liuyue comes back, I¡¯ll apologize to her personally.¡± Rong Xiu finally could not help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want her to get angry.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Yan Qing looked up in shock and lost his composure for once. Doesn¡¯t Master like Ms. Liuyue a lot? This¡­ Logically speaking, he should want to make her happy more than ever, so why did he purposely anger her? ¡°Master, this¡­ If Ms. Liuyue is really angry¡­¡± Aren¡¯t you the one whose heart will ache? Rong Xiu flipped to the next page and smiled with even deeper meaning. ¡°It¡¯ll be great if she really gets angry.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue naturally did not know that Rong Xiu had already set up a trap for her to jump inside. Even though Yan Qing¡¯s words made her uncomfortable, she quickly forgot about them. This was because she had even more important tasks to do. When she arrived at Zhen Bao Pavilion, it was already late, and Zhen Bao Pavilion was closing. But the pageboy¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when he saw Chu Liuyue, and he enthusiastically welcomed her. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, you¡¯re here! Quickly, come in!¡± Ever since Yan Ge sent many valuable gifts to Chu Liuyue, everyone in Zhen Bao Pavilion knew that this person was very important. Furthermore, when Chu Liuyue brought a few Zhen Bao Pavilion staff to the Chu family to chase her debts, she had given them many rewards when they returned. Thus, the entire Zhen Bao Pavilion thought of her as a very important guest. While walking in, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Second Master Yan? Is he not in today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± When Yan Ge heard her voice, he immediately walked out of the neighboring room. He was elated and emotional when he saw Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, what made you come over? I heard that you¡¯ve just returned from Wan Ling Mountain. Are you feeling better?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern, Second Master Yan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome! I wanted to visit you when I had the chance, but you returned to the academy after you came back. Hence, it¡¯s not nice if I disturbed you, right?¡± Yan Ge felt that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t be in much trouble since that person had already taken action on his own. ¡°I appreciate your kindness. I have another matter I would like to trouble you with,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she passed him a piece of paper. ¡°I wonder if Zhen Bao Pavilion has the herbs listed on the paper?¡± Only a portion of the formula¡¯s herbs was written on the paper. Yan Ge took the paper, and he immediately looked serious when he saw the words on it. After a long while, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, you don¡¯t come here normally, but you give us such a difficult task once you do. None of these things are easy to find!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I came here.¡± Perhaps the Heavenly Pharmacy would have these things, but Zuo Rong and the rest would definitely find something amiss if she went there. Chu Liuyue purposely went there the previous time to lure out the culprit, but it was different this time. She did not want others to know that she knew how to make the antidote for Red Blood Gu. Something that none of the heavenly doctor teachers in the academy could solve was solved by her. Wasn¡¯t this creating trouble for herself? Yan Ge thought for a while and immediately understood what Chu Liuyue meant. He found it weird that she did not come the previous time, but it seemed like she had her own plans. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll check if we have the items in the storeroom, and I¡¯ll prepare them for you! However, we temporarily don¡¯t have two of these herbs, so you have to wait for a while.¡± Chu Liuyue looked calm, but she was shocked in her heart. All of the herbs on the paper are valuable and rare, so I thought it¡¯d be pretty good if I could find three or four of them here. I didn¡¯t expect them to lack two herbs only. Besides, he told me to wait? This means that they have a method of getting all the herbs on the list! She knew that Zhen Bao Pavilion had a formidable background and was not just an ordinary store, but it seemed like they were much stronger than what she imagined. ¡°Thank you, Second Master Yan.¡± Chu Liuyue thanked him before she seemingly asked casually, ¡°Oh yeah, I wonder if your Master has returned to the Imperial City yet?¡± Yan Ge paused and smiled. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m afraid that I have to disappoint you again¡­ Master is busy accompanying Madam recently, so he doesn¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°Accompanying Madam?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised, but she felt that it was normal for such an important character with such great means to have a wife. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your Master to be so considerate to his wife. They should have a good relationship, right?¡± Yan Ge coughed. He¡¯s not only considerate. He has even given his entire person. However, this relationship¡­ I wonder how she¡¯ll react if I say that Master hasn¡¯t won Madam over yet? ¡°Haha, of course! Our Madam is the most outstanding woman in the world, and our Master treats her like a treasure!¡± Yan Ge laughed and avoided Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze. Saying this in front of her is really¡­ Master keeps hiding this from her. Is he really not afraid that she will get angry? Forget it. I can¡¯t care about that! Anyway, it¡¯s better if I compliment her more now. Hence, it¡¯ll be a plus point, even if she gets angry in the future! ¡°If you meet her in the future, you¡¯ll know that I¡¯m not lying. Haha!¡± Chapter 189 - Angry Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue became increasingly curious about this Master and Madam. Actually, she had heard rumors about how Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Master specifically cancelled an auction that they had prepared. He had offended all the distinguished people in the Imperial City just to pick presents for his wife. Even Chu Liuyue was surprised at such actions. One had to know that money was not the most important thing to these distinguished people. They valued reputation the most. In the end, not much trouble was caused. Firstly, Zhen Bao Pavilion had extraordinary status, so those people did not dare to offend them. Secondly, Zhen Bao Pavilion gave sufficient compensation, which was akin to letting them come down easily. This incident peacefully passed because of this. Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Master truly was very wealthy and even more genuine to his wife. ¡°Okay, I hope I¡¯ll have such a chance in the future.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue discussed the herbs with Yan Ge again, and she reminded him of some details. The pageboy quickly brought the herbs over. Chu Liuyue felt a little troubled upon seeing the big and small boxes. If she openly brought all of these items back to the academy, she would definitely attract many people¡¯s attention. If Mr. Zuo Rong found out about it, he would definitely come over and investigate. At that point, it would be very hard for her to explain it clearly. If she said anything, other people would suspect her. If she did not say anything, it would be even weirder that she went to Zhen Bao Pavilion, instead of the academy¡¯s Heavenly Pharmacy. Yan Ge carefully looked at her and said, ¡°Ms. Liuyue, it¡¯ll be a little troublesome if you bring all these items back alone, right?¡± Chu Liuyue honestly nodded. She still needed more herbs in the future, and she couldn¡¯t be so open about it every time. ¡°Second Master Yan, do you have anything here that can allow me to take these items away conveniently?¡± ¡°Are you referring to a Cosmic Bag?¡± ¡°Does Zhen Bao Pavilion have this too?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up in shock. She was just casually asking, but she did not actually expect them to have Cosmic Bags. ¡°Haha! Zhen Bao Pavilion doesn¡¯t have much, but we¡¯re not lacking in Cosmic Bags. If not, it would be really hard to take these items away, right?¡± Yan Ge heartily laughed. ¡°Old Liu, bring a Cosmic Bag over for Ms. Liuyue.¡± The pageboy at the side hurriedly agreed and quickly brought the a Cosmic Bag over. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, please¡ª¡± Yan Ge passed the Cosmic Bag to Chu Liuyue. ¡°You just need to inject some of your force into it, and this Cosmic Bag will be yours.¡± Chu Liuyue picked up the Cosmic Bag and examined it closely. The Cosmic Bag was half a palm¡¯s size and completely gold. There were even some intricate cloud patterns embroidered on it. It looked very intricate. Cosmic Bags could also be sorted into different grades. The higher the grade, the bigger the space within the Cosmic Bag. Chu Liuyue tried to inject some force into it. She heard a light buzz and immediately felt a special connection with this Cosmic Bag. She then manipulated her primordial spirit, shockingly realizing that the space within this Cosmic Bag was as big as a room! This was much bigger than that of Mr. Zuo Rong. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes and looked at Yan Ge. She said, ¡°Second Master Yan, this is too valuable. I can¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°Aish, I¡¯ve already given you the item, so you can¡¯t give it back to me. Besides, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll need to come here many times, so it¡¯s more convenient for both of us if the Cosmic Bag¡¯s space is bigger.¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a while. Yan Ge¡¯s words made sense. She truly would need to use this Cosmic Bag a lot in the future. ¡°Then¡­ name me a price!¡± Chu Liuyue pointed at the herbs by the side. ¡°Count all of them in too. I¡¯ll pay for everything now.¡± At this point, Chu Liuyue was more than grateful that she had caused a scene at the Chu family, and got back her father¡¯s and her money. If not, she would not be able to afford any of the items here! Yan Ge coughed. How can my own Madam pay for the items she took from her own store? Even if she is willing to give, I¡¯m not willing to take! However, I have to follow Master¡¯s plan since he hasn¡¯t revealed his identity yet. ¡°This¡­ Look, you¡¯re a very important guest at Zhen Bao Pavilion, so we naturally have to give you a discount. These herbs and the Cosmic Bag¡­ You can just give me 300,000 silver taels!¡± Chu Liuyue calculated the total value of the items in her possession.. ¡°Second Master Yan, are you planning not to do business anymore? From what I know, this Cosmic Bag alone is worth more than 600,000 silver taels right? Including these herbs¡­ I don¡¯t feel good if I only pay 300,000 silver taels.¡± Yan Ge instantly felt awkward. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give you 1,000,000 silver taels first. When the other two herbs are delivered, I¡¯ll give you another 500,000 taels. What do you think?¡± Yan Ge widened his eyes. ¡°T-this isn¡¯t good¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s not good about it? You get what you pay for. I should give this money to you. It¡¯s settled then. If not, I won¡¯t dare to do business with you in the future.¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s determined attitude, Yan Ge could only agree. ¡°Hm¡­ Okay! I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Chu Liuyue then nodded her head in satisfaction. She bade farewell and left after placing all the herbs into the Cosmic Bag. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue reached the academy, she went straight to her place. She finally heaved a sigh of relief when she unpacked all the items in the Cosmic Bag. The medicine Chu Liuyue gave Liao Zhongshu previously could only temporarily stop the poison. If there was no antidote, the poison would explode seven days later. By then, it would directly take away Liao Zhongshu¡¯s life. Therefore, she had to produce a Red Blood Gu antidote in the remaining seven days. This was not simple to Chu Liuyue at this present moment. All heavenly doctors relied on their inner force when refining medicine. The richer one¡¯s force was, the more effective the medicine refinement. Chu Liuyue was just a stage-one warrior now. Even with her Dijing Yuan meridian, it did not seem possible for her to produce the medicine in one try. It was very possible that her inner force would be exhausted before even half the medicine was completed. Hence, she had to think of a method. Chu Liuyue subconsciously walked to the window and looked out. The sky was already dark, and everything was drowned by the black night sky, causing everything to be unclear. Rong Xiu was not in the yard. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief, but she vaguely felt disappointed for some reason. Who knows how many women want to suck up to a person like Rong Xiu. This is especially so with his charming looks. Even though he is a sickly person in the public¡¯s eyes, women will still fight to marry Prince Li. Not to mention that he is actually very powerful and formidable. Perhaps, I¡­ When she thought of this, she suddenly heard a relaxing whistle from Yi Feng Courtyard. Chu Liuyue was taken aback. Is Rong Xiu blowing the peach leaf? The disappointment she felt earlier had disappeared. She tightly pressed her lips against each other, but her face broke into a smile. Chapter 190 - Producing a Pill Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A sleepless night. From the next day onward, Chu Liuyue started to prepare the antidote¡¯s ingredients. Since she could not produce the Red Blood Gu antidote in one shot, Chu Liuyue decided to take it one step at a time. Firstly, she settled the more troublesome herbs and finally merged them together. In this way, the herbs would be perfectly stored, and the success rate would be pretty high. It also wouldn¡¯t attract other people¡¯s attention. Chu Liuyue shut herself in her lodging and did not go out for two whole days and nights. Zhen Bao Pavilion finally delivered the remaining two herbs on the fourth day. As the herbs were tightly sealed within a container, nobody could guess what they were. Everyone just thought that Chu Liuyue had bought something from Zhen Bao Pavilion again. Everyone in the Imperial City knew that Chu Liuyue was very close to Zhen Bao Pavilion since they previously helped book the entire Phoenix Restaurant for her. Thus, it was not surprising that they sent her some items today. Chu Liuyue gathered the herbs and started to refine the medicine in the room. As she had explained the situation to Mu Hongyu and the others a few days earlier, they did not come to disturb her. The others in the academy, however, were very curious. ¡­ Meditation class. Si Yang looked at the chessboard in front of him and rubbed his aching forehead. ¡°Aish! This Xuan formation is too hard!¡± Mr. Dongfang could not help but laugh. ¡°Even though this ¡®Golden Wood Formation¡¯ is a stage-three Xuan formation, its difficulty is comparable to that of a stage-four Xuan formation. Thus, it¡¯s only normal that you find it hard. However, if you can solve it, it proves that you¡¯re not far away from becoming a stage-four Xuan Master!¡± The students were, once again, excited and motivated after hearing his words. But Si Yang still sighed. Stage-Four Xuan Master? How can it be that easy? He could not help but defeatedly glance at the empty seats beside him. Si Ting no longer came to lessons since yesterday. Since the Qing Jiao Competition was approaching, Elder Sun had very high hopes for Si Ting. Hence, he started to let Si Ting cultivate in seclusion. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ She had not come back for lessons ever since she returned from Wan Ling Mountain. ¡°Si Yang, you must work hard and strive to get a good ranking in the Qing Jiao Competition!¡± Dongfang Qing still thought of Si Yang highly, especially in this group of students. Si Ting and Chu Liuyue were not around while Gu Mingzhu was dead, so only Si Yang was left amongst the top four scholars in the mid-term assessment. Si Yang helplessly and bitterly smiled. ¡°Mr. Dongfang, you think too highly of me! I¡¯ll definitely think that there¡¯s no problem if I have Big Brother¡¯s talent. However, the fact is that I don¡¯t have his talent! You should say this to Chu Liuyue instead.¡± Dongfang Qing coughed. ¡°She¡¯s not here.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s name immediately attracted the other students¡¯ attention. The crowd began discussing in low voices. ¡°Yeah! She hasn¡¯t come in a long while, but I heard that she¡¯s very diligent in going to Jiuyou Tower.¡± ¡°Ah? Is she participating in the Qing Jiao Competition as a warrior?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not impossible. After all, Si Ting is above her as a Xuan Master, but she¡¯s the top scholar for the warrior cohort. If I wanted a secure win, I¡¯d choose to compete as a warrior too¡­¡± ¡°I think she didn¡¯t come these few days because she¡¯s preparing for the Qing Jiao Competition!¡± Si Yang stretched his body. ¡°Perhaps she¡¯ll join both competitions.¡± The crowd¡¯s discussion was immediately hushed. ¡°The Qing Jiao Competition is a competition between academies. Other than feeling jealous, we should focus on cultivating so that we don¡¯t burden the academy!¡± ¡­ Time flew past, and a few days had gone in a blink of an eye. An intense herbal fragrance permeated the room. Chu Liuyue had already added all the herbs into the square cauldron; she just had to merge them together now. Looking at the colorful ball in the middle, Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in. The last step was the most important one. With her current abilities, it would be a bit forceful for her to complete it. However, she had to try no matter what. Today is the last day. If I can¡¯t successfully produce an antidote, Liao Zhongshu will definitely die! Then, I might not get to find out who is secretly trying to harm me! Chu Liuyue pressed both her hands on the square cauldron and focused all her energy. Immense force exuded from her palms and was injected into the cauldron. Hong! A bright-red fire rose up and enveloped the colorful ball in the middle! Chu Liuyue carefully controlled her force and merged the herbs bit by bit. Since there were too many herbs, her force was rapidly depleted. However, it was not easy to merge the herbs of different natures perfectly. This was also her first time trying to produce her own Red Blood Gu antidote after so many years. Thus, even she was not confident. After some time, the colorful herbs finally started to merge. Chu Liuyue¡¯s back was already drenched in sweat. Not only did Chu Liuyue not relax when she saw that the herbs had finally merged, but she became even more nervous! This was because she discovered that this step depleted her force even more quickly. I¡¯ve almost exhausted all of my body¡¯s strength! However, I need more force to support me as I finish this antidote! Heavenly doctors were different from Xuan Masters and warriors. Heavenly doctors could turn their force into fire, but Xuan Masters and warriors could not do that. Even if Chu Liuyue had others injecting their force, it would not help the situation at all since they couldn¡¯t produce a fire to refine the medicine. Hence, she could only depend on herself now. Time passed bit by bit. Chu Liuyue could clearly sense that her body¡¯s force was depleted. The fire in the square cauldron was rapidly shrinking, and it was about to extinguish. Once Chu Liuyue stopped, all her efforts would be wasted. It doesn¡¯t matter if I waste the herbs, but I definitely have to produce the antidote! She saw black patches in front of her and could not stand still. No! I can¡¯t fail at the last minute! Chu Liuyue bit the tip of her tongue, and the sharp pain cleared her mind. However, she did not have any force left in her body. She held the square cauldron tightly, and her joints turned white. Her organs also felt like they were tightly squeezed into a ball. Hopelessness drowned the bottom of her heart. Can I really not do it¡­? Buzz! A buzzing sound suddenly emerged from her dantian. The water droplet floating in the dantian suddenly moved. A small ripple appeared on the smooth water surface, and majestic force instantly rushed to Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs and bones. Chu Liuyue immediately recovered her senses. She swiftly turned her force into fire and injected it into the square cauldron without any hesitation. The fire that was about to extinguish suddenly intensified again, and the herbs within the square cauldron merged at a very unusual speed. Chu Liuyue stared at the square cauldron closely. The herbs rapidly merged and quickly gathered to form a ball the size of a fist. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. This was because¡­ this was the sign of pill formation! There were countless doctors in this world, but very few heavenly doctors. The biggest difference between them was whether they could produce pills! Normally speaking, only a fourth-grade doctor could become a true heavenly doctor. This step alone had stopped countless doctors from becoming a heavenly doctor. Originally, Chu Liuyue thought that she had limited ability and could not produce pills, so she had been preparing soup medicine all along. Even though there was a difference in the medicine¡¯s effectiveness, it could still serve as an antidote. However¡­. Hong! An invisible wave spread out from the pale orange pill! Chapter 191 - The Crystal Realm Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, a silver ray of light flew in from outside and turned into a huge barrier that contained the pill! At the same moment, a strong arm wrapped itself around Chu Liuyue¡¯s slender waist and brought her away from the square cauldron! Buzz! The immense energy collided with the barrier and made a loud, deep sound! A ripple appeared on the barrier and spread across it, quickly muting the loud noise before it disappeared. The room was silent again, as if nothing had happened. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was still beating wildly, and a low laugh came from the side of her ear. ¡°Are you trying to make everyone vie with me over you with all this commotion?¡± Only Rong Xiu could appear that quickly in that short amount of time. As she leaned against Rong Xiu¡¯s warm and broad chest, Chu Liuyue¡¯s wildly beating heart strangely felt calmer. She heaved a sigh of relief as she watched the silver barrier contain the square cauldron and pill. The loud commotion from the pill formation was bound to attract attention. Once people found out¡­ Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± Rong Xiu noticed that her voice sounded strange. Hence, he turned to look at her, only to find that her face was especially pale. His eyes were gloomy. She is clearly fatigued from exhausting all the energy in her body when she formed the pill. Is this worth it for an unrelated person? ¡°What were you going to do if I didn¡¯t show up?¡± Chu Liuyue paused as she looked up at him, only to see that Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was a little unreadable. He seems¡­ upset? Chu Liuyue blinked and instinctively grabbed the front of his shirt. ¡°Your Highness really won¡¯t show up?¡± The surroundings were dim, but her eyes were bright. It was like they were filled with stars. Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was normal, but her voice moved Rong Xiu more than anything that he ever heard. The trace of unhappiness at the bottom of his heart disappeared, making space for the immense joy he felt. ¡°You have me in your clutches, huh?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips and scoffed before she left his embrace. ¡°Not really. But today¡¯s matter counts as you making up for your mistakes.¡± ¡°Making up for my mistake? What mistake?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you know it better than I do. Do you really need me to point it out?¡± Chu Liuyue did not notice it initially, but she felt something off a few days later. What kind of person was Rong Xiu? If he did not want to be disturbed by those girls, he naturally had a way for them not to appear before him. However, Yan Qing was the one who asked them to leave that day. There was nothing wrong with it, but it was not how Rong Xiu operated. She had figured it out after thinking for a while. Rong Xiu did not deny it. She has always been the smartest. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, and I see Yue¡¯er has been thinking about me.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him, but she did not say anything since Rong Xiu¡¯s skin had always been the thickest anyway. She walked over to the square cauldron and stared at the barrier. ¡°Your Highness, you have a lot of good stuff. This crystal barrier is worth a lot.¡± A crystal barrier was a special Yuan instrument that could be activated with just a little force to form a strong defense. It was quite useful in times of crisis. It managed to silence a fourth-grade pill instantly. Rong Xiu raised his hand, and the silver light on the barrier disappeared to form a small, longan-sized, silver sphere. ¡°If you like it, it¡¯s yours.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over to the square cauldron and held the pill in her hands. The energy wave from just now had been contained by the crystal barrier. Now that everything was calm, it was safe. She placed the pill into a box on the side and paused when she heard Rong Xiu¡¯s words. She wanted to turn him down, but a crystal barrier was indeed very useful for her right now. She could already form pills, so there was no way she could keep something like this under wraps if the same thing happened in the future. Most importantly, she suspected that her ability to form pills was related to the water droplet in her body. She did not have complete control over the water droplet, so she was not sure what kind of commotion she could cause in the future. She thought about it and looked towards Rong Xiu. ¡°Then¡­ name me a price, Your Highness!¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows and walked over. He held her hand and placed the crystal barrier in her hand. ¡°I said that I¡¯m gifting it to you, so it¡¯s a gift.¡± But Chu Liuyue refused to take it. ¡°Your Highness, I can¡¯t take things from you for nothing.¡± ¡°You owe me a lot anyway, so it¡¯s just once more.¡± Rong Xiu tightly held her palm as he spoke. Chu Liuyue did not know what to say¡­ That really does seem true¡­ Other than these valuable treasures, I still owe Rong Xiu for saving my life multiple times¡­ ¡°There¡¯s nothing I want right now, so just save it for next time. You can pay me back in the future when I think of something.¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and accepted the item graciously. ¡°Then thank you, Your Highness!¡± Rong Xiu stared at her before he suddenly asked, ¡°Oh right, I heard you¡¯re joining the Qing Jiao Competition?¡± Chu Liuyue was not surprised that he found out about it and nodded. Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the academy tomorrow and be back after a while. Be careful while you¡¯re alone.¡± Chu Liuyue asked strangely, ¡°Leaving the academy? Where are you going?¡± The instant the words left her mouth, she felt that it was inappropriate. Rong Xiu was mysterious and strong. He was not as simple as he looked, and she really did not have the right to ask what he was doing. But Rong Xiu seemed happy to receive the question. He curled his thin lips into a smile and pinched her face. ¡°This matter is rather serious. I¡¯ll tell you about it when I return.¡± A strange feeling flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Rong Xiu behaved like a husband talking to his wife before he left home. She looked away and murmured an acknowledgment. ¡°Since I¡¯m leaving tomorrow, Yue¡¯er does not have any problems with me sleeping here tonight, right?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. I should not have let my mind wander just now! To think that I was even worried! It seems entirely unnecessary now! There was no way Rong Xiu would be bullied! It was usually more the other way round. Chapter 192 - Begging for Mercy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As usual, Rong Xiu slept by Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and kept her in his arms the whole night. Chu Liuyue felt a little awkward initially, but she let him be after struggling to no avail. Perhaps it was because she had exhausted herself, but she quickly fell asleep. Rong Xiu, on the other hand, stayed up the whole night with her in his embrace. When Chu Liuyue woke up the next morning, Rong Xiu had already left. She had slept extremely well last night. The exhaustion she felt in her body had disappeared overnight, and she felt much better. She thought that she would take a few days to recover, but it seemed otherwise now. Chu Liuyue walked to the window and looked toward Yi Feng Courtyard. Its doors were tightly shut, and it was clearly empty. She frowned slightly. What kind of matter could make Rong Xiu leave the academy so urgently? ¡­ As she walked, Chu Liuyue clearly felt the tension in the entire campus. With the Qing Jiao Competition coming soon, everyone wanted to get a good result. Hence, everyone was excited about it. Chu Liuyue arrived at Liao Zhongshu¡¯s lodging alone. With only Liao Zhongshu left, the place seemed especially quiet. Chu Liuyue pushed the door open and saw Liao Zhongshu gloomily lying on his bed. Her entrance did not wake him, and his eyes were still tightly shut. Chu Liuyue walked over to the side of the bed and checked Liao Zhongshu¡¯s pulse before she knitted her brows tightly together. Even though she had given Liao Zhongshu some medicine before, its effects were limited. Now that all the medicine in his body had been used up, the poison in his body could take effect at any time. Since Liao Zhongshu was injured, it would be much tougher for him to pull through. Chu Liuyue called out to him. ¡°Liao Zhongshu, wake up.¡± He did not respond. She nudged him gently, and he only came to after a long while. He looked worse than he did a few days ago; his eyes were dim and lifeless. A ripple appeared across his eyes when he saw that it was Chu Liuyue, and he struggled as he attempted to get up. But how could he possibly have the energy? Chu Liuyue pressed him down. ¡°Don¡¯t move; just take the antidote.¡± As she spoke, she handed the pill over. Liao Zhongshu was stunned when he saw Chu Liuyue handing him a pill that could only be made by heavenly doctors instead of a bowl of medicine. ¡°Th-this is the antidote you got?¡± His voice was weak, and Chu Liuyue would not have heard him if not for her good hearing. Chu Liuyue paused but did not deny it. ¡°En.¡± Liao Zhongshu did not question anything and swallowed the pill whole. The pill melted in his mouth, and a strong but warm force spread towards his limbs. ¡°The remnant poison will be excreted from your body within a day of taking the antidote, but your body has been heavily damaged. Therefore, it will take you about a month to recover completely.¡± Liao Zhongshu looked at Chu Liuyue gratefully. ¡°How can I ever repay you for this¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°This thing happened because of me. Someone was targeting me, but they went for you first. Treating you is what I should do.¡± Shock flashed across Liao Zhongshu¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind all this yet, so I¡¯ll need your help for now.¡± Liao Zhongshu nodded hard. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can!¡± Chu Liuyue briefly summarized what she saw Chu Xianmin do, but she did not say that she made the pill. Instead, she said that she had gotten it from Chu Xianmin. ¡°¡­ So, you can¡¯t let anyone find out that you¡¯re healed. Just send the message that you¡¯re hanging on thanks to the medicine. The other party will definitely appear if they¡¯re suspicious. This is the only way we can draw them out.¡± Liao Zhongshu understood. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t leave my room. I¡¯ll just pretend that the poison hasn¡¯t been cleared yet.¡± ¡°En, you can take the time to recuperate. Other than clearing the poison, the pill can also aid your recovery. But thank you for dealing with the trouble.¡± Liao Zhongshu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m alive thanks to you. How can something so small be trouble? Don¡¯t worry; you¡¯ll be the first to know if anything strange happens.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Time passed quickly, and the Qing Jiao Competition arrived in a blink of an eye. The other two academies arrived, and the Imperial City became more lively. Wutong Hall, the Imperial Palace. Emperor Jiawen and the Empress were eating. It was rather quiet in the hall. The Empress glanced at Emperor Jiawen from time to time, looking like she had something she wanted to say. This was the first time Emperor Jiawen had stayed with her for a while. Hence, she was really happy. She wanted to beg for mercy on the Crown Prince¡¯s behalf, but she was afraid of incurring Emperor Jiawen¡¯s wrath. She sent Chu Xiao earlier, but he had been heavily reprimanded. Thus, she had not dared to say anything till now. ¡°Just say whatever¡¯s on your mind,¡± said Emperor Jiawen. The Empress hesitated before she spoke. ¡°Your Majesty, the Qing Jiao Competition¡­ Shall we let the Crown Prince return to the academy to take part in it?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°You¡¯re speaking for him too.¡± The Empress added quickly, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m not doing this for him but for you! The Qing Jiao Competition concerns our country¡¯s image. If Tian Lu Academy loses, you will look bad too!¡± The Empress continued speaking after she saw that Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression seemed gloomy but receptive. ¡°Especially since we¡¯re hosting the Qing Jiao Competition. If we lose¡­ won¡¯t it look especially bad? The Crown Prince has made a mistake, but he¡¯s young, and it was a rash decision. Do you intend to stay mad at him forever? Besides, hardly anyone can compare to him in the academy. Do you think he can atone for his mistakes with credit?¡± Emperor Jiawen rubbed his temples. His anger had already subsided substantially. Besides, he had thought about what the Empress had said. ¡°Since you asked, I¡¯ll give the Crown Prince a second chance.¡± The Empress knelt down to thank him. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Emperor Jiawen did not wish to say anything else and pardoned her. ¡°How far he can go will depend on his ability. What about Zhen Zhen? How has she been?¡± The Empress¡¯s smile faded a little, quickly replaced by sadness. ¡°Zhen Zhen has been upset since her pearl of essence was destroyed. She has locked herself in her room the entire time. This¡­ Your Majesty, you understand. She used to be so outstanding, so she feels terrible after something like this happened to her. I went to go see her, and I saw her secretly crying a number of times.¡± She began to cry as she spoke. Emperor Jiawen sighed. He did dote on Rong Zhen, so he felt terrible hearing about this. ¡°She can keep going this way. It¡¯s fine. Tell her that I¡¯ll bring heavenly doctors over for her after the Qing Jiao Competition to see if anything can be done.¡± The Empress wiped her tears and gratefully said, ¡°On behalf of Zhen Zhen, I thank your majesty.¡± Chapter 193 - Find Her Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After dinner, Emperor Jiawen got up to leave. The Empress was a little surprised. ¡°Your Majesty, you-you¡¯re not staying with me tonight?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face was stoic. ¡°It¡¯s almost October.¡± The Empress paused, and complex feelings grew in her. October. It did not mean anything to others, but it was especially special to Emperor Jiawen since Consort Wan died in October. In all these years, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s mood would always be especially gloomy around October, and he would never spend the night with his concubines. The Empress knew the rule, but she forgot about it in the spur of the moment since Emperor Jiawen agreed to release the Crown Prince and get help for the Fourth Princess. ¡°It¡¯s my mistake! I ask for forgiveness, Your Majesty.¡± The Empress lowered her head and concealed the hatred that flashed across her eyes. Emperor Jiawen waved his arms. ¡°You, go check on Zhen Zhen.¡± With that, he left. The large palace hall was silent once again. All the surrounding servants were bowed and silent, afraid of incurring the Empress¡¯s wrath. Everyone in the palace knew that the Empress had the highest status in the harem. In reality, she was no match for Consort Wan. There was a place in His Majesty¡¯s heart that could not be replaced by anyone, the Empress included. It would be fine usually, but what happened today was like a slap to the Empress¡¯s face! After a long, dead silence, the Empress took a deep breath and returned to her usual elegant self. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the Fourth Princess.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Arriving at Rong Zhen¡¯s palace, the Empress saw a group of servants kneeling outside. They had pained expressions on their face as if they were in great pain, but they dared not make any sound. Rong Zhen was seated at the palace¡¯s main doors, looking at the servants viciously. Panic flashed across her eyes when she saw the Empress and hurriedly got up. ¡°Mother, what brings you here?¡± The Empress frowned. ¡°Your father asked me to come and check on you. What are you doing?¡± She took a closer look and smelt the faint scent of blood. Rong Zhen replied briskly, ¡°Nothing! I¡¯m just punishing them a little because they made a mistake!¡± The Empress did not believe her and looked towards the servants. ¡°All of you, get up.¡± A servant in front tried to stand up but fell to the ground the moment they moved. They cried out in pain as they hugged their knees. The Empress only realized then that rusty nails were stuck in the person¡¯s knees! She glanced around and realized that it was the same for everyone else! She repressed the anger in her heart. ¡°Everyone go back to rest. I¡¯ll send someone to take care of your wounds. The Fourth Princess has been in a bad mood lately, so she¡¯s a little temperamental. However, I don¡¯t wish for anyone else to find out about this, understood?¡± The servants answered quickly and helped one another leave. The Empress glanced at Rong Zhen. ¡°Follow me inside!¡± Rong Zhen knew she was in the wrong, so she could only do as she was told. The Empress only spoke after the door was locked shut. ¡°What exactly are you doing? How many times have I told you that you¡¯re absolutely not allowed to do this? What would your father think if he found out?¡± Rong Zhen looked away. ¡°He no longer cares if I live or die! I¡¯m just a good-for-nothing now, so why would he care?¡± The Empress repressed her anger. ¡°Your father has agreed to send more heavenly doctors for you after the Qing Jiao Competition. Even if they can¡¯t do anything, the envoy from the Tianling Dynasty is on his way. They¡¯ll be able to help then! You have to make your father feel bad for you, not hate you!¡± Rong Zhen was stunned. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course! More importantly, your father has agreed to release your brother. If he stands out at the Qing Jiao Competition, he¡¯ll gain your father¡¯s favor again. You must not create trouble at such a crucial time!¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s expression changed, and she hurriedly said, ¡°I understand! I won¡¯t make you worry!¡± As she spoke, she went over and hugged the Empress¡¯s arm. ¡°I know Mother treats me the best!¡± Even though she was still angry, the Empress¡¯s heart ached for her daughter as she patted her daughter¡¯s head. ¡°A damaged pearl of essence is not without hope of repair. Look at Chu Liuyue. She was born with a damaged Yuan meridian, but hasn¡¯t she recovered now?¡± A light flashed across Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes when she heard that. ¡°Right! Mother, how did we forget about this?!¡± She shook the Empress¡¯s arm excitedly. ¡°Didn¡¯t all the heavenly doctors in Country Yao Chen say that her Yuan meridian could not be repaired? Not only did she recover, but she¡¯s also a prodigy now! Mother, there¡¯s definitely something wrong with Chu Liuyue!¡± The Empress frowned. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we make her come here and ask her how she recovered?! I bet there¡¯s someone powerful helping her! If she brings that person here, I might make a full recovery!¡± ¡°That does make sense¡­ We didn¡¯t think of that before.¡± The Empress pondered. ¡°But we¡¯re not on good terms with Chu Liuyue. She might not agree to this.¡± Rong Zhen was unbothered. ¡°So what if she doesn¡¯t agree to this? She¡¯s just the daughter of the Imperial guards¡¯ Commander-in-Chief. She can¡¯t disobey us.¡± However, the Empress was a little hesitant. She remembered that Chu Liuyue did not have an ordinary relationship with Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­ ¡°I think we should be more careful about this matter. How about you follow me to the Qing Jiao Competition competition, and we¡¯ll talk to her then. It¡¯ll be great if she¡¯s willing to help. If not¡­¡± Rong Zhen laughed coldly. ¡°She has no choice!¡± Chapter 194 - Cloud Pattern Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Imperial City. Refreshing autumn. In the midst of everyone¡¯s excitement, the annual Qing Jiao Competition began. The Qing Jiao Competition was held by all three countries and was highly prestigious. Everyone who could compete was prodigies of their nations. Thus, not only could everyone see exciting battles at the Qing Jiao Competition, but they could also watch these prodigies battle one another. It was not just a competition between three academies but also a veiled battle between three countries. Especially because it was held in Country Yao Chen this year, everyone in Tian Lu Academy was excited and wanted to attain good results in the competition. Most of the students gathered early in the morning, with the exception of the few who stayed back. Everyone headed to Jia Nan Square in Imperial City together. Jia Nan Square was one of the most famous squares in Imperial City. It had a large area, and it was built by Country Yao Chen¡¯s founder. All the important competitions in the Imperial City would be held here. Naturally, the Qing Jiao Competition was set to be held here. After Chu Liuyue arrived with all the academy¡¯s students, she was quickly sent to an assigned area. She only got the chance to inspect the large square after she had settled down in her assigned spot. The square took on a circular shape. In the middle was the arena made of a large hanbai stone. It was circled by rows of seats that grew taller with each row. At a glance, it could house at least 10,000 people, and these seats were now filled with people. The square was lively, and chatter could be heard everywhere. Chu Liuyue and the other students¡¯ seats were next to the arena. There was a gold-purple chair in the southward position. Wooden chairs were also placed in the three other directions. The gold-purple chair was reserved for Emperor Jiawen. He usually didn¡¯t appear in the early matches. Instead, he only showed up for the finals. The chair¡¯s current placement was just a show of respect for Emperor Jiawen. Everything knew that Emperor Jiawen would not appear on the first day, so the square was especially relaxed and lively. The wooden chairs in the three other directions were clearly left for the various academies. The elders and teachers sat in the two front rows. The students only sat from the third row onwards. They were arranged according to their seniority. Chu Liuyue and her classmates were new students, so they sat at the back. Their individual positions were further divided. Heavenly doctors sat at the front, and martial artists sat at the back. Chu Liuyue was seated in the Xuan Master section, which was right in the middle. A young man was seated at the very front. The young man seemed like he was fifteen or sixteen. He had gentle features, and his skin was ridiculously pale. It even seemed a little transparent under the light. His expression was distant and carried an air of arrogance. It was clear that he was Meng Zexiao, the newest heavenly doctor cohort¡¯s most talented student. He was not from the Imperial City and was of common birth. However, he was talented and valued by the teachers. He was rumored to be hard-working, but this was the first time Chu Liuyue had seen him since she entered the academy. Of course, students from the heavenly doctor section were all rather arrogant. They trained in a different venue, so it was not easy to meet them. As if sensing her gaze, Meng Zexiao¡ªwho had been observing the area¡ªsuddenly turned and glanced at Chu Liuyue. Their eyes met, and Chu Liuyue nodded politely, but Meng Zengxiao¡¯s eyes reflected a change. His eyes seem to carry¡­ a little curiosity? Chu Liuyue paused, but Meng Zengxiao had already turned. ¡°Eh, Liuyue, you know Meng Zexiao?¡± Si Yang asked. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, why does he look at you strangely? He¡¯s Mr. Zuo Rong¡¯s disciple, the person who has the most hope of becoming a heavenly doctor out of all of us. He¡¯s usually rather arrogant!¡± A thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s head when she heard Zuo Rong¡¯s name. Did he act that way because Mr. Zuo Rong told him about my trip to the Heavenly Pharmacy? As Chu Liuyue pondered the situation, she heard a deep and powerful voice. ¡°Country Huai Cang¡¯s Nan Feng Academy!¡± The voice was powerful and echoed in the square. Everyone could hear it clearly. There was a commotion, and everyone looked towards the entrance. A large group walked in! They wore turquoise uniforms, and there were three white lines across their left chest. The person leading the group looked like he was about 50 or 60 years of age, but he looked energetic. His eyes were especially clear, unlike a typical elder person, illustrating his advanced cultivation. Sun Zhongyan went up to receive them. ¡°Hahaha! Brother Yunshan, you all are finally here!¡± Fu Yunshan¡¯s face was also full of joy. ¡°Brother Zhongyan, it¡¯s been a while. How are you?!¡± The two greeted each other. It seemed like they knew each other well. ¡°I heard that you all arrived at the Imperial City yesterday. I wanted to visit you, but I decided against it since you might have been tired from traveling. Brother Yunshan, you won¡¯t blame me, right?¡± ¡°Haha! Of course! Eh, why don¡¯t I see Elder Ye?¡± ¡°The director has been in seclusion recently. He has not returned yet, so I¡¯m in charge of the Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Disappointment flashed across Fu Yunshuan¡¯s eyes, but it quickly disappeared. ¡°Brother Yunshan, that¡¯s your seat over there. Please¡­¡± Fu Yunshan laughed out loud. ¡°Brother Zhongyan has always been reliable and trustworthy! We¡¯ll head over first?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sun Zhongyan nodded in agreement. Fu Yunshan only brought his students to their assigned positions then. The voice echoed again right as Fu Yunshan and his students just sat down. ¡°Country Xing Luo¡¯s Tai Yan Academy!¡± The slightly quietened square became lively again. Chu Liuyue looked around strangely. Why does it feel like the square is even livelier than before? At a glance, many faces of excitement could be spotted. Even the people around her seemed rather excited. She looked towards Si Yang, and she asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s special about Tai Yan Academy?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± Si Yang widened his eyes. ¡°I heard that Country Xing Luo¡¯s number one beauty¡ªtheir eldest princess¡ªis among the group. Situ Xingchen!¡± As he spoke, he turned and glanced at Tai Yan Academy¡¯s group before he pointed. ¡°There, that one! The one at the front, the prettiest girl!¡± Chu Liuyue followed his finger and saw a slender and sweet-looking girl. This girl stood out among the crowd and attracted everyone¡¯s attention instantly. Si Yang stared for a while before he turned to look at Chu Liuyue. He then laughed strangely. ¡°Heh. Liuyue, everyone says that Country Xing Luo¡¯s eldest princess is a real beauty, but I feel like she pales in comparison to you! If you dress up, you¡¯ll definitely crush her!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. She was not interested in such things. But the next moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly turned, looked at Situ Xingchen, and narrowed her eyes. Embroidered on her sleeves was the same cloud pattern that Rong Xiu had. Chapter 195 - Situ Xingchen Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cloud patterns were not rare, especially for royalty. It was not uncommon for people of high status to have clothes embroidered with a cloud pattern. But the key was that the cloud patterns on Rong Xiu¡¯s robes and hems were different from the typical ones. Even though it was a cloud pattern, its lines were intertwined. From an angle, the cloud patterns even looked like blooming peach blossoms. The first time Chu Liuyue noticed it, she asked Rong Xiu about it. Back then, Rong Xiu said that he drew the cloud pattern himself and had it specially embroidered. He said that he was the only one with that design. However¡­ Chu Liuyue did not expect the pattern to appear on another person¡¯s clothes. Chu Liuyue could not even consider it a coincidence even if she wanted to. She saw the design clearly and knew that it was exactly the same. She raised her eyebrows and looked away. ¡°You seem quite familiar with this eldest princess?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with feigned nonchalance. ¡°How can that be? I haven¡¯t been to Country Xing Luo. It¡¯s just that this eldest princess is rather famous!¡± Si Yang moved his mouth. ¡°You saw her. Her looks and aura are rather rare. Most importantly, she¡¯s rather talented! I heard that she¡¯s already a third-grade heavenly doctor even though she¡¯s only 16. One more step, and she¡¯ll be a true heavenly doctor!¡± ¡°She is Country Xing Luo¡¯s only princess, the apple of her parents¡¯ eyes! She has been getting more attention in the last couple of years, and many are smitten with her. However, it doesn¡¯t seem like she pays much attention to these things. All the marriage proposals were turned down. I wonder what kind of person will gain her favor.¡± Chu Liuyue looked around and saw that a number of the young men¡¯s eyes had lit up after sighting Situ Xingchen. She thought about it and suppressed the strange feeling she had. Sun Zhongyan had gone forward to greet the group at this point. ¡°Brother Cheng Han!¡± Tai Yan Academy¡¯s leader was also an elderly person. His hair was white, but he gave off a saintly aura. He broke into a smile at the sight of Sun Zhongyan. ¡°Brother Zhongyan, you look better since the last time we met!¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re too kind! You¡¯ve traveled really far, so you must be tired, please!¡± Cheng Han waved and motioned for the people behind him to take their positions while he chatted with Sun Zhongyan. ¡°Elder Ye has been rather mysterious in the last couple of years. It¡¯s hard to catch a glimpse of him, even at the Qing Jiao Competition!¡± ¡°Uncle-Master has always been like this. Brother Cheng Han, you understand, right?¡± ¡°Given how often Elder Ye goes in seclusion, I¡¯m assuming he¡¯s about to break through?¡± ¡°Haha, Uncle-Master has never said anything, so I can¡¯t be sure either!¡± ¡°Brother Zhongyan, you¡¯ve been in charge of Tian Lu Academy for the Qing Jiao Competition over the last few years. Elder Ye has it easy! In the future, I think¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan cut him off with a laugh. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, we can¡¯t be sure of the future. Everyone has been waiting for quite a while, so why don¡¯t we hurry up and start?¡± Cheng Han paused before he laughed. ¡°Sure, sure! I¡¯m sure the kids can¡¯t wait!¡± He then walked over to the Tai Yan Academy section and sat down. Sun Zhongyan was still smiling, but his eyes were a little cold. Director Fu Yunshan from Nan Feng Academy and Director Cheng Han from Tai Yan Academy were from the same generation as him, while Ye Zhiting was one generation above them. Fu Yunshan was nothing, but Cheng Han had been breaking through in the last couple of years. Hence, he was becoming increasingly arrogant. He even had the guts to speak ill of Ye Zhiting in front of everyone earlier and throw hints at Sun Zhongyan to replace Ye Zhiting. He clearly did not respect Tian Lu Academy! Chu Liuyue¡ªwho saw everything from below¡ªnarrowed her eyes. ¡°The people from Tai Yan Academy seem rather arrogant.¡± ¡°But of course! They received the best results last year! Of course, they¡¯re arrogant. Cheng Han is their director. I heard he broke through and became a fifth-grade heavenly doctor last year. Now, he is on par with our director. Naturally, his attitude toward Elder Sun lacks a little respect,¡± Si Yang explained softly. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. No wonder. Cheng Han and Elder Sun were from the same generation, but now that he had the ability to challenge Elder Ye, he naturally did not have much respect for Elder Sun. He looked rather harmonious, but everything he said and did reeked of arrogance. Judging by his behavior, it seemed like he was interested in battling it out with Elder Ye. ¡°This Cheng Han is also Situ Xingchen¡¯s mentor! I heard that she only entered Tai Yan Academy this year, but she¡¯s really valued. She¡¯s now one of their top prodigies. I heard that her seniors might not even be her match. They¡¯re probably aiming for first place again!¡± The Qing Jiao Competition did not differentiate between the different grades of students. All the students were split into three groups¡ªheavenly doctors, Xuan Masters, and warriors. They would then battle it out in the arena. With that said, any warrior could take part in the warrior competition. Their opponent could be a student from the same or even different grades of opposing academies. In the competition, the new students were at a disadvantage. However, they also benefited greatly from the experience of competing. Therefore, the new students were still eager to participate even though they knew it would be tough for them to obtain a good ranking. Si Yang realized that Chu Liuyue was unaffected after he spoke. Hence, he asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you surprised at all?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be surprised about?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. ¡°She¡¯s a new student, but her ability is on par with her seniors!¡± Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°Heavenly doctor cultivation is special. How much ability one has is determined by their talent, not other factors. Besides, the seniors in her academy are only a year or two older than her. That¡¯s not particularly helpful in terms of heavenly doctor cultivation.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Si Yang did not buy it completely. ¡°How do you know so much about this?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. Si Yang suddenly recalled that the person before him had passed all three assessments in her entrance examination. Therefore, it was normal for Chu Liuyue to have an understanding of heavenly doctors. But he heard that her heavenly doctor talent was not really that great, which is why she went with Xuan Master in the end. ¡°Sigh, whatever! We¡¯re not taking part in the heavenly doctor competition, so we don¡¯t have to bother about it! Let me tell you about the strong Xuan Masters!¡± ¡­ On the other side, Situ Xingchen quickly glanced around after she sat down, but she did not see the person she hoped to meet. Her beating heart calmed down as she retracted her gaze disappointedly. She then sighed. Then again, he definitely wouldn¡¯t show up at this kind of event. He should not have any interest in the Qing Jiao Competition. Chapter 196 - Chu Liuyue 197: Chu Liuyue Translator: ;Atlas Studios ; ;Editor: ;Atlas Studios When Cheng Han saw how Situ Xingchen¡ªwho was sitting beside him¡ªseemed to be surveying her surroundings, he could not help but ask, ¡°Xingchen, what are you looking at?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, nothing much. It¡¯s my first time at the Qing Jiao Competition, so I¡¯m rather curious.¡± Situ Xingchen quickly hid the disappointment in her eyes and happily smiled at Cheng Han. Cheng Han did not doubt her words and laughed out loud. ¡°It¡¯s natural for you to be curious. You¡¯ll naturally find out what¡¯s going on when the competition starts! I have high hopes for you this time!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mentor. I¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡± ¡°You have such outstanding talent. I don¡¯t have much to worry about.¡± Cheng Han was very confident, as if he knew for certain that Situ Xingchen could definitely attain good results in the end. Situ Xingchen smiled and nodded, suppressing her other thoughts at the bottom of her heart. ¡­ Sun Zhongyan stood in the middle of the square and cupped his hands towards his surroundings. ¡°I¡¯m Sun Zhongyan, Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Elder. I¡¯m in charge of this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition. The competition sequence will be the same as usual; we start from warriors, then Xuan Masters, and finally heavenly doctors!¡± His thick and forceful voice reverberated throughout the square, silencing the originally bustling crowd. This caused them to look at Sun Zhongyan with serious expressions. ¡°The competition rules are the same as before. The three academies will challenge each other. Everyone, please look here. There are three boxes in front of the three academy¡¯s areas! Those three boxes are written with heavenly doctor, Xuan Master, and warrior, respectively. They contain the names of students participating in the various competitions. However, to be fair, the boxes in front of the academies don¡¯t have the names of their own students.¡± He pointed towards Tian Lu Academy. ¡°Tian Lu Academy¡¯s box contains the names of Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students. The students who are going to compete will randomly pick a name from the box, and the chosen person will be their competitor.¡± The crowd burst into an uproar. ;Isn¡¯t this the same as making Tian Lu Academy students challenge Tai Yan Academy students? Sun Zhongyan put his hands down and continued after the crowd quietened down. ¡°Similarly, the box in front of Tai Yan Academy contains names of students from Nan Feng Academy. Nan Feng Academy, of course, has the box filled with the names of Tian Lu Academy¡¯s students.¡± Everyone partook in heated discussions. No matter what, this still sounded pretty fair. ¡°The one who loses the competition will have their name taken out from the box, and the winner¡¯s name will be placed back inside. The competition will proceed in different rounds until the final winner emerges!¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms in deep thought. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it mean that the person who wins the competition has the chance of being picked for a second, third, or even more times?¡± The further one goes in the competition, the more brutal the battles. It really isn¡¯t easy to take first place. Si Yang said, ¡°Maybe not. Thus, the competition¡¯s sequence is very important! It¡¯s better if you¡¯re placed at the back, but if you¡¯re unlucky and you¡¯re placed right at the front, you really might have to compete multiple times! Of course, you need to have the ability to win first before you can be picked repeatedly.¡± He chuckled as he said, ¡°Actually, this competition isn¡¯t that grim. There¡¯s a specific amount of time set for the competition every day. Normally, one person will only compete once a day. Even if a person wins and gets picked again, they will still have time to recover. Of course, the condition is that they aren¡¯t severely injured.¡± If one truly was brutally beaten up, they would just directly withdraw from the competition. ¡°The Qing Jiao Competition always ends sufficiently, and they never allow for any killing. Therefore, you can be assured of that.¡± Chu Liuyue heard his words, but she was still doubtful. ;They don¡¯t allow the participants to kill people, but there are many methods in this world that will make one wish for death instead of staying alive. This Qing Jiao Competition affects the reputation of all the top academies and even their countries. How can this be taken so lightly? While the two were talking, Sun Zhongyan had already walked to Nan Feng Academy¡¯s area and stood in front of the ¡®warrior¡¯ box. ¡°I¡¯ll personally pick the first person to compete in the arena!¡± As he spoke, he stretched his hand into the box. Everyone¡¯s gazes were gathered on his body. This was especially so for the Tian Lu Academy and Tai Yan Academy warrior students. They all held their breaths in anticipation. ¡°Don¡¯t pick me¡­ Please, don¡¯t pick me¡­¡± ¡°Please! Don¡¯t let it be me!¡± ¡°They should pick stronger people for the first match, right?¡± Before Sun Zhongyan picked the name, Chu Liuyue could hear all sorts of prayers around her. She could not help but turn around and take a look. As expected, many people¡¯s foreheads were engraved with the words ¡®don¡¯t pick me.¡¯ She thought for a while and quickly understood why. The first match had a different meaning. If one could win the first match beautifully, it would bring utmost honor to themselves and the academy, motivating and energizing everyone else. However, they would definitely be reprimanded if they lost. Thus, this naturally made the competitors even more stressed out. It wasn¡¯t that bad for the older and stronger students, but the freshmen were all dazed and worried. ¡­ People from Tai Yan Academy¡¯s side stared at Sun Zhongyan¡¯s actions closely. ¡°I heard that their academy¡¯s strongest warrior is the Crown Prince¡ªRong Jin¡ªand he¡¯s here today! I just hope that it isn¡¯t him!¡± ¡°How can there be such a coincidence? There are more than 100 people participating in the warrior competition from their academy. How can Rong Jin be picked first?¡± ¡°Hehe, so what if he¡¯s picked? We have strong competitors too! Even if they can¡¯t win, it¡¯s good that they exhaust their strongest participant¡¯s energy, right?¡± ¡°That sounds pretty logical, hahaha!¡± ¡­ Sun Zhongyan finally took his hand out of the box, holding a paper ball in his hand. Everyone quietened down as they stared at the paper ball. Everyone knew that the paper ball contained the name of the first person that would compete. The crowd was silent, and the entire square¡¯s atmosphere immediately became nerve-wracking. Sun Zhongyan slowly opened the paper ball, and his expression changed a little when he saw the name on the paper. ;Why is it¡­ Quite a few people saw the change in his expression, and they immediately had all sorts of guesses. Who exactly is this person¡­? ¡°Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s first warrior match. The competitor from Tian Lu Academy is¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan paused for a while, and he looked in a certain direction with a complicated gaze. ¡°Chu Liuyue!¡± Chapter 197 - Duel ¡°Chu Liuyue!¡± This name clearly landed in everyone¡¯s ears. Chu Liuyue heard it and instinctively looked up. Sun Zhongyan had already opened the paper ball and showed it to the audience. The people closest to him could clearly see that the paper indeed had the name ¡®Chu Liuyue¡¯ written. The spacious square fell into deep silence for a moment before exploding into commotion. It was as if a bowl of water had been poured into a wok of oil. ¡°Chu Liuyue? Why is it her?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she just enter Tian Lu Academy a while ago? Why was she picked for the first match?¡± ¡°But I heard that she¡¯s pretty strong¡­ Didn¡¯t she win against Chu Xianmin back then?¡± ¡°However, she¡¯s a freshman after all! I think she¡¯s going to lose.¡± Everyone in the Imperial City knew Chu Liuyue, so the spectators went into an uproar when they heard her name. However, the people in Tai Yan Academy were mostly dazed. ¡°Who is Chu Liuyue?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of her before¡­ I don¡¯t think she appeared in the past two competitions. It sounds like she¡¯s a freshman.¡± ¡°This name¡­ Is she from Country Yao Chen¡¯s Chu family?¡± ¡°Hey, do you remember that rumors have it that Tian Lu Academy recruited a new student who passed all three examinations a while back? I think that¡¯s her name!¡± Once this sentence was said, everyone was stunned. Even though the three academies were in different countries and were pretty far away from each other, they would still be pretty concerned with the other academies¡¯ affairs because of the annual Qing Jiao Competition. It was originally weird for the academy to accept a student halfway through the semester, let alone the fact that she passed all three examinations. The students from the other two academies had heard quite a bit about this. So, everyone remembered it when someone brought it up. ¡°Who is she? I really want to see what kind of person this Chu Liuyue is!¡± ¡­ Compared to the other people¡¯s enthusiasm and curiosity, Tian Lu Academy¡¯s students were deadly quiet as everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Chu Liuyue. Nobody expected that she would be the first one to represent the academy! Si Yang could not help but give her a thumbs up. ¡°Wow! Your luck is unbelievable!¡± Chu Liuyue rolled her eyes at him before decisively standing up. Even though she did not want to be the first to go up, she could only accept it since they had picked her. Everyone in the area was sitting down, so Chu Liuyue immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention once she stood up. The originally bustling crowd suddenly turned quiet. The girl in Tian Lu Academy¡¯s uniform had no makeup on, and her hair was simply tied up. However, this still could not hide her beautiful face. She had black brows and a high nose; her skin looked even whiter¡ªsimilar to snow¡ªin comparison to her cherry lips. Her eyes contained considerable intelligence and looked like a dazzling river of stars. Chu Liuyue just stood there and exuded a certain aura that made people admire her, but her vague elegance caused people not to dare mess with her. This was how a breathtaking beauty looked! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Tian Lu Academy to have such a pretty girl¡­ Her appearance and demeanor can definitely be compared to Situ Xingchen.¡± ¡°Even more than that! I feel that she¡¯s even prettier than Situ Xingchen. Her demeanor is really rarely seen¡­¡± If one said that Situ Xingchen was like a lotus flower that emerged from the water¡ªpure and mesmerizing¡ªthen Chu Liuyue was like the sun amongst the clouds, beautiful and dignified. She had a charming yet frightening soul. Without this comparison, Situ Xingchen could be considered a beauty. But when compared to Chu Liuyue, she seemed to be lacking something and was somewhat lackluster. Situ Xingchen was dazed. She had never seen a woman prettier than her. There¡¯s actually such a mesmerizing beauty in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City¡­ That person must have seen her, right? Situ Xingchen pressed her lips against each other but shook her head and laughed. She felt that she was thinking too much. He isn¡¯t someone who will be charmed by a woman¡¯s beauty. ¡­ Everyone¡¯s gazes shot toward Chu Liuyue as if they wanted to see through her. Chu Liuyue ignored them, walked to the front, and stood before a box. Sun Zhongyan shook his head and smiled. ¡°Liuyue, I truly didn¡¯t expect the first competitor to be you¡­¡± ¡°I have to compete, no matter what.¡± Chu Liuyue looked very relaxed, as if she was not under any pressure. Elder Sun sighed. Actually, he was quite surprised that he picked Chu Liuyue. However, he was thankful at the same time. No matter what, Chu Liuyue was the top scholar in the freshmen¡¯s warrior assessment. Hence, she was definitely capable. As long as she picked another freshman as her competitor, she had a high chance of winning. ¡°You can pick your own opponent.¡± Elder Sun looked toward the box. Chu Liuyue nodded and stretched her hand into the box. Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students instantly became nervous. Chu Liuyue was very fast and directly took out a paper ball from within. She opened it up and showed the crowd. ¡°Lei Mingwei!¡± After the temporary silence, Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students immediately erupted into heated discussions. ¡°Lei Mingwei! It¡¯s Lei Mingwei!¡± ¡°Thank God it¡¯s Senior Lei!¡± ¡°We¡¯re stable! We¡¯ll definitely win this round!¡± Upon seeing their elated appearances, Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. How formidable is this Lei Mingwei to make them so assured that they¡¯d definitely win? Very quickly, she saw a tall young man stand up at the frontmost row. He was a young man, but he looked around 18 or 19 years old. He could still be considered a youth. The young man had a bulky build and looked like a hill. His firm muscles bulged up from his body, and he looked very intimidating. He clenched his fists tightly and strongly hit them against each other. He then laughed out loud, ¡°Hahaha! I didn¡¯t expect to be the first to go up! I really struck the lottery!¡± Everyone could tell that he was really happy. This was because his entire body exuded a strong battle aura! The students beside him burst into laughter. ¡°Old Lei, you wanted to be the first to compete the previous time, and it¡¯s finally your turn now! You must put on a good show!¡± ¡°Of course! You must win this match beautifully!¡± ¡°Senior Lei, don¡¯t go easy on her just because she¡¯s pretty!¡± Lei Mingwei jokingly scolded, ¡°Get lost!¡± In his heart, winning was most important! As he spoke to his fellow students, he walked to the arena with long steps. ¡°Tai Yan Academy¡¯s Lei Mingwei accepts your challenge!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. It seems like he is really looking forward to this competition. He went up to the arena before I even moved. On Tian Lu Academy¡¯s side, many people expressed their worries. ¡°That Lei Mingwei is very powerful! He became a stage-four warrior last year. Liuyue is definitely at a disadvantage in front of him!¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll lose this round¡­¡± Hearing these defeatist words, Mu Hongyu was very upset. Hence, she stood up and loudly yelled, ¡°Liuyue! We believe that you can win!¡± ¡°Yes! Crush him into pieces!¡± Cen Hu yelled with Mu Hongyu. Chu Liuyue smiled more deeply and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± before walking up the stage. The two people stared at each other. Lei Mingwei sized her up and laughed out loud. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll cause her tiny body to fly away with a single punch! ¡°Little girl, there¡¯s still time for you to surrender!¡± Chapter 198 - Some Skills ¡°I¡¯ll return you this sentence untouched. If you want to surrender now, I can let you off.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin, not afraid at all. Lei Mingwei¡¯s smile stiffened. ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re quite young, but you¡¯re pretty gutsy. You can put up a front now, but don¡¯t regret it later.¡± Chu Liuyue never did have much patience for people who had confidence for unknown reasons. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Lei Mingwei knitted his brows and felt that the girl in front of him was too cocky. He heard that Chu Liuyue entered Tian Lu Academy by passing all three examinations, so it was natural that she was arrogant. However, people with multiple talents might not be good at them. This was especially so for warriors since they had to use their actual powers to compete. They couldn¡¯t use any tricks. I think this Chu Liuyue is too confident for her own good! ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s ¡®exchange blows¡¯ then! Little girl, there¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡®there will always be someone better than you.¡¯ Today, I¡¯ll ensure that you properly understand what this means!¡± Lei Mingwei then separated his legs and bent his knees slightly, rapidly circulating his force into his fists. The next moment, he leaped off his feet and rapidly charged towards Chu Liuyue! Lei Mingwei¡¯s gigantic fist was hard and strong as it hurled the wind up and went straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. ¡°Splitting Sun Punch!¡± A stage-four warrior¡¯s abilities could not be underestimated. This simple punch alone could make people feel chilly without any weird tricks. Lei Mingwei traveled at high speed and rapidly narrowed the gap between the two of them. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of Chu Liuyue. The fist was about to smash into Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. However, Chu Liuyue did not move backward. She stood rooted to the ground as if she was going to face the attack head-on. Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students all looked like they were about to witness a good show. ¡°How can Mingwei be so ruthless in his attacks? What if he injures or cripples the lady?¡± ¡°This Splitting Sun Punch is one of Mingwei¡¯s strongest moves. I think he directly used it because he doesn¡¯t want to waste any time. He probably wants to win this match directly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. After all, he needs to win the first match beautifully!¡± ¡°That Chu Liuyue is too proud and arrogant. I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll stop smiling very soon!¡± On the other hand, Tian Lu Academy¡¯s atmosphere was very suppressed as everyone looked very serious. If Chu Liuyue lost, it would be humiliating! It would even hurt their morale! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Why isn¡¯t she moving? Is she planning on facing Lei Mingwei head-on?¡± ¡°Lei Mingwei is a stage-four warrior! Even if she is the top warrior scholar during the mid-term assessment, it doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s his match!¡± ¡°Sigh. I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯s in danger today¡­¡± ¡­ Already, Chu Liuyue could clearly sense the powerful punch and the suppression a stage-four warrior brought with them. Her current abilities were similar to that of a stage-three warrior, so she truly had to use quite a bit of effort to win against Lei Mingwei. Upon seeing the motionless Chu Liuyue, Lei Mingwei sneered in his heart. I really don¡¯t know where Chu Liuyue gets her confidence from. She even thinks that she can win against me! The match will be over when this punch lands on her! But Chu Liuyue suddenly disappeared from Lei Mingwei¡¯s sight when his fist about to land on her. Lei Mingwei was shocked. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± The girl¡¯s crisp voice sounded in a teasing manner. Lei Mingwei immediately turned around and saw that Chu Liuyue had reached another location at some point in time. He was dazed. H-how did Chu Liuyue get there? She acted so quickly that I didn¡¯t even see what happened clearly! However¡­ Lei Mingwei was too stunned and could not help but voice out his thoughts. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a stage-one warrior?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Chu Liuyue honestly admitted to it. Lei Mingwei was starting to become suspicious. He sensed that Chu Liuyue gave off a stage-one warrior aura when he walked up, so he did not even care about her. But how can a stage-one warrior be this fast? ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Chu Liuyue stretched her arms wide open. ¡°What¡¯s there to lie about? If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the academy¡¯s teachers and students about it.¡± The crowd was speechless. It seems like she really is¡­ However, Chu Liuyue is just a stage-one warrior that can beat a stage-three warrior. Seeing the spectators¡¯ silent consent, Lei Mingwei felt that it was even more unbelievable. In actual fact, he could also feel that Chu Liuyue was telling the truth. However, her speed¡­ Lei Mingwei clenched his teeth, circulated the force within his body, and the aura around him exploded once again! Previously, he only used half of his strength. But now¡­ ¡°He!¡± hollered Lei Mingwei as he charged toward Chu Liuyue. This time, his speed and strength were much greater than before. He did not see what Chu Liuyue did, but she easily avoided the attack once again. Lei Mingwei¡¯s second punch landed on nothing once again. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Your punch seems to be a little slow.¡± This sentence successfully ignited the fire in Lei Mingwei¡¯s heart. Everyone spectating the battle also felt that something was wrong, and their expressions changed. This was especially so for Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students. They had originally prepared to celebrate, but it seemed like Chu Liuyue was not that easy to handle. This unknowingly made them feel awkward. Cheng Han¡¯s expression also became stiff. ¡°What movement technique is Chu Liuyue using? I really can¡¯t tell¡­¡± Upon hearing that, Situ Xingchen looked at him in shock. ¡°Mentor, even you can¡¯t tell?¡± She knew that Chu Liuyue avoided Lei Mingwei¡¯s attacks using a movement technique, but even her experienced mentor could not tell what movement technique was. Cheng Han shook his head. ¡°It looks like she didn¡¯t actually move, but her steps are as light as a feather. It proves that she has practiced an advanced movement technique.¡± It was even better than the ones he had seen before! However, the more important point was that any movement technique required years of practice. Yet, Chu Liuyue looked like she was 14 or 15. Hence, her familiarized usage of this movement technique surprised the rest. Since when did Tian Lu Academy accept such a student? Situ Xingchen knitted her brows tightly, and hesitation flashed across her eyes. Upon seeing this, Cheng Han laughed and comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If she¡¯s so talented as a warrior, she definitely won¡¯t have much of a Xuan Master and heavenly doctor foundation. You¡¯re a heavenly doctor, so you don¡¯t have to think much about her.¡± Situ Xingchen lightly nodded. ¡­ Both of his attacks landed on nothing in the arena, which caused Lei Mingwei¡¯s arrogant expression to disappear. He glared straight at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that you do have some skills! However, this is just a competition. Do you want to continue hiding all the way?¡± Chu Liuyue happily said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Since you¡¯ve already attacked twice, it¡¯s my turn now.¡± Lei Mingwei was stunned. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and moved her wrists, which made a cracking sound. ¡°These skills are enough to deal with you!¡± Chu Liuyue then stood on her toes, and her tiny body instantly flew out. The next moment, her hands magically grabbed onto Lei Mingwei¡¯s wrist. The touch of the young girl¡¯s soft hands was slightly cold. However, this set off the cautiousness in Lei Mingwei¡¯s heart. He moved her hand back and pushed Chu Liuyue, wanting to back away. Chu Liuyue hurriedly followed him and pushed his wrist into his forearm. Kacha! Lei Mingwei¡¯s wrist instantly broke! Chapter 199 - Win or Lose The sound of the bone cracking echoed in everyone¡¯s ears crisply. Lei Mingwei moaned in pain as his face turned as white as a sheet. He furiously glared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You¡¯re tired of living!¡± His other hand swiftly grabbed at Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck as if he wanted to break that thin and long neck. Chu Liuyue was not afraid as she immediately moved backward, barely avoiding Lei Mingwei¡¯s retaliation. The two people exchanged blows for a moment and immediately retreated away from one another. The most unexpected thing was that Lei Mingwei was the one injured! When the crowd saw his hand¡¯s strange posture, they immediately fell into suffocating silence. Then, they burst into an uproar! ¡°Am I seeing things? Lei Mingwei is actually hurt, yet Chu Liuyue managed to escape unscathed?¡± ¡°Lei Mingwei is a stage-four warrior and has very strong bodily power. How can Chu Liuyue break his hand so easily?¡± ¡°God¡­ I didn¡¯t even see Chu Liuyue¡¯s moves clearly. Did you see it?¡± ¡°¡­ How can Chu Liuyue have the cheek to say that she¡¯s a stage-one warrior with this kind of abilities?¡± The spectators discussed the battle, filled with shock. Originally, they thought that this match¡¯s outcome was confirmed, but it seemed like this was not the case. Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities had greatly exceeded their expectations! When Lei Mingwei heard the various comments, he was very humiliated. If he lost the significant first match to Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was a few cultivation stages lower than him¡ªhe would be mocked for the rest of his days! Then, he would definitely be the academy¡¯s sinner! How would he continue staying in the academy? I must win! When Lei Mingwei thought of this, he gathered all the strength in his body and planned to put in his best effort. A ball of blue force quickly gathered in his palm, which rapidly formed a long sword. The difference between a stage-four warrior and a stage-three warrior was that stage-four warriors could circulate their force outside of their bodies to increase their attacking power. In the past, Lei Mingwei had never thought that he would have to use this method to go against a mere stage-one warrior. However, Lei Mingwei could not care about that at this point. There was only one thought in his head¡ªI must win! His uninjured hand held the longsword as he kept circulating his force into it, exuding a fearful sword aura. The next moment, Lei Mingwei suddenly thrust his longsword towards the front. ¡°Xuan Zhong Sword!¡± Buzz! When that longsword sliced through the air, the surrounding air immediately narrowed as the intense strength kept flowing into the sword, producing an ear-piercing buzz. Chu Liuyue felt excruciating pain in her ears, and her entire body¡¯s force seemed to freeze. The fearful force came toward her, and Chu Liuyue could not hide from it at all, causing her speed to decrease significantly. A stage-four warrior¡¯s suppression was very formidable! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sharp gaze landed on the Xuan Zhong Sword that sliced downwards. Even if there was some distance between the two of them, it would not affect the stage-four warrior¡¯s attack at all. Chu Liuyue swiftly surveyed her surroundings, and a thought popped up in her mind. I can temporarily use my movement techniques to gain an advantage, but this won¡¯t do the trick. Now that Lei Mingwei has recovered his senses, he will definitely give it his all. If we battle for a long time, my force will definitely be depleted first! Thus, I have to end the battle as soon as possible. Thinking of this, she immediately circulated the force in her body. When the force went to her limbs, the suppression acting on her body weakened a little. Taking this chance, Chu Liuyue immediately moved backward. ¡°You want to escape? It¡¯s not that easy!¡± When Lei Mingwei saw Chu Liuyue rapidly running backward, he immediately understood her intentions. He hollered, ¡°Go!¡± The Xuan Zhong Sword immediately cut through the floor! Tsing! The sharp blade cut across the white marble floor, producing an ear-piercing sound. The next moment, a blue sword aura flew out of the sword and went toward Chu Liuyue like a lightning bolt. The crowd only saw a blue ray of light flash across the white floor, which then instantly appeared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. No matter how fast Chu Liuyue was, she was not faster than Lei Mingwei¡¯s attack since she had been suppressed. The blue sword aura was about to reach Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. Everyone widened their eyes and stared at the arena closely. Lei Mingwei had gathered all the strength he had as a stage-four warrior for this attack. Chu Liuyue could not escape this. Chu Liuyue moved backward, and the sword aura kept following after her. At some moment, she suddenly realized something and turned around. Chu Liuyue had reached the edge of the arena! If she continued to move backward, she would definitely fall out of the arena! According to the rules, she would lose if she went out of the arena¡¯s boundaries. Chu Liuyue stood on her toes and rapidly ran in another direction. Just when she changed her direction, the blue sword aura seemed to have a mind of its own; it quickly followed her. It continued to chase after her! Seeing this scene, Gu Mingfeng¡ªwho was quiet the entire time¡ªcould not help but knit his brows. ¡°Lei Mingwei is a stage-four warrior. Not only can he circulate his force outside of his body, but he can freely control the attack within a certain range. It looks like his cultivation level had reached the intermediate level of stage four. This spacious arena should be entirely under his control.¡± From stage-four warrior and onwards, every cultivation stage would be split into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Lei Mingwei had become a stage-four warrior last year. Now that a year had passed, he had successfully broken through and become an intermediate stage-four warrior. He had an even bigger advantage against Chu Liuyue. Cen Hu was shocked. ¡°What? Then what about Liuyue? Wasn¡¯t Liuyue very fast just now? Can¡¯t she avoid the attack?¡± Gu Mingfeng paused before saying, ¡°It¡¯s a little hard unless she can leave the arena and get out of Lei Mingwei¡¯s control range.¡± However, this meant that she would lose. Mu Hongyu angrily cursed, ¡°This Lei Mingwei is so cunning! He knew that he wasn¡¯t Liuyue¡¯s match physically, so he used this move!¡± Even though Mu Hongyu scolded him, she understood that competitions were cruel. All people would use any methods to attain victory, let alone with this advantage that belonged to Lei Mingwei. He did this righteously. She could only say that it was too hard for a stage-one warrior to go against a stage-four warrior. When Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students saw how Chu Liuyue was forced to retreat by the sword aura, they all heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°As expected! When Mingwei shows off his true abilities, Chu Liuyue can¡¯t even handle a single attack. Very soon, Chu Liuyue will be exhausted, and she will lose mercilessly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Senior Lei¡¯s wrist was broken. If Senior Lei knew that Chu Liuyue was this cunning, he should¡¯ve taken her down from the start!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too late as long as he wins! Besides, Mingwei has a really bad temper. Since a mere stage-one warrior broke his wrist, he¡¯ll definitely take his revenge. Hah, that Chu Liuyue is going to have a miserable time¡­¡± In the arena, Lei Mingwei could not help but sneer at Chu Liuyue, who kept running away. ¡°So what if you can hide? I don¡¯t believe that you can continue hiding all the way! You¡¯re bound to lose today¡¯s match!¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped and looked at Lei Mingwei. Her lips curved up into a strange smile. ¡°Oh? Then, I won¡¯t hide anymore!¡± Chu Liuyue then raised her hand, and a sharp, cold blade glistened in her hands. It was an extremely sharp dagger! The next moment, she bent her wrists and flung the dagger out. The crowd only saw a ray of light flash across the air and directly flew toward the blue sword aura¡ªwhich was getting close to Chu Liuyue. Tsing! The dagger had a ferocious aura and suddenly landed on the floor, harshly slicing through the sword aura. ¡°Explode!¡± Hong! After a temporary silence, the blue sword aura exploded! Instantly, millions of blue sparks landed, and the originally fierce sword aura disappeared. Lei Mingwei felt the recoil, and he was stunned. Suddenly, he vomited blood, his entire face as pale as a ghost. Everyone was shocked; they could not believe their eyes. Chu Liuyue actually chose to go against Lei Mingwei head-on, and she actually has the upper hand! That dagger was very fast and thoroughly crushed Lei Mingwei¡¯s attack. Chu Liuyue did not stop at all as she went straight for Lei Mingwei. She appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye. Then, she raised her long legs and harshly kicked Lei Mingwei¡¯s face. Lei Mingwei¡¯s gigantic body instantly flew backward and landed on the floor heavily, making a low thud. Lei Mingwei¡¯s face turned even whiter, and he vomited out more blood. He widened his eyes and looked at Chu Liuyue fearfully and indignantly. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something. But after struggling for a while, his eyes rolled up, and he fainted. No matter how strong one¡¯s body was, the head was their weakest body part. Chu Liuyue¡¯s kick directly hit Lei Mingwei¡¯s face, becoming a life-threatening attack. She looked up at the judge. She smiled happily, but her eyes were still filled with cold murderous intent¡ªwhich made one shudder and not dare to look her straight in the eye. ¡°Can you announce the winner now?¡± Chapter 200 - Dagger The slim girl happily stood in the arena with a smile on her face. A light breeze blew over, causing her clothes to float in the air. The scene truly looked as mesmerizing as a painting. If one did not notice the bloody and unconscious Lei Mingwei under her feet, this scene was pretty pleasing. Silence filled the square. It was as if thousands of people had lost their voices at this moment. They all stared at the scene in front of them dazedly. W-what did Chu Liuyue just do? ¡°Hm?¡± asked Chu Liuyue lightly again. The teacher presiding over the match finally recovered his senses and dazedly looked at Lei Mingwei¡ªwho had fainted and could not continue battling. The teacher swallowed his saliva with much difficulty and finally found his voice. ¡°The winner of this match is¡­ Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Chu Liuyue!¡± The clear and powerful voice echoed throughout the square! Winner! Tian Lu Academy! Chu Liuyue! Every single person heard every word clearly. The crowd¡ªwho was initially in a trance and filled with disbelief¡ªfinally woke up from their dream. The Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s first match¡ªChu Liuyue versus Lei Mingwei. Chu Liuyue actually won! A stage-one warrior won against a stage-four warrior! This truth was too shocking, even though they had personally witnessed everything, and Lei Mingwei was still unconscious on the floor. After a long time, the crowd was still immersed in the suffocating silence. ¡°You won! Liuyue, I knew you were the best!¡± An excited and emotional scream suddenly sounded. Mu Hongyu already jumped up from her seat, and happiness was oozing out of her body. ¡°You did great!¡± This sentence immediately made Tian Lu Academy¡¯s crowd recover their senses. She won! Chu Liuyue won! That means Tian Lu Academy won! Celebratory cheers immediately sounded and filled the area. ¡°We won! We won!¡± ¡°The first match was beautiful!¡± ¡°Oh my, I would never believe that a stage-one warrior can win against a stage-four warrior if I didn¡¯t see it personally!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Chu Liuyue first won against Chu Xianmin, a stage-three warrior. Now, she has won against a stage-four warrior. It¡¯s her usual practice! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Initially, I thought that she was lucky to take first place in the warrior assessment, but now¡­ I¡¯m convinced!¡± Even though everyone did not have much understanding of Chu Liuyue earlier, and they even had some biases against her, they were all naturally happy now that she won. After all, she made the academy proud and made them look good. The vague doubts about Chu Liuyue¡ªwhich had existed ever since she entered the academy¡ªhad also completely disappeared after this amazing match. She might have been lucky to beat a stage-three warrior, but winning against an intermediate stage-four warrior definitely proved Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities. Hearing the roaring cheers, Chu Xianmin clenched her teeth tightly and wanted to be the one on the stage. Her hand unwittingly touched her neck, and the rough scar reminded her that the current Chu Liuyue was no longer the one she could bully in the past. Chu Xianmin suddenly felt helpless in her heart. She did not know when Chu Liuyue had surpassed her and when she had thrown her far behind. The entire Tian Lu Academy was celebrating. Only a small area at the front few rows was different. Rong Jin was there. The people around him all minded themselves, trying their best to minimize their presence. Everyone knew that Chu Liuyue was once Rong Jin¡¯s fianc¨¦, but he had taken the initiative to dissolve the marriage agreement in the end. However, not only was Chu Liuyue not a good-for-nothing, but she had also become the most dazzling talent in the blink of an eye. Who would feel good about this? Rong Jin looked at the young girl in the arena with a complicated heart. As if she had heard the cheers, Chu Liuyue turned around and gave a charming smile¡ªmesmerizing and bright like the sun. It was as if Rong Jin¡¯s heart was hit by something heavy. He could feel turmoil at the bottom of his heart. It was as if his heart had predicted some danger, but Rong Jin could not do anything about it. If¡­ our marriage agreement was still in place, then her smile would belong only to me¡­ Noticing what he thought about, Rong Jin immediately recovered his senses and shook his head, wanting to expel those thoughts. However, those thoughts became even clearer for some reason. ¡­ Elder Sun stroked his beard in satisfaction and finally put down the rock in his heart. Liuyue really hasn¡¯t disappointed anyone before! It¡¯s no wonder Uncle-Master¡ªwho always refuses to accept disciples¡ªwanted to appreciate her talent. It¡¯s a blissful thing for a mentor to have such a disciple. He laughed out loud. ¡°Liuyue, the first match is over. You should go down and rest. Your name will be put back into the box, so you might have to participate in a second, third, or even more matches. You should prepare for them.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Okay! Thank you, Elder Sun!¡± Then, Chu Liuyue quickly walked to her dagger. She walked a few steps and turned around to speak to Tai Yan Academy¡¯s members. ¡°Oh yes, I held myself back when I kicked him, so his injuries aren¡¯t fatal. You just have to bring him down and let him rest for half a month. The Qing Jiao Competition always ends appropriately, and we prioritize our friendship over the competition. I remembered this!¡± This sentence almost made the Tai Yan Academy crowd puke out blood. Held yourself back? How can you have the cheek to say that after he ended up in this state? What ¡®prioritizing friendship over competition¡¯? That¡¯s nuts! The crowd¡¯s expression immediately changed uglily. Initially, they all said that they would definitely win this match, but it ended up with this result! It was akin to slapping their faces! Cheng Han lost the initial arrogant aura, and he looked more frustrated. ¡°Quickly, go and bring Lei Mingwei back!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± The others hurriedly went forward and carried Lei Mingwei down. The Tai Yan Academy crowd remained in awkward silence. Sun Zhongyan cupped his fists towards Cheng Han and laughed. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, thank you for letting us win. This match was so interesting. I believe this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition should be even more outstanding than before, don¡¯t you think?¡± Cheng Han only thought that he had eaten a fly and was very disgusted. Sun Zhongyan is clearly showing off! However, I can¡¯t do anything about it since we lost! ¡°Hehe, Brother Zhongyan, you¡¯re right. Good shows await us!¡± Cheng Han was pretty experienced after all, so he revealed a light smile and respectfully answered Sun Zhongyan. Sun Zhongyan noticed the vague indignance and threat in Cheng Han¡¯s words, but he did not take it to heart. Tai Yan Academy lost the first match so badly, so this would definitely affect their morale. It was impossible for Tai Yan Academy to maintain their glory from the previous year. ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked over, bent down, and picked up the dagger. Upon seeing the crack on the arena floor, she raised her brows slightly. This dagger¡ªwhich Rong Xiu personally made¡ªis really good! It¡¯s even stronger than I thought¡­ She put the dagger away and walked down the arena. On the other end, Situ Xingchen suddenly widened her eyes when she saw the faint pattern on the dagger. That dagger is¡ª Chapter 201 - Another Loss! Situ Xingchen stood up uncontrollably and stared straight at the dagger in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. ¡°Xingchen, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Cheng Han looked at her in surprise. He rarely saw such an expression on Situ Xingchen¡¯s face. ¡°Huh? What?¡± Situ Xingchen suddenly woke up and looked at Cheng Han. She then realized that she had lost her manners and hurriedly sat back down. ¡°N-nothing much¡­¡± Cheng Han was her mentor and understood her the best. How can there be nothing wrong? ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Cheng Han followed her gaze and saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s back view as she left the arena. He slightly knitted his brows. ¡°That Chu Liuyue is a little weird. What can you tell?¡± Situ Xingchen knew that her mentor was talking about something different from her thoughts, but she could not explicitly talk about it. Hence, she could only hide her unease and smile. ¡°¡­ Nothing; I¡¯m just a little shocked. The dagger seemed like it was nailed to the floor¡­ White marble is very hard, so ordinary objects can¡¯t even leave a scar on it. I can¡¯t believe Chu Liuyue has such a sharp dagger. It shouldn¡¯t be something ordinary¡­¡± Once Cheng Han heard that, he thought that Situ Xingchen made sense. He stroked his beard as he said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Chu Liuyue is just a stage-one warrior, but she directly halted Lei Mingwei¡¯s attack. That dagger should¡¯ve helped her quite a bit. However, she acted too swiftly, and we¡¯re a little too far away. Thus, I couldn¡¯t see what happened clearly.¡± If I have the chance, I must take a closer look. Perhaps I can tell what she¡¯s doing. Upon seeing Situ Xingchen¡¯s distracted appearance, Cheng Han was a little confused. ¡°Xingchen, you¡¯re a heavenly doctor, and she¡¯s a warrior. You won¡¯t meet each other in a competition. Why do you seem so interested in her dagger?¡± Situ Xingchen forced a smile onto her face. ¡°I was just curious. Don¡¯t worry, Mentor.¡± Cheng Han then nodded. His disciple was from a distinguished family and had outstanding talent. She was great in every way. Perhaps Situ Xingchen truly was curious about this minor matter. ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked down the arena and received the enthusiastic welcomes from the Tian Lu Academy crowd. She went back to her seat with much difficulty and lightly exhaled. ¡°Hu¡­ Everyone¡¯s too friendly!¡± ¡°Hehe, Liuyue, you¡¯re a famous character in our academy now!¡± Si Yang leaned in close with a face filled with admiration. ¡°Lei Mingwei is an intermediate stage-four warrior, yet you still won against him! Way to go!¡± Everyone thought that Chu Liuyue was bound to lose this match, but who would¡¯ve thought that she would win? She directly earned back the academy¡¯s pride! Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°That¡¯s too much of an exaggeration.¡± ¡°Of course not! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask my Big¡ª¡± Si Yang hurriedly stopped halfway through his sentence and wanted to bite off his own tongue when he saw his big brother¡¯s calm expression. Si Ting did not look awkward as he nodded at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Now that everything was out in the open, there was nothing much between them. Seeing how both of them did not seem too awkward, Si Yang heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Did you know? The win or loss of Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s first match can greatly affect the other students¡¯ matches later on. Your win is a welcome blessing, and it¡¯s a super powerful one! Everyone admires you!¡± Chu Liuyue did not care much about this, and her lips just curved up slightly. ¡°This is just the start. The later matches will be even fiercer.¡± Chu Liuyue was also the one who would most likely be picked again. This process would naturally occur if she wanted to take first place. I should recover my force first. The second match was between Tai Yan Academy and Nan Feng Academy. Tai Yan Academy picked a slim and tall young man¡ªJia Yiming. Nan Feng Academy was against a pretty and tall young woman¡ªLiu Yinyin. Both of them were stage-three warriors and could be considered as evenly matched. Tai Yan Academy¡¯s people were increasingly nervous and hoped that they would win this round. They had already lost miserably in the first match. If they still lost in the second match, their reputation would be tarnished! Nan Feng Academy people were instead happy to see Tai Yan Academy¡¯s downfall. They wanted to win this match by doing their best and harshly trample on Tai Yan Academy. Both fighters went up to the arena, and the match started amidst the anxious atmosphere. Tian Lu Academy finally started to calm down as their attention returned to the match. Chu Liuyue then heaved a sigh of relief. Her eyes turned, and she looked at the Tai Yan Academy crowd. She squinted her eyes slightly. When I walked down the arena earlier, I clearly felt an unusual gaze. If I did not guess it wrongly, it seems to be from¡­ that Situ Xingchen? Chu Liuyue looked down and flipped the dagger in her hands. The dagger shone brightly, still as sharp as ever. A few peach blossoms were engraved on the dagger handle. Rong Xiu seemed to love peach blossoms a lot; even the hairpin he gave to Chu Liuyue previously was a peach blossom hairpin. A similar pattern was also engraved on it. Actually, one shouldn¡¯t be able to see the pattern clearly if they do not look carefully. However, Situ Xingchen seemed to be staring at this dagger¡­ Yes, Situ Xingchen¡¯s clothes also had a similar cloud pattern. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and smiled. How interesting¡­ She hid her thoughts and looked at the arena once again. The second match continued on intensely. Of course, it had not much reference value to her. She only watched on for a while before she decisively closed her eyes, gathered her focus, and started to meditate. ¡°Hey, Liuyue, did you see how Liu Yinyin attacked just now?¡± asked Si Yang. When he did not hear Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply, he turned around and saw that she was actually¡­ ¡°Are you for real? You can cultivate here?¡± Si Yang¡¯s eyelids twitched. The surroundings were so noisy, and Chu Liuyue just finished a match, yet she could continue cultivating. He wanted to say something else, but he saw that Si Ting also seemed to be meditating. Thus, he obediently kept quiet. Geniuses are indeed different from an average person! Maybe it was because Chu Liuyue¡¯s match against Lei Mingwei was too interesting, but the second was much duller. The two people¡¯s abilities were of equal level, and they battled for a very long time. Jia Yiming seemed to have exhausted his force, and he finally revealed a weakness¡ªwhich Liu Yinyin immediately attacked. She then kicked him out of the arena. Liu Yinyin won the second match! Tai Yan Academy lost again! Chapter 202 - Late Night Visit Tai Yan Academy had lost the first two matches, which was something that they had never experienced all these years. When the judge announced that Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Liu Yinyin won, the entire Tai Yan Academy¡¯s atmosphere froze. Cheng Han could no longer keep a smile on his face, and his surrounding aura became cold. The many students behind him did not even dare to breathe deeply. Why would they¡ªwho were so glorious last year¡ªexpect themselves to end up in such a situation? However, the name drawing process was very fair, and nobody could manipulate it. Hence, they couldn¡¯t even find a reason for their failure. Upon seeing this, Situ Xingchen softly advised, ¡°Mentor, the Qing Jiao Competition just started, and we¡¯re just unlucky. The truly capable ones are competing later on, so this is a good thing for us.¡± When Cheng Han heard her say that, his face finally looked better. Yes. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have anyone left. Situ Xingchen alone can win against so many other people! This time, I have high hopes for her, and I hope that she¡¯ll take first place in the heavenly doctor competition. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I know what to do.¡± In the warrior, Xuan Master, and heavenly doctor competitions, the top warrior was the most neglected one. Even if they did not have an advantage in the warrior competition, they could get rid of their shame if they came in first in the heavenly doctor competition. ¡°We can just relax and wait.¡± Situ Xingchen nodded. ¡­ The warrior competition carried on. At first, Chu Liuyue was still worried that her name would be picked again. However, the chances of that happening weren¡¯t very high as there were, luckily, quite a few people participating in the warrior competition. In actual fact, when the Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s first day ended in the evening, Chu Liuyue was not picked again. This gave her ample time to relax and cultivate. Throughout the entire day, the three academies had their own wins and losses. However, when roughly calculated, the academy that won the most was actually Tian Lu Academy, which was looked down on from the start. On the other hand, the arrogant Tai Yan Academy kept losing continuously and was in last place. There were a variety of reactions amongst the crowd. The Qing Jiao Competition normally lasted for five days. The first three days were for the warrior competition, the fourth day was for the Xuan Master competition, and the last day was for the heavenly doctor competition. On the first day, more than half of the warriors had already competed. This left the minority who had not entered the arena and those who had won. After the competition temporarily ended, the three academies led their students back to rest and prepare for the next day¡¯s competition. Chu Liuyue also followed the crowd and returned to the academy. ¡­ As she walked across Shuang Qing Lake bridge, Chu Liuyue almost instinctively looked toward Yi Feng Courtyard. The fence gate was tightly shut, and the door was locked; nobody could be seen in the yard. I wonder what Rong Xiu is busy with¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly when she remembered the pattern on Situ Xingchen¡¯s clothes. She had almost forgotten that Prince Li did not return to the Imperial City for many years, had strong, hidden skills, and many secrets. She retracted her gaze and walked toward her lodging. When she walked to the yard, she immediately noticed that something was wrong, and a siren went off in her heart. Her eyes quickly darted around her surroundings as she moved backward without hesitation and planned to leave. However, a black shadow rapidly approached her before she could even turn around, grabbed her wrists, and quickly tied them up with rope. The dangerous aura made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skip a beat. This man is very strong! I¡¯m definitely not his match now! Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to look up and see his face, the man directly brought her to the door. She had locked the door properly before she left, but it suddenly opened from the inside. The man behind Chu Liuyue forcefully pushed her in. Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrists were tied behind her back, and she almost staggered and fell on the floor. While stabilizing herself with much difficulty, she heard a ¡°Bang!¡± from behind. The other party actually locked the door again! Chu Liuyue detected that there were other people in the room, and she hurriedly looked up. She was stunned. Other than Fourth Princess Rong Zhen, who else could be leisurely sitting in Chu Liuyue¡¯s house and arrogantly staring at her? ¡°Rong Zhen? Why are you here?¡± Displeasure appeared on Rong Zhen¡¯s face. ¡°How dare you call me by my name?¡± A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. According to Rong Zhen¡¯s temper, she¡¯ll definitely rage at me for addressing her in this manner. However, she actually lectured me only, which proves that she has another motive. Many guesses quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, but this did not show on her face. ¡°Forgive me, Fourth Princess. I was just too shocked. May I know why you¡¯re here today?¡± Rong Zhen glared at her. ¡°Of course, I have something urgent to ask of you.¡± Chu Liuyue looked down slightly and smiled. ¡°Fourth Princess, you can just directly tell me if you need anything. Why did you have to do this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re always scheming, so I don¡¯t trust you.¡± Rong Zhen still clearly remembered the scene of Chu Liuyue passing her the bloodied pearl of essence at the Crown Prince¡¯s banquet. The foul, bloody scent seemed to linger around her nose, causing her to be disgusted. Chu Liuyue paused. She could clearly feel that the person who brought her in was currently standing behind her. She was not that person¡¯s match, so doing anything out of the blue would put her in an even more dangerous position. She decisively curbed her urge to look back and stared at Rong Zhen. She then said, ¡°You can just directly state what you want.¡± ¡°I personally came here to look for you because of one matter.¡± Rong Zhen slightly raised her chin and looked more arrogant than ever. ¡°You were born lacking a Yuan meridian, but you suddenly recovered a while back. You have even become a so-called genius¡­ What did you do?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood the situation. It is indeed because of this. Previously, Chu Liuyue had already expected that Rong Zhen might look for her, but she did not expect for Rong Zhen to wait so long. ¡°As long as you tell me who helped you and you help me to recover my pearl of essence, I won¡¯t pursue the matters from before.¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s superior tone sounded as if she were doing a charitable deed. Chu Liuyue looked at her quietly. Rong Zhen was frustrated by Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze and raised her voice. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I was just thinking that you came to me to ask me for help. If I didn¡¯t hear you clearly, I would¡¯ve thought you came to seek revenge against me.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly laughed. Rong Zhen¡¯s face immediately became cold. ¡°You dare to be sarcastic to me?¡± ¡®Not at all. It¡¯s not easy for Fourth Princess to get out of the palace, and I believe you have been waiting here for a long time. However, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you with this.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Rong Zhen angrily stood up. Chu Liuyue clearly saw that Rong Zhen¡¯s legs looked weird when she walked. It was obvious that she had injured her leg, and it did not heal properly. ¡°B*tch! What are you looking at?¡± Noticing that Chu Liuyue was staring at her leg, Rong Zhen became so angry that her face became red. Then, she immediately raised her hands to slap Chu Liuyue¡¯s face harshly. Chapter 203 - Dig a Hole ¡°Fourth Princess, didn¡¯t you come here today to repair your broken pearl of essence?¡± asked Chu Liuyue suddenly. Rong Zhen¡¯s hand stopped in mid-air as she suspiciously stared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°There¡¯s indeed someone backing you up!¡± She knew that Chu Liuyue definitely did not single-handedly turn herself from a good-for-nothing to a genius overnight. After all, she was born lacking a Yuan meridian! ¡°Spill it. Who is it?¡± In the beginning, all the heavenly doctors in the entire Country Yao Chen could not do anything about Chu Liuyue¡¯s lack of a Yuan meridian, but isn¡¯t she doing just fine now? Thus, I just have to find that person, and my broken pearl of essence can definitely be fixed! Chu Liuyue looked at the anxious Rong Zhen, and she sneered in her heart. A broken pearl of essence is even worse than lacking a Yuan meridian. If one lacks a Yuan meridian, they could just not cultivate. However, pearls of essence and cultivators have a close relationship. Once one¡¯s pearl of essence is broken, it will greatly affect the person¡¯s body. When one¡¯s pearl of essence was broken, the most direct impact would be their entire dantian being damaged. Without a complete dantian, one couldn¡¯t get an unharmed pearl of essence back even if they went up to the heavens and down underground. It was even more impossible for them to cultivate again! Rong Zhen¡¯s current situation is obviously as such. If it were me in my previous life, I would have a way around it. However, let alone the fact that I can¡¯t do it now, it is impossible for me to help Rong Zhen even if I can. Chu Liuyue looked away and seemed hesitant. ¡°T-this isn¡¯t easy to say¡­¡± After seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s behavior, Rong Zhen could confirm that Chu Liuyue knew an expert, but she did not want to tell Rong Zhen about it. ¡°Say it, quick! If my pearl of essence can be restored, there¡¯ll be tons of benefits for you in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to laugh upon hearing her words. Rong Zhen really has been spoiled rotten as she actually thinks that saying a few simple sentences can tempt her. Benefits? Rong Zhen should consider that she has already long lost Emperor Jiawen¡¯s love when she became a good-for-nothing. Besides, the situation is even worse since the Crown Prince has been repeatedly punished. She has already long lost the right to be arrogant, yet she thinks she can show off here. Chu Liuyue tightly pressed her lips against each other as if she were wavering. ¡°Fourth Princess, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to say, b-but I don¡¯t know who that person is either¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense! Since that person has already cured you, how can you not know who he is?¡± Rong Zhen walked forward and clutched Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. Rong Zhen¡¯s face contorted a little. ¡°How dare you mess with me?¡± Hatred flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as she curbed her urge to avoid Rong Zhen¡¯s action. Chu Liuyue moved slightly and lowered the impact of Rong Zhen¡¯s strength. ¡°Fourth Princess, don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m telling the truth. Cough cough¡­ Actually, I haven¡¯t told anyone about this, but I¡¯ll tell you if you want to know! Cough cough¡­¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s face was turning red, and she was coughing, Rong Zhen harshly flung her away. ¡°Answer me!¡± Chu Liuyue coughed again before recovering her composure and slowly said, ¡°¡­ Fourth Princess, this incident actually starts from the time Chu Xianmin sent someone to assassinate me. That day, she sent someone to capture and bring me to the forest at the edge of the Imperial City.¡± ¡°When I thought I was going to die, a man in a black robe suddenly appeared. I couldn¡¯t see his figure or face, but his voice sounded old¡­ He saved me and even fed me a pill, which I had no idea what it was back then. However, I discovered that my Yuan meridian had recovered when I went back!¡± ¡°Then¡­ Fourth Princess, you also know what happened after that.¡± Upon hearing her words, Rong Zhen knitted her brows. ¡°Are you telling the truth? If you don¡¯t know the person, why would he help you?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. I haven¡¯t seen him again since then. Originally, I wanted to thank him, but I can¡¯t find him anywhere. I¡¯m really telling the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me¡­ I can¡¯t do anything about it. There¡¯s no point in me lying about this anyway¡­¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s face changed, and she did not speak for quite some time as she digested Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. Even though it sounds very ridiculous, how did Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian recover without this happening? ¡°I remember that you bought quite a few herbs after you returned to the Chu family. What¡¯s up with that?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°After the person saved me, he even left a formula for me. Initially, I didn¡¯t know what it was. But I later realized that it could be used to cultivate my body. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to Zhen Bao Pavilion and ask them about it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go to that place!¡± Rong Zhen was furious when she heard Zhen Bao Pavilion. Rong Zhen was clearly injured at Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s hunting ground, but the Emperor had no intentions of punishing them. She still could not take this lying. After thinking for a while, Rong Zhen continued to ask, ¡°Tell me where you met that person.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°I was brought to that place when unconscious, so I¡¯m not too sure where exactly¡­¡± ¡°Hurry!¡± Rong Zhen kicked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s stomach, but Chu Liuyue pretended to shiver in fear, so the kick landed on her thigh instead. Chu Liuyue fell backward and hit her back against the table. The cutlery on the table fell to the floor with a crisp sound. Rong Zhen had already picked up paper and brush from the side, and she violently threw them at Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°Draw the location out! If not, don¡¯t dream about leaving this door!¡± Cold murderous intent flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, but it instantly faded away. ¡°Okay, I will!¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she moved her wrists¡ªwhich were tied up behind her back. ¡°But can you untie this first? If not, I¡­¡± Rong Zhen looked at the person at the side. Chu Liuyue felt something cold brush past her wrists, and the rope silently fell thereafter. Chu Liuyue looked down and saw that the rope had caused a red mark on her wrists. She picked up the paper and brush from the side and started to draw bit by bit. Firstly, she drew the lush greenery and the curvy river. Chu Liuyue looked down, and Rong Zhen could not see her current expression. The brush moved, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions were very slow. However, the outline of the woods outside the Imperial City had quickly flashed across her mind. After she was reborn, she had once studied that forest in detail. Finally, her brush stopped at a certain position. If I don¡¯t remember wrongly, this place seems to be¡­ Chu Liuyue lightly left a thick mark on that location. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Chapter 204 - Kindly Enlighten Me Rong Zhen picked up the paper and knitted her brows upon taking a closer look at it. Rong Zhen was not familiar with the outline of the forest outside the Imperial City, so she did not know where exactly the marked location was, but it looked quite isolated¡­ After thinking for a while, she looked at Chu Liuyue and sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t think that this matter is settled. After the Qing Jiao Competition ends, you will bring me there personally.¡± She was not stupid, so she would not believe in a location that Chu Liuyue casually drew for her. Who knows if she¡¯s telling the truth? Chu Liuyue rubbed her wrists and looked honest. ¡°Whatever you say, Fourth Princess.¡± Upon seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s seemingly truthful expression and how she had agreed to go with her, Rong Zhen then believed her a little more. She glanced at the man in black clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The two of them then left together. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw the blurred figures disappearing into the night sky. If I¡¯m not wrong, the previous man in black used his strength to hide the duo¡¯s aura. No wonder they dared to barge into the academy¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze darkened. That person¡¯s ability is at least that of an intermediate stage-five warrior. There aren¡¯t many people in Country Yao Chen who have such abilities. Someone that Rong Zhen can command¡­ A few suspicious names appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but she could not determine that person¡¯s identity for certain as she did not see their appearance and figure. I should find some time to investigate this¡­ ¡­ The happenings in the night did not attract anyone¡¯s attention. The next morning, Chu Liuyue went to Jia Nan Square as usual, together with the rest. Compared to the previous day, there were even more people in the spectator stands, and the atmosphere was livelier. The competition¡¯s later stages were when the more exciting battles happened, so more people would come to spectate. Once Chu Liuyue arrived, she attracted many people¡¯s attention. Countless gazes landed on her. She could still vaguely hear quite a few people talking about her fight with Lei Mingwei yesterday. Mu Hongyu used her elbow to nudge Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯ve become famous because of the match! Even people from Huai Cang and Xing Luo have heard of your name!¡± The results of a stage-one warrior winning against a stage-four warrior would shock anyone, no matter where. Chu Liuyue was very calm. ¡°The competition has just started. The later battles are more important.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! Half of the warriors were eliminated yesterday, so the people who won yesterday will definitely be picked again. Yesterday¡¯s match wasn¡¯t that exciting for me, so I hope I¡¯ll meet a more interesting opponent today!¡± Mu Hongyu picked a stage-three warrior from Tai Yan Academy yesterday and had won without much effort, making her hand itch. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°You¡¯re already a stage-four warrior now, and you naturally see the world differently. Don¡¯t worry; the other two academies have quite a few stage-four warriors, so you definitely can have a good battle today.¡± Mu Hongyu chuckled. ¡°I have to thank you for this. If you didn¡¯t lend me those 40 hours, I wouldn¡¯t have broken through to the next stage so soon.¡± ¡°Hongyu! The competition is about to begin! Hurry over!¡± Cen Hu¡ªwho had sat down not far away¡ªwaved at Mu Hongyu. Mu Hongyu then said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go first!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and walked in another direction. She was sitting at the Xuan Masters¡¯ area, so she did not sit with them. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue walked over, quite a few people enthusiastically greeted her. After the battle yesterday, Chu Liuyue was famous in the academy and had made a lot of people change their views about her. Hence, they were much friendlier toward her. Chu Liuyue greeted them back one by one before sitting down. However, she still found it amusing. In the past, she was the Heavenly Princess and had a distinguished status. Not to mention other people, even the other princes and princesses were very respectful toward her. Initially, she was upset because she thought they were not close to her, but she gradually understood many things later and did not force it upon them. Chu Liuyue found this kind of scenario a little unfamiliar, but she did not hate it. She even felt slightly happy. She could feel that these people really admired her, so they treated her in this way. It seemed like the Qing Jiao Competition was a very important thing for them. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings. Tian Lu Academy looked very energetic, and Nan Feng Academy looked like they were filled with fighting spirit. As for Tai Yan Academy¡­ The defeated atmosphere from yesterday had unexpectedly dissipated. Even though they were not as arrogant as they were in the beginning, they looked much more motivated. The competition very quickly started. ¡­ Suddenly, there was an uproar in the crowd. Chu Liuyue looked over and realized that it was because someone stood up from Nan Feng Academy. This person was an intelligent young man with a slim figure and elegant aura. He was the next student from Nan Feng Academy to compete¡ªJiang Yuan. ¡°It¡¯s actually Jiang Yuan? He came in tenth in the warrior competition last year! I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be even stronger now!¡± ¡°I heard that he was still a stage-three warrior last year, but his combat skills surpassed that of a stage-four warrior. This year, he has broken through and become a beginner stage-four warrior. Therefore, he shouldn¡¯t be overlooked!¡± ¡°Do you still remember the situation back then? Jiang Yuan looks very gentle and talks in a respectful manner, but he becomes another person when he enters the arena! If I meet with him¡­¡± ¡°I heard that he came here to take first place in the warrior competition! I wonder who will be so unlucky to compete against him¡­¡± Hearing the chatter around her, Chu Liuyue gradually understood the situation. No wonder everyone has such a reaction. This Jiang Yuan has the highest ranking amongst all the people that have competed since the start of the Qing Jiao Competition. Even the previous Lei Mingwei¡ªwho is an intermediate stage-four warrior¡ªhas a lower ranking than him. It proves just how strong Jiang Yuan is. One will most likely be eliminated if they fight against him. Jiang Yuan calmly walked to the box, picked up a paper ball, and opened it. He was slightly dazed when he saw the name on it. He then smiled as he unraveled the paper ball and looked toward Tian Lu Academy. ¡°It seems like I¡¯m pretty lucky to pick this year¡¯s biggest dark horse.¡± Everyone knew who he was talking about with just this sentence. Chu Liuyue looked over and indeed saw her name clearly written on the paper. Her lips curved up slightly, and she stood up. I¡¯m actually the lucky one. When I picked names, I picked an intermediate stage-four warrior like Lei Mingwei. When other people pick me, they are also unpredictably strong. Everyone saw the two of them stare at each other; they were shocked, then excited. Nobody expected last year¡¯s dark horse and this year¡¯s dark horse to meet each other so quickly! Both of them had abilities that surpassed their current cultivation level, so nobody knew how it would turn out when they fought with each other. Jiang Yuan smiled and said, ¡°Please¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Then, please enlighten me.¡± Chapter 205 - Avoid the Gleam The two people went onto the arena and stared at each other. Everyone watched the scene nervously and excitedly. ¡°Even though Jiang Yuan is a beginner stage-four warrior, he¡¯s definitely stronger than Lei Mingwei. Thus, I think Chu Liuyue is bound to lose.¡± ¡°I think so too. Even though she¡¯s powerful, Jiang Yuan is also a tough nut to crack. I¡¯m afraid her journey as Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s black horse is about to end.¡± ¡°Such a pity! I wanted to see her compete in a few more rounds. I also thought that she could get a good ranking this year, but that¡¯s most likely impossible now¡­¡± ¡°I heard that she used to be a good-for-nothing and only became famous in the last few months. After thinking about it carefully, her cultivation speed is scary¡­¡± Everyone partook in heated discussions. When Situ Xingchen heard the discussions, she was frustrated for some reason. Ever since she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger yesterday, she paid extra attention to Chu Liuyue. Now that Chu Liuyue went onto the arena once again, she was also very concerned. She had never heard of this name before, but she secretly went around and asked about Chu Liuyue after she went back yesterday. This Chu Liuyue is indeed unusual. She could not help but lean toward Cheng Han and softly ask, ¡°Mentor, can people who naturally lack a Yuan meridian recover their Yuan meridian and start cultivating?¡± Cheng Han knitted his brows. ¡°You¡¯re talking about Chu Liuyue?¡± He had also heard something related to Chu Liuyue yesterday, so he could instantly guess it when he heard Situ Xingchen ask about it. Situ Xingchen lightly nodded. Cheng Han stroked his beard. ¡°This¡­ It is indeed pretty impossible, but there are many strong warriors in the world. If people of that caliber are willing to help her, it isn¡¯t impossible for her to recover her Yuan meridian¡­¡± Situ Xingchen immediately understood what he meant. No matter if it were Country Yao Chen, Country Huai Cang, or their Country Xing Luo, they had an equal ranking of existence. There were still major unreachable characters above them. Even though she was Country Xing Luo¡¯s eldest princess, she was still as small as an ant in front of those people. ¡°However, I thought she¡¯s an ordinary daughter of a normal family in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City. How can she do so much?¡± This was something that Situ Xingchen could not figure out. Chu Liuyue had a decent family background, but she already could not be considered as a daughter from a distinguished family when the Chu family went down, and her father was so injured that he could not cultivate. With her identity, how did she recover her Yuan meridian and become a genius? Cheng Han thought for a really long time. ¡°Perhaps, she has some other fate¡­ Nobody can be certain about such things.¡± Situ Xingchen bit her lips. Seeing that she looked a little off, Cheng Han comforted her. ¡°Xingchen, no matter how strong she is, she doesn¡¯t have the right to compete with you. Why take her to heart?¡± Situ Xingchen forced a smile onto her face. ¡°Mentor, don¡¯t misunderstand. I was just curious.¡± Cheng Han nodded and did not think too much. Situ Xingchen slowly clenched her fists in her sleeves. Fate¡­ I can ignore her talent for now, but¡­ what about that dagger? ¡­ In the arena, Jiang Yuan curiously sized Chu Liuyue up. He had watched her match with Lei Mingwei yesterday very closely. This girl truly has unusual combat prowess. No matter if it is her movement techniques or offensive moves, they all showed that she has immense fighting experience. ¡°No offense, but I heard that you only started cultivating a few months ago?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and did not deny it. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Either way, everybody in the Imperial City knew about this. Jiang Yuan¡¯s eyes changed, and he looked even more serious. Who can cultivate to have capabilities equivalent to a stage-four warrior in a mere few months? This Chu Liuyue is indeed a worthy opponent. In time to come, she will definitely become a top warrior! Seeing the change in his eyes, Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and secretly circulated her force, making her muscles tense up as she entered combat mode. Lei Mingwei lost as he thought too highly of himself, but this Jiang Yuan is not that easy to deal with. She twisted her wrist and held the dagger in her hands. Jiang Yuan smiled. It seems like Chu Liuyue is planning to use all that she has on me directly. That¡¯s great! ¡°Please!¡± After saying that, Jiang Yuan then closed his eyes. It was as if he turned into another person when he opened them again. The warm smile on his face faded away, and he looked colder. His eyes were as sharp as a knife. The next moment, the force surrounding his body exploded. Beginner stage-four warrior! The crowd was shocked. ¡°Jiang Yuan actually put in his all right from the beginning?¡± ¡°It seems like he thinks very highly of Chu Liuyue. Hence, he doesn¡¯t dare to let his guard down.¡± ¡°Actually, this is also pretty normal. Everyone saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities yesterday. If Jiang Yuan doesn¡¯t take her seriously, he will lose in the same way as Lei Mingwei did.¡± ¡°A stage-one warrior that continuously challenged two stage-four warriors¡­ She won against one and even caused the other one to use their full force at the beginning of the match¡­ Even if she loses this round, Chu Liuyue will definitely become famous after the Qing Jiao Competition!¡± Jiang Yuan crossed his arms, and a ball of faint green force gradually formed. The vague suppression spread out from the ball¡¯s center. Chu Liuyue stared at it closely, and she became even more alert as the force in her body circulated even faster. The next moment, she stood on her toes and rapidly dashed toward Jiang Yuan. The crowd was shocked. They did not expect Chu Liuyue to be the one who chose to attack first between the two of them. Chu Liuyue clearly knows she is not his match, yet she dares to rush over directly. Does she have a death wish? In the blink of an eye, Chu Liuyue was already three steps away from Jiang Yuan. However, Jiang Yuan suddenly moved backward at this moment and avoided Chu Liuyue. The distance between the two of them was once again widened. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why did Jiang Yuan move backward?¡± ¡°Is he scared of Chu Liuyue?¡± The crowd was in chaos. However, Sun Zhongyan and the rest¡ªwho were spectating the match from below¡ªlooked even more serious. ¡°Jiang Yuan is indeed meticulous. He knows that Liuyue is better at close combat, so he purposely avoided her blade¡¯s gleam.¡± Actually, according to his abilities, Jiang Yuan should have an advantage even if they had a close-combat fight. However, he was unwilling to take this risk and decided to use a long-range attack strategy against Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s greatest weakness was that she was unable to circulate her force outside her body. Jiang Yuan was banking on this right from the start. ¡°He really wants to win this match¡­¡± ¡­ Once Chu Liuyue saw Jiang Yuan move backward, she knew his plan. He is strong and meticulous. Such an opponent is indeed difficult to handle. Besides, both of us are already a river width¡¯s distance away from each other. A thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as she hurriedly chased him. Jiang Yuan moved backward again. Chu Liuyue quickly discovered that Jiang Yuan¡¯s speed was comparable to hers. It was clearly impossible for her to launch a close-range attack if she purely used her speed. When Chu Liuyue discovered this, she decisively stopped and held her dagger tightly. At this point, a gigantic, green, ice ball had already appeared in front of Jiang Yuan. The sinister cold air gradually exuded from the top of the ball. ¡°Ghostly Eye Heavenly Ice!¡± With this holler, the green ice ball rapidly flew toward Chu Liuyue directly. A thin layer of frost formed on the ground as the ball went past. Harsh cold winds came straight for Chu Liuyue. Chapter 206 - Kill Back! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue quickly moved backward and violently flung the dagger in her hands out. Choo! The sharp dagger actually pierced the ice ball directly, causing ice shards to fly in all directions. However, the ice ball had immense strength, so the dagger stopped after piercing through only half of the ball. The dagger was stuck in the middle and could not move. Moreover, the ice ball only stopped for a while before coming for Chu Liuyue again! Chu Liuyue¡¯s attack against Jiang Yuan¡¯s ice ball was akin to termites biting on trees. Chu Liuyue moved backward again. However, the ice ball was also very fast and kept getting nearer to Chu Liuyue. The crowd had weird expressions upon seeing this scene. Sun Zhongyan shook his head. ¡°As expected¡­ Jiang Yuan¡¯s combat skills are very strong, and he¡¯s really smart. Liuyue doesn¡¯t have an advantage in this match; I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± She will lose. The others looked at each other awkwardly. ¡°Elder Sun, don¡¯t be overly worried. Even if Liuyue loses, everyone has seen her abilities.¡± ¡°Yeah. No matter what, she¡¯s only a stage-one warrior, and it¡¯s already very difficult for her to execute skills above her cultivation level. Sun Zhongyan thought about it for a while, but he did not say anything as his eyes were tightly glued to the arena. Does Elder Sun think that Chu Liuyue still has a chance of winning? The people behind him exchanged a few helpless glances. Even if Chu Liuyue is very talented, she can¡¯t use her current abilities to win against Jiang Yuan. Why does Elder Sun have such high expectations of Chu Liuyue? ¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly avoided the ice ball, but it kept coming for her. The distance between the ball and the girl was rapidly shortening at an observable speed. Everywhere the ice ball passed by was left with a layer of frost. When the sun shone down on the frost, the frost reflected a sharp, cold gleam¡ªwhich shocked people. On Nan Feng Academy¡¯s side, the crowd had already revealed victorious expressions. ¡°This Ghostly Eye Heavenly Ice is the first move that Jiang Yuan cultivated after becoming a stage-four warrior. It can be counted as one of his killer moves. Since he executed it immediately after the match started, it isn¡¯t considered a loss for Chu Liuyue.¡± ¡°Yeah! Even though Jiang Yuan is usually gentle and humble, he¡¯s very decisive in the arena. He¡¯s bound to win this match!¡± ¡°However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger is pretty good too as it could pierce through the ice ball. You need to know that I used a red-tasseled spear made out of metal when I battled Jiang Yuan. When I flung it out with all my force, it only scratched the ball¡¯s surface.¡± ¡°That dagger is a treasure. If not, why do you think Lei Mingwei lost yesterday? This dagger has enhanced Chu Liuyue¡¯s combat skills by quite a bit. Now that her dagger is stuck in the ice ball, her hands are empty, and she can¡¯t exert her force outwards. She¡¯s definitely not Jiang Yuan¡¯s match.¡± ¡°Look, the ice ball is about to catch up with Chu Liuyue. This match should end pretty soon¡­ Wait a minute! What is Chu Liuyue doing?¡± The few students making teasing remarks about Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped talking and looked at the arena in shock. In the arena, the ice ball kept getting nearer to Chu Liuyue. It was just about to reach Chu Liuyue¡ªthere was only an arm¡¯s length between the both of them. Once Chu Liuyue hit the ice ball, she would definitely lose without a doubt. Everyone felt that they had seen the match¡¯s outcome. However, just as they thought Chu Liuyue was about to lose, she suddenly turned around, jumped up, and landed on the ice ball. ¡°Is she crazy? Ghostly Eye Heavenly Ice is a very cold force. Not only did she not hide from it, but she has even directly jumped on top of it?¡± ¡°Does she think that she can avoid the attack just like that? The ice ball¡¯s force is sufficient to swallow her up.¡± The moment Chu Liuyue stepped on the ice ball, she felt a very cold aura coming from the ball. It spread throughout her entire body from her legs. In no time, her boots were already covered in a thin layer of frost. If she did not leave immediately, she would definitely freeze on top of the ball. Chu Liuyue quickly bent down, stretched out her hand, and held the dagger that was tightly stuck in the ball. The crowd was taken aback when they saw this scene. ¡°Chu Liuyue wants to take her dagger? Is there something wrong with her? Now¡¯s not the time to care about this.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because she can¡¯t handle Jiang Yuan without her dagger¡­¡± ¡°But that dagger is already tightly stuck in the ball, and the ball¡¯s cold aura has already frozen the dagger. Chu Liuyue can¡¯t take it out. This will only cause her to lose even faster.¡± Upon seeing this, Cheng Han could not help but laugh. ¡°How stupid. She actually thinks she can use a dagger to save herself?¡± Situ Xingchen tightly clenched her fists as she watched the scene in the arena without blinking her eyes. Others might think that Chu Liuyue was being too ambitious, but she did not think so. That dagger¡­ ¡­ Chu Liuyue naturally did not know about the outsiders¡¯ voices and reactions. At this very moment, all her attention was on her dagger. The dagger handle already had a layer of frost. The moment her hand touched it, her hand was glued to the dagger. Intense coldness traveled from her palm and crazily spread throughout her body. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips quickly turned greenish-purple, and her face was as white as a sheet, making her look very miserable. But her hands were still tightly holding the dagger. A red force then violently exuded out from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and rapidly infused into the dagger. Almost immediately, Chu Liuyue stepped on the ice ball and used the momentum to get down from the ball. Kacha! A crisp sound was immediately heard. The spectators were all stunned. This sound is¡­ ¡°The ice ball is broken?¡± yelled out someone in shock. The news made waves. Everyone¡¯s gazes quickly gathered on the ice ball. As expected! A crack suddenly appeared at the position where the dagger had been stuck in the ice ball. As the ice ball was entirely jade-green, many people did not see this at first. However, upon closer inspection, one could indeed see a black crack near the dagger. No! There are countless cracks! Following a frightening shattering sound, the crowd clearly saw the cracks spreading around the ice ball with Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger in the middle. The next moment, the entire ball was filled with cracks. It looked as though it was covered by a black spider web. Jiang Yuan already felt like something was amiss when Chu Liuyue jumped onto the ice ball and held the dagger. However, it was too late when he wanted to spring into action. Chu Liuyue was very fast and had immense strength. She knew that she could not exert her force outside her body, so she decisively waited for the ice ball to come near her. Then, she swiftly injected her force into the dagger. After that, she jumped again and used the momentum to pull the dagger out forcefully. It really worked! Numerous cracks appeared on the ice ball, and the dagger was finally loose! Chu Liuyue thrust the dagger deeper into the ice ball without any hesitation. Hong! The strength in the dagger immediately exploded. The gigantic ice ball also shattered. Small and sharp ice shards flew in all directions. The powerful force flung Chu Liuyue out. Her body uncontrollably flew backward and landed on the arena floor. A strong, bloody scent exuded from her lips. Jiang Yuan¡¯s body shook almost at the same time the Ghostly Eye Heavenly Ice exploded, and he spat out blood. Chapter 207 - She’s a Xuan Master! The whole square was dead silent. Nobody would¡¯ve ever expected Jiang Yuan and Chu Liuyue¡¯s battle to get to this stage. Chu Liuyue actually managed to break apart Jiang Yuan¡¯s forceful attack! Chu Liuyue seemed like she was about to be defeated, but everything changed in the blink of an eye! Not only was she not defeated, but she even managed to injure Jiang Yuan severely! Even though she was not in a very good state herself, she managed to turn the highly skewed match into one where they were on equal footing! Even though both sides were hurt, Chu Liuyue was clearly in a superior position! Everyone was dumbfounded. Bearing the pain, Chu Liuyue got up slowly. She swallowed all the blood back down and looked at her palm. Her right palm¡ªwhich had been holding the dagger¡ªhad frostbite from the ice ball. In addition, her palm was bloodied when she forcefully removed the dagger earlier. Her crimson blood slowly froze into ice crystals¡ªwhich would fall to the ground if touched. Chu Liuyue looked up and stared ahead. Jiang Yuan had just managed to catch his breath. He met Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, and his heart trembled! Chu Liuyue¡¯s usually clear and bright eyes were burning with crazed passion. She was injured all over, but she did not seem to care about it. There was only one thought in her heart¡ªTo win! Jiang Yuan¡¯s insides were churning. He watched everything clearly and carefully when Chu Liuyue battled Lei Mingwei yesterday. He thought that he knew her well, but he had still underestimated her willpower! When the Ghostly Eye Heavenly Ice exploded, Chu Liuyue was right next to it. The force flung her away, and Jiang Yuan believed that her injuries were not much better than his. Her right hand was frostbitten, so it clearly could not be used anymore. But her eyes were cold and determined as if she did not feel pain. Is this really a fourteen-year-old young lady?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s determination astonished him. ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± Jiang Yuan asked as he glanced at Chu Liuyue¡¯s right hand. Without batting an eyelid, Chu Liuyue switched the dagger over to her left hand and gripped it slowly. ¡°Why not? I haven¡¯t won, so we obviously have to continue!¡± Jiang Yuan took a deep breath. ¡°In that case¡­ take this!¡± He began to circulate the force around his body before he finished his sentence! He opened his palm, and the green force quickly gathered and formed a spear! The spearhead was extremely sharp and pointy! After forming the spear, he moved and headed straight for Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold, and she steeled herself to attack! ¡­ Over at Tian Lu Academy¡¯s area, the people¡¯s hearts were back in their throats¡ªbefore they could even relax¡ªwhen they saw Jiang Yuan strike again. Mu Hongyu could not help but mutter, ¡°Oh no! Jiang Yuan¡¯s forte is actually the spear? Won¡¯t Liuyue be at a disadvantage then?¡± Cen Hu widened his eyes. ¡°That might not be the case. Liuyue is really strong!¡± Mu Hongyu was worried and anxious. ¡°But she¡¯s already injured, and she can only use her left hand now! Jiang Yuan¡¯s clearly not easy to deal with! Liuyue is pushing herself too hard!¡± Cen Hu asked, ¡°If it were you, would you concede now?¡± Mu Hongyu took a deep breath. Of course not. Liuyue definitely won¡¯t concede then. ¡­ Tsing! The two clashed! When Jiang Yuan¡¯s spear struck, Chu Liuyue moved her waist and managed to dodge the attack just like that! Her left hand then struck and hit the spear at an eerie angle! The spear was surprisingly strong, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s attack did not manage to sever it! The spear bent and bounced back with an incredible amount of force! Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist trembled and was flicked away as she stumbled backward! Jiang Yuan pushed on and thrust the spear toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s left shoulder! Chu Liuyue¡¯s right hand was basically useless now, so the match would be over once she lost the ability to attack with her left arm. Chu Liuyue placed the dagger in front of her to block! Ding! The clashing weapons made a noise similar to nails on a chalkboard! Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth. She raised her arm and scratched the spear¡¯s body with her dagger. Sparks flew everywhere! Jiang Yuan was surprised. Looking at the speed and force in which she retaliated, Chu Liuyue clearly understands spears well! But there was no hint of that at all¡­ Chu Liuyue is good at concealing herself! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so familiar with spears as well, but I¡¯m taking this match!¡± As Jiang Yuan spoke, he infused all that remained of his force into the spear! ¡°King of Ten Thousand Spears!¡± Buzz! The spear shook violently. In the next instant, countless spears appeared around it! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank! This is Jiang Yuan¡¯s true trump card! I could break apart the Ghostly Eye Heavenly Ice earlier, but now I¡¯m in danger! The spears were not illusions; they were made of Jiang Yuan¡¯s force! Most importantly, their strength was not any weaker than the one in his hand! ¡°Go!¡± Jiang Yuan cried out as he tossed the spear. At the same time, the surrounding spear images flew towards Chu Liuyue. In an instant, Chu Liuyue was completely surrounded! ¡­ Fu Yunshan nodded contentedly. ¡°Jiang Yuan has grown again. He can even summon six spear images now. Even though he¡¯s hurt, and his strength has decreased, it¡¯s enough to take down Chu Liuyue.¡± He had always had high hopes for Jiang Yuan. Looking at it, Jiang Yuan would not disappoint. Everyone in Nan Feng Academy was relieved when they heard Fu Yunshan¡¯s words, and happy expressions appeared on their faces. ¡°Jiang Yuan pulled all of this off even though he¡¯s just a beginner stage-four warrior. If he weren¡¯t injured, he could probably be compared to an advanced stage-four warrior!¡± ¡°That Chu Liuyue is quite hard to deal with¡­ But she¡¯s nothing in comparison to Jiang Yuan.¡± ¡°Actually, I feel that she¡¯s not that strong. It¡¯s all just because of that dagger. Now that Jiang Yuan is using all his energy, she¡¯s not his match at all. How could she possibly break those six spear images¡­¡± The person speaking stared blankly at the arena as if they had choked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you looking¡ª¡± The person next to him looked up impatiently when he realized his friend had stopped speaking. However, he was also stunned! In the area, all the spear images surrounding Chu Liuyue had stopped! They all froze half an arm¡¯s length before her! One more step forward, and they would hit Chu Liuyue easily! But it was like there was an invisible barrier blocking everything outside! Someone cried out, ¡°It-it¡¯s a Xuan formation!¡± Everyone looked over when they heard it and saw silver rays of light interwoven around Chu Liuyue to form a large barrier that blocked off all the attacks. ¡°She¡¯s a Xuan Master!¡± Chapter 208 - Because I’m bored The silver streaks of light rippled around her, shimmering. They seemed to carry a strong sense of pressure! Jiang Yuan¡¯s spear was cut off outside the barrier, unable to move an inch forward! Everything seemed frozen as the scene was imprinted in everyone¡¯s minds. Jiang Yuan suddenly widened his eyes. Chu Liuyue¡­ She¡¯s actually a Xuan Master too? Right! There are rumors that Chu Liuyue got into Tian Lu Academy by passing all three assessments! It is rather normal for her to be a Xuan Master! But everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Chu Liuyue as a warrior after her battle with Lei Mingwei yesterday. Looking back, Chu Liuyue was clearly sitting in the Xuan Master section! Jiang Yuan pondered as an ominous thought appeared. Could it be¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a second-level Xuan formation!¡± blurted out Fu Yunshan as he stared at the Xuan formation in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡°She¡¯s actually a stage-two Xuan Master now?!¡± Didn¡¯t they say that she¡¯s only fourteen? Besides, wasn¡¯t she a loser that everyone looked down upon before? She only started cultivating a few months ago! How did she break through and become a stage-two Xuan Master in such a short time?! Fu Yunshan could not help but look toward Sun Zhongyan, only to see that he was not surprised. Instead, he looked rather approving. It was as if Sun Zhongyan had expected it all along. ¡°Brother Zhongyan, Chu Liuyue¡­ is a stage-two Xuan Master?¡± Fu Yunshan could not help but ask even though he was very sure of it. Sun Zhongyan laughed out loud. ¡°Yeah! She has been training as a Xuan Master since she entered the academy!¡± Fu Yunshan was stunned and almost swore out loud when he heard that. ¡°¡­ Brother Zhongyan, isn¡¯t this a little inappropriate? Shouldn¡¯t Chu Liuyue take part in the Xuan Master competition then?¡± Sun Zhongyan chuckled. ¡°Yeah! She signed up for both!¡± Fu Yunshan was speechless. ¡°Eh, Brother Yunshan, I don¡¯t think the Qing Jiao Competition only allows participation in one type of competition, right?¡± questioned Sun Zhongyan aloud. Fu Yunshan felt like there was a stone on his chest. The Qing Jiao Competition did not have such a regulation, but one usually only signed up for what they were best at since one had a limited amount of energy. After these two matches, it was clear that Chu Liuyue had strong talent as a warrior! If she focused on warrior cultivation, she would definitely become a top warrior! They did not expect her to be this outstanding as a Xuan Master too! Fu Yunshan moved his lips, but he did not say anything. Oh well! Even though a stage-two Xuan Master is formidable, Jiang Yuan is a stage-four warrior. It should not be a problem for him. We should wait¡­ Hong! A loud explosion came from the arena. The Xuan formation in front of Chu Liuyue cracked and spread out! The streaks of light turned into inch-wide icicles that headed towards Jiang Yuan! ¡°Icicle formation!¡± Choo choo choo! Hundreds of icicles cut across the spear images! The strong spears broke into pieces. In an instant, the icicles arrived before Jiang Yuan! Jiang Yuan¡¯s hair fluttered in the cold air¡ªas did his clothes! Sensing the danger, Jiang Yuan immediately tried to move backward! But the icicles inched closer! Choo! An icicle flew across the top of his head and shaved off a few strands of his hair! Jiang Yuan¡¯s blood froze. If it were a little lower¡­ Choo choo! Just as he dodged that icicle, more icicles caught up and surrounded him. Jiang Yuan used his force to block them, but they still left gashes on his body and clothes. He was stunned. Chu Liuyue erected a second-level Xuan formation, but the energy it contained was no less than a third-level one! After the last icicle, Jiang Yuan was panting, and he almost collapsed to the ground. But before he could catch his breath, he saw that Chu Liuyue had disappeared from where she had been standing! His heart skipped a beat! He was about to move, but a cold wind came from behind him! A sharp sensation of pain came from the back of his heart. He froze, not daring to move. ¡°Surrender, or would you like to continue?¡± The cold voice coming from behind Jiang Yuan seemed nonchalant. However, Jiang Yuan¡¯s heart tightened. He pursed his lips, and he seemed to have lost his voice. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue asked softly as she nudged her dagger forward. Blood trickled from Jiang Yuan¡¯s back like plum blossoms. Jiang Yuan closed his eyes shut and clenched his fists before unclenching them after a while. ¡°I¡­ concede!¡± His voice was not loud, but it could be heard clearly in the quiet arena. Everyone was stunned when Chu Liuyue erected the Xuan formation. Her next attack¡ªwhich forced Jiang Yuan into a corner¡ªJiang Yuan attracted everyone¡¯s attention, and they watched with silent fervor. Jiang Yuan¡¯s words were clear and irrefutable! He conceded! Chu Liuyue actually managed to win this round! Chu Liuyue nodded contentedly and retracted her dagger quickly. Jiang Yuan did not relax at all. Instead, his heart was heavy. He turned slowly and stared at Chu Liuyue with a complex expression. Chu Liuyue smiled with cupped fists. ¡°You let me win.¡± Jiang Yuan laughed bitterly. I did not give in at all. I lost through and through. He blurted out something when he saw Chu Liuyue turn and prepare to leave. ¡°I have a question.¡± Chu Liuyue turned and looked at him confusedly. He hesitated for a while, but he spoke in the end. ¡°You¡¯re strong as a Xuan Master, right? Why are you taking part in the warrior competition?¡± He was not sure why he had such an idea, but it was a gut feeling. Chu Liuyue had enough talent as a warrior. If she were a better Xuan Master, then¡­ Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m bored.¡± Chapter 209 - Taking it Back Arrogant! This was the first thing that flashed across Jiang Yuan¡¯s mind when he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply. Many did not even have the chance to take part in the Qing Jiao Competition. Even those who managed to take part in the competition would not necessarily attain good results. But it was all rather easy for Chu Liuyue. She took part in both the warrior and Xuan Master competitions because she was bored. Jiang Yuan knew that Chu Liuyue was after something else, but she did have the right to say something like that. No matter whether it was warrior cultivation or Xuan Master cultivation, she had astonishing talent in both! ¡°I concede today!¡± Having thought through all of that, Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t feel as bothered. His expression returned to his usual warm smile, and his tone was sincere. Chu Liuyue¡¯s view of him changed. It was not a glorious thing to lose to someone of a lower cultivation stage. She tried to save him some dignity earlier, but he conceded of his own accord. Just from that, Jiang Yuan seemed like a sincere and open person. Her smile deepened as she nodded before turning to leave. As Jiang Yuan watched her leave, he sighed and left the arena. ¡­ Of course, Tian Lu Academy was celebrating. They were even more excited than when Chu Liuyue won the first match yesterday. They had seen Jiang Yuan¡¯s abilities. He was definitely stronger than Lei Mingwei, but Chu Liuyue managed to win too! How could they not be proud of this? Chu Liuyue had brought glory to their academy! While they were cheering and celebrating, Nan Feng Academy sank into an awkward silence. Jiang Yuan walked over to Fu Yunshan and bowed apologetically. ¡°Director, I¡¯ve disappointed you.¡± Fu Yunshan looked at him deeply. ¡°Did you do your best in the arena?¡± Jiang Yuan laughed bitterly. ¡°Director, I¡¯m sure you can tell if I¡¯ve tried my best.¡± Fu Yunshan felt like there was a stone on his chest, and he felt terrible. Of course, he could tell that Jiang Yuan put his best foot forward. He had been rather careful right from the start. But that was also why Jiang Yuan¡¯s loss to Chu Liuyue was so hard to accept. Jiang Yuan immediately knew what Fu Yunshan was thinking when he saw the latter¡¯s stiff expression. He paused for a while before saying, ¡°Director, Chu Liuyue¡¯s talents and abilities are much stronger than it seems. She¡¯s going to be the biggest variable in this year¡¯s competition.¡± Fu Yunshan¡¯s eyes were dark. ¡°Oh?¡± Jiang Yuan is wise, and he is always rather objective. Since he has such high praise of Chu Liuyue, then¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go down and rest first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Yuan quietly returned to his seat as if he did not notice all the gazes on him. Someone could not help but ask him, ¡°Jiang Yuan, you¡¯re already a beginner stage-four warrior. How did you lose to Chu Liuyue?¡± Jiang Yuan laughed softly. ¡°Lei Mingwei was an intermediate stage-four warrior. Didn¡¯t he lose as well?¡± The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. ¡°But you¡¯re stronger than Lei Mingwei! She¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Since she was able to defeat Lei Mingwei, it proves that she has ability. Besides, she¡¯s still a Xuan Master. It¡¯s nothing strange for her to win.¡± As Jiang Yuan spoke, he glanced around with a playful expression. ¡°If you all have doubts, you¡¯re more than welcome to try.¡± The people who had doubts were quietened. Some even looked away, afraid to meet Jiang Yuan¡¯s eyes. They were not dumb. Chu Liuyue managed to defeat two stage-four warriors, so she was definitely not easy to deal with! They could not even win against Jiang Yuan; hence, they would be in a worse state if they battled Chu Liuyue. Jiang Yuan did not bother with them as he closed his eyes and tried to recover from his injuries. As he did so, he ran through every scene from his battle with Chu Liuyue. He would do this after every battle. Summarizing the experience from every battle would benefit his cultivation in the long run. Seeing that Jiang Yuan did not intend to say anything else, everyone exchanged glances and kept their curiosity to themselves. ¡­ As the competition continued, people were continuously eliminated. The weak contestants were gradually weeded out, leaving only the strong ones. Liuyue looked around, taking note of the ones who were the strongest. She would not know who her opponent was until the last moment. Thus, it was not a bad idea to take the chance to understand the different people¡¯s quirks in battle. As Chu Liuyue watched the others, many were watching her. After those two matches, Chu Liuyue was confirmed as the black horse of this year¡¯s competition. Naturally, she attracted a lot of attention. Tens of thousands of people were seated around the arena. Other than the people from Imperial City, many had come from other countries to watch the Qing Jiao Competition. Not everyone knew much about Chu Liuyue, but from yesterday till now, many had begun to ask around about the circulating rumors concerning her. Even her previous marriage agreement with the Crown Prince was dug up, becoming something that everyone talked about. Having defeated Jiang Yuan, Chu Liuyue had become the talk of the town. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. She could clearly hear everyone around her mentioning her name and talking about those matters. Some things were true, while others were not. She was caught between laughter and tears. She treated all of the gossip as a joke, but some people got antsy. ¡°Really? She¡¯s so pretty and talented? Why would anyone ask to annul the marriage agreement?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! And it¡¯s not just anyone. It¡¯s Country Yao Chen¡¯s Crown Prince, Rong Jin! I heard that the marriage agreement existed since they were young, but the Crown Prince got together with a sister from Chu Liuyue¡¯s family and abandoned her!¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, I see! I wonder what kind of person Chu Liuyue¡¯s sister is to get the Crown Prince to willingly abandon Chu Liuyue for her?¡± ¡°What? She¡¯s just a manipulator who used some underhanded methods to get what she wants! There! The one with the veil over there! She didn¡¯t look too bad before, but now she¡¯s disfigured. She doesn¡¯t even dare to show her face now!¡± ¡°What is the Crown Prince after? Isn¡¯t he just taking trash for treasure then?¡± ¡°Hehe, we don¡¯t know either? I only know that the number of people who will be bringing marriage proposals to her house will skyrocket! For all we know, not just people from Country Yao Chen, but even people from Country Xing Luo and Country Huai Cang will be doing the same!¡± ¡­ Rong Jin¡¯s hands rested on his knees as he remained expressionless. Since Chu Liuyue had recovered and gotten into Tian Lu Academy, he had heard about this countless times. Chu Liuyue was now like a once dusty pearl that was regaining its shine! He was previously confused, so he pushed her away. But now that everything was clear to him, he wanted to take the pearl back! Chapter 210 - Bite Her! As the competition proceeded on, more and more people were eliminated. Cen Hu had won a match the previous day, but he met with a strong opponent today and lost. Gu Mingfeng was also picked again, but he won the match rather relaxingly since he was a stage-four warrior. Very quickly, it was Mu Hongyu¡¯s turn to compete. Her opponent was a woman from Tai Yan Academy named Yu Qing. Yu Qing was slender, and her features were somewhat defined. However, her eyes were full of emotion, which added a touch of femininity to her. It looked like she was a small flower trembling in the wind. On the other hand, Mu Hongyu was loud, passionate, and determined¡ªsimilar to a blooming peony. The pair in the arena was especially eye-catching. Mu Hongyu smiled after she glanced at Yu Qing. ¡°You¡¯re a stage-four warrior too? That¡¯s great! I can finally have a good match!¡± Astonishment flashed across Yu Qing¡¯s eyes as if she did not expect Mu Hongyu to be this competitive. She gave her a light and gentle smile. ¡°I just broke through, so I might not be your match. We¡¯ll just be sparring.¡± Mu Hongyu found it a little weird. I have just broken through too! The battle hasn¡¯t even begun, so why is Yu Qing saying that she is not my match? The Qing Jiao Competition is a competition between academies and students, so why does it seem like she isn¡¯t interested? But Mu Hongyu did not think much after seeing Yu Qing¡¯s meek manner. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s begin!¡± With that, Mu Hongyu moved and struck first! The pair immediately got into it! Since they were both stage-four warriors, they were of similar abilities. Hence, it did not really matter if they fought close-range or not. Mu Hongyu always worked quickly and furiously, and today was no exception. Her body had recovered, and she had just broken through. She had been itching to fight, so she used all her energy in her first strike. After struggling for a while, Yu Qing started backing away as if she could not handle it. Mu Hongyu saw this and decided to close in further! Shortly after the match began, Mu Hongyu gained the upper hand. Yu Qing was backing away until she was almost at the edge of the arena! ¡­ ¡°It seems like Hongyu can win this quite easily!¡± Even though Cen Hu had been eliminated, he knew that it was because he was weaker. Thus, he was not too disappointed. He got excited when he saw that Mu Hongyu was about to win. But Gu Mingfeng¡ªwho was sitting next to him¡ªfrowned instead. Cen Hu noticed his expression and asked dazedly, ¡°What¡¯s up? Is something wrong?¡± Gu Mingfeng was silent for a moment before he shook his head. ¡°That Yu Qing is a little strange.¡± ¡°Ah? Where? Why don¡¯t I notice anything?¡± Cen Hu was confused, and he could not help but turn and look. Following Mu Hongyu¡¯s continuous attacks, Yu Qing was at a disadvantage. Based on the way things were going, the outcome was clear! ¡­ ¡°This Yu Qing is quite interesting.¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes as she watched everything that was happening in the arena. Si Yang could not help but question Chu Liuyue when he heard her words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Si Yang did not understand warriors because he was a Xuan Master. He was just a stage-two warrior, so he naturally could not tell what was really going on. Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°Of course, it will be Mu Hongyu! Anyone can tell! That Yu Qing has no way of fighting back, and she¡¯s being chased around,¡± Si Yang said without hesitation. Chu Liuyue smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes. ¡°If she really had no means of fighting back, why isn¡¯t she injured at all after being chased around for so long? Her hair isn¡¯t even messy.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Si Yang froze and looked again. It really was true. He stared for a while and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Now that you mention it, it really looks like that¡­ That Yu Qing seems like she¡¯s at a disadvantage, but she seems quite¡­ relaxed.¡± ¡°She¡¯s definitely not as weak as she seems.¡±Chu Liuyue gently tapped her arms. But I¡¯m just unsure about why Yu Qing is doing this deliberately. Si Yang looked at Chu Liuyue speechlessly. Is she just saying that a stage-four warrior looked weak? But then again, she does seem to have the right to say that¡­ ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± It was true that Yu Qing had tricks up her sleeve, but Mu Hongyu was not to be trifled with. At this time, a cry came from the crowd. Chu Liuyue looked over, and her eyes turned cold. As one chased after the other, the duo unknowingly ended up at the edge of the arena! Just as Yu Qing was about to fall out of the arena, she began to fight back! Her palm headed straight for Mu Hongyu. Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to strike! Just in time!¡± Mu Hongyu had obviously noticed that something was up with Yu Qing. She did not like such an evasive way of fighting, and all her fighting spirit had been pent up! Now that Yu Qing was finally willing to fight head-on, Mu Hongyu became excited, intending to defeat the former and win the match fair and square! She gathered force in her palms and quickly struck! ¡°Wind gathering palm!¡± The force rippled around the pair as their palms were on the path to collision. At this time, Yu Qing moved to the side and avoided Mu Hongyu¡¯s attack. But she didn¡¯t back away this time. Instead, she reached out and grabbed Mu Hongyu¡¯s collar! Mu Hongyu was stunned as she tried to back away, but it was too late! Yu Qing¡ªwho had been slower than Mu Hongyu the whole time¡ªmoved extremely swiftly. Not only did she avoid Mu Hongyu¡¯s attack, but she also managed to grab the latter¡¯s collar. She forcefully pulled Mu Hongyu down as she turned. In an instant, the two exchanged positions! Mu Hongyu was now the one on the edge of the arena! Mu Hongyu grabbed Yu Qing¡¯s arm and glanced behind her. It will all be over if I fall from here! ¡°Yu Qing! You¡¯re this scheming!¡± Mu Hongyu instantly understood what Yu Qing had been planning! Yu Qing had been acting weak since the battle started. She only started fighting back after she had backed all the way up to the arena¡¯s edge! Yu Qing had done all this so that she could push Mu Hongyu down at this point! This way, she could win effortlessly! ¡°Despicable!¡± Mu Hongyu was infuriated when she figured it all out! Yu Qing blinked, looking innocent. ¡°Do the rules say that I can¡¯t do that? It¡¯s a competition, so winning is all that matters.¡± As she spoke, she inched closer and lowered her voice. Her eyes were cold and mocking as she said, ¡°Brainless people are bound to fail. You¡­ are going down!¡± With that said, Yu Qing pushed with her wrist, about to push Mu Hongyu down! At this time, a black ball sprinted out and headed straight for Yu Qing! ¡°Ahh!¡± Yu Qing screamed out in fear and backed away. Mu Hongyu took the chance and flipped back onto the arena. ¡°Congcong, bite!¡± Chapter 211 - Apology Yu Qing kept moving backward and accidentally fell onto the floor. She looked at the black shadow charging toward her fearfully. Only then did Yu Qing clearly see that it was a bear cub with brown fur. Only its neck area was light gray, vaguely glowing with a golden light. Fourth-grade fiend¡ªgolden mane bear. Yu Qing felt frightened. This is Mu Hongyu¡¯s fiend? It is already very hard for an average person to get a third-grade fiend. Even people from the royal family might not have a fourth-grade fiend. Not only did Mu Hongyu have one, but it is even a cub. Cubs were not as guarded against humans, and they were very easy to discipline. It seemed like this golden mane bear cub truly listened to Mu Hongyu. Just when Yu Qing was petrified, Congcong had already pounced over and bit Yu Qing¡¯s neck. Fiends grew up very quickly. This golden mane bear cub was only a small ball of fur when they first discovered it, but it had already grown a lot in less than a month¡¯s time. Even its claws and teeth were sharp. The golden mane bear cub had a fourth-grade fiend¡¯s bloodline, so it naturally had immense combat power. When Congcong sensed that Mu Hongyu was in danger, it was furious and naturally charged toward Yu Qing without a care in the world. Its sharp jaws reflected a fearsome gleam. Yu Qing¡¯s entire person completely froze. It would be dangerous if Congcong actually bit her neck. Without thinking, Yu Qing raised her arm to stop the golden mane bear cub, planning to fling it away. However, this move did not leave any marks on the golden mane bear cub. Congcong merely moved its body slowly and directly bit Yu Qing¡¯s arm. ¡°No¡­ Ah!¡± When Yu Qing saw the golden mane bear cub¡¯s actions, she sensed that something was wrong and planned to retreat. However, it was too late. The golden mane bear cub had already harshly bit her arm. Congcong¡¯s sharp teeth directly pierced through her skin. Blood spurted out. The excruciating pain made Yu Qing¡¯s face turn white. She instinctively used her strength and kicked the golden mane bear cub away. Sila! Her clothes were torn, revealing her white arm. However, an entire piece of meat was ripped off her forearm. The wound was so deep that one could see her bones. Upon seeing her bloodied wound, Yu Qing almost fainted, and her heart trembled. This wound will definitely leave a scar! When the golden mane bear cub was kicked into the air, Mu Hongyu hurriedly went forward to catch it, and she hugged it tightly. After returning to a familiar embrace, the golden mane bear cub finally spat out the piece of meat. But Congcong still stared at Yu Qing ferociously, planning to charge at her at any time. Chills were sent down Yu Qing¡¯s spine when she saw its gaze. Her originally arrogant and delightful expression had completely disappeared; it was replaced with immense hatred and indignance. She held her arm, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes as they fell down like rain. ¡°Mu Hongyu, I have nothing against you! Why did you treat me like this?¡± Her pitiful look immediately made people¡¯s hearts ache. But Mu Hongyu did not buy Yu Qing¡¯s tactic as she sneered and said, ¡°You should admit your defeat in a competition. I just treated you however you treated me. You¡¯re very scheming and manipulative. How will it be so easy for you to win against me without using much effort?¡± She touched the golden mane bear cub¡¯s ears and smiled. ¡°Is there a rule that says that I can¡¯t summon my own fiend during the Qing Jiao Competition?¡± Yu Qing was stumped and looked terrible. Mu Hongyu was right; there was indeed no such rule. There were even times when the person with an advanced fiend would be the target of everyone¡¯s envy. Thus, nobody could say that Mu Hongyu did a forbidden thing when she summoned her golden mane bear cub. However¡­ Yu Qing¡¯s arm! ¡°You can¡¯t fight anymore. Do you want to continue?¡± Mu Hongyu looked down at Yu Qing from above. ¡°Congcong hasn¡¯t played in a long while. Do you want it to accompany you?¡± ¡°No! No!¡± screamed Yu Qing as she widened her eyes in horror. If I continue, who knows what this beast will do to me? If it bites my face¡­ Many thoughts flashed across her mind. Yu Qing suppressed her anger, but she still looked pitiful. She choked on her tears and said, ¡°I-I admit defeat!¡± Originally, she was well prepared to get a good ranking in the Qing Jiao Competition. Hence, she decided to minimize her force wastage during the competition¡¯s early stages. She wanted to save her force for the competition¡¯s later stages. However, she did not expect Mu Hongyu to come out of nowhere and directly cut her journey short. If she knew about this earlier, she would¡¯ve ended the battle earlier on and not leave any chances for Mu Hongyu. But it was too late now. Mu Hongyu grumbled. This woman really knows how to attack and hide appropriately. She knows that she has no chance of winning, so she decisively admitted defeat. An extra look at this sort of scheming person will dirty my eyes. ¡°Congcong, let¡¯s go!¡± Mu Hongyu then hugged Congcong and turned around to leave. When she walked two steps out, a gentle yet strong voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Ms. Mu, at the end of the day, this competition is for everyone to learn from each other and improve. It¡¯s too overboard for you to be so harsh toward Yu Qing, right?¡± Mu Hongyu followed the voice and looked over. Situ Xingchen had stood up at some point. She looked calm, but her words had deep meaning. This move of hers immediately hushed the entire arena. Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on her. Mu Hongyu knitted her brows. ¡°I¡¯m overboard? Did you see that she was the one who played tricks first? I just retaliated. Can¡¯t I do even that?¡± Situ Xingchen gently smiled. ¡°Ms. Mu, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just stating facts. Yu Qing was too bent on winning, so she used some tricks. However, this isn¡¯t a major issue. After all, you weren¡¯t exactly harmed, right? On the other hand, she¡­ She¡¯s a girl after all, so it¡¯s not nice to leave such a scar on her arm.¡± Mu Hongyu found it ridiculous. ¡°What has her having a scar got to do with me? We are comparing our abilities in this arena. Do you mean that I need to carefully consider if I will hurt her when I make a move? What¡¯s the point of competing then? Everyone should just go home now.¡± Mu Hongyu was very straightforward and honest with her words, which made Situ Xingchen difficult to back away from the situation. However, she had always been on good terms with Yu Qing. If Situ Xingchen just let this slide, Yu Qing would¡¯ve suffered for nothing. The smile on Xingchen¡¯s face faded. ¡°However, if Yu Qing didn¡¯t take the initiative to admit defeat just now¡­ Ms. Mu, you looked like you were going to let the golden mane bear cub take her life. I believe everyone clearly saw that you had no intention of stopping it. So you should at least apologize to Yu Qing, Ms. Mu.¡± Mu Hongyu was so angry that her face flushed red. Why does Situ Xingchen make it sound like it¡¯s my fault? ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, your words are a little too extreme.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly stood up and spoke in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Hongyu was bent on winning, so she summoned her fiend. Even though she didn¡¯t stop it in the end, it¡¯s not a major matter. After all, Yu Qing has willingly admitted defeat, and Hongyu didn¡¯t even cause any more severe injuries, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to discipline golden mane bear cubs. When the cub saw that its owner was being attacked, its natural instinct was to fight for her life, yet it had to swallow this anger. I don¡¯t think this is very good for its development, so shouldn¡¯t Yu Qing apologize to Hongyu and the golden mane bear cub as well?¡± Chapter 212 - : Debate Situ Xingchen did not expect anyone to stand up for Mu Hongyu, not to mention that it was even Chu Liuyue who stood up for her! Looking at the young and pretty face, Situ Xingchen thought of the dagger and felt very uncomfortable. This caused her not to have any friendly feelings toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Chu, I was just speaking the truth. I don¡¯t have any ill intentions toward Ms. Mu.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s words implied that Chu Liuyue purposely said those words because she could not stand seeing her friend being bullied. Chu Liuyue was neither angry nor frustrated. What kind of people had she not seen? She had already seen so many manipulative and scheming people when she became the Heavenly Princess and held power in the Tianling Dynasty. Currently, Chu Liuyue really did not want to waste any effort on Situ Xingchen¡¯s small trick. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, I didn¡¯t say that you were wrong, but everyone has seen the previous situation very clearly. If it¡¯s not wrong to use tricks in the arena, is summoning one¡¯s fiend wrong? Even if Yu Qing is left with a scar, she can only blame herself for not being as strong as others. Many matches have passed during the competition, and many people have gotten injured. However, this is the first match where one requested the winner to apologize.¡± She smiled, and her eyes curved up like crescent moons. ¡°The winner is king, and the loser is nothing. This is the simplest logic and fairest principle. If Hongyu needs to apologize for her fiend being too strong, then I think there¡¯s no point in the Qing Jiao Competition carrying on.¡± Her tone was calm¡ªneither slow nor fast¡ªbut her words were very convincing. Quite a few people secretly nodded their heads. ¡°Chu Liuyue makes sense! This is a competition after all! Victory or defeat happens in one moment. What¡¯s the point of apologizing?¡± ¡°Yeah! Yu Qing¡¯s opponent also accidentally fell and broke her leg yesterday, so shouldn¡¯t Yu Qing apologize to her too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Situ Xingchen and Yu Qing are on good terms? That¡¯s why Situ Xingchen is standing up for Yu Qing.¡± ¡°Hah, even if she¡¯s Country Xing Luo¡¯s eldest princess, she can¡¯t act all high and mighty here, right? After all she has said, she just wants to stand up for her own people? I think this Situ Xingchen isn¡¯t as perfect as what the rumors say. I also feel like she can¡¯t even differentiate between right and wrong.¡± Hearing these comments, Situ Xingchen unknowingly clenched her hands in her sleeves in anger and slight regret. Seeing that his disciple could not ease out of the situation, Cheng Han could not take this lying down and said, ¡°Xingchen isn¡¯t helping someone out of biasness. She just wanted to say that even though the Qing Jiao Competition is a competition, people should be fair to each other. I feel that we do need to pay attention to this point. If anyone has ill intentions and beat someone up until they¡¯re half-dead, yet they said that it was accidental, what should we do then?¡± Cheng Han looked at Chu Liuyue and grunted. ¡°Xingchen is too kind, and she said this while thinking about everyone. She¡¯s a heavenly doctor, and she is going to compete on the last day of the competition. At the end of the day, the warrior competition has nothing to do with her. She didn¡¯t stand up for Yu Qing because of herself. Unlike someone else, who took the chance to defend her ruthless actions.¡± The crowd was silent. Isn¡¯t he obviously referring to Chu Liuyue? After all, Lei Mingwei¡ªwho Chu Liuyue had battled the day before¡ªwas severely injured. They heard that he was still lying in bed. Chu Liuyue wanted to clap her hands. Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. It didn¡¯t matter when Cheng Han did not speak, but he directly accused Chu Liuyue of being ruthless once he did. If I injure anyone in the later battles, won¡¯t I just prove his point of me being ruthless? Before Chu Liuyue could speak, Sun Zhongyan laughed out loud. ¡°Hahaha! Brother Cheng Han, you really know how to crack a joke! The Qing Jiao Competition has been held for many years, and I always thought that everyone knew the rules very clearly. I didn¡¯t expect Brother Cheng Han to make a new rule today.¡± Even though Sun Zhongyan smiled when he said those words, anyone could tell that he was not joking. His words were filled with dissatisfaction and even sarcasm. The atmosphere in the arena immediately stiffened. Everyone unwittingly quietened down and carefully observed the scene. Is Tian Lu Academy and Tai Yan Academy about to go against each other openly? Nobody would have expected that a battle between Yu Qing and Mu Hongyu would cause the two academies to go against each other. Cheng Han also did not expect Sun Zhongyan to jump out directly and speak for Chu Liuyue. According to Sun Zhongyan¡¯s character, he might not even talk in that manner even if the disadvantaged one is his own disciple. What kind of status does Chu Liuyue have that makes her so important? Cheng Han originally wanted to ease Situ Xingchen out of the situation and conveniently unleash his anger from losing the first match yesterday. He did not expect Sun Zhongyan to jump out, and he was stuck in the situation for a moment. Sun Zhongyan did not think that much. My own student won, yet she¡¯s being bullied. What kind of grievance is this? Looking at the tense atmosphere, Mu Hongyu was dazed. Didn¡¯t I just win one match? Why did this happen? Even Yu Qing was frightened. She did not dare to say a word, afraid that she would be dragged into the mess. Chu Liuyue suddenly giggled. ¡°Elder Sun, even though Hongyu won, she used a lot of energy in this match. You should hurriedly bring her down and let her recover as she might participate in other matches later! Besides, Yu Qing is also injured, and she hasn¡¯t been taken care of yet. Even if we want to argue, we shouldn¡¯t delay her treatment, right?¡± Those simple sentences immediately broke the tense atmosphere. They emphasized that Mu Hongyu was the winner, and they had also comforted the injured Yu Qing. By saying this, Elder Sun could also go with the flow and not pursue the matter. It would even show that Cheng Han and the rest did not even care about their own students when overwhelmed with anger. Cheng Han¡¯s face looked even worse. ¡°Quickly, bring Yu Qing back! What if her treatment gets delayed?¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± answered the people below as they hurriedly helped Yu Qing back. Sun Zhongyan laughed and looked very concerned, instead of his initial confrontational attitude. ¡°Only Liuyue is so considerate. We can slowly discuss this later. It won¡¯t be good if Yu Qing¡¯s treatment is delayed. Brother Cheng Han, the students¡¯ health is the most important thing. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Cheng Han¡¯s face turned green. This just shows that I¡¯m inhumane! Chapter 213 - Dirtied My Ears After Yu Qing was brought down, Mu Hongyu happily left the arena and walked to Chu Liuyue. She then winked at Chu Liuyue. Liuyue is indeed dependable. Not only did she stand up for me, but she even embarrassed the people from Tai Yan Academy. Chu Liuyue pinched the golden mane bear cub¡¯s ears. ¡°Rest well. You still have more matches later.¡± ¡°Okay, I know!¡± answered Mu Hongyu as her eyes turned, and she purposely heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Congcong, you can¡¯t do this anymore! If not, your Master will be labeled as ruthless. Do you understand?¡± The surrounding people immediately burst into commotion. ¡°Yeah! Hongyu, you must watch this fella very closely when you battle again later!¡± ¡°Hah! Originally, I was pretty envious of you having such a young golden mane bear cub, but now¡­ Haha, you just won a match, yet you were lectured. I really don¡¯t envy that.¡± Mu Hongyu pulled a face. ¡°You guys should be envious to death! If you have the abilities, go find your own fourth-grade fiend.¡± The crowd burst into laughter. Cheng Han¡¯s face was green as he harshly flung his sleeves and sat down. Only then did Situ Xingchen realize that she had brought trouble for her mentor. She bit her lips and apologetically said, ¡°Sorry, Mentor¡­ I-I was too impulsive¡­¡± Cheng Han took a deep breath in, knitted his brows, and asked, ¡°Xingchen, what¡¯s the matter with you? You have been very distracted from yesterday until now. You¡¯re very intelligent, so why would you do such a brainless thing? I know you¡¯re on good terms with Yu Qing, but she indeed lost. Why must you argue for her?¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± Situ Xingchen looked down in remorse and did not know what to say. Actually, she just could not stand Tian Lu Academy¡ªno, Mu Hongyu. Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart felt like it was crushed by something, and she felt terrible. Actually, she knew that she was not speaking for Yu Qing. The past two days, she had clearly seen that Mu Hongyu was on good terms with Chu Liuyue. Hence, Situ Xingcheng felt very uncomfortable when she saw how arrogant Mu Hongyu was. Mu Hongyu¡¯s arrogant look is so similar to that of Chu Liuyue! If Mu Hongyu is delighted, won¡¯t Chu Liuyue be happy too? But Situ Xingchen could not voice out her secret thoughts. Upon seeing how Situ Xingchen could not explain herself for a long time and looked very apologetic, Cheng Han could not bear to continue lecturing her. ¡°Forget it. You should calm down first. Why don¡¯t you stop coming here for the next two days, and¡ª¡± ¡°Mentor!¡± Situ Xingchen immediately spoke. ¡°I want to stay here!¡± ¡°You just need to participate in the last day¡¯s heavenly doctor competition. The earlier matches have nothing to do with you, and you¡¯ll just be wasting your time here. Why¡ª¡± ¡°I-I just want to see how strong they are. Mentor, didn¡¯t you say that I must know my enemies before I can become successful? Even though I¡¯m a heavenly doctor, my future opponents might not only be heavenly doctors.¡± Cheng Han thought for a while and finally nodded. ¡°Okay, but you need to promise me that you won¡¯t do this anymore! I¡¯m still waiting for you to take first place in the heavenly doctor competition!¡± Situ Xingchen heaved a sigh of relief and felt much better when she heard the last sentence. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ It was still very lively on Tian Lu Academy¡¯s side. Everyone¡¯s discussion topics slowly shifted from Mu Hongyu to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Chu Liuyue was very charismatic previously? She actually stumped Situ Xingchen and even forced their director to speak up personally.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything wrong! Our people won this match, so what¡¯s there to apologize for? I feel that Chu Liuyue is very righteous!¡± ¡°Actually, I felt that she was only a little braver than the rest when she first retorted them. But I later realized that her words actually had standards. She easily allowed Elder Sun to ease out of the situation, and she even embarrassed the other party. This isn¡¯t something that a person who only has guts can do! The person has to have brains too!¡± ¡°Haha! To say something offensive¡­ Being able to retreat unscathed after offending the Crown Prince and the Chu family and even vaguely taking the lead¡­ This Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t someone you can trifle with!¡± ¡­ The people beside Rong Jin broke out into a cold sweat. These people are too outrageous! They completely ignored the Crown Prince, who is sitting right there! Rong Jin could hear every single word the people around him said very clearly. Finally, one of them could not help but turn around and warn, ¡°What are you doing? Keep your voices down!¡± The crowd was silenced. Oh, I almost forgot that the Crown Prince¡ªRong Jin¡ªwas in front. The people¡ªwho had been speaking the most enthusiastically¡ªlooked at each other awkwardly. Oh no! Did the Crown Prince hear all that we said previously? He and Chu Liuyue are on very bad terms! Isn¡¯t this akin to offending the Crown Prince completely? One of them put up a brave front and laughed in a flattering manner. ¡°Um¡­ We¡¯re just casually talking. Cro¡ªPlease don¡¯t mind us. We¡¯ll stop talking! Stop talking!¡± The other few people hurriedly added, ¡°Yeah! Yeah! We were just talking for fun.¡± ¡°A-actually, Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t that amazing¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! How can she be compared to you guys? Just take it as if we were speaking nonsense. We¡ª¡± ¡°You were just speaking the truth. Why can¡¯t you say it?¡± said Rong Jin¡ªwho had been quiet all along¡ªall of a sudden. The surrounding people felt like lightning had struck them, and they thought they had misheard the Crown Prince. W-what did the Crown Prince just say? What does he mean? Even the people¡ªwho had been following beside Rong Jin all along¡ªwere dazed and could not understand the situation. In the awkward, dead silence, Rong Jin finally turned around and looked behind him. His gaze quickly darted past those few people and landed on Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was currently closing her eyes to rest. The other people were enthusiastically talking about her, but she was not affected at all and was very stable. Why didn¡¯t I notice this earlier? Rong Jin slowly said, ¡°She¡¯s indeed outstanding.¡± Complete silence then ensued. What does the Crown Prince mean? He actually praised Chu Liuyue? Did the Sun rise from the west? He actually said that personally?! Everyone was stunned and did not know how to react. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was currently meditating¡ªsuddenly opened her eyes. ¡°Si Yang, is there anywhere I can dig my ears in the Imperial City?¡± ¡°Huh? Why would you ask about that?¡± asked Si Yang slowly. Chu Liuyue was expressionless. ¡°My ears have just been dirtied.¡± Chapter 214 - Invite Chu Liuyue purposely didn¡¯t lower her voice when she said that sentence. Not only did Si Yang hear it, but even Rong Jin and the rest had heard her clearly. Everyone instantly held their breaths. Chu Liuyue is really gutsy to say such a thing in front of the Crown Prince! But Rong Jin, unexpectedly, only furrowed his brows when he heard it; he did not rage. He looked at Chu Liuyue with deep meaning before turning away. The crowd was dazed. The Crown Prince is actually not intending to cause trouble for Chu Liuyue? How can he actually tolerate Chu Liuyue¡¯s humiliating words? Rong Jin was really tolerant. Since he had already made up his mind to get Chu Liuyue back, a minor thing like this did not count for much. After all, Chu Liuyue had suffered quite a lot of grievances from his side in the past. Hence, it was normal for her to hate him. Doesn¡¯t this also prove that she still cares? Thinking of this, not only was Rong Jin not angry at all, but he was even faintly hopeful. He knew that Chu Liuyue had liked him for many years. He was seduced by Chu Xianmin at the start, which caused him to dissolve the marriage agreement between him and Chu Liuyue. How can feelings that have lasted for so many years disappear just like that? As long as I put down my pride, Chu Liuyue will definitely come back to me. Father is currently very upset with me, but if I can get Chu Liuyue back, Father will definitely change his view of me. Even though Rong Jin initially regretted dissolving the marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue, he did not want to do anything about it in consideration of his status and reputation. However, Chu Liuyue was very famous now, and she had become a genius that everyone envied. Even if he reconciled with her, it would not harm his reputation. The only thing he had to do now was find a suitable time to express his intentions toward Chu Liuyue. ¡­ Chu Liuyue naturally did not know that Rong Jin had thought so much in such a short period of time. She just felt disgusted by Rong Jin. This man is manipulative and selfish. He initially felt that the original owner was a good-for-nothing that tarnished his reputation as the Crown Prince. Hence, he dissolved his marriage agreement with her. After Chu Xianmin¡¯s face was disfigured, and she lost her worth, he ditched her without hesitation. Another look from a person like this will cause my stomach to flip over. ¡°Hey, Liuyue, why do I feel that the Crown Prince is a little bit¡­ weird toward you?¡± Si Yang softly questioned as he looked at Rong Jin and glanced at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. Si Yang obediently drew a line across his lips and kept quiet. Si Ting¡ªwho had been closing his hands and memorizing Xuan formations¡ªopened his eyes and glanced at Rong Jin before looking down and hiding the look in his eyes. Actually. he had already stopped memorizing Xuan formations long ago, so he had heard the commotion around him very clearly. Rong Jin was very selfish and petty. Now that his attitude had changed, it proved that he had some ill intentions toward Chu Liuyue. Si Ting originally wanted to remind Chu Liuyue to be careful of Rong Jin, but he swallowed the words back in just as the words were at the tip of his tongue. She¡¯s so intelligent; she can definitely handle this. I shouldn¡¯t think so much about it. Si Ting took a deep breath in, closed his eyes, and suppressed his messy thoughts. ¡­ As time passed, the competition became increasingly intense. The names inside the warrior boxes in front of the three academies were gradually decreasing. In the afternoon, Chu Liuyue was once again picked. This time by a young girl from Nan Feng Academy. This young girl was a stage-three warrior, but she just decided to surrender. Perhaps it was because she knew that she was not Chu Liuyue¡¯s match. She was the first person that gave up on fighting since the start of the Qing Jiao Competition. Before this, nobody would have expected a stage-three warrior to give up when they picked a stage-one warrior. However, this person was Chu Liuyue, so everything seemed to make sense. Chu Liuyue had already beaten two stage-four warriors consecutively¡ªwhich was more than enough to prove her abilities. A stage-three warrior was not worth anything in front of Chu Liuyue. From a certain point of view, choosing to surrender was a good choice. After all, Chu Liuyue was extremely decisive with her moves, and every move of hers was merciless. What would happen if she got injured and fainted like Lei Mingwei? Even though Nan Feng Academy¡¯s people felt uncomfortable, they did not say anything. This was because they were very clear that they might not have the courage to fight with Chu Liuyue if it were themselves. Thus, Chu Liuyue advanced to the next stage again. ¡­ When the second day of the Qing Jiao Competition ended, only the last ten warriors were left. Sun Zhongyan picked up the last few paper balls in the three boxes and read out their names respectively. Amongst the ten, Tian Lu Academy had three people, Tai Yan Academy had three people, and Nan Feng Academy had four. Chu Liuyue¡¯s name was also on the list. She was the only freshman in the group of ten. When they heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s name, the crowd burst into commotion. Everyone was shocked, but they felt that it was reasonable. Even though Chu Liuyue only competed in two matches, she was really capable. Hence, nobody would doubt her abilities. Chu Liuyue indeed had the right to be in the top ten. Sun Zhongyan looked at his surroundings. ¡°These ten people will battle tomorrow, and the top combatant in the warrior competition for this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition will also emerge amongst them. Everyone, please rest well when you go back today and prepare for tomorrow¡¯s exciting matches.¡± The crowd answered in unison as they were unwittingly excited. It was as if they could imagine how intense tomorrow¡¯s battles would be. Chu Liuyue stood up with the crowd and planned to return to the academy. However, someone blocked her path after she took a few steps. It was Rong Jin. When the surrounding people saw the situation, they wisely avoided him and made way for him. However, their eyes were glued to the two of them, afraid that they would miss out on something. Chu Xianmin¡ªwho was walking with the crowd¡ªalso saw this scene, and her heart hung high. She could not help but walk two steps forward to hear what they were talking about. Rong Jin looked at Chu Liuyue. His voice was unusually gentle as he said, ¡°Liuyue, I have something to talk to you about.¡± Chu Liuyue looked nonchalant. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to talk about between Your Highness and me.¡± Rong Jin did not mind being ignored by her and took it as if Chu Liuyue was throwing a tantrum. He smiled and said, ¡°I won¡¯t take up too much of your time.¡± Chu Liuyue lazily looked up. ¡°Your Highness, my time is very precious, and I don¡¯t wish to waste my time on you.¡± Her words were harsh. Rong Jin was embarrassed. Chu Liuyue then tried to walk around him and leave. Rong Jin hurriedly blocked her again and did not care about anything else as he said, ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯ll just say it here. After the Qing Jiao Competition, the osmanthus flowers in Golden Osmanthus Garden will blossom. Do you want to come and admire the flowers?¡± Golden Osmanthus Garden was a garden under Rong Jin¡¯s name. It was given to him by Emperor Jiawen when he turned 16. There were countless osmanthus trees in the garden, and the flowers would bloom around this time every year, allowing its flower scent to permeate the yard. The park was a famous scenic location in the Imperial City. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Golden Osmanthus Garden? Isn¡¯t that where the original owner went to attend the Crown Prince¡¯s banquet and was eventually chased out because she was mocked for her torn and tattered clothes? What is Rong Jin thinking? How dare he have the cheek to invite me to the place where I was humiliated? ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± rejected Chu Liuyue decisively. ¡°Why?¡± Rong Jin did not understand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you really like that place in the past? You said that the osmanthus flowers were very fragrant, and it was perfect¡ª¡± ¡°It must have been hard for you to remember this, but do you remember what you said back then?¡± Rong Jin was stumped, and he looked terrible. ¡°You said that golden osmanthus had a meaning of elegance and that a poor beggar like me had no right to enter.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled lightly, but the smile did not reach her eyes. Of course, Rong Jin remembered. At that time, he felt that Chu Liuyue was very lowly. He felt terrible when taking even another look at her, let alone let her step into Golden Osmanthus Garden. After that, he had never invited Chu Liuyue again. ¡°T-that was all in the past¡­ There¡¯s no point in saying these things anymore¡­ Liuyue, times have changed, and I really am genuinely inviting you over.¡± Chu Liuyue enunciated every single word properly and said, ¡°Your Highness, I genuinely don¡¯t want to go. How many times must I reject you for you to understand?¡± Rong Jin felt as if he had been slapped in front of the public, and he felt humiliated. ¡°The marriage agreement between you and me has already been dissolved. Hence, we have no relations with each other anymore. We never were and never will be related, so please find someone else for this matter.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze lightly swept across Chu Xianmin¡ªwho was nearby. ¡°After all, there are people still waiting for you to dote on them.¡± After saying this, Chu Liuyue did not look at Rong Jin and walked away. This time, Rong Jin did not stop her. He had already reached his limit for talking so much in front of so many people. He was even mercilessly rejected by Chu Liuyue, putting him in an awkward position. Chu Xianmin bit her lips and suppressed the jealousy and hatred in her heart with much difficulty. She walked up and softly asked, ¡°Your Highness, should we go back first?¡± Rong Jin glanced at her and felt hatred when he saw the veil Chu Xianmin wore. If it weren¡¯t for Chu Xianmin instigating me, my relationship with Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. Rong Jin harshly whipped his sleeves, flung Chu Xianmin¡¯s hand away, and left in big steps. He didn¡¯t say any comforting words at all. Chu Xianmin staggered backward and fell on the ground. ¡°Si-ah!¡± Excruciating pain came from her hand, which caused her to groan in pain instinctively. Today, she was unlucky during the competition and went against a stage-four warrior. Needless to say, she lost the match and was even injured. This fall had also coincidentally scratched her wound. The crowd watched her silently and had all sorts of weird expressions. If it were in the past, quite a few people would immediately go forward and help Chu Xianmin up when they saw her in this state. But now that her face was disfigured, was an unloved concubine after marrying the Crown Prince, and her parents were in a whole lot of trouble¡­ Who would dare to risk offending Chu Liuyue and the Crown Prince to help Chu Xianmin? Chapter 215 - Surge The incident of Chu Liuyue rejecting the Crown Prince¡¯s invitation secretly spread. The crowd had different reactions, and all engaged in various discussions. Considering Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude, she obviously did not want to give the Crown Prince any face. That was true. She dared to offend the Chu family and the Crown Prince when she had nothing, let alone now. The current Chu Liuyue was no longer the good-for-nothing that anybody could bully. ¡­ Rong Jin felt depressed when he went back to the mansion. Song Yuan carefully served him by the side. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve already sent someone to seal the news from today. The people in the Imperial City¡­¡± Rong Jin suppressed the anger in his heart and coldly glanced at Song Yuan. ¡°Seal what news? Just let them spread the news. The further it spreads, the better.¡± Song Yuan was dazed. ¡°Your Highness, you mean¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be best if all the aristocratic families in the Imperial City know about this.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s voice was cold. Song Yuan was Rong Jin¡¯s trusted subordinate, so he quickly guessed what Rong Jin was thinking. ¡°Do you mean that other people won¡¯t do anything to her if they know that you¡­ are interested in Ms. Liuyue?¡± Rong Jin did not say anything, but his gaze looked like he silently agreed. Even though Rong Jin was not in a good situation, he was the Crown Prince in the end. Hence, the people in the Imperial City had to care about and give face to him. If word about today¡¯s incident goes out, everyone will know that I want Chu Liuyue very badly. Then, all the wise people will naturally avoid her. After Chu Liuyue reached marriageable age, not many people proposed to marry her even though she had entered Tian Lu Academy. This was because she had offended the Chu family and the Crown prince. All of those people were also rejected. After the Qing Jiao Competition ended, a lot of people would definitely become interested in her. However, the others naturally wouldn¡¯t fight with Rong Jin if he made a move first. Even though Chu Liuyue is still upset with me, she will definitely return to me after a while. I have more than enough patience to wait. Thinking of this, Rong Jin looked much better. Song Yuan¡¯s eyes turned, and he carefully asked, ¡°Your Highness, that person won¡¯t be happy¡­¡± ¡®That person¡¯ naturally referred to Chu Xianmin. Chu Liuyue and Chu Xianmin had already severed all ties, so Chu Xianmin definitely wouldn¡¯t accept Chu Liuyue marrying the Crown Prince. Chu Xianmin might even stir up some trouble at that time. Rong Jin rubbed his brows, and hatred flashed across his eyes. ¡°Who does she think she is? Must I care about her when I want to do something? If she dares to cause trouble, just punish her according to Crown Prince Mansion¡¯s rules.¡± Song Yuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± Later on, Rong Jin instructed Song Yuan about a few tasks¡ªall of which he agreed to¡ªbefore Song Yuan came out of the mansion. While walking to the yard, Song Yuan finally heaved a sigh of relief and secretly shook his head. Last time, I thought that Chu Xianmin would finally be doted on. However, she lost favor before she could even do anything. The Crown Prince obviously doesn¡¯t care about her. It seems like I don¡¯t need to suck up to her anymore. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ I don¡¯t even know what the Crown Prince is thinking. Does he really want to win her back? It even seems like he¡¯s bent on doing it. Upon thinking about what Chu Liuyue had done in the past few months, Song Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. Chu Liuyue could even sever all ties and become heartless toward the Chu family¡ªwho brought her up¡ªlet alone the Crown Prince. The Emperor is very upset with the Crown Prince now. He has even grounded the Crown Prince and confiscated the previous power he gave the Crown Prince. Now that the Crown Prince managed to avoid the punishments with much difficulty, he wants to do this¡­ I really don¡¯t know how the Emperor will react¡­ ¡­ Chu Liuyue did not even take Rong Jin¡¯s words to heart. She only felt that Rong Jin was crazy for acting in that way. After she returned to the academy, she briefly tidied up her items and went to the second floor to cultivate. She sat cross-legged, gathered her focus, and quickly absorbed the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. Time passed bit by bit. Chu Liuyue gathered an increasingly nourishing force. In her dantian, the water droplet¡ªwhich was quietly floating¡ªseemed to have some movements. Chu Liuyue was elated. She had already felt that she was going to break through and become a stage-two warrior, but the water droplet refused to draw the second line. She gathered all her focus and pushed the force in her body toward the water droplet. Finally, a light ripple appeared on the water droplet¡¯s smooth surface. Chu Liuyue was very nervous as she directed her force to the water droplet. Ripples gradually appeared on the water droplet. Even the first line engraved on the water droplet seemed to move slightly. Chu Liuyue waited nervously. If I can break through, I will be a lot less stressed about tomorrow¡¯s competition. The main point was that Chu Liuyue felt that a stage-one warrior was of too low a grade. She stared at the water droplet closely. However, the ripples started to quieten down after a while. Chu Liuyue was stunned and carefully examined the water droplet. Indeed, Chu Liuyue saw that the water surface became as smooth as usual. Only one mark could be clearly seen. She did not become a stage-two warrior. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in disbelief. She did not expect to be stuck at this stage¡ªunable to become a stage-two warrior¡ªeven after living two lives. Without any exaggeration, the Heaven and Earth Force she had absorbed during this period of time was enough for an average cultivator to become a stage-four warrior. If not, it would¡¯ve been impossible for her to win the two matches. However, her cultivation level refused to increase. Chu Liuyue exhaled and weakly lay on the bed. People with a Dijing Yuan meridian cultivated very quickly. Hence, Chu Liuyue originally thought that she could rapidly strengthen herself and return to the Tianling Dynasty to take revenge in a short period of time. But considering her current cultivation speed, that day would never come¡­ ¡°What is wrong with you? Other people cultivate really quickly, yet I¡¯m so slow¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue to herself. The water droplet in her dantian remained very calm as if it were a bottomless pit while it absorbed the remaining force. Chapter 216 - Challenge! Chapter 216: Challenge! The third day of the Qing Jiao Competition. The skies were clear and had a light breeze. Compared to the previous two days, there were even more people in Jia Nan Square today. After all, it was the day of the warrior competition¡¯s finals. Thus, everyone was very interested. The people who rose to the top in the Qing Jiao Competition were usually all outstanding talents. Some aristocratic families liked to pick out young men or young women for their children to marry. Once Chu Liuyue reached the square, she felt a familiar gaze on her. She turned around and saw Chu Ning in the crowd. He was sitting at Tian Lu Academy¡¯s spectator stands. He was wearing casual clothes, clearly showing that he did not want to attract anyone¡¯s attention. Upon seeing Chu Liuyue looking over, Chu Ning immediately waved excitedly. Chu Liuyue smiled and walked over. ¡°Father, why are you here today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see you!¡± Chu Ning looked at his daughter lovingly. He had not seen her for the past few days and missed her dearly. ¡°I have a break today, and I heard that you entered the finals. Thus, I came here to see you.¡± He inspected her and asked, ¡°They said that you won against two stage-four warriors. Are you injured?¡± After seeing the worry in Chu Ning¡¯s eyes, Chu Liuyue felt warm in her heart. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. Am I not standing here completely fine? Since you¡¯re here, just sit back and watch a good show. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Chu Ning was elated yet worried. ¡°Just do your best. Yue¡¯er, your health is the most important thing, okay? It¡¯s your first time participating in the Qing Jiao Competition, and it¡¯s already amazing that you made it into the top ten. You must be careful in the arena.¡± After what happened at Wan Ling Mountain, Chu Ning¡¯s biggest wish now was for Yue¡¯er to be safe and healthy. Everything else was not important. Chu Liuyue patted his arm. ¡°I know what to do.¡± Chu Ning then nodded. Since I¡¯m here today, I definitely won¡¯t let other people bully Yue¡¯er. At this point, he unintentionally looked up and saw Rong Jin. His face was slightly cold as he asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, did the Crown Prince disturb you yesterday?¡± Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. Everyone talked about how the Crown Prince had changed his mind about her, but only her father talked about how the Crown Prince had disturbed her. He really was her biological father. ¡°He just has too much time on his hands. I didn¡¯t even care about him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± Overnight, many people found out about Rong Jin¡¯s request and behavior toward Chu Liuyue. Not only did Chu Ning not feel happy after he heard about it, but he even felt disgusted. How did Rong Jin treat my daughter back then? How dare he have the cheek to do this now? ¡°We shouldn¡¯t care about such things. If the Crown Prince backs away now, then forget it. If he dares to continue to act in this manner, I definitely will not let him off.¡± Even though Chu Ning spoke softly, he looked very serious. It was better to stay as far away as possible from a person like Rong Jin. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯m assured with Father around! You can just sit here first then. I¡¯ll come back after the competition ends.¡± Chu Ning hurriedly said, ¡°Go on! Don¡¯t be late!¡± ¡­ Not long after Chu Liuyue sat down, the competition officially started. The rules for the competition between the last ten people were simple. There was a ranking between the ten people. People who had participated in the Qing Jiao Competition before would be ranked in front, and they would be lined up according to their best results in the last competition. People who participated in the Qing Jiao Competition for the first time would stand at the back. They were ranked according to their cultivation levels. The top three students from last year had all graduated, so they did not participate in this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition. Hence, the person who ranked first was Tai Yan Academy¡¯s Situ Ziyue¡ªwho had come in fourth place last year. The person who ranked second was Rong Jin¡ªwho had come in fifth place last year. The people ranked after the two had also gotten quite a good ranking in the previous Qing Jiao Competition. Only two freshmen had entered the finals this year. One of them was Chu Liuyue. The other was Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Ye Chenjia. Ye Chenjia was a stage-three warrior, so Chu Liuyue was ranked tenth since she was a stage-one warrior. The ten people walked up to the arena and took a wooden plaque with their rank written on it from Elder Sun¡¯s hands. Chu Liuyue looked at her own wooden plaque with the word ¡®ten¡¯ written. Sun Zhongyan¡¯s gaze swept past the few people. ¡°All of you now have your own rankings. In the finals later, you will be split into two groups. The top five will be in one group, and the bottom five will be in another. In the first round, the bottom five can choose to challenge anyone from the top five. If your challenge is successful, you will exchange your rankings. If your challenge is unsuccessful, you will continue to hold onto your current ranking.¡± ¡°When the second round starts, everyone can challenge anyone with a higher ranking than them. The competition will carry on until nobody wishes to challenge any longer and when everyone accepts their own ranking. The top warrior will then emerge in this manner.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. The rules were indeed simple, but it was a little cruel. If one wanted to be the top warrior, not only did they need to win, but they also had to keep winning. Whether it was in terms of physical or mental health, the competition for first place would be a long and torturous process. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re in tenth place, so you get to choose first.¡± Sun Zhongyan looked at Chu Liuyue with a much gentler gaze. Everyone looked over and began guessing who Chu Liuyue would pick to challenge first. ¡°Rong Jin and Chu Liuyue are both from Tian Lu Academy, so logically speaking, she won¡¯t pick him from the top five. As for the remaining four people¡­ It¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡°The person with the lowest cultivation amongst the top five is an intermediate stage-four warrior. I¡¯m afraid Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t their match¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Even the warrior ranked fifth¡ªYe Chenjia¡ªhas capabilities that cannot be underestimated. Chu Liuyue has a very low chance of winning¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to mention the front few people. Xi Wanwan¡ªwho ranks fourth¡ªis also a Xuan Master!¡± ¡°These people all wish to come in first place this year, so Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t have a chance against them¡­ But even if she loses, she¡¯s still tenth place. Obtaining this kind of result in her first-ever Qing Jiao Competition is enough to shock everyone.¡± ¡°I agree! She¡¯s only 14 this year, and she has a bright future ahead of her! If she waits for another year or two, she¡¯ll definitely take first place in the Qing Jiao Competition!¡± ¡­ Everyone partook in heated discussions. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept past the few people in front of her. Finally, her eyes landed on one of them. Her lips curved up to form a smile. ¡°Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Chu Liuyue challenges Tai Yan Academy¡¯s¡­ Situ Ziyue!¡± Complete silence then ensued. Chu Liuyue actually chose Situ Ziyue¡ªwho ranks first¡ªdirectly? Is she crazy? Chapter 217 - Fight! The crowd burst into an uproar after a temporary silence. The entire square was like oil being heated up in a pot. ¡°Chu Liuyue actually chose Situ Ziyue? He¡¯s an advanced stage-four warrior!¡± ¡°Does she think that she has no chance of winning anyway, so she purposely chose the strongest one? By doing this, it won¡¯t look bad on her even if she loses.¡± ¡°But she will also lose miserably! Did you forget? Situ Ziyue is Situ Xingchen¡¯s elder brother!¡± ¡°Yesterday, Chu Liuyue quarreled with Situ Xingchen. Therefore, Situ Ziyue might even make it hard for her¡­ What is she thinking?¡± ¡°Hah, I think that she forgot her limits after winning two matches! She¡¯ll definitely fall down hard this time!¡± ¡­ Situ Ziyue knitted his brows and looked at the smiling young lady in front of him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Liuyue!¡± said Sun Zhongyan worriedly. ¡°The first round of the competition is very important. Are you sure you want to challenge him?¡± Actually, he felt that Chu Liuyue really wasn¡¯t the match of any of the top five people. If she chose a weaker opponent in the first round, she could¡¯ve saved her energy and challenged again in the second round to get a better ranking. However, she chose Situ Ziyue. After the first match, I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t have any energy left. Chu Liuyue calmly and determinedly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve made my choice.¡± Upon seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s resolute attitude, Sun Zhongyan knew that there was no point in persuading her, so he looked at Situ Ziyue. ¡°Situ Ziyue, do you accept her challenge?¡± Situ Ziyue smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡­ Very quickly, the remaining few people had respectively chosen their opponents. However, nobody cared about them at this time. Everyone¡¯s attention was on the match between Chu Liuyue and Situ Ziyue. The others left the arena one after another, leaving only the two of them in the arena. Their battle was the first match! ¡°Hah, this Chu Liuyue is really arrogant to challenge Ziyue in the first round. She really doesn¡¯t know her limits.¡± Cheng Han did not even conceal his contempt and disdain. He really disliked Chu Liuyue after the two days of competition. He did not expect Chu Liuyue to offer herself up directly. ¡°Ziyue is about to become a stage-five warrior. Does she think that she can win against Ziyue after winning against Lei Mingwei and Jiang Yuan? What a joke! Xingchen, Ziyue always dotes on you. He¡¯ll definitely avenge you today.¡± Hearing this at the side, Situ Xingchen felt a lot better. But her brows were tightly furrowed as if she were slightly worried. ¡°Brother has always been stubborn. It won¡¯t be good if he uses too much force later¡­¡± ¡°Chu Liuyue deserves it! She definitely knows about your relationship with Ziyue and his abilities, yet she still wants to challenge him. Even if she leaves the arena half-alive, she can¡¯t blame anyone for that!¡± Such an arrogant person must suffer. Situ Xingchen pressed her lips against each other. The people behind could not help but say, ¡°Xingchen, you¡¯re too kind-hearted! Why are you still thinking about her at this time? Did she even think about you when she criticized you yesterday?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This type of person needs to be taught a lesson!¡± ¡°She might not even appreciate your kindness!¡± Situ Xingchen gently smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so much. I just heard that Chu Liuyue was naturally born lacking a Yuan meridian and that she finally cultivated with much difficulty. If Brother uses too much strength, it won¡¯t be good¡­ But I trust my Brother.¡± ¡­ In the arena, Chu Liuyue and Situ Ziyue were staring straight at each other. ¡°You¡¯re really courageous. If you chose other people, you might have gotten a better ranking, but it¡¯s a pity that you chose me. Your journey at this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition ends here.¡± Situ Ziyue very calmly spoke as if he were narrating the truth. In actual fact, his abilities did give him the right to say that. Chu Liuyue held the dagger in her hands. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to say this after you win against me!¡± Then, she attacked first and went straight for Situ Ziyue. Situ Ziyue sneered in his heart. It seems like Chu Liuyue still thinks that she can win against me. There is a humongous difference between an advanced stage-four warrior and an intermediate stage-four warrior. Moreover, I¡¯m only inches away from becoming a stage-five warrior. Seeing Chu Liuyue rushing toward him, Situ Ziyue rapidly circulated his force, but he did not move or avoid her. In the blink of an eye, Chu Liuyue was already in front of him. With a whip of her dagger, it pierced through his chest. The crowd was shocked. But Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold. There was not a single drop of blood on Situ Ziyue¡¯s body! This was just his shadow! She quickly turned around. Situ Ziyue was indeed behind her! ¡°Your reaction is not too slow, but there isn¡¯t much use for that,¡± said Situ Ziyue lightly. The crowd then saw that the ¡®Situ Ziyue¡¯ Chu Liuyue had stabbed earlier actually disappeared gradually! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Situ Ziyue¡¯s Lightning Avoidance Technique to have reached this level. His shadow can really confuse people!¡± ¡°I remember that his shadow was just a blurry outline last year and that it would disappear by itself after some time. However, his shadow can actually last for so long now¡­¡± ¡°No matter how fast Chu Liuyue is, she can¡¯t be compared to Situ Ziyue. This is a one-sided battle!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how Situ Ziyue is going to fight this match¡­ It¡¯s not that bad if he¡¯s willing to end the match as soon as possible, but if he wants to teach Chu Liuyue a lesson, then¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze shifted and landed below Situ Ziyue¡¯s feet. When he moved, his feet would vaguely flash with a dark-blue light. No wonder he moves so quickly. It seems like this won¡¯t work on him. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already attacked once, it¡¯s my turn now,¡± said Situ Ziyue as he clapped his hands in front of him. Icy-blue force gathered and finally accumulated on his right index finger. One look at it, and it seemed like his finger was burning with a blue fire! He immediately extended his hand forward and lightly tapped his finger. Hong! A finger¡ªformed by a giant blue flame¡ªwas flying toward Chu Liuyue! ¡°Icy Flame Finger!¡± The terrifying suppression instantly overwhelmed Chu Liuyue, making her unable to move. Chapter 218 - Retaliation! Chu Liuyue would be injured by this finger, if not killed. Chu Liuyue closely stared at the blue finger that kept coming nearer. She was very clear that the distance between both of them was too huge and that any small tricks or schemes would be useless at this point. Hence, she also had to put in her best effort! If she wanted to win, then¡­ With a twist of her wrist, she took out two items from her Cosmic Bag. At this point, the finger was already in front of her. It was about to crush her completely! The crowd was silent. Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered at one place. Chu Ning suddenly stood up, feeling very anxious. If Situ Ziyue dares to kill Yue¡¯er, I¡¯ll definitely go up there and stop him! Sun Zhongyan also knitted his brows tightly, planning to spring into action at any time. It doesn¡¯t matter if Chu Liuyue loses this match, but it will be very grave if she is left with any severe injuries. Besides, how do I explain to Uncle-Master if something happens to Chu Liuyue? Clang! The fire burning on top of the giant finger suddenly flew forward, completely wrapping around Chu Liuyue. Gasps could be heard from the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s over! Chu Liuyue is going to lose!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not only going to lose. That Icy Flame Finger is one of Situ Ziyue¡¯s killer moves, and it¡¯s extremely strong and formidable! I heard that someone wanted to kill him secretly in the past, but Situ Ziyue retaliated, and the culprit¡¯s body can¡¯t even be found! I¡¯m afraid Chu Liuyue can¡¯t endure this fire!¡± ¡°If she surrenders now, she might suffer less¡ªGod! What is Situ Ziyue doing?¡± In the arena, Situ Ziyue crazily injected his force into the Icy Flame Finger. Hong! The fire¡ªwhich was originally burning brightly¡ªburned even more intensely! Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure completely disappeared! Under the Icy Flame Finger, an obvious crack appeared on the white marble floor. The fire surrounded Chu Liuyue and even directly turned into a burnt black color! Is he planning to push Chu Liuyue to her death? Sun Zhongyan suddenly stood up. ¡°Situ Ziyue! Are you trying to kill someone in the arena?¡± Before Situ Ziyue could speak, Cheng Han nonchalantly said, ¡°Brother Zhongyan, why are you so anxious? Chu Liuyue has the Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s wooden plaque. If anything happens, the wooden plaque will automatically break and give us a warning. However, it¡¯s still fine now, right? Why are you so worried?¡± Sun Zhongyan¡¯s face turned white. Of course, I know that Chu Liuyue is still alive, but it¡¯ll be too late if I wait till the wooden plaque breaks! This girl is Uncle-Master¡¯s only disciple after so many years, and she¡¯s also someone that I have high hopes for. If anything happens to her, I will definitely not take this lying down! ¡°Cheng Han! You need to think this through. You can¡¯t compensate for it if anything happens to her.¡± Cheng Han did not care about Sun Zhongyan¡¯s words and laughed out loud instead. He said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother Zhongyan say yesterday that the children have self-awareness during the matches? I watched Ziyue grow up, and he has always been mature. He will definitely not do anything outrageous.¡± Sun Zhongyan knew that Cheng Han was just stirring more trouble up, so he was too lazy to even care about Cheng Han. He planned to rush up directly. Cheng Han also stood up, his face slightly cold. ¡°Brother Zhongyan, are you breaking the rules?¡± Sun Zhongyan did not say a word and was about to take action. Chu Liuyue has been trapped in the fire for a long time, and there are no movements at all. I¡¯m afraid something has happened to her! On the other hand, Chu Ning had already jumped out of his seat and was rushing toward the arena. But the situation in the arena suddenly changed at this moment. Countless silver rays of light started spreading out with Chu Liuyue¡¯s position as the center. Buzz! A strange buzzing sound was heard. It echoed throughout Jia Nan Square the next moment. Sun Zhongyan suddenly raised his head, and Chu Ning also stopped in his tracks. The number of silver light rays kept increasing, and they were also intertwining with each other! Situ Ziyue knitted his brows, and he felt uneasy. For some reason, he felt like he was in danger¡­ Buzz! The buzzing sound was even clearer! Those intertwining light rays finally formed a shape! ¡°Fourth-level Xuan formation?¡± Fu Yunshan stood up in shock. This suppression, this aura, and that complicated drawing¡­ As a Xuan Master, Sun Zhongyan had already realized something when the rays of light appeared. At this time, a gigantic Xuan formation appeared in the arena. Sun Zhongyan¡¯s heart beat wildly. That is indeed a fourth-level Xuan formation! A clear woman¡¯s voice was suddenly heard. ¡°Buddha Lotus Formation!¡± The rays of light intersected in this Xuan formation like a lotus flower that bloomed brightly. Hong! Hong! Hong! A horrifying aura spread from the Xuan formation. At the same time, the Icy Flame Finger in front of Chu Liuyue also shattered into pieces. The fire that originally overwhelmed her scattered in all directions like a meteorite landing. A thin and upright figure appeared in front of the crowd. The crowd gasped loudly. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t die! She¡¯s even unharmed! She¡¯s not injured at all! Chu Liuyue held a palm-sized black crystal in her hands. The countless rays of light were exuding out from that crystal. Someone gasped. ¡°It¡¯s a black Xuan formation crystal!¡± After a momentary trance, everyone¡¯s faces were filled with shock! ¡°It¡¯s normal that a Xuan Master can activate a black Xuan formation crystal, but¡­ Chu Liuyue is clearly a stage-two Xuan Master! How did she activate a fourth-level black Xuan formation crystal?¡± Situ Xingchen widened her eyes¡ªnot caring about her image¡ªas she glared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s other hand. A small crystal had seemingly appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! That¡¯s¡­ A crystal barrier! Chapter 219 - Wait Until I Break Through The gigantic silver Buddha Lotus bloomed in the arena. When the petals moved slightly, it easily swallowed the blue fire and extinguished it. Everything happened silently, but it made everyone¡¯s hair stand on end. Situ Ziyue originally thought that he was bound to win with this move, but Chu Liuyue actually avoided it in such a manner. After seeing the unscathed Chu Liuyue, Chu Ning¡¯s anxious heart finally calmed down. Even though he knew that Yue¡¯er would not risk her life, he still could not control his worry as he personally witnessed the scene at the side. Luckily¡­ Luckily, she can always assure me at the most critical time! Sun Zhongyan paused in his actions as he looked at the arena with his mouth agape. What happened just now? How did Chu Liuyue go against Situ Ziyue¡¯s attack, and how did she activate a fourth-level Xuan formation? However, a thought could not help but appear at the bottom of his heart. During the mid-semester assessment, I already felt that this girl had hidden her abilities. It seems like it¡¯s true. Cheng Han could not sit around any longer, but Situ Xingcheng had already stood up beside him before he could say anything. She rapidly walked two steps forward as disbelief was written all over her face. ¡°How can this be¡­ How is this possible?¡± Situ Xingchen softly muttered since she could not believe her eyes. I wished I saw wrongly. However, the crystal barrier is indeed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands! That¡¯s also the only reason why Chu Liuyue escaped Situ Ziyue¡¯s attack unscathed. ¡°Xingchen, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Cheng Han when he noticed her weird behavior; it looked like she didn¡¯t even care about anything else. Situ Xingchen instinctively clenched her fists. It seems like I really neglected too many things¡­ This Chu Liuyue is hiding so many secrets! She took a deep breath in, suppressed her emotions, and shook her head. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just a little worried about Brother.¡± Cheng Han patted her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Chu Liuyue is just a stage-two Xuan Master and must have used up a lot of her energy when she activated the black Xuan formation crystal. She didn¡¯t even unleash the crystal¡¯s full potential. No matter what, Ziyue is still an advanced stage-four warrior. Chu Liuyue is definitely not his match. Ziyue just needs to put in more effort.¡± Situ Xingchen glanced at the arena and indeed saw that Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips were a little pale. She then relaxed and sat back down on her seat. ¡­ The others also quickly noticed this. The Tian Lu Academy people¡ªwho had just heaved sighs of relief¡ªstarted to become anxious again. ¡°How did Chu Liuyue activate that fourth-level black Xuan formation crystal?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the most important thing. The main point is that she can¡¯t hold on much longer with her abilities. This match is dangerous!¡± ¡°Situ Ziyue is pretty strong. If Chu Liuyue were a true stage-four Xuan Master, she would have a high chance of winning. But now¡­¡± Chu Liuyue blocked out all the discussions happening outside the arena. At this point, all her energy was in the black Xuan formation crystal. After coming back from Wan Ling Mountain, she thought for a long while and felt that she was still in a perilous situation. She felt that she wouldn¡¯t be safe if she did not have any backup plans. Thus, she decisively went to Zhen Bao Pavilion and bought this from Second Master Yan. Originally, she wanted to use it when she met with danger. However, this situation was urgent, so she could not care that much. The fourth-level Xuan formations engraved on the Xuan formation did not require as much energy, so she could still forcefully activate it with her abilities. However, she really could not unleash the crystal¡¯s full potential. The Xuan formation¡¯s Buddha Lotus had two levels. But Chu Liuyue could only activate one level with her current abilities; the remaining level did not even budge. After a short while, Chu Liuyue could already feel the energy in her body quickly depleting. She would be exhausted in no time. This could temporarily block Situ Ziyue, but it was very difficult for her to win. ¡°No wonder you dare to challenge me directly. You have this thing to back you up.¡± Situ Ziyue¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°But you¡¯re too naive if you really think that you can win against me with this!¡± Before he finished his sentence, he suddenly jumped up. At the same time, a broadsword appeared in his hands! It was a greenish-black broadsword, but the blade was not considered sharp; it was even a little blunt. A weird drawing was engraved on the blade. Someone gasped. ¡°It¡¯s the Ling Xiao Broadsword!¡± Quite a few people suddenly took a deep breath in. The Ling Xiao Broadsword was Country Xing Luo¡¯s precious Yuan instrument. Rumor had it that Country Xing Luo¡¯s founding emperor used this Ling Xiao Broadsword to create his kingdom. Not only was this Ling Xiao Broadsword formidable, but it was also representative of one¡¯s status. With this item in Situ Ziyue¡¯s hands, it could almost prove that he was Country Xing Luo¡¯s next Emperor! ¡°It¡¯s your honor that you forced me to use my Ling Xiao Broadsword.¡± Situ Ziyue coldly stated this as he held the broadsword with both hands and swung it down with all his might. A frightening greenish-black blade rapidly flew out. Choo! At the next moment, the blade directly cut through the blossoming Buddha Lotus. The gigantic Xuan formation was instantly cut into two. Hua! This broadsword directly slashed the Xuan formation in half, causing boundless crazy energy to spread throughout. Chu Liuyue quickly moved backward, but she was still affected by the energy. The next moment, a terrifying force crashed into her body. Her organs seemed to be twisted into a ball. Poof! Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest shook, and she spat out blood. The blood splattered all over her clothes, and her aura instantly became dispirited. Situ Ziyue moved so swiftly that Chu Liuyue did not even have time to activate her crystal barrier. The originally dazzling Xuan formation started dimming at an observable speed. Everyone watched the scene unfold silently. Everyone could tell that Chu Liuyue was bound to lose. Even when she was unscathed, she might not even be Situ Ziyue¡¯s match, let alone now when she was injured. Situ Ziyue held the Ling Xiao Broadsword and looked down at Chu Liuyue from above with a nonchalant gaze. It was as if he was looking at a small ant. Almost immediately, his lips quivered, and he coldly spat out a few words. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± Then, he raised the broadsword once again. ¡°It will end this time!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw the second blade rapidly flying toward her. She threw out the crystal barrier in her hands. A transparent barrier faintly flashing with silver light immediately wrapped around her. Bang! A low impact sound could be heard when the blade hit the crystal barrier. However, the crystal barrier only slightly shook as it quickly absorbed the formidable power. Chu Liuyue was not affected at all inside the barrier. After seeing what it was, hatred flashed across Situ Ziyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so scheming! Do you really think that you can hide inside for the rest of your life?¡± Chu Liuyue wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth and glanced at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make you wait for too long.¡± ¡°What?¡± Situ Ziyue tightly knitted his brows when he saw Chu Liuyue sit down cross-legged in the crystal barrier. In the next moment, she placed her hands on her knees and closed her eyes. Situ Ziyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Chu Liuyue swallowed the strong bloody taste in her mouth as she said, ¡°Wait until I break through.¡± My God! She actually wants to break through at this moment! Chapter 220 - Her Cultivation Level? Chu Liuyue only realized that something seemed to be amiss with her dantian after Situ Ziyue used his Ling Xiao Broadsword to cut the Xuan formation. At that time, she did not think of it much. However, the water droplet in her dantian seemed to be agitated, and it quickly stirred when the black Xuan formation crystal¡¯s strength was released. In the blink of an eye, the water droplet started to consume the large amount of force saved up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian. It had no intentions of stopping! Chu Liuyue then realized that she was going to break through during a critical moment in the battle between Situ Ziyue and her! Previously, she had waited for a long time and tried all sorts of methods to break through and become a stage-two warrior, but they were all to no avail. Who would have imagined that at this time¡­ Chu Liuyue herself was speechless. This was a really rare chance¡­ But luckily, she had Rong Xiu¡¯s crystal barrier, which could temporarily buy some time for her. If not, she would¡¯ve had to surrender directly and leave the arena. Removing all her unnecessary thoughts, Chu Liuyue closed her eyes as she started to absorb the Heaven and Earth Force from her surroundings as she tried to break through. Very quickly, the intense Heaven and Earth Force came straight for her and entered her body through the crystal barrier. ¡­ Upon seeing this, the square was deadly silent. Some people even rubbed their eyes to ensure that they weren¡¯t seeing things. Chu Liuyue¡­ is actually trying to break through in the middle of the Qing Jiao Competition? What exactly does this mean? Situ Ziyue was embarrassed and furious. Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t even care about me by doing this. He brandished his broadsword to attack once again, but the crystal barrier was very strong. Hence, it didn¡¯t even break. Chu Liuyue sat inside like a mountain¡ªmotionless¡ªas she focused her energy on breaking through. Situ Ziyue was greatly humiliated. He held the broadsword handle tightly and wanted to slash the crystal barrier into two directly, conveniently teaching Chu Liuyue a lesson in the process. ¡­ Upon seeing this, Cheng Han could not stand it anymore. ¡°Brother Zhongyan, isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue overboard for doing this? She¡¯s completely ignoring Ziyue and even disregarding the Qing Jiao Competition!¡± Sun Zhongyan was also shocked by Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. However, she was his student, so he had to protect her. He said, ¡°Oh? Liuyue is just about to break through. She¡¯s not cheating or doing anything else. Brother Cheng Han, aren¡¯t you being too harsh on her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being harsh at all!¡± Cheng Han pointed at Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was in the arena¡ªwith a terrible expression. ¡°The Qing Jiao Competition is a competition, not a place for her to cultivate! If it wasn¡¯t on purpose, why didn¡¯t she do it earlier or later? Why did she choose this time to break through? Who knows how long she is going to take? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need in continuing with this battle!¡± ¡°Hah, all sorts of situations will happen during cultivation. Not to mention the young girl, but even I can¡¯t control when I break through. How can it be that she calculated her breakthrough timing on purpose? Besides, Ziyue can also use this time to cultivate, so he¡¯s not at a disadvantage, right? If we stop the competition now, then¡­ who wins?¡± ¡°Of course, Chu Liuyue loses!¡± ¡°Hey¡­ She hasn¡¯t lost yet, so why should she surrender? Besides, there might be an alternative ending to this match after she breaks through. At the very least, it might end in a tie!¡± Cheng Han ground his teeth and cursed Sun Zhongyan for being shameless. Tie? Based on Chu Liuyue alone, she doesn¡¯t deserve to tie with Situ Ziyue. Sun Zhongyan laughed and asked, ¡°Why? Brother Cheng Han, are you worried that Liuyue will win after she breaks through?¡± ¡°You really think very highly of her!¡± Cheng Han chuckled. Win? She must have that ability first! Situ Ziyue suddenly said, ¡°Since the battle hasn¡¯t ended, I¡¯ll just wait for her.¡± He really wanted to see how much Chu Liuyue would improve after breaking through in such an ostentatious manner. Since Situ Ziyue had already said this, the others could not intervene. Hence, all quietened down. ¡­ Time passed bit by bit. Cheng Han gradually became frustrated from waiting as he sized up Chu Liuyue¡¯s crystal barrier. ¡°This Chu Liuyue really has many tricks up her sleeves, and she has so many treasures with her. No wonder she was so arrogant previously. It seems like she could avoid Ziyue¡¯s Icy Flame Finger with this thing as well.¡± His voice was filled with displeasure and jealousy. This was because even he could not find this precious crystal barrier. Chu Liuyue was also not of very distinguished status, yet she had quite a few good items with her. ¡°I wonder where she got these items from. She must have used some methods¡­¡± Situ Xingchen heard him and did not say a word, but she was very upset. She had only seen one person with this thing. Also, that crystal barrier was clearly that person¡¯s if she didn¡¯t see wrongly. If not, the intricate engravings on the barrier wouldn¡¯t be exactly the same. How can Chu Liuyue have such a precious item? Of course, someone gave it to her. However, what is that person¡¯s relationship with Chu Liuyue? How can he just give her the crystal barrier? Situ Xingchen could not think of anything that Chu Liuyue had which was worth exchanging for the crystal barrier. Furthermore, based on that person¡¯s character, who could steal his things if he isn¡¯t willing to give? Once she thought of this, Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart felt like it was being scratched, and she felt very comfortable. She had arrived at the Imperial City for quite a few days, yet she did not see that person at all. To avoid any gossip, she also purposely didn¡¯t send anyone to find out about his news. However, she couldn¡¯t take it lying down anymore. ¡­ Chu Liuyue blocked out the surrounding noises as she gathered her focus and prepared to break through. But she quickly discovered that she did not need to do anything else. The water droplet in her dantian rapidly spun as ripples started spreading on it. Even the line on the water droplet started moving about. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force kept entering and flowing into Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian through her limbs, eventually being absorbed by the water droplet. The ripples made very big movements. Chu Liuyue started becoming nervous unknowingly. She did not know that a force spiral had appeared at the top of her head following this movement. The spectators could clearly feel her force moving. Some people started to whisper. ¡°Isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue just a stage-one warrior? Even if she breaks through, she¡¯ll just become a stage-two warrior, right? But why does she have so many energy waves?¡± ¡°You felt it too? I even think that there weren¡¯t so many energy waves when I broke through and became a stage-three warrior. However, she¡¯s pretty strong, so perhaps this is normal¡­¡± Bai Chen glanced at Sun Zhongyan and whispered, ¡°Elder Sun, what do you think?¡± Sun Zhongyan looked serious. ¡°The energy waves are indeed unusual. Normally, a force spiral will only appear when one is breaking through to become a stage-four warrior¡­¡± Bai Chen was shocked. ¡°Do you mean that she will continuously break through a few stages?¡± Sun Zhongyan shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not very possible. Continuously breaking through is just a rumor. In actual fact, normal cultivators can¡¯t even do it. But it seems like there¡¯s another reason behind her behavior¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sun Zhongyan pressed his lips against each other tightly. After seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions in the arena, a vague thought flashed across his mind. As this thought was too shocking, he did not dare to believe it immediately. After a long while, he finally looked at Bai Chen seriously. ¡°When this girl entered the academy, what was her tested Yuan meridian level?¡± Bai Chen paused. ¡°Yuan meridian level? She didn¡¯t test for that! We didn¡¯t do any testing since she entered the academy halfway through the semester, and there wasn¡¯t enough time to prepare for her examinations.¡± He felt guilty when he said the latter half of the sentence. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that the preparations were not enough, but he felt that Chu Liuyue had no way of entering the academy. Hence, he did not even think about preparing it. Sun Zhongyan could tell what Bai Chen was thinking with one look, but Sun Zhongyan did not expose him. In actual fact, it wasn¡¯t not only Bai Chen who thought in such a way. Everyone had thought in a similar fashion as well. Who would have predicted that Chu Liuyue would actually become one of the academy¡¯s stronger students in just a few months? ¡°Why? Do you think that there¡¯s a problem with her Yuan meridian¡­?¡± asked Bai Chen. He suddenly realized something, and he widened his eyes in shock. Hang on! Elder Sun is asking about Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian level! Could it be that he thinks Chu Liuyue has a¡­ Dijing Yuan meridian? ¡°¡­ Impossible!¡± muttered Bai Chen. One had to know that not a single Dijing Yuan meridian had appeared in the entire Country Yao Chen for 100 years. Sun Zhongyan was very focused, but his heart started rapidly beating uncontrollably. ¡°Nobody can tell for certain without a test.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if he did not think of this. However, he could not dismiss it once this thought popped up in his head. This is the only explanation why Chu Liuyue¡¯s cultivation speed is so high right after she recovered her Yuan meridian and started cultivating. If not, how can she win against so many warriors with higher cultivation just based on her stage-one warrior abilities? When he was thoroughly confused by all of this, an uproar could be heard from the arena. Chu Liuyue broke through! Chapter 221 - Chinese Trumpet Flower Fall The bright red force exuded out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, wrapping around her like an intense fireball. The aura surrounding her had already reached its peak. Chu Liuyue saw an invisible hand on top of the water droplet, and it stably engraved the second line. Bang! A tiny but clear sound reverberated throughout her mind. Her body¡¯s internal and external injuries quickly got better, and the force in her dantian was even richer than before. The next moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes. and the faint red light flashed across her clear and sharp eyes. Stage-two warrior! As she stared at her palm, Chu Liuyue sensed the force circulating throughout her body, and she could not help but smile. I finally broke through! After such a long wait, my initial efforts finally did not go to waste! Even though she did not know why she suddenly broke through today, it was a good thing for her at this point. Seeing that Chu Liuyue had broken through, the originally quiet arena started to burst into discussions. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and dispelled the crystal barrier. She then raised her brows and looked at Situ Ziyue while smiling and saying, ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± Situ Ziyue quietly sized Chu Liuyue up and unwittingly knitted his brows. Chu Liuyue did not spend much time on this breakthrough, only about an hour or so. However, she is clearly different from before after breaking through. The most obvious thing is that her body¡¯s aura is much stronger than before. The injuries on her body also seemed to have recovered by quite a fair bit due to her earlier breakthrough. She only broke through and became a stage-two warrior from a stage-one warrior. But why does it seem like Chu Liuyue¡¯s body has undergone a huge change¡­? He raised his Ling Xiao Broadsword, and an icy-blue force immediately enveloped it all over. A strange pattern then seemingly appeared on the broadsword. ¡°There¡¯s no other reason for you to delay the match now, right? It shall end now!¡± Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. ¡°What a coincidence. I think so too.¡± She then picked up her black Xuan formation crystal and gathered her thoughts, infusing her force into the crystal and accumulating it. Weng! Weng! The black Xuan formation crystal produced bright rays of light. Very quickly, a ray of light flew out from the crystal and formed a gigantic Xuan formation under Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. The originally dimmed Buddha Lotus slowly started to bloom again. Situ Ziyue sneered. ¡°Do you think you can win by using the same trick twice?¡± His Ling Xiao Broadsword slashed downward. ¡°Chinese Trumpet Flower[1] Fall!¡± With this roar, the pattern on the broadsword suddenly moved. Almost immediately, it bloomed and became a small Chinese trumpet flower. That Chinese trumpet flower gradually started moving according to the sword crevices. Every inch it moved, the Chinese trumpet flower would grow by a little. When it reached the broadsword¡¯s blade, the Chinese trumpet flower was almost the size of a lantern. ¡°Go!¡± hollered Situ Ziyue. The Chinese trumpet flower flew into the air and went straight for Chu Liuyue. Compared to the Buddha Lotus under Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet, the Chinese trumpet flower was indeed a lot smaller. It wasn¡¯t even the size of the Buddha Lotus¡¯s petal, but nobody dared to underestimate this Chinese trumpet flower. It gradually flew forward. The ground it passed by actually started cracking. This proved how strong and formidable it was. Chu Liuyue looked up. Even though she was a distance away from the flower, she could still distinctly feel the frightening strength incorporated in the flower. The indescribable suppression made her entire body tense up and caused her to have difficulty breathing. ¡­ ¡°Chinese Trumpet Flower Fall? Isn¡¯t that one of the Ling Xiao Broadsword¡¯s top three killer moves? Situ Ziyue can actually execute it now!?¡± ¡°It seems like he¡¯s indeed going to break through and become a stage-five warrior. The force in his body is so rich¡­¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s only 21 this year. He¡¯s even younger than Rong Jin, but he¡¯s only a step away from becoming a stage-five warrior. If he breaks through, I think he can become the youngest stage-five warrior!¡± The crowd could not hide their shock when they saw the Chinese trumpet flower in the air. They then partook in heated discussions. Rong Jin¡ªwho was quietly watching the match at the side¡ªhad a cold gaze when he heard all of this. He was the most famous talent in Country Yao Chen, but he was always lacking when compared to Situ Ziyue. In the past few years, the two of them had battled several times, but Rong Jin lost more than he won. He had also completely lost during last year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition. Originally, he thought that he could catch up and even surpass Situ Ziyue after one year of training. However, it seemed like the difference between the two became even bigger. Not to mention others, even Rong Jin had to spend quite a bit of effort to handle the Buddha Lotus Formation that Chu Liuyue executed. Thinking of this, he felt even more indignant. His chin became tight, and his surrounding aura became as cold as ice. ¡­ The Chinese trumpet flower kept coming closer. However, the surrounding people would notice that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t anxious at all if they took a closer look. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and silently looked at the black Xuan formation crystal in her hands. ¡°This move determines if I win or lose¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly before she infused all her force into the crystal. Hong! A loud noise was suddenly heard from the black Xuan formation crystal. Situ Ziyue chuckled. ¡°You still don¡¯t regret it even before your death.¡± Suddenly, his mocking smile stiffened, and shock filled his eyes. The originally blossomed Buddha Lotus under Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet started to accumulate countless rays of light. In the blink of an eye, it even formed many flower petals. Chu Liuyue had actually activated the Buddha Lotus¡¯s second level in the black Xuan formation crystal. In other words, she had used her strength alone to activate this fourth-level Xuan formation¡¯s full strength. As he stared at the blossoming Buddha Lotus and its layers of petals, Situ Ziyue felt very uneasy. He knew how formidable Xuan formations were. At this time, the Chinese trumpet flower had already flown to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue suddenly waved her hands, and the Buddha Lotus instantly followed her wishes, moving forward. It did not travel fast, but the distance between the Chinese trumpet flower and Chu Liuyue was very short. Hence, without wasting much time, the Buddha Lotus was directly opposite the Chinese trumpet flower. Buzz! The Buddha Lotus¡¯s petals started shaking gently, and the Chinese trumpet flower suddenly flew a lot slower. Buzz! The petals moved against the wind. The Chinese trumpet flower completely stopped in front of the Buddha Lotus. Chu Liuyue¡¯s clear voice echoed throughout the square. ¡°Close up!¡± With her command, the Buddha Lotus¡¯s petals started to close up gradually. The Chinese trumpet flower started to drop uncontrollably. The layers of flower petals closed up and covered the Chinese trumpet flower completely. Situ Ziyue¡¯s face suddenly turned white. After some time, the Buddha Lotus started to bloom again. Its petals were pretty damaged, clearly showing that it was harmed during the previous block. The originally ferocious Buddha Lotus defeatedly landed on the floor lifelessly. Situ Ziyue suddenly spat out blood and knelt on the floor. [1] ¡®Chinese Trumpet Flower¡¯ in Chinese is ¡®Ling Xiao Hua¡¯, where the first two words are the same as the name of Ling Xiao Broadsword Chapter 222 - Temporarily First! At the same time, his surrounding aura started abating rapidly. He and the Ling Xiao Broadsword shared the same pulse, so he would naturally be implicated now that its attack had been halted. Situ Ziyue felt furious and indignant. He wanted to stand up immediately, but he was too anxious, so the anger attacked his heart. This move made him collapse on the floor and spit out blood again. His face looked as white as a sheet. ¡°Brother!¡± Situ Xingchen anxiously stood up and rushed toward the arena. A voice was suddenly heard when she reached the side of the arena. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, it¡¯ll be counted as his defeat if you go into the arena now.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s body froze as she stopped in her tracks and looked up. Chu Liuyue was standing in the arena and seemingly smiled at her lazily. Situ Xingchen slowly clenched her fists in her sleeves. ¡°Chu Liuyue!¡± ¡°Hm? I¡¯m here.¡± Chu Liuyue seemed unable to tell the anger in Situ Xingchen¡¯s words as she raised her chin. ¡°I think your brother wants to continue fighting. It doesn¡¯t seem very appropriate if you come up now.¡± Situ Xingchen was so angry that her face distorted. She looked at Situ Ziyue again. As Situ Xingchen now stood nearer to him, she could see his messy bloodstains even clearer. Her heart felt as if a knife had harshly stabbed it. ¡°Brother!¡± Situ Ziyue heard her voice and raised his head with much difficulty. As he forced himself to stand up, he said, ¡°Xingchen¡­ Go back¡­¡± But his internal injuries were too serious, and he collapsed again after getting up halfway. Tears welled up in Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes. To her, her brother had always been the most outstanding warrior. He was always proudly standing on top, and he had never been so defeated before. All of this was caused by Chu Liuyue! ¡°Brother¡­¡± Situ Xingchen wanted to persuade him to stop competing. Anyone could tell that he did not have the energy to continue. Even though Chu Liuyue had also exhausted her energy, and her lips were white, she was not injured in the end. If the two of them continued to battle, the outcome would not change. It would also humiliate her brother even more. However, she could not say any of this. Her brother was a very prideful person. How could he admit to losing to a stage-two warrior? Chu Liuyue looked at Situ Ziyue and smiled. ¡°If you want to continue, I¡¯ll play along with you.¡± Her underlying meaning was that if Situ Ziyue did not willingly surrender, she would continue pushing him to his death. Everyone looked at this scene with a complicated gaze. Before the match¡ªno, even an hour ago, nobody would have thought that Chu Liuyue would gain the upper hand in the end. Moreover, she even forced Situ Ziyue into this state. Cheng Han finally could not watch it any longer. With a darkened face, he said, ¡°Xingchen, help your brother down.¡± Situ Xingchen looked at him hesitantly, but she finally held up her skirt and prepared to walk up the arena. ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Situ Ziyue shook his head and knitted his brows tightly. If I go down now, won¡¯t I completely lose? ¡°Bring him down!¡± Cheng Han¡¯s voice was much sterner than before. Situ Xingchen paused in her tracks, but she still walked up in the end. The crowd was silent. This means that Situ Ziyue has lost! ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go,¡± said Situ Xingchen with heartache as she held his hand. Situ Ziyue was furious and irritatedly waved his arm, trying to push her away. However, his movements were too weak, and he could not even shake Situ Xingchen¡¯s hand away. Situ Xingchen bit her lower lips and understood why her mentor wanted her to bring her brother down¡ªhe was actually very injured! She quietly helped Situ Ziyue down. ¡°Brother, we can talk about these things later.¡± Situ Ziyue did not want to leave in such a defeated state. This was an enormous humiliation to him. However, he was very clear about his body¡¯s condition. Even if he continued staying, he had no chance of winning. He deeply glared at Chu Liuyue with anger and hatred in his eyes. Chu Liuyue ignored his gaze and waved her hands with a smile. ¡°Take care!¡± Situ Ziyue spat blood out again. Situ Xingchen knitted her brows and finally could not help but turn around to glare at Chu Liuyue. She pronounced every single word clearly as she said, ¡°Mentor once told me that we shouldn¡¯t be depressed when we lose and that we shouldn¡¯t be arrogant when we win. If not, we will never know when we¡¯ll fall to someone¡¯s hands. When that happens, we¡¯ll definitely be hurt.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Director Cheng Han is indeed highly respected, and his words are all logical. However¡­¡± She shifted her gaze, and it landed on Situ Ziyue. She then regretfully said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that your brother hasn¡¯t heard of this before. Look, didn¡¯t he fall to my hands?¡± Situ Xingchen was stumped. She had never seen such a shameless woman that flipped right and wrong. Situ Ziyue was about to faint in anger. He raised his hands as if he wanted to say something, but they drooped down weakly. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll always be this delighted.¡± Situ Xingchen shot a profound look at Chu Liuyue. Without saying anything else, she turned around and left with Situ Ziyue. Chu Liuyue watched the two people¡¯s leaving back views, and her lips curved up slightly. ¡°Thank you for your blessings! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart was in turmoil. Why would that person interact with such a woman? Cunning, scheming, and manipulative! What is he thinking? Could it be¡­ just because of her face? Situ Xingchen¡¯s thoughts ran wildly. After she brought Situ Ziyue down, her heart could not be appeased for a long time. But Chu Liuyue did not even care about them. She only cared about one matter. ¡°Elder Sun, according to the rules, I have already entered the second round, right?¡± Shock alone could not describe what Sun Zhongyan was feeling. Chu Liuyue¡¯s series of actions had made him elated to no end. When he thought of that possibility, he couldn¡¯t help but like her even more. ¡°Of course!¡± He looked at his surroundings and confidently said, ¡°Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Chu Liuyue wins this round! Chu Liuyue temporarily is in first place with her successful challenge.¡± His deep voice reverberated throughout the square. Chapter 223 - Someone She Liked Chu Liuyue was actually successful in her challenge! Sun Zhongyan¡¯s words were like thunder that struck beside the crowd¡¯s ears, causing all of them to wake up in shock. Oh yes! She challenged Situ Ziyu¡ªwho was in first place¡ªso she will naturally rank first now that Situ Ziyue has surrendered. Even though they had seen the match personally, the crowd still could not believe the scene in front of them. Not only did Chu Liuyue win, but she had even broken through in the middle of the battle! This incident¡ªwhich sounded like a fairytale¡ªhad actually unfolded before their eyes, and they had to believe it! Even Tian Lu Academy¡¯s people were shocked, and their mouths were agape. They were unable to recover their senses for a long time. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips slightly curved up as she left the arena. However, she did not directly go back to her seat and went to Chu Ning instead. ¡°Father!¡± Upon seeing her come down, Chu Ning hurriedly walked forward and grabbed her arm with his hand. He then scrutinized her body as he nervously asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er! Are you okay?¡± The previous match was very intense, and he was terrified when he watched them from the side. Chu Liuyue stretched her arms wide open and smiled happily. ¡°You¡¯re a stage-five warrior. Can¡¯t you tell if I¡¯m injured?¡± Chu Ning personally checked Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and realized that she did not have any particularly severe problems other than force exhaustion. Only then did he relax. Upon hearing her words, he could not help but laugh. ¡°So what if I¡¯m a stage-five warrior? My Yue¡¯er can actually beat an advanced stage-four warrior! In no time, even I won¡¯t be your match!¡± He was worried, but he was equally proud and elated. The previous match was indeed very risky. Chu Ning knew very clearly that if it weren¡¯t for Yue¡¯er successfully breaking through in the end, she would¡¯ve lost this match. Luckily, it was just a farce. Chu Liuyue winked playfully. ¡°How is it the same? Father is always the strongest person in my heart! However, you can finally relax now, right?¡± After the Wan Ling Mountain incident, even though Chu Ning did not say anything, she knew that it had left him with trauma. Even when both of them were at home, he would frequently call out her name. If he did not see her for a period of time, he would start to get anxious and scared. After experiencing the feeling of losing his daughter once, Chu Ning became extremely fearful. Chu Liuyue intended to assure him, so she did not play any unnecessary tricks in the arena today. She had put in her best effort instead. Now that she won against Situ Ziyue, Chu Ning was clearly pretty reassured. How could Chu Ning not know her intentions? His heart was full, and tears started welling up in his eyes. He held Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders, and his lips moved, but something seemed to be stuck in his throat. After a while, he said, ¡°¡­ Yue¡¯er is naturally the best!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled obediently. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go back first. Maybe someone might even challenge me later on. You should go back and take a seat too.¡± Chu Ning acknowledged her words and rushed her to get some rest. The two of them separated and went back to their respective seats. However, Chu Ning¡¯s eyes never left Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. He saw her walk back. He saw the Tian Lu Academy crowd enthusiastically cheering for her, and he saw how everyone looked at her with much envy and surprise¡­ Chu Ning sighed deeply. His eyes also turned red as he could not help but laugh. My Yue¡¯er is no longer the cowardly young girl who can be bullied by anyone. The current her is like the sun in the sky, shining and dazzling brightly. ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s return was once again welcomed by the academy¡¯s people. However, she sensitively noticed that the atmosphere seemed different from the day before. How should I put it? It seems like everyone is kind of¡­ respectful to me out of fear? No matter if it is their behavior or their way of talking, they seem more restrained than before. They are also looking at me with weird gazes. Chu Liuyue touched her face. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± The crowd was silent for a while. Si Yang stuck out his thumb. ¡°The glory of a genius.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. She really could not expect anything else from a hog but a grunt with Si Yang¡¯s glib tongue. She decisively looked at Mu Hongyu. ¡°What¡¯s with them?¡± I just went to compete in a match, but why does everything seem weird after I returned? Mu Hongyu hugged the golden mane bear cub, looked at Chu Liuyue, and swallowed her saliva with much difficulty. ¡°Liuyue, d-did you hide your abilities previously?¡± That¡¯s Situ Ziyue! She actually won! She even made him vomit blood! Just think about how arrogant he was before. In the blink of an eye, he was thoroughly taught a lesson! Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°When?¡± Mu Hongyu was at a loss for words. W-when? ¡°Take it as if I didn¡¯t ask.¡± She closed her eyes. I¡¯m really dumb for asking such a question. Ever since Chu Liuyue entered the academy, every single incident has proven her outstanding talent and abilities. To think I still believed the difference between us wasn¡¯t that big! ¡°I¡¯ll diligently cultivate in the future!¡± Cen Hu strongly nodded. ¡°Me too!¡± Gu Mingfeng looked at Chu Liuyue with deep meaning. Chu Liuyue was speechless. She returned to her seat and sat down. Her surroundings gradually quietened down, but the curious and surprised gazes did not decrease. She did not really care about them and wanted to close her eyes to meditate. However, Si Ting suddenly spoke. ¡°That crystal barrier¡­ Is it from that person?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. ¡°Who?¡± Si Ting squinted his eyes. ¡°The person you like.¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a while and gently nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Si Ting was silent for a moment. ¡°It seems like you really like him.¡± Then, he turned around. Chu Liuyue was taken aback. Why are Si Ting¡¯s words so strange? I just used a crystal barrier. But she did not ask any further as it seemed like Si Ting did not plan on continuing the conversation. She took out the small silver ball and started playing with it in her hands. Si Ting sighed in his heart. I can finally put her down at this point. Originally, I thought she was just saying it as a courtesy. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true. Perhaps even she doesn¡¯t realize how mesmerizing her instinctive smile is when she talks about that person. I wonder who is so lucky to win her heart. Chapter 224 - Heng Jingchuo The situation in the arena changed after Chu Liuyue won the match. The remaining few competitors looked in her direction from time to time with differing expressions. However, they all looked a lot more somber. They thought that Chu Liuyue would be at the bottom of the top ten, but she went straight for Situ Ziyue and took the number one position! They had to re-evaluate her now. She beat two stage-four warriors when she was a stage-one. Now that she was a stage-two warrior, she even defeated an advanced stage-four warrior! Such results were enough for Chu Liuyue to make a name for herself. If they wanted to take the number one position, they had to beat her! Sun Zhongyan looked towards a young man from Nan Feng Academy. ¡°Ye Chenjia, it¡¯s your turn to choose now.¡± He was number nine, ranked just one position in front of Chu Liuyue earlier. According to the rules, it was his turn to challenge someone in the top five! Ye Chenjia seemed to have been prepared. He went straight for the arena and motioned towards a young man from Tai Yan Academy. ¡°Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Ye Chenjia challenges Tai Yan Academy¡¯s Su Tingfeng!¡± After hearing about his choice, everyone nodded. They had clearly expected Ye Chenjia to choose Su Tingfeng. Su Tingfeng was ranked fifth. He was clearly the easiest of the top five to beat. Ye Chenjia¡¯s choice was a safe one. Su Tingfeng laughed out loud and leaped onto the arena. ¡°Please!¡± There was a lot of chatter as the two battled. ¡°¡­ That scared me. I thought all the new students were insane!¡± ¡°One Chu Liuyue is enough; otherwise, us older students are doomed¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I heard that Ye Chenjia is only 16 this year, yet he¡¯s a stage-three warrior. He can be considered the cream of the crop already. It¡¯s his first year taking part in the Qing Jiao Competition, and he¡¯s in the top ten. He¡¯s comparable to Jiang Yuan from earlier. It¡¯s just that Chu Liuyue outshone everyone else.¡± ¡°Even if Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t end up ranking first, I think her name will travel far and wide¡­ She has a bright future ahead of her!¡± ¡­ With Chu Liuyue and Situ Ziyue¡¯s intense battle as a comparison, the battle between Su Tingfeng and Ye Chenjia was rather lackluster. Even though Ye Chenjia was talented, Su Tingfeng was of higher rank. After a tedious one-hour-long battle, Ye Chenjia conceded. Su Tingfeng motioned to him graciously. ¡°You let me win.¡± Ye Chenjia laughed bitterly. ¡°Fighting above your rank is definitely not easy. I wonder¡­¡± He could not help but glance over at Tian Lu Academy. Chu Liuyue was seated in her seat calmly. The people around her were still talking about her earlier battle, but she did not look arrogant or proud. It was as if she wasn¡¯t the one who fought that battle. She fought people more than one cultivation stage above her¡­ yet she is still so calm?! In comparison, Ye Chenjia felt inadequate. Su Tingfeng followed his gaze, and his expression changed as he rubbed his glabella. He had thought that he would be able to rank higher, but looking at things now, he was afraid¡­ ¡­ The next two matches went by really quickly. The third match¡ªTian Lu Academy¡¯s Qin Hua challenged Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Xi Wanwan and failed. The fourth match had Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Li Ziyuan challenging Xiao Wenling from the same academy. But the challenge failed. The three people after Chu Liuyue chose lower-ranked warriors to challenge, but all failed just the same. Chu Liuyue closely watched the battles as she recuperated. One of them might become her opponent later, so she had to take the opportunity to observe them closely. Both Xi Wanwan and Xiao Wenling were intermediate stage-four warriors. From their battles, Chu Liuyue could tell they weren¡¯t as strong as Situ Ziyue. That meant that nobody posed a threat to her for now. Chu Liuyue turned and looked toward Rong Jin, who was in front. Ranked second, Rong Jin was the last person to be chosen, and his opponent was Heng Jingchuo from Tai Yan Academy. ¡­ Heng Jingchuo was ranked sixth, and he was an intermediate stage-four warrior. If it were Xi Wanwan or Xiao Wenling from earlier, he would¡¯ve had a chance to win. But Rong Jin was an advanced stage-four warrior, and he had stronger ability. Hence, Heng Jingchuo did not have much of a chance. The two faced off in the arena. Both were tall and rather good looking, so they attracted quite a few girls¡¯ attention just by standing there. ¡°It has always been a regret of mine that we did not get to spar last year. But my wish has now been fulfilled,¡± said Heng Jingchuo with a smile. ¡°I have much to learn.¡± Rong Jin nodded. ¡°Just take it as a sparring match.¡± Even so, Rong Jin did not take Heng Jingchuo seriously. The two of them were of different abilities. He had watched Heng Jingchuo¡¯s earlier matches¡ªthey could only be considered safe. He was aiming for the number one position, so he would probably have to challenge Chu Liuyue after winning against Heng Jingchuo. He felt a little frustrated by this thought. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± The smile on Heng Jingchuo¡¯s face deepened as he watched Rong Jin¡¯s distracted manner. ¡°Please!¡± With that, he struck first! Heng Jingchuo moved and instantly disappeared. Rong Jin suddenly returned to his senses and furrowed his brows together. When did Heng Jingchuo become so fast?! Cold air came from behind him, and Rong Jin immediately turned to strike with his palms. ¡°Lingyun palm!¡± There was a gust of wind. Just as Rong Jin was about to hit Heng Jingchuo¡¯s chest, the latter moved and dodged the attack. Rong Jin¡¯s strike missed! As he stared at Heng Jingchuo¡ªwho appeared in another location with a smile¡ªRong Jin¡¯s heart sank. There is something off about this Heng Jingchuo! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was observing the match below¡ªsuddenly sat up straight and began watching Heng Jingchuo. Si Yang noticed her interest and could not help but ask, ¡°You think there¡¯s something wrong with that Heng Jingchuo too?¡± Even though he did not really like Rong Jin, the latter¡¯s strong ability was known by all. But Heng Jingchuo had just managed to avoid Rong Jin¡¯s attack easily! Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°He¡¯s an advanced stage-four warrior.¡± ¡°Yeah, everyone knows he¡¯s¡­ Hold up! You mean Heng Jingchuo?¡± Si Yang was stunned and could not help but take a few more glances. ¡°It can¡¯t be? His aura is similar to Jiang Yuan¡¯s, so isn¡¯t he an intermediate stage-four warrior?¡± Chu Liuyue did not explain, but her expression grew increasingly serious. Si Yang wanted to say more, but he suddenly felt Heng Jingchuo¡¯s aura intensify exponentially. In an instant, his aura was on par with that of Rong Jin! From a disadvantageous position, Rong Jin and Heng Jingchuo were now an even match! Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. This Heng Jingchuo¡­ will probably be a tough opponent for me! Chapter 225 - Eliminated! A loud gasp came from the crowd. ¡°Advanced stage-four warrior?! So this is Heng Jingchuo¡¯s true ability?!¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t tell at all before¡­ How did he suppress his strength?¡± ¡°I heard that mystic arts or having a Yuan instrument will allow one to hide their abilities¡­ This is interesting! The battle of two advanced stage-four warriors!¡± ¡°I thought that he was the unluckiest to have to battle Rong Jin, but now¡­ we won¡¯t know who¡¯s going to win!¡± Rong Jin¡¯s expression turned gloomy and stiffened when he heard the surrounding chatter. Even after such a long time, he did not even detect that Heng Jingchuo had concealed his strength! Looking back at what Heng Jingchuo said, his words were ludicrous! Teach? We are on the same level, and it is clear that he said those words on purpose from the way he spoke! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to improve this much in a year.¡± Rong Jin remembered that Heng Jingchuo was still a beginner stage-four warrior last year. He actually managed to break through and become an advanced stage-four warrior in such a short time! Thus, it wasn¡¯t surprising that everyone was astonished. Heng Jingchuo¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°I just got lucky. I only broke through a few days ago.¡± But that statement only made Rong Jin feel more uncomfortable because it took him almost two years to break through from a beginner stage-four warrior to an advanced stage-four warrior! Heng Jingchuo¡¯s words were clearly him showing off! ¡°If that¡¯s the case, our fists can do the talking!¡± Rong Jin did not want to hear from Heng Jingchuo any longer. He circulated his force and struck first! He only used 70% of his strength in that earlier strike, but he used his full force now! Heng Jingchuo met Rong Jin head-on! The two were quickly embroiled in an intense battle. ¡­ Even though they were both of the same cultivation stage, people thought Rong Jin would have the upper hand since he had broken through long ago. But as time passed, the crowd found that this was not the case. Faced with Rong Jin¡¯s attacks, Heng Jingchuo received them calmly and even seemed quite at ease. On the other hand, Rong Jin gradually realized that Heng Jingchuo was stronger than he had ever imagined after his string of unsuccessful attacks! The match¡ªwhich Rong Jin thought he was sure to win¡ªwas now at a stalemate! Rong Jin grew increasingly anxious. ¡­ Sun Zhongyan knitted his brows as he watched the match. ¡°I remember that this Heng Jingchuo could not be considered the best before, right? How did he improve this much in a year?¡± Wen Yan nodded. ¡°You¡¯re correct. He¡¯s ranked sixth because he was luckier than he was last year and did not meet any particularly strong opponents. It seemed like he was playing it safe and wasn¡¯t particularly outstanding¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened this year.¡± Sun Zhongyan tugged at his beard. ¡°Perhaps¡­ he ran into an opportunity, for all we know.¡± Wen Yan and the others eyed each other and saw the worry in each others¡¯ eyes. What they were most concerned about was not the leap of progress that Heng Jingchuo had made in the span of a year, but whether Rong Jin could win the match! Rong Jin was recognized as one of Tian Lu Academy¡¯s strongest students. They were all hoping that he would come in first, and Rong Jin clearly shared the same idea. If he lost this round¡­ he would end up in the bottom five of the top ten! Then, the best ranking he could achieve would be sixth! That would be worse than his position as the fifth-ranked last year! It was fine for others to lose, but Rong Jin¡¯s loss would make the academy look bad. Bai Chen looked around but smiled. ¡°Elder Sun, we don¡¯t have to be too worried. No matter what, we still have Little Liuyue!¡± Chu Liuyue currently held the number one position! The honors would be theirs as long as they kept that position! Sun Zhongyan was hesitant. He was still a little worried. This Heng Jingchuo still seems to be holding back¡­ ¡­ Unlike the gloomy atmosphere at Tian Lu Academy, the crowd at Tai Yan Academy was invigorated. Cheng Han laughed out in surprise. ¡°This fellow is tight-lipped! Even I didn¡¯t know that he broke through and became an advanced stage-four warrior!¡± Situ Xingchen was feeling a lot better and smiled in response. ¡°Master, you¡¯re so busy. It¡¯s normal for you not to notice something so insignificant.¡± Even though Cheng Han was the director, there were a lot of things that he did not keep track of. Most of his energy was placed on Situ Xingchen. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have had the hopes of having Situ Xingchen become the number one heavenly doctor in her first Qing Jiao Competition. ¡°Haha! No matter what, this fellow has a bright future ahead of him! When the Qing Jiao Competition ends, we¡¯ve got to put more resources and attention on him!¡± The other teachers nodded in agreement. ¡°The director is right.¡± Cheng Han stared at the arena contentedly. He had a sharp eye. One look, and it was clear that Rong Jin was at a disadvantage! As long as Heng Jingchuo persisted with his performance, winning the match was only a matter of time! Even though they lost Situ Ziyue earlier, they had Heng Jingchuo now! He wanted to see if the people at Tian Lu Academy would still be as arrogant when Rong Jin lost! ¡­ The number of wounds on Rong Jin grew. Even though they weren¡¯t severe, the blood on his clothes made him look extra pathetic. Heng Jingchuo, on the other hand, seemed to be at ease. The contrast between the two was strong. The crowd¡¯s chatter faded away slowly, and they watched the scene closely. Heng Jingchuo suddenly closed in! Rong Jin was stunned and immediately backed away! But he was injured, so how could he possibly be faster than Heng Jingchuo? The distance between the two decreased rapidly. Heng Jingchuo finally struck again! Rong Jin could not avoid it, so he had no choice but to meet it head-on by throwing a punch! Hong! The two forces ripped at each other, and bursts of energy rippled outward! But at this moment, Rong Jin felt that something was off. A cold sensation was making its way up to Rong Jin¡¯s arm from his palm! At the same time, the force in his body was thrown into disarray and quickly disappeared! His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately looked up! ¡°You¡­¡± Something was wrong about Heng Jingchuo¡¯s strike! ¡°It¡¯s time for this to end.¡± Heng Jingchuo met Rong Jin¡¯s gaze directly and gave him an ominous smile. His originally quiet and polite voice became much colder. Rong Jin sensed the danger and immediately wanted to back away, but Heng Jingchuo was faster! He reached out and gripped Rong Jin¡¯s wrist. He then exerted a scary amount of force, and Rong Jin¡¯s wrist instantly turned purple! ¡°How dare¡­¡± Before Rong Jin could finish, Heng Jingchuo had grabbed him by the wrist and flung him away. The crowd only saw Rong Jin¡¯s body fly uncontrollably. Bang! Rong Jin landed on the floor. More importantly, he was outside the arena! Out of bounds; thus, Rong Jin was eliminated! Chapter 226 - Final Battle! There was an uproar! Nobody expected Rong Jin to be eliminated in this manner! Up until that point, both Situ Ziyue and Rong Jin¡ªthe most promising candidates this year¡ªhad been eliminated. Rong Jin only came to his senses after he heard the crowd. He then realized that he had been pushed out of the arena! He had lost! Rong Jin¡¯s mind was blank! He had never imagined losing to Heng Jingchuo! Little did he expect to fall out of the top five! His failure in this round sealed his fate of not surpassing his result from the previous year! He tried to prop himself up, but he realized that he did not have any force in his body. He looked up in shock but saw that Heng Jingchuo had returned to his former, harmless-looking self. ¡°You let me win, Crown Prince Rong Jin.¡± Heng Jingchuo said this with a smile, but he had a rather high and mighty attitude. There was a hint of mockery in his expression. It was as if he were saying Rong Jin¡¯s ability was only that much! The burning rage in Rong Jin drove him mad. ¡°You¡­¡± Rong Jin spat out blood just as he was about to speak; he then collapsed to the ground. His organs seemed to be enveloped by cold air, which seemed to be spreading! His body stiffened, and his mind turned cloudy before he blacked out. ¡°Go bring him back,¡± said Sun Zhongyan with a frown. Soon, someone hurried forward and helped Rong Jin up. Noticing that Rong Jin had passed out, Sun Zhongyan hurried forward. After checking on the former, Sun Zhongyan frowned. Even though they had predicted that Heng Jingchuo would win, Rong Jin shouldn¡¯t have been so weak that he would pass out. But after examining Rong Jin, everything seemed normal. He quietly glanced at Heng Jingchuo, but he saw that the latter had returned to his seat and looked rather normal. ¡°Xuan Cang, come take a look.¡± Xuan Cang went forward, checked Rong Jin¡¯s pulse, and examined him. He then shook his head. ¡°He has been feeling down and passed out due to the trauma of losing the match. It¡¯s nothing big.¡± Everyone eyed one another, at a loss for words. Everyone had heard that Rong Jin had been grounded by His Majesty a while back. He only managed to come out because of the Qing Jiao Competition. He was counting on it to redeem himself, but little did he expect¡­ This string of events was enough to drive anyone crazy. Sun Zhongyan nodded, feeling a little calmer. ¡°That¡¯s good. Bring him back first and get Zuo Rong to take care of him.¡± Xuan Cang was a little hesitant. ¡°In that case, isn¡¯t that as good as giving up the later matches¡­¡± ¡°How can he fight like this? Besides, is there a point in continuing at this point?¡± Sun Zhongyan sighed. As the Crown Prince, Rong Jin had been rather prideful. He was aiming to be the top warrior, but he couldn¡¯t even rank in the top five now. Forcibly continuing in the competition was just a waste of time. Bai Chen coughed and said softly, ¡°Yeah. See? Situ Ziyue can¡¯t continue either.¡± Even though Tai Yan Academy had not said anything, Situ Ziyue was clearly in no state to continue. In that case, it was not as embarrassing since both sides faced the same situation. Xuan Cang and the others did not have anything else to say. Just like that, Rong Jin was quickly brought away. Chu Liuyue took a good look when they walked past her. That¡¯s not right. Even though Rong Jin is petty, he has great capability. Heng Jingchuo is of the same cultivation stage as him, so how did Rong Jin end up fainting in the end? ¡°Liuyue, what are you looking at?¡± The golden mane bear cub crawled out of Mu Hongyu¡¯s arms. She chased after it and saw Chu Liuyue staring in the direction that Rong Jin left in. She widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re not worried about Rong Jin, are you?!¡± Chu Liuyue speechlessly looked at her. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± She was just worried about herself. Rong Jin¡¯s behavior is rather strange¡­ Something is off with that Heng Jingchuo! Mu Hongyu patted her chest. ¡°I thought so! You¡¯re not blind! But then again, that Heng Jingchuo seems rather strong. If the two of you meet in the arena¡­ you can win, right?¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve got to try before I know.¡± ¡­ After the first round, a new ranking was released. Chu Liuyue ranked first, followed by Heng Jingchuo, Xiao Wenling, Xi Wanwan, and Su Tingfeng. Sun Zhongyan said loudly, ¡°The rankings for the first round are out! If anyone isn¡¯t happy with their rankings, you can continue challenging opponents! If there are no challengers, the current ranking will be the final ranking for the Qing Jiao Competition! He glanced around, looking at Chu Liuyue and the others.¡±If anyone wants to challenge, step forward now!¡± The whole arena was silent. Everyone looked toward the candidates curiously, guessing who would continue to challenge. At this stage, each battle would be a bloody one, but the glory of coming in first was alluring! Chu Liuyue was at the center of attention! Without a doubt, her position was extremely tempting! Finally, someone stepped forward! Sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up and met a smiling face. Even though the face was smiling, the smile did not reach the person¡¯s eyes. Instead, they were filled with ambition! ¡°Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Heng Jingchuo challenges Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Chu Liuyue!¡± Chapter 227 - : Schemes As expected, Heng Jingchuo is aiming for first place! In an instant, everyone was excited! The two could be considered the most eye-catching warriors at the Qing Jiao Competition. Chu Liuyue was new to this, but her abilities were impressive. She was even able to defeat people above her cultivation stage! Heng Jingchuo had developed stably and improved by leaps and bounds! He was a force to be reckoned with! Everyone was curious about who would get the last laugh! Under a countless number of watchful eyes, Chu Liuyue got up and nodded with a smile. ¡°Please!¡± ¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be a duel between the two of us.¡± Heng Jingchuo shrugged. Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. ¡°You should have expected it, no?¡± Heng Jingchuo¡¯s smile froze, but he soon returned to normal. ¡°Ms. Chu is so humorous. We¡¯re all participating in the Qing Jiao Competition, so who doesn¡¯t want to win? But I didn¡¯t expect you to enter the finals, nor did I expect my final opponent to be you.¡± Chu Liuyue could not be bothered with him. Heng Jingchuo clearly came prepared. He had intentionally hidden his strength, only revealing his true abilities when he fought Rong Jin. She was almost certain that Heng Jingchuo had other tricks up his sleeve. ¡°Less talking; let¡¯s begin!¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she brought out the black Xuan formation crystal! The corners of Heng Jingchuo¡¯s eyes jumped a little. This tactic of Chu Liuyue¡¯s is a little hard to deal with¡­ ¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t it bad that Little Liuyue is using her ultimate move right at the beginning?¡± Bai Chen asked a little worriedly. Sun Zhongyan laughed. ¡°What else can she do? After all, Heng Jingchuo is an advanced stage-four warrior.¡± The strength difference between the two was huge. If Chu Liuyue did not put her best foot forward right from the start, this battle was bound to end quickly. By then, she wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to use that move. ¡°But she used up so much energy earlier. She definitely hasn¡¯t recovered by now. This¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already outstanding for her to win against Situ Ziyue. Even if she loses this match, she¡¯s second place. Besides, she¡¯s not a warrior at the academy. There won¡¯t be any regrets as long as she puts in her best effort.¡± Bai Chen thought about it and did not say anything else. ¡­ ¡°Buddha Lotus Formation!¡± Following Chu Liuyue¡¯s cries, the first layer of petals bloomed. The second layer quickly bloomed as well. The Buddha Lotus had fully bloomed once again! An oppressive force spread across the arena. Calling up the formation twice in a row practically drained Chu Liuyue of all her energy. But the power of a fourth-level Xuan formation was enough to fend off an advanced stage-four warrior! As long as her single move was decisive and left Heng Jingchuo no room to fight back, she could win! As Heng Jingchuo watched the Buddha Lotus bloom, he became even more somber. He cupped his hands¡ªwhich were behind his back¡ªand force began to gather quickly! A white sphere gradually appeared in his palm! The sphere looked like it was burning bright, but it was cold to its core. White fog formed around the sphere and covered it. Even Heng Jingchuo¡¯s hands were covered in a thick layer of ice. The two of them were both mustering their energy! Immediately after, Heng Jingchuo struck first and flung the ball in his hand out! ¡°Moon Devour!¡± The sphere quickly flew toward Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue circulated the force in her body. ¡°Close up!¡± The giant petals shook gently and closed up! As expected, Heng Jingchuo¡¯s sphere gradually slowed down as it entered the Buddha Lotus Formation. It was then covered by the petals¡ªjust like what happened in Chu Liuyue¡¯s battle with Situ Ziyue! In the arena, only two intense forces were attacking one another! Even though everyone could not see what was happening, they could still feel the ripples coming from the petals! ¡°Can Chu Liuyue still win¡­ That Buddha Lotus Formation devoured Heng Jingchuo¡¯s force again¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple. Chu Liuyue battled one person earlier, and she doesn¡¯t have much energy left. The Buddha Lotus Formation¡¯s power will probably be weakened¡­¡± ¡°Same for Heng Jingchuo! If the Buddha Lotus Formation cannot stop Heng Jingchuo, then Chu Liuyue is destined to fail!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue stared at the closed Buddha Lotus. She could clearly sense the force of ¡®Moon Devour¡¯ being broken down by the Buddha Lotus Formation! As long as it continued, after a while, Heng Jingchuo would¡­ Bang! Suddenly, a soft sound came from the Buddha Lotus Formation! The sound could not be heard clearly by others, but Chu Liuyue was immediately wary of it! She then saw a long cut on one of the petals! The breaking sounds were because the flower petals had frosted over! Chu Liuyue did not notice it earlier because it was in a small region and only on the inside! The frozen petals were brittle and could easily be broken with a little bit of force! Chu Liuyue looked over and saw that the flower petals¡¯ edges were tinted black. Something is off! Warning bells rang in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she grew uneasy! Without thinking, she backed away! She waved her wrist and flung out the crystal barrier! The transparent barrier enveloped her! Almost at the same time, countless gashes appeared on the giant lotus! Then, the Buddha Lotus broke! Countless rays of light started spreading everywhere! An air of violence spread toward the surroundings, and the sphere reappeared before everyone¡¯s eyes! It looked smaller than before, but it was still powerful! When the Buddha Lotus broke, the sphere headed straight for Chu Liuyue! The crowd was stunned! ¡°He actually broke Chu Liuyue¡¯s Buddha Lotus Formation!¡± ¡°Heng Jingchuo is bound to win now¡­¡± ¡°The difference in cultivation stage is still hard to bridge in the end¡­¡± Upon seeing the situation in the arena, Cheng Han started smiling. ¡°Jingchuo has really improved a lot! He can even break through fourth-level Xuan formations. Xingchen, even though your brother is hurt, Jingchuo is taking back the glory for our academy by taking first place!¡± Situ Xingchen nodded. She wondered if Heng Jingchuo could deal with Chu Liuyue the same way he did with Rong Jin. Even though killing was not permitted in the arena, serious injuries were allowed. Since Heng Jingchuo wanted to take first place, then¡­ he had to use full force when dealing with Chu Liuyue. At this thought, she finally felt better. As for that crystal barrier¡­ Situ Xingcheng decided that she could always ask about it after everything was over. ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked up at the sphere that was closing in on her. The strong force hit the crystal barrier, and the barrier started shrinking. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in her mouth! Even if the crystal barrier could protect her, she would fail if she got eliminated like this! She steeled herself and suddenly jumped out of the crystal barrier, intending to avoid the attack! At this moment, she saw a black liquid in the sphere! The cold air coming from it made one shiver uncontrollably! Her heart skipped a beat! Heng Jingchuo actually¡­ Chapter 228 - Tuan Zi is Formidable! Just as Chu Liuyue was about to say something, Heng Jingchuo seemed to have sensed it. A cold light flashed across the back of his eyes, and he dashed quickly toward Chu Liuyue! He moved extremely quickly; he arrived right in front of Chu Liuyue in an instant! Without hesitation, he waved his robe sleeves, and another burst of force came flying! Choo! The weakened sphere was injected with fresh energy. It began increasing in speed and closed in on Chu Liuyue. As the oppressive force closed in on her, Chu Liuyue felt herself struggling to breathe, let alone speak. Her face was pale, and she was rooted to the ground. She could only watch as the sphere was about to hit her! ¡°This is it! Chu Liuyue is probably going to lose!¡± ¡°Why did she suddenly come out of the crystal barrier? If she hid inside¡­¡± ¡°She can¡¯t stay inside forever. Heng Jingchuo is so strong that he can push her and the crystal barrier out of the arena! It¡¯s just¡­ There¡¯s nothing she can do now¡­¡± Almost everyone looked at the scene nervously. Some were already shaking their head as if they had already seen the final result. But at this moment, a crimson-red silhouette dashed out and appeared before Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue felt an itch on her cheek. She turned and realized that her blood ferret had suddenly appeared in front of her! ¡°Tuan Zi! Come back!¡± Chu Liuyue anxiously cried out as she gritted her teeth. Blood was trickling from the corner of her mouth! If she dashed to the front right now, she would see that Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes were like they were on fire! It was furious! Its fur was standing on end, and it clearly intended to run forward! Heng Jingchuo narrowed his eyes as he stared at the furry thing. ¡°¡­ Blood ferret?¡± He could not help but burst out laughing when he saw the blood ferret¡¯s hostile manner. ¡°Chu Liuyue, is this your fiend? You¡¯re not joking, right?¡± Even though the blood ferret was a third-grade fiend, everyone knew that it was terrible in battle. It could be treated as a pet, but it was useless in battles. To think that I believed Chu Liuyue to be a strong opponent. But it is clear that she is just an immature little girl who doesn¡¯t have a fiend. She probably keeps the blood ferret for fun¡ªwhat a joke. Tuan Zi¡¯s hostility grew when it heard Heng Jingchuo¡¯s words! Mocking Chu Liuyue was as good as mocking it! In the next moment, it suddenly dashed out! It moved extremely fast. Everyone only saw a red line in the air. It was heading straight for the Moon Devour! Heng Jingchuo broke into a cold smile. ¡°Futile.¡± Moon Devour was extremely strong! It would probably kill the blood ferret with one strike! Chu Liuyue wanted to stop Tuan Zi, but she couldn¡¯t say a word because of the force¡¯s oppressiveness. Tuan Zi is too rash! The Moon Devour contains¡­ ¡°Ow!¡± Tuan Zi leaped onto the sphere! Chu Liuyue suddenly froze. That¡¯s not right! I¡¯m struggling to breathe under that sphere¡¯s force, so how did Tuan Zi run there directly? It also doesn¡¯t seem affected by the force?! How did Tuan Zi get there? Before she could figure things out, something even more surprising happened! Tuan Zi opened its mouth and took a huge bite of the sphere! Kacha! Tuan Zi managed to bite a hole into the sphere! Its cheeks were stuffed, and its face was as big as half of its body. Kacha! Kacha kacha! Gulug! Following the sounds, Tuan Zi chewed and swallowed the chunk that it bit off! The large arena was instantly silenced! Everyone widened their eyes as they watched in disbelief. Even Chu Liuyue was stunned. What¡­ just happened?! Tuan Zi ate that thing?! Ate it?! Even though it looks like a crystal ball, it really isn¡¯t! That¡¯s a ball of concentrated force! Heng Jingchuo was stunned. He spent a lot of effort to refine this move, and he treated it as his trump card. It had never been beaten! Something like this had never happened! Just as everyone was stunned, Tuan Zi opened its mouth and bit off another chunk. The gap in the sphere became even bigger. Due to Tuan Zi¡¯s actions, the force within the sphere was rapidly depleted. Soon, half of the sphere had been swallowed. The uneasiness in Heng Jingchuo¡¯s heart grew. This cannot go on! Even though I don¡¯t know what is going on with the blood ferret, I have to stop it! Or else¡­ He hurried forward, but the instant he moved, he discovered that the blood ferret grabbed the remaining half of the sphere and ran. As Tuan Zi ran, it ate the sphere at an even faster speed! Kacha! Kacha kacha! Heng Jingchuo was almost driven mad by the sound! The blood ferret is chewing on my force! If it is all consumed like this, it will take me forever to recover! ¡°Stop right there!¡± But Heng Jingchuo quickly realized that he could not catch up to the blood ferret! It was small, agile, and ran around the entire arena. He could not catch it at all! He was exhausted after a while, but the blood ferret was still extremely energetic! He could only watch as the sphere became smaller and smaller, until¡­ Gulug! Tuan Zi stuffed the last piece into its mouth and swallowed it! Heng Jingchuo suddenly froze and began to tremble! Gone¡­ My force is gone just like that?! ¡°Tuan Zi, are you okay?¡± Chu Liuyue finally felt a little better. She hurried forward and looked at the blood ferret nervously. Tuan Zi looked at her with wide eyes. It stumbled as if it could not stand by itself. Chu Liuyue was even more worried. ¡°I already told you not to¡­¡± ¡°Burp¡­¡± Tuan Zi burped loudly. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Why does Tuan Zi look like it is drunk? Before she could react, Tuan Zi turned around idly and looked at Heng Jingchuo. Poof! Tuan Zi suddenly spat out a black lump, which flew toward Heng Jingchuo. Heng Jingchuo widened his eyes in fear! It actually spat out that thing?! Chapter 229 - Seven Coldness Poison Heng Jingchuo immediately backed away without thinking to avoid that thing. However, ardor and zeal courses through Tuan Zi¡¯s blood after it ate the sphere of force, and its actions became too fast for Heng Jinchuo to even avoid it. In a panic, Heng Jingchuo anxiously raised his arm to try to stop it. Fizz! The crowd saw the blood ferret spit out a small black ball, which later bore a hole through Heng Jingchuo¡¯s arm. Bright red blood splattered everywhere. A bloody hole immediately appeared in Heng Jingchuo¡¯s arm. ¡°Ah!¡± The excruciating pain made Heng Jingchuo¡¯s entire face turn white. Compared to being in pain, his face was filled with horror more! His other hand lifted his injured one as his entire body greatly trembled from being petrified. No! No! I can¡¯t touch that thing! A sinister cold aura started spreading from that wound. Heng Jingchuo looked defeated. Then, he actually took out a flying dagger, directly pierced his wound, and harshly sliced it. A piece of bloodied meat dropped out. Everyone was stunned when they saw the scene unfold. Heng Jingchuo actually sliced off a part of his arm!? ¡°What is he doing?¡± Cheng Han suddenly stood up and saw that Heng Jingchuo did not stop in his actions. Instead, he continued to scrape off the meat around the wound. He scraped off one chunk after another, and some of the chunks even had skin attached to it. It looked gory and disgusting. If it were someone else, they would probably not be able to endure the pain. However, Heng Jingchuo kept repeating his actions without pausing as if he had gone crazy. In the blink of an eye, a third of his originally fine arm was sliced off. One could even see his white bones clearly. ¡°Jingchuo, stop!¡± hollered Cheng Han, but Heng Jingchuo seemed unable to hear it. His body trembled, and he looked like he was going to scrape off all the meat in his entire arm. The more cowardly people had already covered their eyes and refused to watch on. Even taking his life in one shot seemed to be much better than this. Heng Jingchuo¡¯s actions were even more frightening than killing somebody, sending chills down everyone¡¯s spines. Cheng Han furiously looked at Chu Liuyue and hollered, ¡°Chu Liuyue! What is going on? What did you do to Jingchuo?¡± Chu Liuyue spat out a mouthful of blood and later wiped away the stains around her lips. Noticing that the messy aura seemed to have been appeased, she slowly looked at Cheng Han and smiled mockingly. Her eyes were filled with ice. ¡°Director Cheng Han, you should ask Heng Jingchuo about this yourself. He knows what he did clearly.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± Cheng Han pointed at Chu Liuyue and looked terrible. ¡°Everyone can see what you did to Jingchuo. How dare you try to push the blame on him? If you don¡¯t give me a satisfactory answer today, don¡¯t even dream about leaving!¡± Sun Zhongyan nonchalantly laughed upon hearing that, but the suppression around his body gradually intensified. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, why can¡¯t you talk to her nicely? Why do you want to threaten the child?¡± Cheng Han took a deep breath in, but he saw that Heng Jingchuo had no intentions of stopping from the corner of his eye. He eventually could not endure the anger boiling in his heart. ¡°Sun Zhongyan, do you still want to protect Chu Liuyue?¡± Sun Zhongyan¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Liuyue is a student of my Tian Lu Academy. How can I let her be bullied by anyone? Cheng Han, you¡¯re an elder after all. Before you find out what happened, you shouldn¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°How would I dare to? I¡¯m just stating facts.¡± One after another, their conversation immediately made the square¡¯s atmosphere stiffen. Chu Liuyue hugged Tuan Zi, but she saw Tuan Zi stare at her. Tuan Zi then tilted its head as it concernedly and dotingly rubbed its face on her palm as if it did not notice the shocking thing it had just done. Her heart was warm. If it weren¡¯t for Tuan Zi, I really would¡¯ve been in trouble today. Patting Tuan Zi, Chu Liuyue looked at the duo. ¡°Elder Sun, I started this incident, so I should handle it.¡± Cheng Han will definitely not take this lying down. How is she going to handle it? Sun Zhongyan looked at her hesitantly. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t worry. The academy will never let its own students suffer any grievances.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you, Elder Sun.¡± Cheng Han harshly whipped his sleeves. ¡°I want to see what kind of explanation you can give me!¡± Chu Liuyue did not immediately answer his question. She walked to Heng Jingchuo instead. At this point, Heng Jingchuo¡¯s attention was all gathered on his arm. He did not even care about anything else; he didn¡¯t even know that Chu Liuyue was right in front of him. In actual fact, he wouldn¡¯t care about her even if he knew. Chu Liuyue looked at him determinedly, and her gaze quickly swept past his badly mangled arm. She seemingly smiled. ¡°Oh, it touched your blood. Then, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any use even if you cut off your entire arm.¡± Upon hearing this, Heng Jingchuo¡¯s body stiffened, and his eyes looked hopeless. I know that too, but it¡¯s just my last strand of hope¡­ Bang! Just as he was in a trance, Chu Liuyue suddenly raised her leg and harshly kicked him. Heng Jingchuo had no defenses up, and he did not have any fighting intentions at this point. Hence, he directly flew back because of Chu Liuyue¡¯s kick. Chu Liuyue had used all her force in this kick. Originally, the two of them were not very far away from the edge of the arena, so Heng Jingchuo was directly kicked out of the arena¡¯s boundaries and harshly landed on the ground. His body left a line of blood on the path he had slid across, and it looked extra gory. ¡°Chu Liuyue!¡± hollered Cheng Han. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up, and she smiled politely. ¡°Oh, nothing much. I was just thinking that it would be better to end the match first since things have already come to this stage.¡± After all, she really wanted to win. Cheng Han¡¯s chest felt like fire was scorching it, and he almost uncontrollably went forward and taught Chu Liuyue a lesson. But Chu Liuyue had already predicted what he wanted to do and spoke first. ¡°Director Cheng Han, don¡¯t you want to know why Heng Jingchuo suddenly became like this? Take a look at him.¡± Cheng Han turned and looked over. Heng Jingchuo had fallen down from the arena, but he still seemed to be immersed in his strange condition. Before Heng Jingchuo could even stand up from the ground, he hurriedly picked up the flying dagger beside him. He clenched his teeth as if he had made a huge decision, and he harshly chopped at his shoulders. It looked like he was planning to cut his entire arm off. Cheng Han raised his fingers and sent out force, which hit Heng Jingchuo¡¯s flying dagger. If Heng Jingchuo cuts off his arm, his future cultivation path will be filled with difficulties. However, Heng Jingchuo anxiously picked up the flying dagger and seemed like he was about to continue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly, and her tone was scary as she said, ¡°Once the Seven Coldness Poison meets with blood, it will rapidly enter his limbs. If you stop him like this, you¡¯re actually pushing him to his death even though it seems like you¡¯re helping him on the surface.¡± Chapter 230 - Evidence Seven Coldness Poison?! Quite a few people¡¯s faces changed when they heard these three words. Cheng Han was stunned for a moment. Seven Coldness Poison was a very strong poison. Once someone made contact with it, it would rapidly spread through the person¡¯s body, and they would freeze to death after seven days. Is¡­ Heng Jingchuo affected by Seven Coldness Poison? Cheng Han hurriedly walked toward Heng Jingchuo. When he was near Heng Jingchuo, he indeed saw a thin layer of black frost on Heng Jingchuo¡¯s arm. It was especially horrifying on top of the badly-mangled wound. ¡°This¡­¡± Cheng Han¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Heng Jingchuo has such a huge wound on his body. The Seven Coldness Poison has most likely entered his organs already, and he can¡¯t be saved. He¡­ is completely ruined. Cheng Han looked at Chu Liuyue, fuming with anger. ¡°Chu Liuyue, you¡¯re so vicious! How dare you openly poison him in the Qing Jiao Competition?¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled. ¡°Director Cheng Han, you should take a closer look. Heng Jingchuo clearly brought this Seven Coldness Poison himself. When he attacked just now, his Moon Devour clearly contained the Seven Coldness Poison within. He wanted to take away my life silently, but my fiend saw through his plan and retaliated. He¡¯s just suffering from his own actions now. How can you blame it on me?¡± She coldly glared at Heng Jingchuo. ¡°I haven¡¯t even pursued the sin of him trying to kill me!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± A thought popped up in Cheng Han¡¯s mind, and he immediately recalled that the blood ferret had indeed spat out a black ball¡ªwhich hurt Heng Jingchuo. After recalling this, Cheng Han knew that the black ball had to be the Seven Coldness Poison! ¡°That thing clearly came out from your fiend¡¯s mouth. It must be you¡­¡± ¡°Director Cheng Han, you¡¯re a really busy person; hence, you might have forgotten some things. Do you not remember that my fiend only spat out that thing after it consumed the Moon Devour?¡± Chu Liuyue casually spoke as she patted Tuan Zi. ¡°Just as you¡¯ve said earlier, everyone here saw what happened very clearly.¡± Cheng Han was stumped. Actually, he already noticed that something was amiss, so he started to feel guilty. However, how could he admit this at this point? If Cheng Han admitted to it, not only would Heng Jingchuo be humiliated, but even he and the entire Tai Yan Academy would become the target of others¡¯ contempt. After all, it was a major taboo to use poison during the Qing Jiao Competition! Sun Zhongyan quickly walked forward, and his gaze became cold after taking a closer look at Heng Jingchuo. ¡°Even though I¡¯m not a heavenly doctor, I do know about this Seven Coldness Poison. Cheng Han, you should give everyone an explanation about this.¡± Cheng Han¡¯s face flashed green and white, but he didn¡¯t know how to defend himself. ¡°Ah!¡± At this point, Heng Jingchuo had directly cut off his arm already. Blood spurted everywhere, and his miserable cry made everyone¡¯s hearts shudder. The square was silent. Even the people who did not know what the Seven Coldness Poison was could not help but feel terrified upon seeing this scene. They did not dare to utter a word. Under this awkward and tense atmosphere, a voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Ms. Chu, you claim that Jingchuo brought the Seven Coldness Poison himself, but what evidence do you have?¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. Why is this Situ Xingchen so nosy? What has this got to do with her? Situ Xingchen stepped up and said, ¡°Even though your blood ferret spat out the Seven Coldness Poison after it ate the Moon Devour, what if there was no poison in the Moon Devour? What if the poison came from your blood ferret?¡± An unknown dim light flashed across her eyes. ¡°If there¡¯s no problem between you and that blood ferret, why did you still risk your life to leave the crystal barrier when you know that the Moon Devour is very formidable?¡± ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, your question is indeed very interesting. I¡¯m clearly the victim, yet you want me to produce evidence and prove my innocence?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Situ Xingchen lightly said, ¡°Jingchuo is very strong, and he¡¯s more than one cultivation stage ahead of you. He can win against you no matter what. Why would he use such a despicable move?¡± This sentence made Chu Liuyue burst out into laughter directly. ¡°It seems like Eldest Princess Situ doesn¡¯t want to admit the fact that I won against Situ Ziyue earlier on? If I¡¯m not wrong, he¡¯s still resting at the back, and he even has difficulty standing up.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s face changed. It was okay to bring up any other thing, but Chu Liuyue clearly wanted to shame her by bringing up her brother. ¡°That¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°If I can win against Situ Ziyue, why can¡¯t I win against Heng Jingchuo? As for why he wants to use such a move, even though he¡¯s so strong¡­ Only he himself knows.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up, and she revealed a meaningful smile. ¡°After all, he has harmed Rong Jin too.¡± This sentence was akin to lightning exploding beside everyone¡¯s ears. After a temporary silence, the crowd burst into an uproar. Chu Liuyue clearly means¡­ ¡°Liuyue, are you speaking the truth?¡± asked Sun Zhongyan anxiously with furrowed brows. ¡°He also has¡­?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go forward and check on him. Oh, Director Cheng Han and Eldest Princess Situ should come along too. If not, you might say that we did something in secret.¡± Chu Liuyue magnanimously raised her chin. ¡°He¡¯s still there.¡± Sun Zhongyan and the rest quickly walked over. Zuo Rong¡ªwho was looking after Rong Jin¡ªlooked dazed. Seven Coldness Poison? I didn¡¯t notice it. With a very serious expression, Xuan Cang rushed over and took Rong Jin¡¯s pulse again. He had previously taken Rong Jin¡¯s pulse already, but he did not discover anything. This time was no different. Why did Chu Liuyue say¡­ Xuan Cang turned back hesitantly. Sun Zhongyan hurriedly asked, ¡°How is he?¡± Xuan Cang and Zuo Rong were silent. Sun Zhongyan¡¯s heart sank. At this point, Cheng Han had already walked over. He glanced at the unconscious Rong Jin and grunted. ¡°Isn¡¯t he doing okay? How is he affected by Seven Coldness Poison? Chu Liuyue, even if you want to lie, you should pick something that¡¯s not easily exposed, right? What else do you have to say now?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Zuo Rong. ¡°Mr. Zuo Rong, please cut Rong Jin¡¯s finger.¡± Zuo Rong did not understand why, but he still did it. A silver light flashed across, and blood started coming out of Rong Jin¡¯s finger. Very quickly, the blood droplets gathered together and formed a thin layer of black frost. Zuo Rong was shocked. ¡°He really is affected by Seven Coldness Poison!¡± Everyone was stunned. Cheng Han was stumped. Xuan Cang leaned in closer and said after closer inspection, ¡°It¡¯s indeed the Seven Coldness Poison, but you can¡¯t tell on the surface since it¡¯s a very tiny dosage.¡± As he talked, he could not help but feel guilty and remorseful. We actually couldn¡¯t tell earlier on¡­ If this Seven Coldness Poison continues to spread, I¡¯m afraid Rong Jin will¡­ Zuo Rong hurriedly took out a pill and fed it to Rong Jin. Even though it was not an antidote, it could temporarily suppress the poison. Even Sun Zhongyan was slightly traumatized. After all, Rong Jin was the Crown Prince. If anything happened to him, the academy would have to face the consequences. Chu Liuyue looked at Cheng Han and Situ Xingchen. ¡°Heng Jingchuo was the one who fought Rong Jin. Could it be that I poisoned him with the Seven Coldness Poison over space?¡± Chapter 231 - Strange Cheng Han was at a loss for words. The Seven Coldness Poison in Rong Jin¡¯s body was the best evidence! Even if he wanted to refute it, he could not think of a single word. Cheng Han felt humiliated; Situ Xingchen even more so. Initially, she was the one who suspected Chu Liuyue first and told Chu Liuyue to produce evidence. Now, everything was clear. Countless gazes from the surrounding crowd landed on Situ Xingchen, making her feel extremely uneasy. ¡°It turns out that Rong Jin is poisoned with this too! Heng Jingchuo is definitely the culprit then!¡± ¡°Yeah! Chu Liuyue has never made contact with Rong Jin since the start. How can it be her?¡± ¡°I knew it. Rong Jin and Heng Jingchuo were of the same cultivation level, but why did Heng Jingchuo win against him so easily? It turns out Heng Jingchuo used such despicable means! I think he probably didn¡¯t even use his real abilities to win his previous matches!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know how Tai Yan Academy teaches its students to cause such trouble. Also, that Situ Xingchen keeps speaking on behalf of her own academy¡¯s students. It is clear that Heng Jingchuo did something wrong, yet she suspected someone else¡­ Rumors have it that she¡¯s very kind, understanding, and intelligent, but why don¡¯t I see these traits in her?¡± ¡°Hah, those are just rumors! You need to see her for yourself before you know what¡¯s true and false! Don¡¯t you think that she seems to be targeting Chu Liuyue? Is it because Chu Liuyue argued with her yesterday, so Chu Liuyue offended her?¡± ¡°That might be true! After all, she has the distinguished status of an eldest princess.¡± ¡­ The various discussions were like swords that had formed and harshly pierced through her body, making her feel even more humiliated and more pain. Situ Xingchen had always been doted on since a young age. Even her father had not really raged at her before, let alone get ridiculed by so many people! Situ Xingchen felt like her face was burning, and she really wanted to find a hole and hide in it. ¡­ With a very serious expression, Sun Zhongyan coldly said, ¡°Cheng Han, your students used such despicable means to win in the Qing Jiao Competition. Shouldn¡¯t you have an explanation for this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This incident is very serious, and we can¡¯t just let this slide!¡± Fu Yunshan¡ªwho was standing at the side and watching silently¡ªfinally expressed his stance and looked equally stern. Previously, his Nan Feng Academy students had also fought with Heng Jingchuo. Who knew whether other people had also done it other than Heng Jingchuo? The duo¡¯s repeated questioning put Cheng Han in a very difficult spot. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this too¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the director, and they¡¯re students from your academy. Whether you know about this or not, you have to take responsibility for it,¡± interrupted Sun Zhongyan. Cheng Han was very indignant. I really didn¡¯t know! If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have brought Heng Jingchuo over, let alone stand up for him! Initially, I thought that this year¡¯s top warrior would be from Tai Yan Academy. But in the blink of an eye, not only did we lose the number one position, but we even became the public enemy! In a state of panic, Cheng Han could only glare at Heng Jingchuo and scolded him. ¡°Speak! Where did you get this thing from?¡± Seven Coldness Poison is not something that an ordinary person can obtain. Heng Jingchuo is of ordinary background and has always laid low in school. This Seven Coldness Poison really has ambiguous origins! However, Heng Jingchuo did not care about Cheng Han. He just lay on the floor, huddled up in a ball as his entire body trembled. ¡°Answer me!¡± Cheng Han wanted to go over and kick him, but he stopped in his tracks when he remembered that Heng Jingchuo had Seven Coldness Poison in his body. But Heng Jingchuo still did not answer him. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. She suddenly thought of something and walked toward Heng Jingchuo. ¡°Liuyue! Be careful!¡± yelled Sun Zhongyan hurriedly. Chu Liuyue shook her head, indicating that he did not need to worry. She took a few steps forward and examined Heng Jingchuo closely. With just one look, her facial expression changed slightly. ¡°He¡¯s going to die.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The crowd was stunned. Sun Zhongyan and Fu Yunshan hurriedly went forward. They saw that the arm¡ªwhich Heng Jingchuo had cut off¡ªwas already frozen, and the frost had spread to his entire face. His poison was acting up! At this stage, Heng Jingchuo was on his way to death. He would stop breathing very soon; he did not have any chance of being saved. ¡°Why did his poison act up so quickly?¡± asked Fu Yunshan with knitted brows. ¡°There should be some hidden poisons in his body, which acted up together with the Seven Coldness Poison. Thus¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan¡¯s words cast a shadow in everyone¡¯s hearts. If it really is so, this means that Heng Jingchuo was manipulated by someone! However, there is no way of finding out the mastermind¡¯s identity considering Heng Jingchuo¡¯s current state. Fu Yunshan felt very anxious. ¡°Is there no way of preserving his life first? When we investigate¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Heng Jingchuo¡¯s body started spasming, and he let out painful groans¡ªwhich sounded like hopeless cries in the dark night. This sent chills down people¡¯s spines. Very quickly, Heng Jingchuo¡¯s movements gradually became slower, and he finally stopped breathing. Fu Yunshan and Sun Zhongyan looked at each other worriedly. However, Chu Liuyue had already accepted this fact. She gently caressed Tuan Zi in her arms and was deep in thought. It¡¯s no wonder Heng Jingchuo panicked so much when he got injured just now. He wasn¡¯t only worried about the Seven Coldness Poison; he was also worried about activating the other poisons in his body. This must be what the mastermind used to control him. In any case, he is just a pawn. However¡­ Who exactly is the mastermind? There¡¯s no need to do this if his aim is to get first place in the Qing Jiao Competition. Then¡­ What is this for? Fu Yunshan thought for a while and said, ¡°Since the person is already dead, we might be able to get some clues if we can find out what other poisons are in his body. Cheng Han, you won¡¯t object to us doing this, right?¡± What else could Cheng Han say? He could only agree. ¡°Since things have ended like this, it¡¯s something that everyone needs to discuss and take action for. We can also use this chance to prove Tai Yan Academy¡¯s innocence.¡± Cheng Han did not want a mere Heng Jingchuo to tarnish their reputation. At this point, a black mist suddenly emanated from Heng Jingchuo¡¯s body. Sinister! Cold! Uneasiness surged throughout Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. In the next moment, the black mist quickly spread and finally covered Heng Jingchuo completely. His body then started decomposing at an observable speed. In no time, Heng Jingchuo¡¯s corpse had become a puddle of bloody water before it finally disappeared. The black mist also dissipated and disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. Only the messy bloodstains left on the ground indicated what had just happened. Chapter 232 - Thankful Nobody had expected things to end up like this. Even Heng Jingchuo¡¯s body was not left behind, which thoroughly destroyed all the clues they had. They could not investigate any longer. Cheng Han wanted to investigate and clear this matter up more than anybody else. Now that this had happened, it really was like a fishbone stuck in his throat. ¡°Let¡¯s temporarily put this matter aside. We¡¯ll start investigating after the Qing Jiao Competition ends,¡± boomed Sun Zhongyan. All of their hearts were filled with worry when such a thing happened. However, it was obvious that the other party was very meticulous and cunning. This matter was definitely not something they could finish investigating in a day or two. The Qing Jiao Competition had to continue. Fu Yunshan glanced at Cheng Han as if he were looking at a joke. Tai Yan Academy¡¯s people were the ones in pain now. This havoc-wreaking person had been hiding in their academy, but they did not know about it at all. After thinking about it now, their hearts were crushed. ¡°Sure enough! Heng Jingchuo is Tai Yan Academy¡¯s student after all. I think Brother Cheng Han should organize this incident¡¯s investigation, and we¡¯ll follow up with him. How about that?¡± Cheng Han could not hold on to his facial expression anymore. ¡°Whatever you say!¡± He then returned to his seat, clearly reluctant to say anything else. Even so, Cheng Han still felt as if he was sitting on needles. If he did not clear this matter up, he and the entire Tai Yan Academy would be implicated! Not only did we not get first place, but we are even in so much trouble! How can this be? ¡­ Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts and happily smiled at Xiao Wenling and the rest. ¡°Oh yes! According to the rules, you can continue to challenge me, right?¡± Xiao Wenling and the rest¡ªwho were suddenly called out¡ªshuddered and hurriedly shook their heads. ¡°No! No! I¡¯m not going to challenge you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not challenging either! I-I¡¯m injured, so I¡¯m not going to compete!¡± ¡°Um¡­ I-I think my ranking is pretty good¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. If they don¡¯t want to challenge me, they can just not challenge me. Why do they make it seem as if I¡¯m a giant demon? Given their current behavior, people who did not know better might think that I¡¯m very scary! However, Chu Liuyue did not know how horrifying her existence was to the few of them. No, most of the people in the square actually thought the same way. The scene of Chu Liuyue¡¯s blood ferret eating Heng Jingchuo¡¯s Moon Devour with just its mouth was still deeply etched in everyone¡¯s brains; they could not erase this image. At this time, who will still risk their lives to challenge Chu Liuyue? What if the blood ferret bites my neck? ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to continue?¡± ¡°No! Not at all!¡± The few of them quickly declared their decision in unison. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curved up in a delighted smile. ¡°Since this is so¡­ Elder Sun, is this the end of the warrior competition?¡± Sun Zhongyan then recovered his senses. That¡¯s right! If nobody wants to challenge her, then it means that Chu Liuyue is truly the top warrior! His originally worried feelings immediately became relaxed, and he smiled like a flower. ¡°I hereby announce: the top warrior for this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition is¡­ Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Chu Liuyue!¡± ¡­ Disregarding Heng Jingchuo¡¯s accident, Chu Liuyue coming in first place made the entire Tian Lu Academy elated. One had to know that they did not get this first place for a whole three years. With this strong talent¡¯s existence, Tian Lu Academy¡¯s people naturally had more pride. Nan Feng Academy was still fine, but Tai Yan Academy had thoroughly humiliated themselves. They came brimming with confidence, but who would have thought it would end in such a way? Cheng Han took a deep breath in and kept comforting himself. What¡¯s so good about getting first place in the warrior competition? There¡¯s still the Xuan Master and heavenly doctor competitions after this. For the Xuan Master competition, the three academies are tied. Hence, nobody can predict who the last winner will be for certain. However, I have Situ Xingchen. If she can become the top heavenly doctor, she will bring honor to the entire academy. ¡­ ¡°Liuyue, after the Qing Jiao Competition ends, you can choose whichever academy you like out of the three and read at their library for a month. Have you chosen which academy you want to visit yet?¡± asked Sun Zhongyan happily. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and smiled as she said, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± Sun Zhongyan did not mind it. ¡°Then, you should think about it for a while longer. There are two more days till the end of the Qing Jiao Competition, so you can just choose then.¡± This girl becoming the top warrior is out of everyone¡¯s expectations, so it is normal that she hasn¡¯t thought so far ahead yet. Chu Liuyue obediently acknowledged Sun Zhongyan¡¯s words before returning to her seat. Si Yang was dazed. ¡°You actually came in first place¡­ Liuyue, are you going to participate in the Xuan Master competition then?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. I¡¯m even sitting in the Xuan Master¡¯s area! Si Yang sincerely said, ¡°You¡¯ve already come in first place for the warrior competition. You¡¯ve already tortured so many people, so you can just let us off.¡± Chu Liuyue seriously looked at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s rewards are very substantial?¡± Si Yang covered his face hopelessly. It¡¯s all because of my stupid mouth! ¡­ The third day of the competition ended just like that. The news of Chu Liuyue coming in first had spread throughout the Imperial City. At the same time, quite a few people learned about Heng Jingchuo using poison during the competition. At night, in the Crown Prince Mansion. Rong Jin lay on his bed, his face as white as a sheet. Currently, Chu Xianmin was carefully serving him at the side. However, her eyes were fleeting. In actual fact, she was focused on listening in on the conversation between Zuo Rong and the Empress outside. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s our negligence that caused His Highness to be poisoned. Luckily, the dosage was not high, and His Highness had always been in good health. Thus, his condition isn¡¯t very serious. Now that the remaining poison has been cleared, he will recover after resting for a while.¡± This was Zuo Rong¡¯s voice. In the academy, he was the teacher, and Rong Jin was his student. However, this was the Crown Prince Mansion. Hence, he naturally had to speak and behave according to his status. ¡°Mr. Zuo Rong, you¡¯re too kind. If it weren¡¯t for you guys, I¡¯m afraid the Crown Prince would¡­¡± The Empress had immediately rushed over after hearing the news. Even though Zuo Rong had already stated that the Crown Prince was fine, she was still scared. Zuo Rong sighed and said, ¡°Actually, the person you should really thank is Liuyue, not me. If she didn¡¯t discover this earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have known that His Highness was poisoned. If this had dragged on for a while, he would really be in danger!¡± The Empress paused. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Chu Liuyue?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Empress kept quiet for a while before softly saying, ¡°¡­ She¡¯s really a kind child¡­ Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll personally thank her when I have the chance.¡± Chu Xianmin instinctively clenched her fists. Chu Liuyue! It¡¯s Chu Liuyue again! Even the Empress is saying this now! ¡°Water¡­¡± A weak voice sounded. Chu Xianmin hurriedly looked at the bed and saw that Rong Jin¡¯s eyes were already open. ¡°Your Highness! Your Highness, you¡¯re awake? That¡¯s great! Here¡¯s your water!¡± Chu Xianmin hurriedly passed Rong Jin water from the side and carefully fed him. When the people outside heard the commotion, they hurriedly rushed in. When the Empress saw Rong Jin awake, tears welled up in her eyes, and she lunged forward. ¡°Jin¡¯er, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Chu Xianmin hurriedly moved backward but saw that the Empress did not even glance at her. She secretly bit her lips harshly. Rong Jin opened his eyes and asked with much difficulty, ¡°D-did¡­ Liuyue save me¡­?¡± Chapter 233 - He’s in Trouble! The Empress didn¡¯t look too good since she didn¡¯t expect Rong Jin to ask this first. Chu Xianmin also lowered her head, hiding the emotions in her eyes. The Empress patted Rong Jin¡¯s arm. ¡°Jin¡¯er, you¡¯ve just woken up, and your body is still very weak. Let¡¯s talk about this later, okay?¡± But Rong Jin was still slightly dazed. Actually, he had already woken up earlier and had heard most of the conversation between Mr. Zuo Rong and his mother. Even though he did not remember what happened, he heard a few keywords clearly. Heng Jingchuo¡­ Seven Coldness Poison¡­ Chu Liuyue¡­ After seeing his mother¡¯s reaction, he knew that whatever Zuo Rong said was true! Rong Jin¡¯s heart was overwhelmed in no time. Initially, he felt humiliated when Chu Liuyue rejected his invitation. But he did not expect Chu Liuyu to stand up and save him at the critical moment. If it weren¡¯t for her, my life would probably¡­ The image of the young girl¡¯s cold attitude appeared in front of him again. For some reason, his anger¡ªwhich arose from being offended¡ªhad suddenly disappeared, and it was replaced by an indescribable, complicated feeling. She¡­ is indeed different from others¡­ Rong Jin could not help but tightly grab his mother¡¯s arm and anxiously say, ¡°Mother, I have a request to beg of you, and I hope that you¡¯ll approve of it!¡± The Empress was shocked. Rong Jin had been the Crown Prince for many years, and he rarely used such a tone to beg her. Rong Jin was her son in the end, so she felt her heart ache. Her tone was much gentler than before. ¡°Jin¡¯er, there¡¯s nothing to beg for between mother and son. Just say what you want to do.¡± Rong Jin looked at her and clearly pronounced every word as he said, ¡°I wish to marry Chu Liuyue as my Crown Princess.¡± The smile on the Empress¡¯s face froze. Chu Xianmin hurriedly raised her head, but she immediately looked down again. She secretly clutched her sleeves and clenched her teeth tightly. The Empress¡¯s voice was slightly cold. ¡°Jin¡¯er, you still have a fever, and your mind isn¡¯t very clear. We can talk about this when you¡¯ve recovered.¡± She then got up to leave. However, Rong Jin was very persistent. ¡°Mother! I¡¯ve already made up my mind! If you don¡¯t agree to my request, I¡¯ll go and ask Father instead.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± The Empress finally could not hold herself back and abruptly raised her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your identity! You¡¯re the Crown Prince!¡± How can the Crown Prince go back on his words? When Chu Liuyue was still a good-for-nothing, he dissolved the marriage agreement with her. Even though this move was widely criticized, it was still logical. After all, how can the Crown Princess be a useless good-for-nothing? However, Rong Jin actually said that he wants to marry Chu Liuyue again? What will other people think of him? What will His Majesty think? This is ridiculous! But Rong Jin did not seem to heed her advice, and he clenched his teeth. ¡°I only like her. If I can¡¯t marry her, I won¡¯t marry anyone else!¡± ¡°You!¡± The Empress nearly fainted out of anger. What¡¯s so good about that Chu Liuyue? There are so many good girls in the world, so why is Rong Jin suddenly so obsessed with her? How exactly did she charm Rong Jin? But after seeing Rong Jin¡¯s firm attitude, the Empress did not dare to reject him flatly. She could only say, ¡°I¡¯ll think about this again. At the very least, we have to wait until the Qing Jiao Competition ends.¡± Rong Jin also knew that he had gone overboard by making this request suddenly, so he did not force her. Upon seeing how his mother was more relaxed about it, Rong Jin did not pursue the matter. ¡°I¡¯ll thank you first then, Mother.¡± The Empress looked at him with deep meaning before turning around with her thin brows furrowed. Zuo Rong¡ªwho was forced to listen to this at the side¡ªfelt very awkward and found a reason to leave. Very quickly, only Rong Jin and Chu Xianmin were left in the room. Rong Jin lay back down on the bed and looked at the mesh above his head, feeling dazed. Things related to Chu Liuyue kept playing back in his mind. Thinking about it closely, even though they had a marriage agreement for so many years, the two of them did not interact much. Now that Rong Jin wanted to recall some memories, he realized that it was the same few things over and over again. Rong Jin was slightly disappointed, but he felt elated upon thinking about how Chu Liuyue saved his life. As long as she is not engaged, then nobody can fight with me in the entire Imperial City. Thinking of this, Rong Jin looked at Chu Xianmin and anxiously asked, ¡°Oh, yes. Minmin, weren¡¯t you very close to Liuyue in the past? You should know what she likes, right? What kind of accessories does she like? What does she like to do in her free time? Quickly, tell me!¡± Chu Xianmin almost sneered. What a joke! The Crown Prince¡ªwho once avoided Chu Liuyue as if she were a snake¡ªwants to marry her again. He even asked me what Chu Liuyue likes? He has never been so nice to me before! He really doesn¡¯t consider me at all when he asked all of this. Chu Xianmin suppressed the jealousy and anger in her heart and lightly said, ¡°Your Highness, you should rest first. I will tell you about these in detail another time.¡± Rong Jin then relaxed and fell into a deep sleep after nagging for a while. Chu Xianmin looked at him coldly and revealed a mocking smile after a while. ¡­ Chu Liuyue directly returned to her lodgings. On the second floor, she almost habitually walked to the window and looked at Yi Feng Courtyard. Quite a few leaves had fallen in the yard, but there was nobody on the rattan chair. It looked very miserable. It seems like Rong Xiu hasn¡¯t returned yet. Chu Liuyue slightly furrowed her brows and hid the vague disappointment in her heart. Upon thinking about it more, Rong Xiu has only left for three days. But Chu Liuyue still could not get used to it. It felt like something was hanging onto her, and it did not feel good. Chu Liuyue quietly stood there before planning to close the window. A figure suddenly appeared in the night sky. Chu Liuyue noticed the figure and looked up. Her eyes widened. ¡°Xue Xue?¡± Plop! Xue Xue directly jumped through the window and landed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms. Chu Liuyue staggered backward, nearly falling onto the floor. ¡°Xue Xue, why are you here¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she smelled an intense bloody scent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and she hurriedly held Xue Xue up. With the moonlight, she saw a deep wound on Xue Xue¡¯s body¡ªwhich reached its bones. As her blood boiled, Chu Liuyue anxiously asked, ¡°What happened? Who did this to you?¡± No wonder Xue Xue directly pounced on me when it came in! It wasn¡¯t trying to get close to me. It¡¯s because it was too injured and could not control itself! Xue Xue¡¯s aura was very weak, and its messy appearance made it seem like it had just experienced a terrifying battle. After hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice, a low wail came out of Xue Xue¡¯s throat. Its icy-blue eyes stared at Chu Liuyue anxiously and miserably. Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something. ¡°Where¡¯s your master?¡± Xue Xue bit her clothes and dragged her outside. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Rong Xiu¡¯s in trouble! Chapter 234 - Under the Lake! ¡°Where is he?¡± asked Chu Liuyue immediately. Xue Xue wailed and lay down. Chu Liuyue immediately realized that Xue Xue wanted to take her there. However¡­ ¡°Your wound¡­¡± Xue Xue shook its head and looked up at her yearningly. Chu Liuyue was determined, and she took out a herb from her Cosmic Bag. ¡°This is a ground spirit herb, and it can stop your bleeding. Use this first.¡± Then, she swiftly crushed the herb and placed it on Xue Xue¡¯s wound. The original wound¡ªwhich revealed Xue Xue¡¯s bones¡ªstarted to heal rapidly at an observable speed. Chu Liuyue finally relaxed a little and jumped onto Xue Xue¡¯s back. Xue Xue¡¯s shoulders were suddenly heavy, and it turned around to see that Tuan Zi had followed them too. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chu Liuyue lightly patted Xue Xue¡¯s head. Xue Xue then lunged forward and jumped out of the window. In the night sky, one human and two fiends¡¯ figures went straight outside. When Chu Liuyue passed by the academy¡¯s barrier, she was slightly worried. However, Xue Xue seemed not to care about it. When Xue Xue got near the barrier, silver light suddenly spread around its body, covering Chu Liuyue as well. Chu Liuyue immediately felt like her aura was isolated and hidden as she made it through the barrier without causing any changes to it. Very quickly, they had completely left the academy campus and went towards the west. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that Tian Lu Academy¡¯s outline gradually disappeared into the night sky. ¡­ Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and discovered that Xue Xue was very fast even though it was injured. Xue Xue indeed is an advanced fiend. Even though it is injured, it still has strong combat power. However, what kind of trouble is Rong Xiu in, which made Xue Xue injured as well¡­? There doesn¡¯t seem to be another fiend stronger than Xue Xue in the Imperial City, or even in the entire Country Yao Chen. As for Rong Xiu, his capabilities are so strong that I didn¡¯t even know its limits. So who is fighting him? At this point, Chu Liuyue completely did not think about how she couldn¡¯t help Rong Xiu much with her current abilities since Rong Xiu was dealing with a problem that even he couldn¡¯t solve. All she was thinking about was to get there even faster and sooner. Rong Xiu was in trouble, and she definitely could not just sit and watch. She could not do it. ¡­ Very soon, Chu Liuyue realized that Xue Xue had already brought her out of the Imperial City¡¯s city gate. She looked even more serious. When Rong Xiu said he was going to leave, he did not specify where he was going. Now, it seems like he is indeed outside the Imperial City. Xue Xue went toward the woods outside the Imperial City. Using the moonlight, Chu Liuyue gradually started to find the view in front of her increasingly familiar. This forest¡­ seems to be where I was reborn! This is also the forest where the original owner was brought out to be killed! After passing through the lush greenery, Xue Xue finally flew toward a location below them. When they landed on the ground, Chu Liuyue looked up seriously and saw the sparkling lake. With the current moonlight and a thin layer of white mist above the lake, the lake looked extra peaceful and quiet. This is¡­ the place where I first met Rong Xiu! ¡°Xue Xue, why did you bring me here?¡± Chu Liuyue jumped down from Xue Xue¡¯s body and quickly surveyed her surroundings. However, she did not see Rong Xiu anywhere. ¡°Where¡¯s your master?¡± Not only was Rong Xiu not here, but there also wasn¡¯t a single person in the surroundings apart from her. Xue Xue whined and walked toward the lake before stopping beside it. It looked at the lake water somewhat anxiously. Chu Liuyue looked over dazedly and suddenly recovered her senses. ¡°Do you mean that Rong Xiu is in the lake?¡± Xue Xue nodded as its paws kept scratching the ground in panic. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Rong Xiu was indeed here when I first met him, and he did say that this was his territory. However, Xue Xue actually says that Rong Xiu is underneath the lake¡­ The lake looked very calm. Only the immense force above the lake made it seem different from other ordinary lakes. Chu Liuyue walked over and hesitantly looked at the lake surface. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ underneath¡­¡± Suddenly, her gaze focused. When the white mist gradually dissipated, she saw lines of silver light underneath the clear water. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately jumped down to take a look. The same scenery could be seen underneath the distant lake. The lights appeared faint, and the water wasn¡¯t very clear. Together with the mist above the lake, it would be even harder to identify it. If one did not stand closer to take a look, they would definitely not detect this strange phenomenon. Chu Liuyue focused her gaze, and her eyes gradually widened. The intersecting pattern really looks like¡­ ¡°Transportation formation?¡± gasped Chu Liuyue in shock. I never expected a transportation formation to be hidden under this lake. If I didn¡¯t see it wrongly, this transportation formation is also pretty advanced. As she stared at the intersecting lights below her, Chu Liuyue could vaguely feel the suppression coming from the transportation formation. She did not speak for some time. Rong Xiu actually hid a transportation formation here! Chu Liuyue discovered that she had still underestimated Rong Xiu. This transportation formation requires three fifth-stage Xuan Masters to build at least! There are only a few fifth-grade Xuan Masters in Country Yao Chen. What exactly is Rong Xiu¡­ When countless thoughts flashed across her mind, Xue Xue suddenly went forward and touched Chu Liuyue¡¯s knees. Chu Liuyue looked down at it and seemingly felt something in her heart. Rong Xiu¡­ is probably at the place where this transportation formation leads to! ¡°We can find Rong Xiu if we go down from here, right?¡± Xue Xue nodded again, and it looked increasingly panicky. Chu Liuyue became determined as she hugged Tuan Zi and jumped down. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue jumped into the lake, she saw the mist fading away in all directions. The transportation formation also shone brightly as it quickly enveloped her. The lake water instinctively moved away. Chu Liuyue then realized that the transportation formation¡¯s light had formed a barrier around her body, protecting her perfectly. Thus, the surrounding lake water avoided her. Chu Liuyue looked at the silver barrier surrounding her weirdly. Why does this transportation formation automatically protect me¡­? It was not like Chu Liuyue had never seen a transportation formation before; she had even built a few of her own, so she understood these things a little better. The biggest use of a typical transportation formation was to connect two spaces and allow people to travel from one place to another conveniently and rapidly. Within a transportation formation, there would usually be violent energy holes since it connects two empty spaces. Thus, it could be dangerous when one traveled through a transportation formation. In order to avoid this trouble, people would sometimes set up some small mechanisms when building a transportation formation. For example, when a certain person passes through the transportation formation, the formation would detect their aura and automatically form a barrier to protect the person. However, I never knew this place had a transportation formation, let alone use it before. Why did this still happen? This question flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. The next moment, she felt a strong force suddenly pulling her body down. All of her surroundings immediately darkened. Chapter 235 - Heaven’s Canopy Chu Liuyue only calmed down when she held Tuan Zi tightly and sensed that Xue Xue was just by her feet. She knew that she was inside the transportation formation. The sounds of howling wind could be heard due to the chaotic turbulence. Chu Liuyue had no doubt that she would¡¯ve been ripped into pieces by the turbulence the moment she entered the formation without this barrier protecting her. Her surroundings were completely dark, and she could not see a thing. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart rate gradually rose. Anything and everything proved that Rong Xiu had too many secrets. Every time Chu Liuyue thought she understood Rong Xiu well enough, she would discover that it was only the tip of the iceberg. At the very least, this transportation formation was not something a mere Country Yao Chen¡¯s Prince Li could do. ¡­ Some time later, light appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. We¡¯re here! Strong pressurizing forces came from all directions, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s sight was instantly covered by the white light. She raised her hands to cover her eyes. When the light dimmed, she put her hands down and looked at her surroundings. After taking a closer look at the scenery in front of her, she finally widened her eyes, feeling stunned. This place is actually¡­ a sea! It was currently night time, and the bright moon hung high in the dark sky. The faint moonlight landed on the sparkling, dark-blue sea, and it looked extra calm. The seawater kept rising, hitting the reefs repeatedly. Chu Liuyue was standing on the shore. When she looked back, she saw an abandoned desert that she could not see the boundaries of. When she looked forward, she saw a mysterious ocean. At the faraway place¡ªwhere the ocean met the sky¡ªthere seemed to be an enormous canopy that drooped down from the heavens and interacted with the sea. The canopy looked very dark, and one or two rays of golden light occasionally flashed across it in a moment. The intense suppression spread from the ground, causing people to surrender unknowingly. Chu Liuyue was shocked by the scene in front of her, and she was at a loss for words for a long time. This canopy¡­ this canopy¡­ ¡­ Many countries were set up in Mainland Xuan Wu. However, these countries were split into minor and major ones. For example, Tianling Dynasty was considered as a superior-class country, while Country Yao Chen was just one of its subsidiary countries. Tianling Dynasty¡¯s territory was surrounded by this canopy¡ªwhich was also known as¡­ Heaven¡¯s Canopy! Anybody who wanted to enter the Tianling Dynasty had to pass by their Heaven¡¯s Canopy. In actual fact, this Heaven¡¯s Canopy was not man-made¡ªit existed naturally. Heaven¡¯s Canopy¡¯s existence split Mainland Xuan Wu into two different levels. Countries within the Heaven¡¯s Canopy¡ªsuch as Tianling Dynasty¡ªhad rich Heaven and Earth Force, and their cultivation environment was much better than the countries outside the Heaven¡¯s Canopy. To them, the Heaven¡¯s Canopy was their natural protection and also an esteemed gift. In this world, many people wanted to enter the Heaven¡¯s Canopy. However, the Heaven¡¯s Canopy was very formidable. Only sufficiently strong cultivators could successfully enter. When she was in power back then, she had heard about countless cultivators trying to get past the Heaven¡¯s Canopy from outside Tianling Dynasty¡¯s territory. However, barely a few of them made it. Chu Liuyue never thought that she would arrive right outside the Heaven¡¯s Canopy with that transportation formation. Very quickly, her gaze was attracted by the scene in mid-air. A tall white figure was floating in the air. Even though his back was facing her, Chu Liuyue still could recognize that it was Rong Xiu! She was just about to speak when she heard a sinister and teasing voice come from the skies. ¡°Your Grace, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, yet your abilities have weakened by so much.¡± Chu Liuyue followed the voice and realized that a person was standing opposite Rong Xiu. It was just that this person wore a black robe with a hood, so his figure had blended in with the dark night sky. Hence, Chu Liuyue did not see him at the first instance. Rong Xiu softly laughed. ¡°It seems like Prince Unparalleled has been too comfortable these days, so you purposely came here to give me your life.¡± Chu Liuyue was taken aback. Your Grace? Does that refer to Rong Xiu? But¡­ I don¡¯t think there has ever been a ¡® Your Grace¡¯ in Country Yao Chen, right? Where did Rong Xiu get this identity from? Moreover, she felt like the Rong Xiu in front of her seemed to be different from the one she knew before. She had never heard Rong Xiu speak in such a tone. Cold! Stern! Disdain! The absolute suppression from a higher-up! ¡°Oh¡­ I forgot that this is outside the Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Your cultivation level should be suppressed, so your capabilities are greatly reduced. If not, why can¡¯t you even handle ten of my moves?¡± The man in the black robe had a sharp and sinister voice¡ªwhich sounded like a sharp object scratching against glass¡ªmaking one feel very uncomfortable. Chu Liuyue only heard these two sentences, yet she felt her body¡¯s force casually being thrown into disarray. This was because the other party was too strong! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. This man¡¯s abilities are at least of a stage-six warrior! However, his words thoroughly shocked Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu¡¯s cultivation base is being suppressed? Doesn¡¯t this mean that Rong Xiu¡¯s abilities are at least that of a stage-seven warrior? If outsiders wanted to enter the Heaven¡¯s Canopy, their abilities had to be of a stage-six warrior at least. The strongest people outside the Heaven¡¯s Canopy were advanced stage-six warriors. This was because cultivators outside the Heaven¡¯s Canopy could only cultivate to this level. If they wanted to break through and become a stage-seven warrior, they had to enter the Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Furthermore, once stage-seven warriors and stronger left the Heaven¡¯s Canopy, their cultivation base would be suppressed to below that of a stage-seven warrior. Chu Liuyue had already secretly guessed Rong Xiu¡¯s true abilities, but she did not expect him to be so strong. It seems like he¡¯s not even 20 this year! His talent isn¡¯t a single bit weaker than mine in my previous life. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if we¡¯re outside the Heaven¡¯s Canopy, I can still send you to your death.¡± Rong Xiu lazily smiled as if he did not even care about the other party. But Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were sharp, so she saw how the corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s clothes were stained with blood. ¡°Hahaha! Your Grace, you¡¯re already injured, and you don¡¯t have any more combat power. Hence, I¡¯m really curious as to how you¡¯re going to kill me. The high and mighty His Grace actually fell to this point¡­ Pft! If this news spreads, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have the right to continue staying in your current position! However, you don¡¯t have to worry about some things. After all, your life is going to end here today!¡± Then, the man in the black robe suddenly raised his hand and brandished a blood-colored sickle! ¡°Blood Sickle Cut!¡± The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started to gather, and he slashed his blood-colored sickle downward. A blood-red glow flew toward Rong Xiu. With a whip of his sleeves, Rong Xiu sent a silver ball flying out. Hong! The two strong forces harshly collided with each other. The seawater was violently hurled up. Very soon, the silver ball suddenly broke! Kacha! Chapter 236 - Quickly Run! Countless rays of light started spreading everywhere! Rong Xiu moved backward rapidly, but the blood-colored sickle kept following him swiftly. Chu Liuyue stood behind a reef, but the harsh winds caused her to be unable to stand still. Rong Xiu was originally injured already, and this attack put him in an even more disadvantageous position. ¡°Your Grace, let¡¯s end it here!¡± hollered the man in black as the blood-colored sickle suddenly formed different shadows¡ªwhich all went for Rong Xiu. In the blink of an eye, Rong Xiu was surrounded. At this point, Rong Xiu raised his wrist. The fierce seawater suddenly rushed up toward the sky and formed a gigantic water curtain in front of Rong Xiu. Choo! The blood-colored sickle rushed into the water curtain, but its speed had greatly decreased as if it had sunk into soil. The man in black seemed to be very shocked. ¡°You can control the Heaven¡¯s Canopy¡¯s ocean?¡± Rong Xiu lightly laughed. ¡°Not much, but it¡¯s enough to handle you.¡± Rong Xiu then snapped his fingers, and a silver light suddenly appeared at the tip of his white fingers. ¡°Go!¡± As his clear voice fell, that silver light easily landed on the water curtain. Hong! In the next moment, fierce fires were ignited as if a comet had landed in a wok filled with oil. A bright, icy-blue silver light started burning in the dark-blue water curtain. It covered the skies and the ground. The man in black sensed that something was wrong and hurriedly retreated. At this moment, another water curtain appeared behind him. The silver fire quickly spread and burned over. The water curtains burned in front and behind the man in black, trapping him in the middle. The few blood-colored sickles also gradually merged with the water curtain, and the man in black finally panicked. Originally, he thought Rong Xiu would definitely not be his match since Rong Xiu¡¯s cultivation base was suppressed. However, he did not expect Rong Xiu to execute such a move. ¡°Your Grace, you¡¯re really not someone to underestimate¡­ What a pity; I came here prepared as well.¡± Then, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started rapidly entering his body. His surrounding aura started to explode crazily. Very quickly, Chu Liuyue discovered that a ripple had seemingly appeared on the faraway Heaven¡¯s Canopy. That man had actually increased his capabilities forcefully to that of an advanced stage-six warrior! The Heaven¡¯s Canopy would start becoming unstable when it detected a stage-seven warrior¡¯s aura. Hence, this man had clearly suppressed his cultivation level to this stage. ¡°Outside the Heaven¡¯s Canopy, you can only be an advanced stage-six warrior at best. Your Grace, you¡¯re too restricted by the canopy, so how can you be my match?¡± The man in black let out a weird laugh, and a white chain suddenly flew out from his sleeves. The chain seemed to be made from white bones, and it exuded a cold aura. If one took a closer look, they could even see the dried bloodstains on it. It sent chills down people¡¯s spines. The chain directly flew out and pierced through the water curtain. The chain was once again stopped, but when it got near the silver fire, the darkened bloodstains on the bones started to move. The silver fire crazily licked the chain, but only a ¡®pitter-patter¡¯ sound was made. It vaguely sounded like a powerful ghost wailing. A hole was eaten through the water curtain. Choo! The last layer of fire was extinguished, and the chain charged toward Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu suddenly looked up, and his gaze was deep. He suddenly raised his hands and caught the chain. However, the man in black suddenly looked up and laughed. ¡°Hahaha! Do you think this is within Heaven¡¯s Canopy? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you can¡¯t summon Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. You¡¯re bound to die today!¡± Then, he hollered, ¡°Soul Chain¡­ Explode!¡± Peng! Peng! Peng! The white bones on the chain suddenly exploded. Rong Xiu flung it away. The chain started to move intensely, and the enormous force quickly reached the man¡¯s body. Hong! The fearful aura started spreading in all directions with the duo in the center. Both of them were hit and simultaneously flew out because of the impact. Xue Xue roared and quickly flew forward. It originally wanted to catch Rong Xiu, but the shockwave was too strong. Together with the fact that it was injured, Rong Xiu and Xue Xue fell down together. Xue Xue¡¯s claws dug out a deep trench in the ground and finally stopped after they hit a reef. Even though Xue Xue was Rong Xiu¡¯s buffer, his hand still slammed onto the reef. On the other hand, even though the man in black was also affected, his injuries were not as severe as Rong Xiu¡¯s. He very quickly stabilized his body. One look and one would know who was winning. Rong Xiu held on to the rough reef with his hand. Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly noticed something and looked up. A dark shadow was cast on the reef, and a pair of clear eyes were staring at him. It was a very familiar face. Yue¡¯er! Why is she here? Before Rong Xiu could think it through, he felt cold air come from behind him. Quickly and determinedly, he yelled out, ¡°Hide!¡± But Chu Liuyue did not shy away; her eyes were burning with fire. When she met Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, she had clearly seen the bloodstains on Rong Xiu¡¯s face and body already. Ever since they met, she had always seen Rong Xiu in a strong and calm manner. Even when the black flying python¡¯s killer move had swallowed them, his clothes were always clean and tidy; they were never this dirty before. For some reason, an unknown fire suddenly rose in her heart. The blood-colored sharp blade was just about to land on Rong Xiu. Without thinking, Chu Liuyue lunged forward and flipped over the reef. The next moment, she pulled Rong Xiu away. At that point, the blood-colored blade was only inches away from them. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel its terrifying suppression. She held Rong Xiu¡¯s hands tightly, moved her feet, and blocked Rong Xiu¡¯s body. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Rong Xiu immediately guessed what she was up to, and it was as if something had tightly squeezed his heart. With her current abilities, how can she withstand this attack? ¡°Awoo!¡± Tuan Zi suddenly flew out and went toward the blood-colored blade. Choo! Its small body was about to be flipped over. An advanced stage-six warrior¡¯s abilities were very formidable, and it wasn¡¯t something Tuan Zi could handle. On the other end, Xue Xue struggled to get up. However, its body had new injuries, so it could not get up at all. Chu Liuyue suddenly pushed Rong Xiu away. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart was empty, and he tightly pulled her into his arms in the next moment. Chu Liuyue suddenly bumped against his chest, and her nose hurt. However, she could not care about it at this point. The first sentence that escaped from her mouth was: ¡°Danger! Quickly, run away!¡± Chapter 237 - Your Grace’s Golden Body! Rong Xiu held Chu Liuyue tightly in his arms, but he suddenly became dazed when he heard her voice. She¡¯s actually¡­ telling me to run first? Does she know what this means? Seeing that Rong Xiu had not moved, Chu Liuyue anxiously shouted again. ¡°Quick!¡± This shout made Rong Xiu wake up. He looked at the young girl in his arms¡ªslim, young, but brave and fearless. At this point, her eyes finally clearly reflected his figure. Rong Xiu could hear his heart racing, and blood started coursing throughout his limbs. At the bottom of his heart, it was as if millions of happy emotions were surging upward and overwhelming him. Chu Liuyue had already felt the impending danger behind her, and all her hair stood on end. She wanted to push Rong Xiu away, but he was hugging her too tightly. Hence, she could not get out of his embrace. This person! He¡¯s usually so smooth and decisive, but why is he stunned at this critical moment? ¡°Rong Xiu! Do you really want to die here?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with clenched teeth. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were like bottomless pits, and one could not see the end of them. They were like black holes about to swallow her whole. ¡°Of course not.¡± His thin lips curved up in a delighted smile. How can I die when the day I waited for so long has finally come? He looked at Chu Liuyue with deep meaning and many thoughts. Chu Liuyue did not know how to describe his gaze, and she could not say the words at the tip of her tongue either. Rong Xiu looked down the next moment, and his gaze landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s white neck. She actually wore the crystal barrier around her neck. With a flick of his fingers, the crystal barrier landed in his palm. Hua! Rong Xiu circulated his force, and the crystal barrier immediately expanded. The faint-silver barrier immediately enveloped the two of them. Hong! The tremendous force rushed over and directly hit the crystal barrier, and the crystal barrier suddenly vibrated! However, the force was still isolated outside. Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked. It seems like the crystal barrier Rong Xiu gave me isn¡¯t ordinary as it can actually block a hit from an advanced stage-six warrior. ¡°Hm? It¡¯s a girl?¡± The man in black stood in the air and looked down at the duo. To be more accurate, he was looking at Chu Liuyue. Even though Rong Xiu was hugging her, and the man could not see her face, the man could still tell that it was a slender woman. After a temporary dead silence, he suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°Hahaha! So this is what happened! I see; no wonder Your Grace was willing to stay outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy for so long! It turns out it was because of a girl! Rumors have it that His Grace doesn¡¯t get close to women and is cold and arrogant. However, I didn¡¯t expect you to be crazily in love with a woman!¡± If word gets out, it will trigger huge changes! But Chu Liuyue was very confused. Why does everything sound so weird? Did Rong Xiu stay in Heaven¡¯s Canopy the entire time previously? How can that be? ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Rong Xiu looked down and gently kissed her eyelids. His voice was low and gentle. For some reason, Chu Liuyue obediently closed her eyes and leaned against his chest. Once he spoke, the horrifying threat seemed to disappear silently. It was as if all the dangers would become nothing as long as he was here. She did not know where this unknown assurance came from, but she seemed to be used to it. Upon seeing Chu Liuyue lying in his arms quietly, a dark light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, and he tightened his grip. The next moment, he finally looked at the man in black. In his eyes¡ªwhich were as dark as the night sky¡ªa faint golden glow appeared. The man in black suddenly stopped laughing. J-just now¡­ Rong Xiu raised his hand and moved forward a little. A dazzling golden fire suddenly appeared on his fingertips. ¡°Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body? How can that be? This is outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy¡ª¡± Choo! With a flick of Rong Xiu¡¯s fingers, the golden fire instantly flew out. It was just a small fireball, but it was like the Grim Reaper to the man in black. He backed away in horror and used all his speed to escape this place as quickly as possible. How can this be? How is this possible? Outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, all the cultivators¡¯ strength will be suppressed to below that of a stage-seven warrior. Logically speaking, he should not be able to summon Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s aura is indeed much stronger than before. Even though the man had exhausted all his strength to escape, the golden fire was even quicker. In no time, it had silently landed on the dark-blue ocean. The moment the golden fire touched the ocean, everything seemed to stop. The waves suddenly stopped moving and crashing, and even the two silver fires in the water curtain froze. The man in black felt as if an entire mountain had suppressed him, and his feet were as though they were tied with iron, making it difficult for him to move even an inch. This was definitely the suppression of a strong warrior! He anxiously looked back, but he saw Rong Xiu standing up straight and hugging a woman tightly beside the shore. Rong Xiu coldly looked at him with contempt. Rong Xiu gazed at the man as if he were looking at a dying ant. Cold and nonchalant! It made people not dare to have any intentions of defying his will! The next moment, Rong Xiu¡¯s lips moved slightly. ¡°Break!¡± With that sound, the area¡ªwhere the golden fire was at¡ªsuddenly collapsed, revealing an empty black space. The space is collapsing! The man in black was petrified, but he quickly turned around to escape. He didn¡¯t care about anything else. He moved suddenly, but his body did not seem to react. He looked down in shock, but he discovered that the terrifying force had frozen his entire body. Hence, he could not move at all. At this point, the surrounding space started collapsing with the golden fire as the center. The black space¡¯s area expanded even more as if it were forming a gigantic black hole. Seawater, waves, fire¡­ were all swallowed into that collapsing space. Very quickly, the black color had reached the man¡¯s foot. ¡°¡­ No! No!¡± screamed the man in fright as he crazily tried to move his body, but it was to no avail. In the end, he could only watch as his feet disappeared within the collapsing space. Everything happened too quickly. Before the man in black could even feel pain, the collapsing space had already swallowed his thighs. He only felt excruciating pain when his waist was also being eaten. ¡°Ahh!¡± His miserable wails made the empty sea surface look even more sinister. He looked at Rong Xiu with enmity and harshly said, ¡°Your Grace! Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished for summoning Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy?¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes. ¡°Noisy.¡± The space started collapsing even faster. Before the man in black could say his remaining words, his entire person was swallowed. If Chu Liuyue had turned back to take a look at this point, she would have seen that half the space between the ocean and the sky had collapsed. The gigantic black space was strangely and quietly presented there. It was hard to imagine what kind of person had such formidable skills. Chapter 238 - Is this Answer, Right? Rong Xiu retracted the golden fire, and the black space started returning to normal slowly. Only when the space completely returned to normal did the golden glow in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes disappear. His previous dark gaze then returned. Almost immediately, he lightly patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Chu Liuyue slowly lifted her head and looked at him. Rong Xiu did not look any different from before. However, she vaguely felt that this Rong Xiu was different from the one she saw before. Maybe it¡¯s because of that ¡®Your Grace¡¯ identity¡­ Suppressing her doubts, Chu Liuyue turned back to look. The vast ocean had already recovered its peacefulness. The previous two burning water curtains had totally disappeared without a trace, and that man in black was also gone. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Rong Xiu lightly acknowledged it as if he did not care. But Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. That man in black was actually an advanced stage-six warrior, yet he died just like that! Not even his corpse is left behind! How exactly did Rong Xiu do it? Even though she was in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms earlier and did not see anything, she had heard the commotion very clearly. She could roughly guess what had happened, but she really could not imagine how Rong Xiu had killed the man in black. Rong Xiu had stood here the entire time and hugged her, not moving a single step. Her heart was filled with too many questions, but she suddenly could not voice them out when they were at the tip of her tongue. Rong Xiu suddenly produced a white handkerchief and carefully wiped away the bloodstains on his hands. Chu Liuyue took a look at the handkerchief and realized it was the one Rong Xiu had lent her previously. The two of them suddenly fell silent. Chu Liuyue then realized that her hands were still tightly clutching on to the clothes in front of Rong Xiu¡¯s chest and that her entire body was leaning into his arms. A flirtish and strange aura began to spread around. After Chu Liuyue calmed down, she recovered her senses and gradually recalled what she had done previously. Her entire person was instantly dazed. Did I lunge forward because of Rong Xiu? It seems like I didn¡¯t even care about my life or death at that point and just acted decisively. Her fingers curled up a little, and she did not know if she should back away first. Being so close to Rong Xiu made her face burn slightly. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± asked Rong Xiu slowly when he looked down at her and guessed her thoughts. ¡°Thinking about you and me¡ª¡± blurted Chu Liuyue, but she stopped halfway through her sentence. This seems a little weird¡­ This sentence doesn¡¯t seem right. Rong Xiu lightly smiled and put away his handkerchief. After ensuring that his hands were no longer stained with blood, he nodded in satisfaction and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Me and you? Why?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed and pushed him away, but she gave up after realizing that she could not do so. ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking about what the person said. He said summoning Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy will cause you to be punished¡­ What does that mean?¡± Rong Xiu paused and suddenly reached out to hold her face. Chu Liuyue could only look up to him. ¡°I also have a question too. When I was in danger just now, you stood in front of me and told me to leave first. What does that mean?¡± His tone was light and slow, but his gaze was deep and very serious. Chu Liuyue was dazed. In actual fact, even she did not know why she acted that way at that moment. There was a vague guess in her heart, but she could not say it out loud. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question. Once you tell me the answer to my question, I will answer every single question that you have with all my knowledge.¡± ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue glared at him. He¡¯s doing it on purpose! Upon seeing her shy expression, Rong Xiu really could not love her more. He leaned in closer. The two of them were so close that they could breathe in each other¡¯s breaths. He softly laughed and said, ¡°I actually have an answer, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s correct. Why don¡¯t I tell you what it is, and you just have to tell me if it¡¯s right or not?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes dazedly and saw that his gaze became even darker. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. Rong Xiu¡¯s fingers gently caressed her cheeks the next moment, and he held her chin, forcing her to look up. He looked down and leaned in. Chu Liuyue felt something soft on her lips, and it was slightly cold. The familiar cold fragrance suddenly intensified and spread around her mouth. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes as if her heart was caressed by something. It was incredibly soft and sweet. Rong Xiu is¡­ kissing me? The sea breeze blew gently, and the moon was high in the sky. She could even see Rong Xiu¡¯s dense lashes casting faint shadows on his face. Rong Xiu wanted to kiss her lightly, but something suddenly crushed his heart once he touched those incredibly soft lips. Almost instinctively, he bit her lips. He then started to investigate her teeth and suck on her lips. The scorching heat spread from her lips. Chu Liuyue felt like her entire body was on fire, and her limbs were going numb. She recovered her senses with much difficulty and pushed Rong Xiu. However, she was not his match, especially when her limbs were numb. Her push felt like she was tickling him. Not only did she not push Rong Xiu away, but it had even seduced his heart and made him even more agitated. Rong Xiu tightly held her waist with his arms as if her entire body was going to merge with his. A few unclear syllables escaped through Chu Liuyue¡¯s teeth. Then, Rong Xiu slowly released her and looked at her with deep meaning. ¡°What do you think of this answer?¡± Once he spoke, Chu Liuyue realized that his voice was hoarse as if he was controlling something. Her face turned even redder, and she glared at him. He¡¯s really as shameless as usual! Nobody knew how numb Rong Xiu¡¯s lower body was when Chu Liuyue glared at him with her watery and peach blossom-like eyes. The other half of his body was the exact opposite. His fingers caressed her cheeks gently with a flirtish burn as he softly muttered, ¡°It seems like that answer was wrong. Then¡­ What about this?¡± Rong Xiu then leaned down again and held her lips. This time, his actions were very fast, and he attacked her before she could even react. Chu Liuyue was frustrated and decisively started to attack him back out of anger. She released her hands¡ªwhich were originally clutching the shirt in front of Rong Xiu¡¯s chest¡ªand they went up his body. They then hooked onto his neck, making her lean in even closer. At the same time, she learned from Rong Xiu and bit his lips, followed by a light lick. Rong Xiu¡¯s body froze. Does she know what she¡¯s doing? Chu Liuyue noticed that Rong Xiu had suddenly stopped and felt even more indignant. Hence, she made her lips go even further in. The two of them touched in an intertwining and hard to separate manner. Rong Xiu gasped. Chapter 239 - Only One Answer in My Entire Life We should stop, thought Rong Xiu to himself. If not, I might really do something else. But Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips were very soft and sweet, which caused him to lose control. He had waited for this day for too long. A little while longer, and another while. Rong Xiu held Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist tightly, and he could feel something being suppressed, even with the clothes separating them. The young girl in his arms gradually softened into a ball, and he could pinch or rub her any way he liked. She belonged to him¡ªonly him. Chu Liuyue gradually sensed Rong Xiu¡¯s aura had become dangerous. Her instincts told her that continuing would not be a good idea, so she willingly moved back and tilted her head to lean on his shoulders. Rong Xiu¡¯s hands caressed her waist, and they felt slightly itchy. After taking a deep breath, Rong Xiu finally suppressed his inner urge. His voice was scarily hoarse. ¡°The next time this happens¡­¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and purposely said, ¡°The next time this happens, what?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her with deep meaning, and his eyes seemed to be filled with comets that would burn at any moment. ¡°Of course¡­ I¡¯ll welcome it.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. As expected, it isn¡¯t a wise choice to compete being thick-skinned with some people. However, given Rong Xiu¡¯s current behavior, she really did not dare to continue seducing him. Hence, she quietly held his hands. Rong Xiu¡¯s chin leaned against her soft hair. Then, he met with her eyes and seriously said, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me if this answer was right.¡± His eyes looked as calm as water, but his voice was slightly nervous. Chu Liuyue had never imagined that the formidable Rong Xiu would be nervous as well. Rong Xiu waited for her reply. What exactly is my position in his heart? Why does it make him so careful and meticulous when he begs for a reply? Chu Liuyue determinedly stared at him, and many scenes flashed across her mind. The surprise when I met him by the lake for the first time. The shock when I saw him again at the banquet. The touching moment at Wan Ling Mountain¡­ Every scene flashed across her mind, and everything finally disappeared, leaving an increasingly clear demonic appearance. Actually, she had always acted differently toward Rong Xiu, but she was never willing to admit it due to various reasons. However, after she thought about it, she knew they were just unimportant reasons. Even if she was once painstakingly hurt, it was in her previous life. A person was now willing to embrace her new life and give her warm and hopeful expectations. Chu Liuyue stood on her toes and landed a kiss on his lips. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes shrunk slightly, but they were filled with millions of fireworks. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at him and spoke in an equally stern manner. ¡°For me, there¡¯s only one question in my entire life, and it has only one answer. There¡¯s no room for betrayals or regrets, do you understand?¡± Her voice was very calm, but her eyes contained too many emotions. Her terrible past would forever be her scar. She could never endure a second betrayal. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart felt like it was being squeezed, and it hurt. His thin lips opened after a moment of silence, and he softly said, ¡°What a coincidence. Me too.¡± He held her hands tightly and looked her straight in the eyes. ¡°When we go back, I¡¯ll go to your residence and propose to you.¡± Chu Liuyue became dazed, and she instinctively asked, ¡°So fast?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Is it very fast? But I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± As long as he did not bring her back, he would never have a good night¡¯s sleep. Chu Liuyue wanted to say something, but her heart skipped a beat when she looked up and saw his gaze. ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± For some reason, she was always very docile when facing Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu did not dare to touch her again because he was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself. He could only compromise and kiss her brows. ¡°I¡­¡± He wanted to say something, but he suddenly stopped and leaned on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Chu Liuyue turned around and realized that Rong Xiu¡¯s face was especially white; it seemed like he had fainted. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± ¡­ The fourth day of the Qing Jiao Competition. The three-day-long warrior competition had finally ended, and the Xuan Master students from the three academies were very excited. They all planned to get a good ranking in today¡¯s Xuan Master competition. Different from the previous few days, the competitors all participated in the Xuan Master competition at the same time. The large competition venue had been equally cut up into small squares. A chessboard was placed within every square. On the chessboard were five Xuan formations. Whoever could solve the five Xuan formations in the shortest time possible would take first place. One look across the square, and one would see many people already seated in the competition venue, waiting for the competition to start. However, there was a commotion on Tian Lu Academy¡¯s side. ¡°Liuyue isn¡¯t here yet?¡± asked Bai Chen as he furrowed his brows. Mu Hongyu shook her head, also feeling very anxious. ¡°When we went to look for her this morning, she wasn¡¯t in her lodging anymore. Initially, we thought that she had come over first, but we didn¡¯t think that we wouldn¡¯t find her here. I already told Cen Hu to go back¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu turned around and glanced at the entrance as she was speaking, coincidentally seeing Cen Hu rushing back while panting. However, Chu Liuyue was not behind him. Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart sank, but she still hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Liuyue? Have you found her?¡± Cen Hu held his knee with one hand and hurriedly waved his other while gasping. ¡°N-no! I can¡¯t find her, even after looking everywhere.¡± Mu Hongyu was silent for a while, and she suddenly thought of something. ¡°What about Jiuyou Tower? Have you looked for her there? She usually likes to cultivate there. Did she forget to come out?¡± Cen Hu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked around, but she didn¡¯t go there yesterday nor today.¡± Bai Chen thought for a while and muttered uncertainly, ¡°Did she go home because she was exhausted from yesterday?¡± Si Yang¡ªwho was at the side¡ªcould not help but interrupt. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be so! Yesterday, Chu Liuyue said that she would definitely participate in today¡¯s Xuan Master competition. Why would she suddenly not join?¡± Even if she had used up quite a bit of her energy from yesterday¡¯s competition, Chu Liuyue had always been an outstanding Xuan Master, and she was very capable. As long as she participated in the competition, her ranking would not be a low one. Why would she suddenly go missing? ¡°Students who haven¡¯t arrived at the competition venue, please hurry up! The competition is about to start!¡± yelled the judge from afar. Sun Zhongyan walked over. ¡°Liuyue isn¡¯t here yet?¡± The few of them looked at each other and shook their heads. Sun Zhongyan faintly felt uneasy. He remembered that Chu Liuyue had returned to the academy yesterday, so why was she missing now? I did not detect any strange changes within the academy since yesterday. If Chu Liuyue had exited through the academy¡¯s entrance, the teacher on duty would¡¯ve definitely noticed it. However¡­ Did something really happen to her? After all, she had offended quite a few people in the past few days¡­ But this is ultimately the Imperial City. It is the Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s competition venue, so people won¡¯t be stupid enough to make a move on Chu Liuyue now. Sun Zhongyan thought for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s ignore the Xuan Master competition first. It¡¯s more important to find her. Bai Chen, take some people with you and search around the academy. Also, send a few people to ask around in the Imperial City and see if they can find any clues. Lastly, inform Lord Chu Ning.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 240 - Marriage Proposal Of course, Chu Liuyue was unaware that everyone was looking for her frantically. She was focused on Rong Xiu. She checked Rong Xiu¡¯s pulse after he sank into unconsciousness, but she noticed that his body was rather strange¡ªshe could not detect his Yuan meridian. After trying twice, she could only vaguely sense that two forces were clashing in his body. She did not find anything beyond that. Chu Liuyue guessed that Rong Xiu¡¯s unconsciousness had something to do with his forced summoning of Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body. Outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, there were consequences to advancing oneself to the seventh stage forcibly. But Chu Liuyue had never heard of anyone being able to do so, so she did not have any details. She carefully helped Rong Xiu lean against a flatter reef. She was a little anxious as she regarded his pale face. Xue Xue walked over from the side, rubbed itself against Chu Liuyue¡¯s leg, and whimpered softly. Chu Liuyue glanced at it. ¡°You¡¯re saying he¡¯s fine?¡± Xue Xue nodded and secretly gave its master a despising look. Master is strong, so this little bit of trouble is nothing. If Chu Liuyue had not come, he could¡¯ve stayed conscious till he made it back. But since she is here, and have just confirmed their relationship¡­ It is normal for him to take the chance to earn her pity. Xue Xue lay down. Since that Prince Unparalleled cannot be any more dead, it isn¡¯t too late to return after Master has recovered. Xue Xue¡¯s attitude reassured Chu Liuyue. Since Xue Xue and Rong Xiu were connected, she had no reason to be this worried when Xue Xue believed that Rong Xiu was okay. She hugged Rong Xiu as she leaned against the reef, waiting for him to regain consciousness. Tuan Zi finally woke up, climbed onto her shoulder, and rubbed itself against her face. Chu Liuyue glanced at it. Tuan Zi isn¡¯t really injured at all. For some reason, Tuan Zi seems capable of withstanding attacks more and more¡­ Since they were near the sea, the air was a little salty. The sea reflected the moonlight, forming streaks of rippled light. Everything else was barren, but Chu Liuyue did not feel lonely. Conversely, this was a rare moment of peace since she had been reborn. She looked down at Rong Xiu and examined him. In reality, there was something that she did not tell Rong Xiu earlier. Rong Xiu became an entirely different person when he summoned Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body¡ªcold, emotionless, high, and mighty! She had never seen this side of Rong Xiu before, but¡­ it felt a little familiar to her. She did not know where this sense of familiarity came from, but she was certain that she had never seen Rong Xiu before. She would surely have an impression if she had met someone like this before. She was not the kind to let her guard down around others easily, yet she was strangely at ease when facing Rong Xiu. ¡°Have we met before¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue, but she felt like she was being ridiculous. She smiled, then closed her eyes. Her voice was low and disappeared with the wind, but she did not notice Rong Xiu¡¯s trembling eyelashes. ¡­ Qing Jiao Competition. Chu Liuyue was truly missing. Sun Zhongyan still had to run the competition, so he left Bai Chen and the others to deal with the matter. Even though they were all anxious, it wasn¡¯t the time to kick up a fuss. Even their visit to Chu Ning was conducted secretly. Chu Ning wanted to activate the imperial guards but gave up on it after giving it some thought. He then sent a few of his aides to investigate in the Imperial City secretly. He even went to Zhen Bao Pavilion himself. Yan Ge was rather surprised when he heard that Chu Liuyue was missing, but he agreed to help with the search without hesitation. Chu Ning was just trying his luck, but he did not expect Yan Ge to agree to help. He was grateful and confused. Zhen Bao Pavilion was of high status. As the Second Boss, Yan Ge had an even higher status. However, he really seemed to put a lot of effort into Yue¡¯er¡¯s matters. Whether it was the reservation of Phoenix Restaurant or this time¡¯s efforts, this was way beyond what regular acquaintances would do. He tested Yan Ge, but the latter said that he only got to know Chu Liuyue recently. Now that she had become the top warrior in this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition, it was normal for him to try and form close ties with her. Chu Ning sensed that something was off. It was true that she became the top warrior in this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition, but it did not warrant such effort from Zhen Bao Pavilion. He knew that he couldn¡¯t obtain any more information from Yan Ge, so he did not continue asking. He focused his attention on looking for Chu Liuyue instead. After Chu Ning left, Yan Ge retracted his smile and swiftly instructed people to start searching. Master is not in the Imperial City, and Madam is missing. What is going on? If Master returns and finds out that I didn¡¯t take care of Madam¡­ Hang on! Yan Ge suddenly thought of something. Master is gone¡­ Madam is missing¡­ Could it be¡­ Yan Ge was anxious, but he dared not leave the Imperial City of his own accord. Nobody could enter ¡®that place¡¯ without his master¡¯s permission either. He wanted to ask Yan Qing, but he was afraid of being discovered. After pondering for a moment, he could only pray that Master and Madam were together. ¡­ After several hours, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes at daybreak. She moved but noticed that she had unknowingly laid in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms. His black cloak was on her. ¡°¡­ Rong Xiu? When did you wake up?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as she rubbed her eyes. She felt a little embarrassed. She intended to keep watch, but she did not expect herself to fall asleep and not even notice when he woke up. Rong Xiu smiled and easily picked her up. Chu Liuyue cried out in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. It seems like Rong Xiu has recovered¡­ ¡°I just woke up too,¡± said Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue did not believe him, but she did not pursue the matter. Rong Xiu kissed her. ¡°We should return.¡± Chu Liuyue inquired with uncertainty. ¡°Your body has recovered?¡± Rong Xiu had gone through an intense battle and suddenly passed out earlier, so she was a little worried. Rong Xiu slightly raised his brows. ¡°You¡¯ll find out how my body is after we¡¯re married. Of course, you can examine it now. This place isn¡¯t great, but it¡¯s not impossible.¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Rong Xiu¡¯s neck. She then inched closer and smiled. ¡°Really? Do you want the same thing from yesterday?¡± With the girl in his arms, the scenes from yesterday reappeared in his mind. Rong Xiu¡¯s arms tightened, and he tried to repress his uneasiness. He then glanced at her, his eyes full of warning. This little fellow is still as mischievous as before. Rong Xiu felt like he was becoming more and more like a saint, given his abilities of self-restraint. He laughed and retorted, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know that Prince Li Mansion has completed all the wedding preparations. We can get married after I propose.¡± Chapter 241 - Getting Cold Feet Chu Liuyue was speechless. She increasingly had the feeling that Rong Xiu had prepared everything and was just waiting for her to agree to it. ¡°What if I didn¡¯t come this time?¡± she asked. Rong Xiu glanced at her. ¡°If not this time, then next time and the time after. You¡¯re bound to show up eventually.¡± Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°Prince Li is so confident. What if I never agree? Won¡¯t all those preparations be in vain then? Oh right, Prince Li can always just get someone else and¡­¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°It¡¯s just for you. If you never agree, I¡¯ll just burn everything.¡± Since everything was prepared for her, there was no point in keeping them if she did not want them. Of course, Rong Xiu had never thought about doing this because he had his eyes set on her. Chu Liuyue paused. His tone is even as if he is stating a fact. It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t realize how startling this is to me. She paused, then asked. ¡°Wh-when did you begin preparing those things?¡± Did Rong Xiu fall for me when we met for the first time? The bloodied and muddy me? Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. ¡°A long time ago.¡± A long time ago? How long? Chu Liuyue wanted to continue asking, but Rong Xiu had carried her into the transportation formation. Countless streaks of light formed a barrier around the pair. Everything turned black, and the pair entered the transportation formation¡¯s void! ¡­ The pair quickly returned to the middle of the woods. The barrier around the two only disappeared after they exited the lake. Chu Liuyue turned and glanced around. It was noon, and the mist above the lake had dissipated a little. The transportation formation beneath the lake had also turned invisible. From the outside, everything seemed normal. ¡°There¡¯s a barrier outside the lake. Regular people can¡¯t get near it, so it naturally won¡¯t be discovered,¡± explained Rong Xiu as if he could read her mind. Chu Liuyue nodded but thought of another matter. ¡°In that case, you purposely let me in back then?¡± Rong Xiu glanced at Xue Xue with a half-smile. Xue Xue looked up proudly. What about it! I did it on purpose! If I did not take the initiative, who knows when Master can get married!? Hmph! Tuan Zi looked at Xue Xue with contempt. With such a shameless master, the fiend is definitely the same. Xue Xue bared its teeth at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi shook its tail and stuck its butt out at Xue Xue. Chu Liuyue laughed. For some reason, Tuan Zi was not afraid of Xue Xue. It would even challenge Xue Xue from time to time. In theory, Tuan Zi wouldn¡¯t have dared to do this since Xue Xue was an advanced fiend, and Tuan Zi was of a lower stage. But when she thought about how Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t even afraid of the black flying python, she did not think much of it. She would study Tuan Zi in detail when she got the chance. ¡°Right! There¡¯s the Qing Jiao Competition today!¡± As Chu Liuyue looked at the bright rays of light reflecting off the trees, she suddenly recalled that there was another competition today. ¡°At this time¡­ the competition must¡¯ve begun.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°You really seem to care about this Qing Jiao Competition.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded frankly. ¡°The competition isn¡¯t important. What¡¯s important is the reward!¡± Even though she had become the top warrior in this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition, it was good to get more benefits from it since she had signed up for the Xuan Master competition. As he stared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s bright-eyed behavior, Rong Xiu began to reflect. Perhaps I did not gift her enough things last time? ¡°You still want to take part in the Qing Jiao Competition?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will make it in time even if I go now.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°If you want to take part, then it¡¯s not too late.¡± ¡­ Yan Ge anxiously waited for news of Chu Liuyue in Zhen Bao Pavilion. Since he was afraid of setting off alarm bells, he did not go out to search for her personally. However, he did send out a number of people discreetly. Time passed, and noon was almost over, but there was still no news. His heart was in his throat when he pondered whether he would have to resort to extreme measures if there was still no news by evening. Then, he suddenly felt something. He quickly took out the palm-sized geomantic compass from his chest. Master uses the geomantic compass to send messages, but he has not used the compass more than thrice in the past three years. I did not expect it to move now! The needle¡ªcarved out of purple jade¡ªpointed in a specific direction after spinning for a while. Without hesitation, Yan Ge dashed out! ¡­ Jia Nan Square. The entire square was silent, and the arena was filled with Xuan Masters. Since the Xuan Master competition required high concentration, everyone remained silent. However, the atmosphere was tense because it was a competition. Bang! A soft sound could be heard. In the arena, three stars had lit up on the stone stage in front of a Xuan Master. This meant that the student had solved three Xuan formations! ¡°That¡¯s Sheng Yiming from Nan Feng Academy. He¡¯s only 18, but he¡¯s a stage-four Xuan Master. He can be considered one of the best amongst these students.¡± ¡°There are less than ten students who are above stage-four Xuan Masters, correct? The top Xuan Master should be amongst them¡­¡± ¡°Look, Xi Wanwan has also solved three formations!¡± ¡°Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Xuan Masters seem rather strong! But then again, Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Elder Sun is a Xuan Master himself, so he should produce rather outstanding students. However, none of Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Xuan Masters have solved the third formation yet.¡± ¡°That Si Ting seems to be his student, right? I heard he¡¯s rather strong, but I wonder how the others are¡­¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue a Xuan Master too? She could even activate a fourth-level black Xuan formation crystal! Why don¡¯t I see her?¡± In the arena, Si Ting held a chess piece in his hand, but he did not set it down. He turned and glanced at the empty seat next to him and frowned. Chu Liuyue still isn¡¯t here yet. Knowing her, there is no reason for her not to show up after signing up¡­ Master seemed a little anxious earlier, and I wonder if it has anything to do with Chu Liuyue. He pondered for a moment before he suppressed his uneasiness and set the chess piece down. Bang! The third formation was solved! ¡°Look, Si Ting has solved it as well!¡± ¡°He seems to be a stage-four Xuan Master too?!¡± ¡°But he still ranks quite far behind. It seems like first place will belong to Nan Feng Academy¡­¡± The crowd debated softly. Situ Xingchen was seated in her seat. She seemed to be watching the happenings in the arena, but she would occasionally glance at Tian Lu Academy. Chu Liuyue actually did not show up today¡­ Cheng Han noticed her gaze and naturally figured out what she was thinking. He scoffed. ¡°Xingchen, there¡¯s no need to look! That Liuyue must have fled because she got cold feet!¡± Chapter 242 - : The Last Person Situ Xingchen hesitantly said, ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ She even activated a fourth-level black Xuan formation crystal¡­ She shouldn¡¯t be too bad if she showed up for the competition.¡± Cheng Han thought otherwise. ¡°All your attention is on cultivating as a heavenly doctor, so you naturally don¡¯t know the tricks of Xuan Masters. Even though her black Xuan formation crystal contains a fourth-level Xuan formation, one does not have to be a stage-four Xuan Master to activate it.¡± ¡°You need to understand that those things are made to be easily activated during battles. It isn¡¯t that hard to activate them! That Chu Liuyue is just a stage-two Xuan Master; she only managed to become the top warrior because she used unorthodox means!¡± Cheng Han was referring to Chu Liuyue¡¯s blood ferret when he said ¡®unorthodox means.¡¯ After an entire day of pondering, Cheng Han still could not figure out why that blood ferret could consume Heng Jingchuo¡¯s force whole. Something was off! To him, Chu Liuyue did not come in first because of her own ability! Therefore, he still despised Chu Liuyue. ¡°There were too many variables in the one-on-one competition yesterday. But the Xuan Master competition is different. One¡¯s ability is clear for all to see!¡± Situ Xingchen nodded. From her point of view, she agreed with Cheng Han¡¯s opinion. But Tian Lu Academy¡¯s reaction doesn¡¯t seem right. Did something really happen to Chu Liuyue? Situ Xingchen curiously stared for a while, but it was difficult for her to ask about it in public. Then again¡­ Something else bothered her. After the competition ended yesterday, she sent someone to get information on Prince Li Mansion. However, the mansion was heavily guarded, so she did not manage to get any information. She felt a little disappointed, but she knew it was normal given that person¡¯s personality. Besides, this was the Imperial City, so she had to be extra careful. Thankfully, there was news about Prince Li Mansion going around in the Imperial City. Hence, she managed to get some information. But she was even more surprised after she heard the rumors. That person had barely left his mansion since he returned to the Imperial City a month ago. The only time he left his mansion was when he took part in the Crown Prince¡ªRong Jin¡¯s birthday banquet. The most important thing was that he seemed to have helped Chu Liuyue out at the banquet¡­ Rumors were usually exaggerated. People outside the palace usually didn¡¯t know what was going on inside, so nobody actually knew what truly happened. From the bottom of her heart, Situ Xingchen did not want to believe it. She treated it as idle gossip made up by people. Based on that person¡¯s personality, there is no way he would help her out of the blue. Even if he did help her, there has to be another reason behind his actions. After all, Chu Liuyue was still Rong Jin¡¯s fianc¨¦e then. He would never take another look at such a woman. This was the only way Situ Xingchen could comfort herself. But another matter had caught her attention. He actually went to Tian Lu Academy. On the surface, he said that it was to pay respect to his mother, but he hasn¡¯t done that in all these years. There is probably another reason behind his sudden decision. She wondered what had caught his attention in Tian Lu Academy. Situ Xingchen had many questions in her heart, and she wanted to ask him those questions in person. However, he seemed to be away from the Imperial City these two days. She wondered if she would be able to meet him before the Qing Jiao Competition ended¡­ ¡­ Time passed quickly, and it was already the afternoon. The competition was down to the last four hours. In the arena, the Xuan Masters who had not solved the first and second Xuan formations became increasingly nervous. At this point, the competing Xuan Masters would only have hope of solving the final two Xuan formations in the final four hours if they had solved the first three. Those who had not done so could be confirmed as eliminated. Bam! Someone fainted in the arena. Sun Zhongyan took a glance and instructed the refereeing teacher to bring the person down as he shook his head. Forcibly solving the Xuan formations will only hurt yourself. In reality, this happens in the arena every year. But no matter what we say, there will be people who won¡¯t listen. However, Xuan Masters aren¡¯t like warriors. This discipline relies more on one¡¯s talent and ability. Without either, one will not make any progress, even if they study Xuan formations day and night. The truth was cruel, but there was nothing that could be done. Finally, someone stood up in the dead silent arena. ¡°Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Su Bai quits.¡± His face was pale, and he could barely stand. He clearly could not hold on any longer. The stone platform in front of him only had one star lit up. The refereeing teacher took Su Bai¡¯s wooden card back and comforted him before sending him down. The teenager¡¯s face was gloomy. He stared at the card for a long while before he turned and left. The crowd did not look down on him either. At most, they sighed. ¡°Only one in a thousand can become Xuan Masters. It¡¯s a pity that only a handful can become top-class Xuan Masters.¡± ¡°There are always stronger people out there.¡± ¡°Xuan Masters truly rely on talent heavily¡­¡± The first person to quit seemed to have set a precedent. Soon, others followed. By the time there were only three hours left on the clock, half the contestants had left the arena. The people still in the arena were either truly talented or clinging on for their dear life. Bang! The stone platform before Sheng Yiming was the first to have four stars lit! He was the first to solve four Xuan formations and enter the last stage! Everyone in Nan Feng Academy was excited. Even Fu Yunshan tugged at his beard and revealed a content smile. Sheng Yiming is the academy¡¯s hope of coming in first, and he clearly did not disappoint. As long as he keeps things up, he will definitely take first place! Without a doubt, Sheng Yiming¡¯s activation of the last stage added pressure onto the others. A few more quit. Very soon, only a handful of people were left. Following Sheng Yiming, Tai Yan Academy¡¯s Su Bai caught up. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the two. If everything proceeded as expected, one of the two would be the final winner! The atmosphere over at Tian Lu Academy¡¯s side was a little stiff. This was because nobody had broken through to the last stage! Suddenly, someone fainted in the arena again. Sun Zhongyan frowned. It was a rather outstanding Xuan Master student from their academy. Perhaps they were too anxious, which resulted in forces clashing within their body. It then led to the person fainting. Their only hope left in the arena was Si Ting! Chapter 243 - Here to compete! Tian Lu Academy sank into silence. The others noticed it, and they began to chatter. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Tian Lu Academy to be left with only one new student! I think they won¡¯t end up with anything!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure! I heard that Si Ting is the Si family¡¯s Eldest Young Master and has always been a talented Xuan Master. Maybe he¡¯ll make a comeback.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s tough! Can¡¯t you see that he still hasn¡¯t solved the fourth Xuan formation yet? Sheng Yiming and Su Bai are almost done!¡± ¡­ At this moment, Si Ting calmly put a chess piece down! Bang! A fourth star lit up on the stone platform before him! The crowd was silenced as if they did not expect Si Ting to solve the fourth Xuan formation at this moment! Alongside Sheng Yiming and Su Bai, he was now in the top three! Sun Zhongyan sighed. As Si Ting¡¯s mentor, he knew how much potential his student had. Si Ting had intentionally concealed his ability earlier, but it now seemed like he was going for the number one position! ¡­ Having entered the last stage, Si Ting was calm. However, the others around him were a little surprised. Sheng Yiming and Su Bai could not help but look back a little stiffly. It seems like we underestimated Si Ting¡­ Xi Wanwan¡ªwho was at the side¡ªfurrowed her brows, and her expression turned cold. She had been confident of herself, but she did not expect a new student to beat her to it! She could not help but speak up. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell before, but you¡¯re quite strong.¡± Si Ting glanced at her expressionlessly and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± He then retracted his gaze and looked towards the chessboard. The last Xuan formation was much tougher than the others, so it would be difficult to solve if he did not concentrate. After seeing his reaction, Xi Wanwan was upset. She felt that Si Ting was looking down on her. He¡¯s just ahead by a little! What¡¯s he so arrogant for?! Xi Wanwan was upset, but she did not show it. What was more important was solving the fourth Xuan formation¡­ But the more nervous she was, the more difficult it was for her to find the solution. Sheng Yiming and Su Bai were fine since they were famous, but it would be embarrassing for her to lose to a new student. I was ahead of Si Ting earlier! Xi Wanwan felt frustrated, but she saw that Si Ting was already laying pieces down as if he were attempting to solve the final Xuan formation. Xi Wanwan glanced at Sheng Yiming, only to discover that he was staring at the chessboard hesitantly. She then bit her lip. It¡¯s fine if I lose, but¡­ Sheng Yiming has been waiting too long for this day. Sheng Yiming and Su Bai seemed to have noticed Si Ting¡¯s actions, and they looked at him again. Their expressions changed when they saw Si Ting calmly put the chess pieces in place. They were all Xuan Masters, so they could tell if the other person was faking it. Si Ting is actually this strong?! Su Bai laughed as he tried to place some pieces down. He then muttered, ¡°How interesting¡­¡± Sheng Yiming and Xi Wanwan glanced at each other and saw the worry in each other¡¯s eyes. Xi Wanwan pursed her lips. Sheng Yiming cannot lose¡­ She looked down and stared at the chessboard, but she found everything before her eyes a jumbled mess. She held her breath and rubbed her glabella. She knew she had reached her limit. In this condition, she would only pass out if she tried to solve the Xuan formation forcibly. She would be forced to drop out. She could not continue on in this state¡­ At this thought, Xi Wanwan gritted her teeth and stood up! ¡°I drop out!¡± Her voice was especially clear in the square. Everyone looked over in surprise. Wasn¡¯t Xi Wanwan a hopeful before? Why did she drop out at such a crucial moment? The referee teacher asked, ¡°Xi Wanwan, are you sure? It¡¯s as good as voluntarily dropping out once you say this. Hence, you can take back your decision.¡± She nodded firmly. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± With that, she headed for the arena¡¯s exit. When she walked past Si Ting, her hand moved ever so slightly. Her movement was very discreet, and her hands were hidden in her sleeves. Hence, nobody noticed it. Si Ting¡ªwho was focused on solving the formation¡ªsensed that something was amiss and raised his hand, but it was too late! A transparent thread landed on the chessboard. The instant it landed on the board, it disappeared completely! The lines on the chessboard suddenly changed! In the next instant, Si Ting saw all the pieces on the board fly up and scatter everywhere. Pilihuala! The originally tidy chessboard was a mess! The crowd was stunned! The chessboard fell apart itself? This usually only happens when a severe mistake is made! Si Ting was doing fine just now, so why did things become like this in an instant? Si Ting stood up and turned towards Xi Wanwan, his voice cold and angry. ¡°Xi Wanwan!¡± Xi Wanwan was already at the edge of the arena. Her heart skipped a beat, but she remained expressionless as she turned to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Si Ting clenched his fists. ¡°You purposely destroyed my Xuan formation!¡± Xi Wanwan looked at him blankly. ¡°What are you saying? Why don¡¯t I understand anything? Si Ting, you can¡¯t say whatever you want. How can you blame me for your inability to solve it? Do you have proof?¡± Si Ting¡¯s face turned colder. That thing will never leave a trace! All his attention was on the Xuan formation earlier, which gave Xi Wanwan the chance to do such a thing. Most importantly, he did not expect her to strike in public! Fu Yunshan frowned unhappily. ¡°Exactly. You need to back up your accusations with evidence. You can¡¯t go around wronging people like this.¡± Si Ting clenched his fists gradually. Sheng Yiming looked up and glanced at Si Ting, a gleeful expression flashing across his eyes. Su Bai narrowed his eyes and deeply stared at Xi Wanwan, but he did not say anything. Xi Wanwan tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled. ¡°I know you¡¯re Tian Lu Academy¡¯s last hope, and you really want to win. But you can¡¯t wrongfully accuse me because of this, right? Didn¡¯t I voluntarily drop out too?¡± She handed her tag to the refereeing teacher casually, but her voice was mocking. ¡°There¡¯s no one left in your academy¡­¡± ¡°Who says there¡¯s no one left in Tian Lu Academy?¡± A bright voice reverberated through Jia Nan Square. Sun Zhongyan and the others were stunned. They then turned around in surprise! A slender figure stood at the entrance to Jia Nan Square! ¡°Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Chu Liuyue is here to compete!¡± Chapter 244 - The first stage! The person who spoke was Chu Liuyue! Everyone¡¯s gaze gathered on her; they all had mixed reactions. Mu Hongyu and her friends cried out in surprise. ¡°Liuyue! You¡¯re finally here!¡± Chu Liuyue headed in the direction of Tian Lu Academy¡¯s students. Mu Hongyu could not help herself and ran over to grab Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± She really wanted to ask Chu Liuyue what happened during the day and night she was missing and if she was hurt. However, she decided against it after recalling that they were in public and just stared at her friend excitedly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. ¡°I made you all worry.¡± Mu Hongyu shook her head immediately. ¡°What¡¯s important is that you¡¯re fine!¡± Sun Zhongyan could not help but eye Chu Liuyue from head to toe. He was relieved when he determined Chu Liuyue to be fine. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I got held back by something yesterday. Can I still take part in the competition?¡± Sun Zhongyan immediately spoke up. ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± Even though there were only two hours left, and Chu Liuyue hardly had a chance of winning, her calm demeanor still drew objections. ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± Cheng Han spoke up with a frown. ¡°The competition is almost over. It doesn¡¯t make sense for her to take part. Since she¡¯s late, she has lost the right to compete!¡± Sun Zhongyan retorted, ¡°Brother Cheng Han, the Qing Jiao Competition doesn¡¯t seem to have such a rule. Even though Liuyue is late, the competition is not yet over. Besides, she did sign up for the competition. Why can¡¯t she compete?¡± Cheng Han despised Chu Liuyue, so his objection was an instinctive move. He coldly laughed when he saw how defensive Sun Zhongyan was. ¡°Rules make the world go round! If we let her compete, what do we do if others follow suit in the future? There will be chaos!¡± Sun Zhongyan laughed. ¡°Not necessarily! I don¡¯t think many will take part in the competition with only two hours left. From my point of view, this is a show of her determination!¡± Cheng Han was at a loss for words. Sun Zhongyan had always been good at talking! Fu Yunshan was disapproving as well. ¡°Brother Zhongyan, no matter what, it¡¯s not very appropriate to let her compete with so little time left.¡± Sun Zhongyan placed his hands behind his back with a wry smile. ¡°Brother Yunshan, could it be that you¡¯re afraid Liuyue will overtake your students in the final two hours?¡± Fu Yunshan¡¯s expression stiffened. This is reverse psychology, but it has worked! If I don¡¯t agree, it is as good as me admitting that my students are inferior to Chu Liuyue. He scoffed coldly. ¡°Since you¡¯ve gone this far, there¡¯s naturally no reason for me to object to this! But this is the only time!¡± Sun Zhongyan glanced at Cheng Han again. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, what do you think?¡± Even Fu Yunshan had agreed, so objecting now would only make him seem petty. Hence, Cheng Han waved his sleeves. ¡°Since all of you insist, sure!¡± He refused to believe that a stage-two Xuan Master could create any ripples. Situ Xingchen glanced at Chu Liuyue. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy. ¡°Master, are we really going to let her compete? This¡­ seems a little inappropriate?¡± ¡°So what if it¡¯s inappropriate? Can¡¯t you see that Sun Zhongyan is hell-bent on helping Chu Liuyue? She doesn¡¯t seem to be his disciple, but he pays a lot of attention to her for some reason¡­¡± Cheng Han smirked as he spoke. ¡°I think he¡¯s just trying to make up for the fact that there¡¯s nobody left from their academy. However, it¡¯s crazy that he¡¯s relying on Chu Liuyue to win! We can just watch from here! It¡¯ll be the biggest joke if Chu Liuyue can¡¯t even solve a single Xuan Formation at the end of it all!¡± ¡­ Sun Zhongyan felt a little more assured after seeing the other two give in. Chu Liuyue said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Elder Sun.¡± Sun Zhongyan waved. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to thank me for. Just head on up! There are only two hours left, so just try your best. Don¡¯t think too much.¡± He did not have much hope either. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely try my best.¡± With that, she headed over to the refereeing teacher and picked up the wooden card belonging to her. Xi Wanwan looked at her with a frown. Since she ranked behind Chu Liuyue in the warrior competition yesterday, she was both jealous and afraid of her. She was a little afraid when she saw the small ball of fur on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder. Naturally, she did not act as arrogant as she had toward Si Ting. She barely managed to keep her composure as she said, ¡°I thought that you wouldn¡¯t show after you took first place in the warrior competition.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at her with a smirk. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? I would have missed a good show.¡± As she spoke, her hand traced the shape of Xi Wanwan¡¯s hand. Xi Wanwan¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Could it be that Chu Liuyue knows¡­ How can that be? I acted quietly and secretly. Even the refereeing teacher at the side did not notice. Chu Liuyue just came back, so how could she have possibly seen it? She must be testing me! Xi Wanwan shot Chu Liuyue a stiff smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were close to Si Ting. Do you think that I caused him to fail too?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°This has nothing to do with friendship, but my eyesight.¡± She pointed towards her eyes. ¡°My eyes just can¡¯t stand looking at dirty things.¡± Xi Wanwan shuddered. The temperature was fine, and Chu Liuyue was smiling, but she felt cold. It was like everything had been laid out in plain sight! Xi Wanwan looked away nervously. She turned and left without saying anything else. Chu Liuyue stared at her back for a while, finding it funny. She really did not know if Xi Wanwan was dumb or stupid. Did she really think that nobody would notice her lowly tactics? But now isn¡¯t the time to pursue the matter. Chu Liuyue quickly retracted her gaze and headed towards the arena. She ran into Si Ting. Their eyes met, and his eyes contained complicated emotions. ¡°Be careful, and just try your best.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded with a smile. It¡¯s a pity for Si Ting. Based on his actual ability, he definitely could¡¯ve come in first. However, his hopes were dashed by the despicable Xi Wanwan. The two walked past each other. According to the number of the wooden card, Chu Liuyue found her position. The chessboard was empty. Nothing was activated. She contracted and moved her wrist. The lines of the chessboard changed! The first Xuan formation was presented before her eyes. Chapter 245 - Sorry for the Wait ¡°I really don¡¯t know what Chu Liuyue is thinking by participating in the competition at this time. There are only two hours left. What can she do?¡± ¡°Yeah! The remaining competitors¡ªSheng Yiming and Su Bai, who are genuine talents¡ªhave spent nearly a day to solve the fourth Xuan formation and enter the final stage. Isn¡¯t she just going to be a joke by coming here now?¡± ¡°Aish¡­ You should think about Tian Lu Academy! They only have Chu Liuyue now!¡± ¡°Only Chu Liuyue? You make it sound like she¡¯s really going to win. Haha!¡± Almost everyone thought badly of Chu Liuyue. Even Tian Lu Academy¡¯s students were worried. Although they never said anything, the atmosphere was stiff. It was even more so when they saw Si Ting come back. Even the talkative Si Yang did not dare to say anything randomly. He could only quietly stay at the side and try hard to minimize his existence. With Big Brother¡¯s current mood, I can¡¯t offend him at all¡­ Si Yang clasped his hands together and prayed in his heart genuinely. Sick pervert, you must get first! You must get first! Suddenly, a commotion was heard from the competition venue. Si Yang turned around in shock and saw people staring at Chu Liuyue with strange expressions. He followed their gazes and immediately saw a star light up on the stone table in front of Chu Liuyue. What the heck! Si Yang rubbed his eyes with much force and closely stared at the stone table again. That¡¯s right! Chu Liuyue has truly solved the first Xuan formation, and she¡¯s on the second stage! I-isn¡¯t this too fast? I called her a sick pervert, but she¡¯s actually this abnormal?! Not only Si Yang, but everyone in the square was stunned by Chu Liuyue¡¯s extraordinary speed. ¡°Wait a minute! Am I seeing things? Chu Liuyue actually already solved the first Xuan formation!¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s right! That¡¯s what I see too! I think it¡¯s true!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be it! Didn¡¯t she just head into the arena? Even though the Xuan formations¡¯ difficulty gradually increases, the first stage isn¡¯t so easy to solve, right? Didn¡¯t it stump quite a few people previously?¡± ¡°How exactly did she solve it¡­?¡± The commotion also attracted Sheng Yiming¡¯s and Su Bai¡¯s attention. Both of them turned around to look at Chu Liuyue. A star had indeed lit up on the stone table in front of her. Moreover, Chu Liuyue looked very calm and composed, as if she did not notice how shocking her actions were. If she can be so calm, it is either because she is too focused, or¡­ she is very confident! Su Bai found her interesting, but he looked more serious. Sheng Yiming slightly furrowed his brows, feeling more frustrated. He had always been the first to solve the Xuan formations from the first stage to the fourth, but even he had used a full hour to solve the first Xuan Formation. However, Chu Liuyue seemed to have only taken one look at it and solved it. Chu Liuyue was just a stage-two Xuan Master. Logically speaking, she would not be this fast. Could it be that the first stage¡¯s Xuan formation is one she has seen before? It seems like this is the only reason why she can solve the first Xuan formation so rapidly. Sheng Yiming suppressed his irritation and smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Perhaps I¡¯m really too nervous. Even if Chu Liuyue managed to solve the first Xuan formation, she still has to solve the second, third, and fourth Xuan formations next! She definitely won¡¯t be able to catch up with me in the last two hours. Sheng Yiming felt slightly more at ease when he thought of this. ¡­ But after a while, a familiar sound rang again. Bang! It was the sound of a Xuan formation being solved! Sheng Yiming¡¯s heart tingled, and he almost turned around instinctively. As expected, he saw a second star light up on the stone table in front of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue had actually successfully passed the second stage! The crowd broke into more heated discussions. The first stage was simple, so they could understand her solving speed. But how did she also solve the second stage so quickly? This speed had won against all the people who had competed today! Cheng Han already felt that something was amiss, and he could not help but look at Sun Zhongyan. Cheng Han¡¯s face was filled with doubts. ¡°How can a mere stage-two Xuan Master solve the Xuan formations so quickly? Could it be that she coincidentally saw similar Xuan formations?¡± Sun Zhongyan naturally could tell his implied meaning, so he looked very stern. ¡°Why? Brother Cheng Han, are you suspecting that I leaked the questions?¡± ¡°Of course not. Brother Zhongyan, you¡¯ve always been honest, so why would you do such a despicable thing? I was just curious as to why Chu Liuyue is so successful.¡± Sun Zhongyan was so angry that he laughed and said loudly, ¡°Even though Tian Lu Academy provided the chessboards for the Xuan Master competition, the five Xuan formations used in the competition were decided by all three academies. There might be a possibility if you say that I leaked the questions, but¡­ Brother Cheng Han and Brother Yunshan, I don¡¯t think either of you can absolve yourselves from the responsibility, right?¡± Fu Yunshan immediately said, ¡°Brother Zhongyan, don¡¯t misunderstand me! I don¡¯t mean it in that way! However¡­ I¡¯m also curious as to why Chu Liuyue can solve the Xuan formations so quickly.¡± Sun Zhongyan coldly laughed. ¡°What else can it be? It¡¯s obviously because she¡¯s talented!¡± This answer was too righteous and straightforward, which made Fu Yunshan and Cheng Han not know what to say for a short while. Seeing that the two of them wanted to argue even more, Sun Zhongyan shook his clothes. ¡°Your students can¡¯t do it, but does that mean other people can¡¯t?¡± His single sentence thoroughly shut the duo¡¯s mouths. ¡­ One hour passed very quickly. Bang! A familiar sound rang again! The crowd looked over and saw a third star light up on the stone table in front of Chu Liuyue. The originally noisy crowd gradually quietened down. At this point, they finally realized that Chu Liuyue did not rely on luck to solve the first two Xuan formations so quickly. Sun Zhongyan¡¯s words are true. Her talent is truly very rare! Chu Liuyue calmly looked at the moving pieces on the chessboard in front of her. Very quickly, the fourth Xuan formation appeared. At this point, all those people who doubted her were absolutely quiet. If Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t counted as talented, perhaps nobody will be considered a talent! They were all concerned about one thing now¡ªcould Chu Liuyue solve the fourth and fifth Xuan formations in the final hour and take first place? Su Bai¡¯s smile disappeared from his face at some point. Sheng Yiming¡¯s hand¡ªwhich held the chess pieces¡ªalso started to tremble slightly. Even though they did not turn around, they could already guess what had happened. Now, they both hoped that Chu Liuyue would not catch up¡ª Da! Chu Liuyue placed a chess piece down. Both of them were stunned. She¡¯s starting to solve the fourth Xuan formation so quickly? Following which, the sounds of pieces landing on the chessboard were repeatedly heard. Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions were very smooth, and every single sound was like a call of death. It continuously rang in Sheng Yiming¡¯s and Su Bai¡¯s ears. If one took a close look at them, they would see the duo¡¯s foreheads covered with tiny droplets of sweat. No¡­ No¡­ I must quickly solve the last few steps! But the more they thought of this, the harder it was for them to succeed. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue paused in her actions and quietened down. Sheng Yiming and Su Bai looked at each other before turning around in unison. Chu Liuyue held a piece in her hand and looked at the duo with a smile. ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± Then¡ª Pak! The piece was set down on the chessboard. Bang! Following the sound, the fourth star lit up. Chapter 246 - Loss of Hope! Everyone closely stared at Chu Liuyue and the four stars in front of her. She actually continuously solved the four Xuan formations and arrived at the last stage in such a short amount of time! As long as she can successfully solve the last Xuan formation, she will be the top Xuan Master! Previously, everyone thought it was just a joke for Chu Liuyue to catch up with her competition in the remaining two hours. However, all of them now finally understood that Chu Liuyue had come prepared. She clearly has the ability to fight for first place! At this point, someone could not sit still anymore. ¡°Brother Zhongyan, you should give an explanation now, right?¡± Cheng Han¡¯s face was cold, and he looked like he was about to cause trouble. ¡°Ignoring the first three stages, the fourth stage is a fourth-level Xuan formation. Chu Liuyue is just a stage-two Xuan Master, so how can she solve it so quickly? I demand to check on Chu Liuyue immediately!¡± Fu Yunshan glanced at him. Even though Fu Yunshan did not say anything, he still felt that the matter was suspicious. How could Sun Zhongyan not know what Cheng Han was thinking? Hence, Sun Zhongyan immediately rejected Cheng Han. ¡°The competition hasn¡¯t ended yet. How can we just stop it now? If Brother Cheng Han must check on Liuyue, then the other two must be checked too!¡± Cheng Han sneered. ¡°Not only me, but even the other people in the square have doubts about Chu Liuyue. How can a mere stage-two Xuan Master have such abilities? Even if she¡¯s talented, she definitely can¡¯t do this much.¡± ¡°How do you know that she can¡¯t do this much?¡± Not only was Sun Zhongyan not angry, but he had even surveyed his surroundings and revealed a meaningful smile. ¡°Everyone might know that Liuyue only entered our Tian Lu Academy two months ago. However, there might be something you¡¯re not clear about. Liuyue only formally started cultivating as a Xuan Master after entering the academy!¡± Seeing the crowd¡¯s stunned expressions, he grunted. ¡°This also means that Liuyue has advanced from a normal person to a stage-two Xuan Master in two months¡¯ time!¡± The crowd dropped into deadly silence, and all of them were beyond shocked. Sun Zhongyan¡¯s words had too much impact, and they were too shocking. ¡°Impossible!¡± Cheng Han was the first to react and immediately refuted Sun Zhongyan. ¡°Why is it possible? Everyone in the Imperial City knows about this. Our academy¡¯s elders, teachers, and even students can attest to this.¡± Sun Zhongyan smiled like an old fox. ¡°Could it be that so many people will lie in unison to help Chu Liuyue?¡± Cheng Han was stumped for a while, and his mind was blank. In actual fact, he knew that it had to be true if Sun Zhongyan dared to say so in public. At the very least, Sun Zhongyan could prove his words to be true. Cheng Han could not help but look at Chu Liuyue. She caused such a big commotion in her surroundings, but the culprit acted as if it had nothing to do with her. She is just calmly solving the Xuan formation in front of her. He felt increasingly uneasy. If what Sun Zhongyan said is true, then Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re still doubtful, we can conduct a check after the competition,¡± said Sun Zhongyan slowly. You want to use such a method to stop Chu Liuyue? Dream on! Cheng Han did not speak for a long while. Fu Yunshan¡ªwho was sitting opposite Cheng Han¡ªwas also shocked for some time. After thinking for a while, Fu Yunshan just hoped that Sheng Yiming could solve the last Xuan formation before Chu Liuyue. ¡­ Hopes were beautiful, but things usually happened against one¡¯s wishes. Fu Yunshan quickly discovered that Sheng Yiming did not seem to be in a good state. Sheng Yiming sat there staring at the chessboard, not making a move for quite some time. Even Su Bai had started to solve the final Xuan formation, but Sheng Yiming looked like he had no idea where to start. Fu Yunshan understood the outstanding Sheng Yiming quite well. Seeing his appearance, Fu Yunshan knew that something was wrong. Everything was good about Sheng Yiming normally, except for one thing¡ªhis arrogance. Sheng Yiming wanted to do his best in everything. If he occasionally lost to someone, he would lock himself in the library to study Xuan formations and wouldn¡¯t come out for one day and one night. For this Qing Jiao Competition, he had prepared for a very long time. He was set on taking first place. However, it seemed like Chu Liuyue¡¯s appearance had clearly caused him a great amount of stress. At this point, Xi Wanwan had already returned to her seat, but her heart rose when she saw the competition¡¯s situation. I really shouldn¡¯t have left so early just now! If I knew there would be another Chu Liuyue, I would¡¯ve definitely dragged her down before leaving the arena! But it is too late to say anything now! I wonder if Sheng Yiming can last on his end¡­ ¡­ Da! Chu Liuyue placed a chess piece down again, and the chessboard in front of her moved slightly. Both Sheng Yiming and Su Bai clearly knew what this movement meant¡ªChu Liuyue had already found the correct way to solve the Xuan formation! If she was given more time, she would probably finish before them and take first place! Su Bai also placed his piece down. Immediately, the same movement appeared on his chessboard. Sheng Yiming looked at Su Bai and could not conceal his shock. However, Su Bai just smiled and ignored him. This smile instantly made Sheng Yiming realize that Su Bai had also been hiding his abilities previously! Su Bai was always behind him every time, and Sheng Yiming thought that it was due to the difference in their abilities. But¡­ No matter if it is Si Ting, Su Bai, or Chu Liuyue¡ªwho just appeared¡ªall of them seem to be stronger than me! However, I still thought that I was the most outstanding one and that my future was bright! In actual fact, I¡¯m just a laughingstock to them! If I lose this time¡­ Sheng Yiming held the piece in his hand tightly, and his entire body tensed up. He tried hard to focus on the pattern on the chessboard, but his anxious heart did not allow him to see it clearly, let alone think about solving it. If this goes on¡­ Da! Su Bai was ahead! Chu Liuyue quickly followed after him, almost putting a chess piece down at the same time. Upon hearing the duo¡¯s movements, Sheng Yiming¡¯s hand trembled, and he crushed a chess piece! This mild commotion attracted many people¡¯s attention, and the crowd broke into discussions immediately. Sheng Yiming felt very uncomfortable; it was as if he was sitting on needles. Chu Liuyue looked up, nonchalantly glanced at him, and her lips curved up. For someone like Sheng Yiming, even if he is talented, he will not go far as a Xuan Master. As expected, Sheng Yiming took a deep breath in, but his hands violently trembled when he wanted to pick up another piece. He spent much effort picking that piece up. He looked at the chessboard in frustration and anxiety. As he was too rushed, he casually placed the piece in a position. The chessboard shook violently! Sheng Yiming was shocked! I made the wrong crucial step, and this game is ruined! When he noticed the chaotic energy on the board, an extremely dangerous thought flashed across Sheng Yiming¡¯s mind. Then, his hands lightly swiped across the chessboard as if they could not be controlled. The chessboard was in a mess! The Xuan formation¡¯s energy immediately exploded out and spread in all directions! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was sharp, and she picked up her chessboard swiftly. Chapter 247 - Continue! Su Bai¡ªwho was at the side¡ªimmediately noticed something was wrong and hurriedly got up, but he was still too late. Clang! The chessboard in front of him was affected by the energy in Sheng Yiming¡¯s chessboard, and it immediately flipped over. The Xuan formation¡ªwhich Su Bai had solved a portion of¡ªbecame a mess in the blink of an eye. Su Bai¡¯s face immediately turned white and green. Sheng Yiming did it on purpose! He knew that he was not our match, so he took the chance to destroy our Xuan formations and forcefully stop the competition! He glared at Sheng Yiming. As Sheng Yiming was closest to the chessboard, the energy affected him the most. He collapsed on the floor and spat out blood. However, he suddenly felt happier when he saw the fallen chess pieces on the floor from the corner of his eyes. This way, everyone can¡¯t continue! The sudden situation in the arena immediately attracted the crowd¡¯s attention. Fu Yunshan looked at Sheng Yiming, and his face immediately changed. ¡°What happened?¡± Remorse filled Sheng Yiming¡¯s face. ¡°D-director, sorry¡­ I made a mistake¡­ and this happened¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying it so casually! Now that Su Bai¡¯s chessboard is ruined, what should we do? How can you compensate for this?¡± Cheng Han was originally in a bad mood, and he could not hold himself back. He directly exploded when he saw this scene. Cheng Han clearly saw Su Bai successfully solving the Xuan formation, but he was interrupted by Sheng Yiming. ¡°As a Xuan Master, don¡¯t you know how much energy will be used up when you¡¯re solving the Xuan formation? You¡¯ve ruined everything now!¡± Their academy¡¯s last bit of hope was on Su Bai. It didn¡¯t matter if Sheng Yiming wasn¡¯t good enough, but he actually dragged Su Bai down as well. Sun Zhongyan furrowed his brows and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the competition has to stop since this happened.¡± However, Cheng Han refused to let it happen. ¡°The competition was going on smoothly, so how can we just stop it so suddenly? The three of them were at different stages of progress. If they restart, it¡¯ll be too unfair!¡± He originally thought that Chu Liuyue was terrible enough, but he did not expect Sheng Yiming to be a real piece of work. Sun Zhongyan was also in a bad mood. Everyone could tell that Sheng Yiming was starting to lag behind and that Liuyue had the chance to fight with Su Bai. If they were to restart, Liuyue would be disadvantaged too. This girl has been competing for the past few days, and she even disappeared off to somewhere last night. Then, she directly came to join the Xuan Master competition¡­ Who knows how long that small body of hers can last? If it weren¡¯t because we¡¯re the ones who organized the Qing Jiao Competition, I would also cause a scene. Fu Yunshan was the most guilty one. However, since things had come to this stage, retreating would only show that he was in the wrong. He coughed and said, ¡°This matter is indeed Yiming¡¯s fault, but I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t continue any longer since things have already ended in this state¡­ Why don¡¯t we let the kids rest first, and we¡¯ll give them another Xuan formation test later?¡± Sun Zhongyan and Cheng Han were silent. Since things had ended in this way, this was the most suitable solution. Sun Zhongyan hesitated for a while and said, ¡°Then¡­ Let¡¯s act according to Brother Yunshan¡¯s suggestion.¡± Actually, Sun Zhongyan was also a little selfish. He was worried that Chu Liuyue could not take the impact, so it would be good if she could take the time to rest first. Sheng Yiming lowered his head and slowly wiped the blood away from his mouth. He felt extremely delighted and lucky. If we restart, I definitely won¡¯t lose to the two of them. ¡°Hold on,¡± said Chu Liuyue¡ªwho initially stood at the side and did not speak a word. She looked at Sun Zhongyan calmly and properly enunciated every word as she said, ¡°Elder Sun, I hope that the competition can continue.¡± Everyone looked at her with weird gazes. How can they continue with the competition in this state? Even Sun Zhongyan was in a difficult position as he advised, ¡°Liuyue, I understand how you feel. However, the chessboards are all ruined, so the competition can¡¯t carry on¡­¡± ¡°My chessboard isn¡¯t ruined.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s casual sentence immediately stirred up a storm in the crowd¡¯s hearts. ¡°What? Are you speaking the truth?¡± gasped Sun Zhongyan in shock. Sheng Yiming suddenly raised his head and looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue showed the chessboard in her hands. None of the chess pieces had moved a single bit! Even the energy wave¡ªwhich was created due to half of the Xuan formation being solved¡ªwas no different from before. Her chessboard was indeed well and unaffected. Sun Zhongyan was shocked and surprised. He did not expect Chu Liuyue to be capable of protecting her chessboard in such a scenario. ¡°Great! Since your chessboard isn¡¯t ruined, there¡¯s no reason to stop the competition. However, as for the others¡­¡± Ignoring Sheng Yiming, Su Bai was truly pretty innocent. He was implicated in the situation for no reason. It did not seem right if they just allowed Chu Liuyue to continue with the competition alone. Chu Liuyue smiled lightly and asked, ¡°Elder Sun, you can restore the chessboard¡¯s state, right?¡± Sun Zhongyan was dazed. ¡°Of course. Do you mean¡­¡± ¡°I hope you can help restore Su Bai¡¯s chessboard. When it¡¯s restored, I can continue competing with him.¡± Sun Zhongyan¡¯s eyes lit up. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? ¡°Su Bai, do you remember which step you stopped at?¡± Su Bai nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great! It¡¯ll only need about half an hour for the chessboard to be recovered.¡± This way, it will not delay the competition, and it is also fair for everyone. As Sun Zhongyan spoke, he raised his hand, and Su Bai¡¯s chessboard flew toward him. The light on his fingertips shone brightly, and the messy pattern on the chessboard immediately became clear again. Su Bai watched on at the side as he explained, in detail, which step he had progressed to. Sun Zhongyan was very fast, and the chessboard started returning to its original state at an observable speed. After a few checks, he returned the chessboard to Su Bai. ¡°Take a look and see if it¡¯s correct.¡± Su Bai took the chessboard with both hands and carefully checked it. He then seriously bowed toward Sun Zhongyan. ¡°Thank you, Elder Sun.¡± He then looked at Chu Liuyue and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No need for thanks. It¡¯s just for a fair competition. I don¡¯t want people to say that my victory is not glorious.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled lightly and sat back down on her seat. Su Bai did not say anything more. However, his impression of Chu Liuyue had changed greatly. Sheng Yiming was stunned. After being in a daze for quite some time, he suddenly jumped up in panic when he saw that the duo was about to continue. ¡°Wait a minute! My chessboard isn¡¯t restored yet!¡± Even if they want to continue with the competition, they should wait for me to be ready, right? How can they continue so suddenly? Chu Liuyue held her chin up with one hand and gazed at him lazily. She said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°If I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, your Xuan formation broke because you made the wrong move, right? According to the rules, it seems like you¡¯re¡­ eliminated.¡± Even though she did not continue speaking, everyone could understand what she implied¡ªhow can a person who has been eliminated have the cheek to continue standing there? Sheng Yiming was stumped, and his face was a sight to see. Chapter 248 - He’s Here Sheng Yiming wanted to refute Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, but he realized that she was right. Everyone saw what happened very clearly. I was indeed eliminated due to my own mistakes. I can no longer stand in the arena now that Chu Liuyue has directly pointed it out, no matter how thick-skinned I am. Sheng Yiming¡¯s head felt heavy. All these years, I was an outstanding talent that everyone envied. Since when was I so easily defeated and even needed to leave the competition in shame? His intense desolation almost made him unable to stand properly. Xi Wanwan¡ªwho had nervously been watching on from below¡ªsensed that something was wrong and hurried over. ¡°Yiming, you¡¯re injured. Why don¡¯t you rest for a while?¡± Fu Yunshan knew that the situation could not be salvaged, so he could only shake his head and sigh. With Xi Wanwan helping Sheng Yiming ease out of the situation, he finally recovered his senses and forcefully walked down. When he walked past Chu Liuyue, he could not help but turn around to take a look. That young girl looked very relaxed as she stared at her chessboard calmly. She was very different from his previous nervous and embarrassing appearance. Sheng Yiming felt increasingly uncomfortable. He hurriedly retracted his gaze and left with his head hung low. Chu Liuyue gently placed a piece down, not even giving him an extra look. Sheng Yiming wanted to fish in troubled waters silently, but Chu Liuyue did not want to waste any time on him. As for that Xi Wanwan¡­ She¡¯s just a jackal of the same tribe. ¡­ When Sheng Yiming came down, the crowd softly discussed for a while before turning their attention back to the duo in the competition. The competition was going to end soon, but nobody knew who was going to solve the Xuan formation first. Suddenly, there was an uproar in the crowd. At first, Chu Liuyue did not take the commotion to heart, but the sounds gradually grew louder and louder as if something was not right. She finally retracted her gaze from the Xuan formation and looked up. She saw a familiar figure far away. The man was decked in white, and he donned a black cloak. Just by standing there, he automatically attracted everyone¡¯s gaze. He looked as sturdy as a tree, and he looked like a very humble gentleman. These words used on him could only show off a portion of his characteristics. Many girls in the square blushed as they looked at him, feeling both excited and nervous. On the other hand, the men felt very guilty as they didn¡¯t even have the desire to compete with the man due to them being vastly different. Such a fairy-like person was definitely not someone an average person could compare with. This commotion was also caused by this man¡¯s arrival. Even though she was in the arena, Chu Liuyue could still clearly hear many people¡¯s excited whispers. ¡°Who is that? Who is that? Since when did Country Yao Chen have such a handsome young man?¡± ¡°There are tons of men out there¡­ but I didn¡¯t expect there to be such a man here¡­¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s Country Yao Chen¡¯s Seventh Prince, who is also the sickly Prince Li. I heard that he has always been resting at Mingyue Tianshan and that he only returned to the Imperial City just recently.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s him! I thought he¡¯d look sickly and frail, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± ¡°Even though rumors have it that he has always been sick, his appearance is enough to make countless women go crazy over him, right?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows a notch. A demon is indeed a demon. He can easily cause such a commotion no matter where he goes. However, we bid farewell in the woods outside the Imperial City. Why did he suddenly come here? Why isn¡¯t he doing his own things? Yan Qing¡ªwho was behind Rong Xiu¡ªstarted sweating when he heard the commotion. Master is so¡­ He clearly knew that he would cause a commotion, yet he still came here so openly¡ªforget it. Our trip is actually considered low profile already. Prince Li only came with one guard. No matter what, it can¡¯t be considered as being high profile. The most high profile thing is Master¡¯s face! When Master returned to the residence with messy bloodstains all over, he frightened Yu Mo and me. However, Master has never been in a better mood before. Not only was he lazy to act sick in the mansion, but he even went outside. Originally, Yan Qing was still confused. However, he immediately understood why when he saw Chu Liuyue in the competition. Master clearly came here for someone! But Yan Qing felt even more confused. According to Yan Ge, Master came back with Ms. Chu in the afternoon. Why did he suddenly come to see her again after such a short while? Yan Qing naturally did not understand anything. Other than something called ¡®missing her¡¯ in this world, there was also ¡®possessiveness.¡¯ Rong Xiu finally captured her back, so how could he just quietly stick around? Rong Xiu looked at the young girl in the arena and walked forward. His body seemed to have an invisible aura, which made people instinctively move backward and make way for him when he walked past them. ¡­ Situ Xingchen froze when she saw Rong Xiu appear. The man that she had been thinking about day and night appeared in front of her suddenly and unexpectedly. As she was too shocked and surprised, even Xing Luo¡¯s eldest princess did not know what to do. In actual fact, they had not met in a long time. Rong Xiu¡¯s face looked more mature than before, and he felt even more prestigious and cold. Her heart started racing, and her cheeks turned red. Situ Xingchen nervously checked herself and secretly regretted it in her heart. If I knew he was coming today, I definitely would¡¯ve dolled myself up before I left the house. However, all these were minor things that were quickly washed away by the happiness of meeting him again. Situ Xingchen took a deep breath in. When Rong Xiu finally walked nearer toward her, she softly called out, ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu!¡± Rong Xiu stopped in his tracks and looked over. Chapter 249 - Do a Small Favor Rong Xiu stopped in his tracks and looked over. When he saw Situ Xingchen, a faint doubt appeared in his clear eyes. ¡°You are?¡± Situ Xingchen felt as if someone had poured cold water over her, and her originally excited heart felt cold. However, she still forcefully maintained the smile on her face. ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu, I¡¯m Xingchen!¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes as if he was trying to recall who the girl in front of him was. Yan Qing¡ªwho was behind him¡ªsoftly reminded, ¡°Your Highness, she¡¯s Elder Zong Ye¡¯s niece.¡± Rong Xiu looked like he suddenly recalled something upon hearing Yan Qing¡¯s words. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Eldest Princess Situ.¡± After seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s reaction, Situ Xingchen knew that he really didn¡¯t remember her. This caused her heart to feel empty. Rong Xiu¡¯s distant tone hurt her even more. Ever since she knew that the Qing Jiao Competition would be held in Country Yao Chen, she had always been imagining the scene of the two of them reuniting. She had thought about this scene countless times, but she did not expect it to end up like this. He actually did not even recognize me. She took a deep breath in and suppressed her disappointment with much difficulty. Actually, both of us have not seen each other for more than two years, and I don¡¯t look the same as before. Hence, it is normal for Rong Xiu not to recognize me very quickly. After comforting herself in her heart, Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes gradually looked more natural. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time, but you look even better than before, Senior Brother Rong Xiu.¡± Rong Xiu coughed and smiled warmly, but the smile did not reach his cold eyes. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, you¡¯re too kind. My body is weak, and I¡¯m just a bottle of medicine. I¡¯m not worthy of your praises.¡± Situ Xingchen was stumped because she knew that Rong Xiu definitely was not as weak as he seemed on the surface. In the past, she had personally witnessed how outstanding he was. However, it was clearly not the time to talk about this. Something flashed across her eyes as she softly said, ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu, you¡¯re being too polite by addressing me like that. Since we came from the same clan, you can just call me¡ª¡± ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, I don¡¯t think so,¡± interrupted Rong Xiu calmly. Even though he was smiling, his attitude was even more distant and colder than before. ¡°You¡¯re Elder Zong Ye¡¯s niece, but I¡¯m under Elder Zhu Ying. There are 80 elders in Mingyue Tianshan in total, and each of them has their own different clans. Besides, the two elders have been diligently cultivating in isolation and don¡¯t interact much. I think we¡¯re not considered as part of the same clan. Eldest Princess Situ, you shouldn¡¯t call me Senior Brother.¡± When they heard this, the originally dazed crowd finally understood what happened. It turned out that both of them were from Mingyue Tianshan, but they did not follow the same person. In this way, they really could not be considered as senior brother and junior sister. Besides, everyone could tell that Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude was adamant even though he was polite. This clearly showed that he did not want anything to do with Situ Xingchen. Situ Xingchen really bumped into a wall of dust. ¡°Senior¡­¡± Situ Xingchen did not expect Rong Xiu to clarify their relationship so easily, and she did not know what to say for a short period of time. She had a distinguished status, and she was very outstanding both in terms of looks and talent. Her father, her mother, her brother, and many other people had doted on her. When young men faced her, they were clueless about what to do, or they were very hardworking and put her in the spotlight. She was used to being doted on, so she did not know what to do when Rong Xiu ignored her. She was just about to say something, but she met with Rong Xiu¡¯s quiet and slightly oppressive gaze. She instinctively kept quiet, and her pretty face turned red and white. However, Rong Xiu seemed not to notice her embarrassment as he walked straight toward Tian Lu Academy¡¯s seating area. Yan Qing glanced at Situ Xingchen and silently prayed for this eldest princess. It isn¡¯t wrong to like Master. However, how can Master be nice to her when she has offended his loved one? During the short time when Master returned to the Imperial City, Master has already found out everything related to that person in the past few days. Naturally, he has also heard about how Eldest Princess Situ repeatedly put that person in a difficult spot. Master has an incredible memory, and he can remember every book he read or person he saw very clearly. Whatever he did just now was just to embarrass her. As one stared at Rong Xiu¡¯s leaving figure, his back was tall, but it looked cold and distant as well. Situ Xingchen walked back two steps in disappointment and could not recover her senses for a long time. ¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu, why are you here?¡± Sun Zhongyan and the rest were also very surprised when they saw Rong Xiu. A few days ago, Rong Xiu said that he had something to handle, so he left the academy. They did not expect him to come here directly after returning. Sun Zhongyan asked worriedly, ¡°How¡¯s your body?¡± Rong Xiu smiled lightly and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder Sun. I¡¯m feeling fine. I just need Ms. Liuyue to help me out with something, so I specifically came over here.¡± Once he said this, not only Elder Sun, but even the surrounding crowd¡ªwho was eavesdropping¡ªwas surprised. Ms. Liuyue? Is he referring to Chu Liuyue? What help does the grand Prince Li need from Chu Liuyue? Elder Sun was also curious, but he did not ask further and nodded. ¡°That girl is currently competing, so I¡¯m afraid you need to wait for a while before it ends.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just wait here.¡± He then found a place to sit to watch the match quietly. Yan Qing followed behind Rong Xiu, and his lack of a smile made him look like an ice mountain. This made many girls¡ªwho had their eyes on Prince Li¡ªmuch more fearful and calm. Prince Li looks like he has a good temper, but this cold guard¡­ doesn¡¯t look like someone to be messed with. Rong Xiu ignored the surrounding gazes as he quietly watched the competition. It truly looked as if he was patiently waiting for the competition to end. This scenario made quite a few people discuss quietly. ¡°Why does Prince Li know Chu Liuyue? What help does he need from her?¡± ¡°Who knows? Prince Li is a higher-up, so how can we find out anything about him?¡± ¡°Could it be that Prince Li and the Crown Prince¡ªI heard that Prince Li once helped Chu Liuyue previously during the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday banquet.¡± ¡°How can that be? It must be because Prince Li is kind! How can Chu Liuyue attract Prince Li¡¯s attention? She isn¡¯t part of an aristocratic family anymore¡­¡± ¡°But her father¡ªChu Ning¡ªis the imperial guards¡¯ Commander in Chief! Besides, she¡¯s so talented! Chu Liuyue will definitely become popular in the market after the Qing Jiao Competition.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re possible¡­¡± Situ Xingchen naturally also heard these discussions. Her heart¡ªwhich had calmed down with much difficulty¡ªstarted to feel ripples again. She tightly clutched her sleeves, spending a lot of effort to restrain herself from going forward and questioning them. Others don¡¯t know, but I know it clearly! The crystal barrier that Chu Liuyue previously used belongs to Rong Xiu! Chapter 250 - Tie? That crystal barrier is Rong Xiu¡¯s personal item. Even though I¡¯ve only seen him use it twice when I was at Mingyue Tianshan for so long, I have a very deep impression of it. This is because I remember the pattern etched on it very clearly. Situ Xingchen had once asked around in secret and found out that Rong Xiu valued that crystal barrier a lot; he would not easily show it to others. However, such a valuable item actually appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. Previously, Situ Xingchen still had other doubts. But now that Rong Xiu had personally appeared, she finally could not continue lying to herself. She could only admit that Rong Xiu took the initiative to give it to Chu Liuyue. In other words, Rong Xiu had willingly given the crystal barrier to Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu looked very gentle and calm like jade, but he was actually cold and proud. He had never thought highly of anyone before, let alone giving people such a precious gift. Even to a girl! Situ Xingchen did not dare to think about what this meant. Once she thought about it, her heart felt like it was tightly clenched, and she would feel terrible. Cheng Han¡ªwho was beside Situ Xingchen¡ªhad already realized that she seemed a little unusual ever since Rong Xiu appeared. ¡°Xingchen, you¡¯ve been so distracted these days. Is it because¡ª¡± Situ Xingchen was shocked and immediately shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not because of him! Mentor, please don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even said the reason why.¡± Cheng Han was very experienced, and he could easily guess his disciple¡¯s thoughts. Situ Xingchen was stumped, and she knew that there was no point in denying it further. She tightly pressed her lips against each other and did not speak another word. However, Cheng Han knitted his brows. ¡°Xingchen, you¡¯ve always been the best in all aspects. Why would you¡ª¡± What¡¯s so good about Rong Xiu? Even though he¡¯s Country Yao Chen¡¯s Prince Li, he looks like he¡¯ll be blown away by the wind at any time, let alone cultivate. This kind of person is an idle prince at best. How can he be worthy of Xingchen? So many young talents like her, but she ignored all of them. Instead, she actually likes such a person! Just look at Rong Xiu¡¯s previous attitude! Since when did he care about Xingchen? Situ Xingchen shook her head, lowered her voice, and sounded like she was begging him as she said, ¡°Master, please don¡¯t say anymore.¡± Looking at her wronged and upset appearance, Cheng Han felt his heart ache. ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t say anything else. You should know what to do about this.¡± They came here to take first place in the Qing Jiao Competition, not anything else. Situ Xingchen forcefully nodded and wanted to put away her thoughts. However, Rong Xiu was still the person she had missed for so long. How could she truly completely ignore him after seeing him today with much difficulty? Almost instinctively, her gaze turned and landed on Rong Xiu again. Rong Xiu sat there quietly, and there was an unseen, strange aura around him¡ªwhich separated him from the rest. This was the dignity in his bones. Rong Xiu clearly looked gentle and harmless on the surface, but he made people fearful for some reason. Relaxed, calm, and composed. Sometimes, even she¡ªwho had a distinguished status¡ªwould feel insufficient in front of him. Some people naturally seemed able to control everything if they wished. Many surrounding people also scrutinized Rong Xiu secretly. However, he seemed not to notice it¡ªor perhaps he did not even care¡ªas his pair of clear eyes were fixed on the competition venue. Situ Xingchen followed his gaze, and her heart felt sour. He¡¯s indeed looking at Chu Liuyue! Furthermore, his eyes look especially gentle when he stares at her. Even though it was only a flash across his eyes, Situ Xingchen had seen it! She silently clenched her teeth, but the ripple in her heart could not be appeased for a long time. ¡­ Seeing that Rong Xiu had appeared here, Chu Liuyue initially found it weird. But she roughly guessed why he had come after hearing his conversation with Elder Sun. Her brows slightly lifted as she decisively retracted her gaze and turned her attention to the chessboard. I should solve the final Xuan formation first, thought Chu Liuyue as she placed her pieces down. Su Bai¡ªwho was beside her¡ªcould not help but look at her as a complicated gaze flashed across his eyes. He had already guessed that Chu Liuyue was very talented as a Xuan Master, but he did not expect her to be this good. Su Bai had already predicted the final outcome after seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s smooth actions in solving the final Xuan formation and when he saw his quiet chessboard. In actual fact, he already knew that he probably wasn¡¯t Chu Liuyue¡¯s match when she protected her chessboard. He pinched his glabella, and then he bitterly laughed. He did not place a chess piece down for a long time. ¡­ Time seemed to pass very slowly, but it also seemed to pass very quickly. Su Bai felt like he had only been dazed for a while, but he shockingly discovered that only a short period of time was left when he looked up again. Upon seeing that Su Bai could not make it, Cheng Han said, ¡°If none of them can solve the last Xuan formation at the end of the competition, both of them will be tied at second place. Brother Zhongyan, am I right?¡± Sun Zhongyan hesitated for a while. He clearly saw that Chu Liuyue was ahead of Su Bai, but she was still a few steps away from solving the final Xuan formation. According to the rules, if the competitors could not solve all the Xuan formations within the stipulated time, they would only be second¡ªnot first¡ªno matter how great their results were. If both of them tie for second place, it will be slightly disadvantageous for Chu Liuyue¡­ After thinking for a while, Sun Zhongyan still nodded in agreement. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, you¡¯re right.¡± It is a pity that Chu Liuyue came late. If she came two hours or even one hour earlier, she could definitely solve the last Xuan formation. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good if both of them are tied for second place!¡± At least they didn¡¯t lose! It¡¯s already surprising that Chu Liuyue can get this ranking. ¡­ Su Bai looked up and realized that there was not much time left. He only solved a small portion of the chessboard in front of him. He helplessly smiled and actually placed his piece down directly. When Chu Liuyue detected his movement, she turned around to look at him with furrowed brows. Su Bai actually chose to give up at this time¡­ ¡°It seems like both of us are going to share the same ranking.¡± Su Bai smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Originally, I thought I¡¯d definitely take first place¡­ It¡¯s a pity that a sick freshman like Chu Liuyue appeared. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t like to be second.¡± Su Bai was dazed. He then saw Chu Liuyue put a piece down with one hand. Her other hand also set another piece down almost simultaneously. Chu Liuyue was solving the chessboard with both hands! One had to know that this was not actually chess-playing but solving a Xuan formation. Every chess piece had different energy incorporated within. If one mistake was made, the entire Xuan formation would be affected and collapse. Chu Liuyue was actually daring enough to use both hands at the same time as she felt that using one hand was not fast enough. Was she not worried that all her efforts would be wasted if she made any small mistakes? Chu Liuyue did not care about what was happening around her as her hands quickly overlapped. A chain of chess pieces landing sounds was made. Finally, the judge announced, ¡°Time¡¯s u¡ª¡± Bang! The last Xuan formation broke with the sound. Five stars lit up on the stone table in front of Chu Liuyue, dazzling and shining brightly. Chapter 251 - : Method Chu Liuyue actually successfully solved the last Xuan formation at the very last minute, becoming the only person who succeeded in the Xuan Master competition! As they stared at the five dazzling stars, the crowd had different reactions. Some were shocked, some found it weird, and some were happy. Others were frustrated. However, all of them felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions were unbelievable. One had to know that she only used two hours¡ªfrom rushing over and joining the competition that was halfway until the end¡ªto solve the five Xuan formations. Even the people who had doubted her before could not help but admit that Chu Liuyue¡¯s Xuan Master talent was very rare. Chu Liuyue stood up and politely smiled at Su Bai. ¡°Thanks for letting me win.¡± How did I let her win? Su Bai laughed bitterly. ¡°I admit defeat. I truly lost to you.¡± Su Bai was very honest as he took a deep breath and cupped his fists toward Chu Liuyue. In actual fact, he had already lost when Chu Liuyue had protected her chessboard completely. Chu Liuyue was even stronger than he thought. The crowd dazedly stared at the scene. Sun Zhongyan was the first to recover his senses, and his heart beat wildly. ¡°I hereby announce the top Xuan Master for this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition is¡­ Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Chu Liuyue!¡± The crowd had already heard a similar sentence the day before. However, nobody would¡¯ve ever expected Chu Liuyue to take first place in the Xuan Master competition after becoming the top warrior yesterday. ¡°This sick pervert really doesn¡¯t allow anyone to live,¡± exclaimed Si Yang. He had a feeling that the distance between Chu Liuyue and him would only grow bigger. Not only for him but the other people here as well. This type of person was born to be the envy of others. Mu Hongyu and the rest heaved a sigh of relief as they cheered excitedly. Up till now, Tian Lu Academy had claimed first place in two categories of the Qing Jiao Competition. The key point was that it was Chu Liuyue who took first place both times. She had clearly put on a solo show during this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition. On the other hand, the two other academies had a stiff atmosphere. When Sheng Yiming heard Sun Zhongyan¡¯s announcement, he finally could not hold it in any longer. The blood rushed up to his head, his eyes rolled up, and he fainted over. Xi Wanwan hurriedly helped him up. ¡°Yiming! Yiming, are you okay?!¡± Fu Yunshan looked at him in disappointment and frustration. ¡°He just fainted because he couldn¡¯t take the impact. Bring him back and let him rest.¡± It¡¯s fine that Sheng Yiming lost in front of everyone today, but it¡¯s too humiliating for him to end up in this state. Sheng Yiming really has to change this character of his. ¡°Oh, oh! Okay! I¡¯ll bring him back right away!¡± Xi Wanwan was very worried about Sheng Yiming, so she did not notice Fu Yunshan¡¯s displeasure. She waved toward the people beside her and got them to help her bring Sheng Yiming away. But Xi Wanwan heard a familiar voice just as she turned around. ¡°Please hold on¡­¡± Xi Wanwan¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she instinctively stopped and turned around. Chu Liuyue crossed her arms, smiling at Xi Wanwan. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile made Xi Wanwan uneasy. She guiltily avoided Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze and asked uncertainly, ¡°Are you calling me?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course. There are some things that you need to explain.¡± Xi Wanwan was instantly anxious. Is Chu Liuyue going to expose me in public? No! Nobody noticed my actions when I did it quietly, and that thing doesn¡¯t even leave behind any traces. Even a fifth-grade Xuan Master like Sun Zhongyan can¡¯t find anything wrong with it! Didn¡¯t Si Ting also surrender? Xi Wanwan felt assured as she forced a smile. ¡°Oh? May I know what this is about? If it¡¯s unimportant, why don¡¯t we talk about it later? Yiming is still unconscious, and we have to send him back quickly¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not anything major. It¡¯ll be over in a jiffy,¡± said Chu Liuyue before she suddenly turned to Si Ting. ¡°Si Ting, why did your chessboard suddenly collapse when you were doing well during the competition earlier?¡± Si Ting was dazed. He did not expect Chu Liuyue to do this. He pressed his lips against each other tightly. If I directly accuse Xi Wanwan without evidence, it won¡¯t be of any use. I might even drag Chu Liuyue down. Upon hearing Chu Liuyue call Si Ting¡¯s name, Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curved up slightly in a seemingly smiling manner. This little fellow still wants to help others¡­ Yan Qing suddenly felt a chill travel down his spine as his master¡¯s aura suddenly became icy cold. He immediately minded himself and tried hard to minimize his existence. But Chu Liuyue had already picked up the chessboard Si Ting had used. ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with this thing.¡± A thought popped up in Si Ting¡¯s mind. Can Chu Liuyue produce evidence? He walked forward and spoke with a low voice. ¡°My chessboard collapsed just now because Xi Wanwan did something to it.¡± ¡°Si Ting! You can¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Xi Wanwan screamed an octave higher as if she were a cat whose tail had been stepped on. ¡°So many people here have been watching me. How can I possibly do such a thing?¡± ¡°Yeah. There are so many eyes watching you, yet you dared to do such a thing. You¡¯re incredibly calm, and even I admire you,¡± praised Chu Liuyue genuinely. It looked like she would even clap for Xi Wanwan if she wasn¡¯t holding the chessboard in her hands. Xi Wanwan¡¯s face immediately turned red. When she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm composure, her assured heart started to waver. P-perhaps Chu Liuyue really has a way? ¡°Liuyue, what did you discover?¡± asked Sun Zhongyan with knitted brows. He also knew that Si Ting was eliminated in a strange manner, and he did suspect Xi Wanwan. However, he did not discover any clues. Thus, he did not pursue the matter. He only planned to ask Si Ting in detail after everything ended. He did not expect Chu Liuyue to make the first move. ¡°Nothing much. I just unintentionally found something extra on the chessboard,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she knocked on the chessboard. Xi Wanwan stared at it closely. There is nothing on the smooth and clean chessboard. Chu Liuyue is clearly lying to me! Xi Wanwan sneered and became even more confident. ¡°Chu Liuyue, you said that there¡¯s something extra there. May I know what it is? I can¡¯t seem to find anything.¡± The others were also confused since they did not know what Chu Liuyue was referring to. Chu Liuyue smiled cryptically. ¡°You will find out soon.¡± Chu Liuyue then waved her fingers, and a silver light suddenly appeared. Her fingers gently swiped across the chessboard, and a faint mark was left on the chessboard. Her fingers lightly moved as if she was hooking something. The originally dull chessboard suddenly lit up with a pattern. The lights intersected in a bright and clear manner. Sun Zhongyan widened his eyes slightly. That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s actually the last Xuan formation on the chessboard! Chu Liuyue actually restored the state of Si Ting¡¯s last Xuan formation?! Chapter 252 - : Favor Not only Sun Zhongyan, but all the Xuan Masters present were stunned. All of them knew how complicated the last Xuan formation was. It would be hard for them to draw even a tiny part of it out, let alone reproduce the entire formation. Also, Chu Liuyue had restored the formation from the initial state to the final state. This was much harder than memorizing a book backward. However, Chu Liuyue seemed to remember it very clearly as she smoothly made every move. ¡°Even if she solved that Xuan formation, she couldn¡¯t have completely memorized it¡­¡± Even the Tian Lu Academy¡¯s people could not help but discuss softly. ¡°Did she really see that Xuan formation before?¡± It seemed like this was the only explanation of how she could solve the Xuan formation so quickly and even reproduce it entirely. Dongfang Qing coughed. ¡°Um¡­ Don¡¯t you know that this girl has a photographic memory?¡± Even though Chu Liuyue had always been low-key during her meditation class, he had observed Chu Liuyue a few times. He had long realized that none of the Xuan formations seemed to pose a problem for Chu Liuyue. As long as she wanted to, not only could she quickly solve a Xuan formation, but she could also draw the entire Xuan formation¡¯s pattern out. It was another matter if she could erect advanced Xuan formations as she couldn¡¯t produce such strong and intense energy at her current cultivation stage. However, Chu Liuyue was very clear about how to execute every single force. Dongfang Qing remembered very clearly that Chu Liuyue seemed to be bored in class on time, so she repeatedly played with the chessboard in her seat. At that time, he casually glanced at Chu Liuyue and noticed that she was drawing out Xuan formations. Since then, he knew that this girl was not simple. This was also why he wanted Chu Liuyue to participate in this Xuan Master competition no matter what. ¡°Really?¡± Even Sun Zhongyan was in disbelief. He usually didn¡¯t interact with Chu Liuyue. Except during the mid-semester assessment, he had not seen Chu Liuyue¡¯s skill with Xuan formations. Now, it seems like she¡¯s really¡­ ¡°But what does she want to do?¡± Very soon, everyone understood the reason for Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. After Chu Liuyue reproduced that Xuan formation line by line, she suddenly stopped. ¡°If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, you stopped here previously, right?¡± She showed the chessboard to Si Ting. Si Ting was very shocked and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up into a smile as she looked at Xi Wanwan. When Xi Wanwan saw that Chu Liuyue had reproduced the chessboard, her back broke out into a cold sweat. With a wave of Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingers, a faint line was picked out from the chessboard. ¡°Xi Wanwan, do you recognize what this is?¡± The thing in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand was only an inch long. Even though it was transparent, it reflected light under the sun, so the crowd could still see it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Silver Soul Hook?¡± When they heard the three words ¡®Silver Soul Hook,¡¯ many people looked stunned. Rumors had it that this item was made from rare snow silk, which was soft and transparent. However, it was very hard and even sharper than swords. But the major disadvantage of this item was that it could only be used once. Once one used this Silver Soul Hook, it would become very fragile and would essentially be useless. From another perspective, this was also its advantage. It was very suitable to be a secret weapon at least. It could cause great damage, but it would not leave any traces behind. After a while, it would completely disappear without a trace. However, snow silk was very precious. An average person might not even have the chance to see it, let alone use it. ¡°All these chessboards were properly checked before they were brought to the competition, so they definitely wouldn¡¯t be mixed with anything else.¡± Sun Zhongyan immediately realized something and stared at Xi Wanwan. In a stern voice, he said, ¡°Xi Wanwan! How do you explain this?¡± Xi Wanwan had long frozen when she saw Chu Liuyue pick up that Silver Soul Hook. Her entire body was cold, and her mind kept whirring. She almost could not hear what Sun Zhongyan said. Her face was as white as a sheet as she instinctively denied it. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! It¡¯s not me!¡± Chu Liuyue gently touched the Silver Soul Hook in her hands and lazily said, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t admit it. People who touched this Silver Soul Hook will have a faint silver mark left on their hands. Do you dare to show us your hands?¡± Xi Wanwan¡¯s body trembled as she unwittingly hid her hands. How would I know? How was I supposed to know? ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t!¡± Xi Wanwan still denied it, but everyone could tell what was going on from her guilty look. Fu Yunshan also looked terrible. ¡°If you¡¯re clean, you won¡¯t be afraid of being checked. Wanwan, you just need to stretch your hands out and prove your innocence.¡± Xi Wanwan was very anxious as tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to stretch out her hands. ¡°Director, please believe me. I really didn¡¯t do it¡­¡± After seeing her behavior, what else did Fu Yunshan not understand? Xi Wanwan definitely used that Silver Soul Hook in secret! ¡°When one is solving Xuan formations on the chessboard, every single force must be used adequately. Once one makes the wrong move, the entire chessboard will fall apart. If a Silver Soul Hook lands on the chessboard at this moment¡­ The consequences are unimaginable.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head slightly emotionally. ¡°Such a small thing is pretty valuable. It¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s gone so easily¡­ Xi Wanwan, do you still want to deny this?¡± Xi Wanwan could not utter a single word as she collapsed on the floor. She dazedly stared at Chu Liuyue and could not figure out how the Silver Soul Hook was discovered. She also didn¡¯t know how Chu Liuyue picked it up. She only knew that her future was completely ruined now that the matter had been exposed. Fu Yunshan was also furious. He hollered, ¡°Why did you do this? You have truly humiliated my Nan Feng Academy!¡± To think that I was still putting in a good word for Xi Wanwan earlier. It¡¯s now like a resounding slap that hit my face. Xi Wanwan¡¯s tears kept dropping down profusely. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. Director, please punish me! Just don¡¯t implicate others¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan said loudly, ¡°Brother Yunshan, you should give everyone an explanation for this.¡± Fu Yunshan had never been this humiliated. At this moment, he really wanted to slap Xi Wanwan to death. He took a deep breath in and said every single word clearly. ¡°Xi Wanwan has ill intentions and despicable methods. From today onwards, she¡¯s expelled from Nan Feng Academy, and she will never be recruited again!¡± As if lightning had struck her, Xi Wanwan fainted due to the strong impact. Fu Yunshan did not even take another look at her as he suppressed his anger and cupped his fists toward Sun Zhongyan and Cheng Han. ¡°It¡¯s all because I didn¡¯t discipline her well enough. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Since Fu Yunshan had already stated his stance, others naturally could not say anything more. Chu Liuyue gently flicked her fingers, and that useless Silver Soul Hook instantly became powder. She then placed the chessboard down and walked out of the competition venue. Si Ting wanted to step up and thank her, but he heard a low laugh come from beside him. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, now that you¡¯re done helping others, can you do me a favor?¡± Chapter 253 - Sour Si Ting looked over. Seventh Prince, Rong Xiu. The distinguished Prince Li; also¡­ the person she likes. Si Ting stopped in his tracks and did not move forward. Even if it were him, he had to admit that Prince Li¡ªwho had not been in the Imperial City for long¡ªwas very handsome. Si Yang could not help but nudge Si Ting with his elbow and muttered, ¡°He¡¯s just a bottle of medicine. I really don¡¯t know what the sick pervert likes about him¡­ His face?!¡± What¡¯s the point of a man being so good-looking? When Si Yang first heard that Chu Liuyue liked Prince Li, he was very unconvinced. Compared to my Big Brother, other than Big Brother¡¯s status being a little low, he surpasses Prince Li in all other aspects. Besides, Big Brother is going to be the Si family¡¯s head in the future. Seriously speaking, there¡¯s not much difference between the two of them. I really don¡¯t know what Chu Liuyue is thinking! Si Ting¡¯s gaze looked light as he glanced at Si Yang. Si Yang knew that he had said something wrong, so he hurriedly kept quiet. However, Si Yang did not know that Si Ting was thinking the exact opposite of Si Yang. Prince Li was known to be weak and did not have actual power. He also did not have much talent in cultivating. However, she still liked him even so. No matter how good other people were, what¡¯s the point if one did not like them? Besides¡­ Si Ting always felt that this person was not very similar to the rumors. He could detect a faint suppression coming from Rong Xiu. It definitely was not an aura that a person¡ªwho was sick all year long¡ªwould have. ¡­ Chu Liuyue did not detect the interaction between the two as she walked to Rong Xiu. ¡°Rong¡ªYour Highness, why are you here? What do you need my help with?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter, but I have to trouble Ms. Liuyue to follow me.¡± Chu Liuyue silently cursed to herself. We¡¯ve just separated for less than two hours. What is so urgent that he had to come over and ask me for help? He clearly did this on purpose. However, when she saw Rong Xiu¡¯s gentle gaze, her heart softened as she felt a faint sourness. Her lips curved up slightly. ¡°Since Your Highness asked me, of course, I have to help you.¡± Satisfaction flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. If it weren¡¯t for the others present, he would have already carried her away. Cen Hu scratched his head as he looked at the two people who were about to leave. He could not help but ask, ¡°Liuyue, are you leaving just like that? Aren¡¯t you going to celebrate with us?¡± They already wanted to celebrate with Chu Liuyue when she took first place in the warrior competition yesterday, but they postponed it as she had her Xuan Master competition today. Now that she took first place in the Xuan Master competition, they had to hold a celebration for her! ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we¡¯ll go to Phoenix Rest¡ªAiyo!¡± Cen Hu held the back of his head and looked at Mu Hongyu wrongfully. Why did she hit me? Mu Hongyu flashed a smile at him. ¡°His Highness needs Liuyue¡¯s help, so how can we hold her back? We still can celebrate for Liuyue after she comes back!¡± Cen Hu did not understand why, but his survival instincts kicked in as he sensed Mu Hongyu¡¯s hidden murderous intent. ¡°Y-yes! Go ahead; we¡¯ll wait for you!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she looked at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. She seemed to have guessed where Liuyue went the day before. Chu Liuyue trembled from Mu Hongyu¡¯s gaze. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll come back as soon as I can.¡± She then left with Rong Xiu, together with Yan Qing following closely behind. ¡°I saw something at Zhen Bao Pavilion, and I heard that it is related to Ms. Liuyue¡­¡± said Rong Xiu nonchalantly. The people who heard it revealed looks of understanding. So it¡¯s related to Zhen Bao Pavilion! No wonder! Everyone in the Imperial City knew that Chu Liuyue had an extraordinary relationship with Zhen Bao Pavilion. Even the Crown Prince, Rong Jin, and Fourth Princess Rong Zhen could not get any good deals at Zhen Bao Pavilion. Hence, it seemed wise for Prince Li to be so meticulous and directly ask Chu Liuyue for help. However, Situ Xingchen almost crushed her silver teeth as she controlled her feelings with much effort. The others did not feel like it was anything much, but the duo¡¯s every move was absolutely scorching to her. Help? I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s just an excuse! Situ Xingchen never knew that the cold Rong Xiu could actually look at a woman with such a gaze¡ªgentle, loving, and doting. If this doesn¡¯t prove anything between the two of them¡­ Situ Xingchen¡¯s nose felt sour. She thought that even if Rong Xiu did not harbor any romantic thoughts for her, he would still treat her as his junior. After all, they had spent so much time at Mingyue Tianshan together. However, everything that happened today woke her up from her beautiful dream. He doesn¡¯t even remember who I am! That gaze was so cold and nonchalant as if he was looking at a stranger! ¡°Mentor, I¡¯m not feeling very well. I¡¯ll head back first,¡± said Situ Xingchen softly. Cheng Han sighed. ¡°Okay. Tomorrow is the heavenly doctor competition. You should get some rest and prepare for it.¡± Situ Xingchen acknowledged him and turned around to leave. ¡­ Chu Liuyue followed Rong Xiu out and saw a familiar horse carriage. Did Rong Xiu come in a horse carriage? That¡¯s true. To everyone in the Imperial City, he¡¯s still the Prince Li that can¡¯t even stand the wind. Yan Qing went forward and got on the horse. Rong Xiu walked over and personally lifted the curtain. However, Chu Liuyue did not move as her gaze slowly swept past Rong Xiu and lingered on his sleeves. Then, she smiled seemingly. ¡°The pattern on Your Highness¡¯s clothes is really special. Is it the only one in this world?¡± Rong Xiu squinted its eyes slightly. How sour. Chapter 254 - Half-Unbuttoned Shirt ¡°I drew this pattern myself and specifically got a master to embroider it on my clothes, so it¡¯s considered unique.¡± Looking amused, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Oh.¡± She had heard the conversation between Rong Xiu and Situ Xingchen, so she knew that nothing was going on between the both of them. Situ Xingchen had a crush on Rong Xiu, so there was a high chance that she secretly embroidered the pattern on her clothes. But Chu Liuyue still felt uncomfortable when she thought about this. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up into a delighted smile. ¡°Get on the horse carriage first. We¡¯ll talk on the way.¡± Chu Liuyue felt that most people would be coming out soon because the competition had ended. If they saw this scene, she was afraid it would cause unnecessary misunderstandings. Thus, she lightly grunted and got on the horse carriage. Rong Xiu followed closely behind her and put the curtains down after he entered the horse carriage. Yan Qing swung his long whip. ¡°Go!¡± The horse raised its front hooves and started to run, leaving very quickly. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu sat opposite each other inside the horse carriage. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re a distinguished person. What kind of things do you need my help with?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with raised brows. Rong Xiu chuckled deeply. ¡°Are you angry at me?¡± Chu Liuyue neither admitted nor denied it as her pair of clear eyes stared at him calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve never liked any other girls other than you, and¡ª¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu was surprised. But Chu Liuyue still looked calm and determined. ¡°Since we¡¯re already together, I¡¯ll obviously believe you.¡± As he stared at the calm girl in front of him, a smile spread across Rong Xiu¡¯s face. He gently held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s great that you believe me, but I¡¯ll explain it to you since this matter made you upset.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. She looked at Rong Xiu¡¯s serious and warm expression, which warmed up her heart. He¡¯s willing to put his pride down and explain so many things just because¡­ I¡¯m upset? Of course, Rong Xiu liked to see Chu Liuyue being jealous because of him, but he liked it more when she was happy. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t let her suffer even the slightest of grievances. He flipped over his sleeves. ¡°Take a closer look at it.¡± Chu Liuyue looked down and realized that the inside of his sleeves also had a strange, intricate pattern. It looks like¡­ tree branches? The outside was embroidered with peach blossoms that looked like clouds, while the inside was embroidered with lively tree branches. Of course, the tree branches were embroidered with golden threads and looked even more fairy-like. If one did not flip the sleeves over to take a closer look, it would really be hard for them to notice it¡­ ¡°I really like this pattern, so most of my clothes have it. Any person that has seen me before can easily replicate the design if they paid close attention. However, they can only mimic a portion of it. The shape is similar, but the feeling is different.¡± Rong Xiu spoke lightly and was too lazy to even mention Situ Xingchen¡¯s name. There was no reason to bring up a person that did not deserve his attention. If Situ Xingchen hadn¡¯t upset Chu Liuyue, he would not have been so calculating toward her. However, it was different now. When Chu Liuyue saw the tree branches embroidered inside the sleeves, more than half of her anger had dissipated. Her heart calmed down even more after she heard Rong Xiu¡¯s explanation. This was originally not something for her to get angry about. After all, Situ Xingchen had her own hands and legs; others could not stop her from doing what she wanted. ¡°Actually, this pattern really doesn¡¯t look similar when I take a closer look¡­¡± The embroidered patterns on Rong Xiu¡¯s clothes were intricately and accurately sewn on, thread by thread. Even the faint peach blossoms¡¯ petals could be vaguely seen. They appeared as though they were blown up by the wind, looking like moving clouds. As for Situ Xingchen¡¯s embroidered pattern, only her outlines were similar. But after thinking about it in detail, it didn¡¯t look very aesthetic. It didn¡¯t look like a peach blossom or a cloud¡ªneither here nor there. Chu Liuyue stared at his sleeves as her fingers unintentionally swiped across his palm. After thinking for a while, she suddenly could not help but laugh. ¡°I was too petty.¡± Rong Xiu felt ticklish from her touch. He looked up slightly, and his gaze landed on her white and soft neck. Further up was her soft, cherry-red lips. ¡°I live for this kind of pettiness. Nobody else can have it.¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue angrily glared at Rong Xiu. But it didn¡¯t contain any threats, so she looked even more mesmerizing. Rong Xiu¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved, and he suddenly felt hot. There are some things that I really can¡¯t start. Once I do, I can¡¯t stop it. He forced himself to turn around and suddenly moved backward. Chu Liuyue found it weird and saw him putting his cloak at the side. She could not help but tease him. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you have a weak body? Isn¡¯t your body always cold? How can you feel hot now?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows and did not say anything as his long hands reached for his belt. Kacha! The sound of the jade belt being unbuckled reverberated in the carriage. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile froze. Rong Xiu is¡­ However, Rong Xiu seemed not to notice her stiffness at all. He looked up slightly and continued to unbutton his collar after casually throwing the unbuckled belt on the cloak. Rong Xiu originally had a bulky body and was more than a head taller than Chu Liuyue. Now that both of them were sitting down, Chu Liuyue could clearly see Rong Xiu¡¯s protruding Adam¡¯s apple and jade-like chin when he raised his head. As Prince Li, his clothes were naturally extravagant. Chu Liuyue recognized that they were made using superior cotton. One rough look at it, and one would only think that the white clothes were normal and perhaps extra clean and soft. However, if one took a closer look, they would see the faint glow on it¡ªsimilar to the moonlight at night. His collar was tied very tightly, and the embroidery was very intricate. It was tightly held together with a pearl button made from a round and smooth moonstone. At this point, Rong Xiu¡¯s fingers gently touched the button and easily unbuttoned the collar. His collarbone could vaguely be seen. ¡°Your Highness, you¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face suddenly burned up. Rong Xiu lifted his head, but his eyes were looking downward. He saw confusion and panic flash across that young girl¡¯s face, and his lips curved up into a smile. He did not say anything, but his fingers progressed downward. One button. Two buttons. He undid his buttons one by one. Chu Liuyue could even see his snow-white undershirt! Without any restraint, the top-half of his clothes was loose as if it would drop down at any second. He raised his arm and actually took off his outerwear. Chu Liuyue could even see Rong Xiu¡¯s faint muscles when he moved. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes widened, and her mouth was agape. Even though Rong Xiu regularly slept with her, it was always at night. Their relationship had also been ambiguous, so she did not think so much back then. But what did he want to do in broad daylight with half his clothes on? Chapter 255 - Burn It Rong Xiu casually threw his outerwear to the side and lazily said, ¡°Yan Qing, burn all the clothes with such cloud patterns when you go back. Remember, you must do it outside the residence. Don¡¯t dirty my place.¡± Yan Qing¡ªwho was on the horse¡ªhurriedly answered, ¡°Okay!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked as she guessed something. Rong Xiu¡¯s clothes are all in good condition, yet he decisively orders them to be burned¡­ She lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Rong Xiu, do you really want to burn everything?¡± Rong Xiu leaned to the side, and his undershirt drooped down, revealing his hard chest. His posture looked lazy, and he seemingly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a few pieces of clothes. It¡¯s worth it if you feel happier after I throw them away and change to new ones.¡± Just a few pieces of clothes? I¡¯m afraid more than half of his clothes have this cloud pattern embroidered, right? Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you really like this embroidery pattern?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her, and the smiling intent in his eyes grew even deeper. ¡°But I like you even more.¡± Compared to her, these things were just materialistic items. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she glanced at him. She picked up the cloak and threw it to Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t you afraid of being cold?¡± Rong Xiu grabbed the cloak and laughed. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to act stern, but after listening to Rong Xiu¡¯s hearty laughter, she was also influenced and started smiling after a while. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Your Highness is going to spend a lot of money this time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that small amount of money, but it¡¯s currently the start of autumn, and the weather does seem a little chilly.¡± The smiling intent never left Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes as he suddenly grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands and easily pulled her into his arms. ¡°I won¡¯t be cold anymore like this!¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to rebut him, but he heard Rong Xiu gently hushing her. She woke up abruptly and realized that the two of them were still in the horse carriage. If they made any big movements, it would be very hard to clarify when others heard them. She turned around and glared at Rong Xiu with much warning. Rong Xiu then straightened up, leaned toward her ears, and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m very obedient.¡± When the hot air was blown into her ears, it instantly lit up a fire that warmed up her entire body. Separated by the thin clothes, she could even feel the warmth in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms and his strong heartbeat. Since things had already ended like this, there was no point in struggling. Hence, she relaxed her body and lay in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms. ¡°Your Highness, you said that you wanted me to help. It seems like it has got to do with Zhen Bao Pavilion?¡± Rong Xiu laughed softly. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing major. I just missed my future wife very much, so I came over to ask you for help.¡± Chu Liuyue was angered and amused. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re so handsome. No matter where you stand, countless girls will flock toward you. If you add in your seducing efforts, many women will fall head over heels for you.¡± This was the truth. Even though Rong Xiu normally looked as gentle as jade, he always had a vague and distant aura around him. This caused many women to have a crush on him, but they did not dare to confess to him. But if he said such words, all the women in the world would fall for him. I thought Rong Xiu stayed at Mingyue Tianshan to recuperate all along? That place isn¡¯t somewhere that everyone can go. Rong Xiu has been there for so many years. Even if you can¡¯t say that he¡¯s pure and dainty, he shouldn¡¯t be able to pacify people so easily, right? No, I almost forgot. He has another mysterious identity¡ªYour Grace! However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask further as Rong Xiu had not mentioned it all along. Rong Xiu laughed and asked, ¡°Then, is Yue¡¯er amongst those people?¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue kept quiet and did not say anything¡ªlooking like she did not plan to admit it¡ªRong Xiu did not think of it much as well. His fingers on her stomach gently caressed her as he softly said, ¡°Actually, I have a secret move. But I can only let you know about it.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around in confusion and asked, ¡°What?¡± Rong Xiu finally could not hold himself back, and he kissed her lips. ¡°You¡¯ll naturally find out after we get married¡­¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu really did not dare to do much. He only kissed and hugged Chu Liuyue for a while before releasing her. When the horse carriage stopped in front of Zhen Bao Pavilion, Rong Xiu had already changed into a new set of clothes. This set of clothes looked very similar to the one that was thrown away, but the pattern on the sleeves was different. If one did not take a closer look, they would not be able to tell. Actually, Rong Xiu did not want to change into this set of clothes. However, many people had seen Chu Liuyue getting into his horse carriage. If people saw that Rong Xiu had changed his clothes, it might tarnish Chu Liuyue¡¯s reputation. Rong Xiu alighted from the carriage first, and Yan Qing was already waiting by the side. Chu Liuyue followed closely behind and found out that they were indeed at Zhen Bao Pavilion. She looked at Rong Xiu in confusion. We¡¯re actually here? When the pageboy saw the horse carriage come, he had long recognized that the sign was from Prince Li Mansion. Hence, he enthusiastically came up to welcome them. ¡°Greetings, Prince Li!¡± When they saw Chu Liuyue getting off the carriage later on, their smiles became even brighter. ¡°Ms. Liuyue! You¡¯re finally here! Lord Chu Ning has just arrived, and Second Boss is accompanying him inside.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°My Father? Why is he here?¡± The pageboy was just about to explain, but Chu Ning¡ªwho had arrived at the main hall earlier on¡ªimmediately came out when he heard her voice. Once he saw Chu Liuyue, he immediately walked forward. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Liuyue then realized that Chu Ning¡¯s face had green stubble after not seeing him for a short day. ¡°Father, it¡¯s my fault. Sorry for making you worry,¡± said Chu Liuyue guiltily. Chu Ning carefully scrutinized her for a while before heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re fine! When I heard that Second Master Yan found you, I immediately rushed back. I didn¡¯t expect him to say that you headed to Jia Nan Square and participated in the Qing Jiao Competition. I was just planning to go look for you, but you¡¯re already here.¡± At this point, Yan Ge laughed out loud and came out as well. ¡°Hahaha! Yeah! It seems like the competition went very smoothly?¡± As he spoke, he saw Rong Xiu. He bowed down slightly, revealing an even more enthusiastic smile. ¡°It turns out that Prince Li is here too!¡± Chu Ning appeased his heart, glanced at Rong Xiu, and solemnly said, ¡°I heard Second Master Yan say that Prince Li has saved Yue¡¯er again this time?¡± Rong Xiu lightly smiled. ¡°Second Master Yan was just exaggerating. Actually, I just coincidentally met her on the road.¡± But Chu Ning felt traumatized. ¡°No matter what, I must thank you for helping her. You¡¯ve already helped us many times previously. Now that we¡¯ve troubled you again, I really don¡¯t know how else to thank you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Yan Ge in confusion. Actually, when she and Rong Xiu came back earlier, Rong Xiu seemed to have sent a signal in the woods. Not long later, Yan Qing came. After walking for a while, they coincidentally met Yan Ge¡ªwho had gone out to look for her. According to Yan Ge, Chu Ning had asked him to look for me. However, it now seems like he has pushed everything to Rong Xiu? Chapter 256 - Fawn ¡°Haha! Lord Chu Ning previously came to me and told me that Ms. Liuyue was missing. I was very anxious and immediately sent people out to find her. After not obtaining any news for some time, I wanted to go to the woods outside the Imperial City to try my luck. I didn¡¯t expect to meet with Prince Li¡¯s assistant¡ªYan Qing¡ªonce I stepped into the woods. I heard that he was going to look for Prince Li, so I followed him because I thought that Prince Li might be able to help us.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect for Ms. Liuyue to be there as well when I followed him! Later on, I asked around and found out that Prince Li had coincidentally met Ms. Liuyue¡ªwho had fainted in the woods¡ªand he saved her.¡± He chuckled. ¡°After I came back, I immediately sent someone to inform Lord Chu Ning. Look! Chu Ning just arrived not long ago, and we were just about to go to Jia Nan Square together! I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Liuyue and the rest to come back!¡± Yan Ge¡¯s words were half-true. Chu Liuyue indeed came back with Yan Ge and Yan Qing, but Yan Ge had added the part about Rong Xiu saving her. As they were rushing, they did not even have the time to talk in detail. Yan Ge winked. Chu Liuyue immediately understood that this was purposely said to assure Chu Ning. She did not expose him on the spot and nodded in agreement. To Chu Ning, Rong Xiu had already helped Chu Liuyue out quite a few times, so this time was nothing much too. Chu Ning sighed and said, ¡°It seems like we owe Your Highness a lot more now.¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Lord Chu Ning, you¡¯re being too kind. It was just a convenient matter.¡± Seeing his humble manner, Chu Ning felt even more grateful and admired Rong Xiu even more. This Prince Li is the kindest person amongst all of His Highness¡¯s sons. It¡¯s a pity that Prince Li¡¯s body is weak, so he has to stay in bed most of the time. ¡°Your Highness, have you been feeling better lately?¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Chu Ning, for your concern. I¡¯m much better than before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± Chu Ning saw Rong Xiu¡¯s appearance and felt that Rong Xiu seemed better than before. But I heard that none of Country Yao Chen¡¯s heavenly doctors could help with Rong Xiu¡¯s illness, I wonder¡­ He suddenly thought of something, and he silently looked at his daughter. Oh yes! Maybe Yue¡¯er has a way! Didn¡¯t she cure her Yuan meridian and my old injury previously? If she can help Prince Li recover his health, we can repay a part of his favor! Thinking of this, he increasingly felt that it was a great idea and planned to talk to Yue¡¯er when he had the chance. They were father and daughter after all, so their hearts were telepathic. With Chu Ning¡¯s single gaze, Chu Liuyue could guess what he was thinking, and she was caught between laughter and tears. I wonder what Father¡¯s reaction would be like if he knew that the Rong Xiu in front of him is not sick at all and is very strong instead¡ªalmost one of the top few experts in Country Yao Chen¡­ Chu Ning worriedly glanced at Chu Liuyue again. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what exactly happened yesterday? Why did you leave the school¡¯s campus? Who¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Father, this situation is a little complicated, and I haven¡¯t clearly understood it yet. I¡¯ll tell you about it in detail later on. However, there¡¯s something else I haven¡¯t gotten the chance to tell you yet¡ªI took first place in today¡¯s Xuan Master competition.¡± Chu Ning originally still felt very uneasy, but shock filled his face when he heard the latter half of the sentence. ¡°What did you say? Top Xuan Master?¡± He knew that Yue¡¯er had signed up for both the Xuan Master competition and the warrior competition. However, he was already very happy when she took first place in the warrior competition the day before. He did not expect her to even¡ª ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Can I even lie to you about this?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled happily. ¡°Even though it¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t get to watch me compete personally, I didn¡¯t disappoint you with this result, right?¡± Upon seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s delighted smile, Chu Ning was in disbelief for quite some time. Top warrior! Top Xuan Master! The Qing Jiao Competition has three competitions in total, and she took first place in two of them. Yan Ge¡ªwho was at the side¡ªwas the first to react. He clapped his hands and excitedly said, ¡°Ms. Liuyue, you¡¯re really amazing!¡± Master¡¯s taste is truly very good! Even Madam is a rare talent! ¡°When you took first place in the warrior competition yesterday, I instructed someone to book the entire Phoenix Restaurant. I wanted to bring you there directly after the competition ended, but I didn¡¯t expect you to participate in another competition again. It seems like booking the restaurant for only one day is far from enough! Hahaha!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately shook her head. ¡°How can I let you do this? I¡¯ve already greatly troubled you the previous time, now¡ª¡± ¡°Aish¡­ Your status is now different from before! In the past few years, the people who attained good results during the Qing Jiao Competition would be greatly supported, and they would excel in life! Ms. Liuyue, you¡¯ve taken first place in two competitions, so you¡¯ll definitely become a popular character amongst the crowd! If you don¡¯t agree to this, you¡¯re not giving Zhen Bao Pavilion face!¡± Chu Liuyue knew that Yan Ge seemed like he wanted to get closer to her and use her. But with Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s current status, there didn¡¯t seem to be a need to do so¡­ However, Chu Liuyue did not express this on her face. She smiled and agreed instead. ¡°Okay! Then, I¡¯ll thank Second Master Yan first! However, why don¡¯t we postpone this and wait until the entire Qing Jiao Competition is over?¡± Yan Ge laughed out loud. ¡°No problem!¡± ¡­ The few of them talked for a while longer before Chu Ning planned to leave with Chu Liuyue. Before they left, Chu Ning did not forget to thank Rong Xiu yet again. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve helped us so many times, and I really don¡¯t know how else to thank you. If you have the time, why don¡¯t you come and visit our humble house?¡± Chu Ning tried to invite him to their house. If Rong Xiu comes, it¡¯ll be more convenient for Yue¡¯er to take his pulse. Rong Xiu smiled genuinely. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, you¡¯re really kind, and I don¡¯t have any reason to reject you. After this matter ends, I¡¯ll definitely go and visit you.¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. The next time he goes, he¡¯s probably going to ask for my hand in marriage. Rong Xiu has always been someone who lives up to his words. She also bowed and bade farewell to Rong Xiu and Yan Ge before leaving with Chu Ning. When the father-daughter duo¡¯s figures disappeared, Rong Xiu turned around. Yan Ge instinctively wanted to bend down, but he curbed his urge when he remembered that outsiders were around. He chuckled and asked, ¡°Your Highness, do you want to buy anything?¡± Rong Xiu slightly nodded. ¡°I should buy something¡­ Do you know what Lord Chu Ning likes?¡± He only knew what Chu Liuyue liked, but he did not understand much about Chu Ning. ¡°Ah?¡± Yan Ge was taken aback. Rong Xiu lightly glanced at him. Yan Ge almost slapped his own forehead. Stupid! Master is clearly starting to target his father-in-law! ¡°Ah! T-this¡­ Lord Chu Ning used to open a weapon shop, and he seems to be pretty interested in this. He also appreciates things like pottery¡­ They¡¯re all inside. Why don¡¯t you personally go up to take a look?¡± Rong Xiu then lifted his legs and walked in. Without turning his head, Rong Xiu lazily said, ¡°Yan Qing, immediately go and complete the tasks I told you about earlier.¡± Yan Qing instantly nodded and respectfully said, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ Chapter 257 - : Humiliation After Situ Xingchen and Cheng Han left, Situ Xingchen rejected a few people that wanted to accompany her and proceeded on alone. She aimlessly walked through the streets, not knowing what exactly she felt. She only felt that her mind was blank, and she did not wish to think of anything. But the earlier scene in the square kept replaying in her mind, causing her to be increasingly upset. Situ Xingchen kept thinking about it again and again, and she suddenly thought¡ªWhy don¡¯t I go to Prince Li Mansion? Ever since she arrived at the Imperial City, she knew that Rong Xiu was given the title of Prince Li and that he lived at Prince Li Mansion¡ªwhich she always wanted to visit. But she had an extraordinary status, and she felt that it was too much to invite herself over. Hence, she did not go. However, she did not want to care about so much now. She could not say for certain why she suddenly thought of this idea, but her feet continued to walk in the direction of Prince Li Mansion instinctively. Even though she had not personally gone to Prince Li Mansion before, she had thought about its location in her heart many times. Worried that others would recognize her, Situ Xingchen found a deserted corner and put on a cloak to cover her figure completely. She also put up the cloak hood to cover herself up. Even if someone walked straight toward her, they would not recognize her unless they took a close look. After tidying herself up, she walked toward Prince Li Mansion. When Situ Xingchen was a short distance away from Prince Li Mansion, she found many people gathered around here. Six rows of people were gathered outside Prince Li Mansion as if they were watching a commotion. Situ Xingchen was very surprised. Prince Li Mansion is where a prince stays. How can a bunch of commoners be outrageous enough to crowd around here? I wonder what Prince Li¡¯s subordinates are doing. They can¡¯t even handle such a small thing. She walked a few steps forward and wanted to see what was going on. However, she quickly smelled those people¡¯s pungent sweat, which made her extremely uncomfortable and disgusted. Situ Xingchen stood there with her feet rooted to the ground, unable to proceed on. She refused to push these people away and walk between them. I think it¡¯s just a small commotion. Situ Xingchen turned around when she thought of this, planning to leave. Just as she turned around, she heard the people around her discussing. ¡°¡­ I really don¡¯t know what Prince Li is thinking! These clothes are in good condition, so why would he just throw them out like this?¡± ¡°Yeah! Look at the clothes¡¯ material; all of them are extremely valuable! This is akin to burning silver taels!¡± ¡°But the clothes are really in good condition; even the cloud embroidery is extremely intricate. It¡¯s such a pity¡­¡± Situ Xingchen skipped a beat when she heard a few words; then, she hurriedly turned around and tried to squeeze into the crowd to take a look. But the people in front were all huddled together, and she did not want to use her force to create a bigger commotion. Situ Xingchen stood on her toes and forcefully saw a few guards standing in the circle. There was also a bright, red fire dancing in the middle. She could not see anything else. Helpless, Situ Xingchen could only lower her voice and say, ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± The few men in front were initially annoyed, but when they turned around, they saw a slim girl standing behind them. Even though the girl was wearing a cape and a hood, her voice was gentle and melodious. They could tell that Situ Xingchen was a beauty just by hearing her voice. Judging by the clothes she is wearing, it seems like it¡¯s Tai Yan Academy¡¯s uniform? It looks like Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students came to join in the fun. The few men looked at each other, and something flashed across their eyes as they made way for her. Very quickly, a road was paved. Situ Xingchen was very focused on what was happening within the circle, so she completely did not notice the few people¡¯s expressions. When she finally endured the pungent smell and walked toward the center of the circle, she was shocked by the scene in front of her. A giant, black metal container was placed on the ground, and a fire was burning intensely within it. She could clearly see the tips of the fire licking every piece of extravagant clothing. She saw the cloud embroidery on the top piece being quickly hurled into black smoke under the strong fire. Her heart seemed to be harshly squeezed by something as uneasiness filled her heart. ¡°Just hear what you¡¯re saying! What kind of status does Prince Li have? He just threw a few pieces of clothing, so what¡¯s there to be upset about?¡± ¡°He can give us these clothes too¡­¡± ¡°What are you thinking? Do you deserve to wear Prince Li¡¯s clothes? Besides¡­ He has always been sick. Who knows if these clothes¡­¡± Situ Xingchen heard the discussions around her, but she no longer reacted to them as she dazedly stared at the burning clothes. A lot more clothes were beside the metal container¡­ Yan Qing stood beside the metal container and commanded the guards to throw the remaining clothes into it. His cold face still did not have any expression. ¡°His Highness said that all the clothes with this cloud embroidery must be burned! Don¡¯t leave any piece behind! If another of such clothing is found in the mansion and dirties His Highness¡¯s eyes, you will not be able to bear the consequences!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The guards did not know the reason behind this order, but they obeyed it anyway. But when Situ Xingchen heard those words, it was as if lightning had struck her. All the clothes with this cloud embroidery¡­ must be burned? Didn¡¯t Rong Xiu always like this kind of cloud embroidery? He even drew the pattern himself. Why would he suddenly¡­ Her entire body was frozen, and her blood seemed to stop flowing. Cloud embroidery¡­ Yes, I secretly copied the cloud embroidery and sewed it on my own clothes because I like him. Whenever I¡¯m free, I often stare at the cloud embroidery on the clothes, which is akin to seeing him. I have even embroidered the pattern on my academy uniform. Did Rong Xiu see it? His eyes have always been sharp. Why wouldn¡¯t he have seen it? Does he want to burn such similar clothes because I have this cloud embroidery? What did the person say just now? Dirty his eyes? Does he hate me so much that he doesn¡¯t even want to wear such clothes again? Just because of the cloud embroidery, he even wants to get rid of them completely? Situ Xingchen¡¯s limbs were cold, and her heart was completely cold. It was as though it had been harshly trampled and thrown into the snow. She shivered, but hot tears streamed down her face. I have never been so insulted all these years! For a moment, she even felt like her clothes were enveloped by that fire, causing her entire body to burn as well. Situ Xingchen¡¯s gaze stiffly turned as she stared at the pile of clothes beside the metal container. There were even people bringing out more clothes from Prince Li Mansion. He doesn¡¯t want any of them! Situ Xingchen could not watch on any longer. She dashed out of the crowd and quickly left. It was very crowded, and everyone was watching the commotion, so nobody noticed her small movements. But the few men that had made way for her looked at each other and also left silently, running in the direction that Situ Xingchen left in. Chapter 258 - Deserves to Die Situ Xingchen was immersed in her great humiliation and sorrow as she floated forward. Her entire person was numb as if she had lost her soul. Her eyes had no focus, and tears kept streaming down her face. After walking for some time, Situ Xingchen sensed someone walking toward her. She instinctively avoided the person, but it seemed like the person had moved along with her. It happened again. She then realized that something was wrong, so she looked up. Three men were standing in front of her. The few of them were wearing torn and tattered clothes and looked like they were in their thirties. They had stubble on their faces, and they emitted body odor¡ªwhich made them even more uncouth. At this point, their greedy eyes lawlessly swept across her body. Even though the young girl was wearing a hood, her pretty features could still be vaguely seen. ¡°Little girl, where are you going all alone?¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s face turned cold when she heard their disgusting voices. As Xing Luo¡¯s eldest princess, nobody has ever spoken to me like that! When the few men heard her shout, they became even more excited instead of fearful. ¡°Oh? It seems like this girl is fiery! It¡¯s okay; we love to see you like this! Hehe, it seems like you¡¯re not from the Imperial City. Do you want us to bring you around?¡± As he spoke, the man at the front stretched out his hand and directly grabbed Situ Xingchen¡¯s arm. Situ Xingchen immediately drew her sword and slashed that man¡¯s hand. However, the man managed to avoid it quickly. When Situ Xingchen slashed the air, she realized that the men were also cultivators, even though they looked despicable. The one who first took action was definitely a stage-three warrior already. Situ Xingchen normally specialized as a heavenly doctor and wasn¡¯t very talented in her warrior cultivation. Her current skills could only reach that of a stage-three warrior forcefully. ¡°Little girl, you use your sword in such a flimsy manner. Don¡¯t wave it and become a joke! Hahaha!¡± The few men bellowed in laughter. They had long known that this girl was from Tai Yan Academy. If they did not have any abilities, why would they dare to do anything to her? However, they did not expect her skills to be so-so. When Situ Xingchen brandished her sword, they could tell that she did not have any combat experience. This is great! The three men looked at each other before they lunged at Situ Xingchen. Situ Xingchen was shocked. All of them are stage-one warriors at least! I¡¯m definitely not their match! When she thought of this, she hurriedly moved backward and took out something from her sleeves. ¡°You want to call for help?¡± A sharp-eyed man saw her actions, immediately stepped forward, and kicked away the item in her hands. Situ Xingchen was in pain and immediately slashed out her sword. But how could she be the three men¡¯s match when they ganged up on her? After several struggles, she was quickly disadvantaged. ¡°Hehe, little girl, stop fighting. I promise you that you¡¯ll be very comfortable¡ª¡± The few of them rushed forward, and one man even directly removed Situ Xingchen¡¯s hood. Hua! A pretty face appeared in front of their eyes. The three men were stunned as they did not expect her to be so beautiful. Taking advantage of this, Situ Xingchen immediately waved her hands. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The few men instinctively blocked and realized it was black powder. ¡°I even thought it was something powerful. Hah, little girl, you¡¯re¡ª¡± Just as the man in front was talking, his face suddenly contorted. This was because he saw his arm¡ªwhich was stained by the black powder¡ªstarting to rot silently and quickly. He then felt the excruciating pain. ¡°M-my hand!¡± ¡°Ah! My face!¡± The men¡¯s faces and bodies were all stained with the black powder, causing them to drop on the floor and start groaning in pain. But the powder was very formidable, and the men rotted into inhumane forms in the blink of an eye. They looked extremely horrifying. The air suddenly moved, and a black crack appeared. An elder in black suddenly walked out and respectfully greeted Situ Xingchen. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. I¡¯m sorry for coming late. Please forgive me.¡± His voice was hoarse and deep, and he spoke very slowly¡ªwhich sounded weird. Situ Xingchen¡¯s face was icy-cold as she walked over and picked up the item that was kicked away. Actually, she had already injected her force into the item the moment she picked it up, calling Lian Ning over. ¡°Elder Lian Ning, you should¡¯ve arrived earlier, right?¡± Situ Xingchen coldly asked as she put on the hood again. Lian Ning laughed. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re so intelligent. Why would you care about these few things? You summoned me over for something else, right?¡± Situ Xingchen did not hide anything from him. ¡°That¡¯s right. I need your help with something.¡± ¡°Your Highness, you can tell me about whatever you want.¡± ¡°Help me check on Chu Liuyue.¡± Surprise flashed across Lian Ning¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why would you want to check on her?¡± Situ Xingchen knitted her brows. ¡°You know her?¡± Lian Ning chuckled. ¡°She was the Crown Prince¡ªRong Jin¡¯s fianc¨¦e after all. Hence, I obviously know a thing or two about her.¡± Displeasure filled Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes. Lian Ning was so concerned about Rong Jin because her father wanted her to have a marriage alliance with Rong Jin after he dissolved his marriage agreement. Even though she expressed her reluctance on this matter, her father never seemed to have let go of this idea completely. This was why Lian Ning knew many things about Rong Jin. Lian Ning saw that Situ Xingchen did not look good and that she had clearly cried. He knew very clearly that Situ Xingchen liked someone else. It seems like this definitely has to do with Prince Li now. But¡­ why does she suddenly want to check on Chu Liuyue? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll do it immediately.¡± He agreed without asking any further. Before he left, his gaze landed on the few rotten corpses on the floor hesitantly. ¡°Your Highness, these people¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle them myself.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Lian Ning then stepped into the empty space and silently left. Situ Xingchen walked forward, stared at the incomplete corpses, suddenly raised the sword in her hands, and harshly pierced forward. As if she was a psychopath, she first cut off their limbs before gouging out their eyeballs. She finally stopped to breathe heavily when the trio became a pile of rotten meat. She completely destroyed the trio¡¯s corpses until they couldn¡¯t be seen. Then, she spat out a few words coldly. ¡°B*tches! They deserve to die!¡± Chapter 259 - Last Day! Chu Liuyue followed Chu Ning home. Even though Chu Ning was very happy about Chu Liuyue participating in the warrior and Xuan Master competitions consecutively, he also felt his heart ache for her. Thus, he did not ask anything else after he went home and saw the faint green color under Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯ve been so tired the past few days. You should rest well today.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm as she knew that Chu Ning had a bunch of questions for her, but he still swallowed them down. ¡°Father, many things have happened in the past few days. When the Qing Jiao Competition ends, I¡¯ll tell you what happened in detail. But you don¡¯t need to worry. Yesterday¡¯s incident will never happen again,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she took out something from her Cosmic Bag and handed it to Chu Ning. Chu Ning took the object and was shocked upon taking a closer look. ¡°This is¡­ Sky Compass?¡± It was a palm-sized black compass that looked like it was not made from stone nor wood. It was cold to touch, and there was a tiny silver needle on it, which glistened under the light. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Second Master Yan previously sent many gifts over, and one of them was a pair of Sky Compasses. I have kept one for myself, and I planned to give the other to you, but I didn¡¯t have the time to. I¡¯ll give it to you now.¡± Chu Ning asked hesitantly, ¡°This item¡­ seems to be pretty expensive, right?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly. How should I tell Chu Ning that this is already considered ordinary amongst the gifts Second Master Yan sent me? There were even more extravagant gifts that she did not dare tell Chu Ning about. If she did, according to Chu Ning¡¯s personality, he would definitely find ways to return the favor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Second Master Yan and I are on good terms, so it¡¯s not overboard if I accept this Sky Compass. Next time, just remember to bring this along with you. Within a certain range, you can use it to find me. This way, you¡¯ll be more relaxed, right?¡± Chu Ning repeatedly nodded. Even though he didn¡¯t know how Yue¡¯er knew Second Master Yan, it was a good thing after all. He had interacted with Yan Ge several times in the past, and he could tell that Second Master Yan was genuine toward Yue¡¯er. The most important point was that he really wanted this item. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Chu Ning sighed and carefully put away the Sky Compass. ¡°Thank Second Master Yan again when you have the chance in the future.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in agreement and talked to Chu Ning for a while longer before going to rest. These past few days, she had always been tense. She finally relaxed when she lay on her bed, and tiredness crept up to her uncontrollably. She quickly fell into a deep sleep. However, Chu Ning kept tossing and turning in bed as countless thoughts popped up in his mind. He could only forcefully sleep after a long time had passed. ¡­ That night, everyone from Tian Lu Academy was in a good mood. Chu Liuyue had taken first place twice continuously and could be considered as bringing honor to them. Tian Lu Academy had not had such results in many years, so they were naturally over the moon. However, the people from the other two academies felt defeated. Not only did they lose one competition, but they had lost both so far! However, this was not the most important thing. To Nan Feng Academy¡¯s people, Xi Wanwan¡¯s actions in the square today had utterly tarnished their reputation. As for Tai Yan Academy¡­ They had always been the most glorious academy in the past few competitions. Now that their two first places had been snatched away from them, they felt very disappointed. Chu Liuyue had also won so thoroughly that others could not even doubt her. When Cheng Han returned to the inn, he planned to talk to Situ Xingchen about the last day¡¯s competition, but he shockingly discovered that she had not returned yet. After asking around, he then found out that Situ Xingchen did not even return to the inn after leaving Jia Nan Square. She was clearly the one who left first! Cheng Han could not help but be worried and anxious when he did not see her around. During the Qing Jiao Competition, people from all walks of life are in the Imperial City. Who knows what will happen to Situ Xingchen if she¡¯s out alone? Just as he was about to send people out to find Situ Xingchen, he finally saw her come back. Cheng Han heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly went up to her. ¡°Xingchen, where did you go alone?¡± The tears on Situ Xingchen¡¯s face had already been wiped away, so nobody could tell that there was anything wrong with her. She smiled apologetically in her usual gentle manner. ¡°Mentor, I was just walking around the Imperial City. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Seeing that she looked normal, Cheng Han was assured since he really thought that Situ Xingchen just walked around to make herself feel better. ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great! Tomorrow is the last day of the Qing Jiao Competition; it¡¯s also the most crowded day. All kinds of people might show up, so you must be careful.¡± Disgust flashed across Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes when she recalled the three men, but she did not let Cheng Han notice anything as she lightly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mentor.¡± Cheng Han said calmly, ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s heavenly doctor competition is the most important event of this Qing Jiao Competition. No matter what happened before, our trip is worth it as long as you can take first place!¡± ¡°Of course, don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. I¡¯ve already asked around, and there are less than 100 people participating in this year¡¯s heavenly doctor competition. Out of these people, not more than three people can be your match. As long as you perform as per normal, it won¡¯t pose any problem.¡± Situ Xingchen had heard similar words countless times. In the past, she did not pay much attention to such words. However, her mentality was now different from before after experiencing all the setbacks today. Something seemed to be stuck in her chest, which made her feel very uncomfortable. As long as she took first place in the heavenly doctor competition, she could truly and completely prove to Rong Xiu that she was much better than Chu Liuyue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mentor. I definitely will come in first place tomorrow.¡± This sentence stunned Cheng Han. He knew very clearly what kind of person his disciple was. Even though Situ Xingchen wanted to take first place previously, her desire was not as strong¡­ Besides, it seems like she desperately wants to take first place! After some thinking, Cheng Han secretly guessed that it had to do with Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue, but he did not ask about them in detail. It¡¯s a good thing that Situ Xingchen desperately wants to take first place! ¡°Okay! Practice the things I taught you earlier, and we¡¯ll wait for tomorrow to come!¡± ¡­ The last day of the Qing Jiao Competition. Before the competition started, Jia Nan Square was already bursting with people. The past few days were considered crowded, but it was still lacking in comparison to today¡¯s turnout. After all, heavenly doctors had the highest status compared to warriors and Xuan Masters. In many ordinary people¡¯s eyes, it was normally hard for them to see a heavenly doctor as heavenly doctors were thought to be very distinguished. It was very rare to see so many heavenly doctors competing during the Qing Jiao Competition. Besides, they had a prize presentation ceremony on the last day, which was also one of the highlights that attracted more people over. But Chu Liuyue did not sign up for the heavenly doctor competition, so she had lazily slept at home. She arrived at Jia Nan Square late¡ªwhen the heavenly doctor competition was just about to start. Chapter 260 - Plan Even though Chu Liuyue came late, nobody caused trouble for her as she had taken first place in the previous two competitions. She quickly scanned her surroundings and saw Emperor Jiawen finally sitting down on the chair that had always been empty on the east side of the competition venue. The Empress sat next to him, while the princes and princesses were sitting at the side. After taking a rough look, Chu Liuyue found most of them pretty familiar. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s seat was empty. Most of the competitors had already sat down in the competition venue, and each of them had a cauldron in front of them. Sun Zhongyan was currently announcing the competition¡¯s rules. ¡°¡­ There¡¯s a jade box in front of everyone, which contains three formulas. The three formulas are of different grades. Based on your own abilities, you can choose the one that you¡¯re most confident about. As long as you produce the pill, it¡¯s considered that you¡¯ve completed the competition. The elders from the three academies will then determine the winner based on the pills¡¯ grades.¡± His thick and burly voice resonated throughout Jia Nan Square. Everyone in the crowd was excited and expectant, but the competing heavenly doctors were more nervous. Chu Liuyue quietly walked to her seat. Most of the crowd was focusing on the competition now, so she did not attract much attention. After sitting down, she glanced at the competition venue. Situ Xingchen was indeed standing within. Everyone around her was guessing who would be the winner in hushed voices. However, Chu Liuyue was more interested in the formulas inside the box. I wonder what kind of questions will be presented in the Qing Jiao Competition¡­ Sun Zhongyan gave a few more instructions before announcing the beginning of the competition. Everyone in the arena opened the boxes in front of them to check the three formulas. At that moment, some were shocked, some were elated, and others were put in a difficult position. It was obvious that the competitors were of different standards, so they had different reactions to the competition¡¯s questions. After a temporary silence, a young man in the competition venue raised his hand. ¡°Nan Feng Academy¡¯s He Yang chooses the intermediate medical formula!¡± The judges at the side hurriedly went forward and made someone deliver the corresponding set of ingredients. ¡°Everyone only has two sets of ingredients. If you continuously fail twice, you will be eliminated. Are you clear about this?¡± He Yang swiftly nodded his head. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, judges. I understand.¡± He then placed his hand over the cauldron and injected his force. A blue fire rose up. Upon seeing this, the other students did not want to be left behind. They respectively chose their formulas and started to refine the medicine. Chu Liuyue looked down with much interest and discovered that many people had chosen ¡®intermediate.¡¯ Not many of them had chosen ¡®beginner.¡¯ ¡°I wonder what the difference between the formulas is? Why did people choose ¡®beginner?¡¯ Aren¡¯t they bound to lose?¡± muttered Si Yang curiously. Chu Liuyue laughed lightly and kindly answered, ¡°That¡¯s because all heavenly doctors have a clear understanding of their own abilities. Since they know their standards, they naturally know which formula they should pick. To heavenly doctors, picking ¡®beginner¡¯ would be better than picking ¡®intermediate¡¯ and failing. At the very least, they can have a ranking. If they can¡¯t even produce a single item, they will be directly eliminated. Of course, some might want to take the gamble.¡± Si Yang was enlightened and finally understood the reasoning behind their actions. ¡°According to what you said, does it mean that those who chose ¡®beginner¡¯ might not be those with the lowest skills?¡± Chu Liuyue corrected him and said, ¡°To be more accurate, their rankings might not be the lowest.¡± Si Yang nodded in deep thought. Then, he suddenly widened his eyes. ¡°How do you know this?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him lazily. Si Yang immediately reacted¡ªI almost forgot! This sick pervert is also talented as a heavenly doctor. It¡¯s not surprising that she knows this. ¡°¡­ Oh yeah! Why didn¡¯t you join the heavenly doctor competition?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. Si Yang lightly slapped his mouth. I¡¯m so stupid! Chu Liuyue has won first place in two out of three competitions. Why would there be a need for her to join the last one? Besides, the academy always had a rumor that talked about how Chu Liuyue was not very talented in this area. Hence, she probably found it a waste of time to join the competition. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and looked at the arena. ¡­ ¡°Cough, cough cough¡ª¡± Emperor Jiawen turned around and looked upset when he heard Rong Jin coughing again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest in your residence since you¡¯re injured?¡± The Empress was elated when she heard this. His Majesty looked stern, but he was actually still concerned about Rong Jin. If he really did not care about the Crown Prince, he definitely would¡¯ve sent someone to bring Rong Jin back, and he wouldn¡¯t have said such a thing. Rong Jin also noticed this, and his pale lips curved up into a smile. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Father. My body is fine. Mr. Zuo Rong said that I¡¯d recover after resting for a while. Besides, I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time, so¡­¡± Ever since the Crown Prince was grounded, the palace did not receive any news about his requests to see the Emperor. Today was a good chance, so he obviously could not miss it. A moving look flashed across Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes. Even though the Crown Prince was petty, the Emperor had watched him grow up, and he had high expectations for the Crown Prince. How could the Emperor possibly not feel anything for the Crown Prince? Seeing Rong Jin¡¯s frail appearance, Emperor Jiawen also felt his heart ache. ¡°Go back and rest later. It¡¯s inappropriate for the Crown Prince to look sickly.¡± Once the Emperor said this, everyone was shocked. The Emperor seems like he doesn¡¯t plan to remove Rong Jin¡¯s status as the Crown Prince? The Empress felt even happier. Originally, she did not approve of Rong Jin coming over. She knew better than anyone that Rong Jin came over for Chu Liuyue. However, she did not expect Rong Jin to move His Majesty and extract himself from his current difficult situation. What a lucky hit! She smiled earnestly. ¡°Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has matured a lot now. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t make you angry over such small matters again.¡± Emperor Jiawen grunted coldly and did not say anything else. Rong Jin felt much more at ease, and he could not help but look toward Tian Lu Academy¡¯s seating area. Chu Liuyue was sitting in the crowd. They were clearly a distance apart, but he still saw her at first glance. Bright, dazzling, eye-catching! He had already heard about Chu Liuyue¡¯s performance in this Qing Jiao Competition, and it made him fall for her even more. Only such outstanding women were the most suited for him! When he came, he had silently asked his mother about her plans. Knowing that she had not taken action yet, Rong Jin felt quite anxious. At this point, another thought popped up in his head¡ªIf Mother still hasn¡¯t done anything about this after the Qing Jiao Competition ends, I¡¯ll just ask Father myself! Chapter 261 - Danger Lurking Everywhere The heavenly doctor competition¡¯s duration was the same as the Xuan Master competition, and they both lasted for a day. But to the spectators, the heavenly doctor competition was much more interesting. For the Xuan Master competition, every Xuan Master had to solve the Xuan formations on the chessboards in front of them, and this would take several hours. Most people did not understand Xuan formations, so the competition would be more boring for them. However, the heavenly doctor competition was different. Every competitor had a cauldron in front of them, and they would extract the different herbs in the cauldron before merging them together¡ªwhich was also the competition¡¯s highlight. During this process, many people could directly differentiate the weak and strong heavenly doctors in the competition. Hence, most of the spectators would watch on with much interest. But these people did not include Chu Liuyue. Out of all the competitors, only five people chose the ¡®advanced¡¯ formula. This also meant that barely a few of them had the ability to produce pills. Also, these five people might not actually be able to produce the pill. There was no need to mention the remaining competitors. Heavenly doctors were about the same if they couldn¡¯t produce pills. Some people were not able to produce pills for their entire lives, so they could only be a physician forever. They could not truly step into the heavenly doctor world. Upon taking a closer look at the ingredients they were using, Chu Liuyue could already roughly guess the three medical formulas. This made the competition even more boring. Tuan Zi sat on her shoulders, and its head kept drooping as if it were sleeping. Chu Liuyue hugged Tuan Zi in her arms, and it comfortably huddled into a ball as it drifted to sleep. ¡°Hey, Liuyue, your blood ferret is amazing! Where did you get it?¡± Curiosity filled Si Yang¡¯s face. ¡°Many people went to buy blood ferrets these few days, and there aren¡¯t enough blood ferrets in the entire Imperial City! But I think none of those blood ferrets can compare to yours!¡± As the weakest third-grade fiend, blood ferrets were not in high demand. At most, some aristocratic children would buy them as pets. But blood ferrets were very hard to find, and they were very expensive. It was not worth it to buy them. Hence, very few people bought them as pets. Tuan Zi became famous from one battle, and it instantly made blood ferrets popular. Chu Liuyue raised her brows, and her palm lightly touched Tuan Zi¡¯s tail. The small little ball is really cute. When looking at Tuan Zi like this, it really isn¡¯t different from other blood ferrets. However, Tuan Zi is the most special one! ¡°I picked it up at Wan Ling Mountain.¡± ¡°What?¡± Si Yang was stunned. She didn¡¯t spend any money and found such a treasure? ¡°Your luck is too good!¡± His entire face contorted. ¡°Why don¡¯t these good things happen to me?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him coldly. ¡°You didn¡¯t get surrounded and attacked by fiends. Your luck is pretty good.¡± Si Yang was speechless. ¡°Liuyue, Liuyue?¡± A familiar voice was suddenly heard from the side while the two of them were talking. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look and saw that Zuo Rong was beside them. ¡°Mr. Zuo Rong, how can I help you?¡± Zuo Rong gestured for her to come over. Chu Liuyue stood up and walked to Zuo Rong. Seeing that not many people were paying attention to them, Zuo Rong lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Liuyue, are you really not participating in the heavenly doctor competition?¡± Seeing Zuo Rong¡¯s careful and expectant behavior, Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°You came here to look for me because of this? I didn¡¯t sign up for the competition, so I won¡¯t join it.¡± It was most likely that Zuo Rong had high hopes for her because she gave that formula to Heavenly Pharmacy previously. It is a pity that she isn¡¯t interested in it. Looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalant appearance, it seemed like she had really made up her mind. Zuo Rong could not help but feel regret. ¡°If you join¡­¡± He believed that Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent as a heavenly doctor was definitely outstanding. However, she had always maintained a low profile regarding this. He tried to convince her for a while longer, but he could only give up when he saw that Chu Liuyue really had no interest in it. ¡°¡­ Okay then! Since you don¡¯t want to join, others can¡¯t force you. If you still need any more herbs later on, just go to Heavenly Pharmacy and take them.¡± Chu Liuyue thanked him with a smile, but she thought in her heart: Though I can take ordinary herbs from Heavenly Pharmacy, it is more convenient to take the special herbs from Zhen Bao Pavilion. She turned around after Zuo Rong left, planning to return to her seat. However, she suddenly froze. Chu Liuyue had just felt a very dangerous gaze sweep past her. She immediately became alert as her gaze quickly darted across her surroundings. However, the harsh and dangerous aura quickly disappeared. She looked around for quite a while but did not detect any strange happenings. ¡°Liuyue, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Zuo Rong saw how Chu Liuyue turned around to leave but had suddenly stopped there. Did this girl suddenly change her mind? Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled at him. ¡°Nothing much.¡± Then, she returned to her seat. Her expression looked normal from the start till the end. This insignificant event also did not attract anyone¡¯s attention. But Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was still tense even after she sat down on her seat. Her gaze also gradually became cold. My intuition should not be wrong. That frightening murderous intent indeed was directed at me! Chu Liuyue estimated that the other party must be very strong! For someone to exude such a suffocating suppression¡­ That person must be a stage-six warrior at least! But who could it be? Even though she had offended quite a few people during this period, one had to know that a stage-six warrior had never appeared in the entire Country Yao Chen before! Chu Liuyue slowly caressed Tuan Zi as a thought flashed across her mind. Hang on! I forgot that I had a hidden enemy¡ªthe one that poisoned Liao Zhongshu! Chu Liuyue never knew when she had offended such a mysterious and formidable person. The other party had set a lot of traps in secret and was waiting for Chu Liuyue to fall into them before completely killing her. Perhaps¡­ the mastermind came to this Qing Jiao Competition? Upon thinking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze could not help but shift toward Chu Xianmin. Chu Xianmin did not sit beside Rong Jin; she was sitting in Tian Lu Academy¡¯s area instead. Even though she had already married the Crown Prince and was serving Rong Jin personally, she had no right to sit beside Rong Jin on such an occasion since she was a concubine. Chu Xianmin seemed to notice something and looked up. Their eyes met. Chu Xianmin could not help but shiver. For some reason, she always felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s pair of eyes could see through everything. Chu Xianmin almost touched her neck instinctively. The wound left by the dagger had already formed a scab, and it was very rough to the touch. Every single moment, it reminded her of how horrifying Chu Liuyue was. She anxiously shifted her gaze. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. Considering Chu Xianmin¡¯s reaction, there seems to be something amiss¡­ Chu Liuyue pretended to look at her surroundings casually, but she made no discovery. At this point, a low boom was heard from the arena. Poof! Chapter 262 - Absolutely Regret Chu Liuyue looked over. A young man stood there with a pale face, and the fire within the cauldron before him was completely extinguished, leaving behind black ash only. The previous sound came from there¡ªit turned out that he failed in producing his pill. Looking at his clothes, he was from Tai Yan Academy. At the side, the judge reminded him, ¡°You still have one last chance.¡± The young man then recovered his senses and mechanically nodded his head. He hurriedly cleaned the cauldron, picked up the second set of ingredients, and tried for the second time. But perhaps the first failure had made him nervous, which caused his hand that was holding the herbs to tremble. The judges secretly shook their heads. The crowd watching the scene also sighed, but they had seen such situations many times. The competition was already very intense. The first pill production failure was an even larger impact. Many students¡ªwho weren¡¯t mentally strong enough¡ªwould quickly lose confidence after the first failure, causing them to fail for the second time as well. As expected, the young man was dazed, and he put in the herbs in the wrong order after a short while. When he realized it, he started to extract the herbs carelessly. This movement caused him to lose control of the fire in the cauldron, and it was extinguished once again. The set of herbs¡ªwhich had yet to finish being extracted¡ªwas wasted just like that. The judges looked like they expected it, and they shook their heads. ¡°Number 37 is eliminated!¡± When the young man heard this, his entire body trembled. He looked very defeated as he weakly walked off the arena. ¡°He¡¯s the first person to be eliminated from this year¡¯s heavenly doctor competition, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect for his second attempt to be worse than the first! At least he had extracted all the ingredients previously; there was only a problem during the merging of the ingredients.¡± ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s too nervous¡­ Even I¡¯m very nervous just by watching them, let alone the competitors.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s not talented enough! Look at Situ Xingchen. She has always been calm since the start of the competition. Even though this is her first time participating in the Qing Jiao Competition, her extraction methods are much smoother than the rest!¡± ¡°She¡¯s Country Xing Luo¡¯s most beloved eldest princess after all. She truly lives up to her name¡­¡± ¡­ Situ Xingchen was bent on taking first place this time, so she chose the most difficult formula from the start without hesitation. This resulted in her having many more herbs beside her. When the other people¡ªwho chose the ¡®intermediate¡¯ and ¡®beginner¡¯ formulas¡ªhad already started to merge the ingredients, she was still calmly handling her herbs. Gradually, more people were eliminated. When Situ Xingchen heard those sounds, she was not affected at all. She would sometimes look up, but she would only glance at the progress of the people who had chosen the ¡®advanced¡¯ formula as well. She did not even care about the others. ¡­ As time gradually ticked past, more and more people were eliminated. Only half of them were left by noon. Chu Liuyue had always been waiting for that person to appear, but the other party no longer acted after that first glance. Chu Liuyue felt regret in her heart, but she did not give up as she waited alertly. Since the other party came here, he definitely has tricks up his sleeves. There are many people at the Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s venue, so it isn¡¯t easy for him to do anything here. Perhaps after the competition¡­ ¡­. Emperor Jiawen looked at the competition arena, smiled, and said, ¡°Situ Xingchen is indeed outstanding. When I saw her a few years ago, she was still a small girl. Now, she¡¯s matured beautifully.¡± She excelled both in terms of appearance and talent. The Empress looked at Emperor Jiawen and felt that he really liked Situ Xingchen. She then smiled and supported him. ¡°You¡¯re right, Your Majesty. A girl like Situ Xingchen is really a rare find. I heard that she isn¡¯t engaged yet, right?¡± Emperor Jiawen laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s right! Her father really dotes on her, and he can¡¯t bear to marry her off. He keeps saying that he wants her to stay by his side for a few more years, but¡­¡± But when both of them were communicating through mail, Situ Xingchen¡¯s father¡ªCountry Xing Luo¡¯s Emperor Jing Kang, Situ You¡ªhad once mentioned a marriage alliance. The target of this marriage alliance was the Crown Prince, Rong Jin! Not many people knew about this, and it seemed like Situ You had casually mentioned this. But as the Emperor, his words were rules, so how could he possibly joke about this? Emperor Jiawen knew very clearly that Situ You was testing his attitude. He was naturally very satisfied with Situ Xingchen, but he did not know why Situ You would suggest this. In Country Xing Luo, Situ Xingchen could also pick a husband that she was satisfied with. Why would they want to form a marriage alliance? And they even chose Rong Jin? The Empress naturally did not know what Emperor Jiawen was thinking. When His Majesty casually mentioned it to her before, she did not take it to heart. But after thinking about it, she felt that Situ Xingchen was a very good choice! She was better than Chu Liuyue at least. As long as His Majesty granted them the marriage, Rong Jin could not reject it¡ªespecially when the other party was Country Xing Luo¡¯s eldest princess! She jokingly said, ¡°I wonder who will be so blessed to marry this eldest princess.¡± Emperor Jiawen was in deep thought. Rong Jin secretly knitted his brows. Actually, he was interested when he heard the news from his mother previously. But that was before he angered his father. During this period of time, he had encountered consecutive setbacks. He felt like he had lost all hope. However, it seemed like his father did not completely reject the idea. But¡­ he had already decided that Chu Liuyue would be his Crown Princess! If it were the previous him, he would be elated to have a marriage alliance with Situ Xingchen. Who wouldn¡¯t want to marry such a perfect Crown Princess? However, his heart was filled with Chu Liuyue now, and he did not want to change to someone else. He coughed and pretended to speak to Rong Qi casually, who was beside him. ¡°I heard Chu Liuyue took first place for two competitions?¡± Rong Qi was stunned. Didn¡¯t Big Brother always hate Chu Liuyue? Why did he suddenly bring her up now? His brain turned, and he suddenly remembered that there were rumors about how the Crown Prince had changed his attitude toward Chu Liuyue. Rong Jin had even invited her in public. However, he was rejected by Chu Liuyue. According to my understanding of Rong Jin, he shouldn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Chu Liuyue¡­ Rong Qi nodded. ¡°I think so. I didn¡¯t come the past few days, so I¡¯m not too sure about what happened. But¡­ Brother, why did you suddenly talk about her? I thought you¡­¡± Rong Jin smiled. ¡°She sort of saved me previously, and I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank her yet.¡± Rong Qi felt very strange and thought that Rong Jin¡¯s expression was weird when he talked about Chu Liuyue. When Emperor Jiawen heard this, he turned around to look at Rong Jin. Rong Jin is actually speaking for Chu Liuyue? It seems like the things that happened during this period has indeed made him change. ¡°Liuyue is indeed very good.¡± Rong Jin nodded and bitterly laughed. ¡°You¡¯re right, Father. I was dumb before, and I missed her. Now, I¡­¡± Chapter 263 - Produced a Pill! ¡°It¡¯s good that you think this way. It¡¯s not too late for you to go over and thank her when you feel better,¡± interrupted the Empress suddenly. Even though she was smiling, she glanced at Rong Jin with much warning. Rong Jin¡¯s lips moved, but he finally swallowed his remaining words. Now that Father has changed his view toward me, it might be better if I talk about it when the situation is better. Emperor Jiawen looked at Rong Jin with much meaning. From his understanding of his son, the past Rong Jin wouldn¡¯t admit he was wrong in front of everyone else, even if he was saved by Chu Liuyue. His change in attitude is strange. I wonder what he¡¯s planning. ¡°Mm, I heard that Chu Xianmin has personally been taking care of you for the past few days?¡± Rong Jin carelessly nodded. Emperor Jiawen smiled. ¡°This kid is not bad too, and she¡¯s genuine towards you. Wait for a while longer, and you can upgrade¡ª¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the Gu family and the Chu family are still in a tense situation,¡± reminded the Empress softly. Emperor Jiawen paused and then remembered that Chu Xianmin¡¯s mother¡ªLu Yao¡ªhad done many ¡®good deeds¡¯ recently. Not only did she secretly take the Chu family¡¯s money, but she had even instigated the Gu family¡¯s madam to cause a scene at Tian Lu Academy. If it weren¡¯t because the Gu family thought of the Lu family and Crown Prince Mansion, Lu Yao might not have left the Gu family alive. Even if so, she was still harshly taught a lesson. With this kind of marital home and parents, Chu Xianmin¡¯s reputation was affected as well. It really was not a good time to upgrade her status. Emperor Jiawen swallowed his remaining words. ¡°¡­ Just treat her well.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Rong Jin agreed on the surface, but he did not care about it in his heart. Father can say this so easily because he hasn¡¯t seen Chu Xianmin¡¯s face. I also want to treat Chu Xianmin better, but every time I look at her, I inevitably think about the horrifyingly ugly face I saw that night. I can¡¯t like her a single bit. Besides, the Chu family¡¯s situation has changed. Lu Yao and Chu Yan aren¡¯t in favorable positions either. It is already very kind of me not to find fault with the troubles Chu Xianmin brought to me. How can I possibly still treat them well? ¡­ Ding! A crisp sound was heard from the competition venue. This sound would only be made when someone successfully refined medicine! The crowd hurriedly looked over and discovered that it came from He Yang¡ªwho was the first person to choose a formula. Due to his nervousness and emotional state, He Yang¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat, and his face was red. At this moment, he carefully placed the bowl of medicine he made into the jade box he prepared at the side. An intense herbal fragrance permeated the air. ¡°It looks like his refinement was very successful! I think his bowl of medicine is pretty effective!¡± ¡°I heard that he broke through and became a stage-three heavenly doctor last year. If he progresses by another step, he¡¯ll become a true heavenly doctor!¡± ¡°Hah, as long as he can¡¯t produce a pill, he will never become a true heavenly doctor! He might not even pass this obstacle. You need to know that some people will forever be stuck as a stage-three physician.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say! There are only a handful of true heavenly doctors in Country Yao Chen. It¡¯s already not bad for someone to become a stage-three physician. How can you ask for everyone to become a true heavenly doctor? In this arena, perhaps not even three of them have the ability to produce pills! It¡¯s hard to say who will succeed in the end!¡± The young man carefully passed the jade box to the three heavenly doctors seated at the side. These three judges came from the three academies, respectively, so that the judgment was fair. The person in the middle was Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Elder Feng Yi. On his left and right were Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Elder Cheng Lixue and Tai Yan Academy¡¯s Elder Mo Cang, respectively. Elder Feng Yi opened the jade box, took a look, and said, ¡°Stage three, middle-grade.¡± He Yang¡¯s smile stiffened. He was a stage-three physician, so the medicine he produced was a stage-three one as well. But even physicians in the same stage would have varying standards. He Yang originally thought that his medicine was a stage-three, superior-grade product. Hence, he was disappointed with Elder Feng Yi¡¯s judgment. He took a deep breath in and looked at the other two elders. However, the remaining two gave the same judgment after looking at the medicine. Seeing that the judges were about to record the results, He Yang hurriedly said, ¡°Three elders, please take another look at it! Is my medicine really considered middle grade only?¡± Elder Feng Yi smiled and shook his head. ¡°Are you doubting the three of us?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! But¡ª¡± He Yang immediately looked down. But if they really conclude that it is middle-grade medicine, I definitely won¡¯t get a good ranking! ¡°Actually, you should know very clearly what grade your medicine is. Even though you successfully refined the medicine according to the formula, you weren¡¯t clean in handling the ingredients, and there¡¯s some residue inside, which affects the medicine¡¯s effectiveness. You should be able to see the impure color, right?¡± He Yang¡¯s face flushed red, and he did not dare to rebut any further. He could only softly and hurriedly say, ¡°Thank you for the enlightenment, Elders.¡± Then, he quickly left. The trio looked at each other and smiled. They were all experienced heavenly doctors and could tell the grade of the medicine with one look and one sniff. How could they possibly judge wrongly? ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯ll need to wait for a while before stage-three, superior-grade medicine shows up.¡± Elder Cheng Lixue stroked his beard. Elder Mo Cang chuckled. ¡°Haha, if there¡¯s anyone who can produce a pill here, I¡¯ll be more than willing to wait on!¡± Elder Cheng Lixue and Elder Feng Yi exchanged glances. Who can¡¯t tell that he is secretly praising Situ Xingchen? Judging by his tone, it seems like he is certain that Situ Xingchen can produce a pill! Buzz! At this point, a commotion was heard from the competition venue. The crowd hurriedly looked over and realized that the noise came from the cauldron in front of a young man. ¡°Is he¡­ producing a pill?¡± asked Elder Cheng Lixue in surprise. This young man was from Nan Feng Academy like him, so he was naturally happy to see him produce a pill. Elder Feng Yi stared at the young man for a while and did not say anything. However, Elder Mo Cang poured cold water on Elder Cheng Lixue. ¡°He¡¯s producing a pill already? Isn¡¯t he too anxious? If anything happens¡­¡± Cheng Lixue knitted his brows in frustration. ¡°Mo Cang, I have never said anything bad about your Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students.¡± Mo Cang shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? The fire in his cauldron can¡¯t be sustained for much longer.¡± Cheng Lixue was shocked. When he looked over, he indeed discovered that this was the case. The young man¡¯s face quickly turned pale, and his body slightly trembled as if he had reached his limits. The smile on his face gradually turned cold. As expected, the fire in the cauldron completely extinguished after a short while. Even the herbs that were merging into a pill became ashes! Chapter 264 - I’ll Compensate You for It! Only five people chose the ¡®advanced¡¯ formula. Now that the first one who tried to produce the pill had failed directly, they were instantly left with four people. The main point was that he had previously used too much energy. Hence, he didn¡¯t have enough remaining strength to try again, even though he had a second set of ingredients beside him. Thus, he had completely lost his chance of obtaining a rank! He would be like the people who were eliminated due to failure; he would not have an eventual ranking. This kind of result was cruel but also inevitable. From the moment he chose the ¡®advanced¡¯ formula, he should¡¯ve been prepared for this. Cheng Lixue¡¯s face immediately darkened. Out of the five people in the arena, Nan Feng Academy had two, Tai Yan Academy had two, and Tian Lu Academy only had one person. They originally had an advantage, but they only had one person left after this¡ªjust like Tian Lu Academy. The most important point was that they didn¡¯t know if the last one could make it! Mo Cang¡¯s eyes were filled with unconcealable delight. ¡°You see! What did I say just now? The worst thing you can have when refining medicine is an anxious mindset. If you¡¯re not stable enough, you¡¯ll never succeed! Of course, the most important thing is also your talent and capabilities!¡± ¡°Enough! You can say this when your academy¡¯s students produce pills!¡± Cheng Lixue interrupted Mo Cang in frustration. Mo Cang grunted and did not argue with him. We¡¯ll see who¡¯s the embarrassed one when the results come out later! Elder Feng Yi did not talk much to the two of them and only looked at the competing students with a smile. Anyway, Tian Lu Academy had taken two out of three first places in this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition. Hence, it did not matter much if they didn¡¯t take first place in the heavenly doctor competition. Chu Liuyue¡¯s outstanding performance in the previous few days had reduced quite a bit of his stress. That young man did not continue trying and left the arena defeatedly. Situ Xingchen briefly glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and retracted her gaze. Now, there are only three people left against me. ¡­ ¡°Brother Zhongyan, more than half of the competition is over, and it will end in a while. It looks like Elder Ye isn¡¯t coming?¡± asked Cheng Han on purpose. Sun Zhongyan knitted his brows. On the first day, I already told Cheng Han that Elder Ye was in seclusion. Why is he still asking? ¡°Uncle-Master has always been carefree and is only interested in refining medicine after so many years. I believe everyone knows this, right?¡± Cheng Han laughed out loud. ¡°Brother Zhongyan, don¡¯t misunderstand. I just feel that it¡¯s a pity.¡± Sun Zhongyan instinctively felt that Cheng Han would not say anything nice, so Sun Zhongyan did not reply to him. However, Cheng Han was very confident today, and he was determined to show himself off. Naturally, he would not stop at that. ¡°On one hand, I¡¯ve always respected Elder Ye, but it¡¯s a pity that I¡¯ve only seen him a few times after so many years. On the other hand, Elder Ye is very strong, and he¡¯s outstanding in terms of medicine refining. However, he has nobody to continue his legacy, even until now¡­ Isn¡¯t this very much a pity?¡± Cheng Han squinted his eyes as if he were recalling something. ¡°Ten years ago, I had an agreement with Elder Ye to let our disciples battle in the future, but now¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan sneered. Agreement? That was just a joke! Ten years ago, Cheng Han had broken through and became a stage-five heavenly doctor. Cheng Han thought that he was strong enough, so he specifically came over to Tian Lu Academy and challenged Elder Ye. At that time, Elder Ye had already been famous for quite some time. Let alone in Country Yao Chen, nobody in the neighboring countries was his match. Cheng Han came over, brimming with confidence, but he lost badly and returned defeatedly. The so-called ¡®agreement¡¯ to have their disciples battle was just said to ease Cheng Han out of the situation back then. How dare he have the cheek to mention it? Cheng Han was very delighted. Ye Zhiting was indeed very formidable as a heavenly doctor. Even now, Cheng Han knew that there was a high chance he was not Ye Zhiting¡¯s match. However, Ye Zhiting had never taken a disciple! As long as Xingchen takes first place at the Qing Jiao Competition in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City, trampling on all those other people under her feet, it will help avenge me from a certain angle. ¡°Who said Uncle-Master doesn¡¯t have a disciple?¡± interrupted Sun Zhongyan as he smiled nonchalantly. Cheng Han was stunned. ¡°Oh? Elder Ye has a disciple? Why didn¡¯t I hear of this earlier? Is it someone in the competition?¡± As he spoke, he rapidly scanned the competition venue. Cheng Han remembered that the only person from Tian Lu Academy who chose the ¡®advanced¡¯ formula was another heavenly doctor¡¯s disciple¡­ As for the others, their standards were even lower, and Cheng Han could not find an extraordinary one up till now. Since when was Ye Zhiting¡¯s taste so bad? Sun Zhongyan was nonchalant. ¡°Uncle-Master¡¯s disciple didn¡¯t compete today.¡± Cheng Han found it weirder and laughed strangely. ¡°Why is that so? Could it be that Elder Ye¡¯s disciple doesn¡¯t care about the Qing Jiao Competition? Or¡­ do they not even have the right to compete?¡± One had to, at least, be a stage-two heavenly doctor to sign up for the heavenly doctor competition. Sun Zhongyan was so angry that he laughed. Does this Cheng Han really think that he¡¯s formidable just because he has Situ Xingchen as his disciple? I wonder what his reaction would be if he knew that Uncle-Master¡¯s disciple is Chu Liuyue, who had taken first place in the earlier competitions! ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this, Brother Cheng Han.¡± Cheng Han laughed but felt even more delighted. If they really are talented, why won¡¯t they compete? I think that they most likely aren¡¯t worthy enough! ¡­ Listening to the debate and the hidden enmity between the two of them, Chu Liuyue could not help but curve her lips. Cheng Han is too over-confident. Situ Xingchen is talented as a heavenly doctor, but her talent is limited. Even if she is considered amazing here, she¡¯s nothing at the Tianling Dynasty. At this point, Situ Xingchen also attempted to produce the pill. Weng! Weng! The sound of her producing the pill was clearly much louder than that of the young man before. Chu Liuyue looked up. The fire within the cauldron in front of Situ Xingchen gradually formed the outline of a pill. The crowd was excited. Situ Xingchen stared at it closely, and her heart was in her throat. I must be stable¡­ I must make it through this last stage! The process of producing a pill used up a lot of energy, and her face turned pale within a short amount of time. The fire in the cauldron seemed to be unstable, but it still burned on shakily. Suddenly¡ª Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused! A familiar and dangerous aura suddenly came to her. The next moment, she abruptly stood up and rushed to the competition venue. She was very fast and reached the edge in the blink of an eye. ¡°Liuyue, what are you doing?¡± Everyone was shocked when they saw that Chu Liuyue suddenly appeared, but they did not even have the time to stop her. Chu Liuyue flung her wrist out, and a dagger flew out. Deng! The dagger deeply pierced the cauldron in front of a young man. The intense impact caused the cauldron to flip over. Situ Xingchen was not far away from the young man. When she saw Chu Liuyue rushing over, Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she lost control of the fire in the cauldron. Hong! Situ Xingchen lost control, and the fire in the square cauldron started burning wildly. The pill that had already formed its outline suddenly broke into pieces. Situ Xingchen was stunned for a moment, and she finally could not hold herself back. ¡°Chu Liuyue, what are you doing?!¡± Chu Liuyue ignored her and rushed toward the young man. Just now he was holding¡ª ¡°Chu Liuyue!¡± Situ Xingchen suddenly exploded and quickly stopped Chu Liuyue. She hollered, ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a competition, and I was producing a pill. Yet, you suddenly charged over and ruined my pill! What are you trying to do?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her coldly. ¡°You better not stop me. As for your ruined pill, I¡¯ll just compensate you.¡± Chapter 265 - Explanation! Chu Liuyue then hurriedly walked past Situ Xingchen and rushed to the young man. ¡°Hand over that thing!¡± The young man was frightened by Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions and moved backward. ¡°What do you want? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± He pointed at the flipped over cauldron beside him and yelled, ¡°You ruined my pill!¡± This young man¡ªYang Jianqing¡ªwas the other student from Tai Yan Academy who chose to produce a pill. Not long after Situ Xingchen started forming her pill, he had also reached the same step. When Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger flew over, the pill¡¯s outline could already vaguely be seen in the cauldron. Now that it was suddenly ruined, Yang Jianqing furiously glared at Chu Liuyue after he recovered his senses. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. ¡°You know very clearly what I want. Do you want to give it to me yourself, or must I take action?¡± Yang Jianqing¡¯s heart could not help but tremble due to the petrifying suppression emanating from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue looked like she was a young girl in her teens, but she faintly had an aura that did not allow anyone to disobey her. Yang Jianqing could not help but feel guilty as the black, gem-like eyes kept staring at him. He looked away, and his voice became softer as he said, ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying! Chu Liuyue, we were competing just fine, yet you rushed over at this time! I want to ask you: what are you doing?!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold, and she was about to go forward. At this point, the spectators finally recovered their senses. Cheng Han was the first to harshly shout, ¡°Chu Liuyue! How dare you? What kind of place do you think this is? How can you do whatever you want?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered and turned around. ¡°Director Cheng Han, if it isn¡¯t because your students did something wrong, I won¡¯t suddenly come to the arena.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Cheng Han knitted his brows, and his blood boiled. ¡°Are you hinting that Yang Jianqing has a problem?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°No, I¡¯m explicitly saying it.¡± Cheng Han was stumped, and he was so angry that his entire body shook. Who exactly is Chu Liuyue? How dare she openly question our Tai Yan Academy? Not only did she ruin our students¡¯ pills, but she even defamed us in this manner! He knew he could not argue against Chu Liuyue. Besides, given his current status, it was inappropriate if he debated with Chu Liuyue in public. He swiftly looked at Sun Zhongyan and boomed, ¡°Sun Zhongyan! Is this the kind of student your academy brings out? She is too gutsy and does whatever she wants! Can she really disregard everyone else just because she took first place in two competitions?¡± Sun Zhongyan was also shocked by Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. However, he always had a good impression of Chu Liuyue, so he still felt that there was a reason behind her actions, even if she acted too impulsively. ¡°Liuyue has always been sensible. There must be a reason behind her actions. It won¡¯t be too late for you to find fault with her when she gives us a clear explanation. Right, Brother Cheng Han?¡± Cheng Han clenched his teeth. Sun Zhongyan is really protective of this Chu Liuyue! ¡°Sun Zhongyan, Chu Liuyue ruined the last competition of this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition. How can you still act as if nothing happened when she has caused so much trouble?¡± Sun Zhongyan glanced at the competition venue, coughed, and reminded him, ¡°Brother Cheng Han, can¡¯t the competition continue? Liuyue only went up and flipped over Yang Jianqing¡¯s cauldron to stop him from producing the pill. The others aren¡¯t affected at all¡ªOh, right, there¡¯s still Situ Xingchen.¡± Cheng Han was stunned. He realized that this was indeed the case after he turned around to take a closer look. Other than Yang Jianqing and Situ Xingchen, the others really weren¡¯t affected! On the one hand, the competition venue was huge, and each student occupied a big area to refine their medicine conveniently. Hence, there was a lot of space between each student. On the other hand, Yang Jianqing and Situ Xingchen were both Tai Yan Academy¡¯s students, and they were neighbors. So even though Situ Xingchen was largely affected by the commotion, the others¡ªwho were further away¡ªwere spared of this trouble. Cheng Han¡¯s lips moved, and he felt embarrassed and furious. ¡°Therefore, this further proves that Chu Liuyue did it on purpose! If not, why didn¡¯t she interrupt the many other people in the competition except for my academy¡¯s students? She even targeted the two that were producing pills!¡± Sun Zhongyan laughed. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, Liuyue obviously went for Yang Jianqing. Everyone could see this, and Liuyue herself has admitted to it. As for Situ Xingchen¡­ Honestly speaking, isn¡¯t it more of her own fault that her pill was ruined?¡± ¡°Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Qi Yunfeng was also producing a pill, and he¡¯s beside Yang Jianqing. The distance between the two of them is the same as the distance between Yang Jianqing and Situ Xingchen. Isn¡¯t Qi Yunfeng doing just fine?¡± Fu Yunshan stroked his beard in a smug manner. ¡°Yunfeng has always been stable.¡± Fu Yunshan was still quite worried when he saw Situ Xingchen and Yang Jianqing producing pills consecutively. However, he did not expect Chu Liuyue to come out of nowhere and affect the two people! Now that the two academies were at each other¡¯s throat, he naturally just stood at the side and watched the commotion, even adding oil to the fire. ¡°Just now, I did see that the fire in Situ Xingchen¡¯s cauldron wasn¡¯t very stable. It seems like her situation was similar to my academy¡¯s student before. Lixue, what do you think?¡± Cheng Lixue was just feeling pity that his academy had lost a student that could fight for a good ranking. When he heard Fu Yunshan, he immediately understood what happened. ¡°That¡¯s right. The pill-producing process uses up a lot of energy. If one doesn¡¯t have the capabilities to sustain it, the fire in the cauldron will extinguish at any time, causing the student to fail. From what I think¡­ Situ Xingchen¡¯s pill¡­ perhaps might not have¡­¡± ¡°Cheng Lixue! Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Xingchen was clearly about to produce her pill earlier! If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue interrupting her, why would Xingchen fail?¡± retorted Cheng Han immediately, and his face turned green. He¡¯s clearly doubting Situ Xingchen¡¯s abilities! Cheng Lixue chuckled. ¡°Director Cheng Han, I¡¯m not spouting nonsense. As a heavenly doctor, won¡¯t you know this very clearly? She was about to produce her pill, but she hasn¡¯t done it yet. Nobody will know the results until the last minute.¡± It¡¯ll be great if we can take this opportunity to kick out Situ Xingchen and Yang Jianqing! Cheng Han knew what Nan Feng Academy intended to do, and he did not want to argue with them any longer. Instead, he looked at Sun Zhongyan. ¡°No matter what, Chu Liuyue must give an explanation for this. If not, it¡¯s fine if we don¡¯t participate in this Qing Jiao Competition!¡± With this sentence, the crowd was silenced. They did not expect Cheng Han to threaten them in such a manner. Upon thinking about it more, it was understandable. Tai Yan Academy did not take first place for the warrior competition or the Xuan Master competition, so the heavenly doctor competition was their only hope. If Yang Jianqing and Situ Xingchen really didn¡¯t get a good ranking because of this, they would¡¯ve utterly lost. Sun Zhongyan looked at Chu Liuyue hesitantly. Chu Liuyue gave him an assuring gaze. ¡°Director Cheng Han, please listen carefully since you want an explanation.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand and pointed at Yang Jianqing. Her gaze was cold and sharp, and her every word struck one¡¯s ears like thunder. ¡°He has Red Blood Gu with him!¡± Chapter 266 - Her Identity! The entire square fell into dead silence once she said this. Most people did not even know what Red Blood Gu was, so they were all dazed. But all those that had an understanding of Red Blood Gu were frightened and too shocked to say anything. Yang Jianqing¡¯s eyes widened! I was clearly very discreet about it. How can Chu Liuyue tell? Cheng Han was also shocked when he heard it and immediately said, ¡°Impossible!¡± Red Blood Gu is a very sinister item! How can Yang Jianqing possibly have it? Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up coldly. ¡°You will know if it¡¯s possible or not when you see it yourself, right?¡± Chu Liuyue then looked at Yang Jianqing again. ¡°Are you still going to deny it?¡± Yang Jianqing was determined and planned to deny it to the end. ¡°I don¡¯t have it! I don¡¯t have that sort of thing with me! Why would I need to admit it? Don¡¯t defame me!¡± Chu Liuyue almost burst out laughing. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d take action if I¡¯m not absolutely confident?¡± Yang Jianqing was stumped. Chu Liuyue picked up her dagger and played with it in her hands. ¡°If you¡¯re smart, you better hand the thing over right now and clearly explain it to me instead of affecting the competition here. If not¡­¡± She paused and looked up slightly. A chill was sent down Yang Jianqing¡¯s spine. Even though Chu Liuyue did not continue speaking, her gaze was enough. Yang Jianqing didn¡¯t know what he had to face later on, but he very clearly knew that Chu Liuyue¡¯s methods weren¡¯t something he could handle. He forcefully suppressed the panic in his heart and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go down and let you check!¡± Yang Jianqing then walked off the arena. Chu Liuyue raised her brows and followed him. When the two of them walked down the arena, the judges were already there and stood beside them alertly. The competition in the arena continued, but many people¡¯s gazes turned toward them. The atmosphere was stiff. Emperor Jiawen slightly knitted his brows. ¡°Elder Sun, what¡¯s Red Blood Gu?¡± This question was something that the crowd wanted to ask. Sun Zhongyan patiently explained, ¡°¡­So, even though this poison is very hard to find, it¡¯s merciless. Once someone makes contact with it, the person will definitely die!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face became increasingly stern. Chu Liuyue laughed lightly and continued, ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s something else that Elder Sun forgot to say. If Red Blood Gu is placed into the fire within the cauldron, its toxicity will increase by several-fold, and it¡¯ll spread through the air. Once one breathes it in, it can even be life-threatening, even if the inhaled amount is very small.¡± This stunned Emperor Jiawen, and the crowd¡¯s faces changed. ¡°Is this true?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the other heavenly doctors present.¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at Cheng Lixue and the rest and indeed saw that their faces drastically changed after they heard the words ¡®Red Blood Gu.¡¯ Even if he did not ask them, he knew that Chu Liuyue was not lying. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Yang Jianqing¡­ planned to do this just now?¡± Emperor Jiawen anxiously questioned as he leaned forward. Chu Liuyue glanced at Yang Jianqing. Seeing his anxious appearance, she moved her lips. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The crowd went crazy. If Yang Jianqing really did this, everyone present would be affected! Just thinking about it caused fear to spread! Seeing that the matter was developing in an uncontrollable direction, Cheng Han was very anxious. He went forward and angrily yelled, ¡°Chu Liuyue! Don¡¯t spout nonsense! If Yang Jianqing really tried to do this, why are you the only one who noticed it? Are your abilities stronger than the other heavenly doctors present?¡± This sentence made sense, and quite a few people looked at Chu Liuyue suspiciously. Chu Liuyue retorted, ¡°Director Cheng Han, may I know if you¡¯ve seen Red Blood Gu before?¡± Cheng Han was dazed and flung his sleeves. ¡°Of course, I haven¡¯t seen such despicable items!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it before.¡± Chu Xianmin¡ªwho was in the crowd¡ªclutched her sleeves tightly, and her entire body became tense. Ever since she heard Chu Liuyue say ¡®Red Blood Gu,¡¯ she felt very uneasy. She was afraid that Chu Liuyue would drag her into the mess. Upon hearing this, Chu Xianmin was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t even breathe. If Chu Liuyue really exposes me, I¡¯m¡­ finished! ¡°To be honest, someone in our academy is poisoned with Red Blood Gu.¡± Chu Xianmin looked down, and her joints turned white. ¡°His name is Liao Zhongshu. A while back, he was poisoned with this for some reason, and he was on the brink of death. The academy¡¯s teachers can prove this.¡± Zuo Rong boomed, ¡°That¡¯s right. Liao Zhongshu is indeed poisoned with Red Blood Gum, and he can¡¯t get out of bed even till this day.¡± It was as if Cheng Han heard a joke. ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t you say that someone poisoned with Red Blood Gu would die without a doubt and that they can¡¯t even last for more than a few days? How can someone from your academy survive until now after being poisoned with Red Blood Gu? Did you see wrongly, or¡­ are you in cahoots to trick people?¡± Zuo Rong and the other teachers¡¯ faces darkened. ¡°Director Cheng Han! Are you doubting us? If you don¡¯t believe us, you can visit our academy and see if Liao Zhongshu is poisoned with Red Blood Gu. As a heavenly doctor, you should be able to tell this, right?¡± Cheng Han was speechless. ¡°We need to thank Chu Liuyue for helping Liao Zhongshu survive till now. If she didn¡¯t produce the medical formula to stop Liao Zhongshu¡¯s poison temporarily, he wouldn¡¯t have made it.¡± To Zuo Rong, Chu Liuyue being able to produce the shocking formula already proved many things. Thus, he was very confident in Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. ¡°Haha! What a joke!¡± Cheng Han was originally still nervous, but he could not help but laugh when he heard this. ¡°Red Blood Gu is very poisonous. There are barely a few heavenly doctors present who have seen Red Blood Gu, let alone have the formula for the antidote.¡± ¡°Who is Chu Liuyue? How can you make her sound so amazing? I admit that she is talented as a Xuan Master and a warrior, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous if you say that she can suppress the Red Blood Gu¡¯s poison? She¡ª¡± Sun Zhongyan also laughed and calmly interrupted Cheng Han. ¡°She¡¯s Uncle-Master¡¯s disciple.¡± Chapter 267 - Search Body? Dead silence. Not only Cheng Han, but the entire crowd was stunned. Elder Ye only had one Uncle-Master¡ªTian Lu Academy¡¯s current director, a fifth-grade heavenly doctor¡ªYe Zhiting! ¡°W-what did you say?¡± Cheng Han¡¯s tongue seemed as though it was twisted, and he spoke hesitantly and in disbelief. Sun Zhongyan smiled nonchalantly. ¡°I said that Uncle-Master only has one disciple in his entire life, and it¡¯s Liuyue! However, Uncle-Master has always been low-key, so not many people know about this. But Uncle-Master has already personally left Liuyue¡¯s name on the academy¡¯s registry, so this is an indisputable fact.¡± Cheng Han couldn¡¯t speak for quite a while. If Sun Zhongyan dared to announce this in public, it must be true! Even Tian Lu Academy¡¯s students were filled with shock. ¡°Did I hear wrongly? Chu Liuyue is actually the director¡¯s disciple?¡± ¡°Elder Sun said it himself, so how can this be false? I was still wondering why I couldn¡¯t find out who Chu Liuyue¡¯s mentor was. It turned out to be¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­ Didn¡¯t Director say that it was very troublesome to have a disciple? Why did he suddenly become Chu Liuyue¡¯s mentor?¡± ¡°The director rarely ever appears, so very few people know about this. I just want to know if Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent as a heavenly doctor is also so¡­¡± The person didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he was about to say. They also saw the same gaze in each other¡¯s eyes. Even Mu Hongyu and the rest were dazed for quite a while, and they had strange expressions. ¡°Cen Hu, did you know about this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know. Hongyu, y-you don¡¯t know too?¡± ¡°¡­ I think everyone doesn¡¯t know.¡± Gu Mingfeng recalled what happened in Wan Ling Mountain and laughed at himself. ¡°We¡¯re really slow. She said she had a vague understanding of heavenly doctors, and we all believed her.¡± They didn¡¯t think anything was wrong back then, but it felt amiss now that they recalled it. Chu Liuyue was too well-versed in this area. How can that be a ¡®vague understanding?¡¯ Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes gradually lit up. ¡°I have a feeling that the leg we¡¯re hugging is even thicker than we thought!¡± ¡­ Fu Yunshan could not help but ask, ¡°D-doesn¡¯t Chu Liuyue specialize as a Xuan Master?¡± Sun Zhongyan nodded. ¡°Of course. When she entered the academy, she mainly focused on Xuan Master cultivation, but this doesn¡¯t clash with her being Uncle-Master¡¯s disciple. After all, she took first place in the warrior competition, right?¡± Fu Yunshan opened his mouth, but he felt that Sun Zhongyan made sense. B-but¡­ why does it seem like there¡¯s something wrong? How can there be such a person¡ªwho has a heavenly doctor as her mentor and specializes in Xuan Master cultivation¡ªstill beat the other warriors? This is ridiculous! The other people¡¯s reactions were similar to Fu Yunshan¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t that they had not seen talented people before. In actual fact, everyone that could enter these three academies all had enviable talent. However, they instantly lost their glamour when compared to Chu Liuyue. Emperor Jiawen could not help but ask, ¡°Elder Sun, when did Elder Ye take Chu Liuyue as his disciple? Why didn¡¯t I hear about this at all?¡± Even though Tian Lu Academy was independent of the royal family, and even Emperor Jiawen had to respect the academy, the matter of Elder Ye taking in a disciple was very important. Thus, Emperor Jiawen felt uncomfortable when he only found out about this at this moment. The most important thing was that his disciple was Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was once known as a good-for-nothing! Sun Zhongyan looked down and explained, ¡°Your Majesty, Chu Liuyue already knew Uncle-Master before she entered Tian Lu Academy, and they had become mentor-disciple then.¡± The crowd was even more shocked. Did Chu Liuyue recover her Yuan meridian and become a genius because of Elder Ye? If it is so, everything can be explained! But Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t ask any further as he looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. After some time, he said, ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re really¡­ very outstanding now¡­¡± Who would¡¯ve expected Chu Liuyue to become like this at the start? She¡¯s a genius, and she¡¯s not an ordinary one! The Chu Xianmin back then was probably not even half as capable as the current Chu Liuyue! Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t help but recall Rong Jin¡¯s gaze when Rong Jin talked about Chu Liuyue. Of course, he could guess what Rong Jin was thinking. Rong Jin¡¯s decision to dissolve his marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue would probably be one that he regretted the most! However, this incident was already over, and it wasn¡¯t suitable to bring it up again. Chu Liuyue bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty.¡± Emperor Jiawen shook his head and smiled. ¡°No, you deserve it.¡± The Empress watched on in frustration; from the start till now, she never liked Chu Liuyue. In the past, it was because Chu Liuyue was useless and wasn¡¯t worthy of Rong Jin. Even though Chu Liuyue has become a genius now, her personality¡­ Looking at how Chu Liuyue treats the Chu family, everyone knows that she is very harsh! If I really let Rong Jin re-marry Chu Liuyue, he won¡¯t have good days ahead! I must stop him! ¡­ Cheng Han took a lot of effort to accept this, but he still felt very uncomfortable. He felt like something was stuck in his heart, which made him feel aggrieved and angry. ¡°B-but why did Chu Liuyue not participate in the heavenly doctor competition?¡± Chu Liuyue lazily said, ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to.¡± The crowd was speechless. All these years, many students looked forward to the Qing Jiao Competition, and even more so to the heavenly doctor competition. However, this did not equate to much to Chu Liuyue. Cheng Han sneered and said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to? Could it be because you don¡¯t have the right to?¡± Once Cheng Han said this, he noticed that the crowd was giving him strange gazes, and he instantly regretted it. What kind of person was Ye Zhiting? He was one of the most outstanding heavenly doctors in the past few decades! Someone that he liked definitely wouldn¡¯t be ordinary! Cheng Han was actually openly doubting Chu Liuyue¡­ That was akin to doubting Ye Zhiting! The point was that Cheng Han wasn¡¯t even Ye Zhiting¡¯s match, so his words were even more laughable. Chu Liuyue waved her hand without a care. ¡°I¡¯ll give my own answer to this later, but it¡¯s better if we solve Yang Jianqing¡¯s problem first. Now, nobody will doubt what I said earlier, right?¡± Cheng Han decisively went all in. ¡°Okay! If you can produce the evidence, you can do whatever you like!¡± ¡°Thank you, Director Cheng Han. I hope you¡¯ll remember your words later.¡± Chu Liuyue followed his words and finally looked toward Yang Jianqing¡ªwho was drenched in cold sweat. Yang Jianqing suddenly opened his arms, clenched his teeth, and said, ¡°You can check me however you like! I said I don¡¯t have it!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept past his hands¡ªsparkling clean. As if Yang Jianqing was afraid that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t believe him and as if he wanted to prove his innocence, Yang Jianqing actually took off his clothes and loudly proclaimed, ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere else that I can hide the item! Is this clear enough for you?¡± As he was too anxious, he tore his clothes in a hurry. In addition to his blushing face and messy hair, he looked even more disdainful. Chu Liuyue paused, and her lips slowly curved up. ¡°Did I say that I wanted to search your body?¡± Chapter 268 - : Interrogation Yang Jianqing was immediately stunned. ¡°Y-you tricked me?!¡± His face contorted, and he looked like he was about to go all out against Chu Liuyue. I¡¯m thoroughly humiliated by ending up in this state in front of so many people, yet Chu Liuyue nonchalantly said that? ¡°I just asked you to hand over the Red Blood Gu. I didn¡¯t say that I wanted to search your body, nor did I get you to strip.¡± ¡°You!¡± Yang Jianqing was so angry that he almost spat out blood. With much difficulty, he found his last bit of rationality and screamed, ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ve already proved to everyone that I don¡¯t have Red Blood Gu! I definitely won¡¯t let the matter of you defaming me slide!¡± In a seemingly smiling manner, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Just because you don¡¯t have it on your body, does it prove that you didn¡¯t bring it?¡± Yang Jianqing was dazed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her finger and pointed at the cauldron that was flipped over on the competition venue. ¡°We¡¯ll know very soon if you¡¯re related to Red Blood Gu.¡± She then went straight for the cauldron. Yang Jianqing¡¯s heart sank. ¡°No!¡± Without thinking, he ran to Chu Liuyue and stopped her. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Why can¡¯t I do it? I just wanted to check the cauldron. If you didn¡¯t do anything, why are you so nervous?¡± Chu Liuyue pointed out what Yang Jianqing was worried about, and he instantly became more anxious. He wanted to stop Chu Liuyue again, but the surrounding people were looking at him with suspicious gazes. Yang Jianqing then noticed that doing so would make him look even weirder. His legs trembled; he didn¡¯t dare to move backward, nor move forward, as he muttered, ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Seeing his reaction, the crowd also realized that something was amiss. Cheng Han felt very uneasy. This scene looks too familiar! When Chu Liuyue exposed Heng Jingchuo back then, it was also like this! Chu Liuyue glanced at Yang Jianqing in a mocking manner. He wants to stop me by relying on himself? Her legs moved, and her figure shook as she quietly walked around Yang Jianqing. She very quickly went toward the competition venue. In the blink of an eye, she was already beside the cauldron. Then, she bent down with a dagger in her hands and lightly scraped the side of the cauldron. A ball of bright, red powder appeared on her shiny dagger. Under the sunlight, the powder glowed in an eerie manner. Yang Jianqing¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet. My actions were exceedingly discreet previously, and even the numerous heavenly doctors present didn¡¯t discover it. How did Chu Liuyue find out about this? ¡°This is Red Blood Gu.¡± Chu Liuyue carefully inspected the bright, red powder on the dagger. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you conveniently added this in when you were putting red root in to refine it, right? When red root burns in the cauldron, it will quickly become red powder, and it¡¯s hard to differentiate it from Red Blood Gu when they¡¯re mixed together. Besides, under high temperatures, the powder will automatically scatter on the insides of the cauldron. Therefore, one won¡¯t be able to see it from the outside.¡± ¡°If it burns for a sufficient amount of time¡ªfor example, when you have finished producing a pill¡­ This period of time is enough to burn Red Blood Gu completely and allow it to diffuse into the air.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke very calmly, seeming as if she was saying something unimportant. However, her words caused turmoil in everyone¡¯s hearts. ¡°Yang Jianqing, is Liuyue speaking the truth?!¡± questioned Sun Zhongyan sternly. If this was true, it meant that Yang Jianqing was prepared to kill everyone present! The severity of the situation far surpassed what happened with Heng Jingchuo previously. Yang Jianqing¡¯s lips trembled, and he spat out a sentence with much difficulty. ¡°T-that isn¡¯t Red Blood Gu¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t? Then, why don¡¯t you give it a try yourself?¡± suggested Chu Liuyue. Yang Jianqing immediately moved backward. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t you say that this wasn¡¯t Red Blood Gu? Why are you so afraid? It¡¯s just nice that many people present haven¡¯t seen this thing before, so why don¡¯t you expand everyone¡¯s horizons?¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, her eyes became sharp as she flung the dagger out. Choo! The dagger drew a straight line across the air and directly flew toward Yang Jianqing. Yang Jianqing immediately wanted to dodge, but how could he be Chu Liuyue¡¯s match? Before he could run far, the dagger already pierced his shin directly. ¡°Ahh!¡± Yang Jianqing moaned in pain, staggered backward, and collapsed on the floor. Blood was flowing out of his shin. ¡°Chu Liuyue, how dare you?!¡± Cheng Han was about to take action, but he was calmly stopped by Sun Zhongyan. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, didn¡¯t Yang Jianqing already say that it¡¯s not Red Blood Gu? Why are you so worried? Don¡¯t worry, Liuyue knows what to do. The wound on his shin won¡¯t threaten his life. Our academy will provide the herbs to treat his wound. If it¡¯s really not Red Blood Gu, I¡¯ll personally apologize.¡± Cheng Han had no other way to refute since Sun Zhongyan had already said all of this. ¡°Quickly take a look at his leg!¡± Someone cried out. Cheng Han looked over, and he was frightened. Yang Jianqing¡¯s shin quickly swelled up, and the blood that flowed out of the wound became a strange black color gradually. Cheng Han quickly became dispirited. If there was nothing wrong with that thing and it was purely a dagger that cut through his shin, this situation wouldn¡¯t have happened! Sun Zhongyan sneered. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, as a heavenly doctor, you should know clearer than me if this is Red Blood Gu, right?¡± Cheng Han couldn¡¯t say anything, and he felt like his skin was harshly pulled down and trampled on. Yang Jianqing¡¯s entire body shook crazily, and he was petrified. Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger was stained with too much Red Blood Gu! All that Red Blood Gu is currently infiltrating my body! It is also quickly spreading from the wound to the rest of my body! Hugging his leg, Yang Jianqing finally couldn¡¯t pretend any longer as he fearfully begged, ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to die! Director! Elders! Please save me! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± At this point, who wouldn¡¯t understand what happened? Yang Jianqing ran to Tai Yan Academy¡¯s side with tears and mucus running all over his face. His entire body was stained with blood, and he looked horrible. ¡°Stop him!¡± screamed Cheng Han shrilly. The judges immediately took action. They lashed out a rope, and it trapped Yang Jianqing. Chu Liuyue walked toward Yang Jianqing. ¡°Liuyue, be careful!¡± reminded Sun Zhongyan. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stop in her tracks. ¡°Elder Sun, don¡¯t worry. There are just some things that I have to ask him.¡± As she spoke, she had already arrived in front of Yang Jianqing. She looked down at him from above and uttered every word clearly. ¡°Who sent you here?¡± Yang Jianqing groaned, but he didn¡¯t dare to look at her. He also didn¡¯t speak. Chu Liuyue inched in closer, and her voice was so soft that nobody could hear her. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to say it, I can give you the antidote.¡± Yang Jianqing was stunned. ¡°If not, how do you think Liao Zhongshu survived till now?¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Struggle flashed across Yang Jianqing¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s interest was piqued. Yang Jianqing clearly knows more than Chu Xianmin! If he¡¯s willing to speak¡ª Yang Jianqing opened his mouth as if he was planning to speak, but he suddenly spat out blood. Chu Liuyue knew that something was amiss, and she immediately moved backward. A horrifying force suddenly emanated from Yang Jianqing¡¯s body. Hong! Chapter 269 - : Chu Liuyue’s Compensation A ball of fire suddenly appeared on Yang Jianqing¡¯s body. Following this terrifying boom, his entire body also exploded. The fire quickly swallowed the spurting meat and blood. Chu Liuyue immediately flung out a crystal barrier to block the horrifying force outside of her body. Things had happened too quickly, and when everyone finally recovered their senses, Yang Jianqing¡¯s corpse was already covered by the fire completely. He didn¡¯t even leave behind a complete corpse! ¡°Damn it!¡± cursed Chu Liuyue under her breath. She was already worried that this would happen earlier, so she specifically came forward to ask him. Yet¡ª The last bit of fire quickly vanished. Other than a small burn mark on the floor, there was nothing else left there. Quite a few people gasped. In less than an hour, not only was Yang Jianqing exposed for using Red Blood Gu, his body had even exploded. He had died, without leaving his corpse behind! This had completely proven his crime, and there was nobody left to defend him. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings. The cold and hidden aura didn¡¯t appear again. However, she had a feeling that Yang Jianqing was related to that person! No matter if it was Yang Jianqing bringing the Red Blood Gu today or his explosion at the end, they were all controlled by that person. She had clearly seen that Yang Jianqing didn¡¯t want to die. If she had a bit more time, she might¡¯ve actually heard something useful from him. However, the other party was too strong and didn¡¯t leave behind any chances. The other party directly ended Yang Jianqing¡¯s life. The square fell into an eerie silence for an extended period of time. After a while, Sun Zhongyan said, ¡°It¡¯s our negligence which caused so many accidents to happen during this Qing Jiao Competition. But Director Cheng Han, shouldn¡¯t you give us an explanation?¡± ¡°First, it was Heng Jingchuo; then, it was Yang Jianqing. What exactly is going on? If the Red Blood Gu wasn¡¯t discovered, everyone here would¡¯ve been implicated! Can you bear this responsibility, Director Cheng Han?¡± There were at least 10,000 people in the square, and many were strong people and geniuses from the three academies! Country Yao Chen¡¯s royal family was also here! If an accident had happened¡­ the consequences were unthinkable! ¡°I-I¡­¡± Cheng Han was also panicking. One Heng Jingchuo wasn¡¯t enough, so a Yang Jianqing came too! Cheng Han really couldn¡¯t defend himself no matter what he tried. ¡°I really don¡¯t know!¡± Fu Yunshan laughed in a perfunctory manner. ¡°You¡¯re the director. Do you think that this will end just because you said ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ after all that has happened?¡± Cheng Han was stumped. I think I have something against Country Yao Chen! Every time I come over, nothing good happens! Cheng Han took a deep breath and bowed toward Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me. I won¡¯t absolve my responsibility for this issue. I¡¯ll investigate this and Heng Jingchuo¡¯s matter after the Qing Jiao Competition ends. If I find any problems, I definitely won¡¯t let this slide.¡± Emperor Jiawen also minded this matter a lot. But since Cheng Han had already said this, it wasn¡¯t good for the Emperor to continue forcing him. Thus, he could only raise his hand. ¡°I know your character, Director Cheng Han, and you definitely won¡¯t let your students do such a thing. Now that the Qing Jiao Competition hasn¡¯t ended, we should wait till everything finishes before we discuss how to investigate the issue together.¡± Now that the person with the highest status had spoken, others naturally wouldn¡¯t harp on the same issue. Sun Zhongyan looked at Cheng Han with deep meaning. ¡°Your Majesty is kind, but we can¡¯t just let this matter slide. Director Cheng Han, we¡¯re waiting for you to give us a satisfying answer.¡± Fu Yunshan supported Sun Zhongyan and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! We have enough time and patience.¡± The implications of this matter are too great! We can¡¯t just sit around and ignore it. If we do, we won¡¯t even know when we¡¯ll die! Cheng Han felt very wronged, but he could only agree. ¡­ ¡°Since this matter has ended, then let¡¯s talk about my issue.¡± Situ Xingchen¡ªwho had always been quiet at the side¡ªfinally spoke. At this point, she looked at Chu Liuyue with a different gaze. I didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be Ye Zhiting¡¯s disciple¡­ Mentor has always felt regret after losing to Ye Zhiting, and he has mentioned this several times over the years. She obviously knew how powerful Ye Zhiting was, so this incident made her feel even more uncomfortable. I really don¡¯t understand. How did Chu Liuyue get chosen by Ye Zhiting? Chu Liuyue met Situ Xingchen¡¯s gaze, and she magnanimously said, ¡°Okay! Even though I wasn¡¯t targeting you when I took action and I can ensure that the force didn¡¯t affect you at all, since your pill-producing process was interrupted, I¡¯ll compensate for it.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s expression became strange. ¡°Compensate? How are you going to compensate for the pill that I was about to finish producing?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Don¡¯t you still have a set of herbs?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s face changed. ¡°You want me to refine the medicine again?¡± Not to mention that there wasn¡¯t enough time, but she didn¡¯t have that much strength left, even if there was time! When she was producing the pill earlier, she had already felt her energy being exhausted. Thus, she definitely couldn¡¯t try again! Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°No. I said I¡¯ll compensate you, so I naturally will do it.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Situ Xingchen did not understand what she meant. Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°I mean that I¡¯ll represent you and refine the medicine for the second time. After I produce the pill, it¡¯ll be considered as your result. What do you think of that?¡± At this point, even the others outside of the competition venue had a strange expression, let alone Situ Xingchen. Chu Liuyue¡¯s suggestion seems right, yet¡­ it feels wrong? Situ Xingchen was so angry that she laughed. ¡°This is the compensation that you were talking about?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Yeah! Why, do you think that it isn¡¯t enough?¡± Situ Xingchen was literally speechless. How much confidence does Chu Liuyue have in herself that she thinks she can use this method to ¡®compensate¡¯ me? Since I was four, I started memorizing medical formulas. After many years of hard work and cultivation, I can only forcefully produce pills now. Chu Liuyue shouldn¡¯t have been Ye Zhiting¡¯s disciple for long, and she might not even be a stage-two physician! How can someone of this standard represent me and help me refine the medicine? What a joke! Situ Xingchen suppressed her overflowing mockery and criticisms as she calmly said, ¡°So you mean that, no matter what kind of medicine you produce, it¡¯ll be my result? Then, may I ask what your heavenly doctor cultivation level is?¡± Chu Liuyue could hear Situ Xingchen¡¯s nonchalance and disregard for her as she smiled and said, ¡°I can¡¯t really say my cultivation level, but you¡¯ll find out later. This is the only solution I have. If you don¡¯t agree to this, I don¡¯t have any other ways.¡± Situ Xingchen sneered in her heart. ¡°Sure!¡± I really want to see how Chu Liuyue will have the cheek to say that the trash she produces is my result! Chapter 270 - They Got It Easy! Chu Liuyue walked to the competition venue and stood at Situ Xingchen¡¯s position. Situ Xingchen failed to produce a pill, so only specks of black and gray were left in the cauldron. Chu Liuyue took a look at the formula before cleaning the cauldron. Situ Xingchen watched her coldly. Numerous eyes from the square were focused on Chu Liuyue. Curious, doubtful, excited. ¡°Isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue too confident in herself? She really dared to go up there herself?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s Elder Ye¡¯s disciple! I¡¯m sure she¡¯s capable, right?¡± ¡°I thought someone said that, even though she passed all three assessments to get into Tian Lu Academy, she was the worst at the heavenly doctor assessment?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be too embarrassing if she can¡¯t produce anything¡­¡± Everyone partook in heated discussions. Chu Liuyue pretended not to hear them as she placed her thin white hand over the cauldron. A bright, red fire then appeared in the cauldron. Chu Liuyue casually picked up a herb from the side. It was a fist-sized, orange fruit ¡ªsky cashew. When Chu Liuyue put it into the fire, the fire started to envelop it rapidly. The sky cashew quickly decreased in size. Situ Xingchen was standing nearer, so she saw everything more clearly. Contempt popped up in Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart when she saw Chu Liuyue putting the sky cashew into the cauldron to refine it first. Sky cashews were very soft and delicate, especially the mature ones¡ªtheir appearance might even be destroyed by a light poke. All the medicinal effectiveness in this item was within its juice, so one had to be extremely meticulous to extract the juice when they were refining this ingredient. The most important point was that, once the sky cashew¡¯s juice had flown out and made contact with the air, its medicinal effectiveness would quickly dissipate. Thus, heavenly doctors would usually refine sky cashews last. They could then use the sky cashew¡¯s medicinal effectiveness to the greatest extent. Chu Liuyue went onto the competition venue and actually extracted the sky cashew first! It seems like she¡¯s really ignorant. I really wonder how Ye Zhiting taught his only disciple. Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions had clearly attracted the other heavenly doctors¡¯ attention. Elder Mo Cang couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°She¡¯s really Elder Ye¡¯s disciple. She¡¯s so innovative and actually placed the sky cashew in first. Even I won¡¯t have such courage!¡± Elder Feng Yi looked calm and lightly said, ¡°This is just the beginning. It¡¯s not too late to comment when the results come out.¡± ¡°Haha! You¡¯re right; there¡¯s only one set of ingredients here, so the competition will naturally end if the sky cashew is ruined here!¡± Elder Mo Cang¡¯s words were brimming with sarcasm. I was still thinking about how incredible Ye Zhiting¡¯s disciple would be. However, I didn¡¯t expect her not to know the basics! Elder Feng Yi glanced at him. ¡°At the very least, Liuyue won¡¯t purposely put Red Blood Gu in the cauldron. Even if she fails, she will fail legitimately.¡± Elder Mo Cang was stumped. His face darkened, and he kept quiet. Cheng Lixue did not even care about both of them as he nervously watched the scene. Nan Feng Academy was only left with one person now ¡ªLeng Chuan¡ªand he was currently producing his pill! Only Situ Xingchen was left on Tai Yan Academy¡¯s side, and she was even represented by Chu Liuyue. Therefore, there wasn¡¯t much hope there. Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Ji Zixing was the slowest amongst them. He only started his attempt to produce a pill at this point, so his capabilities were limited. As long as Leng Chuan succeeded, he could basically take first place! ¡­ Zuo Rong and the rest were also watching nervously. ¡°Why did Liuyue put the sky cashew first?¡± Even they didn¡¯t understand this. If she fails because of this, then¡­ ¡°Wait a minute! It¡¯s been quite a while, but why hasn¡¯t the sky cashew broken yet?¡± muttered Zuo Rong with furrowed brows. According to the sky cashew¡¯s traits, it would automatically break open after it was placed in the fire. However, the sky cashew in Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron was still in good condition until now! Even though its skin was rough, and it had become a small ball, it was still whole! Suddenly, a thought popped up in Zuo Rong¡¯s mind. ¡°I-is Liuyue planning to refine the sky cashew like this?¡± The surrounding few heavenly doctor teachers looked at him weirdly since they clearly didn¡¯t understand what he meant. Zuo Rong suppressed his inner excitement and said, ¡°I mean that she seems to be planning to refine the juice inside the sky cashew before extracting it!¡± A teacher at the side immediately retorted, ¡°How is that possible? A mature sky cashew is very fragile, and it can¡¯t handle fire at all! If you can keep controlling the fire to a certain extent, then you can refine it without breaking it! However, this has a high demand for one¡¯s control, so it¡¯s¡ª¡± Impossible. At this point, the few of them suddenly kept silent because Chu Liuyue was truly doing this! The perfect and unharmed sky cashew was the best evidence! Zuo Rong couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue. However, he saw that she looked very calm and had already started putting in the second ingredient. The sky cashew was quietly floating in the fireball. Chu Liuyue is indeed thinking of this! Zuo Rong swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. Even I might not be able to do this since this demands too much of one¡¯s talent as a heavenly doctor! Refining sky cashews was not something difficult, but one required sharp control and power to refine it so precisely! Even though Zuo Rong¡¯s cultivation level was higher than Chu Liuyue, and he was more capable than her, he believed that he might not be able to do it as well as Chu Liuyue. ¡°This¡­ is probably the heavenly doctor¡¯s spirit that Director had mentioned before¡­¡± muttered someone softly. This kind of talent could only be a gift from heaven, and it couldn¡¯t even be begged for. ¡°I finally know why Director was willing to accept her as his disciple.¡± Zuo Rong laughed bitterly. ¡°This girl is even stronger than what I imagined¡­¡± He thought that he had already thought of Chu Liuyue highly enough, but he didn¡¯t expect himself to still underestimate her. No wonder she¡¯s so calm. Even though she just started cultivating as a heavenly doctor, her future achievements are destined to surpass all of us for certain! ¡°Situ Xingchen is pretty talented, but it¡¯s a pity when she¡¯s compared to Liuyue¡­¡± ¡°Haha, this is a good thing! That Cheng Han is always very proud, and he became even more so after he accepted Situ Xingchen as his disciple! Just think about it; he always looked super confident every time he talked about Situ Xingchen and the heavenly doctor competition these few days. Isn¡¯t it precisely because he felt that nobody could compare to Situ Xingchen¡¯s talent?¡± ¡°I wonder if Liuyue can produce pills¡­ She hasn¡¯t started cultivating for long, right? Even though she¡¯s very talented, she can¡¯t do it if she doesn¡¯t have sufficient resources¡­¡± Hearing the few of them talk, Zuo Rong could not help but smile delightfully. ¡°Hehe, so what? If we can tell this, I don¡¯t believe Cheng Han won¡¯t know this too! They have it easy with Liuyue representing Situ Xingchen to refine the medicine.¡± Chapter 271 - Fourth-Grade! Chu Liuyue seemed like she was unable to hear all the discussions. In actual fact, she wouldn¡¯t care even if she heard them. She had refined medicine too many times. Even if she didn¡¯t have enough force now, she still had her previous sharpness and experience¡ªthis made her more relaxed. She placed the third ingredient in at a normal speed. ¡­ After seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s organized manner of handling the ingredients, the surrounding noise gradually quietened down. The crowd looked at each other in shock. Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t look like she doesn¡¯t know anything¡­ Her movements are even smoother and more natural than the others in the competition! She moves so smoothly that it seems as if she has done this numerous times before. The delight in Cheng Han¡¯s eyes gradually faded away. As Chu Liuyue handled the remaining ingredients appropriately, the hopes of him watching a joke were dashed. He was a stage-five heavenly doctor, and he knew more than others just by watching Chu Liuyue. He could obviously discern the shocking talent that Chu Liuyue had exhibited gradually. At first, he still thought that Chu Liuyue was lucky and felt that even a broken clock was right twice a day as she coincidentally found a balance when refining the medicine. However, his heart gradually sank. ¡­ Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t have observation skills as great as Zuo Rong and the rest, but she was experienced in medicine refining. When she saw the sky cashew¡ªwhich should¡¯ve long broken apart in Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron¡ªstill floating inside unharmed, she finally realized that things were out of her control. Situ Xingchen gradually knitted her brows. Why do all the things that happen to Chu Liuyue become so weird? It was like this for the previous Xuan Master competition and the warrior competition. It¡¯s the same, even when she¡¯s refining the medicine now! Is there a problem with that sky cashew? But those ingredients were prepared in advance, and I¡¯ve already checked both sets of ingredients. So I know they are the same. Time ticked past slowly. Situ Xingchen casually glanced over and realized that Chu Liuyue had handled more than half of the ingredients at the side. Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Roughly calculating, Chu Liuyue¡¯s medicine refining speed is actually higher than mine! The main point is that Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s bent on winning. She looks calm and collected instead. I didn¡¯t even see her move much, yet she¡¯s already on this step! Uneasiness overwhelmed Situ Xingchen as she unwittingly clenched her sleeves. It was rough to the touch¡ªthis was the cloud embroidery that she had sewn on herself. In the past, she would always secretly touch her sleeves when she was nervous or in a bad mood. This was because caressing the cloud embroidery could make her calm down rapidly. But that person¡¯s handsome appearance no longer appeared in front of her, and it was replaced by an intensely burning fire, as well as the burnt embroidery! As if she was burned by fire, Situ Xingchen hurriedly let go of her sleeves. However, her heart was filled with endless rage and humiliation! She gradually looked at Chu Liuyue and suddenly remembered that Rong Xiu left with Chu Liuyue first. Not long after that, Prince Li Mansion had thrown away all the clothes with the cloud embroidery and had even burned them in public! Did Chu Liuyue say something to Rong Xiu? If not, why would I be humiliated at that precise point in time? Situ Xingchen felt suffocated as her body slightly trembled, and she suppressed her emotions with much difficulty. Her hatred for Chu Liuyue increased yet again. ¡­ Buzz! A commotion was heard. At the competition venue, the fire in Leng Chuan¡¯s cauldron gradually faded away, leaving behind a round, turning pill. An intense herbal fragrance permeated through the air, and an invisible wave started spreading in all directions. Leng Chuan strongly hit the cauldron with both his hands. Whir! The pill flew into his hands. Cheng Lixue emotionally stood up. He did it! Leng Chuan placed the pill into the jade box and looked at the few heavenly doctors. Sweat covered his forehead, and his lips were pale, clearly showing that it wasn¡¯t easy for him to produce this pill. Even though he had used up a lot of energy, he still succeeded in the end! He took a deep breath in and tried hard to calm himself down, but his lips still curved up unwittingly. He then walked toward Elder Feng Yi and the other two elders as he respectfully presented the jade box to them. Displeasure flashed across Mo Cang¡¯s eyes. Elder Feng Yi didn¡¯t have any expression as he gently opened the jade box¡ªan emerald pill quietly laid inside. The four lines engraved on the pill could be clearly seen. ¡°Fourth-grade pill!¡± Cheng Lixue glanced at it from the side, and he couldn¡¯t help but gasp in surprise. The crowd went crazy. A fourth-grade pill proved that Leng Chuan was already a true stage-four heavenly doctor! ¡°That¡¯s right; it indeed is a fourth-grade pill.¡± After closer inspection, Elder Feng Yi pushed the pill to the other two judges and smiled at Leng Chuan. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Leng Chuan¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Thank you so much, Elder Feng Yi!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a low-grade, fourth-grade pill. Isn¡¯t it too early to be happy?¡± Mo Cang coldly spat out a sentence after he saw the product. Leng Chuan immediately became awkward. Cheng Lixue couldn¡¯t watch on anymore as he coldly laughed and said, ¡°A low-grade, fourth-grade pill is still a fourth-grade pill! No matter what, it¡¯s the first fourth-grade pill of the day! Besides, there might not even be a second fourth-grade pill!¡± Mo Cang was stumped, and he turned away in frustration. Cheng Lixue returned the jade box to Leng Chuan, and he smiled in satisfaction. ¡°You did great.¡± Leng Chuan then relaxed. ¡°Thank you, three elders.¡± The judge at the side wrote Leng Chuan¡¯s result down. Cheng Lixue sat down happily and looked very carefree, appearing as if he was certain that he had won. ¡°Feng Yi, I think your academy¡¯s Ji Zixing is not bad, but he¡¯s a little slow in refining medicine! There¡¯s only this amount of time left, I wonder¡ª¡± Buzz! A buzzing sound was heard from the competition venue again! Cheng Lixue looked over, and his voice suddenly faded away. The noise was actually coming from the cauldron in front of Chu Liuyue! She¡¯s actually producing a pill too?! Chapter 272 - Acting the Part The numerous herbs gradually started to merge and form a pill outline in the bright, red fire. It was indeed the noise that would only be generated when one was producing pills! Cheng Lixue shockingly stared at Chu Liuyue. As he was too shocked, his voice was even sharper as he said, ¡°When did she prepare all those ingredients?¡± Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue just go onto the competition venue? She actually progressed to this step when we weren¡¯t paying attention for a little while? Not only Cheng Lixue, but everyone watching Chu Liuyue refining medicine was in disbelief. ¡°I was always watching Chu Liuyue refining her medicine, but I felt like she didn¡¯t do much. Yet, she has already finished preparing all those ingredients?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too fast¡­ Won¡¯t her speed be considered as one of the top three in today¡¯s competition?¡± ¡°I think she can even be first! Did you notice that she directly placed the medical formula down after glancing at it once, without ever looking at it again after that? Did she actually memorize that medical formula with one glance?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much to have a photographic memory, but the point is that she didn¡¯t even stop in the middle and kept throwing ingredients into the cauldron! She didn¡¯t show any hesitation, and she didn¡¯t make any mistakes at all. This is why she¡¯s so fast!¡± Mo Cang was also stunned when he saw this. As one of Tai Yan Academy¡¯s elders, he didn¡¯t have a good impression of Chu Liuyue. Therefore, he coldly smiled and said, ¡°So what if she¡¯s fast? There were also people before her who tried to produce pills quickly, yet they still failed in the end.¡± Elder Feng Yi stared at the pill forming in Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron and felt very nervous. Hearing Mo Cang¡¯s words, he could not help but retort, ¡°No matter if she can form the pill in the end, she has already proved her talent.¡± Mo Cang¡¯s eyes grew even colder, but he didn¡¯t know how to rebut Feng Yi. Mo Cang could only grunt, and his eyes were filled with contempt. At the start, Elder Feng Yi really didn¡¯t harbor much hope for Chu Liuyue, but now¡­ His gaze turned and landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Even at this nerve-wracking moment, the pretty young girl still looked as calm as ever. Chu Liuyue did something that was as difficult as ascending the sky to others, but she didn¡¯t seem to care about it. I think Director really accepted a good disciple¡­ ¡­ Some would succeed, while others would fail in a competition. All the successful ones would present the pills they made for evaluation, while the failed ones would leave the competition in a dispirited manner. But out of all of the successful ones, nobody else produced pills. The best was only ¡®superior third-grade.¡¯ It was obvious that these people didn¡¯t pose a threat to Leng Chuan. Gradually, the competition was only left with Chu Liuyue and Ji Zixing. Not long after Chu Liuyue, Ji Zixing also finally started trying to produce a pill. This also meant that, other than Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Leng Chuan¡ªwho had produced a fourth-grade pill¡ªonly the remaining Chu Liuyue and Ji Zixing had the same hope. Both these two people were even from Tian Lu Academy! Elder Feng Yi smiled as he leaned against his chair. He then spoke in a seemingly nonchalant manner. ¡°Even though Zixing is slow, he¡¯s still stable, unlike Liuyue¡ªwho¡¯s a little anxious.¡± Cheng Lixue knew that the only thing he could do now was wait, so he sat in his seat and didn¡¯t say a word. Now, he just hoped that both Chu Liuyue and Ji Zixing would fail in producing their pills. This way, Leng Chuan could thoroughly take first place! Elder Feng Yi glanced at Mo Cang and lightly knocked his head. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot that Liuyue is representing Situ Xingchen in the competition. No matter if she wins or loses, it¡¯s all for your Tai Yan Academy. Mo Cang, don¡¯t take the criticisms I said earlier to heart!¡± Mo Cang took a deep breath in. If it weren¡¯t for so many people watching, he wouldn¡¯t have held himself back. He would¡¯ve taken action directly! Feng Yi looked very down-to-earth, but he was very cunning. Everyone could tell that this heavenly doctor competition had nothing to do with Tai Yan Academy. If Chu Liuyue lost, it meant that Situ Xingchen lost. If Chu Liuyue won, it still meant that she won, and it would put Tai Yan Academy in a bad light. At this point, Mo Cang started to regret it. Why did I agree to Chu Liuyue representing Situ Xingchen in the competition? ¡­ Situ Xingchen also realized that something was wrong. From the moment Chu Liuyue tried to produce the pill, she had been silently hoping that Chu Liuyue would fail. But what disappointed her was that Chu Liuyue continued in an organized manner. Even though this had exhausted a large portion of Chu Liuyue¡¯s energy, making her lips pale, the fire in the cauldron showed no signs of extinguishing or being affected. As she stared at the pill that gradually became rounder and smoother in the cauldron, Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart hung high. If Chu Liuyue really succeeds¡­ ¡­ As she meticulously controlled the fire¡¯s changes, Chu Liuyue stared at the cauldron in front of her with much focus. She was bent on putting her best foot forward this time. It wasn¡¯t to compensate for Situ Xingchen, but it was for other considerations. Previously, Chu Liuyue had always been hiding her talent and capabilities as a heavenly doctor since she didn¡¯t want to reveal too much and cause trouble for herself. However, it was obvious that trouble would come knocking on her door, even if she did not look for it. From Chu Xianmin to Heng Jingchuo and Yang Jianqing¡­ Everything revealed an eerie aura. Chu Liuyue had a strange prediction in her heart. The same person seemed to be controlling everything behind the scenes, and this person was obviously targeting her! Chu Liuyue thought repeatedly, but she couldn¡¯t figure out who would waste so much effort to go against her. Barely a few people had such means. So instead of hiding and shunning, why not directly show everything she had and lure the culprit out of their hiding place? She was in the light, while the other party was in the dark. Hence, she was originally disadvantaged. But if she stood under the brightest sun, any shadows would show themselves! Chu Liuyue stared at the pill in the fire. Perhaps it was her hallucination, but she felt that her force was more nourished after she broke through and became a stage-two warrior. This caused the effects to be even better when she refined medicine. This was also why she could finish preparing the ingredients and start producing the pill faster than expected. But¡­ Why is it taking so long to produce the pill? ¡­ Hong! A boom was heard from Ji Zixing¡¯s cauldron. A round pill was formed. At the same time, an intense herbal fragrance started diffusing through the air. Tian Lu Academy¡¯s crowd finally felt secure. Ji Zixing placed the pill into the jade box and presented it. Elder Feng Yi opened the jade box, and he couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue clearly started earlier than Ji Zixing, but why hasn¡¯t she finished yet¡­ Mo Cang sneered. ¡°I thought she was very capable, but it turns out¡­ Hmph, she¡¯s just putting on an act!¡± Chapter 273 - Congratulations ¡°Mo Cang, isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to say this? Liuyue is representing your school in the competition, yet you said that she¡¯s putting on an act¡­ Do you wish for your academy to lose?¡± asked Elder Feng Yi calmly. Mo Cang was stumped. ¡°You!¡± But Elder Feng Yi had already retracted his gaze and looked at the pill in the jade box. The four lines on the pill were very visible, but the fourth line was a little faint like Leng Chuan¡¯s. Elder Feng Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°low-grade, fourth-grade.¡± Ji Zixing looked very calm; he knew what standard his pill had reached. Cheng Lixue hurriedly took the pill, and upon closer inspection, he knitted his brows and reluctantly said, ¡°low-grade, fourth-grade.¡± Mo Cang symbolically looked at the pill and gave the same comment, not saying anything else. Elder Feng Yi nodded at Ji Zixing. ¡°It¡¯s not bad that you can produce a pill after seeing the medical formula for the first time. It seems like you have once again improved recently.¡± Ji Zixing cupped his hands. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Elder, but I still have many things that I¡¯m not good at.¡± Actually, Ji Zixing still felt that he wasn¡¯t smart enough. Out of all the people that chose the ¡®advanced¡¯ medical formula, he was the slowest one. He spent a whole hour researching the medical formula, and he was also the last to try and produce the pill. Even Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had appeared halfway¡ªwas faster than him. Even though he produced the pill successfully, he was still clumsier than the rest. ¡°You have your own merits; you don¡¯t need to be too humble.¡± Seeing that Ji Zixing didn¡¯t become arrogant because of his success in the competition, Elder Feng Yi was even more pleased. One¡¯s character was also an important aspect of being a heavenly doctor. ¡°Go and rest first. You just have to wait until Liuyue finishes on her end.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Only Chu Liuyue was left in the competition venue. Everyone¡¯s gazes were gathered on her. Expectant, doubtful, sarcastic¡­ Chu Liuyue pretended like she didn¡¯t notice any of them and was still very patient. But to save on her force, she shrunk the fire in the cauldron and gathered all the remnants in one area. This way, she could sustain for a longer time. But as time flowed past, the others gradually became frustrated and doubtful. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Chu Liuyue ended yet? Didn¡¯t someone say that she¡¯s fast? Ji Zixing has already completed his pill for a period of time, yet there¡¯s not much progress for her pill.¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s most likely going to fail! Think about it, Leng Chuan and Ji Zixing¡ªwho have successfully produced pills¡ªdidn¡¯t take as long as her!¡± ¡°I think so too! I think she¡¯s still not capable enough¡­ Even though she¡¯s Elder Ye¡¯s disciple, I don¡¯t think she has cultivated for long, right?¡± Tian Lu Academy¡¯s crowd felt very conflicted. On the one hand, they were happy that Ji Zixing produced a pill and that he had the chance to compete against Leng Chuan. On the other hand, they were worried that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t succeed. ¡­ Situ Xingchen stood at the side of the competition venue and felt that every second was spent like a year. Looking at Chu Liuyue refining medicine in her original spot, Situ Xingchen felt very unhappy. Previously, she was overwhelmed with anger as she felt that Chu Liuyue had blocked her path to victory. Hence, she impulsively agreed to let Chu Liuyue represent her in the competition. But when she gradually calmed down, she realized that this wasn¡¯t beneficial to her at all. Seeing that Chu Liuyue had not made much of a commotion, Situ Xingchen finally stepped up. ¡°Chu Liuyue, I was thinking for a long time, and I still feel that it¡¯s inappropriate for you to represent me in the competition.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s voice was gentle and curt, and her tone was very sincere. With slightly knitted brows, she looked even more pitiful. ¡°I believe that you didn¡¯t purposely interrupt the production of my pill, so it¡¯s unfair for you if I¡¯m so calculative toward you. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t blame you if you can¡¯t produce a pill¡ª¡± Hong! Fire suddenly rose in the cauldron in front of Chu Liuyue. At the same time, a huge wave struck the cauldron strongly. Hong! A strong, indescribable herbal fragrance exuded from the cauldron. Chu Liuyue extended her wrists, and the pill landed in her hands. Choo! Chu Liuyue quickly placed the pill into the jade box at the side. This chain of actions was very smooth, and the crowd only realized what had happened when Chu Liuyue had closed the jade box with a bang. Chu Liuyue actually succeeded! Situ Xingchen was in a daze, and all the blood in her body seemed to have frozen. Chu Liuyue then looked at her. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Situ Xingchen opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t utter the remaining words at all. She was still under great shock, and she couldn¡¯t recover her senses. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head and asked again. Situ Xingchen¡¯s lips moved, wanting to use her usual smile to hide her awkwardness and embarrassment. However, she realized that her face felt like it was wearing a thick mask, and she couldn¡¯t move it at all. Even twitching her lips was as heavy as ever. Chu Liuyue actually did it! How can I smile? ¡°N-nothing much¡­¡± Situ Xingchen was filled with regret. Why did I say that earlier? I look extremely stupid now. Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders and smiled carelessly. Without asking further, she walked toward Elder Feng Yi and the rest. She stood in front of them, presented the jade box in her hands, and politely said, ¡°Sorry for making you wait.¡± Elder Feng Yi laughed. ¡°Not at all! The heavenly doctor competition doesn¡¯t have a fixed duration anyway. Besides, you¡¯ve successfully produced a pill!¡± As he said this, he opened the box nervously and curiously. The pill appeared in front of him. The moment he saw the pill, Elder Feng Yi suddenly widened his eyes. ¡°This¡­¡± Elder Feng Yi excitedly picked up the pill and inspected it closely, only able to suppress the excitement in his heart after some time. ¡°This is¡­ a middle-grade, fourth-grade pill!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Cheng Lixue and Mo Cang were originally upset, so they sat in their own seats and didn¡¯t take a closer look. Both of them spoke in unison upon hearing Elder Feng Yi¡¯s words. ¡°Feng Yi, did you purposely rate her higher because she¡¯s your academy¡¯s student?¡± asked Mo Cang in a rush. Elder Feng Yi waved his hand. ¡°You¡¯ll find out why if you see the pill for yourself.¡± Mo Cang doubtfully took the pill, and his face changed. Cheng Lixue felt like something was amiss, and he also leaned over. He saw that there indeed were four lines on the pill. However, the most important part was that the fourth line was obviously clearer than Leng Chuan and Ji Zixing¡¯s. This was indeed a low-grade, fourth-grade pill! Elder Feng Yi laughed out loud. ¡°You won¡¯t object to this rating now, right?¡± The two of them were silent. Elder Feng Yi raised his voice, and his eyes were clear. Filled with pride, he said, ¡°Congratulations, Liuyue, this pill is a low-grade, fourth-grade one!¡± This was the pill that had the highest standard in this year¡¯s competition! It had undoubtedly taken first place! Chu Liuyue looked at Situ Xingchen elatedly. ¡°Congratulations, Eldest Princess Situ!¡± Chapter 274 - Arrived! Congratulations?! When Situ Xingchen heard that, she felt as if she had been harshly slapped. Even though Chu Liuyue represented her in the competition and allowed Situ Xingchen to take first place, everyone clearly saw that the low-grade, fourth-grade pill was made by Chu Liuyue! Everyone had witnessed Chu Liuyue¡¯s outstanding talent and shocking capabilities! At this moment, Situ Xingchen finally realized one thing: the higher the grade of the pill that Chu Liuyue produced and the better her ranking, the greater the humiliation Situ Xingchen would face. After the Qing Jiao Competition, everyone would know the reason why Situ Xingchen could take first place in the heavenly doctor competition¡ªit was simply because Chu Liuyue was outstanding enough. By then, everyone¡¯s focus would be on Chu Liuyue. Who else would care about Situ Xingchen? All the reputation and honor will belong to Chu Liuyue in the end. What about me? I¡¯ll just be her pitiful accompaniment. Chu Liuyue gave me this first place, but she also gave me utter humiliation. Situ Xingchen was very regretful as her face flushed red and white, and she really wanted to disappear from this place immediately. Elder Feng Yi surveyed his surroundings and said, ¡°I hereby announce the first place in the heavenly doctor competition of this year¡¯s Qing Jiao Competition¡­ Situ Xingchen from Tai Yan Academy!¡± When the low voice boomed, the large square fell into an eerie silence. This was especially for Tai Yan Academy¡¯s crowd, who couldn¡¯t describe how they felt. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, why do you seem upset?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as she blinked. ¡°Just now, I vaguely heard you say that you wanted to cancel the agreement with me? Why? Is my compensation not enough?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s lips trembled slightly. She¡¯s asking the obvious! Chu Liuyue is clearly doing this on purpose! Situ Xingchen clenched her teeth and forced a smile onto her face, but her eyes had no smiling intent. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Chu Liuyue has already helped me to take first place. How can I say that it¡¯s not enough? But¡­ I¡¯d rather not have this first place now! Elder Feng Yi cupped his fists toward Cheng Han and delightfully said, ¡°Congratulations, Director Cheng Han!¡± Cheng Han¡¯s blood was stuck in his chest. Before this, he had never expected that they would take first place in the heavenly doctor competition in this manner! But whenever he heard the word ¡®congratulations,¡¯ he felt that it was better for them not to have a ranking. No matter what, Chu Liuyue was the one who earned their first-place ranking. In all these years, he had never once met with such an incident that made him speechless and aggrieved! Sun Zhongyan looked at Ji Zixing and patted his shoulders to comfort him. ¡°Zixing, you did well this time. Even though you didn¡¯t take first place for our academy¡­ the strong will always be respected, and you should admit your defeat, right?¡± Ji Zixing answered, ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Elder Sun. I¡¯ll remember it in my heart.¡± Cheng Han clenched his fists tightly. Sun Zhongyan was clearly scolding me when he talked to Ji Zixing! Every single word of his is filled with sarcasm, but I can¡¯t rebut at all! Zuo Rong and Xuan Cang looked at each other with complicated gazes. After some time, Zuo Rong couldn¡¯t help but slap his head. He felt that it was aching as he muttered, ¡°I knew it¡­ This girl was indeed hiding her abilities.¡± She must¡¯ve purposely acted very clumsy the previous time. To think that we really thought she wasn¡¯t good at refining medicine! Xuan Cang was even more embarrassed. I was the one who looked down on Chu Liuyue the most, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ After keeping quiet for a while, Xuan Cang said, ¡°No wonder Director was willing to accept her as his disciple.¡± I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be a second person with such talent in the entire Country Yao Chen, right? Zuo Rong quickly set his thoughts aside and clapped his hands. ¡°Hehe, why should we think so much? Previously, that girl had purposely hidden her abilities, and many people couldn¡¯t tell. It wasn¡¯t only us, right? Pft, I heard that Liuyue had tortured the Chu family quite a bit, but it seems like nothing much now. When news regarding the Qing Jiao Competition spreads¡­ Haha!¡± Previously, the Chu family¡¯s members might feel slight regret, but not heart-wrenching pain when Chu Liuyue enrolled into Tian Lu Academy. After all, the Chu family still had Chu Xianmin¡ªwho was considered one of the stronger ones in the academy. However, it was different now. Chu Liuyue had taken first place in both the warrior competition and Xuan Master competition. Strictly speaking, she had also taken first place in the heavenly doctor competition. This kind of genius had never appeared in Country Yao Chen¡¯s history before! Even if one thought with their feet, they would know what Chu Liuyue¡¯s displayed talent meant! As long as no accidents happened, Chu Liuyue would definitely have a bright future ahead of her as a top fighter! This was actually the most lethal blow for the Chu family. ¡­ When the three events in the Qing Jiao Competition finally ended, it was followed by each event¡¯s prize presentation ceremony. Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t remember how she accepted the so-called ¡®first place¡¯ because her entire person was numb, and her brain was in a mess. In comparison, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t affected at all. The judges gave her two Cosmic Bags. Sun Zhongyan laughed and said, ¡°Liuyue, these two Cosmic Bags are your rewards for winning the warrior competition and the Xuan Master competition. You can take a look at the items inside.¡± Noises of envy could be heard from the crowd. Just these two Cosmic Bags were already very valuable, let alone the other treasures inside. Chu Liuyue simply checked the Cosmic Bags and realized that the treasures included a valuable Xuan formation drawing, some decent-standard warrior skills, and an intermediate-grade fiend¡¯s pearl of essence. Her lips curved up into a bright smile. ¡°Thank you, Elder Sun.¡± Seeing her calm look, Elder Sun nodded in satisfaction. Many good things were stored in the Cosmic Bags, yet Chu Liuyue could actually be so calm. This proved that she was truly composed, and it made the academy proud. Of course, the most important things were her talent and capabilities. ¡°There¡¯s something else other than this. You can choose to enter any one of the three academies and read the books in their library for a month for free. I already asked you about this a few days ago, and you said that you had to think. Do you have your answer now?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Elder Sun, I¡¯ve thought about it. I want to go to¡­ Tai Yan Academy!¡± Everyone was shocked when Chu Liuyue said this. Even though Tai Yan Academy was also one of the choices, it was obvious that Chu Liuyue had thoroughly offended their entire academy. If she really went there, she would just be causing trouble for herself. Even Cheng Han couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s facial expression didn¡¯t change. She needed to investigate Heng Jingchuo and Yang Jianqing personally, and this was the best chance. ¡°Why? Could it be that Director Cheng Han doesn¡¯t welcome me over?¡± Cheng Han sneered and slowly said, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we? We welcome you with open arms.¡± Chu Liuyue pretended not to hear the threat in his words as she smiled happily. ¡°Thank you.¡± Emperor Jiawen finally spoke. ¡°Liuyue, you¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Eunuch Min hurriedly came over and anxiously said, ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Emperor Jiawen unhappily asked, ¡°Why are you so anxious?¡± Eunuch Min hurriedly knelt down and presented a letter. ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty! I have something to report: Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy is already within 20 miles of the Imperial City, and he¡¯ll reach here very soon!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart harshly shook as she raised her head to take a look. Chapter 275 - Old Acquaintances Meet Emperor Jiawen was stunned, and he jumped to his feet. ¡°What? Didn¡¯t they say it would take a while longer? Why did he arrive so suddenly?¡± They weren¡¯t prepared yet! Eunuch Min wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t know either! Wha-what should we do?¡± What to do? What else can we do?! Emperor Jiawen hurried forward. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go forward and receive him personally!¡± The Empress followed suit when she heard that, and she looked at Rong Jin and Rong Qi. ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and I will join you!¡± Emperor Jiawen thought about it and agreed. If more people came, the event would seem grander and more important. The Empress and Crown Prince¡¯s statuses were a good fit too. They hurried forward, their usually stoic faces revealing a hint of nervousness. The others got to their feet when they saw Emperor Jiawen¡¯s reaction. Other than Rong Jin, the other princes and princesses stood up and followed after the group. The three academies¡¯ elders were stunned, and they had strange expressions on their faces. But most of the people present in the square didn¡¯t know what kind of existence the Tianling Dynasty was. They were all confused by the scene before them. ¡°Tianling Dynasty? What¡¯s that? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it before?¡± ¡°Looking at His Majesty¡¯s nervous manner, I wonder what their background is. Are they even more important than His Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­Gosh, I previously heard that there¡¯s an existence countless times stronger than Country Yao Chen, which is tens of thousands of miles away. Could it be..¡± ¡°Shh! This is not the kind of thing that we can talk about! You might get in trouble!¡± Perhaps influenced by Emperor Jiawen, the atmosphere in the square was strange and tense. Sun Zhongyan pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Bai Chen, bring the students back. I¡¯ll follow His Majesty.¡± Bai Chen and the others nodded. Since it concerned the Tianling Dynasty, they couldn¡¯t help but get nervous. But at the same time, they were curious. This was the first time the Tianling Dynasty had sent someone to Country Yao Chen in a century! If they got the chance to meet, they might benefit from it! Sun Zhongyan looked at Fu Yunshan and Cheng Han. To no surprise, the two were surprised and stunned. He couldn¡¯t be bothered, and he spoke to them quickly. ¡°Brother Cheng Han, Brother Fu Yunshan, this matter is important, so I think it¡¯s better if you bring your students back first. If anything, I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°People from the Tianling Dynasty are coming?!¡± Cheng Han couldn¡¯t help but walk over to Sun Zhongyan. He could hardly believe what he had heard. Why did a legendary top class empire send someone to a small place like Country Yao Chen?! Sun Zhongyan paused. ¡°They¡¯re not coming; they¡¯re already here!¡± Not many knew of it beforehand, and Emperor Jiawen had instructed everyone to keep quiet about it before the envoy arrived. Therefore, it was rather normal for Cheng Han and the others not to know about it. Cheng Han sucked in his breath, and it took him lots of effort to calm down. However, Eunuch Min¡¯s earlier words kept replaying in his head. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy was ten kilometers away! ¡°I¡¯ll come too!¡± Cheng Han blurted out. ¡°What?¡± Sun Zhongyan raised his eyebrows. Cheng Han straightened his coat and sternly said, ¡°As the director of Tai Yan Academy, don¡¯t I have the right to request for an audience?¡± Sun Zhongyan was about to rebut when Fu Yunshan spoke up. ¡°Me too! ¡°It¡¯s fine if we weren¡¯t here since they¡¯re here to visit Country Yao Chen! However, we happen to be here! What¡¯s wrong with asking His Majesty to introduce us?¡± Cheng Han said sharply. The matter concerned the Tianling Dynasty. He naturally couldn¡¯t let things go just like this! When he saw that Sun Zhongyan was about to turn him down, Cheng Han turned and headed straight for Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Your Majesty, my Tai Yan Academy¡­¡± ¡°Director Cheng Han and Director Fu Yunshan can come along!¡± Emperor Jiawen promptly gave an answer. He continuously gave orders to the people around him as he hurried forward. He had heard Cheng Han and Fu Yunshan¡¯s words clearly. No matter how unwilling he was for others to get involved, he couldn¡¯t turn them down in public. Thus, he had no choice but to agree to it quickly. But this was enough for Fu Yunshan and Cheng Han. They quickly instructed the other elders to bring the students back while they caught up with Emperor Jiawen and the others. Sun Zhongyan had no choice but to give in. Bai Chen was doing a headcount when he turned and saw Chu Liuyue standing around dazedly. ¡°Liuyue?¡± Bai Chen called out, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Liuyue? It¡¯s time to go!¡± Chu Liuyue only looked over then. Her expression was the same, but her eyes were terrifyingly deep and cold. Bai Chen paused, and respect grew from the bottom of his heart. Chu Liuyue seems¡­ a little different. She looked the same, but Bai Chen felt that an oppressive aura was coming from her. To put it accurately, it was the oppressive authority from a high-ranking leader. Bai Chen closed his eyes. When he looked again, he saw that Chu Liuyue was already heading their way. The aura had disappeared entirely; it was like it had never existed. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen.¡± Chu Liuyue called out to him. Bai Chen looked at her. Chu Liuyue seemed quite normal, and he thought that he could¡¯ve been imagining things. ¡°Liuyue, the Qing Jiao Competition is over. You can head back and rest¡­¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly asked softly, ¡°It¡¯s the people from there?¡± Bai Chen paused then nodded. He didn¡¯t notice the light that flashed at the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°I heard that¡­ everyone from there is strong?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was soft, making it seem like she was asking out of curiosity. Bai Chen wouldn¡¯t answer if it were someone else asking, but things were different since it was Chu Liuyue who was asking. He really admired her before, and her performance at the Qing Jiao Competition really amazed him. He truly admired her, and he was naturally happy to answer all her questions. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s an unattainable place for us! Now that they¡¯ve sent someone here, it¡¯s a rare chance!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and then spoke in a joking manner. ¡°Didn¡¯t you previously say that the person who placed first in the assessment could pay their respects too?¡± Not only had she come in first in the assessment, but she had also taken first place in the Qing Jiao Competition. She should be more than qualified, no? Chu Liuyue laughed to herself. She had never imagined that it would be so tough for her to meet someone from the Tianling Dynasty one day. Bai Chen was a little stumped. ¡°That¡¯s true, but the situation now¡­¡± Buzz! The buzzing of a sword resonated in the air. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw a slender silhouette heading toward them while standing on his sword! A familiar aura headed straight for her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat wildly as if it would fly out of her mouth at any moment! The air was squeezed out of her chest, leaving gloominess and oppression. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists, and her knuckles turned white as she stared intently at the person. That¡¯s¡­ Chapter 276 - Mu Qinghe The lieutenant of Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Black Guard, Mu Qinghe! His face was rather dashing, but the scar that extended from his eyebrows to his cheekbones added a scary edge to him. Coupled with his cold and uninviting aura, it made him seem extra difficult to get close to. This aura could only come from someone who had fought for survival on the battlefield! Even though it had been more than a year, Chu Liuyue recognized Mu Qinghe at first sight. Mu Qinghe was once one of her most trusted aides! A tirade of emotions flashed across her heart when she saw that it was him. Astonishment! Confusion! Doubt! Everyone in Tianling Dynasty knew that Mu Qinghe¡ªthe Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant¡ªwas the Heavenly Princess¡¯s subordinate. Mu Qinghe was of lowly birth, and he lived in exile until he followed Shangguan Yue at the age of 13. He later applied to join the Black Guard and headed to the most dangerous Dahuang Swamp, where he earned military honors and was promoted to lieutenant at the fastest possible speed. The solidification of his position in the Black Guard coincided with the key period of Shangguan Yue gaining power. He held the military in his control, and he became a major pillar of support for Shangguan Yue. Later¡­ Shangguan Yue was trapped in the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall, and all her requests for support received no reply. This included the ones she sent to Mu Qinghe. Looking at the familiar face, Chu Liuyue felt a wave of emotions inside her. After she was reborn, she had thought of the previous situation countless times, but nothing seemed right. Mu Qinghe always carried a communication device¡ªwhich allowed her to contact him¡ªwith him, so he should¡¯ve received the messages. Even if he truly didn¡¯t know, she was trapped in the ancestral hall for three days and three nights! Given his usual prudence, Mu Qinghe definitely would¡¯ve noticed that something was amiss! However, she never saw Mu Qinghe appear. Things were strange, and Chu Liuyue did have her doubts. But in the end, Mu Qinghe was one of the people she trusted the most. He had been loyal to her in all the years that he followed her. She had even been worried that Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan would lay their hands on him after she died. But he now appeared here as the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s representative! This meant that he hadn¡¯t been implicated in the year since she died! Given Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan¡¯s ruthless character, how could they possibly let off anyone that was close to her? Unless¡­ ¡­ Mu Qinghe¡¯s sudden appearance stunned everyone¡ªjust the strong aura that emanated from him was a lot to take in! Emperor Jiawen was the first one to react. ¡°Lieutenant Mu.¡± The person who came was actually Mu Qinghe! Emperor Jiawen had seen Mu Qinghe before when he went to the Tianling Dynasty, and Mu Qinghe was still with the Heavenly Princess back then. Now that the Heavenly Princess was no longer around, he had heard that the person in power was different. He had thought that Mu Qinghe would fall, but it now seemed like he was unaffected. There was a streak of light beneath Mu Qinghe¡¯s feet, and the longsword quickly disappeared. He walked down from midair slowly and stably. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Mu Qinghe had been a stage-eight warrior a long time ago. Now that he was outside of Heaven¡¯s Canopy, he seemed to have been repressed to stage six. Even so, he was still the most powerful person here! The strong aura from a top-tier cultivator made everyone feel a sense of respect and fear! The broad square instantly seemed a lot more narrow. Everyone quietened down; they were nervous and excited but also a little afraid. A lot of people had even looked down, not daring to look at Mu Qinghe directly. Mu Qinghe walked over to Emperor Jiawen. The strong aura from him made Emperor Jiawen seem a lot smaller. ¡°Rong Xiao, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Mu Qinghe said coldly. His voice was like the deep winter snow, cold to its core. Emperor Jiawen shuddered uncontrollably, and he bowed slightly as he respectfully said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu has traveled from afar. We¡¯ve failed to welcome you properly, but I seek your understanding and forgiveness.¡± The simple conversation between the pair caused waves. This man called Lieutenant Mu actually called the Emperor by his given name! But Emperor Jiawen was not upset. Instead, he became even more respectful! It was clear then that this person¡¯s status was even nobler than they had imagined! ¡°It¡¯s okay. This trip was rather sudden in the first place,¡± Mu Qinghe said plainly. Despite his words, he was still expressionless and cold. Emperor Jiawen was still nervous as he nervously asked, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, would you like to get some rest elsewhere? Oh right, don¡¯t worry! We¡¯ve prepared your residence, and you can move in right away! It¡¯s already rather so late, so shall we hold an official welcoming for you tomorrow?¡± Mu Qinghe pondered for a moment before he nodded. ¡°That works.¡± Emperor Jiawen was relieved. This person was trusted when he was the Heavenly Princess¡¯s aide. It was rumored that he was hard to get along with, and he had been worried when he saw that the envoy was Mu Qinghe. However, things didn¡¯t seem as bad now. ¡°Then, shall I bring you there? Lieutenant Mu, please¡­¡± Around Mu Qinghe, Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t even dare to use the honorific pronoun for emperors. Mu Qinghe only glanced at everyone that was behind Emperor Jiawen. Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t know what he was looking at, so he only waited patiently. ¡°The Qing Jiao Competition? It seems like not just Country Yao Chen, but the young talents from Country Xing Luo and Country Huai Cang are here too?¡± Mu Qinghe said suddenly. Cheng Han¡ªwho was standing by the side¡ªwas elated, and he immediately stepped forward. ¡°Greetings, Lieutenant Mu! I¡¯m Cheng Han, the director of Country Xing Luo¡¯s Tai Yan Academy. It¡¯s my honor to be able to meet you!¡± All these years, the Tianling Dynasty had always been a legendary existence. This was the first time Cheng Han had met someone from the Tianling Dynasty, and it seemed like the person was rather high ranking. If he could take the chance to make some connections¡­ it would only be a matter of time before he could rise through the ranks! Mu Qinghe looked at Cheng Han calmly. Cheng Han suddenly felt like a mountain was pressing down on him! He felt intense pain, and his blood rushed through his body as his ears rang! Cheng Han was stunned, and he tried to speak. However, he discovered that he couldn¡¯t even open his mouth! Most of the people didn¡¯t notice this, but Fu Yunshan, Sun Zhongyan, and the others nearby were stunned. No matter what, Cheng Han was a stage-five heavenly doctor and a stage-four warrior. Even if he wasn¡¯t the best, he wasn¡¯t exactly easy to deal with. But this man, with a single strike¡­ No! Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t even move a finger, but he was able to suppress Cheng Han to this extent with just one glance! The strength of his abilities couldn¡¯t be estimated! More importantly, this man seemed rather young. He was 20 years old at most, but he was already at this level! After a while, Mu Qinghe retracted his gaze. It was only then that Cheng Han felt the oppressive force disappear. The insides of his mouth were filled with the taste of blood! Cheng Han stepped back fearfully, not daring to speak again. Mu Qinghe turned and was about to leave when he felt a gaze on him. His eyes moved, and he turned¡­ Chapter 277 - How are you worthy of that character? It was a young girl; she looked about fourteen or fifteen. She was slender, but she stood up straight. This girl had a beautiful face, and she was still young. However, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how attractive she would be when she grew older. But this was not what Mu Qinghe cared about. He just felt that the expression in the girl¡¯s eyes was a little familiar. It was like¡­ that person¡­ Mu Qinghe¡¯s heart beat faster, and he froze a little. Their eyes met, and the young girl seemed shocked as she looked down. Mu Qinghe¡¯s faint anticipation disappeared. How can such a timid and cowardly girl possibly be similar to her? They are worlds apart; nobody can be compared to her in this world. Upon thinking this, Mu Qinghe recollected his emotions, and his expression turned colder. Emperor Jiawen was standing next to Mu Qinghe. He noticed the latter¡¯s reaction and followed his gaze. He paused when he realized that Mu Qinghe was looking at Chu Liuyue, but he understood why. Chu Liuyue could be considered a beauty. Her just standing there was enough to attract everyone¡¯s gaze. Her face was enough to capture the hearts of countless men. Could it be that¡­ Mu Qinghe has his eyes on Chu Liuyue? Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression was a little strange. ¡°Lieutenant Mu?¡± Mu Qinghe narrowed his eyes. His scar shifted with this movement, and he looked even more intimidating than before. ¡°You, come forward.¡± This was clearly directed at Chu Liuyue. Everyone was instantly silenced. Everyone¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue clenched her fists under the guise of her sleeves. She then stepped forward. Chu Liuyue walked extremely slowly, and her head hung low, seeming as if she was nervous. She stopped when she was three steps away from Mu Qinghe. With her head hung low, all she could see was a pair of snow deer boots with a black base. Snow deer were sixth-grade fiends. Even though they weren¡¯t advanced fiends, they usually only appeared in places of extreme cold. They also had trouble reproducing, so they were really rare. Boots made from their fur would adjust their temperature according to the environment, making them extremely comfortable. More importantly, they were good for defense. For a while, boots made from snow deer were very popular with Tianling Dynasty¡¯s elites. But after Shangguan Yue was rescued by a snow deer during an accident, she prohibited the killing of snow deer. From that day on, such items disappeared from the Tianling Dynasty. Shangguan Yue brought the snow deer back with her. The snow deer was gentle by nature. Mu Qinghe really liked it, so he would take care of it when she was busy. Chu Liuyue looked closer, and she saw a faint scratch at the edge of the boots. She suddenly widened her eyes! That was not a scratch¡ªit was a scar left behind from being stabbed by a sword! That snow deer had many injuries from saving her, and that scar¡­ A terrifying thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind! Snow deer were clever and gentle. Their coat of fur was their most prized possession. No matter what applications, most would request to use a perfect coat of fur. As the Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t have to resort to using flawed fur. Unless¡­ Chu Liuyue felt like her heart was being squeezed tightly! It was so painful that she could barely stand! ¡°Look up,¡± Mu Qinghe ordered. Chu Liuyue had never heard Mu Qinghe speak to herself like this¡ªhigh and mighty, cold to his core. Mu Qinghe was quiet and cold. Sometimes, he wouldn¡¯t utter a single word the whole day, but he would remove his mask of coldness when dealing with her. His voice would always be clear and gentle. She still remembered that he had a light dimple on his left cheek when he smiled. Chu Liuyue looked up gradually. It was only then that she could take a good look at the face that she couldn¡¯t be any more familiar with. A year had passed, and Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t look very different from before. However, his aura was colder and more unapproachable than before. Previously, Mu Qinghe was just cold on the surface. However, Chu Liuyue was almost certain that he was more ruthless and cold than before. She seemed to be familiar and unfamiliar with this person at the same time. ¡°Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Chu Liuyue greets Lieutenant Mu.¡± Chu Liuyue took a glance and quickly retracted her gaze as she bowed. Mu Qinghe looked at the young girl before him. Up close, Chu Liuyue could be considered a rare beauty, but she didn¡¯t look anything like that person. Even though her voice was deep and calm, her body was trembling slightly¡ªprobably out of fear. Mu Qinghe frowned. That instant from earlier must have been an illusion! Disdain rose in him. He didn¡¯t say anything as he turned and left. Emperor Jiawen looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. What¡­ just happened? He had thought that Mu Qinghe had his eyes on Chu Liuyue, but there were no signs of interest in his eyes. Instead¡­ he seemed disgusted? However, Chu Liuyue did not do anything the whole time. How did she offend him? Seeing that Mu Qinghe had left, Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t be bothered and tried to catch up. But Mu Qinghe stopped after a few steps, and he turned to look at Chu Liuyue. As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡°Which character is your Yue?¡± Mu Qinghe asked coldly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart paused, and she tried to keep herself calm. ¡°The heavenly pearl¡¯s Yue.¡± Legend had it that there was a pearl that originated from the heavens, and it was also called ¡®Yue.¡¯ Mu Qinghe¡¯s heart froze. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It also means bright and glorious.¡± A scene from many years ago appeared in Mu Qinghe¡¯s mind. A girl had told him the same thing back then. ¡°Do you know which ¡®Yue¡¯ is my ¡®Yue?¡¯¡± At that time, Mu Qinghe had only been around her for a while. He didn¡¯t know what to do, so he just shook his head. ¡°Princess is of noble birth. How dare Qinghe speak of your name?¡± The girl asked him to stretch out his hand. With a smile, she then wrote the character on his palm with her fingers. The girl was noble and unparalleled, but she didn¡¯t look down on his rough and ugly hands. ¡°My Yue is the heavenly pearl¡¯s Yue. Father said that it also means bright and glorious.¡± Back then, Mu Qinghe thought that the girl was indeed brighter and more eye-catching than the sun. ¡°¡­I heard that you haven¡¯t gone to school before. How about I teach you to write from today onwards?¡± Therefore, the first character he learned was ¡®Yue.¡¯ The image in his mind gradually dissipated. Mu Qinghe looked at the young girl before him again, and he scoffed. ¡°How are you worthy of this character?¡± Chapter 278 - Eyes ¡°How are you worthy of this character?¡± This question echoes in Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, and she almost burst out into laughter. Me, not worthy? That is my name! How am I not worthy?! From Mu Qinghe¡¯s reaction, Chu Liuyue almost thought that he was speaking up for ¡®her.¡¯ But¡­ could it be? If Mu Qinghe had been loyal to her¡ªif he had never betrayed her, why would she have died so tragically a year ago? And if this was indeed the case, how could he not have been implicated after she died? The lieutenant of the Black Guard was an important position. Given Jiang Yucheng¡¯s ambitions, how could he possibly let her remaining allies continue to remain in such a position? Chu Liuyue was almost certain that Mu Qinghe had allied himself with Jiang Yucheng behind her back! Otherwise, there was no other explanation for everything that happened later. Seeing his reaction, Chu Liuyue was surprised, but she found it ludicrous at the same time. Where was he when I was crying out for help? What did he do when I was forced to combust myself? After I died, he even killed the snow deer and turned it into a pair of boots for him to trample on day and night! Is it not contradictory for him to say something like this? Chu Liuyue had a lot of questions and a lot of anger. They built up in her, making it hard for her to breathe. But at last, she took a deep breath and looked down. ¡°Names were given by parents. Even if you think I¡¯m not worthy, you have no right to change it.¡± ¡°Liuyue! What are you saying!¡± Emperor Jiawen was stunned, and he began reprimanding her. ¡°Hurry up and ask Lieutenant Mu for forgiveness!¡± As he spoke, he looked toward Mu Qinghe nervously. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, this child is still young. She didn¡¯t mean to offend you, so please don¡¯t take it to heart. If not¡­ Liuyue can change her name to a different character?¡± It is just a name! Do we have to kick up such a big fuss? Even he didn¡¯t have the guts to oppose Mu Qinghe, not to mention a mere Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue had always been intelligent, what is up with her today?! Mu Qinghe looked at Chu Liuyue intently. ¡°No need.¡± After saying that, he turned around to leave. His steps seemed even, but he moved fast. Emperor Jiawen looked at Chu Liuyue with warning in his eyes. ¡°You lass, you got lucky today! Don¡¯t do this again; do you hear me!?¡± Chu Liuyue relaxed a little. Even though she knew that Emperor Jiawen was afraid of being implicated by her, she was still grateful that he spoke up for her. She smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Emperor Jiawen scoffed; he then turned and caught up with Mu Qinghe. The entourage quickly disappeared. The square only regained its liveliness after a while. Chu Liuyue heard a number of people talking about her. ¡°I wonder what that Lieutenant Mu¡¯s background is¡­ What did you think about his earlier comments regarding Chu Liuyue?¡± ¡°I thought that he had his eye on Chu Liuyue. After all, that face¡­ But it seems like she has offended him!¡± ¡°There are so many people here, but he only talked to Chu Liuyue. I think it¡¯s not as simple¡­ That person looks like a killing machine¡­ How could he possibly be drawn to pretty women? I think that Chu Liuyue¡¯s future¡­ is precarious!¡± Clearly, not many people saw the earlier exchange in a positive light. Mu Hongyu ran over and asked nervously, ¡°Liuyue?! What happened earlier?¡± Chu Liuyue replied calmly, ¡°What else could it be? He was just asking about my name, and he didn¡¯t seem to be happy about my name.¡± ¡°How are you so calm! That is¡­¡± Mu Hongyu lowered her voice. ¡°That person is from the Tianling Dynasty!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded nonchalantly. I used to be from there too. I was even his master! ¡°You¡­ sigh!¡± Mu Hongyu looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm and collected manner. She felt like it was futile for her to say anything more. Does Liuyue not know that her life will be in danger if she upsets that person!? Didn¡¯t she see how respectful His Majesty was to him? Mu Hongyu was more worried than her friend was! ¡°Since the competition¡¯s over, it¡¯s time we head back. Shall we go?¡± said Chu Liuyue as she walked forward. Mu Hongyu hurriedly caught up. She tried to say something but decided against it when she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s tired expression. Chu Liuyue had been competing in the last few days, and she had not gotten proper rest. Since things are already like this, let¡¯s just leave it be! At this thought, Mu Hongyu became more relaxed, and she left with her friend. ¡°Hey, Liuyue, your earlier competition¡­¡± Gu Mingfeng and Cen Hu caught up with them. They were nonchalant and calm, so the others couldn¡¯t say much either. After they left, the remaining people dispersed as well. The people from Nan Feng Academy and Tai Yan Academy prepared to leave as well. ¡°Xingchen? Xingchen?¡± Mo Cang raised his voice when he saw that Situ Xingchen was still staring in a particular direction. Situ Xingchen returned to her senses. ¡°We should go!¡± Mo Cang walked over to her side and followed her gaze. ¡°You¡¯re looking at that¡­ Lieutenant Mu?¡± Situ Xingchen nodded, feeling a little regretful. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see such a character like this¡­¡± Country Xing Luo isn¡¯t worse off than Country Yao Chen, so why don¡¯t we have a chance like this? ¡°It¡¯s not up to us to try and figure out such a strong existence¡­¡± Mo Cang muttered, a little fearful when he recalled Cheng Han¡¯s earlier attitude. That person¡­ is strong beyond belief! Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t say anything. Other than Lieutenant Mu¡¯s appearance, what bothered her the most was¡­ Why did Chu Liuyue catch his eye? Tens of thousands of people were in the square, and Chu Liuyue was far away from him, so why did she catch his eye? In terms of looks, I¡¯m no less attractive than Chu Liuyue. Also¡­ what did he mean with those words? Others might think that Chu Liuyue was unlucky and might even get punished for it, but¡­ Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t sense the man directing any hostility toward Chu Liuyue. Something seemed off to her. ¡­ Mu Qinghe was a little distracted on the journey to his residence. He hadn¡¯t thought of that person for a really long time. But for some reason, he recalled a lot of things from the past when he saw that young lady. He wanted to shake the images from his head, but the harder he tried, the clearer they became. Those scenes appeared before his eyes again and again. Her smiling face, her worried face, her nervous face, her sly face, her serious face¡­ And her look of despair¡­ All these images overlapped and faded away, leaving nothing but a pair of eyes. Full of life and reflective like onyxes. He suddenly froze! Right! Chu Liuyue has the same eyes as her! Chapter 279 - Coincidence Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t sleep well that night. She seemed to have had a long dream¡­ In the dream, many scenes appeared, but everything disappeared in a ball of flames in the end. When Rong Xiu arrived, he saw Chu Liuyue lying in her bed. Her brows were knitted, and she was curled up into a ball, muttering to herself. The moonlight that came in through the window elongated his silhouette. Half of Rong Xiu¡¯s face was hidden, and his eyes were deep, but it seemed like a cold fire was burning in them. He walked over and wrapped her in his arms. Chu Liuyue was like a desert traveler that had found an oasis. She instinctively inched closer to him. Rong Xiu bent down and kissed her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid; I¡¯m here.¡± Chu Liuyue gripped the front of his robe tightly. Her eyes were closed, but a tear slid down her face. Rong Xiu swallowed that tear, and bitterness spread on his tongue. He then backed away a little and looked at the person in his arms. His voice was low and hardly audible in the wind as he said, ¡°What¡¯s coming will come.¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue woke up the next morning, she smelt the familiar cold scent on her¡ªshe immediately knew that Rong Xiu had been here. Even without the scent, she could¡¯ve guessed it. Earlier in the night, she had been uneasy because of all her nightmares. However, she regained her calmness later on¡ªthis was only possible with Rong Xiu around. Unknowingly, she had gotten used to Rong Xiu¡¯s presence, and she had come to rely on him. Sweetness emanated from the bottom of her heart. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and walked to her window, where she looked toward Yi Feng Courtyard. Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t there at the moment, and all she saw was the peach tree. The breeze made her more awake. Since I¡¯m at this step, I can only continue on it! ¡°Liuyue?!¡± Someone called her name from downstairs. Chu Liuyue headed down to open the door after she cleaned herself up. It was Bai Chen. ¡°Teacher Bai Chen? What brings you here?¡± Bai Chen¡¯s expression was complex. He was excited and worried at the same time as he handed her an invitation. ¡°This is an invitation to the palace¡¯s banquet today. His Majesty is welcoming that person. You came in first in the assessment, and your performance at the Qing Jiao Competition was outstanding, so¡­ you¡¯re invited as well.¡± This was supposed to be something great since not everyone had the right to meet the envoy from the Tianling Dynasty. But yesterday, that Lieutenant Mu seemed to treat Chu Liuyue differently, and Bai Chen was worried that Lieutenant Mu would take it to heart. Chu Liuyue took the invitation from him. ¡°Thank you, Teacher Bai Chen. I¡¯ll be there on time.¡± ¡°Liuyue¡­¡± Bai Chen said hesitantly. ¡°Yo-you must stay close to Elder Sun later; be careful about everything¡­¡± ¡°Are you worried that Lieutenant Mu will target me?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly knew what Bai Chen was worried about. She curled her lips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Someone of that status won¡¯t wait till the palace banquet if they really wanted to do anything to me.¡± Bai Chen pondered over her statement and thought it made sense. ¡°Your words make sense, but it¡¯s always better to be careful¡­¡± Bai Chen left after giving her a few more reminders. Chu Liuyue looked at the invitation in her hand after she thanked Bai Chen. She slowly curled her lips into a smile. I have waited way too long for this day. ¡­ Noon. There was still one hour to the palace banquet, but the sides of Jiaoyang palace were filled with people. Only the seats on the platform in the center were empty. Everyone was talking and drinking, and the atmosphere was rather comfortable. However, everyone glanced at the platform from time to time. They were all here for Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Lieutenant Mu! ¡°Mother, you have to help me this time!¡± Rong Zhen pleaded as she hovered around the Empress. ¡°That Lieutenant Mu is so formidable! He¡¯ll definitely be able to heal me!¡± Yesterday, Rong Zhen saw for herself how strong Lieutenant Mu was. He was stronger than anyone that she had seen before! The Empress also had hope. She patted her daughter¡¯s hand and comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely plead for you, but¡­ that Lieutenant Mu looks rather cold. I wonder if he¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Why not?! He definitely will!¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes lit up, her eyes full of admiration. ¡°Mother, I think that, even though he looks cold, he¡­ he¡­¡± Her cheeks were flushed. The Empress¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Rong Zhen clearly fancies Mu Qinghe! She is insane! ¡°Zhen Zhen, yo-you¡­ who is that person?! We cannot get involved with someone like this! Get that thought out of your mind!¡± The smile instantly disappeared from Rong Zhen¡¯s face. ¡°Mother, what do you mean? H-he¡¯s the most impressive person I¡¯ve ever seen. Even Brother can¡¯t compare! Why can¡¯t I¡­¡± The Empress tugged Rong Zhen¡¯s arm and glanced around quickly. She only felt a little more relaxed when she saw that nobody was paying attention to them. ¡°What else can it mean? You know exactly what I mean! I¡¯m telling you, we¡¯re just asking for help to heal you. Don¡¯t think about anything else!¡± Mu Qinghe is clearly a dangerous man. He can handle Rong Zhen in the palm of his hands as a toy, not to mention that he might not necessarily be interested in her! Rong Zhen has been raised to be rather wilful. With a man like this, she could lose her life if she isn¡¯t careful! ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re not allowed to bring it up! We¡¯ll follow Chu Liuyue¡¯s instructions if this doesn¡¯t work.¡± The Empress¡¯s expression became more serious. Rong Zhen pouted, but she dared not kick up a fuss. ¡°I know! But that Chu Liuyue even has the guts to seduce him in front of everybody¡­¡± The Empress looked at Rong Zhen with warning in her eyes. Rong Zhen only kept quiet then, but her hatred toward Chu Liuyue grew stronger. I will teach Chu Liuyue a lesson if I catch her behaving the same way! ¡­ Chu Liuyue quietly remained seated in her seat after she arrived with Elder Sun and the others. She could feel the eyes of many people on her, but she wasn¡¯t bothered. She slowly turned the cup of wine in her hands. Until¡­ ¡°Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Lieutenant Mu is here!¡± She turned and looked. Mu Qinghe walked in from the front door. Emperor Jiawen followed behind and invited Mu Qinghe into his seat. Instantly, there was pin-drop silence in the hall. Everyone bowed after a while. Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes swept across the people. Almost uncontrollably, his eyes landed on Chu Liuyue again. Emperor Jiawen thought that Mu Qinghe was still angry about yesterday. Thus, he eagerly said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, aren¡¯t you here to look for some prodigies this time? Chu Liuyue is one of the best! You might not know it, but she¡¯s a rare talent that cultivates in all three disciplines!¡± Mu Qinghe moved his eyes. ¡°Oh? What a coincidence. Someone I knew was a triple cultivator as well.¡± Chapter 280 - Forget It ¡°Oh? That¡¯s such a coincidence!¡± Just as Emperor Jiawen heaved a sigh of relief, he saw that Mu Qinghe¡¯s face had no smiling intent. Mu Qinghe even looked at Chu Liuyue with an interrogative gaze. Emperor Jiawen just realized that this didn¡¯t make Mu Qinghe happy. ¡°You cultivate in all three disciplines? Which one are you better at?¡± asked Mu Qinghe lightly. The palace was very quiet as everyone¡¯s gazes kept shifting between Mu Qinghe and Chu Liuyue. Yesterday, Mu Qinghe already acted very differently to Chu Liuyue. Now that he was here, he spoke to her again¡­ One would be lying through their teeth if they said that he had nothing to do with Chu Liuyue. However, they just didn¡¯t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Before Chu Liuyue could speak, Sun Zhongyan had already spoken. ¡°Liuyue took first place in the warrior and Xuan Master competitions during the Qing Jiao Competition. She¡¯s also very talented as a heavenly doctor¡­¡± Yesterday, Sun Zhongyan had heard this person mention something to Emperor Jiawen, and it seemed like Mu Qinghe purposely came over to pick a few outstanding individuals. Even if Mu Qinghe really didn¡¯t like Chu Liuyue, he wouldn¡¯t do anything unreasonable in consideration of her talent. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze remained unchanged. ¡°Oh? So it seems like you¡¯re an all-rounder?¡± Chu Liuyue could hear the sarcasm in Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice. He had been around her for many years, and she was very familiar with his every word and action. Even though his face looked paralyzed most of the time and didn¡¯t have much of an expression, Chu Liuyue could always guess what he was thinking. It seems like he is looking down on me being a so-called ¡®all-rounder.¡¯ ¡°Rong Xiao said that you¡¯re 14 this year. What¡¯s your warrior standard?¡± ¡°Lieutenant Mu, I¡¯m a stage-two warrior.¡± ¡°What Xuan Master grade are you?¡± ¡°Second grade.¡± ¡°What kind of pill can you produce?¡± ¡°Fourth-grade ones.¡± Mu Qinghe chuckled. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re pretty talented as a heavenly doctor, but you¡¯re just so-so.¡± Chu Liuyue bent her knees and bowed. ¡°His Majesty and Elder Sun are too kind toward me. Of course, my small talent isn¡¯t good enough for you, Lieutenant Mu.¡± As he stared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm and fearless expression, the anger in Mu Qinghe¡¯s heart¡ªwhich was derived from being offended¡ªhad unknowingly dissipated by quite a bit. ¡°At least you know your limits.¡± When that person was 14 back then¡­ Mu Qinghe¡¯s face suddenly became cold as if he had thought of something. Why did I think about that person again? She¡¯s not the only cultivator that cultivates all three disciplines in the world, but how many of them can actually be compared to her? Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t speak any longer as he walked toward his seat with a cold face. Emperor Jiawen stood beside him and could sharply feel that Mu Qinghe¡¯s aura had suddenly become cold. Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t help but be curious. What happened? Weren¡¯t they talking just fine? Chu Liuyue¡¯s every word was spoken in a very polite manner, and she didn¡¯t make any mistakes. So why does Mu Qinghe seem to be unhappy with her? Even if Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent can¡¯t be compared to those in Tianling Dynasty, she is definitely one of the better ones in Country Yao Chen! Emperor Jiawen was confused, and so were the others. Chu Liuyue¡¯s state is actually just ¡®so-so¡¯ in Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes?! Then, aren¡¯t the rest of us even worse? But upon thinking about it further, this Lieutenant Mu looked like he was in his twenties, but his abilities far surpassed all of them. Hence, his actions seemed understandable. It seemed like the Tianling Dynasty was really much stronger than what they had imagined. ¡­ After Mu Qinghe and Emperor Jiawen sat down, the crowd then sat down carefully. The two of them sat at the front, but Emperor Jiawen was still sitting in the middle. But even though Mu Qinghe just sat there, he had an even stronger aura, and his surroundings seemed to freeze. The crowd in the palace became even more restrained. Even though many of them wanted to behave properly in hopes of Lieutenant Mu having a good impression of them, they still honestly sat around when under a strong warrior¡¯s suppression. Mu Qinghe was quite frustrated. After he went back yesterday, he also felt that he had lost control of himself. What¡¯s Chu Liuyue? She¡¯s just an ordinary girl in the small Country Yao Chen. I came here to do something important, yet I thought of many ridiculous things after seeing Chu Liuyue, even messing up my mood. I really care too much about Chu Liuyue, or perhaps, Chu Liuyue reminds me of that person too easily. Clearly, only their eyes are similar and nothing else, but¡­ Mu Qinghe poured a cup of wine for himself and slowly felt around. When Chu Liuyue looked up, she saw Mu Qinghe in deep thought. However, she wasn¡¯t sure what he was thinking about. Her gaze landed on his wine cup, and she smiled in a self-deprecating manner. In the past, Mu Qinghe never drank a sip of alcohol. Only a year has passed, yet so many things have changed. As if noticing her gaze, Mu Qinghe looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Chu Liuyue stood up and smiled. ¡°It must¡¯ve been really tiring for you to come all the way here. I was too impulsive yesterday, so I wish to give you a toast. I hope that you¡¯ll forgive me.¡± She then picked up the wine cup in front of her and drank it in one go. ¡°Slut!¡± cursed Rong Zhen angrily. Ever since Mu Qinghe came in, Chu Liuyue has been using all sorts of methods to attract his attention. She is even openly seducing him now! There are so many people present, and all of them have more rights than her to toast Mu Qinghe! Mu Qinghe then looked at the wine cup in his hands. The strong alcoholic fragrance entered his nose; he knitted his brows in disgust, and he placed the wine cup down. Bang! The ceramic wine cup landed on the table with a crisp sound. The palace was silent. The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. Is he¡­ angry again? ¡°I never ever drink wine,¡± said Mu Qinghe coldly. Every single word of his was very cold and stiff. Confusion flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. He still doesn¡¯t drink wine? Then, why did he pour wine just now¡­ Oh, so he was thinking of something else? Whenever Mu Qinghe was in deep thought, he would always pick up something wrong while in a trance. It seems like he is still the same as before. Emperor Jiawen realized something and hurriedly hollered at the palace maids at the side. ¡°How did you serve him? Who brought this wine up?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me!¡± A palace girl hurriedly knelt down and kept begging for forgiveness. However, she felt very aggrieved. Who knew that this valuable guest doesn¡¯t drink wine? Isn¡¯t he a lieutenant in the military? Why wouldn¡¯t he drink wine? Chu Liuyue hurriedly looked down as if panic flashed across her face. ¡°I was the one who offended you, and everything is my fault. Lieutenant Mu, Your Majesty, I hope you won¡¯t implicate anyone else.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see if she still dares to be so gutsy!¡± Rong Zhen grunted in delight. Originally, Mu Qinghe already disliked her. We¡¯ll see if she still dares to be arrogant after this. Didn¡¯t she just take first place in the Qing Jiao Competition? What¡¯s there to be proud of? Can¡¯t she see that other people don¡¯t even care about her? But Rong Zhen didn¡¯t think that Mu Qinghe wouldn¡¯t think highly of anyone else in this large palace if he looked down on Chu Liuyue. Mu Qinghe¡¯s face darkened for a while. Just as the crowd was thinking about how he was going to punish Chu Liuyue, he said, ¡°Forget it.¡± Chapter 281 - Dijing Yuan Meridian The crowd couldn¡¯t understand Mu Qinghe¡¯s thoughts, and all of them quietened down. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue was very calm. She sat down as if nothing had happened, allowing all sorts of gazes to size her up. She could roughly guess that Mu Qinghe had thought of the past, but she didn¡¯t know where his anger came from. After meeting him, she realized that Mu Qinghe¡¯s personality seemed to have changed. Even though he was also quiet in the past, he wasn¡¯t as temperamental. Emperor Jiawen eased the situation. ¡°Hehe, Lieutenant Mu, didn¡¯t you say last night that you came here to pick some people to follow you back and cultivate? Is that true?¡± Once this was said, everyone¡¯s attention immediately shifted to Mu Qinghe. Countless pairs of eyes were filled with hope and excitement. Follow Mu Qinghe back? Doesn¡¯t that mean going to the Tianling Dynasty? That¡¯s an enormous opportunity! The Tianling Dynasty is a very formidable existence. In the entire Country Yao Chen, only Emperor Jiawen has the right to go there. Others can¡¯t even think about it, yet we have such a chance now! Mu Qinghe actually came to pick people personally. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s two simple words immediately caused the crowd¡¯s hearts to rise. Even though Emperor Jiawen already knew about this yesterday, he still felt very emotional when talking about it now. His pair of old and always unaffected eyes were filled with unconcealable excitement and glory. ¡°Almost all of Country Yao Chen¡¯s outstanding talents are here. Do you have anyone that you like here?¡± Other than the princes and princesses, important characters from aristocratic families, Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Elder Sun, and the others were seated here. Of course, there was also Fu Yunshan and Cheng Han. Upon hearing Mu Qinghe¡¯s definite answer, the two of them looked at each other, and they could see desire in the other party¡¯s eyes. Mu Qinghe really came here to pick people, and he wants to bring them back to the Tianling Dynasty! I really don¡¯t know what kind of luck Country Yao Chen has! But since we¡¯re here, we might be able to join in! After all, there are quite a few outstanding talents in our academies! If they can be chosen¡­ their future possibilities are endless! ¡­ Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze lightly swept past the crowd. All those who were looked at by him unwittingly sat up straight and held in their breaths. ¡°Lieutenant Mu.¡± Rong Jin suddenly stood up. ¡°May I know if I-I can recommend myself?¡± Rong Jin habitually wanted to say ¡®as the prince,¡¯ but he suddenly realized that even his father didn¡¯t dare to pull his rank in front of Mu Qinghe. Thus, he hurriedly changed his sentence. Emperor Jiawen was also very surprised because he didn¡¯t expect Rong Jin to suddenly take the initiative and speak up. But from another perspective, Rong Jin was indeed the most talented at cultivation amongst his prince brothers. Hence, Rong Jin could give it a try. If even he couldn¡¯t gain Mu Qinghe¡¯s approval, then the others weren¡¯t even worth mentioning. After all, Rong Jin was the Crown Prince, and he should have some courage. Mu Qinghe glanced at him. ¡°Stage-four warrior?¡± This kind of strong warrior just needed to glance at someone to tell their cultivation level. Rong Jin nodded nervously. ¡°I should be able to break through and become a stage-five warrior in another month¡¯s time.¡± The crowd looked at Rong Jin in shock. It wasn¡¯t that easy to break through and become a stage-five warrior. Some people would forever be stuck in front of that door for the rest of their lives. But since Rong Jin dared to say this in public, he had to be very confident in himself. Noticing the crowd¡¯s reaction, Rong Jin couldn¡¯t help but feel delighted. Even though he lost to Heng Jingchuo during the Qing Jiao Competition a few days ago and was even poisoned by him, it wasn¡¯t completely disadvantageous. After clearing the remaining poison in his body, Rong Jin shockingly discovered that he had signs of breaking through. He had been diligently cultivating in the past two days, and he could vaguely touch the invisible barrier. Hence, he was certain that he could definitely break through in another month¡¯s time. This was also a surprise for him, and he planned to announce it when he actually broke through. However, he couldn¡¯t care about that now. As long as I can get Mu Qinghe¡¯s praise, then¡­ ¡°Should be? There¡¯s no should or should not in cultivation. As long as you haven¡¯t broken through, you¡¯re still a stage-four warrior.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice was cold, sounding as if he was very unaffected. Rong Jin was stunned. He looked up and saw the obvious nonchalance in Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes. That was the attitude of one staring at an ant! Rong Jin was dazed. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You should already be in your twenties, right?¡± Rong Jin hesitantly nodded. Mu Qinghe lightly grunted. ¡°Then, how do you have the cheek to stand here and say that you want to recommend yourself? How¡­ do you have the right?¡± Rong Jin never expected himself to be humiliated by Mu Qinghe in front of so many people. His face immediately flushed red. Mu Qinghe¡¯s every word made him embarrassed to no end. Rong Jin had always been talented since he was young, and he had always been praised. This was the first time someone had looked down on him. Emperor Jiawen looked very awkward. Rong Zhen thought for a while before she playfully smiled and said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, my brother is already the most outstanding one. If you don¡¯t like him, then nobody else here can fit your standards.¡± Rong Zhen smiled brightly, and her tone was upbeat as if she were talking in a coy manner. Mu Qinghe glanced at her. Rong Zhen¡¯s heart beat really quickly; she was nervous yet expectant. ¡°What are you?¡± spat Mu Qinghe coldly. Rong Zhen¡¯s smile instantly froze. The palace fell into dead silence. As her lips curved up, Chu Liuyue looked down and played with the empty cup in her hands. Mu Qinghe climbed up from the very bottom of the ladder, so he is very resilient. After he became my henchman, many women wanted to give themselves to him. Skinny, chubby, pretty, and ugly. Which has he not seen before? But even until my death, he still didn¡¯t have a wife or concubine even though he was 27 years old. Rong Zhen truly doesn¡¯t meet his standards. I wonder where she got her confidence from, which made her think that Mu Qinghe would buy into her methods. ¡°I-I¡­¡± Rong Zhen had never been this humiliated in public, and her face¡ªcovered with makeup¡ªbecame as pale as ever. Emperor Jiawen scolded Rong Zhen harshly in his heart. How stupid! Didn¡¯t she see that even I don¡¯t dare to put in a good word for Rong Jin? Yet, she still dared to say that¡­ She¡¯s really embarrassing the entire royal family! ¡°This isn¡¯t a place for you to speak!¡± hollered Emperor Jiawen harshly. Tears welled up in Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes, and she lowered her gaze. The Empress looked behind and ordered the people behind her to pull Rong Zhen to make her sit down. The atmosphere in the palace became even stiffer. Mu Qinghe asked, ¡°Who here has the Dijing Yuan meridian?¡± Dijing Yuan meridian! Every single word made everyone dazed. How many years did it take for someone with the Dijing Yuan meridian to appear? It didn¡¯t matter if Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t say anything, but he made an extremely high demand once he did! If he is finding people according to his standards, I¡¯m afraid nobody here will pass! ¡°I think there isn¡¯t any.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart fluttered, and she stood up. ¡°I have it.¡± Chapter 282 - Yuan Stone The palace was instantly silenced. Everyone looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. Does she know what she¡¯s saying? Someone with the Dijing Yuan meridian is a top talent that only appears once in a hundred years! In Country Yao Chen¡¯s history, there were few such people, and all of them were very formidable. When everyone was young, they would undergo a Yuan meridian test. Once one was found to have the Dijing Yuan meridian, they would immediately become a family¡¯s cultivation focus. This kind of talent cultivated much faster, and they were much stronger than ordinary cultivators. But Chu Liuyue¡­ ¡°Chu Liuyue, we all know that you took first place in the Qing Jiao Competition, and it¡¯s an indisputable fact that you¡¯re a real talent, but are you sure that you have the Dijing Yuan meridian? Lieutenant Mu is here; you can¡¯t lie to his face!¡± The Lu family¡¯s head¡ªLu Ming¡ªsuddenly spoke. ¡°You said you have the Dijing Yuan meridian, but why hasn¡¯t there been news of this after so many years? Chu Xiao, Chu Liuyue used to be part of the Chu family, so you should be the clearest about this, right?¡± If this were true, the Chu family would¡¯ve long announced it to the whole world. How would they still treat Chu Liuyue in that manner? When everyone heard this, they all looked at Chu Xiao with hidden excitement as if they were watching a play. Everyone could tell that Lu Ming said this on purpose. Chu Liuyue was indeed part of the Chu family in the past, but everyone knew that they had severed ties with each other. The two parties had completely fallen apart, and their conflict could never be resolved. This was especially so because the Chu family had suffered quite a few times. Now that Chu Liuyue had suddenly turned over a new leaf and became a genius from a good-for-nothing, the Chu family would definitely suffer and regret it the most. ¡­ Chu Xiao had a dark face ever since he walked in. In actual fact, he had been in a very bad mood ever since he knew that Chu Liuyue took first place in the warrior competition. After that, his mood just took a turn for the worse, and it had arrived at an unsalvageable state. When Chu Liuyue first entered Tian Lu Academy and took first place in the mid-semester assessment, they could still comfort themselves and say that this result was just slightly better than Chu Xianmin¡¯s. They could say that it wasn¡¯t a terrible loss for them. But it was different this time. The Qing Jiao Competition was a competition where the top talents from the three academies battled each other! Being able to take first place¡ªeven two first places in this competition¡ªwas more than enough to prove Chu Liuyue¡¯s formidable talent! As for Chu Xianmin? She had long been drowned in the sea of talents and wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. However, Chu Liuyue had become famous from the competition, and her name was known throughout the city. Chu Liuyue had long harshly flung Chu Xianmin far behind her. If Chu Liuyue was still part of the Chu family, they would be able to dominate the Imperial City in the future. But¡­ Chu Liuyue had already severed all ties with them! She was even their enemy! Even though Chu Xiao really hated Chu Liuyue to the core, he was overwhelmed with regret. Upon seeing Chu Xiao¡¯s sorrow, Lu Ming was secretly elated. Recently, Lu Yao didn¡¯t have a good time in the Chu family, which embarrassed their entire Lu family. Now, he had finally found a chance to take revenge! ¡°Chu Liuyue used to lack a Yuan meridian when she was born, but she somehow recovered it after that. I don¡¯t know if she has the Dijing Yuan meridian,¡± said Chu Xiao as he suppressed his anger. Mu Qinghe squinted his eyes. Lacked a Yuan meridian? This wasn¡¯t a big problem to him, but this should be an unsolvable problem in a place like Country Yao Chen. It would be interesting if Chu Liuyue had actually recovered from the lack of a Yuan meridian and obtained the Dijing Yuan meridian. Lu Ming laughed out loud. ¡°Oh, right! I almost forgot that she isn¡¯t part of the Chu family after she recovered her Yuan meridian! It¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know about it. Chu Xiao, I said it by accident, so please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Chu Xiao¡¯s expression became stiff, and he casually acknowledged Lu Ming. However, his face was as tense as ever. Emperor Jiawen looked at Sun Zhongyan. ¡°Elder Sun, Liuyue has entered Tian Lu Academy for a period of time already. You should know about this, right?¡± ¡°This¡­ Your Majesty, please forgive me. Due to various reasons, Liuyue did not undergo the Yuan meridian test when she entered the academy,¡± said Sun Zhongyan as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°However, Liuyue has always been stable and trustworthy; she¡¯s definitely not someone who lies. In addition to her outstanding performance in the Qing Jiao Competition, I believe that she indeed has the Dijing Yuan meridian.¡± Sun Zhongyan was openly standing on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and putting in a good word for her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. Even though she didn¡¯t become Elder Sun¡¯s disciple, he had always taken great care of her and helped her countless times. It was rare for someone to be so nice to her. Chu Liuyue stepped forward and said loudly, ¡°If Lieutenant Mu doesn¡¯t believe me, we can conduct a Yuan meridian test now.¡± Now is the best opportunity, and I must grab it! Mu Qinghe looked at Chu Liuyue for a while. Suddenly, he took out a black jade card and flung it toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Since this is so, do the test!¡± That black jade card stopped in front of Chu Liuyue and quietly floated in the air. Chu Liuyue glanced at it and could immediately confirm that this was a Yuan Stone¡ªwhich was used to test one¡¯s Yuan meridian. A faint doubt popped up in her heart¡ªWhy does Mu Qinghe carry this around with him? Even though Yuan Stones aren¡¯t rare objects in the Tianling Dynasty, usually only aristocratic families and academies have them. Mu Qinghe actually brought this along with him when his current status¡­ Perhaps it is for him to test one¡¯s Yuan meridian conveniently? Chu Liuyue felt like something was amiss. However, she looked calm and didn¡¯t show that there was anything wrong. ¡°Place your hand on the Yuan Stone and inject your force into it. It¡¯ll then test your Yuan meridian standard,¡± said Mu Qinghe. Chu Liuyue nodded, stepped forward, and placed her hand on the Yuan Stone. It was cold to the touch. Chu Liuyue gathered her focus, controlled some of her force, and injected it into the Yuan Stone. Buzz! A bright star suddenly appeared on the black Yuan Stone. One star, two stars¡­ Stars started accumulating, causing the black Yuan Stone to look like it was the mesmerizing night sky that was filled with stars. Mu Qinghe focused on it. She actually has the Dijing Yuan meridian! An average cultivator¡¯s Yuan meridian could only summon ten stars. However, a person with the Dijing Yuan meridian could easily summon up to 100 stars. All the stars currently gathered on the Yuan Stone proved that Chu Liuyue was way over this boundary. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. This is weird. Why did the stars appear on the Yuan Stone much faster and in higher quantities than expected? It seems like it¡¯s still going to continue! Her thoughts changed, and she immediately summoned her force back. The stars on the black Yuan Stone finally stopped increasing in number. Chu Liuyue pulled back her hand and looked at Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze was deep, and he said with deep meaning, ¡°That¡¯s right. You indeed have the Dijing Yuan meridian.¡± The crowd went crazy. Chapter 283 - Green Sparrow Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved downward as if she heaved a sigh of relief. But in her heart, she wasn¡¯t surprised at all. Instead, she was all the more confused. Mu Qinghe seems to care about the Dijing Yuan meridian a lot. Did he specifically come to Country Yao Chen to look for talents with the Dijing Yuan meridian? But even though these people aren¡¯t super common in the Tianling Dynasty, they¡¯re definitely not rare. Why would he come all the way here to look for such talents? The crowd looked at Chu Liuyue in shock, and they only recovered their senses after a while. W-what does this mean? Chu Liuyue actually has the Dijing Yuan meridian? Doesn¡¯t this mean that she can follow Mu Qinghe to the Tianling Dynasty? Mu Qinghe put away his Yuan Stone. Chu Liuyue tried to ask, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, since we¡¯ve already proved that I have the Dijing Yuan meridian, then whatever you said before¡ª¡± Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t show any emotion. ¡°Since you have the Dijing Yuan meridian, you can follow me back.¡± Chu Liuyue held her breath. She could clearly hear her own heart beating rapidly. ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too early. Having the Dijing Yuan meridian is only the start; I still have some other requests at the back, and you still won¡¯t be able to follow me if you can¡¯t meet them,¡± said Mu Qinghe plainly. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant Mu. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I knew things wouldn¡¯t be this simple. But at least there¡¯s a chance, and it suits me better. Even though Chu Liuyue really wanted to go back as soon as possible to make those who harmed her experience a hundred-fold of what she had been through, she knew very clearly that this wasn¡¯t the best time. With her current abilities, she would just be digging her own grave if she went head-on against them. Mu Qinghe acknowledged her, and nobody could tell his emotions from his face. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief, but other people felt conflicted. Everyone present came with much hope, but the demand of having the Dijing Yuan meridian was too high. They simply couldn¡¯t satisfy it. After so long, Chu Liuyue was the one who benefitted again! How could this make them happy? After hesitating slightly, Emperor Jiawen still carefully asked, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, do you only want people with the Dijing Yuan meridian? Actually, there are some people who aren¡¯t bad, though they don¡¯t have the Dijing Yuan meridian. Do you want to pick again?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re all like him, forget it.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze swept past Rong Jin. Rong Jin felt even more embarrassed. As the Crown Prince, he had never experienced such a thing. Even when his father had grounded him and took back his power, he never felt this humiliated. This was akin to slapping him harshly in front of everyone. Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t know what to say for a short while. Even if Mu Qinghe said that to Emperor Jiawen, he wouldn¡¯t dare to show any form of dissatisfaction, let alone Rong Jin. After hearing Mu Qinghe say that, Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t continue speaking any longer and swiftly kept his mouth shut. The entire palace¡¯s atmosphere became increasingly eerie and cold. ButChu Liuyue was very composed; she calmly ate her food and ignored the surrounding gazes. Rong Zhen clenched her teeth because she hated Chu Liuyue for getting such a rare opportunity. She also regretted her previous impulsive actions. After being lectured by Mu Qinghe, Rong Zhen already felt very humiliated. But when she noticed how Mu Qinghe treated the rest¡ªincluding Rong Jin¡ªin a similar manner, she didn¡¯t feel so angry. When she gradually calmed down, Rong Zhen also felt that her previous behavior was overboard. Who is Mu Qinghe? He¡¯s the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy, a superior lieutenant! Even Father has to abide by him; it doesn¡¯t matter if I get lectured. Besides, I¡¯m still counting on Mu Qinghe to help heal my body! Thinking of this, Rong Zhen flashed her mother a look. Upon seeing the anxiety in Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes, the Empress naturally knew what she meant. However, this made her even more frustrated. Does Rong Zhen think that I don¡¯t want to beg Mu Qinghe for help? Why doesn¡¯t she know how to see what kind of situation this is? First, it was the Crown Prince; then, it was Rong Zhen. These two siblings have consecutively been scolded in front of so many people and utterly humiliated me. If we anger Mu Qinghe, he could kill us with a single finger. How can I say anything else? Seeing that the Empress didn¡¯t do anything at all, Rong Zhen couldn¡¯t help but become anxious. She even wanted to walk over a few times. Luckily, the palace maids serving her had already received instructions from the Empress, so they silently stopped her. Rong Zhen was very upset, but she didn¡¯t dare to cause a scene at this place. Thus, she could only swallow her grievances. At this moment, something suddenly flew in through the door. Chu Liuyue took a look at it and was dazed. The something was a green sparrow. It was the size of a palm and was thoroughly green, but its claws and eyes were bright red. The green sparrow¡¯s eyes sparkled especially bright, seeming like rubies, and were very pretty. This green sparrow waved its wings rapidly and speedily flew without a sound. Hence, it had already reached the middle of the place when the crowd in the palace discovered it. ¡°Stop it!¡± hollered Rong Jin as he knitted his brows. ¡°How did you guys do your jobs? What kind of place is this? How can you not stop such a nonsensical thing?¡± The guards outside rushed in immediately and felt wronged when they heard Rong Jin¡¯s scoldings. This thing flew too quickly! We can¡¯t stop it at all! ¡°Your Highness, please calm down!¡± ¡°There¡¯s an important guest here. You¡ª¡± ¡°This is my fiend,¡± said Mu Qinghe, who was sitting at the front. Rong Jin¡¯s remaining words were stuck in his throat; his entire person froze, his limbs icy cold. Mu Qinghe waved his hands, and the green sparrow flew toward him. The palace was deadly quiet. The green sparrow landed on Mu Qinghe¡¯s hand. Mu Qinghe looked at it and saw blood underneath its wings. He knitted his brows slightly, and coldness flashed across his eyes. ¡°Are you injured? Who hurt you?¡± The green sparrow moved its wings and hid the bloodstain. Mu Qinghe knitted his brows even more tightly. Hong Yao was a seventh-grade fiend, and it was very formidable, so it rarely lost in battles. For some reason, Hong Yao was quite frustrated yesterday, so Mu Qinghe let it out. He didn¡¯t expect it to get hurt. Who has such abilities in Country Yao Chen? Hong Yao bit the feathers on its wings in grievance. Mu Qinghe said coldly, ¡°How did you assure me that you wouldn¡¯t get into trouble before we came? Did you learn your lesson yet?¡± Hong Yao didn¡¯t expect to be lectured after it was injured, and it felt increasingly wronged. Its clear, ruby-like eyes blinked as tears quickly filled them, and it looked very pitiful. Mu Qinghe sighed in his heart. It really has been spoiled by that person. I only lectured it a little, and it feels wronged. ¡°Hong Yao¡ª¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice was even sterner. However, Hong Yao suddenly turned around. Hong Yao then stopped in its movements as it dazedly looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The next moment, she saw that tiny thing flying toward her! Chapter 284 - Especially Jealous Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene. The green sparrow is Mu Qinghe¡¯s fiend. Why did it suddenly fly toward Chu Liuyue? Mu Qinghe suddenly stood up. ¡°Hong Yao, you¡¯re not allowed to hurt anyone!¡± However, Hong Yao ignored him and drew a green line across the sky as it directly rushed toward Chu Liuyue. Just as the crowd was pondering over how Chu Liuyue was going to face this trouble, they saw the small ball pounce into Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms suddenly. Hong Yao¡¯s claws grabbed the clothes in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest tightly, and its two tiny wings expanded as it leaned against Chu Liuyue closely. Hong Yao¡¯s round head kept rubbing itself against Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, seemingly with much reluctance and longing. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat when she looked down and saw Hong Yao lying against her chest. Did Hong Yao¡­ recognize me? But¡­ how is that possible? My current look is completely different from before. Even Mu Qinghe can¡¯t detect anything, so why would Hong Yao¡­ One had to know that Hong Yao was never intimate with strangers. Sometimes, when Hong Yao threw its temper, it wouldn¡¯t even care about Mu Qinghe. It could be considered as one of the most hot-tempered fiends she had met before. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started beating rapidly. Now, she couldn¡¯t even care if Hong Yao had recognized her. This unusual reaction would definitely arouse Mu Qinghe¡¯s suspicions. I definitely can¡¯t expose my identity at this time! Just as Chu Liuyue was hesitating about what to do, a red figure suddenly flashed before her eyes. Chu Liuyue dazedly looked up; she saw Tuan Zi holding its claws together and ferociously glaring at Hong Yao, who was in her arms. Tuan Zi¡¯s pair of eyes seemed to be burning with fire. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The next second, Tuan Zi grabbed Hong Yao¡¯s wings and harshly flung it outward. Hong Yao was deeply immersed in shock, happiness, and disbelief, so it didn¡¯t even detect the incoming danger. When Hong Yao finally realized that something was amiss, Tuan Zi had already thrown it out. Tuan Zi hurriedly dashed toward Chu Liuyue and glared at Hong Yao, looking like it wanted to fight with Hong Yao. Hong Yao was flung away so harshly that its head started to whir. When it finally stabilized its body with much difficulty, it suddenly felt that something was wrong. Hong Yao raised its wing and glanced at it, only to shockingly realize that a bunch of its feathers had been plucked off. It instinctively looked downward and was greatly hurt by that ball of green feathers. Chiu! Hong Yao let out a silent cry and charged toward Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi bared its cold teeth and met with Hong Yao without any avoidance. Seeing that the two of them were about to brawl, Chu Liuyue immediately put a stop to it. ¡°Tuan Zi! Come back!¡± However, Tuan Zi¡ªwho was always obedient¡ªwas especially stubborn this time. It only paused for a while when it heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice before rushing forward again. I can¡¯t lose this time! A green blaze started burning in Hong Yao¡¯s body. The entire palace¡¯s temperature suddenly rose by a notch. The crowd was shocked. This palm-sized green sparrow is actually so formidable! Chu Liuyue was even more anxious in her heart. Even though Hong Yao was only a seventh-grade fiend, its combat skills were enough to tie with an eighth-grade fiend due to its special bloodline. How could the current Tuan Zi possibly be Hong Yao¡¯s match? Mu Qinghe coldly said, ¡°Hong Yao, if you dare to continue causing trouble, then return to Qiu Shui Court immediately!¡± This sentence finally had an effect. Hong Yao¡¯s body shivered, and the fire around it started to fade away rapidly. But it didn¡¯t move backward and continued to stare at Tuan Zi head-on. The two of them ferociously glared at each other as if they were born to be mortal enemies. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. For some reason, this scene looks very familiar¡­ In the past, Hong Yao and¡­ ¡°Hong Yao.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice didn¡¯t change much from earlier, but it was a lot colder. Hong Yao knew that Mu Qinghe would really get angry if it continued to cause trouble, so it could only turn around indignantly. When it turned around, it didn¡¯t even forget to shoot a reluctant glance at Chu Liuyue. Tuan Zi grunted before returning and jumping onto Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Chu Liuyue shot a look of warning at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi knew that it was in the wrong, so it obediently rolled up into a ball and rubbed its face against her cheeks in an attempt to make her happy. Chu Liuyue was helpless, and she looked at Mu Qinghe. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, please forgive me. My fiend is still young and doesn¡¯t know¡ª¡± ¡°Hong Yao was the one who caused trouble first.¡± Mu Qinghe really didn¡¯t intend to blame anyone for this as he glanced at Hong Yao. Hong Yao indignantly turned around, clearly showing that it wouldn¡¯t admit its mistakes. Mu Qinghe paused for a while and didn¡¯t say anything more. In actual fact, his current feelings were definitely not as calm as how he looked on the surface. He knew Hong Yao¡¯s character the best. No matter how close a person was to Hong Yao, it might not be very intimate. To strangers, Hong Yao either had enmity, or it wouldn¡¯t even care about the other party. Ever since that person died, Hong Yao¡¯s temper became even worse, and it usually ignores me frequently. However, why did it act so weird when it saw Chu Liuyue today? He had previously seen everything very clearly. Hong Yao acted very intimate toward Chu Liuyue, and it really depended on her. All these years, I¡¯ve only seen Hong Yao do this in front of one person! Is there actually something wrong with Chu Liuyue? A ridiculous thought flashed across his heart, but Mu Qinghe immediately rejected it. No matter if it¡¯s in terms of looks, age, or anything else, Chu Liuyue has nothing similar to that person. Besides, given the situation that day, how could that person possibly survive? Mu Qinghe only felt that the path before him was clouded and that he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. ¡°Hong Yao isn¡¯t usually like this. The reason for its behavior today is probably because¡­ it¡¯s fated with you.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice was a little hazy. Chu Liuyue seemed to heave a sigh of relief, and her lips curved up. ¡°It¡¯s good if Lieutenant Mu doesn¡¯t blame me for this.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s mood was messed up, and he didn¡¯t plan on staying any longer. ¡°Let¡¯s end this here today.¡± It¡¯s better if I go check on Hong Yao¡¯s injury. Mu Qinghe then lifted his leg and walked outside. He paused for a moment when he walked past Rong Jin. ¡°Not any random trash can enter some places.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet, but he couldn¡¯t utter a single word. Mu Qinghe then continued to walk forward. Hong Yao followed behind him, but it turned back thrice for every step it took. Its pair of beautiful, red eyes were filled with reluctance. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached as she watched it, but she lowered her head in the end. Hong Yao must have recognized me. Even though I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know how to describe what she was feeling. It was like a heartache with indignance, but it also had hints of happiness and warmth. It turns out that I am still remembered after my death. It¡¯s a pity that it is impossible for me to reconnect with Hong Yao in such a situation. On the other end, Mu Qinghe rejected Emperor Jiawen and the rest¡¯s company as he left the palace on his own. When he walked to somewhere isolated, he finally stopped and looked at Hong Yao. ¡°Say it. What exactly is going on?¡± Chapter 285 - Throwing a Tantrum Hong Yao tilted to its side, not wanting to deal with Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe stared at it. ¡°Your temper has grown.¡± Hong Yao glared at him, and it actually had tears in its eyes. Mu Qinghe never had the guts to treat me like this when she was around in the past! It hasn¡¯t even been that long, and my treatment is getting worse! I¡¯ve suffered enough in this one year! Mu Qinghe, this stupid master¡­ Hong Yao got more upset as it thought about it. It wanted to go back and look for Chu Liuyue badly. However, Hong Yao knew that Mu Qinghe would never agree. Besides¡­ that fellow was there¡­ I have lost a few feathers! Bang! In a pique of anger, Hong Yao flopped to the floor. I¡¯m not leaving! I cannot go on living like this anymore! Mu Qinghe felt the corners of his eyes twitch. ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to throw a tantrum.¡± Hong Yao didn¡¯t move an inch, dead set on not leaving with him. Just let me die! Hong Yao felt embarrassed when it thought about how it was injured by a beast that had been imprisoned for so many years when it went out yesterday! And Mu Qinghe treated me like this¡­ I cannot go on living like this anymore! Mu Qinghe shut his eyes tight and tried to control his emotions to prevent himself from murdering his fiend. ¡°If you tell me who hurt you, I can take revenge for you.¡± Hong Yao moved its eyes, but its body was still tense. Hong Yao thought about it, but it was conflicted. ¡°To be able to get injured in a place like this, it seems that you have not been diligently cultivating recently.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s words successfully dashed all of Hong Yao¡¯s thoughts of asking him for help. A blue flame covered Hong Yao¡¯s body and burned away the remnant blood. Mu Qinghe raised his eyebrows, a little surprised. Hong Yao had the habit of getting into trouble outside and having him clean up after it; he didn¡¯t expect it to be so stubborn today. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to say anything, here¡¯s a different question.¡± Mu Qinghe stared intently at Hong Yao as if he wanted to see right through it. ¡°In the main hall earlier, you¡­¡± ¡°Lieutenant Mu.¡± Before Mu Qinghe could finish, he was interrupted by a clear female voice. He turned and saw that it was Chu Liuyue. It was such a coincidence. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression changed, and he glanced at Hong Yao. The bird on the floor froze instantly. Oh no! She saw me. This is too embarrassing! Without thinking, Hong Yao got up and flew around Mu Qinghe, dipping up and down as it pretended that it was playing with him. From afar, it looked like a happy butterfly. Mu Qinghe: ¡­ ¡°Lieutenant Mu, your fiend is so energetic.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over and spoke in a surprised tone. En, it¡¯s just as good at throwing tantrums as before. Mu Qinghe: ¡­ Hong Yao instantly felt awkward. It didn¡¯t know if it should continue flying around. It suddenly faltered and almost fell to the ground. Hong Yao could only look down with resignation, full of regret. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Mu Qinghe coughed, but he remained expressionless. Chu Liuyue smiled lightly. ¡°There¡¯s a matter that I would like to ask for your help with. I wonder if you¡¯re willing to agree to it.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± Given Mu Qinghe¡¯s personality, he would never be interested in such matters. Before today, he wouldn¡¯t have uttered a single word if Chu Liuyue spoke to him in this manner. But after thinking about Hong Yao¡¯s reaction toward her, Mu Qinghe felt a need to get to know Chu Liuyue better. Chu Liuyue bowed. ¡°My friend¡¯s mother has been unwell for years, and her condition worsened recently. I wonder¡­ I wonder if Lieutenant Mu would be willing to help? I would be eternally grateful.¡± Mu Qinghe frowned. ¡°Your friend?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Mu Hongyu, who is also Country Yao Chen¡¯s Princess Yong Ping. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t care if Mu Hongyu was a princess; he might not even be willing to help Emperor Jiawen. But¡­ ¡°Hong Yao seems to have an affinity for you. On account of this, I can help you.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. and she looked toward Hong Yao. ¡°Then, I guess¡­ thank you Hong Yao?¡± She parted her lips and gently called out the name. She was the one who gave Hong Yao its name. Back then, she had been hunting for fiends with Mu Qinghe. They got Hong Yao by chance, but they didn¡¯t know what to call it. Chu Liuyue thought that they shared some affinity since it was a green sparrow that shared a character with Mu Qinghe¡¯s[1] name. She then deliberately gave it the name Hong Yao [2. Hong means red] to contrast. Now that she called out this name again, everything had changed. Hong Yao paused and instinctively wanted to fly toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue glanced at Hong Yao. Their eyes met. Hong Yao suddenly paused. It seems like she doesn¡¯t want to¡­ now. It looked at Chu Liuyue pitifully, wanting to fly over and tell on Mu Qinghe. Tuan Zi stood on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder, staring at Hong Yao warily. Hong Yao felt the spot where it had lost a few feathers throb. After a moment of conflict, it did not go over. Instead, it buried its head in its wings. Nobody saw its tears landing among its fear. After a while, Hong Yao¡¯s wings were drenched. Chu Liuyue felt her heart ache as she looked at it. Hong Yao had always been arrogant and had always created trouble. But when it was tired, it would bury its head in its wings and cry like it was doing now. Chu Liuyue really wanted to hug Hong Yao. Since she had been reborn, everything from her previous life seemed like an illusion. All her relationships were false pretenses, and loyalty turned to betrayal. Only Hong Yao remembered her in the end. After seeing Hong Yao¡¯s reaction, the pain deep in her core was soothed a little. However, now was not a good time. Mu Qinghe said: ¡°I¡¯ll be staying here for a while. Ask her to come, and I¡¯ll send for a heavenly doctor to treat her.¡± As the Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant, he had a lot of power. Activating a few heavenly doctors was easy. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and smiled. ¡°Then, thank you Lieutenant Mu.¡± She then asked a little hesitantly, ¡°But Lieutenant Mu you¡¯re saying that¡­ you¡¯re not leaving immediately?¡± Wasn¡¯t he here to find someone with the Dijing Yuan meridian? Does he have other things to attend to? ¡°En,¡± replied Mu Qinghe, but he didn¡¯t say much. Chu Liuyue knew that she was currently not in the position to ask any further, so she remained silent and bowed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t take up any more of your time. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± With that, she backed away and turned. ¡°Hold it right there,¡± Mu Qinghe said suddenly. Chu Liuyue paused and turned around with a smile. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, is there anything else?¡± [1] Qing means green Chapter 286 - Useless The girl before him was pretty, and her eyes were crescent moons. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes really resembled ¡®hers,¡¯ but upon looking closer, there was a slight difference. That person was like the sun and the clouds, high and mighty¡ªunparalleled. Just her standing there was enough for others to fear and respect her. But the Chu Liuyue before him was more approachable. Upon looking closer, even though Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were just as clear, one would find that a lot of things were hidden in her eyes. Curious, eager to please, and a little anticipatory. He had seen too much of such expressions. Anyone who wanted anything from him would look at him with the same expression. Perhaps it was because she was young. Even though her expression was calm, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t lie. The strange feeling in Mu Qinghe¡¯s heart gradually disappeared. The same set of eyes in his mind slowly became two people. ¡°Nothing.¡¯ Mu Qinghe suddenly lost interest; he didn¡¯t say anything as he turned to leave. Hong Yao looked at Chu Liuyue sadly before it flew after Mu Qinghe. This time, it was obedient and didn¡¯t look back. ¡°Bye, Lieutenant Mu.¡± Chu Liuyue bowed respectfully. The eager smile on her face only faded after the two had completely disappeared. She pursed her lips into a thin line, looking rather cold. I¡¯ve managed to fool him today, but I have to be more careful from now on. Thankfully, Hong Yao has always been obedient. It didn¡¯t come any closer after it sensed my thoughts. Chu Liuyue dazedly stood in her spot until her neck was sore. When she looked down, she saw that Tuan Zi was standing on her shoulder, looking at her with its doe-like eyes. Chu Liuyue patted its head. ¡°You feel wronged? You know, you almost got me into big trouble today.¡± Tuan Zi fought Hong Yao in front of so many people. If Mu Qinghe had pursued the matter, she also would¡¯ve been in deep trouble, not just Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi rubbed itself against Chu Liuyue¡¯s face to try and appease her. ¡°Hong Yao is of noble status, and it¡¯s strong. Don¡¯t provoke it in the future,¡± Chu Liuyue continued. But Tuan Zi widened its eyes when it heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. It looked at her indignantly. You¡¯re actually speaking for that fellow! Who¡¯s your fiend?! Chu Liuyue raised her brow and looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Today is the first time you met Hong Yao, right? Why are you so hostile? It didn¡¯t provoke you¡­¡± Tuan Zi shook its head wildly. It did provoke me! It did provoke me! That fellow had the guts to run into your arms! How dare it! Plucking a few of its feathers was just to teach it a small lesson! I will teach it a real lesson if this happens again! Looking at Tuan Zi¡¯s hostile and agitated behavior, Chu Liuyue remained silent and gave up on persuading it. Tuan Zi hadn¡¯t been with her for long, but she had figured it out. Since it dared to attack Hong Yao in the main hall, their conflict would only be more intense in private. There was no use trying to persuade it. ¡°Your temper is really like¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered softly, but she didn¡¯t finish her sentence. If it were before, she could still mediate in the middle, but things were different now! Hong Yao¡¯s status was different¡ªit was almost unparalleled in Country Yao Chen. If Tuan Zi continued to target and attack Hong Yao like this, it could get into trouble if ill-intentioned people found out. Chu Liuyue tapped Tuan Zi¡¯s nose with her slender finger. ¡°If you¡¯re not obedient, I won¡¯t bring you out next time.¡± This worked on it, and conflict flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes. What if the other fellow takes advantage of things because I couldn¡¯t go out with Chu Liuyue? In the end, Tuan Zi nodded unwillingly. Chu Liuyue sighed slowly. For some reason, she had a feeling that Hong Yao and Tuan Zi would still be fighting when they met next time. ¡°Let¡¯s go; there¡¯s still quite a bit of trouble waiting for us!¡± ¡­ Pilihuala! The sound of things breaking came from the room. The person¡¯s anger was clear from the commotion. All the servants stood in the yard; they fearfully glanced at the room from time to time. ¡°Are you done?¡± The Empress¡¯s authoritative voice sounded as she pulled the manic Rong Zhen back to her senses. Rong Zhen glanced at the Empress with red eyes, looking as if she had been wronged. But the Empress didn¡¯t console her like before. Instead, she was even more upset. ¡°You¡¯re indignant? Do you know what you¡¯ve done today?! That person is the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy! He has seen all kinds of tricks, and he has already seen right through you! Who do you think you are?!¡± Rong Zhen looked at the Empress in disbelief. Her mother had spoiled her since she was young. No matter how unreasonable she was, her mother would always help her. Rong Zhen had never been lectured like this before! Her face turned pale as she faltered, seeming as though she couldn¡¯t take such a scolding. However, the Empress wasn¡¯t done. She stepped forward¡ªheading toward Rong Zhen¡ªand glared at her angrily. ¡°Do you know that not only could you have lost your life today, but you could¡¯ve implicated other people as well! Look at your brother; wasn¡¯t that the case? It¡¯s fine if you threw tantrums in the past, but how dare you be insolent today!¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± Rong Zhen shuddered as tears rolled down her face. ¡°Mother, what did I do wrong? I just said something¡­¡± ¡°And was that not enough?!¡± The Empress raised her voice, and Rong Zhen shuddered as fear crept up her eyes. How could the Empress¡¯s heart not ache for Rong Zhen? But she was set on educating Rong Zhen today! Otherwise, her personality could get everyone in trouble! ¡°It¡¯s fine if you get in trouble, but can you take responsibility if you implicate your brother?!¡± The Empress was both scared and pained for Rong Jin losing his face in front of everyone today. On one hand, she was worried that this would impact Rong Jin negatively. On the other hand, she was afraid that this would affect His Majesty¡¯s views of Rong Jin. If word of what happened today got out, Rong Jin¡¯s predicament would become even more difficult to resolve. Rong Zhen looked up in disbelief. Mother just said that¡­ it is okay for me to get in trouble? Brother, brother! Haven¡¯t I done enough for Brother since I was young!? She laughed coldly. ¡°Mother, even if I did make a mistake today, is Brother entirely innocent? He¡¯s weak; that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t compare with Chu Liuyue and was looked down on by Lieutenant Mu! He¡¯s useless!¡± Pak! Chapter 287 - Has not given up yet The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the room, and it silenced the agitated Rong Zhen. Dead silence. Rong Zhen¡¯s head was tilted to the side, and she covered her face without moving. The Empress was stunned too. She didn¡¯t expect herself to hit Rong Zhen in the heat of the moment. Even though she wanted to teach Rong Zhen a lesson, she was still her daughter. This was also the first time she had ever hit Rong Zhen. ¡°Zhen Zhen¡­¡± The Empress was hesitant and stretched out her hand. Rong Zhen backed away and avoided the Empress¡¯s hand. The Empress froze. Rong Zhen looked up gradually, and her hairpin fell due to the strike¡¯s force. Her hair unraveled messily, but it couldn¡¯t conceal her cheek, which was swelling up rapidly. The corners of Rong Zhen¡¯s lips¡ªwhich had been pale from anger¡ªnow had blood trickling down, and she looked a mess. ¡°What, did I hit a sore spot?¡± Rong Zhen curled her lips into a cold smile; her eyes were bloodshot and crazed. The Empress¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Brother is the Crown Prince and your pillar of support. Therefore, Mother, you¡¯ve always put him first in all your considerations. And me¡­ you¡¯ve never really cared about me, right?¡± Since Rong Zhen was young, her mother had taught her to put her brother first. Even though she would be jealous occasionally, she didn¡¯t mind it since she had been pampered, and she had done as she was told. Otherwise, she never would¡¯ve made things difficult for Chu Liuyue when she heard that her brother¡¯s hunting ground had been sold. At the time, she was trying to seek revenge for her brother. But Rong Zhen now knew that there had never been room for her in her mother¡¯s heart! Her mother would probably sell her out at any time for her brother! The Empress was a little regretful after she saw Rong Zhen¡¯s strong reaction, but her expression turned cold when she heard those words. ¡°Zhen Zhen, you¡¯re overthinking it. Your body hasn¡¯t recovered yet, so we¡¯ll end this conversation here today. You rest well and do some reflection.¡± With that, the Empress turned and left. However, Rong Zhen had a sarcastic smile on her face as she pointed to herself and pointedly said, ¡°Yeah, my pearl of essence is destroyed, and I¡¯m a good-for-nothing. I have no value to Mother and Brother now. You can obviously toss me aside as you will!¡± The Empress¡¯s face was grim. She took a deep breath and finally suppressed her anger as she turned and walked away. ¡°Fourth Princess has had a relapse, and she needs bed rest. You all better keep a careful watch! You¡¯ll have to answer me with your lives if anything happens to her!¡± All the servants answered frantically. The Empress made a face at the servant next to her. Someone hurried forward and shut the door. The Empress then left. The servants stared at each other. Has the Fourth Princess been grounded? It seems like even the Empress has lost her patience. Fourth Princess had always been spoiled and willful. She had loved to torture people with all sorts of means. Many would suffer as long as she was unhappy, but that was over now! If even the Empress didn¡¯t favor her, the Fourth Princess would no longer have any right to be so willful and arrogant! Anger almost overflowed from Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes as she stared at the tightly shut doors in her room. She bit down on her lips so hard that they bled. ¡°Elder Zhu.¡± Rong Zhen called out a name raspily. After a moment, there was a ripple in the space behind her, and a dark figure appeared slowly. ¡°Bring me to see Chu Liuyue.¡± Zhu Lin looked at her hesitantly. ¡°Fourth Princess, I¡¯m afraid that now is not an appropriate time.¡± Rong Zhen laughed coldly. ¡°What¡¯s so inappropriate about it? Survival of the fittest. The longer I¡¯m a good-for-nothing, the longer I have to put up with the humiliation. If you refuse to bring me there, I¡¯ll find a way myself!¡± She knew now that she couldn¡¯t count on anyone in this world! There was no turning back now. She had to turn to Chu Liuyue! Zhu Lin was silent for a moment. ¡°Fourth Princess, Chu Liuyue has just been chosen by Lieutenant Mu today. She¡¯s the talk of the town now. If we strike now, we¡¯ll attract a lot of attention. How about¡­ another day.¡± Rong Zhen gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait!¡± ¡­ When Cheng Han returned to his quarters gloomily, he found Situ Xingchen waiting for him. ¡°Xingchen, why are you here?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes were evasive. ¡°I was a little worried about you, so I decided to wait for you to return here.¡± ¡°You still care for your mentor.¡± Cheng Han shook his head with a bitter smile. Situ Xingchen was right next to me when Mu Qinghe warned me, so she definitely knows. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± Situ Xingchen heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She was a little worried when she saw that Cheng Han¡¯s expression was strange. ¡°Master, what is that Lieutenant Mu doing here in Country Yao Chen?¡± asked Situ Xingchen testingly. Cheng Han knew that she was curious, so he told her what happened. Situ Xingchen was stunned when she heard this. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying that he chose Chu Liuyue¡­ to go to the Tianling Dynasty?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s voice was a little faint. Cheng Han frowned with annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s what they said, but Mu Qinghe said that they wouldn¡¯t depart immediately. It seems like there are still some things to get through. If Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t pass those obstacles, she can¡¯t go. Chu Liuyue really might not be able to go.¡± Situ Xingchen suppressed the overflowing jealousy in her heart. ¡°Since they¡¯re looking for a person with the Dijing Yuan meridian, why didn¡¯t Lieutenant Mu go elsewhere? Why is he only looking in Country Yao Chen?¡± Neither Country Xing Luo nor Country Huai Cang had received any news! How could she not feel indignant? ¡°I¡¯m afraid that everyone is curious about it.¡± Cheng Han shook his head. I wanted such an opportunity too. What a pity¡­ Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t speak for a while. What if Chu Liuyue really is eligible? This is a one-in-a-million chance, and Chu Liuyue will definitely take full advantage of it. Even if I hate Chu Liuyue, I have to admit that she really is talented. Such talent might really allow Chu Liuyue to succeed. Once she goes to Tianling Dynasty¡­ the distance between the two of us will widen rapidly! ¡°Why was Lieutenant Mu only looking for prodigies with the Dijing Yuan meridian?¡± Situ Xingchen muttered. If they were looking for heavenly doctors, she definitely would¡¯ve made the cut! Cheng Han shook his head. ¡°Prodigies with the Dijing Yuan meridian are rare over here, but there should be a number of them over in the Tianling Dynasty. His trip here is rather strange¡­ Oh well, these aren¡¯t things in our control. You better go back and pack up; we¡¯re leaving for home soon.¡± Situ Xingchen was stunned. It was only then that she recalled that the Qing Jiao Competition had ended and that there was no need for them to remain here. However¡­ Rong Xiu¡­ Situ Xingchen hadn¡¯t given up entirely. Chapter 288 What happened at the palace banquet quickly spread amongst the major families of Imperial City. Chu Liuyue also became a topic of discussion for many. First, she took first place twice at the Qing Jiao Competition. She was then chosen to head to the Tianling Dynasty together with Mu Qinghe because she possessed the Dijing Yuan meridian. In a few days, Chu Liuyue was famous! She had become an existence that everyone was envious of! Commoners might not have known, but everybody of importance in the major families understood what the Tianling Dynasty represented! Chu Liuyue¡¯s future was limitless from here onward! The palace banquet ended at noon, but Chu Liuyue had received quite a number of presents by nightfall. Even without looking, she knew that those people wanted to get into her good books. Thus, she turned all of them down. After she returned to the academy, she chose to cultivate at Jiuyou Tower, tossing the chaos of the outside world behind her. ¡­ The Chu family residence. Chu Xiao¡¯s expression was gloomy after he returned to the Chu family. The servants felt like they were walking on thin ice when they saw his expression. They didn¡¯t dare to speak. However, such a situation was quickly broken. Countless people had been requesting a meeting since noon, and they all asked for the same thing. ¡°What?! Let Chu Ning and his daughter return to the Chu family again?!¡± Chu Xiao almost exploded when he heard the suggestion. ¡°No way! Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± This father-daughter duo had broken away from the Chu family, and everyone in Imperial City knew that they were on opposing sides! If they went to discuss this matter now, it would be as good as them admitting that they were conceding! The entire Chu family would become the Imperial City¡¯s laughing stock then! Chu Xiao felt uncomfortable all over whenever he thought of that. Hence, he refused to agree to it! But everyone in the Chu family¡ªwho had always done his bidding¡ªwas adamant. ¡°First Elder, times are different now. News of Chu Liuyue being chosen to head to the Tianling Dynasty has spread across the major families! Even if we have our differences with her, we¡¯re still family, and the same blood courses through our veins! What can¡¯t we get past?¡± ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s not the good-for-nothing that she was before! She¡¯ll definitely accomplish a lot in the future; this is a one-in-a-million opportunity for us!¡± ¡°First Elder, we share your considerations, but we¡¯ll only stand to lose if we continue to oppose them! How many people will want to get into Chu Liuyue¡¯s good books after today? She came from our family after all. As long as we seek reconciliation voluntarily, she¡¯ll definitely give us our due¡­¡± Chu Xiao was frustrated by all the hopeful words. He cut them off abruptly and shouted, ¡°Quit dreaming! Don¡¯t you know what Chu Liuyue is like?! We¡¯re just looking to be insulted if we seek reconciliation now!¡± Everyone looked at each other hesitantly. They understood that, but they didn¡¯t have any other solutions. Were they just going to watch such a big opportunity slip by? What was their pride compared to the Tianling Dynasty? They could have anything that they wanted as long as they repaired their relationship with Chu Liuyue! ¡°First Elder, we understand that you don¡¯t like Chu Liuyue. However, shouldn¡¯t you think for the entire Chu family?¡± said Third Elder a little coldly. Chu Xiao¡¯s expression was stern. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Third Elder smiled. ¡°Nothing. We all know why Chu Liuyue wanted to break away from the Chu family. If we really think about it, you played a part in this. It¡¯s nothing if things had stayed the same, but Chu Liuyue is different now. No matter what, we have an edge over others. Won¡¯t it be a pity if we give up now?¡± The others nodded in agreement. ¡°Chu Ning and his daughter are not unreasonable people. As long as we apologize sincerely, I¡¯m sure we can¡­¡± Chu Xiao was furious. ¡°You are all insane!¡± ¡°First Elder, we¡¯re not crazy. This is our only option now.¡± Third Elder was unfazed by Chu Xiao¡¯s outburst. His expression remained unchanged. ¡°The Chu family has been declining in recent years. We finally managed to cultivate a Chu Xianmin, but she¡¯s basically useless now.¡± ¡°Now that we finally have a genius like Chu Liuyue, shouldn¡¯t we grab hold of her? No matter what, she¡¯s valued by Lieutenant Mu now. What¡¯s wrong with giving in? It will be a lot harder for us to do this when she¡¯s successful in the future!¡± Third Elder¡¯s words caused others to be in agreement. Everyone was saying that they hoped Chu Xiao would apologize to Chu Ning and his daughter as their representative and invite them back into the Chu family. Chu Xiao was frustrated. ¡°Whatever! You can go get into Chu Liuyue¡¯s good books all you want, but I¡¯m not going!¡± Third Elder smiled wryly. ¡°First Elder, I wonder how the family head would see your stubbornness when he returns.¡± Chu Xiao¡¯s expression froze! He had almost forgotten about that! The family head had been in seclusion for so long that he had already seen himself as the Chu family¡¯s head. Even though Third Elder¡¯s words were unpleasant, they weren¡¯t without reason. He didn¡¯t need to take the others to heart, but the family head¡­ It would be bad for him then. After hesitating for a while, Chu Xiao¡¯s expression changed multiple times before he finally agreed to it. ¡°Send Chu Liuyue¡­ Never mind! Send Chu Ning an invite and tell him that there¡¯s something I would like to discuss with him!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue entered Jiuyou Tower again. Since she had broken through to stage two, she managed to enter the second floor easily. Since the Qing Jiao Competition had just ended, not many students were there. Chu Liuyue walked around the second floor. She found that there wasn¡¯t much of a difference from the first floor, other than the fact that the force was stronger here. She then randomly picked a room and began her cultivation. Having just settled down, Chu Liuyue heard a raspy but sharp roar. The sound grew closer and clearer, and there was increasingly strong pressure! Chu Liuyue felt like the blood in her body was going to freeze! Screech! It seemed like the roar had sounded by her ears, and her eardrums felt like they were going to burst! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open, and she saw a pair of sharp, bloodshot eyes before her! Fire was burning in those eyes, and the fire was everywhere! Chapter 289 - Tuan Zi’s Secret It¡¯s this beast again! Chu Liuyue steeled herself, and she was about to move when she realized that it wasn¡¯t an illusion! A curtain of light was before her eyes, and a pair of vicious eyes were projected onto the light curtain. At that moment, Chu Liuyue was certain about one thing¡ªthis beast was targeting her! This pair of eyes¡ªsurrounded by endless flames¡ªwere accompanied with a pitiful and vicious roar! The beast came prepared this time, and it was much more terrible than before! Chu Liuyue stared at the pair of eyes. ¡°Who are you?¡± She was met with a loud roar. Buzz! A buzzing sound suddenly came from within Jiuyou Tower! Chu Liuyue only felt pain all over as if a terrifying force was crushing her¡ªit was a crushing sense of pressure! Chu Liuyue was stunned. There is actually such a strong seal within Jiuyou Tower!? As the buzzing rang next to her ears, Chu Liuyue clearly saw a hint of fear flashing across those bloodshot eyes that were filled with hatred. The next moment, the curtain of light flickered and dissolved into countless specks of light before it disappeared! Everything happened so quickly. By the time Chu Liuyue realized what had happened, everything had disappeared without a trace. It was like this scene had never happened. However, the pain in her eardrums¡ªcaused by the buzzing¡ªand the fear that remained in her heart made it clear that everything which happened earlier wasn¡¯t an illusion! The fiend trapped in Jiuyou Tower seemed to be struggling to get out, but it was still struggling before the powerful seal. But¡­ Why did it target me? At this moment, Chu Liuyue felt her shoulders sink¡ªTuan Zi had appeared. Chu Liuyue stared at it strangely, but Tuan Zi suddenly jumped and leaped toward the outside. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned and ran after it! Tuan Zi moved exceptionally quickly and dashed out of the room! It was like a ball of flames that left a streak in the air before it quickly disappeared! Chu Liuyue dared not shout out loud, so she could only chase after it. By the time she was at the room¡¯s door, Tuan Zi was already on the stairs in the middle of Jiuyou Tower! Tuan Zi was looking up. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she spoke in a hushed tone. ¡°Tuan Zi, what are you doing!? Come back!¡± The stairs were located right in the middle of Jiuyou Tower. It was the one path that connected all of the tower¡¯s floors. There was a barrier on every floor of the staircase. One could only pass through the barriers and head to the next floor when they reached the corresponding stage. This was how Chu Liuyue managed to arrive where she was from the first floor. But what was Tuan Zi intending to do? Tuan Zi moved its ears when it heard her, but it didn¡¯t turn. In the next instant, it dashed upwards! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue finally knew where her uneasiness came from. Tuan Zi really intended to head upstairs! She looked around, secretly thankful that nobody else was around here at this time. This small commotion didn¡¯t startle the few students that were in the middle of cultivating. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment, and she saw that Tuan Zi had already dashed up the stairs! Troublesome! Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth and ran after Tuan Zi. After a few steps, she felt the pressure coming from the barrier. Only stage-three martial artists could pass through this barrier, but what happened next stunned Chu Liuyue¡ªTuan Zi actually passed right through the barrier! It seemed so effortless. If she hadn¡¯t seen the ripples when Tuan Zi passed through it, she would¡¯ve suspected that there was no barrier at all! Tuan Zi turned and glanced at Chu Liuyue. It blinked as if it were wondering why Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t follow. Chu Liuyue waved toward it. ¡°Tuan Zi, come back! You can¡¯t go up there!¡± But Tuan Zi refused to move; it just shook its tail. Tuan Zi clearly wanted her to join it. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°I can¡¯t pass through this¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Tuan Zi sprinted over, grabbed her hand, and dragged it through the barrier! Chu Liuyue stared at her hand¡ªwhich had passed through the barrier effortlessly¡ªand she was stunned. T-this¡­ I can feel the pressure of the barrier clearly, but it doesn¡¯t seem to affect me. Chu Liuyue stepped forward hesitantly. Her hand came first; her arm was next, and then¡­ She passed through the barrier blocking the way to the third floor! Chu Liuyue was still a little confused as she stood on the steps to the third floor. What¡­ just happened? She turned and checked. The barrier was still there, and the ripples were just fading away. Everything seems right. Chu Liuyue held her breath. Even if my ability is higher than that of a stage-two warrior, I shouldn¡¯t have passed through the barrier that easily! However, Tuan Zi seemed to think that this was normal. It grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingers, tugging her toward the upper floors. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°You want to go further up?¡± Tuan Zi blinked and nodded. Chu Liuyue had a bad feeling in her heart, but after looking at Tuan Zi¡¯s face, she had no choice but to play along. Jiuyou Tower was rather quiet. Chu Liuyue could only hear her footsteps echoing in the empty tower. She soon saw the barrier for the fourth floor¡ªit was significantly stronger and exerted greater pressure than the one before. Even Chu Liuyue found it a little hard to breathe, but all her attention was on Tuan Zi. Without hesitation, Tuan Zi sprinted toward the barrier, and it managed to pass through easily! Chu Liuyue suppressed her surprise and stretched her hand out cautiously. As she inched closer, she felt strong pressure! She stopped. ¡°Tuan Zi,¡± called out Chu Liuyue. Tuan Zi seemed to have sensed what she was trying to say. It ran back and grabbed her hand. Chu Liuyue tried again, and the pressure had disappeared! This time, she went through the barrier and entered the fourth floor successfully! It really is because of Tuan Zi¡­ Chu Liuyue stared at Tuan Zi as curiosity and confusion overflowed. What is going on? When did the barriers not have any effect on Tuan Zi?! Tuan Zi looked at Chu Liuyue proudly, wagging its tail as if it were seeking praise. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. There is no way I could¡¯ve done that based on my own ability. It is clear that all the credit belongs to Tuan Zi, but it is just a third-grade fiend. How¡­ Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. I almost forgot¡­ If Tuan Zi really was a regular blood ferret, how could it be that tough in battle, and how could it have consumed Heng Jingchuo¡¯s force directly? Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows when she saw Tuan Zi¡¯s excitement. ¡°You want to go up further?!¡± Chapter 290 - The Sixth Floor! Tuan Zi nodded eagerly. Chu Liuyue was speechless. This was already the fourth floor, and only stage-four warriors and stronger could come up here. When she looked around the floor, she noticed that it was deserted. Less than ten students had reached the fourth stage. As for stage-five students¡­ there were none! Chu Ning was a stage-five warrior, and stage-five warriors could be considered the cream of the crop in the entire Country Yao Chen. It was obvious that hardly anyone would be beyond the fifth floor. Right now, Chu Liuyue found it difficult to figure out how Tuan Zi managed to pass through the barriers so easily. Chu Liuyue was more concerned about another matter. Will our actions startle Elder Wei Yun, who is watching over Jiuyou Tower? The tower was rather important to Tian Lu Academy, and it would be difficult for her to explain things if they were discovered because of the commotion. When Tuan Zi saw that Chu Liuyue was just standing there¡ªdeep in thought¡ªand didn¡¯t have any intention of following it, it turned and headed straight for the fifth floor! Chu Liuyue frowned as she watched Tuan Zi head for the barrier. Even though there was still some distance between her and the barrier, Chu Liuyue could feel the pressure emanating from it. The pressure was multiple times stronger than what emanated from the fourth floor¡¯s barrier. Perhaps this barrier will stop Tuan Zi? It wouldn¡¯t make sense for Jiuyou Tower to be so accessible, right? At this thought, Chu Liuyue felt more at ease as she watched quietly. However, her illusion was soon shattered. The strong barrier had no effect on Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi went right through as if the barrier didn¡¯t exist! Chu Liuyue was stunned as she watched Tuan Zi wag its tail happily at her. She seemed to have underestimated this blood ferret that she picked up¡­ After hesitating for a moment, Chu Liuyue took a deep breath before deciding to follow Tuan Zi up! Since she was already here, she wanted to see what was attracting Tuan Zi! There was also another thing that she wanted to get to the bottom of¡ªthe sculpture of the beast, which seemed to come to life when she came to Jiuyou Tower and opened the door for the first time! Chu Liuyue also wanted to investigate the eerie sounds that she had heard after she began cultivating here. Even though she wasn¡¯t sure what fiend was trapped here beneath Jiuyou Tower, she was sure that it was targeting her! At this thought, Chu Liuyue became surer and stretched her hand out toward the barrier. Tuan Zi immediately grabbed her hand happily and pulled her through the barrier! Looking at the lively Tuan Zi and herself, Chu Liuyue pursed her lips and looked upwards. There was a spiral staircase that led towards the top, but there was a barrier for each floor¡ªwhich shrouded everything in fog. A question suddenly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind: Since only stage-five warriors can enter the fifth floor, do the same rules apply to the top few floors? For example¡­ Are stage-seven warriors the only ones that can enter the seventh floor? However, no cultivator can reach such a high stage outside of Heaven¡¯s Canopy! If that is the case, then what is the purpose of Jiuyou Tower¡¯s top few floors? The strong warriors in Country Yao Chen are only stage-five, not even stage-six! That is to say that the limit of the Jiuyou Tower for the people here was the fifth floor. Also, who placed such a powerful tower here? Chu Liuyue recalled that Bai Chen had introduced Jiuyou Tower to her when she first arrived at the academy. But he only mentioned that the Pit of Heavenly Origins was beneath Jiuyou Tower, which gave it stronger force than the outside world. He hadn¡¯t elaborated on it any further. A large part of why Chu Liuyue wanted to enter Tian Lu Academy was because of Jiuyou Tower. But it was only now that she realized that Jiuyou Tower seemed to be hiding a lot of secrets. She looked toward Tuan Zi. ¡°Do we continue?¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue broke through the Jiuyou Tower¡¯s fifth-floor barrier, Rong Xiu had just returned to Yi Feng Courtyard from Prince Li Mansion. Yan Qing followed after him, reporting everything that had happened in the past day. Rong Xiu lay down in the chair, his face calm and unreadable. ¡°Has a time been fixed?¡± Yan Qing bowed. ¡°Not yet. I heard that Lieutenant Mu intended to stay here for a while. And¡­ he seems to have plans to assess Ms. Liuyue further. He will only bring her to the Tianling Dynasty if she passes all of his tests.¡± Rong Xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°Of course, he won¡¯t return immediately.¡± Mu Qinghe had other important things to attend to during this trip. ¡°You said that she brought up the fact that she had the Dijing Yuan meridian herself?¡± Rong Xiu asked. Yan Qing nodded and respectfully replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu remained silent for a while. He interlocked his fingers, his eyes dark. ¡°It seems like she really wants to go.¡± Yan Qing sensed that his master¡¯s aura was off. He hesitated a little before he spoke. ¡°For someone from Country Yao Chen, being able to go to the Tianling Dynasty is a big opportunity. It makes sense that Ms. Liuyue would want to go. Besides, she is talented, and it would be a waste for her to remain here.¡± Rong Xiu closed his eyes. I know that, but¡­ It is something else that bothers me¡­ Suddenly, Rong Xiu opened his eyes as he sat up and looked in the direction of Jiuyou Tower! Yan Qing was shocked. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Rong Xiu frowned. ¡°Someone entered the sixth floor of Jiuyou Tower!¡± Yan Qing was stunned! Isn¡¯t the sixth floor of Jiuyou Tower exclusive to stage-six warriors? There isn¡¯t anyone in the entire Imperial City that can enter the sixth floor, not to mention Tian Lu Academy?! ¡°Master, could it be those¡­¡± Rong Xiu raised his hands to cut Yan Qing off as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°No.¡± He was familiar with that aura. It is her! His expression changed as he headed toward Jiuyou Tower. Why did she enter Jiuyou Tower at this time!? ¡­ On the other end, Chu Liuyue turned and looked around. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had just entered the sixth floor! With Tuan Zi leading her, she barely felt any resistance from the barrier! If she hadn¡¯t experienced it for herself, Chu Liuyue never would¡¯ve believed that this would be the way that she would ascend to Jiuyou Tower¡¯s top floors! Chu Liuyue looked around herself; there was indeed nobody here. The space up here was a lot smaller than the previous floor, but its force was much stronger. Cultivating here would take half the effort to yield twice the effect. But there were also all sorts of impurities that deterred one in this rich force. However, there was no trace of the fiend here either. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath as she looked up. Could it be¡­ that it is further up?! Chapter 291 - Black Karmic Fire Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, do you want to stop? This is already the sixth floor.¡± Very obviously, only stage-seven warriors could continue going up! Tuan Zi blinked and looked up as if it was confused as to why Chu Liuyue would ask that. There¡¯s nothing here. Of course, I¡¯m going up! Chu Liuyue gathered her focus and spoke after a moment. ¡°Okay. If you can go over, I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Tuan Zi then happily shook its tail as it turned around, planning to head for the seventh floor. Chu Liuyue lowered her head and saw that the spiral staircase seemed to have no end. Suddenly, her gaze focused on the side of her feet. There was already a dried-up bloodstain there. Since the bloodstain was dark red in color and was at a corner, she didn¡¯t notice it when she came up previously. This is the sixth floor. What kind of person can come here and leave bloodstains here? Chu Liuyue lowered her body, took a closer look, and furrowed her brows slightly. According to my experience, this bloodstain seemed to have been left not long ago, most likely during the past two days. Who could it have come from? Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand and gently touched the bloodstain as she examined it closely. A familiar aura exuded from the blood. She was dazed. Th-this seems to be¡­ Chu Liuyue immediately scanned the bloodstain¡¯s surroundings. After sweeping through the area for a while, she finally found a green feather at an unnoticeable corner. She took one look at it and immediately recognized it as Hong Yao¡¯s feather. Hong Yao came here? Shock flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Then, she suddenly remembered that there was blood beneath Hong Yao¡¯s wings when she saw it previously, looking as though it was injured. Back then, she was still too immersed in the shock of Hong Yao recognizing her, so she didn¡¯t pay any attention to this. But when thinking back about it, this was indeed weird. As a seventh-grade fiend, Hong Yao was very strong and formidable. If one could hurt it, it proved that the other party wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. The main point was that, logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be such an existence in Country Yao Chen! It now seemed like Hong Yao had barged into Jiuyou Tower and even gotten injured here! In here¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but remember the ferocious fiend. Seeing that Chu Liuyue did not follow it, Tuan Zi chased after her again. When Tuan Zi saw the green feather in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands, contempt quickly flashed across its eyes. As expected, it really is useless if it can even get injured here! Chu Liuyue glanced at it. ¡°Tuan Zi, Hong Yao got injured here. Are you sure you want to continue?¡± Even Hong Yao had suffered a loss. Tuan Zi and I might not be the other party¡¯s match. Upon hearing this, Tuan Zi¡¯s face immediately contorted. How can that green sparrow compare to me? Seeing that it was very stubborn, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but sigh and honestly say, ¡°I can¡¯t help you if we meet with trouble later.¡± I might even become your burden. Tuan Zi grunted and walked forward as it threw away the green feather and held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands to go upward. Tuan Zi had clearly made up its mind. Chu Liuyue had no choice and could only take out her crystal barrier silently, preparing to deal with any sudden situation at any time. The human and the fiend continued to walk toward the seventh floor. Chu Liuyue felt as if her body was suppressed by something that was hundreds of kilograms, and every step she took was especially heavy. Without Tuan Zi, she might¡¯ve stopped walking long ago. Finally, the two of them arrived at the barrier to the seventh floor. It was different from the previous transparent barrier; the one in front brightly shone silver. The light shone on the barrier, and it looked like a sky filled with stars. However, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t in the mood to admire it. She stiffly stood in front of the screen, and the blood in her body seemed to be frozen as only her heart was beating wildly. She took a deep breath in before slowly stretching her hand out and reaching in tentatively. Tuan Zi sat on the back of her hand, and its round eyes were wide open as it stared at the shining silver screen in front of it excitedly and expectantly. Chu Liuyue clearly saw her fingers going into the silver screen slowly. The silver screen felt like an actual object¡ªChu Liuyue could clearly feel the strong resistance coming from it. It felt like she was sinking into mud! Very quickly, Chu Liuyue felt as though a type of force was crazily trying to drag her in. She was stunned, and she subconsciously tried to extract her hand. However, the force also rapidly increased, and the screen swallowed even more of her hand. Very quickly, the barrier had already pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire arm into it. Half of Tuan Zi¡¯s body was already inside. At this point, a black karmic fire suddenly shot out from the screen. Scorching pain abruptly overwhelmed Chu Liuyue, and she immediately wanted to move backward. But at this point, she was already trapped in the silver screen, and she couldn¡¯t move at all. In the next moment, the black karmic fire had already spread around Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, surrounding her. Chu Liuyue immediately threw out the crystal barrier. However, she quickly realized that the crystal barrier had no effect at all. This was because her hand was already immersed in the silver screen, and the crystal barrier couldn¡¯t break through the screen. Thus, the crystal barrier wasn¡¯t able to protect her completely. Helpless, Chu Liuyue could only put away the crystal barrier and think of other ways to escape. The scorching fire made her entire body feel like it was burning. She even smelled something burning, but at this point, Tuan Zi¡¯s entire body had been completely sucked into the barrier. Chu Liuyue realized that her arm¡ªwhich had been sucked into the barrier¡ªhad become completely numb. She couldn¡¯t feel anything from it any longer. Thus, she had also lost connection with Tuan Zi at this moment. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue yelled at the top of her lungs, but Tuan Zi did not respond! At this point, the black karmic fire on the barrier started to spread even more. Chu Liuyue stood rooted to the ground, looking as if she was in hell. Just as Chu Liuyue became very anxious, she heard a crisp sound. Kacha! She was shocked, and she immediately looked over. The black karmic fire in front of her suddenly seemed to have met with something formidable as it quickly escaped to the surroundings from the middle. This revealed a crack in the light barrier. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows and noticed that the crack expanded in the next moment. Clang! The barrier broke! A small claw suddenly stretched out from inside the barrier¡ªit was Tuan Zi! Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. She then saw Tuan Zi grabbing the edge of the broken barrier and pulling on it harshly. Kacha! A piece of the light barrier was actually pulled off by Tuan Zi as though it was a piece of broken ice. Chu Liuyue suddenly predicted something in her heart. As expected, she heard a very crisp sound of someone biting something the next second. Kacha! Kacha kacha! Gulug! Through the hole in the middle, Chu Liuyue clearly saw Tuan Zi stuffing the last piece of the barrier into its mouth and eating it. Chapter 292 - Strange Change in Jiuyou Tower! This scene was really too familiar. But when Chu Liuyue saw it, her heart still skipped a beat uncontrollably. How can Tuan Zi eat this as well?! Previously, she had already thought that Tuan Zi eating Heng Jingchuo¡¯s force was enough to make people dumbstruck. However, she had never expected that Tuan ZI could even eat such a barrier¡ªwhich was filled with a stern aura¡ªeasily. This wasn¡¯t an osmanthus cake! As Chu Liuyue was too shocked, she couldn¡¯t say anything for a short period of time. She could only dazedly stare at Tuan Zi as it took down the barrier piece by piece and stuffed the pieces into its mouth. Chu Liuyue could even see the black karmic fire still burning on one of the pieces. However, Tuan Zi seemed not to care about it at all. As Tuan Zi was careless, a strand of its whiskers near its cheek was burned off. However, Tuan Zi had luckily changed to another angle in time and had successfully placed the item into its mouth, eating it happily. The surrounding black karmic fire was still burning wildly, but Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that it wasn¡¯t that formidable anymore. No matter how fiercely it burned previously, Tuan Zi still managed to swallow it whole. As Chu Liuyue watched Tuan Zi take down another piece diligently, her eyelids twitched. If someone else saw this, their jaws would definitely drop. ¡°Tuan Zi, does it taste good?¡± She endured it for a while, but she couldn¡¯t help it in the end. Upon hearing this, Tuan Zi stopped in its actions as it looked up at her with twinkling eyes and hurriedly nodded. Delicious! Super delicious! It tastes much better than Heng Jingchuo¡¯s so-called Moon Devour! In comparison to this, everything else I ate before was trash. Chu Liuyue was taken aback by Tuan Zi¡¯s enthusiasm, and her eyelids couldn¡¯t help but twitch. What exactly did I pick up¡­? After the previous few incidents, Chu Liuyue had already guessed that Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t an ordinary blood ferret and that it also wasn¡¯t similar to the rest of the fiends. She had never heard of a fiend eating force as food. Previously, she hadn¡¯t noticed it, but she later realized that Tuan Zi seemed like it didn¡¯t like to eat. The thing Tuan Zi liked the most was force, especially the powerful ones¡ªsuch as the current silver barrier. This silver barrier was also made by combining forces, and it had a strong suppression within it. Without a doubt, Chu Liuyue knew that this barrier could restrict warriors below stage seven. Thus, Tuan Zi¡¯s behavior seemed even weirder. As Tuan Zi kept eating the barrier crazily, the hole in the barrier grew bigger and bigger. The black karmic fire¡ªwhich had previously been spreading arrogantly¡ªalso seemed to have noticed something amiss as it hurriedly moved backward. However, Tuan Zi was much faster and ate the entire burning barrier piece by piece. Chu Liuyue watched on silently, but the ripples in her heart couldn¡¯t be appeased for a long time. The originally large silver barrier quickly became scraps before Tuan Zi totally destroyed it in the end. Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand¡ªwhich had been swallowed¡ªwas also long released at some point. Tuan Zi finally rubbed its round belly and burped in satisfaction when it finished the last piece. ¡°Burp¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. If Heng Jingchuo saw this, he would definitely rest in peace. In this world, how many people¡¯s force can receive the same treatment as such a formidable barrier? This way, it seems a bit aggrieved for Tuan Zi to be willing to swallow his force. Looking at the barrier¡ªwhich was in broken pieces¡ªChu Liuyue couldn¡¯t return to her senses for a long time. After a while, she slowly looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, tell me honestly¡ªdid you come here to eat this?¡± Tuan Zi suddenly sneezed. ¡°Ah-choo!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. It seems like¡­ it¡¯s guilty? Chu Liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. Tuan Zi ate the barrier to the seventh floor just like that. This incident will definitely attract the attention of the academy¡¯s elders. Not long later, they will all rush here. Of course, it is another question if they can reach this floor. However, Chu Liuyue felt that she really couldn¡¯t explain this matter if someone found out about it. Am I supposed to tell the public that Tuan Zi brought me up and it ate the barrier? Tuan Zi saw that Chu Liuyue seemed to be very troubled and worried, so it hurriedly flew over, pounced into her arms, and rubbed against her cheek lovingly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck felt itchy, and she couldn¡¯t help laughing. Amused and slightly angry, she took Tuan Zi down and said, ¡°Stop acting cute. Say, what should we do now?¡± How am I supposed to explain such a large hole? Tuan Zi opened its eyes wide and thought for half a day before raising its claws and pointing upward. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched harshly as a bad feeling overwhelmed her heart. ¡°Y-you still want to go up?¡± Tuan Zi heard the slight threat in Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice as it nodded fearfully. This is nowhere¡­ If we don¡¯t continue to go up, I would¡¯ve come here for nothing. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands trembled slightly, and she kept repeating a mantra in her heart. This is my fiend; if I beat it to death, I won¡¯t have any left¡­ This is my fiend; if I beat it to death, I won¡¯t have any left¡­ This is my fiend; if I beat it to death, I won¡¯t have any left¡­ But I don¡¯t want to die! Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t take it lying as she harshly squeezed Tuan Zi¡¯s fat cheeks. ¡°Tuan Zi, do you know that your master only has one life? If I lose it, I¡¯m really gone!¡± Tuan Zi blinked its eyes and put its two claws together, looking extra obedient in a fawning manner. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ When Tuan Zi ate the seventh floor¡¯s barrier, Elder Wei Yun¡ªwho was dozing off in his chair outside Jiuyou Tower¡ªsuddenly opened his eyes. He then looked up at Jiuyou Tower in shock. ¡°This is¡­¡± This commotion isn¡¯t right! I have watched over Jiuyou Tower for many years, but I have never felt such a commotion before! In this half-year, Jiuyou Tower has had some strange movements from time to time, but these movements were all controlled. Hence, even the director didn¡¯t take it to heart. But now¡­ Hong! Jiuyou Tower¡¯s door suddenly opened. A strong force directly threw out countless figures¡ªthese were the students cultivating in Jiuyou Tower! Gasps of shock filled the air because these people clearly hadn¡¯t understood what had happened. Some of them couldn¡¯t withstand the side effects of this force and had even vomited blood. They looked terrible. Elder Wei Yun¡¯s heart suddenly hung high. This kind of situation has never happened at Jiuyou Tower in so many years! Elder Wei Yun abruptly stood up and hit the black jade in front of him without hesitation. A bright light beam suddenly shot into the sky. ¡°Jiuyou Tower has strange changes! Other than teachers and elders, all students are to evacuate!¡± hollered Elder Wei Yun, and his voice spread far and wide. When the students¡ªwho were chased out of Jiuyou Tower¡ªheard this, they were stunned and hurriedly backed away. At the same time, the other students in the academy saw the light beam. ¡°First-level warning? What happened to Jiuyou Tower?¡± Chapter 293 - Burning Jiuyou Tower! Rong Xiu¡ªwho was currently heading toward Jiuyou Tower¡ªfurrowed his brows when he saw the light beam. I¡¯m still too late! She has already reached the seventh floor! Rong Xiu hastened his steps and hurried forward. Yan Qing¡ªwho was following behind Rong Xiu¡ªwas also stunned when he saw the commotion, and he didn¡¯t dare to utter a single word. Ms. Liuyue is too daring. How dare she cause such a big commotion in Jiuyou Tower? The two people walked forward and quickly met with the evacuating students. ¡°Prince Li?¡± The few women were all shocked when they saw Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was calm as he nonchalantly nodded; he kept going forward without pausing. ¡°Prince Li, there¡¯s danger in front!¡± The few women looked at each other and hurriedly rushed to Rong Xiu, planning to stop him. Rong Xiu quietly looked at the few of them. He clearly looked very calm, but the few girls felt coldness spreading from their feet and rushing to their heads. The excitement and happiness that resulted from meeting Rong Xiu dissipated quickly. The few of them looked at each other, and their faces were all pale. This Prince Li indeed has a special aura¡­ Yan Qing immediately said, ¡°His Highness still has something to do. Ladies, please don¡¯t block our way.¡± The few girls then recovered their senses and hurriedly made way for them. Rong Xiu raised his leg and walked forward, not even taking another glance at them. However, the few girls hesitated for a while, and they still couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Prince Li! There are strange changes in Jiuyou Tower! It¡¯s very dangerous if you head there now! Elder Wei Yun has already commanded everyone to evacuate; you shouldn¡¯t go there!¡± Rong Xiu was unmoved and continued advancing. Yan Qing felt very helpless. Can¡¯t these people tell that Master is bent on going there? The true danger for them is if they stop and delay Master¡¯s matters. Yan Qing turned around, and his gaze swept past the few of them. ¡°His Highness knows what to do.¡± The few girls¡¯ faces turned even paler, and they didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. Gradually, even more people left that area. Everyone was moving away from Jiuyou Tower, but only Rong Xiu was moving against the crowd. Quite a few people were shocked to see him. Why did the sickly Prince Li suddenly come over at this time? Besides, he looks different from before¡­ Some people couldn¡¯t help but remind him, but Yan Qing blocked all of them. Finally, Rong Xiu arrived in front of Jiuyou Tower. Elder Wei Yun was currently staring at Jiuyou Tower anxiously. When he subconsciously turned around, he saw Rong Xiu walking toward him. He furrowed his brows even more. ¡°Rong Xiu, why did you come at this time? All of the students have already evacuated; the elders and the teachers will personally deal with this matter. You should hurriedly leave¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s still someone inside,¡± interrupted Rong Xiu. Elder Wei Yun was stunned, and he was about to ask who it was when his heart skipped a beat. Right, there¡¯s still Chu Liuyue! I actually forgot about her! I had even congratulated her when she came in the afternoon. Thinking back about it, Chu Liuyue really wasn¡¯t amongst the children that had left previously. She¡¯s still inside! ¡°What happened? Jiuyou Tower has strange changes, and all the students were chased out just now. Why is Chu Liuyue the only one left inside?¡± Elder Wei Yun started to become nervous. Chu Liuyue has just taken first place in two aspects of the Qing Jiao Competition! She¡¯s an absolute talent in the academy! Should something happen to her, we won¡¯t be able to bear the loss! Rong Xiu looked up at Jiuyou Tower. ¡°I¡¯ll go in to bring her out.¡± Elder Wei Yun clenched his teeth and immediately rushed in. But at this point, Jiuyou Tower¡¯s door slammed shut with a loud bang¡ªit stopped Elder Wei Yun outside the tower. ¡°W-what¡­¡± Elder Wei Yun widened his eyes. Won¡¯t Chu Liuyue be completely trapped in Jiuyou Tower? Elder Wei Yun tried to open the door, but it didn¡¯t budge a single bit. He then realized that things were much more serious than he imagined. ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Just as he was anxious, Sun Zhongyan and the rest finally rushed over. Elder Wei Yun speedily explained the entire incident to them. ¡°¡­There were no signs before the strange changes in Jiuyou Tower occurred. I also have no idea what happened, but the door can¡¯t even be opened now!¡± Sun Zhongyan furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°Is there anyone else inside?¡± Elder Wei Yun swallowed his saliva with much difficulty. ¡°Chu Liuyue is still inside.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Sun Zhongyan was stunned and immediately looked at Jiuyou Tower with knitted brows. Afterward, his hands overlapped each other in front of him. Countless light rays intersected each other, and a Xuan formation quickly appeared. At the same time, stars started appearing in Jiuyou Tower¡¯s surroundings. This was the Xuan formation built into Jiuyou Tower! Sun Zhongyan studied the Xuan formation in front of him closely. ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­ There¡¯s no sign of her in Jiuyou Tower¡­¡± This Xuan formation was connected to Jiuyou Tower. Even if one couldn¡¯t go in, they could still see something from the Xuan formation. Sun Zhongyan examined the Xuan formation for quite some time, but he didn¡¯t detect Chu Liuyue¡¯s presence. Elder Wei Yun said in confusion, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! She clearly entered the tower in the afternoon, and all the other students came out together except for her! She should still be inside!¡± Sun Zhongyan gathered his focus and checked the Xuan formation again, but he still shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± The crowd looked at each other, and they all fell silent. This incident is too strange! Anxious, Elder Wei Yun walked in circles. ¡°Why can¡¯t you find her? She¡¯s clearly inside!¡± Rong Xiu suddenly asked a question from the side. ¡°Elder Sun, how many floors can this Xuan formation see?¡± Sun Zhongyan was dazed for a while as he subconsciously answered, ¡°Until the fifth floor. This Xuan formation has existed alongside Jiuyou Tower for many years, and we could always see the first five floors¡­ Wait! Do you mean¡ª¡± A ridiculous thought flashed across Sun Zhongyan¡¯s mind. Could Chu Liuyue not be on the bottom five floors? ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± blurted out Sun Zhongyan. ¡°Nobody in Tian Lu Academy can ever go above the fifth floor! How did she¡ª¡± Sun Zhongyan¡¯s voice trickled off halfway through the sentence. Other than this, there is no other answer. Besides¡­ Something is also very amiss about the sudden strange changes in Jiuyou Tower. The crowd fell into dead silence. Suddenly, someone in the crowd gasped. ¡°Quickly, look at the door!¡± Everyone looked over, and shock was written all over their faces. They saw the engraved lines on Jiuyou Tower starting to move. In the blink of an eye, the lines turned into black karmic fire and started burning fiercely. ¡°H-how is this happening¡­?¡± muttered Sun Zhongyan in disbelief as his eyes widened. While the crowd was in a trance, the fire started to spread rapidly. In the next moment, the black karmic fire enveloped Jiuyou Tower¡¯s entire first floor. Hoo! A ferocious shrill suddenly sounded from within Jiuyou Tower, and it reverberated throughout the area! Chapter 294 - He’s Here ¡°W-what¡¯s that?¡± The crowd was shocked beyond words. Why is a fiend¡¯s shrill coming from within Jiuyou Tower? Only Sun Zhongyan¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, and his pale face was contorted. ¡°All Xuan Masters listen, activate the Locking Heaven Formation! Everyone else, evacuate immediately!¡± Once Sun Zhongyan said this, everyone looked at him in shock. The Locking Heaven Formation was the formation used to lock Jiuyou Tower, and it hadn¡¯t been activated in thousands of years. Now, nobody knew what would happen if the Locking Heaven Formation was activated. ¡°Elder Sun, I thought only the director could activate the Locking Heaven Formation,¡± said Bai Chen hurriedly. Sun Zhongyan looked stern. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed Uncle-Master previously. We can only hope that he will exit his seclusion as soon as possible and rush over. The strange happenings in Jiuyou Tower are urgent, and dealing with them can¡¯t be delayed any longer! We must activate the Locking Heaven Formation. Uncle-Master has already passed me the Locking Heaven Formation¡¯s formation eye, so I can activate it too!¡± Sun Zhongyan spoke as he flipped his wrist. A silver needle then appeared in his palm. At first glance, the silver needle didn¡¯t look any different from an average needle. But if one took a closer look, one would see the elaborate pattern engraved on it. In actual fact, the pattern on the silver needle was exactly the same as the pattern in front of Jiuyou Tower¡¯s door. After hearing what Sun Zhongyan said, everyone also knew that this was the only way left. Nobody knew when the director would come, but the situation in Jiuyou Tower couldn¡¯t wait a minute longer. Seeing the needle in Sun Zhongyan¡¯s hand, everyone felt more secure. ¡°Elder Sun, please instruct us!¡± Sun Zhongyan floated in the air, and he flung the needle out from his hands! The needle grew as it met with the wind, and it quickly expanded until it was the size of a person¡¯s arm. From afar, it looked like a silver pestle! The silver pestle immediately landed on top of Jiuyou Tower and quickly turned on its own! ¡°Locking Heaven Formation¡­ Activate!¡± hollered Sun Zhongyan as countless silver rays of light flew out from his hands and entered the silver pestle. The next moment, shrill sounds were gradually heard, and the pattern on the silver pestle became even brighter. Shua! Silver light shot out from within and landed on a certain position. Sun Zhongyan shouted, ¡°Bai Chen! Xi San!¡± Without another word, Bai Chen immediately flew over and stood on the star. Shua! The second star quickly appeared and flew to the other side. ¡°Wen Yan! Nan Qi!¡± ¡°Chen Xiao! Don Liu!¡± ¡°Qi Gao! Bei Si!¡± Sun Zhongyan quickly uttered commands, and all the Xuan Masters took action. A gigantic Xuan formation quickly formed above Jiuyou Tower. Countless silver lines flew out from the silver pestle and intersected each other as the many stars shone brightly like a Xing Luo chess piece. All the Xuan Masters were separated, and they started preparing themselves. The Locking Heaven Formation was a sixth-grade Xuan formation. Nobody in the academy could activate it on their own, so they had to join hands! When everyone was in their places, Sun Zhongyan then yelled, ¡°Activate!¡± The moment he yelled, all the Xuan Masters took action simultaneously and injected their force into the galaxy of stars beneath their feet. Rays of light flew out and followed the large intersection of lines in mid-air, gathering within the silver pestle. Buzz! A crushing sense of pressure exuded! ¡­ The Locking Heaven Formation was activated on top of Jiuyou Tower. Below Jiuyou Tower, the other teachers had already started to evacuate. At this point, the only thing they could do was to ensure the safety of the other people in the academy. ¡°Rong Xiu! Let¡¯s go, quick!¡± advised Elder Wei Yun in a hurry when he saw Rong Xiu stand rooted to the spot. He thought that Rong Xiu hadn¡¯t recovered his senses. ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous. You can¡¯t stay here.¡± In this type of situation, nobody could tell what accidents would happen in Jiuyou Tower. The Locking Heaven Formation was already activated, and its suppression was formidable. The forces from both sides met each other head-on, and the people at the side were right in the middle of it. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t have much cultivation, and his body was frail. How could he endure such formidable suppression? If anything happened to Rong Xiu, they would have no way of explaining it to His Majesty. However, Rong Xiu acted as if he didn¡¯t hear anything as he looked up at Jiuyou Tower¡¯s seventh floor. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Elder Wei Yun yelled again, but Rong Xiu still didn¡¯t give any response. He couldn¡¯t help feeling even more anxious. Elder Wei Yun turned back and realized that the black karmic fire had already surrounded the entire first floor of Jiuyou Tower and that the entrance was completely blocked. The more worrying thing was that the fire had no intentions of stopping, and it was spreading toward the second floor. The scorching fire had already started to burn the surroundings. The air was fiery, almost as if it could scorch a person. Elder Wei Yun was panicking. We must swiftly control this fire! If not, the consequences will be unimaginable if it starts to spread crazily! ¡°Yan Qing, hurry up and bring him away!¡± With much helplessness, Elder Wei Yun could only yell at Yan Qing. Yan Qing looked up and glanced at Elder Wei Yun before shaking his head determinedly. ¡°Please forgive me, Elder Wei Yun. I only listen to His Highness.¡± Since His Highness wanted to stay here, he naturally had to follow. Even though Yan Qing knew it was dangerous, he had no other choice because that person was in even graver danger! If anything happened to Chu Liuyue, Yan Qing couldn¡¯t imagine what his master would do. Upon seeing the stubborn master and subordinate, Elder Wei Yun couldn¡¯t help cursing in his heart. These two fools! The others have already left! Do they really want to sit here and wait for death? Hong! A ball of black karmic fire suddenly rose up and went straight to the third floor. Elder Wei Yun was affected by this impact since he was distracted for a moment, and he staggered a few steps backward. Sila! The fiend¡¯s shriek sounded again, which shook one¡¯s heart. The entire academy seemed to be enveloped by this ferocious and shrill shriek. The blood in Elder Wei Yun¡¯s body started rising up, and he almost vomited blood. He looked up at Jiuyou Tower in shock. What kind of fiend is suppressed in there? How is it so formidable? It was just a shriek, but it had such formidable suppression! At the same time, even the students and teachers¡ªwho had evacuated to the distance¡ªhad suffered some side effects. They widened their eyes in shock as they stared at Jiuyou Tower; their hearts were in turmoil. ¡°God! Jiuyou Tower is actually burning up?¡± ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± ¡°Elder Sun and the rest have actually activated the Locking Heaven Formation? This is the first time in thousands of years, right?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t the few of you cultivating in Jiuyou Tower earlier? Do you know what happened?¡± ¡°How would we know? Everything was going fine until a strong force chased us out. We didn¡¯t even have any time to react.¡± ¡°Luckily you guys came out. If you were still inside, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± ¡°Wait! I heard Elder Wei Yun say that Chu Liuyue was still inside!¡± ¡°What? Then isn¡¯t she¡ª¡± The crowd looked at each other and fell silent. Chu Liuyue probably won¡¯t make it this time¡­ On the other end, Elder Wei Yun finally slowed down his breathing with much difficulty. That was when he saw a large figure walking toward Jiuyou Tower with long strides. Elder Wei Yun was stunned. ¡°Rong Xiu! Stand there!¡± However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stop, and he went forward without hesitation. The next moment, the black karmic fire enveloped him completely! Chapter 295 - Threat! Rong Xiu is a lunatic! This thought flashed across Elder Wei Yun¡¯s mind. How dangerous is Jiuyou Tower now? However, Rong Xiu isn¡¯t leaving; he¡¯s even barging into it! Isn¡¯t he courting death? Elder Wei Yun clenched his teeth and rushed forward, planning to drag Rong Xiu out. However, a ball of black karmic fire suddenly exploded in front of him, causing him to stop outside! Elder Wei Yun hurriedly turned around to look, but he saw that Yan Qing didn¡¯t follow Rong Xiu in. He was just about to shout at Yan Qing, but Yan Qing abruptly turned around to leave¡ªhe disappeared in the blink of an eye! This¡­ At this point, Elder Wei Yun couldn¡¯t consider so much. With much helplessness, he could only jump into the sky and told Sun Zhongyan, ¡°Rong Xiu went into Jiuyou Tower!¡± Sun Zhongyan knitted his brows tightly. ¡°I know!¡± This Locking Heaven Formation was specifically used to suppress Jiuyou Tower. After activating it, he would know everything that happened within Jiuyou Tower like the back of his palm. However, the regretful thing was that he could only see the bottom five floors. Hence, he still couldn¡¯t find Chu Liuyue¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°I tried to stop him just now, but I couldn¡¯t,¡± said Sun Zhongyan solemnly as he glanced at the blazing black karmic fire. Elder Wei Yun was shocked. ¡°How can this be?¡± Sun Zhongyan held the silver pestle and could control the entire Locking Heaven Formation. If he really could stop Rong Xiu, how could Rong Xiu have entered the tower? Sun Zhongyan knew what Elder Wei Yun was thinking as well. In actual fact, he was very shocked and confused. When he detected Rong Xiu¡¯s aura, he knew that there was something wrong, and he immediately sent out some force to stop him. However, it seemed like the force didn¡¯t have any effect on Rong Xiu. Sun Zhongyan suddenly became shocked. ¡°Rong Xiu has already entered the first floor.¡± Elder Wei Yun opened his mouth wide, but he started stuttering because he was too shocked. ¡°W-why¡­ Isn¡¯t the door tightly shut? How did he go in?¡± He had personally seen Jiuyou Tower¡¯s door close on its own. Even he was blocked on the outside and could not enter. How did Rong Xiu¡ªwho had no cultivation at all¡ªopen the door? Besides, the entire first floor was burning! ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he did go in. And¡­ he¡¯s going upstairs!¡± Sun Zhongyan looked at the bright lights flashing in the Xuan formation in front of him, and his entire heart hung high in his throat. The two people currently in Jiuyou Tower were people they absolutely couldn¡¯t afford to lose. Besides, even if it was out of selfishness, he didn¡¯t want to see something happen to either of them. ¡°Rong Xiu should have a protective Yuan instrument on him; this is why he could enter the tower safely. However, it shouldn¡¯t last for too long¡­¡± Elder Wei Yun thought for quite a while and felt that this was the only logical explanation. ¡°But no matter what, we still need to think of a way to bring them out! They¡ª¡± Sun Zhongyan suddenly gasped. Upon seeing his facial expression change, Elder Wei Yun¡¯s heart sank. ¡°He actually went up to the second floor!¡± exclaimed Sun Zhongyan in shock. ¡°How can this be? His body is frail, and he can¡¯t cultivate. It¡¯s already a coincidence that he could enter the first floor! How can he go up to the second floor? He¡¯s not a stage-two warrior!¡± ¡°Liuyue is a stage-two warrior, but there¡¯s no trace of her on the second floor!¡± said Sun Zhongyan with clenched teeth. Elder Wei Yun instantly lost his voice. After a long while, he asked hesitantly, ¡°Then¡­ Are you saying that she¡¯s indeed above the first five floors?¡± Sun Zhongyan closed his eyes. If he hadn¡¯t seen it for himself, he wouldn¡¯t have believed it at all. Jiuyou Tower was very strict with its levels. Every floor had its own barrier to stop other people, so nobody had managed to exceed their cultivation level and go up. But the truth was lying in front of him, so he had to believe it. Hong! Just when the two of them were talking, the fire burned even more strongly at the bottom of Jiuyou Tower. Sun Zhongyan circulated all the force in his body and inserted it into the silver pestle. The gigantic Xuan formation in the sky shone even more brightly and exuded a great suppression. The two forces were in a crazy battle! ¡­ The commotion in Jiuyou Tower quickly attracted the attention of many strong people in the Imperial City. Mu Qinghe¡ªwho was resting in his room¡ªsuddenly opened his eyes and looked in Jiuyou Tower¡¯s direction. He stared for a while and muttered, ¡°It seems like a ferocious fiend is about to be born¡­ I can¡¯t believe that there¡¯s such an existence in this place¡­¡± This Country Yao Chen really has a lot of secrets. At this point, Hong Yao suddenly flew over. Its ruby eyes stared straight at Jiuyou Tower. Mu Qinghe looked down at it. Ever since Hong Yao came back the day before, it had always been unhappy, and it wouldn¡¯t say what was wrong when he asked it. Hong Yao only stubbornly buried its head underneath its wings and did not move. Mu Qinghe knew that Hong Yao was throwing a tantrum, but he didn¡¯t want to coax it. Hong Yao¡¯s temper is getting bigger and bigger. In the past, it would always complain to that person, causing me to have no choice but to give in several times. But times have changed, and that person is no longer around. If Hong Yao continues in its ways, it will definitely bring about greater trouble sooner or later. Thus, Mu Qinghe had already decided to correct Hong Yao¡¯s bad temper. If Hong Yao didn¡¯t move, he wouldn¡¯t do anything either. He would just let it sulk. Seeing the alertness in Hong Yao¡¯s body and the anger burning in its eyes, he suddenly understood and furrowed his brows. ¡°You went there previously?¡± Upon hearing this, Hong Yao didn¡¯t care about him as it waved its wings, about to fly away. Mu Qinghe encircled his chest and said lightly, ¡°It seems like your cultivation is indeed worsening by the day. Now, even a suppressed ferocious fiend can hurt you.¡± Hong Yao turned around in anger and harshly glared at him. He doesn¡¯t even know what happened, yet he¡¯s spouting nonsense here! That beast is indeed suppressed under Jiuyou Tower, but that doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s weak! Besides, I hadn¡¯t even made any preparations back then. Hence, I was hurt by the beast. If it happens again, I can definitely beat that beast into a pulp. Seeing Hong Yao¡¯s reaction, Mu Qinghe squinted. Hong Yao has always been arrogant, and it wouldn¡¯t even take a second look at a normal fiend. Hong Yao having such a big reaction is enough to prove that the suppressed fiend has a decent cultivation level. His heart tingled, and his figure immediately disappeared on the spot. Hong Yao widened its eyes. Again!? He didn¡¯t allow me to go, but he went there himself? Green fire burned around Hong Yao¡¯s body as it speedily dashed toward Jiuyou Tower. I must take this chance to take my revenge! ¡­ On the other end, Fu Yunshan, Cheng Han, and the rest had also noticed the strange change. When they discovered that the commotion was coming from Tian Lu Academy, they were stunned and hurriedly rushed there. It wasn¡¯t because they were worried that something would happen to the people in Tian Lu Academy, but rather, they were shocked about the commotion¡¯s side effects. When they reached outside the academy, they could clearly see the tall Jiuyou Tower burning crazily from afar. The black fire had already enveloped the bottom few floors of Jiuyou Tower completely, making it look like a prison. In the sky above Jiuyou Tower, Sun Zhongyan and the rest were working together to suppress the fire. However, the gigantic Xuan formation was crumbling! Chapter 296 - Break! Hoo! Another shrill sounded again! Dark clouds gathered in the skies, and thunder could be heard repeatedly. Such strange signs would occur when rare treasures or high-level fiends appeared in the world. ¡°There¡¯s actually a fiend trapped under Jiuyou Tower?¡± said Fu Yunshan in shock. Cheng Han¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Rumor has it that there¡¯s a Pit of Heavenly Origins below Jiuyou Tower. If this kind of place hid a fiend¡­ Then, there¡¯s an 80% chance that it has already become a ferocious fiend!¡± However, we had never heard of this in the past. ¡°The ferocious fiend looks extraordinary. Not to mention the big commotion it caused, but it seems like it¡¯s about to escape from Jiuyou Tower! I¡¯m afraid that Sun Zhongyan and the rest¡¯s Xuan formation can¡¯t last for long¡­¡± muttered Cheng Han as many emotions flashed across his eyes. Fu Yunshan immediately said, ¡°We have to hurry over and help them! If the ferocious fiend comes out, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± ¡°Afraid of what?¡± Cheng Han suddenly interrupted Fu Yunshan and raised his brows with a strange expression. ¡°This is Jiuyou Tower. If anything really happens, it¡¯s Tian Lu Academy¡¯s own business. It¡¯s not up to outsiders like us to care about them.¡± ¡°That Xuan formation is clearly the seal for Jiuyou Tower, which means that they long knew about the ferocious fiend hidden under Jiuyou Tower and had prepared for it. So what if we help them now? We might even cause trouble for ourselves in the end.¡± Fu Yunshan looked at Cheng Han. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything. Brother Yunshan, if you wish to help them, do as you wish. However, I don¡¯t want to get involved in this sticky situation.¡± As Cheng Han talked, he took a step back. ¡°Brother Yunshan, go ahead!¡± Fu Yunshan instantly became very awkward. Actually, he had just mentioned it casually, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit cowardly after seeing Cheng Han¡¯s attitude. Who knows what¡¯s under that thing? It is indeed dangerous if I head over now, and I have no plans of sacrificing my life for Tian Lu Academy. Cheng Han¡¯s words were logical. At the end of the day, this was Tian Lu Academy¡¯s own business, and it had nothing to do with them. It was better to silently observe the situation first. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll see what¡¯s going on first. The Xuan formation has already been set up. If I suddenly go over, I might even cause trouble for them.¡± Fu Yunshan coughed and also planned to watch the situation. Cheng Han sneered in his heart. He had previously heard some people from Tian Lu Academy saying that Chu Liuyue was still trapped in Jiuyou Tower. This is really a gift from heaven! If I can take this opportunity to get rid of Chu Liuyue completely, it will save us a lot of effort! He looked at the black karmic fire that kept spreading as undetectable sinister smiling intent flashed across his eyes. It¡¯s really such a pity that a good talent is about to fall¡­ ¡­ Sun Zhongyan and the rest quickly discovered that their forces weren¡¯t enough to suppress Jiuyou Tower, even though they had successfully activated the Locking Heaven Formation. Not only did the fire have zero intention of stopping, but it was also burning even more wildly. The two forces battled fiercely, and the Locking Heaven Formation gradually fell short. If this continued, the Locking Heaven Formation would break sooner or later. By that time, the situation would be completely irreversible. However, Sun Zhongyan felt another movement from the Xuan formation at this moment. Rong Xiu actually went up to the third floor! Sun Zhongyan opened his mouth, but he was too shocked and was at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t know what was going on with Rong Xiu, like if he was injured or hurt, but he could confirm that Rong Xiu had directly passed through the barriers on the second floor and third floor. How exactly did he do it?! At the side, Elder Wei Yun noticed that Sun Zhongyan didn¡¯t look right, and he could vaguely guess what had happened. ¡°Rong Xiu is still going up?¡± Sun Zhongyan nodded with much difficulty. There was a Chu Liuyue in front of him, so whatever Rong Xiu did wasn¡¯t as shocking anymore. But¡­ ¡°Why must Rong Xiu go in?¡± This was something that Elder Wei Yun couldn¡¯t understand at all. He definitely knows how dangerous it is! Suddenly, a thought flashed across his mind. ¡°Could it be¡­ It can¡¯t be because of Chu Liuyue, right?¡± When Sun Zhongyan heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°If not, what else¡­? I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t notice this at all before¡­¡± Previously, he only thought the two of them knew each other, but it seemed like it clearly was not so¡­ Kacha! A crisp breaking sound was suddenly heard. Sun Zhongyan looked over, and his eyes narrowed! A crack had actually appeared in the middle of Jiuyou Tower! Jiuyou Tower actually broke! Black karmic fire crazily spun out from within. This move caused the fire to engulf half of Jiuyou Tower! Sun Zhongyan¡¯s face turned pale. Jiuyou Tower had existed for thousands of years and had been through all sorts of storms, but it was never damaged before. However¡­. Hoo! Along with the fierce shrill, the black fire suddenly rose into the air. The fire in the air swiftly became a gigantic eagle, which then charged toward the Locking Heaven Formation atop of Jiuyou Tower. ¡°It¡¯s the apparition of the ferocious fiend!¡± Elder Wei Yun was stunned beyond words. The eagle apparition was exactly the same as the engraving on Jiuyou Tower¡¯s door. Elder Wei Yun had watched over Jiuyou Tower for many years and was very familiar with it. Hence, he instantly recognized it the moment he saw it. However, he never expected such a ferocious fiend to be hidden under Jiuyou Tower! Hong! Its speed was very fast, so the crowd only saw a black figure spin across. The next moment, it had already crashed into the Xuan formation. ¡°Seal!¡± hollered Sun Zhongyan as all the force in his body emanated outward. The other elders and teachers were also stunned by this scene, but they finally recovered their senses when they heard Sun Zhongyan¡¯s voice. They then put in more strength. Bang! A loud sound of impact was heard again! Countless rays of light started spreading everywhere! The silver pestle right in the middle also seemed to be affected as it swayed violently. This movement caused the entire Xuan formation in the sky to shake as well. The Xuan formation seemed like it would break at any time! ¡°Elder Sun, this side can¡¯t hold on any longer!¡± yelled a teacher loudly. The moment the teacher shouted this, the stars under his feet abruptly exploded. The terrifying force attacked him instead, and he had no time to escape. He spat out blood, and his entire body flew outward. The position he was at before darkened immediately. The apparition formed from the black karmic fire seemed to have found this weak spot as it immediately changed its direction and charged toward it. ¡°Stop it quickly!¡± shouted Sun Zhongyan anxiously. However, it was too late! The Locking Heaven Formation was huge, and it was only forcefully activated with all the Xuan Masters in the academy here. Everyone was responsible for one part. Now that one person was suddenly missing, the others simply had no time to fill in the gap. In the blink of an eye, the black apparition had already rushed to the dim hole. The petrifying aura on its body was dominating! This one move might just completely destroy the Locking Heaven Formation! Chapter 297 - Purgatory! ¡°Join!¡± A low but forceful voice suddenly sounded! At the same time, the crowd saw a silver star suddenly land and cover the broken Xuan formation. The moment the two forces made contact, they immediately merged. The originally dim area became brighter in an instant! The Xuan formation¡ªwhich was previously dying¡ªinstantly stabilized with this injection of force. The crowd looked over and saw a gray figure slowly walking out of nowhere. Sun Zhongyan saw that person and was elated. ¡°Uncle-Master!¡± Who else could the incoming person be if it wasn¡¯t Tian Lu Academy¡¯s director, Ye Zhiting? Ye Zhiting was still wearing that dirty, gray cotton shirt while holding a fan in his hands. Not a single force ripple was coming from but, and he looked very simple, nothing different from an average elder. However, everyone present knew that he was the strongest here! When the many elders and students from the academy saw Ye Zhiting, they all unwittingly heaved a sigh of relief. Cheng Han and Fu Yunshan¡ªwho were secretly observing from afar¡ªwere shocked as they didn¡¯t expect Ye Zhiting to appear at this time. ¡°What a timely appearance!¡± said Cheng Han with clenched teeth as he shot a deadly glare at that figure. Fu Yunshan couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in years, and it seems like Elder Ye has become stronger¡­¡± Cheng Han became even more frustrated. Of course, I can see this! I originally thought that I could win against Ye Zhiting when I came to the Imperial City this time and gain back all my lost face. Cheng Han was still pretty regretful when Ye Zhiting didn¡¯t appear. When he later found out that Ye Zhiting had a disciple, he felt that it wasn¡¯t bad for Situ Xingchen to win against the other party¡¯s disciple. However, he didn¡¯t expect Ye Zhiting¡¯s disciple to be Chu Liuyue, who had taken first place for both the warrior competition and the Xuan Master competition! The most regretful thing was that, in reality, even Situ Xingchen¡¯s first place in heavenly doctor was won by Chu Liuyue! In the end, he absolutely rued the fact that he had agreed to Chu Liuyue representing Situ Xingchen in the competition. Originally, he was holding in a stomach full of anger, but he didn¡¯t expect to coincidentally meet with Jiuyou Tower¡¯s strange changes just as he was about to leave the Imperial City. And even Ye Zhiting appeared! The most crucial point was that Ye Zhiting¡¯s cultivation was much stronger than before! Cheng Han could confirm that, if the two of them battled now, he still wouldn¡¯t be Ye Zhiting¡¯s match. ¡°Jiuyou Tower is in big trouble now. I don¡¯t think they can solve it so easily,¡± said Cheng Han with a dark face. Fu Yunshan was very hesitant. On the one hand, he didn¡¯t wish to get involved in this dangerous scenario. Who knows what kind of existence lived under Jiuyou Tower? On the other hand, he didn¡¯t want to offend Ye Zhiting because of this. While Fu Yunshan was being conflicted, Ye Zhiting had already walked to the broken star slowly. Ye Zhiting waved the thin fan in his hands. Many stars then fell, drawing out a brilliant line across the sky before falling on top of the silver pestle in the middle of the Locking Heaven Formation. The originally shaken silver pestle rapidly started spinning on its own again, exuding immense strength in all directions. The gigantic Locking Heaven Formation looked lively again. That black apparition seemed to feel threatened as it stopped and glared at Ye Zhiting with alertness. It knew very clearly what kind of threat Ye Zhiting¡¯s appearance brought to it. The two of them stared straight at each other. Ye Zhiting looked at it with his old and murky eyes, which were as clear as ever and were filled with suppression. ¡°Evil beast! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± His voice landed like thunder. The lights on top of the Locking Heaven Formation intersected with each other. Struggle flashed across the black apparition¡¯s bloodied eyes. As Tian Lu Academy¡¯s director and the silver pestle¡¯s true owner, Ye Zhiting¡¯s appearance naturally made the Locking Heaven Formation much stronger than before. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ye Zhiting whipped out his fan again. The gigantic Locking Heaven Formation started rippling like the waves at sea. Sihou! The black apparition let out a painful moan, and its entire body was instantly separated as the apparition turned into numerous black sparks, which landed everywhere! Even the black karmic fire burning below seemed to be affected as it shrunk by quite a bit, and it didn¡¯t continue going up. When Sun Zhongyan and the others saw this, their anxious hearts finally calmed down. ¡°Uncle-Master, you¡¯ve finally come out!¡± said Sun Zhongyan emotionally. If he came any later, I¡¯m afraid the entire Locking Heaven Formation really would¡¯ve been broken by that beast! Ye Zhiting laughed out loud. ¡°If I still didn¡¯t come out, the entire academy would be destroyed by this beast!¡± Sun Zhongyan lowered his head apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯m useless¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be blamed for this. The beast wanted to come out a long time ago, but it hadn¡¯t found a suitable chance all this while. I was also on the verge of breaking through, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. It was my carelessness that led to what happened today.¡± Ye Zhiting shook his head, and he had no intentions of reproaching Sun Zhongyan and the others. ¡°Then¡­ Uncle-Master, what do you think we should do?¡± Sun Zhongyan hesitantly asked. That beast clearly hasn¡¯t been taken down completely. Besides¡­ ¡°Uncle-Master, Jiuyou Tower is already cracking. I¡¯m afraid it can¡¯t restrain the beast anymore.¡± This was the even greater problem! Ye Zhiting glanced at Jiuyou Tower and really saw a clear crack on the tower¡¯s body. His face immediately became serious. In that case, things are much more serious than I thought¡­ His gaze landed on the Locking Heaven Formation again as he thought of ways to solve the problem. Suddenly, he focused his gaze. ¡°There¡¯s still someone in Jiuyou Tower?!¡± Sun Zhongyan¡¯s heartbeat quickened as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes¡­¡± ¡°Who is that on the fourth floor?¡± ¡°¡­Seventh Prince, Prince Li.¡± Sun Zhongyan immediately answered as he didn¡¯t dare to hide the truth. Ye Zhiting knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Why is he inside?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Without waiting for Sun Zhongyan to reply, Ye Zhiting discovered an even more shocking thing. ¡°There¡¯s still someone else above the first five floors?¡± Sun Zhongyan didn¡¯t care about much at this moment and hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, Liuyue is still upstairs! Can you see what floor she¡¯s on?¡± Uncle-Master was stronger than him, so he could see what was going on at the higher floors. Upon hearing the familiar name, Ye Zhiting¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Who did you say?¡± Sun Zhongyan swallowed his saliva and lowered his voice. ¡°¡­Chu Liuyue.¡± I only have this one precious disciple, yet this happened! How dangerous is Jiuyou Tower now? Isn¡¯t she courting death by going in? Ye Zhiting¡¯s eyes turned black. ¡°H-how did she go up?¡± Sun Zhongyan was on the brink of tears. I want to know too! Ye Zhiting was very anxious. He hurriedly gathered his focus as he stared at the Locking Heaven Formation, wanting to find out about Chu Liuyue¡¯s current situation. This look made his face terrible. ¡°I can only feel that she¡¯s on the higher floors, but I can¡¯t precisely feel which exact floor she is on. Right now, I only know that she¡¯s not on the sixth floor.¡± This means that she¡¯s on the seventh floor at least! How can she go into such a purgatory? Chapter 298 - The Thousand-Year-Old Karmic Fire! Sun Zhongyan was stunned by these words. This means that Rong Xiu is on the fourth floor, and Chu Liuyue is likely to be on the seventh floor! Th-this¡­ ¡°Uncle-Master, what do we do now?¡± Sun Zhongyan was an experienced man, but he also was at a loss of what to do. Ye Zhiting frowned deeply as he fanned himself frantically. ¡°This evil beast is dead set on coming out. If we can¡¯t tame it once and for all, I¡¯m afraid that nobody will be able to enter Jiuyou Tower!¡± Not to mention how he wasn¡¯t entirely confident of being able to tame it while Jiuyou Tower was falling apart. Even if he could do it, how much time would it take? Would Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡ªwho were inside the tower¡ªbe able to stay safe till then? The black karmic fire has been released now, and it has probably already engulfed half the tower! The two of them are probably in precarious positions! Ye Zhiting suddenly rushed toward the Jiuyou Tower! At the same time, a ball of black karmic fire rose! The heatwave kept Ye Zhiting outside! Kacha! Another crack appeared on the Jiuyou Tower, and more flames burst out! The air surrounding Jiuyou Tower was scorching hot, and the trees around the tower had started to burn. Ye Zhiting stared at Jiuyou Tower as his heart sank! ¡°Listen up everyone! Activate the Locking Heaven Formation with full force! Tame this evil beast!¡± The aged voice spread far and wide as it echoed in the skies above Tian Lu Academy! ¡°Yes!¡± All the elders and teachers replied in unison! ¡­ While the outside was a mess, the interior of Jiuyou Tower was eerily quiet. The seventh floor. Unlike the six floors below, the seventh floor was a large, empty space. Chu Liuyue stood in the middle of the space as she watched everything before her, her emotions in a jumble. There was a giant, transparent three-legged cauldron before her. It was unclear what material the cauldron was forged out of; it was entirely clear, and it had a strange pattern carved on the outside. Perhaps because of its age, but the pattern was a little unclear. Even after staring at it for a while, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t make out what the pattern was. But that wasn¡¯t important. More importantly, black karmic fire was burning wildly in the cauldron! The entire space was scorching because of the flames! The fire in the cauldron was quickly flowing outward! If Chu Liuyue could leave now, she would see that the black karmic fire coming from beneath Jiuyou Tower originated from the cauldron! However, Chu Liuyue was certain that these flames were the exact ones she saw carved on Jiuyou Tower¡¯s door! On her first day in the tower, she had been burned by the imaginary flames, and she almost lost her life. Looking back, it must have been this thing! An aggressive and intimidating aura flowed out of the cauldron endlessly! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. Tuan Zi swallowed the seventh floor¡¯s barrier, and she had followed it up here. Chu Liuyue saw all this when she came up. Never did she expect such an eerie fire to be hidden on the seventh floor of Jiuyou Tower! Based on my understanding of Jiuyou Tower, this thing has probably been here the whole time. How strange. The Pit of Heavenly Origins is a site for cultivation. Nobody would trap a fiend here, not to mention leaving such an eerie flame behind. This thing was cold to its core. Even from such a distance, Chu Liuyue felt chills running down her spine. It was hard to imagine who had set up all of this in Jiuyou Tower. Suddenly, two red dots appeared in the fire! The next moment, Chu Liuyue realized that they weren¡¯t red dots but a pair of blood-red eyes! She had seen this pair of eyes before¡ªit was that eagle¡¯s! Chu Liuyue had felt the eyes¡¯ threat countless times, so she now recognized it instantly! However, seeing it in person was even more impactful! The scary and cold aura enveloped her, and there was nowhere to hide! It seemed as though the blood in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body had frozen as her heart palpitated! Almost uncontrollably, she walked forward. At this point, Tuan Zi leaped up from her shoulder and let out a warning cry! Chu Liuyue was startled and returned to her senses as she paused. Cold sweat instantly broke out across her body. I was hypnotized by those eyes earlier! I would¡¯ve been in danger if I had gotten close! She knitted her brows together as she watched the flames and asked, ¡°Who exactly are you, and why are you targeting me?¡± All she received in reply was a roar. The other party clearly didn¡¯t intend to answer her question. Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, can you tell what fiend this is?¡± Tuan Zi scrutinized it but shook its head. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. I have seen many advanced fiends in my past life, but all the eagle-type fiends seemed different from this one. I can¡¯t ascertain its true identity right now, but I¡¯m sure of one thing: this beast wants to get out of here! Chu Liuyue wondered if the transparent cauldron was used to seal it or domesticate it. Chu Liuyue dared not act recklessly. While she was deep in thought, a vicious look flashed across the red eyes. The next moment, a burst of black karmic fire turned into a pair of giant wings and flew toward Chu Liuyue! Fierce ice, sharp beak! In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue was stunned as she tried to back away, but a fearful pressure enveloped her, making her unable to move. In that moment of hesitation, her body had been enveloped by the pair of wings! Tuan Zi¡¯s fear rose as it prepared to dash forward! At this moment, the water droplet quietly suspended in Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian started spinning quickly! Chapter 299 - : Black and White There was a crushing sense of pressure as strong energy came from the water droplet! The apparition approaching Chu Liuyue seemed to have sensed the danger as panic flashed across its eyes, and it backed away quickly! A streak of red fire burst out from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and chased after the apparition! Choo! In the blink of an eye, the black fire and red fire clashed and made a sharp noise! The black apparition quickly backed away into the cauldron as if it had run into something scary! However, the red fire followed it to the edge of the cauldron and burned it! Grey and white smoke appeared! Roar! The black karmic fire in the cauldron burst up as if it had been agitated, and a haunting roar came from inside! Chu Liuyue watched everything in surprise. The red fire¡­ came from inside me?! The dantian attacked and chased the black karmic fire even before she had the time to think! To be more precise, the black karmic fire had fled. Chu Liuyue could feel the beast¡¯s deep fear through the cauldron! ¡°Is this the soul of some fiend¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. She clearly saw that there was no fiend body when the black karmic fire rose just now. But what kind of fiend could survive for 1,000 years with only a soul?! The confusion in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart grew as she stared at the scene before her with a deep frown. The red flames had turned into a giant barrier that enveloped the cauldron, and the haunting cries gradually became weaker! On the side, Tuan Zi shook its tail as if it was a pity that it didn¡¯t get the chance to deal with the beast itself. Chu Liuyue stood in her spot with a complicated expression. The red fire¡¯s appearance was rather sudden, but I felt it. For example¡­ I seemed to feel that beast¡¯s fear. It seemed like it wanted to¡­ surrender? Chu Liuyue sensed that she could control that red fire. She raised her hand, and the red fire flew back into her palms. The originally aggressive black karmic fire had shrunken. It was clearly not a match for Chu Liuyue¡¯s red fire. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but look down; a small flame was dancing on her palm. If she hadn¡¯t seen it for herself, she wouldn¡¯t have believed that there would be so much power in the red fire! The red fire clearly came from the water droplet, and its color resembled the red writing that had appeared before. Chu Liuyue set aside all her thoughts and looked forward. ¡°Will you surrender, or shall we continue?¡± ¡­ Fifth floor of Jiuyou Tower. The black karmic fire was quickly spreading upward from below. Jiuyou Tower was scorching hot from inside to out¡ªit was like hell on earth. However, one person was slowly making his way up in this sea of fire. This person was slender and dressed in white. Every step he took was nonchalant and relaxed. He was the only bit of white in the sea of black. With every step he took, the fire before him would part to make way for him. The contrast between the two colors as he made his way forward was like a painting. The man quickly arrived at the barrier on the sixth floor. He stood before the stairs, his dark eyes glancing at the barrier. He then stretched out his palm and placed it on the barrier; he could still feel a little warmth. It¡¯s her. Rong Xiu sighed. I thought that she would stop on the sixth floor, but¡­ Rong Xiu curled his fingers slightly, and the barrier silently spread open. He then continued upward. ¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu¡¯s already on the sixth floor?!¡± Ye Zhiting¡ªwho had been observing the situation in Jiuyou Tower¡ªcried out suddenly. Sun Zhongyan¡¯s eyelid twitched. Chu Liuyue was enough. How did Rong Xiu¡­ How did the two of them do it? He spoke up after contemplating for a while. ¡°Uncle-Master, this isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. The bottom five floors of Jiuyou Tower have been surrounded by the black karmic fire. If they flee to the top, they might be able to avoid¡­¡± ¡°Zhongyan, I believe you¡¯ve been to the fifth floor, right?¡± Sun Zhongyan nodded confusedly. Ye Zhiting sighed. ¡°Then, which do you think is more dangerous? The fire below, or the top floors?¡± Sun Zhongyan was speechless. He remembered that the pressure would increase with every floor. Neither Chu Liuyue nor Rong Xiu had enough ability to support¡­ ¡°Director, the fire seems to have become small!¡± Bai Chen suddenly cried out. The others looked up hurriedly and saw that the fire¡ªwhich had spread to the fifth floor¡ªhadn¡¯t continued moving upward. It also did seem weaker than before. Ye Zhiting stared at it for a while, but his expression was still as tense. Conversely, he knitted his brows together even tighter. Sun Zhongyan was just about to rejoice when he saw Ye Zhiting¡¯s expression. His smile froze. ¡°Uncle-Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Ye Zhiting muttered. Sun Zhongyan took another look, confused. ¡°Not right? What¡¯s not right? Hasn¡¯t our Locking Heaven Formation suppressed the beast? The fire has subsided by quite a lot as well!¡± This should be a sign that we¡¯re winning! Ye Zhiting didn¡¯t say anything but shook his head. Something is really wrong. The Locking Heaven Formation hasn¡¯t exerted its power. The beast¡¯s transformation was too sudden! Could it be that¡­ something happened within Jiuyou Tower? For some reason, Ye Zhiting felt uneasy as if something was going to happen. Screech! At this moment, a clear screech came from afar! Everyone looked up and saw a palm-sized green sparrow flying toward Jiuyou Tower! It was moving fast, and its body was burning blue! From afar, it seemed like a flying blue ball of flames! ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a seventh-grade fiend, the green sparrow?!¡± Ye Zhiting was stunned. Sun Zhongyan hurriedly explained things to him. ¡°Uncle-Master, that¡¯s the fiend of Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy, Mu Qinghe!¡± Ye Zhiting had been in seclusion, so he was unaware of outside affairs. However, he heard the words ¡®Tianling Dynasty¡¯ loud and clear. Ye Zhiting was stunned and looked closer. He saw a young man following behind the green sparrow. This man wasn¡¯t dressed extravagantly and looked rather dashing, but the scar on his left eye made him seem rather stern and authoritative. What shocked Ye Zhiting the most was that he should see through the other person¡¯s level! Hong Yao was livid when it saw the burning black karmic fire. It flapped its wings and headed straight for Jiuyou Tower! Chapter 300 - Grudges Old and New Mu Qinghe frowned when he saw the burning Jiuyou Tower. His heart moved when he saw Hong Yao rush in, but he didn¡¯t stop it. In the blink of an eye, Hong Yao had passed through the fire and disappeared into the black karmic fire. ¡°This¡­¡± Before Sun Zhongyan could say anything to stop it, the green sparrow had disappeared. Sun Zhongyan looked at Ye Zhiting hesitantly. Ye Zhiting was rather calm. ¡°That¡¯s a seventh-grade fiend; it¡¯ll be fine. In the worst-case scenario¡­ there¡¯s its owner too.¡± Only then did Sun Zhongyan put his mind at ease. He had forgotten that Mu Qinghe had tagged along as well. Shun Zhongyan looked toward Mu Qinghe and greeted him. ¡°Lieutenant Mu! What brings you here?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s tone was calm and even. ¡°With this commotion, the entire imperial city knows.¡± A large number of people had gathered outside of Tian Lu Academy, not to mention him. Sun Zhongyan felt a little awkward. Mu Qinghe frowned as he watched the fire burning on top of Jiuyou Tower. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a ferocious beast to be hidden beneath Jiuyou Tower.¡± Earlier, he had been a little confused as to what fiend could hurt Hong Yao, but he understood when he saw the scene before him. Sun Zhongyan didn¡¯t know what to say. He hesitated before he worriedly said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, this place is really dangerous now. Your fiend just flew in¡­¡± It¡¯s fine if it comes out unscathed, but we will be implicated if anything happens. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression was still calm. ¡°It knows its limit.¡± The situation was a little dangerous, but it wasn¡¯t lethal. This wasn¡¯t a bad opportunity for Hong Yao to test itself. Sun Zhongyan couldn¡¯t say anything since Mu Qinghe had spoken. He returned to Ye Zhiting¡¯s side and tried to activate the Locking Heaven Formation. Mu Qinghe glanced at the Locking Heaven Formation, and his eyes landed on the silver pestle in the middle. He was surprised. That thing¡­ This tiny Tian Lu Academy seems a lot more complicated than we had imagined¡­ ¡­ Hong Yao passed through the black karmic fire easily, but entering the sealed Jiuyou Tower took quite some effort. The door at the base was locked, and the windows on the other floors were locked as well. In the end, Hong Yao managed to find a crack in the tower and flew in through the flames! Poof! Chu Liuyue was facing off the beast when she heard the strange sound from above. She looked up and saw a familiar green silhouette flying toward her! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Hong Yao? Why are you here?!¡± Upon saying that, Chu Liuyue realized that her tone was too familiar, and she looked behind Hong Yao warily. Thankfully, Mu Qinghe did not follow it in. Hong Yao flew in, so it saw the transparent cauldron beneath it and the black fire burning within the cauldron. Hong Yao felt the familiar sense of threat within the cauldron! It is this fellow that harmed me! Hong Yao widened its eyes and wanted to rush forward to seek vengeance! But at this point, it heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice. It looked up in shock, only to notice that Chu Liuyue was there too! Hong Yao was ecstatic and immediately changed directions, flying toward Chu Liuyue! Before it could get there, a red shadow stood in its way¡ªit was Tuan Zi! Like before, Tuan Zi stared at Hong Yao warily, clearly not wanting it to get close to Chu Liuyue. Hong Yao was frustrated, and fire rose from its body! The two of them were in a stand-off! Chu Liuyue looked at the two of them speechlessly. She knew that the two of them couldn¡¯t stand each other. Why else would they fight the instant they met? ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice had a tinge of warning to it. Tuan Zi huffed indignantly, refusing to budge. Hong Yao didn¡¯t give in either, staring pointedly at Tuan Zi. Chu Liuyue: ¡°If you want to fight, do it outside.¡± The two froze. Chu Liuyue continued, ¡°Tuan Zi, I won¡¯t help you. Hong Yao¡¯s a seventh-grade fiend; you might not be its match now.¡± Tuan Zi hugged its head in frustration. Glee flashed across Hong Yao¡¯s eyes, and it bit its wings. ¡°And Hong Yao.¡± Chu Liuyue looked toward the green sparrow. ¡°You know the consequences of killing my fiend.¡± Hong Yao paused. Tuan Zi was gloating as it turned and shook its behind at Hong Yao cockily. Hong Yao was mad and spun a few rounds before it finally stopped and glanced at Chu Liuyue indignantly. Its ruby-red eyes were filled with tears¡ªit was crying in exasperation. Chu Liuyue felt her heart soften. She knew that Hong Yao just wanted to be by her side. After all¡­ She had helped Mu Qinghe raise it for so long, and she would back it up whenever it threw a tantrum at Mu Qinghe. Hong Yao had relied heavily on her, and it was even closer to her than it was to Mu Qinghe, its real owner. How could Chu Liuyue not be moved that Hong Yao could recognize her after she was reborn? I wonder how Hong Yao got through this one year¡­ Finally, Chu Liuyue sighed and waved. ¡°Hong Yao.¡± Tuan Zi froze and looked at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. Said person glanced at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi kept itself in check. Even though it was indignant, it didn¡¯t dare to truly anger Chu Liuyue. Hong Yao flew over happily when it heard her call. Seeing that it was about to fly into her arms, Chu Liuyue broke into an indulgent smile. However, Hong Yao paused when it arrived before her. Hong Yao looked at Chu Liuyue hesitantly. It had imagined such a scene countless times, but they had always been illusions. In reality, Hong Yao had slowly come to terms that that person was no longer around. However, it had just refused to admit it. And now, she was before its eyes¡­ What if she disappeared on touch like before?! Chu Liuyue felt her heart ache when she saw Hong Yao¡¯s hesitance. She softened her tone. ¡°Yaoyao, come here.¡± Hong Yao froze when it heard her voice, and joy filled its eyes! No one else in this world calls me that! Hong Yao finally stopped hesitating and lunged into Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms! Chu Liuyue raised her hands and patted it on the head. Hong Yao¡¯s body shook as tears streamed down its face. Chu Liuyue was thankful that she ran into Hong Yao here. Otherwise, she would never dare to behave like this. Tuan Zi angrily watched everything unfold from the side. What is there to cry about? I didn¡¯t even cry! As Tuan Zi thought this, it stretched out its claw and wiped its face. Roar! At this moment, the beast¡ªwhich had been weakened¡ªin the cauldron cried out! Hong Yao looked back angrily and flew back! Of all the times to speak up, it chose this moment. This beast must be doing it on purpose! Grudges¡ªold and new¡ªI will settle them once and for all! Chapter 301 - What about him? Hong Yao flapped its wings, and two balls of fire instantly began burning! A giant green silhouette also appeared behind it. The pressure of a seventh-grade fiend was very strong! Chu Liuyue looked at Hong Yao with surprise. She didn¡¯t expect the green sparrow to use its ultimate move right from the start. However, she then recalled that Hong Yao seemed to have been injured by the apparition before. Hong Yao had always been vengeful; how could it just let the fiend apparition go? It would try its best to win back some pride! As if it had sensed the threat from Hong Yao, the black karmic fire in the transparent cauldron started becoming more active again. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. As expected, this beast hasn¡¯t given up. It was feigning compliance because it had suffered earlier. She suddenly focused her gaze. A streak of light seemed to have passed through the transparent cauldron. Chu Liuyue sensed that something was amiss, so she took a closer look. However, she didn¡¯t see anything this time. Screech! Hong Yao cried out as it flapped its wings. The two blue balls of flames flew out toward the cauldron! ¡­ Kacha! Another crack appeared on Jiuyou Tower, and more black karmic fire started spurting out from it! Everyone was nervous to see this, and they all kept silent. Ye Zhiting directed more force into the silver pestle, and the Locking Heaven Formation¡¯s pressure increased! But the power within Jiuyou Tower seemed to have become stronger. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t the black karmic fire die down a little earlier? Sun Zhongyan was shocked. Ye Zhiting¡¯s expression was solemn. As expected¡­ I had sensed something amiss, and it looks like that¡¯s the case now! The black karmic fire hadn¡¯t been suppressed by the formation earlier; the beast was pooling its energy! Even though they didn¡¯t know where its energy came from, they were certain of one thing: if the beast continued getting stronger, the Locking Heaven Formation would fall apart! Bang! A piece of stone suddenly fell from Jiuyou Tower! Ye Zhiting¡¯s heart sank! Jiuyou Tower is probably going to collapse! On the other hand, Mu Qinghe focused his eyes and saw a familiar streak of blue fire within the black karmic fire! This¡­ Hong Yao is fighting with the beast? It appears to be a vigorous battle, but¡­ Hong Yao¡¯s situation seems a little strange. Even though it is proud and stubborn, it is also lazy. The beast has harmed it before, so Hong Yao will definitely take this chance to seek vengeance. However, there¡¯s no need for Hong Yao to use its ultimate move right from the get-go¡­ Hong Yao seems¡­ especially excited to be in there? Mu Qinghe pondered for a moment before he asked Sun Zhongyan, ¡°Are there people in Jiuyou Tower?¡± ¡°How did Lieutenant Mu know?¡± Sun Zhongyan was rather surprised. Mu Qinghe has just arrived, so he shouldn¡¯t have had time to hear the chatter. Mu Qinghe had a vague idea. ¡°Is it¡­ Chu Liuyue?¡± Sun Zhongyan was surprised. Mu Qinghe knew he was right from Sun Zhongyan¡¯s reaction. Chu Liuyue is indeed inside the tower! He glanced at the tower again, his eyes dark. This Chu Liuyue has a lot of mysteries on her¡­ ¡°Is Lieutenant Mu worried about Liuyue?¡± Sun Zhongyan asked testingly. After all, Chu Liuyue had the Dijing Yuan meridian. So far, she was the only person who had the chance to go to the Tianling Dynasty with Mu Qinghe. It was normal for Mu Qinghe to worry. Mu Qinghe did not reply. Sun Zhongyan wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, don¡¯t worry. Liuyue is a student of the academy, and she¡¯s Uncle-Master¡¯s disciple. We¡¯ll rescue her at all costs.¡± Mu Qinghe raised his chin, his eyes judgemental. ¡°With this half-activated Locking Heaven Formation?¡± Sun Zhongyan was speechless. Mu Qinghe was right. The Locking Heaven Formation seemed to have been fully activated, but it was only working at half-power. It was only slightly stronger than before because of Ye Zhiting¡¯s presence. But in reality, the real Locking Heaven Formation was many times more complicated than what they had right now. Due to their limited cultivation, this was all they could manage after combining their powers. His head ached if he stared at the complex Xuan formation for too long, not to mention activating it. He himself could not manage it, not to mention the other Xuan Masters in the academy. Therefore, they were stuck in this awkward situation. ¡°His Majesty and Her Majesty have arrived!¡± An urgent announcement suddenly sounded from afar. Everyone was shocked. What is Emperor Jiawen doing here at this time? The Empress is here as well?! Zuo Rong and the others turned to see Emperor Jiawen hurrying over, with the Empress right behind him. Accompanying them were the imperial guards led by Chu Ning. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Zuo Rong and the others went forward, ready to greet Emperor Jiawen when he stopped them. ¡°Where¡¯s Seven?¡± Of course, Emperor Jiawen was referring to Seventh Prince Rong Xiu, Prince Li. Nobody expected that the first thing Emperor Jiawen would ask would be regarding Rong Xiu, and they all paused. Woe and coldness flashed across the Empress¡¯s eyes, but it was fleeting. Hence, nobody noticed it. Emperor Jiawen rushed straight here when he heard that there was an accident at Jiuyou Tower. The Empress rarely saw Emperor Jiawen this nervous, so it was clear who it was about. Isn¡¯t it because Rong Xiu is at Tian Lu Academy? I thought that giving Rong Xiu the title of Prince Li was enough already, but I didn¡¯t expect his favor toward Rong Xiu to be this much! Even though he has been away for years, His Majesty still dotes on Rong Xiu the most! Isn¡¯t this all because of that woman? She¡¯s been dead for so many years, but she¡¯s still haunting us. How revolting! The Empress dug her nails into her palm, but her expression remained unchanged. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry. Prince Li is blessed, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. Didn¡¯t they say that the academy¡¯s students have been evacuated? Look, they¡¯re all there! I¡¯m sure Prince Li is fine.¡± Emperor Jiawen looked up hurriedly and saw that the academy¡¯s students had indeed gathered together. Jiuyou Tower was burning, but it was quite a distance from them. Besides, the academy¡¯s Elders and teachers were by their side, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Emperor Jiawen scanned around, but he didn¡¯t see Rong Xiu. He could not help frowning. ¡°Why is Seven not there?¡± Zuo Rong was the first to react, and he didn¡¯t know how to reply to Emperor Jiawen¡¯s question. ¡°Your Majesty, Prince Li¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen had a bad feeling from Zuo Rong¡¯s hesitant attitude. ¡°Where exactly is he?!! Zuo Rong looked down. ¡°Your Majesty, Prince Li is¡­ inside Jiuyou Tower¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± Emperor Jiawen was stunned, and he stumbled. Chapter 302 - Tripod! The Empress hurriedly supported the Emperor and worriedly said, ¡°Your Majesty, please take care of your body!¡± Emperor Jiawen gripped the Empress¡¯s wrist tightly and finally managed to stabilize himself. He looked toward Jiuyou Tower urgently, worried and angry. ¡°How can this be? Aren¡¯t the other students here? Why is he inside Jiuyou Tower?!¡± Zuo Rong and the others looked at one another, unsure of what to do. Hong! Another explosion came from Jiuyou Tower at this moment, which continued to spread upward! Emperor Jiawen was startled, and he couldn¡¯t hold his anger back any longer. ¡°His body is weak, and you all let him enter Jiuyou Tower?! What were you all thinking!? If anything happens to him, I won¡¯t let any of you off easily!¡± Emperor Jiawen had always been respectful of the academy¡¯s Elders and teachers. He had never spoken to them like this before. Everyone was shocked by his reaction. It was then that they realized that His Majesty was truly worried about Prince Li. Zuo Rong explained weakly, ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down. This matter¡­ this matter¡­ Prince Li actually went in himself¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen paused, his face full of confusion. ¡°How can that be?!¡± Rong Xiu knows he is sick, so how could he have been as reckless as to enter Jiuyou Tower?! ¡°We would never dare to lie to Your Majesty. In fact, all the students had been chased out before Jiuyou Tower changed. The black karmic fire began burning in Jiuyou Tower, but Prince Li entered the tower then. Zuo Rong gulped with difficulty. ¡°Elder Wei Yun and the others tried to stop him, but¡­ they couldn¡¯t¡­¡± The two simple sentences contained a large amount of information. Emperor Jiawen only processed all of it after a while. ¡°You¡¯re saying that he walked through the fire?!¡± asked Emperor Jiawen in disbelief. His voice was shaking because of the shock. Zuo Rong and the others could only nod. ¡°Yes.¡± How could they not be stunned? Rong Xiu¡¯s actions were as good as looking for death! ¡°We tried to go in later, but the fire was too big, so we couldn¡¯t go in,¡± said Zuo Rong as he lowered his head. He knew that his explanation was rather weak. Even if it were true, they had failed to protect Rong Xiu. If anything happened to him¡­ Emperor Jiawen looked up and stared at Jiuyou Tower¡ªwhich had been enveloped by the black karmic fire. His face was pale, and he didn¡¯t utter a single word. The Empress stood by his side, her wrist in pain from his tight grip. Without looking, it was clear that it was bruised. However, she put up with it silently. What was this amount of pain? Knowing that Rong Xiu was trapped inside Jiuyou Tower was comfort enough for her! How could Rong Xiu survive such a dangerous place? She had been worried about not being able to get rid of him, but he sent himself to his doom! Zuo Rong made it clear that Rong Xiu went in on his own volition. If he dies, it is nobody¡¯s fault! At the very least, my son and I won¡¯t be implicated! The Empress suppressed her joy and knitted her brows together. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry. Prince Li knows his limits. He must have his reasons for doing so. Now that Elder Ye is here as well, I¡¯m sure Prince Li will be fine.¡± However, Emperor Jiawen could not take any of that in. Sure, Elder Ye was present, but it was clear that the Locking Heaven Formation couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer! Besides, Jiuyou Tower had started to collapse! ¡°Hurry¡­ Do something¡­ Do something and get Rong Xiu out!¡± Emperor Jiawen muttered when he spotted Mu Qinghe from the corner of his eye. His eyes lit up as if he were looking at his last hope. ¡°Lieutenant Mu! Lieutenant Mu!¡± Mu Qinghe looked toward Emperor Jiawen. He had heard the commotion from Emperor Jiawen¡¯s side, and he knew the latter was asking him for help. However, he had no intentions of heading out to help. Looking at Mu Qinghe¡¯s aloof manner, Emperor Jiawen was uncertain. But he had no other choice at this point. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, your ability is superior. I¡¯m sure you can¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen begged. ¡°No.¡± Mu Qinghe cut off Emperor Jiawen, not leaving him any room for negotiation. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face paled. Just as he was about to make a second appeal, Mu Qinghe spoke. ¡°Why should I save him if he¡¯s not in any danger?¡± ¡­ Inside Jiuyou Tower. Bang! Hong Yao was hit, and it flew backward, hitting the ground! The blue flames on its body were greatly weakened. ¡°Hong Yao!¡± Chu Liuyue rushed forward. Hong Yao struggled to get up, but it fell to the ground. There was a bloodied wound on its wings! Chu Liuyue picked Hong Yao up carefully and turned back. The apparition formed by the black karmic fire in the transparent cauldron had been greatly weakened¡ªthe two were evenly matched! Chu Liuyue knew that Hong Yao had previously gotten hurt from a fight with the fiend. Therefore, she dared not take it lightly. However, she didn¡¯t expect Hong Yao to be evenly matched with the fiend after exerting all its energy! Who knows how much trouble would arise if they let it escape¡­ At this moment, Chu Liuyue saw a streak of light flash across the cauldron! It was much clearer this time; Chu Liuyue could even tell that the light seemed to follow along the strange pattern on the cauldron. She wondered if it was an illusion, but she felt that the patterns on the cauldron were clearer after the streaks of light passed through. Hong Yao lay against Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest, but its eyes were fixed on the cauldron; its eyes were full of indignance. It was embarrassing to have lost the first time, but it didn¡¯t win the second time either! How embarrassing would it be if word of this got out? Hong Yao moved, wanting to continue fighting. However, the green sparrow could only flap its wings weakly. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°You¡¯re hurt now; you better stay put.¡± Hong Yao immediately put its wings away obediently. Thinking of how the battle made it seem rather useless, the green sparrow buried its head spitefully. Chu Liuyue instantly understood. ¡°You want me to take revenge for you?¡± Hong Yao only stuck its head out, whining pitifully. Tuan Zi looked at it with disdain as it burst out laughing. Useless! Hong Yao glared at Tuan Zi angrily. Chu Liuyue patted its head as she laughed speechlessly. ¡°Okay; wait by the side.¡± It was only then that Hong Yao flew to the side. Before leaving, the green sparrow raised its chin toward the black karmic fire¡ªarrogant since it had now found backup. Chu Liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. Hong Yao doesn¡¯t seem to have realized that I am not who I used to be. I¡¯m not sure I can win. At this thought, she flipped her palm up, and the concentrated red fire rose! Almost at the same time, countless streaks of light filled up the transparent cauldron! The pattern on the cauldron became much clearer! Hong! Chapter 303 - Break! The fire in the cauldron started burning intensely! In the blink of an eye, the fire was much stronger than before! Chu Liuyue was stunned and was forced to take a step back due to the horrifying impact. Then, a pair of bloodied eyes appeared again, and all of the surrounding fire rapidly gathered together! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When the ferocious fiend previously formed apparitions, they were all in bits and pieces of fire, never like this, where all the fire gathered together. Hong! A loud sound suddenly erupted above her head. Chu Liuyue looked up and was shocked to see a ball of black karmic fire barging in from outside, rapidly merging with the apparition¡ªthat was the fire that had flown out previously! For some reason, all that fire abruptly returned at this time! Uneasiness filled Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Following the rapid gathering of the fire, the apparition became even more stable as it gradually formed a giant and clear outline. Chu Liuyue stared at it closely; the apparition was clearly exactly the same as the engraving on Jiuyou Tower¡¯s door. That gigantic black eagle had its wings crossed in front, and its pair of bloodied eyes were filled with endless murderous intent, sending chills down one¡¯s spine. Shua! Its wings suddenly expanded, and a sharp shriek reverberated throughout the entire Jiuyou Tower! ¡­ ¡°Quickly, look! The fire on top of Jiuyou Tower is disappearing!¡± Just as everyone was very anxious and worried that Jiuyou Tower would simply collapse, a gasp was suddenly heard from the crowd. Everyone looked over. Sun Zhongyan and the rest looked surprised. ¡°Uncle-Master, it seems like the Locking Heaven Formation is taking effect!¡± Ye Zhiting stared at it closely, and his expression suddenly changed! ¡°Oh no! Retreat now!¡± The crowd was confused. The next moment, Ye Zhiting suddenly flew toward the silver pestle in the middle. The fire outside Jiuyou Tower started pouring in with even greater speed. Ye Zhiting¡¯s hand harshly slammed on top of the silver pestle, and dense force crazily pervaded the pestle. The Locking Heaven Formation¡¯s force was once again strengthened. At this point, the others finally recovered their senses. That black fire wasn¡¯t extinguished, but it had flowed toward the tower. Even though they didn¡¯t know what was going on, anyone who saw this could feel that something was amiss. Bang! The crack on Jiuyou Tower became even larger as the outer layer started peeling at a rapid speed. Through the crack in the tower, the crowd could see an endless sea of black fire¡ªthe entire Jiuyou Tower seemed to be occupied by that fire. Sun Zhongyan and the others¡¯ hearts clenched tightly. Jiuyou Tower was in such a perilous situation; it would be hard for Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡ªwho were still stuck inside the tower¡ªto survive. Emperor Jiawen quickly walked forward, wanting to find a familiar figure in the fire. The Empress hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Zuo Rong and the rest immediately went forward and stopped him. What a joke! The people inside haven¡¯t come out yet; how can we allow more people to enter?! Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he looked like he had aged by a decade at that moment. After seeing his appearance, the Empress was jealous and satisfied at the same time. It¡¯s better if he¡¯s dead! Not far away, a group of students finally couldn¡¯t help but whisper. ¡°Oh no¡­ Jiuyou Tower really is going to collapse this time!¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of ferocious fiend is sealed under the tower! How can it be so powerful? If Director and the rest can¡¯t stop it¡­¡± ¡°Touch wood! What are you saying? How can Director and the rest not have a solution? Jiuyou Tower has existed for many years, and Director and the elders are all very formidable. They can definitely suppress it!¡± ¡°But if Jiuyou Tower is ruined¡­ There¡¯s a Pit of Heavenly Origins underneath it! I really wonder what will happen after today¡­¡± ¡°Be content! At least we still saved our own lives! As for Prince Li and Chu Liuyue, who are inside¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± At this time, Chu Ning¡ªwho had just finished instructing his subordinates¡ªheard what they said, and he instantly looked at the speaking people in shock. Yue¡¯er is inside too?! He had previously come in a hurry and was only preoccupied with dispersing the imperial guards to quarantine Tian Lu Academy. Hence, he didn¡¯t care about the rest. Chu Ning immediately surveyed his surroundings, and he really didn¡¯t see the familiar figure. He forced himself to calm down and collect his thoughts. Then, he took out a compass from his arms. The needle on the compass moved lightly and finally pointed at Jiuyou Tower. Chu Ning was worried and thankful at the same time. He was worried because Yue¡¯er was indeed trapped in Jiuyou Tower. He was thankful because the compass still reacting proved that Yue¡¯er was not in trouble yet. He put away the compass and immediately wanted to barge into Jiuyou Tower. ¡°Officer Chu, what are you doing?!¡± Zuo Rong saw Chu Ning¡¯s actions from the side and hurriedly stopped him. Chu Ning stared straight at Jiuyou Tower. ¡°Yue¡¯er is still inside! I¡ª¡± Hong! Long! Long! Dark clouds started to gather in the sky, and a thunderbolt struck. A silver flash suddenly appeared amidst the rumbling clouds. The crowd then saw lightning strike down rapidly¡ªit went straight for Ye Zhiting. Ye Zhiting had no choice but to retreat speedily. Hong! That lightning bolt accurately struck the silver pestle. The next moment, the countless sparks became shots of light as they shone down and covered the entire Jiuyou Tower. Bang! The stars suddenly exploded on top of the Locking Heaven Formation. An elder spat out blood, and the area under his feet quickly dimmed. Without waiting for the crowd to react, countless sounds erupted from the Locking Heaven Formation. Bang! Bang! Bang! At the same time, the gigantic Locking Heaven Formation started darkening at an observable speed. Then, it thoroughly collapsed! Chapter 304 - Retaliation! The Locking Heaven Formation collapsed! The few elders and teachers suffered the strong backlash, and they all dropped down. Even Ye Zhiting moved back a few steps. At this point, Jiuyou Tower was covered by countless rays of light, and the view was mesmerizing. But when the people present saw this scene, fear crept into their hearts! If the Locking Heaven Formation collapsed, then they would have no way to contain the ferocious fiend in Jiuyou Tower! ¡°Uncle-Master, what should we do?!¡± asked Sun Zhongyan hurriedly. Ye Zhiting swallowed the bloody scent rushing up his throat. ¡°Quick! Restore the Locking Heaven Formation!¡± ¡­ In Jiuyou Tower. Chu Liuyue clearly heard the thunder, and she also saw the lightning striking down at the same time before spreading from the top of the tower. Countless rays of light appeared on the walls around her, and they rushed toward the transparent cauldron in the middle. Gradually, a clear pattern appeared in the middle of the transparent cauldron. ¡°…d!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. This word¡­ Screech! At this moment, the black apparition in the transparent cauldron suddenly let out a shrill shriek. The next moment, it waved its wings violently and rushed straight for Chu Liuyue. Tuan Zi immediately blocked the apparition for Chu Liuyue. A gigantic wing swung across, and the terrifying wave of air caused Tuan Zi to fly. Chu Liuyue immediately hugged Tuan Zi into her arms and waved her palms. Then, a transparent barrier immediately appeared in front of them. Hong! The black fire smashed against the crystal barrier harshly! But this time, the black karmic fire seemed much stronger than before! After a momentary tense situation, a crack appeared on the crystal barrier. The maniacal murderous intent in the gigantic black eagle¡¯s eyes shone as it harshly slapped with its sharp claws. Kacha! The crystal barrier broke. Chu Liuyue looked up suddenly. The sharp claws were right in front of her eyes, and they were about to land and shred her into pieces. She moved backward without hesitation and waved her hands. Red fire suddenly emerged from her palm, and it formed a large screen at an observable speed. Hong! Hong! Hong! The two balls of fire slammed against each other harshly, and fire sparks exploded everywhere. The horrifying aftershocks spread and caused Chu Liuyue to fly backward. Bang! She hit the wall behind her. Her body shook, and she felt her internal organs being squeezed into a ball as if they were going to explode at any time. ¡­ At the same time, Rong Xiu¡ªwho was also inside Jiuyou Tower¡ªhad already walked up to the seventh floor. Upon seeing the destroyed seventh-floor barrier, a look of understanding flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes as if he had long guessed who had done this. The surrounding black karmic fire started spreading toward the seventh floor. But when it passed by Rong Xiu, it instinctively made way for him. Rong Xiu lifted his leg and continued walking forward. However, countless silver rays flowed over at this time and started repairing the damaged barrier at an observable speed. In the blink of an eye, the barrier had become as good as new. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes gradually turned cold, but his lips had curved up into a sinister smile. ¡°You want to stop me?¡± Nobody answered him, but the black karmic fire filled the barrier. It clearly didn¡¯t want Rong Xiu to go up to the seventh floor. Murderous intent flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes as he raised his hand with distinct joints slightly. A petrifying suppression quickly gathered, but Rong Xiu suddenly stopped just as his hand was about to land on the barrier. Rong Xiu closed his eyes as if he were listening closely to something. He then opened his eyes, and his brows moved as his expression became playful. ¡°It¡¯s actually¡­ Since this is so¡­¡± His palms moved, and a tremendous force rapidly gushed out! Then, this force rapidly froze outside the barrier, finally forming silver pillars as thick as a person¡¯s arm. From afar, it looked like a cage was locking up the seventh floor. Rong Xiu¡¯s scarlet lips curved up slightly as if he was waiting to watch a good show. ¡­ On the seventh floor. Chu Liuyue slowly rubbed her shoulders. The previous impact had almost crushed her shoulder blade. However, the screen formed by the red fire had luckily stopped the black karmic fire. Chu Liuyue watched the black fire and red fire battle intensely as she thought about how to get out of her current situation. She scanned her surroundings, and her gaze landed on the transparent cauldron. For some reason, she kept getting the feeling that the cauldron was silently calling for her. This feeling was initially very weak, but it became stronger and stronger, causing her to be unable to ignore it. The ferocious fiend has no physical body, only a soul. It surviving for thousands of years must have something to do with the Pit of Heavenly Origins. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know who contained the ferocious fiend here, but from the engraving on Jiuyou Tower, she could tell that Jiuyou Tower was meant to contain the beast. The black karmic fire kept burning on and on in the cauldron. Then¡­ There must be something wrong with the transparent cauldron! Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue was determined and went straight for the cauldron. Noticing Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions, the black apparition chuckled as if it were mocking Chu Liuyue¡¯s stupidity. That cauldron is a heavenly item! It isn¡¯t something that Chu Liuyue can touch! A stage-two warrior would probably die a horrible death before they even got near it. The pair of red eyes stared at Chu Liuyue with much mockery. It was just thinking of how to swallow Chu Liuyue whole; it hadn¡¯t expected Chu Liuyue to offer herself up. Chu Liuyue walked to the front of the cauldron, and her palm suddenly slammed on top of the …d pattern! Chapter 305 - Three-Eyed Legendary Eagle At this moment, bright light cascaded down. The transparent cauldron suddenly vibrated. It then flew into the air and started shrinking at an observable speed. In the blink of an eye, the cauldron had shrunk to the size of a human palm. Chu Liuyue looked at the mini cauldron in her palm in surprise. The cauldron was clear, clean, and intricate. Rather than looking like a cauldron, it appeared like a perfume stand used to give tribute gifts! In mid-air, the black eagle¡ªwhich was glaring at Chu Liuyue sinisterly¡ªhad shock written all over its face when it saw this scene. Chu Liuyue can actually go close to that cauldron! Moreover, that cauldron is actually¡ª Hong! The eagle¡¯s wings expanded with much strength as it charged toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked up! At this moment, the tiny transparent cauldron suddenly spun! Its sharp feet quickly cut Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. Choo! The bright-red blood flowed out, and the cauldron speedily absorbed it. Then, it disappeared! The next moment, the cauldron turned into bright light and directly entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s body through her wound. Dazed, Chu Liuyue quickly discovered that there was something extra in her dantian. Upon taking a closer look, she realized that it was indeed the transparent cauldron! It actually entered my dantian silently! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Before I have figured out what exactly this cauldron is, this type of situation is too risky¡­ But when Chu Liuyue wanted to extract the small cauldron, the water droplet¡ªwhich had been quiet since the start¡ªsuddenly floated. Black fire emerged from the cauldron. When the fire then tried to suck the water droplet¡ª Chi-la! The black fire suddenly died out! At the same time, a devastating shrill sounded in Chu Liuyue¡¯s ear. The fiend¡ªwhich was about to reach her¡ªsuddenly stopped and flew into the air with a painful shriek. Chu Liuyue was dazed; then, a bold assumption flashed across her heart. Chu Liuyue attempted to control the water droplet and move it toward the cauldron. Every time it inched closer, the black karmic fire in the cauldron would move back one step. At the same time, the originally ferocious apparition in front of Chu Liuyue started to weaken. Chu Liuyue gathered her thoughts, and the water droplet hurriedly spun in the cauldron. The black apparition finally broke down, and it completely disappeared. Chu Liuyue looked at her dantian. More than half of the black karmic fire in the cauldron was gone, leaving only a small speck. One could still vaguely see a pair of red eyes. The ferocious fiend¡¯s soul was obviously still hiding in that last speck of fire. As long as the water droplet got close to it, it could easily destroy the fiend¡¯s soul. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re just so-so.¡± Indignance flashed across the red eyes, which were filled with murderous intent. It never would¡¯ve thought that not only did the cauldron not kill Chu Liuyue, but it had even¡­ Chu Liuyue could feel its vengeance and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re indignant, but that¡¯s not important. The cauldron doesn¡¯t look bad, but as for you¡­ There really isn¡¯t a need for you to continue staying here.¡± As Chu Liuyue said that, she gathered her thoughts, and the water droplet rapidly flew toward the last speck of fire. A scream of mercy immediately sounded. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Are you willing to admit defeat now?¡± Fear flashed across the pair of eyes, but it kept quiet, obviously agreeing silently. ¡°It¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t need it.¡± Although Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know why the cauldron had entered her dantian, it was obvious that teaching the beast a lesson was now as easy as ABC for her. Hong Yao excitedly flew around Chu Liuyue, its eyes sparkling. It had heard the beast¡¯s devastating cry clearly. Chu Liuyue glanced at Hong Yao and smiled with understanding. ¡°You want to take revenge?¡± Hong Yao nodded and shook its head. As long as that beast can be taught a lesson, I don¡¯t really care about anything else, even if I can¡¯t personally end the other party¡¯s life. Besides, she is the one taking action! Hong Yao was very satisfied. Luckily I didn¡¯t beg Mu Qinghe to come help earlier on. Even without him, I can still take revenge! Chu Liuyue had long expected Hong Yao¡¯s answer, and she tapped its forehead. As expected, it likes to be as lazy as usual. Tuan Zi chuckled in contempt and waved its tail. Hong Yao glared at Tuan Zi angrily. Tuan Zi raised its claws and turned around to flaunt. There were no injuries on Tuan Zi¡¯s body at all, and it looked much more decent compared to the injured Hong Yao. Hong Yao was furious. Chu Liuyue decisively ignored the conflict between the two small ones as she gathered her focus and decided to destroy the ferocious fiend completely. Just as the last speck of black fire was about to be extinguished, a low voice sounded. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. This voice is the ferocious fiend¡¯s; it actually can talk! ¡°You¡¯re¡­ a legendary fiend?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in disbelief. In Mainland Xuan Wu, the levels of fiends were very strict. Rumors had it that a fiend could break past the barrier to transform into human form and speak when their cultivation level surpassed the ninth grade. A fiend that had surpassed such existences was known as a legendary fiend. Even in her previous life as the Heavenly Princess, she had never seen such an existence. She always thought that it was just a rumor, so she didn¡¯t expect a legendary fiend to be sealed under Jiuyou Tower! A translucent figure suddenly appeared in the fire. Like the engraving on Jiuyou Tower¡¯s main door, it was an eagle. It stared at Chu Liuyue. Even though its figure looked very illusory, the suppression emanating from its body couldn¡¯t be neglected. Chu Liuyue carefully sized the eagle up as many thoughts flashed across her mind. However, she still couldn¡¯t recall what kind of legendary fiend it was. ¡°¡­I have lived with the Heavenly Square Cauldron for thousands of years, and we depend on each other. If you¡¯re willing to let me go, I¡¯ll be very thankful toward you!¡± Chu Liuyue was tempted. Heavenly Square Cauldron? This name sounds familiar, but I can¡¯t remember where I heard it before. After a while, she decisively put the matter aside and focused on the legendary fiend again. ¡°You¡­ want me to let you go?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°If I really let you go, how are you going to repay me?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s within my abilities, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Chu Liuyue paused and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°This Heavenly Square Cauldron is very precious. If you let me leave, this item will automatically become yours.¡± In a seemingly smiling manner, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I think it has already willingly acknowledged me as its master. What should I do if I let you go and you come back to kill me? If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, you already had this thought when I first entered Jiuyou Tower, right?¡± Silence answered Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡¯m someone who likes to solve the problem by taking out its roots, so¡­¡± said Chu Liuyue as she prepared to destroy it utterly. ¡°With the legendary three-eyed eagle clan¡¯s reputation on the line, I swear that I will not harm you at all if you let me go back!¡± Chapter 306 Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ a legendary three-eyed eagle?¡± Rumors had it that this type of legendary fiend was born in the extreme desert and had the ability to know everything about heaven and earth. Chu Liuyue had never seen a true legendary fiend in her two lives. The reason why she knew about legendary three-eyed eagles was that she unintentionally saw information about it in Tianling Dynasty¡¯s secret records. She never expected that she would meet such a legendary fiend herself! Even if it was just a soul, it was astonishing enough! The legendary three-eyed eagle nodded. After a while, it seemed to be worried that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe it, so it closed its eyes. After a momentary silence, a vertical eye suddenly appeared in the center of its two eyes. There was no pupil in the vertical eye, just a red ellipse-shaped ball¡ªwhich looked very strange. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows and asked suspiciously, ¡°Isn¡¯t the third eye of legendary three-eyed eagles silver? Why is yours red?¡± Now, it was time for the legendary three-eyed eagle to be surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve seen my clan members before?¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a while. ¡°¡­My ancestors have seen it before.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle gave Chu Liuyue a meaningful look before slowly saying, ¡°In the past, our legendary eye was indeed silver. But after the battle thousands of years ago¡­ it utterly destroyed it. It¡¯s also the reason why I have been trapped here for thousands of years!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. No wonder someone would spend so much effort to build Jiuyou Tower. It turns out that it was to seal a legendary fiend. She was still very shocked when she first found out that a fiend was sealed within the Pit of Heavenly Origins. But everything would make sense if it were a legendary three-eyed eagle. Other than such a legendary existence, it was impossible for other fiends to live for thousands of years in the Pit of Heavenly Origins. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°Actually, this Heavenly Square Cauldron is used to contain you, right?¡± A sharp gleam flashed in the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. After a momentary tense situation, the legendary three-eyed eagle finally said, ¡°I forgot that the Heavenly Square Cauldron is in your body now¡­¡± In other words, it had already acknowledged Chu Liuyue as its master. Thus, she would be very clear about everything. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Even though there were also restrictions in Jiuyou Tower, they weren¡¯t enough to be a threat against the eagle. Even the Locking Heaven Formation couldn¡¯t restrain it fully. If there was only Jiuyou Tower, the eagle would¡¯ve long escaped. It was a pity that there was still the Heavenly Square Cauldron. This cauldron was the key to why it had been stuck here for thousands of years. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and didn¡¯t see a skeleton. ¡°Then¡­ your corpse¡ª¡± ¡°The karmic fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron is enough to burn everything to ashes,¡± stated the legendary three-eyed eagle coldly. Chu Liuyue was confused. ¡°Since this thing is so formidable, why didn¡¯t your soul disappear after being burned for so long?¡± Once Chu Liuyue finished her sentence, she could feel immense hatred burning in the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes. ¡°On purpose! He did it on purpose!¡± Its voice suddenly became shrill, causing Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears to ring. He? Who is he? Who is the person that trapped the legendary three-eyed eagle here? ¡°What did he do on purpose?¡± asked Chu Liuyue instinctively. This question seemed to trigger the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s painful memories. It shrieked terribly, with endless complaints and sorrow. ¡°He trapped me in this Jiuyou Tower and let the karmic fire within the Heavenly Square Cauldron burn me. However, he uses the force in the Pit of Heavenly Origins to nourish me. This made me struggle between life and death in pain forever and ever, without any chance of reincarnation!¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked. So this is what happened! It¡¯s actually like this! In this way, not only could it make the legendary three-eyed eagle suffer endlessly, but it can also prevent the eagle from escaping. Everything would end if it died, but the most terrifying thing is for it to be better dead than alive! I wonder what kind of grudge lies between him and the legendary three-eyed eagle. From this punishment, it seems like he¡¯s a harsh character. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but think of a rumor related to Tian Lu Academy. But after thinking for a while, she realized that she didn¡¯t know much about Tian Lu Academy¡¯s founder, who was also the first director. She didn¡¯t even know the person¡¯s name. In actual fact, it wasn¡¯t only her; the others seemed to be unfamiliar with him as well. Tian Lu Academy was a special existence in Country Yao Chen, and everyone knew that this was a top-notch academy for cultivators. However, barely anyone knew anything about Tian Lu Academy¡¯s early history. ¡°Then¡­ for so many years, you¡¯ve been trying to get out of here?¡± asked Chu Liuyue lightly. The legendary three-eyed eagle sneered. ¡°That¡¯s right! He thought he was smart and found a balance between the two to let me suffer eternally, but he never expected time to wear off everything!¡± These thousands of years had indeed passed by too slowly. Even the eagle had no idea how it survived day after day. When it was initially trapped, the eagle felt very tortured and just wanted to die. However, even dying was a luxury to it. The eagle then realized that it could absorb the force from the Pit of Heavenly Origins. The impurities in the intense and fierce force might cause an ordinary fiend to explode and die, but the eagle was a legendary fiend. Also, the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s karmic fire could coincidentally burn the impurities away. After a long while, the eagle silently absorbed the force from it and became stronger. Until today, when it could finally take a gamble! It had seen the Locking Heaven Formation thousands of years ago, so it long knew how to solve it. Chu Liuyue asked again, ¡°Then, why did you target me when I first entered Jiuyou Tower?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle fell silent for quite some time before its voice boomed. ¡°Because¡­ there¡¯s a very strong force in your body! I wanted to take the force, so I attacked you!¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. Is it referring to the water droplet in my dantian¡­? ¡°You¡¯re different from an average person, right? If not, you definitely can¡¯t come up to the seventh floor.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Tuan Zi. She was different from an average person, and Tuan Zi was different from an average fiend. ¡°Since you¡¯re now the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s owner, I won¡¯t be enemies with you.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Everyone outside is definitely alert, and the academy¡¯s elders and teachers definitely want to trap you again. If I let you go, how should I face them?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle kept quiet. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re just a soul. Even if I let you go, how far can you go? Without the force from the Pit of Heavenly Origins, how long can you survive?¡± asked Chu Liuyue lightly. Struggle flashed across the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes. After a long while, it suddenly raised its head and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°If you agree to extinguish the karmic fire, I will be willing to follow you!¡± Chapter 307 - Agreement ¡°Oh? Really?¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to be tempted. ¡°Of course! Even if I don¡¯t have a physical body, I¡¯m still strong. If I follow you, I can definitely be your right-hand man!¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle as its cold eyes swept past Tuan Zi and Hong Yao. Even though it didn¡¯t say anything, its meaning was very clear¡ªAs a legendary fiend, I¡¯m the strongest existence here! Not only in Country Yao Chen, but even in the entire Mainland Xuan Wu, a legendary fiend was an existence that couldn¡¯t be ignored. Tuan Zi was furious as it bared its fangs. What kind of gaze is that? You¡¯re just a legendary fiend. What¡¯s so incredible about that? You don¡¯t even have a physical body! You¡¯re far worse than me! Hong Yao¡¯s eyes turned as it flew to Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders as if it had no intentions of intervening in this matter. Hong Yao then brushed its feathers seriously. After that, a bloodstained feather dropped in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as if unintentionally. Hong Yao was instinctively stunned before it buried its head in Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck wrongfully, its eyes filled with tears. Even though Hong Yao didn¡¯t say anything, its series of actions was silently complaining about the violent actions the legendary three-eyed eagle had committed against it before. Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly and touched its wings. ¡°Okay, I know you¡¯re hurt. Look at its situation now; it¡¯s much worse than you. It¡¯s like you¡¯ve taken your revenge, right?¡± Hong Yao turned around and sniffed even harder. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Why is Hong Yao even more coy than before¡­? ¡°Hong Yao, if your Master sees this¡­¡± Hong Yao froze. Mu Qinghe had always been cold. No matter how much it whined or acted pitiful in front of him, it would be of no use. This was also the reason why it dared to be so daring in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡°If you find it too boring, I can bring you back at any time.¡± This sentence finally made Hong Yao realize the current situation as it stood at the side obediently. A legendary fiend isn¡¯t all that amazing. Previously, it was still acting strong, but now it¡¯s still surrendering to Chu Liuyue. If it really follows Chu Liuyue in the end, it must be behind me! At that time, I¡¯ll properly teach it a lesson about seniority! Thinking of this, Hong Yao was finally in a good mood as it waved its wings in satisfaction. Chu Liuyue looked at the legendary three-eyed eagle. ¡°There won¡¯t be anyone who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by the help of a legendary fiend¡­¡± It was the same even for her. She currently didn¡¯t have much power, so it would be much more convenient if such a great existence could truly help her. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes moved. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°So, I disagree.¡± Chu Liuyue rejected the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s suggestion with a smile. ¡°I can continue letting you stay in the Heavenly Square Cauldron and bring you out. This way, nobody will discover that you¡¯re hidden on me, and you can escape from this place. However, I won¡¯t extinguish the fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I will give you nourishment. Even though the water droplet in my dantian isn¡¯t the Pit of Heavenly Origins, it has very rich force. If you want, I can give you a portion of it from time to time so that you can maintain your current capabilities or even become stronger. You can choose to accept or reject this now.¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t stupid. The legendary three-eyed eagle was a legendary fiend. Even without its physical body, its remaining soul wasn¡¯t something to be trifled with. At least, it wasn¡¯t something that a mere stage-two warrior like her could control. If she really let the legendary three-eyed eagle escape, she might very well be its first target! The only thing that could contain it was the karmic fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Therefore, how could she possibly agree to extinguish the karmic fire? The legendary three-eyed eagle stared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Humans are indeed as cunning as before. No, you¡¯re even worse than him!¡± That person had a deep grudge against it in the beginning, so he thought of such a cruel way to torture it. Even though the eagle was indignant, it had to resign itself to its fate. But what about Chu Liuyue? She actually wants to control and use me just because she¡¯s the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s owner! ¡°You¡¯re not even trying to help me! You just want to make use of me!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with even deeper meaning as she openly admitted it. ¡°Yeap!¡± In her previous life, she had trusted people too easily, which led to her miserable outcome. She obviously had to be more vigilant in front of a legendary three-eyed eagle¡ªwhich had been trapped for thousands of years. ¡°So, do you agree or not? If you think this is too humiliating, it¡¯s okay. Considering the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s power, I can give you a quick death,¡± said Chu Liuyue openly. The legendary three-eyed eagle fell into deep silence and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°Since this is so, don¡¯t blame me-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll agree to your request!¡± hollered the legendary three-eyed eagle. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°You should¡¯ve agreed earlier! Why did you waste so much time?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle felt that it would definitely vomit blood after being angered by Chu Liuyue if its physical body was still around. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and gathered her focus. The quietly floating water droplet suddenly landed in the speck of black karmic fire inside the Heavenly Square Cauldron. ¡°Ah!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle let out a devastating shriek. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. As she checked the last speck of karmic fire, she said, ¡°You yourself previously said that you¡¯ve lived with the Heavenly Square Cauldron for years. I was thinking that the karmic fire should have your strength, right? I should check it properly. If not, I won¡¯t even know why I died.¡± Something seemed to be burning within the black karmic fire, letting out a strange ¡®zz¡¯ sound. It was coupled with the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s painful moans. Chu Liuyue turned a deaf ear to it. Very quickly, the karmic fire¡ªwhich was initially pure black¡ªgradually changed color! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused. As expected! This karmic fire indeed has too much of the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s strength! The eagle previously acted like a victim and begged Chu Liuyue to extinguish the fire as it wanted to provoke Chu Liuyue into leaving the fire behind. This was the most convenient outcome for it. However, it didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to have long seen through its plan. Gradually, its shrills weakened. The black color of the karmic fire also subsided. After the last bit of impurity had been removed, the last speck of karmic fire became thoroughly transparent, and it merged with the transparent Heavenly Square Cauldron. Only the faintly glowing …d symbol could be seen clearly. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s translucent soul also fainted as it was too weak. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and looked at her palm¡ªa faint …d symbol appeared. She then looked at her surroundings; it was empty. Hong long! A gigantic stone suddenly dropped down from above! Chu Liuyue was frightened by this. Jiuyou Tower is actually going to collapse! Chapter 308 - Hurt She turned around to leave! ¡°Tuan Zi, Hong Yao, let¡¯s go!¡± Now that the Heavenly Square Cauldron had become hers, and the legendary three-eyed eagle was in her hands, Jiuyou Tower could no longer hold on! Bang! Hong! Pak! Increasingly more stones started falling, and they hit the ground harshly! Dust flew up everywhere! Chu Liuyue hurriedly rushed to the seventh floor¡¯s staircase, wanting to go down. But she suddenly discovered that the barrier¡ªwhich Tuan Zi had bitten through¡ªhad become as good as new. Moreover, there seemed to be a cage layer outside the barrier. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. This¡­ Suddenly, the cage outside disappeared silently. A familiar bulky figure gradually appeared. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. Could it be¡­ The next moment, the person opposite her seemed to stretch his hands over and lightly tapped the barrier. The barrier quietly cracked from the middle! A clear and demon-like handsome face appeared in front of her! Chu Liuyue opened her mouth. ¡°Rong Xiu?! Why are you here?¡± Rong Xiu gave her a look of deep meaning before he extended his arms and hugged her. Hong! An entire wall suddenly collapsed and landed on the position that Chu Liuyue was previously standing at. Chu Liuyue leaned against Rong Xiu¡¯s chest and turned back to take a look. The originally empty seventh floor was very messy, and debris was everywhere. She lightly exhaled. Even though she could avoid this level of danger, she seemed to be more relaxed with Rong Xiu around. She remembered that Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t here when she came in. This meant that he came in after her. ¡°You came here after Jiuyou Tower had strange happenings?¡± asked Chu Liuyue softly. Rong Xiu let out an affirmative and hugged her tighter. Chu Liuyue looked up at him. ¡°Elder Wei Yun didn¡¯t stop you?¡± As the person in charge of taking care of Jiuyou Tower, Elder Wei Yun would definitely be the first to notice something amiss with Jiuyou Tower. Logically speaking, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have let Rong Xiu in. Rong Xiu looked at the worry in Chu Liuyue¡¯s crystal-clear eyes, and his lips curved up. ¡°Of course, he stopped me. However, he didn¡¯t succeed. Are you very worried?¡± Of course, Chu Liuyue was worried. Jiuyou Tower was very dangerous, yet Rong Xiu barged in like that. Elder Wei Yun and the rest would definitely suspect him. Rong Xiu had previously been hiding his abilities exceedingly well. If he was exposed because of this¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Rong Xiu lowered his head and kissed her soft lips. The soft and cold touch made Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind empty. Rong Xiu¡¯s blurred voice sounded from her lips. ¡°Just act out a show for me.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Rong Xiu chuckled as he bit on her lips with suitable strength. Chu Liuyue instinctively opened her mouth. Rong Xiu attacked her and hugged her for a while; he then stopped before he lost control. Chu Liuyue was kissed by him until tears welled up in her eyes. Rong Xiu glanced at her, and his gaze landed on her luscious lips as his eyes turned dark. It¡¯s a pity that Jiuyou Tower is about to collapse. If not, we could¡¯ve stayed here for a while longer. Even though Rong Xiu didn¡¯t dare to go overboard as he thought of the people they were going to meet later, he still couldn¡¯t control himself earlier and kissed her until her lips were slightly swollen. He held Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, and his thumb gently pressed on her lips. ¡°A good show.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him in confusion. The next moment, Rong Xiu suddenly let go of her, walked to the side, and picked up a rock. A strange feeling emerged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Huala! Rong Xiu calmly used the sharp edge of the rock to cut his arm. His snow-white shirt instantly ripped open, and a deep wound immediately appeared on his arm. Fresh blood spurted out, and it immediately stained his clothes red. ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately went forward and held his hand as she asked anxiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows, leaned in close to her ear, and spoke in a melodious voice. ¡°The beauty risked her life to save me. I have nothing to give her to repay her favor, so I can only marry her to make repayments.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. Rong Xiu actually plans to¡ª Huala! Rong Xiu cut his arm again. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt waves of pain as she held his hand. ¡°Rong Xiu, you don¡¯t have to do this! You really don¡¯t have to do this! There are many explanations; we can just think of one! You don¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°None of them are as convincing as this.¡± Rong Xiu lightly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s quite troublesome if we do things like that, and this is much better. Besides¡­ I don¡¯t wish to wait any longer.¡± For the both of us to walk together smoothly, nothing is a better reason than this one. Opportunities can¡¯t be begged for; these small wounds count as nothing. Chu Liuyue felt a pang in her heart. For some reason, her nose started to turn sour. Rong Xiu kissed her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to see it, don¡¯t look. We¡¯ll be out very soon.¡± However, Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to see it. I¡¯m just¡­¡± She paused before she whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see it.¡± Even though her voice was low, it sounded determined. Rong Xiu was dazed. Then, his face broke out into a smile. ¡°Even if my entire body is covered with wounds, it¡¯s worth that one sentence of yours.¡± He then raised his hand and cut himself again. Hong long! Jiuyou Tower collapsed even more! Rong Xiu held Chu Liuyue in his arms as the rocks landed everywhere. Chu Liuyue leaned against Rong Xiu¡¯s chest tightly, and her entire person was well-protected within his arms. She couldn¡¯t see anything at all, but she could clearly hear the noises of destruction from the surroundings, as well as the sounds of rocks landing on Rong Xiu¡¯s body¡­ A little while longer, and another while. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart also seemed to be hit by something again and again, causing her to be unable to breathe. She opened her eyes, and everything was black. Rong Xiu¡­ Rong Xiu¡­ He has extraordinary abilities, and he can clearly sit around and just watch without doing anything. He could clearly¡­ He is filled with ideas and strategies. With his abilities, it is as easy as ABC for him to come up with a believable explanation. However, he chose the most ¡®stupid¡¯ way. Even though he previously said a few reasons in a teasing manner, Chu Liuyue knew that they weren¡¯t important. Everyone knew that she was the only one left in Jiuyou Tower after the strange happenings occurred. In such a situation, Rong Xiu still chose to barge in. Anyone could guess his intentions. If someone intentionally made an issue of this, it could become a big matter for her. But if she ¡®saved¡¯ Rong Xiu, nobody could say anything. Thus, Rong Xiu had to be injured, and she had to bring him out. The intense, bloody scent permeated her nose. Chu Liuyue muttered, ¡°Rong Xiu, it¡¯ll be great if you didn¡¯t come in. If¡­¡± If you didn¡¯t like me. Rong Xiu hugged her even tighter. ¡°There are no ifs.¡± Chapter 309 - Alive Hong! Long! Long! Jiuyou Tower suddenly collapsed! Hopelessness was written all over the crowd¡¯s faces. Jiuyou Tower had been in Tian Lu Academy for many years, and it was the source of their pride. Nobody would¡¯ve expected that it would be ruined in such a manner! The most important thing was that there was a terrifying fiend inside it! Sun Zhongyan looked at Ye Zhiting worriedly. ¡°Uncle-Master, the Locking Heaven Formation is already destroyed, and Jiuyou Tower has completely collapsed. What should we do next?¡± Ye Zhiting knitted his brows and stared at the debris. ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan was dazed. ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡± ¡°Since the restrictions have all been destroyed, the fiend should¡¯ve rushed out. Why is there no commotion until now¡­¡± Hearing this, Sun Zhongyan also immediately realized something. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Ye Zhiting shook his head and walked forward. ¡°Uncle-Master!¡± Sun Zhongyan immediately stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Ye Zhiting waved the bloodstained fan in his hands and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m the director no matter what. Now that such a major thing has happened, why can¡¯t I go take a look personally?¡± Perhaps it was a wrong feeling, but he felt that the ferocious fiend¡¯s aura had disappeared. He didn¡¯t notice when this feeling occurred, but at this point, he really didn¡¯t detect any danger coming from the debris. Sun Zhongyan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you!¡± The two of them went forward. ¡­ Emperor Jiawen defeatedly looked at the scene as if all the strength in his body had been sucked away. Previously, it was extremely dangerous when the black fire wrapped around Jiuyou Tower. Now, Jiuyou Tower had completely collapsed and became debris. I¡¯m afraid Rong Xiu¡­ The Empress held his arm and softly comforted, ¡°Your Majesty¡­ My condolences¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± Emperor Jiawen was agitated by the word ¡®condolences,¡¯ and he pushed her harshly. As the Empress was careless for a moment, her body fell to the ground uncontrollably. ¡°I want to see his body, dead or alive! Now that everything isn¡¯t confirmed yet, who allowed you to curse him to death?¡± hollered Emperor Jiawen as his face flushed red, and his veins popped. The surroundings immediately fell into silence. Countless pairs of eyes landed on the Empress. As if there were many daggers in her back, the Empress felt humiliated. As the Empress, she was high and mighty. Since when had she ever been so humiliated? Even though His Majesty didn¡¯t dote on her much, he always respected her and had never made a move on her, not even reprimanding her much. But now, in front of so many people¡­ Her face was completely gone! ¡°Her Majesty!¡± Eunuch Min immediately came forward from the side. ¡°Her Majesty, are you okay?¡± As he spoke, he didn¡¯t forget to scold the people at the side. ¡°Are you blind? Why are you in a daze?¡± The palace maids¡ªwho were shocked¡ªonly recovered their senses then and hurriedly went forward to haphazardly help the Empress up. The Empress¡¯s crown was a little crooked, and her exquisite palace attire was stained with dust, causing her to look very unkempt. The palace maids glanced at her before rapidly lowering their heads, not saying anything. The Empress took a deep breath in, pushed them all away, and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. His Majesty was just too concerned about Prince Li and in a hurry¡­¡± ¡°Go! Help me find him! Even if you need to dig five feet under, you must get him out!¡± Emperor Jiawen shouted at his subordinates. He seemed to be oblivious to what was happening on this end as his eyes and heart were filled with Rong Xiu only. The Empress choked on her words, and her face felt like it was on fire. This was akin to slapping her across the face harshly. The surrounding gazes were like sharp knives that sliced right through her. She really wanted to leave immediately, but she clearly could not. She took a deep breath in, suppressed her feelings, rearranged her crown, and bowed toward Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me. I spoke nonsense. Actually, I¡¯m also very worried about Prince Li¡ª¡± Emperor Jiawen shot her a cold look as if he could see through everything. The Empress¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed her remaining words. Then, she guiltily looked away. Emperor Jiawen laughed in his heart. The Empress looks magnanimous, but in reality, she isn¡¯t like that at all. She didn¡¯t like that person at the start, so she definitely won¡¯t like her son now. If something really happened to Rong Xiu, she would probably be happier than everyone else! In the past, he just turned a blind eye to her actions. But now, he was too lazy to deal with her. On the other side, Chu Ning had already brought his men and rushed over at the first instance. He headed straight for a certain direction with hurried steps and a tense expression. The compass showed that Yue¡¯er was here, so she should still be fine¡­ Chu Ning walked to a corner and wanted to move the rock away. But he quickly realized that the problem was much more serious than he thought. The metal in Jiuyou Tower was quite special. The rock was only half a person¡¯s height, but it weighed a ton. Chu Ning was a stage-five warrior and could be considered one of the top warriors in the entire Country Yao Chen. But even if it were him, it wasn¡¯t easy to clear all the rocks here. When the imperial guards saw Chu Ning doing so, they hurriedly went over. ¡°Lord, did you discover something?¡± Chu Ning shook his head and didn¡¯t say anything, but he didn¡¯t stop moving. The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. Previously, they also heard Tian Lu Academy¡¯s people saying that Lord Chu Ning¡¯s only daughter¡ªChu Liuyue¡ªwas stuck inside. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s¡­ ¡°Go over there and move the rocks away,¡± commanded Chu Ning. The subordinates went their separate ways. Chu Ning kept digging, and his hands were quickly cut and bloodied. However, he didn¡¯t seem to be affected by it as he continued to clear the rocks stubbornly. When the crowd saw this, they had strange expressions. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Lord Chu Ning¡­? Even though His Majesty told us to look for people, he is too stubborn, right? Does he really want to flip over all the debris?¡± ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t you know that Chu Liuyue was also inside?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see! Then, isn¡¯t she also¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity. Lord Chu Ning has led a tough life these few years. Now that he finally made a name for himself, this happened¡­¡± Chu Ning turned a deaf ear to the crowd¡¯s comments. He then discovered a few more people around him. He looked up and realized that it was a few young and familiar faces. ¡°¡­Hongyu?¡± They were Mu Hongyu and Gu Mingfeng. Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes were red, but she looked determined. ¡°Uncle, let us help you!¡± Chu Ning felt his heart warm up and nodded. ¡°Help here.¡± The few of them immediately sprung into action. Upon seeing this, Zuo Rong and the rest couldn¡¯t watch on. ¡°Lord Chu Ning¡­ I know that you¡¯re very worried, and none of us wanted this to happen. However¡­¡± Chiu! A crisp sound was suddenly heard coming from the debris. Then, a bunch of rocks was suddenly pushed over by a green fire. A green sparrow quickly flew out, and two figures appeared before the crowd. Chapter 310 - For Her ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± ¡°Prince Li!¡± Everyone was shocked when they saw the two people appear. Aren¡¯t the two people holding each other and walking out Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, who were stuck in Jiuyou Tower earlier? Chu Ning walked over with big strides. As he sized Chu Liuyue up, he anxiously asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er! Are you okay?¡± His heart felt a pang when he saw the bloody mess and dirt on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips were dry and white as she weakly shook her head. ¡°No¡­ But His Highness¡­¡± Chu Ning then saw that Rong Xiu¡ªwhom Chu Liuyue was holding¡ªseemed to be in a worse condition. Rong Xiu¡¯s face was as pale as ever, and he was barely breathing. It seemed as though he could faint at any moment. Moreover, he had many wounds on his body, and some of them were so deep that one could see his bones. ¡°Your Highness, what happened?¡± ¡°Seven!¡± When Emperor Jiawen saw Rong Xiu come out, he was surprised and elated as he hurriedly walked over. But when he saw that Rong Xiu¡¯s body was covered with wounds, his happiness immediately subsided and was replaced with deep shock and worry. ¡°Seven, what happened to you?! Zuo Rong? Elder Sun? Come over and take a look!¡± Zuo Rong was originally beside him and hurriedly went forward when he heard the Emperor¡¯s call. Sun Zhongyan, Elder Ye, and the rest¡ªwho planned to enter the debris not far away¡ªalso rushed over when they heard the commotion. Ever since the Empress saw Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu appear, she stood rooted to the ground and couldn¡¯t recover her senses for a long time. The two of them¡­ The two of them are actually not dead?! Such a big commotion erupted in Jiuyou Tower¡ªFirst came the fire; then, the collapse! How lucky must they be for them to come out alive?! But when she saw how Emperor Jiawen had already walked over, she clenched her teeth and could only follow. ¡­ Zuo Rong took Rong Xiu¡¯s pulse. Emperor Jiawen asked, ¡°How is he?¡± Zuo Rong knitted his brows and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry too much first. His Highness¡¯s wounds are mostly superficial, and he can quickly recover as long as he rests properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± The stone in Emperor Jiawen¡¯s heart was finally put down. Even though he¡¯s injured, at least he¡¯s alive! It¡¯s already much better than I imagined! Zuo Rong said hesitantly, ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Emperor Jiawen was stunned. ¡°But¡­ His Highness¡¯s body has always been weak, and we finally managed to slightly nourish him to health previously. This time¡­ I¡¯m afraid we have to restart the process.¡± Disappointment flashed across Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes. Rong Xiu has always been frail since he was young. Now that he finally turned for the better, this¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can talk about this later. The most important thing now is to treat the wounds on his body!¡± Rong Xiu forcefully pulled at his pale lips, and his voice was soft. ¡°Father¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen hurriedly said, ¡°Rest first! We can talk about anything later!¡± At this moment, Ye Zhiting and Sun Zhongyan had already walked over. ¡°Lass, how are you?¡± The first thing in Ye Zhiting¡¯s eyes was his precious disciple. Chu Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°Mentor, I¡¯m fine. You should take a look at Prince Li first.¡± Ye Zhiting relaxed quite a bit when he noticed that she was speaking fine, though she looked disheveled. ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± Even though he really wanted to take Chu Liuyue¡¯s pulse, he thought that his precious disciple might be better than him at this. Thus, he decisively gave up. She always knew what to do. Hence, he looked at Rong Xiu. He walked forward and asked Zuo Rong, ¡°How is he?¡± Zuo Rong briefly explained Rong Xiu¡¯s condition. Ye Zhiting listened as he helped Rong Xiu take his pulse. Everyone present knew that Ye Zhiting was the strongest heavenly doctor here, so nobody felt that it was unnecessary for him to read the pulse a second time. Instead, they felt more secure. After a temporary silence, Ye Zhiting nodded, took out a pill, and fed it to Rong Xiu. ¡°His Highness¡¯s body is fine. I¡¯ll help you stop the bleeding first. When we go back, I¡¯ll treat your wounds. In less than half a month, your superficial injuries can all heal. As for your internal ones¡­¡± ¡°He has internal injuries?!¡± interrupted Emperor Jiawen. Ye Zhiting looked at him as if it was obvious. ¡°Of course. His wounds were clearly made when the rocks crashed down. Also, Jiuyou Tower¡¯s stones are very heavy, so it¡¯s normal for them to cause internal injuries. But there¡¯s no need to worry since the earlier pill can help his blood circulate and heal His Highness¡¯s internal injuries. He probably needs a month or so to recover fully, but Your Majesty, you don¡¯t have to be overly worried.¡± Emperor Jiawen was worried and happy. Knowing that this was already the best result, he could only nod. ¡°Thank you, Elder Ye.¡± Ye Zhiting exchanged a few words with Zuo Rong softly. Zuo Rong wiped the sweat away from his forehead. ¡°Thank you for your enlightenment, Director!¡± Previously, he was too anxious and was never a master in this area. Hence, he didn¡¯t realize that Rong Xiu¡¯s internal organs had problems as well. Emperor Jiawen was luckily too focused on Rong Xiu, so he didn¡¯t notice this. ¡°Seven, you can¡¯t do this in the future anymore! Jiuyou Tower is so dangerous; how can you go there?¡± said Emperor Jiawen softly. It seemed like a scolding, but everyone could tell the worry in his voice. After today, everyone in the Imperial City would know that His Majesty really doted on Prince Li. Even the Crown Prince might not receive such treatment. Some people huddled together and whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that His Majesty really doted on this Prince Li. If not, it would be impossible to confer him a title once he came back. Now, it seems like it¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°For so many years, when did you see His Majesty being so concerned about his princes and princesses? Even the unruly Fourth Princess back then didn¡¯t receive such treatment, right?¡± ¡°Hmph, now that Fourth Princess has already become an invalid, how can they be compared? The Crown Prince though¡­ Did you hear that the Crown Prince accidentally angered His Majesty a while back and was grounded in Crown Prince Mansion for quite some time? His Majesty even recollected some of his authority. Could it be that His Majesty is changing his mind?¡± ¡°Shh! Speak softer! Can¡¯t you see that His Majesty and the Empress are behind? Though, I don¡¯t think so. Think about it, even if His Majesty really loves Prince Li, how can a sickly person bear such huge responsibilities?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But if Prince Li¡¯s body can become better, he might really be the Crown Prince¡¯s strong competitor.¡± The Empress could only hear bits and portions of the whispers. However, they were enough for her to be filled with indignance. She forcefully suppressed her tumultuous feelings as she looked at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. ¡°Prince Li, I heard that you went into Jiuyou Tower after it started burning. It was so dangerous then, so why did you go in?¡± Her voice was light and gentle as she smiled slightly, but her eyes were icy cold. ¡°I heard that only Ms. Chu was inside, right? Your Highness, did you get into all this mess just because you wanted to save her?¡± Chapter 311 - Retort The sentence that the Empress lightly said was as if a poisonous snake had spat out shingles and was filled with venom. Once this kind of situation was confirmed, it wasn¡¯t something good for both Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. In that case, the crowd would think that Rong Xiu was a devoted person that would sacrifice everything for a woman, and Chu Liuyue would be known as a ¡®femme fatale.¡¯ No matter how much Emperor Jiawen was biased toward Rong Xiu, he couldn¡¯t pass his kingdom to such a person. At the very least, the officials in court wouldn¡¯t agree. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ it went without saying. The royal family always avoided such women like the plague. As expected, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression froze once she said that. The situation was previously too tense, and he didn¡¯t have the time to think about this. Now that the Empress mentioned it, he also felt that something was amiss. ¡°Rong Xiu, Liuyue, was what the Empress said true?¡± He suspiciously sized the two of them up. Thinking back closely, these two people did come out together. Did Rong Xiu really enter the tower because of Chu Liuyue? Probably because Rong Xiu had used Ye Zhiting¡¯s pill, but his face looked a lot better. His pale lips moved slightly, and he forced a smile. ¡°Father, that¡¯s not what happened. I went in for another reason. It was just that I coincidentally met Ms. Chu inside, so we came out together.¡± The Empress sneered in her heart, but she didn¡¯t show it on the surface. Instead, she gently asked, ¡°Oh? So it seems like it¡¯s just a coincidence? But¡­ why are you so injured, Prince Li? On the other hand, Ms. Chu doesn¡¯t seem like she suffered much. People not in the know would think that you, Prince Li, were injured because you wanted to save her.¡± She then glanced at Emperor Jiawen and sighed. ¡°Luckily you have a tough life, Prince Li. If not, if you really¡­ His Majesty would be devastated! Don¡¯t you think so, Your Majesty?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s gaze swept past Chu Liuyue, and it was filled with judgment. The Empress¡¯s words were logical. Anyone who saw the duo¡¯s situation would think that it was weird. ¡°Speaking of it, Prince Li and Ms. Chu really have some affinity. Previously at the Crown Prince¡¯s banquet, Prince Li seemed to take extra care of Ms. Chu.¡± Emperor Jiawen knitted his brows slightly. That¡¯s right! I remember this too. Even though it was just a small matter, it did seem weird now that I think about it. The Empress lowered her voice and suddenly laughed. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just casually talking about it. Prince Li didn¡¯t spend much time in the Imperial City, so he shouldn¡¯t be too familiar with Ms. Chu beforehand. All of these are just my conjectures. Besides, if Prince Li really likes Ms. Chu, it¡¯s a good thing!¡± However, there were no signs of happiness on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face. Rong Xiu smiled warmly. ¡°Father, I actually have to thank Ms. Chu for today. If she didn¡¯t save me in time, I¡¯m afraid I would¡¯ve died in Jiuyou Tower.¡± Everyone was stunned. Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ Liuyue saved you?¡± ¡°Yeah. At that time, cough cough¡ª¡± Rong Xiu clenched his fist, placed it on his lips, and coughed. ¡°When Jiuyou Tower started collapsing, I was trapped on the sixth floor, and my injuries came from there. At that time, the sixth floor was sealed by rocks that dropped down, and I had no way of getting out. Luckily I met Ms. Chu at that time¡­ She was the one who helped me and brought me out without regard for danger. That¡¯s why I can see daylight again. If not¡­¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t continue speaking, but his meaning was clear enough. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression looked much warmer. ¡°So it seems like you didn¡¯t get injured because of her. Instead, she saved you?¡± Rong Xiu slightly nodded. ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Emperor Jiawen then heaved a sigh of relief, and he looked at Chu Liuyue with a different gaze from before. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened! Liuyue, it seems like we really have to thank you this time around! Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t by my side all these years. Now his body finally recovered, and he returned to the Imperial City. If something really happened¡­ How would I explain it to Wan¡¯er¡­?¡± He suddenly paused in his sentence, and pain flashed across his eyes. The Empress looked down and hid her jealousy and hatred. She then smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what happened; I really got it wrong. I didn¡¯t expect a thin girl like Ms. Chu to be able to save Prince Li from such a perilous situation. You¡¯re incredible!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. It seems like the Empress isn¡¯t giving up. She still wants to drag me down, even though Rong Xiu has said this much. It¡¯s a pity that such methods won¡¯t work here. Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Ms. Chu also took first place in the Qing Jiao Competition¡¯s warrior and Xuan Master competitions, while I am sickly all year round. Of course, I can¡¯t compare to her in this area.¡± The Empress was stumped. I actually forgot about this! Although Chu Liuyue looks thin, she has strength! Chu Liuyue bent her knees and bowed, looking very humble. ¡°Thank you for your praises, Her Majesty. Even though my little ability isn¡¯t enough to impress you, it¡¯s my honor to be able to help Prince Li a little.¡± The Empress was speechless. If Chu Liuyue has ¡®little¡¯ ability, then what about the people that lost to her at the Qing Jiao Competition? ¡°What? Lass, you came in first at the Qing Jiao Competition?¡± Ye Zhiting suddenly spoke up, and he was shocked. After he came out from his seclusion, he had been busy with Jiuyou Tower¡¯s matters. Hence, he didn¡¯t have the time to care about anything else. Sun Zhongyan chuckled. ¡°Uncle-Master, I almost forgot to tell you about this. Liuyue did come in first in two competitions!¡± Ye Zhiting¡¯s eyes widened, and he took a while to recover his senses. ¡°What about the heavenly doctor competition?¡± Chu Liuyue frankly said, ¡°Mentor, I didn¡¯t sign up for the heavenly doctor competition.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Ye Zhiting was instantly disappointed. Even though he knew Chu Liuyue might not even look up to the Qing Jiao Competition considering her standards, no matter what¡­ she was his disciple. She took first place in two competitions, but they had nothing to do with heavenly doctors¡­ It would be a lie to say that he wasn¡¯t disappointed. Sun Zhongyan held in his laughter and said, ¡°Uncle-Master, even though Liuyue didn¡¯t sign up for the competition, she was the one who produced the pill that won first place.¡± Ye Zhiting was dazed. Sun Zhongyan briefly explained the entire incident. ¡°¡­So from a certain perspective, Liuyue also won first place for the heavenly doctor competition!¡± said Sun Zhongyan emotionally as he looked at the Empress with deep meaning. ¡°And now, Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Lieutenant Mu has already chosen Liuyue, and he has high expectations of her!¡± The Empress¡¯s body shook. She didn¡¯t like the person that Mu Qinghe did. Wasn¡¯t this finding trouble for herself? ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± The Empress was very anxious, and she wanted to explain herself, but she realized that harping on this topic would be disadvantageous for her. An idea popped in her mind as she suddenly thought of something and retorted, ¡°Oh, right. There seems to be a barrier on every floor of Jiuyou Tower. Prince Li, your body is frail, so how did you go up to the sixth floor?¡± Chapter 312 - Grant our Marriage The moment she said that, the surroundings fell silent. Even Sun Zhongyan and the rest couldn¡¯t help but look at Rong Xiu. Actually, this was also what they were most curious about. During the situation back then, even Wei Yun was stopped outside of Jiuyou Tower. However, Rong Xiu smoothly barged into the tower and had successfully made it to the sixth floor. One needed to know that even Sun Zhongyan and the rest could only go to the fifth floor at best. The Empress stared straight at Rong Xiu as many conjectures popped up in her heart. Ever since Rong Xiu came back, he has been staying in his residence. Other than nourishing his health, it seems like he has rarely participated in other tasks. It seems like he has no desires and is very docile, but I just feel that there is something amiss. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was wrong, but it was a gut feeling that told her that Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t as simple and harmless as he seemed on the surface. If he really was a sickly person, how did he enter Jiuyou Tower and go up to the sixth floor? Countless eyes landed on Rong Xiu with a deep meaning of inspection. Rong Xiu looked calm, and he smiled lightly. However, his smiling intent didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°The reason why I can reach the sixth floor is that my mother had gone up there before.¡± Emperor Jiawen was shocked. ¡°What did you say?¡± Rong Xiu took out something from his arms; it was an oval-shaped, palm-sized jade pendant. It was completely jade green in color like tree leaves that had just sprouted¡ªcrystal clear. Some patterns were carved on the jade pendant. Chu Liuyue used her peripheral vision to look at it, and she realized that a peach blossom pattern seemed to be carved on it. It was clearly a jade pendant made from high-quality jade, but there was nothing special about it other than that. But when Emperor Jiawen saw the jade pendant, his entire face changed. He quickly went forward as if he wanted to take a closer look at that jade pendant. However, he suddenly paused when he stretched out his hands halfway. Chu Liuyue had never seen such an expression on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face before¡ªcomplication, conflict, reminiscence, and regret¡­ Chu Liuyue scanned her surroundings and saw that the Empress¡ªwho was standing behind Emperor Jiawen¡ªhad a pale face as if she had seen something terrifying. A thought popped up in her mind, and she had roughly guessed the jade pendant¡¯s origins. ¡°W-where did you get this jade pendant from?¡± asked Emperor Jiawen with a shaky voice. ¡°The sixth floor,¡± answered Rong Xiu lightly. ¡°When I saw that Jiuyou Tower was on fire, I remembered that this item was still on the sixth floor. I was worried about it, so I went up without a care. Even though I¡¯m injured, I luckily still managed to get the item back in one piece.¡± ¡°This was the first present your mother personally gave me back then¡­ When she left the palace, she took it with her. I-I tried finding this for many years, but I didn¡¯t expect¡ª¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s heart seemed to be clogged, and he didn¡¯t say anything else for a long time. Chu Liuyue instantly understood the situation. It turned out that this jade pendant was the love token between Emperor Jiawen and Consort Wan. It was no wonder that Emperor Jiawen had such a strong reaction. It seemed like he truly loved Consort Wan deeply. Back then, rumors had it that Consort Wan was the most favored in the palace. But she later fell out with Emperor Jiawen for some reason and left the palace in a fit of anger. Then, she entered Tian Lu Academy and became a teacher. She had never returned to the palace again, even after she died. Nobody knew what happened back then, which even made Consort Wan take back the love token she gave out. It seemed like she didn¡¯t want to leave any item for Emperor Jiawen to reminisce. It now seemed like a large portion of why Emperor Jiawen thought highly of Rong Xiu was because of Consort Wan. Rong Xiu looked at Emperor Jiawen¡¯s moved appearance, and he still smiled warmly. But in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, this smile had a clear distance to it. It was obvious that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t care about Emperor Jiawen¡¯s reaction at all. ¡°Before Mother passed on, she told me that she left this item on the sixth floor of Jiuyou Tower, and she instructed¡­ Unless absolutely necessary, I wasn¡¯t supposed to tell you about it. Thus, I hope you¡¯ll forgive me, Father.¡± Emperor Jiawen was stunned. ¡°She really still hates¡­ Never mind, you did it for her anyway. It¡¯s right that you didn¡¯t tell me. Since the item is with you, then you can keep it in the future.¡± Emperor Jiawen then sighed, and he looked as if he had aged a century within that one moment. ¡°I¡¯m tired; I¡¯ll head back to the palace first.¡± Then, Emperor Jiawen turned around to leave, not waiting for anyone to say anything. The Empress was dazed, and her heart was filled with confusion. He left? His Majesty just left? Wasn¡¯t he asking Rong Xiu how he got up to the sixth floor? Rong Xiu only mentioned the jade pendant briefly, and he doesn¡¯t want to ask anymore? The Empress turned around to look at Emperor Jiawen¡ªwho had left¡ªand her rationality told her that she should immediately follow him. However, too many things had happened today, and she couldn¡¯t control the urge in her heart. Hence, she still asked persistently, ¡°Prince Li, this is Consort Wan¡¯s belongings, and you¡¯re filial to risk your life to get it back. Your actions are praiseworthy, but¡­ you haven¡¯t clearly explained how you got up to the sixth floor.¡± Stifled laughter was suddenly heard from the side. The Empress turned around and realized that it came from Ye Zhiting. Ye Zhiting shook the fan in his hands and slowly asked, ¡°Her Majesty, don¡¯t you know that the jade pendant is a Yuan instrument?¡± The Empress was dazed. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°That item was placed on the sixth floor, and Rong Xiu is Consort Wan¡¯s descendant, so he naturally can go up.¡± Ye Zhiting was initially filled with suspicion. However, he immediately understood everything when he saw the jade pendant. Looking at the Empress¡¯s persistent questioning, he couldn¡¯t help but feel irritated and lazily said, ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t know about this, Her Majesty. That¡¯s true; it¡¯s normal if you don¡¯t know things between His Majesty and Consort Wan.¡± The Empress was so angry that her face turned pale, but she didn¡¯t dare to rebut Ye Zhiting in public. Even though she was the Empress, even Emperor Jiawen had to give Ye Zhiting face, let alone her. There were so many pairs of eyes glued on her from the surroundings, which made her feel even more awkward. It seemed like she couldn¡¯t do anything about Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue now, so she had to find another opportunity. Thinking of this, the Empress forced a smile. ¡°Thank you for solving my question, Elder Ye. Since His Majesty has left, I won¡¯t stay here any longer.¡± Then, she hurriedly turned around and followed Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Father, please stay.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly opened his mouth, and his clear and cold voice sounded like jades crashing against each other. Emperor Jiawen¡ªwho had already walked a distance¡ªturned his head in confusion when he heard this. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Rong Xiu stepped forward. ¡°I have a request to make.¡± Rong Xiu stood there and looked very tall and handsome. His body was clearly stained with blood, but the composure and elegance in his face made one fear him unknowingly. Emperor Jiawen asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips strangely curved up. ¡°This time, it¡¯s false that I went into Jiuyou Tower to save Ms. Chu, but it¡¯s true that I do like Ms. Chu.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She then saw the calm and composed man stretch out his arm, lift up his robe, and kneel down. ¡°I have no other requests in my entire life. I just want to do what my mother said¡ªto hold one person¡¯s hand and grow old with her for the rest of my life. Father, I hope you¡¯ll grant this marriage.¡± Chapter 313 - I Object Chu Liuyue had never seen this man kneel down before. To the outsiders, he was the frail Prince Li¡ªdocile and humble and had no conflicts with the world. However, Chu Liuyue knew that he was strong. Rong Xiu killed people without batting an eyelid, and he was one of the most distinguished strong warriors in the world! This type of man would never bow down to anyone. But at this moment, he knelt down so swiftly because of her. This was just to have a legitimate marriage. Chu Liuyue felt like something was oozing out of her heart, which made her limbs numb, and her eyes dreamy. Her surroundings became blurred, but only that one person¡¯s figure was increasingly clear. He wore white, and his entire body was stained with blood. Those terrifying wounds were everywhere, and it was shocking. However, he held his head high as if he could forever hide her from the extremities of the weather. Rong Xiu left so many wounds on his body without hesitation, but he couldn¡¯t bear to stain her with even a tiny bit of blood. He said: It is true that I like her. He said: To hold one person¡¯s hand and grow old with her for the rest of his life. He said¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned red, and something hard in her heart broke silently. She suddenly recalled that if she didn¡¯t experience that heartbreaking betrayal in her previous life and hadn¡¯t been reborn, she would¡¯ve never met Rong Xiu for her entire life. If Rong Xiu was the compensation given by heaven, then she would finally and willingly accept all the pains she had suffered. Some scars would never go away. Once one looked at them, they would remember how much they suffered back then. But now, someone finally could give her more happiness and could refill the empty spaces one by one, giving her a safe and happy future. This was her greatest fortune. ¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s words shocked everyone present. Emperor Jiawen almost suspected that he had heard wrongly. ¡°W-what did you say? Y-you want me to grant you a marriage between you and Liuyue?¡± Rong Xiu lightly nodded, and his gaze was calm and determined. This was clearly not an impulsive decision. Emperor Jiawen opened his mouth as he looked at the both of them with a complicated gaze. Rong Xiu is actually interested in Chu Liuyue¡­ Even though it is surprising, it is still logical upon closer thought. In terms of looks, Chu Liuyue is definitely at the top of the country. In terms of abilities, Chu Liuyue has just taken first place in two competitions of the Qing Jiao Competition, and she is undeniably a top talent. In terms of background, even though Chu Liuyue and her father quarreled with the Chu family, Chu Ning is currently the imperial guards¡¯ Commander-in-Chief, while Chu Liuyue is even Ye Zhiting¡¯s only disciple. No matter what way one looked at it, Chu Liuyue is definitely deserving of Rong Xiu. Besides, Rong Xiu took the initiative to request it this time. All these years, Rong Xiu has never asked for anything. He only asked this one time¡ªfor a marriage! Emperor Jiawen suddenly remembered that Rong Xiu used all sorts of reasons to reject him when he wanted Rong Xiu to choose his wife. He didn¡¯t realize it at that point in time, but thinking back on it now, Rong Xiu probably already had this idea back then. I actually could not tell all this while¡­ But after the shock, an idea popped up in Emperor Jiawen¡¯s head, and he felt that this was a decent idea. Rong Xiu should marry someone, and Chu Liuyue is very outstanding. Moreover, she can forgo the dangers ahead just to save him, so she is indeed a good choice. His expression changed. ¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s sudden request for marriage shocked everyone, and they didn¡¯t know how to react. Quite a few women in the crowd looked disappointed and regretful. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Prince Li to like Chu Liuyue¡­¡± ¡°How is this surprising? After all, Chu Liuyue is very outstanding in all areas. In the past, everyone avoided her because she had offended the Chu family and the Crown Prince, but things have changed after the Qing Jiao Competition! I heard that quite a few aristocratic children proposed to her. But since Prince Li has already made a request personally, I¡¯m afraid that the others won¡¯t have a chance¡­¡± ¡°Hah, actually, other than his looks, Prince Li is not very good in other aspects. The strong rule the world. There¡¯s nothing to want from a frail, sickly person like him.¡± ¡°Anyway, His Majesty dotes on Prince Li dearly. So what if he¡¯s a frail, sickly person? I think some people are just being sour grapes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± ¡­ Situ Xingchen¡ªwho was standing at a quiet corner¡ªlooked at the faraway scene in a daze as her hands and legs turned cold. All sorts of discussions from the surroundings entered her ears, and they formed daggers that struck her heart. She clearly wasn¡¯t injured, but she felt pain all over her body for some reason. Initially, she was quite worried when she saw that Rong Xiu was heavily injured, and she wanted to go forward and comfort him later on. But her legs now felt like they were filled with iron, and they were as heavy as ever. She had clearly heard what Rong Xiu said earlier¡ªHe actually said that he likes Chu Liuyue! He even took the initiative to ask for her hand in marriage! Situ Xingchen had known Rong Xiu for so many years, and she had never heard him say ¡®please.¡¯ Now, he was willing to do so for Chu Liuyue! What¡¯s so good about that cunning and scheming Chu Liuyue?! Situ Xingchen clenched her fists tightly and harshly shut her eyes. ¡­ Chu Ning quietly walked to Chu Liuyue and shot her a questioning gaze¡ªWhat¡¯s going on with Prince Li? Why did he suddenly ask His Majesty for your hand in marriage? Is it true when he said that he likes Yue¡¯er? And does Yue¡¯er like Prince Li? Chu Ning¡¯s gaze swept past the two of them, and he felt that his question was redundant. If there really was nothing between the both of them, why would they come out of Jiuyou Tower together? I actually didn¡¯t notice this at all! ¡­ Emperor Jiawen looked at Rong Xiu, and many thoughts flashed across his mind. In the end, he only thought of Rong Xiu¡¯s last sentence. He spoke every word clearly as he asked, ¡°Have you chosen her for sure?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll fulfill my request.¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, what about you?¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°It will be my honor.¡± Emperor Jiawen kept quiet for a while and finally laughed. ¡°Hahaha, great! Since this is so, then¡ª¡± At this point, a voice was suddenly heard from far away. ¡°Wait! I object to this marriage!¡± Chapter 314 - Remove the Crown Prince The crowd looked over and realized that the incoming person was the Crown Prince, Rong Jin. Ever since Rong Jin was openly humiliated by Mu Qinghe at the palace banquet, he had been staying at Crown Prince Mansion the whole time. He had planned to wait for a while until the incident was over. Hence, he didn¡¯t make any moves, even when he had heard about the strange happenings in Jiuyou Tower. He only rushed over when he heard that even his father and mother were was there. However, he didn¡¯t expect to hear Rong Xiu asking his father to grant him a marriage the moment he reached the place. Also, it was for him and Chu Liuyue! Rong Jin couldn¡¯t care about anything else as he stopped them without thinking. Rong Jin hastened his steps and rushed to Emperor Jiawen under everyone¡¯s gazes. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and opened his mouth with much difficulty. ¡°Father! You can¡¯t agree to this!¡± ¡°Crown Prince, you¡¯re too rude!¡± Emperor Jiawen knitted his brows. Who does he think he is? How dare he suddenly pop out at this timing and talk to me with such a tone? Rong Jin was stunned and then realized that his actions were really unsuitable. However, the situation was tense, and he had no other way. When the Empress saw Rong Jin, she immediately recalled that he had stupidly said that he wanted to remarry Chu Liuyue as his Crown Princess, and her heart skipped a beat. Is Rong Jin crazy to pop out at such a time?! ¡°Crown Prince, there¡¯s nothing for you to do here. Dismiss yourself first,¡± said the Empress with determination and a hint of warning in her voice. However, Rong Jin wouldn¡¯t heed any advice at this time. I¡¯ve finally realized that I like Chu Liuyue with much difficulty. How can I just let this slip by? It is impossible if they want me to just give her to someone else. Thinking of this, Rong Jin clenched his teeth and directly knelt down. ¡°Father, granting a marriage is a very serious matter. I hope you¡¯ll reconsider your decision.¡± Emperor Jiawen knitted his brows even tighter. It is a good thing to grant a marriage. Why does it sound like something evil when coming from Rong Jin¡¯s mouth? ¡°You object? Rong Jin, even though you¡¯re the Crown Prince, you¡¯re in no position to butt in for the marriages I want to grant.¡± Due to the incident at the palace banquet, Emperor Jiawen was still upset with Rong Jin. In addition to today¡¯s series of events, Emperor Jiawen had lost all patience. Thus, he didn¡¯t give Rong Jin any face at all. The Empress noticed that Emperor Jiawen was about to rage, so she hurriedly went forward and helped Rong Jin up. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what your father said? Get up quickly! Prince Li and Ms. Chu are in love with each other, and they¡¯re a good couple. If you say any more nonsense, don¡¯t blame me for punishing you!¡± The Empress pinched Rong Jin¡¯s arm harshly and shot him a threatening gaze from an angle that the crowd couldn¡¯t see. Rong Jin¡¯s image in Emperor Jiawen¡¯s heart had already been damaged. If this continued, his position as the Crown Prince would definitely be in danger. Rong Jin felt the pain, but he felt even more conflicted. Of course, he knew the consequences of his actions, but¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue at the side. She stood there prettily. Even though her body was stained with messy blood, it didn¡¯t spoil her glamor. In the past, this woman was clearly mine! Even though I canceled the marriage agreement between us in a moment of folly, I can¡¯t accept watching Chu Liuyue being married to someone else, especially if the person is Rong Xiu! Rong Jin grabbed the Empress¡¯s hands and pushed them away with determination. The Empress¡¯s heart sank, and she heard Rong Jin say, ¡°Father, I¡¯m serious. This is because¡­ I like Liuyue too!¡± Gasps could be heard from the crowd. ¡°Did I hear wrongly? The Crown Prince actually said that he was interested in Chu Liuyue?¡± ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t get it. When he had a marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue in the past, he was the one who wanted to dissolve it. Only a short period of time has passed, and now he¡¯s regretting it?¡± ¡°Hehe, isn¡¯t it normal to regret? The current Chu Liuyue is a very outstanding character. I would definitely regret it if I missed out on such a fianc¨¦e!¡± ¡°Even so, as the Crown Prince, it¡¯s not good to go back on your words. Besides, Prince Li was clearly the one who asked for her hand first, yet the Crown Prince is interfering with it¡­ No matter what, it¡¯s still overboard¡­¡± ¡°I wonder what His Majesty is thinking¡­ Prince Li and the Crown Prince fighting for a woman in public is really¡­¡± Chu Xianmin¡ªwho had rushed over with Rong Jin¡ªwatched the scene coldly. Her lips underneath the mesh veil couldn¡¯t help but curve up into a mocking smile. Chu Xianmin originally thought she would be heartbroken, but when she saw Rong Jin saying all of that in public, she shockingly discovered that she only wanted to laugh. He has always been such a person, right? In the past, when Chu Liuyue was a good-for-nothing and was miserable from being constantly bullied, Rong Jin felt that this fianc¨¦e humiliated him. He didn¡¯t want to spend an extra moment with her. Now, Chu Xianmin¡¯s appearance was disfigured, and her reputation tarnished. Hence, Rong Jin also gave up on her. The Crown Prince was constantly pursuing better things as if everything good in the world should be his. What a joke. I accompanied him and served him day and night, but I didn¡¯t get any form of love in exchange. Instead, I have to stand here and watch him go crazy over another woman. Chu Xianmin looked down and hid the ripple in her eyes. Emperor Jiawen was shocked. ¡°What did you say?¡± Rong Jin took a deep breath in and said, ¡°In the past, I was immature and didn¡¯t cherish Liuyue. I¡¯ve now awoken, and I hope that you can restore the marriage agreement between the two of us, Father. I will definitely treat her well! I hope you can agree to this, Father!¡± Emperor Jiawen almost thought that Rong Jin had a screw loose. He was the one who wanted to dissolve the marriage agreement, yet he is also the one who wants to restore it. Does he think this is child¡¯s play? ¡°Rong Jin! Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± hollered Emperor Jiawen. Rong Jin¡¯s heart trembled, and he knew that Emperor Jiawen was getting angry. He was very clear that his doings would tarnish Emperor Jiawen¡¯s reputation. However, he was already caught between a rock and a hard place at this moment. He had already knelt down and said all that he had to say. Wouldn¡¯t it be more ridiculous if he just gave up now? Besides, he really didn¡¯t want to give up on Chu Liuyue! He straightened his back, looked at Emperor Jiawen, and said, ¡°I have already made up my mind.¡± ¡°So what if you¡¯ve already made up your mind? How can you be so unruly about this?¡± Rong Jin was stumped for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m the Crown Prince, and Liuyue is the only choice for the Crown Princess.¡± Emperor Jiawen was enraged, and his chest kept rising and falling intensely. If there weren¡¯t so many people around, he would¡¯ve kicked Rong Jin long ago. In the past, he felt that Rong Jin was good at everything and that he was the only choice for the position of Crown Prince. But starting from a certain point, Rong Jin became petty and calculative. He would use all sorts of despicable methods to achieve his goals. Emperor Jiawen forgave him again and again and felt that Rong Jin would change. However, he now knew that he was utterly wrong¡ªRong Jin¡¯s personality wouldn¡¯t change at all! Rong Xiu asked for Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand in marriage in public due to the gratitude and admiration he had for her. What about Rong Jin? He was publicly fighting with his brother for a woman! Moreover, this woman was the one he had previously dissolved a marriage agreement with. The entire royal family¡¯s face was thrown away by him! Emperor Jiawen pointed at Rong Jin¡¯s face and sneered. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re getting very annoyed at being the Crown Prince. Today, I will remove you as the Crown Prince!¡± Chapter 315 - Forever and Always ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Once the Empress heard the words ¡®remove the Crown Prince,¡¯ her limbs and hands turned cold, and she instinctively yelled, ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t be angry! The Crown Prince was just being impulsive! You mustn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Impulsive? I think he clearly thinks that the whole world needs to listen to him just because he¡¯s the Crown Prince!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s anger did not subside. ¡°He¡¯s not fit to be the Crown Prince!¡± He long knew about Rong Jin¡¯s desire for the throne. In the past, he secretly sent assassins to his third brother, and now he wants to snatch his seventh brother¡¯s wife. He hasn¡¯t even sat on the throne, yet he¡¯s so arrogant! Once he is in charge, god knows what he¡¯ll turn into! The Empress¡¯s legs went limp, and she almost collapsed on the floor. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s sentence was almost akin to giving Rong Jin a death sentence. Once he was truly removed, he could never make a comeback in the future. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s all my fault! I didn¡¯t bring the Crown Prince up properly! Please, let him off this once!¡± The Empress knelt down and begged miserably. ¡°F-father?¡± Rong Jin was dazed. I just wanted to marry Chu Liuyue as my Crown Princess. I didn¡¯t do anything to harm the whole world, so Why is Father so angry? Why does he want to remove me from my position as the Crown Prince? Pak! A deafening slap was heard. The Empress had harshly slapped Rong Jin, and she angrily hollered, ¡°Hurry up and apologize to your father.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s face was slapped to one side, and his cheeks immediately swelled up as blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth. It could be seen how much force the Empress had used in this slap. ¡°Why are you still standing around?!¡± The Empress was very anxious and worried as her face flashed green and white. There were even tears in her eyes due to anxiety. At this moment, she really wanted to go forward and slap Rong Jin awake. Does he know what kind of situation he¡¯s in?! His Majesty has already opened his golden mouth. If we don¡¯t stop this, he will definitely be removed from his position as the Crown Prince! By that time, it will be impossible to salvage the situation! Rong Jin has always been smart. Why did he become so stupid today? No, I should say that he has gradually become like this ever since he started interacting with Chu Liuyue. All of this was caused by Chu Liuyue. If it weren¡¯t for her¡­ Rong Jin was slapped until his eyes were giddy, and he finally woke up a little after the Empress¡¯s scolding. He inched forward while kneeling down. ¡°Father, don¡¯t be angry! I know that I¡¯m wrong!¡± Emperor Jiawen sneered. ¡°Now you know that you¡¯re wrong? Didn¡¯t you have your Crown Prince aura previously?¡± Actually, even though he was angry about Rong Jin sending someone to kill Rong Jiu previously, he didn¡¯t have any intentions of removing Rong Jin from his position. The people in the royal family didn¡¯t have any familial ties, especially the emperor. It wasn¡¯t totally a bad thing if Rong Jin was heartless enough. However, today¡¯s incident disappointed him greatly. Rong Jin actually did this in public for a woman! It is very hard to give this type of person great responsibility! Rong Jin was panicking. He then realized that the situation was developing in an uncontrollable direction. ¡°Father, I-I didn¡¯t!¡± Emperor Jiawen was too lazy to hear his explanation as he called out in a low voice, ¡°Someone! Help me write my edict¡ª¡± ¡°Your Majesty, hold on!¡± The Empress suddenly thought of something, and her eyes sparkled. She hurriedly said, ¡°Your Majesty, did you forget Country Xing Luo¡¯s previous invitation? Previously, you¡¯ve already agreed to let Rong Jin go. Now, we only have less than 20 days left. If you remove Rong Jin from his Crown Prince position, what should we do about this?¡± Emperor Jiawen paused for a while, and his brows tightly knitted together. I actually forgot about this. Actually, this invitation wasn¡¯t the most important thing. The key point was that Country Xing Luo wanted to arrange for a marriage alliance between Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen. If Rong Jin was removed from his position now, then¡­ it would indeed bring about a lot of trouble. He currently couldn¡¯t confirm if the other party had their eyes on Rong Jin¡¯s status as Crown Prince or Rong Jin himself. Emperor Jiawen was in a difficult position and instantly quietened down. Situ Xingchen¡ªwho wasn¡¯t far away¡ªwas dazed when she heard this. What does this mean? Since when did Father and Emperor Jiawen agree on this? Why don¡¯t I know about it? Also, I didn¡¯t know that Rong Jin was going! Country Xing Luo and Country Yao Chen have always minded their own business. Why did they suddenly have such close interactions? And I, the eldest princess, had no clue about this! Just as Situ Xingchen was confused, a thought popped up in her mind. Hang on! Could it be like what Elder Lian Ning had said before¡­ Father has the intention to let Rong Jin and I have a marriage alliance? I don¡¯t even know why Father would have such a thought, and he seems rather persistent. Situ Xingchen looked terrible. I don¡¯t like Rong Jin at all. If this can make Father stop thinking about the marriage alliance, I would really want it to happen. However, Emperor Jiawen seems to be very hesitant. The Empress saw that there seemed to be a turning point in the matter, so she hurriedly pushed it forward. ¡°Your Majesty, Rong Jin made a huge mistake today, and you can punish him however you want. However, you must reconsider about him and his position as the Crown Prince!¡± Emperor Jiawen seemed to be affected by her words. It wasn¡¯t because he still harbored hopes for Rong Jin, but¡­ he did have to consider Country Xing Luo. The Empress hurriedly looked at the officials who rushed over. These few people were in the Crown Prince¡¯s party, so they would naturally fight for Rong Jin with all they had. ¡°Your Majesty, Her Majesty is right! The Crown Prince was just foolish for a moment, but he doesn¡¯t deserve to die. You¡¯re magnanimous and kind; we hope that you¡¯ll give him another chance.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince has been very outstanding all these years, and he has labored day and night just to share your burdens. Even if he didn¡¯t accomplish much, you should still take his efforts into account!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, if you really remove him from his Crown Prince position, what should Prince Li and Ms. Chu do in the future?¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly; she didn¡¯t like to hear this. What does Rong Jin courting death have to do with Rong Xiu and me? I didn¡¯t even say how disgusted I was by Rong Jin¡¯s series of actions today! Rong Xiu looked as calm as usual. He smiled lightly and said, ¡°The few officials are right. Father, I just want you to grant my marriage; I don¡¯t want this to happen. If you really won¡¯t forgive Brother today, then¡­ it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡¯re always the mature one.¡± Emperor Jiawen sighed. If it weren¡¯t because Rong Xiu¡¯s body was frail, this Crown Prince position would long be his; it would¡¯ve never been Rong Jin¡¯s. What a pity¡­ Emperor Jiawen¡¯s look of regret stabbed another wound in the Empress and Rong Jin¡¯s hearts. However, they didn¡¯t dare to show any form of dissatisfaction at this moment. After a tense moment, Emperor Jiawen finally looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, what do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty is wise. Ever since my marriage agreement with the Crown Prince was dissolved, we¡¯ve never interacted anymore. Hence, I¡¯m also unsure of his sudden actions today. On the other hand, Prince Li has helped me multiple times, and I¡¯m very grateful to him. Thus, I¡¯m willing to take care of Prince Li forever and always, and I¡¯ll never leave his side.¡± Chapter 316 - Disappear Her every word and sentence was pronounced very clearly. Emperor Jiawen looked at Chu Liuyue with a profound gaze. After a long while, he finally said, ¡°Chu Liuyue¡ªthe daughter of the imperial guards¡¯ Commander-in-Chief, Chu Ning¡ªis gentle, elegant, kind, and magnanimous. I am pleased to announce that my seventh son, Prince Li, is of marriageable age. I will marry Chu Liuyue to Prince Li, and she will become his wife. They will complete their marriage another day!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s powerful and solemn voice reverberated in everyone¡¯s ears. Everyone fell into silence. Before this, nobody expected Prince Li to marry Chu Liuyue. These two people¡ªwho didn¡¯t seem to interact¡ªactually became a couple. With the imperial edict, everything couldn¡¯t be changed. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°Thank you for your grace, Father.¡± This sentence made the crowd recover their senses. The crowd respectively gave their thanks before they congratulated Chu Ning. No matter what, Chu Liuyue was also a prince¡¯s wife from now on, and her status would be largely different from before. Even though Prince Li wasn¡¯t in good health and didn¡¯t have much power in his hands, today¡¯s situation proved that His Majesty doted on Prince Li differently. With this relationship alone, Prince Li wouldn¡¯t have a difficult life in the future. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ She had previously dissolved her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince. Even though she had become an enviable talent, this incident was still sensitive. It was the best outcome now that the Emperor gifted her a marriage with Prince Li, which was something he requested for. All in all, this marriage was much more advantageous to them. In the midst of the happy atmosphere, only Rong Jin looked terrible. He stared at Chu Liuyue dazedly, but he saw that Chu Liuyue had already gotten up, walked to Rong Xiu, and helped him up. Rong Xiu coughed a few times, and his face became even paler. Rong Jin clenched his teeth. I can accept it if it were anyone else who got Chu Liuyue, but why must it be Rong Xiu?! In the past, my mother couldn¡¯t win against Rong Xiu¡¯s mother, and I still can¡¯t win against Rong Xiu now. I long knew that Father acted differently toward Rong Xiu, but it seems like the situation is more serious than I thought. Whatever Rong Xiu wants, Father will give it all to him as long as he opens his mouth. As for me, I have been so cautious and diligent as the Crown Prince for so many years, yet I didn¡¯t get any benefits in the end. I was even humiliated by Father in public as he almost removed me from my position! How can I be okay with this? The Empress finally heaved a sigh of relief as she managed to save Rong Jin¡¯s position as Crown Prince. She felt even more thankful when she heard Emperor Jiawen grant the marriage between Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. This way, Chu Liuyue would have no way of seducing Rong Jin. From now on, Rong Jin should also give up completely and not waste any more time or effort on Chu Liuyue. The Empress glanced from the corner of her eyes and realized that Rong Jin was staring at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu dazedly. She closed her eyes in frustration and tried her best to make her voice sound warm and calm. ¡°Your Majesty, as for the Crown Prince¡­¡± ¡°Crown Prince Rong Jin is impulsive and unruly! From today onwards, he needs to reflect on himself in Crown Prince Mansion. Without my orders, he¡¯s not allowed to come out, and nobody is allowed to visit him!¡± This was akin to grounding him. Even though Rong Jin was also grounded as punishment the previous time, not many people knew about it. But this time, Rong Jin had completely lost his face in front of so many people. However, the Empress was already very content with this result. As long as Rong Jin hadn¡¯t been removed from his position, everything could be changed. ¡°Crown Prince, hurry up and thank the Emperor.¡± The Empress glared at Rong Jin with much warning. Rong Jin then recovered his senses. ¡°¡­Thank you for your kindness, Father.¡± Emperor Jiawen was too frustrated to take another look at him. He sneered and turned to walk away. The Empress and the rest hurriedly followed. Eunuch Min first congratulated Rong Xiu, Chu Liuyue, and the rest before walking to Rong Xiu and advising, ¡°Crown Prince, His Majesty and Her Majesty have already left. You must be very tired from the whole day. You should go back and rest as well.¡± Eunuch Min then looked at the people beside him before leaving quickly. After walking a distance, Eunuch Min turned around to take a look and shook his head. Even though this Crown Prince managed to save his position today, I¡¯m afraid it might not be stable in the future. The Crown Prince Mansion¡¯s people hurriedly went forward, wanting to help Rong Jin up. Rong Jin then realized that countless eyes from the surroundings were glued to him. Mockery, contempt, disdain! Humiliation overwhelmed his heart, and his face turned green. Chu Xianmin walked over. ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s go back¡­¡± Rong Jin pushed her away. ¡°Get lost!¡± He then left hurriedly with indignance. Chu Xianmin was pushed to the side, but she didn¡¯t say anything and silently followed him. Their figures quickly disappeared from the crowd. Quite a few people sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the high and mighty Crown Prince to have such a day¡­¡± ¡°Who would¡¯ve known? Even if he¡¯s still the Crown Prince, it¡¯s not easy to tell what will happen to him in the future¡­¡± ¡°In comparison, the Third Prince is much more outstanding. At least he¡¯s more accomplished, unlike the Crown Prince, who goes back on his words and doesn¡¯t deliver on his promises¡­¡± ¡°I feel quite pitiful for Chu Xianmin. Back then, she was the enviable Third Chu Missy, but she ended up like this¡­ It seems like the Crown Prince isn¡¯t very nice to her!¡± ¡°Everyone has their own fates! I heard that she bullied Chu Liuyue quite a fair bit at the start, so it¡¯s just retribution!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu, and her gaze slowly swept past his wounds, still feeling uncomfortable. Rong Xiu seemed to know what she was thinking as his pale lips curved up slightly, and he nodded. Everything was worth it for this outcome. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt sour, but her entire person was immersed in immeasurable relaxation and happiness. It turns out that there is still a person in this world who would do anything for me. Chu Ning looked at them from the side and squinted his eyes, giving a complicated gaze. It turns out Prince Li liked Yue¡¯er since a long time ago! Initially, he always didn¡¯t understand why Prince Li would repeatedly help them both. Now, everything seemed to have an answer! Upon closer thought, Prince Li is a decent choice. It¡¯s just a pity that he¡¯s slightly weak¡­ However, he¡¯s much better as compared to Rong Jin. Chu Ning walked toward Rong Xiu. ¡°Prince Li¡­¡± Rong Xiu smiled warmly. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, you don¡¯t have to be so polite now that I have a marriage agreement with Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Ning hesitated for a while and finally said, ¡°I have a few things I wish to talk to you about in private¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to bully Liuyue!¡± Before Chu Ning could finish his sentence, Ye Zhiting had already spoken up first. Rare seriousness filled his face as he glared at Rong Xiu with much warning. ¡°She¡¯s my only personal disciple! If you dare to bully her¡­ Don¡¯t blame me for being rude to you!¡± Chu Ning was speechless. Nice, even my lines have been stolen¡­ Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Of course. Elder Ye, Lord Chu Ning, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Ye Zhiting was about to say something else when Elder Wei Yun suddenly gasped. ¡°Director! Oh no, the ferocious fiend is missing!¡± Chapter 317 - Seen Before Ye Zhiting was shocked. ¡°What happened?!¡± Elder Wei Yun rushed over and looked very anxious. ¡°Just now, we carefully checked under Jiuyou Tower, but we didn¡¯t find the fiend¡¯s aura. At first, we thought that it temporarily quietened down because Jiuyou Tower collapsed. However, it still had no movements after a long while. We then discovered that the fiend is no longer in the Pit of Heavenly Origins below!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. Ye Zhiting hurriedly walked toward the debris. ¡°How can that be? There would definitely be a commotion if it escaped!¡± Even though the Locking Heaven Formation was broken, the silver pestle was still working, and it could detect any happenings within Jiuyou Tower. However, Ye Zhiting didn¡¯t notice anything amiss previously. Elder Wei Yun felt even more nervous as he wiped his sweat. ¡°This¡­ Um, we¡¯ve checked for a long time, but we didn¡¯t discover anything¡­¡± At this point, Ye Zhiting had already reached the side of the collapsed Jiuyou Tower. He closed his eyes, and his force circulated out, instantly covering it. After a moment, he opened his eyes and furrowed his brows. ¡°The beast really isn¡¯t around anymore¡­¡± Sun Zhongyan dazedly asked, ¡°Uncle-Master, you said that the fiend is gone. What¡­ does that mean?¡± Did the fiend run away, or is it dead? Ye Zhiting was silent for a while before he turned around to look at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. ¡°Did you two discover anything wrong when you were in Jiuyou Tower?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched. Rong Xiu was the first to speak up. ¡°Nope. Back then, both of us were on the sixth floor when Jiuyou Tower collapsed, and we got out with much difficulty.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him silently. Why does Rong Xiu keep emphasizing the sixth floor? ¡°Did anyone go up another floor?¡± asked Ye Zhiting again. Chu Liuyue had telepathy and shook her head together with Rong Xiu. Ye Zhiting sighed. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m too foolish. How can the two of you go in there¡­¡± Faint confusion flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Elder Ye seems to know what was on the seventh floor, and he might even be very sure that the fiend was suppressed on the seventh floor! He is Tian Lu Academy¡¯s director, so it is normal for him to know these things. But¡­ what about Rong Xiu? Back then, he was outside the seventh-floor barrier, and he had personally seen me coming out from the seventh floor. However, he doesn¡¯t seem to want others to know about this. It is clear that he knows that the seventh floor was different. Perhaps¡­ Rong Xiu also knows the secret of the seventh floor¡ªboth the legendary three-eyed eagle and¡­ the Heavenly Square Cauldron? ¡°Weird¡­ Why would the fiend suddenly disappear¡­?¡± Ye Zhiting slowly shook the fan in his hands and was very confused. Sun Zhongyan suddenly said, ¡°Oh, yes. Previously, the green sparrow had also entered Jiuyou Tower. Perhaps we can get some clues from it?¡± Ye Zhiting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he hurriedly walked toward Mu Qinghe. From the start till now, Mu Qinghe had been watching the event unfold coldly, but Ye Zhiting didn¡¯t mind this. As Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy, Mu Qinghe had no reason to interfere in this. However, he was formidable and had been watching the whole time, so he might know something. When Ye Zhiting walked over, Hong Yao was squatting on Mu Qinghe¡¯s shoulders, lazily brushing its feathers. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, I have a few questions. May I ask your fiend?¡± Mu Qinghe looked at Hong Yao. Hong Yao then stopped and scrutinized Ye Zhiting. Ye Zhiting coughed. ¡°May I know¡­ if the wound on your body is caused by the fiend?¡± Hong Yao¡¯s eyes widened, and it angrily turned its head. I just suffered a minor injury, and I¡¯ve basically recovered already. Why must you talk about this? Mu Qinghe was expressionless. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ye Zhiting asked again, ¡°Then¡­ Do you know what happened to it?¡± Hong Yao crazily shook its head. However, Ye Zhiting didn¡¯t quite believe it. ¡°Really? Then¡­ you should at least know if it¡¯s dead or alive, right?¡± The green sparrow was an advanced fiend and had a distinguished status. How could Hong Yao leave it lying when it got injured? Hong Yao continued to shake its head and decisively buried its head under its wings, unwilling to say anything else. Looking at it, Ye Zhiting knew that he wouldn¡¯t find out anything if he continued asking, so he gave up. ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant Mu. It seems like I have to investigate this matter from another perspective.¡± Mu Qinghe suddenly said, ¡°Jiuyou Tower is built specifically to suppress that fiend, right?¡± Ye Zhiting was dazed first, and then he nodded. ¡°Now that the fiend has already escaped and Jiuyou Tower has collapsed, it¡¯s not important anymore. What are you worried about? The most important thing is that the Pit of Heavenly Origins below is still here, right?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice was still cold and nonchalant. ¡°You¡¯re right to say that, Lieutenant Mu. However¡­¡± Ye Zhiting felt his head hurt. However, Jiuyou Tower had been here since the establishment of Tian Lu Academy. Now that it is ruined, I, the director, don¡¯t feel good about it. That fiend¡­ Many thoughts popped up in Ye Zhiting¡¯s heart, but he could only sigh. ¡°Since things have already ended like this, we have no other way.¡± As he talked, he turned around to look at Elder Wei Yun and the rest. ¡°Use the Xuan formation to lock this place up first and then clean it up.¡± The crowd hurriedly agreed. Sun Zhongyan hesitated for a while and still asked worriedly, ¡°Uncle-Master, what should we do in the future then? Without Jiuyou Tower, the Pit of Heavenly Origins¡¯s force can be a little hard to tolerate for many students¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. After a while, we can just build another nine-story tower here.¡± This newly-built tower definitely wouldn¡¯t be as strong as the one before, but at least it could provide a place to let the students cultivate. Since the fiend was gone, there was nothing much to worry about. The crowd looked at each other and agreed to it when they realized that this was the best solution. Then, Sun Zhongyan quickly let the students leave, leaving behind the elders and teachers to handle the pile of debris together. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t want to stay any longer, and he turned around to leave. But when he walked past Chu Liuyue, he looked at her with deep meaning. ¡°You seem to be stronger than I had imagined.¡± Chu Liuyue looked calm. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Lieutenant Mu.¡± ¡°You know yourself if it¡¯s praise. After all, not everyone can make it to the sixth floor with a Yuan instrument.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze was filled with inspection intent. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Actually, this is all due to Tuan Zi¡¯s efforts. I¡¯m just a stage-two warrior, and I¡¯m really too lowly.¡± The battle with Heng Jingchuo at the Qing Jiao Competition let everyone know that she had an abnormal blood ferret. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze swept past Tuan Zi¡ªwho was on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders¡ªand he suddenly said, ¡°I seem to have seen the aura around your fiend from somewhere before.¡± Chapter 318 - Departure Chu Liuyue raised her brows and was slightly shocked. ¡°Oh? I wonder where you¡¯ve seen a fiend similar to Tuan Zi, Lieutenant Mu? If they have the fate to meet, I believe Tuan Zi would love the other party a lot.¡± Mu Qinghe stared at Chu Liuyue as if he was considering whether her words were true or false. ¡°It¡¯s my old friend¡¯s fiend, but it wasn¡¯t a blood ferret. It¡¯s¡­¡± He paused, and a cold smile suddenly appeared on his lips. ¡°Forget it. Anyway, it¡¯s dead; there¡¯s no point talking about it.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was tugged hard. She heard her own voice say, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s such a pity¡­ Something that is similar to Tuan Zi must be very cute too, but why did that fiend die? Did it die in battle?¡± Mu Qinghe slowly retracted the smile on his face, and his expression was as cold as ice. ¡°Its owner died, so it followed her. But as that fiend was pretty strong itself, it knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for it to die on its own. Thus, it chose to commit suicide by exploding.¡± Every single word was like a sharp knife that harshly stabbed into Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Even if she had long expected it, she still couldn¡¯t accept it when she heard it herself. ¡°Oh, right. That old friend was the one whom I said you looked similar to.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s face had no expression, and he talked in a calm manner as if he were just narrating something simple. Chu Liuyue forcefully moved her lips as her limbs were cold and hard to move. ¡°¡­Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°Cough cough¡ªCough cough.¡± At the side, Rong Xiu suddenly coughed violently. Chu Liuyue hurriedly looked over. ¡°Rong¡­ Prince Li, are you okay?¡± Rong Xiu stopped with much difficulty, and his pale lips curved up into a smile. ¡°Nothing much¡­ I¡¯m just a little¡­ tired.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll send you back to Prince Li Mansion.¡± A faint smile was plastered on Rong Xiu¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chu Ning was still worried. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Then, the few of them planned to leave together. Mu Qinghe still stood there, looking at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue walked for a while and turned around to ask, ¡°Is there anything else, Lieutenant Mu?¡± Mu Qinghe paused and turned around to leave without saying anything. Chu Ning stared at his back view, walked to Chu Liuyue, and whispered, ¡°Yue¡¯er, did you offend Lieutenant Mu before?¡± Chu Liuyue nonchalantly smiled. ¡°Perhaps, but that¡¯s not important.¡± ¡­ Since Emperor Jiawen and the rest left, Rong Xiu and the others quickly returned home. The crowd of onlookers also respectively went home after the event ended. Tian Lu Academy regained its quietness. Looking at the pile of Jiuyou Tower debris, Ye Zhiting rubbed his glabella painfully. Everything in the Imperial City has been in such a mess lately¡­ ¡°Elder Ye.¡± A voice suddenly sounded. Ye Zhiting looked up, and he quickly knitted his brows. ¡°Fu Yunshan? Cheng Han?¡± ¡°Elder Ye, we really didn¡¯t expect this kind of thing to happen. Sorry that we came late and couldn¡¯t help,¡± explained Fu Yunshan with a face filled with regret. Cheng Han¡¯s eyes swept past the debris, and he felt very delighted. He couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°Yeah! This Jiuyou Tower seems to have been here ever since Tian Lu Academy existed. Now that it¡¯s ruined, you must be feeling terrible, right Elder Ye? However, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. Who asked for the fiend to be too incredible? Everything¡¯s great as long as nobody is affected! Elder Ye, do you agree?¡± Ye Zhiting squinted his eyes at the two people and then laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. This time, our academy isn¡¯t strong enough, thus causing things to escalate to this extent. That ferocious fiend was indeed very powerful. Even if you came to help at that time, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be of much use. After all, your abilities¡­ Haha! I have always been blunt with my words. You won¡¯t find fault with me, right?¡± Fu Yunshan instantly looked very awkward. He secretly shot Cheng Han a look¡ªI have long said that, given Ye Zhiting¡¯s cultivation level, he must¡¯ve noticed that we were just at the side. They clearly could¡¯ve helped, but they didn¡¯t move at all. Ye Zhiting must¡¯ve hated them! Cheng Han was mocked until his face was gone. However, he thought of it in another way and realized that Tian Lu Academy was still the one who suffered the greatest loss today. This point alone could make him happy for a very long time. So, he didn¡¯t really care about Ye Zhiting¡¯s words. ¡°Elder Ye, you¡¯ve been in seclusion for a long time, and you might not know much about what¡¯s happening outside. Our abilities might not be as good as yours, but it¡¯s not as bad as¡ª¡± ¡°Hahaha, I was just joking! Cheng Han, did you really take me seriously? It¡¯s like how you lost to me back then and then jokingly said that you would send your disciple to fight with mine in the future, right?¡± Cheng Han¡¯s expression froze. Ye Zhiting asked in confusion, ¡°Why? Is that not so? I heard that the pill your disciple used to win the heavenly doctor competition that day was made by my disciple! If you were really hung up about what happened back then, you wouldn¡¯t have let your disciple accept the championship title, right?¡± Cheng Han¡¯s face changed, and it looked incredible. Even after not seeing him for so many years, Ye Zhiting still shows no mercy. His mouth is as annoying as ever. ¡°I suddenly remembered that our academy is going back tomorrow and that there are some things I need to attend to. Now that Tian Lu Academy has met with this incident, we¡¯ll only cause trouble if we continue staying. Therefore, I¡¯ll take my leave first,¡± said Cheng Han as he turned around to leave. Fu Yunshan was also very awkward as he forcefully added a few sentences, having no intentions of staying around anymore. The moment Cheng Han walked away, he felt like there was someone missing from his side¡ªSitu Xingchen. He scanned his surroundings, but he didn¡¯t see Situ Xingchen¡¯s figure. Cheng Han asked a familiar student, ¡°Did you see Xingchen?¡± ¡°I think she just left. Perhaps she went back to the inn.¡± Cheng Han thought about it and agreed. She must feel terrible after personally seeing Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue being granted a marriage, so it is normal for her to go back. It¡¯s good if she has some alone time to calm down. Cheng Han took a deep breath in. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 319 - Marriage Alliance Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning followed Rong Xiu back to Prince Li Mansion. The people there seemed to have received the news; they were especially enthusiastic toward Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue. It was as if they were welcoming their own family members. Chu Ning felt a little uneasy. After spending some time in Prince Li Mansion, Chu Ning wanted to let Rong Xiu get some proper rest, so he left with Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu sent a carriage to send the two of them back home. Chu Ning didn¡¯t want the trouble at first, but he gave in in the end. The father and daughter each sat on one side of the carriage. The pair stared at each other wordlessly. Chu Ning stared at his daughter. He wanted to say something, but he wasn¡¯t sure where to start. ¡°Father, just speak your mind,¡± Chu Liuyue said softly. Chu Ning pondered for a moment before he spoke. ¡°You and Prince Li¡­ Did the two of you have something going on already?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°What are you referring to?¡± Chu Ning paused. ¡°I mean¡­ Did you know that he was interested¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t intend to keep this from him. ¡°Just as you imagined, Prince Li and I have feelings for each other, which resulted in His Majesty granting the marriage today.¡± Even though he had imagined it, Chu Ning was still a little surprised to hear this. ¡°This¡­ When did this happen? Could it be¡­ when he helped you back then¡­¡± ¡°Prince Li saved me first. We didn¡¯t know each other back then.¡± Chu Ning heaved a sigh of relief. That means the two of them only got closer after Prince Li returned. If that¡¯s the case, it is much easier for me to accept. ¡°You truly like Prince Li?¡± Chu Ning asked with a solemn expression as he stared at her eyes. Chu Liuyue nodded. Chu Ning froze for a moment. He then muttered, ¡°¡­That¡¯s good¡­ that¡¯s good¡­¡± His expression was a little complicated. It seemed like joy, but it also seemed like regret. Chu Ning understood Yue¡¯er¡¯s personality. If she weren¡¯t interested in Prince Li, she would¡¯ve never agreed to the marriage today. ¡°Prince Li is a really good person.¡± Compared to Rong Jin, he is several times better. Yue¡¯er didn¡¯t have an eye for people before; she liked Rong Jin for years and was humiliated and embarrassed for it. However, things were different now. Chu Ning could tell that Prince Li valued Yue¡¯er. It could even be said that he saw her as a piece of treasure. He could finally put his mind to ease. ¡°But¡­ Prince Li¡¯s body¡­ Yue¡¯er, have you checked Prince Li¡¯s pulse before? Is there anything you can do to help him recover?¡± Prince Li was born with the illness. They had hired countless heavenly doctors, but the situation never changed for the better. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been sent to Mingyue Tianshan to recuperate for years without returning to Imperial City. Looking at Chu Ning¡¯s worried manner, Chu Liuyue felt touched, but she also found it humorous. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll try my best. Regardless of the condition of Prince Li¡¯s body, I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡± Chu Ning sighed and then nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± He had once hoped that Yue¡¯er would marry a healthy, ordinary person and have an ordinary life. But Yue¡¯er had now exhibited phenomenal talent, so there was no way she could lead a normal life. ¡°Your mother would be really happy if she were still here¡­¡± Nostalgia filled Chu Ning¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue felt her heart ache. For so many years, Chu Ning played the role of father and mother to raise Chu Liuyue. One could only imagine how tough it must¡¯ve been. She moved forward and held Chu Ning¡¯s hand. The father-daughter duo sat across from each other wordlessly, but the inside of the carriage was a rare scene of warmth and harmony. ¡­ Pak! A crisp slap echoed in the room. The Empress glared at Rong Jin¡ªwho was standing before her¡ªcoldly. ¡°You must¡¯ve been insane today!¡± Rong Jin hung his head without uttering a word. ¡°I already told you to keep your hands off of Chu Liuyue! Do my words mean nothing to you? I thought you were just uttering nonsense when I saw you lying in bed before, but I didn¡¯t expect you to go over there and fight with Rong Xiu over Chu Liuyue!¡± The Empress¡¯s fingers were almost touching Rong Jin¡¯s forehead. ¡°Your father got one thing right today¡ªyou must really be tired of being the crown prince!¡± Rong Jin wiped the blood away from the corner of his mouth. A ball of fire was building up in him, and he finally couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°She was mine to begin with! Why can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°You annulled your marriage agreement with her a long time ago!¡± The Empress suddenly raised her voice as her eyes made their way down Rong Jin¡¯s body, sharp as knives.¡±Don¡¯t forget that you brought the annulment up yourself! What did you say then? You said that you wanted to annul your marriage agreement with Chu Liuyue and make a clean break, no matter the cost!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a couple of months since then, but it¡¯s like you¡¯re possessed! How do you want the others to regard you as the Crown Prince!? Do you know how much effort it took me to put you in the Crown Prince position back then!?¡± The Empress was already a little hysterical. Rong Jin looked up. The Empress¡¯s face was twisted, and her eyes were filled with grudges. Rong Jin was stunned. It was only then that he realized that the Empress seemed especially emotional today. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice, but he was still indignant. ¡°But¡­ But why does it have to be Rong Xiu? What does that lowly person have that I don¡¯t? Look at him! He¡¯ll probably faint from walking a few extra steps!¡± He felt disgusted at the thought of Chu Liuyue marrying someone like that! The Empress¡¯s expression turned grim before she laughed out coldly. ¡°Why? ¡®Why,¡¯ you ask?! Rong Xiu asked your father for it himself, so how could he not agree to it!? You¡¯re better than him in every way, but his mother was a vixen, that¡¯s why!¡± She¡¯s been dead for this long, but she¡¯s still haunting us! I couldn¡¯t beat her back then, and now my son cannot beat hers! How can I not be upset?! Rong Jin only understood then that the Empress was behaving like this because she had recalled the person and the things from back then. The Empress seemed to have realized that she was a little out of control. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s not easy to keep you in your position. Your father can put up with you once or twice, but there will not be a third time!¡± Rong Jin pursed his lips. ¡°I know my mistakes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of knowing your mistakes? You¡¯ve got to find a way to make up for them.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Mother, you have an idea?¡± The Empress stared at him intently. ¡°Of course. But you¡¯ve got to swear that you¡¯ll never mention Chu Liuyue. You¡¯ve got to get that thought out of your head!¡± Rong Jin froze. ¡°But mother, she¡¯s the only one I¡­¡± The Empress looked at him with warning in her eyes. Unconsciously, Rong Jin swallowed his words. After a long while, he finally replied with clenched fists. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The Empress was relieved, and she relaxed a little as she picked up the teacup from the side. ¡°The only way to secure your position as Crown Prince is to have a marriage alliance with Situ Xingchen.¡± Chapter 320 - Ambush ¡°What?¡± Rong Jin was stumped for a moment. ¡°Country Xing Luo has brought it up to your father before. They want to form a marriage alliance using you and Situ Xingchen. She¡¯s of high status, and she¡¯s favored there. If you can marry her, it¡¯ll help you a lot.¡± The Empress sipped on her tea and glanced at Rong Jin coldly. ¡°If not for this, why did you think your father let you off the hook today?¡± Rong Jin frowned. ¡°But Situ Xingchen¡­ Is this the only way?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still unwilling?¡± Bang! The Empress slammed the cup down, and she laughed coldly. ¡°No matter how you look at it, Situ Xingchen is a good fit to be the Crown Princess. What¡¯s there to be unhappy about?¡± She didn¡¯t like Situ Xingchen. Her years of experience in the palace told her that Situ Xingchen was no simpleton. However, she could not be bothered now. Rong Jin quietened down at this moment. He understood that he was in a precarious position and that Situ Xingchen was the best candidate for helping him solidify his position. ¡°Try to get in touch with Situ Xingchen and win her affection. This will make things a lot easier in the future.¡± Rong Jin frowned. ¡°But I¡¯m under house arrest, and I can¡¯t get out. Besides, the Qing Jiao Competition has ended, and they¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡± ¡°Does that even count as a problem? As long as you want to, all of this can be solved.¡± The Empress was undeterred. ¡°Unless¡­ you really don¡¯t want to be the Crown Prince.¡± Rong Jin gritted his teeth. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡­ Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue returned home together. At the door, they saw a pageboy waiting. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. She knew this pageboy¡ªhe was from the Chu family. The pageboy eagerly ran over the instant he saw the father-daughter duo alight from the carriage. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, Big Chu Missy, you¡¯re finally back.¡± Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning looked at each other. They never visit unless they need something. It is clear why the Chu family has sent someone over now. ¡°Mu Teng? What are you doing here?¡± The pageboy bowed with an overzealous smile. He took an invite out and handed it over respectfully. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m flattered that you remember me, Lord Chu Ning! First Elder said that he would like to invite you to take a trip back home. This is the invite.¡± Chu Ning had a half-smile. ¡°You made Yue¡¯er fetch water on your behalf for three months back then; she had cold sores. How could I forget?¡± Mu Teng¡¯s smile suddenly froze on his face awkwardly. ¡°Th-this¡­ It was all my fault. Please have mercy and forgive me! I¡¯m begging for your forgiveness!¡± Seeing that the father-daughter duo didn¡¯t budge, Mu Teng gritted his teeth and began slapping himself. ¡°It was all my fault! I was wrong! I deserve to die; I deserve to die!¡± His face quickly swelled up, leaving clear palm prints behind. He dared not stop if Chu Ning didn¡¯t ask him to. Chu Ning laughed coldly when Mu Teng¡¯s mouth became bloody. He led Chu Liuyue toward the door. Mu Teng panicked when he saw that the two of them were leaving. He hurriedly ran after them. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, please accept the invite! Otherwise, I will get in trouble when I return!¡± Chu Ning didn¡¯t want to pay attention to the pageboy; he didn¡¯t even look at Mu Teng. Mu Teng knelt down and began kowtowing. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, I¡¯m begging you! Big Chu Missy, please help me convince Lord Chu Ning!¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips. She took the invite and opened it. Chu Xiao had written it himself, and the wording was very cordial. He clearly wanted to make peace. Chu Ning knitted his brows together, and disdain flashed across his eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s there to look at? It¡¯ll only dirty your eyes.¡± Chu Liuyue winked at him and then looked toward Mu Teng. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll be dead if you don¡¯t send this invite out?¡± Mu Teng looked at her gratefully. ¡°Yeah! Big Missy¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s great; hang onto it.¡± Chu Liuyue stuffed the invite back into Mu Teng¡¯s hand with a smile. ¡°Bye.¡± Mu Teng was stunned. However, he realized something, and his face paled. ¡°Big Missy¡­¡± ¡°We have already severed our ties with the Chu family. I don¡¯t deserve that title.¡± With that, Chu Liuyue turned and left with her father. Mu Teng¡¯s face was filled with despair. He cried out anxiously as he watched the two of them leave. ¡°Lord Chu Ning! First Elder said to think about the family head even if you¡¯re not willing to return to the Chu family!¡± Chu Ning paused, and struggle flashed across his face. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. Mu Teng felt that he had a chance, so he continued shouting. ¡°The family head really values you. He would be rather disappointed to see the Chu family¡¯s current state when he comes back from seclusion!¡± Chu Liuyue moved her lips. Here they go again. When they bullied the two of us back then, they didn¡¯t seem worried about disappointing the family head. Doubt flashed across Chu Ning¡¯s eyes, but it was fleeting. ¡°Come on.¡± Chu Ning didn¡¯t turn around; he tugged on Chu Liuyue and prepared to walk away. Chu Liuyue sighed softly. ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you go back and take a look.¡± Chu Ning looked up in surprise. ¡°Yue¡¯er?¡± Chu Liuyue patted his arm gently. She had no feelings toward the Chu family. How they and the family head were doing meant nothing to her. However, Chu Ning was different. After all, the head of the Chu family was his father. It would be impossible to say that they had no ties. Chu Liuyue knew that a large part of why Chu Ning broke away from the Chu family was because of her. Mu Teng¡¯s words had no effect on her, but they would move Chu Ning. ¡°No matter what, Yue¡¯er doesn¡¯t want to see father unhappy,¡± said Chu Liuyue softly. Chu Ning instantly knew what she meant, and his heart felt warm. He hesitated for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since we¡¯ve broken away from the Chu family, then we¡¯ll never go back, no matter what. I¡¯ll just go and explain things to the family head; I¡¯ll be quick.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at home.¡± Mu Teng instantly felt rejuvenated when he heard that Chu Ning had agreed to go to the Chu family. ¡°Thank you, Lady Chu! Thank you, Big¡­ Thank you, Ms. Liuyue!¡± Chu Ning left with Mu Teng after leaving some instructions to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue watched Chu Ning leave before she turned and passed through the door to the courtyard when he disappeared. She then headed for her room. When she reached the door, she placed her hand on it and was about to push it open. She suddenly paused, and a cold glare flashed across her eyes! The next moment, she abruptly backed away! A black shadow broke out of the door! In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Chu Liuyue! Before she could get a closer look at the other party, she was captured by a large net! Chapter 321 - Humiliation Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes instantly turned pitch black. The net sling was quite strange as all the light was blocked outside. Thus, she couldn¡¯t see anything when she was trapped inside. Then, she suddenly felt like she was being lifted. She was just about to speak when she heard a hoarse and threatening voice speak beside her ear. ¡°If you want to die quicker, yell for help.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved, but she didn¡¯t open her mouth. Even though she didn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s face, she was familiar with this aura¡­ Right, this person is the one beside Rong Zhen! When Rong Zhen previously came to find me on her own, the person who attacked me was him! Rong Zhen once said that she would personally bring me to show her the way to the forest outside the Imperial City when the Qing Jiao Competition was over. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so impatient and that she wasn¡¯t even willing to wait for a day. Chu Liuyue retrieved her dagger and tried to cut the net. An ear-piercing scratch was heard in the dark. Chu Liuyue was shocked. This net actually has a very strong defensive barrier inside! ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t waste your efforts. With your current abilities, it¡¯s impossible for you to get out from there.¡± The strangely hoarse voice sounded again with intense mockery. Chu Liuyue thought for a while before she swiftly closed her eyes and decided to wait quietly. Since Rong Zhen wants to cause trouble for me, it¡¯s a coincidence because I want to settle some things once and for all. ¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see the situation outside, but she could feel that she was being brought away at high speed. She quietly imagined their route in her heart, and she realized that they were heading out of the Imperial City. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know if the person had used some methods, but the entire trip was very smooth, and they didn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention. When they were exiting the city gate, Chu Liuyue could even hear the guards¡¯ interrogative voices. However, nobody noticed that something was wrong. She was brought out of the city just like that. After exiting the Imperial City, that person was clearly much more relaxed as he increased his speed. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder. Tuan Zi suddenly came out. It rubbed its face against Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck and seemed to be restless. Chu Liuyue hugged it in her arms and gently reassured it. She could confirm that Tuan Zi could bite the net and break it open, but¡­ she didn¡¯t have such plans for now. Tuan Zi seemed to have noticed her thoughts and immediately laid in her arms obediently. ¡­ After about an hour, that person finally stopped. Chu Liuyue immediately hit Tuan Zi¡¯s butt to tell it to go back, and she waited while holding her breath. Hua! The net was suddenly ripped open. The glaring light instantly poured in. Chu Liuyue instinctively squinted her eyes to adjust to the lit environment. ¡°Chu Liuyue.¡± A high and mighty voice sounded from behind her. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look¡ªit was Rong Zhen. ¡°Are you familiar with this place?¡± asked Rong Zhen coldly with her arms crossed. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings; they were filled with lush greenery. This was indeed the forest outside the Imperial City. After a momentary silence, Chu Liuyue appeared to be recalling something before she nodded lightly. ¡°It is somewhat familiar¡­ I was almost killed by the people that Chu Xianmin sent to this place back then¡­¡± ¡°Here?¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s gaze suddenly changed. ¡°But this isn¡¯t the place you indicated on the map!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the place I escaped to afterward. That time, they knocked me unconscious and brought me here to kill me. Coincidentally, I woke up at that time and escaped the ordeal.¡± Rong Zhen looked at Chu Liuyue in a half-suspecting manner. ¡°You better not let me know that you¡¯re up to any tricks!¡± In the Qing Jiao Competition, Chu Liuyue¡¯s performance was very outstanding, and she exceeded everyone else¡¯s expectations. This made Rong Zhen become more alert. Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°This place is deserted, and I know that I¡¯m not your match, so I will cooperate with you. As long as you let me go in the end, everything else can be discussed.¡± Rong Zhen chuckled. ¡°You really know how to go with the flow.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything and lowered her eyes. ¡°Bring me there now!¡± Rong Zhen glanced at Elder Meng, who was standing behind Chu Liuyue. ¡°Elder Meng, you must watch after her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fourth Princess.¡± As this hoarse voice sounded beside her ear, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a gush of cold air attacking her from behind. Her eyes moved, and she instantly became alert. However, it was just for a moment, and she controlled her urge as she stood there, pretending that she didn¡¯t notice anything. Shua! A rope¡ªas thick as a thumb¡ªquickly encircled her neck. The other end of the rope was held onto by Elder Meng. A sharp gaze flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. She had never experienced such an insult before. ¡°Be more honest!¡± shouted Rong Zhen.¡±If not, this rope will take your life at any moment!¡± Chu Liuyue suppressed her anger and lightly nodded. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Lead the way in front!¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and took a step forward. The moment she moved, the rope around her neck moved as well. Elder Meng and Rong Zhen were following behind her. Chu Liuyue had a hard time convincing Tuan Zi not to come out as she moved forward step by step. When Rong Zhen saw this scene, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°If the people in the Imperial City saw this scene, their jaws would definitely drop in shock. The famous and renowned Chu Liuyue actually has such humble moments! Haha!¡± Rong Zhen was very delighted. So what if she took first place in the Qing Jiao Competition? So what if she has the Dijing Yuan meridian? In front of me, she¡¯s still a dog! ¡°I heard that the Crown Prince and Prince Li even fought in front of Father today because of you. Hah, I wonder how much they would regret it if they see your current appearance. Chu Liuyue, you¡¯re really capable. You didn¡¯t even say or do anything, yet you almost caused Father to remove the Crown Prince from his position¡­¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t show any expression. ¡°I have already cut all ties with the Crown Prince, and I didn¡¯t expect today¡¯s incident to happen either. If you¡¯re angry about it, Fourth Princess¡­¡± ¡°Angry? Why would I be angry? Who can the Crown Prince blame for his incompetence?¡± said Rong Zhen in a mocking manner. Chu Liuyue paused. That¡¯s weird¡­ Rong Zhen and Rong Jin are both born from the Empress, and they have always been on good terms. Why did they become like this now? Listening to her tone, Rong Zhen seems like she really wants to remove Rong Jin from his Crown Prince position¡­ ¡°When I recover my pearl of essence¡­ One day¡­¡± One day, I will let Mother know that Rong Jin is someone who cannot be helped! I¡¯m much more outstanding than her! Listening to her words, Chu Liuyue was almost certain that Rong Zhen and Rong Jin had fallen out. However, she didn¡¯t know why. When she thought of this, she suddenly felt the rope around her neck tighten! She was suffocated and almost fell backward. Chu Liuyue hurriedly turned around and saw Rong Zhen laughing out loud. ¡°Hahaha! Interesting! Elder Meng, why didn¡¯t I think of this kind of trick earlier on? Chu Liuyue, why don¡¯t you learn how to bark like a dog, and I¡¯ll let everything in the past go. What do you think?¡± Chapter 322 - Trap Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Zhen quietly. ¡°Fourth Princess, this joke is not funny at all.¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s laughter suddenly stopped, and she looked at Chu Liuyue. She saw a pair of clear, black eyes staring at her. That pair of eyes was calm and composed, but it made one fear for some reason. Rong Zhen felt coldness from the bottom of her heart, which made her entire person shiver. Upon realizing that she was actually afraid of Chu Liuyue, Rong Zhen¡¯s blood boiled, and she suddenly pulled on the rope. ¡°What are you looking at? If you continue looking at me, I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs!¡± This time, Chu Liuyue pulled on the rope first, not letting Rong Zhen do as she wished. Rong Zhen pulled on the rope a few times and realized it didn¡¯t budge. She felt even more humiliated, and she flew into a rage. ¡°Elder Meng, teach her a lesson!¡± ¡°Fourth Princess.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly spoke as her lips curved up without smiling intent. ¡°You tried so hard to bring me out just to teach me a lesson?¡± Rong Zhen was stunned. ¡°I know that it¡¯s as easy as ABC if you want to kill me here, and you can even do it silently and quietly. Nobody would know that you did it, but are you sure this is what you want? If I¡¯m dead, you will never recover your pearl of essence.¡± ¡°You dare to threaten me?¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s face contorted. I have already suffered enough these few days. Now, even Chu Liuyue dares to speak to me in this manner. She quickly walked two steps forward, rushed to Chu Liuyue, and slapped her face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I die,¡± said Chu Liuyue slowly. ¡°But my father and Prince Li won¡¯t let this slide.¡± Rong Zhen seemed to have heard a joke. ¡°Hah! Just with your useless father and that sickly person?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not only them.¡± Chu Liuyue stared straight into Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes and smiled lightly. ¡°And¡­ Lieutenant Mu.¡± Rong Zhen froze, and her hand in the air didn¡¯t land. ¡°Lieutenant Mu only chose me to follow him to the Tianling Dynasty. If anything happens to me, what do you think Lieutenant Mu will do?¡± Rong Zhen clenched her silver teeth. I actually forgot about this! Elder Meng advised, ¡°Fourth Princess, we can¡¯t offend Lieutenant Mu¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I know that!¡± Rong Zhen was filled with hatred. It didn¡¯t matter if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mention this, but Rong Zhen hated her even more once she did. Why can Chu Liuyue be chosen while I got humiliated in public for saying a few words?! However, I can¡¯t do anything to Chu Liuyue now! Even though Rong Zhen was wilful, she was not brainless. Though she was about to be driven crazy, she realized that Chu Liuyue made sense after deeper thought. The most important thing now is to restore my pearl of essence. Everything else can wait. Thinking of this, Rong Zhen suppressed her anger and hollered, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off this time! Hurry up and walk!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at her and continued walking forward. Her words seemed to wake Rong Zhen up as Rong Zhen didn¡¯t do anything weird for the majority of the later journey. The few of them traveled calmly. ¡­ After more than an hour, Rong Zhen¡¯s legs started to ache. She asked in frustration, ¡°How much longer must we walk? Chu Liuyue, are you messing with me?¡± Chu Liuyue finally stopped. ¡°It¡¯s right in front.¡± Rong Zhen immediately looked over. She saw that there was a mostly lake within the lush greenery. The surroundings were very quiet, and when the light shone down, the mist gathered above the water surface like a sight in paradise. Rong Zhen couldn¡¯t help but walk forward, shockingly discovering that the mist floating above the lake was intense force. ¡°This is¡­¡± Rong Zhen widened her eyes and looked at the scene in front of her in disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a place outside the Imperial City?¡± As the Fourth Princess, she had been loved and doted on. Not to mention the Imperial City, she had been to more than half of the good places in the entire Country Yao Chen. However, she had never heard of this place before. ¡°The force here is very strong and gentle. It¡¯s a good place to cultivate,¡± praised Elder Meng. Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°I ran over here with much difficulty back then and coincidentally met the mysterious man. This should be his territory, but I don¡¯t know if he will appear here today.¡± Rong Zhen stared at the lake in shock and took a deep breath in, instantly feeling that her organs were rejuvenated. This really is a prime place for cultivation! ¡°Glad you¡¯re honest!¡± Rong Zhen threw the other end of the rope to Elder Meng as she excitedly rushed to the side of the lake. Upon closer inspection, this lake was as clear as ever and was filled with mystic vibes. Rong Zhen surveyed her surroundings and realized that nobody else was here other than them. Is the mysterious person not here today? ¡°Elder Meng, is there anyone else around?¡± Elder Meng shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± He did not detect anyone else¡¯s aura. ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­ Why wouldn¡¯t anyone watch this place?¡± Rong Zhen walked around the lake in confusion. It would be great if this lake was mine! It would be much easier to cultivate here! However, it is a pity that my pearl of essence is broken, so I can¡¯t cultivate here. In this case, it would be more disastrous than advantageous. Upon thinking of this, Rong Zhen¡¯s heart felt itchy. ¡°Chu Liuyue, since that mysterious person was willing to help you, do you have a way of contacting him?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°How can I control someone of that status? I don¡¯t even know how he looks myself.¡± Rong Zhen originally didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to know, and her face was filled with disappointment when she heard her words. Such a powerful existence would not be restricted to one place. But wouldn¡¯t it be too embarrassing if all of us came here and went back without achieving anything? Suddenly, her eyes lit up. ¡°Oh right! Previously, you said that you met that person when you were in danger. If you meet with a similar scenario, would he appear again?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°Fourth Princess, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else!¡± Rong Zhen slowly walked to Chu Liuyue as she sized her up with evil intentions. ¡°I just wanted to try. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t really kill you¡ª¡± ¡°Fourth Princess, you think too highly of me,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Rong Zhen mocked, ¡°You¡¯re currently different from before. Even Lieutenant Mu praises you, so how can I be thinking highly of you? You just¡ª¡± Just as her hands were about to strangle Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck, a strange sound came from the lake. Rong Zhen immediately turned back. Underneath the mist, one could vaguely see a ripple spreading toward the outside with the lake as its center. Rong Zhen couldn¡¯t hide her agitation and hurriedly went over. But the moment she neared the lake, a large white figure suddenly dashed out of the lake and rushed toward her. Chapter 323 - Kill in Retaliation Immediately after she sensed the incoming danger, Rong Zhen shouted, ¡°Ah¡­ Elder Meng, save me!¡± The moment Elder Meng saw the white figure jump out of the water, he already noticed that something was amiss and immediately rushed forward. He was fast, but the other party was quicker! Huala! The sound of something scratching a surface was heard! The next moment, Rong Zhen¡¯s body flew back, and she fell onto the floor harshly. The clothes in front of her chest were quickly drenched in fresh red blood. ¡°Fourth Princess!¡± Elder Meng gasped and looked up. He saw a fit white lion in front of his eyes. It quickly dashed out of the water and flew into the air with a superior aura around it. It was clearly an advanced fiend! Elder Meng¡¯s heart hung in his throat. Even if he was a stage-five warrior, it wasn¡¯t easy to defeat such a fiend. He wanted to go forward and save Rong Zhen, but that terrifying white lion didn¡¯t budge a single step. There was completely no chance if he went against it head-on. Rong Zhen lay on the floor and kept grumbling in misery. Before she could even see what the other party looked like, she had already collapsed on the floor. Her organs all felt as though they had squeezed into a hole. A few of her ribs had also been broken as she couldn¡¯t move a single bit. After her pearl of essence broke, Rong Zhen lost all her strength and couldn¡¯t even win against an average adult man, and she was no different from a good-for-nothing. How could she withstand such a ferocious attack? ¡°Elder Meng¡­ Elder Meng¡­¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s face was as white as a sheet, and she kept vomiting blood as she struggled to get up. But the moment she moved, the pain could take her life. She couldn¡¯t exert strength in many parts of her body. ¡°Roar!¡± The white lion roared toward the sky. Rong Zhen was frightened until she started shivering. Elder Meng suddenly realized something and turned back to look at Chu Liuyue. ¡°It¡¯s you¡ª¡± Choo! A very sharp dagger appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands at some point as she forcefully slashed the rope. Elder Meng laughed in mockery. ¡°This rope is made up of golden thread and white platinum. You¡¯re too naive in thinking that a mere dagger can break¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger landed, and the rope immediately snapped. The cut was very neat and tidy, and it looked as easy as ever. Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. ¡°It seems like your item is just so-so.¡± Elder Meng¡¯s blood boiled as he gathered his force in his palms and struck. Hong! A ball of intricate force headed straight for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue tip-toed and jumped up like a sparrow. At the same time, she yelled, ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± A small red figure suddenly flashed across. Then, it went straight for that ball of force. Poof! It charged in and was immediately swallowed by the force¡¯s light. Elder Meng sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± He had long heard of Chu Liuyue¡¯s strange blood ferret that directly swallowed Heng Jingchuo¡¯s force. However, he was different from Heng Jingchuo. Elder Meng was a stage-five warrior and was much more capable than Heng Jingchuo. Chu Liuyue was dreaming if she wanted to use the method she used against Heng Jingchuo on him. But at this point, a hole suddenly appeared in the crystal ball of force. A furry tail stuck out. Elder Meng froze. The next moment, he saw the force¡¯s light suddenly shrink from the middle. That blood ferret opened its mouth and sucked strongly. All the force became light that entered its body. Elder Meng was entirely stunned. ¡°Elder Meng, save me!¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s miserable cries made Elder Meng recover his senses. He turned back and saw that the white lion had already raised its claws, slashing down harshly. Hong! A strong gust of wind was felt. Rong Zhen¡¯s body flew up again, and it landed on the floor in an even more terrible way. This time, there were more bloodstains on her body, making her look even more ¡®dead.¡¯ ¡°Fourth Princess!¡± Elder Meng was very anxious and hurriedly rushed over. However, he still couldn¡¯t get near her this time. The white lion was very strong, and it could easily stop him. Looking at Rong Zhen¡¯s tortured appearance, Elder Meng glared at the white lion in anger, but he shockingly discovered that Chu Liuyue was standing beside the white lion. The key was that the white lion seemed to be very docile in front of her as her hands gently patted the lion¡¯s head. ¡°Xue Xue, good job,¡± praised Chu Liuyue genuinely. Ever since Rong Zhen secretly found her, she had already been planning her retaliation. Since Rong Zhen said that she wanted Chu Liuyue to bring her over, it was just a matter of time for the plan to succeed. She had long gotten Xue Xue to wait here and was planning to come after the Qing Jiao Competition ended. Even if Rong Zhen didn¡¯t find her, she would go find Rong Zhen. Hence, even though the incident today was very sudden, it was all within her control. The ferociousness in Xue Xue¡¯s eyes disappeared, and it became very obedient as it rubbed its face against Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. ¡°T-this is your fiend? No, impossible!¡± Elder Meng was shocked by the scene in front, and his entire person was unwell. Since when did Chu Liuyue have connections to such a formidable existence? Besides, it looks like the fiend really listens to her! Even if it isn¡¯t her fiend, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a difference! Xue Xue looked up at Chu Liuyue and was going to ask for more praise when its gaze suddenly focused on Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. Chu Liuyue followed its gaze and then touched her neck subconsciously. The mark caused by the strangle was very obvious. She curved her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay; it¡¯s just some superficial injury.¡± However, Xue Xue¡¯s eyes burned with fire. Being strangled around the neck is a very humiliating thing to a fiend. It is even more so for humans! They actually treated her like that! Roar! Xue Xue angrily roared. When Rong Zhen heard this, she was so frightened that her entire body trembled. She forced her eyes open and looked at Xue Xue. For some reason, she felt that this scene was familiar¡­ Right! The advanced fiend that I met in the hunting ground previously was also white, and¡­ the aura is clearly the same! ¡°Elder Meng, this white lion is the fiend that ruined my pearl of essence!¡± yelled Rong Zhen with a hoarse throat. ¡°Quick! Tell Father and Mother!¡± Chapter 324 - Secret Elder Meng was shocked! He didn¡¯t follow Rong Zhen when she went to the hunting ground to catch the advanced fiend. Besides, when Rong Zhen fell down from the cliff, she didn¡¯t get a clear look at the other party¡¯s face. Thus, nobody knew what exactly the advanced fiend that hurt her looked like. Rong Zhen originally thought that the incident would just end with no conclusion, but she didn¡¯t expect to meet the fiend today. Moreover, this fiend was clearly related to Chu Liuyue! Elder Meng swiftly took out a thumb-sized silver container from his arms. This was the container specially used by Country Yao Chen¡¯s royal family to seek help. It would immediately explode once one injected their force into it. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. She had heard of this before, and it was called a Silver Fly. Everyone in Country Yao Chen¡¯s royal family had one of their own, and they wouldn¡¯t use it until it was a crucial moment. This also meant that the person was in grave danger once this thing was activated. The people in the royal family could rush over according to the signal the item gave out. The more important point was that once the Silver Fly exploded, people within a one-kilometer radius would be stained with a weird scent. Those people could continue tracking them down according to the smell. In that case, it would unknowingly cause a lot more trouble. Chu Liuyue lifted her hands and swiftly flung her dagger out. The dagger was very fast, and it immediately struck Elder Meng¡¯s wrist. The Silver Fly fell onto the ground. Elder Meng panicked as he immediately went forward to pick up the Silver Fly. Xue Xue lifted its paws and swung them down harshly. A few sharp light rays instantly flew out. Elder Meng was shocked, and he immediately backed away to avoid them. A red figure flashed past. The next moment, Tuan Zi held onto the Silver Fly and appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue took the Silver Fly and gently patted Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead. ¡°Good foresight.¡± Tuan Zi proudly waved its tail before shaking its butt at Rong Zhen and Elder Meng with a look of contempt. Elder Meng¡¯s heart turned cold. A formidable advanced fiend, a cunning Chu Liuyue, and a mysterious blood ferret¡­ Rong Zhen and I aren¡¯t their match! At this point, Rong Zhen finally sensed the danger she was in as her lips turned white, and blood kept coming out of her mouth. She forced her head up and looked at Chu Liuyue. The face that was originally filled with arrogance and unruliness was left with deep horror. However, a hint of vengeance was hidden in the depths of her eyes. ¡°¡­It¡¯s you¡­ It¡¯s you! Y-you sent this fiend over!¡± accused Rong Zhen with a shaky voice. ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯ve long hated me, so you wanted to kill me, right?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ Xue Xue was the fiend who ruined your pearl of essence back then?¡± ¡°Why are you acting innocent?¡± At this point, Rong Zhen was on the verge of breaking down. Upon seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s seemingly ignorant face, she was so angry that she exploded and yelled at the top of her lungs. ¡°Back then, you purposely sold the hunting ground and secretly let out the news that there would advanced fiends there to attract me over!¡± ¡°Then, you sent this fiend to sneak an attack on me, causing me to fall down the cliff. This destroyed my pearl of essence and caused me to become a total good-for-nothing. You did all of this because I humiliated you during the palace banquet back then. You¡¯re such a vicious woman! The truth is here. Are you still trying to deny it?¡± Chu Liuyue mulled over Rong Zhen¡¯s words, and her eyes looked deep as she turned to glance at Xue Xue thoughtfully. Xue Xue guiltily lowered its head and stared at its own paws. Chu Liuyue lightly asked, ¡°Xue Xue, were you really the one who pushed her off the cliff?¡± Xue Xue laid motionless. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice became louder. Xue Xue immediately looked at her with puppy eyes. I was just carrying out my orders! Chu Liuyue stared at the lion for a while and raised her brows in satisfaction after confirming that it wasn¡¯t lying anymore. ¡°It¡¯s fine that you admit it. I don¡¯t like little fellows that lie to me.¡± Xue Xue hurriedly nodded. At the side, Tuan Zi suddenly froze and secretly glanced at Chu Liuyue. After confirming that she wasn¡¯t talking about it, Tuan Zi pulled its eyes away and avoided her line of sight. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips suddenly curved up. ¡°Good job!¡± Xue Xue instantly heaved a sigh of relief as a big smile was plastered on its face, showing off its white teeth. Rong Zhen almost died from anger. I really don¡¯t know what Chu Liuyue is doing! She¡¯s clearly the mastermind behind all of this, yet she¡¯s still acting here! Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Zhen, encircled her chest, and played with the dagger that had flown out. She then lazily said, ¡°Rong Zhen, no matter if you believe it or not, I didn¡¯t cause the destruction of your pearl of essence. However, I¡¯m too lazy to explain so much to you now. Anyway, I¡¯m already a ¡®vicious woman¡¯ in your eyes, right? Therefore, whatever I do, even if I kill you, it¡¯ll be more than normal, right?¡± Rong Zhen was so frightened that she trembled. ¡°Country Yao Chen! I¡¯m Country Yao Chen¡¯s princess! You dare to kill me?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue as she surveyed her surroundings. ¡°This place is very deserted, and it¡¯s the best place to kill someone and destroy the evidence. Besides¡­ you were the ones who brought me out secretly. Hence, nobody knows that the three of us are together except for you. Even if someone investigates this in the future, they won¡¯t suspect me.¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s lips vibrated vehemently, but she couldn¡¯t say a single word. This was because she knew very clearly that Chu Liuyue¡¯s logic was flawless. She looked at Chu Liuyue. That woman stood there leisurely, and her smile was bright. However, the sharpness that glowed in her eyes was even colder than the blade of the dagger she was playing with in her hands. Boundless fear overwhelmed Rong Zhen¡¯s heart. At this very moment, she finally realized what it meant to be at someone¡¯s mercy. Chu Liuyue can really kill me right here and now, and¡­ she definitely would do it! ¡°C-Chu Liuyue¡­ I beg of you¡­ I beg of you, please don¡¯t kill me¡­ I-I was blind, and I offended you. Can you please not hold it against me? I-I can apologize to you! If you want, you can also use a rope to strangle my neck. I¡¯ll learn how to bark like a dog for you, okay? I¡¯m begging you!¡± Rong Zhen was so frightened that she let everything out just to survive. Chu Liuyue looked at her with much interest. She initially thought that Rong Zhen was a spoiled and arrogant princess, but it now seemed like she was more flexible. However, it was still so-so. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Rong Zhen, you don¡¯t have to waste your breath. Right now, if you were me, would you let me live?¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t! I have so many grudges with Chu Liuyue. If I had the chance to kill Chu Liuyue, I would definitely do it without any hesitation. It must be the same for Chu Liuyue! Thinking of this, hopelessness gradually filled her eyes. Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Today is a decent day for me, so I¡¯ll do it quickly.¡± As she spoke, she aimed the dagger at Rong Zhen¡¯s brows. Choo! ¡°Wait! I can tell you a secret about Rong Jin!¡± Chapter 325 - Negotiation Zing! The sharp dagger swung above Rong Zhen¡¯s head and landed hard on the ground, missing her by inches! A lock of her silky hair fell before her eyes. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest. If she were a second slower, she could¡¯ve died! Chu Liuyue watched Rong Zhen¡¯s face turn deathly pale. ¡°It¡¯s over between Rong Jin and me. His matters are of no concern to me as well. Do you seriously think you can let me in on his secret in exchange for your life?¡± ¡°You will! I swear on my life! This particular secret of his will definitely interest you.¡± Worried that Chu Liuyue might change her mind, Rong Zhen rattled away without stopping to take a breath. The latter¡¯s words piqued the former¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Oh?¡± As flustered as she was, Rong Zhen remained steadfast when she heard Chu Liuyue. ¡°Please, hear me out! My life is in your hands. You can kill me at any time you deem fit, so why not hear what I have to say first? If you don¡¯t like it, just kill me.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Start talking.¡± Rong Zhen took a deep breath and forced the rising lump of bloody mucus back down her throat. The taste disgusted her, but she dared not do anything when facing an extremely serious-looking Chu Liuyue. ¡°Have you heard the news? Father and the Emperor of Country Xing Luo intend to marry Situ Xingchen to Rong Jin.¡± A dark look flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes when she heard the princess¡¯s name. ¡°I¡¯ve heard no such thing, not even gossip. How do you know about this?¡± The marriage alliance between the two kingdoms seemed to pique her interest. Rong Zhen heaved a sigh of relief inwardly and continued, ¡°I overheard my mother talking about it. Both she and Rong Jin didn¡¯t know that I was eavesdropping.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. There was a possibility of this happening. Rong Zhen was the Empress¡¯s biological daughter, and she used to be close to Rong Jin. Knowing this didn¡¯t seem strange at all. ¡°Every man dreams of marrying the perfect lady. It would be Rong Jin¡¯s good fortune to marry Situ Xingchen,¡± Chu Liuyue said. She meant every word. Although she didn¡¯t have a good impression of Situ Xingchen, the latter excelled in all aspects of her life. Not only did she have the looks, but she was also talented. On top of that, she was a more respectable princess than Rong Jin was as a prince. The Crown Prince was born into his status. However, the recent string of events had jeopardized his status. His father, Emperor Jiawen, seemed to run out of patience. Moreover, the other princes were outstanding too. Any one of them could replace Rong Jin, especially Rong Jiu. The Third Prince had always been his nemesis, even if he was reclusive and quiet these days. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think the teenager¡ªwho was also a decorated war veteran¡ªwould admit defeat so easily. He was merely biding his time. Some time ago, Rong Jin was suddenly placed under house arrest and deprived of many of his rights. That seemed to be related to the Third Prince. On the other hand, as Country Xing Luo¡¯s esteemed eldest princess, Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t have to fight for the throne. She still held reputable status, which was something the Crown Prince could only dream of. Rong Jin would simply benefit from the alliance. ¡°Country Xing Luo initiated the marriage alliance, not Rong Jin.¡± Rong Zhen enunciated each word seriously. The revelation stunned Chu Liuyue. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°This is the secret that I¡¯m about to tell you.¡± Rong Zhen watched her anxiously. ¡°Do you want to hear it? If you do, then¡­ you must promise not to torture or kill me!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡°Are you in the position to negotiate with me?¡± Taken aback, Rong Zhen gritted her teeth. ¡°I know I don¡¯t. I will end my own life if you don¡¯t agree!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her nonchalantly. ¡°The dagger is right beside you.¡± There was no hesitation. Chu Liuyue¡¯s decisive reply left Rong Zhen dumbfounded. ¡°Something major caused this alliance! D-don¡¯t you wish to know?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded honestly. ¡°Of course, I want to know. However, I hate it when people try to bargain with me, especially someone like you.¡± She looked at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s almost evening. If you¡¯re going to kill yourself, do it fast. My father is waiting for me to have dinner.¡± Rong Zhen blushed like a tomato as she felt a bloody lump lodged in her throat. ¡°You!¡± She furiously picked the dagger up and held it against her neck. ¡°Chu Liuyue, I¡¯m telling you! If you miss this, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Unfazed, Chu Liuyue taunted, ¡°Oh, that dagger is sharp, but you¡¯re placing it at the wrong place¡ªit¡¯s too low. If you slit your throat at this angle, it¡¯ll take a long time for you to die from blood loss. Move it higher.¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s expression darkened. She was already hurt; every inch of her body was screaming in pain. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words pushed her to the brink of self-destruction. Her hands trembled as she ground her teeth. Suddenly, she recalled the confrontation with her mother from a few days ago. The declaration pierced her heart like a sharp blade, and despair filled her eyes. In the past, Rong Zhen had been exceptional and loved, but she lost everything when she became a cripple. Because of that, she could no longer help Rong Jin achieve anything. Thus, she became a thorn in her mother¡¯s eyes. Nobody would care even if she died today. At this thought, Rong Zhen closed her eyes slowly. A tear slid down her cheek, and she moved her hand with determination. Poof! Chu Liuyue flicked a stone at her hand. It hit Rong Zhen¡¯s wrist, and she dropped the dagger before she could slit her artery. Rong Zhen stared at the fallen dagger on the ground, her hand numb. Choo! A thin red line appeared at her neck, but the cut wasn¡¯t deadly. She glanced at Chu Liuyue hopelessly. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her with much interest. Rong Zhen might¡¯ve been arrogant and domineering and conducted many evil deeds, but she was more courageous than Rong Jin. Faced with the same situation, the Crown Prince would never have the guts to kill himself. This alone proved that she was a better person than her brother. ¡°You can tell me that secret now.¡± Taken aback, Rong Zhen eyed Chu Liuyue doubtfully. ¡°Really? Y-you¡¯re sure you won¡¯t kill me?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Positive.¡± Chapter 326 - Disappearance Xue Xue was standing beside Chu Liuyue. She looked at it. The beast pounced, immediately understanding what she wanted. Despite its enormous body, the white lion ran so fast that it vanished in the blink of an eye¡ªit appeared before Elder Meng in an instant. The moment Xue Xue moved, the elder realized he was in danger. Thus, he started running for his life. After he took a few steps, he saw a flash of white. The lion stood in front of him, blocking his escape route. Elder Meng gathered force at the heart of his palm and attacked hurriedly. ¡°Dragon Fist Strike!¡± A look of menacing mockery filled Xue Xue¡¯s icy-blue eyes, and it raised its paw. Huala! The elder¡¯s strike was torn apart, and there were even several lines of red claw marks on his arm! Elder Meng backed a few steps away from the invisible force, which almost knocked him down. When he finally steadied himself, he saw the lion gradually advancing toward him. The elder ran. Roar! Xue Xue¡¯s roar resounded in the middle of the forest. Elder Meng barely took a step when his body froze abruptly. Then, blood flowed out of his ears. Bang! He fell face down onto the ground, breathless. Unsurprised, Chu Liuyue walked over. An extremely powerful fiend could shatter a stage-five warrior¡¯s innards without breaking a sweat. Chu Liuyue used a twig to remove the elder¡¯s black scarf, revealing an old and unfamiliar face. She then turned toward Rong Zhen with raised brows. The latter forced herself to calm down and explained slowly, ¡°This is Si Meng, an elder from the Si family. F-for many years, he has been protecting me secretly.¡± ¡°He¡¯s from the Si family?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of him.¡± ¡°He faked his death 20 years ago. Actually, he has been working for my mother all these years.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly remembered that the current Empress¡ªSi Huijing¡ªwas the Si family head¡¯s sister. ¡°It seems that the Empress and the entire Si family have their reservations toward His Majesty.¡± ¡°No, the rest of the family is unaware of this.¡± Although Rong Zhen had a grudge against the Empress, she didn¡¯t want to implicate the Si family in this again. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°You have Si Meng by your side. What about Rong Jin and Rong Qi?¡± Rong Zhen shook her head. ¡°The palace is heavily guarded. Mother dares not go too far. Si Meng was protecting Rong Jin, but Mother assigned him to me after I was injured.¡± The last shred of hope in Rong Zhen¡¯s heart died with Si Meng. As Chu Liuyue listened, she took out a jade bottle from her Cosmic Bag and poured a bit of its contents on Si Meng¡¯s body. Rong Zhen knew what she was doing, but she cowered and remained silent. Sure enough, Si Meng¡¯s corpse disappeared without a trace after a short while! Rong Zhen could only watch with widened eyes as her heart pounded against her ribs. After Chu Liuyue took care of the little problem, she turned her attention toward Rong Zhen again. Rong Zhen was clearly scared beyond her wits because she retreated involuntarily. Chu Liuyue condescendingly gazed at her with a smile on her lips. ¡°Well, you can start talking now. Tell me about that secret.¡± ¡­ The Empress returned to the palace after she gave Rong Jin detailed instructions. Too much had happened today, leaving her feeling exhausted. Everyone in the palace heard about what happened at Tian Lu Academy. They knew she wouldn¡¯t be in a good mood at a time like this, so they were extremely cautious around her. The Empress sat at the dressing table in her residence. She saw herself in the bronze mirror¡ªit was a face that was both dignified and beautiful but old and tired. She reached out and caressed the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. No matter how much effort she put in to maintain her looks, she couldn¡¯t escape the fact that she was getting older. She was no longer young. Si Huijing detested her own face, let alone the Emperor. Even if she could turn back time to ten years ago, her face wasn¡¯t the one that he loved the most. At this thought, frustration welled up within her. She swept the jewelry boxes away from the dressing table, knocking everything to the ground. The handmaidens beside her immediately fell to their knees. ¡°Please calm yourself, Your Majesty!¡± The Empress wanted to lash out and torture everyone to their deaths. In the end, she curbed the impulse. None of this matters. As long as Rong Jin retains his status as the Crown Prince, there is hope! I will be the sole winner. This thought soothed her. ¡°You can relax. I¡¯m just exhausted; it was an accident. Put everything away.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± The handmaidens quickly picked up the scattered jewelry piece by piece and put them back into the boxes. ¡°How is the Fourth Princess today?¡± the Empress asked. One of the maidens replied, ¡°Your Majesty, Her Highness refused to step out of her residence today. She stayed in her room the whole day, and her meals were untouched.¡± The Empress frowned. Since she hit Rong Zhen a few days ago, her daughter had refused to come out. Even though she regretted her actions, the Empress thought it was time to tame Rong Zhen¡¯s wild temper. Given the current situation, it wasn¡¯t her place to be arrogant. Instead of sharing her mother¡¯s and Rong Jin¡¯s worries, Rong Zhen only cared about herself. Did she really think she was still the well-loved Fourth Princess? The Empress thought it would be good if her daughter could take a few days to reflect and learn her lesson. Alas, it seemed impossible now. She stood up and said, ¡°I will go and see her.¡± ¡­ It was already evening when the Empress arrived at Rong Zhen¡¯s bedchamber. The princess¡¯s servants were surprised by her presence. ¡°Good day, Your Majesty!¡± The Empress scrutinized the surroundings, but she failed to see Rong Zhen. ¡°Where is the Princess?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the Fourth Princess is in her room.¡± The Empress was getting upset by her daughter¡¯s behavior. She had taken the first step to come here. Rong Zhen definitely heard the announcement of her arrival, but the former continued to shut herself behind closed doors. What a spoiled brat! The Empress collected herself and made a beeline toward the bedchamber. ¡°Zhen Zhen, I¡¯m here.¡± Silence greeted her. ¡°Zhen Zhen?¡± the Empress called out, louder this time. Again, there was no response. She ran out of patience and ordered the servants to open the door forcibly. Then, she stepped into the room. ¡°Rong Zhen, you have gone too far! You¡­¡± The words got stuck in the Empress¡¯s throat. Nobody was in the room! Her daughter was gone. She looked around. ¡°Zhen Zhen!¡± Dead silence. This time, the Empress panicked. She did a quick search around the room, and Rong Zhen was indeed missing. The Empress looked at the handmaidens and the servants with a mixture of shock and anger. ¡°Where did the Princess go?¡± The crowd fell to their knees fearfully. ¡°You are wise, Your Majesty! The Fourth Princess has been staying in her room for the past few days; she never set foot outside at all!¡± ¡°Then, where is she now?¡± With so many witnesses testifying that Rong Zhen hadn¡¯t left her room, the latter couldn¡¯t have just gone for a walk. ¡°W-what a bunch of useless¡­ Argh!¡± The Empress grabbed a teacup and hurled it at the servants. ¡°Get out there and search for her! Now! If you can¡¯t find the Fourth Princess, I¡¯ll behead you!¡± Chapter 327 - Lecture ¡°Yes!¡± The palace maids hurriedly answered as they were frightened to no end. Just as they were about to leave, the Empress hollered, ¡°Also, you mustn¡¯t let anyone know about this now! If His Majesty hears about this¡­ be careful of your lives!¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Many palace maids hurriedly dispersed. The Empress¡¯s face was dark and scary as she stood rooted to the ground for quite some time. Where can Rong Zhen go? With her pearl of essence broken, she doesn¡¯t have any cultivation at all. Based on her strengths, she definitely can¡¯t avoid so many people and silently leave. Unless¡­ The Empress suddenly thought of something, and her heart sank. Did Elder Meng bring Rong Zhen out? She hurriedly returned to the house and left the palace maids outside. After confirming that nobody was around, she took out a small thing from her arms. It was a thumb-sized jade seal, which was what she usually used to contact Elder Meng. She lightly moved the seal. Kacha! A soft sound was made. The Empress looked at the bottom of the seal, but what disappointed her was that there was no reaction. The Empress knitted her brows. Even if Elder Meng left with Rong Zhen, he should be able to receive this news. He would always quickly reply to me in the past, but now¡­ She paused for a while and tried again. However, there was no reaction at all. The Empress felt even more anxious. Elder Meng had followed her for years, and this situation had never happened before. This made her feel very uneasy. She couldn¡¯t help but size the room up. Everything was normal except that someone was missing. The Empress felt her head ache as she rubbed her brows. Where exactly did Rong Zhen go¡­ So many things happened today, yet Rong Zhen had to pick this time to cause trouble! If His Majesty finds out¡­ he will definitely punish me for not doing my responsibilities as a mother. We¡¯re already in a perilous situation now. What exactly is Rong Zhen doing? When she comes back, I must teach her a lesson! Peng! Suddenly, the seal in her hands exploded and cracked. The Empress was taken aback and directly threw the thing onto the floor. The broken seal rolled around for a while before stopping completely. When they heard this, the palace maids anxiously asked, ¡°Her Majesty, are you okay?¡± The Empress subconsciously shouted, ¡°I¡¯m fine! No one is allowed to enter!¡± Then, she hurried over and picked up the few pieces of the broken jade seal. She widened her eyes and stared at the item in her hands in disbelief, only recovering her senses after a long time. T-this¡­ Elder Meng is dead?! The Empress¡¯s body started uncontrollably trembling out of fear and terror. Elder Meng is actually dead¡­ However, he¡¯s a stage-five warrior! All these years, he has done so many things for me perfectly. Why did he suddenly die now? The Empress was stunned. Hang on! If Elder Meng really is the one who brought Zhen Zhen out and he¡¯s dead, then isn¡¯t Zhen Zhen¡ª She hurriedly stood up when she thought of this. If Zhen Zhen is truly in danger, I must hurriedly send someone to save her! However, she stopped again after walking for a while. Telling His Majesty about this is the quickest and most efficient way. After all, His Majesty can deploy many people, unlike me¡ªwho can only blindly send people over. Who knows when I¡¯ll hear news of this? But how am I supposed to explain why Rong Zhen left quietly? Once His Majesty investigates the matter, he will definitely find out about Elder Meng, even if he¡¯s already dead! By that time, I might not even be able to keep my position as the Empress, let alone Rong Jin. The Empress couldn¡¯t decide in a short while and was stuck between both sides. After being in conflict for a long time, she finally decided to hide the matter first. It would be absolutely great if we can find Rong Zhen and get her back. If we can¡¯t¡­ At the point between life and death, Rong Zhen will definitely find a way to survive. After all, she has the Silver Fly. It seems like we can¡¯t cause any more trouble¡­ ¡­ The Chu family residence. Chu Ning followed the wooden vines to the Chu residence. Looking at the familiar door, he was in deep thought, his emotional state complicated. He was once proud of the Chu family, and he had once done everything for the Chu family. However, the Chu family left him with endless pain and hurt. If it weren¡¯t for the family head, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have done this! When the guards at the entrance saw him from afar, they immediately kneeled on their knees. ¡°Congratulations for coming back, Eldest Young Master!¡± They were all very hardworking, and kind smiles were plastered on their lips. When Chu Ning was in the limelight, he had never been treated so enthusiastically before. However, the smiles on their faces were ever so glaring and even disgusting. Chu Ning clearly remembered what kind of faces these people used to direct at Yue¡¯er and him. Things have already developed until this stage after a short while. What a turn of events! Chu Ning ignored them and directly started the game. He walked through the yard and headed toward the living room. Before he could reach the place, he saw the Chu family¡¯s people gathered together outside the living room. Upon seeing his shadow, someone immediately welcomed him. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Looking at the passionate man in front of him, Chu Ning knitted his brows. ¡°Chu Ji?¡± Chu Ji was born to a sub-branch of the Chu family, and they weren¡¯t on good terms with him. When Chu Ning was in the limelight back then, Chu Ji was very jealous as he felt that Chu Ning had robbed him of his reputation and glory. In the end, Chu Ji had also made things worse when Chu Ning was abandoned. Chu Ning¡¯s lips curved up into a cold smile. ¡°Chu Ji, I haven¡¯t heard this ¡®Big Brother¡¯ in such a long time! It seems¡­ It seems like it¡¯s been ten years, right?¡± A hint of awkwardness quickly flashed across Chu Ji¡¯s eyes, but he quickly squeezed out another enthusiastic smile while pulling Chu Ning¡¯s arm. ¡°Hahaha! Big Brother, you still love to joke like before! Hurry up and come in! Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time!¡± Chu Ning easily avoided Chu Ji¡¯s hands as he looked at the crowd in front of him. He quickly surveyed the surroundings and sneered. Hah. Not only Chu Ji, but all the important people in the Chu family are here. Who else could it be other than First Elder Chu Xiao sitting in the middle? But at this point, his face looked very defeated when compared to other people¡¯s passionate enthusiasm. ¡°We¡¯re all family, so why are you still standing there? Come in and sit,¡± said Chu Xiao in a choked tone. Chu Ning laughed. Saying such things related to a pact is probably the biggest compromise Chu Xiao will eat. But¡­ Now that I¡¯m back to the Chu family, do I still need to see Chu Xiao¡¯s changing colors? ¡°First Elder Chu, you seem to have forgotten something. Yue¡¯er and I have already long planned to cut all ties with the Chu family. It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to use ¡®familial love.¡¯¡± Chu Xiao¡¯s expression froze! Chu Ning stood with a hand behind him and lightly said, ¡°First Elder Chu, you can just say or ask anything you want. However¡­ you should forget about the lecture.¡± Chapter 328 - Calculate Clearly Chu Xiao was about to flare up when someone beside him softly said, ¡°First Elder, we got Chu Ning back with much difficulty! You can¡¯t get into conflict with him again because you fought with him. We have important things to do! Important things!¡± Chu Xiao could only suppress the anger in his heart. Since he had already written the invitation, it was nothing major to lower himself a little. Even if it weren¡¯t for the Chu family, it was also for himself. Thinking of this, he pulled a straight face and contained his anger. ¡°Even so, you can¡¯t say it now with so many people standing. What does this look like? Come in first!¡± Chu Xiao then turned around to return to the living room first. A small minority of the others followed him in, while the majority of them looked at Chu Ning as if they were waiting for him to move. Chu Ji didn¡¯t agitate him anymore and just enthusiastically said, ¡°Big Brother, go in first! You¡¯re the older one, so you have to enter first.¡± Chu Ning glanced at him. Chu Ji¡¯s face did not look upset at all from being humiliated, and it was filled with excitement and flattery. Seeing that Chu Ning was sizing him up, he hurriedly said, ¡°Big Brother, you haven¡¯t come back in a while, so you might not be very used to everything. But don¡¯t worry, you can just tell me if you have any concerns! I will definitely settle them for you!¡± Chu Ning could tell that his sentence was genuine. Chu Ji really didn¡¯t hold a grudge for whatever happened previously and was genuinely trying his best to suck up to him. How stupid. Chu Ning secretly shook his head and walked to the living room. The others then followed him in. ¡­ Chu Ning was arranged to sit at the first seat on the left. This was the most distinguished seat, apart from the one Chu Xiao usually sat on. It was even placed in front of the other elders in the Chu family. But Chu Ning was too lazy to calculate all of this at this point and directly sat down. ¡°Since everyone is already here, First Elder, you can just directly say whatever you want, right?¡± Chu Ning didn¡¯t want to waste any time here as he felt that it was very unbearable to spend a long time with these people. Hence, he planned to settle the matter as soon as possible and return. Chu Xiao was upset with Chu Ning¡¯s attitude, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t the time to calculate such matters. Thus, he said, ¡°According to what the family head said at first, he should come out of seclusion soon. If he knows about what happened recently, he will definitely be disappointed, so¡­ I got you over today to discuss what we should do.¡± Chu Ning smiled lightly, but there was no smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°What else can we do? Since it has already happened, are we still going to pretend as if everything is normal? When the family head comes out of seclusion, I¡¯ll personally explain to him.¡± The crowd was stunned as they looked at each other awkwardly; it appeared as if they didn¡¯t expect Chu Ning to actually say that. Chu Ji couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Big Brother, d-don¡¯t you respect Master the most? Breaking ties with the Chu family is akin to breaking ties with Master¡­ If Master knows about this, he¡¯ll definitely be very upset¡­¡± Chu Ning said nonchalantly, ¡°I know. I still respect Master now the same as I did before, but nobody can turn the clock back since things have already ended up like this. Hence, I¡¯ll accept whatever opinion Master will have of me at that point.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Even Chu Xiao could not help but ask this, clearly very shocked by Chu Ning¡¯s words. The entire Chu family knew that Chu Ning was a very sentimental person. They originally thought that mentioning Master would cause him to regret his earlier decision, but things were unexpected. Chu Ning nodded. ¡°Of course. I think through every single word that I say.¡± The entire living room fell into an awkward silence. He has already said so much. What else can others say? After a long while, Chu Xiao knitted his brows and said, ¡°Chu Ning, since you¡¯ve already said that, we don¡¯t need to say anything polite anymore. You should know why we called you back today.¡± Chu Ning looked genuine. ¡°Sorry, I really don¡¯t know. Do you want to apologize to Yue¡¯er and me to fix our relationship or beg for us to come back? If you don¡¯t say it, how am I supposed to guess?¡± The crowd looked awkward once again. Chu Xiao suppressed his rage. ¡°Chu Ning, don¡¯t be too outrageous!¡± ¡°I asked because I really don¡¯t know. How is this outrageous?¡± Chu Ning stifled a laugh, and his gaze swept past the crowd. ¡°Did you call me back to reminisce about the past?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Chu Xiao felt that Chu Ning¡¯s words were very jarring, and he finally couldn¡¯t take it any longer. He stood up in anger, stared at Chu Ning, and said, ¡°You just want us to admit that we want to ask you to return, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®ask,¡¯ it¡¯s ¡®beg,¡¯¡± corrected Chu Ning sincerely. ¡°¡­¡± Chu Xiao¡¯s face turned white and green, and the change was continuous. ¡°Chu Ning, you¡¯re right. The entire Chu family wishes for you and Liuyue to come back and become part of us again.¡± Third Elder¡ªwho hadn¡¯t said anything from start to finish¡ªsuddenly spoke and looked at Chu Ning harmoniously. ¡°It¡¯s the Chu family who let you and your daughter down, so you can choose whatever you want. If you agree to come back, the entire Chu family will be very grateful to you. If you¡¯re reluctant, then you can take as if today¡¯s incident didn¡¯t happen.¡± Third Elder¡¯s words made everyone in the Chu family present feel extremely uncomfortable. However, they could only suffer it. After all, someone had to say this. Besides, they were truly the ones doing the begging. Chu Ning¡¯s expression looked better as he nodded toward Third Elder. ¡°Thank you for enlightening me, Third Elder. My answer is¡­ I disagree.¡± The crowd had already expected this answer, and they had long prepared words of persuasion. ¡°Chu Ning, you should reconsider carefully! The Chu family is still the one who raised you up. Don¡¯t you feel anything for us?¡± ¡°Yeah! Big Brother, it¡¯s not worth it if you¡¯re still angry about Chu Yan and his family! You don¡¯t know, right? Lu Yao instigated the Gu family¡¯s Madam Gu to cause a scene at Tian Lu Academy, and she was taught a harsh lesson by the Gu family¡¯s master. Besides, Chu Yan is still lying in bed and can¡¯t get up.¡± ¡°The two of them have caused the Chu family to be in big trouble. The Chu family was originally in a perilous situation, and it¡¯s even worse now after the storm they created. Chu Ning, do you really want to stand around and watch? How are we supposed to explain to Master when he comes out of his seclusion?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re still upset about what happened before, t-then we¡¯ll let you take your revenge, okay? Oh, and Liuyue! We¡¯ll lock up everyone who bullied her! As long as you two come back, you can do whatever you want to them.¡± All sorts of voices mixed together, making Chu Ning more frustrated than ever. He suddenly sneered. ¡°Oh really? If I remembered correctly, many of you present have done similar things, right? If we really want to calculate this clearly, then¡­ you can¡¯t avoid it either, right?¡± The entire living room fell silent. Chu Ning looked at Chu Xiao and coldly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we start from First Elder?¡± Chapter 329 - I Can’t Do It Chu Xiao knitted his brows. ¡°Chu Ning, do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± Chu Ning leaned against the chair leisurely, and his gaze was icy cold. ¡°Of course. If you don¡¯t accept it, then we¡¯ll end our conversation here today.¡± Then, he wanted to stand up and leave. Chu Xiao was about to holler, but the person beside him spoke first. ¡°Um¡­ Chu Ning, we know that it was the Chu family who let you and your daughter down, and it¡¯s right for you to make such a request. However, so much time has passed. Do you really want to investigate every matter one by one¡­?¡± ¡°I remember every single incident very clearly, and I won¡¯t wrongly accuse anyone.¡± Chu Ning glanced at the person talking. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start from you instead?¡± The person was stumped. The entire living room fell into dead silence again. Who would¡¯ve thought that Chu Ning would use such a method to punish them and take revenge? Only a fool would stand up at this point! However, it was also difficult for them to give up at this point. Chu Ning had already been promoted to the imperial guards¡¯ Commander-in-Chief and held actual power now. However, this wasn¡¯t the most important thing. The main point was Chu Liuyue! If she were just an average cultivator, it would be fine. However, she was clearly much more outstanding than the majority! If not, it would be impossible for her to take first place in two competitions in the Qing Jiao Competition. Besides, she was also very talented as a heavenly doctor. From the moment she produced that pill, she was already an actual heavenly doctor! One must know that nobody in the Chu family could have such achievements in so many years! The point which made them falter was that Chu Liuyue had the Dijing Yuan meridian and was chosen by Mu Qinghe to go to the Tianling Dynasty to cultivate! This was such a great honor! If Chu Liuyue was still part of the Chu family, then the Chu family¡¯s status would instantly be upgraded! By that time, they might even replace the Si family and become the top aristocratic family, let alone save their position as one of the top four families. How could they give up with such a huge temptation in front of them? ¡°¡­Big Brother, giving Master face, why don¡¯t we choose one of the solutions?¡± said Chu Ji carefully. Chu Ning asked, ¡°What does that mean?¡± Chu Ji glanced at Chu Xiao and awkwardly smiled. ¡°That¡­ it¡¯ll be quite troublesome if we calculate everything that happened in the past one by one. Why don¡¯t we formally apologize to you and Liuyue and give out compensation according to your wishes? To show our sincerity, why don¡¯t we start with First Elder?¡± Chu Xiao raised his brows. ¡°Chu Ji, you want me to lower my head and apologize?!¡± ¡°Ahem, First Elder, you don¡¯t have to be so direct with your words. Other than Master, you have the most distinguished status in the Chu family. It¡¯ll be most convincing if we start with you, right? Just do it for the Chu family¡­¡± Chu Ji lowered his voice for the last sentence, but everyone in the crowd heard it clearly. The crowd¡¯s initial hesitant and worried expressions immediately disappeared. ¡°First Elder, Chu Ji is right. You did cause Chu Ning and his daughter to suffer quite a bit in the past. Your apology is actually necessary¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! You¡¯ve already written the invitation! Didn¡¯t we call Chu Ning back today to find a solution? It¡¯s best if we can reduce the matter and make it disappear.¡± ¡°First Elder, didn¡¯t you previously say that we¡¯re all a family? Since we¡¯re family, why can¡¯t you just lower your head¡­?¡± Chu Xiao was so angry that his face turned green. All these people¡ªwho are usually respectful toward me¡ªactually turned around and betrayed me because they want to suck up to Chu Liuyue. After a temporary pause, Chu Xiao finally sneered. ¡°Okay! Since this is so, I¡¯ll apologize to you!¡± Chu Ning had a half-smile. ¡°First Elder, are you apologizing or lecturing someone?¡± Chu Xiao was stumped. Someone at the side hurriedly leaned in and said, ¡°First Elder, think of Lieutenant Mu!¡± The other families didn¡¯t even have the opportunity to suck up to Chu Liuyue! It was also an undeniable fact that Chu Liuyue had the Chu family¡¯s blood. As long as the father-daughter duo agreed to come back, these small matters didn¡¯t mean much! Chu Xiao took a deep breath in. ¡°¡­In the past, I did do some outrageous things and hurt you and your daughter. Now, I¡¯ll apologize to you¡­ Sorry!¡± Chu Xiao¡¯s body shook, and he clenched his teeth as he spurted this sentence out. He was used to throwing his weight around in the Chu family and being high and mighty, so he felt extremely disgusted and defeated to lower his head and apologize to Chu Ning, whom he had never liked. I¡¯ll take revenge for this later! However, the others didn¡¯t even care about Chu Xiao¡¯s emotions as they looked at Chu Ning expectantly. First Elder has already apologized and admitted his mistakes. Chu Ning should agree to come back to the Chu family, right? But Chu Ning didn¡¯t move under their enthusiastic gazes. He just watched Chu Xiao quietly as if he was waiting for something. ¡°There¡¯s still Yue¡¯er,¡± said Chu Ning coldly. The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. Chu Xiao suddenly recovered his senses. ¡°You still want me to apologize to Chu Liuyue?¡± Chu Ning righteously nodded. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m me, and Yue¡¯er is herself. Besides, she seemed to have suffered more grievances than me in the past few years. Is it that hard for you to apologize?¡± Since when was Chu Ning so hard to handle? Chu Xiao was about to go crazy. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so just now?¡± Chu Ning grunted lightly, and his gaze was filled with mockery as he suddenly stood up. ¡°It¡¯s already so hard for you to apologize. I believe the so-called compensation is even more so. Since you don¡¯t have much sincerity, there¡¯s no need to continue this conversation anymore.¡± He walked toward the living room. ¡°When Master comes out of seclusion, I¡¯ll personally explain what Yue¡¯er and I have done to him. I believe he will understand. As for you guys¡­ take care.¡± ¡°Hold up!¡± Chu Xiao finally put everything on the line when he saw that Chu Ning was really about to leave. ¡°As long as Chu Liuyue agrees to return to the Chu family, I¡¯ll personally apologize to her until she¡¯s satisfied, okay?¡± Chu Ning stood still, and a mocking smile appeared on his face. He turned around and looked at Chu Xiao. ¡°No need.¡± Chu Xiao was stunned. ¡°What?¡± Chu Ning chuckled, but his voice was as cold as ice, and it chilled one¡¯s heart. ¡°The Chu family gave birth to me and raised me up. It will definitely be a lie if I say that I don¡¯t feel anything for the Chu family. Hence, counting whatever the Chu family has done for me in the past and Master¡ªwho is about to come out of seclusion¡ªI can let go of all the insults and sufferings you¡¯ve put me through in the past decade. However, Yue¡¯er can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I remember every single thing you did to Yue¡¯er, and I¡¯ll never be able to forget it for the rest of my life. Even if all of you kneel on the floor, kowtow, and apologize to Yue¡¯er¡­ Even if Yue¡¯er forgives you, I can¡¯t do it.¡± Chapter 330 - Find You With Xue Xue¡¯s help, Chu Liuyue returned home at the fastest speed. The lucky thing was that she reached before Chu Ning did. About 15 minutes later, Chu Ning returned home. ¡°Father, how was the talk?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Chu Ning smiled. ¡°Everything is settled.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°They called you back to discuss the matter of us returning, right? You¡­¡± ¡°I rejected them.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s answer came very swiftly. ¡°I also told them that we¡¯d never return in the future.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°Then Master¡­¡± ¡°I went back today to make our stance clear so that I can give Master a proper explanation when he asks in the future.¡± Chu Ning looked at Chu Liuyue and sighed. ¡°Because you¡¯re the one that I want to protect the most in this world.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. She knew that Chu Ning had made a big concession for her, so she felt extra grateful and warm in her heart. ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± ¡­ The next day, Chu Liuyue returned to the academy. The huge fire had caused Jiuyou Tower to disappear completely, and the academy¡¯s elders and teachers were busy handling the remaining items. Hence, many students were relatively freer now. When Chu Liuyue went to look for Mu Hongyu, she coincidentally saw Liao Zhongshu. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Mu Hongyu was very excited when she saw Chu Liuyue come over. ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯ve already written a letter to Father, and he¡¯ll bring Mother over not long later.¡± Chu Liuyue was also very happy. ¡°That¡¯s great. However, the journey is quite long, so Auntie has to suffer a little.¡± ¡°No need to worry! Even though Mother isn¡¯t suited for moving much, Father immediately found a few strong and capable elders to bring Mother over safely once he heard that you asked Lieutenant Mu for help. They should be here real soon. I really don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± Originally, Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t harbor much hope when she first asked Chu Liuyue for help. After all, Mu Qinghe was the envoy from the Tianling Dynasty, and he had a distinguished status. Even Emperor Jiawen might not be able to ask him for help, let alone Chu Liuyue. Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be the only one chosen and that she had really convinced Lieutenant Mu to help her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to trouble Lieutenant Mu to get someone over from the Tianling Dynasty¡­ I really owe you a huge favor for this matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I also want to see what Tianling Dynasty¡¯s heavenly doctors are like.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. After ¡®she¡¯ died, I wonder what happened to the others except for Mu Qinghe. Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh yes! Speaking of heavenly doctors, Liuyue, you can actually make pills! We didn¡¯t even know about this before! You were too secretive about it!¡± Chu Liuyue could be considered as a true heavenly doctor now that she could make pills. In the entire Country Yao Chen, there were very few people with such abilities, let alone Chu Liuyue, who was still so young! ¡°I long said that you were definitely much more capable than we had imagined, but I didn¡¯t expect¡ªPfft!¡± grunted Mu Hongyu as she glanced at Liao Zhongshu. ¡°The Red Blood Gu in your body was treated by Liuyue! You definitely knew about this long ago!¡± Liao Zhongshu smiled helplessly and shook his head. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know.¡± It was a pity that the others didn¡¯t believe it. Previously, he was still pretending to be poisoned and lay in bed, so he didn¡¯t participate in the Qing Jiao Competition. When he heard that Chu Liuyue actually produced a pill and snatched away first place in the heavenly doctor competition, he was stunned for a very long time. Later on, he slowly realized that Chu Liuyue was the actual person who saved his life. Mu Hongyu wrinkled her nose and was too lazy to argue with him; she was more interested in other things. ¡°Liuyue, when will you head to the Tianling Dynasty with Lieutenant Mu?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°We haven¡¯t confirmed it yet. He seems to want to stay around here for a while. Besides¡­ he wants to observe me. If I can¡¯t reach his requirements, I still can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Huh? So troublesome?¡± Mu Hongyu looked disappointed. ¡°I thought you would go there directly!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not even anxious myself; why are you so worried?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried, but that¡¯s the Tianling Dynasty!¡± Mu Hongyu held her cheeks, and her eyes were filled with expectations. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t want to go to such a place? Liuyue, do you think every single one of the people there are talents? Everything there must be much better than what we have!¡± ¡°Might not be,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Mu Hongyu paused. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and realized that she had made a mistake. Something flashed across her eyes, and she smiled. ¡°¡­I guessed it. If everything was great, why did Lieutenant Mu spend so much effort to come here?¡± ¡°Your words do make sense!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyeballs turned, and she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh yes! Since you took first place in the Qing Jiao Competition, you chose to go to Tai Yan Academy¡¯s library to read a month¡¯s worth of books. However, Lieutenant Mu has already chosen you. Are you still going?¡± Even though this was also a very rare opportunity, it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning when compared to the Tianling Dynasty. Unexpectedly, Chu Liuyue answered without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m going. I plan to talk to Lieutenant Mu about this today.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Mu Hongyu and Liao Zhongshu were shocked. ¡°Are you serious? You really want to go?! Liuyue, do you know how many people want a chance to go to the Tianling Dynasty like you but can¡¯t have it? You actually chose to go to Tai Yan Academy?¡± Mu Hongyu widened her eyes and felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s decision was unbelievable. Liao Zhongshu was about to speak when he suddenly remembered the Red Blood Gu and swallowed his remaining words. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I have my own plans.¡± In actual fact, she did not really plan to stay there for a month. As long as there was anything happening on Mu Qinghe¡¯s side, she would come back immediately. Moreover¡­ Even though Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t say anything, according to Chu Liuyue¡¯s understanding of him, he should be planning to stay here for a period of time. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think that he was going to stay for her. Hence, she was also pretty curious about this. Mu Hongyu still wanted to say something more, but she gave up when she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s determined expression. ¡°Okay then. When are you going? Tai Yan Academy¡¯s people seemed to have left today. Our academy¡¯s Elder and Nan Feng Academy¡¯s Elder Wei Yun have also gone with them.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood the situation¡ªit was clearly to investigate Heng Jingchuo. She thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not too late for me to leave when your mother is back.¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Liuyue, thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. Mu Hongyu suddenly said, ¡°Oh yes, Chu Xianmin was looking for you after you went home yesterday.¡± Chapter 331 - : Surveillance This shocked Chu Liuyue. ¡°She was looking for me?¡± ¡°Yeah! I don¡¯t know what she wanted to do! When I unintentionally passed by your place yesterday, I coincidentally saw her pacing up and down outside your door. I asked her what was going on, but she refused to speak and left in a hurry.¡± Mu Hongyu shrugged her shoulders and pouted. ¡°Perhaps she wanted to do something secretly to harm you when you weren¡¯t around.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes, and her fingers lightly knocked on the table. It is rare for Chu Xianmin to look for me willingly. But perhaps it is because of the mastermind behind the Red Blood Gu incident. After all, I had clearly felt the unknown threat at the Qing Jiao Competition. Chu Liuyue had a feeling that the other party was coming for her. Then, Chu Xianmin¡¯s side¡­ ¡°Did Chu Xianmin come to the academy today?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think she did. Do you want to go look for her?¡± ¡°En.¡± Mu Hongyu was slightly worried. Chu Xianmin was very scheming, and she liked to take revenge. It definitely wasn¡¯t anything good for her to look for Chu Liuyue willingly. Besides, the Crown Prince even wanted to marry Chu Liuyue as the Crown Princess in front of everyone. This was akin to harshly slapping Chu Xianmin across her face. Chu Xianmin probably hated Chu Liuyue to death now! But after much thought, Mu Hongyu felt that her worries were unnecessary. How can Chu Xianmin possibly be Chu Liuyue¡¯s match? ¡°Okay, go ahead then! I¡¯ll confirm Mother¡¯s accommodation after she arrives here!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and stood up, prepared to leave. Liao Zhongshu also stood up abruptly. ¡°Liuyue, I¡¯m about to leave as well. You don¡¯t know where Chu Xianmin stays, right? Why don¡¯t I bring you over?¡± The two of them looked at each other. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ The two of them walked toward Chu Xianmin¡¯s residence. Liao Zhongshu sighed lightly. ¡°Liuyue, I owe you my life. If there¡¯s anything you need in the future, feel free to let me know.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him. Liao Zhongshu had just recovered, and his face was still very pale. However, the gaze in his eyes was very genuine. ¡°Perhaps the current me can¡¯t help you much, but just a word from you, and I¡¯ll go to the ends of the world to complete the task.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him for a while and lightly nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a deal.¡± Liao Zhongshu smiled in relief. The two of them continued to walk for a distance. Liao Zhongshu stood still and pointed at a place in front. ¡°That¡¯s Chu Xianmin¡¯s residence.¡± As Chu Xianmin¡¯s grades were outstanding when she entered the academy, she didn¡¯t stay with anyone else. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here for you.¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help thinking that Liao Zhongshu was a smart person; he knew what to do at the right time. She smiled even more and walked in that direction. The moment she reached the door, it was pulled open from the inside. Chu Xianmin¡ªwho was planning to go out¡ªwas instantly stunned when she looked up and saw Chu Liuyue. ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?!¡± Chu Liuyue sized Chu Xianmin up. It had just been a night, but Chu Xianmin looked much more haggard. Even though Chu Xianmin had used a face veil to cover her face, one could still vaguely see the dark-green color under her eyes. Her pair of bloodshot and exhausted eyes also showed that she wasn¡¯t in good condition. ¡°You were looking for me yesterday?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s question caused a hint of hesitation to flash across Chu Xianmin¡¯s eyes. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Chu Liuyue ignored her, directly walked past her, and entered the house. She then lightly said, ¡°You have 15 minutes.¡± Chu Xianmin turned around and felt that the pair of black eyes seemed to have seen through her. She clenched her teeth, closed the door, turned around, and stood opposite Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡­ That person came again yesterday.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°When?¡± Chu Xianmin shook her head. ¡°He had already visited by the time I returned to the academy after sending the Crown Prince back. I didn¡¯t see anyone else, but he left something behind.¡± As she talked, she walked to the table and opened a box. Chu Liuyue saw it from the corner of her eyes, and she focused on it. It¡¯s actually¡­ a letter? Chu Xianmin handed the letter to Chu Liuyue. It was a letter in a red envelope with a strange pattern printed on it. There was a line of words in the middle. ¡°Dear Chu Liuyue.¡± The handwriting was strong and smooth. However, Chu Liuyue felt intense murderous intent from it. She didn¡¯t take the letter and looked up at Chu Xianmin instead. Chu Xianmin immediately said, ¡°I promise I didn¡¯t say anything about you! I also don¡¯t know why he directly wrote a letter to you¡­ I really don¡¯t know!¡± She only knew that the other party purposely made her pass Chu Liuyue the letter, which clearly meant that he knew what had happened between them. This was a warning to her! Ever since she received the letter the day before, Chu Xianmin had been very uneasy and filled with worry. She originally thought that the other party would directly kill her, but everything else was normal other than this letter. This, however, made her even more petrified as she didn¡¯t know what punishment awaited her. After she saw the letter, she hesitated for quite some time before deciding to find Chu Liuyue. However, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t in. After returning home, she couldn¡¯t sleep for the entire night and thought about this incident the whole time, hesitating about what she should do. Facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s question, Chu XIanmin instinctively denied it because she had already decided to hide the letter. Who knew if this was a test from the other party? But now that Chu Liuyue was right in front of her, she felt scared and still decided to pass her the letter. Chu Liuyue took the letter. Chu Xianmin heaved a sigh of relief for some reason and saw that Chu Liuyue was about to stand up and leave. She was shocked. ¡°A-are you not going to open it here? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯m lying to you?¡± Chu Liuyue nonchalantly looked at her. She was too lazy to explain that there was half a Xuan formation on top of the letter. This Xuan formation was of a pretty high level, and even the academy¡¯s elders might not be able to form it. Chu Xianmin knew nothing about Xuan formations, so she wouldn¡¯t even recognize it. To open this letter, one must fill the remaining half of the formation. Chu Xianmin had no chance of doing anything to the letter. Besides, she didn¡¯t have such courage at this point. For some reason, Chu Xianmin felt like she had become much smaller and more laughable even though Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a single word and just stared at her quietly. She knowingly shut her mouth. Chu Liuyue put away the letter and left. Chu Xianmin suddenly thought of something and hurriedly yelled, ¡°Oh yes! Since I¡¯ve already been discovered and I¡¯ve passed the letter to you, can you give me the antidote to the poison in my body?¡± Once she thought of the horrifying scene of the poison acting up, her hair would stand on end, and she would be petrified for the entire night. ¡°I¡¯m no longer of use to you now. P-please, let me off!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Chu Xianmin from the side, and her gaze lightly swept past her. ¡°You don¡¯t have much use for me now, but¡­ I want you to watch someone for me.¡± Chu Xianmin was dazed. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Crown Prince Rong Jin.¡± Chapter 332 - Confrontation Si family residence, study room. Si Ye looked at the Empress, Si Huijing¡ªwho was seated before him¡ªin shock. ¡°You said that Elder Meng is dead and that Rong Zhen is missing? When did this happen?!¡± The Empress frowned deeply. ¡°Yesterday.¡± ¡°Then, why are you only telling me this now?!¡± ¡°It was already evening when I found out about it. How could I leave the palace then? I had to plead with His Majesty for ages just to come here today.¡± The Empress rubbed her temples frustratedly. The whole of last night, she had nightmares and didn¡¯t sleep well. She felt like her head was about to explode. She was respected as the Empress, but she was restricted as people were watching her every move. She only managed to publicly leave the palace after she told His Majesty that she felt exhausted by everything that had happened recently and wanted to return to the Si family. ¡°Then¡­ did His Majesty say anything?¡± Si Ye asked worriedly. The Empress shut her eyes. ¡°His Majesty is mad at Rong Jin and cannot be bothered with me. He wants to take the chance to give us the cold shoulder; naturally, he didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Si Ye sighed, his anger visible on his face. ¡°I heard about that matter. Rong Jin was too rash; he actually managed to do something like this! He¡¯s too comfortable in his position as Crown Prince! Doesn¡¯t he know that there are plenty of people who are looking for something to hold against him?!¡± The Empress couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk about Rong Jin anymore, but he was still her prized son. Thus, she spoke up for him. ¡°I¡¯ve lectured him about it, and he has promised not to do so in the future.¡± But Si Ye scoffed; he clearly did not buy it. ¡°If his promises were effective, he wouldn¡¯t have done something like this!¡± Si Ye only felt that Rong Jin was petty in the past, but the problem seemed much worse than he had imagined! Rong Jin is just brainless! The Empress looked at him disgruntledly. ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s fine for others to say this, but how could you? You¡¯re his Uncle!¡± Si Ye had more to say, but he froze and held his tongue when he saw his sister¡¯s haggard look. ¡°Enough about him! Rong Zhen and Elder Meng¡¯s matter is more pressing! What¡¯s going on? Tell me in detail.¡± The Empress¡¯s expression was solemn as she repeated the events that had happened yesterday. ¡°¡­So, what we¡¯re sure of is that Elder Meng is dead and that there¡¯s no trace of Rong Zhen?¡± Si Ye asked dazedly. The Empress nodded helplessly. ¡°We¡¯re the only two in the Si family that know of Elder Meng¡¯s existence. It would be disastrous if His Majesty found out about it. Therefore, I didn¡¯t dare to take much action; I just sent scouts quietly. We haven¡¯t found any traces of Rong Zhen in the palace after the whole night¡ªwe don¡¯t even have any clues.¡± Si Ye sank deep into thought. ¡°Since Elder Meng brought her out, they must¡¯ve left the palace. Have you sent people to check on the places that she likes outside the palace?¡± ¡°I did, but they didn¡¯t find her.¡± The Empress sighed. ¡°Thus, I¡¯m here today to ask for your help, Big Brother. Worst-case scenario, we might find her if we send people to search the entire Imperial City covertly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done.¡± Si Ye stood up and paced around frustratedly with a hand behind his back. ¡°It would be hard to do this, even for the Si family! Besides, people will catch on if we make a big move. His Majesty will know what we¡¯re doing within half a day!¡± ¡°Then, what can we do?¡± The Empress was a little anxious. ¡°Elder Meng is dead, Rong Zhen is outside, and we don¡¯t even know what the situation is like! And now that her pearl of essence has been destroyed, anyone can kill her easily! If His Majesty finds out¡­ Big Brother, you know that the palace will know every time a prince or princess dies, right?!¡± If something happened to Rong Zhen, His Majesty would definitely send people to look into it. If that were the case, they would find out about Elder Meng. The Si family, her son, and herself would be implicated as well! ¡°Rong Jin¡¯s situation is bad enough. If all of these matters were out in the open, it would be worse! Rong Zhen is too much; the older she grows, the worse her temper gets. She didn¡¯t even think about what consequences there would be! She¡¯s going to do all of us in!¡± Si Ye glanced at the Empress. ¡°Isn¡¯t Rong Zhen¡¯s temper the way it is because you spoiled her? Besides¡­ I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re worried about her whereabouts because she might implicate you and Rong Jin, not because you¡¯re actually worried about her safety, right?¡± ¡°What else can I do?!¡± The Empress flew into a rage after her brother saw right through her. ¡°I had to fight tooth and nail for the position of Crown Prince! If Rong Jin falls, what do I rely on?! Rong Qi? He¡¯s not made for big things!¡± Rong Qi was ordinary in every possible way. He couldn¡¯t be relied on! Even though he was titled, he hadn¡¯t achieved much! They were both titled princes, but look at Rong Xiu! He had been away from Imperial City for years and hardly left his mansion after he returned. Yet, he was able to win His Majesty¡¯s favor! It was infuriating! Si Ye waved his hand annoyedly. ¡°That¡¯s enough; it¡¯s useless to say all this now! We have to find Rong Zhen as soon as possible. We just need to keep it from His Majesty. Right, do you know why Rong Zhen would want Elder Meng to bring her out at this time?¡± ¡°How would I¡­¡± The Empress had a thought mid-sentence! That¡¯s not right! Rong Zhen has asked Elder Meng to bring her out before! That time¡­ it was to go see Chu Liuyue! Rong Zhen would repeatedly look at a map after that. The Empress had caught a glimpse of it before, and it seemed like a rough map. Rong Zhen has been mumbling that she wanted to go see Chu Liuyue for the last couple of days. ¡°Chu Liuyue?!¡± she cried out in shock. Si Ye froze. ¡°What? What does Chu Liuyue have to do with this?¡± ¡°No! Big Brother, you don¡¯t know! I¡¯m almost certain Chu Liuyue has something to do with Rong Zhen¡¯s disappearance!¡± The Empress put her hands atop one another, upset that she hadn¡¯t thought of it earlier! ¡°It has to be her¡­ It has to be her!¡± Who else can kill a stage-five warrior so easily?! Chu Liuyue might not be able to do it alone, but she has many secrets on her and countless tricks up her sleeve! ¡°Big Brother, hurry! Get someone to go to Chu Liuyue! Bring her here; Rong Zhen has to be in her hands!¡± Si Ye frowned when he saw his sister¡¯s reaction. ¡°Calm down! What do you think the Si family is? We¡¯re not the imperial guards, so how can we just bring her here? Besides, Chu Liuyue is not just anybody; who dares to touch her now?!¡± If anything happened to Chu Liuyue, not just Chu Liuyue, but Tian Lu Academy wouldn¡¯t take it lying down either. There was Prince Li Mansion too. And most importantly¡­ Mu Qinghe! The Empress bit her lips. ¡°Then, let¡¯s ask her directly!¡± Chapter 333 - Flames ¡°What are you going to do if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t do it?¡± Si Ye asked solemnly. The Empress was stunned, and she didn¡¯t have a reply. All she could do was mutter to herself. ¡°It has to be her¡ªit has to be! There¡¯s no one apart from her!¡± Si Ye felt his head throb. ¡°Jing¡¯er, listen to me. I know you¡¯re worried about Rong Zhen¡ªI am too! However, we cannot do this! We have to be careful right now. If not, we could lose everything!¡± The Empress eventually calmed down. ¡°Wh-what should we do then? Wait for our doom?¡± Si Ye was silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to check on Chu Liuyue and see if anything seems out of the ordinary.¡± The Empress¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sure sure sure! Isn¡¯t Si Ting at Tian Lu Academy too? I heard that they¡¯re classmates and that they¡¯re close. He¡¯s the best candidate for this!¡± But Si Ye was rather reluctant. He valued Si Ting and had been training Si Ting to be his successor. This kind of matter was rather shameful. Given his personality, Si Ting would never agree to it. Besides, he was rather reluctant to make Si Ting do things like this. ¡°Si Ting gained quite a bit of experience after the Qing Jiao Competition, and he¡¯s been focused on cultivating recently. There¡¯s no need to send him; besides, Si Yang is a better fit for getting information. He¡¯s closer to Chu Liuyue too.¡± The Empress did not agree. ¡°Si Yang? Given his jumpy personality, can he be counted on? Big Brother, this might seem like a small matter, but it¡¯s extremely important! Big Brother, you might not understand Chu Liuyue. She¡¯s really shrewd! She¡¯ll probably know that something is amiss if we send Si Yang! Si Ting is more mature and careful; it¡¯s better if we send him!¡± Si Ye¡¯s expression was somber as he remained silent. The Empress carefully glanced at him as she inched closer. She then softened her tone. ¡°Big Brother, I know you dote on Si Ting, and I don¡¯t want to trouble him over something like this. But¡­ aren¡¯t we out options? If you¡¯re really not willing, then¡­ I¡¯ll find someone myself. I¡¯ve given you so much trouble over the years¡­ I just hope that you and the Si family won¡¯t be implicated if anything happens¡­¡± Tears streamed down her face as she spoke. The Empress was his sister after all, so Si Ye felt bad. It pained him to see his sister in such a vulnerable position. ¡°Then¡­ Big Brother, I¡¯ll take my leave first,¡± said the Empress as she wiped her tears and prepared to get up. Si Ye shook his head helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll send Si Ting!¡± The Empress gratefully looked at him as tears streamed down her face again. ¡°¡­Thank you, Big Brother!¡± Si Ye sighed, then patted her on her shoulders. ¡°Being in the palace for so long has been hard on you, and you¡¯ve helped the Si family out quite a bit. We¡¯re all in the same boat, and this is just a small matter. You¡¯ve been out for long enough today. Hurry back to the palace; I¡¯ll let you know once I have news.¡± The Empress thanked him again before she left. ¡­ Prince Li Mansion¡­ Rong Xiu laid on his bed with his eyes closed. One of his arms was outstretched, and it was rather badly mangled. Yu Mo knelt by the bed and carefully changed the dressing for him. Looking at the wounds on his Master, he still felt worried despite having been through killings and battles. He opened up the dressing, but a large part of it was attached to the skin because of all the blood and pus. Yu Mo picked up a pair of scissors and carefully cut away the dressing, but some of the wounds unavoidably reopened. Yu Mo glanced at his master as he sighed to himself. Given Master¡¯s ability, the collapse of Jiuyou Tower wouldn¡¯t have been a threat at all. The only reason he would be this badly injured would be that¡­ He did it on purpose, and it goes without saying who it was for. ¡°Master, how long do you intend to nurse this wound?¡± Yu Mo removed the dressing and hesitated as he stared between the few bottles. ¡°Use the gray one,¡± Rong Xiu said calmly. Yu Mo paused. ¡°Master, the medication inside doesn¡¯t work that well for your wounds. How about we use the white one?¡± He dared not ask his master to use the gold one, but even the white one was much better than the gray one! Rong Xiu paid no heed to Yu Mo¡¯s words. Instead, he asked a question: ¡°How¡¯s it going on Yan Qing¡¯s end?¡± Yu Mo replied immediately, ¡°Yan Qing went over to that side since you entered Jiuyou Tower. According to him, he seems to have found something. He¡¯s on his way back and should return by today.¡± ¡°En,¡± Rong Xiu replied, his emotions unclear. The room sank into silence again. Yu Mo hesitated before he spoke up. ¡°Master, I know you don¡¯t want to heal too soon and draw suspicion, but¡­ you have to consider Ms. Liuyue, right? She must feel bad because you got hurt for her. Her heart¡¯s going to ache every time she sees you and how your wounds don¡¯t seem to be healing, no?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyelashes fluttered a little before he opened his eyes and stared at Yu Mo. His eyes were clear but deep like the most mysterious night sky. It was like they could see through everything. Suddenly, a burst of flames flashed across his eyes! Yu Mo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Master¡ª¡± Chapter 334 - : A Letter The streak of gold rapidly disappeared as if it had never appeared. However, Yu Mo was certain that he wasn¡¯t mistaken. His heart trembled, and he hurriedly looked down. ¡°Master, you¡ª¡± Rong Xiu closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them again, and they had recovered their previous calm composure. ¡°Continue.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips lightly spat out that word. Yu Mo took the gray bottle and evenly poured out the powder contents onto Rong Xiu¡¯s wound. The bitter medicinal taste then permeated throughout the air. While Yu Mo was carefully bandaging Rong Xiu¡¯s wound, he was conflicted in his heart. After he had treated Rong Xiu¡¯s wounds and was going to put away all those bottles, he finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Master, y-you haven¡¯t gone back in a while¡­ Do you want to take this chance to go back and recuperate?¡± Rong Xiu looked calm and didn¡¯t say a word. Yu Mo knew that this was a sign of rejection, so he could only back away respectfully. But when he reached the entrance, he thought of the golden fire that flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but turn around and plead, ¡°Master, do you really not want to reconsider? If Ms. Liuyue finds out¡ª¡± ¡°What has Mu Qinghe been doing in the past two days?¡± asked Rong Xiu suddenly. Yu Mo thought for a while, shook his head, and answered as he furrowed his brows. ¡°Nothing much. Other than the big fire that broke out in Jiuyou Tower at Tian Lu Academy that day, he stayed in his residence at other times and didn¡¯t come out. He did not see anyone either.¡± ¡°Master, do you want to stay here personally and watch over Mu Qinghe?¡± Who knows how long Mu Qinghe is going to stay here? However, Master¡¯s condition can¡¯t be delayed any longer. Rong Xiu thought for a while. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed; everything will go as usual.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± acknowledged Yu Mo, but he was still hesitant. ¡°Then¡­ Do you want to make arrangements for you to return?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°I have my own plans.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡­ Liao Zhongshu didn¡¯t wait for long before he saw Chu Liuyue walking out of the room. He asked in shock, ¡°So fast?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Mm, I found a small clue, and I¡¯ll go back to think about it. You should go back as well.¡± Liao Zhongshu was then relieved and bid Chu Liuyue farewell. Chu Liuyue returned to her lodgings alone. She went up to the second floor, entered her room, and locked her door and windows before taking out that letter. At first glance, this letter had no differences from an ordinary letter. However, the half-completed Xuan formation on it made Chu Liuyue realize that this was a letter the other party had purposely prepared for her. She took a deep breath in. This Xuan formation should be a fifth-grade Xuan formation, but its difficulty is rather high. Even a true fifth-grade Xuan Master might not be able to fill in the remaining half of the Xuan formation smoothly. The abilities she had shown to the outside world at this point definitely didn¡¯t reach such a standard, but the other party still sent her such a letter. The only explanation was that the other party deeply believed that she could solve this Xuan formation and open the letter. Chu Liuyue clutched the letter tightly. In this world, very few people know my capabilities. Then, who is the one who knows me so deeply yet is targeting me? Chu Liuyue had an intuition in her heart¡ªPerhaps the answer lies within this letter! She gathered all her focus and started to investigate the Xuan formation on top. After a while, she took out a pen from her drawer, dipped it in ink, and gently drew on the envelope as she started to fill in the Xuan formation. Minutes and seconds passed, and the Xuan formation on the envelope started to become clearer. As there was no force involved, it was relatively easier for Chu Liuyue to draw out the Xuan formation. But even so, the complicated Xuan formation still wasted quite a bit of her brain energy. About an hour later, she had finally finished drawing the entire Xuan formation. When she finished her last stroke, the Xuan formation on the envelope suddenly lit up. It then formed countless light rays, which dispersed in all directions. Chu Liuyue waited for everything to disperse before she opened the envelope and was going to take the letter out. When she touched the paper, her heart skipped a beat. Then, she took out the letter anxiously and in disbelief. This was superior rice paper¡ªit was soft, smooth, and very delicate to the touch. However, Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. That was because¡­ She was too familiar with this sensation! Her fingers started to tremble slightly as she held the letter. The sunlight poured in from the windows, going through the letter and leaving a moonlight shaying view on the ground. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be hit hard. This is¡­ This is the moon rice paper that Tianling Dynasty¡¯s imperial court uses! It was very precious. Not to mention the palace maids, but even normal concubines, princes, or princesses that weren¡¯t doted on had no right to use them! The reason why she was so familiar with it was that she was very loved in the past. No matter if it were her books, her drawings, or anything else, she used this moon rice paper the most! Countless guesses and conjectures started emerging in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. This type of moon rice paper is very delicate, and it is specifically supplied by the Tianling Dynasty. Hence, it is impossible for an average person to lay their hands on it. To be able to get this moon rice paper and to specifically send it to me¡­ Chu Liuyue harshly shut her eyes as she tried hard to calm herself; then, she slowly opened the letter. Only a line of words appeared on the soft paper: ¡°Shangguan Yue, long time no see.¡± Chapter 335 - Long Time No See At this point, the sunlight was just nice as it shone into the room through the wooden windows, casting a harmonious light in the room. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire person seemed to be frozen as she couldn¡¯t move at all. The blood in her body seemed to stop circulating at this point, and her cold limbs also became numb. It was as if someone used a gigantic hammer to smash her brain harshly, causing excruciating pain. Chu Liuyue held that piece of paper that was light and thin, but it felt like it weighed a ton. She felt like her view had turned white, and every single word on the letter formed a sharp knife as they harshly pierced through her heart. She almost couldn¡¯t breathe. Shangguan Yue¡­ Shangguan Yue¡­ This was the name that she had buried at the bottom of her heart, and it was the name that she didn¡¯t even dare to mention when she had dreams in the middle of the night. However, it appeared clearly on the moon rice paper in front of her. All along, Chu Liuyue thought that she had hidden herself very well. She could even lie to Chu Ning, who had spent day and night with the original Chu Liuyue. However, she didn¡¯t expect someone to know about her true identity long ago. The other party clearly knew her biggest secret, but she didn¡¯t even know who the other party was. Chu Liuyue felt like everything was in a whir. She harshly bit her tongue, letting the sharp pain jolt her awake. Then, she rapidly scanned her surroundings to confirm that nobody else was around before she heaved a sigh of relief and looked at the letter. There was only that one line on the letter, nothing else. Chu Liuyue compared the sentence¡¯s handwriting and the handwriting on the envelope and realized that they were written by the same person. If she had seen such strong and forceful handwriting before, she would definitely remember it. But it was a pity that nobody within her circle¡ªno matter in her previous life or current life¡ªhad such handwriting. However, the other party clearly recognized her. Their status wasn¡¯t low, and they were very capable. If not, it would be impossible for them to get their hands on the moon rice paper. Chu Liuyue stared at the letter and was immersed in deep thought. Who can it be¡­ I have been staying in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City ever since I was reborn. This place is miles away from Tianling Dynasty, and I have no way of contacting people from my past. Besides, after experiencing the inhumane torture in the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall, I have already lost all confidence in everything from the past. Even Mu Qinghe, who I hadn¡¯t suspected before, had betrayed me. What about the rest? The biggest secret¡ªmy rebirth¡ªis my greatest trump card. Originally, I thought I could become stronger step by step before going back and taking my revenge against all of those people¡ªto get back whatever belongs to me! However, this letter suddenly made me realize that things are developing in an uncontrollable direction. ¡°Long time no see¡­ Long time no see¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly as countless faces flashed across her mind. This tone seems to be rather familiar¡­ But I can¡¯t recall who the other party is! At this point, she suddenly detected a weird movement in her dantian. Chu Liuyue gathered her focus and looked inside herself. She saw the water droplet quietly floating in her dantian. Below it, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡ªwhich was apportioned by the black fire in the heavenly square cauldron¡ªwas harshly staring at¡­ Tuan Zi? Both fiends were fighting through the transparent heavenly cauldron. Looking at Tuan Zi¡¯s patches of burnt fur, it seemed like they had been in a tense situation for quite some time. Chu Liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. ¡°Why did you guys fight again? It hasn¡¯t been two days since we¡¯ve left Jiuyou Tower, but you¡¯ve already fought five times. Isn¡¯t it enough?¡± Tuan Zi still didn¡¯t move as it shot a deadly stare at the legendary three-eyed eagle opposite it. Even though the legendary three-eyed eagle was a legendary fiend, it had no physical body now and was left with only a bit of its soul stored in the karmic fire¡ªwhich was of similar size to Tuan Zi. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s bloody eyes were cold and nonchalant. If it weren¡¯t stuck in this Heavenly Square Cauldron, it would¡¯ve long rushed out and killed this brazen thing a thousand times. Thinking back, I was a famous and respected fiend, yet I¡¯ve ended up fighting with this mere blood ferret. How humiliating! Looking at the two fiends that were still baring their teeth at each other, Chu Liuyue was quiet for a while before she looked at Tuan Zi and said, ¡°Tuan Zi, I won¡¯t stand up for you if you fight again.¡± Tuan Zi shook its tail and angrily picked it up. Chu Liuyue then realized that a portion of it was burnt. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not angry because of this, right?¡± Tuan Zi harshly nodded¡ªIt is because of this! My beautiful fur has been ruined! I have never suffered such indignance before! If I don¡¯t take revenge, how can I have the face to continue living? Staring at its furious and righteous appearance, Chu Liuyue was a little speechless. ¡°Isn¡¯t this because you first infuriated it¡­¡± Even though she didn¡¯t constantly observe the happenings in her dantian, it didn¡¯t mean that she did not know anything. Tuan Zi was stumped. Mockery flashed across the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes. ¡°A mere third-grade fiend with not much power, but a lot of problems.¡± Tuan Zi was infuriated! Chu Liuyue calmly glanced at the legendary three-eyed eagle. ¡°You¡¯re a legendary fiend, yet you¡¯re still stuck here and fighting it out with a ¡®mere third-grade fiend.¡¯¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle was stunned and instantly felt embarrassed as it harshly flung its wings. If I weren¡¯t stuck in this Heavenly Square Cauldron, I wouldn¡¯t have to experience such humiliation! Another question suddenly popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart when she saw that the two fiends had temporarily paused their fight: Tuan Zi is indeed just a third-grade blood ferret, so logically speaking, it should respect and fear the legendary three-eyed eagle. However, the situation is completely not the case. Tuan Zi seems to be¡­ not as fearful and respectful of higher-grade fiends. When it was at Wan Ling Mountain, it faced the black flying python in the same manner, but the key is that the legendary three-eyed eagle is a legendary fiend! What kind of secrets is Tuan Zi hiding? Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi in deep thought before suddenly saying, ¡°I remember that a third-grade blood ferret has a chance of breaking through and raising its grade. Tuan Zi, what about you?¡± Tuan Zi still held its tail indignantly as if it didn¡¯t care about this problem. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and felt that her question had no meaning. Tuan Zi wanted to follow her, and she could feel Tuan Zi¡¯s liking and dependence on her. Perhaps this is enough. As for those mysteries¡­ Perhaps they will solve themselves in the future. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and stared at the letter in her hands. After a while, she placed the letter into the Cosmic Bag. ¡­ Si family residence, study room. Si Ting looked at Si Ye, and his cold and handsome face had an obvious look of disapproval. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you want me to find Chu Liuyue and ask her about Rong Zhen¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Si Ye coughed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like doing such things, but¡­ this is a grave matter, and I will only feel assured if you do it.¡± Si Ting paused for a while and coldly said, ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± Chapter 336 - Discussion Si Ye had long guessed that Si Ting would reject him, so he wasn¡¯t shocked and patiently advised, ¡°Si Ting, I know you and Si Yang are friends with Chu Liuyue. This thing shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you. You¡ª¡± ¡°Master, please forgive me for my inability to follow your orders,¡± interrupted Si Ting in a rare moment. Si Ye was dazed for a while before he realized that Si Ting wasn¡¯t resisting this matter at a normal level. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t only involve Rong Zhen this time; it will even implicate the Empress and Rong Jin! After all, the Empress is from our Si family. If something happens to them, it will just spell trouble for our entire family.¡± Si Ting glanced at Si Ye and coldly said, ¡°Rong Zhen is the Fourth Princess. If she goes missing, they should inform His Majesty immediately to get the imperial guards to search for her. Why would the Empress secretly instruct the Si family to investigate this matter? Besides, it even involves Chu Liuyue for some reason.¡± Si Ting remembered that Rong Zhen and Chu Liuyue had never interacted much; the only time they did was at Crown Prince Rong Jin¡¯s birthday banquet. At the time, Rong Zhen publicly shamed Chu Liuyue, but she was taught a lesson by Chu Liuyue in the end. Perhaps Rong Zhen started hating Chu Liuyue from then. According to her personality, it isn¡¯t a surprise if she secretly attacked Chu Liuyue after that. However, what has Chu Liuyue got to do with her being missing now? Si Ye couldn¡¯t express himself properly. He couldn¡¯t tell Si Ting about Elder Meng¡¯s existence, but Si Ting was stubborn. If Si Ting decided to investigate the matter thoroughly, then¡­ ¡°This matter is very complicated. Anyway, what would happen to you if you just ask her? Do it for the Si family.¡± Si Ye¡¯s head was aching. ¡°As long as Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re asking about Rong Zhen¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯ll definitely know,¡± said Si Ting simply. Chu Liuyue¡¯s intelligence was beyond one¡¯s expectations, and there were many times when he couldn¡¯t guess what she was thinking. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve been studying with Chu Liuyue for a few months, and I understand her quite well. If this thing is really related to her, she will definitely be alerted the moment I open my mouth. On the other hand, if it¡¯s not related to her, this sudden question will attract her curiosity and suspicions.¡± So, no matter what, it didn¡¯t help to pry out information from Chu Liuyue. Si Ye leaned against the chair and was deep in thought. I know that Si Ting is right, but what else can I do? Get someone else to do it? I¡¯ll be worried. Si Ting looked at him with deep meaning. ¡°Master, Chu Liuyue has already been chosen by Lieutenant Mu. Do you really want to place the entire Si family in danger just because of the Empress and the Crown Prince?¡± Si Ye was stunned. ¡­ Mu Qinghe was resting in the house. Hong Yao perched at the window in boredom as it brushed its feathers from time to time. The wound left behind after the fight had already recovered, but Hong Yao felt that it affected its image. Hence, it had obediently stayed at home obediently and only wanted to go out after it fully recovered. ¡°A fall in the pit, a gain in your wit. I¡¯ve taught you this many times, but you never listen. The person who suffers in the end is always you.¡± Mu Qinghe nonchalantly looked at Hong Yao and poured himself a cup of tea. Upon hearing this, Hong Yao ignored it. Looking at the rising white vapor, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t have much of an expression. ¡°You¡¯re just a seventh-grade fiend. How dare you fight with a legendary fiend?¡± Hong Yao froze. I didn¡¯t reveal anything from start to end! How does Mu Qinghe know? Upon seeing its reaction, Mu Qinghe squinted his eyes. ¡°It looks like I¡¯m right.¡± I was tricked! Hong Yao instantly understood the situation and felt extremely regretful. Mu Qinghe was only guessing previously, and he tricked me! Hong Yao harshly glared at Mu Qinghe. This happens every time. Sooner or later, I¡¯ll betray my master. However, Mu Qinghe picked up the teacup and held it in his hands. ¡°Legendary fiend¡­ This place is indeed¡­¡± His voice was very low and barely audible. Suddenly, Hong Yao felt a familiar aura, and its eyes lit up. It flung its wings and flew toward the outside. Mu Qinghe looked up and glanced at the door with deep meaning. ¡­ Chu Liuyue raised her head slightly and looked at the residence in front of her. This was Mu Qinghe¡¯s residence in the Imperial City. There were no guards outside, and even the neighboring streets were quiet and cold. She didn¡¯t see a single person during the journey here. Ignorant people would probably find it weird when they came here, but everything made sense if the person living inside was Mu Qinghe. In the Imperial City, countless people wanted to visit Mu Qinghe and get into his good books. However, nobody really dared to do so. Even Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t dare to disturb him, let alone the rest. They heard that Emperor Jiawen initially wanted to send a few people to serve Mu Qinghe, but they were all rejected. Hence, there were no subordinates in this entire mansion. Mu Qinghe stayed here by himself. However, there was an invisible transparent barrier outside the door. One wouldn¡¯t detect anything weird if they looked from afar, but when they were near it, they would immediately feel the formidable suppression coming from it. Chu Liuyue was just thinking of knocking on the door when a green figure suddenly flew out from the wall and went straight for her. ¡°Hong Yao?¡± Chu Liuyue looked shocked on the surface, but she thought to herself: Hong Yao¡¯s sensitive nose is still as good as in the past! I was so far away, yet it still knew that it was me! Hong Yao happily flew in front of Chu Liuyue. I was going to be bored to death after these two days. I didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to come today. ¡°Hong Yao, your Master¡ª¡± Creak! Before Chu Liuyue could finish her question, the door suddenly opened from inside. An entrance appeared in the barrier. Hong Yao rapidly waved its wings, urging Chu Liuyue to enter. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up, and she walked in. ¡­ Chu Liuyue finally arrived in front of a room after walking through the yard and a corridor. The room door was open, and Mu Qinghe was sipping on tea inside. Chu Liuyue was hesitating on whether she should speak up when Mu Qinghe spoke without even looking up. ¡°Just come in.¡± Chu Liuyue then went in behind Hong Yao. ¡°Greetings, Lieutenant Mu.¡± After the first time, it was much easier to bow to Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe looked up. ¡°If you think this place is boring, you can go and cultivate.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed before she realized that this statement was meant for Hong Yao. Hong Yao rolled its eyes in indignance. I¡¯ve already heard this countless times. If I were in a good mood, perhaps I might heed your advice, but¡ªshe¡¯s here now! How can I just go away like that? Hong Yao landed beside Mu Qinghe¡¯s hand and sipped tea from his cup. Half of its head was almost buried in the cup. After Hong Yao finished drinking, it looked up and suddenly shook its head, causing tea to spurt everywhere. Mu Qinghe shot it a look of warning. Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, I came here today to discuss something with you.¡± Chapter 337 - Agreement Mu Qinghe then looked at Chu Liuyue and spoke in his usual cold and nonchalant voice. ¡°Speak.¡± Hong Yao stopped its actions before it got into trouble. It immediately took the chance to escape and hide behind the window. Chu Liuyue glanced at Hong Yao from the corner of her eyes and sighed in her heart. This Hong Yao is such a troublemaker. It clearly knows that Mu Qinghe hates people touching his tea, but it still dared to do so. It¡¯s hard for it to live until now. Speaking of that, it¡¯s quite weird. Mu Qinghe came from a poor family; when he was young, he had to snatch rotten bread from a beggar and didn¡¯t lead a good life. When he followed me in the end, his living conditions improved greatly, but he didn¡¯t enjoy those luxuries like other people who turned from rags to riches overnight. Instead, he focused all his efforts on cultivation and battles. Except for one thing¡ªtea. Even I don¡¯t know when he started liking this thing. He doesn¡¯t only like to drink tea; he also likes to make tea. Chu Liuyue remembered that Mu Qinghe had good skills in making tea; the other tea masters in the palace might not even be able to compare to him. She retracted her thoughts, looked at Mu Qinghe, and briefly told him the plan she had. ¡°¡­So, I came here this time in hopes of getting your approval. You can decide how long I¡¯ll stay in Tai Yan Academy.¡± Mu Qinghe picked up another cup, poured tea, and looked at Chu Liuyue with an investigative gaze. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re sure that I won¡¯t leave this place anytime soon, so that¡¯s why you dared to make such a request.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°Didn¡¯t you previously say that you wanted to stay here for a while? I don¡¯t know how long you intend to stay here, so I decided to try my luck and ask you. After all¡­ it¡¯s a very rare chance to go to other academies¡¯ libraries and borrow their books. I don¡¯t want to miss this chance. I seek your understanding, Lieutenant Mu.¡± Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t speak for quite some time. Other than searching for talents who had the Dijing Yuan meridian, he did come here for other important matters. It would definitely not end in a day or two. There seemed to be nothing wrong for Chu Liuyue to make such a request. But¡­ ¡°You can go if you want to, but you must answer a question honestly.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, go ahead.¡± Mu Qinghe stared at her. ¡°Did you take something from Jiuyou Tower that day?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Then, she slightly widened her eyes as if shocked and curious. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t say anything, but he used his gaze to examine her. It was as if he was trying to sieve out her lies. He originally had a high cultivation level, so he had a strong suppression and a sharp gaze. If it were other people, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand such a gaze. However, Chu Liuyue was different. She met Mu Qinghe when he was at his worst and saw his most pitiful and miserable appearance. She also gave Mu Qinghe a chance and allowed him to become the youngest lieutenant in the Tianling Dynasty, witnessing his glorious state. Therefore, Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze had no effect on her at all. Chu Liuyue slightly furrowed her brows as if in deep thought. After a while, she shook her head. ¡°Sorry, Lieutenant Mu. I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. The situation that day was very intense, and Prince Li and I only got out of it with much difficulty. Let alone bringing anything out, we almost left our lives inside. What do you want to know?¡± Mu Qinghe looked at the girl in front of him. Intelligent, smart, talented. Her gaze was extremely genuine, which even made him doubt whether his initial guess was wrong. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other hesitantly and tried to ask gently, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, are you looking for something?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze suddenly turned sharp, and the aura around him exploded toward Chu Liuyue. Screech! Hong Yao shrieked. Green fire immediately flew toward Chu Liuyue, turning into a barrier that blocked Mu Qinghe¡¯s aura outside. The two forces battled crazily. Bang! The tea utensils beside Mu Qinghe¡¯s hand shattered, and many cracks appeared on the tables and chairs. A frown appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. She just tried to ask Mu Qinghe a question, but she didn¡¯t expect his reaction to be so huge. This could only prove that she was right, but¡­ what was Mu Qinghe looking for, which made him come all the way here? The two party¡¯s forces gradually dissipated, but the entire room was left in an ugly state. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze lightly landed on the shattered teacup on the floor. Inside seemed to be jin jun mei that was just brewed. Mu Qinghe never drank this in the past¡­ She retracted her gaze. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, are you mistaken? I just wanted to say that very few people have stepped foot on the top few floors of Jiuyou Tower. The only reason why Prince Li and I could safely come out of the sixth floor is because of the item his mother had left there back then. If you¡¯re really looking for something, perhaps¡­ Prince Li might have some clues?¡± The murderous intent in Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes gradually dissipated. ¡°No need.¡± With that, the entire room fell into deadly silence. Chu Liuyue felt that she might not be able to achieve her goal if this continued, so she coughed to break the stalemate. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, your tea spilled. Why don¡¯t I compensate you with some tea? I previously managed to lay my hands on a bottle of superior jin jun mei. Even though it¡¯s definitely not good enough for you¡­¡± ¡°No need,¡± interrupted Mu Qinghe, and then he paused. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten days.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled in elation. ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant Mu.¡± Even though this person¡¯s temper was very hard to predict, she was still very happy that he agreed to her request. Mu Qinghe looked at the smiling girl in front of him and momentarily fell into a trance. That pair of sparkling, pure, gem-like black eyes were too similar. They were clearly two different faces, but the vibe they gave off when they smiled was exceedingly similar. But upon closer inspection, he felt that it was different. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes hid too many things. It was the type of gaze that one would have after experiencing countless struggles. She was different; She was forever superior, clean, and pure. I¡¯ve thought of her way too many times during this period. This isn¡¯t a good thing. Mu Qinghe silently shifted his gaze. ¡°You can go back. Remember, you only have ten days.¡± Chu Liuyue noticed the slight change in Mu Qinghe¡¯s emotions, but she knew that there were no benefits for her to continue staying. Thus, she happily bid him farewell. Hong Yao reluctantly followed her to the door. She¡¯s leaving after such a short while¡­ Besides, judging from their previous conversation, doesn¡¯t it mean that I can¡¯t see her for the next ten days? Chu Liuyue walked to the barrier and turned to look at Hong Yao reluctantly. She then leaned in and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you presents when I come back.¡± Chapter 338 - Taking Pulse Hong Yao then became happy. Chu Liuyue stepped out of the barrier and left. Hong Yao watched her as her figure disappeared. Until it confirmed that she had already left, it suddenly let out a cry of happiness. I finally have presents again! Hong Yao elatedly returned to the yard and watched Mu Qinghe tidy up the shattered teacups. It was currently in a good mood, so it didn¡¯t want to continue fighting with Mu Qinghe. However, Hong Yao still couldn¡¯t help it and went over to fly around Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe looked up and glanced at it coldly. ¡°It looks like she really knows how to cheer you up.¡± Hong Yao raised its head in delight. Mu Qinghe said in a low voice, ¡°Next time, I won¡¯t give you face and help her anymore. Take care of yourself. Also¡­ I know you think that she¡¯s similar to her, and that¡¯s why you¡¯re so close to her. However, I¡¯ll warn you for the last time: It¡¯s hard to guess the hearts of the people in this world. If she knows this, she will definitely think of ways to make use of you. Don¡¯t regret it by then.¡± No matter what, he was Hong Yao¡¯s master. How could he not guess what Hong Yao was thinking? There was only one reason why Hong Yao would be so close to Chu Liuyue from the very first time it met her. He could tolerate it once, but that didn¡¯t mean that he would allow the situation to continue. Hong Yao looked at him quietly. Hah, stupid humans. I wonder who will be the one that truly regrets it in the end. ¡­ Even though ten days wasn¡¯t a lot of time, Chu Liuyue was already very surprised. The happier thing was that Mu Hongyu told Chu Liuyue that her mother had arrived at the Imperial City the next day. The time spent was much shorter than expected. The news of Prince Ping Jiang¡¯s wife arriving at the Imperial City quickly spread, and Emperor Jiawen specifically sent people to welcome her. But considering the health of Prince Ping Jiang¡¯s wife, he didn¡¯t hold a welcoming banquet for her. Mu Hongyu and Chu Liuyue went to Prince Ping Jiang¡¯s residence in the Imperial City. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that your father had a designated place to stay in the Imperial City.¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked when she followed Mu Hongyu into the prince residence that was severely guarded. Mu Hongyu chuckled. ¡°My father will come back to the Imperial City and stay for two months every three years, so His Majesty arranged a mansion for my father. I came here once when I was young.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you mention this before. Why didn¡¯t you stay here instead of the school campus after entering the academy?¡± Mu Hongyu pulled a face. ¡°Who wants to stay here? There are so many people and rules here. It¡¯s not convenient at all! It¡¯s best to stay in school.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. Not only was the school accessible and convenient, but it was also safe. With Mu Hongyu¡¯s personality, it was a little unimaginable for her to stay here alone. The two of them walked in. When they arrived at the yard, an elder in white was already standing there waiting for them. Once Mu Hongyu saw the elder, she immediately rushed up excitedly. ¡°Grandpa Wu Shan, you¡¯re here too?!¡± A smile broke out on Wu Shan¡¯s face, and he laughed. ¡°Little Princess, I really missed you so much during the countless months that I haven¡¯t seen you. Quick, tell me, did you bawl in these few months?¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but pout. ¡°Grandpa Wu Shan, we haven¡¯t seen each other in so long. Why did you ask this the moment we meet? I¡¯m already 16; I don¡¯t bawl anymore!¡± Wu Shan looked shocked. ¡°Hm? Little Princess, you¡¯ve already broken through and became a stage-four warrior?¡± Mu Hongyu wrinkled her nose proudly. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Little Princess, you¡¯ve really grown up, and you¡¯re becoming increasingly outstanding! If your parents know about this, they will definitely be over the moon,¡± said Wu Shan emotionally. Mu Hongyu hurriedly said, ¡°Oh, right. How¡¯s my mother?¡± The smile on Wu Shan¡¯s face froze, and worry filled his eyes. ¡°Um¡­ Little Princess, you should see her for yourself.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart sank. Is Mother¡¯s condition worse than what I thought? That¡¯s true. After all, she has been rushing day and night. Perhaps her condition deteriorated! ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look!¡± said Mu Hongyu as she pulled Chu Liuyue into the house. Wu Shan suddenly stopped the two of them, and his gaze scanned Chu Liuyue. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Oh, look at me! I forgot to introduce her! Grandpa Wu Shan, this is Chu Liuyue. It¡¯s all because of her that we managed to get Lieutenant Mu¡¯s help.¡± Once Wu Shan heard her name, he was shocked as he hurriedly took a step back and bowed. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s Ms. Chu! Sorry for not recognizing you.¡± Even though they had just reached the Imperial City, the name ¡®Chu Liuyue¡¯ was well-known to everyone. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to repay you for this kind deed,¡± said Wu Shan in gratitude. ¡°Senior Wu Shan, you¡¯re too polite. Hongyu and I are friends; this is what I ought to do.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the anxious Mu Hongyu and smiled. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I follow Hongyu and take a look at Princess Consort?¡± ¡°Sure! Of course, you can! Quickly, head in!¡± Prince Ping Jiang¡¯s wife was very ill, but outsiders didn¡¯t know about this yet. Wu Shan and the rest were very alert the entire way. They definitely would¡¯ve rejected it if it were someone else, but Chu Liuyue was acceptable. After all, without her help, how would the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s envoy agree to help get a heavenly doctor to treat the Princess Consort¡¯s illness? Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu walked into the room together. Wu Shan stood outside and guarded sternly. ¡­ The moment they walked into the room, Chu Liuyue saw a lady lying on the bed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. This must be Mu Hongyu¡¯s mother. Her eyes were closed, her face was pale, and her cheeks were sunken as a deadly aura surrounded her eyes, making her look very frail. Tears immediately welled up in Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes as she pounced on the bed. ¡°Mother!¡± When the Princess Consort heard the voice, her eyes seemed to turn before she slowly opened them. Her eyes were very dark, and she was lethargic as if she had exhausted all her strength. She looked at Mu Hongyu and reached out with much difficulty to touch Mu Hongyu¡¯s face, revealing a weak smile. She said hoarsely, ¡°Yu¡¯er¡­¡± Tears spilled out of Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes. She immediately lowered her head to wipe them away as if she didn¡¯t want her mother to see her like this. But her tears wouldn¡¯t stop while holding her mother¡¯s bony hands. ¡°Mother¡­ Mother¡­ W-what happened to you?¡± It hadn¡¯t even been a year since Mu Hongyu left her home to come to Tian Lu Academy to study. In the past, even though her mother was ill, she didn¡¯t look like this. The Princess Consort slowly helped Mu Hongyu wipe her tears, but she quickly lost her strength. On the other end of the bed, another elder in green clothes stroked his beard. ¡°Little Princess, don¡¯t be anxious. When the people from the Tianling Dynasty come, they will have a way.¡± Mu Hongyu knew that this was her only hope, so she could only nod and swallow back her tears. A clear female voice sounded. ¡°May I know if I can take the Princess Consort¡¯s pulse?¡± Chapter 339 - Jian Fengchi The few people in the room looked at Chu Liuyue. Mu Hongyu naturally didn¡¯t have any opinion as she continuously nodded in agreement. She then looked at the Princess Consort and said, ¡°Mother, this is Liuyue, my best friend at Tian Lu Academy. It¡¯s because of her help that Lieutenant Mu agreed to help us.¡± The Princess Consort looked at Chu Liuyue lovingly. ¡°Thank you so¡­¡± ¡°Mother, Liuyue is also a heavenly doctor herself! You might not know, but she produced a pill a few days ago during the Qing Jiao Competition! This also means that she¡¯s truly a heavenly doctor! Let her help you take a look; perhaps it might help!¡± The Princess Consort smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Yu¡¯er.¡± Just as Chu Liuyue was about to walk forward, the elder in green suddenly said, ¡°Little Princess, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t very appropriate.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. Mu Hongyu was stunned. ¡°Grandpa Ji Chang, what do you mean?¡± Ji Chang stroked his beard and said wisely, ¡°Little Princess, I know you¡¯re thinking for the Princess Consort, but I¡¯m afraid Ms. Chu can¡¯t help with this.¡± Mu Hongyu thought for a while and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t trust Liuyue?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Ji Chang shook his head. ¡°Ms. Chu is very famous, and we¡¯ve all heard of her. Being able to produce a pill at such a young age is more than enough to prove her shocking talent. However¡­ the Princess Consort has been ill for so long, and even the top few heavenly doctors in Country Yao Chen can¡¯t do anything about it, let alone Ms. Chu. Why don¡¯t we just wait until the heavenly doctor from the Tianling Dynasty comes?¡± Mu Hongyu knitted her brows in slight displeasure. ¡°Grandpa Ji Chang, I just wanted Liuyue to help take Mother¡¯s pulse. It¡¯s not anything major. Besides, the heavenly doctor from the Tianling Dynasty hasn¡¯t arrived yet, and we can only wait. What¡¯s the matter with letting Liuyue take a look? Aren¡¯t you being too cautious?¡± Ji Chang looked like he was in a difficult position. ¡°Little Princess, it¡¯s really not that I¡¯m purposely stopping you, but¡­ Sigh, you don¡¯t know about this, but the Prince specifically instructed us to keep the Princess Consort¡¯s illness a secret before we came, and we can¡¯t let outsiders know about it. Therefore¡­¡± ¡°So, you still don¡¯t trust Liuyue?¡± Mu Hongyu was really angry this time. She stood up and looked straight at Ji Chang sternly. ¡°Grandpa Ji Chang, Liuyue has done us such a huge favor. How can you be so guarded against her? If we can¡¯t even trust her, I can¡¯t trust anyone in the Imperial City. You¡¯re breaking my heart!¡± Ji Chang was helpless as it seemed like he didn¡¯t expect Mu Hongyu to think of Chu Liuyue so highly. ¡°But¡­ the Prince¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Father myself. Besides, even if Father were really here, he wouldn¡¯t be so unreasonable!¡± Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t want to care about him anymore, so she turned to look at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, don¡¯t take it to heart! Help my mother take a look!¡± Ji Chang felt awkward and could only take a step back. Chu Liuyue was in deep thought. This Ji Chang seems like he doesn¡¯t want me to touch the Princess Consort¡­ She walked up and placed her fingers on the Princess Consort¡¯s wrist. Ji Chang looked over. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression remained unchanged. After a moment, she released her hand. ¡°Liuyue, how¡¯s my mother¡¯s condition? Can you see if there¡¯s anything wrong?¡± asked Mu Hongyu hurriedly. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°The Princess Consort has been ill for many years, and her body is extremely weak. However, I also can¡¯t do anything else other than this.¡± Regret flashed across Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes. ¡°The previous heavenly doctors also said the same thing¡­¡± Moreover, she could clearly feel that her mother¡¯s condition was much worse than before. Chu Liuyue patted her shoulder gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the heavenly doctor from the Tianling Dynasty will definitely have a way.¡± Mu Hongyu forced a smile. ¡°Mm, I hope so.¡± Just as the atmosphere in the room was becoming serious, Wu Shan¡¯s voice rang from outside. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s Lieutenant Mu! Sorry for not recognizing you; I¡¯m too ignorant!¡± Hearing this, everyone in the room looked outside. Chu Liuyue walked out and indeed saw that Mu Qinghe had arrived at the yard. Beside him stood a youngster in blue. This man looked like he was 28 or 29 as he wore a blue robe with a white jade belt, which accentuated his tall figure. When this man stood beside Mu Qinghe, he was very tall and was a whole head taller than Mu Qinghe¡ªwho was a general and considered to be very big and muscular. However, the more eye-catching thing was that he had a pair of blue eyes. This pair of eyes was like the purest ice as they flickered with cold light. However, his face had a nonchalant smile, which made him look like a freak that coldly smiled through his eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be hit hard. Why is it him?! Standing in front of the Tianling Dynasty duo, Wu Shan was very nervous. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! We didn¡¯t know that you¡¯d be coming here today, Lieutenant Mu, so we didn¡¯t prepare anything¡­¡± Wu Shan secretly felt ashamed of himself. He was already very old and experienced, but he still became nervous in front of these two young men. Actually, he couldn¡¯t be blamed for this. This was mainly because Mu Qinghe and the man in blue¡¯s auras were very strong, and he couldn¡¯t ignore them. He could already feel an unknown suppression just by standing there, causing his breathing to be interrupted. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t want to waste any time. He coincidentally looked up and saw Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue walked up in surprise. ¡°Lieutenant Mu! I didn¡¯t expect you to come here directly! Hongyu and I have just arrived as well. Please forgive us for being unable to serve you properly!¡± As she spoke, she walked to Wu Shan. ¡°Senior Wu Shan, let me handle it from here. You can continue guarding the yard.¡± Wu Shan instantly heaved a sigh of relief and felt grateful toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Okay, okay! Then¡­ I¡¯ll leave the two VIPs to you.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Wu Shan hurriedly backed away. Only when he was ten steps away did he carefully exhale to comfort his rapidly beating heart. People from the Tianling Dynasty are indeed different! Those two people look very young, but their capabilities are all much better than mine! Chu Liuyue then looked at the man in blue beside Mu Qinghe, and she asked curiously, ¡°May I know if this is the heavenly doctor you¡¯ve brought over? How do I address him?¡± Before Mu Qinghe could say anything, the man in blue lazily spoke first. ¡°Jian Fengchi.¡± A smile was plastered on his face, making him look very friendly and warm, and his pair of blue eyes were especially charming. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s internal alarm was ringing crazily! Nothing good ever happens when this guy shows such a smile! In the past, I had so many conflicts with him. I really didn¡¯t know how Mu Qinghe managed to become so close to him now! Chu Liuyue thought for a while and didn¡¯t expect Mu Qinghe to send him over. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Jian.¡± Chu Liuyue went on her knees and bowed. Jian Fengchi suddenly leaned toward Mu Qinghe and softly laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you think she looks like someone?¡± Chapter 340 - Antidote Mu Qinghe glanced at him coldly and with warning. Jian Fengchi ignored him and smiled flippantly. ¡°Even I can tell, can¡¯t you? This pair of eyes is really¡­¡± ¡°Jian Fengchi.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice sounded like it was mixed with ice shards. Jian Fengchi finally restrained himself and shrugged. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say it anymore.¡± Even though he was talking to Mu Qinghe, his gaze was glued to Chu Liuyue. Accurately speaking, it was her face. ¡°May I know your name?¡± Jian Fengchi was tall and handsome. When his pair of cold eyes seriously stared at someone, they looked like the vast ocean, which made people fall in love devotedly. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t remember how many women he had won over with his looks. The entire Tianling Dynasty knew what type of person Jian Fengchi was, but there were still countless women who would pounce at him just to get him to look at them. However, he had never walked through the garden and was innocent. Chu Liuyue had never understood how he had rejected all those women but still got them to be so devoted to him. Chu Liuyue tried hard to control her urge to punch the man in front of her as her lips curved up into a perfectly polite smile. ¡°Chu Liuyue.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at Mu Qinghe with deeper meaning and dragged his voice as he said, ¡°¡­What a good name.¡± Chu Liuyue was always too lazy to bother with him, but she had no choice now that they had different identities. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Young Master Jian. I¡¯m very grateful that you came all the way here to help out.¡± Jian Fengchi still smiled radiantly, but he was confused. Usually, women would start blushing, and their hearts would rapidly beat when they saw him. They would also reveal faces of surprise and appreciation. However, the expression of the young woman in front of him didn¡¯t seem to change since the moment he met her. This isn¡¯t natural¡­ No wonder she could convince Mu Qinghe to get me to help. If it weren¡¯t for a special reason, I do not think that Mu Qinghe would spend so much effort to get me to come over. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s my honor to help a beauty.¡± Chu Liuyue secretly rolled her eyes. Originally, she thought many things would change after a year had passed, but it now seemed like Jian Fengchi maintained his flippant character pretty well. ¡°Then¡­ Lieutenant Mu, Young Master Jian, please head in.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to talk to them for too long, so she directly invited them into the room. ¡°Lead the way,¡± said Mu Qinghe. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t insist and walked ahead. Looking at her back view, Jian Fengchi nudged Mu Qinghe¡¯s elbow and whispered, ¡°I think I know why you invited me over.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression was as cold and hard as usual, and his gaze was fixed in front. He clearly didn¡¯t intend to bother with Jian Fengchi. But Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t care about his cold attitude as the smile on his face became even more arrogant. ¡°Why are you angry? I didn¡¯t even say who she looks like.¡± Mu Qinghe paused in his tracks. ¡°If you don¡¯t want the five-colored Yuan Stone, you can just continue talking, or you can go back.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s smile froze. ¡°I was just cracking a joke. Why so serious? Okay, okay. I promise I won¡¯t bring this up again, okay?¡± As he talked, he walked forward and thought that this person¡¯s temper was getting worse. Chu Liuyue acted as if she couldn¡¯t hear what the two people were talking about. When they reached the door, Mu Hongyu and Ji Chang were already waiting. Both of them were shocked to see that Jian Fengchi was so young. Ji Chang was doing fine, but Mu Hongyu was straightforward, and the words ¡®can he do it¡¯ was written all over her face. Jian Fengchi looked at Mu Hongyu with much interest. ¡°This lady here, you don¡¯t seem like you trust me very much?¡± Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t feel awkward at all and honestly said, ¡°I was indeed thinking that.¡± Jian Fengchi was originally waiting for Mu Hongyu¡¯s polite words, so he didn¡¯t expect her to admit it so honestly. Thus, the teasing words were immediately stuck in his throat. ¡°But since Lieutenant Mu invited you over, you must be a capable heavenly doctor!¡± Jian Fengchi then felt much better and smiled arrogantly. ¡°Miss, when you want to praise someone next time, you can¡¯t pause in the middle for too long.¡± Seeing that the other party had strong backing, Mu Hongyu obediently nodded, but she thought to herself: Why is this guy¡¯s smile so¡­ weird? Chu Liuyue briefly introduced the few of them before she directly directed the conversation to the Princess Consort. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, Young Master Jian, this is the Princess Consort, and she¡¯s the person I wish you could help, Young Master Jian.¡± The Princess Consort smiled weakly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. You two came here with much difficulty, but I can¡¯t even get out of bed.¡± Jian Fengchi squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°The Princess Consort seems to be poisoned¡­¡± Prince Ping Jiang¡¯s wife slightly widened her eyes. ¡°Young Master Jian, you¡¯re indeed capable. You can already guess that I¡¯m poisoned even before you took my pulse.¡± Jian Fengchi raised his brows. I¡¯d be too useless if I couldn¡¯t even tell this. Mu Hongyu was very emotional as she hurriedly made way for Jian Fengchi to take her mother¡¯s pulse. ¡°Young Master Jian, please¡ª¡± As she spoke, she walked to Chu Liuyue and whispered, ¡°People from the Tianling Dynasty are indeed different! All those heavenly doctors that saw my mother in the past couldn¡¯t tell that she was poisoned before they took her pulse!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Even though Jian Fengchi¡¯s personality was so-so, his standard was decent. If not, he couldn¡¯t be so arrogant. Jian Fengchi took out a handkerchief and placed it on the Princess Consort¡¯s wrist before placing his long fingers on it. Mu Hongyu hesitated for a while and couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°I initially thought he was just¡­ meh, but he seems different.¡± Chu Liuyue met with her gaze. For some reason, she felt that Mu Hongyu was going to say that he wasn¡¯t good. However, she still heaved a huge sigh of relief upon seeing that Mu Hongyu wasn¡¯t charmed by Jian Fengchi like the other girls had been. She didn¡¯t want Mu Hongyu to mess with this man. Jian Fengchi raised his brows slightly. It seems like they don¡¯t know that I can still hear them clearly even though they¡¯re whispering, right? Then, he focused his gaze. The few people in the room looked at him. They all quietened down upon seeing the change in his facial expression. Mu Hongyu held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands as she couldn¡¯t hide her worry. Chu Liuyue patted the back of her hand lightly. The Princess Consort laid in bed weakly. Even though her eyes were dark, one could still vaguely see a tinge of hope. Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something as her gaze turned toward Ji Chang at the side. At this point, both of his hands held each other in front, and his eyes stared straight at Jian Fengchi as if he was very nervous. Chu Liuyue could even see that he licked his dry lips, and he looked very tense and worried. Jian Fengchi let go of the Princess Consort¡¯s hand. Ji Chang was the first to ask, ¡°Young Master Jian, do you have a way to remove the poison in the Princess Consort¡¯s body?¡± Chapter 341 - Numb Jian Fengchi was silent for a moment. ¡°The poison in the Princess Consort¡¯s body seems to be a combination of many types, and they were given to her at different times.¡± Mu Hongyu gasped. ¡°How is that possible?¡± All along, she thought that the poison in her mother¡¯s body was caused by an accident many years ago. She did not expect¡ª ¡°Mother, was what he said true?¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly looked at the Princess Consort. Bitterness flashed across the Princess Consort¡¯s eyes as she smiled miserably. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Jian Fengchi added, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, your body suddenly deteriorated within these two months, right?¡± The Princess Consort nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it then.¡± Jian Fengchi stood up. ¡°The first few poisons in your body have been hidden inside for many years, and they have long infiltrated your organs. However, they aren¡¯t strong poisons, so they didn¡¯t stimulate any serious consequences. But recently, someone poisoned you with another type of poison. It activated all the poison in your body, causing everything to fail and result in the current situation.¡± Mu Hongyu felt as if she had been struck by lightning as she looked at Jian Fengchi dazedly. ¡°T-then¡­ what should we do? Can we remove these poisons?¡± Jian Fengchi knitted his brows as if he was in a difficult position. ¡°This is hard. After all, the poisons were given at different times, and they¡¯re of different types. If you want to remove all of them, not only will you have to be clear on what type of poisons they are, but you must also avoid causing new problems when removing the poisons. A small mistake could lead everything to fail and even¡­¡± Jian Fengchi paused. Even if he didn¡¯t say his remaining words, the crowd knew what he meant. Mu Hongyu was in a trance. Does the Tianling Dynasty heavenly doctor not have a way? Ji Chang sighed, and he looked very aggrieved. ¡°Young Master Jian, I¡¯m begging you¡ªyou must think of a way! The Princess Consort and the Prince are very loving, and they have depended on each other all these years. If the Princess Consort¡­¡± ¡°Of course,¡± interrupted Jian Fengchi suddenly as his lips curved up into a sinister smile. Ji Chang was dazed as his sorrowful expression suddenly froze. ¡°Y-you mean¡­¡± ¡°This poison is hard to deal with, but I didn¡¯t say that I can¡¯t do it.¡± Jian Fengchi smiled deeply. The crowd then understood what Jian Fengchi meant. Chu Liuyue cursed in her heart. He¡¯s still the same! If he didn¡¯t say that, it would seem like he can¡¯t show off how capable he is! However, Ji Chang had clearly sensed something wrong with Jian Fengchi¡­ ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry. I definitely can clear all of the Princess Consort¡¯s poisons and help her fully recover.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze quickly darted to Ji Chang¡¯s face before she looked down. She had previously seen looks of shock and terror flashing across his eyes when Jian Fengchi said that he could treat the Princess Consort. Shock isn¡¯t hard to understand, but what¡¯s that about terror? Being able to escort the Princess Consort all the way to the Imperial City means that Prince Ping Jiang trusts him very much. Besides, judging by what Mu Hongyu called him and Wu Shan, they seem very intimate. There is no reason for him to feel fear after knowing that the Princess Consort can fully recover. Chu Liuyue recalled Ji Chang rejecting her repeatedly when she wanted to take the Princess Consort¡¯s pulse as if in fear. Perhaps¡­ he might have a guilty conscience¡­ ¡°Young Master Jian, is that true? Can you really cure my mother?¡± But Mu Hongyu did not detect anything amiss as her mind was filled with Jian Fengchi¡¯s sentence. Jian Fengchi looked at the young woman that rushed to him with a pair of dazzling, almond-like eyes. His heart tingled, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile with deeper meaning. ¡°Of course. I always make good on my words.¡± If I can¡¯t even solve such a small problem, it¡¯d really be a waste of all my years. Mu Hongyu was beyond excited as she pounced to the bed and held the Princess Consort¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother, did you hear? You can recover!¡± The Princess Consort didn¡¯t have much energy left at this point, and she could only smile at Mu Hongyu with a pale face. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Hongyu, it seems like the Princess Consort wants to rest. Let¡¯s go out and talk.¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly nodded. ¡°Okay! Then¡­ Mother, you rest here first. I¡¯ll come to see you again in a bit!¡± The Princess Consort forced herself to nod. ¡°¡­I still need to thank Young Master Jian and¡­ Lieutenant Mu¡­¡± She said that sentence with much difficulty before she closed her eyes to rest. Chu Liuyue and the rest walked outside. The moment Mu Hongyu got up, she saw a square handkerchief left on the Princess Consort¡¯s wrist. She picked up the handkerchief and rushed to Jian Fengchi, who was outside the door. ¡°Young Master Jian, your handkerchief!¡± Jian Fengchi paused in his tracks and turned around to look. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched, and she almost told Mu Hongyu to directly throw that handkerchief away. Jian Fengchi had a habit. He was a heavenly doctor and had to take people¡¯s pulses regularly, but after he saw someone every time, he would leave a handkerchief on the person¡¯s wrist and not touch it personally¡ªjust like what he did this time. The handkerchief¡¯s material was very valuable, but he would still throw it away after using it once. Chu Liuyue knew him from the start and knew his habits without knowing the reason behind them. Other than this, he had many other small habits that he was very insistent on. Even when she was the Heavenly Princess, she felt that this man was very problematic. Unexpectedly, Jian Fengchi stared at Mu Hongyu for a while and didn¡¯t ask her to directly throw the handkerchief away. Instead, he smiled. ¡°Oh, I really forgot about it!¡± He then walked toward Mu Hongyu. Chu Liuyue looked at him as if she had seen a ghost. What is he up to again? As if noticing something, Jian Fengchi turned his head and looked at her. Chu Liuyue immediately looked down and continued walking outside. Jian Fengchi squinted his eyes. For some reason, I feel that this Chu Liuyue¡­ despises me quite a bit. Even though she has a polite smile, I still have that feeling. And that feeling has some unknown familiarity to it. He suppressed his thoughts as he reached out to take the handkerchief from Mu Hongyu¡¯s hands. Both of their hands touched for a brief moment, but he seemed not to notice it as he bowed slightly and smiled flippantly. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Mu.¡± Mu Hongyu smiled brightly. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Young Master Jian! If you need my help in the future, just let me know!¡± Jian Fengchi looked at her and raised his brows slightly. Mm¡­ This Mu Hongyu seems a little too innocent¡­ If he touched any regular woman, they would blush even if their hearts didn¡¯t skip a beat. However, it seemed like Mu Hongyu had no reaction at all. He then vaguely realized that the brightness in Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond-like eyes was because her mother could fully recover and not because of him. This made him feel conflicted. Why are these two girls so weird? Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had walked outside the door¡ªwaved at Mu Hongyu. ¡°Hongyu!¡± Chapter 342 - Refining Pill Mu Hongyu acknowledged it and immediately walked toward Chu Liuyue; she didn¡¯t even glance at Jian Fengchi. Jian Fengchi was speechless. What is with this feeling of being ignored by everyone? He looked down at the handkerchief and silently held it. He then turned around, and his expression returned to normal. The few of them had walked out, leaving Ji Chang inside. ¡°Little Princess, the Princess Consort is weak. I¡¯ll stay here to take care of her,¡± said Ji Chang to Mu Hongyu. Mu Hongyu thought for a while and was about to agree, but Chu Liuyue suddenly squeezed her hand. Mu Hongyu¡¯s mind whirred, and she suddenly realized something as she changed her words. ¡°Um¡­ You must be tired from taking care of Mother all this while. You should get some rest first.¡± Ji Chang was dazed. ¡°Little Princess, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m very healthy, but the Princess Consort¡­ The Prince trusted Wu Shan and me with everything, so we naturally can¡¯t relax on the job. What if¡ª¡± ¡°With Lieutenant Mu and Young Master Jian here, there¡¯s no need to worry about our safety. Even if something happens to the Princess Consort, they can deal with it immediately. Senior Ji Chang, you don¡¯t have to be overly worried.¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t trust the two of them?¡± said Chu Liuyue in a seemingly joking manner, but her gaze was filled with a questioning look. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t dare to.¡± Ji Chang lowered his voice. ¡°T-then, I¡¯ll rest first. If anything happens, I¡¯ll rush over immediately. Little Princess, don¡¯t be too worried.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°Go ahead; there¡¯s us here.¡± Ji Chang was helpless and could only turn to leave. Due to Mu Qinghe and Jian Fengchi¡¯s suppression, he didn¡¯t even turn around. When his figure finally disappeared from their field of vision, Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, you¡­ purposely sent Grandpa Ji Chang away just now?¡± Chu Liuyue asked her back, ¡°Did you not feel anything amiss just now?¡± Mu Hongyu thought about it in detail and muttered with uncertainty, ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ But it seems like he really didn¡¯t want to leave¡­ Liuyue, you might not know, but Grandpa Wu Shan and Grandpa Ji Chang have been following my father since a very long time ago. All these years, they were the ones who secretly protected Mother and me, so I think he¡¯s just worried¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her quietly. Mu Hongyu¡¯s voice became gradually softer, and she looked uncertain. ¡°Hongyu, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t find it weird,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly. Mu Hongyu was straightforward and didn¡¯t have many qualms, but it did not mean that she was dumb. On the contrary, she was very intelligent. However, as she was too close to Ji Chang and trusted him too much, she couldn¡¯t see it clearly. Mu Hongyu knitted her brows. Of course, I can tell that there¡¯s something wrong. Grandpa Ji Chang seems to be extra careful when he takes care of Mother. At first, he didn¡¯t want to let Chu Liuyue take her pulse, and he didn¡¯t want to leave later¡­ The more important thing is that he wasn¡¯t as happy as I expected him to be when he heard that Mother could fully recover. He has followed Father and Mother for so many years and has spent a lot of effort to find a cure for Mother. Now that there¡¯s hope, his reaction is indeed strange. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Mu Hongyu looked at Chu Liuyue with uncertainty. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll continue observing, but you must remember that even the closest of friends and the people you trust the most can betray you. By then, you won¡¯t even know how you died.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s body suddenly froze. Jian Fengchi glanced at Chu Liuyue. How interesting¡­ She could let anyone hear this, but it had to be Mu Qinghe. If I weren¡¯t sure that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t go for plastic surgery, I might really suspect that she purposely said it for Mu Qinghe. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Jian Fengchi clapped as if in awe. ¡°You know the person, but you might not know the person¡¯s heart. You can¡¯t see much from the surface, and you might even cause some misunderstandings. Ms. Mu, do you agree?¡± Mu Hongyu blinked and suddenly reacted¡ªThis Jian Fengchi seems to be talking about me? She coughed and felt embarrassed for her slow brain. ¡°Ahem, that¡¯s true¡­ Thank you, Liuyue and Young Master Jian. I¡¯ll take note of this in the future¡­¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Jian Fengchi and looked normal. ¡°Young Master Jian, may I know how you are going to treat the Princess Consort? We¡¯ll definitely find all the herbs and ingredients you need.¡± Jian Fengchi said slowly, ¡°Her body has quite a few poisons, so it¡¯s impossible to clear all of them in one go. Besides, her body can¡¯t withstand the effects of all the herbs. We have to make it into medicinal soup and let her drink it before she takes the antidote.¡± ¡°May I know how long this will take?¡± Jian Fengchi put up one finger. ¡°A day would suffice.¡± Mu Hongyu was shocked. ¡°Just one day?¡± ¡°By ¡®one day,¡¯ I mean that I need one day to prepare all the medicinal soup and pills, not that she will recover in a day. After she uses all of them, she still needs to drink medicinal soup for a month before she can completely remove the remaining poisons. However, that¡¯s pretty simple because you just need to find someone to refine the medicine according to my formula.¡± Chu Liuyue thought to herself: As expected. When Jian Fengchi treats patients, he always solves the most crucial step and is too lazy to do the rest. He always feels that it is a waste of his talent and energy to do the rest, but it is already quite good that he is willing to do things to that step. ¡°I heard that Ms. Chu is also a heavenly doctor, right? You can make pills now?¡± asked Jian Fengchi with much interest. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯m just lucky.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only 14 this year, right? Oh¡­ Even though you can¡¯t compare to¡­ But that¡¯s still quite good. No wonder Mu Qinghe agreed to help you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled humbly. Jian Fengchi felt depressed. This Chu Liuyue¡­ Everything seems to be done very well, but there¡¯s no emotion in her eyes. It¡¯s as if my words will never affect her, no matter what I say. His eyes turned. Mu Hongyu was currently staring into space. Her gaze was distant; she was clearly thinking about something. Jian Fengchi lost half his interest as he lazily said to Mu Qinghe, ¡°I¡¯ll refine the medicine here today. Help me guard.¡± Mu Qinghe coldly said, ¡°Impossible.¡± This was because there was no need to. Even though Jian Fengchi was mainly a heavenly doctor, his Xuan Master cultivation wasn¡¯t bad. Even if anything happened to him, he alone was more than enough to handle it. Jian Fengchi had already expected his answer and didn¡¯t care much as he shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself then.¡± After that, he walked toward another room alone. He swept his sleeves the moment he opened the door, and a light-blue barrier appeared behind him. His entire figure was hidden. Jian Fengchi stepped into the room. At the same time, a fire appeared in his hand, and the handkerchief instantly disappeared! Chapter 343 - Progress After settling Mu Hongyu¡¯s side, Chu Liuyue also planned to bid farewell. Mu Hongyu was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Mu Qinghe, and her lips curved up. ¡°Time is of the essence, so I have to hurry. But don¡¯t worry; since Lieutenant Mu and Young Master Jian have already agreed to help, they will definitely see it through. If you need any herbs or ingredients, go to Zhen Bao Pavilion and look for Second Master Yan. Tell him to put everything under my bill. When I come back, I¡¯ll find him personally.¡± Mu Hongyu shook her head determinedly. ¡°That can¡¯t do! You¡¯ve already helped me so much; how can I use your money?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while and did not insist. ¡°Just tell him to do me a favor, and he¡¯ll help you to gather all the herbs you need.¡± It was indeed a little hard to remove all of the poisons in the Princess Consort¡¯s body, but it wasn¡¯t a problem with Jian Fengchi¡¯s capabilities. However, he might need a few special ingredients. It might not be easy to find them in the Imperial City, but Zhen Bao Pavilion definitely had some. If Mu Hongyu went herself, Second Master Yan might not produce them. Therefore, she told Mu Hongyu to mention her name so that there would be a higher chance of Second Master Yan helping her. Chu Liuyue did not explicitly tell Mu Hongyu about the connections in between, but Mu Hongyu was very smart and could already guess a little in her heart. She had many things to say in a short amount of time, but all the words seemed to be stuck in her throat. In the end, she said, ¡°Thank you, Liuyue.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. As for Jian Fengchi¡­ Even though I don¡¯t normally deal with him and don¡¯t really like him, he is indeed someone that will make good on his words. If he says he is going to refine medicine here to help the Princess Consort, he will definitely do it. Mu Hongyu looked very reluctant. Chu Liuyue initially wanted to remind her to be careful of Jian Fengchi, but she thought for a moment and realized that there was no need to. Mu Hongyu was a metal tree, and she would only be Jian Fengchi¡¯s nemesis. Chu Liuyue looked at Mu Qinghe, smiled, and asked, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, are you staying here or¡­¡± Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t say anything and directly left. Mu Hongyu leaned in and whispered, ¡°Liuyue, don¡¯t you think Lieutenant Mu looks a little upset?¡± Chu Liuyue said lightly, ¡°Oh, really? I didn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°Really! For some reason, his expression suddenly changed just now. Even though he didn¡¯t have much of an expression before¡­¡± Mu Hongyu knitted her brows and couldn¡¯t think of a way to describe it. ¡°Anyway, I just feel like he¡¯s upset¡ªlike he had recalled something sad¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such a look on his face before.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. If I could, I also want to chase after him and ask him what happened to his face. Does he feel terrible or embarrassed? I just said ¡®betrayal,¡¯ but what was he thinking? Did he think about ¡®her¡¯ anytime within this year? Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. She suddenly really wanted to know what Mu Qinghe would look like if he knew that she was ¡®her.¡¯ And those people¡­ ¡°Liuyue? Liuyue!¡± Mu Hongyu suddenly felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura had become icy cold and that she was enveloped in intense loneliness and hopelessness. Mu Hongyu felt very uneasy and hurriedly called out to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and saw her look of worry. ¡°A-are you okay?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura quickly dissipated, and she broke out into a light smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Those people should be the ones that aren¡¯t okay! ¡­ Mu Qinghe returned to his own residence. He was in a rare daze, and his heart seemed to be stuffed with something, causing him to feel extremely uncomfortable. He closed his eyes to calm himself down, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s words kept reverberating throughout his mind as if they were the most memorable curse. ¡°¡­In this world, even your closest friends and the people you trust the most might betray you. By then, you won¡¯t even know how you died.¡± The girl¡¯s clear voice kept ringing in his ears. That¡¯s not right¡­ That¡¯s not right! Mu Qinghe tried his best to find his rationality as he sat on the chair and habitually made tea for himself. Every time he felt conflicted, he would always do this to calm himself down. But when he poured the tea and looked at it, he couldn¡¯t help thinking of something. Everyone thinks that I love to drink tea, but that is not the case. It is just that brewing tea itself can calm me down. In the past¡­ A scorching pain immediately caused him to recover his senses. He realized that he spilled the boiling tea water on his hands as he was in a daze. He harshly closed his eyes and angrily swept all the tea items to the floor. Clang! The crisp sounds of them shattering echoed throughout the room, making it sound extra spacious. Hong Yao¡ªwho was standing at the window¡ªturned back to glance at Mu Qinghe before lazily burying its head in its wings. An excruciating pain came from his heart. Mu Qinghe¡¯s face changed as he held his chest and breathed heavily. He then held out an oval-shaped copper mirror with much difficulty. Hong Yao didn¡¯t move, but its body tensed up. A glaring light flashed across the copper mirror the next moment, and an invisible suppression dominated the room. The light gradually disappeared from the copper mirror, revealing bloody seawater. A voice sounded from within¡ª ¡°Mu Qinghe, it¡¯s been so long. What¡¯s the progress on the task that I¡¯ve assigned you?¡± Chapter 344 - Arrival This was a young man¡¯s voice; it was low and nonchalant, but it chilled one¡¯s bones. Mu Qinghe forcefully endured the excruciating pain in his heart as he clenched his teeth and said, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have much time left.¡± The seawater in the copper mirror seemed to ripple as the strong bloody smell suffocated people. ¡°Everyone else thinks you went to find the Dijing Yuan meridian, but this reason can¡¯t be used for long. If you can¡¯t settle this matter as soon as possible, then¡­ you don¡¯t have to come back in the future, understand?¡± Due to the pain, Mu Qinghe¡¯s lips turned even paler. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± The bloody water gradually disappeared and was replaced by a white light. The next moment, the copper mirror returned to normal. Then, Mu Qinghe realized that the pain in his body had lessened. He closed his eyes, put away the copper mirror, and leaned against the chair defeatedly. Hong Yao¡ªwho was standing by the window¡ªflew over and landed on his shoulders. Mu Qinghe opened his eyes to look at it. Hong Yao leaned in closer and nuzzled his face. Mu Qinghe kept silent for a long time before whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be long¡­¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to the academy and told Ye Zhiting about her plans to go to Tai Yan Academy. Even though Ye Zhiting was very reluctant, he knew that this was an extremely good chance, and it would be a pity for her to give it up. Hence, he finally decided to send Chu Liuyue to Tai Yan Academy personally. If it weren¡¯t because he had to deal with Jiuyou Tower¡¯s matters in the academy, he even wanted to directly go over and accompany Chu Liuyue before bringing her back. Ye Zhiting finally relaxed a little when Chu Liuyue repeatedly expressed that she would only be staying there for ten days and would quickly return. The mentor-disciple duo briefly tidied up, and they went over together. ¡­ Tai Yan Academy, Country Xing Luo After the Qing Jiao Competition ended, Cheng Han and the elders already brought the students back. As they didn¡¯t achieve good results, the entire academy¡¯s atmosphere was silent and suppressed. Other than that, since Heng Jingchuo had used Red Blood Gu during the Qing Jiao Competition, the other two academies had also sent elders to Tai Yan Academy to investigate the matter. Everyone that interacted with Heng Jingchuo had to be investigated one by one. Such a thing had never happened in Tai Yan Academy before, so they naturally felt humiliated and fearful. Who knew how many other people Heng Jingchuo had poisoned when he was alive? Even if it wasn¡¯t Red Blood Gu, it could be other poisons. Anyway, the entire academy was in a mess, and Cheng Han was overwrought. He had even left Situ Xingchen to take care of the medicinal mountain that he meticulously took care of. The so-called medicinal mountain was one of the many hills behind Tai Yan Academy. It was known as the medicinal mountain due to the many precious herbs planted on it. But even though this medicinal mountain was within Tai Yan Academy, Cheng Han used it alone. Hence, even the academy¡¯s elders didn¡¯t have the right to go near the mountain, let alone the students. Situ Xingchen stayed at the medicinal mountain for two days and realized that she was missing something, so she wanted to head back to get it. She walked down the hill, and the moment she reached the bottom, she saw a few familiar figures nearby. They were a few young students. Even though they were all wearing the academy¡¯s uniform, Situ Xingchen could still recognize them at first glance since she was on good terms with them. It was also because they interacted more. Situ Xingchen was about to go up and greet them when she heard her own name. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen Xingchen these two days?¡± asked one of the youngsters. Situ Xingchen¡¯s lips quivered, but she heard another girl laugh before she could say anything. ¡°How does she have the cheek to come out now?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s body froze as if cold water was splashed on her. Almost instinctively, she moved back two steps and hid herself behind a tree. ¡°Xiaoyun, you¡¯re being too mean by saying that. Xingchen didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why would you say that about her?¡± That youngster seemed to be a little angry. ¡°Hah, I¡¯m mean? Everyone now knows that she took first place in the Qing Jiao Competition using the pill that Chu Liuyue produced. Luckily I didn¡¯t go this time. If not, I would¡¯ve been humiliated to death. I really don¡¯t know how she has the cheek to return to the academy.¡± Another girl sneered, and her face was filled with mockery. ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard them say that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even touch her at that point. She failed to produce her pill because she wasn¡¯t capable enough, but she pushed all the responsibility to Chu Liuyue in the end. However, Chu Liuyue really managed to produce the pill and help her take first place! If it were me, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have the guts to accept it.¡± That youngster was so angry that his face turned red. ¡°B-but Xingchen herself is very talented and capable. You¡¯re talking about her here, but which one of you can compare to her?¡± ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t compare to her, so we always listen to her. However, she humiliated the entire school this time around. Can¡¯t we be upset with her? Zhang Ling, we know you like her, but think about it. Has she ever looked at you properly?¡± The youngster was stumped. ¡°Situ Xingchen has very high standards. So many young, handsome, and talented men chased after her, but she didn¡¯t like any of them.¡± ¡°Now, her reputation is ruined. I wonder if there will still be so many people who like her.¡± Situ Xingchen was so angry that her entire body shivered, and her nails dug deep into her palms. Didn¡¯t I suffer enough grievances during this period?! I can¡¯t believe these people would talk about me like this! I¡¯m afraid countless people in Tai Yan Academy¡ªand even the entire Country Xing Luo¡ªthink the same way. Just as she was wondering about how to deal with them, she heard one of the young girls say, ¡°Oh, yes. Did you hear that Chu Liuyue came to our academy today?¡± Chapter 345 - Peep Situ Xingchen knitted her brows. ¡°Yeah! I think Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Director Elder Ye personally sent her over. She should be at the library by now, right?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t she already chosen by the Tianling Dynasty envoy? Why is she still here?¡± ¡°Who knows? But since she¡¯s here, she probably asked for permission, right? Did you hear? She lacked a Yuan meridian since a young age and was born as a good-for-nothing, but she suddenly turned into a genius a few months ago! I really wonder what kind of person that Chu Liuyue is¡­¡± ¡°A genius is a genius, but it¡¯s a pity that she has a marriage agreement with Country Yao Chen¡¯s Prince Li, who is a sickly prince¡­¡± ¡°I heard that Prince Li is very handsome. Perhaps some people like him for that? Haha!¡± The few figures gradually disappeared, and their voices drifted off. Situ Xingchen quietly stood at her original spot for a long while until her legs turned numb. She realized that she still couldn¡¯t accept everything that had happened, no matter if it were the Qing Jiao Competition or Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡¯s marriage agreement. She pondered for a long while before turning around to return to the medicinal mountain. There were a few wooden houses halfway up the mountain¡ªSitu Xingchen used one of them to rest. She entered it, locked the door, and sat in front of the study table. The strong herbal fragrance permeated her nose. In the past, this smell could always calm her down, but now, it just reminded her of that humiliating day. She quietly sat down for a while and took out a letter¡ªit was from Rong Jin. Before she left the Imperial City, Rong Jin secretly sent someone to pass her this letter. But at that point in time, all her thoughts were gathered on Rong Xiu, so she didn¡¯t open it up to read it. Now¡­ Situ Xingchen stared at that letter for a while before opening it without hesitation. The light from the setting sun shone in, elongating Situ Xingchen¡¯s shadow. A ripple appeared in the middle of nowhere. A figure walked out from it, and it was Elder Lian Ning. ¡°Eldest Princess.¡± His deep and hoarse voice sounded in the room. Situ Xingchen then recovered her senses, looked away from the letter, and subconsciously kept it before looking at Elder Lian Ning. Seeing that it was him, Situ Xingchen heaved a sigh of relief. However, her pair of eyes still had some tinge of shock. Elder Lian Ning noticed that something wasn¡¯t quite right with her, and he could not help but ask, ¡°Eldest Princess, what happened?¡± His gaze swept past the letter in Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands, and he looked serious. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°I asked you to check on Chu Liuyue earlier. What did you find out?¡± interrupted Situ Xingchen. Elder Lian Ning didn¡¯t continue asking about the letter as he bowed slightly. ¡°I found out two things: One, on the tenth of July, Chu Xianmin sent someone to kill Chu Liuyue secretly. Those people brought Chu Liuyue out of the Imperial City to kill her in the woods, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t die that day and had even returned to the Chu family safe and sound.¡± Situ Xingchen knitted her brows even more. She had also heard about Chu Xianmin¡¯s incident and felt that it was normal for her to kill Chu Liuyue secretly to become the Crown Princess. ¡°You think there¡¯s something wrong with that?¡± ¡°Of course. Your Highness, don¡¯t forget that Chu Liuyue was still a good-for-nothing that didn¡¯t have a Yuan meridian back then. The few people that Chu Xianmin sent¡­ According to what I¡¯ve found out, one of them was even a stage-three warrior.¡± Situ Xingchen looked stunned. Even though a stage-three warrior wasn¡¯t very strong, a young girl with no cultivation would definitely be unable to live. ¡°Chu Liuyue returned alive; then¡­ what about the three people?¡± ¡°They died.¡± A strange smile appeared on Elder Lian Ning¡¯s face. ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s the type of death where you can¡¯t see their corpse¡ªdead or alive. As the three of them had special identities and Chu Xianmin was afraid of being exposed, she purposely suppressed the matter. Thus, nobody knew that they had disappeared into thin air.¡± ¡°Coincidentally, Chu Liuyue started her revolutionary change from that day on. After returning to the Chu family, she bought many herbs from Zhen Bao Pavilion. Not long later, she entered Tian Lu Academy. Everyone knows what happened after that.¡± Many thoughts flashed across Situ Xingchen¡¯s mind, and she hurriedly asked, ¡°What about the second thing?¡± ¡°The second thing is also, coincidentally, related to that forest. You probably don¡¯t know, but Country Yao Chen¡¯s Fourth Princess¡ªRong Zhen¡ªhas disappeared.¡± Situ Xingchen knew who Rong Zhen was, but they didn¡¯t interact much. Hence, she didn¡¯t have a deep impression of her. ¡°Isn¡¯t her pearl of essence destroyed, and hasn¡¯t she been recuperating in the palace ever since? Why did she suddenly go missing? Besides, I didn¡¯t hear anything about this.¡± Even though she had already returned to Tai Yan Academy, she didn¡¯t cut off all connections with the outside world. If Rong Zhen really disappeared, this news would definitely be spread everywhere since it was such a big incident. ¡°Because Rong Zhen ran out herself.¡± Elder Lian Ning had been secretly investigating Chu Liuyue the whole while, and he really discovered something. ¡°That day, Chu Liuyue was forcefully brought out of Tian Lu Academy by a stage-five warrior. I hid my aura, and I followed them all the way. In the end, I realized that they went to the forest, so I didn¡¯t follow them. But not long later, Chu Liuyue came out. Afterward, people started looking for Rong Zhen¡¯s whereabouts secretly.¡± As long as one connected the dots, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what had happened that day. Shock filled Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart, and she said after a while, ¡°Does this mean that Chu Liuyue killed Rong Zhen?¡± Elder Lian Ning kept quiet for a while. ¡°Not really, but I tried to look around the forest after she left. However, I didn¡¯t find any clues. The Empress also didn¡¯t dare to be too open about it.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she muttered, ¡°This means that Chu Liuyue is really acting very secretly¡­ However, there are no secrets in this world. I bet she doesn¡¯t know that someone has already found out about what she did¡­¡± How ridiculous! She is both rich and famous now, and she has come to our academy¡¯s library. ¡°Eldest Princess, what¡¯s your plan?¡± asked Elder Lian Ning. ¡°There must be another reason for Rong Zhen to target Chu Liuyue. You¡­¡± ¡°Rong Zhen used to be spoiled. Even if her pearl of essence was ruined, and she became a good-for-nothing, she¡¯s still the distinguished Fourth Princess. Who can determine her fate? Since there¡¯s no news from Country Yao Chen¡¯s side, Emperor Jiawen clearly doesn¡¯t know about this. That¡¯s his favorite daughter. If he really finds out about it, he would be devastated¡­¡± said Situ Xingchen slowly as her face showed pity. However, her eyes were sparkling harshly and coldly. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Elder Lian Ning, you¡¯ve worked hard. Leave the rest to me.¡± Situ Xingchen picked up a brush and paper. ¡°I¡¯ll tell this to someone who needs to know.¡± Chapter 346 - Library Tai Yan Academy. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw the five-story-tall library. The golden words on the plaque shone brightly under the sun. ¡°This is the library.¡± Elder Mo Cang stood next to Chu Liuyue. Even though he also didn¡¯t like Chu Liuyue, he was still sent over as Cheng Han did not wish to see her. Upon seeing the two of them, the two young men in the academy¡¯s uniform bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Elder Mo Cang.¡± Elder Mo Cang nodded and looked at Chu Liuyue with a cold expression. ¡°For a period of time, you can borrow and read any books that you like in the library. Follow me in.¡± Chu Liuyue did not mind his attitude and directly walked in. The moment she walked in, she saw all sorts of books piled up on the shelves everywhere. Rows of shelves were filled with books in the middle. She quickly scanned her surroundings. Elder Mo Cang stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at Chu Liuyue, but he didn¡¯t see the expected shock in her eyes. He coughed and emphasized, ¡°This is the first floor that is filled with thousands of books related to warrior cultivation.¡± Chu Liuyue calmly nodded. Elder Mo Cang was even more annoyed. The variety of books in Tai Yan Academy¡¯s library is as vast as the open sea. It is already very rare for an average family to have a few books on warrior techniques. Even aristocratic families would only have a few hundred books. However, we have tens of thousands of books here. But Chu Liuyue did not have any reaction after hearing that. This made Elder Mo Cang feel stifled, and he couldn¡¯t help but sneer. She¡¯s just putting on an act! ¡°I heard that Tian Lu Academy¡¯s library has quite a few books. Even though it can¡¯t compare to ours, they still have a few thousand books, right?¡± asked Elder Mo Cang in a seemingly unintentional manner. Chu Liuyue nodded again. ¡°Yeah, our academy doesn¡¯t have many of the books here.¡± Elder Mo Cang laughed delightedly. He was about to say something else, but Chu Liuyue continued calmly, ¡°Mentor said: Even though the academy is big, we rather leave the spaces empty than place trash.¡± Trash?! Does Chu Liuyue know what she¡¯s saying?! Elder Mo Cang almost spat out blood. ¡°Y-you¡¯re saying all of this is trash?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I don¡¯t mean that; I¡¯m just saying that a portion of it is.¡± ¡°You!¡± Elder Mo Cang tried hard to suppress his anger as he hollered, ¡°Chu Liuyue, you better be more polite! If you continue shooting your mouth, we¡¯ll still chase you out even though you¡¯ve taken first place in the Qing Jiao Competition!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him genuinely. ¡°Elder Mo Cang, you¡¯re really thinking too much. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m being disrespectful, but many of the books here are really not worth keeping.¡± As she spoke, she walked to the side and picked up a book. ¡°Tiger-Wolf Punch, intermediate Yellow stage. Warrior techniques are divided into Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Yellow. Every stage is divided into advanced, intermediate, and inferior. The yellow stage is the lowest tier, and it¡¯s just at the intermediate stage, so it¡¯s not worth mentioning. Usually, warrior techniques of this level should be given to stage-two warriors, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°But our academy only accepts warriors that are at least stage three, so our academy really doesn¡¯t have such books.¡± Elder Mo Cang was stumped. Their academy had accepted many more students than Tian Lu Academy, so their corresponding acceptance standard wasn¡¯t as high as Tian Lu Academy¡¯s. Now, Tai Yan Academy had many stage-two warrior students. Other than this, they loved collecting all kinds of books, so they had the most number of books amongst the three major academies. They had always been proud of this, but why did it suddenly become cheap when Chu Liuyue spoke about it? ¡°What do you know? Not only high-level warrior techniques are worth keeping! Our Tai Yan Academy keeps all sorts of books, and we aim to for it to be comprehensive!¡¯¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and did not say a word. If such a mere library is also considered as ¡®comprehensive,¡¯ I really don¡¯t know how to describe my personal study from my previous life. Seeing the smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, Elder Mo Cang felt even more uncomfortable for some reason. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything else, but he felt extremely embarrassed. ¡°This is just the first floor. You naturally won¡¯t say this when you go to the higher floors.¡± He flung his sleeves, walked forward, and walked up the stairs. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°I hope so.¡± Elder Mo Cang stopped in his tracks. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have come! This Chu Liuyue¡¯s mouth can drive one crazy! She better not be too unruly during this period of time. If not, I¡¯ll show her who¡¯s boss! The two of them went up to the second floor one after another. The space here was as big as the first floor, but there were fewer books here. Instead, there were some books emitting a faint glow. ¡°Warrior technique books are also placed within these lights, but they¡¯re much more advanced than the ones below.¡± Elder Mo Cang felt more confident. ¡°There are many lone books that have been lost over the years, but it depends on your ability to open it.¡± Those lights were corresponding barriers. Hence, the higher the level of the items inside, the stronger the defensive barrier. According to Chu Liuyue¡¯s ability, she might not even be able to open the warrior techniques in the Xuan stage, let alone the rest. Chu Liuyue retorted, ¡°You¡¯re saying that I can read all of these?¡± Elder Mo Cang sneered. ¡°As long as you can, they¡¯re all yours.¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to be unable to tell the mockery in his voice as she smiled genuinely. ¡°Your academy is really generous.¡± Elder Mo Cang¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he felt that something was off. He couldn¡¯t figure out why after thinking for a while, so he just gave up. He pointed upstairs. ¡°Xuan formations are placed on the third floor, and medicine formulas are on the fourth. I still have something on, so I won¡¯t bring you around. Just help yourself.¡± He felt that he would be driven to death if he continued staying with Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it at all as she looked up and asked curiously, ¡°Then¡­ what about the fifth floor?¡± Elder Mo Cang looked much more serious. ¡°Only directors can enter the fifth floor. Even though you can freely borrow and read the books here for a month, it doesn¡¯t include the fifth floor.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°I believe the books on the first four floors are enough for you. As long as you abide by the rules here, we won¡¯t make it difficult for you. But if anything happens, don¡¯t blame us for being harsh.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and acknowledged his words happily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t spend much time here, so I won¡¯t waste my time on anything else.¡± Elder Mo Cang then relaxed and left after giving her a few reminders. Very quickly, only Chu Liuyue was left in the library. She stared at the light in front with one hand around her waist and another gently knocking her chin. ¡°Where should I start¡­¡± Chapter 347 - Flip Books Elder Mo Cang walked out of the library and looked at the duo in charge of guarding it. ¡°Be on high alert during this period! Other than those from the first floor, record any of the books she borrows and reads! If there¡¯s anything wrong, you must inform me as soon as possible!¡± The two of them respectfully answered, ¡°Yes!¡± Elder Mo Cang then relaxed a little and couldn¡¯t help but turn around to take a look. The main door was closed, and everything was peaceful. Even though Chu Liuyue said harsh words, this is Tai Yan Academy after all. She¡¯s a smart person, so she shouldn¡¯t cause any trouble for herself. However, Elder Mo Cang still felt uneasy for some reason. He didn¡¯t know where the uneasiness came from, but his heart felt as if it hung in midair. He felt like an accident would happen at any time. He knitted his brows and felt that he had thought too much. After suppressing his worry, he turned around to leave. But the moment he stepped forward, the two guards at the door suddenly felt something and looked at the grayish-white stone placed on the right side of the library¡¯s entrance. At this moment, a line of words appeared on the stone. ¡°Stepping Snow Technique¡ªintermediate Xuan stage!¡± After a moment, those words gradually combined and formed a star, which shone brightly on the stone. ¡°S-she started already?¡± asked one of them in surprise. ¡°How can this be? The book that was opened is an intermediate Xuan-stage warrior technique. Isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue just a stage-two warrior? How can she open a book of such a level?¡± The other immediately denied it. ¡°But¡­ her abilities are better than a stage-four warrior! Logically speaking, she should be able to do it, right? B-but¡­ even a stage-four warrior needs some time to open an intermediate Xuan-stage warrior technique. Elder Mo Cang just left, and Chu Liuyue just started for less than 15 minutes. How did she do it? Could it be that someone else in the library took the book?¡± ¡°According to the rules, our academy¡¯s students aren¡¯t allowed to enter the library during the period when she¡¯s here unless there are special reasons. Right now, she¡¯s the only one in the library!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two people looked at each other and saw the shock in the other party¡¯s eyes. If their guess was correct, it meant that¡­ Chu Liuyue was much stronger than they had imagined! ¡°D-don¡¯t worry! Even if she opens the book at high speed, she needs some time to digest the information. Didn¡¯t such a situation happen before? Usually, those people can only read a maximum of 100-plus books when they stay here for a month. Amongst those, there¡¯s only a few that they can really master.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s just record down the first book she read.¡± One of them took out a booklet and wrote down the words that previously appeared on the stone. But before he finished writing, the other person suddenly gasped. The person recording the words looked up in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± That person¡¯s mouth was agape as his finger¡ªwhich was pointing toward the stone¡ªstarted trembling. ¡°T-that¡­ She has already opened the second book!¡± ¡°What?!¡± The man in charge of recording hurriedly looked over and saw that another line of words had appeared on the stone. ¡°Fiery Red Attack¡ªintermediate Xuan stage!¡± It¡¯s another intermediate Xuan-stage warrior technique! The two of them were stunned. This had a huge impact on them, and they weren¡¯t even certain if it was true. ¡°D-did I see wrongly? Is it still an intermediate Xuan-stage technique?¡± The man recording rubbed his eyes, and the words had already formed a second star next to the first. In other words, these two books were of the same level, and Chu Liuyue had indeed opened the second intermediate Xuan-stage warrior technique book. ¡°H-how did she do this? She only read the beginning of the first book, right? Why did she open the second book?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ She¡¯s just choosing the warrior techniques she likes, so she reads through them rather quickly?¡± ¡°Possibly¡­ Cultivators have limited time and energy, so choosing a suitable one to meticulously read up on is better than reading ten books.¡± ¡°¡­But even if so, she¡¯s opening the books too quickly, right¡­ If she continues¡­¡± ¡°Impossible! All the books have barriers! Every time she opens one of them, she needs to use a portion of her strength. How can she continue like this? Forget it; let¡¯s just ignore this first and record the second book. If Elder Mo Cang discovers that we¡¯ve missed out on anything, he won¡¯t let us off. Therefore¡ª¡± At this point, he suddenly stopped. The two of them exchanged another glance. If this current situation continues, even Elder Mo Cang will break down! ¡­ Inside the library, Chu Liuyue quickly read the book in her hands before putting it back and shrugging her shoulders in disappointment¡ªit was another intermediate Xuan-stage technique. Ever since Elder Mo Cang left, she had been staying on the second floor. She casually chose a shelf in the middle and started reading. What disappointed her was that she had already looked through the entire bookshelf, but the best technique was just an intermediate Xuan-stage one. Most of the books were inferior Xuan-stage techniques. Chu Liuyue helplessly walked toward another bookshelf. Suddenly, she spotted a book from the corner of her eye. She focused on it. ¡°Advanced Yellow-stage technique?¡± Chu Liuyue was really shocked. She initially thought that the books placed here were all Xuan-stage techniques, so she didn¡¯t expect a technique of such a level to appear. She rubbed her brows and started to feel that she was too polite in the way she spoke to Elder Mo Cang earlier. She couldn¡¯t help but look forward to the books. This time, she truly found quite a few decent books to read and learn some new warrior techniques. This was because advanced warrior techniques were passed down in their specific sects, which were different from Xuan formations and medical formulas. Normally, the warrior techniques a warrior exhibited could show their experience. Chu Liuyue was the same. Her brain had stored quite a few advanced warrior techniques, but all of them belonged to her previous life¡¯s ancestors. Once she showcased them, someone would find something amiss. Hence, even though she decided to train in these warrior techniques secretly, she also had to choose new ones at the same time. Although she was quite disappointed the whole way, she still had to read those books once in order not to waste them. She had a photographic memory, so even if she quickly flipped through the books, she could remember the contents clearly. Besides, as she had trained in advanced warrior techniques before, she could quickly understand techniques of such levels. Chu Liuyue followed the bookshelves and read every book as if she were continuously throwing books into her mind. Another book. Another book. And another book. ¡­ ¡°Why is she still continuing?¡± The two people in charge of looking after the library outside finally broke down when they saw a galaxy of stars gradually lighting up on the grayish-white stone. Chapter 348 - A New Beginning Chu Liuyue was only there for a few hours, and she had already read hundreds of books! They were all Xuan-stage warrior techniques. Flustered, one of the guards said to Chu Liuyue before leaving quickly, ¡°Y-you stay here and continue reading; I¡¯ll go seek Elder Mo Cang for instructions.¡± The remaining man couldn¡¯t resist asking loudly, ¡°Should I continue with the records?¡± The man had been writing for the past few hours, recording the summary of the previous days. One should know that even on the days when the library was open to the entire academy, few people would come. Even fewer would open the books for intermediate or advanced Xuan-stage warrior techniques. Now, Chu Liuyue had read so many by herself already! Also, if Elder Mo Cang saw his booklet, the former would be even more upset. The man¡ªwho was about to leave¡ªstopped, clearly irritated. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going to continue!¡± At the rate she was going, Chu Liuyue would finish half the number of books in the library. They had to let Elder Mo Cang, the director, and the rest of the elders know with haste. All they could do was note all the books she had read. The man could even imagine the director and the elders¡¯ wrath when they heard this piece of news. At the moment, they would do exactly as Elder Mo Cang had instructed in the hopes of minimizing the blame on themselves. No matter what, the two men were in for some hard times ahead. The man glanced around the quiet library. Soon, turbulence would disrupt the peace. He watched his colleague hurriedly leave. Just as he was about to say something, he saw a line of words appear on the plaque. Resigned, he continued with the records as he groaned inwardly. Is Chu Liuyue even a human? ¡­ Elder Mo Cang was about to lie down after he finished his duties when he heard a scurry of footsteps approaching. ¡°Elder Mo Cang! Elder Mo Cang, we¡¯ve got trouble!¡± He walked toward the voice with furrowed brows. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The man was panting. ¡°E-Elder Mo Cang. Chu Liuyue i-is¡­¡± He was so flustered he couldn¡¯t continue. The elder sneered. ¡°As I expected, she really is up to no good in the library!¡± The informer shook his head quickly. ¡°N-no! She¡­ she¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Spit it out! What did she do?¡± He was taking too long, and the elder was getting impatient. After a long silence, the man finally said, ¡°I think it¡¯s better if you see for yourself.¡± Unease welled in Elder Mo Cang¡¯s mind as he watched the man. Chu Liuyue is the only one in the library. Nobody but her can cause trouble. What can she do if she isn¡¯t reading? The elder decided to go and see for himself. ¡­ Soon, the two men arrived at the library. Everything was in order as Mo Cang surveyed the place. He then heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°What the hell is wrong?¡± What is the fuss about? The informer behind him pointed. ¡°Elder Mo Cang, over there.¡± The elder turned his head and froze. The usually blank plaque shone with lines of words; it was intricately linked to the library. The plaque reflected the location of all the books in the library. Every time a book was read, it would show on the plaque. When the reader was done reading the book, a star would appear. Everyone could see what happened at a glance. Elder Mo Cang had never seen so many stars on the plaque¡ªThey formed a whole line. ¡°Is the plaque malfunctioning?¡± His mind was racing as he came up with the ridiculous analysis. However, the other man¡¯s reply worried him. The man in charge of the recording handed Elder Mo Cang the book and said bitterly, ¡°Elder, these are the records of all the books that Chu Liuyue has read.¡± The latter took a look at the brand-new book. He realized that the books the girl had read filled half of it. His eye twitched uncontrollably. He stiffly flipped through the pages as he went through the list. Everything was recorded in detail; the ink hadn¡¯t even dried yet. His lips moved, but no words came out. He simply held the book with shaking hands. ¡°Elder Mo Cang, we don¡¯t know how she did it. After you left, Chu Liuyue has been reading continuously. She¡¯s so fast that the list keeps growing longer and longer on the plaque! T-these are all the books she has read for the past two hours. Look, she has started another one!¡± The man¡ªwho had been explaining calmly¡ªsuddenly exclaimed when he saw another book appear on the plaque. The words seemed especially blinding as the elder gritted his teeth and watched. Clang! He tossed the book away angrily; it hit the man¡¯s chest. ¡°I want you to continue. Let¡¯s see how many books Chu Liuyue can read.¡± The man hurriedly opened the book with trembling hands and did as instructed. Meanwhile, Elder Mo Cang was glaring at the attic. How he wished his deadly glare would cut Chu Liuyue like a sharp blade! Something is off! Something is definitely off. With the exception of the first floor, all the other floors have barriers. Chu Liuyue might be able to read a few books, but how did she do it continuously without exhausting her force? By right, it should¡¯ve been depleted. Even if she can open those books, how did she finish them within such a short period of time? ¡°Elder Mo Cang, please don¡¯t worry yourself. Chu Liuyue must¡¯ve picked the ones she was interested in and discarded the rest. It¡¯s just a bluff; she probably didn¡¯t learn anything at all.¡± Those words seemed to soothe the elder¡¯s feathers. In fact, he thought of this too. It was the only logical explanation. ¡°Humph! She¡¯s taking on more than she can handle!¡± said Elder Mo Cang hatefully. ¡°Elder is right. Chu Liuyue is just a teenager. After winning first place at the Qing Jiao Competition, she became arrogant. She has nothing to gain by doing this. Perhaps she can¡¯t decide which book she wants to read!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, another dazzling star appeared on the plaque. The three men watched in shock and exclaimed, ¡°She found an Earth-stage warrior technique book?¡± Chapter 349 - Jingshen Finger Inferior Earth-stage¡ªJingshen Finger. This line of words etched itself on the stone plaque. It was indeed one of the Earth-stage warrior techniques. ¡°T-This¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± The man in charge of the recording stared at Elder Mo Cang, dumbfounded. According to the academy¡¯s regulations, they had to record Earth-stage warrior techniques separately when someone read it. On top of that, they had to inform the director and all the elders. Wrath welled in Elder Mo Cang¡¯s heart like hot lava. With nowhere to vent his anger, he barked at the two men, ¡°Record it down! Quickly!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± The man in charge of the recording took out another booklet immediately. His hands shook as he wrote. The man standing behind the elder began to panic. He stayed silent and held his breath to minimize his presence. Anyone could tell that Elder Mo Cang was on the verge of lashing out. Whoever was in his sight was in danger of incurring his wrath. Suddenly, Elder Mo Cang looked up at the second floor of the library. Although the collection in the library is vast, there are only a handful of Earth-stage warrior technique books, which are also well-hidden. How did she find them? The elder wanted to storm upstairs and chase Chu Liuyue out of the library, but he couldn¡¯t. All Chu Liuyue did was read and nothing else. She might be reading at breakneck speed, but they couldn¡¯t find fault with that. They could only wait and see. If the situation persisted, they just had to wait for her to come out once her time was up. ¡°Elder Mo Cang, it¡¯s not a bad thing for Chu Liuyue to start reading an Earth-stage warrior technique book. See, she has been reading the same book for a while, and she hasn¡¯t opened another. I think she¡¯s studying it in detail. According to the agreement, she can only read the books in the library. Since she can¡¯t take the books out, she¡¯s likely to spend more time on this one,¡± explained the man doing the records seriously. The elder¡¯s expression became solemn. This thought had crossed my mind, but she is reading an Earth-stage warrior technique book. He felt indignant that Chu Liuyue had found it so effortlessly. When one of their students won first place at the Qing Jiao Competition last year, he didn¡¯t find any Earth-stage warrior technique books! ¡°Stay here! I will inform the director right away!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡­ It was dark when Elder Mo Cang arrived at Cheng Han¡¯s residence. The former could see light seeping out of the windows. As he stood at the door, he could hear voices coming from several people. The conversation stopped when he knocked. Cheng Han opened the door himself. The candlelight shone on the director¡¯s frame; he didn¡¯t look pleased to see the elder. ¡°Mo Cang, what are you doing here? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The elder peered into the house and saw two men¡ªthey were investigators sent by the other two academies to look into Heng Jingchuo¡¯s and Yang Jianqing¡¯s matters. The discussion didn¡¯t seem to go well for the three men. Elder Mo Cang said quickly, ¡°Director, I have to inform you about something immediately. It¡¯s urgent.¡± Cheng Han had the perfect excuse! He racked his brains on how to dismiss the other two men. He looked at Mo Cang and hinted. ¡°Is it urgent?¡± The elder understood his meaning instantly and nodded without hesitation. Cheng Han turned and looked at the two men in his house. ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s all the time I have for today.¡± They knew, without a doubt, that Cheng Han was evading them. However, they had no choice except to leave. Once they were gone, Cheng Han finally sighed with relief as he invited Mo Cang into his residence. The elder asked tentatively, ¡°Director, things didn¡¯t go as smoothly as you thought?¡± Cheng Han was beyond frustrated. ¡°Yang Jianqing and Heng Jingchuo are already dead! How am I supposed to search for clues when we can¡¯t even find their corpses? The investigators are here, yet they couldn¡¯t find anything. They even have the gall to accuse me of harboring the culprit!¡± Cheng Han felt aggrieved. Everyone knew about the investigators¡¯ presence, and it was a major incident. He couldn¡¯t just send the two men packing without a valid reason. The director massaged his temple. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Tell me, why have you come?¡± The long walk had diminished Elder Mo Cang¡¯s wrath and turned it into unease and frustration. On his way here, he came up with a speech to break the news to Cheng Han. Chu Liuyue had caused the director and Tai Yan Academy a great deal of embarrassment. This matter was the last straw. After careful deliberation, Mo Cang decided to come clean to the director. ¡°Chu Liuyue is currently reading an Earth-stage warrior technique book in the library.¡± Cheng Han¡¯s face froze instantly. His reaction was within Mo Cang¡¯s expectations. ¡°Director, please don¡¯t worry yourself about this.¡± ¡°Which book was it?¡± Cheng Han was anxious to know. Mo Cang took a moment to recall the title. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s Jingshen Finger. The inferior¡ª¡± Bang! Cheng Han stood up so abruptly that he toppled his chair. He then grabbed Mo Cang at the collar. ¡°What did you say?¡± The elder repeated his words with much difficulty. ¡°The¡­ i-inferior book. Fortunately, she has stopped browsing the rest and is concentrating on this one.¡± Hong! Cheng Han pushed him away with a shove. Mo Cang staggered and hit the wall. The tremendous impact almost dislocated the elder¡¯s shoulder. Nevertheless, he showed no sign of displeasure. After he rubbed his shoulder, he saw Cheng Han stride away furiously. ¡°Director!¡± Stunned, Mo Cang followed quickly. As he ran, he recalled the director¡¯s earlier reaction. Cheng Han seems to take this matter very seriously. Chu Liuyue¡¯s perusal of an Earth-stage warrior technique book shouldn¡¯t warrant such a huge reaction from him. The elder frowned and ran after the director. ¡­ Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged in the library. A book floated in mid-air before her, the pages flipping slowly. Her eyes were trained on the lines of words and the drawings while she memorized the book. Jingshen Finger¡ªalthough it was inferior Earth-stage, the book was considered a treasure in this library. It touched on the technicalities of fingering. Nobody could master this skill in a short time. Chu Liuyue planned to memorize the book before she started practicing it when she had more time. For an ordinary warrior, one might have to read the book 100 times in order to understand the content before they started practicing. But Chu Liuyue was different. She had read various warrior technique books that were far more advanced than this one. It shouldn¡¯t take her long to finish. Suddenly, she sensed something amiss when she was one-third into the book¡ªthe contents of Jingshen Finger were more complicated and obscure than the other books that she had read. Chapter 350 - Secrets Chu Liuyue started over, uncertain of what she had just read. The technicalities in Jingshen Finger were more precise than the other finger techniques she had mastered. Initially, she didn¡¯t feel it, but that feeling became more intense toward the end. Chu Liuyue could imagine how formidable the skill was when one mastered it fully. Her heart pounded, and blood raced through her body. If my guess is correct, Jingshen Finger belongs to the advanced level of the Earth stage. Even in the Tianling Dynasty, one seldom encounters an advanced Earth-stage book. Chu Liuyue never expected to see such a treasure in the unassuming library of Tai Yan Academy. Alas, her excitement was short-lived as another question occurred to her: If Jingshen Finger is as powerful as advanced Earth-stage warrior techniques, why is it deemed as a lower-level technique? Moreover, people in Tai Yan Academy don¡¯t seem to know its true power; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have placed it on the second floor of the library. With that in mind, Chu Liuyue continued reading. When there was just one-third of the book left, she finally knew why¡ªthe book was incomplete. On the surface, the book seemed intact, with no missing pages. But if one were to read its content carefully, they would notice something amiss. Since Chu Liuyue had the foundation of many Earth-stage warrior techniques, it didn¡¯t take her long to realize it was incomplete. Frowning, she continued. When she was finished reading, she knew why it had been deemed a lower-level technique¡ªparts of the Jingshen Finger¡¯s technicalities were missing. One could still cultivate according to the instructions and master the skill, but one couldn¡¯t unleash its full potential. Should one recover the missing parts, one could supplement it and increase its power. Although it was rare to find inferior Earth-stage warrior techniques, it wasn¡¯t comparable to those of the advanced level. Now that she had the chance to obtain Earth-stage warrior techniques, she wouldn¡¯t give it up just like that. Chu Liuyue read the whole book again to ensure that she had memorized it to the smallest detail. She then got up and searched for other books in the hope of finding the missing parts of Jingshen Finger. ¡­ Meanwhile, outside the library. The darkness engulfed the entire sky. Everywhere was quiet when Cheng Han arrived in a hurry. The only light emitting from the library was dazzling. Cheng Han could feel panic welling inside him. He was walking so fast he was almost running. The two guards at the library saw him from afar, and they speedily ran out to greet him respectfully. ¡°Good evening, Director!¡± Cheng Han ignored them, but the stone plaque caught his attention. Its usual empty space was dazzling. A large patch of bright stars filled the space, and one of the stars was exceptionally bright. None of the stars could compare to this one. Dizziness overwhelmed him, and he staggered for balance. The two guards knew something was wrong and asked cautiously, ¡°Director, are you alright?¡± After a long silence, Cheng Han finally suppressed his emotions and calmed down with a hand on his head. When he turned around to face the two men, the panic in his eyes was gone. ¡°How many books has Chu Liuyue read?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Director. Ever since she went in, we have recorded all the books that she read. They¡¯re listed in these two books. Please, have a look.¡± One man handed him the records. Cheng Han took the books. It was obvious that one was used to record the ordinary books, while the other was used specifically for Earth-stage warrior technique books. He scanned through the contents in both record books. At the moment, he wasn¡¯t interested in the ordinary one. It didn¡¯t matter that every page was filled with a record. None of those brought the feeling of anxiety like the single record in the second book did. His expression was rigid. Devoid of all emotions, he almost seemed inhuman¡ªit was nerve-wracking. ¡°Director, Chu Liuyue¡¯s speed was astonishing when she started. However, she didn¡¯t move on to another book since she found that Earth-stage warrior technique book.¡± The other man took a quick peek at Cheng Han as he tried to defuse the tense atmosphere. He was shocked to see the abrupt change in the director¡¯s expression. ¡°Shut up!¡± It was the last straw for Cheng Han. He flung the book at the guard who was trying to explain the situation. The man fell to his knees immediately and apologized. ¡°Director, please forgive me! Please, forgive me!¡± Shocked, the other guard also knelt in a hurry. They had never seen the director so furious before. His wrath was beyond their imagination. Meanwhile, Elder Mo Cang¡ªwho had been following behind the director¡ªfinally entered the library. He stopped when he saw the two men kneeling and pleading for forgiveness. Even though Cheng Han had his back facing the elder, the latter could imagine his expression. Just as Mo Cang was figuring out what to say, another line of words appeared on the plaque: Wuxiang Sculpture, intermediate Xuan-stage. Chu Liuyue was at it again. He ordered immediately, ¡°What are you standing there for? Record this down! Quickly!¡± Dumfounded, the two guards looked at the plaque and saw the lines as well. They turned pale. Chu Liuyue has already found an Earth-stage warrior technique book. She should be reading it. Why is she looking at other books? Cheng Han saw the plaque and turned to read the title. When he saw that it was a Xuan-stage warrior technique book, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. Elder Mo Cang approached the director to soothe his feathers once he saw the tension vanish from the latter¡¯s face. ¡°The Earth-stage warrior technique book must be too complicated for Chu Liuyue to understand with her current capabilities. She seems to have given it up.¡± Cheng Han massaged his temples. ¡°I hope so.¡± The next instant, he widened his eyes as if a thought occurred to him and stared at the second floor. Is she giving up? To confirm his suspicion, another line of words appeared on the plaque. It was another book on Xuan-stage techniques. And so, the stars continued appearing on the plaque again. This meant Chu Liuyue was still searching for something. A wave of panic welled inside Cheng Han. Can it be¡­ Does she know about the secret hidden in our library? Chapter 351 - Search ¡°Chu Liuyue seems to stay on the second floor¡­ She¡¯s more talented as a Xuan Master and heavenly doctor. Why doesn¡¯t she go to the third and fourth floors?¡± Mo Cang muttered curiously, oblivious to Cheng Han¡¯s reaction. This made Cheng Han worry even more. That¡¯s right! If she didn¡¯t know something, why would Chu Liuyue only remain on the second floor and not go to the other floors? Also, she started reading the other books after she found that one scroll on Earth-stage warrior techniques! She is clearly looking for something! Cheng Han was anxious, but he couldn¡¯t rush in and stop Chu Liuyue! Words were still appearing on the stone tablet. Chu Liuyue was still going through the books on the second floor at lightning speed. Another book. Another book. And another book. Cheng Han stood there unmoved. The others dared not move and waited alongside him. After a long while, Elder Mo Cang spoke up. ¡°¡­Director, Chu Liuyue is going to be in there for a while. You¡­ don¡¯t intend to wait here, do you?¡± Cheng Han was even more frustrated. Of course, I know! That is what I am most worried about! He didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to find and read the Jingshen Finger, but staying here would be strange and would most definitely attract a lot of people¡¯s attention! ¡°Observe carefully! Record down all the books that Chu Liuyue has gone through!¡± With that, he turned and left. Elder Mo Cang found Cheng Han¡¯s reaction strange, and he turned to look at the library again. What¡¯s the director worried about? ¡­ After Cheng Han and Elder Mo Cang left, only the two people in charge of guarding the library were left. Given the way things had developed, they dared not let their guard down, and they continued watching her closely. Time passed, and it was soon midnight. However, the lights on the second floor were still lit. One of the guards yawned and began complaining. ¡°¡­When is Chu Liuyue going to read until?! It¡¯s so late, but she¡¯s not sleeping yet!¡± The other person was affected, and they began feeling tired too. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want the chance to go into the library and browse as they wish?! Would you spend your time sleeping? Besides, she¡¯s probably really excited about finding the Earth-stage warrior technique! I would give up sleep to finish reading it if it were me!¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, everyone needs a break, right? Even if she¡¯s not tired, I¡¯m tired from all the writing I¡¯ve done today!¡± The pair waited for a while and decided to take turns to record after seeing that Chu Liuyue had no intentions of stopping. ¡­ ¡°This isn¡¯t it¡­ Not this¡­ Not this one either¡­¡± Chu Liuyue scanned through another shelf, but she didn¡¯t find anything. Since she found the Jingshen Finger, she increased her rate of reading, and she had gone through about one-fifth of the books here. However, she didn¡¯t find anything on the Jingshen Finger. It was like a needle in a haystack. Chu Liuyue sighed. Maybe there is only one scroll here. After all, if Tai Yan Academy really had the complete edition, it would¡¯ve caused a lot of commotion. Chu Liuyue was about to continue when Tuan Zi appeared and looked at her disapprovingly. She paused. ¡°Tuan Zi, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tuan Zi crossed its paws and put it underneath its head. Chu Liuyue burst out laughing. ¡°You want me to sleep?¡± Tuan Zi nodded vigorously. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not sleepy now.¡± She was thinking of the Jingshen Finger and was indeed not tired. Just as she was about to walk forward, Tuan Zi stopped her and shook its head vigorously. Chu Liuyue laughed and tapped Tuan Zi on its head. ¡°Okay, stop shaking. I¡¯ll go rest.¡± It was only then that Tuan Zi rubbed itself against her face. Perhaps it was because she had exhausted herself, but Chu Liuyue quickly fell asleep. ¡­ Chu Liuyue woke up early the next morning and picked up from where she left off. The two keepers of the library had visible dark circles beneath their eyes from staying up all night. They couldn¡¯t even remember what time Chu Liuyue had stopped last night, but she had begun again. They were upset, but they resigned themselves to their fate of recording. ¡­ Cheng Han didn¡¯t sleep well all night. The terrifying images in his mind didn¡¯t disappear, even after he woke up. They were all related to Chu Liuyue and¡­ the Jingshen Finger. Cheng Han felt uneasy and intended to go check on the library again, but he was stopped by someone. It was the people who were investigating Yang Jianqing and Heng Jingchuo. The families of the two had been brought over, and they were to be interrogated by people from the three academies. Cheng Han had no choice but to follow them. The matter with the library was thus set aside. ¡­ Country Yao Chen, the palace. The Empress couldn¡¯t help but ask the two people before her, ¡°Is there really no news?¡± The pair nodded. ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ve searched the entire Imperial City quietly, but we haven¡¯t found any traces of the Fourth Princess.¡± The Empress limply leaned back into her chair as if all the energy had been sucked out of her. It had been a few days, and they hadn¡¯t received any news of Rong Zhen. The two people were both from the Si family. If they said there were no signs, it really meant that they couldn¡¯t find anything. The Empress closed her eyes weakly. They had intended to have Si Ting get information from Chu Liuyue, but he refused. Before she could find a replacement, Chu Liuyue had left for Tai Yan Academy. She was really out of options now. ¡°I understand. You all head back first.¡± The Empress waved and dismissed the two. Everyone in the palace knew they were from the Si family. They claimed that they were sending things on behalf of the Si family, so they naturally couldn¡¯t stay for long. The Empress remained on her seat after the two people left. She did not utter a word. ¡°What are you worried about, Empress?¡± A familiar voice suddenly came from the door. The Empress was stunned, and she looked up to see Emperor Jiawen standing there! She jumped up before she hurried to greet him. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty!¡± Emperor Jiawen walked over and helped her up. ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony, Empress.¡± The Empress smiled before she looked toward the servants. ¡°His Majesty arrived, but none of you announced his arrival! You all¡­¡± ¡°Empress, don¡¯t get mad at them. I told them not to.¡± Emperor Jiawen shook his head. The Empress adjusted her expression and smiled. ¡°Since you said it, Your Majesty, then I have no reason to chastise them. However, it¡¯s been a long while since you¡¯ve been here; I¡¯m very flattered.¡± Emperor Jiawen replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been a little cold towards all of you recently. I came to take a look since I heard that you¡¯ve been in a bad mood. Oh right, I haven¡¯t gone to see Zhen Zhen in a while. Why don¡¯t you accompany me there?¡± Chapter 352 - Dealings The Empress¡¯s elation from the first half of the sentence rapidly decreased with the second half. She looked up in shock. ¡°What? Your Majesty wants to go see Zhen Zhen?¡± Emperor Jiawen straightened his beard as he sighed. ¡°Yes, I left her hanging since she was so spoiled and wilful before. I want her to reflect and change. It¡¯s been a while since then, and I believe she should¡¯ve realized her mistakes. Besides, I do miss her, so I wanted to ask you to go see her with me.¡± Emperor Jiawen had his set of considerations. Rong Jin did make a big mistake, but he had received the punishment he deserved for it. At the end of it all, that mistake was on him; the Empress and the others were just implicated by him. Emperor Jiawen just wanted to instill a little more fear in them; he had no intention of crushing Rong Jin. As for Rong Zhen, she used to be one of his favorite daughters, so he still felt bad for her. That was why he decided to go see Rong Zhen with the Empress after all this time. The Empress replied hesitantly, ¡°Your Majesty, Rong Zhen has been in a bad mood recently. She has locked herself in her room and refuses to come out. I worry that she might do something to offend you if you go. How about we go after she has calmed down after a while?¡± Emperor Jiawen frowned. ¡°Locked herself up? What now? Who offended her?¡± The Empress smiled guiltily. ¡°This¡­ You know, because of Lieutenant Mu¡­ She had been hoping to get him to heal her broken pearl of essence, but¡­ You know what happened after. She was really upset.¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression relaxed a little. ¡°No wonder.¡± He had wanted to put in a good word for Rong Zhen, but Mu Qinghe was a tough nut to crack. Besides, Rong Zhen had offended him, so there was no hope of it. Rong Zhen could only blame her bad luck for this. ¡°I heard that Chu Liuyue got Lieutenant Mu to bring a heavenly doctor from the Tianling Dynasty on behalf of Princess Yong Ping to examine Princess Consort Ping Jiang¡­¡± The Empress looked down sadly. ¡°I¡¯m really envious, but it¡¯s a pity that Zhen Zhen had some conflict with Chu Liuyue. Otherwise, I would ask her to help, and maybe Zhen Zhen could¡­¡± As she spoke, she used her handkerchief to wipe her tears as if she were sad and regretful. However, she was glancing at Emperor Jiawen from the corner of her eye. But to her disappointment, Emperor Jiawen did not seem upset at all. She was a little depressed. Rong Zhen is the princess, but the treatment she receives is worse than that of Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu! Why isn¡¯t His Majesty upset!? The Empress didn¡¯t know that Emperor Jiawen had been to Tianling Dynasty and that he knew what kind of strong existence it was. Emperor Jiawen clearly knew that he and Country Yao Chen were nothing in the eyes of Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe could do whatever he wanted and help whoever he wanted; there was no room for negotiation. Emperor Jiawen pondered for a moment before he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Everything is destined, but it¡¯s not good for her to continue like this¡­ Oh well, I¡¯ll go check on her myself!¡± The Empress was stunned, and she didn¡¯t even bother to wipe her tears. ¡°Your Majesty! I think¡­ it¡¯s better to let Zhen Zhen calm down alone. You know her personality. The more we push her, the more defiant she is¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen frowned and stared at the Empress. ¡°Empress, you seem very unwilling for me to go see Zhen Zhen?¡± This is strange. The Empress would usually think of all sorts of ways to invite me over. Emperor Jiawen knew that the Empress was trying to show off his affection for Rong Zhen, but he turned a blind eye to it for the most part. But today¡­ was really strange. ¡°No! I just¡­ just¡­¡± The Empress rebutted without thinking, but she didn¡¯t know how to continue. Emperor Jiawen became even more suspicious, and his expression became more solemn. ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling, I¡¯ll go myself!¡± With that, he headed for outside! The Empress was panicked. If I don¡¯t stop him, the consequences will be disastrous! She followed him without thinking, but she was coming up with countless excuses in her mind. However, Emperor Jiawen seemed dead set on going over! Just as she panicked, a person hurried right in. ¡°Your Majesty, urgent news!¡± Emperor Jiawen finally stopped and asked with a frown, ¡°What urgent news? What¡¯s so urgent?¡± Another person brought up a wooden box. ¡°Your Majesty will know after you read it!¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at the wooden box and narrowed his eyes. This is the box I use for secret communications with Country Xing Luo, so it has to contain a secret letter from the other side. Why would they send news now? The Empress took a glance, and she was elated when she recognized what it was! It is indeed urgent news, so His Majesty will definitely deal with it first! No matter how urgent Rong Zhen¡¯s matter is, it won¡¯t be more urgent than national matters! As expected, Emperor Jiawen turned to look at the Empress with the wooden box in his hand. ¡°We¡¯ll stop here for today. I¡¯ll go see Rong Zhen after I¡¯m done with all this.¡± The Empress couldn¡¯t ask for anything better. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll go check on Zhen Zhen and counsel her later.¡± Emperor Jiawen felt that something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered. ¡°Back to the Imperial Study!¡± Eunuch Min turned. ¡°To the Imperial Study¡­¡± The procession left grandly. The Empress only breathed a sigh of relief when they disappeared, but she knew she had to find Rong Zhen¡ªfast. His Majesty is suspicious now, and he will definitely follow up. If he finds out that Rong Zhen is missing¡­ The Empress dared not imagine it! She stood in place for a while but decided to follow through with her act. ¡°To the Fourth Princess¡¯s residence! ¡­ On the other side, Emperor Jiawen returned to the Imperial Study and only opened the wooden box when he was sure that it was secure. There was a piece of paper within it, but there was no writing on it. However, Emperor Jiawen wasn¡¯t surprised. Instead, he spread it out and picked up the brush next to him. He then dipped the brush in ink and pressed it down on the paper. He did it again and again until the paper was covered in ink. At first glance, it seemed like it was a puddle of ink, but white characters soon appeared beneath the ink. The contents only fully appeared after about 15 minutes. Emperor Jiawen looked at it, and a stunned expression flashed across his face. He looked a little unsure, but he closed in and read the letter word for word again. He stared at the paper until the words disappeared. ¡°Summon the Crown Prince!¡± Chapter 353 - Elder Zong Ye In the blink of an eye, Chu Liuyue had already stayed at Tai Yan Academy for five days. Other than regular resting, she invested most of her efforts in the library. When the sixth morning arrived, Chu Liuyue put down the book in her hands and sighed heavily. ¡°There really isn¡¯t any¡­¡± These few days, she had read through all the books on the second floor once. However, she did not find anything related to Jingshen Finger. This was within her expectations, but she was still rather disappointed. She looked up. The third floor was for Xuan formations, and the fourth was for medical formulas. Even though she didn¡¯t really need books of these aspects, she could still go up to take a look at them. Thinking of this, she finally went up. ¡­ Cheng Han arrived at the library again and saw two stacks of books beside each of the two guards. Needless to ask, those were the records of the books that Chu Liuyue had read. Cheng Han¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched. On the first day, he knew Chu Liuyue was a ruthless character, but he still underestimated her pervertedness. ¡°Director, you¡¯re here!¡± The two of them had suffered for many days and became much frailer, but they still forcefully energized themselves upon seeing Cheng Han¡¯s arrival. ¡°How many has she read?¡± asked Cheng Han as he forcefully tried to control his expression. He had been busy dealing with Yang Jianqing and Heng Jingchuo¡¯s matters these few days, so he had no time to come over. He did not want to flip open those booklets at all! The two of them looked at each other and felt a little guilty. ¡°Just say it!¡± ¡°Director, she has finished all the books on the second floor within these few days¡­¡± said one of them bravely. Cheng Han¡¯s vision turned black, and his heart seemed to turn numb. ¡°Then¡­ what about Earth-stage warrior techniques?¡± ¡°¡­She didn¡¯t open any new Earth-stage warrior techniques other than the initial one.¡± Cheng Han¡¯s black vision gradually subsided, and he gulped with difficulty. That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! That¡¯s the most important thing! As long as she doesn¡¯t continue¡­ everything can be saved! ¡°She¡¯s still on the second floor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°She¡ª¡± ¡°Mentor!¡± Cheng Han was about to say something when he suddenly heard a familiar voice and turned his head in shock. ¡°Xingchen, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Situ Xingchen smiled lightly. ¡°I came here today to take leave from you for a while because I want to return to the palace.¡± Cheng Han curiously asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly want to go back?¡± Situ Xingchen normally spent most of her time in the academy and would only return to the palace when she had something to attend to. Situ Xingchen nodded and said, ¡°Elder Zong Ye arrived today.¡± ¡°Elder Zong Ye?! So fast?¡± Cheng Han was shocked. ¡°Yes, Father plans to hold a welcome party for Elder Zong Ye tonight, so I have to make a trip back.¡± Cheng Han knew about this. Elder Zong Ye was actually the brother of Country Xing Luo¡¯s current Empress¡ªZong Yuxi¡ªwho was also Situ Xingchen¡¯s biological uncle. He was a Mingyue Tianshan elder and had a distinguished status. Situ Xingchen was sent there when she was young because of this connection. Mingyue Tianshan was very far from here, and the people there rarely left the mountain. Hence, it was very rare for Elder Zong Ye to come out. The reason for him doing so was because of Situ Ziyue. Previously at the Qing Jiao Competition, he had lost to Chu Liuyue terribly, and both his physical and mental health was impacted greatly. He was completely defeated, and his physical health didn¡¯t turn better, causing Zong Yuxi to be very worried. Hence, she invited Elder Zong Ye over. On the one hand, she wanted him to check if Situ Ziyue¡¯s body was fine. On the other hand, she wanted to see if he could counsel Situ Ziyue. Of course, she herself also missed this brother of hers, who she hadn¡¯t seen in many years. Now that Elder Zong Ye was here, they naturally had to give him grand treatment. ¡°You should. When you see Elder Zong Ye, tell him I said hi,¡± said Cheng Han. Situ Xingchen smiled and agreed. However, her gaze silently swept past the booklets beside the two people, and bitterness flashed across her eyes. ¡°These booklets record all the books that Chu Liuyue read?¡± Upon this being mentioned, Cheng Han¡¯s face turned terrible. ¡°Ignore her! She just flipped through more books, but I bet she can¡¯t even remember one-hundredth of it!¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s smile became slightly forced. After hearing Cheng Han¡¯s words, she could guess how scary the number of books Chu Liuyue had borrowed and read in the library was. I have been in Tai Yan Academy for so long, but I¡¯ve probably read fewer books than Chu Liuyue has in these few days. Besides, I have already heard from Elder Mo Cang that Chu Liuyue found an Earth-stage warrior technique book! This made her very indignant. She could tell that Cheng Han was unwilling to talk about it, so she sensibly did not continue asking. ¡°When I¡¯m not around, I can¡¯t take care of the medicinal mountain. Mentor, please forgive me.¡± ¡°Elder Zong Ye¡¯s matters are more important. You don¡¯t have to worry about the medicinal mountain. Just go!¡± Cheng Han waved his hand. Situ Xingchen then bowed again and turned around to leave. Cheng Han looked back at the library. He had never wished for time to pass more quickly as badly as he did now. ¡­ Chu Liuyue stayed on the third floor and fourth floor for two days, respectively. Even though the Xuan formations here weren¡¯t low level, and there were some rare, precious medical formulas, they didn¡¯t hold much meaning to Chu Liuyue. The things she remembered in her mind were much more than the ones here. The reason why she still spent so much time on these two floors was that she hadn¡¯t given up on the Jingshen Finger. She had a gut feeling that there was something here related to the Jingshen Finger. Thus, she became patient and continued to search for a few days. However, there were no results. When she was free, she would sometimes repeat the Jingshen Finger scroll¡¯s contents in her mind. At the very least, she had done it at least a few hundred times, so she could even recite it backward. However, it wasn¡¯t complete. Chu Liuyue put down the medical formula in her hands. Back then, she thought that ten days might not be enough, but it looked like she didn¡¯t have much need to stay here on the last day. After thinking for a while, she finally decided to leave. But when she was about to go downstairs, she felt a strange ripple above her head. She immediately looked up! The ripple came from the fifth floor! Chapter 354 - Arrival of the God Realm That ripple was extremely small, and it disappeared very quickly. However, Chu Liuyue was certain that it did exist. She stood rooted to the ground, and as expected, the ripple was made again after a moment. This time, the ripple made was even smaller. If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue carefully observing the area, it would¡¯ve been hard to discover. She moved a few steps forward, stood at the center of the fourth floor, and raised her head. The entire fifth floor exuded a mysterious vibe as if it were separated from the rest of the world. After a while, Chu Liuyue felt the third ripple, but this time, it was even weaker than before. It seemed as though the ripple was gradually weakening. Chu Liuyue waited for quite some time, but she didn¡¯t detect any movement. She looked around; the movement on the fifth floor didn¡¯t seem to affect the fourth floor. Whatever previously happened seemed to be her hallucination, but she knew that it was not. Chu Liuyue recalled what Elder Mo Cang had said: ¡°Only Tai Yan Academy¡¯s directors can enter the fifth floor.¡± Her rational mind told her to ignore the fifth floor¡¯s movements and not get into unknown trouble. However, there was a vague urge at the bottom of her heart, which made her unable to leave. Chu Liuyue gathered all her focus and finally went upstairs. The moment she stepped on the stairs, a silver light suddenly flashed across her eyes. Chu Liuyue immediately stopped in her movement and looked up. She saw that a gigantic, silver Xuan formation had quietly appeared above her head. Countless rays intersected, and the Xuan formation was like a magnificent matrix, locking down the entire fifth floor. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel the immense strength coming from above. She stared at the Xuan formation and knitted her brows. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t solve this Xuan formation, but she really could not do it with her current abilities. Besides, she was more worried about attracting other people¡¯s attention once she started doing something. The library meant a lot to Tai Yan Academy, and this fifth floor was clearly of utmost importance. Cheng Han hated her to the core, so he would definitely watch over her sternly, waiting to catch her red-handed. Chu Liuyue moved a step backward, and the Xuan formation clearly dimmed. She bit her lips and felt very indignant. ¡°You want to go up?¡± A hoarse voice suddenly sounded from her dantian. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagle, you have a way to bring me up?¡± ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t understand my clan.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s tone was as arrogant as usual. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. I actually forgot that as a legendary fiend, the legendary three-eyed eagle has a special ability, which is to freeze space! Freezing space meant that they could totally control a certain area, and within that area, the legendary three-eyed eagle held absolute power and immense strength. ¡°You mean¡­ freeze the fifth floor?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with widened eyes. ¡°Yes. Since I¡¯m in your body, and I¡¯m controlled by you, you can just enter my ¡®God Realm¡¯ and control everything that I can.¡± So it¡¯s called a God Realm. This thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. She had to admit that the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s suggestion was very tempting. On the one hand, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s God Realm could avoid attracting other people¡¯s attention. On the other hand, she would have an extra layer of protection if she entered the fifth floor. Currently, nobody knew what would happen after she went up. With the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s help, it would be much better. After all, it was a legendary fiend, so it was naturally extraordinary. ¡°What conditions do you have?¡± asked Chu Liuyue bluntly. The legendary three-eyed eagle definitely didn¡¯t offer to help because it was kind-hearted. ¡°If I help you this time, let me leave.¡± ¡°Impossible,¡± rejected Chu Liuyue directly. A hint of anger appeared in the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice. ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron is already yours! It won¡¯t do you any good if you continue to trap me inside! Isn¡¯t it great if you let me go after I help you?¡± ¡°Who says that it won¡¯t do me any good?¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted the legendary three-eyed eagle with a smile. ¡°See? You can help me go in now. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± ¡°You! You¡¯re so cunning!¡± hollered the legendary three-eyed eagle angrily. Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders and did not care. ¡°It¡¯s not the first day that you know me. It¡¯s impossible for me to let you leave, but we can discuss the rest.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no room for discussion other than this!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious! I haven¡¯t spoken yet. Perhaps you might be interested in my suggestion.¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and stroked her chin. ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­ I find a way to help you recover your physical body?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle seemed to be shocked and chuckled after a while. ¡°¡­Just by lonesome?¡± ¡°Just by myself.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind the underestimation and mockery in its voice. ¡°To an average fiend, they would be completely destroyed if their pearl of essence breaks. However, a legendary fiend¡¯s soul won¡¯t be destroyed, and it¡¯s not considered a true death. Even though your physical body is ruined, your soul is still kept whole in this Heavenly Square Cauldron. This is also the reason why you want to leave so desperately, right?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle did not answer her. ¡°The current me definitely can¡¯t do this, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t do it in the future. You¡¯re a legendary fiend, so you know how to recover your physical body the best and to truly revive yourself. If you tell me, I can naturally help you.¡± After a long while, the legendary three-eyed eagle questioned, ¡°How do I know if you¡¯re speaking the truth?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any other choice.¡± Chu Liuyue was determined. She had the Heavenly Square Cauldron, which was what the legendary three-eyed eagle feared the most. It couldn¡¯t escape on its own. If it didn¡¯t cooperate, it meant that it could only continue staying within the cauldron and endure the scorching pain. Hence, Chu Liuyue was bound to win this discussion! After a temporary stalemate, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a suppression emanating from the Heavenly Square Cauldron. The next moment, a black apparition appeared on top of her head. She looked up. Shua! That apparition suddenly extended its wings, and immense force exploded from within. Black feathers suddenly appeared, and they flew toward the fifth floor. Chu Liuyue stared at it closely. She saw the ocean of black feathers suddenly stop in mid-air. ¡°Arrival of the God Realm!¡± hollered the legendary three-eyed eagle. The surrounding space started freezing the next moment, with the black feathers in the center. Chu Liuyue could clearly see that the entire space suddenly seemed to become solid. Very quickly, the giant Xuan formation above the fifth floor was enveloped within. A star stopped shining. The light stopped moving. Very quickly, the entire Xuan formation was covered. It appeared like a beautiful painting that was suppressed. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes, and her blood kept rushing to her ears as her mind whirred. Her heart was about to jump out of her mouth. This was her first time personally seeing a legendary fiend executing its God Realm! Even though the legendary three-eyed eagle was just a soul now, the suppression it exhibited made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart race. This¡­ is a legendary fiend¡¯s ability! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 355 - God Realm Chu Liuyue moved forward almost uncontrollably. The moment her body stepped into the frozen space, a chilly feeling enveloped her. The entire space was like a flowing liquid as Chu Liuyue could clearly feel her movements in this space. The resistance she felt made it seem as though she was walking in a silently flowing stream. She held her breath and looked up, unable to conceal her curiosity. That black feather quietly floated in the most central region as if nothing could move it. Chu Liuyue knew that it was the key to the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s God Realm. Everything in this space was controlled by that black feather. Chu Liuyue secretly gasped in amazement at the God Realm. Rumor had it that a cultivator could advance into a higher realm and display a God Realm¡¯s power when they broke through as a stage-nine warrior. But it was a pity that this was just a rumor to her. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor had once reached the cultivation level above a stage-nine warrior, but he left not long after that and never went back. The royal family¡¯s history books also didn¡¯t have any information about it afterward. Everything was left for the people¡¯s countless guesses. Chu Liuyue was the second person in the entire Tianling Dynasty to have the Tianjing Yuan meridian after that ancestor. Everyone was secretly anticipating that she would break through to the same realm as the ancestor, and even she herself had cultivated non-stop for that. But it was a pity that she no longer had this chance as she was betrayed and forced to burn herself to death. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart as she collected her memories and walked forward. After walking up the ninth step, she arrived in front of the Xuan formation. She extended her hand and felt the stars on the Xuan formation. At this point, everything in the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s God Realm was within its control, so even the aura on this Xuan formation seemed to be completely frozen. Chu Liuyue continued moving forward, and her entire body passed through the Xuan formation silently. When she turned back, she saw that the Xuan formation had already returned to its original state, and it didn¡¯t look like it was touched. I have to admit, the legendary three-eyed eagle really has its ways¡­ Chu Liuyue thought to herself as she finally went up to the fifth floor. The familiar ripple came from in front. She looked up. ¡­ Country Xing Luo¡¯s palace. Situ Ziyue¡¯s bedroom. Elder Zong Ye was taking his pulse while Situ Xingchen stood by the side and waited quietly. After a while, Elder Zong Ye finally let go of Situ Ziyue¡¯s hand and slightly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s better. Your internal injuries have basically recovered, and they won¡¯t affect your future cultivation.¡± Situ Ziyue¡¯s tense expression finally relaxed a little. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. If you didn¡¯t help me these few days, my body¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t say that! I remember that Xingchen¡¯s mentor, Cheng Han, is also a fifth-grade heavenly doctor. Even if I don¡¯t come, he can definitely help you too.¡± Elder Zong Ye smiled as he waved his hands. Situ Ziyue sighed and said, ¡°Honestly, Elder Zong Ye, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Director Cheng Han, but¡­ I trust you more.¡± This praise indeed made Elder Zong Ye look better. At the side, Situ Xingchen still smiled lightly as if she didn¡¯t care that Situ Ziyue was underestimating her mentor. She had stayed in Mingyue Tianshan for many years and definitely understood Elder Zong Ye¡¯s character. Elder Zong Ye had entered Mingyue Tianshan to cultivate in his early years and became an elder after so many years. He had a distinguished status and naturally wouldn¡¯t look up to people like Cheng Han. ¡°Haha! Ziyue, I know that you¡¯re being nice, but Xingchen is here. Cheng Han is her mentor after all. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll hurt her by saying that?¡± Elder Zong Ye laughed. ¡°Actually, Brother is right. To me, Mentor Cheng Han can¡¯t be compared to you.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s smile was bright, and her beautiful face looked genuine. Elder Zong Ye took out his fan and gently knocked on Situ Xingchen¡¯s forehead. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a few years, but your mouth is becoming sweeter!¡± Situ Xingchen laughed. ¡°You¡¯re teasing me again.¡± She then looked outside and said, ¡°The sky is dark. Elder Zong Ye, why don¡¯t you let Brother rest first, and I¡¯ll accompany you back?¡± Elder Zong Ye looked at her in deep thought and laughed. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go and let Ziyue recover!¡± Situ Ziyue originally planned to send him off personally, but he was rejected by the duo. He could only lie back down on the bed. On the other end, Situ Xingchen accompanied Elder Zong Ye and left. After walking a distance, they reached a slightly more isolated road when Elder Zong Ye asked, ¡°Xingchen, is there something bothering you?¡± A helpless smile appeared on Situ Xingchen¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, but my thoughts can¡¯t escape you.¡± Elder Zong Ye put his hands behind his back, and his voice was much lower and warmer. ¡°I watched you grow up, and I¡¯ve always treated you as my biological daughter. These few days, you¡¯ve been busy with Ziyue, but I can tell that there¡¯s something troubling you and that you¡¯re not really happy. If you don¡¯t mind, you can just tell me.¡± Situ Xingchen kept quiet for a while until she softly said, ¡°Elder Zong Ye, did you know¡­ that Brother Rong Xiu is engaged?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Elder Zong Ye suddenly stood still and looked at Situ Xingchen in shock. ¡°When did this happen? With who?!¡± ¡°Just ten days ago. The girl he¡¯s engaged to is¡­ Chu Liuyue.¡± Elder Zong Ye was confused. ¡°Who is that?!¡± He had stayed at Mingyue Tianshan for most of his life, so he didn¡¯t understand much about the outside world. This time when he left the mountain, he rushed over instantly and had been busy looking after Situ Ziyue¡¯s body. Thus, he didn¡¯t hear about the Qing Jiao Competition. Naturally, he didn¡¯t know about these events. Situ Xingchen briefly introduced Chu Liuyue and roughly explained the recent happenings. Elder Zong Ye couldn¡¯t escape his trance for a long time. ¡°You¡¯re saying that he took the initiative to woo that girl? How can that be? His personality is so cold. He¡¯s been at Mingyue Tianshan for so many years, but he never interacted with other women much. Why did he go back and¡ª¡± Elder Zong Ye looked at Situ Xingchen painfully. ¡°No wonder you¡­¡± He had long felt that Situ Xingchen admired Rong Xiu. Upon seeing her miserable look now, he had indeed guessed correctly. Situ Xingchen forced a smile and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m okay; I thought that I could wait for him after so many years, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ I guess you can just say that we have no fate.¡± Elder Zong Ye looked at her, thought for a while, and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask his mentor and see if we can cancel this marriage agreement?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart faltered, but she shook her head. ¡°You can lead a horse to water, but you can¡¯t make it drink. Why must I be the evil person? Besides¡­ Country Yao Chen¡¯s Crown Prince¡ªRong Jin¡ªis coming tomorrow.¡± Elder Zong Ye asked in confusion, ¡°Why did he suddenly come?¡± Situ Xingchen looked down. ¡°Marriage alliance.¡± Chapter 356 - Lose Control ¡°Marriage alliance? With who?¡± Elder Zong Ye was dazed. Suddenly, he understood everything when he saw Situ Xingchen¡¯s expression. ¡°With you?!¡± Situ Xingchen lightly nodded. ¡°Father does have this intention.¡± Elder Zong Ye was beyond shocked. Country Xing Luo and Country Yao Chen previously didn¡¯t interact much. Why do they suddenly want to have a marriage alliance? He is even thinking about marrying off Situ Xingchen? ¡°What is your father thinking? Rong Jin isn¡¯t outstanding, and from what you said just now, he¡¯s also petty and incapable. He doesn¡¯t deserve you!¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t Rong Xiu, it should be another handsome and talented lad. How could it be Rong Xiu? Situ Xingchen seemed not to care and said, ¡°After all, he is Country Yao Chen¡¯s Crown Prince, and he can¡¯t be completely useless after making it so far. Perhaps you¡¯ve underestimated him. Besides, even though this matter hasn¡¯t been confirmed, Father is very insistent on it. He must have his reasons, right?¡± ¡°Anyway, I just don¡¯t approve of this!¡± grunted Elder Zong Ye. ¡°If it really becomes true, won¡¯t you have to stay in Country Yao Chen in the future? Since Rong Jin did so many ridiculous things, it proves that he¡¯s not capable of doing great things!¡± ¡°Even though he¡¯s still the Crown Prince now, he might not be able to stay in that position for long. Xingchen, don¡¯t worry. When the lad comes tomorrow, I¡¯ll definitely stop this marriage. With me around, your father won¡¯t dare to force you!¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes were evasive. ¡°Elder Zong Ye, I know that you¡¯re doing this for my own good, but I said so many things to you today¡­ Actually, I want you to agree to this marriage tomorrow.¡± ¡°What?! You really want to marry Rong Xiu?¡± Elder Zong Ye looked at Situ Xingchen in disbelief. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t be throwing a tantrum because Rong Xiu is marrying someone else, so you want to marry his brother, right?¡± Situ Xingchen chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. Why would I do such a thing? I really approve of this. You also know that not many people knew about this before. If this matter is suddenly brought up, many people will object to it. But if you say that you agree to this, then the others definitely won¡¯t say anything else.¡± Elder Zong Ye had a distinguished status in Country Xing Luo. As long as he spoke up, the matter would be successful. ¡°I¡­ Xingchen, have you really decided?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elder Zong Ye looked at Situ Xingchen¡¯s determined expression and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Okay then! Since it is so, I¡¯ll agree!¡± Situ Xingchen smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Thank you, Elder Zong Ye.¡± ¡­ Country Yao Chen, the palace. The sky was dark, but the Empress and Rong Jin were still discussing something in the room. ¡°You¡¯re going to Country Xing Luo tomorrow. This marriage alliance must go through.¡± The Empress looked very stern. ¡°This is your best chance. If you miss this, god knows how long you¡¯ll need to wait.¡± Rong Jin nodded. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already contacted Situ Xingchen through mail, and there won¡¯t be any problems.¡± The Empress relaxed slightly, leaned against the chair, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face. ¡°That¡¯s good. I previously told you to find ways to know her better, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so smooth.¡± Rong Jin also smiled in an arrogant manner. ¡°Everyone said that Situ Xingchen is Country Xing Luo¡¯s brightest shining star and that countless people have proposed to her ever since she came of age, but she did not agree to them. I originally thought that she would be difficult to approach, but I didn¡¯t expect just a letter to¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps she was already interested in you before.¡± The Empress sized up Rong Jin up and smiled. ¡°To women, romance is very unpredictable.¡± Everyone said that Situ Xingchen was very picky, but an accomplished person like Rong Jin could very easily make her heart falter. Originally, Rong Jin did not feel much for Situ Xingchen, but of course it would boost his ego when an outstanding all-rounder beauty liked him. Precisely because of this, his attitude toward this marriage took a huge change. Previously, he was still rather reluctant. But upon thinking how he could see Situ Xingchen the next day and settle their marriage, he was somewhat expectant. ¡°Anyway, you did great in this matter. Next time, we need to settle this as soon as possible. As long as we confirm this marriage agreement, your Crown Prince position is secured.¡± The Empress sighed, ¡°This way, even if your father knows about Zhen Zhen, we have something to back us up.¡± Rong Jin asked worriedly, ¡°Have we still not found her?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no news at all. It¡¯s as if she has completely disappeared into thin air.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the peace in the palace, she would almost think that Rong Zhen was dead. However, it was clearly not so. Rong Zhen was just secretly hidden at some place, but they couldn¡¯t find her after such a long time. The Empress didn¡¯t know how she spent the past few days in fear and anxiety. When Emperor Jiawen previously said that he wanted to visit Rong Zhen, he was delayed by the sudden letter from Country Xing Luo. She later guessed that the letter¡¯s content was related to the marriage alliance. This was because Emperor Jiawen rescinded Rong Jin¡¯s punishment not long after, and he seemed to be nicer to Rong Jin. ¡°You¡¯re leaving tomorrow, and your father had even specifically asked Zhen Zhen to send you off, but I stopped it. Your father will be busy with you and Situ Xingchen, so he can¡¯t care about Zhen Zhen for now. But he already has his suspicions, so we can¡¯t keep this matter a secret for long. As long as you quickly settle the marriage, your father won¡¯t do anything to us when he considers the pros and cons.¡± Rong Jin nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡­ Prince Li Mansion¡­ Rong Xiu sat in the study and was writing something. Yu Mo and Yan Qing waited at the side. The crystal, octagonal lamp shone on Rong Xiu¡¯s jade-like face. He looked down, and his long eyelashes cast a faint shadow at the bottom of his eyes. It was like a light mist in the moonlit night¡ªclear and distinguished. After some time, he finally stopped writing. Yu Mo and Yan Qing were energized as they looked up. Rong Xiu picked up the thing he wrote, looked at it, and placed it on a square, crystal-clear jade piece. When the two items touched, the square jade suddenly glowed. It turned out that the jade was inwardly concave, and there was a shallow water stream. When that item touched the water, it immediately melted and became a few waves of light on the water surface. The light disappeared after a while, and the water recovered its initial calmness as it gradually seeped into the insides of the jade and disappeared. One look at it, and it seemed to be an ordinary jade piece without anything special about it. Rong Xiu pushed that item forward and said lightly, ¡°Send this back.¡± Yan Qing stepped forward and carefully picked the item up, but at this point, he saw a golden glow suddenly appear on Rong Xiu¡¯s long and white fingers. He exclaimed in shock, ¡°Master¡ª¡± Chapter 357 - Ultimate Jingshen Rong Xiu glanced at his finger, and his gaze was cold. The next moment, the golden light instantly disappeared. The entire process was very fast. If Yu Mo and Yan Qing weren¡¯t standing nearby, they would¡¯ve thought that it was just a part of their hallucination. Looking slightly tired, Rong Xiu leaned against his chair with one hand on his forehead. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± After their shock, Yan Qing¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Master, you should hurriedly make a trip back.¡± I just left for a few days to take this, but Master already became like this! Upon closer thinking, Master never went back ever since he started hanging out with Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu closed his eyes and didn¡¯t say anything, but his meaning was clear. ¡°Master¡ª¡± Yan Qing wanted to advise him further, but Yu Mo coughed at the side and kept shooting Yan Qing a look. Yan Qing turned around, saw Yu Mo, and hesitated for a while. However, he eventually still left politely. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll handle it right away.¡± He then left with the magical jade. Yu Mo hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s already very late. Master, you should rest. I¡¯ll go down too.¡± Rong Xiu waved his hands. Yu Mo hurriedly followed Yan Qing out. ¡­ The moment Yu Mo stepped out, he saw Yan Qing waiting for him outside. The two of them exchanged a glance and didn¡¯t say anything, but they left together. The two of them walked side by side for quite some distance until they were far away from Rong Xiu¡¯s study. Yan Qing then finally spoke with a cold face. ¡°It definitely isn¡¯t the first time that today¡¯s situation has happened. Did you know about this earlier on?¡± Yu Mo could only pull a bitter face and nod. ¡°Such a situation happened a few days ago.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you convince him? Don¡¯t you know how serious this incident will be? If I didn¡¯t see it today, when were you planning to tell me?¡± Yan Qing was usually very calm and nonchalant. He rarely had any emotions, let alone act outraged. His reaction showed how big of an impact this situation had. Yu Mo subconsciously shivered and felt guilty for some reason. ¡°I-I¡­ I advised him at the time, but how can I convince Master?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s face was still cold. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me earlier then!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of telling you?¡± Yu Mo harshly rubbed his face. ¡°Do you think Master will listen to you?¡± Yan Qing quietened down. They had followed Master for many years and knew his character the best. Since he refused to go back now, nobody could convince him otherwise. ¡°It seems like Master previously summoning it with force¡­ has a big impact on him,¡± muttered Yan Qing. If it weren¡¯t for that, Master should¡¯ve been able to hold it there for a period of time. But now¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t Master planning on not going back during this period of time by getting you to retrieve this?¡± Yu Mo patted his shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t be too worried. Master has his own plans.¡± Yan Qing kept quiet for a while and asked, ¡°Did Master say when he¡¯s planning to return?¡± Yu Mo looked like he was in a difficult position. ¡°I think¡­ he¡¯s waiting for Mu Qinghe to leave.¡± For some reason, this Mu Qinghe had been stuck in the Imperial City. He didn¡¯t do anything, but he refused to leave. Nobody knew what he wanted to do, and nobody dared to ask. Even Emperor Jiawen did not dare to disturb him out of the blue, let alone others. ¡°I think you should send this thing back first. Let¡¯s not delay what¡¯s important. If anything happens to Master, I¡¯m still here. Don¡¯t worry; if anything else happens, I¡¯ll inform you immediately.¡± Yu Mo reassured him again and again before Yan Qing finally let it go and left with the piece of jade. As he looked at Yan Qing¡¯s departing back view, guilt flashed across Yu Mo¡¯s eyes. If Yan Qing knew that Master¡¯s condition is actually much worse than what he had seen today, he would definitely feel terrible. Now, I can only pray for Mu Qinghe to leave as soon as possible¡­ and for that person to hurriedly come back! ¡­ Library. Chu Liuyue stared at the empty fifth floor and knitted her brows together. There¡¯s actually nothing here? There isn¡¯t even a bookshelf here, let alone books. The four white walls were empty at first glance. Chu Liuyue felt that it was very strange. That¡¯s not right. It is impossible for any academy with a similar library to leave an entire floor empty. She did not give up and went forward as she started to inspect everything. But no matter how hard she found, she didn¡¯t find anything. She had even knocked on all of the walls, but they were still the same. After searching around for one round, she finally stopped. Chu Liuyue held her chin and immersed herself into deep thought. When I was previously about to leave the fourth floor, I did feel three ripples. Even if the ripples got increasingly weaker, they still existed without a doubt. However, where did they come from? Chu Liuyue originally thought that there had to be something special, even if the books here weren¡¯t as numerous as the other floors. However, she didn¡¯t expect that there would be nothing here. Perhaps I haven¡¯t discovered it yet. Chu Liuyue thought for a long while and still didn¡¯t get an answer, so she swiftly sat on the floor cross-legged. Anyway, she still had one day left and could afford to wait here to see if the ripples would appear again. Time trickled past, but Chu Liuyue did not move at all. She was very bored and decided to silently recite Jingshen Finger again. When she came in, the two parties already had an agreement. She could borrow any book she wanted in the library, but she had to put them back into their original positions after she was done with them. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t allowed to bring the books from one floor to the next. Hence, Chu Liuyue could only rely on her memory and recite the Jingshen Finger. She gathered all her focus, and the Jingshen Finger gradually appeared in her mind. Chu Liuyue started recalling from the first move and cultivated. The force in her body went toward her dantian. When they gathered and formed a ball, she controlled this strength and injected it into her right index finger. But before that strength reached the index finger, it disappeared in her pulse. Chu Liuyue rearranged herself, used less force, and tried again. It still failed. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t give up and kept trying. The first step was to control her force and to allow it to extend to the right index finger through the Yuan meridian. Just this point alone was very difficult as it required cultivators to have a resilient Yuan meridian and precise control. At first, Chu Liuyue just wanted to try, but she later realized that it was even harder than she had thought. Her competitiveness was triggered, and she tried more than 1,000 times. When the sunlight poured in the next morning, a light silver color finally wrapped around Chu Liuyue¡¯s right index finger. Before she could exclaim in joy, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that her surroundings had lit up. She instinctively squinted her eyes and looked at her surroundings, but she suddenly widened them. Countless silver symbols appeared on the four walls around her, and they sparkled brightly. Chapter 358 - Heavenly Stage Warrior Technique! Chu Liuyue looked at the scene in front of her in shock. The fifth floor is indeed not empty! Such a big secret was actually hidden in its four walls! Chu Liuyue instinctively wanted to move forward. Suddenly, countless rays flew from all directions and gradually gathered in front of her. After a moment, two silver words appeared in front of her: ¡°Ultimate Jingshen!¡± Those two words were like a stream of water as they shook lightly. They sparkled brightly, but they had a superior suppression to them. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. This aura¡­ is very similar to Jingshen Finger, but it seems to be even more powerful than Jingshen Finger! This suppression¡­ is beyond this world! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat rapidly. As if she was mysteriously attracted to something, she slowly raised her fingers and touched the two words. Doing this was like calmly throwing a stone into a calm lake. The empty air in front of her suddenly had ripples, and they spread in all directions with the two words in the middle. The ripples extended to the surrounding walls. Buzz! A mysterious ripple was felt again. Chu Liuyue looked over. She saw those few words floating on the four walls being affected as they started extinguishing like the stars in a dark sky. Her heart skipped a beat. This ripple is exactly the same as the one I previously experienced on the fourth floor. The next moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a strange feeling coming from her fingers, which extended to the bottom of her heart. There instantly seemed to be an indescribable connection between her and this entire space. Chu Liuyue looked up as if she had felt something and stared at the right to scrutinize the handwriting closely. Very quickly, she realized that the contents were exactly the same as the Jingshen Finger she saw earlier. She hurriedly looked at the second wall. As expected, its contents are related to the previous Jingshen Finger. But upon closer inspection, Chu Liuyue felt that something was amiss. The content on the second wall turned Jingshen Finger into a palm move, and its suppression also became stronger. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and seriously looked again. She could basically confirm that this palm move was an intermediate Earth-stage move. A ridiculous yet bold thought suddenly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She almost immediately looked at the third wall. At this point, the palm move became a fist technique. The more important point was that one could reach the advanced Earth-stage once this fist technique was mastered. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and tried hard to calm her harshly beating heart as she looked at the last wall. Like the first three walls, there were dimly lit words floating on it. However, when Chu Liuyue stared at it for quite some time, she realized that she didn¡¯t understand what it was. She couldn¡¯t smoothly read and understand all the words and sentences, which looked very messy. Chu Liuyue looked at the fourth wall for some time, but she still had no clue. However, this made her even more agitated. Rumors have it that Heaven-stage warrior techniques are different from average warrior techniques that are written down on paper. All the Heaven-stage techniques in the world have to be acquired by the gods by chance. If one wants to cultivate Heaven-stage techniques, they can¡¯t use their eyes to see. They have to use their force to feel it instead. If the cultivator isn¡¯t strong enough, they wouldn¡¯t even understand it, let alone see it¡ªwhich is exactly what is happening now! Chu Liuyue had once seen a Heaven-stage warrior technique in her previous life, which was on the day she turned of age. It was left behind by the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor, and it had always been treasured by the royal family. Originally, she could officially start cultivating that Heaven-stage warrior technique after she ascended the throne, but she couldn¡¯t wait for that day to come. But even though so much time had passed, Chu Liuyue could still clearly remember what happened when she saw that Heaven-stage warrior technique. She remembered everything clearly, so she was certain that the content on the last wall was indeed a Heaven-stage warrior technique. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly, and blood rushed throughout her body, making her feel like she was burning. Actually, when she saw the second wall¡¯s contents, she guessed that the technique¡¯s grade would gradually increase. It really turned out to be so! It was even a Heaven-stage warrior technique! After her shock, Chu Liuyue started to calm down and think. No wonder Elder Mo Cang said that only directors could enter the fifth floor. Once people know about this earth-shattering secret, it would attract countless powerful warriors to fight for it. By then, Tai Yan Academy would definitely be unable to hold them back. The entire Country Xing Luo might even be implicated. But¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t understand why such a shocking thing would exist in the small Tai Yan Academy at Country Xing Luo. She even suspected that Tai Yan Academy¡¯s director did not know what it was. If Cheng Han knew about it, why did he not cultivate it? Even if he doesn¡¯t understand the Heaven-stage warrior technique now, the fist technique and palm technique from before are equally shocking. If he doesn¡¯t know¡­ ¡°You owe me another time.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue was stunned, and she immediately reacted. Yes, Heaven-stage warrior techniques exert immense suppression. If it weren¡¯t for the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s God Realm, I would¡¯ve long caused a huge commotion. Judging from this, the legendary three-eyed eagle has indeed helped me quite a bit. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll temporarily remember it.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind and admitted to it swiftly. The legendary three-eyed eagle kept quiet for a while before coldly saying, ¡°Your luck is pretty good.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up. ¡°Of course!¡± Isn¡¯t that so? It¡¯s heaven-defying! This is a Heaven-stage warrior technique! Some people might not even be able to see one in their entire lives! I just came to look at some books in the library and chanced upon it! Even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but gasp that her trip was very worth it. However, there was an urgent problem¡ªshe had no way of bringing the Ultimate Jingshen away. She had already memorized the Jingshen Finger. Jingshen Palm and Jingshen Fist were much more complicated, but she could definitely remember them if she looked at them more. The most troublesome thing was the content on the last wall. Chu Liuyue realized that she had no way of recalling the information on it. Heaven-stage warrior techniques exerted immense suppression. Considering her current cultivation level and abilities, she had no way of understanding them. Every time she finished looking at it, there seemed to be a hand that successfully wiped away the information from her brain by force. Moreover, Chu Liuyue felt exhausted after a few tries. She knew that this was the outcome of forcing herself, so she did not continue. Instead, she turned her attention to the two words shining in front of her. ¡°Ultimate Jingshen¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. Chu Liuyue had to leave this place today, so she had to come up with a way to remember it. She really couldn¡¯t give up on the Heaven-stage warrior technique that was just within her reach. She looked at her hands and thought of a question: How did I summon this Ultimate Jingshen previously? Suddenly, a ripple was felt in her dantian. Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked. A water droplet appeared on her fingertip. That water droplet rapidly changed and later became a piece of transparent, broken paper. The last wall¡¯s content was clearly reflected on it. Chapter 359 - Inscription Copying The light glowing on the transparent paper was flashing according to the blinking of the handwriting on that wall. That item then flew to Chu Liuyue again. Chu Liuyue focused on it and instantly gasped when she saw what was on it. She saw that the torn transparent paper¡¯s content was exactly the same as what was written on the last wall. Every symbol, even every spark of light, was identical. The size of the transparent page wasn¡¯t even one-hundredth of that wall, but when Chu Liuyue saw it, she felt that the symbols reflected on the transparent paper were very clear for some reason. She could even clearly see the small spaces between the symbols. It was just a torn, transparent book page, but Chu Liuyue felt that it had infinite space to contain everything. Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand, and the transparent paper flew into her hands. She looked down to take a closer look and noticed that every symbol could be clearly seen. She opened her mouth, but she was too shocked to say anything¡ªThis transparent paper has completely copied the inscription of the Heaven-stage warrior technique on the last wall. If Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t seen it for herself, she definitely wouldn¡¯t believe it. Heaven-stage warrior techniques are a godly presence. How could they be so easily copied? Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. Everything in front of her did not disappear! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but look at the wall again, but it did not change. The next moment, her palm felt cold. That torn piece of paper formed back into a water droplet and returned to her dantian. Then, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that there was something extra in her brain¡ªit was the Heaven-stage technique! Even if she couldn¡¯t understand it now, it actually existed in her body! ¡°T-this can even happen?¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. She only knew that the water droplet in her dantian contained insurmountable strength and that it could save her every time she met with danger. However, she didn¡¯t expect it to be able to help her copy the Heaven-stage warrior technique! No, she didn¡¯t expect Heaven-stage warrior techniques to be copyable. ¡°It¡¯s not copying the inscription; it just forcefully stole the Heavenly Dao in it,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle slowly said, ¡°Look at it again.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the last wall again. ¡°There¡¯s aren¡¯t any changes¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that something was amiss. The symbols on the last wall didn¡¯t change, but the overall aura was indeed different. It seemed like¡­ it had lost the indescribable godly sensation from before, leaving behind a messy cluster of symbols. The three big silver words floating in front of her gradually disappeared into thin air. ¡°The reason why Heaven-stage warrior techniques are different is that they have the Heavenly Dao. Now that this strength has been taken away by you, everything left behind will turn into garbage. Without the direction from the Heavenly Dao, cultivators won¡¯t be enlightened even if they look at it for the next 100 years.¡± Chu Liuyue was elated. ¡°I see! So does this mean that this so-called¡­ Heavenly Dao is equivalent to a Heaven-stage warrior technique¡¯s soul? Without this, a Heaven-stage warrior technique is as good as dead, right?¡± ¡°It seems like you aren¡¯t that stupid,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle coldly. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s mockery toward her. She appreciated it for telling her this. After a moment of deep thought, she continued, ¡°Then, if I leave now and bring the item away with me, will others find out there¡¯s something wrong here?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle chuckled and had an unconcealable arrogant tone to it. ¡°Of course not. In my God Realm, I control everything. Even if you leave here, nobody will find out that there are any changes unless they are also a strong warrior that can understand Heaven-stage warrior techniques.¡± Chu Liuyue felt more assured. There shouldn¡¯t be this kind of existence in Tai Yan Academy. She nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go right now!¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue came out of the library, it was close to noon. After the torture during this period of time, the duo at the door had slimmed down quite a bit and looked very frail. Thus, they all widened their mouths in shock when they saw Chu Liuyue walking out. ¡°C-Chu¡­¡± The two of them stuttered for half a day and could only point at Chu Liuyue with trembling fingers. Chu Liuyue looked up at the blue sky, lightly exhaled, and said to the two people behind her, ¡°I left early.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± The both of them were stunned and in disbelief. Chu Liuyue can stay inside for a month. It has only been ten days, yet she¡¯s planning to end it? Chu Liuyue tilted her head, and her gaze swept across the stack of booklets beside the duo. ¡°Do those record all the books I¡¯ve read?¡± The two of them instinctively nodded. When they saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s seemingly smiling expression, they recovered their senses and hung their head in shame. They knew clearly how many books Chu Liuyue had read¡ªshe had read through the entire second floor and quite a bit of the third and fourth floors. Even if she left now, she had seen more than enough. If she really stayed for a full month, she would finish reading through the entire library. ¡°Y-you¡­ I¡¯ll call Elder Mo Cang over right away!¡± One of them left in a hurry. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind and waited on the spot. Ten days have passed. I wonder how it¡¯s going on Mu Qinghe¡¯s side¡­ ¡­ Palace, Imperial City, Country Yao Chen. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face was as dark as thunder as he directed a deadly glare at the Empress in front of him. ¡°Let me ask you again: Where is Rong Zhen?¡± The Empress panicked, and she hurriedly explained, ¡°Your Majesty, listen to my explanation¡ª¡± Hua! Emperor Jiawen suddenly swept everything on the table to the floor and angrily hollered, ¡°I¡¯m asking you: Where¡¯s Rong Zhen now?!¡± The Empress was so frightened that her entire body trembled. Her legs went weak as she knelt on the floor. Tears streamed down her face. ¡°Your Majesty, I-I also don¡¯t know where Rong Zhen is now¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen was so angry that his face turned green. The past few days, he didn¡¯t have time to care about Rong Zhen due to Country Xing Luo¡¯s matters. After Rong Jin left with the rest, he then remembered that he hadn¡¯t seen Rong Zhen in a while. Thinking that Rong Zhen didn¡¯t come out on such an important day, Emperor Jiawen felt that she was too immature and wanted to go to her room personally and lecture her. In the midst of it, the Empress had stopped him a few times, which made him increasingly suspicious. In the end, he directly got someone to push open the door to Rong Zhen¡¯s room. When he entered, he realized that Rong Zhen was not there. He then realized that something was amiss, and he started questioning the Empress. At this moment, Eunuch Min suddenly rushed over from outside and whispered something into Emperor Jiawen¡¯s ears. Emperor Jiawen was furious as he harshly kicked the Empress¡¯s chest. ¡°Si Huijing, you¡¯re so brazen! How dare you secretly have guards by your side?¡± Chapter 360 - Telepathic Bell The Empress¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The matter is indeed exposed! She was petrified as she tolerated the pain in her chest and begged pitifully. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t have any other intentions for doing it! I just wanted to protect myself. All these years, there¡¯s only Si Meng¡­¡± ¡°How dare you argue?¡± Emperor Jiawen was infuriated, and his eyes seemed to have fire blazing in them. The Empress was taken aback. Emperor Jiawen has never directed such a huge outburst toward me before. Actually, she also knew that this incident had crossed Emperor Jiawen¡¯s bottom line. It did not matter if she had one or ten; the important thing was that Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t know about Si Meng¡¯s presence. This was akin to giving Emperor Jiawen and all the guards in the palace a resounding slap. ¡°Speak! Where¡¯s that traitor and Rong Zhen now?¡± The Empress cried and shook her head. ¡°Your Majesty, I really don¡¯t know. Si Meng had died a few days ago, but Zhen Zhen is still missing¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen stared at her with a deadly gaze and sneered. ¡°Dead? Isn¡¯t that too much of a coincidence?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! I¡¯ve always kept in contact with him, but it suddenly broke a few days ago. He really died! Your Majesty, I¡¯m not lying to you!¡± Upon seeing the Empress¡¯s appearance, Emperor Jiawen finally believed her a little. However, his anger didn¡¯t subside at all. ¡°We can talk about him being alive or dead later. Now, I want to know where Rong Zhen is!¡± The Empress cried even more miserably. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve actually been looking for Rong Zhen in secret these few days, b-but¡­ I couldn¡¯t find any clues¡­ I¡¯m also very worried, and I couldn¡¯t sleep at night¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t hold it in and kicked her again. ¡°If you were truly uneasy, you would¡¯ve told me earlier! If I didn¡¯t find out about it myself today, how long were you planning to hide this from me? You¡¯re already the Empress, and your son is the Crown Prince. What else are you unsatisfied with?¡± The Empress knelt on the floor, and her hair was messy. Her clothes were dirty, and she looked very unkempt. Eunuch Min stood behind Emperor Jiawen and was horrified by this scene. He had served His Majesty for many years, but he had never seen him hit the Empress before. This showed that His Majesty was really enraged this time. He did not dare to move either. It was fine that the Empress had hidden the fact that Rong Zhen went missing, but she had also secretly kept guards by her side. This was clearly pitting herself against His Majesty! Once this thing was exposed, she might not even be able to continue being the Empress. ¡°Someone, drag the Empress down! At the same time, summon Si Ye to the palace!¡± Emperor Jiawen wanted to ask Si Ye if the Si family intended to rebel. The Empress suddenly raised her head, and her face was filled with horror. Is His Majesty locking me up? How can this be? Once word gets out, I definitely can¡¯t be the Empress anymore! ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty! I¡¯m begging you, please take into account me serving you for so many years and let me off this time around! There¡¯s still R-Rong¡­ Rong Jin! I can accept any punishment you give me, but if Country Xing Luo finds out about this, it will definitely affect both parties¡¯ marriage alliance!¡± Her later sentences made Emperor Jiawen falter. That¡¯s right. Rong Jin is currently in Country Xing Luo. If things go smoothly, he can settle his marriage with Situ Xingchen. However, if news of this ugly matter gets out¡­ He glared at the Empress harshly, causing her heart to go weak. ¡°Si Huijing! You really know how to play your cards!¡± She must¡¯ve planned all of this in advance and purposely made Rong Jin her last shield! Emperor Jiawen clearly knew that the Empress had dug a hole for him, but he had to jump into it! The Empress¡¯s pale lips trembled, and she looked away, not daring to look at Emperor Jiawen or speak another word. After some time, Emperor Jiawen coldly said, ¡°Send my word down! The Empress is gravely ill and can¡¯t get out of bed. In the future, everything in the palace will be handled by Concubine Gu!¡± The Empress¡¯s heart sank. His Majesty is grounding me and taking away all my power! ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Emperor Jiawen lowered himself and harshly squeezed the Empress¡¯s chin. He enunciated every word carefully as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to find Rong Zhen. When Rong Jin¡¯s matter is over, and we find out the truth behind Rong Zhen¡¯s whereabouts, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡± He then flung his wrist, and the Empress collapsed on the floor. Emperor Jiawen turned around and walked out of the room with big steps. Eunuch Min glanced at the Empress and hurriedly followed him. Only when their figures disappeared did the Empress finally heave a sigh of relief and take something out from her arms. Now, all my hopes are on Rong Jin¡­ This marriage alliance must go smoothly! ¡­ Country Xing Luo. The palace held a welcome party for Rong Jin and the rest. In the palace, everyone gathered together to drink and gamble. Many of them gave a toast to Rong Jin, and the atmosphere was very lively. This was because Country Xing Luo¡¯s Emperor, Situ Chong, had just agreed to Rong Jin¡¯s proposal for Situ Xingchen. The two parties had officially become engaged! Situ Chong seemed to be very satisfied with Rong Jin as he directly arranged the date of their wedding to be a month later. This made the crowd very doubtful. Many aristocratic families had previously requested for Situ Xingchen¡¯s hand in marriage, but both Situ Xingchen and Situ Chong did not budge. Originally, they thought that Situ Chong couldn¡¯t bear to give his princess away, but they did not expect him to agree readily when Rong Jin appeared. Of course, everyone knew that the marriage alliance was a serious matter and that they had definitely already discussed it in advance. This was just a routine of formality. However, the crowd still did not understand why it was Rong Jin. They heard that Country Yao Chen¡¯s Crown Prince did not have a good reputation recently. The more surprising thing was that Elder Zong Ye¡ªwho had just returned from Mingyue Tianshan¡ªseemed to admire Rong Jin quite a bit. With his words, nobody dared to object to it. The marriage alliance was then completed smoothly. Rong Jin was enveloped in everyone¡¯s enthusiastic greetings and was over the moon. Looking at other people¡¯s looks of jealousy and envy, he finally could unleash everything he suffered previously. With a face full of smiles, he toasted Situ Xingchen¡ªwho was sitting not far away. Situ Xingchen smiled and nodded, looking extremely graceful. Rong Jin felt relieved. What¡¯s mine will still be mine. Suddenly, his gaze changed, and he smiled at the crowd. ¡°My head hurts slightly; I¡¯ll go out to take a breather.¡± The crowd thought that Rong Jin was heading outside to avoid drinking that much, so they chuckled and didn¡¯t stop him. Rong Jin left the palace in quite a hurry. Situ Xingchen squinted her eyes, stood up, and followed him out. Rong Jin walked to an isolated corner and took out a bell from his arms. The bell was ringing at this point, and the sound was extremely soft. However, Rong Jin¡¯s face turned even worse. Before he left, he specifically left this telepathic bell behind. If Rong Zhen¡¯s matter was exposed, his mother would ring the bell. Did something happen to Mother? ¡°Your Highness.¡± A gentle voice was heard. Chapter 361 - You Can’t Leave Rong Jin immediately put the telepathic bell away. He then turned around and saw Situ Xingchen. ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t expect you to come,¡± he said with a forced smile. The princess smiled graciously, not noticing his anxiety. ¡°I was feeling tipsy after drinking some wine, so I came out for some air. I didn¡¯t expect to run into you.¡± Rong Jin gave her a half-hearted nod as he was still thinking about what happened to Rong Zhen. Situ Xingchen was watching him, and she asked with uncertainty, ¡°Something seems to be bothering you. What is it?¡± Rong Jin hid his troubles behind a wide beaming smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Your Highness. Don¡¯t worry.¡± A smile crept onto her cheeks, and she blushed coyly. ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Call me by my name, please. We are betrothed to be married, so you don¡¯t have to be so formal around me.¡± Her words surprised Rong Jin; her beauty and innocence moved him. ¡°Xingchen.¡± Her gentle murmur of acknowledgment caressed Rong Jin¡¯s ears like a breeze. ¡°If there is something bothering you, you can also talk about it with Xingchen. It¡¯s definitely not good to keep it inside all the time.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s words seemed to have some kind of magical power, which made Rong Jin drop his heart¡¯s defenses involuntarily. ¡°It¡¯s actually nothing; it¡¯s just some small things.¡± He was slightly relieved. Fortunately, the marriage agreement between them was set. Otherwise, he really didn¡¯t know what kind of situation he would face when he returned. Situ Xingchen quietly looked at Rong Jin and put on the appearance of a patient listener. Rong Jin was feeling tipsy after he drank the wine. As Situ Xingchen stared at him intently, he was overwhelmed with an impulse to speak. ¡°My sister actually met with some trouble,¡± he blurted. Situ Xingchen blinked. ¡°The Fourth Princess?¡± Rong Jin nodded solemnly. ¡°She seemed to be doing well when I saw her with Chu Liuyue. What trouble could she be in?¡± she asked curiously. Rong Jin was flabbergasted. ¡°What? You saw Rong Zhen and Chu Liuyue together?¡± Situ Xingchen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! It was a couple of days after my return.¡± Rong Jin quickly recalled the time period and was shocked upon realizing that it was when Rong Zhen went missing! He took a step forward and anxiously grabbed Situ Xingchen by her shoulders. ¡°Where did you see them? What were they doing?¡± Panic flashed in Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes. She lowered her gaze to hide the immense hatred from him. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± Rong Jin loosened his grip instantly. ¡°My apologies; I was upset. Were you telling me the truth?¡± Astonished, she looked at him as though she couldn¡¯t understand his huge reaction. ¡°I did. I was on my way to the inn to pack up my belongings when I saw the Fourth Princess and Chu Liuyue with an elderly man behind them. However, I was too far away to see who that man was and where they went afterward. Is that important?¡± Rong Jin was shaking, and he didn¡¯t speak for a long time. The elderly man behind them was probably Si Meng. Chu Liuyue really had something to do with Rong Zhen¡¯s disappearance! Previously, Rong Jin didn¡¯t take it seriously when his mother said that. At the time, he thought his mother mentioned it because she loathed Chu Liuyue. Perhaps, she was right all along! The two had some altercations earlier. But with Si Meng around, Rong Jin was sure that Rong Zhen had gone out of the palace on her own accord. The first person she went to was likely Chu Liuyue. His sister was fully capable of doing something like this. Unexpectedly, Chu Liuyue returned unscathed while the princess was nowhere to be found. A fire began to burn inside him. ¡°Y-your Highness? Your Highness?¡± Concern was written all over Situ Xingchen¡¯s face as she called him. Rong Jin jolted out of his thoughts. ¡°Isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue at Tai Yan Academy now?¡± ¡°She is. Why are you suddenly looking for her?¡± There was a brief moment of silence. ¡°Xingchen, can you do me a favor?¡± A smile broke out on the princess¡¯s face. ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡± ¡­ Elder Mo Cang arrived at the library in no time. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Chu Liuyue standing there, and he believed that she was truly planning to leave. He couldn¡¯t believe it when he first heard the news. All the winners of the Qing Jiao Competition relished the opportunity. Each one utilized the one-month grace period to the greatest extent. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but Chu Liuyue merely stayed for ten days. The elder was both ecstatic and surprised. His mood was crushed when he saw the mountains of books that Chu Liuyue had read during the past ten days. She has read so many books that others couldn¡¯t finish in months! Elder Mo Cang could only hope that those books were the only ones that she had read during her time here. ¡°Chu Liuyue, are you serious about leaving? Elder Mo Cang asked seriously. Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been waiting for this day for a long time?¡± The elder snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t be so full of yourself. Beware of your own greed!¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t offended. ¡°Elder Mo Cang, please don¡¯t worry yourself. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± He scrutinized her. For some reason, she seems to be in a good mood. On second thought, anyone who got such an opportunity to borrow so many books for free and even read an Earth-grade warrior technique book would be very happy. On his way here after that day, Elder Mo Cang had already confirmed that Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t found any other Earth-grade warrior technique books. It was also considered a blessing among misfortunes. ¡°Since you¡¯ve thought about it, I¡¯ll take you to the academy entrance, and you can leave on your own! ¡± The Tai Yan Academy had a strict barrier. If Chu Liuyue wanted to leave, she still had to have Elder Mo Cang¡¯s consent. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you then.¡± The elder wasn¡¯t buying her antics. He sneered inwardly and turned to lead the way. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chu Liuyue followed suit, not minding his callousness. The two headed for the academy entrance. Elder Mo Cang wore a stern face throughout, and he didn¡¯t speak. Chu Liuyue also had the good sense to not say anything. She had already gotten what she wanted most anyway. These cold faces and sarcastic remarks were really nothing. Elder Mo Cang extended his hands, ready to open the barrier while she patiently waited by the side. Suddenly, a voice called out hostilely, ¡°Stop!¡± Chapter 362 - Interrogation A cold gleam flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes when she heard the voice. She immediately gathered herself and turned back calmly. It was Cheng Han. ¡°Director, why are you here?¡± Elder Mo Cang was shocked. Lately, Cheng Han had been busy with the investigation into Yang Jianqing and Heng Jingchuo. Nobody had seen him for a few days; his appearance was unexpected. ¡°Are you telling Chu Liuyue to stop?¡± Cheng Han strode purposely with an extremely serious look. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Didn¡¯t the director want to see Chu Liuyue leave as soon as possible? Now that she is leaving, why is he stopping her? The elder was stunned, confused by what was happening. ¡°Director, what¡­¡± ¡°Chu Liuyue, you know very well why.¡± Cheng Han sternly stared at Chu Liuyue from where he stood a few steps away. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Does he know about Ultimate Jingshen? It can¡¯t be. With his ability, there¡¯s no way Cheng Han could know. She plastered a calm and polite smile onto her face. ¡°Director, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Cheng Han¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°You know very well what you¡¯ve done! Rong Jin will be here soon; save your arguments for him!¡± Rong Jin? Chu Liuyue breathed a sigh of relief. It isn¡¯t about Ultimate Jingshen. What is Rong Jin doing here then? She frowned. In Cheng Han¡¯s opinion, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was clearly a sign of guilt for her deeds. Seeing his gloating look, she suddenly remembered something. If my memory serves me right, Rong Jin should be here in Country Xing Luo for his marriage alliance with their princess. The sound of approaching footsteps jolted Chu Liuyue out of her thoughts. Cheng Han turned around, and a long-awaited smile appeared on his stern face. Chu Liuyue followed suit. She saw a group of men, led by Rong Jin, coming through the main entrance. The prince looked anxious as though he had rushed to the academy. The two locked eyes with each other. Rong Jin stopped abruptly. Along the way, all he could think of was how he was going to interrogate Chu Liuyue. Now that she stood before him, he was suddenly at a loss for words. Deep down, he wished he didn¡¯t have to face her under such circumstances. Chu Liuyue saw the struggle in his eyes for a moment. Then, she saw Situ Xingchen behind him. The princess was one step behind Rong Jin as though she were accompanying him for the trip. When the former saw Chu Liuyue, she was dumbfounded. Obviously, she didn¡¯t expect to bump into her here. Nevertheless, the princess collected herself quickly. Situ Xingchen shifted her gaze away as though nothing had happened and walked to Rong Jin¡¯s side. ¡°Your Highness, please talk things through calmly. There¡¯s no need to agitate yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue raised an eyebrow at Situ Xingchen¡¯s words. When did their relationship become so good? They¡¯ve only met a few times. Rong Jin looked at Situ Xingchen and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms in deep thought. A lot seemed to have gone on outside while I¡¯ve been in the library reading for the past ten days. ¡°Director, thank you for keeping her here.¡± Rong Jin cupped his hands together and bowed toward Cheng Han. The latter waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; don¡¯t mention it. Xingchen said that I must help Your Highness with this favor no matter what. Naturally, I can¡¯t refuse.¡± Rong Jin gave Situ Xingchen a grateful look. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I only wish to prevent unnecessary delays for Your Highness,¡± Situ Xingchen said gently. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help herself from laughing out loud. If she hadn¡¯t seen the cloud pattern on Situ Xingchen¡¯s clothes or the look on the latter¡¯s face when she was talking to Rong Jin, Chu Liuyue would¡¯ve really thought that the princess was in love with him. Her acting skills are superb! Rong Jin heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s laugh, and he thought she was mocking him. His expression darkened. ¡°Chu Liuyue, what¡¯s so funny?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°Oh, nothing. Your Highness, why are you here for me? You can just tell me without putting on such a big show.¡± Rong Jin paused; then, he asked seriously, ¡°Do you have anything to do with Rong Zhen¡¯s disappearance?¡± Puzzled, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°What?¡± When Rong Jin saw her reaction, he wavered. She really doesn¡¯t seem to know. Situ Xingchen clearly said she saw Chu Liuyue and Rong Zhen together. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you have done anything to Rong Zhen.¡± A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. I settled the matter discreetly. By right, nobody should¡¯ve noticed, not even the Empress. However, she is probably aware of Rong Zhen¡¯s doings. It is only normal for the Empress to tell Rong Jin her suspicions, but¡­ Judging from his expression, Rong Jin seems certain about the matter. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Your Highness, I really don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Shouldn¡¯t the Fourth Princess be in Country Yao Chen, at the palace? Why have you come to pick on me?¡± Finally, Rong Jin couldn¡¯t hold himself back any further. He stepped forward and hissed, ¡°Quit acting! You must be behind Rong Zeng¡¯s disappearance. Someone saw the two of you together before my sister went missing!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. There was nothing except confusion in her crystal-clear eyes. ¡°Her Highness is missing? When did this happen?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction caused Rong Jin to hesitate. Does Chu Liuyue really not know? Chu Liuyue shifted her gaze toward Situ Xingchen with interest; she thought she knew the cause for Rong Jin¡¯s behavior. ¡°Your Highness, if I may ask: Did you tell the Crown Prince that you saw me with his sister?¡± Situ Xingchen bit her lip and frowned, looking pitiful. ¡°I-I¡­ Yes, I did. I¡¯m sorry; I didn¡¯t know the Fourth Princess was missing. His Highness asked me about it, and I told him. I¡­ It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± A smile gradually appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. Great! Her words turned his doubts into certainty. Chu Liuyue really played a part in Rong Zhen¡¯s disappearance. However, she couldn¡¯t remember when she was with Rong Zhen since she never showed herself before they left the Imperial City. Situ Xingchen is lying! ¡°Chu Liuyue, what have you got to say for yourself?¡± Rong Jin noticed that Chu Liuyue was silent for a long time. He thought she was feeling guilty. After a brief silence, he said, ¡°I know Rong Zhen is still alive. I promise I won¡¯t kill you if you hand her over.¡± Chu Liuyue gave him a nonchalant look. ¡°Does Your Highness wish to convict me based on her one-sided words?¡± Chapter 363 - A Search ¡°Of course not! Nobody will make things difficult for you if you can prove your innocence,¡± Rong Jin said. Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. ¡°So, others slandered me and threw dirty water on me, so I have to find a way to prove my innocence in order to clear this wrongdoing? How am I supposed to prove something that I didn¡¯t do?¡± Rong Jin was dumbfounded. If he weren¡¯t worried about his mother and his future, he wouldn¡¯t have driven Chu Liuyue to the edge. After all, the matter of Rong Zhen¡¯s disappearance had been exposed, so his father definitely knew about Si Meng¡¯s existence as well. He knew his father well. The Emperor would see Si Meng¡¯s existence as a more pressing issue compared to his daughter¡¯s disappearance. The only way to salvage the situation now was to find Rong Zhen. ¡°Can I believe your side of the story? I can¡¯t. If you¡¯re not guilty, come back with me to the Imperial City now. We will seek an audience with Father and Mother and let them decide.¡± As he said that, he reached out and tried to pull Chu Liuyue with him. Chu Liuyue stepped aside and avoided him easily. Rong Jin was flabbergasted. His cultivation might be higher than Chu Liuyue, but she was clearly stronger than he was ability-wise. Indescribable frustration welled inside him. When I was with Situ Xingchen, I didn¡¯t feel like this. At this thought, Rong Jin became impatient. ¡°Why? Are you feeling guilty?¡± Cheng Han chimed in before Chu Liuyue could reply. ¡°Since you have already left the library, you might as well go with Rong Jin.¡± The prince was surprised. Chu Liuyue only stayed here for such a short time. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s even better. All eyes were on Chu Liuyue. Clearly, they wanted her to agree to the director¡¯s proposal. The look in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes was cold. She hated it when she was forced to do things, especially when it was someone she loathed. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± The atmosphere instantly became tense. ¡­ At the Imperial Study in Country Yao Chen. Rong Qi stood outside the door anxiously. ¡°Eunuch Min, can you please go to my father again? I really have an urgent matter to report to him!¡± The eunuch looked torn. ¡°Your Highness, I wish I could, but¡­ but there¡¯s simply no way! His Majesty is still furious. If you go in now, you might make things worse for the Empress instead of helping her. Listen to me; please go back for the time being. You can come again when His Majesty is in a better mood. You can plead for his mercy then!¡± Rong Qi¡¯s brows were knitted tightly together. ¡°Eunuch Min, why won¡¯t you believe me? I really didn¡¯t come to plead for mercy for my mother! I have something urgent to inform my father of. The consequences will be dire if we delay any further.¡± The eunuch refused to relent no matter what the prince said. With the Empress under house arrest, the disappearance of his sister, and the Crown Prince being far away in Country Xing Luo, only Rong Qi was left. As the Fifth Prince and the Empress¡¯s biological son, how could he not come for her? Eunuch Min¡¯s refusal sent Rong Qi into a state of panic. He threw all caution aside and yelled at the top of his lungs, ¡°Father, I have an urgent matter to inform you of! Please, let me in!¡± Eunuch Min was scared out of his wits, and he rushed forward to stop the prince. ¡°My goodness! Your Highness, what are you doing? What should we do if you disturb His Majesty? Please, I beg you. Stop.¡± Instead of listening, Rong Qi shouted even louder. The eunuch was on the verge of a mental breakdown. The seemingly useless prince can really stir up waves of trouble if he sets his mind to it. ¡°What are you still standing there for? Help me persuade Prince Ping!¡± Eunuch Min hurriedly urged the palace staff around him to stop the prince. It was one thing to offend Rong Qi, but they would be courting death if they antagonize their emperor. Soon, Rong Qi was forcibly removed from the Imperial Study by the staff. Panicked, he screamed with all his might, ¡°Father! Father, I know where Rong Zhen is!¡± The eunuch froze. The next second, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s voice could be heard from within the study. ¡°Let him in!¡± The staff quickly let Rong Qi go. Rong Qi tidied his attire and glared at the staff before he entered the study. As soon as he stepped in, he saw his father authoritatively staring at him as the latter sat in his chair. The prince shuddered. His high and mighty aura from a minute ago dissipated. ¡°F-father.¡± ¡°Where is Rong Zhen?¡± Emperor Jiawen cut to the chase. Rong Qi quickly explained, ¡°F-father, I¡¯m not sure yet. Please don¡¯t be upset with me. I-I know who hid her. As long as that person is arrested, we will definitely find her.¡± He stammered, covered in a cold sweat. Fortunately, he said everything according to the Empress¡¯s instructions. Emperor Jiawen leaned forward. ¡°Who is it?¡± Rong Qi pursed his lips and replied without hesitation, ¡°Chu Liuyue!¡± ¡­ Chu Ning had just finished settling the matter. He closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. He was exhausted, but he couldn¡¯t help himself from smiling. Yue¡¯er should be home any time now. I should head home soon. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, something happened!¡± A subordinate ran in as he shouted in a panic. Chu Ning opened his eyes with furrowed brows. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°His Majesty has ordered a search of your residence! They are arriving as we speak!¡± Chu Ning jumped from his chair. ¡°What?!¡± Chapter 364 - Proof ¡°Get in! Search the whole place! We must leave no corner untouched!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± At Lu Yun¡¯s order, countless guards immediately gathered forward to combine their efforts to break through the Chu family¡¯s door. Chu Ning came in the nick of time and witnessed the scene. ¡°Lu Yun!¡± He called out sternly, ¡°How dare you!¡± Lu Yun turned around. When he saw Chu Ning approaching with his men, the former revealed a gleeful smile instead of panicking. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it Lord Chu Ning? You must be busy with official matters. Why have you returned so early?¡± A hostile Chu Ning stepped forward. ¡°This is my house. You dare to trespass my home?¡± As he spoke, he exuded a powerful aura befitting a stage-five warrior, instantly causing Lu Yun to gasp for air. The guards at the entrance stopped and exchanged looks of fear among each other. Lu Yun was annoyed, and the smile on his face vanished. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, what are you doing? I¡¯m here today by His Majesty¡¯s decree. If you obstruct me, you will be going against His Majesty!¡± Chu Ning shot him a deadly glare. ¡°Naturally, I don¡¯t dare to disobey His Majesty¡¯s decree. Nevertheless, I have the right to know why. At the very least, I am still the imperial guards¡¯ Commander-in-Chief.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord. We are only following orders. If you want to know why, you should seek an audience with His Majesty.¡± Lu Yun snorted and waved his hand. ¡°Continue!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Ning was about to step forward when Zhao Ming whispered from behind, ¡°My lord, please calm down. They are here because of His Majesty¡¯s decree. It won¡¯t do you any good to worsen the situation.¡± Doing so might even create the impression that Chu Ning was disrespecting the Emperor¡¯s decree. Chu Ning took a deep breath in and suppressed his anger. ¡°Very well, I shall see what you are searching for!¡± He had never done anything against his conscience, so he had nothing to fear. Why did His Majesty suddenly do this? When Chu Ning bowed down, Lu Yun was immensely pleased with himself. All this time, Lu Yao had been victimized by the Chus. The most outrageous of them all were Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue. If they hadn¡¯t provoked things deliberately, Lu Yao would still be in control of the Chu family. Because of the father-daughter duo, she was subjected to all kinds of humiliation on a daily basis! His relationship with Lu Yao wasn¡¯t great, but she was still a Lu. Now that her reputation was in tatters, it would also implicate the entire Lu family. More importantly, she had to turn to her maiden family for help to top-up the money she had embezzled from the Chus. Lu Yun was unhappy with her predicament, but he resented Chu Ning and his daughter. He now had the opportunity to return the favor, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t miss it. Dong! The main door slammed open, and numerous guards swarmed in. Lu Yun flashed a taunting smile at Chu Ning before he entered the Chu residence. The latter followed with furrowed brows. The guards dispersed quickly and searched the rooms and courtyard without a care. Lu Yun stood in the yard with folded arms, constantly issuing orders to his men. ¡°That room¡ªgo in and search it quickly! The one next to it as well; search carefully. Has anyone searched the backyard? If you find anything unusual, report to me immediately!¡± Chu Ning stood from a distance and watched as the men tossed his belongings out from his room. Mattresses, bookshelves, clothes, etc. Even tea sets, pens, and ink¡ªamong other things¡ªwere callously thrown on the ground. Many things were broken; it was a mess. Lu Yun turned and looked at Chu Ning. He saw the commander¡¯s anger, and he couldn¡¯t help himself from advising the latter smugly. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, don¡¯t be angry. We are acting according to His Majesty¡¯s orders. Why don¡¯t you try to recall what your baby daughter has done to incur his wrath?¡± Chu Ning¡¯s eyes were stern and deadly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lu Yun shrugged his shoulders aloofly. Chu Ning¡¯s frown deepened. How did I not expect that this involved my daughter? What exactly did she do to make His Majesty give such an order? As he was thinking, he could vaguely see the guards planning to enter Chu Liuyue¡¯s room. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± In a flash, Chu Ning stood in front of the guards to stop them. Lu Yun raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh my. My lord, are you planning to go against His Majesty?¡± Chu Ning swept his gaze over the group of men. ¡°You can search all you want, but if you break anything in here¡­ Don¡¯t blame me for not showing you any mercy!¡± His domineering aura, coupled with his stern warning, shocked everyone. Even Lu Yun shuddered as he said reluctantly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Be careful!¡± Chu Ning finally stepped aside after he said that. Having lost their excitement, the men trod carefully. Chu Ning stood by the door and watched them like a hawk. Lu Yun had nowhere to vent his frustration. He knew nothing good would come out of it if he offended Chu Ning. He just had to swallow his pride. Once they found something, he would ask the Emperor to punish Chu Ning severely. The commander watched the men while he kept thinking of the reason for His Majesty¡¯s reaction. Chu Liuyue went to Tai Yan Academy ten days ago and hasn¡¯t been home during this period of time. What exactly are they looking for? Just as he was mulling over it, a guard suddenly shouted from outside. ¡°Lord Lu, we found something!¡± Stunned, Chu Ning immediately turned around. He saw one guard running to Lu Yun from the backyard and presented the object in his hand. ¡°My lord, please look!¡± Lu Yun took the hairpin and inspected it. His expression changed drastically, and he sneered at Chu Ning. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, we have concrete evidence. What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Chu Ning walked over quickly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°My lord, there¡¯s no point in playing dumb.¡± Lu Yun held the hairpin up and laughed. ¡°This belongs to Her Highness, the Fourth Princess. We found it in your backyard. What is your defense?¡± Chu Ning froze for a moment, and he suddenly understood. The Fourth Princess, Rong Zhen, was missing. For this reason, the Emperor had placed the Empress under house arrest. Few knew about this, but as the imperial guards¡¯ Commander-in-Chief, Chu Ning knew the full picture. Now, the missing Princess¡¯s jewelry was found in the Chu residence. ¡°Are you suspecting that Yue¡¯er hid the Fourth Princess?¡± Chu Ning blurted. ¡°It¡¯s not a suspicion. Now that there¡¯s evidence, it¡¯s a fact.¡± Lu Yun put away the hairpin with mocking eyes. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, would you please come with us?¡± ¡­ Prince Li Mansion. Rong Xiu was taking a nap in his wicker chair when Yu Mo barged in. ¡°Your Highness, Lord Chu Ning has been arrested!¡± Chapter 365 - Detained When Rong Xiu opened his deep, profound eyes, they were filled with emotions. ¡°When did it happen?¡± ¡°An hour ago. Lu Yun led some guards to search the Chu residence. They found a hairpin belonging to the Fourth Princess and decided that Ms. Liuyue is hiding Her Highness. Because Ms. Liuyue has yet to return, they took Lord Chu Ning away. They should be arriving at the palace any minute now.¡± Yu Mo gave a quick account regarding what happened. He glanced at his master¡¯s expression and asked tentatively, ¡°Master, what should we do?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s scarlet lips lazily rose into a perfect arc; the hostility on his face resembled the chilly spring. ¡°They sure know how to pick the time.¡± Yu Mo froze, but he reacted quickly. The royal family would interrogate Chu Ning severely in Chu Liuyue¡¯s absence. To justify the so-called evidence, they might make Chu Ning suffer more. As Mu Qinghe was still in the city, they wouldn¡¯t dare to act rashly even if Chu Liuyue returned. Thus, they took her father to make her suffer. ¡°You mean they plan to take advantage of this opportunity to retaliate?¡± ¡°With Rong Zhen missing and Si Meng exposed, the Empress is in danger. Naturally, she won¡¯t give up this golden opportunity.¡± For the Empress, it was no longer important if they could find Rong Zhen. However, it was crucial that they find the person who hid the princess. Obviously, they intended to pin all the blame on Chu Liuyue. This way, Emperor Jiawen would direct his anger at Chu Liuyue. The Emperor wouldn¡¯t dare to act rashly on account of Chu Liuyue¡¯s relationship with Mu Qinghe. Nevertheless, it would get the Empress off the hook and become her advantage. Yu Mo asked worriedly, ¡°They are hell-bent on killing Ms. Liuyue and Lord Chu Ning then?¡± A smirk appeared on Rong Xiu¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s why they have the hairpin.¡± Yu Mo drew a sharp breath. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Roar! Suddenly, they heard a low and furious roar. Yu Mo looked up and saw a sturdy white lion appear before them¡ªit was none other than Xue Xue. Flames seemed to be burning in Xue Xue¡¯s ice-blue eyes. With a look from Rong Xiu, Xue Xue went to him and lay down at his feet. ¡°Since the Empress wants to make a scene, let her. The Fourth Princess must be feeling lonely and scared lately. Make sure you keep her entertained.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was as cold and low as ever, yet it sounded lazy. However, Yu Mo was terrified. Master has the princess? No, from the looks of it, Xue Xue has her under its paws! The white lion licked its paw reluctantly. Xue Xue found Rong Zhen annoying. Not only was she dirty and smelly, but she also squealed. Regardless, it didn¡¯t dare to disobey its master. How I yearn for that person¡¯s return. At this thought, Xue Xue looked up and stared at Rong Xiu, who barely spared it a glance. ¡°No.¡± Xue Xue¡¯s enormous head shook, and it went closer coyly. Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was distant. ¡°She spent a long time playing with you, right? I think it was too much.¡± Xue Xue stiffened instantly. Master knows! All it did was spend a longer time in the forest with Chu Liuyue. After all, it had been a while since Xue Xue last saw her. The lion got up sadly and left. Yu Mo glanced at its enormous silhouette; he could feel its sadness. The man coughed and withdrew his eyes. ¡°Master, regarding Lord Chu Ning¡­¡± ¡°The Third Prince seems idle lately,¡± Rong Xiu suddenly said. A stunned Yu Mo nodded. ¡°Yes, Master. His Majesty refused to let him leave the Imperial City. Everyone feels that he has been stripped of his military power. Only a handful of people are in contact with him.¡± Rong Xiu picked up a book next to him and flipped it casually. ¡°That¡¯s good. Have you made contact with the man from the Northwest Army?¡± ¡°Yes, everything went smoothly according to your instructions. His Highness is unaware.¡± Yu Mo was confused. ¡°Master, aren¡¯t you worrying about helping the Third Prince?¡± Rong Jiu held the power to control the army. If things continued like this, nobody could predict what Rong Jiu would do. ¡°The ones who should be worried are the Empress and the Crown Prince.¡± Rong Xiu flipped a page nonchalantly. ¡°Go. Inform my brother about the Fourth Princess.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ At the royal palace. Emperor Jiawen sat on his throne with the Empress beside him. The latter was holding their daughter¡¯s hairpin, weeping. ¡°T-this belongs to Zhen Zhen. I gave it to her on her thirteenth birthday. Her nickname was engraved on it. My poor Zhen Zhen¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen stared at Chu Ning sternly. ¡°Chu Ning, what do you have to say for yourself?¡± The commander lifted the hem of his robe and knelt on the floor. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t know where this hairpin came from, nor do I know where the Fourth Princess is now. However, I can guarantee with my life that this has absolutely nothing to do with Yue¡¯er!¡± Emperor Jiawen was in a dilemma. He knew Chu Ning well. The man¡¯s willingness to lay down his life proved that he truly believed his daughter had nothing to do with this. How would he explain the hairpin then? ¡°Lord Chu Ning, I beg you. Please tell us where Zhen Zhen is now.¡± The Empress was grief-stricken as she looked at Chu Ning with a tear-stained face. ¡°I¡¯m willing to forgo everything as long as she¡¯s well.¡± Chu Ning tensed. ¡°Your Majesties, I can¡¯t confess to something I have not done.¡± The Empress rolled her eyes and wiped her tears as she asked tentatively, ¡°Then¡­ then, is it possible that Chu Liuyue did this?¡± Chu Ning glanced at her coldly. ¡°Is this Your Majesty¡¯s way of asking me to identify my daughter as the mastermind behind Her Highness¡¯s disappearance?¡± ¡°I-I¡­ That wasn¡¯t what I meant. Zhen Zhen has been missing for days, so we are worried about her. I don¡¯t want to push you, but can you explain why you have this hairpin?¡± Emperor Jiawen finally spoke up after a long time. ¡°In that case, we shall wait for Chu Liuyue to return from Tai Yan Academy and interrogate them together.¡± The Empress quickly winked at Rong Qi as a hint for him to speak up. Rong Qi immediately said, ¡°Father, you can¡¯t. Lord Chu Ning will definitely try to cover up for her. We should lock him up and interrogate him first. Then, Chu Liuyue will have no choice but to tell the truth when she returns.¡± Emperor Jiawen frowned. The Empress chided, ¡°Rong Qi, the verdict is not out. This isn¡¯t the way to treat Lord Chu Ning!¡± He replied aggrievedly, ¡°I¡¯m doing it for Zhen.¡± Emperor Jiawen was deep in thought. Finally, he said, ¡°Take Chu Ning into custody!¡± Chapter 366 - Personally Witness ¡°Your Majesty, the Third Prince requests to see you!¡± The announcement suddenly sounded. Everyone in the palace was shocked. Emperor Jiawen knitted his brows. ¡°Tell him that I¡¯m busy and get him to wait in the Imperial Study.¡± Eunuch Min wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Your Majesty, the Third Prince said that the matter was urgent and that he must immediately see you!¡± Emperor Jiawen looked even worse, and he suddenly slammed the table. ¡°He¡¯s becoming so outrageous!¡± The matters in the past two days had already frustrated him, and he didn¡¯t expect Rong Jiu to join in the commotion. During the period when he was in the Imperial City, he has always stayed in his place. Why did he suddenly become like this? Eunuch Min shuddered and was on the brink of tears. ¡°Your Majesty, the Third Prince said that he¡¯s here today because¡­ because of the Fourth Princess¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Emperor Jiawen was surprised, and he knitted his brows. ¡°He never interacted much with Zhen Zhen before¡­ What¡¯s with him today?¡± However, the Empress¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she looked uneasy. Rong Jin was previously grounded because Rong Jiu complained about him in front of His Majesty. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to this time! She advised worriedly, ¡°Your Majesty, we shouldn¡¯t air out our dirty linen in public. Let¡¯s not blow up the matter of Zhen Zhen going missing, alright? No matter if it¡¯s for the royal family or for Zhen Zhen, we should handle this discreetly¡­ If we drag in the Third Prince, it might not be easy to handle¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen thought for a while and shook his head. ¡°Rong Jiu has always been mature. Since he dared to come, he must really know something.¡± As he spoke, he raised his hand toward Eunuch Min. ¡°Let him in.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Eunuch Min hurriedly went out of the palace to invite Rong Jiu in. The Empress secretly bit her lip, and she became even more nervous for some reason. Very quickly, Rong Jiu strode in. He had been in war for many years, so even though he was only 20 this year and younger than Rong Jin, he was very fit. His surrounding aura was also formidable. Even though he was wearing a cotton robe, he couldn¡¯t hide his warrior aggression. This was an aura that one would only have if they had undergone intense battles on the battlefield. Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze quickly swept across the palace and stopped at the Empress for a while longer. The Empress¡¯s heart started beating wildly under his gaze, and she hurriedly averted her eyes. ¡°Greetings, Father, Mother.¡± Rong Jiu stood still in the palace with his fists cupped together as he greeted Emperor Jiawen and the Empress. Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t beat around the bush and openly asked, ¡°Let¡¯s not focus on these greetings. Do you really know something about Rong Zhen?¡± Rong Jiu nodded. ¡°I came here to talk to you about this today, Father.¡± Emperor Jiawen sat up straight. ¡°Quickly, speak!¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Ning. ¡°When I was outside, I heard that you wanted to lock Lord Chu Ning up?¡± Emperor Jiawen was confused, but he didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Rong Jiu shook his head. ¡°Father, you mustn¡¯t do it! If you do, you would¡¯ve wronged Lord Chu Ning! I can confirm that Lord Chu Ning has nothing to do with this!¡± Once he said this, even Chu Ning was shocked, let alone Emperor Jiawen and the Empress. This¡­ Rong Jiu came to put in a good word for me? Chu Ning quickly thought about it in his mind, and he didn¡¯t recall interacting with this Third Prince much. In this type of perilous situation, anyone would get into trouble if they came in. Therefore, others would definitely shun me. So why would he¡ª ¡°Rong Jiu, do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s gaze instantly turned serious, and his voice was grave. Rong Jiu¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I know. In actual fact, not only Lord Chu Ning, but even Chu Liuyue has nothing to do with this.¡± The Empress finally couldn¡¯t hold it in. ¡°Third Prince, do you know that Lu Yun has already found Zhen Zhen¡¯s hairpin in Chu Ning¡¯s house? The evidence is concrete! Why are you speaking up for that father-daughter duo?¡± Rong Jiu revealed a smile with deep meaning as he looked at the Empress and slowly said, ¡°Her Majesty, did Rong Zhen really drop that hairpin in Lord Chu Ning¡¯s house?¡± The Empress¡¯s heart instantly skipped a beat. ¡°W-what are you saying?¡± ¡°I heard that Lord Lu Yun was the one who brought people over to search Lord Chu Ning¡¯s house¡­ Everyone knows that Lord Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue have been living in the new mansion after they cut ties with the Chu family and that they didn¡¯t even hire servants. When they were searching the house, only Lord Chu Ning was there. Who would know if someone purposely brought the hairpin over and lied about finding it there? Even if Lord Chu Ning has multiple limbs, he can¡¯t supervise every single one of them, right?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression changed. Rong Jiu makes sense. The Empress secretly held the chair¡¯s handle tightly. ¡°Third Prince, this hairpin was found in the backyard. Back then, all the guards were witnesses. Did all of them lie about this?¡± Rong Jiu paused for a while and suddenly asked, ¡°Her Majesty, may I know if the hairpin beside your hand is the one they found at Lord Chu Ning¡¯s house?¡± The Empress was anxious because of his words. Once she heard him ask this, she couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°That¡¯s right; it is this one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it then.¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s expression became interesting. ¡°This hairpin is intricate and very eye-catching. Just by standing here, I can still see it with one glance at such a great distance away. I wonder if Lord Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue are blind. Maybe that¡¯s why they can¡¯t see the hairpin and why they purposely left it in the backyard.¡± The Empress retorted anxiously, ¡°P-perhaps Chu Liuyue was too nervous then, so she didn¡¯t notice it? Besides, the backyard is very big. It¡¯s impossible for her to check every nook and cranny¡ª¡± ¡°Her Majesty, didn¡¯t you say that this hairpin was found in the backyard and that many guards saw it personally? Why did it suddenly become hidden in a nook and cranny?¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s simple sentence stumped the Empress. The entire palace fell into dead silence. Chu Ning looked serious. ¡°Your Majesty, I was at the front yard at that time, and the guards were in the backyard, so I indeed didn¡¯t see them finding the hairpin.¡± Emperor Jiawen stared at the Empress, and his gaze turned cold. ¡°Empress, is there anything else you want to say?¡± ¡°I-I just made a mistake when I was talking!¡± The Empress hurriedly knelt down. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve always been in the palace, and I didn¡¯t go out or see the scene then. So naturally, I don¡¯t know what happened. I-I just made a mistake with my words just now!¡± Rong Jiu nonchalantly glanced at her in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Her Majesty, it seems like this matter really has nothing to do with you at all?¡± ¡°Of course not! Zhen Zhen is my daughter. Now that she¡¯s missing, I¡¯m the most anxious one!¡± Vengeance flashed across the Empress¡¯s eyes. Now, she had finally realized that Rong Jiu came over today to drag her down. She looked up and anxiously looked at Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Your Majesty, everything I said is true! Situ Xingchen personally saw Zhen Zhen with Chu Liuyue before Zhen Zhen went missing! She can prove it!¡± Chapter 367 - Return This sentence was like thunder that struck one¡¯s ears! Everyone in the palace was stunned. Even Rong Jiu undetectably furrowed his brows. Emperor Jiawen boomed, ¡°Are you speaking the truth? Did Situ Xingchen really say that?¡± The Empress hurriedly nodded. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Situ Xingchen!¡± Chu Ning suddenly asked, ¡°Her Majesty, may I know where you heard this from?¡± ¡°Of course, I personally heard it from Situ Xingchen!¡± At this point, the Empress couldn¡¯t care anymore and honestly admitted that she had always been keeping in contact with Rong Jin. Situ Xingchen told Rong Jin about this matter, who later told her. ¡°¡­I know this isn¡¯t right, but¡­ Rong Jin is only doing it for Rong Zhen, your Majesty!¡± Emperor Jiawen felt his head ache. The matter seemed to be increasingly complicated. Everyone said their own piece, and their contents were also different. Someone was definitely lying, but he couldn¡¯t immediately find out who it was. Seeing that Emperor Jiawen had faltered, the Empress immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty, Situ Xingchen already knows about Rong Zhen going missing and plans to come back with Rong Jin this time to help look for Rong Zhen. Why don¡¯t we wait until all of them to come back before we ask them in person?¡± Emperor Jiawen disagreed. ¡°Chu Liuyue wants to go to Tai Yan Academy for a month. Only a third of that time has passed. If we continue waiting for her, Rong Zhen¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, Yue¡¯er will be back really soon. She previously said that she¡¯d only go for ten days,¡± said Chu Ning. This made the others surprised. It¡¯s such a rare opportunity, yet Chu Liuyue is only staying for ten days? Emperor Jiawen stayed silent for a while before he hit the board. ¡°Since this is so, we¡¯ll wait for all of them to come back and ask them.¡± The Empress finally heaved a sigh of relief in her heart as her body went weak; she almost collapsed onto the floor. With Situ Xingchen¡¯s testimony, Chu Liuyue definitely won¡¯t be able to escape! I¡¯ll make sure to skin her at that point, even if I can¡¯t kill her! ¡°Father, you¡¯re wise. This way, we definitely can find Rong Zhen as soon as possible, and we won¡¯t frame Lord Chu Ning for no reason. Lord Chu Ning had always been loyal to you, and it¡¯ll be bad if this misunderstanding breaks Lord Chu Ning¡¯s heart,¡± said Rong Jiu with cupped fists. The palace was instantly silenced. Everyone knew that this so-called ¡®misunderstanding¡¯ was started by the Empress. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re dismissed. Empress, please stay.¡± ¡­ Walking out of the palace, Chu Ning solemnly thanked Rong Jiu. ¡°Thank you so much for your help, Third Prince.¡± If not, he really would¡¯ve been locked up. Rong Jiu looked nonchalant. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, don¡¯t stand on ceremony. I helped you just to help myself.¡± Chu Ning was dazed as he didn¡¯t expect Rong Jiu to be so honest. Of course, he could guess Rong Jiu¡¯s motive for coming. From start to end, Rong Jiu only targeted one person¡ªthe Empress! Especially the moment before he left the palace, his sentence had directly pushed the Empress! And the reason for Rong Jiu doing so¡­ was most likely due to his birth mother, Noble Lady Yin, being harmed by the Empress back then. Even though this matter wasn¡¯t concluded with solid evidence, Chu Ning was in his prime back then, and Emperor Jiawen trusted him a lot, so he roughly knew about this. Seeing Rong Jiu¡¯s appearance, he clearly came prepared. ¡°No matter what, I still have to thank you, Third Prince. I¡¯ll definitely repay you for this favor.¡± Rong Jiu seemed not to care about it. The two of them briefly talked again before leaving respectively. Chu Ning hesitated for a while and decided to go back first. Lu Yun previously brought so many people over and made a mess at his house. He had to hurriedly go back and tidy things up. If Yue¡¯er saw it, she would definitely be worried. ¡­ In the end, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t go back with Rong Jin and the rest. She just used one sentence to stop Rong Jin¡¯s intentions of stopping her. ¡°I¡¯ve already settled a time to go back with Lieutenant Mu. Whoever delays me needs to take responsibility.¡± Rong Jin had just settled his marriage agreement with Situ Xingchen, and he was in his prime. Originally, he wanted to show off his Crown Prince authority in front of Chu Liuyue, but he wasn¡¯t too full of himself. He still knew who he could offend and who he could not, so he could only let Chu Liuyue have her way. As for Situ Xingchen, she didn¡¯t say much from start to end and stayed out of the matter. It was as if she had forgotten that Rong Jin only caused trouble for Chu Liuyue after he heard her words. Chu Liuyue quickly returned to the Imperial City smoothly. The moment Chu Liuyue reached home, the door was opened from the inside before she could even knock on it. Chu Ning was standing within. ¡°Father, why are you at home?¡± Chu Liuyue saw him and was delighted and surprised. It¡¯s not his off-day today. Chu Ning first sized her up and heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that she was unharmed. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re back safe, Yue¡¯er. I have something to ask you.¡± The father and daughter returned to the house together. Chu Ning told Chu Liuyue about everything that had happened previously. ¡°¡­Yue¡¯er, do you have anything to do with the Fourth Princess going missing?¡± asked Chu Ning uncertainly. Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved. ¡°Father, didn¡¯t you already say it in front of His Majesty? You said that you believe that I didn¡¯t do it. Since you¡¯ve already said that, of course, it has nothing to do with me.¡± Chu Ning heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good; that¡¯s good. Previously, I was still worried when the Empress said that Situ Xingchen had seen you and Rong Zhen together¡­¡± What kind of status did Situ Xingchen have? Her words had some weight to them. Chu Ning believed his own daughter, but the matter¡¯s development seemed to be out of his control. Chu Liuyue nonchalantly smiled. ¡°I know about this. Before I came back, Rong Jin demanded that I take responsibility for Rong Zhen going missing just because he heard this from Situ Xingchen.¡± Chu Ning knitted his brows. ¡°Situ Xingchen has no grudges against us. Why must she say this?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Perhaps¡­ she saw wrongly.¡± Chu Ning didn¡¯t quite believe it. What kind of person is Situ Xingchen? She definitely knows what kind of impact her words have! They would most definitely harm Yue¡¯er! If she had really seen wrongly, she shouldn¡¯t announce it to everyone when she isn¡¯t certain. This really doesn¡¯t fit Situ Xingchen¡¯s rumored image. ¡°This Situ Xingchen¡­ is weird¡­¡± muttered Chu Ning. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want him to worry, so she hit his arm and delightedly said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing, and I won¡¯t let other people bully me!¡± Chu Ning¡¯s worry didn¡¯t dissipate because of this. ¡°But¡­ His Majesty said that he wants all of you to confront each other in person when you¡¯ve returned. What should we do?¡± If Situ Xingchen insists that Yue¡¯er did it¡­ Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. ¡°It will be my pleasure.¡± Chapter 368 - Meeting Chu Liuyue then went to visit Mu Qinghe, but she realized that he wasn¡¯t around. She waited outside the barrier for a while, but there was still no one around. Hence, she turned around to leave. She found it a little strange. If Hong Yao is around, it would¡¯ve long rushed out. Since there isn¡¯t any noise after so long, Hong Yao and Mu Qinghe are definitely not inside. What kind of place in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City would attract them? Chu Liuyue wondered as she walked toward Prince Li Mansion. Prince Li Mansion looked the same as usual without any changes, but Chu Liuyue sharply felt that the guards were even sterner. Seeing that she had arrived, Prince Li Mansion¡¯s servants immediately welcomed her with enthusiasm. When Yu Mo heard this commotion, he hurried out to show her in. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Upon seeing his emotional face, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°This isn¡¯t my first time here. Is there a need to be so emotional?¡± ¡°Of course! You don¡¯t know, but we¡¯ve been waiting for you to come back all these days!¡± Tears almost filled Yu Mo¡¯s eyes. If this person didn¡¯t come back any earlier, our days would¡¯ve been filled with suffering! ¡°Master is in the study! I¡¯ll bring you there!¡± As Yu Mo spoke, he brought Chu Liuyue to the study. Chu Liuyue followed behind him and silently judged the mansion¡¯s interior. She realized that it was indeed different from before. She noticed all the changes, but she didn¡¯t express them on the surface, and she didn¡¯t say anything. Very quickly, the two of them arrived outside the study. Yu Mo stopped in his tracks. ¡°Master is inside; go ahead.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. The moment she walked to the door, a white figure flashed past her eyes. Chu Liuyue was very surprised. ¡°Xue Xue?!¡± Ever since she left the Imperial City, she hadn¡¯t seen Xue Xue, and she did miss it quite a bit. Xue Xue saw her and waved its tail in excitement. It was obviously elated by her return. It jumped on the spot twice and ran two rounds around Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue laughed out loud. ¡°Enough, enough. I know what you want.¡± As she spoke, she stretched out her hand to pat Xue Xue¡¯s head. Xue Xue obediently leaned its gigantic head in. Shua! The moment Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand stretched out, a red figure flashed past her eyes, and she immediately felt something extra on the back of her hand. She focused on it and realized it was Tuan Zi. At this point, TuanZi was hugging her wrist as its round eyes looked at her innocently and sadly. It seemed as though it was complaining about something. Chu Liuyue glanced at her hand. Mm, great. It¡¯s completely occupied by Tuan Zi, and I can¡¯t touch Xue Xue anymore. Xue Xue growled lowly and was about to rush over when it suddenly heard a cough come from the room. Xue Xue immediately went to the side obediently and didn¡¯t look to the side, acting as if everything before didn¡¯t happen. Tuan Zi looked back and gave it a look of contempt. Chu Liuyue was speechless. She looked at the study and walked in. Creek! The study door was opened. Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu, who was behind the desk. He had a black cloak on, and he looked a little pale. There was a warm cup of tea beside his hand while he held a book. He just sat there quietly, and there was an indescribable aura around him¡ªgentlemanly and composed. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, he looked up. The moment he looked up, his pair of clear eyes looked like they contained galaxies of stars. This glance was vastly different from before. This pair of eyes seemed capable of containing everything in the world, but he was high, mighty, and irreplaceable. He was distinguished, and he looked over the rest of the world. The moment the two of them exchanged glances, Chu Liuyue could clearly hear her heart beating rapidly. The blood flowing through the veins in her ears seemed to be rumbling. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°En.¡± Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. The door behind Chu Liuyue suddenly closed, and the bright sunlight was blocked outside the door. Rong Xiu suddenly opened his mouth, and his clear and cold voice sounded like pieces of jade crashing against each other. ¡°I thought you would only have time to come over tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed; then, an incredulous thought surfaced in her mind. Is Rong Xiu¡­ jealous? Based on his skills and capabilities, I would¡¯ve been under his control the moment I entered the Imperial City. However, I went to see my father first and Mu Qinghe later before coming to Prince Li Mansion. Rong Xiu seems to be upset because of this. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°How can I bear to?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Chu Liuyue walked forward. Until there was only a table between them, she leaned down, used her hands as support on the table, and inched toward Rong Xiu. The two of them were extremely near each other, and they could almost breathe in each other¡¯s breaths. Chu Liuyue could even smell the familiar cold fragrance on him. Her heart beat even faster, and her eyes were filled with stars. ¡°The reason why I came to see you last is¡­¡± Before she finished her sentence, she suddenly leaned forward and kissed Rong Xiu¡¯s lips. It was lukewarm yet scorching, slow yet urgent. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to expect that Chu Liuyue would do this, and he was stunned. Chu Liuyue softly muttered, and her voice sounded in between their teeth and lips. ¡°This is the answer.¡± Of course, she missed him and wanted to see him right away. However, she had to settle some things first. If not, they would only meet for a while before she would have to rush off to do other things. Hence, she swiftly settled all the messy things she had to do before coming over. Without a burden, clear and relaxed. However, she didn¡¯t expect herself to miss Rong Xiu more than she had imagined. It wasn¡¯t obvious when she was at Tai Yan Academy, nor was it obvious when she was on the way back. She even felt that it was nothing when she first arrived at Prince Li Mansion, but the moment she saw Rong Xiu, feelings of reminiscence suddenly overwhelmed her heart. All the feelings she had intentionally and unknowingly suppressed enveloped her. Her mind seemed to be completely blank except for one thought: Kiss him! She finally felt secure when she touched his soft and slightly cold lips. After a moment, she saw that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t move, and she angrily bit him. Rong Xiu raised his hands to pull her in and retaliate. However, Chu Liuyue lightly licked his lips and quickly retreated. She leaned in toward his ear with one hand on his cloak and said softly, ¡°Rong Xiu, are you not hot? Oh¡­ I almost forgot that Prince Li is heavily ill and that he should rest. He can¡¯t¡ªWu!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze suddenly darkened. The next moment, he captured Chu Liuyue¡¯s chin, leaned in toward her lips, and harshly kissed her. If he could endure such a situation, he would really be sick in the mind! Chapter 369 - Summon After Rong Xiu was satisfied, he slowly let go of Chu Liuyue. He looked down and saw the young girl¡¯s slightly plump lips. Gently caressing them with his fingers, he lazily spoke with a hoarse voice. ¡°Mm, it seems like your strategy is correct.¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and immediately glared at him. However, her eyes were watery, and she looked even more charming instead of angry. Rong Xiu chuckled, kissed her, and finally let go. ¡°Come over.¡± Chu Liuyue walked around the table and stood beside him to see the book that he had just placed aside. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Every time she came, Rong Xiu seemed to be reading a book. She glanced at the book, and it seemed to be a biography. Rong Xiu grabbed her thin waist and hugged her. Chu Liuyue leaned against his chest. Rong Xiu¡¯s hand gently caressed her waist, and his other hand brought that book over. ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± Chu Liuyue felt that Rong Xiu¡¯s hands had magical powers. He just pressed her waist a few times, and a gush of warmth came toward her. She felt as if her entire body became soft and relaxed. She let loose and felt that her recent tiredness had been dispelled by quite a bit. She then brought the book over and looked up in shock when she saw the name on it. ¡°You moved it from the academy?¡± Chu Liuyue remembered that she had previously seen this book in Yi Feng Courtyard. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t find it strange that she remembered as he nonchalantly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve basically packed most of Mother¡¯s items, so there isn¡¯t any need for me to stay there.¡± Of course, another important reason was that the person in his arms wouldn¡¯t be staying there for long. Chu Liuyue recalled what he had taken out from Jiuyou Tower previously and nodded in understanding as she unintentionally flipped open the book and glanced at it. Rong Xiu had always been acting ill ever since he came back from Tian Lu Academy, so he rarely stepped out of Prince Li Mansion. He spent most of his time here. Thus, Chu Liuyue was actually very curious about what Rong Xiu read normally. However, she was stunned when she glanced at it. It was actually a map. Moreover¡­ it was a map of the Imperial City! After she was reborn, she had specifically gone to find out about the Imperial City¡ªincluding its overall structure. Hence, she immediately recognized that the map was the Imperial City¡¯s outline when she saw it. The more shocking thing was that the map had detailed military allocation! The entire Imperial City¡¯s attack and defense system could be seen from this. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly beat wildly. It turns out that Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t reading books every day, but¡ª She instinctively looked up at Rong Xiu. ¡°This¡­¡± Rong Xiu looked calm as if he didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal. Chu Liuyue thought that he didn¡¯t expect her to understand it, so she couldn¡¯t help but poke his chest. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ you¡¯ve been looking at this every day?¡± Rong Xiu glanced at her expression, and his lips curved up. He then said lightly, ¡°Not every day. I just look at it to dispel my boredom sometimes.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Dispel your boredom? What kind of person would look at this to dispel their boredom? With this map, Rong Xiu could easily control the entire Imperial City! If he had military power, attacking the Imperial City is just a matter of time! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved, and she finally couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Why¡­ are you looking at the Imperial City¡¯s map?¡± Originally, she thought that Rong Xiu would look shocked, but a smile appeared on his face as he kissed Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella. ¡°You indeed can understand it.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly felt conflicted. It turns out that Rong Xiu already knew I could tell what it was, but he didn¡¯t want to hide it. ¡°Are¡­ you not worried that I would expose you?¡± If Emperor Jiawen knew that he, as a prince, had such a thing with him, it would spell trouble. Rong Xiu raised his brows and said righteously, ¡°You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e. If anything happens to me, you can¡¯t escape either.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Why does it sound like he¡¯s saying, ¡®you live as my woman and die as my ghost?¡¯ Rong Xiu raised his chin. ¡°You can continue looking.¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a while before flipping to the back. After looking at it, she realized it was a similar map. Even though all the maps were slightly different, they were equally detailed. Chu Liuyue looked at the maps and was increasingly shocked. These maps¡­ seem to be the entire Country Yao Chen! I¡¯m afraid that even the military won¡¯t have such detailed maps! Chu Liuyue was genuinely stunned. ¡°Rong Xiu, what¡¯s the point of you reading this¡­?¡± If it weren¡¯t because Rong Xiu didn¡¯t hold any military power, she would really think that Rong Xiu was planning a revolt. ¡°It¡¯s just something to pass my time.¡± Rong Xiu really didn¡¯t seem to care. Upon seeing her look of shock, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and hug her tighter. She looks really charming when she¡¯s worried for me. Chu Liuyue instinctively turned her gaze and glanced at the bookshelves behind him. The shelves were filled. A terrifying thought surfaced in her mind. Are these also¡ª She long knew that Rong Xiu was much stronger than he appeared to be, but seeing all of this still exceeded her imagination! ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± asked Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue revealed a sympathetic expression. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about how unlucky Rong Jin must be to have met you.¡± Rong Jin originally thought that his status as the Crown Prince would be secured once he settled his marriage agreement with Situ Xingchen and that even the throne would be in his hands. However, he didn¡¯t know¡­ Rong Xiu raised his brows. He had no interest in comparing with Rong Jin, but since it was still praise from her, he decided to accept it heartily. Chu Liuyue put that book back and continued to hide in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms. Rong Xiu used his chin to touch her soft hair. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. How about we discuss our wedding date?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed before she looked like she was in a difficult position. We do need to discuss this. Mu Qinghe is still in the Imperial City now, and I don¡¯t know when he will go back to the Tianling Dynasty. If he is going to leave soon, then we won¡¯t have time to hold a grand wedding. If he waits for a while, we can hold a grand wedding. However, I wouldn¡¯t know when I would be able to follow him back to the Tianling Dynasty. The road in front was also very dangerous, and Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what she had to face if she went back. Besides, it would be even harder to handle if there was Rong Xiu¡­ Of course, she couldn¡¯t bear to leave Rong Xiu, but she had to go back to the Tianling Dynasty. She knitted her brows and thought for a long time. Suddenly, she left Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace, sat opposite him, and looked very serious. ¡°Rong Xiu, I have something to tell you.¡± Rong Xiu looked at her with deep meaning. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡­ The next day, Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen finally reached the Imperial City. Chu Liuyue was currently at home with her legs crossed. Her hands were on her knees as she absorbed the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. Suddenly, Eunuch Min¡¯s voice could be heard from outside the door. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, Ms. Liuyue, His Majesty and Her Majesty are waiting in the palace. Please head there!¡± Chapter 370 - Suspect Palace. When Chu Liuyue followed Chu Ning over, Emperor Jiawen and the Empress were already waiting in the palace. Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen were also seated there. There was still another person on the other side¡ªRong Jiu. Chu Liuyue had already heard about what previously happened from Chu Ning, so she wasn¡¯t surprised by Rong Jiu¡¯s presence. Her eyes quickly darted across the few people in the palace. Emperor Jiawen had no expression on his face, but his gaze was grave. Compared to the previous time she saw the Empress, the Empress looked much frailer. It was as though she had aged a lot in a moment. It was clear that the recent happenings had tortured her. When Rong Jin saw Chu Liuyue, a complicated look flashed across his face. He held a hairpin in his hands. Chu Liuyue guessed that it was Rong Zhen¡¯s hairpin, which they had claimed to have found in her backyard. Situ Xingchen and Rong Jiu both looked calm, and nobody could tell anything from them. Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue bowed as per normal. Emperor Jiawen told the two of them to sit. ¡°Okay, since we¡¯re all here, then¡­ let¡¯s start!¡± Emperor Jiawen had already lost his patience, so he decided to be straightforward. He looked at Situ Xingchen and boomed, ¡°Xingchen, you previously said that you saw Liuyue and Zhen Zhen together. Is that true?¡± Situ Xingchen stood up and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t dare to lie, and all I said was the truth. As Jiuyou Tower was on fire that day, I remember it very clearly. After Jiuyou Tower collapsed, Tai Yan Academy was going to depart the next day, so I quickly went back to pack my things. I didn¡¯t expect to coincidentally see Rong Zhen and Chu Liuyue on the way.¡± Emperor Jiawen asked, ¡°Was anyone else there?¡± ¡°An elder in a black robe, but I didn¡¯t see his face properly.¡± ¡°Did you hear what they said?¡± ¡°I was a distance away, so I couldn¡¯t hear them. However, I saw the two of them walking very closely together, so I thought that they were close. I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face turned increasingly cold. The elder in the black robe was definitely Si Meng. If Situ Xingchen were telling a lie, how would she know about Si Meng¡¯s presence? ¡°Actually, I felt it was quite strange after I saw that.¡± Situ Xingchen looked up at Emperor Jiawen and said hesitantly, ¡°This was because His Majesty had just granted a marriage between Prince Li and Chu Liuyue. Hence, I was confused as to why I saw her with Rong Zhen.¡± The crowd understood. The timing was really too special. Even if Chu Liuyue and Rong Zhen were on very good terms, they shouldn¡¯t be together on the day that her marriage was granted. Besides, everyone knew that the two of them had conflicts before. It was suspicious for the both of them to be together. Emperor Jiawen asked again, ¡°What happened afterward? Did you see where they went?¡± Situ Xingchen shook her head. ¡°I was only looking from afar then. As I was rushing back, I left, and I don¡¯t know where they went.¡± Emperor Jiawen nodded. ¡°Sit down.¡± Then, he turned to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯ve heard her words. What do you have to say?¡± Chu Liuyue lightly knocked against the chair¡¯s armrest and looked at Situ Xingchen while in deep thought. Situ Xingchen¡¯s previous words are actually very ambiguous, but Si Meng¡¯s presence has increased her credibility greatly. After all, even Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t know of Si Meng¡¯s existence before, so it¡¯s very easy to make people believe her once she talked about him. This also means that Situ Xingchen had long known of Si Meng¡¯s existence. Perhaps she even knows about what happened that day. However, she can¡¯t fully state it because of some reason, so she has to use a tactful manner. After all, she can still push the responsibility for Rong Zhen¡¯s incident to me even if this is so. Chu Liuyue replied calmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Rong Zhen that day. That day, Prince Li sent someone to send Father and me home; the Chu family then sent us an invitation. Father went over while I stayed at home and didn¡¯t leave. The Chu family can vouch for this.¡± Quite a few people knew about Chu Ning going over to the Chu Residence, and they had even talked about it in private for a period of time. Everyone knew that the Chu family regretted chasing Chu Ning and his daughter out and that they were thinking of ways to convince them to come back. Chu Ning said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Yue¡¯er planned to go with me that day, but I stopped her. Hence, she stayed at home.¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, who can prove that she didn¡¯t go out after you left, Lord Chu Ning?¡± Rong Jin retorted, ¡°Besides, the two of you are father and daughter, so we can¡¯t fully trust your testimony.¡± Chu Ning looked serious. They had no ways of retorting if the other party said that. This was because he and Yue¡¯er really couldn¡¯t prove that Yue¡¯er was home the entire time. Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°I heard that the hairpin¡¯s appearance was pretty ambiguous and that even the Empress couldn¡¯t say where it came from. Then, how will everyone know what you said was the truth?¡± ¡°You!¡± The Empress was very angered. Chu Liuyue really knows how to touch a sore spot! His Majesty was already very upset with her because of the hairpin the day before. By mentioning it again, Chu Liuyue was just pushing the Empress into hot water. Rong Jin knitted his brows and hid the hairpin. He originally thought that this hairpin was solid evidence, but judging from his mother¡¯s reaction, it wasn¡¯t easy to say that it truly was¡­ The two parties had their own testimonies, and the situation reached a stalemate. Rong Jiu suddenly said, ¡°Actually, the crux of the matter is to find Rong Zhen. Her Majesty, Rong Zhen¡¯s pearl of essence is broken, and it¡¯s impossible for her to leave the palace quietly with her abilities. This also means that she left with Si Meng¡¯s help. Even though Si Meng is already dead, did he really not leave behind any clues¡­?¡± The Empress was even more frustrated. She knew that every time they mentioned Si Meng, it would fill His Majesty¡¯s heart with even more dissatisfaction and hatred. But in order to push the blame to Chu Liuyue fully, Si Meng was a very important character. She rubbed her temples and said, ¡°No, Si Meng died very suddenly.¡± Speaking of this, she suddenly paused and looked at Chu Liuyue suspiciously. ¡°Oh, right. Coming to think of it, Si Meng is a stage-five warrior, and an average person is not his match. The person must be formidable for them to kill him in such a short amount of time. In the entire Imperial City, there aren¡¯t many people of such standards.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and asked delightfully, ¡°What? Her Majesty, are you suspecting that I killed him? Aren¡¯t you overestimating me, a stage-two warrior?¡± Chapter 371 - Seen Before The Empress smiled coldly. ¡°You are a stage-two warrior, but who in the Imperial City doesn¡¯t know that you can win against a stage-four warrior? Perhaps you didn¡¯t even exhibit your full potential during the Qing Jiao Competition. Other than yourself, who else would know about this? Besides, you have a weird fiend.¡± She was referring to Tuan Zi. When Tuan Zi directly swallowed Heng Jingchuo¡¯s force, it left a deep impression on many people. The Empress had always felt that Chu Liuyue was mysterious and that her limits were unknown. Previously, Rong Zhen mentioned that Chu Liuyue had met with some fortune, which caused her to transform into the current enviable talent from her previous good-for-nothing status. Perhaps Si Meng was really killed by her or the person behind her. ¡°Also, you¡¯ve previously gone up to Jiuyou Tower¡¯s sixth floor! How do you explain that?¡± The more the Empress said, the more certain she sounded. The expression of Emperor Jiawen and the rest gradually had a strange change. Just listening to whatever the Empress said sounded ridiculous, but upon deeper thought, there was such a possibility. There had been too many strange things happening to Chu Liuyue within these few months. Things that seemed impossible to other people somehow made sense when it came to her. Si Meng¡¯s death might really perhaps be¡­ Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Thank you for your high praise, Her Majesty. But if I really killed Si Meng like you said, why don¡¯t I directly kill the Fourth Princess as well? Wouldn¡¯t everything end easier this way?¡± The Empress was stumped. Rong Jin angrily hollered, ¡°It¡¯s naturally because you¡¯re afraid that you¡¯d be exposed! As the princess, Rong Zhen has a device that allows her to call for help. Once you push her to a dead end, she¡¯ll definitely expose your identity and your location.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Jin as if she were looking at a fool. ¡°Your Highness, allow me to say something. Previously, the Empress said that I could kill a stage-five warrior in a moment. Do you think that the Fourth Princess¡¯s abilities and reaction speed would be stronger and faster than a stage-five warrior?¡± Rong Jin was stumped, and his face flashed white and red. Si Meng definitely accompanied Rong Zhen by her side. If Chu Liuyue could kill Si Meng, it would be easier to kill Rong Zhen. Before Rong Zhen could send out the help signal, Chu Liuyue would definitely kill her to settle all the problems. The Empress looked even worse. This was because only she knew that Rong Zhen¡¯s signal device wasn¡¯t with her but with Si Meng. Ever since Rong Zhen¡¯s pearl of essence broke, Si Meng had always been by her side; he never left. For safety reasons, they had long prepared this. But to say this now, other than proving that the person who killed Si Meng was even stronger than they thought, it posed no advantage whatsoever. It might even upset His Majesty further. Rong Jin looked at Situ Xingchen with much difficulty and whispered, ¡°Xingchen, what should we do now?¡± Situ Xingchen sneered in her heart and hated Rong Jin even more. Rong Jin is even more stupid than I had thought. I wonder how he stayed as the Crown Prince for so long. Situ Xingchen looked down. Her lashes trembled, and she innocently and genuinely said, ¡°Your Highness, I only saw those things that day, and I¡¯ve said everything there is to be said. However, I can¡¯t do anything more.¡± Rong Jin was a bit anxious. ¡°According to you, Chu Liuyue must¡¯ve hidden Rong Zhen. However, she doesn¡¯t want to admit it now. This¡ª¡± ¡°Your Highness, I did not say that, but you previously said that the Fourth Princess met with trouble. Hence, I unintentionally told you about this. Is this¡­ elder¡¯s status rather troublesome?¡± Situ Xingchen silently extracted herself from the situation. However, Rong Jin didn¡¯t notice this at all. On the contrary, Situ Xingchen¡¯s words reminded him of something. ¡°Chu Liuyue, you said so much, but you still haven¡¯t proven your innocence! On the other hand, Xingchen had never come to Country Yao Chen before, and she didn¡¯t know about Si Meng¡¯s presence. If she¡¯s lying, how would she know Si Meng? Besides, she has no grudge against anyone involved in this incident. Why would she set you up? However, you¡­ Rong Zhen had previously offended you, so you¡¯re trying to use this opportunity to take revenge, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze landed on Situ Xingchen, and she smiled with deep meaning. ¡°The Crown Prince is right, and I really don¡¯t understand. Eldest Princess Situ and I have never interacted, and we don¡¯t have grudges at all. Thus, I really don¡¯t know why Eldest Princess Situ wants to set me up.¡± Situ Xingchen looked at Chu Liuyue calmly, and she appeared as gracious and kind as usual. ¡°Ms. Chu, I didn¡¯t set you up. From start to end, I was just saying what I saw and heard.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned, and her gaze landed on Situ Xingchen¡¯s sleeves. When she saw Situ Xingchen again in Tai Yan Academy, she realized that Situ Xingchen had changed clothes and that her sleeves didn¡¯t have that embroidery any longer. Looking at her again, it was still the same. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe Situ Xingchen when she said that she didn¡¯t know about Rong Xiu burning more than half of his clothes. She wouldn¡¯t be like this if she didn¡¯t suffer great humiliation. Obviously, this Eldest Princess Situ has shifted all her anger to me. The Empress took the opportunity to say, ¡°Your Majesty, Xingchen¡¯s words are more credible. On the other hand, from start to end, Chu Liuyue hasn¡¯t produced any evidence regarding where she was that day. I think we won¡¯t be able to get anything out of her if this continues. Why don¡¯t we lock her up and get someone to properly interrogate her¡­ Perhaps we¡¯ll get a different conclusion.¡± The entire palace fell into dead silence. The Empress meant that she was going to severely torture and interrogate Chu Liuyue. Chu Ning first stood up. ¡°Impossible!¡± It was impossible for him to watch Yue¡¯er get locked up without doing anything. What kind of place is jail? How can Yue¡¯er go to such a place? Besides, there might be the Empress¡¯s people inside! Once Yue¡¯er goes in, god knows what she will suffer! ¡°Lieutenant Mu is still in the Imperial City, and he might bring Yue¡¯er to the Tianling Dynasty at any time. If we lock Yue¡¯er up now, may I know how you will explain to Lieutenant Mu, Her Majesty?¡± Bringing up Mu Qinghe had indeed made the Empress falter. ¡°T-then, what should we do? Are we just going to let it pass?¡± At this point, Rong Jiu¡ªwho hadn¡¯t said anything at all for a long time¡ªsuddenly said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s very simple. As long as we find Rong Zhen, the truth will prevail.¡± The Empress sneered. ¡°That¡¯s easy to say! We still need to ask Chu Liuyue if she¡¯s willing to hand Zhen Zhen over!¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze turned strange. He then stood up and solemnly bowed to Emperor Jiawen. ¡°I¡¯m guilty. Father, please punish me.¡± Emperor Jiawen knitted his brows. ¡°Rong Jiu, what are you playing at?¡± Rong Jin pronounced every word clearly as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the Fourth Princess the day before.¡± Chapter 372 - Heptagon Alley His sentence struck other people¡¯s ears as loud as thunder. The Empress and the rest were so shocked that their mouths were agape. Even Emperor Jiawen¡ªwho had always been composed¡ªcouldn¡¯t help standing up. ¡°What are you talking about?! You saw Rong Zhen previously? When was it and where?!¡± Rong Jiu paused for a while before saying, ¡°It might be more suitable if you ask Her Majesty about this.¡± Once he said this, all the people present were stunned. The Empress was at a loss. ¡°Rong Jiu, what does this mean?¡± Rong Jiu slowly said, ¡°I believe the Empress clearly knows what I mean. You know where Rong Zhen is, but I don¡¯t know why you act ignorant and put up such a show!¡± The Empress was about to faint from Rong Jiu¡¯s words. Her well-drawn brows were raised as she stared at Rong Jiu. Then, she finally realized that Rong Jiu came to go against her. Her voice instantly became cold, and it contained a normal sternness from the palace. ¡°Rong Jiu, do you know what you¡¯re talking about? Ever since Rong Jiu went missing, I¡¯ve been very restless and unable to sleep. Up to this point, I¡¯m still worried and scared for her. How can you just say this out of nowhere?¡± The Empress then turned around to look at Emperor Jiawen angrily and sadly. ¡°Your Majesty, please make a judgment correctly! I really don¡¯t know where Zhen Zhen is now! I also don¡¯t know where the Third Prince¡¯s words came from!¡± Emperor Jiawen coldly stared at Rong Jiu. ¡°What exactly did you mean by those words just now?¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s eyes scanned the Empress, and he slowly said, ¡°I mean that from start to end, this is a show that the Empress directed herself! She was the one who hid Rong Zhen, and she even planned to frame Lord Chu Ning and his daughter!¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s low and powerful voice reverberated throughout the palace; it was clear and captivating. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but look at Rong Jiu. She didn¡¯t expect that Rong Jiu would say such a thing¡­ ¡°Outrageous!¡± After the shock, the Empress finally recovered her senses. She couldn¡¯t help but scold loudly as all her anger had no outlet. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Rong Jiu, what kind of place do you think this is?! What kind of person do you think I am? How dare you spout such nonsense?¡± As she said all this, she hurriedly rushed toward Rong Jiu and raised her hand to give him a harsh slap. ¡°I must teach you a lesson today!¡± ¡°Empress!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s scolding immediately nailed the Empress to the ground. Si Huijing suddenly recovered her senses and looked back in panic, only to see Emperor Jiawen glaring at her with fire in his eyes. ¡°As the Empress, what kind of behavior is this?¡± The Empress then recovered her senses. I did lose my mannerism as the Empress with my previous actions. Emperor Jiawen was utterly disappointed in the Empress. Rong Jiu just said a few sentences, yet the Empress was so agitated. She yelled shrilly, scolded him, and insulted him crazily. She had no elegant behavior whatsoever and even wanted to directly hit him in front of everyone else. This behavior was as good as those hags shouting at the markets. She had completely tarnished the royal family¡¯s reputation. Noticing Emperor Jiawen¡¯s anger, the Empress was petrified and indignant. ¡°Your Majesty, I know I¡¯m wrong, but I didn¡¯t purposely do that! Did you hear what Rong Jiu said just now? Even though I¡¯m not his birth mother, I¡¯m still his mother. Yet, he framed me! I¡ª¡± The Empress talked on as tears streamed down her face. She clutched a handkerchief with one hand and pressed it against her chest as though she were very heartbroken. Once Rong Jiu heard ¡®birth mother,¡¯ murderous intent flashed across his eyes. It¡¯s fine if she didn¡¯t mention this, but¡­ That bitch Empress actually has the guts to say this! Rong Jiu lifted his sleeves. Bang! He directly knelt on the floor! ¡°Every word I said is true! If I have lied about it, I¡¯ll be struck by lightning!¡± This was a vicious oath! Once he said this, even the Empress¡ªwho was busy crying¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but pause. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and shot Chu Ning a questioning gaze. Chu Ning lightly shook his head, indicating that he didn¡¯t know what the situation was. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and sized Rong Jiu up again. That¡¯s strange¡­ Rong Jiu didn¡¯t interact with us much, so why does he keep speaking up for us this time? He has even placed his life on the line! As the prince, Rong Jiu¡¯s words were of some weight! As expected, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression changed. If Rong Jiu dares to make such a vicious oath¡­ It means that his words are most likely true! ¡°Empress, what exactly is going on?!¡± hollered Emperor Jiawen as he had already lost his patience. A chill was sent down the Empress¡¯s spine, and she cried even more intensely. ¡°I really don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Since the Empress doesn¡¯t want to admit it, then I¡¯ll remind you. Do you remember Heptagon Alley?¡± said Rong Jiu lightly. The Empress suddenly paused, and she looked at Rong Jiu in shock. How does he know about that place? Emperor Jiawen boomed, ¡°If I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, Heptagon Alley was one of the busiest places in the Imperial City in the past. Afterward, a murder case happened there, and the place slowly got abandoned.¡± ¡°Father, you¡¯re very wise. The current Heptagon Alley is as good as dead, and it¡¯s very quiet. But for some reason, Her Majesty really likes that place. After I returned to the Imperial City, I sometimes walked around the Imperial City since I didn¡¯t have much to do. Unknowingly, I walked past Heptagon Alley and saw Her Majesty there twice.¡± The Empress¡¯s heart sank. Emperor Jiawen glanced at the Empress. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The first time was half a month ago. I saw the Empress from far away, and I thought I was hallucinating. After all, Heptagon Alley was very isolated, and not many people would go there normally. But I was curious, so I waited around in the area. After another hour, I saw the Empress leaving. I hurriedly followed her, wanting to see what was going on, yet I shockingly discovered that there was a very strong barrier in Heptagon Alley!¡± The Empress¡¯s face was as white as a sheet. Rong Jin suddenly seemed to remember something as his nostrils expanded. ¡°¡­I left because I was worried about being discovered. Another month later¡ªwhich was ten days ago¡ªI was very curious and couldn¡¯t take it any longer, so I went to Heptagon Alley. I didn¡¯t expect to see Her Majesty walking out coincidentally.¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, she also looked at the Empress and saw her ghastly face. The Empress appeared as though she had lost all her senses. ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t help being suspicious as I had seen her twice consecutively, but I didn¡¯t have many clues, so I didn¡¯t say it aloud. However, I coincidentally met Rong Zhen on the streets the day before and realized that she was heading for Heptagon Alley.¡± Chapter 373 - Go Forward ¡°Impossible! You¡¯re lying!¡± The Empress finally couldn¡¯t hold it in and shrilled. Her hands shook as she pointed at Rong Jiu. Due to anger and anxiety, her originally well-maintained face contorted. ¡°Zhen Zhen is missing!¡± I have already lost contact with Rong Zhen for many days. How can I not know about it if Rong Zhen is really in Heptagon Alley? Previously, she had already asked the Si family to help search the entire Imperial City secretly, but she didn¡¯t receive any news back. After the matter was exposed, Emperor Jiawen had also sent people to look for Rong Zhen everywhere, but he didn¡¯t get any clues either. Si Huijing almost suspected that Rong Zhen was brought out of the Imperial City. In the end, Rong Jiu suddenly jumped out and said that Rong Zhen is at Heptagon Alley. That¡¯s crazy talk! Rong Jiu stared at her finger that almost poked his face and the sharp and glamorous nail as he tugged at his lips without much smiling intent. ¡°Her Majesty, why are you so agitated? We just need to send someone to check and see if it¡¯s true or false. Anyway, Heptagon Alley is in the Imperial City. It won¡¯t waste too much time if we send someone to check.¡± ¡°No!¡± retorted the Empress reflexively, but the moment she said that, she instinctively noticed that something was wrong. Behind her, Emperor Jiawen sounded cold. ¡°I think this is a great idea. Since Rong Jiu said that Rong Zhen is there, we just have to send someone there to look for her. If we find her, it¡¯ll prove that Rong Jiu is speaking the truth. If we don¡¯t¡­ Rong Jiu, do you know what kind of consequences you¡¯ll have to face?¡± Rong Jiu looked calm. ¡°I know. If Rong Zhen isn¡¯t in Heptagon Alley, I¡¯ll never leave the Imperial City ever again!¡± Emperor Jiawen was shocked because he didn¡¯t expect Rong Jiu to make such a promise willingly. Actually, he had been thinking about how to arrange Rong Jiu during this period. Send him back to the Northwest Army? Impossible; that was akin to letting the tiger go back to the mountains. Let him stay in the Imperial City? Unsuitable. Rong Jiu had many military accolades, and he was in his prime. It was too obvious if he suddenly stripped him of his military duties. In actual fact, Emperor Jiawen had received many petitions before this¡ªwhich requested for him to let Rong Jiu go back to the Northwest Army. However, he had many considerations and placed this matter aside. This time, Rong Jiu suggested it himself. As long as they didn¡¯t find Rong Zhen in Heptagon Alley, he would have to stay in the Imperial City forever. On the one hand, Emperor Jiawen wanted to find Rong Zhen. On the other hand, he wanted to use this opportunity to make Rong Jiu stay. No matter how he looked at it, it was beneficial for him. Hence, he agreed to this suggestion almost without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll go there myself! Eunuch Min, let¡¯s prepare to leave!¡± The Empress¡¯s legs gave way, and she almost knelt on the floor. ¡°Your Majesty, you mustn¡¯t!¡± Anyone could tell how guilty the Empress was at this moment, and Emperor Jiawen was naturally not an exception. The more it was so, the more he wanted to go. ¡°Empress, I just want to go over and find Rong Zhen, yet you¡¯re stopping me so vehemently. What are you thinking? Do you not want me to find Rong Zhen, or¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t speak loudly, but his fierce aura and his words were like sharp knives that harshly stabbed into the Empress¡¯s heart. She wanted to stop Emperor Jiawen from going, but saying anything in this situation would make her seem guilty and weak. Rong Jin finally recovered his senses and went up to help the Empress up. ¡°Mother, why must you do this?! Isn¡¯t it just an alley? If Father wants to go, why are you stopping him?¡± Going against Father like this isn¡¯t advantageous at all! The Empress weakly glanced at Rong Jin, and her tears fell. What does he know¡­ Chu Liuyue suddenly stood up and lightly said, ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ll go with you too.¡± The Empress suddenly looked up and stared at Chu Liuyue with uncertainty. ¡°Chu Liuyue, why are you joining in on the commotion?!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Her Majesty, how can this be considered as joining in on the commotion? As long as the Fourth Princess is not found, I¡¯ll forever be framed. I want to find the Fourth Princess as much as you and His Majesty do. Weren¡¯t you very worried about the Fourth Princess previously? Why are you reluctant to go now that the Third Prince said that the Fourth Princess is at Heptagon Alley?¡± The Empress couldn¡¯t express her troubles, and she felt very burdened. She wanted to go up and rip Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips apart¡ªRong Jiu¡¯s as well! Emperor Jiawen glanced at the Empress coldly. ¡°Empress, if you want to go, you can go with us. If you don¡¯t want to, you can just wait in the palace.¡± Anyway, the truth will soon prevail! Emperor Jiawen then whipped his sleeves and walked out of the palace with big strides. Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning hurriedly followed. Even Rong Jiu¡ªwho was kneeling on the floor¡ªstood up. He glanced at the Empress hopelessly and said lightly, ¡°Her Majesty, I think you¡¯re not in good condition, but I¡¯ll still advise you to come along. The Fourth Princess is very lonely outside the palace, so she would definitely be happy to see you.¡± Rong Jin angrily hollered, ¡°Get lost!¡± Rong Jiu didn¡¯t care for his scolding as he tidied his robe and turned around to leave. The moment he stepped out, he paused and turned around. ¡°Brother, you must take good care of Her Majesty. After all, you might not have the chance to do so in the future.¡± Rong Jin was enraged as he hurled a punch toward Rong Jiu. ¡°You¡¯re tired of living!¡± Rong Jiu easily avoided the punch and stretched out a hand at the same time to lock Rong Jin¡¯s wrist directly. Rong Jin immediately felt excruciating pain. Rong Jiu¡¯s hands were like metal. Also, his cultivation and abilities didn¡¯t seem to be weaker than those of Rong Jin. Faint murderous intent exuded from Rong Jiu¡¯s body. He had been through ruthless battles, and every move was a killer one. How could Rong Jin be his match? Rong Jiu finally let go when Rong Jin¡¯s face was turning white. He shot Rong Jin a warning look before turning around to leave. Rong Jin¡¯s lungs were about to explode, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. The Empress already struggled to get up. I must go! I definitely must go! Upon seeing this, Rong Jin immediately went forward to help her up. He also looked at Situ Xingchen at the same time. ¡°Xingchen, why are you in a daze? Hurry over and help Mother up!¡± He had never seen his mother in such a desolated state. Since just now, Situ Xingchen had already realized that something was amiss. She felt even more annoyed when she heard Rong Jin¡¯s words. What¡¯s wrong with him? He should see how unkempt the Empress is! How can I help her up? ¡°Xingchen?¡± Upon seeing that Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t react for a long time, Rong Jin thought that she didn¡¯t hear him properly. Hence, he called for her again. Situ Xingchen suppressed her disgust, walked forward, and silently used her sleeves to cover her hands as she used her arm to help the Empress up. It was as though she were afraid that she would contract some disease after touching the Empress. Rong Jin didn¡¯t notice her movements as he only wanted to catch up to his father, who was in front. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t far behind Emperor Jiawen, and she was thinking about something when she suddenly heard some commotion. She turned back and saw Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen helping the Empress along as they rushed over. Her lips curved up, and she smiled delightfully. ¡°Oh, yes. I haven¡¯t congratulated Your Highness and Eldest Princess Situ for your marriage! I wish the both of you to grow old together and live in peace and harmony!¡± Chapter 374 - Appear! Situ Xingchen just felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s words pierced her ears. Her gaze changed, and she forced a smile, which she rapidly kept. Rong Jin saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s bright smile and felt very conflicted. It was the best choice for him to be engaged to Situ Xingchen. When everything went smoothly, he was once secretly thankful that everything would be easier with Situ Xingchen. Originally, he thought that he didn¡¯t care much about Chu Liuyue anymore. After all, Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t lose to Chu Liuyue in any area. But at this point, he realized that it wasn¡¯t the case. As for the Empress, she had no mood to hear what Chu Liuyue was saying. She looked ghastly, and her eyes were unfocused as she stared at Emperor Jiawen¡¯s decisive and cold back¡ªher heart was void of hope. If it weren¡¯t for Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen helping her along, she would¡¯ve long collapsed onto the floor. Chu Liuyue looked at the Empress while in deep thought before she turned around and caught up to Chu Ning. ¡­ At the palace entrance, Eunuch Min had already arranged for ordinary horse carriages to wait for them. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. Eunuch Min was indeed very witty to be able to serve Emperor Jiawen for so many years. Emperor Jiawen was still wearing his imperial robe. If he went out just like this, he would definitely cause a commotion. As for the Empress, her unkempt appearance wasn¡¯t suitable to be seen by others. Using ordinary horse carriages could minimize the trouble caused to the greatest extent. The few of them left for Heptagon Alley in a discreet manner. Emperor Jiawen rode alone in his horse carriage, and only Eunuch Min followed him. The rest shared a horse carriage. Inside the horse carriage, everyone sat opposite each other, and nobody spoke. The atmosphere was tense, and the air seemed to be frozen. Finally, Rong Jin couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry. Someone wants to set us up, but they might not have that ability! Father has always been wise. He¡¯ll definitely be able to differentiate between what¡¯s true and what¡¯s false and return you your innocence!¡± This ¡®someone¡¯ was naturally referring to Rong Jiu. In Rong Jin¡¯s eyes, this matter wouldn¡¯t have escalated if Rong Jiu didn¡¯t interfere. Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Rong Jiu¡ªwho sat opposite him¡ªas hatred flashed across his eyes. Previously, I was grounded by Father and had some of my power taken away because of Rong Jiu. This time, it is still because of him! But Rong Jiu leaned against the wall of the carriage and closed his eyes. He looked very peaceful as if he didn¡¯t care about this at all. ¡°Rong Jiu, we have no grudges against you. Why do you want to set us up? Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡± questioned Rong Jin softly as he could no longer hold it in. Rong Jiu opened his eyes and glanced at him expressionlessly. ¡°Brother, why do you say that? I just wanted to help Father find Rong Zhen. Whatever I previously said was the truth. What do you mean by ¡®set up?¡¯¡± Upon seeing that Rong Jiu still refused to admit it at this point, Rong Jin was enraged. If he didn¡¯t take into account that this was a horse carriage and that there were still many other people around, he would¡¯ve gone forward and harshly punched Rong Jiu. Chu Liuyue stood at the side and started talking to Chu Ning. ¡°Father, my trip to Tai Yan Academy was actually pretty interesting¡­¡± Chu Ning was originally quite worried, but he felt much more assured when he saw that his daughter was as calm as ever. Hearing her talk about Tai Yan Academy, he couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Oh, really? I heard that their library is very big. What did you read?¡± With a smile on her face, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I didn¡¯t actually read much, but I found quite a few books that I liked.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. Didn¡¯t read much? How does Chu Liuyue have the cheek to say that? Situ Xingchen clearly remembered that the booklets¡ªwhich recorded the books Chu Liuyue had read¡ªhad piled up into a mountain not long after she had gone in. The most irritating thing is that Mentor said that Chu Liuyue found an Earth-grade warrior technique book. Even though Situ Xingchen specialized as a heavenly doctor and didn¡¯t have much interest in warrior techniques, she still felt very jealous when she heard that Chu Liuyue had obtained such a treasure. Every single word of hers is just flaunting. Situ Xingchen couldn¡¯t maintain the smile on her face, so she looked down and pretended to be quiet. When the Empress gradually recovered her senses and saw Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning talking happily, her blood boiled. All of this is clearly Chu Liuyue¡¯s fault! She must¡¯ve hidden Rong Zhen and colluded with Rong Jiu to frame me! Her heart was now in turmoil, and she was very restless, yet Chu Liuyue had the cheek to laugh so relaxingly. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ It¡¯s you!¡± After hearing the sound of the marble floor being crushed, the Empress knew that they were getting nearer to Heptagon Alley. The Empress became very frustrated. Finally, she couldn¡¯t hold herself back and scolded Chu Liuyue as she lunged toward her. From the corner of her eye, Chu Liuyue had already seen the Empress¡¯s movements, so she lightly moved away and dodged her actions. Dong! A low sound was heard. The Empress¡¯s forehead directly collided with the wall of the horse carriage. ¡°Mother!¡± Both Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen couldn¡¯t hold the Empress back in time, and it was too late when they heard the sound. The Empress¡¯s head hurt severely, and she saw pitch black. ¡°Mother, are you okay?¡± Rong Jin was very anxious as he hurriedly helped the Empress up. Situ Xingchen knitted her brows even more. ¡°Ms. Chu, even if you¡¯re upset with Her Majesty, you shouldn¡¯t do this! The Empress has been very worried about the Fourth Princess being missing during this period, and she hasn¡¯t been sleeping well. How can she sustain such a hit?¡± Upon hearing this, Rong Jin looked at Chu Liuyue with much more hatred and anger. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, your words are too interesting. Everyone clearly saw what happened. Her Majesty charged over here herself. If I didn¡¯t move away, should I have waited for her to slam against me?¡± Situ Xingchen seemed to hesitate for a while before saying, ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re very strong, and it¡¯s convenient for you to stop Her Majesty.¡± She implied that Chu Liuyue did it on purpose. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, His Highness isn¡¯t weak either. Are you trying to say that he¡¯s useless since he couldn¡¯t hold his mother back?¡± Situ Xingchen was stumped. She didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to have such a sharp tongue. Knock, knock¡­ ¡°Masters, we¡¯re here. Kindly get down.¡± Eunuch Min knocked on the door from outside. Rong Jiu stepped out first. Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning followed closely behind. The horse carriage stopped in a narrow alley, and Emperor Jiawen was standing at the entrance of a nearby mansion. Chu Liuyue quickly scanned her surroundings and furrowed her brows. This Heptagon Alley looks very normal, but it vaguely has a strong suppression. If one discerned it carefully, they would feel that the aura is coming from that mansion. Emperor Jiawen looked at Chu Ning. ¡°Open this door!¡± Chu Ning immediately said, ¡°Yes!¡± However, the door was opened from the inside before he could do anything. The skinny Rong Zhen appeared in front of everyone! ¡°Mother, you¡¯re here¡ª¡± Chapter 375 - Truth Rong Zhen paused in her sentence upon seeing that the person in front was Emperor Jiawen, and anxiety flashed across her eyes. ¡°Father?!¡± When Emperor Jiawen saw Rong Zhen, he first heaved a sigh of relief before his blood boiled. He suppressed the anger in his heart and boomed, ¡°Zhen Zhen, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± Facing Emperor Jiawen¡¯s interrogation, Rong Zhen stuttered for quite some time and couldn¡¯t say anything. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and turned around to look at the Empress, whom Situ Xingchen and Rong Jin had just helped down from the horse carriage. ¡°Her Majesty, Your Highness, isn¡¯t the Fourth Princess here?¡± Rong Jin looked up and saw Rong Zhen standing at the entrance. The words in his throat were suddenly stuck, and his face flushed green and white. Situ Xingchen¡¯s expression also changed. Why is Rong Zhen here? Didn¡¯t Elder Lian Ning say that he personally witnessed Si Meng bringing Chu Liuyue out of the Imperial City and into the forest? Since Si Meng died in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands, Rong Zhen should also be hidden by her! What is this situation? Rong Jin instinctively looked at the Empress. ¡°Mother, this¡ª¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Upon seeing Rong Zhen, the Empress¡¯s reaction was much more intense than that of anyone else. She actually pushed Rong Jin away and staggered forward toward Rong Zhen. ¡°Impossible! Zhen Zhen isn¡¯t here; you must be fake!¡± Her voice was shrill and hoarse, which made people uncomfortable. Coupled with her face that had contorted due to shock and panic, she looked even worse. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes were filled with unconcealable disgust. ¡°Empress, not only are you filled with lies toward me, but you don¡¯t even want to acknowledge your own daughter now! You have utterly disappointed me!¡± No matter what, he also doted on Rong Zhen for more than a decade. Thus, he was certain that the person in front was Rong Zhen. In order to prove her innocence, the Empress lied with her eyes wide open. She¡¯s heartless! Rong Zhen seemed to be shocked by the Empress and nervously moved back. ¡°Mother, what do you mean? I am Zhen Zhen!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Zhen Zhen! You¡¯re not¡­¡± The Empress stared straight at Rong Zhen. Even though she denied it on the surface, her voice became softer and softer. This person is indeed Rong Zhen! Hopelessness filled her heart. ¡°Quickly, speak! Did Chu Liuyue send you here? It must be her, right?¡± At this point, the Empress was on the brink of breaking down as her entire person looked insane. Emperor Jiawen glared at her coldly. ¡°Rong Zhen, explain yourself! What exactly is going on?¡± Rong Zhen was frightened by the commotion and recovered her senses after some time. ¡°I-I¡­ It was Chu Liuyue that brought me over!¡± Emperor Jiawen continued questioning her. ¡°When?¡± Rong Zhen quickly glanced at the Empress, and she guiltily looked down. ¡°B-before Chu Liuyue went to Tai Yan Academy¡­¡± ¡°Fourth Princess, you must be joking. Why don¡¯t I know about this? Besides, why would I choose this place if I really wanted to lock you up?¡± Chu Liuyue scanned her surroundings. ¡°Honestly, this is my first time here. However, Her Majesty¡­ I heard from the Third Prince that he comes here frequently, right? Why would I be so stupid to hide the Fourth Princess here?¡± Rong Zhen immediately became anxious. ¡°It¡¯s you! Y-you hate me, so¡ª¡± ¡°Fourth Princess, I think you¡¯re the one that hates me, right? After all¡­ Honestly, I¡¯ve never been bullied by you, so why would I hate you?¡± Chu Liuyue said nonchalantly. Even though her words sounded terrible, everyone knew that this was the truth. Previously, Rong Zhen had tried to make life difficult for Chu Liuyue at the banquet, but she landed herself in an embarrassing state. When Rong Zhen¡¯s pearl of essence broke, and she became a good-for-nothing, Chu Liuyue turned her life around and became an enviable genius in the end. She was even chosen by Mu Qinghe and had a chance to go to the Tianling Dynasty. Speaking of jealousy, it should be Rong Zhen who hated Chu Liuyue. Rong Zhen was even more embarrassed. Rong Jiu lightly said, ¡°Father, you can now believe what I said, right?¡± ¡°Rong Zhen, move aside. I want to see what other secrets are hidden inside!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face was terribly dark. If the Empress truly comes here frequently in secret, I might be able to find something! Rong Zhen bit her lips and refused to move after she felt conflicted for a while. ¡°Father, there¡¯s nothing here. You shouldn¡¯t come in.¡± ¡°I said move aside!¡± hollered Emperor Jiawen, which made Rong Zhen shudder in fear and her face turn pale. Eunuch Min said nicely, ¡°Fourth Princess, you should just make way. Do you really think you can single-handedly stop His Majesty?¡± Things have already reached this stage, yet Rong Zhen is still acting like this. Isn¡¯t she just causing trouble for herself? Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes turned red, and she looked at the Empress fearfully. Emperor Jiawen sneered. ¡°Why are you looking at her? Do my words not count as much as the Empress¡¯s?¡± Rong Jin immediately went forward and anxiously said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t misunderstand! Rong Zhen didn¡¯t mean it that way!¡± Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him as he gazed at the Empress meaningfully. ¡°Empress, things have ended up in this state. Are you going with me, or are you going to act ignorant here?¡± The Empress whined, and her tears kept falling, looking very pitiful. But when Emperor Jiawen saw it, he felt even more disgusted. He raised his leg and walked in front. Chu Ning immediately followed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this barrier is quite special. It¡¯s not good if we just barge in. Why don¡¯t I solve this barrier first?¡± Emperor Jiawen stood still. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Force gathered in Chu Ning¡¯s palms as a formidable aura gradually spread. He then raised his hand, and a thick force hurled out. Hong! That transparent barrier was hit by the strong force, and it caused a ripple. A horrifying wave started spreading in all directions. Rong Zhen¡ªwho was standing within the barrier¡ªwas careless and was hit by this force, causing her to stumble backward and almost fall to the ground. Finding her balance with much difficulty, she anxiously turned around as if she were scared of something. Just when Chu Ning was about to strike again, Rong Zhen finally said, ¡°Don¡¯t strike! I¡¯ll just open the barrier!¡± ¡°Rong Zhen!¡± When the Empress heard this, she immediately screamed as if she had been impacted by something. Rong Zhen was frightened and cowered in fear. ¡°Mother, Father is already here, and he¡¯ll know about it sooner or later¡­¡± As she spoke, her hand trembled as it touched the barrier. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze darkened. Something seems to be hidden in Rong Zhen¡¯s hands. Buzz! A buzzing sound was heard, and the barrier was suddenly opened from the middle. Emperor Jiawen walked forward first. ¡°Mother!¡± shouted Rong Jin in shock. The crowd turned around and saw that the Empress had suddenly fainted. Chu Liuyue sneered at her. Isn¡¯t it too late to pretend to faint now? Emperor Jiawen seemed to ignore her as he walked straight in. Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning followed closely behind. When they saw the courtyard¡¯s scene, even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help gasping in shock. Chapter 376 - For You This courtyard was very empty, and it had a corpse hanging in the middle. Judging from the torn and tattered clothes, it was a young man, but his body had already rotted. One couldn¡¯t even see his original appearance. The most injured part of his entire body was his face. It was as if someone used an axe and hacked his face. His face was badly mangled, and even his five organs were hard to differentiate, let alone recognize who the person was. There was a copper vat underneath the body.; the rims of the copper vat had dried bloodstains. The strong and sharp bloody scent exuded from within, and it made one gag. But this wasn¡¯t the scariest thing. This was because there were a few sets of skeletons near the corpse. One just had to glance at them to tell that they were also human skeletons. The difference between the skeletons and the corpse was that only the white bones were left on the ground. They looked like they had been dead for a very long time. This scene stunned the people who just came in. The entire venue fell into dead silence, and the air seemed to freeze. After some time, Emperor Jiawen recovered his senses and shouted, ¡°Bring the Empress over!¡± With the Son of Heaven angry, even Rong Jin¡ªwho was initially protecting the Empress¡ªcouldn¡¯t hold him back. Rong Jin could only stiffly bring the Empress over. The Empress¡¯s eyes were tightly shut as if she had completely fainted. Emperor Jiawen shot a deadly stare at those skeletons, and his veins popped. ¡°Beat her! If the Empress still doesn¡¯t wake up, continue hitting her!¡± The crowd was shocked. Is Emperor Jiawen commanding people to beat the Empress up? He must¡¯ve been driven to his grave. How could Rong Jin dare to do this? He also couldn¡¯t watch on as people hit his mother, so he hurriedly blocked her and knelt down. ¡°Father, we haven¡¯t gotten to the bottom of this yet! If you treat Mother like this, she¡¯ll definitely be heartbroken!¡± Emperor Jiawen stepped up and harshly kicked Rong Jin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Get lost!¡± Rong Jin didn¡¯t dare to block, and he was kicked to the side. Emperor Jiawen raised his hand and was about to slap the Empress. Situ Xingchen was standing at the side. Even though she didn¡¯t want to step into this, she couldn¡¯t extract herself from the situation any longer. Upon seeing Emperor Jiawen lifting the Empress up with one hand, Situ Xingchen finally said, ¡°Your Majesty, do think carefully! His Highness is right. Everything is still unclear now; why don¡¯t we wait until everything is unveiled? By then, if Her Majesty is truly guilty, it won¡¯t be too late for you to punish her.¡± Emperor Jiawen stopped in his actions. At this point, the unconscious Empress suddenly recovered her senses. Si Huijing slowly opened her eyes, and she looked dazed when she saw Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face close to hers. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± A look of horror then filled her face as if she had just discovered that Emperor Jiawen was lifting her up by her collar. ¡°Your Majesty, what are you doing?¡± Emperor Jiawen sneered as he directly threw her to the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t you clearly know what good things you¡¯ve done? You better give me a good explanation for this!¡± The Empress knelt on the floor and kept weeping, saying that she didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I really don¡¯t know¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at Rong Zhen. ¡°Rong Zhen, you say it!¡± Rong Zhen moved backward fearfully, and her lips trembled. ¡°Your Majesty, this copper vat is a little weird.¡± When Chu Ning walked near the copper vat and thoroughly checked it, he looked solemn. ¡°This thing seems capable of¡­ sucking one¡¯s force.¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but walk over. Once she got close to it, she felt a bone-chilling aura exude from the copper vat. The next moment, the aura enveloped her. ¡°Yue¡¯er, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Upon seeing this, Chu Ning immediately wanted to pull Chu Liuyue away. But Chu Liuyue shook her head and indicated for him to wait. Then, she felt the force within her body start to stir under this aura. She looked toward the copper vat. Black and red mixed together, and the aura suddenly became stronger. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. This aura seems to forcefully steal my force from my body! She moved back without hesitation. When she was far away from the copper vat, the aura quickly disappeared as if it had never appeared. However, Chu Liuyue felt a chill in her heart. I was only standing there just now, yet I felt such a humongous impact, let alone the person who is hanging right above the copper vat! Besides¡­ That person is filled with injuries, and he has bloodstains everywhere. It¡¯s obvious that he had been cut multiple times when he was alive. When the fresh blood dripped into the vat, the force collected would naturally be cleaner. Chu Liuyue could almost confirm that this person¡¯s force had been continuously sucked away, and he eventually dehydrated and died. No, not only that person! The surrounding white bones should be the same too! Chu Ning pulled Chu Liuyue over and heaved a sigh of relief when he confirmed that she was okay. ¡°This copper vat is a very menacing item. Don¡¯t ever go near it again.¡± Emperor Jiawen knitted his brows and asked, ¡°Chu Ning, what¡¯s with that copper vat?¡± Chu Ning explained again. ¡°¡­Therefore, someone should¡¯ve purposely left this copper vat here to suck the force from other cultivators.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± After listening, Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t look shocked at all. Instead, he looked like he had confirmed something. ¡°I¡¯ve once read about this in the royal family¡¯s biography. As long as one collects enough force, the copper vat can be elevated to become a better Yuan instrument. Whoever becomes its owner can absorb all the force within and increase their cultivation level. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s words made everyone¡¯s hair stand on end. This kind of method was very sinister and cunning. ¡°And other than me, only the Empress knows about this!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s sentence struck everybody like lightning, and everyone looked at the Empress! Chu Liuyue understood something. It¡¯s no wonder Emperor Jiawen became even more hostile toward the Empress once he came in and saw the copper vat. It turns out that he had already determined that the Empress had done all of this at that time. ¡°Si Huijing, I didn¡¯t expect you to do such a thing secretly! You really have a devil¡¯s heart!¡± Emperor Jiawen was so disgusted that he wanted to vomit, and all his hair stood on end when he thought about how he had slept beside such a woman for so many years. The Empress looked defeated, and she didn¡¯t even say anything in defense. Rong Jin also panicked as he could not help but argue. ¡°Father, even if Mother knows about it, you can¡¯t prove that she did it! Mother is already the Empress. Doing this won¡¯t benefit her at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Her Majesty is already the country¡¯s mother; why isn¡¯t she satisfied?¡± Rong Jiu suddenly spoke, and he looked down on the mother and son from above with contempt in his eyes. ¡°Of course, she didn¡¯t do this for herself. It was for the distinguished Crown Prince¡ªyou, my brother!¡± Rong Jin was taken aback! Chapter 377 - Mastermind ¡°Rong Jiu, Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± retorted Rong Jin instinctively. I am the Crown Prince and am also considered a strong player with my cultivation level. Why would I have to resort to such methods? ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve been cultivating and improving based on my own abilities. I¡¯ve never taken any shortcuts or even used such sinister methods! I can bet my life on the line!¡± Rong Jin swore a vicious oath. He was very clear that he would be in big trouble if he didn¡¯t draw a line between him and his mother. However, this sentence seemed very weak when placed next to the Empress¡¯s reaction. ¡°Si Huijing, why did you do this?¡± Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t even hear Rong Jin¡¯s words. He already confirmed that the Empress did all of this. The tears on the Empress¡¯s face had already dried, leaving behind an expression void of hope. Emperor Jiawen looked at Rong Zhen and Rong Jin, and he sneered. ¡°You¡¯re not willing to speak? Rong Jiu and Rong Zhen, you can¡¯t escape from this! Rong Qi as well! I was really blinded at the start to have chosen you as my Empress and Rong Jin as the Crown Prince! Chu Ning, Rong Jiu, search this entire place immediately!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The two of them agreed in unison without any hesitation. They then split up and started searching from different places. Rong Zhen was very hesitant as if she wanted to stop them, but she just dazedly stood there in the end. Eunuch Min stood behind Emperor Jiawen, and his forehead broke out into a cold sweat. As this implicated the Empress and the rest, this journey was completed discreetly¡ªthey didn¡¯t even bring guards. However, they didn¡¯t expect to discover such an earth-shattering secret! Chu Liuyue looked at the mess in front of her and raised her brows slightly as she looked up at the sky. Country Yao Chen¡¯s sky is finally changing¡­ When the Empress heard Emperor Jiawen¡¯s words, she finally realized something. Emperor Jiawen is planning to punish my sons and me! It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m in trouble, but Rong Jin¡¯s position as the Crown Prince cannot be taken away! A chill ran down her spine after seeing that Chu Ning and Rong Jiu had already started checking inside, and she immediately kowtowed toward Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please forgive me! I know I¡¯m wrong! You can punish me however you like, but please leave my children alone! They¡¯re innocent; they don¡¯t know about this at all!¡± Si Huijing used all her strength and knocked her head against the floor, which was followed by a low sound. Very quickly, her forehead was covered in blood. Her makeup had long been ruined by her tears. She looked even more distraught when accompanied by the fresh, sticky blood slowly flowing down her forehead. Emperor Jiawen was unmoved; it was as though he had heard some joke. ¡°They don¡¯t know? Rong Zhen is right here, yet you¡¯re telling me that she doesn¡¯t know?¡± The Empress was stumped. In actual fact, she also didn¡¯t know why Rong Zhen was here. I did this thing very discreetly, and Rong Jin and the rest had no idea, including Rong Zhen! Even if I were crazy, I wouldn¡¯t send Rong Zhen over! However, Rong Zhen is indeed standing there, and I can¡¯t deny it! Thinking of this, her hatred toward Rong Zhen grew. If it weren¡¯t for her, why would Emperor Jiawen find this place and see everything here? He also won¡¯t suspect Rong Jin and the rest because of her presence! She looked at Rong Zhen and miserably begged. ¡°Zhen Zhen, tell your father yourself how exactly you came here, okay? Take it as me begging you! You don¡¯t want your two elder brothers to be punished with you, right? You can¡¯t drag them down!¡± Rong Zhen¡¯s eyes widened, and she suddenly recalled many images. This scene is so familiar! Since I was young, Mother would say similar words every time something happened, right? It was as if her eyes were covered by a layer of mist. Then, Rong Zhen slightly lowered her head and said every word and sentence clearly. ¡°¡­Father, Mother was the one who sent me here¡­¡± The Empress¡¯s voice trailed off as she looked at Rong Zhen in disbelief. ¡°¡­ Mother said that this was the only way I could take revenge against Chu Liuyue¡­ Besides, we can pin Elder Si Meng¡¯s death on them¡­¡± With every word that Rong Zhen said, the Empress¡¯s eyes widened by an inch. Her entire person froze when she heard the entire sentence. Immediately after, the Empress suddenly realized something and yelled at the top of her lungs, ¡°Your Majesty, she¡¯s lying! She¡¯s not speaking the truth! You mustn¡¯t believe her!¡± Emperor Jiawen glanced at her and nonchalantly said, ¡°You¡¯re saying that your own biological daughter is setting you up?¡± The Empress was very indignant, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. She also didn¡¯t know why Rong Zhen would say that. ¡°Rong Zhen, did you mean that Si Meng died in your mother¡¯s hands?¡± asked Emperor Jiawen as he stepped forward. Rong Zhen shuddered, and she raised her hands to lightly knock against the copper vat before she quickly retracted them as if she were afraid of something. However, her actions were enough¡ªShe was clearly saying that Si Meng had died in the copper vat. ¡°I almost forgot. He¡¯s a stage-five warrior¡­ Taking away the force from such a strong warrior would help you save some effort and lead to better results.¡± Chu Liuyue silently sized Rong Zhen up. I just left for ten days. Why did so many things happen in the Imperial City? With Rong Zhen¡¯s previous words, I would really believe her if I didn¡¯t clearly remember that I had killed Si Meng myself. The Empress¡¯s face flushed red and white, and she wanted to argue. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Father!¡± Chu Ning and Rong Jiu came back one after another; the two of them looked strange. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s heart sank. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Ning and Rong Jiu exchanged glances, and they looked rather hesitant. Then, Chu Ning cupped his fists. ¡°Your Majesty, there are many bones hidden in the backyard.¡± Rong Jiu quickly added, ¡°Within the many rooms in this area, there are many broken pieces of bones lying everywhere¡­ With a rough estimate, there seem to be over 100 people.¡± Dead silence. Even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but knit her brows. When she saw the copper vat, she was certain that there were more than that number of bones here. However, she didn¡¯t expect there to be so many. ¡°Most of those people are cultivators. There aren¡¯t many missing people cases in the Imperial City all these years, so¡­ These people should be from outside the Imperial City,¡± boomed Chu Ning. Emperor Jiawen took a deep breath in and glared at the Empress. ¡°Si Huijing, you definitely couldn¡¯t do this on your own. Speak, who else is helping you? The Si family?¡± The Empress immediately shook her head reflexively when she heard Emperor Jiawen mention the Si family. ¡°No, I did all of this on my own! I was just entranced! I¡¯m willing to use death to punish myself, but I hope you¡¯ll let Rong Jin, Rong Qi, and the Si family off!¡± Rong Jin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mother, what are you doing? You didn¡¯t do this, right? Who exactly is setting you up? You just need to say¡ª¡± Pak! The Empress actually gave Rong Jin a tight slap. Chapter 378 - : Suffer a Double Loss Rong Jin was dazed from the slap. The Empress didn¡¯t hold back on the slap, and she directly caused half of Rong Jin¡¯s face to swell up. Her palm turned slightly numb. When she saw Rong Jin¡¯s dazed and hurt expression, her heart also shuddered. If she wasn¡¯t forced to the corner, how would she bear to hit the son she doted on the most? But¡­ ¡°You have no right to speak!¡± hollered the Empress angrily as she struggled out of Rong Jin¡¯s reach and knelt on the floor while moving forward. She begged miserably, ¡°Your Majesty, you can punish me however you want, but¡­ I really did this on my own¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you keep denying it before? Why are you admitting to it so decisively now?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery. She just doesn¡¯t want to cry unless she sees the coffin and is stubbornly insisting on her own ideas! Upon seeing all the evidence laid out in front of her and that she can¡¯t refute it anymore, she finally chose to admit to it. Moreover, she even wants to cover up for the rest and take all the blame. ¡°Your cultivation talent is just average. This copper vat definitely isn¡¯t prepared for you, right? How many people in the world can make you spend so much effort¡­?¡± As Emperor Jiawen spoke, his gaze landed on Rong Jin. A chill was sent down Rong Jin¡¯s spine. For some reason, he unknowingly became guilty. He wasn¡¯t stupid; when he knew of the copper vat¡¯s use, he noticed something. And with the Empress¡¯s later reaction, it would be a joke if he couldn¡¯t guess who it was prepared for. Even if he didn¡¯t know anything beforehand, he still trembled with fear, thinking of the hundreds of cultivators¡¯ skeletons hidden in this yard. The Empress was stumped. Emperor Jiawen closed his eyes. ¡°Bring the Empress and Rong Zhen back to the palace! Without my permission, they can¡¯t leave their rooms! As for Rong Jin¡­ you better go back to Crown Prince Mansion! Oh, yes! As for Rong Qi, make sure he stays in his Prince Ping Mansion! When the truth regarding this matter prevails, I¡¯ll punish them one by one.¡± Then, Emperor Jiawen angrily whipped his sleeves and turned around to leave. Eunuch Min hurriedly followed him and didn¡¯t dare to say another word. Chu Ning heaved a sigh of relief and patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you should go back and rest.¡± This incident had completely zero relation to them now, but as the imperial guards¡¯ Commander-in-Chief, he still had to follow His Majesty and follow up on this matter. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I can take care of myself.¡± Chu Ning was then assured as he turned to Rong Zhen. ¡°Fourth Princess, please.¡± Rong Zhen glanced at the Empress hesitantly. ¡°Mother¡ª¡± ¡°Get lost! I don¡¯t have a daughter like you!¡± screamed the Empress loudly! Rong Zhen¡¯s colorless face turned even paler. Her lips moved, but she didn¡¯t say anything in the end as she turned around to leave. When she passed by Chu Liuyue, she still lowered her head as if she didn¡¯t notice Chu Liuyue¡¯s presence. ¡°Fourth Princess,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Rong Zhen then stopped and looked up at her. When Rong Zhen saw Chu Liuyue, she instinctively knitted her brows and revealed a look of disgust. But when she was about to speak, she suddenly felt terrified for some reason. Mysteriously, she swallowed all the words at the tip of her tongue. Facing her series of strange reactions, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she had a guess in her heart. She didn¡¯t say anything else and gave Chu Ning a reassuring smile. However, Rong Zhen was scared by it as she walked off hurriedly. On the other end, Rong Jiu stood in front of the Empress and Rong Jin, quietly waiting for them. He seemed to have a lot of patience as he didn¡¯t say anything and waited at the side. From time to time, he even glanced at the two of them with some interest. Nobody knew how long he had waited for this day. Now, he could finally see the Empress¡¯s unkempt appearance, so he naturally had to grab this opportunity. Rong Jin noticed his gaze and instantly felt like the fire in his heart was ignited. ¡°Rong Jiu! You did this on purpose, right? You just want to make my mother and me a laughingstock! Are you satisfied now?¡± Rong Jiu lightly said, ¡°Brother, what are you saying? I¡¯m just waiting to send the two of you back. Father has already given his command, so I naturally have to follow it.¡± Rong Jin clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking! It¡¯s just because of your lowly birth mother, right? It¡¯s not the first day you¡¯ve hated us! One day, I¡¯ll repay this by a hundred-fold!¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze turned cold as intense murderous intent exuded from him. ¡°Crown Prince, if you¡¯re so free, you should properly think about how to get out of this stalemate.¡± The Empress definitely couldn¡¯t keep her position, and Rong Jin was no better. This time, the Si family might even be implicated. Rong Jin couldn¡¯t even save himself, yet he was thinking about revenge. What a joke. Rong Jin almost crushed his molar teeth as he finally suppressed his vengeance. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go!¡± We must think of another way! Rong Jiu helped his mother along and walked in front. Rong Jiu paused for a while and looked at Situ Xingchen. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, are you going with them or¡­¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s expression was like a frozen mask¡ªawkward and ashamed. She didn¡¯t imagine things would end up like this. Wasn¡¯t it going very well previously? Why did the Crown Prince and the Empress end up in such perilous situations after leaving the palace? What should I do? ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t follow them then¡­¡± said Situ Xingchen forcefully as she was filled with regret. If she knew of this earlier, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have a marriage agreement with Rong Jin! She couldn¡¯t even salvage this situation now! ¡°That¡¯s not very nice, right? Eldest Princess Situ, you just got engaged to the Crown Prince. Now that he¡¯s in trouble, you¡¯re just walking away like that? Isn¡¯t that akin to escaping in the face of trouble? Not only the Crown Prince, but I believe many people would be very disappointed in you, right?¡± said Chu Liuyue lazily as she hugged her arms. Situ Xingchen glanced at her, and a look of vengeance quickly flashed past her eyes. Chu Liuyue is clearly doing it on purpose! ¡°I think I had better not. This incident has a huge impact. Even though I¡¯m engaged to the Crown Prince, I¡¯m still an outsider currently. As the eldest princess of Country Xing Luo, I shouldn¡¯t get involved in this.¡± At this point, Situ Xingchen was still speaking very tactfully, and she easily extracted herself from the situation. It was as if she had forgotten that this was because she had said that she saw Chu Liuyue and Rong Zhen together, which instigated the Empress and Rong Jin into accusing Chu Liuyue in front of Emperor Jiawen. Chu Liuyue nodded with a smile. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, that makes sense. However, I originally thought that you must love and admire the Crown Prince very much since you got engaged to him very quickly. I thought you¡¯d definitely stand up for him when you saw him in trouble. It seems like I¡¯ve been thinking too much.¡± Situ Xingchen looked even more awkward. Rong Jin¡ªwho was walking in front¡ªsuddenly reacted and quickly rushed to Situ Xingchen. He clutched her hands in one fell swoop. ¡°Right! Xingchen, only you can help me now! You can go and beg your father to put in a good word for us! Father will definitely let this slide!¡± Chapter 379 - : Summon Situ Xingchen flung Rong Jin¡¯s hand away without even thinking. ¡°Xingchen?¡± Rong Jin was shocked. Wasn¡¯t she smiling very happily and gently toward me previously? Why did she suddenly become so cold in the blink of an eye? I could even¡­ see a flash of disgust in her eyes. Situ Xingchen smiled in disguise and said softly, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t misunderstand. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help, but this matter implicates a lot of people. His Majesty might not be willing to let other people know about it¡­ If I suddenly ask my father to put in a word for you, it might even anger His Majesty even more and make matters worse.¡± Upon hearing this, Rong Jin started to hesitate. Situ Xingchen makes sense. Currently, Father already thinks that Mother did it. He might even pursue the matter in the future, and¡­ even the Si family might not be let off. This isn¡¯t as simple as ¡®dirty linen.¡¯ If word gets out, the entire Country Yao Chen royal family¡¯s reputation will be tarnished. But other than this, he really couldn¡¯t think of another way. ¡°T-then, what should we do?¡± Rong Jin had never seen Emperor Jiawen throw such a big tantrum. ¡°Xingchen, you must think of a way to help me! Now that we¡¯re already engaged, if Mother and I get into trouble¡­¡± At this point, Situ Xingchen¡¯s intestines almost turned green. If I knew that things would progress to this state, I would¡¯ve never replied to Rong Jin¡®s letter. She thought for a while before saying, ¡°Your Highness, you mustn¡¯t be anxious. There isn¡¯t a definite conclusion to this yet, so there will be a way to turn things around. Why don¡¯t¡­ I return to Xing Luo first and discuss with my father about how to solve this?¡± I must leave this problematic place as soon as possible! Once I go back, I¡¯ll immediately tell Father that I want to dissolve the marriage agreement with Rong Jin! However, Rong Jin didn¡¯t know what Situ Xingchen was thinking, and he thought that she had agreed to ask her father to help. He was beyond grateful, and the displeasure and doubts¡ªwhich came about due to her flinging his hand away¡ªhad completely disappeared. ¡°Great! Great! Then, you must hurry up! I¡¯ll wait for your good news!¡± said Rong Jin as he looked touched. ¡°Xingchen, only you are willing to help me¡­¡± Situ Xingchen suppressed her disgust as she smiled and rushed him. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. Her Majesty is still waiting for you; go ahead! Everything that happened today must¡¯ve impacted her greatly. You need to take care of her properly!¡± Rong Jin¡¯s heart warmed up as he looked at Situ Xingchen with much gratitude. He had never found her so attractive before. He couldn¡¯t suppress the urge in his heart, and he suddenly pulled Situ Xingchen into his arms. Situ Xingchen was shocked by his actions and almost took action. ¡°Xingchen¡­ I promise you; we¡¯ll hold a grand wedding once this thing ends.¡± Rong Jin enunciated every word properly. Situ Xingchen¡¯s entire body froze. If it weren¡¯t for other people watching her, she would¡¯ve long pushed Rong Jin away. She closed her eyes and suppressed her anger. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s not the time to talk about this. We should first settle Her Majesty¡¯s trouble.¡± When Rong Jin heard this, he finally let go of her and gave her a meaningful look. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Rong Jin then turned around to leave. Situ Xingchen felt that ants were crawling all over her body, and she almost screamed out loud. After waiting for those people to leave, she hurriedly said to Rong Jiu, ¡°Third Highness, I don¡¯t want to disturb His Majesty anymore since things have ended like this. Therefore, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Then, she walked out. Rong Jiu yelled, ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, this is too rude on our part. Why don¡¯t I send someone to bring you home?¡± Situ Xingchen hurriedly left as if she didn¡¯t hear what he said. Very quickly, only Chu Liuyue and Rong Jiu were left in the yard. Chu Liuyue bowed toward Rong Jiu. ¡°Thank you, Third Highness.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Rong Jiu¡¯s intervention, Chu Ning would definitely be brutally punished, and the Heptagon Alley incident wouldn¡¯t happen. However, Rong Jiu glanced at Chu Liuyue with deep meaning. ¡°No need to thank me. We¡¯re just achieving our own goals.¡± Rong Jiu then turned around to leave. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. I didn¡¯t realize this before, but Rong Jiu is pretty interesting. At the very least, he¡¯s honest enough. But¡­ Seeing his previous reaction, he didn¡¯t seem to know what happened here at first. Her eyes sparkled. I didn¡¯t hide Rong Zhen here previously, but she mysteriously appeared here and was even discovered by Rong Jiu coincidentally¡­ The key is that Rong Zhen¡¯s memory has clearly been disrupted. She is obviously unable to remember everything that happened in the forest outside the Imperial City. Instead, she remembers that the Empress had sent her over. As for Si Meng¡­ He clearly died in front of Rong Zhen, but she remembered everything wrongly. If it weren¡¯t for Rong Zhen¡¯s words, Emperor Jiawen wouldn¡¯t have swiftly convicted the Empress of her crime. In the Imperial City, there should only be one person who can do this¡ªRong Xiu! Chu Liuyue lightly pouted. She had stayed at Rong Xiu¡¯s place for a really long time the day before, but Rong Xiu didn¡¯t mention it at all. Who would¡¯ve thought that all of this was controlled by Rong Xiu¡ªwho didn¡¯t even show up at all¡ªfrom start to end? Even she felt astonished when she thought about the series of developments. Rong Xiu¡¯s thoughts and methods are even more scheming than I had imagined¡­ However, it feels pretty good to have someone cleaning up after me every time and smoothly running everything else. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up, and she looked back at the copper vat as she fell into deep thought. What exactly did the Empress want to achieve by doing this? Did she really want to help Rong Jin increase his cultivation level? However, there isn¡¯t much of a problem if Rong Jin just used his own abilities. If more than a hundred people died here, it means that the Empress had started doing this a very long time ago. What exactly did she do this for? Suddenly, a thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Previously, Rong Zhen mentioned a secret related to Rong Jin¡­ Could it have something to do with that? ¡­ Si family. In the training arena, all the Si family¡¯s youngsters were practicing hard. Si Ye stood below the arena and pointed out their mistakes from time to time. The reason why the Si family could become the leader of the top four families was mainly due to the Si family¡¯s younger generation being very passionate. All the young girls and boys in their teens were very outstanding. Compared to the other families, the Si family greatly exceeded them in this area. Even though these youths couldn¡¯t be compared to Si Ting, Si Ye was already very satisfied. Suddenly, a guard rushed over, looking anxious. ¡°Master, His Majesty urgently summons you!¡± Si Ye was dazed. Why would His Majesty summon me to the palace at this time? ¡°May I know what it¡¯s about?¡± The guard shook his head, but he looked very nervous. ¡°Eunuch Min is waiting outside! He looks very anxious.¡± Si Ye knitted his brows. After seeing the guard¡¯s reaction, it probably isn¡¯t as simple as being anxious. He boomed, ¡°I got it. I¡¯m going now.¡± Chapter 380 - Let Off Si Ye walked outside and coincidentally saw Si Ting coming back. ¡°Hello, Master.¡± Si Ting cupped his fists, and his intricate face looked rather tense. Si Ye looked at his appearance and was curious. ¡°Si Ting, shouldn¡¯t you be at school today? Why did you come back?¡± Si Ting hesitated for a while and said, ¡°I heard something happened in the palace.¡± ¡°What happened? Why don¡¯t I know?¡± Si Ye was even more confused. I have been staying in close contact with the people inside the palace, so I should be the first to know if anything happened. Si Ting was at Tian Lu Academy, so how did he know? Besides, it seems like something is wrong¡­ Si Ting looked at him and tightly cupped his fists. ¡°Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t go to the academy today and was summoned to the palace.¡± ¡°What has this¡ª¡± Si Ye realized something the moment he said this, and his expression changed. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ It has something to do with the Fourth Princess?¡± Si Ting nodded. ¡°I just felt that something was wrong, so I came back earlier to take a look and saw Eunuch Min standing at the door.¡± Si Ting pressed his lips against each other. Eunuch Min¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look very good¡­ At the very least, I have never seen Eunuch Min reveal such an expression in the many times I have seen him. Moreover, he clearly came for the Si family. Si Ye¡¯s heart sank. If it is related to the Fourth Princess, and His Majesty has urgently summoned us, he must¡¯ve found out about us secretly investigating Rong Zhen¡¯s matter beforehand. To make matters worse, maybe even Si Meng was exposed. He hurriedly patted Si Ting¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the palace and take a look first. You can stay at home. If anything happens¡­ You can take charge of anything that happens in the Si family.¡± As he spoke, he took out a badge from his arms and shoved it to Si Ting. Si Ting knitted his brows. What exactly happened that caused Master to be so uptight? He even directly gave me the badge that represents his status as the Si family¡¯s head. ¡°Master, I can¡¯t take this. You¡ª¡± ¡°Take it!¡± Si Ye looked stern and didn¡¯t allow for any rejection. Si Ting met with his eyes and suddenly realized that the current situation might be even more troublesome and dangerous than he had imagined. He finally held the badge tightly and nodded. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of the Si family!¡± Si Ye was then reassured as he gave Si Ting a look of deep meaning before turning around to leave. Si Ting looked at his back view and started becoming uneasy for some reason. ¡­ On the other hand, Si Ye followed Eunuch Min all the way into the palace. On the way, he had tried to find out what was going on a few times. However, Eunuch Min¡¯s lips were very tight, and he didn¡¯t reveal anything at all. This further confirmed Si Ye¡¯s conjecture¡ªSomething must have happened to the Empress! If not, Eunuch Min wouldn¡¯t have such an attitude. The two of them walked the entire way without talking. When they reached the Imperial Study, countless thoughts had already flashed across Si Ye¡¯s mind. Si Ye silently surveyed the surroundings. He immediately realized that the guards in the Imperial Study were stricter than before and that the entire atmosphere was much more solemn. His heart seemed to be hanging in mid-air, and he was very uncomfortable. Eunuch Min went up himself and respectfully said, ¡°Your Majesty, the Si family head is already here.¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s cold and low voice boomed from within the Imperial Study. ¡°Let him in!¡± Eunuch Min looked at Si Ye and took a step back. ¡°Si Family Head, please go ahead¡ª¡± Si Ye took a deep breath in, tidied his clothes, pushed open the door, and walked in. The moment he stepped in, Si Ye¡¯s heart immediately started beating rapidly when he saw the scene inside. He saw Emperor Jiawen sitting behind the desk in the spacious and quiet Imperial Study as the booklets, ink, and brushes were thrown all over the floor messily. Meanwhile, the Empress¡ªSi Huijing¡ªwas kneeling in front of him. Her entire glamorous palace outfit was filled with dirt, and her usually tidy hair was very messy. Her face had tear stains, and her eyes were swollen. She knelt there as her entire body was filled with a hopeless and painful aura. Si Ye had never seen her in such an unkempt state before. ¡°Empress?!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but yell as he hurriedly walked forward. Very quickly, he realized that Emperor Jiawen was still in the study. Si Ye hurriedly stopped in his tracks, turned around to look at Emperor Jiawen, and suppressed the ripple in his heart. He bowed and greeted, ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Upon seeing his arrival, the Empress¡¯s eyes turned, and her expression was very strange. It appeared as though she wanted to cry, but she could no longer do so. Today, she had used up more than half of the tears in her life. However, this couldn¡¯t make Emperor Jiawen soften his heart a single bit. Emperor Jiawen looked at Si Ye with a deep gaze. ¡°Si Ye, do you know why I called you over?¡± Si Ye felt a strong suppression overwhelming him as he knelt down without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Your Majesty, please enlighten me!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t you know that the Si family was secretly tracking Rong Zhen¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s words were like a strong hammer that smashed down harshly. Si Ye cupped his fists. As expected! His Majesty already knows! He immediately put his hands on the ground and kowtowed with much force. ¡°I know my mistake! Your Majesty, please punish me!¡± ¡°You know your mistake? To think that I thought you were very loyal to me. I didn¡¯t expect you to collaborate with the Empress behind my back and lie to me for so many years! You long knew about Si Meng¡¯s incident, right? Si Ye, you have a lot of guts!¡± The more Emperor Jiawen said, the angrier he got. He picked up the teacup beside him and suddenly threw it toward Si Ye. Bang! The teacup harshly landed in front of Si Ye. The shattered pieces flew everywhere; two of them even flew over and cut Si Ye¡¯s face. But Si Ye didn¡¯t dare to move at all as he bowed even more respectfully. ¡°Your Majesty, I know that I¡¯m wrong, but this has nothing to do with Her Majesty! Back then, I was worried that the Empress couldn¡¯t protect herself in the palace, so I specifically arranged for Si Meng to be with her. Also, as for the Fourth Princess going missing¡­ the Empress was afraid that you¡¯d be too worried, so she wanted me to help. She didn¡¯t hide it from you on purpose! No matter what, I¡¯m willing to bear all of the consequences!¡± Upon hearing this, Emperor Jiawen laughed coldly. ¡°Bear all the consequences? Do you have the right to? Si Ye, you don¡¯t have to act in front of me. Rong Zhen didn¡¯t even go missing! She was simply hidden by the Empress since the start!¡± Si Ye was shocked as he suddenly turned around. ¡°What?¡± Upon seeing his reaction, Emperor Jiawen squinted his eyes. ¡°What, didn¡¯t your good sister tell you about this?¡± Si Ye¡¯s heart was in turmoil as he instinctively glanced at the Empress beside him. ¡°Her Majesty, w-what¡¯s going on?¡± The Empress hung her head low. She knew that there was no point in saying anything. When Rong Zhen coincidentally appeared at Heptagon Alley and with the words she said herself, Emperor Jiawen had already confirmed everything! She said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Your Majesty, my brother truly doesn¡¯t know anything! Please, let the Si family off!¡± Chapter 381 - Can’t Retract Si Ye was confused when he heard their words. Rong Zhen didn¡¯t go missing? She was hidden by the Empress? But judging from her previous appearance, it completely didn¡¯t seem like it! Besides, if she really wanted to do it, why would Si Meng mysteriously die? He suppressed his pain and didn¡¯t bother to wipe the blood on his face as he miserably begged. ¡°Your Majesty, even though I don¡¯t know who told you this, it must be fake! Previously, the Fourth Princess went missing with Si Meng, and he quickly passed away after a while. The Empress was very worried about the Fourth Princess¡¯s safety, so she looked for me. I¡­ I secretly sent someone to check the entire Imperial City, but I still couldn¡¯t find her whereabouts¡­¡± ¡°Rong Zhen said all of this personally. Could it be that she was lying?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s cold sentence immediately made Si Ye swallow his remaining words. Si Ye widened his eyes in shock and couldn¡¯t recover his senses for a long time. Rong Zhen¡­ said it personally?! Did they find Rong Zhen already? Looking at Si Ye¡¯s expression, Emperor Jiawen thought to himself: It seems like he really didn¡¯t know any of this. If not, his acting skills are too good. Si Ye had followed him for many years, so Emperor Jiawen did understand him quite a bit. If Si Ye really was involved in this incident, he wouldn¡¯t give his current reaction. Emperor Jiawen felt slightly better. As the head of the four aristocratic families and the Si family head, Si Ye¡¯s status held some weight. Unless absolutely necessary, Emperor Jiawen was also reluctant to touch him. If not, the entire Imperial City would suffer in the aftermath. This was also the reason why he still chose to deal with the incident discreetly, even after so many things had happened. ¡°Si Ye, the Empress has already admitted that she killed Si Meng and sent Rong Zhen to Heptagon Alley and that she had planned to set the Chu family up. What else do you have to say about this?¡± Si Ye was dazed. The Empress killed Si Meng? How could that be? All these years, the Empress trusted and depended on Si Meng greatly. What¡¯s good for her if she killed him? Besides, why must she send Rong Zhen to Heptagon Alley? Hasn¡¯t that place been isolated for years? Facing Emperor Jiawen¡¯s stern interrogation, Si Ye¡¯s heart was in turmoil. He couldn¡¯t help but look at the Empress by the side. ¡°¡­Her Majesty, is what His Majesty said true?¡± The Empress was expressionless as she stiffly nodded. Now, I just don¡¯t want to implicate the Si family. So even if I didn¡¯t do all of that, I have to admit to it! Besides, with that copper vat in Heptagon Alley, what does all this count for? Emperor Jiawen has most probably already killed me thousands of times in his heart. Si Ye was stunned. He almost instinctively asked, ¡°Why?¡± The Empress looked down as if she didn¡¯t want to continue talking. Emperor Jiawen scolded, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now? You did all of that, yet you¡¯re not willing to talk now? Tell Si Ye what good things you have done at Heptagon Alley!¡± Si Ye had never seen Emperor Jiawen so furious, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel terrified. Previously, Emperor Jiawen had been holding it in when he talked about Si Meng and Rong Zhen. Why did he suddenly have such a huge reaction when he talked about Heptagon Alley? It seems like¡­ the Heptagon Alley incident is even more unbearable for Emperor Jiawen when compared to Si Meng¡¯s presence and the Empress hiding Rong Zhen. The Empress¡¯s white and cracked lips moved. ¡°¡­Your Majesty, I did all of this on my own, and it has nothing to do with my brother and the entire Si family. If we continue blowing this matter up, it will be increasingly troublesome¡­ I hope you can give me a quick ending, so we can stop all of this.¡± Emperor Jiawen chuckled. ¡°You finally know that you¡¯re in trouble? When you did this earlier, did you think that today would come? It¡¯s not impossible if you want to end this now. You just have to clearly say if you prepared the copper vat for Rong Jin and what the reason for doing so was!¡± Si Ye was confused when he heard their words. What copper vat? How did Rong Jin get involved in this? The Empress bit her lips tightly. Actually, Emperor Jiawen had already asked her this question countless times. However, she didn¡¯t admit to it the whole time. She knew clearer than anyone how much Emperor Jiawen hated that copper vat. So, once she admitted to it, Rong Jin would never be able to make a comeback. Thinking of this, her heart was finally drowned by the loss of hope. The next moment, she suddenly tried to smash against the wall beside her. Emperor Jiawen stood up in anger. ¡°Stop her!¡± When the Empress rushed over, Si Ye had already stood up and blocked her. The Empress crashed into Si Ye¡¯s arms. Dong! Si Ye moaned deeply as a sweet yet fishy taste enveloped his lips. The Empress really wants to die! She used all her strength! ¡°Jing¡¯er! What are you doing?¡± Si Ye was frustrated and anxious as he directly called out the Empress¡¯s name. ¡°Brother, kill me! Kill me quick!¡± The Empress grabbed his hand and begged anxiously and bitterly. Once I die, everything will end. However, how could Si Ye bear to do it? ¡°What exactly happened to you?¡± Emperor Jiawen watched on coldly from the side. ¡°Empress, do you think that I can¡¯t do anything about you if you keep quiet?¡± Then, he suddenly raised his voice and shouted, ¡°Someone, serve her with ink and brush!¡± Everything that was previously thrown onto the floor couldn¡¯t be used anymore. However, the thing the Imperial Study didn¡¯t lack the most was this. Eunuch Min hurriedly entered from outside, silently went to the other side to take the new ink and brushes for Emperor Jiawen, and ground it, pretending as if he did not see the unkempt Si Ye and Empress on the floor. Emperor Jiawen picked up the brush and nonchalantly glanced at the Empress. ¡°I think you can¡¯t continue to be the Empress. As for Rong Jin¡­ With such a mother, what kind of son can you bring up? He¡¯s incapable; I should¡¯ve removed him a long time ago!¡± The Empress suddenly realized that Emperor Jiawen wanted to remove the Crown Prince from his position in addition to removing her as the Empress. Under her panic, she couldn¡¯t help but scream, ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t do this! Rong Jin has just gotten engaged to Situ Xingchen! If you remove him from his position as the Crown Prince now, how can you explain to Country Xing Luo?¡± ¡°No wonder¡­ No wonder!¡± Emperor Jiawen paused in his actions and sneered. It was no wonder they were so fearless. It was because they had already thought of how to escape from punishment since the start! Rong Jin smoothly fought for his marriage agreement with Situ Xingchen for this day! Emperor Jiawen hated himself for being so blind and letting this heartless mother-son duo lie to him for so long. ¡°Okay! I want to see if Country Xing Luo will want to continue Situ Xingchen and Rong Jin¡¯s marriage agreement after they know about this!¡± ¡­ Country Xing Luo. Situ Xingchen returned to the palace at top speed and spoke up about everything that had happened. However, Country Xing Luo¡¯s Emperor Xiankang, Situ Yan, kept quiet for a long time before shaking his head. ¡°Xingchen, you can¡¯t retract this marriage agreement.¡± Chapter 382 - Probe ¡°Your Highness, you played really well this time.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the chessboard in front of her and didn¡¯t put down her black piece for a long time. ¡°My black pieces are almost all blocked.¡± Rong Xiu quietly sat opposite her. Upon hearing this, his thin lips gently curved up. ¡°You clearly have a way to go, right?¡± Chu Liuyue could obviously see it, but¡­ ¡°Even if I walk this step and forcefully escape the current situation, didn¡¯t you already prepare a trap for me? Since I¡¯m going to lose anyway, it¡¯s meaningless to make the extra move.¡± Chu Liuyue threw the chess piece into its container and raised both her hands. ¡°I concede.¡± Looking at her obedient appearance, Rong Xiu raised his brows and asked a question as he put away the chess pieces. ¡°You weren¡¯t focused when playing. What are you thinking about?¡± Seeing his slow actions, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle her nose. Even if I were focused, I would only forcefully draw to a tie when I play with Rong Xiu. If we really are to compare, Rong Xiu is the top player in chess. However, Rong Xiu slowly said, ¡°Even though this step seems meaningless, someone will still walk it.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly grunted. ¡°They¡¯re just wasting their efforts.¡± ¡°Not only did Situ Yan not cancel the marriage agreement for Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen, but he even willingly put in a good word for Rong Jin. Even if His Majesty is enraged and wants to punish the Empress and the Crown Prince immediately, he must do Situ Yan a favor.¡± Chu Liuyue had long expected that Situ Yan wouldn¡¯t cancel the marriage agreement so easily, but she did not expect him to render help so swiftly. This proved that Situ Yan thought more than highly of Rong Jin¡­ Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°If the problem could be solved so easily, we wouldn¡¯t have to drag until today.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly leaned forward, and her hands held the chessboard. Staring at Rong Xiu, she asked, ¡°Your Highness, did you know long ago that Situ Yan would help?¡± Rong Xiu looked up, and his deep gaze swept past Chu Liuyue¡¯s face in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Yue¡¯er, didn¡¯t you know about this too?¡± There seemed to be an ambiguous aura between the two of them. Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu in deep thought. Of course, I knew, but the only reason why I would guess that is that I knew something. However¡­ What about Rong Xiu? Does he know too? Chu Liuyue paused and said, ¡°As Situ Yan has helped Rong Jin, His Majesty won¡¯t officially remove the Crown Prince¡ªand even the Empress¡ªfrom their positions for now, but many people have already noticed that something is amiss. Everyone is now making guesses and conjectures, and people are faltering. On the other hand, His Majesty commanded people to investigate Heptagon Alley thoroughly, but there hasn¡¯t been much progress¡­ Your Highness, what¡¯s your plan?¡± Rong Xiu put away the chess pieces and couldn¡¯t help but look down and kiss Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead when he saw her look of curiosity. ¡°Even though you won¡¯t win by making an extra step, it could still be more exciting. Besides¡­ I can then win more heartily.¡± ¡­ At Crown Prince mansion¡­ As Rong Jin was grounded once again, the entire Crown Prince Mansion¡¯s atmosphere became very solemn. Everyone was defeated and grave, which replaced their arrogant looks when the Crown Prince was in favor. Who would¡¯ve imagined that the enviable Crown Prince would end up like this? Even though His Majesty hadn¡¯t given his order, rumors had spread everywhere in the Imperial City. They said that even the Empress had been grounded this time, so removing the Crown Prince from his position was just a matter of time. Chu Xianmin sat in her own room. It was already late autumn, so the weather was gradually turning cold. Her residence was very cold and quiet, and it was more like a wintry hell. Her hand slowly caressed the face veil she was wearing. Even though she was the only one here, she didn¡¯t dare to show her face. This was because even she herself was afraid of her own face. At the start, she never thought that she would end up in this state. After some deep thoughts, she finally stood up. Chu Xianmin heard that Situ Xingchen was going to visit Crown Prince Mansion today, so she had to go out and greet her. When she walked to the outside, the road was eerily quiet and wasn¡¯t much better than her place. She walked all the way to the living room. After walking quite a far distance, she finally saw some figures on the road. Most of them were subordinates, but they didn¡¯t even messily bow to her when they saw her. Instead, they left in a hurry. Chu Xianmin couldn¡¯t help but give a self-deprecating smile. In the past, these people would think of ways to make her smile when they saw her. Now, they were too lazy to even do that. She could vaguely hear those people whispering. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what that Eldest Princess Situ wants! The Crown Prince and Her Majesty have now been grounded, and they will be removed from their position sooner or later. This person still hasn¡¯t dissolved her marriage agreement with the Crown Prince? Isn¡¯t this causing trouble for herself?¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps she¡¯s devoted and is willing to accompany him through life and death?¡± ¡°I think not! You didn¡¯t see how that eldest princess treated the Crown Prince! When I went in to serve tea, I didn¡¯t even see half a smile on her face. She said she came to visit the Crown Prince, but everyone can tell that she was forced to come.¡± ¡°Who can force her? She¡¯s the apple of Country Xing Luo¡¯s Emperor Xiankang¡¯s eye!¡± ¡°Anyway, with her around, His Majesty won¡¯t do anything to the Crown Prince for now. However, I still think we should find another way out! Everything in this Crown Prince Mansion will thoroughly change at some point!¡± ¡°I heard that His Majesty thinks quite highly of the Third Prince and that he even wants to confer him¡ª¡± Chu Xianmin clenched her teeth and walked in. ¡­ Inside the living room, Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen sat opposite each other. After what happened these few days, Rong Jin¡¯s entire person slimmed down by quite a bit, and he looked very frail. Even his last bit of energy was about to be used up. He was worried about the Empress and anxious about himself. He also couldn¡¯t sleep properly for a few nights, which naturally caused him to end up in this state. Luckily, he still managed to save his position as the Crown Prince! ¡°Xingchen, I really don¡¯t know how to thank you¡­¡± Rong Jin looked at Situ Xingchen in front of him and was filled with gratitude. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t stand still and not do anything!¡± To Rong Jin, the reason why Situ Yan was willing to help was definitely due to Situ Xingchen begging him. Thus, he treasured Situ Xingchen even more in his heart. However, Situ Xingchen did not think so. She felt all her hair stand on end, and her entire person was very restless as Rong Jin stared at her with that gaze. If it weren¡¯t for Father¡¯s command, I would never come! ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. It¡¯s what I have to do.¡± Situ Xingchen literally clenched on her teeth and spat that sentence out. But Rong Jin didn¡¯t even realize her intentions as he sighed emotionally and deeply. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that Father has already convicted Mother of her crime, and he refuses to let me see her. I¡¯m also not sure what her situation is like now¡­¡± Situ Xingchen was frustrated to hear this. Thinking of what her father told her, she asked in a seemingly casual manner, ¡°Your Highness, the reason why His Majesty is acting this way is due to Heptagon Alley. Do you know what exactly is going on inside¡­?¡± Chapter 383 - Gift Rong Jin frowned. ¡°Erm¡­ I¡¯m not sure either. I¡¯ve never heard Mother mention anything about Heptagon Alley. It was also my first time there that day.¡± He had also never heard of that bronze vat with the hundreds of corpses before. Situ Xingchen was curious. Unrelenting, she asked, ¡°If this is Her Majesty¡¯s doing, she must¡¯ve done it for you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t know!¡± Rong Jin retorted. ¡°Besides, Mother is just another high-born woman in the palace. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s capable of doing something like this.¡± He could tell that those bones belonged to cultivators. Some of them even came from highly skilled cultivators. His mother had stayed in the palace all these years. With her skills alone, it was impossible for her to do anything on her own. In Rong Jin¡¯s opinion, Rong Jiu and the others must¡¯ve framed her. Putting other matters aside, she had met with him several times to discuss Rong Zhen¡¯s disappearance. She had been truly worried about the princess¡¯s safety. If Mother knew Rong Zhen was in Heptagon Alley all this while, why would she bother to put up an act for so long? Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of her time and effort? Without a doubt, Rong Jin knew his mother trusted him. Since he was a young prince, his mother had placed all her hopes on him. He shouldered all her burdens, so she would naturally do anything for him. Mother can hide the truth from everyone, but she is always honest with me. Rong Jin wholeheartedly believed that his mother was innocent. ¡°Father is blinded to the truth at the moment. I will prove her innocence once I find out what really happened,¡± Rong Jin said through gritted teeth. Situ Xingchen was smirking inwardly. Blinded for a moment? Who is Rong Jin trying to fool? The Empress¡¯s reaction that day was proof of her guilt. Other than Rong Zhen¡¯s sudden appearance, everything else was clearly related to the Empress! Situ Xingchen held the teacup, but she didn¡¯t take a sip. Instead, she watched her own reflection from within. Her eyes were cold, but her voice was as gentle as ever. ¡°You¡¯re right, Your Highness. I also don¡¯t believe what they said; otherwise, my father wouldn¡¯t have lent us a helping hand. You must do something to help Her Majesty, or else I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s going to have a tough time in the palace in the future.¡± Rong Jin¡¯s brows were knitted tightly together. ¡°What do you think I should do? Father refuses to see me.¡± ¡°Your Highness, do you know that Lord Chu Ning and the Third Prince are investigating what happened in Heptagon Alley? If they find any leads, they can use it to their advantage. In other words, Her Majesty¡¯s future and yours are in their hands now.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m aware of this!¡± Rong Jin ran his hand over his face impatiently. Dealing with Chu Ning was a piece of cake. However, Rong Jiu bore a huge grudge against his mother and him. Rong Jiu would definitely seize this opportunity to return the favor. ¡°Your Highness, the most important issue now is Heptagon Alley. I believe Her Majesty¡¯s innocence, but she must know something about it, right?¡± Rong Jin was silent. ¡°If she tells you everything she knows, it would be easier for you to react and handle the situation. So¡­ why don¡¯t you seek her out?¡± Rong Jin pondered on her words. It is a viable solution, yet¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t see her now. How am I supposed to do that?¡± A smile appeared on Situ Xingchen¡¯s lips very slowly. ¡°Have you forgotten that I can enter the palace?¡± Chu Xianmin happened to arrive at this precise moment. She stopped outside the door; then, she heard the excitement in Rong Jin¡¯s voice. ¡°Xingchen, you are truly the best woman a man can have. Marrying you is my greatest blessing!¡± Those words stabbed Chu Xianmin¡¯s heart like daggers; she was heartbroken. Chu Xianmin tightly wrung her hands together as a million thoughts raced through her mind. A look of determination flashed in her eyes as she turned around and left. ¡­ Chu Liuyue came to Mu Qinghe¡¯s home again. When she arrived at the doorstep, she heard a crisp chirping that got louder and louder. She looked up and saw Hong Yao flying to her in exhilaration. Although the last time they met was two weeks ago, Chu Liuyue had missed the bird. The hearty welcome was what she needed, and she couldn¡¯t resist smiling. ¡°Hong Yao, have you been good lately?¡± The fiend flew a circle around her, flapping its wings excitedly. Chu Liuyue could see a layer of green flames engulfing Hong Yao¡¯s entire body. This must be its reply! Her smile widened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t forget your gift.¡± Hong Yao chirped happily. Chu Liuyue was about to retrieve something from her Cosmic Bag when she felt someone watching her. She paused and looked up. Jian Fengchi was leaning against the door frame with arms folded in front of his chest, watching her curiously. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Hong Yao isn¡¯t your fiend; why do you care so much for it?¡± The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. It¡¯s been weeks. Why is he still here? As though he was reading her mind, Jian Fengchi smiled flippantly. ¡°It¡¯s easy to get me here. The tricky part is getting rid of me.¡± Chu Liuyue tried her best to remain calm and polite as she curtsied. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Jian.¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly said, ¡°Do you know? Mu Qinghe only allows Hong Yao to accept gifts from one person.¡± Chapter 384 - Movement Technique Chu Liuyue kept her Cosmic Bag calmly and smiled. ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t know about this.¡± With his eyes on her hand, Jian Fengchi smiled as he raised his chin haughtily. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not important; it was in the past anyway. Can you show me the gift you brought for Hong Yao?¡± Chu Liuyue kept the gift hidden in the bag. ¡°Young Master Jian, it¡¯s just a small trinket. I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t interest you. Since you said Hong Yao is only allowed to accept presents from one specific person, I prefer not to embarrass myself. Please forgive me if I have offended you.¡± Hong Yao lowered its head in disappointment and swung around to glare at Jian Fengchi, clearly blaming him. If he hadn¡¯t shown himself, I would be playing with my gift now. Hong Yao had been looking forward to it for the past two weeks. A sinister smile appeared on Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips, making him look especially foppish. ¡°Ms. Chu, relax. I can see that Mu Qinghe likes you a lot. Perhaps he will make an exception for you.¡± This woman¡¯s eyes are so similar to that person¡¯s. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t keen on continuing this discussion with Jian Fengchi, so she changed the topic subtly. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Young Master Jian. Actually, I came today to see if Lieutenant Mu is back. When I was here a few days ago, all of you were out.¡± She had guessed that something must¡¯ve happened to Mu Qinghe because he was a man who always kept his word. If he said he would be away for ten days, he would come back unless something serious happened. Jian Fengchi was deep in his thoughts as he stared at Chu Liuyue. For some reason, I have the feeling that she doesn¡¯t want to speak to me. The feeling of being ignored is back; how strange. I¡¯m a popular man among women, but I must¡¯ve done something to offend Chu Liuyue for her to treat me like this. ¡°I think women from Country Yao Chen must really hate me,¡± he said with an exaggerated sigh. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes with a polite smile. ¡°Young Master Jian, please don¡¯t take this the wrong way. It¡¯s nothing personal; I¡¯m just worried about Lieutenant Mu. Has anyone else made you unhappy?¡± Jian Fengchi was behaving as though he had suffered a grievance elsewhere. His behavior piqued Chu Liuyue¡¯s curiosity. Few people could tame Jian Fengchi. His usual soulless eyes looked sad as he struggled to speak. Finally, he swallowed whatever he was going to say and headed into the house. ¡°Nevermind. I am not one to bear a grudge on such things.¡± As he walked away from her, he drawled loudly, ¡°Mu Qinghe, the girl is here for you.¡± Chu Liuyue shuddered. G-girl? He must be out of his mind. How dare he call me ¡®girl?¡¯ Chu Liuyue ground her teeth while she made a mental note to teach him a lesson next time. She suppressed her unhappiness and ran after him. Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t slow down. Instead, he waved his hand casually. ¡°He¡¯s in the backyard. Go look for him yourself.¡± He strode away in the opposite direction as though he couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. Chu Liuyue muttered her gratitude and headed for the backyard. After Jian Fengchi was gone, Hong Yao returned and flew around Chu Liuyue. It fluttered its wings and batted its eyes relentlessly. The hateful man was gone, so it was time for her to give Hong Yao its gift. Chu Liuyue looked at the fiend and shook her head. ¡°No, Hong Yao.¡± She knew who Jian Fengchi was talking about earlier. Hong Yao could only accept gifts from one person¡ªShangguan Yue. In the past, she was unaware of this fact, so she gave Hong Yao presents without a thought. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t do so anymore. Mu Qinghe was suspicious of her. It was vital for her to be cautious. Hong Yao looked at her determined expression. It flapped its wings in disappointment and flew away. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips, willing herself not to give in. Initially, bringing presents for Hong Yao was her way of cheering up the fiend. Soon after, it became her habit. She didn¡¯t expect Mu Qinghe to bar the fiend from accepting presents from others except her. What is going through Mu Qinghe¡¯s mind? Suddenly, Hong Yao stopped. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw Mu Qinghe practicing with his sword in the spacious backyard. To be more accurate, he was holding a three-inch-long wooden blade. Even though it was a wooden blade, it was a weapon that could kill a man when Mu Qinghe was wielding it. Chu Liuyue could feel the aggressiveness in each strike as she stood from a distance. ¡°Lieutenant Mu.¡± Chu Liuyue curtsied. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t stop. His movements were smooth like a flowing river. She could even see a flash of black every time the blade slashed in the air. This only proved that Mu Qinghe had gotten more powerful. Shua! His movements were so swift that she could only catch fragments of him in the yard. Suddenly, he reached out to strike, and the wooden dagger flew out of his hand, slicing through his fragmented shadows. Choo! Choo! Choo! They vanished! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t stop herself from frowning. Mu Qinghe seems to be in a foul mood. To put it nicely, one can¡¯t tell if he is happy or upset. On the other hand, one wouldn¡¯t want to antagonize him. Chu Liuyue had never seen Mu Qinghe express his feelings like this before, but from the way he was behaving, something was obviously troubling him. She stood at the side and patiently waited, without a word. When the last fragmented shadow finally vanished, Mu Qinghe recalled the wooden dagger back to his hand. Then, he exhaled and turned his attention to Chu Liuyue. His eyes regained their usual aloofness and had no sign of his agitation from earlier. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, you weren¡¯t home when I came the last time. So¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± interjected Mu Qinghe before she could finish. He suddenly started to scrutinize Chu Liuyue, who blinked and smiled in return. ¡°Lieutenant, why are you looking at me like this?¡± There was a moment of silence before Mu Qinghe said, ¡°It looks like you haven¡¯t made a wasted trip this time.¡± His words shocked Chu Liuyue. I haven¡¯t made any breakthroughs this time. What does he mean? Without waiting for her clarification, Mu Qinghe thrust the dagger at Chu Liuyue. Zing! It sped toward her at such amazing speed that it would stun anyone. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have time to evade. The only way is to deflect it head-on! Chu Liuyue slanted her body subconsciously and reached out with her right hand at the same time. It suddenly hit Mu Qinghe. This is¡­ Chapter 385 - Imperial Sword Chu Liuyue suddenly paused in her actions. Almost at the same time, one green figure and one red figure speedily appeared in front of Chu Liuyue¡ªit was Hong Yao and Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi quickly went forward and went straight for the wooden sword as its fluffy body lightly landed on it. The next moment, Tuan Zi opened its mouth and harshly bit it. Kacha! Following this crisp sound, Tuan Zi directly bit off a large portion of the wooden sword¡¯s blade. On the other hand, Hong Yao flapped its wings, and a green fire landed on the wooden sword. Hong! It started to burn. Tuan Zi felt the commotion and turned around to see that the green fire was close to burning its tail. It bared its fangs toward Hong Yao as it delightedly gave the bird a teasing look. The next moment, the two little ones respectively moved away as the wooden sword became a ball of dust an arm¡¯s length away from Chu Liuyue. Tuan Zi jumped onto Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders first as it showed its tail to Chu Liuyue pitifully. ¡°Wu-wu!¡± That bird is too evil! It almost burned me to death! Chu Liuyue looked at it coldly. ¡°Mm, three strands of fur were burned off. If you discovered it any later, it would¡¯ve grown back on its own already.¡± Tuan Zi was speechless. Hong Yao chirped twice as it waved its feathers in delight. It deserves it! Who asked it to move so slowly? It¡¯s been so long, but it didn¡¯t improve at all. Tuan Zi was furious, but it could only angrily turn away when it realized that it was taken advantage of because of its incapabilities. Tuan Zi pointed its butt at Hong Yao to express its anger. Chu Liuyue actually really wanted to scold Hong Yao for taking revenge for personal reasons during work, but she was still sensible as they were in front of Mu Qinghe. Besides, Hong Yao only took action to help her. She slowly put down her arm, and the tense muscles in her entire body relaxed. Disappointment flashed across Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes. When he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions previously, he still thought¡­ ¡°Lieutenant Mu, what are you planning to do?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to notice that anything was wrong as she smiled and said, ¡°I think you¡¯ve overestimated me. I can¡¯t withstand your attack now. I really have to thank Tuan Zi and Hong Yao for their help just now.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s face was quite cold as he shot Hong Yao a warning look. Hong Yao¡ªwho was still over the moon earlier¡ªsuddenly froze. I was too anxious just now and actually just rushed out! Chu Liuyue was also pretty nervous in her heart. Just when she was about to take action, she suddenly realized that there was a very high chance that Mu Qinghe did that to test her. Humans would be very easily exposed when they were acting according to their instincts. She had already executed half of her move. If she executed it fully, Mu Qinghe would definitely find something amiss! Luckily, Tuan Zi and Hong Yao took action in time¡­ Chu Liuyue gently patted Tuan Zi and felt more assured when she touched the soft and furry body. ¡°Accompany me out,¡± said Mu Qinghe coldly. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Now?¡± Mu Qinghe glanced at her. ¡°Why? Do you still have other things to do?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. Even if I did, I¡¯m afraid Mu Qinghe wouldn¡¯t care. After all, nobody dares to offend him here. Even Emperor Jiawen has to make way for him, let alone the rest. Mu Qinghe nodded and raised his legs to walk outside. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a while, but she still followed him. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, can I ask you a question? Where are we going?¡± ¡°You will find out when you get there.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s reply was very cold, and it was very decisive. He clearly didn¡¯t want to argue with Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Mu Qinghe always did things like this, and I¡¯m not surprised, but¡­ I still feel uncomfortable since I don¡¯t even know where I am going. However, Mu Qinghe clearly doesn¡¯t plan to explain to me. Jian Fengchi suddenly walked out into the front yard. ¡°Oh, where are you bringing this girl to?¡± He laughed and teased. Mu Qinghe glanced at him coldly. ¡°This isn¡¯t something you should interfere in.¡± Jian Fengchi raised his hands. ¡°Pfft, this isn¡¯t you inviting me over already. Mu Qinghe, you¡¯re really smooth at kicking someone to the curb when they¡¯ve outlived their usefulness.¡± He was clearly teasing him, but Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression suddenly froze. Jian Fengchi seemed to notice something as he coughed and looked at Chu Liuyue instead. ¡°Ms. Chu, there¡¯s something I want to ask you about.¡± ¡°Young Master Jian, please go ahead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Jian Fengchi touched his chin with one hand and looked rather conflicted. ¡°Am I¡­ very ugly?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue thought that she had heard him wrongly and widened her eyes. But when she saw Jian Fengchi¡¯s deep-in-thought appearance, she confirmed what she had heard earlier was true. What is this man high on? Who doesn¡¯t know that Jian Fengchi¡¯s second specialty is refining medicine, while his first is narcissism. He had naturally flirtatious eyes and a frivolous attitude. Even Chu Liuyue¡ªwho couldn¡¯t stand him usually¡ªhad to admit that Jian Fengchi¡¯s looks were one of the best. If not, how could he go around freely in the sea of flowers? ¡°Young Master Jian, you¡¯re handsome and very charismatic. You don¡¯t have anything to do with the word ¡®ugly.¡¯¡± Jian Fengchi knitted his brows even tighter. ¡°I think so too¡­ But someone said that I was ugly.¡± Chu Liuyue asked curiously, ¡°I wonder who¡­¡± Has such wise taste? Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes became mysterious as he spat out a name. ¡°Mu Hongyu.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Mm¡­ It seems like quite a number of interesting things happened when I wasn¡¯t around¡­ Jian Fengchi was a very confident person, especially when it came to his looks and behavior. He had lived for so many years, but it was the first time someone called him ¡®ugly.¡¯ It was no wonder that he bore a grudge. It was a pity that Mu Hongyu¡¯s personality didn¡¯t care about such types of people. Mu Hongyu should¡¯ve said it when she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, taking into consideration that Jian Fengchi had helped treat her mother¡¯s disease. One can just imagine how much Mu Hongyu hates Jian Fengchi. Chu Liuyue suddenly understood something and advised while smiling, ¡°Hongyu has always been straightforward. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. This doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s comforting me, right?! ¡°I heard her say that this Rong Xiu or something is way better looking than me?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. If I didn¡¯t hear wrongly¡­ Jian Fengchi is referring to¡­ Rong Xiu? Jian Fengchi stared at Chu Liuyue and said, ¡°Oh, yes. She even said that that person was your fianc¨¦?¡± Chu Liuyue then realized that Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t see Rong Xiu at all after coming here. She coughed. ¡°Yes, Prince Li is indeed my fianc¨¦.¡± Jian Fengchi thought for a while and suddenly walked outside. ¡°I want to see what kind of person this Rong Xiu is.¡± Chu Liuyue was just about to say something when she felt some movements beside her. She turned around and saw a longsword suddenly floating in the air. Mu Qinghe was standing on it, and he looked very solemn and cold. ¡°Come on up.¡± Chapter 386 - : Imposter At the royal palace, Imperial Study. Emperor Jiawen looked at the booklet in his hands and increasingly knitted his brows tighter as he read it. Piak! He finally threw the item aside. ¡°Chu Ning, I told you to do your best to investigate Heptagon Alley, but you only found out about these useless things?¡± Chu Ning¡ªwho was standing respectfully¡ªimmediately knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve already used all the connections and methods that I could, but I could only find out so much up till now. Even though there are more than hundreds of skeletons at Heptagon Alley, we can¡¯t find any other information other than the fact that they were all cultivators.¡± ¡°Anything that could reveal their identity had been specifically taken care of, and we can¡¯t find anything. Even¡­ Except for the corpse that was hung, all the other skeletons didn¡¯t have any clothing at all.¡± The person who did all of this was clearly very meticulous. Chu Ning literally didn¡¯t sleep and rest during the past few days. He had even dug three feet under the entire Heptagon Alley, but he really couldn¡¯t find anything other than piles of skeletons. Emperor Jiawen rubbed his brows in frustration. He knew that this incident couldn¡¯t be investigated so easily and that there wasn¡¯t much use to just sit there. However, he was filled with worry whenever he thought of the copper vat stained with dried blood. Chu Ning looked at Emperor Jiawen and continued, ¡°According to our investigations, Her Majesty would head to Heptagon Alley once every two months, and she would do it very discreetly. Every time, she would only stay there for a short while, so she hadn¡¯t been discovered after so long.¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face darkened. In actual fact, he had already personally asked the Empress a few times, but her lips were very tight. From start to end, she kept insisting that she did everything alone. She didn¡¯t mention whether she prepared it for Rong Jin and why she wanted to do so. In the middle, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s subordinates had even tortured the Empress with his consent, but they still couldn¡¯t discover any useful clues. Once he thought about how the Empress cheated him for so many years and how he had no clue at all, he felt coldness spread from his legs. It then attacked his brain, causing his entire person to be chilled. Knock, knock¡­ ¡°Your Majesty, the Third Prince wants to see you,¡± said Eunuch Min outside carefully. ¡°Let him in.¡± Emperor Jiawen took a deep breath in and looked at Rong Jiu¡ªwho opened the door to enter. Emperor Jiawen asked, ¡°Do you have any clues on your side?¡± Once Rong Jiu came in and saw Chu Ning kneeling on the floor, he realized that Chu Ning didn¡¯t find out much. First, he respectfully bowed before slowly saying, ¡°I¡¯ve already personally interrogated all of Her Majesty¡¯s subordinates in the palace and found some news that might be of use.¡± Emperor Jiawen finally perked up. ¡°Quickly, speak!¡± Rong Jiu said, ¡°According to the Empress¡¯s personal palace maid, she said that the Empress had a small box that she kept on her own and didn¡¯t allow anyone else to touch it. From time to time, the Empress would lock herself in the palace. At first, the palace maids didn¡¯t care about it, but there was one time when a eunuch accidentally barged in and finally seemed to see what was hidden in Her Majesty¡¯s box.¡± Emperor Jiawen thought for a moment. ¡°What kind of box is it? Why does she think so highly of it? Why did I never know about this?¡± Rong Jiu laughed to himself. Emperor Jiawen and the Empress have no feelings for each other whatsoever, especially Emperor Jiawen. He probably doesn¡¯t even care about the Empress at all. If he had once cared more about the Empress, he wouldn¡¯t have let her do so many horrendous things under his eyes. The Empress went in and out of Heptagon Alley many times, and she has even hunted and killed so many cultivators to increase the copper vat¡¯s strength. Yet, Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t know anything about it, let alone a small box. It¡¯s too easy to lie to Emperor Jiawen. Thinking of this, Rong Jiu couldn¡¯t mock himself. This is also the reason why the Empress didn¡¯t get any of the punishments she deserved when she silently killed my mother. Emperor Jiawen wasn¡¯t any good to my mother as well. Rong Jiu suppressed his feelings and looked calm. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find out much. After all, the palace maids don¡¯t dare to ask much about Her Majesty¡¯s items. However¡­ the eunuch who accidentally found out about this fell and drowned in the lake not long after. After that, everyone in Her Majesty¡¯s palace avoided this topic.¡± This time, he had to use some methods to finally find out about this. ¡°I think that many problems can be solved if we can find that box.¡± Emperor Jiawen looked stern. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the box has something to do with Heptagon Alley?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just my conjecture, but this is the only possible direction as we don¡¯t have any other clues.¡± Emperor Jiawen thought for a while and felt that Rong Jiu¡¯s words made sense. ¡°Since this is so, Rong Jiu, go find the Empress and make her hand the item over.¡± Rong Jiu hesitated for a while. ¡°Father, since Her Majesty treasures the box so much, she won¡¯t hand it over so easily¡­¡± ¡°Tell her that I might give Rong Jin a chance if she honestly hands the box over. If she continues being stubborn¡­ She will know what happens next.¡± An undetectable cold gaze flashed across Rong Jiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°I understand.¡± Then, he hurriedly dismissed himself. Emperor Jiawen glanced at Chu Ning helplessly. ¡°Chu Ning, you should work harder on your side too. If it really can¡¯t be done, you should try working on it from other areas. Thoroughly check all those that had close relations to the Empress and Rong Jin before.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Chu Ning was dismissed, Emperor Jiawen relaxed his body and leaned against the chair. Chu Ning is good at everything, but¡­ he doesn¡¯t have enough methods. In comparison, Rong Jiu is much more efficient. After all, he had been trained by the Northwest Army¡­ Thinking of this, Emperor Jiawen vaguely felt uncomfortable in his heart. He had never thought of leaving the position for Rong Jiu as he really couldn¡¯t like this son of his. Also, Rong Jiu exuded a very strong murderous aura, which made even Emperor Jiawen scared sometimes. But it now seemed like Rong Jin really couldn¡¯t make it. Amongst the remaining sons, Rong Jiu actually became the most suitable one. Even if he was cold-blooded and harsh, it was better than being frail and weak. What a pity¡­ Emperor Jiawen sighed deeply as if he had aged by a few years at that moment. If only Rong Xiu¡¯s body was better¡­ ¡­ In the Empress¡¯s bedroom. The once crowded and glamorous place had now turned cold and miserable, leaving behind a few solemn guards that trapped the Empress within. When Situ Xingchen came here, her heart skipped a beat. How much does Emperor Jiawen hate the Empress for him to treat her like this¡­? A guard saw Situ Xingchen, and he immediately went up. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, please stop here. His Majesty has commanded that nobody is allowed to go near here.¡± Situ Xingchen took out a plaque from her sleeves and showed off her authority as the eldest princess. ¡°I came here by his command.¡± The guard glanced at it and recognized that it was indeed His Majesty¡¯s plaque, so he hurriedly made way. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, go ahead!¡± Situ Xingchen put away the plaque and walked into the Empress¡¯s residence calmly. Chapter 387 - Heaven’s Chosen Son The large palace was empty and quiet. Situ Xingchen walked in slowly, and her footsteps reverberated throughout the empty room, sounding extra sinister. All sorts of smashed items were strewn all over the floor, looking very messy. Situ Xingchen avoided them expressionlessly and walked straight inside, finally seeing the Empress in the innermost part of the room. Si Huijing was wearing a messy and dirty palace attire that looked like it hadn¡¯t been changed in a few days. One could even vaguely see some dark-red stains. Her face was very pale, her lips were cracked, and her eyes were unfocused. Motionless, her entire person was huddled into a ball as she lay in a corner of the bed. One look at her, and one would think that she had stopped breathing. It was obvious that the Empress had experienced countless tortures in these short few days. Situ Xingchen walked in step by step and finally stood still in front of the Empress, revealing her usual warm smile. ¡°Her Majesty, I¡¯m here to see you.¡± The Empress seemed not to hear it as she didn¡¯t give a reaction. Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t care as she bent down slightly and leaned in. ¡°Actually¡ª¡± But at the next moment, she smelled a pungent and nearly suffocating scent coming from the Empress. Disgust flashed across her eyes as she took out a letter from her sleeves and passed it over. ¡°Her Majesty, the Crown Prince told me to visit you today. This is the letter he wrote for you; take a look at it.¡± Then, she silently straightened her body. If she could, she really wanted to leave this dirty place immediately, but she hadn¡¯t forgotten her purpose for the day. It wasn¡¯t easy to make this trip, so she had to grab the opportunity. Hearing the two words ¡®Crown Prince,¡¯ the Empress¡¯s eyeballs slowly turned as she finally found some of her senses back. The Empress slowly looked up; her deep eyes were bloodshot and filled with despair and grievances. They even vaguely had some form of lunacy to them. Situ Xingchen almost instinctively moved back. The Empress¡­ looks too scary¡­ A faint chuckle escaped from the Empress¡¯s lips as if she were mocking Situ Xingchen. It also sounded like she was laughing at herself. Without looking at the mirror, Si Huijing also knew how she looked. ¡°How¡­ did you come in?¡± asked the Empress with a hoarse voice. It was as though someone had dragged something across the sand floor, causing one¡¯s ears to hurt. Situ Xingchen composed herself and explained softly, ¡°His Highness lent me his plaque.¡± As the Crown Prince, Rong Jin had a plaque that looked quite similar to Emperor Jiawen¡¯s. He changed the plaque slightly, and it looked quite similar to Emperor Jiawen¡¯s. Other than the people who regularly saw the two plaques, others wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference. This was why Situ Xingchen could enter smoothly. The Empress believed her and picked up the letter, but the moment she saw the first two lines, she suddenly scrunched the letter into a ball and harshly threw it at Situ Xingchen¡¯s face. ¡°B*tch, you¡¯re indeed cunning!¡± Situ Xingchen completely didn¡¯t expect the Empress to react like this, and she was dazed. The paper ball didn¡¯t hurt her face, but it was an enormous insult to her. Situ Xingchen picked up the paper ball, and the smile on her face faded. ¡°Her Majesty, what are you doing? I¡¯m being kind by helping you and the Crown Prince, yet you treat me like this?¡± ¡°B*tch! Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking?¡± The Empress¡¯s face flushed red as she pointed at Situ Xingchen¡¯s nose and scolded her. ¡°Rong Jin can¡¯t tell your intentions, but do you think I can¡¯t too? It¡¯s no wonder that you haven¡¯t dissolved the marriage agreement yet. You just want to find out some information from me! Let me tell you¡ªdream on!¡± Even though the Empress was dejected now and would be sentenced to death at any moment, it didn¡¯t mean that she was senile. When she previously saw Situ Xingchen, Si Huijing already felt that this woman had ill intentions and that she wasn¡¯t what she appeared to be. Now, it was truly the case! The smile on Situ Xingchen¡¯s face completely disappeared as she clutched the paper ball in her hands. This was personally written by Rong Jin under her hints, so she obviously knew the letter¡¯s contents. The main gist was that Rong Jin couldn¡¯t leave his residence as he was grounded, so he told Situ Xingchen to visit the Empress for him. Besides, he even asked the Empress to tell Situ Xingchen about Heptagon Alley¡¯s secret so that she could tell him. Rong Jin thought that he could find a proper solution to the current problem once he knew what exactly was going on. What else did the Empress not understand when she saw this? Situ Xingchen originally had nothing to do with this matter, but she was bending her back to help them. How could she have no intentions at all? ¡°Her Majesty, you must be mistaken; I have no such intentions. The Crown Prince is your own son. If you don¡¯t even trust him, there won¡¯t be any way to solve the problem.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± yelled the Empress at the top of her lungs. If it weren¡¯t because she couldn¡¯t move the lower half of her body, she would¡¯ve long hurled the b*tch out. Situ Xingchen¡¯s gaze landed on the Empress¡¯s legs, and she vaguely guessed something. She looked very disappointed as she said, ¡°Originally, I thought that you loved His Highness the most. I didn¡¯t expect that you could actually just watch as he lands himself in this perilous situation¡­ Since you insist on your ways, I can¡¯t do anything either.¡± As Situ Xingchen talked, she actually turned around without a care. She walked a few steps when the Empress said, ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s lips curved up slightly, and delight flashed across her eyes. But the moment she turned around, her expression returned to normal. She sighed and said, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know because you¡¯ve been trapped in the palace these few days, but His Majesty has already decided to remove the Crown Prince and get the Third Prince to replace him.¡± The Empress was stunned. ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe me, but there¡¯s no other way at this point. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the people in the palace if they have been interrogated by the Third Prince. Can¡¯t you guess why His Majesty wants to let the Third Prince do this?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s voice was as gentle as usual, but to the Empress, her voice sounded like a cold snake slowly crawling to her heart. Si Huijing¡¯s lips trembled violently. Very quickly, her entire body shook. ¡°Impossible¡­ Impossible! Rong Jin is the Crown Prince! Rong Jin is the only Crown Prince!¡± Seeing the Empress¡¯s reaction, Situ Xingchen was puzzled. Why does she care so much about this¡­? ¡°I want to find His Majesty! He can¡¯t make someone else the Crown Prince!¡± hollered the Empress as she directly fell off the bed. ¡°Only Rong Jin¡­ It must be Rong Jin!¡± Situ Xingchen suddenly realized something and purposely said, ¡°The Third Prince is outstanding, and he can be respected as the Crown Prince too¡­¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± The Empress looked contorted as she shouted sharply, ¡°Who is Rong Jiu? Rong Jin is Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son! Other than him, nobody else deserves to be the Crown Prince!¡± Chapter 388 - Golden Inheritance Peak Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened up! Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son! This is the biggest secret behind Rong Jin! The moment the Empress said it, she immediately reacted¡ªI still said it aloud, and I even did it in front of Situ Xingchen! Bang! Ka! The Empress was furious as she picked up the things around her and threw them at Situ Xingchen. ¡°How cunning! You actually calculated against me!¡± She had kept this secret for so many years and didn¡¯t even tell anyone despite the torture she had suffered in the past few days. Si Huijing didn¡¯t expect Situ Xingchen to get the words out of her mouth in the end. The Empress¡¯s hand was cut by the sharp shards, and she was bleeding everywhere. But at this point, she completely couldn¡¯t feel the pain as her heart and mind were just focused on killing Situ Xingchen in front of her. However, the current her was just a good-for-nothing. She couldn¡¯t even walk herself, let alone handle Situ Xingchen. Situ Xingchen easily avoided the Empress¡¯s attacks, but she didn¡¯t move backward. Instead, she moved forward and directly squatted in front of the Empress. ¡°Her Majesty, what did you say just now¡­? Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son? What does that mean?¡± The Empress lifted her hand to slap her. With a smile on her face, Situ Xingchen clutched the Empress¡¯s wrist with one hand. However, her eyes and brows were filled with a cold threat. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already said it, why don¡¯t you tell me everything? Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll tell the Crown Prince everything word for word. I¡¯m guessing this is also the reason why my father is determined for me to be engaged to the Crown Prince?¡± Blood churned in the Empress¡¯s stomach, and she actually spat out blood. I didn¡¯t guess wrongly! Situ Xingchen does have ill intentions! And that cunning father of hers! ¡°Who? Who exactly told you?¡± The Empress tried very hard to push Situ Xingchen away, but it was to no avail. In the end, she just shouted at her at the top of her lungs. She had never told anyone about this, and she even only revealed a little information to Rong Jin. Up till now, he didn¡¯t even know what it meant. But how does that old fox Situ Yan know about this? The many things that happened in the past quickly flashed across Si Huijing¡¯s eyes like small pearls that were finally strung up. It¡¯s no wonder that Situ Yan took the initiative to form a marriage alliance! It¡¯s no wonder that they liked Rong Jin from the start! It¡¯s no wonder that they haven¡¯t dissolved the marriage agreement up till now! This cunning father-daughter duo was coming for this! Situ Xingchen¡¯s ears buzzed due to the Empress¡¯s racket, which completely used up the last ounce of her patience. She flung the Empress away and looked down at her from above. ¡°Her Majesty, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a point in saying all of this now. Why don¡¯t you just say what you should? This way, you can protect the Crown Prince, right? Without me and my father¡¯s help, you and the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t even last to this day. We¡¯re now considered to be sitting on the same boat, so why must you persist bitterly? Do you really think that you can salvage the situation on your own¡ªjust based on your half-paralyzed body?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s words were very harsh. The Empress was enraged, But after thinking for a while, she realized that Situ Xingchen¡¯s words made sense. It would be bad if this carried on. She suffered so much and spent so much effort to reach this stage. How could she let everything go to waste? After keeping quiet for some time, she finally looked up and saw Situ Xingchen. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible if you want me to tell you, but you must make a vicious oath. If you betray Rong Jin and me in the future, you¡¯ll be struck to death by lightning!¡± Situ Xingchen was elated. What¡¯s so scary about making a vicious oath? As long as I know what the so-called ¡®Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son¡¯ means, I have ways to solve this problem. ¡°Okay! I, Situ Xingchen, solemnly swear¡ª¡± ¡°Greetings, Third Prince!¡± Voices were suddenly heard from outside the palace. Situ Xingchen was shocked, and she immediately looked out. Why did Rong Jiu come at this time? ¡°How is Her Majesty today?¡± This was clearly Rong Jiu¡¯s voice. ¡°Third Prince, the Empress is normal. She¡¯s stuck in her residence and refuses to come out.¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll go in to take a look,¡± said Rong Jiu as he walked toward the residence. The guards all knew that Rong Jiu was sent by His Majesty to investigate the Empress, so they directly let him in. His footsteps became increasingly nearer. Situ Xingchen panicked. If Rong Jiu discovers me here, everything will be exposed! She rapidly leaned toward the Empress and softly whispered, ¡°For the Crown Prince, you know what you should do.¡± Then, she immediately found a place to hide herself. Creak! The door was pushed open, and Rong Jiu¡¯s figure appeared at the entrance. Rong Jiu could see the room¡¯s situation with one glance. He squinted his eyes. ¡°Her Majesty, what¡¯s¡­ with you?¡± ¡­ Mu Qinghe brought Chu Liuyue along on the imperial sword and went north. Since he had set up a barrier, the two of them didn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention as they silently left the Imperial City. Upon seeing that they were exiting the city gate, Chu Liuyue got increasingly curious. Where exactly is Mu Qinghe bringing me? This direction¡­ Normally, people won¡¯t even come here since there are many mountains with dangerous terrain here. The more important point is that if we continue forward, it will be Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum. However, Mu Qinghe was silent, and she couldn¡¯t ask anything. The two of them continued progressing forward. Chu Liuyue finally confirmed her guess when she saw the steep mountain. Mu Qinghe has brought me to Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum! Looking down from mid-air, she could even clearly see the warriors in charge of guarding the peak. A faint barrier enveloped the entire mountain peak. Chu Liuyue was shocked. This barrier¡¯s strength has exceeded my expectations! It¡¯s like¡­ it was set up by a stage-six warrior! An idea popped up in Mu Qinghe¡¯s mind as he finally brought Chu Liuyue to the ground and landed at the foot of the mountain. After Chu Liuyue stood still, she suppressed her curiosity and looked up. Golden Inheritance Peak¡ªthis was the highest and most dangerous mountain peak within miles of the Imperial City. Every Country Yao Chen¡¯s emperor would be buried in the imperial mausoleum under this peak. One glance at it, and it felt like a sword that descended from heaven and harshly pierced through the floor. Sharp! Solemn! Mighty! Chu Liuyue had never come here before, so the reason why she understood this place was due to Golden Inheritance Peak looking like the symbolic sword statue outside of Tian Lu Academy. At first, she had noticed this unwittingly and was even curious about it for some time. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, why did you bring me here?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze was rather deep and mysterious. He stared at Golden Inheritance Peak for quite some time before booming, ¡°We¡¯re going into the imperial mausoleum.¡± Chapter 389 - Interrogation Chu Liuyue thought she misheard. ¡°What?¡± Mu Qinghe raised his chin in response. ¡°Nobody will notice when I open the barrier in a moment. Come with me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes widened, and her mouth was agape. Mu Qinghe is going to enter the imperial mausoleum? ¡°Lieutenant, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for us to enter the imperial mausoleum. After all, we¡¯re not part of Country Yao Chen¡¯s royalty.¡± The problem wasn¡¯t about attracting attention¡ªit was simply the wrong thing to do. Mu Qinghe glanced at Chu Liuyue nonchalantly. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just¡­ Lieutenant, you must have a reason for doing this, right?¡± Chu Liuyue racked her brain, but she couldn¡¯t come up with a reason for why he wanted to do this suddenly. First of all, nobody had offended Mu Qinghe in Country Yao Chen. He didn¡¯t have to dig up anyone¡¯s ancestral grave. Secondly, even if there really were treasures in the mausoleum, they might not be of much value to him. Mu Qinghe was a distinguished figure in the Tianling Dynasty, and he had seen his fair share of rare objects. Why would he break into Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum? The scar on Mu Qinghe¡¯s face looked menacing as he narrowed his eyes. Chu Liuyue immediately felt his hostility, so she changed her tone of voice. ¡°Please, I¡¯m right behind you.¡± If I get on his bad side with my current status, he can easily make my life difficult. We¡¯re here anyway. Why not go in with him and see what he wants? Upon seeing that Chu Liuyue was obeying him, Mu Qinghe¡¯s attitude softened. He raised his right hand, and several silver rays of light gathered in the middle of his palm, forming a strange pattern. Chu Liuyue took a quick peek. She found the pattern familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember where she saw it. Soon, Mu Qinghe pushed his hand, and the silver pattern flew out of his palm instantly. Buzz¡­ buzz! There was a soft buzzing sound. Ripples suddenly swirled in the space in front of him¡ªit was the barrier of Golden Inheritance Peak. The second it came into contact with the pattern, the buzzing sound vanished, and the ripples froze as well. Then, the pattern dissolved and merged with the barrier. A crack emerged in the middle and spread out in all directions. Finally, a circular entrance with a faint silver glow appeared in front of the two of them! Chu Liuyue was shocked. The barrier of Golden Inheritance Peak was powerful; it was impossible to break through its vigorous defense using normal methods. One could only open the barrier undetected and without it collapsing when one possessed a specific object¡ªa key. Mu Qinghe obviously couldn¡¯t have the key to Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum. However, Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled he wasn¡¯t home when she visited him a few days ago. She thought little about it then, but now that she thought about it, his absence aroused her suspicion. It isn¡¯t his first time here. He must¡¯ve put in a lot of effort to come here. Her mind was spinning, but she kept her cool. Mu Qinghe turned around. He seemed to scrutinize Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression for a moment; then, he beckoned to her. ¡°Keep up.¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and looked at the treacherous mountain peak, as well as the faintly visible boundary. A few hundred guards are guarding Golden Inheritance Peak. There are definitely high-skilled warriors holding down the fort as well. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they find out about the intruders. Chu Liuyue pushed that thought aside and put a foot across the boundary. ¡­ Meanwhile, in the Empress¡¯s bedchamber at the palace. With her head down, the Empress offered no response to Rong Jiu¡¯s interrogation. Her reaction didn¡¯t surprise Rong Jiu. Although he hadn¡¯t personally questioned her in the past few days, he was well aware of the happenings. The Empress has been like this since she came back from Heptagon Alley. By the looks of it, she must be acting up again. Rong Jiu cut to the chase, not wanting to waste any time. ¡°Your Majesty, I hear you are in possession of a highly valuable box.¡± His words seemed to agitate Si Huijing because her head snapped up instantly. ¡°What box? I don¡¯t have it; I don¡¯t know.¡± Rong Jiu simply replied, ¡°You henchmen have confessed everything, yet you deny it?¡± The Empress was taken aback. Suddenly, she knew who the whistleblower was. She had been guarding that item and held its existence close to her heart. For years, nobody knew about it except for that little eunuch. He saw her with it once. Even though he knew nothing, the Empress still silenced him as a precaution. I thought it was foolproof, but I didn¡¯t expect this oversight. That eunuch must¡¯ve told someone before he died. For the past few days, Rong Jiu has been interrogating every one of my servants, handmaidens, and guards. He must¡¯ve tortured them to obtain this piece of information. The Empress stood firm with her denial. ¡°Father knows about this. He wants you to hand over the box without any further resistance. If you do as he says, he will show you mercy. If you don¡¯t, you will bear the consequences.¡± The Empress was fuming. ¡°I should¡¯ve killed you when you were stationed at the Northwest Army!¡± When she killed Rong Jiu¡¯s mother back then, she wanted to do the same to him. However, it coincided with Consort Wan¡¯s death. Emperor Jiawen was deep in sorrow, so she held herself back. Who would¡¯ve thought that Rong Jiu would rather volunteer at the Northwest Army himself?! Life at the border was tough, and she expected him to die in a battle quickly. Hence, she left him alone. Nevertheless, Rong Jiu established himself in the army with impressive achievements, and he climbed through the ranks. By then, it was impossible for her to kill him. Now, he was back to seek his revenge. Rong Jiu remained unaffected by her accusation. ¡°So, you won¡¯t hand me the box. I have no choice but to report to Father.¡± With that, he left. The Empress was flabbergasted. She thought Rong Jiu would interrogate her severely, but she never expected him to let her go so easily. The prince, however, had other ideas in mind. The Empress has shouldered her secret for so long without breathing a word to another. She is definitely prepared to die. I can interrogate and torture her for the whole day and still come up with nothing. Her only weakness is Rong Jin. ¡°Oh, when I see Father, I will beg him to show you mercy and allow the Crown Prince to visit you. After all, he is your son. I think Father will relent.¡± It would be wonderful to see the mother and son together in such a state. Before the Empress could react, Rong Jiu heard a sound from behind the screen. He paused to look in that direction. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Chapter 390 - Seen Before Nobody answered. Rong Jiu furrowed his brows and stared at that area for quite a while before turning around to walk to the screen. The Empress had been locked up here alone these few days, and there were many guards on duty to look after her. Thus, it was impossible for other people to enter. Da. Da. The footsteps reverberated throughout the deadly quiet palace in a suffocating manner. Just as Rong Jiu was about to walk over, a golden parrot suddenly flew out. Rong Jiu immediately took action. He turned a wave of his force into a sharp sword, which directly pierced through the golden parrot¡¯s stomach. Poof! Blood splattered everywhere. Just as the golden parrot was about to land on the ground, its body twitched twice before it became motionless. Rong Jiu furrowed his brows. He recognized this golden parrot as the pet the Empress kept; he did not expect this thing to be left in the palace. Suddenly, Rong Jiu¡¯s eyes focused on something that was hidden in the golden parrot¡¯s cut stomach. He immediately glanced down and took a closer look before picking up the hidden item. It was actually a round, black ball. This item was the size of a fingernail, and it looked very ordinary. However, Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze turned increasingly stern. This was because he recognized the round, black ball. This item was known as an ¡®ink pearl.¡¯ It looked like an ordinary round, black ball, but in actual fact, it could be used to send messages. One just had to use some special methods to open it in order to obtain the information inside. He had previously used such a method in the military, but as this item was very rare and could only be used once, he didn¡¯t use ink pearls many times. Rong Jiu didn¡¯t expect such a thing to be hidden in the stomach of the Empress¡¯s golden parrot, but he immediately understood the reason for it. He looked at the Empress and indeed saw her pale face. It looked as though her entire person was desolate and lost all forms of hope. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Her Majesty to have such methods. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll definitely present the ink pearl to Father for a closer look.¡± Then, Rong Jiu didn¡¯t stay any longer as he quickly left the palace. After a long while, the Empress slowly covered her face. She had no more tears left, only the excruciating pain throughout her entire body. After some time, a gentle voice sounded beside her ear. ¡°Her Majesty, I¡¯m willing to help you. If you have any requests, feel free to let me know.¡± ¡­ Prince Li Mansion. Rong Xiu looked up at the sky and squinted his eyes. Yue¡¯er always comes to Prince Li Mansion around this time in the past few days, but for some reason, she didn¡¯t appear today. Yu Mo¡ªwho was serving him by the side¡ªguessed his thoughts and immediately said, ¡°Master, Ms. Liuyue went over to Lieutenant Mu¡¯s today. I think she must be delayed by something.¡± ¡°What can he¡ª¡± Rong Xiu spoke lightly and suddenly paused. That¡¯s not right! ¡°Is Mu Qinghe in the residence today?¡± Yu Mo was dazed. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± Mu Qinghe wasn¡¯t an ordinary person, so it was originally very difficult to keep watch of him. Besides, he seemed to be more vigilant the past few days. Yu Mo was worried about alerting Mu Qinghe, so he took away half the people watching him secretly. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze darkened, and he suddenly stood up. ¡°Quickly, go and check! Where is Mu Qinghe now?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Yu Mo heard this, he immediately reacted. Does Master suspect that Mu Qinghe took Ms. Liuyue away? ¡°Master, there are also our people at the Imperial City¡¯s gate. If anything happens, they should inform us¡ª¡± ¡°If Mu Qinghe doesn¡¯t want to let them know, he naturally has his own ways.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was cold, and frost filled his face. Yu Mo¡¯s heart shuddered. ¡°¡­I know my mistakes. I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Rong Xiu¡ªwho took two steps¡ªabruptly stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky. Yu Mo looked over curiously and saw a huge figure quickly approaching them. This figure flew through the air, and their motion looked light and composed, but they were very fast. In the blink of an eye, this figure had already approached the sky above Prince Li Mansion. Yu Mo was about to go forward, but he saw Rong Xiu pressing his hands down. He then relaxed, but his eyes were glued to the incoming person. Almost at the same time, the incoming person also stopped. Jian Fengchi raised his brows slightly and looked below in surprise. Originally, he thought that this Prince Li Mansion was just an ordinary residence. But after he came here, he realized that the inner and outer defenses were much stronger than he had imagined. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to tell from the outside, but he had good eye power and detected something unusual the moment he went near. Thus, he swiftly gave up approaching from the main entrance and chose an even more direct way of entering. When he looked down while in mid-air, he finally confirmed his guess. Other than the tight security system in this large Prince Li Mansion, it also hid a very strong Xuan formation. He knew very clearly that huge trouble would be waiting for him if he took another step forward. Jian Fengchi always hated trouble, so he instinctively stopped. Anyway, he came here today to see what the rumored Rong Xiu looked like. Hence, he stood in mid-air with his hands behind his back and said happily, ¡°I¡¯m Jian Fengchi, and I came here specifically to see you, Prince Li.¡± Yu Mo¡¯s entire body tensed up. Jian Fengchi? Isn¡¯t that the heavenly doctor Mu Qinghe invited over from the Tianling Dynasty? He cured Prince Ping Jiang¡¯s wife of her illness a while back, and the news spread all over the Imperial City. Many people tried all sorts of ways to meet him, but this Jian Fengchi was very arrogant and rejected all of them. This is fine. After all, it¡¯s normal for a heavenly doctor with such a background to be arrogant. However, the more shocking thing is that people said they could only see his face but not his tail. Many people waited day and night, but they couldn¡¯t see his face. Why would such a character suddenly come to Prince Li Mansion today and even want to see Master? The moment Jian Fengchi finished his sentence, his gaze focused on something. A youngster decked in white stood in the yard. He looked to be around 17 or 18 years old, and his snow-white clothes looked even whiter than snow. He was just standing there, but it was as if all the light in the universe had unwittingly congregated on him. His looks were unparalleled, and his aura was outstanding. Jian Fengchi admitted that his looks were considered top-notch, but he realized he was not good enough when he saw this pale young man¡¯s appearance. He immediately understood what Mu Hongyu said. Not to mention Country Yao Chen, but this young man¡¯s looks can¡¯t be compared with even in the Tianling Dynasty. Even that Jiang Yucheng loses out immediately¡­ Rong Xiu cleared his throat and lightly inquired, ¡°May I know why Young Master Jian is looking for me?¡± Jian Fengchi squinted his eyes. ¡°Prince Li, have we met each other before?¡± Chapter 391 - It’s Her! Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t know why he had such a thought himself. He could confirm that he had never seen Rong Xiu¡¯s appearance before, but¡­ The moment Rong Xiu spoke, his distinguished yet somewhat lazy appearance felt familiar to him. Hence, that question escaped from his mouth. A warm and distant smile appeared on Rong Xiu¡¯s face. ¡°Why would you say that, Young Master Jian? I have always been recuperating at Mingyue Tianshan and only returned to the Imperial City in these few months. However, I rarely go out of my house. In my memory, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before, Young Master Jian.¡± Upon hearing this, Jian Fengchi felt quite hesitant. Is it really just a wrong guess? However, I¡¯ve never felt this way before. No matter who it was, Jian Fengchi could always remember that person without fail and clearly recall all the details about that person. No, there was also another person who previously made him feel a similar way¡ªChu Liuyue! But at least Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes look very similar to that person, so it¡¯s normal for me to find her familiar. Doesn¡¯t Mu Qinghe think the same way too? Even Hong Yao treats Chu Liuyue differently. However, Rong Xiu isn¡¯t. This face is clearly foreign, but the aura¡­ ¡°Haha! It seems like I remembered it wrongly, but we do have some fate, right Prince Li?¡± said Jian Fengchi as he secretly felt emotional. There¡¯s such a legendary character in the Imperial City, yet I completely didn¡¯t know about this before. It¡¯s obvious that not only me but even the people in Country Yao Chen still think that Rong Xiu is a frail person who can¡¯t even walk out of his residence. This Prince Li truly hid himself very well. ¡°I came here today, not for anything else. I just heard Mu Hongyu mention you unwittingly, so I got curious and came here to take a look. Also¡­ I wanted to see what kind of person Chu Liuyue¡¯s fianc¨¦ was.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s words were too frank, and they even sounded a little challenging. However, saying this didn¡¯t seem problematic with his status and identity. After all, even Emperor Jiawen had to be polite to him. When Rong Xiu heard him mention Chu Liuyue, his gaze faltered. ¡°Yue¡¯er went to Lieutenant Mu¡¯s today. If you want to see me, you can just let Yue¡¯er know, and I¡¯ll invite you to come in as a guest. If you come here like this, I won¡¯t be able to treat you in a hospitable manner.¡± Jian Fengchi laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve never liked troubling people. I can do this small matter myself. Besides, she might not have the time today.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Oh?¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly realized something and looked at Rong Xiu with much focus. Then, he smiled with even deeper meaning and a little more sinisterly. ¡°So this is what you wanted to hear from me.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Jian Fengchi was a smart person, and some superficial acting couldn¡¯t escape his eyes. Hence, there was no need to put up a pretense. ¡°Young Master Jian, may I know where Yue¡¯er is now?¡± ¡­ Rong Jiu returned to the Imperial Study and passed the ink pearl to Emperor Jiawen. Emperor Jiawen looked at the ink pearl for a while before furrowing his brows as he asked, ¡°Do you know how to unlock this item?¡± Rong Jiu paused for a while and said, ¡°There¡¯s generally two ways to unlock the ink pearl. However, I tried both of them earlier, and they didn¡¯t work.¡± One just had to think to know that the ink pearl contained the Empress¡¯s shocking secret. Once they unlocked it, they could figure out what the Empress was planning to do. However, Rong Jiu quickly discovered that this ink pearl was different from average ink pearls. Based on his own strength, it was impossible for him to unlock its contents. ¡°There seems to be a special lock on this ink pearl. I¡¯m useless, and I can¡¯t recognize it.¡± Emperor Jiawen stared closely at the ink pearl and fell into deep thought. ¡°If even you don¡¯t have a way¡­ I¡¯m afraid it will be rather troublesome¡­¡± Not to mention others, but Rong Jiu had spent many years training in the military. Thus, he should be an expert in dealing with such things. However, even he couldn¡¯t do anything about this, let alone others. Looking at Emperor Jiawen¡¯s worried expression, Rong Jiu thought for a while and said, ¡°Tian Lu Academy¡¯s Elder Ye is very experienced. Perhaps he can help?¡± Emperor Jiawen paused for a while and shook his head. ¡°This matter is of utmost importance, and we should treat it with much care. You must also be careful on your side and not let any news get out.¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Suspicion flashed across Rong Jiu¡¯s heart. It isn¡¯t wrong for Father to be careful as this involves the Empress and the Crown Prince, but isn¡¯t he too careful? What kind of person is Elder Ye? How can Father not even tell him? It¡¯s as if¡­ he¡¯s afraid of something. But Rong Jiu was a smart person. Since he could guess Emperor Jiawen¡¯s intentions, he would just go with the flow. ¡°You are dismissed.¡± Emperor Jiawen kept the ink pearl, leaned against his chair, and waved his hand with exhaustion. Rong Jiu had something to say but was hesitant. He wanted to bring the ink pearl back and investigate it, but he swallowed his words in the end. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first.¡± ¡­ After leaving the palace, Rong Jiu was still thinking about the ink pearl. Father seems to think that the item is very important, but won¡¯t it be as useless if he can¡¯t solve it? Perhaps¡­ Father has another way? The more Rong Jiu thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. Starting from Heptagon Alley, Father¡¯s reactions have always been weird. He seems to know something, but he is very mysterious about it as he just keeps telling us to check on the Empress. With this ink pearl matter now exposed, it seems even more obvious. Rong Jiu continued walking and suddenly felt someone walking toward him, so he instinctively looked up. The incoming person was a woman with a thin figure, but a large part of her face was hidden by a white veil. Rong Jiu secretly knitted his brows. It¡¯s Chu Xianmin? She came to look for me? As expected, Chu Xianmin stopped three steps away from him and bent her knees to greet him. ¡°Greetings, Third Prince.¡± ¡°Chu Xianmin? What are you doing here?¡± Even though Rong Jiu wasn¡¯t very familiar with Chu Xianmin, he had heard quite a bit of news about her when he came back to the Imperial City, especially because¡­ she was still Rong Jin¡¯s concubine. ¡°I have some things I want to discuss with you, Third Prince.¡± What can Chu Xianmin talk to me about? Could it be¡­ Rong Jiu knitted his brows. ¡°If you¡¯re here to put in a good word for the Crown Prince, you can go back now.¡± Chu Xianmin gently shook her head. ¡°Third Prince, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Even though I¡¯m the Crown Prince¡¯s person, I also know the severity of the matter. The reason why I came here today is that I want to tell you about something I¡¯ve been conflicted about for quite some time. After much thinking, I still think it¡¯s better to tell you about it.¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s instincts became stronger. ¡°But I have a request¡ªI hope you won¡¯t tell anyone that I told you about this.¡± Chu Xianmin clutched the handkerchief tightly in a very nervous and worried manner. Rong Jiu said, ¡°Okay! Just say whatever you want to say!¡± Chu Xianmin hesitated for a while and lowered her voice to say, ¡°Previously, I heard the Crown Prince and Eldest Princess Situ talking. He said he wanted her to help him think of a way to go to the palace and see Her Majesty¡­ I think it should be these few days¡­¡± Rong Jiu felt a pang in his heart as he suddenly recalled the strange sound in the Empress¡¯s bedroom. Chapter 392 - Activate Golden Inheritance Peak. Chu Liuyue followed Mu Qinghe all the way. The luscious greenery perfectly covered the duo¡¯s figures. Other than the occasional sounds of the trees moving and the winds whistling, the surroundings were quiet. Very quickly, a flight of stairs appeared in front of the duo. Chu Liuyue followed it and looked up. The layers of stairs on top of one another extended from the foot of the mountain to the top. She looked up, and she almost couldn¡¯t see the end of it. She heard that this flight of stairs had a total of 999 steps. Golden Inheritance Peak was very dangerous. One just had to think to know how much effort and manpower was required to build such a flight of stairs. At the top of the mountain was the place where Country Yao Chen¡¯s Emperor would pray to the ancestors every year. Other than the Emperor, even the Empress had no right to go up to the top of the stairs. She could only stay below and wait quietly. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but glance at Mu Qinghe. It can¡¯t be that he wants to go to the highest point, right¡­? Besides, when he previously said he wanted to enter the imperial mausoleum, Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of a question: Where is the imperial mausoleum¡¯s entrance? Golden Inheritance Peak was heavily guarded in all directions, and there was only this one flight of stairs to go up the mountain. The imperial mausoleum was buried below Golden Inheritance Peak! After walking such a long distance, she didn¡¯t even find any suspicious place that could be the entrance. Outside of the forest were just piles of rocks. Mu Qinghe continued to move forward, so Chu Liuyue could only follow him. The duo didn¡¯t travel slowly, and after some time, they reached the middle of the mountain. When they reached here, Mu Qinghe finally turned around to look at Chu Liuyue. Other than her cheeks flushing red and the sweat droplets on her forehead, she didn¡¯t look tired at all. This was definitely impossible for an average stage-two warrior. However, this didn¡¯t pose much difficulty to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue saw that he stopped and asked in curiosity. Mu Qinghe said ambiguously, ¡°Your physical strength is much greater than I had imagined.¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. Actually, she also discovered this point. Not only in comparison to other same-stage warriors, but even warriors with higher cultivation levels might not be stronger than her in this aspect. This point wasn¡¯t something that could be explained by talent. To attain an even stronger physical body, one has to train hard. Sometimes, one might even need some herbs to supplement their training. Mu Qinghe knows this very clearly, and perhaps he might¡¯ve grown suspicious again¡­ Just as Chu Liuyue was thinking of how to handle him, Mu Qinghe actually turned around and continued climbing upward without saying anything. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak another word and followed behind him normally. She vaguely felt that Mu Qinghe seemed to be in a hurry. Why is he so anxious? ¡­ Time trickled past, and Chu Liuyue and Mu Qinghe finally finished climbing more than half of the stairs. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw the top of the mountain in front of her. The peak of the mountain had a Xuan formation with great suppression. Previously, she didn¡¯t notice it, but when it came to the last few steps, she could clearly feel the suppression getting stronger and stronger every time she took a step forward. She vaguely felt uneasy. However, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t hesitate at all as he climbed the last step and reached the top of the mountain. Countless silver rays rose up the moment his foot landed, and they rolled toward Mu Qinghe. A harsh glow flashed in Mu Qinghe¡¯s hands, and a longsword appeared. He quickly raised his sword and slashed it down harshly. Hong! A deep sound suddenly exploded at the top of the mountain. Bang! Bang! Bang! The countless silver rays¡ªwhich went for his body¡ªimmediately disappeared, and they formed countless light rays. He actually intended to break the Xuan formation forcefully! The commotion at the top of the mountain immediately attracted the surrounding guards¡¯ attention. ¡°Someone is trespassing on Golden Inheritance Peak!¡± ¡°How can that be? There¡¯s no commotion from the barrier outside Golden Inheritance Peak-¡± ¡°But the earlier motion did come from the mountain peak.¡± While they were talking, a few figures suddenly rushed up to the sky. At the same time, someone finally saw Mu Qinghe and Chu Liuyue¡¯s figures. ¡°There are two people at the top of the mountain?¡± This made everyone widen their eyes in shock. Golden Inheritance Peak was heavily guarded. Who exactly could silently barge in and even reach the top of the mountain? An elder in black bellowed, ¡°Everyone, listen! Immediately lock up Golden Inheritance Peak, and don¡¯t let the two people escape!¡± The low and thick voice resonated throughout the area. ¡°Yes!¡± The elder in black knitted his brows and rushed forward to see who exactly the two people were. There aren¡¯t many people with such abilities in Country Yao Chen. I wonder who has such guts! It was a pity that the forest at the top of the mountain was blocking him, so he couldn¡¯t see the duo¡¯s appearances clearly. He could only vaguely recognize that it was a man and a woman. Hong! Hong! Hong! At this point, explosion sounds could suddenly be heard coming from the top of the mountain again. The elder in black was shocked. The Xuan formation at the top of the mountain has actually been forcefully broken open! That¡¯s the Xuan formation that has been passed down for thousands of years in Country Yao Chen! How can it be so easily broken? The other party¡¯s abilities must be much stronger than we imagined! Without hesitation, he took out a bamboo container, injected some force, and abruptly threw it into the sky. Bang! The bright and eye-catching fireworks exploded in the air and made a loud sound. Chu Liuyue watched as Mu Qinghe raised his sword and forcefully slashed open a way forward. The messy force dissipated in all directions, which suffocated her. Mu Qinghe stood in the middle of the chaos, and his clothes flew everywhere. At this point, Chu Liuyue heard the shocking sound, looked up, and saw the giant fireworks¡ªThe other party has discovered us, and they¡¯ve already called for backup to come over! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and finally took the final step to ascend to the mountain peak. Just as she was about to follow Mu Qinghe, the transparent water droplet in her dantian started spinning suddenly. An unknown calling was coming from below her legs. Chu Liuyue was shocked and immediately looked down. This force is¡­ coming from below the mountain? Without waiting for her to realize what exactly was going on, the ground below her feet suddenly moved. Chu Liuyue looked over and realized that she stepped on a giant, circular plate at some point. This circular plate was engraved into the top of the mountain. If one didn¡¯t take a closer look, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the plate apart from the rest of the ground. Until this point, it slowly started spinning; thus, it became extra obvious. The next moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body dropped below. Mu Qinghe felt the commotion behind him and finally turned around to see Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure disappearing below the circular plate. A strange look flashed across his eyes as he jumped down without hesitation in the next moment. When the elder in black approached them, he discovered that the giant, circular plate was slowly moving. He was stunned. The imperial mausoleum has been activated! Chapter 393 - : Stalemate Chu Liuyue¡¯s body kept dropping, and her surroundings were pitch black. She couldn¡¯t see anything at all and could only hear the sounds of the wind howling beside her. She tried to circulate her force, but she realized that her bodily strength seemed to be restrained by something, and it circulated very slowly. The surrounding air became very sticky as if she had fallen into a sandpit. Her falling speed also decreased gradually. After some time, she finally landed on a thick surface. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and felt around to stand up. The ground beneath her feet was icy cold, and it felt smooth to the touch as if it were made from marble. She pressed her lips against each other tightly. There was no light source here, so she completely didn¡¯t know what kind of situation she was in. She had to figure out a way. Her mind started churning, and she suddenly thought of something as she raised her hand. A bright-red flame suddenly appeared in her palm. But before Chu Liuyue could even grin, the fire rapidly extinguished. The surroundings plunged into darkness once again. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. She almost forgot that she couldn¡¯t circulate her force here, so she naturally couldn¡¯t summon her force and turn it into fire. She stood rooted to the ground for a while without moving her feet and simply straightened her eyes to listen closely to the surrounding movement. Patter. Patter. The sound of water landing could be heard. Chu Liuyue instinctively looked in the direction of the sound. Even though she couldn¡¯t see anything, this water sound somehow made her feel more assured. However, her heart suddenly hung high the next moment. I¡¯ve already dropped down for quite some time. Why haven¡¯t I seen Mu Qinghe? I remembered that Mu Qinghe was following closely behind me when I dropped down. But now¡­ Where is he? Besides, the stranger thing is¡ªbelow Golden Inheritance Peak is Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum. Why would there be water sounds in the imperial mausoleum? Just as Chu Liuyue was deep in thought, she felt something heavy on her shoulders as Tuan Zi came over. Unlike before, Tuan Zi seemed to be quite nervous as it cuddled her shoulders and didn¡¯t move at all. Chu Liuyue could feel its emotions and found it weird. Tuan Zi has always been courageous, and it didn¡¯t even cower when it faced a seventh-grade black flying python. It can even fight with a legendary fiend¡ªthe legendary three-eyed eagle. Tuan Zi has never feared anything before, so what¡¯s up with it now? Chu Liuyue patted its forehead to reassure it. Tuan Zi clutched her clothes and leaned against her closely. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue thought of a plan. Then, she gathered her thoughts, and something extra appeared in her palm¡ªthe Heavenly Square Cauldron. This item was pretty tiny, so it fit her palm nicely. A transparent karmic fire was burning within, and a black shadow was hidden in the centermost position. This was the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s soul. The surroundings immediately became illuminated due to the fire. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°It really is useful!¡± Since the Heavenly Square Cauldron could suppress a legendary fiend, it definitely had to be very formidable. Hence, Chu Liuyue thought that the karmic fire inside would be able to withstand the constraints here. The results were as expected! After a moment, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice sounded in disbelief. ¡°Y-you¡¯re actually using the Heavenly Square Cauldron to illuminate your path?¡± As it was shocked, even its voice trembled. It never would¡¯ve thought that this would be the situation when it officially left Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian for the first time. Does Chu Liuyue know what kind of thing the Heavenly Square Cauldron is? ¡°Yes! I¡¯m just making full use of it!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind at all and sounded nonchalant. The legendary three-eyed eagle was speechless, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about it as she scanned her surroundings. Her surroundings were completely empty, without anything around. This ground¡­ is actually made with white marble. Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked. White marble is very precious, yet it was actually used to tile the floor. Besides, it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s just this small area. This alone would cost a fortune. Country Yao Chen actually used so much money to build the imperial mausoleum. They¡¯ve truly outdone themselves. I wonder what it looks like inside¡­ Chu Liuyue carefully felt the strange calling before she finally chose a direction and walked forward. Da. Da. Da. In the quiet space, Chu Liuyue¡¯s footsteps became extra crisp. Gradually, the water sounds became even louder. Chu Liuyue held the Heavenly Square Cauldron tightly and continued to walk forward. ¡­ Bang! Following the low impact sound, the elder in black¡¯s wolf-teethed pole finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and snapped into two. He threw away the broken wolf-teethed pole in panic and stared at the circular plate¡ªwhich was still moving and didn¡¯t suffer any damage at all¡ªin front of him in anxiety. ¡°Elder Zhong Qi, this circular plate is personally made by our ancestors, and ordinary objects can¡¯t open it at all.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s try another way!¡± ¡°If we really can¡¯t do it, we have to wait for His Majesty to come¡­¡± The few people at the side finally couldn¡¯t hold themselves back and spoke up. Zhong Qi yelled in frustration, ¡°Of course, I know all of this!¡± I¡¯ve guarded this place for more than a decade. How can I not know this? But if we don¡¯t quickly find a way, how can we explain to His Majesty? With so many guards protecting the area, someone still dared to barge into Golden Inheritance Peak. They even ascended to the mountain peak and entered the imperial mausoleum. It isn¡¯t enough for all of us to die a hundred times. ¡°Wait! If His Majesty really comes, won¡¯t all of us be unable to bear the consequences?!¡± The few of them looked at each other and fell silent. Zhong Qi stared at the circular plate with much hatred. ¡°Did any of you see the duo¡¯s appearances just now?¡± Nobody answered. Zhong Qi closed his eyes. He was the fastest to rush over back then, yet he didn¡¯t see them, let alone the rest. ¡°All of you better guard this place with your lives! I don¡¯t believe they won¡¯t come out!¡± ¡­ The gigantic fireworks exploded in the sky above the Imperial City. Rong Xiu focused on it, and very cold murderous intent flashed across his eyes. Mu Qinghe actually brought Yue¡¯er to the imperial mausoleum! He immediately said, ¡°Young Master Jian, I still have some things to do. I¡¯ll excuse myself first.¡± Then, he turned around to leave. Jian Fengchi was dazed as he looked up at the sky. What signal was that just now? Seeing how obvious it is, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a small matter¡­ An idea popped up in his mind, and his lips curved up into an outrageous smile. ¡°Prince Li, are you going to the place where the fireworks were shot from? Just nice, I¡¯m very free and have nothing to do. Why don¡¯t I go with you?¡± Rong Xiu abruptly turned back and silently glanced at Jian Fengchi. Immediately, harsh and horrifying murderous intent went straight for Jian Fengchi. Chapter 394 - The Drowning Grave Jian Fengchi instinctively tensed his body and gathered his force in his palm. But for some reason, the murderous intent disappeared in the next moment as if it had never appeared earlier. Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Young Master Jian, please help yourself.¡± Then, he turned around to leave without hesitation. Jian Fengchi stood rooted to the spot and was dazed for some time. What¡­ just happened? At that moment, I felt strong murderous intent erupting from Rong Xiu¡¯s body, but it quickly disappeared to the extent I almost thought that I was hallucinating. However¡­ Why would I make such a mistake? Looking at Rong Xiu¡¯s departing back view, Jian Fengchi knitted his brows. This Prince Li¡­ seems to be more capable than I thought¡­ He turned back to take a look and saw that there was still the last speck of fireworks in the sky. Everyone in the Imperial City could see it clearly. Something major must¡¯ve happened to the person who sent this signal. Jian Fengchi stroked his chin. Did that fella, Mu Qinghe, really cause this? Thinking of this, he became rather interested. He already felt weird when Mu Qinghe wanted to come to Country Yao Chen. According to Mu Qinghe¡¯s identity, he didn¡¯t need to do it personally even if his superiors commanded him to find talents with the Dijing Yuan meridian. He could just send someone to complete the task. Yet, Mu Qinghe still came. Besides, Mu Qinghe kept leaving early and coming back late these few days as he was busy with something. Thinking of this, Jian Fengchi swiftly turned around to rush in that direction. ¡­ Chu Liuyue held the Heavenly Square Cauldron in her hands and slowly walked forward in the dark. After walking for some time¡­ a wall finally appeared in front of her eyes. Chu Liuyue looked up to take a closer look and realized that it was a dead end in front. The greenish-black stone wall completely blocked the path in front. A frown appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. Did I walk into a dead end? However, she quickly discovered that the water sounds were coming from on top of the stone wall. She leaned in closer and realized that there was a tiny, semi-circular hole on top of the stone wall. A golden cylinder was poking out in a slanted manner. Water was dripping out of it and landed, drop by drop. Da! Da! In the quiet space, the water sounds were extra clear. Chu Liuyue followed it and looked down to see a shallow drain at the bottom of the stone wall. A water stream silently lay there. Chu Liuyue looked at both sides and realized that the drain extended into the darkness and that she couldn¡¯t see its end. She lifted the Heavenly Square Cauldron again. This time, she finally clearly saw that the golden cylinder¡¯s surroundings had some patterns to them. Perhaps it had been too long, but the content couldn¡¯t be clearly seen already. Only a vague outline was left. Chu Liuyue stared at it for a while, but she still couldn¡¯t confirm what it was. Hence, she had to put it aside. The most important thing now was to find a way to leave this place. Chu Liuyue knocked the stone wall and realized that it was indeed hollow. It was thicker than usual, and it wasn¡¯t something that she could forcefully break through alone. Then, she carefully checked it again, but she didn¡¯t find any contraptions. Do I need to go back the same way? Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. She could clearly feel that there was something behind the stone wall attracting her. If she gave up now, she would be very indignant. Besides, how was she going to return to the mountain peak even if she went back? Not to mention that she couldn¡¯t fly in the air now, but even if she could, the strange space¡¯s constraints would cause her to be unable to fly. Da! Da! The water droplets dropped down at a very equal speed. Chu Liuyue looked at the golden cylinder again. The water flows out from it. Then¡­ how does it look like inside? Suddenly, Tuan Zi jumped out and onto the golden cylinder. ¡°Tuan Zi, you can¡¯t bite this!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Who knows what kind of situation the imperial mausoleum is in? Once we damage this stone wall, it might invite trouble. Mausoleums usually had a lot of intricate designs, and imperial mausoleums had especially many contraptions. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to leave her life here. Tuan Zi shook its head, and contempt flashed across its eyes. I have my standards, okay? Why would I bite whatever I see? Then, Tuan Zi pointed at the golden cylinder beneath its feet and hugged it. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized. ¡°You want me to turn this?¡± Tuan Zi immediately nodded in excitement. Chu Liuyue was quite hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t think this thing can turn, right¡­¡± Even though she said this, she still extended her hands. The golden cylinder felt cold to the touch, and the coldness spread all the way to her heart. Chu Liuyue breathed in and gathered her focus as she lightly turned it. Kacha! The golden cylinder actually moved! Chu Liuyue suppressed her shock and slowly turned the cylinder with this amount of strength. When the golden cylinder turned 180 degrees, Chu Liuyue finally heard a crisp sound¡ªthis was the sound of the inner compartments matching. Chu Liuyue released her hands. The next moment, she saw many golden stars appearing above the stone wall. All those stars were like the galaxy in the night sky¡ªbright and eye-catching. Chu Liuyue raised her hand to block her eyes, and she could see the golden stars forming a line from the corner of her eyes. Then, it outlined a gigantic, strange pattern. Chu Liuyue was shocked. This is clearly the blurred pattern I saw earlier! At this point, the stars lit up, and the outline could gradually be seen. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to clench tightly, and she didn¡¯t even blink. That¡¯s¡­ Hong long! Before she could even recognize what it was, the stone wall actually broke open with the golden cylinder as the center. A piercing white light shot out from inside. Everything turned white in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Tuan Zi jumped onto her shoulders once again and clutched her clothes. After some time, her surroundings gradually quietened down. Chu Liuyue slowly adjusted to the white light as she looked inside. When she saw the scene inside, she couldn¡¯t help but gasp. A wide river, sparkling with silver light, cut across the air in the middle. The stars within it were shining brightly, and it illuminated the entire space. The bright light that Chu Liuyue previously experienced when she opened the stone wall came from here. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. That river light was floating in mid-air in a clear, clean, and eye-catching manner. One glance at it, and it looked like a silver river in the dark night¡ªcharming and mesmerizing. Below the river was a wide square area. A lone golden throne sat quietly in the middle, but this wasn¡¯t what stunned Chu Liuyue the most. This was because there was actually a man sitting on top of the golden throne! Chapter 395 - Whose Memory? There¡¯s actually someone in the imperial mausoleum and has been locked up for years? Chu Liuyue was beyond shocked as she speedily sized that man up. When she saw him clearly, she found something amiss. This man doesn¡¯t seem to be alive! He had a big figure, and he was wearing a black robe with golden dragon embroidery on his chest and sleeves, looking very mighty and domineering. One glance at him, and one could tell the man was around 40 years old. However, he was very charming and had an outstanding aura. One could still tell that he definitely had to be a rare kind of handsome when he was young. But¡­ his eyes were completely black. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but stare at that pair of eyes. It was two black holes¡ªwhich looked calm on the surface¡ªbut in their depths, one could see the changes from life to death and the extinguishing of the galaxy. ¡°Who are you?¡± boomed the man slowly as he looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brain suddenly became dazed. She felt very lethargic, and she almost let loose all of her senses. ¡°Chu Liuyue,¡± she replied softly. The empty space suddenly quietened down. After a while, that man said, ¡°No, you¡¯re not Chu Liuyue.¡± His voice had some indescribable strength, and it sounded deep and soft to the ears as it traveled to her heart. Chu Liuyue shook her head and said determinedly, ¡°I am Chu Liuyue.¡± With this body and appearance, who can I be if I¡¯m not Chu Liuyue? That man suddenly laughed as if he had heard a joke. ¡°Look up and see.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw the river slowly flowing in mid-air. Countless stars reflected in her eyes, dazzling beautifully. Suddenly, the light disappeared. The river surface moved, and a scene appeared in front of her eyes. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. It was a cliff. An octagonal pavilion stood at the extension of the cliff. The white mountain clouds flowed around, adding to the fairy-like nature of this perilous terrain. In the octagonal pavilion, a man in black stood with his hands behind his back. The mountain wind blew over and rolled up his sleeves. It was as though the man was about to ride along with the wind like a deity. Chu Liuyue looked at his back view and found it familiar for some reason. I seem to have¡­ seen this person before¡­ When she saw the cliff and the octagonal pavilion, she didn¡¯t find them unfamiliar. It was as if she had come here long ago. Something tingled in her heart as if it was about to explode, but she couldn¡¯t point it out clearly. This made her feel numb and very restless. Chu Liuyue opened her mouth as if she wanted to call the man in black¡¯s name, but she seemed to become a mute¡ªshe couldn¡¯t make any sound. A fire seemed to be burning at the bottom of her heart, causing her to be very anxious. ¡°You¡­¡± Chu Liuyue anxiously wanted to speak and spat out a word with much difficulty when she saw the man in black suddenly turn around. Chu Liuyue instantly paused, and her eyes were glued onto him. But just as she was about to see the man¡¯s appearance, an excruciating, sharp pain suddenly came from her hands. She jolted awake and looked down to find that Tuan Zi had bitten her hand. The bright-red blood gradually seeped out from her wound, causing her to wake up completely. What happened to me just now? I actually entered the other party¡¯s perilous situation so easily! ¡°Tuan Zi, thank you. I almost¡­¡± whispered Chu Liuyue, but she suddenly paused. Almost¡­ Almost what? Where did the gratitude in my heart come from? This type of feeling rarely appeared for her. Normally, she would only feel this way if she avoided committing a huge mistake. However¡­ even though her defensive walls had nearly collapsed in that previous scenario, it didn¡¯t seem to have much relation to her biggest secret. Why do I feel like I just managed to survive a disaster? Chu Liuyue looked up once again. The river light floating in mid-air had recovered its original structure, and the images on it had completely disappeared as if they had never appeared before¡ªincluding the cliff, the octagonal pavilion, and¡­ that man. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. I actually anxiously wanted to see what that man looked like¡­ Such a thing has never happened before! She suppressed her inner turmoil, clenched her fists, and looked at the man on the throne. ¡°You think you can use such an illusion to trap me?¡± A smile with deep meaning appeared on the man in black¡¯s face. ¡°You think that that was an illusion?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. ¡°The scenes that appear in the drowning water come from your memory. It will naturally reflect whatever you¡¯re thinking of.¡± His low and slow voice sounded, and every word was like lightning that struck beside her ears. Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body tensed up. This means that whatever I saw just now was real? However, such a scene has never appeared in my two lives¡¯ worth of memories¡ªbe it this life or my previous life. ¡°I don¡¯t even know your identity; how can I believe what you said?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°I can confirm that I¡¯ve never seen that scene before. Your lying skills are too mediocre.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you sure?¡± asked that man nonchalantly as if he was unaffected. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she secretly clenched her teeth. Logically speaking, I believe every single word that I said because I truly don¡¯t remember that scene. However, there¡¯s a vague uncertainty at the bottom of my heart. This is because I felt an indescribable familiarity when I saw that scene, especially the man with his hands behind his back. I just saw his back view, but I had the urge to call out his name. If I truly haven¡¯t seen him before, why would I behave in such a manner? ¡°You don¡¯t know my identity, but I know who you are.¡± The man in black looked up, and his deadly gaze was glued to Chu Liuyue, coupled with confident laughing intent. It was as if everything was under his control. ¡°Who exactly are you?!¡± hollered Chu Liuyue! ¡°You will naturally find out when you find me,¡± said that man as he suddenly stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Then, before Chu Liuyue could even react, his figure suddenly transformed into countless rays of silver light and flew to the middle of the river. He disappeared without a trace! Chu Liuyue took a long while to recover her senses. That man in black¡­ left just like that? He told me to find him¡­ but where do I find him? I can¡¯t enter the river, right? On the one hand, it was impossible for her to go up. On the other hand, who knew what would happen if she entered that space? Chu Liuyue thought for a while and finally decided to continue walking forward as she headed toward the throne in the middle. There was nothing else here other than that throne. If she couldn¡¯t find any clues from the throne, her head would ache. Chu Liuyue walked forward step by step and finally stopped in front of the throne. Suddenly, her gaze focused, and she carefully stared at the throne¡¯s backrest. A line of words was written in the middle: ¡°East of the drowning water, gold also!¡± Chapter 396 - Only Him In the palace. Rong Jiu quickly walked to the Imperial Study with big strides. The palace maids he met on the way all greeted him respectfully. Now that the Crown Prince and the Empress were grounded, His Majesty handed over many things to the Third Prince. Everybody could tell that the Imperial City¡¯s sky was about to change. However, the palace maids didn¡¯t dare to say much since Rong Jiu looked tense as if something urgent had happened. Rong Jiu left in a hurry, and his heart was filled with regret. He had calculated everything, but he actually didn¡¯t realize that Situ Xingchen was also in the Empress¡¯s residence. If he had paid more attention then, he definitely would¡¯ve noticed something was wrong. If he had taken another step forward and pulled open the screen, he would¡¯ve discovered Situ Xingchen! But¡­ he did not! Things had recently been progressing too smoothly, so he was actually careless and forgot about that person¡¯s existence. At first, he still didn¡¯t notice, but upon thinking back about it now, he felt that there were many dubious points everywhere. Situ Xingchen and Rong Jin have a marriage agreement, but even after Rong Jin got into trouble, she never requested to dissolve the marriage agreement. What else could it be if she didn¡¯t have any motives? Situ Xingchen must¡¯ve known something, and that¡¯s why she¡¯s willing to help the Empress and Rong Jin! However, I never thought of investigating Situ Xingchen! Before he reached the Imperial Study, Rong Jiu heard hurried footsteps coming from in front. He looked up and saw Emperor Jiawen¡ªwho was at the frontmost¡ªin one glance. Emperor Jiawen wore a never-before-seen sinister and harsh expression with an intense murderous aura. Rong Jiu was shocked. What happened again?! ¡°Greetings, Father!¡± Rong Jiu hurriedly went forward and bowed to greet him. When Emperor Jiawen saw Rong Jiu, he furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Why are you still in the palace?¡± At this time, Rong Jiu should¡¯ve long left the palace. Rong Jiu immediately said, ¡°Father, I have an urgent matter to report to you immediately, so I came back after I left.¡± Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t stop in his tracks and continued walking forward. ¡°Tell me when I come back.¡± While talking, he had already gone past Rong Jiu. W-what¡¯s going on?! Rong Jiu was dazed.¡±Father, I really have something urgent¡ª¡± ¡°Aiyo! Third Highness, you should just wait first!¡± advised Eunuch Min kindly as he waved his hands. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how anxious His Majesty is? Anyway, His Majesty definitely has no mood to listen to what you have to say. You should just wait patiently first!¡± Rong Jiu asked curiously, ¡°Eunuch Min, please advise me. This¡­ Where is Father going so anxiously?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t know?!¡± Eunuch Min shockingly spat these words out before he hurriedly looked at his surroundings and pointed at the sky. He then lowered his voice and said, ¡°Did you not see what happened just now?¡± Rong Jiu was dazed and then understood what had happened. ¡°That signal is¡­¡± ¡°That signal came from the imperial mausoleum! How can His Majesty not be anxious?¡± Eunuch Min slapped his thighs. ¡°I have to go first. Third Prince, you should decide what to do now yourself!¡± Then, Eunuch Min immediately chased after Emperor Jiawen. Rong Jiu stood rooted to the ground, and his heart was in turmoil. After talking to Chu Xianmin earlier, he was filled with shock and regret, so he came back to the palace without much thinking. On the way over, he also noticed the gigantic fireworks. Of course, he knew that it was used to send news, but as all his focus was on Situ Xingchen, he didn¡¯t realize that it was a signal sent from the imperial mausoleum¡¯s direction. This meant that something happened to the imperial mausoleum! Even though Rong Jiu wasn¡¯t in the Imperial City for most years, he also knew that the Imperial City¡¯s Golden Inheritance Peak was heavily guarded. Now that they suddenly sent this signal, they must¡¯ve met with a lot of trouble. It would be weird if Emperor Jiawen wasn¡¯t anxious. Just as Rong Jiu was thinking if he should go back to the Empress¡¯s residence and confirm if Situ Xingchen had gone there before, Emperor Jiawen¡ªwho had just left not long ago¡ªwas intercepted again. This time, the incoming person was a guard in armor. He hurried over in a panic, and he actually directly lunged forward and knelt down in front of Emperor Jiawen as he miserably yelled, ¡°His Majesty! Not good!¡± Emperor Jiawen felt that his head was hit by a heavy hammer, and his brain hurt. Not good?! Something has happened to the imperial mausoleum. What could be even worse than that? Emperor Jiawen was forced to stand on the spot, and he hollered, ¡°Speak!¡± The guard knelt on the ground as his entire body trembled. ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress¡­ Her Majesty has passed away!¡± The surroundings fell into dead silence. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression tensed up. Upon hearing this, Rong Jiu looked up and saw that the guard was indeed the one in charge of the Empress¡¯s residence. Did he say¡­ that the Empress passed away?! A bad feeling arose in Rong Jiu¡¯s heart. He rushed over to the guard. ¡°What did you say just now?! Say it again!¡± The guard was frightened by the sudden interrogation, and he said with a shaky voice, ¡°H-her Majesty¡­ committed suicide!¡± ¡°Useless!¡± Emperor Jiawen finally reacted and kicked the guard¡¯s heart harshly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that you must watch over the Empress no matter what?¡± Even if the Empress died a thousand times to repay her sins, it wouldn¡¯t suffice. Also, he still had many matters he had yet to clear up. If she just died so suddenly, what should they do next?! ¡°You! How do you do your job?¡± That guard tolerated his pain and said gingerly, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve always been watching her from outside, and I would go in to check on her every hour. However, Her Majesty actually slammed herself against the wall¡­ When we heard the commotion, Her Majesty was already¡ª¡± Actually, they were very wronged too! The Empress had maintained the same status for the past few days. Even if she experienced excruciating torture, she still pushed through it forcefully. Who would¡¯ve expected her to commit suicide suddenly? Si Huijing was very determined. She slammed herself very harshly, and her head was filled with blood while her skull almost broke apart. How could they predict that? Originally, Emperor Jiawen was already very anxious because of the imperial mausoleum¡¯s incident. When he heard this now, he felt that the blood in his chest had turned upside down and¡ª Wah! Emperor Jiawen spat out blood! ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Father!¡± Eunuch Min and Rong Jiu immediately gasped. Eunuch Min was standing beside Emperor Jiawen, and he hurriedly supported the Emperor¡¯s falling body. ¡°Your Majesty, you must take care of your precious body!¡± With the comparison of his bloodstained lips, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face looked even paler. He shot a deadly stare at that guard and said every word precisely. ¡°Who went to see the Empress today?¡± He was certain that the Empress didn¡¯t suddenly commit suicide. There had to be a more profound reason for this incident! An idea popped up in Rong Jiu¡¯s mind. Could it be¡­ Situ Xingchen¡ª That guard¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Your Majesty, only the Third Prince went to the Empress¡¯s side today.¡± Rong Jiu was stunned as he instantly looked at that guard. Chapter 397 - Trap That guard didn¡¯t dare to look up at Rong Jiu and could only hurriedly say, ¡°When the Third Prince entered the palace, he seemed to have fought with the Empress. However, we didn¡¯t dare to barge in, so we just waited outside. Not long after the Third Prince left, Her Majesty¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen shot Rong Jiu an icy look. Rong Jiu had gone to see the Empress today and found the ink pearl. It¡¯s normal for him to have a conflict with the Empress, but¡­ Why did the Empress suddenly seek death? Could it really have something to do with Rong Jiu¡­? Rong Jiu¡¯s heart sank. Emperor Jiawen really started to suspect me! The guard¡¯s previous words were too misleading! He¡¯s doing it on purpose! Rong Jiu yelled, ¡°Father, I can swear that this has nothing to do with me! Other than me, another person has also gone to the Empress¡¯s place!¡± Emperor Jiawen immediately asked, ¡°Who?!¡± Rong Jiu took a deep breath in. ¡°Situ Xingchen!¡± Emperor Jiawen looked very surprised. Situ Xingchen? Why would she go there? Emperor Jiawen immediately looked at that guard. ¡°Did Situ Xingchen go to the Empress¡¯s residence today?¡± The guard shook his head. ¡°No.¡± His expression looked genuine, and it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. Rong Jiu suddenly felt very uneasy. He raised his voice and hollered to the guard in a much sterner way, ¡°Do you know that lying to His Majesty is an offense punishable by death?!¡± That guard seemed to be taken aback as he moved backward and shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to lie to His Majesty! Whatever I previously said is true!¡± Rong Jiu was very indignant. When he entered the residence, he didn¡¯t ask if anyone else had come. When he looked around in the residence, he also didn¡¯t find Situ Xingchen in time. Now that the Empress was dead, it was obvious that Situ Xingchen had left! If this guard insists¡ªNo, if that group of guards all match their testimonies and insist on it, then I definitely can¡¯t produce any evidence to prove that Situ Xingchen has appeared there before! Suddenly, Rong Jiu thought of something. ¡°Father, can you send someone to check who came into the palace? Situ Xingchen must¡¯ve come into the palace today!¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at Eunuch Min. ¡°Immediately send someone to check on it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Then, Emperor Jiawen took a deep breath. ¡°Immediately lock up the Empress¡¯s bedroom. Other than me, nobody else can get near! Also, do not spread the news. If word gets out¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but the threat in his gaze was obvious. After that, Emperor Jiawen turned around and planned to head to the imperial mausoleum. After he walked two steps, his figure suddenly wobbled, and he almost collapsed. Eunuch Min agilely held him up and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t you rest in the palace first? Your body¡ª¡± Emperor Jiawen shook his head, clenched his teeth, and continued walking forward. What kind of place is the Imperial mausoleum? That¡¯s where Country Yao Chen¡¯s ancestors are buried! If some irreversible trouble really occurs there, I will be a sinner for centuries to come! All these years, nothing strange had ever happened in the imperial mausoleum. So when the warning fireworks appeared, he was extra worried and fearful. It was serious that the Empress committed suicide, and it was even more so when so many mysteries hadn¡¯t been solved yet. However, those weren¡¯t matters that could be compared to the imperial mausoleum¡¯s incident. Rong Jiu walked forward and asked, ¡°Father, can I follow you there?¡± Emperor Jiawen rejected it without even turning back. ¡°No need! Go back and stay in your house! Don¡¯t do whatever I assigned you to do first. I¡¯ll deal with it myself when I come back!¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± Rong Jiu still wanted to defend himself, but it was clear that Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t want to listen. Eunuch Min shot Rong Jiu a look to tell him not to offend His Majesty at this timing. Helpless, Rong Jiu could only stop in his tracks and watched on as Emperor Jiawen¡¯s figure disappeared in front of him. He could still vaguely hear the conversation between Emperor Jiawen and Eunuch Min. ¡°Did you inform Elder Ye?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. Elder Ye has already received the news, and I believe he¡¯s on his way to the imperial mausoleum. With Elder Ye around, you don¡¯t have to be overly worried¡­¡± The voices grew softer and softer until Rong Jiu couldn¡¯t hear them anymore. Rong Jiu tightly clenched his fists in his sleeves as he turned to look at that guard. An intense murderous aura enveloped that guard. ¡°T-third Prince, calm down!¡± It was very clear that the guard had sensed danger as he immediately knelt down and begged for mercy. ¡°Calm down?¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s lips curved up into a mocking smile. ¡°You caused me to be in this state, yet you have the guts to tell me to calm down? Who told you to say that?¡± The guard didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡°Third Highness, I wasn¡¯t lying, and I didn¡¯t set you up! You must have misunderstood!¡± ¡°Misunderstood? Then, it¡¯s also a misunderstanding that Situ Xingchen went to the Empress¡¯s place today?¡± Noticing Rong Jiu¡¯s surrounding aura becoming increasingly scary, that guard averted his gaze guiltily and said extremely softly, ¡°Third Prince, I¡¯ve already said it many times. Other than you, nobody else has entered the Empress¡¯s place today. Why don¡¯t you believe me? His Majesty has already commanded for a thorough investigation of this matter. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can personally ask around to see if anyone has seen Eldest Princess Situ enter the palace today. Won¡¯t everything be clear by then?¡± Hearing this, Rong Jiu suddenly reacted. That¡¯s not right! Since he dares to deny this in public and even willingly asked someone to investigate the matter, he must¡¯ve done sufficient preparation! That or the other party has dug a hole for me to jump into! Deep-seated hatred and pain rose in Rong Jiu¡¯s heart. I didn¡¯t expect Situ Xingchen to be so ruthless! Perhaps¡­ Even the Empress¡¯s death has something to do with her! Rong Jiu originally wanted to see the situation in the Empress¡¯s place, but Emperor Jiawen had commanded him to go back. Thus, he naturally couldn¡¯t do anything. Rong Jiu lowered his body and held the guard up by his collar. He then said clearly, ¡°I¡¯ll remember what happened today!¡± ¡­ Prince Li Mansion. After Rong Xiu got rid of Jian Fengchi, he planned to rush to the imperial mausoleum at top speed. Yu Mo followed him closely. Seeing that Rong Jin was about to go out like that, Yu Mo couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Master, are¡­ you just going like that?¡± Rong Xiu paused. Something happened in the imperial mausoleum, so a lot of people would definitely be heading over, especially Emperor Jiawen. If they saw Prince Li¡ªwho was supposed to be recuperating in his residence¡ªappearing in the imperial mausoleum, nobody knew how they would react. Rong Xiu closed his eyes. I was too anxious and actually forgot such a simple thing. When he thought of Yue¡¯er in the imperial mausoleum, his heart hung in his throat. He was filled with anxiety and worry, and he wanted to rush over instantly. He turned back to look at Yu Mo. ¡°Inform Yan Ge. He naturally knows what to do.¡± ¡°Yes! But Master¡­ your side¡ª¡± ¡°I have my own plans.¡± ¡°¡­I understand!¡± Chapter 398 - Search When Emperor Jiawen rushed to the imperial mausoleum in a hurry, Rong Jin finally waited for Situ Xingchen to come back to Crown Prince Mansion. Once Rong Jin saw her, he immediately asked nervously, ¡°How¡¯s the progress of the matter? Is it successful?¡± Situ Xingchen pressed her lips against each other and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t disappoint you after all.¡± Rong Jin was elated, and his uneasy heart finally calmed down. ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± Previously, he was still worried that his mother wouldn¡¯t trust Situ Xingchen much. But now, it seemed like everything was going according to plan. He almost couldn¡¯t wait and pulled Situ Xingchen into the house as he meticulously checked the surroundings and called for people to guard outside the yard. After confirming that nobody could hear their conversation, he looked at Situ Xingchen. ¡°What did Mother say?¡± Situ Xingchen looked down at her wrist that was touched by Rong Jin and felt disgusted. But upon thinking that she didn¡¯t busy herself for nothing during this period, she didn¡¯t mind it that much. ¡°Sit down first. I¡¯ll slowly explain everything to you.¡± As Situ Xingchen talked, she found a place to sit down. Rong Jin sat down beside her and looked at her with much excitement and hope. Situ Xingchen¡¯s lips curved up. ¡°Your Highness, do you know that you¡¯re the legendary ¡®Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son?¡¯¡± Rong Jin was dazed, and he looked emotional. Mother actually told Situ Xingchen this. This means that she really trusts Xingchen and has agreed to let her help. He lightly nodded and leaned against his chair as his face looked somewhat arrogant. ¡°Of course, I know about this.¡± Situ Xingchen asked again, ¡°Then, do you know what this ¡®Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son¡¯ means?¡± Rong Jin was dazed for a while and said without hesitation, ¡°Of course, it means the world! On the day I was born, the heavens showed an auspicious sign. Mother had once gone to find a master and asked him for my fortune. The other party said that I was Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son and that I¡¯m destined to take over the throne.¡± Thus, he had always viewed the throne as something of his own all these years. Situ Xingchen never expected Rong Jin to give such an answer, so she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Rong Jin waved his hands in front of her face. ¡°Xingchen, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­Ah? Nothing¡ªnothing much¡­¡± Situ Xingchen answered him superficially, but she despised him in her heart. It seems like the Empress doesn¡¯t simply care for this son of hers. She¡¯s over-protecting him! This caused Rong Jin not to have a clue about this until now. She suppressed the mockery in her heart and explained, ¡°Your Highness, according to what Her Majesty said, that¡¯s not the meaning of ¡®Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son.¡¯¡± Rong Jin knitted his brows in surprise. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that? What exactly does it mean then?¡± Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t directly answer his question. Instead, she suddenly asked in return, ¡°Your Highness, did you notice the fireworks in Imperial City¡¯s sky?¡± ¡°Of course, I saw it.¡± Thinking of this, Rong Jin sighed deeply. ¡°I think something happened in the imperial mausoleum.¡± Originally, as the Crown Prince, he should also rush over immediately if such a thing happened. However, he was now grounded in Crown Prince Mansion and couldn¡¯t even leave the door, let alone others. Situ Xingchen slowly said, ¡°Your ¡®Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son¡¯ has something to do with the imperial mausoleum!¡± ¡­ ¡°East of the drowning water, gold also¡­¡± In the quiet room, Chu Liuyue stood in front of the throne and hugged her arms with one hand while the other gently stroked her chin as she tried to understand what the sentence meant. According to what the man previously said, the star river glowing above my head is the drowning water. However, what does this engraved sentence mean? Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a while and suddenly thought of something. Isn¡¯t the cylinder¡ªwhich was used to drip water on the stone wall¡ªgold? Could it be related to that? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue hurriedly turned around and walked toward that area. The drowning water flowed quietly, and Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see its origin or destination. However, she could vaguely see that the drowning water would frequently drop a pool of starlight. When these items gathered together, they would float around the stone wall. She quickly discovered a pattern. The light actually follows the time flow and gradually enters the golden cylinder tidily before dripping into the drain outside. It turns out that it wasn¡¯t ordinary water! Chu Liuyue hesitated for quite some time before she finally sat on the throne. Hong long! Chapter 399 - Key Accompanying this loud sound, the ground surrounding the throne actually started to crack! With the throne as the center, the cracks expanded in all directions. Then, something seemed to be flowing out of the cracks. Chu Liuyue focused on it and realized that it was actually¡­ golden sand! Countless particles of sparkling gold sand kept flowing out like fountain water, but the sand didn¡¯t flow outward in all directions. Instead, the sand gradually accumulated upward! Chu Liuyue then realized that it wasn¡¯t actual sand but crushed crystal pieces! Those tiny crushed crystals gradually gathered together and presented a strange, heptagon-shaped, and thin, nail-sized crystal. Those thin heptagonal crystals connected to each other and formed layers in an upward manner. The thin crystals on top weren¡¯t all tightly connected. On the other hand, most of them had gaps in between, like they were arranged together by some sort of magical mechanism. Very quickly, a crystal wall¡ªshaped like a golden fence¡ªappeared in front of Chu Liuyue. Not only one! The same thing was happening for the surrounding cracks. Chu Liuyue knew that she couldn¡¯t just sit and watch. If she did so, it would be impossible for her to get out once the walls of golden crystals were built. She immediately stood up and planned to leave the throne, but the moment she stood up, everything suddenly stopped. It was as if someone pressed the ¡®pause¡¯ button and stopped everything here. Chu Liuyue paused, and she looked serious. Then, she carefully took one step forward. Buzz! A soft buzzing noise was heard. Ripples suddenly swirled in the empty space in front of her. The golden lines gently expanded like water embroidery before disappearing into thin air. But Chu Liuyue was stunned. There¡¯s actually an extra barrier here?! Moreover, with my previous attempt, this barrier is definitely not something I can currently solve! She looked at the side and tried twice. As expected, the entire throne was covered by a locked barrier. Chu Liuyue sat back down on the throne. Everything in her surroundings immediately returned to normal. The soft moving noise could be heard, and the bright, golden lights illuminated the entire space. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart gradually sank to the bottom. The walls made from golden crystals were the height of a person. Looking at it as a whole, it almost turned into a contorted maze! And Chu Liuyue was stuck right in the middle of the maze! Bang! Tuan Zi suddenly jumped out and rushed straight for the barrier. Following a low sound, Tuan Zi bounced back. Chu Liuyue agilely caught it. Tuan Zi rubbed its head. It hurts! ¡°Tuan Zi, are you okay?¡± Chu Liuyue asked worriedly. Tuan Zi stood up. It refused to give up and flew toward the barrier again. At the same time, it opened its mouth and bit down harshly. Golou! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Why¡­ does this sound amiss? Seeing that Tuan Zi seemed to be glued to the barrier motionless, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°Tuan Zi?¡± Tuan Zi didn¡¯t react much, but Chu Liuyue saw that its tail had moved slightly. She became increasingly worried as she directly reached out and grabbed Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi immediately used its claws to cover its face. Chu Liuyue pried its claws apart. ¡°What happened to¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. The human and the fiend stared at each other. To alleviate the awkwardness, Tuan Zi bared its teeth. Chu Liuyue momentarily stayed silent when she saw Tuan Zi¡¯s white teeth that were stained red. ¡°You cracked your teeth?¡± Tuan Zi hurriedly covered its mouth and shook its head with all its might. No! No! I just bit with too much strength, and my teeth are slightly loose, so it started bleeding. Chu Liuyue was speechless. She sighed helplessly and lightly patted Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead before looking at the glowing barrier. She knew how incredible Tuan Zi¡¯s teeth were, but even Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t do anything about the barrier¡­ With my current abilities, how am I supposed to go out? Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and thought for quite some time as she subconsciously leaned backward. There was something poking her from behind. Oh, yes. I almost forgot about the words on the back¡ªHang on! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. What did it write? ¡°East of the drowning water, gold also.¡± Gold¡­ When heaven and earth mixed, they gave birth to the five elements¡ªgold, wood, water, fire, and earth! Could this ¡®gold¡¯ be referring to the five elements? The five elements counteracted each other. Amongst them, fire could counteract gold! Chu Liuyue placed Tuan Zi on her shoulders before she took out the Heavenly Square Cauldron again. The transparent karmic fire burnt silently within. After taking it out, Chu Liuyue gathered all her focus and injected all her strength into the Heavenly Square Cauldron. The fire moved according to what her heart desired. Hong! The transparent karmic fire immediately rose up and lunged for the barrier! Huala! The two met with each other and let out a screeching sound. The golden barrier actually started to burn! ¡­ Just when Chu Liuyue was facing all sorts of situations in the imperial mausoleum, it was perfectly quiet outside Golden Inheritance Peak. Zhong Qi and the rest stood at the mountain peak, and they stared at the slowly moving circular plate with grave faces. Ever since the duo disappeared, there were no more sounds. They couldn¡¯t enter the imperial mausoleum through this circular plate, so they could only watch it move from the side. They couldn¡¯t do anything else. Nobody knew what the imperial mausoleum was like now. The calmer it was, the more uneasy they became. Suddenly, a sound broke through the air. Zhong Qi immediately looked up and enthusiastically went forward when he saw the incoming person. ¡°Elder Ye.¡± The incoming person was Ye Zhiting. He was originally repairing Jiuyou Tower in the academy when he suddenly saw the warning fireworks. He then knew that the imperial mausoleum was in trouble, so he rushed over. Ye Zhiting was about to speak when he saw the circular plate slowly moving at the mountain peak. He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°The imperial mausoleum has been activated?¡± Zhong Qi¡¯s lips moved, and he hung his head low. ¡°Elder Ye, forgive us for our incompetence, which allowed the two of them to take advantage of us!¡± Ye Zhiting¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°Two of them? Did you confirm their identities?¡± Zhong Qi looked ashamed. ¡°¡­We couldn¡¯t; they were too fast. When we discovered them, they had already reached the mountain peak. They then directly activated the imperial mausoleum, so we couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Ye Zhiting was increasingly confused. ¡°How can that be? One can¡¯t open Golden Inheritance Peak¡¯s barrier without the key, so how did they go in silently?¡± Zhong Qi and the rest became silent. Ye Zhiting suddenly paused. Could it be that¡­ those two people had the key to Golden Inheritance Peak¡¯s barrier? But there is only one such key, and it¡¯s with His Majesty! ¡°Someone stole His Majesty¡¯s key!¡± Chapter 400 - Exclusive The sounds of cranes could be heard from afar. Elder Ye and the others turned around to see a black-necked crane with a red crown flying toward them. It was a fifth-grade fiend¡ªa Black-necked Crane. These cranes were fiends kept by Country Yao Chen¡¯s royal family. Emperor Jiawen was sitting on the back of one. Under normal circumstances, members of the royal family rarely summoned the fiend, but something had happened to the imperial mausoleum. Thus, the emperor couldn¡¯t care less. This also enabled his swift arrival. He was just a few seconds later than Elder Ye and the others. Emperor Jiawen came up with several possibilities on his way here, but when he saw the crowd gathering at the top of Golden Inheritance Peak, his heart sank. Nobody except me can set foot on the peak. The situation is worse than I thought. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Elder Zhong Qi and the others bowed, perturbed. Elder Ye was a man of high status; there was no need for him to execute this formality. When the Black-necked Crane landed, the elder wasted no time. ¡°Your Majesty, did someone steal the key to Golden Inheritance Peak¡¯s barrier?¡± Emperor Jiawen descended from the fiend, dumbfounded. ¡°No! It¡¯s safe with me; I have it here.¡± Elder Ye and the others exchanged a look among themselves. ¡°Your Majesty, are you certain?¡± the elder asked again. The emperor showed them his palm, and a strange pattern appeared in the middle of his hand. He really had the key! ¡°What is happening? Elder Ye, why did you ask?¡± The emperor was confused. Elder Ye replied, ¡°Two people opened the barrier to Golden Inheritance Peak in secret and entered the imperial mausoleum. The whole process was extremely stealthy. Zhong Qi and the others only realized something was wrong when the intruders were at the top. We suspected they had stolen Your Majesty¡¯s key, but that isn¡¯t the case.¡± His words contained so much information that the emperor froze in shock. ¡°W-What? Intruders in the imperial mausoleum?¡± Emperor Jiawen glanced around and saw the disc rotating slowly not far away. He was in such a rush earlier that he missed it. Emperor Jiawen felt a lump in his throat suffocating him. Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum has existed for a thousand years. It was built when the successive emperors died, yet it has been opened. ¡°W-who did it?¡± His face was pale from anger. The elders could see his vein throbbing. Elder Zhong Qi and the others fell to their knees immediately. ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down. We¡­ We didn¡¯t see the intruders. Please punish us for our incompetence.¡± Emperor Jiawen took a deep breath, and he finally suppressed his rage. There¡¯s no use crying over spilled milk. ¡°Find them! You must find the intruders no matter what!¡± Elder Zhong Qi and the others were covered in cold sweat. Elder Ye sighed and explained hurriedly, ¡°Your Majesty, no ordinary man can open the mausoleum. I¡¯m afraid you will have to take action before we can enter.¡± The emperor massaged his temples. ¡°I had forgotten about this. Wait a minute¡­ In that case, how did the intruders get in?¡± Silence fell. The intruders could open the mountain peak¡¯s barrier, so what else can they not do? Obviously, they came prepared. At this thought, the emperor couldn¡¯t help himself from feeling frustrated. Golden Inheritance Peak was heavily guarded by troops. Nobody could penetrate the area easily. This was like a vicious slap to his face. Frowning, Emperor Jiawen walked to the rotating disc. Except for the time when the late emperor was buried, he had never seen the disc rotate again. I never thought this would happen. The emperor took a deep breath and raised his hand slowly. The strange pattern appeared again. Suddenly, the disc glowed with a silver ray of light. Very quickly, it disappeared. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression changed drastically. I can¡¯t open the mausoleum! ¡­ People were rustling in the forest outside Golden Inheritance Peak¡ªit was Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen. Panting, the former looked up as he said, ¡°Golden Inheritance Peak is right ahead.¡± Situ Xingchen followed his line of sight. In the midst of the mountain range, Golden Inheritance Peak was the most conspicuous one. It was steep yet magnificent. Even though they were still a distance away, they could feel its immense pressure. Situ Xingchen tightly clenched her hands in her sleeves. The barrier to Golden Inheritance Peak is too powerful. I¡¯m afraid this is going to be a problem. Just as she was about to advance, Rong Jin stopped her. ¡°Xingchen, wait.¡± She looked back at Rong Jin, who was staring at the peak solemnly. ¡°The barrier to the peak is right there. This is where you stop.¡± Confusion appeared in Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes. Rong Jin explained, ¡°There are many guards. Now that something has happened to the mausoleum, more troops will be deployed to stand guard. My father should be there by now. If you go further, they¡¯ll see you. For your safety, wait for me here.¡± Situ Xingchen was stunned by his words. I¡¯ve tried everything to help him escape from Crown Prince Mansion and even covered his tracks to come here. Now, he¡¯s asking me to wait for him here? That¡¯s ridiculous! She forced a smile. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t cause you any trouble. You are venturing into an unknown situation. I¡¯ll feel better if you let me go with you.¡± Rong Jin looked hesitant. Situ Xingchen teased softly, ¡°Your Highness, are you worried that I will go against you?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Rong Jin retorted immediately, but his eyes wavered with guilt. ¡°I-I¡¯m worried our presence will cause unnecessary trouble. I¡¯m still the Crown Prince, so it¡¯s normal for me to come when something happens at the imperial mausoleum. Xingchen, we¡­ We¡¯re not married yet. If anyone sees you here, it might be an issue.¡± Situ Xingchen sneered inwardly. Rong Jin¡¯s words are grand. He has forgotten that he¡¯s supposed to be under house arrest at Crown Prince Mansion. If anyone sees him here, he might not be any better off than me. He just wants to go alone. Rong Jin felt Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes on him. It felt as though she had seen right through him. Nevertheless, the latter said, ¡°I will wait here for Your Highness then.¡± He looked at her smiling face as if he thought nothing was wrong. Then, he grinned with relief. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With that, he strode away with purpose. Situ Xingchen watched his silhouette and snickered. You want to cast me aside now that I¡¯ve served my purpose? Fat chance! Chapter 401 - Break ¡°You can come out; he¡¯s already gone,¡± said Situ Xingchen softly. Some movements happened in the empty space not far behind her. Then, an elder came out from the middle. It was Elder Lian Ning. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how Rong Jin managed to stably stay as the Crown Prince for so long.¡± Elder Lian Ning used a mocking tone. ¡°Does he think that he can really enter the imperial mausoleum with his abilities and take what he wants?¡± ¡°After all, he¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son, so he must be different from the rest,¡± said Situ Xingchen nonchalantly. Elder Lian Ning glanced at her and laughed. ¡°You seem like you don¡¯t really care about this identity of Rong Jin¡¯s.¡± ¡°Of course not. I simply just look down on Rong Jin.¡± So what if he¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son? Rong Jin might not have enough luck to succeed! Elder Lian Ning turned around and looked in the direction where Rong Jin disappeared to as he said thoughtfully, ¡°You¡¯re right. I really don¡¯t know why a person like Rong Jin is Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s lips curved up coldly. If she didn¡¯t personally hear the Empress say those words and witnessed what happened in Heptagon Alley, she wouldn¡¯t have believed it either. ¡°Even though Rong Jin is useless¡­ am I not here already?¡± Situ Xingchen brushed her loose strands of hair behind her ear, and her usually watery eyes suddenly looked cold. ¡°With my help, he naturally doesn¡¯t need to fret about it.¡± Elder Lian Ning nodded. ¡°Your Highness, what should we do now? Should we quietly observe what happens, or¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the imperial mausoleum,¡± said Situ Xingchen swiftly. Elder Lian Ning acknowledged it, and he whipped his sleeves as a white mist spread out, enveloping the duo. Immediately after, the duo¡¯s figures disappeared on the spot. ¡­ On the other end, Rong Jin went to Golden Inheritance Peak alone. When he was near it, he quickly discovered that the guards here were even stricter than usual. I wonder what exactly happened in the imperial mausoleum¡­ Rong Jin carefully trod forward as he thought to himself. His surroundings were deadly quiet. The further he walked, the clearer he could hear his own heartbeat. Situ Xingchen¡¯s words kept replaying in his mind. ¡°¡­Inside the imperial mausoleum is a precious treasure that has been passed down for thousands of years. Rumor has it that the treasure was unwittingly obtained by Country Yao Chen¡¯s ancestor, but he didn¡¯t completely solve the treasure¡¯s secret in the end. Hence, nobody else knew that he had such an item with him. In the end, he brought it into the imperial mausoleum.¡± ¡°Only Country Yao Chen¡¯s emperors have the right to know about this. Originally, Her Majesty also didn¡¯t know about this until she saw some godly signs when they paid respects at Golden Inheritance Peak once. She then confirmed that you, the Crown Prince, were Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son. You¡¯re destined to enter the imperial mausoleum one day and obtain the treasure, becoming its new owner.¡± ¡°Once you obtain that treasure and solve its secret, you will have the ability to access the heavens.¡± Rong Jin swallowed his saliva as he looked at Golden Inheritance Peak with unconcealable desire and excitement. Access the heavens¡ªthese words alone were enough to excite anyone! Even though he had heard this quite a while back, Rong Jin still felt crazily elated every time he thought of it. He had lived for more than 20 years, but he never knew he had such a destiny lying ahead of him. Why did Mother hide it from me for so long? If I knew about it earlier, I would¡¯ve come here a long time ago. Previously, Rong Jin encountered continuous setbacks and almost thought that he had no chance of making a comeback. Who would¡¯ve thought that he had such a trump card? Thinking of this, Rong Jin felt upset with his mother. Since I¡¯m Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son, why didn¡¯t Mother tell me early on? She was only willing to speak about it now, when I¡¯ve landed in a perilous situation void of hope. Coincidentally, something happened to the imperial mausoleum, so it was even more inconvenient for him to enter the place silently. ¡°Go over there and look! The rest, follow me!¡± Suddenly, a group of people on horses came over. Rong Jin immediately hid his figure and aura carefully. At this point, he heard the cries of the crane in the sky. Rong Jiu knitted his brows. Father is already here?! This will spell more trouble¡­ If Situ Xingchen came with me, she might be able to distract these people¡­ But he only thought of it. If he had another chance, he would still leave Situ Xingchen there. He was always a suspicious person. Now that the incident implicated something so serious, he would never be assured enough to let her follow him. After waiting for a while at the same spot and confirming that the guards on patrol had left, he carefully walked forward. Just like that, even though the entire way was dangerous, Rong Jin still managed to reach the foot of Golden Inheritance Peak successfully. While looking at the barrier in front and facing the tremendous suppression coming from it, Rong Jin¡¯s throat felt dry. He couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips nervously. Then, he took out a box and whispered, ¡°Mother, you must help me this time¡­¡± After that, he carefully opened the box. An engraved jade pendant lay in there quietly. Rong Jin picked the pendant up and slowly injected his force. Stars gradually glowed on the pendant, forming a strange pattern in the end. If Emperor Jiawen was here, he would know that the pattern on it was exactly the same as the key to Golden Inheritance Peak¡¯s barrier in his hands. The box that the Empress so meticulously hid only had this one thing! This was the thing she spent so much effort to secretly take from Emperor Jiawen and replicate in private. She hid it for so many years, just for this day! Buzz! Ripples suddenly appeared on the barrier. Then, an entrance appeared in front of Rong Jin. His heart beat crazily, and it almost jumped out of his mouth. Then, his figure disappeared as he entered the barrier. However, he didn¡¯t see that the barrier didn¡¯t immediately close after he entered. Instead, a strange ripple pattern appeared¡ªit was as if some wind moved in. After a while, a faint light appeared on the barrier, and it closed once again. Everything returned to normal. At this point, a group of men coincidentally walked past the area. When they saw that the barrier was unharmed, they didn¡¯t stop and proceeded forward. ¡­ In the imperial mausoleum, Chu Liuyue sat on the throne. The golden walls had already been built high in all directions. They stopped when it was about to reach the river. The entire space seemed to have frozen, and only the barrier surrounding Chu Liuyue was burning crazily. Chu Liuyue estimated that 15 minutes had passed, but this barrier was too strong, so progress was very slow. After a long while, a crack finally appeared in the barrier in front of her. Kacha! The barrier cracked! Chapter 402 - Danger! After the first crack appeared, the remaining things progressed much more smoothly. With the transparent karmic fire burning, the surrounding barrier¡ªwhich was glowing gold¡ªquickly melted like ice. The fire landed and instantly ignited the golden walls. Huala! With this sound, the transparent fire started spreading. At the same time, the entire golden castle was wrapped within the transparent fire. Chu Liuyue could clearly see that the heptagonal crystals accumulated on the surface area had gradually become sand again. Slowly, the same thing happened to the other golden walls. Chu Liuyue felt like she was surrounded by the endless fire. She was lucky that she didn¡¯t feel much of a burn. Perhaps it was because the Heavenly Square Cauldron had already recognized her as its owner. However, Tuan Zi really couldn¡¯t take it toward the end, and it hid back inside again. When the first golden wall thoroughly disappeared and became sand, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a strange strength¡ªwhich followed the transparent fire and entered her body. She blinked her eyes in shock. This is¡­ ¡°The golden crystals have very rich strength. If you use the karmic fire to burn the crystals, it¡¯s equivalent to squeezing all the strength out of them.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly spoke, and its tone was as nonchalant as usual. But if one listened closely, they would feel a sense of indignance. I have only followed Chu Liuyue for a while, and I¡¯ve already witnessed her having so much good fortune! Her luck is heaven-defying! Even I can¡¯t help but feel tempted. I¡¯ve lived for so long, but I¡¯ve never seen someone luckier than Chu Liuyue! Normally, people thought that cultivators had to have talent first and diligence next. But in actual fact, the most important thing was luck! And Chu Liuyue had all three of them! Now, it started to understand why the Heavenly Square Cauldron chose Chu Liuyue as its owner. The legendary three-eyed eagle even started to think that it wasn¡¯t as ridiculous as it once seemed when Chu Liuyue agreed to help it recover its physical body. If this continued, Chu Liuyue might really become the person at the top! However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know that the legendary three-eyed eagle had thought of so many things within such a short period of time. She reacted and asked with uncertainty, ¡°Are you saying that¡­ this is equivalent to me cultivating?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle sneered. ¡°Are you so efficient when you cultivate?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Is it praising me for having good luck, or is it saying that I cultivate slowly? However, all of this doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that there are more than a few hundred golden walls here. If I burn all of them, won¡¯t my capabilities be greatly enhanced? Her uptight feelings¡ªwhich appeared ever since she entered the imperial mausoleum¡ªfinally relaxed a little. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists and felt the rich force flowing in her body. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. I didn¡¯t expect to meet such a good thing accidentally! I will definitely break through if I absorb all of this strength! Thinking of this, I should thank Mu Qinghe. Oh, yeah. Where is he? Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze darkened. The duo fell from the circular plate at the same time, but she hadn¡¯t seen Mu Qinghe¡¯s figure until now. Did he meet with trouble? This idea momentarily flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind before she quickly placed it at the back of her mind. Even if Mu Qinghe has ended up in a perilous situation, it isn¡¯t up to me to worry about him. With his abilities, he should be more than capable enough to handle the troubles in the imperial mausoleum. Chu Liuyue shook her head and flung her unnecessary thoughts away as she swiftly sat down on the throne, gathered her focus, and started to cultivate. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on her knees. The Heavenly Square Cauldron returned to her dantian again. Chu Liuyue thought of something and abruptly raised her hand. Transparent karmic fire flew out. The thick force kept flowing in from the surroundings and entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s body continuously. Her entire body seemed to be soaked in a sauna¡ªwarm and comforting. The strength followed her limbs and entered her dantian, finally gathering in the water droplet. It looked like a small water droplet, but it was like a black hole that kept silently swallowing all the strength flowing into it. Gradually, a pattern appeared on the water droplet. Chu Liuyue thought of something, used more force to burn the fire even more intensely, and absorbed the strength. Perhaps it was an illusion, but she vaguely felt that the fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron was burning even more intensely than before. This feeling was strange, but Chu Liuyue quickly confirmed her thoughts. The Heavenly Square Cauldron did absorb the golden walls¡¯ strength. Its overall aura clearly seemed to have enhanced, and even the legendary three-eyed eagle was shocked. ¡°Why did this¡­ The Heavenly Square Cauldron is actually absorbing the strength here?¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t sure, but it knew. The Heavenly Square Cauldron was a distinguished treasure, and it wouldn¡¯t touch ordinary Heaven and Earth Force. Therefore, even though it had been suppressed for thousands of years and was greatly damaged, the Heavenly Square Cauldron never moved much. Other than a type of power! But¡­ Why would there be such a thing here? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what the legendary three-eyed eagle was thinking of and just thought that it was surprised by this scene. There was a strange connection between her and the Heavenly Square Cauldron, so she knew clearly that, although the Heavenly Square Cauldron looked perfectly fine, it wasn¡¯t so. Doing this was akin to repairing its body itself. This was naturally a good thing for Chu Liuyue. After confirming this, Chu Liuyue quickly gathered her thoughts and focused on her cultivation. The surrounding golden walls kept melting as the transparent karmic fire burned. Piles of golden sand appeared on the floor as Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura kept strengthening. After some time, Chu Liuyue suddenly realized that she had touched a barrier that she couldn¡¯t see. Her heart beat wildly. This is the sign of breaking through to become a stage-three warrior! At this point, the second line appeared on the water droplet in the dantian. Chu Liuyue became increasingly calm at this point. She continued to absorb the strength at a regular pace. She knew that she was different from other cultivators. With the restriction from the water droplet, she had to spend much more effort than others to break through and become a stage-three warrior. However, Chu Liuyue gradually discovered another problem¡ªthe Yuan meridian in her body seemed unable to tolerate the impact from so much strength, and it started to hurt faintly. In the beginning, it was just a slight, sharp pain. However, it quickly became an excruciating pain in her entire body. That terrifying strength kept rushing to her Yuan meridian, almost as if it wanted to break it. Chu Liuyue tried to reduce the amount of strength flowing in, but she shockingly discovered that she couldn¡¯t stop. Chapter 403 - Stage-Three Warrior! She tried again but to no avail. It was as if she had opened a gigantic floodgate. The water kept pouring out, but it wasn¡¯t that simple to close the gates again. That terrifying strength kept rushing toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian. Following this process, her surrounding pain became increasingly intense. Chu Liuyue clenched her silver teeth, and some blood slowly dripped out from the corner of her lips. She finally became slightly worried. If this continues, my Yuan meridian won¡¯t be able to take it. It would be injured at best and damaged at worst. It wasn¡¯t easy to recover the Yuan meridian, and Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to damage it again. ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagle, do you have any way?¡± Out of anxiety, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t care about much. The legendary three-eyed eagle also noticed that something was wrong, but its reply was even colder after hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s owner. If even you can¡¯t control it, what can I do?¡± I¡¯m trapped here! Even if the legendary three-eyed eagle didn¡¯t want to admit it, it really couldn¡¯t compare to Chu Liuyue on this. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart gradually sank. Do I really need to sit around and wait? ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron isn¡¯t the only thing you can¡¯t control, right?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s single sentence immediately enlightened Chu Liuyue. She carefully sensed her body and shockingly discovered that the reason why she couldn¡¯t stop the process was due to the Heavenly Square Cauldron, as well as the water droplet in her body. No matter if it was the Heavenly Square Cauldron or the water droplet, they seemed to desire the strength in the golden walls very much. Thus, they kept absorbing it. If she wanted to stop, she would be hurt in all directions. Chu Liuyue tightly clenched her fists, and her entire body was tense. This isn¡¯t the first time I can¡¯t control the water droplet. No¡ªI should say that I never possessed control of it since the start. Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She clenched her teeth and yelled to the water droplet, ¡°Hey! Care about my survival, please!¡± Even though she really wanted to break through, she didn¡¯t want to explode to death. The two lines on the water droplet started moving lightly. For some reason, Chu Liuyue felt a sense of contempt from it. The next moment, a tiny water droplet flew out from the surface. Bang! It transformed into millions of ripples and flew toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that this scene was rather familiar¡­ Hang on! Didn¡¯t this happen when I was recovering my Yuan meridian? At that time, I managed to get my Dijing Yuan meridian because of this extra step! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat even quicker. Then, she clearly felt that those crushed water droplets were incorporated into her Yuan meridian. The light stars started to dazzle clearly, and that pain immediately disappeared as expected. Chu Liuyue instinctively held her breath. This water droplet can indeed train one¡¯s Yuan meridian! Very quickly, her surrounding Yuan meridian was immersed into the water once, and it became even clearer and harder. Her previous pain had completely disappeared, and the foreign strength started entering Chu Liuyue¡¯s body at even higher speeds. Chu Liuyue could feel the Yuan meridian in her body, and her heart kept beating. In actual fact, Dijing Yuan meridians were split into three grades¡ªinferior, intermediate, superior. Even though she had the Dijing Yuan meridian previously, it was only inferior-grade at best when it forcefully passed the Dijing Yuan meridian¡¯s criteria. But now, she could clearly feel that her Yuan meridian was much stronger than before. If I continue training it, perhaps¡­ One day, I¡¯ll own a Tianjing Yuan meridian again! Suddenly, Chu Liuyue connected her mind and soul and controlled the force that flowed in, moving it toward the dantian. Ka! A crisp sound rang in her head. The third line gradually appeared on the crystal-clear water droplet. Stage-three warrior! Chapter 404 - Lake When the third line appeared, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt her surrounding Yuan meridian light up. I actually broke through and obtained an intermediate-grade Dijing Yuan meridian. Everything happened so quickly that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t even react as she instantly felt that her body was filled with strength. There was something moving in her chest and stomach, which caused her to unwittingly look up at the sky and moan. The ferocious strength dispersed from her body. Hong! Hong! Hong! The numerous waves of strength dispersed in all directions, and the transparent fire kept burning, destroying the remaining golden walls in an instant. Golden sand flew everywhere! Chu Liuyue suddenly heard movements above her head. She looked up and saw that the floating river¡¯s current had suddenly increased in speed. Gradually, a spiral appeared in the centermost position. Chu Liuyue suddenly had an instinctive thought. The next moment, her body flew up uncontrollably and disappeared within the spiral. After Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had completely disappeared, the entire space became quiet again. The next moment, the golden sand on the floor started to roll back to the cracks. The lone throne suddenly cracked and turned into countless shards before being utterly destroyed. ¡­ On the other end, even though Chu Liuyue was forced to enter the spiral, she didn¡¯t feel much discomfort. The current was slow and warm as if it had no form of offense. However, the strength hidden in it made Chu Liuyue stay on guard. Chu Liuyue looked at her surroundings and discovered that she was in the middle of the water. There also seemed to be a transparent barrier in her surroundings, which blocked everything. After examining for a while, she only had one word to describe the current scenario¡ªbewildering. Then, she clearly saw that the silver light dazzling in the river was actually individual heptagonal light pieces. They were mixed within, and they sparkled brightly, shining light on each other. They caused the entire river to be as dazzling as a silver river in the dark night. Chu Liuyue suddenly noticed that the current seemed to be bringing her forward, but she didn¡¯t know where she was going. She leaned in curiously and stared at the light. Suddenly, she focused her gaze as if she saw something flash past one light piece. However, that light piece quickly floated far away, so Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see it clearly. She was intrigued and looked at the other light pieces. After a long while, she saw a figure appear on one of the light pieces. It was a pity that this light piece seemed to be covered by a layer of mesh. Thus, she couldn¡¯t see that person¡¯s appearance. Chu Liuyue stared at it for quite some time, but she still couldn¡¯t see it clearly. She suddenly recalled the previous scene. When the man in black appeared and told me to look up, I saw a strange but familiar scene. Could that¡­ be related to these? Chu Liuyue pondered, and her eyes suddenly brightened up. A surge of force came from behind and carried her up. Her body finally left the river and landed on concrete ground. When she stood still, she was instantly shocked by the scene in front of her. It was a lake. The lake water was as clear as ever, and it was quiet, without any ripples. A gigantic, golden dragon head was engraved on the side of the lake in front of her. At this time, the glowing river quietly streamed out from the middle and entered the lake. I seem to have come from there just now. Chu Liuyue turned back, and her nostrils flared. She was currently standing on a square platform built in the middle of the lake! Chapter 405 - Your Highness This platform was made from black jade. Chu Liuyue lowered her head, and she could see her clear reflection. In the middle laid a pyramid-shaped, silver crystal. Chu Liuyue stared at it. She could feel that the previous unknown calling was coming from this silver pyramid. At this point, she was only tens of steps away from the silver pyramid. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and stepped forward. Her footsteps reverberated throughout the entire space. Chu Liuyue could even hear the water behind her gradually flowing into the lake. No¡ªnot just behind her. The sounds also came from other directions! Suddenly, Chu Liuyue realized something, and she turned her head to look at her surroundings. As expected, other than the golden dragon head, the other three cardinal directions all had a similar existence. There was a red dragon head on her left and a green one on her right. On the opposite end of the floating silver pyramid was an orange dragon head. Chu Liuyue suddenly understood something. Everything here was indeed placed according to the five elements. Gold, wood, fire, and earth were all gathered here. The remaining ¡®water¡¯ was unquestionably the never-ending flow of water from before! The five elements were all gathered together. They lived and counteracted each other, creating a perfect locked space! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. If I previously dropped to the ¡®gold¡¯ section, what about¡­ Mu Qinghe? She surveyed her surroundings closely, but she didn¡¯t see Mu Qinghe¡¯s shadow. That¡¯s weird¡­ According to Mu Qinghe¡¯s abilities, he should have no problems dealing with such situations. He should¡¯ve reached here earlier than me. Chu Liuyue pondered for a while and decided to set this aside first as she continued to walk ahead. When she was three steps away from the silver pyramid, she finally felt a strong suppression! She immediately stopped, and her pair of eyes were glued to the floating pyramid. It was the size of a palm, but Chu Liuyue felt that this item could contain millions of things for some reason. She also didn¡¯t know where the feeling came from, but it became increasingly strong. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue focused on something. On one side of the mirror on the silver pyramid, she actually saw a familiar figure! It was Mu Qinghe! Currently, he was standing in a strange space and was surrounded by intertwining green vines. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. Mu Qinghe actually entered the ¡®wood¡¯ section. Mu Qinghe stood in the middle and held a longsword in his right hand while countless broken branches were next to his feet. He looked like he had just experienced a very tough fight as he looked bloodied and very unkempt. He had his head lowered, so Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see his face or his current expression. However, he was trembling slightly. Even though he wasn¡¯t trembling much, it was easily noticed by Chu Liuyue, who knew him the best. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. What¡¯s¡­ going on with him? All along, Mu Qinghe has been harsh and decisive. Even in the face of death, he won¡¯t show any signs of fear. When he presents such an appearance, it normally means that he¡¯s on the verge of breaking. But¡­ this is just a rather strange space, which might not even threaten his life. So, why is he behaving like this?! ¡°Y-your Highness¡­¡± muttered Mu Qinghe as he spat out two faint syllables. Chu Liuyue spent much effort to recognize what he was saying, but she became even more confused. Your Highness?! Who is Mu Qinghe calling? Given his current status, there aren¡¯t many people that he can call in that way. Is it Jiang Yucheng or Shangguan Wan? Chu Liuyue held her breath and listened in even more intently. However, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t say anymore as he abruptly raised the sword in his hand. Chu Liuyue instantly gasped and widened her eyes in shock! She saw that Mu Qinghe¡¯s wrist was already pierced through by a green vein that was as thick as a thumb. That green vein tightly wound around his wrist and extended to his shoulders. Chu Liuyue could even see his palm that became swollen and red because his blood couldn¡¯t circulate. Fresh, red blood started oozing out of his wound, but the green vein absorbed it very quickly. An emerald leaf quickly wilted and fell down. The second and third pieces followed closely after. Chu Liuyue was shocked. Is there something wrong with Mu Qinghe¡¯s blood? Why are the green leaves wilting so quickly? Before she could find out what was going on, an even more shocking thing happened¡ªa small greenish-yellow leaf grew out of the place where the wilted leaf had dropped from. Also, that green vein seemed to be winding even more tightly! Chu Liuyue then realized how the broken branches and leaves on the floor came about. The excruciating pain from his right arm almost made Mu Qinghe¡¯s mind blank. But in actual fact, the thing that tortured him the most at this moment wasn¡¯t the relentless green vein. It was¡­ Mu Qinghe exhausted the last bit of his strength as he waved his longsword and harshly slashed down. Clang! The ferocious sword aura made all the broken branches and wilted leaves on the floor rise up. Even the veins on the wall in front of him were thoroughly slashed apart from the middle! However, the green vein extended very quickly. After it was broken, it immediately started winding again and even grew out new leaves. The leaves were lush green, and they moved along with the wind as if nothing had happened. But on Mu Qinghe¡¯s side, as he had forcefully waved the sword, the wound on his wrist was harshly opened again. Suddenly, Mu Qinghe let out a desperate and sorrowful howl. ¡°Ah!¡± Chu Liuyue watched on as her heart skipped a beat. What exactly is Mu Qinghe doing? Does he want to break through the green vein and escape? But if it¡¯s only so, why is he overwrought? It seems like¡­ something has been weighing on his heart for a long time! Plop! Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice gradually became softer. In the end, he knelt down on the floor defeatedly. The sword in his hands also landed on the floor helplessly. The room fell into terrifying silence once again. The surrounding green veins looked very alive and well, but Mu Qinghe was enveloped by an intensely crazy aura in the center. Chu Liuyue had never seen him in such a manner before. After quite some time, Mu Qinghe finally looked up. Chu Liuyue covered her mouth¡ªMu Qinghe¡¯s face is actually filled with tears! Hopelessness, loneliness, anger, sorrow, regret, and hatred¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know how to describe the current Mu Qinghe. It was as if he were a trapped fiend in a hopeless situation. Mu Qinghe had followed Chu Liuyue for so many years, but she had never seen him cry. It was as if a gigantic hammer harshly smashed Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know if it was because of the silver pyramid, but Chu Liuyue could see his face clearly, even¡­ his eyes. For a moment, Chu Liuyue almost thought that Mu Qinghe was looking at her. ¡°¡­Your Highness¡­¡± Blood flowed out from the corner of his lips as he softly muttered those words in an unconcealable longing and dependent manner. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. He¡¯s actually calling me! Chapter 406 - Entrance I would never be mistaken. Mu Qinghe is indeed calling me! At that moment, Chu Liuyue felt very conflicted. Shocked, comforted, suspicious, hopeful, nervous¡­ She didn¡¯t know how to describe her current feelings. This was because she had never expected Mu Qinghe to use this tone to call her. It was like¡­ when she brought back the poverty-stricken youngster, who didn¡¯t know anything and could only beg her sorrowfully. ¡°Your Highness, what is this¡­¡± Your Highness, why is that¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, will I really not cause you trouble¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Chu Liuyue still remembered how Mu Qinghe looked when he said those words. At that time, she actually liked his bashful appearance a lot. Those people in the palace were all very smart and cunning. When they talked to her, they would always put on their best behavior to suck up to her, but they were equally cold and nonchalant. At that time, she thought that Mu Qinghe was different from the rest. She always thought that he genuinely and thoroughly trusted and depended on her. Mu Qinghe had once said that he would always be loyal to her and that he would give her his all, not only his life. It was also because of this that Chu Liuyue treated him with extra patience and tolerance compared to others. But in the end¡­ Chu Liuyue clenched her fists and unwittingly bit down. The sharp pain woke her up. Chu Liuyue abruptly shook her head, wanting to erase those memories. The more she did so, the clearer the pictures in her mind. Facing the sorrowful Mu Qinghe filled with tears, Chu Liuyue felt it ever so ironic, and her lips curved up into a mocking smile. Mu Qinghe, were you ever so sad before when you knew that Shangguan Yue died? Or perhaps you already knew everything that was going to happen? Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they had already regained their composure. Mu Qinghe was probably like this because he had seen something and suffered a great setback, similar to her. This made Chu Liuyue even more curious about his objective in coming here. He definitely didn¡¯t come all the way here to be tortured and feel remorseful. Chu Liuyue looked at the silver pyramid in front of her. Could it be¡­ because of this?! ¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know that when she previously left the space and stood in the lake, one-quarter of the slow-moving circular plate at the top of Golden Inheritance Peak suddenly lit up. When Emperor Jiawen¡ªwho tried very hard to go in but to no avail¡ªsaw this, his eyelids harshly twitched. It was already humiliating enough to be rejected outside his own ancestor¡¯s imperial mausoleum. Now, he even had to watch on as other people had gone in and cracked one of the challenges. How could he take this lying down? Besides, other people didn¡¯t know, but he clearly knew the imperial mausoleum¡¯s secret! Once the circular plate completely lights up, the imperial mausoleum¡­ Thinking of this, more wrinkles appeared on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s forehead. Detecting his aura, Elder Zhong Qi and the rest were all on their toes, and they didn¡¯t dare to make any sounds. Elder Ye stood at the side, and his gaze changed when he saw this scene. ¡°Your Majesty, we can¡¯t wait any longer. We must immediately find a way to go in! If not¡ª¡± ¡°Of course, I know! But I¡¯ve tried many times just now, and I just can¡¯t go in!¡± Emperor Jiawen was filled with frustration, and he almost couldn¡¯t control his tone in front of Elder Ye. Elder Ye could understand the emperor¡¯s current emotions, so he didn¡¯t take it to heart. He knitted his brows and said, ¡°If we can¡¯t go in from here, then¡­ what about somewhere else?¡± Emperor Jiawen was dazed. Suddenly, a thought popped up in his mind. Right! There¡¯s a second entrance to the imperial mausoleum! The imperial mausoleum existed for thousands of years, and it normally wouldn¡¯t be activated. But with the passage of time, it needed to be repaired occasionally. Hence, the imperial mausoleum had a small entrance specifically for these people to enter. Even though it would be unbecoming for him to enter from there, he couldn¡¯t care so much now. Emperor Jiawen immediately said, ¡°Elder Ye, follow me and let¡¯s go!¡± The imperial mausoleum had now been invaded, and they didn¡¯t know how good the other party was. Thus, he would feel more at ease with Elder Ye around. Elder Zhong Qi wanted to request to go along as well, but Emperor Jiawen quickly commanded, ¡°The rest of you, guard this place! If anything strange happens, tell me immediately! If the two of them leave from here, you must catch them no matter what!¡± Elder Zhong Qi and the rest could only agree hurriedly. When Emperor Jiawen mounted the Black-necked Crane¡¯s back again, it flew toward the middle of the mountain. Elder Ye turned around and looked at the circular plate determinedly. For some reason, he felt slightly uneasy. Then, he turned around and followed Emperor Jiawen. The duo¡¯s figures quickly disappeared. ¡­ At the same time, Rong Jin had already quietly climbed to the middle of the mountain. Emperor Jiawen and the rest were at the mountain peak, and he didn¡¯t dare to use the stairs in fear of exposing his tracks. Hence, he chose to slowly feel his way up from the lush greenery. Even though this was a lot slower and he would be cut by sharp rocks from time to time, it was safer overall. Besides, he didn¡¯t dare to go to the mountain peak. From what he knew, there was a small entrance in the middle of Golden Inheritance Peak. He was planning to enter from there! His surroundings were quiet, and Rong Jin could even hear his own breathing and heartbeat. The climb upward was very treacherous, and it exhausted quite a bit of his strength. But his heart was filled with excitement and hope, without any tinge of tiredness. As long as I can obtain the treasure in the imperial mausoleum, I won¡¯t be afraid of anything! Even Father can¡¯t stop me! Based on this thought, Rong Jin actually climbed all the way up the mountain. When he reached around half of the total steps, he finally stopped and started traveling horizontally to find the small entrance. But after searching around the middle of the mountain for half a day, he still couldn¡¯t find anything, not even a suspicious-looking place. Other than rocks and trees, there was nothing else. Rong Jin gradually became anxious. If I really can¡¯t find¡ª Shoo! Suddenly, he heard a distant cry! Rong Jin¡¯s heart hung in his throat as he looked up. The Black-necked Crane is flying toward here! Who else can be on its back other than Father?! Elder Ye is right behind him too! Rong Jin was extremely anxious as he hurriedly found a gigantic rock and carefully hid his figure. Then, Emperor Jiawen and Elder Ye landed on a small space not far away. Emperor Jiawen breathed out. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Elder Ye lightly nodded, but he suddenly noticed something and looked in Rong Jin¡¯s direction. At that moment, Rong Jin¡¯s heart seemed to stop beating. He didn¡¯t notice that there was a tiny movement covering him. Emperor Jiawen saw that Elder Ye looked strange, so he couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Elder Ye, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Doubt flashed across Elder Ye¡¯s eyes as he shook his head. ¡°Nothing much. I think I saw wrongly.¡± Emperor Jiawen nodded in understanding and didn¡¯t take it to heart. After that, he looked solemn as he raised his hands. Buzz! Chapter 407 - Punishment The pile of fallen leaves in front of Emperor Jiawen suddenly flew up. Then, a circular plate¡ªwhich was much smaller than the one at the mountain peak¡ªappeared in front of him. Not only was it small, but even the engravings were much simpler. A weird pattern appeared on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s palm, and it slowly landed on the circular plate. Following a soft buzzing sound, the circular plate finally started turning. Emperor Jiawen was elated. ¡°It¡¯s open!¡± Elder Ye also heaved a sigh of relief. Emperor Jiawen was very meticulous. When the circular plate slowly opened from the middle, he held his breath and walked in. Elder Ye followed closely after. The duo¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly. The next moment, the surroundings quietened down again. Looking at the circular plate that was about to close, Rong Jin¡ªwho was hiding in the dark¡ªimmediately rushed over. How can I miss such a great opportunity? Luckily, he moved very quickly and managed to enter before the circular plate closed. The moment Rong Jin stepped in, he felt like he had stepped on a layer of stone, and his surroundings immediately fell into darkness. Rong Jin actually was thankful for this. Even though it made it very hard to see his surroundings clearly, at least he wouldn¡¯t be discovered by Emperor Jiawen and Elder Ye, who were ahead. Forget about Emperor Jiawen, but Elder Ye was very capable. He might just expose himself to Elder Ye if he wasn¡¯t careful. He secretly came here this time, so he didn¡¯t dare to make a big fuss out of it. Once he was discovered, the consequences were unimaginable. As long as he obtained that treasure, he would feel more confident. Rong Jin stood at the same spot for quite a while until the sound of the duo¡¯s footsteps gradually disappeared. When he confirmed that they were adequately distant, he started moving. Even though he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly, after hearing the duo¡¯s movements previously, he realized that it seemed to be a flight of stairs leading downward. Rong Jin felt around the sides and wanted to walk down while holding a wall, but his palm suddenly felt a sharp pain. He was shocked; then, he realized that the surrounding walls were filled with sharp nails. His hand had been cut accidentally, and fresh blood kept dripping out. Helpless, Rong Jin could only randomly tear off a piece of cloth from his shirts and tightly wrap it around the injured hand. Now, he didn¡¯t dare to randomly touch the things around him, and he could only walk down even more cautiously. ¡­ When Emperor Jiawen and the rest entered the imperial mausoleum, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing in the middle of the lake¡ªsaw the scene from one of the silver pyramid¡¯s faces. Chu Liuyue slightly raised her brows because she hadn¡¯t expected the imperial mausoleum to have another entrance. But¡­ Emperor Jiawen came a little later than expected. She and Mu Qinghe had already been in here for quite some time, yet Emperor Jiawen only came in at this point and from an isolated small entrance at that. Of course, she didn¡¯t know that Emperor Jiawen and the rest had waited at the mountain peak for a long time to no avail and that they found this path to enter with much difficulty. The path they used was clearly very dark, but for some reason, Chu Liuyue could clearly see what was happening. She could even see Emperor Jiawen¡¯s anxious gaze as clear as day. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned, and it landed on Elder Ye, who was behind the emperor. She rubbed her glabella, plagued by a headache. I¡¯m not worried about Emperor Jiawen coming, but Elder Ye is here too¡­ This will be a little hard to deal with. I can¡¯t let them reach here¡­ Chu Liuyue thought of this in her heart and suddenly saw Rong Jin, who was following behind them. She raised her brows. This person is actually here? Moreover, it looks like he came here secretly¡­ That¡¯s true. He has been grounded and confined to Crown Prince Mansion recently, so, of course, he can¡¯t let Emperor Jiawen know that he¡¯s here. Why did he even come? A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and a bold guess surfaced in her heart. Could his secret¡­ be related to the imperial mausoleum? Previously, Rong Zhen had said that Rong Jin was Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son, which was why the Empress doted on him very much and invested all her efforts in him, placing high hopes on him. When Chu Liuyue heard this, she didn¡¯t care about it much at first. That was the case until she saw everything that happened in Heptagon Alley. The Empress clearly cared about Rong Xiu¡¯s identity as Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son more than she had imagined. Si Huijing had even prepared quite a bit for it, even using cruel and ruthless methods to help Rong Xiu improve his cultivation. It was a pity that she was discovered before the plan could mature. Now that Rong Jin came here recklessly¡­ this was the only logical explanation for it. Chu Liuyue casually sized Rong Jin up. This distinguished Crown Prince had clearly suffered quite a bit the whole way as he looked quite unkempt. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused, and she saw two figures behind him. He actually didn¡¯t come here alone?! Very quickly, Chu Liuyue saw the duo¡¯s appearances clearly. The person in front was actually Situ Xingchen. Behind her was an elder in black. As he was wearing a hat, Chu Liuyue could only see half of his face and that he seemed to be an elder. Chu Liuyue had never seen this person before, but judging from the surface, this elder was clearly Situ Xingchen¡¯s man. Chu Liuyue stared at them for a while and quickly discovered that Rong Jin didn¡¯t seem to know that there were two people behind him. Situ Xingchen and the elder also followed him very carefully. Their every action and word was also done deliberately to avoid being discovered by Rong Jin. Did they¡­ secretly follow Rong Jin in? This is interesting. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help smiling. Emperor Jiawen and Elder Ye were in front. Rong Jin was in the middle, while Situ Xingchen and that elder were at the back. They actually all came in together. I really don¡¯t know what they will look like if they see me standing here. Ka! A soft sound suddenly came from the silver pyramid. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped, and she immediately looked over. However, she didn¡¯t see anything strange. That tiny pyramid was still quietly floating in the air as if the sound was just Chu Liuyue¡¯s hallucination. She knitted her brows. It can¡¯t be that I heard that sound for no reason¡­ But after waiting for a while, she didn¡¯t hear anything else. Chu Liuyue could only temporarily set it aside and look at Mu Qinghe again. Once she looked at him, the scene immediately made her heart beat wildly. Mu Qinghe was kneeling on the floor, and he had raised the longsword in his hands. But this time, the blade was pointing toward his neck. Mu Qinghe actually wants to commit suicide? Chu Liuyue shouted without thinking, ¡°Stop!¡± Mu Qinghe seemed to have heard it as he stopped in his actions, and disbelief flashed across his eyes. That voice¡­ Even though it was unclear¡­ the tone was really like that person¡¯s¡­ He immediately scanned his surroundings, but he didn¡¯t see anything other than the numerous green vines. Mu Qinghe laughed bitterly as he dropped the longsword defeatedly. If she were here and knew that I didn¡¯t die on the battlefield but chose to commit suicide instead, she would be utterly disappointed, right? Even I didn¡¯t expect myself to be trapped here and have such a mindset. But¡­ it really hurts too much! I admit that I¡¯m scared. Every single day and every single moment, I suffer from the terrifying torture. I¡¯m better dead than alive. When he wanted to lift the sword again, Mu Qinghe felt that his entire body was trembling violently. Even if it was a hallucination, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t disobey her. After a long time, he closed his eyes, and tears dropped down from the corner of his eyes. He muttered softly, ¡°Your Highness, is this¡­ the punishment you¡¯re giving me?¡± Chapter 408 - Overturn Suddenly, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what to say. Punishment? Shangguan Yue is already dead, and she died so miserably. What punishment can she give him? Chu Liuyue also wanted to tell herself that Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t betray her. But when she saw the scene in front of her, it repeatedly proved that Mu Qinghe had already been standing on the opposite side before she died. If not, it couldn¡¯t explain what happened later. Mu Qinghe was still the respected and distinguished lieutenant. It was as if her death had no impact on him at all. Even the pair of boots he was wearing¡­ Chu Liuyue felt sour. Mu Qinghe looked like he was in a lot of pain, to the point where Chu Liuyue almost thought that he was truly feeling regretful and sorrowful toward her. However, how could this compare to all the torture she had suffered? Chu Liuyue once again suppressed her turbulent heart. No matter what, I can¡¯t trust Mu Qinghe again. Luckily, he didn¡¯t seem to recognize my voice earlier. If not, it would spell trouble. This silver pyramid was indeed special. From here, she could see what was happening in almost the entire imperial mausoleum, and the people inside could hear her voice. It seemed like this small item had control over the entire imperial mausoleum. An urge welled up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart as she raised her hand toward the silver pyramid. Ka! Before she could touch it, she heard the strange sound again. Chu Liuyue paused in her movements. I heard it clearly this time. This sound indeed came from the silver pyramid! An idea popped up in her mind as she walked to the other side. From where she was standing previously, she could only see three faces of the pyramid; she couldn¡¯t see the last one. And that sound¡­ seemed to be coming from that direction. Chu Liuyue focused on it and was stunned. There¡¯s nothing on the last face! No, to put it more accurately, the last face is thoroughly covered in black. The other three faces were clean and pure, and she could see any scene clearly. However, this¡­ Chu Liuyue turned back and realized this was the ¡®fire¡¯ position. The red dragon head still had water circulating within the lake as if nothing was wrong. However, Chu Liuyue felt uneasy for some reason. This pyramid should be able to see the entire imperial mausoleum, but one face is blocked. This also means that I won¡¯t be able to know what¡¯s happening in the ¡®fire¡¯ position. This is definitely not a coincidence. A ridiculous idea surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Could it be¡­ Someone has already entered that place and did something to stop me from seeing what is going on? Upon thinking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart squeezed together. Even with Mu Qinghe¡¯s abilities, he can¡¯t do this. Therefore, who else can? What is the other party afraid of me seeing? Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. The next moment, she clenched her teeth and took the silver pyramid. It was extremely cold to the touch. The coldness spread from within, and it started extending its reach at an observable speed, completely covering her palm. Chu Liuyue was shocked, and she immediately wanted to let go. But at this point, the water droplet in her dantian started turning crazily. A red fire suddenly exploded in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. Hong! The two forces harshly smashed against one another. Shards of ice flew everywhere. Fire sparks went up. Chu Liuyue felt that her entire palm was completely numb, and she couldn¡¯t feel anything. It was as if she was harshly dragged in front uncontrollably. The pyramid was finally fully captured by her, and it left its original position. The red fire poured out, completely covering the pyramid. With this layer of protection, Chu Liuyue was finally separated from the terrifying aura. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that the item was finally trapped within the fire. The coldness within wasn¡¯t normal! If she were any slower, her palm would¡¯ve been frozen. But the moment her lips curled up, they froze. The position that the pyramid previously occupied actually froze. Also, the frost kept spreading toward the surroundings. Chu Liuyue immediately backed away, but the area was freezing at very high speeds. In the blink of an eye, it had already extended to the black marble floor from mid-air. The frightening suppression came toward her. Chu Liuyue was suppressed until she couldn¡¯t breathe. Very quickly, she was forced to the edge of the platform. One of her legs was in mid-air, which made her body wobble. Chu Liuyue stabilized herself with much difficulty, but as her actions were too hurried, the hairpin on her head fell into the lake. Chu Liuyue instinctively looked down. However, the scene she saw made her heart stop beating. The hairpin didn¡¯t make any sound when it fell into the lake. This was because the hairpin quickly froze the moment it touched the lake. In the blink of an eye, that hairpin became a floating ice cube on the lake before it sank to the bottom silently. Everything happened rapidly. The clear lake water was still peaceful as if the falling of the hairpin had no effect on it. It was also at this point that she saw the bottom layer of the lake sparkling brightly. Chu Liuyue focused on it, and she was immediately shocked. At the bottom of this clear lake were ice cubes in all sorts of shapes. Those stars were actually reflected from these shards of ice. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt coldness spreading from the bottom of her feet. If I really fall from here¡­ Kacha! The sound of something cracking came from behind. Chu Liuyue immediately looked behind and shockingly discovered that the upper side of the black marble platform was completely frozen. It had even spread to under her feet. That sound was made because the platform couldn¡¯t withstand such strength, so it started cracking. The fire in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand was still burning intensely, but she could still feel her entire body turn cold. The entire space seemed to turn into a gigantic ice ball as the terrifying coldness spread in all directions. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and forced the fire to form a barrier around her. By doing this, she finally blocked the harsh air outside. However, everything in the surroundings didn¡¯t freeze slower because of what she did. The area was still being frozen, and it finally spread to the lake. After a temporary silence, the lake began freezing, starting from the black platform in the middle. When thick ice covered the lake, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be tightly squeezed. The next moment, the ice layer was filled with cracks. All the ice started dropping silently. At the same time, the clear lake crashed forward and quickly swallowed the ice pieces. The black platform below Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet finally collapsed, and her body fell down uncontrollably. Chapter 409 - Suspect But when Chu Liuyue was about to drop into the lake, a sudden force came over and lightly helped her body up. Without thinking, Chu Liuyue used strength and jumped toward the wall. At the same time, the silver light in her hands flashed. Choo! She harshly stabbed her dagger into the wall. Her entire body was hanging in midair. Chu Liuyue looked in the direction of the red dragon head¡ªthe force that mysteriously helped her had come from that direction. ¡°May I know your name? I have no way of repaying you for saving my life. Kindly step out so I can meet you!¡± said Chu Liuyue loudly as she stared at that place. However, she saw no movement at all. It was as if she was alone in the entire space. Chu Liuyue looked at the lake surface. The previous black marble platform had frozen into a gigantic ice cube before it quickly shattered and silently landed in the lake. The water below kept coming up, and the ice above kept falling down. The cycle continued on and on. The silver light flashed in dazzling coldness. If Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see it for herself, she wouldn¡¯t dare to believe it. Ice always floated on the water surface. She had never seen such a strange scene before. There is clearly something wrong with the lake water! Detecting the shocking coldness that spread from it, Chu Liuyue was traumatized. If I really fell into it¡­ Undefeated, she raised her voice and asked again, ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, why must you hide?¡± Then, she looked at the pyramid in her hands. One of the faces was still indeed black. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be filled with doubts. We have already reached this point, and the other party has even willingly saved me. So why won¡¯t they come out to meet me? They don¡¯t even want me to know what¡¯s going on in this space. Finally, a lazy voice sounded. ¡°Hand me the thing in your hands, and I¡¯ll send you out.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. The other party actually came for the silver pyramid? She had never heard this voice before, but she could feel the distinguished aura of the superior person. This person has a special identity! He is clearly very capable as well! If not, he wouldn¡¯t be able to willingly help others in this situation. However, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. I got this pyramid with much difficulty. If I hand it over now¡­ I¡¯ll be indignant. Besides, I feel that this pyramid is very important to me for some reason. It seems like¡­ it originally belonged to me. She knew that her feeling was too ridiculous, but since the item was already in her hands, how could she give it over? ¡°I can¡¯t fulfill this request of yours. Please change to another one!¡± After all, the other party had saved her, so Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to make the situation tense. Moreover, she was very sensible. Even though she was already a stage-three warrior now, it didn¡¯t mean that she was willing to go against such a strong warrior. In such a situation, she would just be digging a grave for herself. ¡°No.¡± That man seemed to expect that Chu Liuyue would reject him. He wasn¡¯t frustrated and spoke calmly. ¡°That¡¯s something that my wife likes. I have to get it back.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Madam?! Why does this sound vaguely familiar? She clutched the dagger tightly as an idea popped up in her mind. Hang on! I remember that there¡¯s this one person¡­ The words escaped from her mouth. ¡°May I know if you¡¯re Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Master?¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue took the pyramid, the entire imperial mausoleum was severely affected. The green vines around Mu Qinghe suddenly wilted, leaving behind a ground filled with broken twigs and wilted leaves. The scene that kept replaying in front of his eyes finally disappeared. Mu Qinghe¡¯s body shook, and he finally woke up from the terrifying state. He dazedly knelt down on the floor as the mist in front of him gradually faded away, and he could finally see what was going on. Mu Qinghe looked at the broken leaves and twigs and raised his hands to wipe his face. His hands were filled with tears. His heart suddenly trembled. Everything that had happened before started to replay in his head. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t return to his senses for a long time. After some time, he finally looked down and laughed bitterly. However, this laughter was even worse than a painful cry. I thought that I had buried everything, but I didn¡¯t expect to remember all of it so clearly. Every single item, every single word, and even every single gaze¡­ They are all deeply etched into my memories. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression slowly faded away, and he recovered his original calmness. It was as if he put on his armor again and wore his mask, covering everything perfectly. He picked up the fallen sword and started cutting at the vine that pierced through his wrist. Then, he expressionlessly pulled it out. Blood spurted on his face, and the wound looked even gorier after being tugged at. He took out some gauze and medicine as he familiarly attended to his wound. This seemingly serious wound wouldn¡¯t actually threaten his life. He had very high physical strength, and he could recover very quickly. As long as¡­ he didn¡¯t fall into that horrifying hallucination. After tidying himself, Mu Qinghe walked forward. But just as he was about to slash the wall in front of him, he stopped in his tracks. The situation here shouldn¡¯t have changed for no reason. The only explanation is that someone has already gotten ahead of me! A thin and petite figure appeared in his mind. Only Chu Liuyue came in with me! Could it be¡­ He looked tense, and the scar on his wound seemed to be more ferocious-looking. However, he suddenly recalled a scene the next moment. When I couldn¡¯t withstand the torture and planned to end it once and for all, I seemingly heard someone call for me to stop. I always thought that it was a hallucination, but thinking about it now¡­ It sounded very similar to Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice¡­? His heart started beating wildly. ¡­ Hong long! Before Emperor Jiawen and Elder Ye could walk out of the passage, the rocks in front fell down and blocked the duo¡¯s path. Hearing the loud sounds coming from far away, Emperor Jiawen suddenly realized something and gasped. ¡°The imperial mausoleum is collapsing!¡± Chapter 410 - Demanding Woman ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t be anxious. The imperial mausoleum has been built for many years, and this has never happened before. It definitely won¡¯t collapse now. It¡¯s just that¡­ there¡¯s something amiss inside.¡± Elder Ye comforted Emperor Jiawen as he sent force inside to check what was going on. Emperor Jiawen saw the completely blocked pathway and was filled with fear. If this stone landed on me¡­ ¡°B-but the surrounding paths have started to collapse. I¡¯m afraid that the inside will also be affected before long!¡± Once Emperor Jiawen thought of this happening to the imperial mausoleum at this time, his head started to ache. If word gets out, what will others think of me? How am I supposed to face my ancestors? Elder Ye shook his head. ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s a reason for the imperial mausoleum being built under Golden Inheritance Peak. Kindly step to the side first and let me make a path here.¡± Emperor Jiawen knew that he could only trust Elder Ye now, so he immediately moved to the back obediently. Elder Ye stared at the gigantic stone in front and furrowed his brows. I¡¯m not worried about whether the imperial mausoleum will collapse, but¡­ The two people who went in earlier actually have the ability to shake the imperial mausoleum! As he thought of the lit circular plate at the mountain peak¡­ It¡¯s obvious what the other party has come for! He focused and gathered his force in his palms. Then, he harshly sent out the force from his palms. Bang! The stone suddenly cracked in the middle. Emperor Jiawen was elated. If we can destroy this stone, we still have the chance to go in and stop them. ¡°If I find out who the two of them are, I definitely won¡¯t let them off!¡± Elder Ye looked solemn as he sent out another palm strike. Bang! Ka! A white light suddenly came from the stone. ¡°We¡¯re through!¡± said Emperor Jiawen excitedly as he tightly clenched his fists. Elder Ye also felt relieved. After all, this was the imperial mausoleum¡¯s exterior, and it was easier to handle it than he had imagined. But just as he was about to continue on this path and completely clear the passage, he suddenly realized something, and his expression changed. ¡°Move back!¡± he hollered sternly and directly grabbed Emperor Jiawen¡¯s collar as they flew backward. Emperor Jiawen was caught off-guard and felt a tightness in his throat as he was already dragged to the back by Elder Ye. His face suddenly flushed red, and he started coughing intensely. ¡°Ye¡­ Cough cough¡­ Ye¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen spat out a few syllables with much difficulty, but he suddenly widened his eyes the next moment. He saw golden sand suddenly pouring out from the middle of the rock. The golden sand started gathering rapidly, and they actually formed a thin layer of crystal, covering the rock. The rock dazzled amidst golden light, but this struck immense fear in Emperor Jiawen. This was because he could clearly feel the immense suppression coming from the thin, golden crystals. Suddenly, a shard dropped from above and landed on the ground. Kacha! The duo heard a crisp sound, and the rock actually turned into powder. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s heart sank. As expected! Once we are touched by the golden sand, we will end up the same way. They were quick, but the golden sand spread even quicker. The grains of golden sand were about to reach the duo. Elder Ye waved his sleeves, and a gigantic black barrier guarded in front of the two of them. The golden sand started slowing down. Elder Ye and Emperor Jiawen then had a chance to catch a breather. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes were still filled with shock that hadn¡¯t faded away. ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s the sand from ¡®gold!¡¯ Not only did they solve that section, but they have even destroyed the entire area?!¡± Elder Ye¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be hard to go in¡­¡± ¡­ But at this point, the culprit¡ªChu Liuyue¡ªdidn¡¯t know all of this was happening. It wasn¡¯t so serious when she first broke open the space, but the moment she snatched the silver pyramid, she easily destroyed the Five Elements arrangement in the imperial mausoleum. Without any more power holding it up, the ¡®gold¡¯ section naturally lost control completely. The golden sand inside spread in all directions and directly blocked Emperor Jiawen and Elder Ye¡¯s path. If she lowered her head now, she would definitely see something. It was a pity that she didn¡¯t have the luxury to do so. This was because all her attention was placed on the mysterious man that refused to show his face. After she asked that question, the other party fell silent. This further confirmed Chu Liuyue¡¯s guess, but she never expected that Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Master¡ªwho she wanted to meet very much¡ªwould actually appear here! Moreover, he had also come for this thing! Chu Liuyue instantly felt that the situation was becoming difficult. Zhen Bao Pavilion had helped her numerous times. Even though this Master had never revealed his identity before, Chu Liuyue clearly knew that Yan Ge had received this person¡¯s permission to help her so much. Not to mention that he had helped her just now. Chu Liuyue indeed owed this person a huge favor, but she would be indignant if she just handed the pyramid over. She had succeeded and broken through all sorts of challenges, experiencing all kinds of danger for this thing. How could she just give it to someone else because of what the other party said? ¡°Looks like I¡¯m right,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a much more polite tone. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, you must know my identity. I¡¯m beyond grateful for all the previous times you¡¯ve taken care of me. But¡­ please forgive me because I really can¡¯t hand this item over to you. Other than this, you can make any other requests, and I¡¯ll definitely do my best to help you even if it means risking my life!¡± This time, the other party finally spoke. ¡°My only request is this item.¡± His tone was flat, but it brought with it a tinge of suppression that one had to obey. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth helplessly. ¡°Master, why don¡¯t we discuss this? We can get out of here first and find a place to discuss this properly. What do you think? Previously, you said that this is something your wife had taken a fancy to, then¡­ why don¡¯t I personally talk to your wife?¡± She had already been hanging here for quite some time. It was quite unfair for her if they were to negotiate here. We should at least find a proper place to talk. Does this Master not see that the entire lake is about to be frozen? The other party fell strangely silent again. Kacha! At this point, the wall suddenly came loose, and the dagger shook. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that the wall the dagger was stabbed into started cracking. I won¡¯t be able to hold on much longer! But for some reason, this Master is very hard to talk to! As if he had heard this movement, the other party finally said kindly, ¡°You said that¡­ you want to talk to my wife?¡± Perhaps it was her hallucination, but Chu Liuyue felt that his sentence sounded weird. It was as if¡­ it had a bit of teasing intent. What¡¯s so funny about this? Chu Liuyue was angered. When I meet the rumored wife, I must take a closer look and see what kind of person this woman is. It¡¯s either she took a fancy to this, or she liked that. How demanding! Chapter 411 - Bring Him Away ¡°Yes, if you and your wife don¡¯t mind, we can go out and talk about it. Everything can be discussed, right?¡± Chu Liuyue was always very sensible. When she had to be polite, she would never be harsh. The other party seemed to be rather interested in this suggestion as he lightly laughed. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly glanced at the dagger that was about to come loose. She felt very anxious and wanted to chase Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Master again, but she held it in. In this situation, she was at a disadvantage. How could she have the right to negotiate with the other party on equal grounds? ¡°If you promise not to touch that thing, I¡¯ll accede to your request.¡± After a moment, that man¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Master, what does this¡­ mean?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. What does it mean to touch or not touch? Who knows what will happen to this thing in the future? She didn¡¯t dare to casually promise this. A ray of black light suddenly flew out from the red dragon head toward Chu Liuyue. Upon detecting the formidable aura on it, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. Just from this move, she could tell that this man¡¯s capabilities were superior to Mu Qinghe¡¯s. Even when outside of Heaven¡¯s Canopy and Mu Qinghe¡¯s cultivation and abilities were suppressed to below those of a stage-seven warrior, the aura that belonged to a strong warrior wouldn¡¯t be diminished. If Mu Qinghe fought with a stage-six warrior that had never entered Heaven¡¯s Canopy before, even if both of them were of the same cultivation level, he could definitely handle the other party easily. This man gave her the same feeling. Chu Liuyue felt suffocated. No wonder Zhen Bao Pavilion is so arrogant¡ªthey had such a major character backing them up! Emperor Jiawen probably knew something too, and that was why he¡¯s so fearful of Zhen Bao Pavilion. Even though the ray of black light was very formidable, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t feel threatened when it was in front of her face. Hence, she let down her guard slightly and stayed at the spot honestly. If the other party really wanted to kill her, he would¡¯ve done so long ago. He wouldn¡¯t have wasted so much effort. Then, she saw the black light fly to her hands and silently land on the silver pyramid, passing through the fire in her palms. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. The strength of the fire came from the water droplet in my dantian, and it has always been domineering. It also wants to gain the upper hand all the time, but¡­ Why is it so calm today and directly let the other party pass through? Originally, she thought the water droplet would automatically stop it, but¡­ The next moment, the silver pyramid completely became black. All the light was covered. When one glanced at it, it looked like a very ordinary black stone. Even the aura and suppression inside were completely locked within. The fire in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm gradually faded away. The pyramid gently landed on her palm, and it was cold to the touch. Other than this, nothing was different. Even the previous intense calling had intensely disappeared. Only when she touched it would she vaguely feel that strange feeling. Chu Liuyue was dazed for quite a while. ¡°I¡¯ve already locked it. Other than me, nobody can break it open. This will save a lot of trouble,¡± said the man nonchalantly. Chu Liuyue was speechless. This did save a lot of trouble, but it had also completely destroyed any of her intentions to play tricks. From now on, this item with her was nothing different from a useless rock. ¡°With this barrier layer, you can bring it anywhere, and nobody will discover it. When you see my wife, I¡¯ll automatically remove the barrier.¡± Upon hearing the other party¡¯s casual tone¡ªwhich sounded as if he were talking about how great the weather was¡ªChu Liuyue held it in, clenched her teeth, and spoke. ¡°I must thank you then, Master!¡± How is this helping me? He¡¯s clearly guarding against me! But I can¡¯t say anything in retaliation! The man on the opposite end chuckled lowly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; you don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± Chu Liuyue quietly grinded her teeth. When the time comes, I must show you how good I am! Kacha! A sound suddenly rang in her ears. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body suddenly dropped¡ªthe wall couldn¡¯t hold on anymore, and a gigantic piece fell off! Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was only hanging onto the dagger¡ªnaturally fell as well. Her heart sank. She looked down and saw new ice starting to form on the lake surface. One glance at it, and one could see the area below dazzling like a galaxy¡ªvery bright and eye-catching. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body tensed up. Just as she was about to land in the lake, a soft force suddenly came over. It was as if a pair of invisible hands easily held her up. Looking at the ice surface inches away from her, Chu Liuyue heavily heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± It was obvious who helped her. The other party didn¡¯t say anything. The next moment, a black bridge suddenly appeared in midair. One end of the bridge slowly extended to her legs, while the other end extended into the darkness that she couldn¡¯t see into clearly. ¡°Follow this path, and you can leave successfully.¡± That man¡¯s tone was very calm, but it made Chu Liuyue knit her brows. Why does this person seem to be very familiar with this place? Isn¡¯t this the first time the imperial mausoleum has been activated in many years? Why would he be so clear about everything inside? Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t move, that man said again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you follow this path, you can directly leave Golden Inheritance Peak, and you won¡¯t be found out.¡± Chu Liuyue was increasingly shocked. Even if Emperor Jiawen were here, he wouldn¡¯t know any of this! This Master indeed has his ways¡­ ¡°Thank you so much then, Master!¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t stupid; she wouldn¡¯t give up on something that had been sent to her mouth. One just had to think to know that the outside was in a mess. If she returned from the same way, she would probably be skinned alive by that group of people. It was better than ever if she could leave silently. She genuinely meant this word of thanks. Then, without any hesitation, she stepped on the black bridge. This long bridge was clearly made from the other party¡¯s force. Chu Liuyue walked on it like she was walking on normal ground. She raised her brows. This person¡¯s ability is indeed unfathomable¡­ After walking a few steps, she suddenly remembered something, looked back, and asked, ¡°Master, aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with you,¡± said the other party lightly. Chu Liuyue felt that it was true. The other party doesn¡¯t even want to meet me, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t want to leave with me. He¡¯s so powerful. Why would he need to fret about going out? Thinking of this, she didn¡¯t say anything more and continued to walk. However, she stopped again when she reached the midway point. Her face was calm, but she looked down slightly, making one unable to see her expression. The hands in her sleeves clenched slowly. Finally, as if she made a huge decision, she asked lightly, ¡°Master, can I bring someone with me?¡± Chapter 412 - Pair Made in Heaven The other party was silent for a moment. ¡°Who?¡± His tone was light and calm, and it sounded a bit airy as if it came from a distant place. For some reason, Chu Liuyue actually sensed a tinge of displeasure in his tone. It didn¡¯t seem like displeasure, but it just made one feel uncomfortable¡­ Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and tried to say, ¡°Just¡­ the person that came in with me.¡± She believed that the other party would definitely know who she was referring to, given his abilities. ¡°He doesn¡¯t treat you very nicely, yet you want to help him now?¡± That man didn¡¯t directly agree or reject, but he asked a question instead. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°How do you know how he treats me?¡± That man paused for a while and almost sneered. Chu Liuyue immediately understood¡ªsince he was so familiar with this place, he naturally knew what happened here like the back of his palm. For a moment, Chu Liuyue almost thought that this Master stayed in the imperial mausoleum the entire time. Of course, she knew that this was impossible. However¡­ it was clear that he had been here more than once. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tighter, and something seemed to be stuck in her throat. In actual fact, even she didn¡¯t know why she suddenly said that. No matter how she looked at it, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t deserve to be saved by her. But¡­ the image of him kneeling down, filled with tears, would always appear in front of her eyes. And that ¡®Your Highness.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know how genuine his sorrow was, and she didn¡¯t even know why exactly he had betrayed her. But¡­ ¡°His identity is special. If he dies here, I will get into trouble as well,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she looked down. Jian Fengchi knew about Mu Qinghe going out with her. If Mu Qinghe really died here, she would definitely be dragged down. According to Jian Fengchi¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t take it lying down. Besides¡­ She still needed Mu Qinghe to bring her back to the Tianling Dynasty! ¡°¡­So, no matter what, I hope you¡¯ll help me. But if it¡¯s inconvenient, then¡­¡± ¡°Other than this, are there any more reasons?¡± asked that man suddenly. ¡°Are you pleading for him or for yourself?¡± His tone was calm, but when Chu Liuyue heard it, she felt a chill shoot down her spine for some reason. Why does this sentence sound so weird? But this sentence indeed woke her up. She seriously thought for a while and finally shook her head. ¡°For myself.¡± After being reborn, the most important thing she learned was to think for herself. Most of the time, all that so-called sympathy and pity wouldn¡¯t benefit her. They would even bring about a series of troubles. Mu Qinghe was no longer the Mu Qinghe from before, and she was no longer the Shangguan Yue from before! ¡°A favor.¡± That Master finally spoke, and his tone was slightly warmer than before. Chu Liuyue unknowingly heaved a sigh of relief and knew that he had agreed. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± For some reason, I seem to be easily influenced by his words. Could it be because he¡¯s very formidable? Chu Liuyue actually really wanted to meet the mysterious Master at this point, but it was already very rare for the other party to agree to her request. Hence, she naturally didn¡¯t want to offend the other party. Suddenly, she thought of a problem. Ever since I snatched the pyramid, I didn¡¯t have the time to look at it. Thus, I don¡¯t know what kind of situation Mu Qinghe is in. Bang! A low sound came from behind. Chu Liuyue was taken aback and immediately turned around to look. Mu Qinghe was covered in blood, and he lay on the black bridge motionlessly. It was as if¡­ he fainted. When he fell down, he seemed to have fallen rather hard as his chest vibrated, and he vomited blood again. It seemed like he was very pathetic¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. H-he appeared too suddenly! Chu Liuyue looked at Mu Qinghe¡¯s injuries¡ªwhich seemed to be even more severe than before¡ªand she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on with him?¡± ¡°Oh, he just fainted. He won¡¯t die from the fall,¡± said that person calmly as if he didn¡¯t care. Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°¡­Or do you want him to know that you saved him so that he¡¯ll be even more grateful toward you?¡± The speaker had no intentions, but the listener understood. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be harshly stabbed by a knife. ¡°No need; this is the best. Thank you.¡± She quickly gathered her thoughts, and when she checked on Mu Qinghe again, her heart was calm. That Master is right; this is the best choice. I had once saved him, and he was very grateful toward me, but what happened in the end? It ended as a joke! This time, I¡¯ll do it for myself! Thinking of this, she walked over and planned to carry Mu Qinghe out. But the moment she lowered her body, something flashed in the corner of her eyes as something flew over. Chu Liuyue immediately raised her hands and caught the item. Then, she took a closer look and realized it was a Yuan instrument. ¡°Use this to bring him out. Don¡¯t dirty my path.¡± That man¡¯s tone was cold. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but mutter in her heart. So, this Master is also very¡­ particular, to put it nicely. If I phrased it in a bad way¡­ Mm, he¡¯s pretty similar to that wife of his. This bridge is made from force. How can it be dirtied? Besides, it¡¯s black! How dirty can it get? However, she was at a disadvantage for receiving his help. Hence, she definitely wouldn¡¯t say this in front of him. Besides, this Yuan instrument could save her efforts. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. Just now, I had my mouth closed tightly and didn¡¯t make any sound at all. Does this man know how to read minds? He could actually guess this! She immediately smiled and looked up. ¡°Nothing! Nothing! I was just thinking that you and your wife are a pair made in heaven!¡± This sentence had clearly pleased the difficult Master. He smiled, and his tone and attitude were much better than before. ¡°My wife and I think the same way.¡± Chu Liuyue was stumped. She had seen confident ones, but she never saw someone praising himself and his wife in front of others¡­ ¡°T-then, I¡¯ll wish you and your wife to have a blissful marriage and hope you two will grow old together! I-I¡¯ll leave now?¡± said Chu Liuyue kindly. The other party chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything more. Chu Liuyue then relaxed and injected her force into the Yuan instrument. Choo! The Yuan instrument expanded and floated in midair like a hexagonal flying disc. Then, the flying disc suddenly dropped a gigantic net that easily enveloped Mu Qinghe. Upon seeing Mu Qinghe¡ªwho curled into a ball and was squeezed within the net¡ªChu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. It¡¯s not wrong to help, but¡­ this scene is interesting¡­ She coughed and turned around. Suddenly, stifled laughter sounded. ¡°I wish you and your future husband a blissful marriage.¡± Chapter 413 - Real and Fake Chu Liuyue turned around weirdly. Why does he sound particularly sincere¡­? Her lips curled up, and she thanked him. No matter what, this blessing sounded very pleasing. Besides, she also wanted to be on good terms with this Master. Seeing that Mu Qinghe doesn¡¯t seem to be his opponent, won¡¯t things be a lot more convenient if I can successfully pull him in to be my backer¡­ Chu Liuyue continued walking outside and kept finding it weird in her heart. Even though this Master¡¯s working style and attitude are strange, it seems like he trusts me for some reason¡­ She rarely felt this way about people, especially when the other party helped her multiple times. Usually, the other party wouldn¡¯t help her for no rhyme or reason, but in front of a person with such heaven-defying methods, Chu Liuyue really couldn¡¯t relate him to that logic. Perhaps he did have other intentions, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to feel worried or uneasy. Perhaps this is also fate to a certain degree? The surrounding light gradually dimmed. Chu Liuyue knew that she had already walked to the edge of the imperial mausoleum. She couldn¡¯t help but turn around again. Passing through Mu Qinghe¡ªwho was hanging in mid-air¡ªshe could no longer see what was going on inside. Only the continuously freezing and toppling ice layer and the silently glowing lake water were especially clear. The centermost room had already been completely frozen with soft icy light that gradually spread in all directions. Chu Liuyue watched on quietly. She knew that this was the power of that person¡¯s seal. It was clear that he planned to continue freezing and sealing the entire imperial mausoleum. After a long while, Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. How much strength must this person waste¡­ Outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, won¡¯t this person be restricted if he uses such immense powers? After a moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips slightly curved up. The current me still has a long way to go to reach that cultivation level. Originally, she wanted to ask that person how he planned to deal with the other few people in the imperial mausoleum. However, she hesitated for a long time and did not speak up. Helping one Mu Qinghe has already made me owe him a favor. If it includes other people¡­ Mentor, you can definitely forgive me, right? thought Chu Liuyue quietly in her heart. Other than Elder Ye, she didn¡¯t care about the other people¡¯s survival. With Elder Ye¡¯s abilities, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if he wants to leave here¡­ right? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but take out the pyramid and carefully observe it in her palm. It had completely turned black now, and she couldn¡¯t see anything on it. If I knew this earlier, I should¡¯ve seen Mentor and the others¡¯ conditions first¡­ Chu Liuyue put away the pyramid, took a deep breath in, and continued walking to the other end of the black bridge with Mu Qinghe. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue left with much difficulty, the other few people that had already entered the imperial mausoleum didn¡¯t have an easy time. With Elder Ye¡¯s protection, Emperor Jiawen wasn¡¯t in too much trouble for now. However, that black shield couldn¡¯t last for long as it quickly got covered by the golden ice layer, becoming as weak as ever. The later gold sand that oozed out piled up and completely destroyed the black shield. Elder Ye continued to evacuate with Emperor Jiawen. Luckily, with the glow from the golden ice layer, they could vaguely see their surroundings, and their speed was much higher than before. Emperor Jiawen was really angered and indignant. Those people are still inside the imperial mausoleum! But I¡ªCountry Yao Chen¡¯s legitimate emperor¡ªhave to be chased out of the imperial mausoleum in such an unkempt manner. Without a mirror, he also knew how he currently looked. Luckily, there was Elder Ye around. If not, his reputation would be tarnished. After escaping for some time, the speed of the golden sand flowing out finally slowed down. Elder Ye then stopped and looked at Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Your Majesty, are you okay?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face was pale as he waved his hands. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­ Just¡­ just¡­¡± He said ¡®just¡¯ for a long time but couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Elder Ye coughed and averted his gaze. However, Emperor Jiawen still felt very humiliated. ¡°¡­Elder Ye, can we only watch on like this?¡± Elder Ye was helpless. ¡°Then, what do you think we can do now? The people inside have already taken the opportunity and¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Emperor Jiawen stretched out his hands and held his forehead. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand¡­ How can the imperial mausoleum casually allow other people to enter? Only a few people know about the secret here. Other than Elder Ye and me, logically speaking, nobody else should know about it! But¡­ they clearly came prepared!¡± If not, how can they do it so smoothly? Elder Ye paused and comforted him. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t be anxious first. After all, the item inside should¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly looked up. However, the golden sand¡ªwhich kept flowing out just now¡ªsuddenly stopped and retracted. In the blink of an eye, the sand had retracted to more than ten steps away. Emperor Jiawen was stunned. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?!¡± Shock flashed across Elder Ye¡¯s eyes. ¡°Someone is restoring everything in the imperial mausoleum!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Emperor Jiawen was also taken aback. ¡°How is this possible? The imperial mausoleum¡¯s structure is very complicated, and the entire arrangement inside is extremely intricate. If one wants to restore it¡­ they need at least ten outstanding warriors to work together! But weren¡¯t there only two people who entered?!¡± Elder Ye¡¯s eyes were glued to that direction. ¡°No, you¡¯ve forgotten that there¡¯s still a possibility¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression froze. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Huala! A very soft and strange sound suddenly came from behind the duo. Elder Ye immediately turned around alertly. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± When he finished his sentence, he suddenly waved the fan in his hands. Bang! His force harshly slammed against something. Then, a painful moan could be heard. Emperor Jiawen and Elder Ye exchanged a glance. There¡¯s someone else here? We didn¡¯t even notice this before! Elder Ye¡¯s expression changed as he quickly walked forward and raised his fan again. The tremendous suppression immediately overwhelmed that person. At this point, a familiar gasp finally sounded in the darkness. ¡°Elder Ye, please show mercy!¡± Elder Ye paused. However, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face completely changed. ¡°Rong Jin?!¡± Elder Ye snapped his fingers, and a bright light appeared in his palm. The surroundings immediately became illuminated due to the fire. Previously, he was worried that the fire would attract unnecessary trouble, but this was clearly unnecessary now. A nervous and anxious face appeared in front of the duo. It is indeed Rong Jin! Emperor Jiawen¡¯s blood boiled as he hollered, ¡°Rong Jin! You have so much guts! How dare you secretly escape from Crown Prince Mansion and come here? Speak! Did you follow Elder Ye and me all the way in?¡± Rong Jin was originally terrified, but his mindset changed. Since things have already ended like this, what else is there to be afraid of? He clenched his fists, straightened his back, and tried hard to make himself sound righteous. ¡°Father, I¡¯m Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son! How am I in the wrong?!¡± Elder Ye suddenly laughed. ¡°Crown Prince, Your Highness, the true Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son can directly enter Golden Inheritance Peak and control everything in the imperial mausoleum. There¡¯s already one inside, so how did your Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son come about?¡± Chapter 414 - Mangled Mess ¡°W-what?¡± Rong Jin was stunned. I understood every word in Elder Ye¡¯s sentence, but why don¡¯t I understand when they¡¯re joined together? Upon hearing this, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°So you discovered it too¡­¡± Elder Ye helplessly laughed and shook the fan in his hands. ¡°Even if I couldn¡¯t guess it before, I would also know when I saw the scene previously!¡± Emperor Jiawen closed his eyes. No wonder¡­ If this is the answer, everything that happened before would have a logical explanation. Rong Jin heard the duo¡¯s conversation at the side, but he was very confused. The more he heard, the more anxious he became. ¡°Father? Elder Ye? What does that mean? Am I not¡­ Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son? How can there be another one inside?! That person inside must be fake! I¡¯m the true Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son!¡± Pak! Emperor Jiawen went forward and harshly slapped Rong Jin. This slap was very intense, and it directly made Rong Jin fall on the floor. An intense, bloody taste swarmed up to Rong Jin¡¯s lips. Half of his face was numb, and his ears were ringing. His lips stiffly moved as he spat out saliva and blood, together with a crushed tooth. Rong Jin¡¯s face was in complete disbelief. Father has always been proud of me, and he has always thought highly of me. Not to mention hitting me, but he also rarely scolds me! Now that one of my teeth has fallen, how can I hold this in?! The next moment, everything he experienced in the past few months flashed across his eyes. Being humiliated, being stripped of his authority, being grounded¡­ I almost lost my Crown Prince position. What exactly happened? Wasn¡¯t it going fine at first? Why did it gradually become like this? ¡°Rong Jin! You¡¯re crazy!¡± At this point, Emperor Jiawen had already lost control of his emotions as he pointed at Rong Jin¡¯s nose and furiously reprimanded him. ¡°Who do you think you are?! Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son? How can Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son be so cowardly? You¡¯re just a good-for-nothing. Back then, I was really blind to have chosen you as the Crown Prince!¡± Too many things had happened on this day, and Emperor Jiawen had been very tense and stressed. At this point, the last straw was finally pulled when he saw Rong Jin¡¯s unteachable and arrogant attitude. Rong Jin was scolded so badly that his entire person was stunned. He panicked and didn¡¯t know what to do as he started saying things without thinking about them. ¡°Father, how can you confirm that I¡¯m fake? I know that you just look down on me, but Mother was the one who personally told me about this! Mother definitely won¡¯t lie to me! I am definitely Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son! It can only be me!¡± Elder Ye looked at Rong Jin¡¯s close to manic appearance, and he furrowed his brows. Before he could say anything, Emperor Jiawen suddenly laughed out loud. ¡°Hahahaha! What a joke! Whatever your mother tells you must be true?! Rong Jin, how brainless must you be to say that?!¡± Rong Jin clenched his teeth and said, ¡°We can just confront Mother and¡ª¡± ¡°Confront?¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression suddenly turned sinister. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know that your mother is already dead, right?¡± This light sentence was like countless sharp knives that stabbed into Rong Jin¡¯s body. His entire body trembled, and blood swarmed up his chest. Finally, he couldn¡¯t take it and spat out blood as he collapsed on the floor defeatedly. ¡°I-impossible¡­¡± Mother just told me the secret today. How can she die?! ¡°It seems like she did spend all her effort to make all sorts of arrangements for you before she died, but it¡¯s a pity. It¡¯s a waste to wash a pig with both water and soap.¡± Emperor Jiawen finally understood the Empress¡¯s series of actions. From start to end, she was doing it for Rong Jin. ¡°Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son? Hah, I think you still haven¡¯t recognized your current status!¡± Like what Elder Ye has said, the true Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son is destined. Rong Jin is still dreaming that he is that person?! Even if he had previously imagined it, he should¡¯ve completely woken up at this point! ¡°Who is it¡­ If it¡¯s not me¡­ who is Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son?¡± muttered Rong Jin in a hoarse voice as he looked completely disappointed. Originally, he thought it was prime time for him to make a comeback, but¡­ He didn¡¯t expect it to be only a dream. Even if it was just the start, it had been mercilessly shattered countless times. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face darkened, and he didn¡¯t say anything for a while. In actual fact, he wanted to know this answer even more than Rong Jin. But with their current abilities, how could they enter? ¡°Your Majesty, we should talk about this after we leave this place. Every single one of our actions here can be seen by that person,¡± advised Elder Ye softly. Emperor Jiawen harshly rubbed his face. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go out first!¡± Elder Ye nodded and looked at the dark corner as he tugged at his lips without smiling intent. ¡°The two people watching, you can come out now, right?¡± ¡­ After walking for a long time, Chu Liuyue finally saw the light in front of her. She was elated as she knew that it was the exit. She speedily walked forward, and the flying disc behind her immediately followed. Mu Qinghe was shaken quite a bit, but he hadn¡¯t woken up since the start. In this manner, the duo finally walked out of the exit and completely escaped from the imperial mausoleum. The sky was bright in front of them! Chu Liuyue turned back to look and realized that they had indeed left Golden Inheritance Peak as they arrived at another end of the forest. The thing that sent us out¡­ is also a transportation formation, but that transportation formation is very ordinary. One wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if they didn¡¯t look at it closely. Clang! The flying disc¡¯s net suddenly expanded, and Mu Qinghe was thrown to the ground again. Chu Liuyue looked at him from the corner of her eyes and saw that his eyeballs were moving. Mu Qinghe was about to wake up! Chapter 415 - Return Mu Qinghe felt that he had fallen into a deep dream, and he felt displaced and distant as he couldn¡¯t wake up no matter what. For a moment, an idea flashed across his mind. It¡¯ll be great if I can sleep forever and not wake up to face everything. But this thought only flashed across his mind. He tried many times and finally forced his eyes open. The bright light shone down, and it was a little sharp, causing him to close his eyes again. He had to wait for a while to adjust to the brightness. The blurry scene gradually became clearer. This seems to be¡­ a forest? Mu Qinghe moved, and he immediately felt sharp pains all over his body, which made him frown. He lowered his head and realized that his body was badly mangled with blood and that he was filled with injuries, without a good spot anywhere. However, it was lucky that most of them were superficial injuries, and he could recover after cultivating for a while. Mu Qinghe felt assured, but he suddenly realized something, and his expression gravely changed. That¡¯s not right! I was clearly in the imperial mausoleum previously. How did I appear here? He immediately turned around to look. Golden Inheritance Peak¡ªwhich looked like a sharp sword¡ªwas standing not far away. I-I¡¯m already outside of Golden Inheritance Peak? Mu Qinghe became even more doubtful, but no matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn¡¯t remember what had happened. His last memory was of the wilting vines. He almost barged out back then, but¡­ But he couldn¡¯t recall what happened after that. Suddenly, he saw a figure lying on the nearby ground from the corner of his eyes. It¡¯s Chu Liuyue! He focused on her, endured the pain in his body, and slowly walked over. Chu Liuyue seemed to have fainted as her eyes were tightly shut, and her lips were pale. But compared to his unkempt appearance, Chu Liuyue seemed much better since she didn¡¯t have many bloodstains or injuries. Mu Qinghe stared at Chu Liuyue for some time with an investigative look. Was that voice my imagination or¡­ As if she had felt his gaze, Chu Liuyue gradually woke up. She instinctively used her hands to block the sharp sunlight as she finally opened her eyes. At the same time, she saw Mu Qinghe standing in front of her. ¡°¡­Lieutenant Mu?¡± After a temporary pause, she suddenly seemed to realize something as she stood up and scanned her surroundings. ¡°This is¡­ Where are we?¡± Looking at her eyes filled with shock and confusion, Mu Qinghe said expressionlessly, ¡°Outside Golden Inheritance Peak.¡± Chu Liuyue stared at him in shock. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ we¡¯re already out?¡± Mu Qinghe looked at her with a deep gaze as if he wanted to see through her. ¡°You don¡¯t know what happened?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you pass through the obstacle and enter the middle of the imperial mausoleum? Why wouldn¡¯t you know?¡± Mu Qinghe suddenly lowered his body, stared straight into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, and interrogated her. Chu Liuyue was stunned by his actions as she instinctively moved backward and frowned with a confused expression. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, what exactly are you saying? I-I just remember that I seemed to be stuck in this weird room with golden sand everywhere¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t remember anything else¡­¡± Suddenly, her gaze landed on him, and she gasped. ¡°How did you get so severely injured?¡± Mu Qinghe pressed his lips against each other tightly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s behavior doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s acting¡­ However, I still feel that there¡¯s something wrong. ¡°You really can¡¯t remember?¡± Chu Liuyue looked helpless and was about to stand up. The moment she stood up, she yelled, ¡°Si!¡± and held her head. ¡°My head hurts!¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze wavered. Actually, the back of my head hurts too¡­ Did Chu Liuyue not lie? Were we sent out together? Seeing her rubbing her head and baring her teeth, Mu Qinghe believed in her more and suppressed his dangerous aura. He turned around and stared at Golden Inheritance Peak again. If Chu Liuyue really took it, she didn¡¯t need to come out with me. Besides¡­ there isn¡¯t that thing¡¯s movement on her. Considering this, a third person should¡¯ve obtained it. ¡°Did you see anyone else in the imperial mausoleum?¡± asked Mu Qinghe suddenly. Chu Liuyue denied it similarly. Other than that mysterious Master, she did see everyone else that entered very clearly. However, she naturally couldn¡¯t tell Mu Qinghe this. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t hope to get any clues from Chu Liuyue. After much thinking, he raised his legs and walked forward. Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, what are you doing!? Do you still want to go back?¡± Mu Qinghe coldly said, ¡°You can stay here or go back yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°¡­But you¡¯re so severely injured! It isn¡¯t good if you go back now, right? Besides, I think we were discovered by the people around Golden Inheritance Peak when we entered. If you go back now¡­¡± Anyone with a brain knows that they can¡¯t go back in these circumstances. What¡¯s wrong with Mu Qinghe? Mu Qinghe seemed to ignore her words as he continued to walk forward. ¡°That girl is right. Why are you so anxious to send yourself to your grave?¡± A teasing voice lazily sounded. Mu Qinghe stood still. Chu Liuyue was slightly taken aback as she looked up. A big figure gradually walked over from the neighboring trees as it leaned against a trunk. He hugged his arms and looked at the duo in a seemingly smiling manner. It was Jian Fengchi! Something flashed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as she politely greeted him. As if nonchalant, she also asked, ¡°I wonder when you came, Young Master Jian. Lieutenant Mu and I actually didn¡¯t notice you.¡± Jian Fengchi seemed to remember something upsetting, and his face turned cold. ¡°I planned to come earlier on, but I didn¡¯t expect to meet with some trouble on the way¡­ Hence, I walked a huge round around Golden Inheritance Peak and came here when I felt Mu Qinghe¡¯s aura. When I came here, he just woke up.¡± Then, he looked at Mu Qinghe and sized him up with contempt. ¡°It looks like you were beaten silly. You actually didn¡¯t notice that I had come here after so long. You¡¯ve only been here for a while, but your standards have gone down by so much.¡± Chu Liuyue felt slightly more assured as it seemed like Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t know what had happened earlier. Mu Qinghe was too lazy to care about Jian Fengchi as he continued walking forward. Jian Fengchi raised his brows and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, you can do so. Why did the two of you come here?¡± ¡°Jian Fengchi!¡± Mu Qinghe shot him a look of warning. Jian Fengchi shrugged his shoulders and sensibly drew a line across his mouth, indicating that he would keep quiet. However, he walked over to Chu Liuyue while smiling. ¡°Ms. Chu, it seems like you¡¯re injured too. Why don¡¯t I send you back? Don¡¯t worry. Even if he¡¯s dead, I¡¯ll help to send you back to the Tianling Dynasty!¡± Choo! A longsword cut through the air. Jian Fengchi easily evaded it. Mu Qinghe closed his eyes and finally turned around. ¡°You better not land in my hands next time!¡± Jian Fengchi raised his brows at Chu Liuyue delightedly. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Why don¡¯t I know when the two of us become this close?! Chapter 416 - Seal In the forest, the three of them quietly walked forward, and the atmosphere was awkward. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look good from the start, and his entire person looked like a mobile ice mountain. On the other hand, Jian Fengchi focused on thinking about how to get information out of Chu Liuyue and Mu Qinghe. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ She was thinking about when the two of them started interacting. In her previous life, she and Jian Fengchi were definitely not on good terms. She hated Jian Fengchi¡¯s frivolous behavior, and Jian Fengchi mocked her for her traditional and old-fashioned ways. Anyway, when the two of them met, they would always have an unpleasant ending. As for Mu Qinghe¡­ He either accompanied beside her or was busy handling military affairs. Thus, he rarely interacted with other people, let alone Jian Fengchi. Sometimes, when Jian Fengchi was too overboard, Mu Qinghe would even willingly request to teach him a lesson, but Chu Liuyue stopped him most of the time. This wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to do so, but that she was purely worried about Mu Qinghe not being able to control himself and beating the other party to death. Jian Fengchi held some status, so it was quite troublesome to beat him to death. She didn¡¯t expect that the two of them would become friends a year after her death. It was very obvious that they had become trustable and dependable friends. Chu Liuyue could confirm that the duo didn¡¯t interact much at first, and she wondered what had happened a year after her death. However¡­ Something popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. I don¡¯t even know why Mu Qinghe betrayed me, so it¡¯s natural for me not to know these things. Upon thinking of this, her interest faded away as she curled her lips up in a mocking manner, pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind. Suddenly, Jian Fengchi thought of something and asked curiously, ¡°Oh, yes. Ms. Chu, your fianc¨¦¡ªPrince Li¡ªseems to be here too. Didn¡¯t you see him?¡± ¡­ In the imperial mausoleum and the dimly-lit corridor, it was deadly silent. After Elder Ye spoke, Emperor Jiawen and Rong Jin were taken aback as they looked in that direction together. There are still two more people here?! Seeing that the other party didn¡¯t respond, Elder Ye lazily said, ¡°It seems like they¡¯re people that we know, so they refuse to show themselves.¡± He then looked at Rong Jin. ¡°Who did you come to Golden Inheritance Peak with?¡± Rong Jin¡¯s heart sank as he instinctively denied it. ¡°I-I came here myself.¡± With his tracks exposed, he originally felt guilty. Together with Elder Ye¡¯s suppression scaring him, he didn¡¯t even dare to address himself in a respectful manner. Elder Ye shook his head and sighed. ¡°Crown Prince, are you still unwilling to admit it at this point? Do you think His Majesty and I look gullible?¡± Rong Jin guiltily looked down, clenched his teeth, and felt very conflicted. Who followed me in? Only Situ Xingchen came with me, but I already told her to wait outside, and she agreed. It¡¯s fine if it wasn¡¯t here, but if it really is¡­ Then, I¡¯ll definitely implicate her. At that moment, Rong Jin suddenly remembered what Situ Xingchen had said. ¡°¡­Your Highness, you can¡¯t let anyone else know about me helping you. This way, even if His Majesty finds something amiss, I can find ways to help you get out of it. After all, there¡¯s still my father. However, if I¡¯m implicated in the situation as well¡­ even my father can¡¯t do much. Anyway, just be careful¡­¡± Rong Jin felt that her words made sense. Now that his mother was dead and he landed in such a situation, he could only depend on Situ Xingchen. ¡°I really came here alone!¡± said Rong Jin with clenched teeth. Elder Ye looked at Rong Jin and felt that nobody could save him anymore. Emperor Jiawen sneered. ¡°Really? Just based on you alone, you can escape from Crown Prince Mansion and hide your aura all the way here?¡± Rong Jin¡¯s face flushed red, but he refused to admit it. Elder Ye was too lazy to talk to him as he spoke to the duo in the dark. ¡°If you refuse to come out, then we¡¯ll just have to fight it out¡­¡± Then, the fan in his hands suddenly flew out. Choo! One could hear it cutting through the wind. The harsh, strong wind immediately swept across that area. Hong! A similarly powerful force met with it. Both forces slammed against each other ferociously, and the entire corridor trembled. A white mist suddenly spread out. Elder Ye¡¯s expression turned cold as he immediately wanted to follow them, but the moment he stepped out, he furrowed his brows. ¡°The gas is poisonous!¡± Emperor Jiawen and Rong Jin were caught off-guard, so they had already inhaled quite a bit of the gas. They started to cough violently. ¡°Cough, cough cough¡ª¡± Upon seeing the duo¡¯s reaction, Elder Ye looked terrible. If I run out alone, I can most likely catch the other party. But if I leave Emperor Jiawen and Rong Jin behind, they will definitely be in trouble. The most important thing now is to get them out of here and clear the poison in their bodies. Elder Ye stared at the duo¡¯s escape route with much hatred. What a pity! He took out a jade bottle and quickly poured out two pills, giving one each to Emperor Jiawen and Rong Jin. ¡°Your Majesty, this poison is very dangerous. Use this heart control pill first. We¡¯ll get out as soon as possible.¡± Emperor Jiawen took the pill and swallowed it. Rong Jin anxiously snatched the item over and quickly swallowed it. Emperor Jiawen looked at him and felt disgusted. Rong Jin is really stupid and useless! When we return to the palace, I must severely punish him! Elder Ye brought the two of them to go out. ¡°Elder Ye, why don¡¯t you chase after the two people first?! I can go out on my own!¡± Actually, Emperor Jiawen really wanted to know who the two people that just escaped were. It was fine that the people who entered the imperial mausoleum had heaven-defying powers, but how could he let off the two people that sneakily followed them into the imperial mausoleum like rats? Elder Ye sighed. ¡°Your Majesty, they¡¯re very prepared, so it¡¯s too late to chase after them now. We can investigate this matter after we go out. ¡°However, the two of them didn¡¯t even show their figures. Won¡¯t it be looking for a needle in a haystack if we want to search for them after we go out?¡± Rong Jin followed behind them and heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. Elder Ye looked at Rong Jin with deep meaning. ¡°Not really. Perhaps we might very quickly find out the duo¡¯s identities.¡± Rong Jin felt a chill run down his spine as he unwittingly hung his head lower. The three of them continued to retreat in the same way. Most likely because of the poisonous gas, Emperor Jiawen and Rong Jin¡¯s bodies quickly couldn¡¯t hold on any longer as they walked increasingly slower. If it weren¡¯t for Elder Ye following them, the two of them might really be unable to get out of this place alive. ¡­ On the other end, Situ Xingchen and Elder Lian Ning had quickly run to the outside. Situ Xingchen almost bit her lips until they broke, and her eyes were filled with vengeance. ¡°The Empress, that old b*tch, actually lied to me!¡± She never expected Rong Jin not to be Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son! She completely wasted all her efforts. Elder Lian Ning didn¡¯t look too good, and he didn¡¯t say anything. He only heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the light ahead. ¡°Your Highness, the entrance is ahead. We can talk about it after we¡¯ve escaped.¡± But at this point, a large sound came from above the duo¡¯s heads. The nearby circular plate actually started to close slowly! Chapter 417 - Where’s His Highness? ¡°The exit is about to close!¡± Elder Lian Ning gasped and looked at Situ Xingchen as the two of them immediately rushed to the front. However, they were still late by a step. Ka! Just as the two of them were about to step out, the circular plate slowly but determinedly closed. All the light was instantly shut away outside. The two of them plunged into darkness once again. Situ Xingchen tried hard to push the stone wall and tried to open it, but no matter how much strength she used, the circular plate wouldn¡¯t budge at all. ¡°This thing is tightly connected to the entire imperial mausoleum. You can¡¯t open it with brute force,¡± said Elder Lian Ning with a darkened face. ¡°What should we do then? Are we just stuck here?¡± Situ Xingchen looked at him anxiously. ¡°Even you don¡¯t have a way?¡± Elder Lian Ning stepped up, placed his hands on the surface, and felt it in detail. After a moment, he slowly shook his head. ¡°Unless we have the key¡­¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart sank. ¡°So only Emperor Jiawen and the rest can open it?¡± Elder Lian Ning didn¡¯t say anything, but the silence had confirmed everything. The surroundings fell into dead silence. Situ Xingchen harshly hammered the surface and clenched her teeth. ¡°The replicated key I took from the Empress is with Rong Jin, but he didn¡¯t even use it! If I knew earlier, I should¡¯ve just kept it for myself.¡± After going through so much trouble, I didn¡¯t expect it to be all for naught. To think that I acted in front of Rong Jin for so long! Now that she recalled everything that happened scene by scene, Situ Xingchen was so disgusted that she almost vomited. Elder Lian Ning sighed and advised, ¡°No one could¡¯ve expected this. Your Highness, don¡¯t waste your time and effort on these people. It¡¯s not worth being angry at him. Actually, not only you but even His Majesty¡­¡± Situ Xingchen clamped down on her lips. Father has planned this for so long. If he knows that everything was just a farce and that Rong Jin isn¡¯t the so-called Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son, he would be furious. ¡°It¡¯s clearly someone else that¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son. But from what I see, I think Rong Jin only knew about this today. If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, it should¡¯ve been mistaken on the Empress¡¯s side,¡± said Elder Lian Ning thoughtfully. Situ Xingchen was too furious at the start. Now that she calmed down and thought about it, there really was such a possibility. The Empress had bitterly prepared for so many years because she must¡¯ve treated Rong Jin as the true Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son. She knew how the Empress looked before she died. The Empress definitely didn¡¯t know about this. ¡°She had it easy then¡­¡± muttered Situ Xingchen indignantly. If the Empress knew that her many years of effort amounted to a joke, I wonder how she would react. It¡¯s a pity that I killed her after I took her replicated key. ¡°She can reincarnate earlier if she dies earlier. If we had let her live, she would definitely cause even more trouble. Your Highness, your decision was correct,¡± said Elder Lian Ning. However, this didn¡¯t make Situ Xingchen feel better. ¡°But we don¡¯t have any ways of escaping now! If they catch up¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, a harsh aura suddenly came from the back. Elder Lian Ning looked solemn as he immediately blocked Situ Xingchen and retaliated at the same time. Hong! A fireball suddenly burned. Elder Lian Ning¡¯s eyes and nostrils shrunk. Elder Ye¡¯s previous force hid a fireball, so when the two parties¡¯ forces harshly slammed against each other, it illuminated the place. The fire sparks flew everywhere and brightened up the area. Elder Ye and the rest finally saw the duo¡¯s appearances. That elder¡¯s appearance is very unfamiliar, but the young girl behind him that couldn¡¯t hide in time¡­ Who else can it be other than Situ Xingchen?! Emperor Jiawen was utterly shocked. ¡°It¡¯s actually you?!¡± Elder Ye didn¡¯t look shocked, and he laughed instead. ¡°I guessed correctly.¡± After much thinking, she was the one most likely to do this. Rong Jin opened his mouth but did not say anything. Situ Xingchen really lied to me! Not only did she secretly follow me in, but she even brought someone else along! She had clearly planned all of this in advance! Situ Xingchen looked terrible. The others aren¡¯t that bad, but this Ye Zhiting is very hard to deal with! It¡¯s impossible to lie to him! The two parties fell into an awkward silence, and the atmosphere was tense. At this point, something turning sounded. Situ Xingchen instinctively turned around, and her eyelids twitched. The exit that previously refused to budge actually started to turn slowly. A white light shone in from outside. ¡°Situ Xingchen, shouldn¡¯t you give me an explanation?¡± hollered Emperor Jiawen as he suppressed the anger in his heart. If he didn¡¯t even understand Situ Xingchen¡¯s intentions at this point, he didn¡¯t need to sit on the throne anymore. Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands in her sleeves slowly clenched into fists as she almost broke her teeth off. ¡­ While Golden Inheritance Peak was in a mess, Chu Liuyue and the other two had already silently left. Hearing Jian Fengchi¡¯s words, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Rong¡­ Prince Li is also here?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips curved up into a sinister smile. ¡°Your fianc¨¦ is very worried about you. The moment he heard you left with Mu Qinghe, he immediately came over to find you. He came here even earlier than me. Why? Did you not see him?¡± An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t show it as she smiled slightly. ¡°Prince Li has always been weak, so it¡¯s normal for him to be a little slow.¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly chuckled. ¡°You really think so? I think his body is in superb condition!¡± Chu Liuyue looked unaffected. ¡°Prince Li is my fianc¨¦. I know his body the best.¡± Jian Fengchi just laughed as he supported his head in a nonchalant manner. Chu Liuyue suddenly became very anxious, but it wasn¡¯t because she was worried that Rong Xiu¡¯s abilities were exposed. Jian Fengchi had always been sensitive, so it was no surprise that he could detect something amiss with Rong Xiu. Instead, she was thinking about something else. According to what Jian Fengchi said, Rong Xiu arrived at Golden Inheritance Peak even earlier than him, but I haven¡¯t seen him at all up till now. This is definitely not normal. She vaguely felt that something was wrong, but her mind seemed to be in a mess as she could not think straight. After walking for a while, she suddenly heard some sounds from the front. The trio looked up in unison. A horse carriage appeared in front of the three of them. At one glance, Chu Liuyue saw Yu Mo sitting at the front of the horse carriage. That was Prince Li Mansion¡¯s horse carriage. Chu Liuyue¡¯s uneasy heart finally relaxed as she stared at the curtain of the horse carriage. Yu Mo saw her and immediately jumped down the horse carriage elatedly. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, you¡¯re really here!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled as she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s His Highness?¡± A white and intricate hand suddenly stretched out from behind the curtain and lifted it slightly. A distinguished and handsome face suddenly appeared in front of her. He looked at her with a smile, and his eyes were clear and deep like the night sky, which made one fall deep into them. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chapter 418 - Reject Looking at the face that suddenly appeared in front of her, Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Rong Xiu is really in the horse carriage? Rong Xiu quietly sized her up and saw her slightly messy and dirtied appearance. Then, he raised his brows. ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯m not injured. The one who is injured¡­ is Lieutenant Mu.¡± Rong Xiu then seemed to notice the two men beside her as his gaze was quiet. He nodded to acknowledge them. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, Young Master Jian.¡± Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t react, but Jian Fengchi gave a meaningful smile. ¡°Your Highness, you didn¡¯t come very quickly.¡± Rong Xiu clenched his fist and coughed. ¡°It¡¯s currently late autumn, and the weather is chilly. Hence, it¡¯s more troublesome for me to go out.¡± Jian Fengchi did not care for his words. Rong Xiu¡¯s body is clearly fine, and his abilities aren¡¯t weak. If he wanted to come, he would¡¯ve reached here long ago. Speaking of that, it¡¯s pretty weird. When I saw Rong Xiu¡¯s worried appearance earlier, I thought he would immediately come to Golden Inheritance Peak, but I didn¡¯t expect him to take so long. I wonder what exactly Rong Xiu was doing¡­ But the two parties didn¡¯t have much conflict, and Jian Fengchi was secretly a little fearful of Rong Xiu. Thus, he didn¡¯t say much. Chu Liuyue walked toward Rong Xiu, passed by Yu Mo, and lightly glanced at him. ¡°His Highness hasn¡¯t recovered yet. Why didn¡¯t you bring a hand warmer for him?¡± Even though her tone was light, it sent chills down Yu Mo¡¯s back. ¡°I admit my mistake!¡± His Highness had always claimed to be ill toward the public, so he would always be adequately prepared every time he went out. However, they came out in too much of a hurry this time, so he forgot about it. Besides, given this weather, there really wasn¡¯t a need for a hand warmer¡­ Yu Mo lowered his head and thought about it, but he didn¡¯t dare to express it on his face as he hurriedly backed away in respect. Chu Liuyue walked to the horse carriage. ¡°Your Highness, are you okay?¡± Rong Xiu lightly coughed. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Chu Liuyue then nodded in a seemingly assured manner. ¡°That¡¯s good. If your illness relapses because you came to find me, I¡¯ll feel very guilty.¡± When Jian Fengchi¡ªwho was standing behind them¡ªheard the duo¡¯s conversation, his mouth and eyes became wide open as his eyelids twitched. W-what are these two people doing? Who here can¡¯t tell that Rong Xiu is acting? Why must the two of them act so seriously? They¡¯re too immersed in their drama, aren¡¯t they?! Rong Xiu stretched out his hand. ¡°Come on up.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly and placed her hand in his palm as she casually leaped up to the horse carriage. Rong Xiu then looked at Jian Fengchi and Mu Qinghe. ¡°I¡¯ve been out for too long, and I feel uncomfortable, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had just sat properly in the horse carriage¡ªpaused in her actions and quickly looked at him. It seems like Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t plan to let Mu Qinghe and Jian Fengchi board the carriage. Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips twitched even more harshly. ¡°W-what did you say? You want to abandon the both of us here?!¡± Rong Xiu slightly raised his brows and smiled amiably. ¡°Young Master Jian and Lieutenant Mu have distinguished status. It would be beneath you if you were to sit in my horse carriage.¡± At this point, even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t carry on listening. She covered her lips and coughed. ¡°Your Highness, Lieutenant Mu is injured. I think it¡¯s more convenient if we bring him back.¡± A smirk appeared on Rong Xiu¡¯s lips, but Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that the surrounding air instantly became colder. ¡°If Lieutenant Mu doesn¡¯t mind, I would be more than willing.¡± However, Mu Qinghe knitted his brows and walked in another direction. Jian Fengchi was stunned and hurriedly followed him. ¡°Hey, why are you leaving?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes seemed to be covered by a layer of frost as he continued walking without a word. ¡°Why are you acting¡ª¡± Before Jian Fengchi could finish his sentence, he suddenly thought of something and stopped. Then, he rubbed his brows and felt rather helpless. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what sins I¡¯ve committed in my past life to meet with you master and servant in my current life.¡± Mu Qinghe stopped in his tracks and coldly glanced at him, hiding murderous intent under his eyes. ¡°Even if I¡¯m injured now, it would be as easy as ABC for me to kill you.¡± Jian Fengchi immediately moved back and glared at him alertly. ¡°Let me tell you! I came here to help you today! Don¡¯t think of repaying your gratitude with hatred!¡± The moment Jian Fengchi finished his sentence, Mu Qinghe suddenly raised his hand. A green fire rapidly flew out from his palms and went straight for Jian Fengchi¡¯s head. Jian Fengchi immediately waved his hands in front of his body as a barrier appeared and blocked the green fire outside. Even though he did so, he was still quite affected by the terrifying impact, and his legs sunk into the ground. Jian Fengchi couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°You¡¯re doing it for real?!¡± I just said ¡®master and servant¡¯ and yelled ¡®repay gratitude with hatred!¡¯ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Besides, how long has it been? What¡¯s there to mind? The worst thing is that this fellow is already so injured, but his combat skills are still so powerful! It was the nth time that Jian Fengchi felt astonished in his heart. This fellow really didn¡¯t waste his time being tortured in the army for so many years¡­ Once he makes a move, he wants to claim one¡¯s life. Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes flashed black as he staggered backward and almost fell to the ground. Previously, he was quite injured. Mow that he had suddenly used his force, his body couldn¡¯t withstand it. But he still clenched his teeth and pushed through as he continued walking with a pale face, letting the wounds continue tearing open and bleeding. Jian Fengchi followed him with a headache. ¡°Okay! Okay! My fault! It¡¯s my bad!¡± It¡¯s inappropriate if I really get angered to death by Mu Qinghe. Seeing the two figures gradually disappearing, Rong Xiu finally put the curtain down. ¡°Go back to Prince Li Mansion.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Mo acknowledged the order as he jumped back onto the horse carriage and swung his long whip. ¡°Go!¡± The wheels turned, and the horse carriage proceeded in another direction. Rong Xiu retracted his gaze and saw the dazed Chu Liuyue as if she was in deep thought. His gaze was deep. ¡°Yue¡¯er, Yue¡¯er?¡± He called her twice, and Chu Liuyue finally recovered her senses. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze looked unaffected as he lightly asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and averted her gaze. Actually, when she saw Jian Fengchi and Mu Qinghe quarreling, she suddenly thought of something. Mu Qinghe really didn¡¯t sit on horse carriages. As for the reason¡­ Actually, there was once when the two of them departed on a journey together. They sat on two horse carriages for convenience. In the end, they met with an attack on the way, and because Mu Qinghe was in another horse carriage, he couldn¡¯t rush to her in time. That time, she was only slightly injured, but Mu Qinghe knelt in front of the palace for a day and a night to atone for his sins. Ever since then, he never sat on a horse carriage. Rong Xiu suddenly held her hand. Chu Liuyue was dazed as she looked up at Rong Xiu. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. Her heart tingled, and she slowly said, ¡°Actually, I was thinking. Why did you come so late today, Your Highness?¡± Chapter 419 - Have an Appointment With Rong Xiu¡¯s abilities, if he wanted to, he could definitely reach here at the fastest speed without attracting anyone¡¯s attention. But not only did he come so late now, he was even on a horse carriage. This doesn¡¯t fit his usual working style. Unless¡­ There are other reasons for him doing so. The greatest possibility would be that he wants to¡­ cover up something. Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu, and her heart hung in her throat. A vague guess surfaced in her heart, but it was too ridiculous and impossible, so she didn¡¯t even spend any effort to think about it. But at this point, the late Rong Xiu in the horse carriage¡­ Everything seemed to be signifying something. Rong Xiu held her hand tightly. ¡°I was delayed by some matters.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Oh? What was the matter?¡± Rong Xiu calmly said, ¡°The Empress committed suicide.¡± The Empress is actually dead?! Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°When did it happen?¡± ¡°The news came out today, but I¡¯m not sure of the specific time. Lord Chu Ning is currently handling this matter in the palace, and Father seems to have sealed the news. But for some reason, the news still leaked out.¡± Hearing that Chu Ning was in charge of this, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows even tighter. Currently, Emperor Jiawen hates the Empress to the core. I believed that he wanted the Empress to die, but definitely not at this moment. Besides, the Empress was still the nation¡¯s mother. Her sudden death will definitely influence many things. Father is already implicated in the investigation of Heptagon Alley. If anything else happens to the Empress¡¯s matters, I¡¯m afraid¡­ ¡°Your Highness, do you know who leaked the news?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°There are many guards outside the Empress¡¯s residence, so quite a few people know about this. When there¡¯s a lot of people, it¡¯s hard to control their mouths. It¡¯s not so easy to find out in such a short period of time. I¡¯ve already sent people to suppress the news, but¡­ it won¡¯t hold for long.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. There were no walls in the world that didn¡¯t allow wind to pass through, let alone such shocking news. ¡°Why did the Empress pass away so suddenly?¡± First of all, Emperor Jiawen grounded her to prevent her from doing anything outrageous. It was also to purposely let her live. There were many things that hadn¡¯t been cleared up, so her sudden death was extremely frustrating. ¡°It seems to be¡­ related to Third Brother.¡± Rong Xiu looked mysterious. ¡°I heard that he was the last person who saw the Empress. Not long after he left, the Empress died.¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ Someone framed Third Highness?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curved up, and his deep eyes seemed to be filled with galaxies. ¡°You¡¯ve always known me the best, Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly tilted her head and asked with much interest, ¡°Then, Your Highness, do you know what I¡¯m thinking of now?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze focused. Chu Liuyue held his hand and moved forward. The distance between the two of them was very short, and they could breathe in each other¡¯s breaths. She could even see her tiny figure reflected in the depths of Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mu Qinghe brought me to Golden Inheritance Peak today. Guess who I saw inside? Rong Jin!¡± Rong Xiu smiled without any surprise. ¡°He did leave Crown Prince Mansion today.¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t shocked that Rong Xiu knew this. After going through so much, she long realized that Rong Xiu was much more mysterious and powerful than she had imagined. ¡°But do you know why he came to the imperial mausoleum? Because¡­ he thought he was Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son.¡± Chu Liuyue slowed down when she said the last few words. ¡°Actually, he knew of this earlier on, but he came to the imperial mausoleum today. At first, I still didn¡¯t understand why, but I realized something when you said that the Empress committed suicide. ¡°It must be because Rong Jin suddenly knew something after the Empress¡¯s death, so he didn¡¯t care about disobeying His Majesty¡¯s orders and came here secretly. But¡­ According to what I saw, his ¡®Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean much. On the other hand, I met someone else¡­ that is very familiar with the imperial mausoleum.¡± Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him as if she wanted to see the innermost ripples in his eyes. ¡°Like you, that person is very strong, and he isn¡¯t any weaker than Mu Qinghe. But it¡¯s a pity¡­ I didn¡¯t get to see what he looked like,¡± said Chu Liuyue in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°For some reason, that person didn¡¯t want me to see his face. Your Highness, don¡¯t you think this is weird?¡± Rong Xiu looked calm and was about to speak when he suddenly felt a formidable aura approaching. The horses suddenly screeched and raised their front hooves. Yu Mo immediately pulled on the taut rope to stabilize them. The horse carriage shook intensely before stopping. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and was about to look over, but her body habitually flew to the front. Rong Xiu held her thin waist, and the two of them turned. Bang! A low sound was heard. Chu Liuyue felt that she had hit something. When she opened her eyes, she realized that Rong Xiu had half-fallen and that she was currently in his arms. Only a few layers of clothes were in between the two of them. Chu Liuyue could hear his powerful heartbeat and¡­ even clearly feel his body warmth. She was about to speak when Rong Xiu¡¯s fingers suddenly landed on her lips. The moment they touched, the two of them were dazed in unison. Actually, the two of them had slept together on the same bed multiple times, but for some reason, this close encounter in this narrow space actually made the environment flirtatious. Rong Xiu almost instinctively used his fingers to caress her lips gently. They were unimaginably soft. His gaze suddenly darkened. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she hurriedly stood up. Rong Xiu felt pity in his heart, but he didn¡¯t show it as he held his body up and lifted the curtain with one hand. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned away and followed his line of sight. She saw a familiar figure standing near the horse carriage. Seeing that person¡¯s face, Chu Liuyue gasped. ¡°Second Master Yan, why are you here?¡± The incoming person is actually Yan Ge?! Upon seeing Rong Xiu beside Chu Liuyue, a chill was sent down Yan Ge¡¯s spine for some reason. Why¡­ is there a murderous aura¡­? His original enthusiastic smile froze. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, um¡­ um¡­ Master said that he had something on today, so he left first. The promise made earlier counts. When the time is right, he will naturally come to find you. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Your Master¡­ has already left?¡± Yan Ge nodded. ¡°Yeah! After I sent Master away, I rushed over to see you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched. Is whatever I previously guessed wrong? Rong Xiu leaned back and sounded lazy. ¡°So not only did Yue¡¯er meet someone unexpected in the imperial mausoleum, but you even made a promise with that person?¡± Chapter 420 - The Beauty of Fulfilling Someone’s Wishes Chu Liuyue said to Yan Ge, ¡°Thank you, Second Master Yan. When I see Master in the future, I¡¯ll definitely thank him personally.¡± Yan Ge laughed out loud. ¡°T-then if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first. I won¡¯t disturb Your Highness and Ms. Liuyue.¡± After saying his piece, he quickly left. Chu Liuyue blinked. Why do I feel that Yan Ge¡¯s footsteps seem to be hurried¡­ It¡¯s like he wants to leave as soon as possible? Rong Xiu lightly glanced at Yu Mo. Yu Mo immediately straightened his back and continued steering the horses. Rong Xiu then put the curtain down and nonchalantly said, ¡°So, you met Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Master in the imperial mausoleum.¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡°Your Highness, do you know him?¡± Rong Xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I know him, but I have heard some rumors about him.¡± Chu Liuyue gave him a meaningful look but saw that he looked dazed. She couldn¡¯t discern anything from him. Perhaps¡­ I really thought too much? ¡°This person has helped me multiple times, and it¡¯s also because of him that I can escape safely. But¡­ Your Highness, how did you find me here?¡± Rong Xiu paused in his actions, but he quickly returned to his senses. ¡°Xue Xue knows that you¡¯re here.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Fiends naturally had very sensitive five senses. As Xue Xue normally looked to spend time with her, it was familiar with her aura. Thus, it was normal for it to find her here. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Xue Xue in a long time.¡± ¡°Why did Mu Qinghe bring you here?¡± asked Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue paused for a while and shook her head. ¡°I think he¡¯s looking for something.¡± In actual fact, she really did not know what Mu Qinghe planned to do. He most likely came for the pyramid, but¡­ What exactly is that thing? Why does he want it? The strange thing is: if it¡¯s such an important and mysterious thing, why must he bring me along? Chu Liuyue felt that her gaze was clouded. Rong Xiu said, ¡°It caused quite a scene this time, so Father will definitely investigate urgently. The fewer the people who know about you and Mu Qinghe coming here, the better.¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and nodded. ¡­ When Emperor Jiawen and the rest came out of the imperial mausoleum¡¯s passageway, Elder Ye immediately sent out news. When Zhong Qi and the rest¡ªwho were waiting bitterly at the mountain peak¡ªsaw the signal, they immediately rushed over. When they saw the few people standing behind Emperor Jiawen and Elder Ye, Zhong Qi and the rest were shocked. W-when did these people barge into Golden Inheritance Peak? He didn¡¯t really recognize the other two people, but he wouldn¡¯t recognize Crown Prince Rong Jin wrongly. However, the usually arrogant Crown Prince looked very dispirited now. The young lady and elder at the side didn¡¯t look any better. Elder Ye asked, ¡°During this period, did anyone else come out from the imperial mausoleum other than us?¡± Zhong Qi immediately nodded. ¡°We sent more people to guard the outside of Golden Inheritance Peak, but¡­ We didn¡¯t see anyone¡¯s traces.¡± Due to the poison, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face was very pale. But as he was furious, his face turned quite green. ¡°From now on, watch over them closely! If you discover anything amiss, immediately come and report to me!¡± I don¡¯t believe that the two of them can stay inside all the way! Zhong Qi and the rest didn¡¯t dare to ask why Rong Jin and the rest appeared here, and they could only nod readily. At the side, Elder Ye turned around and shook the fan in his hands. The person inside has heaven-defying abilities. Isn¡¯t it too simple for him to leave this place quietly? But Emperor Jiawen¡¯s blood is boiling at this point, so there is no need to say all of this. Perhaps¡­ the person inside has long left. Elder Ye helplessly smiled and shook his head. Even though I didn¡¯t see them, such a powerful warrior isn¡¯t someone that a mere Country Yao Chen can afford to offend¡­ I wonder how Situ Xingchen and the rest offended them. The exit didn¡¯t close any earlier or later but precisely when they wanted to escape, trapping them inside. This was clearly done on purpose! His gaze swept past Situ Xingchen and the rest. Hehe, there¡¯ll be a good show! ¡­ Almost overnight, the entire Imperial City changed. First, the Empress passed away. Then, as Rong Jin was disrespectful to his ancestors, he was removed from his Crown Prince position. These two incidents happened one after another, overwhelming everyone. In no time, all sorts of guesses surfaced. Some said that the Empress and His Majesty had always been loving for the past years and that her body had always been well, so it was strange that she suddenly passed on. Also, Rong Jin had been the Crown Prince for many years, and he had always been thought of highly. Even if he had made mistakes previously and was scolded in public, His Majesty had never removed him from his position. But at this point, right after the Empress died, Rong Jin was deposed. This aroused many suspicions. Some said that even though it looked like the Empress took care of the harem harmoniously, in actual fact, quite a few consorts and princes had died in her hands. His Majesty couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, so he sentenced her to death. Rong Jin was implicated and was hated by His Majesty as well, so he eventually got his punishment. However, the rumor that spread the most was that the Empress¡¯s death was related to the Third Prince. As his mother, Noble Lady Yin, was harmed by the Empress back then, Rong Jiu long hated her and planned to kill her. As for Rong Jin¡­ He had been scolded and even grounded by His Majesty multiple times in the past months, so his Crown Prince position had long been in name only. It was just a matter of time before he would¡¯ve been officially deposed. Even though the superiors strictly banned the discussion of this and used all sorts of methods to suppress the news, the arrival of Country Xing Luo¡¯s Emperor Xiankang made the entire incident even more peculiar. There seemed to be an invisible hand in the dark, which easily controlled everything, causing even more uproars. ¡­ At the royal palace. In the main palace, Situ Yan and Emperor Jiawen were facing each other off. Situ Yan looked stern. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat it again¡ªhand Xingchen and Lian Ning over and dissolve her marriage agreement with Rong Jin. If not, Country Xing Luo won¡¯t take this lying down!¡± Emperor Jiawen seemed to have heard the world¡¯s biggest joke. ¡°Hahaha! Situ Yan, you still have the cheek to say that? Do you need me to personally say what you and that precious daughter of yours did secretly? From start to end, you¡¯ve had ill intentions. Now that your plan failed, you still dare to come and demand her return?¡± It¡¯s no wonder Situ Yan kept bringing up the marriage alliance from the start. It¡¯s also no wonder that he thought highly of Rong Jin only and ignored the rest. Previously, I naively thought that Situ Yan was aiming for Rong Jin¡¯s position as the Crown Prince. But thinking about it, why would Country Xing Luo¡¯s emperor care about this? I was really blind back then! When Situ Yan received the news earlier on, he knew that the matter had been completely exposed. Thus, he completely didn¡¯t care when he heard Emperor Jiawen say all of this. He came here just to bring Situ Xingchen away! To think that I planned so bitterly for so long. I didn¡¯t expect Rong Jin to be a fake Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son! I don¡¯t even know where to unleash the fury and vengeance in my heart! ¡°So you refuse to hand her over?¡± Emperor Jiawen sneered. ¡°Hand her over? The two of them are a match made in heaven; I must fulfill their wish! After the one-month mourning period for the Empress, I¡¯ll let them hold a grand wedding!¡± Chapter 421 - Missing ¡°Rong Xiao, are you crazy!?¡± Situ Yan widened his eyes in shock. The Empress is the mother of the country. There should be a national funeral after she dies! As her son, Rong Jin should¡¯ve refrained from marrying for three years! Even if there are pressing issues, he should¡¯ve waited a year at least! A month?! Isn¡¯t that akin to holding the wedding at the Empress¡¯s funeral? Do they still want their face and reputation?! If they really do this, the entire royal family of Country Yao Chen will get flak for it, not to mention Situ Xingchen and Rong Jin¡ªwho would be branded as unfilial! ¡°You¡¯re shameless, but I¡¯m not!¡± How could he continue to follow through with the marriage agreement now that he knew that Rong Jin wasn¡¯t the true Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son? Situ Xingchen was the apple of his eyes, his most beloved daughter! How could she marry a Crown Prince who had been stripped of his title?! She would be done for the rest of her life! Emperor Jiawen found Situ Yan¡¯s exasperation amusing. Despite all his calculations, this old fool has shot himself in the foot! No matter what, I have to gain the upper hand! ¡°You initiated the marriage alliance in the first place. Are you going back on your word now?¡± Situ Yan felt like he was about to explode. ¡°So what if I am?¡± They would definitely attract criticism if they annulled the marriage agreement the instant something happened to Rong Jin. Even so, it was much better than sacrificing the rest of Situ Xingchen¡¯s life! Emperor Jiawen leaned back in his chair. The recent events had him exhausted, but Situ Yan¡¯s reaction alleviated some of his exhaustion. ¡°There¡¯s no negotiating this matter; the marriage agreement stays! Situ Xingchen will get married in Imperial City in a month! Don¡¯t worry, Rong Jin is my son after all. I¡¯ll make sure that the wedding is a grand affair!¡± ¡°Rong Xiao! You! You¡­¡± Situ Yan felt his vision disappear as he staggered. He¡¯s dead set on keeping Situ Xingchen here until she¡¯s married to Rong Jin! ¡°Rong Xiao, don¡¯t push it! Don¡¯t think that Country Xing Luo is scared of you!¡± Situ Yan took a deep breath to calm himself down and said gloomily, ¡°Elder Zong Ye is still in Xing Luo. If he knows you are doing this¡­¡± ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re threatening?¡± A mocking expression appeared on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face. ¡°Elder Zong Ye is formidable, but you think he¡¯s your solution?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget¡ªElder Zong Ye represents Mingyue Tianshan!¡± Situ Yan¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one who can get people from Mingyue Tianshan?¡± Situ Yan paused. It was only then that he recalled that Rong Xiu had spent many years at Mingyue Tianshan. Even though everyone believes that Rong Xiu is a sick person, I have heard Situ Xingchen say that Rong Xiu isn¡¯t like the rumors. Most importantly, Rong Xiu will naturally be able to get ahold of people from Mingyue Tianshan after spending so much time there! They might even be more formidable than Elder Zong Ye! Using that as a threat clearly has no effect. Situ Yan felt his head throb; he had never been so belittled and insulted before. ¡°Rong Xiao, do you want the two countries to go to war?!¡± Situ Yan said sternly! Emperor Jiawen looked up with a smile, his hands crossed before him. ¡°Situ Yan, do you dare?¡± ¡­ ¡°Your Highness, your tea.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Creak! The door was pushed open, and a pageboy dressed in gray walked in with the tea and carefully set it down on the side. Rong Jiu was wiping his knife. He was focused, taking each step very seriously. This was just a regular knife, but he valued it very much. This was the knife he used the first time he killed someone in battle. That was the first time he removed someone¡¯s head personally. The blade instantly ended the person¡¯s life. Sticky, gooey blood sprayed all over him. People reacted differently after they killed for the first time. Some threw up, and some had nightmares. But not him. Conversely, he found it exhilarating! After so many years, the knife was still shiny. ¡°Your Highness, the tea will not taste good if it¡¯s cold.¡± The pageboy reminded him politely. Rong Jiu paused and glanced at him. ¡°Please take your time with it. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± With that, the pageboy left quietly, closing the door behind him. Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze landed on the teacup. He set his knife aside and picked up the teacup. He then walked over to a potted plant and poured all the tea into it. After that, he reached for the bottom of the cup and dug. Kacha! A thin layer popped out, and a piece of paper fell out. There was a hidden mechanism at the base of the cup! Even if that piece of paper was small, the words on the paper were clear: ¡°Everything is prepared!¡± Rong Jiu steadied himself as he moved his fingers. The paper turned into fragments before it turned into powder. He lifted his hand, and the powder disappeared in the wind. ¡­ Chu Ning was so busy that he didn¡¯t even have time to return home. Chu Liuyue stayed home instead of returning to the academy. She had an inkling when she received news of the Empress¡¯s death and the deposing of the Crown Prince. Situ Yan¡¯s arrival confirmed her suspicion. Emperor Jiawen knew that Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen had secretly followed him into the imperial mausoleum that day. That became the last straw that pushed Emperor Jiawen to act. The Si family seemed to have been implicated. Many were removed from their positions, and some were even thrown into jail. Anyone could see that the Empress had something to do with this. The Si family didn¡¯t fight back. They accepted everything quietly, staying low-profile. The Si family¡¯s position as the leader of the four families was hanging in the balance, but this wasn¡¯t what Chu Liuyue was concerned about. She just found one thing strange¡ªSince Emperor Jiawen knows that Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen had been to the imperial mausoleum, he would¡¯ve found something by tracing that line of thought. It¡¯s highly likely that Situ Xingchen had something to do with the Empress¡¯s death, but there hasn¡¯t been any news till now. Instead, Rong Jiu¡ªthe Third Prince¡ªwas implicated, and the rumors seemed to be growing in fervor. Everyone seemed convinced that he played the biggest role. Emperor Jiawen wasn¡¯t stupid. If he really wanted to look into it, he would¡¯ve found something. However, he actually let things develop¡­ It was also rumored that Rong Jiu had been grounded. Chu Liuyue found everything to be very strange. And that golden pyramid¡­ Even though it was on her right now, she didn¡¯t know what it was. She had no clue at all. In the end, Chu Liuyue decided to take another trip to Heptagon Alley herself. The Empress had to have known something. She was dead, and there was no way of asking Situ Xingchen and Rong Jin. It was easier for her to look into it herself. However, she saw a floor full of corpses when she arrived at Heptagon Alley. Those were the imperial guards charged with guarding the place! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank as she pushed the door open! The red-bronze cauldron that had been in the middle of the courtyard was gone! Chapter 422 - News The body that she had previously seen was still dangling in the air, but everything beneath was gone! There were signs of fighting in the courtyard, along with a number of imperial guard corpses. The barrier in Heptagon Alley had been broken. Clearly, someone had forced their way in. Chu Liuyue immediately looked around the courtyard, but she didn¡¯t find any useful clues. The only thing she was sure of was that these people had been dead for less than a day. No matter the ones outside or inside, the dead imperial guards didn¡¯t have many wounds on them. They all died by a fatal blow to their throats. This was clearly a one-sided massacre! Chu Liuyue examined their bodies and frowned. It looks like the imperial guards didn¡¯t even have the chance to fight back. Even though they weren¡¯t the best, they were trained. Being able to take care of so many people without giving them the chance to send any messages¡­ Either they were overwhelmed in numbers, or¡­ the other party was really strong! Chu Liuyue was inclined to believe it was the latter. The Imperial City had been under strict security recently. If that many people did arrive, the commotion of the fight would have attracted attention. There wouldn¡¯t have been a floor full of corpses like now. If I hadn¡¯t rushed over today, I don¡¯t know when someone would discover the situation here. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment as she headed straight for the palace. ¡­ The palace was under strict security, but Chu Liuyue was immediately granted entrance since she was Prince Li¡¯s future Princess Consort. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t go to Emperor Jiawen. Instead, she headed straight for the Empress¡¯s quarters. While walking, she shrewdly noticed that the atmosphere in the palace was eerily stiff. Everyone was being extremely cautious. Clearly, the Empress¡¯s and Rong Jin¡¯s matters had terrified everyone. Halfway there, Chu Liuyue met a troop of people. At the front was Chu Ning! She hadn¡¯t seen him for days, but he looked rather haggard and tired. He had clearly been busy worrying. ¡°Father!¡± Chu Liuyue rushed forward. Chu Ning immediately looked up when he heard the familiar voice. Surprise flashed across his eyes, but he then frowned. ¡°Yue¡¯er, why are you here?!¡± Chu Liuyue walked over to him. ¡°Father, I have an important matter to tell you.¡± Upon looking at her expression, a sense of uneasiness welled up in Chu Ning¡¯s heart. Yue¡¯er has always been rather careful and understanding. If nothing urgent has cropped up, she never would¡¯ve come looking for me in the palace at this juncture. He turned and gave some instructions to the person behind him before he led Chu Liuyue aside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. ¡°Father, the imperial guards at Heptagon Alley have all been killed! Also, the cauldron has been stolen!¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Chu Ning was stunned. He had guessed that something bad had happened, but he did not expect that¡­ ¡°When did this happen?!¡± Chu Liuyue recounted everything to him. Chu Ning¡¯s expression turned for the worse. ¡°So¡­ we don¡¯t know who, and we don¡¯t have any clues?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I know that His Majesty placed a lot of importance on the matter of Heptagon Alley and that you¡¯re in charge of these things recently. Thus, I rushed over the instant I found out.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s expression was stiff; it was like it had frozen over. He had been busy dealing with the Empress¡¯s matter in the palace, so he passed the matter of Heptagon Alley to a subordinate. However, he didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen! Even if His Majesty ordered him to remain in the palace and solve the problems here first, he was still responsible! ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll go report this to His Majesty now.¡± Chu Ning swiftly made a decision. It was only a matter of time before His Majesty found out. Even if he would be punished, he had to face it. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you head back first.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. I¡¯m the first person to find out about it. It doesn¡¯t make sense for me not to go.¡± But Chu Ning was a little hesitant. ¡°This matter has important implications. I don¡¯t want you to get involved.¡± Based on his investigations over the last few days, he had sensed that the Empress was playing a huge game of chess. Even with her death, things were far from over, especially since¡­ the bronze cauldron at Heptagon Alley had disappeared! No matter how he looked at it, he hoped that his daughter would be able to stay out of the matter. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°From the moment I went to Heptagon Alley, it became difficult for me to stay out of this. But don¡¯t worry, Father. I know what I¡¯m doing; I know what to do and what not to do.¡± Chu Ning looked at her. How can I not know that these are all excuses? The real reason is that her appearance will help to decrease the punishment that I would receive from His Majesty. Chu Ning was touched and finally nodded. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go and see His Majesty together.¡± ¡­ As Chu Ning walked next to Chu Liuyue, all the imperial guards wisely stayed a short distance from them. Chu Liuyue wanted to inquire about the Empress¡¯s matters but decided against it after some pondering. After walking for about 15 minutes, they finally arrived at Zhaoyang Palance. Strangely, the palace doors were shut tight even though it was the middle of the day. There were also twice as many guards as usual. Chu Ning stopped walking. Eunuch Min¡ªwho was standing guard outside the door¡ªsaw Chu Ning and knew that he was here to report the matter to His Majesty. But in the next second, he saw Chu Liuyue standing by her father. His heart skipped a beat. What is she doing here at this time?! He shuffled over hurriedly. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, His Majesty is attending to important matters right now, so you¡¯ll have to wait a little.¡± He then turned to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, what brings you here today?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply was brief. ¡°I have something to report to His Majesty with my father. Don¡¯t worry, Eunuch Min; we¡¯ll just wait here.¡± Eunuch Min was shrewd, so he could tell that something was wrong from Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning¡¯s expressions. He didn¡¯t ask any further and stepped back into his position after that. But just as he was walking back, the door was suddenly pulled open from inside! Bang! A middle-aged man dressed in black walked out! His expression was gloomy, and a murderous aura emanated from him. Eunuch Min respectfully stepped aside when he saw the man, but the man paid no heed and continued walking outward. Looking at the face, Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. This face¡­ looks a little familiar¡­ Suddenly, her eyes lit up. This man shares half of Situ Xingchen¡¯s features! Chapter 423 - I want him to win This person has to be Emperor Xiankang of Country Xing Luo¡ªSitu Yan. Judging from his expression, his conversation with Emperor Jiawen hasn¡¯t been particularly pleasant. There¡¯s a high chance that he was at a disadvantage. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have revealed such an expression before so many people. No matter what, he is an emperor. He wouldn¡¯t have reacted in such a way unless he had encountered something unbearable. Chu Liuyue was rather curious what the matter was. She wondered what Emperor Jiawen could¡¯ve said or done to make Situ Yan this mad. Situ Yan walked past them, but he suddenly paused and turned toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°You¡¯re Chu Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. That¡¯s strange. He knows me? She looked down slightly and bowed. Situ Yan¡¯s sharp eyes scanned her body like they were knives. Chu Liuyue froze. It seems like Situ Yan doesn¡¯t have a very good impression of me. Chu Ning stepped forward and shielded Chu Liuyue from Situ Yan¡¯s gaze. Situ Yan scoffed before he turned and left. It was only when Situ Yan¡¯s shadow had completely disappeared that Chu Ning turned to look at her and asked worriedly, ¡°Yue¡¯er, when did you offend him?¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled but shrugged. ¡°This is my first time meeting him. How would I have the chance to offend him? However¡­ I did offend his beloved daughter.¡± Situ Xingchen? Chu Ning nodded. Chu Liuyue looked at his relaxed expression and asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re not worried?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be worried about?¡± Chu Ning laughed. ¡°How can his daughter compare to mine?¡± He was vaguely aware that Situ Xingchen was interested in Rong Xiu, but Rong Xiu was engaged to Yue¡¯er. It was rather clear why Situ Xingchen treated his daughter that way then, was it not? In Chu Ning¡¯s eyes, all of the girls in the world combined could not compare to his precious Yue¡¯er. If nothing, Rong Xiu had good taste. Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Why am I feeling a sense of pride from him¡­ ¡°Chu Ning¡¯s here? Let him in!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s voice came from inside Zhaoyang Palace. Eunuch Min hurriedly added on: ¡°Your Majesty, Ms. Liuyue is here as well. She said that she has something important to report.¡± It was silent for an instant. ¡°Then, ask her to come in too!¡± Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning looked at each other as their expressions turned serious before they headed into Zhaoyang Palace. ¡­ Once she was inside, Chu Liuyue saw Emperor Jiawen seated at the end of the palace. Emperor Jiawen looked much better than he did a few days ago. Clearly, he had found some comfort from his confrontation with Situ Yan. ¡°Liuyue, you don¡¯t come to the palace often. What brings you here today?¡± His tone was casual; he clearly didn¡¯t place much importance on Chu Liuyue¡¯s arrival. Chu Liuyue exchanged glances with her father before she stepped forward. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m here because of Heptagon Alley.¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression froze when he heard the words ¡®Heptagon Alley.¡¯ He subconsciously sat up straight and stared straight at Chu Liuyue. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue paused before she told him everything. However, she told him that she had passed by Heptagon Alley instead of telling him that she headed there intentionally. She didn¡¯t want Emperor Jiawen to know that she was investigating this matter. Emperor Jiawen was stunned from the very first sentence. It took him an immense amount of energy to refrain from flipping the table, but his hand that was gripping his chain had veins popping out. Also, his face was a mix of green and white. Chu Liuyue had expected him to react this way. She ignored it and explained everything slowly. ¡°¡­Because of the importance of the matter, I dared not hesitate and rushed over here immediately.¡± Chu Ning knelt down. ¡°This happened because of my negligence. I¡¯ll accept any punishment!¡± Emperor Jiawen moved his hands to prop up his forehead as he remained silent for a while. Chu Ning and Chu Liuyue waited quietly. Emperor Jiawen was experiencing a tidal wave of emotions, and his thoughts were in chaos. He thought that everything would be figured out after the Empress died and Rong Jin was removed from his position as Crown Prince. But something like this happened now! His first reaction was to suspect Situ Xingchen. After all, he was sure that Situ Xingchen had met the Empress and found out a number of things from her in secret. She had even managed to get the Golden Inheritance Peak key that the Empress had secretly replicated, which allowed her to help Rong Jin sneak in. She was ambitious, and it wasn¡¯t strange for her to do something like this, but the key was that Situ Xingchen was trapped somewhere! Hence, she was clearly not the one behind the theft of the bronze cauldron. And Situ Yan¡­ That did not seem likely either. This matter happened quickly, and Situ Yan rushed here at the first instance. He only brought a few bodyguards with him. ¡°The other party is strong, and they came prepared, so it¡¯s not entirely your fault¡­¡± said Emperor Jiawen slowly after he suppressed his emotions. ¡°Bring someone to Heptagon Alley right away and see if you can find any clues. Report back immediately after.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°As for Liuyue¡­ Since you¡¯re the first one to see it, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to take another trip there again.¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll do everything I can.¡± Emperor Jiawen nodded and then suddenly asked, ¡°This won¡¯t take up too much of your time and energy, right? Lieutenant Mu¡¯s side¡­ He takes priority, okay?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded, but she was laughing to herself. Even if they are swarmed right now, they dare not offend Mu Qinghe. She wondered whether Emperor Jiawen knew that the two people who entered the imperial mausoleum were Mu Qinghe and her. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired; you all can leave now.¡± Emperor Jiawen dismissed them with a wave, and Chu Ning left with Chu Liuyue. After they left Zhaoyang Palace, Chu Liuyue suddenly asked him, ¡°Father, can I take a look at the Empress¡¯s quarters?¡± Chu Ning was very surprised. ¡°What are you going to do there?¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and smiled. ¡°I might be able to find a useful clue that would be of help to you, Father.¡± Chu Ning shook his head solemnly. ¡°The Empress¡¯s funeral is tomorrow. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to go now.¡± He still wanted Chu Liuyue to steer clear of this. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t insist since he seemed certain. She then changed the subject. The group left the palace and headed straight for Heptagon Alley. ¡­ Prince Li Mansion. ¡°Master, part of the Northwest Army has set off for Imperial City,¡± reported Yu Mo in a low voice. ¡°They¡¯ll reach here within three days. You see¡­¡± Rong Xiu turned a page calmly. ¡°How many are coming?¡± ¡°Not many, just 5,000. However, these are the elite soldiers of the Northwest Army. They¡¯ve been tested in battle, and one of them is as good as ten regular soldiers. Even though Imperial City has more imperial guards, I¡¯m not sure which side will win in a fight. Besides, there are reinforcements¡­¡± Rong Xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°Rong Jiu doesn¡¯t start a battle that he¡¯s not prepared for. Besides¡­ I want him to win.¡± Chapter 424 - Signs Mu Qinghe and Jian Fengchi returned to Imperial City without attracting any attention. The moment he returned, Mu Qinghe locked himself in his room. Jian Fengchi wanted to examine his wound but was shut outside the door. He didn¡¯t have a good temper himself, and his patience had run out due to Mu Qinghe¡¯s reaction. Thus, he couldn¡¯t be bothered and busied himself with other things. Mu Qinghe dealt with his wound himself in his room. There was no expression on his face, and he looked like a block of wood. But everything that happened in the imperial mausoleum was replaying in his head. Especially¡­ that illusion. Even though he knew that it was an illusion, it still made waves in his heart whenever he thought about it, especially when he was alone. All sorts of images and sounds flooded his mind. Mu Qinghe closed his eyes frustratedly but found that that person¡¯s face grew increasingly clear in his mind. There was still a smile on her face. ¡°Qinghe, why did you call me?¡± Her clear and gentle voice echoed in his ears. Mu Qinghe felt like his heart was being poked at; it felt sore. However, her smile quickly disappeared. It was replaced with shock and disbelief. ¡°Qinghe, you betrayed me?¡± The sparkle in her eyes dimmed as they were flooded with despair and sadness. Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes flew open! In such a short time, he was covered in cold sweat. The mixture of his sweat and blood stung. He stood up, intending to clean himself up, but his expression changed when he took a step. Then, he froze. A green bronze mirror flew out from him and blocked his way! Mu Qinghe felt his blood churn, and a terrifying aura enveloped him! Mu Qinghe staggered and fell to his knees. Crippling pain came from his heart. He gripped the front of his shirt tightly and pressed down hard, but it did nothing to relieve the pain. ¡°Where¡¯s the thing?¡± A cold but authoritative voice came from the mirror. Mu Qinghe gritted his teeth as sweat trickled down his forehead. His lips were quivering, and his face was pale. ¡°I was incompetent¡­ I was unable to get the item¡­¡± ¡°Imbecile!¡± The pain multiplied and overwhelmed him! Mu Qinghe finally couldn¡¯t stifle himself. He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground! He could barely speak now. ¡°I asked you to do one thing, but you couldn¡¯t even do it! Mu Qinghe, when did you deteriorate this badly? Or¡­ are you doing it on purpose?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Mu Qinghe struggled to speak as he trembled. Just saying that alone used up all of his remaining energy. ¡°You¡¯ve been outside for long enough. You¡¯ll raise suspicions if you don¡¯t return soon. You have to return soon!¡± Even though Mu Qinghe was in immense pain, he heard the words clearly. ¡°But.. but that thing¡­¡± ¡°Since you didn¡¯t have the ability to get it back, it¡¯s just a waste of time for you to stay! You don¡¯t have to deal with this anymore!¡± No¡­ I finally got this chance, so how can I give it up?! Mu Qinghe¡¯s lips quivered. ¡°I¡­ I know that a mystery person took it¡­¡± ¡°What mystery person?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s words clearly attracted the person¡¯s attention. ¡°I.. didn¡¯t see what that person looked like¡­ but¡­ If I see him again¡­ I will be able to recognize his aura¡­¡± Mu Qinghe managed to say this sentence. ¡°P-please¡­ let me continue¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ disappoint you¡­¡± Mu Qinghe was so weak that his voice was barely audible by the end of the sentence. However, that statement was clearly very useful. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll give you a few more days. If there¡¯s still no progress then¡­ You know what the consequences are!¡± With that, the mirror quickly disappeared. Mu Qinghe was the only person left in the room again. He lay on the floor, his clothes soaked through. He looked a mess. A blue shadow appeared next to him; it was Hong Yao. It closed in next to him and rubbed itself against his face as it buried its face. Hong Yao had always been proud and lively, but it was unusually quiet at this moment, staying quietly next to Mu Qinghe. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Mu Qinghe said lowly. Hong Yao flapped its wings and looked up at him, but it didn¡¯t say anything. In the end, it chose to keep silent. ¡­ Chu Liuyue followed Chu Ning back to Heptagon Alley, but they didn¡¯t find anything. When they were done, the sky was dark, and Chu Ning asked her to return home. Chu Liuyue knew that her father was going back to investigate further and that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to follow him, so she did not insist. The skies were dark, and the moon was hanging high. Chu Liuyue sat in her room with her legs crossed as she absorbed the Heaven and Earth Force from around her. After breaking through to the third stage in the Imperial mausoleum, her abilities had improved tremendously. However, her advancement was too sudden this time, and she was afraid that it might destabilize her foundation. Therefore, she began cultivating again. After feeling the force in her body become more stable, Chu Liuyue looked toward her palm. After her Yuan meridian leveled up, her absorption of Heaven and Earth Force increased significantly. If that¡¯s the case, this will greatly aid my cultivation in the future. What I lack the most now is time. Chu Liuyue wanted to head to the Tianling Dynasty to seek her revenge after she had regained enough of her ability. She didn¡¯t expect to be going when she was only a stage-three warrior. Given her ability and level, it was just going to be trouble once she arrived there¡­ Suddenly, she felt a ripple in her dantian. Chapter 425 - Hand Signal Chu Liuyue paused, but she found that the ripple came from the black pyramid! A strong but nurturing force spread toward her limbs! Chu Liuyue was shocked. For some reason, she found the aura within the force rather familiar! She concentrated but found that the seal was unbroken. Then, she felt it thoroughly again and confirmed that the power didn¡¯t come from the pyramid itself but from the black seal covering it. Chu Liuyue was stunned. I¡¯ve only seen seals being used to seal energy. I¡¯ve never seen seals that give off energy! And a force this pure and strong¡­ It¡¯s extremely rare! Even as someone who had the Tianjing Yuan meridian in her past life, she hadn¡¯t been able to refine her force into such a pure form! However, such pure energy was seeping into her body now! Chu Liuyue paused for a while before she returned to her senses. The seal on the pyramid is actually helping me heal and cultivate! Having thought that through, even Chu Liuyue was stunned. Wh-what exactly is going on?! Didn¡¯t that Master forcefully place a seal because he didn¡¯t want me to touch the pyramid? However¡­. What is this power that¡¯s flowing out? A silhouette suddenly flashed across her mind¡ªit was a man in a black robe! Even though his figure was hazy, he was tall and slender. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started beating rapidly. I have seen this man¡¯s back before! It was in the imperial mausoleum¡ªthe man in the pavilion on the cliff that appeared in the illusion! But this time, he isn¡¯t standing there. Instead¡­ he is standing by a lake. The scene flashed by really quickly and disappeared before Chu Liuyue could get a clear look. Chu Liuyue thought through it again but disappointedly found that she didn¡¯t remember anything. However, that sense of familiarity was growing stronger! Chu Liuyue opened her eyes as her heart beat wildly. She finally couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. She walked over to the window and pushed it open frustratedly. The night breeze cleared her mind. I¡¯m beginning to suspect that it wasn¡¯t an illusion. Otherwise, I never would¡¯ve developed such a strange feeling¡­ Could it be¡­ that the black-robed man is the Master of Zhen Bao Pavilion?! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. If that is the case, then¡­ Why do I have no recollection of this person¡¯s existence?! She pinned her hair behind her ears, and a sense of heaviness tinted her eyebrows. Something seems off¡­ Shua! Suddenly, a strange sound came from afar! Chu Liuyue immediately looked up. In the dark of the night, a dark figure appeared in the courtyard! The figure was elongated by the moonlight, but she couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s looks underneath all the shadows. A terrifying aura enveloped the entire courtyard. Chu Liuyue tensed up! This person is extremely dangerous! The surrounding space seemed to freeze, and all sound seemed muted in the silence that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. Suddenly, that person stretched out their hands and beckoned with their index finger. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. That was a badly burnt hand. Even with only half a palm under the moonlight, Chu Liuyue could see the startling scars on it. In the next instant, the person leaped up and headed for afar! He wants me to follow? Chu Liuyue clenched her hands. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was an invite or a taunt. No matter what, the other party knew who I was and came prepared! Just as that person was about to disappear, Chu Liuyue saw him turn suddenly. This time, they stuck out their hand and made a sign. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes widened! That¡¯s a sign known only by the Thirteen Yue Guard! ¡­ Blessing Palace. This was Rong Jin¡¯s residence in the palace. After being crowned, he moved into Crown Prince Mansion and rarely returned. Because of that, Blessing Palace was a lot quieter than other places, and people rarely came here. Hardly anyone knew that Rong Jin¡ªthe deposed Crown Prince¡ªwas imprisoned here. Imprisoned along with him was Situ Xingchen. It was nighttime, and Blessing Palace looked as quiet as it usually did in the dark. However, hidden auras hinted at the ripples beneath the surface. A figure entered quietly. He entered the side palace, walked to a bookshelf, and turned the ink slab on it. Ka! There was the sound of cogs moving. A smooth and heavy slab of jade opened slowly, and a small entrance appeared! From the moonlight, one could tell it was a staircase. The person walked down without hesitation. After the person disappeared, the jade slab closed up. The room was silent again, like nothing had ever happened. ¡­ Chu Liuyue was stunned and emotional! The Thirteen Yue Guard was her personal guard team that she founded herself. She handpicked and trained each and every one of the 13! Different from Mu Qinghe¡ªwho had control of the military¡ªthe Thirteen Yue Guard had no affiliations to any of the other forces in court. They were more like her hidden sword; they would strike and eliminate every obstacle wherever she pointed! Most importantly, she was their only master! Any time, any place, and any situation¡ªthey only took orders from her! Even her father had no right to interfere! When she was in her desperate state, the Thirteen Yue Guard wasn¡¯t by her side, and all her signals for help received no reply. Until her death, she had never seen any of them. After meeting Mu Qinghe, she had the same guesses: Did the Thirteen Yue Guard betray her too?! She dared not think any deeper. Every time she thought of this, she would skip over it instinctively, like she was avoiding something. Therefore, heaven knows how shocked she was when she saw the familiar sign. Chu Liuyue was frozen stiff, and her blood churned as her heart pound wildly! Badump! Badump! It was practically leaping out of her chest! Countless thoughts flew across her mind! ¡°You¡­¡± Just as she opened her mouth to ask, the other person turned and left! Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth as she flipped out of her window and followed after that person! Chapter 426 - Threat! Creak! The sound of the door opening resonated throughout the dim room. Situ Xingchen¡ªwho was locked in a cage¡ªsuddenly raised her head. Her intricate hairpin had already fallen, causing her hair to droop down messily. She looked very despaired. The messy stains on her face made her look even more unkempt. She had lived for so many years but had never fallen into such a situation. The footstep sounds gradually came nearer. A man came in and stood three steps away from the cage. Inside the empty room, only two candles were dimly lit on the spotted wall. Situ Xingchen couldn¡¯t see the incoming person¡¯s face, but once she saw his figure, she immediately recognized the other party¡¯s identity. It was Emperor Jiawen! She almost instantly stood up, rushed over to grab the cage, and harshly shook it. ¡°Let me out! Let me out! My father is already here, right?¡± Emperor Jiawen took a step back and fanned his nose. Situ Xingchen instantly felt humiliated as her face burned. She unwittingly released her hands and wanted to dig a hole in the ground to bury herself. After she was locked, she ate, drank, and did all her business in this small space. She couldn¡¯t even leave the cage. One could just imagine how she looked like now. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been locked up for as every day felt like a year. Every second she stayed here, Situ Xingchen felt that she was a step closer to breaking down. Ever since she was born, she was the most distinguished eldest princess of Country Xing Luo. When did she ever suffer such torture? She had already cursed Emperor Jiawen countless times in her heart. If she had the chance, she would definitely cut him up into thousands of pieces. But at this point, she was still on the other party¡¯s cutting board. Thus, she naturally didn¡¯t dare to be too arrogant. Emperor Jiawen sneered. ¡°He did come, but I think he¡¯s on his way back now.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s expression froze. It was as if a bucket of cold water was poured over all her hopes and desires, extinguishing them. ¡°Impossible! My father would never leave me alone! You¡¯re lying!¡± yelled Situ Xingchen in disbelief. Father has always loved me. Why would he just leave? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s going back to prepare for your wedding with Rong Jin. You¡¯re his most beloved daughter, so, of course, he won¡¯t leave you alone. Oh right, the date is set to be half a month later,¡± said Emperor Jiawen slowly. ¡°When the Empress¡¯s funeral is over, we¡¯ll hold your grand wedding. It was originally set to be a month later, but your father seems to be very anxious and pushed it forward by half a month.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Situ Xingchen was utterly stunned. My wedding with Rong Jin? I¡¯ve already told Father that Rong Jin is the fake Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son! Father came here to dissolve my marriage agreement with Rong Jin and to bring me out of here! But what¡¯s going on now? ¡°It¡¯s too rushed, so some aspects will be neglected. But luckily, Rong Jin is no longer the Crown Prince, so we can save on a lot of unnecessarily long procedures.¡± Emperor Jiawen sounded relaxed as if he were really happy for them. Situ Xingchen was so angry that her entire body shook. On purpose! Emperor Jiawen is clearly doing it on purpose! He wants to use this chance to humiliate us completely! ¡°You! You!¡± Since things had ended up in this state, Situ Xingchen finally ripped off the last of her disguise. Her shrill voice echoed throughout the dark room, and she sounded like a female ghost crying miserably. She shot Emperor Jiawen a deadly glare, wanting to see something through his blurred appearance. But¡ªnothing! Emperor Jiawen did not look like he was lying! Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart finally sank. She knew that Emperor Jiawen was forcing her. ¡­ The moon was shining brightly, and the night wind blew lightly. The Imperial City seemed to have fallen into deep sleep at night as everything was quiet. Chu Liuyue followed that mysterious person the entire way. Very quickly, she discovered that this person was heading for the palace! Her heart skipped a beat, and she hesitated. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t come to the palace before, but she clearly knew that the entire palace was actually a gigantic Xuan formation. There was an invisible barrier outside the palace. With her current abilities, it would be too hard for her to enter silently. However, that man in front seemed to not care as he quickly rushed forward. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and followed. No matter what, I have to get to the bottom of this today. After an estimated 15 minutes, the two of them finally arrived outside the palace. This place was rather isolated. Other than some patrolling imperial guards, there were no other people guarding here. But when Chu Liuyue stood under the wall, she could clearly feel the suppression from the barrier. She looked up and saw the mysterious person. She saw that person stretch out his hand, and starlight flashed across his fingertips. A tidy cut immediately appeared on the barrier. Also, it didn¡¯t trigger anything! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. I have seen this move before! It has helped me countless times before. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Shua! The barrier opened, and that man had already jumped across the wall to enter the palace. Chu Liuyue could only see the corner of some black clothes flashing across the wall. She took a few steps back and rushed forward as she stepped on the wall. Then, her body was parallel to the ground as she directly rushed for the wall. Her figure easily flipped over it as her legs bent slightly. After that, she relaxingly landed on the ground. She looked up and saw that the person had already continued walking. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Is this person not at all worried that I can¡¯t follow him¡­? But she couldn¡¯t think much as she rapidly chased after him. The two of them were like night cats as they completely disguised themselves in the darkness. However, Chu Liuyue quickly discovered that this person seemed to be very familiar with the palace¡¯s structure. Under that person¡¯s leadership, they easily avoided all the patrolling guards and directly entered the palace. Chu Liuyue was increasingly confused. Why is this person so familiar with the palace? It¡¯s like he¡¯s been here countless times¡­ Especially toward the back. The more we walked, we went into the quieter corners. However, that person¡¯s speed was still the same, and he didn¡¯t travel with any hesitation. After around ten minutes, that person finally stopped. Chu Liuyue stood still, hid in the shadows, and looked over. When she saw the two words ¡®Blessing Palace¡¯ on the plaque, she knitted her brows. Why did he come here? It looks like¡­ but it doesn¡¯t¡ª Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused! That¡¯s not right! This Blessing Palace¡¯s surroundings have quite a few hidden auras! There are people inside! While she was thinking about who would be here at night, that mysterious man suddenly went forward. Chapter 427 - Use Chu Liuyue originally thought that he would directly go over, but when the person moved the next moment, something dropped from his hands. Under the moonlight, that item reflected a light glow. A light fragrance wafted over. Chu Liuyue was shocked. This is phosphorus powder! One just has to light it gently to ignite a large fire! Is this person¡­ planning to burden down Blessing Palace? However, this is only the exterior of Blessing Palace. If he pours phosphorous powder here, it won¡¯t burn to the interior. What does he want? Suddenly, the side door to Blessing Palace opened. Chu Liuyue immediately looked up. A figure came out from inside. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused. It was Emperor Jiawen! After much thought, the only person who could make such a big move in the palace was him. As she was far away and a big part of his face was hidden in the darkness, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. Emperor Jiawen raised his hand and pointed before turning back to leave. When his figure disappeared, there were still two auras amongst the few auras earlier. It was clear that the remaining people were left to guard the place. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. There aren¡¯t many people in the palace. Who can make Emperor Jiawen waste so much effort to lock them up meticulously? When she thought of Situ Yan¡ªwho she had seen earlier¡ªand his terrible expression: The person locked here should be Situ Xingchen! Emperor Jiawen clearly wants to get something out of her, but judging from his appearance, there shouldn¡¯t be much progress. Chu Liuyue looked at the mysterious person in front. He must¡¯ve known that Situ Xingchen was locked here, so he purposely attracted me over! But why did he do this? Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to ask, that person silently walked in another direction. His steps looked slow, but his speed was high as he perfectly hid his tracks. If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue following him closely, she wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize his movements. For some reason, she seemed to guess that person¡¯s thoughts. So when he gradually got nearer to Blessing Palace, she stayed rooted to the ground instead. With her current cultivation level, she would only become a shield if she went over. She would also definitely attract those hidden warriors¡¯ attention. Hence, she rather not do anything and silently observe the situation. Very quickly, that person¡¯s figure disappeared behind one of the pillars at the edge of Blessing Palace. Chu Liuyue held her breath. Suddenly, a formidable suppression quickly came from midair. Chu Liuyue immediately looked up, and she saw a man in gray walking over through the air. The man wore a hat that covered his face, so she couldn¡¯t see his appearance. But judging from his slightly crooked back, he seemed to be quite old. When he appeared, three figures immediately appeared around Blessing Palace, surrounding the elder in gray in the middle. ¡°Who are you? How dare you trespass into Country Yao Chen¡¯s palace!¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. The trio was clearly sent over by Emperor Jiawen to guard this place, and the three of them are all stage-five warriors. One could count the number of stage-five warriors in the entire Country Yao Chen, yet Emperor Jiawen left three of them here. This clearly showed how sternly he wanted to guard Situ Xingchen. This stance was enough to block most of the trespassers, but¡­ that elder in gray was a stage higher than them. The higher one¡¯s cultivation level, the larger the difference between the two parties. Even if the three of them joined hands, they might not be this elder¡¯s match. ¡°I came here today just to bring one person away. If you¡¯re sensible, I won¡¯t make it difficult for you,¡± said the elder in gray lightly. His voice was hoarse, but his tone was calm with an almighty aura as if he was commanding them. He clearly came to snatch the person away, but he arrogantly said that he wouldn¡¯t make it difficult for the other party. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. This person clearly came for Situ Xingchen, but his identity is quite difficult to guess. ¡°How dare you? Where do you think you are? How can you come and go as you please!¡± The trio was clearly enraged by the elder¡¯s words as they looked at each other and rushed over. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today!¡± Facing the trio¡¯s simultaneous explosion of attacks, the elder in gray seemed not to care. He chuckled lowly with unconcealable mockery. ¡°Just based on you?¡± Seeing the trio getting closer and closer, he still didn¡¯t move. ¡°Kill!¡± Three forces were sent out in unison. Just as he was about to be hit, the elder finally raised his hand. His palm was especially big and thick; it was like a fan that landed silently. A gigantic silver palm print appeared in front of him. ¡°Mountain River Print!¡± hollered that elder. The silver palm print immediately came down. The next moment, the three forces split apart and completely disappeared. The terrifying forces spread in all directions. At this time, the elder¡¯s hand slowly curved as he contained all the crazy forces. Everything happened silently, which made the trio¡¯s faces change. How can a stage-six warrior be so strong?! ¡°Go!¡± The elder in gray waved his palm lightly, and a horrifying force shot out from it. That giant palm print gradually disappeared, leaving behind a silver ring that kept expanding toward the surroundings. ¡°Flee quickly!¡± The trio sensed that something was amiss and immediately wanted to escape. However, it was too late! The silver ring was very formidable, and it suffocated them as all of them were respectively frozen to the spot. No matter how much they struggled, they couldn¡¯t move and could only allow the silver ring to suppress them. Poof! One of them couldn¡¯t take it anymore and spat out a mouthful of blood. The other two were no better as their faces were pale, and they couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± The elder in gray laughed coldly and moved his palm. ¡°You! Don¡¯t¡ªAh!¡± Before the person who struggled to speak could finish his sentence, a strange light glowed on the ring and pierced through his chest. Following a low sound, his body flew toward the back and harshly landed on the ground. Chu Liuyue meticulously controlled her aura as many guesses surfaced in her mind. This person is very arrogant to come over so boldly. It was one against three, yet he won so easily! That elder in gray clearly didn¡¯t care about those few people. After settling them, he directly went for Blessing Palace¡¯s main entrance. But just as he was about to enter, a gigantic Xuan formation suddenly appeared above Blessing Palace and covered it. The elder in gray finally stopped. This was because this Xuan formation was very hard to deal with! But Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was hiding in the dark¡ªhad her eyes light up. I can use the Xuan formation to enter Blessing Palace! Chapter 428 - Exchange The gigantic Xuan formation dazzled brilliantly, and the entire Blessing Palace was hidden under its glory. In this situation, I would definitely be discovered if I directly went over. But¡­ if I merge myself with the Xuan formation, I can hide my figure. Chu Liuyue stared at the Xuan formation closely and gently slid her finger in midair, drawing out a rough outline. She hadn¡¯t seen this Xuan formation before, and this Xuan formation¡¯s level was not low. Thus, she couldn¡¯t immediately replicate an exact one according to its original appearance. However, she could easily break it apart. A sharp whistling sound could be heard coming from midair. Bang! Fireworks exploded in the black night sky¡ªit was a warning signal. With this commotion, it would definitely attract the attention of everyone in the palace. The elder in gray was still thinking of how to solve the Xuan formation when he suddenly heard the noise and immediately turned back. When he realized that it was the trio who sent out the help signal, he couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re really not afraid of making a commotion out of this.¡± The man¡ªwho was initially hurled to the floor¡ªcrawled up with much difficulty and spat out a mouthful of blood. He was still holding a cylinder in his hands; it was obvious that he had lit the previous fireworks. When the other two saw this, they looked at each other and saw the deep worry in each other¡¯s eyes. They rushed to that man and anxiously said, ¡°Did you forget what His Majesty instructed before?¡± This Blessing Palace contained the locked-up Situ Xingchen. His Majesty cared about this a lot and had even invited them to guard her together. Even the Empress that was previously grounded didn¡¯t have this treatment! This showed how much His Majesty cared about this. Previously, His Majesty had repeatedly instructed that outsiders could not know that Situ Xingchen was hiding here. But once this news was released, everyone would know about it. In less than 15 minutes, all the experts in the palace would gather here. The man that spat out blood slowly wiped the bloodstains off the corner of his mouth and stared at the elder in gray. ¡°His Majesty also said that the most important thing is to guard the person. If she gets taken away, we can¡¯t bear to face the consequences!¡± The other two exchanged glances and finally didn¡¯t say anything after much conflict. Then, they dispersed and surrounded the elder in gray again. Since things had ended up like this, they could only do their best. Seeing the stance the trio put up, the elder in gray was stunned before he laughed out loud. ¡°It looks like you won¡¯t cry until you see the coffin! Don¡¯t blame me for being merciless then!¡± ¡°Stop him!¡± The trio seemed to be determined as they rushed up together. The four of them immediately started battling. At this point, Chu Liuyue hid her aura and rapidly rushed toward Blessing Palace! At this moment, a few incomplete Xuan formations appeared on her body. Next to the gigantic Xuan formation, these small Xuan formations didn¡¯t have much sense of existence. However, their patterns and light were just enough to hide Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue walked forward and completely hid her figure within the countless rays of light. The key was that when she replicated the few Xuan formations, even though they weren¡¯t complete, there were some parts that complemented the above Xuan formation. This strange complement caused the Xuan formation to directly ignore Chu Liuyue barging in. Without any resistance, Chu Liuyue¡¯s journey was smooth as she arrived at the side door. Previously, Emperor Jiawen had entered from this unassuming location. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue quietly slid in. Her movements were very quick, and she disappeared behind the door in the blink of an eye, not attracting the elder in gray and the other three¡¯s attention. ¡­ After entering the palace, Chu Liuyue immediately started looking for Situ Xingchen¡¯s whereabouts. As the outside Xuan formation shone in, everything in the palace became much clearer. However, Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and didn¡¯t see anyone¡¯s figure. The entire palace was completely cold and quiet, with a thin layer of dust gathered on the table. This place had clearly been empty for a period of time. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings. Suddenly, she gathered her focus and stared at the bookshelf at the wall. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the bookshelf. However, the books seemed to be placed messily. Even if Rong Jin no longer stays here, everything inside should be tidily placed at the very least. Chu Liuyue walked over and started looking for clues on the bookshelf. When she saw the inkstone, she knitted her brows. The inkstone is of ordinary quality, and its workmanship doesn¡¯t make it seem like something that would appear in the palace. She felt around and tried to move it. Ka! The ground below her feet suddenly moved. A staircase leading downward suddenly appeared. Chu Liuyue paused and jumped in. She walked down, step by step. Her surroundings were dark and humid, with only a dim light in the distance. But other than her, there was no one else around. She quietly walked forward. After walking for some time, she finally saw an exit. A locked place appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡­ When Situ Xingchen heard footsteps again, she thought that Emperor Jiawen had returned. Thus, she said without raising her head, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ Even if you ask me more, I still don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°What do you now know?¡± A clear girl¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Situ Xingchen was taken aback as she finally looked up. Even though the face was blurred, she wouldn¡¯t recognize that figure and that voice wrongly. Chu Liuyue! She actually came here?! Situ Xingchen¡¯s mind was in a mess as she clenched her fists, and deep vengeance flashed across her eyes. ¡°Chu Liuyue, what are you doing?¡± Chu Liuyue walked toward her, and her eyes were like water as they lightly brushed past Situ Xingchen. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was very calm, but Situ Xingchen felt like she had been skinned alive. She felt terrible. ¡°You killed the Empress, right?¡± asked Chu Liuyue suddenly. Situ Xingchen clenched her teeth. ¡°What nonsense are you saying?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re also the one that let Rong Jin out of Crown Prince Mansion, right?¡± asked Chu Liuyue again. ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t! Why? Did Emperor Jiawen send you over to interrogate me?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s voice was filled with intense fury. If eyes could kill, Situ Xingchen¡¯s vengeful gaze would¡¯ve murdered Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression did not change; it was as though she didn¡¯t care about the other¡¯s reply. ¡°Give me the thing you took from the Empress.¡± As she spoke, Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand. Situ Xingchen suddenly widened her eyes. How does Chu Liuyue know about this? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°If you listen to me, I can tell you who the true Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son is.¡± Chapter 429 - He Will Definitely Regret The true Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son? Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard this. ¡°How do you know this?!¡± I thought only the Empress and Rong Jin knew about this? Did¡­ Rong Jin tell Chu Liuyue in the past? No, how can Rong Jin tell someone about such an important thing so easily? Even if he liked Chu Liuyue, he wouldn¡¯t do it. Besides¡­ Chu Liuyue already clearly knows that Rong Jin isn¡¯t the true Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son. Other than the few of us at the imperial mausoleum that day, how would other people know about this? Situ Xingchen looked at Chu Liuyue alertly. Suddenly, her gaze flashed, and she blurted out, ¡°You were at the imperial mausoleum that day?!¡± As she was too shocked, her hoarse voice became shrill. Chu Liuyue shrugged and said nonchalantly, ¡°There are no permanent secrets in this world. I¡¯ll ask you one last time: Will you give me the thing or not?¡± Situ Xingchen clutched the cage¡¯s bars, and her eyes sparkled. ¡°I¡­ Since you know about this, there isn¡¯t any reason for me to continue hiding. I took the replicated key for Golden Inheritance Peak from the Empress. Even though the Empress secretly replicated it, it could still open the barrier. Besides, I¡¯ve already passed it to Rong Jin. If not, how do you think he entered Golden Inheritance Peak?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. She had already guessed it when she saw Rong Jin and the rest following Emperor Jiawen into the imperial mausoleum, but this was not the point. ¡°You know that I don¡¯t want this,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Situ Xingchen purposely acted calm and said without changing her expression, ¡°The Empress only gave me this.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. If it were this simple, why would Emperor Jiawen spend so much effort to lock Situ Xingchen up? Even coming here secretly to interrogate her in the middle of the night? At first, she did not think of all of this. But when she saw Emperor Jiawen and the terrifying defense around the area, she guessed that Situ Xingchen had something that Emperor Jiawen wanted. Judging from Emperor Jiawen¡¯s attitude toward Heptagon Alley, he must know the hidden secret. Therefore, he doesn¡¯t want to ask something out of Situ Xingchen. Instead¡­ he wants to take something. Chu Liuyue had just randomly bluffed Situ Xingchen previously, but judging from the latter¡¯s reaction, she could almost confirm it. Situ Xingchen felt guilty because of Chu Liuyue¡¯s stare. How can this be? From start to end, I hid myself really well, and nobody discovered it. If I wasn¡¯t caught red-handed by Emperor Jiawen in the imperial mausoleum, I wouldn¡¯t be stuck here. She turned her back around as if she didn¡¯t want to continue talking to Chu Liuyue. ¡°It looks like we have nothing much to talk about.¡± When she turned around, she rapidly looked at the jade bracelet on her wrist. The two lights had already overlapped. When she left Mingyue Tianshan back then, Elder Zong Ye specifically gave her this. This jade bracelet had Elder Zong Ye¡¯s strength. With this, he could quickly find her no matter where she was. When she was locked here, she immediately asked Elder Zong Ye for help. Now that these two lights overlapped, it meant that Elder Zong Ye was nearby. But he didn¡¯t come after a long while, yet Chu Liuyue came. Hong! Hong! Hong! Explosion sounds could be heard outside. This caused the entire space to shake. Situ Xingchen suddenly raised her head. This¡­ Elder Zong Ye is fighting with people outside?! She was elated. Elder Zong Ye is very strong, so it won¡¯t be a problem for him to deal with the people in Country Yao Chen. If he can get me out of here¡­ ¡°Situ Xingchen,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Situ Xingchen instinctively turned around. Hua! Something flew toward her head. The alarm in her heart rang loudly, and she immediately wanted to retreat. But she was stuck in the cage, and the space was extremely small. The moment she took a step back, her body hit the bars. She waved her sleeves and harshly slammed that thing down. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. Situ Xingchen¡¯s force has indeed been suppressed as she can¡¯t even send out a single bit of force. Emperor Jiawen really did all sorts of preparations to teach her a lesson, but this will just benefit me. ¡°Chu Liuyue, don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t do anything to you just because I¡¯m stuck here!¡± Situ Xingchen quickly looked at the floor and discovered that there was a jade bottle. It directly shattered after it landed on the floor, and green liquid slowly flowed out. Smelling that strange scent, Situ Xingchen sneered. ¡°You want to poison me with just a small bottle of Qingshui Yang?¡± Qingshui Yang was very poisonous, but she didn¡¯t touch it at all earlier. Thus, it had no effect. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips suddenly curved up. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood; I haven¡¯t taken action.¡± Situ Xingchen was stunned. A ray of silver light suddenly flew out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingertips and landed on the puddle of Qingshui Yang. Peng! With a light sound, a greenish-purple mist rose up. Situ Xingchen¡¯s face changed. The next moment, the greenish-purple mist rapidly rushed toward her. She anxiously covered her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that when Qingshui Yang meets with Dadan San, its poisonous effects will instantly increase by ten-fold? Besides, the most convenient thing is that once this touches your skin even a little, it will instantly seep into your organs and limbs.¡± A horrifying scorching feeling came from her hands. Situ Xingchen looked down and saw that her originally white and supple skin suddenly became dry. It also had greenish-purple spots, looking very terrifying. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?! What did you do to me?¡± shouted Situ Xingchen in shock. Chu Liuyue raised her brows and glanced at her hand. She smiled and said lightly, ¡°Oh, so you really don¡¯t know that the side-effect of this poison is that you will rapidly grow old from outside to inside. Right now, it¡¯s your hand. Next, it will quickly travel to your face.¡± As she said this, Chu Liuyue shook her head in pity. ¡°This was mentioned in the footnote of page 582 in ¡®Heavenly Doctor Basics.¡¯ You don¡¯t even know this as a heavenly doctor.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s blood boiled. ¡®Heavenly Doctor Basics¡¯ was a very basic medical book, and it was the entry book for all heavenly doctors. However, there were too many things to remember from it. Who would notice a small footnote? Now, she was most afraid of her face. ¡°Chu Liuyue, you¡¯re so scheming and cruel!¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands trembled. ¡°If Rong Xiu knows that you¡¯re this cold-blooded, he would definitely regret marrying you!¡± Chapter 430 - Opportunity ¡°You¡¯re finally admitting it?¡± Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. From the start, Situ Xingchen has held great enmity toward me for some reason. No matter if it were the Qing Jiao Competition or when she later framed me for locking Rong Zhen up, one could tell that she didn¡¯t simply dislike me. She actually hated me and was jealous of me. Something seemed to be stuck in Situ Xingchen¡¯s chest, and she felt so indignant that she was about to explode. Finally, she couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer and scolded, ¡°So what?! I liked him for so many years, yet he doesn¡¯t even remember who I am! What about you? You¡¯re just an abandoned good-for-nothing from a useless family. How can you be compared to me?¡± In terms of looks, I¡¯m not worse than Chu Liuyue. In terms of background, I am so much better than Chu Liuyue! In terms of fate with Rong Xiu¡­ I have accompanied him at Mingyue Tianshan for so many years. What can Chu Liuyue compare to? ¡°He was always high and mighty, and he stayed a distance away from other girls. But¡­ you! For you, he actually knelt down in front of so many people to get a marriage certificate with you! I¡¯m clearly the one who understands him the most! Only I am good enough for him in this world!¡± Every time Situ Xingchen thought of this, her heart would ache. She didn¡¯t understand what was so good about Chu Liuyue that Rong Xiu had to treat her like that. It was as if¡­ all the warmth and love was left for her! Previously, when Rong Xiu sent all those people to burn the clothes with the cloud embroidery, she still had some hope in her heart. But afterward, every single incident slapped her face. Every single time, it made her realize that Rong Xiu cared more about that person than she had imagined. This caused Situ Xingchen¡¯s hatred toward Chu Liuyue to grow even deeper. Chu Liuyue saw her face that contorted because of anger and vengeance, and her lips curved up slightly. ¡°How do you know that he doesn¡¯t know?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s expression froze. ¡°Since you claim to understand him, then¡­ Do you know why he¡¯s doing this?¡± Chu Liuyue said slowly. Every single word was like a sharp knife that stabbed into Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart deeply. The blood-red color on her face slowly faded away, leaving a face of misery and indignance. That¡¯s right! How can someone like Rong Xiu not know what kind of person Chu Liuyue is? But¡­ he still chose her! The only explanation is that¡­ He¡¯s very devoted to Chu Liuyue, and he only wants her! From a very long time ago, she knew that Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t normally be charmed. But once he was¡­ He would only love one person for the rest of his life and give her his all. ¡°Y-you¡­ What did you do¡­?¡± Situ Xingchen clenched her teeth, and her joints became white as she gripped the cage bars with too much strength. At this point, she unwittingly looked down and saw that her wrist had turned greenish-purple. She was taken aback. If I really completely become a greenish-purple old lady, then next time¡­ Then, there will be no next time! Once she thought of that scene, chills were sent down her spine. I will never allow myself to become like that! ¡°As long as you let me out, I promise I will give you that thing!¡± Situ Xingchen said harshly. ¡°However, you must also promise to give me the antidote. If not, even if I die, I¡¯ll become a violent ghost and come back to haunt you!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up with much interest. To be serious, she¡¯s the one who came back from the dead to take revenge. But Chu Liuyue did not become a violent ghost. Instead, it was me. Who is scared of whom? ¡°It seems like the person outside came to save you,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. ¡°You want to go out with me and take the chance to escape?¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart beat wildly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying!¡± Chu Liuyue did not need her answer either. ¡°I just came here to take that thing; I¡¯m not here to save you. If you don¡¯t want to hand it over, then¡­ so be it! I¡¯ve already come in for a long time; I should get going.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue actually turned and left. Situ Xingchen finally panicked. ¡°Stand right there! Give me the antidote first!¡± She could even feel that the poison had spread to her arms! Without long, her face would be completely ruined. Chu Liuyue waved her hands. Seeing the figure that was about to disappear from her sight, Situ Xingchen clenched her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± Chu Liuyue stood still, turned around, and smiled at her. ¡°You should¡¯ve been this decisive earlier.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s face was filled with alertness. ¡°Give me the antidote first!¡± Chu Liuyue lightly flicked her fingers. A palm-sized wooden box dropped down. The greenish-purple mist suddenly seemed to be attracted by some force as it changed its direction and went toward the wooden box. Situ Xingchen finally heaved a sigh of relief when the last of the mist entered the box. ¡°Take the thing out,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Situ Xingchen widened her eyes and raised her hands. ¡°You haven¡¯t given me the antidote!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll naturally give it to you if you give me the item.¡± Situ Xingchen was stumped and hated Chu Liuyue in her heart. This Chu Liuyue is so scheming! She¡¯s not willing to be taken advantage of! She hesitated for a while and knew that Chu Liuyue was capable of doing anything. Hence, she didn¡¯t dare to be too arrogant as she touched her jade bracelet. Then, a wooden box appeared in front of her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze gently swept across the jade bracelet. It¡¯s a Cosmic Bracelet. This thing is much more expensive than a Cosmic Bag. This is because a Cosmic Bag is easily recognizable, while a Cosmic Bracelet looks no different from a normal bracelet. This should also be the reason why Situ Xingchen could keep this item and not let it be snatched away by Emperor Jiawen. ¡°This is the box the Empress left behind.¡± Situ Xingchen took a deep breath in and finally pushed the wooden container forward. ¡°As long as you can open the metal cage, the item inside the wooden container is yours.¡± Then, she took a step back as if she genuinely wanted to hand the item over. However, she sneered in her heart. There¡¯s a strong lock on the cage. If Chu Liuyue wants to take the item, she has to solve this problem. If she can¡¯t solve it, the item will still be mine. If she solves it¡­ then the metal cage will definitely be opened! I can then take the chance to escape! Anyway, with Elder Zong Ye outside, I can definitely succeed. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes as if her head hurt. Situ Xingchen stood quietly, but she secretly circulated her aura, waiting to deal a fatal blow. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue said lightly, ¡°Tuan Zi, bring the item over.¡± A red figure suddenly jumped out and lunged toward the wooden box. Situ Xingchen knitted her brows and finally recognized it as Chu Liuyue¡¯s blood ferret. The next moment, she heard ¡®kacha.¡¯ A hole appeared in the cage. Chapter 431 - Sudden Surrounding Situ Xingchen immediately rushed to the hole and extended her hand to take the wooden box back. At this time, Tuan Zi jumped out and directly knocked against the wooden box. The wooden box instantly moved to the side, narrowly escaping Situ Xingchen¡¯s hand. Indignance flashed across Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes, but her actions showed no forms of hesitation as she continued to go forward. She planned to give her all through that broken hole. The item inside the wooden box was important, but it couldn¡¯t be compared to her life. As long as I can escape from this place, everything can be discussed. When I go out, I will have chances to get the box back. But just as her head stuck out of the hole, a cold wind suddenly came through. Bang! Chu Liuyue¡¯s foot came flying forward as it hit Situ Xingchen¡¯s face. Her figure suddenly flew backward and harshly slammed against the metal cage bars behind. Taking the chance, Tuan Zi had already thrown the wooden box out. Chu Liuyue easily took it and opened it. A scroll of goat-skin paper lay in the box, and an indescribable suppression spread from the surface. Chu Liuyue confirmed that this was it. Pak! She closed the wooden box again and placed it within the Cosmic Bag. Her series of actions was very smooth. Situ Xingchen finally recovered her senses as her brain whirred, and her face felt excruciating pain. An intense, bloody taste came between her lips as she opened her mouth and spat out blood. However, she discovered that it contained half her tooth. Chu Liuyue used all her strength in that kick, and Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t even have the chance to escape as she got hit straight in the face. Half her tooth was kicked away. Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands trembled as she touched her face. Her face had sticky bloodstains, and it quickly swelled up. Without looking at a mirror, she knew how unkempt she looked at this moment. Situ Xingchen¡¯s lungs were about to explode. Not only did Chu Liuyue snatch the wooden box, but she has even ruined my appearance. This completely broke her last strand of rationality. ¡°I¡¯ll fight you to death!¡± Situ Xingchen hurled toward Chu Liuyue with all her might. A silver light flashed, and a dagger appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. Then, she raised her wrist. Choo! A thin blade flew out of the dagger and went for Situ Xingchen¡¯s head. Upon feeling the sharp murderous intent, Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart sank as she immediately dodged it, but her force was sealed. Together with the torture she experienced in the past few days, she was exhausted. In this manner, her footsteps were much slower than before. Chu Liuyue¡¯s flying blade was very fast. The sound of a sharp blade scraping past one¡¯s skin was heard. That flying blade actually went right through Situ Xingchen¡¯s left shoulder. A bloody hole appeared, and blood spurted everywhere. ¡°Ah!¡± Situ Xingchen yelled out bitterly as she collapsed in defeat. She anxiously looked at her shoulders that were still bleeding. The fresh, red blood quickly stained her entire shirt. The bloody smell filled the air, and it was coupled with some awful scent that made one want to vomit. Situ Xingchen was about to stand up when a second flying blade flew out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger. This time, it was aimed at her left ankle. A few crushed bones flew out. Situ Xingchen¡¯s face turned white from the pain, and she couldn¡¯t even say anything as she curled into a ball. Only her pair of eyes was glaring at Chu Liuyue in vengeance as if she wanted to tear her apart. Chu Liuyue ignored her gaze. Hong! A loud sound came from outside again. It¡¯s time to leave! Chu Liuyue turned around and ran outside. Situ Xingchen struggled to stand up, but she still fell down defeatedly. She could only watch Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure disappear into the night. Her chest vibrated, and she vomited blood again. Chu Liuyue¡­ If there¡¯s the chance, I¡¯ll make sure you suffer a hundred-fold of whatever I did today! Situ Xingchen took a deep breath in, bit her finger, and sent out a blood pearl. Then, she rubbed the blood onto the jade bracelet on her wrist. It shone lightly, and the blood pearl was rapidly absorbed by the jade bracelet before disappearing without a trace. However, the overlapping lights gradually became blood red. ¡­ Chu Liuyue went up the stairs, and the moment she jumped out, she felt the terrifying side-effects. She looked over and shockingly discovered that the previously sturdy Xuan formation had actually cracked and was about to fall. In front, the elder in gray had already been surrounded by countless imperial guards. One look at it, and one would see three rows inside and three out. Even the frontmost position had a pile of corpses. They were all clearly killed by the elder in gray. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. This elder is even stronger than I thought¡­ Precisely because of this, the two parties entered a stalemate. Suddenly, the elder in gray lowered his head and seemed to have seen something. His back was facing Chu Liuyue, so she couldn¡¯t see what he was doing. But the next moment, the elder¡¯s aura started to spread. ¡°Whoever blocks me shall die!¡± His thick voice contained shocking strength. With him as the center, an invisible force started spreading in all directions. Then, he turned around and rushed toward Blessing Palace. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He¡¯s coming straight in my direction. Huala! The defensive Xuan formation completely broke down. As long as he enters the palace, he will immediately feel my presence. Chu Liuyue scanned her surroundings but discovered that she would attract attention when she escaped in any direction. Just as she felt very conflicted, a white fire suddenly started burning from the side door of Blessing Palace. When Emperor Jiawen rushed over, he saw this: The gigantic, silver Xuan formation had already broken down, and an elder in gray had rushed to the front of Blessing Palace. The green-white fire started rising and surrounded the entire Blessing Palace. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s temples throbbed as all the blood in his body seemed to freeze. ¡°Stop him! Stop him!¡± Situ Xingchen is still inside! This man clearly wants to use the fire as a diversion to bring Situ Xingchen out! Absolutely no way is that going to happen! Actually, Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t know that the elder in gray was also stuck in the fire. The fire came very suddenly, and it was burning wildly. Even though he was a stage-six warrior, it was rather troublesome to deal with the fire. At the same time, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho saw the burning fire in the palace¡ªrushed out of the nearby window without hesitation. When she jumped into the fire, her body was wrapped by a red fire. A figure suddenly appeared in front of her and blocked her way. It was that mysterious person! Chapter 432 - Qi Han Chu Liuyue instantly became alert. Did he appear at this time to attack me? The wide hat and robe covered his entire figure, and even his face had a black handkerchief. From head to toe, he only revealed his narrow, black eyes. Chu Liuyue looked at that pair of eyes, and an intense familiarity overwhelmed her heart. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. A name was stuck in her throat as if it was going to jump out at any time. He looked at her with eyes that were as calm as dead water, without any ripples. However, Chu Liuyue instantly understood what he meant. She looked at him and slowly extended her hand. Her fingertips were still trembling, but she slowly and determinedly showed a gesture in the end. That man¡¯s gaze finally changed. The next moment, something flew out of his sleeves. A silver light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. The next moment, she felt that her entire figure seemed to be dragged into a strange space. Her surroundings were pitch black, and the strong oppression overwhelmed her, but Chu Liuyue did not panic. She knew that this was a transportation Yuan instrument¡ªTianying Ring. This item was very precious. Even in the Tianling Dynasty, it was also a priceless treasure. One just had to inject some force into the Tianying Ring, and they could instantly transport from one place to another. According to the traveling distance, the ring was differentiated into various grades. The higher the grade, the rarer it was. Its relative safeness would also be higher. Chu Liuyue had one before, so she knew it rather well. After feeling it, she confirmed this was a superior-grade Tianying Ring. Even though the disruptions in the space made one feel uncomfortable, there was no need to worry. Besides, she could feel the person standing near her. Even though she couldn¡¯t see anything, Chu Liuyue did not worry. The pair of narrow eyes kept replaying in her mind. She took a deep breath in and suppressed her inner questions and emotions. Not long later, the surrounding suppression suddenly disappeared. Chu Liuyue was relaxed. She looked up and realized that she was at home again. The candle in her room was still burning, emitting a faint light, as if she had never left before. Looking at the moon hanging high in the night sky, Chu Liuyue roughly estimated that the entire process didn¡¯t even take two hours. A hard gaze landed on her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she took a deep breath and finally turned around. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. The hand in Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeves curled slightly as she finally said, ¡°You¡­ You came here today to help me take something from Situ Xingchen?¡± That man didn¡¯t say anything, but his gaze changed. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t describe her emotions. Her heart seemed to be stuffed with thick, soft, and wet cotton, which caused her to be unable to breathe. However, there seemed to be a vague light that pierced through the mist in front of her, letting her have some hope and expectations¡­ The two of them fell silent. Chu Liuyue knew what she was waiting for. She even knew what the other party was waiting for. The clear moonlight shone down, dragging the duo¡¯s shadows. Chu Liuyue clenched her hands and relaxed. She repeated the actions again as she started sweating on this slightly cold night. After a while, she opened her mouth. Due to her nervousness, her throat was dry. ¡°Below the Southern Mountain.¡± Her every word and sentence was pronounced very clearly. Together with faint bitterness and deep longing, the originally clear voice became slightly hoarse. The opposite man¡¯s gaze finally became very affected. He finally opened his mouth and said his first sentence of the night. ¡°The Thirteen Yue Guard returns!¡± The next moment, he waved his sleeves and knelt down on one knee as his right hand was tightly pressed to the left side of his chest. ¡°Princess, allow Qi Han[1] to bow to you!¡± It¡¯s him! It¡¯s really him! Even though Chu Liuyue had already guessed his identity earlier, her heart still started beating wildly when she heard and confirmed it personally. It was like a fire had expanded from her heart, burning her entire person. Everything in the surroundings became blurred; only the figure in front of her became increasingly clear. Chu Liuyue had imagined this many times as she wondered if anyone could see her true identity through this facade. She thought of many people, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be the Thirteen Yue Guard. Besides, it was actually at this time and at this place! Below the Northern mountain, the Thirteen Yue Guard returns! This was the secret code between her and the Thirteen Yue Guard. Other than them, nobody else knew about it. Therefore, when Chu Liuyue said the former sentence, it was akin to admitting her identity. She closed her eyes and turned to walk to the house. ¡°Come in and talk.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked into the room, and Qi Han followed her in. After locking all the windows and ensuring that nobody would find something wrong, Chu Liuyue sat down on the stool. She looked up, and Qi Han stood at the side with his back straight, but his eyes turned toward her from time to time. It was obvious that Qi Han was still as shocked and confused as she was toward this situation. Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Sit.¡± Qi Han immediately said, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness! I¡¯ll just stand!¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. After not seeing each other for so long, everything has changed, but Qi Han¡¯s personality didn¡¯t change at all. ¡°Sit. I¡¯m no longer your master now. You don¡¯t have to be so restrained.¡± Qi Han immediately knelt down again. ¡°The Thirteen Yue Guard only have you as our master!¡± He paused and lowered his voice. ¡°Or¡­ do you not want us again?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s nose turned sour. ¡°Since when did I not want you? Get up first.¡± However, Qi Han was very stubborn. ¡°You haven¡¯t returned in so long. Allow me to kneel some more to make up for the past few times.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed, but her eyes turned red. ¡°If you don¡¯t get up, you can go back now.¡± Qi Han hesitated for a while before standing up straight at the side. After a slight pause, he said, ¡°After you left, I didn¡¯t have anywhere to return to.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and held back her tears. After a while, she calmed the turmoil in her heart. ¡°Tell me. How did you spend the past year? How did you find me here?¡± Qi Han said, ¡°¡­Actually, before you got into trouble, we already noticed that something was wrong and planned to go back. However, we met with many people that ambushed us on the way. When we got back, you¡­ More than half of the cave was burned¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°So, it means that you went back on that day?¡± Qi Han nodded. ¡°It¡¯s all because we¡¯re useless and went back too late!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something. ¡°What¡¯s with the burns on your hand?¡± Qi Han paused. ¡°You burned it that day, right?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Upon seeing Qi Han¡¯s silent look, her heart jumped. ¡°Take down your mask!¡± [1] The ¡®Qi¡¯ is written as seven in Chinese, meaning he is seventh in line out of the 13 guards. Chapter 433 - Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant Qi Han hesitated for a moment but still did it. The Thirteen Yue Guard never disobeyed Her Highness¡¯s commands. When he removed his mask and took off his hat, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart twitched harshly. The youngster¡¯s neck and the left side of his face were all filled with burn marks. The originally handsome appearance actually became like this. Only that pair of narrow eyes is still like old times. ¡°W-why must you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue spoke with much difficulty. The moment she said those few words, it was like something choked her. ¡°Knowing that Your Highness is in danger, how can the Thirteen Yue Guard run away? It¡¯s all because of our uselessness that we failed to save you.¡± Qi Han didn¡¯t care about his ruined appearance and body. He only cared that he couldn¡¯t protect Her Highness as he went back too late. Chu Liuyue did not speak for some time. All along, I thought that I had died alone without any dependence. I did not expect that the Thirteen Yue Guard would return that day. ¡°What happened after that?¡± ¡°After that, Jiang Yucheng continued sending people to kill us secretly. We planned to join the others and take revenge for you, but¡­¡± ¡°But you discovered too many of them had already betrayed me, right?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly, and her eyes were calm as if she were narrating someone else¡¯s story. Qi Han hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°Actually, only a minority betrayed you. However¡­ a portion of them held high statuses, so the situation was harder to deal with. Besides, we¡¯re just your personal guards, and we don¡¯t have much say. So¡­¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Even if Qi Han didn¡¯t say it, she could roughly guess the situation back then. ¡°It¡¯s really hard on you to do that. What else happened?¡± Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan would definitely not let the Thirteen Yue Guard off so easily, and they would try to kill them all. ¡°Are the other Thirteen Yue Guard members okay currently?¡± Qi Han clenched his fists. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; the others are doing fine.¡± Chu Liuyue then felt better. Now, the Thirteen Yue Guard were the few people she could trust. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good¡­ But Qi Han, why did you leave Heaven¡¯s Canopy alone? How did you find me?¡± Actually, this was what Chu Liuyue was most curious about. Even I felt that having my soul in someone else¡¯s body was too ridiculous. How did Qi Han even find me? Besides, judging by how he behaved earlier, he clearly already knew about it. He came here today just for confirmation. ¡°Your Highness, not only me but the other Thirteen Yue Guard members also aren¡¯t in the Tianling Dynasty anymore. A month after the fire, Jiang Yucheng framed us for betraying the country and said that it was our actions that led to you going crazy during cultivation¡­ After that, he sent out a warrant for us. The Thirteen Yue Guard discussed this and decided to leave Heaven¡¯s Canopy together.¡± ¡°Jiang Yucheng is such a bully!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned cold. Not only did he drive me to my death, but he even framed the Thirteen Yue Guard. After my death, he could literally cover the sky in the Tianling Dynasty with Shangguan Wan¡¯s help. Under these circumstances, it was the correct decision for the Thirteen Yue Guard to leave. ¡°Actually, you could just leave the Tianling Dynasty. You didn¡¯t need to leave Heaven¡¯s Canopy. All of you are strong; it¡¯s a waste of your talents if you go outside.¡± Chu Liuyue felt pity in her heart. However, Qi Han shook his head. ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t know, but we finally left Heaven¡¯s Canopy because we received a letter.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°What letter?¡± ¡°A letter¡­ regarding you!¡± Speaking of this, Qi Han suddenly looked up and gazed at Chu Liuyue determinedly. ¡°The letter said that if we wanted to avenge you, we had to leave Heaven¡¯s Canopy first!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Who wrote that letter?¡± ¡°It was anonymous, and we still don¡¯t know who wrote it even now. But¡­ We didn¡¯t have any other choice back then, so we just did it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°It¡¯s just a letter, yet all of you believed it and¡­ did it?¡± She had meticulously raised the Thirteen Yue Guard, and all of them were very capable and careful. Why would they make such a decision because of a mere letter? This is ridiculous! Qi Han¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°Because¡­ Because that letter¡¯s handwriting was exactly the same as yours! The point is: there was an item of yours inside.¡± Chu Liuyue almost thought that she had heard wrongly as she immediately knitted her brows. Many people have seen my handwriting, so it isn¡¯t impossible for one to mimic it. It¡¯s impossible for the Thirteen Yue Guard to do it just because of the similar handwriting. If so, the item that came with the letter became very important and was the decision-making factor. ¡°What item?¡± ¡°A feather from the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant!¡± Chu Liuyue abruptly stood up. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant was her fiend back then. When she chose to drag everyone down and commit suicide, she had intentionally released the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant to protect its life. But after what happened in the end, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant had clearly died that day as well. Besides, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s feathers were very precious, and they signified itself! An average person couldn¡¯t even touch the feathers, let alone pluck them out. Before I died, all nine of the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s feathers were still intact. Since it died, how can anyone take its feathers? Where did the feather in the letter come from? Chapter 434 - Miss Only she had a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant in the entire Tianling Dynasty. The Thirteen Yue Guard had followed her for so many years, so they would not be mistaken. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of the feather that we believed the letter¡­ Besides, from then on, we thought that you were actually alive.¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. If one were to say she was dead, she was indeed here. If one were to say she was alive, she actually only woke up a few months ago. ¡°So after you left Heaven¡¯s Canopy, we went our separate ways and secretly investigated your whereabouts. This time, I found some news, so I started suspecting your identity.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°Therefore, you purposely made that gesture when you came here?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You were so sure that it was me?¡± Seeing Qi Han¡¯s determined appearance, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Qi Han honestly said, ¡°I heard that Mu Qinghe was here, so I followed him over.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile froze. ¡°At the start, I just wanted to know why he stayed here for so long. Later on, I realized that something was amiss, so I started investigating you in secret.¡± Qi Han said it simply, but he had actually made a lot of preparations before he came. Before he came, he was already 80 to 90 percent confident. No matter if it were her outstanding talent in all three cultivation paths or the extremely similar gaze, they all made him overthink. However, the most important thing was¡ª ¡°Especially when I saw that you brought a present for Hong Yao that day and how familiar it was with you. Thus, it confirmed my guess.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°You know all of this?¡± Qi Han nodded honestly. Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± I actually didn¡¯t know at all! Even though my abilities can¡¯t be compared to the past, my sensitivity and reaction speed has always been decent. In the end, I didn¡¯t even realize that Qi Han was investigating me for so long! After a temporary silence, Chu Liuyue finally said slowly, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in more than a year, but you¡¯ve gotten so much better at hiding.¡± A suspicious red flashed across the half of Qi Han¡¯s face that was not burned. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Your Highness! I still have a lot to learn!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± This kid really thinks that I¡¯m complimenting him! But seeing his half scar-filled face, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached. If everything was still okay¡­ ¡°Is there a way to remove your scar?¡± Qi Han was dazed as if he didn¡¯t expect her to change the topic suddenly. He touched his face and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s pretty good this way. Many people can¡¯t recognize me, so it¡¯s more convenient for me to do things.¡± However, Chu Liuyue suddenly remembered something. ¡°Wait! Could it be¡­ Due to that fire back then, was I¡ª¡± Back then, I was despondent and decided to commit suicide, wanting to drag both Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan down. Thus, I burned all the strength in my body. The burning from a Tianjing Yuan meridian was extremely horrendous. If not, it couldn¡¯t impact the two of them harshly. But I didn¡¯t expect to implicate Qi Han¡­ Normal herbs simply could not deal with such scars as they have the Tianjing Yuan meridian¡¯s strength in them. If I could recover my Tianjing Yuan meridian, I might be able to solve this problem easily. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. ¡°Okay then. Since you¡¯re done talking, say it. Who told you about Situ Xingchen and made you come?¡± Qi Han¡¯s body froze. ¡­ At the same time, in the palace. Blessing Palace was completely surrounded by the greenish-white fire as it shot toward the sky and illuminated half the night. Many imperial guards and countless warriors tried to barge in from outside, but the phosphorus powder made the fire burn intensely. Hence, normal water didn¡¯t even work. Seeing that the fire was growing bigger and bigger, the crowd became increasingly anxious. Emperor Jiawen stood at the side and refused to leave no matter what the rest said. The bright and hot light from the fire shone on his face, making it seem extra gloomy. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry first. We¡¯ve already set up another Xuan formation around Blessing Palace, and we have heavy defenses. Nobody inside can escape easily,¡± advised Chu Ning bitterly. Speechless, Emperor Jiawen stood with his hands behind his back as he stared closely at Blessing Palace. Nobody knew what he was worried about. Seeing this, Chu Ning didn¡¯t say anything else as he rushed to the front and brought the imperial guards to strengthen their defenses. At this time, Elder Zong Ye finally crossed all the fire and rushed to the palace. The moment he went in, he saw someone coming out from the ground below¡ªit was Situ Xingchen! Elder Zong Ye was elated as he immediately rushed over. ¡°Xingchen!¡± Hearing this familiar voice, Situ Xingchen immediately looked up. ¡°Elder Zong Ye!¡± Elder Zong Ye then saw her bloodied face, and his expression changed gravely. ¡°What happened to you?!¡± When he went near, he realized that not only was Situ Xingchen¡¯s force locked, but her shoulders and ankle were also injured. At this very moment, she couldn¡¯t even walk normally. Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes turned red with deep vengeance. ¡°I-it¡¯s Chu Liuyue! She stole my item and beat me up into this state! Elder Zong Ye, you must take revenge for me!¡± Elder Zong Ye felt immense heartache as he hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! When we go out, I won¡¯t let her off!¡± Situ Xingchen was suddenly stunned as she grabbed his shoulders. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right! She just left from below. You should¡¯ve seen her!¡± Chapter 435 - Doubt Elder Zong Ye knitted his brows. ¡°She came out? But I didn¡¯t see anyone¡¯s figure just now.¡± An inauspicious feeling rose in Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart. ¡°You really didn¡¯t see her? T-then what about now? Is she hiding in some corner here?¡± The entire place was an ocean of fire. With Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities, how could she escape smoothly and quietly? As Situ Xingchen Spoke, she agitatedly clutched Elder Zong Ye¡¯s arm. Upon seeing her anxious and maniacal face, Elder Zong Ye¡¯s heart ached. I don¡¯t know what Xingchen has suffered for her to become like this! He comforted, ¡°Xingchen! Xingchen, don¡¯t be anxious! We can leave first and talk about the rest later¡ª¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Situ Xingchen shrieked at the top of her voice. ¡°She took that wooden box away!¡± I spent so much effort to take it from the Empress. How can Chu Liuyue just snatch it away like that? I¡¯ll be very indignant! Elder Zong Ye furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°What wooden box? Is it very important?¡± Situ Xingchen took a deep breath in. I didn¡¯t tell anyone about the wooden box and kept it meticulously. Even when I invited Father and Elder Zong Ye to come over, I just said that Rong Jin was the fake Heaven¡¯s Chosen Son and that I was implicated. Facing Elder Zong Ye¡¯s questioning, she immediately felt guilty. ¡°¡­It is quite important. You must help me!¡± Elder Zong Ye surveyed his surroundings, and his gaze turned tense. ¡°But¡­ Emperor Jiawen and the rest have already come, and the people outside will just increase in number. The longer we delay, the harder it is for us to leave! Besides, I don¡¯t know who purposely set this fire! We must leave here as soon as possible! If not, your body won¡¯t be able to take it!¡± He was very strong, but it wasn¡¯t that easy to bring Situ Xingchen out in her current state. Besides, he hid his identity this time. If Emperor Jiawen and the rest knew who he was and the news got back to Mingyue Tianshan, he would definitely be in trouble. ¡°Xingchen, don¡¯t worry. Since you know that Chu Liuyue stole your item, we¡¯ll have chances to snatch it back in the future!¡± Then, he carried Situ Xingchen and planned to rush out. Situ Xingchen had a lot of difficulties that she couldn¡¯t voice out, but she knew that this was the best option in such a scenario. Thus, she could only accept it. A silver barrier instantly covered the duo. The light dazzled and covered more than half of the duo¡¯s figures. From outside, one couldn¡¯t see who was inside. Elder Zong Ye went on his toes and instantly rushed out of the greenish-white fire and into the sky. ¡°They¡¯re out!¡± The surrounding crowd suddenly gasped. Countless figures immediately surrounded and chased them. Emperor Jiawen stared closely at the barrier. Even if he couldn¡¯t see their faces, he could vaguely see that there were two people inside. His heart sank. One of them must be Situ Xingchen! ¡°No matter what, you have to stop them!¡± commanded Emperor Jiawen. Choo! Choo! Choo! Countless sharp arrows shot out, but they were all blocked by the silver barrier. But just as the duo was about to escape, a figure suddenly appeared and blocked their escape route. Elder Zong Ye saw that person¡¯s face and immediately became solemn. It¡¯s actually Ye Zhiting! The next moment, the other party¡¯s sentence stunned him. ¡°Long time no see, how have you been?¡± Ye Zhiting actually recognized me?! A thought popped up in Elder Zong Ye¡¯s mind. Ye Zhiting and I have only met each other a few times. The other party hasn¡¯t even seen my face, so how could Ye Zhiting confirm my identity now? Ye Zhiting smiled as he waved the fan in his hands. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t we sit down and have some tea?¡± Elder Zong Ye guessed that Ye Zhiting was just bluffing him. He didn¡¯t even bother to reply as he crazily circulated his inner force. The suppression on the barrier instantly became stronger, and it flew toward the sides. Elder Ye¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change as he waved his wrist and flung his fan out. Hua! The moment it flew out, the fan immediately dropped and became countless white feathers that went toward Elder Zong Ye and Situ Xingchen in unison. The sound of the feathers piercing through the air could be heard. In the blink of an eye, those white feathers had already flown to the barrier and enveloped it. Elder Zong Ye immediately felt a formidable suppression. The surrounding space gradually seemed to become heavy and tense, and even their speed started to decrease. Elder Zong Ye was shocked. Ye Zhiting¡¯s fan is actually so strong! At this moment, one of the feathers suddenly rushed forward. Choo! A cracking sound was heard. Then, Elder Zong Ye shockingly discovered that a crack appeared on his surrounding barrier as a white feather gradually pierced through. He immediately wanted to repair it, but it was too late. The next moment, that white feather suddenly disappeared. The entire barrier immediately became countless rays of light and dispersed in all directions. The hat on his head was also crushed by this terrifying force. But just as the two of them were about to be exposed in front of so many people, Elder Ye suddenly hollered, ¡°Keep!¡± The moment he said this, the white feathers instantly multiplied and overlapped each other as they completely covered the duo¡¯s figures. ¡­ Such a big commotion that occurred in the palace naturally couldn¡¯t be hidden. Very quickly, countless pairs of eyes in the Imperial City looked in that direction. In the dark night, only the skyrocketing fire was eye-catching. Many people started to guess if something happened in the palace. During this period of time, the Imperial City was not very peaceful. It had only been a few days, but the Empress had passed away, Rong Jin was removed from his Crown Prince position, and even the palace was burning now. The entire atmosphere in the Imperial City seemed to be much heavier than before. There seemed to be something brewing in the dark, making one extremely uneasy. But in Chu Liuyue¡¯s room, everything was quiet. Once she asked that, Qi Han fell silent. Chu Liuyue looked at him quietly. She wasn¡¯t doubting Qi Han. If not, she wouldn¡¯t directly admit her identity. However, it was obvious that Qi Han didn¡¯t explain some things clearly. Even if he had logically explained himself earlier, saying that he had coincidentally followed Mu Qinghe over and conveniently found me¡­ However, if he didn¡¯t know something, how could he confirm that a young girl born in a desolated family in Country Yao Chen could be the once distinguished, high and mighty princess back then? Besides, very few people knew that I wanted to snatch something from Situ Xingchen. Could all of this be solely discovered by Qi Han alone? Mu Qinghe doubted me, and the two of us had some history. It was just because of my completely different appearance and body and the unexplainable identity that made him unable to confirm. So¡­ how did Qi Han know? Chapter 436 - Did He Betray Me Qi Han knew he couldn¡¯t hide it. After some thought, he decided to tell her the truth. ¡°Your Highness, this news came from Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Second Master Yan?¡± Qi Han nodded but shook his head again. It suddenly dawned on Chu Liuyue. ¡°Did the Master of Zhen Bao Pavilion instruct Second Master Yan to tell you?¡± A look of surprise flashed across Qi Han¡¯s eyes; he didn¡¯t expect her to guess it so quickly. Her Highness is smart and wise, so it isn¡¯t surprising that she thought of this. ¡°I went to Zhen Bao Pavilion to buy some herbs. When they delivered the order, I found a letter in one of the boxes. ¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood the situation. I see; if it were that person, it wouldn¡¯t be weird. That person is formidable and has heaven-defying capabilities. The entire Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City seems to be under his control, let alone others. But¡­ if he purposely told Qi Han this, does it not mean that he long knew about my identity?! Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the letter?¡± Qi Han said, ¡°That letter was specially handled. After I opened it and read it, it directly burned itself.¡± Chu Liuyue felt regret. It was obvious that the other party was very meticulous and didn¡¯t even want to expose any of his traces. Qi Han glanced at her carefully. ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t say it earlier as I didn¡¯t want you to worry¡­ I planned to tell you after I checked that person¡¯s identity.¡± Other than the Thirteen Yue Guard, there was still another person who knew Her Highness¡¯s identity in this world! He even knew before them! After Qi Han knew about this, he felt conflicted. On the one hand, he felt very emotional that Chu Liuyue could possibly be Her Highness! On the other hand, he was secretly worried that the other party would use this to harm Her Highness. After much thinking, Chu Liuyue laughed lightly and shook her head. ¡°You want to find out his identity? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little difficult. Besides¡­ Since he already knows and told you, there¡¯s nothing else to worry about.¡± He has helped me so many times. If he wanted to deal with me, why would he waste so much effort? ¡°That person¡¯s abilities and background are formidable. From now on, don¡¯t waste any more time and effort on checking him.¡± Qi Han was quite shocked. Who is that person? Why is Her Highness so afraid of him? Besides¡­ Judging by Her Highness¡¯s tone, it seems like she¡¯s rather familiar with him. ¡°Your Highness, you know him?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Chu Liuyue bluntly. She wanted to know the Master¡¯s identity more than anyone else, but the other party clearly didn¡¯t want her to find out. Therefore, why should she waste her effort? She would know his identity when the time was ripe. Since Chu Liuyue had said that, Qi Han would act according to her words. ¡°Where are the other Thirteen Yue Guard members? Do they know¡­ about me?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all not in Country Yao Chen, but I¡¯ve been keeping in contact with them. However¡­ I haven¡¯t told them about you.¡± Before he personally confirmed Her Highness¡¯s identity, he wouldn¡¯t reveal it on his own. Chu Liuyue smiled with satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re doing great; your meticulous attitude is just like before.¡± It was unexpected for her to acknowledge Qi Han today. It would be of tremendous help for her since the Thirteen Yue Guard was still loyal toward her, but it was better if fewer people knew about her identity. ¡°Don¡¯t tell them about this first. When the time is right, I¡¯ll personally let them know.¡± Qi Han immediately said, ¡°I understand, Your Highness!¡± After all the matters had been settled, Chu Liuyue felt much better. ¡°Last question.¡± Her white and thin fingers lightly knocked against the table as she asked her question. ¡°Did Mu Qinghe¡­ betray me?¡± ¡­ ¡°Zong Ye, we¡¯re all rational. Let¡¯s just lay everything out.¡± In the palace, Elder Zong Ye and Situ Xingchen were trapped in the feather-made cage, and they couldn¡¯t move at all. Elder Ye stood in front of the two of them and looked down at them from above, while Emperor Jiawen stood next to him. Other than this, there were no other people. Elder Zong Ye kept quiet, but Situ Xingchen seemed to have fainted due to excessive blood loss. ¡°I also know Mingyue Tianshan¡¯s rules. If the news of you barging into Country Yao Chen¡¯s palace gets out¡­ It won¡¯t be good, right?¡± Ye Zhiting was still smiling happily, but the words that came out of his mouth sent chills down Elder Zong Ye¡¯s spine. Even though Mingyue Tianshan accepted disciples like other clans, they had a bottom line. They wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to interfere with any country¡¯s matters. Elder Zong Ye had broken the rule! Needless to say, he would be punished, and he might even be evicted from Mingyue Tianshan. ¡°Ye Zhiting! What exactly do you want?!¡± ¡°Heh, shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking you this? You came all the way here in the middle of the night and barged into Blessing Palace, even wanting to bring her away by force. Speaking of this¡­ Isn¡¯t this your fault?¡± ¡°You¡¯re twisting the truth! Xingchen is Country Xing Luo¡¯s eldest princess. It¡¯s wrong for you to lock her up secretly.¡± While saying this, Elder Zong Ye¡¯s blood boiled even more. ¡°You tortured her to this state, and you still want to fault me?! You¡¯re such a bully!¡± ¡°Hey¡­ You can¡¯t say this. Didn¡¯t you also burn Blessing Palace just now?¡± We needed to use so much effort to completely extinguish such a huge fire! Some of the other palaces were also affected. Elder Zong Ye was so angry that his beard was in a mess. ¡°I didn¡¯t set that fire!¡± Elder Ye was stunned. ¡°How is it not you? Didn¡¯t you plan to bring her away amidst the chaos?¡± ¡°Do I need to use such unscrupulous methods? If it weren¡¯t for that fire, I would¡¯ve brought Xingchen to leave a long time ago! Why will I still be talking to you here?¡± Upon seeing the agitated Elder Zong Ye, Ye Zhiting was doubtful, and he glanced at Emperor Jiawen. Is it¡­ really not him? ¡°Let me tell you: someone was ahead of me and entered Blessing Palace today. Besides, she even attacked Xingchen and destroyed her shoulder and leg.¡± Upon hearing this, Elder Ye immediately knitted his brows and took a closer look at Situ Xingchen on the floor. Wasn¡¯t this injury made by Emperor Jiawen? Emperor Jiawen also noticed something wrong as he stepped forward and stared at Elder Zong Ye. ¡°Who is it?¡± Elder Zong Ye sneered. ¡°You all know this person¡ªChu Liuyue!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Elder Ye denied without thinking. How can this be done by my precious disciple?! ¡°How is this impossible? Xingchen told me herself! Ye Zhiting, Chu Liuyue is your disciple, right? She came and left so smoothly today¡­ Could you be helping her in secret?¡± ¡°My a*s!¡± Vulgarities spilled out of Ye Zhiting¡¯s mouth. ¡°How can Situ Xingchen¡¯s words be believable?! She and my disciple have a grudge, so she must¡¯ve used this chance to smear her!¡± Elder Zong Ye didn¡¯t smile as he looked at Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Xingchen even said that Chu Liuyue had stolen something from her. You decide if you want to believe it.¡± Chapter 437 - Testify Hearing this, Elder Ye knew that something was wrong. Didn¡¯t His Majesty also want to take something from Situ Xingchen? With Zong Ye¡¯s words, he might suspect Chu Liuyue. As expected, he turned around and saw Emperor Jiawen furrowing his brows suspiciously. Elder Ye immediately said, ¡°Zong Ye, since it¡¯s so, why don¡¯t you say what Liuyue took from Situ Xingchen?¡± Emperor Jiawen held his breath. Zong Ye was stumped. Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t even have the time to tell me this¡­ But I can confirm that it¡¯s something that Emperor Jiawen wanted to take from Situ Xingchen, which was why he locked her up! His gaze flashed, and he looked at Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Emperor Jiawen, won¡¯t you know the best about what she stole?¡± Elder Ye sneered. Given Zong Ye¡¯s behavior, he clearly doesn¡¯t know! He might even be fabricating it! Emperor Jiawen stayed silent for a while as he glanced at the unconscious Situ Xingchen. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her personally when she wakes up.¡± Elder Zong Ye immediately became alert. ¡°What does this mean?!¡± ¡°This means that before we find out the truth of the matter, you and Situ Xingchen will have to suffer here for a while, Elder Zong Ye. Oh right, Rong Jin and Situ Xingchen are currently in the midst of preparing for their wedding. Elder Zong Ye, as Situ Xingchen¡¯s elder, it¡¯s best if you attend the wedding as well.¡± Then, Emperor Jiawen lifted his leg and planned to leave. ¡°Rong Xiao! How dare you?¡± Elder Zong Ye was shocked by his words and directly called out Emperor Jiawen¡¯s full name when he panicked. ¡°How can Rong Jin be Xingchen¡¯s match?! If you¡¯re really going to do this, don¡¯t blame me for being merciless!¡± Emperor Jiawen stood still and sneered. ¡°I give Mingyue Tianshan face, so I call you Elder Zong Ye. However, this doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m afraid of you. You¡¯re not the only strong one in Mingyue Tianshan.¡± Elder Zong Ye felt suffocated. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Such a big commotion happened tonight, and it would definitely attract a lot of people¡¯s attention. Elder Zong Ye, you¡¯re smart. If you¡¯re willing to cooperate properly, I¡¯ll take it as if nothing has happened today. But if you don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Situ Yan couldn¡¯t succeed, so why did they think that another Zong Ye could accomplish matters? Elder Ye stroked his beard. ¡°I recall that I haven¡¯t been to Mingyue Tianshan for a while. It seems like I should take some time out to visit them¡­¡± Elder Zong Ye¡¯s face flushed red. I never expected to be threatened by Emperor Jiawen and Ye Zhiting, but this is my Achilles¡¯ heel! I can¡¯t withstand Mingyue Tianshan¡¯s punishment¡­ If I were to barge out forcefully, I could leave this place. But if so, Situ Xingchen would be left here alone. I wouldn¡¯t be at ease. Hence, after several changes in facial expression, Elder Zong Ye finally clenched his teeth and accepted his fate. He glared at Elder Ye with hatred. ¡°Ye Zhiting, don¡¯t be too delighted! From what I see, your precious disciple is very scheming! Perhaps she might even deceive you in the future without you even knowing!¡± Elder Ye smiled and said, ¡°Zong Ye, an outsider like you need not worry about the things between my disciple and me. If you have the time, you should care more about Situ Xingchen. If treatment for this injury drags on for too long, there will be aftereffects¡ª¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Oh, right. After not seeing each other for so many years, your capabilities haven¡¯t seemed to have improved. Take this chance and carefully reflect on yourself!¡± Then, Elder Ye snapped his fingers. Countless white feathers immediately churned out intense power, forcefully separating the duo and instantly capturing them. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard on you for the next few days, Elder Ye,¡± said Emperor Jiawen. Situ Xingchen was okay, but Elder Zong Ye¡­ Only Elder Ye could restrain him. Elder Ye waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve disliked him since a long time ago, so I can take the chance to take my revenge on him. But¡­ what do you think about the things he said earlier on, Your Majesty?¡± Emperor Jiawen hesitated and finally decided to say honestly, ¡°I think that¡­ there might be such a possibility.¡± Elder Ye knitted his brows. ¡°So, does it mean that you really suspect Liuyue, Your Majesty?¡± Emperor Jiawen smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°I have no choice¡­ That thing is important. Others might not know, but you know the best, Elder Ye. I¡¯m not doing this for myself, but¡­ the entire Yao Chen.¡± Elder Ye thought for a while. ¡°Why don¡¯t I directly ask her?¡± Emperor Jiawen thought for a while and instantly felt that this was the best option. He liked Chu Liuyue rather much. On the one hand, she was currently Rong Xiu¡¯s fianc¨¦. If he touched her, Rong Xiu would be upset. On the other hand, there was Mu Qinghe¡­ ¡°Thank you, Elder Ye.¡± ¡­ The fire in the palace burned for an entire night. It was finally extinguished the next morning before daybreak. The entire Blessing Palace was ruined, and the neighboring palaces became debris. Quite a few palace servants had also lost their lives. Rumors had it that Blessing Palace hadn¡¯t been repaired in many years, so it was accidentally lit on fire. Actually, any knowledgeable person would know that the greenish-white fire wasn¡¯t ordinary fire and that it was most likely started by phosphorus powder. An average person couldn¡¯t get this. One just had to think to know that this implicated much more. But since the palace had already given an explanation, nobody would be insensible enough to investigate. However, Rong Jin used to stay at Blessing Palace. Now that he was just removed from his position and a huge fire was started, this made people think more. It was clear that he had no chances of coming back this time. ¡­ Prince Li Mansion. Early in the morning, Eunuch Min personally came over and said that His Majesty wanted to invite Rong Xiu into the palace. The people at Prince Li Mansion were surprised. His Majesty took special care of Rong Xiu and rarely invited him into the palace as he took the prince¡¯s health into consideration. This summoning was rather sudden, but Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to think much about it as he briefly packed his things, brought his black cloak, and followed Eunuch Min into the palace. Emperor Jiawen was waiting in the imperial study. ¡°Father.¡± Upon seeing Rong Xiu enter and that he was about to bow, Emperor Jiawen immediately said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for such greetings. I called you here because I wanted to ask you about a few things.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s intricate face looked as gentle as usual. ¡°I will tell you everything that I know.¡± Emperor Jiawen opened his mouth but started to hesitate. Rong Xiu was his most beloved son. He always felt guilty that he couldn¡¯t accompany Rong Xiu all these years. So after Rong Xiu came back, he kept finding ways to make it up to him. It seemed rather inappropriate to ask such a question now. Rong Xiu stood there quietly as if he completely didn¡¯t see Emperor Jiawen¡¯s conflict. After much time, Emperor Jiawen finally clenched his teeth and said determinedly, ¡°Rong Xiu, we lost something when the palace was ablaze yesterday, and someone testified that Liuyue did it. What do you think?¡± Chapter 438 - Picking What’s More Important If someone else were here and heard this, they would definitely be taken aback. This incident had many implications, yet Emperor Jiawen directly asked him, which showed just how much he trusted Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu opened his phoenix eyes and looked shocked. ¡°Father, you called me here for this?¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at him solemnly and didn¡¯t say a word. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly, and something flashed across his eyes lightly. ¡°Father, you¡¯re suspecting Yue¡¯er?¡± Emperor Jiawen rubbed his temples. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡¯ve always been smart.¡± He had to admit that Elder Zong Ye¡¯s words made him falter. Last night, he almost didn¡¯t sleep a wink because he kept thinking about this. Out of so many people, why did they point out Chu Liuyue? Besides, judging from Chu Liuyue¡¯s previous stunning performances, she might really be hiding some secrets. Even if Elder Ye had already agreed to ask Chu Liuyue personally, he still felt uneasy. But Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity was special, so he could not and was not willing to touch her. Thus, he could only call Rong Xiu over. Rong Xiu thought for a while and suddenly said, ¡°I think there¡¯s something you might not know, Father.¡± Emperor Jiawen sat up straight. Rong Xiu was still smiling, but a playful aura spread across his face. ¡°Situ Xingchen has¡­ liked me for many years.¡± Emperor Jiawen was instantly stunned, but he quickly understood something. Could it be that Situ Xingchen kept targeting Chu Liuyue because of this? Emperor Jiawen¡¯s brows twitched slowly. ¡°Even if so, she shouldn¡¯t frame¡­ After all, she already has a marriage agreement with Rong Jin¡­ What good does it do if she offends Chu Liuyue?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s smiling intentions were deep and cold. ¡°Father, you know the best what¡¯s going on between her marriage agreement with Brother.¡± Emperor Jiawen fell into deep thought. ¡°I wonder if you remember that I went to the Qing Jiao Competition on the last day.¡± Emperor Jiawen nodded. ¡°Of course, I remember.¡± ¡°I went over that day to ask Yue¡¯er for a favor. When we left, we met Situ Xingchen. I unwittingly discovered that her sleeves had a cloud embroidery that was almost identical to mine.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was distant. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the past, Rong Xiu loved those unique cloud embroideries. Hence, many of his clothes specifically had such designs. ¡°Perhaps¡­ it was a coincidence?¡± ¡°After I went back that day, I kept thinking about it and felt rather uncomfortable. Thus, I called the servants to burn all the clothes with such embroidery.¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression changed. I have a vague impression of this, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. I just thought that Rong Xiu wanted to uplift his mood as he recovered from his illness, so he threw away all those clothes. I didn¡¯t expect there to be a hidden reason. ¡°That day, Situ Xingchen was also outside Prince Li Mansion and saw this scene. After she left, she hid in an isolated corner and killed a few cultivators. She wrecked their corpses and only stopped after they became a pile of mess,¡± said Rong Xiu slowly, but his words made people¡¯s hearts beat wildly. ¡°Father, do you think¡­ that was also a coincidence?¡± Emperor Jiawen finally couldn¡¯t sit any longer as he suddenly stood up. ¡°How do you know about this?¡± Rong Xiu smiled calmly. ¡°Father, I¡¯m in the Imperial City. If I don¡¯t even know who went to Prince Li Mansion and who had what kind of attitude toward me, how can I continue surviving?¡± Emperor Jiawen looked at him with a complicated gaze and didn¡¯t say anything for quite some time. ¡°¡­Yes! I almost forgot¡­¡± Even though Rong Xiu was frail, he was extremely intelligent. It would be a real disappointment if he couldn¡¯t even do this after staying at Mingyue Tianshan for so many years. ¡°Those few people regularly whiled their lives away at all sorts of gambling dens and brothels in the Imperial City, and they are very well-hated, so nobody cared that they died. This incident just died down, but if you want to verify it, it¡¯s simple¡ª¡± ¡°No need to say anymore. I believe in you.¡± Emperor Jiawen lazily waved his hands and leaned against the chair. Rong Xiu kept quiet. The room fell into silence. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil. Anyone can hear the strange parts of this incident. For so many years, Situ Xingchen has always been high, mighty, gentle, and elegant in everyone¡¯s hearts. But from this incident, one can clearly tell that she isn¡¯t that type of person. In actual fact, he had long felt this way after interacting with Situ Xingchen for the past few days. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to be even more vicious than he had imagined¡­ After linking everything up, many of his doubts were dispelled. ¡°So¡­ this means that Situ Xingchen purposely targeted Liuyue because her love turned into hatred?¡± In this way, there was also a logical explanation as to why Situ Xingchen intervened in Rong Zhen¡¯s matter and had even accused Chu Liuyue for no reason. Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Father, you know what¡¯s right and wrong.¡± Emperor Jiawen opened his eyes and looked deeply at Rong Xiu. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the first time you decided to be honest with me about all of this would be due to Chu Liuyue.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s words were akin to admitting that he had his own power in the Imperial City and that he wasn¡¯t as nonchalant as he portrayed himself to be. He definitely knew that this was the biggest taboo to an emperor. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll scheme against you?¡± asked Emperor Jiawen. The sunlight shone in and reflected in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, causing them to dazzle and sparkle. He said, ¡°I just picked what¡¯s more important.¡± To him, she was the most important thing, and she was his only choice. ¡­ Almost at the same time, Chu Liuyue waited for Elder Ye in her backyard. So many things had happened the night before. Situ Xingchen will definitely point me out and tell everything to Emperor Jiawen. Thus, she was long prepared. However, she didn¡¯t expect her own mentor to be the one that would come here. Chu Liuyue delightedly welcomed him. ¡°Mentor, what brings you here?¡± Elder Ye looked at her and suddenly asked in shock, ¡°Hm? Since when did you break through and become a stage-three warrior?¡± If I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, this girl had just broken through and became a stage-two warrior during the Qing Jiao Competition. Why did she so quickly¡ªBesides, her aura seems different from before¡­ If Elder Ye had carefully checked Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian, he would realize that the strange change was because of the advancement in her Yuan meridian level. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up like a crescent moon. ¡°I just broke through these few days. I¡¯ve learned quite a bit from Tai Yan Academy¡¯s library, so I tried to break through, and it worked.¡± Elder Ye thought about it in detail and felt that it made sense. He had long known that Chu Liuyue¡¯s body had rich force, so it was a matter of time for her to break through. ¡°You¡¯re indeed my disciple! Haha!¡± Upon seeing Elder Ye¡¯s face filled with happiness, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up as she seemingly nonchalantly reminded him, ¡°Why did you come to look for me today?¡± Elder Ye suddenly stopped laughing. Chapter 439 - Conviction Actually, he was displeased to do this. Chu Liuyue was his only disciple. He couldn¡¯t even dote on her properly, so how could he question her? But if he did not, he couldn¡¯t give Emperor Jiawen an explanation. After much thinking, it¡¯s best if I do it. Elder Ye coughed. ¡°Girl, where¡­ were you last night?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Of course, I was at home. If not, where else could I be?¡± Elder Ye carefully scrutinized her expression. I¡¯ve always known that Chu Liuyue is stronger than what she has portrayed. At the very least, she is better than me at refining medicine. He knew very clearly that this girl had many secrets, but he didn¡¯t want to suspect her because of that. ¡°You should know that there was a fire in the palace yesterday, right?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and smiled. ¡°Mentor, it¡¯s hard not to know about such a big fire.¡± Elder Ye thought it through and finally decided to ask directly, ¡°Did you have anything to do with yesterday¡¯s incident?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°What are you referring to?¡± Elder Ye stared at her closely, but after a moment, he finally slapped his thighs. ¡°I knew Situ Xingchen did it on purpose! Say, what¡¯s going on? Why does she want to drag you down?!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Even though I know Elder Ye is biased toward me, he is too straightforward¡­ Chu Liuyue coughed softly. ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­¡± ¡°Summarize it!¡± I still have to rush back and discuss this with Emperor Jiawen! ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°She thinks that I stole her man.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elder Ye¡¯s expression instantly became strange, and he couldn¡¯t express himself. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Situ Xingchen personally told me yesterday. How can it be wrong? Elder Ye suddenly took a step back and sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°Mentor, what are you looking at?¡± asked Chu Liuyue curiously. Elder Ye suddenly laughed. ¡°No wonder! No wonder! It¡¯s because of this that Situ Xingchen keeps trying to drag you down!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. For some reason, he sounds pleased¡­ ¡°Okay, I know! Cultivate properly at home! You don¡¯t have to care about anything else!¡± said Elder Ye as he was about to turn around and leave. Suddenly, he turned back and asked, ¡°Oh, right. Did Mu Qinghe say when he¡¯s going to leave?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze changed, but she quickly suppressed it and shook her head slightly. ¡°He hasn¡¯t, but¡­ it should be soon.¡± Mu Qinghe gained nothing from the imperial mausoleum trip, so he wouldn¡¯t stay here for long. Elder Ye nodded, and he looked very solemn as he reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity to be able to go to the Tianling Dynasty. You must cherish this chance, but¡­¡± Elder Ye hesitated for a while and decided to swallow his remaining words. ¡°If you¡¯re leaving, remember to tell me in advance.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡­ Today was the last day of the Empress¡¯s funeral. Everything was prepared adequately, but the sudden fire in Blessing Palace made everyone panic. Even though Emperor Jiawen was mourning, he finally decided to simplify the Empress¡¯s funeral. In the end, they just followed a concubine¡¯s routine. As Emperor Jiawen missed her too much, he collapsed and couldn¡¯t attend the Empress¡¯s burial. Rong Jin was heavily impacted and had fallen sick, so he couldn¡¯t even go out of Crown Prince Mansion. Oh, now that the plaque had been removed, it was no longer Crown Prince Mansion. Thus, only Prince Ping¡ªRong Qi¡ªand Rong Zhen went in the end. But out of these two people, one of them was a playful child that didn¡¯t have any power, and the other had a broken pearl of essence and was essentially a good-for-nothing. Added up, they didn¡¯t have much presence. Only a few people came from the Si family. The Empress¡¯s entire funeral was extremely simple and miserable as it rushed to begin and rushed to end. At this point, everyone could tell what Emperor Jiawen meant. As the Empress and the entire country¡¯s mother, she should be given a grand funeral befitting of her status after her death. However, this ceremony wasn¡¯t even befitting of a lowly concubine. If the Empress didn¡¯t do something to enrage His Majesty when she was alive, how could she end up in this state after her death? All sorts of rumors went around the city, but they all eventually died quietly. Not long later, the crowd forgot about the Empress¡¯s death and started to discuss something else. The Crown Prince position was empty, so His Majesty definitely had to choose a new Crown Prince from the existing pool of princes. Emperor Jiawen had quite a few sons, but not many of them were suitable to be the Crown Prince. After much discussion, they eventually realized that the best choice was the Third Prince, Rong Jiu. In terms of capabilities, he had entered the Northwest Army and went to war for many years, earning many accolades. In terms of age, he was in his prime, and he was the second prince after Rong Jin. Other than his rather lowly background, he didn¡¯t have any weaknesses. Almost everyone was certain that Rong Jiu would become the new Crown Prince. However, Rong Jiu was not so positive at this point. This was because he had been grounded in his residence for days. The Empress¡¯s funeral was already over, but his father still didn¡¯t let him out, causing Rong Jiu to worry. At this point, he suddenly heard that his father had summoned Rong Jin into the palace. It seemed like the two of them had talked for quite some time in the imperial study. The longer Rong Jiu waited, the more uneasy he felt. Finally, someone came from the palace¡ªThe Empress was killed by the Third Prince. From today onward, he will be locked in jail and await his punishment! Chapter 440 - The One who Knows Me The news made waves. Rong Jiu was originally the person most suited to be the Crown Prince out of all the princes, and many people were already secretly planning to get into his good books. They didn¡¯t expect him to be jailed for such an immoral conviction overnight. Immediately, the Imperial City¡¯s skies were about to change. ¡­ ¡°I heard that the Third Prince¡¯s birth mother, Noble Lady Yin, was harmed by the Empress back then and that he held this grudge for many years. Hence, he finally took action.¡± ¡°Who knows about what happens in the harm? But even if this is true, the Third Prince is too impulsive. As long as he can become the Crown Prince, he can do whatever he wants. Yet, he had to take action¡­¡± ¡°After coming back from the Northwest Army, His Majesty did not let him go back for long, so he was definitely anxious¡­ Besides, the Empress¡¯s funeral was so simple. Can¡¯t you see the problem?¡± ¡°Even if His Majesty hates the Empress, he can¡¯t allow the Third Prince to kill her¡­ He shot himself in his foot.¡± ¡°All these princes¡­ The removed ones are removed, locked ones are locked, and the sick ones are still sick. If this goes on, there won¡¯t be many people to pick¡­¡± When Chu Liuyue walked across the street, she could vaguely hear the whispers. Even though they weren¡¯t allowed to discuss on the surface, it was hard for people not to talk when so many things had happened in the palace. When she was about to reach Prince Li Mansion, she realized that the defenses here were much heavier than before. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows a notch. Almost the entire Imperial City fell into chaos, and it wasn¡¯t easy for Prince Li Mansion to stay out of trouble. Upon seeing Chu Liuyue, the guards at the entrance hurriedly welcomed her in enthusiastically. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, you¡¯re finally here! His Highness has been waiting for you for some time!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up, and she walked in. ¡­ When she saw Rong Xiu, he was resting in the small hut in the backyard. Two cups of freshly-brewed tea were placed on the stone table, together with a half-played chess game. The light breeze came, and a few emerald leaves landed on Rong Xiu¡¯s snow-white robe, making him look extra cold and distinguished. ¡°Your Highness, you knew that I was coming?¡± Chu Liuyue walked over. Rong Xiu picked up the intricate porcelain cup, and a white mist rose, almost causing one to be unable to see his deep gaze. His red lips curved up slightly, and he gave his usual, warm smile. ¡°I made this tea myself. See how it is compared to yours.¡± Chu Liuyue sat down and picked up the other cup. The fresh fragrance wafted toward her and tingled her nose, rejuvenating her heart and organs. Chu Liuyue gently sipped on it. After the faint bitterness, there was a sweet aftertaste. She honestly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re much better than me.¡± Compared to him, the tea she brewed was unworthy. But Rong Xiu shook his head and smiled. ¡°But I only like the ginger tea you make, Yue¡¯er. This tea is nice, but I don¡¯t like it.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood for jokes?¡± ¡°I do think that way.¡± Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°Besides, what do you mean by that?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. The entire Imperial City is in a mangled mess, but only this person can leisurely drink tea and play chess in his backyard. He is really calm. She shook her head and said straightforwardly, ¡°You knew that His Majesty was going to do something about the Third Prince?¡± Previously, Rong Xiu had mentioned that someone wanted to frame Rong Jiu and push the Empress¡¯s death to him. However, Chu Liuyue never expected that person to be Emperor Jiawen. No matter what, Rong Jiu was his biological son. Him doing this was akin to sending Rong Jiu to his death. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and he still smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Since you already know, why are you asking me again?¡± This was a tacit acceptance. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and was filled with doubt. ¡°But why does His Majesty want to do this?¡± There were many methods he could use if he didn¡¯t want Rong Jiu to ascend to the throne. At the very least, now that Rong Jiu was trapped in the Imperial City and had been stripped of his military power, he couldn¡¯t cause any trouble. Besides, Rong Jiu had been on the battlefield for so many years and had earned many accolades. Without his identity as the prince, he definitely still had a lot of achievements to his name. Why must Emperor Jiawen be so harsh on him? ¡°His Majesty clearly knows that the person who killed the Empress is¡ª¡± Situ Xingchen! Until now, this news has been locked firmly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re suspecting that Father is biased toward Situ Xingchen?¡± asked Rong Xiu with much interest. Chu Liuyue shook her head. From that night¡¯s situation, Emperor Jiawen definitely had no intentions of letting Situ Xingchen off. He just wanted to take something from her. However¡­ there really was no need to push the blame of the Empress¡¯s death to Rong Jiu. She knew that the royal family was heartless, and she even had her own heart-wrenching experiences. But¡­ Emperor Jiawen clearly had another motive for doing so. Rong Xiu smiled slightly and said, ¡°If he can quietly be a lazy prince in the Imperial City, Father would naturally not do anything to him. The thing that made Father determined is¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something when she saw his meaningful expression. ¡°Your Highness, you mean that the Third Prince¡­¡± Rong Xiu put down a piece. Pak! Chu Liuyue looked down, and her heart felt a pang. Once this move was made, the stalemate between the black and white pieces was finally broken as both of them started to fight each other. Rong Jiu is going to revolt? If not, I really can¡¯t think of another reason for Emperor Jiawen to do this. ¡°Your Highness, how did you know that?¡± The moment Chu Liuyue asked this, she regretted it. As long as Rong Xiu wants to, he can know everything! However, Rong Xiu¡¯s expression changed strangely. Chu Liuyue looked into his eyes and felt a telepathic connection. She widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Rong Xiu gave her a meaningful look before he smiled and waved toward her. ¡°Yue¡¯er, come over.¡± Chu Liuyue stood up and walked over in confusion. Rong Xiu held her hands and pulled her into his arms, tightly holding onto her before looking down and kissing her. Chu Liuyue was shocked, and her heart tingled from his warmth. W-what¡¯s with this person? Why is he so sudden?! ¡°Y-your Highness?¡± Chu Liuyue pushed his shoulders, but her waist was held even tighter as if she was about to fall into his arms. He kissed her until her limbs went soft, and when she melted into a puddle in his arms, Rong Xiu finally stopped and changed to a light kiss. Chu Liuyue looked at him, and her originally dazzling eyes became watery and filled with love. It was as though the sweetness was going to overflow. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes sparkled as he raised his hands and covered her eyes. He leaned close to her ear and whispered in a hoarse voice as if something was tugging at his heartstrings. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears burned. ¡°¡­Your Highness?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who knows me.¡± Rong Xiu couldn¡¯t help but bite her soft earlobe. Chu Liuyue shied away due to the tickle, and her body became even softer. Rong Xiu buried his head in her shoulders and closed his eyes. She always knows what I¡¯m thinking, from the past till now. Chapter 441 - Ten Years to Mold a Sword Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know what Rong Xiu was thinking. His hot breath on her neck and behind her ears made her ticklish. The gentle breeze blew over, and the leaves rustled. Chu Liuyue instantly became alert. It¡¯s no wonder Rong Xiu kept looking at the military distribution in the Imperial City. He was preparing for this day! Rong Jiu has stayed in the Imperial City for many months and didn¡¯t even go out of the city. Now that he suddenly decided to start a revolt, there was clearly someone instigating him in the dark. This person was Rong Xiu! Chu Liuyue could not help but ask, ¡°Your Highness, since¡­ When did you start planning all of this?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s low voice sounded beside her ear. ¡°Um, pretty early on¡­ When did Third Brother go to the Northwest Army?¡± His tone was slow and nonchalant as if it was just a minor matter. However, Chu Liuyue was shocked as she suddenly pushed him. She looked back, and her pair of black, gem-like eyes stared at Rong Xiu in disbelief. ¡°You mean¡­ He didn¡¯t voluntarily go there in the first place¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words suddenly cut off. A ridiculous thought surfaced in her mind. A smile flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s face when he saw her rarely seen shocked expression. It¡¯s really not easy to see her have such an expression¡­ Looking at his expression, Chu Liuyue widened her mouth, but nothing came out. What else is there to say? This is a tacit acceptance! All these years, Rong Jiu¡¯s every move was all under Rong Xiu¡¯s control! No matter if it was when the Empress and the Crown Prince decided to bully him and force him to enlist, when he achieved so many accolades and shocked everyone, or to him being driven to the corner¡­ All of this was clearly part of Rong Xiu¡¯s plan! However¡­ it is dangerous to raise a tiger! Now, Rong Jiu had to deal with Emperor Jiawen, but it would be Rong Xiu in the end! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in turmoil as she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re the one who told His Majesty that the Third Prince wants to start a revolt¡­?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You¡¯ve underestimated Father. Since Third Brother did this, how can Father not know? I don¡¯t have too much of a relation to this.¡± Who will believe your words? Chu Liuyue silently cursed to herself. Perhaps Rong Xiu had even pushed for Rong Jiu to instigate his army. ¡°The Third Prince doesn¡¯t know about this?¡± Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°What do you think, Yue¡¯er?¡± Chu Liuyue made a ¡®si¡¯ sound and slapped her forehead. My brain had a short-circuit. If Rong Jiu knew, how could it end up like this today? ¡°The 5,000 elites from the Northwest Army are going to reach the Imperial City soon.¡± Rong Xiu gently touched Chu Liuyue¡¯s soft waist and nonchalantly said, ¡°As for when they¡¯re going to fight¡­ We¡¯ll have to watch Father and Third Brother.¡± According to Rong Jiu¡¯s personality, it won¡¯t take too long. Besides, Father will punish Rong Jiu within these few days. Chu Liuyue put her hand down and looked at him with her eyes wide open. ¡°Isn¡¯t all of this according to your wishes?¡± At this point in time, everything was controlled by Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu softly laughed. ¡°If I didn¡¯t hear wrongly, you¡¯re praising me?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Whether it¡¯s praise or not, how can it be more important than the matter itself? Country Yao Chen is about to change! But looking at Rong Xiu, he actually didn¡¯t seem to care. Looking at her face filled with confusion and shock, Rong Xiu smiled and finally said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Lord Chu Ning will bring a group of people and leave the Imperial City to check on something. When the imperial guards and the Northwest Army fight, Lord Chu Ning will not be implicated.¡± Because of me, he purposely sent Father away? Afterhearing Rong Xiu¡¯s words that held too much pleasure, Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts flew everywhere, and she didn¡¯t know what to say. She gave Rong Xiu a complicated look. This man is very handsome and super outstanding, and he¡¯s terrifying in terms of tactics. But¡­ toward me, he¡¯s so honest and sincere, to the point where I don¡¯t know how to face him. He has planned and executed this for so many years and laid such a big trap, yet he told me about this so easily. ¡°Your Highness¡­ Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ll tell someone else about this?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as she knitted her brows. Rong Xiu looked at her rather strangely as if she asked a very stupid question. ¡°Which woman in this world would push the man she deeply loves to danger?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. There seems to be nothing wrong with his words, but why does it sound so weird? ¡°You¡­ I¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue stuttered, and her usually sharp tongue seemed to be tangled. After some time, she finally decided to give up and stop harping on the matter. However, she still had a question that was the weirdest and the most important. ¡°Your Highness, why are you doing this?¡± One was his father, and the other was his brother. They shared the same blood flowing through their bodies. Rong Xiu¡¯s actions were akin to stirring up a conflict between Emperor Jiawen and Rong Jiu. A war was about to break out. No matter who won or lost, what did it mean to Rong Xiu? Rong Xiu thought for a while and chuckled. ¡°Oh, I just thought it was rather troublesome to fight, so I found someone to do it for me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes widened, and her mouth was agape. D-do it for him? He¡¯s talking about fighting for the throne, right? How can someone do it for him? Besides, the most important thing is¡­ If Rong Xiu really wants that throne, why does he need to pretend to be frail for so many years? According to how highly Emperor Jiawen sees him and how much he dotes on him¡­ As long as Rong Xiu showed off his true abilities or even a portion of them, Emperor Jiawen would definitely make him the Crown Prince. Chu Liuyue actually wanted to ask about it, but for some reason, she had a strong instinct that told her not to. Rong Xiu must have his reasons for doing so. After reacting for a while, Chu Liuyue finally found her own voice. ¡°In this way, won¡¯t the position be the Third Prince¡¯s?¡± An extremely light smile flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, and they were filled with an indescribable suppression as he slowly said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, who do you think formed the connection between Third Brother and the Northwest Army and also gave him the final confidence to make his decision?¡± ¡°Naturally¡­ It¡¯s my subordinate.¡± ¡­ Emperor Jiawen gathered the officials as they discussed how to deal with Rong Jiu. After some intense debate, they finally came to a conclusion: Third Prince Rong Jiu is unfilial and harmed the Empress when Emperor Jiawen entrusted him with taking care of her. He even tried to burn her body to get rid of the evidence. His actions aw immoral and cannot be tolerated. Hence, he will be punished. He will be executed in the afternoon! Chapter 442 - Retaliation In the morning, the Imperial City¡¯s streets were crowded with people. No matter if it was out of curiosity, pity, or any other reasons, all of them rushed to the execution ground. There were many imperial guards dressed in tight armor surrounding the execution ground. Before Rong Jiu was even brought over, the surroundings were already filled with people and bustling noises. ¡°Pfft, didn¡¯t this Third Prince earn many accolades a few years ago with the Northwest Army? His future was so bright! Who would¡¯ve thought that he would suddenly become a criminal in the blink of an eye?¡± ¡°Accolades¡­ He didn¡¯t even leave the Imperial City in the past few months. Isn¡¯t it obvious what the one above is thinking? I think the conviction is fake, but the execution is real!¡± ¡°But out of the remaining princes, the Third Prince is most suited to be the Crown Prince. Won¡¯t it be too cruel to do this¡­?¡± ¡°What do we know about the things in the palace? Anyway, that person is still in his prime; he can afford to wait a few years. Also, the princes below will grow up, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Third Prince¡¯s birth mother has already passed away and that he doesn¡¯t have a good background. At this time, he doesn¡¯t even have someone that can help him¡­¡± The crowd was discussing eagerly, and they all held different views. Everyone knew that everything was final at this point. Time trickled past as the sun gradually rose in the sky. Suddenly, the bustling crowd was silenced. The crowd dispersed toward two sides, leaving a path in the middle. Everyone predicted something and looked over in unison. A group of people on horses came toward here. The person right in front was the Si family head, Si Ye; he was clearly in charge of the execution today. Compared to the past, Si Ye looked much more frail than before as his cheeks were deeply sunken, and his eyes were bloodshot. It was obvious that the recent happenings had taken a huge toll on him. After all, the Empress¡ªSi Huijing¡ªwas his biological sister¡­ Just as he finished the Empress¡¯s funeral, he had to come here. He didn¡¯t even have any time to rest. Si Ye walked forward step by step. He could clearly feel all sorts of strange gazes landing on him. In actual fact, his body was also numb. Originally, he didn¡¯t want to come, but His Majesty had given his orders. Thus, he had to obey. A convict carriage slowly followed behind him. Inside the metal cage was an unkempt man wearing convict clothes with his hands locked. That person was the Third Prince, Rong Jiu! He was forced to kneel there as he hung his head low. His messy hair covered more than half of his face, but the crowd could still see his expression at this point. Rong Jiu looked nonchalant and cold. There was even a strong aura around his body, which came from experiencing life and death on the battlefield. In other words, they couldn¡¯t see any hint of panic or disappointment. Imperial guards tightly followed the convict carriage, but even with all those people added up, they didn¡¯t have an aura that was comparable to Rong Jiu alone. Probably influenced by some feelings, the places that the convict carriage passed by became quieter than ever. The people standing in front had even instinctively taken a step back. For some reason, this Third Prince is pretty scary¡­ At the execution ground, Si Ye raised his hand, and the convict carriage stopped. ¡°Bring him over.¡± With his command, the neighboring imperial guards immediately went forward and brought Rong Jiu out of the metal cage. Two sharp swords were placed beside Rong Jiu¡¯s neck as they forced him to walk toward the stage in the execution ground. From start to end, Rong Jiu¡¯s expression did not change. But when he stood still in the execution ground, he suddenly looked up and glanced at the palace. Mockery flashed across his eyes. It looks like Father won¡¯t change his mind. He¡¯s determined to kill me today! Rong Jiu retracted his gaze, looked down, and hid the murderous intent in his eyes. Actually, he didn¡¯t want to do this, but he had no choice. However¡­ he had experienced so many battles and life-and-death scenarios in exchange for such an outcome¡­ Anyone would be devastated at this point. ¡°Hurry up and kneel down!¡± yelled someone behind Rong Jiu in frustration as he kicked Rong Jiu¡¯s knees. However, Rong Jiu did not kneel down. His physical body was like a metal board. Seeing that Rong Jiu did not kneel down as he wished, the man who kicked him was shocked. Rong Jiu slowly turned around and glanced at him. That man suddenly felt guilty and afraid for some reason. Then, he knitted his brows and hollered, ¡°What are you looking at? Do you think you¡¯re the high and mighty Third Prince?!¡± You¡¯re just a convict that¡¯s on the deathbed! How dare you be so arrogant? ¡°Kneel down!¡± That man gave the person beside him a look as both of them used strength. The two longswords instantly cut through Rong Jiu¡¯s skin and flesh, causing red blood to ooze out slowly. The last bit of hesitation in Rong Jiu¡¯s heart disappeared. He bent his knees slightly and looked like he was really going to kneel. But the next moment, he suddenly jumped out and kicked at the two people closest to him. As he acted too quickly, the duo didn¡¯t even have time to react as they flew backward from Rong Jiu¡¯s kick. Si Ye suddenly realized something and hollered, ¡°Catch him!¡± Rong Jiu actually wants to escape! At this point, the surrounding crowd reacted and collectively rushed forward! A large figure suddenly appeared above Rong Jiu¡¯s head. Si Ye looked over and was stunned. It¡¯s actually a fourth-grade fiend¡ªwhite yam falcon! Clang! The white yam falcon suddenly spread its wings. Rong Jiu turned around and jumped on it. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Following the clear command, the white yam falcon abruptly flapped its wings and flew to the sky. At this point, the crowd finally recovered their senses and realized that it was Rong Jiu¡¯s fiend. When he was locked in the jail, he had nothing else other than his convict clothes. However, they had actually forgotten that he had his own fiend. Rong Jiu had been very low-key in the Imperial City these few months, so they forgot that he actually had such a trump card. Even though this white yam falcon was a fourth-grade fiend, it was very ferocious and strong. It was almost one of the top few amongst the fourth-grade fiends. The man and fiend¡¯s figures quickly disappeared. Si Ye immediately yelled, ¡°Prepare the arrows!¡± The numerous imperial guards immediately took out their arrows and aimed at the midair Rong Jiu. But at this point, countless figures suddenly rushed out from the crowd and went for the imperial guards. Choo choo! The sounds pierced through the air, and all the arrows had been deflected, not even being able to touch the edge of the white yam falcon¡¯s wings. Si Ye looked at the few people that rushed over with shock and anger as he suddenly widened his eyes. They stepped up and executed killer moves! They came prepared! Chapter 443 - : Soldiers Arrived in the City Chaos erupted amidst the crowd. Those few people were wearing very ordinary clothes, and they didn¡¯t look any different from the nosy civilians. This was why it was even more sudden when they took action. Si Ye looked at them and roughly estimated that there were at least hundreds of people. They clearly came for Rong Jiu! The key point is that judging from their vicious attacks, they were clearly trained on the battlefields. Si Ye suddenly realized something and gasped. Rong Jiu actually mobilized the Northwest Army to come and save him? I thought he already handed over his military power after he came back to the Imperial City and that he didn¡¯t contact the Northwest Army anymore? What¡¯s with all these people suddenly appearing?! In no time, the screams, sounds of weapons clashing, and the sounds of sharp knives piercing into people¡¯s skins were all mashed together. Numerous people screamed and ran away! Si Ye was about to chase Rong Jiu, but two people suddenly rushed in from the side and blocked his way. The next moment, they attacked Si Ye first. Tsing! Si Ye was forced to battle. The two parties exchanged a few blows, and Si Ye felt very uneasy. All these people killed their way out of the battlefield. Even if their cultivation level is lower than mine, they are the best at killing people! Once they attack, every move is lethal with no playing around! In the midst of the chaos, Si Ye looked at his surroundings and realized that the situation was exactly like he had predicted. The many imperial guards that had the upper hand at first are gradually weakening. He flung something out of his sleeves without hesitation. Bang! A signal shot to the sky. ¡­ At the same time, Emperor Jiawen was reading something alone in his Imperial Study. However, he only took two glances before stopping and rubbing his brows. Thinking of the time, it should be¡­ Suddenly, Eunuch Min¡¯s anxious and nervous voice could be heard from outside. ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty, something happened!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he walked over and personally opened the door. With knitted brows, he asked, ¡°What the hell is wrong?¡± Eunuch Min was taken aback as he hurriedly moved a step back and knelt down. ¡°Your Highness, T-Third prince ran away!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°What do you mean he ran away? What are Si Ye and all those imperial guards doing?¡± Eunuch Min wiped the cold sweat that kept covering his forehead as he rapidly spoke with a shaky voice. ¡°Your Highness, some people mixed in with the crowd and fought with the imperial guards. They protected Third Prince as he left.¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s uneasy feeling became increasingly intense. ¡°This is the Imperial City! Who is willing to help him?!¡± ¡°I-I think it¡¯s the Northwest Army¡ª¡± Bang! Emperor Jiawen kicked Eunuch Min¡¯s heart. ¡°Imbecile!¡± Eunuch Min fell to the floor as excruciating pain rose in his chest, causing him to vomit blood out violently. However, Emperor Jiawen had already walked outside in big strides. ¡°Immediately supply more manpower and lock the city gates. Not only Rong Jiu but don¡¯t let anyone related to this incident today escape!¡± Eunuch Min endured his pain and hurriedly went forward. ¡°Y-yes!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face turned dark. As expected! Rong Jiu had secretly contacted the Northwest Army long ago. He even made such a preparation and directly escaped from the execution grounds! Previously, someone still said that he should be made the Crown Prince. What a joke! Rong Jiu is so ambitious; how can he be satisfied with being a prince with no power? Once he becomes the Crown Prince, I might not even be able to sit on my throne! Emperor Jiawen was just walking forward when someone hurriedly rushed over and directly knelt in front of Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Upon seeing this person, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face drastically changed. If it¡¯s not something urgent, this person will definitely not be here. As expected, the sentence that this person blurted out was akin to lightning striking beside him. ¡°Wei Lin led the Northwest Army, and they¡¯ve already arrived about 20 miles outside of the Imperial City. T-they said that¡­ Third Prince had slogged for Country Yao Chen and had always been loyal to Your Majesty, yet you listened to some petty people¡¯s words and wanted to execute him! This hurt the hearts of countless warriors that are stationed at the borders. Hence, t-they¡­ came to ask Your Majesty to return Third Prince his innocence!¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s body shook. Northwest Army¡­ Wei Lin¡­ Aren¡¯t they all Rong Jiu¡¯s people? How is this returning Rong Jin his innocence? They clearly want to revolt! This place is far away from the borders, and it takes at least three or four days for the news to come back and forth. However, the imperial edict to execute Rong Jiu only came yesterday. These people arrived so quickly, which means that they were long here! How dare they play the blame game?! Eunuch Min hurriedly helped Emperor Jiawen up, but Emperor Jiawen flung him away. The next moment, Emperor Jiawen gave the person kneeling in front of him a tight slap. Pak! That man was instantly beaten to one side as his cheeks rapidly swelled up. However, he still lowered his head and kowtowed. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s all my fault¡ª¡± ¡°This is such an important thing, yet you only discovered it now! What do I need you for?!¡± Emperor Jiawen hit him until his hand became numb, but the fire in his chest kept boiling, and his face turned green. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Your Majesty, those people seem to have come in batches. They only gathered together after they all arrived, so I couldn¡¯t discover them in time¡­¡± What kind of place was the Imperial City? How can they dare to slacken when they are in charge of the Imperial City¡¯s gate? But those Northwest Army soldiers are too scheming, so they didn¡¯t even notice them! When they realized something amiss, it was too late! ¡°How many people are there?!¡± asked Emperor Jiawen as he took a deep breath. ¡°Around¡­ 5,000!¡± Emperor Jiawen sighed. ¡°Five thousand¡­ Five thousand isn¡¯t an issue¡­ Imperial guards! Where¡¯s Chu Ning? Get him to bring men there immediately!¡± ¡°¡­Your Majesty, did you forget that you just sent Lord Chu Ning out of the city yesterday¡­¡± reminded Eunuch Min carefully. Emperor Jiawen was dazed; he then remembered that he did receive some news about the bronze vat previously in the Imperial City, so he sent Chu Ning to bring men over and investigate. Thus, he wasn¡¯t in the Imperial City now. ¡°Get Zhao Ming to substitute! And you, immediately gather all the imperial guards! We must stop them outside the Imperial City¡¯s gates!¡± There were more than 10,000 people in the imperial guard, so it wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem to handle these 5,000 people. The man kneeling in front of Emperor Jiawen seemed to guess his thoughts as the man braced himself and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the imperial guards are separated all over the Imperial City. It¡¯s already hard to gather them together immediately. The most important thing is: the people who came all seem to be elites from the Northwest Army. T-this¡­¡± It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid, but I know too well how sticky this situation is! How can the people who survived wars be compared to the imperial guards that led a comfortable life in the Imperial City? If there isn¡¯t any other way, the city gate will be broken in no time! Chapter 444 - Leaving The early winter winds in Imperial City were strong and cutting. Outside the city, the soldiers of both sides were at an impasse. As time passed, the 5,000 elite soldiers stood under the evening sun, a heavy, lethal tension in the air. If one stared any longer, one could practically smell the mixture of sand and blood in the air. The imperial guards on the city walls were fully armored, and a tall man in black armor was standing right in the middle. He was the second in command of the imperial guards¡ªZhao Ming! Since Chu Ning was not around, he was now in charge of the imperial guards. He stared straight ahead as he called out, ¡°Where is Lieutenant Wei Lin of the Northwest Army?!¡± His low, powerful voice spread instantly! A man in red armor stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± This was an extremely muscular man. He looked about 30 years old, and he had a beard on him. He looked extremely intimidating. Zhao Ming took a deep breath, his eyes cold. Wei Lin is famous in the Northwest Army. He¡¯s temperamental, but he is strong! Furthermore, he is a stage-five warrior born on the battlefield. Just him alone can take on a hundred people, not to mention the thousands of intimidating soldiers behind him! Rong Jiu came completely prepared this time! ¡°According to Country Yao Chen¡¯s laws, a lieutenant cannot leave their army without written orders from His Majesty! They¡¯re not to bring soldiers into the Imperial City! Wei Lin, are you rebelling?¡± Wei Lin laughed out loud. ¡°Zhao Ming, it¡¯s one thing that you¡¯re weak, but I didn¡¯t know that your brain wasn¡¯t working either! I¡¯ve already said it: This is not a rebellion! It¡¯s just that His Majesty¡¯s treatment of the Third Prince is not reasonable! He has broken the heart of the Northwest Army! We¡¯re just here to get some justice for the Third Prince!¡± Zhao Ming was about to refute when he saw a commotion occur in the crowd across from him. The sea of soldiers suddenly split cleanly down the middle! A man walked out from the back! Dressed in armor, his face was somber, and he looked authoritative! It was Rong Jiu! Zhao Ming¡¯s heart sank. Rong Jiu managed to escape in the end! After the riot on the execution grounds, the imperial guards had searched the entire Imperial City for Rong Jiu¡¯s whereabouts, but they never found anything. Rong Jiu had taken advantage of the chaos and left the Imperial City! The shackles and his prison uniform were long gone and replaced by his armor, complete with an air of violence! ¡°Welcome back, Your Highness!¡± Wei Lin greeted him with cupped fists, and the soldiers behind him followed suit. ¡°Welcome back, Your Highness!¡± The shouts were deafening! Rong Jiu raised his hand, and the crowd immediately quietened down. Zhao Ming and the imperial guards were stunned by the scene before them. The fact that Rong Jiu was able to control the army with the raise of his hand was clear evidence of his authority amongst the soldiers! No wonder he had the guts to do this! Rong Jiu looked at Zhao Ming expressionlessly. ¡°Zhao Ming, I don¡¯t want to hurt the innocent, so I¡¯ll give you one chance. Open the city doors, or else¡­ Don¡¯t blame me for taking drastic measures!¡± But how could Zhao Ming do that?! ¡°Your Highness, such treasonous acts will be frowned upon for generations! I advise you to turn back now! Come ask for forgiveness with me!¡± Rong Jiu laughed coldly. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already been accused of being treasonous, why don¡¯t I just make that true!¡± A sense of uneasiness welled up in Zhao Ming. ¡°I joined the army when I was 14, and I¡¯ve killed countless enemies. I have 23 scars on me, all fatal! I¡¯ve put in blood, sweat, and tears for Country Yao Chen, and all I¡¯ve gotten in exchange is prison and crimes pinned to my name!¡± How could I be satisfied with that?! Ask for forgiveness? The person sitting on the throne no longer has the right to give orders from there! Zhao Ming said somberly, ¡°Your Highness! You¡­¡± Before he could finish, Rong Jiu raised his hand up high! He then waved! ¡°The first person to break through the city gates today will move up three ranks and receive 1,000 taels of gold!¡± His low and powerful voice echoed! The Northwest Army behind him was excited and cried out in excitement! ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± Wei Lin looked up and laughed. ¡°Hahahaha! Didn¡¯t you fools hear His Highness? I¡¯m not giving you all the chance! I¡¯ll take the city gates!¡± With that, Wei Lin rushed forward! Thousands followed suit! Seeing that Wei Lin headed straight for the city gates, the people behind him followed right after! Rong Jiu suddenly pulled out the knife he carried on him, and the knife reverberated in the air! The winds were blowing! The next instant, he stood on his toes and rushed forward himself! He was giving back all the insults and torture that he had received during his time in the Imperial City! Zhao Ming immediately spoke up. ¡°Release the arrows!¡± The imperial guards hidden behind the walls drew their bows! Chu! Chu! Chu! Countless black arrows flew across the sky! Rong Jiu was agile and fast as he avoided the arrows without a single scratch! He had been on the battlefield since young, and he had been on the brink of death countless times. This was nothing to him! Before Zhao Ming and the others could see how Rong Jiu was moving, he had arrived at the city gates! He leaped up, intending to go head to head with Zhao Ming! Zhao Ming cried out, ¡°Activate the city gates¡¯ defensive Xuan formation!¡± He refused to believe that Rong Jiu could make his way inside! But after waiting, there was no response from the city gates. ¡°Assistant commander, bad news! The Xuan formation is damaged and cannot be activated!¡± said a soldier panickedly as he ran up. Zhao Ming was stunned and grabbed the soldier by the collar and picked him up. ¡°What did you say?¡± The Xuan formation is a major formation. Inspections and restorations have always been done on it, so how could it suddenly be damaged? Zhao Ming froze. It was Rong Jiu; they had come prepared! Both sides broke out into battle! ¡­ While the city gates were caught in a battle, it was chaos within the city gates as well. Even though part of the imperial guards was in charge of security, the people were worried. The streets were a mess, and everyone was hidden in their homes. After Rong Jin was deposed, everyone thought Rong Jiu would naturally become the new Crown Prince. Little did they expect him to start a rebellion instead! But anyone who knew anything could tell that Rong Jiu had come prepared. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to summon the Northwest Army on such short notice. In an instant, the people couldn¡¯t tell if Emperor Jiawen had wronged Rong Jiu first, or if Rong Jiu had planned the rebellion first. But Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to these things because Mu Qinghe had arrived at her residence! Inside the room, Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. ¡°What? Leave now?¡± Chapter 445 - Search ¡°Problem?¡± Mu Qinghe asked coldly with a frown. The other side has been pressing me to return, and I can¡¯t drag it on any longer. Also, the injuries that I sustained in the imperial mausoleum are recovering. Now is the best time to return. ¡°Not really, but¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°But the situation in Imperial City is a little unique now¡­ Won¡¯t it seem a little strange if we leave now?¡± Rong Jiu and the Northwest Army are battling the imperial guards! It would be hard to explain if we left at this moment! Besides¡­ I already know that all of this is part of Rong Xiu¡¯s plan. How can I leave without seeing the outcome? Mu Qinghe replied calmly, ¡°What does their conflict have to do with us leaving? It¡¯s just child¡¯s play.¡± Country Yao Chen isn¡¯t even as big as a state under my control. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt her head throb. Child¡¯s play¡­ The life and death of thousands of people and the political control of a country are child¡¯s play in Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes¡­ However, that seems fairly reasonable for someone his status? Mu Qinghe has been through tougher and more precarious situations. ¡°No¡­ Lieutenant Mu, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood my intention.¡± Chu Liuyue said calculatedly, ¡°I¡¯m the fiancee of Prince Li, and I¡¯m considered half a member of the royal family. How can I leave after something like this has happened?¡± At the very least, I should wait until everything is settled! Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes grew colder. ¡°We have limited time. Leave with me or stay behind; your choice.¡± Chu Liuyue was stuck. I¡¯m definitely going to the Tianling Dynasty! This is a one-in-a-million chance! Not only does returning with Mu Qinghe give me a legitimate reason for being there, but it also provides me with a good cover! I will also have high chances of coming into contact with Jiang Yucheng and the others! Without that tie to Mu Qinghe, my situation might not be better even if I broke through the seventh stage and entered Heaven¡¯s Canopy to return to the Tianling Dynasty. But if I leave now¡­ What about Rong Xiu? What about my father? I¡¯m not worried about their ability to protect themselves, but I haven¡¯t tied all the loose ends. If I leave with Mu Qinghe just like this, a lot of troubles will be left behind. Who knows when I will be able to return after I leave? Or¡­ perhaps I will never come back! Chu Liuyue pursed her lips, not speaking for a while. ¡°Mu Qinghe, how are you so cold-hearted after so many years?¡± A teasing voice cut in. Chu Liuyue looked up. Jian Fengchi had walked in at some point. He smiled as he walked over. ¡°Prince Li and Ms. Chu have just gotten engaged. They haven¡¯t even had their wedding yet! Aren¡¯t you breaking the couple up if you ask her to leave with you now? It¡¯s thousands of miles away; it¡¯ll be really difficult for them to meet in the future!¡± Mu Qinghe turned and looked at him expressionlessly. Jian Fengchi shrugged. Not only did he not stop, but he even walked over to Mu Qinghe¡¯s side and rested his arm on the latter¡¯s shoulder as he smiled. ¡°The final deadline has passed anyway. The others who should¡¯ve returned have gone back already! Even if you leave now, you¡¯re still going to be late. What¡¯s another day or two? I think you should just do her a favor. Hey, we¡¯re just talking! Why are you using force!¡± Jian Fengchi broke away from Mu Qinghe¡¯s grip and rubbed his wrists as he backed away. ¡°Fine fine fine! It¡¯s all your problem anyway! Nobody else can do anything about it, can they? I¡¯ll stop talking.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Jian Fengchi is a whole head taller than Mu Qinghe, and he looks stronger, but¡­ Why is he so afraid¡­ As a bystander, this is a little strange¡­ But her thoughts quickly shifted toward certain keywords. Final deadline? Did Mu Qinghe¡¯s trip out here have a time limit? Also¡­ Why are there others? It sounds like a lot of people left at the same time for a mission¡­ Is it all for cultivators who have a Dijing Yuan meridian? Chu Liuyue felt that something was off, but given Mu Qinghe¡¯s reaction, he would never give her any information. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze was cold. ¡°I must return today.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes changed, but his back was facing Chu Liuyue, so she didn¡¯t see the shift in his emotions. However, Jian Fengchi quickly calmed himself down and hugged his arms as he rubbed his chin and asked testingly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ go back first? I¡¯ll send her back when things have settled down here.¡± Mu Qinghe immediately responded. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Why not? Isn¡¯t this a good suggestion?¡± Jian Fengchi paused and looked at Mu Qinghe with a knowing look. ¡°You have matters to attend to, and staying here is purely a waste of time. I have time! What¡¯s wrong with helping you watch over things for a few days? With me around, she¡¯ll never be late.¡± Chu Liuyue paused again. Late? Is Mu Qinghe rushing back with me to attend to something? ¡°Since Ms. Chu doesn¡¯t want to leave yet, isn¡¯t it a little heartless of you to take her with you forcefully?¡± Jian Fengchi returned to his usual relaxed tone. He was clearly serious about this suggestion. Mu Qinghe pondered for a moment. After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke. ¡°Three days maximum.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Jian Fengchi agreed straight away before he recalled something. Then, he turned and glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Three days should be enough, right?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant Mu, Young Master Jian.¡± She had a feeling that the battle would have a winner within three days. She also had to make use of these three days to make arrangements for everything. Mu Qinghe looked at Chu Liuyue before he waved his wrist, and something flew out from his sleeve. Chu Liuyue immediately caught it and looked at it. ¡°This is my token. With this, someone will bring you to me then.¡± With that, Mu Qinghe focused himself. A longsword flew out and floated before him! Mu Qinghe leaped up and onto the sword! His speed was extremely fast, and he disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye! Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°Young Master Jian, Lieutenant Mu¡­ has left?¡± Jian Fengchi retracted his gaze as emotions disappeared from his eyes, to be replaced by his usual nonchalant smile. ¡°He has things to attend to, don¡¯t worry. As for you, just let me know after you have everything prepared.¡± Chu Liuyue curved her lips slightly. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Jian.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Oh right, I heard that Emperor Jiawen was looking for some¡­ bronze cauldron?¡± Chapter 446 - : Still in Imperial City Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched. It seems like Jian Fengchi kept himself busy while he was in the Imperial City. He even knows about something like this. However, he is strong. If he truly wants to look into something, nobody can stop him. Chu Liuyue calculated her options in her head before she nodded truthfully. ¡°You¡¯ve got your ear on the ground, Young Master Jian.¡± Jian Fengchi raised his eyebrows before he smiled cryptically. ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence, but I found out about this by accident. It was¡­ On the day it was taken.¡± Chu Liuyue froze! ¡°Young Master Jian knows who stole the bronze cauldron?¡± Light rippled in Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Earlier, I said that I saw it coincidentally¡­ Of course, that person¡¯s face was covered, so I didn¡¯t get a clear look.¡± That means that he did see it and that¡­ it really was one person! To be able to kill all the guards at Heptagon Alley without giving them the chance or time to call for help¡­ This person has to be a top-tier warrior! There were a number of stage-four warriors among the guards! A regular stage-five warrior would never be able to do that! Chu Liuyue looked around her warily as she asked in hushed tones, ¡°Can you tell me what that person looked like, Young Master Jian?¡± ¡°I can only confirm that it¡¯s a man and that he¡¯s a stage-six warrior. As for the rest¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Did you see where that person headed with the bronze cauldron?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Jian Fengchi paused, then shrugged. ¡°I only took another look because I was surprised to find a stage-six warrior here. Who cares about that bronze cauldron?¡± He didn¡¯t know that thing was that important then. By the time he realized something was amiss, the other party had disappeared. Chu Liuyue sighed when she confirmed that he was telling the truth. ¡°No matter what, thank you.¡± This matter had nothing to do with Jian Fengchi, so it was normal for him not to pay attention. ¡°But if you really want to find that person¡­ It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t help.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t get a good look¡­¡± Jian Fengchi gave her a wry smile. ¡°It seems like Ms. Chu has forgotten what I do?¡± Heavenly doctor¡­ Heavenly doctor! ¡°You left something on that person?¡± Jian Fengchi flicked her on the forehead. ¡°Smart!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. If it were before, Jian Fengchi would never dare to behave so insolently before me, but now is not the time for all this. ¡°So, do you want my help? You have three days anyway, and I don¡¯t have anything to do.¡± Looking at Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression, Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. He still likes to stir up trouble! This isn¡¯t for me; it¡¯s clearly because he wants a piece of the action and to watch others make a fool of themselves! Chu Liuyue pulled her lips into a sincere smile. ¡°Of course! Thank you, Young Master Jian! When all this is over, I¡¯ll offer you my proper thanks!¡± Jian Fengchi shuddered. This Chu Liuyue looks just like that person when she smiles! I¡¯m always in deep trouble whenever I see that smile. She¡¯s dead now, but I¡¯m still scared whenever I see a similar expression. Tsk! I¡¯m really traumatized! ¡°Fine fine fine! I¡¯ll help you!¡± Jian Fengchi turned his face aside as he backed away and sized up Chu Liuyue. In terms of features and size, they aren¡¯t that similar. But for some reason, I always think of that person when I¡¯m facing Chu Liuyue. I refuse to believe that Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t have this illusion too! ¡°If you really go¡­¡± Jian Fengchi muttered. ¡°Go where?¡± Chu Liuyue asked gently as if she didn¡¯t understand his expression. Jian Fengchin pointed in the direction that Mu Qinghe left. ¡°Remember when I told you that you resembled an old friend?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°They would be shocked to see you.¡± Jian Fengchi smiled. I¡¯m not the only person with the same trauma, so there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of! But Jiang Yucheng and company¡­ I wonder what their reactions will be when they see Chu Liuyue! It would be exhilarating! Jian Fengchi felt much better when he imagined that scene in his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Enough of that! Since you¡¯re so anxious, I¡¯ll help you find it!¡± With that, he pulled out a small bell. The bell was the size of a thumb and was carved out of malachite. Through the gaps of the carving, Chu Liuyue could see that something was gently hitting the bell and clanging. Jian Fengchi concentrated on the sound, and an excited expression appeared on his face as he looked toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°That person is still in the Imperial City.¡± ¡­ In the palace, the atmosphere was a lot more tense. Situ Xingchen was once again locked up in a dark and damp dungeon. Blessing Palace had been burned down, so she was locked up in another place. However, Emperor Jiawen had added more manpower. There were guards keeping watch of Situ Xingchen within a ten-step radius all day. Situ Xingchen had lost an arm and a leg, so she could only lie on the floor pathetically, sleeping and waking. Every time she opened her eyes, she hoped that she would be in a different place. However, it never happened. Her heart was filled with despair. Even Elder Zong Ye hadn¡¯t managed to rescue me, not to mention others. I haven¡¯t heard from Father either. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Third Prince to really start an armed rebellion! I wonder if the conflict will reach the palace¡­¡± A worried voice echoed. Situ Xingchen paused. She realized that the guards watching her were discussing something in hushed voices. ¡°Yeah! No wonder His Majesty was so wary of him and even sentenced him to death by execution¡­ His Majesty had seen this coming?¡± ¡°So what? Didn¡¯t he escape from the Northwest Army? I heard that they were fighting outside the city gates! The Northwest Army is battle-tested and not scared to die! They also came prepared! I think they have a good chance of winning!¡± ¡°Not necessarily! Besides the imperial guards, there are also the strong warriors from the big families! How can they be beaten so easily?¡± ¡°I heard that some people have escaped.. It¡¯s a pity that we have to stand guard here, or we could also find a chance¡ªUgh!¡± Before the person could finish, he made a short, sharp cry! ¡°You are¡­¡± Before the remaining person could finish his sentence, they were dead. Situ Xingchen looked up immediately! Chapter 447 - Break! A man in a black robe appeared before her. The person was wearing a red and black ghost mask that covered nearly his entire face. All that could be seen was a pair of cold, brown eyes. As he stood there, he was shrouded in an extremely overbearing aura. The few people still talking earlier were now all on the ground, dead. The strong smell of blood spread across the air. Situ Xingchen held her breath as her hair stood on end. This man is extremely dangerous! ¡°Wh-who are you?!¡± She instinctively reached toward her wrist, but there was nothing there. It was only then that she recalled that Ye Zhiting had destroyed her bracelet. Now there was absolutely nothing useful on her that could be used to attack or defend! The man suddenly laughed; his voice was hoarse. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know who I am. You just need to know that I¡¯m here to help you.¡± ¡°Help me?¡± Situ Xingchen frowned. ¡°Who exactly are you? Why are you helping me?¡± She was not trusting by nature, and her experiences in the last few days were driving her crazy. Therefore, she wasn¡¯t at all happy when she heard the man¡¯s words. Instead, she felt unsettled. The man didn¡¯t say anything. He waved his hand, and there was a green light! A bronze cauldron appeared before Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes¡ªthere was even dried blood on the edges of it! Situ Xingchen stared at it as her eyes widened. This is the bronze cauldron from Heptagon Alley! Didn¡¯t they lose it? Why is it with the strange man?! And¡­ he actually brought it here! ¡°Wh-what exactly do you want to do?¡± Situ Xingchen finally found her voice. The man finally spoke after a brief silence. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what to do?¡± Situ Xingchen clenched her fists in her sleeves! ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say you don¡¯t know. I know exactly what you¡¯re trying to do. This was prepared for Rong Jin, but even today, that fool doesn¡¯t know what this is. So, this is yours now.¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re really giving this to me? Now?¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not very willing.¡± As the man spoke, he moved as if intending to take the bronze cauldron back. Situ Xingchen immediately cried out. ¡°Hold on!¡± She bore with the pain as she limped over and stared at the bronze cauldron. ¡°What are your conditions?¡± She refused to believe that this man was helping her without expecting anything in return. ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes.¡± The man answered impatiently as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. Situ Xingchen dared not pry any further. She slowly reached for the bronze cauldron, but just as she was about to touch it, she paused and looked at her hand with hatred. It was dry and purple and looked terrifying. Other superficial wounds and internal injuries could be cured, but toxins that had entered the body weren¡¯t as easy to deal with. As time passed, they would accumulate. What will I do if I can¡¯t recover after I get out? ¡°I¡­ I have a request.¡± Situ Xingchen decided to take her chances. ¡°I¡¯m badly injured, and I¡¯ve been poisoned¡­ Can you help me?¡± The man¡¯s gaze landed on her hands. Situ Xingchen looked at him nervously. However, the man replied to her coldly, ¡°No.¡± With that, he turned and left. Situ Xingchen opened her mouth. But before she could speak, the man had disappeared. She gritted her teeth. That person is extremely strong, and he isn¡¯t a simpleton. How could it be possible that he can¡¯t help me? He just simply didn¡¯t feel like helping me! She repressed her disdain and looked toward the bronze cauldron. Her surroundings were dark, and the longer she stared at the bloodstains, the more she felt an eeriness from it. She took a deep breath and placed both hands on the bronze cauldron! The instant she touched it, the remaining traces of blood on her hand were absorbed by the bronze cauldron! An eerie, blood-red light burst out from it and enveloped Situ Xingchen! ¡­ Chu Liuyue followed behind Jian Fengchi the entire time. When she realized that he was heading straight for the palace, she frowned and stopped. Jian Fengchi looked at her confusedly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the bell in his hands. This is Jian Fengchi¡¯s treasure, and it has never been wrong. ¡°Young Master Jian, the palace is over there. Would the person remain in the palace after stealing it?¡± Jian Fengchi narrowed his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Just follow me then! Don¡¯t worry. Since I¡¯ve agreed to help you, I¡¯ll see it to the end!¡± Chu Liuyue was reassured by Jian Fengchi¡¯s words and continued following after him. But as the two of them arrived outside the palace walls and were trying to figure out a way to get in, Jian Fengchi suddenly raised his eyebrows. He then placed the bell next to his ears and listened carefully. His expression changed. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be here anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. At this time and position, nobody had passed by. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he just there? How did he¡­¡± ¡°Over there!¡± Jian Fengchi quickly changed directions! Chu Liuyue followed after him without hesitation! But after taking a few steps, she couldn¡¯t help but look back. Jian Fengchi only realized that Chu Liuyue was standing still after walking a distance. ¡°You don¡¯t want to find that person anymore?¡± Jian Fengchi teased. Chu Liuyue shook her head; then, she said slowly, ¡°That person came to the palace before he left¡­ Why?¡± Jian Fengchi paused. He seemed to have understood something. ¡°You¡¯re saying that he purposely took a trip to the palace?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and stared at the tall palace walls as if she wanted to pass right through it and see everything. ¡°I¡¯m entering the palace!¡± After a moment, she decided on this. I have a strong feeling that this man had an objective for this trip! In the palace, the only people connected to the bronze cauldron are Emperor Jiawen and Situ Xingchen! Just as Chu Liuyue was about to find a way in, Jian Fengchi stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re going in like this in broad daylight?!¡± Chu Liuyue frowned and was about to say something when she saw a firework in the distant sky! The next instant, it burst open! Peng! A fluttering military flag! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. The city gates have been broken through! Chapter 448 - Traitors This speed was even faster than what Chu Liuyue had expected. Without long, Rong Jiu would lead his people and rush to the palace. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head as she looked at Jian Fengchi and asked, ¡°Where did that person go?¡± Jian Fengchi pointed in a direction. Suddenly, the bell in his hands made a cracking sound. Jian Fengchi reflectively threw the bell out, and that item quickly broke into a million pieces in midair before landing on the ground. It actually broke on its own! Jian Fengchi slowly curled his fingers as he could still feel a faint numbing feeling on his fingertips. However, his mind was completely blank at this moment. ¡°T-This¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him in understanding. ¡°Young Master Jian, it seems like your tracking skills are so-so?¡± He was clearly long discovered by the other party! Jian Fengchi¡¯s usual smile had long disappeared, and he looked especially cold and solemn. He was clearly taken aback. Chu Liuyue rarely saw such an expression on Jian Fengchi¡¯s face. If this was a leisurely time, she would definitely admire it in detail, but she didn¡¯t have such a mood now. It seemed like the other party was targeting Jian Fengchi, but she knew that that person¡¯s real goal was to attract her over. Every single one of his previous movements was all done on purpose. Jian Fengchi harshly shut his eyes. This is a humongous insult toward me! I¡¯ve lived for so many years, but I¡¯ve never been cheated like this! ¡°He does run fast. If I know who he is, I definitely won¡¯t let him off!¡± Chu Liuyue was also very curious about that person¡¯s identity, but the other party was better in terms of skills, so she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Since the other party has spent so much effort to attract me over¡­ Won¡¯t it be a pity if I don¡¯t go in and take a look? Thinking of this, she turned around and left. Jian Fengchi was shocked. ¡°Hey? Hey, you¡¯re going back?! Didn¡¯t you want to go in just now?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I do want to go in.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be easy to attract trouble if I go in now, so I¡¯ll wait for the chance.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure disappeared in front of him. Jian Fengchi felt that she made sense as he looked at the blue bell shards on the floor with heartache and hatred before following Chu Liuyue. ¡­ At the same time, everyone in the Imperial City had seen the military flag in the sky and noticed that the city gates had been broken through. In the palace, Emperor Jiawen and the few family heads of aristocratic families¡ªincluding a few people who held high positions in court¡ªwere all gathered in Cheng Long Hall. Originally, they were discussing how to handle the Northwest Army¡¯s attack, but the loud noise outside finally disturbed the hall¡¯s peace. Everyone seemed to predict something as their expressions froze. As expected, someone came to report. ¡°Your Highness, the city gates have been broken through! The Third Prince has already brought countless traitors and entered the Imperial City.¡± The Imperial City was surrounded by mountains, and it was hard to attack but easy to defend since only the city gates could be broken through. But now, Rong Jiu actually spent such a short amount of time to bring the others in. Firstly, he broke through the city gates. Next, he was going to break through the palace gates real soon. Everyone in the palace looked at Emperor Jiawen, and the surroundings fell silent. Emperor Jiawen was enraged. ¡°Useless! The number of imperial guards is nearly twice that of the traitors. How can things end up this way?!¡± The person who came to report could only say in a shaky voice, ¡°Your Majesty, they seem to be very familiar with the military deployment in the Imperial City, so Officer Zhao and the rest could not¡ª¡± The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. The military deployment in the Imperial City is highly confidential, and very few people know about it. How did Rong Jiu get that information?! Chapter 449 - Bronze Cauldron ¡°A-and¡­ A few aristocratic families in the Imperial City¡­ seem to have¡­ given in to the Third Prince¡­¡± continued the person while stammering. It was as if lightning struck Emperor Jiawen, and his entire person was rooted to the ground. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The man braved himself and surveyed the surroundings before quickly looking down. ¡°Um¡­ Those few family heads¡­ have¡­ They seem to have discussed it with the Third Prince, so the traitors didn¡¯t encounter much obstruction after they entered the Imperial City.¡± Actually, Emperor Jiawen already understood what it meant when he heard the words for the first time. However, he felt that it was too ridiculous, so he subconsciously didn¡¯t believe it. There was dead silence in the palace. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes turned black. ¡°How can that be?! All those aristocratic families have supported me all the way! They definitely won¡¯t¡ª¡± When he talked halfway, he suddenly thought of something and turned toward the crowd standing in the palace. ¡°You! There¡¯s also someone amongst you who betrayed me?!¡± One had to know that the majority of the aristocratic families¡¯ heads were standing here. If Rong Jiu brought the troops over and had no obstructions along the way, it meant that someone was helping him earlier on. Terrifying dead silence replied him. ¡°Is it you? Or you?! Or all of you?¡± Emperor Jiawen never expected that such an enormous change would happen. It¡¯s no wonder why Rong Jiu is so arrogant. It turns out that he had long prepared in advance. I didn¡¯t know about all of these people secretly betraying me. ¡°Who exactly is it?¡± Emperor Jiawen suddenly felt chills being sent down his spine. ¡°Your Majesty, calm down! With my life, I can assure you that the Si family did not betray you! boomed Si Ye when he stepped forward. When Rong Jiu previously left the execution grounds, Si Ye couldn¡¯t find him after a long time. Thus, he could only return to the palace and ask for forgiveness after he heard that Rong Jiu had successfully arrived outside the city gates. It actually became like this in no time! ¡°Your Majesty, it is the same for the Chu family.¡± Chu Xiao hurriedly spoke up and expressed his loyalty. Ever since he was harshly scolded in the Imperial Study, Chu Xiao had never come again. Now that he had the rare chance, he definitely had to please the Emperor. Then, a few people gradually spoke up. But the Gu family and the Lu family of the four aristocratic family clans did not make a sound. Emperor Jiawen was so angry that his entire body shook. ¡°The remaining ones who haven¡¯t spoken¡­ Have all of you given in to that traitor?!¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded outside the palace. ¡°Father, can¡¯t you clearly see what¡¯s going on? Why must you get to the bottom of this? You¡¯ll only humiliate yourself further.¡± Emperor Jiawen suddenly looked up and saw a team of soldiers nearing the hall before they split into two sides. A solemn figure walked out from the middle¡ªit was Rong Jiu! Not long ago, he was still wearing his convict clothes and looked despaired as he waited for the knife to land on him. But at this moment, he was wearing armor, and his general aura was ferocious. Finally, he stood still outside the hall and looked at Emperor Jiawen calmly. ¡°Father, how have you been?¡± Emperor Jiawen finally felt fear in his heart. ¡°Someone! Protect the Emperor!¡± Chu Xiao immediately rushed forward with the rest. Before they could stand still, they heard Rong Jiu lightly say, ¡°I won¡¯t implicate the innocent. If you give in now, I assure you that I won¡¯t touch your family.¡± Chu Xiao immediately hollered, ¡°You guys are revolting! It¡¯s a capital crime! His Majesty is the only worthy one! Rong Jiu, you¡¯re just digging your own grave by doing this.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Is that so¡­?¡± Rong Jiu raised his longsword and gradually wiped off some bloodstains on it. ¡°First Elder Chu, you probably don¡¯t know that the entire Imperial City is already under my control, right?¡± Chu Xiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He felt uneasy for some reason as he looked at Rong Jiu. C-could it be that Rong Jiu will win this time? At the side, Si Ye sneered, ¡°Rong Jiu, you killed the Empress, and you¡¯re planning a revolt now! You¡¯re a traitor!¡± As he spoke, he circulated his force and planned to attack. Rong Jiu chuckled. ¡°I do hate the Empress, but someone else killed her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Si Ye was dazed. His Majesty had said it himself, and I have also investigated it privately. That day, all those people in charge of the Empress¡¯s palace pointed out Rong Jiu as the one who killed the Empress. How can it be someone else?! ¡°I¡¯ve already brought soldiers and barged into this place. What else is there to lie about?¡± Rong Jiu glanced at Emperor Jiawen mockingly. ¡°If you want to find out the truth, you should ask Father!¡± Si Ye was dazed. Rong Jiu¡¯s words make sense. Since he has already revolted, why wouldn¡¯t he admit to killing the Empress? Unless¡ªhe really didn¡¯t do it! Si Ye¡¯s neck tensed up as he turned around to look at Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Elder Ye! Where¡¯s Elder Ye?¡± Emperor Jiawen asked harshly. Such a major thing has happened in the palace, yet Elder Ye still did not appear? At this point, Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t know that Elder Ye¡ªwho was in charge of guarding Elder Zong Ye¡ªhad also met with some trouble. Seeing that Elder Ye couldn¡¯t save him, Emperor Jiawen thought of something else. ¡°Xuan formation?!¡± The Deep Xuan formation is the defensive formation of Country Yao Chen¡¯s palace, but I now remember that the formation wasn¡¯t activated when Rong Jiu and the rest barged in. Rong Jiu said, ¡°Oh, yes. Father, I forgot to tell you that the Deep Xuan formation is also under my control. If you want to look at it, I¡¯ll personally bring you over. What do you think?¡± Emperor Jiawen felt as though he had dropped into a hole filled with ice, and he was so angry that he vomited blood. Chu Xiao¡ªwho was standing by the side¡ªwas stained with some blood. He was about to help him out when he remembered what Rong Jiu said earlier. Then, he suddenly felt scared and moved backward. What did the others not understand at this point? Of course, they gradually avoided them! Emperor Jiawen shook his hand and pointed at Rong Jiu. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± Rong Jiu raised his chin, and his expression was as cold as ice. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not feeling too well, Father. You should rest properly.¡± Then, he raised his hands. ¡°Someone, send Father to rest in Qinghe Hall.¡± Emperor Jiawen immediately said, ¡°How dare you!¡± Rong Jiu clearly wants to ground me! He clenched his teeth. ¡°Rong Jiu, don¡¯t think I can¡¯t do anything to you! I¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a gigantic commotion from outside. A sinister aura rapidly spread out. Emperor Jiawen suddenly raised his head. That direction¡­ That direction is where Situ Xingchen is locked in! The most important thing is this aura¡­ Someone touched the bronze cauldron! Without thinking, he immediately rushed out. But before he could take two steps, someone stopped him. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face turned as red as a beetroot. ¡°Let me go over! Rong Jiu, do you know what that is? Immediately let me go over. If not, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± The moment he finished his sentence¡ª Hong! A greenish-red light pillar shot toward the sky. Chapter 450 - A Step Too Late The clouds tumbled, and heaven and earth turned pitch black. That light pillar directly shot into the sky and entered the clouds. From afar, it seemed like heaven and earth were connected. Above it, the green and red lights intermingled, outlining a strange pattern that made one fearful. Rong Jiu turned around and focused on it. ¡°Wei Lin! Immediately send someone to check and see what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Everyone in the hall looked over and had strange expressions. Taking advantage of this temporary opening, Emperor Jiawen suddenly rushed toward the back. I must hurry up! But Rong Jiu quickly noticed this movement as he turned around and glanced at him coldly. ¡°Why are you still standing around?¡± The surrounding people immediately reacted, rushed up in unison, and stopped Emperor Jiawen. This time, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s hands were directly tied up, and he couldn¡¯t move them at all. ¡°Rong Jiu! Rong Jiu? Emperor Jiawen looked despaired, and his face flushed red. Rong Jiu waved his hands. ¡°Quickly, bring Father in to rest.¡± A few soldiers immediately walked over from the side and brought Emperor Jiawen away. Eunuch Min and the rest of his associates were also brought away. At the start, Emperor Jiawen was still scolding Rong Jiu. But when his figure disappeared behind the side door, his voice suddenly disappeared, leaving behind faint struggling sounds as if his mouth was stuffed. The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. At this point, it was clear who would win or lose. The previously high and mighty Emperor Jiawen was locked up in the blink of an eye. Even though Rong Jiu didn¡¯t directly kill Emperor Jiawen, he wouldn¡¯t have good days from now on. The entire hall was so quiet that it was suffocating. Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd, and it landed on Si Ye. Si Ye¡¯s entire body tensed up. Even though the Si family was the head of the four biggest family clans, it was clearly an unwise decision to go against Rong Jiu now. ¡°Si Family Head, sorry to trouble you to accompany my father during this time.¡± Rong Jiu is planning to ground me too?! Si Ye¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Third Prince¡ª¡± Before Si Ye could finish his sentence, Rong Jiu¡¯s nonchalant gaze interrupted him. Then, he slowly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you take care of Father, I¡¯ll naturally take care of the Si family.¡± This was a pure threat! Crazy anger rose up in Si Ye¡¯s chest, but he finally suppressed it and gritted out every word. ¡°Since this is so, sorry for troubling you, Third Prince!¡± Then, he turned around and walked in the direction that Emperor Jiawen had left. The few soldiers hurriedly followed him. The crowd exchanged glances privately. It seems like Rong Jiu still hates the Empress, and since Si Ye was the one who dragged him to the execution grounds¡­ The Si family¡¯s situation will naturally not be any better. Seeing that Emperor Jiawen and Si Ye were already dealt with, Chu Xiao was very regretful. If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn¡¯t have stepped up first just now! Great, Rong Jiu will definitely remember this now! As expected, Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze landed on him. ¡°First Elder Chu.¡± Chu Xiao shuddered as he looked at Rong Jiu gingerly. ¡°T-third Prince¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re very loyal to Father. Why? Aren¡¯t you going too?¡± Chu Xiao¡¯s legs went weak, and he immediately said, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood! A-actually, just now¡ª¡± Rong Jiu¡¯s gaze was filled with unconcealable mockery. Chu Xiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and it seemed like something was stuck in his throat. His face flushed white and red, and he wanted to defend himself. But under such a mocking gaze, everything would seem like a joke. ¡°First Elder Chu, please.¡± The soldier at the side already spoke up. Noticing their terrifying murderous aura, Chu Xiao tightened his fist and let go again before leaving with them. Then, the other people who were on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s side earlier were also brought away. After a temporary silence, someone braved himself and said, ¡°Congratul¡ª¡± Hong long! Before he could finish his flattering words, a loud sound was heard from above. Rong Jiu took a deep breath, turned around, and focused on it. Wei Lin had already come back. Rong Jiu asked, ¡°Where did the light pillar come from?¡± Wei Lin looked solemn. ¡°Your Highness, it seems to be coming from Tai Yuan Hall!¡± Rong Jiu knitted his brows. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it long been vacant? Have you found out who there is causing all of these movements?¡± Wei Lin paused and said, ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re incapable! The exterior of Tai Yuan Hall has already been covered by a barrier, so outsiders can¡¯t enter at all. We also can¡¯t see the situation inside. We¡¯ve tried to enter repeatedly, but we failed.¡± Rong Jiu was slightly shocked. Wei Lin is a stage-five warrior and is very capable. If he can¡¯t even break open that barrier¡­ ¡°Bring me over!¡± ¡­ When the light pillar shot up into the sky, in a hidden jail on the other end of the palace. Elder Zong Ye and Elder Ye¡ªwho were stuck in a stalemate¡ªwere also affected by this formidable ripple. Hearing that loud boom, the duo was equally stunned. Not many people in Country Yao Chen can cause such a commotion! Besides, it sounds like it came from nearby in the palace. The duo held their breaths in and felt the sinister ripple. Suddenly, Elder Ye looked shocked. That movement¡­ It seems to be coming from where Situ Xingchen is locked up. The key is that this aura¡ª A ridiculous guess formed in Elder Ye¡¯s heart. Then, he quickly turned around to leave. Elder Zong Ye was stunned. Ye Zhiting actually left? What emergency is it for him to give up on watching me? Thinking of this, Elder Zong Ye hurriedly got out of the cage and followed after him. ¡­ Once Elder Ye came out, he was taken aback by the light pillar that connected heaven and earth. He stood rooted to the ground and couldn¡¯t recover his senses for some time. As expected¡­ As expected, someone touched the bronze cauldron! Elder Zong Ye¡ªwho had hurriedly rushed out and witnessed this scene¡ªwas also taken aback. However, he was more confused. Ye Zhiting has seen quite a lot of scenes, so what kind of thing can make him reveal such an expression? But this question didn¡¯t linger in his heart for long. This was because the most crucial thing to him now was to find Situ Xingchen and bring her away. Even though the bangle had been destroyed, it was lucky that he was very familiar with Situ Xingchen¡¯s aura. As long as she was still in the palace, he could still find her quickly. Thinking of this, Elder Zong Ye closed his eyes and searched carefully. After a while, he widened his eyes, and deep shock flashed across them. Situ Xingchen¡­ seems to be in the light pillar area! ¡­ On the other side, when Rong Jiu brought the soldiers into the palace, Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi had also entered the palace. It was lucky that everyone¡¯s attention was on Rong Jiu and the rest, and the duo was good at hiding their figures, so their entire journey was smooth. Until they saw the terrifying light pillar! Jian Fengchi knitted his brows. ¡°What¡¯s that thing? Why is it so sinister?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face didn¡¯t show any expression at all. ¡°I¡¯m still too late¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Jian Fengchi wanted to ask further when a figure suddenly rushed out of the light pillar. Chapter 451 - Stage-Four With the shine from the light, that person¡¯s figure was vague. However, Chu Liuyue could still recognize that it was Situ Xingchen! Situ Xingchen finally stopped when she flew over to the middle of the light pillar. Then, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started entering her body crazily and rapidly. A few energy spirals quickly appeared in her surroundings. They became more distorted along with the pattern on the light pillar. Chu Liuyue stared closely at Situ Xingchen¡¯s figure. Following the infusion of the strength, her bodily aura kept strengthening. ¡°Wh-what exactly is going on?!¡± muttered Jian Fengchi as he used his elbow to poke Chu Liuyue. ¡°Hey, do you know what she¡¯s doing? You said you were too late¡­ Were you referring to this?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything, but many thoughts surfaced in her head. That bronze cauldron is definitely with Situ Xingchen. It¡¯s also very obvious that she has already activated it and circulated the power within. Previously, she was just a stage-three warrior, but she¡¯s going to break through and become a stage-four warrior now. I must find a way to stop her! Jian Fengchi stared at it and knitted his brows. ¡°This thing is quite strange¡­ Don¡¯t you notice a bloody aura?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°The bronze cauldron contains countless cultivators¡¯ force, blood, and efforts. It¡¯s not strange to have such an aura.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s face changed. He was a heavenly doctor and had killed and saved many people, but he still felt disgusted when he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. One just had to use their brains to think to know what kind of scene that was. It turns out that the bronze cauldron is such a sinister item! ¡°So this means that the power in the light pillar is actually stolen from all those people? But it¡¯s messy, badly mangled, and even conflicting to use the strength they stole. Once one absorbs the force, even though they can temporarily upgrade their cultivation level, it would pose a huge impact on their future cultivation. Who is so brainless to do such a thing?!¡± He naturally didn¡¯t recognize Situ Xingchen. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Would Situ Xingchen not know everything that Jian Fengchi said? But she still chose to do it. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue felt a strange movement coming from the Cosmic Bag. She took a close look at it and discovered that this movement actually came from the wooden box. This wooden box was exactly the one she took from Situ Xingchen. Chu Liuyue looked up and knitted her brows. The movements from this wooden box were triggered by the light pillar. A goatskin scroll is placed within the wooden box. There¡¯s a seal on it, and I still can¡¯t open it even now. Previously, she had thought of many ways, but she couldn¡¯t successfully open it. Thus, she temporarily put it aside. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ it to be related to that bronze cauldron. In midair, Situ Xingchen was still rapidly absorbing the surrounding force, and her bodily aura was obviously strengthening. Following this change, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that the movement in the wooden box was gradually intensifying. Jian Fengchi then realized that Chu Liuyue looked amiss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. With what Emperor Jiawen previously said, she guessed that the bronze cauldron was specifically left for Rong Jin and to help increase his cultivation level. She vaguely guessed that Emperor Jiawen still knew something else, but she didn¡¯t say it. Originally, I wanted to check the item carefully after finding it, but Situ Xingchen was one step ahead of me. Once it¡¯s activated, the power within the bronze cauldron will definitely be swallowed and turn into Situ Xingchen¡¯s strength. But it now seems like the matter is even more troublesome than I had imagined¡­ ¡°What are you looking at?! Hurry up and walk!¡± A frustrated scolding was heard from the side. Chu Liuyue quickly turned around and saw a group of people walking toward her. Her figure moved, and she rapidly hid in the corner at the side. When Jian Fengchi saw this, he followed her and hid as well. That line of people walked nearer. Chu Liuyue then realized that the person being scolded was actually Emperor Jiawen. Eunuch Min and the rest were following behind him, and all of them looked like they had suffered. They were surrounded by soldiers wearing red armor. They were¡­ Rong Jiu¡¯s people. Emperor Jiawen had already changed out of his imperial robe, and he looked dispirited. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize his identity. He looked anxious as he kept turning around to stare at the greenish-red light pillar. It seemed as though he wanted to say something. It was a pity that his mouth was stuffed, so he could only make some vague whines. Due to this, one could not hear him properly. The surrounding soldiers kept pushing them, hurrying them to walk forward. Emperor Jiawen kept struggling. That continued until someone beside him drew a dagger, placed it beside Emperor Jiawen¡¯s waist, and threatened, ¡°We have our ways to make you behave! Why don¡¯t you give it a try?!¡± Emperor Jiawen finally stopped, and hopelessness flashed across his eyes before he stumbled forward. Very quickly, these people walked past Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi from nearby and walked in a certain direction. Something flashed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, and she planned to follow them. Jian Fengchi held her back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him from the corner of her eye. ¡°If you want to follow, then go ahead. If you don¡¯t, walk away on your own.¡± Jian Fengchi was stumped. Wasn¡¯t this girl very polite to me all along? Why did she suddenly change her attitude? He wanted to say something in retaliation, but he suddenly felt guilty when he met with her clear eyes. He muttered softly, ¡°I¡¯ll go then. What¡¯s the point of being so angry¡­¡± Why is Chu Liuyue¡¯s temper so bad? My status was much higher than hers, but why do I suddenly feel like I¡¯m inferior to her? While Jian Fengchi was still reflecting on whether there was something wrong with him, Chu Liuyue already took the first step and followed the rest to leave. Jian Fengchi could only follow. ¡­ Those people brought Emperor Jiawen to Qinghe Hall. Emperor Jiawen was locked in a room on his own, while the rest were locked at the side. All the doors and windows were locked, and someone was guarding at every position. Luckily, there weren¡¯t too many people here. Actually, Rong Jiu was still guarding against Emperor Jiawen. But now that the entire Imperial City was already in his hands and he finally succeeded after so many years, he felt great and reduced his alertness. Besides, the commotion that Situ Xingchen caused had attracted part of his attention. This coincidentally benefitted Chu Liuyue. She observed for a while before sending Tuan Zi out. Tuan Zi was small and fast as it very quickly made some noise and attracted two of the guards¡¯ attention. Taking advantage of the time they left to check, Chu Liuyue quickly entered the hall. Hong! Another thunder sound was heard. Chu Liuyue turned around. Situ Xingchen actually broke through and became a stage-four warrior! Chapter 452 - Stormy Situation But Situ Xingchen just did not stop. Instead, she absorbed the surrounding power at an even higher speed. Evidently, the greenish-red pillar did most of the work. Looking at the tumultuous clouds in the sky and the lightning that kept flashing from time to time, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Normally speaking, this kind of weather phenomenon will only appear when a special treasure is appearing in the world. Similarly, for cultivators, one has to be a stage-five warrior at least to trigger such a big commotion. One had to know that when Chu Ning recovered and broke through to become a stage-five warrior, it completely wasn¡¯t like the current situation¡­ If this continues, Situ Xingchen might continue to break through. The wooden box in the Cosmic Bag started moving even more. Chu Liuyue almost couldn¡¯t ignore it. She even felt that something was going to burst out of the wooden box. At this point, Emperor Jiawen heard the commotion and turned around. Chu Liuyue immediately hid behind the study table. At this moment, Emperor Jiawen was already exhausted. He had also placed his last bit of rationality and attention on the light pillar that shot up to the sky outside, so he didn¡¯t even notice Chu Liuyue. He slowly walked to the window, but it was already locked from the outside, so he couldn¡¯t open it and see what was going on outside. He could only see the light shadow reflecting on the windows. ¡°W-why is this¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen was in dire straits as he muttered to himself. ¡°Ru Yue¡­ I still let you down in the end¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Ru Yue? Isn¡¯t she Consort Wan, Rong Xiu¡¯s birth mother? Why did Emperor Jiawen say this now? Besides¡­ It sounds like he is very regretful and blames himself. Rumors say that Emperor Jiawen only doted on Consort Wan and that the thousands of concubines in the harem couldn¡¯t be compared to her. But afterward¡­ Not long after Consort Wan gave birth to Rong Xiu, she had a huge fight with Emperor Jiawen and directly moved out of the palace to Tian Lu Academy. After staying in the academy for two years, she passed on. It¡¯s normal for Emperor Jiawen to miss her very much, but why must he bring her up at this point? Emperor Jiawen then took out something from around his neck. As only his side was facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s position, she could only see an outline of the object. She couldn¡¯t see what it was clearly. ¡°You¡¯re still blaming me¡­ That¡¯s true; I was wrong, so we ended up in this state¡­¡± muttered Emperor Jiawen as he looked at the item in his hands. It seemed as though he was laughing and crying. Then, the item in his hand suddenly glowed. The glow was like a stream of water as it extended into Emperor Jiawen¡¯s arm and his entire body. Very quickly, Emperor Jiawen was enveloped within the weird light. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. This was because Emperor Jiawen¡¯s aura seemed to be gradually increasing, and that strength clearly seemed to be flowing out of his body. A strange pattern suddenly appeared above his head. Chu Liuyue quickly glanced at it and realized that this pattern was exactly the same as the pattern on the greenish-red light pillar. Comparatively, the one above Emperor Jiawen¡¯s head looked much more normal, not like the one outside that was filled with a sinister aura. Kacha! A crack suddenly appeared on that pattern. As the crack expanded, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s aura became even stronger. Chu Liuyue finally realized something: There is a seal in Emperor Jiawen¡¯s body, and it now seems like he plans to break it open. It¡¯s obvious that Emperor Jiawen¡¯s capabilities aren¡¯t as normal as it seems on the surface. Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something, and her heart beat wildly. If the pattern above Emperor Jiawen¡¯s head is a seal, then¡­ What about the one outside?! ¡­ Hong long! Lightning in the form of a silver snake bore through the thick, black clouds and finally struck the light pillar. Pilihuala! Following this ear-piercing sound, a crack appeared on the strange pattern above the light pillar. But as the light on the pillar kept flashing and because that pattern was very much distorted, almost nobody noticed this change. Now, most people¡¯s attention was on Situ Xingchen, who was in the center of the light pillar. Rong Jiu stared at her closely. Actually, he had long recognized that person to be Situ Xingchen. It seems like she has been locked up in the palace all this while, but for some reason, she suddenly started to break through. The aura in the light pillar is similar to the bronze cauldron. ¡°Your Highness, what should we do?¡± The people behind exchanged glances. Should we just let this be? However, it seems like we can¡¯t get close to it and stop it¡­ Rong Jiu yelled, ¡°Lock the palace doors and prepare to activate the Deep Xuan formation at any time!¡± Everyone was taken aback. ¡°Your Highness, activating the Deep Xuan formation requires a lot of manpower and effort. It seems too overboard to use it to handle a stage-four warrior¡­¡± A family head spoke up tentatively. Rong Jiu turned around and sneered. ¡°So it seems like Su Family Head is volunteering?¡± That person¡¯s expression changed, and he hurriedly shook his head. What a joke! The aura around the light pillar is very dangerous, and even a stage-five warrior like Wei Lin can¡¯t break through it, let alone others. ¡°Since no one wants to go¡­ Immediately prepare the Deep Xuan formation!¡± Rong Jiu yelled, and that person was taken aback. He didn¡¯t dare to say much and hurriedly moved backward. Very quickly, the people beside also followed him. Rong Jiu looked at Situ Xingchen again before he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Where¡¯s Elder Ye?¡± ¡­ At this point, Elder Zong Ye and Elder Ye were battling again. After the latter came out, he planned to stop Situ Xingchen, but he was blocked by Elder Zong Ye. The two people had comparable abilities, and without any burden, Elder Zong Ye¡¯s combat skills were much stronger than before. Hence, after countless moves, they still tied. Seeing that Situ Xingchen had already broken through to become a stage-four warrior but still planned to continue, Elder Ye became increasingly anxious. ¡°Zong Ye, do you know what your precious niece is doing?!¡± Elder Zong Ye sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious what she¡¯s doing? It¡¯s destiny. If you want to stop her, you must make it through me first!¡± The light pillar had tremendous strength, and Situ Xingchen had already smoothly broken through to the fourth stage from the third stage. Without long, she might even break through and become a stage-five warrior. Situ Xingchen was extremely talented as a heavenly doctor, but her warrior skills were average. If she took this chance, she could definitely become a hundred times stronger than before. Elder Ye was infuriated. This fool actually thinks that Situ Xingchen is lucky to have such a destiny, and he even wants her to break through continuously and become a top warrior. Nobody can help him! ¡°Since this is so, I won¡¯t stop her. You just wait here and see if she will really become a top warrior in the end.¡± Chapter 453 - Summon Elder Zong Ye¡¯s heart faltered. He was a stage-six warrior and could naturally feel the light pillar¡¯s aura. Thus, he felt that something was amiss. When he saw Elder Ye¡¯s current look, he became even more worried. But since he had already spoken earlier, he couldn¡¯t go back on his words. Thinking that Situ Xingchen had always done things sensibly, he felt slightly assured and forcefully explained, ¡°We don¡¯t need outsiders like you to worry about this!¡± Then, he looked at the light pillar. At this point, Situ Xingchen¡¯s aura had already broken through to a stage-four warrior¡¯s, and it kept strengthening. Elder Zong Ye was half-emotional and half-worried. However, he didn¡¯t see that shock flashed across Elder Ye¡¯s eyes when he saw a crack appear on the strange pattern above the light pillar. Situ Xingchen¡¯s breakthrough speed is much faster than I had expected. The energy in the bronze cauldron keeps on flowing out. If this continues, the situation will be unsalvageable. Right! There¡¯s still Emperor Jiawen! Thinking of this, Elder Ye turned around and walked away. Elder Zong Ye was very fast and blocked him again as he asked alertly, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Elder Ye¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Zong Ye, I¡¯ve already said that I won¡¯t stop Situ Xingchen! You¡¯d better make way now!¡± But Elder Zong Ye completely didn¡¯t believe his words. Who knows what Ye Zhiting will think of to deal with Xingchen and me? ¡°No matter what, you must stay here! Before this ends, you are not going anywhere!¡± Elder Zong Ye sneered. ¡°The both of us are similar in terms of skills. Even if I can¡¯t defeat you, it won¡¯t be easy if you want to leave.¡± Elder Ye almost spurted out vulgarities, and he really wanted to smash open Zong Ye¡¯s head to see if it stored water. ¡°Zong Ye, don¡¯t make things worse!¡± Elder Zong Ye shrugged his shoulders, and it was clear that he wanted to go against Elder Ye. ¡­ Different from the chaotic palace, Prince Li Mansion was currently peaceful. Standing in the yard, Rong Xiu had his hands behind his back as he glanced toward the palace in the distance. When he saw that the pattern started to crack, he raised his brows slightly. Yu Mo¡ªwho was standing behind¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Master, it seems like Situ Xingchen¡¯s aggression is even stronger than expected. She used such a short amount of time to reach this stage¡­¡± ¡°Her hands and legs have been made useless, and her force was sealed. In addition to the different kinds of humiliation she experienced in the past few days¡­ Anybody would do this, let alone her.¡± Rong Xiu had a wry smile. Yu Mo agreed in his heart. Situ Xingchen wasn¡¯t a kind person, and with the recent happenings, she was obviously someone that would resort to all sorts of methods when she couldn¡¯t achieve her goals. Not to mention that she didn¡¯t know the other secret hidden behind the bronze cauldron. Even if she knew, she might harbor some hope to try it. ¡°What plans does Third Brother have?¡± asked Rong Xiu lightly. Yu Mo immediately said, ¡°The Third Prince is preparing to activate the Deep Xuan formation, but¡­ For some reason, there are no movements yet.¡± ¡°The Third Prince knows the enemy and himself the best on the battlefield and has won many battles. Now that he doesn¡¯t know what exactly Situ Xingchen is up to, he will simply plan to observe quietly and not make reckless moves.¡± Besides, he has just taken down the Imperial City and is a step away from the throne. He naturally has to be meticulous and careful. A smile of understanding surfaced in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. Actually, from all aspects, Rong Jiu was very outstanding. This thought alone didn¡¯t pose a problem, but¡­ He didn¡¯t know that opportunities waited for no men. It might be way too late if he waited for everything to be prepared before taking action. ¡°Master, are you¡­ not planning to intervene?¡± asked Yu Mo curiously. Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°Why waste my effort?¡± This way, it could save him quite some trouble. Yu Mo acknowledged his words respectfully. A ripple suddenly appeared in the empty air. Yu Mo turned around and saw Yan Qing¡ªwho hadn¡¯t been seen for some time¡ªwalk out. He seemed to be in a rush, and his hair was in a mess. ¡°Greetings, Master!¡± Yan Qing knelt down on one leg and presented a letter. Rong Xiu looked at the letter determinedly. ¡°Master, the other side can¡¯t hold it anymore. 36 Respected Elder Ming personally wrote a letter to urge you to go back.¡± When Yu Mo heard ¡¯36 Respected Elder Ming,¡¯ his eyes twitched. That person actually made a move? However, the other side really isn¡¯t in an optimistic situation. Actually, thinking back, Master hasn¡¯t gone back in such a long time¡­ Rong Xiu picked up that letter. The moment it touched his fingertips, the letter turned into a ray of light and flew to Rong Xiu. Then, the light formed a circular screen. A blurred figure appeared above. ¡°Your Highness, are you really not planning to come back?¡± The low and warm voice sounded like the light wind strumming violin strings, rejuvenating one¡¯s soul. Yu Mo suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he exchanged glances with Yan Qing and saw the horror in his eyes. This person is actually using such a tone to speak? It¡¯s over! Rong Xiu focused and still smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Respected Elder, you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯ll go back in a few days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± That voice was still gentle, and he was still smiling. ¡°That¡¯s great. Your Highness, you haven¡¯t been back in a while, and everyone thinks that you have died outside.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched. Chapter 454 - Agree Yu Mo and Yan Qing held their breaths, and they didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. If they could, they really wished they would disappear at this moment. There weren¡¯t many people who dared to be this disrespectful toward His Highness, and this person was one of them. But he had never said such words before, which showed just how angry he was at this point. Rong Xiu coughed. ¡°Respected Elder, you¡¯re joking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you know, Your Highness.¡± That voice sounded harsher, but Yan Qing and Yu Mo heaved a sigh of relief in unison. This way, at least we made it through¡­ ¡°I heard that you stayed there for so long for a girl?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved as he silently glanced at Yan Qing from the corner of his eyes. Yan Qing opened his mouth. ¡°Yan Qing didn¡¯t say it.¡± That elder sneered. ¡°I was just guessing on my own, but it seems like I¡¯m right?¡± Rong Xiu paused and lightly nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± His honest confession made 36 Respected Elder Ming helpless. ¡°¡­Your Highness, you¡¯ve never gotten close to women. Why did you suddenly think it through when you went out?¡± His previous anger had disappeared and was replaced by curiosity and teasing. ¡°I wonder what kind of woman can make you behave in such a manner? It seems like¡­ that bunch of elders still don¡¯t know about this?¡± Rong Xiu honestly said, ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t gone back, and I don¡¯t intend to announce this. When I return, I will personally bring this matter up.¡± This sentence made the elder in the screen silent. ¡°¡­Your Highness, you plan to give her a status?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°My wife naturally has to have a status.¡± ¡°What?¡± That elder was so shocked that he lost his voice, and the originally blurred image also shook. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re planning to¡­ But she hasn¡¯t even entered Heaven¡¯s Canopy yet, right? How can that bunch of old dogs agree to a woman with such a background?¡± Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just agree?¡± ¡°I¡ªHow can you compare that bunch of people with me?¡± said the elder angrily. ¡°Are you looking down on me, Your Highness?!¡± ¡°Since Your Highness picked that woman yourself, I naturally trust you. Besides, the person who can make you spend so much effort must be all over your mind. Why would I object to that? It¡¯s no wonder you were so busy and didn¡¯t come back¡­ But since you¡¯re already prepared, why did you still drag for so long?¡± Talking about the last point, the elder¡¯s voice was filled with disdain. Rong Xiu was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do. I will go back soon. If anything happens there, may I trouble you to take care of the situation for me?¡± The elder smacked his lips. ¡°I never found it frustrating. Your Highness is doing it for your own lifelong happiness this time, so I must do this for you! But when Your Highness comes back, I must be the first person to see that woman!¡± A faint light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s deep eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have to wait for a while because she won¡¯t be following me back this time.¡± ¡°What?! She¡¯s not coming back with you?!¡± The elder was shocked. I was already thinking of what to give her as a welcome gift, but why did he say that she isn¡¯t coming?! ¡°Wait! Can it be that she doesn¡¯t like you, Your Highness?!¡± Rong Xiu was speechless. Yan Qing and Yu Mo shrunk their necks, and they really wanted to find a hole to hide themselves in. They really didn¡¯t want to hear this conversation at all. Rong Jiu took a deep breath in. ¡°I don¡¯t need to bother you with this, Respected Elder. She will quickly go to Heaven¡¯s Canopy soon, but she has something to do herself first. When she¡¯s done, you will naturally have the chance to see her.¡± The elder instantly became interested. ¡°She¡¯s coming to Heaven¡¯s Canopy, but not with you? Where is she going then? What is she doing?¡± However, Rong Xiu refused to say. ¡°You will know when it¡¯s time.¡± Seeing that Rong Xiu refused to divulge any information, the elder didn¡¯t continue asking. ¡°Since this is so, I hope you¡¯ll come back soon, Your Highness.¡± Then, the screen quickly disappeared. Rong Xiu lightly heaved a sigh of relief. I have indeed dragged on for too long this time, to the point that 36 Respected Elder Ming wrote to me personally. He thought for a while and asked, ¡°What is Mu Qinghe doing today?¡± Yu Mo replied immediately, ¡°He went to Ms. Liuyue¡¯s residence earlier on and left after that.¡± Mu Qinghe went to look for her at this time¡­ Rong Xiu gathered his focus. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Yu Mo was dazed, and his gaze suddenly changed. According to the previous arrangement, the people supervising Mu Qinghe must report to me once every few hours. However¡­ there seems to be no news today. I had been following Rong Xiu around and only cared about Rong Jiu¡¯s things, so I forgot about this. Yu Mo immediately knelt down. ¡°Sorry for failing my job, Master. Please punish me.¡± Rong Xiu long realized something when he saw his gaze, and he furrowed his brows. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I think he left today.¡± Mu Qinghe isn¡¯t a simple person, and it¡¯s impossible that he doesn¡¯t know someone is secretly watching him in the dark. There must be a reason for him to take action today. Besides¡­ ¡°Where¡¯s Yue¡¯er?¡± asked Rong Xiu. Yu Mo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Rong Xiu closed his eyes and opened them after a moment to look in a certain direction. That¡¯s¡­ where the palace is! She actually went to the palace?! He looked at the light pillar connecting the skies and the ground. With the passage of time, the color of the light pillar seemed to be much duller than before, but Situ Xingchen¡¯s aura seemed to be much stronger. The key point was that many cracks had already appeared on the strange pattern above the light pillar. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes sank. The next moment, lightning struck. That pattern finally broke. Chapter 455 - Sneak Attack Rong Xiu¡¯s figure moved, and he quickly disappeared from within the yard. Yu Mo and Yan Qing glanced at each other and followed him. ¡­ As the strange pattern broke, Situ Xingchen had also officially broken through and became a stage-five warrior. Seeing that the light pillar still hadn¡¯t vanished and how Situ Xingchen kept absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force in the middle, Rong Jiu finally realized that something was amiss. If this continues, who knows if Situ Xingchen will continue to break through? He looked at Wei Lin. ¡°Have you found Elder Ye?¡± Wei Lin shook his head. Rong Jiu silently thought for a while. ¡°Send my orders and activate the Deep Xuan formation!¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd behind exchanged looks. Nobody expected that before Emperor Jiawen could even activate the Deep Xuan formation, Rong Jiu would use it to deal with Situ Xingchen. ¡°Yes!¡± Wei Lin quickly brought some men and left. Time seemed to pass especially slow when they were waiting. After approximately 15 minutes, a ripple came from the northwestern corner of the palace. A star gradually appeared in the sky. Following this, more points lit up beside the star. In the blink of an eye, it had already become one sheet, like a small sea of stars. Almost at the same time, the same scene appeared in the other three directions. All the stars were gathering toward the middle. It was as if an invisible hand was connecting the four incomplete patches of stars. Hong! When everything gathered together, a large sound was made. It was like a gigantic star net had covered the entire palace. It gave off a crushing sense of pressure! That greenish-red light pillar was also affected by this strength and suppression as it started to shrink toward the middle. At this point, Situ Xingchen suddenly opened her eyes. The pair of eyes that was always watery was bloodshot now. Cruel and cold murderous intent crazily swarmed out of her eyes. She looked at her wrist and ankle. With that force helping her, all her physical injuries had recovered. She had also directly broken through and become a stage-five warrior from a stage-three warrior. She gradually clenched her fist and felt rejuvenated when she felt the energy coursing through her body. Previously, I was still quite hesitant. But now, it seems like my decision was more right than ever. Even in the entire world, how many people can continuously break through to such a stage in such a short span of time, let alone in Country Yao Chen? The key point is that the energy in the bronze cauldron hasn¡¯t been exhausted. This means that my strength will continue to rise. She looked up and sneered when she realized that the light pillar seemed to be shrinking. Then, she clasped her hands, and her surrounding force crazily moved. At the same time, the winds howled, and lightning struck. The light pillar that entered the clouds suddenly landed like a waterfall. The eye-catching light, together with the tremendous force, crazily entered her body. Intense pain could be felt all over her body. Situ Xingchen saw that some small wounds on her hand had exploded, and sticky, sweet blood started oozing out. However, she clenched her teeth and did not stop. Only this way can I break through even faster. After enduring this momentary pain, I will become the top warrior in the world. Very quickly, Rong Jiu and the rest saw that the light pillar¡ªwhich almost connected heaven and earth¡ªstarted to shrink from both ends. Situ Xingchen¡¯s body was like a black hole that kept crazily absorbing that light. Rong Jiu felt increasingly uneasy. He boomed, ¡°Activate the Deep Xuan formation!¡± His strong and burly voice reverberated throughout the air. At the same time, the cultivators spread across the palace started exerting their strength. Rays of light intersected above the gigantic Deep Xuan formation, and they very quickly drew a large outline. Roar! A dragon roar echoed throughout the sky. It was actually a seventh-grade fiend¡ªred-tailed flood dragon. Its entire body was silver, but only its tail was red, looking like a wildly burning fire. Its enormous body almost covered the entire sky. When it let out a roar, the ground started to shake. The Deep Xuan formation was the formation to protect the palace, but very few people knew that the Xuan formation was suppressing a red-tailed flood dragon. It was the reason why the Deep Xuan formation was formidable. Even though the red-tailed flood dragon was just a seventh-grade fiend, it had an ancient legendary fiend¡¯s blood¡ªthe great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline. The red-tailed flood dragon could be considered as the most powerful existence amongst seventh-grade fiends. Rumors had it that some red-tailed flood dragons had the chance to break through and become an eighth-grade fiend or even higher. The red-tailed flood dragon flew in the air, and its gigantic, red eyes were ice-cold as its gaze was nonchalant. Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I never expected a fiend of such grade to be hidden in the Deep Xuan formation. Even though she was already a stage-five warrior, it was a dream for her to defeat a seventh-grade fiend. She could only have some hope if she broke through and became an advanced stage-six warrior. Situ Xingchen clenched her teeth, circulated her surrounding force, and mapped out a barrier around her rapidly. The next moment, the red-tailed flood dragon rushed toward Situ Xingchen. Wherever it passed by, black spaces would appear. One could tell how formidable it was. Then, it flung its dragon tail. Pak! It heavily slammed against Situ Xingchen¡¯s barrier. Hong! A loud impact sound was heard again! The suppression directly hit Situ Xingchen¡¯s body through the barrier. Her body shook, and her face instantly became paler. But at the next moment, euphoria flashed across her eyes. This was because the barrier did not break. Just based on her current stage-five warrior strength, the barrier she formed definitely couldn¡¯t withstand the red-tailed flood dragon¡¯s attack. Hence, she directly circulated the light pillar¡¯s power to form this barrier. It was indeed strong. She felt more at ease and continued to swallow the surrounding power. With a bit more time, I might be the red-tailed flood dragon¡¯s match. Seeing that Situ Xingchen had actually withstood an attack from the red-tailed flood dragon, the spectators were all taken aback. ¡°What¡¯s with the greenish-red light around her? How can it have such tremendous strength?¡± ¡°In such a short time, she has already broken through and become a stage-five warrior¡ªNo! She¡¯s already an intermediate stage-five warrior?! Does she want to break through and become a stage-six warrior?!¡± ¡°Did you see? She seems to be bleeding? I think her physical body can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± ¡°What is she planning to do¡­¡± Not only in the palace, everyone in the entire Imperial City could see this commotion as they all raised their heads to watch the scene. Situ Xingchen ignored those gazes. There seemed to be something circulating within her stomach, and her body kept oozing blood out. But she couldn¡¯t feel any more pain as she felt that she was wrapped in fire. Suddenly, her gaze focused, and she looked in one direction. She waved her sleeves, and strong power rolled out. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was hiding in Qinghe Hall¡ªfelt the commotion behind her, and her internal alarm sounded as she turned around. The intense suppression came right for her! Chapter 456 - Very Good The tremendous force formed a bloody whip and harshly swept toward her. Chu Liuyue immediately backed away. Pak! The wooden table immediately broke into two, and the broken pieces flew everywhere. Half of Qinghe Hall¡¯s roof immediately went flying, but the bloody whip didn¡¯t stop. Instead, it traveled toward Chu Liuyue at greater speeds. Emperor Jiawen¡ªwho was at the other end of the room¡ªwas startled by the commotion and instantly turned around to take a look. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. Deep shock flashed across Emperor Jiawen¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue paused in her movements, but this temporary pause caused the bloody whip to spread near her waist and tightly coil around it. Then, her body was dragged out by that bloody whip. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s gaze flashed, and he hid in an even more isolated corner that wasn¡¯t affected. At the same time, his surrounding barrier became stronger. As long as nobody went near him, they definitely wouldn¡¯t notice that something was wrong. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s previous glance¡­ was actually filled with immense hatred! At this moment, the bloody whip around her waist tightened again. Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around and noticed the other end of the bloody whip was in Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands. Situ Xingchen waved her wrist, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s body uncontrollably flew toward her. Chu Liuyue immediately drew out her dagger and cut the bloody whip. Choo! The bloody whip broke along with the sound, but before Chu Liuyue could be happy, she saw the broken bloody whip quickly connect again. The bloody whip started forming together with that strange strength, and her dagger couldn¡¯t even cut through it completely. In the blink of an eye, she was only ten steps away from Situ Xingchen. Situ Xingchen raised her chin and looked at Chu Liuyue arrogantly and nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± She had now become an intermediate stage-five warrior and was much more sensitive to her surroundings. Previously, she clearly felt a very familiar and annoying aura, so she swiftly took action. It¡¯s really this b*tch! Every time Situ Xingchen saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, her heart would be filled with overflowing hatred. Whatever I experienced before, I must let Chu Liuyue pay it back a hundred-fold. Thinking of this, she waved her wrist without hesitation. That bloody whip was suddenly let loose, and it harshly whipped toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Chu Liuyue immediately backed away, but Situ Xingchen¡¯s current cultivation level was much higher than her. The same could be said for her speed and strength. Even when she had exhausted all her speed to avoid her, Chu Liuyue still couldn¡¯t escape unscathed. Pak! Chu Liuyue¡¯s left arm instantly split open, and blood gushed out. Her body also harshly fell forward due to the strong energy. The moment he saw Chu Liuyue in midair, Elder Ye was shocked and wanted to go forward to help. That girl is just a stage-three warrior now. How can she be Situ Xingchen¡¯s match? But once he moved, Elder Zong Ye blocked him once again. Elder Zong Ye¡ªwho had suffered a lot previously and was very stifled¡ªfinally took his revenge. ¡°Ye Zhiting, didn¡¯t you say that your precious disciple was a rare genius? Why are you so anxious to go forward and help? Why don¡¯t we stand by and see who will win?¡± Ye Zhiting finally couldn¡¯t take it lying, and he scolded, ¡°My *ss! Who is that Situ Xingchen? How can she be compared to my disciple? Do you think the humiliation during the Qing Jiao Competition wasn¡¯t enough?! Zong Ye, don¡¯t be too delighted. Situ Xingchen activated the bronze cauldron on her own accord and swallowed hundreds of cultivators¡¯ strength. Even if she can break through in a short period of time, she will suffer from endless aftereffects!¡± Zong Ye¡¯s heart skipped a beat. No wonder I felt that Situ Xingchen¡¯s aura seemed amiss¡­ But at such a critical juncture, how can I support others and destroy my own power? ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about this! You should just think if your precious disciple can live! I think Xingchen¡¯s move can directly take away half of her life!¡± She¡¯s just a stage-three warrior. Perhaps she can¡¯t even endure more than three moves under Xingchen¡¯s hands. Ye Zhiting¡¯s gaze turned extremely cold as he shot a deadly stare at Elder Zong Ye and said carefully, ¡°In my entire life, I only have this one disciple. If anyone dares to hurt her¡­ I will chase after that person even until my death!¡± The moment he said that, his surrounding aura suddenly exploded. Elder Zong Ye was shocked. Ye Zhiting is being serious?! The next moment, Elder Ye had already rushed to him. The pair immediately got into it! ¡­ Rong Jiu stared at the scene in midair, and his expression turned ugly. ¡°Chu Liuyue¡­ seemed to have come out from Qinghe Hall just now¡­¡± The people behind him fell silent. Rong Jiu turned around and walked toward Qinghe Hall with large strides. Previously, he had clearly sent quite a few people to escort Emperor Jiawen to Qinghe Hall, but Chu Liuyue was actually there. If Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t suddenly make a move, he wouldn¡¯t know when he would find out about this. ¡­ Just before Chu Liuyue¡¯s body harshly slammed on the floor, she suddenly felt a strength that held her up from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and realized that it was Tuan Zi biting on her shirt and dragging her behind. Huala! The soft clothing material couldn¡¯t withstand such stretching, and it suddenly tore. Panic flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes. If she lands, she will be severely injured! A sharp gaze rapidly grazed past Chu Liuyue¡¯s body like a knife. She looked down and saw that she was getting increasingly nearer to the marble floor. Her expression changed, and just as she wanted to circulate the strength of the water droplet in her dantian, she saw a white figure flash across her eyes. The next moment, she felt that she had landed on a soft ball. ¡°Xue Xue!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Xue Xue¡ªwho suddenly appeared and saved her¡ªin surprise. Xue Xue¡¯s paws gently touched the floor, and it brought Chu Liuyue up. Roar! A majestic lion roar reverberated throughout the area. Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was supposed to land on the floor¡ªsuddenly straddled a bulky, white lion¡¯s back. The winds whistled and blew up her black hair, which looked like a black flag flying in the winds. Not only was the beautiful face not filled with any form of cowardice or fear, but it was also filled with a high and mighty aura. Cold, arrogant, and determined! One look at it, and one would see that she was unparalleled. It also made one subconsciously bow down to her. She and Situ Xingchen stared at each other, but Situ Xingchen¡ªwho had a stronger cultivation level¡ªseemed to be lacking. Countless people saw this scene, and they were all dazed. Is this really¡­ Chu Liuyue? Chu Liuyue glanced at the injury on her left shoulder and slowly raised her head as she stared at Situ Xingchen coldly. Her lips curved up into a cold smile. ¡°Very good.¡± Chapter 457 - Fight! Situ Xingchen was stunned by Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, and she unwittingly felt fear. But the next moment, she suddenly woke up. Fear? Chu Liuyue is definitely not my opponent now. She should be the one that¡¯s afraid. Situ Xingchen suppressed her emotions, and her eyes narrowed when her gaze landed on the white lion. That¡¯s clearly Rong Xiu¡¯s fiend! Rong Xiu has never summoned it in front of others before, so very few people know about this. I had only found out about this accidentally. Now, it actually appeared here and saved Chu Liuyue?! Is he determined to help Chu Liuyue to the end? She clenched her teeth and suddenly sneered. ¡°What, are you going to fight with me?¡± Chu Liuyue circulated her force. The rich force kept flowing out of her dantian and headed toward her right index finger. ¡°You tried to kill me first. What, you don¡¯t allow me to retaliate?¡± Situ Xingchen seemed not to care about Chu Liuyue¡¯s movements and acted as if she heard a joke. She chuckled. ¡°Just based on you, a mere stage-three warrior?¡± Her words overflowed with unconcealable mockery and contempt. ¡°Based on me alone.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning. I¡¯m indeed a stage-three warrior now, but¡­ I didn¡¯t say that I can only execute powers limited to a stage-three warrior. Situ Xingchen almost thought that Chu Liuyue was crazy. ¡°Okay! I want to see how long you can be arrogant for!¡± The moment she finished her sentence, she raised the bloody whip and harshly lashed it out. Pak! This time, she used even greater strength than before. When the bloody whip cut through the air and easily tore through space, it left black cracks. In the blink of an eye, that bloody whip went straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s head with tremendous powder. Xue Xue hurriedly avoided it; it was very fast. One look at it, and it would seem like a bolt of lightning. The bloody whip landed on nothing. Situ Xingchen¡¯s expression turned ugly. With that high-level fiend¡¯s help, it will be very difficult to even hurt Chu Liuyue, let alone killing her. She raised her wrists, and the bloody whip hurriedly followed Chu Liuyue. Pak! Xue Xue moved its body and easily avoided it again. Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t believe it and took action again. A faint layer of greenish-red light gathered above the bloody whip. The strength within it was much greater than the previous two times. When the bloody whip flew out, Situ Xingchen angrily hollered, ¡°If you have the guts, don¡¯t run!¡± Before Chu Liuyue could even reply, Xue Xue had already turned around, raised its claw, and harshly slashed forward. Huala! The bloody whip was directly cut into two by Xue Xue¡¯s claw. Situ Xingchen gasped. This fiend is even stronger than I thought. Xue Xue glanced at Situ Xingchen, and its icy-blue eyes were cold and nonchalant. It seemed as though it was looking at an ant. Chu Liuyue gently patted Xue Xue¡¯s head. ¡°You did great!¡± Xue Xue turned around, and the ice in its eyes melted away, revealing unconcealable pride and delight. That big, furry head sweetly rubbed against Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm, and Xue Xue looked very different from its previous cold and solemn appearance. Situ Xingchen was so angry that she almost exploded. She was also implicated in the previous retaliation, and her organs were all huddled together. Originally, I wanted to take this chance to take revenge on Chu Liuyue and settle her once and for all. But it now seems like it¡¯s going to be difficult unless I can increase my cultivation level again¡­ Right! I can only kill Chu Liuyue by continuing to cultivate and becoming a stronger warrior. Thinking of this, Situ Xingchen took a deep breath in and strengthened her surrounding barrier. Then, she closed her eyes and started to absorb the surrounding force. Actually, the force from the greenish-red light from the bronze cauldron kept flowing toward her body continuously. As long as she focused at the critical moment and tried to break through, she would succeed. When Chu Liuyue saw that Situ Xingchen suddenly stopped, something popped up in her mind, and she understood the latter¡¯s intentions. She will fight when she wants to and suddenly stop to break through when she wants to. How can there be such a good deal in this world? Once Chu Liuyue thought of this, a red figure flashed before her eyes. Tuan Zi directly flew toward Situ Xingchen. If Chu Liuyue was in front of it, she would see how angry Tuan Zi looked with its puffed-up cheeks. Damn it! My spotlight has been snatched! Once it thought about how it previously tried to pull Chu Liuyue back but failed and was even chased away by the force, Tuan Zi felt ashamed. Compared to the white lion¡¯s performance, it had no face at all. Seeing Tuan Zi coming toward her, Situ Xingchen smiled coldly. This barrier¡¯s defense is very strong. Even that seventh-grade red-tailed flood dragon can¡¯t break through it, let alone this third-grade blood ferret. It¡¯s capable, but¡ª Bang! Tuan Zi directly pounced on the barrier, opened its mouth, and harshly bit down. Kacha! A large hole instantly appeared. Situ Xingchen¡¯s smile instantly froze, and intense disbelief filled her eyes. How is that even possible? As if it were releasing its anger, Tuan Zi kept biting the barrier¡¯s sides. Kacha kacha! A similar scene to that of the Qing Jiao Competition appeared once again. Even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Why do Tuan Zi¡¯s teeth seem to be even better than before¡­? Even though Situ Xingchen¡¯s surrounding barrier was tough, it couldn¡¯t withstand Tuan Zi¡¯s attack. Initially, she wanted to ignore it and hurriedly break through. But when she saw Tuan Zi bite a hole out, completely squeeze itself in, and come toward her, she finally couldn¡¯t take it any longer and was forced to stop. ¡°Chu Liuyue! If you¡¯re capable, go against me one-on-one. Why must you rely on these fiends?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it precisely my ability to be able to summon these fiends to help me? I never said that you couldn¡¯t do it. Since you hate me, you can just show all the tricks you have up your sleeves!¡± Something seemed to be stuck in Situ Xingchen¡¯s chest as her face flashed white and red. How can a normal fiend be these two fiends¡¯ opponents? Chu Liuyue suddenly cleared her throat. ¡°Xue Xue!¡± Xue Xue seemed to have telepathy with her as it leaped into the air and instantly charged toward Situ Xingchen. Upon seeing this, everyone was taken aback. ¡°Chu Liuyue is actually planning to take Situ Xingchen head-on?¡± ¡°That white lion is a high-level fiend. Didn¡¯t you see how easily it avoided Situ Xingchen¡¯s attack? With its help, Chu Liuyue might not lose!¡± ¡°But Situ Xingchen is a few levels higher than her¡­ If they directly fight, Chu Liuyue would definitely be at a disadvantage¡ª¡± Green and red rays of light gathered in Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands. Then, her hands harshly clapped together. The two lights slammed against one another. ¡°Double Extreme Palm!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and a dazzling light appeared above her right index finger. Chapter 458 - Back Hand The spark of light reflected in her eyes and made them dazzle and sparkle. However, this spark of light was unassuming when compared to the large, greenish-red palm that Situ Xingchen executed in midair. Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on the imposing palm. Chu Liuyue looked up and squinted her eyes slightly. There was a vague pattern in the middle of the palm. It was exactly the same as the pattern that appeared on the light pillar. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. That pattern is clearly a seal, but for some reason, it actually appeared on the palm. Suddenly, she noticed a ripple coming from the Cosmic Bag. It still came from the wooden box that she took from Situ Xingchen earlier. That strange pattern seemed to encompass a special strength, and it would cause a large reaction every time it appeared. At this moment, Situ Xingchen hollered, ¡°Go!¡± That palm slowly went toward Chu Liuyue, and the tremendous suppression kept spreading from above. The surrounding space seemed to be implicated by the suppression as it became heavy and sticky. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that she was in a mud-like state, and her every movement required much more effort. ¡°Situ Xingchen¡¯s suppression has definitely reached the peak of a stage-five warrior. Chu Liuyue is in danger!¡± ¡°She still rushed over. She doesn¡¯t have enough time to escape!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking¡­¡± Everyone partook in heated discussions. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was in midair¡ªdid not hear this. But even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t care. Since she dared to do this, she definitely had her own reasons. That gigantic palm seemed to be moving very slowly, but its speed was very fast. In the blink of an eye, it was near Chu Liuyue. In comparison, Chu Liuyue seemed especially small and petite. It looked as if she would be swallowed by that palm at any time. But at this moment, Chu Liuyue finally stretched out her right hand and gently knocked her index finger. ¡°Jingshen Finger!¡± Buzz! A ripple suddenly appeared in the empty air. Then, the spark of light on her fingertip suddenly exploded. Half of the sky above Chu Liuyue¡¯s head seemed to light up. The light was imposing, dazzling, and magnificent. It was as though it was big and warm enough to contain everything in the world. Under the accompaniment of this light, the palm with the strange pattern suddenly seemed ugly and unkempt. The forces of the two parties intersected. Like snow that met with sunlight, the palm actually started to shrink silently. Situ Xingchen¡¯s delighted smile froze, and horror crept up to her face. W-why is this¡­ I used all my strength in this attack, but why did it fail so quickly after Chu Liuyue took action?! It seems like it can¡¯t even retaliate! Situ Xingchen kept urging the strength in her body and injected it into the palm, but in the end, it was to no avail. She looked at Chu Liuyue in disbelief and hatred. One finger¡­ Chu Liuyue just used one finger to win against me? Actually, Chu Liuyue was just as shocked as Situ Xingchen at this point. This was her first time officially executing Jingshen Finger after learning it. She knew that Jingshen Finger was formidable, but she didn¡¯t expect the effects to be of this extent. This was clearly much stronger than other warrior techniques of the same level. Chu Liuyue looked at her finger. That bright light contained tremendous strength. If I didn¡¯t see it personally, I never would¡¯ve believed the scene before my eyes. Perhaps¡­ This is the strength of a Heaven-grade warrior technique? Situ Xingchen finally panicked. If I continue fighting with Chu Liuyue, it definitely will not benefit me. The only thing I can do now is rapidly strengthen my capabilities. Hong! The gigantic palm finally disintegrated, and the strange pattern also disappeared. Blood flowed out from the corner of Situ Xingchen¡¯s mouth, and she looked even more unkempt in addition to her already bloodied body. The next moment, she suddenly turned around and ran into the distance. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and lightly patted Xue Xue. Xue Xue immediately understood and rushed forward. It was naturally much quicker than Situ Xingchen. Not long later, it blocked her path. Upon seeing that Chu Liuyue had managed to catch up to her so quickly, Situ Xingchen¡¯s expression looked ugly. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, we haven¡¯t battled to find out who the winner is, yet you just¡­ escaped? Isn¡¯t this inappropriate?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with a light smile. Situ Xingchen clenched her silver teeth. She could feel countless pairs of eyes staring at her from below. Mockery, contempt, disdain! They were all going for her! ¡°W-who said I¡¯m going to escape?!¡± yelled Situ Xingchen forcefully, and her voice was way sharper than before. ¡°You just used some unorthodox methods. Chu Liuyue, do you really think you¡¯ll be my opponent?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. Unorthodox methods? I should return this sentence to Situ Xingchen instead. ¡°You will find out very quickly if I¡¯m your opponent or not.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled lightly, but harsh murderous intent flashed across her eyes. The next moment, she jumped out and went straight for Situ Xingchen. Situ Xingchen was first shocked before she sneered in her heart. Chu Liuyue is actually planning to have a physical fight with me personally. This is her most stupid decision today! The two of us are exactly two stages apart, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s physical strength definitely can¡¯t be compared to mine. If Chu Liuyue continues to execute her previous moves, she might not be able to endure it. But now¡­ she is clearly courting her own death! ¡°You¡¯re tired of living!¡± Situ Xingchen circulated her force and raised her hand. ¡°Flying Eagle Claw!¡± A few broken figures merged together, and they went for Chu Liuyue¡¯s head in unison. Chu Liuyue went forward. Her wrist moved in a certain manner, and she avoided Situ Xingchen¡¯s attack. She also held onto the other¡¯s wrist in a deadly grasp. Then, she exerted strength with her fingers and clenched tightly. Kacha! A crisp, bone-breaking sound was heard. ¡°Ahh!¡± Situ Xingchen yelled out in pain, and her entire face was pale. At that moment, there was only one thought left in her mind: How is Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist strength so great?! Situ Xingchen instinctively raised her legs and kicked toward Chu Liuyue, but the latter was even faster. Bang! The duo¡¯s legs harshly slammed against each other. Situ Xingchen felt as if she had hit a metal board as her entire leg became numb. After a short moment, excruciating pain was felt. She looked up in shock and shot a deadly stare at Chu Liuyue, her eyes filled with vengeance. ¡°You bi¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly, and a cold light flashed across her palm, going straight for Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart. Situ Xingchen was stunned, and she immediately avoided it with all her might. Choo! That dagger stabbed straight into her chest and was only a short distance away from her heart. But Chu Liuyue did not stop as she held the dagger¡¯s handle and harshly twisted it. ¡°Split!¡± Two thin flying blades instantly entered Situ Xingchen¡¯s body! Chapter 459 - Execute Cold and piercing pain was felt in two places. Situ Xingchen¡¯s face flushed white, and she slowly lowered her head. Spots of blood gradually seeped out and stained the shirt in front of her chest. Choo choo! The two flying blades pierced through her chest and flew out. Chu Liuyue bent her arm, and her elbows harshly slammed against the other person¡¯s shoulders. Situ Xingchen suddenly puked out blood, and she flew backward. Chu Liuyue quickly avoided her and jumped onto Xue Xue¡¯s back, who had come on time. Bang! Situ Xingchen landed on the floor heavily. As the collision was too strong, her body dragged across the floor for a long time before finally stopping. The ground was left with a long bloodstain that looked terrifying. There was dead silence. Almost everyone thought that Chu Liuyue was doomed, but they didn¡¯t expect that Situ Xingchen would be the one who lost after an intense battle. Even though the fiend¡¯s appearance was vital, Chu Liuyue did personally slam Situ Xingchen down earlier. Elder Zong Ye and Elder Ye had also seen this scene in the middle of their fight, and they both stopped. However, the duo¡¯s gazes were very different. Elder Ye¡¯s worry-filled face dissipated, and his wrinkles seemed to form a flower from his wide smile while his eyes were filled with unconcealable delight. ¡°Hah! I long said that Situ Xingchen is no match for Liuyue! Zong Ye, what do you have to say now?!¡± Elder Zong Ye¡¯s face was so ugly that it looked as if he had swallowed a fly. Situ Xingchen¡¯s cultivation level is clearly much higher than that of Chu Liuyue. How did she lose?! He originally thought that Situ Xingchen would definitely win this battle, yet this happened. His gaze flashed, and he immediately wanted to go forward. ¡°Hey! Zong Ye, what do you want to do?¡± Elder Ye¡¯s figure moved, and he blocked Elder Zong Ye¡¯s path with a face filled with smiles. Zong Ye¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You want to stop me?!¡± ¡°Listen to what you¡¯re saying. Didn¡¯t you also stop me just now? I¡¯m just doing the same back to you! Haha!¡± Seeing Zong Ye¡¯s ugly expression, Elder Ye felt relieved. I wanted to help Liuyue earlier, but this guy stopped me. How can it be so easy now that he wants to go and help Situ Xingchen?! Elder Zong Ye knitted his brows tightly. With Ye Zhiting around, I can¡¯t help her! ¡°Didn¡¯t you previously say that you wanted to see who would be the eventual winner? Then, why don¡¯t we watch together?¡± Elder Ye had a smile plastered on his face, but his surrounding harsh aura hinted that he definitely wouldn¡¯t allow Elder Zong Ye to go over. Elder Zong Ye hated him in his heart. Just as the two people were talking, Xue Xue had already brought Chu Liuyue to the ground. Chu Liuyue jumped down easily and landed on the floor. Situ Xingchen struggled to stand up, but her wounds were oozing blood. She felt excruciating pain in her shoulders. Without looking, she knew that her shoulder blade had been pierced through. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to fight one-on-one with me?¡± Chu Liuyue played with the dagger and said slowly, ¡°As you wish.¡± It was much more convenient for the two of them to fight on the ground. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalant smile, Situ Xingchen couldn¡¯t help but shudder. She felt that the current Chu Liuyue was Shura who walked out from hell alive. ¡°You! What do you want to do?!¡± yelled Situ Xingchen harshly. ¡°I-I¡¯m Country Xing Luo¡¯s eldest princess! How dare you touch me?¡± Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°Eldest Princess Situ, of course, I know your identity. But¡­ didn¡¯t I already make something pierce through you earlier? You don¡¯t have to ask useless questions.¡± Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart sank. Chu Liuyue really doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s afraid. ¡°You seem to have forgotten what you did previously.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin, and her gaze swept past the other person¡¯s entire body. ¡°Do you think that someone will still stand up for you now?¡± Causing such a huge commotion in Country Yao Chen¡¯s palace¡­ Both Emperor Jiawen and Rong Jiu won¡¯t take this lying down. Besides, Situ Xingchen was wrong first. Situ Yan couldn¡¯t save her previously, and it is even more impossible this time around. Chu Liuyue spoke as she stepped forward. Panic flashed across Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes as she instinctively took a step back. The current me isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue¡¯s match at all. Besides, Chu Liuyue still has high-level fiends beside her to help her! Situ Xingchen panicked even more, and there seemed to be something rumbling in her stomach, wanting to escape. If only¡­ I can become stronger! It was as if there was a shrill voice that kept reverberating throughout her brain. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and wanted to settle Situ Xingchen once and for all, but she saw that Situ Xingchen suddenly looked up. Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes glowed in a bloody manner. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk, and her instincts told her that there was something wrong with Situ Xingchen. Previously, Situ Xingchen¡¯s eyes were actually bloodshot, but I just thought that it was due to anger and agitation. But now, the redness seems to be even more intense. Also, the most crucial thing is that Situ Xingchen¡¯s irises have become red. From afar, they looked like two eyeballs overflowing with mania and murderous aura. Dong dong! A strange sensation came from the Cosmic Bag. Dong dong! This time, the sound was even clearer. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. This is the wooden box moving! Something inside seemed to have been summoned as it tried hard to escape crazily. Chu Liuyue lowered her head and was about to restrain it when she suddenly saw a ray of light escaping and going straight for Situ Xingchen. It was the wooden box! Situ Xingchen grabbed the wooden box with her hands. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Then, Situ Xingchen opened the wooden box. A goatskin scroll glowed faintly, and it floated in front of Situ Xingchen. Situ Xingchen threw the wooden box away and gradually bit her fingertip as a red blood pearl emerged. The next moment, she held the goatskin scroll in her hand and used her bleeding finger to draw on it. Chu Liuyue stared at this scene intensely and felt like she had missed out on something. After watching for a while, she finally understood. Situ Xingchen seems to be controlled by something! Her pair of eyes no longer show normal emotions, and they are just left with endless mania and murderous intent. Her actions are even stiffer and slower as if there is a pair of invisible hands controlling her every move. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze landed on the goatskin scroll again, and she suddenly focused her gaze. The pattern Situ Xingchen used her blood to draw out is clearly¡ª Choo! Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger flew out rapidly and went straight for Situ Xingchen. But at this point, the latter had already finished the last stroke. The complete strange pattern appeared in front of her. Ding! That dagger seemed to have hit something, and it rebounded. The next moment, the goatskin scroll slowly opened. Chapter 460 - Steal the Body! A bloody, piercing glow exploded from the goatskin scroll, and it completely enveloped Situ Xingchen. Then, Situ Xingchen¡¯s body instantly exploded into tiny cracks. Blood splattered everywhere. Bang! Situ Xingchen fell onto the ground, and her body curled into a ball. Her mind was blank; she felt that her entire body was painful and itchy as if millions of ants were crazily biting her. She almost instinctively scratched all over her body. Not only did she tear her clothes, but she even used her perfectly manicured nails directly to scratch lines of blood on her skin. When her neck was scratched until it looked badly mangled, she finally progressed to her face. Then, without hesitation, she harshly scratched it. A few lines of blood cut through more than half her face. Her originally pretty appearance was instantly ruined, and she became ugly and horrifying. ¡°Ah!¡± Situ Xingchen yelled at the top of her lungs. Upon seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Situ Xingchen clearly looks like her body is about to be stolen, but the person stealing her body is very strong! Therefore, her skin started to split open because her body couldn¡¯t withstand the formidable power. It¡¯s no wonder I couldn¡¯t open the barrier on the goatskin scroll. It turns out that another cultivator¡¯s soul was hidden inside. Situ Xingchen¡¯s body gradually stopped twitching. When the bloody light on her body stopped glowing, she slowly stood up and looked at Chu Liuyue. It was a completely different pair of eyes¡ªunfamiliar, sinister, and violent! Chu Liuyue¡¯s internal alarm sounded, and she immediately moved backward. But at this moment, Situ Xingchen raised her hands. Chu Liuyue felt like tremendous strength had wrapped around her entire body as she flew forward uncontrollably. Roar! Xue Xue roared angrily and jumped forward. Situ Xingchen¡¯s gaze moved, and she looked at it coldly. A gigantic, blood-colored barrier instantly appeared, blocking Xue Xue outside. Bang! Xue Xue slammed against the barrier heavily, but the barrier wasn¡¯t damaged at all. Many escape plans quickly popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head, but she quickly discovered that her body¡¯s force was fully restricted by the other party¡¯s suppression. Under this terrifying oppression, her body couldn¡¯t move. The next moment, Situ Xingchen suddenly grabbed her neck. Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck was tight. Situ Xingchen looked down at Chu Liuyue from above, and she smiled coldly. ¡°I really have to thank you.¡± Even though it was the same face and voice, Chu Liuyue knew that it wasn¡¯t the true Situ Xingchen when she saw that pair of eyes. ¡°Without you, I might¡¯ve needed a longer time before I could come out!¡± Chu Liuyue was strangled by her, and her entire body was hanging in the air. Following the continuous tightening of the hand, Chu Liuyue¡¯s face gradually turned red, and her chest felt so suffocated that it was about to explode. ¡°Y-you!¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to speak, but she could only spit out a few vague syllables. She tried to remove Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands, but she only felt sticky bloodstains. As contempt and disdain filled her eyes, Situ Xingchen watched the other person struggle as if she was watching a joke. Ka! A crisp sound was heard again. Situ Xingchen looked up. Tuan Zi had already rushed to the barrier she set up and tried to bite an exit out. But this time, it only left a clear bite mark on the barrier. ¡°How can the barrier I personally put up be so easily broken?¡± Her tone was light, but it carried unconcealable arrogance. Chu Liuyue was even more certain that this person had already stolen Situ Xingchen¡¯s body. Even if the true Situ Xingchen hadn¡¯t died, she was barely alive. Tuan Zi looked frustrated as it bit down again in disbelief. Ka! It was the same as before! Situ Xingchen seemed to be frustrated. Her gaze turned, and she looked at Chu Liuyue, revealing a smile with deep meaning. ¡°This fiend is pretty capable, but it¡¯s a pity that¡­ it¡¯s not yours.¡± This sentence was naturally meant for Chu Liuyue. At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s face was flushed red. She was close to suffocating, and she couldn¡¯t say anything at all. Situ Xingchen admired her in satisfaction before slowly saying, ¡°Originally, I didn¡¯t plan to kill you. But you ruined this body, so don¡¯t blame me for being merciless¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly raised her hand, and a cold glow flashed across her palm. A dagger instantly pierced into Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands, but she seemed to have already expected this as her other hand flew out, directly clutched Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist, and harshly twisted it. Kacha! Excruciating pain was felt. Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision turned black. ¡°An eye for an eye,¡± sneered Situ Xingchen as her eyes were filled with intense and crazy murderous intent. The moment the bone broke, the dagger fell into Situ Xingchen¡¯s hands. She held the dagger and placed it on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. The cold contact made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tremble. ¡°Your face is¡ªHm? This dagger¡­¡± Situ Xingchen was talking as her gaze suddenly landed on the dagger. Then, her expression changed. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Chu Liuyue faintly saw a tinge of shock and panic on her face. At this moment, Chu Liuyue gathered all the force in her body, grabbed Situ Xingchen¡¯s wrist with both hands, and harshly twisted it! When Situ Xingchen instinctively let go, Chu Liuyue kicked her. Using the rebound force, Chu Liuyue finally got out of Situ Xingchen¡¯s deadly grasp and jumped back. But this time, Situ Xingchen didn¡¯t immediately chase after Chu Liuyue. Instead, she looked at the latter in suspicion. ¡°Where did you get this dagger from?!¡± Her tone was anxious, and it vaguely had a tinge of horror. Chu Liuyue tightly knitted her brows. The person asking this question is clearly not Situ Xingchen but the person who stole her body. However, this dagger doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special. Why would she have such a reaction? Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t react for some time, Situ Xingchen was even more anxious as she moved in closer. ¡°Quickly, speak!¡± A thought suddenly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Rong Xiu gave this dagger to me. Besides, if I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, he made it himself. There should only be this one dagger in the entire world, so others shouldn¡¯t recognize it. This person¡¯s reaction is really too strange¡­ ¡°What if¡­ I refuse to say?¡± asked Chu Liuyue carefully. Situ Xingchen chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t want to say? Of course, I have my ways to make you say it!¡± The moment she said this, her hands crossed in front of her body, and her surrounding force started to increase crazily. A white fire rapidly burned in front of her. Then, that fire surrounded Chu Liuyue and completely locked her within. Her figure was instantly enveloped by the burning fire! Chapter 461 - God of Death The fire burned intensely as if it wanted to turn everything into ashes. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Upon seeing this, Elder Ye finally couldn¡¯t help but shout in shock. Elder Zong Ye¡ªwho had struggled with the other for a long time¡ªfinally found a chance and landed a heavy punch on Elder Ye¡¯s chest. Elder Ye¡¯s body trembled as he moved back a few steps to stabilize his body. Blood spurted out of his mouth. Elder Zong Ye saw that the fire was burning intensely and that Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had almost disappeared. ¡°Hmph! Ye Zhiting, it seems like your precious disciple is about to lose her life this time!¡± Elder Ye tightly clenched his fists and stared at him as if he were looking at an idiot. He angrily hollered, ¡°Zong Ye, has your brain been eaten by a dog?! Can¡¯t you tell that Situ Xingchen¡¯s body has already been stolen?!¡± His sentence woke up the dreaming man. When Elder Zong Ye heard the other person¡¯s words, his heart tightly scrunched up into a ball as he hurriedly glanced at Situ Xingchen. He didn¡¯t notice previously, but when he looked at her this time, there were all sorts of weird points. Ye Zhiting and I fought neck-to-neck, so I couldn¡¯t notice much about what was happening on Situ Xingchen and Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. I only vaguely remember that Situ Xingchen experienced a shocking change and that her capabilities suddenly increased greatly. I previously thought that Situ Xingchen had absorbed more strength, which was why she became stronger. But upon closer inspection, I can see that her aura is completely different from before. Every cultivator¡¯s aura is different. The current Situ Xingchen¡­ has indeed become someone else! Elder Ye really wanted to chop down Zong Ye¡¯s head and see what was stored inside. As a stage-six warrior, he didn¡¯t even notice this! But at this point, he could only care about Chu Liuyue. Taking the chance when Elder Zong Ye was stunned, Elder Ye finally got rid of him and rushed toward Chu Liuyue. ¡­ At the same moment, Jian Fengchi¡ªwho was hiding in the dark¡ªslightly squinted his eyes when he saw this scene. His current attention was all on Situ Xingchen. Being able to steal one¡¯s body¡­ This person must¡¯ve been at least a stage-seven warrior when they were alive. This Country Yao Chen looks ordinary, but it does hide quite a number of secrets¡­ It seems like Mu Qinghe left a little too early as he missed out on so many exciting scenes. Jian Fengchi¡¯s gaze landed on that fire, and his brows rose. Even though he frequently felt that Chu Liuyue detested him for some reason and the two of them didn¡¯t have a strong friendship, this was someone that Mu Qinghe wanted to bring back. Thus, he had to protect her well. If anything happens, Mu Qinghe will definitely cause trouble for me. After thinking of this, Jian Fengchi¡¯s palm moved lightly, and the light beneath his feet flashed. Just as he was about to rush forward, he suddenly felt a harsh aura coming from beside him. He instantly became alert and turned around to look in that direction. A figure in a black robe rapidly disappeared from his sight. His brows moved. That person¡¯s aura seems familiar. It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve seen him before¡­ Suddenly, he was shocked. This aura seems to be¡ªBut didn¡¯t they leave the Tianling Dynasty long ago?! Why would they appear here?! Jian Fengchi¡¯s moved slightly, and he had a strong urge to chase after that person. Just as he was about to follow him, he saw the fire from the corner of his eyes. Feeling very conflicted, he stopped and turned around to rush toward Chu Liuyue. ¡­ Qi Han stopped in his steps and heaved a sigh of relief when he confirmed that Jian Fengchi did not follow him. Actually, he had been secretly following Chu Liuyue the entire way. The most important job of the Thirteen Yue Guard was to protect Her Highness and guarantee her safety! Now that he had already acknowledged Her Highness and the other Thirteen Yue Guard members weren¡¯t here, he had to take up this responsibility again. He was very good at hiding himself, so he wasn¡¯t discovered the entire way. When he saw that Her Highness was in danger earlier, he was too worried and accidentally revealed his aura, causing Jian Fengchi to detect him. Luckily, Jian Fengchi did not follow him. Qi Han felt more at ease. When he looked at the white fire again, he knitted his brows. Her Highness is still a stage-three warrior now. Even though she is much stronger than she appears to be, she¡¯s still lacking in many ways as compared to before. That Situ Xingchen¡¯s body has clearly been stolen, and her abilities are completely above those of a stage-six warrior. Her Highness will definitely not be able to handle it alone. He really wanted to rush forward, but there were a lot of people watching. Once he took action, he would definitely be discovered. If he was just slightly careless, they would suspect Her Highness¡¯s identity. Qi Han thought for a while and finally decided to take action as he looked at the burning fire. No matter what, I should save Her Highness first! But the moment he took a step out, he heard a low and calm voice. ¡°She can settle this herself.¡± Qi Han immediately turned around, and a tall and large figure entered his line of sight. When he saw the person¡¯s appearance, his gaze focused. Prince Li¡ªRong Xiu! ¡°If you go out now, you know that you will cause a lot of trouble for her, right?¡± Rong Xiu was wearing a snow-white robe with a black cloak. His hands were behind his back, and he stood tall and upright. His lips curved up into a light smile, looking extra gentle. However, there was an indisputable suppression coming from his eyes that made one submit to him. Qi Han stared at Rong Xiu tightly and didn¡¯t say a word. I actually don¡¯t know when Rong Xiu appeared behind me! At this point, the two of them stared at each other. Qi Han felt a vague threat from Rong Xiu¡¯s body; it was a suppression that only a strong warrior would have. All of this was enough to prove that Rong Xiu was stronger than him. The air between the duo seemed to have frozen. It was as though it was stiff and still. Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t worried that Qi Han would see through his abilities. Qi Han had snooped around Prince Li Mansion during this period, so he definitely had long realized that something was amiss. If the Thirteen Yue Guard didn¡¯t have this skill, they did not need to exist. They would just be a burden if they stayed by her side. Just when Qi Han was hesitating on how to handle this situation, he suddenly heard a loud sound. He immediately turned around, and his eyes shrunk. He saw a red fire suddenly charge out from the white fire. Instantly, fire sparked everywhere. With that fire as the center, the violent energy crazily rolled out in all directions. The white marble path exploded, and the tiles flew out. The red fire covered the entire sky and easily swallowed the white fire. It was like a single-sided suppression. A thin and straight figure gradually became clear. Countless eyes stared straight at that figure. She gradually moved forward. Her black hair flew everywhere, and her clothes flew in the wind. She looked sharp; she was just like a God of Death that walked out of hell. Everyone that saw this gasped in unison. That¡¯s¡­ Chu Liuyue! Chapter 462 - Escape The red fire burning around her entered her eyes, and it became a jumping fire show. Her steps were neither fast nor slow, but her every move seemed to be stepping across the crowd¡¯s hearts. Jian Fengchi and Elder Ye¡ªwho originally wanted to rush over and help her¡ªunwittingly stopped. Qi Han clenched his fists and tried very hard to restrain his inner turmoil. Her Highness¡­ is indeed Her Highness! Even in the worst scenarios, she can always revive! I wonder how many people can do this in the entire world! Qi Han couldn¡¯t help turning around and glancing at Rong Xiu, but he noticed that the latter didn¡¯t look shocked. Instead, he slightly smiled as if he had already predicted all of this. This Prince Li¡­ seems to be even more mysterious and powerful than I thought¡­ ¡­. Situ Xingchen¡¯s cold and solemn gaze suddenly broke, revealing a tinge of shock and anxiety. For some reason, she felt a serious threat from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. She¡¯s just a stage-three warrior¡­ Where did this suppression and aura come from? Chu Liuyue finally stood still as she looked up and glanced at Situ Xingchen calmly. Then, she raised her hands. A ball of red fire suddenly gathered in her palms, and a terrifying suppression gradually spread outward from the fireball. Situ Xingchen felt increasingly uneasy, and her throat became drier than ever. Chu Liuyue stared at her, and her lips curved up into a smile that was as cold as ever. Then, she said carefully, ¡°I hate people stealing my things.¡± It was like so in the past and even more so now. Situ Xingchen¡¯s heart sank, and she instinctively moved backward. Chu Liuyue still stood rooted to the ground as she hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°Go!¡± The fist-sized fireball immediately flew toward Situ Xingchen. Wherever the fireball went past, the cracked ground revealed a deep gap. Situ Xingchen was fast, but it was faster. The crowd saw a fire light flash across the sky. The next moment, the fireball appeared in front of Situ Xingchen. Being unable to hide, Situ Xingchen decisively stopped, clenched her teeth, and took action. At the end of the day, Chu Liuyue is just a stage-three warrior. How strong can she be?! I do not believe that I can¡¯t even endure one of Chu Liuyue¡¯s attacks. Thinking of this, Situ Xingchen rapidly gathered her inner force, converted it to a blade glowing with blood, and sent it flying forward. Choo! The bloody light blade split the fireball into two. Situ Xingchen sneered. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, her expression froze. Chu Liuyue smiled with deep meaning. ¡°I originally wanted to do it myself, but I didn¡¯t expect you to take the initiative and save me some effort.¡± Other than Situ Xingchen, nobody else could see that a transparent fire was hiding in the middle of the red fireball. Chu Liuyue combined the two forces and gave a lethal blow. The moment Situ Xingchen saw the transparent fire, she suddenly widened her eyes in shock. That¡¯s¡­ Huala! The two fires suddenly rolled forward. Before Situ Xingchen could even move, she felt a scorching pain in her chest. She gradually lowered her head and saw that a bloody, fist-sized hole had bored through her abdomen. It was a bloody hole, but no blood spurted out. This was because the fire was of extremely high temperature. It had burned the surrounding skin and muscles near the wound, causing it to look especially terrifying. But the more important thing was that one¡¯s pearl of essence was situated in the abdomen. When her abdomen was bored through, her pearl of essence was consequently destroyed. Situ Xingchen looked at her wound and was dazed for a long time. She finally reacted when she felt that her body¡¯s force started spreading in all directions uncontrollably. ¡°You! You want to destroy this body?!¡± She suddenly looked up, and she looked destroyed. This was a chance I waited so long for! It hasn¡¯t even been 15 minutes since I successfully stole this body! With a smile on her face, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°This physical body isn¡¯t good enough for you. You don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Situ Xingchen finally went crazy. I have waited for so many years and spent so much effort for this moment. In the end, I was easily destroyed by Chu Liuyue. ¡°YOU¡¯RE TIRED OF LIVING!¡± A vengeful shrill escaped Situ Xingchen¡¯s throat. However, her pearl of essence was already broken. Depending on this body, she couldn¡¯t gather her force at all. The more anxiously she wanted to recover, the worse the situation. It was like one wanting to grab onto hands even more tightly, but the sand just flowed away more quickly. She tried countless times, but her pearl of essence was already broken, and she couldn¡¯t save it. Facing Situ Xingchen¡¯s overwhelming murderous intent, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about it at all and looked relaxed. ¡°Every time you steal one¡¯s body, you will need to exhaust a great amount of strength, and you might even destroy your own soul. I think you can¡¯t steal another person¡¯s body for the second time, right?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with a light smile. Situ Xingchen was so angry that her face turned white. This was because Chu Liuyue had spoken the truth! In this situation, it was currently impossible for her to steal another person¡¯s body and kill Chu Liuyue. Her expression changed, and a harsh look flashed across her eyes. Peng! Situ Xingchen¡¯s body directly exploded. ¡°Xingchen!¡± Elder Zong Ye¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet. He looked at the scene in disbelief and felt that the entire world was spinning. He staggered backward and almost fell onto the floor. Situ Xingchen stayed at Mingyue Tianshan for many years, and he had always doted on her, treating her as his own. Now that he suddenly saw this scene, this was unquestionably a huge blow to him. His eyes instantly reddened, and he hated Chu Liuyue to the extreme. ¡°Chu Liuyue, hand me your life!¡± Without waiting for him to rush over, Elder Ye blocked him again. Elder Zong Ye almost went crazy. ¡°Ye Zhiting! Chu Liuyue caused Xingchen¡¯s death! This isn¡¯t the end!¡± Elder Ye was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Situ Xingchen had long died when her body was stolen. If you want to blame someone, you should blame the person that stole her body! Why would you blame my disciple?¡± If it was done by us, we¡¯d admit it. But if it wasn¡¯t, we will never be someone else¡¯s scapegoat. ¡°The reason why Situ Xingchen¡¯s body was stolen was that she kept on absorbing the bronze cauldron¡¯s energy crazily. This is why she directly summoned that soul. She¡¯s just getting what she deserves! Why would she do it if she knew about this earlier?¡± Elder Zong Ye¡¯s face flushed white and red as the veins in his forehead and neck popped up. He was on the verge of breaking down, but he couldn¡¯t say anything in retaliation. This was because deep in his heart, he knew that whatever Ye Zhiting said was right. However, it was impossible for him to admit to it just yet. ¡°¡­She was forced by Chu Liuyue! If it weren¡¯t for her, Xingchen definitely wouldn¡¯t do this!¡± As he spoke, he angrily hollered at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Liuyue, you killed someone! Pay with your life! I¡ªZong Ye¡ªand the entire Xing Luo will never let you off!¡± But Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even shoot him a glance. After Situ Xingchen¡¯s physical body exploded, she saw a bloody light spiraling out. This person actually wants to escape! Chapter 463 - I am Her Fiancé Choo! That ball of red directly shot up to the sky, and it tore a hole in the Deep Xuan formation. The red-tailed flood dragon let out an angry roar, but the red ball directly pierced through its tail. Clang! The gigantic Deep Xuan formation was completely broken, and it dissipated into countless stars. That thing is about to escape in front of my eyes! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Just as she was about to chase after it, a silver sword suddenly pierced through the sky and landed. The sword cut through the air, and it sounded like thunder beside one¡¯s ears, which directly traveled to one¡¯s heart. As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. She saw the longsword draw a bright line across the sky as it landed on the red ball of light. Tsing! The sword¡¯s blade pierced the ground and directly nailed it down. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled. An average longsword definitely can¡¯t nail one¡¯s soul, especially a soul this strong. That longsword clearly has some suppression encompassed within it since the soul was restricted totally. Chu Liuyue was very familiar with the aura within it. She looked in the direction where the longsword came from and met a pair of deep eyes the next moment. It was as if her heart struck something soft. It¡¯s really him! However, this feeling didn¡¯t last for long. This was because she quickly discovered that the person beside Rong Xiu was actually¡­ Qi Han! The two of them are actually together?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a few beats. Rong Xiu¡­ Qi Han¡­ What did they say?! Do they already know each other¡¯s identities? It¡¯s okay for Rong Xiu, but¡­ what about Qi Han? Rong Xiu can cover the sky with one hand. If he really wants to know something¡­ Chu Liuyue stood there with many guesses in her mind, and the atmosphere at Rong Xiu and Qi Han¡¯s side became intense again. ¡°Why did you suddenly take action?!¡± Qi Han questioned solemnly as he suddenly turned around. Earlier, Rong Xiu clearly said that Her Highness could single-handedly settle all of this, so I suppressed my inner worries and did not rush forward. But in the blink of an eye, Rong Xiu actually took action without any warning. Rong Xiu glanced at Qi Han and smiled lightly. ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m her fianc¨¦!¡± So nonchalant! So righteous! Qi Han slightly widened his eyes and instantly realized something. ¡°You did it on purpose?!¡± This way, Rong Xiu smoothly became the first person that helped Her Highness! Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°I was just being considerate toward Yue¡¯er.¡± His tone was nonchalant as if he didn¡¯t think of anything extra. Qi Han did not talk for quite some time. Rong Xiu¡¯s words aren¡¯t illogical. Currently, Her Highness hasn¡¯t returned to the Tianling Dynasty. If Her Highness¡¯s plans are completely destroyed because of me, then I can only use my death to punish myself. But¡­ Rong Xiu clearly has ulterior intentions. ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time!¡± said Qi Han coldly. Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved slightly, and he smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Yue¡¯er is my fianc¨¦e. I should do all of this.¡± Qi Han clenched his fists. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I know that Her Highness really likes Prince Li, I would definitely take action. I really don¡¯t know what Her Highness sees in him! ¡­ Seeing that Qi Han and Rong Xiu seemed to be talking, Chu Liuyue became even more curious. But she was quite some distance away from them, so she couldn¡¯t hear them at all. She was determined to clearly question them after cleaning up this mess. Thinking of this, she walked to the longsword and used her fire to surround the soul. A terrible cry was instantly heard. Chu Liuyue glanced at the small fireball and shockingly discovered that that person¡¯s aura seemed to be rapidly depleting. ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s karmic fire can burn many things, especially this soul.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice suddenly reverberated in her heart. ¡°As long as it is stored in the Heavenly Square Cauldron, it will disappear very quickly.¡± ¡°Really? Then won¡¯t you¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s body was destroyed and is only left with a soul, but it has still stayed there for thousands of years, right? ¡°How can these cheap humans be compared to me?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice was filled with unconcealable pride. Chu Liuyue thought about it and agreed. The legendary three-eyed eagle is a legendary fiend after all, and ordinary cultivators naturally can¡¯t compare to it. Even though¡­ the cultivator seems to be pretty experienced¡­ ¡°You want his strength?¡± From the soul¡¯s cries, she already heard that it seemingly belonged to a middle-aged man. The legendary three-eyed eagle was silent for a while before admitting to it. ¡°Yes, the strength in his body can help me recover.¡± Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. It¡¯s pretty honest. Ever since she discussed with the legendary three-eyed eagle and settled on helping it, their relationship wasn¡¯t as harsh as before. It was a good thing in her eyes. Something popped up in her mind as she summoned the fireball into her body and threw the soul into the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Once the blood-red ball appeared, endless transparent flames went forward and completely drowned it. ¡°Ah!¡± The painful screams became even more miserable, but they very quickly died down. ¡°Leave him alive,¡± said Chu Liuyue in her heart. Perhaps I can find out something from it. No matter if it is the bronze cauldron, the goatskin scroll, or the reaction he gave when he saw the dagger that Rong Xiu gave me¡­ Chu Liuyue drew out the longsword in one shot. Suddenly, her shoulders sank, and Tuan Zi rushed out. Chu Liuyue smiled and touched its forehead. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Xue Xue sprawled on the floor. Xue Xue glanced at the longsword in her hands from time to time. ¡°Xue Xue, thank you for today.¡± Chu Liuyue roughly knew what it was thinking, and she smiled and walked toward it. Xue Xue then went near her, and its gaze scanned her wrist. It felt its heart ache as it gently licked it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°They¡¯re all superficial wounds. It¡¯ll be better after I rest¡ª¡± Hong long! Thunder rumbled within the clouds. A figure shot up to the sky from Qinghe Hall. Chu Liuyue focused on it and was instantly stunned. That person is actually Emperor Jiawen! The key point is that he seems to be breaking through and becoming a peak stage-six warrior! Chapter 464 - Hold Up! The dense force circulated around his body, and the seal above his head almost disappeared completely. Chu Liuyue had previously suspected that Emperor Jiawen wasn¡¯t weak, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be this strong. He had already become a peak stage-six warrior now, but he still didn¡¯t stop! A ridiculous idea surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind: If that seal completely disappears, and Emperor Jiawen¡¯s abilities continue to strengthen¡­ As if to confirm her thoughts, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force rapidly entered Emperor Jiawen¡¯s body as the last stroke of the seal disappeared. His surrounding aura kept strengthening. Chu Liuyue reacted like this, let alone the others that didn¡¯t know anything. When Emperor Jiawen¡¯s figure appeared in midair, and he revealed his true cultivation level, everyone was shocked and had their mouths agape. ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ His Majesty?!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s His Majesty! Wasn¡¯t he dragged to¡­ Qinghe Hall? Why is he¡ª¡± ¡°Stage-six warrior¡­ His Majesty is actually a stage-six warrior?!¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions, and the final sentence woke all of them up. The numerous family heads standing in one corner exchanged glances, and they all fell into a strange silence. This happened too suddenly, and it was a great shock. Everyone in Country Yao Chen knew that Emperor Jiawen¡¯s cultivation talent could only be forcefully called ¡®decent¡¯ and that he wasn¡¯t worth a mention compared to a true talent. In addition to the many years of resting on his throne, one didn¡¯t need to think to know that Emperor Jiawen¡¯s combat skills were very poor. Even up till just now, all the family heads thought in a similar manner. If not, Emperor Jiawen wouldn¡¯t lose so quickly when Rong Jiu barged in, and he wouldn¡¯t be in such a defeated situation. But now it seemed like¡­ the rich strength and the formidable suppression were clearly coming from Emperor Jiawen¡¯s body. This clearly showed that he was different from Situ Xingchen, who kept trying to absorb force and break through previously. Emperor Jiawen had clearly hidden his true abilities! He only finally showed his capabilities. Someone suddenly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the Third Prince?¡± The crowd was instantly awakened. Rong Jiu went to find Emperor Jiawen earlier! Anyone could imagine that the situation took a 180-degree turn in such a short period of time. Rong Jiu was clearly losing. He might¡¯ve achieved many accolades in wars, but he was definitely not the match of a stage-six warrior. In actual fact, Rong Jiu was slightly better than what the crowd thought as he was just slightly injured. Once he reached the outside of Qinghe Hall, he saw Emperor Jiawen cultivating. He was about to enter when Emperor Jiawen rose to the skies and completely disregarded him. Rong Jiu was slightly injured as he was implicated by some of the force, but his inner shock was much heavier than before. He looked up and stared at Emperor Jiawen¡ªwhose capabilities kept increasing¡ªas he knitted his brows. Many emotions also flashed across his eyes¡ªshock, doubt, suspicion, disbelief¡­ After a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Wei Lin¡ªwho was following closely behind¡ªimmediately asked, ¡°Your Highness, are you alright?¡± Rong Jiu shook his head and laughed even louder, but his face didn¡¯t reveal any smiling intent. So this is my father! What I saw for the past few years was just an illusion! I thought I was much better than Father, but it turns out that I don¡¯t know anything at all! That man became someone completely different! No¡ªperhaps he was originally like this! ¡­ After Emperor Jiawen appeared, the red-tailed flood dragon seemed to be even more restless than before. It seemed to want to go forward, but it was always hesitant as it looked at Emperor Jiawen with a complicated gaze. Chu Liuyue glanced at it, patted Xue Xue, and asked softly, ¡°Why do I feel that¡­ the red-tailed flood dragon seems to hate Emperor Jiawen? But it also seems to be fearful of him?¡± Xue Xue rubbed its head against Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm and softly whimpered in confirmation. Tuan Zi nodded even more crazily. It¡¯s so obvious! The red-tailed flood dragon clearly wants to destroy Emperor Jiawen, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t take any action! Chu Liuyue felt even more suspicious. The Deep Xuan formation is Country Yao Chen¡¯s defensive formation, and it suppressed the red-tailed flood dragon. Logically speaking, it should stand on the same side as the people in Country Yao Chen¡¯s royal family. Where did this unknown hatred and vengeance come from? It can¡¯t be because it supports Rong Jiu to ascend the throne. That has nothing to do with it. At this moment, the seal above Emperor Jiawen¡¯s head completely disappeared. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s aura violently circulated. Following the howling of the wind, the clouds gathered, and thunder rumbled. It was a sign of a breakthrough! Chu Liuyue held her breath in. Emperor Jiawen actually wants to break through directly and become a stage-seven warrior?! Hong! Long! Long! Following the loud sound, a ray of silver light suddenly descended from the skies. The dark sky was illuminated by this light. Then, a second ray and a third ray appeared¡­ It was as if a silver waterfall appeared in the clouds. A gigantic sky curtain sparkled brightly, and it exuded a crushing sense of pressure! Some people couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and they knelt down and watched the scene emotionally. Chu Liuyue gradually clenched her fists tighter because she couldn¡¯t believe what she had just seen. Emperor Jiawen actually summoned Heaven¡¯s Canopy! This is the sign of him breaking through to become a stage-seven warrior! However, Emperor Jiawen didn¡¯t seem shocked at all. He seemed to have predicted this. Under the stares of countless eyes, Emperor Jiawen slowly raised his hands and reached toward Heaven¡¯s Canopy. ¡°Hold on!¡± A low and lazy voice suddenly sounded. Chapter 465 - Stories of the Past Emperor Jiawen suddenly paused in his actions as he turned around. A large and tall figure stood before the crowd. He slowly moved over, and his handsome face had a nonchalant smile as his eyes sparkled like the night sky. He was surrounded by an unspeakable aura as if he had nothing to do with the mortal world. It was Prince Li¡ªRong Xiu! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. This was because Rong Xiu¡¯s bodily aura strengthened by a bit with every step he took. The crowd who saw this scene gasped in shock. ¡°T-that¡¯s Prince Li?!¡± ¡°I thought that Prince Li was frail and that he¡¯s always sick. What is this situation¡ª¡± ¡°He actually broke through and became a stage-three¡ªno, stage-four warrior?!¡± Facing this sudden change, everyone was dazed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Rong Xiu is planning to¡­ show off his true strength?! ¡°Y-you¡­¡± Emperor Jiawen stared at Rong Xiu closely, and his face changed. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡¯re not sick!¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t immediately answer his question as he walked to Chu Liuyue and stood still. His gaze drooped down, and he grabbed her hand as his fingers glided past her broken wrist. Warm and immense strength immediately entered her body. ¡°Your Highness, actually you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue originally wanted to tell him not to worry about her wounds as she was a heavenly doctor herself and had already briefly handled them earlier, so they would get better on their own after a while. But after meeting with Rong Xiu¡¯s warm and gentle gaze, her heart tingled, and she swallowed back her words. ¡°Sorry, I came late.¡± Chu Liuyue gently shook her head. This caused the gaze of Qi Han¡ªwho was hiding in the dark¡ªto grow cold. ¡°Leave the remaining things to me.¡± Hearing what Rong Xiu said, Chu Liuyue felt even more uneasy. ¡°What¡­ are you planning to do?¡± He spent so much effort to hide himself for so many years. Why does he want to reveal everything today?! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°I¡¯m just putting an end to things.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart faltered as she subconsciously looked up and saw Emperor Jiawen in midair. Then, she lightly held his hand. ¡°Sure.¡± When the two of them were talking, Rong Xiu¡¯s aura had broken through and became that of a stage-five warrior. After confirming that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t severely injured, Rong Xiu turned back to look at his father. If Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t tell what was going on at this point, he would¡¯ve sat on the throne for so many years in vain. ¡°Rong Xiu, y-you were lying to me earlier on?!¡± Not only is he not sick, but he is also very talented in cultivation! If not, he wouldn¡¯t have reached this cultivation level at this age. No! Rong Xiu did not seem to stop. He had already broken through to become an intermediate stage-five warrior. Rong Xiu smiled slightly and asked, ¡°I¡¯m just learning from you, Father. Weren¡¯t you like this all these years?¡± Emperor Jiawen was taken aback, and he suddenly realized something as shock flashed across his eyes. ¡°Y-you knew about it earlier on?!¡± Rong Xiu smiled and didn¡¯t say anything, obviously admitting to it silently. Emperor Jiawen instantly became flustered as his surrounding aura became messy. Even the nearing Heaven¡¯s Canopy became vague. ¡°W-when?! What else do you know?¡± Rare panic and anxiety were seen on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. I have never seen such an expression on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face before. It¡¯s as if his secret of many years had suddenly been discovered. His face is filled with shock, but that¡¯s logical. When the surrounding people saw the current Rong Xiu, they had the same reaction. But where did this panic and anxiety come from? ¡°Mother has already passed on for many years. Father, you don¡¯t have to be this worried.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was calm as if he were narrating someone else¡¯s story. Emperor Jiawen was as if thunderstruck. Rong Xiu¡­ he must¡¯ve known everything! The previous anger of being deceived instantly dissipated as regret and vengeance overwhelmed Emperor Jiawen¡¯s heart. ¡°Rong Xiu, things back then didn¡¯t happen like you imagine¡­ I have my own difficulties too!¡± If he wasn¡¯t guilty, why would he spend his years like this? For over 20 years, he converted all his apologetic feelings and regret into love for Rong Xiu. Even when Rong Xiu had long been sent to Mingyue Tianshan and wasn¡¯t raised by his side, he thought very highly of him. He really wanted to leave all the best things in the world for him. When Rong Xiu didn¡¯t want to return to the Imperial City, he allowed him to stay at Mingyue Tianshan. When Rong Xiu didn¡¯t want to step out of his mansion, he commanded everyone not to disturb him. When Rong Xiu wanted to marry Chu Liuyue as his wife, he still agreed even though she used to be the Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e and had broken all ties with the Chu family. Does all of this seem like a joke and is worthless in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes?! It seemed like he wanted to explain, but Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t interested in listening. He still smiled gently as usual, and his eyes seemed to have a frozen layer of ice above them. ¡°Things in the past have passed. Even if you say all of this now, Mother won¡¯t hear it. As for me, I just want to fulfill Mother¡¯s last wish.¡± As he spoke, his cold gaze landed on something hanging around Emperor Jiawen¡¯s neck, and he smiled with deep meaning. ¡°After all, you still activated that thing, right?¡± Emperor Jiawen quickly looked defeated as his entire person aged a few decades at that moment. ¡°No¡­ No¡­ I was forced¡­¡± He clenched his fists, and his face was filled with conflict and pain. First, it was the Empress; then, it was Rong Jiu. Everyone is betraying me! If I don¡¯t retaliate, I will be trapped in this palace until my death! It will waste my efforts from all these years! How can I accept this?! If these people didn¡¯t force me, why would I take this step? All these years, I¡¯ve always been living in guilt, and I¡¯m restless day and night. Aren¡¯t these punishments enough?! Faint mockery flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s face. Some people are best at giving themselves excuses. ¡°Nobody forced you, Father. Since you made this decision earlier on, you should¡¯ve known this was coming.¡± What was supposed to come would come. It was just a matter of time. Emperor Jiawen suddenly thought of something and anxiously said, ¡°No, I wanted to make it up to her all along! Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to fulfill her last wish?! What was it? If I can do it, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows and seemed to falter. Emperor Jiawen nodded readily. ¡°I wronged her¡­ It¡¯s my fault! If I can¡¯t do anything to make up for¡ª¡± ¡°Mother said that she doesn¡¯t want to see you step into Heaven¡¯s Canopy.¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s voice trailed off, and his entire person seemed to be frozen. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned cold as he said precisely, ¡°She wants you to stay here forever and not be able to leave, even after your death.¡± Chapter 466 - Battle The blood on Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face disappeared, and he looked pale. He opened his mouth and seemed to have exhausted all the strength in his body to ask, ¡°S-she really said so?¡± She really hates me! ¡°Mother instructed me before her death, so I must do it to the best of my abilities,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. The duo¡¯s conversation confused everyone present. Emperor Jiawen loved Consort Wan very much back then, and he loved only her in the entire harem. But it now seems like Consort Wan deeply hated Emperor Jiawen. Everything about Heaven¡¯s Canopy made the crowd even more muddle-headed. Why was this Consort Wan¡¯s last wish? A thought suddenly surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Could Rong Xiu¡¯s birth mother be someone from Heaven¡¯s Canopy?! Only this can explain why Rong Xiu has such formidable talent and abilities and the battle outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression changed rapidly, and at last, he seemed to have made up his mind. He boomed, ¡°Rong Xiu, I wronged your mother, but¡­ Things have already ended up like this, and I can¡¯t do anything about it. Originally, I didn¡¯t plan to go to Heaven¡¯s Canopy, but now it seems like I have to go!¡± Heaven¡¯s Canopy was right before him. As long as he broke through, he could enter! That was a completely different place. After Consort Wan¡¯s death, he was extremely regretful. Hence, he hid his abilities and spent his life uselessly afterward. Originally, he wanted to peacefully pass the rest of his life. But now, as long as he took a step out, everything would be different. The balance in his heart was already tilted to one side. Rong Xiu was unmoved as he seemingly smiled and said, ¡°You can go if you want. You just have to return that thing to me.¡± Emperor Jiawen¡¯s face changed. ¡°You want to take this thing away?¡± ¡°That originally belongs to my mother. What do you mean by ¡®taking it away?¡¯¡± Contempt flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Besides¡­¡± Besides, Mother never agreed to leave that thing to you. Back then, he had used some methods to get this item. If one were to say ¡®take it away,¡¯ he was the one who took it away from Mother. After being exposed by Rong Xiu, Emperor Jiawen was very awkward, and he flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°Rong Xiu! All these years, I have never treated you badly! Is this how you treat me in return?!¡± To think that I thought that Rong Xiu was naturally frail and that I was even upset about this for a very long time as I found countless heavenly doctors to treat him. In the end, it was all a hoax! Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved, and he suddenly laughed. ¡°Father, would you still treat me like that if you knew of this earlier on?¡± Emperor Jiawen was suddenly stumped, and his face flushed red, but he couldn¡¯t say anything at all. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was filled with even more mockery. If Emperor Jiawen knew earlier that my body was fine and that I was very talented, he would¡¯ve taught me a lesson earlier on. How would I have such a day? The so-called ¡®good¡¯ is just built on how I wouldn¡¯t cause any threat to him. Just like how he claimed he was very devoted to Mother, he was the one that harmed her the most. He was also the one who made her upset even until she was on the deathbed. To Rong Xiu, Emperor Jiawen¡¯s words were just a complete joke. Looking at Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze that could see through everything, Emperor Jiawen swallowed back the words of defense. Eventually, all the expression on his face disappeared, and he was left with coldness. ¡°If you want to stop me, you should see if you have that ability!¡± Then, he started absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. The seal had completely disappeared, and all the strength in his body had flowed out. He only had to break through the last step successfully and become a stage-seven warrior; then, he could successfully enter Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Rong Xiu raised his hands. Buzz! The sound of the sword was heard once again. The silver sword that was previously stuck to the ground suddenly flew up and landed in his hands. His legs were crossed as he held the longsword¡¯s handle tightly and stared at Emperor Jiawen with a deadly gaze. The sword rose, and the sword landed! A formidable sword aura slashed across. The marble tiles were respectively crushed, and they flew up. Then, the tiles became powder amidst the terrifying sword aura. When Emperor Jiawen saw Rong Xiu take action, he knew that something was wrong. When he saw the sword aura coming toward him, his heart skipped a beat. Rong Xiu¡¯s abilities have actually reached that of a stage-six warrior! When a cultivator was breaking through, they had to gather all of their focus. This was even more so for those at higher cultivation levels. Emperor Jiawen originally wanted to set up a barrier and block the attacks outside. But once Rong Xiu took action, he knew that it was impossible. With no avail, he could only pause temporarily and return an attack to Rong Xiu. ¡°Mountain River Lands!¡± A wave of blue force escaped from his palms. Then, the second and third waves of force came out very quickly. The force streamed out in waves before quickly merging together and running toward the river. One could vaguely hear the sounds of the rushing water. The force showered down like a river, and the harsh sword aura reached it immediately. The two forces harshly smashed against one another. The next moment, the sword aura entered the river, and water flew everywhere. Emperor Jiawen silently heaved a sigh of relief. The next moment, he saw that the blue river suddenly split in the middle and became two portions. Emperor Jiawen¡¯s expression suddenly froze. The sword aura¡¯s offensive traits didn¡¯t seem to be reduced at all, and the strength hidden within the sword aura was even stronger than he had imagined. Then, the sword aura started reversing. The formidable aura made Emperor Jiawen¡¯s body tense up. Clang! His force was completely broken through. The sword aura went straight for his head. He tiptoed and rapidly moved backward. But at this point, he suddenly felt harsh, cold air coming toward him. He avoided it and went to the side without hesitation. Then, he hurriedly looked to the side and realized that the one that attacked him was the red-tailed flood dragon. Roar! When the red-tailed flood dragon failed its attack, its emotions became even more violent. Its vigorous roar reverberated throughout the air. The crowd spectating from the ground also felt the impact and gradually changed their expressions. Some of them who were weaker directly puked out blood. However, the suppression didn¡¯t land on Chu Liuyue. It was as though a transparent barrier was blocking the red-tailed flood dragon¡¯s aura for her invisibly. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and blinked. There are so many people who are affected, but why am I not? Then, her gaze landed on Xue Xue. ¡°I am a legendary fiend. What¡¯s a mere red-tailed flood dragon?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue immediately understood. I forgot about this! The legendary three-eyed eagle is in my dantian. Even though no outsiders know about it, fiends are very sensitive to this. ¡°That red-tailed flood dragon is the protector fiend of Country Yao Chen¡¯s palace. Why would it attack Emperor Jiawen¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. Just as she was confused, that sword aura already landed on Emperor Jiawen. Chapter 467 - Truth Emperor Jiawen originally wanted to avoid it, but the sword aura¡¯s speed was too fast. Choo! The cold aura scratched past his neck. Kacha! The thing hanging around his neck suddenly snapped and flew toward Rong Xiu. Emperor Jiawen was shocked and immediately reached out to grab it back, but he missed it by a few inches. Just as he was about to chase it, the red-tailed flood dragon rushed up again and slammed its tail against Emperor Jiawen strongly. Emperor Jiawen was careless for a while, and his back was harshly hit. His body flew back uncontrollably. At this moment, that thing had already landed in Rong Xiu¡¯s hands. Chu Liuyue looked over and realized that it was a black bone chain, and a¡­ ring was hanging on it. That ring was bronze, and there seemed to be a mysterious black pattern carved on it, making it look very special. Rong Xiu looked down and glanced at the ring as his black lashes covered his eyes. His thin lips pressed against each other, and his jade-like chin seemed to tense up for a moment. His face didn¡¯t show any expression, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was suddenly tugged. ¡°Rong Xiu, return me that thing!¡± Emperor Jiawen forcefully stabilized himself and hurriedly looked at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression changed. His wrist flipped, and he put away that ring. ¡°If Mother were still around, she definitely wouldn¡¯t agree to me returning you this item.¡± ¡°You!¡± Emperor Jiawen wanted to argue, but he couldn¡¯t say anything when he met with Rong Xiu¡¯s transparent eyes. It was like every extra sentence he said would become deep mockery. Just when he felt very conflicted, the red-tailed flood dragon rushed up again. The human and the fiend battled. At this point, Emperor Jiawen was a peak stage-six warrior, and the red-tailed flood dragon was a seventh-grade fiend. Logically speaking, they could forcefully fight to a draw. But Emperor Jiawen very quickly came to be on the losing side, and he was about to be defeated. The more important thing was that his force seemed to spread in all directions continuously, and his aura gradually reduced. Not long later, his cultivation dropped by one stage. But this was only the beginning. Time trickled past, and the red-tailed flood dragon left increasingly more marks on his body. At the very end, Emperor Jiawen couldn¡¯t retaliate at all, and his cultivation level dropped to that of a stage-four warrior. Bang! Emperor Jiawen finally couldn¡¯t take it any longer and fell to the floor. Dust flew up instantly. He held his chest and violently coughed, causing his entire mouth to be filled with blood and him to hang by his last few breaths. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem interested in this as he turned around and walked toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°That red-tailed flood dragon seems to have a grudge against His Majesty¡­¡± Rong Xiu smiled lightly and nonchalantly said, ¡°It once received help from Mother.¡± I see. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding and sized Rong Xiu up in detail before sighing. I have never asked Rong Xiu why he pretended to be ill and all along thought that he was doing it for the throne. I didn¡¯t expect it to be for¡­ the person sitting on the throne. All these years of careful planning were done to deal with Emperor Jiawen. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly noticed a gaze from the side. She turned and looked. Rong Jiu looked at Rong Xiu with a complicated gaze. He was not stupid. Many things had happened before and after, so he had guessed quite a bit. ¡°Seventh Brother, I have something to speak to you about in private. I wonder if you have the time now.¡± Rong Xiu smiled lightly and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ Outside Tai He Hall, Chu Liuyue was speaking to Elder Ye. ¡°Mentor, don¡¯t worry. All of these are small wounds, and they¡¯ll recover after a while¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Elder Ye and was caught between laughter and tears. Ever since Rong Xiu and Rong Jiu entered Tai He Hall to discuss something, Elder Ye kept asking her non-stop, afraid that there was something wrong with her body. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already take my pulse? Do you not trust yourself?¡± Elder Ye coughed. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you.¡± Thinking of what happened earlier on, he still felt scared. If my disciple wasn¡¯t outstanding and strong enough, it would really be dangerous! Chu Liuyue swiftly changed the topic. ¡°Elder Zong Ye has left already?¡± Elder Ye sneered. ¡°Situ Xingchen is already dead. Why would he still stay here? If he stays any longer, he would be the one that dies next.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°Elder Zong Ye seems to be someone who holds grudges. So for the happenings today¡­¡± ¡°Haha, that fellow has always been like this! But he won¡¯t dare to let the news spread to Mingyue Tianshan. If not, he won¡¯t be able to bear with the consequences of failing. Even though Zong Ye is just a stage-six warrior, he won¡¯t dare to mess around.¡± Chu Liuyue remained silent. Elder Zong Ye and Situ Xingchen had a very good relationship. If not, he wouldn¡¯t exhaust his means to come over and save her personally. Now that he has personally witnessed Situ Xingchen dying in front of him, I feel that he won¡¯t take it lying down¡­ ¡°As for Country Xing Luo¡¯s side¡­ Situ Xingchen is the eldest princess after all¡­¡± Situ Yan really doted on this daughter. When he was angry, he might do something about it. Elder Ye waved his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Situ Yan won¡¯t dare to mess around. Situ Xingchen absorbed the strength within the bronze cauldron and used it to elevate her strength. She even wanted to kill you, so she was in the wrong first. Besides, her body was later stolen, and she was already dead at that moment. At the end of the day, she dug her own grave. Everyone saw it clearly, so how would Situ Yan dare to talk about this?¡± No matter how much he liked Situ Xingchen, it was impossible for him to put the entire Country Xing Luo on the line. Thus, he could only reduce the severity of the matter and amount it to nothing in the end. Chu Liuyue lightly nodded as she looked at the tightly locked door. ¡°I wonder how their discussion is going.¡± Emperor Jiawen had already been locked up, and the red-tailed flood dragon was once again suppressed within the Deep Xuan formation. The previous messy state had already been cleaned up mostly. On the surface, it looked as if everything had returned to normal. However¡­ Everyone knew that the matter¡¯s ending was controlled by the duo. Elder Ye followed her gaze and sighed deeply. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, it¡¯s still¡­¡± Chu Liuyue asked again, ¡°Mentor, did you already know that His Majesty¡ª¡± Elder Ye hesitated for a moment before nodding; then, he shook his head. ¡°I only knew that His Majesty and Ru Yue had a conflict back then because he wronged her, but I didn¡¯t know it was¡­ What¡¯s the point?¡± Who else could he blame for his current state? Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Consort Wan¡­ Was she from Heaven¡¯s Canopy?¡± Elder Ye paused for a while and laughed bitterly. ¡°I can¡¯t confirm this either. She met His Majesty outside by accident, and he said that she was an orphan from a poor family. However, nobody knew the details. She was greatly loved back then, and many people had secretly investigated her identity, but they couldn¡¯t find anything.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. This explains everything. Creek! Tai He Hall¡¯s door suddenly opened. Chapter 468 - Honesty Chu Liuyue and Elder Ye looked up at the same time. Not far behind them, the crowd of family heads kept quiet and looked over. A figure came out from inside¡ªit was Rong Xiu. His cold and distinguished face was very calm, and nobody could tell his expression. However, the family heads outside unwittingly became scared. After witnessing this person¡¯s abilities, they didn¡¯t dare to treat Rong Xiu the same way as before. The crowd became silent. Chu Liuyue stepped forward. ¡°Your Highness, how are you?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s heart warmed when he met with her worried gaze. All the tiredness and lethargy from all these days seem to vanish into thin air at that moment. No matter what, there is still one person that continues accompanying me. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly as he grabbed her hands. ¡­ Overnight, Country Yao Chen experienced a drastic change. Firstly, Rong Jiu brought soldiers and started a revolt. They attacked the Imperial City and charged into the palace. Then, Country Xing Luo¡¯s Eldest Princess¡ªSitu Xingchen¡ªswallowed some weird power and broke through repeatedly before trying to kill Chu Liuyue. In the end, her body was stolen, and she was killed instead. Finally, in order to retrieve his birth mother¡¯s item, Prince Li¡ªRong Xiu¡ªfought with Emperor Jiawen and won with his sword. Too many things had happened on that day, and the news spread throughout the Imperial City. Nobody tried to seal the news. In actual fact, it was impossible to pretend nothing happened after such a huge commotion was caused. Besides, the fight for the throne had huge implications. So when the family heads witnessed this personally, they would definitely tell their own family members to find out how to handle the situation. In no time, everyone in the Imperial City was talking about this. Very quickly, the latest news came out: The Third Prince, Rong Jiu, would ascend the throne and become the emperor, while Prince Li¡ªRong Xiu¡ªchose to return to Mingyue Tianshan. As for Emperor Jiawen, as the supreme emperor, he would be sent to a hall and spend his remaining years there. Everyone partook in discussions about this ending. After all, everyone now knew that Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t truly sickly. On the other hand, he was very talented and strong. Previously, many people had guessed that he and Rong Jiu would fight for eventual ownership of the throne. They didn¡¯t expect him to return to Mingyue Tianshan. As for Emperor Jiawen¡­ What good ending would he have after he was forcefully removed from the throne? But after Situ Xingchen died, Country Xing Luo didn¡¯t have any reaction. It was as though they directly skipped past the event. ¡­ Prince Li Mansion, bamboo forest. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu sat opposite each other with a chess game in between them. The wind blew lightly, and the bamboo leaves rustled. Rong Xiu put down the chess piece in his hands. ¡°Yue¡¯er, do you think I¡¯m too heartless?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and said in shock, ¡°Your Highness, why would you say so?¡± Rong Xiu paused. Chu Liuyue suddenly understood. Is he talking about Emperor Jiawen? ¡°You have your own reasons and logic for doing this, Your Highness.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly shook her head. ¡°If you think you did nothing wrong, then you did nothing wrong.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curved up, and he suddenly inched in closer. He looked at her eyes calmly and teased, ¡°Yue¡¯er, do you mean that you¡¯ll always stand on my side no matter what I do?¡± His voice was low and lazy as he smiled in a nonchalant manner. ¡°Of course,¡± said Chu Liuyue determinedly as she gazed into his deep eyes. Her expression was serious and sincere. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart seemed to slam against something as a dim light flashed across his eyes. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re my man. Of course, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved up as if she was joking. However, her gaze was determined and didn¡¯t allow room for any doubts. Rong Xiu knew that she meant it. He kept silent for a moment and suddenly said, ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not very accurate.¡± ¡°Hm, why?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Rong Xiu¡¯s long fingers knocked against the chessboard in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°I¡¯m still not quite your man now.¡± His voice was especially low, and he dragged his last syllable, which landed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s ear. It felt as though something was scratching her ear. Chu Liuyue suddenly reacted and couldn¡¯t help but scold in her heart. Demon! ¡°I¡¯m afraid I will have to disappoint you, Your Highness. I have to go to the Tianling Dynasty now, and you will have to return to Mingyue Tianshan. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be seeing each other for a while.¡± Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re very anxious, Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°Not as anxious as you, Your Highness, who prepared everything for the grand wedding in advance!¡± Speaking of this, Rong Xiu felt rather regretful. ¡°I did plan for a grand wedding early on, but¡­ Too many things happened along the way, and I didn¡¯t expect it to drag until now.¡± Both of them now had things to do, and they couldn¡¯t make it in time for the grand wedding. Upon seeing that Rong Xiu really seemed disappointed, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Anyway, we do have a marriage agreement. It doesn¡¯t make much of a difference whether we marry earlier or later, right?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her with deep meaning and smiled lightly. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a difference. I have already waited for too long.¡± Doubt flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. It has only been a few months since we first met. Why does Rong Xiu sound like he truly has been waiting for a very long time¡­ ¡°But if it¡¯s for you, Yue¡¯er, I can continue waiting.¡± Noticing Rong Xiu¡¯s gentle gaze, Chu Liuyue sighed lightly. Actually, if I leave, the road will be perilous and filled with obstacles. I don¡¯t know when I can see him again. ¡°Your Highness, you really want to go back to Mingyue Tianshan?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already settled everything in the Imperial City, so there¡¯s no need for me to stay.¡± If I don¡¯t find a time to go back, I¡¯m afraid that 36 Respected Elder Ming will chase after me. Besides, I have to go back and handle something else. He gently caressed Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand¡ªwhich was soft and thin¡ªwith much reluctance. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to hit something soft, which was sour and sweet. She seemed to say without hesitation, ¡°Then¡­ Wait for me to come back from the Tianling Dynasty, and we¡¯ll hold a grand wedding. How about that?¡± Rong Xiu gathered his focus. That was what I wanted to say, but I didn¡¯t expect her to say it first. He looked into her eyes, and he felt as if he could drown in her deep gaze. The next moment, he lowered his head and kissed Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows. ¡°Sure.¡± The light sound harbored way too much¡ªpatience, tolerance, love, trust¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down and thought for a long time before finally making up her mind. ¡°Your Highness, I have something to tell you.¡± Rong Xiu nodded and leaned in to listen to her. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips, not speaking for a while. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t urge her; he just waited quietly by the side. After some time, Chu Liuyue was determined. She looked into Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes and enunciated every word. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll come back from the Tianling Dynasty. My enemy is there.¡± Chapter 469 - Who’s That Coming? The bamboo forest was completely silent, and only the sounds of bamboo leaves rustling in the wind were heard. Chu Liuyue felt that everything in the surroundings seemed to stand still and that only the face of the person in front was especially clear. Her voice was light, and it instantly disappeared in this wind. However, she knew that Rong Xiu heard it. This was her biggest secret. She originally thought that it would be very hard to talk about it, but facing separation, she realized that it was much easier for her to be honest toward Rong Xiu. This was because she truly wanted to continue being with him. Something seemed to ripple in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. After a moment, he looked into her eyes and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t go back, I¡¯ll look for you.¡± ¡°¡­Your Highness, why didn¡¯t you ask me why I have enemies in the Tianling Dynasty?¡± Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed. For the past decade, I was just an abandoned good-for-nothing from a family that was falling in Country Yao Chen. Logically speaking, I shouldn¡¯t have any relations with the Tianling Dynasty. However, Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t shocked or curious. His lips curved up, and he smiled. ¡°I only care about whether your revenge is sweet, Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue paused. Rong Xiu leaned in close to her ear, and his warm breath blew against it, causing it to heat up slightly. ¡°Wherever you go, I will follow.¡± ¡­ The skies were bright, and there were no clouds in the sky. Jian Fengchi rode on his sword, and Chu Liuyue was following right behind. ¡°You¡¯re really going like this?¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°For a very long time after this, you won¡¯t be able to see your father and your fianc¨¦.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Young Master Jian, can you help me bring them to the Tianling Dynasty?¡± Jian Fengchi immediately said, ¡°No.¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s security was very tight, and everybody¡¯s identity had to be thoroughly investigated. This was especially so since the place they were going to this time was the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s royal capital¡ªXi Ling! Even if one could cross over to Heaven¡¯s Canopy, one couldn¡¯t enter Xi Ling without a suitable reason or identity. Chu Liuyue stretched her arms wide open. My road is unknown and rocky this time, so it¡¯s more convenient for me to travel alone. Jian Fengchi sized her up, and his lips curved up into a sinister smile. ¡°But that Prince Li¡­ He hid himself quite well. According to his abilities, it won¡¯t pose a problem if he wants to enter Heaven¡¯s Canopy.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. Jian Fengchi seems to be very interested in Rong Xiu as he keeps on talking about him. She shook her head once again. ¡°He naturally has his own plans.¡± After seeing that Chu Liuyue was an iron wall and that oil and salt couldn¡¯t enter, Jian Fengchi¡¯s smile dissipated, and he grunted. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you were thinking when you decided to be with such a scheming person.¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. The duo didn¡¯t talk again. After around an hour, they finally stopped near a mountain. Jian Fengchi jumped down and waved his sleeves. Dust flew up, and a transportation formation appeared in front of the two of them. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused, and she also jumped down before walking to Jian Fengchi¡¯s side. ¡°This is the transportation formation I used when I came here.¡± Jian Fengchi raised his chin. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. This mountain peak is to the southeast of the Imperial City. It is completely isolated, so why would there be a transportation formation here? Seeing the shock and confusion on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, Jian Fengchi thought that she was curious about this transportation formation. Hence, he explained, ¡°This transportation formation can quickly get us to Heaven¡¯s Canopy. But if we want to reach the Tianling Dynasty, we have to go through two transportation formations.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Other than cultivators who tried to break through to become stage-seven warriors and could directly summon Heaven¡¯s Canopy, others needed to personally go to where Heaven¡¯s Canopy was before they could enter. But she was curious about something else. ¡°This transportation formation seems old.¡± Jian Fengchi touched his chin. ¡°That¡¯s right, and it seems like it¡¯s not regularly used. I knew about this because Mu Qinghe told me that I could go from here. Actually, I am also very curious as to why a transportation formation connected to Heaven¡¯s Canopy is here.¡± Emperor Jiawen had gone to the Tianling Dynasty in the past, so there was such a transportation formation in the Imperial City. However, it was weird for one to appear in such a place. ¡°Perhaps the old cultivators built it last time.¡± Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t care much about this transportation formation. As he spoke, force gathered in his palm, and he placed it on the transportation formation. A silver light flashed across, and the transportation formation was activated. The duo¡¯s figures disappeared on the spot. ¡­ The surroundings fell into darkness, and Chu Liuyue could only hear the turbulence grazing past her ears. But luckily, Jian Fengchi had built a barrier. Thus, she didn¡¯t suffer much from the strong force or suppression. After some time, light finally appeared before their eyes. Jian Fengchi said, ¡°We¡¯re going out soon.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart clenched. The next moment, her vision turned bright. She felt a force pushing her and Jian Fengchi out. She staggered backward and stabilized her figure. ¡°Look! This is Heaven¡¯s Canopy, which the Tianling Dynasty is in charge of guarding!¡± Jian Fengchi raised his hands and pointed in one direction. Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body stiffened, and she gradually raised her head. At this moment, the duo was standing at the edge of the cliff. Below the cliff was a boundless and violent blue-black ocean. Far away, where the sea and the sky connected, the gigantic Heaven¡¯s Canopy drooped down from the dim sky. Countless stars flashed across it, and it dazzled like a river full of stars. The endless Heavenly Dao suppressed them and flowed, almost covering the entire heaven and earth. In the middle of Heaven¡¯s Canopy was a team of soldiers wearing black armor and holding longswords. They stood in one neat line. Even from a distance away, Chu Liuyue could still clearly feel the murderous aura from the soldiers. In the entire Tianling Dynasty, only the sharpest and strongest of soldiers had the right to guard Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Hence, all these people were the strongest of millions. They stood there solemnly, and they had merged together with this heaven and earth. The hands in Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeves trembled slightly, and the blood in her body seemed to freeze. There seemed to be something burning in her stomach, and it was about to burst. This scene was very familiar! Tianling Dynasty, year 1645. She just became of marriageable age, and she came here to supervise the area as the princess. At that time, thousands of soldiers greeted her respectively, and the flags hung high in the sky, looking very majestic. The her back then never would¡¯ve imagined that she would come here again in such a manner. Jian Fengchi saw that Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t right, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flashed, and a perfect smile surfaced on her face. ¡°I¡¯m just a little nervous. Young Master Jian, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Jian Fengchi nodded. This is her first time here after all, and it¡¯s normal to be nervous. ¡°This is Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Canopy! Who is the person incoming?!¡± A stern voice sounded from afar. Chapter 470 - Snatch Jian Fengchi took out a plaque, and it floated in midair as a faint suppression exuded from it. Jian Fengchi loudly said, ¡°Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Jian Fengchi!¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Young Master Jian!¡± Hearing Jian Fengchi¡¯s voice, the opposing soldier became much more respectful. ¡°What about the person beside you¡ª¡± ¡°Take out the plaque Mu Qinghe left for you,¡± said Jian Fengchi softly. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and produced the plaque, which similarly floated in midair. ¡°Country Yao Chen¡¯s Chu Liuyue!¡± Her voice sounded as clear and calm as usual, but her palms were dripping with sweat in reality. After checking that the duo¡¯s plaques were correct, that person said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu has already instructed us. The both of you can be let in. Please¡ª¡± A ripple then appeared on Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Soon after, a long bridge slowly extended from Heaven¡¯s Canopy and reached the duo. Jian Fengchi and Chu Liuyue exchanged a glance. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Then, he lifted his leg first and walked onto the long bridge. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and followed him closely. The duo walked past the long bridge and became increasingly nearer to that entrance. Chu Liuyue could already clearly see the soldiers¡¯ faces, and her heart beat increasingly wildly as she got increasingly closer to the entrance. ¡°Young Master Jian, Ms. Chu, please¡ª¡± At this moment, a ripple was seen far away. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw two figures on the cliff. A man and a woman appeared, and they looked very young. Seeing the long bridge had already appeared in front of them, that man laughed loudly. ¡°The bridge appeared at the right time! Yunzhi, we¡¯ll definitely be able to make it this time. You¡¯re not worried about being late, right?¡± That woman chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve never come here before, so it¡¯s inevitable that I¡¯m nervous and anxious. Cousin, why must you make fun of me? Besides, I¡¯m only like this because I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll hold you back.¡± That man laughed out loud. ¡°There¡¯s still some time before the final deadline. You don¡¯t have to worry! Let¡¯s go; I¡¯ll show you what the Tianling Dynasty is like!¡± Hope filled the girl¡¯s face. That man produced a plaque in his hands. ¡°Sky-Soaring Clan disciple¡ªChen Xiyuan¡ªspecially brings Imperial Country Sui Yang¡¯s Zhao Yunzhi with the Dijing Yuan meridian back!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. So they¡¯re from Sky-Soaring Clan. It seems like that girl was also brought here because she has the Dijing Yuan meridian just like me. I originally thought that the people who did this only included Mu Qinghe and the other Black Guards. I didn¡¯t expect the Sky-Soaring Clan to send people as well. It seems like this matter is much grander than I had imagined¡­ After Chen Xiyuan finished his sentence, he put away his plaque and stepped onto the bridge happily. ¡°Hold on.¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly spoke up and lazily said, ¡°This bridge is specifically summoned for Liuyue ane me. According to the rules, you have to wait until we go in. You also have to verify your identities before you can summon the bridge again. Why do you want to share one with us¡­?¡± Before the soldier in charge could say anything, Chen Xiyuan laughed out loud and said, ¡°It seems like the two of you have also just arrived. It won¡¯t delay much of your time if we use this bridge together, right? Isn¡¯t it great that we can go over together and that I don¡¯t have to summon another bridge?¡± Jian Fengchi crossed his arms and let out a sneer. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t know what it means to be served first when you come first. Your ears also aren¡¯t working. I said that I disagree. Did you not hear me?¡± What¡¯s great about it? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s great at all! Chu Liuyue coughed softly. I forgot that Dragon Teeth Mountain and Sky-Soaring Clan have been enemies for thousands of years and that they have many grudges against each other. Jian Fengchi naturally won¡¯t allow Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s Chen Xiyuan to do this. Besides, according to his picky personality, he originally wouldn¡¯t agree to this, let alone with the two of them. Jian Fengchi¡¯s words made Chen Xiyuan¡¯s expression turn ugly. I just requested to cross the bridge together, and it¡¯s nothing big, yet the other party drove me to a corner. How disgusting! Saying this in front of so many people has humiliated me. This is my first time bringing my cousin, Zhao Yunzhi, out. If I submit now, how can I raise my head in front of my cousin in the future? His voice turned cold. ¡°This Young Master, I¡¯m just asking you for help. Why must you behave in such a manner?¡± Jian Fengchi shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t like to help.¡± Chen Xiyuan was so angry that he laughed. He tidied his shirt and raised his chin. ¡°It seems like you still don¡¯t know my identity. I am Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s disciple¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi raised his finger and shook it, interrupting Chen Xiyuan¡¯s words. ¡°Pfft, I¡¯m not interested in your identities at all.¡± He then turned to look at the soldiers and raised his brows. The two soldiers by the entrance glanced at each other before looking at the distant Chen Xiyuan with solemn faces. ¡°You should wait first.¡± The smile on Chen Xiyuan¡¯s face froze. The Sky-Soaring Clan has a high status in the entire Tianling Dynasty, and everyone respects us no matter where we go. I have never suffered such anger before. ¡°You¡ª¡± He wanted to go up and reason with them, but he was pulled back by Zhao Yunzhi. Zhao Yunzhi softly said, ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s not fight with them and give in to let them go first.¡± Jian Fengchi already had one foot past the entrance. When he heard this, he turned around and chuckled. Give in?! Why does it sound like we¡¯re at fault? It¡¯s usual for the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s people to be shameless, but I didn¡¯t expect the people they bring in to be the same! Chu Liuyue held her breath and walked into the entrance. Heaven¡¯s Canopy¡¯s light scanned her body as if it was about to see through her at any moment. Buzz! A small, crisp sound was made, but Heaven¡¯s Canopy suddenly had a strange movement. Chu Liuyue was shocked. This movement seemed to be because of the water droplet in my body. The surrounding soldiers noticed this movement and immediately looked at Chu Liuyue alertly. Even Jian Fengchi turned back. Chu Liuyue had a thought and forcefully suppressed the water droplet¡¯s ripples. That strange sound instantly disappeared. ¡°What¡­ just happened?¡± The soldiers stared at Chu Liuyue, and their eyes were filled with doubt. Chu Liuyue innocently shook her head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at Heaven¡¯s Canopy and knitted his brows slightly. ¡°I think it¡¯s just a common ripple.¡± The few soldiers then relaxed. This did happen to Heaven¡¯s Canopy sometimes. If there really was something wrong with Chu Liuyue, the commotion wouldn¡¯t just disappear. A few people still had their suspicions, but Jian Fengchi smiled. ¡°Do you not trust the person Mu Qinghe picked?¡± The few people¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°Of course not. Please¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue felt relaxed as she stepped forward and crossed into Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Chapter 471 - Incapable The sky glowed brightly when they walked past Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Chu Liuyue raised her hand to cover her eyes. After she adjusted to the light, she looked up. Clouds covered the light-blue sky, and they floated with the wind. The black ground was endless, and it looked like nothing lived here when she looked across. A line of marble white appeared on the horizon that connected heaven and earth. A bright-orange color shone from behind the clouds and made them look warm. On the ground, the countless transportation formations slowly started churning. An indescribable suppression spread. Chu Liuyue held her breath. This scene is all so familiar, but I don¡¯t have the same mindset now that I¡¯ve come here once again. My identity has also completely changed. ¡°This is the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s northern region, and there are a total of 108 transportation formations that can lead to different parts of the Tianling Dynasty.¡± Jian Fengchi walked out from behind and stood still beside Chu Liuyue. He pointed at the biggest transportation formation in front of them and smiled. ¡°The biggest is this one, which brings us to the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s capital¡ªXi Ling. It can carry up to thousands of people at once.¡± Xuan Masters and warriors needed to collaborate to construct a single transportation formation, and it exhausted a great amount of strength. An average transportation formation could only transport around ten people or so. A formation of this scale was rarely seen. Even in the entire Tianling Dynasty, there were only five such formations, and every one of them had exhausted unimaginable manpower and materials. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. I¡¯ve used this transportation formation to come and supervise Heaven¡¯s Canopy, so I¡¯m very familiar with this. ¡°Well, is it like what you imagined?¡± asked Jian Fengchi in a teasing manner. To Jian Fengchi, someone with Chu Liuyue¡¯s background must have lots of expectations and dreams about the Tianling Dynasty. It wasn¡¯t just the people outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Even some of the experienced people within Heaven¡¯s Canopy would be shocked by this transportation formation the first time they came here. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up, and she nodded. ¡°The Tianling Dynasty¡­ is indeed like what the rumors say.¡± Jian Fengchi raised his brows. ¡°This isn¡¯t worth much. When you reach Xi Ling, you will discover how much fun there is in life!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. She had no interest in the fun he mentioned. Jian Fengchi felt guilty for some reason as he clenched his fist and coughed. ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s getting late. We should get going.¡± As he spoke, he walked toward the transportation formation. But at this moment, cold air suddenly came from behind them. Two figures quickly flashed across and rushed to them as they jumped on that transportation formation. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. They were precisely the two people that came behind them. Chen Xiyuan completely ignored Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi as he spoke to Zhao Yunzhi loudly. ¡°Yunzhi, don¡¯t worry. When we use this transportation formation, we can quickly reach Xi Ling. We¡¯ll definitely make it in time.¡± Zhao Yunzhi widened her beautiful eyes, and surprise filled her face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s such a huge transportation formation in this world¡­¡± ¡°This transportation formation isn¡¯t only huge; it¡¯s also very safe. There are hundreds of Xuan formations set up inside here, and they¡¯re enough to block the turbulence outside. Hence, it¡¯s similar to walking outside,¡± said Chen Xiyuan nonchalantly, but his face was filled with pride. ¡°The Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s first clan master personally participated in the construction of this transportation formation.¡± Once he said this, Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s eyes indeed brightened up, and she said in admiration, ¡°The Sky-Soaring Clan is indeed amazing! You must be formidable to be able to enter and be accepted as the clan master¡¯s disciple.¡± Chen Xiyuan felt great, and his eyes were overflowing with delight. ¡°When we reach Xi Ling, I¡¯ll bring you around the Sky-Soaring Clan personally.¡± ¡°Thank you, Cousin.¡± As he spoke, Chen Xiyuan was about to activate the transportation formation and leave. The smile on Jian Fengchi¡¯s face had long dissipated, and his icy eyes were much colder than before. ¡°Hold on.¡± His voice seemed to have ice shards, which made one feel cold unwittingly. Even though his tone was lazy, he still had a high and mighty aura. Chen Xiyuan paused in his actions and looked over. He sized Jian Fengchi up and knitted his brows slightly. I have never seen this person before, but this man¡¯s aura makes him seem like he¡¯s not someone ordinary¡­ ¡°Who gave you the guts to go ahead of me forcefully?¡± Chen Xiyuan sneered. ¡°This isn¡¯t called going ahead forcefully. Whoever can use the transportation formation is based on who reached it first. We reached it earlier than you, so we¡¯ll use it first.¡± Jian Fengchi dug his ears. ¡°What did you say?¡± Is this person crazy? Chen Xiyuan sneered and said, ¡°Oh, yes. We don¡¯t like sharing transportation formations with other people, so you have to wait. Yunzhi, let¡¯s go!¡± Before the two of them could move, they heard mocking laughter from behind. ¡°Are the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s people this shameless?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s single sentence successfully made Chen Xiyuan¡¯s blood boil. He suddenly turned around and angrily hollered, ¡°What did you say?¡± Jian Fengchi immediately said, ¡°What, are your ears not working?¡± ¡°How dare you! How dare you insult my clan! I think you must be tired of living!¡± Everything that happened previously didn¡¯t amount to much, so he didn¡¯t plan to continue fighting with these people. But once those crazy words that insulted the Sky-Soaring Clan came out of Jian Fengchi¡¯s mouth, he couldn¡¯t tolerate it anymore. Chu Liuyue thought to herself, This is nothing. When Jian Fengchi was young, he had once cursed the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s nine elders in front of them, and he was just short of insulting their clan master. He didn¡¯t even care to insult those people with low cultivation levels. Chen Xiyuan didn¡¯t recognize Jian Fengchi, which means that his cultivation level is too low. To be serious, Jian Fengchi thought highly of Chen Xiyuan for him to go against him like this. But Chen Xiyuan clearly didn¡¯t think of it in this way. He stepped forward and circulated his force. ¡°What clan are you from? Report your name!¡± Jian Fengchi touched his chin. ¡°You have no right to know my name.¡± Chen Xiyuan snorted as he didn¡¯t expect this person to be this arrogant. He took a deep breath in and boomed, ¡°It seems like you didn¡¯t hear me clearly before. Let me tell you again. I am Chen Xiyuan, a disciple of the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s clan master. If you¡¯re going to continue to act against me stubbornly, don¡¯t blame me for being merciless!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Jian Fengchi acted as if he realized something major as he lifted his chin and told Chu Liuyue, ¡°Did you hear? There are a total 197 disciples under the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s clan master, and he¡¯s one of them! He is indeed formidable!¡± Even though he said so, anyone could hear the mockery in his words. Chen Xiyuan¡¯s face darkened, and he sneered. ¡°It seems like you look down on my identity. May I know what sort of distinguished status you have? Why don¡¯t you tell me and let me know what kind of major character I have offended?¡± As he spoke, his gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. Then, he chuckled in disdain. ¡°Coincidentally, I also really want to know what kind of person is so incapable that they found a stage-three warrior only.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. Is he¡­ looking down on me? Chapter 472 - Wait and See Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression became interesting. Pfft, if this guy finds out that Mu Qinghe brought Chu Liuyue here¡­ His expression would be amazing. He smiled and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°It seems like he really doesn¡¯t look up to you.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. His personality of fearing that the world doesn¡¯t burn cannot be changed. Chu Liuyue looked at Chen Xiyuan and smiled lightly. ¡°Since I could come, I naturally am good enough. Young Master Chen, you don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± Chen Xiyuan was suddenly dazed, and surprise flashed across his eyes. He had previously focused all his attention on that man, so he didn¡¯t notice that the woman in red beside him was extremely beautiful. Zhao Yunzhi¡ªwho was at the side¡ªwas also stunned when she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s appearance. She was pretty herself, and many handsome and talented young men liked her. But compared to this woman, she paled in comparison. She almost instinctively looked at Chen Xiyuan, and as expected, his expression was amiss. His eyes landed on that woman for quite some time, and he didn¡¯t retract them. Her heart instantly felt suffocated, and her expression turned ugly. ¡°Cousin, one less matter is better than creating more matters. Why don¡¯t we just¡­ leave it? We can let them go first. Anyway, it won¡¯t take too much time.¡± She pulled Chen Xiyuan¡¯s sleeves, bit her lips, and talked. Her eyes had a tinge of grievance, and she looked pitiful. Chen Xiyuan then recovered his senses and instantly felt his heart ache when he looked at her. He had liked Zhao Yunzhi for many years, and he finally managed to bring her over to the Tianling Dynasty after making a little name for himself after much difficulty. But he made her suffer when they had barely crossed into Heaven¡¯s Canopy. If I really take this lying down, what kind of a man am I? He patted her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you get bullied.¡± Then, he suppressed his thoughts and looked at the duo again. Initially, he wanted to mock them, but he didn¡¯t expect the two of them to not care at all. It¡¯s fine with the tall man as he should have some capabilities. But that girl¡­ ¡°Hah, I really don¡¯t know since when a mere stage-three warrior could be so cocky,¡± teased Chen Xiyuan. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. My cultivation level is indeed rather eye-catching in the Tianling Dynasty. ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth,¡± said Chu Liuyue straightforwardly with a calm expression. Chen Xiyuan¡¯s blood was originally boiling. Since he decided to help avenge Zhao Yunzhi, his tone wouldn¡¯t be good at all. ¡°Oh? Since you¡¯ve said so, why don¡¯t you report your name? When we get to Xi Ling, we¡¯ll see if you¡¯re as formidable as you mentioned.¡± ¡°Country Yao Chen¡¯s Chu Liuyue.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled. I normally don¡¯t cause trouble for others, but if it comes knocking on my door, I will not be afraid. ¡°Country Yao Chen? Cousin, why haven¡¯t I heard of this place before¡­¡± said Zhao Yunzhi in a seemingly accidental manner, but she was quite jealous of the woman¡¯s beautiful appearance. ¡°It¡¯s just a lowly country not worth mentioning.¡± Chen Xiyuan laughed out loud. The person sent to such a place wouldn¡¯t have a high status. I was just being overly worried previously. Thinking of this, he was even more fearless. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you¡¯re willing to kowtow and apologize, I¡¯ll let this thing pass, and I won¡¯t take it to heart. If not¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi laughed out loud as if he had heard a joke. ¡°Hahaha, what did you say?! You want me to kowtow and apologize?¡± Chen Xiyuan¡ªwho was interrupted¡ªfelt offended again and felt that the laughter was piercing to his ears. ¡°Why? Are you reluctant?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. I haven¡¯t come back in more than a year, but why did the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s disciples become so arrogant and brainless? Even the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s clan master wouldn¡¯t dare to speak to Jian Fengchi in this manner, yet a mere disciple climbed all over his head. The ignorant are truly fearless! Jian Fengchi said, ¡°What a coincidence. I was just about to say that, but it seems like you won¡¯t do it.¡± Who does he think he is? How dare he speak to me like that? Chen Xiyuan just felt that the man in front was unreasonable. ¡°It seems like this negotiation isn¡¯t working out. The strong ones are respected, so let¡¯s exchange blows and see who is capable!¡± Chen Xiyuan then jumped up and flew toward Jian Fengchi. Beginner stage-seven warrior! He looked like he was around 28 or 29 years old, and it was indeed decent for him to reach such a level. But to Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi, he was just so-so. Chen Xiyuan crossed his arms, and orange force quickly gathered. Very quickly, a giant force ball appeared in front of him. ¡°Thousand Earth Jun!¡± Following this roar, he raised his hands above his head and threw the ball out. That circular ball rapidly flew toward Jian Fengchi, and the thick suppression came for him. The surrounding air seemed to be much heavier. Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders seemed to be suppressed by a hill. A stage-seven warrior¡¯s suppression was indeed quite unbearable for the current her. Jian Fengchi waved his sleeves, and that heavy suppression instantly disappeared. That circular ball stopped around three steps in front of him. Chen Xiyuan¡¯s face changed. This man¡¯s cultivation level is above mine! Jian Fengchi raised his arm and opened his palm. Then, he gently clenched it. ¡°Go!¡± That circular ball immediately reversed and went toward Chen Xiyuan. In addition, its speed was even faster than before. Chen Xiyuan had a bad feeling and immediately moved backward. But that circular ball was even faster than him, and the distance between them shortened very quickly. It was as if an invisible hand kept moving it to fly ahead, and the suppression around it was even stronger than before. Chen Xiyuan¡¯s chest felt heavy, and his movements became much slower. He felt uneasy and immediately drew out the knife from his waist, slashing it forward. Choo¡ªbang! The circular ball suddenly exploded, and the terrifying force spread in all directions. Chen Xiyuan was very close to it and unavoidably felt its effects. His chest vibrated, and his body uncontrollably flew backward before falling onto the floor. Poof! He held his chest with much difficulty and spat out blood. ¡°Cousin!¡± Zhao Yunzhi gasped and hurriedly ran forward as she picked him up worriedly. ¡°Cousin, are you okay?!¡± The corner of Chen Xiyuan¡¯s mouth was bleeding, and his face was way paler than before. ¡°I-I¡­¡± The other party¡¯s attack had directly broken his ribs. The most important thing was that his internal organs seemed to be injured as well. Upon seeing him like this, Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s heart ached, and her blood boiled. She couldn¡¯t help but turn around and angrily yell, ¡°You guys are too much! You hurt my cousin like this, so the Sky-Soaring Clan will definitely not let you off!¡± She clenched her teeth and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Liuyue, right? Don¡¯t be delighted! When we reach Xi Ling, just wait and see!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Chapter 473 - The King Returns! From start to end, Chu Liuyue had been very polite and didn¡¯t even say any offensive words. But the others had clearly included her in the debt and planned to take revenge on her. There is no use for further explanations. Besides, I¡¯m too lazy to tell them anything. Since the other party wants to take care of me, I have to face it and accept it bravely. But to Zhao Yunzhi, this reaction made Chu Liuyue seem arrogant. Isn¡¯t she just doing this because that man¡¯s capabilities are better? But when she reaches Xi Ling, this man definitely won¡¯t protect her at every moment. At that point, I must return all the humiliation and grievances we suffered today. Jian Fengchi stepped onto the transportation formation, and he paused when he walked past Chen Xiyuan. Chen Xiyuan instinctively shrunk himself. Jian Fengchi glanced at him and lightly laughed. ¡°The people in the Sky-Soaring Clan¡­ One generation is worse than the previous.¡± Chen Xiyuan¡¯s face flushed red, and he wanted to say something, but he had to swallow his words when he thought of that man¡¯s terrifying aura. Chu Liuyue followed him. Jian Fengchi activated the transportation formation, and the duo¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly. After confirming that the two people had left, Chen Xiyuan then forcefully stood up with Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s help. ¡°Cousin¡­ It¡¯s all my fault. If I wasn¡¯t rushing the whole time, all of this wouldn¡¯t happen, and they wouldn¡¯t deal with you so severely.¡± Zhao Yunzhi was on the verge of tears. Chen Xiyuan swallowed the blood in his mouth, stared at the transportation formation, and said carefully, ¡°It¡¯s never too late for a gentleman to take revenge! When I find out his identity¡­ I¡¯ll show him who¡¯s boss! We, the Sky-Soaring Clan, aren¡¯t that easily bullied!¡± ¡­ Both Jian Fengchi and Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even care about this small matter. After the duo entered the transportation formation, the whole way was smooth. As this transportation formation was of high level, it was very fast. Even though Bei Jiang and Xi Ling were very far away, it didn¡¯t take too much time. But to Chu Liuyue, every second and minute as they approached Xi Ling was especially long. Coincidentally, the surroundings were pitch black, so Jian Fengchi couldn¡¯t see her expression. ¡°When we reach Xi Ling, I¡¯ll send you to Mu Qinghe first,¡± said Jian Fengchi slowly. Chu Liuyue was suddenly awakened and acknowledged his words. After pausing for a while, she finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°It seems like there are quite a few Dijing Yuan meridian cultivators coming from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy.¡± This was quite weird. The Tianling Dynasty didn¡¯t lack such talents, so it was weird that they spent so much effort and manpower to look for them outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Jian Fengchi laughed lightly with a tinge of displeasure. ¡°They¡¯re always doing something messy. Who knows what they¡¯re planning this time?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat, and she tentatively asked softly, ¡°¡­They?¡± She originally thought that Jian Fengchi wouldn¡¯t answer, but he was rather honest this time. ¡°The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s current Third Princess and her husband.¡± Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng¡ªit really is them! Chu Liuyue was more grateful than ever that they were in the tunnel, so Jian Fengchi couldn¡¯t see her expression. Hearing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak, Jian Fengchi explained again, ¡°Oh, the Third Princess¡¯s current identity is equivalent to the person in control of the entire Tianling Dynasty. You will know when you reach Xi Ling.¡± He didn¡¯t say this earlier because he was unfamiliar with Chu Liuyue, and they were at Country Yao Chen. But now, she was going to reach Xi Ling very soon. Even if he didn¡¯t say it, she could find out about this from someone else. In addition, the duo had spent some time together, and he did admire Chu Liuyue quite a bit. Thus, he took the initiative to talk more. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She restrained her emotions and asked in slight shock, ¡°What does that mean? Does the Tianling Dynasty not have¡­¡± ¡°His Majesty is severely ill, and he¡¯s stuck in bed. Hence, many things have been given to the Third Princess to handle.¡± Jian Fengchi spoke lightly, but his tone was filled with disdain and contempt. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Father is actually alive?! I thought that Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng would definitely not let Father off after I committed suicide back then. I didn¡¯t expect them not to completely take action after so long. She hesitated for a moment before lightening up her voice and asked, ¡°Young Master Jian seems to¡­ Toward this Third Princess¡­¡± Disdain? Contemp? Hatred? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t finish her question. But Jian Fengchi suddenly laughed. ¡°Did anyone tell you that your wits are quite annoying sometimes? You¡¯re especially like¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly stopped in his sentence. Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°They¡¯re all matters of the past, and we don¡¯t have to talk about it, but your guess isn¡¯t wrong.¡± He did hate Shangguan Wan. Chu Liuyue blinked in curiosity. From what I know, Jian Fengchi had a rather good impression of Shangguan Wan. He had once caused trouble for me because of Shangguan Wan. Of course, I didn¡¯t realize that Shangguan Wan did it on purpose back then and felt that Jian Fengchi had gone crazy. Hence, we quarreled. I didn¡¯t expect his attitude toward Shangguan Wan to have such a drastic change. Chu Liuyue was planning to ask more and find out Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng¡¯s motives for doing this when the space in front suddenly lit up. She clenched her fists tightly. We¡¯re here! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jian Fengchi walked out first. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and quickly followed him, taking a step out. The skies and ground changed, and the darkness faded away as the bright sunlight shone in. But this time, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t use her hands to cover her eyes. She opened her eyes and looked in front determinedly. The large and majestic Xi Ling City was like the head of a ferocious fiend. It stood in between heaven and earth, looking solemn and grand. The sunlight shone harshly and made her eyes hurt to the point that a few tears dropped out. Xi Ling! I¡¯m finally back! Chapter 474 - Came at the Right Time This was Ping Liang Square outside Xi Ling City. The entire square was made with expensive and rare marble, which formed much of the ground. This square also had many transportation formations. The one that Chu Liuyue used was in the centermost position. When the duo walked out of the tunnel in the middle, the originally lively square quietened down instantly. Countless pairs of eyes looked over. Here, many people rushed over from all sorts of places every day. Many people also left Xi Ling, so there had always been a flow of people coming in and out. But as the central transportation formation was connected to Bei Jiang¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Canopy, it normally wasn¡¯t used. Now that two people suddenly appeared, they attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. When they saw the duo¡¯s appearance, the square became even quieter. The man was tall and was wearing a blue robe, with a white jade belt around his waist that enunciated his smooth contours. Besides, his eyes were actually blue. Just one glance at them, and they would appear to be the cleanest and purest icicles. But his face looked sweet, which made his originally icy eyes more dimensional. He surveyed the surroundings lightly, and quite a few women blushed. Such an outstanding appearance was indeed rare, but the woman standing beside him didn¡¯t pale in comparison. In fact, she was more eye-catching. Her figure was thin and petite, together with her red clothes and her hair simply tied up. There were no other extra accessories on her, but her skin was as white as snow, and her brows were like a distant mountain. Her nose was high and straight, and her eyes were especially charming like a black gem. The sunlight shone into her eyes and reflected a dazzling river of stars. But the elegance that faintly exuded from her brows made her look even more mesmerizing, causing one to fear and respect her. Such a woman was very beautiful and was very distinguished. Even though quite a few men looked at her and blushed, and their hearts beat wildly, they didn¡¯t dare to move forward. ¡°They came out from that transportation formation. Did they come from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy?¡± A soft question sounded from the crowd. That sentence finally broke the silence. The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. ¡°I think so. Isn¡¯t this the transportation formation that connects to Bei Jiang¡­? Recently, quite a few people have arrived from there.¡± ¡°That man looks rather familiar¡­ Blue eyes¡­ Sweetness in them¡­ Isn¡¯t that Young Master Jian?!¡± ¡°Which Young Master Jian?¡± ¡°The one from Dragon Teeth Mountain! Did you forget¡ª¡± Quite a few people suddenly took a deep breath in. Jian Fengchi! He always traveled mysteriously, and with his distinguished status, not many people had seen him. However, he was very famous in Xi Ling City. Even though they couldn¡¯t confirm, that man looked very similar to what was described in the rumors. It¡¯s 80% him! ¡°If that¡¯s really Jian Fengchi, the woman next to him¡ªAh! She¡¯s actually just a stage-three warrior? She looks like she¡¯s around 15 or 16, but why is she just a stage-three warrior?!¡± The crowd quietened down. The gazes that were originally filled with surprise and curiosity instantly became strange. ¡°She definitely came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy!¡± said someone confidently. ¡°Ah? Cultivators of that level can come in as well? The ones that previously came were at least peak stage-four¡­¡± ¡°She is quite pretty, but it¡¯s a pity that she¡¯s nothing much¡­¡± ¡°She dares to come to Xi Ling with these abilities. She must have a backing, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps her face is her biggest backing!¡± Some women spoke softly, and they laughed out loud. Jian Fengchi raised his brows and chuckled. ¡°They praised you for being pretty.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him lazily. This person¡¯s focus is always different from others. ¡°Why are you looking at me? I¡¯m handsome, and I won¡¯t be jealous of your appearance.¡± Jian Fengchi smiled with even deeper meaning, looking as if he were watching a good show. But Chu Liuyue looked calm as if she didn¡¯t even care about this. In actual fact, she had already expected this. Coming from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy and being a stage-three warrior¡ªjust these two factors alone would already bring her quite some trouble. Besides, she basically came here alone to fight without any backing or background. This would be even worse. As the imperial capital of the Tianling Dynasty, Xi Ling City had the most distinguished status, richest resources, and¡­ Strongest cultivators! In this place, strong warriors were respected. No weak person could survive here. Everyone that could survive in Xi Ling City was harsh. Thus, Chu Liuyue had already mentally prepared herself before she came. This little bit didn¡¯t amount to much. She looked at the few women that were giggling. Her facial expression didn¡¯t change, but her pair of clear eyes was filled with a certain suppression that made one uneasy. The few women¡¯s laughter softened, and they felt guilty for some reason as they respectively avoided Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze in satisfaction before walking forward. ¡°Hold on!¡± A middle-aged man suddenly walked forward and blocked Chu Liuyue¡¯s path. He looked burly, and his skin was coal black, while his tense muscles looked like they were going to burst out of his shirt. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw the person coming. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± That middle-aged man sized her up and boomed, ¡°When people that come from outside use our Tianling Dynasty¡¯s transportation formation, you have to pay us! The one you¡¯re using is the biggest, so it¡¯s worth ten white crystals.¡± Inside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, silver and gold weren¡¯t their currency. The even more precious white crystals replaced them. A white crystal outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy was worth 10,000 gold coins. Ten white crystals amounted to 100,000 gold coins. This was clearly extortion! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes dangerously and smiled. You came at the right time! Chapter 475 - Showing Off Mightiness ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for me to hand over the money, but you have to let me know your identity first, right?¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude, that man thought that she was afraid and acted even more arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m Eight Direction Clan¡¯s disciple, Wu Zhao!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. Eight Direction Clan¡­ is just a lowly clan in Xi Ling. I didn¡¯t expect their people to dare to be arrogant in Ping Liang Square. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your name. I asked: Based on what do you deserve to collect my money? You don¡¯t sound like someone from the magistrate.¡± Wu Zhao was dazed for a while before understanding what Chu Liuyue meant. He clenched his fists and moved in closer. Compared to his bulky figure, Chu Liuyue looked even more petite and small. ¡°Based on what? Of course, it¡¯s based on my hard fists! If you don¡¯t hand over the money, don¡¯t even dream of leaving this place!¡± He was clearly snatching money from her. There were many transportation formations in Ping Liang Square, and all of them belonged to the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s royal family. Under normal circumstances and as long as it wasn¡¯t something special, these transportation formations could be used by cultivators. But maintaining these transportation formations exhausted a large amount of manpower, so they would symbolically collect some protection fees. Even if she was using the biggest transportation formation, it would only cost ten people one white crystal under normal circumstances. Wu Zhao asked for ten of them once he spoke up; he was basically extorting money. The key point was that even though the Black Guard was in charge of guarding this place, they basically only maintained the peace here. Collecting the fees was left to some clans in Xi Ling City. These clansmen would treat the transportation formations particularly well when they were using them. They could also get some benefits from it, so it naturally was harmonious. So even though there were quite a few Black Guards patrolling, none of them stepped up when they saw Wu Zhao finding trouble with Chu Liuyue. Normally, the Black Guards wouldn¡¯t care as long as they didn¡¯t kill anyone. Jian Fengchi crossed his arms and watched the scene happily. This Wu Zhao is just a stage-five warrior. It won¡¯t pose a problem if I take action, but¡­ It seems like Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t intend on letting me intervene. Coincidentally, I also want to see how Chu Liuyue plans to deal with these troubles after she arrives at Xi Ling City. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Jian Fengchi can help me once, but he can¡¯t help me the second time, third time, or Nth time. Besides, I know Xi Ling¡¯s rules. If I can¡¯t settle this matter myself, then I will forever be a weakling in front of the crowd. ¡°What if I say no?¡± retorted Chu Liuyue slowly. Wu Zhao sneered. ¡°Lady, it seems like this is your first time here in Xi Ling, and you don¡¯t know some of the rules. I advise you to give your money obediently. If not¡­ it would be a pity if such a pretty face was ruined¡­¡± ¡°I say¡­ no,¡± said Chu Liuyue definitely once again. The smile on Wu Zhao¡¯s face quickly disappeared, and he revealed a vicious expression. ¡°You don¡¯t need to hand it over, but you have to win against me first!¡± Then, he looked down and sized Chu Liuyue up once again. His surrounding aura exploded and wrapped Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± The moment she said that, the surroundings quietened down. Wu Zhao knitted his brows. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said¡­ okay!¡± Chu Liuyue pointed at herself. Not to mention that I don¡¯t have any white crystals with me. Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t waste them in such a place. Wu Zhao was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Great, great! You said this yourself! You can¡¯t regret it later!¡± Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and lifted her chin toward an empty space. ¡°Over there!¡± Then, she walked over herself. The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. ¡°Is she crazy? She actually wants to challenge Wu Zhao?!¡± ¡°Even though Wu Zhao can only be considered inferior-class in Eight Direction Clan, he is a beginner stage-five warrior after all. That woman is just a stage-three warrior. Isn¡¯t she courting her own death?¡± ¡°Who knows what she¡¯s thinking¡­ Anyway, she came with Jian Fengchi. She must¡¯ve thought that Wu Zhao wouldn¡¯t dare to attack her.¡± ¡°Ping Liang Square has always had its rules¡­ As long as you challenge one-on-one, nobody can intervene. Even though Jian Fengchi has a distinguished status and is very strong, he must know that if he intervenes halfway, that woman will never be able to lift up her head in the entire Xi Ling City!¡± ¡°Now, I just hope that Wu Zhao, that violent fellow, won¡¯t hurt that woman¡¯s face. Such a pretty woman hasn¡¯t appeared in Xi Ling City for a long time¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions, but Chu Liuyue completely ignored them. She walked to the vacant land and faced Wu Zhao. ¡°Country Yao Chen¡¯s Chu Liuyue came here to challenge you!¡± Wu Zhao loosened his shoulders and stared at Chu Liuyue deadly. ¡°Eight Direction Clan¡¯s Wu Zhao accepts the challenge!¡± Once he said that, his figure moved, and he rushed to Chu Liuyue first. Even though he was big, he was very agile. He was also very fast, like a moving hill. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Chu Liuyue! An ever so simple straight punch was launched. To him, dealing with such a petite stage-three warrior didn¡¯t even deserve him to use his warrior techniques. One punch is sufficient! The loose strands of hair by Chu Liuyue¡¯s ear flowed with the wind. The strong wind from the fist caused her clothes to fly, and the suppression went straight for her face. Seeing the fist that was almost as big as Chu Liuyue¡¯s face almost land, quite a few people shook their heads in regret. This woman must be scared silly. She doesn¡¯t even know how to dodge. Looking at her previous behavior, she still had some confidence, but I guess it was just a pretense¡­ At this moment¡ª Chu Liuyue moved her legs, bent her soft waist, and moved backward, barely avoiding that punch. Then, she raised her right hand and clutched Wu Zhao¡¯s wrist. Wu Zhao was shocked. How did this woman avoid it just now? Without waiting for him to think properly, he suddenly felt excruciating pain in his wrist. Chu Liuyue moved her fingers in before harshly twitching them up. Almost at the same time, she raised her leg and kicked Wu Zhao¡¯s wrist. The extremely numbing and sore feeling crept up to him, causing the strength in Wu Zhao¡¯s arm to be lost. His arm instantly turned soft. He was very shocked and angry as his other hand immediately came out and clutched Chu Liuyue. But Chu Liuyue directly used that leg to lock Wu Zhao¡¯s arm and turned her body. Her entire body turned in the air. Wu Zhao¡¯s arm was stuck, and it was almost broken. Chu Liuyue then landed on the floor light, while Wu Zhao slammed harshly against it. Bang! The heavy body slammed against the floor, and Wu Zhao let out a deep moan. ¡°You¡­¡± Wu Zhao clenched his teeth tightly and was about to retaliate, but Chu Liuyue already rode on him and harshly stepped on his chest. The thin and straight legs looked extremely beautiful, but they encompassed shocking strength. One foot down¡ª Kacha! Wu Zhao¡¯s chest actually caved a few inches in. Chapter 476 - Concede Defeat, or Continue Is this woman¡¯s leg made of iron?! Wu Zhao thought to himself briefly as his face turned pale! The people who were watching sucked in a breath. That Chu Liuyue managed to break Wu Zhao¡¯s bones! From the looks of it, he has at least three broken ribs! When did stage-three warriors become this strong?! It must be made known that stage-five cultivators didn¡¯t have the right to collect money at Ping Liang Square. Wu Zhao was an exception because he was extremely powerful! His muscles weren¡¯t for show, but¡­ he was easily taken down by that skinny girl! Chu Liuyue looked down at Wu Zhao with a grin. ¡°You¡¯re not as hardy as I thought¡­¡± Wu Zhao was frustrated and reached for Chu Liuyue¡¯s ankles with his hands! Chu Liuyue pressed down with her leg again! Kacha! The sound of bones breaking came through even clearer! Overwhelming pain radiated from his chest, and cold sweat quickly appeared across Wu Zhao¡¯s forehead. He wanted to get up, but it felt like a mountain was on his body and prevented him from moving! Before this, he had never imagined losing to such a weak-looking girl! It looks like I can¡¯t win based purely on muscle! Wu Zhao changed his mind and decided to activate his martial art techniques! Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows after she felt the force around Wu Zhao spinning. If I don¡¯t activate the water droplet in my dantian, there is no way I can hold my own against Wu Zhao with the force in my body alone. Therefore¡­ I can never give him that chance! Choo! A streak of force flew out from Wu Zhao¡¯s palm! Chu Liuyue stepped aside and backward simultaneously! Wu Zhao was delighted as he pushed himself off the ground with his palm! But after he stood up, he realized that Chu Liuyue was nowhere to be found! He was stunned. A cold breeze came from behind him! Without thinking, he lunged and rolled forward! Chu! A paper-thin throwing knife directly pierced into where he had been standing! About one-third of the blade was embedded in the ground! Wu Zhao looked back, and his eyelids twitched after he saw the knife that was still trembling. The square grounds were forged from exceptionally strong stone. There was no way an ordinary Yuan instrument could leave any marks behind, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s knife split it wide open easily! He knew that this was something he could not accomplish! It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what things would¡¯ve been like if he had been a second slower! Chills ran down Wu Zhao¡¯s spine, and he felt a tinge of regret. Someone who is able to produce such a knife definitely came from a strong background! But I will be the butts of Xi Ling City¡¯s jokes if I concede now! At this thought, he drew the saber that hung by his waist! The bigger the weapon, the stronger the weapon! Wu Zhao refused to believe that he couldn¡¯t beat a stage-three warrior! Just as he was frantically inserting his force into his saber, Chu Liuyue threw another throwing knife out. The urgency of the situation forced Wu Zhao to stop his actions and face it head-on with his saber! Huala! The small throwing knife heavily scratched against the saber! There were sparks everywhere! Alongside the shrill noise, Wu Zhao was stunned to see a clean crack appear across his saber! Then¡ª Crack! The blade broke into two pieces! The force in his body was affected and became entangled! At this moment, Chu Liuyue stepped forward and rushed straight toward Wu Zhao! She raised her legs and kicked toward his chest! Wu Zhao was stunned. He threw away the handle and clenched his fists, crossing them across his chest to brace himself for her attack! Chu Liuyue¡¯s foot landed accurately on his slightly injured wrist! Ka! His wrist immediately presented itself in an eerie position. Wu Zhao let out a muffled cry as he stepped back, his eyes burning with rage. ¡°Despicable!¡± But Chu Liuyue bounced off of him! Wu Zhao was frustrated as he grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s calf without regard for his injuries! She then fell heavily on the ground! Bang! Chu Liuyue¡¯s back landed heavily on the ground. Her body shook as she spat out a mouthful of blood! Wu Zhao¡¯s eyes were red as he dragged Chu Liuyue backward! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body left a bloody trail on the floor! Just as she was figuring out how to get away, Wu Zhao suddenly stopped. He then picked Chu Liuyue up and threw her down heavily! There was a cold glimmer on the floor! It was the throwing knife that Chu Liuyue had thrown out earlier! If she landed on it, she would be dead! ¡°Die!¡± Wu Zhao cried out! At this moment, a ball of red flew across! Wu Zhao felt a sharp pain on his arm, and he instinctively loosened his grip! Looking down, it was a third-grade blood ferret that had bitten a piece of his flesh off! His arm was bloody! Chu Liuyue took the chance to break free. She rolled aside, avoiding Wu Zhao¡¯s attack! The next instant, she moved her wrist, and a cold reflection flew from her hands! Wu Zhao looked at it¡ªit was a dagger! He quickly avoided it! But just as the dagger was about to fly past his ear, a throwing knife dislodged from the dagger! Wu Zhao widened his eyes as he immediately tried to avoid it! However, he was still too late! The throwing knife cut through his shoulder! Chu Liuyue had managed to pull out the throwing knife when she got up from the ground earlier, and she had managed to reattach it to the dagger! Wu Zhao pressed down on his shoulder, but blood still flowed freely from it! Chu Liuyue rushed forward again! Wu Zhao was anguished! He wanted to use his martial art techniques, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s attacks were quick and urgent, leaving him no time to muster any force! Every time he prepared to attack, Chu Liuyue would strike first! It was like she was fighting for her life, no holds barred! It was as if she wasn¡¯t worried about the consequences if she slipped up! He looked up at Chu Liuyue. Her raven eyes were burning with fighting spirit! It was like she was ready to fight him to the death! Her injuries weren¡¯t any better than his. She was covered in blood, but her desire to fight only seemed to grow stronger! Wu Zhao¡¯s heart skipped a beat as fear grew in his heart. Even though he had been cultivating and battling for many years, he had never seen such willpower and fighting spirit. It was like Chu Liuyue was putting her life on the line! Ability was important in a battle, but one¡¯s perseverance wasn¡¯t to be trifled with! Once one gave in, they would lose continuously! That was the state Wu Zhao was in! In the face of Chu Liuyue¡¯s constant advances, he instinctively backed away! Suddenly, an eerie sound came from behind him! He turned and saw the blood ferret with a dagger in its mouth! It shook its tail and flung the dagger out! Chu Liuyue rushed forward and grabbed it. By the time Wu Zhao realized what was happening, he felt a cold sensation coming from the back of his neck! ¡°Surrender? Or would you like to continue?¡± Chapter 477 - What do I have to be afraid of? Admit defeat? There was no way Wu Zhao could ever utter those words. Continue? The sharp knife is closing in on my throat! Wu Zhao knew without a doubt that Chu Liuyue could end him there and then if she wanted to! Countless pairs of eyes looked over. Wu Zhao felt so embarrassed that he wanted to crawl into a hole! ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue flicked her dagger, which made a clinking sound. Wu Zhao shivered, and as if resigning himself to his fate, he said with closed eyes, ¡°You win!¡± There was pin-drop silence. Wu Zhao actually¡­ conceded defeat?! He, a stage-five warrior, actually lost to a stage-three warrior?! If the news spreads, it¡¯s bound to make waves in Xi Ling City! ¡°Have I lost touch? When did stage-three warriors outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy become this strong?!¡± mumbled someone in the crowd. ¡°Or maybe Wu Zhao¡¯s ability as a stage-five warrior¡­ is fake?¡± Wu Zhao¡¯s face turned red and white. His veins were popping, and he wanted to yell at them. My ability is faked?! They can come up and give me a try! This Chu Liuyue¡­ She isn¡¯t normal! It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never fought with other stage-three warriors, but none of them were like her! First off, her strength and speed are at least on par with mine! Where did this freak come from! ¡°You admit defeat?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take ten white crystals then.¡± Wu Zhao was stunned. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue explained with a smile, ¡°I said: Give me ten white crystals since you¡¯ve admitted defeat, and we can call it a day.¡± Wu Zhao was confused. ¡°W-why should I give you so much money?! I¡¯ve conceded! What else do you want?¡± We didn¡¯t bet any white crystals up for taking! Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re not going to give them to me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re dreaming!¡± Wu Zhao cried out angrily. Having spent so many years in Xi Ling City, he had never seen anybody who not only refused to pay but even asked for money! ¡°Chu Liuyue, right? I¡¯m warning you; this isn¡¯t your lousy, puny country. You can¡¯t do as you please here! You better rein it in, or else¡­¡± Chu Liuyue flicked her dagger forward impatiently, and the sharp dagger immediately pierced Wu Zhao¡¯s flesh! Warm blood trickled down the dagger¡¯s blade. Wu Zhao¡¯s voice came to a screeching halt! ¡°Admit defeat and give me ten white crystals, or continue,¡± stated Chu Liuyue again. ¡°I¡¯m asking you again: Which one are you choosing?¡± Wu Zhao was so angry that he felt like steam was going to come out of his head! ¡°You! You¡ªhow dare you!¡± ¡°It seems like you think that your life isn¡¯t worth ten white crystals?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head regretfully. ¡°What a pity.¡± With that, she moved her wrist, about to take action! ¡°I¡¯ll pay! I¡¯ll pay!¡± Wu Zhao shouted out anxiously. He had a feeling that Chu Liuyue really had the guts to kill him! He stiffly took out ten white crystals from his Cosmic Bag and passed them to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Here!¡± Chu Liuyue eyed Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi immediately went forward, grabbed the white crystals, and flew toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue only backed away after she took a glance and made sure it was ten white crystals. Sensing that the dagger was finally away from him, Wu Zhao was relieved. However, he couldn¡¯t help but turn back to look at Chu Liuyue with anger and resentment. He pointed at her. ¡°I¡¯ll remember this! You¡¯d better pray that you don¡¯t run into me next time!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and shook the crystals in her hands. ¡°You¡¯re most welcome.¡± Wu Zhao¡¯s expression was stiff, but he turned and left! Even after he left, the square was still silent. Given the disparity between their expectations and reality, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine their shock. Chu Liuyue put the ten white crystals away. She then walked over to Jian Fengchi and patted her Cosmic Bag. ¡°My first bucket of gold!¡± Even though this wasn¡¯t much money to her, it was better than nothing. With this money, her life in Xi Ling City would be a little better. Jian Fengchi felt the corners of his mouth twitching. Fi-first bucket of gold?! How does this girl have the face to say this?! I felt that my skin was thick enough, but Chu Liuyue has proven me wrong! Taking money from the people guarding the transportation formations¡­ She is probably the first! No matter what, Chu Liuyue¡¯s name is bound to spread quickly in Xi Ling City after this battle! ¡°You¡­ Would you really have killed that Wu Zhao?¡± Jian Fengchi asked. ¡°No matter what, he is a clan¡¯s disciple.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him and beamed. ¡°I have your protection, don¡¯t I?¡± Jian Fengchi was stunned. ¡°When did I say¡­¡± Jian Fengchi was about to rebut her, but he instantly understood when he saw the teasing in Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression. That¡¯s right; I brought her here! This means that Chu Liuyue is with me! The Eight Direction Clan will never have the guts to go against me publicly. Even if Chu Liuyue killed Wu Zhao today, they would never dare to do anything. Besides, so many people saw that Chu Liuyue had won the battle herself! Survival of the fittest! No wonder she was so confident¡­ Jian Fengchi squinted his eyes. ¡°You know to borrow influence, huh¡­ We haven¡¯t even entered Xi Ling, but you¡¯ve offended two clans already. I¡¯m not sure whether to say that you¡¯ve got guts or¡­¡± ¡°I had nothing to do with the first one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ve included you in the grudge anyway.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re even now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly felt that something was off. This girl really refuses to take any losses! ¡°Since the matter has been resolved, we should go too.¡± Jian Fengchi raised his chin. Chu Liuyue agreed. The pair left Ping Liang Square, leaving the peering crowd behind. After walking a distance, Jian Fengchi turned and glanced at Chu Liuyue several times before he asked her curiously, ¡°Even though you do have the ability, aren¡¯t you afraid of offending so many people?¡± ¡°What is there to be afraid of?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the heavy city gates before her and smiled. The people I¡¯m going after are the most revered in Xi Ling City! What do these small fry count as? They are just appetizers! Since I¡¯ve returned, I¡¯m bent on turning the entire Xi Ling upside down! Jian Fengchi paused when he saw the ripples in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. For some reason, he felt that something about Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura was off¡­ It seemed murderous! Chu Liuyue smiled and headed for the city gates! ¡°Xi Ling is going to be exciting!¡± Chapter 478 - Liu Xingyi Xi Ling City¡¯s gates were made using gilt bronze, which was very heavy and huge. Rumors had it that even a stage-eight warrior could only leave a few light marks on it at best, but the door couldn¡¯t be broken open. The walls were made from greenish-grey marble and were very sturdy. Thousands of years of wind and snow caused the ancient and holy imperial capital to look even more aged. The city gates had three entrances, and the middle one was the largest. Only the most distinguished people of the Tianling Dynasty could enter through there. Normally, this gate would be tightly shut. A golden plaque was hung on the door, and it wrote: Xi Ling. It was majestic, solemn, and grand. The two entrances at the side were for civilians to enter. Even though they were smaller than the middle entrance, all of them could take up to hundreds of people entering and leaving at the same time. There were hundreds of Black Guards guarding near every entrance. Anyone who entered Xi Ling had to go through strict checks. Even so, there were still many people coming in and out. As the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s imperial capital, countless cultivators came forward as if they were going to heaven. Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi followed the crowd and walked in. But as the two of them had extraordinary appearances and many people had seen the commotion at Ping Liang Square, there seemed to be an invisible barrier surrounding the two of them, blocking others on the outside. Walking to the entrance, a guard standing in front looked up and saw Jian Fengchi before he respectfully said, ¡°Greetings¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi waved his hands and threw his plaque over. ¡°I brought one person with me.¡± That guard looked at Jian Fengchi¡¯s humble manner and couldn¡¯t help but find it amazing. In the entire Xi Ling, this master is definitely the one that loves crowds the most. It¡¯s rare for him to be so low-key. His gaze landed on Chu Liuyue beside him, and he looked surprised. ¡°This is¡­¡± Chu Liuyue passed her plaque over. ¡°Country Yao Chen¡¯s Chu Liuyue.¡± So she¡¯s from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy¡­ and she¡¯s just a stage-three warrior? But since she could come with Jian Fengchi, I must give her face. He checked Chu Liuyue¡¯s plaque and was shocked. This is clearly Lieutenant Mu¡¯s plaque! It seems like this woman¡¯s background is even more complicated than I imagined¡­ He respectfully returned the plaques to the duo and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You came at the right time; the Wan Zheng Competition will start tomorrow. You just have to sign up at Xin Li Garden, and you can officially join the competition tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Wan Zheng Competition? I¡¯ve never heard of it before. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, that guard thought that she didn¡¯t know where Xin Li Garden was. Hence, he said, ¡°Do you need me to get someone and bring you over?¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I can get Young Master Jian to help me. I don¡¯t need to trouble you.¡± Jian Fengchi raised his brows. This girl seems to make use of me very easily. That guard was shocked before he glanced at Jian Fengchi carefully. Seeing that the latter didn¡¯t get angry, he became slightly more relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll bring her there.¡± Jian Fengchi curled his fingers at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Follow me.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled lightly and followed him. ¡­ Xin Li Garden was a famous imperial garden in Xi Ling City, and it had already existed since their grand ancestor¡¯s time. Chu Liuyue liked to go there when she was free. She didn¡¯t expect to go there once she came back. Jian Fengchi walked in front, and he held a jade fan in his hand. ¡°Xin Li Garden is a good place. You can go in and take a look later. In the past, not everyone could go in there.¡± Chu Liuyue could tell that he had something else to say, so she acted curious and conveniently asked, ¡°In the past?¡± ¡°In the past, that garden was¡­ Forget it. There¡¯s not much point in telling you all of this. Anyway, the view isn¡¯t bad.¡± Chu Liuyue sensibly changed the topic. ¡°Then¡­ What¡¯s up with the Wan Zheng Competition? Lieutenant Mu hadn¡¯t told me about this before.¡± Jian Fengchi paused in his actions, put away his fan, and lowered his chin. ¡°That¡­ It¡¯s just some boring competition. You¡¯ll find out yourself when you go there tomorrow.¡± Anyway, in his eyes, this was just Shangguan Wan and the others¡¯ way of saying things. They set up this Wan Zheng Competition for no rhyme or reason in the name of cultivating talents, but who knew what they were up to? Seeing Jian Fengchi¡¯s face of nonchalance, Chu Liuyue lightly nodded and didn¡¯t ask further. The duo went forward and quickly reached Xin Li Garden. But after they reached Xin Li Garden, Chu Liuyue sensitively noticed that there were quite a few strong warriors here. Countless judging gazes swept across her. Chu Liuyue acted as if she didn¡¯t know and followed behind Jian Fengchi obediently. Two servants stood in front of Xin Li Garden. Chu Liuyue quickly scanned them, and as expected, they were two unfamiliar faces. But the two of them clearly recognized Jian Fengchi since their originally cold and solemn faces immediately revealed kind smiles. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Jian.¡± Jian Fengchi waved his fan in frustration and asked, ¡°How do we sign up for the Wan Zheng Competition?¡± The duo¡¯s gazes landed on Chu Liuyue. Without asking, they knew he wanted to sign someone up. But¡­ Jian Fengchi doesn¡¯t seem to be on the list of people bringing candidates over. But they didn¡¯t dare to ask as they respectfully said, ¡°Please come in. The reporting place is in Xiao Fu Garden. When you reach there, someone will naturally help you.¡± Jian Fengchi winked at Chu Liuyue, and he walked in first. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she stepped across the entrance. A light fragrance wafted toward her nose. It contained some bitter notes, but it rejuvenated one¡¯s soul. Xin Li Garden was very big, and it had all sorts of herbs and plants. Thus, this smell filled the entire garden. Herbs that were rare outside could be found everywhere here. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze lightly swept across every plant and wood as she sighed in her heart. I committed suicide, and my subordinates were all dismissed. However, these herbs were left behind in one piece. Oh, I almost forgot that Shangguan Wan is also a heavenly doctor. I meticulously grew all these plants, but they all benefited Shangguan Wan in the end. Uponthinking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned cold, but they returned to normal the next moment. This was because there was something that she couldn¡¯t ignore¡ªThere were even more cultivators hidden in this Xin Li Garden! Walking over, she felt that she had been scrutinized over and over. Jian Fengchi clearly noticed this, and his expression turned cold. He walked across the front yard and passed the Seven Stars Bridge. The duo finally arrived at Xiao Fu Garden. A man that looked like he was in his thirties sat quietly behind a square table. Hearing the footsteps, that man looked up and smiled when he saw Jian Fengchi. ¡°I was wondering who it was. So it¡¯s you.¡± Jian Fengchi knitted his brows. ¡°Liu Xingyi? Why are you here?¡± Enemies meet each other everywhere! ¡°The Third Princess sent me over. Where can I be if I¡¯m not here?¡± said Liu Xingyi as he looked at Chu Liuyue with much interest. ¡°This is the person you brought over?¡± Chapter 479 - Meeting Again ¡°Stage-three warrior¡­ Hah, Jian Fengchi, can¡¯t you find stronger cultivators? You must know that before you came here, the warrior with the lowest cultivation level registered was peak stage-four. I think¡­ You shouldn¡¯t participate in this Wan Zheng Competition anymore,¡± said Liu Xingyi mockingly. A tinge of hatred surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. This Liu Xingyi is one of Shangguan Wan¡¯s most trusted subordinates, and he is very scheming. Back then, I already disliked him, but Shangguan Wan always put in a good word for him because he saved her life in the past. Thus, I turned a blind eye to him. He also has a bad relationship with Jian Fengchi. This was because Liu Xingyi once liked a woman a lot, but that woman was devoted to Jian Fengchi. And because she was rejected by him, she shaved her hair and became a nun in the end. Due to this, Liu Xingyi has a grudge against Jian Fengchi. Actually, after thinking about it carefully, Jian Fengchi really had nothing to do with it. Even though he¡¯s flirtish and frequently has all sorts of romances, all of them involve willing parties. He is also very gentlemanly about it. He didn¡¯t like that girl, so he directly rejected her. Who would¡¯ve known things would come to that point? Liu Xingyi caused him small troubles repeatedly. At the start, Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t calculate it against him, but he was annoyed when the troubles never ended. The two of them completely fell apart. When the two enemies met, sparks would fly. ¡°How can you decide if we want to participate or not? I already brought her over. You should know clearly what you should do,¡± sneered Jian Fengchi. Liu Xingyi was frustrated upon seeing his face, but there were many people watching in the dark. Thus, he naturally couldn¡¯t do anything absurd in public. ¡°Background, name, age.¡± He flipped open a booklet and picked up a brush. Chu Liuyue spoke. ¡°Country Yao Chen, Chu Liuyue, 14.¡± Liu Xingyi paused in his writing and looked up at her. She is quite young¡­ ¡°Warrior cultivation level.¡± ¡°Stage-three.¡± Liu Xingyi laughed in mockery and disdain. Chu Liuyue completely ignored him. ¡°Alright. Bring this and report to Xuan Ji Square tomorrow morning to join the Wan Zheng Competition.¡± As he spoke, Liu Xingyi handed over a red string with a bronze pearl the size of a dragon¡¯s eye. ¡°This represents your identity. If you lose it, it¡¯ll automatically be considered as you giving up.¡± Chu Liuyue took the bracelet. ¡°Thank you, Lord Liu.¡± Liu Xingyi¡¯s gaze flashed, and he looked at Chu Liuyue determinedly as he laughed weirdly. ¡°You are pretty sensible.¡± Even though she followed Jian Fengchi over, she is indeed a beauty. Perhaps I can find a chance¡­ Chu Liuyue pretended not to see the intention in his eyes. Jian Fengchi already pulled her elbow. ¡°Go, go, go! This place is filled with nastiness. I can¡¯t stay here for another minute.¡± Chu Liuyue was pulled until she staggered backward, but she wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with Jian Fengchi. Her lips curled up instead, and she softly said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Does this girl know what kind of person Liu Xingyi is?! Jian Fengchi looked at her in exasperation. ¡°Be careful of this person next time!¡± Chu Liuyue felt that Jian Fengchi was pleasing to the eye for once, and she smiled with deep meaning. ¡°I know.¡± Jian Fengchi felt a little guilty from her unknown smile. He let go of her arm and quickly walked forward. Chu Liuyue walked behind slowly and said, ¡°Young Master Jian, don¡¯t walk so fast. You still have to send me there!¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly stopped in his tracks. Did I owe Chu Liuyue and Mu Qinghe in my previous life? ¡°Walk quickly!¡± ¡­ The duo¡¯s figures gradually went far away. Liu Xingyi slowly retracted his expression and became much more respectful. ¡°Everyone, what do you think of this¡­ Chu Liuyue?¡± The entire Xiao Fu Garden was quiet, and one could only hear the winds rustling. In the next moment, a hoarse voice sounded. ¡°Dijing Yuan meridian¡ªintermediate!¡± Liu Xingyi was taken aback. That Chu Liuyue¡ªwho is just a mere stage-three warrior¡ªactually has such a good Yuan meridian? Since she¡¯s this talented, how can she only become a stage-three warrior when she¡¯s 14? This doesn¡¯t make sense at all, but even if I¡¯m given all the guts in the world, I don¡¯t dare to doubt this judgment. He flipped open the booklet and added a tiny ¡®intermediate¡¯ under Chu Liuyue¡¯s name. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi arrived at the Mu Residence. Looking at the familiar door, Chu Liuyue was dazed for a while. As the lieutenant of the Black Guard, Mu Qinghe held a high position and was long given a residence. He was always frugal and didn¡¯t care much about these types of things. At the start, Chu Liuyue was the one who helped pick this place, and most of the interior design was done according to her likings. She didn¡¯t expect him to still stay here obediently after so long. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved slightly. She originally wanted to laugh, but she could not. This scene was too offensive. Two guards wearing black armor stood outside the Mu Residence entrance. When they saw Jian Fengchi, one of them immediately went forward. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Jian!¡± Jian Fengchi asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your Master? I personally brought his person over. Why doesn¡¯t he want to come out?¡± That soldier respectfully said, ¡°Young Master, Lieutenant isn¡¯t in the residence. But before he left, he instructed that you can just go in directly if you brought someone over.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not in? Where did he go?¡± asked Jian Fengchi casually. The two soldiers glanced at each other and looked like they were in a difficult position. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know either.¡± Jian Fengchi lightly grunted. Even though Xi Ling City is big, Mu Qinghe only goes to a few places. He waved the jade fan. ¡°I still have something on, so I¡¯ll go first. Your Lieutenant personally brought this Ms. Chu over, so you must take care of her. Do you understand?!¡± The two of them glanced at Chu Liuyue, but they looked very composed. ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Liuyue thought to herself in a mocking manner: These are indeed the soldiers Mu Qinghe personally trained. Even after seeing my appearance and cultivation level, they didn¡¯t show the same expression as others at all. They looked at me as if they were looking at a block of wood. Mu Qinghe trained soldiers in a disciplined and strict manner. This was also why he could win every battle he fought. Jian Fengchi turned around and winked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Go yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue thanked him again and stepped into the house when Jian Fengchi left. A soldier quickly walked up. ¡°Ms. Chu, follow me.¡± Mu Residence had no servants or pageboys. All the people serving here were Black Guards. Chu Liuyue slightly nodded and followed him. The moment she took two steps, a strange commotion sounded beside her. As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. A green figure quickly flew over¡ªit was Hong Yao! Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Hong Yao, long time no¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, her smile suddenly froze. Hong Yao¡¯s wings had bloodstains! Chapter 480 - Acknowledge You as Owner! But Hong Yao quickly landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders and retracted its wings. The soldier who was leading the way did not notice this abnormality. The other shoulder sank slightly, and it was Tuan Zi that came out. It crossed its arms and glared at Hong Yao. Just when Chu Liuyue thought it was going to cause trouble for Hong Yao, Tuan Zi curled its tail and sat on her shoulders obediently. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. It¡¯s rare to see the two of them not fight. Chu Liuyue looked at the soldier in front and saw that he was looking at her in shock. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ah? No¡ªnothing!¡± That soldier suddenly recovered his senses and hurriedly lowered his head, but the turmoil in his heart couldn¡¯t be appeased. Hong Yao is actually so close to this Ms. Chu! One has to know that other than Lieutenant Mu, others can¡¯t even touch it. I wonder how Ms. Chu did this¡­ All the soldiers who entered Mu Residence were all trained and disciplined. Even though he was very shocked and curious about this, his expression quickly returned to normal. ¡°Ms. Chu, please head here¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue followed him to a small yard at the Mu Residence¡¯s back. ¡°Lieutenant said that when you come, you¡¯ll stay in Feng He Garden first. The interior and exterior have been cleaned and tidied, so you can just live here without any worries. During this time, I¡¯ll be in charge of everything related to you.¡± Chu Liuyue slightly nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you¡­ May I know how I should address you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Duan Ziyu, Black Guard military officer!¡± said Duan Ziyu confidently with his back straight. ¡°Thank you, Officer Duan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Ms. Chu!¡± Chu Liuyue pointed toward the inside. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go in first?¡± Duan Ziyu said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Chu Liuyue then walked toward Feng He Garden. Without turning around, she also knew that Duan Ziyu was standing outside the garden. Actually, she could feel that quite a few people were hiding in all directions of Feng He Garden, not just Duan Ziyu. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care if they were protecting her or watching her. Either way, she had a lot of things to do since she was at Xi Ling. She walked into the room, closed the doors and windows, sat down, and went to examine Hong Yao. She let Hong Yao hug her obediently. Chu Liuyue pulled open its wings and saw a light wound as expected. The bloodstains had dried, and the wound just formed a scab. It looked like it was a recent wound, but it was lucky that it wasn¡¯t lethal. But the key point was: Hong Yao was a high-level fiend itself, and everyone knew that it was Mu Qinghe¡¯s fiend. Who would be so daring as to injure it? ¡°Who?¡± asked Chu Liuyue shortly with knitted brows. But Hong Yao just hugged her hand and leaned its forehead close to her palm. Its clear ruby eyes had a rare tinge of sadness and melancholy. A hot tear silently dropped. Chu Liuyue felt pain in her heart. She always doted on Hong Yao and couldn¡¯t bear to see it this sad. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Who bullied you?¡± Chu Liuyue gently wiped its tears and gently asked. In Xi Ling, Hong Yao is known as the number one bully. There really aren¡¯t many people who dare to bully it¡­ Hong Yao just shook its head. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. If it got injured because of normal fighting, it definitely wouldn¡¯t have this reaction. It seems like it has more to do with¡­ Mu Qinghe. ¡°Where¡¯s your Master?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Hong Yao did not move and did not say anything. Chu Liuyue was helpless and could only pat its head lightly. Mu Qinghe¡¯s situation shouldn¡¯t be great¡­ Hong Yao quickly fell asleep in her hands. Chu Liuyue then carefully put it down. Tuan Zi squatted beside it, a rare occurrence. Chu Liuyue felt slightly more relaxed, glanced at the bracelet on her wrist, and hesitated for a moment before taking it off. She sat cross-legged, and her hands were on her knees. She gently closed her eyes and started to cultivate. Everything happened too suddenly when she broke through and became a stage-three warrior, so she didn¡¯t have the time to check her condition properly. Now, she finally could calm down. In her dantian, the three lines on the water droplet quietly floated. The transparent fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron kept burning, and the soul trapped within it was on its last breath. Chu Liuyue knew that it still had to burn for some time, so she didn¡¯t care much about it. ¡°Purplish-gold Buddha leaf,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you want to recover my physical body, you need purplish-gold Buddha leaf. The garden that you went to today had this thing,¡± explained the legendary three-eyed eagle. Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°Xin Li Garden? There isn¡¯t such a thing there.¡± ¡°Yes, there is. My instincts won¡¯t be wrong.¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively wanted to deny it. She had personally taken care of many of the herbs in Xin Li Garden, so she naturally knew what they contained. At the very least, the garden definitely didn¡¯t have any purplish-gold Buddha leaf when she was around. This was because this herb was only a rumored existence in the entire Tianling Dynasty. Besides, the purplish-gold Buddha leaf was a very rare herb. Rumors had it that the leaf¡¯s fragrance could travel for hundreds of miles. If Xin Li Garden really had it, why couldn¡¯t she smell it? ¡°Did you get it wrong?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice was kind of cold. ¡°The purplish-gold Buddha tree is a legendary tree in my clan. Why would I recognize it wrongly?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly couldn¡¯t retort. The legendary three-eyed eagle really has no need to lie to me. Then¡­ Did someone put it there after my death? But do Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng have the ability to get a purplish-gold Buddha tree? ¡°Then, do you know where the purplish-gold Buddha leaf is?¡± ¡°I know the rough position, but¡­ There¡¯s a challenge apart from that. Besides, the thousand-year purplish-gold Buddha leaf has its own spiritual energy. Not only is it very good at defense, but it can also hide itself very well. Even if normal people see it, they won¡¯t be able to recognize it, much less get it. Based on your current abilities¡­ Dream on.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. What¡¯s the use of you telling me that?! She slowly said, ¡°So you¡¯re telling me this to insult me?¡± ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t have that luxury.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Can¡¯t you talk properly then?! ¡°An average person can¡¯t even get close to a purplish-gold Buddha leaf, let alone take it. But you have my aura, so all of this isn¡¯t a problem.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°You¡¯re in my dantian. As long as there¡¯s no need to hide, my body has your aura. Isn¡¯t this enough?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle paused for a while and said, ¡°My physical body is now ruined, and only my legendary soul is left, which has nothing to do with you. Even though my aura can exude from your body, it has nothing to do with your aura on its own.¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°What should we do then?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle did not speak for a long time. Just as Chu Liuyue thought it wasn¡¯t going to speak, its voice finally sounded. ¡°If I acknowledge you as my Master, you can take the purplish-gold Buddha leaf!¡± Chapter 481 - Heavenly Dao Sworn Agreement Chu Liuyue took a while to react. The legendary three-eyed eagle actually instinctively spoke up, and it wants to recognize me as its owner. Unbelievable! Even if it were an average fiend, it wouldn¡¯t be willing to acknowledge a human as its master, let alone a distinguished legendary fiend like the legendary three-eyed eagle. Even if lunch drops from the sky, it doesn¡¯t drop like that, right? Chu Liuyue was dazed by this sudden sentence. ¡°A-are you serious?¡± ¡°You¡¯re dead if you say that you don¡¯t want it!¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle ferociously. Its voice was so cold that it could freeze 3,000 miles. If it wasn¡¯t for recovering my physical body, how could I be willing to acknowledge a human as my master!? In the entire legendary three-eyed eagle clan¡¯s history of millions of years, this situation had almost never happened. It was more unwilling and more reluctant than anyone else, but¡­ this was the only way! It had burned in the Heavenly Square Cauldron for thousands of years, and the long days and nights tortured it to no end, making it suffer eternal pain. Its mindset and willpower had long been destroyed countless times. If it weren¡¯t for it relying on its last bit of resolution, it wouldn¡¯t have made it this far. It would¡¯ve just died amidst the intense fire. After a long while, this had become its last support. Thus¡­ it had to think of a way to recover its physical body and return to its previous peak. Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°I think everyone will love to have it, right? But¡­ I already have Tuan Zi. I¡¯m afraid¡­ this will be hard.¡± As she spoke, she opened her eyes and had indeed seen Tuan Zi ferociously glaring at her¡­ abdomen. Tuan Zi¡¯s entire body was filled with murderous intent. If Chu Liuyue agreed, it would probably launch into combat mode immediately. The legendary three-eyed eagle chuckled with unconcealable pride. ¡°I am part of a legendary clan, so I won¡¯t be restricted by this rule.¡± The so-called rule that stated that a human could only have one fiend at any point in time was only for average fiends. This didn¡¯t pose a problem to legendary fiends. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. This is my first time hearing about this. So legendary fiends are really this incredible and unstoppable¡­ Tuan Zi bared its teeth, let out threatening howls, and clenched its two claws into fists. I¡¯m going to go all-out with this guy! Chu Liuyue was suddenly stuck in the middle. On the one hand, she didn¡¯t want Tuan Zi to be unhappy. On the other hand, she really wanted to help the legendary three-eyed eagle to recover its physical body. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, ¡°There should be other ways, right?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle coldly said, ¡°Of course. As long as you become a stage-eight warrior, the success rate will be much higher!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. I¡¯m just a stage-three warrior. It would take forever for me to break through and become a stage-eight warrior. Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, let me ask you seriously. What is your attitude on this? If you agree, nod. If you disagree, shake your head. Whatever you say will be the final decision, alright?¡± Tuan Zi was suddenly taken aback and dazedly stared at her as it didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to let it make the decision. It indeed felt jealous and terrible once it thought that Chu Liuyue would no longer belong to it alone. I found her with much difficulty¡­ But when she asked Tuan Zi so sincerely and seriously, it suddenly didn¡¯t know what to do. In this world, one would be more than elated if they could have a legendary fiend. One wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye even if they had to kill their previous fiend personally. But to Chu Liuyue, its words were final. In this world, there won¡¯t be another person like her. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes turned red, and it hurriedly turned around, wiping its tears with its tail. The legendary three-eyed eagle coldly said, ¡°Let it come in. I¡¯ll talk to it personally!¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. After I said that, the legendary three-eyed eagle was actually not angry¡­ I originally thought that the always arrogant legendary three-eyed eagle would fly into a rage out of humiliation when it was compared to a third-grade fiend and let said fiend decide if the eagle could acknowledge a human as its master. Tuan Zi wiped its tears dry, and it looked at Chu Liuyue with deep meaning before entering her dantian. The two fiends stared at each other through the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Chu Liuyue knew that the fiends had their own way of communication, and it was a pity that she didn¡¯t know what they were talking about. Hence, she just waited quietly. The legendary three-eyed eagle looked at Tuan Zi, and mockery flashed across its eyes as their thoughts turned into voices. ¡°An average fiend normally can¡¯t withstand a legendary fiend¡¯s suppression. Even if they could acknowledge the same master, an average fiend would quickly explode and die. But¡­ you don¡¯t have this consideration at all. What¡¯s there to object?¡± Tuan Zi widened its eyes and did not speak. ¡°You should know that the legendary fiend bloodline in my body is also useful to you. Do you really want to be a third-grade fiend for the rest of your life? Will you be willing?¡± Tuan Zi clutched its claws tightly, and its entire body trembled slightly. ¡°Even if you¡¯re willing, she will climb to the top of this mainland based on her potential. By then, what can you help her with?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s last sentence seemed as if it pulled out the last straw on the camel¡¯s back. It was as if stars dazzled in Tuan Zi¡¯s crystal-like eyes, and it finally said, ¡°Remember, thou am always first. Don¡¯t think of fighting with me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to admit it?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle seemed to laugh. In this world, people who can use this pronoun¡­ Tuan Zi ignored it, turned around, and quickly left. The next moment, it appeared in front of Chu Liuyue again. ¡°How did your talk go?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Tuan Zi¡¯s gaze had already returned to normal as it knitted its brows and looked very pitiful. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, we can don¡¯t¡ª¡± But Tuan Zi suddenly shook its head, squatted on her shoulders, and rubbed its cheeks against her face. Then, it lightly nodded. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°¡­Tuan Zi, you¡¯re¡­ agreeing?¡± Tuan Zi buried its head in its tail and did not move, but its meaning was very obvious. It actually agreed?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was filled with doubts. According to my understanding of Tuan Zi, it shouldn¡¯t be very willing. I wonder what the two of them talked about just now¡­ She was elated and felt her heart ache as she pinched Tuan Zi¡¯s ears. The legendary three-eyed eagle said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Chu Liuyue acknowledged its words. Clang! The sound of wings vibrating suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue looked up. A black legendary three-eyed eagle apparition appeared in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ve already sealed this place up, and nobody will detect us.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle didn¡¯t open its mouth, but its voice clearly landed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Now, cut your palm and use the blood to make the oath.¡± Chu Liuyue took her dagger and gently scratched it against her palm as fresh blood flowed out. Buzz! A silver, circular plate that slowly turned suddenly appeared in front of her. She could feel a heavenly and mighty aura from it. Her heart turned slightly cold. This seems to be¡­ Heavenly Dao aura! The legendary three-eyed eagle softly recited, ¡°With the Heavenly Dao and the legendary three-eyed eagle clan¡¯s bloodline, I solemnly swear to acknowledge Chu Liuyue as my master. From now on, I will be loyal and do my best for her, and I will never betray her!¡± Chapter 482 - Accept the Battle! Gradually, a strange pattern appeared on the circular plate. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue felt a tremendous yet weird aura in her body. This is¡­ the legendary three-eyed eagle! Following this, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started flowing toward her suddenly and silently. The speed of absorption was much faster than when she was cultivating herself. Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked, but she still instinctively absorbed the strength and converted it inside her body. After some time, this commotion finally stopped. That circular plate suddenly became a ray of light, and together with the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s black apparition, it entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that something was different¡ªanother wave of Heavenly Dao was in her body. She slowly lowered her head and looked at her hands. In this short amount of time, her capabilities had strengthened by quite a bit, and she almost reached the wall of stage-four warriors. ¡°If an average stage-three warrior makes a pact with a legendary fiend and accepts the Heavenly Dao, they would at least break through and become a peak stage-four warrior, or even directly advance to the fifth stage. You actually didn¡¯t even cross the boundary to become a stage-four warrior¡­¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears and shrugged her shoulders. I originally thought that I had improved by quite a bit, but I did not expect¡­ But my body does have such a problem, and I¡¯m basically used to it. ¡°This is good. Even though one can quickly increase their cultivation level by counting on external forces to break through, it might not completely be a good thing.¡± Now, she really hoped to fight with some people to test her foundation. The Wan Zheng Competition¡­ is indeed an extraordinary chance! ¡­ The next morning, Chu Liuyue simply packed some items and left. Duan Ziyu was waiting outside the yard. Seeing him, Chu Liuyue then remembered that she was busy with the legendary three-eyed eagle yesterday and had actually forgotten about Mu Qinghe. She asked, ¡°Is Lieutenant Mu back?¡± Duan Ziyu respectfully said, ¡°Lieutenant came back at night yesterday, but he had already left an hour ago.¡± ¡°He left? What¡¯s so urgent?¡± Chu Liuyue was puzzled. What can Mu Qinghe be busy with? He shouldn¡¯t have recovered from his injuries yet, right? ¡°I don¡¯t know about this. Lieutenant told me to bring you to participate in the Wan Zheng Competition.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Sorry for the trouble then, Officer Duan.¡± When she woke up, Hong Yao had already left. It must¡¯ve gone to find Mu Qinghe. Actually, she wanted to see him once, but it most likely couldn¡¯t happen now. Thus, she could only wait. ¡°The next time Lieutenant Mu comes back, kindly let me know, Officer Duan. I have some things to discuss with him.¡± Due to Hong Yao, Duan Ziyu was more polite toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Chu.¡± Both of them then left for Xuan Ji Square. ¡­ People were already bustling to and fro on the streets. Most of the people were walking in the same direction. Chu Liuyue and Duan Ziyu followed the crowd. Although Duan Ziyu was wearing the black armor, there were many Black Guards around the entire Xi Ling. Hence, he didn¡¯t draw much attention. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue had attracted quite a few gazes. At any place, her devastatingly beautiful appearance would be in the spotlight. ¡°Who is that girl? Why have I never seen her in Xi Ling City before?¡± ¡°She definitely won¡¯t be a nobody with such an appearance. I think she came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy and is here to join the Wan Zheng Competition.¡± ¡°Ah, I recognize her! She¡¯s the woman that won against Wu Zhao yesterday! I think she¡¯s called¡­ called¡­ Ah, yes¡ªChu Liuyue!¡± Someone suddenly said this, and it caused quite the commotion amongst the crowd. As a beginner stage-five warrior, Wu Zhao was beaten by a stage-three warrior at Ping Liang Square. He even had to give the other party ten white crystals before he could leave. This incident had already spread throughout Xi Ling City. Actually, a battle of such standards normally wouldn¡¯t attract much attention since strong warriors could be found everywhere here, but the difference between the duo¡¯s cultivation levels was too big. Yet, the weaker one won in the end, which would naturally make the crowd curious. They did not expect it to be her¡­ Chu Liuyue was long used to such gazes and comments, so she ignored all of them and continued walking forward. On the other hand, Duan Ziyu couldn¡¯t help but look at her a few more times. Actually, he had already heard of this the day before. But thinking of it now, I¡¯m still in disbelief. Especially when I interacted with Chu Liuyue, the feeling she gave off was gentle and elegant, nothing like that harsh character¡­ But someone that Lieutenant picked personally is definitely not ordinary. Besides, I can clearly feel that Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding aura is much stronger than the day before. This woman might actually have some tricks up her sleeves¡­ ¡­ Xuan Ji Square was the second biggest square in the entire Xi Ling, and it was big enough to contain 100,000 people at the same time. Chu Liuyue reached the square with the crowd and saw the ever so familiar square-shaped square. It was surrounded by circular stairs, and there were already quite a few people waiting there, obviously wanting to join in on the commotion. After all, all the people who participated in this Wan Zheng Competition were Dijing Yuan meridian warriors, so one could just imagine how incredible the competition would be. The arena was surrounded by Black Guards wearing black armor, who held long spears while standing tidily in lines. There were quite a few pockets of people standing around the square. A rough estimate would be at least 200 to 300 people. Many people kept going up repeatedly. These people were clearly Dijing Yuan meridian cultivators. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. There are actually a few familiar faces out of these people. This Wan Zheng Competition doesn¡¯t seem to be only prepared for cultivators with Dijing Yuan meridian from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Some of the younger talents in Xi Ling City have also arrived. What are Shangguan Wan and the rest doing? ¡°Ms. Chu, I can only send you until here,¡± said Duan Ziyu softly. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡± Chu Liuyue slightly nodded and walked forward on her own. Walking to the edge of the square, two soldiers stopped her. ¡°Show us your identity.¡± A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart as she raised her hand and showed the bracelet on her wrist to the two of them. The two of them confirmed it and backed off. ¡°Please¡­¡± The moment Chu Liuyue went up, she heard whispers from the side. One of the voices was extra familiar. Chu Liuyue turned and looked. She saw a few people standing together, who were pointing and talking about her. The person in the middle was Zhao Yunzhi, who she had a grudge against the day before. Noticing that Chu Liuyue looked over, Zhao Yunzhi didn¡¯t feel guilty. She even sneered and raised her voice. ¡°There, it¡¯s her.¡± The few people beside her revealed looks of disgust. ¡°You¡¯re really just a stage-three warrior?! Where did she get the guts to offend our Sky-Soaring Clan?¡± ¡°She looks young, but she¡¯s very arrogant.¡± Delight flashed across Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s eyes, and she walked to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Liuyue, I want to challenge you. Do you agree?!¡± Chapter 483 - Jian Fengchi the Hegemon of Xi Ling! Since she¡¯s rushing to die, I won¡¯t turn her down. ¡°You¡¯re most welcome.¡± Zhao Yunzhi didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to agree this readily. She was upset since all the threats and sarcastic comments that she had prepared beforehand no longer had a place. She muttered softly, ¡°You can be as arrogant as you want! You¡¯ll find out what the penalty for offending the Sky-Soaring Clan is later!¡± There were dozens of clans in Xi Ling City, but the Sky-Soaring Clan was at the top of the pyramid. It was the undisputed first clan! Chu Liuyue gave the people behind Zhao Yunzhi a once-over. From their clothes and the emblem on their left chest, it¡¯s clear that they are young disciples of the Sky-Soaring Clan. However, I¡¯m not really familiar with these people. Other than the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s clan master and elders, I rarely saw the other disciples of the clan. Sensing Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, Zhao Yunzhi thought she was scared. She said haughtily, ¡°No need to look. These are the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s most outstanding young disciples. With your ability and birth, you¡¯ll never be on their level. Without my persuasion, they would¡¯ve stepped in on my behalf. By then, I don¡¯t even think you¡¯ll be able to leave this square walking.¡± She inched closer and laughed coldly as she stared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°No need to thank me. I¡¯m just doing this so that I can take care of you myself!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. This Zhao Yunzhi looks harmless, but she¡¯s vicious¡­ It¡¯s a pity that she has a couple of screws loose. In Bei Jiang, Chen Xiyuan was defeated by a single blow from Jian Fengchi. Even if they hadn¡¯t recognized him, they should¡¯ve investigated beforehand and confirmed his identity. Besides, Jian Fengchi¡¯s looks are rather unique. It isn¡¯t hard to find out if they checked, but it¡¯s clear that they didn¡¯t bother asking at all. Do they really think that they are invincible just by depending on the Sky-Soaring Clan? The Sky-Soaring Clan isn¡¯t bad, but there are plenty more that are stronger. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to this.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue was unaffected, Zhao Yunzhi was upset. She said angrily, ¡°Then come and get placed in line with me! You can be my competitor in the first round!¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°Get placed in line?¡± ¡°Ha! You don¡¯t even know about something this important?!¡± Zhao Yunzhi laughed, and she looked at Chu Liuyue in disdain. ¡°I¡¯m guessing nobody told you because of your lowly birth?¡± Chu Liuyue looked around and saw that there were two white-robed elders in the middle of the square. There was also a giant black jade tablet floating in front of them. Looking closer, it was filled with the names of people. The names were organized in pairs. There were many people standing in pairs in front of the tablet as if they were waiting for the elders to put their name on it. ¡°The first round of competition is done in pairs?¡± Chu Liuyue asked with narrowed eyes. ¡°Of course, and this is just the preliminaries! The official competition only begins after this round! The people eliminated in this round will be kicked out!¡± Therefore, Zhao Yunzhi planned to get rid of Chu Liuyue from the start! ¡°What, you¡¯re afraid?¡± Chu Liuyue lightly laughed. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I¡¯ll go.¡± She then headed toward the center as well. Looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalant manner, Zhao Yunzhi muttered to herself inwardly: We¡¯ll see how long you can keep up this act! ¡­ In the square, everyone seemed to be standing around, but they were all quietly observing the others. Who knew which of these people would be their competitors? There was no harm in getting to know them. Chu Liuyue and Zhao Yunzhi attracted a lot of attention as they headed to the center. They were staring for one reason. It was because Chu Liuyue was the only stage-three warrior in the square! It was impossible not to stand out! Some of the people looked at Chu Liuyue strangely. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? A stage-three warrior is taking part in this?¡± ¡°She¡¯s got guts¡­ Doesn¡¯t she know how violent things get in this competition? Or¡­ is she just here for fun?¡± ¡°Heh, this is Xi Ling! Who dares to say that they¡¯re here for fun? I¡¯m envious of the person next to her though. This is going to be a sure win for her¡­ Why didn¡¯t I notice it earlier?!¡± Chu Liuyue pretended not to hear any of that and got in line quietly. It was soon her and Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s turn. ¡°Just place the pearls on your bracelets here.¡± One of the elders pointed at the crevice underneath the tablet. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Zhao Yunzhi placed her pearl in the crevice first. The bronze pearl had a faint glow. A name appeared on the blank part of the tablet¡ªZhao Yunzhi! A line of fine print appeared beneath her name and quickly disappeared. Chu Liuyue saw it, and it read: Sky-Soaring Clan, Chen Xiyuan. This was an expression of identity. The two elders looked at one another and nodded. The elder on the left had a smile on his face. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re only seventeen this year and that you¡¯re already stage-five. If you do well, the Sky-Soaring Clan will have another outstanding disciple!¡± Zhao Yunzhi was flattered. ¡°Thank you, Elder Qiuxi!¡± Before she came, her cousin had already told her that Elder Qiuxi came from the Sky-Soaring Clan. Even though he later became a palace elder, he had taken good care of the Sky-Soaring Clan. Elder Qiuxi was even more pleased to know that the young girl before him knew his name. The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. Chen Xiyuan and Zhao Yunzhi arrived in Xi Ling later than I did. Not only does Zhao Yunzhi know the procedures of the competition after one night, she even knows the identity of the judging elder. She has clearly put in the effort. ¡°Who are you in a group with?¡± Elder Qiuxi asked. Zhao Yunzhi smiled sweetly and pointed at Chu Liuyue, who was behind her. ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue was just a stage-three warrior, the smile on Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face faded a little. ¡°Just follow what she did.¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t bothered by his attitude. She stepped forward and placed the pearl in the crevice. A faint glow appeared, and her name finally appeared next to Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s! Chu Liuyue! A line of fine print appeared beneath her name: Dragon Teeth Mountain, Jian Fengchi! Chu Liuyue blinked. That¡¯s not right; Mu Qinghe brought me here. How did Jian Fengchi¡ªLiu Xingyi didn¡¯t ask yesterday! He must¡¯ve assumed that Jian Fengchi brought me! But Zhao Yunzhi froze. Jian Fengchi¡­ That rumored hegemon of Xi Ling City, the Young Master of Dragon Teeth Mountain¡­ Jian Fengchi?! Chapter 484 - He Will Come She instinctively wanted to deny that assumption, but the fine print was clear! Dragon Teeth Mountain, Jian Fengchi! There was only one Dragon Teeth Mountain and one Jian Fengchi in the entire Xi Ling City! Zhao Yunzhi only knew this person because her cousin had brought it up while they were chatting. The Sky-Soaring Clan and Dragon Teeth Mountain had been feuding for years, and they couldn¡¯t stand one another. In his description, Jian Fengchi was arrogant, had no regard for the rules, and even yelled at the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s elders! Everyone in the Sky-Soaring Clan hated Jian Fengchi. But he was Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s young master, so he was of high standing and really strong. Most of the noble families in Xi Ling City had to be respectful toward him, not to mention the commoners! Could the young man we ran into that day be¡­ Zhao Yunzhi drifted to the side uneasily. Elder Qiuxi and Elder Duan Muchun were stunned when they saw Jian Fengchi¡¯s name. They now looked at Chu Liuyue differently. Chu Liuyue took the pearl back. When she noticed that they were looking at her differently, she asked with a smile, ¡°Is there anything else, Elders?¡± Elder Duan Muchun shook his head. ¡°Nothing else. You¡¯re number 53. Go down and prepare.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue responded before she turned and walked to the side. The two elders eyed each other and saw the confusion in one another¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think they sent him out this time¡­¡± ¡°But Liu Xingyi put that down after he met them in person. There can¡¯t be a mistake. Maybe¡­ We just didn¡¯t know.¡± There really didn¡¯t seem to be any other explanation. The people further down the line had come forward. The two elders stopped speculating and continued lining up the competitors. ¡­ Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s mind was a jumbled mess as she walked to the Sky-Soaring Clan disciples from earlier. Noticing that her expression was off, the others hurriedly asked, ¡°Yunzhi, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Yunzhi scrunched her fingers together and asked uneasily, ¡°Th-that¡­ Jian Fengchi, what does he look like?¡± Everyone paused. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about him?¡± Zhao Yunzhi forced a smile. ¡°I heard Cousin mention him, so I¡¯m a little curious.¡± ¡°Him? He looks like trouble!¡± said a girl with round eyes angrily, with grudges in her eyes. Another girl on the side smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t scare Yunzhi; she¡¯s just asking. Besides, don¡¯t let others see you this way. It might bring up bad memories.¡± The girl with round eyes stomped her feet before she reined herself in. ¡°Jian Fengchi is taller than most guys, and he has a pair of ice-blue eyes. These are the characteristics of anyone with Dragon Teeth Mountain blood. If you see him, you will recognize him at a glance, but that Jian Fengchi has too many grudges with our Sky-Soaring Clan. There¡¯s nothing to see.¡± The more Zhao Yunzhi heard, the colder her heart got. It really was¡­ It really was him! Not only did I see him, but I really offended the guy! That¡¯s Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s young master, an existence that is level with the clan¡¯s elders! Even the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s clan master has to put up with him! And Cousin¡­ He¡¯s just one of the almost 200 disciples in the clan. It¡¯s like hitting a rock with an egg! Not to mention me! Zhao Yunzhi closed her eyes in despair. Even if Cousin had never seen Jian Fengchi before that, he should¡¯ve known! What do we do now?! ¡°Yunzhi, are you okay?¡± asked the others worriedly. ¡°Is it the nerves? Don¡¯t worry. The Chu Liuyue that you¡¯re up against is only a stage-three warrior. She¡¯ll never be your match!¡± Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s expression looked a little better after that. That¡¯s right! The way things are, Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi will never give in even if I apologize! Since that¡¯s the case, I might as well defeat her first! As long as I perform well at the Wan Zheng Competition, they can¡¯t do anything to me! ¡°Thank you, brothers and sisters. I¡¯ll work hard.¡± ¡°Sigh, that opponent of yours is called Chu Liuyue, right?¡± a teenager asked quickly as if he had recalled something. Zhao Yunzhi nodded. His face turned rather strange. ¡°It¡¯s her?!¡± Zhao Yunzhi and the others were confused. The teenager clapped his hands and reminded her urgently. ¡°Did you all forget? There was a rumor in Xi Ling City city that a stage-three girl had defeated a stage-five warrior! I just remembered that the girl was called Chu Liuyue!¡± The others were stunned. Zhao Yunzhi was shocked. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing? How can that be?! Even though some warriors can fight above their level, that¡¯s a little much.¡± She had been busy preparing for the Wan Zheng Competition, so she didn¡¯t know about this rumor! ¡°It¡¯s true! It was at Ping Liang Square, and many people saw it!¡± The others went silent and looked toward Zhao Yunzhi. Zhao Yunzhi is a stage-five too¡­ Zhao Yunzhi clenched her fists. ¡°So what if that rumor is true? Who knows if it¡¯s a coincidence, or maybe she used some underhanded tactics? No matter what, Chu Liuyue will never be able to defeat me!¡± I can only win today! ¡­ While Zhao Yunzhi was feeling anxious, Chu Liuyue was feeling at complete ease. Only the people standing near them saw Jian Fengchi¡¯s name. It didn¡¯t spread, so the others still saw her the same way. She stood by herself, looking calm and collected. However, she was paying attention to what the others were saying. ¡°So¡­ the Third Princess isn¡¯t coming today?¡± ¡°Yeah! All the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s matters are piling on her now. This is only the first round, so of course, she¡¯s not going to come personally! But I heard¡­ that her fianc¨¦, the Jiang family¡¯s Young Master, is coming!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately looked up. Chapter 485 - : Preliminary Round ¡°Jiang family¡¯s eldest young master? Grand Tutor Jiang Lizuo¡¯s eldest son? Wasn¡¯t he with the princess¡ª¡± ¡°Shh! Do you not want to live anymore? How dare you say this?¡± ¡°W-why? When I came to Xi Ling two years ago, I thought¡ª¡± ¡°You also said that it was two years ago! The present is different from the past, and many things have changed! That person¡­ She went out of sorts when she was cultivating back then, but this incident isn¡¯t glorious, so the entire Tianling Dynasty doesn¡¯t talk about it. Besides, after that person passed on, the Third Princess was devastated. Luckily, the Jiang family¡¯s eldest young master accompanied her and comforted her, which allowed her to make it through. Besides, there were many things that required the two of them to handle together, so it¡¯s pretty natural that they got together after spending so much time together.¡± ¡°Ah? This¡­ No matter what, it¡¯s rather inappropriate for the two of them to be together, right¡­ Where does this put the Prin¡­. Back then, she and the Jiang family¡¯s eldest young master were about to get married¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, this isn¡¯t something we can talk about in private, so don¡¯t let your mouth run wild! That person will come later!¡± The few of them quickly quietened down. Chu Liuyue was rather familiar with one of the people¡¯s appearances but unfamiliar with the rest. She rapidly retracted her gaze, looked down, and masked the feelings in her eyes. It turns out these were the rumors that spread after I died¡­ After a while, her lips curved up into a cold smile. Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng are really capable of flipping the truth and spreading rumors. Back then, they were clearly the ones who messed around together in private and betrayed me, yet I became the unspeakable one in front of the crowd¡¯s eyes. More than a year ago, Jiang Yucheng was still my fianc¨¦, but he has now become Shangguan Wan¡¯s. However, the crowd still approves of this and doesn¡¯t say anything to ridicule them¡­ The two of them must¡¯ve really spent a lot much effort on this. ¡°Everyone, go to your position according to your order!¡± Elder Qiuxi stood tall in midair. His dantian was filled with energy as his voice echoed throughout the arena. Chu Liuyue looked up. It turned out that everyone was already standing in order. Elder Duan Muchun waved his sleeves, and the large, black marble board rapidly flew above the square. It quietly floated there, glowing lightly, and everyone in the square could see the lines of words on the board. Elder Duan Muchun jumped, and the marble board stood still. The large square was suddenly split into different squares, and all of them had a number on it according to the sequence. The crowd walked toward their own grid. Chu Liuyue walked to ¡¯53¡¯ and looked around. Xuan Ji Square was very spacious. Even if it was split into 100 grids, every one of them looked pretty big. Each one was even bigger than the largest arena in Country Yao Chen. The majority of the competitors were already in their places. From the corner of her eye, Chu Liuyue could still see Zhao Yunzhi walking to her side. However, Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s face looked amiss, and her brows and eyes were drooping. Her gaze looked desolated as if she were severely traumatized. She looked like two different people compared to her previous arrogant composure. Noticing Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, Zhao Yunzhi looked up. Chu Liuyue clearly saw panic flash across her eyes. Panic? How interesting¡­ Chu Liuyue crossed her arms, lightly lifted her chin, and smiled. It seems like Zhao Yunzhi now knows something that she should¡¯ve long known about. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± At this point, Zhao Yunzhi was very sensitive, and she immediately exploded when she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile did not change. ¡°I smile because I want to. If you want to command me, you can do it after you win against me.¡± If Zhao Yunzhi heard these words before, she would think that Chu Liuyue was courting death. But after hearing those rumors, she felt very uneasy when she saw Chu Liuyue again. This Chu Liuyue¡­ might actually have some tricks up her sleeves. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll win against you!¡± said Zhao Yunzhi forcefully. Chu Liuyue was too lazy to bother with her as she smiled slightly and looked at Elder Qiuxi. Zhao Yunzhi walked to the same grid and clenched her fists. Her throat was dry. Elder Qiuxi surveyed the surroundings. When everyone quietened down, he stroked his beard in satisfaction and boomed, ¡°This Wan Zheng Competition is filled with geniuses. Those who can join this competition are all cultivators from all over the world with the Dijing Yuan meridian. The ones who can stand on this stage are all unique talents from all over the world!¡± When he finished his sentence, everyone in the square revealed prideful looks. ¡°But¡­ Even if you have the top talent and want to become the strongest in the world, you have to experience countless tests and examinations. If you don¡¯t have sufficient resources and strong willpower, everything will be for naught.¡± The crowd looked solemn. ¡°Out of you, there are people from the Tianling Dynasty, but most of you came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. The talents from the Tianling Dynasty¡­ Even though you have sufficient resources, you have lived in peace and harmony for a long time, so you might not have sufficient alertness. As for the ones from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, you have the talent, but your cultivation is frequently delayed due to the lack of resources. Hence, the Third Princess and her husband decided to hold this Wan Zheng Competition!¡± ¡°I believe most of you already know that today is just the preliminaries! There are a total of 920 people in the competition, and we will be competing in pairs. Only the ones who win will enter the next round. As long as you can successfully enter the next round, you will receive tons of rewards. Those not in clans, you will also be given the chance to enter one of the clans in Xi Ling City.¡± The crowd went crazy. This meant that one could unconditionally enter Xi Ling¡¯s clans as long as they won today¡¯s match. This was an insurmountable temptation! Chapter 486 - A Young Woman ¡°Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean that you can randomly choose your clans after you enter the next round. After you select the clans you want to enter, you need to get the respective clans¡¯ approval. If you don¡¯t pass, you need to choose again.¡± The surrounding commotion became softer, but many people were still very enthusiastic. Actually, this point was very normal. After all, the clans that could be established in Xi Ling could be considered the most outstanding ones in the entire Tianling Dynasty. They always had very strict requirements when choosing their disciples. If anyone could enter, that would be too ridiculous. ¡°But all those present are talents with the Dijing Yuan meridian, so I believe all the clans will welcome you with open arms.¡± Elder Qiuxi added, ¡°I believe everyone knows that the better you perform in the Wan Zheng Competition, the more well-liked you will be amongst the clans. You will also have a higher chance of getting accepted!¡± The crowd¡¯s expressions were all different. Some were agitated, some were apprehensive, and some were already imagining which clan they should choose. ¡°The first 100 competitors have already stood in their places. There is no time limit after the competition starts. It will only end when the other party surrenders or if they step out of their boundaries. After every competition ends, the people lined up behind will take over their places. The names of the ones who lose will disappear from the black marble board.¡± Elder Qiuxi surveyed his surroundings. ¡°Now, do you have anything you want to ask?¡± ¡°Elder Qiuxi!¡± A youngster raised his hand and loudly asked, ¡°Can we use any method to win in this arena?¡± Elder Qiuxi stroked his beard. ¡°That¡¯s right! As long as you don¡¯t kill the other person, there are no restrictions! If you win, that¡¯s based on your capabilities!¡± Some of the expressions of the competitors from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy changed. With this sentence, one could just imagine how cruel and intense the Wan Zheng Competition would be! But the majority of the people from Xi Ling City revealed faces of excitement. Various intense cheers came from the spectators. Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s face turned pale as she whispered, ¡°H-how can this be¡­? This isn¡¯t regulated at all.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her and raised her brows. ¡°What, did your cousin not tell you that it has always been this way in Xi Ling?¡± Countless strong warriors gathered in Xi Ling City from all over the world. With the belief of ¡®only the strong are respected,¡¯ this place was more scheming than anywhere else. This place looked lively and full of hustle and bustle, but there were bloody battles every day. They also happened at every inch of the city. Many people had died on the streets because of one reason¡ªweakness! It was already decent that the Wan Zheng Competition only requested for them not to kill anyone. Zhao Yunzhi bit her lips and didn¡¯t speak for quite some time. She had only heard her cousin speak about how strong and distinguished Xi Ling City was, but he had never mentioned all of this. ¡°I hereby announce: The Wan Zheng Competition Preliminary Round¡­ begins!¡± bellowed Elder Qiuxi. In the competition venue, many people rapidly reacted, raised their hands, and took action immediately. The entire square erupted into chaos. It was lucky that every grid was spacious enough, and the surroundings had a dimly glowing barrier of silver light. Thus, it was convenient for the crowd to recognize and not bump into other people. Many people¡¯s gazes were gathered on Chu Liuyue and Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s competition arena. ¡°That stage-three warrior is the one with the lowest cultivation level here, right? I think their match will be the first one to end!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Didn¡¯t you hear? That Chu Liuyue is pretty capable!¡± ¡°Wait, do you mean that she¡¯s the one who won against Wu Zhao?¡± ¡°I heard she came with Jian Fengchi then. With Jian Fengchi as her backing¡­ Perhaps Wu Zhao went easy on her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ How can it be so miraculous? I heard that quite a few clans have also sent their disciples to join the competition, so it will definitely be interesting!¡± The spectator stand was exploding with people and voices. One glance at them, and one could see many people partaking in heated discussions regarding the competition. But there was a small area directly opposite of the black marble board that didn¡¯t fit right with its surroundings. These few people looked very ordinary, but their auras warned people not to go close to them. There were way too many people with power, status, and capabilities in Xi Ling. If one was just a little careless, they would die without even knowing why. Everyone beside them stayed still obediently, not wanting to offend those people willingly. One of them was a man wearing a light-green robe. Even though he looked average, his surrounding aura was distinguished, and he didn¡¯t look like a commoner. His gaze gently swept across the black marble board, and he revealed a playful smile. ¡°Interesting. There¡¯s actually a stage-three warrior participating?¡± A man at the side nodded and said, ¡°I heard she only came yesterday and had even caused some commotion at Ping Liang Square. She¡¯s much stronger than an average stage-three warrior.¡± ¡°She must have some special abilities to be able to challenge and win against those above her cultivation level, let alone crossing over two whole stages. Even though her cultivation level is low, she must have potential.¡± The eyes of that man in a light-green robe landed on the square. A tiny and petite girl¡¯s figure entered his view. From his angle, he could only see her simply tied-up hair and her red dress flowing in the wind. The black and red colors complemented each other. They were clearly simple ways of dressing, but it brought out an indescribable aura. From afar, she looked like a clear animation. The man at the side silently gestured, and he squinted his eyes. That woman¡¯s Dijing Yuan meridian is actually intermediate¡­ ¡°She looks quite young.¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s only 14.¡± ¡°Where is she from?¡± ¡°Country Yao Chen.¡± The man in a light green robe suddenly paused. ¡°Yao Chen?¡± Isn¡¯t that where Mu Qinghe went? ¡°Yes, and Jian Fengchi brought her back.¡± The man beside him detected his amiss expression, and he asked apprehensively, ¡°Eldest Young Master, what¡¯s the matter? Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± That man thought for a while and shook his head. It seems like there¡¯s something else behind this¡­ In the competition venue, Zhao Yunzhi drew out a thin, blue sword. An icy-cold aura slowly spread from it. Very quickly, the thin sword had a thin layer of ice. Even the ground beneath her feet had cold air spreading, covering it with a thin layer of ice. ¡°Icy River Slash!¡± Zhao Yunzhi injected her bodily force into the thin, blue sword. A Silver light rapidly emitted upward from the handle, and it was like an icy layer breaking. Kacha! The ferocious sword aura spread! Zhao Yunzhi went on her toes and jumped up into the air. The thin, blue sword directly pierced toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. This icy river sword was used with very precious icy metal and was immersed in extremely harsh cold air, so it was very powerful. It had been in countless battles and had never lost. Zhao Yunzhi glared at Chu Liuyue with a deadly gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not a waste if you can lose to my icy river sword!¡± Then, the sword went near her throat. Chapter 487 - Earth-level warrior skills A ball of red fire burned in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palms! The flicker of the flames resembled dancing sprites and increased the temperature of its surroundings. ¡°Heavenly doctor?!¡± Zhao Yunzhi was shocked, but she laughed coldly. ¡°Turning force into fire is good for concocting medicine, but you¡¯re a little naive for wanting to use it to win a battle!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything. She flicked her fingers, and a fist-sized fireball flew forward! In an instant, it landed on the tip of Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s sword! ¡°Foolish¡­ Break!¡± Zhao Yunzhi cried out! A cold blast of air poured out of her sword, attempting to freeze the ball of fire! However, things didn¡¯t proceed as she had planned! That ball of fire was unaffected. Instead, it turned into a stream of fire that burned along the blade of the sword! Pilihuala! Fire and ice clashed! The layer of frost covering the sword burst, and countless fragments of fire-covered frost scattered everywhere! However, the frost had melted and evaporated before it landed on the ground! There were only little flecks of fire when it landed on the ground! The frost that covered the ground was quickly melted away by the fire, and the remaining ball of fire spread along the sword hilt! A burning sensation came from the sword hilt! ¡°Ahh!¡± Zhao Yunzhi cried out in pain as she threw the frozen river sword forward uncontrollably! Bang! Zhao Yunzhi looked over in panic and anger, but the frozen river sword was enveloped in flames! If she had let go any later, her hands would¡¯ve been burned! ¡°Yo-you¡­ What is this!¡± she said angrily, but the fear in her eyes was still evident. Even though she wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, she had seen quite a few while growing up. There had never been a heavenly doctor with flames this terrifying! Something was off about the fire that was born out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s force! ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, but you¡¯ll find out if I can win this match using it!¡± Chu Liuyue gathered her force, and a ball of fire appeared on each of her palms. Zhao Yunzhi shuddered. If that fire lands on me¡­ Even the coldness embedded inside the frozen river sword couldn¡¯t handle the fire, not to mention a mere mortal like me! Zhao Yunzhi took two steps back, interlocking her fingers in front of her body! ¡°Shadow lock!¡± Ripples began forming in the space in front of her! It was like a gentle breeze blowing on a surface! Ripples spread toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s calves. Everywhere that these ripples passed left visible black cracks! ¡°First lock¡ªYongquan!¡± Chu Liuyue clearly felt the space that the ripples had passed through become stickier! This was especially so for her legs. They felt as heavy as lead, making it hard for her to move! The scattered flames on the ground were affected by the strong pressure and became much weaker. Zhao Yunzhi was elated. This was one of her ultimates, but she rarely used it since it consumed a lot of force. She didn¡¯t expect to be pressed into using it right at the beginning of her battle with Chu Liuyue! Zhao Yunzhi was indignant, but she knew there was no other way. Chu Liuyue is clearly much stronger than I had imagined! If I don¡¯t get rid of Chu Liuyue quickly, it will only become more troublesome later! ¡°Second lock¡ªGuanyuan!¡± The second ripple appeared and spread toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist! The amount of force welling out of Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s pearl of essence was rapidly diminishing! The shadow lock technique was a true blue earth-level warrior skill! The first two locks were just setting the stage; the true power was in the third lock! As long as one managed to execute the third lock successfully, they would be able to take full advantage of an earth-level warrior skill¡¯s power! But for Zhao Yunzhi, executing the final lock would deplete all her energy. This meant that she would have no chance of winning if this attack didn¡¯t work. But how could she not win?! Zhao Yunzhi glanced at Chu Liuyue and saw that she was indeed under the two locks. Seeing that even the flames in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands were about to be extinguished, she felt at ease. The earlier two locks were enough to temporarily stop the force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body from circulating! I want to make use of this time to prepare for the third lock and defeat Chu Liuyue directly! The third ripple gradually formed! Zhao Yunzhi suppressed her excitement and injected all her force! Her face was pale, and her vision was a little blurry. This was a sign of exhaustion, but Zhao Yunzhi didn¡¯t stop. Knowing that she could get rid of Chu Liuyue once and for all, she was full of excitement! Buzz! As the ripples neared completion, a stunning pressure spread. A number of the audience members sensed the commotion and cried out in surprise. ¡°Earth-level warrior skill? The preliminaries just began. Why is someone using such a skill now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Zhao Yunzhi and Chu Liuyue?! She¡¯s that scared of Chu Liuyue?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see earlier? Chu Liuyue managed to knock Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s weapon out of her hand! If she didn¡¯t fight back, Chu Liuyue was going to win!¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ With the earth-level warrior skill, Chu Liuyue is going to lose!¡± Under the watch of countless pairs of eyes, the third ripple was finally completed! ¡°Third lock¡ªTianling!¡± Zhao Yunzhi pushed both hands forward with all her energy! The last ripple headed toward the top of Chu Liuyue¡¯s head slowly but surely! Chu Liuyue stared at the impressive ripples with her cold, raven eyes. At the same time, the force in her body rushed toward her hands! Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t move, Zhao Yunzhi assumed that she was scared. Hence, she said arrogantly, ¡°It¡¯s too late for you to concede defeat now! Today I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Hong! Before she could finish, two balls of fire burst up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palms! The next instant, she brought her hands together! The two balls of fire collided with one another, and the bright flames almost had her enveloped! The ripples that were around her waist immediately disappeared! Zhao Yunzhi faltered as blood trickled out the corners of her mouth! Her aura diminished significantly! The fire swiftly became a red fire whip! Chu Liuyue flicked her wrist! Pak! The fire whip landed on the ripple! Ka! The ripple broke apart! Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s face was pale as a sheet! ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her whip and flicked it in the direction of Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s final ripple! One could hear it cutting through the wind. The whip cut right through the ripple! Zhao Yunzhi stared up in shock as she watched the whip head straight for her! Chapter 488 - Her Smile Zhao Yunzhi backed away so fast that she even left illusions! Pak! The whip landed heavily on the ground, leaving burn marks! Even though Zhao Yunzhi narrowly managed to avoid it, her left arm wasn¡¯t so lucky. The whip hit her forearm, and her flesh split open as her sleeve caught fire! Looking at the tongues of the flame, Zhao Yunzhi ripped off her sleeve without thinking! Sila! Her slender arm was exposed to everyone! Despite the bloody wound on her forehand, the fair skin of a young lady still attracted significant amounts of attention. Her weak and pitiful manner incurred the pity of many. The many gazes on her made Zhao Yunzhi feel ashamed! In Imperial Country Sui Yang, I am gifted and of high status. When did I ever have to suffer insults like this?! But before she could react, Chu Liuyue¡¯s whip had struck again! Zhao Yunzhi backed away some more! ¡°That Zhao Yunzhi has got some moves! Her speed is almost on par with intermediate stage-five warriors! I think she should¡­ Hang on! Chu Liuyue is moving as well, and she¡¯s so fast?!¡± Chu Liuyue leaped up and rushed forward; it was like she was one with the wind! More importantly, she wasn¡¯t much slower than Zhao Yunzhi! The man in the green robe paused. This movement technique; it¡¯s rather familiar¡­ But after watching for a while, it isn¡¯t exactly the same. ¡°That Zhao Yunzhi is going to lose,¡± he said plainly. The man next to him paused. ¡°Why would you say that, Eldest Young Master? Even though Zhao Yunzhi was at a disadvantage earlier, she¡¯s two stages higher than Chu Liuyue. There¡¯s no way Chu Liuyue can catch up.¡± ¡°No, she can.¡± The man laughed. The others eyed one another before they turned and watched. At this moment, Chu Liuyue flung her whip out! The next instant, she tiptoed and hopped onto the whip! Borrowing the whip¡¯s energy, she leaped in succession along the whip! The distance between the two warriors narrowed at an alarming rate! Chu Liuyue was dressed in red. Her raven hair was floating, and her agility made her seem like a dancing phoenix. She was a sight to behold! Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s heart beat wildly as she watched Chu Liuyue run toward her! She put all her energy into backing away, but Chu Liuyue was even faster than her! She turned her head for a quick glance, but she was shocked to see that she had almost been forced out of bounds! She would lose the instant she crossed the line! Zhao Yunzhi gritted her teeth as she turned her feet and headed in another direction! Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a cold smile. She wasn¡¯t interested in continuing to fool around with Zhao Yunzhi. ¡°It¡¯s time for this to end!¡± Chu Liuyue mustered her energy and leaped, landing on the tip of her fire whip! A silver streak also flew out from her hand! Zhao Yunzhi felt a cold breeze coming from behind her! Danger! Almost instinctively, she dropped down and rolled! Chu! Something embedded itself into the surface that she was just at! Zhao Yunzhi hurried over and found that it was an extremely sharp dagger! Because it had been infused with a huge amount of energy, its tip was still shaking! Zhao Yunzhi heaved a sigh of relief, but she felt a coldness in her chest as soon as she started thinking about how to fight back! She looked down slowly and found that a paper-thin throwing knife had flown right through her chest! If it were a little off, it would¡¯ve pierced her heart! Her leg suddenly stopped as if she were frozen. Patter. A drop of blood fell, but she heard the sound clearly. This was because¡­ it was her blood! Chu Liuyue hopped down from the whip, landed in front of Zhao Yunzhi, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one chance to admit defeat.¡± A pool of blood appeared across Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s chest and slowly spread across her shirt. She opened her mouth, but it smelled of blood. ¡°I-I¡­¡± Her voice was so weak it could barely be heard. But just as everyone thought she was going to concede, she flung something out of her sleeves! Chu! Chu! Chu! Countless sharp needles flew out, and they were glowing blue and purple. They were clearly poisoned! Everyone sucked in their breath. The distance between the two is close, and the needles are a sneak attack. Thus, Chu Liuyue can¡¯t avoid it! However, Chu Liuyue just laughed coldly and waved her sleeves! A silver barrier appeared and enveloped her¡ªit was a crystal barrier! The previous one had been slightly damaged, so Rong Xiu gave her a new one before she left. Chu chu chu! The needles landed on the crystal barrier but quickly bounced off of it! Zhao Yunzhi was stunned, and she ducked! However, a few still landed on her! Her pale lips turned purple! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned cold. The poison took effect extremely quickly, and it¡¯s extremely harmful! Given the number of needles, it isn¡¯t difficult to kill someone with them! Zhao Yunzhi must¡¯ve been pushed into a corner to have the guts to pull something like this in public! On the other side, Zhao Yunzhi knew very well how terrifying the poison was, so she quickly dug out the antidote and swallowed it! Chu Liuyue put the crystal barrier away and raised her palm, holding the fire whip in her hand again! She infused her force into it again! Hong hong! The flames on the fire whip burned brighter than before! There were fire sparks bursting from it! Chu Liuyue raised her whip! Pak! The whip flew toward Zhao Yunzhi and wrapped itself around her like a serpent. ¡°Ah!¡± Zhao Yunzhi had been busy taking the antidote, so she was in a deadlock now! The burning flames left countless wounds on her, and the terrifying pain made her mind go blank as she almost passed out! ¡°I concede! Chu Liuyue, didn¡¯t you hear me? I concede!¡± Zhao Yunzhi screamed out! Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°I gave you a chance earlier.¡± The whip closed in tighter. Zhao Yunzhi couldn¡¯t even speak with all the pain! ¡°Chu Liuyue, she has conceded! You cannot continue to torment her intentionally!¡± Elder Qiuxi cried out to stop her when he saw the situation! Chu Liuyue glanced at him dazedly as if in shock. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s such a rule? My apologies, Elder Qiuxi. This is my first time here, so there are things that I¡¯m not familiar with.¡± Elder Qiuxi was angry and upset. ¡°Put her down now!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay!¡± Chu Liuyue agreed and flicked her wrist! Zhao Yunzhi flew out and landed heavily on the ground¡ªout of bounds! Chu Liuyue turned over and smiled brightly at Elder Qiuxi. ¡°Is this okay?¡± The man in the green robe saw this. The bright smile of the girl in red is so familiar! He felt something pricking at his heart, and a name buried deep in his heart appeared! Chapter 489 - She’s in the Dark Noticing his abnormality, the few people at the side looked over. ¡°Eldest Young Master, what¡¯s the matter?¡± That man stared straight at Chu Liuyue, and his lips were tightly shut. When the others saw him like this, they didn¡¯t dare to ask much. All of them kept quiet. In the arena, Elder Qiuxi nearly fainted in anger when he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s bright and sincere smile. What does she mean by ¡®this can do, right?¡¯ Her last hit almost took away Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s life! ¡°Y-you! You¡¯re outrageous! Yunzhi had already surrendered, but you refused to stop. You clearly did it on purpose!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, I respect you, and I did as you said. Once you said stop, didn¡¯t I stop?¡± Then, she lightly turned her white finger as the fire whip quickly retracted and disappeared in her palms. She spread her hands wide. ¡°I believe everyone saw it clearly too, right?¡± Elder Qiuxi was stumped. This Chu Liuyue is very cunning! She did stop after I spoke up, but who can say that her last hit was accidental? However, she clutched her time well, and I can¡¯t even seriously pursue her mistake! ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t be so harsh! You¡¯re so young, yet your heart is so vicious!¡± Chu Liuyue kept quiet as she was in deep thought before she retorted, ¡°But didn¡¯t you previously say that as long as we don¡¯t kill anyone, we can use any method to win? Do these rules not apply to me?¡± Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face flushed white and red. Chu Liuyue had a very sharp tongue, and he couldn¡¯t argue with her. After all, Zhao Yunzhi indeed lost! He took a deep breath in, suppressed his internal anger, and said to the surrounding Black Guards, ¡°Quickly, get Zhao Yunzhi down and let her get treated!¡± Two Black Guards hurriedly rushed up and brought the severely injured Zhao Yunzhi¡ªwho was hanging onto her last breath¡ªdown. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at the black marble board that was floating in midair. Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s name disappeared from it. Only her name was left¡ªChu Liuyue! Only the victorious ones could stay! Chu Liuyue roughly looked at her surroundings and slightly raised her brows. They seemed to be the first ones that ended their matches. ¡°53rd match, Chu Liuyue won!¡± hollered Elder Duan Muchun. ¡°101st will take over 53!¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue was finally satisfied, and she leisurely walked down the stage. Countless pairs of eyes looked over. Shock, envy, jealousy, admiration¡­ All the gazes had different meanings, but Chu Liuyue completely didn¡¯t care about them. After jumping off the stage, she walked to the resting area that was prepared for them. Then, she quietly observed the battles. Out of these people, half of them would become her competitors in the next round. Soft sounds of discussion came from behind. ¡°Chu Liuyue actually won! Winning one match might be coincidental, but continuously winning against two stage-five warriors¡­ This is enough to prove that she is capable!¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s going to break through and become a stage-four warrior. By then, it¡¯ll be even easier for her to win!¡± ¡°But she really is gutsy. I heard that Zhao Yunzhi was brought by Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s Chen Xiyuan and that they had already agreed for her to enter the Sky-Soaring Clan directly. Thus, you can¡¯t blame Elder Qiuxi for being so angry. All these years, he has secretly and openly helped the Sky-Soaring Clan quite a bit! Seeing that the Sky-Soaring Clan lost such a good talent, how could he do nothing?¡± ¡°But he¡¯s still the royal family¡¯s elder after all. Doing this isn¡¯t very appropriate¡­ I think he was wrong when he lectured Chu Liuyue previously. If Chu Liuyue was the one who lost, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have scolded¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sat down leisurely and let the words leave her ears. Suddenly, she felt a substantial gaze on her coming from among the crowd. She almost instinctively became alert as she looked up. A man wearing a light-green robe entered her view. He looked like he was in his thirties, and his appearance was average. But when Chu Liuyue saw his eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She would recognize this pair of eyes even if they turned into ashes. Jiang Yucheng! He had very obviously changed his appearance, hid his aura, and sat among the crowd. The people around him should be his subordinates, and they have also disguised themselves as commoners. Anyone who saw these people wouldn¡¯t take a second look, but I am different! She had seen Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face for so many years, and she couldn¡¯t forget it even if she wanted to. His seemingly gentle and emotional, yet actually scheming and harsh eyes were precisely etched into her memory. Seeing that Jiang Yucheng seemed to have noticed her gaze, Chu Liuyue immediately averted her gaze as if nothing happened. Even if her heart was in turmoil, she still looked as calm as ever. Even the angle of her lips didn¡¯t change at all, so nobody could see that there was something wrong. Nobody knew how much strength she used to restrain the murderous intent overwhelming her heart. Everything that happened in the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall seemed like it happened yesterday as every scene was livelier than ever. However, her heart no longer felt the pain of being betrayed. She only had the willpower to kill him and cut him into pieces. She closed her eyes. Yes, someone had previously said that Jiang Yucheng would come. Actually, she had been waiting all this while. But Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t appear even when the competition started, so she forgot about this. She didn¡¯t expect him to change his identity and put himself within the crowd. Why is he doing this? With his current status, he can definitely come legitimately, so why did he need to waste such effort? Also, the more important thing is¡­ When he saw me earlier, what was he looking at? Because I was the first one to win? Or others? Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and casually surveyed her surroundings, no different from before. She looked completely relaxed as she had just won the competition. She could still feel Jiang Yucheng looking at her, but her emotions had already been appeased. Anyway, I¡¯ve already changed my status. My appearance and age are also different from before, so I don¡¯t believe Jiang Yucheng can recognize me. Thinking of this, she felt better. It now looks like I¡¯m in the dark while he¡¯s exposed. On the other end, the moment Jiang Yucheng saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile, he kept staring at her. In the beginning, he really thought that it was that person. But after looking closely for a while, he felt that he thought too much. Even though their smiles look similar, their five features and appearance are vastly different. Chu Liuyue indeed looks like she is 14 or 15, and that person has already died in the sea of fire, so how could she still appear? Jiang Yucheng rubbed his brows. It seemed like I was tired out during this period, so I kept thinking of nonsensical things. ¡°Go and check Chu Liuyue¡¯s background.¡± Chapter 490 - Mysterious Youngster The few at the side glanced at each other and found it weird. Is it because Chu Liuyue displayed capabilities that exceeded her cultivation level? But it doesn¡¯t seem that simple. The moment Eldest Young Master saw Chu Liuyue, his reaction was indeed abnormal¡­ Even though they thought that way, they didn¡¯t reveal any abnormalities as they said respectfully, ¡°Yes!¡± After Jiang Yucheng rejected his thoughts, he directed his gaze elsewhere. Out of the hundreds of matches going on simultaneously, there were a few matches that were more outstanding than Chu Liuyue and Zhao Yunzhi¡¯s. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t focus on the other matches and would look at Chu Liuyue from time to time. Every time he discovered that he unwittingly looked at Chu Liuyue, Jiang Yucheng would secretly warn himself that it would be the last time. However, it happened time and time again. It was as if he couldn¡¯t control himself. Even if he forced himself not to look at her, his mind would keep replaying the first smile he saw. Bright, dazzling, sincere, with a little spiritual energy and cunningness. Even if they only look a little similar, this smile is more similar to that woman back then. Jiang Yucheng pinched his nose bridge in frustration. No, that¡¯s wrong. I came here today to secretly check on these cultivators with Dijing Yuan meridians. I can¡¯t be distracted by other things. After repeating this a few times in his heart, he sighed heavily. ¡­ Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know how conflicted Jiang Yucheng was feeling. On the other hand, she had already calmed down completely. Before she came to Xi Ling, she had already made sufficient preparations. So after a temporary shock, she quickly accepted this matter. The most important thing now is to check what exactly they want to do by holding this Wan Zheng Competition. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe a single word of whatever Elder Qiuxi said earlier. Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng definitely don¡¯t have such foresight and generosity. They clearly have other motives. Besides¡­ I have to quickly check what the imperial court¡¯s situation is like. Back then, who ganged up to betray me and who was still standing on my side¡­ Chu Liuyue leaned against the chair, held her chin, and fell into deep thought. I¡¯m weak now, and I do need to find some dependable people to help me¡­ A commotion could suddenly be heard from the crowd. Chu Liuyue looked up and realized another match had ended. Another name disappeared from the black marble board. Not long later, two names disappeared almost at the same time. After Chu Liuyue ended her match first, the other competitors in the square seemed to have been agitated as they sped up. The competition immediately became more intense. Of course, this led to even more conclusions of the matches. Time trickled past, and the names that disappeared from the marble board increased in number. Many cultivators were also continuously carried down from the arenas. As the chance was rare, everyone went all in and tried to win as they all showed their true abilities, causing their injuries to be even more tragic. Some refused to admit defeat, and they even fainted. The square was filled with messy bloodstains. The spectators became increasingly agitated as their faces flushed, and they yelled at the top of their lungs. Quite a few people sat around Chu Liuyue. Upon seeing this, those from the Tianling Dynasty were still decent, but those from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy were pretty shocked. Chu Liuyue was already used to this. Gradually, the people beside her started chatting randomly. Some wanted to be friends, while others wanted to find out information about their enemies. The crowd had their own intentions, and they were quite enthusiastic suddenly. However, nobody willingly talked to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it either as she leisurely watched the competition and glanced at the names on the marble board from time to time. ¡­ ¡°Ah! Are you crazy?!¡± A shrill was suddenly heard from the square. Chu Liuyue looked up and realized the one that cried bitterly was a youngster. She wasn¡¯t a stranger to this person as he was one of the Sky-Soaring Clan disciples that were with Zhao Yunzhi earlier. At this point, he held his bleeding arm and looked at the youngster in front of him infuriatingly. ¡°Are you a beast? You¡¯re actually eating human meat!¡± Everyone was shocked when he said this. That youngster looked like he was 16 or 17, and he was wearing a grey sack shirt that didn¡¯t fit him. Perhaps it was too torn and tattered, so his clothes didn¡¯t even look like how they previously did. Even though he wasn¡¯t short, he was very skinny. His body was empty inside the clothes, and he looked like a sack. He had golden hair, and his hair was soft and bright, which reflected a dim light under the sunlight. His hair covered more than half his face, but one could still see the youth in his appearance and his sharp chin. At this point, his mouth was biting onto a bloody piece of meat, which was ripped off from the young man¡¯s elbow. He nonchalantly spat out the meat and coldly said, ¡°Smelly.¡± His expression and his tone were nonchalant as if he was saying something unrelated to him, but this behavior sent chills down one¡¯s spine. The young man in front of him was stumped, and he didn¡¯t dare to ask why he said ¡®smelly.¡¯ His instincts told him that he didn¡¯t want to know the answer. The surrounding audience subconsciously kept quiet. Everyone could tell that this youngster was¡­ not simple! He wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth, knitted his brows, and looked slightly disgusted. That young man¡¯s heart beat uncontrollably, and uneasiness filled his heart. His voice trembled slightly as he asked him sternly, ¡°Wh-what do you want?!¡± But that golden-haired youngster didn¡¯t say anything as he tilted his head and looked at him. Afterward, he suddenly moved back and bent his body. Then, he was shrouded by a shocking aura. The next moment, he charged out like a wolf in the wilderness. This time, he raised his hands that were filled with scabs, looking like claws, and clutched the young man¡¯s neck tightly. His speed was too fast, and that young man couldn¡¯t even react in time as he fell to the ground. ¡°I¡­ cough cough¡­ I surr¡ªrender cough¡ª¡± That young man looked up and saw the icy brown eyes under the golden hair and shuddered while admitting defeat without hesitation. Regret flashed across the golden-haired youngster¡¯s eyes as if he felt pity that he couldn¡¯t continue fighting. In the end, he still let go. Even when he won the competition, his expression didn¡¯t change much as he walked down the stage after looking around. Then, he walked straight to Chu Liuyue. Chapter 491 - I Can Help You That youngster had an undisciplined wildness and looked like a young, ferocious beast. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze gently swept across the marble board and landed on him. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Qiang Wanzhou?¡± said Chu Liuyue first with a smile. That youngster nodded. Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. This youngster seems like he¡¯s from the wilderness or the side regions, so I didn¡¯t expect him to have such an elegant name. His name and his aura are miles apart. ¡°I am Chu Liuyue.¡± That youngster glanced at her. ¡°I know.¡± He had heard it clearly when so many people were calling her previously. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a while and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This youngster doesn¡¯t seem as distant as he is on the surface. On the other hand, it seems like he has some¡­ child-like innocence? ¡°I need your help,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou directly. ¡°Oh? What help?¡± Chu Liuyue leaned against the chair with much interest. A normal person wouldn¡¯t easily ask a stranger to help, so it¡¯s rare to see him ask in such a righteous manner. ¡°I need your fire seed.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled deeply. ¡°What did you say?¡± Qiang Wanzhou looked at her gaze and slightly knitted his brows. ¡°I won¡¯t ask for your help for free. In return, I can be your servant for ten days.¡± Chu Liuyue opened her mouth. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Twenty days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of duration, but¡ª¡± ¡°Thirty days. That is the maximum.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows painfully. This child previously looked like he could fight, but why is his brain not really working? ¡°Qiang Wanzhou, right? Come over and sit down first.¡± Qiang Wanzhou was about to shake his head when Chu Liuyue intercepted and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t sit down and talk, I won¡¯t agree.¡± Qiang Wanzhou glanced at her before sitting down on the seat beside her. Chu Liuyue glanced at him in a seemingly casual manner and realized that his sitting posture was very accurate. His back was straight, and his aura was cold. It was as if he had specifically learned this before. If one didn¡¯t look at his torn clothes, his every action and movement looked like a young master that could only be developed in an aristocratic family. After sitting down, he looked straight at Chu Liuyue, obviously waiting for her answer. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart and raised her fingers. ¡°One, that¡¯s not how you ask someone for help. Two, I¡¯m not interested even if you agree to be my servant for a year. Three¡­ Do you know what a fire seed is?¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s cold and aloof gaze swept across her fingers. ¡°One, I¡¯m asking you for help. So naturally, I¡¯ll use my way of doing so. Two, I already said the maximum is a month. One year is impossible. Three, I know what a fire seed is. Aren¡¯t you a heavenly doctor? Then, you¡¯ll naturally have a fire seed.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. ¡°Who told you that all heavenly doctors have a fire seed?¡± Qiang Wanzhou looked defensive. ¡°Of course, someone told me.¡± Chu Liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. ¡°That¡¯s a liar who lied to you! Only the top heavenly doctors can produce a fire seed. With my bit of standard, I can¡¯t do it no matter what. I¡¯m sorry; I can¡¯t help you with this.¡± Qiang Wanzhou suddenly stood up, and his face was filled with anger. ¡°Who are you calling a liar?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked as she didn¡¯t expect Qiang Wanzhou to react so strongly. It seems like the person who told him about this is very important to him. ¡°Ahem, I don¡¯t mean it in that way. I¡¯m saying that¡­ you don¡¯t seem to understand heavenly doctors very well. I really can¡¯t do this, but Xi Ling has quite a few outstanding heavenly doctors. You can look for them.¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s genuine expression, she didn¡¯t seem like she was lying. Thus, Qiang Wanzhou did not continue to be angry. ¡°I don¡¯t need other heavenly doctors. Only you can help me,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou stubbornly. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t immediately answer him. The fire I produced is indeed different from the rest. Could¡­ Qiang Wanzhou be coming for this?! The so-called fire seed was made by converting a heavenly doctor¡¯s force into fire. When a heavenly doctor placed a fire seed into another cultivator¡¯s body, the latter could use their own force to let the fire seed grow continuously, allowing them to produce fire during battles. As a cultivator¡¯s level increased, the fire seed in their bodies would also grow. In the end, some of them could even completely merge the fire seed¡¯s strength and become heavenly doctors. This was also a method that some people would use to become a heavenly doctor, but how could it be so easy to form a fire seed? This item would waste a large part of a heavenly doctor¡¯s force and energy, but the success rate was very low. To heavenly doctors, producing a fire seed was simply a thankless task. Nobody would help others produce a fire seed for free. But to Qiang Wanzhou, it seemed like this task was very easy. Chu Liuyue felt her head ache upon seeing his stubborn manner. It seems difficult to convince him¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t want to help me?¡± asked Qiang Wanzhou slowly. Chu Liuyue opened her arms helplessly. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but I really can¡¯t.¡± However, Qiang Wanzhou said determinedly, ¡°You don¡¯t want to help me.¡± This time, it was a declarative sentence. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. But Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t say anything more as he turned around to look at the competition. His expression looked calm and nonchalant as normal. It was as though he didn¡¯t care too much about this. But Chu Liuyue was suddenly curious as she leaned in and softly asked, ¡°Why do you need a fire seed? You¡¯re quite talented as a warrior. You don¡¯t have to be a heavenly doctor.¡± Qiang Wanzhou glanced at her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a heavenly doctor.¡± ¡°Then, why do you need a fire seed?¡± Chu Liuyue was even more confused. Qiang Wanzhou paused. ¡°I need the fire seed to live.¡± As he spoke, loneliness quickly flashed across the youngster¡¯s arrogant face. ¡°I want to find someone, but I haven¡¯t found her yet. I¡¯m afraid that I will be dead before I can find her.¡± His tone was very light, but Chu Liuyue discovered that he didn¡¯t seem too emotional when he talked about himself dying soon. However, he revealed unconcealable sadness when he talked about being unable to find that person. It seemed like¡­ that it was more important than his life. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Is that person very important to you?¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s expression had already returned to normal. After hearing this, his lips curved up slightly, and his chin became tense as he said determinedly, ¡°She¡¯s the most important person to me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be touched by something soft. She didn¡¯t say anything more as she leaned against the chair and looked at the competition. The two of them fell silent as if this incident had already passed. Time passed bit by bit. The names on the black marble board decreased, and increasingly more people were being carried down the arenas. When half of the preliminary competition was over, Chu Liuyue finally spoke up. ¡°I can help you.¡± Chapter 492 - I Recognize Your Name Chu Liuyue herself was also quite surprised when she said that. She wasn¡¯t a sympathetic type of person; she was harsh, swift, and decisive most of the time. But for some reason, she also felt upset when she saw Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s lonely expression when he said that sentence. This feeling was very rare. She never willingly interacted with people unrelated to her in case she attracted trouble, but Qiang Wanzhou seemed to be different. ¡°Really?¡± Qiang Wanzhou turned around when he heard her reply. The brown eyes covered by the soft, golden hair were so bright that it seemed like fireworks exploded in them. Chu Liuyue suddenly didn¡¯t feel conflicted anymore as her lips curved up, and she smiled. ¡°I always make good on my word. But according to the agreement, you need to be my servant for a month.¡± Qiang Wanzhou immediately nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± He then stretched out his hand and bent his pinkie. ¡°Pinkie promise.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± Qiang Wanzhou said matter-of-factly, ¡°This is the highest standard of a promise between humans. Since we have an agreement, you can¡¯t go back on it.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Seeing Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s convinced appearance, Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something. ¡°That person taught you this too?¡± As expected, the youngster nodded. ¡°Before this, I had made a promise with only her. You¡¯re the second one.¡± Why does this sound like he looks up to me, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s willing to hook pinkies with me? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned as she calmly stretched out her pinkie and hooked it with his. The youngster¡¯s hand was actually as cold as ice. Chu Liuyue looked at him silently. It¡¯s no wonder he said he needed the fire seed to live. This youngster looks the same as others, but his internal organs have already been infiltrated by the harsh and sinister aura. Most of his bodily force has already been frozen. Even in this situation, he still has such strong combat power. I really don¡¯t know how shocking his true standards will be¡­ ¡°Come over.¡± After hooking pinkies, Chu Liuyue curled her finger toward him. Qiang Wanzhou leaned toward her in confusion. When he got closer, Chu Liuyue finally saw his appearance clearly, and she was dazed. This was actually a very intricate and beautiful youngster. His skin was very white, the kind that reflected light. The pair of brown eyes under his golden hair was cold and arrogant but pure and clean like the snow piled up on a mountain. He had a high nose, and his lips were as pretty as a rose petal, which curled up naturally. His sharp chin also made him look more like a pure youngster. If it weren¡¯t for his skeleton and body structure that looked unquestionably like a young man, Chu Liuyue would almost suspect that this was a charming young woman. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and messed up his golden hair. Qiang Wanzhou was first dazed before he knitted his brows. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Looking at his messy appearance, Chu Liuyue smiled and wagged her pinkie. ¡°Since we already made a promise, then it¡¯s effective, right? Today is the first day that you¡¯re my servant.¡± In other words, a servant must have a servant¡¯s instincts. So what was the big deal of ruffling his hair? Qiang Wanzhou stared at her for a while, and a tinge of anger seemed to flash across his pretty eyes. But in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything as he turned around and sat up straight. After a while, he coldly said, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Chu Liuyue almost burst out laughing. This Qiang Wanzhou seems like he¡¯s nonchalant and distant, but in actual fact, it¡¯s very easy to coax him. She now started to understand why that person would purposely use small lies to trick him. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s last bit of conflict completely disappeared. Coincidentally, I¡¯m alone and have no help in Xi Ling, so it¡¯s good that I have another helper. Not to mention others, but Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s talent is pretty strong. His current cultivation level should be a peak stage-five warrior. According to his age, he can be considered an outstanding genius. ¡°Where are you from?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°Nan Jiang.¡± ¡°Nan Jiang?! Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Nan Jiang?!¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. Seeing Qiang Wanzhou nod, Chu Liuyue was even more shocked in her heart. The Tianling Dynasty had a total of four regions, and they were all deserted islands. Amongst them, Nan Jiang had the fewest people. That place was filled with marshes, and poisonous items permeated throughout the air. Normally, a cultivator who went there would just die. He actually came from there?! ¡°Who¡­ brought you here?¡± This person went all the way to Nan Jiang to bring a cultivator with a Dijing Yuan meridian back. This is too¡­ ¡°Nobody brought me here,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°I lived in Nan Jiang since I was young, but I came here because the lake started drying up.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes widened, and her mouth was agape. Seeing that she didn¡¯t speak, Qiang Wanzhou added, ¡°Until today, it has been five whole months.¡± Chu Liuyue took a long while to recover her senses. ¡°This means that you came to Xi Ling alone from Nan Jiang¡¯s Qian Wei Lake?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. Chu Liuyue was even more stunned. What kind of person is this? A person in their teens can actually walk out of Nan Jiang on their own and journey thousands of miles to come to Xi Ling?! An idea suddenly popped up in her head. ¡°Y-you came to Xi Ling to find that person?¡± As expected, Qiang Wanzhou gave an affirmative answer. ¡°Yes.¡± This reply was much more determined and serious than before. Chu Liuyue asked hesitantly, ¡°But every competitor requires someone to bring them over. Who¡­ Who brought you to sign up at Xin Li Garden?¡± Given Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s behavior, how could he have gone there on his own? Qiang Wanzhou knitted his brows. ¡°I think that person is called Yu Minhan. I don¡¯t know him, but he told me that if I join the Wan Zheng Competition and take first place, I¡¯ll become famous and be able to find the person I want to find.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. That person called Yu Minhan must¡¯ve discovered Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s talent, so he purposely pulled him in and lied to him to join the Wan Zheng Competition. Qiang Wanzhou came from Nan Jiang and isn¡¯t very experienced with the world, so he naturally agreed when he heard that he could find the person he was looking for. ¡°Do you know what clan that Yu Minhan is from?¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s gaze focused, and he shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. This child is so honest. He didn¡¯t even find out about the other person¡¯s identity, yet he crossed the Rubicon. ¡°When you signed up, he should¡¯ve written his name and clan. Did you not notice?¡± Qiang Wanzhou suddenly fell silent. The strands of golden hair fell down and covered his eyes. However, Chu Liuyue saw embarrassment for some reason. His fingers slightly curled, and after some time, he said, ¡°I¡¯m illiterate.¡± Chu Liuyue reacted and thought that she was silly. Qiang Wanzhou has grown up in a place like Nan Jiang, and it¡¯s very difficult for him to live until now. Of course, he had no chance to learn how to read and write. But when she was thinking of how to comfort him, Qiang Wanzhou suddenly raised his head and pointed at the black marble board. ¡°But I recognize your name¡ªYue.¡± Chapter 493 - Come With Me The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°It looks like we have quite the affinity. Does that person have the same name as me?¡± Qiang Wanzhou shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know her name, but she told me to call her ¡®Yue.¡¯ That¡¯s how I recognize this word.¡± That person happens to have the same name as me¡­ Chu Liuyue propped her chin up with her hand as she fell into deep thought. She then tentatively asked, ¡°Is she from Xi Ling?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Is that person a fraud¡­? I was given the name ¡®Yue¡¯ by my father in my last life, and ever since I was crowned a princess, nobody in the whole of Xi Ling dared to use this name again. Those who were born after I was crowned avoided using the name, while those who originally had ¡®Yue¡¯ in their names had to change their names. The person he¡¯s looking for claimed to be from Xi Ling, yet their name is ¡®Yue.¡¯ It¡¯s either their original name or¡­ it was fabricated. If it¡¯s the former, Qiang Wanzhou will recognize the person if they ever meet again. But if it¡¯s the latter¡­ his search will be futile. He won¡¯t be able to find that person. ¡°Was that person¡­ really good to you?¡± she asked, only to receive a strange look from Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Of course. She was the one who gave me my name.¡± Chu Liuyue swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue when she saw his look of conviction. Knowing that he would surely not believe her words and might even flare up at her should she explain this to him now, she decided to find out more about this matter first before she slowly broke the news to him. At this point, she put her thoughts away and told him with a smile, ¡°You do have a nice name.¡± The poker-faced Qiang Wanzhou turned his head away and answered a moment later, ¡°Of course.¡± She shot him a glance, only to notice that his ears had turned pinkish. As she held back her laughter, she shifted her gaze back to the arena. Most of the matches had already ended, leaving behind a small number of people still battling it out. The atmosphere in the square, however, remained just as lively as before. After watching the remaining matches for a while, she turned to face Qiang Wanzhou upon remembering something. ¡°Oh yeah, don¡¯t go around biting people again during the competition.¡± The aura he exuded immediately became chilly. ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m barbaric?¡± He had been hearing people saying such things to him lately. Chu Liuyue gave him a light flick on the forehead in response. ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯d get dirtied by their blood! Your current condition can¡¯t be cured with just a fire seed. Listen to me if you want to live longer!¡± Never expecting to hear such an answer, Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho initially looked furious¡ªbecame somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Given your capabilities, you can easily win against most of those people here. Why even bother doing that?¡± said Chu Liuyue as a trace of disgust appeared on her face. ¡°Moreover, the person you fought with had no aptitude at all. Don¡¯t you hate it as well?¡± Qiang Wanzhou hung his head low as he replied dejectedly, ¡°B-but I need their blood¡­¡± It looks like this kid knows nothing about his own condition. After letting out a sigh, she told him softly, ¡°Although the cold, evil qi in your body can be temporarily suppressed by the blood and qi of other cultivators, it¡¯ll do you more harm than good in the long run. Therefore, don¡¯t do it again. Understand?¡± Qiang Wanzhou unconsciously bobbed his head when he saw her serious expression. It was only then that Chu Liuyue sighed in relief. I somehow have the feeling that I¡¯m raising a child¡­ Dong! The ringing of a bell was heard, and it reverberated throughout the square. Chu Liuyue looked over, only to see the Black Guards hitting the big bronze bell that was placed in the square. Her keen senses led her to look in the direction of the black marble board. As expected, she noticed that only half of the names remained on it. Elder Qiuxi rose up in the air. ¡°The Wan Zheng Competition¡¯s preliminary round has come to an end! Congratulations to the 196 winners!¡± Loud cheers erupted from the crowd, with almost nobody caring about the handful of depressed people. After all, it was the long-standing rule of Xi Ling City that the winners were crowned kings while the losers were nothing. Elder Qiuxi swept a glance across Chu Liuyue and the others, his voice full of vigor. ¡°You¡¯ll gather here at the same time tomorrow morning for the official start of the competition.¡± Everyone heard him loud and clear, and the excitement of the competitors who had survived the preliminary round couldn¡¯t be concealed. ¡°I hope you all go back and have a good rest today in preparation for tomorrow¡¯s competition. Generous prizes and the chance to enter Xi Ling¡¯s top sects are awaiting you!¡± His words were indubitably a great motivation booster, which made the crowd even more excited. ¡°Yes!¡± Rising to her feet, Chu Liuyue smiled at Qiang Wanzhou and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded and quickly followed her. Around them, a lot of people had already hopped off the spectator seats to celebrate the victory with the winning participants. The entire square was brimming with people. Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou squeezed past the bustling crowd, intending to make their exit in a low profile. When Jiang Yucheng stood up, his gaze once again fell onto Chu Liuyue. He couldn¡¯t help but frown when he saw the blond boy behind her. Earlier, he had noticed the two of them speaking to each other for quite some time, yet they were now seen leaving together. He thus asked, ¡°Do they know each other?¡± The man next to him followed his line of sight and answered, ¡°That young chap is from Nan Jiang and was inadvertently roped into joining the competition. I don¡¯t think they knew each other before this.¡± Jiang Yucheng gave the blond chap a scrutinizing look. ¡°His Yuan meridian¡­ Go run a check on him.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Just when Jiang Yucheng was about to turn around and leave, he happened to see a smiling Chu Liuyue look back and ruffle the young man¡¯s hair. Though there was a sullen look on his face, the young man only shot her a glare and said nothing about her action. Chu Liuyue then tugged on his arm and led him through the crowd to leave. A hint of displeasure sprouted in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart right there and then. He had no idea what brought about this emotion, but he was indeed furious at the sight, for that smile wasn¡¯t supposed to appear again, no matter how similar it was. ¡°Eldest Young Master, do you want me to go do something about it?¡± asked the man next to him softly. ¡°No need,¡± he replied coldly before turning around to leave. ¡­ It was only when a faint blush crept up on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s fair and translucent face that Chu Liuyue stopped teasing him. While it was fun teasing the kiddo, overdoing it would only piss him off. ¡°The place I¡¯m staying at is a little special; you¡¯ll know what I mean when we get there. First, we¡¯ll go buy some herbs that will help with your condition.¡± As she spoke, she made a mental list of the herbs that she needed. Tsk, this lackey doesn¡¯t come cheap¡­ Being the taciturn person he was, Qiang Wanzhou mostly bobbed his head in response to her rambling. ¡°Hold it right there!¡± A man suddenly stopped right in front of Chu Liuyue. She looked up, only to see an unfamiliar face before her. ¡°You are¡­?¡± However, this man wasn¡¯t looking at her. His eyes were fixed on Qiang Wanzhou as he chided him with a frown. ¡°Who permitted you to run around on your own?¡± Chapter 494 - I Apologize for the Commotion Given the way he scolded Qiang Wanzhou, others would surely think the two of them were related in some way if they didn¡¯t know better. Chu Liuyue, however, had an idea of this person¡¯s identity. ¡°Are you Yu Minhan?¡± ¡°Yes, I am!¡± The man shot her an irritated look before sneering at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°You told her about me? What else did you say, huh?¡± He made a move to grab Qiang Wanzhou but was blocked by Chu Liuyue, whose eyes turned cold as she stepped in front of Qiang Wanzhou. With a polite smile, she told the man, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Qiang Wanzhou isn¡¯t going back with you.¡± Yu Minhan¡¯s expression soured as he gave her the once-over. ¡°What do you mean by that? He belongs to the Azure Dragon Sect! It¡¯s clearly stated on the marble board!¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood the situation at hand. I see. So he¡¯s from another third-rate sect. She had heard about the Azure Dragon Sect. Like the Eight Direction Clan, the Azure Dragon Sect was one of the many sects in Xi Ling City and had always been ranked at the bottom. They usually kept to themselves though. The reason this man was behaving so arrogantly was likely due to the fact that she came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. ¡°Qiang Wanzhou has told me all about it. He¡¯s just here in Xi Ling to look for someone, yet you used this as an excuse to trick him into joining the Wan Zheng Competition. If I¡¯m not wrong, the better the results he gets, the better the rewards you¡ªhis referee¡ªwill receive. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Although Chu Liuyue knew nothing much about the Wan Zheng Competition previously, she had pretty much gained a rough idea over the past two days. As expected, Yu Minhan¡¯s expression changed at once. ¡°Enough of your nonsense!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed, for his denial only further affirmed her suspicion. The rewards must be pretty good, although everyone is being quite evasive about it¡­ ¡°You know it better than I do whether it¡¯s nonsense or not. Then again, there¡¯s no need to blow this matter up. I¡¯m taking Qiang Wanzhou with me today no matter what. From now onward, he¡¯ll have nothing to do with you and the rest of the Azure Dragon Sect.¡± ¡°I dare you to!¡± Yu Minhan became anxious. ¡°How dare you try to steal our people?!¡± With that, he made a move to slap Chu Liuyue in the face. Before Chu Liuyue could do anything about it, a cool breeze grazed her ear as a punch landed right in the middle of Yu Minhan¡¯s chest, which sent him flying backward and crashing heavily onto the ground. This attack caught Yu Minhan totally unprepared. A murderous aura enveloped Qiang Wanzhou as he moved forward once more. Chu Liuyue hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± It was obvious that Qiang Wanzhou wanted to kill Yu Minhan. Chu Liuyue wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble and not waste any time and energy on such matters, so she merely gave him a verbal warning. Standing still, Qiang Wanzhou looked down at the hands that were grabbing his wrist. Although he looked as if he wanted to break free of her hold, he obediently stood to the side in the end. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart softened, and her lips curled up at the sight. Given that he quietly did as told despite his reluctance, it seems that in his mind, being a servant means that one has to be obedient all the time. She released his hand and said with a laugh, ¡°Thank you.¡± Surprised to hear that, Qiang Wanzhou looked up, only to turn his head away in embarrassment when he saw the sincerity twinkling in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s what I ought to do.¡± Chu Liuyue said nothing more after that. It looks like there are a lot of things he needs to learn. ¡°You! What do you think you¡¯re doing?! This is Xi Ling! Are you guys going to kill me?!¡± Yu Minhan shouted in anger when he realized that he had sustained some serious internal injuries from Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s punch after climbing to his feet with much difficulty. ¡°Killing you isn¡¯t a difficult task, but I don¡¯t want his hands to be dirtied with your blood now that he¡¯s my subordinate.¡± Chu Liuyue took a step forward. Despite the smile on her visage, the cold and unnerving aura she radiated frightened Yu Minhan so much that he unconsciously retreated a step. She said lightly, ¡°I¡¯ll let this matter pass just like that if you choose to cooperate with me. Otherwise¡­ I¡¯m rather curious to see what sort of reaction the members of your sect will have if they find out that you sought a random person to take part in the competition.¡± Yu Minhan¡¯s face turned ashen in an instant. With seemingly great determination, he then sternly retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you have to say! You¡¯ve clearly overestimated yourself if you think someone like you can raise a complaint to the Azure Dragon Sect. In any case, Qiang Wanzhou isn¡¯t going anywhere with you today!¡± After that, he took out a whistle and blew hard on it. Several figures suddenly appeared behind him a moment later and had Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou surrounded. It was obvious that these people were Azure Dragon Sect members. Smirking, Chu Liuyue swept a glance at the people around them before she turned to Qiang Wanzhou and joked, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell at all. They¡¯ve really put in quite a bit of effort for your sake.¡± Qiang Wanzhou frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them.¡± His reply only made her put a hand on her forehead. ¡°A kiddo like you shouldn¡¯t be fighting and killing others all day long.¡± His frown deepened at her words. ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡± Chu Liuyue shot him a reassuring look in response. Yu Minhan was fed up with the way the two of them talked as if no one else was around, for it was clear that they had no respect for the Azure Dragon Sect at all. The Azure Dragon Sect didn¡¯t have a high status in Xi Ling, so Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s appearance was a chance for them to experience a meteoric rise. Previously, he was tasked to find a cultivator with a Dijing Yuan meridian, but he got delayed by certain matters and thus planned to accept his due punishment when he returned. He didn¡¯t expect to meet Qiang Wanzhou right at that timely moment though. Being at the end of his wits, he could only trick Qiang Wanzhou into joining the competition in order to make up for the numbers and avoid punishment. However, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s capabilities far exceeded his expectations. From the preliminary round earlier, it seemed like Qiang Wanzhou had a chance to come in the first few places of the competition. It was only then that Yu Minhan realized that he had found himself a treasure. Hence, how could he possibly let him leave at this critical juncture? ¡°Attack!¡± He waved his hand, motioning the others to attack the duo. But right at that moment, he heard someone sternly shouting from the side. ¡°Xuan Ji Square is not a place for you to cause trouble!¡± The Azure Dragon Sect members broke out into a cold sweat when they turned and saw a Black Guard¡ªwho was seemingly at the officer rank¡ªapproaching them. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, sir! We¡¯re not causing trouble; there¡¯s just a slight misunderstanding here. Chu Liuyue wants to take one of our members away! You mustn¡¯t let her get away with this!¡± When that Black Guard walked toward Chu Liuyue, Yu Minhan and the others were secretly rejoicing because they were sure that Chu Liuyue would surely end up suffering from having offended a Black Guard. Alas, they saw the guard cup his fist and bow respectfully to Chu Liuyue the next moment. ¡°Ms. Chu, I apologize for the delay and commotion.¡± The Azure Dragon Sect members wore similar shocked expressions on their faces. Chapter 495 - Hundred Herbs Building Why is this Black Guard so respectful toward Chu Liuyue? ¡°S-Sir¡­¡± stammered Yu Minhan with unease. ¡°Are you mistaken about something¡­?¡± Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue come from outside? Don¡¯t tell me she has someone powerful backing her up?! With a faint smile, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°No need to blame yourself, Officer Duan. This matter arose because of me after all.¡± Duan Ziyu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m responsible for your safety, so naturally, everything has to be done right!¡± He had been waiting at the audience stand at first, but he didn¡¯t expect to see Yu Minhan and the other members of his sect go and find trouble with Chu Liuyue. They must be tired of living! Chu Liuyue swept her eyes across the stricken Yu Minhan to the others. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, but your arrival is timely. I have some other matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Duan Ziyu made way for her. ¡°Understood. Please go ahead.¡± Yu Minhan and the others instantly exhaled in relief. The fact that Chu Liuyue can employ a Black Guard officer as her bodyguard is enough proof that she is no simple character. Yu Minhan couldn¡¯t help but secretly regret his earlier actions. I should¡¯ve checked her background first! Chu Liuyue stepped forward to leave with Qiang Wanzhou in tow. But when passing by Yu Minhan, her footsteps halted. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to snatch Qiang Wanzhou back at any time.¡± A chill ran down Yu Minhan¡¯s spine. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t dare to do so! P-please go ahead, Ms. Chu!¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was used to seeing such behavior¡ªleft without a care. It was only after the two of them walked past him that Yu Minhan cast a reluctant look at Qiang Wanzhou. Such a good seedling¡­ actually got stolen by Chu Liuyue just like that! ¡°Azure Dragon Sect?¡± questioned Duan Ziyu as he made his way over. Only then did Yu Minhan recall that a big shot¡ªwho he couldn¡¯t afford to offend¡ªwas standing right next to him. He hurriedly said, ¡°I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong!¡¯ People from the top sects might not even be on par with the Black Guard, much less small fry like them¡ªwho dared not offend them in the slightest. He didn¡¯t want to implicate the entire Azure Dragon Sect just because of his own affairs. ¡°I was blind to entertain angels unawares, sir. I¡­ I didn¡¯t know that you were Ms. Chu¡¯s backer. Please don¡¯t take the offense to heart!¡± Yu Minhan offered his deepest apologies and even almost went down on his knees. However, a grin spread across Duan Ziyu¡¯s face when he heard the apology. ¡°You got it wrong. I¡¯m not qualified to be her backer.¡± ¡°W-what?!¡± The reply shocked Yu Minhan into momentary silence, and his heart became heavier when he saw the smile on the Black Guard¡¯s face. Duan Ziyu then bumped Yu Minhan¡¯s shoulder with the hilt of his sword. ¡°Next time, go make inquiries first to see if that person is someone you can afford to offend.¡± After saying his piece, he swiftly left to catch up with Chu Liuyue, leaving Yu Minhan and the other Azure Dragon Sect members to exchange uneasy looks. Someone then came forward to ask, ¡°Fourth Brother, w-will we be in trouble for this?¡± With a darkened expression, Yu Minhan gave that person a tight slap across the face. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell at all?! That person is a Black Guard officer for goodness¡¯ sake!¡± They hardly met anyone of that rank, yet they had now offended the person whom the military officer was supposed to protect. Most importantly, it was obvious that he was tasked by someone more powerful and influential than him to do this. The person who wanted to protect Chu Liuyue was of a much higher rank, which could only mean that that person was one of the top-ranking people in Xi Ling! ¡°T-then¡­ are we letting them take Qiang Wanzhou away just like that? He has a Dijing Yuan meridian¡ª¡± asked someone thoughtlessly, only to receive a kick from Yu Minhan. Who cares about that at this point?! The entire Azure Dragon Sect has gotten into trouble now! ¡°Go back and find the sect leader this instant!¡± ¡­ Duan Ziyu caught up with Chu Liuyue in no time as she led Qiang Wanzhou out of Xuan Ji Square. After walking for a while, the crowd around them visibly lessened. It was then that Duan Ziyu finally asked, ¡°Ms. Chu, are you taking Young Master Qiang back with you?¡± Chu Liuyue gave him a thoughtful look. ¡°I do have this intention, but I don¡¯t know if Lieutenant will be agreeable to this.¡± Duan Ziyu was really curious as to why she was doing this, but he knew that he was in no position to ask such questions. As such, he only said, ¡°We have strict rules in place that prohibit outsiders from even getting near the residence. However, those rules naturally won¡¯t apply to you if that¡¯s your request.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. To be honest, it doesn¡¯t make a difference whether I have Mu Qinghe¡¯s permission or not since I can always just find an inn for Qiang Wanzhou to stay in. ¡°By the way, I¡¯d like to go buy some medicinal herbs. May I trouble you to take me there, Officer Duan?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s request surprised Duan Ziyu at first, but upon recalling that he had seen the former converting her force into fire during the competition earlier, he surmised that she had to be a decent heavenly doctor. Hence, there was nothing weird about her wanting to buy herbs. ¡°Please follow me.¡± ¡­ After walking through several streets, Duan Ziyu led Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou into a rather large herb shop. When Chu Liuyue looked up, she saw the words ¡®Hundred Herbs Building¡¯ painted in gold glitter on a massive signboard. ¡°Ms. Chu, this is the largest medicinal herb shop in Xi Ling City. You can find any herbs you want here,¡± said Duan Ziyu. Chu Liuyue stroked her nose. I¡¯m not worried about this shop not having the herbs I want. Instead¡­ I¡¯m more worried about whether I can afford to buy the herbs at all. Being the top herb store in Xi Ling, Hundred Herbs Building naturally has all sorts of herbs. Not only are they of top quality, but their prices are equally high as well. While my ten white crystals might seem a lot to average folks, they are considered¡­ a stretch here. Although she had heard a lot about Hundred Herbs Building, she had never actually been here before. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s royal family had a lot of precious medicinal herbs stored away, and she tended to Xin Li Garden on her own. There was never a time where she had ever experienced a shortage of herbs, so she naturally didn¡¯t need to visit such a place. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho initially wanted Duan Ziyu to bring her to a random herb shop¡ªhadn¡¯t expected him to pick the most expensive store out there. Since they were already right in front of the shop, she felt bad about turning around to leave. As such, she took in a deep breath and took the lead to walk inside. As soon as she stepped into the store, a pageboy immediately welcomed her with much enthusiasm. ¡°Are you looking for something, Miss?¡± Chu Liuyue scanned her surroundings, which was a unique, spacious, and rectangular exhibition hall. All sorts of herbs¡ªalong with signs displaying their names, properties, and prices¡ªcould be found inside the neat rows of transparent crystal cabinets. Her eyelids twitched when she took a cursory glance at the stated prices. A 100-year-old blood lingzhi actually costs three white crystals? Isn¡¯t that as good as daylight robbery?! ¡°I¡­ will take a look around first,¡± she told the pageboy while looking as calm and dignified as before. The pageboy respectfully answered, ¡°I¡¯ll come back to serve you once you¡¯re done looking around.¡± With that, he tactfully retreated to the side. There were about 100 people selecting herbs in the exhibition hall at this moment. Likewise, there were also many other pageboys scattered everywhere. Like the one serving her before, they all gave excellent service. Chu Liuyue started walking along a row of crystal cabinets, but she stopped after a few steps. Chapter 496 - Running Into More Acquaintances A palm-sized coral quietly lay in the crystal cabinet. It had an orange-red hue all over, while its tips were white and translucent like jade. This was a superior-quality Jizo coral, be it in terms of size, shape, or texture. Even someone as picky as Chu Liuyue took a fancy to it with just one glance. This thing is very effective in expelling the cold, evil qi in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body, so I have to buy it. Her eyes then shifted to its price tag, which stated: ten white crystals. This Jizo coral will cost me my entire fortune, huh. I won¡¯t have any leftover money to buy the other herbs then. Her head started hurting at this thought. Before she was reborn, she had almost never bought anything out of her own pockets. While she could still afford the living standards in Country Yao Chen after her rebirth, she couldn¡¯t do so here because it wasn¡¯t easy to earn white crystals. A stage-five warrior like Wu Zhao only had those few crystals on him despite having stayed at Ping Liang Square for so long, much less her. With an arm across her chest and a hand stroking her chin, Chu Liuyue fell into deep thought. It looks like I have to quickly think of a way to earn money¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll take this,¡± she told the pageboy who was waiting at the side. The pageboy immediately came up to her with a smile. ¡°You have a good eye, Miss. This is the most beautiful piece in our latest batch of Jizo coral. We¡¯ve just put it up for display, yet you¡¯ve taken a liking to it already.¡± She nodded in agreement despite being immune to such flattery. ¡°It¡¯s not bad indeed.¡± Looking somewhat proud, the pageboy told her, ¡°You can rest assured that the items in Hundred Herb Building are all of top quality. Is there anything else you want?¡± She waved her hand in response. ¡°Just this for now while I¡¯ll continue to look around.¡± The smart pageboy said nothing more after that. He then put on his gloves, intending to take the coral out of the cabinet when he heard a delicate female voice saying, ¡°Wait! I want that piece of Jizo coral!¡± Chu Liuyue looked past her shoulder and saw a young lady¡ªwho looked around twenty years old¡ªin a yellow top. She had a lithe figure and a pretty face, but the corners of her eyes were hooked up, and she reeked of haughtiness that made people uncomfortable when looking at her. The young lady¡¯s eyes were fixed on that piece of Jizo coral as if she didn¡¯t even notice Chu Liuyue and her entourage. Standing next to her, on the other hand, was a handsome young man in his mid-twenties. Wearing a light-blue shirt, the man stared at the young lady with adoration. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up at the sight. What a coincidence. Those two are old acquaintances of mine. This young lady was Jiang Yucheng¡¯s younger sister, Jiang Yuzhi, whereas the young man was the Xiahou family¡¯s second son, Xiahou Tingan. Both of them had some relations with her at one point in time. Needless to say, Jiang Yuzhi was once Chu Liuyue¡¯s future sister-in-law. When she got engaged to Jiang Yucheng back then, she had tried to become closer with Jiang Yuzhi, but the two of them somehow just couldn¡¯t get along with each other well. This was especially so after a particular incident, where she told Jiang Yuzhi off for a mistake she made. After that, the latter became even more upset with her and would deliberately go against her time and again. Thereafter, Chu Liuyue no longer paid any more attention to Jiang Yuzhi. Shangguan Wan, however, had always maintained an excellent relationship with the young missy. Both were considered close friends who always kept in touch with one another. On the other hand, Xiahou Tingan grew up as a study companion, so he was rather familiar with all the princes and princesses in the palace. The crucial thing was that he used to be fond of her and had even had the intention of marrying her. She rejected him from the start and had never taken this matter to heart. But upon seeing this pair together now, she couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fourth Missy Jiang, but this piece of Jizo coral has already been picked by this lady here.¡± The pageboy had clearly recognized the two newcomers¡¯ identities, so he was being very careful with his apologies. Hearing that, Jiang Yuzhi frowned. It was only then that she deigned Chu Liuyue a look. She was surprised to see a stunning face staring right back at her though. Since when did such a person appear in Xi Ling? As the saying went: ¡®opposites attract, and likes repel.¡¯ Jiang Yuzhi¡ªwho never liked to be outshone by others¡ªinstantly disliked the other woman as she sized her up. Seeing that the female in red was not adorned with any accessories or luxurious fabrics draped over her, Jiang Yuzhi surmised that she had to be a low-born and must¡¯ve come from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. The contempt and disdain in her eyes grew even more apparent at the thought of that. ¡°Has she paid for it?¡± The pageboy paused. ¡°No, but¡ª¡± ¡°In that case, it doesn¡¯t belong to her. There¡¯s no problem with me buying it, right?¡± As she spoke, she lifted her hand, motioning a servant to come forward. When the servant placed ten white crystals on the crystal cabinet at her beckoning, Jiang Yuzhi flashed Xiahou Tingan a smug smile. ¡°Tingan, earrings made from this piece of Jizo coral will surely be beautiful. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± There were only a few families in Xi Ling who could afford to splurge ten white crystals so extravagantly on a superior Jizo coral just to make a pair of earrings. Xiahou Tingan pinched her nose indulgently. ¡°Of course. You look good in everything after all!¡± Like a little woman in love, Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s smile deepened, not bothering about the other people around them. Caught in a difficult position, the pageboy turned to Chu Liuyue with an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this, Miss, but Fourth Missy Jiang is a VIP of our store. Hence, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give this piece of Jizo coral to you. Don¡¯t worry though; we¡¯ll definitely find a satisfactory piece for you and give you a 20% discount as compensation. Will that be okay with you?¡± Everyone knew the rule ¡®first come, first serve.¡¯ But when it came to the rich and famous, their words were the rules. Thus, the pageboy didn¡¯t dare to not give what Jiang Yuzhi wanted. The question made Chu Liuyue laugh. They want me to compromise when they¡¯re only giving me a discount of two white crystals? Since when have I become a pushover? I might¡¯ve been merciful enough to give up the Jizo coral had it been someone else speaking nicely to me since I only require it to refine medicine and can make do with others with similar effectiveness. But because the other party is Jiang Yuzhi, I will never back off, no matter what. ¡°No,¡± answered Chu Liuyue bluntly. ¡°The deal is sealed the moment I told you to wrap it up, so this piece of Jizo coral is naturally mine now. Whoever came after that has to wait in line and is in no position to fight for it with me. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± The smile on the pageboy¡¯s face was slipping off fast. This lady wants to go against Jiang Yuzhi openly? That¡¯s the Fourth Missy Jiang, who is also the younger sister of the current prince consort! It¡¯s well known that Jiang Yucheng holds great power in his hands, so why would she choose to offend the Jiangs when everyone else is trying to butter them up?! Naturally, Jiang Yuzhi was shocked to hear that answer. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue rapped her knuckles against the crystal cabinet, her dark eyes calm. ¡°I said that I¡¯m not giving up the coral to you.¡± Used to being spoiled all the time, Jiang Yuzhi naturally lost her temper when she couldn¡¯t get her way and saw how a small fry actually dared to go against her. ¡°I dare you to repeat that!¡± Chapter 497 - Getting It at All Costs! Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Coming from a prestigious family, I¡¯m sure that Fourth Missy Jiang surely knows the principle of ¡®first come, first served.¡¯ Someone with a lofty status like you wouldn¡¯t rob others of their things, right?¡± ¡°You!¡± Her words caused Jiang Yuzhi to choke hard. This woman sure has a sharp tongue! Just when the enraged missy was about to go forward and teach Chu Liuyue a lesson, Xiahou Tingan gently said to her, ¡°Yuzhi, this lady has a point.¡± ¡°Why are you even speaking up for her?!¡± She shot him an angry look. Is he bewitched by her looks?! Xiahou Tingan knew that Jiang Yuzhi must¡¯ve misunderstood him when he saw her furious look. He patted her hand while flashing her a reassuring smile. ¡°What are you thinking? As the Jiang family¡¯s Fourth Missy, it¡¯s indeed not right for you to do this. Your father will surely tell you off if he hears about it later.¡± At the mention of her father¡ªJiang Lizuo¡ªJiang Yuzhi restrained herself a little. She was very afraid of her father because he¡ªas the grand tutor¡ªwas very strict with himself and the family. Stomping her foot in indignation, she cried, ¡°But I want that piece of Jizo coral!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get you whatever you want,¡± Xiahou Tingan reassured her before stepping forward with a gracious smile on his face. ¡°We don¡¯t want to rob others of what they like either. However, it¡¯s rare for Yuzhi to come across something she likes, so I¡¯m willing to pay twice the price to buy this item. The highest bidder wins, so there¡¯s no issue now, is there?¡± As soon as he said that, the servant behind them stepped forward once more and produced another ten white crystals. The pageboy hesitantly looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Money sure makes the world go round. I¡¯m not losing out since they¡¯re forking out twice as much for the coral, so I¡¯ll be at a disadvantage if I insist on what I said earlier. While she hesitated, Duan Ziyu said to her, ¡°Ms. Chu, Master ordered us to fulfill your needs as much as possible. If you really want that piece of Jizo coral, just give me the order.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him in surprise. ¡°Did he really say that?¡± Duan Ziyu nodded. ¡°He specifically instructed me about this when he came back the other day.¡± Of course, those weren¡¯t Mu Qinghe¡¯s exact words. What he actually said was: ¡®Since I¡¯m the one who brought Chu Liuyue over, everything she does in Xi Ling will affect my reputation. Therefore, you¡¯re to keep a good watch over her.¡¯ If word were to spread that Chu Liuyue lost to someone else just because of a measly ten white crystals, others would surely think that the lieutenant was poor and stingy. Chu Liuyue could roughly guess what Mu Qinghe meant as well. Although the latter wasn¡¯t the type to care about appearances, there was a need for him¡ªthe lieutenant of Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Black Guard¡ªto stand firm and show his power. This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to feel bad? The corners of her lips slowly hooked up. ¡°Thank you, Officer Duan.¡± Duan Ziyu politely responded, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Ms. Chu.¡± After that, he walked forward and tossed a money bag to the pageboy. ¡°There are 40 white crystals in there. We¡¯re getting the coral.¡± Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded. Oh my goodness! He¡¯s spending 40 white crystals to buy that piece of Jizo coral? Even if there¡¯s another piece with better color, it may not even fetch that price! Is this person out of his mind?! Duan Ziyu looked at the pageboy. ¡°The highest bidder wins, no?¡± The pageboy hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you¡ª¡± Jiang Yuzhi anxiously tugged on the sleeve of Xiahou Tingan, who nodded and raised his voice once more. ¡°I¡¯ll pay 50 white crystals.¡± I¡¯m ultimately the Xiahou family¡¯s Second Young Master. Since when have I ever lost because of money? Jiang Yuzhi is here, so all the more reason I can¡¯t lose to them! Without even turning his head, Duan Ziyu doubled the offer. ¡°One hundred white crystals.¡± The entire exhibition hall fell into silence as everyone else looked over at them. There was nothing worth more than 100 white crystals on the first floor of the exhibition hall, yet the officer was offering that amount for just a piece of Jizo coral. The other people couldn¡¯t help but think that he must either be out of his mind or simply beyond rich. Mu Qinghe was indeed wealthy though. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. Most people think that Mu Qinghe is just a martial arts warrior who built his fortune from scratch and became a nouveau riche in Xi Ling City because of his abilities. Despite his high position, they think that all of his assets can¡¯t be compared to that of old money. But the truth is that it¡¯s easiest to get rich with wars. With Mu Qinghe¡¯s iron hand and leadership, the army ended the decades-long rebellion at Dahuang Swamp in one fell swoop. His wealth is immeasurable. Even though Jiang Yuzhi and Xiahou Tingan came from big and noble backgrounds, they didn¡¯t have as much financial freedom as Mu Qinghe. Thus, it was only natural that Xiahou Tingan¡¯s countenance changed when he heard the other person double his offer. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t afford the amount, but it also wasn¡¯t exactly a small amount to him. His family would surely chew him out should they find out that he had spent so much money just to buy a piece of Jizo coral. His throat grew dry as he glanced at Jiang Yuzhi somewhat awkwardly. ¡°Yuzhi, that coral might be nice and all, but it¡¯s not worth that much money. Why don¡¯t we go take a look at other things, and I¡¯ll buy you something else instead?¡± Jiang Yuzhi instantly pulled a long face at him. ¡°Tingan, are you unwilling to spend the money on me? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll pay for it out of my own pockets!¡± She then moved to take out her own money. Seeing that she had gotten angry, Xiahou Tingan immediately pacified her by saying, ¡°Hey, I was just joking with you! Did you take it for real? Of course, I¡¯ll buy the coral for you!¡± Jiang Yuzhi remained doubtful, however. ¡°Really?¡± Xiahou Tingan could only bob his head in response. ¡°Of course.¡± Gritting his teeth in determination, he looked at the pageboy and said, ¡°I¡¯ll add five more white crystals!¡± Pfft. Someone chuckled. Although the sound quickly disappeared, everyone could hear the mocking tone in it, for the five white crystals sounded really pathetic when compared to Duan Ziyu¡¯s generous offer. Xiahou Tingan¡¯s face instantly flushed red. Although he felt rather embarrassed himself, he had reached his limit. Duan Ziyu¡¯s expression, however, remained unchanged as he said, ¡°150.¡± Color drained from Xiahou Tingan¡¯s face once more as he felt the stares of others on him. He turned to look at Jiang Yuzhi, only to hear her eagerly and anxiously saying, ¡°Tingan, continue upping the offer. Otherwise, we¡¯ll lose the coral to them!¡± It was easier said than done though. Knowing exactly what Jiang Yuzhi was up to, Xiahou Tingan felt a ball of anger surging from within him. Being the proud missy she was, she disliked losing to others. However, she was also afraid of getting scolded by her father for her excessive spending. This was why she was urging him to pay the bill instead. He had been trying all methods to please the missy for the past year, and now that the two families already had a marriage agreement between them, his efforts would all go to waste should he make her upset at this point. But just when he was about to open his mouth to make a counter-offer, Duan Ziyu said, ¡°No matter how much Second Young Master Xiahou is offering, we¡¯ll add 50 white crystals to the amount. We¡¯re getting the coral at all costs!¡± Chapter 498 - Receive with Guilt The crowd gasped. How bold must she be to have the guts to say this? Is it worth it for a Jizo coral? The answer was affirmative because the two parties weren¡¯t simply fighting over a Jizo coral. They were fighting over¡­ reputation! The matter had been blown up, so whoever backed away at this point would be admitting defeat. Jiang Yuzhi and Xiahou Tingan represented their family clans behind them. No matter if it were the Jiang family or the Xiahou family, they were all reputable aristocratic families here. It would be too humiliating if they lost to this unknown nobody at Hundred Herbs Building. Xiahou Tingan couldn¡¯t control his expression anymore as he looked at Duan Ziyu and sneered. ¡°Are you purposely going against my Xiahou family?¡± Chu Liuyue lightly chuckled and said, ¡°Why do you say this, Second Young Master Xiahou? After all, I liked this Jizo coral first, yet you increased the price and bid for it. Why did it suddenly become us purposely going against you because we increased the bid amount?¡± Xiahou Tingan could not retort and was embarrassed. Even if I can continue to increase the price, I will definitely be lectured when I go home. Besides, with the other party like this, they are obviously going to fight to the end. If I let this snowball, the incident will just become bigger! ¡°Tingan, why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Jiang Yuzhi knitted her intricately drawn brows. ¡°You must help me buy it! Are you just going to watch on as I¡¯m bullied by them?¡± Xiahou Tingan became increasingly frustrated. Who is the one being bullied now? She just stood there and casually said a few sentences without doing anything, but I¡¯m the one being humiliated! Even if we really buy it, she¡¯ll only be scolded for being willful when she goes back, but what about me? I¡¯m not the only young master in the Xiahou family! They will most likely make a mountain out of a molehill for this! ¡°Tingan, Tingan?¡± yelled Jiang Yuzhi in frustration. Xiahou Tingan took a deep breath in before suppressing his anger. He tidied his shirt, coughed, and looked at Duan Ziyu. ¡°You¡¯re from the Black Guard? It looks like you¡¯re a military officer. From what I know, the salary of Black Guard¡¯s military officers isn¡¯t high enough for you to be tossing money on the streets. I¡¯m afraid your money is illegal, right?¡± There were unclean people everywhere, even amongst the Black Guard. This military officer is so arrogant, and he throws money even more freely than young masters. It¡¯ll be a wonder if there¡¯s nothing wrong with him! Duan Ziyu straightened his back and stood like a standard gun. ¡°I¡¯m the Black Guard¡¯s third military officer, Duan Ziyu. I have been in the military for 11 years and killed 1,589 enemies. I can use my life to guarantee you that I¡¯ve never done anything against my conscience or taken illegal money!¡± His voice was cold and hard, and every single word was as if lightning zapped the ground. ¡°What you said previously, Second Young Master Xiahou, isn¡¯t just an insult to me, but an insult to the millions of Black Guards that protect the royal family. Please take back your words!¡± The crowd was taken aback before they were solemn and respectful. With this kind of military accolades, it¡¯s more than enough for him to be promoted to another rank. As guards that protected the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s borders, they poured their hearts and souls into their duty, and they battled without caring about their lives. Yet, they received an aristocratic child¡¯s insult in the end. This was humiliating! Xiahou Tingan was also taken aback by Duan Ziyu¡¯s aura. After all, he had been living a delicate life in Xi Ling City and was totally different from Duan Ziyu, who frequented the thin line between life and death. The moment Duan Ziyu spoke up, he immediately felt guilty. Even though the surrounding people didn¡¯t say much, they scolded him with their eyes. ¡°I-I just casually asked you about it. If your money is legitimate, why don¡¯t you dare to say it?¡± retorted Xiahou Tingan with thick skin. Duan Ziyu sneered, ¡°Second Young Master Xiahou, do we need to report to you how the Mu Residence gets our money?¡± Mu Residence? Which Mu Residence? Xiahou Tingan was dazed for a while before reacting. There is only one Mu Residence in the entire Xi Ling City¡ªBlack Guard Lieutenant, Mu Qinghe¡¯s residence! ¡°Y-you work for Mu Qing¡ªLieutenant Mu?¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s voice was shaky. The room became especially quiet. Duan Ziyu said carefully, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, Second Young Master Xiahou, you can follow me back to take a look.¡± Xiahou Tingan immediately said, ¡°No need!¡± At Mu Qinghe¡¯s residence, it was indeed all Black Guards. I was still wondering why he looked so familiar! Mu Qinghe did bring him around before! But Duan Ziyu was still an accompaniment after all, so Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t even notice him. This was why he didn¡¯t recognize him after so long. Looking at Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou standing beside him, he asked uneasily, ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°Ms. Chu is Mu Residence¡¯s VIP,¡± said Duan Ziyu first. Xiahou Tingan was stumped and couldn¡¯t say anything for a long time. I-I offended Mu Qinghe! Jiang Yuzhi was also frightened when she heard ¡®Mu Residence,¡¯ and she panicked in her heart. Mu Qinghe is not one to be trifled with¡­ This woman is actually related to Mu Qinghe? If I knew this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have fought with them! ¡°Second Young Master Xiahou, may I know if you want to continue bidding?¡± asked Duan Ziyu. Xiahou Tingan¡¯s chest felt suffocated. Not to mention that I have no money now, it¡¯s impossible for me to go against Mu Qinghe even if I did. Wouldn¡¯t that be digging my own grave? ¡°N-no need. Since Ms. Chu is Mu Residence¡¯s VIP, then I¡¯ll let Ms. Chu have this Jizo coral as a gift for Lieutenant Mu¡ª¡± ¡°Second Young Master Xiahou, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly spoke and looked at Xiahou Tingan and Jiang Yuzhi with a smiling face. ¡°Since you want it, we¡¯ll fight for it fairly. I¡¯m just a woman with an ordinary background. Lieutenant Mu is very generous, but I¡¯ll be receiving it with much guilt. I¡¯m already embarrassed to have to trouble Lieutenant Mu for my room and board, so it won¡¯t be good if I use his authority and need you two to let me have it. So, you really don¡¯t have to give in to me!¡± This sentence made Xiahou Tingan so embarrassed that he wanted to dig a hole and jump into it himself. I just wanted to find an out for myself, but why is this woman so persistent? He kept silent for a while before clenching his teeth and said, ¡°No need! At the end of the day, this Jizo coral is just a small toy! Ms. Chu, if you want it, just take it! How can we fight for what you like?¡± Jiang Yuzhi anxiously said, ¡°Tingan¡ª¡± ¡°We still have something on, so we¡¯ll leave first.¡± Xiahou Tingan spoke really quickly, and he turned around to leave once he was done. Jiang Yuzhi looked at Xiahou Tingan¡ªwho rapidly left¡ªwith a whole stomach filled with anger. It¡¯s fine that he didn¡¯t buy my items, yet he still left me alone and left?! She turned around to look at Chu Liuyue and angrily said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t angry nor furious as she laughed and spoke with a sincere expression. ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, you should thank me!¡± Jiang Yuzhi was dazed. ¡°Thank you for what?¡± Chu Liuyue sighed and said pitifully, ¡°Even though my background isn¡¯t as good as yours, I know the logic. Men who refuse to spend on women aren¡¯t reliable! Second Young Master Xiahou¡¯s family is so outstanding, so why did he refuse to spend such a small amount of money on you? Actually, I would¡¯ve given myself an out and let you have the item if he continued increasing the price. It¡¯s a pity¡­¡± Jiang Yuzhi was enraged. Her expression changed, and she left in a hurry. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze, and she lightly knocked on the crystal cupboard. ¡°I want this cupboard, that cupboard, and that wall over there. I want everything inside.¡± There was dead silence in the room. Qiang Wanzhou couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re receiving that person¡¯s money with guilt?¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled and patted her own chest. ¡°Yes, but since I¡¯m already filled with guilt, let¡¯s make it more intense!¡± Chapter 499 - Buy to Look at It Duan Ziyu¡¯s mouth harshly twitched. For some reason, he felt a strong sense of uneasiness. As expected, Chu Liuyue then looked at the pageboy. ¡°Oh, right. Do you have three stories in your building in total?¡± That pageboy hurriedly said respectfully, ¡°Yes. The herbs on the second floor are more expensive, and the ones on the third floor are only for important guests. If you wish to go up, we¡¯ll immediately send people to introduce to you.¡± Chu Liuyue wanted the expensive ones! ¡°There¡¯s no need to find other people; you can just follow me up.¡± That pageboy was shocked and surprised. One had to know that every level of Hundred Herbs Building had specific people to serve the customers. Without permission, the pageboys on the lower floors weren¡¯t allowed to enter the higher floors. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s behavior, she was clearly going to buy a lot of things. Just based on the ones she just picked, they were already much more than what he sold in a normal month. If he served Chu Liuyue in a satisfying manner, his promotion would happen in minutes. ¡°Ms. Chu, different floors will pack and settle the bill individually.¡± The pageboy hurriedly produced a card and gave it to her with both hands. ¡°Your previous spending has already exceeded 1,000 white crystals, so we¡¯ll give you a free Hundred Herbs Building gold card. With it, you can enjoy a 10% discount.¡± Chu Liuyue took the card, and her eyes brightened up, but she looked at Duan Ziyu hesitantly afterward. ¡°Officer Duan, will this be too overboard?¡± Even if Duan Ziyu really felt that her actions were inappropriate, he would not say it. He coughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Chu. The Mu Residence can still produce this money.¡± The items on the second floor are slightly more expensive, but it shouldn¡¯t be much to let Chu Liuyue casually pick a few items. Chu Liuyue then relaxed and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll thank Lieutenant Mu personally when I return later.¡± She then let the pageboy lead her to the second floor. ¡­ There were clearly fewer people on the second floor than on the first floor. Chu Liuyue generally scanned the surroundings and realized that the actual number of customers here were only three, including her. She even recognized one of them; it was Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Master, Weichi Song. He was also a heavenly doctor and had given her quite a few pieces of advice in the past, so he could be considered half her teacher. She didn¡¯t expect to bump into him here. But compared to the past, Weichi Song¡¯s hair was much whiter than before, and he looked much older. ¡°Ms. Chu, please head here.¡± The pageboy walking in front made way and let Chu Liuyue enter. Chu Liuyue hurriedly retracted her gaze and followed the pageboy to walk forward. The same crystal cabinets were used for exhibition, but each crystal cabinet had an extra defensive Xuan formation. Just based on this structure alone, it was much more expensive than the ones downstairs. Chu Liuyue looked at the herbs placed inside. They were indeed all valuable and rare items, but what was different from the first floor was that the labels here only had the herbs¡¯ names. They didn¡¯t show their uses or prices. These were obviously provided for the people who knew how to use them and had money. Chu Liuyue walked a few steps and pointed at a green fist-sized fruit. ¡°Take it out, and let me see.¡± Duan Ziyu glanced at the side. Green Spiritual Snake Fruit; it doesn¡¯t look like anything special. But the pageboy¡¯s face changed. As if in shock and also as if in surprise and excitement, he hurriedly wore gloves and took it out. He took it out, but the Green Spiritual Snake Fruit had another crystal barrier Xuan formation layer around it. The defense was very tight. Chu Liuyue looked at it carefully. ¡°This should be around 500 years old, right?¡± ¡°You really have good eyesight! This Green Spiritual Snake Fruit is found from a thousand-year-old Green Spiritual Snake Tree! The entire tree only had a total of three Green Spiritual Snake Fruits, so they are very valuable.¡± The pageboy¡¯s impression of Chu Liuyue changed greatly. This Ms. Chu can actually determine this Green Spiritual Snake Fruit¡¯s age. It seems like she¡¯s not from an ordinary family. Commoners don¡¯t have this kind of eyesight! Chu Liuyue nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I want this then.¡± The pageboy suppressed his inner excitement and said, ¡°This Green Spiritual Snake Fruit costs 5,000 white crystals. Are you sure you want it?¡± Duan Ziyu suddenly raised his head. This green fruit actually costs 5,000 white crystals?! As if detecting his abnormality, Chu Liuyue turned around and asked concernedly, ¡°Officer Duan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Duan Ziyu forced a smile and said, ¡°N-nothing much¡­¡± As if she suddenly understood something, Chu Liuyue softly asked, ¡°Ah, was the item I picked too expensive?¡± Duan Ziyu was speechless. Is there a need to say such obvious things? Although Master said to take good care of Ms. Chu, if this carries on¡­ Master will definitely spend a lot of money! But how can I go back on the words I said? Duan Ziyu forced a smile and said, ¡°No, please don¡¯t overthink. I¡¯m just a boor, and I don¡¯t really recognize these herbs, so I didn¡¯t think it would be so expensive and was shocked temporarily.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. I was still worried that I was doing something wrong.¡± Duan Ziyu had difficulties but couldn¡¯t voice them out. He looked calm, but in actual fact, his mind was already crazily thinking of all sorts of reasons to explain this matter to Master. Chu Liuyue continued walking forward. This hall was very big, and there were many herbs. Chu Liuyue fancied many things. She walked past many things and had only walked through one-third of the place, but she had picked quite a few items. The pageboy followed her from behind and secretly thought that this person really had good eyesight as she picked all the most expensive ones. ¡°Ms. Chu, according to what you¡¯ve previously fancied, you¡¯ve already exceeded 10,000 white crystals. Your gold card has automatically upgraded to become a platinum card. Other than those on the third floor, you get to enjoy a 15% discount for everything else in Hundred Herbs Building.¡± Chu Liuyue heard this and suddenly stood still in front of an eight-colored ice crystal. ¡°Add this too.¡± The pageboy was already used to Chu Liuyue¡¯s generosity as he directly smiled and said, ¡°This eight-colored ice crystal is taken from the deep seas, and it¡¯s very cold, so it¡¯s worth 7,000 white crystals.¡± Duan Ziyu¡¯s steps became shaky. Qiang Wanzhou stood beside Chu Liuyue, slightly knitted his brows, and softly asked, ¡°The harsh, sinister air inside my body¡­ shouldn¡¯t need this, right?¡± ¡°Who said that this is for you?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°I just saw that it looked nice, so I want to buy and look at it.¡± Chapter 500 - The Wealthy Speaks Loudly Since Mu Qinghe has already spoken, I naturally can¡¯t let his goodwill down. In her previous life, she had helped Mu Qinghe a lot. Hence, she deserved to get some of it back in her current life. After Qiang Wanzhou heard this, he nodded in understanding. He had no concept of money and very rarely interacted with others. What Duan Ziyu previously said should mean that Chu Liuyue can buy whatever she wants. Thus, there naturally won¡¯t be a problem if she buys these. ¡°Oh, right. Go over there and take a look. You can just buy whatever you like,¡± said Chu Liuyue to Qiang Wanzhou as she smiled happily. Qiang Wanzhou had no interest in these, but since he was already Chu Liuyue¡¯s servant, he had to listen to her orders. He acknowledged her words, and his gaze scanned across the crystal cabinets. However, he was still within three steps of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°You can go over there and see for yourself.¡± But Qiang Wanzhou shook his head. Chu Liuyue thought of how stubborn this kid was, and her lips curved up. ¡°I¡¯ll help you pick some then.¡± Qiang Wanzhou silently nodded again. When he listened to her, he always looked especially cute and obedient. Chu Liuyue restrained the urge to ruffle his hair as she continued walking forward. Duan Ziyu dragged his body and followed her. ¡°Can you really not increase it? This is the best quality red heart jade. I spent a lot of effort on digging it out back then¡­¡± Weichi Song¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw Weichi Song talking to a pageboy. He was holding a small, black jade box in his hands, and his expression looked anxious and poverty-stricken. It turned out that he wasn¡¯t here to buy herbs but to sell herbs. The pageboy looked to be in a difficult position. ¡°Master Weichi, I¡¯m really sorry, but this is the best price we can give.¡± Weichi Song looked disappointed. He hesitated for a while before sighing deeply and pushing the jade box forward. ¡°Forget it. Just this then.¡± The cover to the jade box was open, and Chu Liuyue coincidentally saw the item inside. It was a very intricate jade seal. From outside to inside, it gradually turned from transparent to red. The outside was crystal clear, and the middle was intense and rich without any impurities. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. This seal was Weichi Song¡¯s favorite in the past! When I wanted to play with it last time, sI had to coax him for a long time, which showed how much he valued this seal. However, he actually wants to sell it now?! The pageboy carefully closed the jade box. Weichi Song looked very reluctant. He opened his mouth but did not say anything. The pageboy gave him a card. ¡°There are 10,000 white crystals here. Please keep it well.¡± Weichi Song took that card and unwittingly hesitated before harshly retracting his gaze and turning around to walk away. Chu Liuyue could clearly see the loneliness on his face. When Weichi Song brushed past Chu Liuyue, she could even feel the deep loneliness exuding from his body. She wanted to speak up, but she thought of her own identity and swallowed the words in her throat. When Weichi Song left, she asked in a seemingly unintentional manner, ¡°So Hundred Herbs Building receives herbs as well?¡± The pageboy serving her at the side smiled and said, ¡°Of course. We give the best prices in Xi Ling.¡± It was indeed right for that red heart jade seal to be sold for 10,000 white crystals, but Chu Liuyue was curious as to why Weichi Song had to do this. Seeing his face, he looked very reluctant. Chong Xu Cabinet had quite a high status in Xi Ling. As its Master and a heavenly doctor, Weichi Song never lacked money. Why did he end up in this state? She smiled and looked curious. ¡°That elder juts now¡­ If he could take out such a valuable item, his status mustn¡¯t be ordinary, right?¡± The pageboy didn¡¯t suspect others and thought that Chu Liuyue was just casually asking, so he softly said, ¡°That person is Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Master Weichi.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Since he¡¯s a master, why would he personally come¡­¡± She didn¡¯t say the remaining words, but her meaning was clear. The pageboy sighed. ¡°Sigh, you don¡¯t know, but Chong Xu Cabinet used to be one of the top clans here in Xi Ling City. But now¡­¡± He shook his head and had a sympathetic face. Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°What happened now?¡± The pageboy lowered his voice. ¡°This is all Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s matters, so I¡¯ve only heard about some things and don¡¯t know much. I only know that Chong Xu Cabinet had been robbed empty a year ago and that many of their members were injured or killed. Even Master Weichi was injured, and he hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. Additionally, Master Weichi¡¯s only son met with an accident outside and passed on half a year ago, which dealt him a severe blow. So¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. What kind of person can attack Chong Xu Cabinet like this? Besides, even Brother Weichi Lang is¡­ dead?! It¡¯s no wonder Weichi Song looked so frail. ¡°To this day¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet has become a second-grade clan. It¡¯s also hard for Master Weichi to bitterly support it¡­¡± Chong Xu Cabinet always had a decent reputation in Xi Ling. Its disciples were all heavenly doctors as well, so they had a good relationship with Hundred Herbs Building. Seeing them like this, Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s people were also very emotional. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Chong Xu Cabinet is very strong. Even if they met with a catastrophe, it¡¯s impossible for their status to drop so quickly in a mere year. There must be another reason! Most likely, people had purposely attacked them! After all, I was on very good terms with Weichi Song back then. If Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan intentionally wanted to take revenge, it¡¯s not impossible¡­ Perhaps I really implicated Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ Chu Liuyue felt complicated emotions and didn¡¯t speak for some time. ¡°Ms. Chu? Ms. Chu, are you okay?¡± Upon seeing her like this, the pageboy called her twice. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses. Her expression had already returned to normal, and she slightly smiled. ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that the seal looks decent.¡± Duan Ziyu¡ªwho kept quiet the whole time¡ªhad his eyelids twitch. As expected, Chu Liuyue then walked to the pageboy who had just received the seal and stood in front of the crystal cabinet. The black jade box hadn¡¯t even been put away yet. Chu Liuyue spoke up. ¡°Let me look at it.¡± The two serving pageboys were elated as they hurriedly presented it to her respectfully. Chu Liuyue looked at it for a while. ¡°I want this.¡± ¡°Since Ms. Chu is so decisive, then we¡¯ll sell this treasure to you at its original price.¡± All the people who could be pageboys here were all smart and sensible. This Ms. Chu was Mu Residence¡¯s important guest, and she was very generous with her money. Thus, being on good terms with her was better than anything else. Everyone knew that the Mu Residence was filled with men, but a woman suddenly appeared today, and she was even a beautiful young woman. Perhaps she might¡¯ve shaken Lieutenant Mu¡¯s heart of steel. With this progress, she might even become the Mu Residence¡¯s female owner. Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know what these people were thinking, and it was great that she could buy it at the original price. She picked up that seal, examined it for a moment, and felt something stirring in her heart. ¡°What else did that Master sell here previously?¡± Chapter 501 - Scar Duan Ziyu finally couldn¡¯t help but softly ask, ¡°Ms. Chu, you¡¯re not planning to buy all of Master Weichi¡¯s items, right¡­?¡± Duan Ziyu¡¯s words reminded Chu Liuyue. She suddenly recovered her senses and smiled in shock. ¡°Why would I? I was just thinking that with his status, he must have a lot of treasures. Hence, I just wanted to see them. But it seems like it¡¯s getting late, so I¡¯ll come back another day.¡± Duan Ziyu secretly heaved a sigh of relief. If she continued buying, I really don¡¯t know how I would explain to Master! The two pageboys were slightly disappointed, but her expenditure was already very high today, so they were content. Besides, her backing was the Mu Residence, which had a lot of money to spend. Thus, she definitely could still come in the future. ¡°Sure, Ms. Chu. We¡¯ll immediately wrap up whatever you fancied earlier. Do you want us to send some people to help you carry them, or do you want us to send them to the Mu Residence after you tidy them up?¡± It would be too high-key to bring so many things from Hundred Herbs Building in one go, and it would clearly bring her trouble. Chu Liuyue waved her hands. ¡°You can just send it to the Mu Residence later.¡± ¡°Yes. You spent 103,000 white crystals on the second floor, and in addition to the 4,800 white crystals spent on the first floor, it¡¯s a total of 107,800 white crystals. After a 15% discount, it¡¯ll be 91,006 white crystals. At the same time, your platinum card will be upgraded to a black gold card. You think¡­¡± said the pageboy as he glanced at Duan Ziyu. He clearly wanted him to pay money. Even though he wasn¡¯t spending his own money, Duan Ziyu¡¯s heart still harshly twitched. 90,000 white crystals! Even for Master, this isn¡¯t a small sum! ¡°Since she was upgraded to a black gold card, are there no other discounts?¡± asked Duan Ziyu undefeatedly. A sincere and concerned smile was plastered on the pageboy¡¯s face. ¡°Even though the discount given for the black gold card and the platinum card is the same, it¡¯s different in reality. Those important guests with black gold cards have the right to go up to the third floor. If your expenditure reaches one million white crystals, we¡¯ll specially prepare a room for you on the third floor for your personal use.¡± A hundred thousand white crystals can only give one the chance to go up to the third level, and only one million can get one a private room?! This is too much! Duan Ziyu took a deep breath in and took out a Cosmic Ring. ¡°There are 10,000 white crystals inside, and it¡¯ll be a deposit first. We¡¯ll settle the remaining after you send the items to the Mu Residence.¡± The pageboy respectfully took it with both hands, and his smile was even more enthusiastic. He wasn¡¯t worried that the Mu Residence wouldn¡¯t pay up at all. The Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s sales of many years weren¡¯t even worth this one day¡¯s! With this sum, he would be completely rich! ¡°Ms. Chu, if you need anything in the future, we¡¯ll definitely do our best for you.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Duan Ziyu, smiled, and said, ¡°We still have something on, so we¡¯ll leave first.¡± When they left, all the pageboys on the second floor and first floor clearly already knew that Chu Liuyue had become their very important customer. Hence, they all bowed and bade her farewell in unison. That pageboy accompanied her all the way and respectfully sent the whole group out until the three people¡¯s figures completely disappeared before he returned with a face full of smiles. ¡­ After harshly spending a large sum of Mu Qinghe¡¯s money, Chu Liuyue felt much better. Just as she brought Qiang Wanzhou back to the Mu Residence, she saw Mu Qinghe walking toward her from not far away. It was already evening, and the sky was darkening slightly. But this was one of the earliest that Mu Qinghe had come back over the past few days. She hadn¡¯t seen Mu Qinghe for a while. He had become much skinnier, and he didn¡¯t look very well. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t reveal any strange expression as she bowed to him with a smile. ¡°Greetings, Lieutenant Mu.¡± Mu Qinghe looked intently at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I heard that you won against a beginner stage-five warrior in today¡¯s preliminaries?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind that he knew about this as she smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just luck.¡± ¡°You can be lucky once but not twice,¡± said Mu Qinghe lightly. It seemed like he had already heard of her match with Wu Zhao in Ping Liang Square. Chu Liuyue thought that this person looked busy, yet he knew about everything he should. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve improved again during this period.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up like a crescent moon. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Lieutenant Mu. I receive it with much guilt.¡± Duan Ziyu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. When he heard Chu Liuyue say that she received it with much guilt, his head hurt. Mu Qinghe looked at her and grunted. Her prideful and satisfied expression clearly means that she had won righteously. How does she look guilty at all? ¡°The Wan Zheng Competition will officially begin tomorrow. You should just do your own preparations.¡± Mu Qinghe then turned around and wanted to leave. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, please wait!¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly called him. ¡°I have a friend. He also participated in this Wan Zheng Competition, but he has no place to stay. May I know if we can let him stay at the residence for a while?¡± Mu Qinghe had already noticed Qiang Wanzhou behind her previously, but he didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to make such a request. He inspected Qiang Wanzhou for a while. ¡°Since he¡¯s here to join the Wan Zheng Competition, someone must¡¯ve brought him over. Why doesn¡¯t he have a place to stay?¡± Chu Liuyue quickly and briefly explained the incident, but she made some minor changes to it. She naturally didn¡¯t tell Mu Qinghe that Qiang Wanzhou wanted to find someone called ¡®Yue.¡¯ She just said that Qiang Wanzhou came to Xi Ling alone to find his relative. As he was alone and had no one to depend on, she pitied him and took the initiative to help him. Mu Qinghe directly rejected it. ¡°Other than Black Guards, nobody is allowed to enter the Mu Residence, let alone stay here.¡± Chu Liuyue clasped her fingers. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, you just need to casually tidy up a house in my yard. I guarantee you he won¡¯t stir up any trouble. When the Wan Zheng Competition ends, I¡¯ll naturally send him away.¡± Of course, by then, I won¡¯t be staying here either. Looking at her eager and scheming eyes, Mu Qinghe changed his mind. ¡°If anything happens, you¡¯ll be fully responsible!¡± This was a tacit agreement! Chu Liuyue immediately smiled. ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant Mu.¡± Mu Qinghe glanced at Qiang Wanzhou again and walked into the residence first. That youngster seems to be quite strong¡­ Chu Liuyue then brought Qiang Wanzhou to her own yard. Duan Ziyu quickly left. Without asking, she knew that he definitely went to find Mu Qinghe and tell him about her buying herbs at Hundred Herbs Building. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care at all. If 100,000 white crystals could cause Mu Qinghe to waver, he wouldn¡¯t have the ability to survive until now. She knew how he was, so she generously spent money today. She called Qiang Wanzhou into her house. ¡°Sit down; I¡¯ll take your pulse.¡± Qiang Wanzhou quietly sat at the side and stretched out his hand. His wrist was very white and slightly translucent. One could clearly see the light-green blood vessels, but his hands were very rough, and his palm had a thick layer of scabs. Upon closer look, there were many old scars. Some of them didn¡¯t even recover properly. ¡°Where did you get these cuts from?¡± Chapter 502 - Nonsense Qiang Wanzhou followed her gaze and glanced at his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t quite remember. I¡¯ve always had them.¡± His tone was very calm and nonchalant as if he were talking about something very normal. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was tugged slightly. Heaven knows how much he has suffered to survive in a place like Nan Jiang, but he seems to have normalized it. Chu Liuyue gently placed her fingers on his wrist and injected some force. The moment she looked in, she felt an intense, cold, and harsh air rushing toward her. Her gaze went cold, and she immediately increased her strength. However, the cold, harsh air was very strange and formidable, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s force couldn¡¯t move at all. After a moment, she called out the transparent fire from the Heavenly Square Cauldron and merged it with her force before inserting it in. The effects could be seen immediately. The cold, harsh air seemed to have met with something scary as it rapidly backed away. The blood and muscles¡ªwhich were frozen by the cold, harsh air¡ªthat the transparent fire passed by also seemed to have signs of loosening. Chu Liuyue was elated. She didn¡¯t expect that the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s fire could deal with this thing so easily. Qiang Wanzhou knitted his brows in slight discomfort. Chu Liuyue retracted her force and looked at him carefully. ¡°Are you uncomfortable?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°It seems like something is burning.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. I had clearly already used my force to wrap the transparent fire. Logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t feel so much of a burn, so why is Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s reaction so big? ¡°The cold, harsh air in your body has accumulated too much. If you don¡¯t solve it quickly, your entire person will freeze like a popsicle. Didn¡¯t you also find me for a fire seed because of this?¡± Qiang Wanzhou retracted his hand, and his soft, golden hair dropped, covering his eyes. ¡°I just broke through to become a third-grade heavenly doctor, but I temporarily can¡¯t form a fire seed for you. However, I can help you cultivate your body at the very least. Oh right, how did you get the harsh cold air? How long did you have it for? It seems like¡­ You¡¯ve had it for at least ten years, right?¡± Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other tightly. ¡°It has been like this since I could remember.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡­ Jiang Residence. Jiang Yucheng returned to the residence from the back door and silently went back to his yard and study. When the servants in charge of guarding the study saw that he returned, they all respectfully bowed. Jiang Yucheng pushed open the door to enter and asked at the same time, ¡°Father didn¡¯t come today, right?¡± ¡°Eldest Young Master, Grand Tutor didn¡¯t come today, but Madam did. She left when she heard that you were resting.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded and walked to the chair behind his desk to sit down. ¡°You can continue watching. I just want to rest alone.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The servant carefully closed the door. Jiang Yucheng took off his human mask, leaned against the chair, closed his eyes, and rubbed his brows. However, that young woman¡¯s smile appeared in his mind again. Jiang Yucheng was very frustrated and suddenly stood up. The chair made a harsh and hurried sound as it scratched against the ground. Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows and paced back and forth. He even felt that he was possessed. ¡°Yucheng, what¡¯s wrong?¡± A voice suddenly sounded from behind. Jiang Yucheng was shocked as he turned around. A woman wearing extravagant palace clothes appeared behind him at some point. Her five features were delicate, and her makeup was intricate as she looked like a person from a drawing. Only her pair of eyes would glow with a sinister cold light from time to time, which made people uneasy like a poisonous snake. Jiang Yucheng suppressed his inner frustration, and his face recovered his usual gentleness. ¡°Wan¡¯er, why are you here?¡± Shangguan Wan walked up and leaned into his arms. ¡°I missed you. You haven¡¯t entered the palace for quite a few days, and I was very bored alone.¡± She was a gentle jade, but for some reason, Jiang Yucheng was distracted. He held Shangguan Wan¡¯s shoulders and gently patted them. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I¡¯ll be busy with the Wan Zheng Competition these few days, so I can¡¯t regularly go into the palace to see you. After this ends, I¡¯ll accompany you, okay?¡± Shangguan Wan raised her head to look at him. ¡°Oh right, didn¡¯t you go watch the preliminaries today? How was it?¡± Jiang Yucheng said, ¡°There are a few decent kids. If we develop them properly, they¡¯ll definitely become useful in the future! You¡¯ll be able to see them soon.¡± Shangguan Wan looked happy as she held Jiang Yucheng¡¯s waist and rubbed her face against his chest. She whined, ¡°I knew Yucheng treats me the best!¡± Jiang Yucheng lightly acknowledged it. Shangguan Wan then realized something was wrong with him. ¡°Yucheng, what¡¯s the matter? Are you thinking of something?¡± He rarely showed such an expression. Jiang Yucheng smiled and kissed her brows. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just a little tired today.¡± Shangguan Wan thought that he exhausted himself because of the Wan Zheng Competition during this period, so she didn¡¯t ask much about it. However, her arrival was exchanged with Jiang Yucheng¡¯s nonchalant reaction, which made her very unhappy. She let go of Jiang Yucheng, moved a few steps back, and looked cold. ¡°Then, you should rest well. I¡¯ll get going first.¡± How could Jiang Yucheng not tell that she was throwing a tantrum? ¡°Fine, fine. Wan¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry. Why don¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s been going on in the palace recently? His Majesty could use medicine a while back, right? How is it? Is he going to wake up soon?¡± Shangguan Wan frowned. ¡°How do I know? I didn¡¯t go see him.¡± Jiang Yucheng was dazed. ¡°You didn¡¯t see him? Didn¡¯t I tell you previously that you must always watch His Majesty¡¯s situation? You¡ª¡± ¡°Jiang Yucheng, are you commanding me?! There¡¯s someone watching Father all the time. I just didn¡¯t feel like going these two days. Was there a need for you to do this? I came out to find you with much difficulty today, yet this is how you treat me?¡± Shangguan Wan was anxious. Jiang Yucheng harshly rubbed his face, forcefully suppressed his anger, and patiently advised, ¡°Wan¡¯er, it¡¯s not that I need you to do anything, but this is a special period. You know that too. To wake His Majesty up, we¡¯ve tried countless methods. Now that we finally see a sign, you must do your job properly! If something crops up¡ª¡± ¡°What can crop up?¡± Shangguan Wan sneered. ¡°Everyone in the palace listens to us now. After Father wakes up, he¡¯ll only know what he should know. What exactly are you worried about? Could it be that you¡¯re scared that b*tch will suddenly revive and take revenge against us?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face drastically changed. Shangguan Wan is always like this. She always has to cause a commotion for nothing. If not, she¡¯ll be very uncomfortable. This is especially so after her Yuan meridian was damaged, and she couldn¡¯t cultivate. Her temper totally changed, and she only thinks of herself all day long. She doesn¡¯t even think of the big picture! He usually had the patience to coax her, but he really wasn¡¯t in the mood today. Besides, her last sentence made his heart skip a beat. He angrily yelled, ¡°What nonsense are you saying?!¡± Chapter 503 - Cosmic Ring Shangguan Wan was shocked. Jiang Yucheng has never lost his temper at me like this before! She got upset. ¡°Who are you saying is spouting nonsense?! Jiang Yucheng, do you know who you¡¯re talking to?!¡± It was only then that Jiang Yucheng came to his senses. He turned and took a few deep breaths before he calmed down. ¡°Wan¡¯er, I didn¡¯t mean to criticize you. You know about the number of things that have been going on recently. If we¡¯re not careful¡­ We¡¯ve waited so long for this. Wouldn¡¯t it be a shame if we lost all our progress now?¡± He walked over to Shangguan Wan, intending to wrap his arms around her. ¡°We finally got today¡­¡± ¡°Jiang Yucheng, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little fake for you to say something like this now?¡± Shangguan Wan slapped his hand away and laughed coldly. I saw the look of disdain on his face earlier! ¡°Are you looking down on me because my Yuan meridian has been destroyed? I¡¯m telling you, there are plenty of people who want to take your place. Don¡¯t push it!¡± Shangguan Wan held power in her hands. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t afraid of Jiang Yucheng. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes changed colors as he mocked her quietly to himself. Shangguan Wan still hasn¡¯t wrapped her head around what she has been relying on after her Yuan meridian was destroyed! If it weren¡¯t for¡­ Jiang Yucheng said gently, ¡°Wan¡¯er, you¡¯re overthinking it. I¡¯m doing all this for you! I¡¯ve liked you for so many years. Don¡¯t you know how I feel about you?¡± Shangguan Wan only calmed down a little after that. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course! I was spouting nonsense because I was so worried just now. You know how much I hate that woman. You brought her up so suddenly, of course, I¡­ Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± His words finally struck the right chord in Shangguan Wan, and she scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s good. I hate her too.¡± Jiang Yucheng wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°Let¡¯s not bring this up anymore in the future, okay? When His Majesty regains consciousness, we¡¯ll get married.¡± Shangguan Wan only let the matter pass then. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to be this fierce to me in the future.¡± Jiang Yucheng smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± However, an ice-cold look flashed across his eyes. ¡­ Mu Residence. ¡°T-then, how did you survive so many years?¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned by Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s words. He shouldn¡¯t have survived until now if he has had it since birth. Qiang Wanzhou spoke. ¡°There used to be a fire seed in my body, but it was suddenly extinguished. Hence, I left Nan Jiang and came to Xi Ling.¡± ¡°That person gave you the fire seed in your body as well?¡± Chu Liuyue guessed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You guys should¡¯ve known each other for a long time, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a moment. There are only two reasons why a fire seed can suddenly be extinguished. The first being that the cultivator destroyed it themselves. The second is that the heavenly doctor that formed it had died. If it¡¯s the former, there should¡¯ve been signs of burn marks inside Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body. However, I checked earlier and didn¡¯t find anything. That means¡­ the person he¡¯s looking for is likely dead. Knock, knock¡­ There was a knock on the door. ¡°Ms. Chu, the things you wanted from Hundred Herbs Building have arrived.¡± It was Duan Ziyu. Chu Liuyue stood up and went to open the door. Duan Ziyu was directing people to move the items, which were piling up like a mountain. Chu Liuyue glanced at him and realized that he had regained his composure. She walked over and checked everything. ¡°That¡¯s everything.¡± After everyone left, she began picking out some of the items and placed them into her Cosmic Bag. Just then, Duan Ziyu walked over and presented something to her with both arms. ¡°Ms. Chu, Lieutenant was worried that it would be difficult for you to carry the things that you have bought. He prepared a Cosmic Ring just for you; this will save you a lot of trouble.¡± Chu Liuyue looked over and indeed saw a silver Cosmic Ring in his hands. ¡°Did Lieutenant Mu really say that?¡± She looked at Duan Ziyu with a wry smile. ¡°Yes,¡± said Duan Ziyu without batting an eyelid. Truth be told, his original words were: Let her buy! Why doesn¡¯t she just fill up this Cosmic Ring while she¡¯s at it! Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. Since they offered, there¡¯s no reason for me not to take it. Besides, Mu Qinghe owes me more than 100,000 white crystals. She picked the Cosmic Ring up without guilt and inserted a sliver of her force. The ring flashed, indicating that it had recognized her as its master. Chu Liuyue took a closer look and found that it was really spacious inside. A Cosmic Ring is much tougher to refine than a Cosmic Bag. It¡¯s also more spacious and more expensive. Just a Cosmic Ring alone is worth several thousand white crystals, but that¡¯s nothing compared to what I spent earlier. Since Mu Qinghe isn¡¯t bothered by it, there¡¯s no reason for me to be bothered by it. ¡°Is Lieutenant Mu busy now? I would like to thank him personally,¡± Chu Liuyue said sincerely. Duan Ziyu coughed. ¡°Lieutenant said that you still have to take part in the Wan Zheng Competition tomorrow, so you should get some rest. Don¡¯t worry about the other things.¡± Mu Qinghe probably doesn¡¯t feel like seeing me now¡­ Chu Liuyue stroked her nose. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please convey my thanks on my behalf, Officer Duan.¡± Duan Ziyu nodded. Chu Liuyue returned to her room after she had placed all the herbs into her Cosmic Ring. Qiang Wanzhou was still seated there while waiting for her. Chu Liuyue pulled out a cauldron and laid out all the herbs that she needed on the side. She then placed her head at the cauldron¡¯s opening, and a ball of red fire began burning in the cauldron. She took out the Green Spiritual Snake Fruit and tossed it in. A refreshing scent filled the room. The tongue of the flames flickered around the Green Spiritual Snake Fruit, and the fruit turned red. The fruit¡¯s flesh slowly turned transparent. By the end, the fruit looked like it was made of water and encased in a red fruit peel. At a certain juncture, the fruit burst open, and its juices flowed out. At the same time, Chu Liuyue added in the silver frost flower. The transparent fruit juice dripped onto the silver frost flower, melting the frost on its blue petals. The blue petals then turned into a small blue flame! Heat emanated from it! Duan Ziyu¡ªwho was standing outside¡ªwas a little surprised when he smelled the herbs. He knew that Chu Liuyue was a heavenly doctor, but he had assumed that she wasn¡¯t a very strong one. On the one hand, not many people with a Dijing Yuan meridian were outstanding heavenly doctors. On the other hand, she had a common background, and it took lots of resources to raise an outstanding heavenly doctor. He didn¡¯t think much of it when Chu Liuyue was buying the herbs. After all, the rarer the herbs, the tougher they were to cultivate successfully. But it seems like¡­ Chu Liuyue is stronger than I had imagined? Chapter 504 - You’re Crazy Duan Ziyu pondered for a moment before he left. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Qiang Wanzhou said coldly. Chu Liuyue smiled as she took out new herbs and threw them into the cauldron. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You were putting on a show for him,¡± Qiang Wanzhou said affirmatively. ¡°Yeah. I spent so much of Lieutenant Mu¡¯s money, so he¡¯s got to have a taste of it, no?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. Besides, Mu Qinghe already knew that I could refine pills. Nobody will say anything even if I put on this show. Qiang Wanzhou stared at her for a moment before he asked, ¡°Did he offend you?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stop. She separated the flames in the cauldron into different sections for individual refinement. After all the herbs had been extracted, she inserted another burst of fire into it! Hong! The flames in the cauldron rose dramatically as they melded all the herbs together. Chu Liuyue began trying to form a pill. As she stared at the pill that was beginning to form, she asked plainly, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Qiang Wanzhou sensed that Chu Liuyue seemed a little unhappy. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. Even though Qiang Wanzhou isn¡¯t well-versed in human interaction, he is extremely smart and sensitive. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just a small grudge.¡± Qiang Wanzhou sensed otherwise, but he didn¡¯t say anything more. Time passed bit by bit. Neither spoke. Amidst the room¡¯s quietness, the sound of burning herbs became exceptionally clear. At midnight, the pill was finally formed! Buzz! A ripple spread from her pearl of essence! Chu Liuyue was elated. I was a little worried that it wouldn¡¯t work, but thankfully, my ability has drastically increased after I broke through to the third stage. This made forming a pill much easier. For others, there were many things to learn if they wanted to level up as heavenly doctors. But that wasn¡¯t the case for her. In her previous life, she was already a stage-eight heavenly doctor. Even now, the methods and prescriptions were still in her head. As long as her force kept upgrading, she could successfully level up as a heavenly doctor! Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and the pill flew into her palms. The pill was green, and three red stripes could vaguely be seen on it. Chu Liuyue nodded contentedly as she handed the pill over to Qiang Wanzhou before she placed her hand back onto the cauldron! After a while, another identical pill appeared in the red flames! Buzz! A familiar ripple was felt. Chu Liuyue focused her thoughts, and the pill flew toward Qiang Wanzhou! Qiang Wanzhou eyed the two pills and looked toward Chu Liuyue. Most heavenly doctors can only refine one pill at a time, but Chu Liuyue is able to refine so many of them simultaneously¡­ He was beginning to suspect that Chu Liuyue was lying when she said that she couldn¡¯t refine fire seeds. Buzz! The third pill was refined successfully! Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and the pill landed in her palms. It was only then that she extinguished the flames in the cauldron. She smiled when she saw the look of suspicion on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you; I really can¡¯t refine any fire seeds. The only reason I¡¯m able to refine these three pills is that the herbs are of good quality. Besides, the cold aura in your body has existed for many years. If we begin with overly aggressive medicine, it¡¯ll only harm you. Take one of the pills every ten days; take it slow.¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded and took one of the pills. After the pill had dissolved, a warm sensation spread across his body. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s eyes lit up. Chu Liuyue packed the remaining two pills for him. ¡°Go back and rest well. I might need your help after the competition.¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded seriously. ¡°I¡¯m your attendant. This is all part of my job. Chu Liuyue smiled. She didn¡¯t argue with him and let him leave. After Qiang Wanzhou left, she crossed her legs and began to meditate. After the battle with Zhao Yunzhi today, she clearly felt that the force in her body was much stronger. It also seemed to be much closer to breaking through to the fourth stage. ¡­ It was a breezy, quiet night. But it was anything but peaceful in a certain room at the Xiahou Residence. Xiahou Rong looked at his second son¡ªwho was standing before him¡ªwith a frown. ¡°Tingan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Didn¡¯t I tell you to get along with Jiang Yuzhi? We¡¯re talking about marriage already, but you¡¯ve made her mad now! What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± Xiahou Tingan was frustrated too. ¡°What happened today really wasn¡¯t my fault.¡± He then recounted everything that had happened inside Hundred Herbs Building today. He was still angry whenever he recalled Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s behavior. ¡°This is a slippery slope. If I had agreed to it today, she would only get worse from then on. She might even squander all our money away!¡± He tried liking Jiang Yuzhi. After all, she was pretty and of high birth. However, her personality¡­ He could not take it! Xiahou Rong turned the metal balls in his hands before he spoke. ¡°She¡¯s a little spoiled, but that¡¯s because she has a good father and a good brother! So many people want to connect with the Jiang family now. What¡¯s wrong with putting up with it?! How about this? If it involves Jiang Yuzhi in the future, it can go through a different account. Nobody else in the residence needs to know.¡± Xiahou Tingan immediately rebutted him. ¡°We¡¯re not even engaged, and she¡¯s behaving like this. Who knows what she¡¯ll be like after we¡¯re engaged! I think we might as well not go through with the engagement!¡± Pak! Xiahou Rong slammed his hand on the table. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Chapter 505 - Tianling God Realm Xiahou Tingan shuddered and subconsciously moved backward. Xiahou Rong angrily said, ¡°What did I tell you for the past one year? Did you forget all of it? Jiang Yucheng only has this one sister, and if you make her happy, what can you not have? You¡¯re about to be engaged to her, yet you want to give up at this point? You need to know that she¡¯s more than worthy of you with her current status. If you don¡¯t want to serve her, there will be tons of people fighting to do so!¡± It wasn¡¯t that Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t know this. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have tolerated Jiang Yuzhi for so long. But as time passed by, he became increasingly resistant toward this issue. From a young age, Jiang Yuzhi had always been arrogant. Ever since Jiang Yucheng climbed to his current position, she used this identity and became worse. Today¡¯s incident at Hundred Herbs Building was just a sneak peek into what she was like. He really didn¡¯t want to look at Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s arrogant and willful face again. Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t say anything, and Xiahou Rong was afraid that he might really escalate things to an unsalvageable state if he was harsh. Hence, Xiahou Rong used a softer tone and said in a nagging manner, ¡°A true man knows when to give in and when to be firm. If you can stabilize Jiang Yuzhi, your success will be a matter of when. You should also know that I think most highly of you out of all your brothers. In the future, the family business will be left to you sooner or later. You mustn¡¯t let me worry¡­¡± This sentence finally tempted Xiahou Tingan. All his brothers had their own strengths. Actually, he wasn¡¯t the most outstanding one. His biggest trump card was the one behind Jiang Yuzhi, Jiang Yucheng. Even though he hadn¡¯t held his marriage with the Third Princess, everyone knew that Jiang Yucheng could cover the sky with one hand in the Tianling Dynasty. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go to the Jiang Residence and apologize tomorrow,¡± said Xiahou Tingan unhappily. Xiahou Rong then heaved a sigh of relief as his wrinkles relaxed. He walked in front and patted Xiahou Tingan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s right! I didn¡¯t dote on you for nothing!¡± Xiahou Tingan forced a smile. ¡­ The next morning, Chu Liuyue brought Qiang Wanzhou to Xuan Ji Square, and Duan Ziyu naturally accompanied them. Compared to the previous day, even more people came, and the square was much livelier. Elder Duanmu Chun and Elder Qiuxi were already waiting in the middle of the square. Other than the two of them, there were another six elders wearing the same white robe standing beside them. The eight of them stood in pairs and at every direction of the square. An empty place was left in the middle. The competitors who had won the previous day all gathered together respectively and stood at the edge of the square. Chu Liuyue rapidly scanned the surroundings and knitted her brows. What exactly is with the Wan Zheng Competition? This time, eight elders from the royal family actually came¡­ It¡¯s rare to see an event of such scale! The appointed time quickly arrived. Elder Qiuxi and the rest looked at each other and nodded. Then, the few of them acted at the same time. The next moment, the eight bulky forces gathered together. A ripple appeared in the empty space as the eight forces intertwined and formed a vortex. In the vortex¡¯s depths, a transparent, octagonal barrier gradually appeared. A strange pattern seemingly appeared in the middle of the barrier. The strong and holy suppression suddenly expanded from the barrier. Chu Liuyue felt a pang in her heart. This suppression¡ª ¡°As everyone can see, this is a barrier. However, it is also a special transportation formation!¡± Elder Qiuxi looked at the transparent, octagonal barrier, and his expression was of rare agitation. ¡°This transportation formation¡¯s destination is the Tianling God Realm!¡± After a temporary silence, the entire square burst into commotion. ¡°Tianling God Realm? Is that where the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was cremated?¡± ¡°I heard that the ancestor had summoned the Heavenly Dao back then and wanted to break through and become a stage-nine warrior. But due to various reasons, he failed in the end. However, that Heavenly Dao was left behind, and the mystic realm was known as the Tianling God Realm ever since!¡± ¡°But I thought only the people in the royal family could enter that place? Why¡­¡± Elder Qiuxi pressed his hands down, and after waiting for the sounds of discussion to soften, he spoke in a way that couldn¡¯t conceal his own excitement. ¡°It seems like everyone knows a bit about the Tianling God Realm. That¡¯s right; in the past, only the people with the royal family¡¯s bloodline could enter the Tianling God Realm. But after much consideration, the Third Princess decided to open up the Tianling God Realm to the public and let more cultivators have the chance to become strong warriors as it is a better choice! So this time, the Wan Zheng Competition will be held in the Tianling God Realm!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned icy cold, and she tightly clenched her fists in her sleeves until her knuckles turned white. The Tianling God Realm was left behind by our ancestor, yet Shangguan Wan dared to use it selfishly. This is a great disrespect to him! Even I haven¡¯t entered that place before. I had originally planned to go after I became a stage-nine warrior, but before I could, I was already set up by Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng. I never expected that Shangguan Wan was crazy to this extent. The words that Elder Qiuxi previously said are all superficial reasons. The Tianling God Realm has many dangerous traps, and people with low cultivation levels will only die inside. Only Shangguan Wan would know what she wants to do herself. No, there is also Jiang Yucheng! Chu Liuyue was enraged, but the other people clearly didn¡¯t think the same way. ¡°Tianling God Realm! It¡¯s actually the Tianling God Realm! If I can go in once, I won¡¯t have any regrets for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°I heard that the ancestor had left quite a few treasures in there back then. Perhaps we might meet with some destiny inside!¡± ¡°The Third Princess is really generous to open up the Tianling God Realm to us. Such kind-heartedness can¡¯t compare to anyone else¡­¡± The surrounding competitors were beyond excited. All of them were talents with a Dijing Yuan meridian, so they had extreme confidence in themselves. This wasn¡¯t an exception. Besides, who didn¡¯t want to become stronger? With this chance, they would naturally grab it and refuse to let go. Elder Qiuxi continued, ¡°There¡¯s still no time limit for this competition. Whoever can stay inside for the longest can take first place!¡± The crowd glanced at each other. This competition rule is a bit strange¡­ As if seeing the crowd¡¯s doubts, Elder Qiuxi explained, ¡°The Tianling God Realm¡¯s Heavenly Dao suppression is very strong. Only the people with the best talent and capabilities can endure this power, so whoever can stay inside longer will definitely benefit more in terms of their cultivation.¡± The crowd respectively nodded in understanding as all of their eyes lit up. They couldn¡¯t wait to go inside right away. Elder Qiuxi raised his hand and pointed at the black marble board in midair. ¡°This has all your names down. For every person that comes out, your name will automatically disappear from it. The last name that is left behind will be the biggest winner!¡± This sentence made people emotional. Chu Liuyue watched coldly from the side. If I could, I want to halt this strange competition immediately. However, I know that I can¡¯t. I can only continue with the competition now and personally witness what exactly they are planning to do. Chapter 506 - Yin Yang Sky ¡°Everyone, line up according to the order. You¡¯ll enter one by one,¡± commanded Elder Qiuxi, and people immediately went forward. The first youngster walked to the front of the octagonal barrier and couldn¡¯t contain his emotions as he reached out. The moment he touched the barrier, a silver glow of light flashed across it and covered his entire body. Very quickly, his figure disappeared before the crowd. The second person quickly followed behind him. Qiang Wanzhou suddenly said, ¡°I can¡¯t follow you anymore.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him and slightly nodded. ¡°I¡¯m 53, and you¡¯re 92, so there¡¯s quite a gap between us. After we go in, there¡¯s a high chance we won¡¯t be together.¡± Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other tightly. ¡°I will find you.¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed, and her lips curved up. Just as she was about to say something, she heard him say, ¡°Before I find you, our contract temporarily doesn¡¯t count.¡± Chu Liuyue then understood what he meant. He was saying: Whenever he couldn¡¯t fulfill his duty as her servant, their agreement would be delayed for a day. ¡°Actually, this is nothing much. If we can meet, it¡¯ll be great. But if we can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°I will definitely find you,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou stubbornly. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. Sometimes, this child¡¯s stubbornness is pretty interesting¡­ Very quickly, it was Chu Liuyue¡¯s turn, and she walked over. When she went near it, the pattern on the barrier became even clearer. This was the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s totem¡ªa dragon¡¯s head and a lion¡¯s body. It contorted and looked high and mighty. Above its head was a sharp sword. This pattern was also printed on the Black Guard¡¯s flag. Rumors had it that the ancestor had personally drawn it back then, and many people had different interpretations of this totem. The most well-known explanation was that the ancestor held a sharp knife back then and slashed a dragon¡¯s head, so he became famous for that. Thus, he drew such a totem in the end. However, nobody could confirm the truth. Chu Liuyue had once flipped through all the historical records of the Tianling Dynasty, but the ancestor didn¡¯t talk much about this totem. Back then, she had once looked forward to entering the Tianling God Realm very much. As the second person with a Tianjing Yuan meridian after 1,000-plus years of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s history, not only everyone in the world, but she also had much confidence and hope for herself. In the royal family, many people had entered the Tianling God Realm before and wanted to receive the ancestor¡¯s heirloom, but they all failed in the end. Chu Liuyue had once thought that she could do it, but she didn¡¯t expect that she would use another identity when she truly entered the Tianling God Realm. She took a deep breath in and stretched her hand toward the barrier. A slightly cold feeling was felt, and the white light before her flashed as she was immediately pulled in by some strength. ¡­ After temporary dizziness, Chu Liuyue finally felt her feet land on concrete ground. She focused on her front and was instantly stunned by the scene. This was a gigantic, boundless space. The sky seemed to be split in the middle by something. One half of it was filled with purplish-orange clouds, and the sky was dark like the night. With a bright moon hanging in the air, the cold air blew lightly. When she looked over, she saw transparent water vapor that covered everything in the sky and reflected it completely. On the other end was a place without a cloud in sight for thousands of miles, and it was very bright. The sun exuded a harsh light, and it shone on the dry ground. One glance at it, and one could see that there were no flora and fauna. Everything was wilted. At this point, she was standing in the middle of the separation. She looked down. The water on her left flowed quietly, but it seemed as though an invisible barrier blocked it as it couldn¡¯t cross over. On her right was a desert-like floor as spiderweb-like cracks spread all over the ground. Together with the wind that had coarse bits of sand in it, it would always turn around when it hit the barrier. It was as if everything on the two sides would never interact and were forever separated. Seeing this, Chu Liuyue was shocked. I didn¡¯t expect the Tianling God Realm to be like this¡­ She surveyed her surroundings, but she didn¡¯t see the people who entered before her. As expected, we¡¯re separated¡­ Chu Liuyue stood at her original spot for quite some time. It seems like I have to make a choice. She turned around and walked to the left. One foot stepped into the water, and a circular ripple was formed as the clear water passed through the bottom of her shoes. She paused for a while. After ensuring that the water level didn¡¯t slowly rise and that there were no other strange feelings, she continued walking forward. But the moment she took a few steps, she noticed that the surrounding cold air was chilling to the bone and that her bodily force started spreading to the outside unwittingly. Chu Liuyue hurriedly gathered her force, but she realized that she couldn¡¯t stop this phenomenon. Her body was like a container that had a crack as all the force contained within started flowing out slowly and continuously. However, she didn¡¯t know what the problem was! Chu Liuyue backed away without hesitation! She glanced at the boundless water with lingering fears. She could even see the bright moon reflected in it, but she no longer had the mood to admire the scenery as she was scarred. She stood in the middle once again. Then, she walked toward the right. The moment she stepped on the dry ground, a sweltering heatwave attacked her. Luckily, Chu Liuyue was a heavenly doctor, so she had a high tolerance for heat. She felt slightly assured as she continued walking forward. Not long later, her forehead was covered in sweat, and her throat was very dry. While walking under the scorching sunlight, her entire body felt like it was being barbecued. Chu Liuyue coughed, and she felt that her throat was about to start burning. Just as she was wondering if she should summon her bodily fire to fight this scorching heat, she suddenly felt something slowly seep into her body through her skin. She immediately knitted her brows and then realized that the thing that went in wasn¡¯t anything else but thick and rich force. The Heaven and Earth Force here wasn¡¯t rich, but it seemed to be controlled by something as it kept entering her body. ¡°This is really the Tianling God Realm! It¡¯s the best place for one to cultivate!¡± At this point, a cheer could be heard from afar. Chu Liuyue looked up. It was a young man who had appeared here at some point. His clothes were already drenched by his sweat, and his forehead was covered by beads of sweat as his cheeks flushed red. However, he didn¡¯t care at all as he walked forward continuously. He had obviously been here for a period of time. His face was filled with excitement as if he had activated a precious treasure. Chu Liuyue sensitively discovered that his bodily aura was rapidly increasing. The Heaven and Earth Force entered his body at a much higher rate than hers. Chu Liuyue felt uneasy. An average cultivator¡¯s physical body has a limited tolerance. If one absorbs more Heaven and Earth Force than they can handle, then¡­ It will only cause them harm and no good! In more serious cases, it might even cause permanent damage to one¡¯s body. They might even explode and die. Just as this thought popped up in her mind, Chu Liuyue saw that the young man suddenly staggered backward as his face flushed red, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Chapter 507 - What’s Your Relationship? This man was also shocked as he finally realized something was wrong at the same time. He wanted to stop that force from continuously entering his body, but he shockingly discovered that he couldn¡¯t control oy. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force still entered his body crazily. His entire body was burning, and his face was blood red. The force in his body toppled, and he continuously spat out two mouthfuls of blood. He hurriedly and clumsily wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth, but he saw that his sleeves were already drenched in blood from the corner of his eye. That¡¯s¡­ the blood from my arm! He hurriedly rolled up his sleeve and saw that his elbow had a very long bloody opening that appeared at some point. Fresh blood was oozing out of it, and it quickly drenched his sleeves. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on¡­¡± muttered the man softly, and his face had a horrified expression. Then, he suddenly realized something and turned around to run. He wanted to return to the middle, but before he could run much, he collapsed onto the ground. He struggled to stand up, but he left messy bloodstains on the ground. The violent force had started to rip apart the other parts of his body. The man was quite a distance away from the middle of the two skies. Based on his strength alone, it was very difficult for him to get back in time. Then, he surveyed his surroundings and finally saw Chu Liuyue. ¡°P-please¡­ please help me¡­¡± He called for help anxiously and weakly. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and continued to walk forward. She didn¡¯t have much sympathy, especially toward those who were very greedy. Since he dared to join this Wan Zheng Competition, he should¡¯ve made appropriate preparations. He can only blame himself for reaching this state. ¡°Help m-me¡­ I can repay you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even turn around. That miserable cry for help gradually became vulgar scoldings. However, the voice quickly turned into cheers of surprise. ¡°¡­T-thank you! I really don¡¯t¡­ know how to thank you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue turned and glanced. A woman in white walked to that man and helped him up. She gently said, ¡°Are you okay? Can you walk?¡± That man said gratefully, ¡°I-I¡­ May I trouble you to help me back¡­ I c-can¡¯t stay here¡­¡± As he spoke, he bled even more. That woman smiled gently. ¡°Sure.¡± Then, she suddenly whipped out some rope from her sleeves and tied that man up. She had just arrived here and was much stronger than that man. Besides, the man wasn¡¯t alert at all and was easily tied up by her. ¡°Wh-what do you want?!¡± He yelled harshly when he realized something was wrong. However, that woman moved her wrist and slammed that man against the ground. Bang! A low sound was heard. The back of that man¡¯s head slammed against the ground heavily. He was in so much pain that his entire face paled. That woman still looked very elegant and magnanimous. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to help you? I¡¯ll help you.¡± She then used the rope and dragged that man inside. A long bloodstain was drawn on the ground. That man never expected that this lady¡ªwho looked kind¡ªwas actually so vicious. He wanted to scold her, but he realized that his mouth was filled with blood and that he couldn¡¯t utter a single word. It was as if something was stuck in his throat. He could only make out a few sounds before the commotion gradually died down. After being dragged for a distance, he finally fainted. That woman stopped, walked forward, and planned to check his breathing. The green copper pearl on that man¡¯s hand suddenly glowed and wrapped him up. That woman hurriedly moved backward. After the glow disappeared, that man¡¯s figure disappeared as well. Only his bloodstains that hadn¡¯t dried up were left on the ground, which was proof of what had happened here earlier. ¡°Count yourself lucky!¡± said that woman indignantly. Even though I couldn¡¯t kill him, at least he was chased out of the competition. Each one eliminated counts! She turned around and saw Chu Liuyue. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. Panic rapidly flashed across that woman¡¯s eyes. I completely didn¡¯t notice this person before. Did she see everything previously? Chu Liuyue sized her up from head to toe. Given her way of dressing, she seems like she¡¯s from Xuan Feng Hall. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. Her scheming and cunning temper is really inheritable! Xuan Feng Hall¡¯s master was very harsh and had fought with her openly and secretly many times. Now, she actually met someone from there again. Besides, this woman¡¯s face looks familiar¡­ That woman¡¯s expression changed rapidly as she welcomed Chu Liuyue¡¯s scrutiny. She smiled and said, ¡°I recognize you. You¡¯re Chu Liuyue, right?¡± Chu Liuyue had only arrived at Xi Ling for two or three days, yet she was already very famous. She wasn¡¯t shocked that this woman recognized her. She nodded and asked in return, ¡°You are?¡± She said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m Ning Jiaojiao.¡± Chu Liuyue finally realized something as she recalled this person¡¯s identity: Xuan Feng Hall¡¯s master¡ªNing Binghai¡¯s only daughter, Ning Jiaojiao! She actually came?! Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. Ning Jiaojiao could only be considered as pretty, so she was easily neglected in the crowd. Besides, even though her talent was decent, all those that entered the Wan Zheng Competition were outstanding geniuses. She also didn¡¯t perform very well in the previous day¡¯s preliminaries, so Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice her. Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak, Ning Jiaojiao felt guilty. ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to bring him out, b-but¡­¡± She wanted to find a reason, but she didn¡¯t know how much Chu Liuyue had seen. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Arent there only the two of us here?¡± Ning Jiaojiao was dazed and then smiled. ¡°Right, right!¡± Chu Liuyue never liked causing trouble for herself, so she swiftly pulled herself out of the situation. Ning Jiaojiao clearly heaved a sigh of relief. Chu Liuyue spoke. ¡°I have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Then, she turned around and wanted to leave. ¡°Hold on!¡± Ning Jiaojiao suddenly called Chu Liuyue back. Chu Liuyue looked at her. ¡°Ms. Ning, do you still have something else to say?¡± Ning Jiaojiao had already recovered her usual gentle and magnanimous expression. While she walked forward, she said, ¡°Ms. Chu, don¡¯t you find that this place is very strange?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I guess.¡± Chu Liuyue looked around. She really didn¡¯t expect her ancestor to leave such a place behind. But after the initial shock, she felt relieved when she recalled how her ancestor had ruled the heavens and achieved so much on the battlefields. The smile on Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s face froze. ¡®It¡¯s okay, I guess?¡¯ What does this mean? Is she saying that I¡¯m inexperienced, or does she not want to talk to me? Ning Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t accept either of the two. She suppressed her inner anger and smiled slightly. ¡°Ms. Chu, look, this place is deserted and quiet, and there are strange things everywhere. Why don¡¯t we form an alliance?¡± Chu Liuyue nonchalantly looked at her. Does Ning Jiaojiao think that everyone in the world doesn¡¯t have a brain? ¡°No need. I still need to find someone, so we can¡¯t go together.¡± Chu Liuyue then wanted to turn around to leave. Ning Jiaojiao paused and said, ¡°Since this is so, I have a casual question to ask. What relationship do you have with Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Jian Fengchi?¡± Chapter 508 - Long Yuan Sword ¡°I¡¯m not related to Young Master Jian,¡± said Chu Liuyue frankly. However, Ning Jiaojiao didn¡¯t quite believe her as she smiled and said, ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t Young Master Jian bring you to join the Wan Zheng Competition?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her. It turns out that Ning Jiaojiao had long checked my information and that she is purposely questioning me. But it¡¯s very obvious that her checks weren¡¯t so good since the one that¡¯s truly a little related to me is Mu Qinghe. However, she didn¡¯t deny nor admit to it. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Jian has always been carefree, and I rarely see him do such a thing¡­ So it shows that he really admires you, Ms. Chu.¡± Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she talked, but her tone was sour. Chu Liuyue then realized something and was caught between laughter and tears. Is Ning Jiaojiao jealous? What exactly is she thinking? How did she become jealous because of this? Jian Fengchi has been a playboy for so many years and has had many romances. If she is jealous of every woman he has had, she would¡¯ve long died from sourness. ¡°Ms. Ning, don¡¯t misunderstand. There¡¯s really nothing between Young Master Jian and me. He was just in charge of bringing me to Xi Ling, and that¡¯s it. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say much and turned around to leave. ¡°Hey¡­¡± yelled Ning Jiaojiao, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stop in her tracks as she quickly walked far away. While glancing at the petite figure, Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. No relation? Only a ghost would believe you! I previously asked Father, and the people sent out for this Wan Zheng Competition didn¡¯t have Jian Fengchi at first! Yet, he brought Chu Liuyue back and even let her join the Wan Zheng Competition! Isn¡¯t he clearly giving that Chu Liuyue a chance? Who doesn¡¯t want to come in from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy? Who doesn¡¯t want to have a place in Xi Ling? This Chu Liuyue must¡¯ve used some method to convince Jian Fengchi to help her! This time, I must show Chu Liuyue who¡¯s boss! ¡­ Chu Liuyue continued walking inward. Her hair, face, and body kept sweating, but before the sweat could drop, it had already evaporated. After walking a distance, she finally summoned her body¡¯s fire. A red fire instantly enveloped her. Chu Liuyue had just been relieved of the terrifyingly high temperature. However, she suddenly discovered an even scarier thing before she could heave a sigh of relief¡ªthe surrounding force abruptly increased its speed of entering her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she then discovered that her body¡¯s fire was willingly absorbing the strength. She looked at her dantian as if she felt something, and as expected, the water droplet already started to turn slowly. The strength that entered her body was already being absorbed by it rapidly. But what made Chu Liuyue feel lucky was that the force entering the water droplet was like water dropping into an ocean¡ªsilently and calmly. The swallowed force only flowed past the Yuan meridian in her body before gathering in the water droplet. Chu Liuyue blinked in shock. If this is the case, I can cultivate my Yuan meridian and need not worry about being unable to withstand all this force and ending up in the same situation as the previous man. Chu Liuyue put away her surrounding fire. The speed of the Heaven and Earth Force entering her body decreased. Perhaps it was because she was gradually going deeper, but its speed became increasingly greater. Chu Liuyue had confidence and continued going forward while withstanding the heat. ¡­ As she walked, she suddenly felt a strange movement from the side. Chu Liuyue looked over and saw a gigantic black sword where heaven and earth connected. This black sword seemed to drop from heaven and harshly pierce into the ground as immense, holy suppression spread from above it. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a strange familiarity with it. This aura¡­ I have experienced it before! In the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall, I once saw the relics my ancestor left behind. Those items had this aura! She quickened her pace, and after some time, she finally saw the black sword clearly. The completely black sword body was as dark as the night¡ªdeep and boundless. A silver lightning bolt suddenly appeared like a shocking snake swimming away, causing ice-blue ripples to spread everywhere. At that moment, a large ripple was stirred up in her heart. This is the ancestor¡¯s sword! Rumors had it that the ancestor, Shangguan Jing, had once borrowed nine-nine¡ª81 bolts of lightning to produce the Long Yuan Sword back then. It could summon the Heavenly Dao and slay legendary fiends. It was indestructible. In the end, the ancestor failed to become a stage-nine warrior and had since passed on in the Tianling God Realm. The Long Yuan Sword that he had carried around was also left in some place in the Tianling God Realm. After thousands of years, the people in the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s royal family have thought of all sorts of ways to bring the Long Yuan Sword back. However, it was to no avail. All along, I thought that the Long Yuan Sword had been hidden in a very secluded area, which caused nobody to be able to find it. But it now seems like¡­ The Long Yuan Sword is on this ground, and it can be seen very easily! Why did all the secret imperial scrolls say that nobody has seen the Long Yuan Sword before? Chu Liuyue felt that she had set foot into a gigantic mystery. Everything in front was a blur, and she couldn¡¯t see anything. She took a deep breath in and focused on the gigantic Long Yuan Sword. Even though she was some distance away from it, she could still feel its insurmountable suppression. As though she was attracted by something, she continued to walk forward. Suddenly, she stepped on something. Chu Liuyue looked down, and her eyes shrunk. That¡¯s a white bone! From its shape, it looks like a person¡¯s arm. Besides, it looks like it has been here for some time. Chu Liuyue looked down and discovered another white skeleton in front. This is in the direction of the Long Yuan Sword! Chu Liuyue vaguely guessed something as she walked toward the Long Yuan Sword step by step. The closer she got to it, the higher and scarier the temperature was. As this happened, the Heaven and Earth Force entered her body at even greater speeds. Luckily, Chu Liuyue had an intermediate Yuan meridian. Hence, she didn¡¯t need to worry that she couldn¡¯t endure the force entering her body. The water droplet was like a bottomless pit as it kept absorbing the force. Every distance she walked, she would see skeletons scattered everywhere. In the end, her heart harshly skipped a beat when she saw a skull chopped down from the middle. If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, someone must¡¯ve wanted to retrieve the Long Yuan Sword. However, they were hurt by something, and their body kept getting cut. That person finally stopped when their skull split into two. This¡­ How much determination must they have? Chu Liuyue stood beside the skull and looked at the Long Yuan Sword. There was an empty space between heaven and earth. Only this Long Yuan Sword stood still, high and mighty. Chu Liuyue recalled the signs of the white skull being broken previously. That is clearly¡­ It was clearly directly slashed by something sharp! In all directions, it was empty, quiet, and without wind. A harsh air suddenly rose from the bottom of Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. Only one thing can stir such power¡ªthe Long Yuan Sword! Once she thought of this, the sound of a sword whirring reverberated throughout the air suddenly. Chapter 509 - Supervision Chu Liuyue heard a thunderous sound next to her ear. The low and burly sword roar entered her ear and went straight to her heart. The next moment, a harsh sword aura suddenly flew out of the Long Yuan Sword and charged toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue went on her toes and rapidly moved backward. However, the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword aura was very formidable. In the blink of an eye, it had already flown to Chu Liuyue and almost pierced through her brows. Chu Liuyue suddenly drew out a fire whip and swung it toward the sword aura. Choo choo! The two forces intensely battled. The fire whip instantly dissipated upon being hit by the sword aura. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart turned slightly cold as she immediately threw out the crystal barrier. Ding! A crisp sound was heard as the terrifying sword aura struck the crystal barrier. Just as Chu Liuyue¡¯s brain was crazily shifting and she was thinking of how to take the chance to escape swiftly, she shockingly discovered that the sword aura was blocked outside by the crystal barrier. The numerous rays of silver light kept going back and forth above the crystal barrier, and they looked very dazzling. But once the black sword aura hit the barrier, it couldn¡¯t move forward anymore. Chu Liuyue was stunned. This Long Yuan Sword is a legendary weapon, and one can just think to know how formidable the sword aura it produced is. Yet, this crystal barrier actually blocked it¡­? A ridiculous guess immediately appeared in her brain. Rong Xiu gave me this crystal barrier. Perhaps it¡¯s because¡ª She could confirm that the first crystal barrier that Rong Xiu gave her wasn¡¯t this strong. If not, Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t have to give her another one when it was damaged. Just now, she casually threw the crystal barrier out amidst her panic, but who knew that it would actually block the terrifying sword aura? Hong! The sword aura immediately dissipated. Chu Liuyue looked at it dazedly. I-it¡¯s settled like that? This is a little preposterous¡­ ¡°Move forward.¡± A voice suddenly sounded from her heart; it was the legendary three-eyed eagle. Chu Liuyue asked in confusion, ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton below the sword,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle quickly and briefly. Even though its voice was as icy cold as usual, Chu Liuyue could still hear faint agitation. Chu Liuyue blinked and asked in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re not asking me to help you retrieve it, right?!¡± What¡¯s wrong with it? That¡¯s the Long Yuan Sword! The legendary three-eyed eagle said, ¡°If you want to recover my physical body, you must have a legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton. Thus, you must make this trip!¡± Chu Liuyue refused to give up and asked, ¡°This isn¡¯t the only place that has a legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton. Why don¡¯t we look for it elsewhere?¡± ¡°What place?¡± questioned the legendary three-eyed eagle coldly. ¡°After every legendary fiend dies, its corpse must be returned to their clan. It is a very rare chance to find a legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton left outside. If we give up today, it will be near impossible to find one again in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows painfully. ¡°But you saw the situation just now. The Long Yuan Sword is a legendary weapon, and everyone that went close to it has died! The sword aura is already so formidable¡­ If I get close to it, won¡¯t I be digging my own grave?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you stop it?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton is suppressed by the sword, so I temporarily can¡¯t determine which clan¡¯s legendary fiend it belongs to. But when you retrieve it, we¡¯ll naturally know.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. She closed her eyes and kept warning herself in her heart. This is my own legendary fiend that I made a contract with¡­ This is my own legendary fiend that I made a contract with¡­ It¡¯s my own legendary fiend, so I have to bear its wrath! ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Chu Liuyue slowly asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ try yourself and see if you can bring the legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton back?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle chuckled heartlessly. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do it.¡± She then took a deep breath in and walked toward the Long Yuan Sword again. ¡­ At the same time, in Xuan Ji Square. After all the competitors went in, the people in the square didn¡¯t leave. Even though they couldn¡¯t see an exciting battle, they could at least see whose name disappeared first on that black marble board. Besides, these people were transported to the Tianling God Realm through this octagonal transportation formation. How rare was this chance? The crowd was filled with curiosity and excitement, and they naturally wanted to stay for a while longer to see how the competition would end. ¡°I wonder what the Tianling God Realm looks like inside! It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t have a Dijing Yuan meridian. If not, we could go in and take a look!¡± ¡°Yeah! Even if it¡¯s just to look around, our lives would be worth it! In the past, many top warriors wanted to go in, but it was to no avail!¡± ¡°I wonder who can stay inside the longest and come in first¡­ Perhaps there are also the ancestor¡¯s treasures inside!¡± ¡°Look! Someone¡¯s name disappeared!¡± Countless pairs of eyes turned toward the floating, black marble board. Number 31¡ªWu Ying! The eight elders glanced at each other. A figure was suddenly sent out of the transportation formation. Everyone looked over. They saw that the young man had fainted and that he was covered in blood, looking very ghastly. The entire square fell silent. Their previous excitement, hopes, and envy suddenly disappeared as if cold water was poured on them. At this point, they suddenly realized that the Tianling God Realm was filled with all sorts of fateful treasures, but it was also very dangerous. How long has he entered? Yet, he¡¯s actually this injured?! Seeing the name on the marble board, many people looked worried. In an isolated corner, Jiang Yucheng glanced at him expressionlessly and asked, ¡°How long did he last?¡± ¡°Eldest Young Master, one hour.¡± ¡°Useless,¡± said Jiang Yucheng coldly. ¡°Continue to watch the rest.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 510 - Invite It was quite difficult to move with the crystal barrier. After some hesitation, Chu Liuyue still kept it. She held the dagger with her right hand and the crystal barrier with her left, allowing her to feel much more secure. She had to admit that the things Rong Xiu gave her were all of good quality. Chu Liuyue just walked a distance when she heard a distant commotion. She looked up and saw three people walking from another direction. The two men looked like they were 25 or 26, and that woman was slightly younger. She didn¡¯t look like she was above 20. Chu Liuyue vaguely remembered that these three people came in before her. However, it seemed like they didn¡¯t drop in the same place as her. ¡°Luckily, Senior Uncle had prepared the Simultaneous Drug so that we could gather in the fastest time possible. If not, we might¡¯ve already been kicked out before we gathered together since this Tianling God Realm is so large!¡± said the skinny man in purple thankfully. ¡°Yeah! Previously, I still didn¡¯t care much for it, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ The Tianling God Realm is indeed a marvelous space!¡± Another chubbier man with a mustache agreed. The young woman in the middle had a melon face, and her skin was very white. She was pretty and cute, and her eyes were filled with natural coyness. ¡°I really must thank you for your help previously, Senior Brothers. If not, I would¡¯ve long been eliminated!¡± As she spoke, she wiped off the crystal-clear beads of sweat, and her cheeks flushed red. She looked very cute and charming. The two men looked at her with overflowing admiration in their eyes. ¡°Qin¡¯er, what are you saying? After this Wan Zheng Competition ends, you¡¯ll be our Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s disciple. As your senior brothers, we¡¯re doing what we should do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Master and the rest think very highly of you!¡± Upon hearing this, that woman smiled shyly. ¡°The Purple Xiao Sword Sect is one of the best clans in Xi Ling. It¡¯s not easy to get in at all. If my rank isn¡¯t good enough, I won¡¯t have the cheek to enter.¡± ¡°Qin¡¯er, you¡¯re being too humble. You¡¯re just 19 this year, and you¡¯re already a peak stage-five warrior. Out of all the competitors in this Wan Zheng Competition, you¡¯re one of the best! Besides, your Yuan meridian¡­¡± The skinny man hadn¡¯t finished his sentence, but envy flashed across his eyes. This woman¡¯s Yuan meridian level was obviously even higher than his. The man with the mustache nodded and sighed. ¡°After you enter the Purple Xiao Sword Sect and officially start to cultivate, you will most likely overtake the two of us in three years.¡± ¡°Senior Brothers, stop teasing me.¡± That woman hurriedly waved her hands and looked very shy, but she smiled even more brightly. Chu Liuyue noticed that even though the three of them were blushing, their surrounding auras were normal. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they all had a pouch tied to their waists. The majority of the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force was swallowed by it. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. Absorbing Yuan Pouch¡ªthis thing looks similar to other average pouches, but it¡¯s actually made from special Absorbing Yuan Silk, which can automatically absorb Heaven and Earth Force in great amounts. Only when the owner opens it will the force flow out. A portion of cultivators like to bring it around so that they can absorb rich Heaven and Earth Force at any point in time and increase their cultivation speed. But as it¡¯s expensive, not many people can afford it. But to be fair, this is indeed the best solution for this current situation. It¡¯s no wonder they could safely arrive here. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and planned to continue walking forward when the few people coincidentally saw her. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue? She actually arrived here?¡± ¡°Being able to win against stage-five warriors, she indeed has skills to survive until now¡­¡± said the two men softly. The woman¡¯s eyes turned. ¡°Senior Brothers, why don¡¯t we ask her to follow us?¡± The two men were dazed, and they put on difficult expressions. ¡°Qin¡¯er, we don¡¯t really know her. That¡¯s not¡­ very good, right?¡± This Wan Zheng Competition was still in progress! They were still competitors after all, so how could they go together just like that? As if not expecting their reaction, that woman said sadly, ¡°I just felt that she looked pitiful alone¡­ But if Senior Brothers think it¡¯s inappropriate, forget it then.¡± The two men exchanged glances, and the skinny man sighed. He smiled and said, ¡°Qin¡¯er, you¡¯re indeed kind-hearted. Since you¡¯ve asked for it, there¡¯s no reason why we should reject it. As long as she doesn¡¯t cause any trouble, she can follow us.¡± That woman¡¯s eyes brightened up, and her face was filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother!¡± The man with a mustache yelled to Chu Liuyue, ¡°Ms. Chu, please wait! Ms. Chu, this place is perilous, and it¡¯s dangerous for you to be alone. Why don¡¯t we go together, so we can take care of each other?¡± Actually, Chu Liuyue had heard their conversation very clearly. Compared to the two men, she was the most confused one. She had a bit of an impression of that woman. She was called Yang Qin¡¯er, and she had won against another peak stage-five warrior in three moves during the preliminaries, which caused quite an uproar. With such talent and strength at such a young age, she had already attracted quite a bit of attention, not to mention that she was pretty. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know her and didn¡¯t know what she was planning. One less matter is better than an additional matter. Besides, I¡¯m going to retrieve the legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton below the Long Yuan Sword, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to go with them. Chu Liuyue shook her head and politely said, ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, but my friend and I have agreed to meet. Therefore, I won¡¯t trouble you.¡± The few people were shocked as they didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to reject their suggestion. Is there something wrong with her brain? Any smart person can tell that her going with us would be much safer than her going alone. We were willing to help purely because of Qin¡¯er, but she didn¡¯t even appreciate our efforts. Even though Chu Liuyue rejected them curtly and politely, other people felt that she had an arrogant attitude. The skinny man slightly knitted his brows and said to Yang Qin¡¯er, ¡°Qin¡¯er, you¡¯ve also seen that she doesn¡¯t want to be with us. She wasted your efforts.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er bit her lips. The man with the mustache lightly grunted, stroked his beard, and spoke with deep meaning. ¡°She¡¯s doing this because she clearly doesn¡¯t trust us. If this is so, why should we stick our passionate selves to her cold butt? Since she¡¯s so confident, let her go on her own! We¡¯ll see how long she can last in this place!¡± The Purple Xiao Sword Sect had a very high status in Xi Ling, and they were known as the top sword sect. Thus, all of the disciples had their own pride. Yang Qin¡¯er fell silent, but she still walked forward and gently told Chu Liuyue, ¡°Ms. Chu, don¡¯t misunderstand; we¡¯re all good people. I just saw that there are quite a few broken skeletons here, so it¡¯s quite dangerous. Isn¡¯t it safer if we go together?¡± Chapter 511 - Defense She¡¯s determined to mess with me? Chu Liuyue knitted her brows undetectably as she glanced at Yang Qin¡¯er. Her young and pretty face is filled with sincerity and slight fear as if she¡¯s genuinely worried about me. However, we don¡¯t know each other, so where did her worry and sincerity come from? Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up, and she smiled in an even more sincere and polite manner. ¡°Thank you for your goodwill, but I really can¡¯t go with you. I appreciate your intentions.¡± Disappointment rapidly flashed across Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s face. But since Chu Liuyue was so persistent, Yang Qin¡¯er knew that she couldn¡¯t convince her. Thus, she could only force a smile and say, ¡°Alright then. I wish you all the best, Ms. Chu.¡± The skinny man coldly glanced at Chu Liuyue, and his face was filled with intense displeasure. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± He didn¡¯t lower his voice, and everyone present heard him clearly. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and didn¡¯t think much of it as she turned around to leave. ¡°Hey, you¡ª¡± The skinny man immediately felt that he was being ignored as he raised his hand toward Chu Liuyue and was about to continue scolding her. However, Yang Qin¡¯er stopped him. ¡°Senior Brother, since it¡¯s inconvenient for her, let¡¯s not force her,¡± said Yang Qin¡¯er gently as she pressed the skinny man¡¯s hand down. Seeing that Chu Liuyue had already walked far away without feeling burdened, the man with a mustache finally couldn¡¯t help but grunt. ¡°She really thinks that she¡¯s incredible after winning a competition. Now, she doesn¡¯t care about anyone else.¡± We are from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect, and it¡¯s always other people wanting to suck up to us. When have we ever been rejected, not to mention twice?! It even happened in front of Yang Qin¡¯er. How humiliating. Yang Qin¡¯er smiled and hid her disappointment. ¡°Senior Brother, let¡¯s go. Didn¡¯t you say that that sword is most likely the legendary Long Yuan Sword?¡± Upon hearing this, the two men¡¯s attention was indeed averted as their faces were filled with unconcealable excitement. ¡°That¡¯s right! To be able to stay in the Tianling God Realm and have such powers¡­ There¡¯s only the legendary Long Yuan Sword!¡± said the skinny man. ¡°Senior Uncle has long said that there would be all sorts of fateful treasures here, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ This is the sword the ancestor used back then!¡± The mustached man looked up at the gigantic black sword between heaven and earth, and his eyes were filled with envy and admiration. ¡°Our Purple Xiao Sword Sect specializes in sword techniques, and we have all sorts of good swords, especially Master¡­ He has the Qing Zhong Sword¡ªwhich is formidable¡ªbut compared to this Long Yuan Sword, it¡¯s still lacking in many ways¡­¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t just lacking in many ways. They couldn¡¯t even be compared! A legendary item like the Long Yuan Sword was a unique treasure in the world. Being able to see it personally made their trip worthwhile. Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s eyes glowed. ¡°I heard some rumors about this Long Yuan Sword, but there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand¡­ The ancestor has already passed on, and this Long Yuan Sword no longer has an owner. But even after so many years, why did nobody¡­ Why did nobody from Tianling¡¯s royal family retrieve it? Isn¡¯t it a waste to leave it here like this?¡± When she finished her sentence, the two men laughed out loud. ¡°Qin¡¯er, you only know one thing and not the other. This Long Yuan Sword is a legendary weapon, and it already has a sword soul. Even if the ancestor isn¡¯t around, it can¡¯t randomly recognize someone as its master!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er paused. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°This Long Yuan Sword is very heavy, and rumors have it that 1,000 soldiers couldn¡¯t lift it when they acted together after the ancestor purposely threw it to them. One has to know that the soldiers who could follow the ancestor weren¡¯t ordinary people! This just shows how incredible the Long Yuan Sword is!¡± said the skinny man as he smiled and shook his head with a sigh. Yang Qin¡¯er looked at the Long Yuan Sword and muttered, ¡°¡­I wonder who can keep this Long Yuan Sword¡­¡± ¡°Haha! The people from Tianling¡¯s royal family have the ancestor¡¯s bloodline, but they couldn¡¯t succeed in the past thousand years, let alone others. Qin¡¯er, we shouldn¡¯t think about it anymore. The treasure-gathering compass states that there are treasures surrounding the Long Yuan Sword. Let¡¯s hurry up and get there!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er smiled slightly and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked forward alone. Even though she was quite far away from Yang Qin¡¯er and the rest, it was obvious that they were heading toward the Long Yuan Sword. However, she didn¡¯t know if they were going for the legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton. ¡°Can you detect what legendary fiend that skeleton belongs to now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in her heart. ¡°Not yet. The Long Yuan Sword has completely suppressed it, and it didn¡¯t leave any gap at all.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice became much more solemn. ¡°However¡­ I detect a Heavenly Dao aura.¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Heavenly Dao?! Could it be the Heavenly Dao the ancestor summoned back then?¡± ¡°Not completely. This Heavenly Dao¡¯s aura is very weak; there should be a portion of it dispersed elsewhere.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. This is the same as what the secret scroll said. This is kind of strange. The Heavenly Dao is untouchable to ordinary people, but I already have two in my body. One came from the Ultimate Jingshen, while the other came from the agreement with the legendary three-eyed eagle. However, these powers didn¡¯t cause much commotion in her body. They didn¡¯t even seem to exist. On the other side, Yang Qin¡¯er and the rest had just reached a place. Choo! A sword aura suddenly erupted. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± yelled the skinny man, and the longsword in his hand flew out. He was planning to take on the black sword aura head-on! Ding! The two sword auras directly clashed with each other and produced a crisp sword sound. The black sword¡¯s aura suddenly stopped. A delighted smile was seen on the skinny man¡¯s face, but the smile stiffened the next moment. This was because the strength within the black sword aura had far exceeded his expectations. Buzz¡­ buzz! When the black sword aura hit the tip of his sword, his sword started shaking uncontrollably in his hands. Very quickly, even his arm started shaking. Poof! The part between his thumb and index finger suddenly broke open, and blood flowed out. It was just the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword aura, but it had such frightening and harsh sword intent! The overwhelmingly sharp aura was like an invisible net that completely wrapped around the skinny man. Kacha! His sword actually cracked. ¡°Quickly, evacuate!¡± He was stunned as he hollered and immediately went backward. Yang Qin¡¯er hurriedly left. The mustached man held his sword and rushed forward. A wide sword directly slashed the sword aura, but the next moment, his wide sword was directly repelled. He even staggered a few steps back and spat out blood. Not even in the blink of an eye, the two men were injured. The sword in the skinny man¡¯s hands directly broke. Hong! The few people barely managed to avoid the black sword aura as it eventually nailed itself to the ground. The dry ground erupted, and a big pit was formed by the horrifying force. The three of them were scarred, and their faces were filled with horror. One sword aura¡­ is actually so frightening! ¡°Quickly, look! Chu Liuyue actually stopped that sword aura!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er looked up and suddenly gasped. The two men looked over, and they indeed saw the black sword aura suddenly disappear not far in front of Chu Liuyue. Silver light slowly flowed before her body. ¡°T-that¡¯s a crystal barrier?! How is that possible!¡± Chapter 512 - Serious? That circular transparent barrier is indeed a crystal barrier, but why can it stop this terrifying sword aura? It wasn¡¯t that they had never seen a crystal barrier before, but it was impossible for that thing to have such good defense. After all, the two of them had to join hands in order to resist that sword aura forcefully. The three of them exchanged glances. Other than Yang Qin¡¯er¡ªwho looked slightly better¡ªthe other two were disheveled. The mustached man was injured, and the corner of his mouth had bloodstains. The skinny man was even worse as his entire sword was destroyed. As Purple Xiao Sword Sect disciples, they were best at using swords. Now that his sword was gone, it undoubtedly had a great impact on him. ¡°W-what should we do¡­¡± The skinny man retracted his gaze and looked at his right hand dazedly. This was a very good sword, but it was only left with a sword handle now, looking very miserable. A sword aura has pushed us to this state. If we continue walking¡­ ¡°No wonder there are so many human bones¡­¡± Yang Qin¡¯er looked worried. ¡°It seems like they were all hurt by the sword aura.¡± The few of them fell silent, and their previous ambitions fell into nothingness. Reality was forever the cruelest thing. ¡°There definitely won¡¯t be only one sword aura. This is the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s territory. This sword aura¡­ is its warning!¡± The mustached man looked at the Long Yuan Sword, and his previous excitement and hope had completely disappeared, leaving behind a face filled with anxiety, uneasiness, and deeply entrenched horror. ¡°The further we go, the more dangerous it¡¯ll be. We might even¡ª¡± Die! Everyone knew this without saying it. Hong! An explosion sound was heard, but it was the sword aura in front of Chu Liuyue dispersing. ¡°Why is Chu Liuyue so safe?¡± asked Yang Qin¡¯er as if she were muttering to herself. ¡°I¡¯ve used crystal barriers before, but¡­ they seem different from hers.¡± The two men exchanged glances. Actually, they could see it too. How can an average crystal barrier be so powerful? Her crystal barrier definitely has something amiss. Yang Qin¡¯er took out bandages and carefully helped the skinny man wrap his hand as her eyes turned red. ¡°Senior Brothers, all of you got injured because of me¡­ If only I¡¯m as good as Chu Liuyue, that would be great.¡± Her words reminded the two men. ¡°How is she good? Only her crystal barrier is good!¡± The mustached man felt frustrated and even a little angry. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder she refused to follow us no matter what. It¡¯s because of this.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Chu Liuyue had an ordinary background? Why does she have such a powerful Yuan instrument?¡± The skinny man stared closely at Chu Liuyue. Upon seeing her retract her crystal barrier, his expression changed. ¡°Does she have some powerful background?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er thought for a while. ¡°I think¡­ I think someone said that she¡¯s related to Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Young Master Jian.¡± ¡°Jian Fengchi?¡± When the two men said this name, they did it with a tinge of contempt and jealousy. ¡°Jian Fengchi is nothing much; he just has a good background! However, our Purple Xiao Sword Sect isn¡¯t afraid of his Dragon Teeth Mountain!¡± said the skinny man as he glanced at the mustached man. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, how can we just go back like this?¡± The mustached man nodded undetectably. ¡°We must think of a way¡ª¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue put away her item, and the moment she walked two steps, she noticed some movements from the side. She instantly turned around and saw the trio walking toward her. Compared to before, they looked much more disheveled. It was obvious that they had suffered. ¡°Ms. Chu, we have something to discuss with you,¡± said Yang Qin¡¯er softly. She looked apprehensive as if talking loudly would scare her. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything and just raised her chin. Yang Qin¡¯er clasped her hands together and nervously asked, ¡°W-we saw you stopping the sword aura earlier, s-so¡­ We want to ask if you can help us?¡± Chu Liuyue had already guessed their intentions, but she still asked, ¡°Help you with what?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er paused. ¡°Um¡­ Can you bring us along? Don¡¯t worry; we won¡¯t let you help us for free. If you can bring us to avoid all of the sword aura, we¡¯ll definitely repay you properly! When we find any treasures, you can pick first! After we go out, we¡¯ll thank you greatly. W-what do you think of this?¡± The skinny man at the side added, ¡°We, from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect, always make good on our words!¡± Chu Liuyue almost burst out laughing. What a thick face! I intentionally asked that to see how thick-skinned these people were, but I didn¡¯t actually expect them to say this. They are clearly begging me, but their attitude is so arrogant that it seems as though they are giving me something. She smiled as usual, but her smiling intent didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve made myself very clear earlier. It¡¯s inconvenient for me to go with you, so¡­ Forget it.¡± The few of them were dazed. They never expected that Chu Liuyue would still refuse to help them after they willingly set such conditions. Besides, they even mentioned the Purple Xiao Sword Sect. She did not even care about them. The mustached man¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°Ms. Chu, are you sure? We previously took the initiative to help you, so isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to do this now?¡± Chu Liuyue retorted, ¡°But I didn¡¯t beg you to help me just now, right? Besides, I didn¡¯t accept your ¡®help,¡¯ so¡­ It¡¯s not like I owe you, right?¡± That mustached man suddenly sneered. ¡°The people that Jian Fengchi brings are indeed as selfish as him! If you want to do this the hard way, don¡¯t blame us for being merciless!¡± The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s gradually fell. Like ice that just froze, her eyes had faint cold intent that was chilling to the bone. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Chapter 513 - Heavenly Pit It¡¯s fine that they are speaking ill of Jian Fengchi, but it¡¯s not okay if they bring me into it! The mustached man was startled by Chu Liuyue, and he grew increasingly uneasy. But they then thought about how any of the three of them could easily defeat Chu Liuyue, not to mention if they joined forces. Against the three of us, Chu Liuyue is asking for death! Besides, Jian Fengchi isn¡¯t present here. There¡¯s nothing that we have to be afraid of! Yang Qin¡¯er refused to give up. ¡°Ms. Chu, we bear no ill will. We just wanted to ask you for a favor¡­ Both of my senior brothers are injured¡­¡± ¡°What do their injuries have to do with me?¡± Chu Liuyue cut her off impatiently. ¡°If memory serves me right, you took the backseat when the two of them were fighting off the sword aura.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s expression changed. She didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to see that! ¡°You¡¯re their junior sister, but even you aren¡¯t helping them. Therefore, why should I? Do I look that¡­ stupid?¡± Chu Liuyue said. She spoke slowly and evenly, but her words were cutting to the trio. Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s face turned red as her eyes filled with tears. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± This brought up the two men¡¯s protective instincts. The skinny, tall man yelled at Chu Liuyue. ¡°What do you know?! It was an urgent situation. She only backed away because we told her to; otherwise, the three of us would be hurt now! Chu Liuyue, don¡¯t try to sow discord!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er held him back. ¡°Senior Brothers, it¡¯s all my fault¡­ Don¡¯t get angry¡­¡± Since they are stupid and tired of living, I can¡¯t be bothered with them. Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°Say whatever you want. I have things to get done, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± With that, Chu Liuyue tried to walk around them. The mustached man blocked her way with a dark face. ¡°Who said you could leave?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at the man and smiled. Her nonchalant smile infuriated the mustached man. He raised his sword and stabbed it toward Chu Liuyue! ¡°I¡¯ll teach you today that there are some people that you cannot trifle with!¡± With that, he turned his wrist, and the tip stabbed toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s left hand! It was targeting the crystal barrier! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned colder as she threw her dagger out with her right hand! Clink! The broadsword was easily knocked aside by the dagger! The mustached man¡¯s hand shook violently as he felt his palm go numb! ¡°Outrageous!¡± The skinny man saw this and struck! He had lost his sword and had been severely weakened, but even so, his ability as a beginner stage-six warrior was more than enough to deal with a stage-three warrior. ¡°Eight Impact Punch!¡± he cried out, clenching his fists as he aimed for Chu Liuyue¡¯s lower back! The punch¡¯s force was evident from the breeze that could be felt! Chu Liuyue leaped up and onto the mustached man¡¯s chest! Before he could react, she grabbed his arms and forcefully turned him! The mustached man was now Chu Liuyue¡¯s shield! The skinny man wanted to retract his attack, but doing so would result in severe backlash! The mustached man had no choice but to take the hit! His right hand was completely numb, so he could only use his left hand against Chu Liuyue as he reached for her neck! At this moment, Chu Liuyue elbowed him! It landed heavily on the mustached man¡¯s ribs! He bent over in pain, frustrated as murderous thoughts flashed across his mind! However, Chu Liuyue was faster! She struck with her arm, and it almost severed his right wrist! The broadsword in the mustached man¡¯s hand immediately dropped to the ground! Yang Qin¡¯er knew that the odds weren¡¯t in their favor, so she was about to come forward! Chu Liuyue took the chance to break free of the mustached man¡¯s control as she turned and kicked him! The mustached man landed on the skinny man! The two collided with each other! Chu Liuyue curled her toes, and the broadsword landed in her hands! Yang Qin¡¯er wanted to stop, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s wry smile made her feel guilty. Thus, she drew the sword at her waist and rushed toward Chu Liuyue with gritted teeth. But Chu Liuyue refused to waste any time on her and struck first! The broadsword was extremely heavy, but Chu Liuyue made it seem like it barely weighed anything. After several training sessions with the water droplet, her strength had greatly exceeded her expectations. In the next instant, she stepped up and moved Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s sword away from her before the latter could circulate her force! Yang Qin¡¯er cried out in pain, and a cut appeared on her hands! Chu Liuyue immediately backed away, not engaging any further! The force in her body quickly welled up. To her surprise, Chu Liuyue found that she had gotten even faster. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force swept into her body and made ripples! In one breath, she ran in the direction of the Long Yuan Sword! Yang Qin¡¯er wanted to run after her, but she felt threatened by the heavy and authoritative aura of the Long Yuan Sword that she saw. She looked around before she rushed over to the pair. ¡°Senior Brothers, Qin¡¯er was useless and was unable to catch up with her¡­¡± She subtly displayed the cut on her arm for the pair to see. Without any surprise, their hatred for Chu Liuyue grew stronger. ¡°This Chu Liuyue is really sly! If we weren¡¯t injured by the sword aura, we never would¡¯ve let her get away!¡± said the mustached man with hatred as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The skinny man felt guilty for injuring his peer and pinned all the blame on Chu Liuyue. ¡°¡­The next time we see her, we¡¯ll show her!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er lowered her eyes as disdain flashed across them. She didn¡¯t exert her full force since she had concerns, but she didn¡¯t expect the two of them to be this useful given their cultivation level. Even though the disciples of such formal clans were outstanding, they weren¡¯t necessarily good in battle. They were good enough for competitions and sparring, but they would be at a disadvantage when compared to people like Chu Liuyue, who fought for their lives. She coughed and gently reminded them, ¡°Senior Brothers, now that she¡¯s gone¡­ Shall we chase after her?¡± The pair remained silent. If it were before, they would agree to it. But now¡­ they felt the danger posed by the Long Yuan Sword. After a while, the mustached man spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re all injured, so why don¡¯t we all rest here and continue after we¡¯re back to our peak form.¡± The skinny man agreed immediately. Yang Qin¡¯er felt indignant, but she couldn¡¯t refuse and had no choice but to comply. On the other side, Chu Liuyue smoothly proceeded onward with the crystal barrier¡¯s help as she closed in on the Long Yuan Sword! When she got nearer, she finally discovered that the Long Yuan Sword was surrounded by a large heavenly pit! Woo woo! Strong winds blew by, and a strong sense of tragic authority enveloped the area! Chapter 514 - Rumors Abound There were ravines scattered within the pit. Countless rays of the black sword aura collided in the area, leaving marks on the cold soil and rocks. It was startling to look at from above. Chu Liuyue sucked in her breath. The Long Yuan Sword has been here for thousands of years. Perhaps the heavenly pit is a result of the sword aura accumulating for centuries! Even from the side, I can feel the towering sword aura! More importantly, it was only until she got here that Chu Liuyue discovered that the Long Yuan Sword she saw from afar was only a small portion of the sword body! Even the exposed portion in the heavenly pit seemed to be less than half of the entire sword! It was majestic and incomparable! Thousands of years of rain and shine hadn¡¯t left any marks on the sword¡¯s black body. Upon closer inspection, it was razor-sharp like a brand-new sword! The pressure came from the top! Chu Liuyue scrutinized this legendary sword. The sword that created the Tianling Dynasty¡­ The founder¡¯s sword! Complicated emotions welled up in her¡ªadmiration, respect, marvel¡­ Even though she was standing here as an outsider, she knew¡­ This was her ancestor! At this thought, blood seemed to course through her body faster as her heart beat wildly. ¡°The legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton is beneath the Long Yuan Sword!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue instantly came to her senses and looked down. There was nothing else in the heavenly pit other than the remaining half of the Long Yuan Sword that was embedded in the ground. Chu Liuyue asked with a frown, ¡°You said ¡®beneath the Long Yuan Sword¡­¡¯ It can¡¯t be underground, right?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle asked. ¡°You only know now?¡± ¡°¡­How am I supposed to get down?! I can¡¯t create a tunnel on the ground, not to mention the sword aura that I can¡¯t get past!¡± Chu Liuyue said. She was serious. With all the rays of sword aura, she would be filled with holes the instant she tried to go down! Even with the crystal barrier, she couldn¡¯t guarantee that she would be able to hold up against the attacks of thousands of sword aura rays! The legendary three-eyed eagle said, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°¡­So you mean that you were just watching this whole time? Even though you could deal with the sword aura?¡± ¡°Since contracting with me, weren¡¯t you afraid that your foundation wouldn¡¯t be firm given your rapid advancement and wanted a chance to test it out?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle said matter-of-factly, ¡°This is quite the rare opportunity, no?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless, and she felt her head throb. Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me that legendary fiends can be psychos too? ¡°What, you don¡¯t like it?¡± asked the legendary three-eyed eagle. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. ¡°I love it! I love it beyond words!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle nodded contentedly before it continued speaking somberly. ¡°Prepare yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately focused and raised her alertness! Since I¡¯ve promised the legendary three-eyed eagle that I would reconstruct its body, I have to make this trip! The next instant, a black illusory figure appeared before Chu Liuyue! Its wings were wrapped around one another, and the illusory figure had its eyes closed with an imposing aura! It was the legendary three-eyed eagle! Huala! It spread its massive wings, and Chu Liuyue felt the sky before her dim! She stared closely at the illusory figure. It¡¯s clearly more substantial than it previously was! I can even see the feathers on it! She felt a familiar aura from the illusory figure, and she muttered, ¡°This is¡­ The energy of the Heavenly Dao?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly opened its eyes! Its eyes were blood red, but the bloodthirsty aura had subsided almost entirely. There was a noble aura coming from it now! Chu Liuyue felt that this was the aura that truly belonged to a legendary three-eyed eagle! ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The two of them had a telepathic connection, so they could understand one another without speaking. ¡°After contracting with you, my soul has been nourished by the Heavenly Dao. I¡¯ve recovered greatly.¡± Chu Liuyue marveled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not entirely a bad thing for legendary fiends to contract with humans!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle looked at her with uncertainty. At this point, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know that not everyone could contract with a legendary fiend. Many would die from the sheer pressure of the legendary fiend¡¯s Heavenly Dao. Even if they managed to contract with one successfully, only an insignificant amount of energy would be left after the Heavenly Dao and contract had been completed¡­ Being able to contract with a legendary fiend and summon the Heavenly Dao and absorb its energy¡­ Chu Liuyue was the only one! At least in the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s mind, this had never happened before. However, it didn¡¯t intend to let Chu Liuyue know at this moment. ¡°Come on up.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle lowered its wings. Chu Liuyue hopped on! ¡°My illusory figure is primarily made up of a combination of my soul and the Heaven and Earth Force. Thus, there¡¯s a time limit to it. Hang on tight.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded somberly. The legendary three-eyed eagle flapped its wings and swooped down! ¡­ Just as Chu Liuyue dashed into the heavenly pit, Yang Qin¡¯er and the others were well-rested and ready to continue their journey. The skinny man said somberly, ¡°If we run into Chu Liuyue again, we¡¯ll never give her the chance to run away again!¡± But after they had traveled a distance, a girl¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Can I ask if all of you are the disciples of the Purple Xiao Sword Sect?¡± They turned and saw a young lady. ¡°You are¡­¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Ning Jiaojiao from Xuan Feng Hall.¡± The others looked at one another. Xuan Feng Hall and the Purple Xiao Sword Sect have always stayed in each others¡¯ land. Ning Jiaojiao seems to be Xuan Feng Hall¡¯s Big Missy? ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Ning.¡± Ning Jiaojiao was not bothered by their wary expressions, and she asked testingly, ¡°I seem to have heard the three of you mention¡­ Chu Liuyue?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er looked away briefly. ¡°Ms. Ning must¡¯ve misheard.¡± Ning Jiaojiao scanned them as she smiled. ¡°I must¡¯ve been mistaken. I thought that Chu Liuyue left the wounds on you all. But if it were her¡­ You all should¡¯ve been evicted from the Tianling God Realm¡­¡± The trio eyed one another. ¡°Ms. Ning, what do you mean?¡± Ning Jiaojiao paused. She covered her mouth as if realizing that she had misspoken. ¡°Nothing, nothing¡­¡± But after hesitating for a moment, she seemed to have made up her mind. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s just¡­ Chu Liuyue¡­ For some reason, she has been killing off the other contestants. She has already forced a number of people out of the Tianling God Realm. It¡¯s rather scary.¡± Chapter 515 - Great Phoenix Dragon ¡°I saw it unintentionally, but luckily, she didn¡¯t discover me. However, I might not be this lucky when I see her again,¡± said Ning Jiaojiao softly. The two men¡¯s expressions changed, but Yang Qin¡¯er said, ¡°Ms. Ning, your capabilities aren¡¯t weak. Why are you afraid of Chu Liuyue for no reason?¡± Ning Jiaojiao paused and said with deep meaning, ¡°Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities are much stronger than what they seem on the surface. Wasn¡¯t it very clear during the preliminaries? How can someone like Jian Fengchi¡ªwho thinks so highly of himself¡ªchoose someone that can¡¯t do anything to join the Wan Zheng Competition?¡± The Yang Qin¡¯er trio exchanged glances, and they fell into an eerie silence the next moment. We have experienced this personally. Just now¡­ ¡°Truth be told, Ms. Ning, we actually did meet Chu Liuyue just now. We¡¯ve exchanged blows with her, but she¡¯s very scheming and has already escaped to the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s side,¡± said the mustached man, but his choice of words was incredible. Yang Qin¡¯er laughed in her heart but didn¡¯t show it on the surface. ¡°Really?! She¡­ Alone?¡± Ning Jiaojiao looked shocked. I had heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s name earlier, so I purposely tried to find out more. But from their behavior, it seems like Chu Liuyue fought the three of them and managed to escape successfully. The two men were awkward. The skinny man immediately said, ¡°She managed to take advantage of us after we were injured by the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword aura. Besides, her body is indeed weird. This Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword aura is horrifying, but she easily managed to resolve it for some reason.¡± Nobody mentioned the unusual crystal barrier that Chu Liuyue had. At this point, Ning Jiaojiao started to doubt Chu Liuyue. She voiced the motive for her approach. ¡°Since this is so, why don¡¯t we join hands?¡± ¡­ On the other side, the legendary three-eyed eagle was leading Chu Liuyue to the bottom of the heavenly pit. The moment they entered, the surrounding sword aura crazily came for her. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s wings vibrated, and Chu Liuyue could immediately feel that the surrounding space froze rapidly. When the rays of black sword aura reached this space, they slowed down in unison and even stopped completely. This was the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s God Realm! Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. So this is its trump card! Within this space, it has absolute control of everything! The Long Yuan Sword is a legendary object, but the legendary three-eyed eagle is also a legendary fiend! The sword aura is still lacking if it wants to use its strength to break the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s God Realm. The human and fiend then made it through the intense sword aura and went toward the bottom. The lower they went, the more rays of sword aura there were. They also became more ferocious, but the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s speed didn¡¯t decrease. Chu Liuyue rode on it, and her eyes were glued to the front. When she was nearing it, she suddenly realized that the place where the Long Yuan Sword was buried had golden fire flash across. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. When she wanted to take a closer look, she realized that the fire had already disappeared. She slightly knitted her brows. Did I see wrongly just now? But the legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly said in shock, ¡°How could this be possible?¡± It was always cold and nonchalant and rarely used such a tone to speak, so one could tell how stunned it was. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Chu Liuyue hurriedly. The legendary three-eyed eagle waved its wings and said, ¡°Did you see golden fire suddenly appearing near the Long Yuan Sword just now?¡± She nodded. ¡°Did you see it as well? I thought I was just imagining things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle said determinedly, ¡°It¡¯s the fire from the legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. ¡°Fire from the legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton? What does that mean? This fire¡­ Did it originally belong to that legendary fiend?¡± She didn¡¯t know much about legendary fiends, let alone fire-related information. However¡­ the golden fire didn¡¯t look simple. ¡°¡­Is the legendary fiend below the Long Yuan Sword powerful?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. The legendary three-eyed eagle kept quiet for some time before saying clearly, ¡°The only clan in the world that has this golden fire is¡ªthe ancient legendary great phoenix dragon!¡± A huge uproar burst in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. ¡°What?! You¡¯re saying that the legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton that the Long Yuan Sword has is actually¡ªHow is that possible? That¡¯s an ancient legendary fiend!¡± Chu Liuyue was in disbelief. One had to know that an ancient legendary fiend was much stronger and older than an ordinary legendary fiend. This is the highest existence only known in rumors! How did it appear here? But as a legendary fiend, the legendary three-eyed eagle should know this better than me. She held her breath and actually became nervous when she thought of the golden fire she saw previously. ¡°Are you sure? That¡¯s really the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle was clearly stunned as it boomed, ¡°The only clue now is that golden fire, but we can¡¯t be completely sure. However¡­ it¡¯s pretty close to the mark.¡± This meant that it had actually confirmed this but was just lacking the last bit of evidence. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak for some time as she felt even more conflicted. She focused her gaze on the Long Yuan Sword. When she looked at it again, it was indeed different from previous times. ¡°¡­When the ancestor failed to break through and become a stage-nine warrior, he had never entered the legendary higher cultivation world. With his abilities back then, they weren¡¯t enough to kill an ancient legendary fiend like the great phoenix dragon¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but mutter. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s totem was indeed that of a sword slashing a dragon head. Chu Liuyue had never imagined that the dragon head could be the great phoenix dragon¡¯s! The legendary three-eyed eagle said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ll have to see it to know what happened!¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°Sure!¡± At this point, retreating was not an option. The only choice was to find out once and for all! Clang! The legendary three-eyed eagle flapped its wings, and the God Realm¡¯s power moved, instantly crushing the surrounding sword aura. Its figure flashed, and it rapidly rushed toward where the golden fire appeared previously. Gradually, Chu Liuyue felt a scorching wave that kept coming from the bottom of the heavenly pit. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly, and a bold guess surfaced in her mind. This thing is probably related to the strange weather patterns in this place! The wave contained rich Heaven and Earth Force. Even within the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s God Realm, Chu Liuyue could still clearly feel the suppression intensifying gradually. Huala! A soft, crisp sound was made. Chu Liuyue looked over and saw that a hole had formed in the God Realm due to the crazy squeezing of the surrounding force. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s body wavered before it flew downward at greater speeds. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart hung high as she stared at the opening with a deadly gaze. Hong! An explosion sound was heard, and the God Realm broke. Chu Liuyue and the legendary three-eyed eagle were instantly exposed outside the God Realm. She could clearly see that the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s body had become much fainter than before. The ferocious wave with the boundless black sword aura kept coming toward them. Chapter 516 - Awakening But at this moment, the black pyramid in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body suddenly caused a huge ripple to explode. Those rays of sword aura actually stopped in front of Chu Liuyue instantly, and the ferocious scorching wave quickly retreated as if it had met something scary. In the blink of an eye, everything disappeared into thin air. Chu Liuyue was also stunned when she saw this happen to the countless black sword aura rays that had been closing in on her body and would pierce through her the next second. I didn¡¯t even have the time to throw out the crystal barrier in my hands, but it now seems like¡­ I don¡¯t need to? At this moment, a silver lightning bolt struck above the Long Yuan Sword! The high and mighty Long Yuan Sword seemed to have met with some enhancement as it became much sharper and brighter than before. Previously, there were also lightning bolts that flowed within the Long Yuan Sword, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s instincts told her that things were different this time. As expected, when the first silver lightning bolt followed the sword body and entered the heavenly pit, the second bolt followed. This bolt was much thicker than the previous one. Thunder roared the next moment, and it struck. Chu Liuyue stared at the Long Yuan Sword closely. Gradually, she felt a strange familiarity. This feeling¡­ is coming from the Long Yuan Sword and the black pyramid within my body. ¡­ Hong long! A loud noise was heard from afar. Ning Jiaojiao and the rest looked up in unison and saw a bright silver light flash across the Long Yuan Sword. ¡°Is¡­ the Long Yuan Sword about to wake up?¡± The skinny man suddenly yelled in shock. When he finished his sentence, the others all widened their eyes and were stunned. Ning Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± She didn¡¯t specialize in the path of the sword, so she didn¡¯t quite understand what it meant. As he was too agitated, the skinny man¡¯s face flushed red. His voice trembled as he explained, ¡°The Long Yuan Sword is a legendary weapon, and it has its own sword soul. When the owner reaches his demise, it will follow him and hibernate. Most of the time, many legendary weapons will fall into a deep sleep and be sealed forever. But if it chose to wake up¡­ it means¡­¡± Ning Jiaojiao hurriedly asked, ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°It means that¡­ It¡¯s going to choose a new owner soon!¡± The skinny man said this emotionally, and all his blood seemed to be coursing through his body rapidly. The mustached man at the side seemed to have the same reaction. In comparison, Yang Qin¡¯er looked pretty calm. However, her gaze toward the Long Yuan Sword was filled with deep desire. The Purple Xiao Sword Sect had always specialized in sword techniques. Not only did they see the Long Yuan Sword in person today, but they could even see it wake up. How could this not stir up their emotions? The most important thing was that when the Long Yuan Sword chose its new owner, this miracle might belong to them. Ning Jiaojiao then completely understood. She thought for a while and suddenly said, ¡°Oh right, isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue by the Long Yuan Sword?!¡± Her words immediately reminded the rest and woke them up from their maniacal excitement as their faces all changed. ¡°This¡­ She¡¯s enjoying the benefits of a favorable position¡­¡± said Ning Jiaojiao hesitantly as her eyes flashed. ¡°It depends on one¡¯s fate to see who can get a legendary weapon like the Long Yuan Sword, not who is nearer to it.¡± Even though the mustached man said that, he started to panic. Who knows why the Long Yuan Sword suddenly woke up? No matter what, Chu Liuyue is near it, and it will be more convenient for her. Currently, they didn¡¯t even know what the situation was like on the other side. Ning Jiaojiao scanned their faces and chuckled to herself, but she looked sincere on the surface. ¡°In my opinion, the Long Yuan Sword has hibernated for thousands of years. Now that it has woken up, it will definitely choose a unique talent to become its new owner. Not to mention others, but one should at least have a decent cultivation level in terms of the way of the sword. In regards to this, my Xuan Feng Hall isn¡¯t good enough. But you guys are Purple Xiao Sword Sect disciples, so you should be familiar with swords, right?¡± Her words tempted the two men. ¡°Not to mention just a Chu Liuyue, but even out of all the competitors in the Wan Zheng Competition, there won¡¯t be more suitable people than you to become the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s new owner. But if this miracle is stolen away by someone¡­ If it were me, I¡¯d definitely die with many regrets! So¡­ about my previous suggestion¡­¡± ¡°We agree!¡± The skinny man was determined. The remaining Yang Qin¡¯er and the other man also nodded their heads in agreement. Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s lips curved up. Even if I didn¡¯t say these things to agitate them, the few of them would also make the same choice. This is because they were originally thinking about it already. My words only nailed the idea even more harshly in their hearts. Ning Jiaojiao suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s join hands and deal with Chu Liuyue first. When we find any treasures, we¡¯ll split them evenly. As for the Long Yuan Sword¡­ the fateful person will get it. How does that sound?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a deal.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er turned around to take a look and suddenly gasped. ¡°Quickly, look! Those black sword aura rays seemed to have returned to the Long Yuan Sword!¡± The few of them looked up respectively. As expected, they saw the countless rays of black sword aura come from somewhere and rush to the Long Yuan Sword. At the same time, bolts of silver lightning kept slashing down repeatedly. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ning Jiaojiao was the first to react as she immediately rushed forward. The other people didn¡¯t want to be left behind as they hurriedly followed her. ¡­ The ninth silver lightning bolt struck the sword¡¯s body. The next moment, the sword¡¯s roar could be heard. It was like a hibernating beast that suddenly woke up. It then seemed like an opening had been torn through in the endless night, shining light in. From the middle, one could vaguely peek at the insurmountable existence. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and looked at the Long Yuan Sword in front of her without blinking. The Long Yuan Sword¡­ actually woke up on its own! The surrounding black sword aura started returning to the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s body continuously. Choo choo! A sound pierced through the skies. The legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly gasped. Chu Liuyue followed its line of sight, and her eyes shrunk. She saw a golden fire suddenly coming out from below. It still appeared where the Long Yuan Sword was stuck to the ground, but it was more intense than the first one. Also¡­ Not only did it not disappear, but it even started spreading in all directions. In a short amount of time, the bottom of the gigantic pit was completely filled by the golden fire. From above, it looked like the Long Yuan Sword was stuck into the golden fire. ¡°The legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton should be below! We must hurry! The Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength can¡¯t sustain me for long!¡± bellowed the legendary three-eyed eagle. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. ¡°You mean¡­ You¡¯re going to barge into the golden fire?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle gave an affirmative reply. ¡°The Long Yuan Sword has already awakened, and this is the only gap. Once it recognizes someone as its master, the legendary fiend¡¯s skeleton will belong to that person, or it will be completely destroyed!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded as a red fire instantly spread out from her body and covered her entirely. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly swooped down and rushed downward. The human and the fiend¡¯s figures instantly disappeared within that fire. Hong! The light of the fire shot to the sky. Chapter 517 - Old Nest ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Ning Jiaojiao and the others were shocked to see the golden flames suddenly gushing out. They hurriedly rushed forward, only to spot the enormous heavenly pit and the flames that had covered a large part of the pit. They wanted to go nearer and take a closer look at it but were forced to retreat due to the searing heat and vast aura. As such, they could only watch everything happen from the side. ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Liuyue?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er scanned her surroundings but couldn¡¯t find Chu Liuyue anywhere in sight. She was here just now. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ ¡°She went down there?!¡± The group of people exchanged looks with one another. It seemed that there was no better explanation than this. ¡°One will surely die if they fall into this fire! She probably has been transported out of the Tianling God Realm,¡± surmised the thin man. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait for the sword to wake up completely!¡± The others had no objections to his suggestion. After all, no matter what condition Chu Liuyue was in, their priority was the Long Yuan Sword! Thus, they began waiting in silence. More people gathered around the pit subsequently. Everyone, however, had come to a tacit understanding and didn¡¯t fight among themselves. Instead, they scattered out and waited for the sword to completely wake up in different spots. Including Yang Qin¡¯er and her entourage, there were nine people in total. This number might seem insignificant, but it was actually very hard for them to last until now. The other competitors had already been eliminated long ago because they couldn¡¯t withstand the force that constantly flowed into their bodies. Those who could arrive at the pit either possessed outstanding Dijing Yuan meridians or had some means and treasures with them. In short, they weren¡¯t simple characters. Qiang Wenzhou was the tenth person to arrive here. Even though he was hurt, his injuries were nothing major. He walked toward the pit and slightly frowned when he peered inside and realized that Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura had disappeared amidst the golden flames. After giving it some deep thought, he started waiting here as well. ¡­ The legendary three-eyed eagle charged through the golden flames and carried Chu Liuyue straight down with it. The overwhelming flames obscured her vision, and all she could feel was that the fire around her was madly gushing out like lava. All of a sudden, she vaguely saw a door that appeared in the middle of the flames. She hastily asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle didn¡¯t respond to her question but flew at even greater speeds. It was only when they got nearer that Chu Liuyue finally got a clear look. It was a black door made of an unknown material. It was dark and deep, and it also emanated a compelling chillness. On it was a carved relief of a sword. Just one glance at it, and she immediately recognized that it was the Long Yuan Sword. ¡°That¡¯s the sword¡¯s seal on the legendary beast¡¯s skeleton!¡± stated the legendary three-eyed eagle. Chu Liuyue understood what it meant at once. ¡°So the skeleton is behind this door?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! As long as we open the door, we¡¯ll be able to enter!¡± She fell into deep contemplation as she stared at the door before her. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard¡­ to open this door though¡­¡± Just as she said that, the black pyramid in her body suddenly flew out of her body as if it had been summoned. Shocked, Chu Liuyue instantly moved to grab it. But when her fingers came into contact with it, she noticed a cold flash coming from the door. The sword relief was moving. Her actions ceased as the black pyramid slowly turned in front of the door, and a subtle aura gushed out of it. Creak¡ª The door opened. With great determination, she seized the black pyramid back and charged through the door at once. Bam! The door slammed shut behind her thereafter. As Chu Liuyue exhaled in relief, she looked up and realized that she was in a glorious and magnificent hall that was made of precious jade stones. It had countless jewels and treasures scattered all over the floor and priceless raw orchid-colored stones in piles. Longan-sized illusionary spectral beads¡ªwhich could fetch up to 10,000 white crystals for just a pea-sized bead on the market¡ªcould be found in all nooks and crannies as well. Even Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had seen her fair share of treasures¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but draw a sharp intake of air at this sight. What a fortune! Unlike pills or martial skills, all these things are real money! This place must¡¯ve been deserted for a long time, which is why everything is covered with a thick layer of dust. She mumbled to herself, ¡°Could it be a treasure trove left behind by my ancestor¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the great phoenix dragon¡¯s nest!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s words sent a jolt running through Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The great phoenix dragons are ancient and supreme legendary beasts who love collecting¡­ treasures,¡± said the eagle with much difficulty after a brief silence. They had a very high status and were so powerful that almost all the legendary fiends had to bow to them. However, they had a particular obsession with sparkling stones and jades. Thus, they loved collecting them and piling them up in their nests. Even though this particular hobby of theirs wasn¡¯t anything bad, the thought that the supreme and majestic great phoenix dragons would sleep atop piles of jade stones every day was quite fantasy-shattering. The legendary three-eyed eagle initially thought that it was just a myth, but reality turned out to be different from expectations¡­ Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding before looking around. ¡°Since this is their old nest, why can¡¯t we find its skele¡ª¡± Her voice trailed off right then. Chapter 518 - Confrontation Lying in the middle of the hall was half of an enormous skeleton. Every inch of its bones was glistening and clear like jade and could be easily confused with the other treasures when placed together. This was why Chu Liuyue failed to recognize it immediately. Nevertheless, it was still distinguishable upon closer look because it emitted a faint aura. Her heart thumped hard at the sight. All of a sudden, the legendary three-eyed eagle let out a shriek before folding its wings and bowing its head slightly. One look at it, and Chu Liuyue could clearly feel its deep-seated awe and submission. It was clear then that the corpse belonged to the great phoenix dragon. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked Chu Liuyue somewhat worriedly. The eagle shook its head. ¡°The great phoenix dragon is an ancient legendary fiend with absolute bloodline suppression. If it had been alive, I¡¯d definitely have to submit to it. We¡¯re fortunate that only half of its remains are left. I can still bear with it.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but secretly marvel in her heart. The legendary three-eyed eagle is already quite an impressive legendary fiend, yet it still seems so small in front of the great phoenix dragon. Only half of its body remains, yet its lingering aura is so terrifying. I can only imagine what sort of existence a real great phoenix dragon is. ¡°Given your current strength, you¡¯ll surely be destroyed with just one look from the great phoenix dragon,¡± stated the legendary three-eyed eagle calmly. At that, Chu Liuyue thought to herself, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll ever meet one. Besides, even if I truly have the chance to meet a real great phoenix dragon in the future, I¡¯ll surely be at a higher cultivation level than I am now. ¡°Why is there only half a skeleton though?¡± she asked with a frown. The legendary three-eyed eagle shook its head to express its confusion as well. ¡°The great phoenix dragon clan values their skeletons a lot. Even if one were to die outside, the rest of the clan would travel far just to recover it. They won¡¯t leave it outside just like that. Perhaps they didn¡¯t discover it because it¡¯s an incomplete skeleton.¡± Deep in rumination, Chu Liuyue thought that the eagle made some sense. ¡°But if this is an incomplete skeleton, how are you¡­ going to regain your body?¡± The eagle pondered for a moment before answering, ¡°As an ancient legendary fiend, the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline is naturally more powerful than the rest of the legendary fiends. If I can borrow its power, I can still reconstruct my body even with an incomplete skeleton.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s good! In that case, let¡¯s take it with us then. Once we find everything else we need, I¡¯ll help you¡ªWhat¡¯s wrong?¡± She let out a cough when she saw that the eagle was looking at her strangely. ¡°You want to take it away with you?¡± asked the eagle. She nodded hesitantly. ¡°¡­Is that¡­ inappropriate?¡± The way the legendary three-eyed eagle looked at her became even weirder. ¡°Do you think that a Cosmic Ring is enough to withstand the corpse¡¯s power?¡± How did I forget this?! When she finally understood what it meant, she slapped herself on the forehead. ¡°What do you think we should do then? Leave it here? It wasn¡¯t easy for us to get in here¡­¡± It¡¯s because of the legendary three-eyed eagle that I rushed in here in spite of the dangers. If it¡¯s going to tell me that I can¡¯t take it with me¡­ ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle. ¡°Put the body in there. On the one hand, you¡¯ll be able to take it with you. On the other hand, you¡¯ll be able to cultivate the power of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline.¡± She nodded. With a thought, the Heavenly Square Cauldron appeared in her palm. Transparent karmic fire quietly burned within it. When she moved her wrist slightly, the Heavenly Square Cauldron flew into midair and expanded rapidly. A transparent flame then shot out toward the body on the ground. Just when it touched the skeleton, a bright light appeared all of a sudden, which made Chu Liuyue cover her eyes instinctively. But she realized something at that moment, so she opened them and looked over. She saw a huge Xuan formation flickering above the skeleton and blocking the transparent fire. Her eyes twitched when she got a clear look at the Xuan formation. It¡¯s a stage-nine Xuan formation. After I became a stage-eight Xuan master in my previous life, I had never been able to break through from that stage. If this were a lower-stage Xuan formation, I could still attempt to crack it. But this one¡­ It¡¯s as good as a dead-end to me. ¡°There¡¯s a seal on the skeleton. It looks like we have to break it first.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s words sent Chu Liuyue into greater despair. As she looked at the spinning Xuan formation in front with a hand on her hurting head, she asked weakly, ¡°You think I¡¯m capable of doing so?¡± Weren¡¯t you the one who said that I¡¯d be killed with a look from a great phoenix dragon? The legendary three-eyed eagle shot her a side-glimpse. ¡°Not with your current cultivation, of course. The Heavenly Dao can though!¡± Stunned, she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The eagle suddenly fell silent. Just when Chu Liuyue thought it wouldn¡¯t answer her, it finally broke the silence. ¡°The only difference between a stage-eight Xuan formation and a stage-nine Xuan formation is that there¡¯s a wisp of Heavenly Dao in the latter. As long as you can dissolve it, the formation can be easily solved.¡± She opened her mouth in shock. ¡°H-how did you know this?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle clenched its teeth. ¡°How can I possibly not know when I was trapped by a stage-nine Xuan formation?!¡± Chu Liuyue understood at once. ¡°Does that mean it was a Xuan master who trapped you back then? And¡­ a stage-nine one at that?!¡± When she noticed the cold hatred flashing across its eyes, she wisely changed the topic. ¡°Even so, I¡¯m only a stage-three Xuan master now. How can I possibly dissolve the Heavenly Dao?¡± It¡¯s an impossible task! The legendary three-eyed eagle stared at her fixedly. ¡°That may be so for other people but not you. That¡¯s because you have the Heavenly Dao in your body!¡± Its words sent a jolt through Chu Liuyue, who seemingly understood what it meant. She pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try then!¡± With that, she sat cross-legged and started to meditate. When the water droplet in her dantian started spinning slowly, she tried summoning the Heavenly Dao¡¯s power in her body. One belonged to the Ultimate Jingshen, while the other came from the contract she had with the legendary three-eyed eagle. After some time, a faint glow appeared within the water droplet, much to Chu Liuyue¡¯s delight. That must be the Heavenly Dao¡¯s aura! She then opened her eyes and stared at the complicated and massive stage-nine Xuan formation. With a flick of her fingers, the miniscule drop of water flew forward, the glow within it clearly visible. A black spatial crack silently appeared when the water droplet passed by. As it gradually got closer, a powerful force suddenly erupted from the Xuan formation, and countless streams of light intertwined in a dazzling display. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart squeezed. The aura of the Xuan formation¡¯s Heavenly Dao had been hidden in the countless streams of light, making it hard to find. Chapter 519 - Except For Her The water droplet¡ªwhich quietly floated in front of the gigantic Xuan formation¡ªseemed really tiny when compared to it. Both, however, were engaged in a confrontation. Chu Liuyue knew that it was a duel between the Heavenly Dao on both sides. If she wanted to win, she had to make sure that she did it in one go. Her eyes remained fixed on the countless intertwined streams of light while the legendary three-eyed eagle quietly stood by the side. It was terrifyingly quiet in the entire space. ¡­ Rumble! Another bolt of heavenly lightning struck down. The light splashed in all directions, making it almost impossible to look straight at it! ¡°Retreat further!¡± The people who were waiting outside the pit were forced to move back once more due to the energy wave. Despite doing this, most of them suffered from varying degrees of injuries. ¡°This is only the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s 27th lightning bolt, but it¡¯s already so powerful. I¡¯m afraid nobody will be able to last until the 81st lightning bolt! All of us will be kicked out of the Tianling God Realm by then!¡± said a burly man with a deep voice. The black sword aura in the pit was still flowing into the Long Yuan Sword. From afar, one could see that the bottom was a sea of golden flames. ¡°That might not necessarily happen. Its new master won¡¯t be affected by this force,¡± said the man next to him with clenched teeth after spitting out a mouthful of blood. The crowd fell silent at once. After all, this was exactly why they were all waiting there. Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as she asked softly, ¡°Seniors, both of you have sustained rather serious injuries. Shall we¡­ just leave?¡± The two males said in unison, ¡°No, we can¡¯t give up until the last moment! The Long Yuan Sword will try to pick a new master after every nine bolts of lightning. We still stand a chance since it hasn¡¯t picked anyone in the last three rounds!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll be looked down upon if we flee like cowards! Fear not, Qin¡¯er. We¡¯ll protect you as long as we¡¯re around!¡± As Yang Qin¡¯er smiled in gratitude, a mocking look flashed across Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s eyes as she watched this from the side. Thus far, those men would scramble to the front whenever the trio encountered any danger, fearing that something might happen to Yang Qin¡¯er. It got to the point that they had injuries all over themselves while Yang Qin¡¯er remained unharmed. It was obvious that Yang Qin¡¯er had some tricks up her sleeves; otherwise, those two men wouldn¡¯t go to such extents to protect her. This is ultimately a competition, yet those two have been thoroughly played by Yang Qin¡¯er. Upon sensing Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s gaze, Yang Qin¡¯er looked up and glanced at her. However, both quickly averted their gazes the moment their eyes met each other. Right at that moment, another bolt of lightning struck. Silver light flashed across the sky with violent energy scattering in all directions. Ning Jiaojiao was the first to bear the brunt. With her quick wits, she quickly ran toward the back. The mustached man behind her wanted to retreat as well but was slowed down when he tripped over himself. With just a step¡¯s difference, Ning Jiaojiao overtook him, and he became the person closest to the pit. The next second, his body instantly vanished from the spot, which indicated his elimination from the competition. Yang Qin¡¯er glared at Ning Jiaojiao in warning. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± The smug smile on Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s face faded in an instant. Being badly injured, the mustached man could hardly fight in his state. Someone who can¡¯t provide any substantial help will be just an eyesore if they remain here, so I figured that I might as well send him off first. Ning Jiaojiao was touching her face in satisfaction when she suddenly felt a cold gaze on her. She turned her head and saw a blond boy staring piercingly at her. Those eyes seemed to have seen through her earlier actions. She unconsciously tore her gaze away from him, feeling really uncomfortable as he remained staring at her. In a seemingly nonchalant manner, she asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that blond guy? He looks somewhat familiar.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er said nothing as she chuckled inwardly to herself while looking miserable over her senior¡¯s elimination. The tall and thin man patted her shoulder comfortingly before glancing at the guy Ning Jiaojiao mentioned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the guy who bit someone that day? I think his name is¡­ Qiang Wanzhou?¡± Only then did Ning Jiaojiao have somewhat of an impression of him. ¡°I see.¡± We don¡¯t know each other, so why is he behaving as if he has a grudge against me? Despite feeling depressed, she had no intention of asking him about it. She didn¡¯t want to miss out on the Long Yuan Sword just because of such trivial matters. Still, it took a while before his gaze shifted away from her. It was only then that she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡­ The wait was particularly grueling, especially when it came to times like this, where great danger was involved. Nobody was selected when the 36th bolt of lightning struck. Instead, another two people were eliminated because they couldn¡¯t withstand the power. One of them was the thin man from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect. Yang Qin¡¯er eventually couldn¡¯t hold herself back any longer. Walking right up to Ning Jiaojiao, she pressed her voice low and asked, ¡°What exactly do you want?!¡± Ning Jiaojiao laughed. ¡°I¡¯m just helping you out! You won¡¯t be able to show off your skills with those two around. Now that they¡¯ve been eliminated, you don¡¯t need to hide your skills any longer.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er snorted in response. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Ning Jiaojiao wasn¡¯t bothered by her reply. Let¡¯s see how long she can keep up with the pretense! Meanwhile, the other people were getting more and more impatient. ¡°The fourth round has passed, but why hasn¡¯t the Long Yuan Sword chosen its new owner?¡± ¡°Just wait a little longer! Once it¡¯s awake, it¡¯ll surely choose its new owner.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that golden fire below though? There¡¯s no mention of it in legends¡­¡± ¡°How can we possibly guess the going-ons in this unpredictable place? Just wait patiently!¡± ¡­ At Xuan Ji Square. A whole day and night had passed, but more and more people were gathering in the square. Like before, Jiang Yucheng was in disguise as he stood in an inconspicuous corner and watched the competition. Although the majority of the participants had been eliminated, the competition was getting stiffer as it progressed toward the end. He looked at the black marble board, where few names remained on it. A particular name caught his attention right then as he stared at it and asked, ¡°Is Chu Liuyue still in there?¡± The man behind him immediately answered, ¡°Yes, together with 12 other people.¡± Jiang Yucheng placed a hand behind his back as he slowly clenched it. Chu Liuyue is only a stage-three warrior. Even if she has some capabilities, she should¡¯ve been eliminated by now. ¡°The lowest cultivation level of the 12 other people is peak fifth-stage?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Eldest Young Master. Also¡­¡± ¡°Spit it out,¡± barked Jiang Yucheng in annoyance. The man pressed his voice low. ¡°Except for Chu Liuyue, they all have superior Dijing Yuan meridians.¡± Jiang Yucheng narrowed his eyes at that. Chapter 520 - Former Mistress Based on my previous prediction, the only remaining participants should be the ones with superior Dijing Yuan meridians. How did Chu Liuyue manage to last this long? Is there really something weird about her? Jiang Yucheng asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mu Qinghe?¡± ¡°Eldest Young Master, didn¡¯t you send Lieutenant Mu to deal with that matter? He should still be working on it now,¡± reminded his subordinate. I must¡¯ve overworked myself lately to the point that this matter slipped out of my mind. As he came back to his senses, Jiang Yucheng rubbed his glabella. ¡°Get him to go over to Wanjin Garden.¡± Wanjin Garden was a famous restaurant in Xi Ling City, known for its elegance and luxury. But very few people knew that it belonged to Jiang Yucheng. ¡°¡­Do you mean¡­ right away?¡± ¡°Yes, right away.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded lightly and glanced at the black marble board. Before turning around to leave, he added, ¡°Guan Hao, continue to keep an eye on the situation here and inform me immediately if anything unusual happens.¡± Guan Hao mulled over the given order for a moment. When he figured out what his master meant by ¡®unusual,¡¯ he answered, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ By the time Jiang Yucheng arrived at Wanjin Garden, Mu Qinghe was already waiting there in a room. The Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant¡ªwho had always been cold and aloof¡ªpaid his respects to the former as soon as he sensed his presence. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master.¡± Jiang Yucheng took his seat before saying, ¡°Sit.¡± During his momentary hesitation, Mu Qinghe noticed that the other man had already poured two cups of tea, so he sat down as well. Guan Hao then took his leave and closed the door behind him as he went out to guard the room. Mu Qinghe looked down. ¡°May I know why I have been summoned back on such short notice?¡± Jiang Yucheng picked up the teacup and lightly blew at it, allowing the tea fragrance to waft into his nose. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. I just have a few questions for you.¡± ¡°Feel free to ask anything you want. I won¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t drink the tea. Instead, he stroked the teacup in his hand and raised his eyes to look at the lieutenant. ¡°Were you the one¡­ who brought Chu Liuyue over?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s hands¡ªwhich were placed on his knees¡ªcurled up slightly, but his expression remained unchanged as he answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°However, word on the street is that she came here with Jian Fengchi. What happened there?¡± It took Mu Qinghe a moment before he briefly recounted what happened back then to the other. ¡°¡­So I came back first and got Jian Fengchi to help me bring her over. It seems that a slight misunderstanding has occurred during the competition¡¯s registration process. That¡¯s why his name was written instead.¡± Despite the upward curling of his lips, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Liu Xingyi has always disliked Jian Fengchi, so he probably did it on purpose.¡± That fool is exactly the same as his mistress, Shangguan Wan! Both Shangguan Wan and I will never make Jian Fengchi do such a thing, yet he tried to seize the opportunity to take revenge¡­ Couldn¡¯t he stop to think for a second who was capable enough to ask Jian Fengchi for help? After pondering for a moment, Mu Qinghe said, ¡°I think this rumor has been widely spread throughout Xi Ling. Do you need me to send someone¡ª¡± ¡°No need; it doesn¡¯t matter what those people think. What¡¯s important now is Chu Liuyue. You didn¡¯t tell me upon your return that she has many secrets on her.¡± Jiang Yucheng cut Mu Qinghe off as he placed the teacup back on the table. The lieutenant knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Please excuse my stupidity, but I don¡¯t understand what you mean by that.¡± Jiang Yucheng laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you have no idea that she¡¯s currently still in the Tianling God Realm? When I came here, only 13 out of the 200 participants who entered that place remained, and she¡¯s one of them. She is only a stage-three warrior with an intermediate Dijing Yuan meridian, so how did she manage to survive this long inside?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at that. I knew that Chu Liuyue was somewhat capable, but I didn¡¯t expect her to last for so long! ¡°As expected of Country Yao Chen¡­¡± remarked Jiang Yucheng in a meaningful tone. Mu Qinghe immediately rose to his feet, cupped his fist, and bowed. ¡°Please exercise wise judgment on this matter, Eldest Young Master. It¡¯s true that Chu Liuyue has some capabilities; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have brought her here to participate in the Wan Zheng Competition. I-I¡¯m also surprised that¡ª¡± ¡°No need to be nervous.¡± With a relaxed smile on his face, Jiang Yucheng waved his hand. ¡°After all, the Third Princess will be elated to hear this.¡± There wasn¡¯t a ripple in Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice as he allowed his eyes to droop slightly. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°By the way, there¡¯s another thing that I¡¯m rather curious about.¡± Leaning forward slightly, Jiang Yucheng stared into Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Chu Liuyue¡­ bears some resemblance to a certain person?¡± His calm voice¡ªas well as the hints of amusement on his face¡ªmade it seem as though he was speaking about some trivial affair. However, it made Mu Qinghe lift his clothes¡¯ hem and go on his knees. ¡°Please look into the bottom of this matter! This wasn¡¯t my intention! It just so happens that she was the only one with the Dijing Yuan meridian in Country Yao Chen¡­ I had no choice but to bring her back; otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for me to continue staying there.¡± As Jiang Yucheng stared at him with his gaze that was sharp as a knife, a thick blanket of silence fell over the room. It lasted for some time before he burst out chuckling. ¡°It was just a casual remark; there¡¯s no need for you to get so uptight over it. Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not a striking resemblance. There are lots of people with similar appearances in this world, so there¡¯s no big deal about this.¡± Truth be told, he had already sent someone to secretly investigate Chu Liuyue¡¯s background. From the news he received so far, there weren¡¯t any problems with her identity. Most importantly, she was indeed only 14 years old. Mu Qinghe secretly sighed in relief. ¡°Thank you, Eldest Young Master.¡± Smiling, Jiang Yucheng leaned back against his seat. ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence anyway. You wouldn¡¯t have chosen her if you had other choices. After all¡­ your former mistress treated you pretty well.¡± ¡°From the past until now, you¡¯ve been my only master!¡± Mu Qinghe slammed his head onto the cold and hard ground, the coldness of which seemed to have spread to his heart as well. After a short but suffocating silence, Jiang Yucheng finally stood up and went to help him up. In a gentle voice, he said, ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯ve always been my most trusted subordinate.¡± It was only then that Mu Qinghe climbed to his feet. ¡°Thank you, Eldest Young Master.¡± There was a large bruise patch on his forehead, which showed how hard he kowtowed earlier. ¡°You may go back and continue working on the task you were entrusted with. You don¡¯t have to be concerned about anything else.¡± It was a warning for him not to meddle in the competition any longer. ¡°Understood.¡± Jiang Yucheng then turned to leave. It was only after a long while that Mu Qinghe slowly exhaled and turned to look at the two teacups on the table¡ªJiang Yucheng had left his tea untouched throughout. He continued standing there for a long time and didn¡¯t even know when Hong Yao landed on his shoulder. The fiend¡ªwhich was usually lively¡ªwas silent and subdued at this moment. Mu Qinghe closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his eyes had returned to their usual calm state. He then made a move to leave. Chapter 521 - Shui Liu’er Time passed slowly as dead silence lingered in the air. Highly focused, Chu Liuyue was still studying the gigantic Xuan formation. While the two forces were engaged in a confrontation, she had silently begun to memorize the trajectory the Heavenly Dao had taken. But due to the ninth-grade Xuan formation¡¯s overwhelming pressure, it was taking a huge toll on her given her current cultivation level. Not only was she mentally tired, but she was also losing her force at a rapid speed. Thus, she could only constantly replenish her force as she studied the Xuan formation. It was fortunate that the water droplet had a lot of force stored away in reserve. This was why her force could constantly flow out and spread throughout her body and to her limbs. This process had been rather painful at the start, but after experiencing it a few more times, she had slowly gotten used to it. The continuous flowing of force allowed her flesh and bones to become stronger at speeds so high that even she didn¡¯t realize that her aura was becoming stronger as well. A complicated look flashed across the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes as it regarded Chu Liuyue. Such a cultivation method is very demanding on cultivators, and the average person wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it. However, not only did she manage to endure it, but it also seems like it¡¯s becoming easier for her. Her potential is far greater than what she previously displayed! It then shifted its gaze to the Heavenly Square Cauldron that was floating in the air. I finally understand a little about why the Heavenly Square Cauldron chose her¡­ With her entire attention on the Xuan formation, Chu Liuyue completely forgot about time as a rough outline of the Xuan formation slowly formed in her mind. ¡­ Meanwhile, on the other end, the people outside the heavenly pit were still waiting arduously. As time passed, more Heavenly Dao was summoned by the Long Yuan Sword. Its aura and pressure became greater as well. They had already retreated ten miles from their original positions, and another two people were eliminated one after another. Only half of them were left standing here, yet the sword still hadn¡¯t selected a new master. They only had two more chances of being selected. Even though they didn¡¯t show their emotions on their faces, they were secretly getting impatient. ¡°We can¡¯t tell how much time has passed since there¡¯s no day and night here,¡± Yang Qin¡¯er mumbled to herself while the others remained silent. Her words, however, reminded Qiang Wanzhou of something. His expression changed a little as he closed his eyes and examined his internal body condition. But when he opened his eyes again, a trace of surprise surfaced in his beautiful eyes. The pill that I ate earlier seems to have fully taken effect. I wonder if it¡¯s because of the environment here or if it¡¯s already the time for it to take effect¡­ He then cast a glance in the direction of the heavenly pit. From his position, he could only see the enormous Long Yuan Sword and the raging golden flames. Chu Liuyue remained nowhere in sight. After thinking for a moment, he took out the jade bottle to take the second pill. ¡­ Xuan Ji Square. Two days had passed, and only nine names remained on the black marble board. Given the current progress rate, the crowd had speculated that the competition would probably end in a few more days. Thus, they were rather surprised to know that nobody was eliminated on the third day. The waiting audience gradually became impatient, and all sorts of guesses surfaced. ¡°It¡¯s already the third day, but why isn¡¯t anyone coming out? Did something happen to them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Tianling God Realm you¡¯re talking about; how can anything happen there? The ones who were eliminated came out alive, didn¡¯t they? Let¡¯s not worry about it and just watch the fun!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Ultimately, only the sects care most about the competition¡¯s results. It has nothing to do with us! Speaking of which, weren¡¯t there rumors saying that there might be a lot of rare and precious treasures hidden inside the Tianling God Realm? Those who were eliminated all came out injured though. It doesn¡¯t look like there were any treasures involved. Say, is there a possibility that the Tianling God Realm is actually a dangerous place with no treasures at all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the place where the ancestor passed on! It¡¯s rumored that he left behind a Heavenly Dao, so how can there be nothing? Besides, it all depends on destiny! Who knows? All the treasures might go to just one person!¡± ¡°I wonder which of those nine people will be lucky enough to receive that fortune¡­ I¡¯m quite surprised that Chu Liuyue could actually remain there this long¡­¡± ¡­ In a private room on the second floor of Chun Feng Restaurant, a lady in white was currently playing a pipa. She had a slender and delicate figure and was wearing a veil across her face, which revealed only a pair of gentle-looking eyes. Nevertheless, one could still tell that she was a great beauty. Melodious music was formed as her fingers moved to pluck the instrument¡¯s strings. Behind the screen was a tall figure who lay diagonally. All of a sudden, the white-clothed woman stopped playing the instrument. The room instantly became quiet. A moment later, the man behind the screen lazily asked, ¡°Liu¡¯er, why did you suddenly stop playing the pipa?¡± She got up and curtsied at him. ¡°No matter how much I play, the music won¡¯t reach your ears if you¡¯re distracted, Young Master Jian. Hence, I might as well stop playing.¡± Although her voice was gentle and pleasant, it sounded murderous in Jian Fengchi¡¯s ears. He let out an awkward cough. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Liu¡¯er. I¡ª¡± ¡°Jian Fengchi, I won¡¯t play to a brick wall!¡± interrupted the lady in a curt manner. She¡¯s mad at me! Very wisely, Jian Fengchi said, ¡°Go back and get some rest then. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± Holding the pipa in her embrace, the lady bypassed the screen and walked over to him, sneering, ¡°Jian Fengchi, I¡¯ve been playing music for a long time now. Have you found anything regarding the matter I entrusted you with?¡± Jian Fengchi was a well-known tyrant in Xi Ling City who had always been arrogant and unrestrained. But whenever he faced the lady before him, he would somehow feel that he was inferior to her. He scrunched up his handsome face. ¡°Yes, of course! I wouldn¡¯t dare to step into Chun Feng Restaurant if I didn¡¯t manage to find anything!¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Tell me¡ª¡± Before she could finish her piece, she heard some hurried footsteps coming from outside. ¡°Fengchi! Fengchi!¡± cried a young man. The two people in the room were stunned when they heard this. ¡°It¡¯s Yuwen Jinghong,¡± stated Jian Fengchi. ¡°I know! What a timely arrival!¡± The lady gnashed her teeth before speedily retreating behind the screen. The doors suddenly flung open, and Yuwen Jinghong barged into the room. ¡°Fengchi! Do you know¡ª¡± His words trailed off when he noticed the lady in the room. ¡°¡­Oh, I didn¡¯t know you were here too, Miss Liu¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er bowed in the direction of the screen before retreating a few steps and paying a bow to Yuwen Jinghong as well. Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s ears went red as he said, ¡°Take care, Miss Liu¡¯er.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± With his arms across his chest, Jian Fengchi walked out from behind the screen and shot the intruder an irritated look. It was only then that Yuwen Jinghong recalled the purpose of his visit. He wore an excited look on his face as he told the other man, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Chu Liuyue¡ªthe person you brought here¡ªis among the top eight in the competition!¡± Chapter 522 - Time to Make Money! Jian Fengchi was dazed for quite a while before he reacted. Wan Zheng Competition? Top eight? Upon seeing Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression, the smile on Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s face gradually froze. ¡°It can¡¯t be that you didn¡¯t take this to heart at all, right?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a competition? Do I have to care so much about it?¡± Jian Fengchi shrugged his shoulders lazily. This is especially so when this competition was organized by Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng. Not only do I not care about it, but I also despise it very much. If it weren¡¯t to help Mu Qinghe, I wouldn¡¯t even intervene in this matter. These few days after returning to Xi Ling City, he kept playing around and eating good food. He didn¡¯t have the spare time to think about anything else. Yuwen Jinghong grunted. ¡°To think she was brought here by you!¡± Mu Qinghe found her; she really has nothing to do with me, Jian Fengchi thought to himself. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the competition ended yet?¡± Yuwen Jinghong glanced at him in contempt. ¡°It seems like you really don¡¯t care about this at all. I really don¡¯t know why you brought the lady here. Four days have passed for the competition, and it¡¯s the fifth day today. There were close to 200 people participating in the competition, and there¡¯s only eight left now!¡± Without waiting for Jian Fengchi to explain, he continued, ¡°All the major gambling dens in Xi Ling City have now started to accept bets, and they¡¯re all betting on who will take first place!¡± Hearing this, Jian Fengchi became much more energized. ¡°Really?¡± Welcoming Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s gaze of contempt, Jian Fengchi coughed. ¡°H-how¡¯s that girl¡¯s paying rate?¡± ¡°Of course, hers is the highest! She has the lowest cultivation level amongst the eight of them! No, she has the lowest cultivation level out of all the competitors!¡± said Yuwen Jinghong as he couldn¡¯t help but stroke his chin. ¡°Aish. Speaking of this lady, she¡¯s really quite incredible! I don¡¯t think she survived to this point because of luck. Not mentioning anything else, but you do have a keen eye for picking people!¡± A sinister smile appeared on Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips with a tinge of delight. ¡°Of course.¡± Their conversation was going so quickly, so he didn¡¯t explain further. ¡°You came here just to tell me this?¡± asked Jian Fengchi as he changed the topic. ¡°Ah-choo!¡± Yuwen Jinghong suddenly sneezed heavily. He rubbed his nose. ¡°Aiyo, who is thinking of me?¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at him pitifully. Little Liu¡¯er was suddenly interrupted. At this point, she has probably scolded all of Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s last eight generations. ¡°Hehe, I just came here to find out some things from you. What rank do you think that lady can reach?¡± Yuwen Jinghong rubbed his hands. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been quite tight on money recently, so I want to see if I can take this chance and win some money! If you say that she can rank eighth, I¡¯ll bet on eight. If you say seventh, I¡¯ll bet on seven!¡± Jian Fengchi squinted his eyes. ¡°The higher the ranking, the more money we get?¡± Yuwen Jinghong nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the paying rate for her getting first?¡± Yuwen Jinghong said a number. Jian Fengchi turned around and walked outside. ¡°Hey! Fengchi, where are you going?¡± Yuwen Jinghong hurriedly followed him. Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t even turn back. ¡°To make money!¡± ¡­ The Wan Zheng Competition was still ongoing, and it seemed like everyone in Xi Ling City directed all of their attention to this competition. A piece of gossip spread throughout Xi Ling overnight: Rumors had it that Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Jian Fengchi had gone to all the gambling dens in Xi Ling City, heavily betting in each one that Chu Liuyue would take first place for the Wan Zheng Competition! This was literally adding a whole pot of oil to the fire. The crowd was originally already very curious and expectant toward the Wan Zheng Competition since it concerned the Tianling God Realm. With Jian Fengchi¡¯s movements, the news spread like wildfire. Jian Fengchi¡¯s actions were famous for being unconventional and him doing whatever he wished. However, this action still stunned many people until their jaws dropped. This was because the crowd thought that it was impossible for Chu Liuyue to come in first. Jian Fengchi doing so was akin to burning money. Even if he came from a rich family, they couldn¡¯t sustain his spending. If there wasn¡¯t any special reason, why would he do this? Hence, the entire Xi Ling knew that Jian Fengchi liked that Chu Liuyue he brought back! Jian Fengchi was known for being flirtatious, but to this extent? This was the first time. The next moment, many people guessed: Could the playboy Young Master finally be settling down? Many women were devastated over this. ¡­ Hundred Herbs Building. A few women were leisurely shopping around the first floor and were whispering about something. ¡°I heard that Chu Liuyue was brought back by Jian Fengchi from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. It seems like her background is so-so. I really don¡¯t know what he sees in her.¡± ¡°Her family background is indeed not very good, but you didn¡¯t see her in person, right? I saw her from afar that day, and I did see a rare beauty. It¡¯s no wonder Jian Fengchi would be so into her.¡± ¡°So what if she looks good? There are countless pretty women in this world. I think Jian Fengchi is only mesmerized for a period. After a while, he¡¯ll wake up on his own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If not, can she really enter Dragon Teeth Mountain and be their Young Madam?¡± The pageboy standing behind the crystal cabinets finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ladies, may I ask about the Chu Liuyue you mentioned earlier¡­ Is it the one that just arrived at Xi Ling recently?¡± The few women glanced at each other and nodded in confusion. ¡°Yeap! What¡¯s the matter?¡± The pageboy smiled politely. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you heard the rumors from, but they¡¯re ridiculous. Ms. Chu is the Mu Residence¡¯s important guest. Why would she be related to Young Master Jian?¡± One of the women asked, ¡°Which Mu Residence?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only that one Mu Residence in Xi Ling City!¡± The pageboy reminded, ¡°When Ms. Chu came here a few days ago, Lieutenant Mu¡¯s trusted subordinate¡ªOfficer Duan¡ªaccompanied her here! Everyone in Hundred Herbs Building saw it clearly!¡± At this point, the few women¡¯s faces changed. Chu Liuyue is actually also related to that grim reaper? Important guest¡­ What kind of important guest is she that can make Mu Qinghe think of her so highly? One has to know that his residence has never had even half a woman. ¡°Are you serious?¡± asked the other woman anxiously as she stepped forward. The pageboy pointed upstairs. ¡°Of course! That day, Ms. Chu bought quite a few things alone, and the person that served her was directly promoted to the second floor.¡± Who wasn¡¯t envious of him in Hundred Herbs Building? Now, they were all waiting for Chu Liuyue to come again! The few women exchanged looks, and one of them chuckled. ¡°This Chu Liuyue is indeed incredible. Not only can she make Young Master Jian spend for her, but she can even make Lieutenant Mu act out of character. How amazing.¡± The pageboy¡¯s face changed. ¡°This Missy, please watch your words.¡± But that woman smiled even more brightly. ¡°What, did Hundred Herbs Building become her territory? Can¡¯t I say something?¡± ¡°Ms. Chu is our Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s important guest with a black gold card. Of course, we prioritize Ms. Chu.¡± A man¡¯s clear voice suddenly sounded. The crowd turned around. All the pageboys on the first floor greeted in unison, ¡°Greetings, General Manager Yue!¡± Chapter 523 - Important Guest It turns out that this person is Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s General Manager, Yue Ling. Hasn¡¯t it been very hard to see him all along? Rumors have it that even when some powerful people in Xi Ling City want to see him, they have to send him an invitation one month in advance. Also, they might not necessarily see him. Logically speaking, a mere herb store¡¯s general manager shouldn¡¯t be able to compare to them, and he definitely couldn¡¯t be arrogant in front of them. But¡­ Yue Ling was different. This was because he was in charge of Hundred Herbs Building! That which was rare was dear. Whatever other places didn¡¯t have, he had. So naturally, he had an advantage over the rest. In Xi Ling City, nobody wanted to offend Hundred Herbs Building. This was because nobody dared to guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t need to buy herbs from Hundred Herbs Building for the rest of their lives. Everyone who knew this wouldn¡¯t dig a hole for themselves. The few women obviously couldn¡¯t offend Yue Ling, so they hesitated for a while before apologizing obediently. ¡°S-sorry.¡± Yue Ling nodded and smiled slightly. ¡°I believe you ladies won¡¯t make such a mistake again in the future.¡± The few women heaved a sigh of relief at the same time. But without waiting for them to speak, Yue Ling told the pageboy beside them, ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Send these ladies out quickly.¡± A chill ran down the pageboy¡¯s spine as he hurriedly said, ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± As he spoke, he had already rapidly turned around the crystal cabinet and walked to the few of them before pointing toward the door. ¡°Ladies, please¡ª¡± ¡°T-this¡­ General Manager Yue, what does this mean?¡± asked one of the women in confusion. ¡°We haven¡¯t bought our things yet!¡± Yue Ling¡¯s smile did not change. ¡°I know.¡± He was clearly chasing them out. The pageboy immediately hurried them. ¡°Ladies, please¡ª¡± Even though these few women were enraged, they didn¡¯t dare to cause a scene at Hundred Herbs Building. Hence, they could only leave angrily. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± At the door, one of the women finally couldn¡¯t take it as she turned around and glanced at them. Suppressing her anger, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Hundred Herbs Building to treat their customers like this! Even if you invite us over next time, we won¡¯t come!¡± Yue Ling smiled and said, ¡°Ladies, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. From today onward, our Hundred Herbs Building will not do your business.¡± Everyone was shocked when he said this. The few women that had walked out of the store all stopped and looked at Yue Ling in shock. The woman who had been speaking was also taken aback. ¡°General Manager Yue, w-what does this mean?¡± ¡°It means what it means. The few of you have publicly humiliated our Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s black gold card VIP, so we naturally have to show you our stance. Every time you come by here from now on, please use another route.¡± Yue Ling¡¯s tone was very gentle, but his words were cruel and heartless. ¡°Oh, right. The same goes for your family members.¡± The entire first floor was so silent that a needle could be heard if it dropped. Yue Ling is indeed harsh! He actually stopped doing business with their entire families! These women will definitely be severely punished when they go back! Even though they had said bad things about Chu Liuyue, this is too overboard¡­ Though some people thought this way, nobody was stupid enough to put in a good word for them. What a joke. Who will be so brainless as to offend Yue Ling for someone unrelated? The few women obviously noticed that something was amiss as they respectively started begging out of anxiety. Two of them even cried. But Yue Ling was too lazy to bother with them, so he directly turned around. A few pageboys went up together and chased the women out. The women paced outside the door for quite some time and attracted some attention. But they couldn¡¯t say the reason themselves, so they could only walk away miserably. Yue Ling¡¯s gaze scanned across the crowd on the first floor as he smiled slightly. ¡°Everyone, sorry for the disturbance. We¡¯ll compensate you with a small gift later on. Please forgive us.¡± The crowd hurriedly agreed happily. Yue Ling had already done this, so they definitely had to give him face. After assuring the crowd, Yue Ling went upstairs. He walked up to the third floor alone. A middle-aged man walked toward him. ¡°General Manager, why did you suddenly come today?¡± This person was Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s Assistant General Manager, Cui Fangyi. Yue Ling walked into the room that belonged to him on the third floor, and the middle-aged man followed him in. After closing the door, Yue Ling suddenly heaved a sigh of relief, and he looked scared. ¡°Luckily, I didn¡¯t go too late¡­¡± Cui Fangyi was at a loss. ¡°What did you say?¡± Yue Ling shook his head, walked over to sit down, and said, ¡°You should know what happened downstairs. If such matters happen again, you should handle them like this.¡± Cui Fangyi furrowed his thick brows. ¡°Are you saying¡­ If anyone insults our black gold card VIPs next time, we won¡¯t do their business? But you didn¡¯t make this rule before. Do you really plan to do this? Those few people did speak in an overboard manner, but¡­ they don¡¯t deserve this!¡± Yue Ling looked up at him. ¡°Why do you think I rushed over today?¡± Cui Fangyi was dazed as he suddenly widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Did you specifically come for Chu¡ª¡± Yue Ling nodded. ¡°I only received this piece of news today.¡± He pointed upstairs. ¡°From now on, this Ms. Chu is our Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s very, very, very important guest!¡± Cui Fangyi gasped. What status does this Chu Liuyue exactly have? ¡°I should¡¯ve received this piece of news a few days ago, but I only received it now because of some delays on the way here.¡± Yue Ling smiled bitterly as he shook his head and sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that just because it was a few days late, Ms. Chu had already come to our Hundred Herbs Building. But that¡¯s good too. Now that she¡¯s a black gold card VIP, we can use it as a reason.¡± Though Cui Fangyi was still stunned, he immediately agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 524 - Want to Leave After Taking My Things? Tianling God Realm. Within the sparkling golden palace, Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and stared at the gigantic Xuan formation not far away. She had already completely ignored everything in her surroundings, and there was only one thought in her eyes and mind¡ªto solve this Xuan formation! A rough outline was already formed in her mind. As time passed, the outline gradually became clearer. Chu Liuyue was copying the Xuan formation in her mind. Of course, this small bit didn¡¯t count for much compared to the real Xuan formation. However, she didn¡¯t want to replicate it completely. It was literally impossible for her now. Hence, she was actually just trying her best to trace the tracks of the previous Heavenly Dao and try to find some pattern within it. At some point, she settled on something, and her eyes dazzled like stars. That¡¯s it! ¡°Go!¡± The water droplet with a Heavenly Dao aura went straight to a certain point on the Xuan formation. Hong! The two tremendous forces smashed against one another and let out a loud sound. Bingo! Chu Liuyue was elated. The next moment, with the point of impact as the center, force started rippling in all directions at an observable speed. The nearing rays of light were immediately crushed, and the structure collapsed. The gigantic Xuan formation was officially destroyed. ¡­ At the same time, a few people were still waiting outside the heavenly pit. There were only four people left here¡ªQiang Wanzhou, Ning Jiaojiao, Yang Qin¡¯er, and that burly man named Chou Ding.. Hong long! Another lightning bolt struck. The few of them stared closely at the Long Yuan Sword, and their entire faces and bodies were filled with nervousness. This was because¡­ this was already the 80th lightning bolt! The Long Yuan Sword still hadn¡¯t chosen its owner, so there was only one last chance now. Ning Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t help but look at the distant Qiang Wanzhou. Not long before this, this golden-haired young man actually broke through and became a stage-six warrior here. She was envious and angry. She couldn¡¯t understand how Qiang Wanzhou still successfully broke through at such a nerve-wracking moment. She didn¡¯t know that Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s attention was not on the Long Yuan Sword. From start to end, he was only thinking of one thing¡ªfind Chu Liuyue. He could feel that she was under the golden fire, so he waited patiently. While he was waiting, he estimated that he had already taken his third pill. It was precisely because of the third pill¡¯s effects that resolved much of his harsh inner air, giving him the chance to break through. Huala! A ferocious movement could be heard from the heavenly pit. This movement immediately attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. Chou Ding jumped up to the sky without hesitation and looked at the heavenly pit. However, this one look stunned him. ¡°H-how is this happening¡­?¡± The golden fire that originally filled the heavenly pit started flowing back in crazily. It was as if there was something crazily absorbing it from below. But the last lightning bolt of the Long Yuan Sword still didn¡¯t strike. ¡­ The entire palace started to shake. The dust on countless treasures started falling, and the pearls moved in all directions as the mountain of rubies shook. The water droplet broke silently, and the millions of light rays dissolved at the same time. It was so bright that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t even open her eyes. This was the advantage of the suppression! Shock flashed across the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes. The Heavenly Dao strength within Chu Liuyue¡¯s body is actually this strong?! Even though it had suggested Chu Liuyue to use her Heavenly Dao to fight this Heavenly Dao, it didn¡¯t harbor much hope. At the end of the day, Chu Liuyue¡¯s current cultivation level hadn¡¯t broken through to the fourth stage. Even though her current abilities could be compared to that of a stage-five warrior, it was almost impossible for her to solve a ninth-grade Xuan formation. But at this point, the Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength that she released far exceeded that of the Xuan formation. Just based on the Heavenly Dao in her body alone, it shouldn¡¯t be able to reach such a stage¡­ It was the water droplet! The water droplet seems to contain immense strength that can fight the Heavenly Dao. The legendary three-eyed eagle was taken aback by this sudden thought. It looked up again and saw the water droplet split into countless small droplets, landing in all sorts of places on the Xuan formation. The entire Xuan formation irreversibly broke down as it formed countless stars and faded away. When the last ray of light was destroyed, a thought immediately popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. The transparent karmic fire flew out from the Heavenly Square Cauldron and overwhelmed that half-skeleton. The large skeleton was immediately enveloped. The next moment, that skeleton was gradually brought up by the transparent fire. At this moment, the golden fire that flowed in from the surroundings started to enter the skeleton crazily. Chu Liuyue was shocked. The legendary three-eyed eagle immediately boomed, ¡°That¡¯s the great phoenix dragon¡¯s strength. Previously, it probably noticed that the Long Yuan Sword was about to awaken, so the strength dispersed and wanted to get rid of this suppression. But now that you want to bring the skeleton away, this strength will naturally return.¡± ¡°Is there still a soul in the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton?¡± asked Chu Liuyue doubtfully. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just the great phoenix dragon¡¯s last bit of consciousness.¡± If half of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s soul was still around, it wouldn¡¯t be this situation. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief and also felt emotional in her heart. Ancient legendary fiends are indeed extraordinary. It has died for so long, yet there is still such strong willpower left in the skeleton¡¯s remnants. I wonder how strong a true living great phoenix dragon is¡­ Following the golden fire pouring back in, the skeleton became increasingly clear and bright. When the last spark of golden fire disappeared within the skeleton, the Heavenly Square Cauldron finally absorbed it forcefully. Through the transparent Heavenly Square Cauldron, she could still see the skeleton entering it. At the same time, the Xuan formation had completely broken. The countless water droplets also reformed into one water droplet, containing that bright light before returning to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue stood up and waved her palms lightly, wanting to summon the Heavenly Square Cauldron back in. However, the Heavenly Square Cauldron stopped in midair and did not move. Chu Liuyue was dazed and tried again. The Heavenly Square Cauldron still did not move. Uneasiness overwhelmed her heart. At this point, a vague figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the palace. ¡°You want to leave after taking my things?¡± A low voice sounded. Every word and sentence was like thunder striking beside Chu Liuyue¡¯s ear, making her heart shudder. Her organs and limbs seemed to be crushed by this invisible suppression as she felt excruciating pain. An intense, bloody smell suddenly rose in her throat. She had no doubts that the other party could take away her life at this very moment if he wanted to. This person¡­ was the strongest person she had ever met in both her lives! In one swift move, that man shrank the Heavenly Square Cauldron, and it landed in his palm. Chapter 525 - Tianling Royal Family Bloodline Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to shrink as well. That man looked like he was around 30 years old. He was tall and big, but he had a skinny waist. He was wearing a long, olive-green robe, looking like a sword that wasn¡¯t out of its sheath¡ªdeep and hidden. But Chu Liuyue suddenly widened her eyes when she saw his appearance. His brows were sharp, his nose was high, and his face had distinct edges and corners. His pair of black eyes were like black rubies that looked very deep. He looked very handsome, but Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t shocked by his outstanding appearance. Instead¡­ This is the ancestor¡¯s face! The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestral hall has a portrait of the ancestor, and this man¡¯s face looks exactly the same as the painting of the ancestor. No, I should say that¡­ that portrait and this man are exactly the same! Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was blank, and her heart started beating wildly, so much so that even her ears hurt. This is¡­ the ancestor? It is the ancestor! That man scrutinized the Heavenly Square Cauldron in his hands, and he looked shocked. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, but you actually have such a rare treasure¡­¡± As he spoke, he looked up at Chu Liuyue and saw the girl staring at him dazedly as if she was silly. He suddenly couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°What expression is that? I was just curious, so I took it to take a look. I don¡¯t want to snatch your things.¡± As he said so, he lifted his hand, and the Heavenly Square Cauldron flew back to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already solved the Xuan formation I set up and took the item, it¡¯s yours. I won¡¯t take it back.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly felt the suppression on her body disappear. She stretched her hand out stiffly to take the Heavenly Square Cauldron, but her eyes were still glued to that man while she looked dazed. Ancestor¡­ I actually saw the ancestor! Even when she was planning to enter the Tianling God Realm in her previous life, she had never thought that she could see the ancestor! Her heart seemed to be filled with scorching liquid as her nose turned sour. That man thought that this girl wouldn¡¯t look at him in this manner after he returned the item. He didn¡¯t expect that not only was she still looking at him, but her eyes also turned red. Looking at the pair of eyes that were as red as a rabbit¡¯s eyes, he instantly felt a headache. ¡°Sigh. Girl, what are you crying about?¡± He¡ªShangguan Jing¡ªwasn¡¯t afraid of the heavens or the earth, but he was afraid of seeing someone cry. Also, this person was still a lady. I¡­ I just made a joke, but why does this girl look like I bullied her? I symbolically exuded suppression, but it won¡¯t hurt her at all. Besides, she has a Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength in her body, so there¡¯s no need to worry at all. ¡°Y-you, don¡¯t cry! Didn¡¯t I already say that this item is yours?¡± Shangguan Jing was flustered. ¡°If not¡­ You can take away the treasures here, okay?¡± There won¡¯t be people in this world who don¡¯t like money, right? Chu Liuyue then became alert as her lips quivered slightly. ¡°T-thank you¡­ Senior.¡± The word ¡®ancestor¡¯ almost escaped from her mouth. Even though she tried her best to look calm, her trembling voice still exposed the emotional rollercoaster in her heart. Shangguan Jing heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the girl finally spoke, but he still felt pretty doubtful. This girl¡¯s reaction when she saw me was a little overboard¡­ Is it because I appeared too suddenly? Thinking of this, he waved his hands, casually smiled, and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid. I¡¯m just a scarce form of consciousness saved in the Long Yuan Sword.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded slightly, but she was still quite disappointed. So this isn¡¯t the ancestor¡¯s soul¡­ ¡°What¡¯s your name? Where are you from? How did you get in?¡± Shangguan Jing saw that she had already recovered, so he asked, ¡°Last time, only people from the Tianling royal family could enter the Tianling God Realm.¡± The girl in front clearly doesn¡¯t have the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s bloodline. He also knew that there were quite a few people outside in such a manner. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and seriously said, ¡°Junior Chu Liuyue comes from Country Yao Chen outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. I came to the Tianling God Realm because of the Wan Zheng Competition¡­¡± Then, she briefly explained the entire situation. When Shangguan Jing heard the last part, he furrowed his brows tightly. I didn¡¯t expect the people in the Tianling royal family to mess around like this after thousands of years. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want people outside the Tianling royal family to come in, but¡­ This so-called Wan Zheng Competition clearly has ulterior motives. Most people can¡¯t even last here for long, and they will even be injured by this extreme environment. Didn¡¯t it happen to those people earlier? ¡°Did you say that this is suggested by the Third Princess¡ªShangguan Wan¡ªand her husband in power?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know if Shangguan Wan has any strange activity?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment. She naturally knew Shangguan Wan had a problem¡ªher Yuan meridian had long been destroyed more than a year ago. If it were a normal injury, there are more than enough heavenly doctors in the Tianling Dynasty that could help treat her. But Shangguan Wan¡¯s Yuan meridian was burned by my Tianjing Yuan meridian; it¡¯s impossible to recover. But in the past few days, I¡¯ve secretly asked around in Xi Ling and shockingly discovered that the news of Shangguan Wan¡¯s Yuan meridian being damaged didn¡¯t spread. After thinking about it, this is natural. If people found out that her Yuan meridian was damaged and that she couldn¡¯t cultivate, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to sit in her current position stably. Even though I don¡¯t know what method she used, I¡¯m certain that she has successfully hidden it from everyone. Oh yes¡ªexcept for Jiang Yucheng. ¡°I¡¯m asking if there¡¯s a problem with her cultivation,¡± Shangguan Jing asked in greater detail. Chu Liuyue swiftly decided and nodded. ¡°I just heard that her Yuan meridian has some problems¡­¡± ¡°No wonder¡­¡± Shangguan Jing looked like he knew what was going on. Chu Liuyue was confused. Seeing the ancestor¡¯s appearance, it seems like he knows why Shangguan Wan held the Wan Zheng Competition. ¡°Senior, what does this¡­ mean?¡± asked Chu Liuyue lightly. Shangguan Jing looked much more solemn as he put his hands behind his back, shook his head, and sighed. ¡°Forget it, forget it. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know these things. Anyway, it¡¯s shameful for Tianling to have such a descendant with ill intentions in the Tianling royal family.¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to ask further, but she thought for a while and did not speak. But Shangguan Jing suddenly thought of something as he scrutinized her. ¡°Speaking of which, how did you come here?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the legendary three-eyed eagle beside her and coughed in embarrassment. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you, Senior. I came here today for this skeleton. T-the legendary fiend I made a contract with only has a soul, so I barged in with hopes of helping it recover its physical body.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about this.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression was weird. ¡°You might not know this, but the door to the palace can only be opened by people with the Tianling royal family bloodline.¡± Chapter 526 - Last Bolt of Lightning! It was as if Chu Liuyue was hit in the head with a wooden stick as her entire person became stunned. Only people with the Tianling royal family bloodline can come in? Then¡­ How did I come in? Even though I am Shangguan Yue in soul, my physical body has become Chu Liuyue. Thus, we definitely don¡¯t have the same bloodline. I clearly remember that the golden fire directly appeared on the door. What happened then¡­? Suddenly, she was shocked. It¡¯s the black pyramid! Back then, I didn¡¯t actually do anything. The black pyramid flew out itself; then, the door opened. There was also that strange connection¡­ From start to end, the black pyramid directed everything. Chu Liuyue was instantly confused. The black pyramid is Country Yao Chen¡¯s item, so why is it related to the Tianling Dynasty? There seemed to be mist in front of her, and she couldn¡¯t clearly see what was happening. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know either,¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. Shangguan Jing looked at her expression and confirmed that she didn¡¯t know anything before he smiled slightly. ¡°You have quite a few treasures with you, and one of them seems to be related to the Tianling Dynasty.¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°You know?¡± ¡°This is my territory. Of course, nobody knows better than me about how you came in.¡± Shangguan Jing smiled and shook his head. This girl looks pretty smart, and she has good talent and capabilities, but why is she a little muddled? He lifted his finger, and the black pyramid in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body immediately flew out. ¡°Senior¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened, but she swallowed her remaining words when she thought that her ancestor might be able to see the secret within. Shangguan Jing raised his hand and was about to take the black pyramid when a hidden yet strong suppression suddenly exploded from it. ¡°Hm?¡± Shangguan Jing paused in his actions. ¡°The seal on top¡­¡± This seal is very powerful¡ªeven I can¡¯t solve it. He focused on it and looked up seriously. At first glance, this black pyramid doesn¡¯t look special at all. But when I was near it, I could feel the strong aura within the seal. Let alone the girl in front, but there might not even be a person in the entire Tianling Dynasty who has such capabilities! ¡°Do you know who set this seal?¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue, and his expression was rather stern. Chu Liuyue vaguely noticed something as she nodded and shook her head. ¡°I only heard that person¡¯s voice, and I¡¯ve never seen him before. Is there something wrong with this seal¡­?¡± Shangguan Jing kept quiet. Actually, he could feel a very familiar aura within the black pyramid, but this seal blocked him from investigating further. He really didn¡¯t know why the other party would waste such effort to set this seal. This girl could probably come in because of this. ¡°The person who set this seal¡­ is extremely strong,¡± said Shangguan Jing slowly. Chu Liuyue nodded in acknowledgment. I have no doubts about this, but to be able to make the ancestor say this¡­ He must be even stronger than I had imagined! Shangguan Yue pushed his palm, and the black pyramid flew back to Chu Liuyue. She scrutinized it and didn¡¯t see anything wrong. ¡°You¡¯re quite young, but you have a lot of fateful treasures,¡± said Shangguan Jing emotionally. No matter if it¡¯s the mysterious and strong objects that she has or this mysterious and strong warrior she met¡­ All the luck that others might not have their entire lives, she has them all in her teens. ¡°You must keep this well,¡± said Shangguan Jing seriously all of a sudden. Chu Liuyue nodded in confusion. ¡°Since you could come in here, it means that we are fated. I originally planned to leave this Long Yuan Sword for them¡­ But now, I think it¡¯s better if I give it to you.¡± The Tianling royal family is so messed up now. With this Long Yuan Sword, it might even aid their unruliness. ¡°S-senior, you mean¡­ But this Long Yuan Sword is¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly stunned. The Long Yuan Sword should be given to those with the Tianling royal family bloodline. I¡¯m just an outsider now, yet the ancestor is planning to do this?! Shangguan Jing suddenly smiled. ¡°You girl, you clearly guessed my identity long ago, so why are you pretending you don¡¯t know? This Long Yuan Sword is originally mine, so I can give it to whoever I want.¡± ¡°Besides, I felt very close for some reason once I saw you¡­ It¡¯s probably because of fate?¡± He crossed his arms and looked at Chu Liuyue. If it isn¡¯t because I really like this girl, I wouldn¡¯t have talked to her for so long. Chu Liuyue hesitated for quite some time. It¡¯s definitely untrue if I say that I don¡¯t want the Long Yuan Sword, but¡­ What kind of identity should I accept the sword with? As if seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s conflicted feelings, Shangguan Jing waved his hands, smiled, and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about others because¡­ the Long Yuan Sword chose you too!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyes in shock. ¡°What?¡± Shangguan Jing smiled and shook his head. ¡°If not, why do you think the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s last bolt hasn¡¯t landed yet?¡± It was waiting for her! There seemed to be molten lava rolling around Chu Liuyue¡¯s stomach, causing her entire body to tremble slightly. She suddenly knelt on the floor and sincerely bowed. ¡°Junior¡­ Chu Liuyue kneels and thanks¡­ Ancestor!¡± Her head lowered and hit the ice-cold marble floor of the palace. A teardrop silently landed. Hong long! A large sound was suddenly heard. The few people waiting outside the heavenly pit looked up together. The blazing sun in the sky suddenly dropped and rushed toward the Long Yuan Sword. The last bolt of lightning came down with the sound. Chapter 527 - Surround and Attack The scorching sun with the blazing light and heat swept across half the sky. Finally, it landed on the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s handle. Hong! Countless rays of light landed, and the gigantic black sword¡¯s body was instantly enveloped by the dazzling light. Without the sun in the sky, the sky rapidly darkened. The Long Yuan Sword instantly became the brightest existence in this land. A spark of fire suddenly came out from the cracked ground, and terrifying heat started spreading along the Long Yuan Sword. Following this, even more sparks started emerging from below, scorching and burning. The surrounding temperature started to rise crazily. ¡°Quick! Let¡¯s go!¡± Upon seeing this, Chou Ding immediately panicked and hurriedly retreated. But the moment he moved back two steps, he felt a scorching pain. He turned around and realized that his behind started burning at some point in time. The clothes behind him started burning immediately! The frightening pain spread and made his five features contort. Chou Ding hurriedly tore his clothes off, but his back was burned. More than ten blisters also formed on it. Even though he couldn¡¯t see his body¡¯s condition, the pain was real. He couldn¡¯t care about the rest as he swiftly escaped as far as he could. If they want to continue waiting, they should just do it themselves! Perhaps they will wait until death before the Long Yuan Sword even comes! He swiftly crushed the green copper pearl in his hand. The next moment, his body immediately disappeared from the ground. Everything happened in one moment. When Ning Jiaojiao and Yang Qin¡¯er saw this, they were all stunned. Nobody had expected that the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s last bolt of lightning¡ªwhich they had waited so long for¡ªwas actually so horrifying. The two of them retreated without hesitation, but their gazes were still glued to the Long Yuan Sword. The two of them exchanged glances, and they could see the circulating murderous intent in each other¡¯s eyes. Ning Jiaojiao laughed. ¡°The Tianling God Realm¡¯s skies are about to change. Yang Qin¡¯er, are you not leaving?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s face no longer had the gentleness and shyness from before. She returned a smile, but this smile was much fiercer than before, and it made one¡¯s heart turn cold. ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet, so why would I go? The Long Yuan Sword¡¯s 81st bolt of lightning has already struck, and it¡¯s about to choose its new owner. I¡¯ve been practicing the sword since I was young, and I plan to enter the Purple Xiao Sword Sect to cultivate and specialize in swords. However, you don¡¯t have any relation to the way of the sword. Do you think the Long Yuan Sword will choose you?¡± Ning Jiaojiao felt something stuck in her heart. Before I came, I had never expected the Long Yuan Sword to awaken. But since I came in time for it, how can I just give up? One could never be too careful. ¡°Yang Qin¡¯er, there¡¯s nothing you should be glad about. The Long Yuan Sword is a legendary weapon, and if it only wanted to choose a person that specialized in swords as its new owner, it would¡¯ve chosen a long time ago! Why would it be your turn? Nobody knows who will die!¡± The moment Ning Jiaojiao said that, a spark of fire appeared below her feet again. Ning Jiaojiao went on her toes and was about to fly. But the next moment, she shockingly realized that she couldn¡¯t jump up into the sky anymore. ¡°How can this be?¡± she yelled as she hurriedly escaped. Yang Qin¡¯er also felt that something was amiss as her face drastically changed. If we can¡¯t fly in the sky, we will burn in this fire sooner or later. The two of them couldn¡¯t care about arguing as they each avoided and hid uglily. However, increasingly more sparks appeared beneath their feet, so they couldn¡¯t escape at all. Yang Qin¡¯er suddenly drew her sword, jumped up, and flew toward the sky. By doing this, she finally avoided the endless fire. Ning Jiaojiao watched on as she secretly clenched her teeth. She waved her sleeves, and a green barrier instantly appeared before her, completely enveloping her. Who wasn¡¯t prepared?! They fought head and neck here, yet on the other end, Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t move at all. He only moved back a small distance, but he was still looking at the heavenly pit. Also, there were no defenses around him at all. The sparks of fire kept burning in his surroundings, but he seemed like he was completely fine. In actual fact, it wasn¡¯t that he did not do anything. He was using his body¡¯s harsh, cold air to block the fire¡¯s invasion. If one stood closer, one would see that there was always a thin layer of ice rapidly forming on his skin before melting. This cycle kept continuing. An average person couldn¡¯t withstand the two extreme forces that kept intersecting and replacing one another, but this was nothing to Qiang Wanzhou. The harsh, cold air had accumulated in his body for many years, and he was long used to it. To him, using the fire¡¯s strength to melt away the harsh, cold air in his body gradually was actually a good thing. In addition, Chu Liuyue had already used pills to train his body, so his tolerance toward fire had far exceeded that of an average person. ¡°This Qiang Wanzhou has a problem!¡± Ning Jiaojiao noticed Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s actions as she muttered. Compared to how disheveled she and Yang Qin¡¯er looked, Qiang Wanzhou seemed too smooth. An idea popped up in her mind, and she looked at Yang Qin¡¯er. Yang Qin¡¯er instantly understood what she meant. Originally, she was reluctant to work with Ning Jiaojiao, but she was tempted when she saw Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s calm and composed manner from the corner of her eye. After hesitating slightly, she lightly nodded. This way, the two of them had an agreement. After a temporary pause, the two of them started rushing toward Qiang Wanzhou from different directions. Qiang Wanzhou was focused on waiting for Chu Liuyue to come out. He could already feel her aura vaguely, but at this moment, he suddenly felt danger lurking nearby. He suddenly looked up and saw the duo charging toward him. Both Ning Jiaojiao and Yang Qin¡¯er didn¡¯t expect Qiang Wanzhou to be this sensitive, and they were both taken aback. However, they didn¡¯t know that Qiang Wanzhou had long developed animalistic alertness since he had lived in Nan Jiang since he was young. Thus, he caught them red-handed when they planned to take action. The trio kept quiet silently. A hypocritical smile appeared on Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s face. ¡°We want to discuss something with you¡ª¡± Qiang Wanzhou spoke coldly first. ¡°You are joining hands to deal with me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question but a declarative sentence. Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s face dropped. The next moment, Yang Qin¡¯er was the first to react. A poisonous dart instantly flew out. Qiang Wanzhou raised his hand, and his force quickly formed a longsword. Ding! The poisonous dart struck the sword¡¯s blade, and it was reflected outward, landing into a spark of fire. In the blink of an eye, the poisonous dart directly melted. Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s hands trembled slightly. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s defense is accurate and harsh, and he is stronger than me. On the other end, Ning Jiaojiao threw out a Xuan formation crystal. A gigantic Xuan formation immediately appeared above Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s head, completely enveloping him. Ning Jiaojiao was just a stage-four Xuan Master on her own, but she had made sufficient preparations to win this Wan Zheng Competition. A sixth-grade Xuan formation was engraved within the Xuan formation crystal. Even an intermediate stage-six warrior might not be able to escape from within, let alone Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho had just broken through to become a stage-six warrior. Qiang Wanzhou looked up at the Xuan formation, and the light reflected in his eyes like the stars dazzling in the sky. His sharp chin tensed up, and it seemed like a thin layer of ice covered his white and almost transparent face. Just when Ning Jiaojiao and Yang Qin¡¯er thought that they were winning, a thunderous sword roar erupted from the Long Yuan Sword. Buzz! Chapter 528 - Puppet The duo quickly turned and looked! The Long Yuan Sword is recognizing a new master! The boundless earth was covered by a sea of fire, and a large, black sword was in the middle of it all! Along with the sword¡¯s startling ringing was an overwhelming pressure, which seemed like it came from the ancient past. It poured out of the sword and radiated across the land! Kacha! A deep crack appeared on the ground¡ªit was like a deep abyss! The Long Yuan Sword was appearing! ¡°¡­The Long Yuan Sword has chosen its master?!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er dazedly stared at the scene in front of her before she came to her senses! If that weren¡¯t the case, the Long Yuan Sword would never react this way! Ning Jiaojiao was stunned by these words, and her heart sank after a short pause! ¡°How can it be? Nobody was chosen!¡± Only the three of us are here. Qiang Wanzhou is trapped under my Xuan formation, while both Yang Qin¡¯er and myself are standing by the side! Nobody here has become the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s new owner! Unless¡­ Someone else is here! At this moment, a bright ball of light appeared at the bottom of the Long Yuan Sword! A person¡¯s figure could be seen within the ball of light! Yang Qin¡¯er and Ning Jiaojiao fearfully backed away from the terrifying aura, and the two looked up as they did so! But the ball of light was too blinding, so they couldn¡¯t see who was inside it. Amidst the blurriness, they could only see the person fly onto the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s hilt! The person then grabbed the sword with both their hands! Hong long! The ground began shaking violently! With the Long Yuan Sword as the center, cracks spread across the area! ¡°Who is that? Who is that!¡± Ning Jiaojiao muttered with hatred as she gritted her teeth! To think that we were fighting over it here, but someone else had already beaten us to it! All my efforts were for naught! Yang Qin¡¯er was upset, but she suddenly spoke when she heard Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s cursing and swearing. ¡°No matter who, we¡¯ve got to stop them!¡± Ning Jiaojiao frowned. ¡°Are you crazy? The Long Yuan Sword has already chosen a master; nothing that we do matters anymore. How can we stop it?¡± Based on our current abilities, we can¡¯t even get near the Long Yuan Sword! Yang Qin¡¯er laughed coldly. ¡°You¡¯re really not well-versed in the way of the sword! The Long Yuan Sword is a legendary weapon. Even if it did choose its master, it takes a while! During this process, the chosen person must remain focused. If they¡¯re interrupted¡­¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Since we¡¯ve joined forces, we might as well solve this problem too! If we can¡¯t have the Long Yuan Sword, nobody can!¡± Ning Jiaojiao was tempted by Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s suggestion. She only considered it briefly before she agreed to it. ¡°Sure!¡± With that, they looked at one another before running toward the figure in the sky in unison! But just as the two of them moved, a terrible ripple came from the side! The pair turned and looked. They saw that Qiang Wanzhou had torn the Xuan formation apart and was sprinting toward them! ¡°H-how did he do that?!¡± Ning Jiaojiao was stunned! That was a stage-six Xuan formation! Qiang Wanzhou actually managed to break it so quickly?! However, the two of them had been focused on the Long Yuan Sword earlier, so none of them saw how Qiang Wanzhou did it! Yang Qin¡¯er said immediately, ¡°You go and stop him!¡± ¡°Why me?!¡± Ning Jiaojiao immediately retorted. Who knows if Yang Qin¡¯er will take the chance to snatch the Long Yuan Sword? Yang Qin¡¯er scoffed as if she had read Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You think the Long Yuan Sword will recognize a new master so easily? Stop dreaming! If you want to go there, we can switch!¡± Ning Jiaojiao didn¡¯t know how to respond. She glanced at the Long Yuan Sword, but she felt chills run down her spine. As she dashed toward Qiang Wanzhou, she said begrudgingly, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er charged forward with her sword! The closer she got, the stronger the pressure from the Long Yuan Sword! She had no choice but to stop! It¡¯s a pity that I still can¡¯t see who the person in the ball of light is from where I¡¯m standing! She took a deep breath and put her hands together. A muscular figure appeared before her¡ªit was a copper-skinned man! He looked just like a regular man in terms of appearance and size, but his eyes were a void! There was no sign of life coming from him! This was Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s trump card¡ªa puppet made using a special secret technique! She stared at the puppet¡¯s hollow eyes as she gave orders. ¡°Go kill that person!¡± Immediately after, two green bursts of fire appeared in the puppet¡¯s eye sockets! It nodded stiffly before it replied with a raspy voice that sounded like metal rubbing against each other. ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Shua! It then flew toward the blinding ball of light! Yang Qin¡¯er narrowed her eyes as she smiled coldly. I went through much effort to get this puppet. I hadn¡¯t intended on using it until I absolutely had to, but I didn¡¯t expect the Wan Zheng Competition to push me this far! But then again, this is for the Long Yuan Sword. Hence, I won¡¯t have any hesitance. She didn¡¯t want to lose the competition and have someone beat her to the Long Yuan Sword! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s palms were burning as she gripped the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s hilt. Sensing a commotion coming from the side, she took a glance and saw a figure rushing toward her. She took a closer look, and she frowned as a cold look flashed across her eyes. It¡¯s a puppet?! The process for creating such a puppet is extremely vicious. It requires removing all of a cultivator¡¯s organs while they are still alive and inserting a secret chemical and a seal before refining it for 100 days! During the entire process, the cultivator has to remain conscious and suffer through the days and nights of pain and agony before their soul will be removed in the final stage! Because this process is extremely vicious, it was banned throughout the entire mainland. I didn¡¯t expect to see it here! Chu Liuyue looked around and instantly understood everything when she saw Yang Qin¡¯er watching her closely. I didn¡¯t expect it to be her¡­ This Yang Qin¡¯er probably isn¡¯t as simple as she looks¡­ When the puppet rushed over, a large and black illusory figure suddenly appeared out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body¡ªit was the legendary three-eyed eagle! It spread its wings, almost covering the sun! The next instant, it swooped down toward the puppet! Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s smile froze. That¡¯s¡­ a legendary three-eyed eagle¡ªa legendary fiend! Who is inside that ball of light to be able to contract with such a legendary fiend?! ¡°Ahh!¡± A tragic cry echoed! She turned and looked to see Ning Jiaojiao covered in specks of blood! Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s eyes turned cold before he swung his sword down! Chapter 529 - The best has yet to come Ning Jiaojiao instantly disappeared! She, too, had been eliminated! Qiang Wanzhou looked up coldly! Chu Liuyue is in that ball of light! He stood on his toes as he flew toward Yang Qin¡¯er quickly! Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s heart sank! I¡¯m just a peak stage-five warrior. I¡¯m no match for Qiang Wanzhou! ¡°Hold on!¡± she said suddenly. Qiang Wanzhou went around her as he looked at her expressionlessly. Yang Qin¡¯er felt chills run down her spine because of the stare, but she still blurted out, ¡°We can join forces!¡± Qiang Wanzhou frowned. Yang Qin¡¯er began explaining. ¡°The Long Yuan Sword has chosen a master, but it¡¯s neither of us. Why don¡¯t we work together and stop that person?!¡± With that said, she pointed in the direction of Chu Liuyue. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s expression became even stranger. Does Yang Qin¡¯er actually think that I¡¯ll join forces with her to attack Chu Liuyue? Upon seeing his reaction, Yang Qin¡¯er thought that he had been moved by her proposal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We don¡¯t have to take the risk! The puppet I¡¯ve sent will take care of that person!¡± Qiang Wanzhou turned back and glanced. The puppet was embroiled in a battle with the legendary three-eyed eagle! Yang Qin¡¯er felt a little nervous. ¡°The legendary fiend is just an illusion; it¡¯s easy to deal with!¡± She suddenly turned. ¡°Right! Why don¡¯t we head up together?! We don¡¯t even have to win; we just have to disrupt that person. By doing so, the Long Yuan Sword won¡¯t be able to recognize a new master! The person will also suffer from backlash! Even if they don¡¯t die, they¡¯ll be seriously injured!¡± As she prattled on excitedly, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s eyes turned cold. The next instant, his surrounding energy grew exponentially! Yang Qin¡¯er thought he was going to take action. She was about to break into a smile when she realized that Qiang Wanzhou was coming for her! This instantly wiped the smile off her face as she backed away in panic. ¡°What are you doing?! I said for us to attack that person together! Are you crazy?!¡± Qiang Wanzhou pursed his lips as he dashed toward her. He raised the longsword in his hands and brought it down heavily! ¡­ Xuan Ji Square. This was already the sixth day of the Wan Zheng Competition. Most were eliminated on the first day. As the days progressed, fewer people were eliminated, but the crowd was anything but impatient. They grew increasingly excited as time passed. A number of things had happened in Xi Ling City recently, and everyone was animatedly talking about them. One of the hottest topics was people speculating on Chu Liuyue¡¯s final rank in the competition! As the person with the lowest cultivation level out of hundreds of contestants, Chu Liuyue was naturally the topic of conversation for everyone. The longer she lasted, the higher her rank, and the more excited the crowd got. There was even a wager going on in a secluded corner of the square! ¡°Everybody, come round and place your bets! Time¡¯s ticking! The competition is about to end. If you don¡¯t strike now, it¡¯ll be too late!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t rush! I¡¯m still thinking! This is the last of my money!¡± ¡°Sigh, what¡¯s there to think about? Just pick one! There¡¯s only six left, so isn¡¯t it easy to guess?¡± ¡°Th-then, I¡¯ll bet that Chu Liuyue will be sixth!¡± ¡°You sure? Young Master Jian of Dragon Teeth Mountain has bet half of his fortune on Chu Liuyue coming in first! Are you sure you¡¯re picking sixth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid! How can Chu Liuyue come in first? To put it nicely, Jian Fengchi is using his fortune to court Chu Liuyue. To put it bluntly, he¡¯s stupid and has money to blow! How can we compare! Sixth¡ªshe¡¯s definitely going to be the next one eliminated!¡± ¡°No take backs!¡± Yuwen Jinghong and Jian Fengchi walked by at this time. Hearing his name, Jian Fengchi paused. He scratched his chin and laughed. ¡°So that¡¯s what everyone is saying about me now?¡± I found time to check out the competition¡¯s progress today since I bet quite a bit of money on Chu Liuyue. However, I didn¡¯t expect to hear that comment. Yuwen Jinghong coughed. ¡°You¡¯re not mad, right? They¡¯re just gossiping¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be mad at? They¡¯re throwing their money at me. I¡¯m beyond ecstatic.¡± Yuwen Jinghong was stunned. ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re putting more money in?¡± Jian Fengchi looked at him with pity. ¡°I have nothing but money. Of course, this might be hard for you to understand, but don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t look down on you.¡± He¡¯s asking for a beating! Yuwen Jinghong felt the corners of his mouth twitch. ¡°Whatever!¡± We¡¯ll see how much money he has to blow! Jian Fengchi walked over with a smile. Pak! A Cosmic Ring appeared on the table. Everyone was instantly silenced as they looked toward the ring¡¯s owner. It was Jian Fengchi! The others who were speaking ill of him earlier lowered their heads in panic. However, Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t take their words to heart as he smiled. ¡°There are 5,000 white crystals in here. I¡¯m betting that Chu Liuyue comes in first.¡± Everyone was silent, but they were all looking at the Cosmic Ring strangely. That¡¯s 5,000 white crystals! He¡¯s practically giving the money away to us for free! Jian Fengchi had already bet a lot of money in gambling dens all around Xi Ling. They didn¡¯t expect him to patronize a small betting station like theirs! ¡°Y-Young Master Jian, are you sure?¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at the person who was speaking with a wry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t take this amount of money to heart; it¡¯s all in good fun.¡± The man felt his legs turn to jelly, and he almost collapsed to the ground. The crowd eyed one another. ¡°Young Master Jian is so generous!¡± Jian Fengchi pulled out his fan and backed away two steps. ¡°Someone¡¯s been eliminated!¡± A cry came from the side! The lively square was instantly silenced, and everyone stared at the transportation formation! There were ripples¡ªthis was a sign that someone was coming out! After a moment, a figure dashed out and fell to the ground! ¡°It¡¯s a girl!¡± ¡°Who is it? Who exactly is it? Is it Chu Liuyue?!¡± The crowd was antsy as many craned their necks to get a better look. The woman was sprawled on the ground. She was covered in blood, and burn wounds were scattered across her body, making her look rather pathetic. She had clearly gone through a lot in the Tianling God Realm. As if hearing the commotion, the girl moved, lifting her head up. A blood-stricken face appeared in the crowd¡¯s eyes! ¡°It¡¯s Ning Jiaojiao! Xuan Feng Hall¡¯s Ning Jiaojiao!¡± Someone came to their senses and cried out while pointing at the black marble tablet. ¡°The name that disappeared is Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s!¡± The crowd fell silent. Ning Jiaojiao is the only daughter of Xuan Feng Hall¡¯s Master. How could she have been eliminated this easily?! What about Chu Liuyue?! Jian Fengchi tapped his fan with his hands as he turned and looked. Many people were pale, including the people who were speaking ill of him earlier. Hmm. It seems like a lot of people had their money on Chu Liuyue placing sixth. He comforted them very sincerely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The best has yet to come!¡± Chapter 530 - Rise! Ning Jiaojiao dazedly surveyed her surroundings and then realized what had happened. I was forced to leave the Tianling God Realm! I have been eliminated! Countless pairs of gazes¡ªwith all sorts of weird emotions¡ªlanded on her, making her feel very uncomfortable. I still failed! No matter if it¡¯s the Long Yuan Sword or the Wan Zheng Competition, I have gained nothing except a whole body of injuries! She clenched her fists tightly and slammed them on the ground. But once she moved, she felt excruciating pain. At some point, a few giant blisters had formed on the back of her hand. Thus, her movements made it more painful than ever. Ning Jiaojiao was in so much pain that her face became distorted. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Ning Jiaojiao to be sixth¡­ I thought it¡¯d definitely be Chu Liuyue!¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not Chu Liuyue, it should be other people. Ning Jiaojiao can be considered to have one of the best backgrounds out of the rest, right? Even if we think with our feet, her father definitely made all sorts of preparations for her! I really don¡¯t know what kind of situation it is inside¡­¡± The messy discussions entered her ear. Suddenly, Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s body stiffened. What are these people saying? Shouldn¡¯t Chu Liuyue have long been eliminated? She almost instinctively looked at the black marble board floating in midair. Most of the names had already disappeared from the originally filled marble board, so the last five names were especially clear. Once she looked up, she saw one of the names¡ªChu Liuyue! Her name is actually still there! She hasn¡¯t been eliminated yet?! Ning Jiaojiao was completely stunned. How can this be? Chu Liuyue had long been swallowed by the golden fire in the heavenly pit. She should¡¯ve left the Tianling God Realm then! What situation is this? Her face was as pale as a ghost as she stretched out her hand with much difficulty to point at Chu Liuyue¡¯s name. Her voice trembled. ¡°C-chu Liuyue is still there?!¡± The eight elders standing beside the transportation formation looked at each other. Actually, they didn¡¯t understand this situation as well. But this was the truth. Elder Duanmu Chun nodded and confirmed her guess. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re in sixth place, and the remaining five people haven¡¯t come out yet.¡± A scene suddenly appeared in Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s mind. When the Long Yuan Sword recognized its master, a ball of light charged out from the heavenly pit. There indeed was a person¡¯s figure within. Could that have been¡­ Chu Liuyue? No¡ªthat¡¯s not right! Even if that person was Chu Liuyue, there should be a total of four people only. Why are there six? She looked at the five names on the marble board seriously and anxiously. Other than Chu Liuyue, Yang Qin¡¯er, and Qiang Wanzhou, there are still two people who I haven¡¯t seen from beginning to end! W-what exactly is going on?! Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s heart was in a mess as countless thoughts clashed in her brain, making her mind hurt. She hugged her head in pain and miserably roared. ¡°Ah!¡± The crowd was taken aback by her reaction. But Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s eyes rolled up after this, and she fainted on the ground. Elder Duanmu Chun immediately said, ¡°Quickly, bring her down to get treated!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The Black Guards surrounding the square immediately went forward and carried Ning Jiaojiao down. However, Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s previous maniacal behavior made people have lingering fears. The few elders exchanged glances, and they were all worried. It seems like they have clearly met with some agitation in the Tianling God Realm¡­ It¡¯s a pity that we are only in charge of looking after this transportation formation. Thus, we don¡¯t know what the situation inside is like. Elder Duanmu Chun furrowed his brows tightly and sighed. I had long said that the Tianling God Realm shouldn¡¯t be casually activated and that people without the Tianling royal family bloodline shouldn¡¯t be let in. Now, something has indeed happened! But at this point, it¡¯s too late to stop them. The only thing we can do now is to pray that the situation won¡¯t worsen. ¡­ Yuwen Jinghong looked at the names on the marble board and grunted. At the start, I still thought Jian Fengchi was insane for betting on Chu Liuyue coming in first, but it now seems like¡­ there¡¯s still hope. If this really happens¡­ Jian Fengchi will make a fortune overnight! Should I continue to bet more¡­ He leaned toward Jian Fengchi and softly asked, ¡°Where did you find such a powerful girl?¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at him from above. Yuwen Jinghong immediately and sensibly shut his mouth and silently walked to the gambling table. ¡°I¡¯ll add another 1,000 white crystals!¡± ¡­ Tianling God Realm. Yang Qin¡¯er was riding on her sword and barely avoided Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s knife, but the sharp blade still left a bloody wound on her shoulders. She quickly glanced at the wound on her shoulders, which was dripping with fresh blood. Very quickly, her entire arm was drenched. If the previous knife was angled even more accurately, it would¡¯ve slashed my forehead. Yang Qin¡¯er was scared as intense horror filled her heart. I¡¯m not Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s match at all! If this goes on, Qiang Wanzhou will directly force me out of the Tianling God Realm within a few moves. She hurriedly looked up. Her puppet was still in an intense battle with the legendary fiend. At this moment, the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s suppression suddenly erupted. All the dents and pits on the ground intersected. The lightning on the gigantic black sword glowed. The winds were blowing! The sky had already completely darkened, and only the Long Yuan Sword was dazzling brightly. Buzz! Buzz! The roar of the sword reverberated throughout the place. Chu Liuyue clenched the sword blade tightly, and her heart beat rapidly. All her strength erupted at this moment. The ground with endless fire suddenly rippled at this moment. The Long Yuan Sword that had been buried underground for thousands of years finally loosened. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face flushed red, and crazy fighting intent burned crazily in her eyes. The next moment, the Long Yuan Sword rose! Chapter 531 - Moon Splash Star River All of a sudden, all the light between heaven and earth seemed to be absorbed by the Long Yuan Sword. Before Yang Qin¡¯er could even see that figure clearly, she felt a terrifying ripple of strength crushing her. She hurriedly summoned her puppet and wanted to use it to block some moves, but at this moment, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s third eye suddenly opened. The ancient copper puppet instantly broke down. Yang Qin¡¯er widened her eyes. That puppet was my most important trump card, yet it was so easily destroyed! Qiang Wanzhou took the chance to act. The blade glistened coldly. Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s back was cold. She slowly lowered her head and saw the sharp blade pierce through her chest. Indignance, anger, fear¡­ She panicked, and just as she was about to speak, the force had already smashed against her. Poof! She vomited blood out, and all her organs and limbs seemed to be crushed. Then, her figure finally disappeared from the spot. Qiang Wanzhou looked up. Chu Liuyue was standing in midair, and the Long Yuan Sword was in her hand. It finally awakened! The light was dazzling as sparks flew everywhere. He almost couldn¡¯t see the situation within the light, but he could clearly feel Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura intensifying rapidly. The next moment, Chu Liuyue finally raised the Long Yuan Sword high up in the sky. Hong long! The ground completely broke, and the endless fire started collapsing. The strength within heaven and earth seemed to have lost control at that moment as it became as messy as ever and rushed toward the Long Yuan Sword. Amidst the horror, Qiang Wanzhou looked up. In midair, Chu Liuyue held the sword with both hands. With the gigantic sword blade as a comparison, her figure looked extra small and petite. However¡­ it didn¡¯t overshadow her at all! The Long Yuan Sword was indeed formidable, but at this moment, it had already become her sword. The suppression was more ferocious than ever! Qiang Wanzhou slightly widened his steps, and his entire body tensed up, causing the force to rise in his body rapidly. But just as the aura was about to overwhelm him, it suddenly stopped in front of him. Everything in the surroundings was being destroyed, but the force avoided him. Qiang Wanzhou looked at the figure above, and light flashed across his eyes. The next moment, his body finally disappeared from the ground. ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re the only one left in the Tianling God Realm now.¡± The ancestor¡¯s voice entered her ears. ¡°The Long Yuan Sword can finally start recognizing its master.¡± Chu Liuyue held the sword handle tightly, looked afar, and slightly nodded. Then, she raised the Long Yuan Sword above her head. The boundless strength entered and even formed a large energy vortex above her head. Her bodily force was being exhausted at a crazy rate, but the water droplet rapidly turned, causing its strength to keep flowing toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs and skeletons. Bang! A light sound suddenly reverberated in her mind. Chu Liuyue actually broke through and became a stage-four warrior at this moment. The fourth line gradually appeared on the water droplet. Chu Liuyue used all her strength, and the sword landed! An invisible force flowed out of the Long Yuan Sword and silently went to the side. In the distant night sky, the bright moon hung high when it suddenly dropped. The endless water sparks suddenly rippled. Instantly, it looked like the moon was splashing into the river of stars. The millions of points of bright light shone in a dazzling manner, and they all bloomed at the same time. Chu Liuyue watched the events unfold without blinking. The ancestor had previously instructed her, ¡°If a stage-nine warrior can summon the Heavenly Dao and successfully break through, they can create a Minor Chiliocosm that belongs to the creator alone. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t succeed back then, and everything failed at the last step. Even though the Heavenly Dao stopped here, it completely broke down and dissipated, causing the incomplete Minor Chiliocosm to split into two. ¡°In this heaven and earth, half is water, while the other half is fire. Half of it is extremely cold, whereas the other half is extremely hot. As time trickled past, the environment of this place¡¯s two halves became increasingly extreme. In the end, this happened.¡± ¡°In order to balance the strength within the Minor Chiliocosm, I forcefully split the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword soul into two and suppressed one each on the two sides. Of course, my last bit of consciousness was also split into two. No matter which side you go, the Long Yuan Sword you have won¡¯t be complete. Only when you completely merge the two worlds will you then obtain the whole Long Yuan Sword. Hong! Hong! Hong! The invisible sword aura immediately crossed through the center of the border. This was the place where Chu Liuyue and the rest had arrived at when they first came to the Tianling God Realm. A gigantic black hole appeared in midair. Then, the golden fire started burning toward that side, and the crystal waters also started spreading to this side. The two separated grounds finally began to merge. Chu Liuyue was elated as she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ancestor, is this succeeding?!¡± A vague figure suddenly appeared beside her. ¡°You¡­ did great.¡± Shangguan Jing stood with his hands behind his back, and his gaze was complicated when he saw the scene before him. Even though I had already expected Chu Liuyue to succeed, I didn¡¯t expect it to be so successful. This girl¡­ ¡°Your body has the Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength, so you can control the dissipated Heavenly Dao in this Minor Chiliocosm. Once the Long Yuan Sword fully awakens and absorbs all of the Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength, you can officially become its new owner.¡± As he spoke, Shangguan Jing sighed. ¡°Everything is fated¡­ There¡¯s no better choice than you in this world.¡± Everything sounded simple, but it was actually very hard to achieve in reality. It was already extremely difficult for the cultivator to have the Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength. Secondly, the person had to have the Tianling royal family bloodline to open that door successfully. Two strict conditions, yet Chu Liuyue met them both. Even though he was still doubtful about the black pyramid in her body, Chu Liuyue¡¯s current performance had explained everything. There was indeed no better person to be the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s new owner than her! Chu Liuyue was shocked since she didn¡¯t expect that he would suddenly appear. Very quickly, she realized that the ancestor¡¯s figure gradually became fainter. Her heart sank. ¡°Ancestor, you¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing smiled and waved his hands. ¡°It doesn¡¯t affect anything. I told you before that I¡¯m just the last bit of consciousness left in this Long Yuan Sword. Now that the Long Yuan Sword is awakened and that the Minor Chiliocosm is reorganized, I naturally don¡¯t need to continue existing.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was as if clutched by something. ¡°I-is there no other way? I¡¯ve admired and respected you for a very long time. You¡ª¡± Upon seeing her anxious look, Shangguan Jing suddenly felt his heart was soft. ¡°Of course, I really like you. If you were my Tianling Shangguan¡¯s descendant, how great would that be¡­¡± There seemed to be something stuck in Chu Liuyue¡¯s throat. Shangguan Jing paused and said, ¡°I have a request; I wonder if you can agree. That black pyramid of yours¡­ might have a secret related to my Shangguan family. May I know if you can help me to protect it?¡± Chu Liuyue felt her heart ache. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± Chapter 532 - Minor Chiliocosm Small World Shua! The sword came down from the sky, and the completely silver Long Yuan Sword flew over from far away. It was the other half of the Long Yuan Sword! It flew over at high speeds and later merged with the gigantic black sword in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. Gradually, a dazzling silver light started to appear in the middle of the dim sword body. The Long Yuan Sword¡¯s aura gradually became stronger. Chu Liuyue was shocked. I initially thought that the Long Yuan Sword was powerful enough, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be half its strength only. Now that the two Long Yuan Swords have officially merged, its power is stunning. A strange connection slowly appeared in her heart¡ªit was the Long Yuan Sword! As time trickled past, this feeling became increasingly strong. The Long Yuan Sword in her hands also started to become lighter. This lasted until the two swords finally merged. Light glowed brightly on the sword body. The next moment, one side of the Long Yuan Sword started burning, while the other side had water flowing through it. Chu Liuyue let her hands go, and the Long Yuan Sword silently floated in front of her. A person and a sword stood facing each other in between heaven and earth. Chu Liuyue cleared her voice. ¡°Long Yuan Sword¡ªMerge!¡± The gigantic sword body instantly disappeared, and a normal-sized sword appeared in front of her. Chu Liuyue held the sword in her hands again with respect. This sword was totally black, and it felt quite vintage. Also, only the middle of it had a tiny silver dent. Since the Long Yuan Sword had already recognized her as its master, it was very convenient for her to use it. She didn¡¯t need to exhaust her energy to forcefully wield it around like at the start. She held the hilt and casually waved it. A black gap in space silently appeared¡ªit was as sharp as ever. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. The Long Yuan Sword is indeed a legendary weapon! The sword¡¯s blade and gleam are the best that I¡¯ve ever seen! She looked at her ancestor from the corner of her eyes as she couldn¡¯t help but ask excitedly, ¡°Ancestor, how did you make this Long Yuan Sword back then? It¡¯s really amazing!¡± Suddenly, her voice paused, and she slowly turned around. The ancestor was also looking at her dazedly. The two of them exchanged glances and collectively fell silent. After some time, Chu Liuyue then tried to ask, ¡°Um¡­ Ancestor, a-are you still here?¡± Shangguan Jing looked at his apparition. Ever since the Long Yuan Sword started to recognize its new master officially, his figure had indeed become much fainter. Back then, he thought he would immediately disappear from this place. In actual fact, this should¡¯ve happened. The reason why he could live in the Long Yuan Sword was that the Long Yuan Sword was his. But after the Long Yuan Sword chose its new owner, he logically shouldn¡¯t continue existing. However, not only am I fine now, but it even seems like¡­ I look more solid than before. In the awkward silence, Shangguan Jing coughed and finally spoke slowly. ¡°Mm¡­ It seems like it¡¯s different from what I predicted¡­ It seems like things have changed after thousands of years¡­ Hah¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. She suddenly felt that her previous emotions were wasted, but this thought only flashed across her mind once. She was, of course, elated that her ancestor was still around. Even though he was only the last bit of his consciousness, it was more than precious to her. ¡°Ancestor, you¡¯ll still live in the Long Yuan Sword then, right?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Shangguan Jing felt much better when he saw her expectant face. This girl is really to my liking. That¡¯s great! ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right!¡± After hearing an affirmative answer, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up at a delicate angle. I kinda want to thank Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng now. If they didn¡¯t randomly hold this Wan Zheng Competition, how would I have the chance to meet the ancestor and retrieve the Long Yuan Sword? She looked around. The strength of the Heavenly Dao within this Minor Chiliocosm Small World had already been taken in by the Long Yuan Sword, and the Long Yuan Sword has now landed in my hands. This place really can¡¯t be considered as a God Realm anymore. ¡°Ancestor, are we going?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Shangguan Jing nodded and lightly sighed. ¡°Even though these two heavens and earths have merged, it¡¯s just a land of waste without the Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength.¡± Chu Liuyue asked hesitantly, ¡°Won¡¯t you¡­ regret if you leave like this?¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head. ¡°It was my mistake at first that led to this place being born. After thousands of years, I¡¯ve already let go of all my indignation.¡± He was emotional, but he wasn¡¯t upset. ¡°Now that the Long Yuan Sword has already recognized you as its new master and can reappear in this world again, it can make up for the last bit of regret in my heart.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and felt touched at the same time. Everything here represents the ancestor¡¯s glory and desolation. Not everybody can be like him, who bravely put everything down. It¡¯s no doubt that he created the entire Tianling Dynasty¡¯s existence back then. Just as Chu Liuyue was about to leave, she heard some noises from afar. Something was flying toward her. Chu Liuyue looked over and was slightly stunned. ¡°What¡¯s tha¡ª¡± Her voice suddenly stopped as a tinge of shock slowly crept up into her eyes. It seems like¡­ It is¡­ It looks like¡­ half a skeleton? Also, it looks very familiar! Chu Liuyue pointed at the crystal-clear skeleton flying toward her, and her fingers trembled. ¡°Ancestor, t-that¡¯s¡­ the remaining half of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton?¡± Shangguan Jing blinked. ¡°Oh, I think so. It should¡¯ve lost its suppression because you took the Long Yuan Sword. Thus, it came over after detecting the other half of the skeleton¡¯s aura.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips quivered. Should have?! What does ¡®should have¡¯ mean?! The previous half is still in my Heavenly Square Cauldron! This is 100% without a doubt! Also, what does he mean by ¡®it came over itself?¡¯ Chu Liuyue tried hard to make her voice sound calm. ¡°¡­But you didn¡¯t tell me before that the other half of the skeleton was on the other side¡­¡± ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t?¡± asked the ancestor back as he rubbed his brows. ¡°It seems like I¡¯m really getting on in years¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. He is still my ancestor after all. What else can I say?! Chu Liuyue resigned herself to her fate and threw out the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Shangguan Jing glanced at her expression and felt bad for some reason as he chuckled. ¡°Um¡­ Since we¡¯re leaving, you can take away all the items in the palace.¡± He was referring to the countless stunning treasures. Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to say something, he waved his hands. A gigantic crack appeared in the heavenly pit. Then, the countless treasures squeezed in. ¡°Girl, quick! That Long Yuan Sword¡¯s hilt is a storage space, and it can bring all of this away!¡± Shangguan Jing urged her. Chu Liuyue, ¡°¡­Back then, you even specifically made a¡­ Cosmic Hilt?¡± Shangguan Jing nodded as he urged her. Chu Liuyue could only obediently place everything within¡­ the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s hilt. At this point, the remaining half of the skeleton had already reached the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Shangguan Jing suddenly said, ¡°Oh right! When the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton merges, the great phoenix dragon¡¯s clan will immediately discover it. You know that, right?¡± Chapter 533 - Great Phoenix Dragon Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?!¡± Seeing her reaction, Shangguan Jing immediately touched his nose guiltily. ¡°Uh¡­ The great phoenix dragon is an ancient legendary fiend¡­ If they discover this skeleton¡¯s aura, they will chase it back no matter what¡­¡± A bad omen filled Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. ¡°They won¡¯t think that I did it, right?¡± ¡°Of course not! This great phoenix dragon has already died for more than thousands of years, and they can check this! However¡­¡± Shangguan Jing paused, and his voice floated through the air. ¡°But it did die to the Long Yuan Sword back then, and you¡¯re this Long Yuan Sword¡¯s owner now¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. This means that this great phoenix dragon skeleton will most likely bring me a lot of trouble! It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s ordinary trouble, but that¡¯s the great phoenix dragon clan! Once they come, they will definitely push the blame to me! By then, I will be dead! Without saying anything, Chu Liuyue immediately turned around and retracted the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Can I not want the remaining half?! But at this point, the half of the skeleton within the Heavenly Square Cauldron also seemed to detect the other half¡¯s aura as it started to float outside. Chu Liuyue hurriedly controlled the transparent fire. ¡°Back when I split the Long Yuan Sword into two, I managed to forcefully nail the two halves of the skeleton to the ground respectively. But now that they¡¯re so close to each other¡­ Actually¡­¡± There¡¯s not much use. Shangguan Yue tactfully didn¡¯t say the remaining words when he met with Chu Liuyue¡¯s vengeful gaze. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and swiftly put away two halves of the skeleton into the Heavenly Square Cauldron. The skeleton¡¯s two halves merged together, and the transparent fire immediately enveloped it. This commotion was then appeased. The legendary three-eyed eagle also flew back in, and a voice sounded within Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron isn¡¯t an ordinary object. If nothing goes wrong, it can completely cover the great phoenix dragon skeleton¡¯s aura. Even if they had detected the aura earlier, they might not be able to find you.¡± Chu Liuyue then felt reassured. Since things have already happened, I could only accept it as it is. Besides, perhaps I can better help the legendary three-eyed eagle restructure its body with this skeleton. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and stored the Heavenly Square Cauldron again. She slowly looked at her ancestor. ¡°Ancestor, there¡¯s nothing else you¡¯ve forgotten, right?¡± Shangguan Jing had ruled the world, and millions obeyed and were loyal to him. However, he had never expected himself to be this embarrassed and guilty in front of a teenage girl. He coughed heavily. ¡°Nope! Nope! Right, I helped you place the items over there into the Long Yuan Sword! In the future, all of these things are yours! Y-you can spend them however you like, okay?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her ancestor¡¯s meticulous face and finally couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Before this, I never imagined that the ancestor that had only existed in legends and scrolls would try to coax me so stupidly and genuinely. Originally, she wasn¡¯t really angry. Upon seeing the ancestor¡¯s current reaction, her heart melted into goo. Seeing that Chu Liuyue smiled, Shangguan Jing also heaved a sigh of relief. For some reason, this girl seems to be my natural nemesis. I liked her a lot once I saw her, but I also feel terrible when I see her a little upset. He was finally assured when he saw her relaxed expression. Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Oh right. Ancestor, after I take this Long Yuan Sword away¡­ What happens if your descendants find out about it after I leave?¡± If Shangguan Wan knows about this, she will definitely slaughter me more than a hundred times. Now that my status is unclear, it would be unsuitable if this gets exposed. Shangguan Jing thought for a while and also knew Chu Liuyue¡¯s considerations as he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want anyone else to know¡­ You can leave a strand of sword aura here. Even though the Heavenly Dao within this Minor Chiliocosm Small World has already disappeared, it can still last for many years. An average person wouldn¡¯t be able to detect this change.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± As she spoke, a thought popped up in her mind. Two strands of sword aura flew out, respectively going in two different directions. Very quickly, two gigantic Long Yuan Swords appeared between the burly heaven and earth. At first glance, it really looked the same as before. Only she and the ancestor knew about the secret behind this Minor Chiliocosm Small World. Even if Shangguan Wan and the rest came in, they wouldn¡¯t suspect anything when they saw this. Yet, Shangguan Jing looked at her dazedly. Chu Liuyue touched her face. ¡°Ancestor, did I do something wrong?¡± Shangguan Jing recovered his senses and shook his head. ¡°Nothing much.¡± Her previous smile and face¡­ really look quite similar¡­ ¡­ Xuan Ji Square. After Ning Jiaojiao was eliminated, only five names were left on the board. It was already evening, but there were still many people waiting in the square. ¡°Ning Jiaojiao had already been ousted today. There won¡¯t be anyone else eliminated, right?¡± ¡°Most likely¡­ But this competition is going to end soon. Let¡¯s wait a while longer!¡± They had already waited for so many days, so what was this last bit of time? Suddenly, a figure rushed out of the transportation formation and fell onto the ground in a disheveled manner. The crowd erupted into an uproar. Originally, many people didn¡¯t have much hope, and they thought that the next person would only be eliminated the next day. They didn¡¯t expect someone else to come out now. ¡°Quickly, look! Who is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s another woman!¡± ¡°Woman? Is it Chu Liuyue?¡± Quite a few people fought to look at the woman on the ground. Her situation was actually even worse than Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s. She was covered in injuries, and there was a very clear and bloody hole on her back. It was obvious that someone pierced her with a sword. She looked like she was on her last breath. It was as though she would stop breathing at any moment. At this point, a name slowly faded from the black marble board. ¡°It¡¯s Yang Qin¡¯er?!¡± ¡°That woman is Yang Qin¡¯er!¡± ¡°Everyone else in Purple Xiao Sword Sect has already been eliminated, leaving this one brought in from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. I didn¡¯t expect her to last until fifth place.¡± ¡°Pfft, I wonder who was so harsh¡­ If that wound was tilted a little more, it would be her heart¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a competition after all¡­¡± The crowd was discussing heartily. Elder Duanmu Chun went up to check on her and indeed saw that Yang Qin¡¯er was in a half-conscious state, so he called people to bring her away. Yang Qin¡¯er could hear the surrounding voices, but she couldn¡¯t open her eyes. Her throat was dry and burning as well, so she couldn¡¯t say anything either. Long Yuan Sword¡­ That person¡­ ¡°Another person came out!¡± Someone within the crowd gasped. Two figures were transported out one after another. The entire square burst into commotion. Two people were actually eliminated at once! Yuwen Jinghong put down his arms in shock. ¡°Both of them are men!¡± This meant that there were only two people left in the Tianling God Realm! Chu Liuyue¡­ was one of them! Chapter 534 - The Victorious One is the King! They were only a step away from the first one. He previously still thought Jian Fengchi was crazy for betting on Chu Liuyue placing first. He didn¡¯t expect the tables to turn in the blink of an eye. Amidst the uproar, only the group of people at the gambling table fell silent. Those few people were eliminated continuously, and they didn¡¯t even have enough time to react. But shortly after, the transportation formation made another sound. The entire square fell silent as they looked over in unison. Victory and loss would be revealed immediately. Under countless stares, a figure emerged from within¡ªit was a young man. The remaining light shone on his soft golden hair, reflecting faint light. Compared to the previous few people, his condition was much better. Other than a few spots of blood on his clothes, he wasn¡¯t very injured. The young man stood there and surveyed the surroundings, his cold and white face nonchalant. His name gradually disappeared from the black marble board, and the gigantic square fell silent. ¡°¡­ Qiang Wanzhou¡­ That¡¯s Qiang Wanzhou!¡± Someone broke the stiffening silence first. Like a meteorite landing into a pot of oil, a big fire burst out. The entire square burst into an uproar. ¡°Qiang Wanzhou is second! In the Tianling God Realm, there¡¯s only Chu Liuyue left!¡± ¡°¡­She¡¯s first¡­ She¡¯s actually first?! How is this possible!¡± ¡°Stage-three warrior¡­ Is she really only a stage-three warrior?¡± Facing this sudden result, the crowd had no time to think about why the few of them were continuously eliminated in such a short amount of time at the last minute. Only one thought was left in their brains: As the person with the lowest cultivation level out of all the competitors, Chu Liuyue actually emerged first in the Wan Zheng Competition! Yuwen Jinghong was so shocked that his mouth was agape as he stiffly turned to look at Jian Fengchi. ¡°T-that girl¡­ She¡¯s really¡­ first?!¡± Jian Fengchi closed his fan and raised his hand to pretend to hit him as he spoke with a face filled with contempt. ¡°Don¡¯t look so useless. I won¡¯t make friends with ignorant people.¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± Yuwen Jinghong swallowed his saliva with much difficulty. I¡¯m the Yuwen family¡¯s Young Master, and I have seen all types of situations. Normally, I really wouldn¡¯t give such a reaction, b-but¡­ ¡°Chu Liuyue came in first! Jian Fengchi, do you know what that means?!¡± Yuwen Jinghong wanted to grab Jian Fengchi¡¯s shoulders agitatedly. Jian Fengchi moved his feet and easily avoided him. ¡°Hey¡­ Keep a distance away from me!¡± This behavior is too humiliating! He lightly grunted, arranged his sleeves, slowly smiled, and said, ¡°Of course, I know what this means. Do you think I threw away all that money for nothing?¡± Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s gaze was dazed. All I cared about was just how formidable Chu Liuyue was, and I actually forgot about this! ¡°F*ck!¡± After enduring for a while, he finally spat that word out harshly. Jian Fengchi is going to be rich overnight! The paying rate for Chu Liuyue coming in first is so high, and he betted so much money¡­ Jian Fengchi glanced at him from above. ¡°Why are you so agitated? Didn¡¯t you bet with me too?¡± Yuwen Jinghong held his head painfully. ¡°I¡¯m regretting that I bet so little, you beast! Why didn¡¯t you advise me to bet my bridal money on her?!¡± Now, he could only feel the countless white crystals loudly slide past his face as he watched on with his eyes wide open. Jian Fengchi chuckled and was too lazy to bother with him as he turned around and looked at the stunned crowd. As they were too taken aback, they hadn¡¯t recovered their senses. Oh, not really. Those few people with pale faces and trembling bodies should¡¯ve thought about it. Knock, knock¡­ Jian Fengchi knocked on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at Chun Feng Restaurant. Oh, don¡¯t forget to bring my money.¡± He then glanced from the corner of his eye and saw the man who talked about him behind his back. Upon detecting Jian Fengchi¡¯s gaze, that man¡¯s legs went soft as he directly collapsed onto the ground. He almost threw all of his money inside! Now, he had lost everything. Jian Fengchi said, ¡°Pfft. When money comes, I really can¡¯t stop it! It seems that not only will I pay ¡®more than half of my fortune,¡¯ but I¡¯ll still earn a whole lot of money! How am I going to spend this sudden fortune¡­ What a headache!¡± That person was stumped until his entire face flushed red, but he couldn¡¯t say anything at all. Jian Fengchi turned around, stopped, and said, ¡°Oh right. I have a lot more money than you think I have, so¡­ This isn¡¯t considered ¡®half¡¯ of my money. Besides¡­ it definitely won¡¯t be after this.¡± That person¡¯s eyes flipped, and he was so angry that he fainted. Jian Fengchi lightly grunted. He really can¡¯t take any impact. The crowd at the gambling table looked as if they were dumb as their expressions turned ugly. Jian Fengchi¡¯s words were overbearing, yet he had status and capabilities. Hence, nobody dared to offend him. Besides¡­ They didn¡¯t even have the energy to mourn the loss of their painstakingly earned money now. Jian Fengchi turned around and walked toward the inside of the square. He wasn¡¯t worried that these people wouldn¡¯t pay up. After being in Xi Ling for so many years, nobody dared to mess with him. Upon seeing this, Yuwen Jinghong hurriedly asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t even turn around as he walked and said, ¡°That girl helped me win so much money. I have to go and thank her!¡± Originally, I really didn¡¯t care about this Wan Zheng Competition. But now¡­ It¡¯s a whole new ballgame. Chu Liuyue¡¯s status in his heart had increased by two levels. Even though Yuwen Jinghong still felt his heart aching, he was very curious about Chu Liuyue and immediately followed him. The duo¡¯s previous position was a little isolated. After walking a distance, they could quickly see the entire square¡¯s situation clearly. Jian Fengchi looked at the octagonal transportation formation, and he slightly squinted his icy eyes. Not only him, but every pair of eyes in the square was also looking there. The bustling noise quietened down. The crowd kept quiet at the same time, and they were all waiting for Chu Liuyue to come out. Qiang Wanzhou glanced at the two people lying on the ground not far away. It seemed like they were quite injured, and they had fainted. The Black Guards came over and carried both of them down. Qiang Wanzhou saw their faces and furrowed his brows undetectably. I have never seen these two people in the Tianling God Realm. They should¡¯ve gone to the other side¡­ According to what the crowd said earlier, these two people came out not long before me. That¡¯s when¡­ Chu Liuyue waved the Long Yuan Sword! This means that Chu Liuyue¡¯s movement not only shocked our place but also¡­ the other side? At this point, a familiar noise came from the transportation formation. A petite woman¡¯s figure appeared in front of the crowd. Chapter 535 - Well-Deserved! Her red clothes fluttered with the wind, and her hair was simply tied up. Her face that didn¡¯t have makeup had slight smiling intent, and she looked beautiful. If that isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue, who else could it be? The warm light landed on her, and her face and eyes were dazzling. Quite a few people were dazed at that moment. Nobody had expected that a woman who looked skinny and gentle could win first place in the Wan Zheng Competition. Once Chu Liuyue came out, she felt all sorts of gazes looking over from the surroundings. She blinked as she silently surveyed the surroundings before realizing what had happened. Uh¡­ I think it¡¯s because I¡¯m the last to come out. But there¡¯s no need for such a big reaction, right? Qiang Wanzhou walked over. Chu Liuyue saw him, and her lips unwittingly curved up. ¡°You didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°I came late,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou stiffly, but his expression was tense. Chu Liuyue was dazed before she understood what he meant. Is he reproaching himself for finding me too late? ¡°You¡¯re not late.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head determinedly. This Tianling God Realm was so big, yet Qiang Wanzhou could still find me. He must¡¯ve used a lot of effort. I also know that Qiang Wanzhou had been waiting for me outside the heavenly pit the whole time, even though I spent a lot of time within. Until the very end, he was still fighting for me. Chu Liuyue felt that Qiang Wanzhou had done more than enough. She didn¡¯t expect that he still thought he was too late. ¡°Thank you, Little Zhou,¡± said Chu Liuyue softly as she smiled and looked at him. Qiang Wanzhou suddenly felt his entire body shake as shock flashed across his eyes. He stared at Chu Liuyue as if he wanted to see through her. It was also as if he was seeing someone else through her. Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you not like me calling you that?¡± Qiang Wanzhou clenched his fists tightly and spoke after some time. ¡°She called me that too.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately guessed who he was talking about¡ªthat person was the only one he cared so much about. ¡°If you really mind it, I won¡¯t call you that in the future.¡± Chu Liuyue felt that she had gotten closer to Qiang Wanzhou after this incident, so she wanted to call him that. But she didn¡¯t want to scheme anything, especially with someone who might not even be alive¡­ Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t speak for some time before he finally shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay; she won¡¯t mind.¡± If she doesn¡¯t mind, then I naturally won¡¯t mind either. Chu Liuyue understood his intentions very clearly. ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll call you Little Zhou in the future. You can directly call me by my name too.¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded hesitantly, but he didn¡¯t speak. Chu Liuyue did not force him. After some time, this kid will naturally get past it. ¡°Chu Liuyue.¡± Suddenly, she heard quite a familiar voice from behind her. Chu Liuyue turned around to look. ¡°Elder Duanmu Chun.¡± Elder Duanmu Chun looked at her with a complicated expression before finally sticking up his thumb. ¡°Congratulations! You¡¯re much more powerful¡­ than we thought. You deserve this first place!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled as well. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Elder. I was just lucky.¡± But Elder Duanmu Chun shook his head and stroked his beard. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be this humble. So many people have lost to you, and it¡¯s enough to point out the problem.¡± At the start, they didn¡¯t believe it either. But the truth was in front of them, and they had to believe it. This Chu Liuyue¡­ indeed has a lot of potential! At the side, Elder Qiuxi suddenly said in a weird manner, ¡°Hmph, who knows what kind of despicable means she used!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change, and she pretended as if she didn¡¯t hear it. Anyway, the results are out, and I¡¯m already the champion. Whatever other people say won¡¯t matter at all, so why would it matter to me? Elder Duanmu Chun looked at Elder Qiuxi in disapproval. Even if he dislikes Chu Liuyue, he shouldn¡¯t say this in front of so many people. It makes him seem too petty. But seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalant expression, Elder Qiuxi was even angrier in his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but say louder, ¡°Chu Liuyue, did you not hear what I said?¡± This sentence attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention, and the surroundings fell quiet. Countless pairs of eyes darted between Chu Liuyue and Elder Qiuxi. Is Elder Qiuxi planning on finding trouble with Chu Liuyue? Chu Liuyue slightly smiled and said, ¡°Elder Qiuxi, the competition has already ended. What do you want me to say?¡± Elder Qiuxi furrowed his brows. ¡°Of course, I want you to explain how you got first place! You have the lowest cultivation level amongst all of these competitors. If you didn¡¯t use some method, how can you win against so many people and take first place?¡± Actually, many people wanted to know about this as well. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand your words, Elder Qiuxi. I indeed have the lowest cultivation level, but¡­ I¡¯m the weakest here. I believe you knew this very clearly during the preliminaries, right?¡± Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face changed. Chu Liuyue had beaten Zhao Yunzhi to the point where she couldn¡¯t even retaliate, causing her bodily injuries not to recover even at this point. The abilities that Chu Liuyue had shown during this competition indeed weren¡¯t weak at all. ¡°Besides, I also don¡¯t know why the others were eliminated before me. Do you really want me to ask them one by one about how they are inferior to me? That¡¯s¡­ putting me in a difficult spot,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a difficult expression. This way, Elder Qiuxi was the one who had a difficult expression. ¡°What nonsense are you saying! I told you to explain your own situation. How is it related to other people?!¡± said Elder Qiuxi angrily and hurriedly. Chu Liuyue is purposely starting a war. There are quite a few competitors in the surroundings, and the powers they represent¡­. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words are putting me in a tough spot. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, I think you might¡¯ve neglected me. We went to the Tianling God Realm; that¡¯s the place where the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was cremated, and it¡¯s very holy. Not to mention me, but even other people wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything dirty there. You¡¯re saying that you think the Tianling God Realm has a problem, or are you doubting the ancestor?¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly, and her lips were still curved up as if she were saying a simple thing. But Elder Qiuxi¡¯s heart harshly shook, and the wrinkles on his pale face started to tremble. I can¡¯t afford to bear this responsibility! ¡°Y-you¡¯re slandering me! Since when did I mean it that way?!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him with a smile. Elder Qiuxi then realized that he was unable to clear his name. After all, he did doubt Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. He originally wanted to vent his anger, but he didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to have such a sharp tongue. At the side, Elder Duanmu Chun couldn¡¯t watch on any longer. ¡°Chu Liuyue, Elder Qiuxi didn¡¯t mean it that way. He was just shocked that you got first place. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± He then walked forward and boomed, ¡°I hereby announce: the person who got first place in this Wan Zheng Competition is¡­ Chu Liuyue!¡± Chapter 536 - Something Doesn’t Seem Right The low and mellow voice boomed across the entire square loud and clear. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t continue harping on Elder Qiuxi¡¯s mistake. Instead, she smiled and turned to look at the floating black marble board. Only one name remained on it, and that was hers¡ªChu Liuyue. ¡°The competition has ended. Please go back and get some rest before gathering at Xin Li Garden tomorrow morning. Representatives from Xi Ling City¡¯s top sects will be waiting there for you. Those who have yet to decide which sect to join may take their time to think it through today. Also, we¡¯ll be giving out your respective rewards tomorrow!¡± Elder Duanmu Chun¡¯s words came as a reminder to many that the participants would be qualified to choose their sects, as stated before the start of the Wan Zheng Competition. Now that the competition was over, it was indeed time for them to do so. A commotion soon broke out among the crowd as people started speculating which sect each participant would choose. They were certain that the various top sects would fight to get the ones with top rankings to join their respective sects. Chu Liuyue took a glance at the elders who were closing the transportation formation before looking away. It appears that they didn¡¯t notice the strange happenings that occurred in the Tianling God Realm. ¡°Let¡¯s get going, Little Zhou,¡± she said while walking down from the stage. The sight of Qiang Wanzhou obediently following after Chu Liuyue stunned the crowd. They couldn¡¯t help wondering what was going on and why the first and second place winners seemed to be on good terms. Not many people noticed both of them leaving together previously, but with everyone¡¯s attention on them now, they were naturally very surprised to see this scene. ¡°I don¡¯t think those two knew each other before the competition. How did they suddenly become so close? Qiang Wanzhou appears to be listening to Chu Liuyue¡¯s orders too.¡± ¡°Haha! Does that mean both of them will choose the same sect?¡± ¡°I wonder which sect will be so lucky to gain two new genius members in one go!¡± ¡°Hey, did you guys notice that both of them seemed to have broken through while they were in the Tianling God Realm?¡± ¡°It looks that way¡­ No, it¡¯s true! Qiang Wanzhou is now a stage-six warrior, while Chu Liuyue is at the fourth stage!¡± ¡°Everyone else came out with grave injuries. However, not only did the two of them appear unhurt, but they¡¯ve also broken through to the next stage! The other competitors must be infuriated by this!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou paid no attention to the gossip around them even though they could hear their words loud and clear. Upon sensing a familiar gaze on her, Chu Liuyue raised her head and saw Jian Fengchi smiling smugly while waving his fan at her. What is he doing here? He seemingly vanished into thin air after sending me to the Mu Residence. Although I can guess what he has been up to, it¡¯s quite surprising to see him here. After a moment of contemplation, she decided to approach him. As she paid him a bow, she said, ¡°Greetings, Young Master Jian.¡± With a flick of his wrist, Jian Fengchi lifted the fan in his hand and stopped her from doing so. ¡°I should be the one bowing to you since you took first place in the Wan Zheng Competition, Ms. Chu.¡± The corners of Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s lips twitched when he heard this from behind. Ms. Chu? What a polite form of address! Wasn¡¯t he calling her ¡®lass¡¯ earlier? He sure knows how to behave in front of the fairer sex! Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes in confusion. ¡°What do you mean by this, Young Master Jian?¡± A wicked smile crept up Jian Fengchi¡¯s face. ¡°There was a wager on the Wan Zheng Competition going on in Xi Ling City, and I placed my bet on you.¡± Ah, that explains his good mood and his trip here. He must¡¯ve received a windfall from betting on me. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes formed crescents as she said, ¡°That¡¯s so kind of you, Young Master Jian. To think that you even specifically came down to support me. I don¡¯t really care much about money. On account that I¡¯ve received much of your help previously¡­ I¡¯ll just take a 10% commission from you. I won¡¯t take more than that.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s smile stiffened. ¡°W-what?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you come all the way here to tell me this piece of good news and share your winnings with me?¡± At that moment, Jian Fengchi even harbored the thought of biting off his tongue. T-this lass is doing it on purpose! This is outright blackmail! ¡°Actually, I¡­¡± His words trailed off, and he was unable to finish saying his piece when there were so many people currently watching him. As much as he loved money, he¡ªDragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Young Master¡ªcouldn¡¯t afford to lose face. The numerous gazes on him were akin to little mountains weighing down on him. Chu Liuyue teased, ¡°A noble young master like you surely won¡¯t come empty-handed to express your gratitude, right?¡± His heart felt as if it was dripping blood as he spoke through clenched teeth. ¡°Of course not. I wouldn¡¯t have won without your help after all¡­ It¡¯s only right that I share my winnings with you!¡± A bright and genuine grin formed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll humbly accept this gift then. Thank you, Young Master Jian.¡± ¡°You! Are! Welcome!¡± Each of these words was gritted out with much difficulty. I should¡¯ve known better than to come! In my state of euphoria, I forgot how vicious this lass could get! Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s jaw dropped as he watched this from the sidelines. His initial shock turned to deep respect for Chu Liuyue. Had it not been for the murderous aura emanating from Jian Fengchi, he definitely would¡¯ve given her a thumbs-up. How impressive! The number one arrogant and domineering bully in Xi Ling actually had so much money extorted by Chu Liuyue! This is unbelievable! I think I understand a little how she managed to take first place in the competition. She¡¯s amazing! Chu Liuyue shifted her gaze to Yuwen Jinghong. He¡¯s still as dim-witted as before, huh? That look of adoration sure is familiar¡­ Oh right, he used to look at me that way whenever I taught Jian Fengchi a lesson. I wonder how that wily, old fox Yuwen Wei managed to produce a son like him. Yuwen Jinghong nervously introduced himself when he noticed that Chu Liuyue was looking at him. ¡°Hello, Ms. Chu! I¡¯m Yuwen Jinghong!¡± Chu Liuyue flashed him a polite smile in return. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Yuwen.¡± ¡°No, no, no! I can¡¯t accept your bow!¡± He hurriedly stopped her from bowing to him. How would I dare to accept her bow when Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t? Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly, though she didn¡¯t insist on it. Yuwen Jinghong chuckled and revealed his pearl-white teeth as he did so. ¡°I¡¯m rather impressed by you, Ms. Chu!¡± He then leaned in closer toward her and whispered, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to ask him about it, he would¡¯ve kept you a secret! I¡¯ve known him since we were kids, but this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen him having such interest in a woman!¡± Chu Liuyue slowly lifted a brow. Hm? Something doesn¡¯t seem to be right here? Chapter 537 - Requesting His Presence I think Yuwen Jinghong has misunderstood something. ¡°Young Master Yuwen¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was just about to explain things to him when she heard someone calling her from the side. ¡°Ms. Chu.¡± She turned her head and realized that it was Duan Ziyu. He had been waiting here for the past few days of the competition, never leaving the venue a single step. The reason he was late to find her was that he was so shocked by the results that it took him a long time to get over his daze. ¡°I¡¯m here to take you back.¡± ¡°Duan Ziyu? What are you doing here?¡± Yuwen Jinghong was surprised to see him here. He knew that the latter was Mu Qinghe¡¯s subordinate, and he was no stranger to him, having met many a time. He¡¯s here to take Chu Liuyue back? Back to where? ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Ms. Chu, of course,¡± Duan Ziyu calmly told him before turning to look at the woman. ¡°Lieutenant Mu is currently in his residence. He¡¯ll be delighted to know that you¡¯ve won the competition.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that Mu Qinghe wouldn¡¯t be happy or upset over her win though. Being the introvert he was, he rarely wasted time and energy on people and things that were unrelated to him. Even if he was concerned about it, it was likely because of its deeper implications. Although she hadn¡¯t gotten to the bottom of things, it was clear that the lieutenant knew a bit of the inside story. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t voice these thoughts out, so she only smiled slightly at the officer. ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t let him down.¡± She then bade farewell to Jian Fengchi and Yuwen Jinghong and turned around. But before she could leave, Yuwen Jinghong shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± She looked back. ¡°Is anything the matter, Young Master Yuwen?¡± When Yuwen Jinghong saw her calm and nonchalant look, his instincts told him that he must¡¯ve gotten something wrong. Still, he asked, ¡°Y-you¡¯re going back to the Mu Residence with Duan Ziyu? A-aren¡¯t you and Fengchi¡ªOw!¡± He let out a shriek in pain before turning around to shoot his buddy a furious glare. Why the hell did you beat me when I¡¯m trying to help you here?! Jian Fengchi couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at that dumb face and started to regret bringing Yuwen Jinghong here a little bit. As he turned around to leave the place, he said, ¡°Nothing. You guys go ahead!¡± Yuwen Jinghong hurriedly followed him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why did Chu Liuyue leave with Duan Ziyu? He¡¯s working for Mu Qinghe! Isn¡¯t that as good as snatching your woman from you?¡± Jian Fengchi gave a lazy reply. ¡°Firstly, she¡¯s not my woman. Secondly, she¡¯s free to go wherever she wants, and it¡¯s none of my concern.¡± ¡°You and Mu Qinghe have always been at odds with each other. Do you really not care even after getting bullied to such an extent?¡± asked Yuwen Jinghong out of heartache for his friend. Jian Fengchi looked pointedly at him. ¡°W-what?¡± stammered Yuwen Jinghong. Jian Fengchi began walking forward as he let out a long sigh. What was wrong with me? Why did I become friends with an imbecile like him back then? Yuwen Jinghong looked hesitantly at the two people who left in separate directions before ultimately choosing to follow his friend. ¡°Hey, what did you mean by that? Make yourself clear!¡± ¡­ Both Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t take this matter to heart, but unbeknownst to them, a misunderstanding arose when the crowd saw the earlier scene. It caused quite a commotion in Xi Ling because they thought that Jian Fengchi and Mu Qinghe were at odds with each other again and that it was due to Chu Liuyue this time. ¡­ Presently, Chu Liuyue had no idea about the sort of rumors that would be born afterward. As she followed Duan Ziyu back to the Mu Residence with Qiang Wanzhou, she was secretly contemplating something. I can¡¯t stay in the Mu Residence any longer. There are advantages to me staying in the Mu Residence. At the very least, it provides me safety since almost nobody in Xi Ling City is bold enough to break into the Mu Residence. But living here will also be very inconvenient for me in the long run. While it¡¯s fine to cultivate as usual and refine medicine, a lot of problems might crop up if I continue to stay here, for I have a lot of things I need to do. Thus, I need to look for another place to stay. It¡¯s a good thing that I¡¯ve become a lot richer¡ªthanks to Jian Fengchi¡ªso I have a pretty wide range of choices. ¡­ Tianling Imperial Palace. Qingfeng Palace was the abode of the current Emperor, Shangguan You. Ever since he fell into a coma a year ago, he had been resting here. Security was extremely tight here, and only Shangguan Wan¡ªwho was currently in power¡ªcould freely enter and leave this place. Others¡ªthe royal family included¡ªhad to undergo strict checks before they could gain entry. In other words, they had to get a written decree from Shangguan Wan first. Night was approaching when a tall figure walked out from Qingfeng Palace. The light from the lamps shone down on his face and revealed a handsome and scholarly face, which belonged to Jiang Yucheng. His face looked a little cold though, which was perhaps due to the winter night¡¯s breeze. Sun Qi¡ªwho was waiting outside¡ªimmediately went forward to greet him. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± When Jiang Yucheng noticed that Sun Qi looked slightly off, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± It took a moment before Sun Qi weakly answered, ¡°The Wan Zheng Competition has ended, Eldest Young Master.¡± ¡°So fast?¡± Jiang Yucheng frowned. I thought it¡¯d take another two or three days. He came to visit the Emperor today and had spent quite some time inside, but he didn¡¯t expect to be greeted with such news the moment he came out. Sun Qi explained, ¡°Yes. The last few people came out almost one after another, so the winner was determined very quickly.¡± ¡°Who won the competition?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng. When the other person hesitated to give him an answer, his frown became deeper. Sun Qi bowed as he whispered, ¡°Chu Liuyue.¡± Stunned, Jiang Yucheng said almost instinctively, ¡°How is that possible?¡± But as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew that the question was meaningless because Sun Qi wouldn¡¯t lie to him. So that means¡­ Chu Liuyue really defeated all the other competitors and took first place?! ¡°But her Yuan meridian is¡­¡± mumbled Jiang Yucheng to himself, but he soon swallowed the rest of his words as his suspicion grew. That shouldn¡¯t happen! Chu Liuyue might be pretty talented, but she¡¯s the worst of the lot with her Dijing Yuan meridian being at the intermediate level only. Everyone but her stood a chance at coming in first, but in the end¡­ ¡°Does the Third Princess know about this?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably heard about it. The competition ended in the afternoon after all,¡± answered Sun Qi. I¡¯ve been waiting here for Jiang Yucheng for a long time, so it doesn¡¯t make sense that the Third Princess would be unaware of the news. Jiang Yucheng figured the same. Given how concerned Shangguan Wan is over this matter, she must¡¯ve sent someone out to gather the news on her behalf. She probably knows everything that has happened at Xuan Ji Square. After straightening his clothes, he proceeded to walk forward with Sun Qi quietly following him. The two of them quickly left Qingfeng Palace. They didn¡¯t go far before they met a palace maid on the way. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes clouded over for a second when he saw the palace maid approach and curtsy at him. ¡°Your Highness, the Third Princess requests your presence.¡± Even though it was a request, Jiang Yucheng couldn¡¯t refuse. Thus, he said, ¡°Lead the way.¡± ¡°Yes. Please follow me, Your Highness.¡± Chapter 538 - Leaving When Jiang Yucheng arrived at Huayang Palace, Shangguan Wan was waiting for him. ¡°Yucheng, you¡¯re here!¡± As soon as she saw him, she happily went up to him, intending to give him a hug. However, he backed away from her. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Shangguan Wan pouted in displeasure when she failed to hug him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t married yet, so we shouldn¡¯t be meeting in private this late at night. We need to follow palace etiquette,¡± he told her. ¡°Yucheng, this is Huayang Palace. There are no outsiders here, so you don¡¯t have to pay attention to those things. Besides, who will dare to stop me from doing whatever I want?¡± His reply made her burst into laughter as she reached out to grab his arm. What¡¯s there to be afraid of when the entire imperial palace is under my control? Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t push her hand away this time. He merely swept a nonchalant look at the palace maid next to her. ¡°You may leave, Chan Yi,¡± ordered Shangguan Wan. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The palace maid then bowed respectfully at her before taking her leave. With a twist of his hand, Jiang Yucheng held onto Shangguan Wan¡¯s wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside. Sun Qi, stay guard outside.¡± Sun Qi hastily bowed. ¡°Understood.¡± Jiang Yucheng led Shangguan Wan inside the room before carefully checking all the doors and windows. It was a funny sight to Shangguan Wan, who laughingly said, ¡°You¡¯re being too cautious, Yucheng! Do you have doubts about the security measures I have in my palace?¡± It was only after making sure that there was nothing unusual in their surroundings that he turned around and sat down on a stool. With much patience, he explained, ¡°It¡¯s better to err on the side of caution. I¡¯m doing this all for your sake.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s mood considerably improved when she heard this. She leaned into his embrace, but the latter wasn¡¯t in the mood to enjoy their time together. ¡°I went to visit His Majesty earlier. There¡¯s still no sign of him waking up. Those methods don¡¯t seem to be working.¡± The mention of this topic dampened Shangguan Wan¡¯s spirits. She sat down next to him, snorting. ¡°Well, you went too hard on him back then, so all we can do is slowly wait for him to wake up. There are only so few heavenly doctors we can trust after all.¡± She was the one who failed to handle this matter right, yet she¡¯s pinning the blame on me now? A cold glint flashed across Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes. Forget it. It¡¯s pointless to argue about these trivial details now. Besides, we¡¯ve got more important things to discuss. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this now. Did you look for me this late in the night because of the Wan Zheng Competition?¡± He cut to the chase and asked her about it. Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes lit up at once as excitement and elation filled her face. ¡°Yes! I believe Sun Qi has told you the news. The first-place winner, Chu¡­¡± ¡°Chu Liuyue,¡± he supplemented. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! That¡¯s the name! I heard that she¡¯s a young teen and was brought back by Mu Qinghe, is that right?¡± Inexplicable displeasure arose within him, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. Instead, he nodded at her. ¡°She¡¯s just a stage-three warrior. I¡¯m quite surprised that she took first place, but¡ª¡± ¡°What? Do you not know that she¡¯s already reached the fourth stage?¡± Shangguan Wan interrupted. Jiang Yucheng was stunned to hear this. A secretive yet excited smile spread wider and wider on her face as she continued speaking. ¡°She broke through while she was in the Tianling God Realm! Do you know what that means? She has an affinity with that place!¡± The man knitted his brows. ¡°But her Dijing Yuan meridian is only at the intermediate level. It can¡¯t be compared to those with superior¡ª¡± ¡°How is it incomparable at all?¡± Shangguan Wan stood up, her excitement and ecstasy plain on her face. ¡°Like you said, she only has an intermediate Dijing Yuan meridian, but her performance is way better than those with superior Dijing Yuan meridians! This means that her Yuan meridian¡ª¡± ¡°Wan¡¯er, it¡¯s too early to be discussing this. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s safer for us to take one step at a time?¡± Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t want to hear whatever she had to say next, so he just cut her off. ¡°His Majesty hasn¡¯t regained his consciousness, so we shouldn¡¯t act rashly.¡± Shangguan Wan dazedly sized him up a couple of times as suspicion filled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today, Yucheng? I¡¯m just glad that things are progressing really smoothly. Aren¡¯t you happy for me?¡± He gently said to her, ¡°Of course, I am. I¡¯ve been waiting for this day at your side all along. I¡¯m just concerned because this matter affects your future.¡± Shangguan Wan furrowed her brows slightly. ¡°But you look as if¡ª¡± ¡°It pains me to think of the suffering you have to go through afterward.¡± He stood up, held her hand, and brought her into his embrace. ¡°But I can¡¯t wait any longer! I¡¯ve been living in fear for the past year, scared that someone might find out that my Yuan meridian has been destroyed and that I¡¯ve become a cripple! It¡¯ll be game over for me if I can¡¯t recover before the Grand Court Meeting!¡± she cried despondently. That suffering is nothing when compared to having to lose everything. Jiang Yucheng gently patted her back and reassured her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; everything will be fine. We just need to take one step at a time, and I promise you that nothing will go wrong. Our efforts will go to waste if we alert our enemies now.¡± As Shangguan Wan gradually calmed down, she looked up at him and asked, ¡°What do you think we should do next?¡± He smiled at her. ¡°Stick to our original plan, of course. The various sects will be sending their representatives to Xin Li Garden tomorrow, and the competition¡¯s participants will be there as well. You just need to sit there quietly and fulfill your duties as a princess. We don¡¯t have to worry about them vanishing into thin air if we get them to stay in Xi Ling.¡± Shangguan Wan was very quickly convinced by Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. I¡¯m curious about their appearances anyway, especially that Chu Liuyue person.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes gleamed darkly as he nodded in agreement. ¡­ Mu Residence. Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou followed Duan Ziyu to the front hall, where Mu Qinghe was currently enjoying a rare moment of peace with his eyes shut. He opened his eyes when he heard noises in the hall. Both Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou paid their respects to him. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze lingered on the duo for a while before he opened his mouth to say, ¡°Congratulations for getting such fantastic results in the competition.¡± Chu Liuyue gave him a humble reply before mentioning her intention to move out of the Mu Residence. He looked at her fixedly. ¡°Why? Are you not treated well here?¡± While Duan Ziyu broke out into a cold sweat, Chu Liuyue shook her head and explained, ¡°Everyone here has treated Little Zhou and me very well. I¡¯m grateful to have received so much help from you, but since I¡¯ve come to Xi Ling, I can¡¯t stay here forever. I¡¯m really sorry for imposing on you for this long, so I think it¡¯s better that we move out and find another place to live in.¡± Chapter 539 - Thousand View Garden Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was sincere, and she appeared to be serious and determined. One look at her, and Mu Qinghe knew that she was serious about moving out. As he drummed his fingers against the table, he said, ¡°You have no friends and relatives in Xi Ling, nor do you know many people here. Isn¡¯t it more convenient to stay here? With the Mu Residence backing you, you¡¯ll be spared a lot of trouble.¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly explained, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, being outsiders, we¡¯d just be imposing on you if we carry on staying here¡ª¡± ¡°Even though my residence can¡¯t be compared to those of prestigious families, I¡¯m more than capable of supporting the two of you.¡± At that, Mu Qinghe shot her a meaningful look. Ah, he hasn¡¯t forgotten about the 90,000 white crystals I spent previously¡­ Chu Liuyue let out an awkward cough. ¡°¡­I appreciate your goodwill, Lieutenant Mu, but¡­ I owe you a lot already. I really don¡¯t wish to disturb you any further¡­¡± Despite her tactful approach, everyone present could tell that her mind was set. While Mu Qinghe fell into deep thought with his eyelids lowered, Chu Liuyue remained silent as she waited for his reply. The pin-drop silence in the hall was deafening. After a while, Mu Qinghe rose to his feet. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made up your mind, I won¡¯t stop you from doing so. But do know that you¡¯ll no longer enjoy the benefits you had while staying here the moment you leave.¡± He walked a couple of steps before stopping and adding, ¡°I¡¯ll give you 10,000 white crystals for emergency purposes.¡± His willingness to help her despite her insistence on leaving surprised Chu Liuyue a lot. She hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you for your goodwill, Lieutenant Mu, but I can¡¯t accept this money.¡± Mu Qinghe eyed her suspiciously. Given how fast she spent my money previously, 10,000 white crystals wouldn¡¯t even be enough to last her for a few days. Yet, she¡¯s refusing them? Is she planning to starve herself? Chu Liuyue could naturally tell what was on his mind, and her eyes curved as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Young Master Jian promised to give me a portion of his winnings from betting on me. That money should be able to last me for quite some time.¡± A frigid look flashed across Mu Qinghe¡¯s face before he left wordlessly. A slight frown settled on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead as she watched Mu Qinghe leave. For some reason, I have this feeling that he¡¯s somewhat upset. However, this thought disappeared in no time because she reckoned that a busy man like him wouldn¡¯t have the time to care about trivial matters like where she was going to stay. She then looked at Duan Ziyu. ¡°It¡¯s getting late now, so Little Zhou and I will have to impose on you for just one more night before we leave tomorrow.¡± What else can I say to that? It¡¯s clear that Lieutenant Mu wants her to stay; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said all those things. I don¡¯t know if she really couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying or if she was just acting dumb when she refused him so flatly. ¡°Be my guest.¡± Duan Ziyu took his leave after that. Thus, Chu Liuyue returned to the small courtyard with Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°It¡¯s been tough on you for the past few days of the competition. Go get some rest tonight. We still have to go to Xin Li Garden tomorrow.¡± She then headed toward her room. But just as she was about to step inside, Qiang Wanzhou suddenly said, ¡°He must¡¯ve offended you before.¡± She looked back and shot him a curious glance. ¡°Pardon?¡± He stared squarely at her. ¡°Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason why he¡¯d look so guilty when facing you.¡± Her expression froze for a moment before she curled her lips. The smile, however, didn¡¯t reach her eyes as a cold, complicated look flashed across them. ¡°You got it wrong. It wasn¡¯t directed at me, nor was it guilt.¡± After saying that, she turned around and entered her room, leaving Qiang Wanzhou standing there in confusion for a long while. I¡¯ve always been astute to people¡¯s emotions, so why did she say that? Did I¡­ really get it wrong? Qiang Wanzhou couldn¡¯t come up with an answer even after pondering for some time, so he decided to put it aside and go back to his room instead. ¡­ The night silently passed on just like that. Early the next morning, Chu Liuyue went to bid Mu Qinghe goodbye after waking up and packing her belongings but was told by Duan Ziyu that the lieutenant had already left the house. Thus, she simply left with Qiang Wanzhou without saying farewell. Although the Wan Zheng Competition had ended, there was still a buzz going on in the city. Many people recognized the duo as they walked on the streets. It was inevitable because the two of them had very unique presences and appearances, making them stand out in the crowd. Nevertheless, nobody dared to approach them, and everyone very wisely stayed clear of their path. As they got closer to Xin Li Garden, there were fewer and fewer people around them. Chu Liuyue noticed that there were Black Guards stationed around when she reached the end of a street and led Qiang Wanzhou forward. The security was clearly much tighter than before, which showed that the people who were coming today were all of extraordinary statuses. Guarding the entrance of Xin Li Garden were two elders from the royal family, which further affirmed her guess. Chu Liuyue calmly went up to them. Even though the two elders recognized the two youngsters, they only let them pass after conducting a stringent check. A pageboy then approached them. ¡°Please follow me.¡± Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou nodded and followed him. She asked, ¡°May I know where we¡¯re heading to now?¡± The pageboy replied, ¡°Thousand View Garden.¡± Surprised, her footsteps halted for a moment, which earned her a curious look from Qiang Wanzhou. She quickly returned to her usual state. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re being taken there¡­ ¡°The purplish-gold Buddha leaf is located in that direction!¡± the legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly said to her. Chapter 540 - Bullied ¡°Thousand View Garden? Are you sure?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in her mind. ¡°Absolutely,¡± answered the legendary three-eyed eagle firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to discern its precise location once we get closer.¡± Her brows were slightly knitted together as she calmly moved forward. I was very familiar with Thousand View Garden, but I¡¯ve never noticed anything strange in all those years. Since when did a purplish-gold Buddha leaf appear there? ¡­ Under the pageboy¡¯s lead, they walked past a winding corridor and a lake before finally arriving at Thousand View Garden. Through a simple but elegant arch, Chu Liuyue noticed that many people were already in the courtyard. ¡°Please go ahead¡ª¡± The pageboy stopped outside the arch, which was heavily guarded inside. He was only responsible for bringing the guests in and thus had no right to enter with them. ¡°Thank you.¡± Emotions slightly rippled in her heart as she took in the familiar scene in front of her. She couldn¡¯t be any more familiar with each of the bricks, stones, grasses, and trees here. As she gently exhaled, she straightened her back and walked through the arch with a smile. The noisy courtyard instantly fell silent, and everyone looked over with varying expressions. She swept a quick glance at her surroundings, recognizing many familiar faces right away. Yang Qin¡¯er and the others¡ªwho were severely injured¡ªwere all here as well. As this gathering concerned the sect they would soon be entering, nobody dared to tarry. When she failed to see the various sects¡¯ representatives, she surmised that they had to be inside the hall. This place here is clearly reserved for the young participants who have participated in the Wan Zheng Competition. The atmosphere became slightly strange as many felt indignant, having lost to the participant with the lowest cultivation level. However, they had all been to the Tianling God Realm and had experienced what it was like inside. They knew full well that the 14-year-old Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t win with just sheer luck, and this was what made them feel even more terrible. Those who could participate in the competition were all geniuses with Dijing Yuan meridians and would absolutely be the cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me anywhere they went. However, the competition¡¯s results had indubitably dealt a huge blow to their confidence. Mixed feelings arose within them as they looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take this matter to heart, so she was oblivious to it all. After randomly finding herself a seat, she surveyed the scenery around her with just the right amount of curiosity and restrained politeness so that others wouldn¡¯t be able to pick faults with her. ¡°So you¡¯re not going to get up, huh?¡± A shrill female voice floated over out of nowhere. The entire courtyard instantly went quiet. Following the crowd¡¯s line of sight, Chu Liuyue saw two girls arguing with each other. The one who spoke earlier was wearing a fancy purple dress and appeared to be in her early twenties; she had a look of arrogance on her face. On the other hand, opposite her was a young girl in her mid-teens who had some baby fat on her. She was a Chong Xu Cabinet disciple, as evidenced by the silver cauldron emblem embroidered on the left chest of her green shirt dress. From her flushed face and her clenched fists, one could tell that she was desperately trying to hold back her anger. ¡°This seat is mine in the first place, Miss.¡± The lady in purple sneered, ¡°Yours? Does it have your name?¡± ¡°This seat was indeed prepared for Chong Xu Cabinet. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can always verify it with someone,¡± said the chubby teenager. ¡°What? Who did you say it was prepared for?¡± The lady in purple cupped her hands around her ear. ¡°Chong Xu Cabinet? That sect is still around? I thought it was disbanded a long time ago!¡± The teenager glared furiously at the other woman. ¡°Please watch your words, Miss!¡± The latter shot her a side-glance. ¡°Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?¡± The woman¡¯s arrogance made her shake with anger, but it was clear that the chubby teenager wasn¡¯t good at arguments when she couldn¡¯t come up with a single retort. ¡°Don¡¯t you insult my sect; otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being nasty!¡± The purple-clothed woman put her hands to her chest and sarcastically cried, ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so scared! The dying Chong Xu Cabinet is threatening me!¡± Her words drew laughter from the crowd. The young man who stood next to her came forward and said to the chubby young lady, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss, but my junior has always been willful. Please don¡¯t take it to heart if she offended you in any way. It¡¯s her first time at Thousand View Garden, so it¡¯s only inevitable that she gets curious. Could you give this seat to her?¡± Chu Liuyue noticed the nine-star emblem¡ªthe stars were connected in a line¡ªon the left of his chest, which revealed that he was a Jiu Xing Alliance member. The chubby woman took in a deep breath before saying, ¡°These seats are reserved for the four major sects¡¯ disciples, so they don¡¯t belong to you. Why must you pick on me out of the many people here?¡± Nobody even went up to provoke the other three major sects¡¯ representatives, who are just sitting next to me. It¡¯s obvious that they are picking on me! The young man scoffed. ¡°I believe¡­ everyone knows the reason, isn¡¯t that so? It¡¯s out of respect that I talked to you politely, but since you insist on behaving like this, then don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡± The man then pointed to the seat behind her. ¡°Is Chong Xu Cabinet even qualified to sit there? Without even saying, everyone knows that your sect is nothing but an empty shell now. This is Xi Ling, a place where power does the talking! Since you guys no longer have power and influence, you deserve to step down!¡± ¡°Senior, we don¡¯t have to waste our saliva talking to a shameless loser like her! Let¡¯s just show her what we¡¯re capable of!¡± The woman in purple looked absolutely smug as she said this. Jiu Xing Alliance has long ago surpassed Chong Xu Cabinet, so this seat ought to be ours! The chubby lady choked with anger as she felt her blood boiling and begging to fight. Her last strand of rationality kept her glued to the ground though. Before coming, the Second Elder had told her not to cause any trouble as the Wan Zheng Competition was very important. Their sect was currently in a precarious position and was an easy target for others. They could end up in huge trouble should they make any mistake. This was why she had been restraining herself. But those people insulted her sect time and again. The woman in purple also hadn¡¯t even become an official disciple of Jiu Xing Alliance, yet she was already behaving so arrogantly. They were clearly bullying Chong Xu Cabinet. The man raised three fingers. ¡°Please give up the seat to my junior by the count of three. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise, what will happen?¡± A clear female voice suddenly floated over. Chapter 541 - Stand Up The few of them turned around and saw a beautiful woman in red¡ªit was Chu Liuyue. A smile was plastered on her face as if she was asking casually, but everyone could tell that this quarrel was just the disciples fighting for a seat on the surface. In actual fact, it was the Jiu Xing Alliance challenging Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s position as one of the four largest clans. Whoever intervenes at this point will be dragged into this war. Why would Chu Liuyue suddenly start caring about this? When that young man saw that it was Chu Liuyue, he restrained his anger slightly. Rumors have it that she, Jian Fengchi, and Mu Qinghe have an extraordinary relationship. I can¡¯t offend either of the latter two. He stiffly changed his fierce expression into a smile. ¡°Ms. Chu, what does this mean?¡± With a smile on her face, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Ah. Young Master, please don¡¯t misunderstand; I was just curious. If this seat belongs to them, why do you want to fight with them?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were too direct, and she directly made the man cough. ¡°If I don¡¯t remember wrongly¡­ This lady seems to be someone that your Jiu Xing Alliance brought back from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. She hasn¡¯t entered your clan yet, so why did you start calling each other Senior Brother and Junior Sister?¡± At this moment, the woman in purple¡¯s face turned ugly. Isn¡¯t she outright scolding me?! Chu Liuyue looked at the woman with a round face as she smiled and asked, ¡°I heard that only the disciples from the four biggest clans could stay here, right?¡± The woman with a round face didn¡¯t expect that Chu Liuyue would suddenly help, so she nodded her head dazedly. ¡°That¡¯s right; the four biggest clans are the strongest existences in Xi Ling. They¡¯re Dragon Teeth Mountain, Sky-Soaring Clan, Purple Xiao Sword Sect, and our Chong Xu Cabinet, respectively. When we came in just now, the pageboy had already stated that the position was left for us.¡± They were talking about seats, but it was actually about status. Chu Liuyue nodded and looked at the two people from the Jiu Xing Alliance. ¡°Since this seat is left for the four biggest clans, then may I know whether¡­ Jiu Xing Alliance is one of them?¡± The two of them instantly became awkward. Isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue asking the obvious? It¡¯s precisely because we currently aren¡¯t that we purposely did this to replace Chong Xu Cabinet. She just asked so directly. What should we say? The woman in purple said indignantly, ¡°Chong Xu Cabinet isn¡¯t the previous Chong Xu Cabinet anymore! Just like her¡ªher ranking in the Wan Zheng Competition was behind mine! Just based on this alone, she has no right to sit here!¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°What¡¯s your ranking?¡± The woman in purple lifted her chin. ¡°Thirty-fifth!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the woman with a round face. ¡°What about you?¡± The round-faced woman lowered her head in embarrassment. ¡°Forty-first¡­¡± These two people¡¯s rankings actually weren¡¯t that much different, but the round-faced woman was considered young amongst these people. Hence, it wasn¡¯t bad that she could get such a ranking. The woman in purple sneered. ¡°Even though I just came to Xi Ling, I know that Xi Ling has one rule¡ªthe strong are respected! Since my ranking and capabilities are better than hers, why can¡¯t I sit here?¡± The round-faced woman flushed red, and her lips trembled as tears filled her eyes. It¡¯s all because I was useless! If I had performed better in the Wan Zheng Competition, we wouldn¡¯t be humiliated like this. I also wouldn¡¯t implicate the entire clan¡¯s reputation! ¡°What about me?¡± said Chu Liuyue. The woman in purple was suddenly dazed. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m first. Don¡¯t I have more rights to sit here?¡± The woman in purple was stumped as she stuttered, ¡°B-but¡­ You¡¯re not even interested in this seat! Why are you purposely making it difficult for us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my business if I¡¯m interested or not. You just have to answer my previous question.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her nonchalantly. ¡°You¡­¡± The woman in purple was enraged as her voice became sharp and piercing. ¡°Chu Liuyue, are you determined to stand up for Chong Xu Cabinet today? You need to think this through carefully. You¡¯re going against our entire Jiu Xing Alliance!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a seat. Is there a need to speak so seriously? But if you really want to say this¡­ Whatever you say then.¡± Her nonchalant behavior enraged that purple-robed woman. She was very impulsive and took a step out, but she was immediately stopped by the man beside her. ¡°Junior Sister!¡± One Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t terrifying, but she has Jian Fengchi and Mu Qinghe behind her! The entire Xi Ling is spreading the news that the two of them are very devoted to Chu Liuyue. No matter who Chu Liuyue chooses, her future position and power shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. If we go against her, won¡¯t we be digging our own graves? ¡°Senior Brother!¡± That woman was furious. When she met with the man¡¯s warning gaze, she finally swallowed her remaining words as she turned away indignantly. That man said, ¡°Since Ms. Chu wants this seat, we won¡¯t fight with you. Ms. Chu, please¡ª¡± He then pulled the woman in purple to the side. That woman with a round face looked at Chu Liuyue thankfully and with much conflict. Chu Liuyue glanced at that round-faced woman, and her lips curved up. ¡°You can continue sitting on this seat.¡± ¡°But this is your¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very interested in this. I just don¡¯t like them, so you don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡± Chu Liuyue patted the round-faced woman¡¯s shoulder gently. The round-faced woman stared at her dazedly. From start to end, Chu Liuyue did it because she really wanted to help me? Ever since Chong Xu Cabinet met with mishaps, we have met with all sorts of eye rolls and mockery. Many people even kicked us when we were down. This is the first time that someone stood by our side in front of everyone and helped us speak up. This person is also Chu Liuyue, who we don¡¯t even know. ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± The woman with a round face didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to thank you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name? How old are you?¡± The round-faced woman honestly said, ¡°My name is Ye Ranran, and I¡¯ll be 14 in a month.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. This woman looks like she¡¯s 15 or 16. I didn¡¯t expect her to be a few months younger than me. As if she had guessed Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts, the round-faced woman blushed. ¡°I eat too much normally, so¡­ So I look stronger than an average girl¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. She¡¯s clearly still a child. Does Chong Xu Cabinet really not have any people? Why did they send her over? ¡°It¡¯s fine; you¡¯re very talented. If you cultivate properly, you will be very strong in the future,¡± said Chu Liuyue seriously. Ye Ranran¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said in embarrassment, ¡°Master said that too, b-but¡­ I always thought that he was coaxing me¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. ¡°This is true. Also, remember to take revenge if someone bullies you in the future.¡± Ye Ranran nodded her head readily. Just as she was about to ask more questions, she heard a voice. ¡°The Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s Master is here!¡± Chapter 542 - Ingrate Everyone was shocked. The Purple Xiao Sword Sect has a very high status, so we thought the people who would come would be their elders. Why is it the sect master? After some commotion, the burly middle-aged man walked over. It was Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s master, Song Luan! Following this, all the other clans¡¯ masters respectively appeared in front of the crowd. Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Jian Shuye! Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s Cheng Lifeng! Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Weichi Song! All of the four biggest clans¡¯ elites were actually gathered here. Then, the masters of the clans ranked after the four biggest clans all appeared. The yard had long quietened down. The crowd silently looked at each other in private as they clearly didn¡¯t expect such a prominent lineup today. In no time, quite a few people became nervous. They are all the top warriors in rumors. No matter if it¡¯s their identity, status, or individual capabilities, they are undoubtedly the most powerful existences in the entire Xi Ling, or even the entire Tianling Dynasty! Normally, it was very rare to see even one of them. Nobody expected all of them to appear at the same time! Chairs had already been prepared in the yard, with four chairs on both sides and two at the front. The eight people sat down respectively, and they were a distance away from Chu Liuyue and the rest. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze landed on the two empty chairs. The people who can sit on those chairs¡­ ¡°The Third Princess and her husband are here!¡± A sharp voice sounded! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately looked up. She saw a young woman wearing intricate and beautiful palace clothes walking over. This woman had tied up her hair with a phoenix hairpin, and when she slowly walked over, her steps were light. She also had a faint and elegant smile on her face as her makeup made her look even more graceful. When Chu Liuyue saw that very familiar face, her fingers trembled slightly. Shangguan Wan! More than a year has passed, and she looks like she didn¡¯t really change. It¡¯s as if whatever had happened didn¡¯t leave any marks on her. No, she has still changed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept past every inch of Shangguan Wan¡¯s body. The previous Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t have a good life in the palace as her birth mother¡¯s status was lowly, so she always had a flattering smile on her face. She was as weak as a cuscuta that swayed with the wind, without anything to depend on. Whoever saw her watery and deceitful eyes would pity her. Even if she did something wrong, it was very hard for people to scold her harshly. Chu Liuyue chuckled in her heart. This included the previous me. At that time, I was born with a Tianjing Yuan meridian, and I had everything other people desired since I was young. I didn¡¯t feel that way at the start, but Shangguan Wan always intentionally and ¡®accidentally¡¯ revealed envious expressions in front of me afterward, so I gradually thought that she was very pitiful. Not to mention that I regularly helped her, but I was also always very lenient toward her on many occasions. This extra and useless sympathy made me cut my own life short! Upon seeing the current Shangguan Wan, I know she¡¯s arrogant and prideful now. Her eyes have a sense of superiority, as well as harshness and ferociousness. She seems high and mighty; she doesn¡¯t look like the previous her at all. After more than a year of being in control, she must be very happy and satisfied. Thus, she became the way she is now. A young man followed half a step behind her¡ªJiang Yucheng! He was wearing a watercolor-green cotton robe, with a piece of white jade around his waist to elongate his tall figure. He didn¡¯t have any other extra accessories on him, but one could see that he was elegant from head to toe with just one look at him. Whoever saw him would guess that his status was extraordinary. Today, he wasn¡¯t wearing his mask, and he revealed his original appearance. His brows were sharp, and he was very handsome. He did have his skills to be able to be called the most handsome man in Xi Ling. Compared to someone flirtatious like Jian Fengchi, Jiang Yucheng had a pair of emotional eyes. When he looked straight into someone¡¯s eyes, it very easily looked like his eyes were filled with love. Hence, other people mistook it as him being very gentle. It was exactly this pair of eyes that lied to me and pushed me to my death. Looking at them again under the faint light, his eyes are very cold and vicious now. Back then, I was really possessed to have been pushed to that state by this duo. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly, and her knuckles turned white. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A demonically handsome face suddenly appeared in her mind. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart faltered¡ªit was Rong Xiu. For some reason, the overwhelming anger and hatred in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart were gradually appeased. It was as if there was a pair of invisible hands gently comforting her. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes, and reminiscence flashed past them. She then realized how much she missed Rong Xiu. It¡¯d be great if he was here¡­ Chu Liuyue thought silently as she looked up and saw Jiang Yucheng. Now seeing this face again, he seems much more ordinary. His nose isn¡¯t high enough, his eyes aren¡¯t deep enough, and his lip shape isn¡¯t good-looking enough. His bodily aura is also a few worlds apart from that of Rong Xiu. The moment Chu Liuyue saw Rong Xiu, she knew that he was a rare beauty in this world. But with comparison, this feeling was even more intense. Now, I truly understand what it means by ¡®worlds apart.¡¯ Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt much better. Not mentioning other things, but at least I won against Shangguan Wan in one thing¡ªI have Rong Xiu! ¡­ Somewhere miles away. The skies were blue, and the water slowly flowed as a gigantic island floated in midair. The intense force joined together and became a white mist that spread around. A tall and straight figure in white was walking along the water. Suddenly, he stopped and placed his hand on his heart. ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Yan Qing from behind. Rong Xiu looked down, and his lashes trembled slightly before his thin lips curved up. ¡°That little ingrate finally thought of me.¡± Chapter 543 - Who Are You Of course, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what her man was thinking. In the countless imagined scenarios, she always thought that she would have to cut and shred the duo into pieces once she saw them again before being able to resolve her hatred. But when everything really happened now, she realized that something was different. The hatred was as usual, and the anger was the same as before. She also would never forget the heartbreaking pain of being betrayed, but there seemed to be armor around her heart, carefully and properly protecting it. It was the armor that Rong Xiu gave her. The hostility hidden at the bottom of her heart seemed to have faded away gradually. This was because she knew that no matter what, there would always be someone in this world who would tolerate her and trust her with love and care. She gently sighed and never felt this relaxed ever since she was reborn. At this moment, a thought suddenly popped into her mind. When I resolve all of these grudges, I must personally tell Rong Xiu that I miss him and that¡­ I love him. Qiang Wanzhou was standing right beside Chu Liuyue. He sensitively noticed that Chu Liuyue¡¯s emotions seemed to be continually changing before finally returning to peace. Also¡­ the vibe that she gave off as a person seemed to be different. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was different, but he was certain it had changed¡ªa good change at that. Previously, he always felt that Chu Liuyue seemed to be burdened by something. Even when she smiled, there was something gloomy about it. But things were different now. ¡­ Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng respectively sat on the last two seats. Even though they hadn¡¯t officially gotten married, their marriage agreement was already in place. Recently, they were also discussing their wedding date while starting preparations. Hence, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference to the crowd. After all, Jiang Yucheng was helping to deal with court matters now, and the duo¡¯s very intimate relationship succeeded the formality of a wedding. The eight people sitting around were about to bow, but they were stopped by Shangguan Wan. These eight people had distinguished statuses. Even though she was in power now, she was still very careful and polite when facing these people. Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s master¡ªSong Luan¡ªsmiled and said, ¡°Old Song, I didn¡¯t expect your current disciples to be so stubborn. Like before, I think you really have a way of teaching your disciples!¡± The crowd grew increasingly quiet once he said this, and they looked at each other awkwardly. It seemed like all these masters saw whatever happened here earlier. The round-faced woman instantly became nervous. If it weren¡¯t for me, Master wouldn¡¯t be treated sarcastically now¡­ Weichi Song¡¯s face appeared to be even frailer than before, but his eyes didn¡¯t change after he listened to Song Luan¡¯s words. ¡°Of course. My Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciples are good.¡± Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s master, Zhang Hua, sneered at the side. ¡°Old Song, is there nobody else in Chong Xu Cabinet? How can you send such a young girl¡ªwho can¡¯t even uphold her own clan¡¯s reputation and needs to depend on others for help¡ªover¡­ Even when she¡¯s like this, she still wanted to snatch the seat forcefully. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little inappropriate?¡± Weichi Song lightly glanced at him. ¡°It¡¯s better than those people who don¡¯t know their place and try to overrule the ones above them.¡± Zhang Hua was stumped. My Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s status indeed can¡¯t compare to that of Chong Xu Cabinet. Even if Chong Xu Cabinet is about to fall, their reputation as one of the four biggest clans hasn¡¯t been removed. Hence, they do have some backing. He was so angry that he smiled and turned the ring on his finger. ¡°Old Song, your words make sense, so it¡¯s my Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s disciple that offended you. But¡­ I wonder if you¡¯ve heard of this before, Old Song? When you bite off more than you can chew, you will eventually choke to death!¡± The air in the surroundings seemed to freeze. Saying this in front of Weichi Song was akin to pointing at his nose and scolding him! This wasn¡¯t just subtle¡ªthis was true mockery! ¡°You need a young girl who has just matured to help you¡­ Did Chong Xu Cabinet really fall to this step?¡± said Zhang Hua as his face was filled with mockery. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows a notch. In the past, Zhang Hua was very nice to Weichi Song as he tried to flatter and please him in all sorts of ways. Once, in order to beg for a pill, he personally went to Chong Xu Cabinet and waited outside for half a month. This was because Weichi Song was cultivating in seclusion, and he didn¡¯t want to send someone to inform him. In the end, after Weichi Song came out himself and saw Zhang Hua, he then knew that Zhang Hua had come. It was also because of this that Weichi Song treated Zhang Hua very well as if he was his own junior. Jiu Xing Alliance and Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s relationship was also very close. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Once Chong Xu Cabinet met with its demise and was heavily impacted, the one that couldn¡¯t hold back the most was Jiu Xing Alliance. ¡°If you¡¯re in the right, people will help you. If you¡¯re not, you¡¯ll be left alone. How is it my fault that nobody wants to help your Jiu Xing Alliance?¡± Weichi Song didn¡¯t budge. Even though things were different from the past, I definitely won¡¯t let other people bully my disciple as long as I¡¯m still Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s master! ¡°You¡­¡± Zhang Hua panicked. But Weichi Song already turned to Chu Liuyue. They were a distance away, and Chu Liuyue was sitting quite behind in the crowd, so it wasn¡¯t easy to look for her. However, Weichi Song still managed to see her at first glance. Suddenly, he was slightly stunned. T-this girl looks kind of familiar. It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve seen her before. Chu Liuyue met with Weichi Song¡¯s gaze and nodded slightly. Light instantly flashed across Weichi Song¡¯s mind. Yes! I saw this girl at Hundred Herbs Building before! At that time, I focused most of my attention on the seal, so I didn¡¯t really care about what was happening around me. But as this girl was very generous with her money, I noticed her a little more. I didn¡¯t expect her to willingly help us after meeting us again today. Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s status is very dangerous now, and people in Xi Ling City try to avoid us as much as they can. Nobody is willing to be related to us. This Chu Liuyue¡­ She should know about this, but she was still willing to stand up for us¡­ It¡¯s indeed puzzling. Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng weren¡¯t with these people beforehand, so they did not see the fight scene. But before they came, their subordinates had already explained the situation here to them. So even though Shangguan Wan looked very calm, her heart was filled with curiosity. She searched the crowd as she smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Seniors, for taking the time to come down today. I¡¯m really surprised and thankful. All your time is very precious, so let¡¯s not talk much. We¡¯ll start directly, alright?¡± Her words had given them an out, so the few of them nodded in agreement. Shangguan Wan nodded at Chan Yi beside her. Chan Yi walked forward with a straight back, and her hands overlapped in front of her stomach. Though she was wearing a palace maid¡¯s clothes, she was very solemn. The crowd saw her aura and quietened down. Chan Yi surveyed her surroundings and said loudly, ¡°Top ten of the Wan Zheng Competition, please step forward.¡± Some people from the crowd walked out and stood in the center according to their ranking. Shangguan Wan sat up straight. ¡°Who is Chu Liuyue that came in first?¡± Chapter 544 - Accompany You Everywhere Here it comes! Chu Liuyue thought to herself. After my rebirth, this scene has played countless times during my dreams. Every time I think of it, I vaguely feel like the fire in the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall is still burning in my heart as if it was going to destroy me completely. The bright sunlight shone down lightly, and the wind gently blew as a familiar tinge of medical fragrance wafted through the air. Everything is as clear as if it happened yesterday. I¡¯m Shangguan Yue now and also Chu Liuyue! I painstakingly spent so much effort to come back. Now that I get to see these people from my past again, how will they react? Everything in the surroundings seemed to blur, and only the two people in front of her were as clear as ever! It even made her eyes hurt slightly! Chu Liuyue stepped forward. ¡°Country Yao Chen¡¯s Chu Liuyue greets the Third Princess.¡± Shangguan Wan looked over curiously. That young girl stood in the middle, and her red clothes were like fire. Her figure was petite, and her hair covered her face while she had her head slightly lowered. Due to this, one couldn¡¯t see her entire face, but one could already tell that she was a rare beauty. ¡°Raise your head,¡± said Shangguan Wan. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes dazzled as she slowly raised her head. The young girl had a face that resembled the shape of a goose egg. Under the sunlight¡¯s glow, her white skin seemed to shine, and her brows were lightly brushed. It was as if they were a falling feather. Her nose was also high, and her cherry lips were on point. Then came her pair of black gem-like eyes that sparkled as if they contained a whole galaxy of stars. Breathtakingly beautiful was used to describe this type of person. Shangguan Wan was dazed. The Tianling Dynasty has never lacked beauties. Besides, I, myself, am also quite pretty. But after this woman appeared, everything in the surroundings seemed to have lost its color as she naturally absorbed everyone¡¯s gazes. Shangguan Wan felt quite uncomfortable, but what made her feel weird was that this face was a little familiar for some reason. Jiang Yucheng was sitting right beside Shangguan Wan, so he could clearly see Chu Liuyue¡¯s appearance. Even though he had already seen her before, the impact seemed to be greater now that they were facing each other at such a close distance. He slightly moved his fingers in his sleeves and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re only 14 this year? Your capabilities and talent are indeed outstanding,¡± said Shangguan Wan with a smile as she suppressed her inner turmoil. Even though it was a compliment, her tone sounded high and mighty. It was as though she was commenting on something from above. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care as she smiled. ¡°Thank you for the praise, Third Princess.¡± She smiled until her eyes curved up; it was like the first day of spring when snow melted¡ªsweet and lively. Her face also had a tinge of elegance. Even though she was facing the person in power in the Tianling Dynasty, she was still as calm and composed as ever. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she almost stood up from the chair. These eyes! This smile! S-she¡¯s clearly¡­ Jiang Yucheng suddenly coughed. Shangguan Wan immediately woke up, but her eyes were still glued to Chu Liuyue. At that moment, she almost wanted to rush over and tear open that face to see if there was another face hidden underneath. The surrounding elders all noticed something amiss with Shangguan Wan as they looked over. Shangguan Wan immediately adjusted her expression as she relaxed and leaned against the chair. But only she knew that her hands were clenched so tightly that her nails were digging deep into her palms. ¡°Since you¡¯ve won over the rest, it proves that you are capable. In the Tianling Dynasty, the strong are respected. You deserve this praise.¡± Shangguan Wan forced a smile. ¡°Besides¡­ When I first saw you, it seemed like I¡¯d seen you somewhere before. Your appearance¡­ It¡¯s rather similar to someone I knew before.¡± This sentence kind of explained her previous loss of composure. Only the heavens knew that she almost thought Shangguan Yue had become a harsh ghost and came back to take revenge on her at that moment. Weichi Song and the rest were dazed, and they couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue again. The next moment, some of their expressions changed. At the start, they didn¡¯t think so. But after hearing what Shangguan Wan said, they could all tell. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression is similar to the late Crown Princess¡¯s appearance! It¡¯s fine when she doesn¡¯t move or smile, but once she does¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile became even deeper. Look alike? Of course, I do. Inside this body is Shangguan Yue¡¯s soul! Previously, I purposely tried to test the waters and almost scared Shangguan Wan until her soul flew away. She could clearly see that Shangguan Wan¡¯s entire face had become distorted at that moment. ¡°Lieutenant Mu and Young Master Jian have said this before as well.¡± Chu Liuyue pretended not to see the abnormality in Shangguan Wan as she retracted her expression and smiled. This smile didn¡¯t look similar to her now. Shangguan Wan¡¯s wildly beating heart finally calmed down. Hallucination¡­ It should be a hallucination¡­ There are many people who look alike in the world, so this should just be a coincidence. But she still couldn¡¯t help but glance at Jiang Yucheng. Jiang Yucheng gave her a reassuring gaze as he converted his force for a voice transmission. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to investigate. There¡¯s nothing wrong with Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity.¡± Shangguan Wan then relaxed. Jiang Yucheng definitely thought that they looked alike, so he purposely sent someone to investigate. I¡¯ve always trusted his capabilities. Since he said there¡¯s no problem, there definitely isn¡¯t a problem. After more thought, this is true. Shangguan Yue used her Tianjing Yuan meridian to burn herself back then, and she died in the most horrible way. How could she still return? But her back still broke out into a cold sweat, and her entire body shuddered when the wind blew. ¡°Yes¡­ Actually, it¡¯s not that similar¡­¡± Shangguan Wan seemed exhausted, and she looked much paler. Chu Liuyue raised her brows and lightly asked, ¡°Third Princess, is there anything wrong?¡± Shangguan Wan forced a smile, but her smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. After a slight pause, she said, ¡°Truth be told¡­ you actually look quite similar to my elder sister that has already passed away. The moment I saw you, I thought of her and¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel sad.¡± As she spoke, tears built up in Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes. It looked as if she was really devastated because of this. Jiang Yucheng lightly patted her shoulders. ¡°Wan¡¯er, she always doted on you. If she saw you this sad, she wouldn¡¯t be happy.¡± Shangguan Wan wiped away her tears. ¡°Thank you, Yucheng. I just¡­ miss my elder sister too much¡­¡± She took a deep breath in as if she was trying hard to suppress her emotions. ¡°Sorry for embarrassing myself.¡± The crowd expressed their understanding. ¡°Is the Third Princess¡¯s elder sister the legendary princess?¡± ¡°Who else can it be other than her? She was previously the most distinguished existence in the Tianling Dynasty!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ Isn¡¯t there His Majesty above her? Could the Princess beat him?¡± ¡°Hah, you don¡¯t know about this. When she was born, she had a Tianjing Yuan meridian and was destined to be the princess. Legend had it that she would be the person most likely to inherit the ancestor¡¯s treasures, so even His Majesty would consult the Princess. It¡¯s a pity that¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pretended she couldn¡¯t hear these discussions. She smiled and said, ¡°Third Princess, if your elder sister¡¯s soul was still around and she knew that you miss her so much, she will definitely be comforted and accompany you all the time to protect you.¡± Chapter 545 - Choice Chu Liuyue¡¯s simple sentence successfully agitated Shangguan Wan¡¯s emotions that she had appeased with much difficulty. However, she couldn¡¯t act up in front of so many people either. Besides, to those people, Chu Liuyue¡¯s words had no mistake at all. Shangguan Wan could only swallow her anger as she forced a smile, but her face was pale. Jiang Yucheng knew that if he didn¡¯t say anything, things would reach an irreversible stage. Thus, he hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you very clearly know why you¡¯re here. Chu Liuyue, you¡¯re from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. According to the rules, you can join any of these clans. Have you thought about it?¡± Weichi Song and the rest all looked over. The crowd that was waiting on the other side was very curious. Who will Chu Liuyue pick? She has the best results here, so she¡¯s definitely capable and talented. ¡°She can randomly choose whichever one she likes, right? Who doesn¡¯t want a talent like her?¡± ¡°Maybe not. She helped Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciple speak up just now. Isn¡¯t that clearly going against Jiu Xing Alliance? Look at how Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s master is looking at Chu Liuyue. I don¡¯t think he thinks highly¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Chu Liuyue has previously offended the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s people! Elder Qiuxi hates her to the core, so she definitely won¡¯t go there.¡± ¡°I think she offended Purple Xiao Sword Sect and Xuan Feng Hall¡¯s people in the Tianling God Realm¡­¡± As they spoke, the crowd couldn¡¯t help but exchange glances. How did Chu Liuyue offend so many people? How did she do it in such a few days? ¡°If this is all true, there¡¯s only Dragon Teeth Mountain left of the four biggest clans¡­ Oh right, didn¡¯t they say that Jian Fengchi likes her? She¡¯ll choose Dragon Teeth Mountain, right?¡± ¡­ Originally, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really care about what those people were saying, but she very quickly felt a solid gaze landing on her. She looked up. Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s master¡ªJian Shuye¡ªwas looking at her with a scorching gaze. Curiosity, excitement, happiness, comfort, bliss¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. Why do I feel that Jian Shuye is looking at me as if he¡¯s looking at his daughter-in-law? Is he mistaken?! Jian Shuye can be considered as one of the most handsome gentlemen out of all these elders. Jian Fengchi¡¯s face that had attracted too many romances was inherited from his biological father¡ªJian Shuye! Both father and son have the exact same ice-cold eyes and intricate face with sharp jawlines. But compared to Jian Fengchi¡¯s flirtatious nature, Jian Shuye is famous in Xi Ling for being devoted. Back then, he didn¡¯t care about his family¡¯s objections and married a very ordinary woman. Even when outsiders didn¡¯t approve of them, they always had a very good relationship and loved each other very deeply. Even until this day, he doesn¡¯t even have a concubine. One of the reasons why Jian Fengchi can be this arrogant is also because of this. In the entire Dragon Teeth Mountain, there¡¯s only this one young master. How can they not dote on him? Jian Shuye sized Chu Liuyue up and became increasingly satisfied as he looked at her. He was really short of just slamming the table and yelling, ¡®My son really takes after me and has such great taste!¡¯ After seeing this appearance, aura, and talent¡­ I¡¯m satisfied no matter what! My wife and I have been devoted to each other our whole lives, yet we have a flirtatious son for some reason. Due to this, he and his wife had a major headache, and they thought more than once that this son was adopted. Whose good son would hide at Chun Feng Restaurant all day long and be surrounded with all sorts of butterflies? He had lectured Jian Fengchi countless times because of this, but it was to no avail. Recently, rumors were going around Xi Ling City that Jian Fengchi spent a lot of his money on a woman. In the beginning, Jiang Shuye thought his son was playing around. But when he heard how much Jian Fengchi had bet, he instantly felt that Jian Fengchi genuinely liked her. He then heard that Jian Fengchi even specially went to Xuan Ji Square to congratulate Chu Liuyue on the day the Wan Zheng Competition ended. This was solid evidence! Thus, he came here today not to pick disciples but to see what kind of woman the rumored Chu Liuyue was. This one glance made him over the moon. Even though this Chu Liuyue has an ordinary background, I won¡¯t care about this. Besides, Chu Liuyue is very elegant. Ignorant ones might even think that she¡¯s an elegant lady meticulously brought up by an aristocratic family in Xi Ling City. My son finally picked the right person. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair stood on end as Jian Shuye stared at her with overly passionate eyes. If I really go to Dragon Teeth Mountain, and he stares at me like that every day¡­ Once she thought of that scene, her entire person was uncomfortable. Hence, Chu Liuyue swiftly made a decision. ¡°I choose Chong Xu Cabinet!¡± The moment she said this, the commotion immediately stopped. The surroundings were very quiet as if everything came to a standstill. Weichi Song slightly widened his eyes. As things had happened too suddenly, he didn¡¯t even have the time to be shocked as he was filled with doubts and confusion. Did Chu Liuyue just say that¡­ she chose Chong Xu Cabinet? ¡°How can this be?¡± Jian Shuye was the first to stand up and object. ¡°Absolutely no way!¡± How can my own daughter-in-law go to some other clan? ¡°Liuyue, you should come to our Dragon Teeth Mountain!¡± Chu Liuyue was taken aback. Is Jian Shuye¡­ openly snatching people? Why did he even call my name directly? This should be the first time we¡¯re meeting, right? No matter what, Jian Shuye is a distinguished person in Xi Ling. Is this really appropriate¡­ Weichi Song immediately said, ¡°Jian Shuye, what does this mean?¡± Jian Shuye cupped his fists and bowed toward Weichi Song. ¡°Old Song, sorry. However, I don¡¯t mean to offend you. It¡¯s just that my son¡ªI really like Chu Liuyue, so why don¡¯t you let her join Dragon Teeth Mountain? Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t fight with you for the other people!¡± Quite a few people thought to themselves mockingly, He wants to fight for the best, and the remaining ones aren¡¯t as good as Chu Liuyue. Thus, he doesn¡¯t need to fight for them anymore. Weichi Song stroked his beard. ¡°She should decide this herself.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, I¡¯m very happy and welcoming that you want to come to our Chong Xu Cabinet. But Jian Shuye wants you to go to Dragon Teeth Mountain. Since he spoke up, I don¡¯t want to force you. You can think for yourself which one you want to go to.¡± Dragon Teeth Mountain and Chong Xu Cabinet always had a good relationship, and he could tell that Jian Shuye genuinely wanted Chu Liuyue to go to Dragon Teeth Mountain. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have spoken up so directly. From his perspective, he naturally wanted Chu Liuyue to join Chong Xu Cabinet. After what happened last time, Chong Xu Cabinet wasn¡¯t like before. They urgently needed to develop a batch of outstanding disciples to continue on. But on the other hand, Dragon Teeth Mountain had better status and resources, so it was a better choice for Chu Liuyue herself. Chu Liuyue bent her knees and bowed as she said determinedly, ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Master, but I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± Chapter 546 - I Didn’t Choose You Jian Shuye still didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Liuyue, do reconsider¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I really don¡¯t deserve your care, Master. Please don¡¯t put me in a difficult spot.¡± Seeing her serious expression, Jian Shuye knew that whatever he said would be useless. Thus, he could only sigh heavily. ¡°Aish! Fine! Since you must choose Chong Xu Cabinet, then¡­¡± said Jian Shuye when he suddenly looked serious. I had already invited Chu Liuyue to Dragon Teeth Mountain so enthusiastically and sincerely. Anyone would know which choice is better for their future development, but she still rejected me so swiftly. Could it be¡­ because of something else? Could it be that my own son hurt her heart? Jian Shuye¡¯s thoughts changed, and he increasingly felt that this was the case. It must be so! Chu Liuyue only saw Jian Shuye¡¯s expression quickly changing before he threw out a sentence harshly. ¡°This brat!¡± See how I¡¯ll handle him when I go back! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Is¡­ he talking about Jian Fengchi? It seems like Jian Shuye has truly misunderstood big time¡­ But it clearly isn¡¯t a good time to explain this now. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and planned to find a chance to explain to him personally. ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Master.¡± Then, she turned to Weichi Song and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Master.¡± Seeing the woman respectfully bowing toward him, Weichi Song was emotional as he was suddenly stumped. Until this day, I didn¡¯t have much hope. Everyone knows that Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s days are numbered. All these young people have risked everything to come to Xi Ling to fight for a future. Those who are smart wouldn¡¯t choose Chong Xu Cabinet, yet Chu Liuyue made this choice without hesitation! ¡°Great¡­ Great! Quickly, stand up!¡± Weichi Song stood up and walked over as he personally helped Chu Liuyue up. His originally frail appearance looked more energized as he said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In the future, Chong Xu Cabinet won¡¯t treat you badly!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± She knew that Weichi Song kept his promises and that he was very good to her. It had always been so in the past until now. Other than Jian Shuye being very grateful toward this, everyone else had the same attitude toward this matter. They were shocked at first, then curious, and finally¡­ Some felt that it was a pity, and others mocked her. But no matter what, Chu Liuyue had already made her choice, and it was final. Jiang Yucheng looked at Chu Liuyue and slightly knitted his brows. It turns out that Chu Liuyue had already made a decision when she spoke up for Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciple earlier. But I really can¡¯t figure out why Chu Liuyue is doing this. ¡°Next. Where¡¯s Qiang Wanzhou?¡± Qiang Wanzhou stood out. Quite a few gazes landed on him, including that of Song Luan and the rest. This young man with golden hair had an aura of being hard to discipline all over him. But different from the controversial Chu Liuyue, he was already a stage-six warrior! This was an observable capability! The crowd might doubt Chu Liuyue¡¯s first place, but nobody would doubt Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s second place. He was indeed the top existence out of all these talents. The more important thing was that he was like a stone that hadn¡¯t been polished. With some guidance, he would definitely shine more brightly than ever. The few big clans present were all tempted as they looked at Qiang Wanzhou with friendlier gazes than they did with Chu Liuyue. Jiang Yucheng asked, ¡°You can choose too. These¡ª¡± ¡°Chong Xu Cabinet,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou without hesitation. Jiang Yucheng instinctively asked in return, ¡°What?¡± Qiang Wanzhou pointed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°She chose Chong Xu Cabinet. I¡¯m the same as her.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. I actually didn¡¯t discuss this with Qiang Wanzhou earlier on as I felt that he would follow my choice. As expected. Most of the time, this kid is still very obedient! ¡°You want to choose Chong Xu Cabinet too? Are you sure?¡± The person who spoke was Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s master, Cheng Lifeng. I originally thought highly of Qiang Wanzhou, but who would¡¯ve expected him to make the same choice as Chu Liuyue? I already made myself very clear. Why are they still asking? Qiang Wanzhou knitted his brows. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± After that, he directly walked toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue ruffled his hair. ¡°Kid, I knew you¡¯d stick with me!¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s soft golden hair was once again ruffled into a messy state, but he wasn¡¯t as angry as before this time. Ever since Chu Liuyue protected him in the Tianling God Realm and called him Little Zhou, it seemed like it was very hard for him to get angry at her. Besides, after getting along during this period, he knew that Chu Liuyue would mostly joke with him, but she treated him really well in reality. Therefore, he could forcefully accept her ruffling his hair. Seeing the duo¡¯s close manner, the crowd could guess the reason for Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s choice. He clearly chose Chong Xu Cabinet because of Chu Liuyue! If Chu Liuyue chose another clan, he would clearly do the same! These two people clearly came from different places, but how did they become so close in such a short amount of time? ¡°I originally thought you were a decent chap. I didn¡¯t expect a big man like you to be led by a woman. It¡¯s really¡­ Hah, it¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t want you!¡± Cheng Lifeng chuckled. I bet this kind of person won¡¯t have a bright future! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold. Without waiting for her to speak, Qiang Wanzhou looked at Cheng Lifeng as he coldly and clearly said, ¡°It was clearly us who didn¡¯t choose you, so why did you say that you don¡¯t want us?¡± Chapter 547 - : Good Show Cheng Lifeng¡¯s face instantly flushed red. As he couldn¡¯t ease himself out of the situation, he could only point at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Y-you! You¡ªYou have a bad upbringing! Did your parents teach you how to rebut your elders like this?!¡± Qiang Wanzhou looked at him coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t have parents.¡± Ever since he could remember, he was alone. He ate wild grass and slept in the wilderness. Not only did he have to escape the attack of wild beasts, but he sometimes even had to fight with them for survival resources. In his knowledge, there was no concept of parents. Cheng Lifeng was stumped, and he was so angry that his entire body shook. ¡°You! How dare you!¡± Qiang Wanzhou knitted his brows. I just stated facts, so why is this person so agitated? Chu Liuyue gently pulled his sleeves. Qiang Wanzhou turned around and glanced at her as he swallowed his remaining words. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly as she pulled Qiang Wanzhou over. Then, she walked up and loudly said, ¡°Master, please forgive him. Little Zhou grew up in Nan Jiang, so he doesn¡¯t know a lot of things. If he offended you, I hope you¡¯ll be magnanimous.¡± Cheng Lifeng scolded, ¡°A true barbarian!¡± The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face didn¡¯t change, but her gaze turned colder. ¡°Master, even though he doesn¡¯t really know how to socialize, it¡¯s not his fault, right? You¡¯re a clan¡¯s master, and you have a distinguished status. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t hold it against a teen, right?¡± She implied that with Cheng Lifeng¡¯s identity, he would be petty if he really held onto Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s words. Cheng Lifeng harshly waved his sleeves, avoided her gaze, and said after a while, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know the way of life, and you really have a sharp tongue.¡± Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡± Cheng Lifeng felt like all his organs were squeezed into a ball, and he was extremely uncomfortable. Does this Chu Liuyue think that she can be this arrogant and unruly after joining Chong Xu Cabinet? Chu Liuyue calmly returned and gave Qiang Wanzhou a reassuring gaze. Anyway, I have long offended the Sky-Soaring Clan. According to Elder Qiuxi¡¯s personality, he won¡¯t let me off even if I kneel down and beg him. He might even become angrier and more arrogant instead. Since this is so, what else should I be afraid of? At the very least, Cheng Lifeng still doesn¡¯t dare to do anything on the surface. Weichi Song patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Chu Liuyue knew this meant that he supported her, so she smiled at him. When the crowd saw this scene, they had all sorts of weird gazes. Chu Liuyue pretended as if she didn¡¯t see any of them as she quickly went back with Qiang Wanzhou. The people behind continued. Those with better rankings basically wouldn¡¯t get rejected, and quite a few of them had some background beforehand. Thus, it was smoother for them to enter the clans. At the back, some competitors weren¡¯t so outstanding, and they would get rejected sometimes. Those people could only retreat and choose another clan. But even so, nobody chose Chong Xu Cabinet. No matter if it were Weichi Song or Chu Liuyue, they didn¡¯t really care about this. Hence, they decisively just watched on quietly. Chu Liuyue stood at the side quietly, but in actual fact, she was discussing the purplish-gold Buddha leaf with the legendary three-eyed eagle. ¡°So, how is it? Can you confirm the position?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in her heart. ¡°In the southeast direction,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle certainly after she paused. Southeast direction? Chu Liuyue looked up. That¡¯s my old music room. Why wouldn¡¯t I know if there¡¯s a purplish-gold Buddha leaf hiding in there? ¡°We must go over there to find out its specific location. The purplish-gold Buddha leaf¡¯s aura has basically been covered up, so there should be something heavy covering it. It won¡¯t be easy to get it.¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. That¡¯s easier said than done. If it were in the past, I could naturally go there whenever I wanted. However, how can I go there now? Besides, the guards here are very strict. According to my current status, I wouldn¡¯t even have the right to get close to the music room. After much thinking, she could only put this matter aside and find another chance. ¡­ After around an hour, everyone was done choosing. Then, the people of the front few rankings all received a Cosmic Ring that contained their prizes. After Chu Liuyue took hers, she checked it and indeed saw quite a few decent treasures. It seems like Shangguan Wan has indeed spent a lot on this Wan Zheng Competition. These things might be valuable to others, but to me, they aren¡¯t worth much. This is especially so when I still have the Long Yuan Sword with me. Whatever item I take out from the hilt would be better than all of this. But on the surface, she still looked surprised and attracted quite a few envious and jealous gazes. ¡­ Shangguan Wan stood up, surveyed the surroundings, and said, ¡°Everyone, the Wan Zheng Competition will officially conclude here. But to you all, your journey as a strong warrior might have just started. I hope that you will continue to work hard and cultivate after entering your respective clans and become a true top warrior!¡± The crowd naturally agreed. ¡°I still have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first. The view in Xin Li Garden isn¡¯t bad, so you can look around if you wish.¡± Shangguan Wan then turned around and planned to leave. ¡°Third Princess, please hold on!¡± A voice suddenly sounded. The crowd looked in the direction of the voice. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. It¡¯s actually Yang Qin¡¯er. Shangguan Wan turned around and glanced at her. ¡°What, is there something else?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er quickly walked forward, bent her knees, and directly kneeled on the floor as she solemnly said, ¡°Third Princess, I¡ªYang Qin¡¯er¡ªhave something to report!¡± Shangguan Wan had quite a deep impression of this Yang Qin¡¯er, so when she saw this, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er paused for a moment. ¡°This is related to the Tianling God Realm¡­ I wonder¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Is she¡­ planning to deal with me? Previously, I was still thinking that Yang Qin¡¯er wouldn¡¯t let me off after suffering. As expected. She silently waited in a corner for such a long time earlier because she was actually waiting for this. Upon hearing that it was about the Tianling God Realm, Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression immediately became stern. She thought for a while and said, ¡°Follow me inside!¡± But Yang Qin¡¯er didn¡¯t stand up as she said, ¡°This is still related to quite a few other people¡­¡± ¡°You can say whoever it is,¡± ordered Shangguan Wan. Yang Qin¡¯er looked up as if she had made up her mind. ¡°The people related to this are¡­ Chou Ding, Ning Jiaojiao, Qiang Wanzhou, and¡­ Chu Liuyue!¡± When the crowd heard this, they were taken aback. These few people are all within the top ten. Given Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s behavior, the matter must be very serious. Did something happen in the Tianling God Realm at the very last moment? The same guess surfaced in Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart. She knitted her brows, and her gaze swept past the few of them. ¡°The few of you, follow me in.¡± She then walked to the yard at the back first. Jiang Yucheng was half a step behind her. Yang Qin¡¯er then stood up and followed her. When she walked past Chu Liuyue, she paused and said in a very soft voice, ¡°There will be a good show to watch.¡± Chapter 548 - Scolding Chu Liuyue met with the unconcealable delight in her gaze as she smiled slightly. ¡°Yes, I hope you can watch it happily this time.¡± The smile on Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s face froze. Why is Chu Liuyue still so calm? She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Be as arrogant as you want. We¡¯ll see how long you can last!¡± Yan Qin¡¯er didn¡¯t believe that Chu Liuyue could be this calm after the matter was exposed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Sure, you can watch.¡± She turned around and planned to follow the two of them. ¡°Liuyue,¡± Weichi Song called her worriedly. Yang Qin¡¯er doesn¡¯t look friendly, and it seems like she¡¯s aiming for Liuyue. About the Tianling God Realm¡­ What exactly happened? Chu Liuyue comforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Little Zhou and I will be fine.¡± Seeing the young woman¡¯s composed expression, Weichi Song felt more assured. ¡°Be careful. I¡¯ll be waiting for you here.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and left with Qiang Wanzhou. When Yang Qin¡¯er saw this, she was quite hesitant. Does Chu Liuyue have a way to deal with it? ¡°Why are you still standing around?¡± asked Ning Jiaojiao when she walked over and noticed that Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s expression was amiss. Didn¡¯t we already talk about this before? Yang Qin¡¯er glanced at Ning Jiaojiao and felt slightly assured. ¡°Nothing much. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ In the quiet room, the faint sandalwood scent wafted through the air. This was a type of sandalwood that Shangguan Wan really loved, and it was rejuvenating. Whenever she was anxious or couldn¡¯t sleep at night, she would feel much more at ease after she lit this sandalwood. However, the smell didn¡¯t seem to help today. Even though the smell kept wafting around her nose, her panicky mood wasn¡¯t appeased at all. It even became more intense as time passed. She and Jiang Yucheng sat at the front, while Chu Liuyue and the rest sat around them. Shangguan Wan looked at Yang Qin¡¯er solemnly. ¡°You can speak now.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er took a deep breath in as if she exhausted a lot of strength before she finally made up her mind and said, ¡°Third Princess, I want to report Chu Liuyue for using unscrupulous methods to gain the Long Yuan Sword in the Tianling God Realm.¡± Once she said this, Shangguan Wan suddenly stood up and was enraged. ¡°What did you say?¡± Jiang Yucheng was also stunned, and he didn¡¯t recover his senses for a long time. Long Yuan Sword¡­ Long Yuan Sword?! Isn¡¯t that the legendary weapon that the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor personally made back then? Putong! Yang Qin¡¯er swiftly kneeled down once again. ¡°Third Princess! Chu Liuyue came from a poor background, but she¡¯s very gutsy and stole the Long Yuan Sword that belongs to the Tianling Royal Family! Her actions are ridiculous! Every word I¡¯ve is the truth, and I didn¡¯t lie at all! Third Princess, please investigate properly!¡± This simple sentence was like lightning that struck the ground and started rippling. Shangguan Wan knitted her brows tightly. Even if Yang Qin¡¯er were very brave, she definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to joke about the Long Yuan Sword. She shot a deadly stare at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Liuyue, is she speaking the truth?¡± Chu Liuyue looked calm as she lightly said, ¡°Third Princess, I don¡¯t agree with whatever Yang Qin¡¯er said.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er laughed coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t agree? Chu Liuyue, do you dare to say that the person who charged out of the heavenly pit and took the Long Yuan Sword back in the Tianling God Realm wasn¡¯t you?!¡± Back then, I could only see a vague figure as the light was too bright. Thus, I couldn¡¯t recognize who it was. It was only after I was eliminated and heard that Chu Liuyue came out after me and was the champion that I understood that the person back then was Chu Liuyue! This is because only Chu Liuyue rushed into the sea of golden fire in the heavenly pit before us. In this case, everything that happened afterward has a logical explanation. It¡¯s without a doubt that the Long Yuan Sword has recognized Chu Liuyue as its master. Chu Liuyue looked stunned. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t admit it. The witnesses are here.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er looked at Chou Ding and Ning Jiaojiao. ¡°Back then, after Chu Liuyue entered the heavenly pit inside the Tianling God Realm and went missing, we all thought that she was eliminated. Other than her, only the four of us were near the Long Yuan Sword. Chou Ding, when the Long Yuan Sword awakened, you were there too, right?¡± Chou Ding nodded and boomed, ¡°That¡¯s right. At that time, the Long Yuan Sword had indeed awakened. As its surrounding aura became stronger, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so I willingly left. I really don¡¯t know what happened later.¡± Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng were both greatly shocked. The Long Yuan Sword awakened?! The Long Yuan Sword that has been asleep for so many years actually awakened again?! However, we didn¡¯t know anything about this! If it weren¡¯t for Yang Qin¡¯er willingly talking about it, we wouldn¡¯t even be in the know! Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart was almost about to explode. The Long Yuan Sword has awakened, meaning that it¡¯s going to choose its new owner soon! It has been thousands of years, and the people in the Tianling Royal Family have always wanted to obtain the Long Yuan Sword, but it was to no avail. I didn¡¯t expect that the Long Yuan Sword actually awakened after hosting the Wan Zheng Competition once. Shangguan Wan was filled with overwhelming regret. She clenched her teeth and said, ¡°Go on!¡± Ning Jiaojiao bent her knees, bowed, and said, ¡°Third Princess, after Chou Ding left, Yang Qin¡¯er and I discussed who would try to obtain the Long Yuan Sword. Hence, we moved together. We didn¡¯t expect Qiang Wanzhou to chase after us and fight with us once we started taking action.¡± ¡°Back then, both of us were very confused. We had no grudge against Qiang Wanzhou, so why would he suddenly barge out and stop us? We then realized that it was because¡­ the one who wanted to steal the Long Yuan Sword was Chu Liuyue!¡± Both Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng looked at Qiang Wanzhou. That¡¯s right! Anybody can tell that Qiang Wanzhou and Chu Liuyue are on good terms. One could even say that Qiang Wanzhou listens to Chu Liuyue regarding everything. Other than Chu Liuyue, who else could make him take action? ¡°I then fought with Qiang Wanzhou and lost after some time, so I was kicked out of the Tianling God Realm. After I came out, I unwittingly saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s name still on the black marble board, so I vaguely guessed that the person was Chu Liuyue.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s face darkened. Seeing this, Yang Qin¡¯er was much more relaxed. I guessed correctly. The Tianling God Realm¡¯s Long Yuan Sword is indeed the Tianling Royal Family¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel. Whoever touches it will die. Since Chu Liuyue dared to take the Long Yuan Sword, then she will have to bear the Tianling Royal Family¡¯s wrath. She quickly said, ¡°After Ning Jiaojiao was eliminated, I wanted to fight with that person. However, that person sent a legendary fiend to deal with me. If I didn¡¯t see wrongly, it should be the rumored legendary fiend¡ªlegendary three-eyed eagle!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t go against that legendary fiend, so I was on the losing end. Besides, Qiang Wanzhou also chased after me. I couldn¡¯t handle them alone, so I was quickly eliminated. Qiang Wanzhou pierced through my chest with one knife, and the wound is still here.¡± Upon talking about this, Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s voice started trembling as intense hatred flashed across her eyes. ¡°When I was leaving the Tianling God Realm, I coincidentally saw that person pulling out the Long Yuan Sword!¡± Chapter 549 - : It’s Still There This proves that the Long Yuan Sword has taken on a new master! Shangguan Wan was confused and panicked as she stared straight at Chu Liuyue. ¡°All these people are accusing you of taking the Long Yuan Sword. What do you have to say?¡± Chu Liuyue was calm. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. Even if you ask me a thousand times, my answer remains the same¡ªI didn¡¯t do it.¡± She looked confident and not like she was lying. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t know who to believe. On the one hand, there has to be evidence of it since Yang Qin¡¯er and her pals had the guts to bring it up in front of me. Besides, everything they¡¯ve said adds up. On the other hand, the Long Yuan Sword was left behind by the founder of the dynasty. Logic dictates that only someone with the Tianling bloodline has any chance of awakening it. Chu Liuyue stood no chance. Yang Qin¡¯er was so angry that she almost laughed. ¡°Chu Liuyue, even with all the evidence, you still refuse to admit it? When are you going to stop lying?¡± Chu Liuyue kept her cool. ¡°Why would I admit to something that I never did?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er was about to rebut when Chu Liuyue continued speaking. ¡°Your so-called evidence is just testimonies from you all. You don¡¯t have actual evidence, do you? To be exact, Chou Ding only saw the Long Yuan Sword awaken. As for the claim that someone had taken the sword¡­ Only you and Ning Jiaojiao saw it, no? Oh wait, there¡¯s Qiang Wanzhou too.¡± Qiang Wanzhou suddenly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t see the scene that they spoke of.¡± ¡°You say that you didn¡¯t see it? Then, why did you fight with us?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er cried out angrily. The wounds on my body are real! Qiang Wanzhou pointed at Ning Jiaojiao. ¡°You eliminated people through despicable means but pushed the blame for it onto Liuyue.¡± Ning Jiaojiao froze. Qiang Wanzhou pointed at Yang Qin¡¯er. ¡°You joined hands with two senior brothers from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect to try and take her treasure. You attacked her out of frustration after she rejected you all.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°You all are clearly in the wrong, so why can¡¯t we fight back? As for your injuries¡­ it¡¯s because you¡¯re weak.¡± Qiang Wanzhou spoke coldly and logically. Yang Qin¡¯er felt guilty, but she immediately rebutted. ¡°You¡¯re close to Chu Liuyue, so of course, you¡¯ll take her side! Everything you¡¯ve said is just your one-sided account. It shouldn¡¯t be taken into account!¡± No matter what, the matter has indeed happened. There¡¯s no way Chu Liuyue can pretend it didn¡¯t happen! Jiang Yucheng stared at Chu Liuyue with knitted brows. ¡°Chu Liuyue, do you have anything to say for yourself on top of Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s account?¡± Chu Liuyue remained silent. Ning Jiaojiao scoffed. ¡°Of course, she has nothing to say because she did do it!¡± Shangguan Wan walked over, exuding immense pressure as she looked down at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Liuyue, if you can¡¯t prove your innocence, then¡­ You¡¯re staying in Xin Li Garden today!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. Shangguan Wan seemed calm, but Chu Liuyue saw the emotions buried behind her eyes. Shangguan Wan might be able to fool others, but not me. Shock, anger, jealousy¡­ Shangguan Wan is probably frustrated just from looking at my face. Needless to say, she doesn¡¯t have a good impression of me. In reality, Chu Liuyue could feel the animosity Shangguan Wan held toward her. Without a doubt, Shangguan Wan will come up with a way to get rid of me the first chance she gets! If I¡¯m not able to prove my innocence now, I¡¯m probably going to be put through hell later. Chu Liuyue moved her lips slightly. ¡°Of course, I can.¡± The room fell into silence. Yang Qin¡¯er narrowed her eyes. ¡°Farce!¡± ¡°First of all, I have a fiend.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and a red silhouette appeared on her palms. That¡¯s a furry¡­ blood ferret? The atmosphere froze a little. Given Chu Liuyue¡¯s ability and talent, she should¡¯ve had high standards for her personal fiend. How did she¡­ end up with a third-grade fiend? And it¡¯s the weakest kind as well?! Yang Qin¡¯er and Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°No way! How can you have a blood ferret as your fiend?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er blurted out. Chu Liuyue glanced at her. Tuan Zi was upset as it bared its teeth at her. Who is she looking down on?! I¡¯m really formidable too! Does she think I¡¯m not good enough for my master?! Since when did people like her get to comment on our affairs?! ¡°I¡¯ve had this blood ferret since I was in Country Yao Chen. Lieutenant Mu has seen it too; he can testify for me.¡± Chu Liuyue brought up Mu Qinghe to shut Yang Qin¡¯er up. She could accuse Chu Liuyue of lying, but she couldn¡¯t do the same for Mu Qinghe! ¡°Cultivators cannot contract another fiend while they are in a contract with one. I believe you all know that, so I¡¯m not going to elaborate. But thank you for thinking so highly of me, Miss Yang. You actually thought that I¡¯d be lucky enough to contract with a legendary fiend. I¡¯ll take your word for it. If that ever happens, I won¡¯t forget you.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er was dumbfounded. Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng looked at each other; they saw the suspicion in each other¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words make sense. Even in the Tianling Dynasty, legendary fiends are extremely rare. Even Shangguan Yue managed to contract with a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant only, not a legendary fiend. To say that Chu Liuyue¡¯s fiend is a legendary three-eyed eagle¡­ That¡¯s a little ludicrous. Chu Liuyue pinched Tuan Zi¡¯s ears lovingly. Tuan Zi leaped onto her shoulder, but its cheeks were still puffed up in anger. Being looked down on because of my small size is too much! If I weren¡¯t working with Chu Liuyue, I would¡¯ve dashed over and scratched up Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s face! Its raven eyes stared at Yang Qin¡¯er menacingly. Yang Qin¡¯er felt chills run down her spine. ¡°Secondly, the Tianling God Realm is the place where the dynasty¡¯s founder was cremated. I¡¯ve heard that it has never been opened up to outsiders before and that this was the first and only time that it had been opened up to non-members of the Tianling bloodline. The Long Yuan Sword is a legendary weapon. Even if it were to awaken and choose a new owner, it would be decided by the sword soul. Do you think that the Long Yuan Sword would choose a commoner who has no ties to Tianling¡¯s royal family like me? What kind of position are you putting the members of the royal family and me in?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke slowly, but her words were like swords. Yang Qin¡¯er and Ning Jiaojiao sensed that something was amiss. They looked toward Shangguan Wan and found that her expression had turned rather stiff! This was a complex of Shangguan Wan¡¯s. She had always wanted to enter the Tianling God Realm, but she never had the chance before. But now that Shangguan Yue was dead and that it was finally her turn, her Yuan meridian had been destroyed. She would never be able to enter the Tianling God Realm! Chu Liuyue touched her glabella. ¡°Thirdly and most importantly: the Long Yuan Sword is still well and very much in the Tianling God Realm!¡± Chapter 550 - Pay No Attention ¡°Nonsense!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er walked up agitatedly, her finger almost poking into Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°I saw you pull out the Long Yuan Sword with my own eyes!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know if I¡¯m telling the truth if you send another into the Tianling God Realm.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her and swatted Yang Qin¡¯er away. ¡°Of course, Third Princess can go see who is really lying for yourself.¡± Shangguan Wan gritted her teeth. Of course, I want to enter the Tianling God Realm! But now that my Yuan meridian is destroyed, I will die if I enter! I have been painstakingly keeping up the act for the past year so that nobody would find out that I had trouble cultivating. If I go into the Tianling God Realm, my lies will be exposed immediately! Repressing her anger and indignation, she turned and walked over to Jiang Yucheng. Sensing that her expression was off, he immediately spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll send Elder Duanmu Chun to check now.¡± Shangguan Wan nodded, but she couldn¡¯t calm her emotions down. Jiang Yucheng knew that she had been through a lot today. First Chu Liuyue, then the Tianling God Realm. It isn¡¯t wise to remain here. He looked toward Chu Liuyue and the others. ¡°You all are dismissed. The Third Princess and I will make a decision when the results are out.¡± Chu Liuyue had long wanted to leave; she was disgusted just by looking at their faces. It¡¯s a miracle I¡¯m able to put up with it for this long. She turned and left without hesitation. ¡°Little Zhou, let¡¯s go.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er and Ning Jiaojiao looked at one another. That¡¯s all? We put in so much effort to try and get rid of Chu Liuyue, but this is all we got? Ning Jiaojiao pressed on. ¡°Third Princess, you can¡¯t let Chu Liuyue leave like this! She¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear everything we just said?¡± Jiang Yucheng cut her off coldly. Ning Jiaojiao was stunned.¡±No-nothing. W-we¡¯ll leave now.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er wanted to say something, but she eyed Jiang Yucheng and swallowed the rest of her words. Even though she hadn¡¯t been in Xi Ling for long, she had heard quite a bit about Jiang Yucheng. He wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. Chou Ding had left first. Ning Jiaojiao and Yang Qin¡¯er stayed for a while before they left indignantly. ¡­ After leaving the room, Chu Liuyue saw Weichi Song waiting nearby. Ye Ranran was by his side. Upon hearing the commotion, the pair looked over with worry in their eyes. They wanted to go up and receive the duo, but there were guards around. Hence, they could only wait for Chu Liuyue to come over. ¡°Liuyue, Wanzhou, how are you?¡± Weichi Song eyed the two of them. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°What can happen to us? Third Princess just had some questions to ask us.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Weichi Song naturally didn¡¯t believe them. Judging by Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s behavior, it definitely wasn¡¯t that simple. ¡°Of course. We¡¯re fine, aren¡¯t we? It¡¯s getting late. Shall we head back?¡± Weichi Song could tell that there were some things Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t feel comfortable saying, so there was no point in asking. He just nodded. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go back!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the others left peacefully, but things weren¡¯t as pleasant on Yang Qin¡¯er and Ning Jiaojiao¡¯s end. Right after the two of them left, Chou Ding stopped them outside. He was muscular and looked like a tiny mountain, which gave him an oppressive presence. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you all are trying to do, but don¡¯t get me involved in all this in the future!¡± Chou Ding warned. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on in the beginning, but he figured it out later on. They clearly implicated me while they were trying to get rid of Chu Liuyue! This had nothing to do with me at the beginning, but I¡¯m also tied to it now that I¡¯ve heard everything! Even though I won¡¯t be punished, it feels disgusting to be used by others like this! Ning Jiaojiao was frustrated, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with it. ¡°Got it!¡± Chou Ding glared at them again before he left. Ning Jiaojiao was upset, so she could only vent her anger out on Yang Qin¡¯er. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was foolproof?! What¡¯s all this?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er wasn¡¯t in a better state than Ning Jiaojiao. Chu Liuyue caught us off-guard. Even now, I still don¡¯t understand how Chu Liuyue had the guts to ask Shangguan Wan to check the Tianling God Realm. I clearly remember that the Long Yuan Sword had been loosened! How could it still be there? Could it be that Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t take the Long Yuan Sword? But¡­ that¡¯s the Long Yuan Sword! How could Chu Liuyue not be moved by such a powerful legendary weapon? Seeing that Yang Qin¡¯er did not move, Ning Jiaojiao shoved her. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you! Did you hear me?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er swatted her hand away and replied impatiently, ¡°I heard you! Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m upset?! If you have the energy to complain, why don¡¯t you think of our next move?¡± Ning Jiaojiao was a spoiled young missy and had rarely been treated this way, not to mention by a nobody like Yang Qin¡¯er! She hugged her arms and scoffed. ¡°What do you mean? Didn¡¯t you bring this up first? You¡¯ve implicated me, but you¡¯re trying to push the blame on me?! If you didn¡¯t see clearly, how would things have turned out this way?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er laughed coldly. ¡°The way things are now, nothing you say will work. We can argue about this when the Third Princess has come to a conclusion!¡± ¡°If it really is like Chu Liuyue said¡­ I¡¯ll show you!¡± said Ning Jiaojiao in a hushed tone before she left angrily. Yang Qin¡¯er remained composed on the surface, but she felt uneasy as she recalled Chu Liuyue¡¯s confident manner earlier. ¡­ After everyone left, only Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng remained in the room. Shangguan Wan was seated in her chair with a vicious expression. This was the scene Jiang Yucheng saw after he returned from giving orders to Chan Yi and Sun Qi. He paused for a moment before he walked over. ¡°Wan¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°You already knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± Shangguan Wan said coldly. Jiang Yucheng frowned. ¡°What?¡± Shangguan Wan looked up and into his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve already seen Chu Liuyue before. Why didn¡¯t you tell me she looked like this?!¡± It really was about that. Jiang Yucheng sighed to himself. ¡°It¡¯s just a similar-looking face. Why are you this bothered?¡± A strange laugh came from Shangguan Wan¡¯s throat. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s really what you think?¡± Chapter 551 - Returned To Its Owner Her question made Jiang Yucheng uncomfortable, but he put up with it as he bent over and spoke gently. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. When have I lied to you? I don¡¯t like her either, but she took first place in the Wan Zheng Competition. Even if it¡¯s for her Yuan meridian, you have to put up with it for now.¡± But Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t that easy to please. The incident regarding the Tianling God Realm was a huge trigger, which resulted in her being a little unhinged now. She jumped up and asked, ¡°Oh? Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t think of anything when you saw her face? If you weren¡¯t feeling guilty, why didn¡¯t you tell me beforehand?¡± God knows how terrified I was when I saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile. If Jiang Yucheng had warned me beforehand, I wouldn¡¯t have lost my cool! ¡°What¡¯s there to be guilty about? Wan¡¯er, you¡¯re overthinking things. I simply didn¡¯t tell you beforehand because I didn¡¯t feel it was worth mentioning. You¡¯ve been too tired lately, so you¡¯re a little on edge. None of this will be a problem once your Yuan meridian has been restored.¡± Jiang Yucheng knew where Shangguan Wan¡¯s weakness was, so he could always calm her down. As expected, Shangguan Wan calmed down slightly. Jiang Yucheng cajoled her for a little longer before she let the matter slide. In the end, Jiang Yucheng finally left the palace after he sent Shangguan Wan back to the palace and watched her lie down to rest. After Jiang Yucheng left, Chan Yi walked in. ¡°Third Princess, Young Master Jiang has left.¡± Shangguan Wan opened her eyes; they were completely clear. She clearly hadn¡¯t been sleeping. She sat up and pondered for a moment before she gave out orders. ¡°Chan Yi, go look into Chu Liuyue¡¯s background. Report back if anything seems off. Also, get someone to watch the Jiang family. See if anything has been unusual recently.¡± Chan Yi nodded respectfully before she left. There was only Shangguan Wan left in the palace hall. She lit the incense, preparing to take a nap, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s face appeared every time she closed her eyes. That face brought up a lot more memories that she didn¡¯t want to remember. After a number of tries, she became frustrated and smashed everything in the room. She only stopped when there was nothing left. ¡°Anyone there?!¡± she called out. The servants walked in from outside. ¡°Clean all of this up!¡± Shangguan Wan ordered. The servants hung their heads low, but they weren¡¯t stunned. This was clearly not the first time this had happened. After cleaning everything up, the mess was replaced by an identical set of items. This made it seem like nothing had ever happened. Shangguan Wan only stopped then. ¡­ On the other side, Chu Liuyue and the others left Xin Li Garden. Weichi Song wanted to bring the two of them back to Chong Xu Cabinet directly, but Chu Liuyue turned him down. Hearing that Chu Liuyue intended to buy a home in Xi Ling, Weichi Song was a little surprised. The first time I saw Chu Liuyue, the people from the Mu Residence were her escorts. They treated her like she was an esteemed guest, so why would she suddenly want to move out of the Mu Residence? Seeing his expression, Chu Liuyue knew that he had misunderstood. ¡°Cabinet Master, I was chosen by Lieutenant Mu but was brought here by Jian Fengchi. Other than that, I have nothing else to do with them.¡± It was only then that Weichi Song knew that he had misunderstood. He coughed awkwardly. ¡°I see.¡± The rumors going around Xi Ling are so detailed that I almost bought into them. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for me to continue staying at the Mu Residence. Little Zhou and I have moved out.¡± Even though she said they had moved out, there wasn¡¯t very much to move. Weichi Song suddenly asked, ¡°Do you have your eye on anywhere?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. The Wan Zheng Competition has just ended, so we didn¡¯t have the time to deal with that just yet. Thus, I had intended to find a place of residence with Little Zhou before heading to Chong Xu Cabinet. Weichi Song paused. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have a vacant mansion that you can have.¡± ¡­ They walked a few blocks before they arrived at the mansion¡¯s door. Chu Liuyue paused when she saw the familiar door. Isn¡¯t this¡­ one of Weichi Song¡¯s residences in Xi Ling City? He used to love staying here whenever he had time. I¡¯ve been here a number of times. ¡°Even though it¡¯s a little secluded, it¡¯s really quiet. If you don¡¯t mind, you can stay here!¡± Weichi Song spoke as he opened the door. It was empty inside, and many things had been packed up. Chu Liuyue frowned when she recalled Weichi Song selling the seal at Hundred Herbs Building before. Did he intend to sell this place too? Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction, Weichi Song thought that she wasn¡¯t fond of it. ¡°Actually, this mansion has been vacant for a long time. If you don¡¯t like it¡­¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s great. Little Zhou and I like peace and quiet, so it¡¯s perfect,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she smiled at Weichi Song. ¡°Without your help, who knows when Little Zhou and I would find a place we like!¡± Weichi Song was happy too. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it! I¡¯m glad you like it!¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Cabinet Master, Little Zhou and I can¡¯t live in your mansion for free. I¡­¡± Weichi Song shook his head. ¡°Liuyue, you and Wanzhou are disciples of Chong Xu Cabinet. There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. Besides¡­ the two of you choosing Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ I¡¯m¡­ really happy. A mansion is nothing compared to all of this.¡± Weichi Song was sincere. Without Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou, Chong Xu Cabinet wouldn¡¯t have recruited anyone today and would¡¯ve ended up at the butt of everyone¡¯s jokes. They helped him and Chong Xu Cabinet maintain their last shred of dignity. Chu Liuyue wanted to say something, but she didn¡¯t know what. Weichi Song is clearly short on money now. Otherwise, he would never prepare to sell all of these things. However, he will never take my money. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°Cabinet Master, there¡¯s something I would like to discuss with you. Is now a good time?¡± Weichi Song was a little surprised, but he nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Qiang Wanzhou and Ye Ranran knew that the two of them had matters to discuss, so they remained where they were as Chu Liuyue and Weichi Song went to another courtyard. ¡°Liuyue, what do you want to talk about?¡± Weichi Song looked at Chu Liuyue gently. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. She then took out a wooden box from her Cosmic Ring and handed it over. ¡°This is¡­¡± Weichi Song paused. This is the item that I sold off at Hundred Herbs Building the other day! Why is it with Chu Liuyue? Chu Liuyue replied softly, ¡°Cabinet Master, I bought this after you left. Now, I¡¯m returning it to its owner.¡± Chapter 552 - Getting Her Share of Winnings Weichi Song didn¡¯t expect that the matter Chu Liuyue wanted to talk to him about was this. His gaze turned complicated as he looked at the wooden box and shook his head. ¡°Since you¡¯ve bought it, it¡¯s yours. You don¡¯t have to return it to me.¡± Chu Liuyue stubbornly pushed it toward him. ¡°Like you said, it¡¯s mine now. Thus, I can do whatever I want with it, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Weichi Song was surprised to hear this reply. ¡°Cabinet Master, take this as a small token of appreciation for the help Little Zhou and I have received from you! If you don¡¯t accept it, we won¡¯t be able to stay here with peace of mind and will have to find another place instead.¡± She sighed and then added, ¡°This mansion definitely costs much more than this seal. Strictly speaking, Little Zhou and I have profited from it! Besides¡­ I saw how reluctant you were to part with this thing. It must be very important and meaningful to you, right? In that case, please just accept it!¡± Weichi Song hesitated for a long time before he finally took the wooden box from her. She¡¯s right. This seal might not be the most valuable thing I own, but it¡¯s something that I treasure dearly. To think it came back to me in the end¡­ ¡°Thank you, Liuyue,¡± he said solemnly to her. Her eyes moved slightly as she flashed him a smile. ¡°I¡¯m a member of Chong Xu Cabinet now, so there¡¯s no need to say ¡®thank you¡¯ to me. I still have to rely on you in the future!¡± Knowing that she was deliberately teasing him, Weichi Song couldn¡¯t resist laughing as he put the wooden box away. ¡°Anyway, now that this matter has been resolved, when are you guys coming over to Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Not so soon, I¡¯m afraid. I still have something that I have to do.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± he asked curiously. At that, she revealed a meaningful smile. ¡°It¡¯s a money matter, of course.¡± ¡­ In a private room on Chun Feng Restaurant¡¯s second floor. Jian Fengchi was reclining on a couch as usual¡ªwith one leg bent and an arm under his head¡ªwhile gently fanning himself with the fan in his other hand from time to time. With his eyes lazily closed, he enjoyed this peaceful moment as he listened to the melodious music Shui Liu¡¯er played on her pipa behind the screen. Being in a particularly good mood today, Shui Liu¡¯er finished playing an entire piece¡ªwhich was rare for her¡ªleaving the last note of the beautiful music lingering in the air for a long time. She then stood up, emerged from behind the screen with her pipa, and curtsied at him. ¡°The song has come to an end, Young Master Jian.¡± Opening an eye, Jian Fengchi chuckled as he tossed a Cosmic Ring at her. ¡°I¡¯m a man of my words. Take it!¡± Upon catching it, she checked the ring with her force before letting out a satisfied smile eventually. ¡°You must¡¯ve made quite a windfall this time for you to be so generous.¡± Jian Fengchi laughed. ¡°100,000 white crystals in exchange for one song of yours. You¡¯re the only one who will enjoy such treatment in Xi Ling, Little Liu¡¯er!¡± Shui Liu¡¯er cocked an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m worth the rate.¡± He didn¡¯t bother arguing with her and merely chuckled at her response. She sat down next to him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about serious business. We previously got interrupted as soon as we started talking about it. Now that we have time today, it¡¯s time for you to tell me all about it.¡± The man stretched his body. ¡°I knew you were going to ask this! I¡¯m tired after counting all my winnings. Can¡¯t you let me have a good rest?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er beamed at him. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been resting since yesterday? Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± He immediately sat up straight. ¡°Cough, cough. That was just a casual remark. Don¡¯t take it to heart, Little Liu¡¯er!¡± She didn¡¯t answer him, but a very gentle smile remained on her alluring face. Jian Fengchi let out another cough. ¡°I¡¯ve found out some things about the matter you got me to investigate¡­¡± Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°You were right. That person enters the palace every once in a while under the guise of a heavenly doctor who¡¯s supposed to treat His Majesty, but his whereabouts are very secretive. His identity is even more so. After much investigation, I found out that his identity¡­ is fake as we suspected.¡± ¡°I was right¡­¡± mumbled Shui Liu¡¯er. ¡°I knew there was something amiss about that person! Have you discovered his true identity?¡± Jian Fengchi laughed bitterly at that. ¡°My dear Little Liu¡¯er, you¡¯ve overestimated my capabilities. Do you think it¡¯s easy to investigate an imperial heavenly doctor? It wasn¡¯t easy for me to find out this much, especially since I can¡¯t enter the palace every day. Besides, I¡¯ve been helping Mu Qinghe out lately, so I don¡¯t have much free time.¡± She pouted her red lips. ¡°It¡¯s a well-known fact in Xi Ling City that you two are arch-enemies. Nobody will ever think that you¡¯d actually help him do things on the sly. You used to be on equal footing with him, yet you¡¯re now running errands for him. You sure are something!¡± His face darkened for a moment. ¡°You know that¡ª¡± ¡°I know nothing.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s expression eased a bit. ¡°I believe you have your reasons, so I won¡¯t stop you from interacting with him. But¡­ just make sure that you can distinguish between what¡¯s right and wrong.¡± ¡°Little Liu¡¯er, actually¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not listening!¡± Jian Fengchi zipped his mouth right there and then. He knew that despite Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s gentleness on the surface, she was actually really fierce and stubborn. He would just be wasting his saliva if he tried explaining things to her, so he decided to change the topic altogether. ¡°Actually, my trip wasn¡¯t exactly fruitless. Guess who I met?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er cast him a lazy look that said, ¡®it¡¯s up to you whether you want to say it or not.¡¯ Jian Fengchi straightened up and leaned in closer to her while making the number ¡¯13¡¯ with his hands. There was no reaction from Shui Liu¡¯er at first, but after a moment, she covered her mouth in shock upon realizing something. The room went silent for a moment. After a while, she asked quietly, her voice trembling a little, ¡°¡­For real?¡± Jian Fengchi narrowed his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t see them myself, but that aura is really similar¡­ It can¡¯t be wrong. Based on my guess, it should be¡­¡± He made another number with his hands¡ªseven, this time. He had always been particularly astute in this aspect. Shui Liu¡¯er fell silent for a while. ¡°It looks like the rumors are real¡­ They¡¯ve all gone outside?¡± ¡°Of course. How else do you think they managed to stay hidden for so long?¡± Jiang Yucheng has spent a lot of money just to capture those 13 people. If he didn¡¯t do that, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to track their locations. Shui Liu¡¯er stood up. Her expression was grave as she hugged the pipa tightly in her arms and paced back and forth. Jian Fengchi knew that this reaction would only appear when she was nervous. It seems like she¡¯s still very much concerned about this matter even after so long. ¡°They can¡¯t go on like this forever¡ª¡± Shui Liu¡¯er suddenly stopped and whipped her head to the back. She could hear light and quick footsteps from outside the locked room. A clear female¡¯s voice¡ªwhich bore hints of amusement¡ªfloated over. ¡°Are you in there, Young Master Jian?¡± Jian Fengchi was shocked to hear this voice. That¡¯s Chu Liuyue! Chapter 553 - How Much Did You Win? How did she find her way here? It didn¡¯t take Jian Fengchi long to figure out the purpose of Chu Liuyue¡¯s visit. She¡¯s here to get her money! At the thought of this, his face darkened a little. Meanwhile, Shui Liu¡¯er had swiftly retreated back to her seat behind the screen, pretending that she had just finished playing her piece. Knock, knock¡­ Jian Fengchi¡¯s countenance turned even darker. Why even bother to knock on the door when she already knows which room I¡¯m in? Seeing that he wasn¡¯t going to move to answer the door, Shui Liu¡¯er got up instead. As soon as she opened the door, a beautiful face entered her line of sight. Despite having met many beautiful ladies while playing music at Chun Feng Restaurant, her eyes lit up when she saw the visitor¡¯s appearance. Shui Liu¡¯er gave her a small smile. ¡°May I know who¡­¡± A hint of surprise flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes when she saw the lady before her. What¡¯s Shui Liu¡¯er doing in Chun Feng Restaurant? Isn¡¯t she from Jin Chuan? There was a saying that was once widely circulated around, and it was: Liu¡¯er¡¯s song can move Jin Chuan. It was a praise for her outstanding pipa skills. Jin Chuan is a thousand miles away from Xi Ling. Why is she here? The ladies working at Chun Feng Restaurant only sell their skills, not their bodies. Consumption costs are really high in this restaurant, and the average folks can¡¯t even afford a mouthful of tea here, much less hear the ladies sing and play music. It looks like Shui Liu¡¯er has become Chun Feng Restaurant¡¯s headliner. Chu Liuyue suppressed the surprise in her heart as she smiled at the other. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Liuyue.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er was taken aback by the name. Although she had heard this name going around in Xi Ling lately, she didn¡¯t expect this name¡¯s owner to look so beautiful. ¡°Shui Liu¡¯er pays her respects to Ms. Chu.¡± As Chu Liuyue peered into the room, she asked, ¡°May I know if Young Master Jian is inside?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er nodded. ¡°Little Liu¡¯er, I won¡¯t meet anyone today!¡± yelled Jian Fengchi lazily. Although Shui Liu¡¯er was inwardly cursing Jian Fengchi for using her as a shield again, she put on a difficult expression on her face as she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Chu, why don¡¯t you¡ª¡± ¡°Ms. Liu¡¯er, your hairpin is crooked.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Startled, Shui Liu¡¯er hurriedly turned around and walked to the bronze mirror, where she carefully checked the hairpin on her head. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t resist chuckling inwardly at the sight. Apart from pipas, hair accessories have always been the next most important thing to her. It looks like she hasn¡¯t changed after all. While Shui Liu¡¯er was still looking at the mirror, Chu Liuyue seized the chance to enter the room and walk past the screen. Never expecting her to barge straight into the room, Jian Fengchi was shocked to see her here. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re enjoying life, Young Master Jian!¡± Chu Liuyue sighed from the bottom of her heart. While making her way up, she had already heard about Jian Fengchi booking the entire venue for a certain lady, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be for Shui Liu¡¯er, who commanded the highest rates. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to splurge so extravagantly if he didn¡¯t make a killing from betting on me. It was only then that Jian Fengchi snapped to his senses. ¡°How did you get in here? Little Liu¡¯er? Little Liu¡¯er!¡± Shui Liu¡¯er was done adjusting her hairpin when she heard Jian Fengchi calling her. She turned her head back, only to see that Chu Liuyue had already entered the room. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought, Oh dear, I forgot about her! Chu Liuyue flashed her a reassuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Liu¡¯er. This matter has nothing to do with you.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er froze as a sudden thought flashed across her mind. No wonder I found her somewhat familiar. She looks like¡­ Chu Liuyue shifted her gaze to Jian Fengchi. ¡°Young Master Jian, I¡¯m actually here to ask you something: Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve forgotten a certain matter?¡± Knowing he couldn¡¯t hide from her any longer, he put a hand on his hurting head. ¡°I didn¡¯t, alright! I¡¯ll give you what I promised to give you, and not a penny less! It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve placed bets at so many betting stations that I need a few more days to collect all my winnings. I can only split the winnings with you once I calculate them.¡± Chu Liuyue obviously didn¡¯t buy into his lie. Her smile grew increasingly warm and gentle as she said, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re notorious for your frivolity and compulsive gambling habits in Xi Ling City. Even if the gambling dens haven¡¯t paid you your winnings, I¡¯m sure you remember how much money you bet, don¡¯t you?¡± His brain works very well, and he can remember things clearly, especially when it comes to life¡¯s pleasures. He¡¯s obviously determined to make a fortune from gambling this time, so how can he possibly have forgotten how much money he has bet? ¡°I¡¯m not greedy, so I¡¯m only taking ten percent of your winnings. I¡¯m sure you can afford to take this bit of money out, right?¡± Chu Liuyue then let out a weary sigh. ¡°To tell you the truth, I had no choice but to come and look for you here. I¡¯m currently short of money.¡± The corners of Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips twitched. Where did this lass even hear those rumors from? What else can I say when she¡¯s already said her piece?! ¡°Are you kidding me? You? Short of money?¡± Jian Fengchi eyed her skeptically. ¡°You eat and live in the Mu Residence. Did Mu Qinghe not give you any money? Is he that stingy?!¡± Mu Qinghe is far from being stingy. You¡ªon the other hand¡ªare a real miser. ¡°You may not know this yet, but I¡¯ve already moved out of the Mu Residence.¡± ¡°Oh? Why did you suddenly move out?¡± Jian Fengchi was surprised to hear that. Living there is an excellent choice for her, given her current situation. She has just won the Wan Zheng Competition, yet she wants to disassociate herself from Mu Qinghe? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain so much to him. Thus, she only told him that she was now a Chong Xu Cabinet member and had thus found herself a permanent residence since she would be staying in Xi Ling for a long time. ¡°Xi Ling is a good place, but its living costs are simply too high. Everything needs money. Can you really bear to see me living on the streets, Young Master Jian?¡± she implored. Living on the streets? Her? Jian Fengchi felt the corners of his mouth twitching. It¡¯ll be good enough if she doesn¡¯t make others live on the streets! ¡°Erm¡­ I placed most of my money down as bets. Since I still haven¡¯t collected most of it back, I can¡¯t take out so much for the time being¡­ Why don¡¯t I give you a portion of your share first?¡± Jian Fengchi tried negotiating with Chu Liuyue, but he received a look of disdain from Shui Liu¡¯er as soon as he said that. Tsk, he didn¡¯t even blink when he took out 100,000 white crystals earlier, yet he¡¯s pretending to be poor now. He¡¯s obviously agreed to share his winnings with Chu Liuyue, but when it comes down to it now, he¡¯s trying to renege on his word. Bah, he sure is something! The rumors about him liking Chu Liuyue are nothing but pure nonsense! Shui Liu¡¯er thus approached them and gently advised, ¡°Young Master Jian, you¡¯ve always been generous and a man of your words. So you¡¯ll surely help Ms. Chu out since she¡¯s facing some trouble now, right?¡± Jian Fengchi felt immensely stressed as he spoke through clenched teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to raise the money.¡± He then began taking out one Cosmic Ring after another and showed no signs of stopping even after taking out the fifth ring. Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s expression gradually stiffened as she watched this and wondered, Just how much has he exactly won?! Chapter 554 - Reveal Jian Fengchi took out eight Cosmic Rings in total. Even though he tried his best to keep his eyes off those rings, he still felt heartache as he said, ¡°T-these should be enough, right?¡± That¡¯s more like it. After checking each of those rings, Chu Liuyue smiled slightly in satisfaction. She carefully put the Cosmic Rings away before she turned to look at Jian Fengchi and said sincerely, ¡°My life in Xi Ling would¡¯ve become really tough without this money. I really don¡¯t know how I should thank you, Young Master Jian!¡± ¡°J-just leave¡­ No need to thank me¡­¡± As if he had been drained of energy, Jian Fengchi weakly waved his hand. It¡¯s because of the words ¡®thank you¡¯ that I had so much money extorted from me! I no longer want to hear these words coming out of her mouth! The very mention of them scares me! This woman is a real terror! Shui Liu¡¯er was dumbfounded as she watched this scene from the side. Based on the different grades, the Cosmic Rings¡¯ dimensions differ as well. The Cosmic Rings Jian Fengchi took out earlier were all top grade and can contain a lot of things. It¡¯s obvious what those rings contain, yet he took out eight of them in one go and¡­ gave them all to Chu Liuyue! Most importantly, that¡¯s just one-tenth of his winnings! Did he empty the casinos in Xi Ling? When she saw Chu Liuyue putting away the eight Cosmic Rings, she suddenly understood why Jian Fengchi had been delaying to give Chu Liuyue what she deserved and even tried to renege on his words. I surely wouldn¡¯t bear to part with so much money in one go either! Jian Fengchi shot her a begrudging look. If it weren¡¯t for her, I could¡¯ve dragged it out for at least another day! Even though I have no plans of going back on my word, this feeling¡­ It really sucks! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to stay any longer now that she had successfully gotten her share of the winnings. Thus, she bid farewell to them. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t disturb you from enjoying Ms. Liu¡¯er¡¯s music, Young Master Jian.¡± Jian Fengchi weakly waved his hand once more. He felt that another piece of his flesh would be cut off if he had to look at Chu Liuyue any longer. After giving him a bow, Chu Liuyue turned to leave. But as she did so, she caught sight of a square jade token lying atop Jian Fengchi¡¯s couch in her peripheral vision. It seemed to have fallen off him. The jade token was white and translucent. It looked very ordinary, save for the intricate cloud pattern carved on the side of it. In the middle of the cloud pattern was a word in fine print¡ªdoctor. Astonishment sprouted within her. Such jade tokens are only given to imperial heavenly doctors. How did Jian Fengchi come to possess one?! When Jian Fengchi noticed that Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t left, he asked in puzzlement, ¡°Hm? Weren¡¯t you about to leave?¡± Chu Liuyue snapped to her senses right then. As she swept a surreptitious glance at his sleeve, she smiled and turned around to leave the room. It was only after Chu Liuyue left that Shui Liu¡¯er came walking over. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Chu Liuyue looks like¡ªWhat¡¯s that thing doing out here?!¡± she shrieked as she pointed at the jade token on the couch. Jian Fengchi looked back, only to realize that the jade token had fallen out of his sleeve without his knowledge. He immediately put it away, and the lackadaisical expression instantly vanished from his face. With a frown, Shui Liu¡¯er asked, ¡°Do you think Chu Liuyue saw it just now?¡± He pondered for a moment before answering in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s likely that she saw it, although she probably didn¡¯t get a clear look at it.¡± ¡°How could you be so careless? Why didn¡¯t you take good care of such an important item? If she finds out that¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Very few people have ever seen this token. It¡¯s unlikely that she knows what it is.¡± Jian Fengchi shook his head. Shui Liu¡¯er figured that his words made some sense since Chu Liuyue came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, so she probably wouldn¡¯t think much of it even if she got a clear look at the token. Shui Liu¡¯er rubbed her glabella as she said, ¡°Be careful in the future.¡± Knowing that he was at fault, Jian Fengchi offered no explanations and merely nodded his head solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to keep an eye on Chu Liuyue. If there¡¯s anything unusual about her¡­ We¡¯ll talk about it if that happens!¡± To be honest, he didn¡¯t want to drag Chu Liuyue into this matter, nor did he want to take action against her¡ªnot until the very last moment at least. Shui Liu¡¯er nodded, but it earned her a curious look from Jian Fengchi. ¡°Given your personality, you definitely wouldn¡¯t have let this matter slide just like that¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you this time?¡± She shot him a glare. ¡°Why are you so nosy? You always have something to say about my decisions. I¡¯m just too lazy to be bothered about her. Got a problem with that?¡± Jian Fengchi raised his hands in surrender. Feeling incredibly annoyed, she took her pipa and plucked its strings, playing a song that was supposed to sound melodious with murderous energy instead. ¡­ Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue had already left Chun Feng Restaurant and was preparing to head back to her mansion. The people on the streets would recognize her from time to time and look at her with varying expressions. Although she ignored them all and behaved as she normally did, her emotions were in turmoil because the scene she saw earlier kept replaying in her mind. Each of the imperial heavenly doctor tokens is specially made, so it¡¯s impossible that the token I saw earlier was a fake! There are several heavenly doctors working for the royal family though. Who does it belong to? There¡¯s no way that Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t recognize that token. Him not returning it means that he obviously has the intention of keeping it, which is weird since he never wanted to work in the palace. Although he¡¯s an extremely gifted heavenly doctor, he dislikes being restrained. More importantly, his sleeves¡­ were clearly stained with something. I only got a glimpse, so I can¡¯t be certain¡­ But if my guess is correct¡­ What exactly does he want to do with that thing? Chapter 555 - Begging for Mercy Nothing came to Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind even after thinking for a long time, so she decided to put this matter aside for the time being. She then turned and headed for Hundred Herbs Building instead. On the one hand, she wanted to redeem all the items that Weichi Song had pawned to them. On the other hand, she needed to buy more herbs to refine more pills for Qiang Wanzhou since he had already eaten all three pills during the competition. The cold, evil qi had been there in his body for years, so it couldn¡¯t be rid of overnight. It was a good thing that she had money; otherwise, she might not have been able to support both herself and Qiang Wanzhou at the same time. ¡­ ¡°Please let us off this one time! We already know our mistake! We won¡¯t do it again!¡± ¡°Yeah! My family told me that I¡¯m not allowed to go back home until the ban is lifted! Please help me out!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional! Do you really want to drive us into a corner? I-it¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t allow us to enter! Just don¡¯t get our family involved¡­¡± Chu Liuyue spotted the crowd gathered at Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s entrance even from afar. It was only when she walked closer that she saw several young ladies begging and pleading at the doorstep. Standing atop the doorstep was a pageboy who had a polite smile on his face. However, the way he spoke was very cruel and indifferent. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ladies, but this is a direct order from my supervisor. A lowly pageboy like me doesn¡¯t have the guts to disobey his wishes. You should leave! We aren¡¯t the only herb store in Xi Ling City anyway!¡± A woman with a haggard appearance laughed bitterly at that. ¡°But there are some herbs that can only be found at Hundred Herbs Building!¡± Hundred Herbs Building had a very high status in Xi Ling City, as well as a market monopoly on many kinds of herbs. Thus, it was true that certain herbs could only be bought from this store. The pageboy¡¯s smile widened. ¡°That¡¯s none of our business though. You should go find alternative ways instead!¡± A few burly guards immediately stepped forward at his beckoning. ¡°Ladies, please¡ª¡± Even though the ladies knew that making a commotion right at their doorstep would affect their business, they refused to leave no matter what. They had nowhere they could go anyway. One of them then went down on her knees with tears streaming down her face. ¡°I hope General Manager Yue will let us off this one time!¡± Seeing this, the other two ladies kneeled down as well. How dare these brainless women stir up trouble at our entrance?! The pageboy¡¯s expression turned slightly cold. ¡°Hurry up and get these ladies to leave!¡± Upon receiving that order, the guards lifted the ladies up, intending to drag them away by force. Even though these ladies were cultivators, they were no match for the guards. Hence, they could only struggle frantically in an attempt to break free from their hold as their sharp and ear-piercing screams filled the air. What exactly is Hundred Herbs Building up to? Why are they chasing away their customers? Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Doing business is all about peace and prosperity. The main reason Hundred Herbs Building can develop to its current scale is due to their excellent customer service. They have been doing very well in this aspect all along, and I¡¯ve never heard of them doing such a thing in the past. Just then, the pageboy spotted Chu Liuyue among the crowd. He broke into a wide smile as he hurriedly strode over to welcome her. ¡°What brings you here, Ms. Chu? Come this way, please!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect the pageboy to have such good eyesight that he could recognize her at a glance, so she could only walk right up to him now. But unbeknownst to her, she had become the most desired customer among the pageboys working at Hundred Herbs Building ever since her last visit. She wasn¡¯t the only VIP with a black gold card in Hundred Herbs Building. Most of the other VIPs were rich and powerful, but they always carried an air of authority with them and were particularly hard to serve. This wasn¡¯t the case for her though! Not only was she decisive and generous with her spending, but she also didn¡¯t blink at the prices! On top of that, she was easy-going and didn¡¯t put on any airs before the pageboys! She was polite and amiable, and she even had a good eye. She could pick out the good stuff just by looking around on her own, so there was no better customer than her in the pageboys¡¯ eyes. As Chu Liuyue moved toward the entrance, she glanced at the women from the corners of her eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± The pageboy bowed at her smilingly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Those women previously said the wrong things in our store, so our supervisor ordered us not to serve them and their families as customers anymore. Are they disturbing you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head as she wondered what those women had said for them to receive such a severe punishment. No wonder they¡¯re crying and causing a commotion here without any regard for their faces. They probably have been forced by their families to do this. Either way, this matter has nothing to do with me. I have no intention of meddling in Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s affairs, so it¡¯s pointless of me to ask more. But just as she was about to cross the building¡¯s threshold, a woman suddenly broke free from the guards¡¯ grip and rushed up toward her before getting down on her knees and crying hysterically. ¡°I beg you to let us off, Ms. Chu!¡± Chu Liuyue looked back and was baffled when she saw the unfamiliar face. Why is she begging me when it¡¯s Hundred Herbs Building that refused to do their business? The pageboy¡¯s face turned cold as he immediately stepped in front of Chu Liuyue and shouted at the guards, ¡°Did you guys not eat at all? Can you bear the responsibility if Ms. Chu gets startled?!¡± The guards hurriedly came over to bring the woman away. However, the woman kept begging Chu Liuyue for help as if she were clutching onto her last straw of hope. ¡°We know our mistake, Ms. Chu! We shouldn¡¯t have talked about you behind your back, but I swear that we meant no ill-wishes! We¡¯ve already been punished, so could you please ask General Manager Yue to let us off?¡± While tearfully shouting out, the woman tried to kneel down again when she got pulled up by the guards. She looked rather pitiful in this state. Chu Liuyue, however, was confused. T-this matter has something to do with me? She then told the guards, ¡°Please let her finish her piece first.¡± When the guards looked at each other¡ªnot knowing what to do¡ªthe pageboy hurriedly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Ms. Chu said? Get them all here!¡± He then looked at the woman in front of them and ordered frigidly, ¡°You better give honest answers to all of Ms. Chu¡¯s questions!¡± The woman nodded her head fervently before briefly recounting what happened that day. Of course, she didn¡¯t go into detail about what they had said about Chu Liuyue and tried to gloss it over. She then ended it with more pleas and begging. ¡°¡­Ms. Chu, we truly didn¡¯t mean it! We won¡¯t dare to do so again! Just let us off this time, please¡­¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue fell silent for a long time. I can imagine the nasty things these women had said about me, so I don¡¯t pity them in the slightest. However, there are so many people talking about me behind my back. I would die of exhaustion if I were to go pursue accountability from each and every one of them. Since when¡­ did Hundred Herbs Building have such a rule though? I didn¡¯t know that the VIPs with black gold cards have such high statuses. ¡°Actually¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± A clear and calm voice floated over all of a sudden. The pageboy and the others immediately bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, General Manager Yue!¡± Chapter 556 - It’ll Be Too Obvious Chu Liuyue looked up and saw a man in an ivory tunic¡ªwho appeared to be in his thirties¡ªwalking over. His personable and elegant disposition made him look more like a scholar than a shrewd businessman. It turned out that he was Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s person-in-charge¡ªYue Ling. Yue Ling went up to her with a smile. ¡°What a rare visitor! Why aren¡¯t you entering the shop, Ms. Chu?¡± She asked in surprise, ¡°You know who I am?¡± He nodded. ¡°Your performance at the Wan Zheng Competition was brilliant.¡± Oh, so he was there too. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Thanks for the compliment, General Manager Yue. I¡¯m surprised that a busy man like you would actually have the time to watch the competition.¡± His cultivation is definitely above that of a stage-seven warrior, so it¡¯s only reasonable to assume that he wouldn¡¯t care about such competitions. Besides, he¡¯s not a clan leader. It¡¯s strange that Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s manager would spend time watching the competition. Yue Ling lifted his brows slightly. I can¡¯t possibly say that I went for a cramming session, can I? This lady comes and goes so quickly without warning that I didn¡¯t get a chance to see her when she was here in our shop previously, and it had been a regret of mine. He had wanted to find an opportunity to meet and get acquainted with her, lest he failed to recognize her should they ever meet. Alas, she was staying at the Mu Residence, which made meeting her even harder since security was extremely tight there. Thus, he could only go to Xuan Ji Square instead. It was only after a few days of waiting that he finally saw her, and she had even emerged as the competition¡¯s victor. It was then that he became truly impressed with her. His praise for her was thus sincere. Chu Liuyue then lifted her chin. ¡°I bumped into this scene just as I was about to enter the shop.¡± Yue Ling had actually long recognized those ladies, and he wanted to kill them when he saw them making a commotion in front of Chu Liuyue. He felt a chill run down his neck as he thought about what his superior would say regarding his management skills should they find out. If Chu Liuyue ends up getting angry¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble, Ms. Chu. It¡¯s all due to our carelessness that this matter happened. Why don¡¯t I accompany you inside to select the herbs you want?¡± As he spoke, he shot a warning look in the direction of the guards and the pageboy, who immediately moved to drag those women away. One of the women wanted to say something, but the moment she tried to do so, she felt an overwhelming pressure descending on her. Her chest became tight, and she couldn¡¯t spit out a single word at all. The same thing happened to the other two women. One look, and Chu Liuyue could tell that the general manager had taken things into his own hands. She paused and then said, ¡°I heard that this matter concerns me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Ms. Chu. This matter arose because these ladies openly insulted the black gold card holders right in our territory. This isn¡¯t only an insult to our VIPs but also contempt toward us. They only got what they deserved because they spoke carelessly, and they would end up in the same situation even if they were speaking about another VIP,¡± stated Yue Ling calmly in an irrefutable tone. He then looked in those women¡¯s direction. ¡°You may continue making a scene here if you¡¯re not afraid of being unable to buy any herbs in Xi Ling City in the future.¡± The women instantaneously stopped struggling, while the crowd of onlookers fell silent upon hearing the blatant threat. None of them had any doubts about Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s ability to do so. Yue Ling naturally would do what he said since he dared to say it in public. Although Hundred Herbs Building had never taken the initiative to cause trouble, they wouldn¡¯t be lenient when facing troublemakers. Chu Liuyue understood then that the general manager was a resolute man despite his gentlemanly appearance. It¡¯s no wonder that he¡¯s Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s manager. Knowing that it was hopeless to continue making a scene here since things would only become worse for them, the panic-stricken women could only beat a hasty retreat. When the pressure on them lifted after they walked some distance away, one of them couldn¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°Just what exactly did we do wrong? All we did was make some passing comments, so how did things reach this state¡­? How did things turn out this way?¡± It¡¯s all because you offended someone you couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Yue Ling coldly retracted his gaze. He then turned around to smile at Chu Liuyue, the frigid expression instantly vanishing from his face. ¡°Ms. Chu, please¡ª¡± ¡­ Yue Ling thus entered the shop with Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Chu, what would you like to get this time?¡± Many people on the exhibition hall¡¯s first floor looked over with envy at the sight of them because this was the first time Yue Ling had ever attended a customer in person, and a VIP with a black gold card at that. ¡°Five times the amount of herbs I bought previously,¡± said Chu Liuyue after a pause. Yue Ling raised his brows. She¡¯s already considered a big spender with her splurging 90,000 white crystals here previously, yet she wants to spend so much this time?! Five times the amount of herbs she bought previously? That¡¯s about half a million white crystals! Few in Xi Ling City can afford to take out that much money in one shot, yet she doesn¡¯t seem to feel the pinch at all. A hush descended over the people on the first floor. Apparently, they were all shocked into silence by her extravagant spending. It was at that moment that they suddenly understood why Yue Ling refused to do those women¡¯s business when all they did was offend Chu Liuyue. Even if they were to spend their entire family¡¯s fortune, they wouldn¡¯t be able to take out so much money like her. On top of that, this was just the amount of money she spent during a single visit. Yue Ling turned to the pageboy¡ªwho was frozen to the spot¡ªnext to him. ¡°Hurry up and go prepare the herbs Ms. Chu wants. Make sure to pick the best ones.¡± ¡°¡­Y-yes!¡± The pageboy snapped back to his senses and hurriedly went to pack her order. The other pageboys couldn¡¯t help but lament at this scene. Out of all days, why is the general manager here today?! If he didn¡¯t come, one of us could¡¯ve struck it rich with Chu Liuyue¡¯s order. It¡¯s a pity that we won¡¯t get that chance since the general manager looks like he wants to attend to her throughout her entire time here. ¡°Ms. Chu, we¡¯ve brought in some new items for the second floor. Do you want to go and take a look?¡± asked Yue Ling. She nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Please, follow me.¡± He then brought her up to the second floor. It was only some time after they left that the people on the first floor exhaled. ¡°Oh my gosh¡­ How much did she spend just now¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, nor do I want to know¡­ Comparison will just make us angry! While we have to carefully pick out items on the first floor, she just went straight up to the second floor like it¡¯s nothing¡­ She sure has deep pockets!¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Ms. Chu was accompanied by the people from the Mu Residence previously. Why aren¡¯t they with her this time?¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue paid no attention to the gossip going on downstairs. Although I had a fun time spending Mu Qinghe¡¯s money, I have to say that it feels better to spend my own money. Besides, now that I have so much money, it¡¯ll be hard to spend it all¡­ The second floor was usually empty, and it was all the more so today. It was as if Chu Liuyue had booked the entire floor. Yue Ling took a look at her before he said tentatively, ¡°Feel free to choose whatever you want. As compensation for what you¡¯ve gone through at the entrance earlier, we¡¯ll offer you a 30% discount on your entire purchase bill today.¡± He didn¡¯t want to charge her at first, but it seemed that his superior didn¡¯t want her to find out anything yet. Things would become too obvious if he overdid it. Chapter 557 - Kill order ¡°Thirty percent? I thought the black gold card gave a 15% discount?¡± Chu Liuyue asked confusedly. The discount didn¡¯t increase even after I had spent close to 100,000 white crystals. All I got was a spot on the third floor. Yue Ling coughed. ¡°That¡­ It¡¯s because you bought more things this time around. Besides¡­ Don¡¯t you intend on buying more? It¡¯s only right to give you a bigger discount. There aren¡¯t many customers as generous as you in Xi Ling City!¡± The last part was true, and Yue Ling said it very sincerely. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think much of it, and she nodded with a smile. ¡°Yeah! Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master sold a number of things off here before, didn¡¯t he? I¡¯ll take whatever is left.¡± Yue Ling was surprised. ¡°Really? You want all of it?¡± ¡°En.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was serious, Yue Ling became more serious as well. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please hold on; I¡¯ll get someone to bring them out. Because Old Song made a number of trips, it¡¯s going to take a bit of time.¡± ¡°I can wait.¡± Chu Liuyue indicated her willingness to wait as she walked along the crystal cabinets. They really did bring a number of rare herbs. Hundred Herbs Building was really good at this, so they were right to be confident. When Yue Ling returned, Chu Liuyue seemingly asked him nonchalantly as she looked at the herbs on the display shelves. ¡°Right¡­ General Manager Yue, you mentioned that Old Song made multiple trips¡­ When did he start?¡± Yue Ling pondered for a moment. ¡°About half a year ago.¡± He had been rather shocked at the beginning, so he had memories of it. Half a year ago¡­ How badly did Chong Xu Cabinet have to be hit for Weichi Song to be struggling this hard? It¡¯s no wonder Jiu Xing Alliance has been wanting to take over. It would seem that Chong Xu Cabinet is struggling in Xi Ling now. ¡°It seems like Ms. Chu is really interested in Old Song¡¯s items?¡± Yue Ling asked. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t afraid of him asking, so she told him frankly, ¡°You might not know, General Manager Yue, but I¡¯ve joined Chong Xu Cabinet.¡± What happened in Xin Li Garden hadn¡¯t spread yet, so it was normal for Yue Ling not to know about this. As expected, Yue Ling paused. ¡°You¡¯re saying that after the Wan Zheng Competition¡­ You chose Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Didn¡¯t they say that one could choose any of the major sects? Besides, Chu Liuyue took first place. Shouldn¡¯t it be easy for her to join any of them? Why did she choose Chong Xu Cabinet?! Chu Liuyue nodded. Should I congratulate her? Joining the current Chong Xu Cabinet isn¡¯t exactly something worth congratulating. Yue Ling had always been eloquent, but he was dumbfounded now. Do I express my pity? Chu Liuyue has clearly made her choice. Chu Liuyue had expected him to react this way, so she didn¡¯t take it to heart. She chose a few more herbs. Yue Ling followed along and wanted to provide more information on the herbs, but he soon found that there was no use for him here. Chu Liuyue was a quick shopper. She bought everything that caught her eye, only asking questions about the age of the herbs occasionally. However, she usually made really good guesses. Gradually, Yue Ling became certain that the earlier reports weren¡¯t exaggerating. Chu Liuyue can be considered an expert in all of this, but¡­ What is she going to do with all of these herbs? Based on her current age, it should be rather tough to refine these herbs¡­ However, Yue Ling didn¡¯t ask. Chu Liuyue picked a few more herbs, and the pageboy brought out the organized collection of Weichi Song¡¯s items. At a glance, there were a couple dozen things. Chu Liuyue opened a few boxes to look. To no surprise, they were items that she was familiar with. I wonder what Weichi Song felt when he sold these items. Chu Liuyue sighed to herself as she placed all the items into her Cosmic Ring. All the items were put together on the bull. Yue Ling made the list himself. He smiled after checking through it. ¡°After the discount, the total is 1.05 million white crystals.¡± Even though the pageboys at the side already had a feeling, they all sucked in a cold breath when they heard the figure. Chu Liuyue handed him a Cosmic Ring that she had just gotten from Jian Fengchi. ¡°Thank you, General Manager Yue.¡± Yue Ling looked at the ring after he took it from her and raised his brows. This is a Cosmic Ring unique to Dragon Teeth Mountain. I¡¯ve only seen it on Jian Fengchi¡¯s hand. This money¡­ is Jian Fengchi¡¯s? But he quickly put his doubts away and took out the corresponding number of white crystals. He made sure to look at Chu Liuyue when he was making the withdrawal. She looked relaxed as if she didn¡¯t care about the movement of one million white crystals. Tsk. Just her composure alone is much more impressive than many of the noble families¡¯ sons. No wonder¡­ ¡°Ms. Chu, you¡¯ve spent more than one million white crystals at Hundred Herbs Building. There will be a permanent room open for you on the third floor. Would you like to take a look now?¡± A look of surprise flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°So fast?¡± Yue Ling hesitated. I naturally can¡¯t say that I had started preparing for this since I received orders from my higher-ups. ¡°Hundred Herbs Building has always been efficient.¡± Chu Liuyue thought about it but turned him down. ¡°Not today. I¡¯ll come back another day.¡± She had been outside for long enough today. It was time for her to go back. Yue Ling sent her out of Hundred Herbs Building personally. He then sighed after he watched her disappear. He was a little troubled by what he saw earlier. That Cosmic Ring¡­ ¡­ Tens of thousands of kilometers away. At the tip of a floating island stood a majestic palace. Armed and armored guards stood on both sides, giving it an impressive aura. A tall and slender silhouette was heading for the main chamber¡¯s door¡ªit was Rong Xiu. He was dressed in a black robe with a gold collar. The sleeves had cloud patterns on them, and he was also wearing a black cloak. If Chu Liuyue were here, she would find that Rong Xiu looked like an entirely different person. His usually gentle demeanor was replaced by absolute authority and coldness¡ªruling over everything! The previous Rong Xiu was like an unsheathed sword. He hid himself, remaining humble and gentle. The current him gave off a murderous aura. It was like he could rip heaven and earth apart with a single wave. He stood straight in front of the soldiers. Everyone kneeled on one knee and greeted him respectfully! ¡°Greetings, Your Grace!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes swept across everyone like they were knives. ¡°The Peerless Palace sent people to assassinate me. Evidence of their intention to rebel is solid, and they are to be executed. I¡¯ll lead the troops today to punish them. They are all to die!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± Shouts shook the ground! Yu Mo and Yan Qing looked at one other from behind Rong Xiu. Many have been eyeing this position, and they have covertly caused quite a bit of chaos. However, this is the first time that Master is issuing a kill order! They wondered what the people from the Peerless Palace had done for His Highness to want to get rid of all of them! Chapter 558 - The Subordinate’s Self-Awareness Tianling Imperial Palace, Huayang Palace. ¡°Elder Duanmu, how did the investigation go?¡± asked Shangguan Wan nervously. Duanmu Chun shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. Everything is fine; the Long Yuan Sword is still there.¡± It was only then that she could set her mind at ease. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ That¡¯s good¡­¡± The elder gave her a strange look. ¡°Your Highness, why did this matter suddenly cross your mind? Without the Long Yuan Sword, the Tianling God Realm is unlikely to continue existing.¡± Shangguan Wan forced a smile. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve just been a little distraught ever since I opened the Tianling God Realm to the public for the competition. Somehow, I feel that my ancestors would blame me for doing this. Thus, I requested for you to go check things out and make sure that nothing is affected there.¡± Her brows furrowed slightly as she patted her chest. ¡°I¡¯d be a sinner if something were to happen in the Tianling God Realm because of my decision¡­¡± Duanmu Chun couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly at this sight. The Third Princess is rather outstanding in all aspects, but she just doesn¡¯t have enough resolution. It was her idea to open the Tianling God Realm to the public, yet she¡¯s worrying and even regretting her decision now. This never would¡¯ve happened with Princess Shangguan Yue if she was still around¡­ Unfortunately, the Third Princess is currently in power and has absolute say. Even though there are other princes and princesses in the royal family, nobody is more suitable than her for this position. If His Majesty remains in a coma forever, then it¡¯s highly likely that she¡¯ll directly ascend the throne. ¡°You worry too much, Your Highness. You did it for the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s sake after all. The Tianling God Realm¡­¡± He paused, hesitating to speak further. To be honest, I sensed something amiss with the place as soon as I entered it. Although the Long Yuan Sword was still there, the entire realm was in chaos, and the sword didn¡¯t look like it had been sleeping for thousands of years. However, I have never entered the Tianling God Realm before, so I can¡¯t be certain about what¡¯s going on there. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Elder Duanmu?¡± asked Shangguan Wan. Duanmu Chun pushed his suspicion away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just think that you might feel more assured if you were to go there and take a look for yourself.¡± Shangguan Wan froze for a second. ¡°I¡¯m preparing for a breakthrough, so I¡¯ve been focusing on my cultivation lately. I don¡¯t have the time to go there now; let¡¯s talk about this another day!¡± Not doubting her words in the slightest, Duanmu Chun bent his waist. ¡°Understood. Once you make a successful breakthrough, you can attempt to wake the Long Yuan Sword. If you succeed¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he swallowed the rest of his words. A hint of resentment flashed across Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes as her lips formed a small smile. ¡°I understand.¡± With a bow, Duanmu Chun took his leave. As soon as he disappeared, the smile on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face slipped off. She knew exactly what the elder meant. With Father in a coma and me being the eldest of my siblings, it¡¯s only right for me to take over Father¡¯s duties. Even though I currently have the power to handle all of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s affairs, the power isn¡¯t truly mine since I¡¯m ultimately just a Third Princess in title. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s throne wasn¡¯t passed on to princes only. Princesses stood a chance to compete for it as long as they were outstanding enough. It was just like how the emperor had wanted to pass his throne to Shangguan Yue when she got married. Hence, Shangguan Wan only had two ways if she wanted to become the ruler. With the first method, she could naturally succeed the throne once her father passed on. However, this method wasn¡¯t viable because she couldn¡¯t let him quietly pass away just like that and had to make him regain his consciousness instead. On the other hand, the second method was that she prove her own capabilities and take the throne for herself. Alas, the problem with this method was that she wasn¡¯t Shangguan Yue, who had a Tianjing Yuan meridian. The people below her would thus be reluctant to submit to her. If I can invoke the Long Yuan Sword, I¡¯ll be able to prove that I¡¯m qualified to take the throne and squash out all the rumors about me at the same time! But stepping into Tianling God Realm is already a tall order for me, let alone invoking the sword! Annoyance surged within her. ¡°Chan Yi, go summon Yang Qin¡¯er over!¡± ¡­ When Yang Qin¡¯er arrived at Huayang Palace and saw the expressionless woman sitting at the seat of honor, a sense of foreboding flooded her. She walked over and went down on her knees right away. Shangguan Wan looked at her, sneering. ¡°Do you know why you were summoned over?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er answered in trepidation, ¡°B-because of the Long Yuan Sword¡­¡± Shangguan Wan slowly said, ¡°That¡¯s right. According to our investigation, the Long Yuan Sword is still inside the Tianling God Realm.¡± Just as I expected! How can that be though? Yang Qin¡¯er was flustered. ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ I saw it clearly back then¡­¡± ¡°Are you doubting my words?¡± Shangguan Wan asked in return. Yang Qin¡¯er nearly bit her tongue off right there and then. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Shangguan Wan rose to her feet and slowly walked up to her. ¡°Raise your head.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er stiffly did as told. Smack! Following the loud slap resounding across the room, Yang Qin¡¯er fell over to the ground. The cheek on one side of her face turned red and swollen instantaneously. ¡°How dare you make a fool of me?! You must be tired of living!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s voice trembled as she held her stinging face. ¡°B-but Your Highness, Ning Jiaojiao was also there back then¡ª¡± Smack! She was met with another slap across the face. ¡°Who are you compared to Ning Jiaojiao?¡± Shangguan Wan found it ridiculous that Yang Qin¡¯er even mentioned Ning Jiaojiao. Ning Jiaojiao is ultimately the sole daughter of Xuanfeng Hall¡¯s clan leader, so I can¡¯t possibly do anything to her. However, that isn¡¯t the same for a nobody like Yang Qin¡¯er. As she stared Yang Qin¡¯er, she suddenly asked, ¡°I remember that you have a superior Dijing Yuan meridian, is that right?¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue was surprised to find a freshly written plaque¡ªit read: Chu Residence¡ªhanging above her mansion¡¯s front door when she returned home in the evening. Based on the handwriting, she could tell that it was written by Weichi Song. She pushed the door open, only to realize that the mansion looked entirely brand new. Gone was the gloomy atmosphere. Just two steps into the mansion, and she saw Qiang Wanzhou emerging from a corner. Is that a cloth in his hand? Ye Ranran was right behind him. Her sleeves were rolled up as she held onto a broom. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched at the sight. ¡°W-what are you guys doing?¡± A shy smile¡ªas well as two little dimples¡ªappeared on Ye Ranran¡¯s round face. ¡°You¡¯re back, Liuyue? We¡¯re tidying up the place. How do you think it looks now?¡± Of course, I can see that. It¡¯s just that¡­ ¡°How did you persuade Little Zhou to help you with the chores?¡± He doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d do such chores. Based on his character, he doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯d agree to do them either¡­ With a bright smile, Ye Ranran said, ¡°I was actually going to do it on my own, but Wanzhou offered to help. Hence, I let him do it!¡± As Chu Liuyue turned to look at Qiang Wanzhou in shock, he turned his face away in embarrassment and hid the cloth behind him. ¡°I cleaned your room.¡± Chapter 559 - How Do You Know? Chu Liuyue burst out chuckling as she walked over. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do these chores. I can tidy up my own room.¡± Qiang Wanzhou looked at her in puzzlement. ¡°But I¡¯m your subordinate now.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°So, this is part of my duties,¡± answered Qiang Wanzhou seriously. Although I haven¡¯t done these chores in a long while, that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know how to do them. ¡°You can go take a look at your room. If there¡¯s anything that you¡¯re not satisfied with, I¡¯ll change it.¡± Blinking her eyes, Chu Liuyue realized something all of a sudden. ¡°Little Zhou, do you have this mentality that being my subordinate means that you have to do such chores?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± answered Qiang Wanzhou definitely. Otherwise, what¡¯s the use of having a subordinate? Chu Liuyue felt her head throb when she saw how certain he looked. I wonder what was on that person¡¯s mind when she taught him to do such things. I have this feeling that she treated him like a servant, but his gaze always becomes much gentler whenever he mentions her. Although he never says anything, I can sense that he misses her a lot. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have endured the arduous journey to come all the way from Nan Jiang to Xi Ling. She must¡¯ve treated him really well for him to miss her so much. At the thought of this, she smiled. ¡°You might be my subordinate now, but I won¡¯t make any demands of you. You can do these chores if you want to, but it¡¯s not required of you. Understand?¡± Otherwise, it¡¯ll feel like I¡¯m bullying a little kid. Qiang Wanzhou thought about it for a while. ¡°Do you not like this? Is it because I¡¯m doing a bad job?¡± It looks like it¡¯ll take some time for this kiddo to understand what I truly mean. Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly at him as she ruffled his hair. ¡°That¡¯s not it; you did a great job.¡± A skeptical look crossed his face. ¡°But you haven¡¯t seen your room yet.¡± At that, Ye Ranran excitedly said, ¡°Yeah! Go take a look at your room, Liuyue! It¡¯s spanking clean! He did a better job than me!¡± Is this something to be proud of¡ªthat two geniuses with Dijing Yuan meridians have to compete to see who does a better job at cleaning? Helpless, Chu Liuyue could only raise her hands in surrender. ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out now.¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± While Ye Ranran ran ahead of them excitedly, Qiang Wanzhou walked behind Chu Liuyue as usual. After walking some distance, the trio arrived at Chu Liuyue¡¯s room. Even though it was her room, she hadn¡¯t had a chance to view it yet. Under their watchful eyes, she pushed open the door and entered the room, only to be astonished by the room¡¯s cleanliness. Wow, it¡¯s spic and span here. Not only does the room look brand new, but even my shadow is clearly reflected on the floor! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take this matter to heart previously, but upon seeing it for herself, she finally understood why Ye Ranran was so excited. Qiang Wanzhou¡­ seems to be extraordinarily outstanding in this aspect¡­ She couldn¡¯t resist turning her head to look at him as she asked, ¡°Tell me the truth, Little Zhou. Did you do such chores every day that you became¡ª¡± So skilled? For a moment, she couldn¡¯t think of any suitable words to describe what she wanted to say. When Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s countenance darkened, she let out a cough before walking further inside. On the small couch by the window was a mini wooden table. On it was a chessboard, along with two jars of chess pieces. The corners of her lips slightly rose when she saw this. I wonder where he found those things from. They are quite well-placed. All of a sudden, her eyes were drawn to the cup of ginger tea that was placed next to the chessboard, which was to her great surprise. ¡°Little Zhou, how did you know that I like to place a cup of ginger tea next to the chessboard when I¡¯m playing chess?¡± Chapter 560 - She Won’t Forget Me Qiang Wanzhou froze. ¡°I¡¯ve always placed it like this.¡± Always? Chu Liuyue understood what he meant right away. ¡°That person does this too? S-she likes doing this too?¡± ¡°What a coincidence.¡± She raised her brows upon hearing his affirmative reply. While there are many people who like playing chess and drinking tea, very few people like to put a cup of ginger tea beside the chessboard. At the very least, I¡¯ve never met anyone who has the same habit as me. Not only do we have ¡®Yue¡¯ in our names, but that person also likes having a cup of ginger tea next to their chessboard. There really is some affinity between Qiang Wanzhou and me. The ginger tea was still relatively hot, with wisps of white smoke coming out from the cup. Its faintly bitter and spicy fragrance felt especially refreshing. As she slowly rubbed the teacup with her fingers, she suddenly found herself being somewhat curious about that person Qiang Wanzhou missed so much. If she¡¯s still alive¡­ It¡¯d be interesting to meet up with her. Qiang Wanzhou was a little distracted as he fell into deep thought. It took a while before he snapped back to his senses when Chu Liuyue called him. ¡°Pardon?¡± Chu Liuyue repeated herself. ¡°I said that we should go and rest up for the day before we head to Chong Xu Cabinet tomorrow.¡± Weichi Song had left a long time ago, leaving Ye Ranran behind to help them with anything they needed. This was why Ye Ranran also stayed there for the night. Even though the Chu Residence wasn¡¯t as large as the Mu Residence, it was still spacious enough to accommodate a few people. While Ye Ranran left Chu Liuyue¡¯s room not long after, Qiang Wanzhou stayed behind as he seemed to have something to say to her. Chu Liuyue walked over to him with a smile. ¡°Feel free to ask me any questions you have.¡± With his back facing the door, the sunlight from outside spilled into the room and onto his soft and luscious blond hair. His ears appeared transparent, and his face¡¯s contours were outlined in the dazzling sunlight. Although his features appeared unclear in the shadows, his eyes sparkled with a mysterious light. He was silent for a long time before he quietly asked, ¡°Have you ever been to Nan Jiang?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Like a candle flame that was extinguished, the light in his eyes went out immediately. For some reason, the sight of this made Chu Liuyue¡¯s mood sink as if there was something weighing down on her heart. ¡°I got it.¡± With that, Qiang Wanzhou turned to leave. Just as he took a step forward, he paused and whispered so softly that his voice was almost gone with the wind. ¡°Say, could she have forgotten about me?¡± There was none of his usual aloofness or stubbornness in his tone. At that moment, Qiang Wanzhou was akin to a helpless child who had lost his direction and didn¡¯t know where to go. Deep loneliness enveloped him as his thin body¡ªwhich was hidden in the rough and oversized clothes¡ªswayed. ¡°How is that possible?¡± said Chu Liuyue gently as she looked at his figure. ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll forget such an obedient and outstanding boy like you. If she knows that you¡¯re looking for her, she¡¯ll definitely come to find you too.¡± Qiang Wanzhou fell silent for a long while before saying, ¡°You¡¯re right; she won¡¯t forget me. Without me, who¡¯s going to help her brew tea and smoothen the chess pieces?¡± His voice became much firmer as if he was trying to convince someone. ¡°She won¡¯t forget me.¡± With that, he left without so much as a head turn. His hasty departure made it seem like he was worried about getting chased. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved, but she ended up swallowing the words at the tip of her tongue. This is his own business after all. Once we settle down, I can perhaps help him look for her. She stood there in place for a while before she entered her room and began refining pills. ¡­ Now that she had broken through to become a stage-four warrior, she was now officially a fourth-grade heavenly doctor. This made refining pills a lot easier for her than before. After refining three pills, she began meditating. She only stopped to lie down and rest after circulating her force for three Heavenly Cycles. She had a peaceful sleep that night. ¡­ Early the next morning, Chu Liuyue, Qiang Wanzhou, and Ye Ranran set off for Chong Xu Cabinet, which was located at Qing Yuan Mountain. Xi Ling City was huge, with mountainous ranges located inside and outside the city. Since the major sects were all based at different and distant locations, things were usually peaceful. Located in Xi Ling City¡¯s northeast corner, Qing Yuan Mountain was rather special due to it being an isolated mountain peak. It was a good place for cultivation as the mountain was filled with dense force. When the trio arrived at the mountain¡¯s foot, Chu Liuyue noticed that something was amiss. There used to be a powerful barrier enveloping Qing Yuan Mountain, but though the barrier still existed, it had noticeably become a lot weaker than before. Thus, she couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°Something seems¡­ strange about the barrier.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, you¡¯re talking about the barrier! It wasn¡¯t like this in the past; it got destroyed a year ago when someone forcibly broke into Chong Xu Cabinet. It wasn¡¯t easy for the Cabinet Master and the elders to repair it, but maintenance requires a lot of manpower and resources. Chong Xu Cabinet is in a difficult situation now, so¡­ That was all we could do.¡± Upon seeing the complicated look on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, Ye Ranran hurriedly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. It might not be as powerful as before, but there won¡¯t be any danger with the Cabinet Master and the elders guarding Qing Yuan Mountain.¡± Only Ye Ranran would be so frank about this. Chu Liuyue smiled wryly at that. Thinking about it, if it weren¡¯t due to dire circumstances, there¡¯s no way that a sect wouldn¡¯t properly maintain its most basic defense barrier. It looks like Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s situation is worse than I thought. ¡°It¡¯s fine; I¡¯m just a little curious since this is my first visit. Let¡¯s keep going! The Cabinet Master and the others must be waiting for us.¡± Ye Ranran didn¡¯t question her. She simply continued leading the way. There was only a stone path up the mountain, which extended from the mountain foot all the way to the top. Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou followed her on this path. After walking for a short distance, Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped in her tracks. The step below her feet had a smidge of dried, dark-red blood and looked like it had been there for some time. Her pupils shrank slightly as she shifted her gaze to the side of it. In its surroundings were huge patches of bloodstains, which had become darker over time. With things like dust and stones covering them, one wouldn¡¯t be able to spot them if they weren¡¯t looking closely enough. Nevertheless, these bloodstains showed how fierce the battle was when it took place here. We¡¯re only at the mountain foot though¡­ Her heart thumped slightly. I wonder what sort of scene will be awaiting me at the peak. Whoever managed to deal such a huge blow to Chong Xu Cabinet¡ªwhich once stood at the peak¡ªmust be really terrifying! With a deep inhale, she retracted her gaze and continued making her way up. Chapter 561 - Welcome As they continued their way up, dried bloodstains could be found everywhere. Even the steps and their surroundings were somewhat damaged too. While Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart grew heavier as she took in the scene, Ye Ranran appeared to be immune and unconcerned. She couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Ranran, how long have you been in Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Ye Ranran gave the question a thought for a moment before saying, ¡°More than two years, I guess? My master and I spent most of our time on outside training though, so we rarely came back. It was only after what happened to Chong Xu Cabinet that we stayed here.¡± ¡°Your master is?¡± ¡°Ah, my master is Elder Xia Yi. He¡¯s one of the four elders in Chong Xu Cabinet, but the other three elders have¡­ Anyway, my master is now responsible for many affairs here.¡± A trace of sadness flashed across Ye Ranran¡¯s face when she talked about this. The other elders are all good people. What a pity¡­ Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Out of the four elders, only Elder Xia Yi remains alive¡­ It¡¯s no wonder that everyone has a pessimistic view of Chong Xu Cabinet. Without those elders holding down the fort, Chong Xu Cabinet is no longer as they were before. Word has it Weichi Song has yet to recover from the grave injuries he suffered back then. Previously, I vaguely sensed that something was wrong with his body, but I didn¡¯t ask him about it. If the Cabinet Master and the four elders are all in such a state, then it must be worse off for the others¡­ ¡°Ranran? Oh, you guys are here!¡± Halfway up the mountain, they saw a young man yelling at them. Ye Ranran happily waved her hands in the air when she looked up and saw him. ¡°What are you doing here, Senior Lu?¡± A hint of amazement streaked across Lu Zhiyao¡¯s eyes when he swept his gaze over to Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°The Cabinet Master told me to fetch you guys! These two must be the first and second place winners of the Wan Zheng Competition! Come on; everyone is waiting for the two of you!¡± Chu Liuyue cocked an eyebrow in surprise at the extraordinarily enthusiastic Lu Zhiyao. Even if they want to welcome us, fetching us from the middle of the mountain is a little overdoing it¡­ Also, did he just say that the entire Chong Xu Cabinet is waiting for us? Do they have to welcome us¡­ to such an extent? At this moment, she still had no idea that Chong Xu Cabinet hadn¡¯t had any new disciples joining their sect ever since what happened a year ago. Now that they suddenly had two new disciples¡ªparticularly capable ones at that¡ªit was only natural that everyone in the sect was excited about it. Even the simple task of picking them up was a hard-earned chance won by Lu Zhiyao. ¡°We¡¯ve already prepared rooms for you to stay in when you¡¯re on the mountain, juniors! Even though I¡¯ve heard from the Cabinet Master that you¡¯ve already found yourself a residence in Xi Ling City, you¡¯re still welcome to stay over on the mountain! Our sect isn¡¯t that rigid and is, in fact, pretty lax in this aspect! You can enter and leave the mountain at any time you want; just make sure to watch out for your safety!¡± ¡°Oh yeah, we¡¯re growing some herbs on the mountain. You¡¯re a heavenly doctor, right? Feel free to ask us for whatever herbs you need if you want to refine pills!¡± While rambling nonstop, Lu Zhiyao carefully read Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s expressions as if he feared that they might get upset. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be amused when she noticed this. She had met Lu Zhiyao¡ªwho was also Elder Xia Yi¡¯s disciple¡ªtwice in the past. Back then, she only thought that he was a talented young man who was restrained and polite. She never knew that he was quite the chatterbox. Then again, now that even the Cabinet Master has to sell his things to raise money for Chong Xu Cabinet, the rest of the people in the sect¡­ Lu Zhiyao must be really happy about our arrival if he can say that. Ye Ranran didn¡¯t find Lu Zhiyao annoying as she listened from the side. On the contrary, she would chip into the conversation every now and then. In summary, upon finding out that both Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou had chosen to join their sect, the entire Chong Xu Cabinet had been mobilized just to welcome them and make sure that they were satisfied. Are they afraid that we¡¯d leave the sect? wondered Chu Liuyue. While Chu Liuyue would join the conversation as she followed them up the mountain, Qiang Wanzhou stayed silent the entire way. Lu Zhiyao thought to himself, As Chu Liuyue is always smiling, she looks like a friendly and easy-going person. Although Qiang Wanzhou is a little aloof, it seems that he listens to Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. From what I see, he¡¯s not bad either! Chu Liuyue found out about a lot of things from her conversation with Ye Ranran and Lu Zhiyao. When they were about to reach the mountaintop, Lu Zhiyao suddenly shouted, ¡°Our juniors are here!¡± He shouted so loudly that his voice reverberated throughout the mountain. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched as she felt a sense of foreboding. As expected, a group of people suddenly appeared in front of her the next second. At a glance, there seemed to be a few dozen people here. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, juniors! We¡¯ve been waiting all morning!¡± ¡°Yeah! Hey, move it. I can¡¯t see them!¡± ¡°Well, I got here first!¡± ¡°Calm down! Don¡¯t scare the juniors!¡± Lu Zhiyao raised his voice again. Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou were speechless. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t resist taking a look at the sky to check the current time. We left home early in the morning. Technically speaking, it¡¯s still morning now, so how can they possibly have been waiting all morning? Besides, we aren¡¯t some kind of exotic species. Why did so many people come to welcome us? I thought we were just here to pay our respects to our masters. I wasn¡¯t expecting this at all. ¡°Come on. The Cabinet Master is waiting for you!¡± urged Lu Zhiyao excitedly. Qiang Wanzhou finally couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°You didn¡¯t choose Chong Xu Cabinet because of this, did you?¡± Upon receiving a murderous glare from Chu Liuyue, he immediately zipped his mouth. After a warm introduction from Lu Zhiyao and Ye Ranran, Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou greeted their seniors. By the time they managed to escape the crowd, Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead was already densely dotted with sweat. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the others didn¡¯t come¡­ Otherwise, just greeting the seniors along would take us all day,¡± muttered Chu Liuyue under her breath. Lu Zhiyao¡ªwho was leading the way¡ªsuddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her with a complicated expression. ¡°That¡­ was actually almost all of the disciples we have left.¡± ¡°W-what?!¡± She looked at him in disbelief and shock. There used to be 600 to 700 disciples in Chong Xu Cabinet! How come only so few are left? Upon seeing her expression of shock, Lu Zhiyao hurriedly said, ¡°A few others aren¡¯t back yet, so I¡¯ll introduce them to you later.¡± ¡°If I may ask, Senior Brother¡­ How many disciples are left in Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± He sighed and then said, ¡°About a hundred or so.¡± She sucked in a cold breath of air at that. ¡°Chong Xu Cabinet suffered such heavy casualties from back then?!¡± Chapter 562 - Medicinal Garden Lu Zhiyao hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°That¡¯s not the main reason, actually. Even though we did suffer heavy casualties, it wasn¡¯t so serious¡­ Because the sect was on the decline, the Cabinet Master felt that their futures would be affected if he forced them to stay. Thus, he issued a dismissal order. Those who no longer wanted to stay in the sect could receive a sum of money from him to leave. Although some of them did leave at that time, most of the others only left during the past year or so.¡± While it was too dogmatic to say that those disciples had no feelings for Chong Xu Cabinet, it was true that the sect was no longer how it used to be. Even so, things weren¡¯t so bad that Chong Xu Cabinet had to dismiss their disciples. Chu Liuyue fell silent for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason, right?¡± Lu Zhiyao felt conflicted and hesitant as to whether to explain things to her. She¡¯s a smart girl. It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to hide things from her, but if I tell her everything¡­ What are we going to do if she wants to leave too? Ye Ranran¡ªwho could no longer keep silent¡ªwhispered, ¡°You have no idea, Liuyue. The Cabinet Master did this for their own good¡­ For the past year or so, our disciples have been getting ostracized and targeted by people¡­ They couldn¡¯t properly cultivate at all¡­¡± Chu Liuyue understood what she meant at once. ¡°Someone is out to get Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Ye Ranran and Lu Zhiyao exchanged looks with one another before nodding their heads. Who has such a great influence in Xi Ling? wondered Chu Liuyue with knitted brows. No matter how I think about it, it still comes down to those same few people¡­ ¡°Is it the Third¡ª¡± ¡°Liuyue, Wanzhou, you¡¯re here.¡± Before she could finish her question, Weichi Song and Elder Xia Yi had come out of the hall. Upon seeing the two of them, the latter¡¯s eyes lit up as he immediately strode over while carefully sizing them up. ¡°Tsk, tsk! You¡¯ve really brought back two good and rare seedlings this time, Cabinet Master!¡± I didn¡¯t quite believe him previously, but now that I¡¯ve seen them myself, I can finally put my mind at ease. For the past year or so, not even the average cultivators are willing to join our sect, much less the talented ones. It¡¯s truly a miracle that we have two young talents with Dijing Yuan meridians joining the sect at the same time! Wrinkles formed on Weichi Song¡¯s aged face as he laughed. ¡°I told you that you¡¯d definitely like them after seeing them. These two had the best performance at this year¡¯s Wan Zheng Competition!¡± Both Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou paid their respects to them. ¡°Greetings, Cabinet Master, Elder Xia Yi.¡± Elder Xia Yi chuckled and couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Is it true that both of you chose Chong Xu Cabinet of your own accord?¡± Chu Liuyue resisted the urge to laugh as she replied, ¡°Of course, it is.¡± Even after hearing that answer, Elder Xia Yi still found it somewhat incredulous as he stroked his beard. ¡°You can have a tour of the place first. After you gain a certain understanding of our sect, you can then decide who you want as your master,¡± said Weichi Song as he walked over to them. After a pause, he told them with feigned nonchalance, ¡°There were several elders to choose from in the past, but now¡­ There¡¯s only Xia Yi and me left!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded her head with slight regret. ¡°Thank you, Cabinet Master, Elder Xia Yi.¡± Thereafter, Lu Zhiyao and Ye Ranran showed her and Qiang Wanzhou around the place. Chu Liuyue had been here many times in the past, but now that she was here again, things had become very different. Battle traces could be seen everywhere, and a lot of things had been destroyed. Although a year had passed, she could still tell how tragic that battle was. She felt uncomfortable as if she had something weighing on her heart as she toured around the place. Almost all of the tens of thousands of books in Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s library were taken away, all of which were extremely precious prescriptions and martial art skills. Even their treasured herbs had been looted, and none was left behind. All they had now was a medicinal garden that they had just started growing recently. Even though they had planted a number of herbs, many of them took a hundred years to grow. The herbs in their garden had only been planted for a year, so it would be a long wait before they could get their hands on those herbs. Looking at the medicinal garden, Chu Liuyue hesitantly asked, ¡°Senior Lu, when you previously said that I could ask for any herbs that I need¡­ Were you referring to these herbs?¡± Lu Zhiyao scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°U-uh¡­ Even though these herbs can¡¯t be used for the time being since they¡¯ve only been planted recently, you can still state your requests. We¡¯ll do our best to fulfill your needs!¡± ¡°D-do you mean to say that you¡¯ll buy them from the market?¡± Chu Liuyue fell into deep thought. She had this suspicion that these people might not even be able to afford the herbs for their own refinement. ¡°Most of the people in Chong Xu Cabinet are heavenly doctors, so there should be a place here dedicated for herb-growing. How come this medicinal garden is new?¡± I¡¯ve taken plenty of herbs from Chong Xu Cabinet in the past, but why aren¡¯t they mentioning that garden? Lu Zhiyao sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right, Liuyue. We used to have a large medicinal garden in Chong Xu Cabinet, but after what happened¡­ The medicinal garden was destroyed. Not only were the herbs damaged, but even the land itself became damaged and barren. The current medicinal garden is one of the few clean places we have on Qing Yuan Mountain now.¡± ¡°How did that happen?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. Just who was so ruthless toward Chong Xu Cabinet? It¡¯s no wonder Weichi Song was driven to that state! It¡¯s no wonder so many disciples left! Who would continue staying here when things have become like this? The mention of this matter dampened Lu Zhiyao and Ye Ranran¡¯s spirits considerably, and everyone fell silent. After a brief silence, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°I¡¯d like to take a look at the old medicinal garden, Senior Lu.¡± Lu Zhiyao was taken aback by her request. ¡°Why would you want to go there? There¡¯s nothing to see when it¡¯s just a piece of barren land now. Besides, the Cabinet Master has ordered us not to go there without permission.¡± A hint of disappointment surfaced on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Blinking, Ye Ranran whispered, ¡°Senior Lu, let¡¯s just take her there since she wants to see the garden! It¡¯s no big deal since she¡¯ll just be taking a look.¡± Given how much the Cabinet Master adores Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t punish them if he finds out about this. After much hesitation, Lu Zhiyao finally nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright! But you mustn¡¯t act on your own when we¡¯re there. We¡¯ll come back right after taking a look.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded at once. ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say.¡± The four of them thus went on another path and headed for the old medicinal garden. ¡­ Since there were very few people left in Chong Xu Cabinet, they didn¡¯t meet anyone on their way there, which was to Lu Zhiyao and Ye Ranran¡¯s relief. In fact, the further they went, the more desolated the place was. Ten minutes later, they finally arrived at the old medicinal garden. ¡°There it is,¡± said Lu Zhiyao as he pointed to the barren land in front of them. Chapter 563 - Messed Yuan Gravel The medicinal garden that was previously filled with lush greenery had now become an actual place that couldn¡¯t grow a single thing. One glance at it, and one could see that the ochre cracked ground wasn¡¯t only left with dried herbs. A faint bitter smell permeated throughout the air. Chu Liuyue stared at the medicinal garden closely. ¡°How¡­ did it become like this¡­¡± When she heard Lu Zhiyao said that this place was also affected, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But now that she saw it personally, she knew how serious it was! The medicinal garden that Chong Xu Cabinet had meticulously nurtured was ruined overnight! Lu Zhiyao lightly sighed. ¡°When the incident happened, I was coincidentally outside with Master. Hence, I¡¯m not sure what exactly happened. When we came back, we realized that the medicinal garden had already been ruined¡­ Actually, there were always people specifically taking care of the medicinal garden, but that day, too many from the other party came. They had also clearly planned it in advance as they directly killed the people taking care of the medicinal garden and ruined it¡­¡± This was undoubtedly a lethal blow to Chong Xu Cabinet. Chu Liuyue thought for a while. ¡°This medicinal garden is huge. Being able to ruin it overnight¡­ They must¡¯ve used some special method, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re very confused about this too, but even until now, we still can¡¯t find out what exactly happened. We only know that this land can¡¯t grow anything anymore, and it has thoroughly become barren¡­¡± Chu Liuyue walked forward. Ye Ranran pulled her back. ¡°Liuyue! What are you doing?! The medicinal garden is locked now, and nobody can enter! Even if the Cabinet Master doesn¡¯t pursue this, what if there¡¯s still some danger lurking inside?¡± Chu Liuyue patted her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I know what I¡¯m doing. I just want to go closer.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to look at?¡± Ye Ranran advised kindly. ¡°Cabinet Master and Mentor have already checked several times but to no avail. What can you do even if you go there? We should go back earlier.¡± Lu Zhiyao had a look of disapproval. ¡°We previously said that we¡¯d only come in to look at it. Junior Sister, you can¡¯t go back on your words.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. I just felt that the medicinal garden was strange, so I wanted to go closer. But I really can¡¯t go over with the duo stopping me. But at this moment, Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho kept quiet by the side all this while¡ªsuddenly walked over. ¡°Hey¡­ Wanzhou!¡± Ye Ranran and Lu Zhiyao were frightened. They only cared about stopping Chu Liuyue, but they forgot that there was still another person! By the time they discovered it, Qiang Wanzhou had already walked to the front of the medicinal garden. A rusty metal lock was hanging on the damaged metal fence, and one could still see the faint bloodstains. One could just imagine how horrific the massacre here was back then. This medicinal garden was previously surrounded by a barrier as well, but now it had completely disappeared. Only this broken door was left, but actually, it couldn¡¯t stop anyone either. Qiang Wanzhou jumped up and directly went in. Lu Zhiyao and Ye Ranran¡¯s expressions froze. Qiang Wanzhou actually went in! How should we explain to Cabinet Master? Just as the two of them were in a daze, Chu Liuyue moved her feet and instantly broke through the duo¡¯s encirclement and rushed to the metal gate. ¡°Liuyue! Don¡¯t¡ª¡± Before Ye Ranran could even finish her words of advice, she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s body leap into the air, and she also jumped in. Oh no! The both of them actually went in! Ye Ranran¡¯s circular face flushed red. ¡°W-what should we do?¡± ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll follow them in!¡± Lu Zhiyao clenched his teeth. Since the two of them have already entered, it¡¯s useless to say anything more. The most important thing now is to protect the duo¡¯s safety. Ye Ranran nervously nodded. At this point, they could only do this. Lu Zhiyao rapidly followed them and clenched his teeth before the entrance. Just as he was about to enter, Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around and said, ¡°Senior Brother Lu, don¡¯t enter!¡± Lu Zhiyao¡¯s one leg had already crossed over, and he stiffly retracted it when he heard her words. He almost couldn¡¯t stand stably. ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue looked solemn. ¡°There¡¯s poison in the ground.¡± ¡°What?¡± Once Lu Zhiyao heard this, he was even more worried. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guys getting out of there then?!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Senior Brother Lu, don¡¯t worry. This bit of poison doesn¡¯t count for much to Little Zhou and me. You should just wait outside for us.¡± Lu Zhiyao was confused. What does she mean by¡­ doesn¡¯t count for much? Didn¡¯t she say that there¡¯s poison? His heart was filled with worry, and he still decided to go in after much thinking. ¡°No, I can¡¯t watch as you guys risk¡ª¡± ¡°Senior Brother Lu, it really will be dangerous if you come in,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly as she raised her brows. Looking at her calm and composed manner, Lu Zhiyao was gradually starting to calm down. After much thinking, he finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait here first then. If there¡¯s anything wrong, call for me immediately!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and walked inside. The faint bitter smell that I had smelled earlier indeed came from here. Besides, it has poison as I expected. However, it¡¯s very hard to detect it due to the thin air. Once one enters here, they can feel it more clearly. The nearer one is to the ground, the stronger the poison. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body had the harsh air that had accumulated over many years, so average poisons had no effect on him. As for Chu Liuyue, she had used the opportunity of recovering her Yuan meridian when she was reborn to strengthen her physical body. Perhaps it was also due to the water droplet¡¯s strength, so the effects were much better than she imagined. Even though she couldn¡¯t be considered to be invulnerable to poison, it was more than enough to deal with such a situation. But it was a pity that she still couldn¡¯t identify the poison. Chu Liuyue walked inward as she carefully searched the ground, wanting to find some clues. At some point, she suddenly paused in her tracks and leaned down. A dehydrated Manling Ginseng was by her feet. The wilted and curled-up leaves at its roots were faintly red. She used her force to wrap her palm and formed a defensive barrier to slowly pluck out the Manling Ginseng before checking it seriously. As expected, there was a red string as thin as hair at the roots area, and it extended upward along the leaves. If one didn¡¯t look closely, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell at all. ¡°What is this¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly with furrowed brows. Is this red string the reason why the Manling Ginseng wilted? She walked further in and plucked out a snow cloud vine. There was the same red string in its roots. ¡°There¡¯s Messed Yuan Gravel here,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou suddenly. Chu Liuyue looked up and strangely asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± Qiang Wanzhou pointed at the item in her hands. ¡°That red string is nurtured by Messed Yuan Gravel.¡± Chapter 564 - I Have a Way ¡°What¡¯s Messed Yuan Gravel?¡± Chu Liuyue was even more confused. Why have I never heard of this before? Qiang Wanzhou took the Manling Ginseng in her hands. ¡°Be careful of the poison¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was just about to warn him to be safe when she saw a silver needle in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s hands. Then, he gently pricked it into the Manling Ginseng¡¯s roots. Red sand slowly flowed out like water. But before it could drop down, it quickly evaporated and became a faint red mist that disappeared in midair. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused. So this is the source of the bitter smell in the air! ¡°Messed Yuan Gravel is very poisonous. Even though it looks like gravel, it¡¯s like water and can seep through to any place. The reason why the herbs were destroyed so rapidly was that they absorbed this Messed Yuan Gravel.¡± Qiang Wanzhou picked up the snow cloud vine and gently pricked its roots. The same scene happened again. After losing the Messed Yuan Gravel, the two herbs quickly shriveled and curled into a ball. Qiang Wanzhou gently pinched the balls, and they instantly became dust. Chu Liuyue watched on with her eyes wide open and mouth agape. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ the herbs in the medicinal garden¡­ are like this all because of Messed Yuan Gravel¡­¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°Messed Yuan Gravel can travel for miles. Just a bit of it can easily destroy anything within miles; this medicinal garden is naturally the same. But this Messed Yuan Gravel isn¡¯t as poisonous to humans. As long as one doesn¡¯t touch it directly, it normally won¡¯t have much of an impact.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him with a complicated gaze. ¡°Why are you so familiar with this?¡± ¡°This thing is very common in Nan Jiang,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou nonchalantly as he patted his hands and dusted away the powder. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. No wonder¡­ When I was once the princess and went around Tianling, out of the four domains, I only didn¡¯t go to Nan Jiang. That was because the environment there was harsh and filled with danger. It now seems like Qiang Wanzhou really is extraordinarily amazing to be able to come out on his own¡­ ¡°If we don¡¯t quickly dig out all of the Messed Yuan Gravel, the entire mountain will collapse in less than three years,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou lightly. Qiang Wanzhou definitely isn¡¯t exaggerating! Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°Do you have any solution then?¡± It¡¯s fine if I didn¡¯t know, but now that I do, I definitely can¡¯t watch as Qing Yuan Mountain falls into ruins. Under Chu Liuyue¡¯s expectant gaze, Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°There is a way, but it¡¯s more troublesome. The Messed Yuan Gravel seems to have been buried here for more than a year, and it most likely has already infiltrated into every part of the mountain. Thus, it requires quite a bit of effort to remove it completely.¡± As long as there¡¯s still a way! Chu Liuyue heaved a slight sigh of relief. ¡°What should we do?¡± Qiang Wanzhou paused. ¡°Firstly, we need to pluck out all of the herbs in this medicinal garden and use my previous method to clean it one by one.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused. This is¡­ There are at least millions of wilted herbs in this medicinal garden! If we really do it one by one, god knows how long we¡¯ll take! ¡°Other than this, all the other plants and trees on the mountain have most likely absorbed it. Thus, it¡¯ll be even more troublesome to handle those.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair stood on end. Instead of this, why don¡¯t we directly give up Qing Yuan Mountain?! ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Chu Liuyue held her head in pain. Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other tightly. ¡°There is.¡± Chapter 565 - Very Important to Me As Chu Liuyue stared unblinkingly at Qiang Wanzhou, he said with much hesitation, ¡°Messed Yuan Gravel is very sensitive to human blood, so it¡¯ll gather very quickly if you use fresh blood as bait. When it condenses to form a block, it means that there¡¯s no more Messed Yuan Gravel within a 30-mile radius. This is how you can completely get rid of it in one go.¡± Chu Liuyue froze for a moment. ¡°Fresh blood? H-how much blood would be needed for such a huge mountain?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need a lot. It¡¯s just that¡­ it must be fresh blood,¡± Qiang Wanzhou emphasized. ¡°Blood in one¡¯s body.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed when she finally understood what he was saying. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that¡­ We have to use a living person as bait, is that right?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°Only then can we attract all the Messed Yuan Gravel over and find the most accurate time to counterattack. Any earlier or later will just be a waste of effort.¡± ¡°Since this method is so convenient, why didn¡¯t you tell me about it right from the start?¡± asked Chu Liuyue all of a sudden. Qiang Wanzhou fell silent. ¡°Is it because nobody can withstand the Messed Yuan Gravel?¡± Chu Liuyue asked gently. ¡°Were you lying to me when you said that it¡¯s not poisonous to people?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a lie,¡± interrupted Qiang Wanzhou irritatedly. ¡°It¡¯s true that the poison won¡¯t pose much of a problem to humans, b-but¡­ The point is that it¡¯ll sap one¡¯s force when it gathers in the human body. It¡¯s fine if you have enough force, but if your force completely depletes before it condenses¡­ It¡¯ll start eroding the human flesh, just like what it did to the herbs.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in relief. That¡¯s not a problem at all. Qiang Wanzhou took a step forward, his eyes trained on her. ¡°You intend to be the bait yourself, am I right?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes and wanted to deny it right away. But when she met his crystal-clear eyes, she nodded in the end. ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± objected Qiang Wanzhou vehemently. ¡°Why not?¡± The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips rose. ¡°No means no! Why do you have to be the bait when there are so many people in Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s pretty face appeared sullen. I knew it! I knew she¡¯d definitely try and find some way to help out once she learned of this solution! ¡°Little Zhou, you¡¯ve met the people in our sect earlier. Do you think any of them is a much more suitable candidate than I am?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with a sigh. Let¡¯s not even mention those who are weaker than me. The ones who are stronger¡­ probably can¡¯t withstand the poison. I, however, can do it because I have a mysterious water droplet in my body. Although I¡¯ve never told Qiang Wanzhou about it, given how smart he is, he has probably figured out that I have a powerful trick up my sleeve after living with me for so many days. Besides, he saw me draw out the Long Yuan Sword that day with his two eyes. There¡¯s no way an ordinary stage-four warrior could possibly accomplish such a feat. ¡°The Cabinet Master and Elder Xia Yi are around too,¡± argued Qiang Wanzhou defiantly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you can¡¯t tell that the Cabinet Master is injured. As for Elder Xia Yi¡­ Although he¡¯s in good health, he¡¯s currently Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s second-in-command. There are many things that he has to handle in person.¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed Qiang Wanzhou on the head, chuckling. There¡¯s a certain amount of risk involved in this matter. Should anything go wrong¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet will be in upheaval again. Qiang Wanzhou slapped her hand away in annoyance. ¡°Do you have to do it yourself?! You might be capable, but you¡¯re not invincible!¡± His sudden outburst surprised Chu Liuyue, for this was the first time he had ever flared up at her and smacked her hand away. He had never done this to her back when they weren¡¯t as close as now. A hint of regret surfaced on his face when he noticed Chu Liuyue¡¯s stunned expression and realized that he had lost control of himself. His lips parted for a moment, but nothing came out of his mouth. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Little Zhou?¡± asked Chu Liuyue gently. ¡°Are you¡­ worried about me?¡± Things became tense between them for a moment when Qiang Wanzhou turned away from her. He wanted to push her hands when he felt them on his arm at first, but in the process of doing so, he saw her face appear in his peripheral vision. He didn¡¯t do anything about it in the end. As Chu Liuyue held his arm, she walked to the front to face him and said ever so seriously, ¡°Little Zhou, I don¡¯t do things that I¡¯m not confident of.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s gaze flickered, and he couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Why do you have to help them to this extent though?¡± It¡¯s only our first day at Chong Xu Cabinet, and we¡¯ve only met the Cabinet Master a couple of times. Although I didn¡¯t ask her anything, I found it strange when she picked Chong Xu Cabinet out of the many sects. Now, she even wants to risk her life to help them. I really can¡¯t understand what¡¯s on her mind. He¡¯s asking why I have to help them to this extent? As Chu Liuyue looked at the young man¡ªwhose good-looking face looked youthful, stubborn, and naive¡ªin front of her, her emotions rippled slightly. ¡°Little Zhou, why did you come all the way to Xi Ling to look for that person?¡± Even though he was surprised by that sudden question, he firmly answered, ¡°Because she¡¯s very important to me.¡± ¡°My answer is the same as yours,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a nod. Even though I was under Weichi Song¡¯s tutelage for a long time in my past life learning how to refine pills, I never officially became his disciple despite my wish to do so. According to Weichi Song, there were a lot of implications behind my Crown Princess status, and if he were to accept me as his disciple, the entire Chong Xu Cabinet might become my burden. There¡¯s an unwritten rule in the Tianling Dynasty: No princes and princesses are to get too close to any of the sects in Xi Ling City. It¡¯s to avoid suspicion of a power struggle. To be honest, I didn¡¯t consider it a problem since I practically had all the power in the Tianling Dynasty as the Crown Princess. However, Weichi Song was very insistent on it. I¡¯ve always been grateful toward him, so if there¡¯s something that I can do for him and the entire Chong Xu Cabinet, I naturally want to do it. This answer left Qiang Wanzhou speechless. He didn¡¯t understand how Chong Xu Cabinet was important to her, but since she said so¡­ ¡°You¡¯re sure you can do it, right?¡± he asked stubbornly. Chu Liuyue nodded. She had noticed that Qiang Wanzhou seemed to be afraid of something, but this wasn¡¯t the best time to ask questions about it. Qiang Wanzhou eventually gave his consent. ¡°I¡¯ll help to protect you.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Juniors, quickly come out if you¡¯re done! We¡¯ll be in trouble if someone discovers us here!¡± urged Lu Zhiyao from outside. After exchanging looks with each other, Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou turned around and exited the garden, much to Lu Zhiyao¡¯s relief. Chu Liuyue then said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see the Cabinet Master.¡± Chapter 566 - I Won’t Allow It! Lu Zhiyao thought Chu Liuyue had decided who she wanted as her master, so he excitedly said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you guys!¡± When Ye Ranran came walking over, she nervously scanned Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s bodies before patting her chest in relief. ¡°You nearly scared me to death! You two are too bold! It¡¯s lucky that nothing happened to both of you. Don¡¯t ever go in there without permission again!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly at that. I won¡¯t go in there without permission again. The next time I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll probably settle the problem once and for all. After making sure that both Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou were fine, the four of them thus left together. ¡­ When they arrived at Zhengfeng Hall¡ªwhere Weichi Song was currently at¡ªChu Liuyue led Qiang Wanzhou inside. Elder Xia Yi seemed to have already left as he was busy with other affairs, so only Weichi Song was there at Zhengfeng Hall. Upon seeing the two of them, Weichi Song smiled. ¡°How was the tour? Have you decided who you want as your master?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Both Little Zhou and I wish to be your disciples.¡± Weichi Song was delighted and surprised to hear that. Both were outstanding disciples that he liked and thought very highly of, so he was naturally happy that they were willing to become his disciples. However, he had his concerns too. ¡°Are you sure about that? To be honest¡­ Elder Xia Yi¡¯s cultivation has surpassed mine,¡± said Weichi Song frankly. Chu Liuyue looked determined as she told him, ¡°Yes. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have chosen Chong Xu Cabinet.¡± A myriad of emotions welled up in Weichi Song. ¡°A-alright! Since you have decided to acknowledge me as your master, I¡¯ll gladly teach everything I know! Later, I¡¯ll tell Xia Yi to go prepare the ceremony¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble,¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue. ¡°Cabinet Master, all those rituals are just pure formalities for outsiders to see, and they aren¡¯t important at all. What¡¯s important is that Little Zhou and I-I¡­ have decided to acknowledge you as our master.¡± She then took a step back, went on her knees, and solemnly paid him a kowtow. Shocked, Weichi Song hurriedly went to help her up. ¡°What are you doing¡ª¡± ¡°Cabinet Master, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll be your disciple from today onward.¡± Weichi Song¡¯s hands froze in midair at the sight of the young girl kneeling in front of him. She looked utterly serious as a faint light reflected from her dark, glassy eyes. He felt a pang in his heart, and his eyes turned moist. A small smile formed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face as she earnestly kowtowed two more times to him. ¡°Get up! Get up!¡± Weichi Song suppressed the excitement in his heart. Only then did Chu Liuyue rise to her feet. ¡°Your disciple¡ªChu Liuyue¡ªpays her respect to you, Master.¡± Weichi Song was at a loss for words. Ever since Chong Xu Cabinet was attacked and his only son, Weichi Lang, passed away in an accident, he had fallen into a depressed state. Had it not been for fear of destroying Chong Xu Cabinet with his two hands and the disciples getting bullied as a result, he probably would¡¯ve collapsed a long time ago. Qiang Wanzhou did the same as Chu Liuyue, kowtowing and paying his respects to Weichi Song. ¡°What good kids you two are¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet is no longer as it was before, so I don¡¯t have much to give you except for these¡­¡± As Weichi Song spoke in a trembling voice, he slowly and carefully took out two golden whistles from his Cosmic Ring and passed one to each of them. Longing and pain were apparent in his eyes. ¡°These whistles contain my force. If you blow it, I¡¯ll come to you right away, no matter where you are! These whistles¡­ were made by me. I intended to give them to Langlang and¡­ Little Crescent, but they¡¯re no longer around. You can have them instead!¡± A lot of force and effort are needed to make this thing. One might not be able to recover their force for a long time, yet he made two of them! Earlier, he said that he made one for his son and another for¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart thumped hard as she whispered lightly, ¡°Who did you say this whistle was for, Master?¡± Weichi Song let out a bitter laugh at that. ¡°I¡¯m so used to calling her Little Crescent that I forgot you might not know who I¡¯m talking about. It¡¯s actually¡­ the late Crown Princess of the Tianling Dynasty. She¡¯s no longer around, so it¡¯s only normal that you haven¡¯t heard of her.¡± He stroked the whistles in his hand. ¡°Speaking of which, she can be considered my disciple too. I wanted to give this to her on her big day, but unfortunately¡­ That day never came, so I never got the chance to do so¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind went blank as she stiffly reached for the whistle. Upon touching some sort of an engraving on the other side of it, she flipped it over and saw the word ¡®Yue¡¯ engraved on it in fine print. When Qiang Wanzhou took his whistle, he noticed that something seemed amiss with Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction. Hence, he took a look at her whistle, and he was surprised to see the word on it. ¡°Her name is also Yue?¡± Weichi Song nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s Little Crescent¡¯s name. Coincidentally, Liuyue also has a ¡®Yue¡¯ in her name. This must be¡­ fate. Will you mind it, Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue inhaled deeply before looking up to give him a big smile. ¡°Of course not. This is a gift from you, so I¡¯ll naturally treasure it. If she knows that you treated her so well, she¡¯d definitely be very happy too.¡± ¡°I hope so!¡± Weichi Song couldn¡¯t help but let out a heavy sigh at that. Chu Liuyue suppressed the emotions welling up within her as she carefully put the whistle away. Next to her, Qiang Wanzhou appeared dazed as he looked at Weichi Song and asked, ¡°¡­Master, has that girl¡ªLittle Crescent¡ªever been to Nan Jiang?¡± Weichi Song gave the question a thought before he shook his head. ¡°Nan Jiang is a dangerous place, so it¡¯s unlikely that she¡¯s ever been there.¡± This kid is on a wild goose chase. Chu Liuyue sighed inwardly when she saw the hint of disappointment in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face. After putting her thoughts together, she said, ¡°Master, we have something we¡¯d like to discuss with you. It¡¯s regarding Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s old medicinal garden¡­ The soil there is poisonous. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of that too, right?¡± Weichi Song¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You¡¯ve been there?¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, nor do you need to worry. Listen to me first. Little Zhou and I noticed that there¡¯s something wrong with the garden, so we went to check it out¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯ve even entered the garden?¡± Weichi Song totally lost his cool. How bold of them! Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Aren¡¯t we alright? Besides, we found something in the ground. Have you heard of this thing called Messed Yuan Gravel?¡± Weichi Song knitted his brows. ¡°Messed Yuan Gravel? What¡¯s that?¡± Chu Liuyue thus explained it to him briefly. Right after she proposed to use herself as bait, Weichi Song finally couldn¡¯t hold himself back as he stood up and bellowed, ¡°I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Chapter 567 - I Can Do It How can I possibly allow her to do such a risky thing? As Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master, I should be the one doing this. ¡°How can I let you take such a huge risk when you¡¯re just a stage-four warrior? If anyone needs to be the bait, it¡¯s me!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°You know your own condition best, Master.¡± ¡°Even so, that person definitely can¡¯t be you! We¡¯ll think of another way if we can¡¯t find a suitable person! In any case, I won¡¯t agree to this!¡± How can I let my new disciple do such a thing?! Chu Liuyue had expected this reaction from him. She didn¡¯t actually intend to tell him this, but this was Chong Xu Cabinet after all¡ªnothing could escape Weichi Song¡¯s eyes. Rather than having things turn chaotic, she decided that she might as well make things clear to him now. She quietly stood in place and listened to Weichi Song before slowly explaining, ¡°Master, this is the only viable method. If we don¡¯t solve this issue as soon as possible, the entire Qing Yuan Mountain will be destroyed. Can you bear to let that happen?¡± Chong Xu Cabinet has a history of hundreds of years and has been right here on Qing Yuan Mountain ever since it was established. Giving up this mountain will indubitably be a huge blow to everyone in Chong Xu Cabinet. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for you to preserve Chong Xu Cabinet. Can you really bear to watch that happen?¡± Weichi Song closed his eyes in agony. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m reluctant for that to happen. As long as I can preserve Chong Xu Cabinet, I won¡¯t hesitate to risk my life! But that person can¡¯t be you, Liuyue¡­ It mustn¡¯t be you¡­¡± ¡°Master, I have absolute confidence that I can succeed. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have come here to discuss this matter with you,¡± enunciated Chu Liuyue. Weichi Song looked at Chu Liuyue with a frown. The young adolescent in front of him appeared so confident and sure of herself that anyone would be convinced by her when they saw the calm look in her onyx eyes. Closing his eyes, Weichi Song took a deep breath before finally meeting Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze with utter seriousness. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re willing to do this, Liuyue, but I won¡¯t agree to it if your life is at stake. Not unless¡­ You can prove you¡¯re capable of the task.¡± Although I know that she¡¯s much more capable than she lets on¡ªwhich was proven when she emerged as the Wan Zheng Competition¡¯s winner¡ªI have to know her true capabilities. Otherwise, I won¡¯t dare to gamble on her life when there¡¯s so much risk involved in this matter. ¡°Alright.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes and smiled before gently closing her eyes. It was quiet in the room when a concentrated force suddenly shot out from her body, and a strong suppression started spreading out. She¡¯s just a beginner stage-four warrior! Weichi Song stared closely at Chu Liuyue, trying to see where she got her confidence from. Does she have some sort of impressive martial art skill, Yuan instrument, or something else? But he soon realized that her aura was rapidly changing and had reached the intermediate fourth stage within seconds. His eyes widened at that. Was she hiding her true abilities before this when she had actually surpassed the beginner stage¡ªno, that¡¯s not right! Her aura is still getting stronger! It¡¯s at the advanced stage now! His lips twitched. ¡°W-which cultivation stage is she exactly at?¡± This question seemed to be directed at Qiang Wanzhou, who stood next to him. ¡°I have no idea either,¡± replied Qiang Wanzhou frankly. I really don¡¯t know. All I know is that she¡¯s definitely stronger than me. Amidst Weichi Song¡¯s astonishment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura had surpassed that of a stage-five warrior. What made him feel even more incredulous was that she showed no sign of stopping at all. Following this, her aura continued becoming stronger, reaching the intermediate fifth stage, advanced fifth stage, and then the sixth stage. Weichi Song sucked in a cold breath of air in surprise as he watched her aura continue to get stronger, reaching the intermediate sixth stage and eventually the advanced sixth stage. It was then that it suddenly hit him that he should cast a barrier around the room, and he did just that. There¡¯s no telling how big of a commotion this will cause if others were to find out about her capabilities¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly as another surge of force shot out from the water droplet in her. Bam! She had reached the seventh stage, and it was only then that her aura stopped intensifying. For some reason, Weichi Song heaved a sigh of relief when he saw her opening her eyes. Despite having encountered many things in his life, this particular scene left him shocked and speechless for a long time. With a smile, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Do you want me to continue, Master?¡± His mind¡ªwhich had just been put at ease¡ªbecame tense once more. ¡°C-continue?!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded her head in all seriousness. ¡°Yeah! If you think that this isn¡¯t enough to prove my capabilities, then¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough! It¡¯s enough!¡± His eyelids twitched hard. Although his doubts about her capabilities had been dispelled, he became increasingly curious about it. How did she¡­ manage to do that?! ¡°Y-you kept your true capabilities hidden¡­¡± said Weichi Song with much difficulty. How could she already be a stage-seven warrior when she¡¯s barely 15? ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken; I¡¯m not a stage-seven warrior. I¡­ merely possess force of that stage.¡± Chu Liuyue opted for a more euphemistic explanation. Weichi Song fell silent for a moment as he looked at Chu Liuyue with mixed emotions. Eventually, he said, ¡°You have my consent.¡± Chu Liuyue was delighted to hear that, and it was only then that she retracted her aura. The intense force flooded back into the water droplet that was quietly suspended in her dantian, but it failed to cause a single ripple in the water droplet. Like rainwater falling into the sea, it disappeared quietly without a trace. Once all the force returned to her body, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. To be honest, this is the force that¡¯s stored in the water droplet, and it doesn¡¯t belong to me. It¡¯s a good thing that my control over the water droplet has gradually begun to increase as my cultivation improves. That¡¯s how I managed to use some of the water droplet¡¯s force earlier to prove my capabilities. After staring at her with a grave expression for a while, Weichi Song finally seemed to understand something. ¡°Does that mean¡­ Y-you can draw the force of another person?¡± Draw the force of another person? Does he think that the force I have belongs to another person? The question left Chu Liuyue confused. She wanted to explain to him, but on second thought, his explanation seemed to sound a bit more logical. Thus, she nodded her head after some contemplation. ¡°Yes.¡± I see. Perhaps she won the competition with this mysterious and powerful force back when she was in the Tianling God Realm. Weichi Song looked enlightened, as well as much more relieved than before. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ That¡¯s good¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved, knowing that he was agreeing to her suggestion. All of a sudden, she heard a teasing voice inside her mind. ¡°Lass, I can lend you my powers.¡± Chapter 568 - Money ¡°Ancestor?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat amused. Why is he trying to get involved in this matter? ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± said Shangguan Jing seriously. ¡°I¡¯m serious here. Although I¡¯m just a bit of consciousness, I¡¯m still capable enough to help you.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. Even though I might not get the chance to use his powers, I appreciate his goodwill. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be thankful about. I¡¯ve long grown sick and tired of the Tianling God Realm after staying there for thousands of years. If I didn¡¯t meet you, I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to come out again. Besides¡­ For some reason, my powers seem to have grown stronger lately¡­¡± said Shangguan Jing. The last bit of information surprised Chu Liuyue. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a bit of consciousness? How come you¡¯re getting stronger?¡± ¡°I have no idea either.¡± Shangguan Jing was also very confused, but upon thinking that this was a good thing, he wasn¡¯t too bothered about it. Following this lass around doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad idea. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. After thinking for a while, she decided to leave this matter aside and start discussing how to solve the problem of Messed Yuan Gravel with Weichi Song and Qiang Wanzhou instead. ¡­ Peerless Palace. There was a bloodbath inside and outside the majestic palace, with corpses lying strewn across the ground. The pungent stench of blood was suffocating. The main hall was surrounded by many soldiers in heavy armor, and standing in the middle of it all was Zhang Youfang¡ªPeerless Palace¡¯s owner. Behind him stood about 100 people¡ªwho appeared to be in miserable states with injuries all over them. At this moment, their eyes were all trained on the man in black in front of them. He appeared stern and majestic as his cloak fluttered in the bitter wind. His deep eyes were like ice that had been frosted for thousands of years, and an intimidating sense of malice exuded from him. ¡°Rong Xiu, what have my people done wrong that you have to go to the extent of eradicating them?!¡± With bloodshot eyes, Zhang Youfang glared at Rong Xiu¡ªthe person who had mercilessly destroyed the entire Peerless Palace. ¡°Others may not know, but don¡¯t tell me that you have no idea either, Zhang Youfang. Do you really think that you can kill me outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy?¡± asked Rong Xiu lightly with a calm and aloof expression. His thin lips curled upward as he shot the other man and his subordinates a cold, disdainful look as if he were looking at ants. He spoke calmly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you people¡­ Overestimating your capabilities a little too much?¡± He has no regard for me at all! Zhang Youfang hated Rong Xiu even more when he felt that the latter viewed him as a clown. If possible, he desperately wanted to charge up to the latter and kill him once and for all. However, he couldn¡¯t. While they might stand some chance if Rong Xiu was alone with his powers suppressed outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, it was impossible now. The ones who would end up dead would be them. If I had sent more manpower back then, Rong Xiu might¡¯ve already been dead now, and I wouldn¡¯t have brought such misfortune onto myself. Zhang Youfang regretted his past decision very much. Taking a deep breath, he said, ¡°Rong Xiu, aren¡¯t you afraid of others crusading against you for your ruthlessness and cruelty?!¡± It¡¯s because I knew that he had such concerns that I dared to test the limits of his patience time and time again. He bore with it even when his life was threatened on several occasions, so what¡¯s wrong with him this time?! Despite the smile on Rong Xiu¡¯s face, it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve given you enough chances. Besides¡­ It just so happens that I lack an opportunity to establish new rules while I was away. You¡¯ve solved my problem by offering yourselves at my doorstep.¡± He hadn¡¯t taken any actions so far because he was still in the middle of preparations and wanted to lure out the people hiding in the dark. Now that he was fully prepared, he naturally had no more concerns. Thus, he decided to strike hard this time. We¡¯ve become sacrificial lambs! It suddenly dawned on Zhang Youfang that Rong Xiu wanted to make an example of them and issue a warning to the others at the same time. He isn¡¯t worried about criticisms or even impeachment at all! He¡¯s been waiting for this moment all this while! Recuperation? Compliance? It was a setup all along! Rong Xiu raised his sword¡­ When the sword landed, Zhang Youfang was overwhelmed with deep despair. The soldiers¡ªwho had been waiting around for a long time¡ªcharged forward at once, and the situation quickly became a one-sided massacre. Rong Xiu watched this scene with utter calmness and indifference as screams and battle sounds gradually died down. Right at that moment, a clear chirp was heard. A bird then landed on Yan Qing¡¯s arm when he lifted it. From a close distance, one could see that this wasn¡¯t a real fiend but an intricately made sparrow. However, it was so vivid and lifelike that it looked no different from an ordinary sparrow. When Yan Qing tapped the sparrow on the head, it opened its mouth and spat out a small ball. Having been told to pass all messages from Xi Ling to Rong Xiu¡¯s hands directly, he did as told¡ªalthough this message came somewhat abruptly¡ªand presented it to Rong Xiu. ¡°It¡¯s a message from Xi Ling, Your Highness.¡± With a lift of Rong Xiu¡¯s hand, the small ball flew to his palm. His long, slender fingers gently crushed it into powder, which quickly coalesced in the air to form a few lines of words. His eyebrows rose slightly as his gaze swept across the words. Standing aside, Yan Qing and Yu Mo suddenly sensed cold air emanating from Rong Xiu, which made them exchange glances right away. Since it¡¯s a message from Xi Ling, it must be concerning that person. Shouldn¡¯t His Highness be happy about it? But why¡ª Yu Mo quickly scanned the few lines of words in the air. W-what? Whose money? The words then disappeared with a light wave of Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. Upon receiving a side-glance from him, Yu Mo hurriedly lowered his head in trepidation. Those were the only words I saw, I swear! Why is His Highness exuding such a thick murderous aura? It¡¯s even scarier than when he ordered the deaths of the people working for Peerless Palace. W-what exactly is going on? ¡°Yu Mo,¡± called Rong Xiu. ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± Yu Mo hurriedly responded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to deal with Zhang Youfang.¡± Yu Mo was shocked to hear that. As Peerless Palace¡¯s master, Zhang Youfang is extraordinarily strong. I can barely hold a fight with him, yet His Highness¡­ wants me to deal with him¡­ It¡¯s a tall order for me! ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± He was just about to beg for mercy, but he immediately zipped his mouth upon receiving a cool look from Rong Xiu. Meanwhile, Yan Qing was looking at Yu Mo with schadenfreude. Hah, he deserves it. Why would he go and dig his own grave when he knew that it was a message from Xi Ling? Of course, His Highness would punish him. Then again¡­ What was that message about that caused His Highness to be so upset? Chapter 569 - He Has Been There Before ¡°Yan Qing.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Make a trip to Xi Ling and pass this to her.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he took out a silver Cosmic Ring and handed it to Yan Qing. Yan Qing received it with both hands before asking hesitantly, ¡°¡­Do you mean¡­ Right away?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Rong Xiu coolly, his answer short and sweet. Right at that moment, a chilly wind blew over. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Yan Qing hurriedly bowed his head respectfully before turning around to leave. Yu Mo was dumbfounded. H-he¡¯s leaving just like that? What urgent matter could it be that he has to leave so hurriedly? What am I going to do now?! ¡°Yu Mo.¡± Rong Xiu turned his gaze to him. Feeling tense, Yu Mo responded, ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°You can only return once you¡¯re done dealing with Zhang Youfang.¡± Yu Mo felt his vision turning black as he made his last attempt of struggle. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± questioned Rong Xiu nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± Mustering up his courage, Yu Mo charged straight toward the chaotic battlefield. Things shouldn¡¯t be too difficult since Zhang Youfang is already injured. Besides, there are so many soldiers around¡ª ¡°Everyone, step back and make way for your Lord Yu,¡± said Rong Xiu indifferently. ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Upon receiving the order, the well-trained soldiers retreated and cleared a path for Yu Mo. Yu Mo¡¯s eyes twitched hard, and he regretted his actions when a bloodthirsty Zhang Youfang instantly appeared before him. I shouldn¡¯t have read that message! Just what sort of terrible thing has happened in Xi Ling?! ¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet. It was a bright and sunny day, without a single cloud in the sky. Chu Liuyue¡ªalong with Qiang Wanzhou and Weichi Song¡ªcame to the old medicinal garden once more. ¡°¡­Does that mean you have no idea who broke into Chong Xu Cabinet that day?¡± While making their way over, she had pried out a lot of information from Weichi Song. Although she had heard some things from Lu Zhiyao, he was ultimately not at Chong Xu Cabinet that day. Plus, it was more convenient and accurate to get the news straight from the horse¡¯s mouth. Sure enough, after a brief chat, she found out a lot of details that Lu Zhiyao hadn¡¯t mentioned before. ¡°Those people were very powerful. They came at night while wearing masks and black robes, so we couldn¡¯t see their features clearly¡­¡± Even though that incident had happened more than a year ago, the memory of it was still fresh and deeply engraved in his mind. It had become a sore memory that he couldn¡¯t forget at all. ¡°The other party came prepared and took us by surprise. We couldn¡¯t even protect the elders¡¯ and disciples¡¯ lives, so how could we possibly care about the medicinal garden? By the time we came over when everything was over, the people in charge of guarding the garden had all died as well.¡± Despite Weichi Song¡¯s seemingly calm exterior, he was actually trembling slightly as he recalled the past. ¡°We wanted to go and take a look at the herbs when we realized that a number of them were damaged. However, the casualties took priority¡­ Unfortunately, before we knew it, the rest of the herbs withered by the next day. The garden was already a wasteland when we sent people to plant new herbs a month later, and it was only then that we discovered that the land could no longer be used to grow herbs. But it was too late by then.¡± While carefully listening to Weichi Song, Chu Liuyue quietly pondered the problem. ¡°Since Messed Yuan Gravel is from Nan Jiang, then only those who have been there would possess this thing. Master, do you know anyone in the Tianling Dynasty who has been to Nan Jiang in recent years?¡± Weichi Song searched his memory for a while before finally saying, ¡°Jiang Yucheng has been there before.¡± Chapter 570 - : Mastermind! ¡°He went there before?¡± Chu Liuyue was also shocked. ¡°When?¡± Weichi Song squinted and recalled for a while before saying, ¡°It should¡¯ve been after Little Crescent was gone¡­ Back then, everyone said that Little Crescent went crazy¡­ He heard that Nan Jiang had medicine that could bring the dead back to life, so he brought people over¡­ But in the end, he didn¡¯t find it, and most of the people he brought there came back injured. After that time, Jiang Yucheng recuperated for a long time and didn¡¯t even go to Little Crescent¡¯s funeral.¡± ¡°Funeral?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. How can this be? When I committed suicide by burning my Tianjing Yuan meridian, my entire physical body was damaged and completely ruined. How could I¡ª ¡°Yeah! Originally, according to Little Crescent¡¯s identity, she could¡¯ve been buried and sent off properly. But as it didn¡¯t sound good that she went crazy due to cultivation, they¡­ just executed it according to an average princess¡¯s funeral.¡± Chu Liuyue heard it and found it ridiculous. Laughable! Those people tried all sorts of ways to push me to my death, yet they didn¡¯t forget to plan my funeral? Right¡ªof course, they need to do so! Only by doing this could they wash away their suspicion! And the so-called risking his life to save me by going to Nan Jiang¡­ Jiang Yucheng actually acted everything out so fully! He clearly went to Nan Jiang for another purpose, so he just used me as a shield! However, the crowd most probably thought that he was as devoted as ever. The heart-wrenching hatred overwhelmed her heart, and it almost made her chest explode. The fists in her sleeves had long been clenched tightly, and she almost crushed her bones. Jiang Yucheng, you really outdid yourself! Seeing that Chu Liuyue lowered her head, became motionless, and seemed amiss, Weichi Song asked in concern, ¡°Liuyue! Are you okay?¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. When she raised her head again, her emotions had already been appeased. She smiled slightly and said, ¡°Nothing much. I was just wondering¡­ What kind of treasure is so magical that it can attract¡­ Eldest Young Master Jiang to risk his life and go over.¡± As she spoke, she looked at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Little Zhou, you¡¯ve grown up in Nan Jiang from a young age. Have you ever heard of such a thing?¡± Qiang Wanzhou shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± Weichi Song paused for a while and said, ¡°Actually, I have always doubted this, but I didn¡¯t have much evidence¡­ It now seems very likely that he didn¡¯t go to Nan Jiang for Little Crescent but for something else¡­ If he really was the one who brought back the Messed Yuan Gravel¡­¡± Weichi Song suddenly thought of something, knitted his brows, and stopped. Chu Liuyue stepped forward. ¡°Mentor, I came to Xi Ling not long ago, but I heard quite a bit of news about Chong Xu Cabinet. I wanted to ask you a question: Is there someone targeting Chong Xu Cabinet in the dark?¡± Weichi Song¡¯s face instantly looked like it aged by a few decades. He slowly sighed and laughed bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re so smart, and it¡¯s natural for you to guess this. That¡¯s right. Ever since that incident happened more than a year ago, there was indeed someone who targeted our Chong Xu Cabinet and made life difficult for us secretly and openly.¡± ¡°Is that why a lot of disciples left? Because of this?¡± Weichi Song nodded stiffly, and bitterness flashed across his face. Before this, he had never thought that he would be driven to this state. Chu Liuyue paused and softly asked, ¡°That person¡­ Is it the Third Princess, Shangguan Wan?¡± Weichi Song suddenly looked at Chu Liuyue and asked in shock, ¡°How did you¡­ No, not her¡­¡± Weichi Song started to deny it, but his previous reaction had already confirmed Chu Liuyue¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Why must she do this?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. Could it purely be because Weichi Song was half my mentor and was close to me? If that really is the case, Shangguan Wan would have to deal with too many people! If Shangguan Wan deals with them one by one, she would be exhausted to death! Besides, Chong Xu Cabinet was in the spotlight back then. It also wasn¡¯t easy to defeat them as it exhausted a great amount of manpower and resources! Thinking about it, it¡¯s an uphill task! Shangguan Wan¡¯s brain must be damaged to do this! But Weichi Song refused to answer Chu Liuyue¡¯s question. ¡°Liuyue, this has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t guess anymore, and don¡¯t interfere with this matter!¡± ¡°I am already Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciple today. How is this not related to me? She doesn¡¯t want to harm only you, but she also wants to harm the entire Chong Xu Cabinet!¡± ¡°Liuyue, just take it as if I¡¯m begging you!¡± boomed Weichi Song as pain and struggle flashed across his eyes. Chu Liuyue suddenly paused. After a while, she finally nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Weichi Song sighed deeply. I naturally know that Chu Liuyue is doing this for the entire Chong Xu Cabinet and me, but this matter implicates too many people and is very dangerous. I really don¡¯t want to drag these two kids down. The room fell into temporary silence. Qiang Wanzhou suddenly spoke. ¡°People who have used Messed Yuan Gravel before would have marks left on their bodies.¡± Chu Liuyue and Weichi Song looked over in unison. ¡°What did you say?¡± Qiang Wanzhou raised his hand. ¡°If one wants to use Messed Yuan Gravel, they would have to use their fresh blood as bait. The person who is the bait would have a very faint red line left behind from his palm to his wrist area.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°This means that we can confirm if Jiang Yucheng did it or not if we find a way to see his hand?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Weichi Song was first elated before he frowned and said, ¡°This method sounds simple, yet it is also difficult. Jiang Yucheng is high in power now and always has a guard with him, so it¡¯s not easy to get close to him. Besides¡­ Even if he was the true mastermind, he might not do it himself.¡± This Messed Yuan Gravel needed one to use fresh blood as bait, and it would also absorb one¡¯s force. It was too strange and scary. Jiang Yucheng could randomly send a subordinate to do it. Why would he have to do it himself? But Qiang Wanzhou said, ¡°If this matter implicates him, then he must¡¯ve done it personally.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because only by doing it this way would he completely control the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s situation. Besides, the more important thing is¡­ Some of the force that the Messed Yuan Gravel absorbs will enter his body and aid his cultivation.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. It turned out that Messed Yuan Gravel had such a use¡­ This kind of behavior is indeed despicable, but it¡¯s indeed something Jiang Yucheng would do. Chu Liuyue knew him too well. In the past, he wasn¡¯t as talented as me. Even though he didn¡¯t say it on the surface, he minded this very much in his heart. Even though he was already considered a top talent when compared to the majority of people, he was still dissatisfied. He had always been very hardworking in his cultivation, and he could be considered crazy in regards to strengthening his capabilities. If he had such a method¡­ He might even try it! Chu Liuyue calmly said, ¡°No matter what, he has been to Nan Jiang before. Hence, there is this possibility. We can just investigate and find out if he did it or not!¡± Chapter 571 - Suspect Tianling Imperial Palace. Jiang Yucheng came to Huayang Palace in a hurry. When the palace maids saw her, they bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Prince Consort.¡± Jiang Yucheng asked in a low voice, ¡°Where¡¯s the Third Princess?¡± A palace maid said, ¡°The Third Princess was just resting at the side palace¡­¡± When Jiang Yucheng heard this, he immediately went to the side palace. The few palace maids immediately stopped him. ¡°Prince Consort, the Third Princess hasn¡¯t been sleeping well for the past few days. Now that she has managed to fall asleep with much difficulty, why don¡¯t you wait first?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°I have things to discuss with the Third Princess. If you delay it, can you take responsibility for it?¡± The few palace maids were taken aback, and they looked at each other awkwardly. Chan Yi has instructed that we have to stop whoever wants to see the princess these two days, but this person is the Prince Consort after all¡­ Jiang Yucheng raised his legs and walked forward. Just as he was about to reach the door, Chan Yi¡ªwho was standing at the door¡ªbowed. ¡°Prince Consort, the Third Princess is resting now. I hope you¡¯ll rest first.¡± Jiang Yucheng sneered. ¡°I am the Third Princess¡¯s Prince Consort. Do I really need to ask you about whether I can see the Third Princess?¡± Chan Yi knew that he was really enraged, so she immediately kneeled down. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! But the Third Princess¡ª¡± ¡°I will naturally take responsibility for everything!¡± As Jiang Yucheng talked, he had already walked around her and reached the door as he pushed it to enter. Chan Yi watched on nervously. Jiang Yucheng glanced at her coldly and opened the door. He walked straight in, and after circling past the screen, he saw Shangguan Wan sleeping on a bed. Hearing the commotion, she furrowed her brows and opened her eyes. ¡°¡­Yucheng? You¡¯re here?¡± Shangguan Wan looked exhausted with two eyebags below her eyes; she clearly hadn¡¯t been resting well lately. When she realized that Jiang Yucheng had barged in, slight anger flashed across her face. ¡°Chan Yi, what did I tell you!¡± Chan Yi looked down. ¡°I was useless. Third Princess, please punish me!¡± Jiang Yucheng walked over. ¡°Don¡¯t blame her. I was too worried about you and forced my way in. You know that they can¡¯t stop me either.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression looked better. ¡°Go and kneel outside for four hours.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± acknowledged Chan Yi as she obediently kneeled down. Jiang Yucheng sat down beside Shangguan Wan and tidied her slightly messy hair. ¡°Have you not been sleeping well lately? Why didn¡¯t you light some incense?¡± Shangguan Wan lay back down again. ¡°I did, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± She hesitated for a moment before she whispered, ¡°For some reason, I¡¯ve just been very distracted¡­ I even had nightmares a few times¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng reassured her. Shangguan Wan willingly asked, ¡°Speaking of which, why did you come here today?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes flashed slightly. ¡°I was quite free today, so I wanted to come over and see you. Also, I heard that you summoned Yang Qin¡¯er into the palace?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s lips curved up without much smiling intent. He really came here for this. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jiang Yucheng saw her honest face and didn¡¯t know how to ask. After some time, he said, ¡°Did you not send her back yet?¡± Shangguan Wan smiled with even deeper meaning. ¡°Yeah. I asked her to come over and told her that everything was fine in the Tianling God Realm and that the Long Yuan Sword was still there. Everything she said previously was false.¡± Jiang Yucheng had actually already guessed this, so he wasn¡¯t shocked. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the best outcome? As for Yang Qin¡¯er¡­ She lied to us and is in the wrong, but I believe she just misunderstood and didn¡¯t do it on purpose. After all, nobody would take their lives as a joke, right? You should just punish her lightly and let her off.¡± Shangguan Wan laughed. ¡°What are you worried about? I saw that she still admitted her mistakes, so I didn¡¯t pursue the matter and asked her to stay in the palace for two more days. What, is there a problem?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face finally became cold. ¡°Wan¡¯er, you¡¯re too impulsive. She does have a Dijing Yuan meridian, but we¡¯ve previously already agreed not to make risky moves. How can you lock her up in the palace? Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re planning to do?¡± Shangguan Wan looked at him coldly, and her gaze became cold. ¡°You came here just to tell me this?¡± Jiang Yucheng saw her stubborn attitude and was furious as he suddenly stood up. ¡°You¡­¡± Knock, knock¡­ A knocking sound was heard. ¡°Third Princess, I heard that you have already woken up. I prepared some longan lily porridge for you. Do you want some?¡± Hearing this voice, Jiang Yucheng was stunned as he turned around to look. This is clearly Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s voice! He looked at Shangguan Wan with many doubts. ¡°You didn¡¯t¡ª¡± But Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t look at him as she lazily said, ¡°Come in.¡± Creak! The door opened, and the woman walked in with a bowl of porridge. It was actually Yang Qin¡¯er. Jiang Yucheng rapidly scanned her body and realized that she looked normal. ¡°Greetings, Prince Consort.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er bowed to him again before she placed the porridge down. ¡°I already said a few times that I let you stay here because I like you. You can just leave the servants to do these things.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er smiled curtly. ¡°I know.¡± Shangguan Wan waved her hands. ¡°I still have things to discuss with the Prince Consort. You can go down first.¡± ¡°Yes. Remember to eat this porridge; it won¡¯t be good if it gets cold.¡± Then, Yang Qin¡¯er respectfully exited and remembered to close the door. After she left, Shangguan Wan raised her chin at Jiang Yucheng. ¡°If you still doubt me, why don¡¯t you check the porridge?¡± Her words were filled with thorns, and her gaze was sharp. Jiang Yucheng felt awkward for some reason. Perhaps I really misunderstood¡­ But her emotions has always been unstable previously, and with Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s incident now, I can¡¯t help but be worried and think that she¡ª ¡°I thought wrong.¡± Jiang Yucheng put his fists near his lips and coughed. ¡°Wan¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry. I was wrong.¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at him like that. Jiang Yucheng felt very uneasy under her gaze and could only say, ¡°You haven¡¯t been resting well lately, so I won¡¯t disturb you. Rest well. If there¡¯s anything else, I¡¯ll be here; you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Then, without waiting for Shangguan Wan to reply, he turned around to leave. After his figure disappeared outside the palace for some time, Shangguan Wan lightly grunted and picked up the bowl of porridge. She gently stirred it with the spoon and saw some traces of blood. Without a change in expression, she finished the porridge. After some time, Yang Qin¡¯er silently came back. Seeing that Shangguan Wan had already finished the porridge, she quickly retracted her gaze. Shangguan Wan thought for a moment and said, ¡°You can go back today.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er was a little shocked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you previously say that it would take five days¡ª¡± ¡°You just stayed in the palace for a day or two, and he came here with a lot of suspicions. It¡¯s not suitable if you stay any longer.¡± Jiang Yucheng might¡¯ve believed me today, but this person has always been doubtful. It¡¯s very possible that he will continue checking. Yang Qin¡¯er hesitated for a moment. ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 572 - Jade Token Chong Xu Cabinet. Chu Liuyue, Qiang Wanzhou, and Weichi Song arrived at the old medicinal garden. Standing outside, Weichi Song cast a huge barrier over the garden. He looked worried as he told Chu Liuyue, ¡°As long as I¡¯m around, nobody will disturb you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± She nodded and stepped into the medicinal garden thereafter. When she sensed that Qiang Wanzhou was following closely behind, she turned around and looked at him in puzzlement. ¡°I told you that I¡¯d help to protect you,¡± explained Qiang Wanzhou. Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°You can do that outside the barrier. Isn¡¯t Master right there too?¡± ¡°If anything goes wrong, I can help you right away since I¡¯m closer to you,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou stubbornly. Then, as if he was afraid Chu Liuyue might voice her objection, he hurriedly added, ¡°Nobody here knows more about Messed Yuan Gravel than I do.¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled when she saw how determined he looked. ¡°Alright.¡± The two of them thus headed to the middle of the garden. When their gazes met, Qiang Wanzhou nodded his head slightly. Taking a deep breath, Chu Liuyue took out her dagger and made a shallow cut on her left palm. A bloody slit appeared immediately, and fresh crimson blood began oozing out of the wound. She then sat cross-legged and placed her left palm on the ground. A concentrated blood droplet silently seeped out from her hand and into the ochre ground. A moment later, the withered herbs in their surroundings suddenly moved, and the Suchi plum flower¡ªwhich was closest to them¡ªstarted disintegrating from its roots. Flowing out from it were tiny Messed Yuan Gravel particles, and they were moving in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction. Soon, the same thing happened to the other herbs¡­ One by one, the withered herbs in Chu Liuyue¡¯s surroundings silently disintegrated as the Messed Yuan Gravel inside them began moving toward her at high speeds. They looked like countless strands of blood-red hair fluttering in the wind and also fine streams of sand flowing toward her. Although the amount of Messed Yuan Gravel in each herb was minute, they quickly added up when gathered together. It didn¡¯t take long¡ªjust 15 minutes¡ªbefore countless red streams appeared on the ground around Chu Liuyue. They were all heading toward her as if there was an invisible hand controlling everything. As time passed, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that the blood in her body was speedily flowing out of the cut on her palm. She looked down and noticed that the ground beneath her left hand was gradually becoming red and that the blood color was slowly spreading out into her surroundings. More than that, her force was being consumed at an even faster rate than that of her blood loss. A slight frown settled between her brows as she thought, It¡¯s no wonder that Qiang Wanzhou was so opposed to this idea. Messed Yuan Gravel really does consume force to a terrifying extent. I¡¯ve just cleared the Messed Yuan Gravel within a 20-step radius, but I can already sense that I¡¯m starting to lose my force at an extraordinary speed. The medicinal garden alone is huge enough, but it¡¯s highly likely that the Messed Yuan Gravel has spread to the entire Qing Yuan Mountain. I can¡¯t even imagine the amount of force that would be needed to clear everything. Nevertheless, it¡¯s a good thing that there¡¯s still no movement from the water droplet. The thought of that made Chu Liuyue feel more assured and confident. She then started gathering her focus and circulating the force in her body. The Messed Yuan Gravel located further away began heading in her direction as well. As Qiang Wanzhou watched from the side, he dared not relax at all. After all, despite the smooth progress so far, this was only the beginning. ¡­ Tianling Imperial Palace. After leaving Huayang Palace, Jiang Yucheng intended to leave the palace straight away. But halfway there, he turned around and headed for Qingfeng Palace instead. Qingfeng Palace was still as heavily guarded as before. Ordinary people weren¡¯t even allowed to step close to this place, but Jiang Yucheng was no ordinary person. Due to various reasons, he basically could come and go as he pleased. The palace guards were rather surprised to see him here again. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the purpose of his visit, for he had just dropped by a few days ago. Although he did come by often, the frequency of his visits had increased lately. Nonetheless, despite their curiosity, the palace guards dared not let their emotions show, much less question the man. These guards¡ªwho had been specially selected to guard this place¡ªwouldn¡¯t make such foolish mistakes. Jiang Yucheng was just about to enter the room when he noticed a familiar-looking pageboy standing outside, seemingly waiting for someone. Upon a closer look, he realized that it was imperial physician Zuo Mingxi¡¯s subordinate. Among the three imperial physicians selected by Shangguan Wan to take care of His Majesty, it¡¯s indeed Zuo Mingxi¡¯s turn to see His Majesty today. The pageboy paid Jiang Yucheng a deep bow the moment he saw him. ¡°Is Physician Zuo inside?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng. The pageboy respectfully answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Fifteen minutes.¡± He should be almost out soon. Jiang Yucheng nodded, giving up the idea of entering the room after giving it a thought. Instead, he stood in place and waited outside with the pageboy. The pageboy dared not ask any questions and could only carefully accompany him. Soon, a middle-aged man emerged from the room¡ªit was Zuo Mingxi. Jiang Yucheng moved forward a little. ¡°Physician Zuo.¡± Zuo Mingxi was surprised to see Jiang Yucheng around. ¡°What is Eldest Young Master Jiang doing here?¡± ¡°The Third Princess hasn¡¯t been sleeping well lately, so I came to visit her. I thought I should come over and take a look at His Majesty¡¯s condition at the same time,¡± answered Jiang Yucheng with a smile. Looking relieved, Zuo Mingxi nodded in understanding as he stroked his beard. ¡°You really are concerned about His Majesty.¡± ¡°Did His Majesty show any signs of waking up, Physician Zuo?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng as he glanced at the tightly closed door. A trace of disappointment flashed across Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes when the physician shook his head despondently. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t his condition improved?¡± We¡¯ve long stopped the use of drugs and have been providing him nourishment. Logically speaking, His Majesty should be awake by now, but there¡¯s no sign of him rousing at all. ¡°We can understand your worries, Eldest Young Master Jiang, but¡­ There¡¯s no certainty when it comes to matters like this at times. Who knows? His Majesty might wake up tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± Jiang Yucheng could only nod in response. ¡°Thanks for the trouble, Physician Zuo.¡± ¡°How is it any trouble when this is my duty? Regardless, we¡¯ll do our best to make sure that His Majesty wakes up soon. If you don¡¯t have any more questions for me, I¡¯ll go write a prescription for His Majesty now.¡± ¡°Please go ahead,¡± said Jiang Yucheng as he took half a step back. Zuo Mingxi cupped his hands in obeisance and then moved to leave together with the pageboy. He hadn¡¯t walked far when he suddenly heard Jiang Yucheng calling him. ¡°Just a moment, Physician Zuo.¡± Zuo Mingxi stopped and turned his head back. ¡°Is anything the matter, Eldest Young Master Jiang?¡± All imperial physicians are supposed to hang their jade token at their belts, but Zuo Mingxi¡¯s jade token is missing. Slight suspicion arose in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart as his gaze landed on the physician¡¯s belt. ¡°May I know where your jade token is, Physician Zuo?¡± Chapter 573 - Who’s Tricking Who? It dawned on Zuo Mingxi what Jiang Yucheng was talking about when he followed his gaze. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about that! I lost it some time ago, but I haven¡¯t found it. A new token will be delivered to me in a couple of days.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded in understanding. ¡°I see.¡± Zuo Mingxi tried to sound him out as he looked at him. ¡°I know that imperial physicians are supposed to carry their jade tokens with them when they enter the palace, but¡­ There can¡¯t be any delay with His Majesty¡¯s condition, so I ultimately decided to come here after much consideration.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Physician Zuo. I have no intention of reproaching you. I just happened to notice it, so I was a little curious. But you¡¯re right¡ªHis Majesty¡¯s health takes priority. Besides, your new token is almost ready. There¡¯s no need to pursue this matter at all,¡± said Jiang Yucheng with a smile. Zuo Mingxi heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°However, it¡¯s a token of your identity after all. Please be more careful in the future.¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± After chatting for a little longer, Zuo Mingxi finally left. Jiang Yucheng, on the other hand, turned to look behind before leaving as well. ¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet. Chu Liuyue was still sitting in the same spot with her left palm on the ground and a lot of Messed Yuan Gravel gathered around her. Her lips were a little pale, but she was thankfully still in a rather good condition. One-third of the Messed Yuan Gravel in the medicinal garden had basically been gathered here, and the particles were gradually coalescing into larger grains. Despite that, they could still move around freely like liquid. When the force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs was almost depleted, she started channeling the force from the water droplet. The feeling of exhaustion instantly disappeared the moment a rich force surged out. Feeling energized, she started speeding up the process once more. Like Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho was nervously watching her from the side with tightly pursed lips¡ªWeichi Song was equally worried when he saw this scene from outside. Slowly, more and more Messed Yuan Gravel gathered around Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. ¡­ At nightfall, Chu Liuyue finally gathered all the Messed Yuan Gravel in the entire medicinal garden. After adjusting her breathing, she looked up at Weichi Song. ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to remove the barrier.¡± Otherwise, it¡¯ll affect my ability to lure the rest of the Messed Yuan Gravel here. Despite his worries, Weichi Song nodded in understanding. ¡°Alright.¡± The next moment, the barrier disappeared with a wave of his hand. Now, other than Qiang Wanzhou and Weichi Song, Chu Liuyue no longer had any form of protection. Closing her eyes, Chu Liuyue gathered her focus as force gushed out from the water droplet endlessly. Although nothing could be seen clearly since they were in the thick of the night, a faint rustling sound could be heard from all directions. The closer it got to Chu Liuyue, the clearer the sound became. Needless to say, the sound came from the Messed Yuan Gravel that had previously spread to the entire Qing Yuan Mountain. Weichi Song was horrified to hear this sound. J-just how much Messed Yuan Gravel is there? Was Qing Yuan Mountain completely covered with this thing since a long time ago? If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue, we could only allow it to continue to spread throughout the mountain. Before long, the entire mountain would be ruined! The thought of this left lingering fear in him. If this really was Jiang Yucheng¡¯s doing¡­ What¡¯s the reason for him doing so?! ¡­ The night passed quickly as Weichi Song and Qiang Wanzhou guarded and kept their eyes on Chu Liuyue for the entire night. Also, the rustling sound only finally stopped when the sun appeared in the morning. Despite being mentally prepared to a certain extent, Weichi Song couldn¡¯t help but be shocked when he truly saw this scene. As if wrapped up in a transparent film, the Messed Yuan Gravel practically formed a small stream that quietly floated in the air around Chu Liuyue. The aura it contained was so strong that it struck fear in people. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face had lost all its color, and her eyes were bloodshot. Fortunately though, the aura around her seemed relatively calm. Heaving a sigh of relief, she looked at the Messed Yuan Gravel floating around her. All of a sudden, a tiny crystal slowly formed on its surface. Her heart thumped in excitement. It¡¯s starting to crystallize! All of the Messed Yuan Gravel on Qing Yuan Mountain has gathered together! Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho had also noticed this scene¡ªimmediately warned her, ¡°Any time now!¡± Chu Liuyue lifted her left hand, shooting out a strong force that instantly surrounded the Messed Yuan Gravel. The Messed Yuan Gravel then began crystallizing at an even faster rate. In just the blink of an eye, it became a large piece of red crystal. But just when Chu Liuyue was about to destroy it, the red crystal suddenly started shrinking. She frowned and quickly glanced at Qiang Wanzhou, asking, ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on here?¡± There was a grave expression on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t happen¡­ It¡¯s your force that¡¯s compressing it!¡± ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. But I didn¡¯t do anything! According to Qiang Wanzhou, I just need to quickly destroy the Messed Yuan Gravel when it¡¯s fully crystallized. I was just about to do as told, but it¡ª Before she could react, Qiang Wanzhou had already rushed over and threw his fist out, intending to take the matter into his own hands. ¡°Wait!¡± cried Chu Liuyue all of a sudden. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qiang Wanzhou froze. This thing is highly dangerous. If we don¡¯t quickly destroy it¡­ ¡°Just a second!¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had seemingly detected something¡ªshook her head as an indicator for the other to step back first. Standing outside, Weichi Song had also realized that something was amiss. He asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Frowning, Qiang Wanzhou shook his head, only to receive a ¡®be patient¡¯ look from Chu Liuyue. Silence reigned as the trio quietly stared at the shrinking red crystal. It only finally stopped shrinking when it shrunk to the size of a palm. Due to its dark color and smooth and bright surface, it looked like a ruby as it quietly floated in front of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue hesitantly stretched her hand out and took the red crystal in her hand. Although it felt cold to the touch, she could vaguely sense the surging energy in it. The next moment, the red crystal entered her body through the cut on her left palm. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Fear and shock gripped Weichi Song¡¯s and Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s hearts when they saw this scene. However, Chu Liuyue was just surprised that the crystal had seemingly dissolved in her blood. It flowed through my Yuan meridian and all the way to¡­ My dantian? There wasn¡¯t a single ripple in the water droplet as it quietly floated in her dantian, but the red crystal was completely swallowed in the next second. Warm energy then flowed out from it and extended to her four limbs, nourishing them. Chu Liuyue was dumbfounded. After a while, she questioned the water droplet in disbelief upon realizing something. ¡°D-did you¡­ deliberately swallow the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s powers?¡± Chapter 574 - Backlash A faint ripple formed on the water droplet. T-that¡¯s an affirmative answer! Chu Liuyue came to her senses after a long while. My guess is correct¡­ The water droplet kept releasing force earlier, but it chose to launch a counterattack once the Messed Yuan Gravel crystallized! Not only can it recover the force it lost this way, but it can also swallow the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s force for itself! After staying silent for a while, Chu Liuyue said with much difficulty, ¡°Y-you really refuse to take any losses¡­¡± ¡°Liuyue? Liuyue!¡± called Weichi Song anxiously when he saw no movement from Chu Liuyue. Snapping back to her senses, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and realized that both Qiang Wanzhou and Weichi Song were standing right in front of her, their faces filled with worry. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked Weichi Song as he carefully examined her condition out of fear that something had happened to her. Although Qiang Wanzhou said nothing, his eyes remained fixed on Chu Liuyue throughout. He didn¡¯t know what went wrong with the Messed Yuan Gravel at the last stage, for he had never encountered such a situation back when he was in Nan Jiang. But if something really had happened to Chu Liuyue earlier, he¡¯d never be able to forgive himself. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly assured them before standing up and taking a look at her palm, where a scab had already formed over the bloody cut. She then spread her arms open, allowing them to examine her all over. ¡°No need to worry. See? I¡¯m all fine.¡± ¡°What was that about just now? W-why did that thing¡­ enter your body?¡± Weichi Song dared not relax just yet as he turned to face Qiang Wanzhou, asking, ¡°Wanzhou, you mentioned that although Messed Yuan Gravel isn¡¯t poisonous to people, it can rapidly sap one¡¯s force. What should we do now that it¡¯s in Liuyue¡¯s body?¡± A warm current flowed through Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart when she saw the stricken expression on Weichi Song¡¯s face, which was always calm and composed. She tugged at his arm, saying, ¡°I¡¯m really alright, Master. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can always take my pulse to check.¡± Looking skeptical, Weichi Song placed his fingers on Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist. But the next moment, he glanced at her with uncertainty and surprise. W-why does it seem like she¡¯s gotten stronger when she lost so much force earlier? Chu Liuyue beamed at him. ¡°Well? Is your mind at ease now?¡± Weichi Song checked her pulse again, only to realize that there was indeed nothing wrong with her body. In fact, she was brimming with force. He slowly released his hand as he muttered, ¡°Yes¡­¡± Chu Liuyue then looked in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s direction. ¡°Are you relieved now, Little Zhou?¡± Although Qiang Wanzhou wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, he had extremely keen senses. Thus, he could tell that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s strange aura on her and that she had, in fact, become a little stronger. Weichi Song couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± How should I explain it to them? I can¡¯t possibly tell them that not only am I unhurt, but I also swallowed the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s force for myself, can I? Chu Liuyue¡¯s head throbbed in pain as she opted for an ambiguous answer. ¡°Uh¡­ Speaking of which¡­ I¡¯m not too sure either¡­¡± Weichi Song appeared enlightened though. ¡°Perhaps the force in your body dissolved it?¡± ¡°I guess¡­ That might be the case¡­¡± Chu Liuyue bobbed her head in rumination. There¡¯s nothing wrong with this explanation since the crystal really did dissolve in my body. It¡¯s just that its force became mine. ¡°Now, even without looking at Jiang Yucheng¡¯s palm, we might be able to determine if this was his doing,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou all of a sudden. Chu Liuyue asked curiously, ¡°Why is that so?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nonchalantly explained, ¡°Because he¡¯ll receive backlash from the force he gained from the Messed Yuan Gravel since you¡¯ve destroyed it. At best, his cultivation might regress. At worst¡­ His Yuan meridian might be destroyed!¡± Chapter 575 - No Need to Pass It to Me Jiang Yucheng¡¯s cultivation might regress, and his Yuan meridian might even be destroyed? There was a subtle change in Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression as the corners of her lips lifted in plain excitement. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Why does she seem so happy? Qiang Wanzhou frowned in confusion, but his mood considerably improved when he saw her twinkling eyes and slight smile. As he nodded, he said, ¡°As long as it was his doing, he¡¯ll definitely suffer from the backlash.¡± Woohoo! yelled Chu Liuyue inwardly. Never had she ever had a moment when she desperately wished that the mastermind of this matter would be Jiang Yucheng. Although I can¡¯t go head to head with him yet, it¡¯s pretty good that I can take this chance to give him a little punishment! Thinking that Chu Liuyue was excited about uncovering the truth, Weichi Song didn¡¯t read too much into her reaction and instead thoughtfully said, ¡°Things will be easier for us if that¡¯s the case.¡± Jiang Yucheng has a high status, especially since he¡¯s helping Shangguan Wan to handle a lot of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s affairs. Still, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for me to meet him and check his cultivation. ¡°I¡¯ll make a trip to the Jiang residence today. We¡¯ll know for sure once I meet him!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going there now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in surprise. ¡°Yes. Since things have reached this stage, he¡¯ll definitely know about it already if this matter concerns him. Besides, there¡¯s no point in dragging it out further. I might as well go there straight away.¡± Chu Liuyue fell into deep thought. She, too, thought that Song Weichi Song¡¯s words made some sense. It looks like he intends to deal with this matter head-on! Since Chong Xu Cabinet¡ªthe victim¡ªintends to investigate this matter, the ones who committed those evil deeds ought to be worrying instead! Just as Weichi Song was about to leave, Chu Liuyue hurriedly shouted, ¡°Master, you forgot about something.¡± ¡°I did?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Since the medicinal garden has been restored to normal, can you¡­ get the seniors to help manage the garden?¡± ¡°Oh, dear me! How did I forget such an important matter?!¡± Weichi Song laughed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll order everyone to do it together!¡± Although it¡¯d take an extremely long time before the newly planted herbs could be harvested, it was a promising start for Chong Xu Cabinet. Since the problem of Messed Yuan Gravel had been resolved and Qing Yuan Mountain was back to normal, they no longer had to worry about the herbs being unable to grow. That was the most important thing of all! ¡­ News spread rapidly like wildfire among the disciples when they heard that the previously abandoned medicinal garden was officially opened once more and that new herbs could be planted there again. At first, everyone was quite skeptical about it. But upon hearing from the Cabinet Master that the medicinal garden had been restored to normal and that planted herbs could be grown and harvested, they jumped in joy. Everyone wanted to give it a try. Thus, almost the entire medicinal garden was planted with various herbs that afternoon. Although it still looked bare from afar, the Cabinet Master¡¯s words had given the disciples a glimmer of hope. Chu Liuyue planted a few herbs as well, and at Weichi Song¡¯s insistence, she was given the right to manage the medicinal garden. Despite her initial subtle rejection, she was ultimately persuaded by Weichi Song and thus finally agreed to it. She did like taking care of the herbs after all. Plus, Weichi Song had promised her that she could freely use whatever herbs they had in the garden. Touched by his kind gesture, she thus agreed to manage the garden. At first, there were actually many disciples fighting for the management rights when they were deciding who should manage the garden. But when Weichi Song selected her to be the person-in-charge, everyone else unexpectedly agreed to his decision, which was much to her surprise. She thought that they would express their doubts about her ability and qualifications. Since Liuyue wants to manage the garden, she can do it then! After all, nobody else is more suitable than her for that position! Everyone expressed their strong agreement and then started to worm their way into being friends with Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou. While Chu Liuyue could understand why the seniors wanted to get close to her, she was really confused when she saw them trying their best to talk to the aloof Qiang Wanzhou. It was only after asking that she learned that Lu Zhiyao had told the rest of them something the day before. That was: ¡®Although Wanzhou seems a little aloof, he listens to Liuyue really well! On top of that, Liuyue treats him really well!¡¯ Hearing that, the seniors realized that things would be well for them no matter which of their two new juniors they got along well with. Thus, after everyone came over to greet them again, Chu Liuyue¡¯s and Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s rooms became filled with all sorts of gifts. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be amused as she looked at the gifts. Isn¡¯t it a little too early for them to show their goodwill when the herbs were just planted several hours ago? They were clearly just using the medicinal garden as an excuse to see us and give us gifts. There were very few disciples in Chong Xu Cabinet now. Those who stayed behind had deep feelings for the sect, and after going through so much together, the bonds between them were naturally much stronger and more sincere than that of the disciples from other sects. Even though they said nothing about it, they were overjoyed and touched to hear that Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou had chosen to join Chong Xu Cabinet. Hence, they naturally wanted to take special care of them and not let them suffer even the slightest grievance. Chu Liuyue unconsciously lifted the corners of her lips as she recalled the earlier scene while leaning against the door frame. Although she never liked crowds, she was very pleased to see the room filled with bustle earlier. A long time ago, she was in an exalted position, high above the rest. Everyone respected, worshiped, envied, and was even jealous of her, so she never had such an experience before. After that, she was reborn as a humble and lowly commoner who even struggled to live. Everyone bullied, insulted, scorned, and ridiculed her, so she also never experienced anything like this during that time. It had mainly been on Weichi Song¡¯s account that she chose to join Chong Xu Cabinet, but now, she was starting to feel glad that she made that choice. Just then, Qiang Wanzhou stood up from the small mountain of gifts with a small stuffed toy dangling off of him. Chu Liuyue grinned at him. ¡°Little Zhou, there¡¯s no hurry. Take your time to open the presents.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face darkened. Chu Liuyue then walked to the side and spread open a Xuan paper. ¡°These are the seniors¡¯ gifts for us. They represent their goodwill, so you have to keep them properly. Slowly put them away one by one while I make an inventory of the items.¡± Glancing at Qiang Wanzhou, she began writing. ¡°Ye Ranran, one stuffed toy.¡± Actually, Ye Ranran had made a stuffed toy for each of them. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s countenance darkened even more at that. He wanted to yank the doll away from his body at first, but upon touching its soft fabric and fine stitches, his hand froze and moved to remove it by its hook instead. Why is this kid wearing a poker face when he clearly likes the toy a lot as well?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved in satisfaction as she flashed him a smile. ¡°Once I¡¯m done writing the list, you better keep it properly and take a look at it every now and then. You have to remember to return the seniors¡¯ goodwill.¡± However, Qiang Wanzhou turned his face away. ¡°No need to pass it to me.¡± Chapter 576 - A Visit Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s reply confused Chu Liuyue for a moment, but she soon understood why he said that. He mentioned before that he¡¯s illiterate. I had so much fun teasing him that I completely forgot that he couldn¡¯t read the words on this list. With his face tilted away and his soft blond hair covering his eyes, all she saw was his clear and smooth jaw, sharp nose, and slightly pouty lips. He¡­ actually minds a lot about it, right? Her heart throbbed in pain as if it had been pricked with a sharp needle. But when she opened her mouth to say something, the words just wouldn¡¯t come out. It was as if there was something stuck in her throat. I-it¡¯s like d¨¦j¨¤ vu all over again. Wasn¡¯t Mu Qinghe just like him back then? That¡¯s why I taught him how to read, write, cultivate, and the way of the world¡­ Mu Qinghe was very smart, so he picked up anything he learned really quickly and did them very well. That was the reason for his speedy growth in becoming a pivotal figure in the Tianling Dynasty in just a short decade. The entire Dahuang Swamp would shake with just a stomp of his foot! But¡­ What happened after that? There¡¯s no after that. When Qiang Wanzhou heard nothing from Chu Liuyue for a while, he turned his head back to look at her, only to see that she was staring blankly at him. No, she¡¯s not looking at me. He walked over with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± answered Chu Liuyue after coming back to her senses. Qiang Wanzhou met her gaze with a serious expression. ¡°There¡¯s a melancholy look on your face.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. He can be a little too smart at times. Pausing for a moment, Qiang Wanzhou said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the list well.¡± Does this kid¡­ think that he can cheer me up by doing this? Chu Liuyue looked at him blankly for a moment. Something seemed to be slowly melting in her heart as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Qiang Wanzhou was baffled. ¡°What?¡± As Chu Liuyue wrote some words on the paper with a brush, Qiang Wanzhou finally understood what she was talking about. He pressed his lips tightly together as he fell deep in thought. Chu Liuyue then stroked him on the head. ¡°I won¡¯t be teaching you for free. As payment, you have to help me do things in the future.¡± ¡°Okay. ¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded his head seriously. ¡­ Jiang residence. Jiang Yucheng was lying on the ground in pain. His face had lost all of its color, and big droplets of sweat were falling from his forehead. The force in his body had suddenly split into two, and each portion was currently fighting and trying to kill off the other. The excruciating pain coursing through his entire body almost made him pass out. Worried that he might make some sort of noise and attract the attention of the people outside, he clenched his teeth tightly as he bore with the pain and checked his palm. There was an extremely thin blood line that extended from the middle of his palm to his wrist. However, it was currently rapidly disintegrating from the end at his wrist. Jiang Yucheng was shocked. W-why is this happening? Wasn¡¯t it fine all this while? Don¡¯t tell me that¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet has discovered something?! He desperately pressed hard on that blood line, trying to stop it from disintegrating, but it was to no avail. As the blood line slowly faded away, the force in his body quickly dissipated into the surroundings as well. He tried using his other force to suppress it. However, not only was it useless, but it even sped up the loss of his force. Horror flashed across his eyes. ¡°N-no..¡± It wasn¡¯t easy for me to reach my current cultivation level, so how can I possibly just watch this force slip away from me? A trace of deep panic flashed across his eyes. Something must¡¯ve happened to the Messed Yuan Gravel! But that thing is only available in Nan Jiang. Few people in Xi Ling know about it, much less know how to deal with it! So who could that person be?! Jiang Yucheng stood up with much difficulty, but just as he took two steps forward, he bumped into the table next to him. Clank! A porcelain item fell from the table and crashed onto the ground. ¡°Eldest Young Master, what happened?¡± asked a servant from outside. The door then rattled as if they were about to burst into the room. ¡°Nobody is allowed to step in here!¡± yelled Jiang Yucheng. Startled, the servant outside hurriedly backed away. ¡°Yes, Eldest Young Master!¡± Taking a deep breath, Jiang Yucheng supported himself with the table¡¯s help and sat down on the chair next to it. He felt as if countless knives were slashing at his internal organs. The suffocating pain spread throughout his body, making him arch his back as he propped himself up by holding the table. Bulging veins were visible on the hand that was gripping the table. Not only did the pain not fade away as time passed, but it even became more intense. However, what worried Jiang Yucheng most was that he was losing his force so quickly that his cultivation level was about to drop. He looked down at his wrist and saw that most of the blood line had already faded away. If this goes on, the consequences will be unthinkable! I¡¯ll definitely suffer greatly from the clash of the forces in my body. Before long, there was a surge of a thick, bloodthirsty aura. Spurt! He finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and coughed up a mouthful of blood. At the same time, his cultivation level dropped to the intermediate eighth stage before dropping further to the beginner stage. He then collapsed to the ground with a dull thump, but he wasn¡¯t concerned about it. All he thought was: My cultivation level has fallen! One should know that at this level, even a difference in stage could mean a tremendous difference in strength. On top of that, a regression in cultivation didn¡¯t only mean losing one¡¯s force. The damage to their Yuan meridian and state of mind was immeasurable. Jiang Yucheng had spent an entire year raising his cultivation level, yet it was all going to waste now. Worse still, he had no idea how much more time it would take for him to get to where he was. There was even a possibility that he might never be able to improve his cultivation! When the servants outside heard the commotion, they dared not enter the room even though they were worried about him. They remembered his order and thus could only wait outside anxiously. It was quiet both inside and outside the room. All Jiang Yucheng could hear was his own breathing and his thumping heartbeats as he sat dumbly on the ground. The two forces surging in his Yuan meridian seemed like they could burst out at any time. After a long time, he had seemingly gotten used to the intense pain. However, he quickly realized that it wasn¡¯t that he had gotten numb to it, but that the pain in his body was indeed fading. He showed no sense of relief, however. Instead, it seemed as if he had foreseen something. He slowly looked down at his wrist. The blood line had completely disintegrated and left behind a bloody wound only, which was evidence of what had happened earlier. If it doesn¡¯t stop, my cultivation might fall below the eighth stage! A belated sense of fear and helplessness hit him right there and then. Everything happened so abruptly that his mind had been rendered blank. He only returned to his senses sometime after the blood on him started drying up. This is definitely no coincidence¡­ Knock, knock¡­ ¡°Eldest Young Master, Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master is here!¡± Chapter 577 - Someone’s Here! Aggression flashed across Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes. He actually came so quickly! This means that Weichi Song definitely knows something, so he purposely came over to verify it! If I go out now and Weichi Song sees my current state¡­ I can¡¯t explain anything! Not hearing any movements, the subordinate called again, ¡°Eldest Young Master?¡± Jiang Yucheng forced himself up. At this point, the terrifying pain had actually already subsided, but because his cultivation level suddenly dropped and that red line¡­ He looked down and glanced at his wrist. The opening appeared as the blood line broke. Even though it wasn¡¯t deep, it could be seen clearly. Since Weichi Song has already come to the Jiang residence, there¡¯s a very high chance he already knows about this blood line¡­ I have to think of a way to hide it! ¡°Invite Master Weichi to the study first! I¡¯ll go there in a while!¡± He took a deep breath in and tried hard to make his voice sound calm and normal. ¡°Yes!¡± Hearing the hurried departing footsteps outside, Jiang Yucheng held his forehead and thought deeply. Weichi Song came prepared, and it isn¡¯t that easy to lie to him¡­ ¡­ Weichi Song was originally following the subordinates into the study, but he coincidentally met with Jiang Lizuo, who had just come back. Seeing Weichi Song appearing at the Jiang residence, Jiang Lizuo was very surprised. We¡¯ve never had much interaction with Chong Xu Cabinet. Besides, the current Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ Basically nobody in Xi Ling City wants to interact with them willingly. But Jiang Lizuo still did his perfunctory work and personally entertained Weichi Song. After the duo sat down in the study, Jiang Lizuo asked Weichi Song his motive for coming to the Jiang residence. Upon hearing that Weichi Song specifically came to find Jiang Yucheng, he felt even stranger. But seeing that Weichi Song didn¡¯t seem to want to reveal anything further, he sensibly didn¡¯t continue asking and made casual talk. ¡°I heard that Chong Xu Cabinet recently accepted two outstanding disciples. I haven¡¯t had the chance to congratulate you yet.¡± Jiang Lizuo smiled politely. He had heard a little about what happened in the Wan Zheng Competition earlier. Many people didn¡¯t understand why the Chu Liuyue duo chose Chong Xu Cabinet, and he was equally curious. I wonder if Weichi Song secretly used some method, or¡­ When he heard about the Chu Liuyue duo, Weichi Song¡¯s smile became much more genuine. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s really my Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s luck to be able to have the two of them!¡± Without them, the Messed Yuan Gravel on Qing Yuan Mountain would still be spreading everywhere! Jiang Lizuo raised his brows slightly at Weichi Song¡¯s extremely proud and happy manner. Actually, I just casually mentioned it earlier. At the end of the day, it¡¯s just two children. How much can they help? Besides, I heard that the duo¡¯s family background isn¡¯t very good. Even if they are outstanding talents, they might not really become elites in the future. For more than a year, Weichi Song has always been dejected and hasn¡¯t revealed such an expression in a long time. It seems like he¡¯s really happy? Upon closer thinking, it can actually be understood. Given Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s current situation, it¡¯s indeed pretty hard for them to accept new disciples. It¡¯s no wonder Weichi Song is like this. Jiang Lizuo kept mocking the other in his heart, but he still showed looks of approval. ¡°I bet they must be amazing people for you to praise them like that! In the future, I must meet them if I have the chance! Haha!¡± Weichi Song gave him a deep and meaningful look as he smiled and said, ¡°Definitely!¡± He could naturally tell that Jiang Lizuo looked down on their Chong Xu Cabinet and everyone inside. He had already seen too many of such gazes within this year. If it were in the past, I would still feel terrible every time I see this. Thus, I gradually didn¡¯t interact much with the crowd. But things are different now. I¡¯ve already completely disregarded how those outsiders see me and whatever they think of me. When they really see Liuyue and Wanzhou¡¯s abilities in the future¡­ Tsk, I look forward to it for some reason. The two of them talked for quite some time and played Taichi. Weichi Song gradually became frustrated because of the waiting and was even more sure of his suspicions. Jiang Yucheng is inside his own residence, yet he has to take such a long time before he can go out to meet people. Nobody would believe it if they say nothing is wrong. After some time, a voice finally sounded from outside the door. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master!¡± Weichi Song looked at the door. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue arranged the gifts, she chased Qiang Wanzhou back and quietly cultivated in her room. After the water droplet in her dantian absorbed the Messed Yuan Gravel, her bodily aura seemed to have been strengthened. She circulated the force in her body, but she didn¡¯t try to break through. To other people, her improvement speed was considered normal even though it was fast. After all, she had a Dijing Yuan meridian. But Chu Liuyue clearly knew herself that her ¡®pearl of essence¡¯ was different from everybody else¡¯s. Her breakthrough speed was a little fast. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re really careful.¡± The ancestor¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, and his tone had a tinge of admiration. After this period of interacting with her, he could confirm that Chu Liuyue had even more potential than he thought. The even rarer thing was that she had extreme determination and strong control. Not many people in the world could withstand the temptation of breaking through, but Chu Liuyue did it very well. Her vision and ambition for the future were indeed different. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. The ancestor doesn¡¯t know my situation and can only forcefully feel the ripples of my surrounding strength. But based on this alone, he could guess quite a few things. He was her ancestor after all, and Chu Liuyue had no intentions of purposely hiding from him. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± Compared to her breaking through, she wanted to try practicing her Jingshen Palm. But just as she had circulated her aura, she heard Lu Zhiyao¡¯s voice from outside. ¡°Junior Sister, someone is looking for you!¡± Chapter 578 - Give Something It¡¯s already close to evening. Who would look for me at this time? Chu Liuyue stood up and walked to the door, where she saw Lu Zhiyao standing. ¡°Senior Brother Lu, you¡¯re looking for me?¡± The senior brothers and senior sisters have just met us in the afternoon, so they shouldn¡¯t come again. Lu Zhiyao¡¯s expression was strange. ¡°He¡¯s a¡­ man from outside. He said that he was looking for you, so I told him to wait at the bottom of the mountain.¡± Qing Yuan Mountain was guarded very strictly. Even though there weren¡¯t many restrictions on the Chong Xu Cabinet disciples going in and out, they were very strict toward outsiders. A man? Chu Liuyue rapidly thought for a while. I¡¯ve just come to Xi Ling not long ago. Other than this group of people in Chong Xu Cabinet, I didn¡¯t interact much with the rest. It shouldn¡¯t be Jian Fengchi or Mu Qinghe. The two of them have a large reputation in Xi Ling, and Lu Zhiyao has seen them before. Could it be someone they sent over? ¡°Did he say his identity?¡± Lu Zhiyao nodded. ¡°He said his name was Yan Qing and that he specifically came to see you.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Yan Qing?! Why is he here?! Shouldn¡¯t he be accompanying Rong Xiu at Mingyue Tianshan now? Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression change, Lu Zhiyao tried to ask, ¡°Junior Sister, you know this man?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my¡­ friend. Can I trouble you to bring him up?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. If it wasn¡¯t anything urgent, he definitely wouldn¡¯t come all the way here. Did something happen to Rong Xiu? Upon thinking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart hung high. Lu Zhiyao looked at her anxious and worried expression and couldn¡¯t help but think more. That Yan Qing looked like a talent. Does he have an extraordinary relationship with Junior Sister? If it really is so¡­ We have to help Junior Sister check him out! Thinking of this, Lu Zhiyao suddenly felt burdened with responsibility. ¡°Junior Sister, wait for a while. I¡¯ll bring him up!¡± Then, he quickly left. Looking at his quickly disappearing back view, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be dazed. For some reason, why do I feel that¡­ Lu Zhiyao seemed to really want to meet Yan Qing? ¡°Liuyue, did you hear that someone came to the mountain to look for you?¡± Chu Liuyue was in deep thought when she saw Ye Ranran suddenly appear with a curious look. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s doubtful gaze, Ye Ranran hurriedly explained, ¡°Lu Zhiyao didn¡¯t tell me! I heard it by accident! The other senior brothers and senior sisters don¡¯t know about this either!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Where are the senior brothers and senior sisters?¡± Ye Ranran¡¯s face suddenly flushed red, and she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Hm?¡± Ye Ranran inched two steps forward, looked at Chu Liuyue carefully, and slowly said, ¡°The mountain entrance.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. The mountain entrance? Isn¡¯t that where the door is? When Yan Qing comes up the stairs, they¡¯ll be able to see him at a glance. The scene of her appearing in Chong Xu Cabinet on the first day surfaced in her mind again. After climbing countless flights of stairs, she saw countless faces overwhelming with enthusiasm the moment she reached the peak. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Now, I really think that the main reason Chong Xu Cabinet landed in this state is that the disciples are way too nosy! If they don¡¯t properly cultivate, how can they become a strong warrior? Ye Ranran hurriedly explained, ¡°Um, we actually didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Just when Lu Zhiyao was coming up and was halfway up the mountain, he coincidentally met two senior sisters that just came back. Hence, he told them¡­¡± ¡°Then, with the time he took to climb the other half of the mountain, everyone knew about it?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± answered Ye Ranran softly. Even though she came earlier than Chu Liuyue and could be considered as the latter¡¯s senior sister, Chu Liuyue seemed to exude an elegant and strong aura herself. Additionally, Chu Liuyue had once taken the initiative to stand up for her, so it was hard for her to act as a senior sister in front of her. As Chu Liuyue looked at her from the corner of her eye, Ye Ranran fearfully shrunk her neck and felt guilty. Chu Liuyue walked forward. At this point, Qiang Wanzhou heard the movements and came out from the neighboring room as he looked at Chu Liuyue in confusion. It seems like she¡¯s rather concerned about this man that suddenly arrived. Ye Ranran inched toward Qiang Wanzhou and softly asked, ¡°Wanzhou, do you know that Yan Qing?¡± Qiang Wanzhou shook his head. ¡°Junior Sister, he¡¯s here!¡± Lu Zhiyao¡¯s loud voice sounded from afar. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips quivered. Is he afraid that others can¡¯t hear him? She hastened her steps and quickly saw the crowd of senior brothers and senior sisters surrounding her. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Just as she was seriously considering whether she should retreat, a senior sister coincidentally turned around and saw her. She hurriedly gasped. ¡°Junior Sister is here too!¡± The crowd kept quiet for a moment, and they fled in all directions the next moment. ¡°Junior Sister, we still have something on, so we¡¯ll leave first!¡± ¡°You guys can slowly talk, slowly talk!¡± They said they were going to leave, but their eyes kept drifting toward the bottom of the mountain. At this moment, Lu Zhiyao had already come up. Yan Qing was behind him. He was wearing black armor, and he had some bloodstains. Even though he had retracted his aura, he still had a faint murderous aura. It was as if he had just come back from a rough battle. This aura immediately made the crowd of senior brothers and senior sisters who hadn¡¯t left yet stop in their tracks. One look at this man, and one can see that he isn¡¯t simple! Why did he come to look for Junior Sister so anxiously? Chu Liuyue had never seen him like this before and was shocked by his appearance. ¡°Yan Qing?¡± Before Yan Qing came up here, he had already detected the numerous auras near the entrance, so he wasn¡¯t surprised when he saw those people. He looked up and expectedly saw Chu Liuyue with a face full of shock. He immediately walked forward and stood before Chu Liuyue as he kneeled on the ground with one leg. ¡°Yan Qing greets Ms. Liuyue!¡± The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. Oh¡­ It seems like it¡¯s not what we thought before¡­ Chu Liuyue helped him up and rapidly scanned him before knitting her brows slightly. ¡°Why did you suddenly come? And you¡¯re dressed like this. Did¡­ something happen?¡± Yan Qing shook his head. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, don¡¯t worry; Master is fine. I came here today to give you something.¡± Actually, he had already come to Xi Ling earlier on. However, he wasted some time because he didn¡¯t know where Chu Liuyue lived. He then recalled that she had already entered Chong Xu Cabinet, so she was most likely at Qing Yuan Mountain. Hence, he came over to take a look, and she was indeed here. The crowd¡¯s gazes changed again. Master? His master? Who is he to Junior Sister? Chu Liuyue felt slightly more at ease but was curious. ¡°What did he ask you to bring?¡± How important must the item be for him to be this anxious and for Yan Qing to rush over from miles away without even taking off his armor? Yan Qing took out a small jade box and presented it with his hands. Chu Liuyue took it¡ªit was just the size of half a palm. What could it contain? Kada! She opened the jade box. A faintly glowing ring was lying within quietly. Chapter 579 - Which Character ¡°This is¡­ a Cosmic Ring?¡± Chu Liuyue asked with uncertainty. Yan Qing nodded. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Could it be¡­ that Yan Qing rushed here just to deliver a Cosmic Ring? As if sensing her confusion, Yan Qing said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Liuyue, Master has asked me to deliver this into your hands personally.¡± Chu Liuyue picked up the Cosmic Ring. It was simple but elegant. It was made from neither stone nor jade, but it had a faint glow to it that made it look a little translucent. This seems to belong to¡­ a man? Chu Liuyue Ring scanned the Cosmic Ring carefully and saw a small ¡®Xiu¡¯ engraved on the inside of the ring. This is Rong Xiu¡¯s Cosmic Ring? ¡°Did he say why he wanted you to deliver this?¡± Chu Liuyue asked. Yan Qing hesitated and then shook his head. Actually¡­ Even though I didn¡¯t see the works, I have a rough idea of what Master is up to. However, it¡¯s not my place to say anything. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ll know after you put it on.¡± Chu Liuyue inserted some of her force into it and found that the seal on the ring had been wiped away. With that, the Cosmic Ring was now hers. Rong Xiu clearly did that intentionally, but why¡­ As Chu Liuyue pondered, she used her force to peek inside. She suddenly paused as her expression froze on her face. This Cosmic Ring is really advanced. It has the biggest storage space that I¡¯ve ever seen! Compared to this one, the Cosmic Rings I have are like small pockets! More importantly¡­ The inside¡­ is filled with white crystals?! Due to the large number of white crystals, they were piled together like a mountain. Hence, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know how much money was in there. In any case¡­ It was a lot! This was one of the rare moments when Chu Liuyue was dazed. There was just a single question replaying in her mind: Why is Rong Xiu so rich?! ¡°Ms. Liuyue?¡± Yan Qing called when he saw that the other was in a daze. It was only then that Chu Liuyue returned to her senses and stared at the Cosmic Ring on her hand with a complicated expression. I seem to have¡­ no understanding¡­ of my man at all¡­ Now, I finally understand why he asked Yan Qing to make the trip personally. This Cosmic Ring is far too precious! Is Rong Xiu worried that I have no money to spend? I can¡¯t think of another reason other than that¡­ ¡°Ms. Liuyue, since the item has been delivered, I¡¯ll have to return and report back,¡± Yan Qing said. I had come hastily. If I return too late, I will miss seeing Yu Mo¡¯s pathetic state. Chu Liuyue rubbed the Cosmic Ring on her hand as something welled up in her heart. Then as she hurried back into her room, she said, ¡°Hang on. Help me bring a letter back.¡± Yan Qing followed after her and waited respectfully outside the door. This time, Lu Zhiyao and the others didn¡¯t follow them. However, they communicated fervently with their eyes. So this Yan Qing isn¡¯t Junior Sister¡¯s beloved! His master must be, right? Isn¡¯t Junior Sister only 14? Why is she already engaged? I wonder who¡¯s so lucky¡­ By the way, when can we meet that person? What if he¡¯s not good enough for Junior Sister? Didn¡¯t you see that Yan Qing¡¯s murderous aura? He has hidden his ability; his true ability is definitely stronger than ours! As for his master¡­ Isn¡¯t he only going to be stronger? Junior Sister is good at everything, so I¡¯m sure her taste is great too! What about Junior Brother? Tsk, can¡¯t you all tell that Junior Sister treats him like she¡¯s raising a child? Yan Qing was waiting outside the door when he suddenly saw a teenage boy walk past him and into the room. He paused and then looked up. The teenage boy was extremely skinny. He had a head of soft golden hair, and his skin was so pale that it was almost transparent. Even though it was a brief glance, it was clear that his features were very¡­ exquisite. Even though this wasn¡¯t the best term for describing a teenage boy, it was the first word that popped up in Yan Qing¡¯s mind when he saw the other. The boy looked to be in his teens, and he had both a youthful aura and a rebellious air. He was a contradictory combination of simplicity and complexity. While he was thinking, the teen had walked over to Chu Liuyue and had begun to help her grind her inkstone. The teenage boy didn¡¯t say anything from start to end, and his expression was plain. However, his actions were smooth and familiar. It was as if he had done this multiple times. Chu Liuyue looked at Qiang Wanzhou in surprise. When did this child become so smart? Looking at his familiar manner, he must¡¯ve done this often in the past¡­ She curled her lips into a smile and dipped her brush in ink. She then pondered for a moment before she began writing. Yan Qing raised his eyebrows. Wh-what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t Ms. Liuyue follow Jian Fengchi to Xi Ling? Other than Mu Qinghe and Jian Fengchi, there shouldn¡¯t be any other people that she¡¯s familiar with. However, this teenage boy looks rather close to her. When did someone like this appear by Ms. Liuyue¡¯s side? As Yan Qing scrutinized them, he began discrediting Yue Ling for not reporting something this big! If Master finds out¡­ Yan Qing felt chills run down his spine. Chapter 580 - Taking it Back Chu Liuyue quickly finished writing the letter and placed it into the envelope. She then walked out and handed it to Yan Qing. ¡°Yan Qing, please pass this letter to him on my behalf.¡± Yan Qing took it from her with both hands and replied respectfully. ¡°Yes. Please rest assured, Ms. Liuyue. I¡¯ll make sure he gets it.¡± Chu Liuyue trusted Yan Qing. ¡°I can tell you made this trip in a rush, so I won¡¯t hold you any longer.¡± Yan Qing cupped his fists. ¡°Take care, Ms. Liuyue. I¡¯ll be taking my leave first.¡± With that, he carefully put away the envelope before turning and leaving. The mountain peak was silent long after Yan Qing had disappeared from sight. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes swept across the crowd. ¡°Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, is there anything you¡¯d like to ask?¡± Everyone immediately returned to their senses. ¡°No, no! Junior Sister, you¡¯re busy, so we¡¯ll get going first!¡± With that, they each left quickly, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Lu Zhiyao had more questions, but Ye Ranran pulled him away. Qiang Wanzhou glanced at the Cosmic Ring on Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. His eyes darkened, but he didn¡¯t say anything and returned to his room. Chu Liuyue raised her hand. The Cosmic Ring was a little big for her, so she placed it on her thumb. Light fell between her fingers, and the Cosmic Ring seemed to have turned clearer. Kacha! A small sound came from it, and then a crack appeared on the Cosmic Ring she was wearing on her other hand. That was her first Cosmic Ring. Even though it wasn¡¯t of high grade and its space wasn¡¯t very big, she didn¡¯t remove it since she had gotten used to it. However, it cracked? Chu Liuyue removed it and looked at the crack regretfully. It seems like there is no saving it. She returned to her room and removed everything from the Cosmic Ring, tidied the items up, and placed them in the ring that Rong Xiu gave her. Even though there were countless white crystals in it, there was still a lot of space within. It was more than enough to hold all of Chu Liuyue¡¯s things. Suddenly, the sound of something cracking sounded again. Chu Liuyue looked over. There were a few more Cosmic Rings placed by her side. Those were still the ones she had gotten from Jian Fengchi. There were a total of eight rings, each with large sums of money in them. Now, there was also a crack on one of them. Chu Liuyue could only transfer everything into the new Cosmic Ring. Just as she had done that, the third Cosmic Ring cracked as well! Chu Liuyue stared at the crack, and she finally realized something as she stared at the Cosmic Ring with a faint glow. It seems like¡­ it¡¯s because of this¡­ As if to confirm her hypothesis, the remaining Cosmic Rings cracked one after another! There were none left in the end! By the time Chu Liuyue had transferred all the items into her new ring, the old rings had quietly turned into dust! Chu Liuyue stared at the powder all over her table and then glanced at the Cosmic Ring on her hand before she curled her lips into a smile. ¡­ Jiang residence. Weichi Song stared closely at Jiang Yucheng, and he narrowed his eyes. Jiang Yucheng¡­ has entirely covered up his aura! He seems to have used a Yuan instrument that can conceal his level. By doing this, nobody can detect his true ability. Weichi Song knew almost instantly that Jiang Yucheng was the culprit! ¡°Father, Master Weichi.¡± Jiang Yucheng walked in with a straight face. He sat down next to Jiang Lizuo and across from Weichi Song after he greeted the two of them. ¡°Master Weichi, what brings you here today?¡± Jiang Yucheng had an impeccably polite smile on his face. Weichi Song looked at Jiang Lizuo hesitantly. Jiang Lizuo scoffed to himself but laughed out loud. ¡°Since Yucheng is here, I¡¯ll take my leave to handle some matters!¡± With that, he left resolutely. When the door closed again, Jiang Yucheng turned toward Weichi Song again. ¡°Master Weichi, can you tell me what the matter is now?¡± Weichi Song didn¡¯t immediately reply to the other¡¯s question. Instead, he scanned Jiang Yucheng with a cold, sharp gaze. After a while, he asked, ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, why is there the smell of blood on you?¡± Jiang Yucheng froze. I made sure to clean off the blood on myself before coming, and I even made sure to change. How did Weichi Song find out? He forced himself to regain composure before he smiled. ¡°Master Weichi is formidable. You even managed to detect this.¡± As he spoke, he raised his hand. ¡°I accidentally cut my hand, and I dealt with it hastily. It¡¯s no wonder you smelled the blood.¡± There was blood seeping out of the bandage on his hand. He had clearly just been injured, but nobody could see what the wound looked like. Weichi Song¡¯s expression turned dark. Could there really be something so coincidental in this world? I wanted to check Jiang Yucheng¡¯s cultivation level, but it¡¯s concealed. I wanted to check Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arm, but it¡¯s cut and wrapped up. His wrist is also concealed by baggy sleeves and can¡¯t be seen clearly. He really put in a lot of effort¡­ Weichi Song laughed to himself coldly. By trying to cover things up, Jiang Yucheng is exposing himself! ¡°I see. But Eldest Young Master Jiang, you should be more careful. This time is a cut, but it might not be so next time¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes widened. Weichi Song¡­ is warning me? ¡°Today, I am here for one thing.¡± Weichi Song seemed not to have detected Jiang Yucheng¡¯s change and decisively changed topics. ¡°I believe that the key to Thousand View Garden is with you?¡± Upon hearing ¡®Thousand View Garden,¡¯ Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He pulled his stiff face into a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m keeping the key to that place safe. Master Weichi, why are you asking about this?¡± Weichi Song sighed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing major. It¡¯s just that while I was at Thousand View Garden the other day, I recalled that I had gifted the Princess a number of things before. She had placed them in the instrument room at Thousand View Garden. Now that she¡¯s gone, I was thinking of taking the items back as a memento.¡± Jiang Yucheng frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯re saying that there are items that belong to you in the instrument room?¡± Weichi Song nodded before he began listing them out. ¡°There was the roaming dragon wolf pen I carved for her on her tenth birthday, the instrument pick that I prepared for her on her thirteenth birthday, and the one I gifted before her marriage to you¡­¡± He suddenly paused. The room instantly fell silent. Chapter 581 - Jingshen Palm ¡°Cough¡­ My memory is failing me. It¡¯s all in the past¡­ There¡¯s no point in talking about it again¡­ Besides, you¡¯re now engaged to the Third Princess¡­¡± A flash of disappointment and apprehension streaked across his face as Weichi Song seemingly realized his faux pas belatedly. ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t mind this, right?¡± ¡°Why would I? Besides, you¡¯re not wrong after all¡­ But there are certain things that can¡¯t be salvaged once they happen¡­¡± The smile on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face stiffened even more, and it took him some effort to suppress his rising anger before he continued speaking. ¡°Are you saying that you want to take back those items?¡± With a bitter laugh, Weichi Song said, ¡°I have no choice either. I lost almost all of the items that had to do with the late Crown Princess during that incident a year ago. On top of that, Chong Xu Cabinet is now unable to make ends meet¡­ Those items are the only things I can use to reminisce about the times I spent with her.¡± Irritation grew in Jiang Yucheng when he heard what the elderly man said. Still, he forced himself to wait patiently for the other to finish speaking before he said, ¡°I can understand your feelings, Cabinet Master, but why don¡¯t we do this instead? I¡¯ll retrieve those items on your behalf and have them sent to Chong Xu Cabinet once they¡¯re packed.¡± An awkward look surfaced on Weichi Song¡¯s face. ¡°That works too, but those items are rather delicate and fragile. I don¡¯t want to trouble anyone, so it¡¯s better if I collect them myself!¡± ¡°Cabinet Master, it¡¯s not that I refuse to pass you the key, but you should know that the late Crown Princess cared a lot about that place when she was still alive. It¡¯s very important to both her and us, so we¡¯ve been doing our best to maintain the place in its original condition, lest it gets destroyed,¡± explained Jiang Yucheng somewhat coldly with a stiff smile. ¡°The best way for you to collect your items is with my help. Don¡¯t worry about troubling me, and just feel free to tell me what those items are. I¡¯ll definitely send them to you in the condition they are in.¡± What Jiang Yucheng said might sound relatively polite, but it also carried tinges of irrefutable authority. The average person would give up just like that when they realized that he had no intention of handing the key over, but Weichi Song wasn¡¯t the average person. Besides, he was here to find trouble with the other in the first place. Thus, Weichi Song stubbornly insisted, ¡°It¡¯ll just take me a moment. I promise that I won¡¯t damage anything in there.¡± ¡°Master Weichi¡ª¡± ¡°What, are you doubting my ability? Or perhaps¡­ my integrity?¡± Weichi Song cut in with a glare. Jiang Yucheng already had a guilty conscience, so when he was faced with Weichi Song¡¯s cynical scrutiny, he dared not meet the other¡¯s eyes and could only shift his gaze away silently. ¡°Since you¡¯re so insistent about it, why don¡¯t I go with you instead?¡± He wants to keep an eye on me? Looking much more relaxed, Weichi Song answered, ¡°Sure!¡± Although Jiang Yucheng felt aggrieved, this was¡ªunfortunately¡ªthe only way he could send Weichi Song away for now. ¡°I still have matters to settle, so I¡¯ll take my leave now. I¡±ll see you tomorrow at Xin Li Garden,¡± Weichi Song told him. Just as Jiang Yucheng was about to tell the elderly man that he wasn¡¯t free the next day, the latter had already risen to his feet and was all ready to leave. ¡°Oh right. Although you only suffered a minor injury, do spend more time on recuperation. After all, there are many things that need your attention now. You can¡¯t afford to have anything happen to you, right?¡± Feeling even guiltier than ever, Jiang Yucheng could only swallow his words and stand up to see Weichi Song out. It was only after the latter left the Jiang residence that his expression completely changed. I was in such a hurry that I didn¡¯t have the time to find a better way to conceal my aura. I bet Weichi Song¡¯s suspicion hasn¡¯t been dispelled completely, so he¡¯ll definitely continue to sound me out. ¡°Sun Qi.¡± ¡°Yes, Master?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going into seclusion today, so nobody is allowed to disturb me!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡­ As the night curtain fell, the moon shone brightly from above. While sitting cross-legged in her room, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were closed in concentration. The force in her body was slowly but steadily circulating around, and her aura was gradually intensifying. As she recalled the Jingshen Finger technique, she stretched out her right hand and channeled her force toward her index finger. When a small point of starlight appeared at her fingertip, a powerful suppression slowly spread across the room from above. She then began recalling the Jingshen Palm technique. The entire collection of Ultimate Jingshen¡ªwhich included Jingshen Finger, Jingshen Palm, and Jingshen Fist¡ªwas engraved on the four walls of the top floor of Tai Yan Academy¡¯s library. The difficulty of the techniques increased corresponding to the skill level¡ªwith Jingshen Fist being the hardest. She had memorized the three techniques so well that she could almost recite them backward. The first time she practiced Jingshen Finger, she had tried thousands of times before she finally succeeded. After that, whenever she had time, she would practice it over and over again. But now that she had finally mastered it, she could start learning Jingshen Palm. In her mind, silver light slowly came together to form a blurry figure. She could vaguely make out that it was a man, but that was all to it. When he raised his hand, a small point of starlight appeared on the tip of his index finger, which then split into several little stars and lightly landed on his other fingers. The silver light then enveloped his entire hand in a flash, and the man pushed his palm out with a twist of his wrist. Tens of thousands of light points bloomed in the air. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and took a look at her right hand. Gathering all her concentration, she stared fixedly at the starlight on her fingertip and tried to disperse it. Alas, the starlight showed no reaction. It seemed that she had expected this outcome, for she showed no signs of surprise or disappointment on her face. Instead, she continued practicing with more determination. Back then, she had failed countless times before she finally succeeded in producing a point of starlight on her fingertip. Hence, it was only natural that things would be more difficult for her this time since splitting the starlight required even more concentration from her. She circulated the force in her body and attempted it once more, but she was met with failure, failure, and more failures. ¡­ Moonlight spilled in from the window and elongated Chu Liuyue¡¯s shadow as it shone on her still figure. She had never once stopped staring at her own palm. If not for the constant flow of force around her, one would almost think that she was a statue. Concentrated force would flow out from her dantian and spread to her four limbs with each attempt, strengthening and broadening her Yuan meridian in the process. Time flew by, and the night was soon over. When the morning sunlight shone into the room, Chu Liuyue finally managed to split the starlight into two, with one landing on her thumb. She now had two small but faint silver light points flickering on her hand. Chapter 582 - You Didn’t Say You’d Be Bringing Her Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t hide her glee as she looked at the two light points on her hand, which vanished when she lifted her fingers. There¡¯s finally some progress! Although I only managed to split the starlight into two, it¡¯s already a very good start! After circulating her force for one Heavenly Cycle, she went to wash up before exiting her room to head to the medicinal garden alone. Despite having stayed up all night, she was in great spirits and didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. The planted herbs in the garden were slowly growing and didn¡¯t wither quickly like before. As she carefully tended to the garden, her seniors arrived one after another. They weren¡¯t here to see her this time but to check on the herbs. Despite the Cabinet Master¡¯s assurance that the garden had returned to normal, they couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. Thus, they came here to check on the herbs in the early morning. They didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be here even earlier than them though. On top of that, from the way she tended to the herbs, it was clear that she was very familiar and good at taking care of them! Amidst their delight, their admiration for her grew even more. It turns out that our junior is even more capable than we expected! Even Elder Xia Yi had come to check the garden. But unlike the others, he didn¡¯t comment on it much. All he did was walk up to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and earnestly express his gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Liuyue.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked in confusion, but she soon realized that he must¡¯ve learned about the Messed Yuan Gravel matter when she saw his expression. Her eyes formed crescents as she said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me, Elder Xia Yi. I was merely doing my duties as a Chong Xu Cabinet disciple.¡± Are we on our lucky break? Did the heavens finally decide to make it up to us for the many trials and tribulations we¡¯ve gone through? wondered Elder Xia Yi. Mixed emotions churned within him as he sighed, feeling slightly regretful that both Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou had chosen Weichi Song to be their master. ¡°To be honest, my cultivation is on par with the Cabinet Master¡¯s. Why didn¡¯t you guys choose me?¡± He stroked his beard and then added, ¡°Hehe. Before the two of you came, the Cabinet Master would stay up on the mountain for months in a row. But now that he has gained two new disciples, he¡¯s always leaving the mountain¡­¡± Only then did Chu Liuyue remember that she hadn¡¯t seen her master around ever since he went to the Jiang residence yesterday, so she couldn¡¯t ask him how the visit went. ¡°He¡¯s going down again?¡± ¡°Yeah, he just left! He should be halfway down the mountain by now.¡± Did he fail to see Jiang Yucheng yesterday, so he¡¯s going there again? wondered Chu Liuyue in puzzlement. ¡°Elder Xia Yi, do you know what my master is going to do today? Is he¡­ going to the Jiang residence?¡± Elder Xia Yi shook his head. ¡°No, he¡¯s going to Xin Li Garden today.¡± Chu Liuyue was surprised to hear that. Why is he going there again? Upon seeing her look of astonishment, Elder Xia Yi explained, ¡°He¡¯s there to take some things. As you probably know, he used to be on close terms with the late Crown Princess. She placed quite a number of things there¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Are you saying that he¡¯s going to the zither room?¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± asked Elder Xia Yi in surprise. Pausing, Chu Liuyue said lightly, ¡°Uh¡­ I heard him mention it before¡­¡± Elder Xia Yi nodded, not doubting her words in the slightest. ¡°I see. You¡¯re right though¡ªhe¡¯s indeed going there. I think he intends to take those items back¡­ He mentioned this before, but because he was afraid that he might become sad and depressed seeing those things, he thought it¡¯d be best to just leave them there. I don¡¯t know what made him change his mind though¡­¡± A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head right then. The legendary three-eyed eagle previously mentioned that the purplish-gold Buddha leaf was near the zither room! If I can tag along with Weichi Song¡­ I¡¯ll have a valid reason to enter that place! She then immediately said goodbye to Elder Xia Yi and left in a hurry. Elder Xia Yi was confused as he watched her figure disappear into the distance. Why is it that both master and disciple are acting a little strangely? ¡­ Chu Liuyue ran as fast as possible and finally caught up to Weichi Song when he was about to reach the foot of the mountain. ¡°Master!¡± Weichi Song looked back. ¡°Liuyue? Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue walked briskly to his side, her forehead dotted with beads of sweat. ¡°Master, I heard from Elder Xia Yi that you¡¯re going to Xin Li Garden today. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Weichi Song nodded. Upon noticing her hurried look, he said, ¡°Oh right. I wanted to look for you and Wanzhou when I came back yesterday, but I didn¡¯t want to disturb the two of you since you guys seemed to be in the middle of cultivating.¡± Chu Liuyue had given Qiang Wanzhou a few more pills yesterday, so he was indeed currently trying to expel the cold qi in his body. She felt her heart squeeze when she heard what Weichi Song said. ¡°¡­So¡­ How did the visit go?¡± Pausing for a short moment, Weichi Song lowered his voice and slowly said, ¡°He concealed his aura, and his hand was injured¡­ Although I don¡¯t have any evidence yet, he¡¯s likely to be the culprit.¡± I was right! thought Chu Liuyue with bated breath. She was already more or less certain that the culprit was Jiang Yucheng when the various pieces of evidence they found pointed to him. Hence, she wasn¡¯t too surprised to hear this conclusion. That said, mixed emotions arose within her. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t let the people around me off even after my death. Chong Xu Cabinet was only implicated because of me. After much deliberation, she finally said, ¡°Master, I¡¯d like to follow you to Xin Li Garden.¡± Weichi Song froze for a moment. He wasn¡¯t too approving of her request. ¡°Liuyue, I¡¯m actually going there because¡ª¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him firmly. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll be of help to you?¡± Weichi Song fell silent for a long while. He could tell that Chu Liuyue really wanted to go with him. She probably knows that I¡¯m going to the zither room to take things¡­ In that case, there must be a reason for her persistence. ¡°Master?¡± Upon hearing the hint of eagerness in her voice, Weichi Song made up his mind. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll take you there on the condition that you stay by my side and not rashly act when we get there.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± said Chu Liuyue immediately. ¡°Come on; let¡¯s go!¡± The last of Weichi Song¡¯s hesitation completely disappeared when he saw her sparkling, crescent eyes. Since she doesn¡¯t want to tell me anything, I won¡¯t ask her any questions then. How can I not trust her when she has put her life at stake for Chong Xu Cabinet? Regardless, I just have to do my best to protect her. ¡­ By the time Weichi Song and Chu Liuyue arrived at Xin Li Garden¡¯s entrance, Jiang Yucheng was already there waiting for them. The latter¡¯s brows slightly furrowed when he noticed the female following behind the elder. Why is Chu Liuyue here too? Looking calm and composed, Jiang Yucheng walked up to them and greeted, ¡°Master Weichi.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze landed on Jiang Yucheng for a moment before she quickly withdrew it. Just as I expected. He¡¯s using a Yuan instrument to conceal his aura, and the bandage on his hand has obviously been replaced with a new one. I can¡¯t tell anything from the looks of it. Standing in front of Weichi Song, Jiang Yucheng flashed a small smile at him. ¡°Master Weichi, I don¡¯t think you mentioned anything about bringing an outsider with you yesterday.¡± Chapter 583 - Worlds Apart Weichi Song smilingly said, ¡°It just so happens that I have some errands for Liuyue to run, so I brought her along with me. Surely Eldest Young Master Jiang won¡¯t mind this?¡± Despite the smile on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face, his voice turned a little cold and detached. ¡°It¡¯s just that the zither room¡­ is a rather special place. I¡¯ve already made an exception for you by accompanying you there. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t allow outsiders inside.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows a notch. Outsiders? Jiang Yucheng sure has a way with words now. He hasn¡¯t even truly become a prince consort, yet he¡¯s already throwing his weight around without any care that he might get himself in trouble because of this. The zither room belongs to me in the first place, so why is he acting like he¡¯s the owner of the room now? What Jiang Yucheng said about Chu Liuyue being an outsider upset Weichi Song greatly, and it showed on his face. ¡°Liuyue is one of my last few disciples, not a random outsider. I hope you¡¯ll be careful with your words, Eldest Young Master Jiang.¡± Weichi Song values Chu Liuyue a lot, huh? Jiang Yucheng hadn¡¯t expected Weichi Song to have such a strong reaction over a passing comment he made about Chu Liuyue¡ªsomeone he didn¡¯t even have any regards for. He laughed it off and offered an apology to the other. ¡°Please simmer down and don¡¯t get offended by the thoughtless remark I made, Master Weichi. I was just trying to protect the late Crown Princess¡¯s zither room¡­¡± ¡°Liuyue is a sensible kid. Besides, I¡¯m the one who brought her here, so you don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± Ever since Weichi Song found out that Jiang Yucheng was most likely the mastermind of the attack on Chong Xu Cabinet, he had little patience for the latter. Even the way he spoke to the latter had gotten much firmer. At a loss for words, Jiang Yucheng could only say, ¡°Of course. Please follow me¡­¡± Thereafter, he took the lead to walk into Xin Li Garden. Weichi Song and Chu Liuyue promptly followed closely behind him. As Jiang Yucheng led the way, he couldn¡¯t help but find it strange that Weichi Song had seemingly changed a lot lately. Weichi Song used to be very decrepit and wasn¡¯t concerned about a lot of things. As long as one didn¡¯t cross the line, the elderly man tended to let things pass. But now, he appears a lot more spirited and sharper than before. Could it be because of the Messed Yuan Gravel? Based on the news I received, Qiang Wanzhou is from Nan Jiang. If my guess is correct, he¡¯s probably the one who discovered the Messed Yuan Gravel. Then, it boils down to this question: Who dealt with it? Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to come up with an answer even after thinking about it for the entire night. Weichi Song hasn¡¯t recovered from his injuries, so it can¡¯t be him. That leaves only Xia Yi¡­ who is most likely the one that got rid of the Messed Yuan Gravel. Soon, the trio arrived at Thousand View Garden. Although Chu Liuyue was calmly following along without turning her head around, she was secretly determining the locations of the guards around them. Nobody was more familiar with everything about this place than her. She knew best where the guards were stationed and hidden. The guards stationed around were clearly somewhat fewer compared to last time. That said, the security was still very tight, and it was even more so as they got closer to the zither room. Chu Liuyue sneered inwardly to herself. Why would Jiang Yucheng even need to guard this place so tightly if he doesn¡¯t have a guilty conscience? He even offered to accompany Weichi Song in person to collect the items. Hah, is he afraid of being discovered? After walking some distance, a lake appeared in front of them. On it was a winding passage that led to a small, exquisite building on the opposite end. It was quiet and peaceful there, and that used to be her zither room. Whenever she was bored or feeling down, she would always go there. However, she felt different when seeing it again this time, for this was the very place she drank the last cup of tea Jiang Yucheng brewed for her. Everything drastically changed from that moment, which also meant that this was the place where Jiang Yucheng had officially started plotting against her. It was why he paid so much attention to this place. Stopping in front of them, Jiang Yucheng turned around and said, ¡°Master Weichi, the zither room is just further ahead. I¡¯ll accompany you inside, but¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile when his gaze landed on her. ¡°Master, just go ahead with Eldest Young Master Jiang. I¡¯ll wait here for you.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right back,¡± said Weichi Song with a nod. After that, he and Jiang Yucheng headed for the zither room through the winding passage. Chu Liuyue stood in place as she smilingly watched the two of them leave. All of a sudden, Jiang Yucheng turned his head back upon sensing something. Right by the lake stood a lady in red. There was a faint smile on her beautiful face as she looked at him from afar. Due to the distance between them, her appearance and figure were a little blurry, but it was exactly because of this that she resembled another person a lot. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat as a similar scene of a smiling, slender woman in an exquisite palace gown came to his mind. She was elegant and beautiful. Like the dazzling sun hanging high above the clouds, she had a magnetic pull so strong that people couldn¡¯t help but admire her, let alone say anything bad about her. She, too, used to smile at him like that by the lake. The two figures then slowly overlapped each other, leaving Jiang Yucheng in a confused state. Due to this, he closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, he realized that Chu Liuyue had already sat down on the jade stone wall¡ªwhich was set with carefully selected clear jade stones that reflected rays of light when the water rippled¡ªby the lake. Just when the two figures were about to merge, they suddenly separated. Jiang Yucheng shook his head hard in contempt before turning his head away. As expected. A lowborn like her doesn¡¯t have any deportment at all. If it was¡­ Anyway, they¡¯re worlds apart. Sitting on the jade wall, Chu Liuyue gently swung her legs while caressing the jade stone beside her. Chapter 584 - Something Is Fishy Xin Li Garden existed even during my ancestor¡¯s time. It underwent a thorough refurbishment when my father gave it to me, and he even sought my opinion on a lot of things at that time. Everything here was practically done up according to my likings, and Thousand View Garden in particular¡­ was almost entirely done up by myself. The clear jade stones underneath Chu Liuyue were arranged in an irregular but uniquely beautiful pattern, which was formed with different shapes and colors. Rays of light were reflected off this jade wall when the lake water rippled in the breeze. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes as if she was captivated by the sight. After watching her for a while, the guards paid no attention to her because they thought it was only natural for her to find everything here novel since she came from a lesser kingdom outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. She let her gaze linger on the wall for a little longer before she retracted it. She couldn¡¯t help but feel glad that the things here hadn¡¯t been touched. It looks like Jiang Yucheng hasn¡¯t discovered this place¡¯s secrets during the past year or so. One of the main reasons that she had exhausted so much manpower and resources to renovate Xin Li Garden was that there were many secret mechanisms¡ªwhich had lost their functions due to the years of wear and tear¡ªhidden around here. Naturally, her familiarity with this place included the knowledge of them as well. Back then, Jiang Yucheng often came here to accompany her. During their conversations, he would casually drop a question or two about the secret mechanisms, but she only told him about the less important ones. It was purely for the sake of leaving a space for herself that she never revealed the important mechanisms¡ªespecially the one in the zither room¡ªto him. But judging by the current situation, she felt really thankful that she didn¡¯t mention anything about them. Jiang Yucheng has always thought that the mechanism here is at the winding passage, but in reality¡­ It¡¯s actually hidden on top of the jade wall. Feeling slightly at ease after making sure that everything was still intact, Chu Liuyue glanced in the direction of the zither room that was across the lake. There, Jiang Yucheng had just taken out a key to open the zither room. After unlocking the door, he pushed it open and entered the room along with Weichi Song. ¡­ The zither room wasn¡¯t big and only had two floors. A somewhat bitter but refreshing scent wafted to their noses as soon as the door was opened. ¡°Is that¡­ the smell of rosin?¡± asked Weichi Song in a daze. Standing next to him, Jiang Yucheng nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When Weichi Song¡¯s gaze landed on the antique zither that was placed right in the middle of the room, he walked over to it. It was a phoenix-tailed zither carved from red cedar and golden silk wood, and it had a rich red-brown hue all over its body. Delicate golden threads could be seen when the sunlight shone on them. One of the strings, however, was broken. ¡°I come here every other month to apply a coat of rosin on this zither,¡± explained Jiang Yucheng. Weichi Song frowned when he noticed the broken string. ¡°What happened¡ª¡± ¡°It snapped when she played the zither for the last time. I wanted to get someone to repair it at first, but after much consideration, I decided to leave it alone. This is the late Crown Princess¡¯s favorite zither. Even if it¡¯s repaired, she¡¯s no longer around to play it. It¡¯ll only make us more miserable,¡± said Jiang Yucheng lightly. Weichi Song nodded despite his agony. This is the first time I¡¯ve come here ever since she passed away more than a year ago. I thought time had healed everything, but now that I¡¯m here in person, I realized that¡¯s not the case at all. The pain still feels as fresh as before. ¡°Master Weichi, everything here is the same as before. Just take whatever you want,¡± reminded Jiang Yucheng. After taking a deep breath, Weichi Song looked at his surroundings before he took a few items from the first floor. Jiang Yucheng stayed by his side throughout, feeling relieved when the other had only taken the things he mentioned to him the day before. But when the latter wanted to go up to the second floor, his expression suddenly changed. ¡°Master Weichi, haven¡¯t you already taken all the things you want?¡± ¡°Oh, what I told you previously was just a portion of it. There should be some more on the second floor. What, is the second floor off limits?¡± Jiang Yucheng squeezed out a smile as he clenched his fists tightly. ¡°How can that be? I¡¯ll follow you up.¡± After that, he took the lead to head upstairs first. Weichi Song narrowed his eyes as he followed him up. There were much fewer things on the second floor, but they were all well-placed. Weichi Song surveyed his surroundings before picking up two items. He found it strange that Jiang Yucheng was behaving so nervously when nothing seemed to be amiss with the second floor. ¡°Have you taken all your belongings, Master Weichi?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng. He¡¯s chasing me away. Weichi Song took another look at the second floor before he finally decided to leave. But just as he was heading downstairs, something caught his eyes, which made him frown. He calmly continued walking down the stairs when he heard Jiang Yucheng¡¯s footsteps behind him and only stopped when he walked by the zither. ¡°This zither¡­ is really a waste¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng couldn¡¯t detect Weichi Song¡¯s insinuation and only thought that he was missing the zither¡¯s owner. Thus, he said, ¡°Yeah. Not only is the string broken, but its owner is also no longer around. I¡¯m afraid nobody in this world can play the zither as well as the late Crown Princess.¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± Weichi Song suddenly said. ¡°You were saying that the string accidentally snapped while she was playing the zither?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You were here with her at that time?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze flickered. ¡°No, she mentioned it to me the next day when we met.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Weichi Song mumbled before adding, ¡°I¡¯m sure she must¡¯ve felt terrible back then. This was her most beloved zither after all.¡± Feeling uneasy over the way Weichi Song spoke, Jiang Yucheng hummed assent and said nothing else. He then saw the former walking toward the exit. He was just about to do the same when he suddenly heard Weichi Song say, ¡°I can go back with Liuyue myself. You don¡¯t have to see us out, Eldest Young Master Jiang.¡± It suited Jiang Yucheng just fine since he had no plans of doing that either. Thus, he agreed to it. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go back and apply another coat of rosin on the zither.¡± When Chu Liuyue looked up, she saw Weichi Song walking toward her while Jiang Yucheng turned around and entered the room again. She stood up and was just about to speak when she noticed Weichi Song looking a little off. Puzzled, she called, ¡°¡­Master?¡± But all Weichi Song said was: ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask him any questions. Instead, she just nodded and left together with him. ¡­ The moment Jiang Yucheng returned to the zither room and closed the door behind him, his expression immediately sank. Why did Weichi Song suddenly ask all those questions just now? Everything was fine before that¡­ Don¡¯t tell me he discovered something? But¡­ that can¡¯t be the case! I¡¯ve already tidied up the entire place beforehand! He couldn¡¯t figure out the reason no matter how he thought about it. Thus, he could only put his suspicion aside. I was probably just overthinking it¡­ ¡­ Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue and Weichi Song had left Xin Li Garden. Neither spoke the entire way, and it was only until they reached a secluded pathway that the latter stopped. He bent slightly at the waist as he put a hand on the wall to support himself. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master?¡± Chapter 585 - Yu Xiang Hall Weichi Song¡¯s other hand was gripping his chest tightly as he gasped violently for air. Sweat kept dripping down his forehead, and his face had turned ghastly pale. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in shock. Did something happen in there? But nothing seemed off about them when they came out of the room earlier¡­ A crisp cracking sound was heard when Weichi Song exerted too much of his force into his hand and crushed the wall as a result. Feeling even more worried, Chu Liuyue moved to support him, only to realize that he was trembling badly. ¡°¡­L-Little Crescent¡­¡± cried Weichi Song with much difficulty. Feeling deep shock and anger, he spoke through clenched teeth. ¡°It was him¡­ It really was him¡­¡± Chu Liuyue froze. Is he talking about¡­ ¡°It really was him!¡± Weichi Song slammed his fist against the wall so hard that cracked lines instantly appeared on it. Chu Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°Master, we should go back first. There are people walking about here.¡± What she said made Weichi Song return to his senses. Slowly, he straightened his back and pushed her hands away. His expression had returned to normal, save for the hints of wariness and hatred that hadn¡¯t faded from his eyes. Although Chu Liuyue was very curious about what happened earlier, this was clearly not the time for her to ask questions. Weichi Song stood in place for a while and only looked at Chu Liuyue when he regained his composure. He said apologetically to her, ¡°Did I scare you, Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s all good as long as you¡¯re fine.¡± Weichi Song, however, suddenly revealed a mocking smile. Nothing is wrong with me. I merely¡­ discovered something shocking¡­ Jiang Yucheng¡ªhe needs to die a horrible death! ¡°Liuyue, you go back first. I want to be alone,¡± said Weichi Song tiredly. Chu Liuyue hesitated a little before saying, ¡°Alright. Please be careful, Master.¡± Weichi Song nodded and looked at her, feeling somewhat consoled. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Liuyue¡­¡± Chu Liuyue flashed him a smile and then turned around to leave. After she left, Weichi Song stood there for a long time before turning to leave in another direction. ¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t head back to Chong Xu Cabinet right away. Instead, she went to Xi Ling City¡¯s largest auction house¡ªYu Xiang Hall. It was a reputable and popular auction house because it could always get its hands on rare treasures. Many of the rich people in Xi Ling City liked to shop there in hopes of coming across something they liked. Sometimes, items could even be sold at rocket-high prices because of the fierce bidding going on between them. Chu Liuyue visited the auction house in plain clothes many times during her past life. She, too, had also bought many things she fancied from this place. Standing at Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s entrance were two good-looking pageboys. Both were formidable stage-six warriors, which showed how powerful Yu Xiang Hall was. There weren¡¯t many customers here today. In fact, other than the times when the rich and powerful people in Xi Ling would gather for the monthly auctions, it was relatively quiet in Yu Xiang Hall most of the time. After all, the average commoners weren¡¯t even qualified to enter Yu Xiang Hall for the normal auctions. The pageboys¡¯ eyes lit up when they saw Chu Liuyue heading toward the entrance. She looked no more than 16 years of age, but from her outstanding appearance and air of nobility, they could tell that she was no ordinary person even though she was an unfamiliar face to them. Since when did a noble lady like her appear in Xi Ling City? ¡°May I know your surname, Miss?¡± One of the pageboys walked up toward her with a polite and eager smile on his face. ¡°Chu,¡± answered Chu Liuyue. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any big shot with that surname in the city. Although she¡¯s simply dressed, she has a unique presence to her. To play it safe, I¡¯d better serve her well. The pageboy then said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you around before, Ms. Chu? This must be your first time here, am I right?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Then, you might not be familiar with how Yu Xiang Hall works. First-timers have to pay a certain fee before they¡¯re allowed inside.¡± Yu Xiang Hall must be the only shop in Xi Ling City that dares to ask money from their customers before they even step into the place, thought Chu Liuyue. ¡°We have three tiers in all. The first tier¡ªwhich is the most common of all¡ªcosts 10 white crystals, while the second and third tiers cost 50 and 100 white crystals respectively. The higher the tier, the better your seat will be.¡± Chu Liuyue proceeded to take out some money from her Cosmic Ring. ¡°Here are 100 white crystals.¡± Shock flashed across the pageboy¡¯s eyes when he noticed the Cosmic Ring on her hand. Those who could work at Yu Xiang Hall all had the ability to make discerning judgments, so he could tell that the Cosmic Ring was of a very high grade with just a glance. Immediately, he respectfully took the money from her and said, ¡°Please enter, Ms. Chu.¡± The other pageboy came forward and presented a gold tag that had the number ¡¯16¡¯ written on it. ¡°Ms. Chu, this is your tag, as well as your token of identity.¡± Once Chu Liuyue put away the tag, the pageboy said, ¡°Please follow me, Ms. Chu.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue followed the pageboy all the way inside and entered a huge auction hall. In the middle of the hall was a platform, and it was surrounded by circular rows of seats. There were three levels in total, with the bottommost seats being the most in numbers. The uppermost seats¡ªon the other hand¡ªwere individual private rooms, and that was where the pageboy led her to. ¡°You can see the entire auction hall from here while keeping your identity a secret,¡± said the pageboy respectfully. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°The auction will soon commence, so you have some rest here first. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re interested in bidding on, just raise your tag. The items you won will be delivered to you.¡± Those who chose to come to the third floor usually had plenty of money to spare, and they valued their privacy very much. Some didn¡¯t want to be recognized, while others were afraid of attracting trouble should others find out that they won the auctions. Yu Xiang Hall had all along been doing a great job in this aspect. ¡°I got it. You may take your leave now,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Bending at his waist, the pageboy retreated from the room and carefully closed the door after him. Chu Liuyue stood by the window and looked down. The window was specially made such that one could look out, but the people outside couldn¡¯t look in. This was why people didn¡¯t need to worry about being seen over here. By now, most of the seats on the first and second floors were already taken. Chu Liuyue swept a glance at the people downstairs and saw quite a few familiar faces. Among them, she had met two not long ago. They were Jiang Yuzhi and Xiahou Tingan¡ªboth sat next to each other on the second floor, with the former giggling nonstop over something that the latter had said. It looks like they¡¯ve made up already. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Xiahou Tingan seems to be bent on marrying Jiang Yuzhi¡­ Just then, a white jade table slowly rose from the platform. Chapter 586 - Cloud-Sky Copper Sword The living room instantly fell silent as everyone looked over. The auction is about to start! When the white marble platform stopped, the empty space around it suddenly rippled. Then, an elder came out from within. His surroundings had no ripple movements, yet the crowd¡¯s hearts shuddered. Someone who can just tear space and arrive at the designated place shouldn¡¯t be underestimated! The elder had white hair, but he looked very energetic as he had a kind and warm smile on his face. Seeing that it was him, the room was filled with momentary commotion. ¡°Why is it Elder Song? Isn¡¯t he only in charge of major auctions?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t think they talked about it before¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s one of the top auctioneers in Yu Xiang Hall, and they actually used him for today¡¯s auction. Could there be a rare treasure?¡± Everyone partook in heated discussions. Song Zheng looked at the crowd with a smile. ¡°Welcome, everyone. Like what you have guessed, I will be hosting today¡¯s auction.¡± The moment he spoke, the surrounding noises instantly disappeared. Upon hearing him say this, quite a few people looked excited. With Song Zheng here, there really will be some rare treasures to be auctioned! Even if we can¡¯t buy them, it¡¯ll be worth it to come here. ¡°Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s rules¡ªthe highest bidder gets it! I believe everyone has been waiting anxiously, so I won¡¯t say anything else. We¡¯ll directly start the auction!¡± The moment his voice landed, a green jade bottle appeared on the white marble platform beside him. ¡°This is a fifth-grade Hui Qing Pill, and it can directly increase one¡¯s breakthrough rate to become a stage-six warrior by 90%! The starting price is¡­ 200 white crystals!¡± To an average person, perhaps 200 white crystals were already quite a lot. But here, it was just the starting price. Also, this kind of pill was very tempting to quite a few cultivators. The moment Song Zheng said the starting price, someone started bidding. ¡°210!¡± ¡°220!¡± ¡°245!¡± Chu Liuyue took a glance, and all those shouting out prices were basically those on the first floor. The people who sat there were all itinerant cultivators in Xi Ling City or people from small households. Normally, those who could sit here had certain capabilities and financial power. However, they couldn¡¯t even be compared to the people on the second and third floors. Those who could go up to the second floor were aristocratic families with identities, like Jiang Yuzhi and Xiahou Tingan. They had their families to support them, and they had rich resources. Hence, they wouldn¡¯t be bidding for pills here. As for the third floor¡­ less needed to be said. After a round of competitive bidding, the Hui Qing Pill was finally bought by a young man for 300 white crystals. It was a good first sale. Very quickly, the second item was presented. It was a broadsword that was copper in color, and it looked stunning. ¡°It¡¯s a Cloud-Sky Copper Sword! It¡¯s smooth to handle and very sharp! The starting price is¡­ 500 white crystals! Every time you increase the price, it must be at least 50 white crystals.¡± This was only the second auction item, yet the starting price increased to 500 white crystals in no time. This was shocking. ¡°It is a good sword.¡± Chu Liuyue stared at that sword. This sword¡¯s value definitely far exceeds 500 crystals. If it weren¡¯t because I already have the Long Yuan Sword, I would want to bid for this sword. She touched her chin, and an idea popped up in her mind. Right! I think Qiang Wanzhou doesn¡¯t have a suitable Yuan instrument! This sword seems pretty similar to him¡­ ¡°Girl, bid for this sword.¡± Her ancestor¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. ¡°This is good material!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Ancestor, what do you mean?¡± Shangguan Jing laughed. ¡°This is rare Queling Copper! This Queling Copper is currently still in its basic form. As long as you properly mold it, it will become one of the top weapons in the world! This kind of thing can only be begged for. No matter how much it costs, you must buy it!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Since the Ancestor has already complimented it, it proves that this item is indeed rare. It isn¡¯t bad to refine it before giving it to Qiang Wanzhou for use. ¡­ Second floor. When Jiang Yuzhi saw the sword, his eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Tingan, what do you think of that sword?¡± Xiahou Tingan saw her expression and understood what she wanted. ¡°It¡¯s a strong and sharp sword that¡¯s vintage. It is a good sword! Do you like it?¡± Jiang Yuzhi hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yeah! Even though the one I used previously is decent, it¡¯s still far apart from this one!¡± Just based on the aura, it loses to this one by a few grades. ¡°If I can get this sword, my abilities will definitely be strengthened!¡± Jiang Yuzhi couldn¡¯t conceal her excitement. ¡°I must bid for it!¡± From start to end, her eyes didn¡¯t leave the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. Xiahou Tingan could tell that she really liked it. After pausing for a while, he smiled and said, ¡°Since you like it so much, I¡¯ll bid and buy it for you!¡± Jiang Yuzhi said in shock, ¡°Really? This sword¡¯s starting price is a whole 500 white crystals!¡± ¡°The things that you like are naturally good; it is worth this price. As long as you¡¯re happy, the amount of money doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Xiahou Tingan said with confidence. Ever since the commotion that occurred in Hundred Herbs Building previously, Father has given me quite a bit of money to help me chase Jiang Yuzhi back. This time, I invited her out with much difficulty. Hence, I must show off. He touched his Cosmic Ring. This money is more than enough to buy the sword. After hearing his words, Jiang Yuzhi was elated as she hugged his arm and whined. ¡°Tingan, you¡¯re awesome!¡± Xiahou Tingan smiled gently and started to raise his card. At this point, someone already started bidding for the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. ¡°550!¡± ¡°600!¡± ¡°650!¡± Quite a few people participated in the bidding, and the price quickly rose. Xiahou Tingan directly said, ¡°800 white crystals!¡± With this, the entire room fell silent for a moment as everyone looked over. Instantly increasing the price by 150 white crystals¡­ This is incredible. Song Zheng smiled at Xiahou Tingan. ¡°800 white crystals. Does anyone want to increase the bid?¡± After a momentary pause, a mustached, burly man continued shouting from the first floor. ¡°850!¡± Xiahou Tingan confidently smiled. ¡°1,000 white crystals!¡± The crowd erupted into a commotion. This is a whole two-fold of the starting price! He increases the price so harshly every time¡ªit shows that he really wants to get the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword! That burly man hesitated for a long time before he clenched his teeth and increased the price. ¡°1,100!¡± This price had basically exceeded the tolerance of most of the people on the first floor. Once again, Xiahou Tingan said without hesitation, ¡°1,300!¡± Only the two of them were bidding within the room. That burly man was conflicted, but in the end, he harshly punched and chose to give up. A victorious smile was plastered on Xiahou Tingan¡¯s face. But before he could extend this smile, he heard a clear voice coming from the third floor. ¡°2,000!¡± Chapter 587 - Heartless 2,000 white crystals! The crowd almost thought that they had misheard as they all looked up in shock to see who was so generous. But as the third floor¡¯s VIP rooms were very intricate, the people sitting below definitely couldn¡¯t recognize which room the voice came from. To protect the privacy of guests on the third floor, the VIP rooms in Yu Xiang Hall were made with special materials. Anybody¡¯s voice coming out from such a room would change miraculously, and one wouldn¡¯t be able to differentiate it. Even if it was someone very familiar, those inside the rooms wouldn¡¯t be able to tell whose voice this was. So even though the crowd was bursting with curiosity, they actually couldn¡¯t find out who exactly had bid for it. The smile on Xiahou Tingan¡¯s face suddenly froze. He was first shocked, then furious. Who exactly is it? Who is actually competing with me at this point? The person even directly increased the price to this state! This Cloud-Sky Copper Sword is decent, but it¡¯s only worth a maximum of 1,000 white crystals! When I previously bid 1,300 white crystals, it was already too much. I didn¡¯t expect someone else to bid 2,000! What problem does that person have?! Jiang Yuzhi knitted her sharp brows, and hatred flashed across her face. ¡°Who is so gutsy to snatch my item publicly?!¡± Since the other party is on the third floor, they can definitely see Xiahou Tingan with me! It seems like they¡¯re bidding with Xiahou Tingan, but in actual fact, they don¡¯t care about me! Jiang Yuzhi had always been doted on since a young age. Recently, many people sucked up to her because of Jiang Yucheng, and she had long treated herself as a princess, not even caring about anybody else. But Xiahou Tingan still had a brain. The people who can go up to the third floor are definitely rich. The one who dared to bid for it must have confidence. ¡°Yuzhi, don¡¯t be anxious. Since the other party wants to fight with us, we¡¯ll just compete with them!¡± As he spoke, Xiahou Tingan raised the card again. ¡°2,100!¡± When he heard the bid of 2,000 white crystals, Song Zheng¡¯s wrinkles had already formed a flower. Now that Xiahou Tingan was increasing the price, he was even happier. ¡°2,100. Is anyone else increasing the bid?¡± Even though this was said to the crowd, everyone knew that it was meant for the mysterious VIP on the third floor. Those on the first floor had long exited the competition. Not many people were on the second floor either, but most of them knew Xiahou Tingan and Jiang Yuzhi. They would be crazy to go against these two people because of a mere sword. It was fine if it was just Xiahou Tingan, but the key was Jiang Yuzhi! They couldn¡¯t even flatter Jiang Yucheng¡¯s biological sister sufficiently, let alone willingly offend her. Hence, the people on the second floor were all silent as they watched on. Only the person on the third floor was left. ¡°2,500.¡± A lazy voice sounded. Even though the voice changed, it wasn¡¯t hard to hear the speaker¡¯s nonchalance. It was as though he didn¡¯t even take this matter to heart. However, the speaker casually spoke and increased the price by 400 white crystals! It was normal to fight a little when the price was at 1,000 white crystals. But the current price¡­ They weren¡¯t only fighting for the sword! Xiahou Tingan¡¯s face tensed up as he clutched the chair¡¯s handles so tightly that his knuckles turned white. 2,500¡­ My father did give me quite a lot of money, but this price¡­ He saw from the corner of his eye that Jiang Yuzhi was knitting her brows, and displeasure was written all over her face. His heart instantly skipped a beat. This is the same scenario as what happened at Hundred Herbs Building that day. After that time, I tried so hard to coax Jiang Yuzhi. If this happens again¡­ I can¡¯t bear the consequences! Xiahou Tingan clenched his teeth. Since Father previously already said that the money spent on Jiang Yuzhi is considered separate, what is there to be afraid of? As long as I can settle Jiang Yuzhi, handle the wedding matters, and get into Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s good books, I can definitely get this bit of money back. Thinking of this, he was determined. ¡°2,800!¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s expression definitely looked a lot better. ¡°Yuzhi, don¡¯t worry. I did you wrong the previous time. This time, I definitely won¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°5,000!¡± Before Xiahou Tingan could finish his sentence, the other party actually increased the price again! Everyone sucked in their breath. 5,000 white crystals! This person is way too¡ª This sword is decent, but 5,000 white crystals¡­ That¡¯s ridiculous! The crowd finally rustled once again. ¡°Who exactly is it with such exorbitant methods?¡± ¡°5,000 white crystals just for this sword¡­ I really don¡¯t understand the world of the wealthy¡­¡± ¡°Does their money come from the wind?!¡± The bustling discussions could be heard clearly. Chu Liuyue slightly raised her brows in the room, and she smiled. I don¡¯t know if other people¡¯s money comes from the wind, but I do know that my money did come pretty easy. When I first came to Xi Ling, I couldn¡¯t even give 10 white crystals as a ¡®road tax,¡¯ and I still had to fight people over it. Now¡­ It has been less than a month, yet I¡¯m rich. Actually, I don¡¯t even know exactly how much money I have now. But that isn¡¯t important. The important thing is¡­ It feels great to spend money! It was as if Xiahou Tingan was hit on the head with a stick, and his entire person was dazed. When he yelled out 2,800, he was still thinking that he could compete with the other party with clenched teeth. However, he didn¡¯t expect the other party to raise the price to 5,000 white crystals directly! Jiang Yuzhi was obviously stunned by the other party¡¯s heartless increase as well and didn¡¯t speak for quite some time. Seeing the duo¡¯s delayed reactions, that voice sounded. ¡°Are you still playing? If you don¡¯t want to increase the price, I¡¯ll do it myself?¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s face flushed white. ¡°I¡¯ll increase! Five¡­ five thousand¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, that person continued, ¡°10, 000!¡± How slow. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. Xiahou Tingan can finally shut up now, right? Chapter 588 - Mu Hongyu! Not only did Xiahou Tingan shut up, but everyone in the auction hall fell into dead silence as well. At that moment, it was as if the air froze. Everyone had an incredulous expression. Even the experienced Song Zheng had a dazed gaze. W-what is this person doing¡­ Not only did they willingly ask the other party to increase the price, but they also increased it by a few-fold before the other party had even finished his sentence. This isn¡¯t even giving Xiahou Tingan face! Quite a few people secretly looked at Xiahou Tingan. As expected, they saw that his face was very ugly as if he had swallowed a fly whole. Harsh! Too harsh! How could Xiahou Tingan take this lying down? Not only is the person who competed with him rich, but they are also gutsy! At this point, Song Zheng had already recovered his senses as he coughed and continued asking, ¡°10,000 white crystals! Is anyone else going to increase the bid?¡± Nobody talked. Xiahou Tingan almost wanted to break the chair¡¯s handles. He just felt that after living for more than 20 years, he had never felt as conflicted as he did now. Don¡¯t increase the price? Jiang Yuzhi is sitting right next to me, and I had previously promised that I would definitely buy this sword for her. Increase the price? I don¡¯t even have that much money! Besides, with such a big sum, it¡¯s hard not to be discovered even if it¡¯s calculated separately. At this moment, Xiahou Tingan was caught between a rock and a hard place. ¡°10,000 white crystals going once!¡± Xiahou Tingan took a deep breath in and forced himself to calm down as he glanced at Jiang Yuzhi and gently asked, ¡°Yuzhi, do you still want that sword?¡± Jiang Yuzhi knitted her thin brows. ¡°Of course!¡± Actually, she just purely liked it at the start. But now, she was fighting for pride! Xiahou Tingan felt his head ache, but he could only advise her patiently, ¡°Yuzhi, there¡¯s no problem if I help you buy this sword. But the point is¡­ We don¡¯t know who that person is. Think about it. The other party can see us and definitely knows our identities, yet they still dare to act this way¡­ They must have an extraordinary status.¡± Jiang Yuzhi furrowed her brows even tighter. ¡°So what? How can I be afraid of them?¡± ¡°10,000 white crystals going twice!¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s throat tightened as he suppressed his inner hatred and softly advised, ¡°Yuzhi¡­ We¡¯re naturally not afraid of them, but the point is that this time period is very sensitive¡­ You also know that the wedding date between the Third Princess and your brother has already been proposed. The more this is so, the more pairs of eyes that will be glued to him. If we really spend 10,000 white crystals buying this sword today and word gets out, what will people say? People will naturally say that you¡¯re wasting your wealth¡­ What happens if you affect your brother then?¡± When he mentioned Jiang Yucheng, Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s expression indeed changed. She couldn¡¯t care about anyone else, but her own brother¡¯s future and reputation were more important than anything. Xiahou Tingan finally saw that she faltered, and he continued, ¡°¡­You also know that the more power one holds, the more careful one has to be with their words. If your brother knows that you gave up this sword because of him¡­ He will definitely feel comforted. When everything is settled, won¡¯t it be as easy as ABC for you to get anything you want?¡± His final sentence finally made Jiang Yuzhi change her mind. ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll let this one off!¡± Xiahou Tingan was finally appeased. ¡°10,000 white crystals going thrice¡­ Sold!¡± Jiang Yuzhi glanced at the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword indignantly. ¡°If I know who they are¡­ I¡¯ll definitely not let them off!¡± An idea popped up in Xiahou Tingan¡¯s mind as he suddenly leaned in toward Jiang Yuzhi and softly said something. Jiang Yuzhi looked doubtful. ¡°Is it true? Will this¡­ work?¡± Xiahou Tingan clenched his fists and punched his chest. ¡°You can rest assured about the things I do.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue hugged her arms, and her gaze swept past the duo in a seemingly smiling manner. It seems like these two people really want to know who intercepted their win. If they know it¡¯s me¡­ I wonder what they¡¯ll look like. I originally listened to my ancestor¡¯s suggestion, and that¡¯s why I bid for the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. But now, it seems like it¡¯s worth it if I can conveniently anger Jiang Yuzhi and Xiahou Tingan. ¡­ The auction continued. There were quite a few decent things in the items that were presented later on. But after that commotion, the later auctions paled in comparison. Chu Liuyue kept looking as well, but she didn¡¯t bid again as there wasn¡¯t a treasure she was interested in. Originally, she wanted to leave in advance. But she patiently waited after thinking that there could very possibly be an important treasure at the end since Song Zheng was here. ¡­ In another room on the third floor. Jian Fengchi leaned against the chair in a relaxed and lazy manner. Shui Liu¡¯er walked over from the window and sat down beside him as her charming face had a delightful smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to watch a free show when I came here. It¡¯s really worth the trip.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips curled up as he knocked his kneecap with the bone fan. ¡°How did Xiahou Tingan offend you? Why are you so happy to see him humiliated?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er rolled her eyes. However, she was born as a beauty and exuded an elegant aura, so even her eye rolls looked extremely pretty. ¡°That dumba*s previously booked the entire venue to hear me sing, but he was dishonest.¡± When she first came to Xi Ling, there were indeed quite a few people who wanted to take advantage of her. However, the people in Chun Feng Restaurant weren¡¯t to be trifled with. After dealing with all of them, nobody dared to do so again. Jian Fengchi found it weird. ¡°He¡¯s so brave?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er chuckled. ¡°He just drank a few cups more and forgot who he was! He kept talking about the Xiahou family and said how incredible he was.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t teach him a lesson?¡± ¡°Why did you think he stayed at home for three months and didn¡¯t go out?¡± Jian Fengchi put up his thumb. ¡°You¡¯re still the best, Little Liu¡¯er.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er slapped his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t even try. Actually, I don¡¯t mind telling you. Compared to seeing Xiahou Tingan humiliated, I prefer seeing Jiang Yuzhi so angered that she can¡¯t speak!¡± Jian Fengchi seemed to have already expected this as he smiled and said, ¡°Just because she previously offended¡­ That person didn¡¯t even mind it, yet you bore the grudge in your heart.¡± Even until now, Shui Liu¡¯er still hated Jiang Yuzhi. Shui Liu¡¯er sneered, ¡°Someone must teach people like Jiang Yuzhi a lesson.¡± Jiang Yuzhi now used Jiang Yucheng as her backing and was very arrogant. She even wanted to have her own way in the entire Xi Ling City, but she didn¡¯t even know that she had tons of enemies hiding in the shadows. What a joke. Jian Fengchi raised his brows slightly. ¡°We bought the items we wanted to buy today, and we saw the drama we needed to. Are you happy? Actually, I kinda want to know who exactly bought that sword just now¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his gaze suddenly turned cold as he stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the platform. Shui Liu¡¯er was taken aback. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡­ At the same time in the other room, Chu Liuyue also stood up suddenly and stared at the cage that abruptly appeared on the platform in disbelief. A woman was trapped in that gigantic cage. She was wearing torn and tattered clothes, and her face looked frail as her hair drooped down and covered more than half her face. However, Chu Liuyue still recognized her at one glance¡ªit was actually¡­ Mu Hongyu! Chapter 589 - Faint Yuan Body Mu Hongyu had closed her eyes, and she was motionless as if she had already fainted. At that moment, countless suspicions flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Shouldn¡¯t Mu Hongyu be in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City now? Why is she here, and in such an unkempt manner too?! Her familiar face had slimmed down, and there were bloodstains all over her body. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be tightly clutched by something as she wanted to immediately rush over and bring Mu Hongyu out of the cage. ¡­ Seeing such a gigantic cage appear on the platform with a young woman trapped inside, the entire auction hall fell into eerie silence. Song Zheng surveyed his surroundings as if he was very satisfied with this effect. ¡°Everyone, this is the star of our auction today¡­ Faint Yuan Body!¡± The moment his voice landed, it was as if a stone was thrown into the river as countless ripples were made. The entire room burst into commotion. ¡°Faint Yuan Body? Is it the rumored special body type that can casually travel through space?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a rumored existence¡­ I heard that this body type became completely extinct thousands of years ago. Can it be that the Faint Yuan Body has reappeared in this world?¡± ¡°Since Yu Xiang Hall dares to auction that person, they¡¯re definitely sure of it!¡± ¡°No wonder they invited Song Zheng today¡­ It¡¯s such major news, yet nothing was revealed before this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird too. Yu Xiang Hall usually only exhibits such rare existences in major auctions. Why would they randomly choose today¡­ If they first let the news out, there would definitely be people who would come over upon hearing the news. By then, won¡¯t they be able to sell her for a better price?¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as all the blood in her body seemed to freeze. Song Yuan means that¡­ Mu Hongyu actually has the Faint Yuan Body? How could that be? I spent so much time with Mu Hongyu previously, but I didn¡¯t discover this at all! Mu Hongyu might not even know it herself! What exactly happened in such a short period of time? How did she cross Heaven¡¯s Canopy and arrive here? How does she have the Faint Yuan Body, and¡­ Why did Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s people bring her over and auction her in a cage? Chu Liuyue stared at the stage as her blood boiled crazily. Song Zheng said, ¡°Everyone, you can rest assured that Yu Xiang Hall has already verified that this woman indeed has the Faint Yuan Body. Rumors have it that cultivators with the Faint Yuan Body can casually travel through different spaces whenever and however they wish. The more powerful they are, the further they can travel! According to our investigation, this woman is a peak stage-five warrior and can travel within tens of miles. If our guess is correct, she can travel whenever and however she wants within hundreds of miles!¡± The bustling hall gradually fell silent. Hearing Song Zheng¡¯s words, quite a few people looked surprised and envious. Such a body is indeed precious! However¡­ We don¡¯t know what background the woman has for Yu Xiang Hall to auction her in such a loud manner. As if seeing the crowd¡¯s doubts, Song Zheng explained, ¡°According to our investigations, this woman seemed to have illegally come over from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Due to fate, we discovered her and brought her back. She was hanging onto her last breath when we found her, but she managed to recover after we treated her for a few days.¡± Chu Liuyue listened until her brows and heart kept pumping wildly. Given Song Zheng¡¯s words, could it even be that Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s people saved Mu Hongyu? But she didn¡¯t even change her clothes, and her expression didn¡¯t look good in any way. Besides, it¡¯s an ultimate insult to lock her in a cage and auction her like an object! But when the crowd in the auction hall heard this, they gradually revealed looks of understanding. Many people¡¯s eyes lit up as if they were tempted and wanted to bid for Mu Hongyu. In actual fact, the reason why they had such a reaction was that the Tianling Dynasty had a law: All those who were illegally smuggled over would automatically be named as slaves. Such a person had no status and no power to speak. Once they were discovered, their endings would be tragic. They were either sold or executed. Very clearly, Mu Hongyu was specifically brought back by Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s people as she had the Faint Yuan Body, so they sold her as a slave. Without a doubt, it was everyone¡¯s dream to have such a slave. No matter if it were to cultivate her to become their helper or use her Faint Yuan Body¡¯s bloodline to elevate their abilities¡­ It was filled with temptations! It was no wonder that the crowd was so agitated and excited. At this moment, Mu Hongyu¡ªwho was lying within the cage¡ªsuddenly moved and opened her eyes with much difficulty. Upon seeing this movement, the crowd quietened down. Chu Liuyue walked forward, and her hands were stuck to the window as she looked at Mu Hongyu nervously. Mu Hongyu woke up in a daze, and she surveyed her surroundings. This is¡­ This seems to be an auction? After a temporary daze, she rapidly recovered her senses. Right! I met a group of people a few days ago, and they brought me back. However, I¡¯ve been unconscious all along and only have a blurred impression. When I woke up again, it¡¯s this situation in front of me. She looked down at herself and realized that her clothes were still like before, so she heaved a sigh of relief. But at the same time, she also noticed something even more important. I¡¯m¡­ being auctioned? Countless gaze landed on her, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Her hands trembled as a golden mane bear cub appeared in front of her. It protected Mu Hongyu¡ªwho was behind it¡ªas it looked at the surrounding people ferociously. It was filled with injuries as the old and new wounds overlapped each other, without a single good spot. It had obviously suffered quite a bit during this period of time. ¡°Congcong!¡± yelled Mu Hongyu as her heart ached when she saw its wounds. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She then remembered that when she was unconscious, it was Congcong that protected her all along. It went all-out to prevent those people from coming near her, causing all those wounds on its body. ¡°Congcong, come over here!¡± Mu Hongyu hugged the golden mane bear cub tightly in her arms. At the start, the golden mane bear cub was still a little resistant as it wanted to continue protecting her. But in the end, it quietly lay on her shoulders. Mu Hongyu looked at the countless wounds all over its body, and her heart ached so much that she cried. If it¡¯s not because I was too useless, it wouldn¡¯t¡­ Now, we are stuck here and have no way of escaping. I don¡¯t even know what this place is. Song Zheng loudly said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to elaborate on how precious the Faint Yuan Body is. There¡¯s no starting price for this auction, and everyone can bid as they wish. The highest bidder wins!¡± Once he said this, a voice sounded from the crowd. ¡°10,000 white crystals!¡± Chapter 590 - Astronomical Price This voice came from the second floor. Chu Liuyue took a look and realized it was a man in his thirties, but he looked unfamiliar. Almost at the same time he spoke up, someone yelled from the third floor, ¡°15,000!¡± The crowd on the first floor was shocked. They basically had no chance of participating in this auction, but it seemed like the people on the top two floors were about to start an intense battle. The temptation of a Faint Yuan Body was indeed very strong as the starting bid was already 10,000 white crystals. The price then became 15,000 white crystals in the blink of an eye. But this was only the beginning. Many people kept increasing the price after this, and the calls kept coming one after another, almost without a pause. And every time the price went up, it was shocking! ¡°20,000!¡± ¡°30,000!¡± ¡°50,000!¡± In no time, the price increased by a few-fold. There were many rich people in Xi Ling City. Facing such a precious Faint Yuan Body, what was money? ¡­ Shui Liu¡¯er walked to Jian Fengchi and followed his vision in deep thought. ¡°You know this girl?¡± It was as though Jian Fengchi¡¯s face had a layer of frost. His chin was tense as he nodded, and his icy eyes were filled with harsh, murderous intent. Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s heart was cold. I have never seen such an expression on Jian Fengchi¡¯s face before. Who exactly¡­ is this woman? Previously, Song Zheng said that the woman smuggled in from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. So, Jian Fengchi knew her from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy? Shui Liu¡¯er looked on for a while and said, ¡°Her injuries are quite serious.¡± Even though they were a distance away, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what kind of torture she had been through. ¡°She looks like she¡¯s in her teens¡­ I really don¡¯t know how she managed to cross Heaven¡¯s Canopy on her own,¡± said Shui Liu¡¯er softly. Jian Fengchi¡¯s gaze turned even colder as he gradually gripped the fan with even more strength until his knuckles turned white, almost crushing the fan. Nobody knew how enraged he was when he saw that the person trapped in the cage was Mu Hongyu. At that moment, he almost wanted to rush out and crush the cage. In his memory, Mu Hongyu was always smiling happily and passionately like fire, so it was really unacceptable for him to suddenly see her in such a state. There seemed to be something stuck in his chest, and he felt suffocated. Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s voice became even gentler. ¡°Since she¡¯s your friend, why don¡¯t we bid for her first and bring her back?¡± Jian Fengchi finally spoke coldly and clearly. ¡°She¡¯s not an item!¡± ¡°I know. But Song Zheng said that she smuggled over, so everyone thinks that she¡¯s a slave. The only way to save her is by doing this. Do you really want to cause a commotion in Yu Xiang Hall and forcefully take her away?¡± That was literally a daydream. Jian Fengchi was indeed formidable, but his two fists were hard to fight against four hands. This was Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s territory. Who could be their opponent? Besides, Yu Xiang Hall didn¡¯t lack elites. Any few of them could come out and subdue Jian Fengchi. Jian Fengchi knitted his brows tightly. The bidding calls kept coming from outside, and they were screeching to the ear. ¡°1,000,000!¡± ¡°1,200,000!¡± ¡°1,250,000!¡± He looked at Mu Hongyu. She sat in the cage alone, and she tightly hugged her golden mane bear cub in her arms. She looked lonely and helpless. His lips moved. ¡°5,000,000!¡± ¡­ A low and cold voice instantly reverberated throughout the room. This sentence was like a sharp knife that had cut away quite a few people¡¯s voices. The originally bustling auction venue was instantly silenced as if someone had poured cold water over them. Five million¡­ white crystals! This is an astronomical figure! Even if we are from Xi Ling City¡¯s aristocratic families, we might not be able to fork out so much money at once. The people who were previously pretty confident all kept quiet. Even Song Zheng was taken aback. This is the highest bidding price in Yu Xiang Hall this year! After a temporary daze, he suppressed his wildly beating heart and said loudly, ¡°Is anyone going to increase the price? Five million going once!¡± ¡­ There¡¯s someone who actually bid five million? Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was waiting for the chance to act¡ªwas also stunned. From more than one million, it suddenly rose to five million¡­ It¡¯s clear that this person wants to bid for Mu Hongyu no matter what. There aren¡¯t many people who can afford this in Xi Ling City. Who can it be¡­ Chu Liuyue was deep in thought as countless faces flashed across her mind. But as the private rooms were protected too well, she couldn¡¯t guess who the other party was. After all, the temptation of a Faint Yuan Body was indeed too great. She anxiously paced around the room. Previously, I planned to bid for Mu Hongyu. Without a doubt, this was the best solution, and I could afford this price. But this person suddenly intervened, which made Chu Liuyue hesitant. She wasn¡¯t worried about the money, but she was worried that the other party would increase the price incessantly. After much thinking, Chu Liuyue still chose to bid. ¡°Six million!¡± Originally, the crowd¡ªwho thought that five million would be the final bid¡ªall gasped. Who exactly is so rich to increase the price by so much at once?! In comparison, the previous increases of tens of thousands were all considered to be peanuts. Shui Liu¡¯er blinked. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Who would fight with you?¡± Jian Fengchi recently earned money, so he can fork out this money. However, why is the other party so decisive? Jian Fengchi was about to increase the price when he suddenly thought of something, and his gaze became serious. Chapter 591 - Secret Signal Speaking of which, there is indeed someone who can take out so much money at once, and that person would definitely think of all sorts of ways to bid for Mu Hongyu. This person is Chu Liuyue! However, I don¡¯t know if the person bidding is her. ¡°What, did you think of something?¡± asked Shui Liu¡¯er weirdly. Jian Fengchi¡¯s fingers unintentionally caressed the cold fan slowly. ¡°There¡¯s no way to find out who is in the third-floor rooms, right¡­¡± Shui Liu¡¯er immediately understood. ¡°You want to find out the other party¡¯s identity?¡± Jian Fengchi nodded and shook his head. ¡°No, I just want to confirm if it¡¯s her.¡± If it were really Chu Liuyue, he could give up on the bidding. But if it wasn¡¯t¡­ then he had to win this auction no matter what! ¡°Do you have a way?¡± He looked at Shui Liu¡¯er. ¡°Do you really think I can do anything? Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s defenses are so tight. It¡¯s as hard as ascending to the sky to find out who are the people in the third-floor rooms.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er glared at him. After some thought, Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. Got it! ¡°6,600,000!¡± He spoke once again! ¡­ Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. The other party indeed increased the price again. If this continues, I wonder¡­ ¡°I must win the last auction for today! Whoever continues increasing the price, I¡¯ll add one-tenth to your bidding price!¡± added the other party in a hurry. Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed, and an idea popped up in her mind. This is¡­ Jian Fengchi? Other than him, there wouldn¡¯t be another person who would say this! Chu Liuyue was surprised and elated. Jian Fengchi¡¯s words are obviously testing her. She paused for a while and said, ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯ll back out!¡± ¡­ ¡°It is her!¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly heaved a sigh of relief, and a chill went down his spine. He then realized that his back was filled with cold sweat. It¡¯s probably because I was nervous¡­ He pressed his lips against each other and found it strange. I¡¯ve never felt this way before¡­ I didn¡¯t realize it earlier, but thinking about it now, my reaction is indeed overboard¡­ ¡°You can relax now, right?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but tease him at the side, ¡°After we go back, you must honestly tell me what the relationship between you and that woman is!¡± Jian Fengchi has always walked through the gardens without involving himself. This should be the first time he¡¯s so nervous over a woman¡­ Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips curved up. ¡°What relationship can we have? We¡¯re naturally friends.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°I¡¯m also your friend, but why don¡¯t I see you so nervous over me?¡± Jian Fengchi looked at her coldly. Shui Liu¡¯er raised her brows. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say it. I¡¯ll ask her myself later! Faint Yuan Body¡­ You have good taste¡­¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. I didn¡¯t know this earlier! But since Shui Liu¡¯er seemed to have set her mind on it, he was too lazy to explain as there was no use. Now, the most important thing was to bring Mu Hongyu away as soon as possible. At this point, Song Zheng had already yelled twice, and nobody answered. He surveyed the surroundings. ¡°6,600,000 going thrice! Deal!¡± ¡­ After the auction for Mu Hongyu ended, a weird sound was suddenly made in Chu Liuyue¡¯s room. She turned around and saw a black hole suddenly appear in the ground. A squarish, white marble stone slowly rose. This was the tool Yu Xiang Hall specifically used to accept money. Chu Liuyue placed her Cosmic Ring on top. A thought flashed across her mind, and 10,000 white crystals were placed atop of the stone. Then, that item landed. After a moment, a longsword was sent up¡ªit was the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword! Chu Liuyue felt energized as she easily lifted the sword. The sword was totally copper, and only the sword tip was seemingly glowing in a peacock-blue color. She was a distance away previously and couldn¡¯t see it clearly. Now that she held it in her hands, she could clearly feel how substantial this sword was. Chu Liuyue had a feeling that spending these 10,000 white crystals was worth it! She admired it for a while before putting it away. The black cage in the middle of the auction venue had disappeared. It should¡¯ve been sent to the person who bid for Mu Hongyu. Thinking of Mu Hongyu¡¯s miserable appearance, Chu Liuyue felt something harshly prick her heart. She rapidly went out of the room. Even though there were quite a few rooms on the third floor, they were all on their own. Every room could directly connect to the bottom two floors. So no matter if one went up or down, in or out, they could protect their privacy to the greatest extent. Chu Liuyue directly chose to leave Yu Xiang Hall. ¡­ When she walked to the door, there were quite a few people who were leaving. Chu Liuyue mixed into the crowd and attracted some gazes from time to time. But those people only took a few glances before retracting their gazes. Chu Liuyue clearly heard them still discussing what happened in the auction and¡­ the legendary Faint Yuan Body! In less than a day, the entire Xi Ling City will know about this! Chu Liuyue also exited and waited quietly at a place not far away. After much time, most of the crowd had departed, and Jian Fengchi¡¯s figure finally appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s line of sight. Shui Liu¡¯er was beside him, as well as¡­ Mu Hongyu! She looked pale, and she was limping beside Jian Fengchi. But she looked very excited, and she was talking enthusiastically with Shui Liu¡¯er. ¡°Is this really the Tianling Dynasty? Then¡­ Where¡¯s Liuyue? Is she here too?¡± Chu Liuyue immediately went forward! ¡°Hongyu!¡± Chapter 592 - Guess Mu Hongyu heard this and immediately looked up. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Her face bloomed into a surprised smile as she quickly lunged toward Chu Liuyue. However, she staggered forward and almost fell onto the ground. Chu Liuyue hurriedly went forward and helped her up. ¡°Hongyu, you¡¯re injured now. Be careful¡ª¡± ¡°Liuyue! Liuyue, it really is you!¡± Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t care about her injuries as she elatedly sized her friend up before tightly hugging her. ¡°This is great!¡± As she hugged the latter, her tears started to fall. ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you ever again¡­¡± She thought that she was done for. However, she didn¡¯t expect that not only did she escape from the cage in the blink of an eye, but she even met her closest friend! Chu Liuyue gently patted her back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here.¡± She comforted Mu Hongyu as she gave Jian Fengchi a grateful smile. ¡°Young Master Jian, thank you so much for this.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°No need. Just remember to give me back the money later.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er glanced at him. Pfft, he was clearly so anxious when trying to save her earlier. But now, he¡¯s putting up a front again. Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°Sure.¡± Jian Fengchi was dazed because he didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to agree to it so swiftly. Shui Liu¡¯er lowered her voice and reminded, ¡°Have you thought this through clearly? If she returns the money to you, Little Hongyu will have nothing to do with you anymore.¡± When they went to fetch Mu Hongyu earlier, Shui Liu¡¯er had heard about Mu Hongyu¡¯s happenings in a short amount of time. Jian Fengchi raised his brows slightly. Hm? This sentence sounds alright, but why does it feel weird? Thinking about it seriously, exchanging over six million white crystals for Mu Hongyu¡¯s Faint Yuan Body actually isn¡¯t a loss¡­ Mu Hongyu¡¯s emotions came and went quickly. After crying for a while and releasing all her indignation and reminiscence from the past few days, she felt better. Noticing that she had calmed down, Chu Liuyue gently said, ¡°Hongyu, we¡¯ll go home first, okay?¡± I really need to treat her wounds as soon as possible. Mu Hongyu finally let go of her, but she still clutched the other¡¯s hands tightly. She rapidly wiped her tears away and nodded forcefully. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ The few of them left together, and Jiang Yuzhi coincidentally came out. Seeing the few of their back views, Jiang Yuzhi knitted her brows in confusion. Isn¡¯t that Jian Fengchi? The person beside him seems to be Chun Feng Restaurant¡¯s Shui Liu¡¯er. She was previously following behind them and coincidentally saw the woman with the Faint Yuan Body walking out. Could the person who bid for that woman earlier be Jian Fengchi? At the start, she was still shocked. But a thought popped up in her mind, and she realized that Jian Fengchi did have such financial power and charm. He was always carefree and only did the things that he liked. There were many aristocratic children in Xi Ling City, and most of them were controlled by their families. But only Jian Fengchi¡­ was living his life in a very carefree manner. Besides, who didn¡¯t know that he bet on Chu Liuyue to take first place and earned a huge sum of money a few days ago? But the girl he bumped into later¡­ As she was a distance away and Jian Fengchi and Shui Liu¡¯er blocked her vision, Jiang Yuzhi couldn¡¯t see that person¡¯s appearance clearly. However, she is obviously a woman. Not only does that woman know Jian Fengchi, but it also seems like she knows the woman who was auctioned¡­ If not, the two of them wouldn¡¯t be this close. Besides, I feel that the back view is a little familiar as if I¡¯ve seen it before¡­ ¡°Yuzhi, what are you looking at?¡± Xiahou Tingan walked out and followed her line of sight, but there was nobody there. Hence, he curiously asked that question. Jiang Yuzhi fell into deep thought. ¡°The previous six million-plus bid was made by Jian Fengchi.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually him?¡± Xiahou Tingan was stunned. It¡¯s no wonder it was so much money¡­ Xiahou Tingan instantly felt jealous and unfair. We clearly have similar statuses and identities, but it¡¯s already very hard for me to spend 10,000 white crystals to buy a sword. On the other hand, Jian Fengchi can just casually throw out a few million. This difference is like heaven and earth. Xiahou Tingan forced a smile and said, ¡°You also know that he¡¯s always like this. Just because he¡¯s Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s young master, he does whatever he pleases¡­¡± Jiang Yuzhi lightly grunted. ¡°That¡¯s because he can earn money! If not, do you really think Jian Shuye will let him be?¡± Xiahou Tingan was stumped, and his expression was ugly. What does Jiang Yuzhi mean? Does she look down on me? But Jiang Yuzhi didn¡¯t notice the change in his expression as she unwittingly muttered, ¡°But that woman¡­¡± ¡°Which woman?¡± asked Xiahou Tingan. Jiang Yuzhi briefly described the scene she saw just now. Xiahou Tingan kept quiet for a moment and suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh, yes. I previously went to ask around, and guess who came here today?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°A girl with the last name Chu!¡± Xiahou Tingan pulled Jiang Yuzhi to the side. After ensuring that nobody was around, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°The people from Yu Xiang Hall have tight lips. No matter how we ask, they¡¯ll definitely not reveal the VIPs¡¯ identities. However, we can ask the pageboys at the front!¡± This was the method he brought up to Jiang Yuzhi previously. ¡°Whoever comes here has to enter from the main entrance, and the pageboys remember them clearly. We have seen all the people on the first and second floors, so the remaining ones not seen have to be in the rooms.¡± ¡°I previously went to ask, and there was indeed a new customer today! If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly¡­ It should be Chu Liuyue!¡± Xiahou Tingan couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement. Actually, it was quite hard for him to find out about this, and he had spent a lot of effort. But now, it seemed like it was worth it. Jiang Yuzhi found it weird at first and was shocked later on. After piecing everything together, she could basically guess what happened. ¡°So it means that the woman I saw earlier was Chu Liuyue?¡± She indeed has an extraordinary relationship with Jian Fengchi. Besides¡­ she also came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy! Perhaps¡­ they already knew each other earlier on? ¡°Not only this, but I also suspect that the person who snatched the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword was her.¡± Xiahou Tingan boomed, ¡°She did similar things previously. Who knows if she¡¯d do it a second time? I knew that the sword wasn¡¯t worth 10,000 white crystals. Why would someone fork out so much money¡­ She was clearly targeting us!¡± No matter if it was targeting Jiang Yuzhi and me¡­ She is too arrogant! ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ It must be her!¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s expression changed, and she clenched her silver teeth. Most people in Xi Ling City would give in to me because of my brother, except for that Chu Liuyue! ¡°I want to look for her!¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s blood boiled as she turned around and was about to chase them. Xiahou Tingan hurriedly pulled her back. ¡°Yuzhi, we can¡¯t go there now! Did you forget about what I told you earlier on?¡± Jiang Yuzhi paused in her tracks. ¡°Besides, she did spend money and legitimately bid for that sword today. If we go over like that, we¡¯re not in the right¡­¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s chest rose and dropped rapidly. After a while, she said with much hatred, ¡°I won¡¯t let her off so easily next time! I¡¯ll find my brother right away!¡± Chapter 593 - Favor Chu Liuyue brought Mu Hongyu back to her residence. Jian Fengchi and Shui Liu¡¯er also followed them. Chu Liuyue first let Mu Hongyu take a shower before carefully treating her wounds, applying medicine, bandaging them, and giving her a new set of clothes to change into. She even helped treat the golden mane bear cub¡¯s wounds. It was good that its skin was thick and that it could recover very quickly. After Mu Hongyu assured Chu Liuyue several times that she was okay, her heart finally settled down. After cleaning up, the master and fiend subordinate didn¡¯t seem as unkempt and pitiful as before. Chu Liuyue took her friend¡¯s pulse and confirmed that most of her wounds were superficial and that she didn¡¯t have any internal injuries before being assured. Also, Mu Hongyu looked like she had slimmed down quite a bit, but there was an additional strong force in her body. This was probably why she could break through and become a peak stage-five warrior in such a short amount of time. Chu Liuyue wanted to ask in detail about her recent happenings, but she suppressed her questions upon thinking about how Jian Fengchi and Shui Liu¡¯er were still waiting outside. After cleaning up, the duo finally returned to the living room. Jian Fengchi¡¯s gaze swept across Mu Hongyu, and he raised his brows slightly. Surprise flashed across Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s eyes. So Mu Hongyu is this pretty. After washing away the dirt and bloodstains and tidying herself up, she looks completely different. She looked bright, lively, and energetic, and her pair of almond-like eyes were sparkling. She was as passionate and pure as a fire. Mu Hongyu walked in and curiously sized up her surroundings. ¡°Liuyue, your residence is so clean and pretty!¡± Even though it wasn¡¯t big, it was clean and elegant, which made people feel comfortable. Chu Liuyue teased, ¡°Someone helped me clean this place up. I¡¯ll introduce you to him later; sit first.¡± Mu Hongyu casually found a spot to sit down as she couldn¡¯t help but curiously ask, ¡°Liuyue, didn¡¯t you just reach here not long ago? Why do you have your own house already?¡± This was the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s imperial capital¡ªXi Ling! An average person might not even be able to come here in their lives, yet Liuyue found her own footing here in such a short amount of time. ¡°Did Lieutenant Mu help you find this house?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. ¡°Lieutenant Mu did help me quite a bit, but this house has nothing to do with him. He previously told me to stay at his Mu Residence, but I didn¡¯t want to bother him, so I found another place to stay on my own. I¡¯m now a disciple of Chong Xu Cabinet, and this house used to be my master¡¯s. Now, he has given it to me.¡± Mu Hongyu was astonished. ¡°Then, your master must be a good person!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with deep meaning and nodded. No matter if it is now or in the past, Weichi Song has treated me very nicely. ¡°Talking about it in detail, I actually must thank Young Master Jian for helping me to settle down in Xi Ling,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she glanced at Jian Fengchi in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°If not for him, I wouldn¡¯t even have the right to step into Yu Xiang Hall today.¡± Eating, drinking, and staying all cost money. Jian Fengchi¡¯s face instantly darkened. How dare she bring it up? Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t understand why as she glanced at Jian Fengchi strangely. I didn¡¯t realize it before, but it seems like Jian Fengchi is quite good to his friends. Noticing Mu Hongyu¡¯s honest gaze, Jian Fengchi stiffly swallowed his words. Since Chu Liuyue has already stolen the money, it¡¯s useless to say anything now. Thus, I should just admit it and gain a good reputation for myself. Shua! He opened his fan and smiled handsomely. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Chu Liuyue agreed and said, ¡°Yeah! Young Master Jian is always generous to his friends. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have spent so much money today to save you. Hongyu, you must thank him properly this time.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded seriously. She suddenly thought of something and asked weirdly, ¡°Oh yes, those white crystals¡­ Exactly how much are they worth?¡± She hadn¡¯t even been to the Tianling Dynasty, so she naturally didn¡¯t hear any of this before. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°One white crystal is equivalent to 10,000 gold coins.¡± Mu Hongyu gasped and directly jumped up from her seat. ¡°What?! T-then, Young Master Jian just spent 6.6 million¡ª¡± How much would that cost?! She widened her almond eyes and looked at Jian Fengchi. The face that had just become a little rosy paled faintly. I was previously still thinking that I couldn¡¯t let them help me for free. When I have money in the future, I must return it. But this astronomical figure¡­ ¡°I, I¡­ Even if you sell me, I won¡¯t be worth this much!¡± stuttered Mu Hongyu. Chu Liuyue waved at her and gestured for her to sit down. ¡°Silly kid, you were just sold for this price.¡± Ah, I think it did happen¡­ Mu Hongyu looked dazed. ¡°T-then, what should I do¡­. I¡­ I¡­¡± Chu Liuyue comforted her and patted her hands. With a smile on her face, she said, ¡°Hongyu, Young Master Jian helped you without a care because of your friendship. How can he still want you to return him the money? Otherwise, he¡¯ll become someone disloyal. Young Master Jian, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s brows twitched harshly. I knew Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t let me off so easily! Even though I originally didn¡¯t want Mu Hongyu to return me the money, she is intending on letting me waste my entire 6.6 million white crystals! However, he couldn¡¯t even say anything. ¡°¡­Of course¡­ I can still fork out this amount of money¡­¡± said Jian Fengchi as he clenched his teeth. Mu Hongyu felt slightly at ease, but she still felt bad. ¡°B-but¡­ this money is a lot to me¡­ This time, I really owe you guys a huge favor¡­¡± ¡°Hongyu, you¡¯re being too polite. We¡¯re all friends, and we should help each other. Even without Young Master Jian today, I¡¯d still save you.¡± Mu Hongyu heard her words, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re so kind.¡± Jian Fengchi was stunned. Am I not the one who forked out the money? Why did she suddenly thank Chu Liuyue?! Shui Liu¡¯er watched on with much interest. Tsk tsk, Chu Liuyue is amazing! She can actually restrain Jian Fengchi to this extent! The young master of Dragon Teeth Mountain¡ªwho usually does whatever he wanted¡ªhas finally met his match. I haven¡¯t seen such an aggrieved expression on Jian Fengchi for a long time! Jian Fengchi seemed to have detected her gaze that seemed as if she was watching a show, and he glanced at her coldly. Shui Liu¡¯er didn¡¯t say a word but smiled politely. Why are you looking at me? If you have the guts, you can go and fight with Chu Liuyue! Jian Fengchi resigned himself to his fate and retracted his gaze. I knew none of you could be depended on! For some reason, I¡¯m always at a disadvantage when I face Chu Liuyue. This feeling of being unable to do anything is really like¡­ ¡°Hongyu, we kept talking about us, but let¡¯s talk about you now!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her friend. ¡°Why did you suddenly come to Xi Ling?¡± Chapter 594 - Stay Then Mu Hongyu sighed. ¡°This started half a month ago¡­¡± Originally, after Chu Liuyue left the Imperial City, Mu Hongyu also took leave from the academy and planned to follow her mother home. Ever since she went to the Imperial City to study, she had never gone home before. Her mother¡¯s body was recovering this time, so she wanted to go back and reunite with her family. However, she didn¡¯t expect to meet with an ambush midway. It turned out that Elder Wu Shan had betrayed them and attracted people to come and assassinate them. Amidst the panic, Mu Hongyu used herself as bait and diverted those people¡¯s attention so that Elder Ji Chang could bring her mother away and leave. But because her mother kept objecting, Mu Hongyu personally used her sword and knocked her out cold. Mu Hongyu originally thought that she was done for, but she fell down from the cliff and landed in the rapid waves at the verge of death. She was severely injured then and floated in the river for three whole days. If it weren¡¯t for the golden mane bear cub, she might not have made it to this day and would¡¯ve died in the river. After surviving those blurry three days, she finally saw a boat at the lower stream. There were more than 20 people on the boat, and they all seemed to be strong warriors. Back then, she vaguely felt something amiss. But she was hovering between the edge of life and death, so she couldn¡¯t care much when she saw a chance for survival. Hence, she tried her best to beg and used all her money on her to exchange for a chance to get onto the boat. She thought that as long as she could make it to the shore, she would definitely have a way to go back. In the end, she didn¡¯t expect that she arrived at the edge of Heaven¡¯s Canopy when the boat stopped once again. When Emperor Jiawen previously summoned Heaven¡¯s Canopy, Mu Hongyu had seen it from afar. So when she saw the gigantic curtain-like Heaven¡¯s Canopy, she finally realized that the boat she got on wasn¡¯t an ordinary problem. When the group of people was planning to get down from the boat, they were accidentally discovered and were chased and killed. Amidst the messy battle, Mu Hongyu ran with all her might but fainted in the end as her body couldn¡¯t support her any longer. When she woke up once again, she realized that she was alone and that she had arrived within Heaven¡¯s Canopy. She and the golden mane bear cub were dazed and helpless as they continued to walk on. When they were hungry, they would eat grass. When they were tired, they would lie directly on the ground to rest. They suffered more than they ever did in the past decades. She walked like this for another two days and met with a group of people, and those people were from Yu Xiang Hall. They were originally passing by unwittingly, and they caught Mu Hongyu when they saw her walking alone at the edge of Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Actually, they didn¡¯t think of Mu Hongyu as much earlier on. But when they later discovered that Mu Hongyu could teleport on the spot and freely travel from this place to another, they realized her uniqueness. In the end, they brought her back to Xi Ling. Mu Hongyu tried to escape two or three times in between, but she was quickly captured by them. To make her become more obedient, they fed her some medicine. The next time she woke up, she was within the metal cage. After Mu Hongyu finished talking, the room fell into a long silence. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and rubbed her brows. ¡°¡­Those people on the boat should¡¯ve been smuggling in.¡± There was indeed such a special existence outside of Heaven¡¯s Canopy. They hadn¡¯t attained the abilities of a stage-seven warrior, and they didn¡¯t know anyone within Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Hence, they couldn¡¯t legitimately enter Heaven¡¯s Canopy. But they had all sorts of imaginations and expectations toward Heaven¡¯s Canopy, so they racked their brains and used all sorts of ways to smuggle into Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Heaven¡¯s Canopy was very wide. Even if many countries had sent countless warriors to guard the place, they couldn¡¯t ensure that every area could successfully defend against these people. Mu Hongyu should¡¯ve coincidentally caught up with a batch of them. Chu Liuyue thought about all the experiences her friend had mentioned and couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really the miracle of all miracles for you to be able to live until now¡­¡± This journey was perilous and filled with all sorts of dangers. If she was careless during any part of the journey, she would¡¯ve been finished. Yet, Mu Hongyu was lucky enough to avoid all of them¡­ and even coincidentally met with them! One could almost say that she had help from the heavens. At the side, Jian Fengchi and Shui Liu¡¯er also had conflicted expressions. When they saw Mu Hongyu¡¯s injuries previously, they knew that she suffered during this period. But when she voiced out those matters, it still far exceeded their expectations. Jian Fengchi slowly sighed and softly muttered, ¡°This means that my six million-plus white crystals weren¡¯t spent in vain¡­¡± Shui Liu¡¯er glared at him. Do you know how to talk? Isn¡¯t he always gentle, sensitive, and understanding when facing girls? Why does he only know how to say this in front of Mu Hongyu? Jian Fengchi also seemed to have felt that it was inappropriate, so he coughed. It¡¯s good that Mu Hongyu doesn¡¯t seem to care about this. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and said, ¡°Your Faint Yuan Body¡­ What¡¯s up with that?¡± Mu Hongyu shrugged her shoulders and looked innocent. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I think I suddenly became like that. After Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s people caught me, I accidentally heard that they wanted to sell me, so I was scared and kept thinking of escaping. In the end, I somehow managed to end up in another place.¡± ¡°They found me quite quickly after that, so I took advantage of the time when they weren¡¯t paying attention and tried again. And I succeeded! I then realized there was something wrong with my body.¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. How is this something wrong? This is an enormous opportunity! The Faint Yuan Body hasn¡¯t appeared in the world for the past thousands of years. It¡¯s no wonder that Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s people wanted to find her no matter what and even specifically sent her to Xi Ling. Mu Hongyu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Oh, yes. When I floated in the river for three days and boarded the ship after, my abilities seemed to strengthen slowly. When Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s people found me, I finally stopped at the standard of a peak stage-five warrior. I think¡­ It¡¯s related to that river water? But none of the people on the boat were the same as me¡­¡± Her body came without rhyme or reason, and she didn¡¯t even know how she managed to break through. Chu Liuyue smiled. Now, we can¡¯t find out when and how Mu Hongyu suddenly gained the Faint Yuan Body. But this isn¡¯t important. The important thing is that she has the Faint Yuan Body! This was something that countless people begged for but couldn¡¯t get, yet Mu Hongyu managed to gain it suddenly. If they talked about it out loud, they would cause a lot of people to be envious to death. ¡°Hongyu, since those matters have already passed, you don¡¯t have to think about them anymore. Since you¡¯re already in Xi Ling now, then you should just stay here. You already have the Faint Yuan Body, so your talents are astonishing, and your potential is unlimited. If you go back to Yao Chen again, your progress will just be delayed. Only by staying here can you become a top warrior!¡± Chapter 595 - I Disagree Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes lit up. None of the cultivators in the world wouldn¡¯t want to become stronger¡ªMu Hongyu was no exception. In the past, she didn¡¯t know what the Faint Yuan Body was. She only gradually understood that she had gained a rare body type after she heard Song Zheng talking to the crowd below when she was trapped in the metal cage. Hearing Chu Liuyue say this, she felt tempted too. ¡°Can I really stay here?¡± Tianling Dynasty, imperial capital Xi Ling¡­ These were places that she didn¡¯t even dare think about in the past. Chu Liuyue said affirmatively, ¡°Of course, you can. Even though you smuggled over at first, Young Master Jian has already bid for you. You have become his man, so naturally, you can stay legitimately.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s wrist moved, and the fan gently hit his brow bone. He looked down, and nobody could see his expression. My man¡­ This sounds¡­ Mu Hongyu nodded in deep thought. ¡°Does this mean that I always have to be beside him in the future? Didn¡¯t those people say that I¡¯m a¡­ slave¡­¡± Mu Hongyu said the last word very hesitantly. She didn¡¯t know how she suddenly became a slave. In the past, she was still a princess in Country Yao Chen no matter what. Yet, she suddenly became a slave in the blink of an eye when she reached here. Anybody would find it hard to accept. Chu Liuyue explained the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s law to her. ¡°¡­Though you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, you did smuggle over. Besides, Yu Xiang Hall¡¯s people have already openly auctioned you, and this incident will spread very quickly. Thus, everyone will immediately think that you¡¯re a¡­¡± Every word that Chu Liuyue said caused Mu Hongyu¡¯s face to darken one shade further. Jian Fengchi suddenly said, ¡°Actually, there is a way to get rid of your slave status.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? What way?¡± But Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t immediately continue his sentence. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she looked at him with doubts. In the Tianling Dynasty, even the slave¡¯s master had no right to cancel one¡¯s slave status secretly. There are only two ways to get rid of this status. One: the slave had to achieve a big accomplishment and receive immunity from the emperor. But this type of situation was very rare, and its number of occurrences could be counted with one hand in the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s thousand-year history. The second was¡­ marriage. If the master and slave got married, the slave¡¯s status would naturally be canceled. This was the way most slaves used to change their status. This way wasn¡¯t actually that simple either because a slave¡¯s status was very lowly amongst the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s crowd. If one married a slave, they would always receive all sorts of mockery and contempt. Normally, the master wouldn¡¯t be willing to suffer all of this just for a slave. This was unless the slave had strong powers. After all, this was a world where the strong were respected. But comparatively, this was much simpler than the first way. Mu Hongyu definitely couldn¡¯t go for the first method, so Jian Fengchi was most likely talking about the second method. Shui Liu¡¯er seemed to have noticed something as she suddenly looked at Jian Fengchi, and shock flashed across her eyes. What exactly is Jian Fengchi thinking? He¡¯s Mu Hongyu¡¯s master now! Does he plan to disregard his status as Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s young master and marry Mu Hongyu? Shui Liu¡¯er did like Mu Hongyu, but she was still closer to Jian Fengchi after all. If Jian Fengchi really did this, even if his parents agreed, the entire Dragon Teeth Mountain would not! How could the young master¡¯s wife have such a background?! Even though Jian Fengchi¡¯s mother had an ordinary background back then, she wasn¡¯t a slave! The few people in the room fell into an eerie silence. Mu Hongyu glanced at each of them and was very confused. What¡¯s¡­ going on? Weren¡¯t we talking nicely just now? She said hesitantly, ¡°If this incident will put you in a difficult spot, then we shouldn¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll think of another way myself! You guys have already helped me a lot, and I can¡¯t trouble you anymore.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Jian Fengchi with deep meaning. He wouldn¡¯t have said that previous sentence unintentionally, right¡­ Jian Fengchi felt guilty from her glance and averted his gaze. To be honest, he himself was stunned when he said that. But hearing Mu Hongyu say this now, he felt an unknown sense of discomfort. ¡°Hongyu, we can¡¯t settle this matter so quickly. But if you properly cultivate and become a strong warrior, all these problems can be resolved,¡± said Chu Liuyue seriously. Mu Hongyu saw her definite and reassuring expression, and the uneasiness in her heart gradually dissipated. Chu Liuyue seemed to have the power to reassure people. It seemed like everything wasn¡¯t a problem as long as she was here. Mu Hongyu curved her almond-like eyes and nodded forcefully. ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and said, ¡°You have two choices now. One: you follow me and enter Chong Xu Cabinet. The other choice is to follow Young Master Jian to Dragon Teeth Mountain. According to your current capabilities, you can casually pick whichever clan you like in Xi Ling.¡± Mu Hongyu said without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to Chong Xu Cabinet!¡± Jian Fengchi raised his brows and finally knocked on the table. ¡°May I know if you forgot about one person? Mu Hongyu, I redeemed you, so you naturally should go to Dragon Teeth Mountain. Why would you go to Chong Xu Cabinet with Chu Liuyue?¡± Dazedness and weirdness flashed across Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ve always been with Liuyue!¡± It was like this back in the academy. Since there was the chance now, it would naturally be this way too. She had never thought of following Jian Fengchi¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up, and she lazily said, ¡°Young Master Jian, didn¡¯t you tell me to return the money to you earlier? I¡¯ll do it, and Hongyu will follow me from now on. I¡¯ll naturally take care of her.¡± Jian Fengchi blurted out, ¡°I disagree!¡± Chapter 596 - Back of the Mountains ¡°You suggested this yourself just now. Why do you disagree with it now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with raised brows. Jian Fengchi was stumped. ¡°I was only casually talking just now¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I thought so too. How is it possible for Young Master Jian to calculate this amount of money with us, right?¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Jian Fengchi almost spat out blood. Chu Liuyue wants to snatch her away without paying a single cent! At the side, Shui Liu¡¯er finally couldn¡¯t watch on and helped Jian Fengchi say, ¡°At the auction, quite a few people have seen Hongyu. We were also seen by some people when we brought Hongyu out. The news of Young Master Jian bidding for Hongyu must¡¯ve spread throughout Xi Ling now¡­. If Hongyu joins Chong Xu Cabinet, people will inevitably overthink.¡± Jian Fengchi heaved a sigh of relief. Chu Liuyue looked at Mu Hongyu. ¡°Hongyu, Sister¡­ Little Liu¡¯er, makes sense. What do you think?¡± Mu Hongyu was conflicted. She had heard them talk so much, and she was generally clear that these two options would result in different consequences. In her heart, she naturally wanted to choose Chu Liuyue. But if this would bring the latter trouble¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be good. Shui Liu¡¯er smiled slightly and softly said, ¡°Ms. Chu, you also might not like what I¡¯m going to say next, but I still need to. Chong Xu Cabinet is still one of the top four clans in Xi Ling on the surface, but everyone knows what their actual situation is. You and Qiang Wanzhou have your own reasons for joining Chong Xu Cabinet, but this might not be the best choice for Mu Hongyu.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t get angry and nodded instead as if she agreed with this. Shui Liu¡¯er relaxed a little and continued, ¡°Mu Hongyu now has the Faint Yuan Body, which is a top cultivator body. She¡¯s one in a million¡ªcompared to other cultivators, she¡¯s much stronger. The more this is so, the more she needs a famous mentor to guide her along. She also needs an optimal environment¡­ Dragon Teeth Mountain is the most appropriate one!¡± No matter what area it was, Dragon Teeth Mountain was completely better than Chong Xu Cabinet. ¡°Mu Hongyu¡¯s abilities will definitely attract many people¡¯s contempt. Even though she has already left Yu Xiang Hall, there still might be people who will attack her in the future. But if she joins Dragon Teeth Mountain¡­ it will indubitably be much safer. At the very least, people will have to take an extra layer of consideration into account.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er spoke gently and curtly and analyzed all the pros and cons very clearly. After Mu Hongyu heard this, she lowered her head in deep thought for quite some time before looking at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, I plan to go to Dragon Teeth Mountain. As long as I become a strong warrior, I won¡¯t be your burden anymore. I can even help you instead.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already thought of it, just do it.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded seriously and revealed a gloomy smile. ¡°It¡¯s good if I stay here, but¡­ What about Yao Chen? My parents don¡¯t know where I am now, and they don¡¯t know my current situation. They¡¯ll definitely be super anxious.¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Do you have a way to contact them?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I originally did, but I escaped the whole way here and have long dropped everything on me¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll help you send the news back later.¡± Mu Hongyu then relaxed. The few of them talked for a while longer, and Chu Liuyue briefly explained her experiences in this period before telling Mu Hongyu about the many situations in Xi Ling. This was so that the latter paid more attention in case she attracted trouble. In the end, Mu Hongyu left with Jian Fengchi and Shui Liu¡¯er reluctantly. Luckily, Jian Fengchi had good medical skills, so Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t worried about her friend¡¯s injuries. As long as Dragon Teeth Mountain could protect her, nothing else mattered. After sending the few of them away, Chu Liuyue sat down and started to write the letter. Normally, people couldn¡¯t casually exit Heaven¡¯s Canopy. So if one wanted to send letters, the safest and most convenient method was to pay money to someone to send the letter. But this was a little pricey, and normal people could not afford it. However, this wasn¡¯t a problem for Chu Liuyue. After she finished writing, she sent the letter out. This letter was for Qi Han, who was still at Yao Chen. This kind of business valued trust the most, so Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t worried that someone would open her letter halfway. Besides, even if one opened it, nobody else could understand it except the Thirteen Yue Guard. After doing all of this, Chu Liuyue returned to Chong Xu Cabinet. ¡­ At the mountain entrance, she met Ye Ranran. Before Chu Liuyue could speak, Ye Ranran asked, ¡°Liuyue, why did you only come now?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her amiss expression and asked, ¡°What, did something happen?¡± Ye Ranran walked to her side, and her small, round face was filled with worry. ¡°Cabinet Master just returned, and he looked a little weird. He then went to the back of the mountains alone and stayed there for a very long time¡­ You might not know, but the Cabinet Master¡¯s son is buried there¡­ Actually, Cabinet Master rarely goes there, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s with him today¡­¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Weichi Song should¡¯ve seen something in the zither room today and realized that my death back then had something to do with Jiang Yucheng. Thus, he had such a reaction. But I can¡¯t expose my identity now, so I can¡¯t advise him. There is no use in convincing him at this point, so I can only wait until he gets over it himself. ¡°Mentor said that you left with Cabinet Master today. Do you know why?¡± asked Ye Ranran again. Cabinet Master was still much more energized the day before because of the medicinal garden¡¯s happenings. But only this amount of time has passed, and he became like that¡­ We worry so much about him. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either, but¡­ I think he became like this after I accompanied him to Xin Li Garden.¡± Chapter 597 - At Least Nine Bolts ¡°Xin Li Garden?¡± Elder Xia Yi coincidentally walked over at this point. He overheard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words and knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t Cabinet Master say that he wanted to go to Thousand View Garden¡¯s zither room to take something?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Back then, Eldest Young Master Jiang followed Mentor in while I waited outside, so I don¡¯t know what happened. When Mentor came out, he was still fine. After we left Xin Li Garden, he said he wanted to have some alone time¡­ so I didn¡¯t follow him back.¡± Elder Xia Yi was filled with confusion. ¡°Did he see the item and was reminded of the past? But it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­¡± That zither room used to be the place where the Princess loved to go, so she naturally left her mark there. Since Cabinet Master planned to go there and take his items back, he definitely would¡¯ve been mentally prepared and wouldn¡¯t end up like this. When Cabinet Master returned today, he glanced at me hurriedly, and I felt that something was wrong. I originally wanted to go up and ask, but Cabinet Master went to the back of the mountains. Hence, I didn¡¯t follow him. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not worry about this first. Cultivate properly during this period of time. The timing for this year¡¯s clan competition has already been set to a month later, so you have to prepare for it properly,¡± said Elder Xia Yi. Ye Ranran said in shock, ¡°It has always been held in February. Why did they advance it this year?¡± Elder Xia Yi smiled bitterly. ¡°The timing was set after all the clans discussed.¡± Ye Ranran immediately understood why and curtly kept quiet. Chu Liuyue thought to herself, As expected. Xi Ling holds the clan competition once a year to test everyone¡¯s abilities and settle on their status. The competition date is almost the same every year, but this year, it was suddenly brought forward by so much. Some people clearly don¡¯t want to wait any longer. Not only Jiu Xing Alliance wants to replace Chong Xu Cabinet. Elder Xia Yi kindly said, ¡°No matter if it¡¯s earlier or later, this competition will come. Ranran, tell the cabinet¡¯s disciples about this and make everyone prepare to put their best foot forward.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Elder Xia Yi was done talking, he left. Chu Liuyue and Ye Ranran didn¡¯t say anything much, and they left respectively. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue went to her room door, she coincidentally saw Qiang Wanzhou walking out of his room. The latter¡¯s aura seemed to be much stronger than before. Chu Liuyue asked in shock, ¡°You¡­ used another pill?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. After a moment, he explained, ¡°You said that I could continue eating more once that pill¡¯s effects were over.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over, took his pulse, and was even more shocked in her heart. The harsh, cold air in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body depleted at an even faster rate than expected. A portion of the force that was previously frozen has been released. She knew that following this progress, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s abilities would gradually strengthen. However, she didn¡¯t expect it to be so fast. In actual fact, only a small part of his force had been melted. However, the strength it contained was immense¡­ It¡¯s no wonder he had to use the pill again. At this speed, his body will be well in about three months. Chu Liuyue glanced at him strangely. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s thin lips moved, and a question surfaced on his pretty face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ I was just thinking that it really costs a lot of money to raise kids¡­¡± teased Chu Liuyue with a smile. Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to argue with him. Kids love to say that they¡¯re grown-ups, but luckily, I have money now. If not, I would go bankrupt just by helping Qiang Wanzhou nurture his body. She caressed his head, waved her hand, and returned to the house. ¡°Cultivate properly, and I¡¯ll give you a gift in a while.¡± Qiang Wanzhou stared at her back view, and a question slowly surfaced in his heart: Do I really cost that much money? If she wants to give me something, it seems like I need to give her something in return¡­ His eyes turned as he thought of something, and he returned to his room. ¡­ After closing the door and the windows, Chu Liuyue took out the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, placed it in front of her, and scrutinized it carefully. Upon standing near it, she could feel the sword¡¯s material even better. Even when it was just silently placed there, she could still feel its vague, sharp aura. This sword was entirely copper, and only the sword tip was glowing in a peacock-blue shade. ¡°Queling Copper¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. According to what Ancestor said, this item can become a top sword in the world after I refine it. Ancestor¡¯s eyes definitely won¡¯t be wrong, but the key is¡­ How do I refine it? Even though she was good in all three cultivation aspects, she had never personally refined weapons. After thinking for a moment, she finally asked her ancestor for advice. ¡°Ancestor, may I know how do I handle this Queling Copper?¡± Ancestor¡¯s voice sounded very relaxed. ¡°Haha, this is simple! You just need to find a star stone and sharpen the Queling Copper¡¯s heart against it before triggering lightning.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± I understood the first half of the sentence, but did I hear the second half wrongly? Triggering lightning¡­ This is only something a top warrior can do! Even though I¡¯m not weak now, it would be a daydream for me to trigger lightning. ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­ Actually, this thing isn¡¯t that hard¡­ You should know that normal fire doesn¡¯t have much effect on this Queling Copper¡¯s heart, so you can only refine it using the power of lightning¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t even seen Queling Copper previously, so how was I supposed to know all of this?¡± Shangguan Jing seemed to have noticed something as he changed his words. ¡°Oh, is that so¡­ Actually, it¡¯s fine that you don¡¯t know about this¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was expressionless. ¡°So you don¡¯t have any other way?¡± ¡°¡­Nope.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ahem, I can actually help you trigger the lightning¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Really?¡± Shangguan Jing paused for a while, and his voice suddenly sounded guilty. ¡°As long as¡­ As long as you can endure the lightning¡¯s strength¡­¡± A bad feeling surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Um¡­ So even though I can help you trigger the lightning¡­ the Queling Copper¡¯s heart has a natural defense against it¡­ So if you really want to refine a good sword, you must let the lightning¡¯s power pass through its surface thoroughly¡­ The best way is to use your body as the bridge to endure the lightning¡¯s power and transmit it into the Queling Copper¡¯s heart¡­¡± Chu Liuyue swiftly put down the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, and it made a low sound. The ancestor¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows and eyes did not move. ¡°Are you refining the sword or refining me?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Girl, you can¡¯t say that¡­ If it¡¯s other people, they naturally can¡¯t do this, but you¡¯re different. You¡¯re already the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s owner now. The Long Yuan Sword received a total of 81 bolts of lightning power, so you have a certain endurance toward the power of lightning.¡± Chu Liuyue slightly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then, do I succeed after enduring one lightning bolt?¡± The ancestor suddenly paused. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice floated to her ears weakly. ¡°¡­At least nine bolts.¡± Chapter 598 - Request for Help ¡°At least nine bolts.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly, and she almost suspected that she had heard wrongly. She seriously asked, ¡°Are you serious?¡± The ancestor fell into a temporary silence again. ¡°¡­You need to do this to trigger the lightning and refine the Yuan instrument¡­ But don¡¯t worry. With your current abilities, nine bolts of lightning won¡¯t be a problem!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t feel assured by that at all. Shangguan Jing continued, ¡°Actually, this is also extremely beneficial for you. If you can successfully endure the lightning¡¯s power, it will definitely stabilize your foundation further. Your physical strength will also increase.¡± It was naturally extraordinary to have lightning nourishing one¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue thought for a while before slowly saying, ¡°Okay!¡± Since the ancestor has already suggested it, he must think that I can do it. Since this is so, why don¡¯t I give it a try? The ancestor was clearly very happy as well. Back then, I personally triggered the lightning and refined the Long Yuan Sword. If Chu Liuyue can succeed now, it would mean that she has inherited and completed my legacy to a certain extent. ¡°There¡¯s a star stone that I used before in the Long Yuan Sword. You can directly take it out to use it. It¡¯s best if you can find a quiet and isolated mountain peak so that you won¡¯t affect others when you¡¯re triggering the lightning,¡± reminded Shangguan Jing seriously. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and recalled that Qing Yuan Mountain¡¯s surroundings had a few peaks that nobody would go to normally. Additionally, after Chong Xu Cabinet met with that crisis earlier on, those few mountain peaks were damaged to different extents. Hence, they were even more isolated now. It would be the most suitable to pick that location. ¡°Let¡¯s do it as soon as possible. It would be easier to divert the Heaven and Earth Force at night, so why don¡¯t we go today?¡± ¡­ Night. Chu Liuyue went to Yan Lin Peak¡ªwhich was beside Qing Yuan Mountain¡ªalone. Even if more than a year had passed, it was still easy to see traces of the intense battle that took place on the mountain peak. Countless trees were broken on the peak, and they were sprawled everywhere. Chu Liuyue came all the way to the peak. The mountaintop had been shaved, and it was very smooth and tidy, which was convenient for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. After ensuring there was no problem, she stood still in the middle. Then, she searched within the Long Yuan Sword for a moment. A thought flashed across her mind. With a low sound, a gigantic star stone appeared in front of her. The star stone was as tall as a person, and it was presented in a cube form. On the surface, it was a dark black-blue color. Upon closer look, one could see the dots of stars on it, which looked as dazzling as the night sky. There were countless clear sword marks on it. One could just imagine what this star stone had experienced before. A faint suppression exuded from it. ¡°All these stars are the lightning power that has been left in it. After so many years, I thought it would be sealed forever. I didn¡¯t expect for it to see the light of day again.¡± The ancestor sighed. Chu Liuyue was amazed in her heart. ¡°Now, you just have to refine the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword against this until the heart appears.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice became much more solemn. ¡°The entire process will exhaust a lot of energy and strength, so you must be prepared.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded; then, she jumped up and landed on the star stone. Her wrist turned, and the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword appeared in her palm. She looked up. The night sky had fallen. Dazzling stars gradually appeared in the black curtain. Slowly, they became a sea of stars that floated around. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and held the hilt with one hand as the other hand pressed the sword body against the star stone. Then, she began to refine it. Huala! ¡­ At the same time, in the Jiang Residence. Inside the study, Jiang Yucheng put down the pen in his hands and looked at Jiang Yuzhi. ¡°You came just to tell me this?¡± After Jiang Yuzhi came home today, she had been clamoring to see him. But he was frustrated because of Weichi Song today, so he told her to wait outside first. After handling his tasks and calming down, he then called her in. I originally thought that something that could make her willingly wait for so long must be something urgent. I didn¡¯t expect that¡­ It was actually because of Chu Liuyue! Jiang Yuzhi looked indignant. ¡°Brother, that Chu Liuyue is such a bully! You must serve justice for me!¡± Jiang Yucheng leaned against his chair and rubbed his brows. He knew very clearly what kind of person his sister was. Normally, he always doted on her and gave in to her for everything. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to become worse and to become so relentless over a sword. ¡°Yuzhi, let¡¯s not talk about whether you can confirm if the person is her. Even if it really is her, there¡¯s no reason for you to cause trouble for her. No matter if it¡¯s this time or the previous time, the other party gave money and didn¡¯t forcefully steal from you.¡± Jiang Yuzhi angrily said, ¡°It must be her! Other than her, who would dare to go against me in the entire Xi Ling? Besides, Tingan said that the sword isn¡¯t even worth 10,000 white crystals, yet she had to fight with me. Isn¡¯t she doing it on purpose?!¡± Jiang Yucheng looked nonchalant. Jiang Yuzhi can¡¯t tell, but I¡¯ve understood Xiahou Tingan very clearly. He wanted to use this chance to get into Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s good books, but he didn¡¯t expect someone to intervene. Not only did that person steal his chance to suck up to Jiang Yuzhi, but she even angered him. He is the Xiahou family¡¯s young master after all, and they are still raising him. Thus, he totally doesn¡¯t have so much ¡®extra money.¡¯ In the end, he pushed all of the blame to Chu Liuyue. He looked down on Xiahou Tingan¡¯s actions and couldn¡¯t help but despise him. ¡°Do you listen to whatever Xiahou Tingan tells you? Yuzhi, you must remember that he¡¯s chasing you and that he¡¯s not worthy of you. You mustn¡¯t let him lead you by the nose.¡± But how could Jiang Yuzhi listen to this at this point? Her heart was just filled with the humiliation she suffered twice. ¡°I only listen to him when he¡¯s right! Chu Liuyue is clearly going against me. Brother, you must help me teach her a good lesson.¡± Jiang Yucheng was frustrated. ¡°She has already entered Chong Xu Cabinet and has become Weichi Song¡¯s personal disciple now. She¡¯s even quite reputable in Xi Ling City¡­ If I touch her at this point, it will definitely attract a lot of attention. This matter isn¡¯t as simple as you think.¡± Jiang Yuzhi widened her eyes. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re the Third Princess¡¯s Prince Consort! Would anyone dare to say that you¡¯re wrong? What¡¯s there to worry about teaching a Chu Liuyue a lesson?!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze instantly turned cold as his eyes turned into daggers as he stared at her. ¡°Who taught you all of this?!¡± Jiang Yuzhi shuddered and then recalled what Xiahou Tingan said previously. Brother is high in power, but he must be very careful now¡­ She shrunk her neck and immediately softened her tone. ¡°Nobody taught me¡­ Brother, I¡¯m your biological sister, and I¡¯m not stupid. I know what to do and what not to do¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it previously. Please don¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze turned warmer, but his voice was still cold. ¡°Go back first. I¡¯ll take it as if you didn¡¯t mention this.¡± Chapter 599 - Your Grace Jiang Yuzhi was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect that she would be rejected by her brother when she specifically went to ask him for help. He would never do this in the past! ¡°Brother?!¡± She quickly went forward and pressed on the table with both her hands as she looked at Jiang Yucheng in disbelief. ¡°I was bullied by someone, yet you¡¯re just going to let it go like that? If she¡¯s targeting me, doesn¡¯t it mean that she disregards you too?!¡± Brother has always minded this very much. Why did he suddenly change his stance today? Jiang Yucheng looked up at her. ¡°It¡¯s an extraordinary period now, so don¡¯t get into trouble. I know you have suffered in this incident. Later, you can go to the storeroom and pick a few items you like¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about money!¡± Jiang Yuzhi didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Right, didn¡¯t they say that Chu Liuyue¡¯s backer is Mu Qinghe? Brother, can¡¯t you just call Mu Qinghe over and tell him to teach Chu Liuyue a lesson?¡± Not only will Chu Liuyue suffer this way, but we can even clarify Chu Liuyue¡¯s relationship with Mu Qinghe. This will let the entire Xi Ling know that she actually doesn¡¯t have a backer at all. But Jiang Yucheng ignored her as he lowered his hand and did his own things. I really spoiled her rotten. If I don¡¯t properly discipline her, I don¡¯t know what other trouble she¡¯ll get herself into in the future. In the past, she could cause a scene as much as she wanted to. But how can she do this now? Once I marry Shangguan Wan, and she ascends the throne¡­ There can¡¯t be any mishaps at all. Besides, I¡¯ve been very frustrated lately. The Emperor has been in a coma all along and shows no signs of awakening. The Messed Yuan Gravel on Qing Yuan Mountain has been cleared, and Weichi Song suspects me, so I have to find a way to cover this up. There is also Shangguan Wan, who has become very unpredictable lately¡­ All these things frustrated him. How would he still be in the mood to handle Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s matters? ¡°Brother, you¡¯re really not planning to help me, is it?¡± Jiang Yuzhi stepped back, and her eyes were filled with anger and indignation. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because of her face?¡± Jiang Yucheng paused in his actions, slowly raised his head, and said expressionlessly, ¡°What did you say?¡± His tone sounded calm, but anger filled his eyes. However, Jiang Yuzhi only cared about herself at this point. ¡°I knew it! It¡¯s because of her face! Her eyes; don¡¯t they look extremely like the Princ¡ª¡± Smack! Jiang Yucheng suddenly slammed the table and frightened Jiang Yuzhi until her entire body shuddered. Looking at Jiang Yucheng¡¯s ice-cold face, she finally realized that she seemed to have said something wrong. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re actually throwing your temper at me because of a Chu Liuyue?¡± Her eyes quickly reddened as she teared up in grievance. Brother has never been like this all these years! ¡°Or¡­ is it because of the Princess?!¡± Jiang Yucheng suddenly said coldly, ¡°Get out!¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s heart trembled. The next moment, it was as if she decided to go all out as she chuckled. ¡°Everyone thinks that you¡¯re on very good terms with the Third Princess. But if it really is so, why would you secretly paint a picture of the Princess?! Do you think I don¡¯t know¡ª¡± Smack! A crisp slap sound was heard. Jiang Yucheng looked at her coldly. ¡°I think I have spoiled you too much! During this period, you¡¯d better stay in the residence. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere!¡± Jiang Yuzhi was hit until her head tilted to one side, and she hadn¡¯t reacted yet. Jiang Yucheng had already left. ¡°Also, I¡¯ll temporarily put your wedding with Xiahou Tingan on hold.¡± Then, he directly left the study. Very quickly, people came in and wanted to invite her out. Jiang Yuzhi felt suffocated as her eyes turned black, and she directly fainted. ¡­ Tens of thousands of kilometers away. Yan Qing rushed back the entire way, but he was still late. Everyone in Peerless Palace had been killed, and Rong Xiu had already returned with his troops. Yan Qing felt extreme regret in being unable to see Yu Mo¡¯s farce. However, he would still be comforted after seeing Yu Mo¡¯s swollen face. ¡°Where¡¯s His Highness?¡± He also had Ms. Liuyue¡¯s letter with him, so he naturally had to present it as soon as possible. However, Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t in. Yu Mo¡¯s cheeks swelled up as he raised his chin and softly said, ¡°The entire Peerless Palace has been killed, and all the different departments were affected. Quite a few people started attacking His Highness. All the elders have now come, and they¡¯re waiting in the main hall. His Highness just went over.¡± Yan Qing was taken aback. ¡°All the elders are here? Why did they come so quickly?¡± Yu Mo lightly grunted. ¡°Someone disliked His Highness from much earlier on, so why would they let go of this chance now?¡± Yan Qing nodded and looked solemn. ¡°This day must come. Since His Highness has already started taking action, he must have done sufficient preparation. This time¡­ we should be able to clear quite a few dirty things.¡± ¡­ Tai Yuan Hall. All the elders were split into two sides and sat according to their ranks. The entire hall¡¯s atmosphere was solemn and cold. ¡°His Grace has been too wilful to suddenly kill the entire Peerless Palace!¡± ¡°Why did he suddenly do this out of nowhere? Even if the Peerless Palace really did something wrong, he shouldn¡¯t have done something so cruel!¡± ¡°Everyone is partaking in heated discussions now¡­ They¡¯re all waiting for His Grace to give an explanation¡ª¡± ¡°Even though His Grace holds power, his actions are too overboard¡­¡± An announcement was suddenly heard, and it broke the suffocating atmosphere. ¡°His Grace is here!¡± The voice sounded, and everyone immediately looked toward the hall entrance. A tall and bulky figure with a black cloak and a cold, bloody aura walked in. Chapter 600 - Iron-Fist Rule His entire body was clean, but he was exuding an intense, bloody aura. He clearly had a fairy-like appearance, but he seemed more like the Grim Reaper that walked out of prison. He walked over with huge steps as every step landed heavily in the crowd¡¯s heart. Da. Da. Da. He finally stood still in the hall. The entire hall fell silent for a moment as they were stunned by this man¡¯s aura. This man was very young, but he wasn¡¯t disadvantaged at all when standing in front of the many distinguished elders. Quite a few people¡¯s hearts started beating wildly. Even though this person was young, he was already His Grace that stood at the top. His current aura was actually much different from before. When he first ascended to the position of His Grace a few years ago, he was still green and inexperienced. But unknowingly, they all gradually started to fear him¡­ This was due to the confidence from being capable and powerful. The crowd¡ªwhich was still prepared to scold him earlier¡ªdidn¡¯t speak at all. Rong Xiu was the one who broke the tense atmosphere first. ¡°Distinguished elders, you are well-respected and normally don¡¯t leave your lovely abodes. Why did you suddenly come together today?¡± The crowd recovered from their trances and looked at each other. Right, we came here to cause trouble for Rong Xiu! Why did we become cowardly once we saw him?! An elder¡ªwho was seated nearer to the front¡ªstroked his beard and boomed, ¡°Your Grace, I heard that you just killed the entire Peerless Palace?¡± Rong Xiu calmly nodded and nonchalantly said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± His honest admittance made the crowd not know what to say next. Isn¡¯t he being too righteous? Even if he is His Grace, he¡¯s too overboard by being this unreasonable! That elder¡¯s face became much solemn, and his voice turned colder. ¡°Your Highness, Peerless Palace is one of the 28 divisions, and they don¡¯t commit many major mistakes normally. You doing so has disappointed the other divisions, and you¡¯re too wilful!¡± Once he said this, many people immediately agreed. ¡°Yeah! How are you going to explain to the rest for teaching them a lesson for no rhyme or reason?¡± ¡°Previously, you left for quite some time. The moment you¡¯re back, you killed the entire Peerless Palace, not leaving anyone behind¡­ It will inevitably cause rumors¡­¡± ¡°Now, all the divisions have flocked over here like snowflakes. If you don¡¯t come out and give us an explanation, it would be hard to convince the rest¡­¡± The hall started to bustle again. On the surface, it seemed like it was all for Rong Xiu¡¯s reputation and for the divisions¡¯ safety and peace. However, every single word and sentence was reprimanding Rong Xiu for being too impulsive and harsh with his actions. Rong Xiu stood there quietly as if he was listening and as if he wasn¡¯t. In other words, he had no chance in expression at all from start to end. His reaction naturally incurred many people¡¯s dissatisfaction. The elder who first spoke up put on a harsh expression and asked, ¡°¡­Your Grace? Your Grace, are you still listening? Now that things have come to this stage, are you not going to solve it?¡± Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curved up into a smile that was extremely cold. ¡°As His Grace, I oversee the 28 divisions. But now, all the divisions¡¯ reports have gone to Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡­¡± The crowd was suddenly silent. Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face also froze. He was thinking of taking this chance to properly teach Rong Xiu a lesson, but he forgot that the reports he took over were done illegitimately. He paused for a moment and forcefully said, ¡°Your Grace wasn¡¯t around previously, so all the reports came to me¡­¡± Rong Xiu lightly said, ¡°I¡¯ve already been back for around half a month. Other than the day I brought troops to eliminate the entire Peerless Palace, I¡¯ve been here for the remaining time. But from start to end¡­ I¡¯ve never seen you¡ªRespected Elder Tong Chuan¡ªbring the reports back. I almost thought that you were going to take power for yourself.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face became even uglier. If word gets out, it¡¯ll gravely affect my reputation! His demanding stance softened by quite a bit. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I planned to pass everything to you after you came back¡­ But all the divisions are now causing a huge commotion because of Peerless Palace¡¯s matter, so I couldn¡¯t care about it for now¡­¡± Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Respected Elder Tong Chuan, you¡¯re very respected, so why would you do such a thing? May I trouble you to return all those reports to me later on?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan could only agree. With the duo¡¯s interaction, secret waves were rippling beneath the calm water surface. The crowd could detect the floating and intersecting murderous intent in the air, and they all kept quiet. Rong Xiu surveyed his surroundings before slowly saying, ¡°I naturally have my reasons for handling Peerless Palace. When I was out, Peerless Palace sent people to assassinate me. They naturally cannot be forgiven for this sin!¡± The crowd exchanged looks among themselves. Some were shocked, and others were in doubt¡­ Respected Elder Tong Chuan hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Even if Peerless Palace really sent someone to go and assassinate you, you can just capture that one person and execute him. If not, you can deal with all of the people involved in this incident so as to warn them, and that would be sufficient. Why must you eliminate their entire division? Your Highness, your move is too¡­¡± ¡°That person has no grudge against me at all, yet he suddenly did this. It¡¯s clear that someone instructed him. If Zhang Youfang can¡¯t even handle this small matter properly, he should be punished. Besides, Peerless Palace kept offending their superiors previously, and I have been enduring it repeatedly. I originally thought they would admit to their mistakes, yet I actually raised a wolf beside me, which almost caused a huge trouble.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze became very cold and dagger-like as it swept past the crowd. ¡°Peerless Palace¡¯s intent of betrayal is obvious, and they have already done it to this extent. Why should I show them mercy? Besides¡­ saying that I¡¯m harsh and heartless¡­¡± He suddenly laughed and looked down on the rest. ¡°I have always been like this. So what?¡± He sounded calm and nonchalant, yet so righteous that it stumped everyone. That¡¯s right! If Rong Xiu was kind-hearted and benevolent, he never would¡¯ve been His Grace. Respected Elder Tong Chuan opened his mouth but didn¡¯t make a sound. Rong Xiu continued, ¡°I know that there are people in the divisions that don¡¯t respect me. I don¡¯t calculate your small antics normally, but that¡¯s just because I don¡¯t bother about them. If someone is really interested in my position, I don¡¯t mind fighting with them! Peerless Palace is the first example!¡± The crowd was taken aback. Rong Xiu is clearly sacrificing one person to warn the rest. Perhaps it was because Rong Xiu kept giving in for the past few years, so they forgot who exactly Rong Xiu was. It was only until now that they suddenly realized: How can the person who became His Grace be a pushover? He means that¡­ From now onward, he¡¯s going to be strict? Quite a few people thought of the scene where the river was flowing with blood, and they felt lingering fear. They all looked at Respected Elder Tong Chuan. Respected Elder Tong Chuan took a deep breath in and said, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re right. However, there are many people in the divisions. If you keep using an iron fist to rule over everyone, you will definitely incur a lot of wrath¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a swift burst of laughter resonated throughout the hall. ¡°Haha, this is originally a world where the strong are respected. What¡¯s wrong with me doing this?¡± Chapter 601 - Personally See It The voice was low and burly but filled with energy. It sounded as if it came from far away, but it was also like thunder that struck beside one¡¯s ears. Upon hearing this, Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face suddenly changed. Quite a few people¡¯s expressions in the hall froze. A figure was like a lightning bolt that pierced through the air and came here. In the blink of an eye, the figure appeared in front of the hall. This was an elder that was slightly plump, and his chubby face had a doting smile plastered on it as his eyes curved into one thin line. He walked over with big and light steps, which landed noiselessly. However, the crowd in the hall became restless when they saw this person enter. Rong Xiu turned around, and his lips curved up. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, why are you here?¡± ¡°I heard Your Highness finally got rid of those bunch of scumbags from Peerless Palace recently. I¡¯m very happy, so I specifically came here to celebrate.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming spoke and laughed out loud, without concealing the happiness and excitement on his face at all. I¡¯ve long hated Peerless Palace! Rong Xiu has endured for so long and finally took action! Moreover, it was a one-shot, one-kill! He felt great. ¡°Your Highness, I heard that you didn¡¯t bring a lot of people this time around and that you dealt with everyone in Peerless Palace in one day. It seems like Your Highness has improved quite a bit recently!¡± The crowd became even more silent. Why is 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s focal point always different from the rest? But this elder was just too strong, and he was one of the most experienced amongst all the respected elders. An average person could only lower their head and be lowly in front of him. When they faced Rong Xiu, they might still be able to hold up a front based on their identity and experiences. But in front of 36 Respected Elder Ming, they definitely didn¡¯t have this courage. Even Respected Elder Tong Chuan had to try his best to avoid offending him. Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Thank you for the praise, 36 Respected Elder Ming. I did benefit quite a bit when I was out training during this period.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming stroked his chin and laughed. Isn¡¯t that right! You even found yourself a wife. What else is there to say? He turned around and first looked at Respected Elder Tong Chuan. He was still smiling, but his words weren¡¯t so polite anymore. ¡°Tong Chuan, the ancestor battled all 28 divisions alone back then, and thousands of people respected him. He did it with his own capabilities, so why do you disapprove of it so much when it comes to His Grace? Peerless Palace kept committing insubordination and even tried to assassinate His Grace. He should¡¯ve handled it earlier! Only by doing this can he suppress the thoughts of all the divisions¡¯ other people. To me, His Grace didn¡¯t do anything wrong at all. Instead, he did a wonderful job!¡± Since he is His Grace, he should have the methods and aura of one. In the past, Rong Xiu considered the bigger picture and chose to give in time and time again, but what did he get in return? Respected Elder Tong Chuan opened his mouth and was about to say something, but 36 Respected Elder Ming beat him to it again. ¡°If you¡¯re dissatisfied with what His Grace is doing now, aren¡¯t you indirectly saying that the ancestor¡¯s methods were cruel, harsh, and cold-blooded?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan suddenly stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it that way! 36 Respected Elder Ming, don¡¯t randomly accuse me of things!¡± ¡°I did accuse you of things, yet you justified it yourself. Everyone knows this very clearly, so why are you yelling?¡± said 36 Respected Elder Ming lazily. Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s entire face flushed. It¡¯s fine if this old dog doesn¡¯t come out usually, but he causes so much trouble once he does! He¡¯s wreaking havoc just because of his identity! Yet, I can¡¯t do anything to him in return! 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s gaze coldly swept past the crowd. ¡°The 28 divisions respect His Grace. His Grace is tidying up his backyard, and it¡¯s not our place to complain about it! Also, all of you have your own status and powers. You didn¡¯t think about solving these problems, yet you came to question His Grace¡­ How unbecoming!¡± He looked kind, but it was akin to slapping the entire crowd when he said this. Rong Xiu gently said, ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, all the respected elders are only doing this because of the 28 divisions¡­ I was thinking that this kind of thing won¡¯t happen again, right?¡± After a temporary silence, one respected elder finally stood up and gave a deep bow toward 36 Respected Elder Ming and Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t have to defend us. 36 Respected Elder Ming is right¡ªwe didn¡¯t think this through clearly. Your Highness, please forgive us.¡± Once someone took the lead, the remaining people would naturally follow suit. Very quickly, half of the people in the hall expressed similar stances and gradually left. The originally solemn and ferocious formation gradually became pockets of people. Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face turned white, yet he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. 36 Respected Elder Ming had a higher status than him, and he didn¡¯t act according to logic. Hence, it was very hard to deal with him. If he wasn¡¯t forced to a dead-end, he wouldn¡¯t want to go against the other. His anger filled his chest and suffocated him, making him feel very uncomfortable. In the end, seeing that this discussion wouldn¡¯t continue, he stood up and planned to leave. Just as he was about to step out, Rong Xiu¡¯s voice came from behind slowly and surely. ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, may I trouble you not to forget to return the reports. Also, there¡¯s no need to trouble you to check on the 28 divisions¡¯ reports since I¡¯m already back.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s back was facing Rong Xiu, and his face flashed white and red. In the end, he could only stiffly agree before raising his legs to leave quickly. Only Rong Xiu and 36 Respected Elder Ming were left in the entire hall. ¡°I came at just the right time!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming chuckled. ¡°Those scumbags were educated by me, and they cooperated with me quite well, right?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for personally showing up today.¡± It wasn¡¯t suitable for him to say some words, but if it were 36 Respected Elder Ming, it would take half the work but have twice the effect. At the very least, from today onward, nobody would dare to cause a scene because of his heartlessness. No matter how many people from Peerless Palace died, nobody would speak up for them. He had the upper hand in this battle, and it would make a lot of things convenient in the future. 36 Respected Elder Ming nonchalantly waved his hand. ¡°I exited seclusion and helped you for so long, let alone this one time. If you really want to thank me, why don¡¯t you quickly bring back your Princess Consort and let me take a look at her?!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming seems very stubborn about this¡­ Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°She has very important things to do, so she won¡¯t be able to come over during this period.¡± The moment Rong Xiu finished his sentence, he saw Yan Qing quickly rushing over from outside. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Yan Qing had been waiting outside all along. Seeing that the respected elders had all exited, he thought that the matter would end. Thus, he immediately came over and presented a letter. ¡°Ms. Liuyue instructed me that I must let you read this personally.¡± Chapter 602 - The Moon is Still Bright Miles Apart 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s a letter from your Princess Consort! Hurry up and open it to see!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips slightly curved up, and he took the letter. His long fingers then gently swiped across the envelope, and he suddenly paused. Rong Xiu looked up and glanced at 36 Respected Elder Ming at the side. ¡°Are you planning to read this letter too?¡± ¡°Well, of¡ª¡± said 36 Respected Elder Ming unwittingly. Afterward, he realized that something was inappropriate, so he hurriedly coughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay! Since it¡¯s a letter for you, it¡¯s naturally inappropriate for me to read it! You can do it! You can do it!¡± Then, he moved a step back. Rong Xiu opened it. There was only one line of words on the letter: Our tossing and turning hearts are in line as the moon is still bright miles apart. Sender: Yue. Rong Xiu held that letter, looked at that sentence, and thought about the memories that kept troubling his heart. His fingers curled slightly. Even though there is only one sentence, it¡¯s more than enough for me. 36 Respected Elder Ming stood at the side and watched as Rong Xiu became an entirely different person after opening that letter. The latter¡¯s harsh, murderous aura disappeared, and his brows relaxed¡ªit looked like the ice that melted at the start of spring. This kind of Rong Xiu was never before seen. 36 Respected Elder Ming sighed in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but be more curious. What kind of woman can make him so in love with her? He wanted to inch over to look at the letter, but he still gave up in the end. There¡¯s not much meaning for an oldie like me to look at the love letter between a small couple. But seeing that Rong Xiu is in such a good mood¡­ I can make a request. ¡°Um¡­ Your Highness, since the Princess Consort has already personally written you a letter, do you really not want to see her? Youngsters should meet more often!¡± Rong Xiu read the letter twice again before putting it away carefully. Afterward, he looked at 36 Respected Elder Ming and asked in understanding, ¡°You want to go with me?¡± After having his thoughts exposed, 36 Respected Elder Ming was embarrassed for a while, but he quickly nodded. ¡°Yeah! Anyway, I have nothing to do lately, so why don¡¯t I go take a look¡ª¡± Rong Xiu thought for a moment and laughed slightly. ¡°She should be the busiest around now. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very suitable to go over now.¡± I naturally miss her a lot, but with my current status¡­ It¡¯s quite troublesome for me to go over legitimately. Disappointment flashed across 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s face. He paused for a while and indignantly asked, ¡°Are you really not going?¡± Rong Xiu was actually waiting for Chu Liuyue to settle down in Xi Ling before going over. But just as he was about to nod, he saw Yan Qing¡¯s hesitant expression. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should say¡­¡± Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s related to Xi Ling?¡± Yan Qing nodded. ¡°Just speak,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. This Xi Ling actually referred to Chu Liuyue. Since it was news about her, he naturally had to listen to it. Yan Qing hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Recently¡­ there¡¯s been a weird youngster around Ms. Liuyue¡­¡± Rong Xiu suddenly paused in his actions. Right on the heels of it, Yan Qing told his master about whatever he saw that day. Every sentence he mentioned caused Rong Xiu¡¯s face to darken by a shade. ¡°¡­When I went to ask around afterward, I heard that Ms. Liuyue met him at the Wan Zheng Competition¡­ It seems like¡­ seems like¡­¡± Yan Qing¡¯s voice gradually became softer. ¡°Seems like what?¡± Rong Xiu asked. A chill ran down Yan Qing¡¯s spine, but he still honestly said, ¡°¡­They seem like they get along very well¡­ Ms. Liuyue seems to be treating that youngster as her servant¡­¡± Servant? She always does things swiftly, and she can basically handle everything on her own. Why would she want a servant out of nowhere? Besides, even though she looks like she treats people politely and humbly, she actually admires very few people. Yet, that youngster can be so close to her. It¡¯s clear that she trusts him. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t have much of an expression as his fingers tapped on the letter twice. ¡°Go inform Yu Mo to follow me to Xi Ling.¡± Yan Qing said hurriedly, ¡°Yes! Your Highness, when do you plan to go¡ª¡± Before he could finish asking, Rong Xiu lightly glanced at him. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an hour to pack.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°I¡¯ll go right away!¡± Then, he quickly stood up and left. Seeing his figure disappear, 36 Respected Elder Ming chuckled and teased, ¡°Your Highness, didn¡¯t you just say that the Princess Consort has been very busy lately and that you¡¯d only go look for her after a while?¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because she¡¯s busy that I¡¯m going to help her personally.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s long lashes moved slightly. She also won¡¯t need to find any servants. 36 Respected Elder Ming rubbed his hands excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Rong Xiu looked at him. ¡°Respected Elder, now that Peerless Palace¡¯s problem has just been settled and that there are many things that require one to supervise after this¡­ I think you¡¯re the most suited for this, right?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s face immediately collapsed. What else is there to do? After today¡¯s scene, Tong Chuan and the rest will be obedient for quite some time! This kid just doesn¡¯t want me to go! He coughed. ¡°I assure you that I¡¯ll just look at her once and that I definitely won¡¯t intervene!¡± Rong Xiu thought of something, and his eyes changed slightly before he finally nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ Currently, Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know that Rong Xiu was planning to rush over from miles away. She had spent all her efforts on the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. The night sky hung low, and the stars were dazzling brightly. The Heaven and Earth Force kept gathering on the star stone. Chu Liuyue was currently standing on it and refining the longsword properly. Again. And again. Chapter 603 - Owe You a Favor The rough and hoarse scratching sound was extra clear in the silent night. As time slowly trickled past, Chu Liuyue still maintained this posture as if she didn¡¯t know what lethargy was. But in actual fact, her arms were aching more than ever as if they weren¡¯t her own. Now, she was just forcefully hanging on with her willpower. Only when she really couldn¡¯t take it would she stop for a slight while. But most of the time, she was still refining the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. A night quickly passed. When the sunlight shone on Chu Liuyue the next morning, she finally put her sword down and stood on the star stone as she stretched her body. Pilipala! Chu Liuyue then felt that she had become alive again. After resting for a while, she picked up the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword again to see what was the result of her night-long refinement. Then, her expectant expression suddenly froze. Only a thin layer of this Cloud-Sky Copper Sword had been shaved off! Compared to its thick and wide sword body, it could directly be ignored. If it weren¡¯t for the scratches that had clearly been smoothed out, she would almost suspect that the sword didn¡¯t undergo any changes at all. She widened her eyes slightly in disbelief and kept flipping the sword to scrutinize it. After a long while, she accepted reality with much difficulty. I didn¡¯t sleep the entire night and kept refining the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, but it didn¡¯t even make any actual progress! ¡°Girl, why are you anxious? Do you really think a good sword can be made so easily?¡± The ancestor seemed to have already expected Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction as he slowly spoke. ¡°I still thought¡­¡± Chu Liuyue exhaled. I can finally somewhat understand why Ancestor said that the entire process would exhaust a large amount of energy and strength. This is much more difficult than I had expected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yesterday was just the first day, and you weren¡¯t very familiar with it. You will know how to use your force as you do it more, and it¡¯ll naturally be much faster,¡± comforted Shangguan Jing. ¡°Thank you for your teaching, Ancestor.¡± Chu Liuyue put away the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword and the star stone, planning to come back later at night as she had already prepared herself for a long-term battle. No matter what, I must make this sword! ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to Qing Yuan Mountain, briefly tidied up for a while, and went to the medicinal garden as per usual. Without the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s effects, all the herbs were growing very smoothly. However, she realized that her senior brothers and senior sisters were much busier. Usually, they would come up to the medicinal garden to take a look, but Chu Liuyue had stayed there alone for a very long time. Only when she was about to leave did she see a senior sister. After talking to the senior sister, Chu Liuyue then knew that they were preparing for the clan competition a month later. When the news spread, all of the disciples in Chong Xu Cabinet treated it very seriously. They all knew very clearly that almost everyone was targeting Chong Xu Cabinet this time around. Jiu Xing Alliance and the other clans had been eyeing their position as one of the top four clans for a very long time. They clearly had a part to play in pushing forward the competition. As long as they were strong enough and performed sufficiently outstanding during the clan competition, they could save Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s current status. Therefore, everyone became very hardworking in their cultivation. Chu Liuyue came to Weichi Song¡¯s residence alone. He was sitting on a stone bench in the yard when she arrived, with a chessboard placed on the stone table in front of him. That chessboard looked familiar. Chu Liuyue took a closer look and recognized the chessboard as the one she had given to Weichi Song. At that time, she was still young and personally found the raw jade to carve on it. But as the jade material was too hard, she had spent a lot of strength to do it well, and there were some details that weren¡¯t smooth. When she thought about it later, she even felt that the item couldn¡¯t be seen. She thought that he had long thrown that chessboard to some corner, but she didn¡¯t expect¡­ He still kept it in one piece. ¡°Mentor,¡± she called lightly. Weichi Song recovered his senses, but his eyes still looked a little dazed. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t looking at the chess game previously but was thinking about something else. ¡°Liuyue? You¡¯re here.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over and carefully sized Weichi Song up before feeling a chill in her heart. It has just been one night, but Weichi Song seems to have suddenly aged by quite a few years. His eyes were red, and there were dark circles beneath them as if he didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. He looked very frail. It was obvious that the incident yesterday had impacted him greatly. Chu Liuyue vaguely felt her head ache, and she quickly looked down. ¡°Mentor, I came here today to give you something.¡± Weichi Song looked at her in confusion. Chu Liuyue took out some items from the Cosmic Ring one by one. At the start, Weichi Song hadn¡¯t understood what was going on. But after he opened two boxes consecutively, he immediately realized something and looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°These are all the items you sold to Hundred Herbs Building previously. I redeemed them for you,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she took out the last few items. A small hill quickly accumulated beside the duo¡¯s feet. ¡°Other than those that have already been sold, the remaining ones are here,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Weichi Song dazedly stared at those items as his lips trembled slightly. ¡°¡­Liuyue¡­ Y-you don¡¯t have to do this¡­¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I don¡¯t know which one you can¡¯t bear to part with, so I tried my best to bring all of them back. Some of these items might be something normal to other people, but they might be very important to you. Since I have the capabilities, I should help you.¡± Something seemed to be stuck in Weichi Song¡¯s throat. He looked at Chu Liuyue after a long while and had a complicated gaze. ¡°How did you get so much money?¡± He knew that Chu Liuyue spent Mu Qinghe¡¯s money when she first went to Hundred Herbs Building. But now, she had already moved out of the Mu Residence, and she basically didn¡¯t have many interactions with Mu Qinghe. Hence, she definitely couldn¡¯t be spending his money. Also, the price for all these items added up wasn¡¯t low¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. If I couldn¡¯t afford them, I wouldn¡¯t have helped you bring them back.¡± After Chu Liuyue finished talking, Weichi Song still seemed to be quite worried. Hence, she could only tell Weichi Song about her extorting money from Jian Fengchi. Of course, she only briefly mentioned it and didn¡¯t talk about the details. But after Weichi Song heard it, he was still very stunned. He only knew that Jian Fengchi loved to play, but he didn¡¯t know that he was so good at this and earned so much money in such a short amount of time. But after listening to Chu Liuyue, he did feel much better. Seeing the items accumulated by his feet, he was silent for some time before finally saying, ¡°Since this is so, I won¡¯t decline it anymore. Liuyue, I owe you a favor.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly shook her head. ¡°Mentor, I¡¯m your disciple. You saying that is like you see me as an outsider.¡± Chapter 604 - : Immature She genuinely treated Weichi Song as her mentor and genuinely respected him. In the past, I didn¡¯t have this chance and owed him a lot. Now, I finally have the chance to repay him. Weichi Song looked at Chu Liuyue, and his eyes seemed to ripple as he gently spoke after a long time. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯ve just accepted me as your mentor, yet you¡¯ve done so much¡­¡± Logically speaking, even for a mentor and disciple, they wouldn¡¯t do so much for each other after just knowing each other. But since the start, Chu Liuyue seemed to be unreserved toward Chong Xu Cabinet and me. No matter if it is her disregarding everything and choosing Chong Xu Cabinet out of all the clans or helping me redeem all these items later on¡­ She did too much¡ªthis is definitely not something one can do because they¡¯re rich. This is even more so since it encompasses her sincerity. Chu Liuyue tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Mentor, didn¡¯t you help me a lot too? If it weren¡¯t for you, Little Zhou and I might not even have a place to stay now.¡± Weichi Song¡¯s lips curled up, but he didn¡¯t say anything. According to Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities, they could definitely find other good places to stay even if I didn¡¯t help them and give them that house to live in. He originally wanted to ask further, but he suddenly couldn¡¯t speak when he was faced with Chu Liuyue¡¯s genuine smile. When he first saw her, he actually also had a very good impression of her. For some reason, he always felt extra soft-hearted and close to Chu Liuyue when facing her. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have given her the whistle he planned to give to Little Crescent. That was something he wanted to bring to his grave, even though he did give Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou one each. In actual fact, a very large part of the reason was because of Chu Liuyue. Perhaps fate between people was this magical sometimes¡­ ¡°Liuyue, do you want to accompany me and play a game of chess?¡± said Weichi Song suddenly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Sure.¡± Weichi Song said, ¡°I was playing with myself earlier. You¡¯re white; it¡¯s your turn now.¡± Chu Liuyue picked up a chess piece from the container next to her. It was cold to the touch and very smooth and hard. It was clear that Weichi Song had played chess quite often, which was why the chess piece became this smooth. Chu Liuyue looked at the chessboard, thought for a moment, and placed the white chess piece down. Pak! The two jade stones made contact and let out a tiny, crisp sound. Weichi Song¡¯s attention was quickly attracted by the chess game. The two of them went one after another and started to fight mercilessly. After a while, Chu Liuyue spoke as if she were nonchalant. ¡°Mentor, your chessboard seems different from normal ones.¡± Weichi Song smiled comfortingly and said with reminiscence, ¡°Little Crescent personally made this for me.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. After a while, she placed another piece down and lightly said, ¡°I always hear you talking about her. I wonder what kind of person she is?¡± This question made Weichi Song open his chatterbox. As he played chess, he told Chu Liuyue about all sorts of things regarding Little Crescent. In the past, he couldn¡¯t bear to and was unwilling to talk to others about this. But perhaps he had suffered too much impact lately and was very tired mentally, so he wanted to find someone to rant to and unwittingly spoke a lot. Chu Liuyue quietly listened and acknowledged his words once in a while. But after listening, she realized that Weichi Song had remembered many things she herself didn¡¯t remember clearly. Her heart seemed to be wrapped by something soft. After experiencing the heart-wrenching betrayal, this type of warmth and care became extremely precious. The duo unknowingly played a few rounds of chess like this. After more than half a day, Chu Liuyue then stood up to leave. ¡­ The next few days, Chu Liuyue cultivated in her own room during the day. At night, she went to the mountain peak to refine the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. Even though the refinement speed of the sword was very slow, she did indeed become increasingly well-versed with it. In the end, her progress gradually became obvious. The more comforting thing was that during this process, her physical strength did improve by quite a bit. Hence, she had even more motivation to refine the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. Just like this, Chu Liuyue stayed at Qing Yuan Mountain and spent her daily life plainly and simply. ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s side was quiet, but Xi Ling City became livelier. The news of Jian Fengchi generously bidding 6.6 million white crystals for a slave with the Faint Yuan Body spread around the entire Xi Ling City quickly. Mu Hongyu was a live person and had no way of hiding. Even if she could temporarily hide for one or two days, she would still immediately be discovered when she appeared in front of the crowd in the future. Hence, Jian Fengchi had never thought of hiding this incident. Anyway, he had legitimately spent money, and nobody could stop him. In the end, he didn¡¯t expect that even though the outside world was peaceful, his own father violently hit him when he brought Mu Hongyu back to Dragon Teeth Mountain. The moment he stepped into Dragon Teeth Mountain, he was captured by Jian Shuye. ¡°Stupid brat, how dare you come back?!¡± Jian Fengchi was taken aback and was dazed when he saw his furious father. ¡°Father, what¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with me? How dare you have the cheek to ask me what¡¯s with me? Why don¡¯t you look at the things that you¡¯ve done?!¡± shouted Jian Shuye as he continued to hit Jian Fengchi. Jian Fengchi wanted to run without hesitation. I can¡¯t return to this home! But how could he be Jian Shuye¡¯s match? His path was blocked before he could run far, and he had to come back. Jian Fengchi immediately admitted his faults sensibly. ¡°Father, I was wrong!¡± Jian Shuye then stopped. However, one of his hands was still hanging in midair as if it would continue hitting him at any moment. ¡°Speak! How are you wrong?¡± Jian Fengchi racked his brains, but he had no idea. He could only test the waters and ask, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve done too many wrong things. Which are you referring to?¡± ¡°Scoundrel!¡± Jian Shuye¡¯s palm still landed harshly. ¡°Normally, you¡¯re very arrogant and ill-disciplined, and your mother spoils you. Now, you¡¯re even better. Just because you have some money, you can even buy a slave! You¡¯ve really learned well!¡± Jian Fengchi then understood that it was because of Mu Hongyu. He shied away and explained, ¡°Father, I did this for a reason!¡± ¡°What reason? Don¡¯t tell me you took a fancy to her Faint Yuan Body! Do you think I have no idea what kind of person you are? I already heard that the lady is very pretty. Did you target her because of that?¡± It¡¯s fine that he¡¯s normally flirtatious, yet he still did such a thing today! How humiliating! Jian Fengchi was dazed and then understood what his father meant. He strangely asked, ¡°Father, you thought that I bought her back because I like her looks?¡± ¡°If not?!¡± Jian Shuye¡¯s chest rose as he glared and shouted, ¡°If it¡¯s not for you being so immature, why would Liuyue abandon our Dragon Teeth Mountain and run off to Chong Xu Cabinet?!¡± Chapter 605 - Big Misunderstanding Jian Fengchi was stunned. W-where did all of this come from? Chu Liuyue chose Chong Xu Cabinet, but isn¡¯t that her own choice? What has that got to do with me? But to Jian Shuye, his taken aback expression looked as though he was guilty. He pointed at his son¡¯s nose and angrily said, ¡°You, you, you¡­ Not only did you break Liuyue¡¯s heart, but you even want to drag other girls in. Why do I have a son like you?!¡± This misunderstanding is huge! Jian Fengchi felt his head ache, and he closed his eyes. ¡°Father, where did you hear all of this from? Do you not even believe your own son?¡± Jian Shuye¡¯s heart ached. ¡°If you were dependable, would I need to do this? It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Then, he said weakly, ¡°No matter what, you must give me a chance to explain, right?¡± Jian Shuye finally said, ¡°Come in!¡± Jian Fengchi felt thankful in his heart. Luckily I told Mu Hongyu to wait outside the mountain when we came back earlier. If not, I¡¯d be totally humiliated when she sees this scene. ¡°I¡¯ll go invite Hongyu in then¡ª¡± As he spoke, he turned around and suddenly saw that Mu Hongyu was already standing nearby and watching the scene. She was standing beside a disciple from Dragon Teeth Mountain. Jian Fengchi¡¯s brows twitched harshly. She saw everything just now? Jian Shuye saw him in a trance and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Since you dare to bring her back, why don¡¯t you dare to bring her up? I had long gotten someone to invite her up!¡± He then walked past the stiff Jian Fengchi and walked toward Mu Hongyu. When he went nearer and saw Mu Hongyu¡¯s appearance, he scolded Jian Fengchi even more harshly in his heart. This lady only looks like she¡¯s in her teens! How dare he? Thinking of this, Jian Shuye revealed a kind and benevolent smile. He tried his best to make himself look less fierce as he was afraid that he would scare this lady. ¡°Lady, I am Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s master. What¡¯s your name?¡± Mu Hongyu was also stunned when she saw the scene after coming up. She didn¡¯t expect that the distinguished, arrogant, and ill-disciplined Jian Fengchi would run around from getting beaten. And¡­ This person should be Jian Fengchi¡¯s father. She hurriedly bowed. ¡°Greetings, Master. I am Mu Hongyu.¡± Seeing her polite manners and that she seemed quite injured, Jian Shuye felt pity for her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be nervous! With his mother and I, that boy won¡¯t dare to bully you! If he made you suffer earlier, you must tell me! I will definitely help you teach him a lesson!¡± Mu Hongyu blinked. ¡°Um¡­ Master, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood¡­ Young Master Jian didn¡¯t make me suffer. In actual fact, it¡¯s because of him that I could escape from Yu Xiang Hall¡ª¡± Jian Shuye secretly thought that this lady was very naive. Other people might be interested in the Faint Yuan Body, but Jian Fengchi would never be. He just decided to squander his money because he thought he was wealthy. The entire Xi Ling is now spreading that Jian Fengchi is very extravagant in his spendings because of other intentions. If not, there¡¯s no need for him to do this according to his talent and background. The more important thing is that if Liuyue finds out about this¡­ Won¡¯t she despise Jian Fengchi even more? To think I was still nagging and convincing Chu Liuyue to come to Dragon Teeth Mountain at Thousand View Garden previously. Everything is ruined by this kid! Jian Shuye boomed, ¡°Hongyu, don¡¯t worry. After you come here, nobody will dare to do anything to you! I¡¯ll make sure justice is served to you!¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but glance at Jian Fengchi behind him. Your father seems to have really misunderstood something. Jian Fengchi was expressionless. It¡¯s rare that I did a good deed, but why does it seem like I¡¯m still in the wrong? Jian Shuye saw that Mu Hongyu stole a glance at Jian Fengchi and thought that she was behaving in this manner because she was threatened by his son. This made him even more furious. This kid let Liuyue down and Mu Hongyu as well! Mu Hongyu saw his anger worsening and knew that he had thought wrongly. Thus, she hurriedly said, ¡°Master, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Young Master Jian and I¡­ are just friends! Liuyue too!¡± Jian Shuye was stunned. ¡°What did you say?¡± Mu Hongyu explained, ¡°You might not know, but both Liuyue and I are from Country Yao Chen. We knew each other a long time ago, and we came from the same academy. We¡¯re on very good terms. I previously met Young Master Jian at Country Yao Chen, and Young Master Jian even treated my mother¡­¡± The more Jian Shuye listened, the more he felt that something was wrong. Why does it seem so different from what I predicted? ¡°This time, I ended up here unintentionally. Coincidentally, both Young Master Jian and Liuyue were at Yu Xiang Hall, and Young Master Jian helped me out, bid for me, and took me back¡­ We just came back from Liuyue¡¯s place.¡± Jian Shuye reacted for a moment, and his expression immediately became incredible. T-this means¡­ My son didn¡¯t hurt other girls. Instead, he went to help his friends? Then, just now¡­ I¡ª Jian Shuye slowly asked, ¡°Are¡­ you telling the truth?¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie about what I said at all! You really misunderstood Young Master Jian this time!¡± Jian Shuye¡¯s neck stiffened as he turned around to look at Jian Fengchi. Jian Fengchi suddenly sneered. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Chapter 606 - Cause a Commotion Jian Shuye clenched his fists and harshly coughed. ¡°¡­So this means that you really did this to help¡­ Hongyu?¡± Jian Fengchi laughed even more coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, we can go to Chong Xu Cabinet now to ask Chu Liuyue.¡± It seems¡­ like¡­ I really misunderstood my own son? Jian Shuye finally felt bad. ¡°Then previously, you and Liuyue¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he suddenly had a bad feeling. ¡°You misunderstood us¡­ You still wanted to invite her to Dragon Teeth Mountain? What is that about?¡± Jian Shuye laughed. ¡°Ah! Nothing much, nothing much! I was just casually talking to Liuyue!¡± But Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t believe him as he took two steps forward and looked at his own father. He then asked, ¡°Did you say something you shouldn¡¯t?¡± Jian Shuye avoided his gaze. ¡°Um¡­ Actually, I didn¡¯t say much¡­ I just saw that the girl was smart, pretty, and well-mannered, so I thought she¡¯d be a good daughter-in-law¡­ But don¡¯t worry! I didn¡¯t say all of this!¡± ¡°Father?!¡± Disbelief filled Jian Fengchi¡¯s face as he instinctively glanced at Mu Hongyu at the side. ¡°Chu Liuyue and I are really just friends!¡± I only didn¡¯t come back for a period of time. Why did such a big misunderstanding occur? My father even thought that I liked Chu Liuyue, and he wanted her as his daughter-in-law? Jian Fengchi knew his father too well. If he really thought that way, one could just imagine what he had said to Chu Liuyue that day. Once he thought of this scene, Jian Fengchi felt so awkward that all his hair stood on end. Jian Shuye strangely muttered, ¡°Since you¡¯re just friends, why won¡¯t she come to Dragon Teeth Mountain¡­¡± Jian Fengchi held his forehead helplessly. He felt that he had no more face to see Chu Liuyue again. And Mu Hongyu¡­ Young Master Jian¡ªwho had spent more than 20 years in a carefree and happy manner¡ªfinally experienced what it was like to be backstabbed. He felt extremely uneasy and wanted to find a hole to hide himself in. And all of this was because of his father! Jian Shuye glanced at Mu Hongyu and suddenly thought of something. ¡°Then, you brought Mu Hongyu back today because¡­¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s voice was so cold that it had ice shards in them. ¡°I still thought that you would be happy to accept a disciple with the Faint Yuan Body¡­ Now, it seems like I thought wrong¡­¡± Jian Shuye was stunned and recovered his senses afterward. He was elated and surprised. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Hongyu wants to enter Dragon Teeth Mountain? This is great!¡± Afterward, he quickly sized Mu Hongyu up again. Faint Yuan Body! This girl has the Faint Yuan Body! Many people beg for it but can¡¯t even get it! If she really can become my disciple, I¡¯ll have so much face when I go out! That bunch of old people would be envious to death! After so long, it turned out that Jian Fengchi wasn¡¯t doing this for himself but because of this! Jian Shuye was overjoyed and hurriedly nodded. ¡°Good, good, good! Why don¡¯t you acknowledge your mentor today? Today!¡± Jian Fengchi heaved a sigh of relief. Originally, he was still worried that his father would be hesitant because of Mu Hongyu¡¯s current status as a slave. But now, it seemed like there was no problem at all. However, his expression didn¡¯t change much as he coolly said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you too anxious?¡± It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never had a disciple. Is there a need to be this excited? Jian Shuye thought and agreed. Mu Hongyu just came; I shouldn¡¯t scare her. Thinking of this, he smiled happily and said to Mu Hongyu, ¡°Hongyu, today is your first time at Dragon Teeth Mountain. Why don¡¯t you let this kid bring you around?¡± Mu Hongyu also didn¡¯t take the previous misunderstanding to heart. Seeing that Jian Shuye was so enthusiastic and polite, she was also happy as she smiled brightly with her almond eyes shining. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Jian Shuye instructed them a while longer and then left. Jian Fengchi and Mu Hongyu were left behind as they looked at each other. Jian Fengchi thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you around first so that you can familiarize yourself with the environment. Then, you can also let them tidy up a place for you to stay.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded and looked very sincere. ¡°Young Master Jian, you and Master are all good people! I really don¡¯t know how to thank you!¡± Jian Fengchi chuckled, stretched out his hand, and wanted to use his fan to knock her head. But when he saw her slim face, his heart tingled, and he changed to his other hand as he flicked her forehead. ¡°You can just thank me alone then.¡± ¡­ Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s third floor. ¡°Master, this is Ms. Liuyue¡¯s room¡­¡± Yue Ling stood at the side, and his shoulders were slightly lowered as he spoke respectfully. He looked as calm and composed as usual, but his tightly tense chin showed off his current nervousness. Even if someone beat him to death, he would never expect that his master would suddenly appear in Xi Ling at this point. Didn¡¯t they previously say that he wouldn¡¯t be coming anytime soon and that they wanted me to take care of everything? Yet, he directly came in the blink of an eye! Seeing his master appear here at this moment, he was so frightened that his heart was about to jump out from his mouth. ¡°Ever since I received news from you the previous time, I had already prepared this room. But¡­. Ms. Liuyue hasn¡¯t been here until today.¡± Rong Xiu was wearing a white robe. When he heard this, he asked, ¡°What did she buy when she came here?¡± Yue Ling immediately said, ¡°Ms. Liuyue came a total of two times. The first time she bought¡­¡± He originally thought that his master was just casually asking, but after he named a few items in a row, he saw that his master had no intention of interrupting him. Hence, he could only continue talking. Luckily, he had already noticed that his master treated Chu Liuyue differently compared to others, so he paid extra attention to her matters. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to say anything now. Yue Ling talked until his throat was dry before he managed to list everything. Sweat broke out on his forehead. Master actually wasn¡¯t frustrated at all and listened from start to end. ¡°¡­ All of these are the items that Ms. Liuyue bought after she came here¡­¡± Rong Xiu thought for a moment and said, ¡°It seems like there are quite a few things that belong to Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Master Weichi?¡± Yue Ling¡¯s heart felt slightly cold as he didn¡¯t expect his master to know this as well. He hurriedly said, ¡°Master, you¡¯re very wise. When Ms. Liuyue previously came, she did buy all of Old Song¡¯s items.¡± She¡¯s already a disciple of Chong Xu Cabinet now, so one can just think to know that she had bought all of them back for Weichi Song. Speaking of this, Weichi Song is still quite lucky¡­ ¡°As expected.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. This is indeed something she would do. Yue Ling noticed that his master¡¯s mood seemed to be better than when he first came, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask further. Right at this moment, he suddenly heard some commotion outside. He could vaguely hear the name ¡®Chu Liuyue.¡¯ Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. Yue Ling¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately said, ¡°Master, there seems to be someone causing trouble downstairs. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Rong Xiu slightly nodded. Yue Ling rushed down hurriedly. On the first floor, he saw a young girl standing in the middle of the hall. She said in frustration, ¡°I said that I want everything Chu Liuyue bought the first time she came here! Do you not understand what I¡¯m saying?!¡± Chapter 607 - Please Mind Your Words Yue Ling recognized this woman. Jiang Yuzhi¡ªwhy did she suddenly cause trouble here? Yue Ling knitted his brows tightly. It¡¯s fine if she wants to cause trouble, yet she had to cause trouble for Chu Liuyue! She even chose today of all times! Master is now upstairs, and he can hear it very clearly. Thinking of this, chills ran down Yue Ling¡¯s spine as he hurriedly walked over. ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, what are you doing?¡± Upon hearing the voice, Jiang Yuzhi looked up. Her expression then changed. Why is Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s General Manager Yue Ling also here today? I thought he rarely appeared? If he¡¯s here, this will be a little troublesome¡­ Jiang Yuzhi was still rather fearful of Yue Ling, so she immediately toned down. ¡°General Manager Yue, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re here!¡± She spoke as she pointed toward the crystal cabinet. ¡°I came here today to buy things, but your Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s pageboy actually said that you don¡¯t have them. Is this how your Hundred Herbs Building does business now?¡± Yue Ling smiled slightly. ¡°When I came down just now, I seemed to have heard you say that¡­ You want to buy the exact same things as Ms. Chu Liuyue?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ever since she was slapped by Jiang Yucheng, she had been locked in the Jiang Residence for a few days. Now that she finally managed to beg her mother to let her out, she came straight to Hundred Herbs Building. Since my brother doesn¡¯t want to help, I¡¯ll do it on my own! Yue Ling¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, I wonder¡­ if you know very clearly what exactly Ms. Chu bought here?¡± ¡°Are you afraid that I can¡¯t afford it?¡± Jiang Yuzhi sneered. I have some savings that I¡¯ve hidden for many years, and I even got quite a bit of money from Mother. Previously, I didn¡¯t directly snatch things from Chu Liuyue because I was afraid that Father would scold me for being a spendthrift if he found out. But she didn¡¯t think so much now. She had already endured a slap, so what else was there to be worried about? Yue Ling¡¯s expression changed undetectably. ¡°Of course not. Fourth Missy Jiang, you come from a distinguished background, so why wouldn¡¯t you be able to afford this bit of money? But¡­ I still have to make it clear to you. The first time Ms. Chu came, she spent 90,000 white crystals. The second time, it was around one million white crystals. You want to buy the exact same things as she did¡­ May I know which time you are referring to?¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s expression immediately froze. ¡°W-what?¡± Yue Ling thought to himself, This Jiang Yuzhi is indeed spoiled rotten by her family. She wants to cause trouble, but she didn¡¯t even find out how capable the other party was. As long as she went to ask around, she would know how much Chu Liuyue had spent here, and she wouldn¡¯t be this impulsive. Not to mention that she is Jiang Yuzhi. Even if Jiang Yucheng came here, he might not be so extravagant as to spend one million white crystals so casually. Jiang Yuzhi really didn¡¯t know. She faintly heard that Chu Liuyue had spent quite a lot of money here at Hundred Herbs Building, but she didn¡¯t expect the latter to spend so much! How can a woman who came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy and has a lowly status have so much money? Even if she has Mu Qinghe as her backing, one million is too much of an exaggeration! She hesitated for a moment and could only stiffly say, ¡°¡­The first time¡­ The time when she stole the item that I liked. Let¡¯s go according to that time!¡± 90,000 white crystals¡­ I can still fork that out if I gather some money here and there¡­ Yue Ling glanced at the pageboy next to him. ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang has made herself very clear. Hurry up and go prepare them.¡± The pageboy looked to be in a difficult spot. ¡°General Manager, the stock in Hundred Herbs Building is only enough for Ms. Chu Liuyue to collect them the next time alone. Hence, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t sell them to Fourth Missy Jiang¡­¡± The general manager previously said that whatever Ms. Chu wanted must be prepared in advance and that nobody could touch them. Now, Jiang Yuzhi wants to buy them. How could he give it to her? Yue Ling nodded in understanding. Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuzhi was even more enraged. ¡°Your store clearly has them. I want to buy the items, but you don¡¯t want to sell? What kind of logic is this?¡± Yue Ling smiled and explained, ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, you might not know, but Ms. Chu is our Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s black gold card member. According to the rules, we need to prioritize her. As for your side¡­ I can only apologize to you. Why don¡¯t we do this? If there¡¯s any other thing you have your eyes on, we can give you a discount¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want other things. I only want Chu Liuyue¡¯s!¡± The smile on Yue Ling¡¯s face faded a little. Jiang Yuzhi isn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, and there is no such talent even in the entire Jiang family. What could she do by buying all those precious herbs home? She clearly came to cause a scene. ¡°Please forgive me for being unable to comply with your request, Fourth Missy Jiang,¡± said Yue Ling lightly. ¡°If you really need them, I¡¯ll help you craft a list later. You can then go to the other places in Xi Ling City to buy them.¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s voice became a little shrill. ¡°General Manager Yue, are you chasing your customer away?¡± ¡°Why would I? Hundred Herbs Building absolutely welcomes you to come over, but we really can¡¯t fulfill your request. So¡ª¡± There seemed to be a ball of fire burning in Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s chest. It sounds good, but isn¡¯t it all because of Chu Liuyue?! Every time I met with something that was related to Chu Liuyue during this period of time, it would be extremely difficult for me to complete the task. It¡¯s as if Chu Liuyue was born to go against me! She looked at Yue Ling and suddenly sneered. ¡°General Manager Yue, do you think that Chu Liuyue has Mu Qinghe as her backer? Or do you think that Mu Qinghe will marry Chu Liuyue and make her the Mu Residence¡¯s mistress?¡± Yue Ling¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Master is just upstairs! His expression immediately became solemn. ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, please mind your words!¡± Chapter 608 - Madam ¡°Mind my words? Didn¡¯t Hundred Herbs Building spread this news?¡± Jiang Yuzhi didn¡¯t detect that Yue Ling¡¯s expression was amiss at all. She instead thought that she had got it right, so she continued, ¡°I remember that she brought Duan Ziyu along with her when she first came to Hundred Herbs Building. He is Mu Qinghe¡¯s confidant. Didn¡¯t you also give Duan Ziyu face, which is why you refused to sell me the Jizo coral?¡± After that, the news of Mu Qinghe being Chu Liuyue¡¯s backer gradually surfaced. Afterward, someone started spreading that she had an extraordinary relationship with Jian Fengchi. Chu Liuyue only came to Xi Ling for less than a month, and she was already related to the two of them. She was pretty capable. Yue Ling coldly said, ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, if I don¡¯t remember wrongly, Ms. Chu clearly bid a higher price than you that day. That was why she eventually took away that piece of Jizo coral.¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s face immediately turned ugly, but she still forcefully said, ¡°Anyway, I came here today to tell you that Chu Liuyue and Mu Qinghe aren¡¯t related at all! She doesn¡¯t have any backers here in Xi Ling City! She¡¯s just a lowly woman that came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy!¡± Hearing the first half of the sentence, Yue Ling heaved a sigh of relief. But when he heard the latter half, all his hair stood on end. He stepped forward, stared at Jiang Yuzhi closely, and sternly said, ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, please take back what you just said!¡± Jiang Yuzhi chuckled nonchalantly. ¡°Why? General Manager Yue, do you still not believe me? Why don¡¯t we invite Lieutenant Mu over so that we can personally ask him?¡± It¡¯s fine if she wants to die, but she shouldn¡¯t drag me down! Yue Ling secretly scolded Jiang Yuzhi for not having brains. ¡°We¡¯ve long known that Ms. Chu has no relations with Lieutenant Mu, but she¡¯s our Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s VIP now. Therefore, we won¡¯t let her be insulted like this! Fourth Missy Jiang, if you can accept the consequences of offending our Hundred Herbs Building, you can continue talking!¡± Jiang Yuzhi was dazed for a while before reacting to what he said. He¡¯s saying that¡­ He long knew that Chu Liuyue had no backer, but he was this protective of her because she had spent quite a bit of money here? ¡°You¡­¡± Seeing Yue Ling¡¯s cold expression, she couldn¡¯t help but shudder in fear. I just stated some facts. Why did Yue Ling react so greatly? It even seems like he wants to beat me up! Even though she was spoiled rotten and was normally arrogant, compared to someone like Yue Ling, she was still too tender and couldn¡¯t put up a front before him. ¡°I¡­ I just came to tell you¡­ S-she¡¯s not that amazing¡­ Why must you guys treat her so nicely?!¡± Jiang Yuzhi felt infuriated and confused. In terms of identity and status, mine are so much better than Chu Liuyue! So what if Chu Liuyue really had Mu Qinghe as her backing? Mu Qinghe is still my brother¡¯s subordinate! But now, Yue Ling is taking the risk to offend me because of a Chu Liuyue? What¡¯s wrong with him? Yue Ling was about to go crazy. I didn¡¯t check the calendar before I came out today, and I actually met with such a dumb person! Yes, Chu Liuyue doesn¡¯t have much backing in Xi Ling, but she has a backer miles away! And the key is that the distinguished backer is currently upstairs! Master must¡¯ve already seen and heard everything here! Thinking of this, Yue Ling even wanted to kill Jiang Yuzhi. He took a deep breath in and boomed, ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, you don¡¯t have to teach me how to run Hundred Herbs Building. Servants, send Fourth Missy Jiang out!¡± Jiang Yuzhi pointed at herself in disbelief. ¡°You want to chase me away?¡± Yue Ling¡¯s lips curved up without much smiling intent. ¡°You can say whatever you want outside. But in my Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s territory, nobody is allowed to insult my black gold card VIPs. Fourth Missy Jiang, sorry for offending you.¡± As he spoke, he coldly looked at the pageboy and guard at the side. ¡°Why are you still standing around?¡± With his command, the crowd rushed over in unison. General Manager is very scary today! He¡¯s even scarier than when he taught those women with loose mouths a lesson that day! The crowd was petrified as they hurriedly carried Jiang Yuzhi out. Jiang Yuzhi was so angry that her lungs almost exploded. ¡°Yue Ling, how dare you treat me like this?! My brother definitely won¡¯t let you off!¡± Yue Ling walked to the entrance and looked down at Jiang Yuzhi from above as he slightly smiled. ¡°Fourth Missy Jiang, our rules have always been like this. Even if Eldest Young Master Jiang comes, it¡¯s the same. Besides¡­ Eldest Young Master Jiang has been very low-key recently. If he finds out about today¡¯s incident, I don¡¯t know who will be in trouble.¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s heart sank, and she suddenly panicked. Yes, I actually forgot that Brother had previously warned me against causing trouble. He still doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve secretly run out. If this news travels to him, he definitely won¡¯t let me off! Thinking of this, she started to become scared. Yue Ling continued, ¡°Oh, right. Fourth Missy Jiang, you don¡¯t need to come here anymore. Our Hundred Herbs Building won¡¯t do your business from now on. Giving Eldest Young Master Jiang face, we won¡¯t implicate your family members. However, I do hope that you will be more careful with your words and actions in the future, Fourth Missy Jiang. If not, you won¡¯t even know when you¡¯ve dug a hole for yourself.¡± He then turned around to enter the building, leaving Jiang Yuzhi dazed on the spot. What did he mean just now¡­? How dare he treat me like this?! Due to anger, Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s face became slightly contorted. She immediately wanted to rush in, but Yue Ling¡¯s previous words kept reverberating in her mind. She felt conflicted on the spot for quite some time. Only when the surrounding people started pointing at her did she finally run away in humiliation. ¡­ Yue Ling returned to the third floor and saw Rong Xiu sitting in the room quietly. The latter looked calm, and nobody could see his expression. Yue Ling was about to speak up when he suddenly heard Rong Xiu say, ¡°It seems like she has been having quite a bit of fun in Xi Ling lately.¡± A chill suddenly ran down Yue Ling¡¯s spine. ¡°¡­Master¡­ Actually, all of these are rumors¡­ You also know that people start to talk nonsense when they gather¡­ Ms. Liuyue is actually¡ª¡± Rong Xiu looked up and glanced at him calmly. ¡°Remember¡ªother than in front of her, you must call her ¡®Madam¡¯ in the future.¡± Chapter 609 - Just the Beginning Yue Ling was stunned. At that moment, his face¡ªwhich usually showed no expression¡ªlooked incredulous. ¡°¡­Master?¡± Rong Xiu calmly asked, ¡°What, did you not understand what I said?¡± A chill ran down Yue Ling¡¯s spine as he hurriedly controlled his expression and lowered his head. ¡°I understand!¡± At the side, Yan Qing glanced at him pitifully. How pitiful. He doesn¡¯t see Master most of the year, but he has to face such a major issue once he does. It¡¯s hard on him too. Yue Ling¡¯s entire body broke out into sweat. I see¡­ I see! When I first received the news previously, I thought that Master treated Chu Liuyue differently. But no matter how much I thought¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to be to this extent! Thinking of how Jiang Yuzhi said those kinds of words right in front of Master¡­ I¡¯m afraid this Fourth Missy Jiang will be in big trouble in the future¡­ ¡°I heard that there was someone else with her when she came here previously?¡± inquired Rong Xiu suddenly. Yue Ling instinctively said, ¡°Are you talking about Duan Ziyu?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s hand lightly knocked against the table twice. Yue Ling¡¯s heart went cold. Yan Qing hurriedly hinted to him. After a long while, Yue Ling then reacted. ¡°You¡¯re talking about¡­ Qiang Wanzhou?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but his body aura became much colder. Yue Ling thought to himself, He is indeed referring to him. Seeing that his master seemed to become much more dangerous, Yue Ling couldn¡¯t care about much as he hurriedly repeated whatever he knew about Qiang Wanzhou to him. As he talked, he realized that his master¡¯s expression became much calmer. His heart beat wildly as he hurriedly added, ¡°I think that Liu¡­ Madam only treats Qiang Wanzhou as a child¡­¡± Rong Xiu suddenly smiled as his thin lips curved up at an angle. He said with deep meaning, ¡°So this means that a large portion of the herbs she previously bought from here was for Qiang Wanzhou?¡± Yue Ling was stunned. If I deny it, I¡¯d be lying to Master¡­ If I admit it, it¡¯d be akin to putting blades next to my neck¡­ Both roads are hard to choose! ¡°¡­This¡­ I¡¯m not too sure either¡­ Madam is a heavenly doctor after all, and it¡¯s natural that she needs herbs¡­ Perhaps she¡¯s refining medicine for herself!¡± Rong Xiu smiled with even deeper meaning. Yue Ling immediately shut up. ¡°Did she say when she would come back to collect the herbs again?¡± Yue Ling lightly said, ¡°¡­Tomorrow.¡± Rong Xiu leaned against the chair and gently closed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for tomorrow then.¡± Wait for tomorrow to do what? Yue Ling was curious, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask. He could only respectfully acknowledge his master¡¯s words. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ On the other side. After Jiang Yuzhi was chased out of Hundred Herbs Building, her blood boiled, and she was desolated. She walked on the streets aimlessly. As she walked, she kept replaying the incidents that happened during this period. After much thought, she realized it was all because of Chu Liuyue that she repeatedly suffered such humiliation again and again. The more she thought, the angrier she got. However, she didn¡¯t return to Hundred Herbs Building because her brother¡¯s warning kept reverberating throughout her brain. Jiang Yuzhi bit her lips tightly, and her eyes turned red. It¡¯s fine if others don¡¯t want to help me, but Brother even hit me because of Chu Liuyue! Isn¡¯t it just because I was right about his thoughts? Third Princess might not know, but I know it the best. It was so hard to wait until that person finally died, yet another Chu Liuyue popped out! Her soul never goes away! As she walked, Jiang Yuzhi suddenly stopped. Then, she clenched her teeth and walked toward the palace. Brother refuses to help, and Hundred Herbs Building is also protecting Chu Liuyue in all sorts of ways. The only person that can teach Chu Liuyue a lesson now is¡­ Third Princess Shangguan Wan! In the past, Shangguan Wan hated Shangguan Yue to the core. Now that she sees the similar-looking Chu Liuyue, it would be a wonder if Shangguan Wan likes her! Third Princess is only under one person now but above millions. Even Brother has to listen to her on many occasions. If Shangguan Wan steps up and punishes Chu Liuyue, nobody can say anything! The more Jiang Yuzhi thought about this, the more she felt that it was possible. Due to this, she hastened her footsteps. But the moment she walked a distance, a masked man suddenly appeared in front of her. Her internal alarm rang loudly! The incoming person is an enemy! She quickly surveyed her surroundings, but she realized that she had unwittingly walked into an isolated alley. This masked man coincidentally blocked her path here! Also, the thing was that she secretly came out today and didn¡¯t bring any guards with her. Hence, she was alone. ¡°Wh-who are you?! What do you want?¡± asked Jiang Yuzhi sternly. She could feel that the other party was very strong. If he really wants to do anything to me, I won¡¯t even have the chance to escape. The masked man didn¡¯t say anything and just walked toward her. Jiang Yuzhi was petrified as she instinctively moved backward. ¡°D-don¡¯t come over! Let me tell you¡ªI¡¯m the Jiang Residence¡¯s Fourth Missy!¡± The masked man said with a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m precisely looking for you!¡± Then, his figure instantly disappeared on the spot. Jiang Yuzhi gasped. The next moment, that masked man appeared in front of her. She instinctively gathered her internal force and punched him. The other party raised his hand and easily stopped her punch. Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s face changed, but the other party had already held her wrist tightly as he walked forward and harshly bent it. ¡°Ah!¡± Jiang Yuzhi yelled out in pain as her body immediately collapsed on the ground. The masked man attacked continuously. Jiang Yuzhi¡ªwho was being attacked¡ªcouldn¡¯t retaliate at all and was forced to endure the pain. As if on purpose, the other party specifically chose to hit where it hurt the most. Jiang Yuzhi was in so much pain that her face paled. In the end, she couldn¡¯t even yell out in pain. After some time, her eyes finally rolled upward, and she fainted. The masked man stopped and looked down at her from above. ¡°How weak¡­¡± With such abilities, how dare she be so unreasonable in Xi Ling City? She has really been spoiled rotten by her family. The masked man nodded in comfort after he sized up the Jiang Yuzhi with a swollen face in satisfaction. Finally, someone is like me¡­ Even though he hit her himself, he still felt unknowingly good about it as he looked at her. ¡°I¡¯ll let you live for today¡­¡± The masked man laughed lightly. This time, she really offended someone she shouldn¡¯t. It would still be better if Master wanted to end her once and for all, yet¡­ He turned around and left. Jiang Yuzhi¡ªwho was unconscious and laid on the ground¡ªslowly opened her eyes. But the next moment, the masked man¡ªwho had laughed¡ªabruptly appeared again. Jiang Yuzhi was so frightened that her heart almost jumped out. However, the masked man suddenly laughed. ¡°If you want to look, you can look more. Anyway, today¡­ It¡¯s just the start.¡± Chapter 610 - You Still Know that You Should Come Back Jiang Yuzhi¡ªwho was caught red-handed¡ªwas filled with panic and fear. At that moment, she felt that her own small thoughts were seen very clearly by the other party. She opened her mouth to speak, but she choked on her mouth filled with blood and started to cough violently. The masked man chuckled. With Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s bit of combat skills, it¡¯s really not easy for her to live in such an arrogant and unreasonable manner until now¡­ He whistled and rapidly disappeared. This time, Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s heart hung high for a very long time. Until she was certain that the other party wouldn¡¯t come back anymore, she then stood up shakily. Her physical wounds and the horror in her heart made her legs go weak, so she could only force herself to stand up by leaning against the wall. She was filled with hatred and fear. Just now, that masked man said this was only the beginning¡­ What exactly does he mean¡­ She stood rooted to the ground for quite some time. After she gradually calmed down, she finally regained a bit of rationality. Now that I¡¯m covered in wounds and my face is filled with bloodstains, I definitely can¡¯t enter the palace. She instinctively wanted to return home. But with her current appearance, she would definitely be lectured again if her brother found out about this. Jiang Yuzhi thought for a while and swiftly squatted down to wait in the isolated alley. Only when it was dark did she start to walk home. ¡­ Jiang Residence. Within the room, Jiang Yucheng sat cross-legged on the bed with his shoulders drooping. His hands were on his knees with his palms facing upward. A fist-sized blood ball was floating in front of him. He stared at the blood ball closely and circulated his surrounding force to form a thin line, which extended to the blood ball. The blood ball moved, and the liquid within gradually started to follow the thin lines, flowing toward Jiang Yucheng¡¯s body. His bodily aura started to strengthen rapidly. His skin rapidly became red at the same time, and there seemed to be something circulating under his skin, which looked very strange. His expression also became very distorted as if he was enduring tremendous pain. After an unknown period of time, all of the liquid within the blood ball finally entered Jiang Yucheng¡¯s body. He suddenly raised his head, and something quickly moved under the skin on his neck before disappearing within his clothes. ¡°Argh¡­¡± He let out a weird and painful moan through his throat. All of the blood-red color disappeared from his face the next moment, and he slowly opened his eyes. At this point, his bodily aura actually returned to that of an intermediate stage-eight warrior! He lowered his head to stare at his hands. When he felt his newly strengthened aura, he heaved a long sigh of relief. It¡¯s finally over¡­ This process was indeed excruciating, and it harmed his body to a certain extent. But in order not to let Weichi Song discover anything amiss, he could only do this. However, this thing could only last for a limited amount of time, so he had to settle Weichi Song as soon as possible. After all, he didn¡¯t want to delay his true cultivation just because of a Weichi Song. Perhaps when I wait until the clan competition, I can¡­ He stood up and walked outside. The sky had already darkened, and the bright moon was hanging high in the sky. Sun Qi was standing guard by the door. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± Jiang Yucheng asked, ¡°How long has it been?¡± Sun Qi said, ¡°Two days and two nights.¡± ¡°Did anyone come during this period?¡± ¡°You previously said that you were going to cultivate, so nobody has come to disturb you during these two days.¡± As Sun Qi spoke, he glanced at Jiang Yucheng and said again, ¡°Everything else is normal.¡± Jiang Yucheng heaved a sigh of relief. As long as Shangguan Wan and Weichi Song don¡¯t cause trouble, there¡¯s basically nothing I have to worry about. His expression then changed as he suddenly recalled that he had locked Jiang Yuzhi up for quite a few days already. ¡°Fourth Missy didn¡¯t come too?¡± ¡°No. However, Xiahou Tingan came every day, but Fourth Missy didn¡¯t come out to see him. Hence, he sat for a while and left every time.¡± Jiang Yucheng thought to himself, I knew it. I had previously sent news back to the Xiahou family and told them to pause the wedding discussions between the two families. The Xiahou family naturally can¡¯t take this lying down. However, Xiahou Tingan did learn and became smarter this time around. That sly old fox¡ªXiahou Rong¡ªshould¡¯ve lectured him quite a bit. Jiang Yucheng had long expected them to do this, so he wasn¡¯t shocked at this point. However, he was pretty surprised that Jiang Yuzhi really didn¡¯t come out the entire time. It seems like she¡¯s really reflecting? But it might also be because my slap broke her heart¡­ A few days had passed, and the anger in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart had dissipated. Thinking of the scene back then, he also felt that he had gone overboard. He had spoiled Jiang Yuzhi as she grew up. In the past, he didn¡¯t even say harsh words to her, yet he personally slapped her now¡­ She was his own sister after all, and Jiang Yucheng couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart ache. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look at her.¡± ¡­ The entire way, Jiang Yucheng was thinking of how to make it up to Jiang Yuzhi. After this incident, she should¡¯ve learned her lesson. As long as she becomes smarter and knows what to do and what not to do in the future, that would be fine. If she really likes Xiahou Tingan, it¡¯s not impossible for them to continue¡­ He walked to the door and directly asked, ¡°How is Fourth Missy?¡± When the two maids standing at the door saw Jiang Yucheng arrive, they were instantly taken aback. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master!¡± Even though it was dark, Jiang Yucheng still clearly saw the panic flash across their faces. He slightly knitted his brows and glanced at the tightly shut room door. ¡°Where is she? She heard that I was coming, yet she doesn¡¯t know how to come out and greet me?¡± The two maids hurriedly said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, Fourth Missy isn¡¯t feeling well today and has already slept. W-why don¡¯t you come back tomorrow?¡± Sun Qi stepped forward and boomed, ¡°How dare you?! Since when was it your turn to tell Eldest Young Master what to do?!¡± The two maids were stunned as they hurriedly kneeled down and begged for mercy. Doubt still surfaced in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart. ¡°It¡¯s not time to sleep yet. Why would she be sleeping? Not feeling well¡­ What exactly is going on?¡± The two maids stuttered, and their words weren¡¯t smooth at all. Jiang Yucheng had already guessed something as he coldly said, ¡°Immediately open the door!¡± The two maids were frightened and didn¡¯t dare to move at all. Jiang Yucheng went forward in frustration, kicked the door open, and walked in. He then searched around the room but didn¡¯t see Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s figure. His face rapidly darkened. ¡°Where did Fourth Missy go?¡± The two maids kneeled on the floor, and they shuddered in fear. Seeing that the incident was about to be exposed and that the Eldest Young Master was furious, they could only explain the entire incident to him. After listening to this, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s surrounding aura seemed to be frozen. To think I still thought that she would become more careful after suffering this time. Yet, she still didn¡¯t learn from her mistakes! What can she do when she goes out? Considering her current behavior, if she does anything stupid again¡ª At this moment, hurried footsteps could be heard outside. Jiang Yucheng walked outside and suddenly opened the door. Upon seeing a familiar figure in the yard, he sneered. ¡°You still remember how to come back?¡± Jiang Yuzhi instantly froze in her tracks. Chapter 611 - Heart of the Sword The yard fell into dead silence. Jiang Yuzhi was shocked and anxious. Why did Brother suddenly come? Didn¡¯t he say that he was going to be busy these few days? How long has he been waiting here? The most important thing is¡­ Does he know what happened to me today? Countless thoughts flashed across Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s mind at that moment, and she didn¡¯t know how to face the situation. ¡°Speak!¡± Jiang Yucheng yelled in frustration, ¡°Where did you go today?!¡± Jiang Yuzhi heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like he still doesn¡¯t know¡­ She stood in the yard and tried her best to hide her figure and face under the dark night sky. As long as Brother doesn¡¯t see what I look like now, I still have hope of muddling through¡­ ¡°I¡­ I went to Hundred Herbs Building today¡­¡± said Jiang Yuzhi hesitantly. Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows. ¡°Why did you go there?¡± ¡°I just wanted to buy some herbs¡­ I didn¡¯t get to buy the Jizo coral I liked the previous time, so I wanted to go there again and see if there was anything else I liked¡­¡± said Jiang Yuzhi in fear. Upon hearing this, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s anger was slightly appeased. ¡°You just need to say what you want. You shouldn¡¯t have secretly gone out like this, but I¡¯ll let you off this time around. There shouldn¡¯t be a next time!¡± Jiang Yuzhi hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you, Brother.¡± Jiang Yucheng looked at her and squinted his eyes. ¡°Why are you standing so far away? Come up to speak.¡± Jiang Yuzhi didn¡¯t move. Jiang Yucheng originally wanted to scold her, but upon seeing his sister¡¯s terrified behavior, he thought that she was still upset about the slap. Thus, he walked toward Jiang Yuzhi and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ Next time, I won¡¯t hit you anymore. As long you¡¯re obedient¡ª¡± Jiang Yuzhi suddenly moved a step back. Jiang Yucheng finally realized that there was something amiss as he knitted his brows and walked forward. ¡°Listen to¡ª¡± A bruised and scarred face appeared in front of him. Shock overwhelmed Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face. ¡°W-what happened to you?! Who beat you up like this?!¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t hide this incident any longer, Jiang Yuzhi could only tell Jiang Yucheng about the masked man trapping her in the alley and beating her up into this state. However, she had left out the quarrel with Yue Ling at Hundred Herbs Building and only said that she was beaten up when she came out and walked around the building. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face was so dark that one could squeeze water out from it, and his eyes were burning with anger. This is my¡ªJiang Yucheng¡¯s biological sister! Who doesn¡¯t know this in Xi Ling City? It¡¯s fine if I punish her myself, but if other people bully her, I definitely won¡¯t agree to it! Besides, the other party wore a mask, and it¡¯s clear that he didn¡¯t want to reveal his identity. This means that he came prepared! ¡°How tall is that person? Has he ever spoken to you? Are you familiar with his aura?¡± Jiang Yuzhi wiped her tears and shook her head. ¡°That person purposely changed his voice, and I can¡¯t recognize it at all. Also, judging by his figure, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him before¡­¡± She really didn¡¯t know who that person was. Jiang Yucheng stared at her for a while. ¡°Why would someone target you out of nowhere? What exactly did you do when you went out today?¡± Jiang Yuzhi guiltily averted her gaze and cried even more fiercely. ¡°W-what else could I have done¡­ I just came out to talk, and I was bullied like that¡­ Besides, that person even said¡­ He even said that this was only the beginning¡­ Brother, I¡¯m terrified!¡± Seeing her like this, Jiang Yucheng felt compassionate and suppressed his doubts. Hearing the latter half of her sentence, he was even more furious. What kind of person is so arrogant?! He actually dared to attack my¡ªJiang Yucheng¡¯s biological sister in Xi Ling, and he actually dared to threaten her like that¡­ ¡°Yuzhi, go back and recuperate first. I¡¯ll go and investigate this incident myself. When I find that person, I won¡¯t let him off so easily!¡± He paused, glanced at Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s miserable face, and boomed, ¡°Don¡¯t go out during this period.¡± Jiang Yuzhi wanted to cover her face, but it was tremendously painful once she touched it. Thus, she could only endure her embarrassment and grievances as she nodded. After comforting Jiang Yuzhi, Jiang Yucheng then left. The moment he exited the yard, he said, ¡°Sun Qi, immediately go and investigate what exactly happened today.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Remember, the key is Hundred Herbs Building.¡± ¡°I understand, Eldest Young Master!¡± ¡­ Night. Yan Lin Peak. Kacha! Kacha! The sword grinding sound was abnormally clear in the quiet night. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged on the star stone as she grinded the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword bit by bit. After a few days, her movements clearly became much more well-practiced, and she was more sure about how to use her force. This way, the process was much more efficient. The more important point was that her physical strength had indeed increased. On the first day, she had to rest once almost every hour. The second day, her arms and shoulders were aching. But now, she basically only rested for a while after more than an hour, and the pain on her body had dissipated quite a fair bit. This made her more certain as she patiently grinded the sword in her hands. The round moon was shining brightly in the night sky as the cold moonlight cast a giant shadow on the ground. This was the star stone¡¯s shadow. Above the shadow was a tiny figure that kept repeating the same movement over and over again. A slight breeze came over, and it blew up Chu Liuyue¡¯s long hair. Suddenly, sparks flew. Chu Liuyue was dazed. That spark just now was¡­ She pressed her lips against each other and held her breath. She then held the longsword tightly and grinded it against the star stone once more. Huala! The moment the sword body made contact with the star stone, a bright spark flashed once again. ¡°Haha! Girl, congratulations! You finally grinded until the heart of the sword came out!¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue looked at the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in her hands and muttered, ¡°¡­Heart of the sword?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! A portion of the heart of the sword has already been revealed, so you just need to grind and reveal the remaining portion of the heart of the sword now. Then, you can officially trigger the lightning bolts and refine this sword!¡± Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t conceal the happiness in his voice. ¡°I originally thought you could only do it in another two days, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so successful!¡± Chu Liuyue was very smart and determined, and she did it tirelessly these few days. No wonder I grinded out the heart of the sword much earlier! Hearing her ancestor¡¯s voice, Chu Liuyue was also influenced as she felt faintly excited. Even though this isn¡¯t considered as me grinding it successfully, it¡¯s still a good start. This makes me much more hopeful. I wonder what it will look like when I actually refine the sword. She raised the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in front of her and looked at it closely. A clear peacock-blue color could be seen from the sword tip to its midpoint. The color of the sword tip was especially pure as it vaguely shone brightly with a silver light. Chu Liuyue suddenly had a strong feeling in her heart. I will definitely refine a top sword successfully! Chapter 612 - It’s a Gift From a Friend Just then, Chu Liuyue felt a strange movement in her dantian. Focusing her senses, she realized that it came from the black pyramid. It, however, only lasted for a short moment and soon dissipated as if nothing had happened. ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­¡± She frowned. Other than the time in the Tianling God Realm, the pyramid has remained quiet all the while. What I sensed earlier surely isn¡¯t a mistake. Upon realizing something, she quickly scanned her surroundings. However, there was nothing on the razed mountaintop except for the wind and the fluttering leaves. She let her gaze linger a little longer and retracted it after making sure that there was nothing unusual in her surroundings. ¡°Did I overthink it?¡± For a moment, I thought that Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s big boss was here¡­ Otherwise, I really don¡¯t know how to explain that fluctuation of force. However, the forest is all quiet again. After mulling over it for a while longer, she decided to put the matter aside and continue to focus on refining the sword. A bright spark would fly out from the sword each time she polished it, which illuminated her face. Her eyes shone as a gentle breeze blew over. ¡­ The next day, Chu Liuyue went down the mountain and walked to Hundred Herbs Building to collect the herbs she ordered. Qiang Wanzhou was recovering faster than expected, so the herbs were naturally consumed at a faster rate as well. What she had previously bought could only last for a short while, so she came here today to get more. As soon as she arrived at the building¡¯s entrance, the pageboys went up to her and greeted her warmly. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Ms. Chu! Please, come in!¡± She raised her eyebrows in puzzlement. Why do they seem even more enthusiastic than before? I¡¯m just here to collect the herbs, so why are they making it seem like some sort of huge affair? While I might be a black gold card holder, aren¡¯t they overdoing things? The pageboys bowed to her and asked in unison, ¡°General Manager Yue happens to be upstairs right now. Would you like to meet him?¡± She shook her head smilingly. ¡°No need; I¡¯m just here to collect the herbs I ordered. General Manager Yue is a busy man, so let¡¯s not waste his time.¡± After buying all of Weichi Song¡¯s belongings, she didn¡¯t spend much at Hundred Herbs Building and basically only bought the herbs that she liked in general. Although those herbs added up to quite a fair sum, it was nothing when compared to her previous expenditures. She had no sooner said that than a familiar voice floated down from above with a smiling Yue Ling walking down the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to welcome Ms. Chu¡¯s arrival, so how can I possibly find it a waste of time?¡± I failed to get a good night¡¯s sleep last night, and I came right here early this morning just to await her arrival! Now that she¡¯s finally here, how can I possibly let her go just like that? ¡°The herbs you want have been all prepared and will be brought to you shortly,¡± said Yue Ling, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Isn¡¯t that¡­ Master¡¯s Cosmic Ring?! The corners of his eyes twitched hard. Last time, I saw her wearing Jian Fengchi¡¯s Cosmic Ring. It hasn¡¯t been long since I sent word of it, yet she¡¯s already wearing Master¡¯s Cosmic Ring¡­ However, Yue Ling had no idea that as soon as the news reached his master¡¯s ears, the latter immediately dispatched Yan Qing to deliver said Cosmic Ring to Chu Liuyue. Good thing I found out about her identity yesterday, so I¡¯m somewhat able to maintain my composure when I see that ring. Otherwise, there¡¯s no telling how I might lose control of my emotions right now¡­ Sending him a questioning look, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Word has it that you¡¯re always hardly around, but you seem to be here pretty often these days.¡± This is the second time I¡¯m seeing him around out of the three times I came. ¡°I¡¯m Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s general manager after all, so where else can I be but here?¡± Yue Ling brushed her question off, laughing. After that, he looked behind her and asked curiously, ¡°Why are you here alone today? Where¡¯s that young man from before?¡± ¡°Wanzhou? He¡¯s in the middle of cultivation.¡± She raised her brows. ¡°Why does it seem like you¡¯re curious about him?¡± He quickly waved his hands, laughing. ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t be mistaken, Ms. Chu. It¡¯s just that you came here with him previously, but you¡¯re alone now. Hence, I can¡¯t help but be a little curious.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled but said nothing in response. Thus, Yue Ling tentatively asked, ¡°Are those herbs for him?¡± The question, however, earned him a meaningful look from the young lady. Yue Ling seems to be particularly curious about me¡ªno, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s affairs today¡­ She gave him an ambiguous reply. ¡°A portion of them.¡± Yue Ling grew anxious at this point. He wanted to seize the opportunity to find out some stuff from Chu Liuyue, but it was to no avail since she stayed tight-lipped. Knowing that he¡¯d only arouse her suspicion if he continued questioning her, he changed the topic altogether. As he glanced at her hand, he revealed a look of surprise and said somewhat nonchalantly, ¡°That Cosmic Ring you¡¯re wearing¡­ seems extraordinary¡­¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her gaze. The ring was rather eye-catching. Those with good eyesight would be able to tell that it was no ordinary item, but she still chose to wear it out. Upon hearing Yue Ling¡¯s question, her lips curled upward. ¡°Someone gave it to me.¡± Yue Ling chuckled. ¡°The person who gave you this must be of extraordinary status as well. I suppose that person¡­ is also very close to you?¡± She rubbed the Cosmic Ring on her finger, which felt cool and smooth to the touch. ¡°It¡¯s my fia¡ª¡± She suddenly stopped. Yue Ling is obviously inquiring about my affairs¡­ Did he hear something, or is he after something else? She quietly glanced at him, feeling rather uneasy as she recalled his unusually peculiar behavior today. A question came to her mind and was just at the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it down and instead smilingly repeated, ¡°It¡¯s a gift from a friend.¡± Meanwhile, in a certain room on the third floor, Rong Xiu slowly released his hand. In it was a teacup with spiderweb-like lines all over it. For some reason though, the teacup didn¡¯t fall apart and appeared to remain in its intact form. Tea slowly trickled out from the cracked lines and soon spread all over the table surface, forming a puddle. Standing at the side, Yan Qing shuddered and couldn¡¯t help but wish to disappear from here right away. After a moment, Rong Xiu¡¯s lips slowly curled upward into a faint smile. ¡°¡­Friend, huh?¡± Yan Qing closed his eyes in despair. Oh no! Chapter 613 - Reply Never mind that she has Qiang Wanzhou serving her, but Master has even lost his status as her fianc¨¦ now¡­ Yan Qing lowered his gaze, hoping that his master would treat him as invisible. I heard nothing¡­ I heard nothing¡­ ¡°Yan Qing,¡± called Rong Xiu coldly. Yan Qing hurriedly responded, ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°How long has it been since I left the Imperial City?¡± ¡°27 days, my lord.¡± Rong Xiu frowned slightly at that. ¡°I left the Imperial City the same day as Yue¡¯er, which means that it¡¯s been 27 days since we last met.¡± Although his tone was calm as if he was just talking about an ordinary matter, Yan Qing felt the temperature around him drop. The latter quickly scanned his surroundings, only to realize that the puddle of tea on the table had actually frozen. He then stiffly replied, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡­ Downstairs. ¡­F-friends?! Didn¡¯t Master say that she¡¯s our Madam?! Why did their relationship become only friends on her end? Shocked to hear what Chu Liuyue had said, Yue Ling found himself struggling to ask, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be an ordinary friend, right? It¡¯s such an expensive item¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so curious about my affairs today, General Manager Yue?¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue with a smile. One glance at her somewhat wary look, and Yue Ling knew that she must¡¯ve misunderstood him. I just wanted to ask those questions on Master¡¯s behalf and had no other intentions. Despite his wish to clear things up, he was afraid that he might make things worse in this situation. Thus, he could only force himself to smile and reply, ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, Ms. Chu. It¡¯s just a random question.¡± Right at that moment, a pageboy brought over the herbs Chu Liuyue had ordered. Chu Liuyue had no intention of pursuing the matter, so she just took the herbs from the pageboy and put them in her Cosmic Ring. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s another reason for my visit. I¡¯d like to seek your help on a certain matter. The herbs I ordered previously aren¡¯t enough, so I¡¯d like to¡­ double my order. I wonder if you can¡ª¡± ¡°Of course! No problem at all!¡± Yue Ling agreed to it right away. Seeing that her purpose of visit was accomplished, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t linger around any longer and quickly left soon after. It was only after watching her figure disappear from his sight that Yue Ling turned around and proceeded upstairs. But the moment he walked to a certain room¡¯s entrance, he could sense an icy aura even before he could enter it. He quickly looked up and exchanged a brief look with Yan Qing. There were hints of sympathy in Yan Qing¡¯s eyes. Out of all things to talk about, Yue Ling just had to talk about the Cosmic Ring and even ask who the giver was. Now look at what he¡¯s done! Look at the answer he received from her! Yue Ling became even more apprehensive. Just as I guessed¡ªMaster heard the entire conversation! But I really didn¡¯t expect her to give me such an answer! I really shot myself in the foot this time. ¡°¡­Master¡­¡± said Yue Ling in trepidation, his back drenched with cold sweat. Rong Xiu lightly asked, ¡°She asked for more herbs just now?¡± Yue Ling hurriedly answered, ¡°Yes, Ms. Liuyue wanted twice as much as before¡­¡± ¡°Do we have so much stock in Hundred Herbs Building?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Yes, for now. But in order to keep supplying them to her, we have to quickly get people to find more herbs.¡± Most of the herbs Chu Liuyue wanted were inexpensive and common, save for a few particular ones. Still, it wasn¡¯t easy even for Hundred Herbs Building to supply so many herbs continuously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. I won¡¯t dare to delay Madam¡¯s orders and will make sure to fulfill her requests!¡± said Yue Ling with conviction. Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened slightly. ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Qing closed his eyes once more. How did I not realize before that Yue Ling is somewhat of a dimwit in this aspect? By now, Yue Ling finally sensed that something was wrong, and a thought hit his mind all of a sudden. Most of those herbs are prepared for Qiang Wanzhou. Her doubling the order means that she¡¯s helping him even more than before! Upon comparing Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s situation to his master¡¯s¡ªwhere the latter didn¡¯t even have a proper title as her fianc¨¦¡ªYue Ling swallowed his saliva with much difficulty. I think¡­ I just dug my own grave even further¡­ Rong Xiu then stood up and left the room. ¡­ As Chu Liuyue walked out of Hundred Herbs Building, she kept thinking about what happened earlier. She had a rather good impression of Yue Ling so far, but she found him behaving really oddly today, asking questions that people usually wouldn¡¯t ask. As Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s general manager, he surely knows that it¡¯s inappropriate to ask such questions, yet he did it anyway¡­ If I hadn¡¯t stopped myself in time, he probably would¡¯ve asked more. I wonder what he¡¯s up to¡­ Deep in thought, she soon arrived at the place where she requested her letter to be delivered. She walked in and immediately spotted the person she had asked to help deliver the letter previously. Delight sprouted in her heart as she thought that there might be a reply letter. Thus, she quickened her pace and walked over to that person, asking, ¡°Hello, may I ask if there¡¯s any reply letter to the message that was sent to Country Yao Chen?¡± The man ceased what he was doing and looked over at her. The smile on her face instantly stiffened when she met the other¡¯s gaze. His eyes¡­ This is¡ª The man seemed to know what she was thinking, and he said calmly, ¡°I just returned and haven¡¯t sorted out my things. I¡¯d like to trouble you to wait by the side first.¡± That pulled Chu Liuyue back to her senses, and she nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± After that, she walked to wait by the side. The man then skillfully sorted the pile of letters in his hands and handed them to different people. A man broke into laughter, roaring loudly, ¡°Qin Qi, your efficiency has increased by a lot since you came back!¡± When Qin Qi merely smiled in response, the man chuckled and retracted his gaze as if he was used to this display. The other people were all doing their own things, and the man named Qin Qi worked in silence. About 15 minutes later, he finally walked over to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side with a letter in hand. ¡°This is the reply letter.¡± Chu Liuyue took a look at the envelope, which had Mu Hongyu¡¯s name written on it. Hongyu¡¯s parents must¡¯ve written a reply letter to her. She then turned her gaze to Qin Qi. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 614 - You Have a Friend Looking for You Qin Qi replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Ms. Chu.¡± Chu Liuyue then put the letter away and turned around to leave. Though after taking two steps, she stopped upon recalling something and turned her head backward to look at Qin Qi. ¡°Oh right, I have some things that I want to send back after packing. However, I heard that some things aren¡¯t allowed to cross Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Could you go back with me to take a look at them?¡± Qin Qi looked at the man who had spoken earlier. The man waved his hand coolly, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve completed all your tasks for the day anyway. Just go with Ms. Chu to take a look at the items!¡± Chu Liuyue is the most popular figure in the entire Xi Ling right now! According to hearsay, she¡¯s extraordinarily wealthy! Everyone wants to claim some sort of a connection with her now. Who knows? She might pay us much more than other people! After thanking him, Qin Qi walked over to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ms. Chu.¡± ¡­ The two of them said nothing throughout the journey. When they arrived at Chu Liuyue¡¯s residence, she invited Qin Qi into the front hall. It was only after making sure that the coast was clear that she turned around and briskly walked over to him, whispering, ¡°Qi Han?¡± Qin Qi¡¯s eyes moved slightly as he bobbed his head. ¡°Your Highness.¡± It¡¯s really him! Surprise surfaced on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Right from the start, she could tell that this person wasn¡¯t the Qin Qi she had met previously. When their gazes met, she became certain that he was none other than Qi Han, who was supposed to be stationed at Yao Chen. ¡°I can¡¯t help but worry about you being alone in Xi Ling. After receiving your letter, I took Qin Qi¡¯s place and returned as him.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°W-what you¡¯re doing¡­ is too risky!¡± Qi Han immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I came after doing all the necessary preparations. They won¡¯t notice anything unusual.¡± The reaction of the man who praised him earlier said everything. ¡°I know you¡¯re well-versed in this, so I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be any problems. But what I¡¯m worried about is¡­¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Jiang Yucheng gave the order to capture you guys at all costs? If they find out¡ª¡± The Thirteen Yue Guard members have unique auras, so it¡¯s very easy for those who are familiar with them to recognize them. It¡¯s too dangerous for Qi Han to appear in Xi Ling and move about right under Jiang Yucheng¡¯s nose! ¡°Your Highness, I concealed my aura before I came. Even if I stand in front of him with this appearance right now, he may not be able to recognize me.¡± There was absolute confidence in Qi Han¡¯s aloof voice. Chu Liuyue was surprised to hear that. It was only then that she realized there were indeed some changes about him. Although they were very subtle, it was enough to make his aura seem completely different. If it wasn¡¯t because she was very familiar with his eyes, she might not have been able to recognize him so quickly. ¡°H-how did you do it?¡± she asked in surprise as she sized him up. Due to their own respective cultivation and stuff, all cultivators exude a different aura. It¡¯s because of this that Jiang Yucheng dared to order a full-scale pursuit of the Thirteen Yue Guard and forced them out of Heaven¡¯s Canopy. It was also exactly because of this that I didn¡¯t allow Qi Han to accompany me here, but I didn¡¯t expect that¡­ He seems like a totally different person now. Qi Han explained, ¡°Actually, Xiao Ba has been studying this problem in the past year or so. He recently said that he had come up with a new formula that might work, so I sought him out to get a pill from him to test it out. As it turns out, it really works!¡± Each of the Thirteen Yue Guard members is talented in different aspects, so it¡¯s actually not much of a surprise that Xiao Ba managed to accomplish this. Chu Liuyue fell deep in thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you sure that this thing will always be effective?¡± Qi Han nodded and then added, ¡°Xiao Ba thought I was just testing it out. He doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve already found you and have, in fact, come to Xi Ling.¡± If he knew, he¡¯d surely want to tag along. ¡°Well done. It¡¯s indeed not the time to tell the rest yet.¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms in front of her chest as she fell deep in thought for a long time. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, then just stay in Xi Ling. It¡¯s much easier to do things with Qin Qi¡¯s identity anyway.¡± Qi Han nodded in acknowledgment. Feeling much more settled now, Chu Liuyue sat down and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation like in Country Yao Chen?¡± Qi Han solemnly replied, ¡°Everything is fine there. It¡¯s just that¡­ Tai Yan Academy suffered heavy casualties from an attack two weeks ago. Many students have left to go to the other schools instead.¡± This piece of news came as a great surprise to Chu Liuyu as nobody dared to offend Tai Yan Academy¡ªthe top school in Country Xing Luo¡ªeasily. Hence, it was a wonder how it came under attack and got reduced to such a state. She instantly looked at Qi Han. ¡°How did that happen?¡± ¡°Country Xing Luo has classified this matter as strictly confidential, so I can¡¯t find out much about it. They¡¯ve been trying to find the mastermind, but it doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯ve found any useful clues thus far,¡± said Qi Han with a shake of his head. A thought suddenly came to Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she asked, ¡°What about that matter regarding Yang Jianqing and Heng Jingchuo? How is the investigation going?¡± Qi Han shook his head once more. ¡°After what happened, everyone is concerned about their own safety. Thus, the investigation of that matter naturally came to a halt.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank at the news. Just as I expected¡­ Someone is trying to stop the investigation. I¡¯m currently based in Xi Ling, so there¡¯s no way I can find out more. Qi Han staying here for too long would inevitably attract unwanted attention, so she only asked him a few more questions before quickly sending him back and returning to Chong Xu Cabinet. But upon reaching the mountain peak, she saw Ye Ranran running over to her with her eyes sparkling with excitement. ¡°Liuyue, you have a friend looking for you!¡± Friend? I don¡¯t have many friends in Xi Ling, so who could that be? wondered Chu Liuyue in surprise. ¡°Who is it? Jian Fengchi?¡± Ye Ranran shook her head hard. ¡°No, no! We¡¯ve never met him before! He¡¯s waited for you for quite some time already!¡± Feeling puzzled, Chu Liuyue walked ahead. Chapter 615 - Don’t Look at Me Like That As Chu Liuyue returned to her residence, she met many of her seniors along the way. All of them were looking at her strangely, their gazes filled with curiosity and excitement. ¡°You¡¯re back, Liuyue!¡± ¡°Liuyue, someone¡¯s looking for you!¡± She raised her brows slightly when she saw their reactions. What a familiar scene. Didn¡¯t they react the same way when Yan Qing came previously? If not for the fact that everyone is busy with the preparations for the upcoming clan competition, I¡¯m afraid there would be even more people than before. She greeted each and every one of her seniors and made her way back to her room under their watchful gazes. The door was wide open, and she stepped in to see three men in the room. One of them was Yan Qing¡ªwho she had just met a few days ago¡ªand he was standing straight in respect. The second was Qiang Wanzhou, who stood stiffly in the middle of the room with his eyes coldly fixed on the man standing next to the bookshelf. She looked over to see the third man, who had a tall and broad figure and was dressed in white, fluttery clothes. Although his back was facing her, she could still sense the cold air of nobility around him. Her heart thumped and started racing as her eyes widened slightly in surprise. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Upon hearing her voice, Rong Xiu turned his head around and hooked his thin, scarlet lips up. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerized by the faint yet gentle smile on his chiseled, jade-like face and his deep eyes that shone like the starry sky. It¡¯s really him! She was pleasantly surprised by his appearance, and she could hardly believe her eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Didn¡¯t he return to Mingyue Tianshan? But he showed up here in the blink of an eye! So the ¡®friend¡¯ Ye Ranran was talking about is him?! No wonder the seniors looked so curious¡­ A man with such good looks like him will naturally become the focus of attention wherever he goes! Rong Xiu put down the book in his hand and said smilingly to her, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with a certain matter recently. It just so happens that I¡¯m passing by here, so I thought I¡¯d come to see you.¡± What could he be busy with that requires him to pass by Xi Ling? A hint of suspicion arose in her, but it quickly faded and was soon replaced by the joy of reunion. It hadn¡¯t been a month since they parted, yet she felt as if a long time had actually passed. Her longing for him that was buried in the deepest part of her heart gushed out like a torrent. When Rong Xiu saw her twinkling eyes, emotions welled up in his heart as he moved toward her. Standing in front of her, he looked down and carefully studied her face before wrapping an arm around her slender waist and pulling her into his embrace. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face instantly turned cold. He was just about to step forward when he sensed someone staring daggers at him from the side. He looked over to see Yan Qing shooting him a warning look with his brows slightly raised. What a joke! My master came all the way to Xi Ling just to see the woman he¡¯s been missing dearly, so who would dare to go up and stop him? ¡°Master, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Yan Qing bowed respectfully to Rong Xiu before moving toward the exit. When passing by Qiang Wanzhou, he stopped and lifted his chin. ¡°Qiang Wanzhou, huh? I heard that you¡¯re quite capable. Why don¡¯t we go out and have a little sparring session?¡± However, Qiang Wanzhou gave him a cool look and remained stuck to the spot. Rong Xiu had introduced himself as Chu Liuyue¡¯s friend when he first arrived. But upon seeing Yan Qing, Qiang Wanzhou realized that Rong Xiu must be the person who had previously given her the Cosmic Ring. It was clear that they were more than just friends. Why are kids so tactless these days? wondered Yan Qing with his eyes closed. After that, without giving any warning, he clamped down on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s arm and dragged him out. Qiang Wanzhou immediately tried to put up a struggle, but he found himself unable to break free from Yan Qing¡¯s grip. It turned out that he was no match for the other at all. And just like that, Yan Qing dragged him out of the room without giving him any chance to even retort. He even thoughtfully closed the door behind him once they were out of the room. ¡­ Chu Liuyue encircled her arms around Rong Xiu¡¯s waist. When she pressed her face against his chest, she could hear the regular thumping of his heart loud and clear, and that sound seemed to be transmitted from her eardrum to her heart. A familiar cool fragrance wafted to her nose, and the places where they touched each other turned warm. A spot in her heart seemed to be instantly filled. She only lifted her head and turned to take a look at the door when she heard it closing. ¡°Why did Yan Qing suddenly want to spar with Little Zhou?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s long eyelashes fluttered. ¡°Little Zhou?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at him. ¡°Yeah, the kid with short blond hair. That¡¯s Qiang Wanzhou.¡± He rested his chin on the crown of her head for a moment before whispering into her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t think about the irrelevant people¡­ For now, just think about me¡­¡± ¡°Rong Xiu¡­¡± Her voice sounded so soft as if it would be gone with the wind. It was only when Rong Xiu felt as if he was burning with emotions that he finally let Chu Liuyue go. One hand remained on her waist while his other hand gently stroked her long, dangling hair. When Chu Liuyue looked at him with much tenderness, he kissed her eyes in a bid to cover them. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Yue¡¯er.¡± Chapter 616 - I Have My Own Plans Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes. When she saw the impenetrable depths of his eyes, she wisely decided not to tease him any further. The two of them hugged a little longer, and the amorous atmosphere between them finally faded away slowly. Rong Xiu lightly heaved a sigh of relief. I miss her when she isn¡¯t around, but now that she¡¯s here in front of me¡­ I think I miss her even more¡­ He then sat down and pulled her into his arms, hugging her from behind as he rested his chin on her shoulder. She cast a side-glance at him. Why does it seem like he has lost weight in the short time we were separated from each other? I wonder what he¡¯s been up to lately¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ How long do you plan to stay in Xi Ling this time?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as she played with his fair and slender hands. He pondered for a moment before speaking somewhat lazily in a hoarse voice. ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t decided¡­¡± Haven¡¯t decided? She found it strange to hear this answer. She was just about to follow up with another question when he asked, ¡°Did you know¡­ Qiang Wanzhou before this? It looks like he values you a lot.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± she asked. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows. ¡°The moment he heard that I was here to look for you, he treated me like his enemy¡­ throughout the entire wait until you returned. If it weren¡¯t for Yan Qing earlier, he looked as if he was going to continue staying in the room¡­¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled at that. Despite his calm and nonchalant appearance, it looks like someone¡¯s jealous! ¡°He¡¯s my subordinate now, so he naturally pays extra attention to my affairs. That kid¡¯s a blockhead, so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± she said before giving Rong Xiu a peck on the lips. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know you, so of course he¡¯s wary of you. Once he knows who you are, he won¡¯t treat you like that anymore.¡± Rong Xiu lifted his eyelids and smirked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Oh? So what¡¯s my identity?¡± As she looked at his face, she stammered somewhat guiltily, ¡°Uh¡­ Y-you¡¯re my fianc¨¦¡­¡± The smile on Rong Xiu¡¯s face deepened. ¡°Is that so? But I think I heard some rumors upon arriving at Xi Ling¡­¡± Just as I guessed¡­ thought Chu Liuyue. ¡°Like you said, they¡¯re just rumors¡­. I don¡¯t even know how the rumors came about¡­¡± One moment, I¡¯m rumored to be together with Mu Qinghe. The next moment, I¡¯m rumored to be together with Jian Fengchi. I didn¡¯t even pay attention to the rumors because they¡¯re just so ridiculous. However, it looks like someone minds it a lot¡­ Turning around, Chu Liuyue hooked her arms around Rong Xiu¡¯s neck. ¡°If the rumors upset you so much, should I go and clear things up?¡± Holding his breath, Rong Xiu pressed her waist and shot her a warning look. ¡°Don¡¯t move around.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± answered Chu Liuyue obediently. Thereafter, Rong Xiu replied to her earlier question. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to clear things up.¡± Surprise surfaced on Chu Liuyue¡¯s visage. It¡¯s clear that he minds this a lot, so why did he say that there¡¯s no need? It won¡¯t take me much effort to clarify things anyway. Rong Xiu gently rubbed his thumb over her slightly red and swollen lips. ¡°I have my own plans.¡± While he did mind a lot about this matter, he was well aware of the situation she was currently in as well. Although she had established her reputation and had a bright future, she had also attracted the envy and jealousy of many people in Xi Ling. There were many people eyeing her in the dark right now, and the slightest action might attract a series of unnecessary trouble for her. Besides, her status in Xi Ling wasn¡¯t high. To clarify things specifically would only make it seem like she was taking the lead. He couldn¡¯t bear to see that happen to her, so it was better for him to handle these things instead. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what he was planning, but when she saw his lackadaisical look, she no longer troubled herself over this matter. She then told him about the series of events that she encountered after coming to Xi Ling, which he patiently listened to with interest. Although he already knew all about those matters, hearing them from her mouth was a completely different experience. It was as if each word suddenly contained warmth and strength, and they left behind marks of various depths in his heart. After she finished telling her stories, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve been talking about my affairs nonstop. Why don¡¯t you tell me yours for a change? Did you encounter anything interesting?¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s the same old on my end. Nothing is interesting when you¡¯re not around, so there¡¯s nothing to say.¡± A warm current surged within Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ he only finds the things that are related to me interesting? T-this person¡­ ¡°That reminds me. There¡¯s something that¡¯s troubling me a little¡­¡± Rong Xiu frowned and appeared slightly troubled. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I came to Xi Ling in such a hurry that I haven¡¯t found a suitable place to stay in¡­ I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯m going to stay here either, so that¡¯s what makes things tricky¡­¡± He then rubbed his glabella. ¡°Come stay in my residence then! Didn¡¯t I tell you that Cabinet Master gave me a mansion? Although it isn¡¯t big, it¡¯s enough to accommodate you. It¡¯s just that the place is rather plain and simple, so I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be comfortable staying there¡­¡± A wide smile spread across Rong Xiu¡¯s face. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be comfortable staying at your place. I thank you in advance then, Yue¡¯er.¡± ¡­ Outside the courtyard, Yan Qing and Qiang Wanzhou stood facing each other. From the holes in the latter¡¯s clothes, messy hair, and panting, it was clear that Qiang Wanzhou had just been through a tough fight. But opposite him, Yan Qing appeared all calm and composed, neither panting nor showing any signs of flush on his face. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked somewhat condescendingly at the other. ¡°Boy, you have some talent. It¡¯s just that¡­ you¡¯re still a little inexperienced.¡± Qiang Wanzhou fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°One day, I¡¯ll defeat you!¡± Instead of being provoked, Yan Qing nodded his head with much interest. ¡°That¡¯ll depend on whether you have that capability and luck.¡± Although he wasn¡¯t too fond of Qiang Wanzhou, after their sparring session, he had to admit that the young chap had absolute talent. As long as he was groomed properly, he would definitely become someone formidable in time to come. While he was indeed worthy to stay by Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and become her trusty subordinate, his master¡­ The room¡¯s door suddenly opened right then, and both Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu walked out. Yan Qing and Qiang Wanzhou looked over at once. ¡°Master, Ms. Liuyue,¡± greeted Yan Qing with a bow. Qiang Wanzhou swept his eyes over at the couple, his gaze eventually landing on their tightly clasped hands. Chu Liuyue then waved him over. ¡°Come here, Little Zhou.¡± He obediently walked up to her. She let out a cough before saying, ¡°Rong Xiu is my fianc¨¦, so you don¡¯t have to be so wary of him in the future. If he comes again, just let him enter.¡± When Qiang Wanzhou said nothing, she raised her voice a little, calling, ¡°Little Zhou?¡± That was when he finally stiffly answered, ¡°Understood.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. Although she knew that Qiang Wanzhou was just concerned about her, it was sometimes inevitable that misunderstandings might arise due to his aloof and untameable personality. She could only slowly teach him all that later on. ¡°By the way, Rong Xiu is going to stay in our residence in Xi Ling City for the time being, so I¡¯m going to take him there to take a look at the place. ¡± She planned to leave right away with Rong Xiu. Qiang Wanzhou hesitated a little, but he didn¡¯t follow them. Instead, he looked up at the sky and turned around to return to his own room. He emerged again a moment later, only to head toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s room. Yan Qing was aghast to see this. The alarm bells were going off in his head, but a look of confusion appeared on his face the next moment. Is that¡­ a rag in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s hand?! Chapter 617 - Younger Brother-in-Law Yan Qing rubbed his eyes, and it took him a few looks to realize that he wasn¡¯t mistaken! It¡¯s indeed a rag! After a while, Qiang Wanzhou brought in another pail of water and never came out again. This is¡­ Yan Qing looked in his direction in shock. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, he¡­¡± Chu Liuyue glanced over and waved her hand nonchalantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He cleans everything at this time every day. He¡¯ll return after he¡¯s done.¡± She rejected him initially because Qiang Wanzhou was really good at it, and it wasn¡¯t necessary for him to do so every day. She had tried to stop him before, but it was to no avail. To Qiang Wanzhou, this was something that he had to do. Thus, he took it very seriously. If she didn¡¯t let him clean, he would ask Chu Liuyue if she felt that he wasn¡¯t doing a good job. After several tries, Chu Liuyue gave up and let him be. Yan Qing was speechless. What is wrong with this boy? On the other side, Rong Xiu felt countless people watching him in the dark. He frowned slightly and gripped Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand tighter. ¡°Yue¡¯er, let¡¯s go.¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and nodded. But after taking a few steps, she stopped and said speechlessly, ¡°Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, please come out.¡± The moment she said that, the surroundings fell silent. A crowd of people then emerged from the surrounding corners and the room next door. Lu Zhiyao¡ªwho was standing at the front¡ªscratched his head.¡±What a coincidence, haha! We¡­¡± ¡°This is Rong Xiu,¡± Chu Liuyue said bluntly. Lu Zhiyao coughed awkwardly and quickly exchanged glances with everyone. We want to explain things to Junior Sister, but Junior Sister has too good an eye¡­ However, her next sentence made everyone¡¯s eyes light up! ¡°He¡¯s also my fianc¨¦.¡± Her tone was even, but she stunned everyone! Everyone was curious about Rong Xiu¡¯s identity, but they didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to acknowledge it directly! ¡°So Junior Sister already has a fianc¨¦?¡± ¡°Haha! Since he¡¯s Junior Sister¡¯s fianc¨¦, he counts as one of us! Just let us know if there¡¯s anything he needs in the future!¡± ¡°Junior Sister, you never mentioned that you had such an outstanding fianc¨¦¡­¡± Everyone was stunned and full of praise. The man dressed in white is easily one of the most good-looking men we¡¯ve ever seen! Judging from his aura, he doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person either¡­ Most importantly, we can still sense pressure from him even though he has concealed his aura. He definitely isn¡¯t weak! Someone like this is definitely good enough for our junior sister! Chu Liuyue knew that her senior brothers and sisters would be hung up over it if she didn¡¯t say anything today, so she decided to make Rong Xiu¡¯s identity public. She then introduced everyone to Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu greeted everyone with a polite smile the entire time. It was clear from his demeanor that he came from a distinguished family. Everyone¡¯s curiosity was satiated, but their suspicions grew. Didn¡¯t they say that Junior Sister had an ordinary background? But no matter if it¡¯s Rong Xiu or Junior Sister, they don¡¯t seem like ordinary people¡­ Their demeanor and aura definitely don¡¯t come from people raised in common families. ¡°I was in a rush today, so I didn¡¯t have time to prepare much for everyone. Please take this as a token of appreciation for taking care of Yue¡¯er.¡± With that, he raised his finger. ¡°Yan Qing.¡± Yan Qing stepped forward, walked over to Ye Ranran, and presented something to her. ¡°Ms. Ye, please accept this.¡± Chu Liuyue looked over and found that it was a Cosmic Ring. However, it seemed like an ordinary Cosmic Ring, different from the one Rong Xiu gifted her. ¡°This this this¡­¡± Ye Ranran was stunned and looked at everyone panickedly. This doesn¡¯t seem appropriate. Lu Zhiyao laughed out loud. ¡°You are too kind! Liuyue is our junior sister, so it¡¯s only right that we take care of her. By right, we¡¯re the ones who are supposed to gift you things¡­¡± Before he could finish, Yan Qing had already placed the Cosmic Ring in Ye Ranran¡¯s hand and walked over to Lu Zhiyao with a second Cosmic Ring. ¡°Young Master Lu, please¡­¡± Lu Zhiyao paused. He glanced at the Cosmic Ring in Ye Ranran¡¯s hand and looked in front of him again. So¡­ Everyone is getting one? Rong Xiu said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing too expensive, so please accept it.¡± It wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to reject them any further, so Lu Zhiyao could only reply, ¡°Then¡­ Thank you, Younger Brother-in-Law¡­¡± Chu Liuyue felt the corner of her eyes twitch as she had a rising urge to escape. Younger¡­ brother-in-law?! She glanced at Rong Xiu, but he had a smile on his face. He seems¡­ rather happy about it? ¡°Senior Brother Lu, you¡¯re too kind. Yue¡¯er is my fianc¨¦e, so this is what I should do.¡± Chu Liuyue shuddered. Why is he using the term ¡®senior brother?!¡¯ Rong Xiu, is it really appropriate for you to behave like this?! Chu Liuyue quietly pinched the back of Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. What does he intend to do? I only intended for this to be a brief introduction, but why is this looking a little like¡­ Rong Xiu was unfazed by Chu Liuyue¡¯s accusations. He held her hand and scratched her palm lightly. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Under Chu Liuyue¡¯s stunned eyes, Yan Qing quickly handed each person a Cosmic Ring. Also, he didn¡¯t get a single name wrong. After that was done, Rong Xiu spoke again. ¡°I can¡¯t stay any longer. Senior Brother Lu, please pass on my gift for Cabinet Master, Elder Xia Yi, and the absent senior brothers and senior sisters. With that Yan Qing handed him a few more things. Lu Zhiyao could only nod dazedly. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, Junior Sister, Brother-in-Law! I¡¯ll be sure to pass these on!¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°In that case, Yue¡¯er and I won¡¯t hold anyone back. Goodbye.¡± With that, he left together with Chu Liuyue and Yan Qing. Stunned, everyone watched them descend the mountain. ¡°Damn¡­¡± cried out someone in the crowd in shock. Everyone turned to look and saw a man holding a Cosmic Ring, his face full of shock. ¡°This this this¡­¡± Ye Ranran asked confusedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The man swallowed his saliva with difficulty. ¡°Junior Sister¡¯s fianc¨¦¡­ is more than a little rich¡­¡± Chapter 618 - Offended Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t restrain her curiosity as she descended the mountain with Rong Xiu. ¡°What did you put in the Cosmic Rings that you gave to Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just stuff that they can use.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°White crystals?¡± Rong Xiu smiled but didn¡¯t say anything. Chu Liuyue knew that she was right. White crystals were the simplest and most foolproof gift. ¡°But.. Why did you prepare so much? Could it be that before you came, you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re well-known in Xi Ling, and Chong Xu Cabinet is a major clan. It¡¯s not that tough to find out some things.¡± ¡°¡­But you gave out so much in one go¡­¡± ¡°It seemed like they were treating you well, so it¡¯s just right to give them a little something.¡± Judging from Rong Xiu¡¯s nonchalant behavior, Chu Liuyue tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ be honest with me. Where did you get so much money? You¡¯ve given me so much money. What about yourself?¡± Based on her understanding of Rong Xiu, she knew the gifts weren¡¯t a small sum. Not to mention the gifts that he gave her¡­ Rong Xiu smiled at her. ¡°If Yue¡¯er is worried that I¡¯ll run out of money, you can relax. I¡­ can still support you.¡± Yan Qing felt the corners of his mouth twitch as he trailed behind. Ms. Liuyue is actually doubting Master¡¯s wealth¡­ Hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s response, Chu Liuyue felt a little more at ease. In truth, she knew that the former was definitely not short on money since he was this generous. She was just curious how he managed it¡­ Could it be due to his status as ¡®Your Grace?¡¯ ¡­ The few of them arrived at the mansion in Xi Ling City. Chu Liuyue led them in. ¡°I just moved here not long ago, so it¡¯s just been tidied up. There are a few rooms that you can look at. Pick one that you like¡­¡± Rong Xiu looked at them lazily. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t bother. This one is great.¡± Chu Liuyue turned and followed his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s my¡­ You want to stay in my room?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Didn¡¯t we do that before?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. In the past¡­ That was him coming up with all sorts of excuses to not leave! Having seen right through Rong Xiu¡¯s thoughts, Chu Liuyue gave in. ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯d like, that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t spend much time here, so we won¡¯t be disturbed.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t mind. If she doesn¡¯t come, I could go over. Chu Liuyue stayed with him a little longer before she left. ¡­ Jiang Residence. ¡°Fourth Missy, this is a cold skin cream that Eldest Young Master brought back for you from the palace. It¡¯s said that if you use it for half a month, none of your wounds will leave scars¡­¡± said the servant girl as she carefully dressed Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s wounds. Jiang Yuzhi sat up on her bed with her eyes closed and didn¡¯t say a word. The servant girl took out one scoop of the paste and gently applied it to Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s face. ¡°Ss¡­ Ah!¡± Jiang Yuzhi cried out as she felt a sharp, cooling pain. She jumped up and slapped the servant girl across the face. Smack! ¡°That hurts! What are you doing!?¡± The servant girl was knocked to the floor as her face quickly swelled up, and she skinned her arms. But she still held the jar of cream carefully in her hands, afraid that it might be broken. Her life wasn¡¯t even worth as much as the jar of cream if she broke it! ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± She immediately got up, kneeled by Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s bed, and kowtowed. Jiang Yuzhi looked at her frustratedly and snatched the cream over. ¡°Get lost!¡± The servant girl left, still on tenterhooks. ¡°Y-yes!¡± Just as the girl was about to leave, Jiang Yuzhi glanced over and saw tears streaking down the girl¡¯s porcelain face, looking rather pitiful. This only fueled her anger. ¡°Kneel outside and slap yourself! Stop when your face is bleeding!¡± The servant was taken aback. ¡°Fourth Missy¡­¡± ¡°Get going now!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The servant girl left the room while biting her lip. She then kneeled outside the door and began slapping herself. She used a large amount of energy with each hit. Hearing the crisp sounds of the servant girl hitting herself, Jiang Yuzhi felt herself calm down. She then opened the jar of cream and prepared to apply it herself. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Before she could move, she heard Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice outside the door. ¡°Eldest Young Master, I have made a mistake.¡± ¡°What kind of behavior are you displaying outside Fourth Missy¡¯s door? You are dismissed.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Eldest Young Master. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Jiang Yucheng walked in after that. ¡°This is already the fifth servant that you¡¯ve punished over the last few days. When are you going to stop?¡± Jiang Yuzhi slammed the jar of cream down on the table with a stiff expression. ¡°Brother, are you here just to lecture me? I¡¯m the Jiang family¡¯s Fourth Missy, so what¡¯s wrong with punishing a few servants?¡± Jiang Yucheng scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know. The servants have done nothing wrong; you¡¯re just nitpicking. It is exactly because you¡¯re a missy that you must pay attention. If word gets out, people will only say that you¡¯re willful and spoiled.¡± Jiang Yuzhi leaped up and walked over to Jiang Yucheng. ¡°My face is already like this! Am I not allowed to vent?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Enough of that. I¡¯ve sent someone to investigate what happened that day.¡± Jiang Yuzhi felt guilty as she took a step back. ¡°Brother, did you find something?¡± Jiang Yucheng sneered. ¡°You know very well what happened that day. I¡¯ve asked you a number of times, but you never mentioned the mess you made at Hundred Herbs Building!¡± Jiang Yuzhi instantly felt guilty. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t do anything, why would Hundred Herbs Building blacklist you and put word out that they no longer welcome your business?¡± A number of people saw things unfold, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to find out what had happened. Jiang Yuzhi was dumbfounded. ¡°So what? So be it! They¡¯re not the only place that sells herbs in Xi Ling City! What can they do about me?¡± Jiang Yucheng was disappointed to see how stubborn his sister was. Even at this time, she is still so naive and arrogant! ¡°Hundred Herbs Building has a strong background. Even I¡¯m not willing to clash with them, but you¡¯ve got the guts? You really think that you¡¯re somebody just because you¡¯re Fourth Missy Jiang?¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s face changed. Her brother¡¯s words were brutal! Before she could respond, Jiang Yucheng continued. ¡°No wonder you were beat up shortly after you left¡­ And you¡¯re still saying that you haven¡¯t offended anyone?¡± Jiang Yuzhi finally connected the dots. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re saying that¡­ the masked man is from Hundred Herbs Building?¡± Chapter 619 - Chapter 619 ¡°I can¡¯t be sure now, but there aren¡¯t many people who dare to attack you so openly.¡± Jiang Yuzhi couldn¡¯t care about being wronged and angry as she hurriedly said, ¡°Since you know it¡¯s them, go and catch them then!¡± ¡°How can it be this easy?¡± Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows and walked to the side. ¡°There¡¯s currently no evidence which can prove that they did it, so how can we randomly catch someone? Besides, you didn¡¯t even see that person¡¯s face. How can we just take them away?¡± Jiang Yuzhi was dazed. ¡°T-then, go and check! Brother, don¡¯t you have a few capable subordinates¡ª¡± ¡°The other party had such audacity, which meant that they weren¡¯t afraid of being checked. Besides, Hundred Herbs Building is so famous in Xi Ling, so how can I just check them as you wish?¡± That is the biggest herbal store in Xi Ling! Even if it¡¯s me, I have to think about it before taking action. Jiang Yuzhi pondered for a while before asking in disbelief, ¡°A-are we just going to let this incident go then? So I¡¯ll just get beaten up for no reason?¡± Jiang Yucheng kept quiet for a moment and said, ¡°I heard that Yue Ling personally commanded someone to ¡®invite¡¯ you out that day. I have seen him a few times before, and he¡¯s very sensible and wise. If he didn¡¯t meet with a special situation, he wouldn¡¯t act so harshly. Besides, he clearly knew your identity, yet he still insisted on doing this. This just shows how severe the situation was. What¡­ exactly did you do that day?¡± Jiang Yuzhi clenched her teeth and felt conflicted for quite some time before saying, ¡°I just scolded Chu Liuyue a little¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng froze. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t hide this matter anymore, Jiang Yuzhi could only tell her brother about whatever happened that day. ¡°¡­If they didn¡¯t refuse to give me those herbs no matter what, I wouldn¡¯t do that either!¡± After saying so much, it was still Chu Liuyue¡¯s fault! Upon hearing this, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face darkened. She really went to cause trouble for Chu Liuyue! The key is that she even went to Hundred Herbs Building! Even if she went to cause trouble for Chu Liuyue head-on, it would be better than this! ¡°How did I warn you previously? Did you forget about all of that?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. Jiang Yuzhi shuddered. An idea popped up into her head, and she hurriedly said, ¡°No! Brother, this isn¡¯t right! I scolded Chu Liuyue that day, but I didn¡¯t say anything bad about Hundred Herbs Building. But after Yue Ling heard me scolding Chu Liuyue, he was instantly frustrated¡­¡± She spoke as she recalled. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right! It was like this! When I was buying the herbs previously, Yue Ling said that those were prepared for Chu Liuyue and that he couldn¡¯t sell them to me. When he said this, he was still fine¡­ I remember! I think there were a few women chased out of Hundred Herbs Building before that because they were insulting Chu Liuyue inside. Besides, it wasn¡¯t only them. Even their entire family was implicated¡­ They then went to cause a scene, but it ended up nowhere¡­¡± As Jiang Yucheng heard her speak, his expression gradually became stern. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ Chu Liuyue is related to Hundred Herbs Building?¡± ¡°It must be so! Yue Ling still said that it was because Chu Liuyue was a black gold card member¡­ Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t the only customer at Hundred Herbs Building. Why did this never happen before? There must be something wrong here!¡± Jiang Yucheng thought for a moment and was quite hesitant. ¡°But Chu Liuyue¡­ Didn¡¯t she just come to Xi Ling¡­?¡± Besides, it was Mu Qinghe and Jian Fengchi who brought her here. How did she manage to become related to Hundred Herbs Building in such a short period? He paused for a moment and stood up to leave. ¡°I will personally investigate this. Stay here quietly during this period. You¡¯re not allowed to be willful.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡­ After Chu Liuyue left, she went to Dragon Teeth Mountain. Dragon Teeth Mountain was much bigger than Chong Xu Cabinet and much more livelier. When Chu Liuyue arrived at the hall, she saw Jian Fengchi¡ªwho was waiting inside¡ªat first glance. She rapidly surveyed the surroundings but couldn¡¯t see Mu Hongyu¡¯s figure. Jian Fengchi lazily said, ¡°Hongyu has already become my father¡¯s personal disciple. Now, she¡¯s still cultivating in the mountains. I¡¯ve already sent someone to invite her over, but I think it¡¯ll still take a while. You can sit and wait first.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and took out a letter. ¡°Since Hongyu is busy cultivating, I shan¡¯t disturb her anymore. This is a letter that her father wrote to her. Young Master Jian, may I trouble you to pass it to her later?¡± Then, she walked over and was going to leave after placing the letter on the table beside Jian Fengchi. Suddenly, a familiar scent wafted toward her. Chu Liuyue wrinkled her nose and realized that the smell was coming from Jian Fengchi. A dark color flashed across her eyes. I specifically provided this Long Xian Fragrance in the palace. To be more accurate, only my father and I could use it in the past. Even though the scent on Jian Fengchi was very faint, she could confirm that it was the remaining smell of the Long Xian Fragrance. Moreover, if the smell could stay on him to this extent, it could only prove that Jian Fengchi had been at a place with burning Long Xian Fragrance for at least two hours. She paused in her actions, placed the letter on the table, and asked in a seemingly unintentional manner, ¡°May I know how Hongyu has been doing at Dragon Teeth Mountain lately?¡± Jian Fengchi shook his fan. ¡°With me looking after her every day, she¡¯s naturally doing well.¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to look at him in shock. ¡°Young Master Jian, you have been at Dragon Teeth Mountain and¡­ taking care of Hongyu these few days?¡± Jian Fengchi raised his brows. ¡°Of course. I was the one who treated her wounds. Now, she¡¯s almost fully recovered. The medicine that I used is much better than the ones you used before.¡± Chu Liuyue was currently a fourth-grade heavenly doctor, and Jian Fengchi was of a higher grade. So naturally, the pills he produced were better. ¡°I see¡­ I really have to thank you then, Young Master Jian,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Suddenly, her expression changed. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s this scent?¡± Jian Fengchi froze. Chu Liuyue sniffed. ¡°Young Master Jian, do you smell a faint fragrance?¡± Jian Fengchi looked at Chu Liuyue alertly, and a sharp gleam flashed across his ice-cold gaze. ¡°Oh, my mother frequently plays with some herbs and fragrances, so perhaps it¡¯s that?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding before exclaiming, ¡°Madam is really awesome. This fragrance is much nicer than ordinary scents. I really don¡¯t know how she does it.¡± Jian Fengchi relaxed and looked down. ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary scent¡ª¡± ¡°Liuyue!¡± A happy shout came from outside. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Mu Hongyu coming toward her with a face filled with elation and excitement. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re here to see me?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, picked up the letter, and passed it over. ¡°This is a letter from your father.¡± Mu Hongyu gasped and hurriedly took the letter to open it. Jian Fengchi looked at the two and slowly sat on the chair. I was too careless and came back in too much of a hurry, such that I actually forgot to change my clothes. Chu Liuyue¡­ shouldn¡¯t know this scent, right? Chapter 620 - : Sword Refinement Mu Hongyu carefully read the letter a few times, and tears started to well up in her eyes. Chu Liuyue patted her shoulder gently. ¡°Hongyu, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m fine! When my parents knew that I was still alive and well and even came to Xi Ling to cultivate, they were over the moon. They kept reminding me to cultivate properly.¡± In this world, there was nothing happier than gaining something back after losing it. Mu Hongyu passed the letter to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, look. My parents said that they have to thank you!¡± Chu Liuyue took it over, and her lips blossomed into a beautiful smiling flower. ¡°Yeah, they can completely rest assured now.¡± Jian Fengchi coughed. Mu Hongyu immediately said, ¡°Oh, yes! Young Master, my parents even thanked you specifically!¡± Jian Fengchi leaned against the chair lazily, and his lips slightly curved up as he spoke in a seemingly nonchalant manner. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. What¡¯s there to thank?¡± Chu Liuyue turned and glanced at him. Pfft. If you really didn¡¯t care, why would you cough? ¡°Hongyu, why do you call Young Master Jian ¡®Young Master?¡¯¡± Mu Hongyu explained, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because everyone calls him that in Dragon Teeth Mountain.¡± If she alone kept calling him ¡®Young Master Jian,¡¯ it felt a little strange somehow. Thus, she just changed her way of calling him. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. Mu Hongyu is already Jian Shuye¡¯s disciple now and has officially entered Dragon Teeth Mountain. She might need to spend a very long time here in the future, so it¡¯s a good thing if she can quickly join in with the rest. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve been having a good time at Dragon Teeth Mountain.¡± Mu Hongyu smiled brightly, and her almond eyes glistened. ¡°Yeah! Master and the rest treat me very nicely! Besides, my current cultivation speed seems much faster than before¡­ Master said that this is because of the nature of my physique. In a while, I should be able to continue breaking through.¡± Previously, she was quite talented in Country Yao Chen. However, she wasn¡¯t an elite, let alone in the rest of the world. Now that she had the Faint Yuan Body, she was worlds apart compared to her previous self. Even in the entire Tianling Dynasty, she could be considered as one of the most outstanding people. Chu Liuyue saw that she was elated and was happy for her too. ¡°Since this is so, I feel much better. Now that I¡¯ve already delivered the letter, I should go first.¡± Mu Hongyu was very reluctant. ¡°I just came, yet you¡¯re leaving? Let me send you off then!¡± An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. ¡°Sure.¡± The duo left together, and the nonchalant smile on Jian Fengchi¡¯s face gradually faded away as he knitted his brows and hurriedly returned to his room. After he went back, he quickly changed out of his clothes. Sparks flashed on his fingertip and immediately burned the clothes. Even when the clothing was completely burned, he still felt that something was amiss. ¡°Someone! I want to bathe!¡± ¡­ On the other side, Mu Hongyu accompanied Chu Liuyue, and they walked quite a fair distance. On the way, the two of them kept talking about what happened to them recently. Seeing that they were about to reach the foot of the mountain, Chu Liuyue then asked in a seemingly nonchalant manner, ¡°Hongyu, during the days you were at Dragon Teeth Mountain, was Young Master Jian on the mountain the entire time too?¡± ¡°Yeah! I need to collect pills from him every day.¡± Mu Hongyu asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Nothing much. I just didn¡¯t expect him¡­ to be so patient.¡± Speaking of this, Mu Hongyu laughed. ¡°Actually, he didn¡¯t have a choice either. Master said that he was too unrestricted previously, so he had to properly cultivate in Dragon Teeth Mountain during this time. I heard that Master specifically found many medical books for him and that he has been reading all of them these few days.¡± ¡°Medical books? There are quite a few people cultivating as heavenly doctors in Dragon Teeth Mountain, so there should be quite a lot of medical books, right? Your master even specifically helped him to find medical books to read?¡± Mu Hongyu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s some unique copy of a rare book or something¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s quite awesome!¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes. Medical books¡­ Jian Fengchi has always been very talented as a heavenly doctor, and he has been diligently practicing all these years. He has read tons of medical books. Now, he actually read a unique copy of a rare book¡­ ¡°Liuyue? Liuyue?¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t respond after a long while, Mu Hongyu called her twice. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Chu Liuyue then recovered from her trance and smiled slightly. ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking that since Young Master Jian is so talented and hardworking, I should work harder. You can go back first and cultivate properly. We¡¯ll meet during the clan competition.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded seriously and couldn¡¯t hide the excitement on her face. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue returned to Chong Xu Cabinet, the night sky had already arrived. On the way, she met many senior brothers and senior sisters¡ªwho ran over and harshly praised her, saying that she had good taste and reminded her to spend more time with Rong Xiu. They even told her to marry him as early as possible. Chu Liuyue was first dazed. Then, she later realized that Rong Xiu¡¯s bribery tactics were working. I wonder how much was exactly put within the Cosmic Rings¡­ Chu Liuyue agreed to them one by one before returning to her room with much difficulty. Qiang Wanzhou had already cleaned the room as usual, but he wasn¡¯t around. Chu Liuyue briefly tidied up and went to Yan Lin Peak again. ¡­ In the quiet forest, only the sound of the sword body and the star stone grinding against each other was especially clear. Following her movements, the sparks gradually turned from the initial orange color to a dark-blue color every time she grinded. When the spark color finally became the same as the sword heart that she had finally grinded out, Chu Liuyue finally chose another side and carried out the same process. In the later period, Chu Liuyue did what she did before. She cultivated on Qing Yuan Mountain during the day and conveniently tidied up the herbs. At night, she refined the sword at Yan Lin Peak. Rong Xiu seemed to be very busy too as he only came to see her once in between before quickly leaving. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask further as her heart was devoted to the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. A month quickly passed. In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the clan competition! Chapter 621 - Watch and Learn The skies were bright, and there were no clouds in the sky. Early in the morning, quite a few people in Xi Ling City were heading toward Square Gully. This was where the clan competition would be held. The so-called Square Gully was an open field situated to the northwest of Xi Ling City. A few hundred years ago, the place where Square Gully was situated was still covered in mountains. Afterward, two strong warriors battled and fought for three days and three nights, leveling the surrounding mountains to the ground. They even left a drain in the shape of a cross on the spacious ground. The drain was deep, and it gradually expanded as time passed. It had now become two deep and intersecting gullies. The annual clan competition was usually held here, and this year was no exception. However, this year¡¯s clan competition was clearly different from before. This was because everyone knew very clearly that the clan ranking in Xi Ling City would mostly change significantly. It was still early, but Square Gully was already bustling with people, and it was very crowded. ¡°I heard that Jiu Xing Alliance was going to challenge Chong Xu Cabinet. If the challenge succeeds, Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s title of being one of the four biggest clans will go to Jiu Xing Alliance!¡± ¡°Haha, I heard that Sheng Yan Harem has this plan too!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t all the few clans below tempted? Chong Xu Cabinet doesn¡¯t deserve its title now and has long lost its right to continue occupying this spot. Isn¡¯t it a matter of time that they get replaced?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Weichi Song had accepted two fairly capable disciples¡­ Maybe¡ª¡± ¡°Are you talking about that Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou? Hehe, the two of them are decent, but I think it¡¯s impossible if one wants to overturn the situation just based on the two of them.¡± ¡°I wonder which clan can replace Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s position¡­¡± As time passed, the sun started to rise. Everyone in the clans started to arrive respectively. According to the past rules, other than the four biggest clans, there were four other spots for other potential candidates. The clans in Xi Ling City had already been through an intense battle, and only the top four winners had the right to come here. They were Jiu Xing Alliance, Sky-Soaring Clan, Tian Ji Residence, and Sheng Yan Harem respectively. The clan elites had already undoubtedly appeared here. Some of the clans¡¯ elders and disciples also came over. The pristine faces of those young disciples were mostly filled with the arrogance of being a talent as their eyes burned with faint excitement and temptation. It was as though they were very confident. This was because not even all of the disciples in the four biggest clans had the right to come here. Those who could come here were all the top elites in the clans. The clans¡¯ representatives gradually arrived as they asked after each other a little. However, their eyes looked at the side from time to time as if they were distracted. Quite a few people partook in heated discussions. ¡°All of the clans have already arrived now except for Chong Xu Cabinet. Why aren¡¯t they here yet?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t be too afraid to come right¡­ I heard that there are only a few dozen disciples in Chong Xu Cabinet and that they can¡¯t even hold up their reputation proudly.¡± ¡°Only 15 minutes left till the start of the clan competition. If they don¡¯t come on time, then it will be considered as them automatically giving up¡­¡± Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s Master¡ªZhang Hua¡ªlaughed out loud and spoke as if he were joking. ¡°If Chong Xu Cabinet really doesn¡¯t come this time, does it mean that they automatically withdraw as one of the top four clans?¡± The moment he said this, he heard a burly voice from midair. ¡°Even if I give up on this position, some might not even have the right to take it up.¡± The originally loud crowd was instantly silenced as everyone looked over in unison. They saw countless figures arriving together from midair. Who else could it be but Weichi Song leading the front? It was Chong Xu Cabinet! Under countless stares, Weichi Song brought his disciples and arrived here. The moment he landed, Weichi Song glanced at Zhang Hua and lightly said, ¡°I just got held back on the way here, yet someone is already itching to snatch my Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s position?¡± Zhang Hua was stumped as he sneered. ¡°The strong are respected. You¡¯re useless yourself and can¡¯t protect your own things. How can you blame others for being too strong?¡± Once the two of them met, they started going for each other¡¯s throats. The atmosphere immediately froze, and quite a few people glanced at each other awkwardly. It seemed like Jiu Xing Alliance was bent on earning the title as they directly went head-on against Chong Xu Cabinet. If they didn¡¯t have sufficient confidence, nobody would completely ruin their relations. Weichi Song did not budge. ¡°We still need to see if you¡¯re that capable then! It¡¯s not too late to say some words after you¡¯ve won! If not¡­ you¡¯ll just be a laughingstock!¡± Zhang Hua threw his sleeves in anger. ¡°You¡¯re just being stubborn! I really want to see who will be the one getting humiliated today!¡± Seeing that the duo was fighting even more intensely, Jian Shuye came up to appease the situation. ¡°Old Song, you came at the right time. The time has come, so shall we start now?¡± Both Weichi Song and Zhang Hua had to give Jian Shuye face, so they immediately stopped arguing. Jian Shuye said, ¡°Like before, Jiu Xing Alliance and the other three clans can choose from the top four clans to challenge. The four winners will all become the top four clans!¡± As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Hua and the rest. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ve already decided which clans all of you want to compete against?¡± The few of them did not say a word. Jian Shuye¡¯s eyelids jumped. Then, Zhang Hua glanced at Weichi Song and chuckled. ¡°How unfortunately coincidental. But all four of us want to challenge Chong Xu Cabinet, and none of us want to give in. Hence, we haven¡¯t made up our minds until now.¡± His tone was filled with mockery, and he didn¡¯t even hide his underestimation and contempt for Chong Xu Cabinet. The surroundings fell quiet. It was more obvious than ever as to why these four clans chose Chong Xu Cabinet. It just showed the extent of the dire straits Chong Xu Cabinet had fallen into. The atmosphere had now become very ugly¡­ This was an absolute insult, especially for Chong Xu Cabinet. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Weichi Song looked as calm as ever as if he didn¡¯t take this incident to heart. The group of disciples standing behind him also looked very calm. Jian Shuye looked at Weichi Song with much difficulty. ¡°Old Song, uh¡­ Only you can settle this now. Who will you choose?¡± This right to choose was definitely not something that made one happy. Weichi Song raised his hands and pointed toward Zhang Hua. ¡°Jiu Xing Alliance.¡± The crowd was stunned, and even Zhang Hua was in disbelief. Jian Shuye knitted his brows. ¡°Are you sure?¡± It seemed like these four clans had similar capabilities, but Jiu Xing Alliance was actually the strongest amongst the four. Hence, this wasn¡¯t a good choice for the current Chong Xu Cabinet. ¡°Yes.¡± Weichi Song nodded. Other people are already riding all over our heads. If we don¡¯t retaliate, everyone really is going to think that our Chong Xu Cabinet is easy to bully. Zhang Hua laughed out loud, licked his lips, and revealed a delightful and arrogant smile. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll let my Jiu Xing Alliance watch and learn to see exactly how capable Chong Xu Cabinet is!¡± Chapter 622 - Trigger! The other clans looked disappointed. Other than Chong Xu Cabinet, the other three major clans were powerful. Hence, they had very low chances of winning. They couldn¡¯t do anything except secretly envy Jiu Xing Alliance. Very quickly, the remaining clans started to compete against each other in pairs. Dragon Teeth Mountain against Sheng Yan Harem. Purple Xiao Sword Sect against Tian Ji Residence. Xuan Feng Hall against Sky-Soaring Clan. The eight clans were split into four groups and went to the four respective areas in the cross gully. Even though they were separated by a deep gorge in the middle, the clans could still clearly see each other¡¯s battle situations. The surrounding spectators could freely choose to head to whatever area they were more interested in watching. Undoubtedly, most people were in the area where Chong Xu Cabinet was going against Jiu Xing Alliance. When everyone was in their places, someone felt that something was wrong. ¡°¡­That¡¯s weird. Is Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou not coming? Why didn¡¯t I see the two of them amongst Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciples?¡± ¡°Hm? I think so too! The two of them really didn¡¯t come!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet doesn¡¯t have many presentable disciples. Now that they finally recruited two decent chaps, they actually didn¡¯t come?¡± One spread to ten, and ten spread to hundreds. The news of Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou not coming quickly spread throughout the crowd. Logically speaking, not all of a clan¡¯s disciples would come, so this was nothing surprising. But the key was that Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou came in first and second in the Wan Zheng Competition, so their capabilities were unquestionable. It was really strange that they didn¡¯t come. Hearing the surrounding discussions, Ye Ranran couldn¡¯t help but pull Lu Zhiyao¡¯s sleeves and whisper, ¡°Senior Brother Lu, do you think Liuyue and Wanzhou will come?¡± Lu Zhiyao also lowered his voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t Little Junior Brother say that he¡¯s going to wait for Little Junior Sister and come together? I think they¡¯ll come, right? Little Junior Sister has recently been going to Yan Lin Peak quite often, and I think she¡¯s refining her sword¡­¡± All of their Yuan instruments were either bought, given to them by ancestors, or obtained through their own fates. It was truly very rare to see someone refining their own sword. Ye Ranran asked worriedly, ¡°I really hope they can come¡­ Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s bunch has always been eyeing us, so they definitely won¡¯t let go of this chance!¡± One could just think to know that Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s people would definitely drag them down from the top four clans during this clan competition at all costs. Lu Zhiyao glanced at the few people from Jiu Xing Alliance and sneered. ¡°I remember that the two who put you in a spot at Xin Li Garden were from Jiu Xing Alliance?¡± Ye Ranran nodded and raised her finger. ¡°It¡¯s that skinny and tall man in purple and the woman in green beside him¡­¡± Lu Zhiyao nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This time¡­ we will definitely win! By then, we¡¯ll show them who¡¯s boss!¡± ¡­ The crowd partook in heated discussions. The people from Chong Xu Cabinet and Jiu Xing Alliance each took one side as they left out a large area in the center. Quite a few spectators stood at the side in pockets. Zhang Hua and Weichi Song stared at each other, and the atmosphere was stiff. ¡°The rules are the same as usual. We¡¯ll compete according to heavenly doctors, Xuan Masters, and warriors. For every type of competition, each clan needs to send out nine disciples. If you win one round, you get one point. If you lose, one point gets deducted. If it¡¯s a tie, you get zero points. When all 27 competitors of each clan have competed, we¡¯ll judge based on the number of points the clan has accumulated. The clan with the highest number of points¡­ wins!¡± Zhang Hua¡¯s gaze swept past Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciples, and he chuckled. ¡°Weichi Song, can your Chong Xu Cabinet even send out 27 disciples now?¡± Who doesn¡¯t know that the current number of people in Chong Xu Cabinet has dropped drastically and that they¡¯re only left with tens of people now!? Other than those who are left to guard Chong Xu Cabinet, the remaining ones should¡¯ve all come. ¡°Speaking of that, I need to envy you on behalf of my disciples. In our Jiu Xing Alliance, let alone talking about the right to compete, they even need to fight for their lives to get a spot to spectate. This is unlike your Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ All those who aren¡¯t missing any limbs are able to compete¡­¡± Weichi Song¡¯s gaze became extremely cold. ¡°It¡¯ll be better if you don¡¯t say certain words too extremely. If so many of you come today yet still lose to us in the end¡­ Won¡¯t that be humiliating? Let¡¯s not talk any more nonsense and begin!¡± ¡­ At the same time, at Yan Lin Peak. On the smooth and tidy mountain peak, a gigantic black star stone was placed atop. A thin girl in red was sitting cross-legged and refining a sword. She held the sword handle in one hand as the other pressed on the sword body while she kept sharpening it non-stop. From start till end, she only had that one action. But every time she repeated it, it was the exact same as before. No matter if it were her movements, posture, or strength¡­ Every aspect was very precise without any mistakes. As she moved, the place where the sword body and the star stone made contact would start producing sparks. The girl looked solemn as her eyes kept staring at the sword beneath her hands as if she never knew what exhaustion was. In reality, she hadn¡¯t closed her eyes for a day and a night. From the day before, she had already felt that she was going to reveal the heart of the sword completely. This also meant that as long as she finished this mission, she would¡¯ve sharpened the entire Queling Copper¡¯s sword heart! The color of the sparks gradually changed. The blue color¡¯s intensity increased bit by bit and became darker as it grew increasingly similar to the sword body¡¯s dark color. After some time, a blue fire appeared in front of her following her movements. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. It¡¯s done! Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice suddenly sounded beside her ear. ¡°Girl, be prepared! I¡¯m going to trigger the lightning bolts!¡± Chapter 623 - Don’t Let Her Efforts go to Waste In the sky, black clouds rumbled and gathered as the howling wind roared angrily, causing the entire sky to quickly darken. The winds rustled in the forest, and the branches moved. Chu Liuyue stood up with the sword hilt in her hands and looked up. Her clothes blew up with the wind, and her black hair flew everywhere. In the entire piece of land, she was the most eye-catching spark of fire. Her eyes stuck closely to the tumbling black clouds. The next moment, a close to transparent figure appeared in front of her¡ªit was her ancestor! He stood in the air with his hands behind his back. Even though he was just a remnant of his consciousness, his aura was still stern and intimidating. His gaze swept past Chu Liuyue and finally landed on the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword before he nodded in satisfaction. After close to a month¡¯s worth of refinement, the originally thick and heavy Cloud-Sky Copper Sword became smaller. The layer of copper outside had been completely sharpened away, revealing the peacock-blue sword heart within. Even under the dark sky, it was still deep and pure, glowing with a faint light. ¡°Girl, this move determines if your sword will successfully be refined or not!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body tensed up as she solemnly nodded. ¡°Ancestor, please¡ª¡± The next moment, Shangguan Jing stepped on thin air as his figure was like a released arrow that went straight toward the sky. Immense suppression was suddenly released from his body, and an immeasurable amount of Heaven and Earth Force crazily gathered within the clouds. In the blink of an eye, it immediately became a spiral. That spiral started expanding at an observable speed as it swallowed all of the black clouds in the surroundings. Looking down from above, it was as if a gigantic black eye had suddenly appeared in the skies. Darkness, depth, and vastness. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. Ancestor is only a remnant of his consciousness now, yet he¡¯s still so capable. Even a stage-nine warrior might not have his imposing aura. A doubt flashed across her heart rapidly: Back then, did Ancestor really fail in breaking through¡­? However, this thought only flashed across her mind once. At this point, the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in her hands suddenly started shaking. Buzz! Chu Liuyue lowered her head to take a look. There seemed to be a dark-blue spark that quickly slid across the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. As time passed, the sword body vibrated even more violently. As if it was summoned by some intense strength, it almost escaped her hands. Chu Liuyue held the sword tightly and raised it up high. Her palms were starting to become numb. Luckily, this close to a month of sharpening had increased her physical strength by quite a bit. If not, it would be hard to even hold onto this sword. Hong long! A shockingly loud sound was heard. She looked up! In the sky, the gigantic black spiral started to turn slowly, and that sound came from within! A snake-like lightning bolt crazily swam within the rich darkness. Chu Liuyue tightly pressed her lips against each other as she quickly circulated her inner force, almost as if she was going to burst. The next moment, the imposing lightning bolt struck down from the sky and went straight for Chu Liuyue. Huala! That lightning bolt seemed to tear the sky. Wherever it passed, a black space crack was rapidly pulled apart. It was as if there was a pair of invisible hands tearing the sky apart. Hong! The next moment, the eye-catching silver landed on the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword¡ªthe glow of light was dazzling. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure and half of Yan Lin Peak were almost instantly covered by the blinding light. Chu Liuyue felt her hands shake as a terrifying force immediately flowed through the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword and her body. Excruciating pain extended from her hands and affected her entire body. All the muscles, blood, nerves, and bones in her body seemed to be torn open at this moment. A burning smell permeated throughout the air as small blood blisters appeared on her skin. It looked extremely frightening as the burnt black and the red intersected. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and didn¡¯t even yell out in pain. Shangguan Jing¡ªwho was standing in mid-air¡ªfurrowed his brows tightly and gradually clenched his fists when he saw this scene. ¡°You must hang in there¡­ Girl¡­¡± Normally, one had to be a top warrior to dare to trigger lightning bolts and use their own physical bodies as the conductor to refine a Yuan instrument. However, the current Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t even a stage-five warrior. Her actions were extremely risky, and the pain she had to endure was much more than others. One¡¯s ability to endure the first lightning bolt usually determines the success or failure of the entire process. As long as she can tolerate this¡­ Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he looked up. From far away on Qing Yuan Mountain, a youngster¡¯s figure was running over. It was Qiang Wanzhou! Two days ago, Chu Liuyue already knew that the sword refinement was reaching its end, so she told Qiang Wanzhou in advance that she had to stay at Yan Lin Peak to refine the sword. Moreover, she had already reminded Qiang Wanzhou back then that he couldn¡¯t come near Yan Lin Peak no matter what. After she finished what she had to do, she would naturally go back. Hence, Chu Liuyue refined her sword without even closing her eyes for a day and a night, and Qiang Wanzhou also stood for a day and a night at Qing Yuan Mountain. Originally, everything was still fine. But when Qiang Wanzhou saw the lightning bolt land and directly strike Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, he was stunned. He finally couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, and he rushed over. However, Yan Lin Peak was already covered by that lightning bolt¡¯s strength as the terrifying forces were crazily killing each other. The nearby forests were implicated, and they were all destroyed. One could almost say that it destroyed everything in sight. Qiang Wanzhou clenched his fists and hurriedly circulated his force. Just as he was about to barge in forcefully, an invisible barrier suddenly appeared in front of him. At the same time, a low and burly voice landed in his ears. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be her burden, move back immediately!¡± Qiang Wanzhou knitted his brows and looked up, but the lights flashed before him, and they were crazily moving. Hence, he couldn¡¯t see anything¡ªeven Chu Liuyue¡¯s outline was very blurry. He felt very conflicted and was about to disregard everything and rush up when that voice sounded again. ¡°She¡¯s making a sword for you.¡± Qiang Wanzhou forcefully paused mid-step as shock flashed across his eyes. He had once heard Chu Liuyue mention this, but when he saw Chu Liuyue enveloped by the lightning bolt, he couldn¡¯t even recall it. Hearing this now, he suddenly realized something¡ªThe pain and torture Chu Liuyue is suffering now is because of me! Regret, self-reproach, pain¡­ It was as if an invisible hand tightly squeezed his heart, making him unable to breathe. ¡°Not only can you not help if you go over now, but you will also waste her efforts. Then, all the pain she has endured would be for nothing!¡± Every single letter and word was like a hammer that struck hard on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s heart. He clenched his fists tightly, and his knuckles turned white. Finally, he took a step back. Chapter 624 - She’s Not Afraid of Pain, Even Less Afraid of Death The lightning bolt¡¯s strength surged everywhere within Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, and it almost tore and ripped apart her organs and tissue. She clenched her teeth as the intense, bloody scent filled her mouth. Her face was as white as a sheet, and large beads of sweat kept dripping down her forehead. At this point, she already knew that her palm was rotting without even looking. The fresh red blood followed her wrist and fell, but she was still holding the hilt tightly and didn¡¯t let go. Forcefully enduring the terrifying pain, she used her last bit of rationality to circulate her force. The waves of force were exerted out from her limbs as they slowly smoothened out and tidied the ill-disciplined and crazy strength of the lightning bolt. As this happened, she gathered the lightning bolt¡¯s strength in her hands again. She then inserted that strength within the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. A ray of light flashed across the peacock-blue sword. Following the nourishment of the lightning bolt¡¯s strength, the color of the sword body became even more rich and pure. A faint light gradually appeared on the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword¡ªit was as if a star had suddenly lit up in the vast and dark night sky. When Shangguan Jing saw that, eager admiration flashed across his eyes. She did it! Chu Liuyue really did it! She used her body to endure the first lightning bolt! Hong long! Another loud sound reverberated between the clouds! Shangguan Jing was shocked as he hurriedly looked up. The second lightning bolt already quickly gathered in the dark spiral, and it was quickly going toward Chu Liuyue! ¡°Why is it so fast?!¡± Seeing this scene, Shangguan Jing was so stunned that he lost his voice. Normally speaking, when one triggers lightning to refine a sword, one can summon a varying number of lightning bolts according to the creator and the sword. No matter if it¡¯s 9 bolts or 81 bolts, they are all numbers related to nine. One set of 9 is one level. He originally thought that given Chu Liuyue¡¯s current abilities and the rare Queling Copper found in the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, she should be able to trigger 18 bolts of lightning. That was also the second level. However, it definitely didn¡¯t happen at such a fast speed. Just as the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was shocked and confused, the second lightning bolt already struck and landed heavily on Chu Liuyue. The scorching light overwhelmed the surroundings once again. Within it, a petite figure pridefully stood up straight like a tree. Shangguan Jing looked at the scene in a daze as he muttered, ¡°T-this is going to be big¡­¡± ¡­ Square Gully. The clan competition was going on in an exciting manner. After a few rounds of matches, both Chong Xu Cabinet and Jiu Xing Alliance had wins and losses. Most of Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciples were heavenly doctors, so in this aspect of the competition, they would win stably. But in regards to warriors, it was obvious that Jiu Xing Alliance was better. As for Xuan Masters¡­ Both parties¡¯ disciples were of equal standards. So after some comparison, there wasn¡¯t much difference between the two parties¡¯ points. The competition between these two parties became a tug of war. On the other hand, the matches between the other clans were basically a landslide. Being able to occupy the position of the four biggest clans for many years was enough to prove Dragon Teeth Mountain and the other clans¡¯ capabilities. It was indeed very difficult to challenge them. Looking around, it seemed like only Jiu Xing Alliance had hopes of winning against Chong Xu Cabinet. In the arena, the competitions went on respectively. Zhang Hua and the rest stood at the side as they watched the competition coldly. An elder went close to Zhang Hua and whispered, ¡°Master, it seems like we¡¯re tying with Chong Xu Cabinet. When¡­ do you want to send the few of them up to compete?¡± Zhang Hua sneered. ¡°Why are you in a hurry? There are only so many people in Chong Xu Cabinet, and you can just look at them to know how capable they are. They currently look like they can forcefully hold on, but actually¡­ They already gave their all from the start. In the second half, they will lose all their strength. We¡¯ll just act upon it and completely crush them by then!¡± The first step was to let Chong Xu Cabinet think that they had a chance of winning before completely crushing them alive. This¡­ would then be a satisfying win! Upon hearing this, that elder looked excited. ¡°Master, you¡¯re wise!¡± The more miserably Chong Xu Cabinet lost in the end, the more difficult it would be for them to make a comeback! Zhang Hua stood with his hands behind his back as his ice-cold face was filled with mockery. ¡°Hmph. From today onward, Chong Xu Cabinet can no longer have a place in Xi Ling City!¡± ¡­ Yan Lin Peak. The black clouds covered the entire sun as the gigantic black spiral within gradually turned. Below the sky, light shone brightly atop of Yan Lin Peak as the exploding strength crazily spread in all directions. More than half of the forest on the mountain had been destroyed, which frightened people. In the middle of the light ray, Chu Liuyue was currently enduring all sorts of excruciating pain and torture as she gathered the strength within the lightning bolt and inserted it within the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. With the first successful experience, it was slightly simpler to do it again. However, this didn¡¯t mean that her pain was reduced. On the other hand, every, the torture on every inch of her body was increasing as the lightning bolt dropped down. The old wounds hadn¡¯t gotten better, yet there were new wounds again. There wasn¡¯t a single good spot in Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body. The scorching scars scattered throughout her body. Let alone talking about the internal injuries caused by the crazy Heavenly Dao energy barging around in her body, there were many pockets of bloody wounds on both her arms and hands, from inside to out. Those wounds didn¡¯t look big, but they were very deep and tight, which made them look horrifying. Her clothes had long been drenched in fresh blood, and even the sword hilt was stained with her blood. However, she still tightly held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword as she kept inserting the lightning bolt¡¯s strength into it. Another silver light flashed across the sword rapidly, and it was nourished once again. Gradually, more and more stars appeared on the dull and pure sword body, causing it to become brighter and brighter. Her surrounding aura kept strengthening non-stop. Chu Liuyue licked her lips, and the bloody scent overwhelmed her nose, making her inner willpower even stronger. She looked up! The third lightning bolt had already gathered within the dark spiral. ¡°Again!¡± she yelled loudly. At the same time, she raised the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in her hands even higher. Shangguan Jing¡ªwho was standing not too far away¡ªfelt that his heart had already been scrunched up tightly.. If he had one, that is! This girl¡­ Is this girl crazy? She¡¯s already so severely injured after two lightning bolts, yet not only is she not afraid at all, but she even seems¡­ more excited? Is she not afraid of pain or death? This scene made his heart jump out of his mouth. However, he was most worried that this was just the beginning. According to the speed of the lightning bolt landing¡­ Chu Liuyue might have more to suffer in the end! As if coincidentally hearing her voice, the third lightning bolt rapidly landed at this moment. Hong long! Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was once again swallowed by the boundless strength. If she knew what her ancestor was thinking at this time, she would tell him: I¡ªChu Liuyue¡ªam not afraid of pain and even less afraid of death! Today, I¡¯ll definitely finish refining this Cloud-Sky Copper Sword! Chapter 625 - This Is Just the Beginning The force within Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and the lightning bolt¡¯s strength fought intensely as they ripped and tore each other apart. Every inch of her blood, muscle, and skeleton was being tortured again and again. Following the heart-wrenching pain, her physical body¡¯s tolerance was also gradually strengthening. It seemed as though she couldn¡¯t feel pain as she stood there upright and endured the striking lightning bolts. The third bolt! Fourth! Fifth! ¡­ Ninth! Stars gathered on the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword as though it was a horizontal silver river in the night sky. It was dazzling and mesmerizing. The pure and clean peacock-blue fire quietly burned on top and almost became one with the sword body. The fire was scorching, but the stars were ice-cold. The two extreme forces intersected and formed a stunning suppression. A bright lightning-like pattern appeared on the sword hilt. ¡°Girl, this pattern contains the nine lightning bolts¡¯ strength!¡± Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t conceal the happiness in his voice. Even though he was very confident in Chu Liuyue previously, he was still extremely surprised when he actually saw this scene. I really didn¡¯t judge her wrongly! Chu Liuyue has unimaginable perseverance and determination! With her patience and shocking talent, as well as her mysterious trump cards¡­ Her future is limitless! Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips gradually curved up into a comforting smile. The previous torture she experienced seemed to become nothing at this point. As long as I can¡ª Hong long! Another loud sound reverberated in her ears. Chu Liuyue looked up in shock and saw that the dark clouds didn¡¯t dissipate. Another lightning bolt appeared within the black spiral. ¡°W-what¡¯s that?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. Shangguan Jing coughed. ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s the tenth lightning bolt!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you previously say nine bolts¡ª¡± ¡°Ahem. Girl, I previously said at least nine bolts¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed as she tried to recall in detail. That really seems true¡­ I think¡­ She had just survived nine lightning bolts and was too excited, so she actually forgot about this. Seeing the silver lightning bolt that was obviously much thicker than before, Chu Liuyue felt her throat go dry. ¡°¡­Ancestor, does this mean¡­ I still have to endure another nine lightning bolts?¡± Shangguan Jing placed his hands behind his back and looked up into the sky, trying his best not to let Chu Liuyue see the guilt on his face. ¡°Ah, um¡­ I guess¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s my imagination, but I feel that the Ancestor seems amiss. However, I can¡¯t pinpoint exactly what is wrong. Without waiting for her to think much, the tenth lightning bolt was already striking down. Chu Liuyue stood with her legs apart and knees slightly bent as she held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword tightly in her hands. The next moment, the blinding light instantly covered her vision. Strength that was even more intense than the previous nine bolts descended along the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword and immediately surged into her body. Numerous bloody wounds immediately exploded in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, and blood splattered everywhere. At that moment, she became a bloody person. She finally couldn¡¯t hold it back this time, and she let out a short but suppressed grunt. Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jing was worried and hurriedly looked over. When he saw that Chu Liuyue was covered in blood and wounds, his expression instantly stiffened. After surviving the first nine lightning bolts, the tenth bolt¡¯s strength is indeed much stronger than before¡­ ¡°¡­Girl¡­¡± For some reason, he felt very upset when he saw Chu Liuyue in this state. It was as if something heavy was weighing on his heart, and it also seemed like countless needles kept poking it. He couldn¡¯t clearly explain where this feeling came from, but it was etched into his bones, and he couldn¡¯t get rid of it. At one moment, he actually wished he could replace Chu Liuyue and endure all the pain¡­ Shangguan Jing closed his eyes and furrowed his brows tightly. He knew very clearly what the situation was if one triggered lightning to refine a sword. After all, he had personally refined the Long Yuan Sword. Hence, he actually long expected this scene, especially when¡­ he detected that the second bolt¡¯s landing speed had far exceeded what he predicted. He was even more clear about how things would develop. According to his understanding of Chu Liuyue, she could actually survive this round. But when this scene appeared before his eyes, he discovered that he couldn¡¯t bear to see Chu Liuyue suffer such pain. He suppressed his overwhelming emotions and forced himself to stay where he was and not take action. Once he did, it would mean that he had to stop this process. Like what he told Qiang Wanzhou previously¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s efforts would turn into dust, and all the torture she suffered would be meaningless. Shangguan Jing watched on as he was deep in thought. I have been swift and decisive all my life, and I very rarely showed such heart-wrenching emotions. Could it be¡­ Is it because I spent a lot of time with Chu Liuyue recently that I¡¯m behaving like this? Or perhaps it¡¯s because of the Long Yuan Sword? Actually, he had long had this vague feeling. There seemed to be a mysterious connection and familiarity between him and Chu Liuyue. This was one of the reasons he was extra intimate toward Chu Liuyue. In the beginning, he still thought that it was because the Long Yuan Sword had recognized Chu Liuyue as its master. But it now seemed like it wasn¡¯t totally the case¡­ ¡­ On the other end, Qiang Wanzhou was also watching everything. When that light reverted, he finally got a hurried glimpse of Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure. His eyes shrunk! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was covered in wounds, and it looked terrifying! As she was wearing red clothes, it wasn¡¯t easy to see the blood spreading. But at this point, her clothes were almost stuck to her body as blood kept dripping down from her sleeves. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine exactly how much blood she had lost. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s chest heaved up and down vehemently, and all the blood in his body seemed to have frozen. Yet, his force was still circulating crazily. His beautiful eyes were currently a sea of red, but even he didn¡¯t know what strength he was relying on to contain his urge to rush up¡­ A sentence kept reverberating in his mind: She¡¯s doing all of this and suffering all of this for me! Bam! There vaguely seemed to be something that broke in the depths of his body. ¡­ The current Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know Shangguan Jing and Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s condition. Her eyes and heart were only on the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in her hands. She kept tidying and gathering the tenth lightning bolt¡¯s strength as she nourished the sword in her hands. The fire burned even more intensely on the sword body, and the stars also became brighter. She finally endured the tenth lightning bolt successfully! Following this was the eleventh bolt! Hong long! The ferocious strength suddenly beckoned upon her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body finally couldn¡¯t hold on. Kacha! She kneeled down. Her knees harshly collided against the star stone, letting out a low sound. Chapter 626 - Want to Run? ¡°Liuyue!¡± yelled Shangguan Jing, and he wanted to go up immediately. But the moment he took a step out, he forcefully stopped. I still can¡¯t go there now¡­ Chu Liuyue kneeled on the ground with both knees as one of her hands pressed the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword against the star stone. Huala! A fire sparked out, and a crack suddenly appeared on the star stone. Chu Liuyue clenched the sword hilt with all her might as she supported her body and gradually stood up. Her actions were very slow. Every time she moved, the wounds on her body would break open even more. She didn¡¯t know how many wounds her body had and how much blood she had lost. She simply clenched her teeth tightly as she crazily burned the force in her body. The next moment, a silver light flashed across the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. Shangguan Jing knitted his brows and closely stared at this scene as his heart trembled. Even in this situation, Chu Liuyue can still persevere in gathering the lightning¡¯s strength and inserting it into the sword¡­ Exactly how strong is her willpower? When the silver light flowed from the sword hilt to the tip of the sword, Chu Liuyue finally stood up. Blood dripped down from her face and rolled into her eyes, causing her eyes to become a sea of red. She roughly wiped away the blood on her face as she took a deep breath in and raised the sword again. At the same time, she looked up at the sky as fighting spirit burned crazily in her eyes. Shangguan Jing was shocked.This girl¡­ Is she planning to risk her life till the end? Twelfth bolt! Thirteenth bolt! ¡­ Eighteenth bolt! Chu Liuyue was covered in wounds, and almost all of the force in her body had been exhausted as well. She forcefully held onto her last breath as she inserted the 18th lightning bolt¡¯s strength into the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. A second silver pattern gradually appeared on the sword hilt. At this point, the rough scratches that had appeared from long-term refinement had long disappeared as the sword became smooth, tidy, and as sharp as ever. When one gently waved it around, they could vaguely hear the sword scream. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze slowly brushed across it. The entire sword was covered in an intense peacock-blue color as it was heavy and muted. Stars were scattered all over it, adding a touch of brightness to the sword. The perfect combination of ice and fire. A vague suppression exuded from it¡ªit was imposing! Pride and satisfaction overflowed from the bottom of Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Even though this sword couldn¡¯t be compared to the Long Yuan Sword, it was elevated by quite a bit compared to its initial state. If she auctioned this sword now, one might not even be able to buy it for 100,000 white crystals. Chu Liuyue let out a long sigh as she looked up. Since this sword is already finished, then the signs of triggering heaven and earth should also disappear¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression froze for a moment. This was because when she looked over, the thick black clouds had no intention of moving away in the sky. The clouds rumbled, and the black spiral was gradually turning. Chu Liuyue had a strong uneasy feeling in her heart. ¡°A-Ancestor, what¡¯s the matter? Why are the clouds still here?¡± Awkwardness flashed across Ancestor¡¯s face. ¡°T-this¡­ It¡¯s because the sword¡­ isn¡¯t completely finished¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Ancestor braced himself and said, ¡°¡­Uh¡­ There¡¯s still more behind¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the sky roared again. Hong long! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Honestly, she was tired of hearing this sound. First, he said it was nine bolts; then, it was 18. There¡¯s still more now? Why is it never-ending? Her gaze turned. As expected, she saw a silver bolt of lightning appear in the clouds. Undoubtedly, this lightning bolt contained even stronger suppression than the previous one. If this bolt of lightning lands on me¡­ Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t know if she could endure it! Just as she was thinking, the 19th bolt of lightning suddenly struck. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. I¡¯m going all out! Shangguan Jing was actually very worried. Unexpectedly, he saw Chu Liuyue push with her feet and actually rushed toward the lightning at that moment. S-she¡­ She¡­ What is she doing?! Shangguan Jing was so taken aback that he couldn¡¯t say anything. Then, in his stunned gaze, Chu Liuyue jumped up and held the sword high. She actually chose to go head-on against the 19th lightning bolt! Hong! The lightning bolt landed on the sword body, and light illuminated the area. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was once again swallowed by the blinding light. ¡°Liuyue!¡± yelled out the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor. The silver light flashed as it struck down. For a long time, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t move at all in that bright light. Shangguan Jing was very worried, and he finally decided to take action. Compared to that sword, Chu Liuyue¡¯s life is obviously much more important. But the moment he took a step out, he felt a terrifying aura spreading from the blinding light. He paused in his actions, and then he saw a red fire suddenly emerge from within. That red fire formed a long and very sharp sword as it instantly cut the light into two. A figure suddenly appeared¡ªit was Chu Liuyue. The current her was wrapped by orange fire as her red clothes flowed with the wind, and her black hair blew upward. She held onto the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword tightly as her black gem-like eyes burned with harsh willpower. Thick and violent force crazily circulated around her body¡ªit was stunning! She was the only spark of color in the darkened sky. Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat. H-how did she suddenly become so strong? Before he could understand what was going on, he saw Chu Liuyue raise her sword slowly. At this moment, countless rays of light spread in all directions as if they wanted to escape. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned ice-cold as cold smiling intent spread across her lips. ¡°You want to escape? It¡¯s not that easy!¡± The longsword landed heavily. Huala! The orange fire was hurled in all four directions, and it instantly swallowed the escaping light rays. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was shocked. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was agape. Is Chu Liuyue¡­ retaliating against the lightning bolt?! Chapter 627 - Get Down Right Now! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He had lived for so many years and had seen people being struck to death by lightning, people become half-dead from the roar of thunder, and also those who successfully survived the torture from the lightning¡¯s strength. However, he had never seen someone going head-on against the lightning and even chasing after it. Isn¡¯t this not very right? That girl was previously still being beaten by that lightning and couldn¡¯t retaliate at all, and she was almost going to surrender. Why did the situation suddenly change so drastically in the blink of an eye? ? Seeing the lightning¡¯s strength that was escaping in all directions and being absorbed by the red fire without hesitation, Shangguan Jing fell into deep thought. He couldn¡¯t step forward, and he couldn¡¯t move back. Could it be¡­ Did I see wrongly? There was no room for mistakes about Chu Liuyue¡¯s body being covered by bloodstains. Even from here, he could still clearly see the numerous contorted wounds on her arms. She really wasn¡¯t going to make it just now¡­ Or perhaps I¡¯m too ignorant and don¡¯t know that there¡¯s such a way to deal with the lightning? Just as the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was dazed and confused, Chu Liuyue had already gathered the 19th lightning bolt¡¯s strength as she inserted all of it into the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. Seeing the silver light flow across the sword body, Chu Liuyue slowly wiped away the bloodstains on the corner of her mouth. With her current cultivation level, it was indeed difficult for her to endure this lightning bolt¡¯s strength. However¡­ She didn¡¯t only have this bit of skill. An idea popped up in her mind as she circulated the strength within the water droplet. She then converted the force that was surging out into fire and contained it within the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword before completely tearing the lightning apart¡­ The entire process was very smooth and extremely successful. She had thought it through very clearly. If the enemy is strong, I¡¯m weak. If the enemy is weak, I¡¯m strong. Since this lightning won¡¯t stop anytime soon, why don¡¯t I directly fight against it? Originally, she wanted to make a Hail Mary effort, but she didn¡¯t expect the results to exceed her expectations greatly. The lightning seems to be afraid of me for some reason¡­ To be more accurate, it seems afraid of the water droplet in my body. I originally just wanted to accept the strength within the lightning, but I didn¡¯t expect the lightning to run away once I just started. Since you¡¯re already here, what¡¯s the point of running?! Chu Liuyue thought swiftly and immediately exerted all her strength to kill it. In the end, the lightning¡¯s strength really became more docile than ever¡­ It didn¡¯t even dare to jump around unreasonably in her body. This undoubtedly reduced the pain in Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body. The gentle yet strong force surged out of the water droplet as it quickly spread to Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs. Her body¡¯s injuries started recovering at high speed under the red fire¡¯s envelopment¡ªeven her superficial wounds were rapidly forming scabs. Moreover, there was quite a bit of the lightning¡¯s strength left in her muscles and bones. If she managed to digest all of it and convert it to her own strength, it would definitely become an insurmountable amount of energy for her. Chu Liuyue felt the changes in her body and let out a long sigh. Luckily, I still have this trump card¡­ If not, I really might not be able to sustain under the surround attack from the lightning bolts. After confirming that the 19th lightning bolt had finished nourishing the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword and that her body was becoming stronger, Chu Liuyue looked up once again. A snake-like lightning bolt was swimming away in the middle of the dark clouds in the sky¡ªthis was the 20th lightning bolt! Chu Liuyue stood atop of the star stone again, and her legs were wide apart. She tightly held the sword in her hands as she closely stared in front and held her breath while waiting. But after some time¡­ that lightning bolt still did not strike. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but look at her ancestor. ¡°Ancestor, didn¡¯t you say that nine lightning bolts would appear together every time? The next lightning bolt appeared just now, but why isn¡¯t it striking down?¡± Seeing the lightning bolt swimming around in the clouds continuously, Shangguan Jing also knitted his brows. ¡°It¡¯ll¡­ probably be okay after a while¡­¡± The 19th bolt has already struck, so there¡¯s no reason for the remaining ones not to appear. Besides, the 20th bolt has already formed¡­ A while passed. Another while passed. The surroundings gradually quietened down. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Ancestor, a long time has passed. Why isn¡¯t it moving?¡± Shangguan Jing crossed his arms and held his chin with one hand as he fell into a strange silence. Actually¡­ I had a vague guess. But it was too ridiculous, so I quickly suppressed it when it appeared in my mind earlier. However, it seems increasingly amiss now¡­ ¡°This¡­ Actually, I¡¯ve never met with such a situation before¡­¡± Chu Liuyue loosened up her wrist. ¡°If this goes on, all my wounds are about to recover.¡± Shangguan Jing was speechless as he looked at the silver lightning bolt again. It looks fine, so why doesn¡¯t it want to strike? Why does it just move around there? He had never thought that he would one day want lightning to strike so badly. In the extremely strange atmosphere, Chu Liuyue waited for another while and finally got annoyed. The next moment, she suddenly energized herself, stepped on the star stone, and leaped up. At the same time, she held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in her hands. Wherever the sword blade passed, a straight, black gap would be left behind in the air. Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding force circulated, and the red fire exploded once again, wrapping the entire Cloud-Sky Copper Sword again. The fire burned intensely, and it instantly increased the surrounding temperature. The lightning in the clouds seemed to detect this dangerous aura as it increased its swimming speed. From afar, it actually seemed uneasy. Shangguan Jing was even more puzzled. This matter seems to be developing toward an increasingly strange direction¡­ Right at this moment, Chu Liuyue raised her sword, and a magnificent aura crazily rushed out from it. Shangguan Jing was taken aback. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and the sword¡¯s strength seem to be even stronger than before. That red fire actually rushed out the next instant and spread toward the sky. The lightning in the clouds detected the danger, and after a temporary pause, it actually started scuttling toward the black spiral. Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyelids twitched. The lightning is actually going to escape?! The red fire suddenly increased its speed and chased after the lightning. Almost at the same time, a clear scream reverberated throughout the area. ¡°Get down right now!¡± Chapter 628 - I’m in a Hurry That red fire rose up like a long whip, and it tightly wrapped around the lightning bolt at that instant. Following Chu Liuyue¡¯s scream, the red fire harshly dragged it down. At the same time, Chu Liuyue rushed upward again. The sword landed! Huala! Using the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, Chu Liuyue instantly split that lightning bolt in two from the middle. The endless fire then started to envelop it once again, and it turned one round around the sword body before finally entering Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue hurriedly gathered the lightning bolt¡¯s strength and inserted it into the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. ¡°Get in!¡± A ray of light instantly flashed across the sword body¡ªthe 20th lightning bolt¡¯s refinement was done! Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression became very incredulous. This¡­ How is this triggering the lightning and refining the sword? This is grabbing the lightning bolt back and rubbing it against the sword body. Seeing that Chu Liuyue was violently yet cleanly doing all of this with her face filled with blood, Shangguan Jing held his forehead. What has the outside world become in the past thousand years? I know that Chu Liuyue is capable, but¡­ That¡¯s a lightning bolt! How can she teach it a lesson so casually? ¡°¡­Liuyue¡­¡± Shangguan Jing spoke with much difficulty, but he didn¡¯t know what he should say. Should I advise Chu Liuyue not to be so violent toward the lightning? ¡°Ancestor, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue turned around. Even though she was covered in bloodstains, her eyes shone brightly with determination, and she looked very energized. She looked completely different from when she was hanging onto her last breath just now. Shangguan Jing thought for quite some time before saying, ¡°Th-this is lightning¡­ You see¡­ I don¡¯t think this is how you should deal with it¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked as she picked up the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in her hands and took a closer look. The sword body was smooth and tidy¡ªsharp and hard. After the previous refinement, its color became even more intense and pure. Under the accompaniment of the faint rays on it, it looked like a large sapphire. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong. Isn¡¯t it doing fine? Doubt flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as she looked at her ancestor. ¡°What aspect¡­ are you referring to?¡± Shangguan Jing: ¡°¡­Take it as if I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Kids these days are way too aggressive¡­ Chu Liuyue looked up. The thick clouds hadn¡¯t dissipated, and the spiral was still the same as before, turning slowly. But¡­ There wasn¡¯t a single ray of silver light in the darkness. There are no more lightning bolts? Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Ancestor, what¡¯s going on¡­? Why are the lightning bolts not striking even though the clouds haven¡¯t dissipated?¡± Shangguan Jing glanced at her coolly. How dare you ask? Who else can you blame for frightening the remaining lightning bolts motionless? I was previously staying in my Tianling God Realm just fine, yet I met Chu Liuyue. Hence, with much hope and elation, I followed Chu Liuyue out in hopes of seeing the sky and earth and admiring the scenery. Who knew I would meet with such a thing? The belief he formed after refining Yuan instruments for so many years was instantly destroyed by Chu Liuyue. He still needed time to mull over it! Who can I find reason with? Seeing his glance, Chu Liuyue felt bad for some reason as she touched her nose. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be because of me, right?¡± Shangguan Jing chuckled, ¡°Then, is it because of me?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. She quietly returned to the star stone, sat cross-legged, and placed the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword on her knees. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for a while longer then.¡± Shangguan Jing looked up. Actually, the remaining lightning bolts are all there. However, they just don¡¯t want to strike. I think they might even feel more conflicted than me at this point. They can¡¯t leave, but if they come down¡­ There¡¯s still a Chu Liuyue here! Shangguan Jing was dazed. What exactly did the girl do just now? ¡­ On Qing Yuan Mountain. Qiang Wanzhou was stunned when he saw Chu Liuyue walking out of the red fire as he stood rooted to the ground and couldn¡¯t recover his senses for a long time. The later events then exceeded his imagination, and he almost started to doubt his eyes. It was only until Chu Liuyue settled the lightning and sat back down on the star stone that his hanging heart could rest. Even though he didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, he could tell that Chu Liuyue had already changed her format as she turned from the losing party to the winning one. Even though she was still covered in bloodstains, she didn¡¯t look unkempt at all. At this very moment, only one word could be seen on her body: Strong! Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s tightly clenched fists gradually loosened. As he had used too much force, his palms had already turned completely numb and lost feeling. However, he didn¡¯t care at all. His eyes were tightly glued to the petite and straight figure. She really has her ways¡­ No matter what kind of scenario she¡¯s facing, she can always find a solution, just like¡­ the person in my memory. That person¡¯s face always had a smile as if she didn¡¯t worry about anything else. It seemed like she could solve any problems easily. He gradually placed his right hand on his left chest, and his previously erratic heartbeat slowly calmed down. However, something seemed to be left behind. His gaze gradually became determined and stubborn, and it also had a tinge of deep sincerity. ¡­ Yan Lin Peak became extremely quiet. The light wind blew over and blew up the scarce leaves and branches. There was a strange deserted feeling. Chu Liuyue circulated the force within her body. It was like river water crashing against the river bank as it smoothened the current. The lightning strength that accumulated in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was gradually being absorbed as it entered the water droplet and converted to Chu Liuyue¡¯s own strength. With the nourishment of the water droplet¡¯s strength, Chu Liuyue¡¯s injuries recovered at an even faster speed. After circulating her force for a day, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes once again. Her bodily aura was clearly much stronger than before, and she actually had the faint feeling of breaking through. Chu Liuyue stretched her neck, raised her sword, and stood up. Most of the bloodstains on her clothes had already dried up, becoming coarse and hard. This made the clothes very uncomfortable to wear. In addition to a pretty number of physical wounds that had just formed scabs¡­ The thick bloody smell invaded her nose. Every time she moved, she became even more uncomfortable. Chu Liuyue gradually became frustrated. I had no problems with sharpening the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword for a month straight. I also had no problems with enduring immeasurable pain as I accepted the lightning¡¯s strength with my current cultivation level. But the point is that I¡¯ve already waited for so long, yet the lightning still isn¡¯t budging! It doesn¡¯t even look like it¡¯s going to come out! What does this mean? Upon thinking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned cold. She looked up at the sky, moved her wrist, and raised her sword. Her voice was extremely cold and contained a tinge of frustration as she enunciated her words clearly. ¡°Are you going to come down yourself, or do you want me to go up? I¡¯m in a hurry!¡± Once she said that, the entire sky was quiet without any effect. Chu Liuyue suddenly sneered. ¡°Since this is so¡ª¡± Hong long! A lightning bolt finally gathered in the clouds! Chapter 629 - Still Not Here With his eyes wide open and mouth agape, Shangguan Jing was shocked. S-she can still do this? Isn¡¯t this girl too strong? Who directly ¡®scolds¡¯ the lightning to get down like this? However, the 21st lightning bolt really appeared! Moreover, it didn¡¯t even pause at all after it appeared as it rapidly struck down. Chu Liuyue stood up and raised the sword in her hands. Fire crazily burned on the sword body, and the sword intent was harsh! The next moment, Chu Liuyue jumped up and harshly crashed against that lightning bolt. Hong! Following the loud sound, rays of silver light spurted everywhere as the violent strength crazily spread in all directions. The exact same scene that previously happened occurred again. Without using much effort, Chu Liuyue successfully settled that lightning bolt. When that silver light quickly flowed away from the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, another lightning bolt rapidly appeared in the skies. ¡°You should¡¯ve done this earlier.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up, and her lips curved up slightly. The earlier you appear, the earlier we can settle this. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was speechless. He started to feel that his initial worry was irrelevant. No, very irrelevant! ¡­ Square Gully. Half of the competition was over, and everyone had high fervor. The competitions in the four venues carried on very intensely. But on the side of Jiu Xing Alliance and Chong Xu Cabinet, it could be known as ¡®miserable.¡¯ Bang! A figure flew out of the warrior¡¯s match and hit the floor heavily, making a low sound. ¡°The sixth warrior competition, Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s Cui Sang wins!¡± A loud sound echoed throughout the arena. The surrounding crowd had all sorts of expressions. After a temporary silence, they started to discuss softly, ¡°Jiu Xing Alliance won this match again! Including this, they¡¯ve won a total of five matches out of six. How can Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s disciples be this strong?!¡± ¡°Judging by this flow, I¡¯m afraid Chong Xu Cabinet can¡¯t hang on anymore¡­ I originally thought they could hang on through the heavenly doctor competitions, but out of the seven matches, they won three, lost two, and tied two¡­ It can¡¯t be considered much of an advantage¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. On the Xuan Master¡¯s side, they seemed to be the ones that are losing more, right? If we count the numbers, I think that Chong Xu Cabinet is way behind Jiu Xing Alliance. They have to win all the remaining matches if they want to make a comeback¡­¡± Everyone partook in heated discussions. Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s members were very confident as many of them had delighted looks on their faces. ¡°Master, what you said previously was right! When those few people went to compete, Chong Xu Cabinet immediately couldn¡¯t retaliate. They could only be crushed by us! Judging by the current situation, we¡¯ll win smoothly!¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Hua snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t this very normal? Chong Xu Cabinet is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. They were long doomed! Even if we don¡¯t use¡­ They wouldn¡¯t be our match! Jiu Xing Alliance will definitely be one of the top four clans this time!¡± ¡°Master, you¡¯re wise!¡± ¡­ On the other end, two disciples from Chong Xu Cabinet rapidly went forward and helped that person down. Ye Ranran went forward nervously. ¡°Senior Brother, how are you?¡± It turned out that this match¡¯s participant was Lu Zhiyao. Lu Zhiyao looked up and forced a smile. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m sorry, everyone¡­ for losing to Jiu Xing Alliance¡­¡± His face was as pale as ever, and the corners of his mouth and chest were stained with spots of blood. One could tell that he was severely injured. This weak smile looked even more heart-wrenching. Weichi Song boomed, ¡°That person isn¡¯t weak and uses very ruthless methods. It¡¯s not your fault that you lost, so you don¡¯t have to blame yourself.¡± Lu Zhiyao tightly pressed his lips against each other as regret flashed across his eyes, and he looked down. Even though Cabinet Master said that, I still can¡¯t forgive myself in my heart. We¡¯ve only won one match in the first five warrior matches, and the situation is very urgent. They really needed me to win this match. After much struggle, I still lost. Undoubtedly, this added more burden to our troubles. He thought for a moment and returned to Weichi Song before speaking hesitantly. ¡°Cabinet Master, I just have this feeling¡­ Their people seem amiss¡­¡± Weichi Song¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. Actually, he could tell too. He had seen those few disciples from Jiu Xing Alliance that had participated in the warrior matches before. During the last clan competition, these few people only had decent abilities. But in less than a year¡¯s time, all of them had improved by so much. Given their previous talent, it was impossible for them to have such cultivation speed. After watching a few matches, he had started to think that there was a problem here. ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡± Lu Zhiyao shook his head in regret. Weichi Song sighed in his heart and patted his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s okay; you can go rest first. There are a few matches behind. We won¡¯t know who wins or loses, not until the last minute.¡± Lu Zhiyao knew that it was pointless to say more, so he could only go back and rest. When he walked past Ye Ranran, he said with determination, ¡°Ranran, you must win the heavenly doctor match later!¡± ¡°Mm! The one going against me is the man that ridiculed me that day! I must show him who¡¯s boss today!¡± Ye Ranran clenched her fists tightly and nodded very seriously. I still remember the humiliation from that day! Lu Zhiyao touched her forehead. ¡°We¡¯re counting on you!¡± ¡­ Ye Ranran participated in the eighth heavenly doctor match. The crowd was dazed when they saw that Chong Xu Cabinet sent out a round-faced lady who looked like she was in her teens. At this point, shouldn¡¯t Chong Xu Cabinet send out their strongest? Why did they randomly find someone to represent them? ¡°Hah! Is Chong Xu Cabinet really left with nobody? They actually sent you out!¡± On the opposite end, a man in blue crossed his arms and sized Ye Ranran up with contempt. ¡°What? Haven¡¯t you been bullied enough at Thousand View Garden that day, so you purposely came here?¡± Probably because the disciples thought that Jiu Xing Alliance would definitely win, so their tones were already very impolite. Their speech and actions were very unreasonable. But Ye Ranran wasn¡¯t angry as she picked up her cauldron and said carefully, ¡°It¡¯s enough just to send me up to win against you. Why do we need to involve my senior brothers and senior sisters?¡± The man in blue¡¯s face changed. A woman at the side of the competition venue suddenly sneered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your senior brothers and senior sisters can¡¯t even stand up now, so they sent you over, right?¡± Ye Ranran turned around to take a look. It was the girl who forcefully wanted to take her seat that day. Ye Ranran stared at her closely and moved her lips to spit out a few words coldly. ¡°For a person who doesn¡¯t even have the right to compete, why do you speak so much nonsense?¡± That woman was stumped, and her face immediately flushed to the color of pig liver. After not seeing her for a while, this lady has become much more sharp-tongued. But it¡¯s a pity that no matter what she says, it won¡¯t change the fact that they¡¯re going to lose today! The man in blue said frustratedly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s not talk any more nonsense. Our hands can do the talking!¡± Below the stage, Lu Zhiyao surveyed the surroundings and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Little Junior Sister, Little Junior Brother, why are you not here yet¡­¡± Chapter 630 - Who Said Chong Xu Cabinet had No More People? Following this was the seventh warrior match. Jiu Xing Alliance sent out a beginner stage-six warrior. The expressions of Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s crowd became a little serious. This was because¡­ There was only one stage-six warrior out of all those who hadn¡¯t competed, and he was also a beginner stage-six warrior! If Jiu Xing Alliance still has more stage-six warriors to go up afterward, this would be very disadvantageous for us¡­ Weichi Song thought for a moment and still let the remaining stage-six warrior up. Zhang Hua looked around and slowly said, ¡°Old Song, this seems to be your Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s last stage-six warrior, right¡­ I don¡¯t think you have anyone else to send up for the remaining two matches, right?¡± Weichi Song¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Outsiders don¡¯t have to worry about my Chong Xu Cabinet.¡± Zhang Hua wasn¡¯t annoyed either as he chuckled with disdain. To the current him, Chong Xu Cabinet was just being stubborn till its death. With the competition progressing to this stage, the results have basically already been settled. There¡¯s no use no matter what else they do. Our Jiu Xing Alliance only has to wait to win, and there¡¯s no use caring about what Weichi Song says. Weichi Song stood with his hands behind his back and gradually clenched his fists tighter. ¡°Right, isn¡¯t Little Junior Brother also a stage-six warrior? It¡¯d be good if he were here¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! With him here, we might even be able to win a match¡­¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s also good if Little Junior Sister comes. Without certain capabilities, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to take first place in the Wan Zheng Competition and be even better than Little Junior Brother.¡± ¡°But the two of them can¡¯t even be seen at this point. I think they¡¯re not coming, right?¡± The Chong Xu Cabinet disciples were all very anxious in their hearts. If they really lost to Jiu Xing Alliance in the end, their situation in Xi Ling City would definitely be even worse than before. However, the only thing they could do now was to wait¡­ ¡­ The waiting time seemed to be extra torturous. The gazes of everyone in Chong Xu Cabinet were gathered at the competition venue. Quite a few people had already paid attention to the battle between Ye Ranran and the man in blue since the start. This was because this was the second-last heavenly doctor match. At this point, the victory and loss for any match were even more important. Ye Ranran¡¯s round face darkened as she was more serious than ever. She placed her hands on the cauldron, and a white fire immediately rose up. The surrounding temperature immediately decreased by quite a bit as a harsh, cold intent rose from the white fire. Opposite her, the man in blue¡¯s face changed. This fire¡­ ¡°Fire of the Ice Crisps?¡± It¡¯s no wonder why this lady was so confident. It¡¯s because she had such a trump card! According to legends, Fire of the Ice Crisps came from the bottom of an icy lake, and it was different from average fires. It was totally white, and it contained very harsh cold intent. However, the cold intent itself was extremely pure and was very useful for medicine refining. In other words, heavenly doctors that had this Fire of the Ice Crisps could definitely produce pills that were more effective than the pills produced by other heavenly doctors of the same grade. Some might even directly produce a higher-level pill. The man in blue started to become uneasy, but his face hid this very well. He retracted his gaze, turned his force into fire, and started refining the medicine. Ye Ranran steadily placed the herbs she prepared earlier inside one by one. The fire inside the cauldron clearly split into different areas as she refined the medicine at different temperatures. Upon seeing this scene, quite a few people were surprised. Ye Ranran looked quite young, but she was very familiar with medicine refining. From her series of actions, one could tell that she was pretty talented as a heavenly doctor. The man in blue unintentionally looked up, and his gaze wavered. He could see very clearly that Ye Ranran¡¯s cauldron had four different areas. She can actually control so many¡­ One had to know that after so many years of diligent cultivation, he could only control three areas simultaneously. He paused for a moment, but he still braved himself and took action. As expected, the surrounding crowd quickly discussed softly after seeing his situation. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ye Ranran to be so talented and capable! I think she might really have a shot at winning this time!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that only natural? Look at her methods and how familiar she is with them! Ye Ranran is clearly better!¡± ¡°Ye Ranran seems to be close to ten years younger than that man! In the end, that person isn¡¯t even as capable as Ye Ranran! Indeed, one shouldn¡¯t compare like that¡­¡± ¡°Chong Xu Cabinet sent her out, and they will definitely win this match!¡± All sorts of discussions entered the man in blue¡¯s ears continuously, making him more frustrated than ever. When he was upset, it would inadvertently affect his attention. Not long later, his herbs turned into nothing because he was distracted. This made him panic even more. On the other hand, Ye Ranran¡¯s eyes were glued to her cauldron from start to end, and her every action was as smooth as ever. One could immediately tell who was better. Due to this competition, the people from Jiu Xing Alliance also toned down their arrogant attitude. Ye Ranran¡¯s match was going on very smoothly. But for the warrior match, the people from Chong Xu Cabinet were very uneasy. Both of them had the same beginner stage-six warrior cultivation level, so it was originally hard to tell who would win. Each of them took turns and slaughtered each other, but in the end, they fell into a very tense stalemate. The surrounding noises gradually softened. In the end, the seventh warrior match between the two parties finally concluded with a tie after about an hour after the duel started. This conclusion wasn¡¯t good or bad, but it didn¡¯t mean much to the current Chong Xu Cabinet. They were currently quite behind Jiu Xing Alliance, so ties definitely weren¡¯t enough. They had to win in order to make a comeback! However, there weren¡¯t many matches left. If they continued losing¡­ They really couldn¡¯t salvage the situation! Not long later, Ye Ranran¡¯s match had also ended. The pill she refined was a whole level above the other party¡¯s pill. She won completely! Hearing them announce that she won, Ye Ranran finally heaved a sigh of relief as she put away her pills and cauldron before quickly returning to Weichi Song and the rest. Her tiny, round face was filled with emotions. ¡°Cabinet Master! Luckily, I didn¡¯t embarrass you!¡± Weichi Song nodded in comfort. ¡°You did very well. It was tough on you.¡± A cold chuckle suddenly sounded. ¡°Old Song, it can¡¯t be that you haven¡¯t realized that you have no more chance of winning at this point, right?¡± Zhang Hua stroked his chin and mocked, ¡°Even with Ye Ranran¡¯s victory, you¡¯re still three points behind us. However, there are only four matches left. Unless you win all four of the matches, you definitely won¡¯t be able to protect your position as one of the top four clans!¡± His gaze slowly swept across everyone from Chong Xu Cabinet. ¡°I think, why don¡¯t you just surrender now? This way, you won¡¯t increase your number of casualties. Pfft, Chong Xu Cabinet originally didn¡¯t have many disciples. If you accidentally injure a few¡­ I¡¯m afraid there would be nobody left in your entire Chong Xu Cabinet, right?¡± The crowd¡¯s expression was filled with anger from tolerance. He¡¯s just bullying us! Coincidentally, a clear and powerful voice came from afar at this moment. ¡°Who said that Chong Xu Cabinet has nobody left?!¡± Chapter 631 - Let’s See Who Wins First The crowd looked up! They saw two figures coming over on their swords. The person at the front was in fine clothes, and her black hair flowed with the wind. A lazy smile was on her breathtaking face¡ªit was Chu Liuyue. Behind her was a slim and tall youngster in gray, and his skin was so white that it glowed. His five features were unimaginably distinct as his soft, loose, and golden strands of hair flowed with the wind. Even though his expression was cold, he still had the unique youth and energy of being young. It was Qiang Wanzhou! Below them was a peacock-blue longsword that faintly glowed with light, and it looked like a silver river in the night sky. Wherever it passed, it silently left behind a black crack in space. It was very imposing! The two of them were dressed very ordinarily, but it couldn¡¯t hide their outstanding appearance and demeanor. Once they appeared, they instantly attracted countless gazes. Weichi Song heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, and faint smiling intent appeared on his frail face. Many disciples from Chong Xu Cabinet also looked elated. Lu Zhiyao directly jumped up enthusiastically and waved toward them. ¡°Little Junior Sister! Little Junior Brother! We¡¯re here! Si¡­ It hurts!¡± He tore his wound again as he was too agitated, and it was so painful that he bared his teeth. Ye Ranran hurriedly helped him up. ¡°Senior Brother Lu, be careful!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine! With the two of them here, I¡¯m at ease! What does this small injury count for?¡± Lu Zhiyao laughed elatedly without a care. For some reason, his frustrated heart was instantly comforted the moment he saw Chu Liuyue. She seemed to have an invisible strength that could make people believe in her unconditionally. As long as she was around, there was nothing much to worry about! Ye Ranran couldn¡¯t help but smile as well. ¡°Yeah! With the two of them here, we can definitely win!¡± Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou landed. The crowd immediately made way for them. The two of them then walked straight to where Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s people were. ¡°Mentor.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s duo greeted him. ¡°We¡¯re not late, are we?¡± ¡°Nope, nope. You came just in¡ª¡± said Weichi Song when his expression suddenly changed. After rapidly sizing Chu Liuyue up, he furrowed his brows tightly and anxiously asked, ¡°Liuyue, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are there so many wounds?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands were covered in scars and wounds, and it seemed like they had just formed! Her body even had an intense, bloody smell. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Mentor, it¡¯s a very long story. I¡¯ll tell you in detail afterward, but you don¡¯t have to worry. All of these are just superficial wounds, and I¡¯ve basically recovered.¡± Before she came, she specifically showered and put medicine on her wounds before changing into a clean set of clothes. She didn¡¯t expect Weichi Song to notice something wrong with just one glance. Actually, her wounds had basically recovered. Only a few bloody wounds left on her body hadn¡¯t recovered. Even though they already formed scabs, they still looked quite scary. Luckily, I specifically changed into a black outfit that could cover most of my wounds. If not, I don¡¯t know how I would explain it to people. Weichi Song believed her words half-heartedly but was still very worried in his heart. Chu Liuyue previously said that she still had something to do, so she had to stay at Yan Lin Peak for a while. But only half a day has passed, so why would she suddenly get so many wounds? ¡°I wondered who was so arrogant,¡± mocked Zhang Hua uncontrollably when he saw Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou appearing. ¡°It turns out to be Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s famous new disciples! I thought you were cowards and didn¡¯t dare to come! But¡­ There isn¡¯t much meaning to rush over at the last minute.¡± There were still four matches left. Even with Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou, they couldn¡¯t win all of the matches! The results were obvious! Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled. ¡°The competition hasn¡¯t ended yet. Master Zhang, don¡¯t be too confident. It won¡¯t look too good if you slap your own face.¡± Zhang Hua¡¯s expression changed as he sneered. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, yet you¡¯ve become more arrogant.¡± ¡°Everyone knows that I¡¯m always on the luckier side. I don¡¯t have a choice myself.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with even deeper intent, but her eyes were still very cold. Zhang Hua was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Great! Then, I want to see how capable you actually are to speak so arrogantly!¡± The crowd exchanged glances as they didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be so strong and to go against Zhang Hua directly once she appeared. Weichi Song knitted his brows and softly asked, ¡°Liuyue, is your body¡­ okay? If you¡¯re unwell, don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Even though the competition was important, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was equally important. Seeing her covered with wounds and scars, he was very worried, let alone letting her risk her life to compete. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up like a crescent moon. ¡°If you¡¯re really worried about me, I can go to the Xuan Master competition, right?¡± Previously, she already heard someone say that the competition was now left with two warrior matches, one heavenly doctor match, and one Xuan Master match. Chong Xu Cabinet was behind by three points. If they wanted to make a comeback, they had to win all four matches. They couldn¡¯t even tie a single round! Weichi Song was dazed. ¡°Xuan Master? Aren¡¯t you a warrior and heavenly doctor¡­ You cultivate everything?!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. During the Wan Zheng Competition previously, she didn¡¯t show her capabilities in this aspect, so close to nobody knew about it. Moreover, she cultivated during the day and sharpened her sword at night in Chong Xu Cabinet during this period, so she didn¡¯t have the chance to tell them about this. Weichi Song was shocked, and he felt guilty at the same time. Liuyue is my disciple, but I didn¡¯t even know that she cultivates as a Xuan Master¡­ I¡¯ve really failed as her mentor¡­ Chu Liuyue understood his expression as she lightly said, ¡°Mentor, let me compete in this match if you believe me.¡± Weichi Song hesitated for quite some time before nodding. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue pointed at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Then¡­ Why don¡¯t we let Little Zhou try the eighth warrior match?¡± Weichi Song naturally had no opinions on this. ¡°I have this intention too.¡± Qiang Wanzhou was the only stage-six warrior that hadn¡¯t competed on their side. There was nobody more suitable than him. Chu Liuyue turned around to look at Qiang Wanzhou before she raised her chin and smiled. ¡°Little Zhou, why don¡¯t we compete to see who will win first?¡± Qiang Wanzhou held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in his hands tightly. Looking at the smile plastered on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, he slightly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 632 - I Won For the last Xuan Master match, nobody expected that Chong Xu Cabinet would send Chu Liuyue out. Seeing the woman appearing in the arena, the crowd partook in heated discussions. ¡°What are Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s people thinking? How can they let Chu Liuyue compete in the Xuan Master match? According to her abilities, she can choose between the warrior match and the heavenly doctor match. Both would be stronger than her as a Xuan Master, right?¡± ¡°Aish! Can¡¯t you see that only a few people are left on Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s side? They can¡¯t choose anyone else!¡± ¡°Speaking of that, can you tell? Chu Liuyue seems very calm¡­ Perhaps she is rather capable?¡± ¡°So what? Someone who cultivates in all three aspects can¡¯t possibly be an expert in all three of them. She¡¯s extremely talented as a warrior, so I think she¡¯s rather average as a Xuan Master. Besides, her opponent is Meng Jing! He¡¯s known for being a Xuan Master talent in Jiu Xing Alliance!¡± ¡°I heard that Meng Jing is only 25 this year, but he¡¯s already a sixth-grade Xuan Master¡­ Even in the entire Xi Ling, he¡¯s considered one of the best among the younger generation. I¡¯m afraid Chu Liuyue will lose miserably this time¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked very calm and stood still at the competition venue. On the opposite end, a young man walked over. He looked very slim and tall. His face also seemed to be faintly pale, perhaps because he didn¡¯t go under the sun much. He looked like a weak student, but brilliance would shine across his eyes from time to time, revealing that he wasn¡¯t as easy to deal with as what he showed on the surface. Meng Jing¡­ Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. She had a bit of an impression of this person. He had a tragic background with no parents. Afterward, someone discovered that he had shocking talent as a Xuan Master, which was how he successfully became one of the best Jiu Xing Alliance disciples. He was indeed talented, but more importantly, he was diligent and hardworking. Two years ago, he seemed to be only a fifth-grade Xuan Master, but he was now a sixth-grade one already. His abilities were unquestionable. In front of the two of them was a circular, black stone board. Said board had half a Xuan formation drawn on it. It occupied half of the black stone board, while the other half was very clean. ¡°On the black stone board in front of you is half of a Xuan formation that is of equal grade and power but of different content. These two Xuan formations will kill each other according to your progress.¡± The judge at the side glanced at the duo. ¡°There¡¯s no time restriction in the Xuan Master match. Whoever can completely exhibit the Xuan formation¡¯s power and wipe out the other person¡¯s Xuan formation first will win. The competition will then end!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded toward Meng Jing. ¡°Please¡­¡± Meng Jing looked up slightly and glanced at her expressionlessly before averting his gaze and looking at the judge. ¡°Let¡¯s start! I don¡¯t have that much time to waste.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. He completely just disregarded me¡­ ¡°What a coincidence. I want to end this match as soon as possible too.¡± Chu Liuyue seemed not to care as her lips curved up slightly. She walked forward and sat cross-legged in front of the black stone board. She actually started directly. Since the other party is so impolite, I shouldn¡¯t be reserved. Meng Jing knitted his brows and was upset. As expected. She¡¯s a lowly person who came from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, and she doesn¡¯t even know this simple rule. However, there¡¯s not much meaning to argue with her about this. Anyway, the match will end real soon. Then, he also walked over to the black stone board and looked over. He stayed standing up. Chu Liuyue felt something and looked up to glance at him before finding it funny in her heart. This Meng Jing seems like he¡¯s super confident in himself. Does he think that this Xuan formation is too simple and that he can successfully solve it without even needing to sit down and think? But¡­ I took a quick glance, and the Xuan formation doesn¡¯t seem that easy¡­ Of course, it¡¯s difficult for Meng Jing. For me¡­ As if noticing her gaze, Meng Jing looked up, and his eyes had a tinge of hatred and contempt. Chu Liuyue smiled as if she didn¡¯t mind before lowering her head to study the Xuan formation. ¡­ On the other end, Qiang Wanzhou also walked to the competition venue. His opponent was still a stage-six warrior! Moreover, both of them were beginner stage-six warriors, so they were equally capable. With the previous match¡¯s experience, the crowd felt that the two of them would enter a stalemate and that they would have to wait for quite some time. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s gaze turned cold as he looked at the young man opposite him. The other party sized him up, and his expression wasn¡¯t friendly. ¡°I heard that you came in second at the Wan Zheng Competition?¡± Qiang Wanzhou was too impatient to talk to him about this, so he gradually held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in his hands tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s just end this as soon as possible!¡± Hearing him say this, the other party was stunned as he clearly didn¡¯t expect Qiang Wanzhou to be so direct. After being humiliated in public, his expression turned even uglier. ¡°Since you¡¯re willingly seeking death, don¡¯t blame me for being impolite!¡± As he spoke, a longsword suddenly appeared in his hands. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s gaze slowly swept across his sword. Then, he circulated his bodily force and inserted it within the sword body. Buzz! A thick and burly sword roar was instantly heard. Quite a few people looked shocked as they gradually looked at the¡­ sword in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s hands. That clearly isn¡¯t an ordinary sword! The man opposite was also shocked. He also used swords, so he naturally could feel the terrifying aura within Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s sword. A bad feeling crept into his heart. The next moment, he clenched his teeth and rushed up first. Qiang Wanzhou stood rooted to the ground, and he didn¡¯t even move his feet at all. He also raised his sword and then harshly swung it down. Upon seeing this, the crowd was taken aback. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s sword was still a distance away from the other party¡¯s sword. Huala! The empty air in front of him was immediately slashed open, and a harsh and terrifying sword aura burst out. At that moment, it wrapped that man within. A harsh and painful cry was instantly heard. The next moment, under the crowd¡¯s stares, that man¡¯s body flew backward and landed on the ground harshly. The sword in his hands was cut into countless shards by the boundless sword aura, and the cutting points were smooth and tidy. Everyone gasped. What¡¯s with Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s sword? He just randomly slashed it around, yet it¡¯s so powerful?! Qiang Wanzhou took a step forward. ¡°It¡¯s time for this to end¡ª¡± Huala! Before he could even move, he heard a strange sound from the side. At the same time, the voice of a bright girl with a smile sounded. ¡°I won.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s heart shook, and he immediately turned away. Chu Liuyue coincidentally turned around, blinked, and repeated herself. ¡°Little Zhou, I won.¡± Chapter 633 - Surrender Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiang Wanzhou was stunned and stood rooted to the ground for quite some time. She won? His gaze landed on the black stone board in front of her. As expected, he saw that the Xuan formation was already completely drawn in front of her. ? On the opposite side, Meng Jing was staring at the black stone board by his feet in disbelief. On it was half a Xuan formation that had completely collapsed and totally disappeared. This proved that Chu Liuyue did finish her Xuan formation and had completely destroyed his! His face turned as white as a sheet as he kept muttering, ¡°H-how is this possible¡­¡± The competition just started, and I didn¡¯t even think properly about how to begin. Yet, Chu Liuyue has already completed it?! He suddenly looked up and yelled emotionally, ¡°You cheated! You must¡¯ve cheated!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and glanced at him. ¡°I cheated? What evidence do you have?¡± Meng Jing was stumped, but he still clenched his fists tightly and said with hatred, ¡°Y-you¡­ If you didn¡¯t cheat, how can you¡ªa fourth-grade Xuan Master¡ªfinish your Xuan formation so quickly? This is a sixth-grade Xuan formation!¡± Moreover, this Xuan formation is even more complicated than an average sixth-grade Xuan formation. Even I¡ªa true sixth-grade Xuan Master¡ªhave to spend quite a bit of effort, let alone Chu Liuyue. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, that¡¯s your own problem. If others can do it, it means that they have the ability to do so. Without evidence, I think it¡¯s inappropriate for you to just frame me out of nothing. Could it be that people from Jiu Xing Alliance can¡¯t afford to lose?¡± Chu Liuyue stood up. At this moment, the man who was just forced to retreat by Qiang Wanzhou took the chance and rushed up. Qiang Wanzhou turned around and glanced at him coldly. That man suddenly felt fear. Then, he clenched his teeth, whipped out two short swords from his waist, and slashed toward Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body. ¡°Die!¡± There was a thin layer of ice on the short swords, and the harsh intent was apparent. Qiang Wanzhou was as still as the mountains as he raised the sword in his hands and rapidly blocked in front of him. Rang rang! Those two short swords harshly slashed against the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword¡¯s sword body, but they were easily stopped. Let alone breaking the sword, the short swords couldn¡¯t even leave a single mark on it. The expression of the man opposite him¡ªwho looked like he had to succeed at all costs¡ªfroze slightly. The two short swords are my trump card, and they work every time¡ª Qiang Wanzhou suddenly moved backward, flipped his wrists, and threw the two short swords up into the air. Huala! An ear-piercing sound came. On the sword body, sparks of peacock-blue fire flew everywhere. The man suddenly felt that something was amiss, and he immediately wanted to retreat. This sword¡­ is dangerous! Before he could even take action, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s sword already reached the front of his eyes. The harsh sword intent went straight toward his face. That man¡¯s eyes blurred, and he felt his chest turn cold. Then, excruciating pain was felt. He stiffly lowered his neck to look over¡ªthe longsword had already pierced through his left chest directly. Fresh red blood gradually spread across the clothes in front of his chest. His lips trembled, and he didn¡¯t even dare to move. Choo! Qiang Wanzhou retracted his sword. The wound seemed to have a burning sensation, yet it also felt like an ice-cold sensation. The two extreme forces fought each other harshly, and it almost caused him to faint. Plop! His body suddenly collapsed onto the ground, and the two short swords in his hands dropped onto the floor messily. Qiang Wanzhou looked down at him from above and coldly spat. ¡°That thing of yours can also be called a sword?¡± The man lay on the ground, and his entire body shuddered, not daring to say a word. Qiang Wanzhou pointed the tip of his sword at him. ¡°Are you going to surrender? If not, we can still continue. This time, it¡¯ll be your right chest.¡± A chill suddenly ran down that man¡¯s spine. ¡°Surrender! I concede!¡± He didn¡¯t suspect whether Qiang Wanzhou really dared to do it. His bad discipline and unreasonableness are like a ferocious beast¡¯s aura, which proves that this person is extremely dangerous. Who knows what else he would do? Qiang Wanzhou put away his sword and turned around to leave. The crowd looked dazed. T-this match just ended? Qiang Wanzhou just executed two sword moves from start to end, and he won like that? Qiang Wanzhou walked to the side and stood still as he took out a snow-white handkerchief from his arms to carefully wipe away the remaining bloodstains on the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. He looked very focused as if the match he had just won wasn¡¯t as important as this sword. The crowd fell silent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°It seems like I was right¡ªpeople from Jiu Xing Alliance really can¡¯t afford to lose. They either randomly pour dirty water on other people and smear them¡­ or they take the chance to launch a sneak attack. But what a pity. In front of absolute strength and pure capabilities, the messy and nonsensical methods and thoughts are worth nothing.¡± ¡°You!¡± Meng Jing was stumped, and his face flushed red. ¡°You¡¯re insolent!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and asked very sincerely, ¡°I won, and Little Zhou has also won. If we don¡¯t be insolent, can you losers be insolent?¡± ¡°You! You!¡± ¡°Even a child knows that the strong are respected, and they would respect their loss. Why do people from Jiu Xing Alliance not understand this? So many people were watching the previous matches. Are you trying to deny it?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s few words easily made Meng Jing dizzy, and his lungs were about to explode. His chest heaved up and down violently. Then, he walked over to Chu Liuyue with big strides. ¡°I want to see your Xuan formation!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and stood up. ¡°It seems like you really won¡¯t admit defeat until you see your coffin. Sure! Since you want to see it, just take a look at it.¡± Meng Jing walked to the black stone board and stared at it very closely for quite some time. The more he looked, the uglier his expression became. The Xuan formation on it had indeed been completed, and it was very smooth and perfect. He couldn¡¯t pick out a single mistake. Chu Liuyue smiled and asked very concernedly, ¡°What, did you find evidence of me cheating?¡± Meng Jing didn¡¯t move, and his face turned green. Chu Liuyue raised her voice slightly. ¡°Hm?¡± Meng Jing clenched his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it your win this time.¡± After saying that, he turned around to leave. Chu Liuyue blocked his way. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®consider it my win¡¯? I clearly won this match.¡± ¡®Ugly¡¯ couldn¡¯t be used to describe Meng Jing¡¯s facial expression anymore. Ever since I entered Jiu Xing Alliance, I have always been one of the top few elites out of all the disciples, and I was very well-respected. If not, I wouldn¡¯t be the one competing in the last Xuan Master match. He was originally bound to win, so he didn¡¯t even care about Chu Liuyue. Who knew that he would lose so terribly in the end? To him, this was undoubtedly an enormous impact. ¡°I lost!¡± said Meng Jing rapidly after a temporary stalemate. Chu Liuyue then squinted her eyes in satisfaction. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you did this earlier? You wasted my time for nothing.¡± Meng Jing¡¯s entire body froze, and he felt as if he was slapped in public. Chu Liuyue patted her hands and walked away lightly. Meng Jing suddenly turned around and asked, ¡°That Xuan formation¡­ How exactly did you solve it so quickly?¡± Chapter 634 - Suffering The moment Meng Jing posed that question, everyone else looked over in unison, their eyes shining with curiosity. It was a burning question in everyone¡¯s hearts. They saw Qiang Wanzhou dealing two attacks to his opponent at the very least. But when it came to Chu Liuyue¡¯s end, the match was over with her emerging as the winner before they knew it. Other than the completed Xuan formation on the black stone slab¡ªwhich proved that she had indeed won with her own capabilities¡ªnobody saw how her victory came about. This explained why Meng Jing would so agitatedly ask one question after another. Chu Liuyue stopped and turned her head to smirk at him. ¡°Because I¡¯m capable.¡± Meng Jing and everyone else were rendered speechless. Ye Ranran tugged at Lu Zhiyao¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Senior, won¡¯t Liuyue come off a little arrogant this way?¡± How is this just ¡®a little arrogant?¡¯ The word ¡®arrogant¡¯ is practically plastered in bold across her face! But then, why am I enjoying this? The corners of Lu Zhiyao¡¯s lips twitched at that. ¡°What of it? Like she said before¡ªif the winners don¡¯t deserve to be arrogant, then the losers have even less right to do so! Earlier, the people from Jiu Xing Alliance all had their noses in the air. They didn¡¯t even have the slightest respect for us! Our junior is just paying them back in their own coin!¡± We¡¯ve been tolerating them since the start of the competition and have almost reached our limits! Now that we finally have the chance to put them in their place, we naturally have to make good use of it! Hearing that, Ye Ranran nodded in understanding. ¡°That makes sense! Isn¡¯t Meng Jing the most outstanding Xuan Master in Jiu Xing Alliance? But he lost to Liuyue in the end, so that title must be fake.¡± ¡°Tsk, did the match even last for five minutes just now? I don¡¯t think it did, right? It¡¯s a good thing that Meng Jing didn¡¯t bother to sit down. It¡¯d be quite troublesome if he had to stand up again the moment he sat.¡± ¡°On top of that, he even dared to accuse Liuyue of cheating. We have so many people watching here. Does he think that everyone is blind?¡± ¡°From what I see, he¡¯s a narrow-minded person!¡± ¡°Wanzhou is really capable too! He defeated his opponent in just two moves! Both of them are stage-six warriors, but why is there such a huge difference in their capabilities?¡± One by one, the rest of Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciples joined in the conversation and spoke their minds. With just a few sentences, they criticized Meng Jing from top to bottom and inside to out. Not even Jiu Xing Alliance¡ªthe sect he belonged to¡ªwas spared. Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s members used to mock and ridicule them, but they could finally hold their heads high now. ¡­ While Meng Jing almost fainted out of anger, Zhang Hua¡ªwho could no longer stand to listen on¡ªbarked, ¡°What are you still standing there for? Get back here this instant!¡± Doesn¡¯t he find himself a disgrace?! This jolted Meng Jing back to reality, and it was then that he remembered he had lost this match. Master will surely be angry at me¡­ He then took a quick glance at Zhang Hua, whose face had anger written all over it as expected. He immediately lowered his head, made his way back to his clan, and stood in front of Zhang Hua, his face full of guilt. ¡°I apologize for my incompetence¡ª¡± ¡°Since you know that you¡¯re incompetent, hurry up and make yourself scarce! Don¡¯t be an eyesore here!¡± It was only natural that Zhang Hua¡ªwho was currently in a raging mood¡ªspoke harshly. Having never been reprimanded in public, mixed emotions surfaced on Meng Jing¡¯s face. Hanging his head low, he suppressed his tumultuous feelings and murmured, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He then quickly retreated. Nobody was talking on Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s end, but many of them sneaked secret glances at Meng Jing with varying expressions. Other people might lose, but Meng Jing¡­ He¡¯s basically the best Xuan Master among us. It¡¯s truly baffling that he lost to Chu Liuyue, but the result is clear for us to see¡ªChu Liuyue has indeed won the match. Could she really be more capable than we expected her to be? As the other disciple who had lost to Qiang Wanzhou returned with his tail between his legs, Zhang Hua¡¯s mood plummeted even further, which was only natural for anyone experiencing two consecutive losses. The point was that they had suffered crushing defeats. Just minutes ago, Chong Xu Cabinet was three points behind us. Now, they¡¯ve almost caught up to us in the blink of an eye. If they win the next match, we¡¯ll be tied! And if they win the last match as well¡­ the tables will truly be turned! I can¡¯t let that happen! He turned to look at the two disciples who would be competing in the last two matches. ¡°You must win the last two matches, you hear me?! You know what awaits you if you lose!¡± The two disciples flinched in unison as they immediately replied, ¡°We got it!¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue walked over to Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s side, she noticed that he was still wiping his sword and that he looked somewhat upset. ¡°Why do you seem unhappy even after winning the competition, Little Zhou?¡± Although his opponent wasn¡¯t much of a challenge for him, he was still a stage-six warrior. Wanzhou ought to be celebrating his win. A thought suddenly hit her mind as she studied his face, and she teased, ¡°Surely you¡¯re not feeling upset because you lost to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Qiang Wanzhou finally ceased his actions and looked up at her. There was a hint of embarrassment on the teenager¡¯s pretty face. ¡°¡­He dirtied my sword.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes in confusion before she belatedly realized what he meant. He¡¯s upset because¡­ the sword was stained with that person¡¯s blood? She was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Since it¡¯s a sword, it¡¯ll surely be stained with blood at some point.¡± Qiang Wanzhou silently looked away. Knowing that Chu Liuyue had gone through a lot to refine the sword yet still gave it to him, he treasured it dearly despite his calm exterior. This was why he didn¡¯t let the sword touch his opponent at first, although it was still stained with blood in the end. That person has no right to stain my sword with his blood. He stubbornly gave his sword another wipe before he finally whispered, ¡°But you suffered so much to refine this sword.¡± A warm current flowed into Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. ¡°Little Zhou, I meant to give this sword to you in the first place. Knowing that you treasure it so much, what I experienced before¡­ is nothing.¡± Hearing that, the emotions of Chu Liuyue¡¯s ancestor¡ªwhich had finally settled down¡ªturned tumultuous once more. He tried to stop himself from giving any comments, but it was to no avail. ¡°Lass, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the one who suffered the most.¡± What about those lightning bolts that had been taught a lesson? Chapter 635 - Please Wait For Me for a Bit Chu Liuyue coughed. I didn¡¯t know things would turn out that way. Moreover, I did suffer quite a bit at the start¡ªthe wounds on my body aren¡¯t even fully healed yet. After hearing what Chu Liuyue said, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s expression relaxed a little. When Chu Liuyue returned to where Weichi Song and her seniors were, everyone welcomed her with warm enthusiasm. ¡°Liuyue, I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re such a skilled Xuan Master as well! How come I never heard you mention it before?¡± ¡°Exactly! Just look at how embarrassed Meng Jing was!¡± ¡°Wanzhou seems to have gotten even stronger than before too! That sword of yours is really impressive!¡± As Weichi Song looked at the duo, he couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional. Although he knew that his new disciples were exceptional, he had never expected them to win the matches so speedily. They totally crushed their opponents. When his gaze swept past Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, he was shocked to find three silver lightning bolt-like lines on its hilt. Didn¡¯t Liuyue refine this sword to give it to Wanzhou? But those three lines¡­ Don¡¯t they only appear when one triggers heavenly lightning? His expression turned serious. Those injuries on Liuyue¡­ Were they caused by the heavenly lightning? I can¡¯t seem to find any other logical explanation than that, but the question is: How did she do that when she¡¯s not even a stage-five warrior? Countless questions surfaced in his mind, and he couldn¡¯t help but want to pull her aside immediately to ask her about it. However, this was clearly not the time to do so. Besides, if his guess was right, then her injuries were likely to be much more serious than he expected. Seeing how Weichi Song fell deep in thought as he stared at the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, Chu Liuyue could tell that he had probably figured out something. It¡¯s just as well. I have no intention of hiding the truth from him in the first place, so it¡¯s only normal that a knowledgeable person like him can guess it. ¡°For the upcoming ninth warrior match, we have Xie Lingyang from Jiu Xing Alliance!¡± announced the judge all of a sudden. ¡°Elder Song, have you decided who you¡¯ll be sending for this match?¡± Snapping back to his senses, Weichi Song looked at the arena, where a handsome lad was walking up the stage. The latter had a sturdy build and tanned skin, and everything about him screamed cocky. As it turned out, he was also a beginner stage-six warrior. Doubt flashed across Weichi Song¡¯s mind. Since when did Jiu Xing Alliance have so many stage-six warriors? Although they aren¡¯t weak and have many outstanding disciples, they weren¡¯t capable to this extent. With this lineup, they¡¯re almost comparable to Dragon Teeth Mountain! It seems that many of Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s disciples have suddenly progressed a lot in this past year. ¡°Elder Song?¡± The judge reminded Weichi Song once more when he received no response from the latter. Weichi Song frowned. We don¡¯t have many disciples in the first place. Excluding those who have already participated, there aren¡¯t many people left. Of those remaining, almost none can fight against Xie Lingyang. ¡°Since there aren¡¯t many choices left to choose from, it should be very easy for you to pick someone. However, you still haven¡¯t made a decision, Elder Song? Could it be that¡­ there¡¯s no suitable candidate?¡± Zhang Hua naturally would never miss this chance to mock Weichi Song and the rest of Chong Xu Cabinet. ¡°If my memory serves me well, Qiang Wanzhou is the last stage-six warrior you have. Since he already had his turn earlier, you can¡¯t pick him anymore. In my opinion, it doesn¡¯t make any difference who you pick from the remaining lot, so why don¡¯t you just pick someone at random?¡± The Chong Xu Cabinet disciples were incensed after hearing that. ¡°I haven¡¯t had my turn, Cabinet Master. I¡¯ll go!¡± ¡°Same here! Although our cultivation levels aren¡¯t as high as Xie Lingyang¡¯s, it doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯ll lose! We¡¯ll give it our all!¡± As Weichi Song swept his gaze over them, he felt heartened and bitter at the same time. These kids¡­ They¡¯re all good children. Even though they know that they have no chance of winning, none of them is retreating from the fight. Still¡­ I can¡¯t bear to see them go up and get bullied¡­ He then heard a familiar voice saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go, Master.¡± His eyes widened slightly. ¡°What did you say, Liuyue?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go instead, Master,¡± Chu Liuyue repeated herself while smiling slightly. When Weichi Song was just about to refuse, she blinked her eyes and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know best how capable I am, Master?¡± Weichi Song froze as the memory of the Messed Yuan Gravel entering her body came to mind. She does have a powerful trump card. Among the remaining disciples, she¡¯s truly the only one who can go against Xie Lingyang! ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head as her eyes crinkled gently in determination. ¡°I¡¯ll help you and the seniors to safeguard Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s position! No matter what, I won¡¯t let anyone trample on Chong Xu Cabinet!¡± Weichi Song felt a pang in his heart. After a long silence, he finally nodded. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll leave everything¡­ in your hands!¡± The other disciples were surprised to hear that, but upon seeing the determination on Weichi Song¡¯s face, they no longer fought to take part in the match. Instead, they cheered Chu Liuyue on. ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, Liuyue!¡± ¡°Just do your best, Junior!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll await your return!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded at them before turning around to walk over to the arena. A hushed silence fell over the crowd when they saw that Chu Liuyue was competing again, and they looked at each other with baffled expressions. Zhang Hua furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue already compete earlier? Why is she competing again?¡± ¡°What I took part in earlier was the Xuan Master competition. The rules state that everyone only has one turn in each event, but it doesn¡¯t state that we can¡¯t participate in several events.¡± The judge mulled over her words for a moment before nodding in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no such rule.¡± ¡°You¡¯re full of tricks!¡± Zhang Hua nearly choked when he heard what Chu Liuyue said. So what if she¡¯s competing? I don¡¯t believe a mere stage-four warrior is a match for a stage-six warrior. Even if she has the ability to fight beyond her level, she won¡¯t gain the upper hand when fighting with a stage-six warrior! Who cares what he¡¯s saying? Let¡¯s talk after I win this match! Chu Liuyue merely smiled and turned to face Xie Lingyang. ¡°Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Chu Liuyue accepts your challenge!¡± Xie Lingyang gave her the once-over. Chu Liuyue¡¯s name is everywhere in Xi Ling lately. Everyone is saying that she¡¯s talented and formidable, having beaten a stage-five warrior back when she was still a stage-three warrior and emerging as the Wan Zheng Competition¡¯s final victor. ¡°You do have some skills,¡± said Xie Lingyang arrogantly. ¡°However, a stage-six warrior is on a completely different level compared to a stage-five warrior. You might be able to win against a beginner stage-five warrior, but that may not be the case against someone at the advanced stage. There¡¯s a huge gap between the fifth and sixth stages. It¡¯s not a good thing for youths to have competitive streaks at¡ª¡± Before he could finish his piece, Chu Liuyue suddenly waved to Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s Ning Zhiqing¡ªwho had already stood on-stage, preparing for the last heavenly doctor match. ¡°I¡¯m also taking part in the last heavenly doctor match! Please wait for me for a bit! You can start first! I¡¯ll be there in a jiffy!¡± Chapter 636 - The Green Triangular-Scaled Python Xie Lingyang¡¯s words trailed off, while Ning Zhiqing¡ªwho was suddenly called¡ªappeared confused. W-what? Chu Liuyue wants to participate in the last heavenly doctor match as well? Amidst the silence, Ye Ranran couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Cabinet Master, did you decide this just now?¡± Weichi Song was speechless, for he had no idea that Chu Liuyue had made such plans either. But since she had already revealed her intention, it wouldn¡¯t look good if he stopped her. Thus, he could only say, ¡°Liuyue has her own plans.¡± ¡­ Anger surged within Xie Lingyang. Although he had already seen how arrogant Chu Liuyue could be, he didn¡¯t expect her to be conceited to this extent. With a whish, a silver spear appeared in his hand. It was covered with an extremely thin layer of green scales, and the end of the spear had a carving of a three-horned snake head that glimmered under the sunlight like how a real green python would. It was a green-scaled python spear. ¡°Since you¡¯re in a rush to participate in the heavenly doctor competition, I¡¯ll help you by ending this match fast!¡± shouted Xie Lingyang as he waved his spear in the air before thrusting it in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction. It produced a snake-like hiss as it moved in the wind. As a bone-chilling gust of wind hit her, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned serious. A long red whip appeared in her hand the next moment, and she flicked it. One could hear it cutting through the wind before it wrapped itself around the green-scaled python spear! Whoosh¡ª Sizzling sounds were produced as a burst of fire burned the spear, making the terrifying green scales on the spear stand up one by one. Gripping the spear tightly in his hand, Xie Lingyang gave it a hard turn and cut the whip with its sharp scales. The long whip crumbled into countless balls of flames and scattered on the ground. He then took a step forward and aimed the spear at Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Chu Liuyue put up a barrier around her at once. ¡°Go, scales!¡± shouted Xie Lingyang. Like blades, the countless scales on the spear suddenly flew up and surrounded Chu Liuyue. Countless cracks immediately appeared on the barrier before it silently shattered into pieces. Xie Lingyang took another step forward. Just when his spear¡¯s sharp tip was about to pierce Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest, a blurry red figure appeared out of nowhere and landed on his spear in a flash. From the corners of his eyes, he realized that it was a furry third-grade blood ferret. Upon sensing the eyes on itself, the little creature bared its teeth at him. The next moment, it sank its teeth into the spear, which was now smooth without the layer of scales. Without having to worry that the scales might cut its mouth, the ferret took a huge and forceful bite of it. Crunch! Two neat rows of teeth marks were formed on the spear. Upon seeing this, Xie Lingyang¡¯s heart trembled along with his hands. T-the green-scaled python spear¡­ It wasn¡¯t easy for me to get my hands on this treasure. It¡¯s made of an extremely tough material, yet it¡¯s now bitten by a blood ferret?! Whoosh! While he was in a daze, Chu Liuyue moved and vanished from her original spot. Xie Lingyang¡¯s heart thumped as he felt a cold breeze behind him. Unable to react in time, he could only lunge forward as fast as he could. Still, it was too late. His back had been slashed open with a sharp dagger. The stinging pain he felt infuriated him, and he circulated his internal force once more. This time, he went all out. He unleashed all of his force and exuded the powerful pressure of his beginner stage-six cultivation base, making the air around them become heavy. ¡°I must say, you do have some skills. However¡­ that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got!¡± He then turned the spear in his hand and pointed the python head at her. ¡°Awake, python!¡± While he injected his force into the python head, the scales that had flown out earlier quickly flew back, and its tightly closed eyes suddenly opened. A fierce and cold aura then spread everywhere. Under the crowd¡¯s astonished gazes, a giant, green, and triangular-scaled python appeared above Xie Lingyang¡¯s head. It had a cold pair of vertical yellow pupils and was constantly spitting out its red forked tongue. That¡¯s a sixth-grade fiend¡ªa green triangular-scaled python! Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes slightly. No wonder I found that spear strange¡ªthis thing was sealed inside it! A stage-six warrior was no match for a sixth-grade fiend. Even at Xie Lingyang¡¯s current cultivation level, there was no way he could possibly subdue this python. But because this beast was sealed inside the spear, when Xie Lingyang became the spear¡¯s owner, he naturally became the python¡¯s master as well. ¡°Kill it!¡± he ordered. With a flick of its long tail, the green triangular-scaled python headed in Tuan Zi¡¯s direction, who swiftly dodged it. A murderous look streaked across the python¡¯s eyes as it shot its head forward and opened its mouth to spit out a blast of cold air, which formed thumb-sized icicles that flew toward Tuan Zi. All the crowd saw was a red figure jumping around in mid-air. Whish! Whish! Whish! Tuan Zi dodged all the icicles and landed on the ground. Getting impatient, the python finally slid toward Tuan Zi, who looked up at the approaching gigantic creature. Are we getting serious now? ¡­ While the two fiends were preparing for battle, Xie Lingyang turned his gaze to Chu Liuyue again and folded his hands in front of him. A faint blue light slowly intertwined in front of him, forming a bizarre pattern. Then, all the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started gathering around him. Someone from the audience cried, ¡°That¡¯s an earth-grade warrior skill!¡± ¡°It looks like Xie Lingyang no longer wants to give Chu Liuyue any more chances. Not only did he summon a green triangular-scaled python, but he also resorted to using his killing move! I¡¯m afraid that Chu Liuyue will lose this time¡­¡± ¡°Chu Liuyue has proven her abilities if Xie Lingyang is forced to go to this extent¡­ What a pity¡ªWait! What is she doing?¡± Whoosh! The wind picked up, making Chu Liuyue¡¯s clothes and ebony hair flutter in the air. Determination filled her black eyes, and she felt no fear facing Xie Lingyang¡¯s attack. On the contrary, she stood calmly and nonchalantly in her original spot as she raised her right hand. A minuscule point of starlight appeared on her index finger, triggering the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. ¡°¡­Is Chu Liuyue going to use an earth-grade warrior skill too?!¡± Gasps could be heard coming from the audience. ¡°Ah, I remember now! She seemed to have used this move to defeat that stage-five warrior when she first came to Xi Ling! She was just a stage-three warrior at that time, so the skill wasn¡¯t so powerful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure! It consumes so much force that even a stage-six warrior can barely execute it! But she¡¯s just a stage-four warrior now, so how come¡­¡± Has her cultivation base grown so much in this short time? Chapter 637 - Weakness Shock surfaced in Xie Lingyang¡¯s eyes when he saw that Chu Liuyue had also triggered the Heaven and Earth Force. An advanced stage-four warrior can also execute an earth-grade warrior skill? It consumes a lot of force. Isn¡¯t she worried that she might not be able to last? Those thoughts only flashed across his mind for a second, and he didn¡¯t dwell on them. Instead, he gathered his focus and circulated his internal force once more. A faint blue talisman gradually formed in front of him. ¡­ On the other end, the starlight on Chu Liuyue¡¯s finger was slowly becoming brighter. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force gathered around her as if something was attracting it. The starlight illuminated her porcelain-like face, making her eyes seem deep and bright as if they held countless stars in them. Actually, she hadn¡¯t fully executed the complete Jingshen Finger last time, so this was her first real attempt at executing the skill after she had fully comprehended it. Thus, she was curious to know how powerful it could be at her current cultivation level. ¡­ While the two of them were currently gathering their force to execute their warrior skills, the two fiends in the air were in a standoff. Well, ¡®standoff¡¯ might not be an accurate term for it, for the size difference between them was simply too big. Tuan Zi was just the size of the green triangular-scaled python¡¯s eye. The latter could easily swallow it if it opened its mouth. Furthermore, one was a third-grade fiend, and the other was a sixth-grade fiend. Wasn¡¯t it obvious which of them would win? The python saw red as it stared at the blood ferret in front of itself. Logically speaking, a mere third-grade fiend shouldn¡¯t be able to dodge its earlier attack. But because Tuan Zi moved and reacted faster than ordinary blood ferrets, it easily evaded the python¡¯s consecutive attacks. This dealt a blow to the python¡¯s ego. Seemingly sensing the python¡¯s anger, Tuan Zi blinked its eyes, lifted its paws, and hooked a claw at it. Come and catch me if you can! The green triangular-scaled python¡¯s pupils instantly contracted to become slits. It then opened its wide mouth and tried to swallow Tuan Zi by sucking it closer. Strong winds started blowing around Tuan Zi¡¯s surroundings, and its body was dragged backward as if an invisible force was pulling it. Soon, it was right in front of the python¡¯s sharp and glimmering teeth. At that moment, Tuan Zi took the initiative by lunging forward toward the python. Caught off-guard, the python tried to block it, only to realize that the blood ferret had landed on its head. It shook its head in an attempt to shake Tuan Zi off, but Tuan Zi¡¯s sharp claws cut through the scale right on top of its head, making it hiss in pain. That was its most important, as well as its most fragile scale¡ªthe triangular scale. The python started thrashing about wildly, but Tuan Zi clung tightly to that broken piece of scale and refused to get off its head no matter what. As the pain intensity increased, the python became anxious and decided to flick its tail at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi lifted its head and quickly plucked out the triangular scale from the python¡¯s head. The pain from this made the python tremble as blood splashed everywhere. Tuan Zi didn¡¯t waste a second longer and immediately retreated. Smack! The python¡¯s tail hit itself on the head. It failed to control its strength amidst its shock and anger, so that blow was pretty hard. This worsened its condition as it was already injured on the head. Stars appeared before its eyes, and it nearly conked out. Meanwhile, Tuan Zi stood unharmed in the air as it clutched onto the bloodied piece of scale that was even bigger than itself. This bizarre scene left the audience confused and at loss for words. Are third-grade blood ferrets so powerful these days? Although that triangular green-scaled python is a sixth-grade fiend, its IQ isn¡¯t high. All it has is just brute force. Tsk, no challenge at all. Tuan Zi looked at the scale in its claws in disgust before breaking it into two under the python¡¯s horrified gaze. As the python let out an agonized roar, the scales on its body started fading rapidly. In just the blink of an eye, its original green color had become ash-white. The audience was dumbfounded. Upon sensing that something was amiss, Xie Lingyang looked up. Color drained from his face when he saw the state the python was in. How did this happen? While the python wildly thrashed about in mid-air from the pain, the layer of ash-white scales slowly peeled off from its body. It was forcing itself to molt. The most praiseworthy thing about the green triangular-scaled python was its armor-like scales. However, it had one fatal weakness¡ªthe triangular scale on its head. Once broken, the rest of the scales on its body would become damaged as well and thus lead to molting. It would take at least a month for it to grow scales as tough as before. In other words, the green triangular-scaled python¡ªin its current state¡ªhad lost its fighting ability. ¡­ Tuan Zi flew back to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and wagged its tail eagerly, wanting to receive praise. Chu Liuyue smiled as she looked at it. This little thing seems to have become more capable¡­ All I did earlier was give it a tiny reminder, and it acted so swiftly and aggressively that the python didn¡¯t even have a chance to fight back. Chu Liuyue is too much! Opposite them, Xie Lingyang had turned purple in the face. His blood boiled with anger as he summoned the python back and shouted, ¡°Nine Soul-Catching Talisman!¡± The talisman in front of him silently flew out, rising against the wind and expanding to the size of a man in no time. A blue light flickered from it in a grotesque manner, and it exuded a heavy pressure. Chu Liuyue pushed her right hand forward a little. ¡°Jingshen Finger!¡± Chapter 638 - Jingshen Palm! The point of starlight on her finger rapidly expanded, and the air around her started to ripple uneasily as if great pressure was squeezing it. On the opposite side, the talisman started slowing down upon sensing a hint of the terrifying aura. The sight of this made Xie Lingyang¡¯s smug smile freeze. My talisman seems to be afraid of something¡­ ¡°Gather!¡± shouted Chu Liuyue. Countless dots of starlight then quickly gathered to form a glowing silver finger. Shortly after, it started to approach the Nine Soul-Catching Talisman at a slow but steady speed. With a grit of his teeth, Xie Lingyang injected another round of force into the talisman. Boom! The power of both sides finally collided in a brilliant light display. A crack line suddenly appeared on the talisman, where a blue stream of light flew out from it and tightly coiled itself around the silver finger like a rope. A second stream of light then shot out and was quickly followed by another. ¡­ Nine! A total of nine rope-like lights shot out from the talisman and entangled themselves around the finger. Not only that, but they started to tighten their grip on the finger as well. Seeing that the silver finger had been completely bound, Xie Lingyang let out a sigh of relief. As long as¡ª Snap! One of the rope-like lights suddenly snapped, making Xie Lingyang become tense once more. He saw the finger move with ease as it broke free of that rope-like light effortlessly. Then, the same thing happened again. Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap! The rope-like lights started snapping one after another. Before Xie Lingyang could react, he coughed out a mouthful of blood. His face had turned ashen as well. In order to summon the Nine Soul-Catching Talisman, he had used all his internal force. Now that the talisman was being destroyed, he naturally suffered from the backlash of it. It felt as if he had countless sharp arrows coursing through his body and damaging his internal organs in the process. More and more cracks formed on the talisman in the meantime. In the blink of an eye, only one of the nine rope-like lights remained. However, it was on the verge of snapping as well. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue was calm and unharmed. It was obvious who was the stronger of the two. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that she had gained the upper hand in this duel. ¡°¡­Oh my gosh¡­ Not only did Chu Liuyue execute an earth-grade warrior skill, but she seems to be even stronger than Xie Lingyang. I think she¡¯s going to win this match!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to have such a trump card. It¡¯s no wonder that she insisted that she go up instead.¡± ¡°If Chong Xu Cabinet wins this match, it¡¯ll be a real tie between them and Jiu Xing Alliance!¡± ¡°Xie Lingyang isn¡¯t actually weak. It¡¯s just that there are always more capable people out there. He¡¯s unlucky to have Chu Liuyue as his opponent. If I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, I¡¯d never believe that a stage-six warrior would actually lose to a stage-four warrior!¡± ¡­ Looking livid, Zhang Hua clenched his fists tightly. He thought they¡¯d win this match for sure, but Chu Liuyue ended up being stronger than he thought. Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s members had also quietened down, not daring to make a squeak lest they provoked their clan leader and get themselves in unnecessary trouble. There were countless gazes on Xie Lingyang. When the latter inadvertently raised his eyes, he happened to see Zhang Hua staring at himself coldly. This reminded him of what the other had told him before the start of the match: ¡®You must win the last two matches, you hear me?!¡¯ If I really end up losing to Chu Liuyue¡­ Xie Lingyang flinched at the thought. Then, as if he had made a great decision, he swallowed the blood in his mouth and bit his index finger hard. A drop of blood oozed out from the wound, and with a flick, he sent it flying to the talisman. As the droplet of blood seeped into the talisman, the blue talisman turned red immediately, and the cracks on it repaired themselves in the blink of an eye. In fact, the entire talisman had become more solid. A bloodthirsty aura started to permeate the air as a terrifying pressure came from deep within the talisman. On top of that, several more rope-like lights grew from the last stream of light¡ªwhich had also turned blood red¡ªand coiled around the finger once more. Tightly intertwined, the silver finger and the red talisman started to kill each other off. Boom! Xie Lingyang¡¯s aura started intensifying quickly. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes at the sight. Something is off about him! That droplet of blood earlier¡­ Although there were methods that allowed people to increase their cultivation level temporarily, the method Xie Lingyang used was way too strange. He exuded a cold and eerie aura that made people shudder. As the wind howled, cries and moans could seemingly be heard coming from the Nine Soul-Catching Talisman. It didn¡¯t take long before Xie Lingyang¡¯s cultivation base reached the level of an intermediate stage-six warrior. This was considered a huge increase in strength for a warrior at such a high cultivation level. It was already tough for Chu Liuyue to be fighting against someone of a higher rank. Now that Xie Lingyang had used special means to raise his cultivation level, things became even more disadvantageous for her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart thumped when she saw the hint of a bloodthirsty look in Xie Lingyang¡¯s eyes that were filled with murderous intent. ¡°Soul-devouring skill!¡± Xie Lingyang shouted. Whoosh! Whoosh! The Nine Soul-Catching Talisman started spinning amidst the howling wind. As it spun, the red rope-like lights started tightening their grip on the silver finger as well. Crack! A crack instantly formed on the finger, which caused Chu Liuyue to jolt. When blood filled her oral cavity, she swallowed it back down again. By now, half of the finger had been swallowed into the Nine Soul-Catching Talisman and was about to disappear completely. An arrogant smirk formed on Xie Lingyang¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ve lost!¡± As Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth, a hint of madness surfaced on her face. ¡°The match hasn¡¯t ended!¡± Xie Lingyang snorted. ¡°You¡¯re going to be so stubborn to the end, huh? It¡¯s not too late for you to concede defeat right now. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be useless even if you beg me on your knees later!¡± Chu Liuyue said nothing. When she felt a ripple in her dantian, she raised her hand¡­ Boom! Boundless aura poured out from her, which left Xie Lingyang shocked. The tiny point of starlight¡ªwhich was as weak as a candle¡¯s flame in the wind¡ªon her finger suddenly intensified and split into two, with the other one lightly landing atop her middle finger. ¡°Jingshen Palm!¡± Chapter 639 - The Last Match That dazzling light was bright and holy as it enveloped many things and silently blossomed and spread. The half-finger that was about to disappear suddenly lit up and turned into a palm. That palm then lightly landed on the Nine Soul-Catching Talisman. Buzz! A loud buzzing sound echoed throughout the air. The Nine Soul-Catching Talisman was like accumulated snow that met with the start of spring as it rapidly melted. When the liquid in the blood-colored string rapidly disappeared, its entire body became dry and weak. Then, it disappeared with the winds. Xie Lingyang widened his eyes in shock as he looked at the scene in disbelief. How¡­ How can this be? I clearly used all my strength and even increased my cultivation level to become an intermediate stage-six warrior. Why does the Nine Soul-Catching Talisman do nothing to Chu Liuyue? What¡­ Where did her warrior technique come from?! While he was in a trance, the Nine Soul-Catching Talisman completely disappeared. Only a faint scent of blood was left in the air. Other than the holy, strong, and thick palm, nothing was left. The surrounding Heaven and Earth force seemed to be comforted as it was gradually appeased. It was as if nothing had happened. Poof! Xie Lingyang spat out blood once again as he kneeled on the floor with a facial expression that matched the dirt. His bodily aura was greatly weakened, and he quickly dropped back down to become a beginner stage-six warrior. Gradually, every part of his body had blood oozing out, and it looked horrifying. Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and that palm immediately disappeared. When the light turned, a black gap appeared in the surroundings¡ªthe surrounding space started to collapse due to the pressure from the remnant strength. After that intense battle, Chu Liuyue had exhausted her bodily force, and her lips turned pale. But other than this, her face and body didn¡¯t look amiss. Compared to the disheveled Xie Lingyang, she looked much better! Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. Actually, even I didn¡¯t expect Jingshen Palm to be so formidable! At the very least, it¡¯s a few times stronger than Jingshen Finger. Furthermore, I¡¯ve only half-practiced Jingshen Palm at this point¡­ If I can completely execute it, I might even be able to move oceans. Chu Liuyue suppressed her inner excitement as she looked at Xie Lingyang opposite her. That Nine Soul-Catching Talisman seems to have exhausted his force. Also, the last blood pearl that he took out to increase his cultivation level forcefully is also very strange. Perhaps it¡¯s also because of this that made him suffer an even scarier repercussion. Without looking closely, one could tell how miserable he was at this point. He was hanging onto his last breath as his face was pale, and he was covered in blood. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up. Chu Liuyue raised her chin and looked at the judge by the side of the arena. ¡°With this, is it considered my victory?¡± At this point, the judge was still immersed in his shock and finally recovered his senses when he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice. He stiffened his neck and nodded. ¡°Y-yes!¡± He paused before taking a deep breath in and shouting, ¡°The ninth warrior match: Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Chu Liuyue won!¡± Xie Lingyang¡¯s vision turned dark, and he directly fainted. ¡°Imbecile!¡± Zhang Hua¡¯s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and his bodily aura became very sinister and terrifying. He¡¯s used so many methods, but he couldn¡¯t even win against a Chu Liuyue! The few Jiu Xing Alliance disciples hurried up and carried Xie Lingyang down. Other than this, nobody dared to say anything. On Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s side, they finally reacted after experiencing the initial shock. ¡°Little Junior Sister won!¡± Lu Zhiyao couldn¡¯t help but jump up and harshly wave his fist. He accidentally tore open his wound again, which hurt him so much that he bared his teeth. Ye Ranran immediately helped him up. ¡°Senior Brother Lu, be careful!¡± Lu Zhiyao couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement. ¡°This small injury is nothing. Ranran, did you see? Little Junior Sister really won! She beat Xie Lingyang!¡± Ye Ranran couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Of course, I saw! All of the people present saw it very clearly!¡± ¡°Little Junior Sister, well done!¡± ¡°I said Little Junior Sister could definitely do it! From now on, I want to cultivate with Little Junior Sister. Nobody is to stop me!¡± ¡°Since when was it your turn? Fall in line!¡± Everyone was very agitated as they finally got to release their pent-up emotions. This match didn¡¯t go on for long, but for some reason, they felt that it was very hard to make it through. It was as though a long time had passed. Now that Chu Liuyue had won the match, they couldn¡¯t describe the elation and happiness in their hearts. Weichi Song¡¯s tense body finally relaxed as his tightly clenched fists slowly opened. As expected¡­ Liuyue won¡¯t disappoint¡­ ¡­ ¡°Chu Liuyue actually won¡­ She¡¯s only 15 this year, right? Is she still human?¡± ¡°I was wrong! I previously thought some people had purposely exaggerated the rumors of her winning those matches¡­ I¡¯m really wrong! She¡¯s really capable!¡± ¡°The previous Qiang Wanzhou was already very outstanding. I didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be even stronger! It¡¯s no wonder that she can get first place in the Wan Zheng Competition¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet is really lucky to be able to accept both of them¡­¡± All sorts of discussions could be heard from the surroundings. Chu Liuyue heard it and ignored them. She originally wanted to win this match. To her, her victory was supposed to happen. Hence, she didn¡¯t stop for long before she walked to the other competition venue¡ªthere was still the last heavenly doctor match! Seeing Chu Liuyue walk over, the crowd quietened down, and they exchanged glances. She actually wasn¡¯t joking just now? She¡¯s really going to compete in this heavenly doctor match?! When Ning Zhiqing¡ªwho had been waiting there for quite some time¡ªsaw that Chu Liuyue stood still in front of him, he knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Chu Liuyue, are you sure you want to compete against me now?¡± She has just experienced two battles, and she should¡¯ve exhausted almost all of her force. It seems like she¡¯d lose for sure if she competes now. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Of course. If not, why would I be here? But¡­ Why haven¡¯t you started? Didn¡¯t I say that you can begin first?¡± It had only been a short amount of time, and it wouldn¡¯t affect much. Ning Zhiqing knitted his brows even more tightly and sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t need that slight advantage. My capabilities are still enough to win you.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him with much interest. This Ning Zhiqing is quite arrogant. But different from the disrespectful Xie Lingyang, he is a lonely type of arrogant. Those who cultivate as heavenly doctors usually have a sort of arrogance, but this isn¡¯t a huge issue. This Ning Zhiqing has been waiting here for quite some time. It looks like he does have some patience. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. We¡¯ll start now then!¡± said Chu Liuyue as she moved her cauldron out. Without saying much, Ning Zhiqing also started preparing his herbs. The two people started to enter competition mode in the arena. The spectators who were looking at them from below had various emotions. This was because Chong Xu Cabinet and Jiu Xing Alliance had just come to a draw! This last match¡¯s victory and loss would determine the entire duel¡¯s victory and loss! It would also determine who had the right to be one of the top four clans! Chapter 640 - : Regret Not long ago, Chong Xu Cabinet was still very behind. In the end, after Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou came, they rapidly caught up and closed the gap. If they won another match now, Chong Xu Cabinet could successfully hold onto their position! The crowd was silent. Who would¡¯ve expected things to take such a drastic turn? It seems like Jiu Xing Alliance¡ªwhich thought it could win stably¡ªis in a rather dangerous situation now¡­ ¡­ Zhang Hua furrowed his brows tightly, and his gaze was like a knife. If gazes could kill, Chu Liuyue would¡¯ve already been chopped into pieces by him. However, Chu Liuyue was long used to such gazes, so she didn¡¯t even take it to heart. If he¡¯s already so angry now, won¡¯t he be furious when the competition ends? Chu Liuyue thought quietly in her heart as a cold smile flashed across her lips. Then, she hit the cauldron. A red fire immediately started burning. Ning Zhiqing glanced over, and his expression changed slightly. Chu Liuyue actually can continue refining medicine¡­ How much force does she have? But no matter what, I must win this match! Xie Lingyang already lost just now, so he won¡¯t have a good time when he goes back. Now, all the pressure is on me. If I lose, I¡¯ll be even more miserable than Xie Lingyang. Thinking of this, Ning Zhiqing pressed his lips against each other and calmed himself down before he tidily poured the herbs into the cauldron and started to refine the medicine. ¡­ Time passed especially slowly. Everyone¡¯s attention was on Chu Liuyue and Ning Zhiqing. The situation here had long attracted the other clans¡¯ attention. Jian Shuye stood with his hands behind his back. With a gully in between, he looked at Chu Liuyue and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Tsk, tsk! This girl hides her skills really well! See how well-trained her movements are! She¡¯s also controlling the fire well! What an astonishing talent!¡± He didn¡¯t lower his voice when he spoke those praises, so quite a few people near him heard them very clearly. Jian Fengchi¡¯s head ached more than ever as he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Father, ever since the both of them started competing, you have been watching them until now. However, you didn¡¯t watch our Dragon Teeth Mountain compete against Sheng Yan Harem. Which clan are you from?¡± Jian Shuye waved his hands nonchalantly. ¡°What¡¯s so nice to watch about our competition? After competing so much, we¡¯ll still win! Besides, Qiang Wanzhou and Chu Liuyue¡¯s few matches are indeed very interesting! It¡¯s my loss if I don¡¯t watch them!¡± Jian Fengchi was stumped and had nothing to say in return. He felt that his father had completely fallen into the hole and couldn¡¯t be saved. Jian Shuye couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Look, Chu Liuyue is very good at refining medicine! Do you know what level she¡¯s at currently?¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at her and lazily said, ¡°A fourth-grade heavenly doctor, I think? But she could already produce pills when she was a third-grade heavenly doctor, so¡­ Her abilities should be better than this.¡± Mm, just like her previous two matches. Even if she has to compete with people above her skill level, she¡¯ll still win. Didn¡¯t she do it based on this capability? Jian Shuye was very emotional. ¡°Sigh, I think so too! Look at her movements¡ªeven a fifth-grade heavenly doctor might not be able to match up to her! When you were her age, you were much weaker than her!¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what kind of luck Old Song has to have for both to choose his Chong Xu Cabinet!¡± said Jian Shuye enviously. At the start, he wanted Chu Liuyue to come to Dragon Teeth Mountain because he liked her talent and even more because of his own son. But now, he finally realized that it was a very big loss! One Qiang Wanzhou, one Chu Liuyue¡­ He was really envious! Jian Fengchi coldly said, ¡°Are you not even planning on watching Hongyu¡¯s match?¡± This sentence finally stirred some reaction in Jian Shuye. He hurriedly turned around to look. ¡°What? It¡¯s Hongyu¡¯s turn?¡± With this look, he coincidentally saw Mu Hongyu vanishing behind the opponent and hurriedly striking out. Victory! The Faint Yuan Body indeed had a strong advantage. An average cultivator couldn¡¯t even be compared to its possessor. Mu Hongyu had won this match very easily. After competing, she directly left the arena and quickly walked toward Jian Shuye and his son. ¡°Young Master, how¡¯s Liuyue¡¯s situation!?¡± asked Mu Hongyu anxiously as she walked over. When Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou previously competed simultaneously, she wanted to spectate as well. But it was coincidentally her turn to compete, so she was delayed. Jian Fengchi briefly explained the situation to her. When Mu Hongyu heard it, her almond-like eyes sparkled, and her face was very emotional. ¡°I knew it! I knew she could do it!¡± Since when has Chu Liuyue ever lost back in the academy? It¡¯s the same today too! Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips curled up slightly in a lazy and unreasonable manner. ¡°You¡¯re pretty confident in her.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Mu Hongyu took a few more steps forward to take a closer look. ¡°That so-called Jiu Xing Alliance is bound to lose after meeting Liuyue this time! I have never seen Liuyue losing to anyone before!¡± Jian Shuye asked with much interest, ¡°Hongyu, do you know when Chu Liuyue started cultivating as a heavenly doctor? Who is her mentor?¡± He could disregard the rest, but he really wanted to know this. Being able to produce a disciple like Chu Liuyue could prove just how formidable her mentor was. After all, a very large extent of a heavenly doctor¡¯s cultivation was dependent on having a mentor guiding them carefully. Mu Hongyu thought for a moment and said, ¡°I think¡­ I think it was after her 14th birthday. It hasn¡¯t even been a year yet, and her mentor is my academy¡¯s director! I heard that before Liuyue entered the academy, she was already the director¡¯s disciple. However, I¡¯m also not too sure when that was.¡± Jian Shuye was dazed. ¡°You mean¡­ She cultivated as a heavenly doctor for less than a year? How is that possible!?¡± Mu Hongyu thought for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether she started cultivating as a heavenly doctor much earlier on, but I¡¯m certain that the Yuan meridian in her body was still lacking before her 14th birthday. Hence, she definitely didn¡¯t progress in her warrior cultivation then.¡± Upon deeper thought, Chu Liuyue seemed to have become a genius from a good-for-nothing overnight. Jian Shuye gasped before he yelled his heart in much pain and regret. ¡°I really should¡¯ve snatched her from Old Song!¡± Chapter 641 - Zi Yang Pill Jian Shuye felt extreme regret. On the other side, Chu Liuyue had no knowledge of this as she focused all her energy on the pill inside the cauldron in front of her. She was currently a fourth-grade heavenly doctor, while Ning Zhiqing was a fifth-grade one. If she wanted to win this match, she had to produce a fifth-grade pill. Luckily, she had already made her choice when she came to the competition venue. Moreover, she did have sufficient herbs inside her Cosmic Ring. Hm, speaking of this, I still have to thank Rong Xiu. If he didn¡¯t give me this Cosmic Ring, I really might not be so willing to buy so many herbs in one go¡­ ¡­ She placed the herbs inside in an orderly manner, separated the fire within the cauldron into a few portions, and refined them on their own. Ning Zhiqing was also handling the herbs at this point as he made time to look up at her. When he saw Chu Liuyue split the cauldron into five areas, his heart turned slightly cold. On average, only a fifth-grade heavenly doctor can do this¡­ But it seems like Chu Liuyue is very familiar with it as if it doesn¡¯t use up any energy at all. A doubt flashed across Ning Zhiqing¡¯s heart. Is she really just a fourth-grade heavenly doctor? ¡­ ¡°Cabinet Master, what pill is Little Junior Sister trying to make?¡± Lu Zhiyao watched for a while and only saw that Chu Liuyue kept throwing herbs into the cauldron. He couldn¡¯t tell what exactly she was doing. Weichi Song stroked his beard and muttered, ¡°She¡¯s determined to win¡­¡± Lu Zhiyao was dazed. Weichi Song glanced at Ye Ranran at the side. ¡°Ranran, can you tell?¡± Ye Ranran thought for a moment and said, ¡°It seems like¡­ She wants to produce the Zi Yang Pill¡ªan inferior fifth-grade pill?¡± Weichi Song nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ye Ranran¡¯s talent as a heavenly doctor was indeed better than most people, so she could sensitively guess the results. Lu Zhiyao was shocked. ¡°Fifth-grade pill? Isn¡¯t Little Junior Sister a fourth-grade heavenly doctor?¡± ¡°If she produced a fourth-grade pill, she would basically have no chance of winning. Hence, she¡¯s trying to produce a fifth-grade one¡­¡± Weichi Song sighed in his heart. This is why I said that just now. ¡°But¡­ Can Little Junior Sister succeed?¡± Even though Little Junior Sister is outstanding in all aspects, producing pills as a heavenly doctor is different from the other two cultivation aspects. Perhaps one can use luck to make it through a Xuan Master competition, and perhaps one could use their force to give their all during a warrior competition. But heavenly doctors¡­ can only count on their pure abilities. This was because the process of producing pills was extremely difficult. The higher the grade of the pill, the more difficult it was to produce it. Not only did one have to handle many herbs, but they also had to note many of the small details. If one was careless, everything could go to waste. They couldn¡¯t be distracted at all during the entire process. Extreme precision was required in both their fire control and their pill-refining methods. Chu Liuyue was currently producing a fifth-grade pill forcefully¡­ Could she really do it? Ye Ranran seriously said, ¡°Senior Brother Lu, I think Liuyue can do it. Judging by Liuyue¡¯s movements, she seems more trained than me¡­¡± This was also what Weichi Song was thinking. He looked at Chu Liuyue, and it clearly seemed like she had many years of experience producing pills. It was as though she was very familiar with it, and this wasn¡¯t something that talent could explain. Perhaps¡­ The teacher she followed last time isn¡¯t an ordinary person? ¡­ Time gradually passed, and it was evening in the blink of an eye. The orange-red sun was like a burning ball as it painted the clouds with a hint of warmth. At this point, Chu Liuyue finally finished handling her hundreds of herbs. Now, she had to produce the pill. Chu Liuyue gathered all her focus and licked her pale and cracked lips. According to my current abilities, it isn¡¯t that easy to produce a fifth-grade pill. Hence, I have to be more careful than ever. Furthermore, my current strength can only support me producing the pill once and definitely not a second time. She meticulously merged all the herbs in the cauldron bit by bit. On the opposite end, Ning Zhiqing noticed Chu Liuyue¡¯s movements, and he couldn¡¯t help but glance. When he saw that the fire in Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron was already gathering everything together, he couldn¡¯t help furrowing his brows again. Chu Liuyue actually started producing the pill earlier than me! He glanced at his own cauldron¡ªthere were still quite a few herbs that hadn¡¯t been handled. This was like a loud slap had struck his face. He tried very hard to control his emotions as he kept comforting himself in his heart. Perhaps Chu Liuyue is too eager to be fast and missed out on a lot of things? The worst thing that can happen when producing pills is to be too anxious about making it work. At this point, it doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m slightly slower. It¡¯s fine as long as I win in the end. Thinking of this, he gradually appeased his emotions and quickly handled the remaining herbs. Then, he finally started to produce the pill. ¡­ Chu Liuyue carefully merged the herbs. Even though she had produced Zi Yang Pills quite a few times before and had memorized the entire process, one could never be 100% confident when producing pills. This was especially so when her grade wasn¡¯t high enough, so she had to pay more attention. She stared at it closely as she added some green liquid. Whoosh¡ª A piercing sound was heard. That green liquid actually started to produce white smoke. Oh no! These herbs are about to be ruined! The more important thing is that this is the key point to producing the pill! With this, it might even ruin the other herbs around it! Chu Liuyue immediately separated out an orange fire to try to separate the green liquid. The moment it touched it, the liquid burned even more intensely. A burnt smell could be smelled. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Chapter 642 - True Talent ¡°Oh no! Liuyue¡¯s Green Frost Berry is about to be ruined!¡± Ye Ranran whispered and covered her mouth as her eyes were filled with worry. The surrounding senior brothers and senior sisters were mostly heavenly doctors as well. When they saw this scene, they naturally understood what it meant, so they all looked worried. Lu Zhiyao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Is Little Junior Sister too anxious?¡± If this herb was ruined, then the entire pill might fail to be produced! Weichi Song knitted his brows tightly. He saw very clearly that Chu Liuyue made a mistake because she was careless for a moment. Green Frost Berries were naturally cold, so one originally couldn¡¯t use a high temperature to refine it. It also had a lot of requirements for the fire. Sometimes, even a true fifth-grade heavenly doctor might not be able to do it perfectly. At the start, Chu Liuyue was doing fine. But she previously didn¡¯t control it well for a moment, so it became like that. In the previous two matches, she had indeed exhausted too much of her force and strength. She was already forcing herself to the extreme by trying to produce pills now. However, she still wanted to produce a fifth-grade pill that was above her standards. It was already very hard for her to last until now. I wonder if she can handle this crisis¡­ ¡­ The burnt smell spread. Ning Zhiqing¡¯s heart tingled as he looked up. That smell came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron. He squinted his eyes. It seems like the Green Frost Berry has some issues¡­ Hah, she was thinking too highly of herself! A fourth-grade heavenly doctor trying to produce a fifth-grade pill, let alone the very complicated Zi Yang Pill? The Zi Yang Pill was a beginner fifth-grade pill, and amongst fifth-grade pills, it needed fewer herbs. The production time was also shorter. In other words, it would use less of her force. The previous two matches had already exhausted quite a bit of Chu Liuyue¡¯s energy, so it was understandable that she would choose to refine the Zi Yang Pill. But she might¡¯ve forgotten one thing: Quite a few herbs needed for the Zi Yang Pill were extremely difficult to handle. If one wanted to produce the pill, one had to have sufficient understanding of these pills. They also had to be very precise and familiar with the production methods. If not, everything would turn to dust in the end. Ning Zhiqing¡¯s lips curved up in mockery. With such a temperament, she won¡¯t last long as a heavenly doctor¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s match might just end here! ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at the green liquid in her cauldron. As the temperature was too high, the edges of the liquid had started to turn black. Even if she could continue producing the pill, the eventual effects would be very heavily affected. Chu Liuyue looked calm as she lowered the temperature of the fire again while separating the green liquid from the other herbs simultaneously. However, a portion of the Green Frost Berry liquid had already merged with the other herbs that were waiting to form the pill. This burnt portion clearly couldn¡¯t be used anymore. Chu Liuyue swiftly poured out that bit of black liquid and threw another Green Frost Berry inside. Seeing her actions, the spectators were all stunned. ¡°Is Chu Liuyue crazy? She actually wants to produce another Green Frost Berry liquid?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s already ruined the previous one, so it definitely can¡¯t be used¡­¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t a portion of the Green Frost Berry liquid already merge with the other herbs and start to produce the pill? Even if Chu Liuyue can refine another one now, can she ensure that it¡¯ll be exactly the same as before? One must know that Green Frost Berries are very delicate. If the temperature or the timing is off by even a little, the medicinal effects will differ greatly! Two Green Frost Berries¡­ It¡¯s fine if they were refined together, but now she did it consecutively. I¡¯m afraid that the produced poll won¡¯t have pure medicinal effects¡­¡± Those who had at least a little understanding about medicine refining wouldn¡¯t agree with Chu Liuyue¡¯s move. To them, Chu Liuyue¡¯s half-made pill was already ruined, and there was no way of making up for it. If she restarted now, she might be able to produce a perfect Zi Yang Pill. However, she obviously didn¡¯t have that strength. ¡°Liuyue is actually going to refine the Green Frost Berry again¡­¡± Ye Ranran watched the scene unfold in the arena closely, and her hands were crossed in front of her as if she was praying. Suddenly, her gaze focused, and she widened her eyes in shock. ¡°¡­No, no!¡± Lu Zhiyao hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ye Ranran pointed at Chu Liuyue and stammered, ¡°Liuyue¡­ Liuyue is trying to remove the portion of Green Frost Berry liquid that¡¯s already merged with the other herbs!¡± Lu Zhiyao was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Even though his talent as a heavenly doctor couldn¡¯t be compared to Ye Ranran, he still understood what she meant. He immediately stepped forward to take a closer look at Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron. In that burning red fire, most of the herbs had already merged and formed a circular, fist-sized ball. Upon closer look, a fire was separated, and it was circulating around that ball. Everywhere the fire went past, bits of green liquid would flow out of the ball and instantly evaporate. Lu Zhiyao was stunned. ¡°T-that¡­¡± That¡¯s really the Green Frost Berry¡¯s liquid! Chu Liuyue actually wants to separate it from the half-made pill forcefully?! ¡°Little Junior Sister¡ª¡± Is she crazy?! Lu Zhiyao swallowed his remaining words with much difficulty, but they were already written all over his face. It was also the first time that Ye Ranran saw such a situation, and she couldn¡¯t help but seek help from Weichi Song. ¡°Cabinet Master, Liuyue¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Weichi Song in a trance as if he was dazed. It¡¯s an extremely difficult task to separate a herb from the half-made pill it has already merged with. This is at least ten times harder than handling the herb because a portion of the medicinal effects has already started to merge. If one wants to remove it completely, it would require extreme precision over the fire control and the temperature. This is to allow the herb to be completely removed and not affect the other herbs¡¯ effects. This is like skinning something and removing the bones¡ªthere can¡¯t be a single error. Actually, even if most heavenly doctors had produced a pill hundreds of times or even thousands of times, they might not be able to do this. Only a genuine top elite and those with natural talent and sensitivity toward herbs and pill refining could do this. Chu Liuyue was currently a fourth-grade heavenly doctor producing a fifth-grade pill, and that in itself was already very difficult. She was actually so daring to do this directly! Even Weichi Song felt that this was crazy. He was also a heavenly doctor and had cultivated for many years. He asked himself, and he knew that he definitely didn¡¯t have this courage at Chu Liuyue¡¯s age. Even though the opposite Ning Zhiqing was of a higher level, he might not be able to do better than Chu Liuyue. This was true talent! There might not even be one out of a thousand heavenly doctors. He had seen many heavenly doctors in his entire life, but there were only two people who had such abilities. One was his Uncle-Master, and the other¡­ was his half-disciple¡ªShangguan Yue¡­ Chapter 643 - Judge Chu Liuyue focused on two things simultaneously. While refining the new Green Frost Berry, she cleared the Green Frost Berry liquid in the half-made pill. The first task was still manageable, but the latter required meticulous attention. She stared at it closely without blinking. She was so highly focused that beads of sweat kept breaking out on her forehead. Her back was already drenched by her cold sweat. ¡­ Ning Zhiqing wasn¡¯t paying attention at first, but he then noticed that something seemed amiss when he heard the bustling noises from the surroundings. He was distracted and listened to a few sentences, but they were all about Chu Liuyue. Bam! His palms slammed against the cauldron, and the strong force was once again inserted within as the fire rose. A pill gradually formed and was taking shape. He heaved a sigh of relief before looking up to glance at Chu Liuyue. With this look, his eyes were straight. Chu Liuyue¡­ What is she doing? He was also a heavenly doctor with outstanding talent. So even when he took a hurried glance from a distance away, he still felt that something was amiss. His hand holding the cauldron started trembling, and his heart was in great turmoil. Chu Liuyue actually wants to remove the Green Frost Berry that has already merged with the half-made pill? How confident must she be to do that? Hong! A fire suddenly lost control and spiraled out. Ning Zhiqing was taken aback as he moved half a step back. He then realized that it was because he was distracted, so the fire within the cauldron burst. He hurriedly recollected his thoughts and tried his best to control the fire. Luckily, he wasn¡¯t slow, so it didn¡¯t cause much damage. The pill still stayed in the fire, and from its surface, it didn¡¯t look like it was affected. However, Ning Zhiqing¡¯s heart sank. When producing pills, this was the worst thing that could happen. That one moment of loss of control would definitely decrease this pill¡¯s medicinal effects. Originally, everything was going well¡­ Ning Zhiqing¡¯s expression became more serious. He knew that he couldn¡¯t be distracted again. If not, he might not even be able to produce the pill. He took a deep breath in as he stared at the pill that kept shrinking in the fire while he adjusted it meticulously. But not long later, the previous scene flashed across his mind again. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned white, and her entire body was breaking out into a sweat. She was clearly exhausted, but her movements were very smooth and natural as if they weren¡¯t affected at all. The key point was that she was still meticulously extracting the Green Frost Berry liquid from the half-made pill. Even though he only took a glance previously, it was clear that the pill was shaped perfectly. Its color was also intense and pure. Chu Liuyue was obviously going to succeed! Whoosh! Right at this moment, a sound could be heard from the opposite side. Ning Zhiqing couldn¡¯t help it and still looked up. He saw Chu Liuyue burning away the last drop of the Green Frost Berry liquid and simultaneously guided the just-refined green liquid in. The pill slowly turned and rapidly turned emerald green. This time, the Green Frost Berry perfectly merged with it. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t dare to be relaxed as she controlled the strength of the fire and meticulously merged the herbs completely. Then, an intense herbal fragrance permeated throughout the area. Chu Liuyue was elated. It succeeded! The fragrance rapidly spread all around, and an invisible ripple exploded from the cauldron at the same time. Buzz! The cauldron moved. A clear, bright-purple pattern gradually appeared on the green pill. ¡­ ¡°This sound¡­ Is Chu Liuyue about to succeed?¡± Someone suddenly spoke amidst the quiet crowd. ¡°The pill is already formed¡­ The herbal fragrance is so intense. It must¡¯ve succeeded!¡± ¡°It really seems like it¡¯s a fifth-grade pill! How exactly did she do it just now? Why have I never heard that one can still remove a portion of a merged herb?¡± ¡­ The crowd partook in heated discussions. All of the words drifted into Ning Zhiqing¡¯s ears. It was as if a five-flavored bottle emptied in his heart as he felt very conflicted with a tinge of panic and fear. As he was flustered, the fire in the cauldron rippled again. He hurriedly retracted his gaze and stabilized himself. Suddenly, his gaze focused. A crack actually seemed to appear on the pill. He stared at it again carefully to ensure that his eyes weren¡¯t blurred¡ªthe pill indeed had a crack. Ning Zhiqing was instantly flustered, and his mind went completely blank. The Zi Yang Pill that Chu Liuyue produced was a beginner fifth-grade pill, and the Rong Ling Pill he crafted was also a beginner fifth-grade pill. Now that Chu Liuyue has already made it to the last step successfully, judging from the intensity of the fragrance, it must be perfect! Yet, my pill has a crack¡­ In his panic, he immediately merged the remaining herbs. At the same time, he kept urging the fire to burn so as to fix the crack. Buzz! An even louder shaking noise could be heard from Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill. Ning Zhiqing clenched his teeth and crazily inserted his force inside again. That crack finally patched up slowly. Then, a herbal fragrance exuded from his Rong Ling Pill. ¡°Ning Zhiqing¡¯s pill is also produced!¡± ¡°What kind of pill is it? Why does the smell seem to be a little weaker than Chu Liuyue¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It should be because he just made the pill, right? He¡¯s a genuine fifth-grade heavenly doctor! How can the pill he produced be worse than that of Chu Liuyue, a fourth-grade heavenly doctor?¡± Something seemed to be stuck in Ning Zhiqing¡¯s heart, and he felt very suppressed and uncomfortable. Then, as if venting his anger, force flowed out from his palm and hit the cauldron. Buzz! An even bigger ripple spread in all directions. ¡°Look, this commotion is clearly bigger than Chu Liuyue¡¯s! I think Ning Zhiqing is definitely winning this time!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Chu Liuyue¡¯s previous move is really¡­¡± ¡­ Bam! Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm slapped lightly, and the Zi Yang Pill flew into the jade box that she had already prepared at the side. Kacha! The jade box closed, but the air was still filled with the herbal fragrance! It didn¡¯t go away for a very long time. Almost at the same time, Ning Zhiqing also concluded his refining as he sent the pill into his own jade box. Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision turned into patches of black. She could only hold the cauldron with one hand and heavily let out a breath before she closed her eyes to rest for a while. To produce this one pill, she really exhausted all her effort. Thus, she didn¡¯t have any energy left now. On the other hand, even though Ning Zhiqing¡¯s expression was ugly, he still looked much better than Chu Liuyue as a whole. Zhang Hua closed his eyes, and his uneasy heart finally relaxed as he couldn¡¯t help but reveal a delighted smile. Even though Chu Liuyue has also produced a fifth-grade pill, such a big mistake happened in the middle. Thus, the product definitely isn¡¯t very good. Ning Zhiqing¡¯s pill is definitely stronger than hers! This time¡­ he¡¯s bound to win! ¡°Since the two of them have already produced their pills, let the judge decide who won immediately! Chu Liuyue produced hers first, so let¡¯s start with her!¡± He couldn¡¯t wait to see the disappointed look of Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s people. Chu Liuyue glanced at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Sure.¡± Chapter 644 - Who’s the Guilty One The judge walked to the center of the competition venue. Chu Liuyue went forward and passed her jade box over. The judge opened the box, and a strong and fresh medicinal fragrance hit his nose. His eyes brightened up, and he picked up the pill. The five horizontal purple lines were very clear and bright on the smooth, green pill. The color of the fifth line was much lighter than the first four lines, but the line was smooth, clean, and pure¡ªit also looked good. ¡°This is indeed a fifth-grade pill!¡± stated the judge with certainty as the gaze he directed at Chu Liuyue was filled with admiration. ¡°Even though it¡¯s inferior-grade, the fragrance is clean, and the color is pure. It¡¯s good, very good!¡± He said ¡®good¡¯ and ¡®very good,¡¯ which showed his recognition of Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities. The smile on Zhang Hua¡¯s face gradually stiffened. What does that mean? Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill¡­ seems decent? The trouble that occurred in between actually didn¡¯t affect this pill at all? Chu Liuyue thanked the judge respectfully. The judge glanced at Weichi Song, smiled, and said, ¡°Old Song, you¡¯re really lucky to be able to have such an outstanding disciple!¡± He was also a heavenly doctor, so he naturally understood how rare the talent and sensibility that Chu Liuyue displayed earlier were. I heard that Chu Liuyue chose Chong Xu Cabinet herself at the start¡­ A good talent that others beg for but can¡¯t have was easily accepted by him. How infuriating to compare! Weichi Song smiled and cupped his fists together as he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. When Chu Liuyue produced the Zi Yang Pill earlier, he was shocked and surprised as he didn¡¯t feel too sure in his heart. Now looking at this, the struggle in between was just a shock. It didn¡¯t pose any real danger, and everything progressed very successfully. Chu Liuyue¡ªshe indeed successfully produced a Zi Yang Pill, and it looks very perfect! The judge then looked at Ning Zhiqing. Ning Zhiqing stood rooted to the ground, motionless, as he held the jade box tightly. His gaze was blank, but nobody knew what he was thinking. ¡°Ning Zhiqing?¡± yelled the judge. Ning Zhiqing then recovered his senses. He nervously held his breath in as he walked forward with heavy steps. Those who could be the judges at the clan competition were all top elites in the Tianling Dynasty. This person was no exception. I wonder if he can tell¡­ This was also the first time Ning Zhiqing did such a thing, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. After walking a few steps, his forehead was covered in sweat, and his face turned pale. After handing the jade box over, his fingers were trembling slightly. ¡°This is the Rong Ling Pill I produced. Please check it.¡± The judge glanced at him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ning Zhiqing shook his head and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Chu Liuyue stood at the side. Even though Ning Zhiqing claims that he¡¯s okay, his eyes are still glued to the jade box. It¡¯s as if¡­ He¡¯s worried about something. Chu Liuyue followed his vision and fell into deep thought. The judge had already opened the box and picked up the Rong Ling Pill inside¡ªthis was a blue pill with five red lines on it. Like Chu Liuyue¡¯s, the fifth line on this pill was clearly lighter than the previous few lines. The judge checked closely again. Ning Zhiqing¡¯s entire body tensed up, and he felt extremely tortured. ¡°This Rong Ling Pill is also an inferior fifth-grade pill!¡± The judge looked hesitant, but in the end, he could only smile helplessly. ¡°These two pills are very similar in terms of grade, and both productions are very successful. It¡¯s hard to decide who¡¯s better, so this round¡­ is a tie!¡± Ning Zhiqing¡¯s heart relaxed as his back was instantly drenched by his cold sweat as if he had come back alive. Tie¡­ A tie is also good! It¡¯s better than losing! I don¡¯t want to face the same consequence as Xie Lingyang! The spectators were all stunned. How can it be a tie?! The two parties fought so intensely for so long, yet it ended up in a tie?! What kind of result is this? It can¡¯t be that Chong Xu Cabinet and Jiu Xing Alliance will be part of the top four clans together, right? ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± A furious voice was heard. Chu Liuyue turned around. Zhang Hua was walking over agitatedly. ¡°This is impossible! Chu Liuyue is a fourth-grade heavenly doctor, and Ning Zhiqing is a fifth-grade one! He¡¯s one whole grade higher than her! How can the two of them produce pills of the same standard?!¡± The judge¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Are you doubting my judgment?¡± Zhang Hua was stumped. No matter how unreasonable he was, he would never refute the judge in public. But¡­ he definitely couldn¡¯t accept this tie! ¡°Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill definitely has a problem!¡± He pointed his arrow toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°When she was producing the pill, she had wasted some of her herbs. Everyone present saw it clearly! Under such circumstances, it would normally be impossible for one to even produce the pill, let alone produce a high-grade one.¡± Hearing this, the judge felt that it was a joke. Zhang Hua isn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, so he said such ignorant words. ¡°You thought wrongly. It¡¯s precisely because Chu Liuyue struggled in between but still managed to produce the pill successfully that proves her talent and abilities!¡± If one gave her more time, she could definitely win against Ning Zhiqing completely. However, Zhang Hua was still in disbelief. He didn¡¯t dare to refute the judge head-on, so he looked at Chu Liuyue and coldly questioned, ¡°Chu Liuyue, if your conscience is really clear, do you dare to take out your pill and let it be closely checked again?¡± ¡°Zhang Hua, don¡¯t think of smearing and framing her!¡± Weichi Song also walked over, and he looked enraged. ¡°The results are already out. Who are you questioning?¡± Zhang Hua sneered. ¡°If she has no problems, what¡¯s there to be scared of? If she doesn¡¯t dare to do it, it proves that she¡¯s guilty! She¡¯s not worthy of this tie!¡± ¡°Who says that I don¡¯t dare?¡± Chu Liuyue stepped forward and gave Weichi Song a reassuring gaze as she smiled and looked at Ning Zhiqing. ¡°But if my pill needs to be re-checked, the same also has to be done for Ning Zhiqing¡¯s pill to ensure fairness!¡± The last shade of blood color in Ning Zhiqing¡¯s face instantly disappeared! Chapter 645 - Why are You Anxious? ¡°No¡­¡± said Ning Zhiqing and wanted to reject it. But Zhang Hua had already agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s do it together then! If they check and determine that your pill is flawed, then they should judge this match as your loss!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Ning Zhiqing with deep meaning as she smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure. Then¡­ What if they determine that Ning Zhiqing¡¯s pill is faulty? Shouldn¡¯t they judge that you¡¯ve lost too?¡± Zhang Hua coldly chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s definitely nothing wrong with his pill!¡± Ning Zhiqing was a publicly recognized talent as a heavenly doctor, and he had joined Jiu Xing Alliance for three years. The crowd also knew his abilities very clearly. If Zhang Hua wasn¡¯t sufficiently confident in him, he wouldn¡¯t let him go up last. Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiqing¡¯s face turned even paler as his body suddenly wavered. He almost fell to the ground. The judge asked, ¡°Ning Zhiqing, what¡¯s the matter? If you¡¯re not feeling well, you can go down and rest first.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°Yeah! This pill needs to be checked again anyway, and we don¡¯t have to worry about this process.¡± Ning Zhiqing shook his head and braved himself with much difficulty as he whispered toward Zhang Hua, ¡°Master, I think Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill should be okay. W-why don¡¯t¡­ we let this go¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Zhang Hua glanced at him in extreme disapproval. ¡°You¡¯re actually speaking for Chu Liuyue? Do you still remember that you¡¯re a Jiu Xing Alliance disciple? We must check this time! A tie is impossible! Besides, if it weren¡¯t because you¡¯re too useless, why would there be so much trouble?¡± After being lectured, Ning Zhiqing¡¯s face flashed white and red. He was as anxious as ants on a hot plate. If they really check thoroughly¡­ I don¡¯t know whether Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill has problems or not, but my messy doings would definitely be discovered! ¡°Master, w-why don¡¯t we hold another match if it¡¯s a tie? I don¡¯t think we should check this. I believe in the senior¡¯s judgment¡­¡± He tried to pull out the judge to convince Zhang Hua. But Zhang Hua had already made up his mind. Why would he listen to him? On the other hand, Ning Zhiqing¡¯s repeated disturbance made him suspect him. Under Zhang Hua¡¯s stern stare, Ning Zhiqing¡¯s heart gradually sank to the bottom as he lowered his head. At the same time, the hands in his sleeves clenched into fists. Now, I can only hope that my pill won¡¯t be detected to have any problems¡­ Weichi Song looked at Chu Liuyue with heartache. ¡°Liuyue, you must be tired, right? Why don¡¯t you go to the side and rest first?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and smiled. ¡°Thanks, Mentor, but this check won¡¯t take too long. I want to watch it personally.¡± ¡­ The judge placed the two pills in his hands. His left hand had Chu Liuyue¡¯s Zi Yang Pill, while his right hand had Ning Zhiqing¡¯s Rong Ling Pill. He first took Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill out and examined it carefully before leaning in to smell it. Da! He snapped his fingers, and an orange fire immediately appeared between them. The fire rapidly spread and quickly enveloped his entire palm. It even swallowed that Zi Yang Pill within. The next moment, the five lines suddenly moved on the Zi Yang Pill. It was like a ripple on a calm lake¡ªtidy and with rhythm. He retracted the fire, and the lines on the Zi Yang Pill wavered slightly before settling down. ¡°This Zi Yang Pill has no issues at all,¡± said the judge with certainty. Zhang Hua opened his mouth, but his eyes still had a tinge of suspicion and disbelief. He had also watched clearly when the judge was doing his checks previously. Even though he wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, he knew that the purer the pill¡¯s effects, the better the medicinal effect. The lines on the pill would also move in a tidier manner when it was burned with fire. This definitely couldn¡¯t be faked, so this also proved that Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill was a genuine fifth-grade one. Zhang Hua knitted his brows and glanced at Chu Liuyue. Could she be hiding her skills? Weichi Song stepped forward, and his gaze was like daggers as he stared at Zhang Hua. ¡°What else do you have to say now? As Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s master, you smeared my Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciple like that. Zhang Hua, shouldn¡¯t you apologize?¡± Zhang Hua felt very awkward. Me apologize to Chu Liuyue? Dream on! ¡°I just brought out a logical suspicion; I didn¡¯t really do anything. Besides, isn¡¯t everything clearly proved now? Old Song, you¡¯re Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master, and you¡¯re considered to be a well-respected elder. Why must you freak out over nothing and be so relentless on the issue?¡± Weichi Song was so furious that he laughed. ¡°I¡¯m relentless? Didn¡¯t you bring this matter up? The crowd can tell what¡¯s the truth and what¡¯s a lie. Besides, Liuyue is my disciple, yet you dare to bully her like this right in front of me. If I just let this off, everyone would think that my Chong Xu Cabinet is easily bullied and that anybody can trample all over us!¡± Ever since Chong Xu Cabinet had experienced the accident more than a year ago, he had tolerated everything and rarely had such an outburst in front of the crowd. His attitude was so strong today¡ªit seemed like he was serious. Zhang Hua was stared at by Weichi Song¡¯s cold gaze, and his aura was comparatively weaker. He coughed and said, ¡°Just take it that I misunderstood. Is that okay?¡± Without waiting for Weichi Song to speak, he continued, ¡°But the more important problem now is that this match is a tie, which means that our two clans are tied. I think we should add another match!¡± Today¡¯s competition involved the positions of the top four clans. How could they just end it with a tie? Zhang Hua was very confident. Anyway, Jiu Xing Alliance still has our trump card, while Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ Both Qiang Wanzhou and Chu Liuyue have already competed, especially Chu Liuyue, who can¡¯t participate in any other aspect. Chong Xu Cabinet doesn¡¯t have any disciples they can bring out! If we add one more match, no matter if it were warrior, Xuan Master, or heavenly doctor, our Jiu Xing Alliance will definitely win! ¡°Hold on!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly spoke as she smiled slightly and lifted her chin. ¡°Ning Zhiqing¡¯s pill hasn¡¯t been checked yet. Master Zhang, you don¡¯t have to be too anxious. It¡¯s not too late to talk about this until his results are out.¡± Zhang Hua coldly chuckled. ¡°His pill definitely has no problems! There¡¯s not much meaning if you continue to delay it!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and didn¡¯t say another word as she looked at the judge. Ning Zhiqing didn¡¯t say anything as he froze there, and his gaze was dodgy. The judge returned the Zi Yang Pill to Chu Liuyue as he started checking Ning Zhiqing¡¯s Rong Ling Pill. After looking at it for one round and smelling it, it was the same as before and had no issues. He then summoned the orange-red fire in his palm again. The fire immediately wrapped around the Rong Ling Pill. Very quickly, the lines on it started moving. The first few lines were very normal, but the fifth line was slightly slower. Even though it was only a momentary distance, it was very clear that the few lines started moving in different directions. Zhang Hua¡¯s expression suddenly froze. The judge suddenly furrowed. If this is the situation¡­ His fingertips moved, and the fire suddenly burned even more intensely than before. The fifth line on top started wavering even more. Then¡­ Ka! The Rong Ling Pill suddenly exploded! Chapter 646 - Many Highlights to Watch This commotion immediately attracted the crowd¡¯s attention. Everyone in the surroundings seemed to have looked over. Those who stood a bit further away would even stand on their toes and stick their heads in to take a closer look. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s with the sound just now?¡± ¡°I think Ning Zhiqing¡¯s pill exploded¡­¡± ¡°Exploded?! What does that mean?¡± ¡°What else can it mean? His pill has problems! Something must¡¯ve happened when he was producing it, which affected this pill¡¯s medicinal effects. Hence, it would explode under such a circumstance. Did you see it? There¡¯s a large crack on the pill!¡± ¡°Haha! I didn¡¯t expect the one to have problems not to be Chu Liuyue but Ning Zhiqing! This time, Jiu Xing Alliance has really shot themselves in the foot! They originally could¡¯ve tied, but this happened in the end¡­ Aren¡¯t they bound to lose?!¡± The bustling noises came from all directions. Everyone in Jiu Xing Alliance was stunned. Zhang Hua was also dazed. Ning Zhiqing¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet, and he closed his eyes in despair. As expected¡­ I couldn¡¯t avoid it¡­ ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this pill.¡± The judge retracted his fire. The Rong Ling Pill lay quietly in his palm. A clear crack could be seen on it, and above that, the edges also seemed to be burned. This pill couldn¡¯t tolerate the impact, so it directly became like this and couldn¡¯t withstand his checks for long. ¡°Your pill should¡¯ve had issues long ago. You forcefully merged the last few herbs inside and hoped that you could hide your mistakes, right?¡± asked the judge solemnly and sternly. Ning Zhiqing¡¯s lips trembled. He didn¡¯t dare to deny or acknowledge it. Seeing this, what else did the crowd not understand? He was long guilty! It¡¯s no wonder he kept stopping Zhang Hua earlier on. It was to prevent himself from being exposed! It¡¯s a pity that Zhang Hua was bent on trampling Chong Xu Cabinet and insisted on his way. He couldn¡¯t even listen to anything. After everything that¡¯s happened, they pushed themselves down the water! Seeing the damaged pill in his hands, the judge was also scarred. If it really was because of my mistake that ruined this competition¡¯s results, I would definitely be very guilty. I wouldn¡¯t be able to face the crowd. I couldn¡¯t check the first time because firstly, I wasn¡¯t meticulous enough. Secondly, Ning Zhiqing disguised himself too well. Thinking about it now, it was very close. Thinking of this, he said words filled with apology to Weichi Song and Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I almost made the wrong judgment, and you almost lost your victory.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Without you, we wouldn¡¯t have known that this was the result. We still have to thank you.¡± The judge looked at Zhang Hua and said ambiguously, ¡°If you want to thank someone, you should thank Master Zhang! If he didn¡¯t insist on a re-check, I wouldn¡¯t have discovered these problems! I almost got cheated!¡± This sentence was akin to a rod that harshly hit Zhang Hua¡¯s head. His vision turned black, and his body wavered. He almost couldn¡¯t stand still. He had seen the previous scene very clearly, and he had completely understood the words they said. At this very moment, a thought filled his entire brain and kept resounding within: Ning Zhiqing¡¯s pill has problems! Ning Zhiqing lost! Jiu Xing Alliance lost! The position as one of the top four clans still belongs to Chong Xu Cabinet! All our efforts have been totally wasted! He suddenly turned around and kicked Ning Zhiqing! ¡°This is the good thing you did!¡± Following a crisp bone-breaking sound, Ning Zhiqing fell to the ground harshly and spat out blood. ¡°¡­Master¡­ I¡­ I know I¡¯m wrong¡­¡± Zhang Hua couldn¡¯t release his hatred as he hurriedly went forward and directly lifted Ning Zhiqing by his collar. ¡°What¡¯s the use of knowing you¡¯re wrong?! Ning Zhiqing, I think you¡¯re really tired of living!¡± Snap! Ning Zhiqing was thrown to the floor, and his entire body was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t stand up. The judge finally said nonchalantly, ¡°Master Zhang, what are you doing? He¡¯s indeed in the wrong for hiding the fact that his pill had problems and that he tried to push his pill across, but he¡¯s still your Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s disciple after all. It seems¡­ rather inappropriate for you to be so harsh, right?¡± Zhang Hua¡¯s chest kept heaving up and down. Inappropriate? I can even kill Ning Zhiqing now! He took a deep breath in and suppressed his exploding anger with much difficulty. ¡°Quickly, bring him down! What an eyesore!¡± Two people immediately rushed forward and carried Ning Zhiqing down. The spectators exchanged glances. Even though Ning Zhiqing was in the wrong, Zhang Hua¡¯s actions are too heartless. No matter what, he¡¯s one of the top few disciples in Jiu Xing Alliance. He¡¯s only lost to Chu Liuyue by accident, yet he¡¯s treated like this now¡­ It could be seen how ruthless and selfish Zhang Hua is as a person. If such a clan really became one of the top four clans, it would only spell trouble. The judge surveyed the surroundings and boomed, ¡°Chu Liuyue won the ninth heavenly doctor match! At the same time, Chong Xu Cabinet has eventually won after tallying all 27 matches¡¯ points! Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s challenge failed, and Chong Xu Cabinet will continue to be one of the top four clans!¡± He cupped his fists toward Weichi Song and smiled. ¡°Old Song, congratulations!¡± Weichi Song returned the action, but he was still in a daze. We won¡­ just like that? We saved¡­ our position? ¡°This is great!¡± Lu Zhiyao and the rest reacted for a moment and immediately yelled out in excitement and elation. ¡°Little Junior Sister, you¡¯re amazing!¡± The crowd ran over and surrounded Chu Liuyue and Weichi Song. All of them had big smiles plastered on their faces. ¡°Little Junior Sister won! We won!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Someone previously said that our Chong Xu Cabinet wasn¡¯t going to make it and that they wanted to replace us. What happened in the end? They still couldn¡¯t win against us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If you don¡¯t have the ability, don¡¯t think too much! If not, you¡¯ll just be a laughingstock!¡± ¡°Pfft. If I were part of the Jiu Xing Alliance, I really wouldn¡¯t have the cheek to continue staying here! My face¡­ hurts!¡± This side was very lively, while Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s side was miserable. They looked completely different from their arrogant selves when they first came. Who would¡¯ve thought things would end up like this? Everything was clearly going well beforehand¡­ In the end, Chong Xu Cabinet won all four of the last matches, and they forcefully turned their loss into victory! Three of those matches were even won by Chu Liuyue herself! How perverted! ¡­ The commotion on this end had attracted the other clans¡¯ attention. When the crowd found out that Chong Xu Cabinet had saved their position with the help of Qiang Wanzhou and Chu Liuyue, they all had different reactions. ¡°It seems like Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t count on luck to take first place in the Wan Zheng Competition¡­¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what kind of luck Chong Xu Cabinet has to be able to revive under such circumstances¡­¡± ¡°Jiu Xing Alliance really wasted their efforts. With two such disciples, Chong Xu Cabinet will definitely be one to watch in the future!¡± Chapter 647 - Invite Her Over Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°¡­Master, what should we do now?¡± The atmosphere on Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s side was very stiff, and nobody dared to speak. Only an elder braved himself, stepped forward, and spoke carefully. Zhang Hua clenched hard on his molars. We¡¯ve already lost, so what else can we do? If I knew earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have made this extra move back then. I would¡¯ve directly added an extra match. However, there isn¡¯t any medicine for regret in this world. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He flung his sleeves harshly and turned around to leave quickly. The Jiu Xing Alliance crowd also hurriedly followed as they ran off under countless pairs of stares. After walking out of the crowd, Zhang Hua turned around to look. Chu Liuyue seemed to have noticed it as she looked up and raised her brows slightly. Zhang Hua said with hatred, ¡°Chu Liuyue, just you wait! You won¡¯t be this delighted all the time!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly, and her eyes curved up. ¡°It¡¯s good if I can be more delighted. It¡¯s better than being disappointed all the time!¡± Zhang Hua was stumped, and he almost puked blood as his blood boiled with anger. He quickly disappeared from the crowd¡¯s gazes. In no time, everyone from Jiu Xing Alliance had left Square Gully. Only the crowd¡¯s endless whispers were left. The other three groups¡¯ matches had also ended respectively. Without any surprise, the victorious ones were still those few clans. After one big round, the positions of the top four clans still belonged to the same four. However, Sheng Yan Harem and the other clans that had lost the competition weren¡¯t as frustrated as Jiu Xing Alliance. They long knew that with their clan¡¯s abilities and skills, it was impossible for them to be compared to Dragon Teeth Mountain and the rest. Hence, it was normal for them to lose. Moreover, Chong Xu Cabinet¡ªwhich they previously thought was bound to lose¡ªactually flipped the tables at the last minute and stabilized their position. This made them feel very surprised. At the same time, they also felt lucky. Even Jiu Xing Alliance lost, let alone us. Luckily, we weren¡¯t the ones who competed with Chong Xu Cabinet today. If not, we would end up as humiliated as Jiu Xing Alliance. But this also gave them a warning. The current Chong Xu Cabinet might look like an empty shell, but it shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. A starving camel was still bigger than a horse. With Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s painful lesson in front, it was better for them to be more obedient. ¡­ With that, the clan competition swiftly ended. The news quickly spread around Xi Ling City. Amongst which, the happenings between Jiu Xing Alliance and Chong Xu Cabinet amazed people. Especially when Qiang Wanzhou won against the other party with two sword moves and how Chu Liuyue consecutively won three matches alone as they forcefully turned the tides. This news spread even further. The people who thought Chu Liuyue only took first place in the Wan Zheng Competition due to her luck had started to change their views of her. Chu Liuyue was originally quite famous in Xi Ling. Now, her name was even more well-known. In no time, she was in the limelight. ¡­ In the palace, Huayang Palace. Two palace maids were softly talking under an osmanthus tree. ¡°Hey, do you think that Chu Liuyue is really that capable?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s not capable, how can she win three matches consecutively? To a great extent, it was all because of her that Chong Xu Cabinet could save its spot as one of the top four clans.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that she came from an ordinary background and that her cultivation level isn¡¯t high?¡± ¡°Who knows if she hid her cultivation level? Even if she didn¡¯t, she¡¯s really capable! When she first came, she won against a stage-five warrior more than one time as a stage-three warrior! Besides, how long has she been in Xi Ling? Less than two months, right? She has already broken through to become a peak stage-four warrior from a stage-three warrior! Her speed is super enviable!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ Not mentioning how she cultivates in all three aspects, but she¡¯s even very outstanding in all of them. There aren¡¯t many such talents in Xi Ling! When thinking back, Princess was also like this¡­¡± ¡°Shh! Are you courting death? How dare you bring up that person? Be careful in case Third Princess hears it¡ª¡± One of the palace maids hurriedly slapped the other lady¡¯s elbow and spoke anxiously. The lady who was hit held her elbow in pain and said nonchalantly, ¡°Third Princess went to Qingfeng Palace today, and she won¡¯t be coming back within two hours¡ª¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± A light but cold voice suddenly sounded from behind the duo. The two ladies hurriedly turned around. Once they saw the incoming person, they immediately kneeled down in horror. ¡°Third Princess, may you live for a thousand years!¡± Shangguan Wan was decked in a luxurious palace outfit, and her hair was tied up nicely. Her makeup was exquisite, and she looked very elegant. Chan Yi was supporting her from the side. ¡°Just now, I seem to have heard you talking about my elder sister?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s gaze swept across the duo¡¯s faces as she asked lightly. ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong! Third Princess, please forgive us this time!¡± The two palace maids kept kowtowing and acknowledging their mistakes. With their foreheads harshly smashing against the stone ground, blood quickly appeared. Shangguan Wan looked down. Seeing her nails that had just been manicured, there was no expression on her face. ¡°It¡¯s originally a severe crime for one to privately talk about their masters. Besides, you were still talking about my elder sister. Your crime is even worse. Chan Yi¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Chase them out of the palace. They aren¡¯t allowed to enter for the rest of their lives.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Upon hearing this, the two palace maids were shocked as they cried and begged. ¡°Third Princess, we really know that we¡¯re wrong! Please don¡¯t chase us out!¡± They had been serving in Huayang Palace for quite some time and had heard quite a few rumors. For example, the palace people who were chased out because they offended the Third Princess actually didn¡¯t even get to step out of the palace before they silently disappeared. It was unknown what was waiting for them. This resulted in the duo crazily begging for mercy. Chan Yi gave a look to the two eunuchs standing nearby, and very quickly, a few people rushed up to cover the two palace maids¡¯ mouths as they were dragged away. Their cries gradually disappeared. Chan Yi said, ¡°Third Princess, don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t appear in front of you again.¡± A tinge of cold frustration then appeared on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face. ¡°Tell them to clean up properly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Shangguan Wan then walked toward her sleeping area. After taking a few steps, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s with the clan competition?¡± Chan Yi briefly told her about the incident. The palace never participated in this incident, but all of them knew what they should. As she listened on, Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression gradually turned cold. ¡°¡­This is basically what happened. Now, everyone in Xi Ling City is talking about her,¡± said Chan Yi. Shangguan Wan suddenly sneered. ¡°She¡¯s really becoming very incredible. She¡¯s only come to Xi Ling for more than a month, but she has been in the limelight quite often.¡± Chan Yi lowered her head and didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this before, but she actually cultivates in all three aspects¡­ What a coincidence. Are all of the people with a ¡®Yue¡¯ in their names like this?¡± She is indeed pretty similar to my elder sister with a short life. No matter if it¡¯s her talent, name, or¡­ looks! This caused Shangguan Wan to feel as if her heart was being pricked every time she thought of it. ¡°Speaking of this, she¡¯s an outstanding talent that even I can¡¯t compare with!¡± Chan Yi said, ¡°She¡¯s just a lowly commoner. How can she be worthy of comparison to you, Third Princess?¡± Shangguan Wan walked to the door of her bedroom. She placed one foot in and suddenly stopped. ¡°Invite her into the palace. Say that I¡­ admire her very much and that I want to invite her to come to the palace.¡± Chapter 648 - Her Palace! ¡°Third Princess invites me to the palace?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows strangely and was dazed. ¡°Yes. Third Princess heard of your excellent performance during the clan competition, and she strongly admires your outstanding performance, so she wants to invite you to the palace,¡± said Chan Yi clearly with her hands on top of each other on her stomach. Even if this was Chong Xu Cabinet, she was still as respectful, serious, and well-mannered as she was in the palace. Many thoughts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. I¡¯m still thinking of how to get close to those people, but Shangguan Wan has now taken the initiative to invite me into the palace. It¡¯s clear that she didn¡¯t suddenly do this out of so-called ¡®admiration¡¯ but because she has other motives. Actually, Chu Liuyue had purposely aroused Shangguan Wan¡¯s suspicions at Thousand View Garden last time by intentionally smiling and moving like she used to. This wasn¡¯t just to make Shangguan Wan uneasy but also to plant a suspicion in her heart. She didn¡¯t expect that only a month had passed before Shangguan Wan started to become restless. The clan competition just ended the day before, and today morning, Shangguan Wan has already sent Chan Yi over. Her patience doesn¡¯t seem to be as good as last time¡­ ¡°It¡¯s my honor to receive the Third Princess¡¯s sincere invitation.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly, and her face had a tinge of curiosity and excitement. It looked as though she was very surprised, but she still tried hard to control herself. ¡°I wonder what date the Third Princess set the¡ª¡± ¡°Ms. Chu, please follow me back to the palace today if it¡¯s convenient for you.¡± ¡°Today?¡± Chu Liuyue seemed hesitant. ¡°Yes, I have nothing much to do today, but isn¡¯t it inappropriate for me not to prepare anything and go into the palace like this?¡± Chan Yi¡¯s eyes swept across Chu Liuyue¡¯s face rapidly, and contempt surfaced in her heart. However, she didn¡¯t show it on her face at all as she was still very polite on the surface. ¡°Ms. Chu, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. The Third Princess likes you very much, and she won¡¯t calculate this against you.¡± The worry on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face disappeared as she revealed an assured and elated smile. ¡°If this is so, then I feel better. Then¡­ sorry for the trouble.¡± ¡°Ms. Chu, please¡ª¡± The moment Chu Liuyue followed Chan Yi and stepped out of the main hall door, Qiang Wanzhou and Ye Ranran¡ªwho were waiting outside nervously¡ªboth looked over. Actually, the door wasn¡¯t closed, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s conversation with her inside could be heard by them outside very clearly. Ye Ranran walked forward and asked very hesitantly, ¡°Liuyue, do you really want to go to the palace?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Yes. Third Princess personally sent someone over to invite me, which shows her sincerity. I¡¯ll be back very soon¡ªyou don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Shangguan Wan did this so openly. Even if she really wants to do something, she won¡¯t pick this time to do it. Shangguan Wan still has this bit of a brain. Ye Ranran rapidly glanced at Chan Yi. For some reason, she felt that this palace maid was amiss. Even though the latter looked like she had no problems on the surface, she had a displeasing and uneasy aura around her. ¡°Okay then¡­ Come back soon.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and pinched her chubby face. This girl thinks that she¡¯s hidden it very well, but actually, her thoughts are written all over her face. She looked at Qiang Wanzhou. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue undetectably shook her head. She knew that Qiang Wanzhou wanted to follow her, but this was clearly inappropriate. ¡°Little Zhou, remember to eat the pill I gave you earlier. I¡¯ll take your pulse when I come back.¡± Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other and finally nodded. At this point, Weichi Song suddenly walked over. ¡°Greetings, Master Weichi.¡± Chan Yi bowed respectfully. Weichi Song smiled. ¡°Liuyue, I¡¯ll accompany you down the hill.¡± Chu Liuyue asked in confusion, ¡°You want to go to the palace too?¡± Weichi Song shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to the Jiang Residence.¡± Chan Yi¡¯s expression changed slightly. Chu Liuyue immediately understood it in her heart. Weichi Song plans to continue investigating Jiang Yucheng. No matter if it¡¯s because of the Messed Yuan Gravel or the zither room, he has almost confirmed whatever Jiang Yucheng did and plans to bite him to death. Jiang Yucheng won¡¯t have easy days in the future. She smiled and looked at Chan Yi. ¡°Ms. Chan Yi, is it okay if my mentor follows us down the hill?¡± Chan Yi said, ¡°Of course not. Master Weichi, Ms. Chu, please¡ª¡± ¡­ After the trio left Qing Yuan Mountain, they walked together for a distance before finally separating. Chu Liuyue and Chan Yi walked toward the palace, while Weichi Song turned to go to the Jiang Residence. Walking on the broad and clean street before the palace, one just had to look up to see the magnificent palace. The solemn halls stood right in front. As the sun shone on the bright-yellow roofs, they looked like they were dazzling. Meticulous carvings of nine fiends were on the corners¡ªdistinguished, solemn, and holy. Chu Liuyue looked calm on the surface, but her heart was in turmoil. This is the place I am the most familiar with. I was born here, and I died here. I was once basked in glory and very distinguished. I had also suffered all kinds of torture and bled everywhere. My entire life¡¯s worth of glory and heart-wrenching pain is buried here. Today¡­ I¡¯m finally back! I¡¯ve finally stepped through this gate again! Chan Yi took a few steps forward and realized that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t follow up. She turned around and saw the latter looking at the palace entrance and the halls in front of her dazedly. Chan Yi knitted her brows slightly as frustration quickly flashed across her eyes. ¡°Ms. Chu? We should go in.¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze, and her gem-like eyes were deep but dazzled like the stars. She then slightly nodded, lifted her legs, and walked forward. Chapter 649 - Yuan Meridian Chu Liuyue followed Chan Yi and entered through the side gate, going straight toward Huayang Palace. It was currently late winter, and the winds were harshly cold. When they blew on one¡¯s face, it felt like a knife was cutting it. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue felt something cold on her glabella, and she looked up. Pure, white snowflakes floated down. It actually snowed. The two of them walked forward. When they reached Huayang Palace, a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the smooth and tidy marble floor. Seeing Chan Yi come back, the palace people all bowed toward her. Quite a few people¡¯s gazes landed on Chu Liuyue. Previously, they had already received news that the Third Princess would invite Chu Liuyue over. This¡­ must be it. Before this, they only heard about her in rumors. Now that they finally saw the real her, they felt that the rumors were actually quite believable. At the very least, this outstanding appearance and elegant demeanor were genuine. Chan Yi walked forward. ¡°Third Princess, Ms. Chu is here.¡± A gentle voice came from inside. ¡°Hurry up and bring her in.¡± Chan Yi bowed toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Chu, please.¡± Chu Liuyue slightly nodded and followed her in. ¡­ Since a very long time ago, Huayang Palace had been Shangguan Wan¡¯s bedroom. Amongst the many halls in the palace, Huayang Palace was very unassuming. No matter if it were its size, position, or construction, it was only average at best. Shangguan Wan¡¯s birth mother had a lowly status, so she wasn¡¯t very well-liked either and had been bullied countless times when she was young. Later on, Chu Liuyue felt that she was miserable and took pity on her, so she always put in a word for her in front of her father. Shangguan Wan¡¯s situation improved since then, and she even moved to Huayang Palace. Even though Huayang Palace couldn¡¯t be compared to Chu Liuyue¡¯s palace, it was already a huge improvement to the Shangguan Wan back then. Chu Liuyue originally thought that Shangguan Wan would change her place of residence after she came into power. However, she didn¡¯t expect the latter to still be here. But Huayang Palace has been renovated. Judging from the surrounding views and its design, she must¡¯ve spent quite a fortune. Behind the screen, a graceful figure walked out. Her looks were pretty, and she had a smile on her lips with a tinge of spring-like nature. At the same time, her eyes were filled with the distance and elegance of being superior. It was Shangguan Wan! Chu Liuyue glanced at her and bent her knees to bow. ¡°Greetings, Third Princess.¡± Shangguan Wan went up and gestured for her to get up as she smiled and said, ¡°Quickly, get up. I invited you over today because I have a few things I wanted to seek advice from you. You don¡¯t have to be this courteous.¡± Even though she said this, her back was very straight, and she was three steps away from Chu Liuyue. This showed that she didn¡¯t have any intentions of letting Chu Liuyue ease herself. Chu Liuyue had seen too many of such methods back then, so she completely didn¡¯t care. After she bowed, she stood up and slightly smiled at Shangguan Wan. ¡°Thank you, Third Princess.¡± Shangguan Wan was dazed for a moment, and she hesitated in her actions. We were a distance away the previous time we met, so I couldn¡¯t see her very clearly. Now that she¡¯s standing so close, I can see her face very clearly. This face¡­ When she smiles, it¡¯s really like¡­ A tinge of hatred surfaced in Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart, but she didn¡¯t show it at all as she smiled and sat down at the host seat. ¡°Ms. Chu, you don¡¯t have to be courteous. Sit.¡± Chan Yi walked to Shangguan Wan and served her. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t courteous at all as she swiftly sat down at the side after thanking her. Others might be wary of Shangguan Wan¡¯s identity, but not her. Shangguan Wan saw her carefree manner and was speechless for a moment. After a momentary pause, she found a topic to start off with. ¡°Ms. Chu, I¡¯ve already heard about what happened at the clan competition. Your talent is really enviable.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Compared to you, Third Princess, my talent is nothing. I heard that you had already become a stage-seven warrior two years ago. How can I compare to you?¡± Shangguan Wan felt something stuck in her heart. She was indeed a stage-seven warrior two years ago, but her Yuan meridian was ruined after that incident. Nothing she did could recover it¡ªshe had long become akin to a useless person. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were undoubtedly pricking her heart. She forced a smile, picked up her teacup, and sipped it, hiding the cold expression on her face. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Chu Liuyue smiled slightly with a sincere expression. That¡¯s true. There are only three people who know about my condition, including myself. How would Chu Liuyue know about it? ¡°My elder sister left me more than a year ago, and I have been devastated over it for a long time. I fell gravely sick, and even now, I frequently can¡¯t sleep. Thus, it¡¯s inevitable that I neglected my cultivation. Sorry for letting you see this joke.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Third Princess¡¯s elder sister should be the late Princess, right? It looks like both of you were on really good terms. Every time you bring her up, you look very upset.¡± ¡°Of course. I grew up with my elder sister from a young age, and our relationship can¡¯t be compared to others.¡± Shangguan Wan placed her teacup down¡ªwhich made quite a sound¡ªbefore she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Chu, don¡¯t mind me, but you really look quite similar to my elder sister. So every time I look at you, I¡¯ll think about her. But speaking of which, Ms. Chu, you seem to have heard rumors about my elder sister?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Actually, I just heard Young Master Jian mention her a few times.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Oh? Jian Fengchi? What did he tell you?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled nonchalantly. ¡°When Young Master Jian first met me, he said that I looked like someone from his past, and he mentioned a few small incidents between them. I only found out that he was talking about the Princess after I came to Xi Ling.¡± Chu Liuyue pushed the blame to Jian Fengchi without hesitation. Shangguan Wan will definitely suspect Jian Fengchi, but it¡¯s impossible for her to start a conflict with him over this. In the past, Jian Fengchi was on quite good terms with Shangguan Wan, but now¡­ Chu Liuyue also didn¡¯t know what happened between them, but it was clear that the two of them weren¡¯t as close as before. Jian Fengchi had always been carefree. If he hated a person, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let that person have a good time. This was the case for the late Shangguan Yue and naturally even more so toward Shangguan Wan. ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s not strange that he¡¯d tell you about this because he always had a good relationship with my elder sister. After she passed on, he was sad for quite some time,¡± said Shangguan Wan slowly as she looked down. Chu Liuyue was dazed. Jian Fengchi¡­ was sad for me? How could that be? Back then, both of us hated each other when we saw each other. Whenever Jian Fengchi had the chance, he would go against me and cause trouble for me. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ ¡°Forget it; let¡¯s not talk about that. I heard that you came from Country Yao Chen outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, right?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Shangguan Wan looked at her and slightly smiled as she seemingly asked unintentionally, ¡°I heard that you were born with a lacking Yuan meridian and only officially started cultivating more than a year ago. I¡¯m quite curious. How did you¡­ heal your Yuan meridian?¡± Chapter 650 - Wake Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios So it¡¯s because of this. Chu Liuyue laughed inwardly. That¡¯s true. Back then, I burned my Yuan meridian and conveniently burned Shangguan Wan¡¯s Yuan meridian completely. Until now, she hasn¡¯t recovered. How can she not be anxious? The strength that came from a Tianjing Yuan meridian burning itself was extremely terrifying, and its effects were long-lasting. Not to mention that Shangguan Wan had no way, but even Shangguan Yue might not be able to heal it at her peak. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t dare to publicize this issue, but she must have her trusted heavenly doctors in the dark. More than a year has passed, but she hasn¡¯t improved a single bit. This shows that she has used all her methods. If she wasn¡¯t driven to a corner, Shangguan Wan wouldn¡¯t have anxiously summoned me to the palace. ¡°Oh, so you wanted to ask about this. Actually, it¡¯s a long story¡­¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes as if she was recalling something and said slowly, ¡°I did have a lacking Yuan meridian since birth. I have seen many heavenly doctors, but it was to no avail. Until one day, I accidentally met a mysterious person when I was kidnapped to a forest outside the Imperial City¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who that person is, and I didn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s face. The other party only gave me a pill and a prescription. After eating the pill, I took herbs according to the prescription and ate the medicine in a timely manner. Not long later, my Yuan meridian recovered to normal. Afterward, I wanted to find that mysterious person and thank him, but I couldn¡¯t find him at all. Slowly, this matter was set aside.¡± After hearing this, Shangguan Wan¡¯s first reaction was disbelief. ¡°Just¡­ like this?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and nodded. ¡°Just like that.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. Can there be such a coincidence? When Chu Liuyue was set up, she was saved by a strong warrior. The other party barely knew her, but he took the initiative to help her heal her Yuan meridian? And afterward, that person just disappeared into thin air? Then, what does that person actually want? Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t believe that something would just fall into one¡¯s lap. She didn¡¯t believe a single word of whatever Chu Liuyue said. But other than the person involved, nobody would know about this sort of thing. If Chu Liuyue was reluctant to say it, she had no other way. ¡°¡­Such a fateful encounter is rare¡­ Ms. Chu, you¡¯ve really met your benefactor.¡± Shangguan Wan sized Chu Liuyue up and said ambiguously, ¡°Not only did you heal your Yuan meridian, but he even directly upgraded your Yuan meridian to a Dijing one¡­ If news of this gets out, many people would be envious of you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Many people in Country Yao Chen have asked me about my experience. I didn¡¯t expect Third Princess to be interested in this as well.¡± ¡°I have seen some people recover from physical damage to their Yuan meridian, but I have never seen someone with a lacking Yuan meridian since birth being able to cultivate. Hence, I couldn¡¯t help but be curious and asked more,¡± said Shangguan Wan as she sighed. ¡°The one who is able to do this must be formidable. If there¡¯s a chance, I really want to meet that person¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled genuinely. ¡°Honestly speaking, I want to meet that person more than anyone else and thank that person on purpose. It¡¯s a pity¡­ That person disappeared without a trace, and I can¡¯t look for him at all.¡± Shangguan Wan was frustrated. Only Chu Liuyue herself knows what happened. If she doesn¡¯t want to say it, who can force her? She¡¯s currently in the limelight in Xi Ling, and her every move is being watched. Therefore, I can¡¯t easily touch her. At this moment, an announcement was heard. ¡°Third Princess, Physician Zuo Mingxi is here.¡± Shangguan Wan felt strange. ¡°Why did Physician Zuo come at this time?¡± Chan Yi softly reminded, ¡°Your Highness, you forgot. It¡¯s Physician Zuo¡¯s turn to take His Majesty¡¯s pulse today. You previously said that after Physician Zuo takes his pulse, he must come over and report His Majesty¡¯s condition to you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand on the armrest curved slightly. ¡°Oh, I did forget about it. Ask him to wait at the side hall for a moment. I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± said Shangguan Wan as she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I still have some things to handle. May I trouble Ms. Chu to wait here for a moment? If you¡¯re bored, you can ask Chan Yi to bring you around Huayang Palace.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately said, ¡°Third Princess, please¡ª¡± Shangguan Wan stood up, left, and quickly arrived outside the hall. Chu Liuyue looked over and saw Zuo Mingxi¡¯s figure standing outside. ¡°Physician Zuo, why did you come so early today?¡± That was Shangguan Wan¡¯s voice. Zuo Mingxi bowed and said, ¡°My jade token is done, so I came earlier to collect it.¡± Light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Jade token? The jade token he¡¯s referring to. Could it be¡ª ¡°That¡¯s good. This jade token is a symbol of your identity. Physician Zuo, you must be careful next time and don¡¯t lose it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember your teachings, Third Princess.¡± ¡°Follow me¡­¡± ¡­ The duo walked to the side hall, and their voices completely disappeared. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was shocked. So the jade token that Jian Fengchi accidentally dropped that day is Zuo Mingxi¡¯s?! Zuo Mingxi said he lost it. Then, did Jian Fengchi unintentionally pick it up after he lost it, or did Jian Fengchi purposely take it away from him? After thinking about the faint Long Xian Fragrance on Jian Fengchi that day¡­ He clearly came to the palace before! Also, it¡¯s very possible that he entered Father¡¯s bedroom! But why is he doing this? There seemed to be mist in front of Chu Liuyue, and she couldn¡¯t see clearly. She stood up. Chan Yi immediately asked, ¡°Ms. Chu, do you want to look around?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled. ¡°Would it be too much trouble?¡± Chan Yi respectfully said, ¡°Ms. Chu, you¡¯re too polite. Since Third Princess has already spoken, you don¡¯t have to care so much. Why don¡¯t I bring you to the garden behind?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± The duo then walked out of the main hall. After leaving, Chu Liuyue seemed to unintentionally look in the direction of the side hall and softly whisper, ¡°So that person is Physician Zuo Mingxi. I heard that he¡¯s a very capable heavenly doctor.¡± Chan Yi seemed to ¡®accidentally¡¯ block Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision with her body as her facial expression was polite and distant. ¡°Physician Zuo is an imperial physician, so his medical skills are naturally outstanding. Why? Ms. Chu, are you interested in this?¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to have not heard the warning in the other¡¯s voice as she smiled and said, ¡°Not really. I just heard my mentor say that there are quite a few capable imperial physicians in the palace, so I admire them in my heart. I didn¡¯t expect to be lucky enough to see one today.¡± Chan Yi glanced at her, and her suspicions gradually dispelled. She had heard that Chu Liuyue was also a heavenly doctor, so her words sounded quite normal. ¡°The back garden is here. Ms. Chu, please follow me.¡± Then, Chan Yi led the way in front. Chu Liuyue followed her. ¡­ On the other end, after Shangguan Wan and Zuo Mingxi entered the side hall, she asked frankly, ¡°Physician Zuo, how is my father¡¯s condition? Did he show any signs of waking up?¡± Chapter 651 - Bear To Zuo Mingxi shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Shangguan Wan sighed regretfully. As expected¡­ ¡°Haven¡¯t you been giving Father medicine all along? Why hasn¡¯t he shown any signs after so long?¡± Shangguan Wan knitted her sharp brows and really couldn¡¯t understand it. Back then, we secretly used poison in order to create the fake news of Father being severely ill and thus unconscious in bed. Back then, we planned to conveniently settle Father as well after setting Shangguan Yue up. To the outside world, we could just say that he was devastated over Shangguan Yue¡¯s death and had passed on. Some things changed later on, so we had to wait for Father to wake up. Due to this, we stopped giving him poison and kept treating him, hoping he could wake up soon. However, this wait has lasted for more than a year. Until now, there are still no movements at all. Zuo Mingxi looked guilty. ¡°I am useless.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression was still ugly. If not because this incident is too secretive and that I can only trust these few heavenly doctors, I would¡¯ve long¡ª Zuo Mingxi kept quiet for a while and said hesitantly, ¡°Your Highness, actually¡­ A while back, His Majesty¡¯s health seemed to be slightly better. Back then, both his breathing and his pulse were obviously stronger than before. Logically speaking, His Majesty should¡¯ve woken up by now if that progress continued¡­ But for some reason, His Majesty¡¯s condition started worsening afterward. Ever since then, his condition has been fluctuating, which led to him still being unconscious at this point.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s face was dark. ¡°So? What exactly do you want to say?¡± Zuo Mingxi looked conflicted as he cupped his fists and bowed before speaking carefully. ¡°Your Highness, I have a guess in my heart, but I don¡¯t know if I should say it.¡± ¡°What guess? Just say it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Perhaps someone did something to cause His Majesty¡¯s current condition?¡± Shangguan Wan suddenly looked at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zuo Mingxi said, ¡°Ever since I noticed that His Majesty¡¯s body seemed to be improving, I roughly understood how to wake him up. Hence, I kept using the same method to treat him. It was effective for the first few days, but afterward, his condition fluctuated for some reason. I confirmed that my prescription had no problems, so this shouldn¡¯t have happened. Therefore¡­ I¡¯m suspecting that there must be something fishy.¡± ¡°How can this be? I¡¯ve always sent people to guard Qingfeng Palace strictly, and even a bird can¡¯t fly in. Besides, the three of you have been taking turns to take care of Father¡¯s health. He hasn¡¯t been touched by any other heavenly doctors¡­¡± Those who can enter and leave Qingfeng Palace are all the ones that I respect. Why would this problem arise? ¡°This is also my guess, so it might not be true.¡± Zuo Mingxi immediately said, ¡°After all¡­ With that medicine¡­ it is already very rare for His Majesty to survive until now.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s face was as dark as water, and she didn¡¯t say a word. When I poisoned him back then, I only thought of killing him. Who would¡¯ve thought of reviving him? I originally didn¡¯t realize, but after hearing what Zuo Mingxi said, I can¡¯t help but be suspicious. Upon deeper thought, this might indeed be possible¡­ ¡°Who kept going in and out of Qingfeng Palace these two months?¡± Zuo Mingxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Other than the three of us, it should be you and Prince Consort, right?¡± If outsiders wanted to go, they still had to seek Shangguan Wan¡¯s approval. This really wasn¡¯t that easy. Doubts flashed across Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes. If someone really did it, who could it be? ¡­ Chu Liuyue followed Chan Yi to Huayang Palace¡¯s back garden. This place had clearly been renovated as every inch was as intricate as ever with a touch of golden elegance. There were quite a few flowers and plants in the garden. It was currently winter, but most of the flowers were still blooming with bright purple and red. Together with the flawlessly white snow, it was very good-looking. Chu Liuyue strangely asked, ¡°The weather is so cold. These flowers are¡ª¡± ¡°Third Princess ordered people to dig a drain below and let the spring water in. Even in late winter, the ground is still very warm. Hence, these flowers can still bloom in winter as if they were in spring,¡± explained Chan Yi nonchalantly. ¡°I see¡­¡± Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. Upon closer inspection, there really isn¡¯t any accumulated snow in the back garden. After the snowflakes landed on the floor, they would rapidly melt and seep into the ground. She walked slowly as if she was attracted by all the flora. But in her heart, she was thinking of another question. Shangguan Wan isn¡¯t someone who likes flowers and plants. Why would she suddenly spend so much effort to dig a drain below Huayang Palace¡¯s back garden and even let the spring water in? This project sounds simple, but in reality, it uses up a lot of resources. Even if Shangguan Wan really had too much money to spare, it doesn¡¯t seem like she would spend her efforts on such useless leisure activities. Unless¡­ Unless there¡¯s a problem with the drain below. ¡­ Jiang Residence. Jiang Yucheng sat on the helm and looked at Mu Qinghe, who was standing with his hands down. ¡°So that means her identity has no problems at all?¡± Mu Qinghe nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to check on her previously, and there really isn¡¯t anything wrong. From birth, Chu Liuyue grew up in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City. As she was born with a lacking Yuan meridian, she was seen as a good-for-nothing and was always bullied. The day before her 14th birthday, she was saved by someone and healed her Yuan meridian. Then, she started to cultivate officially. When I reached Country Yao Chen, she had just entered the academy to cultivate not long ago. Other than Jian Fengchi and me, she shouldn¡¯t know any other people from the Tianling Dynasty.¡± Jiang Yucheng leaned against the chair, and his hand knocked against the table lightly. ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­ Why does Hundred Herbs Building think so highly of her? At first, I thought they did it because of you. But I realized that¡­ it didn¡¯t seem to be the case¡­ After she came to Xi Ling with Jian Fengchi, who else did she see?¡± Mu Qinghe kept quiet for a moment and said, ¡°After she came to Xi Ling, she had been staying in the Mu Residence all along. At that time, Duan Ziyu accompanied her every day, so I can confirm that she didn¡¯t see anyone suspicious. But¡­ She had already moved out of the Mu Residence a month ago, and I heard that she¡¯s staying in Master Weichi¡¯s previous residence. I don¡¯t really know about the incidents afterward.¡± Jiang Yucheng rubbed his glabella and fell into deep thought. ¡°Weichi Song is her mentor, so it¡¯s normal for her to do this¡­ But didn¡¯t Weichi Song sell most of his items? Where is Chu Liuyue living?¡± Mu Qinghe hesitated for a moment. ¡°The one at Six Clouds Street. That¡­ It¡¯s one of the last two mansions that Master Weichi owns in Xi Ling City.¡± Jiang Yucheng froze. ¡°So it¡¯s that one¡­¡± Shangguan Yue loved to go to that mansion in the past. When Weichi Song was previously tight on money, he had sold many things. However, he didn¡¯t touch these two mansions. One was for Shangguan Yue. The other was for his only son, Weichi Lang. He suddenly chuckled and said with deep meaning, ¡°It seems like he really likes this Chu Liuyue. He¡¯s so generous with her.¡± Knock knock¡­ ¡°Eldest Young Master, Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master Weichi is here!¡± Chapter 652 - Go Head-On! Speak of the devil. Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows. Why did Weichi Song come again? The previous time we bid farewell at Thousand View Garden, I felt that it was amiss. But after waiting for a month, Weichi Song didn¡¯t do anything. Hence, I gradually set this incident aside. I didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly come at this time. Jiang Yucheng stood up and walked outside. When he passed by Mu Qinghe, he paused. ¡°Go back first. When you have the time later, go and ask Chu Liuyue some things.¡± Mu Qinghe bowed and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded gently and left. When his figure completely disappeared, Mu Qinghe then looked up in the direction that Jiang Yucheng had left with a cold and stern expression. That¡¯s weird¡­ Jiang Yucheng seems to care especially much about Chu Liuyue¡¯s incidents¡­ Not only did he specifically ask me to come here to question me, but he even told me to investigate personally¡­ He could¡¯ve just given this incident to the subordinates. Jiang Yucheng has now told me to do it, which shows just how much he cares about this incident. He brushed his considerations away and walked out. ¡­ When Jiang Yucheng arrived at the hall, Weichi Song was already waiting there. A polite smell immediately surfaced on his face. ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, what brings you here today?¡± Weichi Song had long noticed his footsteps, but he only spoke after the other reached him. ¡°I came here today because I had a few questions for you, Eldest Young Master Jiang.¡± His expression looked calm, and one couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart tingled for a moment as he didn¡¯t know why Weichi Song came this time. ¡°Haha! I have already heard about the clan competition. I haven¡¯t had the chance to congratulate you yet!¡± A smile appeared on Weichi Song¡¯s face, but his gaze was cold. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, you¡¯re too kind.¡± Seeing his rather cold attitude, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s smile gradually faded. He walked to the opposite end and sat down. ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, what do you want to ask? Just ask. I¡¯ll definitely tell you everything that I know about it.¡± Weichi Song kept quiet for a moment. He then stared into the other¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, may I know if you have heard about Messed Yuan Gravel?¡± ¡­ The room went silent temporarily. Jiang Yucheng slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it before. Master Weichi, why are you asking about this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. More than a year ago, my Chong Xu Cabinet was ambushed, and many of my clan members were injured or dead. Until now, I still haven¡¯t found the culprit. After that night, countless herbs on Qing Yuan Mountain started wilting. Ever since then, I also couldn¡¯t plant any more herbs.¡± ¡°For a long time, I have tried to discover the truth, but I just couldn¡¯t understand it at all. It was only until a while ago I found my answer. When Wanzhou arrived, he told me that Qing Yuan Mountain had Messed Yuan Gravel. According to what he said, this Messed Yuan Gravel only belongs to Nan Jiang. I thought for a while and felt that this incident was really strange. Nan Jiang is deserted, and nobody goes there. Who would specifically go there and get Messed Yuan Gravel to harm my Chong Xu Cabinet? My conscience is clear, and I have lived my life honestly. I am not guilty of anything. I don¡¯t even know when I offended such a person and attracted such trouble.¡± He paused for a moment, looked at Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes, and said carefully, ¡°If I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, Eldest Young Master Jiang, you have gone to Nan Jiang before, right?¡± The air gradually froze. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression was normal, and his lips even curved up into a smile. ¡°Master Weichi, are you suspecting that I am one of those culprits that harmed Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Weichi Song gradually shook his head. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, why would you think that way? Wanzhou said that the person who put the Messed Yuan Gravel would suffer from its backlash after it is cleared away. Even if they don¡¯t die, they would¡¯ve been handicapped. But Eldest Young Master Jiang, aren¡¯t you doing well? Even though I am anxious about this, I won¡¯t randomly suspect people.¡± Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows undetectably. Weichi Song¡¯s manner really doesn¡¯t look like he came to demand an explanation. Then, why exactly did he come here and talk about it so specifically? He reacted for a moment and looked relieved. ¡°Hearing this, I¡¯m relieved. I have always respected and admired you, so why would I do such a thing? Then, you came here today¡­¡± ¡°I came here to ask for your help, Eldest Young Master Jiang. Can you help me find out who the culprit is? I remember that you brought along quite a few people when you went to Nan Jiang, right? Could it be one of them?¡± Jiang Yucheng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°I see¡­ No problem. Since you have already found certain clues, I¡¯ll help you investigate it. If it¡¯s really related to one of my subordinates¡­ I will really feel very bad.¡± If I¡¯m really the one in charge of investigating this, I¡¯ll naturally have the results I want. Weichi Song smiled. ¡°Since this is so, thank you.¡± Jiang Yucheng cupped his hands. ¡°Master Weichi, you don¡¯t have to be this polite. If you need help in any other way, just let me know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really anything major, but a little¡­ I have been minding it in my heart.¡± Weichi Song showed hesitation. Jiang Yucheng said, ¡°Just say whatever you want.¡± Weichi Song paused for a while and slowly asked, ¡°I heard that you were looking for a medicine to revive the Princess when you went to Nan Jiang back then? I wonder¡­ What kind of medicine is it?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s smile froze. He forced himself to stay calm and asked, ¡°You¡­ It¡¯s a matter of the past. Why would you suddenly talk about this?¡± Weichi Song looked at the other, and his eyes were so sharp that it seemed like he could see through the latter. His every word and sentence was like thunder. ¡°Honestly speaking, I have been thinking about the past recently. The more I think about it, the weirder I feel. Princess¡¯s death¡­ There are many doubtful points about it. Eldest Young Master Jiang, I wonder if you have ever suspected¡­ Princess, did she really cultivate crazily until she died?¡± Chapter 653 - My Master Invites You Jiang Yucheng slowly straightened his body, and his skin was extremely tense, which made his expression look weird. ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, why would you say this? When that incident happened to the Princess, it caused a very big commotion, and quite a few people in the palace can vouch for it. If you say this¡­ Did you discover something?¡± Weichi Song paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not that I discovered something, but it¡¯s just that I suddenly recalled many things recently and felt that something was amiss. Like¡­ Princess always cultivates in her own specific room. Why would she suddenly try to break through at the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall and even go crazy from it, causing her to commit suicide by burning herself? That¡¯s where we pay respects to the ancestors of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s royal family. Why would Princess suddenly go there out of nowhere?¡± Jiang Yucheng looked down, and his voice was extremely light. ¡°This¡­ Honestly speaking, I had my doubts all along. But¡­ According to what Third Princess said, Princess had mentioned it to her before she went to the ancestral hall. This shows that she was long prepared. Back then, Third Princess had also asked her, but Princess didn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t expect that in the end¡­ Until now, I¡¯m afraid only the Princess knows the reason why.¡± Weichi Song continued asking, ¡°You¡¯re saying that Princess had long prepared to go to the ancestral hall back then?¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded and looked upset. ¡°If I knew this would happen earlier¡­ I really should¡¯ve stopped her then.¡± Something flashed across Weichi Song¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­This means I really thought too much.¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at him. ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, I know that you were very close to Princess and that her departure must¡¯ve had a huge impact on you. But she¡¯s already gone, and you should accept it. If you are troubled over this every day and become depressed, Princess will be hurt too if her spirit knows about it.¡± Weichi Song rubbed his glabella tiredly. ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­ If Princess really had something urgent to do, she normally wouldn¡¯t be this unprepared and not tell a single person¡­ I thought she was forcefully brought to the ancestral hall!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart beat wildly, and he forced a smile. ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, you¡¯re really thinking too much. With Princess¡¯s distinguished status, everybody respects her. Who would have such guts?¡± ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s very kind-hearted, so why would someone have such guts and be so heartless¡­¡± muttered Weichi Song softly. It sounded like he was talking to himself and also as if he was questioning somebody. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart beat even faster as all his blood seemed to have frozen, and his limbs turned cold. He then looked down. ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve really misunderstood.¡± Weichi Song stood up and sighed deeply. ¡°Since this incident is clear, I shan¡¯t delay you any longer, Eldest Young Master Jiang. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Jiang Yucheng looked up. ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡± ¡°Yeah. The clan competition just ended, and there are many things I need to deal with in Chong Xu Cabinet. Eldest Young Master Jiang, I also need to trouble you with the Messed Yuan Gravel incident.¡± Jiang Yucheng braved himself and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll immediately investigate this when I go back. I¡¯ll interrogate every single person that followed me to Nan Jiang. I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer.¡± Weichi Song then relaxed and nodded before bidding him farewell. Jiang Yucheng symbolically tried to let him stay with a few words before personally standing him out. When Weichi Song¡¯s figure totally disappeared from outside the Jiang Residence, Jiang Yucheng then retracted his gaze and quickly walked to the study expressionlessly. Sun Qi saw that he looked amiss and was quite nervous. ¡°Eldest Young Master¡ª¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Immediately gather all those who went to Nan Jiang. I want to interrogate them one by one.¡± Confusion flashed across Sun Qi¡¯s eyes, but he immediately replied when he saw Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do it right now!¡± Then, Sun Qi immediately exited the study. Before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to close the door to the study carefully. When the room was only left with him, Jiang Yucheng finally couldn¡¯t contain the rage in his heart as he swept everything on the table to the floor. The people outside seemed to have received Sun Qi¡¯s reminder as they all waited quietly, and nobody answered. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s chest heaved violently, and his face flushed red as his veins popped out. Only his lips were as pale as ever, which looked very strange. Weichi Song came here today and wanted me to investigate the Messed Yuan Gravel matter on the surface, but he actually came with another purpose. He purposely brought Shangguan Yue up and said so many things. What exactly does he want? If Weichi Song really suspected me briefly, he wouldn¡¯t have come to the Jiang Residence and directly told me all of these things. What exactly does he know? Did he come here to test me or threaten me? Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart was in a mess, and his mind was in turmoil. After a long time, he finally calmed down. He stood there and thought for a while with mixed emotions before he rolled up his sleeves. A red and ugly scar, which had already formed a scab, appeared. He took a deep breath in, picked up a box of lotion from the cabinet, and gradually smeared it on. The more Weichi Song suspected him, the more calm and careful he had to be. But for some reason, the hand that was smearing the lotion was trembling. ¡­ After Mu Qinghe left the Jiang Residence, he wanted to go back to the Mu Residence first. But when he heard what Jiang Yucheng said before he left, he changed his mind and turned to walk toward Six Clouds Street. The main streets in Xi Ling were always bustling with people going back and forth. It was very lively. He passed through the squeezy crowd and walked past the noisy streets. After turning a few bends, the people surrounding him gradually became fewer in number, and it was quieter as well. The sky started to snow at some time. As the geese-like snowflakes fluttered down and landed on his head, a layer of snow gradually accumulated on his clothes. It was chilling to the bones. He walked forward quietly and finally stopped in front of a mansion. The ever-clean and tidy marble path had a layer of snow. Behind him was a series of clear footprints. He looked up and glanced at the familiar entrance. He had been to this place many times, but he hadn¡¯t come here in the past year or so. He thought that he would never come here again, but he didn¡¯t expect¡­ A plaque was hanging at the entrance¡ªChu Residence. The handwriting was dragon-like, and it was clearly Weichi Song¡¯s handwriting. Mu Qinghe furrowed his brows undetectably. It seems like Weichi Song dotes on Chu Liuyue more than I had expected¡­ I thought that he definitely wouldn¡¯t give this place to anyone else to stay¡­ It has been only more than a year, but everything has changed. Mu Qinghe stared at the door for a while and turned around to leave. But once he took a step out, he heard footsteps coming from inside. He was dazed. Qiang Wanzhou and Chu Liuyue shouldn¡¯t be living here now. Why would there be someone inside? Just as he was thinking, the door creaked and was opened from inside. A rather familiar face appeared in front of him. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, my Master invites you¡ª¡± Chapter 654 - Made a Cuckold Yan Qing? Isn¡¯t he Rong Xiu¡¯s subordinate? The ¡®master¡¯ he¡¯s referring to must be Rong Xiu then. Since when did he arrive in Xi Ling though? Despite the questions in his head, Mu Qinghe calmly nodded and entered the mansion. The mansion wasn¡¯t big. After walking past the courtyard and through a corridor, they arrived at a room. Yan Qing pushed the door open and invited Mu Qinghe inside. ¡°Please enter, Lieutenant Mu.¡± Mu Qinghe thus entered the room. A faint herbal fragrance lingered in the air of the warm room, and Rong Xiu was seated next to a bronze gilded furnace. He was dressed in a robe as white as the snow outside. ¡°Master, Lieutenant Mu is here,¡± announced Yan Qing respectfully. Rong Xiu looked over. It had been a while since they last met, but Rong Xiu appeared even more distinguished and alluring than before. Even Mu Qinghe couldn¡¯t help but admit in his heart that the other man¡¯s good looks were one of a kind. A small smile formed on Rong Xiu¡¯s lips. ¡°Welcome to my humble abode, Lieutenant Mu. I apologize for the shabby welcome.¡± He makes it sound like this mansion belongs to him. Wasn¡¯t it a gift from Weichi Song to Chu Liuyue? Mu Qinghe raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I hope you¡¯re doing well, Prince Li. There¡¯s no need for you to be so polite to me.¡± As he spoke, he walked over and sat at one side, silently observing his surroundings. This place looks pretty much the same as before. It looks like they didn¡¯t do any extensive renovation. There are just a few additional items¡­ which obviously belong to Rong Xiu. Clearly, he¡¯s indeed staying here. ¡°Weren¡¯t you in Country Yao Chen? When did you arrive in Xi Ling?¡± asked Mu Qinghe, cutting to the chase. ¡°If my memory serves me right, this mansion¡­ was a gift from Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master to Chu Liuyue. May I know why you¡¯re staying here?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°I happened to be passing by Xi Ling while on business, so I thought I should pay Yue¡¯er a visit since she¡¯s here. She¡¯s not staying in the city at the moment, so she lent this mansion to me for the time being.¡± Since they¡¯re engaged, there¡¯s nothing wrong with him staying here. Mu Qinghe nodded. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I wonder what sort of business requires you to pass by Xi Ling, which is tens of thousands miles away from Country Yao Chen.¡± He nonchalantly posed this question to Rong Xiu. The distance is nothing compared to how he managed to enter Heaven¡¯s Canopy. It must¡¯ve taken him some effort. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m here because of this body of mine. An elder from Mingyue Tianshan has found a heavenly doctor who may be able to cure my illness completely. It just so happens that I suffered another relapse while I was passing by Xi Ling. Since I was also missing Yue¡¯er, I decided to stay here and recuperate for the time being.¡± Rong Xiu put a fist to my mouth and coughed a couple of times. From his pale face and all, it seemed that he was telling the truth. Mu Qinghe mulled over Rong Xiu¡¯s words for a while but couldn¡¯t detect anything amiss. There are many talents within Heaven¡¯s Canopy, so the heavenly doctors here are naturally more skillful as well. It makes sense that Rong Xiu would come here to seek treatment. ¡°Chu Liuyue has been doing well in Xi Ling City lately. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard a thing or two about her reputation, right?¡± Practically everyone here knows her name by now. ¡°She¡¯s always been the best.¡± The smile on Rong Xiu¡¯s face deepened, and his eyebrows relaxed as a hint of warmth appeared in his eyes. His voice was light and filled with undisguised pride and indulgence when he answered in a matter-of-factly manner. The woman I like is naturally the best. No matter what she does, she does it to perfection. Didn¡¯t her performance at the Wan Zheng Competition and the clan competition say it all? ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you, Prince Li,¡± said Mu Qinghe hesitantly. ¡°Please speak your mind, Lieutenant Mu.¡± ¡°Does Chu Liuyue¡­ know anyone in Xi Ling? From what I heard, General Manager Yue of Hundred Herbs Building is very attentive toward her.¡± Yan Qing¡ªwho was standing by the side¡ªlowered his head. Very attentive toward her? Of course, Yue Ling has to be attentive to our madam. Never mind that he didn¡¯t know her identity at the start, but now that our master has made it clear to us, Yue Ling naturally became eager to serve her. Didn¡¯t Jiang Yuzhi suffer a beating because she couldn¡¯t control that mouth of hers? ¡°I never heard her mention that, but this is her first time in Xi Ling. Therefore, how could she possibly know anyone from here? As for that Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s manager¡­ I heard a thing or two about him, and I think it¡¯s because she spent quite a bit of money there.¡± Rong Xiu lifted a corner of his mouth and said in a seemingly nonchalant manner, ¡°Speaking of which, I heard that it was Lieutenant Mu who helped back Yue¡¯er up on her visit to Hundred Herbs Building.¡± For some reason, that smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes and seemed rather cold instead. When Mu Qinghe sensed the room¡¯s drop in temperature, he moved his body slightly to shake off that cold feeling. ¡°It¡¯s what I should do since I brought her here to take part in the Wan Zheng Competition. But she moved out of my residence to this mansion not long after that, so there¡¯s little interaction between us. I heard some things though¡­ Jian Fengchi won a lot of money from betting on Chu Liuyue, so he shared a portion of his winnings with her. I think it was quite a tidy sum.¡± Word of her spending tens of thousands of white crystals at Hundred Herbs Building spread like wildfire back then. It must be because of this sum of money that she could afford to spend so lavishly. ¡°Is that so?¡± Rong Xiu drew out the question as he raised his eyebrows and smiled. The room instantly became even colder, which made Yan Qing close his eyes in despair. Mu Qinghe sure knows how to touch a sore spot. Strictly speaking though, it was Ms. Liuyue who extorted money from Mu Qinghe. There¡¯s also nothing wrong with Jian Fengchi splitting his winnings with her since he won it with her help. Besides, all the money she¡¯s spending now belongs to my master¡­ But nobody else knows about it! In that case, how will outsiders view my master? Mu Qinghe finally sensed something amiss. He managed to guess what was wrong when he saw Rong Xiu¡¯s sullen expression. Rong Xiu was born noble as a member of Country Yao Chen¡¯s royalty, but his royal status is nothing at all here in Xi Ling. He probably finds it very hard to support Chu Liuyue¡¯s living expenses¡­ Otherwise, he would¡¯ve found himself somewhere else to stay instead of staying here. The current situation made him look like¡­ he¡¯s living off her¡­ To think Chu Liuyue was deemed unworthy of Rong Xiu just two months ago. Who could¡¯ve imagined things to turn out this way? The world sure is unpredictable. There was a subtle change in Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression when he realized this. On top of that, Chu Liuyue is bound to have a promising future based on the talent and potential she¡¯s showing now. Rong Xiu, on the other hand, is still carrying a sickly body¡­ Based on what happened so far, Chu Liuyue obviously knows someone important from Hundred Herbs Building. Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for them to protect her to this extent. But from the look of things¡­ it seems that she didn¡¯t tell Rong Xiu about it. This made Mu Qinghe look at Rong Xiu with a trace of sympathy. Chapter 655 - Tailing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Xiu¡¯s eyelids twitched when he saw Mu Qinghe regarding him strangely. It took him some time before he commented, ¡°It looks like Lieutenant Mu is quite concerned about Yue¡¯er.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s only right that I show some concern about her affairs since I brought her here.¡± Mu Qinghe felt that the conversation couldn¡¯t go on anymore. Since Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t know anything, it¡¯s pointless for me to ask more. I might as well go investigate it on my own. Hence, he stood up. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I shan¡¯t trouble you any longer.¡± But just when he was about to take his leave, Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°Just a second, Lieutenant Mu.¡± Mu Qinghe stopped in his tracks and turned to give Rong Xiu a quizzical look, only to see the other smiling. The latter¡¯s face seemed to have regained its usual color. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask Lieutenant Mu for a favor.¡± ¡­ Imperial Palace, Huayang Palace. As Chan Yi watched Chu Liuyue stroll along the lake from the side, she couldn¡¯t help but find it puzzling why the other woman seemed to be particularly fond of the trees and flowers there. Chu Liuyue stared at the flowers for so long that a thin layer of snow had formed on her, yet she seemed unaware of it. In fact, it looked as if she had completely forgotten about everything else. Are these flowers and trees¡­ really that beautiful? wondered Chan Yi curiously. However, she could only put her suspicion away since that was all Chu Liuyue did. A flurry of approaching footsteps was heard just then. Chan Yi looked back and bowed immediately. ¡°Third Princess.¡± Shangguan Wan was walking over toward them with a maid holding an umbrella for her from behind. Her gaze fell on Chu Liuyue. Amid the falling snow and blooming flowers was a slender woman in red, who was like a bright ball of fire. Despite wearing no makeup, her face was clear, stunning, and alluring, which seemed to blend in with this picturesque scene. Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists under her sleeves. In this world, there was a type of person who would become the most beautiful scenery wherever they stood. All the lights and colors would seemingly gather around that person. Their appearance and presence were rare, otherworldly, and indescribable. Although Shangguan Wan was considered a beauty herself, something seemed lacking in her. In her mind, the one person who possessed such a presence was Shangguan Yue. But despite Chu Liuyue¡¯s humble background, she carried hints of such nobility as well. That made Shangguan Wan even more uncomfortable. Upon hearing the voices, Chu Liuyue turned and paid her respects to Shangguan Wan, who then laughingly asked, ¡°Why are you viewing the flowers outside when it¡¯s currently snowing, Ms. Chu?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen flowers blooming at this time of the year, so I¡¯m quite intrigued by them. I believe such beautiful scenery can only be seen here,¡± answered Chu Liuyue, who looked somewhat envious. Shangguan Wan thought nothing about her reply and revealed an apologetic look on her face. ¡°Physician Zuo said that my father¡¯s health has improved a little lately, so I¡¯m going to pay him a visit now. I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t keep you here longer today.¡± Chu Liuyue said understandingly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re a busy person after all. I won¡¯t impose on you any longer.¡± Shangguang Wan nodded and lifted a hand. ¡°I recently acquired several rare herbs, but I have no use for them since I¡¯m not a heavenly doctor. I¡¯d like to give them to you instead.¡± A maid came forward and presented Chu Liuyue with three boxes. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before accepting the boxes. ¡°Thank you, Third Princess.¡± After chatting for a little longer, Shangguan Wan left, leaving Chan Yi behind to escort Chu Liuyue out of the palace. ¡­ After leaving the palace grounds, Chu Liuyue walked on the streets alone. Earlier at Huayang Palace¡¯s back garden, she was actually trying to figure out the drain¡¯s location on the pretext of appreciating the flowers in the garden. It was very close to the ground surface, and one could actually hear the flowing water and figure out its course if they paid enough attention while standing there. A mental image of the drainage system had already formed in her mind. If I¡¯m correct, the water came from Jade Spring Mountain and is flowing to¡­ She stopped in her tracks all of a sudden as a streak of surprise surfaced on her face. It¡¯s flowing to the palace¡¯s ancestral hall?! It should be known that the ancestral hall was the imperial palace¡¯s most sacred and important place. Aside from the guards responsible for manning the ancestral hall, intricate Xuan formations were set up both inside and outside the hall. That place was built when the ancestor was still alive. Every brick, stone, grass, and tree was specifically placed and mustn¡¯t be destroyed, but Shangguan Wan actually dug a drain and led it to the ancestral hall? A frown settled on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. What on earth does she want to do? All of a sudden, she heard urgent footsteps behind her, which pulled her out of her thoughts. ¡°Quick! Hurry up! We have to respond to the Eldest Young Master¡¯s summon as fast as we can!¡± She looked back and saw an anxious-looking man and four other men behind him. They looked like they were in their twenties, but all of them had haggard appearances. One of the men at the back couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°We want to be fast too, but the Eldest Young Master summoned us so urgently that we didn¡¯t even have the time¡ª¡± ¡°Exactly! He hasn¡¯t summoned us for over a year, so who would¡¯ve thought that he¡¯d summon us now? It¡¯s too sudden!¡± ¡°Heh. Given our current conditions¡­ we can¡¯t move any faster either! We still have to take Xiao Si with us¡­¡± Chu Liuyue scanned these men quickly, her eyes narrowing slightly when she noticed they all had some sort of disabilities. Two of them only had one arm, while another only had a leg. The man named ¡®Xiao Si¡¯ seemed to be blind as both of his eyelids were deeply sunken. Even the man at the front was disfigured. He had two gruesome scars¡ªmarks left behind by knives¡ªon his face. The scar-faced man knitted his eyebrows together even tighter, making him look even fiercer. ¡°If you guys don¡¯t want to live anymore, you can continue dilly-dallying all you want!¡± The rest of them quieted down and tried their best to speed up. Chu Liuyue took a few steps back to make way for them as they hurried past her. It was currently snowing, so there weren¡¯t many people out on the streets. The distance between the group of men and Chu Liuyue gradually grew as they continued walking straight ahead. She was just about to leave when she heard one of them saying, ¡°¡­We¡¯re no different from being dead. If I¡¯d known that place was so dangerous, I wouldn¡¯t have followed the Eldest Young Master there a year ago¡­ I can no longer cultivate now that I¡¯ve lost my arm¡­ I¡¯m just a cripple now!¡± Although he said this softly, Chu Liuyue could still hear it clearly. The other men fell silent when they heard that as well. Eldest Young Master¡­ A year ago¡­ Dangerous place¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Could they be talking about Jiang Yucheng? Are they heading to the Jiang Residence now? She quickly decided to follow them quietly. Chapter 656 - Interrogation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There were few people on the streets since it was snowing heavily. While tailing the group of men, Chu Liuyue realized that they were indeed heading to the Jiang Residence. However, they had arrived at the back door instead. From afar, she could see Sun Qi standing at the doorway, seemingly waiting for these men. Once the men arrived, they nodded at Sun Qi and only entered the Jiang Residence after getting checked by him. Other than the ones she met earlier, a few others also arrived one after another. Did Jiang Yucheng summon all the people who went to Nan Jiang with him? Chu Liuyue frowned. From what I gleaned from those men¡¯s conversation earlier, they seem to have undergone a lot of suffering at Nan Jiang. He hasn¡¯t summoned them in the past year, but he¡¯s suddenly gathering all of them now. A thought hit her mind just then. That¡¯s right! Weichi Song said that he¡¯d be visiting the Jiang Residence when he came down the mountain with us this morning. Could it be¡­ because of this? ¡°I wonder why the Eldest Young Master summoned us¡­¡± Chu Liuyue heard a lazy voice coming from around the street corner. She whipped her head in the voice¡¯s direction and saw two men heading toward the Jiang Residence. The one speaking was a burly man, who looked dirty all over. His left ear had been sliced off, along with some of his scalp, leaving behind a terrifying, bowl-sized, and dark-red scar. Behind him was a petite and skinny man in tattered black clothes. Although he had an iron mask covering half of his face, there was a scar on the other half of his face that looked like a burn mark. He had probably put on a mask because his entire face had been ruined. He looked listless with his head drooping low. The man in front of him suddenly turned back and laughed at himself. ¡°It¡¯s pointless for me to ask you these questions since you¡¯ve lost your voice because of poison! Disabled people like us¡­ have lost their worth! We can only live at the mercy of others!¡± Chu Liuyue quickly hid herself. ¡°Look, Sun Qi is standing right there! Even the others are here¡­ Nothing good can come out¡ª¡± Whoosh! A blurry red figure suddenly zipped past and left a bloody scratch on the burly man¡¯s arm. ¡°What¡¯s this?!¡± He waved his hand, only to see the red figure quickly running off to the other side. ¡°D*mn it! Just you wait!¡± Even a beast dares to bully me now! Furious, the man quickly chased after it. The skinny man looked up and was just about to follow him when he suddenly felt something strong dragging him backward. He struggled out of shock, but he felt something cold touching his neck, and warm blood started gushing out from him the next moment. His eyes widened as he tried to look behind, but the person¡¯s grip on him was too strong. It didn¡¯t take long before his legs went limp, and he fell silent. ¡­ ¡°D*mn it! That little thing sure runs fast!¡± Not long after, the burly man came back looking angry. He had wanted to catch and kill the beast, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so agile. Despite chasing after it for some distance and expending a lot of his energy, he failed to catch it. The beast even jumped and vanished before his eyes. It was only when he recalled that he had matters to attend to that he returned with gritted teeth. ¡°If not for what happened a year ago¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be reduced to the point of being bullied by a beast!¡± He cursed and irritatedly waved to the man who was still standing in the same position as before with his head hanging low. ¡°Come on! We¡¯ll be punished if we¡¯re late!¡± The skinny man thus followed him to the Jiang Residence¡¯s back door. ¡­ ¡°Lord Sun Qi.¡± By the time they arrived in front of Sun Qi, the burly man¡¯s anger had dissipated. He was also wearing a flattering smile on his face instead. ¡°We rushed over as soon as we heard the news. We aren¡¯t late, are we?¡± Expressionless, Sun Qi swept his eyes across the two of them. ¡°Qi Dahe and Xia Mu?¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± answered Qi Dahe before pushing the skinny man forward. ¡°What are you doing, Xia Mu? Hurry up and pay your respects!¡± The skinny man remained stuck to the spot, much to Qi Dahe¡¯s surprise. Xia Mu has a frail body, but I failed to push him just now¡­ Just as he was feeling puzzled, Xia Mu bobbed his head in Sun Qi¡¯s direction. Sun Qi knew that Xia Mu was dumb, so he wasn¡¯t bothered about this. Instead, he frowned slightly when he noticed the scratch mark on Qi Dahe¡¯s arm. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Qi Dahe hurriedly answered, ¡°I got scratched by a beast on the way¡ª¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Just go in!¡± interrupted Sun Qi irritatedly. Qi Dahe dared not say anything else. Thus, he nodded and quickly led Xia Mu inside. ¡­ After entering, someone led them to a quiet and remote courtyard that seemed to have been uninhabited for a long time and had just been cleaned up that day. When they arrived at the courtyard, they saw many people¡ªeven the scar-faced man and his group¡ªstanding there. All of them looked pretty much in the same condition as them. Most of them knew each other, but they very rarely contacted one another ever since they returned from that place a year ago. They hadn¡¯t met anyone else other than the ones closer to them. The air was somewhat stifling with everyone gathered here. Other than the occasional whispers, the entire courtyard was very quiet, and the atmosphere was heavy and solemn. Standing in the corner with Xia Mu, Qi Dahe dared not say anything in this situation. All he did was hurriedly bandage the wound on his arm. Eldest Young Master has always been averse to blood¡­ If he sees this, I¡¯ll surely be scolded. More people came in after them. Including the newcomers, there were fifty-odd people in total. Fifteen minutes later, Sun Qi finally walked over and headed toward the innermost room, which got the rest of the people looking over nervously. He knocked on the door. ¡°Eldest Young Master, they¡¯re all here.¡± The door creaked open, revealing a tall figure in green robes. This person was none other than Jiang Yucheng. He walked out and stood atop the steps as he looked down at the people below with authority. Everyone hurriedly paid their respects to him. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master!¡± Jiang Yucheng lifted his hand, asking, ¡°How many of them are here?¡± ¡°57, Eldest Young Master,¡± answered Sun Qi respectfully. This was originally a group of seventy-odd people, but a number of them had passed away in the past year or so. The ones who were still barely hanging on were these 57 men. Jiang Yucheng nodded and swept his gaze across them. ¡°Do you know why you have been summoned?¡± There was no answer from them. As he put a hand behind his back, he gave them a hard look and said sternly, ¡°Everyone present here followed me to Nan Jiang back then. What I want to know is: Did any of you return with the Messed Yuan Gravel?¡± 1 Chapter 657 - Remove Your Mask The question was met with silence as the group of men exchanged looks with one another. Messed Yuan Gravel¡­ We did pass by an area that had Messed Yuan Gravel while we were at Nan Jiang, but we didn¡¯t stop there. Therefore, how could we possibly bring it back? Besides, that stuff is highly poisonous and hard to handle. Why would we go and touch it when it could threaten our lives? When Jiang Yucheng received no response, he slowly said, ¡°I recently heard that it appeared in Xi Ling City, but that stuff¡­ only exists in Nan Jiang. If this were someone else¡¯s doing, I can¡¯t be bothered to care. However, all of you here followed me to Nan Jiang back then. If this is any of your doing, you¡¯d better confess now. Otherwise, once I find out who the culprit is¡­ I won¡¯t let you off the hook so easily!¡± Still, nobody answered him, for they couldn¡¯t confess to something they didn¡¯t do. ¡°It looks like I have to interrogate you people one by one,¡± said Jiang Yucheng solemnly. After a short and futile wait, he pointed to the man standing right in front of him. ¡°Let¡¯s start with you!¡± It was none other than the scar-faced man from earlier. He was bewildered and slightly stricken to be called out. W-what does the Eldest Young Master want? In his daze, Jiang Yucheng had already turned around and entered the room. Sun Qi lifted his chin at him. ¡°What are you still standing there for? Get moving!¡± Only then did the scar-faced man snap to his senses and hurriedly follow Jiang Yucheng into the room. Sun Qi closed the door before turning around to look at the others. ¡°Someone among you has caused our Eldest Young Master a lot of trouble. You know who you are. Now that the Eldest Young Master is looking into this matter, you¡¯d better confess now, or you won¡¯t have a chance to do so later!¡± He then stood by the doorway and respectfully waited there. Meanwhile, many of the men were exchanging covert glances of varying expressions with each other. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be this matter¡­¡± Qi Dahe whispered softly to Xia Mu such that only the latter could hear him clearly. ¡°It looks pretty serious, or else the Eldest Young Master wouldn¡¯t have summoned us over¡­ It¡¯s strange though. We didn¡¯t stay at the place for long. With most of us injured, nobody could possibly take the Messed Yuan Gravel with us. On top of that, that stuff is useless to our cultivation. We can only use it as poison at most¡­ But why would we use that out of all the poisons available in this world? If we aren¡¯t careful, we might even lose our lives while handling it. The cons far outweigh the pros.¡± When he received no response from Xia Mu, he nudged the other man with his elbow. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree with me?¡± Xia Mu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s useless talking to you about this!¡± grumbled Qi Dahe. Ever since Xia Mu lost his ability to talk, he had become rather dazed. However, this wasn¡¯t his fault. He used to be pretty talented and capable and had even saved Qi Dahe¡¯s life back in Nan Jiang. It was unfortunate that he ended up like this, but it was also because of this that Qi Dahe helped take care of him over the past year. ¡°Forget it; we didn¡¯t do it anyway. The Eldest Young Master can interrogate us all he wants!¡± Xia Mu, however, only looked at the tightly shut door, his eyes moving slightly under the iron mask. ¡­ The scar-faced man soon exited the room, and it got everyone¡¯s attention. They quickly looked over and subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that he looked the same as usual. Jiang Yucheng was a resolute and scheming person. Those who fell into his hands tended to meet a bad end. Sun Qi lifted his hand. ¡°Go wait over there.¡± The scar-faced man walked over to the other side as told. ¡°You¡¯re next.¡± Sun Qi pointed to another man, who then quickly entered the room. The remaining men looked between the second man and the scar-faced man. Unfortunately, the latter showed no emotions on his face and only stood straight at the side. Unable to detect anything from his expression, they could only continue waiting anxiously. Time seemed to pass extraordinarily slowly, and the snow was getting heavier. Although a lot of snow had accumulated on them, nobody dared to move and shake it off. All of them just stood in their positions and silently waited for their turns. It didn¡¯t take long before the second person emerged from the room. He, too, followed Sun Qi¡¯s instruction and went to stand next to the scar-faced man. Then, it was the next person¡¯s turn. ¡­ Before long, more than half of the group of men had been interrogated. Qi Dahe couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous when the person in front of him was called out. It will either be Xia Mu¡¯s or my turn next. Although we haven¡¯t done anything, the thought of facing Jiang Yucheng still strikes fear in me. He subconsciously glanced at Xia Mu, only to see the latter standing motionlessly. His friend didn¡¯t seem nervous at all. The next person soon came out of the room. So far, nothing seemed unusual about the 30 men that had been interrogated. ¡°Next, Qi Dahe!¡± shouted Sun Qi. Qi Dahe inhaled deeply before making his way over. After a while, someone murmured, ¡°Nothing seems wrong at all.¡± But as soon as that person said this, Qi Dahe exited the room looking ashen with beads of sweat all over his forehead as if he had suffered a huge blow. Everyone was surprised to see him in this state. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s cold voice floated out of the room. ¡°That person will be tried later!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± answered Sun Qi immediately before ordering Qi Dahe to stand alone at one side and dispatching two guards to watch over him. Qi Dahe is the culprit? Everyone else was baffled and nervous to see this situation, especially when they saw Qi Dahe standing at the side and trembling while repeatedly muttering, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­ It really wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± I did no such thing at all, but why did the Eldest Young Master find me suspicious? He looked at his wounded arm, which had stopped bleeding. From the look of it, it wouldn¡¯t take long to recover. Why did he suddenly flare up when he saw my arm? What¡¯s going on? Whispers broke out among the crowd. The people standing next to Xia Mu turned to look at him in unison, whispering, ¡°Xia Mu, is Qi Dahe really involved in this matter?¡± ¡°You know him best. Surely you know whether he did it or not?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s doomed this time. You¡¯re on such close terms with him. Be careful lest you get implicated!¡± With a grave expression, Sun Qi continued calling out names. ¡°Next, Xia Mu!¡± Xia Mu nodded to the men around him before walking toward the innermost room. When he was about to reach the doorway, Qi Dahe suddenly shouted, ¡°Xia Mu! Xia Mu, you have to help me prove my innocence!¡± Sun Qi immediately shot a warning glare in Qi Dahe¡¯s direction, which made the latter flinch and shut up. Xia Mu paused slightly before entering the room. When Jiang Yucheng¡ªwho was seated at the end¡ªsaw Xia Mu entering, he said, ¡°Remove your mask.¡± Chapter 658 - Suspicion In another courtyard of the Jiang Residence, Jiang Yuzhi was currently applying medicine on her face out of boredom. She sat in front of her room¡¯s bronze mirror, carefully examining her face. Thanks to the cold skin cream her brother had given her, the scars on her face had pretty much completely faded over time, which was a relief to her. Her mood thus became much better than before. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡± she asked while picking an exquisite accessory from her jewelry box. Her handmaiden immediately replied, ¡°The Eldest Young Master has something important to attend to today. He ordered people to seal off Wutong Garden early this morning.¡± ¡°Wutong Garden? Isn¡¯t it inhabited and remote? What¡¯s he doing there?¡± ¡°I-I have no idea either.¡± Jiang Yuzhi nodded in satisfaction at her reflection before standing up and walking toward the door. ¡°I¡¯m going to see my brother.¡± Her servant was shocked to hear that. ¡°Right now, Fourth Missy?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been grounded long enough! I didn¡¯t even get to see the clan competition! It¡¯s about time my brother returns my freedom to me!¡± She was bored to tears staying at home all day long. On top of that, despite her brother¡¯s promise to investigate Chu Liuyue¡¯s relationship with Hundred Herbs Building, there had been little progress thus far. Hence, she wanted to enter the palace to have a little chat with the Third Princess. She ignored her servant¡¯s dissuasion and left the room, leaving the latter with no choice but to follow her. The servant wanted to stop her, but upon recalling that Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s temper was getting increasingly foul and that the latter had punished a number of servants, she decided to keep quiet instead. After walking some distance, Jiang Yuzhi saw a pageboy running over in a hurry. The pageboy hurriedly greeted her when he saw her. ¡°Greetings, Fourth Missy!¡± She was unhappy to see him in such a flustered manner. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you so flustered?¡± ¡°The Third Princess is here, Fourth Missy!¡± Jiang Yuzhi was surprised to hear that. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to lie about this. The Third Princess is currently in the guest hall, but both the master and madam aren¡¯t at home today. Plus, the Third Princess is specifically here to see the Eldest Young Master. That¡¯s why I¡¯m in a rush to get the Eldest Young Master.¡± What a coincidence. I was just about to enter the palace to look for the Third Princess, but she came instead. ¡°Run along then. I¡¯ll go accompany the Third Princess in the meantime.¡± The pageboy knew that the two ladies had always been on good terms, so he thought there was nothing wrong with her order. He said in delight, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you then, Fourth Missy! I¡¯ll go fetch the Eldest Young Master now!¡± The pageboy ran off after saying that, while Jiang Yuzhi headed for the guest hall. ¡­ Jiang Residence, guest hall. Jiang Yuzhi spotted Shangguan Wan sitting in the guest hall right away, and a bright smile bloomed on her face as she walked up to the other. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform us before coming, Third Princess?¡± A hint of disappointment showed in Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes when she realized that it was Jiang Yuzhi and not Jiang Yucheng. It disappeared very quickly though as she smiled. ¡°I decided to come on a moment¡¯s notice.¡± ¡°Just as well. I have something to discuss with you!¡± Jiang Yuzhi took a seat next to Shangguan Wan. ¡°Oh? What is it regarding?¡± Jiang Yuzhi carefully looked around her surroundings¡ªher action made Shangguan Wan focus on her a little more. After making sure that nobody was eavesdropping on their conversation, she whispered, ¡°Have you met Chu Liuyue, Third Princess?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shangguan Wan nodded. I even met her today. Clutching her sleeves, Jiang Yuzhi continued throwing questions at the other. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡­ Chu Liuyue resembles someone a lot?¡± The smile on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face faded. ¡°What are you trying to say, Yuzhi?¡± ¡­ Inside Wutong Garden¡¯s room. Xia Mu hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t move. Jiang Yucheng glanced at the skinny man standing in front of him with a frown. The look in his eyes carried authority and a hint of warning that showed he wouldn¡¯t spare anyone who didn¡¯t do as told. Thus, Xia Mu slowly removed the iron mask and revealed his severely burned face to Jiang Yucheng. The scars spanning across his face made it look contorted and horrendous. I recall it now¡ªhe was burned before¡­ With looks like that, it¡¯s no wonder he has to wear a mask. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s frown deepened as he waved his hand in disgust. ¡°Put it back on!¡± Xia Mu¡ªwho seemingly couldn¡¯t see the disgust on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face¡ªobediently put his mask back on. His action was slow and stiff, and he exuded a depressing aura. The only thing that seemed alive about him was his sparkling black eyes. ¡°I heard from Qi Dahe that the injury on his arm was caused by a beast while coming over earlier. Is that true?¡± Xia Mu nodded. Jiang Yucheng glanced at him and asked, ¡°Is it also true that you lost the ability to speak because you were poisoned?¡± Xia Mu nodded once more. His head was hanging low slightly, so Jiang Yucheng couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember it clearly. How did you get poisoned in the first place?¡± His voice became harsher. ¡°Was it caused by Messed Yuan Gravel?¡± Xia Mu appeared somewhat shocked as he shook his head and waved his hands frantically, indicating that it wasn¡¯t caused by Messed Yuan Gravel. ¡°Why are you so nervous? It¡¯s just a casual question.¡± He knew very well that Messed Yuan Gravel didn¡¯t cause people to become dumb, but that wasn¡¯t what he was looking for in the first place. He asked a few more questions¡ªwhich Xia Mu answered with a nod or a shake of his head¡ªand found it meaningless to continue interrogating Xia Mu. He lazily leaned back against the chair¡¯s backrest. ¡°You may leave.¡± Xia Mu bowed to him before turning around to leave the room. But just as he reached the door, Jiang Yucheng suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Wait!¡± Xia Mu stood still and looked back at him. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes were fixed on Xia Mu as he enunciated, ¡°I remember that you were a beginner stage-six warrior a year ago. Why did your cultivation¡­ drop to advanced stage-four?!¡± The air in the room seemed to have frozen. Chapter 659 - Some Waited Knock knock¡­ Knocks on the door were suddenly heard, and it broke the room¡¯s silence. ¡°Eldest Young Master, the Third Princess is here!¡± said Sun Qi respectfully. Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows even more tightly. Shangguan Wan? Why did she suddenly come to my residence? He stood up, and his cold, harsh gaze swept across Xia Mu. ¡°Wait here first!¡± Xia Mu bent his body, lowered his head, and looked extremely nervous. Jiang Yucheng opened the door and looked at Sun Qi. ¡°Did the Third Princess come here alone? Where is she now?¡± Sun Qi hurriedly said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, Third Princess came in a horse carriage with Chan Yi. They¡¯re currently sitting in the guest hall. Old Master and Madam aren¡¯t around, so now¡­ Fourth Missy is entertaining her. The pageboy is outside the yard, and he¡¯s waiting for you now.¡± Jiang Yuzhi? Didn¡¯t I tell her to stay in her house? Why did she suddenly go to the guest hall? Jiang Yucheng instantly recalled what his sister said previously and started to become uneasy. I don¡¯t know if Jiang Yuzhi has matured during this period. If she still has the same mindset as before, then¡­ It won¡¯t be good! He thought for a moment and immediately decided to go over personally. I really can¡¯t let my guard down around Jiang Yuzhi now. Besides, Third Princess¡¯s sudden arrival might mean that she has something urgent to do. ¡°I¡¯ll go over right now,¡± said Jiang Yucheng as he pointed at the people who stood together with scarred faces. ¡°You can go back now. Remember, you aren¡¯t allowed to tell anyone else about this today! If I discover that there are such rumors outside¡­ You know the consequences!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The people with scarred faces answered in unison as they felt very lucky and left gradually. The remaining people that hadn¡¯t been investigated would undoubtedly have to wait in this residence for a while. They couldn¡¯t help but look at the scarred-face people enviously. Jiang Yucheng glanced at Qi Dahe and said coldly to Sun Qi, ¡°He and the one inside the room¡ªsend people to take extra care of them.¡± Didn¡¯t he already choose Qi Dahe¡­ Sun Qi was slightly shocked. ¡°Yes!¡± Seeing Jiang Yucheng¡¯s stern expression, he immediately answered and sent two guards in to watch Xia Mu closely. After giving instructions, Jiang Yucheng then left. After he left, most of the people in the yard secretly heaved a sigh of relief. However, Qi Dahe was even more nervous. Why did he leave Xia Mu around too? Judging from Eldest Young Master¡¯s attitude and how he treated Xia Mu, he also seems to¡­ Did Xia Mu really do it? N-no! When we were in Nan Jiang, there were many dangers, and we were all separated. Even Eldest Young Master had lost contact with us for one whole day, but I had been with Xia Mu the entire time! No matter if it¡¯s Xia Mu or me, we can prove each other¡¯s innocence. But why does Eldest Young Master seem to be sure that we did it? Even¡­ Previously, Eldest Young Master just asked me a few questions, and his expression suddenly changed. He then even confirmed that I did it. I didn¡¯t even have the chance to explain before I was chased out to be watched by these people. Without even thinking, one would know what¡¯s waiting for me later! Did Xia Mu face the same situation? Qi Dahe anxiously looked into the room. It was a pity that he was in the room. Other than the two guards in charge of guarding him, he couldn¡¯t see Xia Mu¡¯s figure at all. ¡°Be honest!¡± The guard at the side harshly kicked his knees, almost kicking him until he kneeled on the floor. Qi Dahe was terrified, and he didn¡¯t dare to look around. He could only retract his gaze, and his heart was in a mess. Am I really going to die here this time¡­ ¡­ On this side, Qi Dahe was worrying for Xia Mu with all his heart and being uneasy. However, the Xia Mu in this room seemed much calmer. After Jiang Yucheng left, two guards walked in and stood beside him with a murderous aura. It seemed like he would immediately be executed on the spot once he moved. But half of the face under Xia Mu¡¯s mask still looked very nonchalant as if he didn¡¯t notice how much danger he was in. He stood for a while and walked to the side. Shing! ¡°What are you doing?!¡± The two guards drew their swords at the same time. Xia Mu seemed to ignore them as he continued walking forward and headed to a superior wooden chair at the side. He sat down. The two guards were dazed. I-is he too tired, so he went to sit down?! ¡°Get up! What status do you have? How dare you casually sit around here?!¡± One of the guards brandished his sword as if he would cut off Xia Mu¡¯s neck in the next second. Xia Mu only looked up and stared at the two people quietly. His pair of eyes were as calm as water, without any ripples at all. But when he looked over calmly, his gaze was substantial with a tinge of invisible suppression. That guard waved his sword and was stumped for quite some time. ¡°Forget it. Why do you want to be so calculative toward a mute? When Eldest Young Master comes back, he¡¯ll get it from him!¡± The other guard didn¡¯t want to cause trouble and advised his colleague. When Eldest Young Master left, he instructed us to watch over this person properly. This is someone that Eldest Young Master wants. How could we really dare to kill Xia Mu? Even if we only injure him, it won¡¯t be good. Anyway, Eldest Young Master will come back in a while. As long as this Xia Mu doesn¡¯t wreak havoc, we don¡¯t have to watch him too closely. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can be arrogant!¡± The guard holding the sword understood the advantages and disadvantages in his heart as he went along with the situation. Xia Mu looked at the duo calmly and leaned against the chair with a stiff expression on the revealed half of his face as if he was unaffected. Hence¡­ Xia Mu sat down, and the duo stood up. Xia Mu was relaxed, while the other two were on their toes. Xia Mu was clearly the one that was being guarded and facing danger, but he was even more nonchalant and carefree than the two guards watching him. It was as if¡­ he had nothing to do with this incident at all. Xia Mu leaned against his chair and thought lazily, Shangguan Wan is here. That Jiang Yucheng will take a long time before he comes back, so I must sit and rest properly. ¡­ Guest hall. ¡°¡­Anyway, I just feel that Chu Liuyue is very annoying¡­ She only came to Xi Ling for a few days, yet she¡¯s this arrogant? Who knows how prideful she¡¯ll be in the future?!¡± said Jiang Yuzhi as her face looked enraged. ¡°She even dares to bully me¡ªthe Jiang family¡¯s Fourth Missy¡ªnow. Who knows if she¡¯ll be disrespectful to you in the future, Third Princess?¡± Shangguan Wan heard it and spoke calmly. ¡°I know that she looks similar to Elder Sister, but there are people who look alike in this world. One¡¯s appearance is given to them by their parents, so who can we blame? Besides, from what I see, this Chu Liuyue is still decent¡­ Yuzhi, do you hate her this much because you feel that she snatched your things?¡± Saying so much, Jiang Yuzhi only had one meaning: She wanted to use Shangguan Wan¡¯s hand to teach Chu Liuyue a lesson. Even though she really disliked Chu Liuyue, she didn¡¯t like being manipulated even more. Jiang Yuzhi hesitated for a while in her heart. ¡°Of course not! She¡­ Actually, there¡¯s something that I haven¡¯t told you, Your Highness.¡± She lowered her voice. ¡°In my brother¡¯s study, there¡¯s actually¡­¡± A voice suddenly sounded and interrupted Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s words. ¡°Wan¡¯er!¡± Chapter 660 - Wedding Day The duo looked up in unison and saw that it was Jiang Yucheng. The latter walked over with a slight smile on his face. ¡°Wan¡¯er, I was just about to go into the palace to see you and discuss our wedding affairs when you came.¡± Hearing this, Shangguan Wan felt that he was sweet and that he looked much better. As Jiang Yucheng sat down beside the duo, he seemingly said nonchalantly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? You came here, but there was actually nobody in the mansion who went to serve you. We really didn¡¯t treat you well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just suddenly felt like coming, so I brought Chan Yi along. Besides, isn¡¯t Yuzhi accompanying me?¡± said Shangguan Wan with a smile. ¡°Oh?¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at Jiang Yuzhi. ¡°What were you guys talking about just now?¡± His gaze slowly swept across Jiang Yuzhi, which instantly made her feel guilty. She lowered her head and muttered, ¡°N-nothing much¡­¡± ¡°She said that she hasn¡¯t been out of the residence during this period of time and doesn¡¯t know what interesting things have been going on outside. Hence, she wanted me to tell her about this.¡± Shangguan Wan silently continued and glared at Jiang Yucheng in seeming anger. ¡°She¡¯s your sister after all. How can you just lock her inside the mansion? Look at how wronged she is! Why don¡¯t you let her off this time?¡± Jiang Yuzhi secretly gave her a thankful glance. ¡°This¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at the duo and laughed. ¡°Wan¡¯er, since you personally put in a word for her, there¡¯s no reason why I would decline. Yuzhi, I won¡¯t ground you any longer from now onward.¡± Jiang Yuzhi looked up in surprise. ¡°But you must remember whatever I instructed you earlier. If you don¡¯t do it¡­ Nobody can help you.¡± ¡°I know! Thank you, Brother! Thank you, Third Princess!¡± Jiang Yuzhi had long been spoiled rotten, and she came out today just to request this from her brother. She didn¡¯t expect the deal to be sealed before she even spoke. How could she not be happy? At that moment, she directly treated Shangguan Wan as her benefactor. Jiang Yucheng smiled and handed his Cosmic Ring over. ¡°I know that you wanted to go out long ago. Take this, and you can buy whatever you want today. However, you must bring Uncle Fu with you.¡± Uncle Fu was an experienced one in the Jiang Residence, and he was also an advanced stage-seven warrior. With him around, he could protect Jiang Yuzhi. Jiang Yuzhi squealed excitedly as she hurriedly snatched the Cosmic Ring over. It was as though she was afraid that Jiang Yucheng would change his mind. She quickly said, ¡°I know! Thanks, Brother!¡± Before she could even finish her sentence, she had already run out. ¡°Uncle Fu! Uncle Fu, let¡¯s go!¡± When Jiang Yuzhi disappeared from his field of vision, Jiang Yucheng heaved a sigh of relief. He then looked toward Shangguan Wan. ¡°Wan¡¯er, you came here today¡ª¡± He didn¡¯t believe that Shangguan Wan really came here on impulse. Shangguan Wan stared at him for quite a while before picking a few parts of whatever Zuo Mingxi said today and told him about it. The more she said, the colder Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face got. ¡°¡­It was roughly like this, but Physician Zuo is only slightly suspicious now. However, he doesn¡¯t have much evidence. I thought about it for some time and felt that I needed to discuss this with you,¡± said Shangguan Wan as she judged Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression. It seems like¡­ He has nothing to do with this¡­ In her heart, she was also reluctant to suspect Jiang Yucheng. But she had no choice, so she could only test him out. Now, it seems like I was overthinking. But if this has nothing to do with him, who could it be? Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Only the same few people keep going in and out of Qingfeng Palace. Could it really be that one of them did something which made His Majesty¡­¡± He stood up in frustration and kept pacing back and forth as he kept thinking about who could possibly have the chance to attack. Actually, he had long felt that something was amiss, but he just didn¡¯t know where the problem lay. According to what Zuo Mingxi said, perhaps¡­ I should really start to investigate now! ¡°What about the other two heavenly doctors? What did they say?¡± Shangguan Wan helplessly said, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked them yet. It¡¯s Physician Zuo¡¯s shift today, so the other two haven¡¯t entered the palace yet.¡± Jiang Yucheng boomed, ¡°Since Physician Zuo could detect the issue, the other two should be able to as well. However, they haven¡¯t made a move so far or stated their stance¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that the two of them might¡¯ve done it?¡± Shangguan Wan was dazed for a while and immediately rejected the thought. ¡°Impossible. I meticulously picked those two people out, and they have followed me for many years. It¡¯s impossible that they will betray¡ª¡± ¡°When has betrayal never existed in this world?¡± said Jiang Yucheng lightly with a dark expression. Shangguan Wan seemed to be attacked by something, and her expression changed slightly. The atmosphere between the duo froze for a moment before Shangguan Wan said, ¡°Then¡­ We have to check on this later.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded. ¡°This matter is serious. You must be careful.¡± Shangguan Wan seemed to have thought of something and didn¡¯t continue. Jiang Yucheng calculated the time in his heart. I still have to deal with the remaining half¡­ ¡°Wan¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°Yucheng, quite a few ministers have been rushing us to settle the wedding date in court. What do you think?¡± Shangguan Wan recovered her senses, and her first sentence stunned Jiang Yucheng. ¡°What? Why did they suddenly start to rush us? Didn¡¯t we agree that it would be in these few months?¡± ¡°They¡¯re rushing us to settle the specific date. Even though we already have a marriage agreement, we haven¡¯t settled the wedding date yet. They¡¯re naturally anxious about it. Also, they didn¡¯t suddenly rush us. It has already been a while, but¡­ You just didn¡¯t care about it.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s voice had a touch of dissatisfaction. Every time I bring up the issue of settling the wedding date, Jiang Yucheng always delays it and asks me to wait and wait again. At first, he said it was because Shangguan Yue just died and that we couldn¡¯t get together too quickly. But she¡¯s almost been dead for two years now, and it¡¯s almost the time taken to observe one¡¯s filial piety. I¡¯m the one in control of the Tianling Dynasty now. Do I really need to consider a dead person before I get married or not? Besides, it has already been more than half a year since Jiang Yucheng and I had our marriage agreement, but we haven¡¯t even settled our wedding date. Every time I think about it, I feel very uncomfortable. Jiang Yucheng immediately went forward, pulled her hands, and patiently advised, ¡°Wan¡¯er, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s clear that I care too much, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m so careful! We¡¯ve just stabilized our foundation¡­ The most important thing is that¡­ His Majesty hasn¡¯t woken up yet¡­¡± ¡°If Father doesn¡¯t wake up for the rest of his life, are we not going to marry then?¡± said Shangguan Wan angrily. Jiang Yucheng was stumped. ¡°According to the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s rules, only someone who is married can officially ascend the throne. Our wedding day is also the day I¡¯ll ascend the throne. Even though I am in power now, I¡¯m still a Third Princess after all. As long as we don¡¯t get married, I won¡¯t be legitimate!¡± Shangguan Wan stared at Jiang Yucheng and said every word clearly: ¡°I don¡¯t plan to wait any longer!¡± Chapter 661 - Outrageous! Shangguan Yue was also in this position back then. Her wedding date with Jiang Yucheng was also her ceremony to ascend the throne. But she died later on, and it naturally couldn¡¯t continue. Now that it¡¯s finally my turn, how can it keep dragging on? As long as I can¡¯t reach that position, I won¡¯t be able to rest assured. Jiang Yucheng saw her determined expression¡ªit was as if she really made up her mind¡ªand felt his head ache. ¡°But¡­ Wan¡¯er, did you forget the most important thing? If you really want to ascend the throne legitimately, you have to wield the Tianling Power Staff personally¡­ But your current body¡­¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression changed, and she harshly clenched her teeth. Of course, I remember this! Every emperor in the Tianling Dynasty had to pick up the Tianling Power Staff in front of the crowd when they ascended. This signifies their status and power, and it also represents the limitless power they had in the Tianling Dynasty. But the Tianling Power Staff was very heavy, and only people who were at least stage-eight warriors could lift it up. Now, Shangguan Wan¡¯s Yuan meridian was destroyed, so she couldn¡¯t do it at all. She could use some methods to hide the fact that she was already a good-for-nothing, but she definitely couldn¡¯t scrape past the Tianling Power Staff. ¡°Have you ever thought about how the crowd will look at you if you can¡¯t successfully pick up the Tianling Power Staff at that time? They will definitely think that you don¡¯t have the capabilities and the right to ascend the royal throne.¡± The Tianling Power Staff was a seemingly legendary existence in the entire Tianling Dynasty. Countless people respected it and admired it¡ªit was everyone¡¯s belief. Only those who were affirmed by the Tianling Power Staff could be the true rulers. If Shangguan Wan failed, she might not be able to walk out of this shadow for the rest of her life. Shangguan Wan bit her lips. We previously wanted to wait for Father to wake up before conducting this series of plans, but it now seems like it¡¯ll take an unknown amount of time. However, Shangguan Wan was anxious for this throne. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way to heal my Yuan meridian then! Anyway, the Wan Zheng Competition has ended¡ª¡± Jiang Yucheng dazedly stared at her before he knitted his brows and said, ¡°No! It¡¯s still early! If we make this move now, we¡¯ll definitely attract suspicions¡­¡± ¡°So what if they suspect us? Didn¡¯t a lot of people suspect Shangguan Yue¡¯s death back then? Didn¡¯t everything turn out fine?¡± Shangguan Wan lightly chuckled. ¡°As long as we hold the true power, all doubts will vanish into thin air.¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at her coldly. ¡°Do you know how much effort I spent to appease all those suspicions back then?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes turned, and she walked toward Jiang Yucheng. The arrogance on her face was now replaced by a sweet, mesmerizing smile. She leaned against his arms and hugged his waist as she whined. ¡°Of course, I know. Yucheng treats me the best, right?¡± She didn¡¯t address herself respectfully. ¡°Since things have come to this point, we can¡¯t change anything. Perhaps there¡¯s only one method that can help me heal my Yuan meridian¡­ Even if we don¡¯t do it now, we still need to do it in the future. As long as we¡¯re more careful, it won¡¯t pose a problem.¡± Her hands gently brushed past his arm, and she looked a little upset. ¡°Both of us were injured back then, and you already fully recovered a year ago. But I¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng closed his eyes and hid the anger in his eyes. He hated Shangguan Wan bringing this up as she kept reminding him that this arm wasn¡¯t his! Even though there was no strange feeling now, he still felt uncomfortable in his heart. If I don¡¯t agree to Shangguan Wan¡¯s request today, she won¡¯t take this lying down. After a long silence, he finally nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Shangguan Wan looked up at him elatedly. ¡°You agreed? Really?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s lips curved up, but his smiling intent didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll personally arrange this, so you just need to focus on the problems near His Majesty.¡± ¡°En! I knew you wouldn¡¯t not care about me, Yucheng!¡± said Shangguan Wan as she hugged him. She then asked, ¡°Right! Since it has already been decided, why don¡¯t we settle our wedding date too?¡± Jiang Yucheng was about to reject but swallowed his words when he saw her expression. After a slight pause, he said, ¡°What about the sixth of August?¡± Shangguan Wan was slightly disappointed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that half a year later? That¡¯s too long. Why don¡¯t we set it for the sixth of June? Everything should be done by then.¡± Even though it was a question, her tone didn¡¯t allow for any refusal. Jiang Yucheng nodded. ¡°The sixth of June then.¡± ¡­ Jiang Yucheng then chatted with Shangguan Wan for another while and settled a few matters before the latter left in satisfaction. Shangguan Wan had already thought of how to deal with those old fogies the next day. After settling two things that had been bothering her, she was elated and couldn¡¯t see the tinge of frustration in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes. After she left, Jiang Yucheng stayed in the guest hall alone for a while before calming himself down and walking out. Since everyone has started preparations, I must hurry up on my side as well. I especially¡­ can¡¯t let Weichi Song catch onto anything! I must settle this danger as soon as possible! ¡­ The crowd had been waiting at Wutong Garden all along. The snow hadn¡¯t stopped, and it had already accumulated to their shins, which was extremely chilling to the bone. But the yard was as quiet as ever, and nobody could grumble at all. They didn¡¯t even dare to look upset. Sun Qi stood on the stairs, and his gaze swept past the crowd before landing on the room. Xia Mu was sitting inside and looked very relaxed. Sun Qi was extremely angry, but he couldn¡¯t release his anger. This Xia Mu is really weird! With the attitude that Eldest Young Master had when he left, he¡¯s clearly saying that Xia Mu has issues. However, the latter seems to ignore it. Not only is he not worried about his situation, but he even sat down leisurely as if this is his house! In the past, I didn¡¯t think that this Xia Mu was so daring! Look at that Qi Dahe! After he exited the room, he stood there honestly. I heard that the two of them were on good terms, but why is the difference so huge? If it weren¡¯t because Eldest Young Master might come back and continue interrogating them¡ªwhich means I can¡¯t do anything to Xia Mu¡ªI would¡¯ve long chased him out of the room and commanded him to kneel outside for a day and a night. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± A pageboy¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from outside. The crowd in the yard¡ªincluding Sun Qi and the rest¡ªlooked over. Jiang Yucheng walked over. There was a thick layer of snow on the ground, but he didn¡¯t leave any footprints on the path he walked past. The crowd was shocked, and they all lowered their heads to greet him. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master!¡± Jiang Yucheng ignored them and went straight to the room with a cold face. Once he went in, he saw two guards standing there alertly and someone sitting on the chair nonchalantly. It was Xia Mu. Jiang Yucheng was enraged. ¡°Outrageous!¡± Chapter 662 - Quickly Chase! The two guards immediately kneeled down. On the other hand, Xia Mu slowly got up and bowed as if he didn¡¯t even notice how outrageous his actions were. Jiang Yucheng was so angered by his behavior that his veins were about to burst. He had never seen such an outrageous and daring person in the Jiang Residence before. ¡°Xia Mu, how dare you!¡± Xia Mu looked up and glanced at him, and it seemed as if a layer of mist was covering his eyes, causing them to be blurred and unable to be seen clearly. It was as though he was quite dazed. Didn¡¯t he ask me to wait here? I waited here and didn¡¯t do anything. Jiang Yucheng harshly closed his eyes. If it weren¡¯t for so many people being around, I would¡¯ve kicked him already! ¡°The two of you¡­ get out!¡± he yelled at the two guards. Useless! The duo anxiously answered and quickly exited the room. But the moment they walked to the door, they heard Jiang Yucheng continue, ¡°Kneel outside! Slap yourself 50 times!¡± The two guards exchanged glances and felt very wronged. This is clearly Xia Mu¡¯s fault. Why did it become our punishment in the end? But seeing Jiang Yucheng¡¯s blood boil, who would dare to retort him? The two of them could only be as obedient as ever as they walked to the courtyard. Putong! They kneeled on the snow and started slapping themselves. Upon seeing this, the crowd was dazed and looked at each other. What¡¯s¡­ going on? Weren¡¯t the two of them guarding Xia Mu in the room previously? How did they anger Eldest Young Master? Previously, we didn¡¯t hear any noise in the room¡­ The loud and crisp slaps echoed throughout the quiet yard even more clearly. Quite a few people looked at Sun Qi. Sun Qi did know the reason, but he also felt angry when he saw the two guards. They are clearly the ones with the swords, and they are in charge of guarding Xia Mu. Yet, they let Xia Mu walk all over them. I really don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing! They deserve to be punished by Eldest Young Master! He looked into the house. The door was already closed tightly at this point, and nobody could see anything. However, Eldest Young Master has already come back. Isn¡¯t it very simple to just teach one Xia Mu a lesson? ¡­ Inside the room, Jiang Yucheng stared at Xia Mu with a deadly gaze, and his voice was as cold as ice. ¡°You look pretty relaxed, en? What do you take this place as? Your house?!¡± Xia Mu lowered his head, and his shoulders drooped, looking very cowardly. Hearing this question, he immediately shook his head. No, this place is too disgusting. I don¡¯t want to treat it as my home. ¡°Then, how dare you behave like this?!¡± Jiang Yucheng raised his hand and was about to hit him. However, he stopped when he saw the metal half-mask on Xia Mu¡¯s face. Now isn¡¯t the time to get angry. The more important thing is to solve the problem! Jiang Yucheng took a deep breath in, suppressed his anger, and squinted his eyes dangerously. ¡°I¡¯ll pursue this later. You haven¡¯t answered whatever I asked you earlier. Speak! What exactly is going on?!¡± His final tone and voice were like thunder that struck the floor, and they were filled with oppression. Xia Mu¡¯s body shuddered as if he was shocked by the sound. Then, he started gesturing. Jiang Yucheng then recalled that the other didn¡¯t know how to talk. He walked to the table and threw a stack of papers, a brush, and an inkstone toward Xia Mu in one swoop. That inkstone even smashed against Xia Mu¡¯s shoulders. His body trembled slightly. ¡°Write!¡± boomed Jiang Yucheng angrily. Xia Mu hesitated for a moment before slowly squatting down and picking up the things that spilled all over the floor. Not sure if he was frightened silly or if he was originally like this, his actions were very slow and stiff, which looked very infuriating. Just as Jiang Yucheng was frustrated to the extreme, he finally couldn¡¯t take it lying down and pulled Xia Mu up by his collar. ¡°What exactly¡ª¡± Whoosh! Before he could even touch Xia Mu, he felt a cold wind coming toward him! Jiang Yucheng knew that something was amiss and immediately retreated. But Xia Mu¡ªwho was originally squatting on the floor¡ªrapidly stood up at lightning speed and caused all the things in his arms to fly up. The papers flew everywhere and instantly blocked Jiang Yucheng¡¯s vision. At the same time, Xia Mu also pounced toward Jiang Yucheng. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s chin was harshly knocked against, and his teeth crashed against each other. This caused him to bite his tongue directly until it bled. Excruciating pain attacked him as a bloody scent filled his mouth. However, Jiang Yucheng couldn¡¯t care about this as his hand went straight for Xia Mu. This Xia Mu indeed has a problem! Unexpectedly, Xia Mu was very agile even though he didn¡¯t have a high cultivation level. With a tilt of his body, he avoided Jiang Yucheng¡¯s attack. At the same time, Xia Mu stuck his hand out and directly thrust that brush into Jiang Yucheng¡¯s stomach. That brush seemed to encompass all the strength in the world as it pierced straight in. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face turned white, and it became contorted because of the pain and anger. ¡°You¡¯re tired of living!¡± He clutched onto Xia Mu tightly, gathered his force in his palms, and harshly slammed toward Xia Mu. Xia Mu suddenly lowered his body, grabbed his opponent¡¯s elbow, and harshly twisted it. Jiang Yucheng felt the pain and instinctively let go. Xia Mu took the chance to escape. Snap! The main door slammed open. ¡°Eldest Young Master, what¡¯s going on?¡± Poof! Xia Mu directly broke the window and jumped out. Then, that slim figure instantly disappeared before the crowd. Jiang Yucheng clenched his teeth and pulled the brush out, causing his blood and skin to fly everywhere. His legs shook, and he almost fell down. If it were on usual days, this wouldn¡¯t count for much to him. But during this period of time, his body had just been severely injured, and it was a crucial period. Not to mention that the place where Xia Mu pierced into was very accurate, but it almost hurt him until he fainted. Sun Qi and the rest who had barged in were all stunned. W-what¡¯s going on? Xia Mu hurt Eldest Young Master and escaped? ¡°Quick, chase after him!¡± boomed Jiang Yucheng angrily. Chapter 663 - Are You so Anxious? Sun Qi looked at Jiang Yucheng, who had patches of bloodstains on his body. ¡°But Eldest Young Master, you¡ª¡± ¡°Go quickly!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s lungs were about to explode! Sun Qi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately replied, ¡°Yes!¡± He said to the two guards behind him, ¡°Immediately go and chase Xia Mu! You¡ªimmediately lock up the entire Jiang Residence! Don¡¯t let anyone in!¡± The two guards hurriedly acknowledged his orders and left respectively. Sun Qi also jumped out of the window and looked in the direction that Xia Mu left. At the same time, he took out a bamboo cylinder from his arms and harshly pulled it. Snap! Fireworks exploded in the sky. This was something that would only be used in times of emergency. Sun Qi usually accompanied Jiang Yucheng and had never used it before. He didn¡¯t expect to use it at the Jiang Residence today. Very quickly, the Jiang Residence¡¯s guards rushed over from all directions, and more than a hundred people gathered together in no time. Also, all of them were very strong! Sun Qi rapidly said, ¡°Just now, someone sneaked an attack on Eldest Young Master and has now escaped outside. Everyone, follow me and look for him!¡± Everyone was shocked. Someone actually dared to sneak an attack on Eldest Young Master in the Jiang Residence? How daring must this person be? Does that person not want to live? ¡°That person is slim and is wearing grayish-black clothes. He has a metal half-mask on his face, and his looks were burned by fire. Anyone who finds him must immediately capture him back!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Under Sun Qi¡¯s leadership, the crowd followed out in unison. On this end, the crowd in Wutong Garden had their faces overwhelmed with shock. How stupid must Xia Mu be to go against Eldest Young Master? ¡°Impossible¡­ that¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Qi Dahe was also stunned. With Xia Mu¡¯s guts and abilities, it¡¯s impossible for him to do such a thing! At this point, the departing guards had already brought a team of people to lock up the entire Wutong Garden. Everyone couldn¡¯t leave at will. An elder hurriedly rushed over. Upon seeing him, all the guards made way instinctively. ¡°Elder Feng!¡± This was a heavenly doctor that specifically served the residence, and he was also Eldest Young Master¡¯s confidant¡ªFeng Shanyuan. Feng Shanyuan swiftly entered the house and saw the pale and enraged Jiang Yucheng with one glance. His expression changed slightly, and he rapidly went forward. ¡°Eldest Young Master! What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jiang Yucheng moved his hands away, and Feng Shanyuan saw that a small bloody hole had appeared in his stomach and that there was a bloodstained brush beside Jiang Yucheng¡¯s feet. This should be what that person caused just now. Feng Shanyuan was stunned. He hurriedly picked up a pill and gave it to Jiang Yucheng while handling the latter¡¯s wound at the same time. ¡°Eldest Young Master, your body has just recovered. I¡¯m afraid you need to rest for quite some time again like this¡­ How can that person be so accurate with his attack? It actually hit right at this spot¡­ If he used a bit more force, he might¡¯ve even hurt your dantian¡­¡± There was no need to mention how ugly Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face was. The other party was much weaker than him, yet his sneak attack succeeded. On the one hand, he wasn¡¯t on-guard at all back then. On the other hand, that person was really quick! Feng Shanyuan rapidly treated the other¡¯s wound. Then, Jiang Yucheng stepped out and wanted to chase that person. ¡°Eldest Young Master, it¡¯s not convenient for you to move now! You should rest properly! Sun Qi and the rest will help you to find him back!¡± Feng Shanyuan kindly advised. ¡°Your body is extremely weak now, and it can¡¯t handle any troubles. If not¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes seemed to be burning intensely with fire. ¡°I know my own body well! I must capture that Xia Mu back today!¡± Today¡¯s wound is an utter humiliation to me! He stepped forward and turned back to say to the guard outside, ¡°Bring that Qi Dahe down! Guard him properly!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± That Qi Dahe seems to be on good terms with Xia Mu. Who knows if this has got to do with the former? Qi Dahe couldn¡¯t defend himself at all as he was quickly silenced and brought down. Jiang Yucheng took a deep breath in. The medicinal effects had now kicked in, and the pain had lessened. After treatment, his wound didn¡¯t bleed anymore. He walked outside without hesitation. I must chop that Xia Mu up into pieces! ¡°Eldest Young Master¡ª¡± Feng Shanyuan wanted to advise him again. A scorching burn suddenly came from his wound¡ªwhich made Jiang Yucheng¡¯s vision turn black¡ªand he almost couldn¡¯t stand still. He immediately halted in his tracks, clenched his teeth, and looked down at his stomach. That burning feeling quickly subsided as if it had never appeared. ¡°Eldest Young Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Feng Shanyuan saw that there was something wrong and immediately asked. Jiang Yucheng waited for a moment and realized that the feeling didn¡¯t appear again, and he felt slightly more appeased. It should be the medicinal effects¡­ ¡°Nothing,¡± said Jiang Yucheng swiftly as he rushed out without any care. Even though Feng Shanyuan was worried in his heart, he also knew that Jiang Yucheng wouldn¡¯t change his mind on things that he had set his heart on. Now that he¡¯s been injured by a random nobody, he must need to crush someone¡¯s bones to relieve the anger in his heart. Watching Jiang Yucheng¡¯s departing back view, Feng Shanyuan furrowed his brows. Eldest Young Master¡¯s body¡­ can¡¯t handle any more stress¡­ ¡­ On the other end, Sun Qi quickly brought people and found that guard who was sent to chase after Xia Mu earlier on. ¡°Where¡¯s Xia Mu?¡± Sun Qi surveyed the surroundings but didn¡¯t see anyone, so he hurriedly asked. That guard trembled as he muttered, ¡°I-I lost¡­ him¡­¡± ¡°You lost him?!¡± Sun Qi couldn¡¯t contain himself and gave a tight slap. Smack! ¡°You can¡¯t even do such a small matter right! What¡¯s the point of having you?! You even dare to lose that person! Are you tired of living?!¡± The guard hurriedly admitted his mistakes, but he was also very helpless in his heart. ¡°O-Officer Sun¡­ that Xia Mu is very agile¡­ I only saw him jump over that wall before he completely disappeared¡­¡± Sun Qi followed the direction he was pointing in and knew that Xia Mu had already escaped from the Jiang Residence. The Wutong Garden was very near the back gate, and very few people were guarding it. Hence, it wasn¡¯t impossible for him to escape rapidly. ¡°Disperse quickly! The roads are covered in snow now. I don¡¯t believe that he won¡¯t leave behind a single trace!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ On the other end, Xia Mu had swiftly escaped from the Jiang Residence and walked along a small path. Now that the city was covered in snow, his clothes were too eye-catching. Based on his speed and hiding skills, he could hide for a while without any issues. However, the people from the Jiang Residence definitely wouldn¡¯t take this lying down. Hence, he had to think of a complete plan¡­ At this point, a horse carriage suddenly sounded from behind. Xia Mu was dazed as he turned around. Why would there be a horse carriage at this time, and nobody is looking after it. Xiu xiu! Sounds of things piercing through the air could be heard¡ªcountless figures were rapidly nearing this area. ¡°He mustn¡¯t have gone far! Immediately lock this entire place and search carefully! Even if you dig up the ground, you must find that person!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It¡¯s Jiang Yucheng! He actually chased me until here? Hearing the other¡¯s approaching voice, Xia Mu was determined and jumped toward the horse carriage. But the moment he reached the front of it, the curtain was suddenly pulled open from the inside as an arm stuck out and rapidly pulled Xia Mu in. Dong! Xia Mu fell into a warm and wide embrace. Xia Mu instinctively jumped up and locked the person¡¯s wrist against the wall, holding him down tightly. ¡°How dare¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his nose suddenly smelled a familiar, cold fragrance. The man that was being tightly pressed laughed deeply. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you this anxious?¡± Chapter 664 - Meet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Mu looked up and saw a familiar face. That demonically handsome and elegant face with a hint of smiling intent in his eyes made the man look like the peach flowers that bloomed in spring. It was the most mesmerizing shade of spring in the world. Rong Xiu! He was wearing a white robe with a black cloak, and the superior black fox fur fitted nicely with his jade-like appearance like the bright moon in the darkness of the night. At this point, he was sitting at the side and was tightly pressed down by the person in his arms. One of his hands was on Xia Mu¡¯s waist, and the other was forcefully pressed against the wall of the horse carriage. It seemed like he was the one being bullied. The duo¡¯s bodies were stuck closely together. They were so close that they took in each other¡¯s breathing. A small incense pot burned quietly in the horse carriage, causing the entire horse carriage¡¯s atmosphere to become warm and romantic. Invisibly, it made this rather spacious horse carriage much narrower. Xia Mu paused in his actions, and his black gem-like eyes looked dazed for a while. Rong Xiu raised his hand and removed the metal half-mask. When he saw the ugly and contorted scar, not only was he not upset, but his lips even curved up. ¡°It¡¯s not very well done. If one takes a closer look, they will definitely see through it. It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re so anxious.¡± As he spoke, his long fingers gently touched Xia Mu¡¯s chin as he easily removed the disguise. A beautiful face appeared in front of him. If it isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue, who else could it be? Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze carefully swept past her face. He hadn¡¯t seen her in a few days, but he had already gone crazy from missing her. He held her face up, and his fingers gently caressed her soft lips, his eyes looking deep. Then, he looked up slightly and leaned against the wall. His jawline was perfectly smooth, and going lower was his Adam¡¯s apple that jutted out and his tightly buttoned jade clasp, which shone under the bright light. He looked at the girl in front of him¡ªwho hadn¡¯t recovered her senses yet¡ªin a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± His voice was low and lazy, and his ending tone went up slightly. It was as if there was a hook that easily charmed one¡¯s heart. When he spoke, his Adam¡¯s apple vibrated with a lethal attraction. Chu Liuyue stared at the jade button on his collar and felt that it was an eyesore. Would it be too tight for him to dress like this? ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was suddenly caressed by something in a neither light nor strong manner, and it felt itchy. Demon! She cursed silently in her heart. ¡°Hmph.¡± Chu Liuyue grunted from her nose and pretended not to understand what Rong Xiu was saying. ¡°Put me down!¡± Continue what? How can he have the mood to joke at a time like this! However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t release his hand on her waist. His fingers moved slightly, silently removing Chu Liuyue¡¯s belt, which then dropped down. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Chu Liuyue softly whispered and looked at him in shock. But the other moved even faster as he hugged her waist with one hand and quickly removed her outer clothes with the other. Sila! When the clothes dropped down, they were even ripped. Chu Liuyue was even more confused. What is Rong Xiu doing? She watched as Rong Xiu quickly put away that layer of grayish-black clothes and quickly undid the red clothes that she had originally been wearing. Chu Liuyue grabbed his wrist. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly heard a harsh, cold voice from outside. ¡°Stop right there!¡± The horse detected danger as it answered and stopped. It uneasily scratched its hooves against the ground and caused snow to fly everywhere. A few auras rapidly approached. Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked. It¡¯s Jiang Yucheng and his men! ¡°Who is inside the horse carriage?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s cold and harsh voice sounded from outside. Rong Xiu seemed to have completely ignored it as he carried Chu Liuyue up, looked down, and gave her a deep kiss. He then held her thin waist with one hand while his other hand silently undid her tied-up hair. Her hair dropped down. ¡­ Hearing that the horse carriage didn¡¯t make any noise, Jiang Yucheng was even more frustrated. In this snowy and icy place, the entire road is filled with snow. Most people would¡¯ve long headed home, and they wouldn¡¯t be outside loitering. Why would someone be traveling on a horse carriage? Also, nobody is driving this horse carriage. It¡¯s just letting two horses pull it on. There¡¯s clearly a problem! ¡°The Jiang Residence is currently chasing after an assassin! Everyone who passes by this area must be checked. People in the carriage, you¡¯d better cooperate. If not, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± The Jiang Residence guards that had followed him over had already completely surrounded the horse carriage. The cold winds howled, and the tremendous suppression spread. The air seemed to be frozen. The people in the horse carriage didn¡¯t react at all. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes squinted dangerously. This horse carriage looks very spacious and elegant, but there is no indication of which aristocratic family the carriage belongs to. Thus, it must not belong to someone of power. If this is so, there is nothing to care about. Besides, I¡ªJiang Yucheng¡ªwouldn¡¯t be afraid even if it¡¯s someone of authority. If I want to check someone, who in Xi Ling City can stop me? Thinking of this, his face turned cold, and he walked forward. The sword tip moved up and suddenly lifted up the curtain. Black flashed across his eyes as if a gigantic black feather flew across. Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows and looked within the horse carriage. Once he saw it, he was suddenly shocked. There were two people in the horse carriage. A man in white was sitting within, and he was tightly hugging a girl in his arms. That girl was wrapped in a black cloak from head to toe, and he could only see a small head leaning against the man¡¯s arms. From Jiang Yucheng¡¯s perspective, he could only see that girl¡¯s messy, soft, and shimmering hair. Jiang Yucheng glanced at that man and knew exactly what was going on. Thinking of the flash of black earlier, it should be the man pulling the large cloak to wrap that woman up in a hurry. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t expect to meet with such a scene, and his expression turned dark. On the other hand, after displeasure from being interrupted flashed across the man in white¡¯s face, his gaze looked much clearer. Even though he had a tinge of charm in his eyes like the colors of spring, it was clear what exactly happened. He buttoned his opened collar without a hurry and lowered his head to gently say something to the girl in his arms before looking up at Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Jiang Residence? I believe you must be Eldest Young Master Jiang?¡± Jiang Yucheng suspiciously sized this man up. Even though he was a man, he couldn¡¯t help but admit that the man in white in front of him had exquisite looks and that his aura was cold and elegant as if he were a fairy. He himself was also one of the top few young masters in Xi Ling City, and he had always been called as the top beau in Xi Ling City all these years. However, he paled in comparison to this man in white in front of him. If I had seen this type of person before, I definitely would have an impression of him. This also means that this man in white is very possibly not someone from Xi Ling. Thinking of this, he immediately became alert and coldly asked, ¡°Who are you?!¡± Chapter 665 - Duration The man in white smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m Rong Xiu.¡± Jiang Yucheng rapidly scanned his mind, but he realized that he didn¡¯t recognize and had never heard of this name before. ¡°Logically speaking, I should get down the carriage and greet you, Eldest Young Master Jiang. But¡­ With the current situation, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that. I hope you¡¯ll understand, Eldest Young Master Jiang.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was low and sounded a little lazy. It was originally words of apology, but from his mind, they had an extra tinge of leisure to them. It was as if¡­ he had disregarded Jiang Yucheng. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s blood boiled. ¡°You know me, but I have never seen you before.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just a commoner, so it¡¯s normal if you haven¡¯t seen me before.¡± Jiang Yucheng looked at the woman in his arms. ¡°Whose the one in your arms? Lift her head up.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s brows rose slightly, and he hugged the girl even more tightly and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°I heard that you are chasing after an assassin, and I can understand your need to look for him. But¡­ The two of us have always been in the horse carriage, and we have nothing to do with the assassin¡ª¡± ¡°I need to check to know if you have anything to do with him.¡± Jiang Yucheng violently interrupted Rong Xiu as his eyes were glued to that woman. ¡°Look up!¡± Why would these two people not stay at home properly on such a snowy day and must travel by horse carriage outside? He felt even more suspicious in his heart, and he looked at the woman harshly. Rong Xiu¡¯s smile faded slightly. He was about to speak, but the woman in his arms suddenly grabbed the clothes in front of his chest, tilted her head, and spoke. ¡°Rong Xiu, since Eldest Young Master Jiang wants to find the assassin, he naturally can¡¯t miss out on anyone. It¡¯s okay if he takes one glance.¡± Hearing this rather familiar voice, Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows. This seems like¡­ A thought just popped up in his mind when he saw the woman in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms look over. A beautiful face appeared in front of him¡ªit was Chu Liuyue. At this point, her entire person was wrapped tightly in that black cloak. Only the revealed snow-white face had two specks of blush. Her eyes were sparkling brightly with water as if they could suck someone¡¯s soul in at any time. Her cherry lips were red, supple, and thick like a rose that was about to bloom. Her eyes seemed to have a vague line, and it looked exceedingly sentimental. When the colors of the icy and cold snow faded away, it was only left with this tinge of extreme beauty on earth. Jiang Yucheng looked at the girl in front of him dazedly. He naturally recognized this face, but¡­ She looked very unfamiliar. In his impression, Chu Liuyue was a natural beauty, but there was always a distant and cold feeling to her that made one unable to approach her. But at this moment, she was obediently lying in a man¡¯s embrace, and her entire person was like a soft cat, which made one¡¯s heart become soft like goo. She was genuinely a living charm. Chu Liuyue looked at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t show myself earlier because I didn¡¯t want to meet you in such a manner. But since you¡¯re chasing after the assassin, I can¡¯t do this. I hope you won¡¯t mind it.¡± She then smiled slightly as if she was a little shy and was filled with sweetness. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t know what he felt, but his mind was blank as he almost instinctively asked, ¡°Who is he to you?¡± Rong Xiu wrapped the cloak even more tightly, and the smooth fur covered half of Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m Yue¡¯er¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± Jiang Yucheng was dazed. The main objective for Mu Qinghe going to Country Yao Chen back then wasn¡¯t to find cultivators with a Dijing Yuan meridian. The more important reason for bringing Chu Liuyue back was to deal with the Wan Zheng Competition. Hence, he didn¡¯t say too much about Chu Liuyue in front of Jiang Yucheng. Due to this, he didn¡¯t even mention that she had a fianc¨¦. Jiang Yucheng naturally didn¡¯t know about this. But at that moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile had overlapped with a certain scene in his memory. That person had once revealed such a smile. With a touch of shyness and more of elation, it was as if all the light in the world was gathered in her eyes as they dazzled and sparkled. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart seemed to be clutched by something tightly. When the two scenes kept intersecting, it made his entire person confused. For some reason, his hand holding the knife trembled slightly. Rong Xiu watched the scene coldly and chuckled in his heart, but his appearance was calm. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, we can leave since you¡¯ve confirmed that there¡¯s no problem, right?¡± Jiang Yucheng suddenly recovered his senses. He looked at Rong Xiu, and his gaze gradually turned cold. He was also a man, and he could naturally tell what Rong Xiu was thinking. That completely possessive attitude really made one¡­ disgusted! Seeing the earlier scene of the duo in the horse carriage, an unknown fire seemed to burn in his heart. Even he himself didn¡¯t know where the anger came from, but it was about to burn his organs completely. ¡°It¡¯s snowing hard. What are the two of you doing here?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng coldly as he suppressed his feelings. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up into a doting smile as he slowly explained, ¡°Yue¡¯er was summoned into the palace by the Third Princess. Later on, I employed a horse carriage and went to fetch her when I saw that it was snowing. Speaking of this horse carriage, I must thank Lieutenant Mu. Without him, it¡¯s really not easy to find such a good horse carriage quickly.¡± These two short sentences contained too much information! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and glanced at him. Rong Xiu actually asked Mu Qinghe for help regarding this horse carriage? When did the two of them meet? Why would Mu Qinghe agree to help with such a thing? Jiang Yucheng was also shocked as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Third Princess summoned you to the palace? Why did she look for you?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°We just casually talked. Later on, Third Princess was busy looking after His Majesty, so I came back.¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression, it was as if nothing had happened. But Jiang Yucheng was still scared. This Shangguan Wan is too sudden! We talked so much today, but she didn¡¯t even mention this at all! And Mu Qinghe¡ªI told him to investigate the mansion at Six Clouds Street, but why did he suddenly become related to Rong Xiu? He even helped him? No matter what, Rong Xiu¡¯s words make logical sense. Besides, no matter if it were Chu Liuyue entering the palace or Mu Qinghe giving help, they are undeniable issues. These two explanations have nothing strange or wrong about them. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s doubts were gradually dispelled, and he finally moved a step back. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Since we¡¯ve cleared it up, you can leave!¡± He then waved his hands, and the guards behind him immediately made way. The horses seemed to be spiritual as they moved their hooves and walked forward. But the moment it moved, Jiang Yucheng suddenly recalled something and stopped the horse carriage again. He stared at the duo closely, and his gaze was filled with supervising oppression as he asked, ¡°No, Third Princess had gone to the Jiang Residence earlier on, and Chu Liuyue should¡¯ve left the palace much earlier. Why did you two spend such a long time on the road?¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly. Then, she heard the man beside chuckle lowly and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t considered long, right? Perhaps it¡¯s too long for you, Eldest Young Master Jiang?¡± Chapter 666 - Within Touchable Distance Chu Liuyue could guarantee with her life that Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face flashed black. She silently glanced at Rong Xiu. What harsh words¡ªwhat a toxic man. I love it! Not waiting for Jiang Yucheng to be enraged, Rong Xiu continued, ¡°Even if you¡¯re talking about the most boring things in the world with the person you love, they¡¯re also the most interesting things. Due to this, you¡¯ll naturally forget about the time.¡± He stretched out his hand and slowly brushed Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Yue¡¯er in a long time, and I miss her very much. I don¡¯t even have enough time to look at her, let alone have the mood to look at the time.¡± His voice was very low and gentle as his eyes stared at Chu Liuyue deeply. It was as though he was looking at the most precious treasure in the world. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be hit by something soft as sourish sweetness overwhelmed her heart. She leaned against Rong Xiu¡¯s arms and obediently stuck her face to his chest as she felt very carefree and relaxed. With this man around, he will naturally solve all my problems for me. I don¡¯t need to worry about anything. I just need to watch and listen to him properly. Jiang Yucheng clenched his fists tightly, but as he used too much force, his knuckles turned white, and his veins were popping on his forehead. Rong Xiu¡¯s words¡­ Nobody can even refute him at all. The scene of the two people depending on each other is also very irritating for some reason. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He took a deep breath in and quickly turned around to leave. The crowd of guards immediately chased after him. Very quickly, the whole row of people¡¯s figures disappeared from the streets. The surroundings finally quietened down, and the suppressive aura had also completely disappeared. The curtain was let down, and it hid everything outside. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and slowly breathed out. Almost¡­ If Rong Xiu didn¡¯t show up on time, it would be very difficult for me to back out completely. Jiang Yucheng is a vengeful person. Since I hurt him, he will definitely try to get to the bottom of this. For the next period of time, Xi Ling will definitely be lively. ¡°Now you know how to be afraid?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°When you did it, you really had a lot of guts.¡± Chu Liuyue was teased by him but didn¡¯t feel anything about it. On the other hand, she asked with much interest, ¡°Did you really come out today to pick me up? Also¡­ Did you purposely wait here for me?¡± Rong Xiu laughed without denying it. Actually, strictly speaking, both were true. At first, he received the news of Shangguan Wan summoning Chu Liuyue to the palace, and he was quite worried. Coincidentally, Mu Qinghe came to the mansion, so he took the chance to ask him for help. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t find a good horse carriage, but that¡­ he couldn¡¯t stand Mu Qinghe. Afterward, he couldn¡¯t fetch Chu Liuyue. In the end, he checked and found out that she was in the Jiang Residence. Thus, he brought the carriage over. Due to this, he did have both witnesses and evidence to completely prove Chu Liuyue¡¯s innocence. Even if Jiang Yucheng was suspicious, he couldn¡¯t find any loopholes. Chu Liuyue glanced at his expression and could roughly guess what happened. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Rong Xiu, why are you always around whenever I need you?¡± Not once, not twice, but every time. Every time I think that I¡¯m in a perilous situation and have nowhere to escape, he will always appear and pull me back into his arms from the edge of danger. In this world, why would there be such a person who knows what I know, likes what I like, and hates whatever I hate? He always gives me the best. Is it true that the gods in this world took pity on me? Rong Xiu gently kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll naturally fulfill whatever I promised you.¡± Chu Liuyue played with the jade button on his collar with one hand as she muttered dazedly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember you saying this¡­¡± This jade button is done so tightly, but Rong Xiu could undo it in one go just now¡­ Rong Xiu looked at her deeply, and there seemed to be countless ripples in his eyes that were eventually appeased. He hid the expression in his eyes as he leaned close to her ear and softly whispered, ¡°Actually, this thing requires a technique. Do you want me to teach you?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and glared at him with her bright, watery eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll know without you teaching me!¡± Who is he looking down on? Seeing her hair down and how she was wrapped in the black coat like a sponge baby while she pouted with anger at the same time with her face blushing red, she looked extremely adorable. Rong Xiu laughed out loud. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll let you practice on me for free then. What do you think?¡± The horse carriage went off again. The carriage moved, and with a slight move of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, the half that she undid with much difficulty was back again. Chu Liuyue wriggled her nose and indignantly used her strength. Sila! Chu Liuyue dazedly stared at the jade button in her hands and the opening that was ripped apart on the collar. She was speechless. I-I don¡¯t think this is very good¡­ Rong Xiu leaned against the wall of the carriage and laughed lazily. ¡°Yue¡¯er, it seems like you¡¯re very urgent¡­¡± Chu Liuyue lifted that jade button innocently and smiled. ¡°That¡­ Uh, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Actually, I feel that the quality of your clothes isn¡¯t good¡­¡± Rong Xiu seemed to have seen through everything as he went up to her. The two of them stared at each other, and they could take in each other¡¯s breaths. ¡°It¡¯s snowing very heavily today, and I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t go back to Chong Xu Cabinet. There¡¯s still half a day and an entire night left. You can undo it however you like.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s really a misunderstanding! ¡­ In the heavy snow, the horse carriage slowly moved. The streets were peaceful again. Other than the two streaks of horse tracks on the snow, it was as if nothing had happened. But on the other end, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s blood was boiling. The previous scene kept replaying in his mind¡ªthat girl¡¯s shy and docile manner was the behavior that one would only have when they met someone they loved. Jiang Yucheng long knew that she was originally born a natural beauty. He also knew that she was also quite similar to that person. Other than the first time he met her and saw that bright smile that shocked him for a long time, he was actually used to that face already. The two people were worlds apart, and there was no point in comparing, especially because of the look that he saw outside Thousand View Garden. Due to it, he had already separated the duo completely. He thought that the tinge of reminiscence in his heart had completely disappeared, but he realized that it wasn¡¯t so when he saw her again today. Chu Liuyue had a strange and magical aura around her, which always made him want to take another look at her instinctively. She was similar to that person, and they were also different. Comparing the two of them¡­ Even though Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t of prestigious birth, and her demeanor and elegance couldn¡¯t be compared to that person¡¯s, she also had more vitality. It was the stubbornness and persistence in her bones. Those who didn¡¯t undergo hardships wouldn¡¯t have this feeling. In other words, that person back then was like the sun high in the sky, and he could only look up to her. Even if he once had a marriage agreement with her, he always felt that there was something between them. Sometimes, he even felt that he wasn¡¯t even enough to be the corner of her clothes. However, Chu Liuyue was different. She was energetic and bright, but she was also within a reachable distance. What made Jiang Yucheng dazed and vaguely anxious was that¡­ He didn¡¯t seem to be able to resist Chu Liuyue¡­ ¡°Eldest Young Master!¡± Chapter 667 - Interrogation Again Jiang Yucheng recovered his senses. ¡°Eldest Young Master, are you okay?¡± The guard at the side looked at him worriedly. After letting that horse carriage go and leaving, Eldest Young Master has been distracted the entire way and didn¡¯t talk much. He really looks quite strange. Is Eldest Young Master¡¯s injury too serious? A layer of ice covered Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face. ¡°Why would I not be okay? Continue looking!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jiang Yucheng looked up. The skies kept snowing, and the entire Xi Ling City was covered in a thick layer of snow. The heavier the snow, the more inconvenient it is for Xia Mu to escape. He rapidly went forward. ¡­ Jiang Yucheng wasted a large amount of manpower and had almost flipped the entire Xi Ling City upside down, but he still couldn¡¯t find Xia Mu. He couldn¡¯t even find a single trace of the latter. This person seemed to have vanished. Jiang Yucheng only returned to the mansion when the night sky arrived. However, he sent another group of people to search outside. Inside the study, Feng Shanyuan treated Jiang Yucheng¡¯s wound again and took his pulse, his expression solemn. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you were severely injured previously and used a special method to hide your aura, which caused too much damage to your body. With today¡¯s injury¡­ If you don¡¯t rest properly, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t get well!¡± Jiang Yucheng closed his eyes. He was injured and had tired himself out the entire day, which made him look quite pale. Besides, that depressed and frustrated feeling kept tumbling in his heart. It just wouldn¡¯t go away, causing him to knit his brows. Seeing him in such a state, Feng Shanyuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be an alarmist, Eldest Young Master, but I know your body the best. You really can¡¯t afford to be injured again. If it affects your future cultivation¡­ You can never make up for it!¡± This sentence finally made Jiang Yucheng widen his eyes. ¡°Is it that serious?¡± Feng Shanyuan nodded solemnly. ¡°So during this period, worry less and instruct your subordinates to do anything. You must rest properly¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done.¡± Jiang Yucheng waved his hands in frustration. Shangguan Wan is about to arrange that soon, and the later wedding will also be advanced urgently. Where do I have the time to rest? Feng Shanyuan wanted to advise him again when he heard Jiang Yucheng say, ¡°Go back and rest first. I want to be alone.¡± Feng Shanyuan sighed in his heart and could only turn around to leave. Reaching the door, he coincidentally met Sun Qi¡ªwho had hurriedly come back. Sun Qi bowed toward Feng Shanyuan and quickly stepped in. Feng Shanyuan turned back and took a glance before walking away while shaking his head. Inside the room, Sun Qi walked to Jiang Yucheng. His body and hair still had snow. ¡°Eldest Young Master, I have already gone to Xia Mu¡¯s residence, but I can¡¯t find him. Also¡­ From the accounts of the other people around, he didn¡¯t even go back.¡± Jiang Yucheng had expected this answer. Xia Mu did such a thing, so why wouldn¡¯t he know that he would definitely die when he returns? ¡°But did you ask if there¡¯s anything wrong with him recently?¡± ¡°No. Xia Mu has no parents and was disfigured and became a mute, so he had been living alone the entire time. Qi Dahe lives quite close to him, and the two of them have a good relationship. Other than this, the two of them don¡¯t really interact with the rest. Within the past year or so, they lived like other people and didn¡¯t do anything out of the norm.¡± Jiang Yucheng thought for a moment and asked, ¡°What about the remaining half today?¡± ¡°They have all been locked in Wutong Garden, and someone is looking after them. Big Brother Qi is locked up alone,¡± said Sun Qi. He then glanced at his master and tried to ask, ¡°Eldest Young Master¡­ How do you think we should deal with these people?¡± ¡°Just lock them up. Bring Qi Dahe over first¡ªI¡¯ll personally interrogate him.¡± Sun Qi was a little worried. ¡°But Eldest Young Master, you were injured today, and you even went out the entire day. Why don¡¯t¡­ we interrogate again tomorrow?¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at him coldly. ¡°If you have time to nag, why don¡¯t you find Xia Mu?!¡± Sun Qi didn¡¯t dare to say anything else as he agreed. ¡­ At the same time, Six Clouds Street, Chu Residence. The ex-chauffeur, Yan Qing¡ªwho had long been chased home by his own master¡ªlooked at the snow in much boredom and sighed deeply. Sigh¡­ Master has become increasingly unpredictable now, and he even wants to move the horse carriage himself¡­ I wonder if he fetched Ms. Liuyue¡­ A figure silently dropped down from the side of the walls and quickly came over. Yan Qing glanced at him and retracted his gaze. However, Yu Mo was shocked when he saw him as he widened his eyes and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± He looked left and right. Master doesn¡¯t seem to be around¡­ Why is Yan Qing here alone? ¡°Where¡¯s Master? You didn¡¯t follow him?¡± Yan Qing glanced at him coldly. ¡°Master has his own reasons for doing things. You don¡¯t have to care so much.¡± Yu Mo chuckled. ¡°Am I not worried that you have nothing to do?!¡± Yan Qing chuckled and said with contempt, ¡°Do you have something to do?¡± Yu Mo leaned over, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously and delightedly, ¡°I beat that Fourth Missy Jiang up again!¡± Yan Qing felt that it was a little strange. ¡°Hasn¡¯t she been staying in the Jiang Residence recently? Did you go¡ª¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! She came out today, and I bumped into her! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s such a coincidence? Since I¡¯ve already met her, I naturally need to ¡®show off¡¯ a little!¡± Jiang Yuzhi hadn¡¯t gone out during this period. After waiting for two days, Yu Mo felt that she became obedient and gave up. He didn¡¯t expect that he would encounter an accidental surprise when he went out today. ¡°She was fated with such troubles. I don¡¯t have a choice either!¡± said Yu Mo as he loosened his joints. He then said with pity, ¡°Pfft, it¡¯s a pity that she brought someone with her this time and that I didn¡¯t have my fill.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Do you really plan to beat her up every time you see her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t see what Master was like back then. This is already good for her!¡± ¡°¡­True.¡± ¡°She did this to herself, and she deserves it. Isn¡¯t she so brazen just because she has a backing? She speaks as if our Ms. Liuyue doesn¡¯t have one! She was just using an egg against a stone! If I don¡¯t teach her a proper lesson, she will continue to do this in the future!¡± Yan Qing completely agreed. Suddenly, horse carriage noises could be heard from outside the yard. Yan Qing hurriedly rushed over and quickly opened the door with Yu Mo following closely behind. The horse carriage stopped outside the door. A long hand moved the curtains. Rong Xiu came down from the horse carriage. ¡°Master!¡± However, they saw Rong Xiu nod lightly and bring another person down the horse carriage. ¡°Greetings, Ms. Liuyue,¡± said the Yan Qing-Yu Mo duo in unison. Chu Liuyue was quite surprised. ¡°Yu Mo, you¡¯re here too?¡± Rong Xiu had been in Xi Ling for a while, and Yan Qing followed him usually. She hadn¡¯t seen much of Yu Mo. She even thought that he didn¡¯t come. Yu Mo awkwardly scratched his head. I can¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t show myself because my face was swollen and that I was too embarrassed to see people, right¡­ He coughed and changed the topic. ¡°Master, Ms. Liuyue, it¡¯s cold outside. Quickly, come in¡ª¡± ¡­ Chapter 668 - Real or Fake Chu Liuyue had been busy the entire day, and now she could finally rest at her own home properly. However, it wasn¡¯t so peaceful in the Jiang Residence. ¡­ After being locked up for a day, Qi Dahe was dragged to Jiang Yucheng¡¯s study at night. The harsh winds blew mercilessly and froze his bones¡ªeven his heart was cold. The door was closed from behind. In front of him was the cold and stern Jiang Yucheng sitting behind the table. The dim yellow light shone on his face, and he looked very sinister. A chill ran down Qi Dahe¡¯s spine. At that moment, his entire body was frozen, and he couldn¡¯t move. Bang! Sun Qi kicked his knees from behind. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you kneeling when you see the Eldest Young Master?¡± Qi Dahe felt the pain. Putong! He kneeled on the floor. His kneecaps hurt greatly to the extent that his face flushed white. When he finally recovered his senses, he hurriedly kowtowed. ¡°Eldest Young Master, spare me! Eldest Young Master, spare me!¡± Jiang Yucheng looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Speak. What¡¯s with Xia Mu?¡± Qi Dahe paused in his actions and felt bitter in his heart. ¡°¡­Eldest Young Master, I-I really don¡¯t know¡­ Xia Mu has always been introverted, and he isn¡¯t very daring. He doesn¡¯t even leave the house normally, so I don¡¯t know why he would do this either!¡± Even though he did bear a grudge against Jiang Yucheng in his heart, he would only privately grumble about him a few times. However, he wouldn¡¯t really dare to do anything. All of them knew very clearly what kind of person Jiang Yucheng was! It wasn¡¯t like they had never witnessed his methods, so why would they dare to go against him? But Xia Mu actually hurt Jiang Yucheng¡­ Even he was stunned for a long while when he heard it. Until now, he still didn¡¯t understand why Xia Mu would do this. ¡°You are best friends with him. Don¡¯t you know what he wants to do at all?¡± Qi Dahe was on the brink of tears. ¡°I-I really don¡¯t know! Eldest Young Master, please check! It was still fine when I came with Xia Mu today!¡± Jiang Yucheng thought for a moment. Xia Mu must¡¯ve suddenly decided to hurt me. If not, he definitely wouldn¡¯t just use a brush. But Xia Mu was extremely accurate when he took action, so Jiang Yucheng even suspected that the former had long hated him. This was why he would suddenly exert such great force. ¡°Did he ever tell you before that he hates me?¡± Qi Dahe thought for a moment, and he was conflicted. ¡°Hm?¡± Jiang Yucheng raised his tone slightly with a hint of threat. Qi Dahe hurriedly lowered his head, and his forehead touched the floor as he stammered, ¡°N-no¡­ Really, not at all¡­¡± ¡°He followed me to Nan Jiang, and his appearance was ruined. He even became mute, so does he really not hate me?¡± Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t believe it. He knew how these people saw him, but he didn¡¯t care. Anyway, they weren¡¯t capable of doing anything about it. But now that Xia Mu had hurt him, he had to get to the bottom of it! Qi Dahe could only say, ¡°Um¡­ He has always been loyal to you, Eldest Young Master. With this as a reason, he won¡¯t¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at Sun Qi. Sun Qi immediately went forward and harshly slapped Qi Dahe. Smack! ¡°Speak the truth! If you lie, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue!¡± Qi Dahe was slapped until two teeth dropped out and blood filled his mouth. He opened his mouth, but there seemed to be something stuck in his throat. Due to this, he couldn¡¯t say anything. Xia Mu saved me before¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ Jiang Yucheng squinted his eyes. How can I not tell what Qi Dahe is thinking? He is clearly being this stubborn to protect Xia Mu. He suddenly said, ¡°Since you refuse to admit it, I won¡¯t pursue this first. Let me ask you. Xia Mu¡­ How did his cultivation level suddenly return to peak stage-four?¡± Qi Dahe was suddenly stunned as he looked at Jiang Yucheng dazedly. ¡°Peak stage-four? Impossible¡ªhe¡¯s still at the cultivation level from before. Even though he was severely injured and couldn¡¯t improve no matter how much he cultivated after we came back, he definitely didn¡¯t go back to being a peak stage-four warrior.¡± A white light flashed across Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mind. He immediately stood up and stared at Qi Dahe closely. ¡°Are you speaking the truth? Can you confirm that he¡¯s not a peak stage-four warrior?¡± Qi Dahe didn¡¯t know why the other was behaving in such a manner and could only nod dazedly. ¡°Yes¡­ Eldest Young Master, is there something wrong?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze quickly changed. I see¡­ I see! That Xia Mu¡­ is clearly a fake! ¡°During this period, did you discover anything amiss about Xia Mu?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng hurriedly. Qi Dahe thought for a long time and shook his head hesitantly. ¡°¡­No¡­ He has always been like this¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng suddenly thought of ¡®Xia Mu.¡¯ He was skinny, had a face filled with scars, and was wearing a metal half-mask. The key point was that he was a mute. It was extremely easy to disguise as such a person! Even if they silently changed a person, who could identify the change when he just stood there with his head lowered quietly? Jiang Yucheng gradually clenched his fists. I can now confirm that the Xia Mu who hurt me today isn¡¯t the real Xia Mu. The real Xia Mu should¡¯ve long been dealt with. It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t confirm when the person changed. I also don¡¯t know how exactly that person disguised as Xia Mu and made it into the Jiang Residence! As long as that person removes their disguise and returns to their original appearance, who would know? Considering the current situation, it¡¯ll be as hard as going to the heavens in order to investigate this issue. Jiang Yucheng frustratedly paced back and forth in the room. As he walked, he kept looking at the brush on the table. Who has that strength and that movement technique¡­ Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Peak stage-four¡­ Isn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue?! Chapter 669 - Burn A burning sensation suddenly came from his stomach. Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows, and his face flashed white. Sun Qi immediately went forward and nervously asked, ¡°Eldest Young Master, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jiang Yucheng waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡ªbring him down first.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Dahe was confused. I¡¯ve already said all that I have to. Why doesn¡¯t Eldest Young Master want to let me off? I really didn¡¯t do anything to betray the Eldest Young Master! Sun Qi walked to Qi Dahe and glanced at his master hesitantly. ¡°Eldest Young Master, then¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at him in much frustration. ¡°Act according to the plan.¡± Sun Qi immediately agreed. Qi Dahe instantly felt uneasy. Plan¡­ What plan? My instincts tell me that they¡¯re talking about me¡ª Bang! With a dagger, Sun Qi directly struck Qi Dahe until he fainted and his eyes flipped up. Then, he personally dragged the latter out. The door closed, and the room was left with Jiang Yucheng alone. He took a deep breath in and walked to the bed behind the screen. After taking off his clothes, he carefully examined the wound on his stomach. The burning sensation only appeared for a moment earlier, and it immediately disappeared. Being directly pierced by a brush didn¡¯t cause much damage to me, and the wound is already healing because Feng Shanyuan has already treated it. However, that strange burning sensation makes me uneasy. He sat cross-legged, circulated his force, and checked his body¡¯s condition again. However, he didn¡¯t discover anything amiss. After much thinking, he called for someone to invite Feng Shanyuan over again. Hearing his description, Feng Shanyuan felt that it was strange. But after taking Jiang Yucheng¡¯s pulse repeatedly for the third time, he still didn¡¯t find anything wrong with the other. ¡°This¡­ Other than the wounds on you, there doesn¡¯t seem to be another problem¡­ The pain you mentioned earlier, what¡¯s with that?¡± Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s a fire burning, but it immediately fades away afterward. I checked myself and didn¡¯t find anything wrong, but this pain is really weird¡­¡± He was naturally a very suspicious person, let alone the fact that this implicated his own body. Thus, it was impossible that he wouldn¡¯t care about it. Feng Shanyuan looked guilty. ¡°It might be because I¡¯m not skilled enough¡­ Why don¡¯t you find someone else to check for you, Eldest Young Master?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jiang Yucheng shook his head. Feng Shanyuan felt that it was strange. ¡°Why? Zuo Mingxi and the rest are still quite trustable. They shouldn¡¯t expose your body¡¯s condition.¡± These three heavenly doctors were Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng¡¯s confidants. If not, they wouldn¡¯t have been chosen to specifically take care of His Majesty. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t say anything, but his cold and solemn expression caused a thought to surface in Feng Shanyuan¡¯s heart. Could it be that¡­ Eldest Young Master no longer trusts the few of them? ¡°It¡¯s a critical period now, and information regarding my body¡¯s condition cannot be revealed at all. Hence, it¡¯s better for even them not to know.¡± The words that Shangguan Wan told him earlier indeed made him uneasy. If someone really has already betrayed us¡­ I must be more careful. Feng Shanyuan didn¡¯t ask further. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back and check the medical books and see if I can find any information.¡± Jiang Yucheng then nodded. After the heavenly doctor left, Jiang Yucheng stood up, walked to the table, and examined the brush carefully. The bloodstains on it had already dried up. Apart from this, it looked normal. Jiang Yucheng held the table with one hand and fell into deep thought. Does Chu Liuyue have anything to do with this? In Xi Ling City, there are many peak stage-four warriors, but I can only think of a handful that have such guts and harsh, accurate movements. But Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu do have alibis¡­ Besides, the people in the palace and Mu Qinghe would never lie. It seems like I can only slowly find a chance to test her¡­ Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows and thought. If it¡¯s really Chu Liuyue, where did the hatred that caused her to take action come from? Knock knock¡­ Just as Jiang Yucheng was feeling very confused, he suddenly heard urgent knocks. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression turned cold. It¡¯s so late. Why would someone come? Without waiting for him to speak, a woman¡¯s cries could be heard from outside. ¡°Big Brother! Big Brother, open the door!¡± It was Jiang Yuzhi. Jiang Yucheng suppressed his anger and walked over to open the door. More than half of Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s face was covered in bandages. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng with knitted brows. Tears welled up in Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s eyes, and Uncle Fu¡ªwho was behind her¡ªimmediately kneeled down. ¡°Eldest Young Master, please forgive me! It¡¯s all my fault!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart sank, and he directly pulled his sister into the room. Then, he tore down the bandages on her face. It was another swollen face. Jiang Yuzhi cried, ¡°Big Brother, I went out today and was beaten up by that person again!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s temples throbbed intensely. There were too many things to worry about, and he didn¡¯t know how to speak for a short time. He took a deep breath in and suppressed his anger with much difficulty. Then, he looked at Uncle Fu. ¡°What exactly happened?!¡± It was a very cold day, but Uncle Fu¡¯s forehead was filled with beads of sweat as he nervously said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, I accompanied Fourth Missy out today. During the period I was paying for the bill, Fourth Missy went missing. When I found her again¡­ I saw¡­ I saw that Fourth Missy had already become like this¡­ It¡¯s my fault, Eldest Young Master. Please punish me!¡± Actually, Uncle Fu was very wronged as well. He had been accompanying Jiang Yuzhi very carefully the entire day. Who would¡¯ve known that the other party would take action during that short amount of time? Jiang Yucheng had too many things to worry about during the day. He didn¡¯t expect that it wouldn¡¯t stop until late into the night. His entire body¡¯s aura turned cold and sinister. ¡°What¡¯s the use of punishing you? The key is to find that person! Did you see that person¡¯s appearance this time?¡± Jiang Yuzhi cried and shook her head. Uncle Fu said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, since that person could silently take Fourth Missy away from my side, his abilities must be superior to mine.¡± Jiang Yucheng was slightly shocked. Even though Uncle Fu isn¡¯t considered a top warrior, he isn¡¯t weak. The other party sent a strong warrior of such standards, and it would be easy for them to just take Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s life. However, the other party didn¡¯t do so. They clearly want to torture Jiang Yuzhi. Thinking of this, he took a glance. Expectedly, he saw Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s wronged expression and the deep horror in her eyes. ¡°B-Big Brother¡­ I won¡¯t go out in the future¡­ Can you quickly find that person?¡± Previously, Jiang Yuzhi was still arrogant to no end. But now that she had suffered, she immediately became obedient. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart ached, and he was also frustrated. In the end, he could only say, ¡°Go back and rest first. Don¡¯t go out during this period. As for this, I¡¯ll send someone to check on it.¡± Jiang Yuzhi didn¡¯t object to it and agreed miserably. Jiang Yucheng did not sleep well the entire night and had continuous nightmares. That faint scorching sensation kept causing him to think about that fire. And in his dreams this time, he became the person trapped in the fire. Chapter 670 - Guard Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day, the news of someone sneaking into the Jiang Residence and attempting to assassinate Jiang Yucheng spread far and wide in Xi Ling City. Of course, the crowd didn¡¯t dare to discuss it openly, but they had started guessing wildly in private. There were all kinds of guesses. Jiang Yucheng had offended too many people after all, and too many of them wanted his life. It was a long story. At the start, he was just the ordinary Eldest Young Master of the Jiang family, and he held neither a major or minor position in the imperial court. As his talent was outstanding and his family background was decent, he did have a bright future. But in Xi Ling City, there were quite a few young sons that were capable. Jiang Yucheng wasn¡¯t the most elite one in every aspect. The reason why he could flourish in these few years and walk to his current position today was due to his marriage agreement with the Princess back then. Probably because he was good-looking or his family background and talents were decent, the Princess chose him out of the crowd to be her fianc¨¦. After settling the marriage agreement, his status was immediately different. Who didn¡¯t know that the Princess would definitely be the next empress? Besides, the Princess had been part of the Tianling Dynasty since birth, and she was the most distinguished person in the hearts of everyone. In addition, the Princess had done a lot of real work in those few years. She appeased the rebels and deducted taxes, and her reputation could even win over the current emperor. In the world¡¯s eyes, she was different. She was a high and mighty existence that they could only admire. Since Jiang Yucheng became the Princess¡¯s fianc¨¦, his reputation naturally increased as well. Quite a few people secretly tried to pull him over and sucked up to him. This rapidly increased Jiang Yucheng¡¯s connections. Then, as his marriage agreement with the Princess started progressing, he became closer to the Princess. Due to this, he learned quite a few things from her. Afterward, the Princess would also instruct him to handle certain tasks. Naturally, he became the person who understood the Princess¡¯s way of working and methods the best. After the Princess passed away, the imperial court was in chaos. He swiftly collaborated with the Third Princess and used his lightning methods to suppress them, conveniently removing a portion of the people who were claimed to have betrayed the Princess. In this way, with His Majesty being unconscious and the Princess¡¯s passing, the crowd had no leader. So after he and the Third Princess handled all of these matters, they righteously rose to the position. Then, he set up a marriage agreement with the Third Princess. When it came to these things, the crowd always partook in heated discussions. Some felt that he did this to appease the imperial court, and some felt that he did it to pursue power and authority. And during this process, it was inevitable that he had offended quite a few people. Actually, it was also quite normal that he had met with an assassination today. But on the same day, another important piece of news came out from the palace: In the imperial court, the Third Princess discussed with the officers and decided that her wedding with Jiang Yucheng would be set on the sixth of July. Calculating the time, it was about three months later. The crowd was as though struck by lightning. Everyone knew that their wedding day was also the day of the Third Princess¡ªShangguan Wan¡¯s ascension. ¡­ Chu Residence. In the room, Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and focused on herself. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force kept flowing to her body and passed through her limbs and bones, eventually gathering in the water droplet within her dantian. The four lines were especially clear on the water droplet¡¯s surface. Chu Liuyue vaguely felt that she had touched an invisible barrier. She knew very clearly that this was the door to become a stage-five warrior. After the clan competition at Square Gully, my physical strength increased by quite a bit. Thinking of this, it¡¯s also time to choose to break through¡­ Chu Liuyue placed her hands on her knees and increased the speed at which the force flowed through her body. An energy spiral rapidly appeared above her head, and waves of force rapidly entered. Her surrounding aura and suppression started intensifying at an observable speed. ¡­ Outside, Rong Xiu passed through the corridor and arrived here. Before he could reach the end, he detected something and looked at the room. A faint wave of aura came from within. His gaze moved slightly as he stood rooted to the ground. He then waved his sleeves, and a silver barrier rapidly covered the entire room. ¡­ ¡°Master¡ª¡± When Yan Qing came over, he just called for his master when he saw the other standing in the corridor with his hands behind his back as if he were waiting for something. He immediately kept quiet sensibly and looked at the room that Chu Liuyue was in. When he saw that layer of silver barrier, he thought for a moment and understood. Is Master guarding for Ms. Liuyue? Could Ms. Liuyue be breaking through again? Yan Qing felt emotional about this. Ms. Liuyue¡¯s breakthrough speed is a little too high. In less than a year¡¯s time, she became the current peak stage-four warrior from a good-for-nothing. Now, she¡¯s immediately about to break through and become a stage-five warrior. It¡¯s also very hard for other cultivators with the same Dijing Yuan meridian to do this. Besides, she¡¯s a cultivator in all three aspects. Other than cultivating as a warrior, her standards as a Xuan Master and a heavenly doctor have also kept increasing. Even if she was placed on our side¡­ She won¡¯t lose out to them¡­ Detecting Yan Qing¡¯s arrival, Rong Xiu turned around and glanced over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yan Qing went forward, bowed, and said, ¡°Master, 36 Respected Elder Ming came back, and he¡¯s waiting in the hall!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s brows rose. So fast? Back then, 36 Respected Elder Ming did come to Xi Ling with him. But after they arrived, he asked 36 Respected Elder Ming to help him check a matter. At the start, 36 Respected Elder Ming was reluctant and wanted to leave after he saw Chu Liuyue. In the end, he was still convinced by Rong Xiu. According to Rong Xiu¡¯s previous estimation, 36 Respected Elder Ming would only come in another half a month¡¯s time. He didn¡¯t expect him to come so quickly. He turned around and glanced at the silver barrier, but his feet did not move. Yan Qing hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Master, are you¡­ not going now?¡± Rong Xiu was nonchalant. ¡°Wait a while longer.¡± Wait for what? He¡¯s naturally waiting for Ms. Liuyue to break through! Yan Qing did not understand. It¡¯s naturally a good thing that Ms. Liuyue is breaking through to become a stage-five warrior, but why does Master want to wait and guard here personally? There shouldn¡¯t be any problem at this stage, and it will end quite quickly¡­ However, he naturally didn¡¯t dare to say this and could only say, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go back and report to 36 Respected Elder Ming first.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. But the moment Yan Qing turned around and planned to leave, he saw a figure coming from not far away. It was 36 Respected Elder Ming. His steps seemed slow, but in the blink of an eye, he silently arrived in front of them. Yan Qing immediately bowed, but 36 Respected Elder Ming waved his hands. ¡°Forget it, forget it! I¡¯m here to see my Little Princess Consort!¡± He spoke as he curiously glanced at the room that Chu Liuyue resided in and strangely asked, ¡°Hm? Is she about to break through? Rong Xiu, didn¡¯t you say that she¡¯s still a stage-four warrior now? Why did you start guarding for her?¡± For convenience this time, he came out disguised as an elder from Mingyue Tianshan. Hence, he purposely didn¡¯t address Rong Xiu as ¡®Your Highness,¡¯ and he changed his address toward her. Rong Xiu seemed to have expected that he couldn¡¯t wait any longer and would come over, so his lips curled up into an understanding smile. ¡°Of course¡­ I need to do so.¡± Buzz! A wave of aura suddenly spread from within the room. Chapter 671 - Connect Five Organs! The silver barrier felt the impact, and it rippled in a slightly strange manner. 36 Respected Elder Ming was quite shocked. ¡°Is she¡­ about to break through as a stage-five warrior?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. 36 Respected Elder Ming looked at the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force, and he became increasingly shocked in his heart. ¡°This¡­ This commotion doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­¡± When cultivators were breaking through to the fifth warrior stage, they normally wouldn¡¯t cause such a huge commotion. Let alone them, even average cultivators in Xi Ling City wouldn¡¯t pay extra attention to it. They were all used to it. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows. If she really broke through like an average person, why would I do this? Seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s expression, 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Buzz! Another wave of commotion came over. This time, it was even more obvious than previously. The Heaven and Earth Force started flowing inside at an even faster speed. 36 Respected Elder Ming watched on for a while and was interested. It seems like this girl is unusual¡­ I do want to see how capable the woman that can make Rong Xiu so in love with her is. ¡­ In the room, Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders dropped slightly. Her hands were on her knees with her palms facing upward. The energy spiral above her head became increasingly large, and it started spinning faster and faster. Chu Liuyue could even vaguely hear the noise of the waves moving¡ªthat was the noise of rich Heaven and Earth Force flowing into her body. The waves of thick force flowed throughout her body and kept washing through her Yuan meridian before flowing toward the water droplet. But even with such a huge amount of force entering, the water droplet still didn¡¯t move. The invisible wall was within Chu Liuyue¡¯s reach, but when she started the breakthrough, she realized she needed a larger amount of strength than she had imagined to take this step forward. Huahua¡ª Force moved intensely inside and outside her body, causing her ears to ring incessantly. Suddenly, a bright, red fire appeared on her left palm. This fire was like a little elf dancing around as it started to attract even more force toward her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was like a bottomless pit as it kept crazily absorbing the Heaven and Earth Force. The red fire nourished the force, which then entered the dantian with an extra tinge of scorching aura. Half of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body started burning up. Force then floated out of the water droplet. Like smoke and mist, it gradually extended toward her five organs. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Whoosh! A colorless fire rapidly emerged on her right hand¡ªit was the karmic fire from the Heavenly Square Cauldron. As it burned silently, it started to snatch the Heaven and Earth Force at the same time before rapidly nourishing and inserting it within Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Different from the previous force that was nourished by the red fire, the force coming out of the transparent karmic fire had a tinge of coldness to it. It was like ice-cold snow water that gradually expanded and made half her body cool. However, this cold air was very different from the harsh, sinister coldness within Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body. This was because this cold air was very pure and positive. Very quickly, cold force flowed out of the water droplet and spread to her organs and limbs at the same time. Chu Liuyue sat there quietly, but there seemed to be two extremely different energies merging and intersecting in her body. Ice and fire were always on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s body seemed to be a gigantic, tolerant, and magical container that could merge all of it together. Half was fire, and the other half was icy coldness. In Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, the scorching heat and the sinister coldness kept intersecting continuously. During this process, the forces that were used up and swallowed were extremely terrifying. ¡­ Outside the door, 36 Respected Elder Ming and Yan Qing looked at the energy spiral in the yard with stunned faces. This energy spiral was formed because Chu Liuyue had absorbed too much Heaven and Earth Force. Until now, the amount of energy that she had absorbed was enough for two stage-four warriors to break through and reach the fifth stage. However, she had no intention of stopping. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Waves of force spread over. Rong Xiu set up the silver barrier, and it kept rippling continuously. If it weren¡¯t for his barrier blocking it, the yard would¡¯ve been sweeped and leveled by the strong force. 36 Respected Elder Ming quietly glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°You guessed it earlier?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°This girl is causing quite a commotion as she breaks through to become a stage-five warrior¡­ If this continues, she could almost be compared to a stage-six warrior¡­¡± Cultivation had nine stages in total, and every three stages were a stumbling block. When cultivators broke through the third, sixth, and ninth barriers, it was extremely important to their cultivation life. Chu Liuyue is¡­ Boom! A large sound suddenly came out from the room. 36 Respected Elder Ming immediately looked over and widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Is she going to connect her five treasures?¡± ¡®Five treasures¡¯ were also known as the five organs. This referred to her heart, kidney, liver, spleen, and lung. After cultivators reached a certain stage, the so-called five treasures could connect with each other with the dantian as the center. This was done by using Heaven and Earth Force to connect the five organs and the dantian. In this way, the dantian connected with the five organs were akin to another pearl of essence on another level. The more one connected, the faster cultivators trained. But in actual fact, the requirement for cultivators to connect all five organs was very high. Average cultivators would try to do this when they broke through and became a stage-six warrior. They might not even succeed. According to the differences in one¡¯s talent and physical quality, the number of treasures they connected would be different. Some could connect a few at once, but others only one. Many cultivators hadn¡¯t even connected all of the five treasures even when they became a stage-seven warrior. But Chu Liuyue is only becoming a stage-five warrior. Why would she connect her five treasures? Chapter 672 - Can She Do It? Normally speaking, the more talented one was, the earlier they would connect their five treasures. The chances of succeeding on the first try were also higher. But other than Rong Xiu, 36 Respected Elder Ming had never seen someone try to do this when they were breaking through to become a stage-five warrior. This could only prove that Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities had far exceeded her cultivation level. Rong Xiu turned around and looked at the room where the force kept coming out of, and his gaze deepened. At the start, he actually didn¡¯t expect this either. But when he brought her back the day before, he shockingly discovered that she had thick force within her body. Once she started to break through, it would very likely cause a huge commotion. It really turned out to be so! 36 Respected Elder Ming was stunned and did not speak for quite a while. The silver barrier started shaking even more violently. ¡­ Actually, Chu Liuyue had already expected this scene before she broke through. But when she detected that the two waves of ice force and fire force started extending toward her organs, she was still shocked. She had a Tianjing Yuan meridian in her previous life, and she did indeed start connecting her five treasures when she broke through to become a stage-five warrior. However, her current body only had a Dijing Yuan meridian. Logically speaking, she should¡¯ve been like other cultivators and only started the connection of five treasures when she became a stage-six warrior. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Could this be related to the water droplet in my body? However, this thought disappeared in no time. She was stunned for a while before she swiftly gathered her focus and continued to absorb the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and checked herself. Within the dantian, her water droplet slowly turned. Waves of force flowed out, and they kept extending toward her five organs, attempting to connect with them. The surroundings seemed like never-ending darkness, where one would never know how to find the exit. But Chu Liuyue was extremely patient as she tried bit by bit. After some time, stars began to form in the water droplet. Almost at the same time, a strange connection was felt! The heart was connected! Bang bang! Bang bang! Her heart beat strongly, and the star within her water droplet also sparkled. The force circulated two times quicker in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, and the fire in her hands burned even more intensely. ¡­ ¡°Pfft, did she really do it?¡± Noticing the strange waves, 36 Respected Elder Ming finally couldn¡¯t help speaking out. As a respected elder, he was undeniably an elite, and he had also seen thousands of talented cultivators. On the surface, 36 Respected Elder Ming was always laughing. But in actual fact, he was an extremely picky person. One could just think to know how high of an expectation such a person had. And at this point, even he couldn¡¯t help but glance at Rong Xiu. ¡°No wonder¡­ Kid, you really have good taste!¡± Didn¡¯t they say that Chu Liuyue had an ordinary background? Didn¡¯t they say that she used to be a good-for-nothing in terms of cultivation? Then, what¡¯s happening now? From what I know, Rong Xiu was interested in the lady when she first started cultivating. Back then, I thought that it was rare for Rong Xiu to like a girl in such a manner. Hence, it didn¡¯t matter much even if her background or talents were weaker. I didn¡¯t expect that after so long, this kid brought back a true talent! To think I still considered so much before! It¡¯s really a waste of feelings! Rong Xiu raised his brows, and his lips curved up into a smile. ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡± The delight in his eyes was unconcealable. 36 Respected Elder Ming was speechless. How shameless! Boom! They heard repeated booms. ¡°She¡¯s actually still continuing?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was shocked and hurriedly looked over. ¡°Can she continue connecting her second treasure?¡± ¡­ Within the room, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were tightly shut. With the first success, the later process became much simpler. Very quickly, the second star appeared in the water droplet. This time¡­ it was the liver! After connecting two treasures one after another, the force within Chu Liuyue¡¯s body kept flowing crazily without any intention of stopping. Chu Liuyue made up her mind and decisively wanted to connect all five treasures at once. Her entire person seemed to have slipped into a mysterious and magical place, where she had completely forgotten the flow of time in the outside world. This all happened as she kept absorbing the energy from outside to convert into her own force before trying to connect the remaining three organs again and again. The water droplet turned slowly, and the force that flowed out increased. Finally, there was a light sound. Lungs¡ªthe third star gradually sparkled! ¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s expression gradually became serious. It¡¯s very rare to see such a talent! Normally, it¡¯s actually very hard for cultivators to succeed in connecting their five treasures on the first try. Only a small group of people are able to connect three of them in one shot, and this¡ªto a certain extent¡ªalso shows the cultivator¡¯s potential. If Chu Liuyue can continue¡­ Boom! As if to confirm his thoughts, another boom came from the room as a wave encompassing immense strength spread in all directions. The barrier started shaking even more violently. This was already the fourth treasure! 36 Respected Elder Ming¡ªwho originally didn¡¯t care about this incident¡ªhad his entire heart hanging high at this point. Yan Qing¡¯s usual ice-cold face also looked shocked. Only Rong Xiu had his hands behind his back and looked very calm and nonchalant. It was as if he had already predicted this outcome. ¡­ After connecting four treasures, four stars shone brightly in the water droplet within her dantian. At this point, Chu Liuyue force absorption speed was four times faster than the initial stage. It was lucky that her Yuan meridian was spacious and tough enough. If not, it would be hard for her to endure such ferocious strength. Waves of force kept rushing toward her body, and Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that her bodily aura kept strengthening. Even though her eyes were closed, her five senses were much sharper than before. Chu Liuyue held her breath in, and heat flashed across her heart. If I can connect the last treasure, it¡¯ll definitely bring about a huge advantage to my future cultivation. Hence, I have to succeed no matter what. ¡­ The last treasure was unquestionably the key and the hardest to unlock. Amongst 1,000 stage-six warriors, there might not even be one who had connected all five treasures. One could just imagine how difficult it was. Chu Liuyue kept trying again and again. When the first time failed, she tried twice. The second time failed, she tried thrice. After some time, the fifth treasure still didn¡¯t budge at all. Chu Liuyue¡¯s bodily force was continuously being used up, but she still didn¡¯t stop as she put in her all every single time. She was as stubborn and persistent as ever. ¡­ ¡°It has already been so long. She shouldn¡¯t be able to connect the fifth treasure¡­¡± muttered 36 Respected Elder Ming as he glanced at the sky. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s already very outstanding for her to connect four treasures at once¡­ It¡¯s fine if she really can¡¯t connect the fifth one¡­¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t move. It seemed as though he was still waiting. After a while, his gaze moved. Boom! Chapter 673 - Very Worth It! The last treasure was successfully connected, and the fifth star finally appeared in the water droplet. Almost at the same time, Chu Liuyue heard something cracking. Bang! It was the barrier to become a stage-five warrior finally breaking. It was as if a gate opened and water rushed out. The winds howled and brought along countless waves. Chu Liuyue retrieved her hands, and the two balls of fire swiftly returned to her body. A strong aura then spread from her body as the fifth line gradually appeared on the water droplet. Buzz! Chu Liuyue suddenly widened her eyes. Within them, there seemed to be two balls of fire burning intensely. They sparkled more than ever. A true stage-five warrior! She extended her hand and drew a wave of force with her hands. Five stars vaguely appeared in her palms. Within that force was an extraordinarily strong aura¡ªher abilities had improved by a few times compared to before. This¡­ is the ability of a stage-five warrior that has connected all five treasures. Even the calm and composed Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be excited. She never thought that not only could she reincarnate, but she could even cultivate to this extent once again. Even if she still couldn¡¯t compare to her previous self, Chu Liuyue could still clearly feel that she was reaching her previous self step by step as her abilities strengthened. One day, I will return to the peak again! I will take back everything that belongs to me! ¡­ When the surrounding ripples gradually faded away, Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in to calm herself down. She then stood up and walked outside. When the door opened, a few gazes shot over in unison. Chu Liuyue followed those gazes and looked over. She first saw Rong Xiu¡ªthe person behind him was Yan Qing. Beside him was a white-haired elder in a light-green robe, and he was smiling at her happily. This is¡­ Chu Liuyue was wondering who he was when Rong Xiu waved his sleeves, and the silver barrier silently went away. Chu Liuyue then realized that he seemed to have set up a barrier outside the room. Is he¡­ guarding for me? That¡¯s true. I did cause quite a commotion earlier, and it would be troublesome if I attracted some other people over. I¡¯ve been in Xi Ling¡¯s limelight too much recently, and there are many pairs of eyes watching me openly and secretly. Even though I¡¯m not afraid, I understand that it¡¯s harder to guard against a secret sword than one out in the open. Thus, it¡¯s better if I¡¯m more careful. Besides¡­ If the news of me connecting all five treasures as a stage-five warrior gets out, it will cause another storm to occur. Thinking of this, a smile surfaced on her face as she was about to walk over. However, that elder had already stepped toward her. ¡°You¡¯re Little Prin¡­ Little Liuyue, right?¡± Even though the elder¡¯s face was wrinkled, his eyes were very clear, and he looked very energetic. When he walked over, it was silent as if he didn¡¯t move much, but he was already in front of her. Besides, his body had no movement of any force. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. This elder¡¯s abilities¡­ are probably much better than I had predicted. At this point, he was smiling happily at Chu Liuyue with a curious and concerned face. Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu. Seeing a smile in his eyes, it was obvious that he was on good terms with this elder, so she obediently smiled and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Senior. I¡¯m Liuyue.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming looked at the girl in front of him elatedly. Her face is porcelain white, her gaze is clean, and there is a faint elegance in her eyes. How likable! Not bad, not bad! Rong Xiu indeed has good taste! I liked her once I saw her! ¡°You don¡¯t need to be this polite! I¡¯m referred to as 36 Ming at Mingyue Tianshan. You can just call me 36 Resp¡ªElder!¡± Oh, so he¡¯s an elder from Mingyue Tianshan. Chu Liuyue understood and obediently called him. ¡°36 Elder came to Xi Ling this time for something important, and he took the chance to come over and take a look,¡± explained Rong Xiu when he walked over. Chu Liuyue nodded and said apologetically, ¡°Sorry for being unable to host you properly after you¡¯ve traveled such a long time to get here. Please forgive me, 36 Elder.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine! I know that you were cultivating just now! I always come and go in a carefree manner, and I don¡¯t care about such formalities! Besides, Rong Xiu is here! Also, it¡¯s more important for you to break through!¡± As he spoke, his eyes shone with admiration. ¡°Little Liuyue, your talent is indeed outstanding¡­¡± It seems like he already knows about what happened earlier. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. It¡¯s hard for a strong warrior of such standards not to know when he was literally standing here. Besides, given Rong Xiu¡¯s behavior, it seems like he is on very good terms with this elder and should trust him a lot. Then, there is nothing for me to hide. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, 36 Elder. I¡¯m just a little lucky.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming chuckled. ¡°Some people might not even be able to do this even if they used up all their luck in the world. Little Liuyue, you don¡¯t have to be humble! It¡¯s this kid¡ªRong Xiu¡¯s blessing to be able to find you!¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. Hm? It seems like someone jumped sides? Chu Liuyue¡¯s face reddened slightly. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard such words from an outsider¡­ It feels strange¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming already disregarded Rong Xiu at this point, and he only cared about Chu Liuyue. He had no family members his whole life, and he had no children. In the past, he had always treated Rong Xiu as family. Not only did he help him a lot, but he also regularly thought and planned for the other. One could say that without him, Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t be able to sit at his position as Your Grace stably. But there was one point¡ªhe had high expectations of Rong Xiu, so he always treated him stricter. But once he saw Chu Liuyue, his entire heart melted. Such an adorable and pretty girl must be doted on! ¡°Little Liuyue, you¡¯re already a stage-five warrior now, and you connected all five treasures. Therefore, you must now train your foundation well and stabilize your growth. I coincidentally have some Earth-grade warrior skills with me. Why don¡¯t you come and choose what you like?¡± Then, 36 Respected Elder Ming waved his hand. Clang! Many jade boxes instantly dropped out of the Cosmic Ring. Those jade boxes were crystal clear, and they had a faint aura to them. It was obvious that extraordinary things were contained within them. He coughed. ¡°Elderlies¡¯ things are messier¡ªplease bear with it. Take your pick! You can take whatever you like! If you don¡¯t like them, I still have some here!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. W-what does this mean¡­ Why would there be a person who casually gives out Earth-grade warrior skills to a person they just met? But seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression, 36 Respected Elder Ming misunderstood and thought that she didn¡¯t like any of them. He paused for a moment, pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist to the side, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°Little Liuyue, if you don¡¯t like any of these¡­ Then¡­ I actually have better ones, but those can only be passed down to those in the same clan. I¡¯m afraid I can only give you those after your wedding with Rong Xiu¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched harshly. He means that¡­ If I marry Rong Xiu, he¡¯ll give me Heaven-grade warrior skills? Chapter 674 - Cozy Up to Someone Powerful! Rong Xiu¡ªwho was as if betrayed¡ªwas speechless. Facing the ever so passionate 36 Respected Elder Ming, Chu Liuyue really couldn¡¯t handle him as she coughed and said, ¡°Thank you so much, 36 Elder. I appreciate your kind intentions, but the present is too valuable¡­¡± ¡°Choose one! Choose one!¡± pestered 36 Respected Elder Ming. ¡°How is this small thing valuable? I¡¯ll give you a better one in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Small thing¡­ Is he talking about these Earth-grade warrior skills? Are top elites all so generous? Chu Liuyue still wanted to reject courteously when Rong Xiu came up with his gaze sweeping across those boxes. Then, he chose one and passed it to Chu Liuyue. ¡°This is 36 Elder¡¯s kindness. Just accept it.¡± If not, he might really pester Chu Liuyue about this for half a month according to his personality. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and could only accept the jade box. ¡°Thank you, 36 Elder.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming saw that box, and his eyes lit up. He looked at Rong Xiu and chuckled. ¡°You really know how to choose, eh? I wanted to give Little Liuyue something, and you didn¡¯t forget to intervene.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the duo in confusion. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°It was just done conveniently.¡± Then, he took out another identical box from his Cosmic Ring and handed it to Chu Liuyue. ¡°The one that 36 Elder gave you was the upper scroll, and this is the lower scroll.¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. Why would a warrior technique be split into upper and lower scrolls? Wait, this upper scroll is an Earth-grade warrior skill. Then, this lower scroll¡­ Won¡¯t it very possibly be a Heaven-grade warrior skill?! She suddenly widened her eyes. ¡°Rong Xiu, this lower scroll¡ª¡± As if guessing her thoughts, Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°You¡¯re my fiancee. 36 Respected Elder Ming temporarily can¡¯t give you this kind of thing, but I can.¡± I knew it! Chu Liuyue immediately confirmed her guess. Putting the upper and lower scrolls together, it¡¯s definitely a Heaven-grade warrior skill. What did Rong Xiu just say? It was just done conveniently? 36 Respected Elder Ming said sourly, ¡°Pfft, you only know how to bully the elderly! When you get married, I¡¯ll give whatever I want. It won¡¯t be your turn!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Is this something they need to compare to see who¡¯s more proud? Most of the cultivators in the world might not be able to peek at a Heaven-grade warrior technique their entire life, yet they can give it out so casually¡­ Besides, I just broke through and became a stage-five warrior, yet I somehow received such a precious gift? Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu with deep meaning. Now, I can confirm more than ever that the distinguished Prince Li¡ªoh no, His Grace, is indeed someone wealthy! Holding the two heavy boxes in her arms, Chu Liuyue silently felt that this was the feeling of cozying up to someone powerful. It feels great! ¡°Oh right! Little Liuyue, I heard Rong Xiu say that you¡¯re also a Xuan Master and a heavenly doctor? Even though I don¡¯t train in these two aspects, I still have quite a few things with me¡­¡± said 36 Respected Elder Ming as he poured out another bunch of items and started picking from them. ¡°Oh¡­ This is an eighth-grade Xuan formation¡ªfor you! And this too; it¡¯s for you! Hm? This seems like a medicinal formula. Back then, I took it from a nine¡­ a heavenly doctor. Take it!¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho could still pretend to be calm initially¡ªhad her eyelids twitching harshly. H-he¡¯s too generous! ¡°36 Elder, your items are too valuable. I¡ª¡± Rong Xiu had already accepted all those items and shoved them into her arms without letting her reject them. He then said nonchalantly, ¡°36 Elder has a lot of random things, and it¡¯s also a waste to leave them by his side. If you accept them, you can use them to their full potential. Therefore, just take them.¡± As he spoke, he looked at those items as if he was choosing. ¡°36 Elder, I remember you previously saying that you had a teleportation Yuan instrument?¡± ¡°Oh! Yes, yes! That¡¯s good too!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming searched for a while again and took out a round, palm-sized copper plate after some time and shoved it to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Little Liuyue, you just reached the standard of traveling through air, so this thing is the best for you!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. At the start, she still tried to stop them. But in the end, she realized that she couldn¡¯t even stop the two of them, so she swiftly gave up. How should I put it? This feeling of being buried in money¡­ It still feels good! After all the shoving, Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire person was almost buried by gifts before 36 Respected Elder Ming finally stopped. He sized Chu Liuyue up and shook his head regretfully. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s still lacking a little¡­ Rong Xiu, you two must get married as soon as possible! If not, I can¡¯t give many of the good items.¡± As long as Chu Liuyue becomes Rong Xiu¡¯s Princess Consort and reaches that level of relationship, I can continue then. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± What does that mean? Why do I feel that something is wrong? Rong Xiu then glanced at her, smiled, and said, ¡°Keep these things first. There¡¯s something you still don¡¯t know yet. We can talk inside the house.¡± Facing this forceful giving of gifts, Chu Liuyue just felt small, weak, pitiable, and helpless as she could only put all those items inside her Cosmic Ring obediently. Even though the Cosmic Ring wasn¡¯t heavy, Chu Liuyue¡ªfor some reason¡ªfelt that she would hear countless coins clashing against each other once she moved it. Hm? Thinking of this, even though I had nothing when I was reborn, it seems like my luck in everything seems ridiculously good¡­ When everything was packed, the few of them finally entered the house. Chu Liuyue personally brewed some tea, and it garnered a bunch of praises from 36 Respected Elder Ming again. ¡°Little Liuyue, you brew really good tea!¡± Chu Liuyue curiously asked, ¡°Do you like Jin Jun Mei black tea?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was dazed for a moment and immediately nodded. Rong Xiu stood at the side and calmly smiled as he looked at this scene. Who doesn¡¯t know that 36 Respected Elder Ming only likes to drink his own icy mountain snow water? It was especially when he reached such a cultivation level that he disregarded this kind of thing even more. Even though his acting skills are sloppy, he is sincere. Chu Liuyue could also guess what was going on and felt it laughable and slightly warm in her heart. She could tell that he really liked her and thought highly of her. And everything was because he cared about Rong Xiu. Even though she had never heard Rong Xiu talk about him, she felt that this elder was also very important to him. ¡°A piece of news came out from the palace today.¡± Rong Xiu sipped on his tea, and the refreshing fragrance filled his mouth. ¡°The wedding between the Third Princess and the Eldest Young Master is set on the 6th of July.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. This is¡­ Shangguan Wan finally can¡¯t take it anymore and is about to ascend the throne? While she was in a daze, she realized that Rong Xiu was looking at her intently. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He seems to¡­ care about my reaction a lot? Chapter 675 - Accompany You Actually, this incident was within her expectations. She was even surprised that the duo had dragged to this day to settle on the date. After all, the duo seemed very intimate and in love on the night that she committed suicide and burned herself to death. She thought that the duo could randomly find a reason to get married quickly after she died and they took charge of everything. To her, the two of them were absolutely irreconcilable enemies. Other than this, sisters, fianc¨¦¡­ All these relations had long vanished into thin air. So after hearing this news, she didn¡¯t feel affected at all. She even wanted to laugh. The two of them are simply asking for it to get married when both are severely injured. Sixth of July¡­ Calculating the time, there is only about three months left. Actually, this length of time isn¡¯t long. Other than this marriage, there would definitely be Shangguan Wan¡¯s ascension ceremony. It will take a lot of time and effort to prepare for these things. I wonder why the duo chose to hold it at this time¡­ Besides, even if they really get married¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about Jiang Yucheng and focus on Shangguan Wan. How can a good-for-nothing with a damaged Yuan meridian hold up the Tianling Power Staff? It¡¯s fine if she pretends with some special methods on normal days, but on the wedding day¡­ If she can¡¯t hold up the Tianling Power Staff in front of the crowd¡­ That scene would be amazing! Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue was even faintly excited. Tsk, my habit of watching people be laughingstocks has become increasingly serious. Seeing the changes in Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression and her eventual cunning smiling intent in her eyes, Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes dazzled as he smiled with even deeper meaning. He leaned against the chair lazily. It seems like my certain worries were unnecessary¡­ ¡°That¡¯s pretty good.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Emperor had been unconscious for two years, and there¡¯s nobody heading the empire. It¡¯s time that this problem gets settled.¡± No, I wonder if it¡¯ll really be settled. Since Shangguan Wan dares to do it, she must have something up her sleeves. As expected, she heard Rong Xiu continue. ¡°Also, there¡¯s something else. The Third Princess said that since the Emperor had been unconscious for a long time, she needs to find a few special herbs and the blood of a legendary fiend to wake him up. For this, she plans to head to Dahuang Swamp.¡± Chu Liuyue was really shocked this time. ¡°Dahuang Swamp?¡± That place is in the western region of the Tianling Dynasty, and it is extremely far with disastrous climates. Why would Shangguan Wan want to go there personally and cause trouble for herself? Back then, Mu Qinghe entered the Black Guard and battled in Dahuang Swamp for years before he could finally appease the rebels. This allowed him to get to his current position. One can imagine how dangerous it is. Chu Liuyue did go to Dahuang Swamp in her previous life. Even though it wasn¡¯t as mysterious and dangerous as Nan Jiang, Dahuang Swamp was also a perilous place compared to the rest¡ªMystic Forest, Mirror Lake, Red Moon Desert¡­ Even when I went there back then, I met with danger a few times. In Shangguan Wan¡¯s current state, why would she dare to take such a risk? Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s bringing the elders from the royal family with her?¡± ¡°And a thousand Black Guards. If the rumors are right, Mu Qinghe will be leading them.¡± Rong Xiu touched the teacup and looked calm. ¡°Also, she still plans to move ten people from each of the eight clans that participated in the clan competition. She said that¡­ it¡¯s to provide an opportunity for them to train. I heard that they¡¯d start picking people from today. They¡¯ll set off in three days.¡± Chu Liuyue almost burst out laughing. Provide an opportunity for them to train? Shangguan Wan actually dared to say such words? Dahuang Swamp is very dangerous, and many people go there without being able to come back! Nobody can question her for bringing the elders from the imperial family and the Black Guard, but she still wants to choose people from the four biggest clans¡­ She clearly has other intentions! ¡°This is related to the royal family. Why would the four biggest clans agree so easily with her words?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say it herself, but¡­ The Master of Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡ªSong Luan¡ªwillingly suggested it. It seems like¡­ If other outstanding aristocratic children want to go, they can follow as well. This news has already spread far and wide throughout Xi Ling.¡± How ridiculous! What a joke! Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Why would they be this passionate about Dahuang Swamp? Isn¡¯t that place very dangerous?¡± ¡°Dangerous¡ªyes. However, it may also hide countless treasures. People die for money, and birds die for food. It has always been like this since the ancient days,¡± said Rong Xiu calmly as if he didn¡¯t care. Chu Liuyue was speechless. All this while, Dahuang Swamp has been mysterious and dangerous but also filled with temptations to everyone in the world. This is because a shocking battle had erupted there thousands of years ago. Rumors have it that during that battle, countless strong warriors were slaughtered and died together. All sorts of treasures and heirlooms that they had dropped there undoubtedly became what the crowd wanted very badly. Hence, many people still keep entering Dahuang Swamp even after so many years. Back then, it was also because someone discovered extraordinary items in Dahuang Swamp that they even gathered a bunch of poor and extremely ferocious rebels. Said people wanted to dominate Dahuang Swamp, but they were eventually suppressed. That group of rebels has completely disappeared, but it¡¯s coincidentally them who made countless people realize how amazing the many treasures hidden in Dahuang Swamp were. This is the reason why more and more people went there later on. Other than this, there is an even more important point: legendary fiend! A legendary fiend hadn¡¯t appeared in the Tianling Dynasty for many years. Even the late Shangguan Yue had only met a ninth-grade fiend and not a legendary fiend. Some time back, rumors about legendary fiends appearing in Dahuang Swamp started spreading. In this world where the strong was respected, all of these factors proved a lethal temptation toward cultivators. Hence, after Shangguan Wan brought this up, many people wanted to follow her immediately. Chu Liuyue thought for a while. ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± Rong Xiu looked at her. ¡°Then¡­ Do you plan to go?¡± Chu Liuyue was Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciple and naturally had the chance to go. Besides, she had just won three matches, and her strong capabilities had saved Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s position as one of the top four clans. Thus, she would definitely be in the spotlight. Chu Liuyue thought for a while. ¡°I¡¯ll go! Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t gone there before. Besides, I want to see what kind of tricks Shangguan Wan has up her sleeves. Suddenly, she knitted her brows slightly. ¡°But¡­ If I go, what about you?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow, so I¡¯ll be even earlier than you.¡± Chu Liuyue was quite shocked, and disappointment filled her heart. ¡°¡­So soon?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already rested here for quite some time, so it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡± Chu Liuyue then realized that Rong Xiu had stayed in Xi Ling for more than a month. It was just that she had been busy with many things, so the two of them didn¡¯t have many chances to spend time alone together. Chu Liuyue was silent for a moment. Rong Xiu calmly glanced at Yan Qing. Yan Qing immediately understood. ¡°Master, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. I¡¯ll take my leave first?¡± Rong Xiu lightly nodded. Yan Qing left quickly. Rong Xiu glanced at 36 Respected Elder Ming again, but the latter kept looking at Chu Liuyue as he asked with much worry and concern, ¡°Um¡­ Little Liuyue, the place you mentioned is very dangerous. Do you want me to go with you?¡± Chapter 676 - Armor Rong Xiu was bewildered. 36 Respected Elder Ming, I think you said the wrong lines. You only met Yue¡¯er for the first time today. Is it suitable to say such words? As if Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was too cold and filled with grumbles, the slow 36 Respected Elder Ming finally realized something as he quickly turned around and glanced at him. ¡°Sigh. See, Rong Xiu is also very worried about you! It¡¯ll be more assuring if you let me follow you!¡± Rong Xiu was speechless. He suddenly felt thankful that he didn¡¯t let 36 Respected Elder Ming see Chu Liuyue the previous month. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have had a good time during this period. ¡°36 Elder, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t do this¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly. Shangguan Wan has caused quite a bit of commotion regarding this, and it¡¯s clear that the choosing criteria of people is very strict. Eight clans, and each clan has to send ten. Those who don¡¯t understand might really think that this is an absolutely great opportunity, and they would fight to get chosen. Since she¡¯s so strict with her control over these clans, she definitely won¡¯t allow 36 Respected Elder Ming to follow us. Upon hearing this, 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s face was filled with disappointment. I still thought I could protect Little Liuyue a little¡­ ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be very careful and watch my safety,¡± said Chu Liuyue again. ¡°Sigh, okay.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming sighed deeply again as he started to search for things in his Cosmic Ring. ¡°If this is so, then I can¡¯t help you with anything else. I can only give you some items to protect yourself. Here, this, and this. Ah, there¡¯s this too! Take all of them!¡± Then, he passed another bunch of things. Chu Liuyue was speechless. It¡¯s really hard to guess how many treasures are hidden in the boss¡¯s Cosmic Ring¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t disappoint 36 Elder.¡± Rong Xiu raised his hand, and everything shifted to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. Then, he took out a bunch of items himself and similarly shoved them to her. ¡°These are from me to you.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Why do I smell a faint murderous aura¡­ Chu Liuyue felt really embarrassed as she kept rejecting them. Hence, she successfully put all of them into her Cosmic Ring. The three of them were elated and happy. ¡­ As Chu Liuyue was busy receiving gifts until her hands were sore, she didn¡¯t know that Xi Ling City had already become very lively due to these two incidents. The wedding between the Third Princess and the Eldest Young Master! The Third Princess was also going to lead troops into Dahuang Swamp personally, in search of medicine for His Majesty. The disciples from the few major clans were all excited. That was Dahuang Swamp! Even though it was filled with danger, countless treasures were also hidden within. If they could find some treasure or even¡­ receive the heirloom of a certain strong warrior¡­ That would be a heavenly opportunity. In this world, all cultivators wished that they would become stronger. Hence, even if they knew that Dahuang Swamp was very dangerous, it couldn¡¯t stop them from wishing to go there. As a result, the few clans had already started their selection. ¡­ Dragon Teeth Mountain. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go!¡± Jian Fengchi shook his leg and waved his fan as he looked lazy and was filled with nonchalance. ¡°Who wants to go to that kind of deserted place!¡± Jian Shuye looked at him in disagreement. ¡°What deserted place?! That place is somewhere where a legendary fiend has appeared!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about whether the rumor is real or fake. Even if it¡¯s real, do you think that legendary fiend can be mine?¡± Jian Fengchi chuckled. ¡°If only it was so easy to have a legendary fiend!¡± Jian Shuye also knew that his words made sense, so he didn¡¯t argue with his son on this. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t find a legendary fiend, it¡¯s also good if you can go train yourself. You¡¯ve grown up in Xi Ling since you were young, and you almost never go outside¡­ This opportunity is very rare, and you should go out to experience it! Besides, the Third Princess is going to find herbs for His Majesty. If you¡¯re not interested in legendary fiends, you should be interested in herbs, right?¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at his own father. ¡°Father, I¡¯m doing quite well in Xi Ling. Why do you insist on me going? Even if I didn¡¯t experience those¡­ Am I not doing well now? I¡¯m a heavenly doctor, and you¡¯re also a heavenly doctor. Why are you still forcing me to fight with that bunch of warriors and Xuan Masters?¡± Jian Shuye really couldn¡¯t do anything about his son. He only cares about being free and wants the best for everything, but he isn¡¯t willing to experience any hardships at all. Jian Fengchi glanced at him and continued, ¡°Besides, Mu Qinghe is the one who discovered that place. Can there be someone who understands Dahuang Swamp better than him? With him around, the many other people following are just joining in for fun.¡± I simply don¡¯t like it. Shangguan Wan will be there, and I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll ruin my good mood. Besides¡­ Shangguan Wan¡¯s words are just used to bluff other people. Only she herself knows what she really wants to go there for! Why don¡¯t I stay in Xi Ling and do what I need to? Seeing that his child really couldn¡¯t be convinced, Jian Shuye could only give up. ¡°Mentor, can I go?¡± At the side, Mu Hongyu suddenly spoke up. Jian Shuye was dazed and immediately nodded. ¡°Of course!¡± Even though there were only ten spots, Mu Hongyu had the Faint Yuan body. She had been greatly improving these few days, so she definitely could go if she wanted to. ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank you, Mentor!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes lit up. That place sounds very interesting! And if I¡¯m not wrong, Liuyue will definitely go too! Jian Fengchi knitted his brows slightly and was about to stop her, but he swallowed his words when he saw Mu Hongyu¡¯s excited expression. Jian Shuye shook his head at Jian Fengchi. ¡°Since you¡¯re not willing to go, suit yourself. There are many disciples on the mountain who want to go!¡± Jian Fengchi wasn¡¯t convinced as he stood up, stretched, and leisurely walked outside. When he walked past Mu Hongyu, he used the fan to knock Mu Hongyu¡¯s head and whispered, ¡°You really don¡¯t know that you¡¯re walking toward death.¡± Mu Hongyu blinked and wrinkled her nose. Who is walking toward death? Just as she was about to retort, Jian Fengchi had already walked far away. ¡­ Imperial Palace, Huayang Palace. Shangguan Wan sat there thinking of something. Chan Yi was tidying things by the side. They were going to set off for Dahuang Swamp three days later, and this trip would probably take more than a month. Hence, she had to bring quite a few items. Dahuang Swamp was a very dangerous place. If it were in the past, Shangguan Wan did have the guts to go there. But now¡­ her body¡­ She was quite uneasy. It¡¯s lucky that I¡¯ll be bringing quite a few people along with me this time. ¡°Your Highness? Your Highness?¡± Chan Yi called Shangguan Wan twice before the latter recovered her senses. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Looking at her gaze, Chan Yi asked hesitantly, ¡°Third Princess, are you worried about something? Lieutenant Mu is going to lead the troops this time, so it should be fine.¡± ¡°Him?¡± Shangguan Wan snorted. ¡°He won¡¯t listen to me anyway.¡± Even though she knew that Mu Qinghe was Jiang Yucheng¡¯s person, she still couldn¡¯t fully trust him¡ªprobably because he had followed Shangguan Yue for years. If we weren¡¯t going to Dahuang Swamp this time and only Mu Qinghe was suitable, I really wouldn¡¯t bring him along. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry too much. Isn¡¯t Eldest Young Master going with you too? If you¡¯re really worried¡­ Why don¡¯t you bring that item along?¡± Shangguan Wan turned around. ¡°What?¡± Chan Yi bowed and whispered, ¡°Did you forget that that person left armor behind?¡± Chapter 677 - Spy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You¡¯re talking about¡­ the pure gold armor?¡± Shangguan Wan knitted her brows. ¡°That thing is good, but it has always been put at Shaoyue Palace¡­ Also, everyone in the entire Tianling Dynasty knows that it belongs to Shangguan Yue. If I use it¡­¡± ¡°That person has already passed on, and it¡¯s a waste if you just leave the holy items hidden in the palace. If you can use it, and it can protect your safety, you are making good use of it.¡± Chan Yi seemed to be nonchalant as she advised, ¡°You¡¯re already above millions of people now, and you¡¯re officially getting married in a few months. Nobody else in the world is better suited to be the pure gold armor¡¯s new master.¡± These words made Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart falter. This pure gold armor had quite a bit of history. Back then, Shangguan Yue had just become of marriageable age and had led the Black Guard to check on the other territories. During this journey, she unintentionally entered the ruins of an old battlefield and received that pure gold armor. Afterward, she had only openly worn it once, which was during the last battle to calm Dahuang Swamp down. Rumors had it that she wore the pure gold armor and had battled three stage-eight warriors on her own, eventually killing them all. Ever since then, this pure gold armor had become famous after that one battle. As the Heavenly Princess, Shangguan Yue had seen countless good items. However, this pure gold armor definitely ranked in the top three of all the Yuan instruments she had. It just showed how formidable it was. Shangguan Wan was, of course, tempted to have it. She had even wanted to occupy it for herself after she got rid of Shangguan Yue, but in the end, her Yuan meridian was burned. She also didn¡¯t recover in the end, so she had forgotten about this incident. Now that Chan Yi brought it up, she then suddenly remembered. ¡°Your words do make sense¡­¡± Shangguan Wan squinted her eyes, and her mind started whirring. ¡°I¡¯ll go right now!¡± ¡­ Shaoyue Palace. This place used to be the most distinguished place in the entire palace, excluding the Qiankun Palace that the emperor was staying in now. This was because the Princess used to reside here. The past hustle and bustle had all faded away, and the current Shaoyue Palace became very cold and quiet. Other than the palace people who were sent to guard this area, almost nobody came. This was because the Princess had died after going crazy during her cultivation, and it sounded very bad. In addition, the Third Princess was the one in power now, so the crowd very rarely talked about the old happenings. In this palace, it was really a batch of officials following a ruler. Even though the Third Princess and the Princess seemed extremely close and were on very good terms to the crowd, those who stayed in the palace for an extended period of time had sensitive feelings and somewhat knew of the differences within. Hence, the palace staff at Shaoyue Palace were shocked when Shangguan Wan came here. ¡°Third Princess, may you live a thousand years!¡± Shangguan Wan casually waved her hands and stepped into the court, going straight for the bedroom. ¡°I just came here to look around casually. Just do what you have to do.¡± After the crowd answered in unison and Shangguan Wan entered the bedroom, they then respectively exchanged looks and slowly dispersed. Ever since the Princess had gone down, the Third Princess had come a few times. She also came with tears in her eyes and left with them. However, she didn¡¯t really come anymore this year. This trip was really a little strange. But no matter what, they still had to serve her carefully. ¡­ Shangguan Wan walked into the bedroom. It was obvious that nobody had come to this place for a very long time as a faint smell of being left behind for a long time permeated throughout the air. The sunlight shone in, and one could see the dust flying around. Shangguan Wan knitted her brows, took her handkerchief, and covered her mouth and nose, feeling that it was laughable and infuriating in her heart. Who would¡¯ve expected that the once ever so glorious Shaoyue Palace would one day end up in this state? If it were any other day, she would definitely go out and lecture the palace staff immediately to express how close the two sisters were. But she really wasn¡¯t in the mood for that today, so she was too lazy to do it. She walked to the side and gently caressed the bed. After feeling a bump, she pressed her finger. The diagonal-facing wooden cupboard then silently opened. A secret compartment appeared in front of her. Shangguan Wan walked over and knocked against it a few times. Kacha! The secret compartment opened. A pure gold armor was right inside. Even in this silent and dark space, this pure gold armor still exuded a faint glory that couldn¡¯t be ignored as its entire body revealed an unspeakable elegance and a high and mighty aura. One glance at it, and she seemed to be able to feel the ferocious and bloody aura from the armor. This wasn¡¯t the first time Shangguan Wan had seen this pure gold armor, but every time she saw it, her heart would be shocked once. It was a true holy item that had been passed down for many years since the ancient days, and it was an incomparable legendary existence! Shangguan Wan was agitated as she couldn¡¯t help but slowly stretch out her hand and touch it. It was cold and hard to the touch, but it exuded a strong suppression. If I really wear it¡­ I wonder what it will look like? Shangguan Wan took a deep breath in and carefully took the pure gold armor as she held it in her arms and felt it for a while. This¡­ is the true aura of being strong! This armor recognized its master. It was a pity that her Yuan meridian was damaged, so she could only stare at it helplessly. When my body recovers to normal¡­ All of this will be mine! Shangguan Wan meticulously put away the pure gold armor within her Cosmic Ring and then returned everything to normal before leaving. Chan Yi was waiting outside the door. Shangguan Wan walked outside as she lightly said, ¡°Sister¡¯s bedroom hasn¡¯t been cleaned in a long while. The people in Shaoyue Palace haven¡¯t discharged their duty, and they should all be chased out of the palace.¡± Chan Yi bowed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Jiang Residence. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you can¡¯t go with the Third Princess this time! If this goes on, I¡¯m afraid that your body¡­¡± advised Feng Shanyuan kindly when he came to the study again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me all of this. I must go on this trip.¡± Jiang Yucheng sat on the chair expressionlessly. The reason why I¡¯m going is not for any other, but¡­ I¡¯m worried about Shangguan Wan. Shangguan Wan wants to heal her Yuan meridian as soon as possible, and I agreed. However, I didn¡¯t expect her to directly do this once she made a move! It¡¯s fine that she¡¯s bringing the royal family elders and 1,000 Black Guards, but what¡¯s with the other clans sending out ten disciples each to go together? Others didn¡¯t know, but he knew the best! Shangguan Wan is too anxious! Feng Shanyuan knitted his brows. ¡°But if you and the Third Princess both go to Dahuang Swamp, what¡¯s going to happen to Xi Ling?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just leave it to the subordinates to handle. Most of the problems have already been settled. In such a short one month, nothing much will happen.¡± Jiang Yucheng was nonchalant. Within these two years, he had insisted on the philosophy of ¡®let those who comply with me thrive and those who resist me perish¡¯ to suppress the rest forcefully. Those who should be killed were killed, and those who should be captured were caught. He had already handled most of the people that would pose a threat to him, and he wasn¡¯t worried that the remaining lame shrimps would do anything. ¡°But as for His Majesty¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I need to investigate that matter that I need to leave Xi Ling,¡± said Jiang Yucheng with deep meaning. Feng Shanyuan did not speak further. Knock knock¡­ ¡°Eldest Young Master, Lieutenant Mu requests to see you!¡± Chapter 678 - Let’s Forget About It Upon receiving a look from Jiang Yucheng, Feng Shanyuan wisely took his leave. Mu Qinghe entered the room moments later. Jiang Yucheng leaned back against the chair. ¡°Spill it. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Qinghe cupped one fist in the other hand. ¡°Eldest Young Master, I¡¯ve been secretly investigating Hundred Herbs Building, but I wasn¡¯t able to find out much due to their tight security. The one thing I accidentally came to know about is that although Yue Ling is running Hundred Herbs Building, someone else is actually calling the shots behind the scene. That person must be Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s real owner.¡± ¡°The real owner? Who¡¯s that?¡± Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows. I only know that there must be someone backing Hundred Herbs Building for it to reach its current scale, but I don¡¯t know who that person is. Besides, they have been running their business quietly all along and have never done anything to affect my interests. Hence, I didn¡¯t send anyone to conduct a thorough investigation on them. Mu Qinghe shook his head. ¡°That person is very secretive, and there¡¯s no clue leading to him. Although I did hear about him being very doting toward his wife¡ªthat¡¯s all to it.¡± Everything about Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s real owner and his wife was just hearsay. When Mu Qinghe really tried looking into things, he realized that the other party was much more powerful than he thought. They left no trails behind, thus leaving him with no clues to act on. ¡°If Chu Liuyue really has someone from Hundred Herbs Building backing her up, it¡¯s likely to be that person.¡± Otherwise, there¡¯s no way to explain the recent bout of events. ¡°Chu Liuyue came from an ordinary background and has never stepped foot into Xi Ling before, so how could she possibly know a bigwig like him?¡± Jiang Yucheng was skeptical about this though. Mu Qinghe lowered his head slightly. ¡°Word has it that Yue Ling treated Chu Liuyue with utmost respect and even personally served her during her last visit to Hundred Herbs Building. I believe only a handful of people in the whole of Xi Ling would receive such treatment.¡± That caused a slight change in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression. ¡°¡­That makes more sense now¡­ Did you really not manage to find anything about the so-called boss? Do you know if he¡¯s from Xi Ling, or perhaps his age?¡± Mu Qinghe shook his head once more before hesitantly saying, ¡°We were discovered, actually. And¡­ they even gave us a warning.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What?!¡± Mu Qinghe spread his palm open, where a deep, bloody slit spanned across it. Seeing how his hand was almost sliced off, it was clear what the other party was warning them: Stick to your own business! ¡°You exchanged blows with them?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng coldly. ¡°Yes, with a masked man. His cultivation¡­ isn¡¯t inferior to mine.¡± What Mu Qinghe actually wanted to say was that the other party¡¯s cultivation was very likely to be higher than his. Otherwise, it was impossible for that person to leave such a deep cut on his palm so easily. Feeling immensely resentful, Jiang Yucheng fell silent for a long time. I have never met anyone as arrogant as the other party in the past two years, but I don¡¯t even know who that person is. It¡¯s clear from how they dealt with Yuzhi and Mu Qinghe that the other party has no intentions of letting things slide. Given his usual personality, there was no way he would allow anyone to bully him, especially on his turf¡ªXi Ling. However, the current circumstances didn¡¯t allow him to stir up any trouble. As he stared at the cut on Mu Qinghe¡¯s palm, he rubbed his temples and let out a long breath. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s put this matter aside for now. We¡¯ll be going to Dahuang Swamp in a few days, so let¡¯s just should prepare for it first.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Mu Qinghe had already expected this outcome, so he nodded unsurprisingly. Given how vexed Jiang Yucheng is lately, there¡¯s no way he would care about this matter now. We can only talk about it after we come back from Dahuang Swamp. ¡°If you have no other orders for me, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Jiang Yucheng waved his hand, indicating to the other to leave. But just as Mu Qinghe took a couple of steps, he called him to stop. ¡°By the way¡­ Were you the one who called a horse carriage for Rong Xiu the other day?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Mu Qinghe with a nod, albeit feeling a little surprised that Jiang Yucheng knew about Rong Xiu. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression turned a little cold as he fell deep in thought. After a while, he asked, ¡°What¡­ is his background like?¡± Mu Qinghe was even more surprised to hear this question. Why is he suddenly so curious about Rong Xiu? He¡¯s actually wasting his time and energy on someone unrelated to him despite the many things he has to deal with right now? He pushed his questions aside and briefly told Jiang Yucheng about Rong Xiu. He didn¡¯t know much about Rong Xiu in the first place, so there was only so much he could tell him. While he spoke, he carefully studied Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face. ¡°¡­That¡¯s about it. Are you suspecting him, Eldest Young Master?¡± Jiang Yucheng parted his lips but didn¡¯t say anything in the end. He only shook his head and told Mu Qinghe to leave. It was only after Mu Qinghe closed the doors that he shut his eyes in irritation. Why am I thinking about these useless things at this juncture? I haven¡¯t found the person who tried to assassinate me, nor uncovered the identity of Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s real boss and found out if he¡¯s a threat to me. Most importantly, I¡¯ll be going to Dahuang Swamp soon. I have to stabilize my condition as soon as possible and prevent Shangguan Wan from pulling any tricks. I really shouldn¡¯t be wasting my time and energy asking those questions, but for some reason¡­ The scene from that day keeps appearing in my mind. Snow was falling, and everything was blanketed in white. A man and a woman were snuggling against each other in the warm and spacious horse carriage. The woman leaning against the man¡¯s chest had disheveled hair, flushed cheeks, and a pair of sparkling and alluring eyes. Her body was wrapped in the man¡¯s black cloak like how one would hold a precious treasure. Her shy smile was pure and clean, and it revealed a tinge of sweetness that couldn¡¯t be hidden. Jiang Yucheng closed his eyes tiredly once more, but as he did that, another scene flashed across his mind. It was a hot, sunny day when another woman revealed the same bright and sunny smile to him outside the zither room and by Thousand View Garden¡¯s lake. She shyly but honestly said to him, ¡°Yucheng, I have someone I like. Let¡¯s forget about the engagement.¡± Chapter 679 - Let Her Join Us Early the next morning, Rong Xiu left Xi Ling along with Yan Qing, Yu Mo, and 36 Respected Elder Ming. Although Chu Liuyue was reluctant to part with him, there was nothing she could do about it except secretly hope that she could quickly settle matters here. The snow on the pavement had been cleared. After sending them off, she made her way back to Chong Xu Cabinet. Meanwhile, Weichi Song and Elder Xia Yi were currently discussing the Dahuang Swamp trip. Unlike the other sects, Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s members weren¡¯t exactly excited about this matter. Having luckily survived the series of attacks that occurred over the past two years, they preferred to cultivate in a slow but steady manner than to gamble their lives on an uncertain chance. Besides, there were barely a hundred disciples left in Chong Xu Cabinet. It would be unwise of them to send so many people on such a risky trip. What if something happened to them? Be it Weichi Song, Elder Xia Yi, or even the disciples themselves, all of them held very conservative views about this matter. Furthermore, they would be traveling with the Third Princess and the other sects. There was no telling what would happen on the trip. ¡°¡­This is a dangerous trip, and it may not be beneficial to us. In my opinion¡­ it¡¯s better for us not to join them. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± probed Elder Xia Yi tentatively. ¡°It¡¯s not mandatory for us to go anyway. The other sects might be more than happy to have us free up those ten slots!¡± ¡°That may be true, but tongues will surely wag if we¡¯re the only ones not going¡­ We¡¯ve just preserved our position as one of the top four sects, so I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate for us to pull out of this trip.¡± Weichi Song stroked his beard. Although this matter appears to be the result of a joint discussion between the royal family and the various sects, Song Luan never would¡¯ve taken the initiative to propose this idea if he didn¡¯t have the Third Princess¡¯s permission. In other words, we have to send our disciples on this trip, or we¡¯ll run the risk of offending the Third Princess. Elder Xia Yi¡¯s expression appeared grave as he furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Can¡¯t we come to a compromise then? Let¡¯s just pick a few people to go¡­ It¡¯s justifiable for us to send fewer people since we don¡¯t have many disciples now.¡± Weichi Song nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s an idea, but the question is¡­ Who should we pick?¡± I don¡¯t think many are willing to go. Just as he was feeling troubled over who to pick, he heard a clear voice coming from outside. ¡°I¡¯ll go, Master!¡± The two of them looked up in unison to see Chu Liuyue, dressed in red, entering the room from the snow. ¡°You¡¯re back, Liuyue?¡± Weichi Song was the first to speak. Surprise colored his eyes as he sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°You¡¯re a stage-five warrior now?¡± It¡¯s only been two days since we last met, but she¡¯s broken through again?! Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°I learned a lot at the clan competition, which led to my successful breakthrough.¡± Weichi Song and Elder Xia Yi were speechless. This talent¡­ That breakthrough speed¡­ What can we say about that? A moment later, Weichi Song coughed and asked, ¡°Did the Third Princess make things difficult for you?¡± She shook her head smilingly. ¡°No, she summoned me over just for a little chat. I intended to come back yesterday, but I decided to stay at my mansion instead due to the heavy snow.¡± It was only after making sure that she was indeed safe and sound that Weichi Song heaved a sigh of relief. He had never had a good impression of Shangguan Wan and had always felt that she was scheming, petty, and narrow-minded. Not only had she taken over Shangguan Yue¡¯s rights, but she was also engaged to Jiang Yucheng. Now that their wedding date was set, he found her even more disgusting than before. He felt that if she really was close to Shangguan Yue, then she wouldn¡¯t have gotten together with the latter¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦. Although he didn¡¯t speak much of it and rarely got involved with the royal family¡¯s affairs in the past two years, he was upset with many of the things that Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng did. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± He nodded and then asked, ¡°Did you say you want to go to Dahuang Swamp earlier?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in all seriousness. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have you thought it through? While there may be countless treasures hidden at Dahuang Swamp, it¡¯s an extremely dangerous place. There¡¯s no telling what might happen on the trip. Liuyue, you¡¯re a top talent, and your cultivation has been improving by leaps and bounds. There¡¯s truly no need for you to go there. Are you sure you want to go?¡± Having seen how Chu Liuyue dealt with the Messed Yuan Gravel, Weichi Song knew that she had an extraordinary trump card hidden up her sleeves. In his opinion, she could easily break through and become a top warrior no matter where she cultivated, so there was no need for her to go to Dahuang Swamp. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°My mind is set. You don¡¯t have to persuade me otherwise. Someone from Chong Xu Cabinet has to go anyway, and I¡¯m the best candidate of all.¡± Being Weichi Song¡¯s disciple and the Wan Zheng Competition¡¯s winner, she was indeed the most suitable person if Chong Xu Cabinet sent out only a few people. ¡°Besides, I can protect myself well. I¡¯ll be careful at all times, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Weichi Song and Elder Xia Yi exchanged looks with each other. They could tell that Chu Liuyue seemingly wanted to go to Dahuang Swamp, and the reasons she provided were quite valid. Still, Weichi Song hesitated for a long time before he finally agreed to it. ¡°Fine! I won¡¯t stop you then. Just remember that your safety comes first! Don¡¯t put on a brave front in the face of danger, and remember to call for help if necessary.¡± He was referring to the whistle he had given to her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡± Another familiar voice floated in from outside. Chu Liuyue looked back and saw Qiang Wanzhou standing at the doorway. There was no expression on his good-looking face. Although there were a few soft golden locks partially covering his eyes, the determination and stubbornness in those eyes were unmistakable. She smiled and was unsurprised by his decision since she had long guessed it. She turned her head back to look at Weichi Song and Elder Xia Yi. ¡°Little Zhou is quite strong too, so it won¡¯t be a bad idea for him to go with me. What do you think?¡± ¡°That kid will obviously follow you! Even if we don¡¯t agree to it, he¡¯ll definitely sneak out to follow you! Can we still say no to that then?¡± Elder Xia Yi burst out chuckling. Qiang Wanzhou is like Chu Liuyue¡¯s hanging accessory. He goes wherever she goes and obeys her every word despite his aloof and unruly nature. It¡¯s indeed not a bad idea to have him go with her since he¡¯s quite strong too. Weichi Song let out a helpless laugh. ¡°You both may go then!¡± ¡°¡­Cabinet Master, Master, c-can I go too?¡± A small head poked out from behind Qiang Wanzhou¡ªthe owner of that chubby little face was none other than Ye Ranran. ¡°You want to go too, Ranran?¡± asked Elder Xia Yi in surprise. In his eyes, the young Ye Ranran was still a little kid. She had always been very obedient, so he didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d want to go to such a dangerous place. Ye Ranran shyly said, ¡°I-I heard that many precious herbs can be found at Dahuang Swamp¡­ Hence, I want to go and take a look¡­¡± She truly wanted to go to that place. Although she didn¡¯t speak of it, she had always harbored great enthusiasm and perseverance when it came to pill refining. Thus, it was only natural that she wanted to visit Dahuang Swamp. That place is really dangerous though¡­ Elder Xia Yi frowned but didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Ye Ranran turned her puppy eyes to Chu Liuyue, who smiled and then looked toward Weichi Song and Elder Xia Yi. ¡°Let her join us.¡± Chapter 680 - Bronze Disc Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Ranran is very talented at refining pills, so I believe that she¡¯ll benefit a lot from this trip. Besides, Little Zhou and I will be around to protect her,¡± Chu Liuyue told them earnestly. ¡°Cabinet Master, Master, I¡¯ll definitely cultivate well and be careful not to be a burden to Liuyue and Wanzhou!¡± added Ye Ranran as she hastily raised her hand. I do want to go to Dahuang Swamp, but I might as well not tag along if I were to become a burden to them. When Chu Liuyue saw how the two elders remained a little hesitant, she said, ¡°We can better look after each other with Ranran around too.¡± Weichi Song looked at Elder Xia Yi. ¡°She¡¯s your disciple, so it¡¯s your call.¡± After a long silence, Elder Xia Yi finally gave his agreement. ¡°Alright. You may go, but you have to keep your word, Ranran!¡± Ranran isn¡¯t as good at fighting as Liuyue and Wanzhou, and her only merit probably lies in being a heavenly doctor. It¡¯d be good if she can gain some experience from this trip. All I hope is that she doesn¡¯t become a burden to the other two. Ye Ranran¡¯s face lit up in happiness as she thanked the elders. ¡°Thank you, Master! Thank you, Cabinet Master!¡± ¡°You should thank Liuyue instead! You don¡¯t have much time left, so you should start preparing yourselves over the next couple of days,¡± said Elder Xia Yi laughingly; to which, the three disciples responded with a nod. Chu Liuyue then got up to leave together with Qiang Wanzhou and Ye Ranran to discuss the trip. After they left, Elder Xia Yi looked at Weichi Song gravely. ¡°Have you heard what happened at the Jiang Residence, Cabinet Master?¡± ¡°Are you talking about¡­ the assasination attempt on Jiang Yucheng?¡± asked Weichi Song. Elder Xia Yi nodded and then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that someone would try to assassinate Jiang Yucheng since he¡¯s offended so many people, but¡­ It¡¯s rumored that the assassin hid among the former underlings he summoned to his residence and nearly managed to kill him. Do you know that the people he summoned that day were actually the very ones who followed him to Nan Jiang back then?¡± Weichi Song nodded. ¡°Of course. Speaking of this, he¡¯s just doing a show for me. To be more specific, it¡¯s a show for Chong Xu Cabinet.¡± Elder Xia Yi¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Do you mean that¡ª¡± ¡°I looked for him and told him about the Messed Yuan Gravel, but he vehemently denied that it was his doing and said that he¡¯d help to investigate this matter. That¡¯s why he gathered all those people. Although it appears to be a low-key affair, anyone can find out as long as they¡¯re determined to look into it.¡± ¡°I see¡­ That way, he can pretend to help you in the investigation without alerting anyone¡­ He¡¯s quite a schemer, huh?!¡± ¡°He¡¯s always been like this. He refuses to take any losses,¡± said Weichi Song lightly as a hint of sarcasm showed in his eyes. ¡°Then again, the assassination attempt was probably an accident. He probably didn¡¯t expect it to happen in his own home.¡± Baffled, Elder Xia Yi asked, ¡°I thought the assassin didn¡¯t manage to hurt him?¡± ¡°Would he have flown into such a huge rage that he sent his men looking for the assassin in Xi Ling City during the night otherwise? He¡¯s probably searched the entire city already over the past couple of days. If he wasn¡¯t hurt, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered looking for the assassin at this juncture.¡± Weichi Song snickered. It¡¯s highly inappropriate for him to do this when his wedding date has just been set. ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± Elder Xia Yi laughed. ¡°I wonder who the culprit is! That person must be someone extraordinary if they can get away with doing that! I¡¯m curious to know how he got hurt!¡± Weichi Song¡¯s eyes gleamed coldly as he said, ¡°He deserves it.¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue returned to her room, she started cultivating in peace and felt more energetic after circulating her internal force for one Heavenly Cycle. Ever since she became a stage-five warrior, she could feel that her senses had become much sharper than before. Her cultivation speed had also increased after she connected her five treasures, which brought about a great relief to her since strength meant a lot. She even looked forward to the Dahuang Swamp trip a little. At the thought of this, she carefully took inventory of the items 36 Respected Elder Ming and Rong Xiu had given to her. She found plenty of good stuff in the pile, and she had enough items that could help save her life in times of danger. Among the pile of items, she took out a bronze disc. If I remember correctly, this thing allows me to teleport? She didn¡¯t think much of the disc at first, but now that she had taken it out and gotten a closer look at it, she recalled that this thing was worth a fortune. One might not even be able to buy it even if they had the money. Depending on its grade, the teleportation distance varied too. Chu Liuyue looked at the bronze disc in her hand, which weighed quite a bit despite being only the size of her palm. One could easily tell from its dusty and rusty surface that it hadn¡¯t been used for a long time. I wonder how far this thing can teleport me¡­ Out of curiosity, she wiped off the dust and injected a little force into it. It remained still though. ¡°Eh?¡± She found it strange that nothing happened to the bronze disc since injecting force into Yuan instruments ought to bring about some movements. However, it didn¡¯t even show a slight ripple. She thus injected more force and used 50% of her force this time. When the bronze disc remained unchanged, it triggered her competitive streak. She refused to believe that she couldn¡¯t open the bronze disc, so she took in a deep breath before injecting her full force into it. Crack! Did I spoil the item? It was specially gifted to me. If it¡¯s spoiled¡­ Chu Liuyue froze for a moment before hurriedly bringing the bronze disc close to her eyes to check it carefully. Sure enough, there was a tiny crack in the middle of the disc. She felt slightly troubled. Just as she was thinking how to fix this thing, a bright stream of light shone through the crack and quickly disappeared. If she wasn¡¯t staring so closely at it, she surely would¡¯ve missed it. ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± With her brows knitted, she stared at the crack for a while. I think there¡¯s something wrong with this thing¡­ She ultimately decided to continue pouring her force into it. Crack! That crack line became bigger, and the flashing light appeared more frequently as well. She continued injecting her force nonstop. After some time, a piece of the bronze disc suddenly shattered and dropped to the ground, while something inside it rose. When Chu Liuyue took a closer look at it, she was surprised to see a flower petal. Of course, that flower petal wasn¡¯t real and was carved out of a transparent crystal. Although it was transparent, it looked exceptionally beautiful with colorful lights reflecting it. The bronze disc had crack lines running all over it as if a layer of bronze skin was peeling. She injected more force into it again. Bam! Chapter 681 - Purplish-Gold Buddha Leaf The bronze layer fell apart in an instant, and a few flower petals started furling up. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes widened slightly as she stared at the beautiful, fully bloomed, and transparent crystal peach blossom¡ªwhich felt cool to the touch¡ªin her hand. The petals were oval with jagged edges, and in the middle of it all were a few stamens. So this is what lies underneath that rough bronze exterior? She was caught between laughter and tears as she played with the item in her hands. It¡¯s a teleportation device¡­ but how do I use it? All of a sudden, the petals closed slightly, and the sensation of this made her subconsciously inject her force into it. The stamens shook and cut her slender finger, and her crimson blood instantly seeped into the crystal, staining it pink. She completed the entire process in a smooth and natural way, feeling no fear in the face of this scene. She merely continued to stare intently at the crystal. With a flash of light, the crystal peach blossom disappeared. Feeling pain in her left wrist, Chu Liuyue looked down and noticed that a pink peach blossom mark had appeared on the inner side of it. The finger-sized, fully blossomed flower appeared vivid on her fair and slender wrist. Did it just recognize me as its master? She wondered in puzzlement. I don¡¯t know what this thing is called, but it just transformed into a mark on my wrist before I knew it¡­ When she circulated her internal force toward the flower mark, she saw a flash of white light and felt as if she was falling. The next instant, she vanished from her spot. ¡­ Darkness flashed across her eyes, and Chu Liuyue felt as if something was pulling her body down. However, that feeling only lasted for a brief moment. Before long, her feet were touching solid ground. As the darkness gradually faded, she opened her eyes and took in the scene in front of her, her heart nearly jumping out of her mouth as she did so. This place was none other than her zither room¡ªthe place she loved the most in her previous life and where everything in it was arranged according to her preferences. All it took was a glance for her to recognize it. It¡¯s my zither room indeed. The bookshelves, the table, and the zither¡­ The shock she felt from coming to this place where everything was all too familiar to her almost made her blood freeze. Her mind had drawn a blank for once, and for a moment, she didn¡¯t know what she should do. It took some time before she inhaled deeply and slowly calmed her racing heart. All sorts of questions filled her mind in the meantime. The crystal peach blossom really can teleport me around, but why did it bring me here? Although many places came to my mind previously, this is the last place I¡¯d think of! Could it be that¡­ I subconsciously wanted to come here? ¡°It¡¯s just as well.¡± ¡°The purplish-gold Buddha leaf is right here!¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle out of the blue. ¡°For real? Are you sure?¡± Chu Liuyue froze. I know the layout of the zither room very well, but I don¡¯t remember placing a purplish-gold Buddha leaf here. The eagle couldn¡¯t be more certain about it though. ¡°Of course! Good thing your body has a little of my aura because of the contract you¡¯ve made with me. The purplish-gold Buddha leaf is still sleeping now, so it¡¯s a good time to take it away.¡± ¡°Where is it then?¡± Chu Liuyue looked around her. Since we¡¯re already here, we have to make full use of this opportunity! If I have to follow normal procedures, god knows when I¡¯ll be able to enter this room! Despite returning to this place of her past, she had no time for reminiscing. All she could think about was finding the purplish-gold Buddha leaf. ¡°It¡¯s in the zither,¡± answered the eagle. ¡°What?!¡± she exclaimed in surprise, having never expected that the legendary purplish-gold Buddha leaf would be hidden within her phoenix-tailed zither. Her voice shook as she asked with uncertainty, ¡°Do you mean to say that¡­ the leaf is hidden underneath the zither?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s inside that zither.¡± The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°So I have to split open this zither in order to get the purplish-gold Buddha leaf?¡± This was a zither that she cherished dearly, so she was very reluctant to destroy it. Besides, despite the zither¡¯s delicate appearance, it was actually made out of an incredibly hard wood. Given her current cultivation level, splitting it apart would take her quite a bit of effort. The most important thing, however, was that Jiang Yucheng had this place tightly guarded. She would attract herself a lot of trouble if she were to cause a commotion here. ¡°No need for that. The purplish-gold Buddha leaf is spiritual in nature. Since it chose to stay there, it must be because it likes the zither. All we have to do is lure it out.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°And how do we go about doing that?¡± ¡°The purplish-gold Buddha tree is a divine tree in our clan, so we have some sort of pull toward each other. I¡¯ll lure it out myself.¡± That couldn¡¯t be any better! Chu Liuyue nodded approvingly. As expected of a divine tree¡ªeven its leaves are so hard to handle. A black shadow then slowly appeared in front of her. In order not to attract attention, the legendary three-eyed eagle took on a smaller form¡ªwhich was about the size of a normal eagle¡ªthan usual. When it spread its wings, it was only as long as that antique zither. As it hovered in the air and looked down at the zither, it slowly emanated a heavy pressure that formed a barrier around the zither. There was a seeming flash in the zither that Chu Liuyue failed to notice, but the eagle did, and it opened its third eye right away. Meanwhile, there was a strange movement on the zither as if something was running across it. When Chu Liuyue took a closer look at it, she saw a small undulating ripple. It seemed that there was something inside the zither that wanted to escape, but it could only run back and forth just like this because the zither had been sealed with the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s aura. Slowly, the ripple became even smaller, and the little thing finally revealed its true glittering appearance¡ªit was a purplish-gold Buddha leaf. Chu Liuyue was amazed by it. So this is the legendary purplish-gold Buddha leaf! Although it looks like an ordinary leaf, it¡¯s more like an intelligent spirit! The eagle¡¯s third eye stared intently at the leaf, and it was just about to put it away when a flurry of footsteps was heard coming from outside. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked to hear that. What prompted Jiang Yucheng¡¯s sudden visit?! Chapter 682 - : Stolen Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice floated over. ¡°I¡¯m just here to take a look as usual. You may leave.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± By the sounds of it, it seemed that the guards who were manning the zither room had left. Jiang Yucheng took out a key to unlock the doors. Creak! He entered the room and turned around to close the doors. Then, he looked around the zither room, which was as quiet as usual. Everything looked about the same as if nothing had happened here. His gaze then shifted to the antique zither. The broken string hadn¡¯t been repaired to date. As countless memories replayed in his mind as if they had just happened yesterday, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face slowly darkened. He retracted his gaze, walked over to the table at the side, and sat down. He then closed his eyes and slowly let out a long breath. He failed to catch a good night¡¯s rest again with nightmares haunting him all night. Unlike the previous dreams¡ªwhere he felt excruciating pain as if he was engulfed in a sea of fire¡ªthe weather was good in his dream this time. It would¡¯ve been a pleasant dream had that person not said those words to him¡ªShe said that she had someone she liked. In that dream, Jiang Yucheng heard himself asking who that person was and saying that their engagement couldn¡¯t be called off over and over again. But at that time, they weren¡¯t formally engaged yet. They merely had the intention, but nothing was done about it. The Crown Princess had to ascend the throne sooner or later and thus needed to be engaged. Countless young and talented men in the entire Tianling Dynasty adored her, but she ultimately chose him. Although it might¡¯ve been because of his father¡¯s status or even his overall outstanding traits. Everyone thought they were in love with each other, but he knew that wasn¡¯t the case. That person was born noble and flawless, except she didn¡¯t love him. She treated him very well, but that applied to everyone else as well. Thus, he didn¡¯t think that it was anything special. In fact, he hated it a little. No matter what he did, there would always be an invisible barrier shielding her. Although it couldn¡¯t be seen or touched, it was there at all times. He thought nobody could get close to her, so he took comfort at the thought that he was ultimately a little closer to her than anyone else if they got married. He was proven wrong one day. Someone in this world had easily entered her heart, but that person wasn¡¯t him. Although he kept questioning her non-stop in the dream, he didn¡¯t do that in reality. He got over his shock in no time and calmly asked her who that person was. That said, he still didn¡¯t know that person¡¯s identity even now. At the end of that day, he only said smilingly, ¡°Okay.¡± They were still engaged to one another in the end though. ¡­ Jiang Yucheng rubbed his glabella before taking a look at the zither. But the next second, his eyes widened at the sight, and he shot up to walk over to it. At a glance, nothing seemed wrong with the zither, but he continued staring at a certain corner of it. Since when was there a purplish-gold mark on it? I come here to take a look at the zither every now and then, so nobody is more familiar with it than me. From what I remember, this mark didn¡¯t exist! It wasn¡¯t even here on my last visit! Just as he extended his hand toward the zither, a cold blast of wind hit him from behind. Alarm bells went off in his head, and he immediately turned around, only to see a huge black figure swooping in to knock him aside. Before he could even get a clear look at the other party, he was flung to the ground. Meanwhile, a black figure suddenly appeared from behind the side cabinet. I didn¡¯t even notice that someone was in this room! His eyes widened in shock when he saw that person holding the zither in their arms. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Holding his breath, he did a flip, brandished his knife, and slashed it toward the intruder. However, his knife cut through the air instead, for that person vanished from the spot. He looked back in shock, only to see a pair of huge wings flying past and disappearing into thin air as well. Everything happened in just an instant. By the time Jiang Yucheng came back to his senses, he was alone in the zither room. Blood rushed up his lung cavity because of the huge black shadow¡¯s heavy impact, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered about that now, for the zither was stolen right in front of him. Incredulous, he shouted angrily, ¡°Guards! Guards!¡± The guard outside rushed in at once. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Eldest Young Master?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What do you think?!¡± Jiang Yucheng swallowed the blood in his mouth. His face was flushed, and his veins were bulging out of anger. Even his expression looked a little sinister. ¡°How did you guys even watch the zither room? How could you allow someone to slip inside here? What¡¯s the use of having you people here then?!¡± Bewildered, the guards immediately went down on their knees. ¡°Eldest Young Master, we¡¯ve been standing guard outside all the while and have never left our spot. We didn¡¯t let anyone else enter the room!¡± It was then that Jiang Yucheng recalled how the intruder vanished from the scene earlier. There weren¡¯t any ripples in the air at all, and they disappeared at once. By the looks of it¡­ they must¡¯ve used a special method to get in and out of the room. ¡°So you¡¯ve been standing guard outside without letting anyone inside, nor have you all sensed any movements?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng harshly. The guards were in trepidation. ¡°W-we¡¯re speaking the truth!¡± Jiang Yucheng believed them somewhat when he saw the bewildered and fearful looks on their faces. However, it also meant that it would be much harder to find out who the intruder was. There was a huge pair of black wings too¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen such a fiend before¡­ ¡°You may leave! Make sure to keep your lips sealed about what happened here!¡± barked Jiang Yucheng. The guards exchanged looks with one another. Eldest Young Master flew into such a huge rage, but he¡¯s letting us go just like that? Jiang Yucheng gave them a look. ¡°What, can¡¯t you understand my order?¡± ¡°We understand!¡± The guards then hurriedly took their leave. Once they left, Jiang Yucheng turned his gaze to the spot where the zither originally sat¡ªit was empty now. It was a well-known fact that Thousand View Garden¡¯s zither room was one of the late Crown Princess¡¯s favorite places. Should the news of the zither being stolen spread, someone would definitely make an issue out of this matter. When that happened, he¡ªwho had been tasked to watch over the zither room¡ªwould surely become the target of all criticisms. Therefore, he had to investigate this matter on his own. At the thought of this, he glanced in the direction the guards left, his eyes gleaming murderously. Chapter 683 - Don’t Know Chu Liuyue opened her eyes again, and she had returned to her own room in Chong Xu Cabinet. After confirming that she had returned back safely, she sighed deeply. How close¡­ I was almost discovered by Jiang Yucheng! If I were any later¡­ Who would¡¯ve thought that Jiang Yucheng would suddenly go to the zither room at this time? She removed her black robe and said to the legendary three-eyed eagle, ¡°He didn¡¯t see you just now, right?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice was as cold and nonchalant as usual, with a hint of contempt. ¡°He¡¯s just strong on the outside, but nothing on the inside.¡± Compared to normal cultivators of the same standard as him, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s reaction speed was absolutely horrible. There had to be something wrong with his body. Even though the legendary three-eyed eagle didn¡¯t have a physical body, it was a legendary fiend after all. Besides, its own body had always been recovering after it made an agreement with Chu Liuyue. Though it was slow, its aura was indeed strengthening. It was no problem to deal with a Jiang Yucheng. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue relaxed and couldn¡¯t help but sneer upon hearing the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s analysis. ¡°I noticed that too. His abilities¡­ are indeed much weaker than before. It seems like he really is the culprit behind the Messed Yuan Gravel incident back then.¡± Even though I don¡¯t know what method he used to make his cultivation level seem like it didn¡¯t change, his abilities have obviously deteriorated. In addition to the bloody wound I gave him previously¡­ Jiang Yucheng¡¯s body is probably a mess now. ¡°But¡­ This item is pretty good¡­ It was such a long distance to go there and back, yet it only used up a small portion of my force,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she looked at the peach blossom mark on the inner side of her left wrist. The peach blossom was bright as it bloomed gently. Though she didn¡¯t know how this item suddenly brought her to the zither room, the fact that it could bring her back safely and smoothly proved its abilities. This item was much more useful than she had thought. ¡°When I see 36 Elder next time, I must thank him properly.¡± Chu Liuyue then confirmed that all her doors and windows were locked once again and that nobody would disturb her before taking out the ancient zither from her Cosmic Ring and carefully placing it in front of her. She had almost accepted the purplish-gold Buddha leaf earlier, but she had to stop once Jiang Yucheng came. Looking at this ancient zither, Chu Liuyue felt conflicted. I really didn¡¯t expect myself to bring it back in such a strange manner¡­ Jiang Yucheng won¡¯t dare to broadcast this matter loudly, so I¡¯m not worried that he¡¯ll openly investigate the matter. After thinking for a while, Chu Liuyue collected her thoughts and prepared to find the purplish-gold Buddha leaf. After looking left and right, she finally saw a hint of purplish-gold at the corner. It was as if a brush had gently brushed one stroke, and its color was brilliant. That speck of purplish-gold moved slightly as if it was tempted to escape. But its edge was covered by a light layer of black, so it couldn¡¯t struggle free. This was the seal the legendary three-eyed eagle had hurriedly laid on it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Clang! The legendary three-eyed eagle appeared again. A gigantic black figure hung high in the sky, and tremendous suppression filled the entire room. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s third eye suddenly opened, and that light layer of black on the ancient zither rapidly disappeared. A purplish-gold leaf suddenly jumped out. A bright-red ray shot out of the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes. Bam! That purplish-gold leaf was instantly wrapped up, and it could not move. With one glance, the exterior was presented in an ovular shape that was shining brightly, looking like a crystal. Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand and took the item. It was slightly warm to the touch, and it exuded a light leafy fragrance. In her hands, she could clearly feel the overwhelming lively and energetic aura and strength within. Chu Liuyue¡¯s force seemed to be brought along by this strength as it gradually increased its flowing speed. ¡°This purplish-gold Buddha leaf is actually this powerful?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked in her heart as she widened her eyes slightly. This purplish-gold Buddha leaf alone contained strength that overwhelmed all the herbs she had seen before. ¡°This is a leaf from a magical tree, so it naturally can¡¯t be compared to ordinary herbs.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice was filled with faint pride. Something that could be seen as a magical tree by the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s clan was definitely something extraordinary. Chu Liuyue held that small ball in her hands. ¡°So you¡¯ve locked this temporarily?¡± ¡°Yes. When you find the remaining items, I can then restructure my physical body!¡± Even the calm and cold legendary three-eyed eagle couldn¡¯t conceal its excitement when it talked about this. It had been trapped in the Heavenly Square Cauldron for thousands of years, and it originally thought that it would vanish into thin air after being destroyed by the endless torture and pain. It never expected for its fate to be changed and that it would have a chance of rebirth. Logically speaking, a purplish-gold Buddha leaf was impossible to appear in a place like the Tianling Dynasty. However, it actually did! If this wasn¡¯t fate from the heavens, what else could it be? Chu Liuyue was also happy that the legendary three-eyed eagle was another step closer to recovering its physical body. However, she had a question in her heart: ¡°Why would this purplish-gold Buddha leaf suddenly appear in the zither?¡± She never told the legendary three-eyed eagle her true identity. Hence, it didn¡¯t know that the zither actually belonged to her. She had played this zither for more than ten years, but she never knew that a purplish-gold Buddha leaf was hidden within. Could it be that it hid too well, so I never discovered it? After all, if it weren¡¯t for the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s reminder, I wouldn¡¯t have known about this. ¡°This purplish-gold Buddha leaf should¡¯ve stayed in this ancient zither for a few years. As to who put it there¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Chu Liuyue was quite surprised. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ someone purposely put it inside?¡± ¡°Of course. In this world, there are only two purplish-gold Buddha trees. One is in my clan, and the other is in an extremely east area. How far is that place from here? It¡¯s impossible that a small purplish-gold Buddha leaf can land here single-handedly. Therefore, someone must¡¯ve purposely brought it here.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. A few years¡­ There was an extra purplish-gold Buddha leaf here, but why didn¡¯t I know about it at all? Chapter 684 - Set Off After thinking for a while, Chu Liuyue still couldn¡¯t figure out the answer, so she could only temporarily set this matter aside. After carefully putting away the purplish-gold Buddha leaf, she entered into cultivation mode again. Two days quickly passed. On the third morning, Chu Liuyue had just finished one cycle when she heard Ye Ranran¡¯s voice from outside. ¡°Liuyue, we should set off!¡± Chu Liuyue opened her clear eyes, which sparkled brightly within. After connecting her five treasures, not only had her cultivation speed increased, but the force within her body was even purer. She clenched her fists and stretched¡ªshe could even vaguely hear her body cracking. The feeling of being filled with strength that she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time rejuvenated her. She walked over to open the door. Ye Ranran and Qiang Wanzhou were already waiting for her together. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ After the few of them left the mountain, they went straight for Ping Liang Square. They were going to Dahuang Swamp from there. The usually lively Xi Ling City seemed a little solemn today, and much fewer people were on the streets. After they reached Ping Liang Square, they discovered that there were even fewer people here. This was because the Black Guard had already guarded this area in advance. In the large square, many transportation formations were temporarily closed. Only the one in the middle was open. The army of 1,000 Black Guards was on standby beside the transportation formation. A young man wearing black armor was standing at the front of the Black Guards with his back straight and his entire body exuding an intense murderous aura¡ªit was Mu Qinghe! Even though he was a general, he wore casual clothes during most situations in Xi Ling City. Today, he suddenly wore his armor, and the harsh and ferocious aura that came from killing millions of people during battle was instantly very obvious. This made the crowd frightened. Ye Ranran softly said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu looks very different today¡­ No wonder he¡¯s the Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant!¡± He definitely had his abilities to be able to rise up to this position in a short ten years. Chu Liuyue glanced at him calmly and averted her gaze, with peace in her eyes. Whatever Mu Qinghe looks like now no longer has anything to do with me. Ye Ranran glanced at her and saw that her reaction was calm, so she felt a bit strange. ¡°Liuyue, are you not on good terms with Lieutenant Mu? Do you want to go say hi to him?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°The Third Princess and the rest will be coming soon. It¡¯s not very appropriate at a time like this, right?¡± Ye Ranran thought for a moment and agreed. After all, there were 1,000 Black Guards behind Mu Qinghe. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and wait? I think some people from the other clans have already arrived!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. The three of them walked in another direction. Mu Qinghe looked up and coincidentally saw Chu Liuyue and the rest walking over from a distance away. Quite a few people in the surroundings looked at her. Curiosity, admiration, respect, envy, jealousy¡­ All sorts of gazes landed on her. Compared to the previous time they met, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body seemed to have changed. She seemed¡­ even more eye-catching than before. It was very hard to describe such a feeling. All in all, she was like a Yuan Stone that gradually sparkled in a color that belonged to itself after slow refinement. Or perhaps she was like a pearl that was covered in dust. Now that she finally removed that layer of dust, she could sparkle in full glory. She was completely different from the very careful and restricted girl back in Country Yao Chen a few months ago. In such a short period of time, Chu Liuyue had already become famous in Xi Ling, and her reputation was known to all. She was in the limelight. Even though he was the one that brought her over, everything that happened to Chu Liuyue in Xi Ling later on had nothing to do with him, especially after she moved out of the Mu Residence. After that, the two parties didn¡¯t even interact at all. Now that he saw her again, he sighed in his heart for some reason. However, Mu Qinghe only took a glance before rapidly retracting his gaze. ¡­ People from a few clans had already arrived. Chu Liuyue looked over and saw quite a few familiar faces. Seeing the three of them, the crowd that was still exchanging pleasantries instantly fell silent. They had long heard the news that Chong Xu Cabinet would only send three representatives. As a result, the other clans even had extra spots. They were guessing who Chong Xu Cabinet would send out. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s trio at this point, the crowd was mostly shocked. These three¡­ are the best few disciples in Chong Xu Cabinet! Not talking about Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou, but even Ye Ranran has displayed extraordinary heavenly doctor talent during the clan competition. Dahuang Swamp is a dangerous place after all. How could Chong Xu Cabinet really bear to let all three of them out at once? Are they not afraid that they will get into trouble? Facing all sorts of gazes from the crowd, Chu Liuyue ignored them, and Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t care at all. Ye Ranran¡­ Anyway, she was following Liuyue and Wanzhou, so what was there to be scared of? Therefore, the trio found a place to stand by the side as calmly as ever. Thereafter, a few people went to greet them, and Chu Liuyue and the rest also answered them in return. ¡°It looks like Chong Xu Cabinet is still pretty confident in you all. They actually let all of you come together?¡± A sharp voice was heard. Chu Liuyue lazily looked up. Ning Jiaojiao. Chu Liuyue smiled and slowly said, ¡°Ms. Ning, are you worried about our safety? With so many people around, I think nothing much will happen. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Ning Jiaojiao lightly snorted. ¡°One can never be too careful! I was just casually talking about it. I don¡¯t have any other meaning!¡± Compared to before, the attitude she had toward Chu Liuyue had a slight change. This was still a world where the strong were respected after all. Chu Liuyue first took the highest ranking during the Wan Zheng Competition and later won three matches consecutively during the clan competition. Ning Jiaojiao was also present back then. Even though she was filled with indignation, she had to admit that Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities couldn¡¯t be underestimated. Before she came out this time, her father¡ªNing Binghai¡ªhad specifically instructed her not to stir up trouble. Ning Jiaojiao had suffered before, so she naturally didn¡¯t dare to be too overboard this time. She just wanted to let her mouth run. Of course, nobody knew what exactly she was thinking. Seeing that the other knew how to retreat at the right time, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care much as her lips curled up, and she didn¡¯t say anything. Ning Jiaojiao then secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly, her gaze focused, and she asked uncontrollably, ¡°You broke through and became a stage-five warrior?!¡± Chu Liuyue nonchalantly looked at her. Isn¡¯t it very obvious? Ning Jiaojiao then realized that she had lost her composure as she bit her lips and averted her gaze. However, she was still quite shocked. How long has Chu Liuyue been in Xi Ling? She actually broke through and became a stage-five warrior from a stage-three warrior? Then, isn¡¯t she even stronger? Not only Ning Jiaojiao, but even the crowd at the side were all quite stunned. ¡°What¡¯s so good about a stage-five warrior?¡± A cold and mocking voice came from behind. Chapter 685 - Alliance The surroundings fell silent. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that it was people from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect. This was said by the man at the front. He looked like he was 27 or 28, and he was very skinny and tall. His looks were ordinary, and the ends of his hair were glowing with faint purple. Song Qingnian? Chu Liuyue recognized him. He was the eldest son of Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s Master¡ªSong Lian¡ªand he was also the young master of the sect. He is pretty talented. If I don¡¯t remember wrongly, he had just broken through and become an advanced stage-seven warrior back then. Now, it seems like he didn¡¯t continue breaking through. However, it was natural that he didn¡¯t care about a stage-five Chu Liuyue with his cultivation level and abilities. ¡°Senior Brother Qingnian, she¡¯s the champion of the Wan Zheng Competition and had challenged three people during the clan competition. She even won all of them, so it¡¯s hard for her not to be proud¡­¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the woman talking behind him. Nice, it¡¯s another familiar person. Yang Qin¡¯er¡ªher words seemed to be advising Song Qingnian, but unconcealable envy was written all over her face. Chu Liuyue was innocent. ¡°I was just standing here previously, and I don¡¯t think I said anything, right? Why did I suddenly become proud?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er was stumped. Song Qingnian was still the experienced one as he scrutinized Chu Liuyue from head to toe. As if he didn¡¯t hear her words, he said, ¡°You¡¯re just a little nothing. Qin¡¯er, when you experience more of the world, you naturally won¡¯t care about this kind of¡­ You just have to cultivate properly in the future, and you won¡¯t lose to her.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and secretly admired the other girl in her heart. How long has it been, yet Yang Qin¡¯er is already on very good terms with the people in the Purple Xiao Sword Sect? Even Song Qingnian is telling her this. In her memory, Song Qingnian was very arrogant due to his identity as the Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s young master. Seeing this today, his old habit didn¡¯t change at all. Yang Qin¡¯er seemed to blush a little. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Senior Brother Qingnian.¡± Seeing her smile, Song Qingnian patted her arm and walked to the other side with the rest. ¡°You¡ª¡± Ye Ranran was infuriated and was about to go forward to argue with them. Chu Liuyue pulled her back and gently shook her head. Ye Ranran was angered. ¡°Liuyue, that person talked about you like that. Are you just going to let it be?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled lightly. ¡°He just scolded me with two sentences, and I wasn¡¯t physically hurt anyway. Why do you want to care so much about them? Many people have talked about us privately, so are we going to pursue the matter with them one by one?¡± ¡°But they did it openly¡­¡± ¡°Almost everyone is here. Let¡¯s be more low-key in case we attract any trouble.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Ye Ranran¡¯s heart seemed to be stuffed with anger, but looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s determined stance, she could only listen to the latter. She glanced at Song Qingnian and softly said, ¡°What¡¯s so good about being the Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s young master? When he was your age, Liuyue, he was so much weaker than you!¡± Chu Liuyue curved her lips slightly. ¡°I know.¡± Song Qingnian was a few years older than her. Back then, he wasn¡¯t convinced by her and went to challenge her. In the end, Song Qingnian was beaten by her until he would turn around and take another route whenever he saw her, and he didn¡¯t even attend the routinal palace banquets. Qiang Wanzhou glanced at Song Qingnian coldly and retracted his gaze. Song Qingnian faintly felt his back was chilly, but he didn¡¯t see anything when he turned around. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue¡¯s trio was softly talking about something, and their expressions were calm. Song Qingnian coldly chuckled. ¡°Qin¡¯er, you¡¯re right. This Chu Liuyue is arrogant on another level. When we reach Dahuang Swamp, I¡¯ll show her who¡¯s boss!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er lowered her head and didn¡¯t say a word. ¡­ ¡°Liuyue!¡± A surprised greeting floated over. Chu Liuyue looked up, and her face was filled with smiles. A familiar face appeared in front of her¡ªit was Mu Hongyu. She originally came together with Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s people. However, she saw Chu Liuyue from afar when she walked at the front, so she rushed over first. ¡°I knew you would go too! Hm? Why are there only three people from Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Mu Hongyu had been busy cultivating with Jian Shuye lately, so she didn¡¯t know anything about the outside world. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°My senior brothers and senior sisters couldn¡¯t find the time to come, so only the three of us are here.¡± A snicker came out from the side. Song Qingnian¡¯s face was filled with mockery as he said to the people beside him, ¡°Hah, you¡¯re saying it nicely. Who doesn¡¯t know that they¡¯re in this situation because Chong Xu Cabinet can¡¯t send anyone out?¡± It really made him feel like his status had been lowered when Chong Xu Cabinet¡ªwhich had less than 100 people¡ªwas placed in the same position as them as the four biggest clans. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile faded away. But Mu Hongyu smiled coldly and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that they sent the three of them? I remember that many of us here had participated in the clan competition, right? Did any of you win against Liuyue?¡± Naturally, not everybody could fight with Chu Liuyue during the clan competition, but who didn¡¯t know that she had won against a stage-six warrior? Quite a few people present weren¡¯t even stage-six warriors¡­ Chu Liuyue was indeed strong¡ªthis was unquestionable. The surroundings immediately fell into silence. Song Qingnian knitted his brows. ¡°Who are you? How dare you be overboard in front of me?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er softly said, ¡°Senior Brother Qingnian, she¡¯s the one with the Faint Yuan Body¡­¡± Song Qingnian squinted his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the slave that Jian Fengchi spent six million white crystals to buy?¡± Once he said this, the crowd gradually looked over with strange expressions. Anyone could hear the mockery in his voice. In the Tianling Dynasty, people with the identity as slaves were lower than the rest. But Mu Hongyu had the Faint Yuan Body, so most people were more envious and jealous of her. With this physical strength, she didn¡¯t need to be afraid of being looked down on when she became a strong warrior in the future. But now that her identity was singled out, it was obvious that Song Qingnian was purposely making it difficult for her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned cold. A handsome young man had already walked forward and calmly said, ¡°Hongyu is my master¡¯s final disciple. Do you have any doubts about that, Young Master Song?¡± Song Qingnian¡¯s expression changed slightly. The surrounding people also looked shocked. Mu Hongyu is actually Jian Shuye¡¯s final disciple? Then, her identity must be extraordinary¡­ One had to know that all these years, Jian Shuye had only accepted three specialized disciples. Mu Hongyu was the fourth one! Jian Shuye seemed not to care about her identity as a slave. Since he was willing to do this, it was enough to prove that he thought very highly of Mu Hongyu. In other words, he was Mu Hongyu¡¯s backer! Even though Song Qingnian was normally very arrogant and looked down on others, he wasn¡¯t stupid and knew who he could offend and who he could not. Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Jian Shuye was someone that protected his disciples a lot. Even his father didn¡¯t dare to go head-on against Jian Shuye, let alone him! He coldly snorted and harshly waved his sleeves, turning his face. That young man walked to Chu Liuyue and smiled gently with good manners. ¡°Ms. Chu, I am Zhu Hong. Before we came, Master and Young Master specifically instructed us to take care of you. I wonder if you will be willing to go with us during this Dahuang Swamp journey?¡± Jian Shuye and Jian Fengchi? Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. Seeing Zhu Hong and the rest¡¯s sincere expressions, she smiled.¡±Sure! Thank you all then!¡± Chapter 686 - Things of the Past Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The relationships between the various sects varied, but from Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s attitude, it was clear that they intended on taking care of Chong Xu Cabinet. Many people exchanged looks with one another as fear sprouted in their hearts. Ever since Chong Xu Cabinet fell from grace after encountering an ambush, Dragon Teeth Mountain had somehow become the boss of all sects. Although Purple Xiao Sword Sect was by no means weak, they were still a little lacking compared to Dragon Teeth Mountain. Hence, they would try their best to avoid starting a conflict with the latter. Of course, it went without saying for the other sects. We owe Dragon Teeth Mountain another favor, thought Chu Liuyue. Oh well, this will probably save us a lot of unnecessary trouble during the trip. Although I¡¯m not afraid of trouble, it¡¯s a hassle to deal with them. Both sects¡¯ members then introduced themselves to each other. Having seen and heard of Chu Liuyue¡¯s and Wan Qiangzhou¡¯s capabilities, as well as Ye Ranran¡¯s astonishing talent, Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s disciples treated the trio very politely. There might be many disciples in Dragon Teeth Mountain, but most of them were pretty much like their clan master, Jian Shuye¡ªupstanding and forthright. They didn¡¯t have many fancy tricks up their sleeves, although speaking of it, Jian Fengchi was their most rebellious and unrestrained disciple. Thus, Chu Liuyue had always had a pretty good impression of them. Anyway, both sides found out that they got along quite well after a brief exchange and thus became closer to one another. The people around them, however, looked at them with complicated expressions. Some were baffled, some were envious, and some others were disdainful, but neither Chu Liuyue nor the rest of her party paid any attention to them. ¡­ ¡°The Third Princess has arrived!¡± Shangguan Wan finally appeared when everyone else had arrived. The Black Guards on both sides had long cleared a path for her, and she slowly walked over with two elders from the royal family¡ªElder Qiu Xi and Elder Duanmu Chun¡ªin tow. Walking further behind was Jiang Yucheng. He didn¡¯t walk next to his fianc¨¦e because they had yet to hold their wedding. A hush instantly fell over the entire Ping Liang Square before the crowd paid their respects in unison. ¡°May the Third Princess live for a thousand years!¡± Shangguan Wan must¡¯ve been looking forward to this scene for a very long time. Standing among the crowd, Chu Liuyue went down on her knees and bowed as well, her eyes gleaming with sarcasm when she lowered her head. But when she rose to her feet once more, she had assumed her usual expression. Standing still, Shangguan Wan swept her gaze across the crowd. ¡°The purpose of this trip to Dahuang Swamp is to seek medicine for the Emperor. Although there are valuable treasures at Dahuang Swamp, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s a very dangerous place. I¡¯m grateful that all of you here are willing to go with me and lend me a helping hand.¡± Her speech sounded really polite. ¡°I¡¯ll give a handsome reward to the person who can help me find the treasures I need! Except for those few treasures, you¡¯re welcome to keep any treasures that you find!¡± Many people¡¯s eyes lit up in eagerness. Everyone here had mustered up their courage to venture into Dahuang Swamp just for this reason, so they were naturally delighted to hear this. ¡°Thank you, Third Princess!¡± Shangguan Wan smiled. ¡°I hope this will be a smooth and worthwhile trip for everyone! Lieutenant Mu, let¡¯s go.¡± Mu Qinghe took a step forward and cupped his fist in his other hand. ¡°The army of 1,000 Black Guards will be split into two teams. The first team will be at the front, while the second team will be at the back. Make sure to protect the Third Princess and everyone else¡¯s safety!¡± As he spoke, he lifted his right arm. The Black Guards behind him immediately parted in the middle, clearly dividing themselves into two teams. The sound of their iron boots stomping on the lapis lazuli ground was extraordinarily powerful. As the first team of 500 Black Guards marched up to the transportation formation, Shangguan Wan and her entourage followed behind, with Mu Qinghe standing right next to her to protect her. Behind them were the various sects¡¯ disciples, and finally, the second team of Black Guards. The people standing around them went down on one knee and shouted, ¡°We bid farewell to the Third Princess!¡± ¡°Activate!¡± When Mu Qinghe gave that order, the transportation formation started spinning really quickly. All of them vanished the next instant. ¡­ Dahuang Swamp was located really far away from Xi Ling, so a lot of traveling time was still needed even with the transportation formation. But the good thing was that there wasn¡¯t much spatial turbulence because this transportation formation was specifically built for this purpose and was consistently maintained. Therefore, everyone wasn¡¯t affected much. Mu Qinghe had long gotten his subordinates to prepare water pearls that would be specifically used in the transportation formation, so there were more than enough water pearls to illuminate everyone even though they made quite a large crowd. Such water pearls were expensive, so the average person wasn¡¯t able to afford one. But because Shangguang Wan was the Third Princess, possessing a hundred of them was nothing to her. The scale of this trip left many marveling in amazement. ¡°As expected of the Third Princess. The way she uses water pearls is like money is nothing to her.¡± ¡°Who are you compared to the Third Princess? The entire Tianling Dynasty will be hers in a few months, let alone a few water pearls.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! I heard that the scale of the late Crown Princess¡¯s expeditions was even greater than this. It¡¯s a pity that she only brought the Black Guards with her, so we couldn¡¯t get a chance to see it.¡± ¡°The late Crown Princess¡¯s status is almost on par with that of the Emperor. Even though she was a princess, she could mobilize tens of thousands of Black Guards. They can¡¯t be compared since the Third Princess hasn¡¯t¡­ Then again, those are just matters of the past. It¡¯s pointless to bring them up!¡± ¡­ Even though the people around Chu Liuyue whispered really softly, she could hear them all since she had connected her five treasures. Looking nonchalant, she raised her head toward a certain direction. Right ahead, Mu Qinghe was currently whispering something to Shangguan Wan. He seemed to be explaining Dahuang Swamp¡¯s situation to her. ¡°¡­Your Highness, we¡¯ll be arriving at the western border¡¯s transportation formation first. From there, we¡¯ll be transported to Dahuang Swamp. The mist stretches for hundreds of miles within Dahuang Swamp, so you have to¡­¡± Mu Qinghe carefully explained Dahuang Swamp¡¯s situation, while Shangguan Wan carefully listened. Although Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression from her position, she could still see her nodding her head seriously from time to time. She tugged the corners of her lips as she thought to herself, Mu Qinghe¡¯s explanation sure is detailed. There wasn¡¯t anyone to tell me the dangers of Dahuang Swamp in such detail when I entered it back then. I can¡¯t even remember how many dangerous encounters I¡¯ve experienced there. The knowledge he¡¯s sharing with her is gained through years of battle at Dahuang Swamp, but it¡¯s mine too. The outside world only knows that he volunteered to join the Black Guard, made great military achievements in just a decade, and suppressed the rebellion in Dahuang Swamp. With his military power, he made a heroic contribution in stabilizing my position as the Crown Princess. However, only a few know that I entered Dahuang Swamp a few times as well. The current Mu Qinghe might be all formidable now, but he wasn¡¯t like this right from the start. Without me helping him in the dark, he probably would¡¯ve died at Dahuang Swamp. That being said, these are all¡­ things of the past now. Chapter 687 - Dahuang Swamp Calmly and idly, Chu Liuyue listened to their conversation. From the sound of it, nothing major had happened at Dahuang Swamp in the past two years. Then again, it was only natural that the situation was much more stable now since Black Guards were stationed there. But as those Black Guards were just responsible for guarding the place, it was more convenient for Shangguan Wan to bring a few of her own men since she was there to look for a few herbs and the legendary fiend¡¯s blood. ¡­ As this was Shangguan Wan¡¯s first time going to Dahuang Swamp, she made sure to listen carefully to Mu Qinghe¡¯s every word and keep them in mind. By listening to what Mu Qinghe had to say now, she could gain some confidence when she was there later. Actually, she had no interest in going to such a dangerous and remote place. If it weren¡¯t because she had to find a suitable place to execute her plan, she might not ever set foot in this piece of land. As the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Third Princess, the rumored rare treasures and legacies held no interest to her. Besides, she would be ascending the throne in a few months. The entire Tianling Dynasty would be hers by then, so there wasn¡¯t a need for her to risk her life by going to Dahuang Swamp. Not only was it dangerous, but there also were no promises that one could find any treasures. ¡°That¡¯s the general situation of Dahuang Swamp. Feel free to ask questions if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand. I¡ªas your lieutenant¡ªwill definitely tell you everything I know.¡± Mu Qinghe changed the way he addressed himself after putting on his armor to lead the army. Shangguan Wan smiled. ¡°I got it. Thank you, Lieutenant Mu. This trip would¡¯ve been dangerous without you.¡± Mu Qinghe lowered his head. ¡°You flatter me. This is what I should do.¡± ¡°No need to be modest. We might have to trouble you further once we arrive at Dahuang Swamp. Don¡¯t you agree, Yucheng?¡± As Shangguan Wan spoke, she looked at Jiang Yucheng, who was standing next to her. But Jiang Yucheng was deep in thought, so he didn¡¯t catch what she was saying. ¡°Yucheng? Yucheng?¡± Only then did Jiang Yucheng snap back to his senses and look up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shangguan Wan furrowed her eyebrows when she saw him seemingly waking up from a trance. For some reason, he seems distracted during the entire journey. What Mu Qinghe said earlier is really important, yet he didn¡¯t listen to him at all? If I remember correctly, he¡¯s never been to Dahuang Swamp either. Someone as cautious as him ought to be very concerned about the situation there. It¡¯s strange that he seems so distracted¡­ ¡°Did you not hear what Lieutenant Mu said earlier?¡± Jiang Yucheng let out a cough before he adjusted his clothes. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s briefed me about it.¡± Shangguan Wan was skeptical though. As his subordinate, it makes sense that Mu Qinghe would tell him about Dahuang Swamp¡¯s situation in advance, but¡­ Something is off about him today. ¡°Are you okay, Yucheng? Did you overwork yourself in the past few days?¡± Concern surfaced in her eyes. He¡¯s been looking for the person who almost assassinated him lately. Did he overwork himself because of this? Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, but he neither denied nor admitted it. ¡°A little, I guess. But I¡¯ve left those matters to Sun Qi and the others to settle.¡± Given his current status, it¡¯s inevitable that he feels disgraced since he couldn¡¯t find the person who attempted to assassinate him after so many days. Shangguan Wan thought her guess was right as she studied his expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sun Qi has always handled things well.¡± Jiang Yucheng smiled and nodded. He then silently glanced at the back before quickly retracting his gaze. After a while, he suddenly asked, ¡°If my memory serves me right, Mu Hongyu possesses the Faint Yuan Body, right?¡± Mu Qinghe nodded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did you mention her out of the blue?¡± asked Shangguan Wan out of puzzlement. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, actually. I heard the others talking about her when we came earlier, so I got a little curious¡­ After all, such a physique hasn¡¯t appeared in a millennium. I hear that people with this physique can travel through space at will?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Yu Xiang Hall went through a lot of trouble catching her back then. If her physique wasn¡¯t so rare, how could Jian Fengchi possibly bear to spend six million white crystals on her?¡± Even though Shangguan Wan spent most of her time in the palace, she knew everything that happened outside. In fact, she couldn¡¯t resist sneaking glances at Mu Hongyu when she saw her earlier. But other than the latter¡¯s delicate appearance and cheerful disposition, she couldn¡¯t see anything special about her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s clan master to take her as his disciple though¡­¡± commented Shangguan Wan calmly. Although I look down on slaves, Jian Shuye doesn¡¯t seem to care about such things. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have insisted on marrying that woman of ordinary status back then. Speaking of which, Jian Shuye and Jian Fengchi are considered Mu Hongyu¡¯s benefactors. ¡°She appears to be on close terms with Chu Liuyue though?¡± said Shangguan Wan with a slight frown. Mu Qinghe explained, ¡°Mu Hongyu is actually from Country Yao Chen. Chu Liuyue and her were from the same school.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Shangguan Wan nodded in understanding, but inwardly, her detest for Mu Hongyu and Chu Liuyue increased. Meanwhile, Jiang Yucheng cast a meaningful look at Mu Hongyu. Could she be the one who broke into the zither room and stole the zither that day? ¡­ After some time, a hint of light finally appeared in the darkness. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± said Mu Qinghe in his deep voice. Everyone started to quiet down out of nervousness. The light in front of them quickly spread to reveal an exit ahead. The Black Guards in the lead were the first to come out, followed by Shangguan Wan and the rest. Ye Ranran was a little worried and excited at the same time. ¡°Are we at Dahuang Swamp already?¡± Chu Liuyue was about to say, ¡®not yet,¡¯ but she swallowed the words down upon catching herself in the nick of time. They followed everyone else outside. ¡­ After experiencing a powerful suppression, they finally saw the bright sky. Chu Liuyue felt a little dizzy as her feet stepped on solid ground. She closed her eyes for a moment and waited for her eyes to adjust to the light before opening them again. In front of her was a vast and boundless desert with blinding gold sand and undulating sand hills, where the blazing heat made everything seem a little distorted. Marvels and exclamations could be heard. ¡°So this is Dahuang Swamp¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re only at the edge of the western border. We have to go further inside to get to Dahuang Swamp,¡± said Mu Qinghe. While the person who spoke earlier let out an awkward cough, many people were surprised to hear what Mu Qinghe said. We¡¯re not there yet? Then, what does the real Dahuang Swamp look like? Mu Qinghe then made a hand gesture and ordered, ¡°Open, Team One!¡± The 500 Black Guards in front immediately turned around and marched to the side, stopping only about 500 steps away from the transportation formation. As they let out a cry, they lifted their hands in unison. Golden sand flew into the air to reveal a huge transportation formation underneath it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. Oh? The transportation formation I set up is still here. Chapter 688 - Mystic Forest There used to be a transportation formation that connected the western border to Dahuang Swamp¡ªsomething that was left behind from the time of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor. However, it was no longer working due to the destruction caused by the elements and people over the years. The current transportation formation was specifically set up by Shangguan Yue so that the Black Guards could conveniently travel to and from Dahuang Swamp. However, not many people knew about this matter. ¡­ Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the transportation formation. ¡°This transportation formation looks rather new. Did you specifically set this up, Lieutenant Mu?¡± Mu Qinghe froze for a second, but he soon assumed his usual facial expression and calmly answered, ¡°It was left behind by the late Crown Princess.¡± The smile on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face crumbled slightly. ¡°¡­So it was left behind by my sister¡­ I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes shifted slightly as he took another look at the transportation formation. Chu Liuyue thought that Mu Qinghe would give more details about the transportation formation, such as when and why it was built. But contrary to her expectations, he mentioned none of that. Instead, he only said, ¡°This transportation formation is rather large and well-maintained, so we can all travel together to the inner parts of Dahuang Swamp.¡± With a forced smile plastered on her face, Shangguan Wan nodded and no longer posed any other questions about the transportation formation. As Chu Liuyue fiddled with the Cosmic Ring on her finger, she thought, Tsk, isn¡¯t it just a transportation formation? What¡¯s there to hide about it? The rest of the people, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the raging undercurrents of emotions surging here. For most of them, all they were thinking about was how they were about to set foot into Dahuang Swamp. Under Mu Qinghe¡¯s leadership, the group was transported to Dahuang Swamp through this transportation formation. ¡­ ¡°This transportation formation seems really stable too¡­ There¡¯s not much turbulence at all¡­ In fact, it¡¯s pretty similar to the one we used earlier!¡± ¡°The first formation was personally set up by the Ancestor and was carefully maintained throughout the years, so it¡¯s only natural that it works well. As for this one¡­ Wasn¡¯t it left behind by the late Crown Princess?¡± ¡°The late Crown Princess was born with a Tianjing Yuan meridian, and her talent and capabilities were unparalleled. Setting up a transportation formation is nothing to her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity what happened to her in the end¡­ It was rumored that she was highly likely to be the second person to attempt to break through the ninth stage of cultivation¡­ What a shame!¡± Whispers from all directions could be heard. As Chu Liuyue quietly listened to these conversations, she glanced at Shangguan Wan¡ªwho was standing stiffly at the front¡ªwhile smirking. Even though my past self has died and Shangguan Wan has taken over my position, some things¡ªlike the fact that she can never possess a Tianjing Yuan meridian¡ªjust cannot be changed or replaced. That point alone is enough for her to feel indignant forever. People will always be comparing her to me now that she¡¯s sitting in my position. Whether or not she will do better or worse than me will depend on her own capabilities. All of a sudden, Chu Liuyue felt that it was worthwhile for her to make this trip. Although it¡¯s still not time for me to show my hand and teach these people a lesson, watching them suffer unspeakable indignation isn¡¯t bad either! Dahuang Swamp might be the place where Mu Qinghe became famous, but it also used to be my territory! ¡°Liuyue, what are you laughing about?¡± asked Mu Hongyu out of puzzlement. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile deepened as she blinked and said, ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just a little excited at the thought that we¡¯ll be reaching Dahuang Swamp soon and that we might be able to find a lot of treasures.¡± Mu Hongyu¡ªwho had no doubts about her words¡ªchuckled. ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Same here!¡± Ye Ranran raised her hand. Only Qiang Wanzhou remained as aloof as ever. He merely shot them a quick glance before looking down again. ¡­ After some time, they finally arrived at the transportation formation¡¯s exit. Many people could be seen getting increasingly restless as what lay outside the transportation formation was Dahuang Swamp this time. Mu Qinghe looked at them and said, ¡°Get ready to exit, everyone!¡± A powerful suppression hit them once more, and they came pouring out of the transportation formation. The travel time was shorter this time, so everyone adapted to the brightness around them as soon as they came out. When Chu Liuyue came out, she heard a collective gasp around her that made her halt her footsteps and look around. Beneath her feet was a grayish-white rock that seemingly stretched for tens of miles, while behind her was a golden desert that looked very similar to the one they saw earlier. A lush forest was on her left, and a vast lake was on her right. The lake¡ªwhich appeared to be connected to the sky on the far horizon¡ªwas slightly silvery in color, making it look like a huge mirror. ¡°This rocky area is the heart of Dahuang Swamp. It¡¯s also known as the Gray Triangle because it connects the Red Moon Desert, the Mirror Lake, and the Mystic Forest together,¡± explained Mu Qinghe to Shangguan Wan, although he deliberately raised his voice this time so that the others could clearly hear what he was saying too. ¡°Things are very different at those three places, and so are the dangers lurking inside. Even someone who¡¯s experienced with this place might not be able to completely avoid the dangers here, so make sure to be careful at all times and avoid moving alone.¡± Everyone became alert at once. They only heard the rumors about Dahuang Swamp in the past, but now that they were here to see it for themselves, they finally realized what sort of place this was. Mu Qinghe turned to Shangguan Wan. ¡°Where would you like to go first, Your Highness?¡± Although Shangguan Wan was also amazed by the scene in front of her, she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She appeared as calm and composed as before as she mulled over the question for a moment. ¡°Legend has it that a legendary fiend once appeared in the Mystic Forest. May I know if you¡¯ve seen it before, Lieutenant Mu?¡± Mu Qinghe shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before, but¡­ It¡¯s true that there are many high-level fiends in Mystic Forest.¡± Shangguan Wan was a little disappointed at first, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat excited and curious when she heard the second part of what Mu Qinghe said. She used to own a fiend, but it was burned to death when her Yuan meridian was destroyed. She hadn¡¯t been able to contract with a new fiend because her Yuan meridian hadn¡¯t recovered, so this trip might be an opportunity for her. The others were unable to hide their eagerness as well, and all of them turned to look at Shangguan Wan. ¡°I think the rumors about the legendary fiend might be true. Who knows? We might be able to find it in the Mystic Forest, so I feel that we should head there first!¡± Shangguan Wan finally made her decision after a brief hesitation. Mu Qinghe, however, appeared a little hesitant. ¡°Your Highness, the Mystic Forest is the most dangerous of the three places. Are you sure¡­ you want to go there first?¡± The most dangerous of the three places? Isn¡¯t that even better? Shangguan Wan nodded her head affirmatively. ¡°For the sake of the Emperor, I have to go there no matter how dangerous it may be! The Mystic Forest it is then!¡± Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t bother to argue further, and he just led the way. ¡°This way, Your Highness.¡± As everyone walked in the mentioned direction, Mu Qinghe said, ¡°The mist I told you about earlier actually comes from the Mystic Forest. Once we¡¯re inside, you have to use your force to set up a barrier for yourself. Or else¡­ the poisonous mist will enter your pearl of essence.¡± Shangguan Wan stopped in her tracks, her face looking ashen. How am I going to do that with a destroyed Yuan meridian? Chapter 689 - Taking the Risk Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The force in her body was forcibly stored using a special method. Although she had quite a bit of force, it would ultimately run out. She couldn¡¯t convert the Heaven and Earth Force into her own, and there was no telling how long they would stay in the Mystic Forest. Just when she was fretting about this matter, the distant dark clouds started rolling in over them, and the clear and blue sky darkened in no time. From a distance, it looked like a drop of thick black ink spreading across an azure-blue painting. Roar! An alarming roar suddenly resounded through the mountains, striking fear in them. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Shangguan Wan upon sensing a dangerous aura. Mu Qinghe took a look in the direction the roar came from. ¡°I think a high-grade fiend is about to break through!¡± ¡°To be able to trigger such a phenomenon¡­ Could it be a ninth-grade fiend?¡± Although an ordinary high-grade fiend would also cause quite a commotion when it was about to break through, it wasn¡¯t to this extent. The dark clouds were currently gathering in the sky swiftly, and they were starting to loom over the Mystic Forest. ¡°I¡¯ve never encountered such a situation, but¡­ It¡¯s likely to be a ninth-grade fiend indeed,¡± answered Mu Qinghe. Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes lit up as all the worries and anxiety in her instantly vanished, leaving behind only curiosity and eagerness. Once that ninth-grade fiend breaks through, it¡¯ll become a legendary fiend! Not only can I retrieve its blood by then, but I can also make it become mine and contract with it once my Yuan meridian fully recovers! The thought of a legendary fiend being under her control excited very much, for nobody¡ªexcept the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor¡ªhad contracted with a legendary fiend in the past millennium. Even Shangguan Wan only had a ninth-grade Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant for a fiend, and that seemingly small difference in grade meant a huge disparity between a ninth-grade fiend and a legendary fiend. If I can contract with a legendary fiend, I can easily surpass Shangguan Yue¡¯s achievements! Under her sleeves, Shangguan Wan slowly clenched her fists. Her throat felt a little parched, and all the blood in her body seemed to be circulating faster. Throughout the journey, she had heard so many comments about Shangguan Yue. Strictly speaking though, people had been comparing her to her deceased half-sister ever since she assumed this position¡ªbe it their cultivation talent and cultivation base or even their appearance and mannerisms. She couldn¡¯t avoid these comparisons, and she would almost always lose to the other woman. Despite having to go to great lengths every day to keep her physical condition a secret and handle all sorts of Tianling Dynasty affairs, Shangguan Wan was still living in Shangguan Yue¡¯s shadow. Even after Shangguan Yue¡¯s undignified passing, many people still thought that she was irreplaceable. Things had been like this when Shangguan Yue was alive, and they remained unchanged even after she died. Thus, Shangguan Wan¡ªwho had had enough of this life¡ªdesperately wanted her Yuan meridian to recover and her cultivation level to increase as soon as possible. She wanted to prove to everyone that she was more outstanding than Shangguan Yue. ¡°This is a chance not to be missed. I have to get the legendary fiend blood for my father!¡± After saying that, Shangguan Wan strode off and headed straight in the direction where the dark clouds were gathering. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s countenance turned somewhat serious as he glanced at the overcast sky and followed her. WIth Mu Qinghe quickly leading the way, everyone headed in the Mystic Forest¡¯s direction. ¡­ After leaving the Gray Triangle, they entered the Mystic Forest, which appeared no different from an ordinary forest at a glance. But because Mu Qinghe had warned everyone of the dangers within earlier, they used their force to set up a barrier around themselves upon entering the forest. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered as she glanced at the lush forest and asked the legendary three-eyed eagle inwardly, ¡°Do you know what fiend is currently breaking through in there?¡± She figured that the eagle¡ªwhich was also a legendary fiend itself¡ªcould sense a thing or two about it. ¡°Because we¡¯re quite far away from it and it deliberately concealed its aura, I can¡¯t tell what it is.¡± The eagle¡¯s voice turned solemn. ¡°But it must be a formidable fiend to be able to conceal its aura so thoroughly.¡± So there really is a legendary fiend in the Mystic Forest? Even though Chu Liuyue was surprised to hear that, she hid her emotions, and like everyone else, started casting a barrier around herself before walking ahead. ¡­ It was quiet in the forest, save for the rustling sounds made by the dangling tree leaves that sashayed in the wind and the thick piles of fallen leaves when stepped on. Many people couldn¡¯t conceal their curiosity, so they would look around their surroundings as they walked. Even though the Mystic Forest looked pretty much like any other forest, everyone put their guards up when they recalled Mu Qinghe¡¯s earlier warning. It was hard to see what was going on in the sky after entering the lush and dense forest, but from time to time, they could hear the roars that were becoming clearer and clearer. This somewhat set Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind at ease, for it meant that they were indeed getting closer to the legendary fiend. ¡°Why is it so quiet here?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng after walking some distance into the forest. He was the first person to sense the odd situation. Elder Qiu Xi stroked his beard and explained, ¡°It¡¯s probably because the ninth-grade beast is about to break through, so the other fiends have run off to hide. Legend has it that heavenly lightning will be triggered when high-grade beasts break through. If they survive the lightning, they¡¯ll successfully become a real legendary fiend. Hence, it¡¯s natural that the other fiends would run off.¡± Elder Duanmu Chun nodded in agreement. ¡°Elder Qiuxi is right. Such a phenomenon has only ever existed in legends. I didn¡¯t expect that we¡¯d encounter such a situation the moment we arrived at Dahuang Swamp. How lucky we are!¡± Not everyone in this world could get a chance to witness this phenomenon. ¡°I see.¡± What the two elders had said put Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mind at ease. Elder Qiu Xi laughingly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Lieutenant Mu say that he¡¯s never seen anything like this before? The Third Princess¡¯s filial piety and bravery to seek medicine for the Emperor despite the dangers involved must¡¯ve moved the heavens. That must be why we¡¯re lucky enough to see this!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s mood improved greatly when she heard that. ¡°I¡¯m willing to do anything as long as I can help the Emperor. Besides, I have nothing to be afraid of with everyone around. All we have to do now is find that fiend and wait for it to break through to become a legendary fiend so that I can draw its blood to take back for the Emperor!¡± Just then, the sky above them darkened considerably, which made everyone look up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did the sky suddenly darken?¡± ¡°Have the dark clouds gathered here as well? They can¡¯t possibly move that fast, can they?¡± All of a sudden, someone shrieked, ¡°Look! That tree is moving!¡± Chapter 690 - Doubt That got everyone¡¯s attention. Countless pairs of eyes turned to the direction that person was pointing in, and sure enough, they saw a tree with a thick trunk slowly moving on the right side of them. If one looked carefully, they would see that the ground was rippling underneath the thick piles of leaves. It was precisely because of this that caused the tree to shift to the side. Without any warning, an arm-sized tree root poked out from underneath the fallen leaves. It turned out that underneath these piles of leaves were the tree¡¯s roots. While everyone was dumbfounded by this bizarre sight, Mu Qinghe calmly took one look at it and explained, ¡°That¡¯s a rolling leaf fir. Its roots are buried near the ground surface, and it can move on its own under special circumstances.¡± Everyone looked enlightened. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°As expected of Dahuang Swamp. Even its trees are different¡­¡± ¡°I got a bad scare earlier! I thought something major was going to happen!¡± ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t Lieutenant Mu say that it¡¯d only move under special circumstances? So does that mean¡­ It¡¯s moving because the ninth-grade fiend is about to break through?¡± Other than the Black Guards, all the disciples were talking about this matter. Mu Hongyu was looking at the moving tree when she suddenly felt movement. She looked down to see that the golden mane bear cub had come out of its own accord. It was hugging her arm and shaking its head uneasily as if it were warning her about something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Congcong?¡± The bear let out a soft whimper as it turned to look at the moving rolling leaf fir before squirming around in her embrace. Nearly a year had passed since she rescued the cub, so it had grown a lot. It was already quite tough for Mu Hongyu to carry it, so she could hardly manage it squirming around. While trying her best to calm it down, she whispered worriedly to Chu Liuyue, ¡°Do you sense anything amiss, Liuyue? Congcong doesn¡¯t behave like this for no rhyme or reason. I think it feels unsettled around here¡­¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the cub in her friend¡¯s arms and knitted her eyebrows slightly. Having seen the rolling leaf fir moving before, she wasn¡¯t surprised to see this scene. However, she indeed found the cub¡¯s behavior a little strange. Could it be because of the ninth-grade fiend? At the thought of that, she inwardly called, ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± A fluffy red shadow appeared in front of her in a flash. As Tuan Zi stared at the cub in Mu Hongyu¡¯s arms with blinking eyes, it fell into deep thought for a second before jumping into Chu Liuyue¡¯s embrace. Unfortunately, Chu Liuyue caught its tail effortlessly and forced it to loosen its grip on her clothes with a light tug. ¡°Of all habits to learn.¡± When she shook her wrist, Tuan Zi¡ªwho was dangling upside down¡ªshook as well. Wah¡­ I¡¯m also a fiend, but why am I treated so differently? I¡¯m just longing for her hug! That fella over there is so big in size, but its owner doesn¡¯t even mind it! I, on the other hand¡­ can¡¯t even touch my master¡¯s hair! How infuriating! Chu Liuyue was indifferent to Tuan Zi¡¯s watery eyes. ¡°Do you sense anything amiss?¡± Tuan Zi froze for a second before hugging her wrist to do a backward flip. It then obediently sat on her arm and turned to look at the moving rolling leaf fir. A dark gleam flashed across its eyes, but it scratched its head and looked back to shake its head at her. No? ¡°Look! The rolling leaf fir over there is moving too!¡± shouted someone. ¡°This one here too!¡± ¡°No! It seems like all the trees are moving!¡± shouted someone else. Silence fell over them for a moment. As Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings, her expression turned a little serious. Sure enough, the surrounding rolling leaf firs had quietly begun moving. Most importantly, the directions in which they moved were all different, so it looked very chaotic at a glance. I¡¯ve encountered such a situation before, but only a small area was affected at that time. The rolling leaf firs were all moving in the same direction to flee from danger back then, but now¡­ Tuan Zi climbed onto her shoulder, where it obediently curled up into a ball and shot a glance in the golden mane bear cub¡¯s direction. Upon sensing something, the cub gradually calmed down as it lay in Mu Hongyu¡¯s embrace. Seeing that it had finally calmed down, Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart settled down a little as well. After successfully coaxing the cub to go back into hiding, she said with uncertainty, ¡°I guess it was frightened by that ninth-grade fiend.¡± A frown formed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. For some reason, I have a slightly ominous feeling about this. ¡­ ¡°Lieutenant Mu, what¡¯s going on with those rolling leaf firs?¡± Shangguan Wan was slightly flustered upon seeing this situation. With a grave expression on his face, Mu Qinghe answered, ¡°I¡¯ve never encountered this situation before.¡± Shangguan Wan sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen anything like this in the decade you¡¯ve been here, Lieutenant Mu? It seems that you don¡¯t know this place that well, either.¡± Mu Qinghe knitted his eyebrows as he replied in a harsh manner, ¡°There are many other dangerous areas in Dahuang Swamp other than the Mystic Forest. I was here to lead the army to suppress the rebellion. We go wherever the enemies are, so it¡¯s only natural that we didn¡¯t stay in one particular area for long. I dare say that nobody in the Tianling Dynasty is more familiar with this place as I am! If I¡¯ve never seen it before, then it¡¯s even more unlikely that anyone else has seen it before.¡± ¡°It was just a passing remark. Do you need to overreact to this extent?¡± Embarrassment and anger crept up Shangguan Wan¡¯s face when she felt everyone¡¯s eyes on her. I only said one sentence, but he bombarded me with many more sentences¡ªand right in front of everyone too! Does he even have any regard for me?! Jiang Yucheng looked at Shangguan Wan with a disapproving frown. We have to depend on Mu Qinghe the entire trip, yet she chose to doubt his abilities at this critical juncture? Isn¡¯t she just finding trouble for herself? Given the number of years he spent here risking his life in battle, what she said about him can be considered the greatest insult he could ever receive. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Wan¡¯er. Lieutenant Mu won¡¯t lie to us. Since he¡¯s never seen it before, then it means that there¡¯s something strange about this matter. It¡¯s most likely due to the ninth-grade fiend trying to break through. Don¡¯t take it to heart. What¡¯s most important now is that we find the ninth-grade fiend. All our efforts will go to waste if we get there too late.¡± Jiang Yucheng stepped forward to play the role of peacemaker. The mention of the ninth-grade fiend made Shangguan Wan swallow down her anger and continue walking ahead. I shouldn¡¯t be wasting time here when the force in my body is depleting by the second. ¡°Your Highness, things are very chaotic now. You shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± A furious growl coming from the distance cut Mu Qinghe¡¯s words short all of a sudden. The next instant, the ground beneath their feet cracked. Chapter 691 - Familiar Elder Qiuxi reacted very quickly as he hollered, ¡°Protect Her Highness!¡± The surrounding people, especially the Black Guards, rushed to this side quickly. They were fast, but the ground cracked even quicker. The gullies spread even more rapidly, and the crowd dispersed in all directions. Even so, some still fell into the cracks on the ground. The entire team was immediately in a mess. Many of the rolling leaf firs that were moving comparatively slower couldn¡¯t escape the fate of dropping into the cracks. Looking at the many rolling leaf firs that were broken or had even disappeared, Chu Liuyue finally understood why they were escaping in such a hurry earlier. Crack! A deep sound was heard. Chu Liuyue looked down and saw a crack quickly spread from the side of her feet. Tuan Zi suddenly jumped up from her shoulders and went forward. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± yelled Chu Liuyue in shock when she saw it jump over the cracks and head to the Mystic Forest¡¯s depths. ¡°Come back!¡± Tuan Zi paused for a moment and turned around to look at her before going further in. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. Is¡­ Tuan Zi asking me to go over? What exactly is it doing? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have time to think about it as she clenched her teeth and rapidly followed the fiend. ¡°Liuyue, where are you going?¡± Mu Hongyu felt something flash across her eyes, and Chu Liuyue disappeared from her spot. She was dazed as she yelled at Chu Liuyue¡¯s back view. A cold wind blew past her ear¡ªQiang Wanzhou had already silently followed her. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Mu Hongyu wanted to stop them, but the duo¡¯s figures had gradually disappeared. She glanced at Ye Ranran. ¡°What should we do now?¡± Ye Ranran widened her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re naturally going to follow!¡± Before I came, I already made an agreement with my mentor and the Cabinet Master that I definitely wouldn¡¯t be Liuyue and Wanzhou¡¯s burden. Even if uncertainty and dangers lie ahead of me, I have to go! Mu Hongyu nodded in determination. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go!¡± Then, the two of them braved themselves and followed the other two almost simultaneously. In the blink of an eye, the four of them left consecutively. The forest was currently in a state of mess as the gullies on the ground kept expanding. Everyone was thinking of all sorts of ways to escape, and nobody noticed that the few of them had disappeared during that short period of time. On the other end, with Elder Qiuxi and Elder Duanmu¡¯s help, Shangguan Wan had it much easier. After an unknown period of time, the messy situation finally and gradually appeased. The ground was covered by gullies that were so deep one couldn¡¯t see the bottom, and some of them were wide enough to swallow a person whole. It looked very terrifying. The originally lush greenery was damaged and became broken trees and twigs in no time. Many people here were also injured because they couldn¡¯t escape in time. Cracked branches, broken leaves, dust, bloodstains¡­ It looked like a mess at one glance. Shangguan Wan took a deep breath in, and terror and anxiety still filled her face. ¡°W-what exactly is going on? Is it an earthquake?!¡± Mu Qinghe knitted his brows tightly, glanced at the increasingly dark sky, and boomed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ not! If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, this should¡¯ve been caused by that ninth-grade fiend¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng followed Mu Qinghe¡¯s line of sight. ¡°What fiend is it? How can something that hasn¡¯t broken through to become a legendary fiend have such formidable strength?¡± It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t seen a ninth-grade fiend before. Not talking about others, just Shangguan Yue alone back then had a ninth-grade Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. However, it didn¡¯t seem to be so powerful¡­ Just one holler, and it could actually cause the ground within miles to crack?! Shangguan Wan bit her lips and felt conflicted. On the one hand, she was quite fearful. On the other hand, she also wanted to go see for herself what kind of fiend it exactly was. If it¡¯s already so formidable before it breaks through, then¡­ Won¡¯t it be even more unimaginable when it truly becomes a legendary fiend? Jiang Yucheng unwittingly moved his steps and suddenly felt that he had stepped on something weird beneath his feet. He looked down. ¡°What is this?¡± Moving away the fallen leaves and dust, he saw that he was actually stepping on a thumb-wide¡­ branch? It turned out to be a rolling leaf fir branch. Jiang Yucheng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. The previous commotion was too huge, and it caused many rolling leaf firs to fall. This was why many of their branches were exposed in the open. He raised his head to kick it, wanting to kick that branch away. But the moment his feet touched that branch, he saw that it suddenly extended and wrapped around his foot. Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows and vaguely felt that something was wrong. He lifted his leg to get rid of it, but he realized that the branch wrapped around him even more tightly. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face turned cold, and he raised his sword to slash it. Whoosh! That branch suddenly hurled and threw Jiang Yucheng toward a deep gully. ¡°Yucheng!¡± ¡°Eldest Young Master!¡± The crowd gasped in shock when they saw this scene. Quite a few people rushed over, wanting to pull Jiang Yucheng back. But after the earlier mess, the crowd wasn¡¯t that close to each other anymore. In addition, the incident had happened too suddenly. Before they could even take action, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s figure had disappeared within that gully. ¡°Lieutenant Mu! What exactly is going on?¡± asked Shangguan Wan angrily. But before Mu Qinghe could say anything, he suddenly felt something amiss and lowered his head. At some point, branches had tightly wrapped around his feet. In actual fact, it wasn¡¯t only him. Almost everyone present met with the same predicament simultaneously. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! In a moment¡¯s time, the rest were gradually thrown into different gullies. Even Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t say anything in time before she was directly dragged down by the branch beside her feet. Very quickly, everyone¡¯s figures disappeared within the forest. Then, the gullies on the ground gradually closed. The previously torn and rotten rolling leaf firs had quickly recovered their original appearance respectively. A light wind blew past, and countless fallen leaves gathered together. The Mystic Forest then recovered its previous appearance as if nothing had happened. Roar! A frightening and angry roar was heard again. Black clouds tumbled in the sky, and the entire forest was dark as a faint red mist spread around. Wherever the red mist spread, the leaves would rapidly wilt and then fall. In no time, the originally lush leaves had all fallen, leaving behind bald trees. However, everything hadn¡¯t stopped. The red mist continued brewing, and silently, the branches also started to become dry. Without saying, the trunks started to shrink and quiver intensely. At first glance, the dehydrated trees under the dark sky in the forest looked like skeletons that were about to pick a fight. It was sinisterly horrifying. ¡­ Tuan Zi was very fast, and it kept running toward the inside. Every time it ran a distance away, it would still turn around to look at Chu Liuyue to ensure that she was following it before continuing onward. Chu Liuyue followed behind it closely in this manner. Tuan Zi was still doing okay earlier, but it suddenly became weird after the ground started to crack. The further in they went, the more Chu Liuyue confirmed her inner guesses. Tuan Zi really wants to bring me somewhere! Seeing Tuan Zi¡¯s agile figure, Chu Liuyue was confused. Why is Tuan Zi so familiar with the Mystic Forest? Chapter 692 - Rainbow Stream Chapter 692: Rainbow Stream Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At one moment, Chu Liuyue even felt that Tuan Zi had once been here. However, this thought disappeared in no time. The first time she met Tuan Zi was in the forest outside Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City, and this was the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Dahuang Swamp. The two places were thousands of miles apart, and there was a Heaven¡¯s Canopy in between. No matter how she thought of it, it was impossible. Chu Liuyue kept following Tuan Zi, and they continued going forward. Qiang Wanzhou quickly caught up. After a while, Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran came too. Seeing that everyone was safe, Chu Liuyue felt more at ease. Tuan Zi had previously left too suddenly, so she didn¡¯t even have the time to explain to the rest. While following Chu Liuyue forward, Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Liuyue, where are we going now?¡± The Mystic Forest was eerily silent, and it was even more so the further in they went. In addition to the earlier frustrated movements of the golden mane bear cub, she felt very uneasy. Chu Liuyue gently shook her head. ¡°Tuan Zi suddenly went in this direction. I also don¡¯t know where it wants to go.¡± Mu Hongyu looked in front, and expectedly, she saw Tuan Zi waiting for them at the front. It seemed like it didn¡¯t run like this without reason. ¡°Is Tuan Zi bringing us to some place?¡± asked Mu Hongyu softly. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I guess so.¡± Even she still wasn¡¯t clear about what exactly was going on. ¡°Ah! Quickly, look!¡± Ye Ranran¡ªwho was following behind¡ªsuddenly gasped and couldn¡¯t conceal the shock in her voice. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue and the rest immediately turned back to look. Shock flashed across their faces with this one glance. They saw that the forest they had left behind was suddenly covered by a sea of black clouds, and it became as dark as ever. Moreover, the originally lush greenery suddenly all wilted, leaving behind bald and dry outlines. In that terrifying and oppressing shadow, it was as if a ferocious ghost climbed out from the ground and was showing off wildly, leaving people petrified. ¡°Wh-what exactly is going on?!¡± stammered Mu Hongyu as she was stunned. Who would¡¯ve expected that the normal forest would suddenly become like this? ¡°What about those people? The people¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu raised her finger to point at the place that was like a ghost town, and her hands trembled slightly. There didn¡¯t seem to be anyone¡¯s figures left in that place. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed as she stared in front closely. It seemed like she could vaguely see a thin red mist floating around in that forest. Ye Ranran¡ªwho was the youngest¡ªwas also frightened to no end when she saw this scene, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I-Is it because we walked too far away that we can¡¯t see their figures? They should still be there, right?¡± The few of them did not say a word. The surroundings fell into eerie silence. Tears welled up in Ye Ranran¡¯s eyes, and they kept moving around as she subconsciously looked at Chu Liuyue. It seemed as though she was begging for help. ¡°Liuyue¡­ Liuyue, what exactly is going on?¡± Actually, she also knew how illogical her previous thought was. They were indeed a distance away, but there were more than thousands of people there. If they were still around, why would they not be able to see their figures at all? Even though that forest was very dark, they could still see the outlines of the trees and branches upon closer inspection. Hence, it was impossible that they couldn¡¯t see so many people. The most terrifying thing was that¡­ all those people disappeared, and it was done silently! If it weren¡¯t because she looked back unintentionally, they might not even know such a big issue had occurred there. Chu Liuyue pulled her over and comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry first. I think the mist in the Mystic Forest has acted up. This mist is very poisonous, and it can cause one to hallucinate. That mist has already spread to our area here, so perhaps what we see isn¡¯t the real scene.¡± Ye Ranran felt more at ease. ¡°R-really?¡± Chu Liuyue gave her an assuring gaze and patiently convinced her. ¡°Think about it. The few of us are doing okay, and there are so many of them together. What can happen to them? Let¡¯s not talk about the few elders and the many disciples. Just the Black Guards alone have formidable combat strength. With Lieutenant Mu leading them, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Hearing this, Ye Ranran felt that it was very reasonable and believed it even more. Mu Hongyu looked at Chu Liuyue, and worry filled her eyes. Chu Liuyue silently shook her head. ¡°No matter what, this place is very dangerous. We must leave as soon as possible! When we¡¯re safe, we¡¯ll think of another way to meet those people!¡± Ye Ranran believed in Chu Liuyue very much, so when she heard this, she hurriedly nodded in agreement. With Chu Liuyue around, she always felt that she had a backbone. What she could do now was try her best not to become their burden. Looking at Qiang Wanzhou and Mu Hongyu at the side¡ªwho seemed to be calmer than herself¡ªYe Ranran felt guilty and reproached herself. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Liuyue, for everything!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at the end. The countless wilted trees were like different skeletons yelling at the top of their lungs and moaning painfully. She hid the emotions in her eyes as she turned around and chased after Tuan Zi. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ The few of them traveled very quickly as the wind howled beside their ears. As Chu Liuyue rapidly ran forward, she kept thinking of what happened earlier. That red mist that spread all over is humid, but it isn¡¯t only that. She had come to the Mystic Forest before. Normally speaking, humid mist would only appear in the forest around evening. But not only was the timing off now, even the color¡­ was not right! The true humid mist was pale white in color, and it wasn¡¯t that different from normal mist. It wasn¡¯t this strange red color. Moreover, she had never seen the forest present itself in such a manner¡­ If we were also there earlier¡­ Chu Liuyue looked up and gazed toward Tuan Zi as she knitted her brows slightly. Did Tuan Zi long know that this would happen¡­ so it purposely brought us away? But how did Tuan Zi know? It even knew where to escape to. Chu Liuyue had long known that Tuan Zi was different from ordinary blood ferrets, but it was only until now that she discovered that she seemed to have underestimated it. Perhaps the previous scene was too impactful, so for a period of time afterward, the few of them kept silent. Nobody said anything as they silently proceeded forward. Even if they didn¡¯t turn back, they seemed to feel the invisible, harsh, and sinister feeling approaching them. After some time, Tuan Zi stopped again. This time, it didn¡¯t continue forward. Chu Liuyue braved herself and directly rushed to Tuan Zi¡¯s side. Qiang Wanzhou and the rest hurriedly followed. After standing still, Chu Liuyue then realized that a small stream was flowing in front of Tuan Zi. It squatted by the bank¡ªas obedient as ever. ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue called out to it. Tuan Zi looked up and jumped onto her shoulders. Then, it raised its claws and pointed toward the stream. Chu Liuyue took a closer look, and her gaze focused. That stream of water was actually glowing in rainbow scales, which looked very magnificent! Chapter 693 - Sneak Attack! On the whole, this stream of water was as clear as ever. Only when one went in to take a closer look could they see shards of rainbow glow in the stream. It was as if someone shattered rainbow crystals and scattered them into the water¡ªdazzling and as magnificent as ever. Compared to the previous scene, it was two completely different worlds. Chu Liuyue glanced at Tuan Zi from the corner of her eye. Tuan Zi stretched out its claws and pointed forward as it stared at her. ¡°You want us to follow the stream and walk up?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. Tuan Zi nodded crazily. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at the upper bank of the stream. The stream of water was very narrow, and Chu Liuyue could step past it with one step across. It seemed to come from the forest¡¯s depths, and it led to another direction. Chu Liuyue followed the water stream and looked over as she squinted her eyes. The source of the stream water seems like¡­ Roar! A terrifying roar sounded¡ªit was earth-shattering! Compared to the previous few sounds, it was much clearer than before. This also meant that they were much closer to the ninth-grade fiend that was about to break through! Moreover, this sound made Chu Liuyue confirm that the stream of water was flowing down from where the fiend was. The rainbow color glowing in the water might even be related to that fiend! Chu Liuyue thought for a moment, lifted her legs, and went forward. Qiang Wanzhou and the rest immediately followed her silently. It was as if Chu Liuyue became their leader unknowingly. It was as if all the problems would be solved with her around. There would always be a type of person in the world who could become the most dazzling form of existence no matter where they were. Chu Liuyue was exactly such a person. Even though this place was very dangerous, they still followed her forward unwittingly. ¡­ The few of them followed the stream of water and gradually walked deeper into the forest. The deeper they went, the larger the water stream became. The magnificent rainbow glow within also became even more intense. Gradually, the color of the stream also changed. Chu Liuyue walked while looking at the stream of water, and she thought to herself. The richer the strength contained within the stream of water, the more curious she was about what was on the upper region of the stream. And on the entire way, the surroundings were very calm. Upon closer hearing, they could only hear the leaves rustling, the cracking sound of the few of them walking through the forest, and the flowing sound of the stream of water. Other than this, there were no other movements. ¡°Didn¡¯t Lieutenant Mu previously say that there are a lot of high-level fiends here? We¡¯ve been in here for so long, but we haven¡¯t even seen one.¡± The fear in Ye Ranran¡¯s heart had gradually dissipated, and she couldn¡¯t help but question curiously. ¡°We haven¡¯t even seen the shadow of a low-level fiend, not to mention high-level fiends.¡± Actually, Chu Liuyue felt strange about the same thing as well. When she previously came to the Mystic Forest, there were indeed all sorts of fiends lurking around. Even during the evening and nighttime¡ªwhen the mist would spread¡ªthey could often hear rustling sounds. That was the sound of the fiends moving. However, this place was indeed too quiet today. Even if it were really because of the suppression from the ninth-grade fiend that caused the crowd of fiends to hide respectively, it didn¡¯t seem likely that they would be in such a state. To put it more bluntly, it was¡­ dead silence. This place had no form of liveliness at all¡ªother than that stream of water. But there was nothing else within that stream of water, other than the increasingly intense rainbow color. ¡°Perhaps there will be some after we walk a little more,¡± said Chu Liuyue. When an ordinary high-level fiend broke through, it would indeed emanate an immense suppression that would cause the surrounding low-level fiends to feel a fatal threat. Due to this, they would avoid the area. However, it was different when a ninth-grade fiend tried to break through and become a legendary fiend. Even though the suppression was terrifying, the bloodline of a legendary fiend had a natural attraction toward the other fiends. The concept of varying standards that was etched into their bones would lead them to respect and admire the legendary fiend. This would cause them to continue going forward to pay their respects to the legendary fiend, even if they had to endure that terrifying suppression. Now that the ninth-grade fiend caused such a huge commotion, there should logically be quite a few fiends around. Ye Ranran nodded seriously. ¡­ After another period of time, Chu Liuyue felt that the surrounding air became stickier. Every step she took forward used up even more energy than before. It was as if a very heavy mountain was suppressing them, causing them to be unable to breathe. Chu Liuyue frowned. This should be caused by that ninth-grade fiend¡¯s suppression! After walking a distance in such an effortful manner, Chu Liuyue¡¯s back was drenched in sweat. She took a deep breath in and finally stopped. ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a while.¡± It was as if Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran had met their lifesaver as they hurriedly found a place to sit down and rest. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged at the side. Qiang Wanzhou stood beside her with his back straight. Chu Liuyue waved toward him. ¡°Little Zhou, sit down and rest too.¡± From this angle, she could coincidentally see his lips that were slightly pale. It was obvious that this journey wasn¡¯t easy for him either. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s voice was as cold as usual. ¡°I can just stand.¡± Just in case they met with any danger, it would be more convenient to move if they were standing instead of sitting down. He did this as well when he followed that person back then. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. She naturally knew what Qiang Wanzhou was thinking. ¡°Little Zhou, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. This area should already be within that ninth-grade fiend¡¯s territory. Other than itself, anyone else who comes here would be like us. It won¡¯t be too dangerous now. Besides, you should rest.¡± However, Qiang Wanzhou was very stubborn. He shook his head and pressed his thin lips against each other tightly. His forehead was filled with beads of sweat as they followed his very intricate appearance and neck and trickled down, finally landing inside his gray clothes. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t having a good time now. Chu Liuyue sighed lightly and said, ¡°Little Zhou, the one-month agreement is already up. You¡¯re no longer my servant, so you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± But Qiang Wanzhou suddenly shook his body and looked at her as anxiety flashed across his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t want me anymore?¡± W-where did all of this come from? Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°No, don¡¯t misunderstand. I just feel that since our agreement has already ended, you don¡¯t have to see yourself as my servant. Besides, you¡¯re also my junior brother now, right?¡± When Chu Liuyue said this, her lips curved up slightly, and her eyes seemed to be dazzling. Qiang Wanzhou heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°No need.¡± Then, as if he was afraid that Chu Liuyue would misunderstand, he said again, ¡°I think this is quite good.¡± He was already used to such days and did not want to change. Seeing his stubbornness, Chu Liuyue knew that there was no use convincing him otherwise. Thus, she decisively gave up. Anyway, this child always has some strange persistence¡­ It¡¯s not bad if he becomes my junior brother and follows me like this. Chu Liuyue was thinking of this when a piercing sound was heard beside her ear. A harsh, cold air came toward her neck. Her heart was suddenly alarmed! Danger! Chapter 694 - Familiar Ca! Qiang Wanzhou moved his feet, stood in front of Chu Liuyue, waved his sword, and swung it. Kacha! The sound of something breaking was heard. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she turned around to look. There was nobody else in the distant forest, and by her feet was a¡­ wooden arrow that broke into two. This wooden arrow was made from a tree branch, but it was as thick as a thumb and had simple workmanship. Only the sharp arrowhead had some sharpness to it. But just this small wooden arrow actually made Chu Liuyue feel extreme danger when it rushed over just now. This could prove how formidable the other party was. Chu Liuyue glanced around her surroundings again, but she didn¡¯t find anyone¡¯s figure. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did someone launch a sneak attack?¡± When Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran heard the commotion, they hurried over and looked very nervous. Chu Liuyue picked up the broken wooden arrow and scrutinized it. It seems like this wooden sword is newly made. The other party¡¯s arrow is more like testing our skills. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned slightly, and it finally landed on a certain area. ¡°What does it count to secretly launch an arrow and attack someone? Why don¡¯t you come out and meet us?¡± The leaves rustled as the winds blew. Other than this, nobody answered. Chu Liuyue waited for a while again, but the other party didn¡¯t respond at all. She used more force in her palm, and a fire spark suddenly came out. That wooden arrow rapidly burned in her hands and finally turned into specks of ashes that completely disappeared. She knew that the other party could see that this was her warning. ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to come out, then it¡¯s best if we stay in our own lanes,¡± said Chu Liuyue coldly and clearly. Then, she turned around and continued walking toward the upper region of the water stream. Qiang Wanzhou held his sword and followed. Ye Ranran walked quickly and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Liuyue, are we just going to let the sneak attack go?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up undetectably. Normally, I naturally wouldn¡¯t leave this be. But now¡­ On the one hand, the other party knows more about us. On the other hand, it¡¯s more important to find the ninth-grade fiend as soon as possible. If we just keep going on with the other party, it would waste a lot of time. ¡°Let¡¯s talk when they dare to come out.¡± ¡°They?¡± Not only Ye Ranran, but even Mu Hongyu was stunned. Is there more than one person on the opposing side? Chu Liuyue lightly nodded and didn¡¯t explain further. In actual fact, she had indeed detected two people¡¯s auras previously. Even though they were hidden, she could still feel them. ¡°Why would there be people here¡­¡± muttered Mu Hongyu softly. When we turned around, that forest was already clearly¡­ She thought that there were only the four of them here. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment, and a faint thought appeared in her heart. The people who sneaked an attack on me might be the people in charge of protecting that ninth-grade fiend¡­ But this guess was too ridiculous. Not to mention how formidable a ninth-grade fiend was, but even when it was about to break through and was in its most fragile and dangerous state, there might not be a fiend willing to let humans guard for them. In normal circumstances, high-level fiends saw humans as enemies and were suspicious of them. They didn¡¯t trust humans, so why would they leave such an important task to them? Hence, this thought was quickly suppressed by Chu Liuyue after it surfaced. The more likely scenario was that the two of them were also coming for the ninth-grade fiend. Chu Liuyue suppressed her thoughts and continued forward. The color in the stream became increasingly intense, and when the spots of rainbow gathered together, it was dazzling and magnificent. An extremely light fragrance spread around. Mu Hongyu crinkled her nose. ¡°Hey, do you guys smell that? It seems like¡­ seems like the fragrance is coming from the stream!¡± Ye Ranran forcefully breathed in twice and was quite shocked. ¡°I think there really is a smell! But this smell¡­ doesn¡¯t smell like any herbs¡­¡± She had been cultivating alongside Elder Xia Yi and had seen many herbs, so she basically could identify what most herbs were with one sniff. Even though this fragrance was light, she had never smelled this before. ¡°Liuyue, what do you think?¡± Ye Ranran looked at Chu Liuyue uncertainly. When Ye Ranran saw Chu Liuyue refining medicine before, she knew that the latter¡¯s skills were definitely above hers. Hence, she was even more convinced by her words. But Chu Liuyue seemed to be stunned as she had a dazed gaze and did not speak. Ye Ranran called after her. ¡°Liuyue, Liuyue?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses. ¡°Liuyue, what¡¯s wrong? Why were you in a trance?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I just feel that this smell¡­ seems familiar.¡± The few of them looked over curiously. Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond-like eyes were bright. ¡°Liuyue, why do you say that you have smelled this before? What exactly is this?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either¡­¡± She had thought for quite long previously, but she couldn¡¯t recall what exactly this smell was. She also didn¡¯t know why she would find it familiar. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know where this strange feeling came from. Mu Hongyu first looked shocked, but she quickly cheered herself up. ¡°Since you find it familiar, you must¡¯ve smelled it before! You just can¡¯t recall it at this moment! When we walk further in, you might just remember what it is!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. The few of them continued walking further, but they traveled even more slowly. This was because the further in they walked, the heavier the suppression. Every once in a while, they also had to stop to rest. However, the people that sneaked an attack on them did not appear again. ¡­ On the other hand, Jiang Yucheng felt that his body kept dropping after falling into the gully. The gully was quite narrow at the beginning, and his body kept hitting the sharp stones beside him, causing him to be wounded. He circulated the force in his body and tried to leave the place, but he shockingly discovered that his abilities were restricted by an unknown strength. Within the darkness, he couldn¡¯t see anything and couldn¡¯t get himself out of it. He could only allow himself to continue falling. The deeper he fell, the wider his surroundings became. Gradually, he didn¡¯t touch the stone walls anymore. However, this didn¡¯t calm Jiang Yucheng¡ªhe became even more nervous instead. Who could imagine that such a strange and spacious area would be under the Mystic Forest? Everything here is clearly problematic! ¡°Wan¡¯er?! Mu Qinghe?!¡± He called a few people¡¯s names consecutively, but nobody responded. In the spacious area, only his voice kept echoing in the area. Poof! In this tense state, Jiang Yucheng finally landed on the ground. No, to be more accurate, it wasn¡¯t solid ground. But it seemed like¡­ Jiang Yucheng took out a water pearl. It faintly glowed and illuminated the surroundings. He could finally see what was around him clearly. With this glance, he instantly gasped! At this moment, he was actually in the dark soil! Chapter 695 - Near Looking over, he couldn¡¯t see the sides of the black, sticky soil. The smell of rot permeated the area¡ªnauseating and suffocating. What kind of place is this?! Jiang Yucheng was alarmed and extremely disgusted at the same time as he wanted to leave this place immediately. He almost instinctively looked up¡ªit was complete darkness, without a single hint of light. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart harshly sank. Is¡­ Is the entrance sealed shut?! If not, there should still be a bit of light! He rapidly scanned his surroundings and called out a few names, but nobody responded. Could it be that I dropped down alone? Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows tightly. He didn¡¯t know that after him, Shangguan Wan, Mu Qinghe, and the rest were all respectively hurled down. But they all landed in different gullies, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t be with him. And at this point, their situations weren¡¯t any better than Jiang Yucheng. However, Jiang Yucheng did not know this at all. He really couldn¡¯t endure this environment, so he could only choose a direction randomly and plan to go out from there. But the moment he lifted his leg¡ª He couldn¡¯t. A bad feeling crept into his heart, and he gradually lowered his head¡ªhis two feet had completely sunk into the soil. Without his detection, the soil had already reached his ankles silently. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart clenched up, and he immediately strengthened himself. However, something seemed to be tightly clutching onto him, so he couldn¡¯t struggle free. Not only did Jiang Yucheng not come out after trying all sorts of methods repeatedly, but he also sank even deeper. The soil had already reached his shin. I can¡¯t let this go on! An idea popped up in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart. Finally, he picked up a thumb-sized icicle item. He put his force within, and cold, sinister intent immediately exuded from it. His hand was covered in a thin layer of frost. Then, the cold intent spread in all directions. Not long later, the surrounding soil started freezing. Jiang Yucheng pressed against that hard ice layer and finally extracted himself from the soil. The intense, foul smell wafted toward his nose. His two legs, up to his shin, were stained with a thick layer of black soil. One of his boots had dropped into the soil, and he couldn¡¯t bring it up. Jiang Yucheng collapsed onto the ice layer as he tolerated his disgust and threw away the other boot as well. In his memory, he had never been in such a mess before. When he roughly cleaned away the mess behind him, Jiang Yucheng finally stood up. Endless darkness surrounded him everywhere. He furrowed his brows tightly. Mu Qinghe never mentioned that the Mystic Forest had such a place before¡­ When he was still hesitant, a strange sound suddenly came from afar. In this silent place where one could even hear a pin drop, any little commotion would intensify in volume exponentially. Just when Jiang Yucheng was extremely nervous, his heart also shook when he heard this sound. He held his breath and walked in the direction of the sound. What he didn¡¯t see was that after he left, a hand stuck out from within the soil. A sinisterly white bone waved toward his back before silently sinking in. The soil moved without a sound. It was as if something was silently moving. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest walked for another hour. The surrounding trees gradually had fewer leaves, but they were all very thick and looked as if they had been growing for hundreds of years. A brilliantly colorful barrier appeared in front of them. The terrifying suppression came from above. Chu Liuyue stared at that barrier and boomed, ¡°I don¡¯t think we can go forward anymore.¡± Plop! Ye Ranran breathed in heavily and sat down on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­ What kind of fiend is this? Why is its suppression so strong?!¡± She had the weakest combat skills out of the few of them, but she didn¡¯t grumble at all along the way and insisted on following them. Then, she didn¡¯t forget to feed herself a pill to strengthen herself. Afterward, she gave a pill to the remaining three of them. Even though Chu Liuyue had brought some herself, she still smiled and accepted it when she saw Ye Ranran handing the pill over to her enthusiastically. Qiang Wanzhou saw that she accepted it and didn¡¯t reject his. Chu Liuyue took the pill and circulated her aura as she turned around to look at the barrier. The barrier was like a gigantic, colorful, and oval-shaped glass cover that covered this entire area. That stream was originally a very ordinary stream in the forest. But as it coincidentally spread across this barrier¡ªas the countless rays of rainbow light shone down and landed in the stream¡ªit gradually became what they saw. The position where the stream and the barrier intersected had already become a permanent state. From far away, it looked as if a gigantic rainbow crystal was pressing on it. When the countless colors melted into the stream of water, it was as magnificent as ever. An immense suppression appeared on top of that barrier, showing off its exquisiteness. Even just by standing there, Chu Liuyue faintly found it hard to breathe. I¡¯ve come to the Mystic Forest before, but I have never seen such a scene. When did this appear? Or had it¡­ originally existed already? What exactly is it inside this barrier? As the barrier was too brilliant, they really couldn¡¯t see the scene inside clearly. That fragrance came out from this barrier, and that sense of familiarity became increasingly stronger. Chu Liuyue seemed not able to control herself as she continued to walk forward. Qiang Wanzhou slightly knitted his brows and immediately stopped her. Worry flashed across the young and pretty face. ¡°Danger.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at his clear and clean eyes and smiled slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± Qiang Wanzhou turned around to glance at that barrier and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Then, he walked forward. He tightly held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword as if he would immediately brandish it when something happened. Chu Liuyue pulled him back. Seeing Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s stubborn face, she could only sigh. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? You¡¯ll be in front, and I¡¯ll be at the back. If something really happens, you¡¯ll be right beside me. It won¡¯t be too late if you take action then.¡± Qiang Wanzhou thought for a moment and finally agreed. Chu Liuyue took two steps forward and stood in front of him. At this point, she was only one step away from the rainbow barrier. As long as she extended her hand, she could easily touch it. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and rapidly circulated her force as she held the crystal barrier tightly with one hand and made full preparations. Actually, there was something she didn¡¯t tell Qiang Wanzhou and the rest: She didn¡¯t feel that this barrier was dangerous. For some reason, she just felt that this barrier didn¡¯t seem to threaten her¡ªeven if the force around it was enough to destroy her. Chu Liuyue gradually stretched her hand out. Chapter 696 - Can’t Leave Whoosh! A cold and harsh aura suddenly came from the side, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold slightly! Qiang Wanzhou had already raised his sword. Buzz! It was near her, and Chu Liuyue could even hear the sound of the arrow trembling. The loose hair in front of Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s forehead moved slightly due to the strong aura. A piercing pain came from her brows, but the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword was right in front. If that arrow had moved another inch forward, he would¡¯ve slashed it apart. But at this moment, that arrow stopped three steps away from the duo. Chu Liuyue could even see the ripple that was formed in the air. It was as if a stone was thrown into a lake, causing lots of ripples to appear. This was a long, black arrow made from exquisite metal. Its workmanship was unique, its lines were smooth, and it was as sharp as ever. Compared to the previous rough wooden arrow, they were worlds apart. This arrow also contained genuine murderous intent. Chu Liuyue looked at the source of the arrow and squinted her eyes. ¡°Since this has already happened, why don¡¯t you just show yourself? There isn¡¯t any meaning to just hide around!¡± After she said this, the entire forest was silent. Qiang Wanzhou still held the sword tightly and very alertly. Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran were both nervous as they looked over to that area in unison. After a moment, a burly man walked over. He was born with thick brows and big eyes, and he was wearing a rough sack shirt. He had copper-like skin, and coupled with his firm muscles, he looked extremely strong. Chu Liuyue was shocked. I didn¡¯t even see the figure of such a muscular and strong man, and I didn¡¯t even hear him moving. If it weren¡¯t because I detected his aura, I wouldn¡¯t have known that such a person was here all along and following us. It shows just how strong this man¡¯s capabilities are. Chu Liuyue had just broken through and become a stage-five warrior, so she couldn¡¯t find out what the other party¡¯s true cultivation level was. But from his surrounding aura¡­ It seemed like he was at least an intermediate stage-seven warrior. He might even be a peak stage-seven warrior! The burly man held a bow in his hand and carried a container of arrows on his back. It proved that he was indeed the one who took action previously. The weird thing was that he had another black hammer around his waist. It was completely dark, and a silver pattern seemed to be carved on the bottom of it. However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t tell what exactly it was from this side. Detecting the incoming person¡¯s formidable abilities, Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran became even more nervous. This person¡­ If we really fight with him, the few of us might not be his match even when we join hands! Chu Liuyue also noticed this, so she patted Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Little Zhou, move back.¡± Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t move, and the cold intent on the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword glistened. His fighting intent was overwhelming. With this formation, he seemed to have already decided to put his entire life down. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Little Zhou, let¡¯s not fight with him.¡± If we did, we¡¯d be the ones at a loss. What for? Chu Liuyue had always been very sensible. If she could win against somebody, she would fight. But if she couldn¡¯t, she would run away. The point was that she wasn¡¯t that confident of successfully escaping from this man with the rest of them. So¡­ it was pretty good if they just sat down and talked! Qiang Wanzhou finally took half a step back, but he was still very guarded as he looked at the man opposite him alertly. That man didn¡¯t seem to care as he laughed out loud. ¡°You really know how to go with the flow.¡± He could already tell that this young woman in red was the center of the group. Chu Liuyue also smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Liuyue. May I know your name?¡± The burly man saw that Chu Liuyue was very decisive, and he decided to be swift in answering as well. ¡°Lei Laosi!¡± Lei Laosi? That doesn¡¯t sound like a name, but more of a nickname. However, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t dig deep into this. Lei Laosi raised his hand, and a thick layer of calluses appeared on his fan-like palm. His fingers moved slightly, and the black arrow floating in front of Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou quickly returned. He then caught the arrow with one hand and threw it back into the arrow container. ¡°You all look quite young, and you are children from wealthy families, right? Why did you suddenly come here?¡± Lei Laosi chuckled, crossed his arms, and leaned against a thick trunk by the side. ¡°This isn¡¯t a fun place!¡± Chu Liuyue could tell that he didn¡¯t mean harm, so she felt slightly appeased. If he really wanted to kill us, he wouldn¡¯t wait until now. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and said, ¡°Honestly speaking, we followed the Third Princess here¡­¡± ¡°Which Third Princess are you talking about?!¡± Chu Liuyue had just finished her words halfway when she saw that Lei Laosi¡¯s expression changed as harshness flashed in his eyes. It seems like this Lei Laosi knows Shangguan Wan? Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment, but she still said, ¡°Isn¡¯t there only one Third Princess in the Tianling Dynasty?¡± The moment she said that, Lei Laosi¡¯s expression had completely darkened as he took out another long arrow. He placed it on the bow and pulled it back¡ªthe cold and sharp arrowhead was pointed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°So you¡¯re her people!¡± Unconcealable and intense murderous intent was found on Lei Laosi¡¯s face. ¡°Since this is so, you all deserve to die!¡± The sound of the arrow being pulled back was heard, and it grappled one¡¯s heart. Detecting the danger, Qiang Wanzhou raised his sword. Peacock-blue fire suddenly rose up. Lei Laosi glanced from the corner of his eyes, squinted, and snorted. ¡°Are you worthy of that sword?¡± Then, he was about to release the arrow. Chu Liuyue immediately said, ¡°We¡¯re not Shangguan Wan¡¯s people!¡± Hearing that name, Lei Laosi¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly. Then, he snorted. ¡°You previously said that you followed her here. Why aren¡¯t you her people now? You¡¯re full of lies!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand, pressed Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s wrist, and forcefully pressed his sword down. Then, she stepped forward with a calm face as she carefully said, ¡°We did come with her, but it doesn¡¯t represent that we¡¯re her people. In actual fact, she brought a total of more than 1,000 people over.¡± Lei Laosi looked slightly shocked. ¡°What? Why did she bring so many people here?!¡± Chu Liuyue quickly explained the situation briefly. ¡°¡­That¡¯s why so many people came together this time, but we were separated from them not long earlier and came here. As for the rest¡­ We also don¡¯t know where they are.¡± After hearing this, Lei Laosi¡¯s expression gradually became warmer. ¡°You said that you¡¯re from Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Chu Liuyue slightly nodded and glanced at Mu Hongyu. ¡°She¡¯s from Dragon Teeth Mountain, but we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Dragon Teeth Mountain¡­ Hmph!¡± Lei Laosi coldly snorted, but the murderous intent in his eyes had already disappeared. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. It seems like I guessed correctly. This Lei Laosi indeed doesn¡¯t have any bad intentions toward people from Chong Xu Cabinet and Dragon Teeth Mountain. ¡°I¡¯ll give Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master face and let you off! Hurry up and leave!¡± Lei Laosi waved his hands in frustration. Chu Liuyue glanced at the rainbow barrier beside her and did not move. I¡¯m already here, so how can I leave? Chapter 697 - News Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t move, and the rest naturally did not budge either. The scene was completely silent for a moment. Lei Laosi detected that something was amiss and tightly furrowed his thick brows. ¡°What, did all of you not hear what I just said?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Big Brother Lei, you followed us all the way just now. I believe that you should also know that we came here to find out what¡¯s on the upper side of the stream¡­ We came here with much difficulty, yet you directly asked us to leave. Isn¡¯t this quite inappropriate?¡± Lei Laosi seemed to have heard some joke as he laughed and stared at the few people as if he were looking at some unreasonable children who were ridiculously fearless. He raised his chin. ¡°I know you want to enter this barrier, but¡­ Why don¡¯t you take a look at this place and see if you have the abilities to enter? You just barged right in. Youths really know no fear. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll die here?¡± Chu Liuyue said respectfully and sincerely, ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Big Brother Lei, but I have always been someone that cherishes my life a lot. I definitely won¡¯t do anything that will threaten my life. If I do it, it proves that I have the confidence to extract myself from it completely.¡± ¡°Arrogant!!¡± Lei Laosi yelled in frustration. ¡°You just came for the legendary fiend! At the end of the day, isn¡¯t it just because you want to extract the legendary fiend blood for Shangguan Wan? What for His Majesty¡­ It¡¯s all bullshit!¡± His words were filled with contempt and hatred toward Shangguan Wan. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. Hearing this¡­ this Lei Laosi seems to have a special type of grudge against Shangguan Wan. It also seems like he knows what happened to His Majesty now¡­ But judging from his appearance, he clearly looks like a barbarian that lives in the forest. Did he suffer in the past because of Shangguan Wan, so he came to the Mystic Forest? Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Big Brother Lei, don¡¯t misunderstand. We really have nothing to do with Shangguan Wan, so it¡¯s impossible for us to do anything for her. Only Jiang Yucheng and those people are willing to do this for her, but it definitely doesn¡¯t include us.¡± Lei Laosi suddenly thought of something and said in an indefinite manner, ¡°Jiang Yucheng is also here?¡± His sentence directly seemed like it was squeezed out of his teeth. Every single word was brought with etching hatred. It was exactly the same when compared to his attitude toward Shangguan Wan previously. Chu Liuyue nodded. I wonder what deep hatred Lei Laosi has toward those two people before, to the point that he would be so furious when he hears their names at this moment. ¡°Honestly speaking, we only walked a distance away just now. But when we turned around again, they had already disappeared¡­¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t finish her sentence when she heard Lei Laosi laugh out loud. ¡°So it was them! Ha, it¡¯s actually them!¡± I previously only felt commotion from the forest outside, but I didn¡¯t really care about it. I did not expect¡­ It actually took care of Shangguan Wan, Jiang Yucheng, and that bunch of people! The heavens are really shining down on us! In that case, it¡¯s definitely enough to make them struggle even if they aren¡¯t dead. Upon thinking of what they were currently experiencing, Lei Laosi immediately felt much better, and his eyes were even smiling. ¡°Since you could avoid the mist and even reach here, it proves that you do have some fate. But¡­ this really isn¡¯t some place you should stay! If you still refuse to leave, then I¡¯ll send you guys off! Take it as me repaying you for telling me such good news!¡± Then, Lei Laosi whipped out his hammer from his waist. Just as he was about to take action, he saw the girl opposite smile with her eyes curled up. ¡°Big Brother Lei, it¡¯s possible that we don¡¯t go in, but can¡¯t you just let us watch from here? After all¡­ We have never seen a ninth-grade fiend breaking through before, so it¡¯s inevitable that we are curious. See, we already reached here with much difficulty¡­¡± With her smile, it seemed like the entire river of stars entered her eyes as they dazzled and shone brightly. Lei Laosi was suddenly stunned. This appearance and behavior really look like¡­ Seeing Lei Laosi¡¯s expression relax for a moment, Chu Liuyue thought that he was convinced and hurriedly said, ¡°We promise that we¡¯ll just stay here, and we definitey won¡¯t randomly move or get into trouble. After we finish watching, we¡¯ll leave immediately. How¡¯s that?¡± Seeing her sincere gaze filled with desire, Lei Laosi faltered. Then, he silently looked at the area behind Chu Liuyue and the rest. Chu Liuyue knew that he was looking at someone else. Even though she didn¡¯t know who that person was and didn¡¯t know why that person didn¡¯t want to reveal themselves, their identity had to be similar to that of Lei Laosi. Lei Laosi¡¯s glance was clearly to discuss with that person. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes moved slightly, and she continued saying, ¡°Anyway, Big Brother Lei, you¡¯re here too. Are you afraid that we¡¯ll do something? Besides¡­ Many things have happened in Xi Ling City recently. Why don¡¯t we sit down and talk about it?¡± Lei Laosi coldly chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re so young, but you do have a glib tongue! It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t stay here, but all of you must move ten steps back! Without my permission, nobody is allowed to take another step forward!¡± He also didn¡¯t know why he couldn¡¯t harden his heart when he looked at Chu Liuyue. She had a vague sense of familiarity. Chu Liuyue immediately said happily, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother Lei!¡± Then, she hurriedly exchanged glances with the few of them and pulled them backward. Tuan Zi waved its claws reluctantly as it stared at the rainbow barrier. Just a little¡­ Just a little! Chu Liuyue detected its desire as she grabbed its tail and pressed it against her arms. Then, she softly said, ¡°Tuan Zi, listen.¡± Tuan Zi could only lay in her arms obediently, but its eyes kept floating to that side. After moving ten steps back, Chu Liuyue and the rest stood still. Lei Laosi looked at them and asked, ¡°What happened in Xi Ling City? Tell me about it.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled in her heart and thought, As expected¡ªhe still wanted to know about it. She thought for a while and said, ¡°In a few months, Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng are getting married.¡± Lei Laosi immediately straightened his body, and the veins popped on his forehead as his face flushed red with anger. ¡°How dare they¡ª¡± Roar! A roar that shook the mountains and rivers suddenly came from within the rainbow barrier. Hong long! The black clouds tumbled in the sky as silver snake-like lightning quickly gathered within the clouds. Terrifying suppression swept across the area as the forest howled. Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body was shocked, and her eardrums were about to burst. The others weren¡¯t any better as their faces paled in unison. Chu Liuyue immediately looked up. The countless rays of rainbow light were gathering at the upper side. Is¡­ it going to break through?! Tuan Zi stuck its head out from her arms, and its black and watery eyes gradually became rainbow! Chapter 698 - A Wing At this moment, Chu Liuyue had focused all her energy on that rainbow barrier and didn¡¯t notice the change in Tuan Zi¡ªwho was in her arms. The thick clouds crazily swarmed around in the skies, and they rapidly gathered. Looking at it, it wasn¡¯t any weaker than the suppression of the lightning that Chu Liuyue had triggered when she was refining the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Hm¡­ I do miss it quite a bit¡­ Back then, the lightning didn¡¯t want to land for a very long time, and I spent a lot of effort tidying it up. If the few people around knew of Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts at this moment, they would be so shocked that their jaws would drop. In this world, be it cultivators or fiends, they all loved and were afraid of lightning. They loved the strength it encompassed. As long as they could trigger the lightning, it basically meant that their abilities would strengthen. At the very least, their Yuan instruments¡¯ standards would increase. They hated the ferociousness of the lightning¡¯s strength. If one wasn¡¯t careful, their lives might even be lost. However, there should be only one person who would forcefully snatch the lightning down from the skies and stuff it inside the Yuan instrument to nourish it like Chu Liuyue and then even miss it afterward. Even her ancestor couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Girl, you¡¯re not thinking of snatching other people¡¯s lightning, right¡­ That¡¯s triggered because the other is breaking through and becoming a legendary fiend¡­¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Ancestor, listen to what you¡¯re saying. Am I that type of person?¡± Shangguan Jing kept quiet for a moment and slowly said, ¡°How would I know?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. It seems like the previous incident has left quite a huge scar in Ancestor¡¯s heart¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just want to see what fiend is breaking through here. I¡¯m not thinking of anything else. After all, I already have an agreement with a legendary fiend, right?¡± Chu Liuyue convinced him in her heart. Even though the legendary three-eyed eagle hadn¡¯t recovered its physical body, she already had the skeleton of a great phoenix dragon and a purplish-gold Buddha leaf. As long as she found some suitable herbs, she could find a suitable location and time to help the legendary three-eyed eagle recover its physical body. Others might have some burning desire for legendary fiends, but she really did not have any. Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jing felt a little more appeased. ¡°Since you said this, I naturally will believe you. Besides¡­ With this rainbow barrier, you shouldn¡¯t be able to break through it even with another you. That Lei Laosi is correct¡ªthis place is very dangerous. You guys should leave after watching.¡± The ancestor¡¯s voice had an extra tinge of solemness and seriousness. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor.¡± Shangguan Jing did not speak anymore. Looking at the gigantic semicircle in front, Chu Liuyue fell into deep thought. I knew that the barrier was formidable, but I didn¡¯t expect Ancestor to have such a high evaluation of it. Could it¡­ really be that strong? With this barrier in the way, she couldn¡¯t even see what was going on inside, even if they were very near it. Other than the brilliant lights shining past, they couldn¡¯t see anything¡ªnot even a rough outline. What else can we see? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask the legendary three-eyed eagle in her heart, ¡°Can you detect exactly what fiend is inside now?¡± This time, the legendary three-eyed eagle hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Chu Liuyue found it weird. The legendary three-eyed eagle is a legendary fiend, and its standards are higher than a ninth-grade fiend. Logically speaking, it should be able to feel the other party¡¯s aura when they are so close to each other. ¡°Um¡­ If even you don¡¯t know¡­¡± As if sensing the doubt in Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, the legendary three-eyed eagle explained, ¡°This rainbow barrier should be set up by that fiend in advance, and it contains tremendous strength. Besides, if I¡¯m not wrong, it should¡¯ve used other methods. Hence, I can¡¯t identify it in a short while.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Chu Liuyue believed it more as she couldn¡¯t help but be more curious and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s so weird. There¡¯s actually a ninth-grade fiend that is this smart and capable in the world. No wonder it can try to break through and become a legendary fiend¡­ But I don¡¯t know what exactly it is¡­ It¡¯d be great if I can personally see it.¡± It can also satisfy my curiosity! The legendary three-eyed eagle did not reply to her. Tuan Zi shrank into Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms guiltily as it hurriedly glanced at her before looking at that rainbow barrier again. On the barrier, it was as if countless grains of rainbow sand gently flowed past it. It was mesmerizing and very beautiful. Huala- A gigantic shadow flashed across the barrier. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up as she immediately sat up straight and looked over. However, that shadow disappeared after a moment, and it quickly dispersed within the countless specks of light. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even see its shape, and disappointment flashed across her face. This fiend is really weird. It hasn¡¯t even shown its face until now¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ What a pity! I didn¡¯t even see what it was clearly!¡± Mu Hongyu held her face up in defeat, and regret filled her face. The golden mane bear cub suddenly appeared and snuggled into her arms, watching with her. Mu Hongyu pinched its ears and smiled. ¡°Congcong, why did you come out? Aren¡¯t you afraid now?¡± The golden mane bear cub waited obediently and allowed her to touch it. Upon hearing this, it actually shook its head. This meant that it wasn¡¯t scared. Mu Hongyu was very elated in her heart as she widened her almond-like eyes and asked, ¡°Are you really not afraid? That¡¯s a ninth-grade fiend!¡± The golden mane bear cub was also a high-level fiend itself, but it couldn¡¯t be compared to a ninth-grade fiend. She originally thought that Congcong wouldn¡¯t dare to appear here. After all, it was still especially restless a while earlier¡­ ¡°Then, why were you so afraid earlier? Hm? Hm, did Congcong become stronger?¡± The golden mane bear cub followed Mu Hongyu shortly after it was born, so the latter always brought it along like she was raising a small doll. Even if the current golden mane bear cub was already half as tall as her and heavier than her, she would still tease and play with it. The golden mane bear cub smiled happily and glanced at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi was currently playing with Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair, and it lightly flicked its claw. The golden mane bear cub immediately retracted its gaze as it crazily nodded in response to Mu Hongyu¡¯s question. Mu Hongyu smiled proudly and happily. ¡°Since you want to watch it too, let¡¯s watch it together!¡± Speaking of this, it will also break through when it reaches a certain age, right? ¡°Just now¡­ was it a wing?¡± said Ye Ranran uncertainly. Mu Hongyu looked at her. ¡°Wing? You saw it?¡± Ye Ranran shook her head. ¡°I-I¡¯m just guessing¡­ When I glanced at it, it did look like¡­¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re saying this, I think so too!¡± Mu Hongyu thought for a moment and suddenly became energetic. ¡°It should be a moving wing! However, the shape was a little weird¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such a wing before.¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head and looked at the duo. ¡°What kind of wing?¡± Ye Ranran raised her hands and drew a line in the sky. ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡± Chapter 699 - The Night where the Moon is Dark and Winds are Strong Hong long! A lightning bolt struck down! A loud thunder sound was heard, and it reverberated throughout the area! The suppression within was very strong, and the crazy force rapidly spread out in all directions. The wind howled aggressively and blew everywhere. A large number of the trees near Chu Liuyue and the rest were blown till they broke, and some were even totally uprooted. Dust flew up everywhere! Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked and was about to move when she felt a warm yet strong force covering herself. That terrifying aura was immediately blocked outside. Chu Liuyue turned around in shock and saw that Lei Laosi had set up a white barrier. Ice-blue lightning glowed on the barrier. Chu Liuyue followed her gaze and discovered that Lei Laosi was holding a hammer. The strength of the barrier seemed to come from the hammer. ¡°Hmph, now you know how formidable it is? That side-effect almost took half your lives away.¡± Lei Laosi coldly snickered, and his entire face had the expression of ¡®I knew you newbies didn¡¯t have much combat power.¡¯ Facing Lei Laosi¡¯s face of contempt, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care at all and seriously thanked him. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother Lei!¡± Lei Laosi didn¡¯t expect that not only was Chu Liuyue not afraid at all, but she even directly thanked him. Her words and attitude were all very sincere, causing him to be dazed. During that moment, he didn¡¯t know how he should retract that ferocious expression on his face. This girl is too smart! How am I going to continue? Lei Laosi was disinterested, and he could only tactfully cover his expression. With Chu Liuyue in the lead, Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran hurriedly followed and said toward Lei Laosi in unison, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother Lei!¡± The two ladies¡¯ face of overwhelming sincerity was actually even greater than Chu Liuyue¡¯s and definitely not any lesser. Lei Laosi¡¯s eyelids twitched. He was a bore and was used to seeing the gleams of blades and swords. He had seen countless fights and murders, but this was the first time a few petite girls thanked him continuously. Lei Laosi instantly felt uncomfortable as he held the hammer in his hands and faltered. I-I really¡­ want to tell these few ladies to stop talking and not to use those grateful, teary eyes to look at me! Ahh!! Seeing Lei Laosi¡¯s especially awkward manner, Chu Liuyue secretly laughed to herself. This Lei Laosi seems huge and talks brutely, but he¡¯s a good person in reality. The key is¡­ He always seems to be a little awkward. He¡¯s clearly helping others, but he has to put up a ferocious appearance as if he¡¯s terrified of other people knowing that he is kind-hearted. His temper is pretty similar to someone amongst the Thirteen Yue Guard. Thinking of that person, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Lei Laosi immediately exploded. ¡°W-what are you smiling at!?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Nothing much. I just felt that Big Brother Lei¡­ You¡¯re quite similar to someone that I know.¡± But even though their temperament is similar, their appearances are worlds apart. Lei Laosi believed her doubtfully but did not continue asking. He felt extremely uncomfortable because of Chu Liuyue¡¯s smiling appearance, and he could only turn his face away. I won¡¯t look! I won¡¯t look! What I can¡¯t see won¡¯t hurt me! Chu Liuyue smiled for a while and let him off. She then looked up at the rainbow barrier again. The first lightning bolt struck down, and the strength gradually dispersed as the effects slowly appeased. She unwittingly glanced at it and shockingly discovered that the bottommost part of the barrier actually became transparent. Even though the area wasn¡¯t large, they could see a portion of the scene covered by the barrier through here¡ªa bunch of fallen leaves and half the stream. They had no choice as this was the Mystic Forest. The grounds of the forest were always covered with thick fallen leaves. But even though she could only see this, Chu Liuyue was already very excited. It was as if after that lightning struck down, the fiend within absorbed a portion of the barrier¡¯s strength, which caused his type of situation to occur¡­ When a ninth-grade fiend broke through to become a legendary fiend, it had to endure nine bolts of lightning. When these nine bolts of lightning all struck down, perhaps the barrier would completely disappear. By that time, they would be able to see exactly what was going on. When the lightning struck down, it interrupted Ye Ranran¡¯s movements. After seeing the change on the barrier, all the attention of everyone present had been attracted over, and they naturally forgot about that wing. Chu Liuyue looked up, and as expected, she saw that the second lightning bolt was already rapidly gathering. But she didn¡¯t notice that Tuan Zi, who was in her arms, had already silently covered its eyes and the dazzle within them. ¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± A painful moan was suddenly heard from behind the crowd. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and turned around to take a look. This voice¡­ It sounds like Jiang Yucheng? Mu Hongyu and the rest also followed her gaze and looked over. The nearby forest was also affected by the aftershock, and it was in a mess. And far away¡­ There was no one. ¡°Who is screaming?¡± asked Mu Hongyu rather uneasily. ¡°There¡¯s nobody¡­ Did I hear it wrongly?¡± Ye Ranran shook her head. ¡°I heard it too! There is someone! I-I think he¡¯s underground!¡± ¡°Underground?¡± Mu Hongyu was dazed for a moment. Ye Ranran already looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, you heard it too, right? Did that voice come from underground?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. Jiang Yucheng is pretty capable. He actually could escape from that type of situation and come here¡­ Even though she didn¡¯t know why his voice was coming from underground, Chu Liuyue still felt pretty disgusted. She didn¡¯t want to know what exactly was going on. She just hoped that Jiang Yucheng would go far away and not disturb her here. However, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice didn¡¯t stop, and it was getting closer and closer. Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind moved slightly, and a thought popped up in her mind. On the night when the moon is black and winds are strong, it¡¯s time for murder and arson! The skies were now getting dark, and the entire forest was covered in this thick layer of shadow. Thus, everyone¡¯s vision was inevitably affected. Additionally, with that ninth-grade fiend breaking through, the commotion it caused was huge. If something really happened, it wouldn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention. She stood up. ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Chapter 700 - Meet Qiang Wanzhou moved and was about to get up and follow her. Chu Liuyue turned around and lightly shook her head. Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other tightly and could only stay where he was. However, his gaze was glued to Chu Liuyue as if he was afraid that she would meet with danger. After all, this Mystic Forest was indeed very strange throughout the entire journey. Once he thought of the scene he saw previously, uneasiness surfaced in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s heart. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about him and just walked forward. Perhaps it was due to the ninth-grade fiend¡¯s strength, but the strange mist didn¡¯t spread to this area in the end. The forest within miles still looked very normal. Chu Liuyue stepped on the thick leaves and walked forward. Tuan Zi jumped onto her shoulders, turned around, and watched the lightning gathering in the sky. Chu Liuyue patted it in comfort. ¡°When I settle these things, we¡¯ll go back immediately.¡± Not only Tuan Zi, but she also wanted to continue watching. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Yucheng¡­ Chu Liuyue walked as she carefully listened for where the voice came from. After walking a distance, that voice became increasingly close. In the end, Chu Liuyue stood in front of two intersecting trees and stared at the ground closely. It seems that¡­ He¡¯s right below here! Thick layers of wilted leaves were piled up around this area¡¯s surface¡ªit didn¡¯t seem any different from the other places. But by standing there, she could clearly hear Jiang Yucheng¡¯s painful cries coming from below. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as she waved her sleeves. The fallen leaves flew up respectively, and a root that was jutting out was found below. Dust and moss gathered on top of it, and one really wouldn¡¯t be able to tell what it was if they didn¡¯t examine it carefully. Chu Liuyue leaned her ear in and almost confirmed that Jiang Yucheng was below this tree. I wonder how he ended up below here¡­ Chu Liuyue thought as she knocked against the root. Knock knock¡­ Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. He had clearly heard this sound. Chu Liuyue chuckled. According to Jiang Yucheng¡¯s meticulous and doubtful nature, he won¡¯t think of asking for help when he hears this sound. Instead, he¡¯ll think about how to avoid this danger. Even if one gives him ten times the courage, he won¡¯t dare to rush up. Chu Liuyue knocked against it again. Knock! Knock! Knock! This time, Jiang Yucheng became even quieter. On the other hand, the root gradually moved. Chu Liuyue looked up. The tree beside her was also a rolling leaf fir. It seems like¡­ it wants to leave? The root moved, and the soil and moss on it slowly dropped. A faint bloody smell then spread around. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. This smell¡­ It seems like the smell of blood, and it even has the smell of something rotting¡­ Suddenly, her gaze focused as she stared at the numerous roots exposed on the outside. The thin walls looked as if they were transparent as they were filled with red liquid that was slowly moving around. It was like¡­ red blood! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. I¡¯ve seen rolling leaf fir roots before, but I have never witnessed such a situation! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and stared at the blood hand-like tree root as her mind kept replaying scenes that she had seen before. Oh right, the roots of those rolling leaf firs all seemed to be glowing red! But those trees weren¡¯t as old as this one, and their roots were naturally much smaller. In addition, I didn¡¯t take a close look at that time¡­ Are all those roots actually like this? Chu Liuyue took half a step back, whipped out her dagger, and directly stabbed it into the root. Whoosh! Red liquid gushed out, and the intense, bloody smell attacked her nose! Chu Liuyue was shocked. There¡¯s really blood inside! Even though it might not be pure blood liquid, quite a bit of real blood is definitely mixed within. If not, it wouldn¡¯t be this color or smell! Where did all of this blood come from? Thinking of when she saw the sinisterly weird scene earlier, a chill ran down Chu Liuyue¡¯s spine. Could it be¡­ Those people¡­ The Dahuang Swamp is filled with dangers, but it also has a lot of temptations. Many cultivators come over every year, but only a small portion of them can survive. The remaining majority of them were actually buried in Dahuang Swamp. If rolling leaf firs really rely on sucking and eating human blood to nourish themselves¡­ Then, this piece of lush greenery in the Mystic Forest¡ª Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Hong long! The second bolt of lightning harshly struck down! Chu Liuyue immediately turned around and glanced at the scene. The dazzling light almost made her unable to open her eyes. The strength of that lightning bolt was clearly greater than the first one. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and vaguely saw the rainbow color in the bottom half of the barrier quickly disappearing as it gathered above. Finally, it merged with the bright glow! That should be the fiend absorbing the strength from its own barrier to fight against the lightning, right? The transparent portions of the barrier expanded, but on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, she could only see the fallen leaves within and some stones. Other than this, there was nothing else. Chu Liuyue was a little disappointed. It seems like I have to wait a while before I can see the appearance of the fiend within¡­ Zing¡­ The sound of something being dragged across the ground was heard. Chu Liuyue immediately turned around and spotted the tree root that she had stabbed a hole in. That tree root was bleeding, and the bright red liquid flowed everywhere, creating a huge puddle that looked terrifying. Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions seemed to have triggered it to some extent. It shrunk a little, and it moved even faster. The remaining roots were gradually being dragged out of the ground. The entire tree started shaking as if it was waiting for this root to be extracted from the ground before it could directly run to escape. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned slightly as she held her dagger tightly. She was about to take action when she saw a shred of cloth on the tree root. Even though it was stained with soil, she could clearly see that the material was new and very expensive. That is a piece of Jiang Yucheng¡¯s clothes! He is indeed underground here! Looking at the bloodstained cloth, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up into a cold smile. It seems like Jiang Yucheng isn¡¯t having an easy life below here¡­ Perhaps this tree root has absorbed some of his blood? A familiar aura became increasingly close. Chu Liuyue stabbed the root again, and the root moved even more aggressively! A large piece of ground was suddenly overturned. Half a person¡¯s figure was hurled out from underneath all of a sudden¡ªthis person was Jiang Yucheng! The upper half of his body was tightly intertwined by the tree roots¡¯ sections, and only his arm could move while the lower half of his body was still in the ground. His body was covered with bloodstains, and he looked extremely miserable. However, he was still very alert. The moment he came out, he immediately hurled the longsword in his hands and slashed at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue agilely avoided it, smiled, and said, ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, what are you doing?¡± Jiang Yucheng paused in his actions before seeing the smiling young girl in front of him. ¡°Chu Liuyue?!¡± Chapter 701 - Pity! Why is Chu Liuyue here?! That question rapidly flashed across Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mind. He only remembered that after he was dragged down, the entrance above had been completely sealed shut. He didn¡¯t know what situation the other people were in. Could it be that I was the only one who met with this? If not, why is Chu Liuyue standing here in one piece? She seems like she¡¯s not injured at all, and she looks very clean. But looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s smiling appearance, Jiang Yucheng couldn¡¯t help but unwittingly heave a sigh of relief. He surveyed his surroundings. Other than Chu Liuyue, there seems to be a few people far away, and¡­ a gigantic rainbow barrier! Detecting the terrifying aura coming from the barrier, Jiang Yucheng suddenly realized something and widened his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a ninth-grade fiend?!¡± Other than a ninth-grade fiend, there¡¯s no other explanation for this commotion! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hide it and nodded honestly. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, you have good eyesight.¡± Jiang Yucheng immediately wanted to go over, but he suddenly recalled that half of his body was buried underneath and that he couldn¡¯t struggle free. Despite knowing the answer, Chu Liuyue smiled and asked, ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, what are you doing?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face flashed white and red. Thinking of how desperate he looked at the moment, his face burned. I could¡¯ve been seen by anyone, but it had to be Chu Liuyue¡­ And she seems like she¡¯s completely fine, which shows how humiliating I look. Jiang Yucheng always loved his face. Facing this situation, he felt very embarrassed and wanted to come out from below immediately. He waved the sword in his hand and slashed the branches that were tightly winding around him, trying to get out of the entanglement. Chu Liuyue then saw that quite a few branches had already pierced through his body, leaving behind a few scars. As expected¡­ This rolling leaf fir had indeed sucked Jiang Yucheng¡¯s blood¡­ In his current physical condition, how can he endure such torture? Looking at the face that was as pale as a ghost¡­ Pfft. Chu Liuyue admired his rare miserable appearance for a while and felt much better. What can this count for? This isn¡¯t even one-tenth of the pain I experienced back then! If I can¡¯t let Jiang Yucheng pay me back one hundred-fold, how can I resolve the hatred in my heart? As if detecting Chu Liuyue¡¯s rather strange gaze, Jiang Yucheng finally glanced at her and slightly knitted his brows. Before he could speak, Chu Liuyue already spoke first. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, it seems like you¡¯re severely injured. Do you need my help?¡± Jiang Yucheng swallowed the words in his throat. For some reason, he felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was quite weird¡­ It seemed as if she really wanted to help, but her black gem-like eyes were sparkling, which made one unable to see through her. Jiang Yucheng kept quiet for a moment, glanced at the opening that was slashed apart on the tree branch, and asked, ¡°You did that?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I heard a voice over here, so I came over to take a look and coincidentally saw this branch moving. I felt that this was really very weird, so I tried to cut it. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ to meet you here, Eldest Young Master Jiang.¡± Her tone was very sincere. Jiang Yucheng believed her a little. He found the way to come out with much difficulty, and he had used up the majority of his force. Hence, he had to quickly leave this place as soon as possible and circulate his aura. However, this branch was very hard to handle! As he tried to struggle free, he asked, ¡°How did you all get here? Other than you, who are those people? Where are the others?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up undetectably. Jiang Yucheng can¡¯t let his guard down and wants to get to the bottom of this. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, it¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s talk about it in detail when you¡¯re out. Why don¡¯t you let me help you?¡± Jiang Yucheng saw that it was indeed hard to rely on himself, so he could only nod. Chu Liuyue took a step forward. ¡°Just cut these branches!¡± said Jiang Yucheng. Chu Liuyue agreed relaxingly and raised the dagger in her hands. Following the movement of the branches, it was much easier for Jiang Yucheng¡¯s body to be released. It seemed like only his feet were buried within. Chu Liuyue glanced from the corner of her eyes. Hong long! The third bolt of lightning struck down! The continuously loud sounds reverberated throughout the entire forest as the thick layers of dark clouds covered the sun and filled the sky, making the forest very dark. Chu Liuyue intentionally used her body to block Jiang Yucheng. In addition to the thick branches and other items here, she hid Jiang Yucheng completely. Even Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho kept looking over¡ªcouldn¡¯t see what exactly was going on. Following the terrifying side-effect, the eye-catching light was dazzling. It reflected against Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face, causing half of it to be in the light and the other half to be in the dark. Chu Liuyue stretched her hand out¡ªthey were only one step away from each other. As long as I wave my hand, the dagger can easily slash across Jiang Yucheng¡¯s throat! Ferocious hatred and murderous intent overwhelmed her as a cold glow flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. She turned her knife, and its blade gleamed. Jiang Yucheng was currently handling some tree branches in front of his chest, and he didn¡¯t notice this side¡¯s happenings. All the hatred¡­ revenge¡­ Everything will end at this moment! Chu Liuyue moved her wrist! Huala! Just as Chu Liuyue was about to take action, a nearby tree was suddenly extracted and cracked from the middle. The crushed wood flew everywhere, and a figure rushed out! Chu Liuyue quickly glanced at the figure, and her eyes shrunk. It¡¯s actually Mu Qinghe! At this point, Jiang Yucheng was also attracted by this commotion as he looked over. After seeing that person clearly, he immediately yelled out, ¡°Lieutenant Mu!¡± Mu Qinghe had just rushed out after struggling free from underground. Hearing this, he immediately looked up. The person with half his body buried underneath is Jiang Yucheng, and the woman beside¡­ He squinted his eyes. Why is it Chu Liuyue? Detecting Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she flipped her palm and swung her dagger. Chu! A tree branch was instantly cut down by Chu Liuyue, and the red liquid flew everywhere! At the same time, a cold wind came from behind. It was another tree branch that suddenly rose up and slammed toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s back. With her plan being interrupted, Chu Liuyue was very frustrated. When she detected this commotion, her face became much colder. She rapidly turned around, raised her hand, and formed a long whip with her fire¡ªwhich instantly flew out. Smack! An air-piercing sound was heard. That fire whip immediately entangled with that tree branch, but that tree branch¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t be underestimated, as it directly pulled at Chu Liuyue with one twist. Chu Liuyue decisively rolled on the ground, and her bodily aura gushed out. Boom! The fire burned even more intensely, and the entire branch was instantly wrapped in red fire. The fire quickly spread and rapidly covered the entire tree. Chu Liuyue coldly spat out a word, ¡°Explode!¡± Bam! The thick rolling leaf fir immediately exploded. At this moment, Mu Qinghe had already rushed over. With his help, Jiang Yucheng finally got out of the ground. ¡°Eldest Young Master, are you okay?¡± asked Mu Qinghe with knitted brows. However, Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t reply to him as he looked at the Chu Liuyue in front dazedly. Just now¡­ She really saved me¡­ Boom! Looking at the fire burning in front of her, she gradually held the dagger in her hands tighter. What a pity! Chapter 702 - Explanation Chu Liuyue felt very upset, but her expression had already returned to normal when she turned around. Then, she politely greeted Mu Qinghe. ¡°Lieutenant Mu.¡± It¡¯s a small pity that I couldn¡¯t directly teach Jiang Yucheng a lesson, but after deeper thought, I would be quite reluctant if I really killed him just like that. Dying from one slash of a sword¡­ He would die too easily The days are long. I need to let Eldest Young Master Jiang enjoy the life ahead of him¡­ Chu Liuyue thought as she openly sized Jiang Yucheng up and looked as if she was very concerned and sympathetic toward him. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, I think your condition isn¡¯t very good. You should hurry up and treat yourself.¡± Jiang Yucheng was originally in a trance as he stared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s back view, and he suddenly recovered his senses when he heard her words. Detecting Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze scrutinizing himself, Jiang Yucheng felt humiliated for some reason. My humiliated look is seen so clearly by others¡­ He hid it and coughed. ¡°I have medicine,¡± he said as he took a pill. Mu Qinghe watched on at the side and felt that Jiang Yucheng seemed amiss, but he couldn¡¯t put a finger on it. It¡¯s most probably because he¡¯s just experienced all of that¡­ Whoever took a walk around hell would be scarred. Jiang Yucheng looked at Chu Liuyue with a conflicted gaze. ¡°Thanks¡­ for just now.¡± There was one moment where he almost thought that Chu Liuyue wanted to kill him, but everything that happened later proved that this was just a misunderstanding. He was always a very suspicious person, and he wouldn¡¯t easily trust a person¡ªespecially in this type of dire situation. Chu Liuyue¡¯s unreserved help had greatly exceeded his predictions. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, you¡¯re too kind.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly as if she didn¡¯t really take this incident to heart. Jiang Yucheng kept quiet for a moment and said again, ¡°Take it as me owing you a favor this time.¡± Mu Qinghe suddenly glanced at him, and rare shock flashed across his eyes as if he didn¡¯t expect the other to say that. This person has always been harsh, ruthless, and heartless. Many people have sacrificed their lives for him over the years, but he has never taken another look at them. Why is it that he actually willingly said that he owed Chu Liuyue a favor when it came to her? Could it be that he intends to make friends with Chu Liuyue? After all¡­ Judging from the incidents that happened during this period, Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent and abilities are extraordinary. She is worth making friends with. Chu Liuyue looked humble on the surface and didn¡¯t even dare to speak, but in actual fact, she wasn¡¯t affected at all. She had seen Jiang Yucheng¡¯s dog-like manner way too many times. In this world, nobody would know better than her the shocking extent of this man having two faces. When he passed her tea, he always smiled gracefully. However, she later found out that it was all poison under that smiling mask. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take this to heart and treated Jiang Yucheng¡¯s conflicted gaze as a joke. Actually, she was even more interested in Mu Qinghe. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, how did you suddenly come out from there just now?¡± Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t have much expression as usual. ¡°We met with an accident previously, and everyone fell into the gully. I also spent quite a bit of effort before I could escape.¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue and knitted his brows as he spoke. ¡°How did you¡ª¡± ¡°Liuyue!¡± Before Mu Qinghe could finish, he was interrupted by Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s voice. Chu Liuyue turned around to look and saw that Qiang Wanzhou and the rest had come. Qiang Wanzhou was at the front, and he was the fastest, while Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran were slightly behind. However, they also had faces filled with worry. Even though Lei Laosi insisted on guarding there, he kept looking over. After all, the previous commotion wasn¡¯t small. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± When Mu Hongyu and the rest saw that she indeed wasn¡¯t injured, they felt assured. Her gaze turned, and she saw Jiang Yucheng and Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe was still fine, but Jiang Yucheng¡¯s body was stained with some black soil, and he was covered in injuries. He had blood patches everywhere, and his face was pale, looking very pathetic. Mu Hongyu knitted her brows and covered her nose. ¡°What smell is that?!¡± It smelled very like something rotting, and it had a thick bloody scent to it, making one nauseous. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face turned from white to green, and his veins were popping. Ye Ranran silently pulled Mu Hongyu back and gave her a look. Isn¡¯t this smell coming right from Jiang Yucheng¡¯s body? You¡¯re humiliating him by saying this! Mu Hongyu then slowly shut her mouth and glanced at Chu Liuyue. I-I think I offended someone? But Chu Liuyue looked normal, and when she turned around to look at her, she had an assured expression. Moreover¡­ there seemed to be a tinge of¡­ satisfaction in her eyes? Mu Hongyu was a little confused. Uh¡­ I¡­ Liuyue doesn¡¯t seem to care about this¡­ Why do I faintly feel that she even approves of what I did? Mu Hongyu thought for a while and didn¡¯t understand it, so she swiftly threw this to the back of her mind. I¡¯ll listen to Liuyue for everything! If Liuyue says it¡¯s fine, then it definitely will be fine! Chu Liuyue stared at Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face and took a few glances. Pfft, in the entire Tianling Dynasty, who would dare to openly single Jiang Yucheng out in front of his face? Only Mu Hongyu, this insensible one, could do such a thing. Chu Liuyue silently praised her in her heart. Good job! For a very long time later, Jiang Yucheng won¡¯t be able to maintain his pride! Mu Qinghe looked at the few of them and knitted his brows even tighter. ¡°The few of you¡­ Why are all of you here? Didn¡¯t you guys get dragged down?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded honestly. ¡°During the mess, my fiend suddenly ran away, so I chased it. The few of them followed me over. When we found my fiend afterward and wanted to go back, we then realized¡­ All of you weren¡¯t at your original spots, so we swiftly decided to stay here and wait for a chance to gather with the rest of the team.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s simple narration explained the entire incident. She asked, ¡°At the start, wasn¡¯t everyone together? Why¡­ did all of you get separated?¡± Mu Qinghe, Shangguan Wan, Jiang Yucheng, and the rest had always been together, yet they were separated¡ªlet alone the others. Mu Qinghe¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°It happened too suddenly.¡± If it weren¡¯t because he had a certain understanding of this Mystic Forest and knew how to settle the rolling leaf fir, he might¡¯ve still been stuck in the soil. ¡°I see¡­ I wonder how the rest is now?¡± Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings as if she wanted to see if anybody else was going to come out. Mu Qinghe and Jiang Yucheng did not say anything. How are we supposed to reply to that? With the muddy situation below¡­ It¡¯ll be hard for them to escape! We actually met with such a thing after just entering the Mystic Forest. Without thinking, most of the thousand-plus people must¡¯ve met with their demise! It was extremely rare for Mu Qinghe to suffer such a loss, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t be in a good mood. Hong long! Another lightning bolt struck. Jiang Yucheng finally recovered his senses, looked up, and focused on it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the ninth-grade fiend that is about to break through?¡± Chapter 703 - Hide Jiang Yucheng¡¯s tone had notes of doubt and shock, but his eyes were filled with unconcealable surprise. He clearly also didn¡¯t expect that after taking a walk around hell, he actually reached this place directly! I bumped into the ninth-grade fiend that is currently enduring the lightning! He kept thinking about it previously, and he could now see it once he looked up. How could he not be happy? Chu Liuyue honestly nodded. He is already here, and the lightning keeps striking. Even an idiot can tell what kind of situation this is. Jiang Yucheng stood up and wanted to walk over. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Lei Laosi is guarding right there. It would really be a wonder if Jiang Yucheng can reach there safely. With his current abilities, he might not even be able to endure ten moves from Lei Laosi. It was still Mu Qinghe who stopped him. ¡°Eldest Young Master, it¡¯s very dangerous there. Let¡¯s stay here and observe what happens.¡± Jiang Yucheng was quite upset in his heart. Chu Liuyue and the rest came over from there previously, but why can¡¯t we go over now? My appearance is already humiliating enough. If we continue hiding here, won¡¯t it show that we¡¯re even more cowardly? Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t listen to him and continued walking forward. But the moment he took two steps forward, he felt a burning sensation in his stomach area. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face immediately paled as he stumbled back and almost fell onto the ground. Mu Qinghe immediately went forward to help him up and furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Eldest Young Master, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Due to the excruciating pain, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s forehead was filled with sweat. His lips were trembling slightly, and he couldn¡¯t say anything. He had also experienced this feeling several times before, but there wasn¡¯t a single time that was as painful as this. It was as if a fire directly pierced through his stomach and entered his dantian. It was also the first time Mu Qinghe saw Jiang Yucheng in such a state, and he thought that the latter was injured by the rolling leaf fir previously. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you should rest a while first. Your health is more important!¡± Even if Jiang Yucheng wanted to reject him, he couldn¡¯t even say anything now. Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. Jiang Yucheng had just forced himself to sit down cross-legged when he felt that burning sensation rapidly disappearing. However, that etching pain still reverberated throughout his mind and didn¡¯t disperse for a long time. Worry and fear finally surfaced in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart. One time might be a coincidence, but what about the second and the third? There must be something wrong with my body! But after much thinking, he still couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly happened. Back then, that ¡®Xia Mu¡¯ just used a brush to leave a bloody hole in my body. In actual fact, it wasn¡¯t a severe wound. As long as I properly recuperated, I should¡¯ve recovered very quickly. But a period of time has passed, and my wound still hasn¡¯t healed. Moreover, this weird burning sensation keeps occurring from time to time. However, Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t dare to expose all of this in front of outsiders, so he could only briefly nod and didn¡¯t say anything much. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that her neck was itchy, so she turned around and saw Tuan Zi pulling at her hair and shaking its tail as if it wanted to go back. I wonder what exactly is there which makes it want to go back so badly¡­ Chu Liuyue patted its head in comfort and looked at Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, why don¡¯t you rest here first, and we¡¯ll go look at that ninth-grade fiend? The Third Princess came this time for the legendary fiend¡¯s blood. If we just miss it like this, won¡¯t it be a pity?¡± Jiang Yucheng wanted to go there himself, but he really couldn¡¯t do anything in his current state. Thus, he nodded and looked at Mu Qinghe. ¡°You should go with them too.¡± Mu Qinghe is stronger, and they will have a higher chance with him there. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Eldest Young Master, your body¡ª¡± Mu Qinghe seemed hesitant. ¡°Just go ahead. I know my own condition myself.¡± Jiang Yucheng looked much sterner. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t hesitate any longer and immediately agreed. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. ¡°With Lieutenant Mu around, we feel much more confident too.¡± Mu Qinghe looked nonchalant and followed the rest over. ¡­ Hearing Chu Liuyue and the rest come back, Lei Laosi turned around to take a look. With this look, he saw Mu Qinghe following behind the few of them. Ferocious murderous intent immediately appeared in Lei Laosi¡¯s eyes. I didn¡¯t see him earlier, but I didn¡¯t expect the incoming person to be him! He held the hammer in his hands tightly, and the force around him strengthened. Mu Qinghe seemed to have noticed something as he suddenly looked up. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. Mu Qinghe immediately felt the intense murderous intent coming from the other party¡ªit was as though the other was going to take action the next moment! He knitted his brows slightly. Who is this? Why does he seem like he has a huge grudge against me? Without waiting for Mu Qinghe to think much, a figure suddenly walked in front and blocked the other party¡¯s vision. It was Chu Liuyue. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. But as if unintentional, Chu Liuyue yelled to that man, ¡°Big Brother Lei!¡± Hearing this, Lei Laosi suddenly recovered his senses, and the ferocious aura in his eyes diminished by quite a bit. However, his expression still made him seem like he wasn¡¯t to be messed with. Chu Liuyue walked to him, smiled, and said, ¡°Big Brother Lei, don¡¯t worry. This is the Lieutenant Mu I mentioned to you earlier. He came here with us, and he has no ill intentions.¡± Lei Laosi looked at Chu Liuyue doubtfully. Her words¡­ She seems to be hiding something? Chu Liuyue looked at Mu Qinghe again and explained, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, this is Big Brother Lei Laosi. He¡¯s in charge of guarding this ninth-grade fiend.¡± Lei Laosi immediately understood Chu Liuyue¡¯s plan. She¡¯s helping me hide my identity? I really can¡¯t expose myself in front of Mu Qinghe now, but¡­ How did Chu Liuyue know that? Many doubts surfaced in Lei Laosi¡¯s heart as he turned and looked in a certain direction before he rapidly retracted his gaze. He then took a deep breath in and suppressed the anger in his heart as he coldly glanced at Mu Qinghe. He snickered. ¡°Another one wants to join in the fun? I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s your lieutenant or whatever. All of you are to stand ten steps away, and you¡¯re not allowed to enter!¡± Mu Qinghe looked at his ferocious appearance and looked at the gigantic rainbow barrier behind him before squinting his eyes slightly. Why would a ninth-grade fiend get humans to help it guard¡­ But this Lei Laosi does seem pretty competent. Within this area that is filled with terrifying suppression, it¡¯s clear that he is moving around with more ease than us. It¡¯s obvious that he has been here for quite a long time, and he might really have some relation to the ninth-grade fiend. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll just watch from here, and we won¡¯t do anything. Lieutenant Mu, am I right?¡± Mu Qinghe paused for a moment and nodded. Lei Laosi coldly chuckled. It¡¯s currently a crucial moment, and there can¡¯t be any mishaps. Mu Qinghe¡­ It¡¯s not too late if I teach him a lesson later! Just as he was about to turn around, his gaze suddenly focused on a figure far away. ¡°Who is that person?¡± Chapter 704 - Dream On! Chu Liuyue thought that he saw Jiang Yucheng and was about to speak when she suddenly heard a panting voice from behind. ¡°Lieutenant Mu?!¡± Recognizing the owner of this voice, Chu Liuyue slightly knitted her brows as frustration surfaced at the corner of her eyes. She lazily turned around to take a look. It¡¯s indeed Elder Qiuxi. The current him looked quite a mess as half of his body was stained with black soil. His face was also scratched by something, causing blood to flow down and look quite horrifying. Compared to Jiang Yucheng, he was just slightly better. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, h-how did you come here?¡± Mu Qinghe raised his feet and walked over. I didn¡¯t hear any sound previously¡­ But Elder Qiuxi went up in a hurry, grabbed his arm, and hurriedly asked, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, have you seen the Third Princess?!¡± Elder Qiuxi didn¡¯t intentionally lower his voice when he said this. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelashes shook slightly. Murderous intent flashed across Lei Laosi¡¯s eyes. The others all quietened down. Mu Qinghe knitted his brows and shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡± Elder Qiuxi was extremely anxious. ¡°What should we do¡­ What should we do?¡± ¡°Elder Qiuxi, don¡¯t panic first. What exactly happened? Weren¡¯t you with Her Highness all along?¡± Elder Qiuxi and Elder Duanmu Chun were different from him¡ªthe two of them came to specifically protect Shangguan Wan. Even if Mu Qinghe and Jiang Yucheng weren¡¯t together with Shangguan Wan, these two elders should be right by her side and not leave her at all. Elder Qiuxi took a deep breath in, and anxiety and nervousness were still written all over his face. ¡°In the beginning, we did fall into that gully with the Third Princess. I believe you also know what kind of situation it is underneath, Lieutenant Mu¡­¡± Mu Qinghe nodded. ¡°Quite a few people actually dropped down with us at that point, including some of the Black Guards and a few disciples, but the mud below was extremely dangerous and terrifying. Quite a few people sank in and didn¡¯t come out again¡­ Originally, we weren¡¯t that far from Her Highness, and we were planning to leave with Her Highness. But in the end¡­ In the end, something happened to the mud, and it suddenly moved¡­¡± Elder Qiuxi swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty as his heart was still horrified when he recalled that scene. ¡°¡­In the end, we were all separated and went our own ways¡­ I don¡¯t know where Her Highness went¡­¡± Even he only managed to grab the chance to escape with much difficulty. Detecting the commotion on this end, he then came over. He saw Mu Qinghe at one glance. As Elder Qiuxi directly came over from the other direction, he didn¡¯t see Jiang Yucheng, who was sitting far on the other end. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, do you think, Her¡ªHer Highness¡­¡± Elder Qiuxi¡¯s old face was filled with worry. That place is very dangerous. I wonder how long Shangguan Wan can hold on for¡­ Mu Qinghe said with a low voice, ¡°Elder Qiuxi, don¡¯t worry too much first. Since there were so many people around, maybe there are still some people with Her Highness. Besides, Her Highness is very fortunate, and she will survive this. Nothing will happen to her.¡± ¡°Yes, the Third Princess is very strong. Even if she really meets with some trouble, she definitely can handle it with ease, don¡¯t you think?¡± A lazy and clear voice suddenly intercepted from the side. Elder Qiuxi looked over in a daze and then saw clearly that the person talking was actually¡­ ¡°Chu Liuyue?! Why are you here?!¡± When Elder Qiuxi saw this face, he felt very annoyed and frustrated, and his gaze became much colder and sharper than before. Chu Liuyue felt that this was a joke. It seems like I¡¯m the first one who came here, right? Why do all these people ask me the same thing? Do I, Chu Liuyue, not deserve to appear here? In a seemingly smiling manner, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Elder Qiuxi, we have been here since the start. It¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t see us because you kept worrying about the Third Princess, but your expression¡­ Do you think what I said was wrong?¡± Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face instantly flushed red. He knew a little about Shangguan Wan¡¯s condition, so when he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words earlier, he instinctively thought that she was mocking the Third Princess. But thinking about it now, what does one Chu Liuyue know? If I admit it, won¡¯t I be saying that something will definitely happen to Shangguan Wan? He harshly waved his sleeves. ¡°Of course, the Third Princess will be fine! You don¡¯t have to state the obvious!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curled up as if she didn¡¯t care about Elder Qiuxi¡¯s terrible attitude at all. Lei Laosi held the hammer in his hands tightly and suppressed his feelings with much difficulty before he turned around to look at the rainbow barrier. They¡¯re really all here! If it weren¡¯t because I have to guard here and Big Brother kept instructing me and telling me not to mess around, I would dig all of Shangguan Wan and the rest up one by one¡ªeven if I had to search the entire Mystic Forest. I would¡¯ve directly hammered their heads and cracked them open respectively. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. Even though she could only see his back view, she could still feel the anger that he was hiding and suppressing. It¡¯s hard on him for tolerating it¡­ Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. If there¡¯s a chance, I really want to talk to Lei Laosi properly. Mu Qinghe advised in a low voice, ¡°Elder Qiuxi, I believe the Third Princess is also nearby since you¡¯re already here. Why don¡¯t we take this place as the center and look around? Perhaps we can find her.¡± Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face was filled with worry. ¡°Sigh¡­ We can only do that then¡­ Oh right, what¡¯s that?¡± He spoke as he pointed toward the rainbow barrier in shock. Previously, he was focused on finding Shangguan Wan, so he didn¡¯t notice anything else. Now that he was slightly more at ease, he discovered that this place¡­ seemed amiss. The suppression contained within that rainbow barrier was more stunning than ever! The key point was that it even triggered the lightning! Isn¡¯t this¡ª ¡°This is the ninth-grade fiend we were finding earlier,¡± Mu Qinghe said lowly. Even though Elder Qiuxi already predicted it, he was still stunned when he personally heard it. He couldn¡¯t help but take two steps forward and stare in front closely. ¡°R-really?¡± I have never seen a legendary fiend before! If this ninth-grade fiend can successfully break through, then¡ª ¡°Elder Qiuxi, aren¡¯t you in a hurry to look for the Third Princess?¡± asked Chu Liuyue lazily. Elder Qiuxi was dazed. ¡°I-I am waiting here first to collect the legendary fiend¡¯s blood¡­ After all, the Third Princess came on this trip just for this! If we miss it, the Third Princess will definitely blame us¡­¡± Whoosh! A black arrow pierced through the air and went straight toward Elder Qiuxi¡¯s brows. At the same time, a furious voice that sounded like thunder exploded by the few people¡¯s ears. ¡°Old thing, dream on!¡± Chapter 705 - Half a Wing! Elder Qiuxi was shocked and immediately retaliated to stop it. Mu Qinghe raised his arm and held up the sword sheath, which coincidentally stopped the black arrow. Ding! A crisp impact sound was heard! Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression changed. The strength encompassed within this arrow was very great, and it directly numbed half his arm. However, he didn¡¯t even stop the arrow completely and only made it deviate from its original target slightly. Elder Qiuxi was infuriated, but he also couldn¡¯t execute any other moves in time. Hence, he could only catch it bare-handed. He did catch the arrow, but his palm seemed to be on fire. Elder Qiuxi¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly, and he wanted to let go immediately. However, there were so many watching in the surroundings. How could he do such a thing? Hence, he could only forcefully tolerate it and silently swallow this suffering. But the arrow was too strong. After it landed in his hands, it didn¡¯t even stop and was still turning crazily. Swoosh! That arrow actually swarmed out of Elder Qiuxi¡¯s hands! As its trajectory was shifted earlier, the arrow still flew past his head in the end, closely nearing his skin. Elder Qiuxi felt that his scalp was almost scraped apart, but what pained him the most at this point wasn¡¯t the pain from his scalp, but¡ª He slightly opened his hands and quickly took a look¡ªhis palm was already badly mangled. Elder Qiuxi¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat. If that arrow really pierced through my glabella¡­ I¡¯m afraid my life would¡¯ve been lost! After the shock, he was scared. Then, he was furious. Elder Qiuxi felt that his entire heart was overwhelmed with extreme rage, which almost made him crazy. He raised his head angrily and stared at Lei Laosi with a deadly gaze. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Lei Laosi raised his hands, and the arrow turned and returned to his hands. He glanced at it and wiped it against his rough clothes in disgust before putting it back into his container. It was as if it was stained with something dirty. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to tell you that with me, Lei Laosi, around, nobody shall think of entering this barrier!¡± said Lei Laosi as he glared at Elder Qiuxi with warning. The corner of his eyes turned red, and his entire face was furious. It could be seen that he was indeed infuriated. Without a doubt, whoever went forward would immediately get their hearts pierced through. The entire scene was quiet for a moment. Even Elder Qiuxi¡ªwho had suffered greatly¡ªtook a while before he recovered his senses. He opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t know how to retort. This Lei Laosi¡¯s abilities¡­ are definitely above all of us! Elder Qiuxi was a very prideful person and loved to fight for the front for everything. But in the face of danger, he also knew how to lower his head and give in. He had no choice as he was the weaker one. Elder Qiuxi tried his best to make his expression look more natural, but his stiff face still betrayed him and showed his nervousness and fear at this moment. ¡°W-who are you? Why are you so arrogant? Is this ninth-grade fiend yours?¡± Lei Laosi looked at him with a gaze as if he were looking at a dead person. ¡°It seems like you didn¡¯t suffer enough just now?¡± He spoke and acted as if he was going to ready his bow again. Elder Qiuxi¡¯s heart trembled, and he unwittingly took half a step back. Chu Liuyue glanced at him, and her lips curled up. She didn¡¯t laugh out loud, but who couldn¡¯t notice her mocking intent? Elder Qiuxi instantly felt humiliated and felt that his entire reputation was tarnished. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go find the Third Princess first¡­¡± Then, he turned around to leave without hesitation. Even after walking a distance, Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face didn¡¯t recover. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been humiliated to this extent! Mu Qinghe looked at Lei Laosi, and his gaze deepened. When Lei Laosi took action just now, he clearly wanted to kill him¡­ Who exactly is he? He acted so ruthlessly because he felt that he was offended, or¡­ because of something else? Hong long! Another lightning bolt struck. Chu Liuyue turned around and focused on it. This was already the fifth bolt of lightning¡ªthe fiend had already endured half of the nine bolts of lightning. Meanwhile, the transparent portion of the barrier also expanded to almost half the total height. But the weird thing was that until now, the crowd still couldn¡¯t see what that fiend looked like. Chu Liuyue examined it in detail, and suddenly, her gaze focused. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ that?¡± Hearing her voice, the few of them followed her gaze and looked over. A wilted orange¡­ tree bark?! ¡°That looks like a tree!¡± Ye Ranran¡¯s eyes were sharp, and she was the first to speak. Actually, Chu Liuyue saw it too. In the centermost position of that barrier seemed to be a gigantic and thick rolling leaf fir. At the start, they could only see a pile of fallen leaves and the extended roots, but they could now see part of the tree trunk. This tree was even more magnificent and taller than all the other trees they had seen before. Chu Liuyue took a close look and realized that even if five people hugged the tree together, it wouldn¡¯t even be enough. But isn¡¯t it a ninth-grade fiend that¡¯s trying to break through inside this barrier? Why did a tree suddenly appear out of nowhere? Following the flashing of the lights above, it was also very hard for the crowd to clearly see what was inside other than the tree. Luckily, the rainbow light on the barrier kept gathering upward. Another portion of the barrier became transparent underneath, and the suppression became increasingly strong. It was obvious that the fiend had successfully endured the fifth bolt of lightning. Hula¡ª The sound of a wing flapping was suddenly heard. A large shadow reflected against the barrier, outlining half its exterior. Mu Hongyu gasped. ¡°That really is a wing! It must be that fiend¡¯s!¡± She couldn¡¯t conceal her excitement as she shouted to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, that¡¯s what we saw!¡± She finished her sentence, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t respond to her. Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but turn around to look at the other and realized that Chu Liuyue was staring right at that barrier with a face filled with shock. ¡°Liuyue, Liuyue? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Hongyu gently pushed her shoulders uneasily and asked softly. All the blood in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body seemed to have frozen, and she opened her mouth with much difficulty. ¡°Did you see¡­ the color of that wing?¡± Mu Hongyu paused. ¡°Color? I think¡­ I think it¡¯s rainbow, right? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart shook. That half a wing just now¡­ I¡¯m more familiar with it than ever! That¡¯s.. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s wing! Chapter 706 - Agitation! Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body stiffened, and only her heart was beating wildly, almost jumping out of her mouth. Her entire mind was blank! I was forced to a place of no return at the start, so I decided to burn myself to commit suicide. But before that, I purposely let the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant go. Normally speaking, the fiends in an agreement with the owner will definitely meet with their demise when the latter dies. At that time, Chu Liuyue forcefully dissolved the agreement between them, hoping that her choice would not affect it. However, the situation was very urgent, and even Chu Liuyue herself didn¡¯t know what exactly happened in the end. She had previously indirectly asked around, and the news she got was that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant was already dead! Even though Chu Liuyue was devastated, she gradually accepted it and buried it at the bottom of her heart. Originally, she thought that this incident would pass like this forever and that nobody would recall that there was once a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant that accompanied her for many years in this world. But now¡­ The half a wing that suddenly appeared stunned Chu Liuyue. A very ridiculous thought popped up in her mind. Perhaps, maybe, probably¡­ The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant from back then is actually still alive?! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even blink as she stared straight at that rainbow barrier. Yes, this barrier is also rainbow! Upon closer inspection, isn¡¯t this the exact same color as the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant?! Chu Liuyue clenched her hands even more tightly in her sleeves, and her heart seemed to be hanging up high. Her chest was empty, but it felt like something was crazily pressing against it. It was so uncomfortable that she couldn¡¯t speak. If the ninth-grade fiend inside is really¡­ But¡ªwhat if it¡¯s not? Chu Liuyue¡¯s knuckles turned white, and fear started appearing after intense waves of hope and desire. Even though Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasants are rare, there isn¡¯t only that one in the world. The two thoughts kept killing each other in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. One was thinking: What if it is? Perhaps the heavens really took pity on me and returned my fiend to me. The other was thinking: How can there be such a coincidental thing in the world? If it¡¯s not, won¡¯t I be happy for nothing? Sometimes, giving one hope and then disappointing them was even more unbearable than never giving them hope. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned dry, and something seemed to be stuck in her throat as her limbs became icy cold. I have already lost too much, and I don¡¯t want to suffer such pain again. Mu Hongyu saw that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t right and felt worried in her heart. ¡°Liuyue¡­ What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± She had never seen Chu Liuyue reveal such an expression. It was as though the latter expected something and also as if she feared something. Is she looking at the fiend inside the rainbow barrier? But¡­ Didn¡¯t she only see half its wing? Chu Liuyue lightly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± How does she look like she¡¯s fine? Mu Hongyu pressed her lips against each other. Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to want to say more and that all her attention was on the fiend that was about to break through, she could only swallow her remaining words. Forget it. I¡¯ll ask her exactly what¡¯s going on later. Suddenly, from the corner of Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes, she unintentionally saw a rainbow light flash across Tuan Zi¡¯s body when it stayed squatting on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. It disappeared instantly. Mu Hongyu blinked and took another look carefully, but she realized that the light had disappeared. Tuan Zi was still the original Tuan Zi, and its fur was still red. It didn¡¯t look like it had changed. Perhaps I saw wrongly¡­ Mu Hongyu rubbed her eyes. I¡¯ve been staring at this colorful barrier for too long, and it seems like I¡¯m hallucinating. Tuan Zi silently leaned in toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t turn around as she instinctively patted its back. If she turned around to take a look, she would see that Tuan Zi was closing its eyes. A faint ray of light was shining past its glabella, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see any of this. She only looked up. Within the thick layer of tumbling dark clouds, the sixth bolt of lightning had already gathered. Now, she was even more anxious than anyone else. She wanted the rest of the lightning to come down together. As long as all the rays of light disappeared from the rainbow barrier, making it become transparent, she could see what was happening within. She would also know¡­ if the fiend that was breaking through inside was the one that she guessed. The waiting time seemed especially torturous. Chu Liuyue silently calculated in her heart. Finally¡ª Hong long! The sixth bolt of lightning suddenly struck! ¡­ Hong! Hong! Hong! The strength of every lightning bolt was greater than the previous one. When the sixth bolt of lightning landed, it directly tore through the sky. Behind it, the strictly black space cracked open in midair as it quickly landed. The violent energy¡¯s side-effects spread in all directions and leveled everything in the surroundings¡ªthe trees within miles were all flipped over. Even Lei Laosi¡ªwho was stationed at the front¡ªwas so shocked that he retreated three steps. He silently cursed, and his hammer slammed against the ground harshly. A barrier instantly appeared in front of him. He then turned around and crudely yelled at Chu Liuyue and the rest, ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Hurry up and back away!¡± Do you have a death wish by standing so close? I need to stay here and guard this, but why are all of them joining in? Whoosh! An invisible wave came rushing straight for Chu Liuyue! Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s expression turned slightly cold, and he immediately went forward. Peacock-blue fire flashed across. Boom! Both forces slammed against each other ferociously. Mu Hongyu immediately pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm and wanted to bring the latter to retreat. ¡°Liuyue, let¡¯s go!¡± This position is way too dangerous! But Chu Liuyue suddenly grabbed her friend¡¯s hands before she slowly removed them with determination. ¡°You guys can go back first.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Mu Hongyu was astonished. What does that mean? ¡°You don¡¯t want to retreat with us¡ªyou still want to stay here?!¡± Chu Liuyue stared straight at the rainbow barrier in front fixedly. The surrounding lights glistened, and it was so glaring that one couldn¡¯t even open their eyes. However, she could still clearly see the rainbow colors in the middle of the barrier rapidly fading away. She could already see the branches of that very thick rolling leaf fir. As long as¡­ As long as it goes up a bit more¡­ ¡°Liuyue!¡± Mu Hongyu urged her friend again and grabbed her hands. Ye Ranran also advised, ¡°Liuyue, the later lightning bolts will only become stronger! We should move back and leave some distance first!¡± No matter what Chu Liuyue wants to do, she needs to protect her life first, right? Chu Liuyue looked at Qiang Wanzhou in front and softly and rapidly commanded, ¡°Little Zhou, bring the two of them back first!¡± Qiang Wanzhou turned around, and his intricate brows were filled with shock. But looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s determined expression, he pressed his lips against each other and lightly nodded. Since it¡¯s her command, then I naturally must obey it unconditionally. Qiang Wanzhou rapidly moved and pulled both Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran back. The two of them weren¡¯t Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s match at all as they were simply brought away. Hong long! The seventh bolt of lightning harshly struck down! Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly and took a step forward. Chapter 707 - Rainbow When Lei Laosi heard the commotion, he turned around to take a look and saw that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t retreat but took another step forward. He was instantly infuriated to the point his face contorted. ¡°Little girl, are you tired of living?!¡± At this time, others can¡¯t even escape in time, but she even went forward! She really doesn¡¯t care about her life at all! But Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t look hesitant at all as her gem-like eyes sparkled with more determination and a sharper aura than ever. Lei Laosi was about to continue scolding, but he was stunned when he saw her expression. Her beautiful face was filled with stubbornness, and her brows had a tinge of unconcealable dignity. It was as though she was saying that nobody in the world could stop her from doing what she wanted. This kind of expression, this kind of demeanor, and this kind of high and mighty aura that makes one bow down to her¡­ Lei Laosi had only seen this in one person. The current Chu Liuyue looked like a different person compared to the previous cunningly smiling one. For some reason, Lei Laosi suddenly felt that this face seemed to gradually merge with a certain face in his memory. He harshly shook his head. Am I crazy?! How can I compare Chu Liuyue and Her Highness? However¡­ But once this thought surfaced, it was as though it was planted into the bottom of his heart. He couldn¡¯t remove it no matter what. Just as he was hesitating, Chu Liuyue took another step forward. She was previously standing ten steps away from the barrier, and now, she was even closer. ¡°You¡­¡± Lei Laosi wanted to advise her even more, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze suddenly turned, and she glanced at him. That glance was extremely light and extremely nonchalant, but a chill suddenly ran down Lei Laosi¡¯s spine as if he was nailed to the ground. He swallowed his remaining words. She looks like¡­ That glance¡ªshe really looks like her! It¡¯s to the extent where there was one moment, I almost¡ª ¡°Is that Chu Liuyue crazy?! Is she crazy?!¡± Elder Qiuxi¡ªwho previously said that he wanted to leave to find Shangguan Wan¡ªwas still standing not far away as he glared at Chu Liuyue in shock and anger. The hand that was pointing at her was trembling like a vine. Mu Qinghe knitted his brows. Whatever Chu Liuyue is doing, it¡¯s all her business. What has it got to do with other people? The only reason why Elder Qiuxi is so angry is that he¡¯s worried Chu Liuyue will enjoy the benefits of a favorable position with her being closer to the fiend. He moved a few steps back and calmly said, ¡°Elder Qiuxi, if something really happens to her, you can only blame her for not cherishing her life. Why must you be this agitated? Besides, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to go find the Third Princess?¡± Elder Qiuxi was stumped for a moment. I did want to find Shangguan Wan, b-but the ninth-grade fiend is right here! His face flushed red, and he took a while to retort. ¡°I was just worried that Chu Liuyue would spoil things because of her greed!¡± The Mu Hongyu trio had already retreated to the back at this moment, and they coincidentally heard Elder Qiuxi¡¯s words clearly. Mu Hongyu was originally very worried about Chu Liuyue, and she was even more enraged when she heard that. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, right? What right do you have to talk about Liuyue? What do you mean by ¡®spoil things because of her greed?¡¯ That¡¯s a grand ninth-grade fiend. What can Liuyue do about it? You¡¯re overestimating Liuyue too much, aren¡¯t you?¡± We¡¯re so afraid of Liuyue meeting with danger, yet he¡¯s saying such things?! Elder Qiuxi furiously said, ¡°W-what thing are you?! How dare you talk back to me like this?!¡± Ye Ranran kindly explained, ¡°Elder Qiuxi, this is Mu Hongyu. She¡¯s a newly accepted disciple from Dragon Teeth Mountain.¡± Elder Qiuxi immediately felt silent. In the entire Xi Ling, who doesn¡¯t know that Jian Shuye dotes on his disciples a lot? If I really offend him, I¡¯ll cause a lot of trouble for myself¡­ Elder Qiuxi suppressed his anger and felt very stifled. He waved his sleeves and angrily yelled, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. It¡¯s wrong for Chu Liuyue to do this! If we can¡¯t take the legendary¡ª¡± Speaking of this, Elder Qiuxi suddenly recalled what happened earlier and instantly felt that his palms hurt even more. He moved his lips twice and changed the topic. ¡°If we can¡¯t successfully complete the mission this time, Chu Liuyue must take up all the responsibility alone!¡± How unreasonable! Mu Hongyu was so angry that she directly laughed. Ye Ranran¡¯s chubby face also looked very stern. Even Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho had been looking at Chu Liuyue all along¡ªturned around and glanced at Elder Qiuxi coldly. Elder Qiuxi felt that his entire body was chilly, and his heart turned cold for some reason. Ye Ranran said, ¡°Elder Qiuxi, why don¡¯t you go over yourself if you really care so much about the Third Princess? This way, you don¡¯t have to worry about Liuyue messing up and affecting that legendary fiend. What do you think?¡± Elder Qiuxi was stumped, and his blood was boiling. Finally, he said, ¡°It¡¯s already risky enough for one Chu Liuyue to go over. How can I go over too?! It¡¯s only right for us to observe the changes quietly!¡± Mu Hongyu snorted. The surroundings fell into an eerie silence. Elder Qiuxi also detected that his words were very useless, and his face flashed white and red. Mu Qinghe finally spoke. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, why don¡¯t you go over there and see how the Eldest Young Master is? Perhaps he has a way to contact the Third Princess.¡± Elder Qiuxi turned around and took a look; then, he vaguely saw a figure in the distance. T-that¡¯s Jiang Yucheng? ¡°Why is the Eldest Young Master there?¡± ¡°He¡¯s injured, and he¡¯s resting for now,¡± Mu Qinghe explained. ¡°If you go over, you can protect the Eldest Young Master at the same time.¡± Elder Qiuxi was really speechless this time. Rather than being so awkward here, why don¡¯t I leave first!? Elder Qiuxi thought for a moment and appeared to be worried. ¡°In such a situation, how can I leave the Eldest Young Master alone? I¡¯ll go first!¡± Then, he really went over. On the one hand, he really didn¡¯t want to see Mu Hongyu and the rest again. On the other hand, the position Jiang Yucheng was at wasn¡¯t very far away from here. If something really happened here, he could rapidly rush over. Of course, the key point was still: He felt that Chu Liuyue was courting death by going over and that she couldn¡¯t cause any trouble. Then, there really was nothing to worry about. After he left, the remaining few people finally had their peace. But Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing in front¡ªhad no idea that this was all going on. Two-thirds of the gigantic barrier had already become transparent. From Chu Liuyue¡¯s position, she could already see the branches that were growing out from the thick trunk. It was as though something was on this tree¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but move forward again. The eighth bolt of lightning suddenly struck down. Hong long! The bright, dazzling light almost illuminated the entire place. Whatever Chu Liuyue could see was covered in white light, but in that vast white color, a brilliant rainbow light was still there silently. Almost all the rainbow color seemed to disappear from the barrier, leaving only the circle at the top. A beautiful feather floated down. Chapter 708 - Not Mine Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. That¡¯s the feather of a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant! The previous faint fragrance abruptly became intense, and now, there suddenly seemed to be an invisible screen that cracked in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Right! This smell¡ªisn¡¯t it the special smell that only comes from a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant? Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasants had very special physical features. Their bodies contained a portion of a legendary fiend¡¯s bloodline strength. When they used this bloodline strength, they would exude this type of aura and smell to the surroundings. The greater the bloodline strength, the stronger the smell. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips turned dry, and she watched on without blinking, her heart beating wildly. Following the strong smell spreading around, Chu Liuyue¡¯s boiling heart gradually turned cold. She remembered that her own Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant didn¡¯t have such a rich bloodline strength. Even when its abilities were at its peak, the smell it had wasn¡¯t half as strong as this. It seems like¡­ the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant here isn¡¯t mine¡­ Even though she was already long prepared, indescribable loss and bitterness still swarmed up Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart when she learned of the answer. Lei Laosi¡¯s barrier shook violently, and it couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. He secretly felt anxious. When the strength of the eighth lightning bolt was absorbed by that fellow, even I couldn¡¯t defend against the terrifying energy. Besides, there¡¯s still the ninth bolt of lightning. Seeing this scenario, I don¡¯t need to guard this place by that time¡­ A thought popped up in Lei Laosi¡¯s mind, and he looked at Chu Liuyue. I must advise this girl to leave as soon as possible! If something really happens¡ª He suddenly felt dazed when he discovered that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t move forward. On the other hand, she stood rooted to the ground, and her expression¡­ was strange. It was like she was heartbroken but also relieved. ¡°Girl, what are you thinking?! Hurry up and leave!¡± Lei Laosi didn¡¯t care about much as he yelled loudly. Her lips unwittingly curled up as if she was mocking herself. That¡¯s right! What am I thinking? Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan were so ruthless toward my people, so why would they let my fiend off? Besides, this is Dahuang Swamp. It¡¯s miles away from Xi Ling. Why would it be here¡­ It¡¯s all my one-sided hallucination. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and looked up calmly. At this point, the strength of the eighth lightning bolt had gradually dissipated. She could roughly see the situation within the barrier. On top of the brown branch were two sharp, red claws. Further up was a pile of tidy rainbow feathers. Hula- That pile of rainbow feathers suddenly moved¡ªit was a pair of brilliant and powerful wings. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and felt her entire body relax. Without a doubt, the fiend inside is indeed a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. ¡­ ¡°Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant?!¡± The moment they saw the fiend inside the barrier, even Mu Qinghe¡ªwho had always been calm and composed¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes and gasp out loud. Even though he only saw a pair of claws and wings, he could already confirm that this was a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. All the blood in his body seemed to freeze as his entire person was stunned. He couldn¡¯t recover from his trance for a long time. H-how can it be¡ª Countless possibilities had popped up in his mind, but he had never guessed this. He almost instinctively sealed up that person and everything related to her. After all, everyone in the Tianling Dynasty knew that the fiend the Princess had an agreement with was a ninth-grade Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. This type of fiend was born as a ninth-grade fiend, and it had feathers with nine different colors. As it grew older and stronger, the colors of its feathers would slowly become more intense and brighter. Almost at that moment, a very ridiculous thought popped up in his mind. However, he immediately rejected it. How is that possible? That fiend definitely didn¡¯t survive! The one here must be some other Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant! From this commotion and this smell, it¡¯s definitely not the one I¡¯m familiar with. But even though he thought this way, Mu Qinghe still felt faintly uneasy. He also didn¡¯t know where this uneasiness came from, but he just felt that something was about to happen¡­ ¡­ The Qiang Wanzhou trio also saw the same scene. Even though they didn¡¯t know what a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant was, they heard the sentence Mu Qinghe yelled out very clearly. Mu Hongyu asked with some confusion, ¡°Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant? What kind of fiend is that?¡± She always didn¡¯t know much about such things. Ye Ranran also looked very shocked as she took a deep breath in to calm herself down. Then, she softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? In the past, the Princess¡¯s fiend was a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. But when the Princess passed away back then, the fiend must¡¯ve died too. This¡­ should be another Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant.¡± She didn¡¯t think much about it. This was because even though the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant was very famous, she had only personally seen it twice, and it was all from a distance away. She only confirmed that it was a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant after hearing what Mu Qinghe said. Mu Hongyu widened her almond-like eyes. ¡°I see! I was still wondering what kind of fiend is this amazing!¡± She had heard some rumors regarding that Princess. In Mu Hongyu¡¯s memory, she was the genius among geniuses¡ªthe legend among legends. The fiend that she had an agreement with must be something formidable as well. Look, a random Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant is also one that is about to break through and become a legendary fiend! She turned her eyes and silently asked, ¡°Oh yes, since the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant clan is all so formidable, then¡­ Could the one that the Princess had back then become a legendary fiend too?¡± Ye Ranran glanced at Mu Qinghe, who was not far away. Everyone was actually pretty strong, and they were quite near each other. So no matter how softly they spoke, the others could also hear it. Mu Qinghe definitely knew that they were talking about this¡­ But only the side of his face was facing them, and they couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. Ye Ranran hesitantly nodded. ¡°I heard so¡­ You might not know, but the Princess didn¡¯t force the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant to make an agreement with her. It flew over on its own and willingly became the Princess¡¯s fiend¡­ But all of this happened when the Princess was young. In the end¡­ That fiend accompanied the Princess for many years, and it became stronger and stronger. According to rumors, that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant had intentions of breaking through before the thing happened to the Princess¡­ But nobody expected¡­¡± Nobody expected that the Princess would fall afterward, and even that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant wasn¡¯t lucky enough to survive. What a pity. Mu Hongyu revealed a regretful expression. ¡°That¡¯s really¡­ Liuyue? Why did you come back?¡± Just as she was being emotional, she unintentionally looked up and saw Chu Liuyue walking toward her. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have much of an expression on her face, but she was exuding a lonely and devastating aura for some reason. Didn¡¯t she want to see that fiend break through? Why¡ª Chu Liuyue lightly shook her head, and her lips even curled up slightly. However, her smiling intent did not reach her eyes. I should¡¯ve thought of it earlier¡­ Hong long! The ninth bolt of lightning finally landed! At the same time, a figure suddenly rushed out from another direction and went straight for that barrier. Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around. Shangguan Wan! Chapter 709 - Good Tuan Zi Shangguan Wan hid her aura perfectly, so well that nobody present had detected her existence when she suddenly appeared. Hence, it shocked everyone when her figure invaded their vision. Her body was slightly stained with dirty soil, but it wasn¡¯t a lot. It could be ignored when compared to Jiang Yucheng and Elder Qiuxi. At first glance, it was just that her hair was a little messy, and her face had a few drops of blood. At this time, she was rushing toward that barrier at full speed. She clearly wanted to take down the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant that was breaking through! Her surrounding aura strengthened, and she actually reached peak stage-seven warrior! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes, and cold intent flashed across the corner of her eyes. Peak stage-seven¡­ Shangguan Wan¡¯s Yuan meridian is destroyed, yet she can still disguise herself with such a cultivation level¡­ She must¡¯ve used quite a bit of effort. Seeing that she was getting increasingly near to that barrier, hatred overwhelmed Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Even though this Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant has nothing to do with me, I still don¡¯t want to see Shangguan Wan succeed. Shangguan Wan doesn¡¯t have the right to snatch the fiend that is of the same clan as the fiend I once had. Other people think that Shangguan Wan just came for the so-called legendary fiend blood, but I clearly know that this isn¡¯t her only motive. Want to make an agreement with a legendary fiend¡­ You need to see if you have the capability and luck first! Chu Liuyue paused in her tracks, and an idea popped up in her mind. When Lei Laosi¡ªwho was standing closest to the barrier¡ªheard this commotion, he immediately turned around to take a look. With just one glance, he saw Shangguan Wan, who was rushing over ferociously. Lei Laosi was instantly enraged. Great! I didn¡¯t even go to find them, yet all of them came to me one by one! Lei Laosi harshly stomped his right foot, and his burly figure immediately flew up. He was extremely fast, and he only left a vague figure in his original spot when he already rushed to Shangguan Wan. At the same time, he pulled the bowstring back and shot. His series of actions was very smooth. Whoosh! The black arrow immediately flew out and pierced through the air. Actually, Shangguan Wan had been waiting in the forest beside them for quite some time. After she was separated from Elder Qiuxi and the rest, she was trapped with a dozen-plus Black Guards and five or six disciples in the same place. It was also thanks to them that she could successfully escape from that hell hole. Of course, those people were forever left in that dirty, rotting mud after she came out. Then, she started walking around the forest aimlessly in search of people who were left alone. But not long later, she heard the commotion coming from this area. When she saw the lightning that continuously struck down, what else did she not understand? At that moment, she didn¡¯t care about finding people any longer as she rushed over without hesitation. After she came here, she didn¡¯t recklessly go forward as she waited from afar for a chance to come. From her position, she could see Lei Laosi and that bunch of people. She even saw Elder Qiuxi and Jiang Yucheng¡ªwho had come later. But due to her meticulousness, she didn¡¯t come out in the end and just waited patiently. At times like this, her brain was always very smart. Finally¡­ She waited for the ninth bolt of lightning! This was the best chance, and it was also the only chance. This was because the ninth-grade fiend¡¯s defenses were at their weakest at this time. Thus, she rushed out without hesitation! However, she didn¡¯t expect that Lei Laosi was even faster! He actually blocked her path! Facing the black arrow coming toward her glabella, Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes darkened as she lightly flung her wrist. A black shield immediately appeared in front of her. Ding! When the black arrow harshly struck the black shield, it made a crisp sound, and the arrowhead directly bent. On the other hand, not even a scratch was left behind on that black shield. Seeing the black shield that Shangguan Wan suddenly produced, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. On the other end, Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression turned slightly cold, and a conflicted feeling flashed across his eyes rapidly. I didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Wan to take even that as her own¡­ Shangguan Wan coldly sneered. ¡°It¡¯s just a small toy! No matter who you are, make way immediately! If you spoil my plans, I won¡¯t let you off easily!¡± Dahuang Swamp was also the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s territory. Hence, she still had the most distinguished status in this place. The sensible ones would normally already be stunned as they humbly made way for her. Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression was filled with pride as she looked at Lei Laosi in a high and mighty manner as if she were looking like an ant. However, her imagined scenario didn¡¯t happen. Not only did Lei Laosi not look fearful at all, but he even looked angrier. His gaze swept across the black shield in front of Shangguan Wan, and his anger almost rushed to the roof! How can there be such a shameless person in this world?! How can she be worthy of using this black shield?! ¡°What are you?! How dare you be unreasonable here?!¡± He put away all the arrows in his hands and changed to his hammer. Without speaking further, he held it up high, and the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force rapidly gathered! He tensed up his firm muscles, and the surrounding aura was ferocious as it kept intensifying crazily! Finally, it stopped at beginner stage-eight warrior. Shangguan Wan was shocked. This Lei Laosi actually hid his abilities previously! Beginner stage-eight¡­ How can I be his match?! The two fell into a stalemate. ¡­ At this point, Chu Liuyue was thinking of how to stop Shangguan Wan. Suddenly, she felt a light breeze by her ear. She was shocked when she saw a red figure suddenly rush out¡ªit similarly ran toward that barrier! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± hollered Chu Liuyue, but she couldn¡¯t stop Tuan Zi. Without thinking, she also turned around and followed it. When a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant breaks through and becomes a legendary fiend, the aftershocks they cause are terrifying. Judging by the smell, this Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s bloodline strength is extremely great, and it¡¯s basically about to succeed in breaking through! With such a formidable bloodline suppression, Tuan Zi would be courting death by going over! Just as Chu Liuyue was about to follow it worriedly, Lei Laosi also detected the situation here. ¡°Oh my lord! None of you can keep still!¡± I definitely had to stop Shangguan Wan from barging inside, but what¡¯s with Chu Liuyue? Didn¡¯t she want to leave previously? Does she think that she can safely barge into the barrier with her low-level skills? ¡°Stupid girl, get back immediately!¡± Lei Laosi couldn¡¯t hold it in and directly blurted out roughly. Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t listen at all and kept rushing toward the barrier crazily without even stopping, Lei Laosi was even more anxious. F*ck, that Chu Liuyue has a death wish herself. Why am I panicking for her?! Lei Laosi was scolding himself in his heart as he yelled in another direction, ¡°Big Brother! Do something!¡± Shangguan Wan saw that Chu Liuyue was rushing toward this place, and her lungs were about to explode from anger. Such a lowly being, yet she wants to have the legendary fiend?! Dream on! She took this chance, turned her feet, and rushed in another direction. Chu Liuyue heard all the commotion crystal clear. But I just want to bring Tuan Zi back! A terrifying side-effect with brilliant light suddenly spread from the barrier! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Swoosh! Tuan Zi moved its figure and directly dove into the rainbow-colored energy wave! Chapter 710 - Reunion! Tuan Zi¡¯s figure instantly disappeared, and the energy wave that was about to hit Chu Liuyue seemed to be stopped by a large invisible hand as it quickly retracted. Confused, Chu Liuyue looked at the empty space in front of her and the barrier that faintly shone with a few ripples. W-what¡¯s going on¡­ Not only did Tuan Zi disappear, but even the energy that spread to this point can be retracted? Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and took another close look to confirm that she wasn¡¯t seeing things. Everything that happened previously¡­ is real! Tuan Zi actually¡­ barged in safely? She clearly saw that when Tuan Zi entered, it didn¡¯t suffer any threat or harm. It was as if¡­ As if it entered naturally like it¡¯s a no man¡¯s land. But at this point, Chu Liuyue could still clearly feel the tremendous suppression coming from the barrier. Why did Tuan Zi¡ª At this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a wave of energy circling her. She knitted her brows and immediately wanted to retaliate, but she suddenly realized something as she was about to make a move and turned around to look. A man stood in the woods. That man was tall and big, and his back and shoulders were straight. Like Lei Laosi, he was wearing sack clothes. He looked like he was in his thirties, and his appearance was normal. When placed in a crowd, he definitely couldn¡¯t be identified. At this point, he was staring straight at Chu Liuyue. To be more accurate, he was staring at the place where Tuan Zi disappeared in front of Chu Liuyue. In his narrow slits, his gaze deepened as if it was a dark and quiet well that was unaffected. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled suddenly. This man¡¯s gaze seems a bit familiar¡­ This should be the ¡®Big Brother¡¯ that Lei Laosi was referring to. That man waved his sleeves, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s body uncontrollably moved a distance. In the blink of an eye, she was a few steps away from that man. Then, the energy silently disappeared. The two of them looked at each other. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. This man¡¯s abilities definitely aren¡¯t weaker than that of Lei Laosi. He might even be stronger than him! Who are these two people? Why would they guard a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant in such a dangerous and deserted Mystic Forest? From the moment she saw the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s wing, she knew that its abilities were formidable and that it didn¡¯t even need these two people to guard them. Even if it¡¯s to ensure that it is well-protected while it¡¯s breaking through to become a legendary fiend, as a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant, countless fiends would pounce forward to help it with just one command. Why must it choose two humans? Even though these two are indeed quite strong, judging from the current situation, both men aren¡¯t the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s master. No matter if one considers it from the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s perspective or the duo¡¯s perspective, this incident is very strange. Just as Chu Liuyue was thinking about this, the man opposite scrutinized her silently. ¡°Is that blood ferret the fiend you have an agreement with?¡± he asked. His tone was calm, but his voice was a little hoarse. Chu Liuyue nodded. Who can¡¯t tell this? Isn¡¯t it obvious? Upon seeing this, the man squinted his narrow eyes, and something rippled in his eyes. Chu Liuyue felt that something was off. This man¡­ seems to be looking at my face? What¡¯s there to look at on my face? For someone who could reach such a cultivation level, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t think that he was tempted because of her appearance. It seemed like he was seeing another person through her. ¡°Your fiend is pretty interesting,¡± he said with a laugh. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t guess what he meant at that moment, so she decisively looked up and stared straight at him. ¡°You can just directly ask whatever you want to know.¡± That man raised his brows slightly as if he didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be this direct. He then raised his hands suddenly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression changed slightly. For some reason, she didn¡¯t feel threatened or uneasy at all even though she knew that this man was very strong, to the extent that he could kill her with one move. It seemed like she¡­ was sure that the other party wouldn¡¯t hurt her for some reason. She had always been meticulous. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t feel this way toward a stranger that suddenly showed up. Chu Liuyue looked into his eyes, and a white light suddenly flashed across her mind. Hang on! Could this man be¡ª ¡°Even the two of us can¡¯t enter this barrier.¡± The man in front suddenly spoke when his hand brushed past Chu Liuyue¡¯s ear and pointed behind her. Boom! A sudden impact sound was heard. Chu Liuyue suppressed her feelings and turned around to take a look. But it was Lei Laosi who stopped Shangguan Wan once again. The two people held short weapons, and they started fighting! Shangguan Wan took a step first, but Lei Laosi was stronger. They dealt with each other, and they kept ending up in a stalemate. Of course, Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t as good as him. She quickly became disadvantaged and was repeatedly defeated by Lei Laosi. If it weren¡¯t for her black shield, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to take it early on. Seeing that she was about to fail, Shangguan Wan hurriedly turned around and begged for help from Mu Qinghe and Elder Qiuxi. ¡°Lieutenant Mu! Elder Qiuxi! What are you doing there? Quickly, come and help me!¡± Elder Qiuxi only hesitated for a moment before immediately going forward. But the moment he took a step out, a light flashed before his body. Something brushed past the tip of his nose and landed! A fiery sensation came over, which made Elder Qiuxi instinctively take a step back. Chu! He looked down and saw a palm-sized metal plate that pierced into the ground in front of him. If it were a little off, his feet would¡¯ve been destroyed! Elder Qiuxi¡¯s entire body broke out into cold sweat. It¡¯s just a deserted metal plate, yet it has such formidable strength. This man¡¯s abilities¡­ are indeed terrifying! Jiang Yucheng sat down cross-legged behind Elder Qiuxi. He was resting at the side and finally waited until the excruciating pain in his stomach disappeared before he simply treated his wounds. He finally managed to tidy his body¡¯s force with much difficulty and recovered a portion of his abilities. Seeing Shangguan Wan come over, he was upset in his heart but didn¡¯t show it. Just as he was about to walk over with Elder Qiuxi, he met with this attack. Jiang Yucheng stood up, looked at the man that suddenly appeared, and slowly knitted his brows. There are only a few people with such abilities in the Tianling Dynasty! Who exactly is this person¡ª Hong! Hong! Hong! A shockingly loud sound came from within the barrier. The last circle of rainbow light at the top was rapidly dispersing. Under everyone¡¯s stares, the large barrier finally became completely transparent. The gigantic and thick rolling leaf fir stood up straight, and a beautiful and distinguished Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant stood above. It was like the brilliant evening light shining from the sky¡ªextremely elegant and stunning. There was a slight burn mark on its body, but it was rapidly healing. Its aura was also strengthening swiftly! It was about to break through and become a legendary fiend! Suddenly, that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant slowly lowered its head and looked at Chu Liuyue. As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. The two of them exchanged glances. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart shook, and a shout jumped out of her throat! ¡°Little Nine!¡± Chapter 711 - Little Nine, it’s Me! Chapter 711: Little Nine, it¡¯s Me! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Even though times had changed and many things were different, Chu Liuyue could still recognize at first glance that it was the Little Nine that accompanied her for countless days and nights when she saw the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. This was an absolute silent agreement, an instinct they only had after understanding each other deeply as they had experienced countless life-and-death scenarios together. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly until her knuckles turned white. After her heart stopped for a moment, it started beating wildly, and all the blood in her body seemed to be coursing through her veins. Even she didn¡¯t know how much effort she used to control her urge to rush forward, but her eyes were already filled with sourness as if something suddenly overwhelmed her and wrapped around her. Little Nine! That¡¯s my Little Nine! I thought that we were already separated by life and death, but I didn¡¯t expect us to be able to meet again at a place like this. Her previous disappointment and regret completely disappeared, leaving behind endless surprise and gratefulness. It was as if a flower suddenly grew and bloomed below the dusty ground as it swayed with the wind. With just one light move, all her bitterness and sufferings instantly became nothing. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even blink as she was afraid that everything before her was just an illusion. Suddenly, she focused on something and saw that Little Nine¡¯s eyes¡­ were actually gray! Chu Liuyue was stunned. That¡¯s not right¡­ Little Nine¡¯s eyes are normally black, but its eyes would become a brilliant rainbow when it executes its powers. It¡¯s never gray. The most important point is that in its pair of gray eyes, there are no irises! With just one glance, they looked like two gray Yuan Stones that didn¡¯t have any energy or liveliness to them. Even though it was also ¡®looking¡¯ at Chu Liuyue, only Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was looking at it¡ªcould see that its eyes were like a dried-up well. They were lonely, empty, and void of any emotions. After a moment, it calmly retracted its gaze. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips quivered as she seemingly stepped forward uncontrollably. Hula- The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant suddenly flapped its wings. The wind howled, and the leaves rustled in the wind! The violent wind spread in all directions. The nearby crowd was affected, and they all had to move back a few steps. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to go forward, but the man behind her pulled her back by a distance. On the other end, Lei Laosi and Shangguan Wan¡ªwho were fighting¡ªwere also respectively separated. Lei Laosi didn¡¯t notice this at that moment, and he landed harshly on the ground due to the impact. He couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Damn you! You don¡¯t have any conscience left! I guarded you with much difficulty, but you¡¯re not even making it easy for me!¡± But that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant was unaffected as if it didn¡¯t even hear him. It seemed like it was angered because the people in the surroundings disturbed its breakthrough. Lei Laosi instantly felt his head ache. I must¡¯ve been crazy to tell it all of this! If it listens to people, Big Brother and I wouldn¡¯t have to watch it here! It previously spent all its time hibernating and not causing trouble. It was decent when it was quiet and peaceful. Now that it¡¯s about to break through, its abilities have strengthened greatly. Let alone me, Big Brother might not even be this fellow¡¯s match! However, Shangguan Wan¡¯s situation was better than Lei Laosi. In the moment of panic just now, she used her black shield to block herself, and it blocked most of the energy. Hence, she didn¡¯t fall to the ground and look as badly as Lei Laosi. Instead, she stood still after stumbling backward for a few steps. She gently breathed out and silently thought, This black shield is much more useful than I thought. Without this, I might¡¯ve collapsed long ago. Shangguan Wan looked up at that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant again and slightly knitted her brows. Why must it be a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡­ Previously, she had all sorts of imaginations about this ninth-grade fiend, but she had never expected it to be a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. If it were any other ninth-grade fiend, she wouldn¡¯t have any problems. She only had problems with this Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡ªit was the fiend that Shangguan Yue made an agreement with when she was alive! This made Shangguan Wan quite uncomfortable, but she couldn¡¯t care about much now! It¡¯s the best time to attack since this thing hasn¡¯t completely broken through to become a legendary fiend. Shangguan Wan crazily burned the force in her body as she went on her toes and flew up again. She went straight for that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. As long as I pluck off the red feather from its head, I can take it and become its owner! The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant tilted its head and glanced at Shangguan Wan. Just as it was about to make a move again, its gaze suddenly landed on the black shield in front of Shangguan Wan. Its actions had a momentary hesitation. Shangguan Wan was surprised in her heart. This Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant doesn¡¯t seem to have that much enmity toward me! Or perhaps it hasn¡¯t reacted yet, so it let me get closer to it! Perhaps the heavens want to give me a legendary fiend as well! Shangguan Wan was very agitated. As she was excited, her eyes turned red. In the blink of an eye, she was already before the barrier. The transparent barrier suddenly rippled. The terrifying aura gradually gathered and formed a wave as it went toward Shangguan Wan. Shangguan Wan had seen how formidable this barrier was, so she held up the black shield with lingering fears, completely hiding her body behind it. Buzz! That wave of energy harshly slammed against the black shield! It let out a thick and low sound that spread far and wide. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant ¡®looked¡¯ toward this side as it stared at the black shield closely. It tilted its head slightly as if it was thinking of something. That terrifying force was so great that Shangguan Wan¡¯s two hands holding the black shield were completely numb. Just as she was worried about what to do next, she suddenly felt that the heavy suppression disappeared. She looked up and saw that the force was flowing toward the sides of the black shield. An opening suddenly appeared in the barrier. My chance is here! Shangguan Wan was elated as she charged toward that opening without hesitation. When Lei Laosi saw this scene, he was so angry that his lungs hurt. ¡°You! You!¡± Stupid thing, do you know who that is?! Why did you become so stupid after waking up from your sleep?! Are you blind?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. Shangguan Wan could go over clearly because of that black shield! Little Nine seems not to recognize me anymore, but it has an unknown reminiscence toward my items. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and also rushed over. This time, the man beside her no longer stopped her as he stood with his hands behind his back and silently watched Chu Liuyue fly over. He slightly squinted his narrow eyes as if in deep thought. Chu Liuyue moved too quickly, and she almost rushed through the hole right after Shangguan Wan. Lei Laosi gasped. ¡°Stupid girl, are you crazy?! Quickly, come out!¡± That¡¯s not a place she can enter! But Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t turn around. Instead, she looked up at the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant also detected her arrival as it waved its wings, and a rainbow light formed a rope and tightly tied Chu Liuyue up. Shangguan Wan turned around and sneered coldly. She doesn¡¯t know her limits! Chu Liuyue just felt that her organs and limbs were tightly pressed against each other, and she couldn¡¯t breathe. Her face rapidly flushed red, and her vision started turning black, but she still looked at the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant stubbornly. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant seemed to feel something as it finally turned around again. Chu Liuyue¡¯s tears welled up, but she smiled.. Then, she opened her mouth and silently said, ¡°Little Nine, it¡¯s me.¡± Chapter 712 - Familiar Aura! Little Nine, it¡¯s me. Without any sound, just this silent sentence was enough to shock the world. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s pair of gray eyes seemed to crack at that moment, and a tinge of shock seemed to overflow from that pair of eyes. The rainbow light that was tightening on Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped. She looked up at it. Some movement could finally be seen in that pair of eyes that seemed like a dried-up well¡ªconfusion, strangeness, shock, disbelief¡­ All the complicated feelings swarmed up one by one, and they intersected with each other! At this time, a furry red figure silently climbed up the tree trunk and reached beside the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s red claw. When it turned around, it coincidentally saw that Chu Liuyue was still trapped within that rainbow light. Tuan Zi angrily grinded its teeth and harshly bit the red claw beside it. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant felt the pain as it lowered its head and looked at Tuan Zi with a face of innocence. Tuan Zi ferociously bared its teeth. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant lowered its head in grievance. Shangguan Wan¡ªwho originally planned to watch a good show¡ªsaw that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant suddenly stopped. She turned around, followed its line of sight, and saw a¡­ blood ferret beside the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s feet. Shangguan Wan knitted her brows. Isn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue¡¯s fiend? Why did it barge in, and it¡¯s actually so close to the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant? Is it not afraid of the bloodline suppression? And¡­ it actually dared to bite the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant?! ¡°An egg hitting against a stone! You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Shangguan Wan chuckled. As expected¡ªlike Master, like fiend. Chu Liuyue is one that doesn¡¯t cherish her life, and her fiend is even more so. Just like this, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant can easily crush it to death. Detecting Shangguan Wan¡¯s gaze as if she was watching a joke, Tuan Zi immediately glared at her in return harshly. What are you looking at! When I go crazy, I¡¯ll even bite myself! Chu Liuyue also saw Tuan Zi. When did it suddenly run over there? Just as she was about to call Tuan Zi back, she saw that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant had already waved its wings and made a rainbow ball wrap around Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi gently floated upward. Then, it actually arrived on top of the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s head. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly and shook her head toward the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Little Nine, you can¡¯t! Tuan Zi is also my fiend! The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant glanced at Chu Liuyue. Then, it directly opened its mouth and swallowed the rainbow ball. After that, it slowly closed its eyes. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue gasped. Little Nine actually ate Tuan Zi?! Shangguan Wan was watching from the side and felt elated. She then looked at Chu Liuyue and revealed a pitiful expression. ¡°Ms. Chu, this barrier is the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s territory, and normal people can¡¯t come in. At the end of the day, your fiend is just a third-grade blood ferret. How can it endure the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s suppression? I think you should leave as soon as possible! If not¡­ Even I might not be able to save you!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her coldly. Shangguan Wan is still Shangguan Wan. At this time, she can still feign concern. Does she not feel disgusted with herself? Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and realized that her connection with Tuan Zi hadn¡¯t been cut off. This also meant that it was still alive! She felt slightly at ease. Tuan Zi isn¡¯t an ordinary fiend. Since it dared to take the initiative to come here, it definitely has the ability to protect itself. Why don¡¯t I get Little Nine to spit Tuan Zi out after summoning Little Nine back? Chu Liuyue calmly asked, ¡°It seems like the Third Princess has the confidence to take this fiend in?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes were filled with unblockable delight. This Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant clearly treats me differently. Maybe it has already chosen me as its master. I¡¯m naturally different from others. ¡°Making an agreement with a legendary fiend¡ªespecially high-level fiends, or even legendary fiends¡ªall depends on fate. Since this Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant chose me, then¡ª¡± Boom! A frightening aura suddenly exploded from the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. A brilliant red light spread from its feathers, and it quickly healed the injuries that were caused by the lightning. At the same time, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant suddenly flapped its wings. It opened its wings, and its figure expanded, almost covering the sun. The next moment, it changed its direction and flew toward Shangguan Wan. Shangguan Wan was nervous and excited. I-is it recognizing me as its master?! Her heart beat wildly, and all the blood in her body rapidly flowed through as if it was about to burst out. Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡­ It¡¯ll be a legendary fiend when it breaks through! At that time, everyone in the Tianling Dynasty will know that I¡ªShangguan Wan¡ªmade an agreement with a legendary fiend! Shangguan Yue was so capable, but she only had a ninth-grade fiend. If this succeeds today¡­ Everyone will know that I, Shangguan Wan, am a hundred times stronger than Shangguan Yue. Countless scenes surfaced in Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind, which excited her so much that her body trembled slightly. She took a step forward. As long as I can make an agreement¡ª Whoosh! The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant leaned down and was close to Shangguan Wan as it flew past her head. At the same time, its sharp claws glided past and directly scratched Shangguan Wan¡¯s arm. Fresh blood poured out of the wound, and it was so deep that one could see her bones. ¡°Ah!¡± Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t prepared at all as she gasped in shock, and her body moved a few steps back uncontrollably. She anxiously glanced at her arm, but she didn¡¯t have the time to check her wounds. This was because¡­ Her black shield was stolen! Shangguan Wan hurriedly looked up and saw that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant was indeed tightly clutching onto the black shield. She was about to chase when she felt an excruciating pain from her arm. Shangguan Wan looked down, and her eyes widened in horror. She saw a few rays of rainbow light shining from the edges of the wound. That rainbow-colored light seemed brilliant and charming, but it had a terrifyingly high temperature. When it swarmed back and forth, it seemed like fire was roasting it. The more horrifying thing was that Shangguan Wan realized that her wound was expanding at an observable speed. The wound¡ªwhich was originally so deep that one could see the bones¡ªwas continuously being ripped open by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s strength. The excruciating pain came over, and it hurt Shangguan Wan so much that her mind went blank and almost made her faint. ¡°Ah!¡± She yelled at the top of her lungs, and she collapsed on the ground, huddling into a ball from the extreme pain. ¡°No! No!¡± A muddled moan came out from her mouth with deep horror. Nobody knew that Shangguan Wan¡¯s force was currently being crazily absorbed. That rainbow light had already spread to her shoulders. From afar, her shoulders were already rotten, and it looked terrifying. Chu Liuyue looked at her and squinted her eyes. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s previous impact combined the strength from the lightning and its own. Shangguan Wan naturally can¡¯t take it. She looked up at the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant that was flying in the sky. Little Nine is targeting Shangguan Wan like this¡­ Could it have recalled something? At this point, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant suddenly let out a clear shout. Shoo! The clear and loud shrill reverberated throughout the area, and a rainbow feather on its wing suddenly became red. Chu Liuyue felt that something seemed to be moving in her body. After a moment, shock flashed across her eyes. That¡¯s Tuan Zi¡¯s aura! Chapter 713 - No Need to Wait Chu Liuyue almost didn¡¯t dare to believe as she confirmed again in detail. She then realized that Tuan Zi¡¯s aura was indeed changing along with the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s bodily changes. T-this¡­ A bold and ridiculous thought suddenly appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Could it be that Tuan Zi and Little Nine¡ª Gradually, all the rainbow feathers became red¡ªthey were like a passionate fire burning across. Chu Liuyue was ever so familiar with such a red. This was because it was the exact same color as Tuan Zi¡¯s body. Recalling the scene of Tuan Zi being trapped in a ball and being swallowed by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled as she was on an emotional rollercoaster. If¡­ If! Following the red feathers¡¯ appearance, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s aura also crazily strengthened. In the dark sky, it was the brightest existence! Chu Liuyue looked up, and countless scenes flashed across her mind. The first time she met Tuan Zi was in the forest outside the Imperial City. It came out from a bunch of fallen leaves as if it had fallen asleep for a very long time, and it stumbled along to follow her. At the start, she didn¡¯t intend to bring a blood ferret along. But it was very insistent and kept sticking next to her like a small tail. Afterward, they met with the black flying python. Tuan Zi blocked her so selflessly. Even though its tiny body wasn¡¯t even as big as one of the black flying python¡¯s eyes, it still rushed up without a care. It was covered in injuries, but it never regretted. Then¡­ It accompanied her day and night and followed her through life and death. Speaking of this, two or three sentences could summarize it all. However, only she knew how much these things contained and how much it meant to her. I didn¡¯t discover it back then, but now that I think about it, there were clues left everywhere. In this world, why would there be a fiend that would willingly sacrifice its life for a complete stranger without a care? It regularly lazed and whined to her. It liked to fight with Hong Yao. It completely trusted and depended on her. ¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help laughing, but her eyes were already wet. A tear silently dropped down, entered her hair, and disappeared. Within her body, the aura that kept strengthening was strange yet familiar. That is Tuan Zi and Little Nine as well! It turns out that after so many twists and turns, it has always been by my side. ¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ No!¡± Shangguan Wan was tossing and turning due to the pain at the side as she kept moaning and yelling in agony. ¡°Third Princess!¡± The crowd outside the barrier also saw this scene as they fell into great shock in unison and kept quiet for a very long time. It was Shangguan Wan¡¯s cry of pain that finally made them recover their senses. Elder Qiuxi hurriedly rushed over. He was in charge of protecting Shangguan Wan. If something happened to her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take responsibility for it when he went back. However, he met with a problem when he rushed to the barrier. How am I supposed to go in? An opening previously appeared on the barrier, so Shangguan Wan and Chu Liuyue could enter. But now¡­ The opening is already sealed! The gigantic transparent barrier was glowing faintly, and it had tremendous strength. With his current abilities, it was impossible for him to barge into this place forcefully. Elder Qiuxi glanced at Mu Qinghe, who stood at the side and didn¡¯t say much. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, do you have any ways to enter this barrier? The Third Princess isn¡¯t doing so well. If we don¡¯t get her out as soon as possible, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± Mu Qinghe was currently staring at the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant within the barrier with furrowed brows. This Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡­ It doesn¡¯t look like that one, but why do I feel some sort of familiarity with it? Hearing Elder Qiuxi¡¯s words, his gaze turned. He thought for a moment and boomed, ¡°Even if we join forces, it¡¯ll be pretty hard to open this barrier. Unless¡­ that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant is willing to let us in.¡± He was very near it, so he clearly saw that Shangguan Wan could enter just now because the barrier opened itself. Elder Qiuxi was extremely anxious. ¡°T-then, what should we do? Are we just supposed to watch on and do nothing?¡± Jiang Yucheng pressed his lips against each other tightly. Then, his voice suddenly sounded from behind. ¡°Ask Chu Liuyue.¡± Elder Qiuxi and Mu Qinghe lifted their heads together. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you mean¡ª¡± Elder Qiuxi looked confused. After this period of rest, Jiang Yucheng had basically treated his body already. He raised his chin. ¡°Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue go in as well?¡± ¡°But Eldest Young Master, she just took the chance and followed the Third Princess in. Why¡ª¡± ¡°That Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant still hasn¡¯t given her a lethal attack to this point. Doesn¡¯t this show the problem?¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at Elder Qiuxi coldly. Elder Qiuxi was dazed and immediately understood. That¡¯s right! Even though Chu Liuyue¡¯s fiend was eaten by that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant, she¡¯s still standing there in one piece. Other than at the very beginning¡ªwhen the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant did attack her once¡ªit treated her as invisible afterward. And the only time it took action, it didn¡¯t cause any substantial harm to Chu Liuyue. On the other hand, Shangguan Wan¡­ We previously thought that she could still make an agreement with it, but we didn¡¯t expect that half her life would be lost in the blink of an eye. Understanding this point, Elder Qiuxi finally realized what Jiang Yucheng meant. However, he was still in a tough spot. ¡°Eldest Young Master, y-you might not know, but Chu Liuyue is pretty stubborn. She also has something against me¡­ If I go and ask, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be any use.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go then,¡± Mu Qinghe said suddenly. Jiang Yucheng nodded. Elder Qiuxi secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Mu Qinghe turned around and walked toward Chu Liuyue. Actually, other than that barrier separating them, the two people weren¡¯t too far apart. But for Mu Qinghe, his feet were as if filled with metal as every step was heavier than before. His heart seemed to be pressed down by a gigantic stone, making it hard for him to breathe. His mind was in a mess! Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡­ Is that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡­ ¡­ Ever since Lei Laosi saw Chu Liuyue following Shangguan Wan in, his entire person was stunned. Big Brother and I have guarded here for many nights and days, yet we couldn¡¯t enter the barrier. However, the two of them entered easily. It¡¯s ridiculous! But just as he couldn¡¯t unleash his heart filled with anger anywhere and when he was even considering not doing anything anymore, he saw the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant dealing with Shangguan Wan. Seeing Shangguan Wan on the ground with her shoulders in a rotten and painful state, Lei Laosi let out his vengeance. Nice! Big Brother and I still can¡¯t openly do anything to Shangguan Wan and the rest now, but who can object when this Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant takes action? ¡°At least I didn¡¯t watch after you for nothing!¡± Lei Laosi felt much better, and his gaze landed on Chu Liuyue again. That¡¯s weird. Why is this girl doing okay? He looked at his own big brother and wanted to ask for his opinion when he saw the latter staring at Chu Liuyue, his gaze unreadable. Lei Laosi¡¯s heart tingled as he limped over. ¡°Big Brother, what are you thinking about?¡± That man¡¯s lips slowly curled up. ¡°I¡¯m thinking that we shouldn¡¯t need to wait any longer.¡± Chapter 714 - Trump Card Chapter 714: Trump Card Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lei Laosi was stunned as he looked at the other in disbelief. ¡°What? You¡¯re saying¡ª¡± Following this, Lei Laosi suddenly remembered something as he hurriedly looked up. Oh right! After the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant swallowed that blood ferret, it officially started to change and became a legendary fiend. Could it be¡­ Chu Liuyue! Lei Laosi¡¯s gaze suddenly turned, and he stared at the young woman in red standing within the barrier. She was slim, and her shoulders were skinny, but her back was very straight. The surrounding wind moved, yet she stood upright. It was as if nothing in this world could make her bend her back. He suddenly recalled the gaze that Chu Liuyue had when she said that she wanted to enter the barrier. So determined. So persistent. That gaze¡­ is unparalleled. That blood ferret was her fiend, and from what she said, it was indeed that blood ferret that brought them over. The most important point is that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant has already attacked Shangguan Wan, but it didn¡¯t touch Chu Liuyue the slightest bit. With all these clues added together, it¡¯s enough to prove one thing. Chu Liuyue, she¡ª Lei Laosi was very agitated as the hand holding the hammer trembled slightly. He stared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure closely as he tried hard to control his emotions. Then, he lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Big Brother, are you sure?!¡± It¡¯s an important matter. We must be cautious! That man smiled with slightly deep intentions. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Lei Laosi¡¯s heart was on fire. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! What does he mean by ¡®we¡¯ll see?¡¯ He should say clearly if it is or if it¡¯s not! But that man didn¡¯t say any more. Lei Laosi could only force himself to calm down. I¡¯ll just have to wait until the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant finishes breaking through to know the results! ¡­ Mu Qinghe walked to the barrier. The ferocious and strong suppression was like a small hill pressing against his body, making his every step even tougher to complete than before. Even the circulation speed of the force in his body had slowed down. However, he still got near to the position Chu Liuyue was at. Without waiting for him to speak, Chu Liuyue turned around as if she felt something. Her eyes were bright and clean like an ink gem. Something was stuck in Mu Qinghe¡¯s throat. ¡°¡­How¡­ did you get in?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, didn¡¯t you clearly see what happened earlier? I followed the Third Princess in.¡± Mu Qinghe paused for a moment and directly said, ¡°Then, do you have a way to help us go in? Or¡­ You can also send the Third Princess out.¡± Everyone could tell that it was impossible for Shangguan Wan to take in this Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Besides, it was about to break through and become a legendary fiend! By then, it would be even harder to deal with! The plan now was to protect Shangguan Wan¡¯s life first. Chu Liuyue glanced at Shangguan Wan, knitted her brows, and said hesitantly, ¡°Uh¡­ Lieutenant Mu, do you think I have such capabilities? You might¡¯ve forgotten that my fiend was also swallowed by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. I can¡¯t even go out myself, so I naturally don¡¯t know how to send the Third Princess out.¡± Why should I send her out? Isn¡¯t she doing fine here? Shangguan Wan is so greedy and wanted to possess the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant, but she didn¡¯t think whether she had the right to do so. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°You really don¡¯t have a way?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that Lieutenant Mu is so loyal to the Third Princess.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s heart was as if pricked by something harshly. ¡°But I¡¯m very sorry. I really don¡¯t have such abilities. Why don¡¯t you try and ask the two of them?¡± Mu Qinghe knew that Chu Liuyue was talking about Lei Laosi¡¯s group of two. Not mentioning whether they would help, the two of them might not be able to do it even if they were willing. If not, Lei Laosi wouldn¡¯t have been in such a sorry state previously. Shoo! A clear shout sounded again. Chu Liuyue immediately turned around to look. At this point, half of the feathers on the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s body had turned bright red. Clang! Its gigantic wings suddenly started flapping. At that moment, the winds rose, and the clouds swarmed in. The giant rolling leaf fir swayed with the wind. Smack! A very thick root suddenly flew up from the ground and went toward Shangguan Wan. This tree was the largest tree in the entire Mystic Forest, so its roots shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. That root was as thick as two people hugging together. It was crystal clear, and the inside was filled with blood-red liquid. An intense, bloody smell spread across the area. The crowd¡¯s faces changed in unison. Needless to say, Jiang Yucheng and the rest had personally witnessed how powerful this root was. ¡°Third Princess!¡± ¡°Wan¡¯er!¡± The root was right about to smash on Shangguan Wan. At this moment, Shangguan Wan suddenly noticed something as she looked up. When she saw the thick root flying toward her, shock flashed across her face. Then, it was as if she made up her mind as harshness flashed across her eyes. I can¡¯t care so much! The next moment, Shangguan Wan¡¯s aura suddenly intensified. She quickly stood up and left a vague figure at her original spot. Bam! That root harshly flung toward wherever Shangguan Wan was, and countless cracks instantly spread across the ground. A very deep gully appeared. Shangguan Wan¡¯s vague figure was also instantly crushed, but she herself had still escaped this attack. Chu Liuyue immediately looked over, and her eyes squinted dangerously. Shangguan Wan¡¯s aura is still rapidly strengthening. She was previously a peak stage-seven warrior only, but she has directly broken through now and became a stage-eight warrior¡ªthe same stage as Lei Laosi! A sinisterly cold aura exuded from Shangguan Wan. The next moment, her face and body were covered with a thin layer of frost. Shangguan Wan was indeed holding back earlier! Chu Liuyue was thinking to herself when she saw Shangguan Wan raise her hands. A sharp, white icicle suddenly appeared in her hands. However, a drop of very red blood was contained in the center of the white icicle. The terrifying aura was spreading from its center. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. That blood is¡ª Whoosh! Shangguan Wan had directly taken action. She harshly pierced that icicle into the root in front of her and forcefully slashed it. Sila! Blood splattered everywhere. Ferocious bloodstains instantly covered Shangguan Wan¡¯s face and body, looking very sinister and terrifying! However, an even more horrifying image appeared next¡ªthe bloodstains that landed on the icicle were actually absorbed by the icicle rapidly, and it all gathered within that drop of blood. From afar, the drop of blood in the center seemed to intensify in terms of color¡ªit vaguely turned dark. Shangguan Wan was coincidentally holding onto the center position of the icicle, so only Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing near to her side¡ªcould see it. Chu Liuyue felt a chill spread from her feet, and it traveled throughout her body. There¡¯s something wrong with that icicle! Her gaze turned, and she looked at Shangguan Wan again.. However, she shockingly discovered that the latter¡¯s injuries were healing at an observable speed. Chapter 715 - Return! At this point, Shangguan Wan had already ignored the outside world¡¯s gazes completely. She held the icicle and was very excited when she saw the red liquid in front of her pour all over the roots. The intense, bloody smell spread all over, and it made one vomit. However, this smell made Shangguan Wan even more excited. This rolling leaf fir indeed grew by absorbing human blood, and the biggest one in the middle should be the mother tree of all the rolling leaf firs in the Mystic Forest. If I control this rolling leaf fir, won¡¯t it mean that¡­ All the people trapped underground will be mine?! In that case, this plan will be much more convenient than my previous one! Shoo! A painful shrill could be heard. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that the remaining rainbow feathers didn¡¯t turn red after a long time. Even the parts that had turned red started to turn back rainbow gradually. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank harshly. Could this¡­ be a sign of it failing to break through?! It spun in midair and anxiously flapped its wings. Chu Liuyue clearly saw that the half of its wings that just turned red were gradually subsiding. The most important point was that the dark clouds tumbling in the sky looked like they were going to disperse as they gradually floated in all directions. Even if Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t personally witnessed a ninth-grade fiend breaking through to become a legendary fiend, she knew one thing: The natural elements would normally only disappear after one broke through successfully. But now, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant had only broken through halfway when this phenomenon started! This could only prove that Chu Liuyue¡¯s guess wasn¡¯t wrong! I don¡¯t know what problem the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant met, but it¡¯s stuck at the last stage! If it can¡¯t successfully break through to become a legendary fiend this time, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s abilities will be greatly weakened. It might also be that it will never be able to break through and become a legendary fiend again. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank to the bottom. ¡­ ¡°Big Brother, what¡¯s going on? Is this fellow going to fail?¡± All the others below detected that something was amiss, and their expressions changed. Anxiety flashed across Lei Laosi¡¯s eyes, and he looked at his own big brother. ¡°Why did it become like this? We¡¯ve been guarding it properly all this while, and we didn¡¯t leave for a single moment. There has never been a mistake! Logically speaking, it should be able to break through successfully!¡± One had to know that this Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant had been hibernating during this close to two-year period. It chose to break through to become a legendary fiend today! If it didn¡¯t have absolute confidence, it definitely wouldn¡¯t do this! ¡°There¡¯s nothing absolute in the world.¡± That man looked calm as he squinted his narrow eyes slightly. ¡°The probability of a ninth-grade fiend breaking through to become a legendary fiend isn¡¯t even half. Besides¡­¡± Besides, this Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant is very different from other ninth-grade fiends! Lei Laosi was stumped, and his face paled as he muttered, ¡°B-but¡­ This is that person¡¯s fiend¡­¡± How can her fiend fail? When it survived in that perilous situation, it already stated too many problems. At the very least, in my heart, I have never thought of another possibility other than success! ¡°¡­Let¡¯s wait a while longer and see. The clouds haven¡¯t completely gone away yet.¡± Before that happened, everything could still be saved. Lei Laosi held the hammer in his hands tightly and nervously looked up. ¡°A-anyway, I think it definitely can¡­¡± Lei Laosi muttered to himself as if he were convincing himself, and it also seemed like a determined persistence. ¡­ ¡°Ah! Why did the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s color suddenly return to normal?!¡± Mu Hongyu gasped. Ye Ranran knitted her brows and looked stern. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡­ it¡¯s bad! It¡¯s not so easy to break through and become a legendary fiend¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that it¡¯s going to fail?¡± Mu Hongyu still couldn¡¯t quite believe it. I saw the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant previously, and it was clearly doing well! Could it be that even this extremely strong ninth-grade fiend can¡¯t successfully break through the ninth stage? The golden mane bear cub suddenly appeared in Mu Hongyu¡¯s arms again. Mu Hongyu felt her arms sink and hurriedly carried it. ¡°Congcong, what are you doing?¡± She thought that it was frightened by this commotion, but the golden mane bear cub just stayed in her arms obediently after it came out. It looked up at the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant in the sky and seemed extremely nervous. Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t understand why. Why does Congcong seem¡­ Not only is it unafraid, but it¡¯s even worried about the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant? ¡­ Mu Qinghe also looked up, but he quickly retracted his gaze as he stared at Shangguan Wan again with a solemn expression. When Shangguan Wan took action just now, she seemed amiss¡­ ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡± The moment he spoke, he heard the wind ringing in his ear. A green figure rapidly flashed across his eyes. He was stunned. ¡°Hong Yao!¡± Hong Yao turned around to glance at him, but it didn¡¯t stop. Huala! Its body rapidly burned with green fire, and its aura exploded! What is it planning to do?! Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Hong Yao, come back!¡± He yelled loudly, but Hong Yao flapped its wings and went toward the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant in midair. Mu Qinghe was about to chase after it when he heard a loud sound. Hong long! He turned around and saw a large part of the ground in front of Shangguan Wan collapse. The gully extended so deep that one couldn¡¯t see the bottom. Jiang Yucheng had also noticed the commotion, and his expression changed drastically as he immediately went forward. At this point, another root swept across, and Shangguan Wan directly jumped down. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Wan¡¯er!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s figure disappeared in front of the crowd. It¡¯s so dangerous down there. Why does she still want to go down? Almost at the same time, Chu Liuyue went on her toes and went straight for the skies like an arrow that left its bow. She was actually going toward the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant! ¡°Liuyue!¡± Mu Hongyu and the rest were stunned. That Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant was about to fail in breaking through, and its surrounding aura has already erupted. Isn¡¯t she courting death by going over at this time?! Chu Liuyue ignored all of these voices. She gathered her force and traveled even faster. At this point, only the small area on the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s head was still colored red. All the other parts had returned to rainbow. But even though it was rainbow, it was very different from the previous elegant and beautiful look. Upon closer look, it looked like it was covered in a layer of dust as its entire body became dull and looked dead. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be pierced by something, and it hurt. She then clenched her teeth and rushed forward without hesitation. As if detecting someone coming nearby, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant flapped its wings alertly. The ferocious and messy strength became rays of light that dispersed everywhere. Quite a few injuries were quickly left on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, but she was still going forward! She directly reached the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant! Shoo! The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant flapped its wings and almost instantly wrapped Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure. It was a crushing sense of pressure! The sinisterly cold murderous intent overwhelmed her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s clothes flapped along with the wind, and her black hair swayed along. The harsh aura got closer to her, and its sharp claws pricked her neck. Fresh red blood instantly flowed out. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned red, but she was stubborn and determined as she said clearly, ¡°Little Nine, I¡¯m back. Can you come back too?¡± Her voice was so light that it seemed like the wind could easily blow it away. However, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant heard it. Its tightly shut eyes finally opened. Within the stale and dull gray, a brilliant rainbow color suddenly erupted. In the skies, the dark clouds gathered once again! Hot and crystal-clear tears dropped down from those charming eyes. The master summons! I¡¯ll come back! Chapter 716 - Transform! The blood drops flowing out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck were quickly absorbed by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. The originally red claws turned brighter. It was as though it was suddenly injected with a rich force that made the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant yell out loud. Shoo! This sound was different from the previous painful shrill¡ªRelaxed, reminiscent, happy¡­ It was the happiness of finally seeing hope after surviving a long waiting time. During the countless dark days without light, it was dazed, confused, and lonely. Now, they could finally meet again! That layer of gray on the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s quickly dissipated, and its feathers became bright again! Then, a tinge of red quickly spread across. The feathers started becoming red at an observable speed. Only that pair of eyes were like brilliant rainbow-colored crystals that dazzled prettily. The dark clouds tumbled, and the fierce winds howled. However, the space that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s wings covered was ever so peaceful. The tremendous suppression on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body immediately dissipated, and she suddenly felt that she was being pushed from behind. It was the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s wing¡ªshe and it were even closer to each other now. They were so close that she could see her own reflection in that pair of gem-like eyes. Chu Liuyue gradually stretched out her hands and wiped its tears. I¡¯m ever so familiar with this gaze. It is Tuan Zi and also Little Nine! It has Tuan Zi¡¯s whiny reminiscence and Little Nine¡¯s unparalleled elegance. Chu Liuyue choked, and her voice trembled slightly. ¡°You¡¯re Little Nine¡­ and also Tuan Zi, right?¡± The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant leaned down and went close to her cheeks to caress it gently. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, and her hot tears silently dropped. Even though she already guessed it, she still couldn¡¯t stop her heart from trembling when she received an affirmative answer. Recovering after a loss¡ªin this world, there was nothing that could make one feel happier and more thankful! Something seemed to overwhelm Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest as surprise and reminiscence were about to overflow from the bottom of her heart. It¡¯s still here¡­ It came back! I thought I had lost everything, but¡­ no! It was still waiting for me! Chu Liuyue opened her eyes, and they were totally red. The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant carefully wiped away the tears from her face, and it cherished her very much. Chu Liuyue looked at it. At that moment, many incidents replayed in her heart. Now that the truth was out, it was like an invisible string was joining all of those incidents together. Tuan Zi¡¯s stubbornness brought me over¡­ That rainbow barrier¡­ Lei Laosi¡¯s group of two in charge of guarding¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. It turns out that it¡¯s really the two of them. She previously didn¡¯t dare to believe it. After all, the two of them were very different compared to the past from all sorts of aspects. Even if it were her personally seeing them right in front of her, she still didn¡¯t dare to confirm their identities. But since Little Nine is here, and Lei Laosi and the rest keep guarding this place¡­ Everything is confirmed! Chu Liuyue moved half a step back and looked at Little Nine in front of her. At this point, only its tail hadn¡¯t turned red. ¡°I originally thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you again. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Not only can I see you again, but I can even see you breaking through.¡± Little Nine¡¯s eyes sparkled. Suddenly, an anxious shrill came from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look and saw that Hong Yao had already flown over a while ago. As Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was tightly wrapped within Little Nine¡¯s wings, Hong Yao could only fly upward and look down from above. Chu Liuyue lifted her head slightly and saw Hong Yao nervously flying around the top and staring down closely. She smiled happily, and her eyes curled up. Seeing that Chu Liuyue seemed to be alright, Hong Yao finally heaved a sigh of relief. But afterward, it discovered that Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck actually had a freshly scratched wound, and it was even bleeding! Hong Yao instantly widened its eyes, and it looked at Little Nine furiously. Is this fellow crazy?! Why did it attack her so harshly?! Little Nine and Hong Yao had always disliked each other, and they would fight at least once whenever they met. But Little Nine knew that it was in the wrong this time, so it guiltily avoided Hong Yao¡¯s gaze for once. Hong Yao was even angrier as it crazily flapped its wings. It was so angry that its body almost puffed up into a ball. Without thinking, it directly rushed over. I didn¡¯t even dare to harm a strand of her hair, yet this fellow actually scratched her neck! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah¡ª Bang! Hong Yao finally stopped when it hit the barrier. Chu Liuyue was speechless. It seems like Hong Yao also knows Little Nine¡¯s identity, so it¡¯s so unrelenting toward it. But¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem to notice that the current Little Nine is even stronger than before. If Hong Yao just goes head-on against Little Nine, it will be disadvantaged. Chu Liuyue coughed and glanced at Little Nine. You clearly saw Hong Yao coming over. Can¡¯t you let it in gently? Little Nine looked at her innocently. Hong Yao didn¡¯t notice it itself¡­ How can you blame me? Besides, I¡¯m still busy breaking through! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she had the urge to slap her forehead. My instincts tell me that the fight between these two will never stop¡­ She turned around to look again and then realized that Hong Yao very quickly got itself back up. But this time, it just stared at Little Nine from outside the barrier, and it didn¡¯t rush over messily. Suddenly, something seemed to move slightly in Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian. Chu Liuyue was dazed before she discovered that this movement seemed to be coming from the black pyramid. It¡¯s like¡­ like something is about to struggle free! The black barrier above seemed to move! Chu Liuyue focused on it. Ever since I got this black pyramid, it has had only one obvious movement within the Tianling God Realm. It has remained quiet during other times. I opened the door below the Long Yuan Sword that time, so why has it moved now? Hu! Boom! Little Nine crazily absorbed the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force, and its aura kept strengthening. The ripples didn¡¯t stop, and they reverberated throughout the area! Places within miles were all affected by this ferocious strength! Kacha! A crisp sound was heard! Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue looked up and discovered that the top part of the barrier had cracked! A few cracks instantly crawled all over the barrier like spiderwebs! ¡°The barrier is about to break! Retreat!¡± Lei Laosi¡ªwho had been watching the situation closely¡ªimmediately yelled at the top of his lungs. The man standing beside Lei Laosi moved lightly, and his movement technique was superior. In the blink of an eye, he had retreated quite a distance. At the same time, he waved his sleeves and brought Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s group of three¡ªwho were still rooted to the ground¡ªover. Qiang Wanzhou reacted the fastest and instinctively wanted to take action with his sword when he shockingly discovered that his body couldn¡¯t even move. It wasn¡¯t until all of them were brought to that man that the unknown restraining force finally disappeared. When the few of them stood still, they saw that the transparent barrier broke into pieces before they could even say anything. With the tree as the center, the stunning strength crazily spread in all directions! The ground was instantly flipped over as crushed wood and dust flew in all directions! At the same time, the tail of the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant in the sky finally transformed! Chapter 717 - Yue’er, Come Over When Mu Qinghe heard Lei Laosi shout, he immediately moved backward and summoned Hong Yao back. However, it seemed to be bent on fighting the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant as it refused to move from its position. As Mu Qinghe blocked the surrounding turbulence, he knitted his brows in deep thought. Hong Yao is behaving like this because it¡¯s worried about Chu Liuyue, or is it because¡­ of that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant? Other than the one back then, there¡¯s nobody else that can make Hong Yao so stubborn. Does it have a grudge against the entire Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant clan? Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t dare to confirm his guss. From this position, he could vaguely see the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s clothes but nothing more. But judging from the current situation, Chu Liuyue shouldn¡¯t be in much danger for the time being even though she¡¯s trapped by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Jiang Yucheng and Elder Qiuxi were forced to move back. As Elder Qiuxi was standing in front and had to protect Jiang Yucheng, he was quite injured. However, Jiang Yucheng felt very conflicted at this point. Shangguan Wan went underground again. She clearly knows that there is the terrifying black soil underneath, so why does she still want to go back? According to Jiang Yucheng¡¯s understanding of Shangguan Wan¡¯s character, since she was willing to do this, it must be to achieve one of her goals. But¡­ What exactly is it? Suddenly, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Did¡­ Shangguan Wan go for the people trapped underneath the rolling leaf fir? Once this thought emerged, he couldn¡¯t remove it. Jiang Yucheng clenched his fists tightly and furrowed his brows. Shangguan Wan is definitely capable of doing such a thing! After all, she came here just for this! But¡­ She actually gave up on her previous plan and chose this way instead! Recalling the tree root that was so thick and full as if it had absorbed more than enough blood, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s entire body turned numb. However, it was more of worry. She jumped down in front of so many people! Is she not afraid that she would be exposed? She¡¯s really crazy! If Shangguan Wan knew what Jiang Yucheng was thinking at this moment, she would definitely snort at him. He wasn¡¯t the one with the damaged Yuan meridian, and he was also not the one who completely became a good-for-nothing. Thus, he definitely couldn¡¯t understand how she felt! Besides, she was already driven to a point of no return then, so she only had this one way out! Even if one gave Shangguan Wan another 100 chances, she would still make the same choice. As for whether she will be discovered¡­ She had done even bolder things, let alone this? As long as her methods could lead to the appropriate consequence, everything was not a problem. ¡°I wonder how the Third Princess is now¡­¡± said Elder Qiuxi worriedly. Jiang Yucheng looked up at midair. Chu Liuyue seemed to be trapped by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant, but the strange thing was that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant almost failed previously, and its aura erupted messily, to the point where it almost lost its rationality. Under that kind of circumstances, it actually didn¡¯t take away Chu Liuyue¡¯s life? Besides, after Chu Liuyue went over, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant recovered its strength and was only one step away from succeeding for some reason. What¡­ just happened? Hong! Hong! Hong! An even stronger wave came over! Everyone looked up in unison¡ª A bright and dazzling red fire suddenly appeared at the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s tail. The light was like a knife that ripped through the darkness of the sky, and it was very eye-catching. The terrifying suppression that stunned people exuded from its body. Everyone watched on with their eyes wide open, and they were dazed. That¡¯s¡­ a phoenix tail! Red-tailed phoenix! The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant actually successfully broke through and became a red-tailed phoenix! ¡°Red-tailed phoenix! Isn¡¯t that the legendary red-tailed phoenix which has the closest bloodline strength to a red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Red-gold heavenly phoenixes and great phoenix dragons were the two legendary fiends with the greatest potential. Rumors had it that there were many divisions under the red-gold heavenly phoenix, and the red-tailed phoenix was the most distinguished one out of all of them. Actually, Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasants weren¡¯t considered as one of the top elites in ninth-grade fiend bloodlines. Even though the crowd predicted that it could break through and become part of the phoenix clan, nobody imagined that it would directly jump three grades and forcefully join the red-tailed phoenix series. Even Chu Liuyue was taken aback. She had high hopes for Little Nine¡¯s breakthrough, but she never thought that it could actually become a red-tailed phoenix. Back then, Little Nine already had signs of breaking through before the thing happened to her. But at that point, its body¡¯s bloodline strength wasn¡¯t as intense as this. If not, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t have mistaken Little Nine¡¯s identity after smelling that fragrance. What exactly did it experience in these 2 years? One had to know that a fiend of such level basically had their bloodlines fixed since birth. It was as hard as ascending to the heavens if one wanted to strengthen it. Chu Liuyue could confirm that if not for the rich bloodline strength within its body, it was impossible for it to break through directly and become a red-tailed phoenix. Countless shards of barrier flew over and turned into rays of light that entered Little Nine¡¯s body. It then slowly closed its eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she suddenly looked up and slightly knitted her brows. The dark clouds in the sky hadn¡¯t dispersed. What exactly is going on? Little Nine has already successfully broken through. Logically speaking, this cloud layer should also disperse¡­ Suddenly, Chu Liuyue felt a ripple in her heart. It¡¯s the black pyramid! Chu Liuyue immediately gathered her attention. Crack! The black seal on top suddenly cracked. The crack was extremely small. If one didn¡¯t look at it closely, it was impossible for it to be noticed. But Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart immediately hung up high! The seal on this barrier is extremely strong. Even Ancestor couldn¡¯t open it back then, yet it actually cracked by itself? A bright light shone through! Chu Liuyue held her breath in and then she detected that something was flowing out from the cracks. She took a closer look and shockingly discovered that it was a ball of mist that had a faint golden glow to it. After it floated out, that golden mist silently disappeared before Chu Liuyue could even see it clearly. It disappeared without a trace instantly. Chu Liuyue was stunned. W-what¡¯s going on? I haven¡¯t¡ª Buzz! An immensely loud sound suddenly whirred in her mind, and Chu Liuyue hugged her head in excruciating pain. It was as if someone was holding an axe and crazily swung it, wanting to split her head open. ¡°Ahh!¡± Chu Liuyue let out a painful gasp! Almost at the same time, a brilliant shade of gold flashed across Little Nine¡¯s head. Its wings moved suddenly, and that shade of golden rapidly disappeared as it entered the red feathers! It moved extremely fast, and everything happened too suddenly, so nobody took notice of this. Everyone¡¯s attention was sucked by Chu Liuyue¡¯s scream. Chu Liuyue held her head tightly. At that moment, countless images hurriedly flashed across her mind. The last image froze. It was still that cliff! It was still that octagonal pavilion! It was still that man wearing the black cotton robe! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly jumped, and she had a vague feeling. This time, that man showed his side profile and lowly laughed in her direction as he said lazily and elegantly, ¡°Yue¡¯er, come over.¡± Chapter 718 - : Seal His face seemed to be hidden in the mist, and she couldn¡¯t see him clearly, but that voice sounded familiar as if she had heard it somewhere before. For some reason, Chu Liuyue confirmed that the ¡®Yue¡¯er¡¯ was calling her! Who is that man? Why is he calling my name, and in such a close tone¡­ Chu Liuyue almost instinctively wanted to move forward, but her body seemed to be stuck to the ground, and she couldn¡¯t move an inch. The distance between the two of them couldn¡¯t be shortened no matter what, and that man didn¡¯t seem to be anxious as he extended his hand. It seemed as though he was waiting for her to go over. He stood upright, and the wind blew over, blowing his black clothes. He was like a mandala placed in the dark, yet he floated like a deity. Chu Liuyue opened her mouth and wanted to speak, but no words could come out. There seemed to be an invisible barrier between the two of them, and they couldn¡¯t get close to each other. You are¡­ You are¡­ Instincts told Chu Liuyue that she knew this man, and her chest was filled with an urge to shout out his name. It was as if she could remember who he was once she called out his name. But Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t yell it out no matter what, and she gradually started to become anxious. Suddenly, a golden light ray floated past her eyes. Chu Liuyue immediately descended into a sparkly gold color, and she couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. The next moment, it was as if something harshly pulled her. Her body fell forward! Bam! Everything in front of her suddenly disappeared! ¡­ Tens of thousands of kilometers away. Within the extremely exquisite loft, a figure sat by the window. He changed into a black attire today and looked extra cold. At this point, a chessboard was placed in front of him. 36 Respected Elder Ming was opposite him. His long, white fingers held up a white chess piece, and he paused in his actions when it landed in midair. ¡°Your Highness?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming looked up at the man opposite him strangely. He is always swift and decisive when playing chess and would never stop halfway. It seems like he was thinking of something. 36 Respected Elder Ming was about to ask when he suddenly saw a spark of golden fire on the man¡¯s fingertips. That fire rapidly formed half a seal in midair before rapidly disappearing. Whoosh! The chess piece in between his fingers suddenly became white mist as it dispersed into the air. 36 Respected Elder Ming squinted his eyes. His Highness actually used such a seal at this time¡­ ¡°Your Highness, did something happen?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head, and his thin lips curled up into a light smile. ¡°Nothing.¡± It¡¯s just that¡­ She opened the seal to the pyramid faster than I thought. 36 Respected Elder Ming saw his relaxed expression and the smile on his lips, as well as the vague love and pride in his eyes, and he roughly guessed what happened. ¡°Is it related to the Princess Consort?¡± Rong Xiu smiled as he picked up another chess piece and placed it down. Pak! ¡°En. She should be thinking of me,¡± said Rong Xiu calmly and righteously. 36 Respected Elder Ming instantly pouted in contempt. You can just directly say that you miss your wife, yet you must say that she misses you. How pompous! ¡°Your Highness, it seems that your skin is getting thicker,¡± said 36 Respected Elder Ming rudely. Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning and didn¡¯t mind him saying this as he raised his brows. ¡°¡­I was just speaking the truth, but I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what aspect of me she is thinking about? ¡­ Chu Liuyue suddenly recovered her senses and breathed in heavily. Her forehead was filled with cold sweat, and her clothes were already drenched. They stuck close to her body, and it was very uncomfortable. A soft feeling came. Chu Liuyue looked up in a daze and saw that Little Nine had leaned over with worry in its eyes. She woke up from the dream. Just now¡­ that scene¡­ It didn¡¯t seem to be an illusion, but¡­ a memory! Chu Liuyue tightly pressed her lips against each other, and she panicked slightly in her heart. This memory cannot belong to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Then¡­ Us it mine? But I never had this memory in my twenty-plus years of life! Could it be¡­ I really forgot something?! Chu Liuyue unwittingly clenched her fists as the light breeze blew over, and she felt a chill down her spine. The first time this scene appeared, she thought it was a mistake or an illusion. But this time¡­ She clearly felt that the entire scene was much clearer than before. It was as if she took out something that had been put away for a long time as she tried to wipe away the dust on it to reveal its original appearance gradually. Chu Liuyue rarely had such an expression. She vaguely felt that she had forgotten something important, but she herself didn¡¯t even know what it was. The more uneasy thing was that the man in black seemed to be a very important person to her! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and suppressed her messy feelings. She then looked at the black pyramid within her dantian again and realized that the tiny cracks were still on it. However, the faint glow coming from inside had disappeared. At first glance, there seemed to be darkness and nothingness beneath the crack. The seal did indeed break, but it didn¡¯t completely open. Chu Liuyue tried to move the seal, but it was to no avail. ¡°Girl, that crack was split open by the Heavenly Dao strength when you made an agreement with this red-tailed phoenix. It¡¯s not that easy if you want to open it with your own strength!¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Agreement? Heavenly Dao?¡± ¡°Hm? Don¡¯t you know? This red-tailed phoenix has already become your legendary fiend! When the ninth-grade fiend broke through to become a legendary fiend, the strength from the Heavenly Dao it summoned was trapped within the ninth bolt of lightning. This fellow almost failed to endure it previously, but it managed to pass this barrier after it made an agreement with you. And naturally, a portion of the strength from the Heavenly Dao was given to you. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. Now that I¡¯ve changed into another body, I naturally had to make another agreement with Little Nine. Thinking about it now, it seems like we unwittingly succeeded in making an agreement when Little Nine scratched my neck? Chu Liuyue touched her neck. The wound wasn¡¯t considered big. Even though Little Nine attacked her when it almost lost its rationality, it still relied on its own strength to avoid all the vital points at the very last second. This wound had already formed a scab, and she could recover after some treatment. Back then, she just thought of summoning Little Nine back to help it make it through the ninth bolt of lightning. She didn¡¯t expect to make an agreement with it with a freak combination of factors. It proved that the connection between them couldn¡¯t be cut off no matter what! ¡°The thing in your body went through the Heavenly Dao strength and became like this. It¡¯s a pity that the strength of the seal is too great, and it seemed to fix itself¡­¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice had a tinge of regret. He originally thought he could use this chance to resolve the seal completely! Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a moment and said determinedly,¡±One day, I will open this seal.¡± Chapter 719 - Just Lucky A red light then flashed in front of it, and Little Nine¡¯s giant figure quickly changed. Eventually, it became the size of a palm. Its entire body was presented in red, especially its tail. It looked like a burning fire¡ªvery passionate and intense. The pair of watery eyes was very brilliant like precious gemstones¡ªdazzling and charming! Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand, and Little Nine quickly flew to her palm. She didn¡¯t even blink, and her eyes were filled with elation and emotions. Even though I¡¯m not clear about how exactly Little Nine escaped the hunt and don¡¯t know how it became Tuan Zi and found me¡­ This isn¡¯t the most important thing! It¡¯s still around, and it came back to my side. This is already enough! Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and thought to herself, ¡°Little Nine, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t call you this next time. Why don¡¯t I continue calling you Tuan Zi?¡± The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s identity was already very sensitive. If she continued addressing it as Little Nine, it would be too blatant. Anyway, she had already called it Tuan Zi for a very long time, and it had always used this name beside her. Thus, it was the most appropriate thing to continue calling it the same way. Little Nine nodded seriously, and its head gently rubbed against her palm. It was furry to the touch, and its obedient appearance made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart very soft. Chu Liuyue lightly said, ¡°Tuan Zi, I¡¯ll bring you home.¡± ¡­ When everyone below saw the gigantic red-tailed phoenix turn into a palm-sized one in midair, they were all stunned. Then, when they saw it fly to Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders and the human and fiend came down, the crowd was even more in a mess. In the end, everyone was stunned when they saw Chu Liuyue dotingly pat the red-tailed phoenix¡¯s head as the latter rubbed against her neck lovingly, except for Lei Laosi¡¯s group of two that was guarding all along. W-what¡¯s going on? Where¡¯s the ferocious legendary fiend? What about the harsh and sharp red-tailed phoenix? Why did it suddenly become this little thing?! The key point is: Why is it so close to Chu Liuyue?! Seeing Chu Liuyue standing in the middle and the ball of red on her shoulders, the surroundings fell into an eerie silence. A light breeze blew over, and they could only hear the sound of the leaves rustling. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and laughed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all?¡± This voice was like a stone dropping into a peaceful lake, instantly causing many ripples. ¡°Liuyue?! Y-you¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Mu Hongyu widened her almond-like eyes and shockingly asked, ¡°I-isn¡¯t this a legendary fiend?! Why did it become so small, and why is it on y-your¡­¡± After stammering for half a day, Mu Hongyu still couldn¡¯t complete her sentence. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Oh, this? I think it¡¯s only this big when it¡¯s not in combat mode¡­ But I¡¯m not very sure either¡­¡± Before Chu Liuyue could even finish talking, Tuan Zi nodded its head forcefully. Of course, it¡¯s like this! If not, it¡¯ll be troublesome to be so big! It¡¯s easier for me to stay with Master like this! Chu Liuyue turned around to glance at it and seriously said, ¡°Oh, it seems like I didn¡¯t guess wrongly. See? Even it says this too.¡± The crowd was speechless. What did it say?! No, that¡¯s not the crux of the issue! ¡°Liuyue, I-I¡¯m not asking about this¡ª¡± said Mu Hongyu with much difficulty as she looked conflicted. At the side, Ye Ranran took the initiative to explain softly, ¡°Liuyue, Hongyu wants to ask¡­ What¡¯s with you and this red-tailed phoenix? Wasn¡¯t it very fierce toward you just now? Now, why¡­¡± Everyone clearly saw what had happened. This red-tailed phoenix was initially very rude toward Chu Liuyue at the start. There were even a few times where it seemed like it was going to kill Chu Liuyue! Why did this human and fiend suddenly become so close in the blink of an eye? Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re asking about this¡­¡± She smiled, and her eyes curled up as they dazzled like stars. ¡°Because it has already become a fiend I made an agreement with.¡± Because it already became a fiend you made an agreement with?! Everyone looked taken aback. ¡°W-what did you say?¡± This time, the person who spoke wasn¡¯t Mu Hongyu or Ye Ranran but Jiang Yucheng. After a temporary daze, he was filled with shock and just blurted out this sentence. Chu Liuyue lightly glanced at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Did I not make myself clear just now? I said that this red-tailed phoenix is my fiend now.¡± Her tone was very nonchalant as if she were saying something unimportant, but it sounded like thunder to the crowd. Red-tailed phoenix! This legendary fiend actually made an agreement with Chu Liuyue?! At the side, Elder Qiuxi finally recovered his senses as he stared at the small ball on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders dazedly. His old skin harshly shook. ¡°Impossible! This is definitely impossible!¡± There are so many people around, so why does it have to be Chu Liuyue? ¡°The red-tailed phoenix is a legendary fiend. How can it choose you?!¡± Even though this sounded bad, it was very direct and voiced the suspicion in the others¡¯ hearts. If the red-tailed phoenix really wanted to find a human to make an agreement with, why did it choose Chu Liuyue out of all the people here? Chu Liuyue slightly raised her chin and revealed the scratch on her neck. At this point, the bloodstains were still forming a scab. ¡°When it swallowed Tuan Z just now, I wanted to save it. But I didn¡¯t expect an accident to happen in between, and this red-tailed phoenix¡¯s claw scratched my neck, so I made an agreement with it for some reason¡­ I just found out about it too.¡± Chu Liuyue explained the matter with a sincere tone, and she looked quite innocent. ¡°It swallowed my fiend, so I can only take it to repay its debt.¡± The crowd was speechless. That¡¯s the legendary fiend everyone has been harping on about for ages, and you just took it as your own in such a ridiculous manner? And you even used a third-grade fiend to exchange for a legendary fiend! The crowd fell into an eerie silence again. There¡¯s no way. This is too shocking! This was the first time they had seen a legendary fiend, and before they could even see it clearly, Chu Liuyue stepped ahead and obtained it first! The key was that this entire matter was so coincidental that one couldn¡¯t even intervene! Everyone had personally seen Chu Liuyue¡¯s blood ferret being swallowed by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant, so it was also reasonable that Chu Liuyue wanted to save it. And the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant also should¡¯ve attacked her. If not, there wouldn¡¯t be a scratch on Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. Normally, it was fine if it killed one person or even a hundred, but the key was that it was breaking through! In the end¡­ they made an agreement just like that?! Mu Hongyu stuck out her thumb in admiration. Ye Ranran also looked very excited. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and smiled very humbly. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m just a little lucky.¡± Chapter 720 - Suppression ¡®No, no. I¡¯m just a little lucky.¡¯ She has the cheek to say that?! How is that just a little lucky? Her luck is obviously off the charts! Is she trying to put all of us to shame?! Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face was flushed, and he had a hard time breathing. He pointed a trembling finger at Chu Liuyue but was unable to spit out a single word despite his quivering lips. What else could he have said though? Everyone saw what happened, so he couldn¡¯t denigrate Chu Liuyue even if he wanted to. Besides, there was nothing he could do since the red-tailed phoenix had already contracted with her. Chu Liuyue looked at him in concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Elder Qiuxi? Is everything alright?¡± Elder Qiuxi stiffly retracted his hand, flinging his sleeve powerfully in the process as he turned his head away. What I can¡¯t see won¡¯t hurt me! Having seen right through Elder Qiuxi, Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. He just wanted Tuan Zi for himself; otherwise, why isn¡¯t he concerned about Shangguan Wan¡¯s safety anymore? Apparently, the thought of whether he deserves to own Tuan Zi didn¡¯t even cross his mind. It¡¯s been so many years, but his greedy nature still hasn¡¯t changed! A green shadow flew over just then. ¡°Hong Yao?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. I was a little worried when I saw Hong Yao bump into the barrier, but by the look of it now¡­ Yep, it should be fine. Upon receiving a furious glare from Hong Yao, Tuan Zi turned around and ignored it. What¡¯s there to look at when we¡¯ve seen each other for so many years? Hong Yao was so angry that its small body was all puffed up like a ball. With a whoosh, its body lit up with green fire. I sensed something amiss with Tuan Zi long ago, and by the look of it now, I was right! Tuan Zi is Little Nine! To think that I mourned its death for so long back then! But as it turns out, it¡¯s alive and kicking! It even broke through to become a legendary fiend! Hong Yao¡¯s annoyance grew when it realized that the gap between Tuan Zi and itself had widened even further. At the thought that it wasn¡¯t even a ninth-grade fiend, Hong Yao began crying. I definitely won¡¯t be able to defeat Tuan Zi in the future! In its misery, fat teardrops fell from its eyes. It quickly looked away and wiped the tears away with its wings. But they soon became wet, for its tears flowed nonstop like a leaky faucet. It¡¯ll definitely seek revenge on me since I bullied it so much in the past¡­ Woo woo woo¡­ Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. She was just about to walk over to it, but she suddenly stopped and cast a helpless look at Mu Qinghe instead. ¡°Lieutenant Mu¡­¡± Mu Qinghe was feeling a minor headache as well. While he could put up with Hong Yao¡¯s little tantrums, he was helpless when it came to times like this. ¡°Come back, Hong Yao.¡± Hong Yao didn¡¯t want to move, but it obediently flew back to its master while sobbing because there were many people watching them at the moment. Mu Qinghe frowned slightly. ¡°Why are you crying when you¡¯re not injured?¡± What do you know?! Hong Yao shot him a glare before turning its face away. Mu Qinghe¡ªwho got despised for no rhyme or reason¡ªwas rendered speechless. ¡°You are¡­ Ms. Chu Liuyue, right?¡± The man standing beside Chu Liuyue finally spoke. From his calm expression and the hint of a smile on his face, it appeared that he wasn¡¯t shocked by the turn of events. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lingered on him for a moment before nodding. ¡°May I know who¡ª¡± ¡°Qin Yi.¡± With slightly squinted eyes, the man swept his gaze over Chu Liuyue and the red-tailed phoenix on her shoulder and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re really lucky, Ms. Chu. We¡¯ve been guarding this red-tailed phoenix for a long time, but we didn¡¯t expect it to choose you in the end.¡± ¡°S-sorry about that¡­¡± Chu Liuyue let out an awkward cough. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Fate is predestined by heaven, so the fact that it chose you out of the many people here shows that some things are fated to be,¡± replied Qin Yi. The way he spoke was slow and calm, just like a spring breeze. A hint of gratitude showed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you for your kind understanding, Brother Qin, Brother Lei. I appreciate it a lot.¡± Your Highness, you shouldn¡¯t address me as ¡®Brother Lei¡¯ even if you want to keep up with the act! I don¡¯t deserve it! The corners of Lei Laosi¡¯s eyes twitched hard, and he almost went down on his knees due to his legs going soft. He quickly glanced at Qin Yi, only to realize that he was looking as calm and composed as before. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Ms. Chu.¡± Lei Laosi¡¯s respect for Qin Yi rose when he heard that. Kudos to you¡­ Chu Liuyue said sincerely, ¡°Since I owe both of you a favor regarding this matter, I¡¯ll do my best to make it up to you in the future. Is that okay?¡± ¡°No need, no need! It¡¯s yo¡ªcough! We can¡¯t do anything about it since the red-tailed phoenix chose you on its own accord! Even if you weren¡¯t here, there¡¯s no telling if it¡¯d just leave without contracting with a human!¡± Lei Laosi blurted out. Their appearance and auras might be different now, but their tempers¡­ haven¡¯t changed at all. Amusement shone in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as she regarded Lei Laosi. She thanked them once more and didn¡¯t say anything more about this matter. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s the Third Princess?¡± She looked around, her gaze eventually landing on the spot where Shangguan Wan had vanished. The hole had been filled with the tree¡¯s roots and soil at some point. It was only when Chu Liuyue posed this question that everyone remembered that Shangguan Wan had disappeared for quite some time. They had been so distracted by the red-trailed phoenix that they forgot about her altogether. Thus, everyone fell silent and was at a loss about how to answer the question. Do we¡­ have to go down to look for Shangguan Wan? Chu Liuyue looked behind, her eyes on Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, the Third Princess has gone missing for a long time. Aren¡¯t you worried about her?¡± Jiang Yucheng was just about to speak, but the ground started shaking at that moment. Red mist spread from all directions, and the surrounding trees started withering quickly. The roots of the huge rolling leaf fir in the middle suddenly surfaced as well. With a darkened expression, Qin Yi said, ¡°Someone has touched the seal of this tree!¡± ¡°This tree was sealed?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in surprise. Qin Yi stared at the rolling leaf fir that looked like it was going berserk. ¡°Retreat!¡± Just as he said that, countless howls could be heard coming from the forest. It sounded as if thousands of people were crying out in pain. Chapter 721 - Self-Preservation Gusts of cold wind swept by, howling and hissing like it was hell. The eerie and bone-chilling sounds gave people the creeps and fear, and everyone retreated at once. Soon, more and more red mist started swarming over. While the surrounding trees were withering at a rapid speed, the thick mother tree in the middle not only showed no signs of withering, but it even seemed to be receiving nourishment. Its leaves appeared greener than before, and its branches were growing thicker as well. The most startling thing was that it seemed to be growing slowly but steadily in this red mist. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on here?! Liuyue, the mist is spreading over!¡± Mu Hongyu looked at Chu Liuyue as she nervously held the golden mane bear cub in her arms. The same thing we saw before is happening now! Are we going to¡ª Whoosh! With a wave of Qin Yi¡¯s sleeve, a faint greenish barrier instantly enveloped him and a few other people. When the red mist came into contact with this green barrier, it quickly recoiled as if it had encountered something terrifying. Qin Yi had only protected the people near him with his barrier, so Elder Qiuxi, Jiang Yucheng, and Mu Qinghe weren¡¯t under his protection, although it was probably because they were standing a little further away from him. ¡°Y-you forgot about us, sir!¡± cried Elder Qiuxi when he saw how easily Qin Yi¡¯s barrier managed to ward off the red mist. That red mist doesn¡¯t seem easy to deal with. We can save a lot of effort if Qin Yi helps us out. Unfortunately for him, Qin Yi gave him an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my strength is limited. Protecting these few people is the most I can do.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± retorted Elder Qiuxi. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, we only met Brother Qin by chance, so we¡¯re more than grateful to receive his help. How can we still order him to do this and that?¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted Elder Qiuxi¡¯s words, wearing a very sincere smile on her face. ¡°Besides, can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m also not under his protection?¡± Qin Yi¡¯s barrier was only enveloped around himself, Mu Hongyu, Ye Ranran, and Qiang Wanzhou. Lei Laosi and Chu Liuyue weren¡¯t under his protection either. Chu Liuyue then proceeded to cast a barrier around herself. She felt more assured when the red mist started moving away from her. Tuan Zi rubbed itself against her cheek as its beautiful gem-like eyes sparkled. Chu Liuyue blinked and instantly understood what Tuan Zi was trying to say. It¡¯s telling me that¡­ The red mist won¡¯t be able to hurt me when it¡¯s around? Meanwhile, Lei Laosi raised his hammer and slammed it against the ground. A transparent barrier that had crackling ice-blue lightning bolts wandering across it instantly appeared around him. He then looked up to give Elder Qiuxi a disdainful look. ¡°In the Mystic Forest, only one outcome awaits those who aren¡¯t capable of protecting themselves¡ªDeath!¡± He¡¯s calling me incompetent right in my face! Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face darkened. He was just about to retort, but he stopped when he saw Jiang Yucheng¡¯s look of warning that said, ¡®Haven¡¯t you embarrassed yourself enough?!¡¯ Thus, Elder Qiuxi could only keep his mouth shut. ¡°Eldest Young Master, this bottle contains the antidote for the red mist. Consume it if you accidentally come into contact with the red mist.¡± Mu Qinghe proceeded to hand Jiang Yucheng and Elder Qiuxi one pill each from the bottle he had taken out. While Elder Qiuxi eagerly snatched the pill from Mu Qinghe¡¯s hand, Jiang Yucheng stared at it. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention this at the start.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t know that the mist had gotten so poisonous. In the past, most of the mist could be blocked out just by setting up a barrier around ourselves. But now, we have to take the antidote. I only recalled this now, and I only have one bottle of the antidote on me,¡± replied Mu Qinghe calmly. Mu Qinghe has always been a careful and serious person, so he couldn¡¯t possibly have only recalled it now. Even if he didn¡¯t have many pills on him, he could¡¯ve given one to Shangguan Wan earlier since her safety is of utmost importance. However, he didn¡¯t do that. He clearly didn¡¯t want to give it to her. Jiang Yucheng studied Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression¡ªwhich was calm as if he had nothing to hide¡ªand didn¡¯t say anything. Shangguan Wan has never liked Mu Qinghe, and the feeling is mutual. Anyway, Shangguan Wan has her own ways to deal with the red mist, so she doesn¡¯t need this antidote either. Mu Qinghe then turned to Chu Liuyue and handed the bottle to her, his face expressionless. The gesture surprised Chu Liuyue, as evident by the slight raising of her eyebrows. She didn¡¯t expect him to share such a precious antidote with her, although it was given to him by her past self. She smiled politely at him, but before she could say anything, she heard Mu Qinghe say, ¡°Please return the black shield that the red-tailed phoenix took away earlier.¡± So that¡¯s his purpose¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression blanched a little. Instead of trying to rescue Shangguan Wan at first notice, he¡¯s more concerned about this black shield. How interesting¡­ Her feather-like eyelashes fluttered slightly as she lifted her eyelids calmly. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Lieutenant Mu, but I don¡¯t think I need the antidote since I have the red-tailed phoenix with me. You should keep it for yourself instead. As for the black shield¡­ I¡¯ll naturally return it to the Third Princess once she¡¯s found.¡± For some reason, Chu Liuyue seems a little different from the time I first met her in Country Yao Chen. She used to be polite and courteous but also a little timid, but she dares to refuse me so flatly now. But then again, now that she¡¯s contracted with a legendary fiend, it¡¯s only natural that things will change. With pursed lips, Mu Qinghe nodded and took an antidote for himself before putting the jade bottle away. ¡°Look! The mist seems to be heading toward the mother tree!¡± cried Ye Ranran. Everyone turned their attention to the tree at once, and sure enough, they saw that the red mist was indeed slowly moving toward the tree in the middle. On top of that, its leaves seemed to be swallowing the mist. A frown settled between Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows as she turned to look at Qin Yi. ¡°Brother Qin, does this have anything to do with the mother tree¡¯s seal?¡± Qin Yi nodded. ¡°The mist is no unusual sight in the Mystic Forest, but it usually lingers in the outer perimeter. It has never made its way to the center before.¡± That wasn¡¯t actually the truth. He and Lei Laosi had encountered the same scene when they first came here a year ago, but the seal happened to have a small crack at that time, so the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant decided to perch on that tree. Its presence mended that crack and added a second layer of protection to the seal, so ever since the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant hibernated there, nothing like this happened in the Mystic Forest. But now that it had left, the seal was once again broken. Chapter 722 - Under the Tree The rolling leaf fir was still growing. Several of its roots eagerly pulled out from the soil and danced wildly in the air. Filled with fresh blood, they emanated a terrifying aura and a nauseating smell of rot. Everyone could distinctively smell it even through the barrier, and their expressions soured at that. ¡°W-what¡¯s underneath the tree? Is that really¡­ human blood in its roots?¡± Ye Ranran couldn¡¯t help but mutter this question under her breath. Otherwise, there¡¯s no explanation for that bloody smell. If it¡¯s really blood in there, that¡¯s truly terrifying! Just whose blood does it contain?! Jiang Yucheng and his gang were silent though. Having been dragged underneath, they knew exactly what was going on down there. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here any longer! We have to leave right away!¡± As Qin Yi spoke, he silently looked at Chu Liuyue. Although Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t look back at him, she knew what he meant. Nodding in agreement, she added, ¡°That¡¯s right! Something strange is going on with that tree, and there¡¯s no telling what will happen to us if we stay.¡± She then made a move to retreat further, but she stopped when Elder Qiuxi said, ¡°We can¡¯t leave yet! The Third Princess is still underneath that tree! What¡¯s going to happen to her if we leave?¡± He forgot about her earlier, but now that he has nothing to gain since Tuan Zi has acknowledged me as its master, he suddenly remembered that she¡¯s missing? Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you go down and take a look, Elder Qiuxi?¡± Elder Qiuxi quickened his pace and stopped right in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡°The red-tailed phoenix had been perching on the mother tree all along. Since it¡¯s your fiend now, that makes you the most suitable person to go down! Didn¡¯t you also say that the red mist wouldn¡¯t pose any problem to you since you have the red-tailed phoenix?¡± Although I know that he¡¯s shameless, I didn¡¯t know that his shamelessness knows no bounds. Trust him to say that so calmly with conviction. Chu Liuyue burst out into laughter out of fury. ¡°Are you asking me¡ªthe person with the lowest cultivation level¡ªto go find the Third Princess by myself? You sure think highly of me.¡± Elder Qiuxi wasn¡¯t bothered by her retort. ¡°Since the legendary fiend is yours, you¡¯re the best person to go look for the Third Princess.¡± It looks like he¡¯s still holding a grudge against me¡­ I knew that I¡¯d attract the envy of others, but given Tuan Zi¡¯s earlier situation, there wasn¡¯t any way I could avoid their notice. Although I expected trouble from contracting with Tuan Zi, I didn¡¯t expect it to happen so early. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, I¡¯m also very worried about the Third Princess. I don¡¯t mind taking the lead, but our chances of finding the Third Princess will increase if we all go together. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered to make an excuse to push the responsibility away, so she just agreed to it. In fact, she would go looking for Shangguan Wan herself even without Elder Qiuxi¡¯s suggestion, for she clearly saw Shangguan Wan jumping into the hole entirely on her own accord. There¡¯s definitely something fishy going on. Who knows? Shangguan Wan might not even want to be found even though I¡¯m willing to go look for her! Since Elder Qiuxi wants my help, then he should also do his part in searching for Shangguan Wan! A slight frown formed on Elder Qiuxi¡¯s forehead. He had intended to let Chu Liuyue go down by herself, but he found himself unable to refute what she said. Chu Liuyue turned to face Jiang Yucheng with a smile. ¡°I believe that the person who¡¯s most worried about the Third Princess is Eldest Young Master Jiang. Hence, I trust that he¡¯ll definitely agree to go down with me to look for her. Am I right, Eldest Young Master Jiang?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression darkened a little. He had no intention of going down at all since he knew what was going on below. On top of that, he had also sensed that something was wrong with his body. Even though he tried his best to rest and recover a little earlier, his internal and external injuries weren¡¯t completely healed. If I encounter danger again¡­ Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t say ¡®no¡¯ in front of so many people. His voice was biting-cold as he said, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a wise decision.¡± Qin Yi cut in with a disapproving look on his face. ¡°The mother tree¡¯s seal has been broken, so we don¡¯t know what kind of danger lurks underneath. Not even Laosi and I dare to go head-to-head against it. You¡¯ll just be courting your deaths if you go down now! Not only will you fail to find the person you¡¯re looking for, but you might even lose your lives as well!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. She knew that Qin Yi was objecting to her going down, but she had to go down regardless. ¡°Brother Qin, we appreciate your advice, but we can¡¯t just sit and do nothing when the Third Princess has gone missing and might even be in danger. I¡¯d like to ask you to take care of my friends.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Liuyue? You¡¯re not letting us join you?¡± asked Mu Hongyu hurriedly. Qiang Wanzhou walked straight toward Chu Liuyue immediately. Before crossing the greenish barrier, he gripped the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in his hand and looked at Qin Yi. ¡°I go wherever she goes.¡± Although Qin Yi was also rather worried, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight of Qiang Wanzhou. Does he think that he¡¯s the only one who¡¯s concerned about her safety? If she insists on going, there¡¯s no way Laosi and I will stay outside. A loud rumbling sound came from behind just then. When they looked back, they saw the ground suddenly collapsing along with the withered trees. A huge ravine was formed in no time, and it was getting bigger. Soon, the same thing began happening everywhere else. An uneasy feeling crept up Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart as she pointed her toes and flew upward. A trace of shock surfaced on her face when she got a clear look at the scene below. The ground was collapsing in the shape of a circle with the mother tree in the middle. Most importantly, it was starting to spread toward the outer perimeter as well. Like invisible waves, the entire Mystic Forest started crumbling. The lush trees were now completely bare and withered with the red mist surrounding them. The sky had once again turned bleak as well. Unlike the phenomenon that was triggered during the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡¯s breakthrough, the sky appeared eerie now. Chu Liuyue looked toward the mother tree in the middle once more. All the trees had withered and were swallowed in this howling wind, but not only did the mother tree remain safe and sound, but it was also continuously growing. Could it be swallowing the other trees¡¯ energy?! A spine-chilling thought appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as she stared at its lush, green leaves. If I¡¯m not wrong, many people must be trapped under those trees just like Jiang Yucheng earlier. In that case¡­ Shangguan Wan must be underneath the mother tree! Chapter 723 - The Pure Gold Armor A stream of white light streaked across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She had known from the start that Shangguan Wan had a motive for bringing so many people to the Mystic Forest, but it was only now that she finally figured out what exactly Shangguan Wan was planning to do. She wants to use these people to recover her Yuan meridian and strength! A lot of the people who came along with Shangguan Wan had Dijing Yuan meridians, and this was especially so for the various sects¡¯ disciples. After all, they were the most outstanding picks and seedlings of their respective sects. So the Wan Zheng Competition was held for the sake of this! She couldn¡¯t heal her Yuan meridian by herself, so she¡¯s eyeing other people¡¯s Yuan meridians instead? This might sound terrifying, but if my guess is correct, then everything that previously happened makes sense now! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be horrified at the thought. She knew how vicious Shangguan Wan could be, but she hadn¡¯t expected the latter to have the guts to go to such lengths. How many talented cultivators is she going to kill? The nerve of her! For a moment, Chu Liuyue was so overwhelmed with emotions that she didn¡¯t know what to say. Her Yuan meridian was destroyed by my Tianjing Yuan meridian back then, and that damage is unhealable given how powerful a Tianjing Yuan meridian is. I can¡¯t think of any methods that can help Shangguan Wan heal her Yuan meridian, but she must¡¯ve found a way¡ªa despicable and vicious one, at that¡ªif she¡¯s taking action. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Liuyue?¡± asked Ye Ranran as she tilted her head in concern. Liuyue doesn¡¯t seem to be looking good¡­ The question pulled Chu Liuyue out of her thoughts. She took a deep breath in before landing on the ground again, attracting everyone¡¯s attention as she did so. In a solemn voice, she said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we won¡¯t be able to leave.¡± A deep frown formed on Qin Yi¡¯s forehead as he heard her saying, ¡°The entire Mystic Forest is crumbling, save for this area!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, underground. After a long period of free-falling, Shangguan Wan finally ended up in the soil again. She took out a water pearl that illuminated her surroundings with its faint glow. Having been here previously, she wasn¡¯t too scared and worried this time. In fact, she was a little bit excited. She was checking out her surroundings when her gaze was suddenly drawn to a dark-green light not far from her. The light looked a bit creepy and queer. After a brief hesitation, she decided to go closer to check it out, only to find an imposing platform right in the middle of this moving black mud. The dark-green light was currently floating above it. All of a sudden, Shangguan Wan felt something underneath her foot. Her heart thumped hard as she looked down, and she shifted her foot to reveal a head that had surfaced because of the moving soil. That was the very thing that she had just stepped on. Most importantly, the head had yet to decay, so it revealed an ashen face with protruding eyes and deeply sunken cheeks. Whoever this head belonged to looked like they didn¡¯t die in peace. A wave of nausea overcame Shangguan Wan as she stomped her foot on the head, pressing it down again. It was only when the head was swallowed by the black soil again that she patted her chest and closed her eyes to heave a sigh of relief. The soil underneath the ground really is fluid. I was quite far away from here when I killed that person, yet I still managed to find their head here. Just my luck! She quickly left that spot and ran toward the platform. She easily stepped on the edge of the platform as there wasn¡¯t any barrier cast around it. After shaking the dirt off herself, Shangguan Wan looked up to study the dark-green light floating in the air. It was a palm-sized fireball. What¡¯s that? Shangguan Wan wondered curiously. Judging by its position, it¡¯s located directly underneath that mother tree. A tree root from the opposite direction suddenly came flying toward her, which made her startle and hurriedly crouch down. The root¡¯s target wasn¡¯t her though¡ªit had obviously come for that fireball as it stopped right in front of it. A thin stream of fire flew over to touch that root, and the force contained in the root began flowing into the fireball. Not long after, the root disappeared. The fireball, however, had grown in size. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart started racing. So¡­ The force was swallowed up by this fireball. If¡­ this fireball becomes mine, won¡¯t that mean¡­ that force will become mine too?! Her eyes lit up at the thought of this, and she could barely contain the excitement inside of her. She then took out a blood-red pill and swallowed it down. Soon, her damaged Yuan meridian came to life again as if it had been stimulated by something. Her skin became red with strange and faint black lines running across it. She was just about to approach the fireball when she suddenly stilled herself. That fireball might be dangerous¡­ With a mere thought, the pure gold armor appeared right in front of her. She quickly put it on, and only then did she feel assured enough to step forward. Chapter 724 - May I Know When You Came to the Mystic Forest? If she looked closely enough, she could even identify those people, which included the Black Guards and the various sects¡¯ disciples. There were a few people she couldn¡¯t identify though. They were likely to be people who had entered the Mystic Forest on their own and ended up swallowed by the ground. It had never crossed Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind that she¡¯d receive such a huge and pleasant surprise. According to her initial plan, she had intended on making a move on only a handful of people after entering the Mystic Forest, for she would inevitably arouse suspicion if something happened to everyone. Also, she could only act when she was certain that nobody would discover what she was up to. It was just like how she dealt with the dozen people when trapped in the enclosed area. Everyone else would think that they were swallowed by the soil and thus wouldn¡¯t associate their deaths with her. After all, it was only normal that accidental deaths would occur in a dangerous place like the Mystic Forest. With all those factors combined, the chances of her making a move became even slimmer. However, it was different now¡ªshe could easily kill those people without anyone¡¯s knowledge. She checked her condition once more. After unleashing its force twice, the fireball finally settled down in her dantian, no longer causing any trouble. She even waited a while to make sure. As Shangguan wan recalled what happened earlier, she surmised that the force came from the two tree roots, but it only healed one-tenth of her Yuan meridian. This meant that she had to continue absorbing force if she wanted her Yuan meridian to recover fully. The force from those people trapped underground should be enough, right? Shangguan Wan trembled in excitement at the thought there was hope for her Yuan meridian to recover fully. God knows how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this day. Nobody will know that I¡¯m the culprit behind their deaths, so I can just kill them without a care. On top of that, my cultivation level might even increase. Her eyes glowed red in excitement as she started selecting her first picks, which were naturally those with higher-grade Yuan meridians. Not only could she convert all the force contained within their Yuan meridians into hers this way, but the recovery effectiveness of her Yuan meridian would also be maximized. One person suddenly came into her mind just then. Oh right, where¡¯s Chu Liuyue? Her Yuan meridian is the best among these people. That girl is an eyesore. I won¡¯t feel relieved until she¡¯s dead. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t find Chu Liuyue even after searching everywhere. She was slightly disappointed to know that the latter¡¯s force hadn¡¯t been swallowed by the rolling leaf fir. Forget it. Healing my Yuan meridian is more important! With just a thought, the tree root suddenly tightened its hold on one of the disciples who was just about to break free from it. It then pierced right into his heart. ¡°Ugh!¡± A sharp, strangled cry escaped from his throat, but it quickly died off, for all the force in his body had been sucked by the tree root. He was dead in an instant, with no chance to even react. His eyes were wide open, his cheeks were sunken, and his body was curled into a ball, making it a strange sight. The same scene repeatedly played out in this dark space. ¡­ The news of the crumbling Mystic Forest left everyone in shock. When Chu Liuyue noticed Qin Yi¡¯s grave expression, she knew that he and Lei Laosi had never encountered this situation before, which made things even trickier than she thought. ¡°Why is it suddenly crumbling?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng with a frown. Chu Liuyue pointed to the rolling leaf fir in the middle. ¡°It might be what Brother Qin said earlier. Someone has touched its seal¡­¡± Knowing very well why Shangguan Wan came on this trip, Jiang Yucheng fell silent at that. It must be Shangguan Wan¡­ She jumped into the hole from there earlier. ¡°In that case, we have no choice but to go down now,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she walked forward. Lei Laosi hurriedly followed in her footsteps. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead!¡± Chu Liuyue looked back and smiled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Lei. Since the red-tailed phoenix is my contracted fiend now, I¡¯m likely the safest person here.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. How can I let Your¡ªa lady like you be in the front?¡± said Lei Laosi immediately. Even though Her Highness has a legendary fiend, she¡¯s only a stage-five warrior! ¡°My big brother and I have been here for a long time, so we know how to go down. It¡¯ll also be more efficient if I take the lead!¡± Lei Laosi finally came up with a justifiable reason. Refusing Lei Laosi¡¯s offer would seem a little strange at this point, so Chu Liuyue conceded and went along with his suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you then, Brother Lei.¡± Lei Laosi¡¯s hands trembled once more. Unable to stand hearing Chu Liuyue address him as ¡®Brother Lei,¡¯ he rushed forward to the spot where Shangguan Wan had jumped down earlier. Said spot was currently sealed. His expression turned serious as he tightened his grip on the hammer. Everyone else had followed him here as well. Since there was nowhere they could escape to, it was safer for them to stick together. Lei Laosi¡¯s aura surged as he channeled his internal force. An ice-blue lightning bolt swam across his hammer, and a mighty pressure poured out from it. The next instant, he lifted his hammer, shouting, ¡°Wind Strike!¡± Strong winds violently blew across them as the dust in their surroundings flew about. With a dull thump, Chu Liuyue immediately felt the ground underneath her feet trembling. A crack was instantly formed, which grew bigger as the hammer¡¯s force continuously spread out. Soon, the ground was filled with web-like cracks. Rumble! The ground in front of them started crumbling again, revealing a huge and deep hole. Lei Laosi was the first person to jump down, followed by Chu Liuyue. Qiang Wanzhou and the others moved to follow suit but were stopped by Qin Yi¡¯s barrier. They looked back to see Qin Yi patiently and lazily looking at Jiang Yucheng and his gang. ¡°Please go ahead.¡± Despite the narrowing of his eyes, Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t argue with him and jumped down straight away. Elder Qiuxi dared not be the first and last person. It was only after seeing Jiang Yucheng jump down did he dare to follow him. For some reason, this person looks familiar¡­ thought Mu Qinghe as he glanced at Qin Yi. ¡°May I know when you came to the Mystic Forest?¡± Qin Yi raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you that since it has nothing to do with you. Besides, Eldest Young Master Jiang has gone down. Aren¡¯t you going to follow him, Lieutenant Mu?¡± Mu Qinghe could only suppress the questions in his heart for now. He then turned around and jumped into the hole as well. That made Qin Yi smile in satisfaction. Only then did he take Mu Hongyu and the others down the hole to catch up with the others. Chapter 725 - Fire Spark! After going one step up, Shangguan Wan nervously clenched her fists. She then waited for a moment, but nothing surprising happened. Everything in the surroundings was the same as before. Shangguan Wan heaved a slight sigh of relief and continued going forward. She felt much more confident after wearing the pure gold armor. Within the quiet and dark space, she could only hear the movement of the black soil and her own footsteps. Shangguan Wan held her breath in. Whoosh! Another tree root floated over. This time, Shangguan Wan was experienced as she stood at her spot and waited. As expected, the tree root directly flew to the fire spark. The dark-green spark lightly wound around it, and the energy it contained was quickly transferred to the spark. Shangguan Wan waited at the side. Very quickly, the second root also left. That spark had already become twice the size compared to before. Shangguan Wan thought to herself, The energy contained within this root seems to be even richer than I expected¡­ She waited for a moment and went forward again. That spark had no place to hide. When she was about three steps away from it, Shangguan Wan then shockingly discovered that it was a burning seal. However, the pattern looks very unfamiliar. I wonder who left it here? Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart beat wildly; then, she slowly stretched out her hand toward that spark. Huala! The moment her hand touched it, the spark suddenly flew up and harshly burned her hand. ¡°Si¡ª¡± Shangguan Wan felt the pain and hurriedly retracted her hand. This thing doesn¡¯t seem like anything special, but it¡¯s very hot! Shangguan Wan lowered her head and discovered that half her palm was already burned. This was because¡­ That pure gold armor only covered half her palm! The parts covered by the armor were in perfect condition, while the exposed parts had large blisters and looked frightening. While Shangguan Wan was stunned, a thought popped up in her mind: It turns out that this pure gold armor is really this formidable! I haven¡¯t even used it and am just wearing it, but its defensive powers are already so strong. I wonder how formidable it will be when I truly awaken this pure gold armor! Shangguan Wan licked her lips as greed and excitement flashed across her eyes. She then thought for a moment and swiftly chose to use both hands at the same time. The pure gold armor wrapped her wrist tightly. This way, she didn¡¯t need to worry much as long as the spark didn¡¯t touch the skin exposed on the outside. Shangguan Wan gradually stretched out her hand and hugged the fire spark from outside. Sparks would fly from time to time, but Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t affected by it as they all landed on the pure gold armor. Her eyes stared at the dark-green spark closely as she inched closer to it. Boom! Suddenly, the spark erupted! Shangguan Wan was taken aback and was about to move backward when she discovered that the spark suddenly flew toward her! Swoosh! That spark directly hit her heart! Shangguan Wan felt like a giant rock was pressing against her chest, and it was so heavy that she couldn¡¯t breathe. However, this feeling quickly subsided. At that moment, it was like something forcefully pierced through her chest and entered her heart. A scorching sensation came from her heart. Shangguan Wan panicked¡ªshe never thought that the spark would directly enter her heart! At this temperature, her entire person would be burned to ashes in no time! The painful burning sensation made her recall the night at the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall. She thought that that day was her most painful day, but she didn¡¯t expect this thing to be even more torturous! ¡°Ah!¡± Shangguan Wan yelped and directly collapsed onto the ground. Her hands held the area near her heart, wanting to chase that spark away. But afterward, she felt that the thing actually started to move! She felt an excruciating pain in her stomach, and her originally flushed face turned slightly pale. The pain was very unbearable as she could only clutch the ground harshly and knock her head against it in an attempt to knock herself unconscious and forget this pain. Tsing! A low sound was heard. However, Shangguan Wan had forgotten that she was wearing the pure gold armor, so her forehead was protected. She couldn¡¯t even torture herself, but she didn¡¯t actually dare to take off the pure gold armor. Thus, she could only endure it! She didn¡¯t notice that during this entire process, the strange black pattern on her body was also undergoing some strange changes. After an everlasting struggle, the terrifying pain finally subsided by quite a bit. Shangguan Wan curled up into a ball on the ground, and her entire body broke out into cold sweat. Her hands were bloodied as she used a lot of strength to scratch the ground, and one could even see her white bones. Her lips were bitten by herself until they broke, and blood was everywhere. She looked very unkempt. She breathed in heavily and finally recovered her senses after much difficulty. The pain on her body reminded her: I¡¯m still alive! Shangguan Wan reacted and immediately started checking her body. In the end, she was stunned by this check. Because¡­ That spark finally landed in her dantian! She had connected her five treasures, so the spark could directly enter her dantian. Shangguan Wan looked at it in a trance and discovered that the item had lost its previous seal look and completely became a fireball. It floated quietly in the center of her dantian, and the scorching pain seemed to have gradually subsided. Ever since Shangguan Wan¡¯s Yuan meridian was damaged, her pearl of essence was also implicated. The current position of this dark-green fireball was where the pearl of essence actually was. A heavy force suddenly flowed out from that fireball and extended toward her limbs, and that strange pattern on Shangguan Wan¡¯s body seemed to have been revived! Not long later, the pattern began to seep into her skin. Everything happened too quickly. Before Shangguan Wan could even react, she felt that her Yuan meridian was completely wrapped in a layer of dark-green light. Then, a rich force flowed past it. Shangguan Wan was harshly stunned. This¡­ My Yuan meridian is healed?! As if to confirm her guess, another wave of force came out from the fireball in her dantian and spread across the dark-green Yuan meridian. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t dare to believe what was happening, so she confirmed again and again and tried repeatedly. When she discovered that the dark-green light covering the Yuan meridian could very smoothly circulate her body¡¯s force, Shangguan Wan could finally confirm: My Yuan meridian is indeed healed! The black pattern in her body had almost completely disappeared, leaving the last bit of traces on her glabella. It looked like some strange, black symbol. At this point, something extra appeared in her mind. She closed her eyes and felt it closely. Then, she widened her eyes in surprise! I can actually feel the positions of the people being trapped by the rolling leaf fir in the Mystic Forest! As long as I want, I can absorb any of their strength! Chapter 726 - Not Weird The surroundings were pitch black. Within the dark and pressing space, it was filled with a thick, rotting, and bloody smell as if the surrounding air was becoming sticky. Tuan Zi suddenly raised its wings. A red fire flew out instantly like a shooting star flying across the sky, leaving behind a clear and bright outline before it disappeared into the deep pit below. With this spark as a guide, the crowd went forward even more conveniently. Lei Laosi¡ªwho was at the front¡ªdirectly flew down. Chu Liuyue followed him closely. The crowd behind also followed thereafter. ¡­ ¡°Big Brother Lei, have you guys been here before?¡± asked Chu Liuyue softly as she dropped. Lei Laosi nodded. ¡°We came here once, but that was a very long time ago.¡± They had arrived at the Mystic Forest for not long at that time and were very unfamiliar with everything here, so they accidentally met with this trouble. Afterward, he relied on his big brother to escape from this hell. After that, the duo basically stayed beside that mother tree and looked after the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Hence, they naturally never met with such an incident again. From time to time, some people would barge in from the outside, but they would be stopped at the outer area. Chu Liuyue and the rest were the only ones who entered the Mystic Forest¡¯s depths within this more than one year or so. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether whatever is below is still the same as before¡­¡± muttered Lei Laosi. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she asked again, ¡°Oh yes, Big Brother Lei. I heard that the mist inside the Mystic Forest is actually white, but why was the one we met red?¡± And it was even mixed with a fishy blood smell that made one very uncomfortable. Lei Laosi knitted his brows. ¡°Talking about this¡­ Big Brother and I don¡¯t actually know what¡¯s going on either. When we first came, the mist was indeed white. For a very long time in the middle, we didn¡¯t go out. When we saw it again, it was already red. But at that time, the color was still quite light, but it gradually became darker later. Then, it became the state it is in today.¡± At the start, he was also curious. However, his big brother kept telling him to ignore it. Their only motive here was to guard the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Lei Laosi had always listened to Qin Yi, and in addition to his loud nature, he never asked further. Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. According to what Lei Laosi said, there¡¯s a very huge possibility that the Mystic Forest started changing after they came. And the time that they came here¡­ Chu Liuyue guessed that they should¡¯ve come here after she met with that incident back then. Moreover, it might very well be possible that they brought Tuan Zi over¡­ Thinking of this, Tuan Zi suddenly glanced at her and tilted its head. Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. Tuan Zi is saying¡­ Qin Yi¡¯s group of two didn¡¯t bring it here? Then, how did it come here? Chu Liuyue asked Tuan Zi seriously in her heart, ¡°Tuan Zi, did you come here yourself back then?¡± Tuan Zi shook its head. Chu Liuyue squinted, but she saw that Tuan Zi looked confused. In actual fact, even Tuan Zi didn¡¯t know what exactly happened to it. Before Shangguan Yue burned herself to death back then, she forcefully dissolved the agreement between her and it. That was why it could live. It originally wanted to drag Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng down together to avenge her. In the end, it fainted before it could do anything. When it woke up again, its physical body was already left behind in this Mystic Forest, and its soul was split into two. Half was left in the physical body, and the other half¡­ entered the body of a third-grade blood ferret. It didn¡¯t know what it had experienced in between. Tuan Zi sent its thoughts to Chu Liuyue clearly. Chu Liuyue thought for a very long while and didn¡¯t make a sound. It seems like someone helped me, but I don¡¯t know who this person is. Perhaps I can find out something by asking Qin Yi and Lei Laosi, but it¡¯s not the right time now. ¡°Quickly, look! There seems to be someone below!¡± shouted Lei Laosi suddenly. Chu Liuyue immediately suppressed her many emotions and looked in the direction he was pointing. As expected, there seemed to be a vague figure within that dark space. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she immediately increased her speed. But when she gradually got nearer, she slowly knitted her brows. That person¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be Shangguan Wan! Even if Shangguan Wan turned into ashes, I would still recognize her. But the person below¡­ Even though I can¡¯t see her appearance, I¡¯m sure her figure isn¡¯t Shangguan Wan¡¯s. However, Chu Liuyue only hesitated for a moment and continued rushing downward. Lei Laosi saw that she had overtaken him and anxiously quickened his pace. There are all sorts of things below. How can I let Her Highness go first?! But Lei Laosi quickly and shockingly discovered that Chu Liuyue¡¯s speed was in no way slower than him. In this space below, all cultivators are restricted to a certain extent. But it seems like Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s because she has made an agreement with a red-tailed phoenix? Lei Laosi didn¡¯t have time to ask as he utilized his full speed to follow her. After a while, Chu Liuyue finally stopped. Lei Laosi reached almost simultaneously. Seeing that Chu Liuyue was about to walk toward the figure, he hurriedly said, ¡°Hold on! Danger!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This person is already dead.¡± Lei Laosi was dazed as he walked closer. This figure was a young woman, and her shin had sunk into the black soil. Most of her body was still outside. They previously saw her back view from above, so it was no wonder that they couldn¡¯t tell. However, her eyes were tightly shut, and she wasn¡¯t breathing anymore. She was indeed dead. Chu Liuyue snapped her fingers, and a spark appeared in her palm, instantly illuminating the surroundings. With this, they finally saw that woman¡¯s appearance. Her face was purple, and her cheeks had sunk in. Her features were distorted, and she looked like she had experienced great torture before she died. However, there was only one wound on her chest as if something pierced through her and caused a lot of blood to flow out. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. Lei Laosi¡¯s expression also changed. How did this woman die in such a miserable and strange manner? ¡°Who is this?¡± The people behind also caught up respectively. Jiang Yucheng walked in closer and saw that the woman wasn¡¯t Shangguan Wan. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°She¡¯s a disciple from Jiu Xing Alliance.¡± In actual fact, this woman was the one that kept mocking and teasing them previously. It was also this woman who bullied Ye Ranran at Thousand View Garden back then. When they last saw her, she was still very arrogant. But in the blink of an eye, she had already lost her life. Jiang Yucheng walked to the duo, and his face turned cold when he saw the woman¡¯s appearance. Chu Liuyue had been observing him the whole time. Seeing his reaction, she raised her brows slightly. That¡¯s weird. Upon seeing this scene, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s first reaction isn¡¯t shock or confusion, but it¡¯s more like¡­ anger? Why does he seem not surprised about all of this? Chapter 727 - Save ¡°This person isn¡¯t the Third Princess?!¡± Elder Qiuxi also walked over, and he was shocked as he couldn¡¯t help but blurt out that sentence. ¡°Isn¡¯t this directly below the mother tree? The Third Princess clearly jumped down from here previously, so why isn¡¯t she here?¡± Jiang Yucheng coldly said, ¡°This black soil moves. After such a long time, she might¡¯ve gone to a place we don¡¯t know of.¡± Elder Qiuxi slapped his forehead. ¡°I actually forgot about this¡­ Then, isn¡¯t it much harder to find the Third Princess?¡± Nobody spoke to answer him. Elder Qiuxi finally felt a little awkward. At this point, Mu Qinghe and the rest also caught up with them. When Ye Ranran saw that woman¡¯s face, she gasped. ¡°I-isn¡¯t she the new disciple that Jiu Xing Alliance accepted?¡± Among all the Jiu Xing Alliance disciples, she had the deepest impression of this woman. She didn¡¯t expect to meet this woman again in such a scenario! Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± ¡°How can it be¡­ Aren¡¯t Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s people extra protective of her? Oh right, where are the other Jiu Xing Alliance disciples?¡± muttered Ye Ranran softly as she turned around to survey the surroundings. However, she didn¡¯t discover anybody. ¡°There seems to be only herself here. The other people from Jiu Xing Alliance are all not around.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. After she confirmed this woman¡¯s identity earlier, she already checked the surroundings and didn¡¯t see an extra figure anywhere. Mu Qinghe scrutinized that woman and said in a low voice, ¡°She should¡¯ve been separated from the rest and came here alone. Then, she was squeezed to death by the rolling leaf fir.¡± Upon closer look, her body did have the signs of being tightly wound by something. ¡°¡­That rolling leaf fir is really terrifying¡­¡± Ye Ranran was scared, and she looked conflicted. She originally wanted to find a chance to get Jiu Xing Alliance¡¯s people to repay this debt, but she didn¡¯t expect¡­ Now, she had already guessed what happened before. The wilted trees¡­ Perhaps they all have people trapped underneath! In this case, it means that the thousand-plus people that came to the Mystic Forest are all in such a scenario. We don¡¯t know how many of them have already quietly died here like this woman! Thinking of this, it really chilled one¡¯s heart. ¡°She wasn¡¯t constricted to death by the root.¡± A crisp and calm voice suddenly sounded. The crowd kept quiet. Mu Qinghe looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. Her gaze was light, but her eyes were stable and stubborn. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t look like this if she was constricted to death by the root.¡± Mu Qinghe went two steps closer and used the light from the fire to have a clearer view. Shock then flashed across his eyes. He kept quiet for a moment and finally nodded. ¡°I saw wrongly. She shouldn¡¯t have died because of this.¡± I¡¯ve seen what people look like when they¡¯re constricted to death by the root, and this woman¡­ Her death is too strange and weird! But the weirder thing is¡­ Chu Liuyue continued, ¡°Her body¡¯s force completely disappeared.¡± Mu Qinghe pressed his lips against each other. This is also what I just found out. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but ask when she heard this as she comforted Ye Ranran. Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°After a cultivator dies, the force accumulated in their body won¡¯t immediately disappear even if their life is gone. This is especially so for people who have decent abilities and talents¡­ Within her muscles, blood, and bones, there must be a lot of force. She looked like she died not long ago, but all the force in her body is gone.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words attracted the crowd¡¯s attention. ¡°I knew it!¡± Lei Laosi had a high cultivation level and was naturally more sensitive toward this. ¡°Her body¡¯s force seemed to have been sucked away by something very cleanly, without leaving a single trace behind! Wait a minute! Her pearl of essence also seems to be destroyed?!¡± Lei Laosi used his force to check, and he looked stunned. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s lashes moved, and he looked down slightly. Chu Liuyue saw this clearly from the side, and she chuckled in her heart. It seems like Jiang Yucheng clearly knows what Shangguan Wan is doing. If I didn¡¯t recall wrongly, this woman has a Dijing Yuan meridian. ¡°It seems like something has absorbed her strength, and the rolling leaf fir was just a convenient tool,¡± said Qin Yi lightly. The crowd fell into silence together. This was probably the only possibility in this situation. ¡°What exactly used such a ruthless and horrifying method?¡± Ye Ranran was young and had never witnessed such a scene before, so she was petrified and enraged. Elder Qiuxi was very worried. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there¡¯s actually such a terrible thing in this place! We must find the Third Princess as soon as possible! If not¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up undetectably. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, you don¡¯t have to worry. The Third Princess is very blessed, and she¡¯ll definitely be safe and sound even if others meet with danger.¡± Elder Qiuxi was stumped as he felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s words sounded weird, but he didn¡¯t know how to retort her, so he could only fling his sleeves. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s most important to find the Third Princess first!¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. I¡¯m afraid Shangguan Wan doesn¡¯t want us to find her now. ¡°Save me! Save me!¡± A hoarse cry for help could be heard from far away. Chu Liuyue found this voice familiar, and she looked in the direction of the sound. Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s Senior Brother Zhu Hong¡¯s voice!¡± It¡¯s actually someone from Dragon Teeth Mountain? Mu Hongyu was very worried, but she was stopped by Qin Yi when she wanted to go over. ¡°If you leave this barrier, you¡¯ll be sucked by this black soil in less than 15 minutes.¡± Mu Hongyu was shocked and stopped in her tracks as she looked anxious. ¡°B-but that¡¯s Senior Brother Zhu Hong¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only him,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. There seemed to be quite a few people in that dark shadow. She gave Mu Hongyu a reassuring look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Then, she flew in that direction. Perhaps it was because of the red-tailed phoenix, but she clearly could move around much more freely as compared to the others. Mu Hongyu nodded and stared at her closely. Lei Laosi hurriedly followed her. ¡°Save me¡­ cough, cough! Save¡ª¡± The nearer she got, the clearer Zhu Hong¡¯s voice was. He struggled in the black soil with much difficulty, and he dragged along a few people that had fainted. The surroundings were pitch black, and their bodies kept sinking in as the force in their body continuously flowed out. His entire body seemed to be gradually turning cold, and a deep sense of hopelessness filled his heart. Am I¡­ really going to die here? When I came, I said that I wanted to take good care of the disciples in my clan¡­ But now¡­ Zhu Hong¡¯s voice gradually became softer as he laughed bitterly. Who can hear me when I cry for help in such a space? I have already exhausted my strength, and I really can¡¯t hang on anymore¡­ Zhu Hong closed his eyes. ¡°Zhu Hong?¡± A woman¡¯s clear voice was suddenly heard. Zhu Hong opened his eyes and tried his best to look over. A figure was coming toward him. The red light shone on her figure, and it was like a sharp knife that tore through the darkness, blooming in colorful light! Chapter 728 - : Suspicion At that moment, Zhu Hong thought that he was hallucinating. He closed his eyes, but he discovered that the person didn¡¯t disappear. Instead, that person continued walking toward this side. And¡­ he had seen this face before! ¡°C-Chu Liuyue?!¡± muttered Zhu Hong in disbelief. Chu Liuyue had already arrived in front of him. When she saw Zhu Hong¡¯s situation, she gathered her focus. More than half of his body has already sunk into this black soil, and he¡¯s still dragging four people behind him. It looks like they¡¯ve all fainted, and they¡¯re all relying on Zhu Hong using a string to tie all of them together so that they don¡¯t get separated from each other. But Zhu Hong¡¯s face is ghastly, and he¡¯s hanging onto his last breath as if he has exhausted most of his energy and can¡¯t hold on any longer. Chu Liuyue immediately stretched out her hand. ¡°Zhu Hong, give me your hand.¡± Seeing this white and slim hand, Zhu Hong finally realized: This is really Chu Liuyue! Zhu Hong stretched out his hand dazedly. Lei Laosi immediately went forward, grabbed Zhu Hong¡¯s wrist, and exerted strength. How can I let Her Highness do this kind of thing¡­ Lei Laosi was very strong and had natural godly powers, so he easily dragged the few people out. Before Zhu Hong could even react, he was already away from the terrifying soil. Lei Laosi set up a barrier and covered the few of them. This way, they wouldn¡¯t drop down so easily anymore. Chu Liuyue smiled and glanced at Lei Laosi. ¡°Thank you so much for helping, Big Brother Lei.¡± Lei Laosi¡¯s eyelids twitched. I haven¡¯t seen Her Highness in such a long time. How did she suddenly become such a jokester? Hearing the calls of ¡®Big Brother¡¯ is really making my legs go weak! ¡°Y-you¡¯re welcome! I should do it, I should do it!¡± Lei Laosi coughed and turned away. Chu Liuyue teased him, and her lips curled up slightly before she looked toward Zhu Hong and the few people he brought along. They¡¯re indeed people from Dragon Teeth Mountain. Chu Liuyue took out a bottle of pills and handed it to Zhu Hong. ¡°Recover your energy.¡± Zhu Hong instinctively lifted his hand and accepted the pill bottle. When he opened the bottle, an intense fragrance wafted toward his nose. Zhu Hong was shocked. The standard of these pills isn¡¯t low, and the herbs needed to refine them are very precious. It¡¯s extremely hard for normal people to have one pill, yet Chu Liuyue has an entire bottle! However, she is so willing to give it to me, which proves her generosity. Zhu Hong was originally a little embarrassed, but thinking about his current situation, he still chose to accept it after hesitating for a moment. The pill immediately dissolved upon putting it into his mouth, and a gentle strength spread toward his limbs and bones from his chest. Very quickly, Zhu Hong looked much better. He looked at Chu Liuyue with a conflicted gaze. ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± He originally planned to help Chu Liuyue and the rest when they first came, but he didn¡¯t expect that they were the ones who helped him in the end¡­ ¡°May I know who this is¡ª¡± He glanced at Lei Laosi nervously. I can confirm that this man didn¡¯t come with us, but he¡¯s extremely strong! Even just by standing in front of him, I can feel his vague suppression! Since when did Chu Liuyue know such a strong warrior? ¡°This is Big Brother Lei Laosi. We accidentally bumped into him in the Mystic Forest, and he¡¯s helped us quite a bit.¡± She looked at Lei Laosi again. ¡°This is Zhu Hong. He¡¯s in charge of bringing the Dragon Teeth Mountain disciples over.¡± Lei Laosi scrutinized Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong instantly became nervous. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty loyal fellow!¡± Lei Laosi chuckled. ¡°Not bad! You¡¯re a real man!¡± He could tell that if Zhu Hong wanted to escape by himself, he could totally do it. However, he still chose to bring all these people along. It was rare to have such determination. Zhu Hong heaved a sigh of relief and smiled bitterly and helplessly. ¡°We¡¯re all from the same clan, and this is what I should do. However¡­ I¡¯m still useless in the end. If it wasn¡¯t because I met you, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± Then, he passed the jade bottle back to Chu Liuyue. But Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Keep this item first. You can feed them a pill later when we find a better location.¡± There seemed to be a warm liquid circulating in Zhu Hong¡¯s heart as his lips moved. Finally, he said two words seriously: ¡°Thank you!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll go over there first. Hongyu is very worried about you.¡± ¡°Hongyu is there too?¡± Zhu Hong widened his eyes in shock. Chu Liuyue lightly nodded and was about to turn around. Smack! An air-piercing sound was heard. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused, and she looked up. She saw a root as thick as an adult¡¯s waist suddenly fly over¡ªit was ferocious and very fast! Zhu Hong¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Quickly, escape! This thing is dangerous!¡± We previously met with this thing, so we ended up in that state! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned cold and sharp as she flung her hand. A sharp dagger flew out! Whoosh! The dagger directly cut the root apart from the middle, and red liquid immediately exploded out. The bloody smell was so intense that it was suffocating. That tree root thrashed around crazily as if it wanted to go near them again. Chu Liuyue sneered coldly. The next moment, two thin flying blades flew out of the dagger! She heard two continuous sounds! That root was actually cut uniformly! Bam! Two parts of the root fell down at the same time, and the soil moved and quickly drowned them. Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and the dagger flew back. The two thin flying blades that were like a pair of cicada wings quickly stuck back on it. It was very clean and didn¡¯t leave a trace behind. Chu Liuyue glanced at it in satisfaction and retracted the dagger. The entire process was very smooth, and it ended in one breath. Zhu Hong watched on with his eyes wide open and mouth agape. W-what did Chu Liuyue do just now? She actually settled the maniacal root so easily?! Chu Liuyue glanced at the half-root that escaped deeply and smiled slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ At the same time, on the other side. Shangguan Wan lowly grunted, and blood oozed out of the corner of her mouth. She was shocked and enraged as her flushed face contorted. The strange black symbol on her glabella also moved along. Someone actually stopped my attack so easily! Those few people are all talents with a Dijing Yuan meridian! Originally, I could already get them, but I didn¡¯t expect¡ª ¡°W-Who did it?¡± Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth tightly. Even though her view was extensive and almost covered the entire Mystic Forest, there was a crucial point: She could only feel the existence of the people who had been trapped by the rolling leaf firs. She didn¡¯t know about the rest, so she also couldn¡¯t guess who exactly did it. But¡­ There are a few people who aren¡¯t within my view from the start¡ªChu Liuyue¡¯s people! Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t help but suspect Chu Liuyue, but she wasn¡¯t too sure either. This was because she didn¡¯t feel that Chu Liuyue had such capabilities! Could it be¡­ There are some other strong existences here?! Shangguan Wan was extremely confused, but she only struggled with it for a while before she temporarily set the matter aside. If this group of people won¡¯t do, I¡¯ll change to someone else! I¡¯ve already healed a quarter of my Yuan meridian. Without long, I can completely recover! A dark-green light flashed across the bottom of Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes. Chapter 729 - : Debate The moment Chu Liuyue turned around and was about to leave, Zhu Hong suddenly called after her. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at him in confusion. ¡°What, is there something else?¡± Zhu Hong furrowed his brows and hesitantly pointed in the direction they came from. ¡°Actually¡­ When we first came over, we met a group of Black Guards. There are about a few dozen of them, and their situation isn¡¯t very optimistic¡­ We were too far apart back then, and we just missed them. I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re doing now¡­¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°You want me to go and help them?¡± Zhu Hong looked hesitant. He didn¡¯t have such an idea at the beginning, but he started thinking about it when he saw that Lei Laosi was extremely capable and that Chu Liuyue¡¯s combat power couldn¡¯t be underestimated. He wasn¡¯t actually related to the Black Guards, but he just felt that it was a pity if they lost their lives like that. However, he also knew that he was making a forceful request. In this hellhole, it was already very hard to protect one¡¯s life. How would they have the additional energy to help others? If he had such an ability, he would do it himself. However, it was a pity that even he had to depend on Chu Liuyue and the rest to help him so that he could forcefully survive. He had received enough favors from them. How could he ask them to do anything else? ¡°¡­No¡­¡± Zhu Hong kept quiet for a moment and finally shook his head. But once he said that, he was interrupted by Chu Liuyue. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°What?¡± Zhu Hong looked at Chu Liuyue in shock and couldn¡¯t react in time. Chu Liuyue saw his expression and could tell what he was thinking. ¡°In our group of people, there¡¯s also the Black Guard¡¯s Lieutenant Mu. Both logically and emotionally, we should save them.¡± Then, she looked at Lei Laosi. ¡°Big Brother Lei, may I trouble you to get everyone here so that we can go together?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Lei Laosi actually didn¡¯t have much interest in this, but since Her Highness had this plan, he must carry it out to the best of his abilities. Lei Laosi turned around and quickly ran back. Watching Lei Laosi¡¯s figure quickly disappear, Zhu Hong finally recovered his senses as he looked at Chu Liuyue with his mouth agape. ¡°Y-you really want to go over?¡± Chu Liuyue does know how much energy it would cost to save people here, right? ¡°Why won¡¯t I?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and her gaze was clear as pride filled her eyes. Mu Qinghe was the one who brought these Black Guards up, but at the end of the day, they were once my soldiers! If Shangguan Wan wants to use these people to craft her future by stealing their strength¡­ She has to ask me first! Zhu Hong looked at the woman in front dazedly. She clearly had the appearance of a beautiful young woman, and there was a smile plastered on her face. But for some reason, she had a vague elegance to her as if she looked down on the rest of the world. Zhu Hong instantly felt more assured. It was as if she could definitely do it when she said she wanted to save those people! It was the elegance and pride that exuded from her bones, which weren¡¯t something that ordinary people had. Didn¡¯t they say that Chu Liuyue had an ordinary background? But now, it seems like she¡¯s very different from the rumors! Thinking of how I even said that I wanted to take care of the people from Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ Zhu Hong¡¯s face turned red. All of us have underestimated Chu Liuyue! ¡­ Lei Laosi quickly brought the remaining people over. Once Mu Hongyu saw Zhu Hong and the rest¡¯s disheveled looks, she was worried and hurriedly asked, ¡°Senior Brother Zhu Hong, how are all of you?¡± ¡°Fine¡ªwe¡¯re fine. Liuyue and B-Big Brother Lei saved us just now, and they even gave us pills. At this point, we¡¯re mostly fine.¡± Seeing that Mu Hongyu was safe and sound, Zhu Hong heaved a sigh of relief as well. ¡°It¡¯s good that all of you are safe. When we saw that you disappeared at the beginning, we were still quite worried¡­¡± But now, it seems like all the worries were for nothing. It seems like it was safest to follow Chu Liuyue¡¯s group. Mu Hongyu then heaved a sigh of relief. Other than Zhu Hong, the rest of them were in a coma and looked disheveled. However, Zhu Hong did indeed look much better. ¡°We coincidentally met with a small acci¡ªforget it. All of this isn¡¯t important, and we can talk about it later. It¡¯s most important that we¡¯re all safe.¡± Mu Hongyu looked at Chu Liuyue with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Liuyue!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Zhu Hong and the rest helped us first, so we should return the favor.¡± Zhu Hong instantly became embarrassed. The thing that Chu Liuyue is talking about¡­ It shouldn¡¯t be us speaking up for them at Ping Liang Square, right¡­ How can that be considered help? Chu Liuyue saved our lives! ¡°Zhu Hong, you said that there are some Black Guards there?¡± said Mu Qinghe directly as he questioned with a low voice. Zhu Hong¡¯s expression became much more stern as he nodded. ¡°I did see some people just now, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re still there now. But it hasn¡¯t been long, so we should be able to find them successfully.¡± Mu Qinghe nodded. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to lead the way then.¡± ¡°Lieutenant Mu, you don¡¯t have to be polite,¡± said Zhu Hong immediately. Then, he lifted his legs and was about to walk in that direction. ¡°Stop right there!¡± A very frustrated voice was heard¡ªit was Elder Qiuxi. He had a very ugly expression as he looked at Mu Qinghe. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, are you really planning to save those people now? Did you forget that our current task is to find the Third Princess?! If you go and save those Black Guards now, what should we do about the Third Princess? If this delays our search for the Third Princess, can you take responsibility for it, Lieutenant Mu?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s everlasting icy face finally had a tinge of frustration and sharpness. ¡°I never said that I didn¡¯t want to go look for the Third Princess, but we don¡¯t have any news of her now, not even a single clue. Even if we want to search, where should we go and find her? As the Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant, I naturally have the responsibility to save my own men! Elder Qiuxi, you have been worried about the Third Princess all along, so why don¡¯t you go look for her yourself?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Elder Qiuxi¡¯s face flashed white and red, and he was about to scold when he met with Mu Qinghe¡¯s harsh and sinister gaze. His heart trembled, and he swallowed his remaining words. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, if you don¡¯t plan to look for the Third Princess yourself and want to follow us, then please don¡¯t mention this again. We know very clearly what we should do and what we should not do. Elder Qiuxi, you don¡¯t have to teach us about this.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s words were very crude, and he didn¡¯t give Elder Qiuxi any face at all. Elder Qiuxi had never been reprimanded like this in public before, and he was so angry that his teeth were itchy. He looked at Jiang Yucheng, but he saw that the latter didn¡¯t have any plans of speaking up. It was obvious that he was standing on Mu Qinghe¡¯s side. Elder Qiuxi secretly hated him. Mu Qinghe had been very low-key for more than a year, especially because he was the Princess¡¯s confidant in the past. He had been very meticulous with his words and behavior, so Elder Qiuxi thought that he was superior to Mu Qinghe. He didn¡¯t expect that when Mu Qinghe was determined, he was no different from before. Mu Qinghe looked at Zhu Hong. ¡°Please lead the way.¡± Chapter 730 - Retaliation! Then, under Zhu Hong¡¯s leadership, the crowd went forward and quickly rushed in the direction they came from. Elder Qiuxi was angered, and he finally shut his mouth honestly. This way, everyone had a peaceful time. Zhu Hong first gave the few of them medicine respectively. In the end, the few of them woke up respectively during the journey not long later. The good thing was that the few of them weren¡¯t too injured. With the effects from Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill, they could forcefully follow the rest. After a while, Zhu Hong finally stopped but gradually knitted his brows. This was because¡­ This place was only left with a few corpses that were about to be completely drowned. Judging from their clothes and appearances, they were indeed Black Guards. However, the other few dozen people were missing. ¡°Those people were here previously¡­ Why are there only a few of them left now¡­¡± muttered Zhu Hong. Mu Qinghe surveyed his surroundings, and his face was so cold that it seemed like a layer of frost was on his face. ¡°The black soil is moving much faster than before.¡± Chu Liuyue and the rest hadn¡¯t come here before, so they couldn¡¯t compare. But the remaining people, including Jiang Yucheng, all realized this after a close inspection. ¡°As expected¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s because of this that those people left this area?¡± Zhu Hong guessed. ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know what their situation is now¡­¡± Everything would be fine if they were alive, but if they were dead¡­ ¡°It should be the commotion caused by that mother tree,¡± said Mu Qinghe as he looked up. That was the direction the black soil was flowing toward. After stopping for a moment, he went forward first. However, Chu Liuyue purposely slowed down and walked next to Qin Yi. ¡°Big Brother Qin, the seal you talked about just now¡­ What exactly is it?¡± Qin Yi lightly shook his head. ¡°I only know that there¡¯s a seal below, but I¡¯ve never personally seen it before. Hence, I don¡¯t know it very clearly.¡± Then, he silently glanced at Tuan Zi. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. He¡¯s saying¡­ Tuan Zi might know a thing or two? Tuan Zi blinked. Chu Liuyue confirmed it in her heart. It seems like it does understand it. ¡°Tuan Zi, why didn¡¯t you speak up the whole time?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in her heart. Tuan Zi buried its head in her shoulders. Because I don¡¯t want you to go! It had stayed here for quite some time and had vaguely guessed something. There probably was something that shouldn¡¯t be trifled with under the seal. Since the start, it didn¡¯t wish to implicate Chu Liuyue. Thus, it didn¡¯t say anything the whole time. Chu Liuyue patted its head, and it retracted its expression a little. Tuan Zi has already broken through to become a legendary fiend. It was probably something formidable for it to be so fearful. And Shangguan Wan¡­ She vaguely felt that something was amiss. But since we were already here and there¡¯s no way to move back, we can only go for it! The few of them continued walking forward. ¡­ They were very fast, and after about ten minutes or so, they finally heard some sounds coming from the front. Mu Qinghe immediately looked over and faintly saw a group of figures. They were the Black Guards, but they numbered much more than what Zhu Hong had said. Giving a rough estimate, there were at least a hundred people. Mu Qinghe was about to go over when he suddenly realized that those few people were all tightly bound by the tree roots, especially those on the outer side. They were all filled with injuries and hanging onto their last breaths. A few of them were already unconscious. Nobody knew if they fainted, or¡­ Those few roots seemed to be trying to separate them, but the crowd of soldiers was huddled together tightly as they continuously struggled with those crazy roots. The scene looked very tragic. The crowd that followed all fell into silence, and they couldn¡¯t hide their shock when they saw this scene. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression was terrifyingly cold, and he immediately wanted to go forward. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, I think it¡¯s inappropriate if you suddenly rush forward like that, right?¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Mu Qinghe turned around, and his gaze was knife-like. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and pointed toward the place where the roots were entangled. ¡°As long as we solve this, we can naturally save them. If not, you¡¯re just wasting your efforts.¡± Mu Qinghe looked at Chu Liuyue calmly for a while, and the anger and impulsiveness in his heart gradually subsided. Chu Liuyue is right. Given the current situation, we need to act sensibly, not rashly. The previous scene was too impactful toward me, so I almost just rushed over instantly. ¡°You have a way?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ A tree root flew over. Shangguan Wan raised her hand, and she gently slid her hand across the roots. That fresh blood rapidly entered her palms and then went toward the dark-green fireball in her dantian. The nourished force then flowed out of the fireball and spread toward Shangguan Wan¡¯s limbs and bones. Detecting that another portion of her Yuan meridian had healed, Shangguan Wan sighed deeply. Having strength again¡­ It feels too great! She already couldn¡¯t remember how long she had waited for this day. As long as I just persist for a while longer and absorb enough energy, I can completely recover! Shangguan Wan flicked the root away and looked at her hands. Her skin had already gradually turned from the initial blood-red color to a normal color. I believe that without long, I can¡ª Suddenly, Shangguan Wan¡¯s face changed. Her chest heaved up and down violently until her legs went soft, and she kneeled on the ground. The pure gold armor hit the stone table and made a low sound. Shangguan Wan¡¯s gaze almost broke. The net I had meticulously set up was directly cut down by someone! That was a total of a hundred-plus people! If I had succeeded this time, I would basically recover completely! However, I was actually stopped by someone just like that! The energy erupted in Shangguan Wan¡¯s chest, and it almost tore her organs apart. Blood kept oozing out of her mouth, and it rapidly spread across the ground. Some of it even landed on the front of the pure gold armor. ¡°Who is it? I must cut you up into pieces!¡± Shangguan Wan hollered as her eyes turned red, and her expression turned maniacal. Suddenly, the air in front of her started vibrating violently. Then, a rainbow light flashed across. A red ball of fire containing a tremendous force went toward her glabella. Chapter 731 - My Person Shangguan Wan was stunned and immediately retreated. At the same time, she set up a barrier in front of her. Perhaps it was because of that fireball, but the barrier she set up now was faintly glowing in a dark-green color. Boom! That red fire harshly slammed against the barrier! A loud whir sounded, and the barrier started to shake violently! Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart seemed to clench tightly as she half-collapsed on the ground. She looked at the red fire that suddenly appeared in horror and anger, petrified that it would rush over at the next moment. But luckily, the barrier was stronger than she had predicted. After an intense fight, the red fire was still stopped. The color of the barrier seemed to be slightly lighter, but Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t notice this at this point. When she saw that the red fire couldn¡¯t break through the barrier at the very end and finally retreated, she sighed deeply. It seems like it was useful to swallow so much energy during this period. But¡­ Where exactly did that red fire come from? Shangguan Wan forced herself to stand up and took a step forward to stare at the fire closely. I seem to have seen this intensely bright-red fire before¡­ However, that ball of fire simply floated in midair quietly¡ªit didn¡¯t move forward or backward. This made Shangguan Wan have the feeling that someone was watching her, and her entire body was extremely uncomfortable. She clenched her teeth and wanted to get rid of that fire. But at this point, she had managed to avoid that attack with much difficulty. If she suddenly went forward, something might really happen. She wiped away the blood by her mouth, and some blood had stained the pure gold armor. This fire¡­ This fire¡­ Oh right! Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up! Isn¡¯t the fire that Chu Liuyue uses exactly this color? Did Chu Liuyue do something? ¡°I-impossible¡­¡± Shangguan Wan knitted her brows tightly again. It¡¯s problematic for Chu Liuyue to even save her own life, so how can she attack me like this?! She looked at the fire again, and her gaze suddenly focused. There seems to be a blurry figure inside that fire! She stared at it closely and didn¡¯t even blink. Suddenly, she gasped. There seems to be a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant inside. No, it still looks a little different from a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant! And¡­ its suppression is stronger! Just when Shangguan Wan was filled with doubts, she suddenly saw the figure in the fire raise its head. Then¡­ it opened its eyes! A brilliant rainbow light flashed across! Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat. She almost immediately reacted and directly rushed up! She turned her force into a sword and harshly thrust it out! However, that ball of fire immediately exploded! Bam! At that moment, it disappeared without a trace! ¡­ It is her! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes, and cold, murderous intent flashed across them. Even though I only took a glance, it¡¯s enough for me to recognize that it¡¯s Shangguan Wan. However, she seems a little different from before. Although her appearance and figure are still the same as before, her expression¡­ still seems to be amiss. Additionally, the black symbol on her glabella looks very strange. Also, the most important point is that Shangguan Wan is actually wearing the pure gold armor! Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other tightly, and there seemed to be a layer of frost on her face. I had unwittingly obtained the pure gold armor back then, and I cherished it a lot. I didn¡¯t expect that Shangguan Wan would take it for herself! ¡°Liuyue, how is it? Did you discover something?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s voice pulled Chu Liuyue back to reality. The latter closed her eyes and looked up. Her eyes were filled with clear calmness as she nodded. ¡°It seemed to be in the center of the soil, and there¡¯s someone there. However, I can¡¯t see who it is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already very amazing that you can find out all of this!¡± Mu Hongyu sighed. Chu Liuyue smiled and patted Tuan Zi on her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s all because of Tuan Zi.¡± She finally convinced Tuan Zi to help her just now. It was now a legendary fiend, and it had stayed here for more than a year. Hence, it definitely understood this place much more than the rest of them. As expected, with Tuan Zi just trying once, it directly found out Shangguan Wan¡¯s position. And because she made an agreement with Tuan Zi, they had a telepathic connection. Hence, she could easily ¡®see¡¯ whatever Tuan Zi discovered. Shangguan Wan was very alert. To play safe, she didn¡¯t let Tuan Zi stay for too long, and they retreated after taking a glance. She didn¡¯t leave behind any clues for Shangguan Wan. Thinking of the contorted expression Shangguan Wan had when she suddenly recovered her senses, Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. Shangguan Wan has committed so many bad deeds in the dark, so she¡¯s definitely guiltier than anyone else. Thus, she¡¯d be terrified of getting discovered. Even if she is the high and mighty Third Princess of the Tianling Dynasty, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to make it out alive if word gets out. Using such despicable means to absorb other people¡¯s force and steal their lives just to help herself recover her cultivation¡­ Once her deeds are exposed, millions of people will be cursing at Shangguan Wan. She will also receive the punishment of never being able to make a comeback. Due to this, she¡¯s naturally afraid! At this point, Shangguan Wan should be panicking, right? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt much better. She looked at Mu Qinghe. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, how are all the guards¡¯ situations?¡± Mu Qinghe had just given the pills to the last batch of Black Guards. Upon hearing this, he looked up at Chu Liuyue with a conflicted expression. ¡°Four of them can¡¯t make it anymore, and another 21 of them are severely injured. The rest are still doing okay.¡± Chu Liuyue scanned their faces. The situation was very dangerous just now, so this casualty report is already much better than expected. This is also because the majority of the Black Guards that came had once stayed in Dahuang Swamp before. If they were normal soldiers, the ending would be much worse. Mu Qinghe paused for a moment and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Chu Liuyue simply smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already thank me just now, Lieutenant Mu? It¡¯s the result of everyone¡¯s efforts that we were able to save them. Lieutenant Mu, you don¡¯t have to thank just me.¡± Mu Qinghe pressed his lips against each other tightly. Even though Chu Liuyue made it sound nonchalant, everyone present had seen what happened previously clearly. Chu Liuyue was in charge of leading everyone. If she didn¡¯t take action with the red-tailed phoenix and first cut down the roots that were intertwined together, the rest couldn¡¯t help even if they wanted to do so after so much. Her actions were very swift and decisive, which stunned everyone. They then understood that Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had broken through to become a stage-five warrior¡ªwas much stronger than they thought. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take credit, but Mu Qinghe couldn¡¯t accept this gratitude with peace of mind. The Black Guards meant a lot to him, and he was indeed grateful toward her for being able to save them. ¡°As the Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant, you deserve this thanks.¡± Chu Liuyue brushed the loose strands of hair behind her ears, smiled, and said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, you don¡¯t have to be polite. I should do this.¡± I naturally need to save my own people. ¡°We should hurry up to the center of the soil and apprehend the mastermind!¡± Chapter 732 - Natural Ruler Chu Liuyue¡¯s suggestion received everyone¡¯s approval. Now, they all basically already knew that the sudden commotion in the Mystic Forest was purposely caused by someone and that the roots crazily absorbing the cultivators¡¯ force were clearly being manipulated. They could only go out after they had settled the mastermind. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze scanned the crowd of Black Guards. Actually, she still had some impression of some of these faces, but everything was different now. She looked at Qin Yi. ¡°Big Brother Qin, for these dozens of people¡­ Do you have a way of taking care of them?¡± Other than those who couldn¡¯t be saved, the remaining 21 people weren¡¯t in optimistic conditions. The best way was to let them stay behind and rest. If they forcefully follow the main team, I¡¯m afraid¡­ In deep thought, Qin Yi looked at her calmly. It seems like Her Highness still wants to help¡­ He paused for a moment and said, ¡°I can set up a barrier for them and let them stay here safely. As long as the previous perilous situation doesn¡¯t happen again, it should be fine.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you so much then, Big Brother Qin.¡± Qin Yi¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he looked down as a tinge of faint helplessness and doting flashed across his narrow eyes. Her Highness has changed into a completely different identity now, and her appearance and figure are vastly different from before. But her personality¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to have changed much. He raised his hand and waved it lightly. A green barrier immediately formed and protected the twenty-plus people within! The barrier glowed with faint light, and it contained tremendous suppression that frightened one. A Black Guard was the first to react as he cupped his fists and said seriously toward Qin Yi, ¡°Thank you, Young Master Qin!¡± His voice immediately reminded the rest. The crowd of soldiers thanked him respectively and looked very grateful. Qin Yi smiled slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. If you want, thank Liuyue. If she didn¡¯t save all of you first, there¡¯s nothing I can do now.¡± Besides, I wouldn¡¯t want to get involved in this sticky situation if she didn¡¯t speak up. Who told them to be Mu Qinghe¡¯s soldiers? Qin Yi knew that the incident back then actually didn¡¯t have much direct relation with these soldiers, so they really shouldn¡¯t be blamed. But he was upset when he saw Mu Qinghe here, so he even felt hatred toward these people. The crowd of soldiers turned around and thanked Chu Liuyue. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Chu!¡± Even though most of them were injured, their voices were still very energetic and sincere. They had experienced countless life and death scenarios, so they naturally knew how precious life was. Chu Liuyue had literally saved all of their lives. How could they not thank her? The Black Guard standing at the front suddenly lowered his voice and said, ¡°Ms. Chu, I¡¯m Tian Zhuangzhuang! If you need any help in the future, feel free to let me know! I, Tian Zhuangzhuang, will definitely help you to the best of my abilities!¡± He didn¡¯t state which Black Guard section he was from and only reported his name. This meant that he was thanking her personally. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curled up. ¡°Me too! Ms. Chu, I¡¯m Zou Kaiyun! We owe you our lives, and we¡¯ll definitely listen to you in the future!¡± said Zou Kaiyun as he secretly glanced at Mu Qinghe. Then, he scratched his head in embarrassment toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Of course, it must be when we¡¯re not wearing this Black Guard armor. Hehe!¡± When they wore the Black Guard armor, they didn¡¯t have names and were only known as Black Guards. Obeying the army¡¯s command was their job! The Black Guards¡ªespecially the ones that Mu Qinghe brought up¡ªwere especially strict and followed every command seriously. But when they took off their armors, they were themselves. All those who could kill their way out of Dahuang Swamp were all strong and manly men, so how could they not repay the favor they owed? ¡°I, Jiang Mingshan too!¡± ¡°Me too! An Xinzhi!¡± ¡°And¡­¡± ¡­ The voices rang one after another, and the loud sound reverberated throughout the area, almost tearing through this dark and oppressive space. There seemed to be something tingling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. I knew it¡ªI knew all along. These people¡­ She took a deep breath in and suppressed her tumultuous emotions. ¡°I understand your kind intentions, everyone, but this really was a convenient matter, so you don¡¯t have to care too much about it. Those who need to recuperate can stay, while the remaining ones shall follow us. When everything ends, we¡¯ll find you again and go back together.¡± Chu Liuyue appeased the crowd of soldiers with simple words. All those who had to stay stood at the side knowingly. As for the main team that was about to leave, they looked prideful and ready for combat as they stood together at the side after listening to Chu Liuyue. When Mu Qinghe saw this scene, he was shocked. Chu Liuyue has only just gotten to know these soldiers, but she can already make them obey and listen to her easily. Her body seems to have an unknown aura that can make one listen to her unwittingly and do what they are told¡ªelegant and authoritative but filled with closeness. Silently, she controlled the entire scene. She¡¯s like a natural superior. Even if she¡¯s only a teenager and has an ordinary background, it doesn¡¯t feel weird when she commands so many people. It¡¯s as if¡­ it should be like this! Mu Qinghe had killed his way up from the bottom and knew the temperament of these soldiers the best. They had witnessed countless life and death scenarios, and their bodies were trained by all these ordeals. They looked obedient on the surface, but they were all very stubborn. Other than their leader, they wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone else¡¯s command. Even Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t completely control the Black Guard. This was also another important reason she insisted on bringing Mu Qinghe over. Only with Mu Qinghe around would these people accede to Shangguan Wan¡¯s requests unconditionally. But Chu Liuyue¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s because she saved them today? Mu Qinghe thought to himself silently. Seeing the pureness in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, he felt that he was overthinking. These soldiers also understand that even though they want to repay Chu Liuyue, they definitely can¡¯t do it under the Black Guard¡¯s name. If not, who would the Black Guard belong to? I must¡¯ve been thinking too much¡­ Mu Qinghe suppressed all of these thoughts and followed the rest of the crowd. ¡­ After that red fire disappeared, Shangguan Wan sank into deep horror and worry. Who was looking at me¡­ Who saw me? Who knows that I¡¯m doing everything? I initially thought that nobody would discover me if I stayed here, but I now realize that it¡¯s a terrible mistake! She paced back and forth anxiously. With such a potential danger lurking around, she really couldn¡¯t feel at ease. No, no! I should completely heal my Yuan meridian first¡­ Previously, I prepared for a very long time and was about to attack those Black Guards when someone intercepted me. Now, I have to find some more¡­ Her gaze turned sharp, and she attacked in another direction! Chapter 733 - Lesson! Actually, there were still quite a few people she could lay her hands on. For example, the disciples from those few clans were almost all extremely outstanding talents. Needless to say, they had Dijing Yuan meridians. Some of them were even middle-grade or even superior-grade ones. Shangguan Wan scanned through the candidates and quickly chose her target. More than half of her Yuan meridian had already healed, and she could succeed if she did it a few more times. This made Shangguan Wan feel much more secure. As long as I can complete this task, nothing else matters! She licked her lips, and the dark-green light flashed in her eyes again. However, she didn¡¯t know about this. Just as she was gathering her breath to focus and was about to attack, a strange sound suddenly came from behind. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately turned around alertly as she swung out a wave of force at the same time. At this point, her force had already become a light-green color. It manifested into a sharp knife in midair and was quickly flung out. Crack! The sound of something breaking was heard. She looked over and then saw that when the black soil moved, a white hand bone floated up. Her previous attack had directly broken that hand bone. The soil moved, and very quickly, the bone was swallowed and disappeared. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Shangguan Wan patted her chest as she sighed with lingering fears. I thought that thing came to spy on me again. She turned around and planned to do it once more. Suddenly, the shaky red fire appeared in front of her eyes! ¡°Ah!¡± Shangguan Wan screamed, and she immediately moved backward. At the same time, she set up a barrier once again! But this time, the red fire didn¡¯t continue forward as it floated there quietly. However, this made Shangguan Wan increasingly anxious. I knew it! There is someone spying on me from the dark! She panicked and was enraged as she immediately went forward and wanted to settle that thing. However, a rainbow light flashed across, and the fire disappeared once again. It took another glance! Shangguan Wan was so furious that her lungs hurt. Her chest also felt stuffed as if it would explode the next minute. The other party was very cunning as it appeared suddenly and disappeared again quickly. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t even have time to react or do anything. Shangguan Wan was angry for quite some time as she clenched her teeth and planned to settle the problem of her Yuan meridian first. However, her feelings were already messed up by that ball of fire! Absorbing strength and reforming her Yuan meridian was something that required a lot of energy. At this moment, Shangguan Wan was flustered, and her mind was in a mess. Thus, she couldn¡¯t do anything. She was so angry that she moved around the stage, and the boots of her pure gold armor were making sounds on the ground. Da. Da. Da. It was cold and crisp, but it contained a heavy suppression! Da! Something fell down. Shangguan Wan lowered her head to take a look, and she immediately knitted her brows tightly. The bloodstains on the pure gold armor were slowly forming blood pearls before they landed on the ground. The previous sound was caused by the blood unintentionally dropping down from the bloodstain on her arm. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked at her chest, and she realized that the situation here was the same. I purposely and unintentionally caused these stains previously. I didn¡¯t take much notice at first, but looking at it now¡­ There seems to be something amiss? After the blood dropped, the pure gold armor was still tidy and shimmering. One couldn¡¯t tell that it was stained with blood at all. ¡°Has this pure gold armor always been like this¡­¡± muttered Shangguan Wan weirdly. She had seen Shangguan Yue wear this pure gold armor before, but this was her first time wearing it, so she wasn¡¯t very sure about its specifics. There were quite a few battle marks on it, but no bloodstains. Perhaps it¡¯s because this pure gold armor really doesn¡¯t get stained with blood¡­ Shangguan Wan thought to herself. Thinking that someone was staring at her from the dark, she was frustrated again. The other party keeps staring at me. Did they really find out something? Every time I try to do it again, that fire will suddenly appear! This made Shangguan Wan very uneasy, and she couldn¡¯t concentrate on healing her Yuan meridian. After a very long time, she still didn¡¯t achieve anything. Just as Shangguan Wan was stuck in a sticky situation, the black symbol on her forehead suddenly floated down and slowly went toward her. Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes shrank, and a tinge of deep horror flashed across her eyes! A hoarse voice suddenly sounded from the symbol. ¡°Are you so useless?¡± That voice was low and hoarse, and it was hard to differentiate the gender, but it immediately made Shangguan Wan¡¯s face pale. ¡°Wh-who are you?!¡± That symbol laughed lowly, and it contained unconcealable mockery. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who allowed you to have your achievements today? What, do you refuse to admit it now?¡± After receiving confirmation for her guess, Shangguan Wan¡¯s face immediately turned ugly. All this time, I knew that there was a mysterious existence in my body. I¡¯ve heard this voice before, but only twice! The first time was many years ago¡ªit was also that one time that made me want to kill Shangguan Yue and decide to steal everything from her! There was also one other time, the night that Shangguan Yue died. My Yuan meridian had already been completely burned by Shangguan Yue back then when this voice sounded and told me a method to heal my Yuan meridian. Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t not afraid, but she desired to have Jiang Yucheng, power, strength, and everything that Shangguan Yue once had. Hence, she listened to everything the voice said all this while. She didn¡¯t expect that it would appear in such a manner today! Seeing the strange black symbol, countless guesses flashed across Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind. She then tried her best to calm herself down, but her body trembled even more terribly. ¡°Y-you¡­ So it really is you¡­ Please forgive me for being unable to detect¡ª¡± Smack! It was like an invisible hand had harshly slapped Shangguan Wan¡¯s face. The slap was crisp, and it sounded immediately. Shangguan Wan fell to the ground harshly, and even her helmet flew out. Half her face immediately swelled up, and blood directly flowed from the corner of her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re really becoming increasingly braver to play tricks in front of me.¡± The symbol¡¯s voice was sinister and cold. Shangguan Wan forcefully pushed her body up. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± Pak! This time, the other half of her face was hit! Chapter 734 - Find the Way Chapter 734: Find the Way Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shangguan Wan fell onto the ground once again, and her hairpin dropped as her hair flung out messily. This time, the hit caused her to see stars, and her vision turned black. She opened her mouth as the intense, bloody taste filled her teeth, and she spat out blood. Her entire face was numb. After a temporary pause, the excruciating pain overwhelmed her like the tide. However, this couldn¡¯t be compared to the entrenched fear that suddenly erupted in her heart. She knew that this mysterious person was very strong, but she didn¡¯t know that the other party could be this terrifying. He easily taught her a lesson! One had to know that her abilities were currently of a beginner stage-eight warrior. But when the other party took action, she didn¡¯t even have any time to react and could only get hit. . These two slaps thoroughly made Shangguan Wan realize the difference between her and the other party. ¡°Are you willing to tell the truth now?¡± The voice sounded deeply like a demon¡¯s voice echoing beside her ears. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart harshly trembled as she shuddered and kneeled down with her head lowered. ¡°I-I know I¡¯m wrong!¡± This time, she didn¡¯t dare to play any more tricks. She could only lower her head and admit her mistakes honestly. ¡°Please give me another chance! If you have any instructions, I¡¯ll definitely risk everything to complete it for you!¡± In this close to two-year period, Shangguan Wan had never kneeled to anyone before, let alone use such a humble tone to beg in an inferior manner. With her father unconscious, she was the power holder in the Tianling Dynasty. She was under one and above all. So as she kneeled down again at this point, she felt quite humiliated. However, she didn¡¯t dare not kneel. Her life was controlled in the other party¡¯s hand! ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been less troublesome if you did this earlier?¡± The black symbol shook lightly and sneered. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t dare to move at all. ¡°Your Yuan meridian has been damaged by a Tianjing Yuan meridian. Logically speaking, you can¡¯t heal it. It¡¯s me that gave you a chance to live. The chance is now in front of you, yet you¡¯re so useless. It¡¯s really a waste to wash a pig with both water and soap.¡± That person spoke slowly, but his aura was high and mighty as every single word was very direct, not leaving any dignity left for Shangguan Wan. Shangguan Wan¡¯s face flashed white and red, but she didn¡¯t dare to retort at all. ¡°P-please enlighten me!¡± Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t stupid. The reason why the other party suddenly appeared was definitely for her Yuan meridian. As expected, that person said again, ¡°Your position has already been discovered. There¡¯s no use escaping, so why don¡¯t you take the time to heal your Yuan meridian? When you find your target later on, I¡¯ll set up a barrier for you and not let anyone disturb you. As long as you stabilize yourself, there will be no problems.¡± Shangguan Wan was hesitant. ¡°B-but Senior, that person definitely knows what I¡¯m doing now¡­ If word gets out¡ª¡± ¡°So what if the other party knows? As long as they don¡¯t catch you red-handed, nobody can do anything to you! Don¡¯t forget your identity!¡± His words shocked Shangguan Wan, and her heart shook as she suddenly understood. That¡¯s right! I¡¯m the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Third Princess. If the crowd didn¡¯t see me personally, who can forcefully accuse me of doing this? If I really get discovered in the future, can¡¯t I just refute it no matter what? After Shangguan Yue¡¯s death back then, the entire Tianling Dynasty was shocked. Countless people suspected the reason behind her death, and some even almost found out about Jiang Yucheng and me. However, didn¡¯t everything turn to naught in the end? ¡°Thank you, Senior!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me; I have my own reasons for helping you. I¡¯ll give you 15 minutes. If you still can¡¯t do it, don¡¯t blame me for not giving you a chance.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t dare to ask further as she hurriedly sat cross-legged and started looking for her next suitable target. That black symbol floated back to her glabella again. Actually, this entire process didn¡¯t have much of a feeling, but Shangguan Wan herself felt that there was something extra in her forehead, and it was very uncomfortable. She breathed in and closed her eyes. As she searched for her target, she thought to herself: This black symbol¡­ Actually, even I don¡¯t even know when it entered my body. All these years, it hasn¡¯t really had any signs of existence other than the two times it willingly spoke up. Shangguan Wan vaguely felt worried, but she tried hard to make herself ignore this and forget the thing¡¯s existence. She didn¡¯t expect that it would suddenly appear today, and it was even in such a strange manner. ¡°Don¡¯t play tricks. If not, the consequences will definitely be more miserable and pitiful than you can imagine.¡± That voice coldly rang in her mind. A chill ran down Shangguan Wan¡¯s spine as she acknowledged the words and forced herself to retract her thoughts. Other than the area of this mother tree, the entire Mystic Forest had turned into ruins. This caused everyone trapped underground to rush toward her with the black soil. Shangguan Wan roughly checked and shockingly discovered that the number of people she could detect was much fewer than before. It seems like¡­ There are fewer Black Guards and a portion of the disciples. She felt suffocated. I wasted so much time just now, and it¡¯s no wonder there are a lot fewer people now. There are so many people, so there are definitely some that can struggle free, especially those in groups and teams. When they work together, they have great strength. If one doesn¡¯t use special methods, it would be hard to get them to stay behind. It¡¯s like the hundred-plus Black Guards earlier. I spent much of my energy and effort to trap them, but I didn¡¯t expect that in the end¡ª Shangguan Wan took a deep breath in and changed her target¡ªit was¡­ those people from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect. ¡­ What Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t know was that when she was doing nothing, Chu Liuyue¡¯s group had met quite a few batches of people and gathered them all. Amongst them were mostly Black Guards and a small minority of disciples. The thankful thing was that other than the one Dragon Teeth Mountain disciple that died, the rest were all found. Even though they were injured to varying extents, they all managed to catch up after some simple treatment. Speaking of this, they had to thank Zhu Hong. He first discovered that Mu Hongyu had left back then, and he planned to bring them to find her when something happened to Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face. He was decisive and swiftly dragged everyone from Dragon Teeth Mountain together. When they dropped into the soil, they were still together. But afterward, he wasn¡¯t strong enough, so they split into two batches. However, they weren¡¯t very far apart. Other than this, disciples from Sheng Yan Harem and Tian Ji Residence were also found on the way. With a rough estimate, this team already had more than 300 people. In addition to the minority that was severely injured and had to stay behind, there were close to 400 of them. Unknowingly, Chu Liuyue had already become the backbone of the crowd. After all, only she knew how to find the mastermind behind all of this. Additionally, she had made an agreement with a legendary fiend, which attracted the crowd¡¯s endless envy and admiration. Even Jiang Yucheng¡ªwho had the highest status¡ªpaled in comparison to her. Suddenly, she stopped and looked in front. ¡°There¡¯s someone in front. I¡¯ll go take a look first.¡± Chapter 735 - Item with a Master Everyone stopped and waited for Chu Liuyue. The entire way here, they were almost used to doing this. Whenever they met with something, Chu Liuyue would go and check it out first. After confirming the general problem, they would take action according to Chu Liuyue¡¯s commands. In the beginning, some were pretty indignant. After all, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t look like someone who could handle such things given her slim figure and overly beautiful appearance. But after Chu Liuyue led them to avoid several attacks and continuously found more people, these doubts gradually disappeared. All of them followed her obediently. As usual, Lei Laosi followed her. Chu Liuyue glanced at him and smiled. ¡°Big Brother Lei, you don¡¯t have to follow me every time. We¡¯re so close to each other. Even if something really happens, I can handle it.¡± Lei Laosi paused and said with a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s always good to be safe.¡± Her Highness is capable, but they wouldn¡¯t be called accidents if there are accidents in this world that we can predict. Back then, Her Highness was only a step away from becoming a stage-nine warrior. How formidable was she, but what happened in the end? She was still set up and died in a sea of fire. The Thirteen Yue Guard was too confident in Her Highness at that time, so we let others have a chance to harm her. Now, we definitely won¡¯t allow the same thing to happen twice! Chu Liuyue looked at the stubborn Lei Laosi, and her heart felt warm. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother Lei!¡± Lei Laosi coughed unnaturally as he unintentionally lifted his head and saw a few people. It seemed like there were a few youngsters, and the person at the front looked quite familiar¡­ ¡°Who is that?¡± Chu Liuyue followed his line of sight, focused, and smiled. Isn¡¯t that the Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s Song Qingnian? There were three people beside him, and Yang Qin¡¯er was one of them. At this point, Song Qingnian had just slashed the roots winding around his body and was about to help the rest when he heard some commotion and immediately turned around alertly. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± He first saw Lei Laosi at the front and was secretly shocked. This stranger is very capable! He held the sword in his hands tightly. Lei Laosi had already recognized Song Qingnian, but at this point, he had to pretend that he didn¡¯t know the latter. He scrutinized Song Qingnian and chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this! If I want to attack you, none of you can stop it!¡± Song Qingnian knitted his brows and was about to speak when he saw Chu Liuyue walking over from behind. ¡°Big Brother Lei, I know these people. Don¡¯t scare them,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Lei Laosi grunted lightly and crossed his arms, not having any intentions of helping them. Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡­ I have no interest in saving them! ¡°Chu Liuyue? Why are you here?¡± Song Qingnian was still quite fearful of Lei Laosi, so he even looked at Chu Liuyue with doubts. She looks fine as if she isn¡¯t injured at all. I had to use so many treasures just to forcefully survive until now, but I still look much more disheveled than Chu Liuyue. There must be something wrong with her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept past the few people in front of her. Song Qingnian was still fine¡ªother than a few bloodstains, he wasn¡¯t really injured. After all, as the Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s young master, he definitely would bring quite a few protective treasures with him. The others looked more miserable, but Yang Qin¡¯er seemed fine. Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled that Song Qingnian seemed to have hugged Yang Qin¡¯er in his arms just now. She smiled. ¡°Young Master Song, don¡¯t worry. We just passed by and came over because we heard some noise, but we didn¡¯t expect to meet you. We originally wanted to see if we could help you, but I guess there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Song Qingnian sized Chu Liuyue up suspiciously and tightly furrowed his brows. ¡°Help us? Based on yourself?¡± His words were filled with unconcealable contempt. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Nice. Since he already put it this way, why must I purposely stick my hot face to his cold butt? ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t think highly of us, Young Master Song. Then, we won¡¯t disturb. Farewell.¡± Chu Liuyue then swiftly turned around to leave. Lei Laosi chuckled and immediately followed her. Her Highness¡¯s personality does seem to have changed from before. If it were in the past, Her Highness would definitely talk to Song Qingnian a little more by giving the Purple Xiao Sword Sect face. But now, she just turned around to leave once they had a disagreement. Nice! Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of two really leaving so swiftly, Song Qingnian was dazed. W-what does this mean? Seeing the duo¡¯s figures leaving, he knitted his brows and was enraged. How dare a mere Chu Liuyue show me attitude?! My Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s people don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help, let alone Chu Liuyue¡¯s! What a joke! Does she think that she can act strong just because she brought some unknown strong warrior? He retracted his gaze in disgust, pulled Yang Qin¡¯er¡ªwho was the nearest to him¡ªup, and then cut away the roots entangled around her. ¡°Qin¡¯er, you shouldn¡¯t be this weak. Is there something wrong with your body?¡± asked Song Qingnian unintentionally. Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s face tensed up, and she instinctively pulled her wrist back. As the surroundings were dim, Song Qingnian didn¡¯t see the change in her facial expression. ¡°¡­No. Perhaps I¡¯m tired because of the long journey, and I recently met with a bottleneck in my cultivation, so¡­¡± Song Qingnian didn¡¯t really suspect anything, so he believed her once he heard that. ¡°It¡¯s fine. With me around, you¡¯ll definitely be safe.¡± Yang Qin¡¯er glanced at him with gratitude and kept thanking him. As she watched him with a gaze filled with respect and admiration, Song Qingnian felt great and forgot about the Chu Liuyue incident. Then, he took action and planned to pull the remaining two people up. ¡°We must leave this hellhole as soon as possible¡­¡± Before he could even finish his sentence, a cold wind came from the dark. Whoosh! An air-piercing sound was heard. Numerous thick roots flung over in unison. Song Qingnian felt that something was amiss, and he immediately carried Yang Qin¡¯er and dodged to the back. With his move, the remaining two that hadn¡¯t been pulled out of the soil were tightly tangled by that root. ¡°Save¡ªAh!¡± His urgent call for help suddenly stopped. Crack! The sound of bones cracking could be heard. That root directly wound around the duo¡¯s necks and harshly twisted them. The duo¡¯s heads wilted in a strange manner, and their eyeballs popped out. Not long later, they completely stopped breathing. Chu Liuyue turned around, and her gaze turned sharp. Then, she went on her toes and immediately flew over. At the same time, she flicked her wrist. A red fire then manifested into a fire whip, which rapidly wound around the few roots. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue yelled loudly. Tuan Zi flapped its wings, and a rainbow light flew out to intertwine with the red fire. The fire directly went to the roots and spread across. ¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± The boiling hot temperature caught Shangguan Wan off-guard, and she shrieked. A fire flew over. Whoosh! It went directly past the barrier and headed straight for Shangguan Wan. Shangguan Wan instinctively inserted her force into the pure gold armor. However, not only was the pure gold armor not awakened, but it had even rejected her force on the outside. Deep shock flashed across Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes. The pure gold armor has an owner! Chapter 736 - If She Helped Earlier The barrier that was crushed turned into countless rays immediately, and it formed in front of Shangguan Wan again. At the same time, a black ripple came out from the symbol on Shangguan Wan¡¯s brows and silently plastered itself against the barrier. Buzz! The terrifying suppression spread across. Boom! The two forces slammed against each other harshly, and that ball of fire was finally stopped outside. However, the barrier shook violently as if it was about to collapse at any moment. Shangguan Wan was stunned. Almost¡­ I almost¡­ She really, genuinely, felt the harsh and terrifying force within the fire. If that attack landed on me, I¡¯m afraid¡ª Shangguan Wan looked at the pure gold armor on her body and paused for a moment before she rapidly took it off like a maniac. Her actions were very fast as there was a tinge of entrenched horror alongside her anger. While doing so, she didn¡¯t even care that she had messed up her hair and clothes. Bam! Shangguan Wan harshly threw the pure gold armor on the ground and moved two steps back as if she was afraid of something, but her eyes were staring at it closely. Her gaze was sinisterly cold with intense anger as if she wanted to burn a hole in the pure gold armor. ¡°How can this be¡­ How is this possible?¡± muttered Shangguan Wan to herself as her face flashed white and green. Her chest also violently heaved up and down as she breathed. She held her hands tightly, and her nails dug deep into her palms, causing blood to flow out. But at this point, how could she care about it? Countless thoughts crazily surfaced in her mind, and they were about to cause her mind to explode. The pure gold armor used to be Shangguan Yue¡¯s. After Shangguan Yue died, the pure gold armor should naturally have no owner. Logically speaking, under such circumstances, anyone can activate the pure gold armor if they insert their force into it. But when I wanted to do so just now, I shockingly discovered that my force couldn¡¯t enter the pure gold armor. Doesn¡¯t this mean that the pure gold armor has an owner?! ¡°N-no¡­ She died until she couldn¡¯t die anymore¡­ How can it be¡­¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s lips trembled as she kept comforting herself, but her heart was still beating wildly. Recalling the previous scenario, she couldn¡¯t calm herself down and couldn¡¯t convince herself. The pure gold armor lay on the ground quietly, and it looked exactly the same as when Shangguan Wan brought it out. It did not look amiss. Shangguan Wan stared at it closely, and her expression changed. No, Shangguan Yue definitely died back then. Her physical body dropped, and her soul disappeared¡ªI saw it with my own two eyes! It¡¯s impossible that she¡¯s alive! Thinking of this, Shangguan Wan took a deep breath in and tried to calm herself down. Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t completely recovered the last bit of my force? She turned around to take a look. The few roots that she had sent out just now were completely burned. She managed to find a chance with much difficulty to kill the two Purple Xiao Sword Sect disciples, but before she could even absorb their strength¡­ Shangguan Wan was so angry that her lungs were about to explode. That person definitely did it on purpose! And this fire¡ª Her eyes stared at the ball of fire angrily. Within the center of the red fire was a brilliant rainbow light that danced around. It looked like it was spying on her and also teasing her. ¡°You guessed correctly. This is indeed Chu Liuyue¡¯s strength.¡± The hoarse voice sounded once again. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart sank, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask with furrowed brows, ¡°But the strength inside is clearly greater than Chu Liuyue¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done talking.¡± That voice lazily interrupted Shangguan Wan. ¡°Other than her, there¡¯s also the red-tailed phoenix, which is the¡­ Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant that was breaking through from the beginning!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Shangguan Wan widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Y-you¡¯re saying that¡­ The Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant broke through and became a red-tailed phoenix, and Chu Liuyue¡­¡± There was no need to put the meaning behind Chu Liuyue being able to journey with the red-tailed phoenix into words. ¡°This Chu Liuyue is indeed super lucky¡­ With legendary fiends like the red-tailed phoenix, they¡¯re extremely arrogant and normally wouldn¡¯t make an agreement with humans, especially a mere stage-five warrior.¡± That voice had a layer of frost to it, clearly surprised by this incident. ¡°Hah, you were so busy just to help others in the end.¡± His sentence was filled with mockery. Shangguan Wan was originally deeply shocked, and after being mocked like that, she felt even more terrible as her hatred toward Chu Liuyue deepened. I just jumped in to heal my Yuan meridian, and only a short time has passed, yet Chu Liuyue took a step ahead of me! Legendary fiend! That¡¯s a true legendary fiend! I¡¯ve not even seen one before, yet Chu Liuyue already made an agreement with one in the blink of an eye! ¡°B*tch!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use talking about this now. When a legendary fiend already has an agreement, it won¡¯t acknowledge a second master even if it dies and its soul dissipates. Therefore, don¡¯t think about it anymore. Besides, Chu Liuyue should¡¯ve roughly guessed what you¡¯re doing now. The more urgent thing now is to heal your Yuan meridian first and then leave this place.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your advice, Senior.¡± Shangguan Wan suppressed her rage with much difficulty, but she was still upset about this at the bottom of her heart. The black pattern on the barrier suddenly dispersed. It was like a drop of ink landing in water as the entire barrier quickly turned black. Shangguan Wan¡¯s figure was gradually covered by that barrier as she thought to herself, Chu Liuyue is definitely with the people from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect now. Since this is so, can¡¯t I just attack someone else from another place? I don¡¯t believe Chu Liuyue can really stop me! Shangguan Wan sat cross-legged and placed her hands on her knees. Unwittingly, she glanced at the pure gold armor silently lying on the ground and vaguely felt uneasy. When I completely recover, I must take this pure gold armor for myself! That black symbol floated lightly, and an invisible ripple went toward the ball of fire! ¡­ Boom! The fire exploded! The roots with it were all bombed until they flew everywhere! Chu Liuyue immediately backed away. Tuan Zi flapped its wings, and the wind hurled up to stop the tumultuous strength. After a series of violence, the entire space finally fell silent. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. Someone is helping Shangguan Wan! It¡¯s a pity that the other party acted too quickly, so I couldn¡¯t see clearly. The key is that this person is extremely strong! Even if Lei Laosi met with them, he might not be the other party¡¯s match! Since when did Shangguan Wan have such a mysterious and strong helper? Cries were heard from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around. Yang Qin¡¯er was seemingly covering her face and crying in a devastated manner in front of the two disciples that had already died. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­ Senior Brother, you shouldn¡¯t have saved me first¡­¡± Song Qingnian was originally upset because he had lost these two disciples, but when he heard Yang Qin¡¯er cry like that, his heart immediately ached as he said, ¡°How can I blame you for this? You were nearest to me back then. Who can I save if I don¡¯t save you?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er immediately sniffed as tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at him pitifully and innocently. ¡°If¡­ If Ms. Chu helped us earlier, p-perhaps things would be different¡­¡± Chapter 737 - How Disgusting Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue raised her brows and turned around. ¡°Ms. Yang, what does this¡­ mean?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er glanced at Chu Liuyue. When she met with that pair of dark and calm eyes, her heart harshly skipped a beat, and she quickly averted her gaze as if she was burned. She moved half a step back as if she was frightened by Chu Liuyue¡¯s behavior. ¡°Ms. Chu, don¡¯t misunderstand. I-I just casually mentioned it! I don¡¯t have any other meaning! These two senior brothers are extremely talented disciples in our Purple Xiao Sword Sect, so it¡¯s really a pity for them to go down like this¡­ I¡¯m just blaming myself! If I could insist on getting you to help just now, perhaps all of this wouldn¡¯t happen!¡± Chu Liuyue listened on, and her expression was calm as her lips curled up into a cold smile. I originally thought that Yang Qin¡¯er would be more obedient after what happened the previous time. I didn¡¯t expect her mouth to still distort the truth. But Song Qingnian still listened to her. He patted Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s shoulders lightly and softly comforted, ¡°Qin¡¯er, don¡¯t blame yourself for this. You have nothing to do with this at all! Don¡¯t blame yourself anymore, okay?¡± Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue again. The warmth on his face completely became cold as his eyes weren¡¯t eyes, and his nose wasn¡¯t a nose. ¡°Chu Liuyue, Qin¡¯er isn¡¯t speaking without logic. Since you could easily settle those roots, why did you not take action and only waited until the two of them had been constricted to death? I think you clearly did it on purpose!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er once unintentionally mentioned that she had accidentally offended Chu Liuyue. As the Purple Xiao Sword Sect and Chong Xu Cabinet always disliked each other, Chu Liuyue had intentionally and unwittingly made things difficult for her several times. Recently, Chu Liuyue had been in the spotlight in Xi Ling City, which got on Song Qingnian¡¯s nerves. In addition to Yang Qin¡¯er talking nonsense at the side, he hated Chu Liuyue even more. Hence, he directly pushed all the blame to Chu Liuyue now. Chu Liuyue was so angry that she laughed instead. ¡°If I didn¡¯t recall wrongly, I took the initiative to help at the start, but you rejected me. Why is it my fault now? Young Master Song, have you forgotten what you said at the beginning?¡± Song Qingnian was stumped, and his face rapidly flushed red. At that time, he didn¡¯t think highly of Chu Liuyue at all, so he said those words. Who knew that Chu Liuyue would be this strong? A total of ten people from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect had come. Two had previously died, and another two were gone now! Other than him and Yang Qin¡¯er, the remaining few were still missing and nowhere to be seen. Even if Song Qingnian had a distinguished status, he still panicked. He was the one who led those people over this time, and the people that came were disciples with the most potential in the Purple Xiao Sword Sect. Many of them were now dead or severely injured, and he had no idea how to explain when he got back. Hence, he naturally vented his grudge on Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Liuyue, most of the people who were dragged down are injured, only you¡ªUntouched! You know clearer than anyone about what¡¯s going on here! You knew that the situation was dangerous, yet you chose to stand by and watch from the side! If you really want to save people, you would¡¯ve taken action a long time ago. Why would you wait until now?!¡± Chu Liuyue was astonished at how Song Qingnian got better at being unreasonable when she heard Lei Laosi scolding loudly because he couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer. ¡°What f*cking shit are you saying?!¡± Song Qingnian was speaking righteously when he was suddenly hollered at by Lei Laosi. A chill ran down his spine, and he swallowed his remaining words. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± He looked at Lei Laosi angrily and awkwardly. Who am I? I have never been humiliated like this in public! It¡¯s so awful to hear! How humiliating! ¡°Saving you is doing you a favor, so not saving you is what we should do. We came over kindly, and it¡¯s fine that you didn¡¯t appreciate it, but you still want to play the blame game in the end? If you¡¯re so capable, why don¡¯t you save them yourself? Aren¡¯t they from your Purple Xiao Sword Sect?! How are they related to us at all?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t tell! You were clearly equally distant from the rest just now, but you were just selfish, so you saved this one first! I heard that you¡¯re the Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s young master? Hah! If the Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s people found out that their young master sacrificed their disciples for a woman, I wonder how they would react?¡± Like a cannonball, Lei Laosi fired toward Song Qingnian and scolded him terribly. Chu Liuyue touched her nose. Back then, Lei Laosi was a graceful and gentlemanly young master. I didn¡¯t expect him to have changed now, and he even has the ability to scold others. Song Qingnian was scolded until he couldn¡¯t retaliate, and he was so angry that his entire body trembled. What to do? Lei Laosi is stronger than me. Even though he was arrogant and spoiled, it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t have a brain. If I offend Lei Laosi here, who knows if I can still go out? After Lei Laosi finished scolding Song Qingnian, he looked at Yang Qin¡¯er again. ¡°And you!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er shivered and hid behind Song Qingnian. ¡°Why are you hiding?¡± Lei Laosi didn¡¯t have any protective feelings for the fairer sex. He only knew that all those who offended his master, Her Highness, would have to die! ¡°You seem young, but you do know how to sow discord! If you don¡¯t know how to talk, I can help you to stitch your mouth up!¡± Yang Qin¡¯er was frightened until she hurriedly covered her mouth and hid behind Song Qingnian. She didn¡¯t dare to utter another word as her tears kept falling, and she trembled as she hugged Song Qingnian¡¯s arm as if she were petrified. If it were any other time, Song Qingnian would definitely stand up for her when he saw her in this state. However, he couldn¡¯t do so now. Even he could only forcefully stand at the side, so how could he care about Yang Qin¡¯er? Seeing the duo¡¯s disheveled and embarrassed looks, Chu Liuyue was excited. They¡¯re just things that can¡¯t be presented. Now, I¡¯m still most worried about Shangguan Wan. With that person helping, I can¡¯t freely check on Shangguan Wan¡¯s situation. I¡¯m afraid¡­ Shangguan Wan is really going to heal her Yuan meridian! Footstep sounds were heard. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Jiang Yucheng and the rest. It turned out that they had stayed here for too long and didn¡¯t go back, so the crowd waiting behind came over anxiously. Seeing Jiang Yucheng at the front, Song Qingnian immediately acted as if he had found a backing. ¡°Yucheng!¡± He and Jiang Yucheng were peers, and both their family backgrounds were quite decent, so they always interacted. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze first landed on Chu Liuyue. After ensuring that she was fine, he felt slightly relieved before looking at Song Qingnian. ¡°Qingnian, so it¡¯s you. What¡¯s the matter? Why are you in this state?¡± Song Qingnian hurriedly went forward and walked to Jiang Yucheng. He was about to speak up when he thought of Lei Laosi at the side, and he hurriedly lowered his voice. ¡°Yucheng, you must be careful of Chu Liuyue! She¡­ has a problem!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Oh?¡± Song Qingnian continued, ¡°Her relationship with that man is unknown¡­ She even threatened Qin¡¯er and me earlier¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird. They said that they¡¯d come over to take a look first, so logically speaking, they won¡¯t do such a thing.¡± How could Jiang Yucheng not guess what Song Qingnian was thinking of? If it were in the past, he might be patient enough to play and banter around with the latter, but now¡­ He felt very upset that Chu Liuyue was being defamed. He looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, are you okay?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned cold, and she felt her stomach turn over. Chapter 738 - : Expose This is the first time Jiang Yucheng has addressed me in this manner. Chu Liuyue spent a lot of effort controlling the expression on her face. Is this fellow crazy? But Song Qingnian¡ªwho was at the side¡ªwas greatly taken aback. ¡°Yucheng, y-you called her¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng seemed gentle and well-mannered, but he was actually very arrogant. Now that his status and identity were different, it was even harder for people to get close to him. Yet, he actually addressed Chu Liuyue so intimately¡­ Since when did the two of them become so close? Jiang Yucheng glanced at Song Qingnian as he smiled and explained, ¡°Oh yes. You might not know, but Liuyue was the one who helped and saved me when I was in danger previously. Speaking of which, it can be considered that I owe her half my life.¡± Mu Qinghe and the rest had witnessed the scene personally, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t refute this. As for the rest¡­ They had received Chu Liuyue¡¯s help to varying extents, and they didn¡¯t even have time to show their gratitude. Hence, they naturally wouldn¡¯t say anything. Song Qingnian was completely stunned. At the side, Yang Qin¡¯er widened her eyes in shock and even forgot to cry. ¡°Y-you¡¯re saying¡­ Chu Liuyue saved you?¡± asked Song Qingnian in disbelief. Jiang Yucheng nodded and pointed at the crowd behind. ¡°Actually, she has helped quite a bit in helping all these people behind get out.¡± Alone, Chu Liuyue¡¯s power was limited, so she naturally couldn¡¯t take responsibility for everything. But nobody could deny that she played the most important and crucial role in this entire process. Song Qingnian looked behind him in confusion, and he then saw the patch of black clearly. With a rough glance, there were at least 300 to 400 people! Chu Liuyue¡­ helped all of them? Song Qingnian was greatly shocked and didn¡¯t believe it no matter what. But the person talking was Jiang Yucheng¡ªhe had to believe it! Recalling the swift and decisive appearance Chu Liuyue put on when she took action, Song Qingnian gradually recovered his senses. I-it seems like¡­ Chu Liuyue is indeed quite capable¡­ Let alone that Lei Laosi¡ªhe¡¯s strong, and he seems to listen to Chu Liuyue. With his help, it doesn¡¯t seem impossible for Chu Liuyue to be able to do this. ¡°As for why she looks unharmed¡­ That¡¯s because she hasn¡¯t been dragged down from the start. She only followed us down when we said that we wanted to find Wan¡¯er.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s few sentences briefly explained the whole incident. He spoke lightly, but it was as if a large rock smashed against Song Qingnian¡¯s heart. At this point, he then realized how laughable were his previous words. In Jiang Yucheng¡¯s¡ªno! I¡¯m afraid I have already turned into a laughingstock in everyone¡¯s eyes, right? Song Qingnian hurriedly scanned his surroundings and indeed saw quite a few people looking at him with unfriendly gazes. Amongst them, most of them were still Black Guards¡­ The whispers started spreading. ¡°Ms. Chu is so kind-hearted, and she has been helping people the whole way. She won¡¯t attack anyone, right?¡± ¡°I think so too!¡± ¡°Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡­ I remember that they wanted to cause trouble for Ms. Chu at Ping Liang Square previously, but now, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re just playing the blame game¡­¡± These people didn¡¯t speak loudly, but this space was dim and narrow, so everyone could hear any voice clearly. Song Qingnian was humiliated and felt that there were daggers at his back. Jiang Yucheng smiled. ¡°Qingnian, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood something.¡± Song Qingnian felt stifled. After an intense internal struggle, he finally accepted his fate as he clenched his teeth and said, ¡°¡­I guess so¡­¡± Just as he was about to get over this incident directly, Lei Laosi crossed his arms and lazily said, ¡°You¡¯re going to let things slide by just saying that it¡¯s a misunderstanding? You didn¡¯t scold us any less earlier, right? Now that everything has been cleared up, do you not intend to apologize?¡± Who has Song Qingnian apologized to? But in this situation, he didn¡¯t seem to have a second choice. He could only brave himself and say in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction, ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± That word seemed to be squeezed out from between the gaps of his teeth. Lei Laosi pulled his ear out. ¡°What did you say? You¡¯re too soft¡ªI can¡¯t hear you!¡± Song Qingnian took a deep breath in and could only speak louder. ¡°Sorry! I misunderstood you!¡± Then, his green veins could be vaguely seen on his forehead. Yang Qin¡¯er originally hid behind him as she hugged his arm with her hands clutching his. Song Qingnian used force and unintentionally held Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s hand tighter. Her expression changed, and she almost directly yelled out in pain. My bone is about to be crushed! Chu Liuyue watched on as if she were watching a show. Even though she was surprised that Jiang Yucheng stood up for her, she was unaffected and even felt a little disgusted. But since Jiang Yucheng admitted that he owes me a favor, it would be a waste to refuse it! Mu Qinghe took two steps forward and pointed in a direction. ¡°We heard some noise here earlier. Is it because of those two people?¡± Chu Liuyue looked over to where he was pointing. He was pointing at the duo that had just died. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and briefly explained the previous incident. Of course, she unavoidably mentioned that she took the initiative to offer her help but was rejected by Song Qingnian terribly. Chu Liuyue spoke nonchalantly as if she didn¡¯t even care about it. But to the crowd, they felt that Song Qingnian didn¡¯t know what was good for him. How dare he have the cheek to complain about Chu Liuyue first? Even though everyone didn¡¯t say anything, they all felt contempt toward Song Qingnian. Song Qingnian was in an uncomfortable situation as it was the first time he felt so humiliated in front of them. If he weren¡¯t worried that he would meet with more trouble, he would leave no matter what! Yang Qin¡¯er lightly clutched his sleeves and softly said something. Song Qingnian then realized something and let go of her hands. Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s wrist almost broke. She looked down nervously and saw that fresh blood seemed to have stained her clothes. She was frightened and immediately wrapped it up. ¡°The other party seems stronger than before. We must hurry up¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s expression changed slightly as she suddenly said with slight hesitation, ¡°Are you looking for the person who is controlling the roots? I remember that the root flew over from that direction.¡± Then, she pointed in a direction. The surroundings were pitch black, and nobody knew what was lying in the direction she pointed in. Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows. ¡°Really?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er nodded fearfully. Chu Liuyue half-squinted and was about to speak when she suddenly felt a tickle by her ear. She turned around to look at Tuan Zi and saw that it had directly flown forward. Its target¡ªYang Qin¡¯er! Chu Liuyue felt strange and was going to call Tuan Zi back when she saw that it directly flew past Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s head. Yang Qin¡¯er was frightened, and she shrieked as she retreated in a panic. She was slapped by Tuan Zi¡¯s wing, and she fell down. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± yelled Yang Qin¡¯er anxiously as excruciating pain came from her wrist. Sila! Half her sleeves were ripped apart, and a bloody and terrifying wound on her wrist was exposed in front of the crowd. The intense bloody smell immediately erupted¡ªit was actually very similar to the smell of that root! Chapter 739 - Crystal Barrier Everything happened rapidly. Yang Qin¡¯er knew that it was bad when the wound on her wrist was ripped apart again. Song Qingnian originally wanted to help her up, but his expression changed when he smelled this. ¡°Qin¡¯er, what¡¯s with¡ª¡± Sharpness flashed across Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s eyes, and without speaking, she turned around to escape. Her speed was actually much faster than the cultivation level she showed! Tuan Zi immediately followed! In the blink of an eye, it rushed to Yang Qin¡¯er! It waved its wings. A red fire suddenly flew out, and it formed a barrier in midair. Yang Qin¡¯er didn¡¯t detect it at that moment, and it was already too late to stop when she discovered the fire barrier in front of her. In her panic, she could only fling out a wave of force and use this rebounding force to escape the fire. However, the fire started spreading even quicker. Just as Yang Qin¡¯er turned around, she realized that she was completely trapped within a cage shaped by the fire. The burning hot temperature roasted her, and her entire body felt excruciating pain. She clenched her teeth and set up a barrier around her. But how could her barrier defend against the strength of a legendary fiend like Tuan Zi? Not long later, her barrier started shaking as if it would explode at any moment. Chu Liuyue rushed over. A thought popped up in Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s mind as she looked at Song Qingnian with puppy eyes. ¡°Senior Brother Qingnian, save me!¡± Song Qingnian originally felt that it was weird, but when he saw Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s tortured look, he felt pity for her and rushed toward Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had just come over. He said anxiously, ¡°Chu Liuyue, hurry up and tell your fiend to let her out! If this carries on, Qin¡¯er won¡¯t be able to take it!¡± But Chu Liuyue seemed not to have heard his words as she walked straight toward the cage shaped by the fire. Song Qingnian panicked and reached out to pull Chu Liuyue back without thinking. ¡°Did you not hear what I said¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around to take a look. Song Qingnian suddenly stopped his actions. The girl in front of him looked fierce, and her eyes were like daggers. However, this cold and calm look actually chilled his heart. Song Qingnian¡¯s hand froze in midair, and he couldn¡¯t continue going forward. Chu Liuyue¡­ seems to be even more untouchable than I thought! Just as he was in a trance, Chu Liuyue had already retracted her warning gaze and scanned Yang Qin¡¯er with a cold expression. ¡°What¡¯s with the wound on your wrist?¡± Yang Qin¡¯er was very guilty as she turned her head. ¡°I was just accidentally scratched by the tree root¡­ Nothing much¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue asked lightly in retaliation, ¡°Did you accidentally get tainted with the smell previously? That¡¯s weird. That smell¡­ seems to be coming from your wound?¡± That¡¯s definitely not an ordinary bloody aura! That smell is exactly the same as the smell that permeated the area when I first slashed open a root. This can only prove that¡­ Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s body has also absorbed the strength within the roots! But how did she do it? Even Jiang Yucheng and the rest couldn¡¯t avoid the roots, but Yang Qin¡¯er is the exact opposite. Yang Qin¡¯er clenched her silver teeth tightly. She wanted to defend herself, but it was as if Chu Liuyue could see through everything with her pair of eyes glued to her. No matter what she said at this time, it would all seem like a joke! Seeing that Yang Qin¡¯er didn¡¯t speak, Song Qingnian was anxious. ¡°Qin¡¯er, what exactly is going on?!¡± She was clearly stuck together with us at the roots earlier, but now¡­ However, Yang Qin¡¯er refused to speak no matter what. Chu Liuyue thought deeply for a moment and suddenly stepped forward. Lei Laosi followed her worriedly. Chu Liuyue turned around to look at him and lightly shook her head. ¡°I can ask her myself. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Lei Laosi could only stop. But everyone, including him, was staring closely at Chu Liuyue at this moment. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes, and a thought flashed across her mind. There was a period of time when Yang Qin¡¯er seemed to be extremely close to Shangguan Wan, and she would even make porridge for the latter. Chu Liuyue already felt that something was amiss back then. As the Third Princess, Shangguan Wan has specialized people to take care of her every need in the palace. Since when did she lack someone to cook porridge for her? Shangguan Wan said that it was because she felt that she could get along with Yang Qin¡¯er, so she asked the latter to stay in the palace for a few days. However, only a fool would believe this. The stranger thing is that during that period, Yang Qin¡¯er actually accused me of taking away the Long Yuan Sword, and she was framed as being a liar. According to Shangguan Wan¡¯s temper¡­ Not only did she not punish Yang Qin¡¯er, but she even left the latter by her side¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips opened slightly, and she silently said a sentence. Yang Qin¡¯er was the only one who ¡®saw¡¯ her words as Chu Liuyue¡¯s back was facing the crowd at this point: Shangguan Wan used your Yuan meridian, right? Yang Qin¡¯er widened her eyes in shock as if she saw a ghost. We did this so discreetly. How did Chu Liuyue guess that? Seeing Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s reaction, Chu Liuyue instantly confirmed her guess. I knew it! From that point, Shangguan Wan had already taken action. It¡¯s normal for her to want to do it, but why did Yang Qin¡¯er agree? Was she threatened by Shangguan Wan? Chu Liuyue still remembered seeing Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s expression when she delivered Shangguan Wan the porridge. She didn¡¯t seem like she was being forced. Also, other than her body becoming slightly weaker, she doesn¡¯t seem much affected in other areas even after such a long time. She didn¡¯t seem weak when she executed her abilities earlier! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze landed on the wound on Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s wrist, and it suddenly focused. The strength in Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s body actually comes from Shangguan Wan! Even though I don¡¯t know what exact method these two used, I can confirm that¡­ Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s strength will increase along with Shangguan Wan¡¯s abilities strengthening! Then¡­ Perhaps Shangguan Wan already knows about the situation here! Chu Liuyue went backward without hesitation! Yang Qin¡¯er suddenly lifted her head and sneered. ¡°You want to escape? It¡¯s too late!¡± A black symbol suddenly flashed across her brows, and it immediately disappeared! The next moment, her bodily aura started erupting! Qin Yi¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately said, ¡°Retreat! She wants to explode!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he already rushed to Chu Liuyue. Lei Laosi also detected that something was amiss and immediately flew over. However, the two of them were still too late. Boom! A loud sound blasted through the air as the ferocious and violent force spread in all directions! At that moment, a fire spark rushed straight into the sky. When Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s body was about to be damaged, a black wave appeared in the sky. A strong suction force then came from within and immediately enveloped Chu Liuyue! Her figure immediately disappeared before the crowd! ¡°Liuyue!¡± ¡°Ms. Chu!¡± Everyone gasped in unison. ¡­ The moment Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s self-destructed, Tuan Zi immediately flew over and blocked Chu Liuyue. The next moment, Chu Liuyue saw her vision become black as she was instantly dragged into a dark space by some force. But when she was about to retaliate, she suddenly realized that the ferocious strength was all blocked outside. A barrier was glistening brightly and protecting her perfectly within. Chu Liuyue blinked. Crystal barrier? How did it come out by itself before I could even do anything? Chapter 740 - Who Exactly are You?! Just as this doubt flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, she saw a light appear before her. The surrounding space started squeezing toward her! Chu Liuyue retracted her expression and circulated the force within her body. The next moment, her vision turned bright. Almost at the same time, the crystal barrier suddenly became countless rays of light that inserted themselves into Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue was stunned and was about to take a closer look when she suddenly felt that her entire body was dragged out of that narrow space. She stumbled backward and stabilized herself with much difficulty. Chu Liuyue then rapidly scanned her surroundings. Her surroundings were filled with black soil that kept moving and a bloody and rotting smell that almost suffocated someone. She could even faintly see many incomplete corpses. There were countless dancing roots above them of varying thickness, but they all presented a bloody color. A stone platform was below her feet¡ªhard and cold. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered a little. It¡¯s almost all soil beneath, so this platform¡¯s existence is especially unique. If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, this should be¡ª ¡°It is you.¡± A mocking and ice-cold voice came from behind. Chu Liuyue was ever so familiar with this voice, and she turned around. A woman stood opposite her. A faintly black barrier surrounded this woman and blurred her face and figure, but Chu Liuyue could still tell that it was Shangguan Wan with just one glance. There is something by her feet. Chu Liuyue looked over, and her eyes narrowed. That¡¯s actually my pure gold armor! Without a doubt, Shangguan Wan brought it over. That¡¯s true. Shangguan Wan has already occupied everything that once belonged to me, so why would she let go of the pure gold armor? However, it¡¯s strange seeing it like this. The pure gold armor is extremely precious, and one might not be able to find another armor that¡¯s as perfect as this one in the entire Tianling Dynasty. Logically speaking, Shangguan Wan should cherish it very much. But she has now actually placed it aside casually¡­ There also seems to be messy bloodstains beside it on the ground. Chu Liuyue silently retracted her gaze and looked at Shangguan Wan. ¡°You¡¯ve been spying secretly all along. Was it fun?¡± asked Shangguan Wan with mockery. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. It seems like Shangguan Wan has already guessed that I did all those things earlier. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and she smiled slightly. ¡°Third Princess, you¡¯ve really misunderstood. I wasn¡¯t spying on you¡ªI was just helping the rest to find you. All the previous times, I could only take a quick look and couldn¡¯t confirm your exact position. I didn¡¯t expect to come directly here this time. If Eldest Young Master Jiang and the rest know that I found you, they¡¯ll definitely be ecstatic.¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t want to hear Chu Liuyue¡¯s words at all, and she wouldn¡¯t believe them either. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression looked cold. Jiang Yucheng is fine, but the others definitely can¡¯t know that I¡¯m here, especially given what I¡¯m doing! ¡°Third Princess, why would you say that? I¡¯m just a mere commoner, so how can I threaten you?¡± said Chu Liuyue as she unintentionally scanned the surroundings. ¡°Ever since you disappeared, we were all very worried and spent all our effort to barge in while meeting many dangers along the way. Many disciples and Black Guards were constricted to death by those roots, and their dying looks were miserable¡­ It¡¯s great that you¡¯re safe and sound.¡± Shangguan Wan stared at Chu Liuyue and was quiet for a moment before she suddenly laughed coldly. In the quiet and cold space, this sound was especially sudden and sinister. ¡°Chu Liuyue, you don¡¯t have to put up an act in front of me. You know more clearly than others about how you came over. Yang Qin¡¯er is already dead, so is there a point in talking about this now?¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression became lighter. ¡°It seems like you admit that Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s injury and her death is related to you, Third Princess?¡± ¡°She should¡¯ve died long ago. It¡¯s her blessing that I let her live for a few more days.¡± At this point, Shangguan Wan knew clearly that Chu Liuyue had already guessed many things. Hence, she directly dragged Chu Liuyue over and put everything out in the open. ¡°As for you¡­ This is the legendary fiend you just made an agreement with?¡± Shangguan Wan looked at the fiend on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders, and her gaze was filled with jealousy and anger. If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue, this legendary fiend would be mine! ¡°¡­What a pity¡­¡± muttered Shangguan Wan softly, and her face was filled with intense, murderous intent. It¡¯s a pity that this legendary fiend can¡¯t recognize a new master! Hence¡­ I can only kill it as well! It¡¯s so hard for a legendary fiend to appear. However, not only can I not have it as my own, but I even have to kill it instead¡­ Shangguan Wan¡¯s hatred toward Chu Liuyue increased again. Tuan Zi seemed quite agitated. Chu Liuyue gently patted its head and comforted it in her heart. When I discovered that Yang Qin¡¯er might be related to Shangguan Wan, I had already predicted this current scenario. Since Shangguan Wan dares to say these things daringly, it proves that she has no intentions of letting me leave this place alive. However¡­ it¡¯s not so easy for Shangguan Wan to take my life! ¡°I recall that you also have a Dijing Yuan meridian and that¡­ its standard isn¡¯t too low?¡± Shangguan Wan scrutinized Chu Liuyue, and her eyes were filled with unconcealable greed and excitement. Currently, I just need the last bit of strength to heal my Yuan meridian completely! Perhaps¡­ I can do it by using Chu Liuyue! After all, Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities have always been stronger than the cultivation level she shows. She also has a legendary fiend¡­ Chu Liuyue smiled, but the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re pretty interested in my Yuan meridian, Third Princess?¡± Shangguan Wan was too lazy to pretend anymore. ¡°It¡¯s your utmost blessing to be able to serve me.¡± Shangguan Wan stood in the air, and she waved her hands. A dark-blue force immediately flew out toward Chu Liuyue! At the same time, countless roots flew together in unison from all directions. Hula¡ª Tuan Zi glowed, and it immediately turned into its true self. Its gigantic wings flapped, and the red fire kept gushing out. All the roots were easily deflected, and they were even burning with the red fire. At the same time, a spark rushed toward the sky! The surrounding darkness had been driven away, and it shone like the daylight! Violent and strong winds blew up, and the suppression was intense! Shangguan Wan clenched her fists tightly and was enraged. Even with this barrier blocking me, I can still feel the terrifying force. The suppression of a legendary fiend is so shocking! It¡¯s no wonder Chu Liuyue can be so daring! With this red-tailed phoenix around, she doesn¡¯t even need to take action herself. Tuan Zi hovered around Chu Liuyue¡¯s head and carefully protected her under its gigantic wings. The surroundings were ablaze, and it reflected on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face and body. Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth tightly and glared at her deadly. Chu Liuyue looked nonchalant as she suddenly smiled slightly when she welcomed Shangguan Wan¡¯s gaze filled with jealousy and vengeance. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat! That smile, those eyes, and that gaze¡­ It really looks like the one on fire in the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall back then! Shangguan Wan unwittingly moved half a step back and was petrified. ¡°Wh-who are you?!¡± Chapter 741 - Die! Everything replayed like the scene of that day, and it attacked her like a nightmare. Shangguan Wan¡¯s body trembled, and her face turned stark white. Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°Me? I¡¯m Chu Liuyue. Third Princess, do you not know me?¡± Her tone was light as if she were teasing. Shangguan Wan took a deep breath in and kept reminding herself. This is Chu Liuyue, this is Chu Liuyue! However¡­ When the light from the fire shone on her beautiful face, causing half of it to be in the dark and half in the light, she actually looked extremely similar to Shangguan Yue back then! Chu Liuyue took a step forward as if quite worried. ¡°Third Princess, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come here! Don¡¯t come here!¡± Shangguan Wan shrieked. At the same time, she hurriedly moved backward and accidentally fell to the ground. Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and stood rooted to the ground as she smiled at Shangguan Wan quietly. At that moment, she seemed to be high and mighty. Shangguan Wan looked at Chu Liuyue, and her heart beat crazily. Chu Liuyue stood there and naturally looked down at her from above as if she had done it countless times. Shangguan Wan¡¯s face burned. My disheveled look is too humiliating! Chu Liuyue is Chu Liuyue. Who else can she be? I know more clearly than anyone that Shangguan Yue is already dead¡ªcompletely dead! It¡¯s impossible for her to resurrect at all! Illusion¡­ This is all an illusion! Shangguan Wan forced herself to stand up, and her gaze directed at Chu Liuyue became harsher gradually. Even if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t discover everything today and didn¡¯t barge in, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have left her alive for long! This face alone is enough for her to die 10,000 times! ¡°Right! Chu Liuyue¡ªyou¡¯re Chu Liuyue!¡± said Shangguan Wan with hatred. Nobody knew who she was repeating it to. Chu Liuyue looked at her with much interest. Shangguan Wan¡¯s reaction is pretty interesting. I originally thought that Shangguan Wan hated me to the core and that she would definitely be carefree and happy after she killed me back then. But it now seems like¡­ She¡¯s also guilty and scared. Chu Liuyue was suddenly curious. If Shangguan Wan knows that I¡¯m the real Shangguan Yue, what would her expression be? ¡°¡­No matter who you are, you deserve to die!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart was filled with anger and horror. Even though she kept convincing herself that this person was Chu Liuyue, countless scenes from the past still surfaced in her mind! The intense feelings caused her five features to contort. A black aura seemingly appeared between her glabella, and her eyes glowed with a hint of dark green. From afar, she actually looked like a ferocious ghost. Chu Liuyue frowned. Earlier, I was wondering when Shangguan Wan¡¯s force turned dark green. I didn¡¯t expect that her eyes would also seem to have the same colored spark jumping around. It looks very strange! Perhaps¡­ She became like this after using a special method to absorb other people¡¯s force? Shangguan Wan attacked once again. This time, she unleashed all her force. The terrifying strength, coupled with horrifying suppression, overwhelmed her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding space immediately narrowed. It was like a mountain pressed against her, and even the force within her body started circulating slowly. At this point, Shangguan Wan¡¯s abilities had already reached that of a stage-eight warrior! Even though Chu Liuyue had already broken through and became a stage-five warrior, she was still worlds apart from Shangguan Wan. Tuan Zi¡¯s shriek was clear! Shoo! The red fire immediately became a barrier and protected Chu Liuyue within! At the same time, Tuan Zi¡¯s wings vibrated, and countless feathers shot toward Shangguan Wan like sharp swords! Chu chu chu! The brilliantly glowing feathers had a ferocious aura as they harshly struck the black barrier in front of Shangguan Wan. The black barrier started vibrating! Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth. It would be difficult to absorb Chu Liuyue¡¯s strength now. The phoenix beside her is too formidable! Also, the most urgent thing I need to do now is to heal my Yuan meridian! She asked in her heart, ¡°Senior, do you have any way of dealing with that legendary fiend?¡± After a moment, a hoarse voice lazily sounded. ¡°I can help you delay the phoenix for a while, but it depends on you if you can kill Chu Liuyue.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Senior!¡± Shangguan Wan was elated. Without the legendary fiend interfering, won¡¯t it be a piece of cake to deal with a Chu Liuyue? Let alone a while, I can even take Chu Liuyue¡¯s life in one shot! A black symbol then surfaced on Shangguan Wan¡¯s glabella, and it floated around. A sinister aura spread apart from it. It silently passed through the barrier, and it drew an outline in midair. Chu Liuyue looked at it, and her heart sank. The strength that forcefully brought me over just now¡­ It seems to have the exact same aura as this symbol! Is this the mysterious existence that is helping Shangguan Wan in secret? Uneasiness suddenly overwhelmed her heart. This symbol is definitely even harder to deal with than Shangguan Wan! Once this thought flashed in her mind, Chu Liuyue saw the symbol flying toward Tuan Zi. Countless black lines came out from above¡ªthese lines were even thinner than hair strands. If one didn¡¯t look closely, one might not even be able to notice them. Tuan Zi¡¯s body suddenly burned with red fire, and its pair of dazzling, gem-like eyes were energetic! But when the fire made contact with the black lines, they actually didn¡¯t start burning! The black lines passed through the fire and quickly made an outline of a gigantic web! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened, and she immediately wanted Tuan Zi to retreat. But it was too late! That gigantic web directly trapped Tuan Zi. At the same time, Shangguan Wan rushed over! She simply launched a punch! ¡°Die!¡± Chapter 742 - : Know Just as Chu Liuyue and Shangguan Wan engaged in an intense battle, the crowd that was left behind was anxious. Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s sudden self-destruction exceeded everyone¡¯s imagination. When they recovered their senses, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had already disappeared without a trace. In that space, only the violent aftereffects were left after the destruction. Lei Laosi stared at the empty space as his chest heaved up and down violently with regret and anger. Your Highness was right in front of me, yet I couldn¡¯t protect her well! I just watched on as she was dragged into that empty space! We weren¡¯t by Her Highness¡¯s side two years ago, so we let those people take advantage of the situation. However¡­. The blood within Lei Laosi circulated as he raised his hand and wanted to slap himself. ¡°Four.¡± Qin Yi¡ªwho was standing beside him¡ªsuddenly spoke up. The hand that Lei Laosi just raised stopped in midair, and he looked up to see his own big brother looking at him. The latter¡¯s eyes were calm with a tinge of warning. If we overreact now, we¡¯ll definitely be discovered! Jiang Yucheng, Mu Qinghe, and the rest are still behind! Qin Yi¡¯s silent warning made Lei Laosi recover his senses as he clenched his teeth and put his hand back down. However, he clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on his forehead popped out. ¡°What happened just now?¡± Jiang Yucheng quickly walked over, and his expression was stern. Qin Yi turned around, looking calm. ¡°Yang Qin¡¯er self-destructed and tore open the space, which allowed the mastermind to drag Chu Liuyue away forcefully.¡± Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Does this mean that Yang Qin¡¯er indeed has a problem? Then, who is the mastermind?¡± Qin Yi shook his head and looked at Song Qingnian. Song Qingnian instantly felt like he was burned by fire. ¡°Why are you looking at me?! What does this gaze mean?!¡± ¡°Yang Qin¡¯er is from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect, and she¡¯s very close to you, Song Qingnian. Now that this has happened to her¡­ Is there nothing you want to say?¡± Qin Yi¡¯s tone was light, but every word and phrase was extremely sharp as they directly raised Song Qingnian¡¯s suspiciousness to the highest level! Everyone in the surroundings looked over doubtfully. That¡¯s right! Everyone saw Song Qingnian protecting Yang Qin¡¯er clearly! If Yang Qin¡¯er is problematic, how would he not know at all? Song Qingnian angrily said, ¡°What can I say? I don¡¯t know anything!¡± He originally still wanted to defend Yang Qin¡¯er, but after seeing the current situation, whatever he said would be futile. Yang Qin¡¯er already chose to self-destruct! If that¡¯s not being guilty, then what is? In addition to her weird wound previously¡­ Even Song Qingnian knew clearly that Yang Qin¡¯er must¡¯ve been hiding something! She¡¯s already dead. The most important thing now is to clear myself of suspicion! ¡°Oh? You were so close to her, so do you really not know what she said and did?¡± asked Qin Yi in retaliation. ¡°I really don¡¯t know! Even if you ask me a hundred times, I still don¡¯t know!¡± Song Qingnian was stumped. How long has Yang Qin¡¯er been in the Purple Xiao Sword Sect? I only became closer to her because she¡¯s pretty, and I got tempted. Who would¡¯ve expected that this would happen? ¡°Qingnian, I believe this has nothing to do with you, but any clues are important now. If you know anything about her being amiss, just say it.¡± Jiang Yucheng was the one who said this. Song Qingnian looked at him in disbelief. This means¡­ Jiang Yucheng clearly suspects me! He was about to retort when he saw Jiang Yucheng¡¯s serious expression as if he cared about this incident a lot. No, he clearly cares about Chu Liuyue! Song Qingnian understood Jiang Yucheng quite a bit. Seeing the latter¡¯s reaction, he could basically guess what his friend was thinking and couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. At the side, Mu Qinghe silently glanced at Jiang Yucheng again. Jiang Yucheng seems gentle and well-mannered, but he¡¯s actually cold-blooded and cunning¡ªhe only cares about himself. Shangguan Wan has been missing for so long, but he was never this anxious. Chu Liuyue has just disappeared, and he already can¡¯t stand still¡­ Mu Qinghe looked down and suppressed his inner guess. I¡¯m afraid Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t even notice this himself, right? ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t know anything! If I did, why would I spend so much effort to save her just now and even speak up for her?!¡± Song Qingnian defended himself. Nobody could see through Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression, and his eyes looked deep and vast. It seems like I really can¡¯t find out anything from Song Qingnian. He looked at Qin Yi again. ¡°Young Master Qin, do you have a way to find out where she is now?¡± Once he said this, footsteps could be heard from behind. ¡°I know where she is.¡± A youngster¡¯s cold and nonchalant voice came over. The surroundings fell into deep silence. Qin Yi looked at the golden-haired youngster in front of him. The latter¡¯s expression was cold, and his lips were pressed against each other tightly, with only stubbornness in his eyes. Qin Yi squinted. Qiang Wanzhou continued, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to save her.¡± Qin Yi seemed like he was about to smile. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the strongest, and you can help her.¡± Qiang Wanzhou stared at him with determination. He didn¡¯t say the remaining half of the sentence: It¡¯s also because¡­ Chu Liuyue trusts Qin Yi! He could clearly tell that Chu Liuyue trusted Qin Yi and Lei Laosi very much. Though he didn¡¯t know why, he believed in her. Qin Yi paused and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Yucheng immediately asked, ¡°Then, where exactly is she?¡± The moment he asked that, Jiang Yucheng realized that he was too anxious. His expression moved, and he added, ¡°If we all find her together, we have a higher chance of success.¡± Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran had already walked over as if they wanted to go together. Qiang Wanzhou glanced at Jiang Yucheng, and then his gaze slowly swept past the crowd as he said, ¡°She¡¯s quite far away from here. If too many people go, it will slow us down.¡± Jiang Yucheng looked embarrassed. Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran wanted to go too, but they hesitated when they heard this. ¡°You can go first then! It¡¯s more important to save Liuyue! You don¡¯t have to care about us!¡± Even though Mu Hongyu was filled with worry, she still said that. She had a Faint Yuan Body and could teleport instantly, so it would be more convenient for her than the rest. However, she didn¡¯t dare to confirm if she was capable enough. If she became everyone¡¯s burden, it would be bad. Ye Ranran nodded seriously as well. ¡°Big Brother Qin, you can go ahead first!¡± Since they already said that, the others couldn¡¯t say anything either. Qin Yi raised his hand and gently slid it across, tearing a space in the air. Then, he entered. Qiang Wanzhou followed closely. Lei Laosi was about to follow them when Qin Yi glanced at him and gently shook his head. ¡°Protect them well.¡± Then, the duo¡¯s figures completely disappeared. Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows tightly and fell into deep thought. If Chu Liuyue was really brought away by Shangguan Wan just now¡­ I actually know where they are! Chapter 743 - Lingxiao Palm Jiang Yucheng felt torn on the inside as if there were two of him arguing back and forth with each other in his mind. If all of this is truly Shangguan Wan¡¯s doing, then she definitely won¡¯t spare Chu Liuyue¡¯s life. Not even Qin Yi and the others will be able to save Chu Liuyue. But on the other hand, Chu Liuyue has probably found out something. If she makes it out of this place alive, then she will indubitably become Shangguan Wan¡¯s greatest threat. I might even be implicated as I¡¯m in the same boat as Shangguan Wan. If Chu Liuyue reveals Shangguan Wan¡¯s dirty deeds, our marriage will surely be called off too. Not only Shangguan Wan¡¯s, but my status will also plummet to rock bottom. Given how many enemies I have within Xi Ling City, it¡¯s clear what will be awaiting me if I fall from grace! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face gradually became cold and dark as these thoughts ran through his head. ¡­ Over on this side, neither Chu Liuyue nor Shangguan Wan was aware of what was happening on the other end. When Shangguan Wan threw out a clean punch packed with brute and aggressive force, a dark-green, fist-shaped shadow flew out. It silently tore through the air in a perfect arc as it headed straight toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Under this powerful force, the air in front of Chu Liuyue compressed, making her feel excruciating pain as if something heavy was pressing on her entire body. Even moving became an exceedingly difficult chore to her because of her stiffened body. This was the full force of a stage-eight warrior¡ªnot even she could meet that punch head-on. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes gleamed coldly as she watched the fist-shaped shadow approach her at high speed. Whir! The water droplet in her dantian began spinning all of a sudden. Rich force instantly rushed out from it and flowed into her limbs, reducing the pressure she was facing. With a side-step, she vanished from her original spot, resulting in the punch hitting the air. ¡°You do have some skills!¡± Shangguan Wan narrowed her eyes slightly before bursting into a peal of laughter. The aura she exudes now is much stronger than before. She must have some tricks up her sleeve, or else there¡¯s no way she could avoid that punch so easily. It¡¯s no wonder that she managed to take first place in those competitions¡­ ¡°You¡¯re too naive if you think you can escape from me with such petty tricks!¡± Shangguan Wan scoffed. They¡¯re nothing in front of real and absolute power! With just a thought, the fist-shaped shadow changed its course and continued charging toward Chu Liuyue. Something silvery flew out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand right at that moment. Shangguan Wan squinted her eyes to take a closer look, only to realize that it was the dagger Chu Liuyue had used before. Her lips curled up into a sneer. ¡°You dream of stopping my attack with that mere dagger? How ludicrous!¡± As the saying goes: the longer and bigger one¡¯s weapon is, the more powerful one will be. A good weapon tends to increase a cultivator¡¯s combat power, but Chu Liuyue seems to be using this dagger all the time. No matter how sharp and handy it is, it can¡¯t be compared to spears and swords. It¡¯ll easily become a disadvantage. From what I see, she¡¯s just asking for trouble. However, Shangguan Wan¡¯s smug smile stiffened the next second because Chu Liuyue¡¯s dagger had sliced her fist-shaped shadow into two. Everything happened in just an instant, and the fist-shaped shadow tore apart just like that as if the full force it packed was useless against the dagger. The force within dissipated as well. By now, Chu Liuyue had already retreated to the back and cast a barrier around her to ward off the exploding force that resulted from her actions. Shangguan Wan was aghast and infuriated. There¡¯s something wrong with that dagger. It¡­ might be a rare treasure! So that¡¯s why she¡¯s using it all the time! If Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t in this situation, she would probably develop some interest in the dagger. But at this moment, all she could think about was ending Chu Liuyue¡¯s life as quickly as possible. Her failed attempt didn¡¯t stop her from striking once more. This time, she took things a lot more seriously. She appeared right in front of Chu Liuyue in a flash. Even though Chu Liuyue moved fast, she was no match for Shangguan Wan¡ªwho was currently moving at full speed. But that didn¡¯t mean that she planned to keep hiding from the other woman. When Shangguan Wan put her hands in front of her, dark-green force poured out and formed a palm print¡ªit was about the size of her hand, and it emitted a luminous glow. The surrounding force then began gathering toward the palm print. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes, for she was all too familiar with this technique Shangguan Wan had executed. It was a skill that only the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s royalty could learn¡ªLingxiao Palm. Most importantly, although it was just an Earth-grade warrior technique, the power it could truly unleash was comparable to that of a Heaven-grade warrior technique. Shangguan Wan paused for a moment before shifting her hand positions slightly. The surrounding force began flowing toward the palm at an even faster speed, which made Chu Liuyue scoff. There were three stages to the Lingxiao Palm. While all members of the royal family were able to cultivate the first stage, only those who had become stage-seven warriors could proceed to the second stage. This requirement might be considered a little tough for the average person, but it wasn¡¯t difficult for the royalty considering the amount of grooming they received. That said, not everyone could successfully reach the second stage as the skill was really difficult to understand. As for the third stage, only those who had become stage-eight warriors could continue cultivating this skill. Although Shangguan Wan had reached the eighth stage in cultivation, her damaged Yuan meridian made it impossible for her to continue onto the third stage. Thus, she could only execute the skill at the second stage. Regardless, she reckoned that it was more than enough to deal with Chu Liuyue. ¡°You should be honored that I¡¯m killing you with the second stage of the Lingxiao Palm!¡± A mocking smile played on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. Speaking of which, Shangguan Wan had only managed to pick up the second stage through Shangguan Yue¡¯s patient guidance. She had secretly begged the latter for help as she was unable to master the skill no matter how hard she tried. Afterward, in her delight at mastering the skill, she even dropped hints to Shangguan Yue that she wanted to give their father a surprise. Shangguan Yue naturally knew what she meant, but she didn¡¯t mind it at all. She even took the initiative to promise Shangguan Wan that she would keep this matter a secret and reveal to the public that the latter had mastered the skill all on her own. When the news spread, many people praised Shangguan Wan for her intelligence. Even the Emperor¡¯s attitude toward her became a lot gentler as he reckoned that she was becoming smarter as she grew. Chu Liuyue squeezed her fists under her sleeves. It¡¯s time for you to pay back what I taught you back then! Chapter 744 - Counterattack As Chu Liuyue held her breath and gathered her thoughts, her internal force quickly gathered at her right hand. A small point of starlight suddenly lit up on her fingertip before splitting into two. One of them floated over to her next finger. That wasn¡¯t all to it though. In just the blink of an eye, three fingers on her right hand were lit up, and it showed no signs of stopping. The fourth point of starlight flickered into appearance, its glow a little weaker than the other three. When the force in the surroundings started to gather around Chu Liuyue, she lightly waved her other hand in the air to get rid of that nasty force. Although Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t mind it and seemed more than happy to absorb the force in their surroundings, Chu Liuyue minded it. She found it too dirty and disgusting to be used, so she channeled her own force instead. The water droplet started spinning really quickly. As the five lines rippled, rich force came pouring out of Chu Liuyue nonstop. Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression changed when she saw how Chu Liuyue blocked the surrounding force while her aura became stronger. How did she do that? Does she still have some other tricks up her sleeve? That split second of distraction, however, caused a disturbance in the force Shangguan Wan was trying to gather. She quickly focused and only managed to stabilize it with much effort. When the dark-green palm print finally returned to normal, she closed her eyes in relief. Indignation filled her on the inside though. Although she had mastered the second stage of the Lingxiao Palm, most of it was pure regurgitation. She didn¡¯t fully comprehend the technique, so she had to strictly follow the steps Shangguan Yue had taught her whenever she used it. Any mistake made would result in a backlash of her force. While she was proud of herself for being able to reach the second stage, she would inevitably think of Shangguan Yue whenever she used the technique and felt restricted by her inability to control it freely. This was why she wouldn¡¯t use the technique under normal circumstances. But now, it was the best option to end things quickly. Glowing lines slowly surfaced on the palm print, which looked like palm lines from afar. The finer these so-called palm lines were, the more power they contained. As one¡¯s understanding of the technique differed from cultivator to cultivator, the lines they produced were different as well. However, Shangguan Wan¡¯s palm lines were extremely similar to Shangguan Yue¡¯s as she had learned the technique from the latter¡ªher palm lines were much thicker and simpler though. When Shangguan Wan drew the final palm line, the fifth point of starlight quietly appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s finger. Chu Liuyue looked up, her gaze lingering on the palm print in front of Shangguan Wan as an indiscernible smile crept up her face. She¡¯s made no progress in the cultivation of the Lingxiao Palm even after so long. Then again, her Yuan meridian is damaged. She can¡¯t even be compared to an average cultivator, so how can she continue cultivating the Lingxiao Palm? It must be tough for her spending days and nights to commit the steps to memory. Chu Liuyue lifted her right hand, where five points of starlight twinkled at her fingertips. Having long memorized the Ultimate Jingshen technique by heart, she could even recite it off pat. Thus, she naturally comprehended and mastered the Ultimate Jingshen technique when she broke through to become a fifth-stage warrior. With an abundant supply of force within her body, she finally managed to light up all five points of starlight. ¡°A fifth-stage warrior like you dreams of dueling with me?¡± Shangguan Wan sniggered. The technique I¡¯m using is part of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s martial art skill that has been passed down for thousands of years. It can¡¯t be compared to the one she¡¯s using. But Chu Liuyue appeared deaf to her words. With a light forward push of her palm, a brilliant and intimidating silver palm print appeared floating in the air, and the space around them started crumbling quietly to reveal a black circle. That¡¯s an Earth-grade warrior technique she¡¯s using! The appalling sight made Shangguan Wan frown. She then cursed herself for making a fuss over nothing. Even if it¡¯s an Earth-grade warrior technique, Chu Liuyue¡ªa fifth-stage warrior¡ªisn¡¯t my match! With this thought in mind, she pushed her palm print out. ¡°Lingxiao Palm!¡± As the dark-green palm print silently flew forward, Chu Liuyue¡¯s silver palm print followed suit. The latter had chosen to face Shangguan Wan head-on. ¡°You think too highly of yourself!¡± Shangguan Wan scoffed. The two palm prints flew toward each other, but before they could even come into contact, they began killing each other with their force. The space around them instantly crumbled, and a crack line formed on the stone platform below to reveal a dark-green glimmer. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t notice this, but Chu Liuyue did. The latter¡¯s gaze immediately shot toward the crack. Although Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t tell what the problem was, her intuition told her that something didn¡¯t seem right about it. An uneasy feeling thus arose within her. All of a sudden, a surge of force came from the front. Chu Liuyue quickly tore her gaze away from the crack to look in front. After a fierce and intense fight, the Jingshen Palm was forced to retreat, and its force was slowly getting absorbed by Shangguan Wan¡¯s Lingxiao Palm. Although Shangguan Wan had exhausted a lot of force, the force the Lingxiao Palm contained was still very abundant due to her having a higher cultivation level than Chu Liuyue. At a glance, the Lingxiao Palm seemed to be gaining the upper hand. With all her strength, Shangguan Wan shouted, ¡°Go!¡± The Lingxiao Palm was closing in fast, and it looked like it was planning to swallow the Jingshen Palm completely. Right at that moment, the Jingshen Palm exploded into countless points of falling starlight. Thinking that she had won the fight, Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes curved into crescents. But just as she did so, she saw the falling points of starlight exploding in a blinding display. It was so bright that the entire place was fully illuminated as if it was daytime. An ear-piercing sizzling sound was produced when the light enveloped the Lingxiao Palm, and it sounded like something was burning. The Lingxiao Palm then began shrinking, and a foul smell soon spread everywhere. Shangguan Wan could hardly believe what she was seeing. How is this possible? Chu Liuyue is only a fifth-stage warrior, so how come the technique she executed has such terrifying force? Just then, Chu Liuyue moved to put her hands in front of her in a strange pose. Shangguan Wan found it a little familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen it before. Chu Liuyue then lifted a hand to make a light stroke in the air, and starlight instantly filled the air to form a pattern. Shangguan Wan stared closely at it out of worry that she might miss something. Chu Liuyue¡¯s movements were very slow, so she had a clear look at them, and a mental image of the pattern unconsciously formed in her mind. But slowly, she realized that something was wrong¡ªthe pattern Chu Liuyue was drawing was slowly overlapping with the pattern of the second-stage Lingxiao Palm. Chapter 745 - She Doesn’t Deserve It! The pattern Chu Liuyue was drawing was actually completely different from hers, but they fit together for some reason and slowly got entangled with each other. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to remember that pattern! I can¡¯t let anything happen to it! Shangguan Wan immediately averted her gaze and tried to rid the confusing image from her mind, but alas, it was to no avail. She had taken an especially close look at Chu Liuyue¡¯s pattern earlier and had memorized all of the latter¡¯s movements, including the lines she had drawn. Thus, those lines were now firmly imprinted in her mind, and she couldn¡¯t get rid of them. Slowly, she realized that her memory relating to the second stage of the Lingxiao Palm was beginning to get fuzzy. The two patterns intertwined together to form a huge jumbled mess. This is too bizarre! I haven¡¯t encountered such a situation before! It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t fought with anyone in the past, but nothing like this has ever happened¡­ Shangguan Wan had made great efforts to master the Lingxiao Palm. In order to receive praise from the Emperor and impress everyone else, she had put down her pride to beg Shangguan Yue for help. Even though she had learned how Shangguan Yue executed the Lingxiao Palm, the Lingxiao Palms they executed were slightly different due to the latter having a more thorough and detailed understanding of the technique than her. This was also why she had always been very careful not to execute this technique in front of others, even though the average person wouldn¡¯t notice anything wrong with it if they didn¡¯t look closely. The Lingxiao Palm¡¯s second stage was something she had wanted to learn for the longest time, and she had practically imprinted it into her mind. But now¡­ The more frantic she got, the more chaotic her mind became. It got so bad that even the dark-green palm print was affected, and the pattern began jumbling up. This resulted in a great reduction of its power. Chu Liuyue calmly took a look at Shangguan Wan, who was trying not to look her way as she grabbed her head while looking torn and pained. The latter seemed to have sensed the gaze on her, for she suddenly looked up and screeched, ¡°What have you done to me, Chu Liuyue?!¡± Chu Liuyue let out a derisive laugh as she continued drawing the pattern. Although the pattern in front of her seemed to be randomly drawn, it had a strong sense of regularity. While the average person would only experience a dizzy spell if they stared at it for too long, it wasn¡¯t that way for Shangguan Wan. All it took was one look from her to commit it to memory, and this was because said pattern was the third stage of the Lingxiao Palm. After Shangguan Yue broke through to become a stage-eight warrior, she began cultivating the last stage of the Lingxiao Palm. It didn¡¯t take long before she completely comprehended the technique, but nobody knew about this¡ªnot even her father, the Emperor. At that time, she just did what she thought she should do. The thought of announcing it to show off had never even crossed her mind. Unlike Shangguan Wan, she was already the most honored person in the Tianling Dynasty, so there was no need for her to resort to such tricks to prove her capabilities. The decision she made back then turned out to be a wise choice. Ever since she was reborn as Chu Liuyue, she had never once executed any of the martial arts skills and techniques that she knew in the past out of fear of exposing her identity. If Shangguan Wan hadn¡¯t executed the Lingxiao Palm earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have thought of using this method to deal with her. There were three stages to the Lingxiao Palm. Each stage was superior to the last, and it was all the more so for the third stage. Since Shangguan Wan had a deep impression of the second stage, all it took was one look at the third-stage pattern for her to follow it unconsciously. But how could she possibly comprehend the third stage when she couldn¡¯t even comprehend the second stage? The result of it was the crumbling of her cultivation relating to the Lingxiao Palm. This was why Shangguan Wan was so infuriated when she realized that something was wrong. Unfortunately for her, it was too late. As Chu Liuyue silently worked on the remaining lines, Shangguan Wan felt as if someone was forcibly carving this pattern in her mind when she accidentally got another look at it. ¡°Arghhh¡ª¡± Shangguan Wan screamed in frustration when she felt her mind getting increasingly fuzzy. With red, glowing eyes, she charged toward Chu Liuyue and screeched, ¡°How dare you play tricks with me, you b*tch?! You¡¯ve got a death wish!¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes dangerously as she added the last stroke to the pattern. Just as Shangguan Wan was getting closer and closer, she lifted her hands, and that huge pattern immediately floated forward. Shangguan Wan blinked, only to see the strange pattern right before her eyes. In an enticing but judging voice, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Take a look at your Lingxiao Palm.¡± My Lingxiao Palm! Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind exploded, followed by a cracking sound in her mind. The two patterns had completely intertwined with each other as if they were out of control. Then before she knew it, the second-stage palm lines that she had firmly imprinted into her mind crumbled into pieces and dissipated. Her body jolted as she coughed up blood. She could distinctively feel that something was rapidly draining from her body¡ªit was the Lingxiao Palm. She looked at the shattered palm print with much difficulty, only to see that its palm lines had been completely destroyed. With a cold expression, Chu Liuyue turned her force into a whip and flung it out. Smack! The dark-green palm print instantly crumbled. Whatever I gave Shangguan Wan back then, I can take it all back now! She doesn¡¯t deserve the Lingxiao Palm! Chapter 746 - Help Shangguan Wan let out a cry of agony and fear as she hugged her head, desperately trying to retain her memory of the Lingxiao Palm. Alas, like sand slipping out of her hands, the more she tried to grasp at it, the faster it slipped away from her mind. ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t easy for me to master the second stage of the Lingxiao Palm. If I forget the technique and regress to the first stage, learning it all over again would be as hard as scaling the sky! The thought sent her into a panic. While gasping for air, she unconsciously yanked at her hair. Strands of hair fell out, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered about it, for Chu Liuyue had effortlessly destroyed her memory of the Lingxiao Palm¡¯s second stage with the strange pattern she had drawn. Once the last line completely disappeared from her mind, Shangguan Wan gradually stiffened. It¡¯s gone¡­ It¡¯s really gone! I¡¯m back to the first stage of the Lingxiao Palm! No matter how hard she tried to recall the memory, nothing came to mind. She even felt her head throbbing in pain after some time, and she staggered backward, nearly falling to the ground due to her legs going weak. Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue¡ªwhose back was fully drenched¡ªgently exhaled a breath. It had been really tough for her to execute the Lingxiao Palm¡¯s third stage since she was only a fifth-stage warrior. Although it appeared easy, just drawing that pattern had drained a large part of her force, and she couldn¡¯t have done it without the support of the water droplet in her dantian. Thus, it was a good thing that the result seemed to have turned out pretty well. ¡°It looks like that so-called Lingxiao Palm of yours isn¡¯t all that formidable.¡± Chu Liuyue smirked. Those words immediately snapped Shangguan Wan out of her trance. She looked up with glowing, red eyes and a vengeful look and shouted, ¡°Chu! Liu! Yue!¡± Each syllable sounded like it was forced out through clenched teeth. There was also deep resentment in her tone as if she wanted to sink her teeth into Chu Liuyue¡¯s flesh and drink her blood. I thought I could easily finish Chu Liuyue off, but I ended up suffering a double whammy instead! There¡¯s something fishy about her and that dirty trick she pulled earlier! Unfortunately, Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with Chu Liuyue, so she decided to leave it aside instead. Her only thought now was to kill Chu Liuyue. If I don¡¯t kill Chu Liuyue now, complications will surely arise in the future! Although Shangguan had seen Chu Liuyue as an eyesore a long time ago, she had never taken the latter seriously. But now, she finally realized that Chu Liuyue was much harder to deal with than she thought. Anger and hatred churned within her as if they were about to explode from her chest at any time. These intense emotions drove her mad and made her features contort, while the flickering dark-green fire in the depths of her eyes made her look like a ghost from hell. Right at that moment, a cry was heard. Taken by surprise, Shangguan Wan turned her head to see a furious red-tailed phoenix¡ªwhich had broken free from the gigantic black net¡ªflying straight toward herself. Crimson flames surged, and the entire place instantly turned into a sea of fire. When Shangguan Wan saw the murderous intent in the red-tailed phoenix¡¯s sparkling crystal eyes, she froze. For a moment, she felt as if death was approaching. She hurriedly got up to escape for her life without any hesitation, but much to her horror, a bolt of fire came sweeping toward her just as she turned. Whoosh! In the Third Princess¡¯s hurry to dodge it, she accidentally fell to the ground. When she noticed that the hem of her skirt had caught fire, she hurriedly tried to snuff it out. However, Tuan Zi was out to kill her this time, so there was no way it would easily let her off. The flames around the Third Princess burned fiercely as they approached her from all directions. Shangguan Wan hurriedly cast a barrier around her while running toward the pure gold armor that had been thrown on the ground earlier. Although the pure gold armor hadn¡¯t officially recognized her as its owner, it still provided her some form of protection when worn. Being at her wits¡¯ end, this was the only method she could think of to protect herself, but a terrifying aura appeared next to her just as she was about to reach the pure gold armor. Shock¡ªmixed with a hint of fear¡ªovercame her, but black runes appeared in front of her out of nowhere and blocked the attack. Boom! The two forces collided. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes when she saw how the black runes blocked the crimson fireball¡¯s attack completely. So that¡¯s Shangguan Wan¡¯s true backer¡­ With the black runes¡¯ help, Shangguan Wan successfully managed to put on the pure gold armor, its cold and hard sensation bringing a sense of relief to her. Protected by her barrier, she finally had time to catch a breather as she said in her mind, ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡± But the other party only snapped coldly, ¡°Useless thing!¡± Despite having been scolded, Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t dare to retort or even show the slightest hint of displeasure, for she herself hadn¡¯t expected that she would be driven to this state by a mere Chu Liuyue. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ It was all because I underestimated my opponent¡ª¡± ¡°Even if you did your best and unleashed all your force, I doubt there would be any change in the situation. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re nothing but a cripple with a damaged Yuan meridian!¡± Hints of mockery could be detected in the raspy voice. She might be able to gain the upper hand at the beginning, but she won¡¯t be able to last long. In the end, she would still be defeated by Chu Liuyue! Shangguan Wan bit her lower lip out of indignation, and a drop of blood oozed out from it. However, this was nothing compared to her bloodstained oral cavity. ¡°You still need my help in the end,¡± said the voice. Mixed feelings arose in her. ¡°Senior¡ª¡± Whir! A strange humming sound was heard out of nowhere. Then, the black runes slowly flew toward Shangguan Wan¡¯s glabella. As if they had been burned, their edges even curled up slightly. Before Shangguan Wan could say anything, her expression had a subtle change to it. Emotions faded from her face, leaving behind only cold indifference. Her eyes became even redder, and she exuded a murderous aura. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± At her summon, Tuan Zi¡ªwho wanted to fight Shangguan Wan head-on¡ªquickly flew back to her side. The next moment, Shangguan Wan raised her hand and gave a gentle tap in the air. Boom! Violent winds blew everywhere as the space around Chu Liuyue began collapsing quickly. Her body then flew forward uncontrollably. Chapter 747 - She’s Better off Dead! Shangguan Wan¡¯s hands began reaching for Chu Liuyue¡¯s slender neck as if she could end the latter¡¯s life with just a light twist of her neck. Being shrouded by the terrifying aura, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t move at all. A murderous look streaked across Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes as it charged toward Shangguan Wan right away. With just an expressionless look from Shangguan Wan, the gigantic net that Tuan Zi had broken free from earlier appeared right in front of it once more. It was much trickier to deal with this time as it had been repaired and was much more closely knitted than before. As Tuan Zi slowed down, the distance between Chu Liuyue and Shangguan Wan quickly narrowed. Shangguan Wan¡¯s exquisitely trimmed nails were just inches away from scraping Chu Liuyue¡¯s skin when a rich force suddenly burst out from the latter¡¯s body. The Third Princess¡¯s indifferent expression finally cracked to reveal a hint of shock. While she retreated to the back, her eyes remained fixed on Chu Liuyue. ¡°That explains your arrogance¡­ It¡¯s because you still had a trick up your sleeve!¡± She released the aura of a ninth-stage warrior earlier! To think that she has such power hidden within her! Although Shangguan Wan¡¯s voice sounded the same, the way she talked was different as if it were another person speaking. Without Shangguan Wan¡¯s control and suppression, Chu Liuyue fell to the ground. When her feet landed on solid ground, she heaved a sigh of relief and said in gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± She hadn¡¯t expected to receive her ancestor¡¯s help just now. Although Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t respond to her, he shielded her firmly. As Shangguan Wan cast Chu Liuyue a suspicious glance, the latter looked forward and met her eyes. Both parties fell into a quiet stalemate for a moment, and the atmosphere was so tense that it was stifling. On the surface, this might seem like a duel between Shangguan Wan and Chu Liuyue, but that wasn¡¯t the case in reality. All of a sudden, there was a ripple in the air. I can¡¯t let anyone see this! Shangguan Wan immediately turned her head in shock, but she heard a soft crack as she did so. It sounds like something has cracked¡­ She looked down to find a crack in the middle of the stone platform. Chu Liuyue saw it too, but she had already known about the crack¡¯s existence. The only difference to the crack was that it was slowly growing bigger and wider. An ominous feeling loomed over her, and she quickly summoned Tuan Zi back. The moment she placed a hand on Tuan Zi¡¯s neck, she saw a dark-green light shooting out from that crack. The entire stone platform then began crumbling, and the roots above her began falling toward them. Just as she jumped on Tuan Zi¡¯s back, the stone platform completely collapsed, and the whole place was illuminated by the dark-green light. A terrifying suction force then came from below. Shangguan Wan fell into the hole. Seeing that she was about to be swallowed by the hole, she quickly grabbed a tree root, flung it toward Chu Liuyue, and entangled it around her foot. Chu Liuyue tried to block the attack, but she realized that neither she nor the ancestor could exert their force. In her momentary distraction, Shangguan Wan gave the root a fierce tug. Everything happened too quickly. Before Chu Liuyue could even react, she was pulled toward the hole where Shangguan Wan was. She aimed a kick at Shangguan Wan, whose face was kicked to one side, and several of her teeth fell out. In her panic, the Third Princess had only managed to put on the pure gold armor and had forgotten about the helmet. That said, it didn¡¯t take long before she realized that she could easily take Chu Liuyue down as long as she didn¡¯t get hurt in the head. Both parties couldn¡¯t use their force and thus could only rely on physical combat. Shangguan Wan fiercely grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s ankle and pulled it, making the latter fall off from Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi flapped its wings as it scratched Shangguan Wan¡¯s face with its sharp claws out of fury. The scratches it left on her face were shockingly deep, and her facial bones could practically be seen. Shangguan Wan shrieked in pain and was thinking of a way to launch a counterattack when Tuan Zi speedily flew toward Chu Liuyue. Saving master is more important! I¡¯ll definitely make Shangguan Wan pay it back the next time I see her! Tuan Zi thus followed Chu Liuyue and disappeared into the dark-green light. Shangguan Wan clung to the tree root tightly out of fear that she might accidentally drop down into the hole where god knew what was awaiting below. There was a ripple in the air right at that moment, and two figures¡ªQin Yi and Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwalked out from it one after another. The black runes on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face suddenly disappeared. The dazed look on her face faded and was replaced with the angry and hateful expression she had earlier. A shudder ran through her. Was I controlled by that person just now? ¡°She¡¯s right he¡ª¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s words were abruptly cut off when he saw the scene in front of him. He was visibly shocked. Qin Yi reacted faster than him. He realized that something was wrong as soon as he saw the collapsed platform and the dark-green light. He rushed over at once, only to see Shangguan Wan struggling to climb back up. There wasn¡¯t anyone else around. Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t here! Qin Yi looked down at the abyss below, but he couldn¡¯t see anything apart from that blinding light. Just standing at the edge alone made him feel that he was about to be swallowed by that hole. ¡°Where is she?!¡± Qiang Wanzhou demanded, his eyes fixed on Shangguan Wan as he walked over. Shangguan Wan recognized them. Despite the fear in her heart, she stubbornly said, ¡°You came just in time. Come pull me up!¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s voice got frostier. ¡°I ask you: Where is she?!¡± ¡°What¡ªor rather, who are you talking about? I¡¯m the only person here! Quick, come help me!¡± Shangguan Wan feigned ignorance. I won¡¯t be able to get out of here on my own. I need someone to pull me up. I can sense it! This place has Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura¡ªshe must¡¯ve been here before! Shangguan Wan looks like she¡¯s just been through a tough fight! A murderous look surfaced on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face. Shing! He drew his sword all of a sudden, and a peacock-blue flame appeared. Grabbing the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword tightly in his hand, he swung the sword toward the root Shangguan Wan was grabbing. Since she refuses to tell the truth, then she¡¯s better off dead! Chapter 748 - Came for Who? A harsh sword light flashed across. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat as she watched the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword directly slash the tree root. But just as the sword was about to touch it, Qin Yi suddenly pressed Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s wrist. His action was light as if he just patted the latter, but Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s actions suddenly stopped. Rage overwhelmed Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s pretty face as he held the sword hilt tightly, strengthened his force again, and tried to retaliate. But Qin Yi was too overwhelmingly strong¡ªhe silently restrained Qiang Wanzhou completely. He just placed his hand there, yet the latter couldn¡¯t even move. Realizing that he really wasn¡¯t Qin Yi¡¯s match, Qiang Wanzhou looked up angrily. I don¡¯t believe Qin Yi can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going on here! Why is he stopping me? Even if Shangguan Wan dies a million times, it won¡¯t be enough! However, Qin Yi¡¯s expression had already calmed down, and a bottomless pit was found in his narrow eyes. ¡°We haven¡¯t made this matter clear yet. Don¡¯t randomly jump to conclusions.¡± Then, he looked at Shangguan Wan gently. ¡°We¡¯ll save you first.¡± Shangguan Wan was elated and kept nodding. Then, Qin Yi really waved his sleeves and flung out a rope that wound around Shangguan Wan¡¯s waist. He gently lifted his wrist, and Shangguan Wan was pulled up. After leaving the area wrapped in dark-green light, Shangguan Wan instantly felt like she had crawled out of hell. She turned around to look back with lingering fear, and her entire body was drenched in cold sweat. If I didn¡¯t grab the root just now and was slightly careless¡­ I would¡¯ve been the one who dropped down! At this time, another wave of ripple could coincidentally be felt from the air. A figure then came out from inside. Shangguan Wan turned around and was instantly shocked. It¡¯s actually Jiang Yucheng! ¡°Yucheng?!¡± Shangguan Wan gasped as she hurriedly rushed over and jumped into his arms. ¡°Yucheng, you finally came!¡± Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t notice it and was surprised by the hug as he instinctively held Shangguan Wan¡¯s waist. ¡°¡­I was so scared just now! I almost died! Yucheng, did you specifically come to look for me?¡± Shangguan Wan lay in his arms and cried. Jiang Yucheng knew my position. Since he appeared, he must¡¯ve come for me. After experiencing all the previous incidents, the emotions suppressed in her chest were finally unleashed when she saw Jiang Yucheng, exploding out of her body. Horror, fear, panic¡­ In such a short amount of time, she had been through a few life and death scenarios, and she had been on her tippy-toes. She could finally relax now. The clothes in front of Jiang Yucheng¡¯s chest were swiftly drenched by Shangguan Wan¡¯s tears as the latter held him tightly. Her body was still trembling slightly, clearly petrified. Even Jiang Yucheng rarely saw her in such a state, and he softly comforted her as he gently patted her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Am I not here? Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± Qiang Wanzhou saw Jiang Yucheng¡ªwho suddenly appeared¡ªand pressed his lips against each other tightly before glancing at Qin Yi. So he had already detected someone coming¡­ And that person is even Jiang Yucheng! It¡¯s not hard to imagine what the consequences would be if Jiang Yucheng came and saw me killing Shangguan Wan. But even if so¡­ What about Chu Liuyue? Qiang Wanzhou looked at the deep gully and held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword in his hands tightly. Jiang Yucheng hugged Shangguan Wan and comforted her, but his gaze swept around as if he were searching for someone. A tinge of undetectable worry could be seen in his eyes. Qin Yi saw it clearly and couldn¡¯t help but secretly laugh as mockery flashed across his eyes. He then lightly said, ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, you came here really quickly. We just arrived, and you¡¯ve already chased up to us.¡± Jiang Yucheng froze. His cultivation level wasn¡¯t as good as Qin Yi, and he was even injured. Logically speaking, it was impossible for him to be so fast. The key was that he wasn¡¯t with the two of them, yet he arrived at this place. Without a proper reason, it wouldn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Not long after you left, I received Wan¡¯er¡¯s cry for help. Hence, I rushed to this place,¡± explained Jiang Yucheng briefly. He didn¡¯t intend to continue quibbling with the duo. No matter if they believed it or not, they didn¡¯t have the right to question him. He and Shangguan Wan were engaged after all, and they had distinguished statuses. Thus, it was only natural to have trump cards. He then said as if in a self-reproaching and heartbroken manner, ¡°Wan¡¯er, why did you send the news so late? We almost went crazy from looking for you!¡± Shangguan Wan knew what she should do at this point, and besides, she also wanted to hide some things. She didn¡¯t speak, but she hugged Jiang Yucheng tighter and sniffed. Qin Yi looked at the duo nonchalantly as if he had no intentions of asking further. ¡°I see.¡± Jiang Yucheng secretly heaved a sigh of relief, scanned the surroundings in detail, and asked, ¡°Wan¡¯er, you¡¯re¡­ the only one here?¡± Shangguan Wan lay in his arms, and the crowd couldn¡¯t see her expression. ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Shangguan Wan nodded hesitantly, and she sounded upset. Does this mean that¡­ She¡¯s already gotten rid of Chu Liuyue? Jiang Yucheng was stunned, and his heart felt empty and even.. a little pained. It was as if someone took needles and pricked his heart one by one, causing a close and continuous pain. Actually, he had been very conflicted. On the one hand, Chu Liuyue most likely had already guessed what Shangguan Wan was doing. Considering all aspects, they should get rid of her. If not, there would be many problems. But on the other hand, he felt very uneasy and worried. He felt upset once he thought of Shangguan Wan killing Chu Liuyue. He originally didn¡¯t plan to come here, but he was already here when he recovered his senses. It was as if he was possessed for some reason. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t dare to overthink, but there was suddenly a pandora¡¯s box in his heart. Once he opened it, everything would be destroyed! Shangguan Wan naturally didn¡¯t know any of this. She thought that Jiang Yucheng came because he was genuinely worried for her. After all, he knew the reason why she came to Dahuang Swamp. Thinking of this, Shangguan Wan secretly felt hatred. I haven¡¯t healed the last bit of my Yuan meridian! If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue¡ª Jiang Yucheng looked down. Judging from this messy scene, there must¡¯ve been a great battle here earlier. He slightly knitted his brows. This is weird. It should¡¯ve been very easy for Shangguan Wan to kill Chu Liuyue, so why did it cause such a big commotion? Is it because of that red-tailed phoenix? ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, Eldest Young Master Jiang, you can leave with the Third Princess first,¡± said Qin Yi. ¡°I¡¯ll go down and see what exactly this is.¡± Jiang Yucheng followed his vision and immediately understood what Qin Yi meant. He¡¯s actually thinking of jumping down into that deep gully glowing with a strange dark-green light? ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± asked Shangguan Wan rather agitatedly as she suddenly raised her head. Since I¡¯ve killed Chu Liuyue, I definitely won¡¯t allow anyone to save her! Jiang Yucheng patted her shoulders and convinced gently and patiently, ¡°Wan¡¯er, Young Master Qin just wants to¡ª¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice suddenly stopped, and he suddenly pushed Shangguan Wan away as if he saw a ghost. The face that could be considered cute and adorable in the past was actually bloody and badly mangled. It was as terrifying as a ferocious ghost! Chapter 749 - She’s already Dead Shangguan Wan was suddenly pushed away by Jiang Yucheng like that. Due to this, her expression changed, and her blood boiled. Just as she was about to speak, she coincidentally met with Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze¡ªshock, sudden, surprise¡­ And even though he hid it quite well, there was still an apparent sense of disgust! Shangguan Wan was suddenly stunned before she realized that her face had been scratched by the phoenix before. Is Jiang Yucheng¡­ hating on my face?! She felt her entire body turn ice-cold, and all her blood rushed up to her head as indescribable anger burst in her heart. Jiang Yucheng saw her expression change and realized that his earlier push was inappropriate. Thus, he hurriedly took a step forward. ¡°Wan¡¯er, how did your face¡­ get injured?!¡± He asked her sincerely, and he looked anxious as if he was very worried. However, his face of disgust was already deeply imprinted into Shangguan Wan¡¯s brain. There was no woman in this world that didn¡¯t care about their looks, especially a princess that was born in the royal family like Shangguan Wan. She would place more emphasis on her appearance. From her hair to her toes, everything was intricate. From her hairpin to her shoes, everything was perfect. Her status was distinguished, and she was always in the spotlight. Due to this, she had to pay extra attention to her every move and word, let alone her face. With a disfigured face, I¡¯ll become a laughingstock when I go out! Shangguan Wan had always been hovering over the edge of life and death and finally survived with much difficulty, so she didn¡¯t even have time to care about her face. Now, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s reaction finally made her recall this incident, and it impacted her greatly! Shangguan Wan sneered. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me if it hurt, but you asked how the wound came about first?¡± Jiang Yucheng scolded himself for carrying out the wrong plan. Normally, I definitely wouldn¡¯t make such a low-level mistake, but I wasn¡¯t on-guard just now, and most of my thoughts weren¡¯t on Shangguan Wan. Due to this, I was more direct, which resulted in this situation. He understood Shangguan Wan too well. She¡¯s probably going to hold a grudge against me for a very long time. Jiang Yucheng instantly felt his head ache. He had already gone through too much previously, and he also forcefully maintained his body, so he didn¡¯t have any extra energy to deal with Shangguan Wan. ¡°Wan¡¯er, I don¡¯t mean anything else. I¡¯m just too worried about you¡­¡± Shangguan Wan sneered and had a mocking expression. Her gaze stumped Jiang Yucheng, and he was too lazy to say his remaining explanation and comforting words. It was still okay in the past as Shangguan Wan was mostly gentle and considerate. This was also an important reason why he liked her in the first place. Even though he also knew that Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t as innocent and harmless as she appeared to be, he didn¡¯t mind it. With such a background, it was normal to be manipulative and cunning. But these two years, she became even sharper and more sensitive. She regularly held onto something for a long time and would cause a huge commotion over it. Jiang Yucheng was exhausted long ago, and his patience diminished day by day. He sighed deeply in his heart and tried hard to suppress his frustration as he tried to convince her. ¡°Wan¡¯er, all these are superficial injuries. They will naturally get better when we go back and use some cream on it. Yuzhi also injured her face by accident in the past, and she recovered in no time. Nobody can tell!¡± Shangguan Wan was nonchalant and listened to his words as if she was listening to a joke. Of course, I know that the scar on my face can heal. But Jiang Yucheng¡¯s previous push¡­ I will never forget it! Qin Yi was too lazy to care about them, and he walked straight over. Qiang Wanzhou immediately followed, and Qin Yi glanced at him. ¡°Just stay there.¡± Even I find it dangerous. If Qiang Wanzhou comes, won¡¯t he just be seeking death? Qiang Wanzhou moved his feet and was conflicted for a while, but he still listened to Qin Yi in the end¡ªhe knew his limits. If Qin Yi goes over, he might be able to bring Chu Liuyue back. But if I go, I will likely become a burden only. Shangguan Wan glanced from the corner of her eyes and saw that Qin Yi had walked to the edge. She immediately said, ¡°You can¡¯t go down!¡± Qin Yi seemed like he didn¡¯t hear it. Shangguan Wan anxiously said, ¡°Dangerous¡ªit¡¯s very dangerous down there! If you go, you¡¯ll just be courting death!¡± Jiang Yucheng also looked over and furrowed his brows. It seems like Chu Liuyue should¡¯ve dropped down¡­ That aura is extremely dangerous, and Chu Liuyue should¡¯ve gone down for quite some time. I¡¯m afraid¡ª Hong! Long! Long! A loud sound suddenly came from the deep gully! Qin Yi¡¯s expression changed! The dark-green light glowed, and strong waves flowed out from within! The surrounding black soil started moving crazily. Qin Yi wanted to rush in directly, but he was blocked outside by the maniacal force. At that moment, the skies spun, and the ground shook. The few people¡¯s figures immediately disappeared from the spot. At the same time, the same scenario happened below the entire Mystic Forest. ¡­ Bang! The sound of something heavy landing on the ground was heard. After that, the noises kept coming. Then, there were all sorts of painful moans. These moans made Qin Yi widen his eyes suddenly. Abruptly coming outside from the dark underground caused the bright light to prick his eyes, but he still endured the pain and rapidly scanned his surroundings. It¡¯s still the Mystic Forest. From the surrounding messily broken tree, we shouldn¡¯t be far from that position. He looked up, and as expected, he saw that mother tree in the distance. Qiang Wanzhou was behind him on his right and didn¡¯t seem to be severely injured. Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan were in front of him¡ªthe two of them were quite a distance apart. Looking around further, the surroundings were all people. The majority of them were Black Guards, and some were disciples. Qin Yi knitted his brows. It seems like everyone was chased out¡­ Whose force was it just now? It¡¯s actually so powerful? Even I couldn¡¯t completely block it! ¡°Big Brother!¡± This was Lei Laosi¡¯s voice. Qin Yi turned around and indeed saw Lei Laosi rushing toward him. When he reached Qin Yi, Lei Laosi anxiously asked, ¡°Big Brother, Her¡ª¡± Qin Yi interrupted him. ¡°The Third Princess is fine.¡± Lei Laosi hurriedly kept quiet, but his eyes were filled with anxiety and worry. ¡°W-where¡¯s Chu Liuyue?¡± For some reason, everyone was chased out by a strong force just now. Lei Laosi then saw his big brother at first glance and came over excitedly, but he discovered that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t around. Shangguan Wan was found, and Jiang Yucheng is here. Why is Her Highness missing? Qin Yi¡¯s expression became light. ¡°I haven¡¯t found her.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t found her? How can this¡ª¡± Lei Laosi suddenly thought of something, and his voice trailed off as shock flashed across his eyes. He then rapidly scanned his surroundings again, and his gaze meticulously swept past everyone¡¯s face. No, no. No, No. Still no! Her Highness really isn¡¯t here! He didn¡¯t give up and walked to another side. At this point, Shangguan Wan¡¯s voice sounded out in a deadly manner. ¡°Everyone should already be out now. For those that aren¡¯t, could it be that they¡¯re already¡ª¡± Chapter 750 - : The Pure Gold Armor’s Owner! Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t finish her sentence because Lei Laosi looked over. The latter didn¡¯t spurt out vulgarities this time and simply glanced at Shangguan Wan, but that look was extremely cold. Lei Laosi was originally already very capable. Coupled with this sinister and harsh stare, it was even more powerful. Shangguan Wan unwittingly felt a chill run down her spine and was horrified as she unwittingly swallowed her remaining words. However, she already clenched her fists tightly in her sleeves. She looked down and hid the anger in her eyes. After I leave this place, I¡¯ll definitely find a chance to get rid of this Lei Laosi! I still remember Lei Laosi fighting with me! I¡¯ll consider both the old and new grudges together! Lei Laosi sneered, and his expression was formidable and terrifying. He could clearly see through Shangguan Wan¡¯s thoughts. If it weren¡¯t because I¡¯m anxious to find Her Highness, I definitely wouldn¡¯t let her off so easily. Lei Laosi retracted his gaze and walked forward with large strides. This time, Qin Yi didn¡¯t stop him. Lei Laosi searched around carefully. Even though he remembered Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure, he still seriously searched every face every time he passed by an area. Some had their backs facing him, and others were lying on the ground. He walked over and patiently searched one by one. After confirming that it wasn¡¯t her, he continued moving forward. Shangguan Wan watched Lei Laosi¡¯s back view and furrowed her brows tightly. She then turned around and saw Mu Qinghe. ¡°Lieutenant Mu.¡± Mu Qinghe walked over. Elder Qiuxi also came over together, rushing over and hurriedly catching up. When he walked in front of Mu Qinghe, he yelled emotionally, ¡°Your Highness, I finally found you! You don¡¯t know how worried we were during this period!¡± Mu Qinghe glanced at him and didn¡¯t say much as he bowed toward Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng respectively. ¡°Your Highness, Eldest Young Master.¡± Elder Qiuxi used his sleeves to wipe his tears. ¡°Your Highness, we can rest assured now that we see that you¡¯re safe¡­ At least we didn¡¯t find you for nothing!¡± Shangguan Wan was finally attracted by his words. She knitted her brows and had a face of confusion. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, what do you mean? You¡­ were looking for me the whole time earlier?¡± Elder Qiuxi immediately reported whatever happened before. Of course, he especially pointed out his worry for Shangguan Wan, and he emphasized that the crowd finally decided to look for her because he urged them. As these people weren¡¯t bound by the roots when they came down the second time, Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t know about this matter clearly. ¡°I see¡­ It must¡¯ve been really hard on you¡­¡± said Shangguan Wan as she clenched her teeth and enunciated every word clearly. If these people didn¡¯t come down, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t have wrecked my plans! Just as Elder Qiuxi was talking exaggeratedly, he suddenly realized that Shangguan Wan seemed amiss, so he hurriedly kept quiet. Then, his gaze quickly scanned past Shangguan Wan¡¯s face. I wonder what exactly she experienced to end up like this¡­ Even though Elder Qiuxi¡¯s gaze was super light and his action was extremely minor, Shangguan Wan still noticed it. She felt even more hatred, but she couldn¡¯t act up in front of so many people. She hurriedly took out her handkerchief and covered her face. Even though she only revealed her forehead and eyes, one could still see her stunning scar. However, it still looked much better compared to her rotten face. She looked at Mu Qinghe. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, Lei Laosi and Chu Liuyue¡­ seem to be pretty close to each other. Do you know why?¡± Mu Qinghe shook his head and said hesitantly, ¡°Lei Laosi¡¯s group of two have always been here guarding the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Now that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant has broken through to become a red-tailed phoenix, it made an agreement with Chu Liuyue. It should¡­ have something to do with this, I guess.¡± It was fine if the red-tailed phoenix wasn¡¯t mentioned, but Shangguan Wan¡¯s blood boiled once it did. The legendary fiend that originally belonged to me disappeared, and it even scratched my face! Now that Chu Liuyue is dead, that legendary fiend definitely can¡¯t live either! ¡°This place is very dangerous. We need to leave as soon as possible,¡± said Jiang Yucheng with a low voice when he walked over. Shangguan Wan wanted to argue with him, but she saw Jiang Yucheng looking at an area with a stern expression. She unwittingly followed his gaze and gasped¡ªshe saw the mother tree rotting at an observable speed. The wind blew over, and countless leaves turned wilted yellow from lush green before they floated down. The more terrifying thing was that after the leaves dropped to the ground, they silently turned into puddles of blood. Very quickly, pools of blood gathered on the ground and started spreading toward the surroundings at a terrifying speed. Everywhere they went past, everything silently decayed. This gory scene made everyone¡¯s mouth agape and eyes widen. The crowd hurriedly got up and kept moving backward. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here anymore!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!¡± The crowd was in a mess, and some people seemed to be doing something faintly. ¡°Liuyue?! Where are you, Liuyue?!¡± Mu Hongyu, Ye Ranran, and the rest were looking for Chu Liuyue. Many Black Guards were also looking for Chu Liuyue¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Ms. Chu?!¡± ¡°Ms. Chu¡ªyou guys, look over here. We¡¯ll go over there!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Almost half of the crowd was looking for Chu Liuyue! Shangguan Wan was stunned by this scene. Wh-what¡¯s going on? When I wasn¡¯t around, what exactly happened? Just as she was about to ask, she suddenly heard the noise of something cracking. She lowered her head to look and saw an opening in the pure gold armor. Shangguan Wan widened her eyes in shock. Then, the crack started expanding rapidly. Bang! The pure gold armor suddenly dissipated and became powder! ¡­ At the same time, Chu Liuyue kept falling down in the deep gully. The surrounding light disappeared, and everything was a blur in front of her. She couldn¡¯t see anything. A figure chased over in the blurriness¡ªit was Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi flew to Chu Liuyue and supported her body as its wings vibrated. It wanted to bring Chu Liuyue away, but there seemed to be an invisible suction force dragging them down! The violent turbulence rushed everywhere! The lower they went, the scarier it was! Countless tiny wounds instantly formed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, but at this point, her body was suddenly covered in a faint layer of gold. Chapter 751 - Come Back! The golden light wrapped around Chu Liuyue, and the terrifying force was instantly separated outside. Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°Is this¡­ a crystal barrier?¡± She could feel that this was the strength from a crystal barrier, but why did the silver color become golden? Besides, crystal barriers had always been circular-shaped. Chu Liuyue had never seen one that formed a protective layer according to the body shape. Rather than saying it¡¯s a barrier, it should be¡­ Armor! Right, it¡¯s armor! Given how it¡¯s sticking close to the body¡­. Other than it not being an actual thing, it¡¯s not too different from armor. Once this thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, she saw the golden glow on her arms suddenly manifesting. She didn¡¯t notice it at first, but when she saw the strange patterns surfacing, she finally realized that something was amiss. Why does this pattern look familiar¡­ Chu Liuyue stared at it for a while and then glanced at her surroundings. She then indeed discovered that the golden light was solidifying in other areas from top to bottom! A ray of silver light suddenly flashed across her chest. Chu Liuyue lowered her head, and her eyelids harshly twitched¡ªa protective plate had suddenly appeared in front of her chest! She blinked, and disbelief overwhelmed her heart. This is¡­ This¡­ As if to confirm her guess, the surrounding golden rays started solidifying even quicker. Not long later, they completely formed the appearance of armor. This armor wasn¡¯t brand new, and there were many scratches on it. It seemed like it had gone through numerous intense struggles. The faint golden light was warm and real, thick and heavy. It perfectly stuck to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body as if it were specifically made for her, bringing out her perfect curves. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a while as she looked at the armor that suddenly appeared on her body and held in her breath. There seemed to be blood overwhelming her ears as they started beating wildly like a heart. Chu Liuyue¡¯s breathing became intense, and her entire person seemed to be ignited as her cheeks burned while her eyes sparkled like the dazzling night sky. Pure gold armor! This really is the pure gold armor! I thought that it was already taken away by Shangguan Wan, but I didn¡¯t expect it to appear here on my body! Stars shone in front of her. Chu Liuyue looked up. The countless rays of golden light gathered and finally formed a helmet¡ªit was the pure gold armor¡¯s helmet! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was about to jump out of her chest! She stretched out her hand gradually and held the helmet. It was cold to the touch, but it had a tinge of heat. The extremely bright light slid across the top of the helmet, and then the light was as bright as a fire as it illuminated the pure gold armor on her. At that moment, everything was clear as if the wind blew the clouds away. The pure gold armor glowing with an ancient color started becoming brighter at an observable speed. It was as if a layer of dust was wiped away from it, thus revealing its original color and light! The pure gold armor recognized a master again! Chu Liuyue had never expected that the pure gold armor would return to her in such a manner! At that moment, countless thoughts flashed across her mind. The pure gold armor didn¡¯t recognize Shangguan Wan as its new master most likely because my soul was still around. But¡­ How did it come here? Chu Liuyue recalled the previous scenario and was suddenly stunned. Could it¡­ really be related to that crystal barrier? Thinking of this, she tried to summon the crystal barrier. The pure gold armor shone brilliantly, and it gradually became transparent! It was like a layer of transparent and colorless soft armor that perfectly covered Chu Liuyue. Only when one took a closer look could one see the faint and intricate patterns on it. This is a crystal barrier, but it¡¯s also the pure gold armor! It seems like¡­ It¡¯s like the crystal barrier changed after it met the pure gold armor! These two invisibly merged into one and finally appeared in front of me in such a manner! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart shook. A scene suddenly surfaced in her mind. The day before I left Country Yao Chen, I played chess with Rong Xiu and told him that I was about to leave and head for the Tianling Dynasty. Rong Xiu told me that the crystal barrier he previously gave me was damaged, so he gave me another one. Back then, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it because the second crystal barrier was exactly the same as the first one! On the outside, they didn¡¯t look any different. It was only until I reached Xi Ling, joined the Wan Zheng Competition, and entered the Tianling God Realm that I realized that this crystal barrier seemed different¡ªits defensive powers were extraordinary. Even though I was curious at the time, the situation was urgent, so I didn¡¯t think much about it. Later on, I gradually forgot about this incident. If it weren¡¯t for this crystal barrier appearing on its own and protecting me, I might not even remember this item¡¯s existence. Now that I think about it, there was already something wrong since the start¡ªwhat kind of Yuan instrument can easily defend against the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword aura? Even though crystal barriers are split into varying grades, this kind of ability is too shocking! Even though I¡¯ve seen the best crystal barrier in my previous life, I might not even be able to do this! ¡°Rong Xiu¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly, and her gaze was complicated. A bold thought then suddenly surfaced in her mind. Does Rong Xiu¡­ know something?! ¡­ Tens of thousands of kilometers away. Two people sat opposite each other in the room. Pak! 36 Respected Elder Ming placed the last piece down. On the chessboard, victory was finally determined after an intense killing between the black and white pieces. 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Hehe! I¡¯ve finally won against you this time, Your Highness!¡± Rong Xiu placed the chess piece in his hand back to the container, looked up, and smiled slightly. ¡°Respected Elder, your skills are amazing, and I lost fair and square.¡± He said it nonchalantly as if he had already expected this ending. 36 Respected Elder Ming was originally laughing and stroking his beard. However, his heart skipped a beat, and he accidentally pulled off three strands of his white beard when he saw Rong Xiu¡¯s expression. ¡°Y-you¡ªYour Highness, did you purposely let me win?¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows. ¡°No. I was thinking too much, so I lost this round.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend! Do you think I can¡¯t tell if you let me win?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming glared at him grumpily. He had almost never won against Rong Xiu in chess. After studying so bitterly for so long, he didn¡¯t expect that it was still the same outcome. His elation was discounted, but a thought popped up in his mind. This ending should be normal, so 36 Respected Elder Ming felt at ease. ¡°You began learning chess at five, and you rarely had competitors at six. After you were seven¡­ Even I couldn¡¯t win against you! Hmph! After losing for so many years, do you think that I can¡¯t afford to lose?¡± I¡¯m long used to it, okay?! Rong Xiu let me win in a very obvious manner in the beginning, but later on, he became very good at hiding his skills. ¡°If you want, you could definitely beat all the chess players in this world!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming sighed deeply. However, Rong Xiu suddenly laughed lightly, and his thin lips curled up. He leaned against the chair and lazily said, ¡°I might not.¡± Chapter 752 - Dream On His voice was low and thick, and with his light laugh, it became even more nonchalant and relaxing. 36 Respected Elder Ming raised his eyes and looked at him. Rong Xiu was smiling with a tinge of smiling intent in his eyes¡ªit was like the first appearance of spring. His deep eyes weren¡¯t looking at the chessboard but were calm and hid ripples as if he was deep in thought. 36 Respected Elder Ming was rather shocked. Rong Xiu is actually a very proud person. In terms of chess, he can be considered as the best of the best. 36 Respected Elder Ming felt that his skills weren¡¯t bad, but he couldn¡¯t even find out what Rong Xiu¡¯s true standard was. At the very least, nobody among the people I know can beat Rong Xiu in this aspect. No, I should say that there isn¡¯t even someone who can compare with him! ¡°Your Highness, you mean¡­ There¡¯s someone who can go against you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Rong Xiu tilted his body and raised his elbow as he suddenly laughed when he thought of something. ¡°I even lost quite a few times.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was even more shocked. Hearing this, it means that he didn¡¯t lose because he gave in but that he truly lost! ¡°Is there such a person in this world?¡± It¡¯s not easy to beat Rong Xiu! ¡°Of course.¡± Rong Xiu smiled with even deeper meaning, and an extremely light gentleness flashed across his eyes. ¡°But if I meet her again, I¡¯ll have higher chances of winning.¡± Knock, knock¡­ Knocking sounds could be heard from outside. ¡°Come in,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. Yan Qing came in and first bowed to the duo before saying, ¡°Your Highness, 36 Respected Elder Ming, people from the Ming Division came. They want to see you, 36 Respected Elder Ming.¡± The Ming Division was one of the many divisions, and it was the clan in which 36 Respected Elder Ming grew up. Due to 36 Respected Elder Ming, the Ming Division always had a high status. But 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s gaze changed, and he instantly became frustrated. ¡°Why are they here again?! Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯m super busy? I also told them not to bother me if there¡¯s no emergency!¡± Yan Qing lowered his head and respectfully said, ¡°Respected Elder, they have sent people over ever since you came out, but you were busy discussing important things with the other elders. Hence, they couldn¡¯t meet you. They heard that you finally came back after traveling outside, so they specifically rushed over now.¡± ¡°Hmph! That bunch of scoundrels definitely don¡¯t have any good intentions! It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t see them! Go back and tell them that I¡¯m in seclusion and that I don¡¯t have time to see them recently!¡± Every time they want to look for me, it¡¯s never for something good! Who knows why they¡¯re here again this time? One has to know that Rong Xiu had just personally led troops and eliminated an entire division not long ago! It¡¯s a very sensitive period, and aren¡¯t they causing trouble for themselves by coming to find me now? I won¡¯t see them! I won¡¯t see any of them! Yan Qing hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Respected Elder, the incident of you playing chess with His Highness has spread all around. They¡­ all know about it.¡± If not, just based on those people, how would they dare to come here and look for him? 36 Respected Elder Ming was more frustrated than ever. Seeing his reaction, Yan Qing knew that it was best not to say another word, but he still had to say some words. In the end, he could only brave himself and say, ¡°They still said that they¡¯re going to wait for you the whole time here. You can just meet them whenever you¡¯re free.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was so angry that he blew his beard and glared angrily as he went out in the end. From the looks of this, all those people from the Ming Division will definitely be lectured. After he left for some time, Rong Xiu then straightened his body. He moved his wrist, and a crystal barrier appeared on the chessboard. The sunlight shone in from the windows and reflected against the crystal-clear barrier¡ªit was as dazzling as ever. Then, it was the second one. Afterward, it was the third. ¡­ Rong Xiu took out six crystal barriers in total and placed them in one row on the chessboard. Looking at the crystal barriers before him, he chuckled softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so fast¡­ It was a waste for me to produce so many.¡± He produced these crystal barriers according to varying standards and wanted to give them to her in order. But when he found out that she was heading to the Tianling Dynasty, he was worried and directly gave that one. The thing he didn¡¯t even expect was that she very quickly¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up. Actually, this is also expected. After all, that was originally hers. However, it does make all these crystal barriers useless. Yan Qing stood at the side and quickly glanced at his master when he saw the latter whipping his sleeves. This caused all those crystal barriers to become dust in unison silently. A light breeze blew over, and all the dust instantly flew up! The dust then disappeared! Yan Qing hurriedly lowered his head. Back then, Master used a lot of effort to produce these crystal barriers. But now, they¡¯re all ruined¡­ Could it be that Ms. Liuyue¡ª ¡°Keep all of these,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Qing hurriedly went forward. Seeing the faint scars left on the chessboard, he vaguely felt his heart ache. Those were made using the best materials, and Master personally produced these top crystal barriers! If they were released, many people would be willing to empty their family fortune just to have one! Pity¡­ What a pity! I¡¯ve followed Master for so many years, and I¡¯ve rarely seen Master personally produce Yuan instruments. And among all of these, most of them were for Ms. Liuyue. His movements were clean and decisive as he quickly put away the chessboard and exited. When he reached the entrance, Yan Qing paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Your Highness, the Ming Division people¡­ Are you not willing to meet them?¡± Those people from the Ming Division have always been up to some tricks, and nobody knows why they¡¯re here this time. Even though there¡¯s 36 Respected Elder Ming to suppress them, they¡¯re still part of his clan, and he will always get implicated because of that. Rong Xiu smiled lazily, and his voice was relaxing. ¡°They requested to see 36 Respected Elder Ming.¡± After killing that division to warn the crowd, they all became very obedient. Even if they wanted to cause trouble, they had to judge their own abilities. Besides, with 36 Respected Elder Ming around, they couldn¡¯t cause any trouble. Yan Qing softly acknowledged those words. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll dismiss myself first.¡± Then, he respectfully exited. After closing the door, the room fell silent again. After a moment, Rong Xiu looked in front. ¡°Come out.¡± A gigantic white figure flashed across¡ªit was Xue Xue! Xue Xue walked to Rong Xiu and lay down in front of him as its pair of ice-blue eyes stared straight at the latter. It put on a rare obedient and pitiful appearance. Only the heavens knew that it had been holding it in like crazy! I miss her so much!!!!!! Rong Xiu glanced at it slightly. ¡°You seem to think that you can use this move on anyone?¡± Xue Xue¡¯s expression stiffened, and the paw that it prepared to whine with froze in midair. It didn¡¯t know how to continue. After being dazed for some time, Xue Xue angrily pulled its paw back indignantly as it furiously tilted its head to the side. An indignant whimper then exited from its throat. I want a warm and soft hug! Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold. ¡°Dream on.¡± Xue Xue was speechless. Rong Xiu continued, ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you that she¡¯s already found Little Nine.¡± Xue Xue suddenly looked up and widened its eyes! Chapter 753 - Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed Rong Xiu¡¯s exquisite face had a light expression, and his lips curled up into an extremely faint smile as if he was talking about a small, unrelated matter. But Xue Xue knew best what his expression meant: Whatever he said was true! ¡°Awoo!¡± Many conflicted feelings flashed across Xue Xue¡¯s eyes as it let out a low whimper. It first stood up as if it wanted to go out, but it came back and lay beside Rong Xiu¡¯s feet after taking two steps. Xue Xue was naturally happy¡ªit was very close to Little Nine after all. However, it suddenly felt a sense of loss. Xue Xue felt very envious when it thought about Little Nine being able to spend time with her every day when it went back. Rong Xiu glanced at the fiend from the corner of his eye. He saw that it was sorrowful and nonchalantly said, ¡°Also, it already broke through to become a legendary fiend.¡± Xue Xue looked up and lazily laid down. So what if it¡¯s a legendary fiend? Like I¡¯m not. Rong Xiu smiled and finally added the final lethal blow. ¡°Its standard is higher than yours.¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Xue Xue was instantly triggered and looked at Rong Xiu in disbelief. Seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s smiling and not talking expression, Xue Xue instantly understood that whatever he said was true! The fiend felt very hurt as it turned around and jumped out of the window. ¡°Roar!¡± Cultivate! I can¡¯t lose! Hearing the noise, the soldiers guarding outside all looked in that direction strangely. What¡¯s with His Highness¡¯s fiend? Xue Xue¡¯s figure flashed across and disappeared from the crowd¡¯s gazes. Yan Qing¡ªwho had just reached outside¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but look up when he saw this scene, and he sympathetically shook his head. Seeing its appearance, Master must¡¯ve triggered it quite a bit. ¡­ Mystic Forest. Chu Liuyue wore the pure gold armor, and all the surrounding violent turbulence was blocked outside. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen it in a long time, the familiar feeling still didn¡¯t change. Chu Liuyue was elated, but she still had no clue about the mystery between Rong Xiu and the crystal barrier. Finally, she clenched her teeth. When I meet him next time, I must ask him about it properly! The surrounding light started shaking like ripples. Chu Liuyue looked downward and vaguely saw that the light seemed to be exuding from something. However, the light was moving in circles, and she still couldn¡¯t see it clearly. But the closer she was to it, the greater the suppression. Tuan Zi¡¯s actions gradually slowed down¡ªit had clearly felt the restriction. Finally, the human and the fiend landed! Chu Liuyue jumped down from Tuan Zi¡¯s back. With the pure gold armor¡¯s protection, this force and suppression really wouldn¡¯t cause much of a threat to her. Hence, her actions were more agile. Tuan Zi had a few more wounds, but they were all superficial and had already started healing. Its body¡¯s bloodline strength was extremely high, so its recovery powers were naturally top-notch. Chu Liuyue relaxed a little and then glanced at her surroundings. This seemed to be a simple cave with solid walls. These walls stood on uneven, solid ground, not the black soil. In the middle was a stone that jutted out. The stone¡¯s shape was irregular, and it seemed to have been smoothed out at the top as it was tidy and shiny. There¡¯s a¡­ crystal on top? That crystal was the size of two adult men¡¯s palms, and it was pretty thick as it was presented in an irregular shape. Its entire body glowed with an intense and clear dark-green color, just like jade. As the light emitted from its surface went upward, the space at the bottom wasn¡¯t affected much. Chu Liuyue stared at the crystal closely and could vaguely see the scars of a few broken symbols on it. Could that be the broken seal Qin Yi previously mentioned? Chu Liuyue was still thinking when she saw the symbol floating lightly. The light on the crystal also shook¡ªas gently as a ripple. Chu Liuyue took a step forward, and she suddenly felt that her body¡¯s strength seemed to be jumping out! Her heart skipped a beat, and she realized that the crystal was absorbing the surrounding force. The terrifying suction force she previously felt came from the surface. She clenched her teeth and continued going forward. Tuan Zi wanted to stop her, but it thought for a moment and didn¡¯t speak in the end. It just followed her closely and passed something to her simultaneously. Chu Liuyue turned around and realized that it was the black shield she snatched from Shangguan Wan previously. No, I shouldn¡¯t say that. That¡¯s because this black shield is originally mine! Chu Liuyue received the black shield, and a sense of reminiscence flashed across her eyes. This black shield actually has quite a bit of history because I found this and the pure gold armor together back then. At the start, Chu Liuyue thought that this black shield and the armor were a pair, but she later discovered that it wasn¡¯t the case. The pure gold armor very quickly recognized her as its master, so she thus knew of its name. However, she had tried all sorts of methods to awaken this black shield, but it was to no avail. This is the reason why she still didn¡¯t know its name until now. But even if she didn¡¯t inject any force or have it recognize her as its master, the black shield still had extremely strong defensive power. Hence, Chu Liuyue always brought it along and would use it during dangerous combat. The people in this world only knew that the pure gold armor was a rare treasure and that Shangguan Yue had won countless battles with this armor. However, they didn¡¯t know that half the credit belonged to the black shield. Actually, Chu Liuyue always thought that the black shield might be more advanced than the pure gold armor. This was because she still couldn¡¯t activate the black shield even after she broke through and became a stage-eight warrior. Without any help, this item¡¯s power was still no weaker than the pure gold armor. If it really recognized a master¡­ I wonder how formidable it¡¯ll be! Shangguan Wan only thought that the black shield was useful and didn¡¯t think much of it. When the black shield was previously stolen, even though she was furious, it was because her item was snatched away, not because she lost something precious. If she really finds out how formidable this black shield is next time¡­ Her liver might even become green! Chu Liuyue put the black shield in front of her and went forward. With this layer of protection, the terrifying suction force was indeed blocked outside. Chu Liuyue gradually got nearer, finally stopping around five steps away from the crystal as she looked forward. From here, she could basically already see that crystal¡¯s appearance. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused. In the center of the crystal was something the size of a nail or a clip. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows in uncertainty. It seems like¡­ a seed? ¡°It¡¯s actually a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed?¡± A voice filled with shock was heard. ¡°Ancestor, you recognize this? What¡¯s a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around. I¡¯ve never heard of it before. Shangguan Jing stared at the crystal with a deadly gaze, and his face was filled with disbelief. After some time, he then said, ¡°I do recognize it. I saw it once many years ago, but¡­¡± But at that time, I saw it in a strong legend¡¯s hand! Chapter 754 - Unfilial Descendant, Shangguan Yue! Logically speaking, this item should never appear here! This is because this space¡¯s strength could never contain the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s suppression. Shangguan Jing had personally seen the legend use a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed to destroy an entire empire easily. That¡¯s right! An empire¡ªjust like the Tianling Dynasty! It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how terrifying this item was! It was the first time Chu Liuyue saw such an expression on her ancestor¡¯s face. Actually, its name already revealed something. Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡ªwhat kind of item could be daring enough to have such an unreasonable name? Chu Liuyue had read many books and even obscure ones, but she had never heard or seen this name before! Seeing Ancestor¡¯s appearance¡­ I¡¯m afraid it must be formidable! ¡°I can¡¯t explain in a sentence or two, but you must know that this item is extremely strong and also dangerous.¡± Shangguan Jing looked at Chu Liuyue solemnly. ¡°You can¡¯t stay here. You need to leave as soon as possible!¡± Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows and looked up. How¡­ do I go out? The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor then realized that Chu Liuyue was originally dragged down by this item. It would be as hard as ascending the skies if they wanted to go back. He sighed deeply and tightly knitted his sharp brows. This item still seems pretty calm, but it¡¯s probably because it¡¯s trapped by the crystal outside. Who knows when it will come out? At that time, even I can¡¯t save Chu Liuyue! Seeing her ancestor¡¯s worried expression, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t very anxious as she said, ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t be too worried first. Perhaps we can find a way to leave soon.¡± Shangguan Jing sighed deeply. This girl still doesn¡¯t know how formidable the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s strength is! If it were an ordinary situation, why would I be so worried? I wonder who set up the seal on it. Now that the seal is broken, I¡¯m afraid¡ª Chu Liuyue retreated a few steps and sat down cross-legged on the smooth floor at the side as she placed the black shield in front of her properly. The ancestor looked at her in confusion. ¡°Liuyue, what are you doing?¡± Chu Liuyue placed her hands on her knees and smiled when she heard this. ¡°Let alone thinking about something that I can¡¯t solve, why don¡¯t I use this time to cultivate first? Don¡¯t just think that this place is very dangerous. It also has very intense Heaven and Earth Force!¡± Cultivating here would be much faster than in the outside world! The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was shocked with his eyes wide open and mouth agape. W-w-what kind of time is this? How can this girl still think of such things?! In such a short time, how much can she strengthen by forcing herself to cultivate? I really don¡¯t know if I should say that she¡¯s fearless or if she has gone crazy from cultivating. Seeing Chu Liuyue gradually closing her eyes as if she really decided to start cultivating here, Shangguan Jing slapped his forehead. I clearly don¡¯t have a physical body, but why do I feel my head hurting? I really can¡¯t do anything about this child! He turned around to look at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed before resigning himself to his fate and going to Chu Liuyue. If something really happens, the girl will still be safer with me blocking in front. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and saw the translucent figure in front of her. Tears welled up in her eyes, and warm liquid flowed to her heart. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor,¡± said Chu Liuyue seriously. The ancestor turned around and looked at her with a deep gaze. This gaze confused Chu Liuyue, and she unwittingly stopped her movements as she tried to inquire. ¡°¡­Ancestor?¡± Shangguan Jing laughed bitterly as he shook his head and sighed, but his gaze was still extremely warm. ¡°Isn¡¯t it right for me to protect my descendants?¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned, and her entire mind turned blank! Ancestor¡­ knows?! When did he find out? I have never said¡ª Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression, the last tinge of doubt in Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart completely disappeared! I knew it! Chu Liuyue is indeed of my bloodline! Ripples seemed to appear in his eyes as they were overwhelmed with all sorts of complicated feelings. He had too many things to ask her, but he couldn¡¯t say anything when his words reached his mouth. After a while, Chu Liuyue reacted and mumbled, ¡°¡­Ancestor, what do you mean¡ª¡± ¡°Lingxiao Palm.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue refused to admit it, the ancestor smiled and shook his head. ¡°People who aren¡¯t part of the Tianling Dynasty royal family can¡¯t learn the Lingxiao Palm, but you executed the third stage, right?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly realized what happened. I see! I just thought that Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t execute the Lingxiao Palm¡¯s third stage back then, so I purposely did it. However, I forgot that Ancestor was the one who created it! Even if I just drew an outline and didn¡¯t execute it completely, Ancestor has amazing eyesight. From then on, Ancestor should¡¯ve already guessed something, right?! Suddenly being exposed, Chu Liuyue felt her face burn. Thinking of the various ways she hid and lied to her ancestor, she felt that she didn¡¯t know how to face him. Shangguan Jing just silently looked at her with a kind gaze. After a while, Chu Liuyue stood up, staring at her ancestor deeply as tears welled up in her eyes. Then, she flicked her clothes and directly kneeled down to greet him. ¡°Unfilial descendant, Shangguan Yue, greets the ancestor!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue was trapped, and the crowd outside almost went crazy. Lei Laosi, Mu Hongyu, and the rest searched seriously and repeatedly confirmed every single face, afraid that they would miss something. But after they checked all those who were chased out, they still couldn¡¯t find Chu Liuyue¡¯s traces. Lei Laosi was almost hopeless as he stared at the quickly wilting mother tree dazedly. Could it be that Her Highness really¡ª ¡°Four, come back,¡± said Qin Yi suddenly. Lei Laosi turned around in a trance. Qin Yi silently shook his head. Since we¡¯ve checked everywhere and can¡¯t find her, it means that she¡¯s definitely trapped underneath. ¡°Big Brother¡ª¡± Lei Laosi refused to move. We didn¡¯t protect Her Highness properly in the past, but I didn¡¯t expect the same thing to happen again this time! I hate myself for not being to suffer in Her Highness¡¯s place! If I could use my life to exchange for Her Highness¡¯s, I¡¯d definitely do it without hesitation! Qin Yi knew that once Lei Laosi became stubborn, nobody could make him budge. Hence, he decisively stopped convincing the latter and looked at Qiang Wanzhou at the side. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. I can confirm that she¡¯s indeed alive, but I can¡¯t find her location in such a short amount of time! There seems to be an extremely strong force that shuts everything out from underneath the Mystic Forest. Qin Yi felt slightly at ease. His instincts also told him that Her Highness was okay, but it might not be the case if this carried on. We definitely must save her, but¡­ It¡¯s really troublesome with these people here. He looked toward Shangguan Wan. At this moment, Shangguan Wan was standing rooted to the spot and was in a trance as shock filled her eyes. What¡­ just happened? The pure gold armor turned into powder and completely disappeared?! It was still in perfect condition just now! How did this happen? Quite a few people in the surroundings saw this scene, and they fell silent in unison, all having strange expressions. In the humiliating silence, a voice that seemed to be suppressed with an interrogative tone was clearly heard. ¡°Third Princess, did you ruin Princess¡¯s pure gold armor?¡± Chapter 755 - Explanation This sentence was cold and hard like a sharp prick that directly broke the dead silence. Shangguan Wan looked in the direction of the voice and furrowed her sharp brows. The one speaking was a Black Guard wearing armor. His face and body had bloodstains as he closely stared at her with a gaze as cold and sinister as a knife. He was overwhelmed with anger. Shangguan Wan¡¯s face instantly turned cold. ¡°Who are you? How dare you question me?¡± Who gave a mere Black Guard the guts to dare talk to me in such a manner and tone?! Even the officers in the imperial court don¡¯t dare to talk to me like that! That soldier braved himself and continued, ¡°I am the Black Guard¡¯s military officer¡ªTian Zhuangzhuang! I¡¯m not questioning you, Your Highness. I¡¯m just asking! The pure gold armor was the Princess¡¯s defensive armor when she was alive, and it never broke after so many battles! Now that you¡¯re using it, it was directly damaged even though you didn¡¯t go to battle at all! Third Princess, don¡¯t you plan on explaining it?¡± Shangguan Wan was so angry that she laughed. Princess? Shangguan Yue is more dead than she could ever be. Now, the entire Tianling Dynasty is under my control! I could even kill a Shangguan Yue, so what¡¯s the big deal of using her armor? Let alone a small Black Guard military officer, nobody in the entire Tianling Dynasty has the right to question me like this! ¡°It¡¯s just a set of armor. Why should I give you an explanation?¡± She stared at Tian Zhuangzhuang deeply and lightly said to Mu Qinghe, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, this is the soldier you brought up? Isn¡¯t he too rude?¡± I don¡¯t even need to use my own hands personally to deal with such an ignorant person. With just one sentence, Mu Qinghe has to teach him a lesson! However, the scene she expected didn¡¯t happen. Mu Qinghe was expressionless, but his chin was tense as if it were covered with a layer of frost. ¡°This is indeed what the Princess had greatly treasured when she was alive. Third Princess, you might not know, but¡­ This pure gold armor has a special meaning to the Black Guard. Now that it¡¯s broken, we still hope that you can give everyone an explanation, even though we know that you didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± ¡°Mu Qinghe?! What do you mean!¡± Shangguan Wan was shocked. Is he asking me to give an explanation or an apology? Just for the pure gold armor? Mu Qinghe met her gaze directly, and his eyes were filled with persistence and determination. He clearly wasn¡¯t planning on letting this go! Shangguan Wan was so angry that her body trembled. The pure gold armor suddenly broke, and even I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on! I don¡¯t even have time to feel pity for myself, yet I have to give all these people an explanation? What a joke! She angrily looked at Jiang Yucheng. Mu Qinghe is his person! However, Jiang Yucheng seemed to be dazed as he was thinking of something. Shangguan Wan called him twice before he recovered his senses, but there was still a sense of loss, dazedness, and worry in his eyes. Shangguan Wan rarely saw him in such a manner and felt vaguely uneasy. However, the most important thing now is the pure gold armor! After Jiang Yucheng reacted, he knitted his brows and glanced at Shangguan Wan. The pure gold armor is a very formidable treasure. It has always been fine, but why did it suddenly break when Shangguan Wan wore it? Shangguan Wan became furious because of his gaze. But considering that there were quite a few people watching them, she could only suppress her anger. Jiang Yucheng also considered this point and didn¡¯t say anything openly as he said to Mu Qinghe, ¡°The Third Princess had just experienced life and death, and she hasn¡¯t calmed down yet. Even though the pure gold armor is important, it¡¯s not more important than her. You are Black Guards, so you know very clearly what your most important mission is! Don¡¯t forget your identity!¡± This sentence was definitely quite heavy. If it were in the past, Mu Qinghe definitely wouldn¡¯t continue saying anything. But this time was different. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression changed, and he calmly said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, it¡¯s precisely because we¡¯re all Black Guards that we¡¯re very persistent on this issue. Even if I don¡¯t ask, they will do it until they get a reasonable explanation.¡± Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows and looked at the surrounding Black Guards. As expected, those soldiers had already surrounded them and looked over. They all looked very stubborn, and it was exactly the same as Tian Zhuangzhuang, who had first questioned Shangguan Wan. It was as if they wouldn¡¯t leave if Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t explain! The situation was tense. Dead silence. At this point, Shangguan Wan finally realized that something was amiss as panic flashed across her eyes. ¡°What are you planning to do?! Do you want to rebel?!¡± Mu Qinghe said, ¡°Third Princess, you¡¯re being too serious. They just want an explanation from you.¡± Explanation? What explanation?! Shangguan Wan had never felt so aggrieved ever since she took power. Previously, these people clearly listened to my every word, yet they actually turned on me just because I damaged a pure gold armor! How dare they! Qin Yi saw this scene from afar, and his lips curled up into a cold smile. Shangguan Wan¡ªwho has always been living preciously in Xi Ling City¡ªdoesn¡¯t understand that military power is always independent of imperial power. When Her Highness was fighting with her life, how many Black Guards did she save? Military power belonged to Mu Qinghe on the surface, but in actual fact, it was Her Highness¡¯s! It¡¯s fine if they don¡¯t bring it up usually, but Shangguan Wan has now ruined the pure gold armor, which unquestionably stepped on many people¡¯s bottom lines! They naturally won¡¯t let her off easily! Shangguan Wan clenched her fists tightly and almost crushed her silver tooth! Shangguan Yue is dead, yet I still have to be restricted by her! She angrily said, ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid piece of metal. If it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone! What¡¯s there to explain?!¡± Once she said this, murderous intent rose from the surroundings. ¡°Third Princess, please watch your words!¡± Chapter 756 - Injury and Death Chapter 756: Injury and Death Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This sentence came from Mu Qinghe¡¯s mouth. Shangguan Wan dazedly stared at him. Does Mu Qinghe know who he is talking to? But the next moment, she felt that the surrounding atmosphere had somehow become different. She surveyed her surroundings and saw that those Black Guards were currently looking at her with furious gazes. All these people were soldiers that had experienced life and death on the battlefield, and they had intense murderous auras. It was normally fine when they hid it, but once it exploded, it was shockingly terrifying. Shangguan Wan¡ªwho was tough¡ªalso felt a tinge of fear. She even had a vague feeling. If I really anger these people completely, I might not even be able to leave the Mystic Forest. All these people were looking at her like they were looking at an ignorant person who was digging her own grave and not like the high and mighty, distinguished Third Princess.. Elder Qiuxi sensed something amiss and immediately went forward to angrily say, ¡°Lieutenant Mu! Are you threatening the Third Princess?!¡± Mu Qinghe glanced at him coldly, and his eyes were filled with unconcealable, murderous intent. Elder Qiuxi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt horror as his old skin trembled. He then unwittingly took a step back. Mu Qinghe was a powerful leader in the Tianling Dynasty, and he was a famous God of Death! He acted swiftly and decisively, and his methods were harsh. All these years, countless people had died in his hands. During this one-year-plus period, he had always been very low-key¡ªto the extent that Elder Qiuxi almost forgot how terrifying he was. It was only at this moment when he met Mu Qinghe¡¯s cold and harsh gaze that he suddenly remembered that he couldn¡¯t afford to offend this person! Other than Mu Qinghe being extremely strong, he had also accepted many loyal Black Guards. As the royal family¡¯s elder, his title sounded nice. But seriously speaking, how could he be Mu Qinghe¡¯s match? Thinking of this, Elder Qiuxi lost his courage. Shangguan Wan was frustrated, and her body trembled slightly as she glanced at Elder Qiuxi. Useless thing! Jiang Yucheng originally wanted to put in a word for Shangguan Wan, but seeing this situation, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be good if the latter didn¡¯t lower herself. ¡°Wan¡¯er.¡± His voice became stern. Shangguan Wan bit her lips, and her feelings overwhelmed her before she finally clenched her teeth and said, ¡°That pure gold armor had always been fine, but I have no idea why it suddenly broke. Many people were around just now, and quite a few of them can prove that I didn¡¯t do anything. The pure gold armor suddenly broke by itself.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. That is what I saw.¡± Following this, some people made similar reactions. However, the crowd of Black Guards was obviously dissatisfied with this explanation. What kind of explanation is this? From among the crowd, low voices could be heard in discussion. ¡°Princess had worn the pure gold armor so many times, but nothing happened. The Third Princess only once, but it directly broke?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even though Princess is no longer around, it¡¯s still something she left behind. Yet, the Third Princess just used it. It¡¯s really¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if she used it properly, but the pure gold armor is completely damaged now and didn¡¯t leave behind a single trace. The Third Princess is actually not guilty at all, and she¡¯s acting so righteously!¡± ¡­ Even though the crowd lowered their voices, the people nearby could still hear them¡ªespecially Shangguan Wan, who heard it crystal clear. This way, aren¡¯t they scolding me to my face?! These Black Guards are outrageous! Shangguan Wan took a deep breath in and suppressed the anger in her heart with much difficulty. She could already tell that the Black Guards respected Shangguan Yue a lot and that she couldn¡¯t do anything about them at this moment. The pure gold armor was already damaged, and she couldn¡¯t lose anything more. If I really offend these people¡­ Who knows what they will do? Her tone finally softened. ¡°Of course, I know that the pure gold armor is something that Big Sister deeply treasured. It¡¯s also because of this that I took it out and used it. If Big Sister were still around, she wouldn¡¯t want to see the pure gold armor being set aside, right? I selfishly thought that it would be best if this item could serve its purpose, but I didn¡¯t expect this to happen¡­¡± ¡°I almost died a few times earlier on, so I¡¯m a bit agitated¡­ I didn¡¯t mean what I said previously, and I already blame myself a lot for damaging Big Sister¡¯s items,¡± said Shangguan Wan, even choking on her words. Not talking about others, but her acting skills weren¡¯t bad. If not, she wouldn¡¯t be able to reach her current position. Tian Zhuangzhuang turned around, and frustration flashed across his eyes. Only the brainless ones will believe Shangguan Wan¡¯s explanation! If she weren¡¯t forced to this extent, she would probably be as arrogant as before! Similar to Tian Zhuangzhuang, most of the Black Guards didn¡¯t care for Shangguan Wan¡¯s words. Jiang Yucheng eased everyone out of the situation. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just end this matter here. Right now, it¡¯s most important for us to leave the Mystic Forest!¡± Half of the leaves on that mother tree had already wilted and dropped down! Without much longer, it would completely wilt! The previous rolling leaf firs had turned the entire Mystic Forest upside down. Who knows what would happen if the mother tree got into trouble? Mu Qinghe glanced at the mother tree and lightly nodded. ¡°Black Guards, listen to orders! Gather!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With Mu Qinghe¡¯s command, the crowd immediately answered. All the soldiers ran over respectively, and they all gathered tidily and orderly in no time. For those that were severely injured, some people were looking after them at the side. They had seen even worse scenarios than this when they battled. They could naturally handle such situations. Mu Qinghe surveyed the surroundings. ¡°All military officers, report your remaining numbers!¡± Tian Zhuangzhuang straightened his back. ¡°Reporting¡­ Black Guard first team, 63 of us remain!¡± There were a total of ten teams when they came, and each of them were led by a military officer and had 100 soldiers. It was pretty severe for only 63 people to survive out of a hundred. The other military officers also reported their own team¡¯s strength consecutively. Amongst them, four of the military officers had died. Every sentence Mu Qinghe heard made his expression colder by a shade. Even though he had already guessed this number earlier, he was still affected when he genuinely received confirmation. Every sentence they uttered would cause the surrounding atmosphere to be more tense. When the last person finished speaking, the entire forest fell silent. Before coming, the Black Guards had 1,000 people. Now, they were left with 617. Among them, close to 400 were saved by Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of people. Without them, the consequences would be unimaginable. They just made a trip to Mystic Forest, and almost half of them died. The other clans weren¡¯t in a better situation as basically one-third of them died. At this point, Shangguan Wan said, ¡°We can¡¯t stay here any longer. Let¡¯s go to Mirror Lake!¡± Chapter 757 - Search Once this was said, it immediately attracted all sorts of gazes. Even Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows and glanced at her in extreme disapproval. ¡°Wan¡¯er, everyone is severely injured now, so it¡¯s most important to leave as soon as possible. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate if we go to Mirror Lake now.¡± Shangguan Wan pressed her lips against each other and knitted her brows. ¡°But I haven¡¯t found a single herb for Father.¡± If I just go back to Xi Ling empty-handed, the whole world is going to laugh and mock me. Besides, my Yuan meridian hasn¡¯t completely healed yet! When we go back to Xi Ling, it won¡¯t be as convenient to take action as compared to here. There¡¯s only one step left. I won¡¯t be satisfied if I just gave up now! ¡°Besides, even though there¡¯s trouble in the Mystic Forest, the Mirror Lake might be okay. Dahuang Swamp is vast and wide. If we only make a trip to the Mystic Forest and leave without finding anything¡­ Then, what¡¯s the meaning of this journey?¡± Jiang Yucheng was silent for a moment. Even though he knew that whatever Shangguan Wan was saying now was for herself, her words made sense. We made so much noise about coming here back then, and everyone in Xi Ling knew about it. If we go back now, it would indeed be hard to explain. After thinking for a while, he could only agree. ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll go to Mirror Lake next. But if we meet with similar dangers again, we must leave Dahuang Swamp without hesitation!¡± Shangguan Wan naturally agreed. The two people with the highest authority had already made up their minds, so even if the remaining people didn¡¯t want to do so, they had to follow. Quite a few Black Guards exchanged glances and could see the reluctance in each other¡¯s eyes. They were Tianling Dynasty soldiers and were different from those who were always stationed in Xi Ling. Most of those who came to Dahuang Swamp had once battled here and experienced countless life and death scenarios. They long knew how dangerous this place was and had already prepared themselves. None of them were afraid of dying, but now¡­ They felt a little strange. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t even care about them and even damaged the Princess¡¯s pure gold armor. In their eyes, this was something they couldn¡¯t forgive. Hence, the atmosphere around the Black Guards was completely different compared to at the start. They couldn¡¯t be convinced by Shangguan Wan! At this point, the Mystic Forest¡¯s exterior had already stopped collapsing. Even though the ground was uneven, everyone could still leave smoothly. Behind the crowd. Mu Hongyu and the rest didn¡¯t move as they stood beside Qin Yi with worried gazes. ¡°Big Brother Qin, can you find out where Liuyue is now?¡± Qin Yi kept quiet for a moment and lightly shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s a force below that shuts everything outside, so I can¡¯t detect her location. However, I can confirm that the force is coming from the mother tree, so¡­ It definitely has something to do with the Mystic Forest¡¯s current state.¡± Ye Ranran clasped her hands and worriedly asked, ¡°T-then will Liuyue be under that mother tree? If we go down, can we find her?¡± Qin Yi sighed lightly. If only things were that simple. Actually, I can basically confirm that Her Highness is indeed below that mother tree. The ferocious force spreading everywhere should¡¯ve erupted after the seal broke. Since Qiang Wanzhou can confirm that Chu Liuyue is still alive, there¡¯s an 80% chance that she¡¯s there. However, Lei Laosi and I have been here for close to two years, yet we still don¡¯t know what is below. Judging from the current situation, we can¡¯t barge in. Thus, it¡¯s even more impossible for us to know the situation. ¡°Liuyue¡­ is still alive?¡± A shocked and surprised voice sounded. The few of them turned around. ¡°Senior Brother Zhu Hong?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s gaze quickly swept across Zhu Hong. His injuries had basically healed, and the people behind him were Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s disciples. ¡°You didn¡¯t leave with them?¡± Mu Hongyu asked curiously. Zhu Hong shook his head. ¡°Liuyue saved our lives, so how can we just leave like this?¡± Previously, he also thought that Chu Liuyue was already dead and was upset over this for quite some time. Seeing that Mu Hongyu and the rest were still standing here, he was curious and walked over. Then, he coincidentally heard them discussing how to find Chu Liuyue. Not mentioning the others, Qin Yi and Lei Laosi were extremely strong. If they said that Chu Liuyue was still alive, then it shouldn¡¯t be wrong. He originally didn¡¯t want to believe that Chu Liuyue was already dead. Now that he heard there was hope, he naturally wanted to find her whereabouts. Zhu Hong then looked at Qin Yi and solemnly bowed. He could tell that the latter was the strongest amongst these people and that he was like their backbone. The most important point was that Qin Yi was willing to help find Chu Liuyue! ¡°Young Master Qin, we know that we¡¯re a little weak and that we¡¯re even injured, so we might not be able to help much¡­ But Liuyue is our benefactor. We must repay her favor! If you have any requests, just say it!¡± We¡¯ll be happy even if we can help just a little! Qin Yi glanced at the other with a warm gaze, but he still shook his head. ¡°I understand your kind intentions, but this place is indeed dangerous. You shouldn¡¯t stay here.¡± Zhu Hong and the rest looked disappointed. ¡°The force hidden below is extremely terrifying. If it explodes, even Four or I might not be able to protect all of you. If something really happens, won¡¯t you waste all her efforts in saving all of you?¡± Qin Yi sounded calm, but every single word he said was like a rock that smashed against the crowd¡¯s hearts. Zhu Hong laughed bitterly. He knew that Qin Yi was being very tactful with his words. All of them had injuries to varying extents. They weren¡¯t afraid that they couldn¡¯t help¡ªthey were afraid that they would become their burdens and that it would backfire. After thinking for a moment, Zhu Hong sighed deeply. ¡°Young Master Qin, you¡¯re right. Then¡­ I have to trouble you to find Liuyue!¡± Qin Yi lightly nodded. These few people from Dragon Teeth Mountain have decent characters, and they¡¯re quite mature. It¡¯s obvious that Jian Shuye has taught them well. On the other hand, when Song Qingnian heard that this place was dangerous, he hurriedly left with Shangguan Wan and the rest. Zhu Hong looked at Mu Hongyu. He initially wanted to convince the latter to leave with them, but thinking that she and Chu Liuyue were bosom friends and that she definitely wouldn¡¯t want to leave, he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Hongyu, you have to be careful.¡± Mu Hongyu isn¡¯t injured, and she has a Faint Yuan Body. She might really be able to help Qin Yi. Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, please take care.¡± Very quickly, Zhu Hong and the rest also left with the main team. Only Qin Yi and the rest were left behind. The mother tree was still quickly wilting! ¡­ After walking a distance, Shangguan Wan turned around to take a look and vaguely saw a few people standing at their original spots and not moving. She squinted her eyes. Qin Yi and Lei Laosi aren¡¯t our people, so it¡¯s normal that they didn¡¯t leave with us. But the other few¡­ Why are they still waiting there? Jiang Yucheng followed her gaze and slightly knitted his brows. ¡°Why did the few of them stay behind?¡± Shangguan Wan chuckled in her heart. Could it be that they¡¯re still waiting for Chu Liuyue to revive? Chapter 758 - Dancing Lotus Chapter 758: Dancing Lotus Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°They probably refuse to believe the truth and want to continue to find Chu Liuyue¡¯s whereabouts.¡± Shangguan Wan spoke nonchalantly, but her eyes were filled with contempt and mockery. Jiang Yucheng saw her gaze and instantly felt frustrated and disgusted. His gaze became much colder, and he looked at Mu Qinghe. ¡°They came with us after all. How can we leave them behind on their own? Go call them back.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s brows moved, and he felt strange. Jiang Yucheng doesn¡¯t seem to be on good terms with Chong Xu Cabinet. Why is he concerned about their disciples¡¯ life and death at this juncture? It really doesn¡¯t suit his usual working style. Due to the overwhelming shock, Mu Qinghe paused for a moment and nodded. ¡°I will¡ª¡± ¡°Why do you care about them?¡± asked Shangguan Wan suddenly, interrupting Mu Qinghe.. As if she realized her words were quite inappropriate, her expression changed as she coughed. She then added, ¡°Oh, I mean that they¡¯re focused on finding Chu Liuyue, so whoever goes over to advise them will do it in vain. They might even be blamed. Even though they came together with us, they decided to do this on their own. Others can¡¯t intervene, right?¡± She looked at Jiang Yucheng with deep meaning in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Yucheng, I know you¡¯re being kind, but your kindness might ruin things sometimes. Anyway, with Qin Yi¡¯s group of two there, they won¡¯t be in much trouble. Perhaps they might want to be with Qin Yi and Lei Laosi even more.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s very dangerous for the few of them to be alone in this Dahuang Swamp.¡± Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows. ¡°Why don¡¯t we send a batch of Black Guards to accompany¡ª¡± ¡°Accompany what?¡± Shangguan Wan interrupted him as if jokingly. ¡°Yucheng, don¡¯t tell me you want to find Chu Liuyue too? We understand you and know that you¡¯re doing this for their own good, but to ignorant people, they might not say it this way¡­ You don¡¯t want to be misunderstood by others, right?¡± The fire in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s chest burned, and he finally suppressed it with much difficulty. ¡°¡­I know. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll just let them be.¡± Shangguan Wan then stopped and looked down, but her heart wasn¡¯t this peaceful. Previously, she purposely brought Chu Liuyue up to test him. She clearly saw that there was a moment of panic in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze. Why is he panicking? Shangguan Wan went forward step by step, but her body was tense as her hands were tightly clenched together. The cloth covered her face, and with the scars, others couldn¡¯t easily see her expression. However, her surrounding aura was extremely cold. I had already suspected that Jiang Yucheng acted differently toward Chu Liuyue, and it¡¯s indeed so! If it were someone else, he definitely wouldn¡¯t say a word more. Could it be because she looked similar to that person? Shangguan Wan was unconvinced and indignant! Even though we caused Shangguan Yue to die back then, I know that Jiang Yucheng did indeed like Shangguan Yue many years before. But for some reason, his attitude toward Shangguan Yue changed overnight. Even now, I still don¡¯t know why this was so. I also never asked. Jiang Yucheng does like me, but this type of like is different from the feelings he had for Shangguan Yue. I know that many things would be different once I ask. I¡¯m not stupid. Besides, Shangguan Yue is dead after all. What¡¯s there to fight with a dead person? But this time, Jiang Yucheng to Chu Liuyue¡­ That familiar sense of uneasiness has come again. Shangguan Wan glanced at Jiang Yucheng. He was in deep thought, but the former didn¡¯t know what he was thinking of. This is the nth time he¡¯s like this the entire way! Those who could cause him to be like this are Shangguan Yue from back then and the current Chu Liuyue! Shangguan Wan originally wanted to throw a tantrum, but she still endured it. Anyway, these two people are dead! Shangguan Wan secretly comforted herself like this for a long time and was finally appeased. However, Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t care about this. Perhaps he noticed, but he was too lazy to bother. The two of them continued forward, but they each had their own thoughts and didn¡¯t speak. ¡­ A few hours later, the crowd finally walked out of the Mystic Forest and arrived at the edge connecting it and the Mirror Lake. ¡°Mirror Lake is in front,¡± said Mu Qinghe in a low voice. Shangguan Wan perked up and looked forward. At this point, the sun was setting in the west, and large clouds floated by the horizon that connected the waters and the sky. The sunlight that shot out from the clouds tainted half the sky with a sparkling golden color. Below this, the Mirror Lake had no ends or boundaries as it reflected the scenery of the sky. One look across, and it was as if a gigantic mirror was placed on the ground. The crowd gradually fell silent. This scene was indeed a mortal paradise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mirror Lake to have such mesmerizing scenery¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it charms me at one glance! It¡¯s really the most beautiful place I have seen in my whole life!¡± ¡°It looks calm and peaceful. It doesn¡¯t seem as terrifying as what the rumors say¡­¡± Quite a few disciples walked over and indulged in the scenery as they praised it respectively. This place is so much better than the hell-like Mystic Forest. But when these people were immersed in the mesmerizing view of Mirror Lake, quite a few Black Guards were tense. They seemed to be very nervous. Even Mu Qinghe wasn¡¯t an exception. ¡°Your Highness, Young Master, Mirror Lake looks peaceful, but it¡¯s not any less dangerous than the Mystic Forest. We should be careful.¡± He originally wanted to say that Mirror Lake was more dangerous than the Mystic Forest, but considering the incidents that happened in the Mystic Forest earlier, he still put both of them on the same level. ¡°Out of the three places in Dahuang Swamp, this place has the highest death rate.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s neutral sentence immediately silenced the crowd. Quite a few disciples¡ªwho were originally looking forward to Mirror Lake¡ªwere stunned when they heard this, and they looked at each other dazedly. Shangguan Wan was also quite shocked. ¡°Really? But this Mirror Lake doesn¡¯t seem to be anything¡­ Wait, what¡¯s that?¡± The crowd followed her gaze. They saw a flower in the middle of Mirror Lake as it gradually rose up from the waters. It was a palm-sized flower that had five whitish-pink petals in total. As the sun shone down, it looked translucent. It seemed beautiful as it swayed around with the wind in a lively manner. Elder Qiuxi suddenly widened his eyes in shock. ¡°I-isn¡¯t that the Dancing Lotus?¡± Shangguan Wan was surprised and shocked. ¡°Elder Qiuxi, can you confirm that it¡¯s the Dancing Lotus?¡± The top-grade herb rumored to be able to revive a person¡ªDancing Lotus! Chapter 759 - It’s been Hard on You ¡°I¡¯ve only read about it in ancient books¡­ But looking at its structure, I think it most likely is!¡± Elder Qiuxi was also very agitated and excited as his face flushed red. Even the entire Tianling Dynasty might not have such a precious treasure! ¡°Rumors have it that the Dancing Lotus germinates in 100 years, grows branches in another 100 years, and blooms in 300 years! However, it only blooms for a short five years¡­ If nobody plucks it during those five years, the Dancing Lotus will wilt and bear fruit again, entering the 500-year cycle once again¡­ Now, this Dancing Lotus is currently in its flowering period!¡± Elder Qiuxi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Your Highness, we really came to the right place! As long as we have this Dancing Lotus, His Highness¡¯s body will definitely take a turn for the better!¡± Even though the herbs they planned to find earlier could also be considered precious, they were still a few grades apart compared to this Dancing Lotus. Shangguan Wan was also very happy. She came to Dahuang Swamp this time in the name of finding herbs for her father. The only legendary fiend had already died along with Chu Liuyue, and it would probably be hard to meet another one. But with this Dancing Lotus, they didn¡¯t need to find the other herbs! If they managed to bring it back, it would be perfect! ¡°Third Princess¡¯s filial piety must¡¯ve touched the heavens, and that¡¯s why we could chance upon this Dancing Lotus!¡± Elder Qiuxi kept exclaiming and didn¡¯t forget to bootlick. As expected, Shangguan Wan indeed felt much better. ¡°It¡¯s not like this. It¡¯s clearly because father is heaven¡¯s son, and he¡¯s very blessed. He¡¯s fated enough, so we could meet this Dancing Lotus¡­¡± With this Dancing Lotus, the wounds on my face and body might even fully recover if I just take a small portion of it! Thinking of this, Shangguan Wan desired it even more and was going to step forward. But the moment she took a step in front, she recalled what Mu Qinghe said earlier. This Mirror Lake¡­ seems to be extraordinarily dangerous? She looked at Mu Qinghe. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, you know Mirror Lake the best. I wonder¡­ Do you have a way to obtain that Dancing Lotus?¡± ¡­ After Shangguan Wan and the rest brought the main team away, Mu Hongyu and the others were left at the same spot. Confirming that nobody else was around, Lei Laosi finally said, ¡°Big Brother, do you have a way of finding her?¡± His expression was nervous and worried, and a tinge of fear could be seen in his eyes. He was really worried that something would happen to Her Highness. Even with the red-tailed phoenix, she¡¯s just a stage-five warrior. If she meets with great danger¡­ After all, the strength vaguely exuded by that mother tree even shocks me! Qin Yi knitted his brows, looked at the mother tree, and slightly squinted his narrow eyes. ¡°She should be right below, but¡­ None of us should be able to enter now.¡± Once he said this, the few of them faintly looked disappointed. ¡°Even you cant, Young Master Qin?¡± asked Ye Ranran softly with tears welled up in her eyes. Qin Yi is the strongest amongst us. If he also says that he can¡¯t do it, then¡­ Qin Yi sighed lightly and glanced at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Do you know how she¡¯s doing now?¡± Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other tightly and shook his head. He was more sensitive than average people, and he could usually confirm Chu Liuyue¡¯s position more accurately and quickly and know about her condition because she personally refined the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. However, he couldn¡¯t find out anything more. Besides, like what Qin Yi said, there was indeed a force below that shut everything out. Hence, they couldn¡¯t detect any commotion at all. At this point, basically only a quarter of the leaves on the mother tree were left. Qin Yi glanced at it and suddenly whipped his sleeves, setting up a barrier! The green barrier immediately covered Mu Hongyu and the rest. This one obviously had a much stronger aura than the previous barrier he set up. Mu Hongyu and the rest exchanged stunned glances. Qin Yi¡¯s cultivation level seems to be even higher than we had expected! He actually hid his true abilities previously! ¡°Four, watch over them here. I¡¯ll come back soon.¡± Lei Laosi immediately said, ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Qin Yi shook his head. Nobody knows what will happen next, so it¡¯s better to be careful. All these people are friends that Her Highness thinks highly of, so we naturally have to protect them well. Lei Laosi could only stay in his spot. Qin Yi walked forward. The wilted leaves dropped down respectively and landed on his head and body. He raised his hand and held a leaf in his hands, carefully looking at it. The originally lush leaf quickly turned yellow and wilted in a few moments. The life and strength within it seemed to be sucked away by something. Qin Yi knitted his brows and looked forward. A branch suddenly cracked and fell down. Without a doubt, that branch had also completely wilted! Qin Yi scanned his surroundings and was about to take a step forward when he suddenly discovered that a dark-green light seemed to have flashed across where the branch broke. He then took two steps forward and looked up to glance. As expected, at the cut point of the break, a layer of dark-green light was flashing faintly. His heart tingled, and he waved his hands to cut down a branch! The branch dropped at the same position, and the same scene happened. Kacha! At this point, a cracking sound could be heard from the front. Qin Yi immediately looked up and saw a hole suddenly cracking open in the very thick trunk. The crack was the size of a finger, and it was about an inch long. It wasn¡¯t worth a mention compared to the entire tree, but a dark-green light shone out from it very quickly! ¡­ Deep underground, within the cave. The light shone in all directions, and the whole area was silent. ¡°¡­That¡¯s roughly what happened.¡± Chu Liuyue calmly narrated the entire incident to her ancestor before kneeling down and kowtowing. ¡°Please forgive me for hiding so many things from you, Ancestor.¡± Shangguan Jing deeply stared at her before stretching his hand out to gently caress her hair as he sighed deeply. ¡°Child, it has been hard on you.¡± Chapter 760 - The Secret of the Black Pyramid! When Chu Liuyue spoke of the past incidents, she had been very calm even though those people and those incidents were like the sharpest blades that left the deepest and most painful scars on her. But thinking about it now, she could already face it calmly. Her tone was peaceful, and her expression was nonchalant as if she were narrating another person¡¯s story. But when Shangguan Jing said that sentence, Chu Liuyue¡¯s nose turned sour at that moment, and tears welled up in her eyes. Those memories filled with pain could no longer affect her. She thought that her heart had become as hard as a diamond, but she didn¡¯t expect to break down so easily with one mere sentence from her ancestor. Even though her ancestor had no physical body and Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t even feel his caressing movement, she instantly felt that she was being comforted. The high walls of defense she had built around her heart had a small crack, allowing countless suppressed emotions to rush out like floodwater. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, and a boiling hot tear silently landed. Then, she lifted her head and smiled at her ancestor. ¡°Your one sentence is already sufficient for me, Ancestor.¡± Shangguan Jing looked at the young lady in front, and his eyes were filled with pain and pity. When he saw Chu Liuyue execute the Lingxiao Palm¡¯s third stage, countless guesses had flashed across his mind. However, he never expected her experience to be so tough and absurd. He sighed deeply and shook his head, a tinge of anger flashing across his face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my Shangguan family actually has such a despicable character¡­ Shangguan Wan¡ªshe really doesn¡¯t deserve that name!¡± Previously, he had never cared much about Shangguan Wan and felt that this descendant wasn¡¯t generous enough and seemed to be quite petty, so he didn¡¯t really like her. However, he didn¡¯t expect that she would actually kill her own family and lie to everyone! In order to get everything she wanted, she really became crazy! ¡°If the Tianling Dynasty really ends up in her hands¡­ The consequences would be unimaginable!¡± Perhaps the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s thousand-year foundation would all be destroyed in Shangguan Wan¡¯s hands! Chu Liuyue enunciated every single word properly as she said, ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. With me around, I definitely won¡¯t let her get what she wants. She needs to pay the price for everything she did!¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor looked at Chu Liuyue, and his gaze was comforting. ¡°Luckily, other than her, my Shangguan family has a good child like you, Liuyue¡­¡± Shangguan Jing thought of something, suddenly laughed, and said, ¡°No wonder I felt so close to you the first time I saw you! It turns out that we¡¯re all family!¡± After he followed Chu Liuyue out of the Tianling God Realm back then, he was very curious about everything in the Tianling royal family. When Chu Liuyue went to the palace and met Shangguan Wan, he had tried to look at her. The result was disappointing. In comparison, he liked Chu Liuyue even more. Thus, he stayed beside her the whole while and gradually lost interest in the Tianling royal family. After a huge turn of events, it turned out that Chu Liuyue was part of the Shangguan family! Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Ancestor, it¡¯s all my fault! You don¡¯t know, but I almost planned to come clean with you when you promised to give me the Long Yuan Sword back then. But the situation was urgent back then, and I didn¡¯t want to drag you in, so I didn¡¯t say it in the end. Please forgive me.¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor lightly grunted. ¡°You originally are my Shangguan Jing¡¯s descendant. What¡¯s there you can¡¯t say? If I had known earlier about how Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng bullied you, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have let them off!¡± He knitted his brows slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t even have enough time to dote on you. Why would I blame you? You¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. The feeling of someone standing on the same side as her, unconditionally believing in her, supporting her, and being willing to stand up for her¡­ It was too perfect and precious. The former Shangguan Yue had lost everything and only had her father as her close family, but he was even poisoned and entered a coma. Until now, it was hard for her to even see him once. In contrast, the current Chu Liuyue had seniors who doted on her, friends she could trust¡­ and Rong Xiu¡ªwho would disregard everything and always put her in first place. ¡°Back then, I was willing to give you the Long Yuan Sword for two reasons.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression became much more serious. Chu Liuyue also straightened her back unwittingly. ¡°Firstly, the Long Yuan Sword awakened and chose you as its new owner. Even though it¡¯s a Yuan instrument I produced, it has its own spiritual powers. You should know that quite a few people have entered the Tianling God Realm in the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s history and that they wanted to invite the Long Yuan Sword out, but they all failed in the end. And after you appeared, the Long Yuan Sword quickly reacted and awakened.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only me, but it also waited for thousands of years for a new owner it liked. Now that it chose you with much difficulty, I naturally won¡¯t object to it.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and finally voiced the suspicion in her heart. ¡°Even so, you spent so much effort, blood, sweat, and tears to produce the Long Yuan Sword. You should¡¯ve wanted to leave it for the people from the Tianling royal family, but you didn¡¯t know my identity back then. Why did you still give it to me so decisively?¡± Chu Liuyue believed that if her ancestor wanted to stop her, he could. However, he did not. On the other hand, he very generously gave the Long Yuan Sword to her. Chu Liuyue could never understand this. It was fine if he gave other money or gold to an outsider, but this Long Yuan Sword symbolized her ancestor and was also a legendary existence in the Tianling Dynasty. Its meaning was extraordinary! It really exceeded her expectations for the ancestor to give it to her so decisively. ¡°This is the second point I want to talk about.¡± Shangguan Jing paused for a moment and looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, but the black pyramid in your body¡­ It seems to have a tinge of the Tianling royal family¡¯s bloodline power!¡± Chapter 761 - Taking Food from the Tiger’s Mouth! Once he said that, Chu Liuyue was stunned for a while as she stared at her ancestor dazedly. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Shangguan Jing looked into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes and said with determination, ¡°I mean that¡­ the aura of someone from the Tianling royal family is hidden in there! According to my guess, it¡¯s most likely a soul!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk, and words slipped right out of her mouth. ¡°H-how is this possible?¡± ¡°It really is possible.¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor stood with his hands behind his back and looked solemn. ¡°If it¡¯s just a pure wave of force, what¡¯s the point of locking it up singly? Do you remember the scene when you flew down the heavenly pit and entered the space below the Long Yuan Sword?¡± Countless scenes flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind at that moment. Of course, I remember. Everything that happened that day is still fresh in my memory. ¡°Did you know that I specifically hired people to set up that space and that those who aren¡¯t from the Tianling royal family aren¡¯t allowed to enter?!¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s one sentence was like a heavy hammer that harshly landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s head, and her eyes suddenly brightened. Right! After I jumped into the heavenly pit back then, the surrounding sword aura was threatening. At the critical point, the black pyramid flew out and opened the door to let me in. ¡°A crack then appeared on the black pyramid¡¯s seal. At that time, I already felt that the aura within was extremely familiar! At that time, I thought that the soul of some descendant from the Tianling royal family was sealed in it, so I agreed to give you the Long Yuan Sword and leave the Tianling God Realm with you!¡± Shangguan Jing was originally thinking of finding a chance to touch the black pyramid and find out what secret was hiding within. In the end, the crack actually repaired itself! The aura within was separated once again, and it was very difficult for him to break open that seal with his current capabilities and cultivation level. Thus, he put this incident aside first. He finally came clean with Chu Liuyue today after he confirmed her identity. Chu Liuyue listened bit by bit, and shocking waves rippled in her heart. She had guessed countless times what was hidden within the black pyramid, but she had never thought of this possibility! ¡°C-can you confirm that the thing inside is really¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s throat tightened. Shangguan Jing nodded. ¡°Without a doubt.¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. Since Ancestor is so sure of it, it most likely is true. However¡­ this is indeed too incredulous! ¡°To be honest, I unintentionally obtained this item in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial Mausoleum back then. There was originally no seal on it, but I met a mysterious person in between, and he forcefully placed a seal on it before giving the item to me,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she stretched out her right hand. The black pyramid appeared in her palm again. The surface was very dark, and it looked ordinary. The crack that previously appeared had already been repaired. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. If there really is a person¡¯s soul inside¡­ Then, whose would it be? It¡¯s impossible to start investigating the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s history that is over a thousand-plus years. The strange thing is: Why would it appear in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial Mausoleum?! Country Yao Chen has existed for a much shorter time than the Tianling Dynasty, but it¡¯s also hard to find anything if we investigate using this logic. In my impression, none of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestors have been to Country Yao Chen. However, history books don¡¯t represent true history. Other than the people involved, nobody else would know what exactly happened back then. ¡°If only we can break open the seal¡­¡± said the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s founder. ¡°Do you know who set up the seal?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I have never seen the other party before, but he seems to be a man.¡± ¡°That makes it difficult¡­ If we don¡¯t open the seal, we can¡¯t confirm who the soul inside belongs to.¡± Shangguan Jing was quite confused. ¡°I wonder what the person¡¯s motive for doing so is.¡± Chu Liuyue stared at the black pyramid in her hands and suddenly said, ¡°Ancestor, I feel that this seal wasn¡¯t repaired by itself but that the person who set up the seal repaired it.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a while and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just my gut feeling¡­¡± ¡°If it really is that person who did it, why did he still give you the item back then? Can¡¯t he just leave it for himself?¡± To be willing to spend so much effort to set up this barrier proves that this item must be important to that person. Then, why did he spend so much effort and leave it with Chu Liuyue? Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. Ancestor¡¯s words make sense. If only I had seen that Master¡¯s appearance back then¡­ After thinking for half a day, she still had no clue. In the end, Chu Liuyue could only put away the black pyramid and set this matter aside. She had a feeling that this ¡®Master¡¯ would definitely come back and look for her! One day, I will find out the true secret hidden within this pyramid! After settling all these tasks, Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged once again and breathed out deeply, preparing to cultivate. This time, Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t say anything more as he stood beside her and silently protected her. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and gathered her focus. A period of time passed, and the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force was much stronger than before. One could tell how much force that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had absorbed within this short period of time. The water droplet within her dantian started to spin slowly. The surrounding force¡ªwhich was originally heading for the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡ªstarted to change its direction gradually. At the start, Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t notice this. Later on, he observed that the dark-green light started shaking like a wave, so he curiously turned back to take a look. This one look stunned him. Chu Liuyue was wrapped by a layer of dark-green light, and the surrounding force was entering her body! She quietly sat there like a statue and stayed motionless like a mountain as she quickly absorbed that force. Also¡­ She was getting faster and faster! The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s founder was stunned. Chu Liuyue, s-she¡­ She¡¯s actually fighting for force with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed? I originally thought that she would just meditate for a while, but I didn¡¯t expect that she would actually start cultivating. The key point is that she did it! The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed looked very small, but it was very unreasonable in reality! The entire Mystic Forest was under its control and whatever happened earlier was it playing tricks. It could quickly absorb all the force in the surrounding space until it caused the space to collapse entirely in the end. Chu Liuyue could actually steal some force from it to aid her own cultivation¡­ Even I might not have the confidence to do it! Besides, she¡¯s just a stage-five warrior now! Shangguan Jing was shocked with his eyes wide open and mouth agape. Chu Liuyue was ignorant of all of this. In her eyes, she was just absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force to cultivate. Oh, but the water droplet seemed to be spinning a little quicker than before. The five lines on the water droplet gently shook. That crystal also suddenly moved and floated toward Chu Liuyue! Shangguan Jing gasped. Chu Liuyue is stealing food from the tiger¡¯s mouth! Chapter 762 - Who is Stronger Than Whom? Shangguan Jing originally wanted to stop that crystal, but its surrounding suppression was heavy to the point that even he couldn¡¯t take it. But luckily, the crystal still stopped in midair in the end. It quietly hovered in the air as the dark-green light moved like ripples, heading in all directions while looking as dazzling as ever. The faint green light shone on the surrounding stone walls, and the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed could clearly be seen within. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s founder held in his breath. This is the closest I¡¯ve ever been to the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! At first glance, it doesn¡¯t look any different from an average herbal seed. Who could imagine that a small item like this has the power to cause ultimate destruction? Luckily, its aura and suppression are basically separated with the crystal layer¡¯s obstruction. If it really exposed itself completely, I wonder how terrifying it would be! Shangguan Jing turned around to glance at Chu Liuyue. The latter¡¯s eyes were currently tightly shut as she peacefully cultivated, allowing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force to enter her body quickly. The ancestor looked solemn. Being able to meet with this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed is unquestionably a miraculous work of fate! However, not everybody can handle such a fate. If one isn¡¯t careful, they might even throw their lives in! I wonder if the girl can make it through this time¡­ Just as Shangguan Jing was filled with worry, Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura silently strengthened. All the force entered her dantian through her limbs and finally went into the water droplet. After nourishment, the water droplet spat out purified force and sent it to all parts of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. As the changes silently happened, the strength within Chu Liuyue¡¯s bones, muscles, and blood was all strengthened. Time passed bit by bit. Chu Liuyue had completely immersed herself in her cultivation, so she didn¡¯t notice time passing by. But to Shangguan Jing, this period of waiting was especially hard to endure. Gradually, he discovered that the situation wasn¡¯t quite similar to what he had expected. This was because¡­ Chu Liuyue had already absorbed too much force. According to her current cultivation level, she should¡¯ve long reached her limits. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and she looked calm, without any signs of something being wrong. A dark-green light, coupled with rich force, all entered her body. T-this isn¡¯t right! Shangguan Jing widened his eyes in disbelief. Why does Chu Liuyue¡¯s body seem like a¡­ bottomless pit? He knew that Chu Liuyue had a few trump cards and that she was much stronger than average cultivators. However, this was too much of an exaggeration! For some reason, Shangguan Jing suddenly recalled the scene of Chu Liuyue swiftly going up by herself to drag the lightning down when she was sharpening the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, but the lightning refused to fall. Compared to now, they were different tunes but worked equally. This isn¡¯t something a normal person can do! The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor looked at Chu Liuyue with a headache as he was elated and worried. He was happy that Chu Liuyue¡¯s cultivation potential and talent were much better than he had predicted. After all, she was a descendent of his bloodline, and the ancestor really didn¡¯t know how to dote on her. He was worried that something would happen to Chu Liuyue since she absorbed so much force within a short period of time and had even stolen it from the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. What if that thing explodes? My old bag of bones can¡¯t even help with anything! His gaze turned, and he looked at the red-tailed phoenix guarding by Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. It had stood there since the start, and at some point, its body was also wrapped in a layer of dark-green light. It was a fiend that Chu Liuyue had an agreement with. As Chu Liuyue¡¯s capabilities strengthened, it would naturally be affected as well. But compared to Shangguan Jing¡¯s stomach full of worry, that red-tailed phoenix kept its wings folded and closed its eyes as if it were very relaxed. It was like¡­ it wasn¡¯t even worried that something would happen to Chu Liuyue. Whir! At this point, a whir suddenly came from the crystal! Shangguan Jing immediately turned back to look and shockingly saw that the last pattern on the seal had also silently disappeared. The crystal vibrated slightly. At that moment, the surrounding light started rushing toward the crystal crazily! The light that originally filled the space started retreating at an observable speed as if it was low tide. Very quickly, the surroundings darkened and eventually entered into pitch-black darkness. Shangguan Jing was nervous as he inched toward Chu Liuyue and instantly raised his surrounding aura. At this moment, the air seemed to have completely frozen. Just as the ancestor was finding a way to bring Chu Liuyue out of here, a light suddenly appeared in the darkness. Gradually, that light expanded. The light that appeared was indeed that crystal, but at this point, only a faint layer of dark-green light was on the crystal! For some reason, Shangguan Jing felt that the light seemed quite different from the one before. A layer of light spread out from the crystal. Wherever it passed, space collapsed as patches of black appeared! That light was transparent, and it presented an extremely faint dark-green color. Shangguan Jing knew that something was amiss and was about to take action when he realized that his strength was completely restrained. He couldn¡¯t execute anything. Very quickly, the layer of light spread to this side and gently passed through the ancestor¡¯s translucent soul. Then, it arrived in front of Chu Liuyue and enveloped her. Shangguan Jing felt secretly thankful that this didn¡¯t seem to affect his descendant much. When the light eventually spread to the sides of the surrounding rock walls, it finally stopped. If someone looked down from above now, this place looked as if it had turned into a gigantic, dark-green stone. The ancestor looked up, and it was endless darkness. He knitted his brows slightly. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed should¡¯ve completely absorbed all of the strength from outside! I¡¯m afraid the next thing is¡ª Whir! After a momentary silence, the crystal started moving even more violently! It seemed like the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was going to escape from within! Shangguan Jing stared at it closely, and his heart hung high in his throat. This Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed isn¡¯t as big as the one I saw previously, and it shouldn¡¯t be as formidable. But if it really comes out, I¡¯m afraid that it would also be hard to contain! Within the light, all the external force was separated cleanly from Chu Liuyue and the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. A crazy suction force exuded from that crystal! It looked like it wanted to snatch back the force within Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. The black shield was placed in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. As the ground cracked open, it started to move. At this point, Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes¡ªtwo balls of red fire were burning within them! She stared at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and gradually raised her hands. A transparent water droplet suddenly appeared in front of her, and she gently pointed forward. Bang! The water droplet flew up! The next moment, it formed a water curtain in front of her! That terrifying suction force was instantly separated outside! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands trembled slightly as she grabbed at the neighboring space. That crystal actually came toward her! Chapter 763 - Make it Through However, that crystal seemed to have noticed the danger, and it burst out with an extremely strong aura! Finally, it slowly stopped about ten steps away from the water curtain. But this time, it didn¡¯t try to snatch Chu Liuyue¡¯s force anymore. Chu Liuyue tried again and realized that she couldn¡¯t make it go forward anymore, so she decisively gave up. She stared at that crystal for a while and lightly laughed. ¡°I hate people stealing my things.¡± As if in fear, that crystal moved another step back! Shangguan Jing was confused. Wh-what¡¯s going on? It¡¯s different from what I expected! The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed is inside the crystal, yet it became a coward in front of Chu Liuyue?! Even though the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s founder had seen the unreasonable behavior of Chu Liuyue facing the lightning, he still felt that this scene was too impactful and couldn¡¯t digest it. Seriously speaking, even though this item pulled Chu Liuyue down, she had already stolen its force at this point. After all, the force that Chu Liuyue had intercepted was all gathered by this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. However, Chu Liuyue was acting very righteously as if the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed really took advantage of her! Shangguan Jing instantly felt his head ache. I stayed in the Tianling God Realm for a thousand years, yet I don¡¯t know how the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed became so¡­ cowardly. Did this world really change? The ancestor looked at the crystal with a complicated gaze, and he couldn¡¯t accept it. He could even clearly hear something crashing in his heart. Ever since he stuck with Chu Liuyue, this kind of thing kept happening. Many things in the world became unimaginable, but the key was that Chu Liuyue seemed to have gotten used to everything and didn¡¯t realize how harsh she was! In this entire mainland, there probably aren¡¯t many people who dare to threaten the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in this manner¡­ The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor looked at the scene ahead and fell into deep thought. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed is naturally not scared of a mere stage-five warrior. The key should be that¡­ water curtain later! The water curtain wasn¡¯t big¡ªit was the height of a person. As it coincidentally presented itself in front of Chu Liuyue, it separated her and the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed seemed to be terrified of this water curtain and didn¡¯t dare to go near it. Because of this, it didn¡¯t even care that it had to give up on all the force that Chu Liuyue had absorbed! After a temporary silence, the crystal started to move again. But this time, it was much more hidden than before. The surrounding space gradually started to become sticky. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. The ancestor seemed to have suddenly thought of something as he gasped in shock. ¡°Ancestor? What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Chu Liuyue curiously. Shangguan Jing widened his eyes, and shock could still be seen in them. ¡°It¡­ It controlled this space! Have you noticed that this space seems different from before?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Force seems to be moving slower.¡± The ancestor paused for a moment and then said with much difficulty, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ the time flow here has decelerated!¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned; she knew what this meant. Legend has it that the mighty figures that broke through as stage-nine warriors can create a God Realm that belongs to themselves and that they can control everything within that God Realm at will¡ªincluding the passing of time. The stronger the person is, the more shocking their control in this aspect. There are many advantages to slowing down the time flow. For example, cultivators can enter the space to cultivate and can also grow some precious herbs. If a day in the outside world is equivalent to ten days in the God Realm, then it¡¯s akin to increasing the speed of cultivation by ten times. Herbs that need a hundred years to grow can be harvested in ten years. Anyway, there are countless advantages. However, can¡¯t this only be done by the rumored top elites? My ancestor¡ªwho is also very strong¡ªonly left behind a broken Tianling God Realm. He couldn¡¯t even do this. And this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡­ ¡°Rumors have it that the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed can indeed do this.¡± Shangguan Jing knitted his brows and nodded. Chu Liuyue then realized that the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed seemed stronger than she had expected. ¡°I think it wants to trap you in here.¡± The decelerated time flow would be very hard to endure. If Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t make it through, then it would give the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed a chance. By that time¡­ ¡°It feels great!¡± said Chu Liuyue elatedly as her eyes lit up. ¡°What?¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was confused. ¡°A-aren¡¯t you afraid that it will trap you here forever?¡± There is no night or day in this place, and she is alone. Even if she isn¡¯t afraid, won¡¯t she be lonely after a long time has passed? One has to know that people would definitely be driven crazy if they stayed in this kind of environment for an extended period of time. Even if it¡¯s me here, it would be hard to make it through. Who knows when we can exit? Chu Liuyue blinked, smiled, and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be worried about? I feel that we can take this chance to properly cultivate! Do you know how much slower time flows here compared to the outside world?¡± Shangguan Jing hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°One day outside¡­ is probably about a month here. But you can¡¯t see the sun or moon here, so it¡¯s very hard to know how much time has passed.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and took out an hourglass from the Cosmic Ring. ¡°This isn¡¯t a problem. This hourglass takes an entire day as a measure of time. After it¡¯s filled, it will turn around automatically. However, I¡¯m afraid I have to trouble you to help me pay attention to this.¡± When she entered cultivation mode, she had no concept of time. With her ancestor¡¯s help, it would be much more convenient. The ancestor grunted. ¡°You do have all sorts of things with you, even this.¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. Actually, she didn¡¯t prepare this herself. The Cosmic Ring that Rong Xiu gave her had plenty of things in it. When she was bored, she did check through it before. Other than money and all sorts of treasures, there were all sorts of small trinkets inside¡ªincluding this hourglass. She didn¡¯t expect to use it at this point. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already planned everything, I won¡¯t say anything further. Just like you said, this is indeed a rare opportunity. If you can leave this place in the end, nothing is a problem.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Even though her breakthrough speed was already considered rapid compared to an average person or even most cultivators, it still wasn¡¯t enough! The enemies she had to face were the most powerful characters in the Tianling Dynasty, who could currently cover the entire sky. Even if she had quite a few trump cards, she was still lacking when compared to them. Now that she could take this chance to increase her cultivation speed, she was naturally elated. As for Ancestor worrying whether I can make it through¡­ I¡¯ve already experienced so much pain and torture. What can this count for? Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and placed her hands on her knees with her palms facing upward. The water curtain moved slightly. Kacha! A broken piece suddenly dropped down from the crystal! Chapter 764 - Good That piece was very thin and small¡ªabout the size of a nail¡ªand it looked very unassuming. But when Shangguan jing saw this scene, shock flashed across his eyes. Without that seal suppressing it, this crystal has indeed started breaking! Just as he was very nervous, he saw the piece flying toward Chu Liuyue. This piece was light green in color and looked crystal clear as it contained tremendous strength. Wherever it went past, the sticky area seemed to break open. Just like this, it slowly and determinedly flew to the water curtain. Then, a shocking scene happened. That crystal piece didn¡¯t directly pass through the water curtain, but it gradually and silently melted. A dark-green color very quickly dyed the water curtain. Then, a dark-green water droplet gently formed and flew toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue naturally swallowed that water droplet and then converted its strength to her own! With that, her bodily aura strengthened again! The entire process was very smooth and didn¡¯t have any interruptions. Shangguan Jing opened his mouth, but he was at a loss for words. Isn¡¯t this equivalent to Chu Liuyue absorbing the force that the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed previously accumulated? D-did she take the crystal¡¯s force for herself? Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm face and slightly flushed appearance, the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s founder suddenly felt that his previous worries were all redundant. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed is formidable, but it met with Chu Liuyue, who doesn¡¯t play her cards according to logic¡­ It¡¯s unknown who will win! The ancestor thought for a while before swiftly moving backward, returning to his position at the top-right and conveniently ¡®stole¡¯ the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s force. Glancing at the red-tailed phoenix that had been very calm since the start, Shangguan Jing vaguely felt that it long knew that Chu Liuyue could do such a thing. It really followed the right master. Its arrogant, high, and mighty attitude is really exactly the same! Putting down his initial worry, the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor felt more assured and started standing at the side¡­ to watch a show! ¡­ Chu Liuyue was still slowly spending her time within the God Realm that the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had created. She couldn¡¯t leave for now or contact the people outside, so she could only focus on her cultivation. As for Qin Yi and the rest¡ªwho didn¡¯t know her current situation¡ªthey were naturally very worried. Qin Yi looked at the dark-green light faintly glowing from the position where the branch was cut off and felt uneasy. The light that suddenly appeared at the branch made his entire body tense up. That seal should¡¯ve already been completely destroyed. I remember very clearly that Her Highness was swallowed by light of the exact same color below. Judging from its appearance, it most probably has already come up from below. If it really does erupt¡­ it would be extremely dangerous! This made him even more worried about Chu Liuyue¡¯s current situation. Qin Yi held in his breath, walked forward step by step, and stood still in front of the trunk. The mother tree was very thick, and Qin Yi looked extremely tiny in front of the trunk. The leaves on top had all fallen down. From a closer point of view, numerous tiny openings had already cracked open on the trunk. Every opening was filled with that strange light, looking as if it would rush out at the next moment. Qin Yi¡¯s entire body tensed up, and he reached forward to try and touch it. But before he could touch the trunk, the light suddenly dimmed. In just a blink of an eye, all the lights in the tiny cracks disappeared¡ªsilently! This rolling leaf fir finally stopped as well, and it didn¡¯t become more wilted. The surroundings were so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Qin Yi paused for a moment before a silver light flashed in his hands as a sword appeared. He stared at the front closely as his hands held the sword before slashing it down slowly and determinedly. Ka! The sword gleamed harshly, and a layer of the trunk was slashed down. It left a deep cut on the trunk! Qin Yi gathered his focus and realized that all the force within the trunk had been absorbed and that it became much frailer due to the wilting. However, he couldn¡¯t find out anything more. The terrifying aura also seemed to have disappeared. After waiting for a moment, everything was peaceful, and nothing happened. The light wind blew over, and Qin Yi felt a chill run down his spine. He closed his eyes, put away his sword, and slowly moved backward. Mu Hongyu and the rest anxiously watched on from behind and didn¡¯t even blink, afraid that they would miss something. After seeing Qin Yi send a slash out, he actually turned around, and the crowd was stunned. Lei Laosi couldn¡¯t hold himself back as he took two steps forward and hurriedly asked, ¡°Big Brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Yi shook his head. Lei Laosi¡¯s face turned pale. The other people¡¯s expressions all froze. Qin Yi sighed and explained, ¡°I can confirm that she¡¯s trapped underneath by a strange force and that she can¡¯t come out. The force should¡¯ve rushed out originally, but it retracted for some reason.¡± Lei Laosi was stunned. ¡°Big Brother, you mean¡­¡± ¡°You should still remember the scene that happened when we first came here, right?¡± Qin Yi glanced at him and slightly squinted his eyes. ¡°The same thing also happened to the mother tree back then, and a force planned to rush out. However, the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant appeared later and repaired the seal. Afterward, I¡¯m not sure what happened.¡± Lei Laosi¡¯s eyes moved, and he nodded. In actual fact, this wasn¡¯t exactly what happened back then. How could the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant do this alone? However, there was no need to tell the children all of this. ¡°So¡­ It¡¯s not because of that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant this time? No, it has already broken through to become a red-tailed phoenix. Perhaps¡­ it became stronger? Qin Yi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡± When Mu Hongyu and the rest heard this, they all heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°So does this mean that Liuyue might very possibly come out?¡± ¡°The red-tailed phoenix is a legendary fiend. It should be able to help her, right?¡± Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran both had positive attitudes, but only Qiang Wanzhou glanced at Qin Yi deeply before pressing his lips against each other, not saying anything. He had seen that scene before. The red-tailed phoenix¡­ is definitely not the match of that force! But Qin Yi obviously didn¡¯t want Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran to know of all this. ¡°What should we do now then? Can we only wait for Liuyue here?¡± asked Ye Ranran as she wrinkled her small, round face. Qin Yi turned around to look at that mother tree. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡­ At the border connecting the Mystic Forest and Mirror Lake. The Dancing Lotus¡¯s appearance excited Shangguan Wan and the rest. Shangguan Wan immediately suggested to have Mu Qinghe retrieve the Dancing Lotus. Once she said this, the originally bustling surroundings quietened down immediately. The crowd looked at Mu Qinghe with various expressions¡ªcuriosity, envy, worry¡­ Everyone knew that Mirror Lake was dangerous. The first one to go would suffer the most. Mu Qinghe paused for a moment and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 765 - Uneasy Chapter 765: Uneasy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mu Qinghe then turned around and went toward the Dancing Lotus. The barrier between the Mystic Forest and Mirror Lake was very distinct¡ªthere was a dam-like existence in the middle. On this end, the Mystic Forest was piled with many fallen leaves, while the other end was the glistening Mirror Lake. The strange thing was that the dividing dam was very narrow, but not a single leaf on the Mystic Forest side had flown to the opposite lake area. The ripples caused by the lake also didn¡¯t cross the boundary and arrive at the other side. There seemed to be an invisible barrier in the middle that clearly separated the two sides. Mu Qinghe quickly arrived at the narrow dam. He took a deep breath in, turned the force in his body, and flung his right hand. A longsword flew out, floating in front of him! Mu Qinghe jumped up and stood on that flying sword! . Just as he was about to fly forward with the sword, he unintentionally glanced from the corner of his eyes and realized that there seemed to be something flashing on the near side of the lake. He squinted his eyes and focused; then, he was stunned. This was because the flashing thing was a piece of floating ice! The light from the sunset shone on it, and the clear, crystal-like floating ice reflected the bright and dazzling light. Mirror Lake was extremely wide, and it was surrounded by the Mystic Forest and the Red Moon Desert. It was spring and summer all year long as the lake rippled. Why did a floating piece of ice suddenly appear? ¡°Lieutenant Mu, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Shangguan Wan saw that Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t move and chased him. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t immediately reply as he surveyed his surroundings. As expected, he saw another floating piece of ice in a not-so-distant place. Those floating pieces of ice swayed on the lake surface and looked very unassuming. If it weren¡¯t because Mu Qinghe was coincidentally in midair and the light reflected off of them, he definitely wouldn¡¯t notice the pieces of ice¡ªjust like how Shangguan Wan and the others couldn¡¯t see this strange situation. Mu Qinghe felt uneasy. ¡°This Mirror Lake is weird.¡± Shangguan Wan knitted her brows. ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± Mu Qinghe pointed his finger. ¡°Floating ice had never appeared in Mirror Lake before.¡± Shangguan Wan saw that Mu Qinghe looked solemn and thought that something major had happened. I didn¡¯t expect that it¡¯s just because of one or two pieces of floating ice? She laughed and nonchalantly said, ¡°It¡¯s just two pieces of floating ice. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything important, right? If you¡¯re really worried, why don¡¯t you hurry up and retrieve the Dancing Lotus? Then, we can leave immediately, okay?¡± Mu Qinghe knitted his brows even more tightly. ¡°Third Princess, you might not know, but Mirror Lake is always like this all year round. This situation has never occurred before¡­ I¡¯m afraid that something amiss happened. For everyone¡¯s safety, it¡¯s best if everybody retreats immediately.¡± ¡°Retreat immediately? What about the Dancing Lotus?¡± Shangguan Wan was stunned. We met it with much difficulty, so how can we just leave like this? What should we say when we go back to Xi Ling? Also, my Yuan meridian¡­ ¡°Lieutenant Mu, I feel that you¡¯re overly worried. I know that you¡¯ve stayed in Dahuang Swamp for many years and that you know this place very well, but how long has Mirror Lake existed? Do you dare to say that from the very day it existed, it has been like this? Perhaps when you didn¡¯t know, such things have long happened. What do you think?¡± Mu Qinghe couldn¡¯t retort to this. Shangguan Wan was bent on taking the Dancing Lotus away. ¡°If you¡¯re really worried, Lieutenant Mu, why don¡¯t I get Elder Qiuxi to go with you?¡± Upon hearing this, Elder Qiuxi wasn¡¯t worried and was filled with excitement instead. ¡°I will definitely follow the Third Princess¡¯s commands.¡± Being able to retrieve the Dancing Lotus is undoubtedly gaining good merit, and such a rare treasure is extremely precious! Even if one only touches it, they might benefit greatly! As for danger¡­ Other than lake water, there is nothing else here. It also doesn¡¯t look as confusing or messy as the Mystic Forest. Even if we really meet with some danger, we can just escape right back. How dangerous can it get? Shangguan Wan nodded. ¡°Then, I have to trouble you, Elder Qiuxi, Lieutenant Mu.¡± Elder Qiuxi acknowledged her words and rapidly rushed to Mu Qinghe¡¯s side. Mu Qinghe glanced at him. Since he wants to court death, I can¡¯t convince him otherwise. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, please¡ª¡± Elder Qiuxi raised his hand. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t say anything more as he rode on his sword and continued forward. Elder Qiuxi followed him closely, and his pair of eyes was glued closely to the Dancing Lotus in the distant lake center. Mu Qinghe kept looking down from time to time, and his expression gradually turned cold. This was because he discovered that there weren¡¯t only two pieces of floating ice on the lake. The further in they went, the greater the number of floating ice pieces. Also, they gradually gathered and connected together to form a large piece of ice. The surroundings of that Dancing Lotus were filled by an ice layer. Mu Qinghe stopped. Elder Qiuxi hurriedly followed him and stopped. ¡°Lieutenant Mu, why didn¡¯t you continue going forward? That Dancing Lotus is right in front. We can get it right away!¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s face seemed to be covered by a layer of frost. There¡¯s definitely something wrong with this Mirror Lake. I¡¯ve come to Mirror Lake many times, but every time I get close to it, I encounter all sorts of dangerous scenarios. This time, Mirror Lake is indeed too peaceful. Not only did this not calm him down, but he became even more uneasy. Something must be off! ¡°Since you want the Dancing Lotus so much, why don¡¯t you go first?¡± Elder Qiuxi immediately chickened out. His gaze kept going back and forth between Mu Qinghe and the Dancing Lotus, and he was very conflicted. He really wanted to retrieve the Dancing Lotus, but he was also really afraid that something would happen. Mu Qinghe¡¯s reaction is really unsettling¡­ Seeing that the two of them actually stopped, Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t hold back and pressed them again. Elder Qiuxi was determined. Since there are so many people around, what¡¯s there to be worried about? If I¡¯m the one who retrieves the Dancing Lotus, my identity and status will definitely greatly improve after I return to Xi Ling. Thinking of this, his balance finally tilted toward the side of desires. He passed by Mu Qinghe and went nearer to the front. However, he wasn¡¯t stupid and didn¡¯t directly use his hands to retrieve it. It¡¯s definitely not easy to retrieve such a treasure. He flung his sleeves and threw out a rope as thick as a thumb, wrapping it around the Dancing Lotus¡¯s stem. After waiting for a moment, nothing strange happened. Elder Qiuxi was more confident as he pulled his wrist back and tried to pluck out the Dancing Lotus directly. But the moment he moved, the rope slid down the stem. Elder Qiuxi fell backward. He looked up in shock and realized that the stem was as smooth as ever¡ªits surface even had faint marks of water. It was indeed hard to wrap around it using a rope. After thinking for a moment, he set up a barrier around himself and put away the rope at the same time. This time, he used a longsword instead. He went in closer step by step and finally raised his sword to slash it. But the moment the sword body touched the stem, it also slipped! Before Elder Qiuxi could react, his body was dragged down by an invisible force! Plop! He directly went through the ice layer and fell into the lake! Chapter 766 - Ignoring The Danger Ahead Just To Get The Dancing Lotus A hole suddenly appeared in the middle of the smooth and flat ice. With a splash, Elder Qiuxi completely disappeared under the lake. He didn¡¯t even have the chance to let out a scream. Mu Qinghe¡ªwho stood nearest to him¡ªnarrowed his eyes in shock. It had happened so abruptly that Elder Qiuxi was gone before he knew it. On top of that, he didn¡¯t even have the chance to try to save the latter. Even Shangguan Wan and the others¡ªwho were standing at a distance¡ªwere appalled by the sight. This was especially so for Shangguan Wan¡ªwhose eyes widened in shock¡ªas she had been excitedly waiting for Elder Qiuxi¡¯s return with the Dancing Lotus. Success was so close, and yet¡­ I didn¡¯t even manage to get a clear look at what had happened! Wasn¡¯t everything going smoothly just now? However, Elder Qiu Xi disappeared into the water in the blink of an eye! Elder Qiuxi didn¡¯t even make a sound before and after he fell into the water, and the lake has become calm again. Under normal circumstances, anyone who falls into water should struggle for help, but he didn¡¯t. It can only mean that he was already dead in that short period of time! Shangguan Wan clutched at her chest and grabbed Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arm with her other hand as she staggered a little. ¡°Yucheng¡­ What happened just now?¡± Jiang Yucheng furrowed his eyebrows and said gravely, ¡°I think something pulled him into the water¡­ but I didn¡¯t get a clear look at it.¡± ¡°But¡­ Elder Qiuxi is a stage-seven warrior! How did he¡­¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s throat became parched as belated fear and relief hit her. Thank goodness I didn¡¯t go pluck the flower myself, or I would be the one dead instead! It¡¯s terrifying to see how he died in such a short span of time! If it were anyone else, they would¡¯ve died even faster than he did! ¡°Elder Duanmu Chun is gone, and now even Elder Qiuxi¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng had a somber look on his face. This trip turned out to be more dangerous than we expected! Shangguan Wan lowered her eyelids, her eyes flickering slightly behind them. Yucheng doesn¡¯t seem to know that it was I who killed Elder Duanmu Chun. Did he naively think that I¡¯d only make a move on those young, talented disciples? The truth was that she had long found Elder Duanmu Chun to be an eyesore, for the latter wasn¡¯t her trusted aide and used to be on good terms with Shangguan Yue. Elder Duanmu Chun was an amiable person. Although he was part of the royal family, he never meddled much in their affairs. Even though Shangguan Yue used to admire him a lot, he had never worked for her and had always been alone. He treated Shangguan Wan the same way. While others might not take this to heart, Shangguan Wan was extremely upset about it. On top of that, he was always comparing her to Shangguan Yue when the latter was still in power¡ªbe it intentional or not. That was an absolute taboo to Shangguan Wan. Thus, she took the chance to get rid of him once and for all. His death didn¡¯t matter to her at all, for it didn¡¯t make much difference when she had already killed aplenty. She reckoned that those who refused to work for her were better off dead. However, she found it somewhat a pity that Elder Qiuxi had died. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Lieutenant Mu?! Why didn¡¯t you save Elder Qiuxi when you were so close to him?¡± After getting over her initial shock, Shangguan Wan looked at Mu Qinghe with sullen anger. He must¡¯ve done it on purpose! He has never liked Elder Qiuxi! Mu Qinghe coldly replied, ¡°I wish I could, but I don¡¯t have the capability to do so. Even Elder Qiuxi himself failed to retaliate, so what makes you think that I would be able to rescue him in time when we were quite a distance apart, Your Highness?¡± Shangguan Wan coughed. What Mu Qinghe just said makes sense. Everyone can tell that he probably wouldn¡¯t make it in time¡­ ¡°I told you that something was strange with the lake. Do you believe me now?¡± Embarrassment colored Shangguan Wan¡¯s cheeks. Still, isn¡¯t he as good as openly finding fault with me by saying this in front of everyone? Mu Qinghe took a last look at the spot where Elder Qiuxi had disappeared, and he spotted a seeming flash of dark-green light there. He narrowed his eyes as he tried taking a closer look at it, but the surface had once again frozen over. It looked as smooth and flat as before, and there was no evidence to show that someone had fallen through its cracked ice. The lake in the distance was beginning to freeze as well. Mu Qinghe said solemnly, ¡°Your Highness, Eldest Young Master, we should leave this place as soon as possible!¡± ¡­ In this quiet and sticky space, Chu Liuyue was cultivating at ease in a cross-legged position with the crystal quietly floating in the air not far away from her. All of a sudden, the crystal was enveloped in a faint greenish glow that produced a slight ripple. A ball of green light then passed through that light and headed toward the crystal. Upon sensing something, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes. When she saw that ball of light, she lifted her eyebrows slightly and mumbled, ¡°You sure have a lot of tricks up your sleeve¡­¡± It must¡¯ve swallowed all of the Mystic Forest¡¯s force, but I¡¯m surprised that it can still find itself such a rich force. Chu Liuyue¡¯s ruddy lips curved up. With just a thought, the water curtain began shaking lightly. The ball of light that was about to reach and merge with the crystal suddenly flew toward the water curtain as if something was pulling it. Like before, the ball of light silently dissolved into the water curtain and transformed into a water droplet, which ultimately stopped right in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡°Thank you for your generosity!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved, and with that, she swallowed the water droplet¡¯s force. Her ancestor¡ªwho was standing at the side¡ªraised his eyebrows as he glanced at the crystal. The crystal was trembling slightly, but not because of its force¡ªit was trembling out of anger! Chapter 767 - Wait A Little Longer For the first time, Shangguan Jing felt a little sorry for the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. It hadn¡¯t been easy for it to break the seal. Freedom is just so near, yet Liuyue appeared out of nowhere, snatching the force it gathered not only once but several times. I don¡¯t know where it managed to get its hands on that ball of force, but it ended up getting snatched by Liuyue again. It¡¯s only natural that it¡¯d get angry, although it seems a little wary of her. He believed that Chu Liuyue would be no match for the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed if she didn¡¯t have the water curtain¡¯s protection, but the reality was that she had it. Speaking of which, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed is the one that pulled her down to this place right from the start. By the look of things, it was just finding trouble for itself! The ancestor slipped his hands into his sleeves as he laughed. The probability of it breaking out of that crystal has gotten even lower, and it¡¯s hard to tell who will eventually emerge as the winner! Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura was still intensifying. Meticulously and patiently, she refined that force and converted it into her own, her flesh and bones slowly becoming stronger in the process. Time slowly trickled past. All of a sudden, Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura intensified considerably. A soft cracking sound was then heard coming from her body¡ªher cultivation base had reached the intermediate fifth stage! Isn¡¯t she breaking through a tad too quickly?! Shangguan Jing subconsciously glanced at the hourglass in shock. Although he had already made some mental preparations in advance, he still couldn¡¯t help feeling incredulous at Chu Liuyue¡¯s smooth and fast breakthrough. While her Dijing Yuan meridian can¡¯t be compared to a Tianjing Yuan meridian, her cultivation speed is significantly faster than that of an average cultivator with a Dijing Yuan meridian. When she was still Shangguan Yue, her cultivation base was at the advanced eighth stage, which was only a step away from reaching the ninth stage. That experience will indubitably save her a lot of time and effort in her current cultivation journey. Besides, she has Lady Luck on her side. Putting his hands behind his back, the ancestor quietly stared at Chu Liuyue with excitement and appreciation shining in his eyes. Although it¡¯s regrettable that she no longer possesses a Tianjing Yuan meridian, she¡¯s capable enough on her own. I wonder which stage her cultivation base will be when she leaves this place. ¡­ Nobody knew what was happening underground. Presently, Shangguan Wan was facing a dilemma of leaving this dangerous place immediately as advised by Mu Qinghe or risking her life and the others to get her hands on the Dancing Lotus. She found it a pity to leave just like that. Everybody turned to look at Shangguan Wan quietly, and even the excited disciples that had been marveling at the Mirror Lake¡¯s beautiful scenery began to feel nervous. Nobody took Mu Qinghe¡¯s warning to heart at first, but Elder Qiuxi¡¯s bizarre death made them instantly realize that this place was completely different from what they had initially expected and that Mu Qinghe wasn¡¯t being an alarmist. In fact, the latter had most likely put it lightly. Most of them had come to Dahuang Swamp in search of the treasures here, but they had to be alive in order to do that. While the Dancing Lotus was indeed a rare treasure, nobody wanted to lose their lives while trying to get it. Shangguan Wan had also realized this point by now. Regardless of who she sent, it would be an unwise decision as that would be akin to sending them to their deaths. However, she truly wanted to get her hands on that Dancing Lotus. When Jiang Yucheng saw how conflicted she looked, he could roughly tell what was running through her mind. ¡°Wan¡¯er, we saw that earlier scene for ourselves. There¡¯s indeed something strange about Mirror Lake. We¡¯ll only suffer heavier casualties if we continue to stay here, so it¡¯s best if we leave now. The Dancing Lotus will be right here anyway, and its flowering period is a few years. Let¡¯s go back to Xi Ling and think of a way to get it before coming back again.¡± Shangguan Wan remained somewhat unconvinced though. ¡°But¡­ What if something happens to it during our absence?¡± ¡°You saw how difficult it was to deal with the Dancing Lotus¡ªnot even Elder Qiuxi¡¯s life was spared. It won¡¯t be so easy for anyone to take it.¡± Shangguan Wan gave Jiang Yucheng¡¯s words some thought. That¡¯s true. There aren¡¯t many cultivators who are stronger than Elder Qiuxi in the entire Tianling Dynasty. As long as we keep quiet about the Dancing Lotus, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. Jiang Yucheng spoke to her in a gentler voice. ¡°Besides, we need to get you back to recuperate as soon as possible. We can always come again after you¡¯ve recuperated enough. It won¡¯t take much time anyway.¡± That finally convinced Shangguan Wan, for her face and body were in serious need of proper healing. Oh well, I doubt I¡¯d get a chance to lay my hands on anyone else. I might as well return to Xi Ling first. Who knows? I might be able to find someone suitable and an opportune time to act. After giving it much thought, Shangguan Wan finally nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The deaths of the two elders from the royal family were proof of how dangerous Dahuang Swamp was. If they were any unluckier, they might very well be the next ones to die. Hence, everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they heard Shangguan Wan agreeing to go back. Everyone thus doubled back under Mu Qinghe¡¯s leadership, looking disappointed and demoralized¡ªwhich was a far cry from the thrill and excitement they felt on their way here. They had come here with high hopes. However, not only did they return empty-handed in the end, but they had also almost lost their lives. Zhu Hong and the rest of the Dragon Teeth Mountain disciples stayed at the back of the group due to them having many injured members. That said, their survival rate was fortunately much higher compared to the other clans since nobody died. This alone was enough to make people envious. The disciples who came on this trip were famous for being geniuses of their respective families and clans. Any one of them dead meant a great loss to the families and clans, but it wasn¡¯t Tian Ji Residence or the other weaker clans that suffered the greatest loss¡ªit was the Purple Xiao Sword Sect! They came with ten people, but only three had survived. Among the three, one was the Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s young master, Song Qingnian. Although the other two had luckily survived, their injuries were so serious that their future cultivation might be affected. Who would¡¯ve thought that the vigorous Purple Xiao Sword Sect would end up in such a state? The sky had completely darkened, and the moon was hanging high above it. After walking for some time, the group finally returned to the Gray Triangle, feeling completely different than when they first stood here. On their left, the lush Mystic Forest had turned into a piece of wilderness land, where the uneven ground was littered with dead branches, leaves, tree trunks, and festering roots. Even from afar, one couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the sight of this piece of ghost land that was shrouded with an eerie atmosphere. Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t resist looking at Mu Qinghe to ask, ¡°Lieutenant Mu, Hong Yu and the others are still inside the Mystic Forest. Can we wait for them a little longer?¡± Chapter 768 - Two Hours The people around them instantly fell silent as they looked over with varying expressions. The solemn-looking Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t answer Zhu Hong right away. Instead, it was Shangguan Wan who replied to him. She narrowed her eyes dangerously upon hearing the commotion over on this side. ¡°What are you all talking about, Lieutenant Mu?¡± Despite knowing that she had actually heard Zhu Hong¡¯s question and was just asking this on purpose, Mu Qinghe bowed his head slightly and said, ¡°Mu Hongyu and the others aren¡¯t back yet, Your Highness. Do you think we should stay and wait for them for a little while to bring them back to Xi Ling with us?¡± Shangguan Wan slightly widened her eyes in feigned surprise. ¡°They aren¡¯t back yet? It¡¯s been a long time already. Don¡¯t tell me they haven¡¯t given up¡­¡± There was no need for her to complete the sentence for everyone to guess what she was insinuating. The crowd fell silent. ¡°Your Highness, since they¡¯re in the Mystic Forest, they probably don¡¯t know that we intend to go back already,¡± Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t resist saying. Why would they come here when they never even received any news from us? Isn¡¯t she making things difficult for them? ¡°Oh, I see¡­ I was so focused on getting the Dancing Lotus to treat my father¡¯s illness that I forgot all about it.¡± Shangguan Wan quickly said something in her own defense before shooting Zhu Hong a dark, meaningful look. ¡°It looks like Dragon Teeth Mountain is on pretty good terms with Chong Xu Cabinet for you to remember them even at this point.¡± Zhu Hong straightened his back and spoke frankly. ¡°Liuyue saved the other Dragon Teeth Mountain disciples and me, so we owe her our lives. Besides, Hongyu is also there. It¡¯s only natural that we¡¯re concerned about them.¡± Shangguan Wan was rendered speechless. Before she could say anything, Zhu Hong added, ¡°Your Highness, I sincerely hope that you can release a signal to summon them back so that we can leave together. Dahuang Swamp is a dangerous place. If they are to stay here alone, I¡¯m afraid that¡ª¡± ¡°Do you expect us to keep waiting for them if they don¡¯t come back? Zhu Hong, I know you¡¯re concerned about their safety, but you should also consider the big picture,¡± Shangguan Wan interrupted impatiently. Zhu Hong gulped at that. Seeing that he had nothing more to say, Shangguan Wan tucked a stray fringe behind her ear in satisfaction. ¡°Qin Yi and Lei Laosi are around, so it¡¯s unlikely that anything will happen to them. On top of that, many of us here are badly injured and are in need of timely treatment.¡± She turned to leave after saying her piece, only to hear a sharp, ear-piercing sound right next to her the next second. She looked back in shock and saw Jiang Yucheng holding a jade cylinder in his hand. Boom! There was a loud explosion in the sky. Shangguan Wan looked up to see a brilliant firework display in the night sky. Given how eye-catching it was in the dark, chances were that Mu Hongyu and the others would be able to see it too even if they were in the Mystic Forest. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for two hours, but we¡¯ll leave without further ado if they¡¯re not here by then.¡± Although Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice sounded calm, it was filled with authority. Clearly, he had decided this on his own without discussing it with Shangguan Wan. ¡°Okay,¡± responded Mu Qinghe, who then ordered everyone to rest on the spot before they set off again two hours later. Zhu Hong and the others breathed a sigh of relief as they started waiting anxiously for Mu Hongyu and the others to return. Many others did the same as well as they turned to face the Mystic Forest while whispering, ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll make it back in time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m more curious about Ms. Chu¡¯s situation. Do you think she¡¯s still alive?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± ¡°In any case, I owe her my life! If it weren¡¯t for her, I would¡¯ve died underneath the Mystic Forest! While I do hope for her safe return¡­ Anyway, we should be more polite to Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s members in the future!¡± ¡°Well, I think she might be alive! Did you guys forget that she took first place in the Wan Zheng Competition? She managed to defeat so many people in the Tianling God Realm back then. Who knows? She might come back safely this time as well¡­¡± ¡°I sure hope so¡­¡± Many people had been saved by Chu Liuyue, and most of them were the steely Black Guards. They took this kindness seriously, and they wished from the bottom of their hearts that Chu Liuyue and the others could return safe and sound. Shangguan Wan naturally heard what the others were saying loud and clear. She clenched her fists as she shot a furious glare in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s direction. What¡¯s the meaning of this?! ¡°It¡¯s only two hours; it¡¯ll pass by quickly,¡± said Jiang Yucheng calmly, who was seemingly unaffected by the glare. ¡°Many of them were saved by Chu Liuyue. If we were to leave just like that¡­ What do you think they would say about you in private?¡± Shangguan Wan bit her lower lips and swallowed the rest of her words down before turning away from Jiang Yucheng, who frowned at her actions. Shangguan Wan might be a scheming person, but she¡¯s too narrow-minded and short-sighted for her own good. Doesn¡¯t she know the importance of the Black Guards in maintaining imperial power? The Black Guards aren¡¯t easy to deal with. One will only end up losing if they go against them! As the Black Guard lieutenant with military power in his hands, Mu Qinghe¡¯s words carried more authority than Shangguan Wan, the Third Princess herself. This was also one of the reasons why Jiang Yucheng decided against killing Mu Qinghe back then¡ªgoing against the latter was akin to going against the entire Black Guard. Even though Mu Qinghe obeyed Jiang Yucheng¡¯s every order now, the latter dared not underestimate the former and the Black Guards behind him. As Jiang Yucheng looked at the enraged Shangguan Wan from behind, he rubbed his temples in frustration. Thinking back, Shangguan Yue¡¯s position as the Crown Princess was so firm that it was practically unshakable. She could¡¯ve set herself high above the masses and enjoyed everything from her palace, but she didn¡¯t. Jiang Yucheng had specifically looked into this matter before, and he found out that Shangguan Yue had spent a lot of effort grooming the Black Guard, be it openly or in the dark. Much of the credit for taking down Dahuang Swamp belonged to her as well, which was why the Black Guards had always treated her with respect and admiration. She didn¡¯t deliberately publicize it though. She kept quiet about it, allowing others to think that Mu Qinghe had only become her right-hand man because he had volunteered himself for the battle and ended up fighting a glorious battle. Nobody knew that there was more to it. Shangguan Wan is in a disadvantageous position in the first place, having taken over Shangguan Yue¡¯s position. If she offends the Black Guard completely¡­ Her efforts will go entirely to waste! Shangguan Yue wouldn¡¯t have made such a basic mistake! As Jiang Yucheng closed his eyes, a face with fair skin and a bright, gentle, and elegant smile that carried a hint of nobility appeared in his mind. The woman this face belonged to seemed lofty and unattainable. A small smile formed on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face, only to fade away quickly to be replaced with pure hatred. He didn¡¯t mind the fact that she didn¡¯t like him as long as she didn¡¯t like anyone else either, but she did. That face slowly faded away and was replaced with another face. Jiang Yucheng looked toward the Mystic Forest. If she comes out alive¡­ Chapter 769 - Whose Seal Is That? Boom! Mu Hongyu and the others¡ªwho were still waiting in the Mystic Forest¡ªlooked up when they heard the explosion. Ye Ranran¡¯s eyes widened a little. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Eldest Young Master Jiang¡¯s signal?¡± Mu Hongyu¡ªwho had no fond feelings toward Jiang Yucheng and his company¡ªfrowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they have left by now?¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re gathering everyone¡­ Are they waiting for us to go back?¡± asked Ye Ranran, who then exchanged a baffled look with Mu Hongyu. They left ages ago, so why are they summoning us now? ¡°That signal came from the Gray Triangle. They probably intend to wait for you guys for a bit before leaving. They won¡¯t wait too long though,¡± Qin Yi told them. If those people really wanted to leave together with these kids, they would¡¯ve sent a signal long ago. Why wait until now when they¡¯re already at the transportation formation? It doesn¡¯t matter to them when they call these kids over, for they¡¯re just doing it in passing. Mu Hongyu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m staying until Liuyue comes out.¡± ¡°Same.¡± Ye Ranran nodded firmly. Qiang Wanzhou¡ªon the other hand¡ªsilently stood on the side. He didn¡¯t even look at the signal, for all his attention had been on the mother tree the whole time. ¡°Hypocrites!¡± Lei Laosi snorted at the sight of the gradually disappearing fireworks. Given the kind of a person Jiang Yucheng is, these kids are probably nothing in his eyes. Only god knows why he¡¯s calling them back. Either way, he must be up to no good again. If Her Highness hadn¡¯t been forming a contract with the red-tailed phoenix, we wouldn¡¯t have let that scumbag off. As for Shangguan Wan¡­ Since the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant has successfully broken through to become a red-tailed phoenix, there¡¯s no need for Qin Yi and me to be stationed here anymore. Therefore, we can leave with Her Highness once she comes out. When that time comes, they¡¯ll be in for it! In any case, they weren¡¯t too bothered about the signal. After talking about it for a bit, they put this matter aside and focused on waiting for Chu Liuyue instead. At Qin Yi¡¯s request, Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran began cultivating. There was no telling when Chu Liuyue would emerge, so they figured that they might as well make use of the time to raise their cultivation level. As for Qiang Wanzhou¡­ He swallowed a pill before he continued his wait. Qin Yi didn¡¯t pay much attention to Qiang Wanzhou at first, thinking that the pill was just something for the latter to heal his injuries with. However, it didn¡¯t take long before he realized that Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s aura was intensifying. The point was that the latter wasn¡¯t absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force to raise his cultivation¡ªthe force came from his own body. His cultivation base was slowly improving even though he wasn¡¯t concentrating on it like Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran. Slowly, a layer of ice formed on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body, and the ground underneath his feet even frosted over. While cold air emanated from his body, the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword burned with blue flames. As the sword contained Chu Liuyue¡¯s force, it could sense her aura better. Thus, Qiang Wanzhou cultivated while waiting for Chu Liuyue under two extreme temperatures. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this kid?¡± Lei Laisi muttered the question under his breath when he noticed something amiss with Qiang Wanzhou. I¡¯ve never seen such a cultivation method before. Qin Yi narrowed his eyes. ¡°I think there¡¯s cold qi in him, and it contains a lot of force. To get stronger, all he needs to do is dissolve this cold qi.¡± Secretly marveling at Qin Yi¡¯s keen eyes, Lei Laosi couldn¡¯t resist giving the other a thumbs-up. ¡°How did you know this when you¡¯re not a heavenly doctor?¡± Qin Yi flashed him a smile. ¡°It was just a guess.¡± Qiang Wanzhou turned to look at them, his gaze stopping on Qin Yi¡¯s face for a second as he furrowed his eyebrows¡ªwhich were covered by his short blond hair. Apart from himself, the only other person who knew about his condition was Chu Liuyue, so he felt wary when he realized that Qin Yi knew it too. How did he¡­ know about it? I don¡¯t believe that it was just a guess. It was too accurate to be true! Upon sensing his suspicion, Qin Yi raised his eyebrows. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that. Your condition merely reminded me of a similar case I came across in a book.¡± Astonishment flashed across Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face, and he hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°You¡­ came across a condition similar to mine in a book?¡± ¡°According to the book, that person successfully dissolved the cold qi in his body and eventually became a top warrior. It was a grueling process though; the average person won¡¯t be able to take it,¡± answered Qin Yi with a nod. However, he didn¡¯t mention that this wasn¡¯t the only example recorded in the book¡ªin fact, there were thousands of similar cases, but only one survived. Still, it meant that there were likely many other people with the same condition as Qiang Wanzhou, although he was the only one who had luckily survived this long. It was clear that Qiang Wanzhou knew nothing about this. ¡°¡­What book is that? May I take a look at it?¡± Qiang Wanzhou asked. His condition had been like this for as long as he could remember. Having no parents, relatives, or even friends, growing up in the barren and uncivilized Nan Jiang had been tough on him. If he hadn¡¯t met that person later on, he probably would¡¯ve died at Qian Wei Lake long ago. ¡°That book doesn¡¯t belong to me, and I don¡¯t think it can be found anymore.¡± A hint of despondency showed in Qin Yi¡¯s eyes as he said this. Qiang Wanzhou thus didn¡¯t ask further questions about that book. After a brief silence, Qin Yi asked, ¡°Was the pill you took earlier supposed to help dissolve the cold qi?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°Where did you get it from?¡± ¡°Liuyue refined it,¡± answered Qiang Wanzhou honestly. As I expected. Her Highness has also read that book before, so it¡¯s unsurprising that she knows how to refine it. I¡¯m surprised that Qiang Wanzhou managed to survive on his own though. Qin Yi smiled. ¡°You sure are lucky.¡± Qiang Wanzhou gave a solemn nod of his head. Indeed. All the people I met have been really kind to me too. All of a sudden, a faint pattern flashed across his glabella, which was much to Qin Yi¡¯s surprise. ¡°There¡¯s a seal in your body?¡± Qiang Wanzhou looked at him in surprise as he nodded hesitantly. Not even Liuyue knows about this. That seal had been covered by the cold qi, but the seal was slowly starting to surface as it gradually dissolved. Qiang Wanzhou hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the seal because nothing had happened to it before. Filled with shock, Qin Yi hurriedly asked, ¡°Who left that seal on you?!¡± That looks like¡­ Chapter 770 - She’s Back Chapter 770: She¡¯s Back Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°I have no idea either.¡± Qiang Wanzhou shook his head. I only know about the seal¡¯s existence; I don¡¯t know when or who placed it on me. Thinking about it, the seal is pretty strange too. Seals in other people¡¯s bodies are usually used to suppress their force, but it doesn¡¯t work that way for mine. In fact, the seal inside me has frozen because of the cold qi. Even now, he still didn¡¯t know what the seal inside his body was for. He had thought about removing it and thus tried a lot of methods to do so, but it was to no avail. Seeing that the seal didn¡¯t cause any problems to him, he decided to put this matter on hold. Qin Yi¡¯s ability to determine his condition and his anxious reaction upon the discovery came as an unexpected surprise to him. A hint of disappointment surfaced in Qin Yi¡¯s eyes when he heard Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s answer. He walked over to the latter to take a closer look at the pattern to confirm if it was the same as he had guessed, but the pattern had disappeared. Qiang Wanzhou realized that there might be something on his face when he saw Qin Yi scrutinizing him. ¡°Do I have something on me?¡± Upon realizing that the pattern wouldn¡¯t appear again, Qin Yi sighed inwardly and nodded. ¡°It was just a flash, so I failed to get a clear look at it.¡± Qiang Wanzhou carefully read Qin Yi¡¯s expression as he asked tentatively, ¡°You¡¯ve seen this seal before?¡± It took Qin Yi a moment to answer him. ¡°I think so, but my memory is a little fuzzy. I also didn¡¯t get a clear look at it, so I can¡¯t really remember.¡± Qiang Wanzhou appeared skeptical. If the seal¡¯s pattern really appeared on my glabella just now, then he must¡¯ve seen it. The shock in his eyes was proof of it, and it definitely didn¡¯t belong to someone who couldn¡¯t remember the pattern. Does he not want to talk about it? But why? Despite the many questions running through Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s mind, he didn¡¯t voice them out. Qin Yi looked at Qiang Wanzhou with a complicated gaze before retracting it. He then spoke in a serious tone. ¡°As your cultivation level increases, that seal will definitely appear again. Just pay more attention to it yourself and inform me as soon as possible if you detect anything unusual about it.¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded after giving it a thought. Meanwhile, the others were baffled by this scene. Lei Laosi couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± answered Qin Yi with a shake of his head. Naturally, the others couldn¡¯t talk much about it since he refused to talk. Lei Laosi was somewhat apprehensive though. Qin Yi has always been a calm and composed person. Apart from what happened to Her Highness back then, I¡¯ve never seen him getting so worked up before. Pity I didn¡¯t manage to see what was on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face, or I would¡¯ve known what made him so agitated¡­ Everyone quieted down once more, with the exception of Qin Yi. Despite his calm exterior, his emotions weren¡¯t quite settled down. If what I saw was correct¡­ Her Highness is probably still unaware of this. When I have the chance, I have to inform her about this as soon as possible. ¡­ Two hours soon passed by, but the Mystic Forest remained as quiet as ever. There was no sign of Mu Hongyu and the rest of her companions. The hope in Zhu Hong and the others¡¯ eyes gradually died out. Time is already up, but they¡¯re still not here yet. That means they don¡¯t intend to go back with us. Looks of regret and disappointment showed on many people¡¯s faces, for they had been hoping that Chu Liuyue and the others would show up. ¡°Time¡¯s up, right?¡± asked Shangguan Wan. By now, she had already regained her composure, and her mood had improved a lot when Chu Liuyue and her gang failed to return on time. That means Mu Hongyu and the others still haven¡¯t found Chu Liuyue. They¡¯re hoping that they can find her? What a joke! Well, there might be a small chance of them finding her if they turn the entire Mystic Forest over, but she would¡¯ve turned into a pile of bones by then! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes drooped slightly as he tried to conceal the emotions in them. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Mu Qinghe then stepped forward to activate the transportation formation, and the group disappeared in no time. Moonlight spilled down on the vast and boundless Dahuang Swamp, making it look bleak and lonely. A red dot appeared on the moon out of nowhere and slowly grew bigger. Just like that, the bright moon became completely blood-red, which made it look treacherous and demonic. While the desert was scorching and dry in the daytime, it was freezing at night due to the bone-chilling breeze. Under the undulating sand dunes, something seemed to be stirring. A misty voice was heard just then. ¡°She¡¯s back?¡± It was impossible to tell the gender of the voice¡¯s owner, but their voice sounded pleasantly melodious and bewitching. A moment later, sand began rolling down the nearby dunes, forming quicksand. ¡°How is that possible?¡± The voice this time seemed to belong to a toddler, but it was spoken in a wise and grudging tone. ¡°She told us that she¡¯d return in a few days, but several years have passed, and she¡¯s still nowhere in sight! How can you trust someone who goes back on their word? I never want to see her again in my life!¡± ¡°Then, why do you still bother looking outside whenever the moon turns red at night? Did you think that we¡¯re clueless about what you¡¯ve been up to?¡± This time, the speaker sounded old. Their voice was mellow with tinges of laziness in it. ¡°You¡¯ve turned this desert upside down.¡± The owner of the babyish voice went silent for a moment before spitting angrily, ¡°So what? I want to see when exactly she¡¯s returning! She¡¯s the only person in the whole world who dares to lie to me to this extent!¡± The owner of the babyish voice continued grumbling, ¡°I¡¯ll teach that lass a good lesson when I see her! Let¡¯s see if she dares to disappear without a word again!¡± ¡°Beat her if you want, but count me out. I can¡¯t bear to hit her.¡± The owner of the old voice chuckled. ¡°This old fart!¡± ¡°Right back at you.¡± The person who first spoke scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s the use of talking about this now when we haven¡¯t seen her yet? Why did she go to the Mystic Forest though?¡± ¡°She¡¯s even forgotten the rules!¡± The owner of the babyish voice fumed. ¡°Wait! I think there¡¯s something wrong with the Mystic Forest!¡± The other two people went silent. ¡°Is that thing going to come out?!¡± exclaimed the owner with the old voice. ¡°Of all times, why did she go there now?! Didn¡¯t we already tell her¡ª¡± ¡°It looks like she¡¯s gotten quite brazen during the years of her absence.¡± The melodious voice sounded like it could be gone with the wind at any time. ¡°I¡¯m going to see for myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come too!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Wait up!¡± The voices gradually disappeared, and all that could be heard was the gentle rustling sound of the moving sand. Once again, the Red Moon Desert was quiet. Chapter 771 - Yue’er Girlie On the other side of the Mystic Forest, a few people silently entered. ¡°How long has it been? Why did the Mystic Forest become like this?¡± ¡°Someone came here¡­ Hm, I think it¡¯s that fellow Mu Qinghe and a bunch of Black Guards. There are also a few dozen people that I haven¡¯t seen before.¡± ¡°Heh, these few people are really super unlucky to come here now. They had to meet with such a situation¡­ Hey, wait a minute! Why did the peacock disappear?¡± ¡®I seem to smell a red-tailed phoenix¡¯s aura¡­ Did that peacock successfully break through?¡± ¡°How is that possible? That fellow is missing half a soul¡­ Wait a minute. There seems to be a few more people in front?¡± ¡°Why are those two fools still here, and why are there more youngsters?¡± ¡°¡­That peacock really seems to have broken through¡­ However, why do I feel that girlie is underground? Could it be that I¡¯m older, so my ears and eyes aren¡¯t working?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not imagining things. She is below. It seems like¡­ she¡¯s together with that thing¡­¡± The one talking was that elder. The moment he said this, the other two instantly fell silent. The next moment, that baby-like voice sounded angrily. ¡°I long told you to dig that thing out for her! You guys kept saying that the time wasn¡¯t right! See, she really went down herself! If anything happens to that girl, see whether I will beat you up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wrong for the child to want that thing, but it¡¯s extraordinary. If we really directly gave it to her back then, it might even cause some trouble.¡± The melodious voice didn¡¯t sound frustrated, and it was neither slow nor fast. ¡°I wonder who was the one who said they wanted to teach that girl a lesson just now, but she turned on us in the blink of an eye¡­ Pfft. Big Baby, you are amazing.¡± ¡°I dare you to call me Big Baby again?!¡± ¡°Little Baby?¡± ¡°Stupid pervert, you¡¯re courting death!¡± ¡°Can you two quarrel somewhere else? Don¡¯t interrupt me looking at girlie!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡­ These quarrels didn¡¯t attract Qin Yi and the rest¡¯s attention. The night was as cold as water. Everything here was exactly the same as the day. Ye Ranran and Mu Hongyu were already asleep, while Qiang Wanzhou sat beside them cross-legged with the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword placed on his knees. As Lei Laosi and Qin Yi had strong cultivation bases, they didn¡¯t need to sleep and could rejuvenate themselves as long as they meditated. While the two of them guarded the Mu Hongyu trio, they watched the rolling leaf fir that had already completely wilted. Suddenly, the winds blew even louder in the woods. A branch from that mother tree broke, fell on the ground, and made a sound. Lei Laosi suddenly jumped up. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± He nervously surveyed his surroundings but didn¡¯t find anyone around. Qin Yi rubbed his brows helplessly. ¡°Only a branch broke; nothing major happened. Four, you¡¯re too tense.¡± Lei Laosi looked over and awkwardly scratched his head. ¡°I see¡­ I still thought¡ª¡± He sighed, and his face couldn¡¯t conceal his disappointment. I still thought Her Highness had come out just now. Qin Yi also knew that he was too worried about Chu Liuyue, so he gently said, ¡°Rest a while first.¡± But Lei Laosi shook his head and refused. Seeing his persistence, Qin Yi didn¡¯t convince him further. The forest fell silent again. ¡­ ¡°Old fool, did you not move for very long, so your hands and legs aren¡¯t nimble anymore? With that noise just now, do you want everyone in Dahuang Swamp to know that you¡¯re here?¡± Big Baby¡¯s voice was filled with disdain. The elder coughed. ¡°I was just careless! It¡¯s all because the two of you quarreled non-stop! It¡¯s more important to find the girl first!¡± This was correct. They could only come out once a month during the night of the red moon. During other times, they couldn¡¯t know anything that happened in the outside world. Also, they could freely walk around outside for a maximum of only four hours. The chance was rare, so they had to hurry up. The few of them didn¡¯t quarrel anymore as they rushed down together. ¡°It seems like that item¡¯s seal opened on its own. Look at this place¡ªsee how much has been destroyed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, so that seal should¡¯ve long rotted. It¡¯s already a miracle that it could last until now. But I¡¯m curious¡ªdid the girl long calculate the time and specially pick this period to come over?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ but she¡¯s too gutsy. She actually dared to barge into this place! I think she broke through again already, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s needless to say. Back then, she¡ªHm? The space below seems to be locked by that thing?¡± ¡°Girl! Girlie is really there! I¡¯ll go and check first¡ª¡± ¡°Move aside!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to fight? Do the two of you want to compete with me in terms of looks? Girlie always likes me the best. I¡¯m not talking anymore; I¡¯ll go over.¡± ¡°Stupid pervert, you¡¯re shameless!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue was currently gathering her focus and cultivating. After she broke through and became an intermediate stage-five warrior, she purposely slowed down her absorption speed of the force. There was a gap between an intermediate warrior and a peak warrior, so she had to seriously fill in the gap to stabilize herself. Even though Chu Liuyue wanted to strengthen her skills quickly, she wouldn¡¯t blindly advance. Suddenly, her ears turned slightly. Why does it sound like someone is talking¡­ She opened her eyes and instinctively looked up. The dark-green light seemed to block her vision completely, and the space above was dark. Thus, she couldn¡¯t see anything at all. It didn¡¯t seem much different from before. Upon seeing this, the ancestor asked curiously, ¡°Liuyue, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Chu Liuyue pointed above. ¡°Ancestor, did you hear someone talking?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Shangguan Jing looked up strangely. How can someone possibly come here? ¡°Did you hear wrongly?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. At this time, it isn¡¯t very possible that someone can come over. Perhaps I was really hallucinating. She retracted her vision and wanted to continue cultivating when she suddenly heard a call. ¡°Yue¡¯er girlie¡ª¡± Chapter 772 - Betrayed Chapter 772: Betrayed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be lightly touched by something, and she looked up once again. Even though she couldn¡¯t see anything, she still felt that someone was staring at her for some reason. That sound is definitely not a figment of my imagination! That voice was calling her and sounded very intimate, but the voice¡¯s tone and pitch were very unfamiliar. She never seemed to have heard it before, but it vaguely felt a little familiar as well. Not many people can address me in such a manner, and even fewer people have the ability to reach this place. Who exactly¡­ is it? ¡­ The moment Chu Liuyue looked up, the trio that was originally filled with hope and happiness was stunned. ¡°Hm. A few years have passed, but why did the girl¡¯s face change so drastically? It also looks like¡­ she¡¯s much younger?¡± As Lan Xiao¡ªwho was at the front¡ªspoke dazedly, he crossed his arms, and one of his hands stroked his chin. He only knew that when one¡¯s cultivation reached a certain level, one would never grow old. However, that was also dependent on one¡¯s age. If a twenty-year-old and an eighty-year-old passed that criteria at the same time, it would naturally be different from them. Other than that, he had never heard of someone becoming younger than their actual age¡­ ¡°Lan Xiao, your eyesight isn¡¯t as good as mine! That lady isn¡¯t girlie!¡± Diwu Zhangze stroked his white beard and chuckled. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen that girl in a few years, and you actually forgot how she looked? When she finds out, you¡¯re going to have to explain yourself!¡± If it were usual, Lan Xiao would definitely rebut him. But at this point, he didn¡¯t care anymore as his eyes were glued to the young woman below. His brows were slightly furrowed. That¡¯s not right¡­ I naturally remember very clearly what girlie looks like. Logically speaking, I definitely won¡¯t make a mistake. But this young girl¡­ ¡°That is girlie!¡± Dugu Mobao¡ªwho had been quiet the whole time¡ªspoke. Even though his voice was cold, his tone was so similar to a baby¡¯s that it sounded very contradictory¡ªlike a child that was acting like a grown-up. When he said this, Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze fell silent. ¡°Even though her looks have changed, this soul¡¯s aura is absolutely correct!¡± Even though Dugu Mobao had a hot temper, he was always very accurate in this aspect. Since even he had said so, it should be true. Diwu Zhangze widened his eyes in shock as he looked down and tried to take a closer look. However, that young woman had already retracted her gaze. From their position, they could only see the top of her head. ¡°I think¡­ From the first time I saw her, I instinctively felt that she was girlie. I didn¡¯t make a mistake.¡± Lan Xiao heaved a sigh of relief and glanced at Diwu Zhangze. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one that didn¡¯t recognize her, right?¡± Diwu Zhangze¡¯s face flushed red, and he was embarrassed for once. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t blame me for this¡­ Who knew that girl totally changed her appearance? T-this¡­ How did it suddenly become like this?¡± What Diwu Zhangze asked was also what the other two people wanted to know. Lan Xiao seriously thought for a while. ¡°Could it be because girlie felt that she¡¯s not pretty enough? Thus, she changed into another face?¡± Dugu Mobao looked at him like he was looking at an idiot. ¡°Stupid pervert, do you think everyone is like you! You can change your face as you wish, but can she do it? Besides, with her previous face, who in the world would think that she¡¯s not pretty enough?¡± Lan Xiao didn¡¯t mind the fact that he was called a ¡®stupid pervert,¡¯ and he strongly agreed with the latter sentence. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± If it weren¡¯t because I doted on girlie, I would¡¯ve long taken her face. That¡¯s an extremely rare beauty in the world! He raised his brows slightly, and admiration filled his eyes. ¡°But her current appearance has a tinge of youthfulness. When she grows older, she definitely won¡¯t lose to her past¡­ Speaking of which, why is she working so hard?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°She didn¡¯t only change her face. Her entire body¡­ has been changed!¡± This sentence changed the other two¡¯s expressions. Changing appearances meant nothing to them, but changing bodies was different. One had to know that to cultivators, their physical body was very important! Dantian! Pearl of essence! Yuan meridian! Once a cultivator gave up on their physical body, they had to give up on all of this! Besides, that girl had a Tianjing Yuan meridian! The trio fell into a temporary silence. They previously came here as they felt the girl¡¯s soul, but they never expected that everything had actually changed other than the girl¡¯s soul still being here! What exactly happened? ¡°¡­You think¡ªgirlie didn¡¯t come back these few years¡­ Did she forget, or¡­ did something happen?¡± said Diwu Zhangze slowly. They had never thought of this possibility before. The girl was very smart and cunning, and she was very strong in terms of her capabilities and talent. She could even handle a few blows from the few of them back then, so why would something happen to her? They didn¡¯t want to believe this from the bottom of their hearts. But if this were true¡­ What exactly happened that caused her to change her body and start all over again? Diwu Zhangze said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait first! It seems like she¡¯s going against the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed now. It¡¯s not too late to ask her when she comes out.¡± Dugu Mobao clenched his fists, and murderous intent burst out from his body. Lan Xiao¡¯s brows jumped, and he was afraid that Dugu Mobao would cause a massacre, so he hurriedly said, ¡°Hey, Big Baby! Calm down. Girlie hasn¡¯t come out yet! We can do something after we ask her clearly! What¡¯s the use of throwing a tantrum?¡± Dugu Mobao clenched his teeth and said everything clearly: ¡°Where the hell did that kid Rong Xiu go?!¡± ¡­ His Grace¡ªwho was reading and authorizing the scrolls in front of the study¡ªsuddenly sneezed. He put down the brush in his hands, rubbed his brows, and gently smiled. It seems like someone is missing me¡­ He paused for a moment, and after authorizing all the scrolls in front of him, he stood up and walked to the window. A snow-white figure suddenly flew in from midair. The soldiers guarding outside all looked up in unison and were shocked. How long has it been? Why did His Grace¡¯s fiend become even stronger? The space that Xue Xue went past had a layer of frost on it. Its figure long entered the palace and disappeared in front of the crowd. This time, Xue Xue still chose to enter by breaking the window. Luckily, this palace was spacious enough, and all the materials were premium, so they wouldn¡¯t spoil. Xue Xue jumped up and arrived at the room. Rong Xiu looked at it, and his thin lips curled up. ¡°You really know how to pick the right time.¡± Xue Xue had already guessed what its master wanted it to do, so it happily wagged its tail as its pair of ice-cold eyes stared at Rong Xiu. After some time, Rong Xiu smiled with even deeper meaning and said, ¡°You can go first.¡± I originally wanted to bring Xue Xue along with me later, but it seems like¡­ It can¡¯t wait. Xue Xue was thrilled as it immediately rushed out. Roar! Its roars shook the world! It wasn¡¯t hard to tell how happy it was. Watching its rapidly departing figure, Rong Xiu¡¯s brows rose slightly. Even I feel my head ache upon thinking of their anger.. Mm, I should let Xue Xue go first. Chapter 773 - Gather Chapter 773: Gather Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this point, Xue Xue didn¡¯t know that its master had sold it out. It was elated as it directly tore through the space and went in head-first. It went straight to Dahuang Swamp! ¡­ After a while, Rong Xiu retracted his gaze, thought for a moment, and pushed open the door to leave. ¡°Greetings, Your Grace!¡± Seeing him come out, the soldiers outside immediately greeted him respectfully! ¡°Get up.¡± At this point, Rong Xiu¡¯s expression had already become calm, and nobody could tell his mood. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming hasn¡¯t returned yet?¡± ¡°Your Highness, he hasn¡¯t.¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. Considering the time, he has been gone for quite long. According to 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s temper, he shouldn¡¯t spend so much time with the people from the Ming Division. I originally didn¡¯t plan to intervene in this as the people from the Ming Division are really hard to deal with. But now, I have to rush to Dahuang Swamp as soon as possible. Hence, I need to find 36 Respected Elder Ming earlier to discuss this matter. He thought for a moment and went forward. ¡­ In the dim space, the surroundings were deadly quiet. However, Chu Liuyue kept feeling that there were people having hushed discussions. Even though she couldn¡¯t hear it properly, she still vaguely felt that it was there. After a period of time passed like this, it then gradually quietened down. She silently glanced at Shangguan Jing, but she didn¡¯t see anything wrong with his expression. It seems like Ancestor really didn¡¯t hear anything. That¡¯s weird¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down and thought to herself, Did someone purposely let only me hear those voices? But the other party doesn¡¯t seem to have any evil intentions, and¡­ Their voices even have a tinge of unconcealable happiness and love as if¡­ they were once very close to me. Chu Liuyue thought for some time, but it was in vain. In the end, she still closed her eyes, gathered her thoughts, and continued to absorb the force from the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Bang! A tiny, crisp sound could be heard as another piece broke off from the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s crystal. Then, it silently flew toward Chu Liuyue, merged with the water curtain, and became a water droplet that entered her body. ¡­ Seeing this, the trio was stunned. Even Dugu Mobao¡ªwho was filled with anger earlier¡ªwas also dazed and stopped his scolding of Rong Xiu. ¡°W-what is she doing? That layer of crystal was formed after the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed absorbed force for thousands of years, and it¡¯s specifically used to protect itself after it matures. She actually swallowed it like that?¡± Lan Xiao grunted. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect girlie to become younger and even more capable¡­ See, didn¡¯t I already say that we can¡¯t directly give her the item back then? Now, girlie can even handle it herself!¡± This type of premium existence usually had its own spiritual powers. It wasn¡¯t that one couldn¡¯t force it to concede, but with its indignation and anger, there were bound to be aftereffects. One had to rely on themselves to completely restrict it and convince it before it could truly be their own! This way, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry when they used it in the future! Even though girlie was biting piece by piece, she was already outstanding! With sufficient time, she could definitely settle the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed with her own abilities! Diwu Zhangze secretly called it a miracle. ¡°What¡¯s that water curtain? Can you tell? Girlie is only a stage-five warrior now, but with that water curtain, she can actually go against the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. She¡¯s even winning!¡± Lan Xiao looked over, shook his head, and sincerely said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡± Dugu Mobao held it in for a while before indignantly saying, ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡± The other two glanced at him in surprise. ¡°Big Baby, you have dominated the mainland for many years and have seen way more treasures than the both of us combined¡­ There are still things that you can¡¯t determine in this world?¡± He was hot-tempered and arrogant. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to admit this. Dugu Mobao waved his hand in frustration. ¡°We¡¯re so far apart. With the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s God Realm in my way as well, what can I see clearly? After the girl settles the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, we can just get her to tell us, right?¡± No matter what, it¡¯s not an ordinary item! ¡­ Shangguan Wan and the rest went through a few transportation formations and finally returned to Xi Ling. Ping Liang Square was as noisy as before. Suddenly, the biggest transportation formation in the middle turned gradually! The crowd looked over in unison and was shocked. ¡°Look! That transportation formation actually moved!¡± ¡°Are the Third Princess and the rest coming back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so? Didn¡¯t they just leave not long ago? Also, considering the time spent on traveling¡­ Did they come right back after they just arrived at Dahuang Swamp?¡± ¡°But that transportation formation is specifically used by them¡­ Ever since they left, the transportation formation hasn¡¯t moved. Did someone move the transportation formation on their own? Is that person tired of living?¡± Just when the crowd partook in heated discussions, the Black Guards in the surroundings had already reacted. The people in Ping Liang Square were chased away as the Black Guards gathered in the surroundings with the transportation formation in the middle. The solemn and cold Black Guards went into formation, sternly welcoming the important characters! Seeing this scene, what else did the crowd not understand? With the Black Guards behaving in this manner, the Third Princess and the rest must have returned! Facing this solemn atmosphere, quite a few people kept quiet silently. However, their eyes were still glued to the middle tightly. Obviously, everyone really wanted to see the results of the Third Princess going to Dahuang Swamp to retrieve herbs for His Majesty! Very quickly, a few figures appeared in the transportation formation. Other than the Third Princess Shangguan Wan, who else could be in front? Standing beside her was Jiang Yucheng! The surrounding Black Guards immediately kneeled down and greeted, ¡°Welcome back, Third Princess!¡± The spectators naturally had to bow as well. In no time, everyone around kneeled down loudly. ¡°Stand at ease,¡± said Shangguan Wan. The crowd then gradually stood up. When they took a clear look at Shangguan Wan¡¯s appearance, quite a few of them felt it strange. There¡¯s actually a mask over Shangguan Wan¡¯s face? She¡¯s even wearing a cape with a hat on top, which almost covers half her face. With such an outfit, the crowd could only see her eyes. The rest was covered tightly. Even though it was currently winter, it wasn¡¯t that cold anymore as spring was approaching. It was strange for Shangguan Wan to dress like this, but average people had no right to ask these questions. A youngster came forward as if he were the leader of the Black Guards. ¡°Greetings, Third Princess, Eldest Young Master, Lieutenant! I am Lu Shan!¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t want to stay here for long, so she directly said, ¡°All the Black Guards and disciples had a very tiring journey this time, so all of you can go back to rest and recover. In addition, I have some important things to discuss with the officers. Send my word¡ªget all the clan masters and the aristocratic family masters to go to the palace immediately!¡± Even though Lu Shan was dazed, he still immediately said, ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 774 - : Guilty About? Nobody expected them to come back so suddenly and so¡­ nonchalantly. One had to know that back then, the Third Princess led 1,000 Black Guards and countless disciples from the various clans to go to Dahuang Swamp. The formation was huge, and the aura was magnificent! But now¡­ This was really too surprising. Lu Shan and the rest also didn¡¯t understand. According to the plan, the Third Princess and the rest should only return after a month or so. But how long has it been? Besides, they should logically inform us first before coming back. However, we didn¡¯t receive any news at all. If we didn¡¯t see the transportation formation moving, we wouldn¡¯t even know that they had come back! Shangguan Wan¡¯s face was covered in scars, and she couldn¡¯t even completely cover them with a face mask. Helpless, she could only cover her head with a hood. Even though I look strange by doing this, at least I¡¯ve completely covered myself. In the dark and open, countless pairs of eyes in Xi Ling are staring at me! Once someone sees my disfigured look, it will definitely cause an uproar! Hence, I still insist on doing this even if this look will garner guesses and discussions. She originally wanted to take a horse carriage back to the palace, but as they came back too suddenly, it was definitely too late. After instructing them, Shangguan Wan directly lifted her legs and went forward. Jiang Yucheng was half a step behind her and walked with her. After a momentary silence, the remaining Black Guards and disciples all parted ways. The scene was actually very awkward. The spectators exchanged glances. ¡°What¡¯s going on? They just¡­ separated?¡± ¡°Previously, I thought they¡¯d come back in glory¡­ This isn¡¯t what I expected!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that quite a few Black Guards are missing? The number of disciples also seems to have decreased¡­¡± ¡°I think so too! At first glance, there seem to be about 300 to 400 Black Guards that didn¡¯t come back¡­¡± ¡°Si¡­. The casualty rate for this Dahuang Swamp journey is actually so bad?!¡± ¡°That place was originally very dangerous, so this outcome is normal, right? When Lieutenant Mu brought those troops, I think more than half of them died before¡­¡± ¡°But that was when Dahuang Swamp was filled with rebels. Now that Dahuang Swamp is already peaceful, won¡¯t it be weird if this happens again? The Third Princess also looks a little strange¡­ But since so many of them died, they should¡¯ve retrieved quite a few herbs that His Majesty needs. This is why this happened, right?¡± The crowd debated softly. All sorts of voices kept entering Shangguan Wan¡¯s ears. Her chest heaved up and down furiously, and all the blood in her body rushed to her head. The face underneath the mask started to hurt due to the tearing from it being contorted. This made her even more enraged. Those words were like invisible slaps, harshly striking her face. Hence, she quickened her steps. Behind, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t leave with the rest. Instead, he stayed behind and took care of the Black Guard. After Lu Shan sent Shangguan Wan and the rest off, he looked at Mu Qinghe in confusion. ¡°Lieutenant, why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance before you came back? This welcome is too rushed¡­¡± Mu Qinghe shook his head. ¡°This was urgent, so we didn¡¯t have enough time to tell you. It¡¯s fine. Immediately send people to bring those injured Black Guards back to recuperate. Also, Tian Zhuangzhuang and the rest will contact you about the casualty rates this time. You need to be in charge of what comes next.¡± Lu Shan heard this, and his heart sank. ¡°I understand!¡± Lu Shan then looked up and rapidly surveyed his surroundings. He realized that the casualty rate was even more serious than he had thought. He became even more solemn. Dahuang Swamp is dangerous, but it has become much better ever since Mu Qinghe brought troops to settle the rebels. Logically speaking, such a situation shouldn¡¯t happen. However, he didn¡¯t dare to ask further as he acted according to Mu Qinghe¡¯s instructions. The other disciples also weren¡¯t in any better condition even though they were different from the Black Guards. The Black Guards were an army, so their job was to obey their superiors. However, the clans didn¡¯t completely listen to the Tianling royal family. They respected the Tianling royal family, and at the same time, the Tianling royal family also gave them the same respect. Without a doubt, all those that could enter these clans were all talents. Besides, those who were selected to go to Dahuang Swamp were picked out of hundreds of people, and they were extremely outstanding. Now, some of them were injured, and others were dead. To the respective clans, this was a huge loss. ¡°Why are there only three people left from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect? Wasn¡¯t there ten of them when they went? They suffered the most, right?¡± ¡°All the other clans have their own deaths and injuries, but none are like them¡­¡± ¡°I think¡­ Wait, where are the people from Chong Xu Cabinet? Why didn¡¯t they appear?¡± Once this was said, the crowd fell silent. Countless eyes scanned across the scene, but they didn¡¯t see a single shadow of anyone from Chong Xu Cabinet. Only three people from Chong Xu Cabinet went, and with Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s recent fame, they attracted even more attention. But now, none of them appeared. ¡°Did everyone from Chong Xu Cabinet¡­¡± Among the crowd, someone said that softly. This person didn¡¯t finish their sentence, but everyone knew what it meant. The crowd¡¯s expressions became complicated and strange, and their gazes were different. Chong Xu Cabinet finally recruited two top elites with much difficulty. Did they really just die like that? Chong Xu Cabinet without Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou will definitely be in an even more perilous situation than before! ¡­ Chun Feng Restaurant. Inside the private room, Shui Liu¡¯er and Jian Fengchi were sitting opposite each other by the window. Shui Liu¡¯er held the pipa but didn¡¯t play it as she looked at Jian Fengchi and asked, ¡°So this means everything happened smoothly?¡± ¡°With me personally taking action, it naturally won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Jian Fengchi lay against the back of the chair lazily, and his brows were slightly raised with unconcealable delight and arrogance. Shui Liu¡¯er chuckled. ¡°Without the two of them in Xi Ling, it¡¯s naturally much more convenient for you to take action.¡± Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t deny it. His father pressed him to go to Dahuang Swamp back then, but he refused no matter what. He wanted to stay in Xi Ling just for this. ¡°No matter what, the situation is finally progressing steadily. Next, we¡ª¡± Bustling noises were suddenly heard from the streets outside the window. Jian Fengchi immediately kept quiet. Shui Liu¡¯er opened the windows and looked down. Shock then flashed across her face. ¡°Black Guards?¡± Jian Fengchi felt that something was amiss and looked down as well. He immediately knitted his brows. ¡°Why¡­ Shangguan Wan is actually back?!¡± On that wide street, Black Guards lined the sides as a few figures walked in the middle. Even though the one at the front was wearing a hood and covered her face with a mask, Jian Fengchi still recognized that it was Shangguan Wan at first glance! Standing beside her was Jiang Yucheng. A few other people who served them were walking behind, and they left an adequate distance between. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they only come back after a month or so? Why did they¡ª¡± said Shui Liu¡¯er in confusion. Jian Fengchi squinted his eyes. ¡°After coming back from finding herbs for His Majesty, she should come back in honor and celebrate grandly. Why is she behaving so discreetly?¡± Then, he flicked his fingers. ¡°I want to see what exactly she is hiding behind that tight coverage!¡± Chapter 775 - Where’s Your Master? ¡°Hold on!¡± The moment Jian Fengchi moved, Shui Liu¡¯er immediately grabbed his wrist before his force could even fly out. With such a distraction, Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t send out his move, and he shot her a begrudging look. ¡°Little Liu¡¯er, why are you stopping me? Perhaps a shocking secret lies underneath the mask!¡± He understood Shangguan Wan too well. Shangguan Wan always emphasized her looks, and she liked to dress herself in a very perfect manner for the world to see and to garner praises. At all times, she had very high expectations for her makeup and accessories, not allowing any room for errors. Now, she actually wore a face mask for the first time and even a hoodie, covering herself up tightly. If nothing was wrong with her, that would be weird! It was obvious that she suddenly made the decision to come back since she hurriedly rushed home without informing them in advance. In such a situation, her actions were even more interesting. Shui Liu¡¯er glared at him and flung his wrist away. ¡°If I don¡¯t stop you, do you really plan on taking action and making it difficult for her openly? Do you think those Black Guards get paid for doing nothing? The moment you do something, they will come and look for you immediately!¡± Jian Fengchi coughed, retreated, and kindly smiled. ¡°I was just joking. Little Liu¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s not worth getting angry over someone like her, right?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er also knew that Jian Fengchi understood what to do at the right time, so she didn¡¯t speak further. Turning around to take a look, Shangguan Wan and the rest had quickly left. She was quite confused. ¡°They seem like they¡¯re in a hurry¡­ Are they in a rush to return to the palace?¡± Jian Fengchi touched his chin. ¡°I said there¡¯s a secret that can¡¯t be known under her mask. The palace is her territory, so she¡¯s naturally in a rush to go back. Heh, luckily I¡¯ve already done what I need to do.¡± If Shangguan Wan came back earlier, I might be in trouble. Thinking of this, Shui Liu¡¯er heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You did do this swiftly.¡± Jian Fengchi smiled flirtishly. ¡°Little Liu¡¯er, you always can¡¯t bear to praise me. This is a rare chance.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er couldn¡¯t be bothered with him as she changed the topic. ¡°Oh, yes. Since they¡¯re back, the main team should¡¯ve returned too.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes changed. This means that Mu Hongyu, Chu Liuyue, and the rest should be at the back. He looked outside again, but not many people followed after Shangguan Wan and the rest left. Just as the two of them were confused, a voice came from the windows. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? The few disciples from Chong Xu Cabinet all died in Dahuang Swamp!¡± ¡­ Inside the dark space, time trickled past bit by bit. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and completely focused on her cultivation, her aura continuously strengthening. The three people that were still waiting outside became anxious gradually. ¡°Time is about to be up. We need to hurry back!¡± said Diwu Zhangze finally. ¡°Nobody knows how much longer the girl will take!¡± Lan Xiao and Dugu Mobao actually noticed this. Lan Xiao was a little upset. ¡°But if we don¡¯t see the girl today, we have to wait another month.¡± The night of the red moon was only once a month. Dugu Mobao turned around to leave. ¡°If it¡¯s one month, then so be it. We¡¯ve already waited for a few years. Are you still scared of one month?¡± The other two saw his decisive manner and glanced at each other, seeing the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. He was always the one that stuck closest to girlie, yet he¡¯s willing to leave first? Diwu Zhangze followed him and asked, ¡°Do you really not want to wait for any longer?¡± Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°If we wait some more, can she see us?¡± Diwu Zhangze immediately lost his voice. Girlie is stuck inside, and she naturally can¡¯t see us. ¡°She¡¯s currently cultivating, so we should let her do it in peace¡­ As for meeting¡­ She¡¯s already here, so what¡¯s the difference if we see her earlier or later?¡± According to her current abilities, she definitely needs another month to take down the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed completely. What¡¯s the rush? ¡°Big Baby makes sense.¡± Lan Xiao nodded in agreement and followed him. ¡°Aiya, staying up late isn¡¯t good for the skin. I need to rush back and catch up on my beauty sleep.¡± The remaining two fell silent together. The next moment. ¡°Why would a half-dead person need to catch up on sleep?!¡± ¡°Lan Xiao, let me ask you again seriously: Do you have a problem?¡± Lan Xiao wallowed in his own self-pity and grumbled silently, thinking that these two people didn¡¯t know how to appreciate his beauty. ¡°What do you know? Girlie likes pretty things! Sigh, I can actually understand it too. The two of you¡ªone of you is old, and the other is young. No matter how hard you work, you can¡¯t be my match. Hence, what¡¯s there to fight?¡± Diwu Zhangze objectively reminded, ¡°Did you forget about Rong Xiu? You changed so many faces, but none of them can be compared to his.¡± Lan Xiao¡¯s beautiful imaginations were instantly shattered as he clenched his teeth and scolded, ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Speak of the devil!¡± Dugu Mobao suddenly sneered. Just as we were thinking about him, he came! His figure flashed across, and he rapidly rushed up. At this point, it was the last moment before the skies turned bright. The entire forest was in darkness. The light breeze passed through and quickly disappeared. ¡­ Not long later, Red Moon Desert. In the empty air, a black crack suddenly appeared. Then, a snow-white figure jumped out from within. Xue Xue shook its body, and some snowflakes dropped down. Under the reflection of the red moonlight, it shot out faint light. Xue Xue surveyed its surroundings, wiggled its nose, and started to find Chu Liuyue¡¯s traces. I think she¡¯s¡ª Sha sha! At this point, a strange sound was suddenly heard from below. Xue Xue looked down. It saw that something seemed to be moving under the sand balls that kept rising. It blinked, and as if it suddenly thought of something, it looked up! A red moon hung high in the black sky. Horror flashed across Xue Xue¡¯s eyes, and it turned around to run without hesitation! It¡¯s too much of a coincidence! But before it could run out, a gentle voice sounded by its ear. ¡°Little Xue Hua, long time no see. Where are you running to?¡± Xue Xue didn¡¯t even turn around and moved its paws even quicker. However, not only did it not proceed forward, but its body also kept moving backward and toward the ground. Just as it was pressed onto the cold sand ground, Xue Xue finally realized that it was too naive. It swiftly and decisively lay down obediently. It also wagged its tail to show its happiness. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you in a few years, Little Xue Hua. You¡¯ve really become increasingly smart¡­¡± That voice sounded even closer as if it was right beside its ear. Xue Xue stiffened its body and didn¡¯t dare to move as it let out a low whimper. Its ice-blue eyes were watery, and it looked very adorable and obedient. He who understands the times is a wise man! The next moment, a baby-like voice coldly sounded. ¡°Where¡¯s your master?¡± ¡­ Chapter 776 - Scapegoat ¡°Where¡¯s your master?¡± Once this question was asked, Xue Xue was dazed for a moment and then quickly reacted. In its mind, the master¡¯s calm and nonchalant gaze immediately appeared. Xue Xue slowly widened its eyes. No wonder! No wonder Master suddenly allowed me to come when he previously refused all the while! I really naively thought that it was because I¡¯ve been working hard on my cultivation and strengthened my capabilities! I didn¡¯t expect¡ª I was sold out by Master! Master must¡¯ve long known that it¡¯s the night of the red moon, so he purposely allowed me to come! It also clearly looks like these few people aren¡¯t in a good mood. This is the reason why Master let me come first?! Xue Xue¡¯s heart ached, and it regretted it more than ever as it secretly thought to itself, I was really stupid back then to make an agreement with him. So what if I¡¯m a legendary fiend? Wasn¡¯t I betrayed all the same? Xue Xue lowered its head in defeat and looked like it had nothing to live for. Seeing its expression, what else did Dugu Mobao not understand? He couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°He¡¯s so decisive to send you over and let you get punished for him?¡± Lan Xiao touched his face, and his voice became increasingly gentle. ¡°What¡¯s the use of looking too good? His heart is too black. The girl is blind to like him.¡± Dugu Mobao kept quiet for a moment, and his voice became colder. ¡°Who are you cursing to be blind?¡± Lan Xiao: ¡°¡­What did I say? I didn¡¯t say anything. Diwu, Little Xue Hua is quite pitiful, and it has become his scapegoat several times. You should go easier on it this time.¡± Diwu Zhangze softly said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s up to me?¡± Who can stop Dugu Mobao from doing what he wants? Hearing Lan Xiao putting in a word for it, Xue Xue initially thought that it had a chance of survival. However, Diwu Zhangze¡¯s words completely caused it to be void of hope. The fiend pitifully lowered its head, and its large head stuck to its paws in a very uneasy manner. After a moment, Dugu Mobao said, ¡°Come over.¡± ¡­ Mystic Forest. A long night had passed. A bright layer of light gradually shone in the skies, and there was a hint of gold in the clouds. This made the originally cold and miserable Mystic Forest much warmer. However, the moods of the people in the forest didn¡¯t improve as a result. This was because the mother tree in front of them still didn¡¯t move. Also, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere, not even giving a hint of coming out. Even Qin Yi didn¡¯t know how long they had to wait. At this moment, they still had no idea about what was happening at Mirror Lake and Red Moon Desert. ¡­ Xi Ling. After the Black Guards sent Shangguan Wan, Jiang Yucheng, and the rest back, somebody said that sentence¡ªwhich immediately caused a commotion in the entire street. ¡°Is that true? Only three disciples from Chong Xu Cabinet went, and among them were Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou. Logically speaking, they should have no problems with protecting themselves. Why did they all die? Where did your news come from?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! When the Third Princess and the rest came back, I was at Ping Liang Square! The Black Guards and the disciples all came back, but nobody from Chong Xu Cabinet appeared. If they¡¯re not dead, then what are they?¡± ¡°I saw it too! They really didn¡¯t come back!¡± ¡°T-this is impossible! So many people weaker than them came back alive, but they¡­¡± ¡°Who can predict these things accurately? Three to four hundred of the Black Guards even died! Those three disciples from Chong Xu Cabinet must¡¯ve traveled together, so they all went down on the same boat¡­ This time, Chong Xu Cabinet has really suffered a great loss!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! They just got a little better¡­ And Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwhat a pity!¡± Just as the crowd partook in heated discussions, a figure suddenly jumped down from above and directly went to the few people talking in front. He grabbed the very first man who spoke by the collar. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± The man talking didn¡¯t pay attention and was suddenly grabbed by someone. His collar was held up tightly, and he couldn¡¯t even breathe. ¡°Who are¡ª¡± The man¡¯s blood boiled, and he was about to scold instinctively. But upon taking a closer look, he was taken aback. ¡°Young Master Jian?!¡± Quite a few people in Xi Ling City still recognized Jian Fengchi¡¯s face. ¡°Y-Young Master Jian, let¡¯s talk without using our hands!¡± Jian Fengchi stared at him closely and said his words properly: ¡°I¡¯m asking you¡ªwho did you just say died?!¡± That man panicked and was terrified that Jian Fengchi would use his force to break his neck, so he hurriedly said, ¡°T-the few people from Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ I¡¯m not too sure either, Young Master Jian. Please spare me! Everyone from the clans has returned now. I-if you want to know, you can go and ask them¡­¡± Jian Fengchi pushed him away, went on his toes, and rapidly went in the direction of Ping Liang Square. Judging from the time, there should be quite a few people who hadn¡¯t walked far away from Ping Liang Square. The man who was pushed away got up with much difficulty, and he looked in the direction Jian Fengchi left with lingering fears. The crowd at the side became much quieter because of this. Someone couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Something happened to Chong Xu Cabinet, but why does Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s young master care so much about it?¡± ¡°I heard that Dragon Teeth Mountain and Chong Xu Cabinet are on quite good terms¡­ I wonder what the reaction will be like if the people from Chong Xu Cabinet hear of this¡­¡± Upstairs, Shui Liu¡¯er looked out from her window. Jian Fengchi¡¯s figure quickly disappeared from sight. She slightly knitted her sharp brows. I¡¯m afraid¡­ This is going to be a big commotion¡­ ¡­ Jian Fengchi acted very quickly and bumped into Zhu Hong and the rest, who were returning in no time. At first glance, the few of them were injured, and their auras were weak. Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Zhu Hong!¡± Zhu Hong looked up. ¡°Young Master?!¡± Jian Fengchi quickly reached the few of them and hurriedly asked, ¡°What happened to Chong Xu Cabinet?!¡± Chapter 777 - Injury Scars Seeing his anxious look, Zhu Hong hurriedly said, ¡°Young Master, calm down first. Regarding Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡± Seeing Zhu Hong¡¯s reaction, Jian Fengchi felt slightly more at ease. Perhaps things are different from what the rumors say. Zhu Hong took a deep breath in. ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s go back first before we talk. It¡¯s not convenient here.¡± If they talked on the streets, anything they said could be distorted by someone with an ulterior motive. Even though Jian Fengchi was anxious, he could only calm himself down. His gaze then swept past the few of them, and he slightly knitted his brows. ¡°Where¡¯s Hongyu?¡± Zhu Hong pressed his lips against each other. ¡°She¡¯s with the few people from Chong Xu Cabinet.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart harshly sank! Seeing his amiss expression, Zhu Hong hurriedly added, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t worry first. They¡¯re still doing well.¡± Jian Fengchi became increasingly confused. Chu Liuyue, Mu Hongyu, and the rest didn¡¯t return with the main team, but Zhu Hong said that they¡¯re doing fine. What exactly happened in between? Countless questions surfaced in his heart, but Jian Fengchi still pressed them down and scrutinized his fellow disciples. The few of them are injured to varying extents. Zhu Hong is still fine, but the others look like they can¡¯t stand straight. ¡°Go back to Dragon Teeth Mountain.¡± ¡­ Dragon Teeth Mountain. When the few injured people came back, they were immediately sent for treatment. Only Zhu Hong was left as his body was pretty fine, and he was also the leader. Thus. he naturally had to stay. After they returned to the mountain, Jian Shuye also immediately rushed over when he heard the news. Zhu Hong explained the entire incident to Jian Shuye and Jian Fengchi in detail. ¡°¡­This time, it¡¯s all thanks to Ms. Chu and the others¡¯ help that we can come back in one piece. If not¡­ the consequences are unimaginable!¡± Then, the room fell into silence. The father-son duo looked extra grave. After a while, Jian Shuye said, ¡°So Chu Liuyue currently can¡¯t be found, and the remaining few people are still in the Mystic Forest searching for her whereabouts?¡± Zhu Hong nodded. ¡°We originally wanted to stay behind and help as well, but considering that we¡¯re all injured, we probably won¡¯t be able to help if we stayed. We might even become their burden. Hence, we still decided to come back with the main team in the end.¡± Jian Shuye sighed deeply. ¡°That¡¯s right. You should do that.¡± Unless the person was an elite, anyone would possibly be someone else¡¯s trouble in a place like Dahuang Swamp, let alone the few of them that were injured. Jian Fengchi suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re saying that from the beginning, Hongyu already went with Chu Liuyue and the rest?¡± ¡°Yes. Back then, the few of them first went into the forest depths and coincidentally avoided that accident. This was also why the few of them weren¡¯t injured when we saw them again.¡± Jian Fengchi felt very conflicted. Mu Hongyu and Chu Liuyue are on good terms, and it¡¯s natural that they¡¯d journey together. But I wonder how¡­ ¡°Master, Young Master, don¡¯t worry. With Qin Yi and Lei Laosi around, nothing much should happen to Hongyu and the rest.¡± Zhu Hong was actually worried too, but he could only place his hopes with Qin Yi and the rest now. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ He didn¡¯t dare to mention her again. The chances of her surviving were actually very, very low. Jian Shuye suddenly asked, ¡°The Qin Yi and Lei Laosi you mentioned¡­ Who exactly are they? They really stayed in the Mystic Forest the whole while and guarded that legendary fiend?¡± Zhu Hong explained, ¡°The both of them are actually very strong. Even in the entire Tianling Dynasty, they can definitely be considered as top elites. However, none of us recognize them. But they did look like they had stayed in the Mystic Forest for an extended period of time. As for the one they were guarding¡­ To be accurate, it was a¡­ Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Later, it successfully broke through and finally became a red-tailed phoenix.¡± ¡°Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant?¡± uttered the father-son duo in shock at the same time. Isn¡¯t it the same as the fiend that Princess had once made an agreement with? If it were any other ninth-grade fiends, we definitely wouldn¡¯t have such a big reaction. However, it was actually a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant! For a moment, the few of them didn¡¯t speak. After a while, Jian Fengchi softly muttered, ¡°What a coincidence¡­ Liuyue actually made an agreement with that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡­ Oh, no¡ªred-tailed phoenix.¡± Chu Liuyue originally looked like the Princess. Now that she¡¯s made an agreement with this fiend, it makes one¡¯s imagination run wild. It¡¯s a pity that she¡¯s missing now, and nobody knows if they can find her. If she really comes back in the end, she will definitely be put in a difficult spot by Shangguan Wan. Thinking of Shangguan Wan, Jian Fengchi suddenly perked up. ¡°Oh, right, what happened to Shang¡­ Third Princess?¡± Zhu Hong was dazed for a moment as if he wasn¡¯t very sure about what Jian Fengchi was asking. Jian Fengchi changed his way of asking. ¡°Is there something wrong with her body or her face?¡± Zhu Hong shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this.¡± Back then, Jiang Yucheng, Mu Qinghe, and the rest were the closest to Shangguan Wan. Additionally, she quickly covered herself tightly afterward, so even fewer people saw the wounds on her face. Zhu Hong and the rest were focused on Mu Hongyu, Chu Liuyue, and the rest, so they naturally knew nothing about this. Knock, knock¡­ A knocking sound was heard. ¡°Master, the Third Princess summons the people from all the clans and aristocratic families to enter the palace and discuss important matters. The people from the palace are already waiting outside.¡± Jian Shuye stood up. ¡°Zhu Hong, you should go back and rest first too. As for Hongyu and the rest, don¡¯t be overly worried about it. She¡¯s my disciple. If anything happens to her, there¡¯s still me as her mentor!¡± Hearing him say this, Zhu Hong instantly heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like Master has his own plans. ¡°I¡¯ll enter the palace to see what¡¯s going on first. Fengchi, make a trip to Chong Xu Cabinet and tell them not to worry first. At this point, I wonder how the rumors have spread outside.¡± Actually, Jian Fengchi wanted to enter the palace, but he changed his mind after hearing this. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Jian Shuye turned around to leave. Not long later, Jian Fengchi went to Chong Xu Cabinet. ¡­ Just like Jian Shuye had said, all sorts of news had spread all across Xi Ling City in a short period of time. The sudden return of Shangguan Wan and the rest had already stunned the crowd. Additionally, the series of actions after they came back was all very weird, so it attracted even more guesses. The news of nobody from Chong Xu Cabinet returning seemed to have grown a pair of wings as countless people heard about it. In the open and in the dark, everyone¡¯s reactions were different. When Jian Fengchi rushed to Chong Xu Cabinet, Weichi Song had already entered the palace with the staff. ¡­ Tianling Imperial Palace. Shangguan Wan returned to Huayang Palace and chased everyone out. She took off her hood, sat in front of the copper mirror, and carefully removed her mask. A face that was badly mangled and filled with injuries appeared in the mirror. Shangguan Wan stared at the face in the mirror, and her blood boiled. Recalling that she still had to meet those people later, she suppressed her rage and took out a box of cream from her drawer. She then meticulously applied it to her face. The moment the cream touched her face, she felt a wave of scorching pain! She couldn¡¯t help but yell out in pain. ¡°Ah!!!¡± Chapter 778 - You Want to Cry at the Grave? Chapter 778: You Want to Cry at the Grave? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing her screams, Chan Yi¡ªwho was waiting outside¡ªwas taken aback and immediately asked, ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come in!¡± yelled Shangguan Wan immediately. ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Chan Yi hurriedly agreed and slightly knitted her brows. When Her Highness came back, she hid herself very tightly. I had already guessed something in my heart then, and now, it seems like it should be true¡­ Why did she suddenly become like this after one trip to Dahuang Swamp? Chan Yi looked up and had a cold and stern gaze as she turned to the palace maids standing in the courtyard. When the crowd heard Shangguan Wan¡¯s scream, they knew that it wasn¡¯t good. Noticing Chan Yi¡¯s dangerous gaze, all of them looked down and didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly. ¡°You all are dismissed.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hearing this, the crowd hurriedly left as if they had been saved. After they all left, Chan Yi looked at the tightly shut door once again. ¡­ The excruciating burn made Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind blank out. She hurriedly glanced at the copper mirror and saw that her face¡ªwhich she had just applied cream to¡ªhad some tinge of black to it. It looked like it was burned by something! The skin that turned over seemed to be burned by fire as it curled up slightly and was even a little black. Even though there was only that one piece, it was already very obvious! It turned out that the pain I felt just now was really because I was burned! Shangguan Wan was stunned. Wh-what exactly is going on?! The cream is clearly a premium item that can heal scars and wounds. Why did it become like this? She hurriedly looked at the jar in her hands. It¡¯s right! It¡¯s this cream! It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t use it before. Sometimes, she would always quickly recover when she used this after falling or hitting something and a scar was left behind. However¡­. Shangguan Wan threw the cream aside and brought the copper mirror closer to check on her wounds, her heart filled with worry. In order to retrieve the Dancing Lotus quickly, she immediately gathered everyone from the clans and aristocratic families once she came back. She originally wanted to use the cream to let her wound recover slightly so that she could meet other people. However, she didn¡¯t expect that not only did she not recover, but she even ended up in this state! Shangguan Wan was terrified as her body trembled slightly, and her lips paled. If I really can¡¯t recover my looks¡­ I don¡¯t dare to use the cream anymore, but what else can I do? In this way, Shangguan Wan sat in front of the mirror in conflict and pain for a very long time¡ª Until Chan Yi knocked on the door again. ¡°Your Highness, the clan heads and masters are reaching Minghua Palace soon. Do you¡­ want me to help you get ready?¡± Shangguan Wan suddenly recovered her senses and realized that she didn¡¯t do anything during this long period of time. If other people see my current defeated state, nobody knows how they will mock me. She gritted her teeth. ¡°No, I will go to the spa.¡± There was hot spring water that was specifically brought over into Huayang Palace. ¡°Yes.¡± Chan Yi didn¡¯t dare to ask further as she respectfully agreed. Shangguan Wan walked to the back, opened the side gate, and entered the place used for hot water baths. ¡­ Jiang Yucheng followed Shangguan Wan into the palace, but he also knew that the latter didn¡¯t want to see anyone with that face. Hence, he left Huayang Palace after giving instructions on a few things. After that, he directly went to Qingfeng Palace. After leaving for so long, he cared most about His Majesty¡¯s current condition. Arriving at Qingfeng Palace, the security was very tight. Seeing him arrive, the palace servants bowed in unison. ¡°Greetings, Prince Consort.¡± Since Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan had already settled on their wedding date, this was how the crowd addressed them. Jiang Yucheng nodded. He asked as he walked in, ¡°During this period of time, did His Majesty show any signs of waking up?¡± The palace servants shook their heads together. This was originally within Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expectations, but he was still quite disappointed when he heard this. Everything was clearly done meticulously. Even if we poisoned him too much back then, he should¡¯ve woken up after such a long time of recuperating. However, His Majesty still doesn¡¯t show any changes. This made him even more frustrated. When Jiang Yucheng wanted to go in to take a closer look, the palace servants outside reported that the crowd was already gradually arriving, and they invited him to go over. Helpless, Jiang Yucheng could only retract the hand that was about to open the door as he instructed the crowd to take good care of His Majesty. He then turned around to leave. Peace resumed in Qingfeng Palace once again. Within the room, Shangguan You¡ªwho had been unconscious for a long time¡ªmoved his fingers slightly. ¡­ Minghua Palace. The leaders of all the clans were once again gathered here. Other than them, the family heads of the aristocratic families in Xi Ling City had also arrived. The crowd sat at both sides respectively as they asked about each other, but they all had their own thoughts. This kind of formation was considered big. Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t appear for the entire while, and discussions gradually sounded within the hall. ¡°The Third Princess suddenly brought people back from Dahuang Swamp and even gathered so many people here. Something must¡¯ve happened¡­¡± ¡°I heard that during this Dahuang Swamp journey, we lost a lot of men! Close to 400 Black Guards alone lost their lives!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing! Many of the clan disciples were injured too! Did you see how terrible Purple Xiao Sword Sect¡¯s Song Luan looked? They went with ten people, but only three came back alive¡­ They should be the most miserable one, right?¡± Even though everyone talked with hushed voices, everyone present was basically an elite, so they could still hear it. Song Luan had indeed heard of the news earlier, and he still hadn¡¯t recovered until now. He sat on his seat, and his face turned green as he clenched his hands tightly, with the veins popping out. However, he still endured it. Those who can come here have pretty high statuses. If I have a choice, I¡¯m not willing to offend anyone. At this point, the announcement sounded again. ¡°Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master Weichi is here¡ª¡± The hall instantly quietened down as everyone looked over with various gazes. They knew all about the news in Xi Ling City the best, so they naturally heard that none of the three Chong Xu Cabinet disciples had returned. This basically meant that they all died in Dahuang Swamp. Not long before, Chong Xu Cabinet was still in the limelight and saved their position as the four biggest clans. The crowd all thought that Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s situation would turn for the better with Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou. They didn¡¯t expect that with a mere Dahuang Swamp trip, they were all gone. This undoubtedly had a great impact on Chong Xu Cabinet! But out of everyone¡¯s expectations, Weichi Song looked very calm as if he wasn¡¯t in pain from losing his disciple. Welcoming the crowd¡¯s gazes, Weichi Song walked in directly and briefly greeted the crowd before sitting down on his seat. Seeing his nonchalant manner, the crowd didn¡¯t know how to react. Could it be¡­ that he still doesn¡¯t know something has happened? Song Luan was in a bad mood, so he couldn¡¯t help but speak weirdly. ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, I heard that none of the three disciples you sent to Dahuang Swamp came back? My condolences!¡± Then, the air around seemed to freeze! Weichi Song looked up and calmly and coldly glanced at Song Luan. ¡°Why? Do you want to cry at the grave?¡± Chapter 779 - Change This sentence stumped Song Luan! His face flashed white, green, and then red, and his change of expression was amazing! He suddenly stood up and angrily said, ¡°What did you say?¡± He was originally already very frustrated. Hearing this, how could he hold himself back? He was instantly ignited, and he exploded! However, Weichi Song still had a calm expression. ¡°Everyone present should¡¯ve heard what I said clearly. Why are you the only one who didn¡¯t hear it? Could it be that your ears aren¡¯t working anymore?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°It seems like your ears are the same as your mouth¡ªthey¡¯re just for decoration. It¡¯s fine if you just throw them away.¡± Weichi Song¡¯s simple words scolded Song Luan to no end. The audience was dumbfounded. Weichi Song has always been a respected character and did everything in a very discreet manner. This was even more so after Chong Xu Cabinet was continuously impacted more than a year ago. The entire Chong Xu Cabinet became transparent, and this was also the reason why many people gradually disregarded Chong Xu Cabinet. They originally thought that the Chu Liuyue trio¡¯s deaths would have a grave impact on Weichi Song and the rest. Some even suspected that he wouldn¡¯t come to the palace. However, they didn¡¯t expect that not only did he come, but he was also very authoritative! How many people in the entire Xi Ling City dared to talk to Song Luan in this manner? Quite a few people exchanged glances, and they saw the shock in the other party¡¯s eyes. Could it be that¡­ he suffered too heavy a blow? Weichi Song sat on his seat and allowed the countless gazes to scrutinize him as he stayed motionless like a mountain. Why wouldn¡¯t I know about the life or death of my own disciples? Those three kids just didn¡¯t come back with Shangguan Wan and the rest, and I know very clearly that they¡¯re still fine. However, I have no plans to spread this news. Coming here, he knew that someone would definitely bring this up and cause trouble for Chong Xu Cabinet. If they said something else, he would turn a blind eye to it and would be too lazy to calculate it against them. However, Song Luan had to say that about those three kids and even cursed that they were dead. How could he take this lying down? Song Luan was mocked until he was confused. In his memory, Weichi Song had never been this rude to anyone. He was so angry that he laughed and coldly mocked, ¡°Hah! Cabinet Master Weichi, we¡¯re all the four biggest clans, and I was just being concerned about you. Isn¡¯t it beneath you to talk in this manner?¡± Weichi Song glanced at him as if he were looking at a joke. ¡°I heard that seven outstanding disciples from Purple Xiao Sword Sect have died. I didn¡¯t expect that you, Master Song, still have the leisure to care about our Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Song Luan was stumped, and he couldn¡¯t say anything. They did have seven disciples that died. Other than his own son¡ªSong Qingnian, whose condition was still decent¡ªthe remaining two out of the surviving three suffered from severe injuries. This would very likely affect their future cultivation. One could almost say that their entire team went down! One had to know that those who went to Dahuang Swamp this time were all the most outstanding disciples from the Purple Xiao Sword Sect. Now, they had to spend another two to three years recovering from this loss! At this point, Jian Shuye suddenly spoke from the side. ¡°I heard that Chu Liuyue helped quite a few people in the Mystic Forest. Not only my Dragon Teeth Mountain disciples, but the other clans also received her help more or less, right?¡± He spoke as he glanced at Song Luan and purposely asked, ¡°Song Luan, it seems like your precious son was also saved by them, right?¡± Song Luan immediately retorted, ¡°Impossible! That didn¡¯t happen!¡± Jian Shuye looked shocked as he turned to the people beside him. ¡°Oh? May I know if anyone present heard about this?¡± The entire hall fell into an eerie silence. Everyone had a different expression. Song Luan sneered continuously. ¡°I know Chu Liuyue is capable, but it¡¯s hard to even protect herself with her bit of skills, let alone help other people. And even so many? Jian Shuye, you¡¯re being ridiculous!¡± Then, someone suddenly spoke. ¡°Dragon Teeth Mountain Master is right. My disciples were indeed saved by Chu Liuyue and the rest.¡± Song Luan immediately knitted his brows and looked over, realizing that the one who spoke was Sheng Yan Harem¡¯s master. He chuckled and was about to mock them when someone beside him said, ¡°My Tian Ji Residence¡¯s disciples did bring this up when they came back.¡± Song Luan¡¯s expression froze. It¡¯s fine if Jian Shuye said it on his own, but the crowd is admitting to it gradually? All the other clans kept quiet, and they clearly didn¡¯t intend to retaliate. This stunned the family heads sitting opposite them. As they weren¡¯t very involved in this matter, they didn¡¯t know much. They previously knew that many had died during the Dahuang Swamp journey, but they didn¡¯t expect that this had happened. Jian Shuye stroked his chin and broke the peace. ¡°Song Luan, it seems like your precious son didn¡¯t tell you on purpose, right? Then, he also wouldn¡¯t have said that the Yang Qin¡¯er from your clan chose to self-destruct because she was detected to have problems, right? I heard she almost harmed quite a few people back then.¡± Song Luan suddenly looked up and was shocked. I really didn¡¯t know! After Song Qingnian and the other two disciples returned, he immediately rushed over to look at them. Those two severely injured ones were quickly sent for treatment, and Song Qingnian didn¡¯t say much. He only said that he was very tired and wanted to rest. Song Luan couldn¡¯t even dote on him in time, and he was only glad that his son was still alive. What other things could he care about? He quickly reacted, and his voice was stern. ¡°Dragon Teeth Mountain Master, you can¡¯t say these kinds of things freely!¡± At this moment, a voice was suddenly heard from far away. ¡°Whatever he said is true.¡± The crowd turned around and saw Jiang Yucheng arrive. Nobody announced his arrival, and they didn¡¯t know how much he heard outside. Jiang Yucheng walked into the hall, and everyone gradually kept quiet. Song Luan became nervous. Jiang Yucheng was present then, and his identity is special. Since he already said this¡­ He hurriedly retracted his gaze. ¡°After Qingnian came back, he looked dispirited. Hence, I told him to rest and didn¡¯t understand the situation further¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng lightly shook his head. He actually didn¡¯t care much about these things; his attention was mostly on Weichi Song. Before he came, he coincidentally saw Weichi Song stepping in, and he heard Song Luan¡¯s mockeries. He decisively wanted to listen for a while. What made him feel strange was that Weichi Song looked like he knew that Chu Liuyue and the rest hadn¡¯t come back, but he didn¡¯t look too sorrowful. It¡¯s fine for Qiang Wanzhou and the rest. Perhaps Weichi Song knows that they¡¯re just searching for someone in the Mystic Forest. But Chu Liuyue¡­ She¡¯s dead. Weichi Song shouldn¡¯t have this reaction¡­ ¡°Prince Consort!¡± This anxious shout attracted the crowd¡¯s attention. The crowd looked up together. A figure was seen quickly entering from outside the hall. Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows. The person who came was Chan Yi. Why isn¡¯t Shangguan Wan here? He walked over, and before he could say anything, Chan Yi said, ¡°Prince Consort, something happened to the Third Princess suddenly. May I trouble you to make a trip to Huayang Palace?¡± Chapter 780 - You Want this Too Chapter 780: You Want this Too Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Once she said this, the crowd was stunned. Everyone present was invited by Shangguan Wan. Now that everyone is here, she didn¡¯t come and called Jiang Yucheng over instead. What exactly is going on? Something cropped up. What could crop up that can make her give up on everyone here and invite Jiang Yucheng alone away? Even if he is the Prince Consort and has an extraordinary status, this still seems rather inappropriate, right? The people present are all reputable in the Tianling Dynasty. The crowd exchanged glances and didn¡¯t look too good. Jiang Yucheng also felt it was very strange and secretly knitted his brows. No matter how unreasonable Shangguan Wan is, she wouldn¡¯t dare to mess around at this time. Any single person here isn¡¯t someone she can easily offend. Even His Majesty has to be extra courteous to the people here, let alone Shangguan Wan. If she didn¡¯t become crazy, something must¡¯ve really happened. He glanced at Chan Yi and discovered that even though the latter was looking down, her face was tense. She also looked anxious. His heart sank, and he turned around to look at the crowd. ¡°Everyone, sorry to trouble you, but please wait for a moment. We¡¯ll be right back.¡± Even though the crowd was upset, they wouldn¡¯t directly show it and very kindly let him go. Jiang Yucheng knew that they had offended the crowd this time, but the situation was urgent. He didn¡¯t have much of a choice. He turned toward the direction of Huayang Palace, and Chan Yi quickly followed him. After the duo left, the hall fell silent again. The crowd didn¡¯t really talk, but many of them were upset. Shangguan Wan hasn¡¯t even officially ascended the throne, yet she¡¯s so daring to let so many people wait for her alone. The time has reached, yet she doesn¡¯t want to appear and even called Jiang Yucheng away, leaving everyone here. In the past, no matter if it were His Majesty or the Princess, they would never do such rude things. The people from aristocratic families were still okay with it, but the few clans¡¯ masters were especially unhappy. During the Dahuang Swamp journey, their clans had lost a severe portion of their disciples. They originally wanted to ask Shangguan Wan for an explanation, but who knew she wouldn¡¯t even be willing to show herself. The low and solemn atmosphere spread around the hall. ¡­ Jiang Yucheng and Chan Yi walked quickly. When they reached Huayang Palace, the former discovered that this place was heavily guarded. Jiang Yucheng became increasingly uneasy and walked toward the main hall. Reaching the entrance, Chan Yi stopped. ¡°Prince Consort, the Third Princess said that she¡¯d only allow you to enter.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded in frustration and pushed open the door to enter. The moment he walked in, Chan Yi closed the door. Jiang Yucheng froze. What exactly happened that caused the security in Huayang Palace to be so tight? ¡°Wan¡¯er?¡± he called, but nobody answered. He then surveyed his surroundings but didn¡¯t see Shangguan Wan anywhere. However, he saw a broken box of cream by the copper mirror. He paused for a moment and continued to walk in. If she isn¡¯t here, then she should be in the spa area. The moment he reached the door and was hesitating whether he should enter to find her, he heard a painful moan from inside. It was weak and suppressed, with a tinge of deep horror¡ªit was Shangguan Wan! Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t pause any longer and directly pushed open the door to enter. ¡­ The moment he walked in, the hot and humid air swarmed toward him. This was a gigantic spa, and the mist surrounded everywhere, so he couldn¡¯t see anyone clearly. However, Jiang Yucheng came here before and knew where everything was. Through the thick mist, he vaguely saw a figure by the side of the water. ¡°Wan¡¯er, what¡¯s the matter?¡± He walked toward that person, but he smelled an intense bloody scent the moment he got close. The more important thing was that there was a slight rotting smell amidst the bloody scent. Jiang Yucheng was more familiar with this smell than ever. Isn¡¯t this the strange scent from the Mystic Forest? This smell was nauseating, but Jiang Yucheng suppressed his disgust and continued forward. Shangguan Wan was wearing two layers of thin clothes as she laid by the side of the water, her hands tightly holding the floor. Hearing Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice, she moved with much difficulty and said, ¡°Yucheng¡­¡± Her voice was hoarse and weak. Jiang Yucheng went forward and carefully held her shoulders. ¡°Wan¡¯er, why are you lying here? Everyone is waiting for you¡­¡± His voice suddenly stopped! That was because a pool of blood was near the water! ¡°Pui¡ª¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s body shook, and she vomited blood again! This didn¡¯t shock Jiang Yucheng the most. He scanned the surroundings and stunningly discovered that Shangguan Wan¡¯s exposed arm became much thinner than before. I didn¡¯t see her for half a day, yet her arms became thin to the bones! There¡¯s clearly something wrong! He was extremely shocked and was about to ask when he saw a faint green light flowing from the bottom of her skin, looking very strange. That light¡­ Isn¡¯t that light exactly the same as the one I saw in the Mystic Forest?! ¡°Wan¡¯er, what exactly is happening to your body?!¡± asked Jiang Yucheng anxiously. No wonder Shangguan Wan called me over so anxiously! This situation is indeed too strange! Shangguan Wan clutched the other¡¯s hands and hopelessly cried. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She just wanted to wash up in the beginning, but she discovered something wrong with her body not long later. The dark-green light surged throughout her body, and it started thinning at an observable speed. It was like her muscles and bones were being absorbed by this thing! Shangguan Wan had never seen such a scene and was scared to death. Seeing that things were getting out of hand, she could only get Chan Yi to call Jiang Yucheng over. ¡°Yucheng, you must help me. You must help me!¡± Shangguan Wan hugged his arm and cried in pain and horror as she begged him continuously. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes widened. The face of the current Shangguan Wan is completely ruined, and her body has thinned to an unpresentable state. Even hugging her feels extremely strange, and her entire person looks neither like a person or a ghost. If it weren¡¯t for my strong heart, I really would¡¯ve flung her away at the first instant. It felt like measles had grown at the place where Shangguan Wan clutched him tightly; it was very itchy and uncomfortable. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and asked, ¡°Did you use that mother tree in the Mystic Forest?¡± ¡­ Mystic Forest. The dark space was silent. Force surrounded Chu Liuyue, and she was clearly stronger than before. After digesting the absorbed force once again, Chu Liuyue gradually opened her eyes. Her gaze became much brighter and clearer, and her body was much lighter. Her entire body seemed to be filled with rich energy! Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but praise her. ¡°Liuyue, if you hang on for a while longer, you should be able to successfully break through to become an advanced stage-five warrior.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled delightfully before turning around and squinting her eyes. A dark-green light appeared from nowhere and went toward the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Chu Liuyue teased, ¡°Where did you get such mottled energy? You want that too?¡± Chapter 781 - Using That dark-green light stopped right in front of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. In that short period of time, it couldn¡¯t go forward nor move backward, being in a very awkward position. The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and cunningness flashed across her eyes. This is the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s God Realm, and everything is under its control. Judging from my previous experience, it can clearly absorb energy from the outside. The energy in the Mystic Forest has disappeared, but there is still Red Moon Desert and Mirror Lake on the sides. The combined energy from these two places will only be more than the Mystic Forest, not less. If it continues to persist and absorb the energy from outside, exceeding my absorption and digestion speed of its energy, it will be very disadvantageous for me. Besides, this ball of energy looks very messy, and I really despise it¡ªI would rather not have it. It¡¯s a waste for it to go with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Shangguan Jing coughed. I don¡¯t think anyone dares to talk to the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed like this¡­ The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed originally snatched the force on its own, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with it using it. But after what Chu Liuyue said, it suddenly became cheap for some reason. Even I feel that it¡¯s inappropriate. Indeed, that light disappeared with a bang after a temporary silence! Chu Liuyue nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± The lips of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor twitched. Sensing the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s dangerous aura, he was worried. This girl is really becoming daring because of the water curtain¡­ However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take this to heart as she turned around to look at the hourglass. It seems like a few months have passed, but it¡¯s actually only a few days for the people outside. I wonder how Hongyu, Little Zhou, and the rest are doing¡­ I¡¯ve been trapped here the entire time and cannot contact them. They should be very worried. If only someone could help me bring the news out¡­ Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled the voices she previously heard. One of them even clearly called my name. If those people could help¡­ Chu Liuyue looked up, but it was pitch black. She couldn¡¯t see nor hear anything. Those few voices didn¡¯t appear for a long time. She retracted her vision regretfully, and doubts flashed across her mind. I don¡¯t recall knowing such people, but they seem to be very close and familiar with me. She slightly pressed her lips against each other, vaguely feeling that she did forget some things. Even I don¡¯t exactly know which portion of my memory I forgot. This is because there are no missing parts of my memory in my mind. To her, her memory was complete. This caused a ripple in her heart. Also, who is the man in black by the cliff? ¡­ Red Moon Desert. The sun hung high up in the sky, and it was so bright that one couldn¡¯t open their eyes. The sand was burning hot as if it had been roasted by charcoal. The heatwaves spread everywhere, and the air even distorted a little because of the heat. There was no wind in the surroundings at all. In such a place, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that someone could become barbecued meat. In the spacious desert, there were no figures at all. But on the dunes that kept appearing, a burly figure quickly flashed across¡ªit was Xue Xue! If someone looked down from above, one could see that the dunes were arranged in an orderly manner. With the passing of time, the dunes also silently changed as if an invisible hand was controlling everything and changed the dunes¡¯ positions at will. And Xue Xue¡­ was running back and forth around the top of the dunes. According to what that person said, I must continuously run here. Every time, I can only leave behind a maximum of two paw prints on the dunes. This seemed simple, but it actually used up a lot of energy and strength. This was because the spacious Red Moon Desert was entirely in the other party¡¯s control. Within these few days, Xue Xue had already run quite a few rounds around the Red Moon Desert. Its originally snow-white fur was stained with a layer of yellow sand and became a dirty sand color. The extended running around exhausted Xue Xue. It looked up. There were no clouds in the sky, and the sun was shining down brightly. Dunes kept appearing in front of it! Even a legendary fiend couldn¡¯t endure such torture! ¡°You¡¯re too slow!¡± A baby-like voice suddenly sounded by its ears. Xue Xue was shocked and forcefully increased its speed again. It had no choice. Though the few of them could only come out during the night of a red moon, it was as easy as ABC for them to supervise it. Xue Xue felt bitter in its heart and regretted making an agreement with Rong Xiu for the 10,000th time. It then imagined leaving home for the 10,001st time. After I end the torture here, I¡¯ll never go back! I want to leave with Chu Liuyue! Wuwuwu, I really miss that warm embrace¡­ Xue Xue resigned itself to its fate and continued to run forward. ¡­ ¡°Big Baby, aren¡¯t you too harsh? Look at how you¡¯re tiring Little Xue Hua. Its thick fur is about to become wilted grass, tsk tsk,¡± said Lan Xiao with disdain. ¡°If you want to fault someone, it should be Rong Xiu. Why are you taking it out on Little Xue Hua?¡± Dugu Mobao sneered. ¡°Can¡¯t you guess why Rong Xiu sent it over? If I don¡¯t teach it a lesson, Rong Xiu will think that we can be bullied!¡± Lan Xiao thought for a moment. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t just let Rong Xiu go just because you already tortured Little Xue Hua. At that time, we¡¯ll teach him a lesson however you want.¡± Just don¡¯t let Little Xue Hua resolve his guilt. Diwu Zhangze slowly said, ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t you just dislike Rong Xiu? When he¡¯s here, can¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± Lan Xiao sighed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? If I touch Rong Xiu, will the girl let me off when she finds out? I¡¯m different from Big Baby.¡± ¡°Stupid pervert, nobody will think that you¡¯re a mute if you don¡¯t speak!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m a mute or not. What matters is that I look good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dugu Mobao suppressed his anger. ¡°Such a major thing happened to the girl, yet Rong Xiu didn¡¯t tell us about it. He¡¯s originally already at fault. Besides, he¡¯s going to raise that legendary fiend until it becomes useless. Do you really think he sent it over to ask for forgiveness? This kid is using us to train his fiend!¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu¡ªwho walked out of the palace¡ªsneezed again. Chapter 782 - Injury Tianling Imperial Palace, Huayang Palace. Shangguan Wan leaned against Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arms, holding his arms tightly as if she were clutching onto her final straw. ¡°¡­Yucheng, help me. Help me¡­ Only you can help me¡­¡± She kept puking blood out, and her voice was hopelessly hoarse. She looked dispirited like a harsh ghost. Jiang Yucheng had never seen Shangguan Wan in such a state. He suppressed the disgust in his heart and tried to push her away. However, Shangguan Wan held him tightly, and he couldn¡¯t just ignore her. Jiang Yucheng was worried that if he used too much force, it would greatly impact her again. Hence, he could only hold it in. Looking at the light flowing under Shangguan Wan¡¯s skin, he furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°What exactly have you offended?¡± He originally thought that after Shangguan Wan hid underground, she would only attack those people personally. However, he didn¡¯t expect that the latter would use those roots. Thinking of Yang Qin¡¯er¡ªwho self-destructed previously¡ªand the similar bloody smell of rot on her, his face turned cold. ¡°You attacked Yang Qin¡¯er long ago, right?¡± Shangguan Wan was very guilty and averted his gaze. ¡°I¡­ I just used some of her strength¡­ However, I also don¡¯t know what¡¯s with the roots¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng felt that Shangguan Wan was too stupid because she dealt with Yang Qin¡¯er in Xi Ling City. There are so many eyes on her in the dark and in the open! Once someone discovers it, she won¡¯t even be able to save her position as the Third Princess, let alone ascend the throne! But Yang Qin¡¯er is already dead now, and there isn¡¯t much meaning to pursue this matter. Once an outsider sees Shangguan Wan¡¯s current state, they will definitely recall Yang Qin¡¯er¡¯s appearance. So no matter what, we have to think of a way to solve Shangguan Wan¡¯s problem. Jiang Yucheng held his breath in as he stared at Shangguan Wan deeply. ¡°Sit up first. Pass me your hand.¡± Once Shangguan Wan heard this, her eyes instantly lit up. Then, she hurriedly struggled to sit up from his arms as she passed her hand over. Jiang Yucheng glanced at it and saw a hand that was thin to the bones¡ªeven with some blood stained on it, which smelled nauseating. Jiang Yucheng forced himself to hold it in as he stretched out his palms and gradually stuck it to Shangguan Wan¡¯s hand. After that, he circulated his surrounding force. There seemed to be a layer of black mist that gradually spread across his eyes, slowly infiltrating his eyes to become black. Even the sclera of the eye became an intense black color. At first glance, it looked like two dark holes¡ªit was a little terrifying. Force was slowly injected into Shangguan Wan¡¯s body. More than half of her Yuan meridian had been healed, so the transmission of force was rather successful. At this point, that ball of dark-green light had already flowed to her shoulders. Jiang Yucheng controlled his force and leaned in bit by bit. Shangguan Wan¡¯s face looked pained. The places where Jiang Yucheng¡¯s force went through seemed to be cut by a knife. If someone outside was watching, they would shockingly realize that the force Jiang Yucheng sent out was actually much stronger than his current cultivation level. Logically speaking, this definitely wasn¡¯t force he could release. However, Shangguan Wan seemed to have known about this earlier on, so she didn¡¯t look shocked and forcefully held in all the pain. When the force slowly reached Shangguan Wan¡¯s shoulders, it fought with the dark-green light and suddenly exploded. Boom! The explosion sound then made Shangguan Wan¡¯s body shake, and her muscles and blood flew everywhere from her shoulder area. ¡°Ah!¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t pay attention momentarily and was taken aback by this sudden change as horror and shock overwhelmed her heart. After a temporary daze, that excruciating pain then spread all over. The Third Princess was in so much pain that her face turned pale, and she almost fainted. Jiang Yucheng¡ªwho was standing near her¡ªwas also shocked. The explosion was too sudden, so he didn¡¯t even have time to react and avoid it. Thus, he was directly affected by the ferocious and violent aura. His chest shook, and a bloody taste surged up to his lips and teeth. However, he didn¡¯t care about his injuries as he immediately looked up. Shangguan Wan fell to the floor. Her left shoulder had completely rotten, becoming badly mangled. If it had been slightly tilted to the side, her entire arm might directly explode. That green light actually disappeared without a trace. Jiang Yucheng was badly affected, and his heart beat wildly. W-what exactly happened just now? Shangguan Wan¡¯s painful moan pulled Jiang Yucheng back from his thoughts. His chest was pressed down by the tumbling blood as he went toward Shangguan Wan. The Third Princess lay on the floor, covered in blood, but the force she absorbed earlier seemed to have restored a little. Her originally skeleton-like body gradually recovered. Even though she still slimmed down a lot compared to before, she looked much better than a bag of bones. Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind was completely blank as she looked at Jiang Yucheng in front of her. She opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t speak at all. Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows. Considering Shangguan Wan¡¯s current state, she can¡¯t go out to meet anyone no matter what. There are still so many people waiting outside Minghua Palace, and we can¡¯t afford to let them wait. He pulled out a jade bottle and poured out two pills. He used one and gave the other to Shangguan Wan. ¡°This is to circulate your blood and for you to recover¡ªtake it first. Also, with your current body condition, you can¡¯t go to Minghua Palace anymore. Later, I¡¯ll get Chan Yi to take care of you. Besides that, I¡¯ll also get Zuo Mingxi to look at your wounds. We mustn¡¯t leave behind any problems.¡± Shangguan Wan opened her mouth and begged him miserably with her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the situation at Minghua Palace. I¡¯ll say to the people outside that you were injured because you helped His Majesty retrieve some herbs, so you need to properly rest and recuperate now.¡± Within a short period of time, Jiang Yucheng had already made a decision. Shangguan Wan was hesitant but still nodded with much difficulty in agreement. She also understood that she could only do this considering her current condition. After that, Jiang Yucheng turned around to leave. Shangguan Wan closed her eyes hopelessly and angrily. I can clearly feel that more than half of the force I accumulated with much difficulty was used up after this torture. I just want to heal my Yuan meridian and become a strong warrior again. Why is it so difficult?! What is going on with that light?! ¡­ After Jiang Yucheng passed Shangguan Wan to Chan Yi, he returned to Huayang Palace. The crowd originally thought that Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng would come together, but they only saw Jiang Yucheng alone. Hence, they couldn¡¯t help but exchange glances filled with doubt. Jiang Yucheng walked to the crowd, and his gaze was worried and concerned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Third Princess can¡¯t come today. She was previously injured while helping His Majesty pick herbs, so she needs to lie in bed and rest for a few days. Everyone, I seek your understanding.¡± After a temporary silence, Jian Shuye asked, ¡°May I know what herb it was that could make the Third Princess risk her life to collect it?¡± Jiang Yucheng paused. ¡°Dancing Lotus!¡± Chapter 783 - Go Again Everyone was shocked. Jian Shuye paused for a moment and continued asking, ¡°Dancing Lotus? Is it the rumored Dancing Lotus that can revive a person?¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded. ¡°Yes. If it weren¡¯t for this, the Third Princess wouldn¡¯t be willing to risk her life to retrieve it.¡± Song Luan agitatedly said, ¡°The Third Princess is very filial to His Majesty! After retrieving this Dancing Lotus, His Majesty¡¯s health will definitely take a turn for the better!¡± Jiang Yucheng undetectably knitted his brows, and his tone became slightly cold. ¡°Master Song, you¡¯re right, but it¡¯s a pity that we didn¡¯t successfully retrieve the Dancing Lotus.¡± Song Luan¡¯s face immediately turned to the color of a pig¡¯s liver. Quite a few people in the surroundings secretly snickered. Only he can suck up to the wrong part! Song Luan felt humiliated, and he softly said, ¡°¡­I see¡­ The Dancing Lotus is a rare treasure in the world, so it must be very difficult to take it back¡­ I was thinking too simply.¡± Jiang Yucheng was too lazy to calculate so much with him, so he nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s indeed very difficult to get close to that Dancing Lotus. Elder Qiuxi¡­ died because he tried to retrieve that Dancing Lotus.¡± Once he said this, the gigantic Minghua Palace fell silent. The crowd¡¯s faces changed in unison. They didn¡¯t expect things to be so tricky. Elder Qiuxi was the royal family¡¯s elder, and his strength need not be mentioned. Even he couldn¡¯t do it and failed¡­ It shows how dangerous that Dancing Lotus is! ¡°That Dancing Lotus grows within the Dahuang Swamp¡¯s Mirror Lake. We originally wanted to retrieve it for His Majesty, but the Mirror Lake was quite weird. Even Elder Qiuxi couldn¡¯t escape the dangers, so we swiftly decided to return in consideration of the many soldiers and disciples.¡± Not only did Jiang Yucheng¡¯s words explain the reason for Shangguan Wan¡¯s injury, but they also stated the reason why the crowd suddenly came back. Their hurried return this time would definitely cause a huge commotion in the entire Xi Ling City. Openly and secretly, there would be many rumors and guesses. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t want to be talked about because of this. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°No wonder the Third Princess brought the people back so quickly. So she was considering everyone¡¯s safety.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about Mirror Lake that makes it so dangerous?¡± After a temporary silence, the crowd partook in discussions. Obviously, all the guesses and grumbles toward Shangguan Wan had silently disappeared. Who could scold her in this type of situation? Jiang Yucheng surveyed his surroundings. After most of the crowd stopped talking, he said, ¡°Hence, we came back this time because we didn¡¯t want to cause unnecessary injuries. It¡¯s also because we want to find a few strong warriors to take action and return to Dahuang Swamp once again to retrieve the Dancing Lotus.¡± The hall fell silent. ¡°I wonder what all of you think?¡± After Jiang Yucheng asked that question, nobody talked at that moment. Everyone secretly exchanged glances and had their own thoughts. Undoubtedly, a treasure like the Dancing Lotus was a lethal attraction to anyone. But at the same time, they had to consider the dangers. Even Elder Qiuxi died there. How many people could guarantee that they would come back in one piece? The most important thing was that even if they risked their lives to retrieve the Dancing Lotus successfully, it would eventually be given to His Majesty. What could they gain? Everyone present had high statuses, and all of them were very wise. They either represented an entire clan or an entire family. Once something happened to them, it would implicate many people. Hence, even if they were loyal to His Majesty, they had to consider it as it concerned their life and death. Nobody spoke, and the air seemed to be stiff. Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows undetectably. I had thought that the majority of them wouldn¡¯t be willing to take this risk, but I didn¡¯t expect all of them to be the same. He hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°I know that this journey is dangerous and that everyone has their own considerations, but the Dancing Lotus is really too important to His Majesty. Other than the appropriate rewards, all the other herbs we find besides the Dancing Lotus will belong to all of you.¡± Quite a few people¡¯s eyes lit up. If this is the reward, we can consider it. ¡°The reason why Elder Qiuxi passed on was that he was too careless back then¡ªhe went forward alone without any support. Everyone here is a top elite in the Tianling Dynasty. If everyone works together, I believe retrieving the Dancing Lotus won¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s words undoubtedly made many people falter. Since the Dancing Lotus appeared in the Mirror Lake, there might be other treasures there. As long as one makes appropriate preparations, they will still have the ability to run and not walk down Elder Qiuxi¡¯s path even if they really can¡¯t retrieve it. At this point, a voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯m willing to go.¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd looked over and discovered that the person talking was Weichi Song! Everyone, including Jiang Yucheng, was shocked. Everyone present could possibly go, but they felt that it was most impossible for Weichi Song to do so. Only so few people were left in Chong Xu Cabinet, and they all had to depend on this Cabinet Master. Once something happened to him, won¡¯t Chong Xu Cabinet be completely finished? On the other hand, Chu Liuyue and the rest have all died in Dahuang Swamp. He actually wants to go to that heartbreaking land¡­ What exactly is he thinking? But facing the crowd¡¯s suspicious gazes, Weichi Song appeared calm and nonchalant as he disregarded them. He had made up his mind! Jian Shuye stroked his chin. ¡°As a heavenly doctor, I naturally have to go check that Dancing Lotus out to see exactly what it looks like! I want to go too!¡± ¡­ At this point, Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know that a group of people¡ªin Xi Ling City miles away¡ªwas planning to come to Dahuang Swamp. She was trapped in this place, and she could only cultivate. Shangguan Jing glanced at the hourglass at the side. Calculating the time, less than ten days have passed outside. However, more than half a year has passed in this place. Chu Liuyue cultivated no matter day or night here, and her entire person seemed focused. At the start, Shangguan Jing was worried that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t be used to it when a long time had passed. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to be so determined. When Chu Liuyue said she wanted to cultivate, she set both her mind and soul into doing this one thing. If it were someone else, they would¡¯ve long felt bored and stifled. However, Chu Liuyue did not. Even Shangguan Jing was amazed by her persistence, and he couldn¡¯t help but be curious. How capable will Chu Liuyue be if she leaves this place? ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. Qin Yi and the rest had made it through close to half a month in the Mystic Forest. Initially, they would still guess when Chu Liuyue would come out, but they basically wouldn¡¯t even talk now. The only thing they could do was cultivate while waiting. However, this peace was quickly broken. Chapter 784 - But Someone Told Him This was because people entered the Mystic Forest once again. Qin Yi had no way of knowing the situation in the Red Moon Desert and Mirror Lake, but he had stayed in the Mystic Forest for an extended period of time and left his traces in quite a few places. Once anything happened, he could basically feel it. ¡°Someone is here.¡± Qin Yi¡¯s words were especially obvious in this quiet atmosphere. The few of them looked over. ¡°Who would come at this time?¡± Lei Laosi knitted his brows. Even if someone barges into Dahuang Swamp, they won¡¯t come in when they see the Mystic Forest¡¯s current state from outside, right? Qin Yi retracted his expression slightly. ¡°The other party isn¡¯t weak.¡± Seeing his current reaction, the few of them became serious. ¡°Big Brother, how many are they?¡± ¡°Should be five.¡± Qin Yi narrowed his eyes. What he didn¡¯t say was that the other party¡¯s aura was rather familiar. Lei Laosi scratched his head. ¡°Why don¡¯t I go first to take a look?¡± ¡°No need. They won¡¯t come here.¡± Qin Yi paused and stopped Lei Laosi¡¯s actions. ¡­ At the same time, the few figures that just came into the forest stopped. It was Jiang Yucheng and the rest who came again. Other than him, there were four other people. They respectively were Weichi Song, Jian Shuye, Song Luan, and the Grand Tutor¡ªXiahou Rong. There was no need to state their motives for coming here. His Majesty had always treated the Grand Tutor with respect, and he wasn¡¯t weak as well. So personally and logically, he should be one of those that came. This time, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t bring the Black Guards together with him. There were too many casualties previously, and he still had many things to handle. This Dahuang Swamp was also extremely dangerous. If ordinary people came, they would only be courting death. Let alone not helping, they might even possibly become a burden. The few of them stood still and looked at the scene in front with a complicated expression. Jiang Yucheng said, ¡°The few of you can also see that the Mystic Forest has completely ended up in this state. You can clearly see how dangerous it was back then.¡± He originally wanted to bring the few of them to Mirror Lake directly, but Weichi Song said that he wanted to check out the Mystic Forest. Hence, they came over too. Anyone could guess that Weichi Song still wanted to find his disciples. Song Luan originally wanted to disagree, but the others didn¡¯t say much, so he could only go along with them. Jian Shuye surveyed the surroundings. ¡°Old Song, I heard that Hongyu and the rest are still in the Mystic Forest. Why don¡¯t we look for them and then go to Mirror Lake? Anyway, it won¡¯t take up too much time.¡± Anyway, it¡¯s always better if we can find one more and save one more. Since they already said this, who else could refuse? Song Luan was very upset, and he looked at Jiang Yucheng. We came to look for the Dancing Lotus, but why did we end up in the Mystic Forest looking for people? Originally, he thought that Jiang Yucheng would reject them. But unexpectedly, the latter also agreed to it. Helpless, Song Luan could only swallow his remaining words. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s hands clenched tightly, and his heart became a little nervous. Rationality told him that it was impossible for Chu Liuyue to be alive, but at the bottom of his heart, there seemed to be an indescribable desire. If she¡¯s really alive¡­ A bright and delightful smile appeared in his mind. Shangguan Wan has already ended up in that state. Who knows if she can recover? At some point in time, his remaining patience toward Shangguan Wan had already been used up. He suddenly thought of something as he looked at Weichi Song and seemingly asked unintentionally, ¡°Old Song, did anyone inform Chu Liuyue¡¯s fianc¨¦ about what happened here?¡± Chapter 785 - He Came Back Weichi Song glanced at Jiang Yucheng strangely and slightly knitted his brows. At this time, why did he suddenly mention Liuyue¡¯s fianc¨¦? Besides, not to mention that Chu Liuyue¡¯s situation hasn¡¯t been investigated clearly, her fianc¨¦ isn¡¯t even in Xi Ling. If something really has happened to her, how can we inform him? ¡°Haven¡¯t yet.¡± Weichi Song looked nonchalant. ¡°Why did you suddenly bring him up?¡± Jiang Yucheng sized up his expression and knew that he was doubtful, so he said, ¡°It¡¯s all a coincidence. I had a chance to meet with that person back then and heard that he¡¯s a prince from Country Yao Chen. When they were at Country Yao Chen, they already had a marriage agreement. However, that person¡¯s body doesn¡¯t seem to be very good¡­ I was just thinking that if he suddenly finds out about what happened here, I¡¯m afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to take it¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to understand this so much, Eldest Young Master Jiang. You know this even more than me,¡± said Weichi Song as if unintentionally. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression stiffened. It¡¯s indeed a little weird for me to know this considering my current status. ¡°Oh, Old Song, don¡¯t misunderstand. I don¡¯t have any other intentions. You also know that Chu Liuyue has been in the limelight in Xi Ling City, so there will definitely be people who are very curious about her everything. I¡¯m not an exception either.¡± To this, Jiang Yucheng admitted it generously and swiftly. There wasn¡¯t much consequence to doing so. Someone who was very outstanding even in terms of the entire Xi Ling would definitely attract quite a few people¡¯s attention. If Jiang Yucheng said that he didn¡¯t know anything about her, that would be weird. ¡°As for her fianc¨¦, I coincidentally met him, so I casually asked about him. Old Song, you wouldn¡¯t mind this, right?¡± Weichi Song looked calm. ¡°You naturally have your own reasons for doing what you want, Eldest Young Master Jiang.¡± This stifled Jiang Yucheng as if someone was mocking him, but he still held it in. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about these things anymore. We¡¯ll talk again when we find them.¡± After not being able to dig out any useful information from Weichi Song¡¯s side, Jiang Yucheng swiftly decided not to ask further. Weichi Song is an old fox, and he isn¡¯t easy to deal with. As for Chu Liuyue¡¯s so-called fianc¨¦¡­ He¡¯s just a sick person; there is no need to care about him. When we meet again the next time, I can just directly take care of him. This small intervention stopped at this point. The few of them continued walking into the forest, but after another hour, they still couldn¡¯t find anyone¡¯s traces. Jian Shuye knitted his brows and looked at the wilted tree in front of him. ¡°Wait a minute. Weren¡¯t we here before?¡± Weichi Song said, ¡°You can tell too?¡± Jian Shuye nodded and surveyed his surroundings. ¡°We seem to be walking in circles during this past hour. No wonder we can¡¯t find anything.¡± Jiang Yuzhi was dazed. ¡°We came here before? Are the two of you certain of this?¡± Jian Shuye grunted slightly and raised his chin. ¡°I specifically took a closer look at the pattern on that tree bark earlier so that I could confirm we came back again!¡± Xiahou Rong shockingly said, ¡°This means that¡­ we¡¯re lost?¡± The few of them fell silent. The current situation was clearer than ever. It was fine if one person saw it wrongly, but since both Jian Shuye and Weichi Song said that, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Even Song Luan knitted his brows tightly. Jiang Yucheng also scrutinized his surroundings and had a confused expression. ¡°That¡¯s strange. When we came here previously, this situation didn¡¯t happen before¡­¡± They originally thought that the most dangerous part of the Mystic Forest was the mist and the roots, but they didn¡¯t expect to meet with such troubles. ¡°Someone seems to have set up a Xuan formation here, but they also used some strange skills to stop anyone from coming in,¡± muttered Jian Shuye as he looked at Weichi Song. ¡°Old Song,, you¡¯re the one who knows this the best amongst all of us here. Can you see through anything?¡± Weichi Song specialized as a heavenly doctor, but he understood such weird and strange knick-knacks quite a bit. The few of them looked at him. Weichi Song kept quiet for a moment and shook his head. ¡°The other party is very well-versed in this, and his set-up is very tight. I can¡¯t break it either.¡± Hearing him say this, the few of them were dazed. Jian Shuye couldn¡¯t conceal his disappointment. ¡°In that case¡­ Won¡¯t we be trapped here the whole time? What¡¯s going to happen to the kids?¡± Weichi Song turned around and pointed in a direction. ¡°That was the direction we came from. As long as we walk toward there, we can leave this place. However, I¡¯m afraid¡­ it¡¯ll be extremely difficult to enter¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze suddenly faltered. ¡°Could this be set up by Qin Yi and the rest?¡± ¡°Who is Qin Yi?¡± asked Xiahou Rong. The aristocratic families didn¡¯t send people over, so they didn¡¯t quite understand the things that happened here. Jiang Yucheng briefly explained. Weichi Song looked down in deep thought and didn¡¯t say a word. Jian Shuye strangely said, ¡°If it¡¯s really them, why would they do so? Previously, Zhu Hong and the rest said Qin Yi treated the kids quite well¡­¡± ¡°You can know someone¡¯s face but not their hearts,¡± Song Luan interrupted him and mocked. ¡°If he¡¯s really a decent person, why would he stay in the Dahuang Swamp for so long for no rhyme or reason? Besides, Chu Liuyue stole the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant that they had been guarding the whole time. They might hold a grudge, so they could do anything!¡± Jian Shuye glanced at him in frustration. This Song Luan really has nothing better to say! He¡¯s afraid that someone else would be better than him! His own disciples suffered greatly, and he wants everyone to be the same! Weichi Song suddenly said, ¡°Since the other party doesn¡¯t want us to enter, then we should leave for Mirror Lake first.¡± Jiang Yucheng was hesitant and had something to say. But since even Weichi Song didn¡¯t plan to continue staying here, he had no position to say anything. The few of them quickly returned on the same path. After walking quite a far distance, Weichi Song finally heaved a sigh of relief in his heart and turned back to take a look with a deep gaze. So that person came back¡­ I¡¯m afraid Jiang Yucheng wouldn¡¯t even imagine it in his dreams, right? ¡­ Kacha! A nail-sized chip fell down from the crystal again. At this point, more than half of the crystal¡ªoriginally the size of two palms¡ªhad already been absorbed, leaving the piece in the center. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was enveloped within it, leaving a thin layer of shell on the outside. It looked as if it would drop with one knock. Of course, the force was too formidable. After Chu Liuyue swallowed the force, she might not be able to convert all of it to her own force. Hence, she stored most of it in the water droplet. Even if so, Chu Liuyue¡¯s abilities still improved by quite a bit. In the space, she finally touched the barrier to a peak stage-five warrior in one-odd year. Chu Liuyue melted and absorbed that chip. She had done this series of actions countless times, and it was as smooth as water. Then, she looked at the opposite end. If I just remove one more chip, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed will be exposed. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed seemed to notice this and started to become anxious. The surrounding space seemed to shake vaguely. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Ka! A crack appeared, and an immense, ancient aura exploded from within! Chapter 786 - Duel! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat! That was the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s true strength¡ªmighty, unreasonable, and formidable! Shangguan Jing immediately shouted, ¡°Liuyue, be careful!¡± Even though this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed hasn¡¯t completely matured, it already can¡¯t be underestimated! According to Chu Liuyue¡¯s current abilities, it would be hard to stop it with her own force. Without thinking, the ancestor immediately leaped toward Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm as she said, ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor turned around strangely and saw Chu Liuyue stand up. A thought popped up in her mind, and a faint layer of golden light rapidly formed in front of her! In the blink of an eye, it quickly manifested into a set of pure gold armor! Chu Liuyue held the black shield in her left hand and the Long Yuan Sword in her right as harsh murderous intent spread from all over her. ¡°Y-you want to duel with it head-on?!¡± Shangguan Jing was so shocked that he lost his voice. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips slightly curled up as a smile appeared on her face. Her black, gem-like eyes seemed to be sparkling! ¡°If I don¡¯t do it, it won¡¯t let me go.¡± Her tone was nonchalant and light, but her every word had willpower with overflowing determination, confidence, and combat power. After being trapped in here for a year, she already knew what the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was thinking. This thing is spiritual, and one could even say that it has a certain mind of its own. I can use all sorts of ways to snatch its force, but I have to defeat it completely if I want it to concede genuinely! Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding force surged up. The crack on the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed crystal became even bigger. Looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s ever so persistent gaze, Shangguan Jing¡¯s words of advice were all stuck in his throat. He couldn¡¯t voice them out. There seemed to be something tumbling in his chest. Finally, he lightly nodded. A figure then flashed across and returned to the Long Yuan Sword. The only thing I can do is try my best to help her! Whir! The Long Yuan Sword slashed through the wind! Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts changed as the water curtain in front of her dissipated and quickly formed a water droplet again before returning to her body. The barrier between the two disappeared! Chu Liuyue formally went against the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! Ka! Accompanying this crisp sound, the crystal was instantly filled with cracks! Those chips quickly merged into the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed like water and finally formed a thin layer of frost on it. Then, a dark-green, knuckle-sized Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was completely exposed in front of Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue held the Long Yuan Sword in her hands tightly before she raised it up high slowly. The space surrounding the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed started to collapse silently. ¡°Long Yuan Sword!¡± The sword landed! At that moment, it was as if the moon landed in a bed of stars as everywhere dazzled brightly! ¡­ Mirror Lake. After Jiang Yucheng and the rest went back the same way, they returned to the triangular stone area. They then chose their direction and went toward the intersection point between the Mystic Forest and the Mirror Lake. It was currently daytime. The sun hung high, and there were no clouds within miles. Mirror Lake was completely calm, and it reflected the clear, blue sky as the water glistened and looked very charming. Other than this, they couldn¡¯t see anything amiss. Song Luan couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°This Mirror Lake seems fine. Why would Elder Qiuxi¡­¡± Jian Shuye chuckled. ¡°Song Luan, if you¡¯re really curious, why don¡¯t you directly barge in? Then, you¡¯ll know.¡± Song Luan had an ugly expression. ¡°I was just curious, so I casually asked. Even if I were to take action, we¡¯d have to wait until we see the Dancing Lotus.¡± Jiang Yucheng directly said, ¡°The Dancing Lotus is right there. Can you see it?¡± Upon hearing this, the few of them looked over. They saw that on the vast water surface, there seemed to be a flower that swayed with the wind. As they were a little far from it, they couldn¡¯t see it very clearly. Jian Shuye teased, ¡°Song Luan, the Dancing Lotus is right in front. Why don¡¯t you go first?¡± Song Luan instantly felt stifled. ¡°I¡¯ll go first then! Since we¡¯re already here, why would I be afraid of this?!¡± Song Luan¡¯s tone was agitated, but he regretted it once he said it. However, he already said it and couldn¡¯t go back on his words, so he could only take a deep breath in and hurriedly walk to the front of them. Jian Shuye chuckled. When we reach there, Song Luan will still chicken out. As expected, Song Luan gradually slowed down after walking for a while. The closer they got to the Dancing Lotus, the more hesitant his actions were. Jian Shuye looked at the lake surface and curiously asked, ¡°Hm? Why is there so much floating ice on the lake? It didn¡¯t seem to be like this when I came here before. If I don¡¯t remember wrongly, there isn¡¯t winter in Mirror Lake. Therefore, ice shouldn¡¯t be forming¡­¡± ¡®You¡¯re right¡ªMirror Lake was like this in the past. These floating ice pieces had already appeared when we came the previous time, but there weren¡¯t so many.¡± Jiang Yucheng looked in front and seemed solemn. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened either.¡± ¡°Quickly, look! The layer of ice on the water is going to connect with our side!¡± said Xiahou Rong in shock as he pointed to the front. There was a long bank between the Mystic Forest and Mirror Lake, but the bank wasn¡¯t in a straight line. Hence, certain parts of the bank were a little closer to the Dancing Lotus in the centermost position, while others were further away. Not far in front of them, there seemed to be places that caved in by the side of Mirror Lake. That was the closest place to the Dancing Lotus. At this point, the floating ice pieces on Mirror Lake¡¯s surface connected together to coincidentally form an ice bridge, connecting both parts. Without a doubt, going over from this place had the highest probability of safely getting the Dancing Lotus. Jian Shuye glanced at Song Luan. ¡°Song Luan, you¡­ should go first, right?¡± Song Luan wanted to reject him, but he still clenched his teeth and agreed in the end. A purplish-golden sword appeared in front of him! He then jumped up and rode on the sword. The Dancing Lotus swayed gently. Gradually, a thin layer of frost appeared on its translucent petals. Chapter 787 - That’s My Wife’s Song Luan rode on the sword and went across the air above the Mirror Lake. Lowering his head, he saw large pieces of floating ice glistening due to the reflection of the cold light. Looking from here, he could then tell that the ice pieces were crowding around with the Dancing Lotus as the center, and they gradually spread toward the outside. The closer he was to the Dancing Lotus, the thicker and tidier the ice layers were. Likewise, the further he was, the more fragmented the ice layers were. Reaching the bank where the two places intersected, only a few tiny pieces of floating ice were left. That so-called ice bridge didn¡¯t actually connect the two ends, but it was still comparatively closer to the center. Hence, the ice layers that spread to the outside reached this place first. At first glance, it indeed looked like an ice bridge. But at the position near to the bank, there was actually a short distance that didn¡¯t have floating ice. The water glistened, and it looked peaceful and clear. Song Luan walked forward meticulously. Anyway, he wouldn¡¯t walk over no matter if that ice bridge was connected or not. He wouldn¡¯t even get close to it. He had heard whatever Jiang Yucheng said clearly! Who knows how the floating pieces of ice appeared? Some danger might be lurking underneath! In this manner, he controlled his longsword and flew across the lake as he went closer to the Dancing Lotus in the center bit by bit. Seeing Song Luan go over, Jiang Yucheng looked at the remaining few people. ¡°That Dancing Lotus is weird. If the few of us work together, the chances of success might be higher.¡± The scene of Elder Qiuxi being dragged underneath the ice layer was still fresh in their minds. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t dare to guarantee that Song Luan could do better than Elder Qiuxi alone. Xiahou Rong nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true; we¡¯ll be stronger with numbers. Let¡¯s work together, and we can take care of each other as well.¡± After saying that, he went on his toes and went forward. Jian Shuye glanced at Weichi Song. The two of them exchanged a gaze and moved out in unison. Song Luan had heard their conversation clearly and couldn¡¯t help but turn around to take a look. Seeing the few of them catching up with him, his heart that hung high finally landed. No matter what, they would be more confident with more people. Jiang Yucheng was at the back and also followed over. He originally didn¡¯t want to do this as he had personally witnessed how horrific this Mirror Lake could be. Besides, he hadn¡¯t even completely recovered. The few wounds on his body seemed to be recovering much slower than before for some reason. If it were in the past, it would recover much earlier, and he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about it. But his health fluctuated now, and he didn¡¯t know if it was because of the root¡­ However, the few seniors had already taken action, so he couldn¡¯t just watch on from the side. The few of them gradually got closer and finally formed a circle with the Dancing Lotus in the center. It was currently noon, and the sun hung high in the sky as the bright and dazzling sunlight shone on the ice, reflecting a bright light. However, the few of them didn¡¯t cover their eyes as they stared at the Dancing Lotus in front of them closely. That palm-sized flower had a total of five petals. Every petal was a translucent pinkish-white color, and they looked very intricate like crystals. There was also a thin layer of frost on the petals, making them look very cold and elegant. ¡°So this is the Dancing Lotus¡­¡± Song Luan couldn¡¯t help but mutter. This is a premium herb that only appeared in rumors! It only appears once in a hundred years! He licked his slightly cracked lips as greed and desire flashed across his eyes. He kicked his toes as he flipped over his longsword and held it tightly. It seemed like he planned on directly cutting it with the sword. Jiang Yucheng said, ¡°Hold on!¡± Song Luan was dazed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jiang Yucheng looked at the sword in Song Luan¡¯s hands and knitted his brows. ¡°Back then, it¡¯s because Elder Qiuxi used a sword. Thus¡­¡± They were standing outside at that time, and it was close to nighttime, so they couldn¡¯t see what happened clearly. However, he clearly remembered that Elder Qiuxi was indeed dragged down after he used a sword. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Song Luan¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly retracted his sword. He then stared at the Dancing Lotus in shock. ¡°This thing is actually so strange? If I can¡¯t even use a sword, then how are we going to obtain it? We can¡¯t use our hands, right?¡± Isn¡¯t that even more dangerous? Jiang Yucheng looked at Jian Shuye and Weichi Song. ¡°What do the two of you think?¡± Both of them were heavenly doctors. Logically speaking, they would understand this better. Weichi Song looked at the Dancing Lotus and lightly sighed. ¡°Actually, you can say that it¡¯s simple to retrieve this Dancing Lotus but hard at the same time. The Dancing Lotus only blooms for five years once every 500 years. If nobody picks it in these five years, it will turn into a seed once again and restart the 500-year cycle. Hence, it¡¯s most convenient to pluck it when it¡¯s flowering, and its medicinal effects are the best.¡± ¡°However, the Dancing Lotus is a very rare treasure, and it¡¯s different from other premium herbs. There normally aren¡¯t any high-level fiends to guard it, which causes its own defense and combat power to be extremely strong. If one wants to pluck it safely, one has to use their fresh blood to attract it.¡± Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows. ¡°Use fresh blood to attract it? What does this mean?¡± ¡°The smell of the fresh blood will cause the Dancing Lotus to hibernate temporarily. As long as one smears blood on it, they can lower its danger to the minimum.¡± Song Luan interrupted, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem very hard?¡± Jian Shuye chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing hard about it, but it requires the cultivator to be at least a stage-eight warrior. Since you made it sound so easy, why don¡¯t you do it?¡± This mocking tone upset Song Luan. No matter what, I¡¯m also a peak stage-eight warrior! How could I not even make a tiny little Dancing Lotus retract? ¡°How difficult can it be?!¡± He clenched his teeth and slashed a line on his palm. Red blood instantly flowed out and caused his entire palm to turn red. Then, he took a deep breath in and stretched out his hand again. The Dancing Lotus swayed with the wind and didn¡¯t show any strange behavior. Song Luan felt slightly at ease and was about to hold the Dancing Lotus¡¯s stem. Suddenly, a sound pierced through the air. Xiu! The sound was sharp, and the winds howled. It went straight for Song Luan¡¯s brows. Song Luan was stunned as he immediately moved back and whipped out his sword. Tsing! The sound of two sharp objects hitting each other was heard. Song Luan felt something harshly strike his blade, and it felt as heavy as a ton. His entire arm was about to be shocked until it was numb. Song Luan staggered two steps back before he managed to stabilize himself with much difficulty. He looked over in shock and anger after that, but he saw a palm-sized ice piece crack from the middle before dropping into the lake. He lowered his head and saw that a piece was missing from the ice layer not far away. Everyone was stunned when they saw the scene unfold. One can just casually use a chipped piece of ice to block Song Luan¡¯s attack and even take the upper hand¡­ This shows how formidable the other party is! Song Luan¡¯s heart trembled slightly. ¡°Who is it?!¡± Then, the empty space faraway started to shake. A large and muscular black figure stepped out from within. His voice was deep and low as if the wind blew past a string instrument. It was also high and mighty. ¡°Sorry, that is my wife¡¯s flower.¡± Chapter 788 - Need to Leave it for My Wife The incoming person was wearing a cotton robe without any additional accessories on him. His long hair had dropped down, and his entire person exuded a lazy and cold vibe. He was wearing a silver mask that covered his face. Only his pair of eyes were as deep as the stars in the night sky, and they were like spirals that had a fatal attraction. It seemed like one would unwittingly fall in if they took another look. Seeing the incoming person, Song Luan and the rest were secretly shocked. This man¡¯s aura is extremely hidden and strong. He is only stronger than us, not weaker! Song Luan swallowed his mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. ¡°Wh-who are you?!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am.¡± That man¡¯s tone was relaxed as he laughed. ¡°What matters is that you can¡¯t touch this flower.¡± He came for this Dancing Lotus?! The few of them exchanged glances. Song Luan tightly knitted his brows and couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Everything should go by the first-come, first-served rule! We came first, so the Dancing Lotus naturally belongs to us! Even if you¡¯re strong, you can¡¯t be this unreasonable, right?¡± His tone was already considered very restrained. If it were someone else, Song Luan long would¡¯ve chased after the other party and taught them a lesson. However, they couldn¡¯t detect this man¡¯s abilities, so they didn¡¯t dare to go head-on against him. Instead, they could only talk ¡®logic.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s weird. This Dancing Lotus is still growing finely in the lake. How did it become yours? Could it be that it belongs to whoever came here and saw the Dancing Lotus first?¡± That man was neither angry nor frustrated as he laughed. It was as if he heard some joke. Song Luan¡¯s face flushed red, and he was in a difficult spot. He also knew that the things he said just now weren¡¯t logical. They did arrive at Mirror Lake first, but in actual fact, they didn¡¯t successfully take the Dancing Lotus away. They didn¡¯t even touch it. This meant that it wasn¡¯t very reasonable to say that this Dancing Lotus was theirs. Song Luan wanted to talk further, but he was silently stopped by Jiang Yucheng. Jiang Yucheng took a step forward, cupped his hands, and very respectfully said, ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Yucheng. May I know who you¡­¡± Almost everybody in the Tianling Dynasty would know Jiang Yucheng¡¯s name. His original background¡ªthe Eldest Young Master of Jiang Residence¡ªwas actually not worth a mention. But as he was once the Princess¡¯s fianc¨¦, he rode on the trend and became much more famous. On the one hand, Jiang Yucheng reported his name as he hoped to know the other person¡¯s identity. On the other hand, he was vaguely threatening the other party. If the other person was sensible, he would know how to back away. That man looked up, and a slight light flashed across the depths of his eyes as he lightly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to know who I am.¡± He said this sentence extremely lightly and calmly, but it was tied with a dignity that didn¡¯t allow for any objections. Jiang Yucheng was suddenly stunned as he felt that he was harshly slapped by someone, and his face was burning. He had never heard someone talk to him like this before! In comparison, the other party seemed high and mighty, while he was as lowly as an ant. His expression turned ugly, and his voice turned cold. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too arrogant?¡± Even if the other party is very capable, he can¡¯t be so disrespectful. This Mirror Lake is still the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s territory! Jiang Yucheng restrained the anger in his heart as he kept searching his mind for such a character in the Tianling Dynasty. After thinking for quite some time, he couldn¡¯t recall anything. This was because this man in black wasn¡¯t similar to any of the elite experts he had in his mind. Could it be¡­ Is the other party some hidden hero, or is he not even someone from the Tianling Dynasty? ¡°This Dancing Lotus is born and grows in the Mirror Lake. The capable ones will get it. If you want it, just come and fight with us for it!¡± boomed Jiang Yucheng angrily. They had five people, but the other party only had one. No matter how strong the latter was, it would be a dream to think that he could win against five people alone. That man in black lightly sighed. ¡°My wife instructed me not to casually fight.¡± This person is most likely afraid, but he still made himself sound so justified. Jiang Yucheng sneered in his heart. ¡°If you change your mind, you can just leave now. Considering this Dancing Lotus, we won¡¯t calculate so much with you.¡± If it was possible, Jiang Yucheng wanted to get rid of the other party as soon as possible and not get into any trouble at all. The man in black chuckled softly and slowly said, ¡°I already said previously that the flower belongs to my wife. Do you¡­ not understand?¡± His voice gradually turned cold until the last syllable was filled with harsh murderous intent! Then, he raised his hand. It was a long, white, and distinct hand. At first glance, it looked like it was intricately made from white jade that glistened in cold light. After doing so, he pointed his index finger forward lightly. Whir! Black force suddenly shot out like a sharp arrow, and an air-piercing sound was heard! The tremendous suppression immediately fell on them as an indescribable sense of crisis overwhelmed their hearts. Jiang Yucheng suddenly widened his eyes, and his irises shrank! At this moment, he seemed to be wrapped in murderous intent! He retreated without thinking and tried to utilize his greatest speed to leave! But after trying once, he then discovered that his body could no longer move because he was completely controlled by the other party¡¯s suppression! No matter what, he still had the combat power of a stage-seven warrior. But in front of this man, he didn¡¯t even have the right to escape. At this point, Jiang Yucheng finally understood that the other party was much stronger than he had expected. At that moment, the black force had already rushed toward him! Whoosh! That force suddenly pierced through Jiang Yucheng¡¯s chest, and blood and muscles flew everywhere instantly! The clothes in front of his chest were immediately stained with red. Jiang Yucheng felt his chest turn cold, and after a temporary pause, he felt excruciating pain. ¡°It¡¯s a pity I can only do this much¡­¡± That man in black seemed regretful. I wanted to kill Jiang Yucheng directly, but my wife hasn¡¯t taken action yet. Thus, I have to spare his life. ¡°Eldest Young Master!¡± Upon seeing this scene, Xiahou Rong and Song Luan were shocked as they hurried over. ¡°Eldest Young Master, how are you?¡± Everything happened too quickly just now, and they didn¡¯t even have time to react when that man took action. When they finally noticed that something was happening, Jiang Yucheng was already injured. Jiang Yucheng held his chest as warm blood gushed out. While doing so, he hurriedly swallowed a pill. For some reason, there seemed to be a vague burning feeling in his stomach. But his chest was pierced through at this point, and the hole was very bloody, so he couldn¡¯t care about the rest. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but when he saw the man in black, the words seemed to be stuck in his throat. He couldn¡¯t say them. That pair of eyes¡ªnonchalant, cold, and distinguished! Deep fear surged up from the bottom of his heart. Suddenly, a white light flashed across Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mind as he looked at the other party in shock. ¡°Y-you¡¯re Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s¡ª¡± Chapter 789 - The Training Went Well A man with unpredictable powers and a mysterious identity and keeps mentioning his wife¡­ Doesn¡¯t that match the description of Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s boss? Even though the person managing Hundred Herbs Building was Yue Ling, anyone with a little keen eyesight could tell that he had someone behind him. It was just that nobody in Xi Ling City had ever seen that person, Jiang Yucheng included. I¡¯ve been wanting to meet this mysterious person but have never gotten the chance. I didn¡¯t expect to meet him here! The man in black paid no attention to Jiang Yucheng¡¯s words. With a slight movement of his fingers, a gentle breeze brushed by, making the Dancing Lotus sway in the wind. An invisible barrier was instantly formed around the flower. Xiahou Rong wanted to get closer, but the power the barrier exuded was so strong that it left him gasping for air. The group exchanged looks with each other. Getting our hands on the Dancing Lotus will be even more difficult now! ¡°What should we do now, Eldest Young Master?¡± asked Song Luan worriedly. Eldest Young Master Jiang¡¯s condition doesn¡¯t seem too good with the grave injuries he¡¯s sustained. Also, we still may not be that man¡¯s match even if we combine all our strength. It won¡¯t be easy for us to get the Dancing Lotus. Jiang Yucheng gritted his teeth. Blood filled his mouth, chest cavity, and his abdomen while his vision kept turning black. He hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his previous injuries, so his condition worsened when he sustained the new injuries. For safety¡¯s sake, we should quickly leave and avoid a direct confrontation with this man. But the Dancing Lotus¡­ He took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The Dancing Lotus is of vital importance to His Majesty, so I¡¯d like to ask all of you here to join forces to get it back¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s words took his companions by surprise. ¡°Are you sure about this? The Dancing Lotus might be important, but you can¡¯t disregard yourself either!¡± cried Song Luan anxiously, his heart tightening at the sight of the black-clothed man in the distance. His arm was still tingling with pain. I¡¯m definitely not that person¡¯s match. He¡¯s the most formidable person I¡¯ve ever seen in my life! If we continue to go against him¡­ All of us might end up suffering instead! Jiang Yucheng naturally didn¡¯t want to lose his life, but the Dancing Lotus was too important for him to give up on it. He needed it to rouse the Emperor from his unconscious state, and there was no telling how long he would have to wait for the next Dancing Lotus to appear if he missed this one. He shook his head. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s condition is more important. Please help me¡ª¡± Just then, the ice on the lake began forming even more quickly. It looks like it¡¯s almost time¡­ The man in black looked down and smirked at the sight. I don¡¯t want these people to see what will happen next though. He then raised his head and looked in their direction, a black ball appearing in his palm as he spread his hand open. The ball grew with the wind and became a gigantic net in the blink of an eye. ¡°Retreat!¡± Jian Shuye quickly moved backward without the slightest hesitation. Alas, their speed was no match for the black net, which had them trapped in no time. The net condensed to a ball again before quickly flying backward. Everyone¡¯s vision was instantly blocked as darkness descended on them. ¡­ After a long time, the darkness before Jiang Yucheng and his companions finally faded, along with the restrictive force on them. Everyone looked around their surroundings, only to realize with a start that they had been expelled from Dahuang Swamp. ¡°Who was that person, and how come he¡¯s so powerful?¡± Jian Shuye drew a sharp intake of breath. We had to use two transportation formations in order to get to Dahuang Swamp, but he sent us out of there so effortlessly! I definitely can¡¯t do that. In fact, nobody in the entire Tianling Dynasty can do it either! ¡°Although he drove us out of Dahuang Swamp, he didn¡¯t kill any of us,¡± said Weichi Song all of a sudden. Song Luan and Jiang Yucheng might¡¯ve sustained some injuries, but they aren¡¯t life-threatening. That man probably went harder on Jiang Yucheng because of how rude he was toward him, but he ultimately chose to spare Jiang Yucheng¡¯s life. Otherwise, given his cultivation level, killing Jiang Yucheng would be as easy as killing an ant. Xiahou Rong exhaled in relief. ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng, however, didn¡¯t take it as well as them. Gloom clouded his ashen face. That¡¯s a relief? What¡¯s there to be thankful for when that man injured me so badly? Do I still have to bow down to him in gratitude for sparing my life?! I¡¯ve never been so humiliated in my life before! While others thought that the black-clothed man had probably decided to spare their lives, Jiang Yucheng definitely didn¡¯t share their sentiment. All he felt was discontent, indignation, and resentment. Being the proud man that he was, he was reluctant to lose to people in all sorts of aspects, so he naturally felt terrible knowing how easily he had been defeated by his opponent. That man has no regard for us! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s anger surged up his chest at the thought of this, making him cough up yet another mouthful of blood. Song Luan hesitantly asked, ¡°W-what should we do now? You have to get treatment as soon as possible, Eldest Young Master¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng felt even more vexed at that. Never mind that we returned without success the last time, but we still came back with nothing when we even invited these powerful people to come along this time. What should we do with the Emperor? Our wedding day is drawing near. If he remains unconscious¡­ ¡°Did you say that man is from Hundred Herbs Building?¡± asked Weichi Song out of the blue. ¡­ After sending Jiang Yucheng and the others away, the black-clothed man walked forward and came to a stop in front of the Dancing Lotus. As he gazed down at it, the ice in his aloof-looking eyes melted a little to reveal slight ripples of emotion in them. ¡°It¡¯s only been a while since I¡¯ve last been here, and yet you¡¯re being bothered by that thing?¡± There was a hint of laughter in his deep voice. He lightly waved his arm as he spoke, and a crack was instantly formed on the ice surface. The Dancing Lotus gently swayed as streams of light shone from the stalk. Upon a closer look, one would discover a silk thread¡ªthat was thinner than a hair¡ªwrapped around the Dancing Lotus¡¯s stalk. With a hook of the man¡¯s finger, the thread snapped and flew to his palm in a scattered mess. One could faintly see that a greenish thing was clinging onto the thread. His palm lit up with golden fire all of a sudden, burning that ball of thread away. With a lazy voice, he said, ¡°Never mind that you bullied my wife, but you even dared to play cheat. Aren¡¯t you being a little too shameless?¡± The ice on the lake slowly cracked into pieces, and the small floating pieces of ice began to melt. It was all peaceful and quiet at the sparkling Mirror Lake when an earth-shattering roar disrupted this serenity out of the blue. The man looked up. Hmm, it looks like someone¡¯s training went well. Chapter 790 - The Nerve of You to Come Here His tall and broad figure vanished the next second. The sun shining down on Mirror Lake¡ªwhich was slowly regaining its calmness to reflect the azure sky¡ªmade a beautiful scenery. Unknowingly, the frost on the Dancing Lotus had melted away. Its pinkish translucent petals sparkled and danced along with the wind. ¡­ That roar had not only reached the Mirror Lake but also the Mystic Forest. Everyone in the Mystic Forest heard it loud and clear and turned their heads in the direction of the sound with varying expressions. Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°What sort of fiend could¡¯ve made such a loud roar? It must be a high-level fiend, right?¡± Lei Laosi chuckled as he looked over excitedly. ¡°High-level fiend? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s beyond that level!¡± Ye Ranran let out a shriek and hastily covered her mouth when she realized her outburst. ¡°C-could it be another legendary fiend?!¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Lei Laosi turned to face Qin Yi. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a legendary fiend, but that roar sounded like it was coming from Red Moon Desert,¡± answered Qin Yi with squinted eyes. The Mystic Forest is basically under my control, so I can definitely sense it if any legendary fiend appears here. I¡¯m certain that the abrupt roar came from Red Moon Desert, but I¡¯m surprised that the roar could actually reach this far, even for a legendary fiend. That legendary fiend must be formidable¡­ ¡°Red Moon Desert? That far away?¡± Everyone was surprised to hear that. ¡°Speaking of which, there are a lot of rumors about the Mystic Forest and Mirror Lake, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard much about the Red Moon Desert¡­ I wonder what that mysterious place is like.¡± Mu Hongyu tilted her head in curiosity. I did some research on Dahuang Swamp before coming, but I couldn¡¯t find out much about the Red Moon Desert given how little information there was on it. I only managed to get a glimpse of it when we came here, and from what I saw, it was a vast shiny desert with heatwaves rolling off it. It was magnificent, grand, and majestic! Qin Yi¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°That place is off-limits; you¡¯re not allowed to step anywhere near that place! Even if you hear anything coming from there, I want all of you to ignore it. You hear me?¡± Not expecting her casual remark to be met with such a serious warning from Qin Yi, Mu Hongyu hastily straightened her back and answered, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Red Moon Desert. It was the time of day when the sun was its strongest. Both the surface and the underground of the boundless desert were sizzling hot. This place was like a giant steamer¡ªstuffy and boiling. A white figure was currently standing on a dune, and it was none other than Xue Xue. To be precise, its fur was now yellowish and covered with dirt and grime. Although it had lost a lot of weight during its time here, it had become much stronger than before. Having met its target, the poor fiend was finally able to get some rest after running around the desert nonstop. It couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh, hot tears filling its eyes as it looked at the undulating sand dunes in this desert. I¡¯m still alive¡­ A black figure gradually appeared in front of it. Xue Xue¡ªwhose tears were clinging to the corners of its eyes¡ªsuddenly felt very embarrassed. It had been so focused on training that it failed to notice its master¡¯s arrival. A babyish voice was heard. ¡°The nerve of you to come here.¡± The man removed his mask, revealing his distinguished and alluring face. As it turned out, the man was Rong Xiu. Chapter 791 - Did You Swap Yue’er’s Body? As if he didn¡¯t hear the resentment and murderous intent in the babyish voice, Rong Xiu laughed and nodded. ¡°I pay my respects to you all. It¡¯s been a long time since we last met, but you seem to be even more spirited than before.¡± Whish! All of a sudden, the sand was swept into the air to form a long sword. It was sent flying in Rong Xiu¡¯s direction, aimed straight between his glabella. The scorching air tore open to form a black gash, and bitter coldness swept in. Rong Xiu calmly looked up, his deep-set eyes as pure and unfathomable as the starry night. A hint of seriousness finally appeared in those cold, lazy eyes as he gripped a silver sword in his hand and swung it down. Whoosh! It was a simple move without any superfluousness that gathered a terrifying force and sent it crashing down. Sparks flew as the sword aura tore the air to meet the other sword aura head-on. Scalding sand flew about in the air as if a hurricane had just swept by, and two ruts instantly formed on the sand surface. Clank! Following the crisp colliding sound, the two sword auras burst into countless streams of light as the violent force from the impact spilled everywhere. Xue Xue immediately hid its head under its paws. The long training at the Red Moon Desert had honed its instinct to hide from the sand and wind. Although it was looking a little dirty, it wanted to salvage as much pride as it could in front of its master. Even though its fur blew about in the air violently, it remained standing strong in the wind¡ªall thanks to the recent training it had undergone. After a while, the wind slowly died down. Xue Xue reemerged from the sand, shook its body hard, and turned to look at its master. Rong Xiu¡ªwho was standing in the same spot with his feet slightly sunken into the ground by half an inch¡ªtidied his clothes. From how clean and new his clothes still looked and how they didn¡¯t have a single grain of sand on them, it was clear that he had no trouble dealing with the earlier attack. Cupping his fist in his hand, he said with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your guidance.¡± A moment later, the person with the baby voice said, ¡°That explains your arrogance¡­ Your cultivation base has improved by a great deal over the years.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. How am I arrogant when I don¡¯t even dare to offend any of you?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and spoke in a sincere manner. Dugu Mobao snorted. Lao Xiao couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re arrogant or not, but the fact that you still look the same¡­ is as annoying as ever!¡± He sounded pretty jealous when he said that. ¡°Lan Xiao, even for once, can you talk about something other than appearances when you meet somebody?¡± asked Diwu Zhangze. ¡°No,¡± answered Lan Xiao flatly. ¡°¡­Forget the question.¡± Diwu Zhangze felt that he must¡¯ve been out of his mind to even hope that Lan Xiao could change that habit of his. Lan Xiao wouldn¡¯t be Lan Xiao if he could kick that habit. Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t bothered or angry at Lan Xiao¡¯s remarks. On the contrary, his smile deepened. ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying that there¡¯s a man who¡¯s even more shameless, narcissistic, and better at talking than me in this world,¡± lamented Lan Xiao. He prided himself on being the best in these aspects, but he would always end up losing to Rong Xiu and thus feeling upset and exasperated as a result. ¡°How old are you already? Can¡¯t you stop it, you sickening pervert?!¡± said Dugu Mobao. Is that what¡¯s important here?! What¡¯s important is Yue¡¯er! ¡°Who are you calling old?!¡± Lan Xiao fumed. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong either, considering that you have to grow for another few hundred years in order for you to reach my waist¡ªOw!¡± After letting out that yelp, Lan Xiao kept his silence. Looking at the void in front of him, Rong Xiu said, ¡°We haven¡¯t met in years, but you¡¯re not even going to come out to meet me?¡± Dugu Mobao snorted. ¡°We¡¯ll naturally come out if Yue¡¯er is here, but there¡¯s no need for us to meet since you¡¯re here alone.¡± Rong Xiu rubbed his glabella out of helplessness and amusement. They¡¯re still the same as ever¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡¯re a smart person, so you should know why we called you here.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice sounded much more serious, and it even carried a hint of coldness. ¡°What happened to¡­ Yue¡¯er?¡± The atmosphere turned tense in an instant. Body stiffening, Xue Xue dared not move the slightest bit. Despite the sweltering heat around it, it felt a bone-chilling coldness coming from all directions at that moment. It looked at its master somewhat worriedly. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression blanched a little. He stayed silent for a long time such that Dugu Mobao and the others thought that he wouldn¡¯t answer the question. Finally, he said, ¡°Yue¡¯er and I did make a promise to visit you soon, but a lot of things happened in the last few years. Hence, we weren¡¯t able to do so. For that, I seek your kind forgiveness.¡± Although it sounded like he was talking about some sort of unrelated matter, one could detect the rippling waves of emotions in his seemingly calm voice if they listened carefully. It was as if this moment of peace would shatter at any time. ¡°What happened afterward? What exactly happened?¡± asked Lan Xiao anxiously after a moment of silence. Seriously, why can¡¯t he say everything in one go? Rong Xiu paused. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you the details now. It¡¯d be more appropriate if you ask her about it when you see her.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re not going to make yourself clear?¡± Lan Xiao asked in surprise. ¡°It makes no difference hearing the story from you or Yue¡¯er, so can¡¯t you just say it now?¡± said Diwu Zhangze. Those two have such a good relationship with each other that it doesn¡¯t matter either way. ¡°It¡¯s better for her to explain it to you,¡± answered Rong Xiu in a tactful but firm manner as he shook his head. The implications are huge. Knowing everything now may not be a good thing for them. Besides, there are a lot of things that she herself doesn¡¯t know yet¡­ From Rong Xiu¡¯s firm attitude, the others knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get an answer out of him. ¡°Fine, have it your way. We¡¯ll be able to meet Yue¡¯er soon anyway. We can ask her about it when we meet her.¡± Lan Xiao snorted. ¡°Big Baby, stop helping him to tame his fiend! Let Xue Hua go back with him while we stay here and wait for Yue¡¯er to come.¡± Xue Xue¡ªwho had been forgotten by them¡ªbecame teary-eyed once more. I can finally leave this wretched place?! Rong Xiu said earnestly, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Xue Xue, but I¡¯ll be staying here for the time being as well. So¡­ I¡¯d like to leave Xue Xue here to accompany you a little longer. What do you think about it?¡± Xue Xue looked at its master incredulously, as if it couldn¡¯t believe the latter had just sold it out right in its presence. Dugu Mobao, however, said, ¡°Xue Xue can stay. It¡¯s also fine if you don¡¯t want to tell us anything, but I have one last question for you: Did you swap Yue¡¯er¡¯s body?¡± Chapter 792 - Counterattack! The outside world was changing, but Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was trapped underground¡ªwas unaware of this. She didn¡¯t even sense Rong Xiu¡¯s arrival. In this dark space, Chu Liuyue had already exchanged a few spars with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Things were currently at a stalemate. As this sticky and heavy space was part of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s God Realm, it could basically control everything in there. Chu Liuyue, however, found it extremely taxing to even move in here. In order to execute the same skill as she would in the outside world, she would need to use at least two to three times more force than what was normally needed. Other people would¡¯ve collapsed by now, but not her. She had too much force stored away in her body. Besides, having reached the intermediate level of her stage five cultivation, her control over force had improved. Hence, she could use it with more ease now. Gripping the Long Yuan Sword in her hands, she looked at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed across her and muttered under her breath, ¡°It looks like something has happened outside¡­¡± She was initially at a disadvantage in this duel, but the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s external layer of frost gradually melted away for some reason. This subtle change caused it to weaken considerably. Having spent so much time with it, Chu Liuyue naturally became very familiar with everything about it and was thus very sensitive to its changes. As the crystals around the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had been completely absorbed by her, its remaining force wasn¡¯t enough to sustain itself. Hence, it would intermittently absorb force from the outside world to replenish and grow its own force. Its constant supply of force made it even harder for her to take it down, which was why she hadn¡¯t succeeded yet. However, it no longer absorbed force from the outside world after its layer of frost disappeared. This made Chu Liuyue suspect that something had definitely happened outside. Either way, it was beneficial to her in this situation. Once again, she raised the Long Yuan Sword and pointed it at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. ¡°Do you still refuse to admit defeat?¡± As a rich force exploded from the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, Chu Liuyue sent the sword flying. ¡°Long Yuan Sword!¡± The sharp and cold sword glistened as flames of two different colors intertwined on its blade, emitting a terrifying pressure. Since this place was completely sealed off, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have any concerns that someone might barge in here. Thus, she revealed her trump card. The sword could be heard zipping across the air. Flames furiously burned as though there were two giant phantoms surrounding the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. The space around the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed began crumbling once more as it swallowed the flames and force in the surroundings and killed them in the spatial turbulence. That didn¡¯t stop Chu Liuyue from pushing the flames forward though. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had no problems dealing with the flames at first, but it gradually found it harder and harder to do so as time passed. Those two flames were no ordinary fire¡ªone was formed from the force in the water droplet, while the other came from the Heavenly Square Cauldron. If someone were here right now, their jaw would surely drop at the sight of Chu Liuyue¡ªa fifth-stage warrior¡ªforcing the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed to this stage. Knowing that things weren¡¯t going well, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed quickly fled upward. Alas, the two flames followed closely behind it and soon surrounded it. When the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword aura finally caught up to them, it struck down hard. Boom! The two forces collided. Rumbling sounds could be heard as the aftershocks spread in all directions, and a crack formed on the ground. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes at the sight, only to see the faint glow from outside beginning to shake. The God Realm started compressing toward her. Heavy pressure weighed down on her, making her body ache. The speed at which her internal force flowed began to slow down again. Chu Liuyue fixed her gaze on the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in front of her, only to realize with a start that her flames also seemed to be greatly affected and had gotten much smaller than before. Is this the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s true power?! Just as this thought emerged in her mind, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed suddenly emitted a glowing light. ¡°Run, Liuyue!¡± shouted Shangguan Jing all of a sudden. Hearing that, Chu Liuyue retreated backward without hesitation and raised her black shield in front of her at the same time. Rumble! The successive fierce impacts shattered her hand that was holding onto the black shield. Although the shield managed to block off most of the impact, a small portion of it still reached her. Blood surged up her chest cavity, and her lips turned a little pale. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed is much more powerful than I thought! Chu Liuyue pursed her lips as she took a quick glance at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, which was glowing even more radiantly. Clearly, it was using the force stored in its own body. The next moment, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed flew over toward Chu Liuyue. It seemed to have an invisible barrier around it that blocked the sword aura and the flames outside. Everywhere it went, a black spatial crack was left behind. Chills ran down Chu Liuyue¡¯s back as she racked her brains to think of a countermeasure. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed soon arrived nearby in front of her, but for some reason, she sensed a hint of mockery and anger coming from it. A blast of cold wind hit her from behind out of the blue. Shocked, she turned back to take a look, only to see another Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed behind her. It was flying straight toward her dantian. By the looks of things, it intended to steal the force in her body. Crack! The pure gold armor suddenly cracked. Chapter 793 - A Shocking Collision ¡°The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed has a twin!¡± exclaimed Shangguan Jing out of shock and fury. It has a twin? Doesn¡¯t that mean there really are two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds here?! Appalled, Chu Liuyue turned her head back and saw the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed that she had been fighting with still floating in front of her. It wasn¡¯t an illusion! I¡¯m indeed surrounded by two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds! Although I¡¯m prepared to fight with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, I thought I only had to deal with one! It¡¯s hard enough to deal with one, let alone two of them! While Chu Liuyue was in a daze, the two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds came flying toward her at the same time. The pressure of which made her feel as if her organs were squished together and would burst out from her chest the next moment. Avoid them¡­ I have to avoid them! Countless thoughts ran through her mind as she gritted her teeth in determination. She could imagine what would happen to her if she got hit by any of the seeds. However, I can only block the attack of one seed with the black shield. What should I do about the other one?! Even the pure gold armor cracked under its pressure. It was no match for the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! A screech was heard right then, followed by a red shadow flashing across her eyes. Tuan Zi stood in front of Chu Liuyue protectively. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± shouted Chu Liuyue. There¡¯s no way Tuan Zi can withstand the combined force of two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds. Not even the pure gold armor managed to do so. Even if Tuan Zi is a legendary fiend now, I can¡¯t let it take the risk! With a flap of Tuan Zi¡¯s wings, red flames came sweeping across to form a gigantic barrier in front of itself. A Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed swiftly flew over, effortlessly shattering the barrier when they collided together. Boom! The barrier could be heard cracking. Being blocked by Tuan Zi, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see what was going on at the front, but she heard that loud commotion. Her heart clenched as she hastily tried to summon Tuan Zi back into her body so that it could avoid the attack. ¡°Tuan¡ª¡± Tuan Zi stubbornly stood still in front of her. By right, it needed Chu Liuyue¡¯s permission for everything it did since it was in a contractual relationship with her. There was no way it could refuse her order if she insisted on summoning it back to her body. But now that it had become a legendary fiend, it had a certain extent of autonomy, which was why it remained protecting Chu Liuyue behind itself. Everything happened too quickly for any of them to react though. A dull and short flesh-piercing sound was heard, which made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart drop. She immediately looked up and saw a bloody, fist-sized hole in Tuan Zi¡¯s left wing. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was actually just a small seed that was no more than the size of an adult¡¯s knuckle. Its tips were sharp, and its middle was slightly puffy. By right, the hole left behind by something as small as it shouldn¡¯t be this big. This only happened because of the seed¡¯s overwhelming aura and force. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere. A few drops of Tuan Zi¡¯s warm blood even landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, but before she could even react to it, she saw the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds approaching her once more. Her eyes instantly glowed red. ¡­ ¡®Did you swap Yue¡¯er¡¯s body?¡¯ Rong Xiu¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly at that. It was utterly quiet around them, and all that could be heard was the soft rustling sound of the sand. The sun was scorching hot, and there wasn¡¯t a single breeze. The air around them¡ªwhich seemed to have become sticky and boiling hot¡ªmade it difficult for one to even breathe. Rong Xiu¡¯s slight pause felt like an eternity to the trio that was waiting for his answer. Just as he parted his lips to say something, his expression suddenly changed as he spun around on his feet to face the Mystic Forest. Her pure gold armor cracked?! ¡°Sorry, something happened at the Mystic Forest. I have to rush over right away!¡± Rong Xiu said before lifting his foot to make a move. ¡°Wait!¡± Sand flew up and formed a fence in front of Rong Xiu to stop him from leaving. ¡°What¡¯s going on there? Make yourself clear first,¡± said Dugu Mobao. Although we spend most of our time in the desert and can only come out once a month on the night of the red moon, we can still somewhat sense the ongoings in Dahuang Swamp. Everything seems fine at the moment, so what made Rong Xiu want to leave all of a sudden? Rong Xiu put on the silver mask as he said succinctly, ¡°Her pure gold armor is damaged!¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible. That thing might be powerful, but it¡¯s not at the level where it can damage the pure gold armor!¡± Dugu Mobao froze for a second before denying it right away. We studied that thing before, and it was only after ascertaining that it hadn¡¯t grown that we allowed Yue¡¯er to deal with it on her own. Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was frosty as he said, ¡°I left my mark on the armor, so there¡¯s no doubt about this.¡± The elders began to feel uneasy when they heard how certain Rong Xiu sounded. Diwu Zhangze hurriedly said, ¡°Go! You have to keep her safe!¡± Rong Xiu nodded and vanished the next second. ¡°Follow him, Xue Hua!¡± added Lan Xiao. Xue Xue was pretty worried about Chu Liuyue too. Thus, it lifted its paws and took off like a lightning bolt when it heard Lan Xiao¡¯s order. It was only after the master-fiend duo left that Lan Xiao said, ¡°Seriously, if it weren¡¯t because we¡¯re stuck in this hellhole, such a trivial matter would be nothing to us too! We gave that kid a chance to play hero again!¡± ¡°What matters most is Yue¡¯er¡¯s safety. It doesn¡¯t matter who saves her.¡± Diwu Zhangze snorted, sounding a little angry for once. ¡°It¡¯s just a casual remark. But Big Baby, weren¡¯t you certain that there wasn¡¯t any problem with that thing? What¡¯s going on now?¡± asked Lan Xiao, disgruntled. When Dugu Mobao stayed silent for a long time, Lan Xiao snorted. ¡°If something is really wrong with that thing and Yue¡¯er ends up getting injured¡­¡± Diwu and I won¡¯t even need to do anything. You¡¯ll be eaten up by guilt yourself! ¡°Let¡¯s see how you explain it to Yue¡¯er!¡± After a while, Dugu Mobao slowly but firmly said, ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡­ Dong! A crisp and melodious sound reverberated across the dark and cramped space. Chu Liuyue stared at the square cauldron¡ªwhich suddenly appeared in front of her¡ªin shock for a long time. Just as she was about to fight back, the Heavenly Square Cauldron came out on its own and blocked the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s attack. The sound from earlier was the result of the collision between the two, and it sent the seed flying backward, much to Chu Liuyue¡¯s surprise. ¡°This cauldron is so powerful, Liuyue?!¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to hear the excitement in Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice. Chu Liuyue sighed in relief. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡ª¡± Her voice faltered when she saw a crystal-white bone slowly floating out of the cauldron. It turned out that the collision had knocked the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton out of it. Chapter 794 - Actually, I have them All When Chu Liuyue specifically and carefully stored this skeleton in the Heavenly Square Cauldron back then, she was precisely afraid that the great phoenix dragon would chase after her once they discovered its aura. She didn¡¯t expect that the entire skeleton would get poured out with the collision with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly trembled as she immediately placed the skeleton back. Boom! That skeleton floated a few inches above the hole of the cauldron before it was shoved back by Chu Liuyue, producing an impact sound. Chu Liuyue was stunned as she stared at the Heavenly Square Cauldron closely. This time, that skeleton didn¡¯t come out again. But when she thought of the scene that just happened, Chu Liuyue still felt lingering fear. At that moment, the skeleton had no coverage at all. Will the great phoenix dragon detect it? ¡°Yes.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice sounded in her heart. Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°The great phoenix dragon is one of the two largest clans with the strongest bloodlines in the world. They have very strong telepathy with their own clan members. Even if they¡¯re miles away, they can still detect it without any disruptions.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle sounded much more solemn. ¡°With the restriction of the Long Yuan Sword and the Heavenly Square Cauldron, this item¡¯s aura didn¡¯t spread everywhere previously. But just now¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart gradually sank. Originally, she still had a tinge of hope, but with the current situation¡­ She was afraid that it was dangerous. ¡°Then, do we have any other methods?¡± Chu Liuyue asked with a headache. Great phoenix dragon¡­ Without thinking, one would know that I can¡¯t be the match of such an existence! The legendary three-eyed eagle fell silent. Shangguan Jing suddenly said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that there¡¯s no other way. If the great phoenix dragon clan comes here, they will definitely want the corpse back. Liuyue, why don¡¯t you quickly use this skeleton on the legendary three-eyed eagle so that it can¡¯t fight with you anymore?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Ancestor is telling me¡­ to help the legendary three-eyed eagle reconstruct its physical body? ¡°This is one method, but I still lack the herbs to reconstruct its physical body, Ancestor¡­¡± Shangguan Jing coughed. ¡°I remember that you already have the purplish-gold Buddha leaf, right? You can do it as long as you have that! As for the rest¡­ the Long Yuan Sword should have them.¡± ¡°What?¡± At that moment, Chu Liuyue thought that she was hearing things. ¡°What did you say the Long Yuan Sword has?¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor paused, and his voice seemed to float around. ¡°J-just the herbs that can help the legendary fiend reconstruct its physical body¡­ I think there seems to be some left¡­ However, it¡¯s mostly because you already have the purplish-gold Buddha leaf. That¡¯s the most important thing.¡± The hilt of the Long Yuan Sword was a gigantic space. The space¡¯s interior contained all sorts of treasures and riches that Shangguan Jing took out from the Tianling God Realm. As there really were too many, even Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t completely know what was inside. Hearing her ancestor say this, she then knew that it even contained all these items! ¡°Bloody cloud crystal?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Ink Yuan bamboo?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Spiritual fruit?¡± ¡°¡­I think so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched. Shangguan Jing felt guilty and hurriedly explained, ¡°Actually, this matter is a little complicated. I also found it unintentionally back then. Even though I used up some of them, there is still quite a bit left. At the start, I didn¡¯t recall this either as there are too many things after all¡­ Ahem, I didn¡¯t tell you at first because I wanted to give you more chances to train yourself up first!¡± The ancestor genuinely meant this. At the start, he really didn¡¯t remember that these things existed. However, he finally recalled them when he saw Chu Liuyue retrieve the purplish-gold Buddha leaf. But Chu Liuyue and the legendary three-eyed eagle weren¡¯t very anxious about this matter at that time. Hence, he didn¡¯t bring it up and wanted her to find them herself so that she could train herself up. If she really lacked something in the end, he would bring out the items. I didn¡¯t expect to coincidentally meet with today¡¯s situation¡­ ¡°¡­Liuyue, you won¡¯t be angry at me, right?¡± asked Shangguan Jing hesitantly. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Ancestor, why would I be angry at you? You¡¯re helping me so willingly, and I can¡¯t even thank you enough.¡± However, this incident happened too suddenly, and she didn¡¯t expect it at all. Thus, she was taken aback. Strictly speaking, these were her ancestor¡¯s items after all, and he had no responsibility to give them all to her. She was indeed elated to be able to settle her current crisis. But hearing Ancestor¡¯s words, he seems to have many of such things before and even used them? Even if he needed to use them himself, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a need to leave so much behind¡­ Doubts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but the current situation was urgent. She couldn¡¯t ask in detail, and she could only suppress her inner doubts. Boom! Another collision sound was heard! Chu Liuyue immediately turned around to look. This time, another one struck the black shield. Thankfully, this impact didn¡¯t leave behind any marks on the black shield. It was much better than the armor that was split open previously. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold. This black shield indeed has a higher level than the pure gold armor and is even stronger in terms of defensiveness. She felt slightly more at ease as she looked at the other one. I can completely hand my back over to the black shield. I just have to settle this side now¡­ Her gaze landed on the Heavenly Square Cauldron. An idea popped up in her mind as the transparent square cauldron started turning slowly and flying in front. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed seemed to have detected a suppression as it started to retreat. Chu Liuyue was elated. This Heavenly Square Cauldron does seem to be able to deal with this¡ª The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed suddenly rushed forward! Chu Liuyue looked up, and then she saw another Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed flying over! She watched on as the two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds were about to collide. ¡°Liuyue, stop them! Once the two twin seeds merge, it¡¯ll be even harder to deal with them!¡± Shangguan Jing hollered. Chu Liuyue directly flung out her Long Yuan Sword. A cold gleam flashed across, and it flew between the two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds. At the same time, the Heavenly Square Cauldron slowly flew toward one of them. The transparent fire tongue came out from within. In the blink of an eye, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was taken away by the transparent fire before settling in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. From start to end, the entire process was very smooth like water, without any pauses at all. It was as if¡­ that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was just an ordinary toy. Even Chu Liuyue was secretly shocked. I suspected that the Heavenly Square Cauldron could handle the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this easy! The next second, the second Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was swallowed by the second fire. Less than a few seconds had passed from start to finish. The Heavenly Square Cauldron rapidly shrunk and landed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. Chu Liuyue carefully scrutinized the tiny transparent square cauldron. With this look, she could vaguely see the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton and the two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds within. However, the two seeds were separated, and they each took a side. Chu Liuyue blinked, feeling disbelief that the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was defeated just like that. Shangguan Jing suddenly asked, ¡°Where did you get your square cauldron from?¡± Chapter 795 - Meet Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I got this when I met the legendary three-eyed eagle. I don¡¯t really know what it is either.¡± She had asked the legendary three-eyed eagle before, but the latter was reluctant to talk about it and just said that it was a holy object. Such a vague answer was equivalent to saying nothing. Chu Liuyue knew that she couldn¡¯t get any information out of it temporarily, so she swiftly set the matter aside. As time passed, she also realized that this item seemed to be more mysterious than she had guessed. No matter if it were the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton or the two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds, it could swallow them easily and even completely restrict their force¡­ How terrifying! Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Your luck is really heaven-defying!¡± It was the black pyramid first, then the water droplet, and finally this transparent square cauldron¡­ Even the black shield is extremely strong. Even the Long Yuan Sword seems weak in front of these treasures. Randomly taking out any one of these items would definitely attract countless people¡¯s passionate pursuit, and Chu Liuyue has so many! This world has no lack of talents, but only a very small minority can slowly grow from talents to become true warriors. If one wants to be one of the minority, they can¡¯t lack talent and hard work. However, there is also one aspect that is extremely important¡ªluck! Chu Liuyue has all of them! Other people might not even be able to meet with such fateful miracles once in their lives, but she continuously meets with them. If someone like her can¡¯t become an elite, there will be no justice. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Actually, I also didn¡¯t expect this thing to be so powerful.¡± However, at least this incident was settled. The stone weighing on her heart finally dropped as she let out a deep sigh and surveyed her surroundings. The space was breaking bit by bit. Cracks appeared on the circle of light that glowed with a faint dark-green color. She had already defeated the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, so the God Realm that it unleashed would naturally disappear. Very quickly, they all slowly turned into rays of light and disappeared as the place dimmed bit by bit. The suppression on Chu Liuyue gradually lightened. She glanced at the Heavenly Square Cauldron again, looking solemn. I still can¡¯t go out now. I haven¡¯t settled the issue of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton! Since I already have everything, why don¡¯t I just help the legendary three-eyed eagle reform its physical body? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Ancestor, can I trouble you to help me set up the barrier?¡± Shangguan Jing knew what she was planning to do and immediately took action without saying anything. A translucent barrier rapidly appeared. One could even see silver lightning moving across it. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor had triggered many bolts of lightning back then, so there was a portion of the lightning¡¯s strength in his own force. After being separated into this space, Chu Liuyue felt slightly more at ease. She flung out the Heavenly Square Cauldron, and it rapidly recovered its normal size as it silently dropped onto the floor. ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± She called Tuan Zi back first. Tuan Zi became tiny and returned to her shoulders as it pitifully rested on them. One of its wings was drooping down, and it was very bloody. The wound looked heartbreaking. When Tuan Zi was previously still in its blood ferret form, its skin was very thick. Even though it had injured itself before, it very rarely showed such a state. Now that it had just become a legendary fiend, it was severely injured. This naturally made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ache. She carefully treated its wound and took out some medication to bandage it before she said in a half-angry tone, ¡°Have you learned your lesson? Let¡¯s see if you still dare to be this disobedient next time!¡± Tuan Zi whimpered as its pair of charming eyes looked at her pitifully. It was so dangerous back then. How can I go away? Even if there¡¯s only one-millionth possibility of her getting hurt, I¡¯ll still dive right in front of her without hesitation. We finally met after waiting so long. How can I bear to see her in danger again? Back then¡­ she directly sent me out to save my life. In the end¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart softened when she saw Tuan Zi¡¯s miserable and pitiful gaze. ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t scold you anymore. Go back and recuperate properly, okay?¡± Tuan Zi then nodded. Its figure flashed across as it returned to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and started to recuperate. Actually, a legendary fiend¡¯s self-recovery ability was very strong. It could recover from this wound in no time. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and looked at the Heavenly Square Cauldron. A gigantic black apparition suddenly appeared in front of them. Hula¡ª Its wings spread out, and it looked formidable¡ªit was the legendary three-eyed eagle! Compared to before, its apparition seemed to be more solidified. Chu Liuyue looked into its eyes determinedly. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Slight agitation was finally revealed in the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s normally nonchalant gaze. Even one that was as cold and mighty as it couldn¡¯t help but be emotional at a time like this. It was suppressed for thousands of years and suffered painful torture every day and night in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. It almost couldn¡¯t endure it any longer. It had imagined countless scenarios of it recovering its physical body, but even it actually didn¡¯t dare to harbor much hope and only thought of it as a dream. Only an elite character could do such a thing in the world. Based on Chu Liuyue alone, how could she do it? However, it didn¡¯t expect this day to really come, and even so quickly! Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°I¡¯m ready. What about you?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle nodded. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start.¡± ¡­ When the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was absorbed into Chu Liuyue¡¯s Heavenly Square Cauldron and the God Realm collapsed thereafter, it was completely peaceful in the Mystic Forest outside. A slight breeze went across the silent forest. Qin Yi originally sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to rest. When he heard this commotion, he suddenly opened his eyes. A faint light quickly flashed across his narrow eyes! There seemed to be something moving just now¡­ He had set up a trap in this forest and could almost detect any changes in this entire Mystic Forest. But after sensing for a while, he didn¡¯t discover anything. It seems like it was an illusion just now¡­ Qin Yi knitted his brows and stood up. The few of them looked over. Lei Laosi asked, ¡°Big Brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Yi shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll go in front to take a look.¡± Then, he walked toward the mother tree. The surroundings were silent, and there didn¡¯t seem to be many changes around the mother tree. However, Qin Yi knitted his brows even more tightly. I shouldn¡¯t be imagining things¡­ Roar! This roar suddenly came from the sky. The crowd looked up in unison and saw a muscular figure quickly flying over. Lei Laosi gasped. ¡°It¡¯s the legendary fiend that roared earlier!¡± Qin Yi half-squinted his eyes. Did it cause the commotion just now? ¡­ In the dim space, a black figure quickly flashed across. Very quickly, Rong Xiu saw the familiar figure below. However, it seems like she¡¯s doing alright¡­ Chu Liuyue seemed to have felt something as she suddenly raised her head. The two of them stared into each other¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly trembled. Chapter 796 - I’ll Help You Remove This pair of eyes actually gave her a very familiar feeling, as if¡­ she had seen them before. With this sudden look, it seemed like the night sky had a spiral with a lethal attraction. Chu Liuyue opened her mouth, and a name was almost going to jump out. ¡°You¡­¡± But at this point, that man silently averted his gaze. In the depths of his eyes, there seemed to be a faint layer of mist spreading around to cover the charming eyes. Chu Liuyue then suddenly recovered her senses and carefully sized the incoming person up. This was a mysterious man dressed in a black robe and a silver mask. He floated in midair and was looking down at her. As he was completely dressed in black without any accessories, he seemed to merge with the dark space behind. Thus, she could only forcefully identify that his figure was big. As for the rest¡­ She couldn¡¯t tell. Chu Liuyue stared at him for quite a while and suddenly said, ¡°¡­Master?¡± After a temporary silence, that man finally spoke, his voice deep. ¡°You do have good eyesight.¡± It¡¯s really him! Chu Liuyue was actually shocked. She had never seen this person personally and had only heard his voice once at Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum. Now that she met him, she felt that this person¡¯s vibe was quite similar to Master¡¯s that day for some reason. She just tried to ask and didn¡¯t expect to get it right¡­ Chu Liuyue blinked and carefully scrutinized him. It was a pity that the surroundings were pitch black, and she couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. He was even wearing a mask, which made it even harder for her. However, she quickly stopped herself. Facing such a character, her gaze was inevitably offensive. After all, this could be considered as their first official meeting. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and glanced at the legendary three-eyed eagle and the Heavenly Square Cauldron in front of her. Before this person came, she was just preparing to help recover the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s physical body. Then, he appeared before she could even do anything. Separated by Ancestor¡¯s translucent barrier, he should be able to see my situation vaguely. If someone else appeared, I would definitely hide these items immediately. Anyone with good eyesight can tell that the legendary three-eyed eagle beside me isn¡¯t an ordinary fiend. And this person¡­ has a mysterious and strong background. Chu Liuyue believed that he definitely recognized the legendary three-eyed eagle. As for the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­ Even though it didn¡¯t look like anything special at first glance, she couldn¡¯t guarantee that he didn¡¯t know about it. Chu Liuyue knew the logic of an innocent man getting into trouble because of his wealth very well. But the strange thing was that after she recognized that he was Master, she actually half-heaved a sigh of relief. For some reason, she knew that he wouldn¡¯t snatch her things. This feeling came with no rhyme or reason, but this was Chu Liuyue thought. Even if this person could easily snatch all her things away when he took action, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t plan on hiding. Anyway, he had already seen it, and there wasn¡¯t much meaning in hiding further. If he really wants to gain something from me, why would he leave the black pyramid for me at the start? At this thought, Chu Liuyue had an idea. She seriously bowed toward the other party. ¡°I still have to thank you, Master, for the previous incident.¡± The other party had helped her quite a few times privately and openly. She had to thank him. However, the other party didn¡¯t answer her as he instead asked, ¡°Are you planning to manifest the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s physical body?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. He really can tell with one glance! She was secretly thankful that she didn¡¯t think of hiding from him as she nodded and openly admitted, ¡°Yes.¡± A stage-five warrior trying to help a legendary fiend recover its physical body. If word got out, it would definitely attract many people¡¯s mockery and nonchalance. However, Master just nodded lightly and didn¡¯t criticize at all as he changed the topic and seemingly asked nonchalantly, ¡°This place seemed pretty crowded just now.¡± The man¡¯s tone was lazy and had a tinge of relaxation. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it. The battle between her and the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed made quite a huge commotion and left some marks around. She paused and tried to ask, ¡°Master, I have something to ask you. Do you know¡ªthe pyramid we obtained in the imperial mausoleum previously¡­ What does it contain?¡± Then, Chu Liuyue nervously held her breath. This man definitely knows something. If not, he wouldn¡¯t randomly leave a seal on it. But¡­ What exactly is it for? Chu Liuyue thought for a very long time but couldn¡¯t arrive at an answer. Now that she coincidentally saw him, she naturally had to ask him. Once she asked this, the surroundings fell silent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was as if gradually clutched by something. Suddenly, that man glided down from above. Before Chu Liuyue could even see his actions clearly, he had already appeared not far away from her. The space below wasn¡¯t considered small, and the barrier Shangguan Jing helped Chu Liuyue set up only took up about half of the space. Recovering one¡¯s physical body was meticulous and long work. If one wanted to do it successfully, they had to try their best not to be affected by the outside world. However, it didn¡¯t have many restrictions on the amount of space. That man jumped down and landed on the other half of the empty space. He stood in the dark, and Chu Liuyue could only see his deep and quiet eyes. He seemed to chuckle. ¡°If I tell you now, what¡¯s the point of me leaving the seal there before?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­It seems like you¡¯re not willing to say it?¡± Actually, this was also expected. It would really be strange if she could find out the answer so easily. Like he had said: there would be no meaning in the seal he left behind. ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient for you to tell me, then it¡¯s fine. However¡­ this thing seems to be very important to you. Why must you leave it here?¡± This was also a question that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t understand. Based on his abilities, isn¡¯t it a piece of cake to deal with this item? ¡°I have my own plans,¡± said that man lightly. He clearly had no plans on explaining. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. This feeling of not knowing anything really sucks. ¡°Since it¡¯s inconvenient for you to say anything, then I won¡¯t ask further.¡± Her tone turned cold. It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t want to speak. Perhaps I can solve that seal one day and see what¡¯s inside! ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Master, please help yourself. I still have things to do, so I shan¡¯t talk to you anymore.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue turned around and planned to start recovering the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s physical body. She already disregarded this person watching. Anyway, she just had to do what she needed to do no matter what. But at this point, that man spoke again. ¡°Hold on.¡± Chu Liuyue paused in her actions and turned around to glance at him. ¡°Master, is there anything else you want to enlighten me about?¡± There was a tinge of smiling intent in that man¡¯s voice. ¡°You helped me look after this item. As a reward, I want to help you too. The armor on your body¡­ Do you want to take it off yourself, or do you want me to help you?¡± Chapter 797 - Jealous of Who? Pure gold armor? Chu Liuyue looked down. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed previously broke the pure gold armor and left a long crack on it. He means¡­ ¡°This armor isn¡¯t bad. If it¡¯s damaged like this, its defensive power will be greatly reduced. It¡¯d be a real pity.¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue asked rather uncertainly, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ planning to help me repair this armor?¡± The other party lightly nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Not that. If you can help me, I wouldn¡¯t even know how to thank you.¡± Previously, she had always been worrying about the pure gold armor being damaged. When a Yuan instrument was damaged, its effectiveness would normally be greatly reduced. Most people would just directly throw away ordinary Yuan instruments. As for those with higher cultivation levels, they would try to repair them. But this had a very high requirement on the cultivator, and very few people could do it perfectly and flawlessly. Hence, most would end up with the same outcome. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think that he would take the initiative to offer his help. Judging from his abilities, perhaps he¡¯s an expert in this area? Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment in her heart and agreed. According to my current standards, I can¡¯t completely repair the pure gold armor. Therefore, why not let him try? Anyway, the pure gold armor has recognized me as its master. Due to this, I¡¯m not worried that he would do something about it. If he wanted to snatch it away¡­ He would¡¯ve done so long ago. Why would he wait till now? An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as a faint golden layer of light appeared in front of her. Then, these rays of light flew out and formed the shape of armor in front of her. She whipped her sleeves and sent the pure gold armor out. That man lifted his hand, and the pure gold armor obediently landed in it. Rong Xiu looked at the pure gold armor in his hands and felt emotional. I want to help my own wife, yet I need to do it in such a roundabout manner. How tiring. He took one glance at it and immediately saw the position of the damage in the pure gold armor. He was very familiar with this item. In order to help her produce those crystal barriers back then, he did quite a bit of research. However, he still had to go through some formalities. Chu Liuyue saw the other party carefully looking at the pure gold armor in his hands for a while before taking action. Black force flew out from his palm and rapidly formed a spark. After that, he flicked his fingers. The black fire flew to the damaged part in the pure gold armor and started burning. ¡°This person seems to be very good at this¡­¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Actually, Chu Liuyue could also tell this. After all, she had once personally refined the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. In the surroundings of the black fire, the pure gold armor glowed slightly and became much softer afterward. Chu Liuyue marveled. This person is an expert in controlling the fire! The pure gold armor is my item, so I can naturally change the softness of it according to my will. But in other people¡¯s hands, it¡¯s normally just an ordinary set of hard armor. This person seems to be very well-versed in this aspect¡­ Chu Liuyue relaxed and didn¡¯t watch on anymore as she turned her attention to the legendary three-eyed eagle. She couldn¡¯t drag on any longer. Even if someone was at the side, she couldn¡¯t care so much anymore. She took a deep breath in and set aside her thoughts. Then, a transparent fire wrapped around the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton and gradually floated out. After this period of nourishment, the skeleton seemed much brighter and smoother than before. At first glance, it was like a premium gem. Chu Liuyue held her breath in and focused as a red fire flew out of her hands. The two types of colored fire immediately intersected, and they burned brightly! Very quickly, a very faint blood color appeared in the skeleton. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. This should be the bloodline power hidden in the skeleton! As long as I completely force the force out, it could then merge with the legendary three-eyed eagle! Chu Liuyue carefully controlled it. The two balls of fire burned, and increasingly more bloodstains appeared on the skeleton as a faint suppression spread out from it. Whir! It hit the barrier and made a low sound. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. The bloodline power in this great phoenix dragon doesn¡¯t want to break this barrier, right? Won¡¯t I be in big trouble by then? Just as she was thinking of how to deal with it, a ripple was heard from the side. A faint black barrier overlapped with the previous one, and the whirring sound immediately disappeared. With the two barriers blocking it, the commotion inside wouldn¡¯t spread out again. Chu Liuyue glanced from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± However, that man just lightly waved his hands as if he didn¡¯t care about it. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. This man seems to be even more mysterious than before¡­ However, she didn¡¯t think about it for long as she quickly continued. With this extra protection, the surrounding space became much more stable, and Chu Liuyue felt much more at ease. Rong Xiu¡¯s fingertips moved slightly, and a golden color gradually flowed out of the black fire, covering the long crack on the pure gold armor. His actions were very discreet, and Chu Liuyue definitely couldn¡¯t see this scene even if she looked over. He silently looked up and glanced at his wife; she was completely focused on the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton. Rong Xiu slightly squinted his eyes. Hmm. She seems to trust me too much, right? She still dares to take out the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton so openly? Is she not worried at all? Since when did she trust other men so much? Thinking of this, Rong Xiu was suddenly in a bad mood. Chapter 798 - Unrecoverable Wound Mystic Forest. In midair, a white lion was¡­ quietly floating. Qin Yi and the rest looked up at it. After a while, Lei Laosi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Big Brother, what kind of fiend is this? Why does it keep staying above us?¡± He originally thought that it was going to rush down, but after it circled twice in the air, it just stopped there. It didn¡¯t move or come down. This made the few people below dazed. Qin Yi also felt that it was weird. Previously, he felt that there was something amiss in the Mystic Forest; then, this white lion appeared. After it stopped in midair, there wasn¡¯t much commotion in the surroundings. Due to this, they could basically confirm that the previous commotion came from it. However¡­ Even he couldn¡¯t really tell what kind of fiend this was. He also didn¡¯t know why it did not do anything after arriving. But from the current situation, it doesn¡¯t seem to have murderous intent and shouldn¡¯t be coming for us. ¡°Ignore it first,¡± said Qin Yi. After all, it was a legendary fiend. They had to be careful around it. Lei Laosi scratched his head and muttered, ¡°It looks like a white lion legendary fiend¡­ but I haven¡¯t heard of it before¡­¡± When Ye Ranran heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Big Brother Lei, is that a¡­ white lion? Its body seems to be yellow?¡± Xue Xue¡ªwho was stopped outside by its own master¡ªwas filled with vengeance as it couldn¡¯t enter nor retreat and felt that its life was bitter. Hearing this, its heart harshly shivered, and it wanted to run away immediately! How humiliating! My originally snow-white fur was stained with countless layers of yellow sand, causing me to become a dirty-yellow color. Xue Xue roared with hatred. ¡°Roar¡ª¡± At that moment, the woods vibrated. However, the few people below weren¡¯t too affected by it. Ye Ranran was frightened, and she pulled on Mu Hongyu¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Hongyu, why do I feel like it¡¯s angry at me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s originally a white lion, and it became like this after it came from the Red Moon Desert. It must¡¯ve heard what you previously said, so it naturally won¡¯t be happy.¡± Qin Yi turned around and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that legendary fiends have almost the same standard of spiritual thinking as humans.¡± Ye Ranran shrunk her neck. ¡°So legendary fiends care about this so much¡­¡± Mu Hongyu lightly patted her shoulders. ¡°Ranran, don¡¯t worry. I think it doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions toward us!¡± Even though it roared, they didn¡¯t feel the impact of this strength, which showed that it purposely avoided them. Ye Ranran then felt relieved. Suddenly, Qiang Wanzhou stood up! His action was very fast and even a little hurried, which immediately attracted their attention. Qin Yi seemed to have predicted something. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s eyes seemed to have millions of stars dazzling. ¡°I feel that she¡¯s about to come out soon.¡± ¡­ Xi Ling. Imperial Palace, Huayang Palace. Shangguan Wan leaned against the head of the bed as Chan Yi kneeled on the floor and fed her medicine. ¡°Your Highness, this is the last dose of medication for the day. Please drink it,¡± said Chan Yi as she carefully scooped a little onto her spoon and sent it to Shangguan Wan¡¯s lips. Shangguan Wan¡¯s lips turned pale as she weakly drank the medicine. When she swallowed a mouthful of it, her thin brows immediately furrowed tightly as the bitter and bloodily sweet taste overwhelmed her, causing her to choke. She endured this and drank the medicine. Her stomach tumbled, and she almost spat it out! But in the end, she still held it in. Chan Yi didn¡¯t dare to say much as she continued to feed her diligently. When she finished feeding the entire bowl of medicine, Chan Yi¡¯s forehead was already filled with tiny beads of sweat. She hurriedly put away her items and said flatteringly, ¡°Physician Zuo said that your health took a turn for the better. After finishing this medicine today, we can change to another one tomorrow. As long as you rest properly, your body will definitely improve!¡± When Shangguan Wan heard this, she was unaffected. Gradually, her gaze even had a tinge of mockery. She slowly caressed her face and softly asked, ¡°Then, did he say when the scar on my face would recover?¡± Chan Yi looked down. ¡°This¡­ Physician Zuo said that the wound on your face is a little troublesome and that it needs some time¡­¡± Shangguan Wan coldly sneered. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± Chan Yi paused. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re blessed, so there¡¯s definitely a way¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Shangguan Wan was long tired of hearing such words, so she waved her hands in frustration. Chan Yi could only dismiss herself. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait for you outside then. If you need me, just call for me.¡± Then, she respectfully exited. The moment the door closed, Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression immediately became cold and vengeful. Actually, her face was currently filled with scars. There wasn¡¯t a single good spot, so she couldn¡¯t make any expression. She didn¡¯t dare to move at will, terrified that the scabs that formed with much difficulty would tear again. She could only express all her emotions through her eyes. During these few days after her return to Xi Ling, she felt that she was better off dead. After experiencing all that torture that day, her body was heavily damaged. Hence, she could only recuperate in bed during this period. She used up quite a bit of her force, but thankfully, the Yuan meridian she tried so hard to heal wasn¡¯t affected because of this. This comforted Shangguan Wan a little. But in the end, she discovered an even worse thing¡ªthe scar on her face seemed to be even more serious than ordinary wounds. No matter what method she used and what medicine she tried, there didn¡¯t seem to be any obvious effects. Every time she thought it was going to get better, it would rot again for some reason. As these things happened over and over again, her face wasn¡¯t lookable anymore. This also caused her to only be able to hide in here and not go out to see anyone. Shangguan Wan was enraged and terrified. If my face really doesn¡¯t recover¡­ Then, what should I do in the future? I can still drag it for a while now, but I need to go out next time! This is especially so because my wedding with Jiang Yucheng is getting nearer and nearer. On the day of the wedding, I still need to see the officers and commoners¡­ Knock, knock¡­ Hurried knocks were heard. ¡°Your Highness, I have something to report.¡± What can happen now? Shangguan Wan knitted her brows. ¡°Come in.¡± Chan Yi opened the door and hurriedly walked in, her face looking a little incredulous. The moment she reached the front of Shangguan Wan¡¯s bed, she directly kneeled down. ¡°Your Highness, the Prince Consort and the rest are back!¡± ¡°Why are they so fast?¡± Shangguan Wan was stunned. How long has it been? Not even half a month, right? Did they successfully retrieve the Dancing Lotus? ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°I heard that the Prince Consort is injured and that he has already returned to the Jiang Residence to rest. As for the rest¡­ They¡¯re waiting for you at Minghua Palace.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart sank, and she hurriedly asked, ¡°Did they obtain the Dancing Lotus?¡± Chapter 799 - Treatment ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Chan Yi lowered her head even more. If they retrieved it successfully, they would definitely send the news back instantly. But now, Jiang Yucheng has already returned to the Jiang Residence to recuperate. The rest are already waiting at Minghua Palace, but nobody has brought up the Dancing Lotus. We can basically confirm that they didn¡¯t come back successful this time. Shangguan Wan suddenly straightened her body as she was shocked and enraged. She widened her eyes, and her expression was harsh. ¡°Nonsense! All of them are elites in the Tianling Dynasty. How can they not have it?!¡± Jian Shuye! Weichi Song! Song Luan! All of them are famous characters! Even the Grand Tutor, Xiahou Rong, is also a peak stage-seven warrior! They would be terrifying in terms of skills if the few of them joined hands. Why would they come back empty-handed?! With this movement, Shangguan Wan¡¯s wounds started hurting again. The scab on her face also split again as blood gradually flowed down, hurting her. She gasped. Her health was terrible, and in addition to the anger attacking her heart, she directly collapsed backward. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Chan Yi yelled in shock as she hurriedly held her up. ¡°Your Highness, you must take care of your body. You can¡¯t get angry!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet, and her eyes seemed to be burning with fire before she pushed her maidservant away. ¡°Get lost! Useless trash, go away!¡± Can¡¯t get angry? Hearing this kind of news, how can I not get angry?! Chan Yi hurriedly kneeled down. Actually, she was also stunned when she heard this piece of news just now. Who would¡¯ve thought that these few people would also fail to achieve anything when they worked together? Chan Yi had long expected Shangguan Wan¡¯s reaction, but she had no choice. The matter was too important, and she didn¡¯t dare to hide it from the latter. Besides, how could she hide this incident? Jian Shuye and the rest were still waiting at Minghua Palace! ¡°Y-Your Highness, you mustn¡¯t be angry! They¡¯re still waiting for you to go to Minghua Palace!¡± It wasn¡¯t only the matter at Minghua Palace. Now that Jiang Yucheng was resting in his residence, there would definitely be many things that required Shangguan Wan to attend to personally. When Shangguan Wan thought of this, her mind was in a mess. Waiting for me to go over? Do they want me to meet the crowd with such a face?! Shangguan Wan was enraged. I don¡¯t understand. Everything was clearly fine before, so why did it suddenly become so rough? I originally thought that I could relax and wait to get married and ascend the throne with the wedding date settled, but things keep cropping up in between continuously! My face, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s wound, the injured Black Guards¡­ and that Dancing Lotus I can¡¯t retrieve no matter what! Once the news gets out, they will definitely criticize me for being useless. I previously set up the stage for myself to get a good reputation, so I purposely invited so many people to go to Dahuang Swamp. In the end, we came back tragically. I originally hoped that they could bring the Dancing Lotus back this time so that I could explain to the public. However, I didn¡¯t expect it to turn into naught! Now, how much I played out the trip back then will equate to my humiliation! Shangguan Wan suppressed her anger with much difficulty as she coldly said, ¡°Just tell them that I¡¯m resting now and can¡¯t go out. Invite Song Luan to see me alone. As for the rest, they had a tiring trip, so let them go back first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ After Jiang Yucheng returned to Xi Ling, he rushed back to his Jiang Residence instantly. Within the room, Feng Shanyuan placed his hand on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s wrist and gradually knitted his brows, his expression looking very solemn. After a while, he let go and stared at Jiang Yucheng, unable to conceal the shock in his voice. ¡°Eldest Young Master, your body¡ª¡± Didn¡¯t he just make a trip to Dahuang Swamp? How long has it been? Why did his injuries suddenly become so serious? ¡°Did¡­ you fight with someone?¡± Feng Shanyuan asked in a very roundabout manner. Jiang Yucheng nodded, but he didn¡¯t speak about it in detail as he knitted his brows. ¡°Do you have any ways of treating it?¡± Feng Shanyuan sighed. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you know your body the best, right? With such a wound, you probably won¡¯t fully recover without half a year.¡± It never rains but pours. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression became increasingly grave. I¡¯ve already been injured recently, and it was already hard for me to recover then. With this now¡­ It would probably be harder! From start to end, that man only used one finger. However, I didn¡¯t even have the strength to retaliate as I was completely crushed. There was never a moment where Jiang Yucheng felt that he was miles apart from that person. In comparison, he was like a tiny speck of dust¡ªlowly and useless. Jiang Yucheng was born to be a talent, and he was always stronger than the rest. Since when did other people treat him like this? The more upsetting thing was that the man in black seemed to disregard him completely! The greatest contempt was nonchalance! Jiang Yucheng felt like there was a rock stuck in his heart, and he felt stifled. Feng Shanyuan is right. I know my condition the best. ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± He darkened his face and asked again. Half a year¡­ I definitely can¡¯t do it. The wedding date is coming closer, and there are too many things I have to do! Feng Shanyuan thought for a long while and finally said, ¡°If you really want¡­ It¡¯s not that there are no other methods, but you have to suffer¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start then.¡± ¡­ Minghua Palace. Jian Shuye and the rest sat on both sides, and the hall was silent. Nobody expected their trip to Dahuang Swamp would have such a hurried end. After they were chased out, they wanted to go back again. However, they realized that the transportation formation was sealed! This way, they had no other choice and could only return. As for the Dancing Lotus, they naturally couldn¡¯t think about it anymore. The few of them were all important people in the Tianling Dynasty and had superb capabilities. Who knew that they would end up in such a humiliating situation? After Jiang Yucheng was sent to his Jiang Residence to rest, they first came to the palace and planned to report the incident to Shangguan Wan so that she could decide what to do next. Very quickly, someone came from outside. A palace maid hurried forward and greeted the few of them one by one before saying to Song Luan, ¡°The Third Princess is still unwell, and she can¡¯t see the few of you at the same time. Therefore, Master Song, please go to Huayang Palace first.¡± The few of them weren¡¯t surprised by this. Song Luan was originally closer to Shangguan Wan, so it was normal for her to call him over. Jian Shuye couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How is the Third Princess¡¯s health? So many days have passed, but she hasn¡¯t gotten better?¡± Counting from the day she came back, it had already been half a month. They had heard that Shangguan Wan stayed in Huayang Palace during this entire half-month and didn¡¯t go out at all. Many things were settled in Huayang Palace. How exactly did she injure herself so severely? One had to know that with her current status, she would easily incur other people¡¯s guesses if she didn¡¯t reveal herself for a long time. ¡°Coincidentally, Old Song and I are both heavenly doctors. Why don¡¯t we go and check the Third Princess¡¯s wounds? Old Song, what do you think?¡± Chapter 800 - Completely Humiliated Weichi Song nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good too. The Third Princess¡¯s health is precious; we must take care of it.¡± The palace maid didn¡¯t expect them to say this and was put into a difficult spot. ¡°Uh¡­ Ms. Chan Yi only said to invite Master Song alone¡­ I don¡¯t dare to make my own decisions.¡± In the palace, who doesn¡¯t live by Chan Yi¡¯s words? Chan Yi has always been very strict regarding the Third Princess¡¯s matters. If I bring these two people over, Chan Yi won¡¯t dare to say anything given their high status. However, my own safety would be compromised. Jian Shuye chuckled and seemingly said jokingly, ¡°We all know that the Third Princess trusts Chan Yi a lot and sees her very highly, but she¡¯s just a slave at the end of the day. Do we still need to gain her permission before the three of us can see the Third Princess?¡± The palace maid hurriedly kneeled down. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it that way! B-but¡­¡± ¡°But what? We¡¯re just worried about the Third Princess¡¯s health, so we specifically want to visit her. If the Third Princess really doesn¡¯t want to see us when we get to Huayang Palace, we can¡¯t force her either.¡± This sentence stumped the palace maid. It was fine if it were others, but Jian Shuye and Weichi Song were both top heavenly doctors in the Tianling Dynasty. If they suggested checking the Third Princess¡¯s health, it did make sense. Xiahou Rong slightly knitted his brows and said, ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t have to go. After all, the palace still has Physician Zuo and the rest with advanced medical skills. If we go there now, we might disturb¡­¡± Weichi Song silently interrupted him. ¡°The Third Princess hasn¡¯t come out in a long while, and all of us are very worried. The Eldest Young Master is also injured now and has to rest in bed. If nobody comes out to take the helm, the world will fall into chaos. We¡¯re doing this for everyone¡¯s good. Why would we harm the Third Princess?¡± Since he had already said so to this extent, the palace maid couldn¡¯t say anything else. She could only force herself to agree. Xiahou Rong¡¯s lips moved. He wanted to stop them, but he couldn¡¯t think of any reason. Jian Shuye glanced at him, chuckled, and said, ¡°Officer Xiahou, you don¡¯t look very well. Are you exhausted from the trip? Why don¡¯t you quickly go back and rest?¡± Xiahou Rong immediately rejected this suggestion. ¡°Since you are all going, why wouldn¡¯t I go?¡± On the way back, Jiang Yucheng clearly didn¡¯t want Jian Shuye and Weichi Song to enter the palace because he didn¡¯t want them to see the Third Princess. Now that we can¡¯t stop them, I definitely have to follow them just in case. Hence, the few of them followed the palace maid to Huayang Palace. ¡­ Very quickly, the few of them reached the palace. When Chan Yi¡ªwho was waiting at the door anxiously¡ªsaw the few of them coming over, she immediately froze. The palace maid jogged over and apprehensively explained the situation to Chan Yi. ¡°¡­These few officers were worried about Her Highness¡¯s health, so they came together and wanted to check on her.¡± Chan Yi was stunned. They want to give the Third Princess a check-up? How can this be? The current Third Princess can¡¯t see anyone in her state! If the few of them see it¡­ a huge commotion will arise! She respectfully greeted the few of them before tactfully saying that it was inconvenient for Shangguan Wan to meet so many people at once. Other than Song Luan, it would be better if the remaining few returned. Jian Shuye sneered in his heart. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t want to meet other people; instead, she clearly doesn¡¯t want to meet Weichi Song and me! He was just curious at the start, but he could now tell that something was amiss. Isn¡¯t Shangguan Wan guilty? Even if her health is poor, it can¡¯t be so difficult to meet a few more people. Besides, mine and Weichi Song¡¯s medical skills are definitely at the top in the Tianling Dynasty, yet Shangguan Wan is avoiding us like the plague. It really is suspicious. Seeing that the few of them refused to leave, Chan Yi could only say, ¡°Physician Zuo and the rest have always been taking care of Her Highness¡¯s health. Do the few of you not trust Physician Zuo?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that¡ª¡± Jian Shuye was about to retort when Weichi Song suddenly said, ¡°We definitely trust Zuo Mingxi¡¯s skills. Since this is so, we¡¯ll let Her Highness rest properly. We¡¯ll leave first.¡± Then, he really turned around to leave. Jian Shuye was stumped but could only follow him. Xiahou Rong heaved a sigh of relief and left not long later. Very quickly, only Song Luan was left. Chan Yi said, ¡°Master Song, please¡ª¡± ¡­ ¡°Old Song, why did you suddenly leave?¡± Jian Shuye caught up with Weichi Song as he knitted his brows. He couldn¡¯t understand the latter¡¯s actions. Old Song can definitely tell the problem here. As long as we continued asking, we could definitely find out about something! However, Old Song suddenly stopped and is acting very strange. Weichi Song said, ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t want to meet us, why force her?¡± ¡°Are you not worried?¡± Something is definitely amiss. Who knows what she¡¯s planning on doing? Weichi Song suddenly laughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the most worried?¡± Shangguan Wan is very ambitious. Yue¡¯er only left less than two years ago, but she actually plans to replace her. She even wants to ascend the throne directly while His Majesty is still in coma. Everyone can tell what she¡¯s trying to do. She wants to have all the power in her hands and is terrified that someone will fight with her. If she didn¡¯t meet with grave trouble, why would she refuse to see people for so long? The officers in the imperial court can wait for a day or two, but this definitely can¡¯t drag on. At this point, the most anxious person is none other than Shangguan Wan herself. Jian Shuye was dazed and suddenly recovered his senses. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m old, and I can¡¯t do things as well as before. I can¡¯t even get a Dancing Lotus back for the Third Princess. I¡¯m truly ashamed of myself.¡± Then, Weichi Song walked toward the front. ¡°Liuyue and the rest haven¡¯t left behind any traces, so I¡¯ll go back to Qing Yuan Mountain and wait for their news! As for the rest, I can¡¯t intervene!¡± Jian Shuye sneered in his heart. Weichi Song is planning to spread the news of us not achieving anything during the Dahuang Swamp journey? One can just imagine how humiliated Shangguan Wan would be by then! He¡¯s indeed still a cunning fox! In the past two years or so, Chong Xu Cabinet kept getting attacked. Weichi Song also became much more low-key than before. I originally thought that he could never recover from this defeat, but now, there is finally some fun! An idea popped up in his mind as he stroked his chin. ¡°Heh, why don¡¯t I meet Zuo Mingxi?¡± Perhaps I can find out about something! ¡­ Almost overnight, the news of Shangguan Wan bringing troops to Dahuang Swamp and ending up with many casualties without being able to retrieve a single treasure for His Majesty had spread throughout the entire Xi Ling City. Furthermore, she had even specifically sent Jian Shuye and other elites to go over, but they still came back empty-handed. Even if the palace had tried to suppress the news, there was no use at all. After all, quite a few people had seen their appearances when returning that day. The rumors spread everywhere in no time, and everyone partook in heated discussions. Chun Feng Restaurant. Jian Fengchi leaned against the chair and smiled delightfully. ¡°This time, our Third Princess is utterly humiliated!¡± Chapter 801 - I’ve Seen Him Before Too Shui Liu¡¯er hugged the pipa, and her thin hand gently strummed it to produce a melodious tune. She was used to playing sad and tactful pieces and very rarely played happy ones like this. Besides, her eyes had smiles in them, and it was obvious that she was in an extremely good mood. ¡°Who told her to puff herself up at her own cost? She deserves her current consequences!¡± Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s fingers paused slightly, and she raised her sharp brows. ¡°Did she really think that just anyone could go to that Dahuang Swamp? The Princess was famous for bringing peace to Dahuang Swamp back then, so she wanted to give it a try too and give herself the reputation of being the most filial daughter on earth. Yet, she didn¡¯t think about whether she had the skills to do so.¡± Dahuang Swamp was a very hard bone to swallow, and it had always been in chaos for the past hundreds of years or so. It was finally at peace when the Princess took control and suppressed them. How did Shangguan Wan think that she could do anything she wanted at Dahuang Swamp? ¡°She stayed at this place for too long, so she naturally will have such thoughts.¡± Jian Fengchi nonchalantly laughed, and his eyes had a few tinges of disdain. Didn¡¯t you see how arrogant she became the past two years? Now, this smack on her head finally made her bleed! Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s red lips curled up. ¡°Not everyone can sit in this position. I think she might not stay up here for long.¡± ¡°That might not be. Didn¡¯t you see that they have already started the wedding procedures?¡± Jian Fengchi laughed even more unreasonably. ¡°I really want to see how it¡¯ll be like that day.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er glanced at him and strangely asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you very worried about Chu Liuyue, Mu Hongyu, and the rest before? Why do you not seem nervous at all now?¡± When he heard the people¡¯s discussions that day, his face immediately changed. He then jumped down from the window without hesitation to interrogate the other party. However, he seemed fine now. Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression froze, and he uncomfortably turned his neck. Thinking about it now, even he felt that his reaction that day was overboard. No, he couldn¡¯t even purely use the word ¡®overboard¡¯ to describe it. Nobody knew how deep the impression of the horror that suddenly appeared in his heart at that moment left on him. However, he couldn¡¯t say this. He coughed. ¡°I heard from Zhu Hong and the rest that someone is helping Hongyu and the others, so they should be fine.¡± Actually, the reason why he was so relaxed was mostly that his own father and Weichi Song were both very calm. The two people who loved their disciples the most were still at Dahuang Swamp now, but they didn¡¯t seem nervous at all. Hence, he naturally felt more at ease. Shui Liu¡¯er nodded in understanding. It seems like it should be fine. She thought for a while and said, ¡°Oh, right. I might¡¯ve seen someone the day before, but I can¡¯t be sure of his identity.¡± Jian Fengchi curiously said, ¡°Who is it?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er paused and didn¡¯t say anything, but she made a gesture. She gestured a seven. Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He directly sat up straight, and he stared at her closely. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er bit her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s him. No matter if it¡¯s his appearance, figure, or aura¡­ They¡¯re all very different, but his gaze is too similar.¡± ¡°Where did you see him?¡± asked Jian Fengchi hurriedly. ¡°Outside Xiahou Residence. He seems to be checking something.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°If it¡¯s really him¡­ how can he change himself so completely?¡± Jian Fengchi was stunned. Why would an ordinary person get involved with Xiahou Residence? He was silent for quite a while and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him before too.¡± Chapter 802 - What do You Want to Do? ¡°Oh? When?¡± asked Shui Liu¡¯er rather curiously. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention such an important thing before?¡± Jian Fengchi paused for a moment. ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t too sure back then¡­ Speaking of which, this was something that happened in Country Yao Chen. At that time, I unintentionally saw someone¡¯s figure and vaguely felt that it was very similar. However, I didn¡¯t see him again afterward, so I just set this matter aside.¡± He wanted to meet him again and confirm his identity, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t find the latter at all. Such a long time had passed since then. If Shui Liu¡¯er hadn¡¯t suddenly brought it up, he wouldn¡¯t recall it. ¡°You said that the person you met was at Xiahou Residence?¡± ¡°Mm. That day, I planned to go to Xiahou Residence to seek some information. But after I met that person, I found it weird, so I temporarily didn¡¯t do anything. Later on, I discovered that he was indeed secretly spying on Xiahou Residence. However, his actions were extremely discreet. An average person wouldn¡¯t be able to discover it.¡± If it weren¡¯t because she felt that the person was familiar for some reason, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed him. Jian Fengchi shook the fan with one hand and half-squinted his eyes. ¡°Xiahou Rong is the grand tutor, and there are quite a few guards inside and outside of Xiahou Residence. All outsiders definitely won¡¯t go over and spy on them for no rhyme or reason. Since he did this, he definitely has a motive. If he isn¡¯t that person, then we need to properly check on him and see who else wants to take action on Xiahou Residence. But if it¡¯s really him¡­ Then, we have to carry out even deeper investigations. We didn¡¯t even know when he returned,¡± said Jian Fengchi as he kept his fan and lowered his chin. ¡°But it seems like Jiang Yucheng is really very busy nowadays, so he didn¡¯t even detect anything amiss?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er laughed gently. ¡°I heard that he went to Dahuang Swamp again and got injured. He¡¯s resting in Jiang Residence now. I really don¡¯t know who attacked him. If I can meet that person, I must thank him properly.¡± ¡°I heard from my father that the attacker was extremely strong. Let alone Jiang Yucheng, even the few of them weren¡¯t his match.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s voice became serious. Shui Liu¡¯er felt it was weird. She then recalled that Jian Shuye had also gone with them, so he must¡¯ve known what happened. She widened her eyes in shock. ¡°It can¡¯t be. Even stronger than the few of them? What kind of person must that be? We can count with one hand how many of such people there are in the entire Tianling Dynasty, right?¡± Jian Fengchi shook his head. ¡°My father and the rest didn¡¯t see what he looked like as he was wearing a mask, but¡­ he only attacked Jiang Yucheng. He was still quite polite to my father and the rest. Jiang Yucheng is pretty severely injured this time, and he can¡¯t cause any trouble in this short period of time. Little Liu¡¯er, find some time in the next two days to check on Xiahou Residence and find out about that person¡¯s background.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er looked serious as she lightly nodded. Jian Fengchi stood up and flicked his sleeves. ¡°As for me¡­ I haven¡¯t properly entered the palace in a while. Why don¡¯t I visit our precious Third Princess?¡± ¡­ Jian Fengchi openly entered the palace and went straight for Huayang Palace. Expectedly, he was still stopped outside. These few days, most of the people who asked to see Shangguan Wan were rejected. Only a select few people could gain permission to enter the palace and meet her, but the duration wasn¡¯t long every time. To the public, the palace had always claimed that Shangguan Wan was injured because she helped His Majesty to collect herbs and that she needed to recuperate now. Even though the crowd had guesses, Huayang Palace had always been guarded tightly. They couldn¡¯t know what was going on in such a short period of time, so they could only wait. Jian Fengchi wasn¡¯t surprised by this result. When his father willingly applied to check on her previously, Shangguan Wan rejected him, let alone himself. Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t continue to haggle with them. ¡°I actually miss the Third Princess. Since the Third Princess wants to rest quietly, I won¡¯t disturb her further.¡± Then, he moved his feet and planned to leave. Chan Yi was quite surprised. Jian Fengchi¡¯s personally is actually very hard to deal with. He came over willingly, and I thought that it would take quite a bit of effort to convince him to go away. However, I didn¡¯t expect him to leave so swiftly. But the moment he stepped out, Jian Fengchi turned around and gave a nonchalant and sinister smile. ¡°Oh right, I suddenly remembered that I borrowed a few medical books from the Princess and haven¡¯t returned them all this while. Since I¡¯m here, I want to make a trip to Shaoyue Palace and return those books.¡± Chan Yi¡¯s eyelids twitched. Princess¡¯s medical books? She¡¯s already dead. Why is there a need to return them? Besides, she has already been gone for close to two years. Nobody will care about this. She suspiciously sized Jian Fengchi up and vaguely felt uneasy. But Jian Fengchi still had a smile on his face, and he looked delighted, not much different from before. It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s going to cause trouble¡­ Chan Yi kept quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°Shaoyue Palace is where the Princess lived when she was alive. The Third Princess has always ordered for people to guard it seriously and that they can¡¯t damage any items inside. She also doesn¡¯t allow anyone else to enter. I can help you ask for permission. Please wait for a moment.¡± Jian Fengchi smiled and nodded. ¡°Go on, go on.¡± Chan Yi turned around and entered the room. Jian Fengchi¡¯s brows slightly rose as he seemingly scrutinized the yard casually. I haven¡¯t been here in a while, and it seems to have changed again¡­ Even though he didn¡¯t regularly come here, he had a photogenic memory and remembered every single item here very clearly. He walked to a tree and leaned against it. Suddenly, his nose moved slightly. A slight bitter and bloody aura was present. He looked down and took a glance. This smell seems to be coming from below. He took another closer look, and his eyes suddenly shrunk. ¡­ ¡°He wants to go to Shaoyue Palace?¡± Shangguan Wan instinctively knitted her brows. ¡°Why would he suddenly go there out of nowhere?¡± Shangguan Yue has already died for so long. What¡¯s so important about returning a few medical books? However, Jian Fengchi is very hard to deal with. If I don¡¯t agree to it, he might cause trouble. Anyway, he never fears anything and is always very arrogant and unreasonable. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t want to stir up such a huge trouble at this point. She waved her hands in frustration. ¡°Since he wants to go, then let him be! Anyway, there are people in Shaoyue Palace. If they discover that something is amiss, report to me immediately!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shangguan Wan rubbed her glabella. Actually, she was on decent terms with Jian Fengchi in the past, and he had helped put in a word for her and helped her on many occasions. But for some reason, his attitude toward her slightly changed after Shangguan Yue¡¯s death. Even though it wasn¡¯t obvious on the surface, Shangguan Wan could still feel it. She really could not figure it out. In the past, Jian Fengchi and Shangguan Yue were enemies and hated each other, so why would he suddenly change? I wonder why he wants to go to Shaoyue Palace now¡­ ¡­ Jian Fengchi gathered his force in his hands and was about to bend down and stick his hand out when he heard Chan Yi¡¯s alert voice from behind. ¡°Young Master Jian, what are you doing?¡± Chapter 803 - Return Books Jian Fengchi paused in his actions and then looked up as if he wasn¡¯t doing anything. His gaze had his usual nonchalance. ¡°Am I not waiting for you?¡± His voice was lazy as he dragged out his final note, which had a tinge of flirtiness. A faint light seemed to flash across his icy eyes as the light dazzled, and it made people sink in at one glance. Chan Yi¡¯s face warmed up for some reason. Even though she knew that Jian Fengchi was just teasing her, her heart still fluttered. Jian Fengchi¡¯s flirtatious reputation outside wasn¡¯t for naught. According to what Shangguan Yue said back then, he had a way of cheating girls. Jian Fengchi had always treated this comment as a compliment. At many times, using this method could save him a lot of trouble. It was a pity that stupid Shangguan Yue didn¡¯t get it at all. However, Jian Fengchi was also thankful that he didn¡¯t really do anything. If not, he might not even be able to walk out of the palace today. After all, Chan Yi was Shangguan Wan¡¯s confidant that had been with her for many years, so she was mentally stronger than a lot of other ordinary girls. She quickly picked herself up and said, ¡°Her Highness has given her permission. Young Master Jian, you can proceed to Shaoyue Palace now.¡± Jian Fengchi nodded and smiled. ¡°Then, I have to thank Her Highness and you, Ms. Chan Yi.¡± After that, he relaxingly left. Chan Yi glanced at the position he previously stood at and was vaguely worried. But thinking that everything before happened very smoothly and discreetly and that Jian Fengchi had only stood there for a while, he shouldn¡¯t have discovered anything. Hence, she temporarily set this matter aside. For some reason, Her Highness¡¯s mood has been very temperamental these two days. Her taking of Physician Zuo¡¯s medicine is dependent on her mood, but the surprising thing is that her body seems to have taken a turn for the better. There¡¯s an obvious improvement compared to the beginning. Chan Yi didn¡¯t know why, but she didn¡¯t dare to ask further as she served Shangguan Wan carefully. According to the current situation, Her Highness should recover soon. ¡­ Jiang Yucheng was also recovering at an extraordinary speed. With Feng Shanyuan¡¯s help, his body was getting better day by day, and the wound on his chest had already formed a scab. After a while longer, he could recover fully. Even the wound on his stomach had signs of recovery¡ªthat scorching feeling never appeared again. This made Jiang Yucheng heave a huge sigh of relief. ¡­ Jian Fengchi came to Shaoyue Palace alone. This place was much colder compared to before, but there were still quite a few people serving in this place. Seeing Jian Fengchi arrive, a palace maid quickly welcomed him. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Jian.¡± She had clearly received instructions. Jian Fengchi wasn¡¯t surprised as he honestly said, ¡°I came here to return the Princess¡¯s medical books.¡± That palace maid hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you over right¡ª¡± ¡°I have come here many times. Do I still need you to lead the way? I¡¯ll go there myself!¡± Jian Fengchi interrupted that palace maid as he directly walked in. He seemed to be walking slowly, but his speed was extremely fast as he quickly walked in. Seeing this, the palace maid hurriedly chased after him and said, ¡°Young Master Jian, you can¡¯t go inside!¡± Jian Fengchi paused in his tracks. ¡°Oh? Why is that so?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s where the Princess lived when she was alive. You¡­¡± The palace maid didn¡¯t dare to say anything that was too rude, and she stammered for a very long time. Jiang Yucheng was nonchalant. ¡°Even if the Princess were still alive, she might not be able to stop me. What, do you want to try?¡± Even though he was smiling, harsh coldness could be seen in his eyes. The surrounding palace maids exchanged glances. ¡°I¡¯m just going to return a few books. If you¡¯re worried that you can¡¯t explain it properly, you can just follow me in.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± If the Third Princess found out, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to keep my life. Jian Fengchi lightly grunted. ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯ll leave the door open. You can just watch from outside¡ªis that okay?¡± The palace maids hesitated for a long time and thought that this was the only solution, so they agreed. Jian Fengchi raised his feet and walked in. ¡­ It was clear that nobody had been here in a while as everything had a layer of dust on it. Jian Fengchi sneered in his heart. Shangguan Wan always tells outsiders how much she misses the Princess and how important the latter¡¯s belongings are to her, but yet she managed her residence until this state¡­ Even though the door was open, Jian Fengchi had his back facing the people outside. His gaze quickly scanned the surroundings as the smile in his eyes gradually dissipated. He looked solemn as he walked to the table, took out a few medical books, and placed them on the shelf behind. Actually, returning books wasn¡¯t his main intention. He did borrow a few books from Shangguan Yue a few years ago. After all, there were many treasured books in the entire Tianling Dynasty. Shangguan Yue also liked to keep treasured books. Jian Fengchi regularly asked her to let him read some books and would even see her notes on top of them. However, he frequently forgot to return them. This caused Shangguan Yue to cause trouble for him. In the end, this period of forgetting ended up being so long. Nobody chased after him anymore. He placed the books properly, and in the end, he hit his elbow and accidentally dropped the book at the side down. He bent down and picked the book up. He was about to put it back when he realized that there was no name on the book cover. The pages were slightly curled, and it looked like it had been flipped through many times. He curiously flipped the book open. There were a few lines of words on the page. Jian Fengchi recognized every single word, but when grouped together, he didn¡¯t know what they meant. However, this handwriting is indeed Shangguan Yue¡¯s. When did she leave it behind? ¡­ Mystic Forest. Time slowly trickled past. A gigantic skeleton floated in the air in front of Chu Liuyue. After a long time of nourishment, the bloodline power within seemed to have been completely released. The bloodline power that looked like lines of blood gradually became clear, and it finally formed a blood pearl in the middle. Even though this blood pearl was only the size of a dragon¡¯s eye, it contained an extremely strong suppression. At the start, the skeleton¡¯s jade-white color became transparent bit by bit. When the blood pearl formed, Chu Liuyue sighed deeply. Her clothes had already been drenched by sweat, and her lips were slightly pale. This was the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton, and it used up a lot of strength to refine the force within, especially because Chu Liuyue was still a stage-five warrior. If it weren¡¯t for her dantian having endless force, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to hang on. When the blood pearl completely formed, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t rest as she threw all the ingredients beside her in. At the same time, an idea popped into her mind. An ancient zither appeared in front of her. A faint purplish-gold color appeared on the zither, and it dazzled in a lively manner. Chapter 804 - Rong Xiu’s Method Purplish-gold Buddha leaf¡ªit silently stuck to the ancient zither and was wrapped in a layer of transparent red color. At first glance, it looked like a clear crystal. Chu Liuyue carefully held it and then retracted the ancient zither. After that, she meticulously scrutinized the purplish-gold Buddha leaf. Even though it was trapped in this seal, she could still feel its bursting liveliness. The purplish-gold leaf let out a bright light. Chu Liuyue looked at the legendary three-eyed eagle and lightly nodded. Hula¡ª The legendary three-eyed eagle flapped its gigantic wings, and the surrounding aura moved. The next moment, its third eye suddenly opened! A red fire burst out from within, and then it immediately wrapped around the purplish-gold Buddha leaf! Crack! A tiny cracking sound was heard as the exterior of the purplish-gold Buddha leaf¡¯s seal suddenly broke. Then, the seal suddenly broke and turned into countless red rays of light as they spread in all directions. The purplish-gold Buddha leaf was thoroughly exposed! It gently shook and then turned toward another direction. It actually wants to run! Chu Liuyue moved her bare hand, and a fire flew out from the Heavenly Square Cauldron. It then rapidly formed a barrier in front of the purplish-gold Buddha leaf. The purplish-gold Buddha leaf also detected that something was amiss and hurriedly stopped. Just when it was about to escape in another direction, the legendary three-eyed eagle flapped its wings again. A ground-breaking shrill was heard! Shoo! This sound reverberated throughout the space and didn¡¯t disappear for a long time! Admiration, respect, desire¡­ It was like a low moan that came from ancient times as it had a vintage suppression to it that shook one¡¯s heart and mind. This was the summon of the legendary three-eyed eagle to the godly tree. The purplish-gold Buddha leaf seemed to have felt something as it kept trying to escape and was stunned on the spot. For some reason, Chu Liuyue felt that a strange connection seemed to appear between the purplish-gold Buddha leaf and the legendary three-eyed eagle. Even though she couldn¡¯t see it, she could still clearly feel it. That was the bloodline connection from dependence since millions of years ago. The next moment, she saw the purplish-gold Buddha leaf jump spiritually and come in front of the legendary three-eyed eagle. At this point, a blood pearl was refined within the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton and gradually merged with the other herbs. It became a rich red-black color from the initial fresh red. The legendary three-eyed eagle stared at the purplish-gold Buddha leaf. The next moment, that purplish-gold Buddha leaf gradually flew up and stuck to its third eye. Like a soldier that had experienced all sorts of hardships, it drove away all cold intentions. The purplish-gold Buddha leaf immediately merged with the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s third eye. The bright-red color in the eye quickly disappeared like ice melting away. Then, a layer of faint purplish-gold color spread from within. When that eye thoroughly turned from bright red to purplish-gold, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s third eye had always been red, and it was filled with a harsh and ferocious aura. At this point, all the violent blood within it had dissipated and was replaced with shocking unparalleled dignity. Coldness, elegance, contempt¡ªthis was the unique suppression that a legendary fiend had. The most important thing was that there was a determined willpower within that was very lively and energetic. While Chu Liuyue was shocked because of this, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s body moved and flew to the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton. It then swallowed the black-red pearl in one bite. At the same time, a bone gradually flew up and merged with the gigantic black apparition. The next moment, the crystal-clear skeleton actually had blood and muscles. Chu Liuyue immediately urged the surrounding fire to go over and completely envelop the apparition. It then started to burn crazily. With the help of this fire, the growth speed of the muscles seemed to be higher than before. Not long later, the place where the bone was formed a wing structure. The great phoenix dragon and the legendary three-eyed eagle weren¡¯t in the same clan. At the end of the day, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s true ancestor was the primordial legendary three-eyed eagle red-gold heavenly phoenix. This also caused the legendary three-eyed eagle to be unable to use the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton completely. It could only choose the most suitable part, so it only used this bone to make its wing. However, the bloodline power in the skeleton had already been totally refined by Chu Liuyue. So even though the legendary three-eyed eagle used only one bone, it had already converted all of the skeleton¡¯s force into its own. Chu Liuyue sent the remaining bones to the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Then, the other half of the skeleton flew out from within. In the Tianling God Realm back then, Chu Liuyue actually had a complete corpse. But to avoid being discovered by the entire great phoenix dragon clan, Shangguan Jing split the skeleton into two. Within the Heavenly Square Cauldron, they merged into one. But with the suppression of the Heavenly Square Cauldron, there was no need to worry about this. When Chu Liuyue took it out again, she purposely separated the two. Seeing the wing quickly forming on one side, Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and refined the bloodline power of the other half of the skeleton. The entire process was actually very small. But according to the legendary three-eyed eagle, it needed some time to merge with the skeleton completely. Hence, Chu Liuyue still had enough time. The previous process repeated itself. When the fire covered half the skeleton to nourish it, Chu Liuyue took out the second set of herbs from the Long Yuan Sword. At this point, she was very thankful that her ancestor had left so many things behind. If not, she would have to spend a lot of effort to gather all these precious herbs. ¡­ While Chu Liuyue was focused on helping the legendary three-eyed eagle reform its physical body, Rong Xiu had already repaired the crack in the pure gold armor. It was now smooth and clean, almost exactly the same as before. One couldn¡¯t tell that it had been damaged before. If someone had seen this scene, they would definitely be shocked. This was because a Yuan instrument of the pure gold armor¡¯s level actually couldn¡¯t be completely repaired. However, Rong Xiu managed to repair it completely¡ªthis kind of method was divine! Even if it were someone like Shangguan Jing¡ªwho was an expert in producing weapons¡ªhe might not be able to do this. However, Rong Xiu looked down at this pure gold armor and seemed dissatisfied. It was indeed considered a superior Yuan instrument, but it was a pity it met with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Even though it had been repaired, he couldn¡¯t guarantee what kind of danger Chu Liuyue would meet with in the future. Rong Xiu thought for a moment and looked at Chu Liuyue. The latter was currently focused on nourishing the great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton. His lips curled up slightly, and a faint gold color appeared on his fingertip. Then, he left a palm-sized pattern on the pure gold armor. That pattern flashed slightly and quickly faded away. One couldn¡¯t tell anything was different. Chapter 805 - Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill Xi Ling. The lamps were lit, and the bright moon hung high. Chun Feng Restaurant was as crowded as usual, but Shui Liu¡¯er stayed in her room alone and disregarded everything that happened outside. Today was her usual rest day, so she didn¡¯t serve customers. Besides, she still had something to do at night¡ªshe planned to make a trip to Xiahou Residence. She originally told Jian Fengchi that she would go the next day, but after some thought, she felt that it would be more discreet to take action at night. This was because Xiahou Rong had already returned to Xi Ling and had stayed in his residence the past few days. A few days ago, she considered that Xiahou Rong would definitely be more alert since he just came back. Now, he should¡¯ve relaxed a little. As for that person¡¯s identity¡­ It won¡¯t be too late to verify it when I have the chance. Shui Liu¡¯er started to dress up. For safety purposes, she naturally had to change her appearance. She took out a thin mask. Just when she was about to wear it, she heard a familiar voice come from outside her door. ¡°Where¡¯s Liu¡¯er? Get her to serve me!¡± Xiahou Tingan?! Why is he here?! Also, he sounds like he¡¯s drunk. Hearing the noise coming up the stairs, Shui Liu¡¯er swiftly put away her things. ¡°Second Young Master Xiahou, you came at an unfortunate time. Ms. Liu¡¯er is resting today, so why don¡¯t you look for another lady?¡± advised Nanny Zhang kindly. ¡°I only want her to accompany me today! I don¡¯t want anyone else! Where is she? Get her out!¡± Perhaps because he was drunk, but Xiahou Tingan was more arrogant than usual and even dared to yell out loud in Chun Feng Restaurant. Nanny Zhang laughed as she silently blocked him and was in a very difficult spot. ¡°Second Young Master, it¡¯s not the first time you¡¯re in Chun Feng Restaurant. You also know the rules here. If Ms. Liu¡¯er wants to rest, even I can¡¯t convince her otherwise. She has always been very stubborn. Even if we manage to force her out, she will definitely ruin your mood. A new lady arrived here recently, and she¡¯s very good at playing the zither too. Why don¡¯t I bring her over for you?¡± However, Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t listen to her and pushed her away. Boom! Nanny Zhang was suddenly pushed and slammed against the barrier, causing her waist to hurt very much. Xiahou Tingan chuckled in contempt as he continued walking forward and mocked, ¡°Very good at playing the zither? What do you know? I¡¯ve heard the best zither in this world; how can others be compared to her? Don¡¯t dirty my ears!¡± Nanny Zhang¡¯s expression changed slightly. She vaguely knew who he was talking about as she suppressed the anger in her stomach. She held her waist and walked over. ¡°Second Young Master, you really can¡¯t do this¡ª¡± Xiahou Tingan was very annoyed as frustration filled his face. ¡°Why? I came to your small Chun Feng Restaurant to be happy, yet I still need to mind myself around here? Listen to your commands?¡± I already had enough at home! ¡°Get lost!¡± Just as he was about to take action, he heard a soft and sweet voice. ¡°Hold on!¡± Nanny Zhang looked up and was stunned. ¡°Liu¡¯er, why did you come out?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er laughed gently. ¡°I heard your voice far away, Second Young Master Xiahou. Since you personally picked me, then it¡¯s my honor. I, of course, won¡¯t reject you at the door.¡± She spoke as she looked at Xiahou Tingan. ¡°Second Young Master, please¡ª¡± Xiahou Tingan was then satisfied as he glanced at Nanny Zhang warningly. ¡°If you¡¯re half as understanding as Ms. Liu¡¯er, you can save a lot of trouble. Do you understand?¡± However, Nanny Zhang didn¡¯t recover from her shock as she looked at Shui Liu¡¯er in confusion and surprise. She usually rests on this day. Even if the Emperor came, she wouldn¡¯t come out to welcome him, let alone a mere Second Young Master of the Xiahou family. When Shui Liu¡¯er first came back then, it wasn¡¯t that nobody bullied her¡ªsome even wanted to humiliate her¡ªbut all of those people stopped in the end in various ways. Ever since then, nobody dared to be that unreasonable in Xi Ling. Xiahou Tingan is drunk today, and his brain is muddled, which is why he dares to do so. However, it isn¡¯t like we can¡¯t handle it. There really is no need for Shui Liu¡¯er to personally appear. But Shui Liu¡¯er just smiled. ¡°Nanny Zhang, can I trouble you to invite Second Young Master to the room there? I¡¯ll come over after tidying up.¡± Nanny Zhang was very confused, but she could only do as Shui Liu¡¯er said. Xiahou Tingan openly walked into the room. If he were more alert and sensitive, he would detect that something was amiss. It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t detect anything at this point. He was even secretly delighted because he thought that his status had suppressed them. Not long later, Shui Liu¡¯er indeed carried a pipa over. She glanced at Nanny Zhang. ¡°Nanny Zhang, Second Young Master has a distinguished status. May I trouble you to serve him our best wine here?¡± Nanny Zhang didn¡¯t know what she was planning, but she still did it. Very quickly, the servants served the wine. Xiahou Tingan opened it, and a fresh wine smell wafted toward his nose. It was a superior Green Bamboo Leaf Wine! Within the room, there was only Xiahou Tingan and Shui Liu¡¯er left. Shui Liu¡¯er very gently asked, ¡°Second Young Master, what do you want to hear?¡± Xiahou Tingan thought for a while. ¡°Play what you¡¯re best at!¡± Then, he started drinking. Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s eyes sparkled as she smiled and agreed. ¡°Yes.¡± After that, she plucked at the strings with her bare hands. With this, the melodious pipa sounds were heard. Xiahou Tingan felt agitated and stifled as he continuously drank a few cups of wine. Shui Liu¡¯er stopped, raising her sharp brows as if in worry. ¡°Second Young Master, you seem to be in a bad mood. What is upsetting you?¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s head was a little dizzy. When he heard this, he opened his mouth and said whatever was in his heart. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of¡­ the Jiang Residence!¡± Boom! He harshly smashed his wine cup on the table, and his face flushed red, looking enraged. Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s brows moved slightly, and her voice was as gentle as the wind. ¡°I¡¯m just a mere weak woman, and I don¡¯t understand these matters. Second Young Master, I just hope that you can be kinder and look past this. Don¡¯t be worried over such things¡­¡± As if hearing a joke, Xiahou Tingan sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to either, but¡­ The Jiang Residence is too much of a bully!¡± Everyone in Xi Ling City knew that Jiang Yucheng¡¯s biological sister¡ªJiang Yuzhi¡ªwas discussing her marriage with Xiahou Tingan. The strong alliance between the two families was extremely beneficial for both parties, especially Xiahou Tingan. With this marriage alone, he had won the other young masters in Xiahou Residence by a fair margin. What else could he be upset about? Shui Liu¡¯er only asked a few questions and found out quite a bit of information from Xiahou Tingan. She then found out that because Jiang Yucheng was recently injured, the marriage alliance between Jiang Residence and Xiahou Residence was pushed back yet again. They even said that they wanted to wait for the Third Princess and Jiang Yucheng¡¯s wedding. This made the Xiahou Residence feel that the Jiang Residence didn¡¯t think highly of this marriage. They had given in multiple times just to hope that it could be settled as soon as possible and that the matter could be completed. However, the Jiang Residence kept going overboard. ¡°¡­They actually want us to return the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. What a joke!¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s tongue was sticking out, and his voice was a little muffled. ¡°Since they already gave this item to us back then, how can they still want it back?! They want the pill back to give it to Jiang Yucheng? Dream on!¡± Shui Liu¡¯er was stunned. Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill¡­ That was the Princess¡¯s item! Chapter 806 - Serve The Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was a ninth-grade pill left behind by the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor back then, and it was very precious. Rumors had it that this pill could elevate one¡¯s Yuan meridian standard, so the Tianling royal family had been taking extreme care of it. A ninth-grade heavenly doctor hadn¡¯t appeared in the Tianling Dynasty for hundreds of years, so one could just think to know how rare this ninth-grade pill was. Back when the Princess became of marriageable age, His Majesty had bestowed this Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill upon her as a gift. Everyone knew that His Majesty was bent on passing the throne to the Princess. From then on, the Princess was in charge of taking care of the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. On the one hand, she originally had a Tianjing Yuan meridian, so she didn¡¯t even need this item. On the other hand, the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill had extraordinary meaning. Shangguan Yue had a silent understanding that she wouldn¡¯t give the pill away but pass it down. But today, Xiahou Tingan actually said that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill is in his residence?! Shui Liu¡¯er hurriedly looked down and hid the emotions in her eyes. Even if she was used to disguising herself, she almost couldn¡¯t control herself. Even though Xiahou Tingan was currently completely drunk, she didn¡¯t dare to expose her irregularity. She took a deep breath in, paused for a moment, and suppressed her inner ripples. At the same time, countless guesses surfaced in her mind. When the Princess died back then, Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan were in charge of everything. The crowd naturally thought that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill had returned to Shangguan Wan¡¯s hands. As the impact of the Princess¡¯s sudden passing was too great for the crowd, everyone¡¯s attention was placed on the Princess¡¯s funeral. Extremely few people cared about the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. Nobody would¡¯ve expected that it was actually at the Xiahou Residence! Hearing what Xiahou Tingan said, this Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was originally given to them by Jiang Yucheng. However, he wants it back now. The two parties couldn¡¯t come to an agreement, so they had a conflict. Of course, Jiang Yucheng could get this item! As for why he wanted to give it to the Xiahou Residence¡­ Only they know the reason themselves. However, this also proves a point that I¡¯ve always suspected and investigated¡ªthe Princess¡¯s death is indeed related to Xiahou Residence! Now, for some reason, Jiang Yucheng wants the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill back¡­ Boom! Xiahou Tingan suddenly collapsed on the table, and the wine spilled everywhere. He was still muttering something under his breath. ¡°Second Young Master? Second Young Master?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er called a few times, but Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t really respond. The gentle smile on her face faded away as she silently walked over. In a blur, she heard him continuously talking: ¡°¡­It¡¯s mine¡­ It¡¯s mine¡­ N-nine¡­¡± Shui Liu¡¯er thought to herself, Xiahou Tingan¡¯s enraged and indignant manner¡­ It¡¯s most likely because he always thought that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was his in the past. Now that Jiang Yucheng wants it back again, he naturally isn¡¯t willing. Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s voice was even lighter, and it had a certain seduction to it. ¡°¡­Where¡¯s the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill?¡± Xiahou Tingan closed his eyes, and his face flushed red as the alcohol smell rushed to the air. Hearing this, his brows moved as he shook his finger. ¡°A-at¡­¡± ¡­ Creek! The room door was pushed open from inside. Nanny Zhang¡ªwho was waiting outside nervously¡ªhurriedly looked in and finally heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that Shui Liu¡¯er carried the pipa out safely. She quickly went forward. After scrutinizing Shui Liu¡¯er, she looked past the other¡¯s shoulders and peered inside. ¡°How are you? Are you okay?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°Second Young Master is drunk, and he¡¯s sleeping. Don¡¯t let people come in to disturb Second Young Master.¡± Nanny Zhang vaguely saw the corner of Xiahou Tingan¡¯s clothes. Upon hearing that there was really no commotion inside, she felt more at ease. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get someone to send him back to the Xiahou Residence¡ª¡± ¡°In his current state, people will definitely talk about him if you send him back. It might even cause trouble for us. If he wants to sleep here, then let him do it.¡± This kind of thing was very normal for the young masters in Xi Ling City. As long as they didn¡¯t go overboard, their families wouldn¡¯t pursue responsibility. ¡°T-then¡­ Should I get someone to tidy him up¡­¡± Nanny Zhang waved her fan gently¡ªthe alcohol smell in the room was really unbearable. I¡¯m still standing at the door. I don¡¯t even know the condition inside! It¡¯s really hard on Shui Liu¡¯er! ¡°Okay then. Get someone over.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er turned back to glance and placed her loose strands of hair behind her ear before she smiled. ¡°The current appearance of Xiahou Residence¡¯s Second Young Master is really terrible. We just need to serve him well today, and there will naturally be someone who will bring him back tomorrow.¡± Hearing her say this, Nanny Zhang felt that it made sense, so she nodded. Shui Liu¡¯er yawned as she covered her mouth with her bare hands. Her pair of watery eyes were charming, containing a tinge of natural flirtatiousness. ¡°I¡¯m tired today, so I¡¯ll go back first. The alcohol smell on my body is really strong¡­¡± Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s red lips curled up. ¡°Nanny Zhang, sorry for the trouble regarding the remaining tasks.¡± Then, she carried her pipa back to her own room. Nanny Zhang glanced at her and found it weird. Shui Liu¡¯er always looks down on people like Xiahou Tingan, but she seems extra patient today. She even endured the messy and dirty state of the room. However, she didn¡¯t think too much as Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s temper had always been hard to guess. Nanny Zhang endured the smell and closed the door before calling someone over to tidy the room up. ¡­ The next morning, Xiahou Tingan was shocked awake by a noisy commotion. He vaguely seemed to have heard Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s voice. He sat up with much difficulty, but he felt as if his head was so painful that it was going to explode. At this point, someone suddenly kicked the door open. ¡°Xiahou Tingan, get out!¡± Someone charged in with a furious face¡ªit was Jiang Yuzhi! Chapter 807 - Truth After Drinking Nanny Zhang and the rest hurried over. When they saw the scene in front of them, they couldn¡¯t leave or stay as they fearfully said to Xiahou Tingan, ¡°Second Young Master, F-fourth Missy Jiang insisted on coming in. We couldn¡¯t stop her at all¡­¡± Xiahou Tingan rubbed his temples as his mind was in a mess. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in front of him. ¡°¡­Yuzhi, why are you here?¡± Jiang Yuzhi was so angry that her entire body trembled. Her face that could originally be considered pretty was a little contorted. She raised her hand and pointed at Xiahou Tingan furiously, her voice sharp. ¡°How dare you have the cheek to ask me why I¡¯m here? Why don¡¯t you look at the good things you¡¯ve done?! Xiahou Tingan, do you even have a sense of shame?!¡± With Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s outburst, Xiahou Tingan instantly felt humiliated. Normally he would give in to whatever she wanted to do. He would also tolerate it if she threw a tantrum. However, her using such a tone to talk to him in a public space wasn¡¯t giving him face at all! Xiahou Tingan had just woken up from his drunken stupor and was originally uncomfortable. Now, this made him even more frustrated, and his face turned cold. ¡°Why are you making a scene! Can¡¯t you see what kind of place this is? Is this somewhere you can go?!¡± No matter what, Jiang Yuzhi is the Jiang family¡¯s Fourth Missy. With her status, she still dared to come to Chun Feng Restaurant so openly and unreasonably, not even caring how degrading this is for her!? ¡°I can¡¯t come? Why? Am I interrupting your happiness?¡± Jiang Yuzhi seemed to have completely lost her senses as she sharply argued with him. The corner of her eyes turned red, and she was enraged as every single word she said was pushed through her clenched teeth. Xiahou Tingan closed his eyes and looked at the door. In just a short time, quite a few people had already gathered outside the door, watching the joke here. He forcefully suppressed his anger and said, ¡°Yuzhi, calm down. Let¡¯s talk properly after we close the door¡­¡± He requested it nicely and softly, but Jiang Yuzhi seemed to have heard a joke as she sneered. ¡°Close the door? I think I should just close the door and let you continue with your frivolous ways!¡± Xiahou Tingan knitted his brows. ¡°What nonsense are you¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a soft hand touched his shoulders. A weak and tiny woman¡¯s voice sounded from behind. ¡°Second Young Master¡­¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat as he immediately turned around to take a look. A lady who looked like she was 15 or 16 was hugging the blanket and leaning against the wall. She clutched the blanket with one hand to cover her body, and the other hand was meticulously placed on his shoulders. Her white and soft arm was like a gem as her thin collarbone had a few hints of flirtatious red marks. It was obvious what those were! Xiahou Tingan was stunned, and he almost jumped out of the bed! ¡°Who are you?!¡± That woman¡¯s hair was messily scattered all over her head, but one could still tell that she was very beautiful. Her skin was snow white, and she had cherry lips. With her pair of round eyes and slightly curled long lashes, she looked extremely pitiable. This was especially so when tears were still welling up in her eyes, and it even caused others not to dare scold her. Hearing this, she slightly widened her eyes as if in disbelief. Her body trembled slightly, and two rows of tears flowed down her firm cheeks. ¡°¡­Second Young Master, I-I just came in to clean you yesterday so that you could rest properly. H-however, you grabbed my hands and didn¡¯t let go¡­ T-then¡­¡± She bit her lips and had an expression that showed she was extremely humiliated to the point where she wanted to die. Then, she lowered her head and didn¡¯t speak; she just kept crying. But even if she didn¡¯t say anything, the crowd could already roughly guess what had happened. Seeing this woman¡¯s pitiful look, the scolding that reached Xiahou Tingan¡¯s mouth suddenly halted. He couldn¡¯t say anything, and his heart was in a mess. It¡¯s no wonder Jiang Yuzhi had that reaction after she came in. No wonder she said things in such a harsh manner¡­ I thought that I just slept in Chun Feng Restaurant while drunk, but in the end¡ªI can¡¯t remember anything at all! Xiahou Tingan anxiously turned around and looked at Jiang Yuzhi. ¡°Yuzhi, listen to me. Things aren¡¯t what you think they are¡ª¡± However, Jiang Yuzhi looked at him and that woman on the bed with vengeance. ¡°What am I thinking? Aren¡¯t things placed right in front of me?! Do I still need to think? Xiahou Tingan, we still haven¡¯t got married yet! Yet, you dare to do such a thing outside! You¡¯ve disappointed me too much!¡± The reason why Jiang Yuzhi liked Xiahou Tingan was largely due to the fact that he was gentle, constrained, and well-mannered. He wasn¡¯t as uncultured and flirtatious as the other aristocratic children in Xi Ling City. But now? This incident would quickly spread across the entire Xi Ling City! Seeing Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s agitated expression, Xiahou Tingan knew that she was exasperated. Hence, he hurriedly wore his clothes and walked over. ¡°Yuzhi, listen to my explanation¡ª¡± Smack! The moment his hand touched Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s, she harshly slapped it away! ¡°Don¡¯t dirty my hands!¡± Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s face flushed red, and her voice was sharp as she said every single word clearly. ¡°Xiahou Tingan, mine and the Jiang Residence¡¯s reputation has been brought down by you! If you like to do this, go ahead! This marriage agreement¡ªit¡¯s over!¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s face burned as if he was harshly slapped in front of the crowd twice. If it were normal times, he could tolerate it no matter how Jiang Yuzhi caused a commotion. He could admit his mistake or beg for mercy. As long as he could make her happy, he would do anything. But by saying this in front of so many people, Jiang Yuzhi was undoubtedly ripping down his face and harshly stepping on it. Is she threatening me with our marriage? The long accumulated vengeance and anger instantly exploded in Xiahou Tingan¡¯s heart. His face rapidly turned cold as he said without hesitation, ¡°Cancel it if you want! Do you really think I can¡¯t do without you?! I¡¯ve long had enough of you!¡± Once this holler came out, the entire room instantly fell silent. Jiang Yuzhi was stunned, and her face turned white. She just wanted to unleash the anger in her heart, so she only spoke about the matter of canceling the marriage agreement out of impulse. This was because she knew that Xiahou Tingan was most afraid of her saying this. She originally wanted to threaten and scare him, but she didn¡¯t expect him to agree diretcly! And what else did he say? At that moment, something collapsed in Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s heart. Her body shook, and she almost collapsed onto the floor. Someone held her up from behind and softly said, ¡°Fourth Missy, are you okay?¡± Jiang Yuzhi turned back in a daze and saw a mesmerizing appearance¡ªit was Shui Liu¡¯er. Jiang Yuzhi immediately pushed her away with hatred. There¡¯s no one good in the entire Chun Feng Restaurant! All of them are sl*ts and b*tches! Shui Liu¡¯er seemed not to care as she smiled and looked at Xiahou Tingan. ¡°Second Young Master, it seems like you haven¡¯t sobered up from the alcohol last night. Don¡¯t you know that the truth spoken after drinking hurts one the most?¡± Jiang Yuzhi instantly felt like a knife pierced through her. Truth spoken after drinking! Were Xiahou Tingan¡¯s words from the bottom of his heart?! Chapter 808 - Meeting Again Many pairs of eyes were staring at them from outside. Jiang Yuzhi felt as if thousands of swords were stabbing into her back, and she had never felt so humiliated before. She shot Xiahou Tingan a deadly glare, and her eyes were red as every single word was squeezed out through her teeth. ¡°Xiahou Tingan, you said this yourself! Don¡¯t regret it in the future!¡± Then, she turned around and ran outside. The crowd hurriedly made way. Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s figure quickly disappeared from Chun Feng Restaurant. The crowd didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s lips curled up undetectably. Things are progressing even more smoothly than expected. I just sent news to Jiang Yuzhi to attract her over, originally wanting them to fight and bring up the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill incident. I didn¡¯t actually expect them to cancel the marriage agreement directly! This time, Xiahou Residence isn¡¯t in the right at all. If they still want to be in-laws with the Jiang Residence, they have no other way other than bringing out the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. This makes things more convenient. Shui Liu¡¯er turned around and looked at Xiahou Tingan. The latter was standing rooted to the ground, and his face was pale with a very conflicted expression. The wine is so worth it. ¡°Second Young Master, Fourth Missy Jiang seems to be very hurt. Why don¡¯t you go out and chase after her?¡± advised Shui Liu¡¯er kindly. The worry that just emerged in Xiahou Tingan¡¯s heart vanished into thin air immediately, and he coldly scolded, ¡°She can leave if she wants. What has that got to do with me?!¡± Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s expression slightly changed as she smiled and said, ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Whatever you say is right. Then¡­ we shall go out first. If you have any other instructions, feel free to let us know.¡± After that, she turned around and smiled at the crowd. ¡°Go back to doing your jobs!¡± The crowd then respectively left to busy themselves. But after such a juicy incident, who wouldn¡¯t use it as a gossip topic? Not long later, the drama in Chun Feng Restaurant had spread all over Xi Ling City! Shui Liu¡¯er waved to the girl in the room. ¡°Xiao Die, come over.¡± The girl called Xiao Die bit her lips and silently picked up her clothes to wear them. When she walked past Xiahou Tingan, she lowered her body and was very docile. ¡°Everything today happened because of me. It has nothing to do with anyone else.¡± Xiahou Tingan originally also knew that this incident was mainly his fault and that he couldn¡¯t blame the girl, but he immediately took pity on her after hearing her say this. Xiao Die continued, ¡°Second Young Master, you¡¯re a perfect match for Fourth Missy Jiang. If conflict arises between the both of you because of me, I really can¡¯t bear the responsibility. I¡¯m willing to seek forgiveness at the Jiang Residence¡­ As long as Fourth Missy Jiang is willing to forgive you, I¡¯m willing to do anything.¡± This condescending behavior made Xiahou Tingan feel very uncomfortable. When he thought of Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s arrogant and unrestrained manner, his blood boiled. We¡¯re not even married yet! If we really get married, who knows what will happen next time! ¡°Why should you go to the Jiang Residence?! Stay here properly!¡± Xiahou Tingan thought for a moment and took out a Cosmic Ring. ¡°From today onward, you will follow me. However, you shouldn¡¯t be able to enter the Xiahou Residence. I will get someone to find a small house, and you¡¯ll stay there next time.¡± As if shocked, Xiao Die immediately kneeled down and kept saying that she didn¡¯t dare to accept his offer. However, Xiahou Tingan was very insistent and left after throwing the Cosmic Ring down. I want to go and talk to Father about this! I¡¯m not getting married to her! After Xiahou Tingan left, Shui Liu¡¯er then helped Xiao Die up and smiled happily. ¡°Xiao Die, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡± Xiao Die stood up, and her eyes were crystal clear with determination. Her eyes didn¡¯t have the gentleness from before at all. ¡°Ms. Liu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. That Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t take advantage of me at all.¡± I wouldn¡¯t want to wrong myself like that. Shui Liu¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°I naturally know how good you are, but I¡¯m sorry for the future trouble.¡± Xiao Die said determinedly,¡±For Her Highness, I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself and do anything!¡± ¡­ The commotion in Chun Feng Restaurant indeed spread all over Xi Ling very quickly. When Xiahou Tingan returned to the residence, he realized that the atmosphere was amiss. Everyone was looking at him warily and strangely. At this point, Xiahou Tingan knew that the news had definitely reached home. One just had to think to know what was awaiting him. However, he had already made up his mind and definitely wouldn¡¯t lower his head to the Jiang Residence again. Even if Jiang Yuzhi was willing to continue with this marriage, he refused to do so! ¡°How dare you come back?!¡± Before Xiahou Tingan could even walk a distance, he saw Xiahou Rong furiously walking toward him quickly. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately opened his mouth to explain. ¡°Father, listen to me¡ª¡± Smack! Xiahou Rong slapped him harshly. Xiahou Tingan staggered backward and directly fell onto the ground. ¡°You¡¯re going to drive me to death!¡± Xiahou Rong¡¯s face was green, and his chest heaved up and down violently. This bastard! He clutched Xiahou Tingan by the collar and dragged him to the study! Xiahou Tingan wanted to open his mouth to say something, but his collar was clutched so tightly that he couldn¡¯t say anything at all. He breathed with much difficulty, and his entire face flushed red. Boom! Xiahou Rong pushed him to the floor! Xiahou Tingan fell, and his bones were about to break. ¡°Father, I¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re so useless!¡± Xiahou Rong was so angry that his finger trembled as he pointed at his son¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°Do you know you¡¯ve just openly handed the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill over to the other party?! Why do I have such a useless son like you?!¡± ¡­ Mystic Forest. The days slowly passed, but there was still no movement in the forest. The group of people was excited when Qiang Wanzhou said that Chu Liuyue was coming out soon. In the end, they waited for a very long time, but she still didn¡¯t come out. The few of them could only continue waiting. However, Mu Hongyu and the rest didn¡¯t forget to cultivate during this period. Together with Qin Yi and Lei Laosi¡¯s patient guidance, they all had some breakthroughs¡ªespecially Qiang Wanzhou, whose improvement was most obvious. Qin Yi wanted to see the seal in his body again, but it never appeared again after that day. Even though he felt regretful, Qin Yi didn¡¯t insist on seeing it from Qiang Wanzhou. It won¡¯t be too late to talk about this when Her Highness comes out. After all, Qiang Wanzhou listens to her every command. After settling everything here, we can then solve these problems bit by bit. ¡­ At night, the dark-blue night sky was very quiet as a round moon hung high. Gradually, the moon had a tinge of bright red. Whistling sounds could be heard in the Red Moon Desert. ¡°I finally waited for this day¡­ If I can¡¯t see the girl again, I will definitely age by a lot¡­¡± Lan Xiao¡¯s voice was still as charming as before. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly go¡­ Hm? Diwu, where¡¯s Big Baby?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him either. He was just here previously¡­¡± Lan Xiao suddenly thought of something and silently scolded, ¡°¡­He took a step ahead of us! This stupid child!¡± ¡­ Underground. Half of the skeleton¡¯s bloodline power had almost been completely nourished in front of Chu Liuyue before it formed a blood pearl. Almost half of the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s body had been reformed. Chu Liuyue stared at it closely, and her heart seemed to be tightly clutched by something. Just as she was about to continue moving, she suddenly heard a baby¡¯s voice by her ear. ¡°Yue¡¯er girlie!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. It¡¯s that voice again! She immediately looked up! Chapter 809 - What Did You Call Us? A boy that looked like he was four or five appeared in front of her. Chu Liuyue was dazed. Did¡­ this kid call me just now? But what did he address me as? Yue¡¯er girlie? Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and vaguely felt that something was amiss. During her daze, that boy had already flown down and silently landed near her body. Chu Liuyue was shocked. This boy¡¯s aura is extremely hidden, and he seems to be very strong! She carefully and meticulously scrutinized the other party. He was small and wore blue clothes. His eyes were black, and he looked no more than five years old. He also had a small, adorable, and chubby face, which made one want to reach out and pinch it. However, that gaze didn¡¯t look like it belonged to a child¡ªcold and domineering! As long as she glanced at him once, it seemed like she could feel his extraordinary aura! Chu Liuyue was surprised. Since when did such a person appear in Dahuang Swamp? But what made her even more confused was that the boy¡¯s gaze toward her was strange. Even though he was very restrained, the depths of his eyes were filled with unconcealable happiness. This made his ice-cold face look softer and gentler. Why is he looking at me¡­ like he knows me? Chu Liuyue thought to herself silently. Dugu Mobao¡ªwho was opposite her¡ªstared at Chu Liuyue and carefully sized up her current appearance, feeling very conflicted. It¡¯s a lie that I don¡¯t miss her. It was a lie when I said I wanted to teach her a lesson. All these years, we¡¯ve waited day and night and imagined the scenes of our reunion countless times. We¡¯ve also imagined that she might¡¯ve changed a little after such a long time, but we didn¡¯t expect that even her entire physical body has completely changed! This face is no longer the appearance in our memories, but her gaze and aura are still extremely similar. ¡°Big Baby, you¡¯re shameless! You¡ª¡± At this point, a frustrated elderly voice sounded. Chu Liuyue felt something flash across her eyes, and another person appeared beside the adult-like boy. It was an elder. He was wearing a white robe, and his hair was white, but he looked very energetic and had the aura of a deity. However, it was a pity that his deity aura instantly disappeared the moment he opened his mouth. Just as Diwu Zhangze was about to continue scolding, Dugu Mobao was staring at the front. His mouth twitched, and he stiffly looked up to see that Yue¡¯er was standing near them and that she was looking straight at them. Haiya! How humiliating! Diwu Zhangze was very regretful. I only cared about scolding Dugu Mobao, but I almost forgot that the girl was right here! He clenched his fist and put it to his lips before harshly coughing. ¡°Girlie, don¡¯t mind us. We¡¯re just playing around!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. Why¡­ does this elder also seem to know me? Judging from their tone, they even seem to be quite close to me? Chu Liuyue opened her mouth. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What are you fighting about? Can¡¯t you see that girlie is doing serious things!?¡± A charming voice sounded. Chu Liuyue looked up once again. She saw a young man floating down from above. This young man wore a light-green robe with a white jade belt across his waist. His hair was tied up in a crown, and from top to bottom, he looked very clean and elegant. He looked like a fine young master. Chu Liuyue looked at his face, and her eyes glistened. It was a pretty and androgynous face. All his features were intricately perfect, and the outline of his entire face was also very smooth, not as distinct as an average man. This made him look younger. The most charming thing was that his pair of crystal-like eyes were clean and clear, similar to morning dew. Chu Liuyue had only seen two men that she could use the word ¡®pretty¡¯ to describe. One was Qiang Wanzhou, and the other was the man in front. Both of them had intricate and perfect looks, but they gave others completely different impressions. If one said that Qiang Wanzhou was a pretty rose with thorns, then this man was transparent and fragile glass. His thin lips curved up slightly, and he walked over with a smile. His every move was extremely high and mighty. It was as if this place wasn¡¯t a dark cave but a dazzling hall. He walked to the duo and smiled at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Girlie, we haven¡¯t seen each other in a while, but you became much prettier!¡± Dugu Mobao coldly glanced at him and heartlessly spat out, ¡°Why are you flirting?!¡± Can¡¯t you see what kind of place this is?! It¡¯s not your old traditional palace! Lan Xiao ignored him. ¡°Why do you care about me? As the appearance of the team, can I count on you if I don¡¯t do better?¡± They¡¯re just jealous of me! Diwu Zhangze rubbed his face. After so many years, I thought that my face was already experienced. However, I didn¡¯t expect Lan Xiao to crush it instantly. How exactly did he do it? How could he humiliate everyone every time he comes out? Dugu Mobao couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him. A stupid pervert will always be a stupid pervert. He won¡¯t change at all! Chu Liuyue stared at the few people in front of her dazedly. T-these three people are indeed special¡­ Even though she was looking at a child, a young man, and an elder, they didn¡¯t seem to have any differences in seniority when they talked. This wasn¡¯t actually particularly strange. There were all sorts of cultivation techniques in this world, and the capabilities of cultivators were also very different. After cultivating to a certain extent, they would naturally have different appearances. However, it was obvious that these few people didn¡¯t have any ill intentions toward her. This made Chu Liuyue relax a little. However¡­ She thought for half a day and really couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen these few people. If I had seen people with such special characteristics before, I definitely wouldn¡¯t forget about them. Chu Liuyue secretly guessed that they might have recognized the wrong person. At the side, Rong Xiu had stopped his movements from the moment those few people gradually appeared. As he did so, he took a step back and lazily leaned against the wall while he crossed his arms and watched the scene in relaxation. Although he felt that it was quite inappropriate for them to meet now, this was still Dahuang Swamp¡ªtheir territory. He might not be able to stop whatever they wanted to do. Rather than meeting Chu Liuyue at some place suddenly and creating all sorts of trouble, it was better for them to meet directly now. At least he was here. ¡­ Looking at the trio¡¯s quarrels of irritation, Chu Liuyue was quite confused. They¡­ seem to have come for me, but I don¡¯t even know their identities now! When she thought of this, her red lips curled up as she gave a polite smile. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Liuyue. Greetings¡­ Seniors.¡± Even though it was strange, the three of them were indeed very strong, and it was right to address them as seniors. Chu Liuyue thought in this manner, but the trio suddenly looked over in unison. Their gazes were very weird as if they had seen something incredulous. Dugu Mobao knitted his brows and asked, ¡°What¡­ did you call us?¡± Chapter 810 - She Even Forgot About Him Was I wrong to address them as seniors? Just as Chu Liuyue was about to ask how she should address the trio, she noticed their strange expressions and realized that something was amiss. Both parties fell into a brief silence. It was then that Dugu Mobao and the others realized that Yue¡¯er was looking at them differently than before. It seemed as though she was looking at a group of strangers. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡­¡± Diwu Zhangze felt something was off, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. While staring at Chu Liuyue, Dugu Mobao pointed at himself and asked slowly, ¡°Who am I?¡± Silence ensued. Both Lan Xiao¡¯s and Diwu Zhangze¡¯s expressions became grave when they realized that things seemed different from what they had expected. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened bit by bit as if it was being squeezed. Her throat felt dry when she tried to answer the question, eventually shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve never met you before. I don¡¯t know who you are, so I apologize if I¡¯ve offended you in any way.¡± The air around them seemed to be freezing, and Chu Liuyue could detect an explosive surge of anger emanating from the boy. His face frosted over in an instant, and a deep crack instantly formed on the ground underneath his feet, spreading all over. Despite having guessed that the trio had formidable powers, Chu Liuyue still couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by the scene. The aura he released is already so powerful from him being angry. How much more powerful would it be if he strikes? ¡°Big Baby!¡± Lan Xiao shouted right away in a bid to stop him. Dugu Mobao blinked and took a deep breath before retracting his aura. His expression, however, was glacial. Lan Xiao didn¡¯t tease him this time, given the fact that it was already very patient of him that he didn¡¯t destroy this place after hearing what Chu Liuyue had said. Moreover, the main reason for Big Baby¡¯s patience was because Yue¡¯er had serious business to settle. Big Baby really dotes on Yue¡¯er a lot. Lan Xiao let out a heavy sigh as he looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. ¡°Do you really not remember us, Yue¡¯er?¡± They came over happily to see me, but because of my reply¡­ Chu Liuyue felt somewhat guilty and terrible upon seeing their eyes dimming with disappointment. For a second, she even wished that she recognized them. This passing thought took her by surprise though, for she wasn¡¯t so kind to feel that way toward strangers. Did I¡­ really know them? That question made her somewhat uneasy as she felt increasingly certain that she had lost a portion of her memory. Pushing the chaotic thoughts away, she tried her best to speak calmly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Even though Lan Xiao and the others had already expected this answer, their hearts still sank when they heard her affirmative reply. How could she have forgotten us? All those times we spent together experiencing so many things¡­ Now that she has a new body, she¡¯s saying that she¡¯s forgotten us all?! Holding onto the last shred of hope, Diwu Zhangze asked carefully, ¡°This is just a joke, right?¡± An apologetic look surfaced on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Diwu Zhangze¡¯s expression dimmed as he let out a bitter laugh. From Chu Liuyue¡¯s blank and confused look, he could tell that she wasn¡¯t joking with them. She had clearly forgotten everything. Everyone fell silent, not knowing what to say. Chu Liuyue frowned. I was reborn with this body¡¯s memories, but I can¡¯t find any memories relating to them, be it in the original Chu Liuyue¡¯s memories or my own. That said, I have this unexplainable sense of familiarity toward them¡­ Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze exchanged looks. Never once have we expected that Yue¡¯er has lost her memory. Just how much does she remember?! Her soul seems complete though¡­ Just then, Dugu Mobao stepped forward and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The question baffled Chu Liuyue, given that she had just introduced herself not long ago. But all of a sudden, her expression became tense. This slight change of expression was noted in Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes as he stared fixedly at her, seemingly waiting for something. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hands, and her mind was in a jumbled mess. He¡¯s waiting for me to admit that I¡¯m Shangguan Yue! Hardly anyone knows about my true identity though! Even Qi Han only dared to approach me after finding many clues to confirm my identity. These people, however, seem to know who I am right from the start! How on earth did they recognize me? This is the first time I¡¯m meeting them since I was reborn, and we didn¡¯t even exchange many words with each other. ¡°The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s remaining body can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± A deep, lazy voice came from the side. Chu Liuyue snapped back to her senses as she looked forward and noticed that the blood pearl had finished coagulating and that the eagle¡¯s flesh¡ªwhich had more or less healed¡ªwas waiting for the next step. She quickly gathered her thoughts and tossed the remaining herbs in. Things were a little easier this time as the purplish-gold Buddha leaf had fused with the legendary three-eyed eagle. A white crystalline bone slowly flew over to the legendary three-eyed eagle and got surrounded by half a black shadow. Chu Liuyue sent the blood pearl flying over as well. Flesh and nerves started to form on the bone as the wing slowly took shape, but she dared not relax and continued staring at it closely. Nobody knew what would happen until the last moment. She, as well as the legendary three-eyed eagle, had suffered and waited too long for this day. All their efforts would go to waste if they failed, so they had to succeed no matter what. ¡­ Seeing that Chu Liuyue had started working on forming the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s body again, Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t disturb despite his desperation to hear her answer. Well, there wasn¡¯t a need for it to be honest. He already knew what her answer was. He turned to look at Rong Xiu¡ªwho was leaning against the stone wall at the side¡ªand it was then that he realized the latter was still wearing a mask. What¡¯s he trying to hide? Given his relationship with Yue¡¯er, there¡¯s no need for him to do such a thing. Not unless¡­ Yue¡¯er has also forgotten about him! The thought of this made him narrow his eyes slightly. Just what exactly has happened in the last few years?! How did Yue¡¯er still remember us when she¡¯s forgotten the rest of us?! Staring closely at Rong Xiu, he said, ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± Chapter 811 - You Knew That She Didn’t Like You Rong Xiu shifted his gaze toward Chu Liuyue. With a wave of his hand, a faint glowing barrier was formed on the exterior of Chu Liuyue¡¯s own barrier. He then said with a smile, ¡°She¡¯s busy right now. It¡¯s best if we don¡¯t disturb her.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s frown deepened, for it was clear that Rong Xiu had deliberately strengthened the barrier so that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t be able to hear their conversation. On the one hand, it was for the sake of not disturbing her. But on the other hand, it was also because he didn¡¯t want her to know what they were talking about. Dugu Mobao couldn¡¯t figure out what Rong Xiu was trying to do, so he cut to the chase by asking, ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember any of us now, does she?¡± The question got Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze looking over as well. Since there was no point in hiding this matter, Rong Xiu nodded. Dugu Mobao and the rest were quite surprised to see Rong Xiu admit it so readily. ¡°Well, knowing that she has even forgotten about you, my mood has improved a little¡­¡± Lan Xiao stroked his chin. I was feeling rather sad about this, but there¡¯s nothing much I can say since even Rong Xiu has been forgotten. Diwu Zhangze nodded in agreement for once. ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°Can you two not be so useless?! What¡¯s there to compare with him?!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s face was a little dark as he said this. Are you guys comparing who Yue¡¯er has forgotten more?! We¡¯re all equally important to Yue¡¯er. While it¡¯s fine that she forgot about Rong Xiu, she mustn¡¯t forget about us! Diwu Zhangze rubbed his glabella. Big Baby just doesn¡¯t know his place. He thinks that he¡¯s the most important person to Yue¡¯er when the reality is that he¡¯s just one of them¡­ Lan Xiao didn¡¯t bother to argue with Big Baby. Instead, he followed up by asking, ¡°Just how much has she forgotten?¡± It¡¯ll be bad if she has lost most of her memories¡­ Rong Xiu paused. ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember anything other than the Tianling Dynasty.¡± The trio froze. ¡°W-what did you just say?¡± asked Lan Xiao in disbelief. ¡°She forgot¡­ everything?!¡± Rong Xiu turned to look at Chu Liuyue with a hint of a gentle smile. ¡°No, she still remembers herself.¡± And who she loves. ¡­ Xi Ling. The atmosphere in the Jiang Residence was tense and heavy. Everyone carefully did their work and dared not say anything unnecessary lest they say something wrong and got themselves in trouble for upsetting their masters. All the servants even waited on Jiang Yuzhi with fear and trepidation. There was no end to the troubles in the Jiang Residence with Jiang Yucheng getting injured and Xiahou Tingan upsetting Jiang Yuzhi with his philandering. By now, everyone in Xi Ling knew that Jiang Yuzhi had stormed into Chun Feng Restaurant, caught Xiahou Tingan red-handed in bed with another woman, and had thrown a hissy fit while threatening to dissolve the marriage agreement. Both the Jiang family and the Xiahou family had been thoroughly disgraced. Naturally, Jiang Yucheng had also heard about what happened to his younger sister. She had come home declaring that she wanted to annul her engagement to Xiahou Tingan before locking herself in her room and smashing everything inside. Knowing his sister all too well, he deliberately waited until the next day before he went to look for her. Once he arrived at her courtyard, he dismissed the servants and went up to knock on her door. ¡°Yuzhi, it¡¯s me.¡± There was no response from Jiang Yuzhi. After waiting for a moment, Jiang Yucheng said, ¡°I know that you¡¯ve suffered grievances, so I¡¯m here to help you vent your anger. Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to let me in?¡± He then patiently waited for her to open the door. Sure enough, Jiang Yuzhi came over and opened the door a while later. It had only been a day, but she looked much more haggard and wretched than before. Not only was her hair in a mess, but her eyes were also red and swollen with dark circles underneath. She looked nothing like a young miss from a rich family. He was naturally upset to see his sister in such a miserable state. ¡°Yuzhi¡ª¡± ¡°How are you going to help me?¡± Jiang Yuzhi stared fixedly at him with hatred and anger burning in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± Jiang Yucheng then made a move to enter the room. Jiang Yuzhi didn¡¯t stop him. She, too, turned around and walked back inside. It was only after Jiang Yucheng closed the door behind him that he saw the state of mess in the room¡ªthere was hardly any room on the floor for him to walk. He frowned. He knew how fond his sister was of Xiahou Tingan. Even though she was usually spoiled and willful, her feelings for Xiahou Tingan were true, which was why he had agreed to this engagement back then. It had to be noted that Xiahou Tingan wasn¡¯t the most outstanding young master of his family. ¡°Yuzhi, Xiahou Tingan did you wrong this time, but don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you suffer this injustice.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s calm voice carried a hint of murderous intent. ¡°Since he dared to let you down, then he must¡¯ve had the guts to bear the consequences.¡± Jiang Yuzhi froze. ¡°What are you planning to do, Brother?¡± ¡°I actually wanted to pair you with the Xiahou family¡¯s third son. He¡¯s much more outstanding than Xiahou Tingan in all aspects, but I only changed my mind because you were fond of Xiahou Tingan. Whoever gets to marry you is their blessing, yet that b*stard doesn¡¯t know any better. We should just dissolve this engagement!¡± Jiang Yucheng gently stroked his sister¡¯s hair, but upon seeing the slight hesitation on the latter¡¯s face, he said thoughtfully, ¡°If you can¡¯t bear to have him killed, I¡¯ll spare his life and just make him a cripple.¡± Grabbing her brother¡¯s sleeves, Jiang Yuzhi begged, ¡°No¡­ You can¡¯t do that, Brother¡­ I only said that out of pique¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng frowned. ¡°You still refuse to give up on him despite what he did to you? Don¡¯t tell me that you still want to get married to him?!¡± Tears flowed down Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s cheeks as she cried bitterly in pain. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped either¡­ I-I just can¡¯t bear to give him up¡­¡± She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth that day, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel terrible each time she recalled that scene. Xiahou Tingan was the only person she had truly liked for years, which was why she felt all the more miserable now. ¡°No buts! He doesn¡¯t deserve you!¡± rebutted Jiang Yucheng coldly. I can make use of this opportunity to get the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill back, but Yuzhi¡¯s future husband mustn¡¯t be Xiahou Tingan! Jiang Yuzhi sobbed. ¡°But¡­ feelings can¡¯t be controlled. You, too, knew that the Crown Princess didn¡¯t like you, but you still went ahead to form a marriage agreement with her!¡± Chapter 812 - Make Them Pay Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression immediately changed as he stared his sister down. Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s heart thumped hard when she realized that she had misspoken. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, Brother. I¡ª¡± ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng as he enunciated each word carefully while grabbing his sister¡¯s wrist. Jiang Yuzhi¡ªwho had never seen her brother look at or speak to her this way before¡ªwas terrified. ¡°Brother, let me go first! My hand hurts!¡± Out of panic, she tried prying his hand off, but it was to no avail. His hand was tightly clamped down on her wrist, and he had no intention of letting go. ¡°I repeat: Where did you hear that from?!¡± demanded Jiang Yucheng harshly, his voice rising a decibel. Everyone thought that we were a match made in heaven and that we had a tight-knit relationship. God knows how many people in the entire Tianling Dynasty were envious and jealous of me, and it was all because I was engaged to Shangguan Yue. Only Shangguan Yue and I know the truth, so nobody else should know about this now that she¡¯s dead. When did Yuzhi know about this?! It was only then that Jiang Yuzhi realized the severity of the matter. Deep-seated fear sprouted in her heart when she saw her brother¡¯s terrifying expression, and she hurriedly explained, ¡°I-I overheard it! I was looking for you in Thousand View Garden that day, b-but you were talking to the late Crown Princess. I-I only heard a bit¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng knew which day she was talking about. As if he were interrogating a criminal, he demanded, ¡°What else? What else did you hear, and what else do you know?¡± ¡°N-nothing else, I swear! You¡¯re hurting me, Brother!¡± Jiang Yuzhi repeated this several times, her face turning a little pale as her vision turned blurry because of the pain. Jiang Yucheng studied her expression for a good while to make sure that she was telling the truth before he finally released her. Jiang Yuzhi stumbled backward, only managing to stabilize herself with much difficulty. She felt increasingly aggrieved when she noticed that her wrist had turned blue-black. No matter what I did or said in the past, he never treated me this way. But just because I mentioned the late Crown Princess¡­ Despite feeling enraged and aggrieved, she knew that she had touched her brother¡¯s sore spot, so she couldn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°This isn¡¯t something you should know,¡± said Jiang Yucheng coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch you mentioning it again, you hear me?¡± Jiang Yuzhi trembled slightly as she hurriedly nodded. She dared not even look at her brother. T-that was terrifying¡­ Jiang Yucheng closed his eyes, and only then did he manage to calm himself down. He took a look at his sister and frowned when he saw the bruise on her wrist and her cowering look. I must¡¯ve failed to control my anger and frightened her badly as a result¡­ ¡°Have you made up your mind regarding Xiahou Tingan?¡± Jiang Yuzhi stiffened before nodding belatedly with hints of vengeance in her eyes. ¡°I want that slut¡¯s life though!¡± Jiang Yucheng snorted. ¡°Do you know that the woman has redeemed herself from Chun Feng Restaurant and found herself another place to stay in the city?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Jiang Yuzhi widened her eyes in shock. She understood almost immediately that it meant that Xiahou Tingan had the intention to keep that woman. He has no regard for me at all! To think that I¡¯ve been telling myself all day that it was all that b*tch¡¯s fault and that he had only made this mistake because he was drunk. But he went ahead and did that the next second? Isn¡¯t that as good as slapping me in the face and making me a laughingstock?! Jiang Yuzhi embedded her nails deeply into her palms. He used to treat me so well¡­ Was that all an act? It¡¯s laughable to recall what I said just now! As soon as she made a move toward the door, Jiang Yucheng stopped her and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Jiang Yuzhi snarled. ¡°I¡¯m going to teach that adulterous pair a lesson! I¡¯m going to make their lives a living hell!¡± Jiang Yucheng continued to ask, ¡°Do you still have feelings for him? Do you still want to get married to him?¡± Jiang Yuzhi felt as if a huge stone was pressing on her chest as she shook her head hard. Her eyes, albeit red, were dry now. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded in satisfaction. ¡°There¡¯s something I forgot to tell you¡ªXiahou Tingan was kicked out of his family last night.¡± It turned out that Xiahou Rong had given Xiahou Tingan a stern telling-off when the latter returned home. Xiahou Rong requested his son to admit his mistake and beg for Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s forgiveness, but the latter seemed bent on dissolving the marriage agreement. He wouldn¡¯t agree to do what his father said, no matter what. Thus, Xiahou Rong threw Xiahou Tingan out of the house in a fit of anger. Xiahou Rong had just wanted to scare his son into complying with his wishes, but he didn¡¯t expect the latter to be so determined this time that he would leave for real. ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to make inquiries. He¡¯s living with that woman now.¡± That one sentence crushed Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s hope once and for all. He¡¯d rather be chased out of his home to stay with that wretched slut than to beg me for forgiveness! Doesn¡¯t that mean that I¡ªthe Jiang family¡¯s Fourth Missy¡ªam inferior to that wh*re?! What will people say about me from today onward?! Jiang Yuzhi felt her face burning up. Her mind completely blanked, and all she felt was endless hatred. Her eyes then rolled up as she fainted on the spot. Jiang Yucheng immediately helped his sister up and carried her over to the bed before ordering someone to clean up the room and summoning Feng Shanyuan over to take his sister¡¯s pulse. His heart only settled when he was sure that she had simply fainted out of anger and that there was nothing wrong with her. He then sat on the bed and took care of her himself. It was evening by the time Jiang Yuzhi woke up. When she opened her bleary eyes, she found her brother sitting at the bedside. ¡°Yuzhi, you¡¯re awake?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng gently. Feeling immensely aggrieved, Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s eyes turned red immediately. ¡°Everything will be okay. It¡¯s all in the past now.¡± Jiang Yucheng gently patted her hand. After she had cried her eyes out and was feeling more settled down, he fed her water before gently asking, ¡°What do you think about the Xiahou family¡¯s third son?¡± Jiang Yuzhi knew what he meant. She hesitated a little before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the Xiahou¡­¡± Her words trailed off when she saw the look on her brother¡¯s face. She paused and then nodded stiffly. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± A hint of relief appeared on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face. I¡¯ll make the Xiahou family return the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill this time! Chapter 813 - Success! Just like that, the marriage between Xiahou Tingan and Jiang Yuzhi fell through. After the fiasco at Chun Feng Restaurant, the former was kicked out of his home, while the latter became engaged to the Xiahou family¡¯s third young master¡ªXiahou Yushu¡ªinstead. This series of events not only exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations but also left everyone in Xi Ling City¡ªwho was waiting to see the two families become the butt of the joke¡ªbaffled. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the marriage between the two families could still go on despite what had happened. Had this happened between two ordinary families, they probably would¡¯ve fallen out with each other. Not to mention that even if these two prestigious families had many factors to consider, it was still surprising that they came to this conclusion. Despite the various speculations about Jiang Yuzhi insisting on marrying into the Xiahou family and the Xiahou family insisting on having Jiang Yuzhi as their daughter-in-law, nobody knew the truth. People just wanted something to gossip about. ¡­ That said, regardless of whichever version of the gossip it was, everyone knew that the person at the losing end was ultimately Xiahou Tingan. Knowing that Jiang Yuzhi was Jiang Yucheng¡¯s biological sibling, everyone wanted to get into their good graces¡ªthe Xiahou family was no exception. Logically speaking, Xiahou Rong¡ªbeing the Grand Tutor¡ªhad no need to pay attention to such matters. However, almost all the power was now in Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng¡¯s hands because the Emperor had been unconscious for nearly two years. The Xiahou family had no members with outstanding cultivation talent among the younger generation, so all the more they needed to get into the Jiang family¡¯s good books¡ªa marriage alliance between the two families was the best way to do so. Previously, Xiahou Tingan was always seen together with Jiang Yuzhi. Hence, everyone thought that they would hear the wedding bells soon and thus treated the Xiahou family with extra courtesy. Xiahou Tingan¡¯s status was also elevated because of this. But in just one night, Xiahou Tingan was expelled from his family, and his position was replaced by the unknown third young master, Xiahou Yushu. Everyone thought Xiahou Tingan was crazy for giving up everything that he had. ¡­ ¡°Second Young Master.¡± In a mansion in Xi Ling City, Xiahou Tingan was lying on the bed in his room. His good-looking face was swollen, and his body was battered and bruised. Xiao Die entered the room holding a tray that contained a few jade bottles and gauze and sat down at the bedside. Her delicate eyebrows were knitted together as if she were very worried about Xiahou Tingan. ¡°I¡¯ll help you change your dressing, Second Young Master.¡± Xiahou Tingan actually didn¡¯t want anyone to see him in his current state, but he really needed someone to take care of him. Holding Xiao Die¡¯s hands, he said emotionally, ¡°Xiao Die, it¡¯s clear to me now that you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s sincere toward me.¡± After being chased out of the Xiahou Residence with nowhere to go, Xiahou Tingan had intended to seek refuge at one of his friends¡¯ houses. But alas, none of his friends even opened their doors to him. He had no choice but to go to Chun Feng Restaurant, and the staff there told him where Xiao Die lived. Being at his wits¡¯ end, he could only go look for her. Much to his surprise, not only did Xiao Die not mind his disheveled appearance, but she even did her best to take care of him. Nobody¡ªnot even those people who claimed to be his good friends¡ªvisited him over the past few days, which made him realize that he had experienced enough of the fickleness of human nature. ¡°This is part of my duties. I just hope you won¡¯t dislike me,¡± answered Xiao Die with a smile. She then pulled her hand out to take the bottle of medication. ¡°Your injuries are getting better and will be fully healed soon.¡± Xiahou Tingan nodded absent-mindedly. Although his injuries seemed pretty serious, Xiahou Rong hadn¡¯t actually beaten him up too badly on account that they were father and son. At the thought of this, a hint of worry surfaced in Xiahou Tingan¡¯s eyes. Now that he had cooled down, he realized that he had been a tad too impulsive. However, he still didn¡¯t want to admit his mistakes because he didn¡¯t want to put up with Jiang Yuzhi anymore nor continue to be such a useless coward. Xiao Die sighed and advised him. ¡°Second Young Master, you can¡¯t stay outside forever. The Grand Tutor is still your father no matter what. Once your injuries have healed, you should go back and admit your mistakes to him.¡± Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t answer her, although he surely would¡¯ve shot down her suggestion immediately in the past. But over the last few days, he came to realize that life was hard to get by without his family¡¯s support. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want to lose everything he had before just because of Jiang Yuzhi. Xiao Die then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The word out there is that Fourth Missy Jiang has gotten engaged to Third Young Master Jiang instead. They¡¯ll be holding their wedding soon¡ª¡± ¡°What?!¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s eyes bulged in disbelief. Among his peers in the Xiahou family, he hated Xiahou Yushu the most. But Jiang Yuzhi has always liked me! Since when did that concubine-born b*stard replace my position? How did things turn out this way in just a few days?! Xiao Die covered her mouth in shock. ¡°S-shouldn¡¯t you¡­ be happy about this?¡± Xiahou Tingan wasn¡¯t sure how he was feeling either. His expression changed as he clenched his fists tightly. Jiang Yuzhi can get married to anyone, but just not someone from the Xiahou family! Otherwise, what would that make of me? Is Father really intending to give my position to Xiahou Yushu?! Xiahou Tingan had always been his father¡¯s most favored son, so he got everything he wanted very easily. This was also why he couldn¡¯t accept the fact that someone had snatched the things which belonged to him in the first place. ¡°When did this happen?¡± he asked darkly. Taking a step backward out of fear, Xiao Die said hesitantly, ¡°I-I think¡­ it was the day after you left your home¡­ The rumors say that the Xiahou family has prepared very generous betrothal gifts to express their deepest apology¡­¡± The Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill! They¡¯re planning to return it! Xiahou Tingan raised his eyebrows angrily. I wanted to keep that pill for myself! The members of the Xiahou family had been upset with him due to his average cultivation talent, so he had been patiently putting up with the humiliation for the sake of the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. However, his wait and efforts turned out to be in vain in the end. Lifting the blanket off him, Xiahou Tingan immediately stood up and made a move toward the door. He had just taken his second step when his legs suddenly gave way, and he went crashing to the ground. Xiao Die hurriedly stepped forward to help him up. ¡°Second Young Master, you¡ª¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Xiahou Tingan pushed her away and climbed back to his feet with much difficulty before limping all the way to the door. I¡¯m going to get back the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill! That pill belongs to me! Nobody can snatch it from me! Meanwhile, Xiao Die was watching him from behind with a surreptitious smile. ¡­ Unlike the raging undercurrents going on in Xi Ling City, it was all peaceful and quiet in the Mystic Forest and its underground. After their brief chat, Dugu Mobao and the others began waiting by the side together with Rong Xiu. There wasn¡¯t much they could say on this matter since what happened had already happened. Besides, Yue¡¯er was still Yue¡¯er. All they could do was continue doting on her. Time slowly trickled past, and Chu Liuyue finally managed to reconstruct the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s body. Whoosh¡ª The legendary three-eyed eagle spread its wings as it let out a screech. Chapter 814 - Remove the Mask A faint dragon roar could even be heard in this screech, which pierced through the clouds and fog. The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s robust body was covered with black cascading feathers¡ªChu Liuyue could even see each and every one of its polished feathers clearly. When it spread open its wings fully, it could almost cover the entire sky. Its two eyes were black, while its third eye was a gorgeous purplish-gold color. It looked absolutely magnificent. This was the true legendary three-eyed eagle. Its aura was even several times stronger than before and slightly overpowered Tuan Zi¡¯s. Chu Liuyue was secretly amazed to know this. Although the legendary three-eyed eagle was also a legendary fiend, it wasn¡¯t the highest-ranked. The two ancient legendary fiends¡ªthe red-gold heavenly phoenix and the great phoenix dragon¡ªwere the most distinguished of all. They were divided into several clans, whose ranks varied according to the bloodline power in their bodies. Take Tuan Zi for example. Being a red-tailed phoenix, it was the closest existence to the red-gold heavenly phoenix. Thus, it should be ranked higher than the legendary three-eyed eagle. However, the legendary three-eyed eagle was ranked higher in this case because it had fused the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline power into its own body and had inherited two bones from the great phoenix dragon skeleton. The legendary three-eyed eagle was quite surprised itself. It could feel the existence of its body and the surging power within its chest. We succeeded! We really succeeded! Being trapped in that dark place for a thousand years, I myself had lost hope in regaining my freedom and my body. However, I never thought I¡¯d live to see this day, and it¡¯s all thanks to Chu Liuyue! If she didn¡¯t take me away, made me her contracted fiend, and helped me to find the purplish-gold Buddha leaf, I would still be trapped there and eventually die just like that! The legendary three-eyed eagle gathered its wings and slightly bowed its head in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction. In a clear, powerful, and sincere voice, it pledged, ¡°I¡ªZi Chen, the 287th leader of the legendary three-eyed eagle clan¡ªam willing to follow you as my master through life and death!¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re the clan leader?!¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. Isn¡¯t that the top existence in the legendary three-eyed eagle clan?! ¡°Please forgive me for hiding my identity from you,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle, its voice sounding like a young man in his twenties, which was very different from before. S-so I didn¡¯t just contract a legendary fiend but a clan leader at that? Chu Liuyue was bewildered. ¡°¡­Zi Chen? Is that your real name?¡± The three-eyed legendary eagle nodded. The legendary fiends that had contracted with humans were far and few between. Zi Chen¡ªbeing a former clan leader¡ªwas even more particular about this because it had to consider the entire legendary three-eyed eagle clan on top of itself. Although it previously formed a contract with Chu Liuyue, they didn¡¯t see it through to the last stage. But Chu Liuyue had now helped it reconstruct its body, which was equivalent to giving it a new lease on life. Giving her its loyalty under such circumstances allowed it to account to the legendary three-eyed eagle clan properly if it ever returned to them. It wouldn¡¯t need to feel sorry toward itself, Chu Liuyue, and its clan members. Chu Liuyue blinked, taking a moment to snap back to her senses. Her eyes curved as she said, ¡°Why would I blame you when you have your own reasons for doing so? I¡¯m more than happy to know about this!¡± Zi Chen is the leader of the legendary three-eyed eagle clan! I¡¯ve lucked out! Although Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know much about legendary fiends, she understood that it was her blessing that the clan leader agreed to form a contract with her. ¡°Zi Chen? Can I call you that in the future?¡± ¡°As you wish, Master,¡± answered Zi Chen. The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face deepened as her eyes lit up like the sparkling stars in the night sky. She knew that Zi Chen hadn¡¯t been particularly close to her, especially since they had first met each other as enemies. They had been through so much together during this period¡ªfrom holding each other back to working together. Getting a legendary fiend that had been suppressed for a thousand years to completely submit to oneself was indeed a very difficult thing to do. Even though their lives eventually became intertwined with each other because of their contract, she knew that there was a barrier between them. That invisible barrier, however, had been completely shattered today. It was only from this moment onward that Zi Chen was considered to have completely placed its loyalty in her. Knowing that Zi Chen had shown its greatest sincerity by revealing its true identity to her, all Chu Liuyue felt at the moment was joy. Zi Chen, upon realizing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it at all, finally put its mind at ease. With a flash, it returned to her body again. Chu Liuyue slowly exhaled. She couldn¡¯t help but be amazed when she realized that she had somehow contracted the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s clan leader as her fiend. She wanted to ask Zi Chen about the events that had happened years ago that led to it being trapped, but she felt several scorching gazes on her before she could do that. Only then did she remember with a start that she wasn¡¯t alone here. She slowly looked over to see the black-clothed man on her right and the three seniors who had called her Yue¡¯er on her left. They were all looking at her. ¡°I¡¯ve repaired your armor,¡± said Rong Xiu lazily while leaning against the stone wall. Delighted, Chu Liuyue wanted to go over to him immediately. ¡°Yue¡¯er,¡± Dugu Mobao called her name just then. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped, looking conflicted as she glanced in the black-clothed man¡¯s direction before shifting her gaze to the seniors. For some reason, she could feel a faint murderous aura in the air. Should I retrieve my armor first or ask the seniors how we were related first? Chu Liuyue felt torn. I have this nagging feeling that these seniors are very important people to me¡­ But I don¡¯t know where this feeling came about from. She hesitated for a moment longer before eventually deciding to collect her armor first. I¡¯ve met Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s owner twice, so he¡¯s more credible in a way. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips hooked up slightly as he looked at the people opposite him. Dugu Mobao¡¯s countenance was dark, while Lan Xiao couldn¡¯t resist touching his face and wondering, That¡¯s strange. How did Rong Xiu still end up winning when his face is hidden underneath a mask? Have I become ugly? A faint ominous feeling crept into his heart. Yue¡¯er might¡¯ve really changed since she¡¯s now in a new body and her memories are fragmented. Chu Liuyue had already walked up to Rong Xiu, who held the pure gold armor out toward her. She carefully took it from him and examined it, only to realize that the shattered portion had indeed been repaired. She looked up in gratitude. ¡°Thank you!¡± No sooner had the words left her mouth than she heard a voice saying, ¡°Not many people in the world can perfectly restore a Yuan instrument of this grade. Since fate has brought us together, why don¡¯t you remove your mask and show us your true face?¡± Chapter 815 - At Least You Have Conscience This was Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice. The moment he said that, the surroundings fell silent. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she couldn¡¯t help but glance at him. It¡¯s impossible if I say that I¡¯m not curious. But according to the Master¡¯s temperament, he wouldn¡¯t agree to it. If he was willing to show his true appearance, he wouldn¡¯t have come with a mask. As expected, the moment this thought flashed across her mind, she heard Master saying lightly, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because not many people can do it in the world that I have to be more careful, right?¡± Dugu Mobao sneered. ¡°You¡¯re so insistent on rejecting us. Is it because you¡¯re feeling guilty?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. Is he transferring his anger to me? ¡°Most of the time, only ugly people won¡¯t be willing to show their true appearances,¡± Lan Xiao calmly interjected. ¡°Yue¡¯er girlie, you can¡¯t trust that man. Come over quick.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Why did I suddenly become a part of them? She coughed and explained, ¡°S-seniors, I know this Master. He has helped me several times before¡­ Seniors, you don¡¯t have to be too worried.¡± If this man really had ill intentions toward me, then he¡¯s too patient in preparing for the trap. Lan Xiao was stumped. Looking at the way Chu Liuyue trusted Rong Xiu a lot, he couldn¡¯t help but softly scold, ¡°¡­Cunning!¡± This kid, Rong Xiu, wore a mask and refused to show his true appearance to Yue¡¯er girlie, and we really thought that he didn¡¯t interact with her much! Who knew that¡­ he had taken action a long time ago?! Considering her words, he has even used this identity to help her a few times? Anyone can tell that his ¡®so-called helping her openly and secretly¡¯ was clearly done to gain the girl¡¯s trust. This way, the girl still trusts him greatly even if he doesn¡¯t show his true appearance. Pfft, how shameless! Actually, Chu Liuyue really wanted to see what this Master looked like. But since the few of them couldn¡¯t convince him, she naturally couldn¡¯t bring it up. Everyone present is stronger than me, and I¡¯m the weakest one. Why would I have the right to speak? Sensing the stiff atmosphere, Chu Liuyue swiftly changed the topic and asked, ¡°I¡­ how do I address you?¡± Lan Xiao pointed to himself. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Say who you are first; then, we¡¯ll naturally say who we are,¡± said Dugu Mobao suddenly as he interrupted Lan Xiao. Lan Xiao glanced at him strangely. Didn¡¯t Rong Xiu already say that the girl remembers herself? Why did he still ask? Diwu Zhangze exchanged glances with Lan Xiao. Big Baby isn¡¯t asking for an answer. He¡¯s asking for the girl¡¯s stance! If she admits to it, it means that she trusts us. If she doesn¡¯t¡­ there will be trouble today. Lan Xiao then understood and calculated it in his heart. Instantly, he felt that this question was necessary. Hence, the trio looked at Chu Liuyue in unison and waited for her answer. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. It seems like the few of them are bent on getting an answer from me. She pressed her lips against each other and fell into deep thought. I don¡¯t remember that I know these few people. It¡¯s indeed too hard for me to admit my identity in front of a few strangers. After all, I didn¡¯t even reveal myself to Weichi Song and the rest. This is the biggest secret I have! But¡­ I clearly remember that I did have some sort of familiarity when I heard their voices the first time. I also didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable when I heard them call me ¡®Yue¡¯er girlie.¡¯ It seems¡­ as if it should be like that. Besides, my instincts tell me that these few people won¡¯t hurt me. For me, this feeling wouldn¡¯t come out of nowhere. Perhaps there really is something¡­ But Master is still at the side¡­ This is hard to say. After a while, Chu Liuyue still didn¡¯t speak. Dugu Mobao¡¯s face gradually turned cold. His surrounding aura rapidly became cold and dark as if he was about to freeze the space. Then, he actually turned around and walked away! Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze were taken aback. ¡°Hm? Why did he suddenly leave?¡± Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°What do I do if I don¡¯t leave?¡± Seeing the girl¡¯s expression, she clearly doesn¡¯t trust us! Thinking of how he had anxiously rushed over, Dugu Mobao was even angrier! I shouldn¡¯t have come! Diwu Zhangze chased after him and used a voice that only a few people could hear. ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that she¡­¡± She forgot! She forgot about us, so isn¡¯t it normal that she can¡¯t trust us now?! Didn¡¯t you see that she can¡¯t even recognize Rong Xiu? Lan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s the point of getting angry at her? We finally met after so many years, so why is there a need to cause a commotion? If you want to leave, suit yourself. I¡¯m not going!¡± If I leave, who knows what else Rong Xiu is going to do? Upon hearing this, Dugu Mobao walked even faster. Seeing that his figure was about to disappear into the darkness, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Then, a sentence suddenly escaped from her mouth. ¡°Big Baby, stop messing around!¡± ¡­ Dugu Mobao suddenly stopped in his tracks. Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze widened their eyes in shock. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze faltered. The entire space fell into a deadly silence. Chu Liuyue was confused after she said that. W-what did I just say? I just called him Big Baby a-and even told him to stop messing around? Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision turned black. She herself didn¡¯t even know why she shouted that, but after she saw that scene, she naturally said it. A-any of these people are major characters who can control the weather. It¡¯s fine if I didn¡¯t directly answer their question, yet I still talked to them in such a tone? Chu Liuyue instantly felt that her neck turned cold. Even though she had always been bold and unreasonable, she knew her limits. She knew very clearly who she could and couldn¡¯t offend. I shouted like that¡­ According to the other party¡¯s fiery temper, who knows how he will teach me a lesson? Just as Chu Liuyue was panicking, Dugu Mobao turned around. That cute face was filled with shock and¡­ elation? Elation?! Chu Liuyue forcefully closed her eyes and looked over. Could it be that he¡¯s too far away, so I¡¯m seeing things¡­ Who would have such a reaction after being called like that? Dugu Mobao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Chu Liuyue tried her best to make her smile look sincere and genuine. ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she saw tears welling up in Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes. His pair of eyes glistened, and it seemed like¡­ he was crying?! Chu Liuyue was dazed. W-what¡¯s going on? Before she could understand anything, Dugu Mobao suddenly wiped his tears and stubbornly said, ¡°At least you have a conscience!¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. Chapter 816 - How Did She Know Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t understand. I really don¡¯t understand. Since when did the world become like this? I talked to him nicely just now, but the other party was nonchalant. When I accidentally threw my temper, the other party actually felt that it was very good? Even though it was rather inappropriate to use ¡®so happy that he cried¡¯ to describe the other party, Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was currently blank, and she couldn¡¯t think of any other terms. ¡°Um¡­¡± She spoke hesitantly, not knowing what to say. Big Baby¡­ This is clearly not that person¡¯s proper name. When the young man addressed him like this just now, he clearly looked upset. But why did he seem super happy after I called him that? ¡°What about me?! What about me?! Girlie, there¡¯s still me!¡± Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to say something, Diwu Zhangze immediately reacted at the side as he yelled expectantly. Girlie has already called him Big Baby, so she can definitely speak our names out! Though she forgot about us, some things have already become her instinct and can¡¯t just go away. Lan Xiao glanced at him and looked very upset as he lightly grunted. ¡°Truly only a child that knows how to whine will get sweets!¡± If it were any other day, Dugu Mobao would definitely fight with Lan Xiao when he heard this. But he was in an extremely good mood now and couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with Lan Xiao. He didn¡¯t even look at Lan Xiao as he righteously replied, ¡°You can whine too. Who is stopping you? Let¡¯s see if Girlie can call you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t fight with a stupid child!¡± Lan Xiao clenched his teeth and controlled his expression with much difficulty. This face is one that I like the most recently. I can¡¯t casually damage it. It¡¯s not worth it, really not worth it. Dugu Mobao couldn¡¯t care to be angry at Lan Xiao at this moment. His heart was filled with satisfaction and elation now. Even though he had been controlling himself the best he could, the smiling intent still overflowed from the corner of his eyes. Facing Diwu Zhangze¡¯s passionate inquiry, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. C-call what? Second Baby?! I really don¡¯t remember! Only the heavens know how I called him just now¡­ I can now basically confirm that I did know these people before, but our relationship is still a mystery. These three people are extremely formidable. Even at my peak, I¡¯m not good enough in front of them. Logically speaking, I should be very respectful toward them. But the words just now really jumped out of my mouth¡­ How daring must I be to do that? Diwu Zhangze waited for a while. Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak, he started to become anxious. ¡°Girlie, think about it properly. It¡¯s me! My name has four words¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s Diwu Zhangze,¡± said Dugu Mobao directly. Diwu Zhangze¡¯s expression froze, and the veins on his forehead jumped. ¡°Big Baby, what are you doing?!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that she can¡¯t remember? It¡¯s already very hard for her to remember me alone. Why are you still demanding so much? Besides, my name is also four letters. If she can really remember your name, does she need you to remind her?¡± Dugu Mobao pointed at Lan Xiao. ¡°He¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lan Xiao!¡± Lan Xiao was very decisive as he directly reported his name and rolled his eyes at Dugu Mobao. Chu Liuyue was awkward. Now, out of the three of them, I still don¡¯t know Big Baby¡¯s name¡­ She quickly searched through her mind. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any strong warriors with these names in the Tianling Dynasty¡­ From their appearances, I can¡¯t really match them with anyone. Then¡­ Either these people are hidden heroes, or they aren¡¯t from the Tianling Dynasty. She politely greeted the few of them. Lan Xiao sighed in disappointment. It seems like she really can¡¯t remember. It¡¯s already a surprise for her to be able to yell that just now. Hmph, it¡¯s still because that stupid child knows how to throw a tantrum, so Girlie can even say that subconsciously now. Diwu Zhangze was interrupted, but he always had a docile temper. Hence, he didn¡¯t care much about these things. It¡¯s better if Girlie can remember a little! She definitely can gradually remember the rest in the future! Seeing their attitudes relax by quite a bit, Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Seniors¡ª¡± ¡°What seniors? Just directly address us like before!¡± Lan Xiao wasn¡¯t used to her talking like that, so he waved his hands. ¡°You called him Big Baby, me Lan Xiao, and him as Diwu in the past.¡± Even though Chu Liuyue felt weird about it, she could only oblige and obediently nod since the other party had already said so. ¡°The few of you can also see that I¡¯ve indeed forgotten a few things. As for your identities and how we met, I don¡¯t remember¡­¡± Chu Liuyue spoke in a very tactful manner, but Lan Xiao and the rest were all very wise. They could immediately tell that she was trying to ask about the past. ¡°We¡ª¡± The moment Lan Xiao started, he felt a strong gaze on him. He looked up and saw Rong Xiu glaring at him with a dark gaze. Lan Xiao suddenly remembered what Rong Xiu said earlier. Yue¡¯er girlie no longer remembers the things outside the Tianling Dynasty. If we suddenly tell her about it, it might affect her knowledge and recovery. It¡¯s best to let nature take its course. Lan Xiao¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. Even though I¡¯ve always disliked Rong Xiu, I agree with his words. After all, it¡¯s better to be very careful when it concerns Girlie. Thinking of this, he changed the topic. ¡°We¡¯re all idle people, so our identities aren¡¯t important. However, we met in this Dahuang Swamp before.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and was rather shocked. In Dahuang Swamp? I¡¯ve come to Dahuang Swamp a few times, but I really don¡¯t have an impression of these few people. But upon deeper thought, I¡¯ve always thought that my memory was complete previously. If not for these things that kept happening and proving that I did lose part of my memory, I might not even believe all of this. Then, my past with these few people should also be part of the memory I¡¯ve lost. Looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s surprised and curious look, Diwu Zhangze couldn¡¯t help but remind, ¡°At Red Moon Desert! You loved to go there in the past, and you would always stay for a very long time!¡± Red Moon Desert¡­ Chu Liuyue blinked. In my memories, Red Moon Desert seems to be the place I visited the least. However, they said that it was the place I loved to go¡­ ¡°Then¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to ask in detail, but Dugu Mobao suddenly looked up. ¡°Time is almost up.¡± Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze¡¯s expressions changed in unison. ¡°Why is it so fast?¡± Lan Xiao knitted his brows. How long have we been here? We need to leave after exchanging a few sentences with girlie? If we leave now, we need to wait for another month! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What time?¡± Diwu Zhangze naturally answered, ¡°The time we need to go back.¡± Go back? Back to¡­ Red Moon Desert? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask, but she directly thought of this answer in her heart for some reason. She paused. How do I know all of this? Chapter 817 - Will Not Betray ¡°Girlie, go back with us?¡± asked Lan Xiao. We can¡¯t stay outside, but we can get Girlie to go with us! Chu Liuyue was dazed. Go with them to Red Moon Desert? I¡¯m actually rather curious, but Qiang Wanzhou and the rest should still be waiting for me outside¡­ I¡¯ve stayed underground for such a long period of time and don¡¯t know how they¡¯re doing now. At this point, Rong Xiu suddenly spoke. ¡°When I came, I saw a Dancing Lotus at Mirror Lake.¡± Dancing Lotus? Chu Liuyue was extremely surprised. It¡¯s a rare treasure! Even she couldn¡¯t help but be tempted. Lan Xiao couldn¡¯t help scolding, ¡°You¡¯re really shameless. You know that Girlie likes these things, so you purposely tempted her!¡± Diwu Zhangze shook his head. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that no herbs can grow well in Red Moon Desert. It¡¯s fine if she wants other things¡ªwe can piece it up for her. But these herbs¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the result of your sins earlier on? Don¡¯t you know why Red Moon Desert became like this?¡± Dugu Mobao coldly glanced at the two of them. Lan Xiao stroked his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t talk as if it had nothing to do with you. You caused the fiercest commotion back then.¡± How dare you have the cheek to talk about us now? Dugu Mobao was stumped and didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Forget it, forget it. Didn¡¯t you see that Girlie¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard about the Dancing Lotus? Let her go!¡± Diwu Zhangze thought it through. ¡°She can just look for us after she retrieves that thing!¡± Dugu Mobao and Lan Xiao thought for a while and felt that this suggestion wasn¡¯t bad, so they agreed. Therefore, without even asking, the few of them directly said, ¡°Then, you can come after you¡¯re done at Mirror Lake! We¡¯re waiting for you!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. I don¡¯t think¡­ I agreed to go yet¡­ But seeing their looks, it seems like I can¡¯t reject them¡­ Chu Liuyue nodded in the end. The few of them then looked satisfied. Lan Xiao glanced at Rong Xiu and purposefully said, ¡°Girlie, some people look decent, but they¡¯re filled with dirty water! You must be sensible and not be duped by some people!¡± Chu Liuyue silently looked down. Is he¡­ talking about Master? Although I do feel that this person isn¡¯t simple, saying it in front of him¡­ I can only say that those with capabilities can have this confidence! If it¡¯s the current me, I really won¡¯t dare to offend any of them. Thus, I would only be able to survive in the gap between the two parties. When Rong Xiu heard this, he wasn¡¯t angry. These few people have always doted on Yue¡¯er, and their hearts definitely ache after knowing that she has gone through so much. This attitude should be because she¡¯s still present. But the moment this thought flashed across his mind, Dugu Mobao looked over. ¡°You¡­ Follow us!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s brows jumped. As expected, I can¡¯t think of these people too kindly. How did I forget that they never give me the easy way out¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at Master and then at Dugu Mobao and the rest before squinting. ¡°You guys¡­ know each other?¡± She couldn¡¯t tell at the start, but after these few exchanges, they really didn¡¯t sound like strangers. The moment she said that, the two parties fell silent. Nobody denied it. Chu Liuyue instantly felt incredulous. Since they know each other, why did Big Baby purposely and politely ask Master to take off his mask? She faintly felt that a secret was hiding behind this. Upon deeper thought, that sentence should be said for me? Then, it¡¯s because of me that Master refused to take off his mask? A white light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She suddenly realized something as she looked at Master and stared at him closely. Perhaps¡­ I know the face underneath this mask?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started beating wildly, and the sense of familiarity became increasingly stronger! Rong Xiu averted his gaze and followed Dugu Mobao and the rest. When they brushed past each other, Chu Liuyue suddenly reached out and grabbed at his wrist. Rong Xiu silently avoided it. Chu Liuyue looked up and questioned carefully, ¡°Master, what are you afraid of?¡± If he¡¯s not guilty or afraid of being recognized, why would he have to hide like this? The man on the other side didn¡¯t seem to be nervous as he seemingly smiled. ¡°Sorry, my wife is very strict and doesn¡¯t like me touching other girls.¡± Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed¡ªshe had never expected the other party to say such a thing. This¡­ This reason seems far-fetched, but it also doesn¡¯t seem wrong¡­ In her daze, Rong Xiu walked over. Dugu Mobao¡¯s face turned cold and solemn. Lan Xiao¡¯s eyes were filled with contempt as he couldn¡¯t help but grunt. Wife? Isn¡¯t it Yue¡¯er girlie?! I haven¡¯t seen him in a few years, but this boy¡¯s acting skills have become increasingly better. When the truth is revealed one day and Yue¡¯er knows his identity, who knows what will happen to him! Only Diwu Zhangze stuck his thumb up. Now that Girlie can¡¯t remember anything, Rong Xiu actually duped her so openly. He¡¯s really gutsy! Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°The few of you, let¡¯s go¡ª¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at Chu Liuyue standing far away. I¡¯ll deal with this kid after we go out! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The moment he said this, the few of them rapidly flew up! Chu Liuyue looked up. Suddenly, her gaze focused as her heart skipped a beat! I¡¯ve seen Master¡¯s back view! It¡¯s that man at the octagonal pavilion by the cliff! ¡­ Xi Ling. After Xiahou Tingan heard that Jiang Yuzhi was engaged to Xiahou Yushu, he dragged his injured body to the Xiahou Residence. But after walking a distance and his anger gradually subsided, he became calmer. It¡¯s broad daylight now, and there are many people on the streets. If I just return to the Xiahou Residence in this manner, I definitely can¡¯t do anything. I might even become the laughingstock of the city once again. Hence, after much thinking, he still went back. Luckily, Xiao Die was very obedient and didn¡¯t ask much as she tried her best to take care of him. After a few days, his injuries were mostly healed, and he decided to take action. He patiently waited till nightfall. After Xiao Die fell asleep, he silently left the house. It was already deep into the night, and there was nobody on the streets. Only some mansions were lit up. Xiahou Tingan went all the way back to the Xiahou Residence¡¯s backdoor. The backdoor wasn¡¯t guarded so strictly, so he could easily knock the two guards unconscious and secretly barge in. He was extremely familiar with the Xiahou Residence, so even if it were at night, he knew every nook and cranny very clearly. In this manner, he smoothly arrived at Xiahou Rong¡¯s study without resistance. The study was still bright at this point, clearly having someone inside. Xiahou Tingan held his breath and inched in closer. The moment he reached the wall, he heard a cold snort from within. ¡°If I knew Jiang Yucheng would be like this, why would I betray the Princess back then?¡± Chapter 818 - Princess’s Death Xiahou Tingan¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat! Actually, he faintly knew that there was something else behind the Princess¡¯s death back then. If not, the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill wouldn¡¯t land in his father¡¯s hands. He wasn¡¯t stupid and knew what he could ask and couldn¡¯t ask. Hence, even if he had guesses all along, he had never honestly talked to his father about these things. Now that he suddenly heard this, Xiahou Tingan¡¯s heart was still beating very quickly. The next moment, he had the idea of backing away and not listening to it anymore. He knew that the more he knew of such things, the more dangerous it would be for him. But just as he was feeling conflicted, he heard another voice coming from the room. ¡°Hmph, you should¡¯ve known what kind of person he was from the moment he planned to work with the Third Princess to deal with the Princess.¡± Xiahou Tingan knitted his brows. This voice sounds familiar¡­ ¡°The Princess took such great care of him back then. If it weren¡¯t for her, he¡ªJiang Yucheng¡ªwould¡¯ve died countless times. What can such an ingrate not do? But we¡¯re all just doing it for our own needs, so there¡¯s no need to care so much about it.¡± Xiahou Rong said with hatred, ¡°How can I not care about it? This time, taking advantage of Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s marriage, he wants the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill back again! From start to end, I worked so hard for nothing!¡± Back then, he only agreed to work with Jiang Yucheng because he wanted to obtain the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. However, it was for nothing in the end. ¡°Who asked your Second Young Master to cause such a scene at Chun Feng Restaurant and let the Jiang family take the upper hand? If it weren¡¯t for this, you could¡¯ve still fought with him. But now¡­ you can only give in.¡± Hearing them bring him up, Xiahou Tingan instantly tensed up. Then, he heard Xiahou Rong sigh deeply and said, ¡°Out of all my sons, I always liked him the most. When I later found out that Jiang Yuzhi liked him, I put more effort into him. I was thinking of letting him smoothly take over my position after they got married, but who knew¡­ He was this useless!¡± Xiahou Rong expected better from him. After he learned of Xiahou Tingan spending a night with a lady in Chun Feng Restaurant, he knew that there was going to be big trouble. Originally, he wanted Xiahou Tingan to personally atone for his sins at the Jiang Residence, but the latter didn¡¯t know what was good for him and refused to go no matter what. In the end, he was even chased out of the Xiahou Residence! Hearing this, Xiahou Tingan felt very upset. Just as he was hesitating whether he should admit his mistakes, he heard the other man laugh and say, ¡°What¡¯s the matter if he¡¯s useless? Don¡¯t you have another Third Young Master? To me, I think he¡¯s more stable and mature than your Second Young Master. During this marriage agreement with Jiang Yuzhi, he has performed very well from start to end. I heard that he went to the Jiang Residence to accompany Jiang Yuzhi every day these few days and that the two of them are developing quite well.¡± Xiahou Rong smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. As his birth mother was of lowly status, I didn¡¯t care much about him in the past. These few years, he has also always been very discreet. I didn¡¯t expect him to be worthy of such a task! Compared to his second brother, he¡¯s so much better! After this, even if the second one is made useless, it¡¯s better for him to wake up!¡± Xiahou Tingan was dazed, and he didn¡¯t hear the rest of their conversation clearly. His brain was just filled with Xiahou Rong¡¯s words. In just mere days, that rascal¡ªXiahou Yushu¡ªhas already completely taken over my position?! The last bit of hesitation in Xiahou Tingan¡¯s heart had completely disappeared! ¡°¡­Jiang Yucheng can now cover the entire sky in Xi Ling with one hand. It¡¯s not rational if you want to continue fighting with him,¡± advised that man. Xiahou Rong coldly snorted. ¡°If he forces me into a corner, I¡¯ll just expose everything back then! If it weren¡¯t for me who helped falsify the document, why would the Princess deploy the Thirteen Yue Guard outside of Xi Ling? As long as the Thirteen Yue Guard was around, Jiang Yucheng would never succeed! If he continues to push me, he can¡¯t blame me for dragging everyone down!¡± Xiahou Tingan pressed against his chest as his heart beat wildly, and shock filled his eyes. I see! I see! When the Princess was in trouble, the Thirteen Yue Guard was indeed not in Xi Ling. The crowd only knew that something happened to the borders and that the Princess had sent the Thirteen Yue Guard there to investigate it, but they never came back. Not long later, Jiang Yucheng directly announced that the Thirteen Yue Guard had collaborated with the rebels and sent out a warrant for them! Other than the most crucial characters, nobody knew why the Princess would send all 13 of them together. According to her usual practice, she would only send a few to take action and would leave some with her. I didn¡¯t expect that Father had played a part in this¡­ ¡°The current Jiang Yucheng is no longer the same as before¡­ Even if you say these things now, who will believe you? The Princess¡¯s death has a lot of layers to it, and you and I are just one part of it!¡± The moment he said this, the duo in the room didn¡¯t talk for a long time. After some time, that man seemed to stand up and planned to leave. ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t say these things in the future. You might cause trouble for yourself¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a strange sound coming from the yard. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Xiahou Rong hollered in the room and immediately rushed out! Xiahou Tingan¡¯s heart almost jumped out of his throat, but afterward, he realized that the sound came from another direction. The moment Xiahou Rong came out, he saw a black figure quickly flashing across. He felt hatred in his heart and immediately chased after the figure. Previously, I specifically dismissed the servants and didn¡¯t allow anybody to enter here. Additionally, I was furious when I talked about Jiang Yucheng, so we were negligent and didn¡¯t even know that someone had secretly snuck in! I don¡¯t know how much the other party has heard! Thinking of this, Xiahou Rong became increasingly nervous, his heart on fire. If someone knows about this and spreads it¡­ The consequences are unimaginable! The person in the room also quickly left after Xiahou Rong, but he didn¡¯t chase the figure together with the latter as he turned in another direction and left the place! Xiahou Tingan originally wanted to see who that person was, but he didn¡¯t dare to move casually since he was afraid that he would expose himself. Hence, he could only see the person¡¯s vague figure leaving in the dark. After much thinking, he didn¡¯t recognize that person. But very quickly, he put this issue at the back of his mind. This was because the study was currently¡­ empty! It was the perfect chance to take action! Before Xiahou Rong left, he had set up a barrier here. However, this wasn¡¯t a problem for Xiahou Tingan. As he was doted on since young, Xiahou Tingan had a seal that could unlock Xiahou Rong¡¯s barrier. He took out the seal, and a faint light flashed across. Then, a water ripple-like barrier appeared in front of him! He injected his force into the seal and pressed it against the barrier. An opening immediately appeared! He stepped in. At this point, he didn¡¯t know that there was another figure following him like a shadow from behind. Chapter 819 - Danger Lurks Behind Xiahou Tingan silently entered the study. As Xiahou Rong had previously said that nobody could enter this yard without permission, this place was quiet and had nobody around. Even if they found out that someone had secretly barged in, Xiahou Rong didn¡¯t dare to kick a fuss as he ran out on his own to catch that person personally. Why? Wasn¡¯t it because he was guilty and was worried that the intruder really heard something and would spread it around? Hence, the entire Xiahou Residence was still silent, and this incident didn¡¯t cause any chaos. This was the Xiahou Residence study. Let alone ordinary people, even the young masters and missies in the residence didn¡¯t dare to get close casually. But Xiahou Tingan was different. He was nurtured as the successor by Xiahou Rong, so he frequently entered this place within the last two years. Hence, he was very familiar with everything here. He walked in and went straight for the desk. There were many items on the desk, and he roughly scanned through them before his eyes lit up at a pen holder. After that, he carefully moved the pen holder away, and a secret compartment jumped out from below the desk. A copper key was placed within. Xiahou Tingan retrieved the key and turned to the small couch. It was used when Xiahou Rong was tired from reading books on a normal day. Walking to the couch, Xiahou Tingan felt around the edge for a while and heard a kada! The head of the couch suddenly split open from the middle, and another secret compartment jumped out! A palm-sized black wooden box sat quietly in the secret compartment. At first glance, the black wooden box was very ordinary. But upon closer inspection, one could see a faint silver pattern layer on it. Xiahou Tingan knew that this wooden box contained the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. The silver pattern on the outside was the barrier for this wooden box. He had heard his father mention that this Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was the only ninth-grade pill that Shangguan Jing had passed down. It was very precious. This wooden box was also personally made by Shangguan Jing, and he had set up the barrier on it on his own. After thousands of years, even though the barrier had loosened up, every emperor would tighten its security. Hence, the seal was still very strong to this day. This was also the reason why the black wooden box had an extremely strong aura, which made it easy for someone to find it. Hence, Xiahou Tingan came here to directly take away the pill from within. This barrier was naturally not something he could deal with his own strength, but¡­ He had a key! The point was that this key had a drop of the Princess¡¯s blood. Therefore, it could easily break the barrier and smoothly open the item from within. Looking at the black wooden box, Xiahou Tingan swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. His throat turned dry as his eyes sparkled with excitement. He was so nervous that his palms were filled with sweat as he hurriedly rubbed them against his body. He held the key and inserted it into the lock. Crack! He heard a crisp sound and an unlocking note! Xiahou Tingan held his breath in and gradually opened the box. A red pill the size of a dragon¡¯s eye sat quietly within. There were nine clear golden lines on it¡ªit was indeed the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill! An intense herbal fragrance spread across the room. Xiahou Tingan lightly took a waft and immediately felt rejuvenated! Even the force in his body seemed to be more energetic! He was secretly shocked. A ninth-grade pill is indeed legendary! If one really takes this pill¡­ It will nourish one¡¯s bones and increase one¡¯s cultivation. It would be incredible! Xiahou Tingan suppressed his agitation as he reached toward the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. But at this moment, a cold wind suddenly attacked him! Xiahou Tingan saw a black figure flash before him, and the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill disappeared. He was taken aback and immediately looked up! A mysterious person in a long robe was holding the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill! The other party covered themselves tightly, and Xiahou Tingan couldn¡¯t even tell their gender, let alone their appearance and figure. Shock and anger overwhelmed Xiahou Tingan as he immediately pounced forward. However, the other party easily avoided his actions as they put away the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill and turned to leave without hesitation. That person¡¯s figure was like a shadow. Before Xiahou Tingan could even see the other party¡¯s movements clearly, they had already vanished! Seeing that the person had run away, Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t dare to yell as he hurriedly chased after the mysterious person. But the moment he reached the door, he realized that the night sky was pitch black and that he couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s traces at all. Everything happened too quickly. Xiahou Tingan felt that he was still immersed in the excitement and elation of retrieving the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill in the previous second. Then, he was suddenly intercepted the next second, and everything was gone! Even if he wanted to chase after the other party, he didn¡¯t even know where to go! Xiahou Tingan was filled with vengeance and anger as he clenched his fists, which made cracking sounds. He spent so much effort to come here and found the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill with much difficulty, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be stolen away by someone so effortlessly! He was stumped, and he couldn¡¯t breathe properly. He was about to explode. Xiahou Tingan wanted to leave once and for all, but thinking of the traces he hadn¡¯t cleaned up, he could only resign himself to his fate and head back. Looking at the empty black wooden box, Xiahou Tingan wanted to die! He had thought of all sorts of possibilities, but he didn¡¯t expect someone to plot against him! That person had clearly followed him in. If not, they couldn¡¯t have passed through the outer barrier. The other party was just waiting for him to find the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill before taking action! Xiahou Tingan closed the wooden box and locked it. Perhaps it was a hallucination, but he felt that after the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was gone, the silver patterns on the black wooden box had become much dimmer. But this was no longer his business! Xiahou Tingan placed the key back and returned everything to its original state before leaving reluctantly. Luckily, the way back was rather smooth for him, and he wasn¡¯t discovered by anyone. He came here anxiously but went back in defeat and with grumbles. Xiahou Tingan became very suspicious and had to check his surroundings every few steps, terrified that someone was still following him. Even though he knew that the other party had already obtained the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill and definitely wouldn¡¯t follow him anymore. His trauma still lingered. Returning back to his house, Xiao Die was still peacefully sleeping on the bed. However, Xiahou Tingan¡¯s eyes were wide open, and he couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night. The disappearance of the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill will definitely be exposed sooner or later. By then, I would definitely be listed as one of the suspects! I originally wanted to use this Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill to improve my Yuan meridian, cultivation level, and abilities so that Father can¡¯t do anything about it even if he¡¯s angry. Everything would¡¯ve fallen into place, but now, that item was stolen by a third party! If they investigate my part, I will definitely be dragged down! Xiahou Tingan thought for a long while. If it really can¡¯t do¡­ I¡¯ll use the truth behind the Princess¡¯s death to threaten him! Chapter 820 - Do You Want to Do the Same as the Princess? After uneasily making it past the anxious night, Xiahou Tingan disguised himself and went out to ask around for news the next morning. No news came out of the Xiahou Residence, and everything was as per normal. However, this didn¡¯t make Xiahou Tingan feel at ease. In this situation, it was either that Xiahou Rong hadn¡¯t found out that something was amiss, or he did and chose to suppress the issue. Unless Xiahou Rong was crazy, he wouldn¡¯t let outsiders know that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was in his residence and that he had even lost it! After pacing around the Xiahou Residence a few times, Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t discover anything amiss, so he left worriedly. He didn¡¯t know that the current Xiahou Rong was indeed filled with worry, but it wasn¡¯t because of the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. Instead, it was because of the mysterious man that escaped the previous night. Xiahou Rong was terrified that the other party had heard what he said and regretted it more than ever. However, there wasn¡¯t much use to regret it now. The other party wasn¡¯t weak. He had chased after the figure for a very long time but still lost the other party in the end. Let alone him not daring to announce the matter, even if he dared to openly search for the person in Xi Ling City, he didn¡¯t even know what that person looked like. Xiahou Rong didn¡¯t dare to tell anyone about this. After chasing that person in vain, he was filled with worry, so he didn¡¯t notice that someone had searched through his study and that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill he kept thinking about wasn¡¯t even in the residence anymore! ¡­ Everything in Xi Ling City was very calm, but everyone started busying themselves as there was only a month or so left until the wedding between the Third Princess and Jiang Yucheng. The wedding of a royal family member was naturally different, especially because the Third Princess¡¯s wedding would also be the day when she would ascend the throne. Hence, it was even more grand. In the palace, Huayang Palace. After a period of nourishment, Shangguan Wan¡¯s body had recovered by quite a bit. However, the wound on her face didn¡¯t get better at all. Without looking at the mirror, she just had to casually touch her face every day to know what her face was like. It was precisely because of this that her mood became increasingly worse, even though the day of her wedding was coming nearer and nearer. Just as Shangguan Wan was thinking about these things, she heard knocks on the door. Knock knock¡­ ¡°Your Highness, Physician Zuo is here.¡± This was Chan Yi¡¯s voice. Shangguan Wan bit her lips and used the mask to cover her face. ¡°Invite Physician Zuo in.¡± The door creaked open, and Zuo Mingxi walked in. He respectfully bent over, took a few steps forward, and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Third Princess.¡± Chan Yi gently closed the door and waited outside. Shangguan Wan said, ¡°At ease, Physician Zuo.¡± Zuo Mingxi then stood up, but his eyes still drooped down slightly to show his respect. Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth and said, ¡°There¡¯s only a month or so left until the grand wedding. Physician Zuo, have you not thought of a way to solve the problem on my face?¡± Zuo Mingxi hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, I came here today just because of this. Yesterday, I coincidentally read about a method in an ancient book, and it might be of use to you.¡± ¡°Really? Quickly, tell me about it!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes lit up as she hurriedly chased him. ¡°According to that ancient method, your wound is caused by a legendary fiend scratching you. As there are still remnants of the legendary fiend¡¯s force in it, the wound will keep relapsing and be unable to recover fully. If you can obtain a legendary fiend¡¯s blood, merge it into the herbs, and then use it on your face, you can use poison against toxins and completely remove it. This way, your wound will definitely improve soon!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression gradually darkened, and she tightly knitted her brows after listening to his words. ¡°We need a legendary fiend¡¯s blood?¡± At this point, where am I supposed to get the legendary fiend¡¯s blood? The only red-tailed phoenix I saw died together with Chu Liuyue in the Mystic Forest! It¡¯ll be too difficult to want to meet another one now! Zuo Mingxi looked like he was in a difficult position. ¡°Uh¡­ Please forgive me for being useless. I can only think of this one way now¡­¡± In actual fact, it was already quite good for him to think of this method. After all, he had never seen a legendary fiend, and he didn¡¯t even know how Shangguan Wan¡¯s wound had come about. All these days, he had spent so much blood, sweat, and tears flipping through countless medical books before he could find this method! Other than this, he really had no other methods. Shangguan Wan also knew that she couldn¡¯t make it difficult for anyone in this situation, but she definitely couldn¡¯t meet someone with such a face! At this point, Chan Yi¡¯s voice was heard from outside the door. ¡°Your Highness, Officer Yuwen from the Ceremonial Department is here.¡± Shangguan Wan knitted her brows even more tightly. Yuwen Wei? He is the officer from the Ceremonial Department, and he definitely came here to discuss the wedding matters. She waved toward Zuo Mingxi. ¡°You can dismiss yourself first. For Father¡¯s side, please take good care of him with the other two. Don¡¯t tell anyone about what¡¯s going on on my side.¡± Zuo Mingxi hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± After that, he bent his back and walked back a few steps before opening the door and walking out. He coincidentally met with Yuwen Wei waiting outside. The two of them greeted each other and didn¡¯t speak further. Shangguan Wan quickly retrieved a human skin mask and placed it on her face. This mask was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wings. After it was stuck to her face, it immediately covered all of her wounds. At first glance, she looked the same as before she got injured. Actually, she had spent a lot of effort to get someone to do this for her a few days ago. When she kept staying in Huayang Palace previously and refused to go out to meet people, it caused a lot of controversies. She dared not continue like this, so she could only use this method to forcefully handle the situation first. In actual fact, she had already started meeting people gradually during this period of time with this mask on. Yuwen Wei walked over. He was a middle-aged man around 40 years old. He was tall and had a long beard. He looked very gentlemanly, and it was easy to tell that he was a rare handsome person when he was young. The Yuwen family could be considered as one of the most aristocratic ones in Xi Ling, but they were usually always very discreet. Strictly speaking, their heritage went even further back than the Xiahou family and the Jiang family. This was because the Yuwen family ancestors had fought together with Shangguan Jing to build the empire back then. Back then, there were millions of people following Shangguan Jing. Quite a few of them were crowned as important officials according to their contributions, but after thousands of years, only the Yuwen family survived safely. The family motto of the Yuwen family was to be loyal to the Tianling Dynasty and to be humble and discreet. Therefore, even though they weren¡¯t the most extravagant family in the Tianling Dynasty today, they were the most long-living and stable existence here. Furthermore, Yuwen Wei didn¡¯t care for fame and fortune as he only took up the position of officer in the Ceremonial Department and didn¡¯t participate in the royal family¡¯s conflicts. This was also the reason why Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng had never thought of dealing with the Yuwen family. Yuwen Wei bowed to her and openly said, ¡°Your Highness, I came here today to consult your opinion on a few matters regarding the wedding.¡± Shangguan Wan smiled. ¡°Officer Yuwen, please go ahead.¡± Yuwen Wei paused and looked incredulous. ¡°Your Highness, it goes like this. As for the wedding¡¯s procedures, do you¡­ want to do the same as the Princess back then?¡± Chapter 821 - Ridiculous Dream Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression froze for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal as her lips curved up into a faint smile as she seemingly asked unintentionally, ¡°Officer Yuwen, what does that mean?¡± Yuwen Wei paused for a moment and explained, ¡°Uh¡­ As you might know, the preparatory works for the Princess¡¯s grand wedding were basically already completed back then, and everything was done to the highest standard. Do you want to do it like the Princess or¡­ according to the normal princess formality?¡± Even though he phrased his words very tactfully, Shangguan Wan understood what he meant. This was because Shangguan Yue didn¡¯t prepare her wedding according to a normal princess formality but an even more upgraded one! Without a question, it was because of her Princess status! During the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s thousand-year-long history, an emperor would basically hold a very grand ceremony whenever they ascended the throne during their wedding. Normally speaking, one would be treated the same way when they ascended the throne¡ªregardless of whether it was a princess or a prince. However, Shangguan Yue¡¯s was even grander than the ones before! This was because she was the second person in the entire Tianling royal family to have a Tianjing Yuan meridian after Shangguan Jing. It was also because nobody in the entire Tianling Dynasty had complained or objected at all even though they had used up quite a lot of manpower and resources to prepare for it back then! To them, the Princess deserved all of this! And now, this person became Shangguan Wan. Even though Shangguan Wan held power today, she wasn¡¯t as popular as the Princess back then. So normally speaking, she should directly go according to the princess¡¯s formality. But Yuwen Wei was being meticulous, so he still came to ask her just in case he made a mistake. Shangguan Wan stood at the top and crossed her hands. Even though she looked very calm, the two hands in her sleeves had already been clenched very tightly. To her, this problem was an insult! Ever since they were young, Shangguan Yue was better than her in every aspect! From minor things like a brush to major things like an entire palace! Every single aspect, Shangguan Yue would always be better than her! Now that Shangguan Yue was finally dead, she completely crushed her bones underneath her feet. Shangguan Wan originally thought that she could finally step over Shangguan Yue forever, but she gradually realized that it wasn¡¯t the case. Like the wedding¡¯s formality. She naturally wanted to do it according to what Shangguan Yue did, but she couldn¡¯t do so. This was because she knew too clearly what kinds of troubles her choice would bring. After a momentary silence, Shangguan Wan spoke, trying to make her voice sound calm. ¡°How can I compare to my elder sister? Let¡¯s just do it according to the normal princess¡¯s formality.¡± Her lips curled up, but her eyes were icy cold. Yuwen Wei lightly nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll listen to your commands for everything, Your Highness. And¡­¡± He paused and seemed hesitant. Shangguan Wan¡¯s brows flinched. ¡°Officer Yuwen, do you have other matters?¡± ¡°¡­I do have something else I want to ask you about, Your Highness. It¡¯s¡­ for the items prepared for Princess¡¯s wedding previously. Some of them have been taken care of, while the others were just left aside. For example, there are a few treasured items used specifically for weddings¡­ What do you want to do with them?¡± The arrangements for Shangguan Yue¡¯s grand wedding back then were very elegant and intricate. Every single item used was a treasure chosen meticulously, and any one of them was extremely precious. From what Shangguan Wan knew, the red carpet they prepared to welcome the bridge was made using the most extravagant icy gold thread, and numerous red rubies were sewn into it. It really could be known as extravagant as every step was worth millions. Just a mere red carpet was so extravagant and shocking. The other items were definitely more distinguished than ever. Hence, Yuwen Wei was asking her if she wanted to use such items. On the one hand, the Princess had accidentally passed on before her wedding, so these items didn¡¯t seem appropriate to be used. But on the other hand, these were all painstakingly made with a lot of manpower and resources. If they were really just set aside like that and new ones were made, it would be troublesome as well. Shangguan Wan suppressed her anger, looked down, and lightly sighed. ¡°Those are Elder Sister¡¯s items after all. If I see them, I might get reminded of her and feel terrible. Let¡¯s not use them then. Keep those items properly!¡± Yuwen Wei¡¯s expression changed slightly. Actually, he originally thought that Shangguan Wan would be willing to use some of the items. This wasn¡¯t related to money or fortune. This was because when someone in the Tianling royal family got married, many items wouldn¡¯t be customized again, and they would reuse the old items. On the one hand, it showed the passing on of power. On the other hand, it represented the connection of bloodlines. However, he didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Wan to be unwilling to use any of them¡­ ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid it would be a bit rushed if you want to change all of them to new ones¡­¡± ¡°This is a problem you have to deal with then, Officer Yuwen. Must I personally worry about such issues?¡± Shangguan Wan was already very frustrated, and her tone became colder. Yuwen Wei understood what she meant and immediately said sensibly, ¡°Yes! Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s anger then subsided a little, but her brows and eyes were still icy cold. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else you want to instruct me, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Shangguan Wan waved her hands. Yuwen Wei bowed and exited. Until his figure completely disappeared outside the door, Shangguan Wan was still enraged. Yuwen Wei purposely came for me this time! Princess here, Princess there. She has already been dead for close to two years. What¡¯s there to talk about her?! ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop thinking about those useless things. You should find a way to recover your Yuan meridian as soon as possible!¡± A hoarse and cold voice suddenly came from her mind. A chill was sent down Shangguan Wan¡¯s spine, and shock flashed across her eyes. ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°If your Yuan meridian doesn¡¯t completely heal before your wedding, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to raise that staff in front of so many people, right?¡± This sentence directly hurt Shangguan Wan. All this while, this was what she was most worried about! ¡°You¡¯re right, Senior!¡± ¡°I previously told you to summon a few people into the palace, but you were very afraid. If you still don¡¯t do anything about it, there won¡¯t be much time!¡± ¡°B-but if I do it so openly, it¡¯ll definitely arouse suspicions¡­¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s head also hurt. Previously, I only took a portion from Yang Qin¡¯er. After this matter was exposed, people suspected me for a very long time. Jiang Yucheng even scolded me harshly! I really don¡¯t dare¡­ That voice snickered continuously. ¡°If you don¡¯t dare to call them over, can¡¯t you just go out and find them?¡± ¡°Go out? But¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you then.¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± ¡­ After Dugu Mobao and the rest left, Chu Liuyue looked at that black back view and was deeply shocked. She didn¡¯t recover her senses for a very long time. I¡¯ve seen Master before! I must¡¯ve had some interactions with him before! And¡­ In that dream-like hallucination, his tone was very intimate and gentle! He called me ¡®Yue¡¯er!¡¯ A ridiculous guess suddenly surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart! He¡¯s¡ª Chapter 822 - I’m Back Something seemed to be shouting in her heart! That answer was within reach¡ªas if there was only a thin layer of mesh in between. She would know as long as she poked through it. At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s head started hurting badly! She gasped in pain and held her head. It was as if someone was holding an axe and kept swinging it at her, wanting to split her forehead apart. The excruciating pain made Chu Liuyue clench her teeth, and her entire body trembled. After some time, the pain gradually subsided. Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead was filled with tiny beads of sweat. Her lips had turned pale, and her entire person was covered in sweat as if she had just been pulled out of the water. She leaned against the stone wall at the side and rested for some time before she gradually recovered. She was clearly very close to that answer, but there seemed to be an invisible hand stopping her and not letting her proceed further. Chu Liuyue sighed deeply and looked up at the dark sky as something rippled in the depths of her eyes. Master must know me, and it¡¯s very likely that we were quite close before. But other than the scene by the cliff, I can¡¯t remember anything else. After standing at the spot and thinking for a moment, Chu Liuyue decided to set this matter aside. It¡¯s not only Master¡ªthe identities of the Big Baby trio are also a mystery¡­ I can only ask them when I see them again! Now, the most important thing is to go out and find the Dancing Lotus! The moment Chu Liuyue had this idea, she suddenly felt a sensation from the dantian. She was dazed for a moment and realized the ripple was coming from the Heavenly Square Cauldron. It seems to be¡­ the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed? An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she summoned the Heavenly Square Cauldron. A tiny transparent cauldron sat quietly in her palm. The two emerald Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds were floating within, gently moving in one direction. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. It¡¯s swaying toward¡­ the position of the Dancing Lotus? ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± As she commanded, a red color flashed across her eyes! Tuan Zi appeared in front of her! Chu Liuyue looked at its wing and saw that its injury had basically recovered. A legendary fiend¡¯s recovery strength was originally strong. Additionally, Tuan Zi was a red-tailed phoenix with an extremely strong bloodline power, so this was even more so for it. Furthermore, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had already conceded to Chu Liuyue. The energy it previously saved would no longer harm them and would even help Tuan Zi. If one didn¡¯t take a close look, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that it was injured. Chu Liuyue felt slightly more at ease. Whoosh¡ª Tuan Zi spread its wings, and Chu Liuyue jumped onto its back. Chu Liuyue yelled loudly. Tuan Zi let out a clear scream, and its wings vibrated as it flew up! ¡­ Shoo! A ground-breaking shrill immediately attracted the attention of the people waiting outside! The few of them seemed to have felt something as they looked up in unison. The rolling leaf fir¡ªwhich had already wilted to death¡ªstarted breaking inch by inch and silently became powder. It then disappeared with the wind! Qin Yi squinted his eyes. Lei Laosi couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement and looked at his big brother. When he saw the latter¡¯s expression, he was even more agitated. Qiang Wanzhou stared at the front closely. His soft golden hair had covered half his face, but his young and pretty face had a rare tinge of nervousness. Mu Hongyu was originally cultivating, but she rapidly widened her eyes when she heard this. At the side, Congcong couldn¡¯t help but walk forward two steps as respect and fear flashed across its eyes. Ye Ranran sensibly detected the change in the atmosphere, and her eyes lit up as she softly said to Mu Hongyu, ¡°Is Liuyue coming out?¡± Once she said this, a gigantic figure quickly rushed down. An ear-piercing howl was heard, and a red tail glided across the sky like fire¡ªit was the red-tailed phoenix! The crowd focused on it and saw a girl on the red-tailed phoenix¡¯s back. The girl stood with her back straight as she welcomed the wind, her black hair flying up! If it isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue, who else can it be? After being in the dark space for a long time, she couldn¡¯t really adjust to her surroundings when she suddenly came out. However, this was before the break of dawn, and the blue sky still had a faint glow to it. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and quickly saw the scene in front of her clearly. She scanned from the corner of her eyes and saw that the gigantic Mystic Forest below her had already wilted to death. At one glance, it was quiet and silent with a tinge of sinister aura. There were also a few people standing near the mother tree that was gradually vanishing. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t hold herself back as she yelled out first and kept waving toward Chu Liuyue, overflowing with excitement and happiness. ¡°Liuyue! We¡¯re here!¡± Ye Ranran was also so emotional that her cheeks flushed red. ¡°It really is her! She really came out!¡± After such a long wait, nobody knew what kind of torture they had experienced in their hearts. However, it was worth it to have this moment! Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other. Even though he didn¡¯t have much of an expression on his face, his crystal-like eyes dazzled. I knew it. I knew all this while that she would definitely be safe. ¡°Hahaha! I knew it! I knew it!¡± Lei Laosi¡¯s uneasy heart finally relaxed as he waved his fists and laughed. What kind of person is Her Highness? All of this is expected! Qin Yi¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he stood with his hands behind his back, and he looked up at that girl. She was like a god of war that had fought back from hell as her entire body exuded a strong and harsh aura, causing people to bow down to her unwittingly. Even if she was in a perilous situation, she would definitely think of ways to solve all the difficulties and stand up again. This was¡­ Her Highness that all of them had been following! Seeing these few people, Chu Liuyue felt her heart warm up. In no time, her limbs seemed to be rejuvenated. No matter what situation it was, there would always be people who would wait for her persistently. Meeting their expectant and elated gazes, Chu Liuyue finally understood. I¡¯ve never been battling alone! ¡°Tuan Zi, let¡¯s go down!¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Tuan Zi answered, and its wings vibrated as it rushed toward the ground. The mighty legendary fiend aura immediately enveloped the entire space. Chu Liuyue jumped down. Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran immediately went forward, but when they reached Chu Liuyue, they all widened their eyes in disbelief as they stared at her without blinking. ¡°Liuyue? Liuyue, i-it¡¯s really you!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. Her lips curled up as she pinched the duo¡¯s faces respectively. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s really me!¡± Mu Hongyu was slightly better, while Ye Ranran¡¯s eyes turned red directly. ¡°T-that¡¯s great¡­ I still thought¡­¡± As she spoke, her voice had a crying tone to it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine! Am I not doing well?¡± She looked up at the remaining three people, and countless emotions gathered in her heart. Finally, they formed a single sentence. ¡°Thank you for waiting for me. I am back.¡± Chapter 823 - White Lion The moment Qin Yi and Lei Laosi heard this, their expressions became slightly solemn. Only they knew the true meaning behind this sentence¡ªNot only was she Chu Liuyue, but she was more of Shangguan Yue! This empire that originally belonged to her was once stolen away by others using despicable methods. Now, she was finally back to reclaim everything she had lost. The girl in front of them dressed ordinarily and looked a little slim, but her pair of black gem-like eyes were filled with peerless dignity! If it weren¡¯t because Mu Hongyu and the other two were still here, Lei Laosi would almost directly go down on one knee and bow to her! Her Highness¡­ is indeed Her Highness! I didn¡¯t wait all this while for nothing! Qin Yi glanced at him with a gentle gaze. For close to two years, they had stayed here. Actually, they didn¡¯t even know if Her Highness was really still alive and when she would come back. From start to end, they only lasted to this point because of the persistence in their hearts. Now that they could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel¡­ Even he was feeling emotional, let alone Four. Qiang Wanzhou looked over as if he sensed something. For some reason, he kept feeling that Qin Yi and the rest treated Chu Liuyue very differently¡­ Even though he wasn¡¯t very good with the ways of life, he had a sensitive beast-like instinct. If it weren¡¯t for this, he wouldn¡¯t really stay around them in such a relaxed manner and wait for Chu Liuyue to come out together. He looked at Chu Liuyue and saw that her gaze was deep. One couldn¡¯t see the end of it. It seems like¡­ She¡¯s hidden many secrets. Qiang Wanzhou looked down. Since she doesn¡¯t want to speak about them now, then I won¡¯t ask. When the day that she wants to speak about it comes, she will naturally do so. ¡°Liuyue, why were you trapped underground for so long? What exactly happened in between? How did you come out?¡± After confirming that Chu Liuyue came out safely, Mu Hongyu was completely relaxed. Once she was at ease, she couldn¡¯t help but ask a series of questions. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll slowly tell you about it after we go back.¡± Ye Ranran gasped. ¡°Liuyue, you seem to have¡­ broken through again?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. I stayed for around a year inside that sealed Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s God Realm. It would really be strange if I didn¡¯t break through. Her current cultivation level was that of a peak stage-five warrior; she was only a step away from becoming a stage-six warrior. In actual fact, she had felt herself almost touching that invisible barrier a few times. But as she didn¡¯t have the time to focus on breaking through, she suppressed it. As long as she wanted, she could step into the stage-six warrior level at any time now! ¡°I was just lucky,¡± explained Chu Liuyue briefly. Ye Ranran¡¯s round face was filled with shock. ¡°Mentor said that luck is also part of your capabilities! Liuyue, when Cabinet Master, Mentor, and all the other senior brothers and sisters see the current you, they will definitely be proud!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed and knocked on her forehead. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t tell? Didn¡¯t all of you break through too?¡± Ye Ranran rubbed her forehead and laughed in embarrassment. ¡°I have to thank Big Brother Qin and the rest for chasing me to cultivate and even guiding me in between!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with even deeper meaning as she looked at Qin Yi¡¯s group of two with teasing intent in her eyes. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll really have to thank Big Brother Qin and Big Brother Lei.¡± The two of them were very strong, and Qin Yi was especially intelligent. In the entire Tianling Dynasty, countless people would beg to have a word of guidance from him but to no avail. Now, he did a favor for Mu Hongyu and the rest. This would be very advantageous to them for their future cultivation. Congcong moved in Mu Hongyu¡¯s arms as she changed position and hugged it with much difficulty. ¡°Congcong, you¡¯re becoming increasingly heavier¡­ If this goes on, I might not be able to lift you up¡ªHm? Where¡¯s that legendary fiend?¡± Mu Hongyu looked up unintentionally and saw that the sky was empty. The white lion that hovered over there before seemed to have disappeared. Once she said this, the others seemed to remember this incident. Chu Liuyue asked strangely, ¡°What legendary fiend?¡± Mu Hongyu explained, ¡°A gigantic white lion¡­ But it looks dirty. I think it came from the Red Moon Desert.¡± When Chu Liuyue heard the front part of the sentence, her heart skipped a beat. A white lion for a legendary fiend? I know one extremely capable white lion¡ªXue Xue. However, I remember that Xue Xue didn¡¯t seem to be a legendary fiend¡­ Came from the Red Moon Desert¡­ That is even more unlike it. But she still had a doubt in her heart. ¡°It left not long before you came out, but I don¡¯t know where it went,¡± said Qin Yi lightly. Chu Liuyue nodded in deep thought and temporarily suppressed her doubts. After that, she surveyed the surroundings while thinking of something. ¡°Have the rest¡­ already left?¡± Once she said this, the atmosphere fell silent. Qin Yi lightly said, ¡°Shangguan Wan and the rest thought that you were already dead and quickly left with the rest of them, leaving us here.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. This was something Shangguan Wan could do. ¡°Originally, Senior Brother Zhu Hong and the rest wanted to wait for you together with us, but Big Brother Qin said that this place was too dangerous and convinced them to return,¡± added Mu Hongyu. Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. ¡°They were all injured back then, so they naturally had to go back as soon as possible.¡± They were brought up by Dragon Teeth Mountain after all, so their characters were naturally good. Ye Ranran asked, ¡°Liuyue, let¡¯s go back now then! Cabinet Master and Mentor are definitely anxious from waiting!¡± The majority of the group had already gone back, and they were the only ones still waiting here. The key was that they were stuck here and had no way of sending any news back. They didn¡¯t know how the people that went back explained to Cabinet Master and the rest¡­ Besides, even they previously weren¡¯t sure if Chu Liuyue could safely come back. If Cabinet Master and the rest thought that something had happened to Chu Liuyue, they would be heartbroken! Qin Yi¡¯s gaze moved slightly. If I don¡¯t remember wrongly, Weichi Song should¡¯ve come earlier. It¡¯s a pity that he was with Jiang Yucheng and the rest, so I didn¡¯t let them in. However, Weichi Song should be able to guess something. Chu Liuyue lightly shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re not in a hurry. I have something else to do now.¡± ¡°What?¡± The few of them looked over in confusion. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and pointed toward Mirror Lake. ¡°To take the Dancing Lotus!¡± ¡­ A flash of white appeared in the blue sky. Then, thick clouds with light shining through them reflected on it! The entire sky gradually turned into an orange-red color. Finally, a red sun jumped out from the sea of clouds. Above the Red Moon Desert, the coldness from the night quickly dissipated and gradually became boiling hot as the sun shone down. A tall black figure was walking through the golden desert. Behind him, a white lion that had already turned into a dirty yellow color was following him. Chapter 824 - : Perfunctory The master and servant walked forward. The sun was shining down hard from the sky, and the sand was burning. But Rong Xiu¡¯s footsteps were stable, and they maintained the same speed from start to end. If someone watched this at this very moment and took a closer look, they would see that Rong Xiu¡¯s feet didn¡¯t even touch the sand below. His every step would be half an inch above the sand. It seemed like he was walking on the sand, but he was actually walking on air. He didn¡¯t leave behind any traces wherever he went, and Xue Xue basically did the same as it followed behind him. ¡°It seemed like you haven¡¯t given up on yourself these few years, and you actually trained yourself to this extent¡­¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice came over, and it sounded like it was right beside one¡¯s ear. Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Senior.¡± Dugu Mobao snorted. They originally wanted to teach this kid a lesson, but they only realized now that their previous methods could no longer cause any threat to him. Rong Xiu could deal with all of these with ease. But no matter how much they asked, Rong Xiu still refused to reveal what had happened to Yue¡¯er girlie and insisted that she should tell them herself. But Girlie can¡¯t even remember who they are now, so what else can she say? Lan Xiao lightly snorted and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°If only we could leave this hell-like place¡­ Why would we need to haggle with this kid?¡± Diwu Zhangze calmly said, ¡°Stop daydreaming.¡± ¡°Who is daydreaming?¡± retorted Lan Xiao with much dissatisfaction. ¡°If nothing happened to Girlie and everything went smoothly, we might already be let out now!¡± Who knew so many things would happen in between? They had waited in this place for too long and finally met Girlie with much difficulty, rarely seeing a spark of hope. But in the end¡­ Clearly, they had to wait all over again. ¡°We don¡¯t need to think about it now. Girlie hasn¡¯t even broken through to become a stage-six warrior¡­¡± Diwu Zhangze paused, and his tone became much more solemn. ¡°And the more important thing is that she no longer has a Tianjing Yuan meridian.¡± The moment he said this, the surroundings fell silent. Dugu Mobao and Lan Xiao lost their voices. Actually, this was also what they were most worried about. Their capabilities were obvious. Even if they didn¡¯t personally go up to take Chu Liuyue¡¯s pulse, they could still roughly determine her Yuan meridian level by judging the aura circulating in her body. That was definitely a Dijing Yuan meridian, not a Tianjing Yuan meridian! ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t have a Tianjing Yuan meridian now, she will definitely still be a top elite in the future,¡± said Dugu Mobao confidently. That was the confidence and pride only a strong warrior would have due to their capabilities! ¡°The one that the few of us taught will not lose to anyone! Since she has forgotten, we¡¯ll just do it all over again!¡± ¡­ Xi Ling. The Jiang Residence seemed to be the most lively. On the one hand, they had to prepare for the Eldest Young Master and the Third Princess¡¯s wedding. On the other hand, they had to prepare for the marriage alliance between Fourth Missy and the Xiahou family. Everyone in the residence was busy, but amongst them, Jiang Yucheng was the freest one. He spent most of his time recuperating in his room. Other than important matters that needed his advice, he left everything else to his subordinates. That morning, Jiang Yucheng took his medicine and decided to go out. But the moment he stepped out, he saw Sun Qi bringing three people to him. Jiang Yucheng saw the familiar face of the person at the front and squinted his eyes. Yuwen Wei? It¡¯s clear what he¡¯s here for. Sun Qi came forward and bowed. ¡°Eldest Young Master, Officer Yuwen is here.¡± Jiang Yucheng and Yuwen Wei greeted each other politely. Then, Yuwen Wei said in a straightforward manner, ¡°Eldest Young Master, I came here today to discuss some matters regarding the wedding.¡± Jiang Yucheng smiled. ¡°Sorry that you had to take this extra trip. I believe you must¡¯ve already asked the Third Princess for her opinion before this, right?¡± Yuwen Wei nodded. ¡°The Third Princess wants to go according to a normal princess¡¯s formalities, and everything to be used during the wedding should be completely changed to new ones.¡± Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brows. ¡°Completely changed to new ones? Is that what Her Highness wanted?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much time before the wedding. There won¡¯t be enough time if we need to prepare everything again, right? There are clearly many ready-made items. Why aren¡¯t we using them?¡± Yuwen Wei paused for a moment. ¡°I already told them to rush it out. Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t delay the wedding process.¡± But Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression didn¡¯t get any better. Without thinking, he knew why Shangguan Wan made such a request. She just didn¡¯t want to use the things once prepared for Shangguan Yue¡ªeven though they hadn¡¯t gotten married. They didn¡¯t even use those items then. Jiang Yucheng felt a sense of hatred. Shangguan Wan should definitely know how difficult it will be for the Ceremonial Department¡¯s people, and it won¡¯t be good for her reputation. However, she still chose to do it just because she didn¡¯t want to use Shangguan Yue¡¯s items. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression became colder. ¡°Since time is so tight, we¡¯ll do everything briefly. Anyway, whatever needs to be prepared should already be found in the residence. At that time, we can just use them. As for the rest¡­ Reduce whatever you can and just go according to the princess¡¯s formalities. Officer Yuwen, you¡¯re very experienced. You don¡¯t need me to say anything further, right?¡± Yuwen Wei was dazed for a moment. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you mean¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything to you. I still have some things on today, so I¡¯ll make a move first. If you still have any doubts, you can just discuss it with my father.¡± After that, Jiang Yucheng nodded before leaving. The remaining people fell silent in unison. Nobody expected Jiang Yucheng to leave in such a hurry¡­ We came over to discuss the wedding with him, yet he swiftly pushed all the responsibility away?! What exactly is he going to do that can be more important than his wedding with the Third Princess? Sun Qi glanced in the direction that Jiang Yucheng left and sighed in his heart. For some reason, the Eldest Young Master has been in a very bad mood recently. Even I don¡¯t dare to bother him. I can only meticulously do my job and not ask about anything else. He cupped his hands toward Yuwen Wei. ¡°Officer Yuwen, I¡¯ll bring you to see the Old Master?¡± No matter what, the Old Master¡¯s status was still there, and it wasn¡¯t too unbefitting¡­ Yuwen Wei recovered his senses, smiled, and politely said, ¡°No need. We all understood what the Eldest Young Master meant, so we won¡¯t disturb Officer Jiang.¡± Sun Qi didn¡¯t speak further as he respectfully sent the few of them off. After leaving the Jiang Residence and walking quite a distance away, a youngster behind Yuwen Wei finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°What exactly does Eldest Young Master Jiang mean? Why does he not care about the wedding at all?¡± Yuwen Wei thought for a moment. ¡°We don¡¯t have to care about such things. Just do what he says.¡± The two of them answered in unison, ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Yuwen Wei turned around and glanced at the Jiang Residence with deep meaning. It seems like this Eldest Young Master Jiang doesn¡¯t really care that much about the Third Princess as much as he seems to on the surface¡­ Chapter 825 - Found What Jiang Yucheng meant was that he would be using the things which had been prepared for his wedding with the late Crown Princess. In fact, a lot of them would be excluded as the scale of a mere princess¡¯s wedding wasn¡¯t as huge as that of the Crown Princess. Although Yuwen Wei had perfectly relayed Shangguan Wan¡¯s reluctance to use the things left behind by her half-sister lest she feel emotional when she saw them, Jiang Yucheng still decided to do things his way. While Jiang Yucheng might seem like he was doing this out of consideration to relieve everyone¡¯s pressure from working on crunch time, the reality was that he didn¡¯t give a hoot about Shangguan Wan¡¯s feelings. If he were truly sincere about her, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have done things so carelessly because their wedding day was also the day of her ascension to the throne. It would be a spectacular event and the talk of the entire Tianling Dynasty. It¡¯s surprising that Jiang Yucheng is being so perfunctory with this wedding when he should be particularly concerned about it. Two years ago, he even personally took care of every single matter of his wedding with the late Crown Princess on his side. The frown on Yuwen Wei¡¯s face eventually disappeared as he calmly retracted his gaze and turned around to leave with his subordinates. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re on a tight schedule.¡± ¡­ Yuwen Wei was right about Jiang Yucheng not taking the wedding affair to heart. In fact, the latter didn¡¯t even want to think about it because he would inevitably be reminded of Shangguan Wan¡¯s scarred face as well as her resentful and vicious expression. Although Jiang Yucheng had long found out about the kind of person Shangguan Wan truly was, she wasn¡¯t as bad as she was now. That was why he had been turning a blind eye to her occasional tantrums. However, not only had she become hypersensitive now, but she would also often lose her temper like a madwoman over the slightest issue. His patience toward her had thus long run out. Never in the world would I marry Shangguan Wan if it weren¡¯t because¡­ Jiang Yucheng¡¯s countenance darkened as he headed to a secluded corner of the Jiang Residence alone. It was a deserted courtyard that looked cold and empty with weeds growing everywhere at the entrance. He continued to walk straight ahead until he reached a room. He pushed the doors open, and the two guards standing on the right and left side immediately greeted him. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master!¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded. ¡°How¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t too cooperative at first, but it¡¯s all good now. Would you like to go see him?¡± asked one of the guards before hurrying to lead the way when he received Jiang Yucheng¡¯s reply. ¡°This way, please.¡± The two of them then walked toward the room further inside. If someone were to break into this place right now, they would sense the presence of several people in this seemingly desolated courtyard. However, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to break in here easily as this was where Jiang Yucheng kept his prisoners. Furthermore, the servants working at the Jiang Residence all knew that this was Jiang Yucheng¡¯s territory and thus wouldn¡¯t come here without permission. ¡­ The doors slowly creaked open. Once Jiang Yucheng stepped into the room, the guard closed the doors and quietly waited outside. The room was small, and dust was everywhere as if it had been a long time since anyone had stepped in here. Jiang Yucheng walked past the screen and into the side room. It was a dark and cramped space that couldn¡¯t even accommodate a person lying flat, but in it was a person slumped against the wall. Despite the foul and bloody smell lingering in the air, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He had encountered such a scene too many times that he had gotten used to them. The man slowly lifted his head upon hearing the commotion. Having undergone a long period of torture, his originally robust body was now thin and bony. His cheeks and eye sockets were deeply sunken in as well. One could see that he was missing an ear under his disheveled hair and that a bowl-sized scar was in its place. As it turned out, this man was none other than Qi Dahe¡ªwho had been imprisoned by Jiang Yucheng the other day. Qi Dahe¡¯s eyes glowed red when he saw who the visitor was. Jiang Yucheng looked down at him condescendingly. ¡°How does the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s backlash feel?¡± Qi Dahe opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but all he could manage to produce was a hoarse croak. During his captivity, he had once tried to attempt suicide by biting his tongue, but someone found out about it before he could die. However, his tongue was then cut off by them, so he lost his ability to speak from then on. Metal chains could be heard clanking when Qi Dahe reached out to grab Jiang Yucheng, and as it turned out, all four limbs of his were chained up. His hands¡ªwhich were all bruised and bloody¡ªonly ended up grabbing the air. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice rang coldly and mercilessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll let you out today. Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s Cabinet Master is looking for you.¡± Qi Dahe panicked, his eyes brimming with despair. He tried his best to hide toward the back, but there was nowhere to hide in this cramped space, much less a chance for him to escape. When Jiang Yucheng lifted his hand, orange powder scattered everywhere. It made Qi Dahe gradually stop struggling and eventually pass out. After that, Jiang Yucheng looked down and lifted his own sleeve to reveal a sinister-looking scar on his arm. The red line could no longer be seen. There were ways to get rid of this scar, although he definitely wouldn¡¯t do it. He crouched down and examined the same spot on Qi Dahe¡¯s arm, and sure enough, the same red line appeared on it. He had gone through a lot of effort to make sure of that. A hint of satisfaction showed on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face as he took a few steps back and said, ¡°Guards, take him out.¡± ¡­ Lately, the mood at Chong Xu Cabinet had been rather depressing as everyone couldn¡¯t help but worry about the safety of Chu Liuyue and the others who were still at Dahuang Swamp. Rumors of their failure to return had been prevalent, and even the disciples on Qing Yuan Mountain had heard about the rumors despite most of them never leaving the mountain. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Jian Fengchi had come to explain the situation and that the Cabinet Master wasn¡¯t too worried about it, they would¡¯ve all rushed to Dahuang Swamp to look for their juniors. The constant waiting was very tormenting, but this depressing mood was broken with Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arrival. Weichi Song was tending to the herbs in the medicinal garden at this time. When he heard that Jiang Yucheng had brought someone with him, he frowned and ordered someone to tell the latter to wait for him. It was only when he had finished tending to the garden that he went to meet Jiang Yucheng. As soon as Weichi Song entered the room, Jiang Yucheng stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ve found the person you want.¡± Chapter 826 - Warrant Weichi Song¡¯s gaze landed on a man kneeling behind Jiang Yucheng. From the person¡¯s skeletal body and forlorn state, it looked like he had gone through a lot of torture. Old and new injuries could be seen on his wrists and other exposed areas. Weichi Song frowned. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°This is Qi Dahe, a former subordinate of mine who went to Nan Jiang with me. As per your request, I interrogated all the people who went there with me, and I finally found the culprit by using a bit of corporal punishment to make him spill the truth,¡± answered Jiang Yucheng calmly. Just one glance at Qi Dahe was enough for Weichi Song to tell that Jiang Yucheng had used more than ¡®a bit of corporal punishment¡¯ and that Qi Dahe¡¯s days were numbered. ¡°How did you find out that he was the culprit?¡± ¡°Through evidence, of course.¡± Jiang Yucheng lifted his chin. ¡°To tell you the truth, most of my subordinates who went to Nan Jiang with me returned with varying degrees of injuries. Thus, I dismissed them after giving them their severance payment. I only gathered all of them again to help you find the culprit, but I soon realized that there was something very wrong with Qi Dahe. Not only has his cultivation base regressed a lot, but he even has a mark on his left arm¡ªthat¡¯s the evidence of him suffering a backlash from the Mixed Yuan Gravel!¡± Weichi Song¡¯s eyes twitched when he heard that. ¡°With such solid evidence, there¡¯s no way he can deny that he isn¡¯t the culprit!¡± Jiang Yucheng then let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°I never thought that my subordinate would do such a thing¡­ I nearly destroyed the entire Chong Xu Cabinet! Aside from bringing the culprit to you, I¡¯m also here to apologize to you in person. Everything happened because of my poor management, and I¡¯m truly sorry for that.¡± Jiang Yucheng spoke so sincerely that anyone who heard this would surely be moved by what he said. However, that didn¡¯t apply to Weichi Song¡ªwho took two steps forward to examine Qi Dahe¡¯s condition. Kneeling on the ground with his hands tied behind his back, Qi Dahe¡¯s eyes looked empty and void as if his soul had been sucked out. He didn¡¯t even move when Weichi Song went up to him to check his arms. It was like he no longer cared about anything. Weichi Song asked, ¡°Why does he seem a little strange?¡± Jiang Yucheng patiently explained, ¡°In his struggle to escape, he got seriously injured while fighting. He hurt his head pretty badly and thus ended up like this¡­¡± Weichi Song scoffed. Jiang Yucheng sure can lie without batting an eyelid! His acting is top-notch too! He found himself a random scapegoat and prepared all the necessary evidence so that there¡¯s no way I can refute him. On top of that, it just so happens that the so-called culprit can¡¯t defend himself because he¡¯s hurt. In the end, he can make up the story however he wants, and I have no choice but to buy it. No wonder he dared to come knocking on our door so brazenly. He came completely prepared! Weichi Song looked down and realized that Qi Dahe really had a red mark on his arm, and based on the other symptoms displayed on his body, it seemed like he was truly suffering the backlash of the Mixed Yuan Gravel. From this, Weichi Song could tell that Jiang Yucheng had really gone to great lengths just to cover his trail, but he didn¡¯t let these thoughts show on his face. Jiang Yucheng was all calm and relaxed knowing that even though all the so-called evidence and culprit could fool an ordinary person, he might not be able to fool Weichi Song¡ªwho was a wily old fox in his eyes. But he thought nothing of that because there was no way the latter could refute all the evidence laid out here. Even if Weichi Song doesn¡¯t believe me, he has no way to go about finding evidence to prove Qi Dahe¡¯s innocence and that everything was, in fact, my doing. Jiang Yucheng was certain that Weichi Song wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. No matter what, the outcome will still be the same! Weichi Song silently glanced at Qi Dahe before straightening his body and turning his head to look at Jiang Yucheng. ¡°You¡¯re right about him suffering the backlash of the Mixed Yuan Gravel. He must be the culprit then. Did you ask him why he did that to us, Eldest Young Master Jiang?¡± Jiang Yucheng froze and then shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Weichi Song¡¯s expression became tense as if he couldn¡¯t come to terms with this answer. But that was only normal, given that there was seemingly no reason for Qi Dahe¡ªan ordinary person¡ªto target Chong Xu Cabinet. The group of people that attacked Chong Xu Cabinet also seemed to be of extraordinary status. Weichi Song said solemnly, ¡°There must be some other people behind Qi Dahe!¡± Despite the slight twitching of Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes, he controlled his expression very well. ¡°I have the same sentiments, but Qi Dahe¡¯s lips are really tight. I couldn¡¯t get anything out of him no matter what. In any case, I¡¯m leaving him to you.¡± Weichi Song¡¯s expression relaxed a little. ¡°Thank you for your help, Eldest Young Master Jiang. In that case¡­ Can I deal with him however I want?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jiang Yucheng cupped his fist in his hand. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why Qi Dahe did such a thing, he was ultimately my subordinate. I feel really apologetic to you regarding this matter¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s hypocritical display only irked Weichi Song though. The latter turned around, hiding his emotions well. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel that way, nor do you have to take responsibility for his actions. I¡¯d also like to apologize for any offense caused to you¡­ I was just too anxious at that time¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng smiled. ¡°Cabinet Master sure is forgiving. I ought to be the one apologizing to you instead.¡± Weichi Song didn¡¯t dwell on this matter for too long. Instead, he let out a long sigh. ¡°Well, nobody expected this to happen. It was just like how everyone thought the Thirteen Yue Guards were loyal to the late Crown Princess. Who would¡¯ve thought that¡­ By the way, didn¡¯t you issue a warrant to capture the Thirteen Yue Guards previously? Is there any progress?¡± Chapter 827 - Kill or Save Weichi Song¡¯s mention of the Thirteen Yue Guards made Jiang Yucheng instinctively frown. However, it quickly disappeared, and his expression returned to normal in no time. Shaking his head, he said, ¡°No. As you know, the Thirteen Yue Guards possess extraordinary abilities, which makes it extremely hard for us to find them.¡± Back then, Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan had exhausted all their means to transfer the Thirteen Yue Guards away from Xi Ling in order to make their move on Shangguan Yue. Although the Thirteen Yue Guards immediately rushed back to Xi Ling upon realizing that something was amiss, it was too late. The royal family¡¯s ancestral hall was almost completely consumed by the blazing fire. Not long after Shangguan Yue¡¯s death, the Thirteen Yue Guards began looking into the matter as they found her death to be highly suspicious. Their prime suspect was none other than Jiang Yucheng. This was why the latter swiftly launched a counterattack and declared to the public that the Thirteen Yue Guards had colluded with the enemy to betray their master and that they deserved to be punished for their crime. He even issued a warrant for their arrest on that very day. Although the Thirteen Yue Guards were quite capable, they were no match for Jiang Yucheng under those circumstances, for the entire Xi Ling City was basically under the latter¡¯s control. Not only did he have the upper hand in all aspects, but he also held the Black Guard¡¯s military power in his hands. Thus, they could only flee for their lives and disappear from Xi Ling. Thinking about it, it had been almost two years since then, but there had been no progress in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s search for the Thirteen Yue Guards despite him repeatedly ordering his men to look for them. He was fully aware that the reason why they could go undetected for so long was that they might¡¯ve already left the Tianling Dynasty and gone beyond Heaven¡¯s Canopy. In that case, the chances of him finding them were even slimmer. He might not have mentioned it often, but the fact that the Thirteen Yue Guards were still well and alive was a hidden concern of his. Unlike Shangguan Yue¡¯s other guards, their loyalty was pledged only to her, so they wouldn¡¯t take anyone else¡¯s orders¡ªnot even the Emperor¡¯s. As ¡®Thirteen Yue Guards¡¯ was their only identity, they had nothing to worry about other than Shangguan Yue¡¯s safety. For her, they could even stage a revolt without the slightest hesitation. While one might be able to control other guards with power and money, this wouldn¡¯t work on the Thirteen Yue Guards. ¡°Why did you suddenly mention the Thirteen Yue Guards though? Do you have news about them?¡± Jiang Yucheng probed. Weichi Song, however, shook his head. ¡°I was simply reminded of them when I saw how Qi Dahe betrayed you. I believe that you must¡¯ve valued him highly, given that he had the chance to go to Nan Jiang with you. Who would¡¯ve expected things to turn out this way¡­ This just goes to show how unpredictable people can be! Even if you trust someone fully, you never know when they might stab you in the back!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment. ¡°True¡­¡± ¡°Even though that sort of person might become conceited after that, retribution will surely befall on them eventually. Don¡¯t you agree, Eldest Young Master Jiang?¡± Jiang Yucheng found it hard to maintain the smile on his face as what Weichi Song said was too jarring to him. There was this one moment where he suspected that the latter was talking about him, but he couldn¡¯t find anything amiss when he carefully studied the latter¡¯s face. In the end, he felt so awkward that he decided to take his leave. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already brought the culprit to you, I¡¯ll leave you to settle everything else. I shan¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± Weichi Song didn¡¯t ask Jiang Yucheng to stay any longer either and let him leave just like that. He then closed the doors and walked over to Qi Dahe¡¯s side. A silver glint then appeared in his hand, and he proceeded to cut the rope on Qi Dahe¡¯s wrists. There were deep rope marks on Qi Dahe¡¯s wrists, but these superficial injuries were nothing compared to his body¡ªwhich was marred with numerous injuries. Given his current condition, it could be said that he was hanging onto his last breath. Weichi Song¡¯s eyebrows gradually knitted together as he took Qi Dahe¡¯s pulse. The latter¡¯s condition was as terrible as the former had imagined. Having suffered the backlash of the Mixed Yuan Gravel and going through all sorts of torture, it was a miracle that Qi Dahe was still alive. But that was only to be expected as Jiang Yucheng had deliberately kept him alive¡ªor rather, barely alive to deliver his promise to Weichi Song. Given Qi Dahe¡¯s current condition, he probably only had two weeks of lifespan left¡ªwhich he would spend in a delirious state. This meant that nobody would be able to get answers out of him. Weichi Song took out a pill and fed it to Da Qihe before summoning two disciples over and instructing them to take good care of the latter as he was a very important person. The disciples naturally did as told and carefully took Qi Dahe away. As most of the disciples in Chong Xu Cabinet were heavenly doctors, they were the best at doing this sort of thing. Meanwhile, Weichi Song began personally refining Qi Dahe¡¯s medicine, which was much to everyone¡¯s surprise. As they only knew that the latter was brought here by Jiang Yucheng, they wondered who he was and why their Cabinet Master was going to such lengths to save him when he was about to die soon. Despite their curiosity, everyone still obediently obeyed Weichi Song¡¯s order. That was how Qi Dahe settled down in Chong Xu Cabinet. ¡­ While on his way home after leaving Chong Xu Cabinet, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mood improved considerably at the thought that he had finally solved the matter that had been troubling him for days. Not only had he sent a scapegoat over, but he had even prepared solid evidence that Weichi Song couldn¡¯t refute. Even if Qi Dahe manages to live for a few more days, Weichi Song won¡¯t be able to get anything out of him since his brain is damaged. It doesn¡¯t matter if Weichi Song still has doubts about this matter. He no longer has any reason or excuse to find trouble with me over this. It¡¯s the first piece of good news in days. Jiang Yucheng exhaled in relief, only to be reminded of Xia Mu¡ªwho had disappeared without a trace¡ªa second later. It had been a while since Xia Mu went missing, but Jiang Yucheng still couldn¡¯t find him despite searching all over Xi Ling. It was like what happened that day was just a dream. However, the scar on his stomach constantly reminded him of the humiliation he suffered that day. As he continued to walk home, he sensed that something was amiss and that a pair of eyes seemed to be watching him from the dark. He stopped in his tracks right there and then as he turned his head back. However, not only did he not find anyone behind him, but the feeling of being watched also instantly vanished. He frowned and continued walking forward while being on alert, but that feeling of being watched never appeared again. Was I imagining things? After walking for some time, Jiang Yucheng realized with a start that he had unknowingly arrived at the entrance of Xin Li Garden. The thought of the stolen zither made him hesitate for a moment, but he eventually decided to enter the garden. Chapter 828 - Have We Met Before? Everyone in Xin Li Garden bowed and greeted Jiang Yucheng as he walked in, but the latter paid them no attention and headed straight to Thousand View Garden. Upon noting his arrival, the guards there greeted him. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master Jiang!¡± After the stolen zither incident, Jiang Yucheng tightened the security by dispatching more guards to watch over Thousand View Garden both in the open and in the dark. However, he hadn¡¯t visited this place ever since that day. Standing by the lake, he looked at the zither room as he asked the guards, ¡°Is there anything unusual lately?¡± ¡°No, Eldest Young Master,¡± replied one of the guards. I knew it. That zither was the most valuable item in that room. Since that person has already stolen it, the odds of them returning are very low. It¡¯s just that¡­ Who would be interested in that antique zither? Jiang Yucheng then dismissed the guards with a wave of his hand and proceeded to walk toward the zither room, deep in thought. While that phoenix-tailed zither is indeed quite precious and unique, it¡¯s ultimately just a zither. Besides, almost everyone in the Tianling Dynasty knows that it was Shangguan Yue¡¯s favorite zither. Based on this point alone, there¡¯s no way that person will dare to take the zither out and show it to others, much less sell it. Don¡¯t tell me they just want to keep it for themselves? Jiang Yucheng just couldn¡¯t figure out why that person would steal the zither. On top of that, no matter how hard he tried to recall that person¡¯s features, nothing came to mind at all. Although he once suspected Mu Hongyu to be the perpetrator, her aura seemed a little different from that person¡¯s. ¡­ Dragon Teeth Mountain. Jian Fengchi had nothing to do today, so he decided to leave the mountain. When he arrived at the foot of the mountain, he saw an average-looking young man talking to the guard at the entrance. He wasn¡¯t very concerned about it until he vaguely heard Mu Hongyu¡¯s name just as he was about to walk over. Stopping in his tracks, he looked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The guard hurriedly bowed to him and explained, ¡°This man is here to deliver a letter from Mu Hongyu¡¯s family, but he refuses to let us receive the letter on her behalf even after telling him that she isn¡¯t around.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Jian Fengchi while silently sizing the delivery man up. His face couldn¡¯t be any more than ordinary. It¡¯s a face one will instantly forget when he¡¯s amidst a sea of people, but his eyes are so clear and resolute that they don¡¯t seem fitting on an ordinary person. Most importantly, I find him somewhat familiar. It¡¯s like¡­ I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before¡­ ¡°My name is Qin Qi, and I¡¯ve helped Ms. Hongyu deliver a letter before. It¡¯s just that it was Ms. Liuyue I met previously.¡± Qi Han didn¡¯t expect to run into Jian Fengchi¡ªwho had met him and the rest of the Thirteen Yue Guards many times in the past¡ªso he was quite worried that the latter might recognize him. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Xiao Ba¡¯s pill had changed his aura, he was sure that his identity would definitely be exposed this time. Qi Han maintained a calm expression throughout. Jian Fengchi instantly believed what Qin Qi said, for he remembered clearly that it was indeed Chu Liuyue who helped pass the letter from Mu Hongyu¡¯s parents. I guess he¡¯s one of those people in Xi Ling City who specialize in helping people to deliver messages to and from Heaven¡¯s Canopy. ¡°I¡¯m Jian Fengchi. It¡¯s true that Hongyu isn¡¯t back yet. Is it okay if I help keep and pass the letter to her?¡± Jian Fengchi smiled. ¡°I understand that you might not trust others with the letter, but you probably know that it was I who redeemed Hongyu back then. Therefore, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem with you passing her items to me.¡± It was well-known in the entire Xi Ling City that Jian Fengchi had once splurged six million white crystals to bid for Mu Hongyu¡ªthe owner of the Faint Yuan Body. According to the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s laws, Mu Hongyu was now Jian Fengchi¡¯s slave, so everything that belonged to her naturally belonged to him as well. Thus, nobody was more qualified than him to keep her letter. Jian Fengchi usually didn¡¯t really like to mention this matter, nor did he live with Mu Hongyu as master and slave. In fact, everyone on Dragon Teeth Mountain saw Mu Hongyu as their equal and didn¡¯t look down on her because of her identity. It was just that Jian Fengchi knew this to be the most convenient and effective excuse to use in order to get that letter. Sure enough, the delivery man took out the letter and handed it over to Jian Fengchi after hesitating a little. ¡°Please keep the letter well, Young Master Jian. Be sure to pass it to Ms. Hongyu as soon as you see her.¡± Jian Fengchi reached out and took the letter from him while saying with a smile, ¡°I will.¡± Qi Han then hesitantly added, ¡°If you see Ms. Liuyue, please show her this letter too.¡± ¡°Oh? Why?¡± ¡°Because¡­ Ms. Liuyue hasn¡¯t been receiving letters from her family lately. She used to get them quite often, so I was wondering if something had happened. Since Ms. Hongyu is friends with her, the letter might mention something,¡± explained Qi Han. Jian Fengchi narrowed his eyes. ¡°You seem to be quite concerned about Liuyue.¡± ¡°Ms. Liuyue is our regular customer and is also generous with her money, so it¡¯s only natural that we pay more attention to her affairs,¡± explained Qi Han calmly. Jian Fengchi had no doubts about this. In Qin Qi¡¯s line of work, their efficiency tended to increase when they were paid more money. Given that it had been a few months since Chu Liuyue had come to Xi Ling, it made sense that she would pay them generously as this was the only way for her to contact her family. ¡°Since I¡¯ve delivered the letter, I¡¯ll take my leave now if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Qi Han turned around and left thereafter. He actually had no intentions of saying so much, but he had no way to contact Chu Liuyue since she was still at Dahuang Swamp. With all the rumors circulating in Xi Ling City, it was only inevitable that he was worried about her. Jian Fengchi looked at the letter in his hand, and sure enough, the letter was addressed to Mu Hongyu. The handwriting on it was the same as the letter she had previously received, which confirmed that the letter was indeed hers. For some reason though¡­ Something seems odd about Qin Qi¡­ He carefully put the letter away before looking up again. Something struck his mind right there and then when he found Qin Qi¡¯s back view strangely familiar. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Qi Han stopped and looked back. ¡°Is anything the matter, Young Master Jian?¡± Jian Fengchi ran over and stopped right in front of Qin Qi, his throat tightening as he stared at the young chap in front of him. ¡°You¡­¡± Qi Han seemed to realize that Jian Fengchi had detected that something was amiss. He slowly clenched his hands¡ªwhich were hidden under his sleeves. His face and voice are unfamiliar, but those eyes¡­ Jian Fengchi asked, ¡°Have we met before?¡± Chapter 829 - It’s Been a While Qi Han calmly answered, ¡°I¡¯m just someone who delivers letters, and I¡¯ve never crossed paths with you before, although I did see you a few times in the years I¡¯ve been in Xi Ling City. I didn¡¯t expect you to remember me.¡± Many people had met Jian Fengchi¡ªwho was known as the hegemon of Xi Ling¡ªbefore. Even if they hadn¡¯t seen him in person, they had surely heard rumors about him. Everyone knew that his ice-blue eyes were the symbol of Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Jian family. Jian Fengchi smiled with narrowed eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant though.¡± ¡°Forgive me for my stupidity, but I don¡¯t exactly understand what you mean by this. Please enlighten me, Young Master Jian.¡± Although Qi Han already had a vague answer inside his heart, he didn¡¯t show any sign of panic and kept his calm and composure. However, this was only to be expected. As a member of the Thirteen Yue Guard, he would be deemed too useless if he couldn¡¯t even do such a simple thing. Jian Fengchi crossed his arms in front of his chest while stroking his chin with his hand. Although he appeared to be deep in thought, the smile on his face deepened. ¡°For some reason, you seemed really familiar to me the moment I saw you. It¡¯s like¡­ we know each other.¡± ¡°You must be joking, Young Master Jian. How could a nobody like me possibly have the chance to get to know you?¡± ¡°Exactly. I don¡¯t need letters to be delivered outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, nor have I ever engaged your services¡­ But you look really alike to someone I know.¡± Jian Fengchi cocked an eyebrow. ¡°His name has the word ¡®Qi¡¯ too. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s such a coincidence?¡± Qi Han narrowed his eyes. While Jiang Yucheng wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him due to his successful change of appearance and aura, Jian Fengchi could. And this was because the latter was more familiar with the Thirteen Yue Guards¡ªQi Han in particular¡ªthan the former. Jian Fengchi was always making things difficult for Shangguan Yue in the past, and Qi Han would step forward to challenge him whenever that happened. Although Qi Han¡¯s cultivation base was higher than Jian Fengchi¡¯s, the latter was a heavenly doctor and would use medicines at times. They each had their own merits and could be considered to be equals, so they naturally came to know each other better over time. Even though Qi Han appeared aloof, he was very loyal to Shangguan Yue and would do his best in everything that was related to her¡ªhis courage and zeal were all dedicated to her. It was also because of this nature of his that he rushed into the burning ancestral hall back then in spite of everything else and became disfigured as a result. Qi Han wasn¡¯t too surprised that Jian Fengchi managed to identify him, but this simply wasn¡¯t the best time to reveal his identity. He frowned. ¡°What exactly do you want to say, Young Master Jian?¡± The two guards manning the entrance couldn¡¯t resist looking over from time to time upon noticing that the two had been talking for quite some time. Jian Fengchi suddenly flashed Qi Han a bright smile. ¡°Nothing. I just thought that you and I could get along pretty well!¡± Qi Han found it surprising that Jian Fengchi was helping him to cover up his identity despite having already found out who he was. Jian Fengchi then suddenly tossed a pouch at Qi Han. ¡°There are 1,000 white crystals in there. Do something for me, and that money is yours.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± asked Qi Han with puzzlement. Jian Fengchi winked. ¡°I¡¯m going to Chun Feng Restaurant, and you¡¯re going with me.¡± ¡­ It had never occurred to Qi Han that the reason why Jian Fengchi gave him so much money was just so that he would accompany him to Chun Feng Restaurant. Thus, it was only when they arrived at the restaurant entrance that he found out that Jian Fengchi wasn¡¯t joking with him. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jian Fengchi roared with laughter internally when he saw the complicated expression on Qi Han¡¯s face. If this were in the past, he surely would¡¯ve started a fight with me right away. Unfortunately, as a lowly mailman, he can only listen to my orders because we¡¯re in public now. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to crack such jokes with me, Young Master Jian. You may just tell me what exactly you want.¡± Qi Han¡¯s voice and aura were so frigid that he seemed capable of freezing people to death. Jian Fengchi nearly burst out laughing aloud when he noticed how Qi Han¡¯s feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. The latter refused to even take a single step forward. ¡°It¡¯s every man¡¯s dream to visit Chun Feng Restaurant, but why does it seem like a dangerous place when it comes to you? You¡¯ll naturally find out what I want once you go in with me.¡± Qi Han¡¯s face became tense. If it weren¡¯t because he feared that Jian Fengchi would reveal his identity, he definitely wouldn¡¯t allow the latter to make fun of him in this manner. However, making him enter that sort of establishment was a form of torture to him. Just then, Nanny Zhang hurriedly came out to welcome Jian Fengchi with smiles when she saw him outside. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Young Master Jian? It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve been here! The girls have been missing you dearly!¡± A hint of disdain appeared on Qi Han¡¯s face. Everyone in Xi Ling City knew that Chun Feng Restaurant was as good as Jian Fengchi¡¯s second home. The time he spent here was, in fact, much longer than on Dragon Teeth Mountain. Instead of feeling ashamed, he even felt proud about it and would happily indulge himself in debauchery every day. Without turning his head back, Jian Fengchi knew what sort of look Qi Han was giving him. He opened his folding fan and smiled flirtatiously. ¡°But I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I? It feels like eons since I last met Liu¡¯er.¡± Being the expert at reading faces, Nanny Zhang guessed that Jian Fengchi knew the young man behind him, especially since she saw the two talking to each other earlier. Thus, after she greeted Jian Fengchi, she flashed a fawning smile at Qi Han as she made her way over to him. ¡°Oh my, what a handsome young man this is! How come I¡¯ve never seen you around before? This must be your first time at Chun Feng Restaurant, right?¡± Qi Han swiftly avoided Nanny Zhang¡¯s hands, his aura even colder than ever. Nanny Zhang felt a little embarrassed as she instinctively looked at Jian Fengchi. ¡°Haha. This is my friend, and he¡¯s here with me today. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything since I¡¯m around. You don¡¯t have to serve me either; just get Liu¡¯er over.¡± When Nanny Zhang saw how protective Jian Fengchi was toward Qi Han, she became even more courteous. ¡°Sure, sure! Please come in!¡± After that, she immediately trotted off to find Shui Liu¡¯er. Qi Han¡¯s eyes flickered slightly at the mention of Shui Liu¡¯er. Jian Fengchi raised his chin. ¡°Come on!¡± Qi Han hesitated for a bit before eventually following Jian Fengchi inside. ¡­ It was all quiet inside Jian Fengchi¡¯s private room. There weren¡¯t many customers in Chun Feng Restaurant at this hour as it was currently daytime. Since it wasn¡¯t anything unusual to see Jian Fengchi here, they didn¡¯t attract too much attention when they entered the restaurant. Perhaps it was also due to Jian Fengchi¡¯s earlier instructions, but nobody came to disturb them either. A wicked smile spread on Jian Fengchi¡¯s face as he lazily leaned against a couch. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Qi Han.¡± Chapter 830 - Retrieve He indeed recognized my identity! Qi Han¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he calmed down very quickly because he had already guessed it earlier. Since this is already an open secret, there is no need to continue acting. Qi Han openly asked, ¡°Why did you call me over today?¡± Strangeness flashed across Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes as he straightened his body. ¡°You admitted it just like that? I thought I still needed to spend a lot of effort to get you to admit it!¡± Qi Han knitted his brows, and frustration flashed across his eyes. ¡°Since you already confirmed my identity in your heart, you won¡¯t change your opinion no matter how much I explain, right? If you have something to say, just do it. I¡¯m very busy.¡± ¡°Pfft, you still speak as rudely as before¡­¡± Jian Fengchi shrugged his shoulders and didn¡¯t intend to continue beating around the bushes. ¡°When did you come back to Xi Ling?¡± Qi Han¡¯s voice became cold and hard. ¡°None of your business.¡± Jian Fengchi was stumped, and his eyelid twitched. It has already been so long. Why is Qi Han¡¯s stupid and irritable temper still the same as before? But thinking of the Thirteen Yue Guard¡¯s current situation, Jian Fengchi held it in and swallowed back his scolding words. ¡°¡­Jiang Yucheng hasn¡¯t retracted his bounty for you, yet you still dare to come back? Did you¡­ come here to seek death?¡± This sentence wasn¡¯t a tease. Jiang Yucheng was determined to drive the Thirteen Yue Guard into the corner. It was really too dangerous for Qi Han to appear in Xi Ling this openly. Even though he had greatly changed from before and ordinary people wouldn¡¯t recognize him, what if¡­ It was impossible for someone to totally become another person. They would expose themselves at any time. Besides, they were facing Jiang Yucheng¡ªwho held great power now! ¡°I have my own plans.¡± Qi Han¡¯s reply was extremely curt, and he had no intentions of continuing the conversation. In actual fact, if it weren¡¯t because Her Highness trusted Jian Fengchi a little back then, Qi Han wouldn¡¯t even say this much. Jian Fengchi was speechless, and he rubbed his temples in pain. There are clearly 13 people in the Thirteen Yue Guard. Why must I meet Qi Han, the one that is most difficult to deal with? Anyone else would be easier to talk to than Qi Han, but there is no use thinking of this now. Jian Fengchi silently convinced himself in his heart and tried hard to ask calmly, ¡°Did you go to Country Yao Chen before?¡± This time, Qi Han didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jian Fengchi squinted his eyes. The Thirteen Yue Guard escaped from Heaven¡¯s Canopy, and it was possible for them to go anywhere. It¡¯s nothing strange for Qi Han to go to Country Yao Chen, but¡­ The timing and venue that he appeared at is a little amiss. Jian Fengchi remembered it very clearly. That day was the day a mutiny happened in Country Yao Chen. The palace descended into chaos, the gleam of blades, and the shadow of swords as fire rushed up to the sky. Why would Qi Han join in on the commotion there? Thinking of the previous letter, Jian Fengchi tried to ask, ¡°You know Chu Liuyue?¡± According to Qi Han¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t say such words if they didn¡¯t know each other. Even though he was using the identity of Qin Qi, he wouldn¡¯t care so much about a letter from a stranger¡¯s family member. Qi Han honestly nodded. Jian Fengchi was smart, and they both understood each other quite a bit, so there was no need to lie. ¡°Then¡­ Does she know your identity?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression became more serious. ¡°Of course, she doesn¡¯t,¡± said Qi Han lightly. ¡°We coincidentally met each other at Country Yao Chen. She only knows that I took over Qin Qi¡¯s identity here, but she doesn¡¯t know anything more.¡± Jian Fengchi vaguely felt that something was amiss, but he couldn¡¯t point it out. The duo fell silent. Then, Qi Han knitted his brows. ¡°If you called me over today just to ask me all of this, I¡¯ve already told you the answer. Can I leave?¡± Before Jian Fengchi could speak, a sweet and gentle woman¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°No.¡± When Qi Han heard this, his expression slightly changed as he turned around to take a look. Shui Liu¡¯er coincidentally walked in. She was wearing an emerald-green dress with a white hairpin, and she looked very beautiful. Her every movement was like a Big Missy taught by an aristocratic family as she walked toward the two of them and stood beside Qi Han. She then smiled, and a natural flirtatious look was revealed in her eyes. ¡°Qi Han, why do you want to leave when you just came? We didn¡¯t even get to talk properly.¡± Qi Han¡¯s lips pressed against each other slightly. He had no beef with Shui Liu¡¯er. ¡°My time is a little tight. Just ask whatever else you want to know.¡± Shui Liu¡¯er sighed. ¡°Tell me first: Were you the one at Xiahou Residence a few days ago?¡± Qi Han paused for a moment and didn¡¯t say anything. Shui Liu¡¯er smiled rather helplessly. ¡°If you don¡¯t trust us, then¡­ We¡¯ll speak first.¡± She retracted her expression by quite a bit and seriously said, ¡°I can tell you that I also went to the Xiahou Residence a few days ago. Speaking of which, I still have to thank you for distracting Xiahou Rong and the rest that day. It saved me quite a bit of trouble.¡± Qi Han glanced at Shui Liu¡¯er. The two of them stared straight into each other¡¯s eyes. Shui Liu¡¯er honestly said, ¡°You¡¯re right¡ªthe Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill is now with me.¡± ¡­ Dahuang Swamp. It was currently daytime. Chu Liuyue and the rest had rushed their way through the Mystic Forest and finally arrived at the edge of the intersection between the forest and Mirror Lake. The sky was clear, and there wasn¡¯t a single cloud in the sky. The lake was very peaceful, and the wind would blow occasionally, causing a layer of ripples. All the views were reflected within the Mirror Lake, looking like a pretty painting. Chu Liuyue saw the Dancing Lotus shaking gently in the center of the lake at first glance. With the sun shining down, the translucent, pinkish-white petals were like superior rubies as they glistened with a thin layer of crystal-like light. Chu Liuyue patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head and was about to go over. Ye Ranran hurriedly said, ¡°Liuyue, wait!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her and saw the worry on Ye Ranran¡¯s face. ¡°Liuyue, the Dancing Lotus is a premium herb. Will it be safe if you just suddenly go and retrieve it?¡± She was also a heavenly doctor, so it was impossible if one said that she had no desires for the Dancing Lotus. After all, some might not even get to see it once in their lives. This was also the reason that made Ye Ranran even more worried. Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know how to retrieve it.¡± Seeing her calm expression, Ye Ranran was less worried. ¡°Then, you must be careful.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± With that, Tuan Zi spread its wings and flew up. Its speed was very quick, and it rapidly reached the center of the lake as it flew above the Dancing Lotus. Chu Liuyue glanced at the Dancing Lotus and bit her index finger. After that, a bright red blood pearl immediately emerged. Tuan Zi then lowered its body, and Chu Liuyue extended her hand to pick the Dancing Lotus. But the moment she touched the thin stem¡ª Kacha! A crisp sound was heard! Chapter 831 - What Did I Forget Once the blood on Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingertip touched the emerald stem, it directly broke with the sound. Then, the Dancing Lotus silently flew up and landed in the girl¡¯s hands. Chu Liuyue quietly looked at the Dancing Lotus lying in her palm and was dazed. W-what¡¯s going on¡­ I didn¡¯t really move just now. Why did this thing come to me by itself? Even though she hadn¡¯t personally seen a Dancing Lotus before, she had read its relevant descriptions in ancient books. According to what they said, she needed to use fresh blood to attract it¡­ Anyway, it was more troublesome. She had done sufficient preparation earlier and was afraid that something might happen, but it now seemed like¡­ it was all for naught? Chu Liuyue blinked and realized the blood pearl on her finger had already entered the stem silently. The five petals naturally curled in and looked very lively and clear, beautiful as always. It seems like I plucked it rather successfully, though I didn¡¯t really do much in actual fact. From far away, Mu Hongyu and the rest were staring at the situation in the middle of the lake closely. Seeing Chu Liuyue just reach out and take the Dancing Lotus, the few of them were stunned. Mu Hongyu raised her hand and weirdly asked, ¡°Ranran, didn¡¯t you say that it¡¯s rather troublesome and dangerous to pick the Dancing Lotus? Why does it seem like Liuyue picked it very easily¡­¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either!¡± Ye Ranran was also shocked. When Mentor mentioned these herbs in the past, he had even specifically instructed us not to blindly go up when we saw such herbs. If not, we wouldn¡¯t even know how we died. However, it seems like Chu Liuyue did easily pluck the Dancing Lotus¡­ The few of them waited nervously for a moment, but nothing strange happened in the surroundings. Chu Liuyue directly jumped onto Tuan Zi¡¯s back, and the master-servant duo came back in the blink of an eye. ¡°Liuyue, a-are you okay?¡± Ye Ranran still found it strange and couldn¡¯t help asking as her gaze landed on the Dancing Lotus in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. It lay there quietly like an ordinary flower. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. To think I still did so much preparation¡­ ¡°The Dancing Lotus is a combat-type herb. It turns out it¡¯s so easy to pick?¡± muttered Ye Ranran quietly as she was confused. Chu Liuyue was also filled with doubts. The Dancing Lotus was very gentle toward me, and it even willingly broke itself and landed in my hands. I also¡­ feel a certain intimacy toward it as if it should be mine in the first place. This feeling was too strange, to the point that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even know how to explain it. Thinking for a moment, she could only say, ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m just luckier.¡± She then glanced at the Dancing Lotus, took out a jade box, and carefully placed it within. ¡°Quickly, look! What¡¯s that!?¡± Mu Hongyu suddenly gasped as she stared at the front in shock. The few of them turned around. Ye Ranran also gasped and widened her eyes. Vulgarities burst out of Lei Laosi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Damn! What kind of situation is this?!¡± Even Qin Yi, who was always calm, squinted his eyes slightly. Qiang Wanzhou thought of something and knitted his brows. Chu Liuyue also turned around to take a look. This time, she was directly taken aback. She saw a Dancing Lotus gradually grow on the vast water surface¡ªit was magnificent and beautiful. It was already very rare to see one Dancing Lotus. Who would¡¯ve thought that another one would appear in the Mirror Lake the moment Chu Liuyue plucked one away? ¡°Wh-what exactly is going on?¡± Even Chu Liuyue was stunned when she saw this scene. Could it be that there were originally two Dancing Lotuses here, and only one emerged previously? Hence, this one only came out now? But the moment Chu Liuyue said that, the few of them saw another flower gradually appearing beside that Dancing Lotus. Including the one that Chu Liuyue had, this was already the third one! However¡­ this hadn¡¯t ended! In a short hour, tens of Dancing Lotuses gradually grew out of the Mirror Lake. The sun shone down, and the water rippled as the pinkish-white petals flowed with the wind, looking mesmerizing. Anyone who saw this scene would be amazed, but at this point, the few of them had no mood to admire the scenery as they were left in deep shock. As the Dancing Lotuses gradually appeared, the few of them slowly fell silent. The surroundings were quiet. Chu Liuyue looked at that bunch of Dancing Lotuses moving with the wind, and something flashed across her mind. She was dazed for a moment. This scene¡­ I seem to have seen it before? And for some reason, I¡¯m not that stunned in the depths of my heart. This is even though I was very shocked at the first look when I saw the Dancing Lotuses appear together. It seems like¡­ I¡¯ve seen more before? She closed her eyes and tried to recall the image that appeared in her mind, but she couldn¡¯t think of anything. However, that familiar feeling became even stronger! After some time, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and stared at the scene in front with a complicated gaze. If this feeling isn¡¯t an illusion, then¡­ What exactly did I experience to see so many Dancing Lotuses and even become used to it? They said that I had forgotten some things, then¡­ What exactly did I forget? Chapter 832 - Can’t Trust After all the Dancing Lotuses appeared, many rays of light suddenly dropped down from the sky and formed a faint light curtain. That light curtain covered both halves of the Mirror Lake. Half of it was as usual¡ªwith a calm water surface¡ªbut the other half seemed to be covered by a layer of mist as everything became blurry. Even those Dancing Lotuses seemed to have become even more distant compared to before. From Chu Liuyue and the others¡¯ position, they could only see the blurred figures reflected by that light curtain. If someone else came now, it would be hard for them to identify that the things behind were Dancing Lotuses. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± Lei Laosi scratched his head in confusion as he instinctively glanced at Qin Yi, only to see that the latter was also knitting his brows. The two of them had been guarding at the Mystic Forest for close to two years. Other than not really going to the Red Moon Desert, they understood the other places pretty well. They had come to Mirror Lake less than ten times, but they had never seen such a scene before. Chu Liuyue watched everything seriously. For some reason, her instincts told her that someone was protecting all the Dancing Lotuses. However, she didn¡¯t know who had such heaven-defying abilities¡­ These were very precious Dancing Lotuses! An ordinary person might not even be able to see it once in their lives, yet there were so many here! She held her breath in and looked at the faint light curtain. There seemed to be star-like golden spots on it, but in the blink of an eye, she couldn¡¯t see it clearly. If these Dancing Lotuses really belong to one person, then¡­ Why did the other party let me take one away? Chu Liuyue suppressed her many doubts. ¡°It seems like we can¡¯t casually pick the remaining ones. Let¡¯s go first!¡± When she said this, the other people expressed their agreement. Even though Dancing Lotuses were extremely precious, such a scene was indeed too stunning. For safety purposes, it was best for them to leave as soon as possible. Anyway, Chu Liuyue had already successfully plucked one flower. Any more would just be greedy. Ye Ranran sighed deeply and said, ¡°We can finally go back!¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. ¡°Oh yes, there¡¯s something I still haven¡¯t told you¡­ I might not be able to go back with you guys for now.¡± Once she said this, everyone was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re not going back with us? Why not? Do you still have something to do, Liuyue?¡± The excitement and happiness in Ye Ranran¡¯s face quickly dissipated and was replaced with a tinge of disappointment. She walked forward, crumpled her round face, and said, ¡°If you still have any problems you haven¡¯t solved, let us stay and accompany you, alright?¡± She had already imagined the scene of Chu Liuyue returning to Chong Xu Cabinet with them countless times. Cabinet Master doesn¡¯t know our situation here, so they all might think that something has happened to Liuyue. If we can go back together, Cabinet Master and the rest will definitely be very surprised! Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment. The few of them only said that I should go to the Red Moon Desert after I was done, but they didn¡¯t mention if the rest could do so¡­ However, they are connected to the memories I¡¯ve lost, and the more crucial thing is that it¡¯s Shangguan Yue¡¯s memory! No matter what, I can¡¯t expose this identity now. She slightly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just some minor things that I can settle by myself. So many of us haven¡¯t gone back¡ªMaster and the rest should definitely be very worried. You should go back first and tell them to not worry. I¡¯ll be back really soon.¡± But this clearly couldn¡¯t make the others feel secure. Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho was silent all the while¡ªsuddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go wherever you go.¡± His tone was as calm and nonchalant as usual, but it had a few notes of stubbornness. Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°Yeah! Liuyue, we¡¯ve already waited for so many days. We can just wait for the remaining period, right? It¡¯ll always be better if we¡¯re together and can take care of each other, right?¡± They all had lingering fears after what they had experienced previously. Chu Liuyue could successfully escape an ordeal, but the Dahuang Swamp was filled with all sorts of dangers. Who could guarantee that she could definitely return in one peace at the end? They would definitely be worried. Why would Chu Liuyue not understand what they were thinking? Seeing that she couldn¡¯t really convince them, Chu Liuyue thought for a moment. ¡°Since this is so¡­ Follow me then¡ª¡± Qin Yi suddenly asked, ¡°To where?¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and looked in the direction of Red Moon Desert. ¡°There!¡± ¡­ Chun Feng Restaurant. The room was silent. Qi Han didn¡¯t expect Shui Liu¡¯er to be this honest and directly admit that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was with her. This item was very precious. If anyone in the Tianling Dynasty had it, they would probably not dare to talk about it. However, Shui Liu¡¯er said it directly¡­ ¡°The person that day was indeed me.¡± Qi Han kept quiet for a moment and finally nodded. Shui Liu¡¯er¡¯s originally tense expression instantly eased up. Since Qi Han dared to say that, it proved that he had already let his guard down to interact with them. This way, it would naturally be much more convenient. ¡°Why did you steal that thing?¡± Qi Han continued asking. Shui Liu¡¯er laughed. ¡°Actually, this situation is also a coincidence. I already planned to do this long ago, but I didn¡¯t expect for you to coincidentally be there that day.¡± As she spoke, she asked rather curiously, ¡°Oh yes, did you go for that item as well?¡± Qi Han shook his head. ¡°No.¡± He started investigating Xiahou Rong because he was long suspicious of the latter. In actual fact, during this period, he would sneak into the Xiahou Residence once he had the time. Hard work didn¡¯t fail him as he finally heard what he should that day. But as he was too shocked and angry that day, he was negligent for a moment and made that sound. In the end, he unknowingly helped Shui Liu¡¯er at the right time. Originally, he wanted to start doing these things after Her Highness came back. After all, his identity was too sensitive, and he had to be very careful in every aspect. But Her Highness didn¡¯t come back for a long time, and the wedding between Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng was slowly approaching! After much thinking, he boldly decided to investigate on his own! Luckily, he had some results! Shui Liu¡¯er thought of the words Xiahou Rong had said back then, and the smile on her face faded slightly. Back then, Xiahou Rong had played a very important role in deploying the Thirteen Yue Guard outside. ¡°When I went to the Xiahou Residence to investigate, I met you coincidentally. You should¡¯ve long known that Xiahou Rong had betrayed Her Highness, right?¡± Qi Han¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°That¡¯s right. That old fogey was disloyal and betrayed Her Highness for his own selfish desires. He¡¯s definitely guilty!¡± ¡°Did you get any evidence?¡± Shui Liu¡¯er remembered clearly that Xiahou Rong mentioned a forged document back then. ¡°Do you know who the other person is?¡± Qi Han opened his mouth but didn¡¯t speak a word as he glanced at Jian Fengchi from the corner of his eyes. Jian Fengchi laughed and leaned against the wall. Then, he shook his fan and lazily smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve already talked so much. Do you still not trust me?¡± Chapter 833 - His Majesty Said Qi Han coldly said, ¡°You yourself know why.¡± In the past, Jian Fengchi loved to go against Her Highness and would cause trouble for her once every few days. There were even a few times he fought with Her Highness to stand up for Shangguan Wan. With all those incidents in mind, how was he worthy of trust? Facing Jian Fengchi¡¯s face, Qi Han really couldn¡¯t set aside all his doubts. He said all of that earlier because Shui Liu¡¯er took the initiative to be honest with him. Jian Fengchi was stumped and felt guilty as his head hurt. He closed his fan, held the base of the fan to his temple, and sighed deeply. ¡°Sigh¡­ There are always times when people make wrong decisions, right¡­ Besides, even though I always went against the Princess back then, I never actually did anything to let her down. I know how she treats me. Do you really think I¡¯m a traitor?¡± Jian Fengchi genuinely meant whatever he said. Not talking about others, but he had always been very grateful to Shangguan Yue for being willing to let him read so many rare books. One had to know that all those books were priceless treasures for any heavenly doctor. For an average person, one wouldn¡¯t even be willing to share a medical formula of a higher grade with others. Some mentors might even withhold information from their own disciples, afraid that they would be better than them. But Shangguan Yue never seemed to have such considerations. As long as Jian Fengchi asked, she would basically agree to his requests and generously lend him the rare books. Even though Jian Fengchi was carefree, he knew how much he owed Shangguan Yue. There was a long story about why he always had conflicts with Shangguan Yue. Ever since he was young, Jian Fengchi had shown incredible talent as a heavenly doctor. At that time, many people said that he was the top genius in the entire Xi Ling. He was naturally proud and always thought so as well. But then, Shangguan Yue was born. Her appearance had a great impact on all the so-called ¡®geniuses¡¯ in Xi Ling¡ªno, the entire Tianling Dynasty. She was like a bright moon that dazzled. No matter how outstanding the others were, they were like the stars beside the bright moon and paled in comparison to her. Jian Fengchi was also part of that group. From the top heavenly doctor genius, he became second. Back then, Jian Fengchi was arrogant and regularly went to the palace to look for Shangguan Yue and compete with her. If he lost, he would rush back to cultivate and start all over again. If he won¡­ Mm, he had never won before. Thinking of this, Jian Fengchi was still filled with vengeance. Who could stand it? Other people would long resign themselves to their fate, knowing that Shangguan Yue was hard to defeat. He didn¡¯t believe it, but in the end, he lost even more miserably and almost shut himself up. In the end, Shangguan Yue took the initiative to say that she was more advantaged because she read more books. With that, she willingly chose a few ancient books to lend to Jian Fengchi and let him read. At the start, Jian Fengchi refused to accept it. However, he was affected in the end and finally decided to endure the humiliation and admit his defeat. He started to read the books she gave him. After he read them, he would compete with her again. After this, the situation became much better¡ªhe could finally tie with Shangguan Yue on several occasions. Hence, Jian Fengchi gradually formed this habit. Even if he had never said it before, he was indeed very grateful to Shangguan Yue in his heart. Who knew all of that would happen later¡­ ¡°If I really wanted to target you, I could¡¯ve just directly told Jiang Yucheng about this. Why would I waste my effort to bring you over?¡± Jian Fengchi felt very wronged. After much thinking, it should probably be because I owed her in the past and that it¡¯s now time to return the favor. Shui Liu¡¯er also helped to chip in from the side. ¡°Qi Han, to be honest, Jian Fengchi found me first and recruited my help to investigate the reason behind the Princess¡¯s death after the Princess got into trouble back then.¡± Hearing this, Qi Han finally glanced at Jian Fengchi strangely. He didn¡¯t expect the latter to do such a thing. Shui Liu¡¯er continued, ¡°You might not trust us much now, and we understand that. But whatever we said today is true. The Princess died an unjust death, and we must dig up the truth for her! If you don¡¯t mind, then¡­ Let¡¯s join hands from today onward. What do you think?¡± Qi Han knitted his brows and seemed to be in a difficult position. They clearly don¡¯t know that Her Highness is still alive. But without a doubt, many things will be much more convenient if I have their help. Shui Liu¡¯er was working in Chun Feng Restaurant and had seen all sorts of characters, especially those rich people in Xi Ling City. As long as they went there, she would definitely be able to get some information out of them. Who would guard against such a weak woman with a lowly background? The same could be said for Jian Fengchi¡ªto a greater extent even. He had a distinguished status and was very arrogant; he did whatever he wanted in Xi Ling City. Nobody cared much about whatever he wanted to do. The room had a temporary silence. Then, Jian Fengchi finally said, ¡°If I say that I¡¯ve already found out who poisoned His Majesty back then, will you agree to our cooperation?¡± Qi Han suddenly looked up. ¡°What did you say?¡± Jian Fengchi laughed, extended his hand, and used some of the water in the teacup by the side to write a name on the table. Qi Han saw it clearly! A fire burned in Jian Fengchi¡¯s hand, and the marks of water immediately became dry! ¡°Oh, right. I forgot to tell you that this person should¡¯ve been the one who took action on the Princess¡¯s side.¡± Qi Han clenched his teeth and looked tense. ¡°H-how are you so sure? Do you have evidence?¡± Jian Fengchi blinked and smiled with even deeper meaning. ¡°Of course¡­ It was His Majesty who told me himself.¡± ¡­ Chapter 834 - Yue’er Girlie is Back! Night, Palace. A black figure that looked like a shadow quickly disappeared within Huayang Palace. This figure¡¯s movements were silent and quiet, not causing a single wave of force to spread. Due to this, the figure didn¡¯t attract the guards¡¯ attention. The moon hung brightly and shone down. The night was cooling like water, and the surroundings were quiet¡ªso quiet that Shangguan Wan could clearly hear her heart beating wildly. She held her chest and closely leaned against the door as all the blood in her body seemed to have frozen with a harsh icy aura that stiffened her limbs. Not daring to breathe loudly, she widened her eyes as blood filled them. Her forehead was clearly covered with tiny beads of sweat, and her lips were pale. If someone came in now and saw her in this state, they would definitely think that she had seen a ghost. Also, her mind was blank. Just now¡­ Just now¡­ ¡°Just look at you.¡± A hoarse, icy voice sounded beside her ear and had a tinge of high and mighty mockery and contempt. ¡°You just absorbed someone¡¯s Yuan meridian. Is there a need to behave like this? Useless!¡± Shangguan Wan swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty, wanting to suppress her horror but couldn¡¯t. Everything that previously happened replayed clearly in her mind over and over again. She considered herself a ruthless person, and she had used all sorts of methods to arrive at this point today. Even when she settled all of those people at the Mystic Forest back then, her expression didn¡¯t even change. But¡­ Even when such a her recalled what happened previously, immense fear still overwhelmed her. ¡°I, I can¡¯t¡ªurgh!¡± Shangguan Wan still wanted to defend herself. But the moment she opened her mouth, the intense bloody aura surged up from her stomach and made her almost vomit. She bent down and gagged for a while until her face flushed red and tears filled her eyes. It was only then that she got a little better. But with such a struggle, her entire body seemed to be disjointed as she collapsed on the floor slowly and weakly. If it weren¡¯t because a barrier was already set up in this house in advance, her movements would definitely attract people¡­. A chuckle sounded beside her ear. ¡°This is just the first day, but you¡¯ve already become like this. I think there¡¯s no need to continue, right?¡± ¡°No! No!¡± Shangguan Wan immediately reacted and hurriedly yelled, ¡°I¡¯m fine! I can do it! I¡¯ll definitely do whatever you want me to do!¡± ¡°You know what you need to do.¡± After leaving this sentence behind, that voice disappeared. Shangguan Wan took a few deep breaths and calmed down with much difficulty. The horror in her eyes gradually dissipated, leaving behind harshness and determination that slowly appeared. I came to this step with much difficulty. Nobody can stop me! She endured the disgust in her stomach and swiftly sat down cross-legged. After that, she placed her hands on her knees, closed her eyes to focus, and started to absorb the Yuan meridian she had swallowed today. The faint moonlight shone down. The bloodstains on her hands were almost dry, but there seemed to be meat stuck in between her nails, looking terrifying. A black symbol gradually appeared on her glabella. ¡­ The next morning, the Sky-Soaring Clan said that one of their disciples was missing. The key point was that this disciple was a talent with a Dijing Yuan meridian that they had just accepted this year. The Sky-Soaring Clan couldn¡¯t compare to top clans like Dragon Tooth Mountain, so they didn¡¯t have many talents with a Dijing Yuan meridian. Therefore, when one suddenly disappeared, it immediately caused quite a huge commotion. But Xi Ling City had many clans, and the Sky-Soaring Clan was one of the very unassuming ones. So even if they lost a person, it didn¡¯t attract much attention from the rest. Perhaps they ran away themselves, or they were delayed by something last minute? Even the people from the Sky-Soaring Clan had more positive attitudes and thought that they could quickly find the person. But after a day and a night, they still didn¡¯t find any traces of the disciple. The people from the Sky-Soaring Clan then realized that something was amiss, so they gathered their strength and started looking for the missing disciple thoroughly. However, it was to no avail. That disciple seemed to have disappeared into thin air! But the more shocking thing was that another disciple from the Sky-Soaring Clan went missing the next day! And¡­ That disciple also had a Dijing Yuan meridian! One time might be an accident, but two times was definitely done on purpose. Everyone in Xi Ling City partook in heated discussions. They all suspected that the Sky-Soaring Clan had offended someone, so the other party took revenge against them in such a manner. Also, the other party even specifically targeted their most outstanding talents! This undoubtedly had a huge impact on the Sky-Soaring Clan! After this, the entire Sky-Soaring Clan became even more guarded. But two days later, the same thing happened again! The most infuriating thing was that they had set up all sorts of barriers, but the other party seemed to have completely disregarded them as they very easily broke through. They didn¡¯t even know who the culprit was! After losing so many talented disciples continuously, the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s master finally couldn¡¯t take it and entered the palace to ask for help. The Third Princess sent a team of Black Guards over. Speaking of which, it was quite weird. This was because the matter really stopped happening in the Sky-Soaring Clan after the Black Guards went over. In no time, the Sky-Soaring Clan was very grateful toward the Third Princess. When the crowd in Xi Ling City heard about this, they all praised her. As Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t successfully retrieve the herbs His Majesty needed, she was criticized quite a fair bit previously. When the Princess was around, she could calm Dahuang Swamp down. However, the Third Princess could not even get a few plants back. In comparison, they were worlds apart! As a result, Shangguan Wan¡¯s reputation had been implicated to a large extent. With the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s incident, her reputation had now gotten slightly better. However, there were still some people silently thinking that she was still different from the Princess back then. No matter from what aspect, the current Third Princess couldn¡¯t compare to the Princess. However, there was only this one suitable choice to ascend the throne in the Tianling royal family now. There was nobody else to choose. If His Majesty was still in a coma, it would be like this in the future¡­ ¡­ As all sorts of things happened in Xi Ling, Chu Liuyue and the rest were busy heading toward the Red Moon Desert miles away. After a period of traveling, the few of them finally arrived at the intersection between the three areas. Looking over, the golden desert was endless. The light it reflected when the sun shone down was bright and painful. The heatwaves boiled, and it almost distorted the area. Just by standing at the edge, the heat was already unbearable. If they went in, it would be even scarier. ¡°All sorts of forces are messily mixed in the Red Moon Desert, and the suppression is extremely strong. If we travel through the air, it will exhaust our bodies. Therefore, it¡¯s better to just walk.¡± Qin Yi looked at the desert ahead, and a hint of caution could be seen in his eyes. Tuan Zi had already become palm-sized as it squatted on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders obediently. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s quite dangerous inside. Everyone, you must be careful.¡± Then, she lifted her legs and walked forward first. The moment her feet touched the yellow sand, a surprised voice sounded beside her ear. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie is back! Hurry up and come out to welcome her!¡± Sha sha! Shoo shoo! A series of weird noises could be heard coming from all directions in the vast Red Moon Desert! Chapter 835 - Vent Anger Below the desert, something seemed to be moving as it went toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and felt that something beneath her feet was suddenly moving. She lowered her head to take a look and realized that the sand beneath her feet was actually moving rapidly! It was as if an invisible hand was pulling her forward! ¡°Liuyue!¡± The few of them yelled from behind. Chu Liuyue hurriedly turned around to look but shockingly discovered that their figures had completely disappeared! ¡°Hahaha! They¡¯ve already been sent to different places. If it weren¡¯t for you, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy for them to come into this place!¡± This was Diwu Zhangze¡¯s voice. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. The moment she was about to speak, she heard him continue, ¡°Girlie, don¡¯t worry. Since they¡¯re your friends, we naturally won¡¯t hurt them.¡± Chu Liuyue then relaxed and let the yellow sand beneath her feet send her to the depths of the Red Moon Desert. The further inside she went, the clearer the messy noises. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie is back!¡± ¡°Move aside, move aside! Don¡¯t block me!¡± ¡°Pfft! Why are you so anxious?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not anxious, I am! Move aside! Let me see what Girlie looks like now!¡± Listening to the bustling commotion about herself, Chu Liuyue felt incredulous. Why does it seem like¡­ I¡¯m very welcome here? It wasn¡¯t exaggerating to say that she had a feeling of returning home. However, she looked up and didn¡¯t see a single figure. Only the yellow sand beneath her feet kept moving continuously, and those voices seemed to be coming from below. That¡¯s weird¡­ I also came to the Red Moon Desert in the past, but I didn¡¯t see such a scene back then. But it now seems like those few people weren¡¯t lying when they said I liked coming here the most. And it seems like¡­ I have a lot of history in this place¡­ When other people came to the Red Moon Desert, it was very hard for them to proceed forward. On the contrary, it was very easy for Chu Liuyue. She didn¡¯t even need to walk herself as the yellow sand beneath her feet instinctively and rapidly brought her forward. After advancing in this manner for a while, she finally stopped before an oasis. This was a clear and clean oasis, and it was the most cooling and comfortable place in this boiling hot desert. She walked two steps forward, stood beside the lake, and looked at her own reflection. The chatters beside her ears instantly disappeared as they sank into a strange silence. A moment later, a slightly high voice gasped. ¡°Why does Yue¡¯er Girlie seem different from before?¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue immediately squinted. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s her! Those brows and eyes are hers!¡± yelled another excited voice. ¡°And the aura on this body is unique in this world! It is Yue¡¯er Girlie!¡± ¡°It¡¯s her, it¡¯s her!¡± ¡°Let me see! Aiya, let me see!¡± The commotion resumed. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. Even though the voices were very noisy, she didn¡¯t feel frustrated when she heard them and was even used to it. Chu Liuyue took a closer look at the lake. The lake was a faint blue color, and it glistened with the light. At first glance, it seemed like a gigantic sapphire. The wind coming from the water surface had a tinge of coolness and sweetness to it. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve seen what we need to see. Let¡¯s disperse. Yue¡¯er Girlie came here to do proper things!¡± Diwu Zhangze¡¯s voice had a tinge of solemnity. Ripples suddenly appeared on the water surface as the talking voices gradually faded away with reluctance. Very quickly, the lake surface recovered its calmness. Chu Liuyue was surprised as she tried to ask the lake surface, ¡°Senior Diwu? Are you below here?¡± Diwu Zhangze laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a yes and a no. The entire Red Moon Desert is our territory, and we can go wherever we want! But this place used to be the area you liked the most in the past, so we directly brought you over.¡± Other than not being able to leave the Red Moon Desert at will, they seemed capable of doing and saying whatever they wanted here. Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. According to their capabilities, it¡¯s normal to be able to do all of this¡­ ¡°¡­ Girlie, do you recall anything when you see all of these things?¡± asked Diwu Zhangze meticulously. Chu Liuyue was dazed and shook her head. Diwu Zhangze paused and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine! You just came here, so it¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t recall anything. If you stay here for a long time, you might just remember everything!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled lightly. ¡°Thank you, Senior Diwu. Actually, I really want to know what exactly I¡¯ve forgotten.¡± She vaguely felt that it was very important content, but she didn¡¯t know how to start. If she could recall it here, it would be for the best. ¡°Why did you thank him? He hasn¡¯t even done anything.¡± Lan Xiao grunted lightly and asked in a rather disdainful tone, ¡°Girlie, it¡¯s been so long. Why are you only a peak stage-five warrior?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. When Mu Hongyu and the rest saw that she had broken through to this stage, they were all shocked. Even Chu Liuyue herself felt that her speed of breaking through was already very fast, but she didn¡¯t expect someone to pick on her one day. Hearing this tone, it was as if she was unsalvageable garbage. ¡°Actually, I already can break through¡ª¡± ¡°Sigh, you¡¯re just as worrying as before¡­ Stay here first. When you break through and become a stage-six warrior, we can start training.¡± ¡°Training? What training?¡± asked Chu Liuyue back with doubts. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the training you experienced here before!¡± Lan Xiao sighed. ¡°You must¡¯ve forgotten all about it. We¡¯ll start from the beginning!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know how to react, but since Lan Xiao had already said this, she could only obediently sit down cross-legged and start to break through. Breaking through to become a stage-six warrior didn¡¯t pose much difficulty to her now, and she could do it easily. However¡­ A stage-six warrior that might seem outstanding to others might not even be satisfactory for the few of them here. Tianjing Yuan meridian¡­ Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. I¡¯ll tell everyone that even if I don¡¯t have my Tianjing Yuan meridian, I won¡¯t be any weaker than before! ¡°Seniors, please treat my friends nicely.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t worry about anything else but was afraid that her friends would get into trouble. A cold voice sounded. ¡°It¡¯s already their great fortune to be able to enter here. If you have this energy, you should think about how to strengthen yourself.¡± This was Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice. Chu Liuyue immediately focused. ¡°Thank you for the guidance, Senior!¡± Then, she immediately breathed and focused, preparing to break through. Lan Xiao said softly in dissatisfaction, ¡°Why are you so fierce to her? It¡¯s just because Rong Xiu broke your Xuan formation again, right? If you¡¯re angry, you can vent it on him!¡± Chapter 836 - Her Yuan meridian Dugu Mobao knitted his brows and retorted, ¡°Rong Xiu is Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue is Chu Liuyue. I¡¯m not venting my anger by treating her in this manner. I just want to make sure that she cultivates. Don¡¯t forget that she no longer has a Tianjing Yuan meridian. She must put in over ten-fold more effort than before if she wants to be as capable as she used to be!¡± Hearing this, Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze fell silent together. How would they not know this? In actual fact, Dugu Mobao¡¯s words were still more conservative. The difference between a Dijing Yuan meridian and a Tianjing Yuan meridian was more than ten times. It was indeed hard to start all over again from the beginning. ¡°Even if so, don¡¯t you think that Girlie¡¯s body has an extraordinary existence?¡± Diwu Zhangze thought for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t any of you think about how exactly she made that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed concede?¡± Back then, they didn¡¯t directly dig out the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed for her because they felt that the time wasn¡¯t right. One had to know that the her back then was much stronger than she was now. But now, she forcefully used her capabilities as a stage-five warrior to overpower that item! It was incredulous. ¡°After hearing you say so, it¡¯s really¡­ Even though her cultivation level isn¡¯t high now, she doesn¡¯t seem to be weak. She even has quite a few formidable trump cards¡­¡± Lan Xiao expressed his agreement. ¡°Something that can deal with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡­ mustn¡¯t be something ordinary. There might not even be one in the entire Tianling Dynasty, right? In this case, even though she doesn¡¯t have the Tianjing Yuan meridian, it seems like she has many other benefits¡­¡± Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°No matter what treasures she has, her capabilities mustn¡¯t be any weaker than before! Diwu, I¡¯ll hand the few of them to you, and you must teach them well! I don¡¯t want them all to be Girlie¡¯s burdens.¡± Diwu Zhangze chuckled. ¡°Of course! I roughly checked their conditions previously. Tsk, they¡¯re all quite decent! There¡¯s even one with a Faint Yuan Body!¡± If they taught them properly, the few of them would have a bright future ahead. ¡°The friends that Girlie likes are naturally decent,¡± said Lan Xiao lazily. ¡°Other than her poor eyesight in choosing men, everything else is good. Ah, right. Big Baby, I fully support you if you still want to continue training Rong Xiu, but I think Little Xue Hua is very pitiful. Why don¡¯t we let it off? When it made an agreement with Rong Xiu back then, it was young and naive¡­¡± Dugu Mobao coldly snorted and didn¡¯t reply. The Red Moon Desert finally calmed down again gradually. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged by the lake, and her surrounding aura soared. Very quickly, the Heaven and Earth Force started coming toward her, directly forming an energy spiral above her head. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, and all the force within her body started moving! The waves of force all gathered together and finally formed a terrifying power! At this moment, Chu Liuyue gathered all her attention! She could even clearly feel that the invisible barrier of a stage-six warrior was within reach! Then, she calmed her thoughts down and controlled that force to harshly hit against the water droplet in her dantian. Hua! Like a wave crashing against a stone, water spilled everywhere! The five lines on the water droplet seemed to be affected as they moved! After not succeeding once, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t give up and tried again. Hua! This time, the attack was even stronger than before! The water droplet let out a whirring sound, and the patterns on the surface rippled even more! The clouds in the sky quickly gathered, and the sky started darkening at an observable speed! With that, silver snake-like lightning bolts swam in the thick layer of clouds. ¡°Hm? Girlie is just breaking through to become a stage-six warrior. Why did she cause such a big commotion?¡± Lan Xiao¡ªwho was leisurely waiting in silence¡ªwas immediately shocked when he detected this change. Such a change in weather would only occur when a normal cultivator was breaking through to become a stage-seven warrior. Even if it was an outstanding warrior with a Dijing Yuan meridian, they could rarely achieve this. If it were the past Yue¡¯er Girlie, this wouldn¡¯t be surprising. But the key point was¡ªshe no longer had a Tianjing Yuan meridian! ¡°There¡¯s indeed something wrong with her Yuan meridian,¡± said Dugu Mobao suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lan Xiao was dazed. ¡°She indeed only has a Dijing Yuan meridian¡­¡± We definitely wouldn¡¯t judge these things wrongly! ¡°I didn¡¯t say that she doesn¡¯t have a Dijing Yuan meridian now. I meant that her Yuan meridian is different from other cultivators with a Dijing Yuan meridian.¡± Dugu Mobao paused for a moment and lowered his voice. ¡°If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, this body of hers¡­ The Yuan meridian¡¯s grade has been improved at least twice!¡± ¡°What?¡± This time, even Lan Xiao was stunned for quite some time. For all the cultivators in the world, they had their respective talents from birth. The difference in their Yuan meridians would determine the difference in their talents. Of course, the Yuan meridian standard could be changed. However, the requirements were very harsh, and it was extremely difficult. And normally, one could only improve it once. But Big Baby actually said¡­ Girlie¡¯s Yuan meridian standard was actually elevated at least twice? ¡°How is this possible? The Yuan meridian of a cultivator can¡¯t withstand such torture!¡± ¡°It¡¯s naturally impossible for an average person, but¡­ she¡¯s different. Perhaps the Yuan meridian in her current body won¡¯t be worse than a Tianjing Yuan meridian in the future¡­¡± Lan Xiao suddenly thought of something and gasped. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± At this point, Chu Liuyue had no knowledge of the duo¡¯s reactions. She didn¡¯t dare to relax at all. After a momentary pause, she proceeded with her third try. This time, when the force harshly slammed against the water droplet, Chu Liuyue heard a crisp breaking sound. Boom! She finally broke the barrier to become a stage-six warrior! Then, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started entering her limbs at an even higher speed. The force all surged into that water droplet in the end, and the sixth line pattern gradually appeared! ¡­ When Chu Liuyue was just about to break through to become a stage-six warrior, Mu Hongyu and the rest¡ªwho came together with her¡ªwere all separated. Diwu Zhangze purposely didn¡¯t put them together. These few people each had their own specialties after all, and it was best to train them on their own. The Red Moon Desert was huge and vast, so there was no need to worry about them bumping into each other. As for Rong Xiu¡­ Diwu Zhangze didn¡¯t need to worry about him even more. Dugu Mobao was watching him! But after these few years, Rong Xiu¡¯s strength increased quickly. Even Big Baby had to spend a lot more effort to deal with him now. I really don¡¯t know how he cultivated¡­ Hence, the crowd was separated in Red Moon Desert, and everyone faced their own challenges respectively. And each person¡¯s combat power silently and rapidly increased in this process! Chapter 837 - Are You Crazy? In the blink of an eye, a month passed. There were only five days left until the wedding between the Third Princess¡ªShangguan Wan¡ªand Jiang Yucheng. Logically speaking, everyone should be in a celebratory mood for such a happy event. However, the atmosphere in Xi Ling City was suppressed and dark for some reason. Even the usually noisy streets had become much quieter. This was all because a series of strange events kept happening in Xi Ling City¡ªmany disciples suddenly disappeared for no reason. The key point was that they were all cultivators with a Dijing Yuan meridian! At the start, the Sky-Soaring Clan lost three such disciples. Even though the crowd was shocked, they just thought that the Sky-Soaring Clan had offended some people they shouldn¡¯t have, so they caused so much trouble for themselves. Additionally, such a thing no longer happened to the Sky-Soaring Clan after the Third Princess sent Black Guards to help them. Hence, everyone didn¡¯t take this incident to heart. However, such peaceful days didn¡¯t last for long. This was because the same thing had started happening to the other clans! And those in trouble were basically clans that were slightly better than average in Xi Ling City, clans that had few capable talents but weren¡¯t considered as elites. Clans like Dragon Teeth Mountain had been safe all the while. On the other hand, clans close to the Sky-Soaring Clan¡¯s standard started to meet with all sorts of mishaps. When more than five talents with a Dijing Yuan meridian went missing in Xi Ling City, the crowd finally realized that the situation was much worse than they had thought. The other party was clearly targeting such people! Even if those clans had already strengthened their defenses and searched everywhere, it was to no avail. Besides, after having one or two people missing, the other party would target another clan. Their traces also couldn¡¯t be followed. How powerful must that person be to be able to do all of these things quietly? Just thinking of it sent chills down one¡¯s spine! In no time, everyone in Xi Ling City feared for their own safety. Nobody knew if they would end up being the next person! The young cultivators with a Dijing Yuan meridian were usually uneasy. Even if their talents were outstanding, their capabilities were still limited now. If they hadn¡¯t truly become strong warriors, how could they deal with all of these matters? Even if the Third Princess had already sent Mu Qinghe and the rest to investigate this issue, they hadn¡¯t found the culprit, and there seemed to be no progress. Therefore, even if the wedding between Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng was nearing, the skies in Xi Ling City seemed to be covered by a layer of dark shadows. ¡­ At the royal palace. Jiang Yucheng walked all the way to Huayang Palace. He had no expression on his face, and his surrounding aura was sinisterly cold, causing many palace maids to fear in their hearts and hurriedly bow to him. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t care about them as he went straight to the main hall. Chan Yi was standing at the door and bent her knees to bow when she saw Jiang Yucheng coming. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master.¡± Jiang Yucheng asked coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s Her Highness now?¡± Chan Yi said, ¡°Her Highness came back to rest after her morning activities, and she¡¯s resting now.¡± Without saying anything else, Jiang Yucheng lifted his legs and was about to walk in. Chan Yi immediately went forward and stopped him. Her tone was polite, but her gaze was determined. ¡°Eldest Young Master, Her Highness has been busy with everything regarding the wedding and needs to handle all the matters in the imperial court, so she hasn¡¯t been getting proper rest. Now that she has finally managed to fall asleep, can you let her rest? If there¡¯s anything you want to tell her, is it okay if I tell her later instead?¡± ¡°Is she really that tired? Why don¡¯t I know about it?¡± Jiang Yucheng sneered. Everything about the wedding was given to the Ceremonial Department, with Yuwen Wei leading them. She only has to say a few sentences at the most and give her own opinions. As for the many things in the imperial court¡­ I¡¯m dealing with most of them. Shangguan Wan seems to be busy, but she hasn¡¯t really done anything in reality. Why would she be tired? Hearing Jiang Yucheng¡¯s bad tone, Chan Yi knitted her brows in her heart. There are only a few days left until the wedding. Why did Jiang Yucheng suddenly come to cause trouble for Her Highness now? ¡°Eldest Young Master, it¡¯s really inconvenient for Her Highness to see you now. You should¡ª¡± ¡°Outrageous!¡± hollered Jiang Yucheng angrily. ¡°You¡¯re just a slave, yet you dare to stop me repeatedly? Chan Yi, although you¡¯ve been beside the Third Princess for a long time and she thinks very highly of you, do you really think that you¡¯re also a master because of that?!¡± Panic flashed across Chan Yi¡¯s face as she immediately kneeled down. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! I¡¯m just helping Her Highness¡ª¡± ¡°Chan Yi.¡± At this moment, Shangguan Wan¡¯s voice came from the room. ¡°Let Yucheng in.¡± Chan Yi instantly heaved a sigh of relief in her heart and hurriedly said, ¡°Yes!¡± Then, she lowered her head. ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong, Eldest Young Master. Please¡ª¡± Jiang Yucheng squinted his eyes, walked past her, and pushed open the door to go in. ¡°Chan Yi, go and receive your punishment.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chan Yi then stood up and carefully closed the door before kneeling again in the yard. When the other palace maids saw this scene in Huayang Palace, they didn¡¯t dare to go near her and partook in hushed discussions. ¡°What¡¯s with Eldest Young Master? Why is he so angry today?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­ But it surely isn¡¯t a small matter! When Eldest Young Master came in the past, since when was he ever so rude to Chan Yi? It looks like he¡¯s punishing Chan Yi on the surface, but he¡¯s actually slapping Her Highness¡¯s face!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Who doesn¡¯t know that Chan Yi is Her Highness¡¯s most trusted confidant¡­ The wedding is approaching. Why did this suddenly happen?¡± ¡°Shh¡ªstop talking! Be careful of getting into trouble because of your mouth! Let¡¯s go! Disperse!¡± Every person serving in Huayang Palace was a smart person, and they knew what they could say and could not. Due to this, Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t care if his doings would be spread to outsiders. Also, he already couldn¡¯t hold it in now! As he walked into the room, Shangguan Wan was sitting in front of the dressing table. After she came back, she originally decided to take off her mask. However, she heard that Jiang Yucheng was here and could only paste half of her mask back on again. When Jiang Yucheng came in, he coincidentally saw the half of her face with the frightening wound. It has already been so long, but Shangguan Wan¡¯s face didn¡¯t get better. Some places will even rot from time to time, looking very contorted. Jiang Yucheng unwittingly knitted his brows. The next moment, Shangguan Wan had already pasted on the mask properly and turned around. With this look, her face was as smooth as before and was no different. However, Jiang Yucheng knew what her true face looked like beneath the mask, so she looked even more awkward. But Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t seem to detect it as she knitted her brows at the anger in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes that hadn¡¯t dissipated. While doing this, she asked rather exhaustedly, ¡°Why did you come so fiercely? Let me tell you first¡ªI¡¯m very tired now, and I don¡¯t have much energy to deal with you. If it¡¯s something unimportant, let¡¯s talk about it another day.¡± Jiang Yucheng sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you clearly know why you¡¯re tired?¡± Shangguan Wan paused in her actions. ¡°I¡¯ve already warned you once before¡ªstop while you can! What are you doing now? Are you crazy?!¡± Chapter 838 - Easily Solved Shangguan Wan¡¯s face instantly turned cold. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. I know what I¡¯m doing. I don¡¯t need you to teach me!¡± ¡°Do you think that you have the right to control me just because our wedding is coming? Jiang Yucheng, don¡¯t forget your status!¡± She glared at Jiang Yucheng coldly. No matter what, he is just a child from an aristocratic family. If it weren¡¯t because of the marriage agreement with me, how would he have everything he has today? One has to know that in a few days¡¯ time, I¡¯m going to ascend the throne officially. By then, Jiang Yucheng will be lower than me! How dare he be arrogant in front of me? Jiang Yucheng was so angry that he laughed. It seems like Shangguan Wan has really been too delusional with her status and power that hasn¡¯t even come. The military power isn¡¯t in her hands. Even if she holds the imperial power, she¡¯s just a puppet. Besides, her foundation isn¡¯t good. It¡¯s hard to say if she can even protect this position. Without me, how could she be where she is today? Originally, he was too lazy to argue with her about this. After all, it wasn¡¯t the first day he knew that Shangguan Wan was brainless. Back then, he chose her because he felt that she was easy to control. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to become so crazy now! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze was dark. ¡°There are enough people missing in Xi Ling City. At this crucial point, I don¡¯t want to hear such news again. Do you understand?¡± But facing Jiang Yucheng¡¯s repeated warnings, Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t care about them at all. She chuckled and turned around as she leisurely removed her intricate accessory from her head. ¡°I knew you came for this, but there¡¯s no need for it. Only a few disciples went missing, and nobody has found any clues even until now. In the future, nobody will know who did it. What are you worried about?¡± She wasn¡¯t afraid that Jiang Yucheng could guess that she did it. Anyway, the two of them had done too many unspeakable things and had each other¡¯s evidence. Unless Jiang Yucheng really wanted to sink their boat, he would definitely stand at her side! Seeing Shangguan Wan¡¯s fearless expression, Jiang Yucheng tightly knitted his brows, and his blood boiled even more. Shangguan Wan indeed went crazy to recover her abilities! She doesn¡¯t even care about how much trouble the incident will cause for us at this point in time! Now, her entire mind is filled with herself! ¡°Besides, I did this for our good. You also don¡¯t wish to see me being unable to lift that staff on the day of our wedding, right?¡± Shangguan Wan glanced at him. That was the symbol of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s emperor! If she failed in front of all the officers and commoners, she would be thoroughly finished! Even Jiang Yucheng would be the same! He couldn¡¯t find a third princess to get married to! Jiang Yucheng clenched his teeth tightly and spat out a sentence: ¡°Remember to clean your mouth!¡± Then, he walked away with big strides. Shangguan Wan nonchalantly chuckled and turned around to tidy herself up in front of the mirror. In the depths of her eyes, a tinge of blood gradually spread around sinisterly and evilly, but it disappeared the next moment. ¡­ After Jiang Yucheng left Huayang Palace, he couldn¡¯t vent his anger and wanted to leave the place directly. But thinking that His Majesty hadn¡¯t awakened, he suppressed his anger and went to Qingfeng Palace. In the end, he coincidentally saw Zuo Mingxi coming out of the room. Jiang Yucheng found it strange. Counting the days, it doesn¡¯t seem to be Zuo Mingxi¡¯s turn today, right? He walked forward. ¡°Physician Zuo.¡± Zuo Mingxi looked up and was dazed for a moment when he saw that it was Jiang Yucheng before he smiled and bowed. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± Jiang Yucheng glanced at the tightly shut door and asked, ¡°Physician Zuo, shouldn¡¯t you be resting at home today? Why did you come to the palace? Also, where¡¯s your accompaniment?¡± Zuo Mingxi rarely came here alone. The heavenly doctor smiled and cupped his fists. ¡°It indeed isn¡¯t my duty to come here today, but I suddenly discovered a method in an ancient book the day before. Therefore, I wanted to see if it works on His Majesty and came here to take a look. Eldest Young Master, I hope you won¡¯t find my actions outrageous.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded in understanding. ¡°Why would I? You¡¯ve spent a lot of effort on His Majesty, and I should praise you. Why would I blame you? Then¡­ Did His Majesty¡¯s condition take a turn for the better?¡± Zuo Mingxi paused for a moment. ¡°Actually, the poison in His Majesty¡¯s body has mostly been cleared. Logically speaking, he will wake up soon. But¡ª¡± ¡°But what?¡± Hearing that there was a chance His Majesty would wake up, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes lit up as he hurriedly asked. ¡°But¡­ His Majesty seemed to have been agitated earlier and didn¡¯t seem to want to wake up, so the entire incident dragged on until now with not much progress. If we can invite people close to His Majesty and let them talk to him, perhaps we might be able to wake him up¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Oh? Physician Zuo, who do you think we should invite over then?¡± Zuo Mingxi looked like he was put in a difficult spot. ¡°T-this¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± Outsiders might not know, but people in the palace knew very clearly. Qingfeng Palace had been guarded very strictly, and nobody could get near it at will. Even the younger princes were never allowed to enter the place, let alone the others. After talking so much, only the Third Princess¡ªShangguan Wan¡ªwas the most suitable for this. Why would Jiang Yucheng not know that? He retracted his expression slightly. ¡°So it means that if we invite the Third Princess over, there¡¯s a chance His Majesty will wake up?¡± Zuo Mingxi hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°Your wedding with Her Highness is around the corner, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell her about this myself. Physician Zuo, you just need to care about treating His Majesty. If His Majesty can really wake up, it¡¯ll be all your work.¡± Zuo Mingxi thanked him continuously and said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, His Majesty¡¯s body condition kept fluctuating previously. The Third Princess keeps doubting the people who take care of His Majesty, including those two¡­ So for this¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI have my own plans. Before His Majesty wakes up, I¡¯ll try not to spread this matter around,¡± said Jiang Yucheng lightly. Zuo Mingxi then heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good then. That¡¯s good¡­ As long as His Majesty can wake up, we can rest assured about the rest¡­ Then, I¡¯ll take my leave first if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Jiang Yucheng nodded and let Zuo Mingxi leave. After the latter left, Jiang Yucheng personally entered the house to check. Everything was indeed similar to what Zuo Mingxi said. He calculated in his heart and finally returned to Huayang Palace to tell Shangguan Wan about this. Actually, Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t care about this issue. But after repeated persuasion from Jiang Yucheng, she could only agree perfunctorily. Anyway, she felt that her father waking up wouldn¡¯t have much impact on her. This was because she would become the one standing at the top no matter what! Jiang Yucheng knew what Shangguan Wan was thinking and wanted to say more, but he didn¡¯t do so in the end. There are some things that she doesn¡¯t need to know. As long as His Majesty wakes up, then¡­ Everything else can be solved easily! Chapter 839 - Extreme Training! Chaos was ensuing secretly in Xi Ling City, but the people in Chong Xu Cabinet didn¡¯t care about this at all. This was because their thoughts were all longing for Chu Liuyue and the rest. Previously, they were already very worried when the main team returned from Dahuang Swamp, but their junior brother and sisters didn¡¯t come back. Even though Jian Fengchi quickly came to explain the whole situation, such a long time had passed. Yet, there were no signs of any of them returning, which made them anxious and worried. If it weren¡¯t because they saw the Cabinet Master peacefully staying on the mountain as if he were fishing stably, they would¡¯ve long gone to Dahuang Swamp to look for them themselves. Inside an ordinary room on the mountain, Qi Dahe lay on the bed as Weichi Song read his pulse at the side. Two disciples looked on from the side and seemed rather nervous and curious at the same time. After a moment, Weichi Song nodded and looked at the two of them. ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªhis body is getting much better. Even though half of his Yuan meridian has been damaged, it¡¯s still lucky that we saved it. It¡¯s all thanks to the two of you meticulously taking care of him during this period.¡± The duo hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s all because your medicine works, Cabinet Master. We just did a small matter, and it¡¯s not worth a mention!¡± Weichi Song smiled and shook his head. ¡°I know very clearly what his body condition was like. It¡¯s indeed not easy for him to make it through. It has been hard on you.¡± As he spoke, he took out two wooden boxes and gave them to the duo. ¡°These are two sixth-grade medicinal formulas. Take it and study it in detail so that you can successfully produce it sooner.¡± The two of them were shocked and glanced at each other. One of them hurriedly said, ¡°Cabinet Master, t-this is too precious¡­¡± We just took care of Qi Dahe for a period of time and didn¡¯t do much. This reward is too much¡­ ¡°Just take it.¡± Seeing that Weichi Song insisted, the two of them could only take it in shock and surprise. The other person couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Cabinet Master, is it worth it for you to spend so much effort to save his life? His mind isn¡¯t very stable. Even if you can save him, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Why would Cabinet Master care so much about a mute person that is severely injured and intellectually damaged? ¡°I have my own plans.¡± Weichi Song glanced at Qi Dahe. This person is very important. Jiang Yucheng willingly sent me a piece of evidence, so why shouldn¡¯t I take good care of it? The two disciples glanced at each other in confusion, but they felt that Qi Dahe indeed had his use since the Cabinet Master had said so. After a momentary hesitation, one of them asked, ¡°Uh¡­ Cabinet Master, Little Junior Sister and the rest¡­ haven¡¯t come back yet. Do you think¡­¡± Weichi Song paused and gently shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll come back safely.¡± ¡­ Red Moon Desert. Under the bright sun, a figure was running quickly in the endless, golden desert. A fist-sized ball of yellow sand kept chasing the figure from behind relentlessly. ¡°Stop chasing! Stop chasing!¡± yelled Mu Hongyu as she continued running. In her panic, an idea popped up in her mind, and she instantly disappeared from the spot. The next moment, she appeared at another location! She hurriedly turned around to take a look but saw nothing. But the moment she heaved a sigh of relief, she saw another ball of yellow sand quickly forming nearby and going toward her. Whoosh! That ball of yellow sand directly hit her face. Instantly, Mu Hongyu¡¯s head and face were all covered by sand. She dazedly stood rooted at the ground. After a temporary daze, she started scratching her head crazily and yelling at the verge of breaking down. ¡°Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Is there any end to this?!¡± Ever since she somehow came into this Red Moon Desert, she was directly separated from the rest. However, this ball of yellow sand kept following her. Initially, she didn¡¯t realize that anything was amiss. But after she entered a sorry state from being attacked a few times, she then knew that this thing was targeting her. Just like what Qin Yi said before, it was very hard for cultivators to move in this desert. Every step would exhaust a large amount of their strength. Mu Hongyu originally thought that it would be easier for her with her Faint Yuan Body, but after this thing caught onto her, she started her endless journey of running. During this period of time, wherever she ran to, a ball of yellow sand would always come for her. She wasn¡¯t exactly severely injured, but which girl could tolerate being dirtied by sand every day? Mu Hongyu felt that she was going crazy. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. Please stop following me¡ªahh!! I really don¡¯t know how I offended you! I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­¡± She was exhausted and had almost used up all of her force. She really couldn¡¯t continue¡­ Then, she lay directly on the ground. ¡°Ow!¡± The moment she touched the ground, she was burned and jumped up like an eel. It¡¯s too hot! I actually forgot this was the Red Moon Desert! Just as she was breaking down, she saw another ball of yellow sand gathering. The key was that it was twice the size compared to before! Mu Hongyu silently cursed in her heart as she resigned herself to her fate and turned around to run! ¡°That¡¯s the way¡­ If you can¡¯t even travel hundreds of miles with a Faint Yuan Body, why would you even have it?¡± In the dark, Diwu Zhangze¡ªwho was controlling all of this¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but mutter. Rumors have it that people who master the Faint Yuan Body can instantly travel thousands of miles¡­ What does this little bit count for? ¡°The rest didn¡¯t even complain that much¡­¡± Diwu Zhangze looked at the other few people¡¯s conditions. Qin Yi and Lei Laosi need not be mentioned as their cultivation levels were higher and had a high tolerance. As for the lady with the chubby face, her face was flushed as she crazily practiced producing her pills. But that golden-haired youngster though¡­ ¡°Pfft, he really can take it¡­ With such a cold, harsh air in his body, it¡¯s enviable when he cultivates¡­¡± Diwu Zhangze¡ªwho was very picky¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but praise Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Sigh, I wonder how Yue¡¯er Girlie is now¡­ Big Baby is personally training her¡­ Si.¡± Thinking of Dugu Mobao¡¯s methods, Diwu Zhangze¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. The few of them added up won¡¯t even be suffering more than that Girlie alone! Even though Dugu Mobao dotes on Girlie, he is really inhumane when he trains her! ¡­ ¡°Ah-choo!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly sneezed beside the sapphire-like lake in the center of Red Moon Desert and rubbed her nose. I wonder who is talking about me¡­ However, she didn¡¯t have any time or energy to think about that. ¡°You must be fast! Quick!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice coldly sounded. Chu Liuyue turned her palm into a fist, and she hurled it out again. The figure in front of her flashed, avoiding it again as it kicked its leg toward Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and turned her waist to barely avoid it. But her shin was still scratched, and it instantly burned! She immediately squatted down and pounced toward the other party like a nimble fox. The other party went for her neck. Chu Liuyue avoided it and counter-attacked by clutching the other party¡¯s wrist and attacking it! Boom! The two of them fell harshly on the floor. Lan Xiao went for a leisure walk and was shocked when he saw this scene. ¡°Hm? Big Baby, this doesn¡¯t seem to be the previous peak stage-six puppet that you used earlier?¡± Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°This is peak stage-seven.¡± Chapter 840 - She’s No Longer the Princess Lan Xiao¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Peak stage-seven? Girlie has just broken through to become a beginner stage-six warrior not long ago, yet you¡¯re treating her so harshly? It¡¯s inappropriate, don¡¯t you think?¡± Seeing Girlie filled with injuries makes my heart ache. Sigh¡­ ¡°I only have that one stage-six puppet, and she damaged it. Therefore, I can only change to this one,¡± said Dugu Mobao without a change in expression or the quickening of his heartbeat. Lan Xiao was stumped and was speechless. You clearly produced this puppet on your own. How can you not have the standard that you want? What do you mean you don¡¯t have¡­ It¡¯s just an excuse! Lan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional. ¡°Every time Girlie is here, I get to see your shameless appearance. I really miss it¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to do, I can help you find some ¡®joy.¡¯¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice was filled with murderous intent. ¡°¡­Ahem. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll take my leave first! I¡¯ll hand Girlie to you!¡± Lan Xiao then swiftly disappeared as if he were afraid that Dugu Mobao would do something to him. What a joke! It¡¯s fine if he tortures Girlie Yue¡¯er on her own because Big Baby wants to strengthen her abilities. Due to this, he will know his limits. But if it were me¡­ Big Baby will definitely push me to my grave! My body is very petite and precious! Especially this face¡ªit can¡¯t be hit again! Lan Xiao swiftly left, and Dugu Mobao was quickly left alone in this place again. His attention was naturally all on Chu Liuyue. When Chu Liuyue broke through to become a stage-six warrior, the change in weather that she triggered surprised Dugu Mobao. Originally, after he knew that Girlie had changed her body and had a Dijing Yuan meridian instead, he already planned to train her using the standard of an average Dijing Yuan meridian cultivator. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to be much more outstanding than they had predicted! Dugu Mobao always had high hopes for her, so he swiftly gave up on the previous plan as he clenched his teeth and directly increased the difficulty of the training to the same as her previous one. Firstly, he threw out a peak stage-six warrior to test the waters and shockingly discovered that Girlie¡¯s adaptation skills seemed to be much stronger than before! Therefore, when Girlie could tie with that peak stage-six puppet, he immediately changed it to the current peak stage-seven one. And in actual fact, she didn¡¯t disappoint him as she quickly grew after each battle! At first, she couldn¡¯t even retaliate when she fought against this peak stage-seven warrior and could only get beaten up. But now, she could already try her best to avoid its attacks and even counterattack from time to time. Even though her current cultivation level wasn¡¯t high, her abilities had long exceeded what she presented on the surface. And the current Chu Liuyue placed all her focus on the puppet in front of her. The longer the two of them fought, the fiercer the battle, and the more injured she was. At this point, there wasn¡¯t a single good spot in her entire body. But for some reason, the willpower in her heart grew even stronger! And gradually, her retaliation and attacks became much sharper and scarier! Sometimes, even she didn¡¯t know how her moves came about. It was as if¡­ it was her instinct. She gradually realized that inside her body, there was another her that had been hibernating this whole while. And now, that ¡®her¡¯ was gradually awakening! Shua! That puppet bent its arm and hit its wrist against Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body shook, and a sweet, fishy smell swarmed up her mouth. The next moment, her gaze became cold and focused as she didn¡¯t retreat and went forward. At the same time, she clutched the puppet¡¯s elbow tightly and flung it forward. Boom! The puppet harshly fell to the floor. Chu Liuyue seized the opportunity and stepped on the back of the puppet¡¯s head! Crack! A crisp sound was heard! The puppet¡¯s metal-like body had a dent from Chu Liuyue¡¯s stomp! Chu Liuyue spat out bloody saliva and roughly wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of her mouth as she looked at the sapphire lake. Her eyes were dazed for a moment, and she vaguely heard her own voice. ¡°Big Baby, again!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue progressed very rapidly, even faster than Dugu Mobao had expected. There seemed to be endless potential lurking around inside her body as she became stronger with every stronger opponent she met. As long as she was agitated to a certain extent, she could rapidly unleash the energy within her body and become stronger! Could this be related to the strange Yuan meridian in her body? Dugu Mobao thought to himself. Shua! The puppet beneath her feet instantly disappeared, and another puppet¡ªexactly the same¡ªappeared in front of her. ¡°This is the same as the one before. As long as you can settle it within 15 minutes this time, you pass!¡± If someone were here, they would definitely be shocked until their jaws dropped if they heard this. Not only did he demand Chu Liuyue¡ªa beginner stage-six warrior¡ªto win against a peak stage-seven warrior, but he even wanted her to do so within 15 minutes! This was nuts! However, Chu Liuyue seemed to be used to it already as she lightly nodded in agreement. These puppets were meticulously produced. They were very strong and attacked very precisely. Her advantage was that she could circulate her force to fight against the puppet. After all, the puppet only had pure physical strength. However, there was one aspect she couldn¡¯t compare with the puppet¡ªit didn¡¯t know pain or exhaustion! When Chu Liuyue previously fought with it for so long, she would¡¯ve long collapsed if it weren¡¯t for the rich force within her body. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to shorten the time to 15 minutes. ¡°If I do it this time, can I make a request?¡± asked Chu Liuyue suddenly. ¡°What do you want?¡± replied Dugu Mobao. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and said, ¡°I want to make a trip back to Xi Ling.¡± Counting the time, it should be the sixth of July soon. I don¡¯t want to miss the wedding between Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng. Upon hearing this, Dugu Mobao agreed rather quickly. ¡°No problem.¡± That place was originally her territory, so it¡¯s naturally fine for her to go back. Chu Liuyue then relaxed and looked at the puppet in front of her as a harsh glow flashed in her eyes. Then, she took action first! ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest were training harshly at different parts of the Red Moon Desert. Only one person was having it rather easy¡ªRong Xiu! Without asking, he also knew that Dugu Mobao and the rest definitely brought Chu Liuyue to the Red Moon Desert¡¯s center. The center had the only lake in the vast desert, and it was their biggest gathering spot. Of course, it was the place she loved to stay at previously. He moved forward all the way in that direction. However, Lan Xiao and the rest didn¡¯t seem to want to let him over as they kept stopping him. Luckily, Rong Xiu¡¯s capabilities had greatly improved, so it wasn¡¯t too hard for him to deal with all of this. When he broke through the challenge Lan Xiao set once again, he finally angered Lan Xiao successfully. ¡°I¡¯m not playing anymore! I¡¯m not playing anymore! Anyway, Yue¡¯er Girlie is going back to Xi Ling soon, and there¡¯s not much meaning in doing this. Sigh, she¡¯ll definitely be busy with the stupid things in the Tianling Imperial Court after she goes back. I really don¡¯t know why she wants to be the Princess! I long said to let her go with us¡ª¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and nonchalantly said, ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something I forgot to tell you. Yue¡¯er is no longer the Princess now.¡± Chapter 841 - You Don’t Know How Much She Suffered ¡°What did you say?¡± Lan Xiao¡¯s voice was filled with shock. ¡°How can she not be the Princess anymore?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and his voice was clear. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can personally ask her or anyone from the Tianling Dynasty.¡± Hearing that Rong Xiu¡¯s tone didn¡¯t sound like he was joking, Lan Xiao also noticed that something was wrong. There is no need to lie about such things, and it must be true since Rong Xiu said it! Previously, we were just excited for Girlie to be back and didn¡¯t ask her much. ¡°What exactly is going on? Could it be because she lost her Tianjing Yuan meridian?¡± Back then, that was indeed why she became the Princess. But if they remove her status as the Princess because of that¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem very appropriate, right? They really accumulated luck for thousands of years to produce a talent like her in the Tianling Dynasty. If they have brains, they definitely won¡¯t do such a thing! Rong Xiu looked down and hid the murderous intent in his eyes. His thick brows cast a light shadow below his eyes, and it made his surrounding aura much colder. ¡°That¡¯s because her status as Shangguan Yue is already dead.¡± ¡­ ¡°Big Baby! Big Baby!¡± Dugu Mobao was watching Chu Liuyue fighting with that puppet when he heard Lan Xiao¡¯s hurried voice. He knitted his brows. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lan Xiao always cares about his appearance a lot, including his voice. If it weren¡¯t because something major happened, he definitely wouldn¡¯t use such a tone. Nervousness and anger¡ªthis made Dugu Mobao¡¯s heart jump as well. Lan Xiao quickly returned, and his facial expression was terrible. Even when Girlie didn¡¯t return for a few years, he didn¡¯t reveal such an expression. Lan Xiao closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. ¡°Where¡¯s Diwu? Get him to come back quickly!¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t understand what was going on as he knitted his brows and asked, ¡°What exactly is going on? What happened?¡± Lan Xiao didn¡¯t directly answer as he continued saying, ¡°Let him come back first. I have something to say.¡± Dugu Mobao could only call Diwu Zhangze back as well. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I was just teaching those few dolls just fine¡­¡± said Diwu Zhangze, but his voice trailed off when he saw that the duo¡¯s expressions weren¡¯t right. W-what¡¯s going on? The three of them had known each other for many years, and they understood each other very well. Such an atmosphere was indeed too rare. Something definitely happened! Especially Lan Xiao, whose face looked like it had a layer of ice. This expression was normal on Big Baby¡¯s face, but it was too strange on him. Dugu Mobao said, ¡°Now that everyone is here, can you say what exactly is going on?¡± Lan Xiao raised his chin and first said to Diwu Zhangze, ¡°Look after Big Baby first.¡± The two of them exchanged glances and were confused. ¡°What exactly is¡ª¡± ¡°Do you know why Yue¡¯er Girlie changed her body?¡± The two of them knitted their brows. They always thought that it was related to her loss of memory, so they had never asked. Lan Xiao took a deep breath in and said every single word clearly. ¡°It is because Girlie previously burned herself to death¡ªthose scum from the Tianling Dynasty coveted her throne and rebelled against her! While Yue¡¯er Girlie lost her memory, they pushed her to her death! And she really isn¡¯t Shangguan Yue now, but¡­ Chu Liuyue!¡± When she previously called herself Chu Liuyue, they didn¡¯t care much about it and thought that she didn¡¯t say her real name as she was being guarded. Who knew this had happened!? This piece of news was indeed too shocking, causing Dugu Mobao and Diwu Zhangze not to react in a short time. ¡°W-what did you say?¡± That Girlie is so smart and witty, and she¡¯s very strong. In the Tianling Dynasty, she¡¯s almost under one person but above millions. How can¡­ Even though the Dahuang Swamp they were in was also considered as the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s territory, the few of them didn¡¯t actually care about the Tianling Dynasty. This was also why they didn¡¯t really notice much of the situation there and were ignorant about all of this. Besides, in their eyes, only Girlie could bully the others. Who could possibly set her up to her death? Dugu Mobao suddenly asked, ¡°Continue speaking. Who harmed her?¡± He was expressionless, and his tone was very calm, but Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao¡¯s hearts went cold. His behavior is too terrifying¡­ ¡°Big Baby¡­ Calm down first¡­¡± advised Lan Xiao. ¡°I¡¯m very calm.¡± Dugu Mobao interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m asking you again: Who are they?¡± ¡­ Xi Ling. There were only four days left until the wedding between the Third Princess¡ªShangguan Wan¡ªand Jiang Yucheng. On this day, Xiahou Yushu also went to the Jiang Residence to pass them the bridal gifts. They originally didn¡¯t plan on doing it so early. After all, nobody wanted it to coincide with Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng¡¯s big day. However, the Jiang family requested them to send the bridal gifts first and would settle the wedding between Xiahou Yushu and Jiang Yuzhi after the other two matters were done. The Xiahou family then acted according to their wishes. Xiahou Rong also followed him. Logically speaking, he didn¡¯t need to be around. But he knew that Jiang Yucheng wanted the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill, so he could only bring the item over personally. Doing this was for safety and also to show that the Xiahou Residence thought highly of this marriage. The carts of gifts were all sent to the Jiang Residence. In the living room, the two families sat together, looking very happy and harmonious. After talking for a while, Xiahou Rong said that he had some things to discuss with Jiang Yucheng in private. The crowd thought that the two of them were going to discuss imperial court matters, so they let them go to the study. After entering the study, Xiahou Rong took out the black wooden box and passed it over. ¡°The item is inside. Eldest Young Master, I hope you will stand by our previous agreement.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s lips curled up into a smile as he took the item. ¡°Of course¡ª¡± Suddenly, his expression changed. ¡°Someone touched this before?!¡± Chapter 842 - Search Xiahou Rong was confused. ¡°What?¡± He hurriedly glanced at the dull wooden box, knitted his brows, and said very surely, ¡°Impossible! I¡¯ve been taking care of this very carefully. Nobody touched it!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression turned ice-cold, and his surrounding aura turned sinister. ¡°The seal on this item has clearly been touched before. I personally passed it to you back then. Do you think I won¡¯t know what it looked like back then?¡± Xiahou Rong was stumped. ¡°What about the key?¡± Jiang Yucheng stretched out his hand. Xiahou Rong was very indignant and threw the key over, his expression rather ugly. ¡°Eldest Young Master, I won¡¯t go back on my words since I agreed to return the item to you. If you want to look at it, just do it!¡± Back then, Jiang Yucheng personally promised to hand him the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill as a reward. But now, the former wanted it back before he could even use it. Xiahou Rong had words of displeasure about it and was very upset with Jiang Yucheng in his heart. Hence, he was talking very rudely as well. Jiang Yucheng took the key and ignored him as he directly opened the black wooden box. Ka. The wooden box opened with the sound¡ªit was empty! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face immediately darkened as he sneered and glanced at Xiahou Rong. ¡°Officer Xiahou, what do you say about this?¡± Xiahou Rong widened his eyes in shock as he stared at the empty wooden box with a deadly gaze. ¡°How is this possible? How is this possible?! I clearly took great care of it! Why is it missing?¡± Jiang Yucheng threw the black wooden box to Xiahou Rong, and it dropped to the ground and let out a low sound. ¡°You can see for yourself if it¡¯s true or false.¡± Xiahou Rong didn¡¯t care too much as he directly picked up the black wooden box and took a closer look. When he flipped it around to check and confirmed that there was nothing inside, his face flushed white. Tiny beads of sweat immediately covered his forehead as his lips trembled slightly. The black wooden box in his hands instantly became a hot potato! Xiahou Rong couldn¡¯t hold it or throw it as his facial expression changed incredulously. Jiang Yucheng stared at him coldly, and his eyes turned sinister. The next moment, Xiahou Rong finally recovered his senses and hurriedly looked up. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I really don¡¯t know!¡± Ever since I received this item, I¡¯ve been taking care of it meticulously. Why would it suddenly disappear? Jiang Yucheng pulled at his lips without much smiling intent. ¡°Then, do you mean that the item inside ran off?¡± Xiahou Rong started recalling rapidly as countless scenes flashed across his mind. ¡°N-no¡­¡± I personally went to the study to retrieve this item, and there was nothing strange during the entire process. I didn¡¯t see any traces of someone touching it! This also means that the other party must¡¯ve silently taken the item away! The one who can do this¡­ Hang on! Xiahou Rong¡¯s facial expression immediately changed. There are only a few people who know about these things so clearly, especially the ones who know how to find it and take it away¡­ ¡°It seems like you already know who did it, Officer Xiahou?¡± Jiang Yucheng spoke lightly, and his gaze was filled with mockery. Xiahou Rong¡¯s lips moved as he muttered in disbelief, ¡°Impossible¡­ That¡¯s impossible¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always trusted your character, Officer Xiahou. This time, I¡¯ll just take it as you failing to safeguard it. If you can find the person in one day and bring the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill back in one piece, I¡¯ll forget about this incident and treat it like it never happened. What do you think?¡± Jiang Yucheng looked down and turned the ring in his hands as he slowly said, ¡°As for the person who did this, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to deal with him, Officer Xiahou. After all, the fewer people who know about this, the better. I¡¯m also doing this for your reputation. What do you think?¡± He felt that he was already very kind by handling the matter in this way. But to Xiahou Rong, this was undoubtedly an extremely difficult issue. This was because¡­ The person who did it was most likely his second son, Xiahou Tingan! Xiahou Rong kept quiet for quite some time before he swallowed his saliva with much difficulty and said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, c-could you spare that person¡¯s life if we find them?¡± Jiang Yucheng looked up and glanced at him nonchalantly. Seeing Xiahou Rong¡¯s nervous look, he suddenly laughed. ¡°It seems like my guess was right¡ªXiahou Tingan did do it. I didn¡¯t expect his guts to grow so much and for him to do such a thing.¡± Xiahou Rong¡¯s hands trembled. ¡°T-this hasn¡¯t been concluded yet. It might even be someone else¡­ You also know that I just chased him out of the house a while back. I¡¯m afraid he hasn¡¯t even recovered from his injuries yet. Why would he¡­¡± His voice became increasingly quiet. Honestly, even he didn¡¯t believe his own words. To be able to sneak into the Xiahou Residence successfully, silently enter the barrier outside the study, smoothly find the key to open the wooden box, and take the item away¡­ Other than Xiahou Rong himself, only Xiahou Tingan could break these layers of defensive barriers. Jiang Yucheng looked at Xiahou Rong as if he were looking at a joke. ¡°It¡¯s a pity for all the parents in the world. Officer Xiahou, you¡¯re here begging for mercy for him and want to protect him no matter what, but it¡¯s a pity that he doesn¡¯t even care about you as a father. If he considered you or the entire Xiahou family, he definitely wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s words were like knives that kept stabbing into Xiahou Rong¡¯s heart. He closed his eyes, suppressed his emotions, and cupped his fists. ¡°Eldest Young Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely send the item back in perfect condition! If that rebel really did it¡­ I hope you¡¯ll let him off for my sake!¡± Xiahou Rong had never used such a humble tone to beg someone before. Even to obtain the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill back then, he had a bidirectional discussion with Jiang Yucheng. It was the first time he begged like this. After pausing for a long time, Jiang Yucheng finally nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ After Xiahou Rong went out, he left with Xiahou Yushu and the rest very quickly. Other than him and Jiang Yucheng, nobody else knew what the duo talked about in the study. Almost everyone thought that the marriage was settled easily and smoothly. After the wedding, the two aristocratic families could merge and join! Back at the residence, Xiahou Rong ordered his subordinates to bring Xiahou Tingan back. The entire Xiahou Residence was shocked. He was just evicted. Why does Xiahou Rong want him back so quickly? However¡­ Xiahou Tingan is his biological son after all, and he¡¯s the one Xiahou Rong doted on the most for so many years. It¡¯s normal for him to feel reluctant. Very quickly, news came back. It was said that Xiahou Tingan had been staying with that lady from Chun Feng Restaurant. When Xiahou Rong heard this, he was enraged and immediately went forward personally. Chapter 843 - Know Too Much When Xiahou Rong came to the door, it was evening. Xiahou Tingan was eating with Xiao Die. Perhaps because she was from Chun Feng Restaurant, but Xiao Die wasn¡¯t good at cooking. The food she made was hard to swallow. Xiahou Tingan was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and used and ate the best. How could he be used to all of this? In the beginning, he could still bring Xiao Die to the restaurants outside. But after some time, he didn¡¯t have much money with him. One had to know that when he left the Xiahou Residence, he left with dignity and didn¡¯t bring a single item with him. And all the money inside the Cosmic Ring that he previously gave Xiao Die was used to redeem her from the brothel, so there wasn¡¯t much left. They had already lived humbly for many days. Xiahou Tingan was originally very uncomfortable in all sorts of areas. In addition to the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill being stolen, he had been very uneasy and anxious during this period. He had no energy during the day and couldn¡¯t sleep at night. Even if he fell asleep occasionally, he would have constant nightmares. After much struggle, he became much thinner. Xiahou Tingan started to regret faintly. Even though this place was clean and tidy, it couldn¡¯t be compared to the Xiahou Residence. There was also nobody around to serve him. He was used to the extravagant lifestyle, so it was even worse than killing him for him to experience the commoner¡¯s life. Actually, Xiahou Tingan also thought of going back to admit his mistakes. But on the one hand, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so and was afraid that he would suffer all sorts of mockery when he went back. On the other hand, he was also afraid that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill¡¯s disappearance would be exposed. Rather than that, it would be better for him to just live like this. However, this peace was quickly broken! Boom! After hearing the sound of the door being kicked open, Xiahou Tingan and Xiao Die were collectively stunned. The duo exchanged glances and heard Xiahou Rong¡¯s enraged voice from outside. ¡°Rascal! Come out now!¡± Xiahou Tingan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The matter regarding the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill going missing must¡¯ve been discovered! He immediately stood up in panic and wanted to escape instinctively. Xiao Die looked at him in a daze. ¡°Second Young Master, is the person outside¡­ Officer Xiahou? He seems to be here to look for you¡­¡± ¡°Just say that I¡¯m not here!¡± Xiahou Tingan hurriedly threw a sentence behind and was about to jump down from the window. But a rope tangled around his waist before he could move, and Xiahou Rong pulled with all his might. Xiahou Tingan instantly fell backward! Boom! He slammed harshly in front of Xiahou Rong. ¡°Second Young Master¡ª¡± Seeing this scene, Xiao Die yelled out in panic as she clutched the door tightly and looked very worried. Xiahou Rong glanced at her with an extremely cold gaze. This lady looks like she¡¯s around 15 or 16, and she has a natural look that is very charming and will look even more pitiable when she cries. She¡¯s greatly different from Jiang Yuzhi¡¯s arrogant manner. No wonder this rascal would do this! ¡°Get lost!¡± hollered Xiahou Rong. ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you in Xi Ling ever again!¡± Xiao Die shuddered, and tears fell like the rain as she glanced at Xiahou Tingan reluctantly. ¡°I-I can leave, b-but¡­ Please, don¡¯t hurt Second Young Master. It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Xiahou Rong knitted his brows, and his surrounding aura became colder. Horror flashed across Xiao Die¡¯s face as she hurriedly bid farewell to Xiahou Tingan and ran away while crying. This father-son duo was left alone in the yard. Xiahou Rong directly dragged his son into the room and looked down at him from above solemnly. ¡°Father¡­¡± Xiahou Tingan was slightly more awakened. When he saw this setup, he vaguely guessed something in his heart and guiltily called out. ¡°Don¡¯t call me!¡± Xiahou Rong interrupted him violently. ¡°Answer me¡ªwhere¡¯s the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill?!¡± Xiahou Tingan anxiously said, ¡°Father, I don¡¯t know! I really don¡¯t know!¡± Smack! A resounding slap was heard. Xiahou Tingan¡¯s one slap directly caused Xiahou Tingan to hurl backward and collapse onto the floor. ¡°Answer me!¡± Xiahou Tingan coughed and spat out a mouthful of blood. Even two of his teeth had fallen out¡ªthis showed how much force Xiahou Rong had used! ¡°I-I really don¡¯t know¡­¡± Xiahou Tingan also felt very aggrieved. ¡°Who else can silently steal the thing away other than you!?¡± Xiahou Rong clenched his teeth. ¡°Did you find someone to help you!¡± Thinking about it now, the item was most likely lost the night when someone overheard my conversation. The person who ran away might¡¯ve even been used as a distraction to let this rascal steal the item more conveniently! After knowing the incident was exposed, Xiahou Tingan couldn¡¯t deny it. However¡­ That item really isn¡¯t with me! ¡°Father, please listen to me! I-I did intend to steal the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill that day, but the moment I opened the box, someone snatched it away from me. Even now, I still have no idea where it is!¡± Xiahou Tingan hurriedly explained the incident that day. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s really with me, why haven¡¯t I used it yet? Father, I¡¯m speaking the truth!¡± Hearing Xiahou Tingan¡¯s explanation, Xiahou Rong¡¯s heart gradually turned cold. If what he says is true, it means that someone purposely followed him when he barged into the study and took the chance to steal the item. The most terrifying thing is that Xiahou Tingan didn¡¯t see what the other party looked like, and there are no clues whatsoever! If we are to look for that person, would it not be akin to finding a needle in a haystack?! Jiang Yucheng wants the item sent back within a day in perfect condition! Xiahou Rong¡¯s vision turned black, and he almost collapsed to the floor. ¡°Father!¡± Seeing this, Xiahou Tingan hurriedly went to help him up but was pushed away. ¡°Rascal, do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused!?¡± If Jiang Yucheng knows that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill has gone missing, our entire family won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences! I might not even be able to protect myself if word gets out, let alone protecting Xiahou Tingan! The Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill is an heirloom of the Tianling royal family, and it would be a giant threat in whoever¡¯s hands it landed in. The other party had clearly caught onto us a long time ago, and they definitely wanted to use this Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill¡ª Suddenly, a white light flashed across Xiahou Rong¡¯s mind. In this world, who would be so stubborn about this item and even snatch it despite needing to use so much effort? One has to know that it was taken from the Princess two years ago! A ridiculous idea popped up in his mind, which made Xiahou Rong¡¯s body shake uncontrollably. Xiahou Tingan saw his reaction from the side, and his heart hung high. This seems¡­ much more serious than I expected¡­ But at this point, Xiahou Tingan still thought that his father was worried about Jiang Yucheng. An idea popped up in his mind as he leaned in nearer, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°Father, aren¡¯t you just worried about Jiang Yucheng? Actually, you don¡¯t need to think so much. Jiang Yucheng also played a part in the Princess¡¯s incident back then, and he definitely can¡¯t escape it. With this trump card, he won¡¯t really dare to do anything to you!¡± Xiahou Rong suddenly looked at his son and was shocked and enraged. ¡°What else do you know?!¡± Chapter 844 - Celebration Xiahou Tingan was taken aback by his reaction and instinctively moved backward, but his collar was pulled up. ¡°Speak! You heard everything that day, right?!¡± asked Xiahou Rong sharply. ¡°F-father¡­ cough, cough!¡± Xiahou Tingan grabbed his hand and wanted to push it away as he coughed uncomfortably. ¡°I-I just¡­ heard a little¡­ cough¡ª¡± But Xiahou Rong didn¡¯t believe his second son, and his face became super dark like it never had before. Xiahou Tingan had never seen such an expression on his father, and he couldn¡¯t help but swallow his remaining words. After some time, Xiahou Rong loosened his hands and stood up. ¡°Follow me to the Jiang Residence. When we¡¯re there, you just need to tell Jiang Yucheng whatever you said before. You must never let him know what you eavesdropped, do you understand?¡± Xiahou Tingan nodded in panic. Xiahou Rong took a deep glance at him and sighed in his heart. Very obviously, there are still people in Xi Ling City who want to investigate the truth behind the Princess¡¯s death. And these people could be in the imperial court, but they could also be amongst the commoners. There is also something else that I have to worry about¡­ Those people might already be back! ¡­ Red Moon Desert. After countless tries, Chu Liuyue finally hit the puppet to the floor within 15 minutes! Her entire body seemed to be covered in wounds, and there were still some bloodstains by the corner of her mouth, making her entire person look miserable. She had been bitterly training for a month, and she felt like she had died quite a few times. Every time she thought that she couldn¡¯t continue, she relied on her stubbornness and barely made it past. However, the effort she put in wasn¡¯t for naught! Other than her physical body becoming stronger and her attacks being improved, she surprisingly broke through and became an intermediate stage-six warrior when she fought with this puppet! She had stayed in the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s God Realm for a year and accumulated quite a bit of force. Adding on this period of time¡ªwhere she crazily fought with these puppets and her combat power kept improving¡ªit was very normal for her to ascend to the next grade. ¡°Big Baby, I won!¡± Chu Liuyue heavily sighed as she spoke elatedly. Beside her, that peak stage-seven puppet had already been beaten up rotten. But when she said this, nobody answered her. The surroundings were silent. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and walked closer to the lake. ¡°Big Baby?¡± Then, Big Baby¡¯s voice sounded beside her ear. ¡°We all saw it. You did very well.¡± After spending a long time here, Chu Liuyue became much more familiar with the few of them. For some reason, Big Baby¡¯s tone sounds different at this moment¡­ She blinked and tried to ask, ¡°Big Baby, why do you seem unhappy?¡± Actually, she shouldn¡¯t have said ¡®unhappy.¡¯ Instead, it seemed like he was suppressing some sort of anger. Even though he talked very calmly, Chu Liuyue had this feeling for some reason. Could it be¡­ that someone offended him? ¡°It¡¯s just some small matter. It¡¯s not important.¡± Big Baby skipped past it and changed the topic. ¡°You previously said that you wanted to make a trip back to Xi Ling after you won, right?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Counting the time, I should be able to make it if I go back now. ¡°I¡¯ll send you guys back,¡± said Big Baby calmly. Chu Liuyue was first elated and then felt that something was wrong. She knitted her brows. ¡°Big Baby, are you really okay?¡± Big Baby didn¡¯t answer, and the yellow sand beneath Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet started moving suddenly! The next moment, the scene in front of her changed! She focused and surveyed her surroundings before realizing that Big Baby directly sent her back to the intersection between the three areas. Then, she saw another figure coming over from the Red Moon Desert! She said ¡®coming over,¡¯ but that figure was directly sent out. ¡°Aiyo, my waist¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu held her waist and bared her teeth in pain. However, she only said half her sentence when she saw Chu Liuyue in front of her. ¡°Liuyue?!¡± She gasped in shock immediately! Then, she rushed toward her friend! ¡°Ah!!! It¡¯s really you! That¡¯s great!¡± She originally wanted to pounce directly over and hug her friend, but when she arrived right in front of Chu Liuyue, she then recalled that her face was covered in dust and stopped herself. Chu Liuyue held her arm. Mu Hongyu widened her eyes and saw that Chu Liuyue seemed to be injured. But the moment she was about to speak with heartache, she realized that the latter¡¯s bodily suppression seemed to be heavier than before! She seems¡­ much stronger! ¡°Liuyue, did you break through to become an intermediate stage-six warrior?!¡± Mu Hongyu was thrilled. After seeing Chu Liuyue smile and nod, she circled around her in shock a few times. ¡°You¡¯re amazing! How long has it been? Yet, you directly improved by two grades! Let me tell you¡ª¡± Boom! A sound suddenly landed beside them¡ªit was Ye Ranran. ¡°Aiyo¡ª¡± She was still holding onto a cauldron tightly, afraid that it would break. Chu Liuyue glanced at it from the corner of her eyes and actually saw a pile of pills in the cauldron. With a rough glance, there were all sorts of pills with varying standards. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Ranran!¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly held her up. Ye Ranran was still quite dazed. When she saw the duo¡¯s faces, she looked surprised. Her chubby face seemed to become thinner as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°I-I finally found you!¡± For some reason, someone kept pressing me to refine pills, and they had all sorts of rare ingredients. I was too exhausted, but I couldn¡¯t bear to stop! In the end, I became this exhausted. Then, Qiang Wanzhou, Qin Yi, and Lei Laosi all appeared gradually. Chu Liuyue sensitively discovered that although they all looked tortured, everyone was much stronger than before. Perhaps¡­ Big Baby and the rest helped them too? Chu Liuyue felt a slight warmth in her heart. ¡°We can talk when we go back. Let¡¯s go back to Xi Ling first!¡± The few of them had no objections. Qin Yi said, ¡°Coincidentally, we¡¯re going back to Xi Ling too. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him and lightly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Therefore, the few of them decided to go back together. Mu Hongyu said, ¡°I remember that we still have to go through a few transportation formations to go back¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, a blue barrier enveloped the few of them. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. This should be done by Big Baby¡­ At this moment, Big Baby¡¯s voice sounded beside her ears. ¡°Go back and do what you want.¡± Even though it was a very childish voice, it sounded stable and secure to Chu Liuyue. It was filled with comforting strength. Chu Liuyue seemed to be more confident. She bowed toward Red Moon Desert and seriously said, ¡°Thank you, Seniors.¡± Then, the blue barrier glistened. The few people¡¯s figures immediately disappeared from the spot. ¡­ On the streets of Xi Ling, there were decorations everywhere, and it was very crowded. This was because the Third Princess¡¯s wedding would be held in three days, which was also her coronation ceremony. Hence, the entire Xi Ling was celebrating for ten days¡ªfrom three days before the wedding to seven days after. In the Jiang Residence, the lights shone brightly. Hearing the commotion outside, an idea popped up in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mind. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and walk.¡± Chapter 845 - Ah Yue The entire Jiang Residence was decorated and was filled with a celebratory mood. Jiang Yucheng walked to the door and stood with his hands behind his back. Even though he didn¡¯t look forward to this wedding much, he still felt something tingle in his heart when he saw this scene. The same scene also appeared here two years ago. At one moment, he almost thought that he had returned to that time. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± Sun Qi walked forward and looked at him solemnly. ¡°Do you have any instructions for me?¡± Jiang Yucheng recovered his senses and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a casual walk. You don¡¯t have to follow me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sun Qi hurriedly acknowledged the words. Jiang Yucheng raised his legs and walked forward, but the moment he took two steps, he heard hushed whispers from the side. ¡°Hey, how much do you think the Eldest Young Master will reward us this time? Will it be as much as before? At that time, even the lowliest subordinate in our residence was given 100 white crystals. The superior ones even had red packets worth thousands of white crystals!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible¡­ After all, it was the wedding with the Princess back then. Even though the Third Princess¡¯s identity is also distinguished, she¡¯s still a little weaker compared to the Princess¡­ I think that it¡¯ll be good if we even have two-thirds!¡± ¡°Hah, you¡¯re really positive. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that good. Can¡¯t you tell that our Eldest Young Master¡¯s reaction this time is different from before? The wedding is in three days, but I haven¡¯t even seen Eldest Young Master smile during this period. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t even get half of what we did!¡± ¡°Touch wood! Don¡¯t say such negative words! The wedding between Eldest Young Master and the Third Princess is a happy event! You don¡¯t even see Eldest Young Master once in a few days, so how would you know if he didn¡¯t smile?¡± ¡°Hmph, you don¡¯t know about this, right? When Officer Yuwen from the Ceremonial Department brought people over that day to discuss with Eldest Young Master about the wedding affairs, Eldest Young Master directly let Officer Yuwen take charge himself¡­ I remember that Eldest Young Master had even picked the cutlery and tea sets on his own for the previous wedding¡­¡± Though the few of them were speaking softly, strong warriors like Jiang Yucheng could hear them crystal clear. Sun Qi heard it too, and he secretly cursed in his heart as he hurriedly went forward. ¡°Eldest Young Master, do you want me to teach them a lesson¡ª¡± ¡°No need.¡± Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows as if he were thinking about something and said after a moment, ¡°Just reward them with half of what we gave the last time.¡± Sun Qi hurriedly bowed. ¡°Yes!¡± Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t stop. After he said this, he walked outside. Sun Qi was dazed as he looked at Jiang Yucheng¡¯s back view, not understanding what was going on. According to Eldest Young Master¡¯s temper, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let them off when he heard these words, especially since it even implicated the Princess¡­ Even Sun Qi didn¡¯t dare to casually mention this in front of Jiang Yucheng. After thinking for a while, he couldn¡¯t figure out why, so he just gave up. He called his subordinates over and passed on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s order before bringing people to follow him in secret. After Jiang Yucheng left, he casually found an isolated corner and changed into a mask. When he walked out, he became an ordinary-looking young master. ¡­ The streets were bustling. Even though quite a few clans were still scarred by the missing disciples, this didn¡¯t have much to do with the majority of the people in Xi Ling City. The Third Princess¡¯s wedding gave out quite a few benefits. They didn¡¯t even have enough time to be happy, so why would they care about anything else? Jiang Yucheng walked alone on the streets. At this point, nobody recognized him, and all treated him like a commoner. They wouldn¡¯t even give him an extra gaze. Jiang Yucheng walked on aimlessly. The scene in front of him was very similar to two years ago, but his feelings were completely different. Recalling the servants¡¯ earlier discussion, he smiled at himself mockingly. It¡¯s indeed different. At that time, I spent all my effort preparing everything, wanting everything to be perfect. Now, I don¡¯t have this energy and will be tired if I hear more than two sentences. If it weren¡¯t for those people¡¯s reminders, I would even forget about giving out monetary rewards. But actually, he only willingly did this because he was happy back then. If it weren¡¯t because he was worried that Shangguan Wan would feel embarrassed, he would be too lazy to do it again. Everyone around was elated and immersed in the commotion. He was the only one who seemed like a stranger that couldn¡¯t fit in. Even if he was the one getting married, he didn¡¯t feel much about it until now. Jiang Yucheng walked into a restaurant and went up to the second floor to get some alcohol for himself. The smell of the alcohol was fresh, and it burned his throat when it entered. Everything related to that person was stuck in his memory. Jiang Yucheng was quite frustrated, and he wanted to throw all of these memories away as he kept downing cup after cup. But the more he drank, the hotter he felt, and the clearer he was. Every single scene played in his mind in a more lively manner. Her laughter, her cries, her happiness, and her sorrow. He thought that as long as he did what he should do and became the top amongst these people, he would become her best choice. However, he didn¡¯t expect that everything was just his own wishful thinking. He only found out at the end that the person he thought would always be high and mighty and always be a person that everyone could only look up to would one day have her eyes filled with stars because of one person. After that, everything about her was unrelated to him. Even the wedding he spent so much effort preparing for was just a dream. When she smiled, her eyes were clean and pure. But she was very quickly swallowed by a ball of fire, leaving behind that harsh gaze! Jiang Yucheng suddenly woke up and stood up. Due to his sudden movements, the chair fell backward and let out a sound. He harshly shook his head and realized that he seemed to have drunk too much as he settled the bill and went out. It was time to go back. The light wind blew over, and it woke Jiang Yucheng up quite a bit. The many emotions in his eyes gradually faded away like waves subsiding. But just as he was about to turn and walk away, he saw a familiar figure far away. Then, he was suddenly dazed. It was a woman in a red dress, and one could vaguely see her curves. Her hair was lush, adorned with only one extremely simple peach blossom hairpin. She stood there quietly with her head slightly tilted, revealing her thin, white neck and her beautiful side view. The surrounding lights shone brightly. When they shone on her face, it was like the snow in the night sky¡ªpure and clean, with a tinge of cold elegance. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart suddenly started beating wildly! It¡¯s her! Almost uncontrollably, he quickly went forward and walked past the crowd with his eyes and heart filled with that one person. The closer Jiang Yucheng got, the faster his heartbeat! He stretched out to hold that woman¡¯s hands. ¡°Ah Yue¡ª¡± Chapter 846 - I’m Still Alive That woman seemed to notice something as she turned around, and her breathtaking face entered his view. Strangeness flashed across her eyes as her red lips curled up into a slight smile. ¡°You are¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng abruptly stopped his actions. Even though the woman in front looks extremely like her, it isn¡¯t her! Those eyes look like hers, but they¡¯re quite different. That person¡¯s eyes always had a tinge of gentleness and cunningness, but the person in front has clear, black gem-like eyes with a tinge of coldness. It¡¯s not her¡­ It¡¯s not her! Chu Liuyue looked down at his hand hovering in mid-air and raised her brows slightly. Even though he was wearing a mask, she still directly recognized Jiang Yucheng through his face shape, steps, and voice. Those words¡­ Did Jiang Yucheng take me as Shangguan Yue? I really haven¡¯t heard him call me this in such a long while. Pfft, how disgusting. ¡°¡­Why is it you?¡± Jiang Yucheng stiffly retracted his hand and curled his fingers. Something seemed to be stuck in his throat as he dryly asked this with much difficulty. Seeing Jiang Yucheng¡¯s shocked and disappointed gaze, Chu Liuyue blinked and smiled with even deeper meaning. Hearing that voice seems to be filled with longing and elation¡­ Those who didn¡¯t know would really think that he was devoted to her. And he still questioned me in such a manner? What a joke. Does Jiang Yucheng still wish to see Shangguan Yue again? Isn¡¯t he the one who pushed her to her death? What right does he have to talk to her like that?! An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face as she smiled slightly and said, ¡°Young Master, I think you recognized the wrong person. I came here with my friend, and they went in to buy some things, so I¡¯m waiting for them here.¡± In actual fact, they only reached Xi Ling an hour ago. She originally wanted to go straight back to Chong Xu Cabinet, but Mu Hongyu said that they were in a sorry state and that if they went back like this, they would definitely make people very worried. No matter what, they had to tidy themselves up first. Actually, it wasn¡¯t only Mu Hongyu. The others, including Chu Liuyue, also looked terrible. They had stayed in the Red Moon Desert for such a long time after all. With yellow sand filling the place and with the hot sun shining brightly, the few of them stank. Chu Liuyue also didn¡¯t want to go back in such a sorry state, so they thought of a plan and went to a guest inn to tidy themselves up. As there was still a small bruise on Chu Liuyue¡¯s head, Ye Ranran decided to directly apply a layer of thin powder for her and tidy herself up. Chu Liuyue rarely dolled herself up, but seeing that Ye Ranran insisted, she let her be. In between, she recalled that Rong Xiu had given her a peach blossom hairpin, but she didn¡¯t wear it properly. Hence, she took it out to use. Originally, she wanted to tidy herself up properly to go back, but she didn¡¯t expect to meet Jiang Yucheng while Mu Hongyu and the rest were buying items. How unlucky. Chu Liuyue quietly sighed in her heart, and her good mood suddenly became non-existent. At this point, Jiang Yucheng gradually recovered his senses. Chu Liuyue¡­ Chu Liuyue! Didn¡¯t she already¡ª He suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. ¡°Y-you¡¯re still alive?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes, slightly raised her chin, stared into Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes, and laughed lightly. ¡°Young Master, you must be joking. I¡¯m standing here in one piece. Of course, I¡¯m still alive.¡± Jiang Yucheng was dazed for a moment. This expression and this gaze¡ªit really is like that person talking. His alcohol kicked in, and his brain expanded as he looked at the woman in front and muttered, ¡°¡­Good that you¡¯re alive¡­ Good¡­ I-I really¡­¡± Firstly, he acted as if a huge burden was relieved. Then, he suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed greatly. ¡°N-no¡­¡± The thick alcohol smell came over. Chu Liuyue silently took a step back, but her eyes were still tightly glued to him. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s reaction is indeed weird. ¡°Liuyue!¡± At this point, Mu Hongyu¡¯s clear voice sounded from the side. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran rushing over. The two of them were originally elated; then, they saw the unfamiliar young man standing beside her. The way he¡¯s looking at Chu Liuyue is indeed weird. Mu Hongyu knitted her brows and immediately went forward to pull Chu Liuyue over. She silently stood in front and blocked Jiang Yucheng¡¯s vision. ¡°Liuyue, who is this?¡± asked Mu Hongyu alertly. He¡¯s filled with a drunken odor. Did he come here to hit Liuyue up because she¡¯s pretty? He¡¯s clearly not a good person! Chu Liuyue lightly laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know him. I think he recognized the wrong person.¡± This finally woke Jiang Yucheng up. He closed his eyes and recalled that he was using someone else¡¯s face, so it was natural for them to be this alert. But it¡¯s good that this is the case. If not¡­ He glanced at Chu Liuyue calmly before turning around to leave. ¡°Hey¡­ What¡¯s wrong with this person?¡± Mu Hongyu knitted her brows even more tightly. ¡°Does he not know how to even apologize?¡± He doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person, but why was he not brought up well? Chu Liuyue held her wrist and shook her head slightly. ¡°Forget it. What¡¯s the point of calculating it against such a person? Where¡¯s Little Zhou and the rest?¡± Ye Ranran softly said, ¡°Big Brother Qin said that they wanted to tidy him up, so they should be out soon, right?¡± Chu Liuyue held her head. The few big men actually took a longer time than us. I really admire them. Thinking of Little Zhou¡¯s ice-cold face, Chu Liuyue felt her head ache. I think only Qin Yi and the rest can control him¡­ Ye Ranran looked at her surroundings and sighed. ¡°Xi Ling hasn¡¯t been this crowded in two years. Last time¡­¡± When she spoke of this, her gaze darkened. Mu Hongyu was about to ask why when she suddenly recalled something and fell silent. It should be related to that Princess¡­ ¡°What a pity¡­¡± muttered Mu Hongyu. Originally, she still admired that Princess very much. But now that she finally arrived at Xi Ling with much difficulty, that person was no longer around. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and said with deep meaning, ¡°What¡¯s there to feel pity about? We managed to rush here in time for the Third Princess and Eldest Young Master Jiang¡¯s wedding. I believe it¡¯ll be very crowded by then.¡± Chapter 847 - Drunk The moment she said it, they heard a few familiar footsteps from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Qin Yi and Lei Laosi walking at the front. ¡°We¡¯re back!¡± Lei Laosi yelled to the few of them excitedly. Qiang Wanzhou was following behind the two of them. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up, and her lips curled up into a smile. Qiang Wanzhou had changed into a moon-white robe with a white jade belt around his waist, which easily outlined his young and handsome stature. His soft golden hair exuded a faint light under the candle fire, and a few strands of hair dropped down, covering his sharp eyes. This caused his surrounding aura to be much gentler. His nose was straight, and his lips were as red as a rose. His intricately carved chin was a little round, but he still looked very youthful. In the past, Qiang Wanzhou always wore his torn and tattered clothes, and his skinny body swung around emptily within. He looked very wild, like a lone wolf moving around. Even after he entered Chong Xu Cabinet and followed Chu Liuyue, he was still like a gray shadow. This was the first time Chu Liuyue saw him like this, and she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Indeed, a good-looking person will definitely look amazing as long as you tidy them up. At first glance, I would really think that he¡¯s a distinguished young master from some aristocratic family. Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran also sized Qiang Wanzhou up in shock and surprise as if they had never seen him before. As if noticing their gazes, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s entire body stiffened. He didn¡¯t know where to place his hands and legs as he quickly glanced at Chu Liuyue and became even more nervous when he saw her smiling happily at him. After momentary embarrassment, he turned around and planned to go back. ¡°Let me go back and change.¡± I really feel extremely uncomfortable in this! ¡°Hey¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue pulled him back and couldn¡¯t help but laugh in her heart when she saw his face of rejection and embarrassment. But since he was already this awkward, she naturally couldn¡¯t add oil to the fire. Hence, she lightly patted his shoulders and seriously said, ¡°Little Zhou, you look good like this.¡± Qiang Wanzhou was dazed for a moment and looked at her doubtfully. ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes and brows all seemed to have smiles. ¡°Really.¡± In the past, he was always alone. In order to survive, he fought with groups after groups of beasts for resources and had a wild nature. However, it was different now. He had her and so many others. He would no longer have no place to stay in the future and would no longer be lonely without any dependence. Looking into that pair of black, gem-like eyes, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s uneasy heart gradually calmed down. ¡°Hehe, I knew this will definitely incur her¡ªtheir pleasure!¡± Lei Laosi smiled delightfully at the side. At the start, this kid refused to cooperate no matter what, and I spent a long time convincing him. In the end, I had to bring up Her Highness to finally make him do it. Look! This is what a normal youngster should look like! He long wanted to say that Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s usually dirty and dusty appearance wasn¡¯t enough. Upon hearing this, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face¡ªwhich was very white to the extent where it was almost transparent¡ªstarted burning. He awkwardly turned around, but his ears were as red as a tomato. Chu Liuyue secretly laughed in her heart. This kid is like a porcupine. He looks like he¡¯s filled with thorns and is hard to approach, but in actual fact, his heart is very soft. His skin is also extremely thin. He will easily blush after being teased for a few sentences. But¡­ She raised her brows slightly and glanced at Lei Laosi. Does this person want Qiang Wanzhou to replace him temporarily because he can no longer see people with his real appearance? After all, he was indeed a young and fine gentleman back then. Yet, he needs to act like this burly character now¡­ Seeing that Qiang Wanzhou was about to become cooked, Chu Liuyue finally spoke kindly. ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s get on our way then! Mentor and the rest must be anxious from waiting!¡± Chu Liuyue spoke as she looked at the Qin Yi duo. ¡°Then¡­ We¡¯ll bid farewell here.¡± Qin Yi lightly nodded. ¡°Since we¡¯re already at Xi Ling, we won¡¯t send you any further. Four and I will stay at that inn. If there¡¯s anything you need help with, feel free to look for us.¡± Chu Liuyue calmly said, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ After seeing Chu Liuyue and the rest off until they couldn¡¯t see their figures, the smile on Lei Laosi¡¯s face then gradually faded as he looked in a direction alertly. ¡°Big Brother, that man just now¡­¡± Qin Yi smiled. ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Fire burned in Lei Laosi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Pfft! How shameless!¡± They were previously a distance away, so they couldn¡¯t see the situation here clearly. They only vaguely saw a man speaking to Her Highness for a while before leaving. However, they were extremely familiar with that person¡¯s aura. Even if he turned into dust, they could still clearly recognize him! God knows what he said to Her Highness! ¡°Then, should we follow them and take a look?¡± asked Lei Laosi softly. Qin Yi paused for a moment and shook his head. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lei Laosi found it weird. Qin Yi¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°It¡¯s naturally because¡­ someone is already doing it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lei Laosi was a little confused, and he suddenly thought of something the next moment. ¡°Could it be Seven?¡± Previously, Her Highness had mentioned that Qi Han came back with her. The two of us used a special Yuan instrument to hide our auras, and Qi Han seems to have used Xiao Ba¡¯s medicine¡­ ¡°Even though Seven is good at this, someone seems to have superseded his master.¡± Qin Yi revealed a meaningful smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to change so much in just two years¡­¡± Lei Laosi was still confused. Does Big Brother mean that¡­ someone else is secretly following Jiang Yucheng? But who else could it be other than Seven¡ª ¡°Let¡¯s go. I think Seven still doesn¡¯t know that we¡¯re back,¡± said Qin Yi as he moved forward. Lei Laosi hurriedly followed. As he walked, he thought to himself, Could it be that other than Qi Han and us, the other Thirteen Yue Guards have already come back to Xi Ling? ¡­ Jiang Yucheng walked on the streets, and his mind was in a mess. The previous scene seemed to keep replaying in his head. She¡¯s not her¡­ He rubbed his glabella and wanted to throw away everything in his mind. But for some reason, the more he thought, the clearer it got. The people were bustling on the streets. That red woman stood there quietly and smiled when she turned around. That was¡ªChu Liuyue¡¯s face! For some reason, Jiang Yucheng felt faintly anxious. He stumbled forward and almost collapsed onto the ground. ¡°Eldest Young Master!¡± Sun Qi¡ªwho was following him in the dark¡ªhurriedly went forward but was pushed aside by Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you¡ª¡± said Sun Qi rather worriedly. I can count the number of times Eldest Young Master has gotten drunk with my hands, and the day hasn¡¯t even come yet. So why¡ª Jiang Yucheng closed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Chapter 848 - Lively Chapter 848: Lively Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chong Xu Cabinet. Weichi Song took Qi Dahe¡¯s pulse once more. Although the latter¡¯s injuries hadn¡¯t fully healed, his condition had more or less stabilized. The only thing was that his brain still wasn¡¯t working well, so he spent most of the time living in a muddled state. Besides, he was now a mute, so he couldn¡¯t talk at all. Everyone at Chong Xu Cabinet couldn¡¯t understand why Weichi Song insisted on putting Qi Dahe up, but they asked no questions and merely did as told dutifully. Weichi Song took out a pill and fed it to Qi Dahe, feeling slightly relieved when he saw the latter whimper in bed as a hint of struggle showed in his eyes. The fact that he¡¯s having such a reaction proves that his condition is improving. If he fully recovers¡­ All of a sudden, he turned to look outside the door upon sensing something. That aura¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Cabinet Master?¡± asked the two disciples next to him in confusion. Weichi Song, however, quickly stood up and left after telling them to take care of Qi Dahe. It was evening right now, so most of the disciples in Chong Xu Cabinet had already gone back to rest. It was quiet as Weichi Song quickly headed forward. It just so happened that Lu Zhiyao came out of the medicinal garden right then and ran into Weichi Song. Upon seeing how hurried the latter appeared, the former paid a bow and asked curiously, ¡°Are you leaving the mountain, Cabinet Master?¡± He found it strange that Weichi Song would leave the mountain at this hour. Weichi Song didn¡¯t stop to chat with Lu Zhiyao, but he couldn¡¯t contain the glee and excitement within himself. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to fetch Liuyue and the others! They¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Who are they that require you to fetch them in person¡ª¡± Lu Zhiyao¡¯s voice trailed off as his eyes suddenly widened. He then asked in surprise, ¡°Are you saying that my juniors are back?!¡± A wide smile appeared on Weichi Song¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s them!¡± The affirmative answer made Lu Zhiyao let out a howl of excitement, and he immediately followed Weichi Song. ¡°I want to go too!¡± He then ran forward, heading straight toward the mountain entrance. In just the blink of an eye, he had overtaken Weichi Song. Weichi Song couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and laugh aloud when he saw Lu Zhiyao in front of him. ¡­ There weren¡¯t many people in Chong Xu Cabinet to begin with. For the sake of safety and convenience, everyone lived close together. Thus, Lu Zhiyao¡¯s shout drew the attention of many people. One by one, people came out with bewildered faces, wondering what Weichi Song and Lu Zhiyao were doing in the middle of the night. One of the disciples stepped forward and asked curiously, ¡°Cabinet Master, what are¡ª¡± ¡°Liuyue! Wanzhou! Ranran! You guys are really back!¡± Lu Zhiyao shouted so loudly that it was hard for anyone to miss it. After a brief shock, the crowd started to stir in excitement. ¡°Come again?! What did Lu Zhiyao just say?¡± ¡°Did he just call our juniors¡¯ names? I didn¡¯t hear it wrongly, did I?¡± ¡°I heard the same too! That¡¯s exactly what he shouted! Are they really back?!¡± ¡°Look!¡± someone suddenly shouted. Everyone turned their heads in unison to see a few figures coming up the steps. The person in the lead was Lu Zhiyao¡ªwho had a foolish grin on his face¡ªwhile at the back were Chu Liuyue, Qiang Wanzhou, and Ye Ranran. Everyone was shocked. Even though Weichi Song had repeatedly assured them that their juniors would return safely, they still couldn¡¯t help but worry about their juniors¡¯ safety as Dahuang Swamp was full of dangers. They waited day and night anxiously, but they didn¡¯t expect their juniors to return so suddenly. Lu Zhiyao couldn¡¯t resist whistling and laughed aloud in glee. ¡°Hahaha! Why are you guys standing there? Hurry up and welcome our juniors home!¡± Only then did the crowd come back to their senses. Their shock gradually dissipated, and all that was left were joy and gratefulness. ¡°Ranran! Liuyue! Wanzhou!¡± Chu Liuyue and the others¡ªwho just came up¡ªwere immediately surrounded by their seniors before they could even greet them. ¡°Ranran, are you guys okay? Why are you only back now?¡± ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± ¡°Quick, tell us what happened at Dahuang Swamp.¡± Chu Liuyue felt a little troubled. Their friendliness is a tad overwhelming¡­ 1 Ye Ranran, being the shy introvert that she was, blushed furiously and couldn¡¯t utter a single word when she found herself receiving such a huge welcome. Needless to say, Qiang Wanzhou exuded a cold aura that was seemingly capable of freezing people to death. However, the crowd was so excited by their return that they failed to notice this, which couldn¡¯t be helped at all. On top of that, a few seniors couldn¡¯t resist complimenting him for his attire. ¡°Wanzhou looks good in these clothes!¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face darkened even more, although his ears reddened again. He gripped his sword tightly in his hand but just couldn¡¯t bear to walk away from the seniors at the thought that they were truly happy about their safe return. That left Chu Liuyue as the only one who could control the situation, although just barely. ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s a long story, Seniors. Shall we go in and talk?¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, Lu Zhiyao waved his arm in the air and shouted, ¡°Liuyue says we should go in and talk!¡± Everyone heard this loud and clear. After a moment of silence, the seniors became even more excited as they ushered Chu Liuyue, Qiang Wanzhou, Mu Hongyu, and Ye Ranran inside. ¡°Quick, bring them in to sit!¡± ¡°Someone, pour the tea! I¡¯ll serve them!¡± ¡°Hey, have you guys eaten? Should I get you some snacks first?¡± ¡°Ay, stop crowding around them! Make space for them!¡± It wasn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that they would be welcomed home, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to be on such a grand scale. While being ushered forward, she suddenly felt small and helpless in front of these seniors. She glanced at Weichi Song¡ªwho was standing at the side¡ªwith a pleading look. Save me, Master! However, the crowd had pushed them even further in front before Weichi Song could say anything. Weichi Song¡¯s eyes turned slightly moist as he laughed and felt emotional looking at this scene. ¡°Chong Xu Cabinet hasn¡¯t been this lively in a long time!¡± Elder Xia Yi¡ªwho came rushing over upon hearing the commotion¡ªchuckled when he saw this rowdy scene. So many people have died, gotten injured, or left Chong Xu cabinet over the past two years. Even we found things slightly desolate here, so I didn¡¯t expect to see such a day again. ¡°Yeah.¡± Weichi Song put his hands behind his back and sighed. And this is all because Liuyue and Wanzhou joined Chong Xu Cabinet¡­ Elder Xia Yi patted Weichi Song on the shoulder. ¡°Come on. We should also go and celebrate their safe return!¡± Weichi Song smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 849 - What Are You Hiding? For once, it was really lively at Chong Xu Cabinet that night. Everyone excitedly crowded around Chu Liuyue and her gang and looked at them expectantly, waiting to hear their story. Thus, Chu Liuyue recounted the events that took place at Dahuang Swamp. Of course, much of the details were glossed over. Mu Hongyu and Ye Ranran, on the other hand, shared the things that had happened outside while Chu Liuyue was trapped underground. Everyone felt rueful upon hearing the recount. Lu Zhiyao couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°No wonder you guys took so long to come back. You encountered so many things¡­ What happened at the Red Moon Desert though? You guys must¡¯ve suffered a lot.¡± Naturally, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t reveal the presence of Big Baby and the others. All she said was that she had no idea what was going on either. ¡°Actually, we didn¡¯t really suffer much¡­ In fact, we¡¯ve gotten much stronger,¡± rebutted Ye Ranran softly. Now that I think about it, we benefited the most from this trip to Dahuang Swamp, although it was quite a tiring experience. We were indeed quite lucky. ¡°Although the Dahuang Swamp is quite unpredictable and dangerous, it¡¯s also true that one can get lucky there. You all have gained a lot from this trip, so your efforts aren¡¯t wasted!¡± said Elder Xia Yi joyfully. It¡¯s already very fortunate that they returned safe and sound, but the improvement of their cultivation bases is a complete surprise! Liuyue, in particular, is now a stage-six warrior! Her cultivation speed is incredibly fast! Everyone else came back with nothing but injuries, so people assumed that our disciples would surely die in Dahuang Swamp. Who would¡¯ve thought that we¡¯re the ones who gained the most?! We will be the center of envy once news of their return spreads! The sharing session lasted for a long time as the seniors kept throwing questions at them. It was only when Chu Liuyue and the others felt so overwhelmed that Weichi Song finally stepped in to save them. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s already very late. They just came back, so they need some rest. We can always talk later.¡± Since Weichi Song had given the word, the seniors had no choice but to stand up and leave despite their reluctance. That said, given how excited they were, it was unlikely that they could fall asleep even if they retired for the night. Mu Hongyu, Qiang Wanzhou, and Ye Ranran left as well, leaving behind Chu Liuyue and Weichi Song in the room alone. Chu Liuyue knew that Weichi Song had questions for her. Sure enough, after everyone left, Weichi Song looked at her and asked, ¡°Earlier, you said that you picked a Dancing Lotus?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Weichi Song knitted his brows slightly as a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes. ¡°Did you meet a tall man in black?¡± Is he talking about¡­ the owner of Hundred Herbs Building? wondered Chu Liuyue. Weichi Song knew what her answer was, for her reaction had said it all. It looks like she must¡¯ve met him too. But the thing is, he said that the Dancing Lotus belongs to his wife¡­ So why did he allow Liuyue to pick it? ¡°He¡­ didn¡¯t stop you from picking the Dancing Lotus?¡± ¡°Why would he?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as she blinked her eyes curiously. He even urged me to pick it! The look of shock on Weichi Song¡¯s face made Chu Liuyue fall deep in thought for a moment. ¡°Actually¡­ We sort of know each other.¡± ¡°You know each other?¡± This news surprised Weichi Song even more. Liuyue knows someone so formidable? Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I received quite a lot of help from him, so¡ª¡± ¡°Then, do you know who he is?¡± asked Weichi Song. I don¡¯t think anyone like him exists in the Tianling Dynasty¡­ ¡°His background is unknown. I don¡¯t know anything else about him,¡± answered Chu Liuyu with a shake of her head. Weichi Song was a little disappointed to hear that, but he knew that there was no point in asking more questions since Chu Liuyue looked like she really didn¡¯t know anything else about the man in black. A thought suddenly struck his mind, and he said, ¡°By the way, the news of your return with the Dancing Lotus will soon spread¡­ The Third Princess¡ª¡± ¡°Master, are you worried that Her Highness will look for me to ask for the Dancing Lotus?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. That¡¯s just putting it nicely. Given Shangguan Wan¡¯s character, the odds are that she will snatch it from my hands, and nothing will seem wrong about that as the esteemed Third Princess has been going around looking for a cure for the Emperor. Weichi Song hesitantly nodded, and he felt sorry for his disciple. The Dancing Lotus is such a precious herb, and it doesn¡¯t even exist in the Tianling Dynasty. One would surely treasure it dearly if they managed to get their hands on one. They would surely be reluctant to give it up to someone else¡­ Besides, Liuyue went through so much at Dahuang Swamp¡­ Liuyue, however, didn¡¯t seem the slightest bit worried. Her eyes twinkled a little when she smiled. ¡°If she wants it, she can just come and get it from me.¡± ¡­ While things were lively at Chong Xu Cabinet, this wasn¡¯t the case for someone in Xi Ling City. As Jiang Yucheng made his way back, the cool night breeze gently blew at his clothes¡¯ hem. He initially thought that the walk and the wind would help sober him up, but he soon realized that it didn¡¯t work, for his mind kept replaying the earlier scene of the beautiful lady in red with lush black hair and a pure and captivating smile. She was all he could see on the bustling street. When Jiang Yucheng arrived back at the Jiang Residence, he stopped for a moment in the courtyard before heading to the study alone. He then closed the doors and windows and went to sit in front of his desk. Following that, he took out a rectangular sandalwood box from under the table and opened it. Inside lay a painting scroll. He hesitated for a bit but eventually took the scroll out and slowly unrolled it to reveal a painting of a lady. She was standing by a lake, and she looked dignified while dressed in luxurious court attire with gold hairpins in her hair. In the painting, she turned her head back while smiling radiantly as if she had heard something. Unlike her usual gentle and polite smile, that smile was mischievous and soulful, and it reached her sparkling eyes. The lady in the painting was none other than Shangguan Yue. From her youthful appearance, it seemed like she was only in her teens, but she had already begun to show hints of her stunning beauty. This was a scene from many years ago, and not even Shangguan Yue herself knew the existence of this painting. Jiang Yucheng had wanted to show it to her back then, but¡­ All of a sudden, familiar footsteps could be heard coming from outside, which made Jiang Yucheng frown. What on earth is Shangguan Wan doing here at this late hour?! Without further ado, he rolled the painting up and put it back into the box. Just as he did so, someone pushed the door open and entered without any notice. ¡°Yucheng¡­¡± Shangguan Wan noticed that Jiang Yucheng seemed a little flustered as he hurriedly hid something under the table. She knitted her eyebrows. ¡°What are you hiding?¡± Chapter 850 - You’re Inferior to Her ¡°Nothing.¡± Jiang Yucheng calmly looked up. ¡°What are you doing here at this hour?¡± It seems to be a painting¡­ What painting would make him so flustered though? I¡¯ve never seen him trying to hide something so hurriedly before. I thought there were no secrets between us. Shangguan Wan eyed him suspiciously as she took a step forward and probed, ¡°It must be a masterpiece if you¡¯re admiring it even at night. Why don¡¯t you take it out and let me have a look as well?¡± However, Jiang Yucheng blandly replied, ¡°It¡¯s just something I found by accident. It¡¯s nothing precious, nor is it worth seeing.¡± The smile on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face stiffened as she glanced at the table where Jiang Yucheng had kept the box containing the scroll. The fact that he¡¯s refusing to show it to me proves that something is wrong! Jiang Yucheng frowned. Upon realizing that Jiang Yucheng was seemingly in a bad mood, Shangguan Wan quickly retracted her gaze. Her expression lightened up at the thought of the purpose of her visit. She wasn¡¯t here to pick a fight with him. ¡°I came here secretly this time. Don¡¯t worry. Nobody will know about it.¡± The servants in this courtyard were all Jiang Yucheng¡¯s trusted aides, so she wasn¡¯t afraid that they might leak the news of her visit. She took a few steps forward. ¡°Actually, I¡ªHave you been drinking?¡± I didn¡¯t notice it earlier, but now that I¡¯m standing closer to him, I can smell that he reeks of alcohol. Upon a closer look, his eyes are bloodshot and blurry. He seems a little tipsy too. That¡¯s strange, given that he¡¯s usually a very restrained person and won¡¯t overindulge himself in alcohol, much less allow himself to get drunk. What happened to him? Shangguan Wan frowned slightly in concern and moved to reach out to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yucheng?¡± Jiang Yucheng, however, avoided her touch. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just say what you have to say.¡± Feeling a little down that she wasn¡¯t able to hold his hand, Shangguan Wan bit her lower lip. To be honest, she had recently realized that Jiang Yucheng was getting more and more impatient and perfunctory with her. Although he was acting a little estranged, he still dutifully and flawlessly did everything he needed to do as her fianc¨¦. This made her feel increasingly aggrieved as she couldn¡¯t even vent her anger at him. ¡°I¡­¡± She clenched her teeth and suppressed the dissatisfaction and resentment within her. ¡°I¡¯m here to get the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill back from you.¡± Jiang Yucheng frowned. ¡°Pardon?¡± Shangguan Wan felt embarrassed saying this. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t be doing this, b-but I¡¯m just one step away from healing my Yuan meridian. With only three days left before the wedding, there¡¯s nothing much I can do about it. Even if I did, my Yuan meridian would only be a Dijing Yuan meridian at most¡­¡± ¡°So you want to use the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill to raise the grade of your Yuan meridian?¡± Jiang Yucheng interrupted. Shangguan Wan nodded. She hadn¡¯t thought about this at first. It was only after ¡®that person¡¯ reminded her that she belatedly realized that it would be very hard for her to lift the Tianling Power Staff even if she managed to heal her Dijing Yuan meridian. Thus, the easiest method was to use the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve given it to Xiahou Rong and that he definitely won¡¯t be willing to give it back to us, but¡­ I can use other things to exchange for it! As long as¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± said Jiang Yucheng coldly. Shangguan Wan froze. ¡°W-what is gone?¡± ¡°The Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill has been stolen.¡± Shangguan Wan naturally didn¡¯t believe this, but she could tell that Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Resentment filled her heart. ¡°When can we get it back then?¡± Jiang Yucheng lowered his eyelids. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What am I going to do then?¡± Shangguan Wan ran out of patience to continue putting up an act. ¡°If I can¡¯t lift the Tianling Power Staff on that day¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s your business. You¡¯re the one with the Tianling royal family¡¯s bloodline, so that¡¯s something you should solve on your own.¡± Because his mind was a little fuzzy from the alcohol, the way he spoke was a little more curt than usual. ¡°A¡¯Yue wouldn¡¯t be troubled by this sort of thing.¡± Dead silence instantly descended on them. Thunderstruck, Shangguan Wan stared at Jiang Yucheng in wide-eyed disbelief. ¡°W-what did you just say?¡± Realizing that he had misspoken, Jiang Yucheng spoke a little gentler this time. ¡°It was just a casual remark. You don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡± ¡°You still have feelings for her, right?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes shone with resentment and jealousy as she grabbed his wrist and questioned him. ¡°You think that I¡¯m inferior to her, don¡¯t you?!¡± Jiang Yucheng tried his best to be patient. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it¡­ If things are really as you say, I wouldn¡¯t have done all those things in the first place.¡± The thought of the fire back then made Shangguan Wan clench her teeth and release Jiang Yucheng¡¯s wrist. ¡°You better remember what you promised me, Jiang Yucheng!¡± She then angrily turned around to leave. Jiang Yucheng stopped her. ¡°Wait. Did you go to visit His Majesty? How¡¯s his condition?¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t answer him, for she hadn¡¯t taken this matter to heart at all. She had only gone there twice and had only stayed for a short while each time. Jiang Yucheng warned, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how important His Majesty regaining his consciousness is for us¡ª¡± ¡°Enough¡ªI get it! I know what to do!¡± Irritated, Shangguan Wan sidestepped him and quickly left the room. All that fuss had made Jiang Yucheng sober up. He walked back to the table, took out that wooden box once more, and stared at it for a good while. Actually, there¡¯s no point in me keeping this thing¡­ He tried to burn the box with the painting but ultimately couldn¡¯t bear to do it after a few failed attempts. Thus, he put it back in its original position. Someone knocked on the door just then. ¡°Eldest Young Master, Lord Xiahou is here!¡± Xiahou Rong? Jiang Yucheng sat down in his chair before saying, ¡°Let him in.¡± Xiahou Rong entered the study moments later. He was wearing a black outfit that completely hid his figure; one wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him in the dark if they didn¡¯t look at him closely. Someone else¡ªlooking equally concealed¡ªwas behind him, and that person was none other than Xiahou Tingan. Jiang Yucheng leaned back in his chair as he regarded the father-son duo coldly. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re here to return me something?¡± An awkward expression appeared on Xiahou Rong¡¯s face as he gulped his saliva down with much difficulty. Then, he turned to his son and scolded, ¡°Hurry up and apologize to Eldest Young Master Jiang!¡± An injured-looking Xiahou Tingan went down on his knees. ¡°E-Eldest Young Master Jiang¡ª¡± ¡°Save the talk.¡± Jiang Yucheng had no patience for him and just wanted to get straight to the point. ¡°Return it to me first, and we can talk about the other things afterward.¡± Xiahou Rong¡¯s countenance grew pale. ¡°I-it¡¯s missing!¡± Chapter 851 - The Eve of the Wedding ¡°Well, that¡¯s what happened¡­ We don¡¯t know where to begin the search since we don¡¯t even know where the item is.¡± While Xiahou Rong recounted what happened back then, Xiahou Tingan remained kneeling on the floor in repentance. ¡°It¡¯s all because I failed to teach my son well that he did such a thing. He deserves to be sentenced to death, b-but¡­ Could you please spare his life for my sake? He might be able to identify the thief¡­¡± Xiahou Rong had never pleaded with anyone in such a humble manner before, but he had now thrown away his pride and ego for the sake of his son. Jiang Yucheng burst out laughing out of anger. ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re saying, Lord Xiahou?¡± Xiahou Rong stopped talking. He was feeling quite apprehensive himself as he had not only lost the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill, but he might even face a bigger calamity. It was obvious that the other party had come prepared given how well-executed and detailed their plan had been. If someone were to reveal it¡­ The consequences will be unthinkable! He was trembling with fear as he wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve. He didn¡¯t dare to tell Jiang Yucheng that it was very likely that the other party had heard what he said the other day because not even he himself would be able to escape punishment if Jiang Yucheng found out about this, much less his son. He tried to defend both himself and his son. ¡°I know we did wrong this time, Eldest Young Master Jiang, so we¡¯d like to make it up to you.¡± Jiang Yucheng sneered as if he had just heard the world¡¯s greatest joke. ¡°Make it up to me?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­ Think about it, Eldest Young Master Jiang¡­ How many people in the world can come up with such a meticulous plan to steal the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes grew round. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± ¡°Those people¡­ have probably quietly returned!¡± ¡­ Shangguan Wan stormed back to Huayang Palace and threw a huge fit there. Although she wasn¡¯t sure if Jiang Yucheng had been telling the truth, she knew that it was useless for her to kick up a fuss if he was hell-bent on not returning the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill to her. Any lingering longing and expectations that she might¡¯ve had for Jiang Yucheng in the past had been completely wiped out by what he said earlier. Regardless of whether he had said it intentionally or not, she wouldn¡¯t forgive him for it. Thus, after calming down and giving the matter much thought, she felt that it was better to rely on herself and heal her Yuan meridian by force. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue and the others personally sent Mu Hongyu back to Dragon Teeth Mountain the next day, news of their safe return from Dahuang Swamp quickly spread across the entire Xi Ling. It was the talk of the town, and everyone had different reactions to this news. Some rejoiced while others were jealous. It was only natural that everyone was curious about this matter since the group suddenly appeared in Xi Ling again when it was thought that they were dead. Another piece of news soon reached the masses¡¯ ears¡ªnot only did Chu Liuyue successfully contract a legendary fiend, but she had also managed to pick a Dancing Lotus. Nobody in the Tianling Dynasty¡ªexcept for the ancestor¡ªhad ever contracted a legendary fiend, and the Dancing Lotus was a rare herb that bloomed once every 500 years. Thus, owning either of these things could attract the envy and jealousy of countless people, let alone both of them. It was precisely for the sake of a legendary fiend¡¯s blood and the precious treasures that Shangguan Wan had led 1,000 Black Guards and numerous disciples from the various clans to Dahuang Swamp. However, not only did they suffer heavy casualties, but they even returned in defeat with nothing gained. This formed a great contrast to Chu Liuyue¡¯s glorious return. ¡­ After two days of hard work, Shangguan Wan finally healed her Yuan meridian on the eve of her wedding, although it was just barely at the Dijing grade¡ªjust like she had expected. While this was considered not bad when compared to the average person, it wasn¡¯t enough for someone of her status. She couldn¡¯t even be compared to the numerous geniuses with a Dijing Yuan meridian in Xi Ling City. Although she was greatly upset about this, there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. After all, it had been hard enough getting her Yuan meridian healed to this state. I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if Shangguan Yue hadn¡¯t immolated herself and destroyed my Yuan meridian as a result¡­ Vexation rose within her, but at the thought that it was her big day tomorrow, she tried her best to suppress her anger. Shangguan Wan then decided that she should go visit the Emperor to see if he showed any signs of waking up and thus headed over to Qingfeng Palace with Chan Yi. On the way there though, she noticed the strange atmosphere within the palace. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly was wrong, but she could feel that the servants were looking at her strangely. She was just about to enter Qingfeng Palace when she heard whispering voices on the other side of the door. ¡°Hey, have you heard the news? Chu Liuyue has returned!¡± This piece of news shocked Shangguan Wan so much that she was left momentarily dazed. Chu Liuyue¡­ is back? How can that be? Isn¡¯t she dead?! When Chan Yi wanted to go up and tell the servants off, Shangguan Wan stopped her. The servants were still talking. ¡°How come you didn¡¯t hear the news? It wasn¡¯t only her though. The rest of Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciples came back safe and sound as well!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing! She contracted a legendary fiend and has seemingly even come back with a Dancing Lotus¡­ On top of that, the legendary fiend is what injured Her Highness!¡± ¡°Everyone thought that Chu Liuyue was dead, but she turned out to be so lucky! Isn¡¯t that as good as slapping Her Highness in the face? She left in a grand fashion with such a huge entourage, yet she returned with nothing. She can¡¯t even be compared to Chu Liuyue. If I were Her Highness, I¡¯d be so ashamed that I would hide in a hole!¡± Chapter 852 - : You May Stay Behind A horrified expression appeared on Chan Yi¡¯s face as she glanced at Shangguan Wan. ¡°I¡¯ll punish these people right¡ª¡± Shangguan Wan, however, raised her hand to stop Chan Yi. She then walked past the doors and turned to see a few palace maids whispering to each other. She darkly asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Startled by the sudden voice, the palace maids looked up and realized that it was Shangguan Wan who had posed them the question. Color drained from their faces, and they immediately went down on their knees to beg for forgiveness. ¡°Y-Your Highness¡­ Please have mercy on us, Your Highness!¡± They were certain that Shangguan Wan had overheard their conversation. ¡°Did you just say¡­ Chu Liuyue is back?¡± asked Shangguan Wan in a calm and gentle voice. The question sounded extremely dangerous in the palace maids¡¯ ears though. ¡°N-no¡­ We weren¡¯t¡ª¡± Smack! Chan Yi stepped forward and gave the speaker a tight slap across the face. ¡°Her Highness is asking you a question! You better come clean, or I¡¯ll cut off your tongues!¡± Knowing how vicious and ruthless Chan Yi could be, everyone in the palace was terrified of her. Seeing her fly into a rage made their fear intensify, so they naturally dared not hide anything from her. Thus, the palace maids spilled everything they knew. The more Shangguan Wan listened, the darker her countenance became. ¡°Where did you hear all that from?¡± ¡°T-the news has spread across the palace¡­ And we found out about this by accident¡­ Please investigate the truth, Your Highness!¡± The palace maids felt immensely aggrieved, for everyone in Xi Ling City was probably talking about this matter, but they were the only ones who got caught. But considering that there was no way for Shangguan Wan to punish everyone who was talking about this matter, they could only count themselves as plain unlucky. Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyelids twitched. She could naturally hear the insinuation behind the palace maids¡¯ words. They were saying that she was the only one still in the dark when everyone had already heard the news regarding Chu Liuyue. I didn¡¯t expect such things to happen outside when I was in seclusion for the past two days to heal my Yuan meridian! Realizing her mistake, Chan Yi hastily apologized to Shangguan Wan. ¡°Your Highness, it was an oversight on my part¡ª¡± The reason why Chan Yi only heard the news now was that she had been guarding Huayang Palace for the past two days and had never even left the palace grounds. Besides, no subordinate of hers would take the initiative to share such matters with her given how afraid they were of her. Thus, this was why she and Shangguan Wan became the last to know about the news. Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression darkened considerably as she turned around and left. ¡°Your Highness, what about His Majesty?¡± asked Chan Yi instinctively. Doesn¡¯t she intend to go in and take a look at His Majesty since we¡¯re already here? ¡°I have something more important to do now! Go and summon Chu Liuyue to the palace! Tell her that I¡¯m asking her to treat the Emperor!¡± Shangguan Wan sneered. She has both the legendary fiend and the Dancing Lotus, huh? Since she¡¯s so capable, I¡¯ll have to make good use of her! ¡­ In Xi Ling City. In a mansion on Six Clouds Street, Chu Liuyue was sitting by the window, playing chess with herself. Although the white pieces were on the offensive, the black pieces had quietly surrounded the white pieces and could win the game in just one move. ¡°How boring¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. It¡¯s not fun to play chess on my own. If only Rong Xiu is here¡­ Just then, Qiang Wanzhou entered the room with a cup of ginger tea. He walked over to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and replaced the old cup of tea with the new. ¡°Little Zhou, aren¡¯t you way too skilled at this? You even know when to change the tea.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and smiled as she paused her game and tossed the black chess piece back into the chess jar. Tea doesn¡¯t taste good when it gets too cold or hot. I often forget the time when I concentrate on playing chess, but the taste and the temperature of the tea are always just right each time I drink it. Of course, the credit has to go to Little Zhou. I wonder how that person trained him back then¡­ ¡°That¡¯s nothing. I¡¯d be useless if I can¡¯t even do such trivial things well.¡± Little Zhou lowered his gaze, his eyelashes fluttering slightly. He had done such tasks so many times in the past that he could do them even with his eyes closed. Someone knocked on the door just then. Chu Liuyue cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Let them in.¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. He then turned around and left to open the door. The main entrance door creaked open to reveal Qin Yi and Lei Laosi standing outside. The former smiled. ¡°It seems like we found the right place.¡± Qiang Wanzhou took a step back and invited them inside. ¡°Please come in.¡± Qin Yi nodded and entered the mansion together with Lei Laosi. As Lei Laosi looked around the place, he couldn¡¯t resist murmuring, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Elder Song¡¯s place? Why did it become Her¡ªher place?¡± ¡°Elder Song values friendship dearly.¡± Qin Yi¡¯s lips curled up slightly as his phoenix eyes glinted. Her Highness loved to come here in the past. I heard that Weichi Song sold off a good number of his belongings when he was experiencing financial difficulties but didn¡¯t touch this mansion. It must be fate that this mansion belongs to Her Highness in the end. Qiang Wanzhou frowned as he followed behind them. Other than the first night where they stayed at Chong Xu Cabinet, they had been staying in this mansion ever since they returned to Xi Ling. Chu Liuyue basically spent her time here leisurely playing chess or reading books as if she had no idea that the people outside were talking about her. Given how the news of her return had spread across the entire Xi Ling in just one night, there was no way anyone would believe that nobody was helping to spread the news. However, only a few people knew that it was Chu Liuyue herself. And today, Qin Yi and Lei Laosi came knocking on their door. This should¡¯ve been their first time here, but they seemed to be very familiar with this place. They knew where to go even without Qiang Wanzhou showing them around. Qiang Wanzhou pursed his lips. From way earlier, he had this vague suspicion that the two men knew Chu Liuyue from a long time ago. While others might not be able to notice anything, he could tell that they treated her with great respect since he was especially sensitive when it came to such matters. Both Qin Yi and Lei Laosi were extremely strong in their own right. Given that Chu Liuyue¡¯s cultivation level was a lot lower than theirs, it didn¡¯t make sense that they treated her in such a careful manner. Not to mention that the Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant they had painstakingly kept watch over became Chu Liuyue¡¯s contracted fiend after it broke through to become a legendary fiend. All of this pointed to a shocking answer¡ªthere was a great secret behind all these matters. Soon, the trio arrived at the room where Chu Liuyue was in. Upon hearing their arrival, Chu Liuyue looked up and beamed at the guests. ¡°Your arrival is timely. I was just about to go and look for you.¡± Qin Yi smiled when he saw the ongoing chess game on the table. Her Highness is still such a joker. It¡¯s obvious that she was waiting for us to come over on our own. Chu Liuyue smiled and looked at Qiang Wanzhou, who was planning to leave the room. ¡°Little Zhou, you may stay behind.¡± Chapter 853 - What Did You Find The remaining three people were stunned at the same time. This means¡­ ¡°I think I¡¯ll guard outside,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou with his lips pressed against each other as he glanced at Qin Yi and Lei Laosi. Chu Liuyue smiled and was very insistent. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if Qin Yi is in the room, he can still watch over the entire yard.¡± Qin Yi raised his brows. Qiang Wanzhou hesitated for a moment and still entered in the end. Lei Laosi glanced at Qiang Wanzhou and then at Chu Liuyue. Finally, he couldn¡¯t help but look at his own big brother with a gaze that sought help. Is Her Highness not planning to hide from this kid? ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Qin Yi,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Qin Yi raised his hand, and a wooden cicada appeared in his palm. The wooden cicada was made very intricately, and it looked alive. He raised his wrist, and the wooden cicada flew out. ¡°If there are any strange movements within five miles, it will immediately detect it,¡± explained Qin Yi before he set up a green barrier in the room, blocking their voices from the outside world. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I always trust you when you do things.¡± Qin Yi was dazed for a moment, and a faint smile appeared on his watercolor painting-like face. This made his always nonchalant expression suddenly look lively. Then, he bowed and respectfully greeted Chu Liuyue. ¡°I will definitely do my best to fulfill your requests, Your Highness.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡ªwho just stood still beside Chu Liuyue¡ªsuddenly shrunk his eyes in shock! Your Highness?! How many people in this world can use such a term?! And this even came out of the mouth of Qin Yi, who is such a top elite! Hearing him call her that once again, Chu Liuyue felt very conflicted. ¡°Nan Yi, Ling Si, it has been hard on the two of you these past two years.¡± Qin Yi¡¯s expression changed slightly. Tears seemed to well up in Lei Laosi¡¯s eyes at that moment. ¡°It¡¯s not hard on us if you can come back safely, Your Highness! We will all follow Your Highness to our deaths!¡± With this sentence from Her Highness, our bitter waiting and torturous two years aren¡¯t in vain! Qiang Wanzhou looked down. I knew it! Her name and identity are completely different! Being able to have such strong warriors follow her to their death¡­ Chu Liuyue clearly has an extraordinary status! She¡¯s definitely not just a woman who walked out of an aristocratic family in the small Country Yao Chen! Qiang Wanzhou vaguely felt that a curtain was slowly being removed in front of him. Once that curtain is removed, it will definitely stun everyone! Now, all of this is just the tip of the iceberg! Qin Yi said, ¡°Your Highness, we have all changed our identities now. For safety reasons, you should just call us by our current names.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and still nodded. Then, she sighed lightly. ¡°If I didn¡¯t trust the wrong person back then, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this state today and even implicated you guys. This forced you to be unable to use your real names, and you almost¡­¡± Every single one of the Thirteen Yue Guard was very good, and any of them were top elites. They willingly followed her and suffered a lot, but their loyalty never changed. In the end, they were accused of betraying their master and could only escape into the wild as they toed the fine line of life and death every day. Now that they were back in Xi Ling, they still had to change their appearance and couldn¡¯t even use their real names! ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t have to blame yourself. You did all that you could for them. Their actions were just because they¡¯re too greedy and despicable.¡± If one mentioned hate, they should hate those people who betrayed Her Highness back then! ¡°Big Brother is right! Your Highness, think about how you treated them back then. But in the end, they¡ª¡± Once Lei Laosi thought about the past, he became agitated. Even though two years had already passed, every single scene was still very clear in his mind as if it had happened the day before. ¡°All these people deserve to be slashed a thousand times to death.¡± At this point, Qin Yi suddenly looked outside and smiled slightly. ¡°Someone is here.¡± A figure silently appeared outside the door¡ªit was Qi Han! ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s really you guys!¡± Seeing the few people in the room, Qi Han heaved a sigh of relief. When he was outside earlier, he vaguely felt that this was done by his big brother. When he came in, he found that it was indeed so. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up. ¡°Qi Han, you even brought someone with you?¡± As she spoke, her gaze turned toward Qi Han¡¯s back. A figure suddenly jumped out. ¡°Aiya! Your Highness, can¡¯t you pretend that you didn¡¯t see me?¡± It was a youngster that looked like he was only 12 or 13 years old. He still appeared very child-like, yet he had a tinge of a youngster¡¯s aura. His pair of watery eyes was very lively, and when he smiled, his eyes turned into the shape of a crescent moon. Chu Liuyue was quite surprised. ¡°Little Thirteen, you actually grew so tall?¡± Back then, he was still a small boy¡­ Little Thirteen wrinkled his nose. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen me in two years. Of course, I¡¯ve grown up!¡± Kids around this age always anxiously hoped that they could grow up, and they loved to act mature. However, their actions were always child-like, causing people to be caught between laughter and tears. Speaking of this, he hurriedly walked over to Chu Liuyue and curiously asked, ¡°But Your Highness, why do you seem different from before?¡± If I recognize based on her aura, it¡¯s indeed Her Highness. But her looks¡­ ¡°Thirteen,¡± shouted Qi Han at him with warning. A chill ran down Thirteen¡¯s spine as he covered his mouth. Oh no! Previously, Seventh Brother told me not to speak nonsense when I¡¯m here! However, I was too excited to see Her Highness, and I forgot¡­ ¡°Qi Han, why are you so fierce to him?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Qi Han and waved toward Thirteen. ¡°Thirteen, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Thirteen hurriedly ran over and hid behind Chu Liuyue as he stuck out his tongue at Qi Han in a delighted and happy manner. Qi Han retracted his expression and cupped his fists. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me. I didn¡¯t tell Thirteen too much about what happened previously¡­¡± In actual fact, they didn¡¯t even completely tell Little Thirteen about Her Highness dying back then. They only told him that Her Highness was set up but that she had her own plans and would come back in the future. Therefore, when everyone was waiting in agony, only Thirteen was in the dark as he relaxingly cultivated while waiting for her to come back. Chu Liuyue nodded. This is for the best. Thirteen is the youngest, and all of them have always treated him like a child. It¡¯s best for him not to know about some things. ¡°All of this isn¡¯t important. But Thirteen, you seem to have improved by quite a bit in these two years? Your ability to hide your aura is about to exceed your Seventh Brother?¡± Chu Liuyue was really quite shocked about this. Thirteen was very talented in this area. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have brought him along back then. However, his speed of improvement still exceeded the crowd¡¯s expectations. Upon hearing this, Thirteen immediately said proudly, ¡°Of course! You don¡¯t know, but I was the one who secretly followed Jiang Yucheng recently!¡± Chu Liuyue asked with much interest, ¡°Oh? Then what did you find out?¡± Chapter 854 - Untitled Inside the room, Thirteen said everything that he had found out recently. Qi Han added a few sentences from time to time. Chu Liuyue then knew that the Thirteen Yue Guard members back in Xi Ling weren¡¯t only the four people in front of her. Furthermore, the more important thing was that Qi Han actually allied with Jian Fengchi and Shui Liu¡¯er! When she previously sent Mu Hongyu back to Dragon Teeth Mountain, she didn¡¯t meet Jian Fengchi and didn¡¯t know about this matter. As she listened on, Chu Liuyue realized that a gigantic trap had already been set up in Xi Ling long ago. Other than herself making all sorts of preparations, people from all walks of life had prepared secretly and openly as well. After a long time and Chu Liuyue had finished hearing their arrangement, she sighed deeply and felt very emotional. At this moment, she then suddenly realized that she wasn¡¯t battling alone from start to end! In the two years after her death, there were always people fighting for her. Invisibly, there seemed to be someone planning everything for her! Vaguely, there was a large, invisible hand that controlled her everything and gathered all her remaining forces¡ªjust for today! Who exactly is this person? ¡°Your Highness, what do you plan to do next?¡± asked Qin Yi gently. With the evidence we have currently gathered, we can already uncover the truth about the past. But apart from this, the most important thing is Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity! We can return Her Highness¡¯s innocence, but it¡¯s difficult if Her Highness wants to ascend the throne again. After all, she has changed into a completely different physical body now. It¡¯s not that easy if she wants to get the crowd¡¯s approval again. Back then, the news of the Princess¡¯s death spread far and wide. Even if the exact same face appears again, everyone might not believe it. Besides, she¡­ is indeed Chu Liuyue at the moment! If one can¡¯t produce enough evidence to prove her stealing someone else¡¯s body with her own soul, it¡¯s hard to make people believe her. At this moment, they suddenly heard noises outside. The few people in the room were very sensitive as they all looked over in unison. Who would come here at this time? Qin Yi half-squinted his eyes. ¡°It seems to be¡­ people from the palace.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. ¡°They came really fast¡­¡± She stood up and lifted her chin. ¡°There¡ªthis is my plan.¡± The others looked at one another. Her Highness means¡­ She wants to go head-on against them? ¡°You guys stay put first. I¡¯ll go meet Shangguan Wan and give her some appetizers today. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll prepare a big gift for her.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Upon hearing this, Qin Yi and the rest immediately hid their figures. Very quickly, only Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou were left within the room. Chu Liuyue walked outside. But the moment she took a step out, Qiang Wanzhou called her back. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around. Qiang Wanzhou looked at her with a complicated gaze, and there seemed to be countless emotions overwhelming in his eyes. The impact he suffered today was too great, causing him to be unable to digest everything in such a short amount of time. ¡°Y-you¡¯re the Princess?¡± He said the last word extremely lightly. Even if he had been living in Nan Jiang since he was born, he had also heard of the legendary Princess. Everyone said that the Princess died because she went crazy from cultivating two years ago, but everything in front of me has proven that Chu Liuyue is her! Even though this incident sounds very ridiculous¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t you already know the answer?¡± Chu Liuyue was still smiling as if she didn¡¯t care much about this incident. ¡°B-but aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll expose you?¡± Qiang Wanzhou was dazed for a moment. With such a shocking secret, the entire Tianling Dynasty will definitely descend into chaos once people learn of it! However, she still told me in such an unreserved manner! Chu Liuyue retorted, ¡°Will you do that?¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t!¡± replied Qiang Wanzhou almost instinctively. Chu Liuyue was extremely important to him. He had once sworn in his heart that if he couldn¡¯t find that person, he would follow Chu Liuyue for the rest of his life. For her, he would go through mountains filled with knives and wouldn¡¯t be afraid of death! Chu Liuyue lightly laughed. ¡°Then, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± She replied so righteously that it made Qiang Wanzhou not know what to say in such a short period of time. He then realized that Chu Liuyue intentionally wanted to tell him her identity today. ¡°I believe you,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly and suddenly. She once thought that she could never trust people the same way again after experiencing a heartbreaking betrayal. However, this wasn¡¯t the case. Some people did indeed choose to betray her, but similarly, there was another group of people that chose to be loyal to her even until their deaths. She had lost everything, but she had this group of people that kept accompanying her and waiting for her! And since Qiang Wanzhou had followed her for so long, he must¡¯ve realized that she was different from an average person in many areas. But as long as she didn¡¯t speak about it, he didn¡¯t ask as he silently followed her. No matter if she was dead or alive, he just accompanied her. Staring into that pair of clear eyes, there seemed to be something rumbling in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s chest. The blood in his entire body seemed to rush rapidly, and it was about to overflow! ¡°Let¡¯s go! The show is about to begin!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked as she turned around and walked forward. Qiang Wanzhou clenched his fists tightly and quickly followed her. ¡­ Chu Liuyue opened the door and saw a familiar face¡ªChan Yi. Her forehead was currently covered in sweat, and her hair was a little messy. She looked as if she had been rushing around for a long time. Chu Liuyue looked shocked. ¡°Ms. Chan Yi, why are you here? You¡­¡± Chan Yi looked at Chu Liuyue in front of her and felt frustrated in her heart. But she was still someone that was experienced, so her expression was still rather calm. She bowed, and her voice had a slight coldness to it. ¡°Ms. Chu, you made me search for you for a very long time.¡± After receiving the Third Princess¡¯s command, Chan Yi personally came out to invite Chu Liuyue. She first went to Chong Xu Cabinet, but the people there said that she wasn¡¯t on the mountain. Then, she turned a huge round and hurried here. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to hear the dissatisfaction and grumble in her words as she asked, ¡°Ms. Chan Yi, why are you looking for me? And you seem¡­ to be very anxious?¡± Chan Yi suppressed the fire in her heart and said, ¡°The Third Princess is very happy to hear that you¡¯ve come back safely, Ms. Chu, so she specifically told me to invite you to the palace.¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t the only one who came back safely. Even a fool could guess why the Third Princess invited only her. Chu Liuyue nodded with understanding. ¡°So it¡¯s the Third Princess¡¯s intentions. I¡¯m really sorry to have troubled you to come so far out. Coincidentally, I have nothing on, so let¡¯s go now. It¡¯s not nice to let the Third Princess wait.¡± Chan Yi was dazed for a moment. She originally thought Chu Liuyue would delay it, but she didn¡¯t expect the latter to agree so readily. But this also saved her quite a bit of trouble, so she didn¡¯t think further. ¡°Ms. Chu, please¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and turned around to instruct Qiang Wanzhou, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. Chu Liuyue smiled and followed Chan Yi. ¡°Let¡¯s go then?¡± Chapter 855 - A Request Chu Liuyue followed Chan Yi into the palace. In Huayang Palace, Shangguan Wan was already frustrated from waiting as she paced up and down. The words she heard just now kept ringing in her head. She originally thought that Chu Liuyue was already dead, so she didn¡¯t expect the latter to come back alive. Furthermore, the latter had even made an agreement with a legendary fiend and even retrieved the Dancing Lotus. It¡¯s fine if they said that Chu Liuyue coincidentally got the legendary fiend because she was lucky, but what¡¯s with the Dancing Lotus? However, I still clearly remember that Elder Qiuxi was directly swallowed by the Mirror Lake when he tried to retrieve the Dancing Lotus. He didn¡¯t even have the chance to struggle or cry for help before he completely disappeared without a trace. And later on, Jian Shuye and the rest also failed to achieve anything¡­ How exactly did Chu Liuyue do it? The more Shangguan Yue thought, the more frustrated she got. The feeling of being worse than someone in every aspect is way too familiar! Before Shangguan Yue died, she always suppressed me in this manner in the past! No matter how much I tried, how hardworking I was, and how I tried to flatter the other party¡­ Everyone wouldn¡¯t take another look at me. Their eyes were only filled with Shangguan Yue! Thinking of the past, Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth in hatred. One Shangguan Yue was already enough, yet another Chu Liuyue popped up¡­ She raised her hand and touched her own face. As long as I finish doing what I should, I don¡¯t have to leave that Chu Liuyue behind anymore¡­ ¡­ As the next day was the wedding, the palace was fully decorated, and the entire way was filled with all sorts of banners and decorations, making it very lively. While Chu Liuyue walked in, she nonchalantly sized the place up. She could tell that Shangguan Wan should¡¯ve gone according to the normal princess¡¯s formality and that it naturally couldn¡¯t be compared to her event¡¯s preparations back then. Even though Shangguan Wan is gutsy, she wouldn¡¯t dare to step on me so openly. However, all the items used for the wedding seem to be newly made. I had expected Shangguan Wan to be unwilling to use what I left behind, but Shangguan Wan definitely feels indignant as the wedding still isn¡¯t as good as mine back then. Chu Liuyue curled her lips. Very quickly, the two of them arrived at Huayang Palace. Chan Yi knocked on the door, and Shangguan Wan¡¯s voice quickly came from inside. The former then walked in and invited Chu Liuyue over. Chu Liuyue smiled as she acknowledged it and walked in. ¡­ Within the room, Shangguan Wan was sitting there waiting. The moment Chu Liuyue walked in, the Third Princess¡¯s vision immediately landed on the former. When she saw that familiar appearance, Shangguan Wan subconsciously knitted her brows. The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face is even more annoying. ¡°Third Princess, how have you been doing?¡± Chu Liuyue stood still about five steps away from Shangguan Wan as she spoke with a smile. She didn¡¯t bow and didn¡¯t look humble or condescending at all. It was as if¡­ she really didn¡¯t care about Shangguan Wan. This angered Shangguan Wan, and she couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°What, do you not even know how to greet and bow after you come back from Dahuang Swamp? Why didn¡¯t you bow when you saw me!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows as if she heard a joke. Then, she smiled slightly and said, ¡°Third Princess, have you ever seen someone still respectfully bow to the person who almost killed them? I still remember very clearly everything that you previously did to me in the Mystic Forest.¡± Shangguan Wan was stumped. The situation was perilous back then, and she was part of the reason why Chu Liuyue fell down. This was something undeniable. Shangguan Wan¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°What, did you come here to teach me a lesson?¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Third Princess, didn¡¯t you invite me over?¡± Chu Liuyue naturally walked to the chair at the side and casually sat down as she held her chin with one hand. ¡°Even if one was causing trouble, shouldn¡¯t you be doing it to me?¡± Seeing how outrageous Chu Liuyue was, Shangguan Wan was so angry that her face flushed red. ¡°You¡ªhow dare you! This is Huayang Palace. How can you be so outrageous?!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and coldly gazed at her as she sneered in her heart. Speaking of this, I was the one who helped speak to Father about this Huayang Palace, which allowed Shangguan Wan to have a place to rest. Now, she actually thinks that she¡¯s the true owner of this place?! How laughable! ¡°Third Princess, you clearly know why you invited me over. Could it be that you still expect me to be grateful toward you at this point? If you don¡¯t like me, you can just call someone over and punish me, right?¡± Chu Liuyue said it very rudely and didn¡¯t even care about the Third Princess at all. Shangguan Wan angrily stretched out her hand and pointed at Chu Liuyue, her face turning white and green. ¡°You! You¡ªhow dare you threaten me?!¡± In the last two years, almost nobody has dared to use such a tone to talk to me! Chu Liuyue lazily leaned against the chair as she half-squinted at Shangguan Wan. Her pair of black gem-like eyes had a hint of mockery in them. ¡°So what?¡± So what?! I¡¯m sure that Shangguan Wan definitely won¡¯t call someone over at this point, unless she wants to make a scene the day before her wedding and humiliate herself! As expected, Shangguan Wan looked at Chu Liuyue in an infuriated manner for quite some time but swallowed her remaining words. ¡°Since this is so, I won¡¯t beat around the bush with you. I want your legendary fiend¡¯s blood and the Dancing Lotus! Father is severely ill, and he needs this to have a chance of waking up. Father is the son of heaven. This is what you should do, and it¡¯s your honor! Of course, I won¡¯t make you give up these things for free. As long as you hand them over, I¡¯ll immediately get someone to tell the whole world, and I¡¯ll give you a substantial reward.¡± If someone else heard this, they would definitely laugh at it. The blood of a legendary fiend and a Dancing Lotus¡ªthese two items were both rare, priceless treasures in the world! Shangguan Wan¡¯s so-called substantial reward was just a joke in front of these two items! But after hearing this, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t immediately reject her. Instead, her expression changed slightly. ¡°Third Princess, I naturally have no objections in giving the items up to treat His Majesty, but¡­ I have a request.¡± Shangguan Wan looked at her doubtfully. ¡°What request?¡± Chu Liuyue enunciated every single word properly as she said, ¡°I personally want to see His Majesty and see you give those items to him!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Shangguan Wan directly rejected the request without thinking. How can someone like Chu Liuyue enter Qingfeng Palace?! Chu Liuyue smiled, but her eyes had a tinge of coldness. ¡°These items are originally mine, and I want to see them being used rightfully. This doesn¡¯t seem to be an overboard request, right? I¡¯m a heavenly doctor myself, and Third Princess, you can allow another heavenly doctor to do it if you can¡¯t trust me. I¡¯ll just watch from the side. I only have this one request. If you don¡¯t agree, there¡¯s no need for us to continue.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue directly stood up, brushed her sleeves, and acted like she was going to leave. ¡°Hold on!¡± Chapter 856 - Secret Movements ¡°I¡¯ll agree to your request!¡± Shangguan Wan thought for a while and could only agree in the end. Chu Liuyue currently has precious treasures in her hands and is very arrogant. I shall let her be happy first and then teach her a lesson after this ends! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you agreed earlier, Third Princess? After all, His Majesty¡¯s health is the most important, right?¡± Shangguan Wan was stumped and felt that the Chu Liuyue in front of her was getting on her nerves! Her face turned cold, and she lowered her voice. ¡°You better be honest! If not¡­ I have my own ways of dealing with you!¡± Chu Liuyue nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and lightly laughed. After that, Shangguan Wan walked out first. Chan Yi hurriedly bowed and secretly glanced at the duo. The anger on the Third Princess¡¯s face hasn¡¯t subsided, but Chu Liuyue still looks very relaxed. It seems like¡­ their talk wasn¡¯t very smooth. ¡°Call Zuo Mingxi over,¡± said Shangguan Wan coldly. ¡°Yes!¡± Chan Yi didn¡¯t dare to ask further as she immediately sent someone to invite him over. Shangguan Wan turned around to glance at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You, follow me to Qingfeng Palace!¡± ¡­ This wasn¡¯t the first time Chu Liuyue entered the palace after being reborn, but this was her first time coming to Qingfeng Palace. She had previously tried coming over, but the security was very tight. She couldn¡¯t get near, so she didn¡¯t impulsively do anything. One could tell that Shangguan Wan valued Qingfeng Palace a lot. However, Chu Liuyue knew very clearly that it definitely wasn¡¯t only because Father was here or that she wanted him to rest properly. There must be another reason for the security being this tight¡ªto the extent that the other royal family children can¡¯t enter. When the people from Qingfeng Palace saw Shangguan Wan bringing Chu Liuyue over, they were all stunned. When they heard that Shangguan Wan even wanted to let Chu Liuyue in to see His Majesty, quite a few people were so shocked that their jaws dropped. One had to know that other than the three heavenly doctors on duty, usually only the Third Princess and Eldest Young Master Jiang could enter. It was indeed shocking for someone with Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity to be given permission to enter¡­ However, an idea popped up in the crowd¡¯s mind. Chu Liuyue has a legendary fiend and also a Dancing Lotus. It seems logical for the Third Princess to invite her over¡­ Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t directly bring Chu Liuyue in. Instead, she waited at the pavilion by the side for Zuo Mingxi to come. All sorts of gazes landed on Chu Liuyue, but the latter was already long used to all of this and didn¡¯t really care. From start to end, she looked very calm and gentle. Her every single movement was as elegant and graceful as a distinguished lady that was meticulously brought up by an aristocratic family. She was greatly different from her manner of forcing her to the corner previously. Vaguely, she could hear the subordinates discussing. ¡°¡­So that¡¯s Chu Liuyue¡­ I kept hearing about her previously, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen her. She really is like the rumors say!¡± ¡°Her appearance is really outstanding¡­ With her elite talent, she¡¯s really enviable¡­¡± ¡°I heard that she came from an ordinary background but that she made an agreement with a legendary fiend. Additionally, with her capabilities, her background doesn¡¯t pose much of a problem¡­ Besides, with her aura, nobody can tell that she comes from a lowly background¡ªespecially the elegance in her eyes¡­¡± Shangguan Wan listened in from the side, and her heart was tingling. When I saw Chu Liuyue the previous few times, the latter was still very restrained. But ever since she came back from the Mystic Forest, she has become increasingly outrageous as if because she has evidence against me. And now, she has put on another front in front of the crowd. How disgusting! Facing Shangguan Wan¡¯s gaze filled with anger, jealousy, and hatred, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about it at all. She mainly came here today to see her father first. Even though Qi Han said that Father¡¯s health had improved greatly, I still feel uneasy if I don¡¯t see him personally. When she thought about how her father had been trapped in Qingfeng Palace for two years and couldn¡¯t even get out of bed, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached. Like this, Zuo Mingxi hurried over after another hour or so. And someone else came with him¡ªJiang Yucheng! ¡°Sorry for being late. Third Princess, please forgive me.¡± Zuo Mingxi went forward and immediately bowed. Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t have much of a reaction when she saw him, but she knitted her brows when she saw Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Yucheng, what are you doing here?¡± Jiang Yucheng explained, ¡°I was coincidentally with Physician Zuo just now and heard the news from the palace. I was worried, so I decided to come along.¡± Then, his gaze turned and landed on Chu Liuyue. In actual fact, he initially didn¡¯t want to come over. But after hearing the palace maid say that Shangguan Wan had invited Chu Liuyue into the palace, he still came over after slight hesitation. Ever since their hurried meeting that day, he hadn¡¯t seen her for the next few days. However, that scene kept replaying in his mind. The more he thought of it, the more he wanted to meet her. Once this idea popped up in his mind, he couldn¡¯t get rid of it. Furthermore, the news of Chu Liuyue making an agreement with a legendary fiend and bringing the Dancing Lotus back was known to everyone in Xi Ling, causing his thoughts to be even more rampant. Chu Liuyue seemed not to notice his gaze as she bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master, Physician Zuo.¡± The young girl in front of them had skin as white as snow, and her eyes were bright and beautiful. She didn¡¯t have makeup on, but she was still very charming. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart tingled. At the side, Shangguan Wan felt that something was amiss. The gaze Jiang Yucheng is shooting at Chu Liuyue¡­ makes me very uncomfortable. For some reason, she suddenly thought of the day when Jiang Yucheng hurriedly put away the painting in his study. She immediately felt uneasy. ¡°Shall we go in to see His Majesty¡¯s condition?¡± Chu Liuyue broke the silence. Jiang Yucheng smiled, and his voice was tender. ¡°Okay.¡± The alarm in Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart rang! Chapter 857 - Fight A woman¡¯s instinct was always very accurate. Jiang Yucheng just spoke two sentences to Chu Liuyue, but it made Shangguan Wan feel very uncomfortable. This tone¡­ It¡¯s clearly different from the tone he uses with me! Even that gaze¡ªit seems to have a tinge of undetectable gentleness. Shangguan Wan bit her lips. Could Jiang Yucheng really feel something for Chu Liuyue? She clenched her hands in her sleeves tightly and went forward with anger burning in her eyes. ¡°Tomorrow is our wedding day. According to the rules, we can¡¯t meet the day before. If not, it¡¯ll be inauspicious. Even if you¡¯re worried about Father, I¡¯m still around in the palace. How can you just come over so casually?¡± Does he not trust me, or does he not care about our wedding at all? Upon hearing this, Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows. ¡°Wan¡¯er, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± ¡°How am I thinking too much?¡± Shangguan Wan was even angrier. ¡°Even normal people who get married try to avoid each other the day before, let alone us¡ª¡± This had always been a tradition that the Tianling Dynasty had passed down. Even if it was just for good luck, Jiang Yucheng shouldn¡¯t have come to the palace at this time. Jiang Yucheng felt that Shangguan Wan was being unreasonable. We just met once. What¡¯s there to be so uptight about? If we can spend their time together peacefully, it will naturally happen. If we can¡¯t, it will be to no avail no matter how wary and careful we are about following the wedding formalities. After seeing how demanding Shangguan Wan was, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s patience gradually ran out as his face turned cold. ¡°Since you care about this rule so much, I¡¯ll leave right now.¡± Then, he really turned around, whipped his sleeves, and left. ¡°Jiang Yucheng! Stand right there!¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t expect Jiang Yucheng not to give her face. I only said two sentences to express my dissatisfaction, yet he actually turned around to leave! In front of so many people no less! In the past, he definitely wouldn¡¯t treat me in such a manner no matter how upset he was! However, Jiang Yucheng ignored her words. He didn¡¯t even pause for a single moment and directly left. Anyone could tell how harsh and cold his back view was when he left. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart felt like it was burning at times and being chilled by cold water at other times. She was so angry that her entire body trembled. Am I not doing this for our future? Yet, he treated me like this in the end! The temperature of the yard instantly dropped to negative. All the people in the palace gradually lowered their heads, and they didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly. The day before their wedding, the Third Princess and Eldest Young Master argued in Qingfeng Palace and ended on a bad note. If this news gets out¡­. Nobody knows how others would talk about this! Shangguan Wan gradually recovered her senses as her face turned red and white in embarrassment. Zuo Mingxi looked awkward and didn¡¯t know what to do. I¡­ Jiang Yucheng followed me over. I didn¡¯t expect it to become like this¡­ However, Chu Liuyue just stood at the side and slightly raised her brows as if she didn¡¯t even care about this matter. She knew very clearly what kind of person Jiang Yucheng was. The most important person in his heart would forever be himself. Since when would such a selfish person care about others? Shangguan Wan should still like him. If not, she wouldn¡¯t care so much about them meeting on the day before their wedding. It¡¯s a pity that Jiang Yucheng is already too lazy to deal with her. Chu Liuyue looked down and sneered in her heart. Now that this has happened, who knows what kind of amazing show will take place tomorrow¡­ Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth tightly and suppressed the anger in her heart with much difficulty. ¡°The two of you, follow me in to see Father!¡± Then, she went in first. Chu Liuyue and Zuo Mingxi followed behind her closely. ¡­ It was very quiet in Qingfeng Palace. The cauldron was surrounded with white mist, and a faint smell of Long Xian Fragrance wafted toward their noses. Chu Liuyue wrinkled her nose. This was the smell on Jian Fengchi back then¡­ She silently looked in. A person lay on the golden bed, but she could only see a vague figure from where she was. However, Chu Liuyue still recognized that the person was her father at first glance! Her nose turned sour, and tears welled up in her eyes as a wave of warmth rushed up her heart and overwhelmed her. When she was driven to the corner and finally decided to burn herself and commit suicide, she didn¡¯t even bid her father farewell properly. Now that she had met him again, she had already become someone else. Once Chu Liuyue thought of how he had laid here for two years, she felt pain and anger that almost shot through her chest. She spent a lot of effort to restrain her urge to rush up. Shangguan Wan walked in front and had already reached the bed. ¡°Physician Zuo, check on Father¡¯s condition first.¡± Zuo Mingxi went forward. He pulled open the mesh and pulled out His Majesty¡¯s hand, revealing the latter¡¯s wrist on the outside as he meticulously took his pulse. After a moment, he released the latter¡¯s hand. ¡°His Majesty hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, and his condition keeps fluctuating. If we want His Majesty to wake up, we need to treat him properly.¡± Then, he glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°If we can supply him with some Dancing Lotus and the blood of a legendary fiend, it will naturally be for the best.¡± Everyone could guess why Shangguan Wan called Chu Liuyue over. Therefore, Zuo Mingxi directly said it. Shangguan Wan asked, ¡°Physician Zuo, do you have the confidence to refine the medicine for Father then?¡± Zuo Mingxi laughed. ¡°Your Highness, you might not know, but rare treasures like the Dancing Lotus and the blood of a legendary fiend don¡¯t need refinement. You just need to boil them into soup medicine with some complementary herbs and then consume it directly.¡± This saved time. Shangguan Wan heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Chu, please take out the items.¡± Chu Liuyue went forward and stood three steps before the bed. From here, she could vaguely see the outline of the familiar face. At this moment, his eyes seemed to be tightly shut, and he had no consciousness as he lay in bed. She said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ my honor to have these ingredients used for His Majesty¡¯s health.¡± Shangguan Wan knitted her brows. For some reason, I feel that Chu Liuyue seems to treat Father like¡­ She couldn¡¯t pinpoint what feeling it was, but it annoyed her. Perhaps she thinks that she can rise to fame after Father wakes up? Thinking of this, Shangguan Wan felt disdain in her heart. Chu Liuyue took out a rectangular wooden box. Shangguan Wan and Zuo Mingxi¡¯s eyes lit up! Then, Chu Liuyue opened the wooden box. Kacha! A Dancing Lotus was lying quietly within! The five translucent, pinkish-white petals had naturally closed up, and its stem was emerald green. It looked very lively as if it had just been plucked. Shangguan Wan¡¯s throat turned slightly dry, and greed flashed across her eyes. This¡­ is the true Dancing Lotus! Chu Liuyue snapped her fingers, and Tuan Zi appeared on her shoulders. Shangguan Wan looked up and saw the red-tailed phoenix rubbing against Chu Liuyue¡¯s cheeks intimately, looking very obedient and wanting to flatter her. She felt hatred in her heart. All the good things became Chu Liuyue¡¯s! Chu Liuyue seemed not to notice it as she touched Tuan Zi¡¯s head. ¡°Tuan Zi, can I borrow a drop of blood from you?¡± Chapter 858 - True Face Tuan Zi nodded and used its claw to scratch the other claw gently, causing a bright red blood pearl to emerge immediately. That blood pearl then floated up slowly. Chu Liuyue extended her hand, and the blood pearl silently landed on her palm. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a vague rainbow light glowing on it. An immense suppression also exuded from it! This¡­ is the blood of a legendary fiend¡ªthe red-tailed phoenix! Shangguan Wan and Zuo Mingxi looked at the two items in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands shockingly and expectantly. This is the only one in the entire Tianling Dynasty! Quite a few people might not even see it personally in their whole lives! But at this point, it actually appeared in front of us! Chu Liuyue looked toward Zuo Mingxi. ¡°Physician Zuo, these should be enough, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough! It¡¯s enough!¡± Zuo Mingxi recovered his senses and hurriedly nodded, unable to conceal his excitement. As a heavenly doctor, he was already extremely excited to see such rare treasures in the world. Now that he had a chance to personally boil it into medicinal soup, it was an even rarer opportunity! ¡°With these items, I believe His Majesty¡¯s health will definitely take a turn for the better!¡± Chu Liuyue then nodded in satisfaction as she handed that drop of blood and the wooden box over. Zuo Mingxi took the items over carefully. For safety reasons, he still moved out his own cauldron and started refining. An orange fire burned within the cauldron! Zuo Mingxi continuously threw a few herbs inside. When the refinement was almost done, he meticulously threw the Dancing Lotus in. Those beautiful, transparent petals immediately curled up and then melted, forming a snow-white droplet. At first glance, it looked like a tiny snowball. In the end, Zuo Mingxi put Tuan Zi¡¯s blood into the cauldron, and the two droplets started merging. After about 15 minutes, all the herbs in the cauldron had successfully merged! As there was no need to produce a pill, this process didn¡¯t cause too much of a commotion. However, the bowl of medicinal soup in the cauldron had a vague suppression within, causing one not to underestimate it! Zuo Mingxi¡¯s body seemed to be drenched in sweat, and his lips were also slightly pale. It was obvious that he had exhausted much of his force in this relatively short period of time. No matter if it were the blood of a legendary fiend or the Dancing Lotus, they each contained great strength. Hence, it was indeed not easy to mix the two together. In the end, Zuo Mingxi whipped his sleeves and scooped that bowl of medicine into a jade bowl. Shangguan Wan stood at the side and stared at that bowl of medicine with much temptation. If only I could use this medicine myself¡­ My capabilities would definitely strengthen greatly, and the scar on my face might even recover! Thinking of this, her desire burned even greatly. It¡¯s a pity that there was only one Dancing Lotus, and it has already been used up earlier. But the blood of a legendary fiend¡­ Isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue¡¯s red-tailed phoenix still here? ¡°Your Highness.¡± Zuo Mingxi passed that bowl of medicine over. ¡°May you feed His Majesty the medicine?¡± Shangguan Wan looked up and recovered her senses. She then nodded, took the item, and went forward. Following this, she moved the mesh and sat by the bed. Chu Liuyue looked up and wanted to see her father¡¯s face, but it was a pity that Shangguan Wan blocked her. Due to this, she couldn¡¯t see him clearly. Her heart tingled, but she still retracted her gaze and hid the longing and worry in her eyes. With this bowl of medicine, Father¡¯s health should take a turn for the better. The reason why she purposely let the news out and insisted on watching personally was that she wanted to ensure that everything on her father¡¯s side wouldn¡¯t go wrong. Now, she could finally be slightly more assured. On the other hand, Shangguan Wan turned around and looked at the duo after feeding a few mouthfuls of medicine to the Emperor. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the things here. You can go down first.¡± Zuo Mingxi acknowledged her words and was about to leave when Chu Liuyue spoke in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Since I don¡¯t have any important things to do anyway, I¡¯ll just stay here and check His Majesty¡¯s condition after he finishes the medicine. After all, the items were taken from me. If I really leave now and something happens in the future, I can¡¯t explain myself clearly. Third Princess, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Hearing this, Zuo Mingxi¡ªwho planned to leave¡ªalso stopped. That¡¯s right! I refined the medicine. What if something really happens? ¡°T-then, I¡¯ll wait here too?¡± Zuo Mingxi tried to ask and stood at the side. Shangguan Wan was stumped. She originally wanted to dismiss the two of them and occupy the remaining half of the medicine for herself, but it now seemed like it was impossible. Under the duo¡¯s stares, Shangguan Wan could only honestly feed the entire bowl of medicine to her imperial father. In the end, she placed the empty bowl neither heavily nor lightly at the side and nonchalantly said, ¡°Okay. Since the medicine is finished, let¡¯s allow Father to rest properly.¡± Chu Liuyue took a glance and faintly saw that her father¡¯s expression seemed to be much better. With that, she relaxed a little. ¡°Since His Majesty has already consumed all the medicine, then¡­ I won¡¯t disturb you further if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Then, she turned around to leave. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Shangguan Wan suddenly spoke and called her back. ¡°I still have something to discuss with you.¡± Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to reply, Shangguan Wan then glanced at Zuo Mingxi. ¡°It¡¯s best if someone watches over Father. Physician Zuo, can I trouble you to stay here for a while longer?¡± Zuo Mingxi hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡± Shangguan Wan walked outside and brushed past Chu Liuyue, looking at her with deep meaning. ¡°Follow me.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and followed her. The duo left the main hall of Qingfeng Palace and arrived at the side hall. The moment they went in, Chan Yi sensibly closed the door. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look at the tightly shut door and laughed. ¡°Third Princess, what are you doing?¡± Shangguan Wan raised her chin slightly and commanded in a high and mighty manner, ¡°I want the blood of your legendary fiend.¡± Chu Liuyue already guessed what she wanted to do, so she wasn¡¯t shocked when she heard this. Instead, she raised her brows slightly. ¡°Third Princess, you should know that it¡¯s not easy to gather the blood of a legendary fiend with strong bloodline power, right? Tuan Zi already presented one droplet earlier. If it gives you another droplet now¡­ I¡¯m afraid its force would be greatly damaged.¡± Shangguan Wan kept sneering. ¡°Chu Liuyue, don¡¯t pretend in front of me! When this beast scratched my face and left a scar back then, it¡¯s already very nice of me not to hold you accountable! If you¡¯re sensible, you better give me the blood of the legendary fiend obediently!¡± If it weren¡¯t because this red-tailed phoenix has already made an agreement and couldn¡¯t change its owner, I would¡¯ve definitely snatched the legendary fiend over as well! Chu Liuyue looked at her, crossed her arms, and lightly knocked her chin. ¡°What you said does make sense. After all¡­ one¡¯s face is extremely important to any woman. Tomorrow is your wedding day, and it won¡¯t be too good if you have a scar-filled face. Besides, you can hide it for a moment but not forever. Your true appearance will eventually be exposed for the world to see clearly! Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Chapter 859 - Date Someone Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart suddenly trembled. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were like thunder that struck next to her ear! She immediately felt guilty and looked at Chu Liuyue doubtfully. Could her words¡­ have another meaning? However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up as if she didn¡¯t mean anything else. Shangguan Wan seemed to be stifled, and she couldn¡¯t breathe properly. ¡°You just have to say whether you¡¯re giving the blood or not!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°If you want it, how can I not give it to you, Third Princess? Tuan Zi¡ª¡± She turned around and looked at Tuan Zi nestled on her shoulders. It had already curled up into a ball as it tilted its head and looked very disdainful. Not to say that this blood was very precious to it, even if it was something it didn¡¯t want, it wasn¡¯t willing to give it to that Shangguan Wan! Chu Liuyue coaxed Tuan ZI at the side before it reluctantly presented a blood pearl. Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes lit up. That blood pearl floated in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm as she said, ¡°Third Princess, it¡¯s not impossible if you want it. However¡­ you have to exchange it with something of equal value.¡± After so much, this Chu Liuyue just wants something. Shangguan Wan chuckled in contempt. ¡°What do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. ¡°What do I want¡­ I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow. I hope you won¡¯t be stingy by that time.¡± Shangguan Wan knitted her brows slightly. ¡°Tomorrow is my wedding. I don¡¯t have time to bother with you then.¡± Something seemed to flash across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s something I have to think about.¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t care about the other girl. I have many things to do during the ceremony tomorrow. A mere Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t even have the right to speak to me then. I have nothing much to worry about. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to your request!¡± Chu Liuyue then smiled and nodded as she flicked her finger. Then, the blood pearl flew toward Shangguan Wan. ¡°Since this is so, then¡­ I¡¯ll first wish for your blissful marriage, and I hope you¡¯ll be happy with Eldest Young Master Jiang for hundreds of years to come.¡± With that, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stay any longer as she turned around to leave. Shangguan Wan hurriedly caught the blood pearl and swallowed it directly. At that moment, there seemed to be a fire burning in her chest! Shangguan Wan hurriedly took off the mask, and an itchy and numbing feeling spread from her wound. Her entire body seemed to be wrapped by fire¡ªit was scorching and painful! Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth tightly as she forcefully swallowed this torture down! As long as my looks can go back to normal¡­ This doesn¡¯t count for anything! ¡­ After leaving Qingfeng Palace, Chu Liuyue walked relaxingly. Tuan Zi had already returned to her body. ¡°You acted quite well,¡± praised Chu Liuyue in her heart. Tuan Zi flapped its wings and looked delighted. Upon seeing this reaction, Chu Liuyue felt emotional. She then turned around to take a look and could only see the roof of the palace from here. At this point, Shangguan Wan should¡¯ve already ingested that ¡®blood of a legendary fiend¡¯ excitedly, right? I wonder if Shangguan Wan will be satisfied with this small gift. After a momentary pause, Chu Liuyue continued forward. When she passed by a road, she turned and walked in another direction. The palace maid behind her hurriedly said, ¡°Ms. Chu, you can¡¯t go there!¡± Chu Liuyue paused in her tracks and suddenly looked enlightened. ¡°Look at me! I went the wrong way.¡± After that, she turned around and walked in another direction. The palace maid hurriedly laughed along. ¡°You haven¡¯t been to the palace much, so it¡¯s normal for you not to know your way. In the future, you must be careful and not walk toward that area!¡± Chu Liuyue entered the palace to present the medicine to treat His Majesty, and the news had already silently spread throughout the palace. Everyone was guessing that without any accidents, this person would definitely be capable in the future, so they all fought to flatter her. Chu Liuyue smiled and seemingly asked nonchalantly, ¡°Oh? Why is that so?¡± That palace maid looked conflicted but still lowered her voice and softly said, ¡°That¡¯s the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall. It was burned down two years ago, and it has just been renovated. Normal people can¡¯t enter!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°I see¡­ Thank you.¡± The palace maid was shocked and kept refusing Chu Liuyue¡¯s thanks as she kept telling the latter about all sorts of rules in the palace and some information here and there on the way. Chu Liuyue heard it and gradually realized that Shangguan Wan seemed to be extra concerned about the burned ancestral hall. From a certain angle, she was even stricter about it than guarding the Emperor. When I chose to burn myself to death, the ancestral hall should¡¯ve been burned quite badly. With that, not much evidence would be left behind. What exactly is Shangguan Wan afraid of? ¡­ After Jiang Yucheng left the palace, he directly went back to the Jiang Residence. But even at this point, the anger in his heart hadn¡¯t subsided. Thinking of how unreasonable Shangguan Wan was, he felt frustrated. What annoyed him even more was that when Chu Liuyue heard the two of them arguing, she looked very nonchalant. She was like an outsider calmly watching a show that had nothing to do with her. From start to end, she didn¡¯t look at him once more or even have a change in expression. Jiang Yucheng pressed his chest. For some reason, his chest felt stuffed when he thought of these things. Then, he closed his eyes as if he had made up his mind and said to Sun Qi behind him, ¡°Invite Chu Liuyue to the zither room in Xin Li Garden.¡± ¡°Eldest Young Master, you¡ª¡± Sun Qi was dazed. Tomorrow is his wedding with the Third Princess! What exactly does Eldest Young Master want to do by making an appointment with Chu Liuyue now?! And¡­ It¡¯s even in the zither room in Thousand View Garden! Jiang Yucheng glanced at him coldly. Sun Qi immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go right away!¡± Chapter 860 - Willing to Lower Her Head Not long after Chu Liuyue walked out of the palace, she met Sun Qi¡ªwho was looking for her. ¡°Ms. Chu, my Eldest Young Master invites you to Xin Li Garden.¡± Sun Qi¡¯s words were brief, and his attitude was polite. Chu Liuyue was doubtful. Why would Jiang Yucheng look for me at this time and even invite me to Xin Li Garden? Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang should be very busy today. Why would he have the time to look for me? Is there something urgent?¡± Shouldn¡¯t Jiang Yucheng be preparing for tomorrow¡¯s event on the eve of his wedding? Was¡­ the ancient zither incident discovered? The moment this idea flashed across her mind, she swiftly rejected it. Impossible. I did things very discreetly that day and didn¡¯t leave any evidence behind. From that day onward, I have also never used the peach blossom ink on my wrist to transport myself in front of anyone. Or did he find out about me pretending to be Xia Mu? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very possible either. These people don¡¯t know about the transparent karmic fire in the square cauldron that day. Besides, no matter which situation it was, Jiang Yucheng would definitely find me and teach me a lesson personally. He wouldn¡¯t send a very polite and well-mannered Sun Qi over. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this either.¡± Sun Qi slightly lowered his head. ¡°Ms. Chu, I hope you¡¯ll accede to the request.¡± Originally, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to agree. She felt disgusted even taking another glance at Jiang Yucheng, let alone accepting this type of specialized invitation. Just thinking about it made her feel uneasy. But after thinking for a moment, she still nodded her head in the end. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ As time gradually trickled past and after a long torture, the painful and ticklish feeling on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face finally dissipated. At this point, her entire body was covered in sweat, and she felt disconnected from her body. But after she woke up, the first thing she did was rush to the copper mirror and look at her face. The copper mirror reflected her own appearance. The wound that previously kept rotting actually formed scabs on her face, and it even formed a light pink scar! Even though it still looked terrifying, it was indeed much better than before! Shangguan Wan was extremely surprised as she carefully touched her face. I¡¯ve just ingested the blood of a legendary fiend not long ago, and it¡¯s already this effective. If I use other medicine, I will definitely fully recover! The problem of her face had tortured her for a very long time, and now, she could finally heave a sigh of relief. ¡°I can definitely recover¡­¡± muttered Shangguan Wan softly as her gaze was sinisterly and frighteningly stubborn. ¡°Anyone there!?¡± Upon hearing this, Chan Yi¡ªwho was waiting outside¡ªimmediately pushed open the door to enter. ¡°Your Highness, is there anything you want me to do?¡± She respectfully bowed, and she immediately spoke in surprise when she unintentionally looked up. ¡°Your Highness, your face has become much better¡ª¡± Even though Shangguan Wan hated other people seeing her disfigured face very much, it was already healing at this time. Besides, Chan Yi was happy for her, so she didn¡¯t care much about it. ¡°I still need to take care of it. I want to bathe and change my clothes. Help me prepare.¡± Chan Yi hurriedly said, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go right away!¡± Just as she was about to go out, Shangguan Wan suddenly called her. Her lips moved twice before she hesitantly asked, ¡°¡­Has Yucheng come back?¡± The smile on Chan Yi¡¯s face instantly froze. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart suddenly turned cold. ¡°Your Highness, Eldest Young Master¡ªh-he hasn¡¯t come back¡­¡± Chan Yi lowered her head, and her voice became much softer. The room instantly fell into dead silence. Shangguan Wan clenched her silver teeth tightly, and deep vengeance flashed across her eyes. The two of us rarely quarreled in the past, but he has become increasingly irritated toward me in these few months. He even embarrassed me in front of so many people today. I initially thought that he would come back and coax me, but it has been so long, and he hasn¡¯t done anything at all. ¡°Your Highness, Eldest Young Master might be busy with work recently, so he couldn¡¯t hold himself back and said harsh words to you¡­¡± Chan Yi saw that her expression wasn¡¯t right and hurriedly explained, ¡°Eldest Young Master is worried about you after all, Your Highness. Besides, tomorrow is the wedding. Eldest Young Master definitely wishes for everything in the future to be beautiful and perfect, yet you said such words. How could Eldest Young Master be happy after that?¡± Shangguan Wan heard it and finally felt slightly better. After thinking for a moment, she glanced at the sky outside. ¡°Forget it. After I¡¯ve washed up, I¡¯ll look for him personally.¡± She still had him in her heart. Tomorrow was the wedding, and she had already waited for too long. She really didn¡¯t want the two of them to end off on such a bad note. At most¡­ I¡¯ll lower my head first! ¡­ Jiang Residence. It was already afternoon now, and everyone in the Jiang Residence had been busy the entire day, but the residence was still very lively. With all sorts of intricate designs around, it looked very blissful. Shangguan Wan changed into a disguise and silently came over. As she regularly looked for Jiang Yucheng secretly in the past, the people around the latter would directly let her in and even cover up her tracks when they saw her come over. But after Shangguan Wan successfully entered Jiang Yucheng¡¯s yard, she realized that he wasn¡¯t in his residence. Calculating the time, he should¡¯ve long been back after he left the palace. Did he go somewhere else halfway? Where else can he go at this point? Shangguan Wan came here in vain and was very upset. Just as she planned to wait here, she suddenly thought of Jiang Yucheng hurriedly hiding a painting in the study that day. Now is a good opportunity to find out what¡¯s going on! Hence, Shangguan Wan planned to enter the study. But the moment she reached the door, the guards stopped her. ¡°Your Highness, Eldest Young Master said that nobody can casually enter his study without his permission. Why don¡¯t you rest at the house nearby?¡± Upon hearing this, Shangguan Wan chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m getting married to Yucheng tomorrow. Can I not even enter this study?¡± The few guards exchanged glances and were in a difficult position. After a temporary stalemate, the few of them still decided to give in. After all, they really couldn¡¯t afford to offend Shangguan Wan if her status increased by another level. In the past, she did directly enter the study a few times, so¡­ There shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Shangguan Wan then entered the study as she wished. Even though it couldn¡¯t be said that she knew everything here by heart, she was still rather familiar with it as she had entered this place several times before. Within the room were many books and paintings, most of which were very precious. Yet, perhaps it was because he had quite a few good things, but Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t really care about all of these things. On the study table and the racks, all sorts of treasured items were placed casually. Shangguan Wan felt even more confused. Considering Jiang Yucheng¡¯s sight, what kind of painting is it that can make him store it so dearly? From what she saw that day, she went to the study table and felt around for quite a while before she finally found a mechanism and opened the secret compartment. A wooden box lay quietly within! Chapter 861 - I Want to Marry You Shangguan Wan¡¯s heartbeat quickened as her heart pumped loudly. She alertly glanced at her surroundings before meticulously taking out the wooden box. Even Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t know that Shangguan Wan had roughly known about all the mechanisms in his study. It was just that she had never done such a thing before. This was because she knew that Jiang Yucheng would definitely fly into a rage once he found out. But this time, she was really too curious! Shangguan Wan carefully looked at the wooden box in her hands. The wooden box was made of agarwood, and it gave off a light fragrance. The surface was smooth and had intricate patterns, looking very detailed and elegant. For some reason, the lock on it wasn¡¯t closed properly. Shangguan Wan thought that he had put away the item too hurriedly that day, so he forgot to lock it. She held her breath in and opened the wooden box¡ªthere indeed was a scroll of a painting within! For some reason, Shangguan Wan was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She had a feeling that this scroll might really contain Jiang Yucheng¡¯s secret¡­ Then, she took out the painting. This item seemed rather old. No matter if it were the scroll itself or the paper, they both looked a little yellow. But this painting had been stored very well, and one could tell how precious the owner thought of it. Without blinking, Shangguan Wan gradually unfurled the painting scroll. When she saw the contents on it, Shangguan Wan suddenly widened her eyes. A woman wearing a palace outfit was in the painting. She stood by the lake and turned around to smile happily when she heard something. She had skin as white as snow and cherry lips. Her eyes looked kind, and her entire appearance complemented her elegant nature well, but her smile added some hints of wittiness to her eyes, which charmed one to no end. If one said that she was originally as bright as the moon, cold and elegant, which one could not touch, with her smile, she became much friendlier, making one feel that they could just reach out and touch her to get the moon in the sky. She was breathtakingly beautiful and mesmerizing. This was probably it. However, what shocked Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t that Jiang Yucheng kept a painting of such a woman, but that¡­ The woman in the painting was Shangguan Yue! That Shangguan Yue who was once high and mighty as if nobody could ever reach her but decided to burn herself to death and fell into the abyss of death! Kada! The painting scroll dropped down from Shangguan Wan¡¯s hands, but the woman in the painting still smiled in such a mesmerizing manner. It was as if all the good looks in the world were gathered in that one person¡ªshe was incomparable. At that moment, it was like thunder striking as Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind turned completely blank. Her hands kept trembling, and her entire person dropped into an icy hole as the coldness chilled her to the bones. This chill spread from the inside to the outside and from her head to her toe. She staggered backward, hit the chair, and almost fell to the floor. ¡°I-impossible! This is definitely impossible!¡± muttered Shangguan Wan, but nobody knew who she was explaining to or trying to convince. That¡¯s Shangguan Yue¡­ That¡¯s Shangguan Yue! I knew Jiang Yucheng had once liked Shangguan Yue, but wasn¡¯t that all in the past?! He personally poisoned and kidnapped her to the ancestral hall! It was even him who personally attacked Shangguan Yue and drove her to the road of death! But if he had any form of reminiscence of love toward Shangguan Yue, why would he do that? It was coincidentally because of all of this that Shangguan Wan believed that Jiang Yucheng had lost all feelings for Shangguan Yue. But it was only now that she suddenly discovered that everything she thought was wrong! Shangguan Wan¡¯s face was as white as a ghost. Her eyes were soulless, and her heart felt like it was tightly clutched¡ªit was so painful that she almost suffocated. As if she suddenly recovered her senses, she hurriedly picked up that painting, bit her lips, and looked at it closely. The Shangguan Yue in this painting looked rather young as if she was only 13 or 14 years old. At that moment, Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart shook. I remember! This palace outfit was indeed the one that Shangguan Yue wore when she was 14 and became of marriageable age! She was born to be the precious Princess, so her turning-of-marriageable-age ceremony was very important. Shangguan Wan still clearly remembered that many people came to the palace that day. Everyone was smiling, and everyone was praising Shangguan Yue. Shangguan Yue¡ªwho had just become of marriageable age¡ªwas still a young woman, but she had already attracted countless people¡¯s admiration. Some people were naturally born to be at the top of the mountain and under the spotlight! Shangguan Yue was this kind of existence! Why would Jiang Yucheng have such a painting? Shangguan Wan¡¯s gaze turned, and she saw the footer below. It was a line of words: ¡°Yuan Zhen Year 31, Tenth of August. Seeing Yue elates me, and she is where my heart lies.¡± Jiang Yucheng personally wrote this on that day in that year! It has already been ten years since that day! Shangguan Wan stared at that line of words with a deadly gaze as if she was going to burn a hole in it. She clutched the scroll so tightly that her knuckles turned white. If it weren¡¯t because she still had her last bit of rationality, she would directly tear this painting apart! I see¡­ I see! After so many years, Jiang Yucheng has liked only Shangguan Yue from start to end! If he didn¡¯t miss her, why would he keep such a painting so dearly?! And I¡ªShangguan Wan¡ªam just a joke to fill in the space! ¡°Hah! For the past few years, he planned for me and listened to my every word. All along, I thought that I was different to Jiang Yucheng. But now, I finally know that I¡¯m worth nothing to him. She threw the painting onto the floor and covered her face as she cried and laughed, her entire person deranged. Earlier, she was still thinking about how to take the initiative to repair their relationship. Even if she had to lower her head willingly, she wanted to do so. As long as they could make up, as long as the wedding the next day could be held successfully, as long as everything in the future could go on blissfully¡­ Something seemed to be crazily churning in Shangguan Wan¡¯s chest as her face suddenly flashed white. Then, she directly spat blood out. Her aura rapidly declined, and she fell onto the chair. When the guards outside heard the commotion, they knocked on the door worriedly and lowered their voice to ask, ¡°Your Highness, are you alright?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind was in a mess. She was dazed for a moment before she stiffly put away the painting, placed the box back, and walked outside. Then, she enunciated every word clearly as she asked, ¡°Where exactly is he now?¡± ¡­ Zither room, Xin Li Garden. When Chu Liuyue arrived, she saw Jiang Yucheng standing by the lake. He was wearing a light-green robe, and he stood with his hands behind his back. He stared at the lake as if in a daze, thinking of something. Upon hearing the footsteps, he turned back. When he saw Chu Liuyue, his gaze turned much gentler. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze changed slightly, and she walked over. ¡°Eldest Young Master, why are you looking for me?¡± Jiang Yucheng looked at her, and there seemed to be waves crashing in his eyes. After a moment, he suddenly said, ¡°I want to marry you.¡± Chapter 862 - The Person I Like Chu Liuyue thought she misheard. ¡°What?¡± Jiang Yucheng repeated, ¡°I said that I want to marry you.¡± Not ¡®would like¡¯ and not ¡®hope,¡¯ but want! He seemed to be commanding and not discussing with whoever. How righteous and insistent! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and looked at Jiang Yucheng. The latter¡¯s expression seemed serious, and his gaze was clear. He didn¡¯t look like he was joking. This incident was too ridiculous, to the point that Chu Liuyue thought Jiang Yucheng was crazy for a moment. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Chu Liuyue found it incredulous. What¡¯s wrong with Jiang Yucheng? Why would he invite me here and say that he wants to marry me? The day before his wedding with Shangguan Wan no less! ¡°Of course, I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± said Jiang Yucheng adeptly as if he had already expected Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot the past two days and have finally made up my mind.¡± It wasn¡¯t easy for him to make this decision. Jiang Yucheng knew more clearly than anyone else what he should and shouldn¡¯t do now. But he knew that he had already liked Chu Liuyue ever since he saw the girl¡¯s smile for the first time at the Wan Zheng Competition. From that day on, he restrained himself and wanted to eliminate all these ideas he had toward Chu Liuyue. Originally, he thought that he could gradually forget about all of this by not seeing and speaking. However, it was too hard. When she helped him in the Mystic Forest, he faltered once again. Finally, the trigger point was when they met again a few days ago. At that moment, he almost couldn¡¯t differentiate if the person in front was Shangguan Yue or Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue was very similar to her, but they were different in many ways as well. He knew all of this all the while, but he suddenly had a crazy idea after that look. If I can¡¯t differentiate between them, then I won¡¯t! No matter if she is Shangguan Yue or Chu Liuyue, it¡¯s enough as long as the person is in front of me. That person is already dead. Her soul has dispersed, and she will never return. He had once decided to bury the entire past and not bring it up again. But after Chu Liuyue appeared, he suddenly felt that a certain part of his heart seemed to be filled. He had seen countless beautiful women. But after so many years, only two people could make him feel this way. One was Shangguan Yue, and the other was Chu Liuyue. The lucky thing was that Chu Liuyue had a lowly background, not like that person who was high and mighty like the sun and nobody could reach her. ¡°You just need to stay by my side obediently. I can give you whatever you want,¡± said Jiang Yucheng seriously. This wasn¡¯t a heaven-defying oath but an actual promise. According to his status and identity, he did have the confidence to say such things. Looking at Jiang Yucheng¡¯s seemingly very determined appearance, Chu Liuyue was so angry that she laughed. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, I¡¯m afraid there are some things you don¡¯t quite remember, so let me remind you. Firstly, you¡¯ll be getting married to the Third Princess tomorrow. What will happen to her if you do this? Secondly, your status will change from tomorrow onward. In the future, you¡¯ll be the Third Princess¡¯s husband and her officer. I think I don¡¯t need to tell you how to write the word ¡®loyalty,¡¯ right? Thirdly, you haven¡¯t asked for my opinion from start to end. Aren¡¯t you being too rash right now?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin slightly, and an extremely cold, slight smile was plastered on her red lips. ¡°Also, you really can¡¯t give me what I want.¡± ¡­ It was already evening, and the sun was setting in the west. The remaining glow of the setting sun dyed the sky a warm orange color. The night breeze at the start of summer had a hint of warmth to it, but Shangguan Wan¡ªwho hurriedly rushed to Xin Li Garden¡ªwas completely ice-cold. Her mind kept replaying various scenes continuously. At one moment, it would be the interactions between Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Yue from the earlier years. The next moment, it would be Shangguan Yue¡¯s face of hopelessness in the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall. Then, it would be the painting that had been treasured and safely kept in the study for ten years. Her blood boiled, but she didn¡¯t know where to vent her anger. It just coursed through her veins, causing her entire person to be on the verge of exploding. At this moment, only one thought flashed across her mind¡ªfind Jiang Yucheng and ask him clearly! When the guards saw Shangguan Wan coming, they were shocked and hurriedly bowed. ¡°Greetings, Third Princess!¡± Why would she come here at this point? ¡°Where¡¯s Jiang Yucheng?¡± questioned Shangguan Wan coldly. The guards saw that her expression was terrible and didn¡¯t dare to hide it from her, so one immediately said, ¡°Eldest Young Master is in Thousand View Garden¡¯s zither room. I¡¯ll immediately send someone to inform¡ª¡± Before the guard could even finish his sentence, Shangguan Wan already went forward in a fury. ¡°Third Princess¡ª¡± The two guards wanted to stop her, but they didn¡¯t dare to. Even though Jiang Yucheng had always been managing this Xin Li Garden, it was still the Tianling royal family¡¯s territory. If Shangguan Wan wanted to enter, who could stop her? The duo exchanged glances and saw the confusion and anxiety in each other¡¯s eyes. Is the Third Princess going to cause trouble for Eldest Young Master? From the looks of it.. Is she going to cause a scene?! ¡­ Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t stop in her tracks and advanced all the way. Thinking that he was actually still at that place at this moment, the hatred in her heart deepened. He can go anywhere, but why must he come to the zither room?! In the past, I still thought that Jiang Yucheng guarded this area very strictly because he had harmed Shangguan Yue here. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s the place where he doted on her in the past! She hurriedly walked over and saw the lake glistening from afar. Just as she was about to go forward, she suddenly saw two people standing by the lake. One of them was wearing a light-green robe, and he had his hands behind his back. It was Jiang Yucheng! But that person in front of him was wearing a red dress, and the loose strands of her hair dropped down. She looked extremely pretty. Who else could it be other than Chu Liuyue?! Why is she also here?! Shangguan Wan was dazed for a moment, and her instincts told her that something seemed to be amiss between the two of them, so she instinctively stopped and hid her figure. Coincidentally, she heard Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice at this moment. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s wedding is between Shangguan Wan and me. You don¡¯t have to care if I betray her or not. Also, even after she¡¯s the lord and I¡¯m her subordinate tomorrow, it doesn¡¯t mean that I have to act according to her wishes for everything. Lastly, I thought marrying me would only be beneficial to you and not disadvantageous at all. Countless women in the Tianling Dynasty want to suck up to me, but they¡¯re not as good as you¡ªthey¡¯re not you. Therefore, I only told you my previous words. If you insist, then I can ask again. I want to marry you. Will you marry me?¡± Shangguan Wan suddenly covered her mouth. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and suddenly laughed. Her original expression was slightly cold as if there was a layer of thin ice, but her smile looked like millions of flowers blossoming. When the remaining glow of the setting sun reflected on her ice-cold face, her looks were outstanding as her eyes sparkled like the stars. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± She smiled and said, ¡°I have someone that I like.¡± Chapter 863 - Return One Hundred Fold of What She Suffered Jiang Yucheng was suddenly stunned. How familiar is this scene!? Some time ago, that person also stood here smiling and said that her heart was already taken! The same place, the same words, the same smile. The only thing different is that I never had the chance to express what I felt when that person said those words. He had put himself down and sincerely invited Chu Liuyue to go with him, but he got rejected! At one moment, these two scenes seemed to mix in front of Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t differentiate if the person in front was Chu Liuyue or Shangguan Yue! Something tumbled in his heart, and he clutched Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist! ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± Ch u Liuyue easily avoided it. Even though Jiang Yucheng¡¯s cultivation level was higher than hers, her movement techniques were now much better after the intense training at the Red Moon Desert. It wasn¡¯t hard for her to deal with Jiang Yucheng. Chu Liuyue moved a step back and raised her brows slightly, the smile on her face fading. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, please respect yourself.¡± Hatred and contempt flashed across her eyes, forming a steel needle that deeply stabbed into Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart! The vengeance Jiang Yucheng had suppressed for many years suddenly rushed up and overwhelmed his head! As if he had blurted it out, he angrily said, ¡°I don¡¯t allow it! Other than me, you can¡¯t like anyone else!¡± Jiang Yucheng suddenly erupted and frightened Chu Liuyue. In my memory, no matter the situation, Jiang Yucheng rarely showed such enraged moments. Even when he harmed others, his expression was always calm. Why¡­ does he seem to be so agitated? Chu Liuyue was alerted and moved a step back. Then, she raised her brows slightly and coldly said, ¡°You originally can¡¯t force someone to like you. Jiang Yucheng, please wake up!¡± When he saw her angry, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart trembled for some reason. Looking into those furious and black gem-like eyes, his expression changed as he opened his mouth and lowered his voice. ¡°A¡¯Yue, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± As if he was begging, he softly muttered and wanted to reach out to pull her back. Chu Liuyue felt that Jiang Yucheng was indeed crazy. What is he doing?! A¡¯Yue? Who is he calling? The deep hatred emerged from her heart, and she was about to turn around to leave. But at this moment, an enraged voice filled with hatred sounded by the side. ¡°Jiang Yucheng!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. Hah, what a coincidence. The incoming person is actually Shangguan Wan. When I was tangled with Jiang Yucheng just now, I didn¡¯t notice that someone had come. From the looks of it, she should¡¯ve heard quite a bit, right? But no matter how much she has heard, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s every single word and sentence are like sharp knives stabbing into her heart. The Third Princess¡¯s sharp shrill finally made Jiang Yucheng recover his senses, and he looked at his empty hands. Chu Liuyue stood at the side, far away from him. Her entire body exuded her hatred for him¡ªit was as if another glance would dirty her eyes. His heart suddenly ached. It was like this in the past, and it¡¯s the same even now! Emotions rapidly gathered in his eyes coldly as he looked at Shangguan Wan and coldly asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shangguan Wan sneered. ¡°I¡¯m the Third Princess, and this Xin Li Garden is the royal family¡¯s garden. Why can¡¯t I be here?! But you, Jiang Yucheng¡ªwe¡¯re already getting married tomorrow, yet what are you doing? You¡¯re actually proposing to another woman?! Jiang Yucheng, do you have a heart!¡± Only she knew how much her heart hurt when she heard those words just now! She originally thought that her heart was already numb after she saw the painting. But when she came here and saw how her husband-to-be treated Chu Liuyue, she then realized that it could hurt even more! It was like someone had gripped her heart tightly, yanked it out, threw it onto the ice-cold floor, and stepped on it harshly! Ridiculous! How laughable! Seeing Shangguan Wan yelling at the top of her lungs, Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows tightly. The nearby guards had already been deployed away by him earlier since he originally wanted to talk to Chu Liuyue properly, but he didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Wan to barge in and cause such a scene. ¡°Calm down! As the princess, how are you different from a crazy b*tch by screaming like this?!¡± scolded Jiang Yucheng coldly. This sentence completely ignited the fire in Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart! ¡°Hahahaha! Crazy b*tch? You think I¡¯m a crazy b*tch?¡± Shangguan Wan pointed at her own nose and shrilly scolded as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, you betrayed me first!¡± Then, she harshly pointed toward Chu Liuyue at the side. ¡°What¡¯s so good about this b*tch that you can do this?! She¡¯s just a lowly thing. You¡¯re actually treating me like this because of her?!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted dangerously. But before she could act up, Jiang Yucheng already coldly spoke. ¡°Shangguan Wan, watch what you say! Don¡¯t forget your status!¡± Shangguan Wan suddenly laughed, and her five features contorted. Her gaze turned crazy as she slowly said, ¡°Jiang Yucheng, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know why you like her. Isn¡¯t it because she looks very similar to Shangguan Yue!?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his expression turned sharp. ¡°What nonsense are you saying?!¡± However, Shangguan Wan ignored his anger and turned to look at Chu Liuyue with a mocking gaze. ¡°Chu Liuyue, do you really think he¡¯s genuine to you? You¡¯re just a substitute! Your eyes look exactly the same as those of my short-lived elder sister, Shangguan Yue! He misses that person so much, and now that he¡¯s looking for you, you¡¯re just her substitute!¡± ¡°Shangguan Wan!¡± Jiang Yucheng cried out. He instinctively felt that something was wrong as he hurriedly went forward and wanted to pull Shangguan Wan away. ¡°Your brain is messed up. I¡¯ll bring you away to wake you up!¡± Shangguan Wan flung his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I¡¯m very sober!¡± Her eyes turned red as she stared at Jiang Yucheng while laughing coldly. Then, she lightly asked, ¡°Jiang Yucheng, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid that she will know that you just treat her as Shangguan Yue¡¯s substitute, or are you afraid of people knowing that you still miss Shangguan Yue even though you¡¯re marrying me tomorrow? Or¡­ You¡¯re most afraid of people knowing that you¡¯ve liked Shangguan Yue for ten years, yet you personally¡ª¡± Smack! A resounding slap sounded! Shangguan Wan was thrown back and immediately collapsed onto the floor as half her face rapidly swelled up. Blood then flowed out from the corner of her mouth. One could tell how harsh this slap was! Jiang Yucheng looked down at her from above, and his eyes had murderous intent. ¡°Shangguan Wan, you¡¯re crazy!¡± Chu Liuyue stood at the side and coldly watched this scene as if it had nothing to do with her. Staring at the duo going for each other¡¯s throats, her lips suddenly curled up as her gaze was cold and nonchalant. What a joke. The scene from two years ago actually happened again, but this time, everyone has changed their positions. All the pain and suffering I previously went through will slowly be repaid to them now. Chapter 864 - Don’t Ask I haven¡¯t even done anything yet, but these people have begun to fight. Now, they can finally have a taste of the heart-wrenching betrayal I suffered back then. Chu Liuyue pushed the loose strands of hair by her cheek to the back of her ear, looking like she wanted to watch a good show. If it were someone else, they would definitely want to leave immediately when they saw this scene. After all, the two people going at each other¡¯s throats were the distinguished Third Princess and the person in power, Jiang Yucheng. It would be troublesome if one got involved with either party. The more one knew, the more dangerous it would be. Chu Liuyue was different. These two were her mortal enemies, so she would be more than happy to see them in such a commotion! What was there to be scared of? These two people should be afraid! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s slap made Shangguan Wan¡¯s see stars as an intense bloody aura surged into her mouth. But at this moment, she finally recovered some of her senses. Chu Liuyue is still standing at the side! If I had really exposed everything just now¡­ The consequences would be unimaginable! Scared, Shangguan Wan held her face as deep regret overwhelmed her. Jiang Yucheng looked down at her from above and even wanted to kill her! Shangguan Wan has always been impulsive and unreasonable, but her temper has become even worse in the past two years. I have always been tolerating her, but I didn¡¯t expect that she could be so brainless to this extent! If I hadn¡¯t stopped her in time earlier, was she going to loudly tell everyone about what we did?! Even though Jiang Yucheng liked Chu Liuyue, he had never thought of telling her about these matters! If more people knew about such secretive matters, they would die if they were careless for a moment! However, Shangguan Wan almost blurted everything out directly! ¡°Anyone there!?¡± Jiang Yucheng questioned in a commanding tone. Two people immediately came out from the dark and went down on one knee. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Young Master!¡± ¡°Third Princess isn¡¯t very sane and needs to rest in bed. You two, immediately prepare a horse carriage and follow me to send the Third Princess back to the palace.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The two guards didn¡¯t dare to speak further as they acted according to Jiang Yucheng¡¯s wishes. Shangguan Wan originally wanted to say something, but Jiang Yucheng grabbed her wrist and dragged her up from the floor. She hid behind with lingering fear. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s previous gaze¡­ was indeed too frightening! Not to mention that she felt like she had swallowed a fly once she thought of Jiang Yucheng liking Shangguan Yue for ten years and that he still couldn¡¯t even forget her at this point. She felt very disgusted. ¡°Wan¡¯er.¡± Jiang Yucheng exerted force with his hands and tightly clutched the hand that wanted to break free. He glanced at her with much warning, but his tone was much gentler. ¡°Wan¡¯er, you seem to be sick. I¡¯ll bring you back to the palace for some proper rest.¡± Shangguan Wan felt hatred and fear since her wrist was gripped so tightly that it hurt, but she didn¡¯t dare to be unreasonable anymore and didn¡¯t say a word. Jiang Yucheng was then a little more satisfied as he turned around to glance at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Sorry for letting you see such a joke. Just¡­ Take it as nothing has happened today.¡± He didn¡¯t want to kill Chu Liuyue. Besides, the current Chu Liuyue had a legendary fiend and a Dancing Lotus, so her status was different from before. They couldn¡¯t easily touch her. Chu Liuyue secretly felt that it was a pity, but she nodded in understanding and didn¡¯t say anything else as she directly lifted her leg and left without even casting a side-glance. Even when she walked far away, she didn¡¯t even turn back to take a look. When Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure finally disappeared, Jiang Yucheng then looked at Shangguan Wan coldly. ¡°What do you know?¡± His voice was ice-cold and heartless as if he were interrogating a criminal. Shangguan Wan shuddered and tilted her head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know anything¡­ Ah!¡± Jiang Yucheng squeezed her wrist, and her bones cracked. Shangguan Wan was in so much pain that her face turned white! ¡°Answer me!¡± ¡°It hurts! It hurts! I¡¯ll just say it!¡± Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t endure it in the end as she mustered up her courage and stiffly yelled, ¡°I went to your study!¡± Jiang Yucheng instantly understood, and his expression became extremely dangerous. ¡°You touched my painting?¡± Shangguan Wan had never heard him use such a tone to talk to her and felt very aggrieved and enraged, but she felt deep horror as well. Her tears dropped down. ¡°Yes, I touched it! I saw your painting! So what? Jiang Yucheng, you¡¯ve only loved Shangguan Yue from start to end! You admired her for ten years, and where does that put me?¡± Jiang Yucheng looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°There¡¯s no use in saying all of this. Taking tomorrow¡¯s wedding into account, I¡¯ll let you off this time. However, don¡¯t let me know that you¡¯re doing such things. I¡¯ll send you back later, and you should prepare for it properly. Nothing is allowed to go wrong tomorrow! As for everything today¡­ You better not mention it any more!¡± Shangguan Wan laughed bitterly. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, what am I in your eyes? If you really treat her so well, why would you ask me to go against her? Don¡¯t forget that you were the one who pushed her to her death!¡± Jiang Yucheng suddenly went close, pinched her chin, and said properly, ¡°Yes, I did do all those things. You don¡¯t have to keep reminding me! If you really want an answer, then I¡¯ll tell you this: I have never compared her to you. I can kill her, and I can kill you even more. Do you understand?¡± Then, he flung Shangguan Wan¡¯s hand away. Shangguan Wan looked down, and the hatred in her heart boiled. But in the end, she still said, ¡°I understand. Everything tomorrow will go according to your plan.¡± ¡­ Yuan Zhen Year 41, Sixth of July, Tianling Dynasty. Third Princess Shangguan Wan was going to marry the eldest son of Grand Tutor Jiang Lizuo¡ªJiang Yucheng! Chapter 865 - The Big Day Shangguan Wan¡¯s wedding day¡ªwhich was also the day she succeeded the throne¡ªwas naturally celebrated by the entire Tianling Dynasty. In fact, things had become bustling in Xi Ling City since three days ago, and people became even more excited on the very day itself. From the time Shangguan Yue passed away two years ago, there hadn¡¯t been such a grand celebration since. Red satin fluttered on the streets, and almost every household had hung up festive red lanterns. People flocked to the streets, and laughter could be heard everywhere. Everyone¡¯s faces were filled with excitement and anticipation as they wanted to see how grand this wedding would be as well as join in this celebration. Black Guards were lined up on both sides of the street outside the Jiang Residence leading to the palace, and each of them guarded their posts seriously. The pavement¡ªwhich stretched on for miles¡ªwas also lined with red brocade embroidered with golden clouds, making it look luxurious and vivid as it glistened under the sunlight. Normally, the scale of a mere princess¡¯s wedding wouldn¡¯t be so large and grand, but it was Shangguan Wan¡¯s coronation today. As the empress-to-be, she naturally could afford and had the right for such grandeur. At the Jiang Residence¡¯s entrance, 108 firecrackers set off continuously, with sparks landing everywhere and forming a thick layer of dust on the ground. A Black Kicking-Snow Colt stopped at the entrance of the Jiang Residence. It was an eighth-grade fiend with a robust body and sturdy limbs. It was pure black except for its hooves¡ªwhich were snow-white in color as if it had been treading on snowy grounds. Its eyes, on the other hand, were like clean and pure turquoise. Amidst everyone¡¯s expectations, Jiang Yucheng finally stepped out of the residence dressed in red, with his hair pulled back by a white jade crown atop his head. Known for his good looks in Xi Ling City, he appeared even taller and dashing in this attire. His appearance immediately drew whispers from the crowd, and the eyes of many women lit up as they looked at him blushingly with undisguised admiration. In terms of background, appearance, and talent, Jiang Yucheng was indubitably ranked top in Xi Ling City. ¡°Only he is worthy of marrying the princess¡­¡± Soft murmurs could be heard coming from the crowd. ¡°Marrying a member of the royal family may not be that good, especially since he¡¯s marrying the Third Princess¡­ He¡¯ll have even less freedom in the future since he¡¯s her subject first and foremost. Being her husband comes second¡­¡± ¡°That said, the entire Jiang family¡¯s status will rise after today! Even Eldest Young Master Jiang will have more speaking rights at court¡­ This is something that many people want but don¡¯t have!¡± ¡°Exactly! Although he has the power in his hands, it¡¯s only inevitable that he gets criticized because he didn¡¯t have a suitable identity¡­ Now that they¡¯re married, this will no longer be a problem.¡± ¡°Hah, it¡¯s only because of the late Crown Princess¡¯s sudden death that he gets to enjoy his current status. He was tasked to deal with the urgent matters, but once he took over, he refused to return the power and held onto it until now. And now, it¡¯s just going to be official¡­ Nobody will be able to stop him from doing whatever he wants in the future¡­¡± ¡°Shh¡ªquiet! Do you want your head to roll?!¡± Things wouldn¡¯t end well for these people should they be heard by Jiang Yucheng. But other than the people around them, their conversation fortunately couldn¡¯t be heard by others in this crowded and bustling street. Jiang Yucheng walked to the Black Kicking-Snow Colt and mounted it with ease. Behind him were gift-bearers carrying mahogany boxes that contained various treasures. They formed such a long line one could hardly see the end of it. Other than the Jiang Residence members themselves who had prepared these bridal gifts, nobody knew what precious gifts these boxes contained. Jiang Yucheng kicked the colt¡¯s belly lightly, and the colt started moving forward. ¡­ On the streets filled with ceremonial music and the sounds of gongs and drums, Jiang Yucheng and his entourage began heading toward the palace. From afar, it was an impressive sight with countless people moving along with them. The wedding was special this time as it would be held in the palace¡¯s Lang Kun Hall, so all the guests had already entered the palace to await Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arrival. Sitting on his colt, Jiang Yucheng could see the majestic palace when he looked up. He appeared calm as his eyes gleamed darkly. He had imagined this scene countless times, and it finally came true after so many years. Although the person waiting for him on the other side of the door and street was another person, it didn¡¯t matter to him. All I need to do is step into that place. It doesn¡¯t matter who is behind that door! ¡­ Even before the crack of dawn, things had been busy at the palace. As the wedding ceremony was a complicated and tedious process with a lot of preparations to be made, Chan Yi repeatedly checked with the wedding planners to ensure that nothing would go wrong. Inside Huayang Palace. Shangguan Wan had also gotten up early on this day to allow two experienced nannies to help her get dressed up. Of course, she had put on her mask before allowing them to enter the room. Although the injuries on her face had improved a lot and were no longer festering, she still had scars of varying depths on her face. It would take them a month to heal and disappear completely. Besides, one side of her face was still red and swollen from Jiang Yucheng¡¯s slap. The two nannies were old veterans who had served in the palace for many years and had helped out in the weddings of a few princesses. Still, they couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous when they came to Huayang Palace to help Shangguan Wan get dressed because today was also the latter¡¯s coronation day. While they had indeed waited on several princesses before, it was the first time they were waiting on someone of this status and helping out in a wedding of this scale. Everyone knew that not even the slightest mistake was allowed to be made in this ceremony. There had been women ruling the Tianling Dynasty before, but it was far and few between in history. Everyone thought that Shangguan Yue would be the one succeeding the throne, but with her sudden demise and the Emperor in an unconscious state, the throne eventually ended up in the hands of Shangguan Wan, who used to be the insignificant Third Princess. Aside from this, the two nannies soon realized another problem¡ªShangguan Wan didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood. Considering that today was her big day, they found it strange that she was sitting still with a blank expression and that her vibe was so frosty that it seemed capable of freezing the entire room. Not only was the Third Princess having her wedding, but she would also be holding her coronation ceremony. Either of the events was a dream come true to others, let alone both. Hence, they couldn¡¯t figure out what there was to be upset about when she would become the most esteemed person and the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s owner from today onward. Not to mention that Jiang Yucheng was the dream lover of countless women. All the women in the Tianling Dynasty were envious of her marriage with him. That said, the nannies would never dare to say such things to Shangguan Wan. They warily helped her with her dressing and makeup and put the phoenix coronet and cape on her. Finally, they heard Chan Yi make an announcement from outside: ¡°The Prince Consort has entered the palace!¡± Chapter 866 - Much Grander It was only then that Shangguan Wan¡¯s icy expression showed a hint of emotion. He¡¯s finally here¡­ ¡°Your Highness, the Prince Consort looks especially handsome today!¡± The palace maid that came to announce Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arrival said this cheerfully but was met with silence instead. ¡°I got it. You may leave,¡± answered Shangguan Wan blandly a moment later. W-what¡¯s going on¡­ Why doesn¡¯t Her Highness seem happy at the news? Shouldn¡¯t she feel shy and happy that her groom has come to fetch her? But why does it seem like¡­ she doesn¡¯t care at all? The palace maid was taken aback by Shangguan Wan¡¯s unenthusiastic response. She had planned to get a reward for saying some nice things to the latter, but the unexpected situation left her at a loss. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Run along and go do what you need to do! You¡¯ll be punished if you fail to do your duties well!¡± Chan Yi¡ªwho was waiting at the door¡ªscolded the palace maid softly. ¡°Y-yes!¡± The frightened palace maid immediately responded to her and left after that. She still had a look of confusion on her face when she was outside though. That¡¯s strange. Her Highness and Eldest Young Master Jiang are usually a loving couple, so it doesn¡¯t make sense that she¡¯d behave this way on the day of their wedding¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that she was upset because I praised Eldest Young Master Jiang? At the thought of that possibility, the palace maid cursed herself for having a blabbermouth. Inside the palace, Shangguan Wan looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror. Her scars and injuries had been completely covered up, and the exquisite makeup made her look even more beautiful than usual. Needless to say, she was also considered a top beauty in Xi Ling City, but her outfit added allure to her. The only thing was that the slight resentment in her eyes spoiled her overall aesthetic beauty as it made her look somewhat cruel. Seeing this, one of the nannies smiled and said ingratiatingly, ¡°You¡¯re as beautiful as a fairy, Your Highness! Out of the many mistresses I¡¯ve served over the years, you¡¯re the most beautiful one of all!¡± ¡°Yeah! The Prince Consort will be amazed by your beauty!¡± added the other nanny. Shangguan Wan scoffed inside her heart. As she slowly touched the phoenix hairpin on her head, she quietly asked, ¡°Oh? Then¡­ How do I compare to my elder sister in terms of looks?¡± The elder sister Shangguan Wan referred to was naturally the late Crown Princess¡ªShangguan Yue. Thus, the two nannies¡ªwho were taken aback by the question¡ªfelt awkward answering it. Although Shangguan Wan was indeed beautiful, she paled in comparison to her half-sister. Just their demeanors alone spoke volumes about their differences, much less their appearances. The former was conventionally pretty, while the latter¡¯s otherworldly beauty made people feel that it was blasphemous to even take a second look at her and that they could only admire her from afar. Truly, there was no comparison between them. A quick-witted nanny smiled. ¡°It¡¯s your big day, so you¡¯re naturally the most beautiful woman, Your Highness!¡± Shangguan Wan said nothing in response, although mockery was evident in her eyes. Even without them saying it, she knew full well that she wasn¡¯t on par with Shangguan Yue in terms of the appearance department. As shown in the painting, the fourteen-year-old Shangguan Yue was already a stunning beauty, which was no wonder why Jiang Yucheng was mesmerized with her for a whole decade. Just then, loud ceremonial music could be heard coming from outside, which meant that Jiang Yucheng had arrived at their palace. The palace maid that was scolded earlier hastily took two steps back and said eagerly, ¡°Your Highness, the Prince Consort dismounted from the horse and came here right away on foot after entering the palace! He can¡¯t wait to marry you!¡± Actually, there was quite a distance from the palace gate to Huayang Palace, but the palace maid said it this way to emphasize how fond Jiang Yucheng was of Shangguan Wan. Sure enough, the two nannies chimed in. ¡°Looks like the Prince Consort is deeply in love with you, Your Highness! He¡¯s really eager to take you as his wife!¡± Deeply in love with me? I wonder if they would still say that if they knew that he had given me a tight slap across the face, got his men to escort me back here, and given me a harsh warning. Shangguan Wan scoffed internally before putting the red veil over her head, which covered her mocking expression. Chan Yi walked over and helped Shangguan Wan out of Huayang Palace, where Jiang Yucheng and his entourage were already waiting outside. Under countless watchful eyes, Jiang Yucheng walked up, stretched out his hand toward her, and gently said, ¡°I¡¯m here to marry you, Wan¡¯er.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, everyone was gathered in the huge square in front of Lang Kun Hall, which was paved with white jade stone. The court officials stood neatly on the left, while the big shots from the various major clans stood on the right. Their surroundings were naturally heavily guarded by the Black Guards. In the middle of the square was a red carpet, which extended up the nine flights of stairs and all the way to Lang Kun Hall¡¯s entrance. The reason why the wedding and the coronation ceremony were held here was that Lang Kun Hall was where the Tianling Power Staff was enshrined. It was a well-known fact that the Tianling Power Staff was the true symbol of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s power and authority. To everyone here, the wedding wasn¡¯t the highlight of the day, for they were more interested in whether Shangguan Wan would be able to successfully go up the nine flights of stairs and enter Lang Kull Hall to take the Tianling Power Staff. The stairs¡ªwhich were carved with dragons¡ªlooked majestic, solemn, and ancient. Standing atop the stairs, one could already vaguely sense the power they contained, what more of the Tianling Power Staff. Dragon Teeth Mountain and Chong Xu Cabinet were standing next to each other. Mu Hongyu¡ªwho went up to Chu Liuyue and the others¡ªcouldn¡¯t help murmuring when she saw the scale of the ceremony. ¡°As expected of a grand ceremony¡ªthis is really impressive¡­¡± Ye Ranran, however, blinked. ¡°This is nothing. You ain¡¯t seen nothing yet, Hongyu!¡± ¡°This is nothing?¡± asked Mu Hongyu in surprise. But this is Shangguan Wan¡¯s wedding-cum-coronation ceremony. Both are very important events, so it doesn¡¯t make sense that there¡¯s anything grander than this. ¡°Yeah! Back then¡ª¡± Ye Ranran paused and carefully looked around before lowering her voice to a whisper. ¡°The late Crown Princess¡¯s fifteenth birthday celebration was even grander than this, and so was the Grand Court Meeting! It was also really grand when she came back from inspecting the frontiers!¡± ¡°All that for the late Crown Princess?¡± Mu Hongyu widened her eyes in surprise. Even her birthday celebration was grander than Shangguan Wan¡¯s wedding and ascension ceremony¡­ I wonder how important that person was? ¡°Of course! The Third Princess is only a princess. She can¡¯t be compared to the late Crown Princess.¡± As Chu Liuyue listened from the side, she smiled and said nothing. Just then, a melodious trumpet sound filled the air. ¡°The Third Princess and her Prince Consort are here!¡± Chapter 867 - Meng Jingzhi A robust voice rang instantly rang across the entire Lang Kun Hall, and everyone in the square turned their heads in the direction of the voice to see two people standing in front of the majestic palace gate hand-in-hand. On the left was Jiang Yucheng dressed in a red outfit that had dragons embroidered on the collar and cuffs and a jade belt that was one finger thick. At a glance, he looked very handsome indeed. Just his looks alone were top-notch. ¡°The Prince Consort sure is dashing. It¡¯s no wonder that the Third Princess is so smitten by him that she wants to marry him¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget that the late Crown Princess used to like Jiang Yucheng too! Ordinary men naturally can¡¯t be compared to him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Even across the entire Xi Ling, he ranks top in all aspects among the younger generation.¡± Just as everyone was gossiping about Jiang Yucheng, someone suddenly snorted and said, ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s nothing but a scoundrel who¡¯s hungry for fame and fortune! No matter how good-looking he is, he¡¯s ugly on the inside!¡± That person didn¡¯t bother to lower his voice, so almost everyone in the square heard what he said loud and clear since everyone present wasn¡¯t weak in cultivation. The noise instantly died down as everyone turned to see who was so bold to say such things at this time and place. Chu Liuyue also looked up slightly and was mildly surprised by who she saw. The speaker was a middle-aged man with a huge and sturdy build and tanned skin. He totally looked like a mountain just standing there alone, but what attracted the people¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t his appearance¡ªit was his black armor and longsword. Clearly, he was a general. In the Tianling Dynasty, very few people could openly enter the palace while carrying a sword. Of course, the very fact that he was standing in front of the officials showed his noble status. When everyone saw who the speaker was, some who intended to watch the fun retracted their gazes hurriedly. Tsk, I can¡¯t believe I forgot about this God of Death! He¡¯s Meng Jingzhi, the Black Guard¡¯s Commander-in-Chief! Almost everyone in the Tianling Dynasty knew about Meng Jingzhi and his great battle achievements. Although he was stationed at western frontiers for decades and rarely returned to Xi Ling, his name alone was enough to strike fear in people. If it weren¡¯t for the Third Princess¡¯s coronation ceremony, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to come back either. Given that Jiang Yucheng was currently governing the Tianling Dynasty, the only person who would dare to openly insult him like this was probably Meng Jingzhi, who held military power in his hands. ¡°Commander Meng, what do you mean by this?¡± Jiang Lizuo¡ªwho was the Grand Tutor as well as one of the three highest-ranking civil officials¡ªwas also standing in front of the officials and was only a few steps away from Meng Jingzhi. His face instantly darkened when he heard what the latter said. Meng Jingzhi snorted and added, ¡°What, did I say anything wrong? If he really had feelings for the late Crown Princess, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up together with the Third Princess of all people. She treated them so well when she was still alive, but they¡¯re so eager to marry each other when it hasn¡¯t even been three years since her demise. How ridiculous! If anyone dares do such a thing in the western frontier, the barbarians will surely behead them!¡± As a commander who had fought on battlefields for years, Meng Jingzhi himself exuded a thick and cold murderous aura. When he spoke even more harshly because he felt indignant on Shangguan Yue¡¯s behalf, he appeared even more frightening. The officials standing right behind him couldn¡¯t help retreating out of fear of being implicated. Jiang Lizuo didn¡¯t expect Meng Jingzhi to speak so bluntly and crudely. His face turned white out of anger. ¡°Y-you! Meng Jingzhi, you¡¯re being insolent! You¡¯re insulting the Third Princess!¡± Standing next to him, Yuwen Wei stepped forward and got between the two while smiling gently. ¡°Alright, alright. The Third Princess and the Prince Consort will be here soon. Things will get ugly if this matter blows up. Let¡¯s just calm down!¡± Jiang Lizuo¡¯s hands trembled with anger. Meng Jingzhi started it first! He happily said his piece, yet I can¡¯t refute him? Everyone here heard what he said loud and clear! Meng Jingzhi gave him a condescending look. ¡°Hah. How can you say that I¡¯m insulting Her Highness when I¡¯m just stating the facts? It seems like¡­ you know how unpleasant this matter sounds too, Jiang Lizuo?¡± ¡°Meng Jingzhi, don¡¯t be cocky!¡± Jiang Lizuo was so angry that he wanted to charge right up and punch Meng Jingzhi. Unfortunately for him, the latter was one of the top elites in the Tianling Dynasty. He would just be seeking his own death if he really did that. While trying to stop Jiang Lizuo, Yuwen Wei turned to Meng Jingzhi and said, ¡°Commander Meng, today is Her Highness¡¯s big day after all. Please show me some face and keep your comments to yourself.¡± Only then did Meng Jingzhi cease talking. The countless eyes on them made Jiang Lizuo feel embarrassed. He held himself back for a while before saying with much difficulty, ¡°I dare you to say that in front of the Third Princess! Let¡¯s see if you can continue to act arrogantly after that! As a subject, don¡¯t you know how you should behave in front of your ruler?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m only loyal to Tianling!¡± Meng Jingzhi scoffed indifferently. Subject? Ruler? Putting aside the fact that His Majesty is still alive, even if he isn¡¯t, whether or not Shangguan Wan can lift the Tianling Power Staff remains unknown! Although the farce finally ended, the people around them had different reactions to it. Some were envious and happy, while others felt disdain and mockery. Meng Jingzhi might¡¯ve sounded a little cocky earlier, but what he said wasn¡¯t completely wrong. Jiang Yucheng was first engaged to Shangguan Yue and would¡¯ve wedded her if not for what happened to her. Everything changed with her demise, however. The fact that he and Shangguan Wan were holding such a grand wedding when it was barely two years since Shangguan Yue¡¯s death made people uncomfortable, but nobody dared to say a word about it. An awkward atmosphere set in, and the surrounding air seemed to be frozen. Chu Liuyue looked at Meng Jingzhi with mixed feelings, having never expected him to speak up on her behalf. She had only met him a few times, and her impression of him was that he was a fierce and serious man. Moreover, she had promoted Mu Qinghe to be the Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant, which was as good as dividing up Meng Jingzhi¡¯s power. She had always thought that the latter wasn¡¯t a fan of hers. This is unexpected¡­ ¡°The newlyweds are here! Please ascend the nine flights of heavenly stairs to pay your bows!¡± Chapter 868 - Bows Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan had already walked over and were standing right in the middle of the square. All chatter ceased as everyone focused on them. Shangguan Wan was exquisitely dressed today. A long red phoenix tail trailed behind her for miles, and the gold thread woven into the material glistened when she moved. As she was still wearing a veil over her head, nobody could see her face. Still, this set of attire looked very luxurious on her. What the couple needed to do next was walk up the nine flights of stairs and pay their bows in front of Lang Kun Hall. By right, the Emperor should be waiting in front of Lang Kun Hall, but this procedure was omitted because he was currently still in an unconscious state. Standing side by side with their hands tightly clasped together, Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan looked like a match made in heaven. ¡°Wan¡¯er, let¡¯s go.¡± Jiang Yucheng turned his head slightly, speaking gently with a smile on his face as if the woman standing next to him was the love of his life. Shangguan Wan nodded, but nobody could see the expression she was currently wearing. The two walked forward hand in hand, with Shangguan Wan taking the lead to step onto the first step. Jiang Yucheng deliberately slowed down a little in a show of respect to her. In terms of the way he spoke and acted, nobody could find any fault with him. Shangguan Wan continued to walk up to the second flight of stairs. Here, they could feel the faint pressure that was coming from Lang Kun Hall, but this was nothing to them. As they progressed on though, the pressure on them became heavier and heavier. Each time they took a step, they would need to use more force to withstand the increasingly heavier pressure. Thus, Shangguan Wan felt a little drained by the time they reached the seventh flight of stairs. She wasn¡¯t as strong as the beginner stage-seven warrior she should be since she just healed her Yuan meridian, so her body felt as heavy as lead. Jiang Yucheng soon sensed that something was wrong with Shangguan Wan. As he had previously resorted to using tricks to recover his cultivation level to the peak of the seventh stage, he was faring slightly better than her. Still, the pressure coming out from Lang Kun Hall couldn¡¯t be underestimated, so he secretly channeled his force to push her up the eighth flight of stairs. Shangguan Wan¡¯s legs shook, and her body swayed a little. Frowning slightly, Jiang Yucheng quickly supported her and went up the stairs with gritted determination. Standing here, they got a clear view of Lang Kun Hall¡¯s open doors, which were usually closed and only opened at times like this with the joint efforts of the royal family elders. Once the barrier was opened, the Tianling Power Staff¡¯s aura spread everywhere. This was the reason why they felt the terrifying pressure. In fact, the closer they got, the heavier the pressure was. Everyone in the square was currently staring closely at them. Some of the people¡¯s expressions changed slightly when they saw Shangguan Wan¡¯s unsteady step. Someone from the crowd asked, ¡°Did Her Highness lose her footing just now?¡± Despite being covered by the phoenix coronet, scarf, and her long skirt, many people saw her swaying just now. Hence, someone refuted it uncertainly. ¡°Surely not¡­ If she can¡¯t even make it up the stairs, how is she even going to lift the Tianling Power Staff?¡± There had been people who were unable to lift the Tianling Power Staff in the past. Four of them, in fact. Without exception, those four people were stripped of their right to inherit the throne and no longer had the chance to try again. Even though they were still members of the royalty and could still enjoy the same privileges they had before, this was a great shame and humiliation that followed them for life. Among the four people, two couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure of the failure and chose to commit suicide, while one went berserk from cultivating too much and eventually died from slitting his vein. The last one, on the other hand, never set foot outside the palace again and died of depression in less than three years. This showed how important it was for the successors to lift the Tianling Power Staff. Thus, the emperors would exercise extra caution when selecting their heir and would tend to start assessing their talents from a very young age. Those who were found to be talented would be groomed, and once they were grown up, the most outstanding one out of them would be selected to be the heir. Shangguan Wan was never the chosen one though. Firstly, her mother was of low status, so she grew up being neglected. Secondly, she was overlooked as she had never once displayed remarkable talent. Most importantly, the Emperor decided right on the spot that Shangguan Yue would be the heir when the latter was found to possess a Tianjing Yuan meridian upon birth. He never considered anyone else for the position, which was only normal given how rare it was for a Tianjing Yuan meridian to come by. Alas, nobody foresaw Shangguan Yue dying before her wedding. During the past two years, Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan joined forces and slowly took control of the court. And now, nobody was more suitable than Shangguan Wan to succeed to the throne. ¡­ The countless eyes staring at Shangguan Wan were akin to knives stabbing at her back. Knowing that any mistake she made at this critical moment would be magnified exponentially, she clenched her teeth and started channeling even more of her internal force to try and make it through the last flight of stairs. However, her lead-laden legs just refused to cooperate. This made her panic as burning anxiety coursed through her. If I can¡¯t even get through this stage, how am I going to handle the subsequent¡ª Right at this moment, Jiang Yucheng injected force into her body through her palm. Feeling much more relaxed, Shangguan Wan hastily took another step with Jiang Yucheng following closely behind her. With their hands tightly clasped together, the two finally conquered the last flight of stairs, arriving one after another. Shangguan Wan heaved a sigh of relief when her feet touched solid ground. Standing in a line in front of Lang Kun Hall, six elders of the royal family patiently waited for the newlywed¡¯s arrival. There should¡¯ve been eight of them standing there, but only six of them were left because both Elder Qiu Xi and Elder Duanmu Chun had died in Dahuang Swamp. The elder standing on one end took a step forward, allowing his qi to sink into his dantian as his voice echoed. ¡°The first bow to heaven and earth!¡± Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng turned around and bent at the waist. ¡°The second bow to Tianling!¡± The two turned around once more and bowed toward Lang Kun Hall. ¡°The third bow to each other!¡± As they stood facing each other, Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind suddenly blanked. Chapter 869 - Third Princess, Please Hold the Staff! She had waited for this day for a long time, thinking that her love had finally come to fruition. But in reality, the man in front of her didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of fond feelings toward her. Melodious ceremonial music reached her ears, and she was currently in the spotlight, high above the masses. She had thought that she would feel proud and be on cloud nine on this day, but she ended up feeling empty instead. As the memory of Jiang Yucheng¡¯s painting surfaced in her mind, her hands started trembling with uncontrollable anger. Jiang Yucheng was just about to bow to Shangguan Wan when he noticed that she wasn¡¯t doing the same. His eyes gleamed coldly before he called out to her in a gentle and soft manner. ¡°Wan¡¯er.¡± From his smiling face and gentle tone, it seemed as if he was afraid of startling her, but the look in his eyes was ever so cold. As Shangguan Wan currently had a veil over her head, she couldn¡¯t see his appearance clearly, and all she saw was a vague outline. However, she couldn¡¯t help but shiver internally in fear when she heard his voice as the memory of his fear and callous treatment toward her was still fresh in her mind. While trying her best to suppress those emotions, she closed her eyes and bowed toward him, finishing the last of the marriage rites. Her compliance made Jiang Yucheng feel slightly relieved, and he bowed toward her at the same time. The elder cheerfully announced, ¡°The rites are completed!¡± The crowd erupted into cheers, and firecrackers were set off. However, the bustling activity in the square only sounded jarring in Shangguan Wan¡¯s ears. Every word of congratulations and blessing seemed to have become a curse on her. Feelings? Sincerity? Deep conjugal love? It¡¯s all just a joke! I worked so hard and waited for this day for so long, only to end up marrying a man who doesn¡¯t even like me! This very man even proposed to another woman on the eve of our wedding just because she bears a resemblance to Shangguan Yue¡ªthe woman he has liked for a whole decade! ¡°Wan¡¯er, we¡¯re finally together.¡± An indulgent smile bloomed on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s handsome face as he walked forward to lift the veil on Shangguan Wan¡¯s head. Shangguan Wan was dressed to the nines today, wearing exquisite makeup and a phoenix hairpin on her head. She looked stunning and elegant, and when she stood next to Jiang Yucheng, both of them looked like a perfect match. ¡°Her Highness and the Prince Consort are truly a well-matched couple!¡± ¡°Yes! In terms of family background, appearance, and other aspects, there¡¯s no better match than this!¡± It seemed as if everyone was rejoicing over their marriage. ¡°So they¡¯re considered married now?¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but frown when she took a look at the newlyweds. She leaned closer to Chu Liuyue and whispered to her, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that something is odd about them?¡± ¡°Hm? In what ways?¡± ¡°U-uh¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it either! In any case, both of them don¡¯t look too happy¡­ They also seem a little distant even though they¡¯re standing together¡­ I just find it strange. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re all that compatible with each other.¡± Mu Hongyu had seen her fair share of weddings, and although they weren¡¯t as grand as this one, the brides and grooms were mostly deeply in love. All it took was just one look¡ªthey didn¡¯t even need to say anything¡ªand one could tell that they were a lovey-dovey couple. However, she didn¡¯t get such feelings from Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng. ¡°How is that so? In my opinion, they¡¯re a match made in heaven!¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. As she watched the two perform the marriage rituals on stage, she felt thankful that she didn¡¯t marry Jiang Yucheng back then, or she would¡¯ve been disgusted for life. This cad is best matched with Shangguan Wan! ¡­ Shangguan Wan was also smiling on stage. But despite their joyful appearances, only she and Jiang Yucheng knew what each other was truly thinking. When the latter stretched out his hands to grab hers, she felt sick and cold at his touch but didn¡¯t dare to pull away from him. She could only endure it with a smile. The two¡¯s superb acting fooled a good number of people who didn¡¯t know the inside story. From what most people saw, everything was progressing smoothly with the bride and groom looking to be in perfect harmony. Just then, one of the elders announced, ¡°Please bring out the Tianling Power Staff!¡± The shout reverberated throughout Lang Kun Hall for a long time and reached everyone¡¯s ears, loud and clear. Everyone instantly snapped to attention as they focused on Lang Kun Hall. The other five royal elders nodded and turned to enter Lang Kun Hall. Countless pairs of eager and excited eyes stared at the door, for they knew that the next event was the true highlight of the day. An ear-splitting rumbling sound was heard coming from within Lang Kun Hall. Many people were slightly shocked as they hurriedly channeled their force to cast a barrier around themselves. Whoosh! With a light wave of his arm, the elder who made the announcements cast a silver barrier below the steps to block the terrifying energy fluctuation. Just as he did so, the five elders finally emerged from Lang Kun Hall while jointly carrying a huge squarish black crystal. It landed with a dull boom that made the ground tremble. The black crystal was half the height of a man, and there was a staff hovering above it. Although one couldn¡¯t see its appearance clearly due to the glow enveloping it, one could still feel its tremendous power. Everyone found it a little hard to breathe even from behind their barriers, but they weren¡¯t concerned about that as their eyes were all focused on one spot¡ªthe Tianling Power Staff, which was the symbol of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s power and authority. The elder dropped to a knee. ¡°Third Princess, please hold the staff!¡± Chapter 870 - Did She Fail? The remaining five royal family elders kneeled down together and said in unison, ¡°Third Princess, please hold the staff!¡± Shangguan Wan looked at the Tianling Power Staff floating above the black crystal, took a deep breath in, and gradually walked forward. Finally, she stopped about one step in front of the Tianling Power Staff. Everyone fell silent and watched this scene. As long as Shangguan Wan successfully held up the Tianling Power Staff, she could successfully ascend the throne and become the Empress! From then on, she would hold the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s power! Bang bang! Bang bang! Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart beat wildly, and it almost burst her eardrums. All the blood in her body seemed to course through her limbs. As she was nervous, her palms were sweating. Both her hands were sticky due to the wetness. The Tianling Power Staff was as heavy as one ton, and the suppression it contained was even more tremendous! After all, this was left behind by Shangguan Jing personally! Let alone raising it, Shangguan Wan almost kneeled on the ground and felt that her chest was stuffy just by standing there. And if she wanted to raise it up, it wasn¡¯t enough to have only strength. She must also have the Tianling royal family¡¯s bloodline. The most important thing was that she had to obtain the Tianling Power Staff¡¯s recognition! This was a requirement that every person ascending the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s throne had to meet! If one succeeded, they would become the most distinguished existence among millions of people from then on. If one failed¡­ They would become a joke to everyone and would never make a comeback in their entire life! Shangguan Wan kept convincing herself in her heart. I can¡­ I must do it! I¡¯ve made so many preparations for today. I mustn¡¯t fail! It was already in the middle of the afternoon now, and the sky was clear. There wasn¡¯t a single cloud in the skies as the scorching sun shone down. And at this moment, Shangguan Wan was in the spotlight of everyone¡¯s gazes! Finally, she slowly stretched out her hand toward the Tianling Power Staff¡ª Whir! When she was about half an arm¡¯s length away from the Tianling Power Staff, a whirring sound was suddenly heard. The faint glow surrounding the Tianling Power Staff suddenly exerted its suppression. Shangguan Wan was right in front of it and immediately moved a step back due to the rushing impact. She was greatly alarmed and hurriedly stabilized her body as her feet stayed tightly glued to the ground. Luckily, she reacted in time, so this impact didn¡¯t affect her greatly. However, she still moved a step back under everyone¡¯s stares. At that moment, the vast square became increasingly silent! One had to know that Shangguan Wan¡¯s every move and action was seen by countless people at this point! The announcement elder, Elder Chen Ke, also knitted his brows undetectably. He was the most experienced one out of all the royal family elders, and he was a true elder that had witnessed three eras. He had seen such a scene three times, and this was already the fourth. In his impression, the first three ascension ceremonies were all conducted very smoothly. As the symbol of royal power, the Tianling Power Staff was a holy object in the entire Tianling Dynasty, and it had spiritual power. When rulers-to-be held up the Tianling Power Staff, it would naturally exert its suppression. However, this was usually so when the descendant tried to pick it up from the black crystal. Just now, Shangguan Wan¡¯s hand didn¡¯t even touch the Tianling Power Staff, but she had already incurred such a commotion. Elder Chen Ke felt slightly uneasy and thought that it was abnormal. Shangguan Wan felt that it was close as she almost directly fell down! This Tianling Power Staff is even harder to control than I imagined. It¡¯s already so hard for me to get close to it. I wonder what it¡¯ll be like if I try to lift it¡­ She pressed her lips against each other and moved the force within her body, which rushed toward her right hand. Then, she moved forward again. This time, she was even more meticulous than before as she used her force to wrap her hand before reaching toward the Tianling Power Staff. Buzz¡­ buzz! The Tianling Power Staff trembled slightly, and it caused an even bigger commotion! The good thing was that Shangguan Wan had suffered earlier, so she clenched her teeth and planned to make it through this time. The closer she got, the heavier the suppression. Her entire right hand felt like it was about to be crushed! Shangguan Wan¡¯s face turned pale, and her palm trembled slightly, but she still went forward with determination. Today, I must succeed no matter what! Elder Chen Ke looked on from the side, and the feeling of something being amiss became even stronger. That¡¯s weird¡­ Why does the Tianling Power Staff seem so resistant toward Shangguan Wan? I¡¯ve never seen such a scene before. He anxiously knitted his brows. It¡¯s bad if things continue like this. It¡¯ll be an uphill task if Shangguan Wan wants to raise it up! The other royal family elders standing nearby also detected something as they looked at each other in unison and exchanged glances. Shangguan Wan was part of the royal family, and her talent and capabilities were decent. So logically speaking, she should be able to succeed smoothly¡­ But from the current situation, it seems like¡­ Jiang Yucheng stood about ten steps behind Shangguan Wan. Even though he couldn¡¯t see the latter¡¯s expression, he could discern a lot of things from her reaction. His heart hung high. ¡­ The crowd beneath the stage was watching the scene nervously. Chu Liuyue looked up. From here, she could perfectly see half of Shangguan Wan¡¯s face. Her expression can¡¯t be considered to be good. It seems like it¡¯s not easy for her to lift the Tianling Power Staff. ¡­ Finally, after experiencing a painful and long torture, Shangguan Wan¡¯s hand finally reached into that layer of light as she grasped the Tianling Power Staff in one go. At that moment, a bone-chilling aura surged out from within! Shangguan Wan clearly saw that her entire right hand was instantly covered in frost, and that layer of frost seemed to be spreading toward the outside! She was frightened as she hurriedly circulated her force and blocked the ice-cold aura outside! But at this moment, her right hand was so frozen that it swelled up and turned completely numb! The Tianling Power Staff was made from the thousand-year icy wood that Shangguan Jing had retrieved from the coldest place in Bei Jiang. This thousand-year icy wood wasn¡¯t actual wood. It formed by gathering the Heaven and Earth Force and condensing it into a wood-shaped stalactite. Rumors had it that it would only grow an inch in a hundred years, and one could just imagine how much force it contained. Shangguan Wan felt that the cold intent seemed to spread silently from her palm to her entire body. She almost thought that she was becoming an ice statue for a moment! Shangguan Wan knew that she had to raise it up quickly! If I continue to be tortured like this, my entire body is going to become useless! Thinking of this, Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth, gathered all the force in her body, held the Tianling Power Staff tightly, and suddenly used her force! ¡°Rise!¡± Shangguan Wan hollered! However, she shockingly discovered that the Tianling Power Staff didn¡¯t move at all! It still quietly floated above the black crystal, allowing her to control the rich force that kept attacking, but it didn¡¯t move a single bit. The crowd watching from in front of Lang Kun Hall was stunned. Someone quietly asked, ¡°D-did she fail?¡± Chapter 871 - No Means No! In the square that was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, this soft voice was especially loud. At that moment, it was like a drop of water landed into a pot of oil! The crowd started to become restless, and quite a few people exchanged glances. It¡­ does seem like something is wrong. Seeing Shangguan Wan¡¯s appearance, she must¡¯ve used all her strength previously. However, the Tianling Power Staff didn¡¯t budge an inch! ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Isn¡¯t the Third Princess a stage-seven warrior? Logically speaking, she should be able to lift it¡­¡± ¡°But the Tianling Power Staff really didn¡¯t get lifted!¡± ¡°If the Third Princess really can¡¯t do it today, it¡¯ll be too embarrassing!¡± The soft discussions traveled to Shangguan Wan¡¯s ears, and every word made her even more humiliated and tortured. She clenched her teeth and tried again, but the Tianling Power Staff still didn¡¯t look like it had moved! The commotion below gradually became louder, and the few royal family elders at the side started to have hints of doubt on their faces. Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart beat wildly, and it almost jumped out from her chest. In a short amount of time, her forehead was filled with tiny beads of sweat. The Tianling Power Staff in her hands was chilling to the bone, but it wasn¡¯t colder than her heart. It was like a bucket of cold water had splashed down on her, causing her to shudder and tremble uncontrollably. Why can¡¯t the Tianling Power Staff move? I risked my life to heal my Yuan meridian. Even though it¡¯s not top-notch, it¡¯s still a Dijing Yuan meridian! Besides, I accumulated this force with much difficulty¡­ Why can¡¯t I lift this Tianling Power Staff?! Shangguan Wan became increasingly anxious. But the more anxious she was, the more panicked she was. She originally wanted to gather all the strength in her body to try again, but her limbs gave way for some reason, making her unable to use her strength at all. However, she didn¡¯t dare to let go¡ªthat would be directly admitting that she couldn¡¯t do it! Hence, Shangguan Wan held the Tianling Power Staff and didn¡¯t move. Actually, she kept trying, but it was to no avail. So to the surrounding crowd, it seemed like she was just standing rooted to the ground stiffly. At this moment, time seemed to be passing especially slowly. The few royal family elders exchanged glances and saw the worry in one another¡¯s eyes. The gentle smiling intent on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face finally dropped. If Shangguan Wan can¡¯t successfully lift the Tianling Power Staff today, she won¡¯t be able to ascend the throne smoothly! The more important thing is that she will never have a second chance to try again! Then, even I will be greatly implicated! At that time, all our hard work from before will be wasted! It¡¯s impossible for me to find a third princess to marry! Jiang Yucheng couldn¡¯t hold back and said, ¡°Wan¡¯er, don¡¯t be nervous. Try again slowly.¡± At first glance, his expression seemed very calm. But if one took a closer look, they could see the anxiety and worry in his eyes. Shangguan Wan turned around and glanced at him. She knew very clearly that Jiang Yucheng wasn¡¯t encouraging her but warning her! If I fail¡­ Thinking of the terrifying consequences, Shangguan Wan pressed her lips against each other tightly and looked at the Tianling Power Staff in front of her once again. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do it if I use my own strength. Then¡­ ¡°Senior, can you help me?¡± asked Shangguan Wan in her heart. The next moment, the nonchalant and cold voice sounded. ¡°Just like I expected. Even though your Yuan meridian has healed, it¡¯s still lacking. That¡¯s not surprising though. Your original Yuan meridian standard was so-so after all, and it became a mess after it was burned by the Tianjing Yuan meridian¡¯s fire. It¡¯s already very hard for you to recover to this stage.¡± That voice said these few sentences very calmly as if it were narrating a very ordinary minor matter, but it wasn¡¯t so to Shangguan Wan. This was because she felt that she was being mocked and despised. Deep horror crept into her heart. If it weren¡¯t for Shangguan Yue, it wouldn¡¯t be so hard for me today! ¡°Your Highness, do¡­ you still want to continue?¡± asked Elder Chen Ke cautiously after seeing Shangguan Wan not moving. Once he asked this, the crowd fell silent again as they looked at Shangguan Wan with varying gazes. If she continues, she might not succeed and will very likely be ridiculed as being useless. But if she gives up now¡­ It would mean that Shangguan Wan has thoroughly failed! Let alone ascending the throne, her days won¡¯t be any better if she just lives as the Third Princess. The previous few that failed all had a terrible outcome. Shangguan Wan immediately said, ¡°Of course!¡± Seeing her determination, Elder Chen Ke was hesitant with his words. Actually, according to his previous experience, Shangguan Wan was destined to fail. But since she wanted to continue trying, he couldn¡¯t say anything further. ¡°Third Princess, please¡ª¡± Elder Chen Ke looked more solemn. If Shangguan Wan still can¡¯t do it this time¡­ We really need to consider what to do later¡­ Shangguan Wan nodded slightly and knitted her sharp brows. ¡°Senior.¡± Light laughter sounded in her ears; then, Shangguan Wan felt her vision shake. A strong and vigorous aura suddenly exploded from within her body! At that moment, endless force rushed out like an open tap as a black symbol instantly appeared on Shangguan Wan¡¯s brows! But as she was standing in a special position and that symbol flashed too quickly, nobody noticed it. Following this, there seemed to be violent winds storming in the depths of her eyes! Sinister! Cold! It seemed like she had become a completely different person! Then, she clenched her hands tightly and tried to lift the Tianling Power Staff again! Whir! A whirring sound was heard, and lights sparkled! The next moment, the Tianling Power Staff finally moved! Shangguan Wan¡¯s lips moved as if smiling, but it seemed slightly stiff. The black crystal immediately lit up colorfully, and the Tianling Power Staff gradually started moving with Shangguan Wan¡¯s actions! ¡°It¡¯s moving! It¡¯s moving! The Tianling Power Staff moved!¡± someone exclaimed. The crowd became noisy again. Almost everyone fought to look over, afraid they would miss something. Seeing the Tianling Power Staff finally being slowly lifted by Shangguan Wan, Elder Chen Ke finally relaxed. The other elders also nodded their heads respectively and secretly heaved a sigh of relief. The tightly clenched fists in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s sleeves relaxed a little. It¡¯s good that she succeeded, good that she succeeded¡­ Many people looked surprised. ¡°The Tianling Power Staff is so hard to deal with! The Third Princess only succeeded after so many tries!¡± ¡°Then, it still counts as her success in the end, right? From now on, she¡¯ll officially ascend the thr¡ª¡± Boom! At this moment, a large explosion was coincidentally heard coming from the Tianling Power Staff! The terrifying wave spread in all directions! Shock flashed across Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes. Without waiting for her to react, a formidable aura went straight to her face. Then, her body instantly flew out! Boom! She slammed onto the floor heavily and actually rolled down the nine flights of stairs directly. The crowd was stunned, but at this moment, the Tianling Power Staff seemed to fly in a certain direction! Chu Liuyue seemed to notice something as she looked up and saw the Tianling Power Staff flying toward her! Chapter 872 - Who are You Calling Fierce? Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart shook. The Tianling Power Staff traveled very rapidly and left a straight, silver line in midair as it flew out of Lang Kun Hall the next moment! An ear-piercing howl was heard! Shoo! The sound of something breaking was heard. The crowd looked over and shockingly discovered that the barrier Elder Chen Ke set up earlier was easily broken! One had to know that Elder Chen Ke was a stage-eight warrior, and one could just imagine how great the barrier¡¯s defensive power was! But in front of the Tianling Power Staff, it was instantly broken like a thin piece of paper. Countless people looked up nervously, and their gazes followed the Tianling Power Staff! They saw it cut through the sky and go straight for the crowd! The terrifying suppression exuded in all directions, and many people subconsciously moved backward! ¡°Quick! Move back!¡± The Tianling Power Staff¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t something they could easily tolerate! The crowd was especially shocked and anxious! When the few royal family elders standing on the stairs saw this scene, they all panicked. ¡°Elder Chen Ke, what should we do? Do we need to think of a way to stop the Tianling Power Staff?¡± Elder Chen Ke clenched his fists tightly, and he seemed to have more wrinkles on his face. Stop it?! That¡¯s easier said than done though. Even if the few of us join hands, we might not be able to control this Tianling Power Staff completely! Besides, this item suddenly went crazy and caused such a commotion! I have witnessed three ascension ceremonies, but I have never seen this scene before! However, he only silently thought this in his heart. Given the messy situation now, it will definitely spell unthinkable trouble if we can¡¯t control it in time! Elder Chen Ke was in deep thought for a moment before deciding swiftly. ¡°Quick! Activate the black Xuan stone!¡± The black Xuan stone was the black crystal that held the Tianling Power Staff! There was an elite Xuan formation printed on it, and it was specifically used to suppress the Tianling Power Staff. The Xuan formation on this black Xuan stone was usually activated, and the Tianling Power Staff would be in hibernation mode. Only in such special times would they turn off the Xuan formation on the black Xuan stone in advance. After the successor successfully lifted the Tianling Power Staff and received its approval, the Xuan formation on it would automatically be activated again when they put it back. However, they didn¡¯t expect that they had to do this on this occasion. The few elders hesitated. Once it¡¯s activated, the black Xuan stone and the Tianling Power Staff will not be touchable for a short period of time. By then, the choosing of a new emperor will have to be delayed yet again. However, the Tianling Power Staff seems to be out of control, and this is the only way. The few of them looked at each other and nodded in determination. Their figures then moved as they respectively stood around the black Xuan stone, surrounding it! One of them reached out, and endless silver force flew out! ¡°Activate¡ª¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± Elder Chen Ke suddenly hollered. The few elders hurriedly stopped and saw that Elder Chen Ke was looking in a certain direction in shock. Following this, they instinctively looked over and couldn¡¯t help but gasp. They saw the crowd¡ªwhich was originally lined up tidily¡ªsuddenly being cut in the middle by an invisible, sharp sword. At the end of the crowd, a woman in red stood still. It was Chu Liuyue, and the Tianling Power Staff actually stopped a foot in front of her! ¡­ At that moment, time seemed to stop as the surrounding air was also frozen inch by inch! It was dead quiet between heaven and earth. Everyone was watching this scene with their eyes open and mouth agape. They were so stunned that they couldn¡¯t say anything. The Tianling Power Staff was extremely resistant toward Shangguan Wan and exploded relentlessly, yet it flew to Chu Liuyue in the blink of an eye. W-what does this mean¡­ After a temporary daze, someone finally thought of Shangguan Wan and stiffly turned around. At this point, Shangguan Wan had already rolled down from the nine flights of stairs. Probably because the earlier impact was too great, but she struggled on the ground for quite a while before she stood up. But at this point, she was in a very unkempt state. Her face and hands were grazed, and blood kept flowing down while her intricately pretty makeup was completely ruined. Her head accessories had already fallen, and her cloud-like loose strands of hair fell around as an elegant phoenix hairpin was stuck messily in her hair. Perhaps because she suffered from an internal injury, but her face looked paler than ever. However, her brows and the corner of her lips turned black. She looked extremely strange. Nobody expected Shangguan Wan¡ªwho was still the glamorous, imperious Third Princess the previous moment¡ªto end up in such a state now! Some people gradually recovered their senses and had complicated gazes. I-if we didn¡¯t remember wrongly, Shangguan Wan seemed to have been blasted away by the Tianling Power Staff¡¯s strength, right? This isn¡¯t even a matter of her not being able to lift up the Tianling Power Staff! Instead, she simply incurred the Tianling Power Staff¡¯s hatred! Even though there were failures before, this kind of situation didn¡¯t seem to happen! Shangguan Wan is the Third Princess, and she truly has the bloodline of the Tianling royal family! Such an appearance was akin to harshly slapping her in front of so many people! Shangguan Wan felt utterly humiliated as her limbs turned ice-cold, and her blood seemed to freeze. Only her face was scorching hot! At this moment, everyone¡¯s gazes seemed to be filled with mockery and contempt! The previous scene kept replaying in her mind, and she wanted to dig a hole, bury herself, and completely disappear! ¡°Wan¡¯er, how are you?¡± Jiang Yucheng still reacted considerably fast. He immediately walked down and rushed to Shangguan Wan¡¯s side as he knitted his brows and made an inquiry. The moment Shangguan Wan wanted to open her mouth, her blood tumbled in her chest. Wa! She spat out a mouthful of blood! Jiang Yucheng was standing beside her, and the blood instantly landed on him! He quickly knitted his brows, but he still reached out to help Shangguan Wan. At this point, Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t care about him. After she vomited blood, she still stubbornly looked up and saw Chu Liuyue in the distant crowd. ¡°W-why¡­ T-Tianling Power Staff¡­¡± She spat out these few words with much difficulty and stared in front with a deadly gaze! The vengeance in her eyes was like a knife about to slice Chu Liuyue in half! Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows and looked over. Why wouldn¡¯t he be curious as well? In actual fact, everyone who saw this scene in the large Lang Kun Hall was equally confused. Since when was Chu Liuyue related to the Tianling Power Staff? Why would it solely fly to her out of nowhere? Especially when compared to Shangguan Wan, this scene looks even stranger. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face drastically changed. ¡°This Tianling Power Staff is extremely dangerous. Be careful¡ª¡± Before he could even finish his sentence, the Tianling Power Staff seemed to understand his words as its ferocious aura suddenly weakened. After that, it inched forward as if it was sucking up to her and then gently poked Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Chapter 873 - Pay Back Jiang Yucheng¡¯s remaining words instantly got stuck in his throat, and he almost choked as his expression changed incredulously! When the crowd saw this scene, their reactions weren¡¯t any better than that of Jiang Yucheng as they were collectively stunned! W-what¡¯s going on? What happened to the high and mighty Tianling Power Staff that everyone has to bow down to? What happened to the fact that only the person who holds the Tianling Power Staff can control the royal family and ascend to the top? Why did it suddenly become like this?! The previous moment, the Tianling Power Staff was very fierce and directly knocked the Third Princess away. Yet, in the next moment, it was so, so¡­ This was too strange! The surroundings were too quiet as countless pairs of eyes landed on Chu Liuyue with various gazes. Chu Liuyue was also shocked herself. She had vaguely guessed something in her heart when she saw the Tianling Power Staff flying toward her, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be so intimate with her. Yes, intimate. When it flew over and poked her cheek, the first thought that surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was: The Tianling Power Staff seems very close to me and likes me very much. This feeling was ridiculous but genuine. Chu Liuyue blinked and stared at the Tianling Power Staff in front of her. At this point, it was still wrapped in a faint layer of light, but she could roughly see its appearance since it was very close to her. It was a dark, cylinder-shaped staff that was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, roughly about three feet tall. Its head seemed to be carved with a dragon, and its tail was sharper as if it were engraved with some sort of pattern. Even though it had already retracted its surrounding aura, one could still faintly feel the tremendous ancient suppression coming from it. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that the Tianling Power Staff was indeed going for her, and there was this one moment where she had the urge to hold it in her hands directly! However, she hadn¡¯t forgotten what place this was, much less the countless pairs of eyes staring at her in the surroundings. Just as she was planning to suppress her thoughts, an angered and sharp voice sounded. ¡°Chu Liuyue, how dare you?!¡± The ear-piercing shrill instantly woke quite a few people up. Chu Liuyue also looked over. The person talking was Shangguan Wan. At this point, she was staring at Chu Liuyue furiously with her eyes wide open. She looked enraged. ¡°The Tianling Power Staff is a holy item that we¡¯ve treasured for many years in the Tianling Dynasty. It¡¯s the symbol of the royal family¡¯s power! How dare you taint it!?¡± Quite a few people¡¯s faces instantly became incredulous. If one wasn¡¯t blind, they would¡¯ve clearly seen that the Tianling Power Staff flew to Chu Liuyue on its own and that it took the initiative to get close to the girl. From start to end, Chu Liuyue just stood there and didn¡¯t do anything. Yet, Shangguan Wan said that she tainted the Tianling Power Staff¡­ Her words have distorted the truth¡­ Chu Liuyue raised her brows and wasn¡¯t angry as she laughed and lightly said, ¡°Third Princess, do you mean that I summoned this Tianling Power Staff and that I controlled it to do the previous things?¡± Shangguan Wan was stumped. If I say yes, won¡¯t it be akin to admitting that the Tianling Power Staff can be controlled by a mere Chu Liuyue? If word gets out, won¡¯t it humiliate the royal family?! If I say no¡­ Why would the Tianling Power Staff be so weird?! It rejected me coming near it and even directly injured me, yet it was so gentle and obedient toward Chu Liuyue the next moment! Such a thing has never happened in the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s thousand-year-long history! The most awkward thing is that the Tianling Power Staff is still quietly floating beside Chu Liuyue as if it¡¯s bent on following her and has no intentions of returning. I need to pick up the Tianling Power Staff! How do I do it in such a situation?! Shangguan Wan felt extreme hatred. Chu Liuyue¡ªit¡¯s Chu Liuyue again! The previous night, Jiang Yucheng confessed to her and took the initiative to propose to her. Today, even the Tianling Power Staff willingly followed her and accompanied her! ¡°Who knows what methods you used!¡± Shangguan Wan was so enraged that she almost fainted as she pointed at Chu Liuyue. She wanted to scold the latter directly, but she was quickly stopped by Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Wan¡¯er, calm down!¡± He clutched Shangguan Wan¡¯s hand tightly and glanced at her with warning. Why isn¡¯t she looking at herself now! If she loses her temper and causes a commotion, it will be completely over! Shangguan Wan tightly bit her lips and controlled her emotions. Jiang Yucheng looked at Chu Liuyue deeply and the Tianling Power Staff in front of her, his mind also a mess. ¡°Elder Chen Ke,¡± he called out. ¡°You¡¯ve always been in charge of guarding the Tianling Power Staff. Do you know what exactly is going on?¡± Elder Chen Ke, who was called out, also looked confused. ¡°I-I¡­ I also don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on¡­ The Tianling Power Staff rarely leaves the black Xuan stone¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the head of the eight royal family elders, and you are personally responsible for all of these matters. If even you don¡¯t know, who else will know?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice became much colder. ¡°No matter what, you must invite the Tianling Power Staff back! If it delays the Third Princess¡¯s ascension ceremony, you will be held responsible!¡± Elder Chen Ke felt wronged. What has this got to do with me? Not to mention the fact that nobody can control whether the Tianling Power Staff willingly looks for Chu Liuyue, can Shangguan Wan definitely lift it up if Chu Liuyue isn¡¯t here? Everyone here witnessed what happened just now! The Tianling Power Staff was extremely resistant to Shangguan Wan and wasn¡¯t even willing to let her touch it, let alone do anything else! Delay her ascension ceremony¡­ She needs to have the ability to ascend first! Without the Tianling Power Staff¡¯s recognition, today¡¯s ceremony can¡¯t even continue! When Elder Chen Ke thought of this, his expression became much more nonchalant. ¡°Prince Consort, I am in charge of guarding the Tianling Power Staff, but I could never control it! Please forgive me for being useless, but I might not be able to do what you just said.¡± Jiang Yucheng instantly became anxious. Upon hearing this, Shangguan Wan was even angrier as she raised her voice and pointed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°No matter what, you must invite the Tianling Power Staff back to the black Xuan stone. If not, how do I continue?¡± Elder Chen Ke cupped his fists, bowed, and said carefully, ¡°Third Princess, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that this Tianling Power Staff is a holy item that has been passed down in the Tianling Dynasty for years. It has its own spiritual mind. If it acknowledges you, it will naturally accede to your request. No matter where it is, you will be able to pick it up. It doesn¡¯t have to be on the black Xuan stone. However, if it doesn¡¯t acknowledge you¡­ Then, none of us can do anything about it!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s face flushed red. I-is he openly scolding me for not having the right to ascend this throne?! She clenched her fists tightly and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡¯m commanding you to return the Tianling Power Staff immediately!¡± Chapter 874 - Smear This scene was too ridiculous and laughable. Shangguan Wan was clearly of the royal family¡¯s bloodline, the successor to the throne, yet she was coldly reprimanding and asking Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had nothing to do with all of this¡ªto return the Tianling Power Staff! If word got out, many people would laugh until their teeth dropped out! Chu Liuyue looked relaxed as she raised her chin. ¡°Third Princess, I didn¡¯t take this Tianling Power Staff as my own, so how do I ¡®return¡¯ it? If you want it back, can¡¯t you just take it yourself?¡± Shangguan Wan was stumped, and her face flushed red. If it was really as easy as what Chu Liuyue said, why would I have such a big headache? This Tianling Power Staff is a little weird as it was very resistant toward me at the start. When I asked Senior to help me, I was directly blown away and rolled down nine flights of stairs! Now, she didn¡¯t dare to try again no matter what. She didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen if the same incident happened twice! However, if I really don¡¯t do anything, what if the Tianling Power Staff doesn¡¯t come back? It¡¯s still quietly floating in front of Chu Liuyue, living as if it is her accessory! Jiang Yucheng gently nudged her. ¡°Wan¡¯er, you¡¯re of the royal family¡¯s bloodline after all. The Tianling Power Staff won¡¯t do anything to you. Just go over and personally invite it.¡± Shangguan Wan suddenly turned her head and looked at him angrily. Not do anything to me? Did he not see what happened just now?! I¡¯ve already humiliated myself once! If I fail again¡­ I can just die! But Jiang Yucheng was very insistent. Other than Shangguan Wan, who could do anything about it? Elder Chen Ke and the rest are in charge of the entire Lang Kun Hall and the Xuan formation on the black Xuan stone, but they clearly said that they couldn¡¯t control the Tianling Power Staff! Are they just going to watch on like this? Shangguan Wan clenched her teeth as she couldn¡¯t argue with Jiang Yucheng. She moved a step forward as she took a deep breath in, looked at the Tianling Power Staff, and tried to make her tone sound sincere. ¡°Junior Shangguan Wan respectfully invites the Tianling Power Staff to return!¡± The moment she said it, the Tianling Power Staff didn¡¯t even move as if it had no reaction. It had a certain spiritual strength to it, so it naturally could understand Shangguan Wan¡¯s words. Hence, the scene became even more awkward instantly. The surrounding crowd fell silent, and the people had various expressions. The Tianling Power Staff flung her away in contempt, and it even ignored her sincere begging¡­ I think it only happened to Shangguan Wan after all these years, right? In this uncomfortable silence, the air was suffocating. Shangguan Wan¡¯s face flushed red and then turned greenish-white as her entire body trembled. Nobody knew if she was too frustrated or humiliated. Anyway, at this point, Shangguan Wan deeply understood what it meant by utter humiliation! At this moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s clear voice rang out and broke the silence. ¡°Hey, the Third Princess is inviting you back.¡± Chu Liuyue was talking to the Tianling Power Staff. Even though she really wanted to hold the Tianling Power Staff directly, it didn¡¯t seem very appropriate at this time¡­ The Tianling Power Staff listened to her and finally moved. Its surrounding light turned on and off as if it was breathing; then, it directly flew to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and stuck itself to the floor! Zing! The end of the staff slammed into the white stone and let out a low sound. Actually, it was just a fist away from Chu Liuyue¡¯s leg. As long as Chu Liuyue reached out, she could hold it up. Chu Liuyue looked down, her eyelids twitching. Does it think that it hasn¡¯t caused enough trouble? This is even more impactful than me directly going over to snatch it! ¡­ There wasn¡¯t a single more humiliating incident than this. Nobody could ignore such a stark contrast even if they wanted to. On the one hand, Shangguan Wan was sincerely begging the Tianling Power Staff to return, but the staff completely ignored her. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue was convincing the Tianling Power Staff to leave, but the staff just stuck to her. Everyone saw this clearly, and they now knew that the Tianling Power Staff wanted to stay with Chu Liuyue! In the venue, the two women standing opposite each other had a very strange atmosphere. Nobody expected such a thing would happen in an ascension ceremony. Shangguan Wan stared at Chu Liuyue with a deadly gaze. That¡¯s not right! There must be a problem! There are so many people here. Why would the Tianling Power Staff choose Chu Liuyue?! If they said that she didn¡¯t use any tricks, I wouldn¡¯t believe it even if I died! ¡°Chu Liuyue, what exactly do you want?! The Tianling Power Staff is a holy item of the entire dynasty! Even if you want to play tricks, you should know your limits! How can you set your eyes on this?!¡± Shangguan Wan clenched her fists tightly and painfully yelled, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you snatched the legendary fiend back then, but now, you won¡¯t even let go of the Tianling Power Staff that my Shangguan family¡¯s ancestor left behind?! You¡¯re outrageous!¡± Once she said this, the crowd was stunned. What is Shangguan Wan talking about? Snatch a legendary fiend? What happened? Hearing this¡­ Could it be that Chu Liuyue snatched the legendary fiend that originally belonged to the Third Princess? Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression became cold as she looked at Shangguan Wan in a seemingly smiling manner. There seemed to be a cold light shimmering in her eyes. ¡°Third Princess, what do you mean? Why do I not understand you?¡± Shangguan Wan coldly sneered. ¡°I went to Dahuang Swamp for my father back then, and we coincidentally met a fiend that was going to break through and become a legendary fiend in the Mystic Forest. It¡¯s a pity that there was a barrier outside and people guarding it, so nobody could enter. When I was fighting with that person, you took the chance to enter and made an agreement with the legendary fiend while the lightning tribulation struck it! Quite a few people saw this. How dare you deny it?!¡± ¡°You snatched that legendary fiend, yet I didn¡¯t hold it against you because I took into account the fact that you were willing to give up its blood to treat Father. It¡¯s also your ability to be able to make an agreement with that legendary fiend! But this time, I won¡¯t ever agree if you want to play tricks and snatch the Tianling Power Staff!¡± The crowd burst into an uproar. They had long heard that Chu Liuyue had made an agreement with a legendary fiend and came back, but they didn¡¯t know that there were so many twists and turns in between. If it¡¯s really like what Shangguan Wan said, then Chu Liuyue¡¯s behavior isn¡¯t legitimate¡­ Seeing that the surrounding people seemed to be leaning toward her, Shangguan Wan felt much better and sighed deeply. She then said, ¡°I know you come from a lowly background and that it¡¯s inevitable for you to feel greedy whenever you see something nice. I tried my best to satisfy whatever you wanted previously, and I even gave you the legendary fiend! How are you not satisfied?! If you want anything, you need to do it legitimately! If you have such despicable thoughts and use such methods every time, things won¡¯t truly belong to you even if you get them! Also, how can you feel at ease?!¡± Shangguan Wan was sure that Chu Liuyue had used some tricks to cause the Tianling Power Staff to be so crazy. That was why she was so rude and kept insinuating that the latter did wrong! When the crowd heard this, quite a few people expressed their doubts. That¡¯s right! No matter how capable Chu Liuyue is, this Tianling Power Staff won¡¯t go find her for no rhyme or reason! Did she¡­ really do something in secret? Chapter 875 - A Gamble! Chu Liuyue very patiently listened to the Third Princess talk, but she didn¡¯t look guilty or humiliated at all as she was exposed or scolded. Instead, she smiled. I haven¡¯t even spoken these words to Shangguan Wan, yet the latter has played the blame game first. She can really distort the truth. ¡°It seems like I¡¯m really someone who can do everything in your eyes, Third Princess. Not only can I casually make an agreement with a legendary fiend, but I can even play with the Tianling Power Staff at will,¡± she said coldly, and a smile was suddenly plastered on her face. ¡°Third Princess, since you think so highly of me, won¡¯t I be letting down your ¡®kind intentions¡¯ if I don¡¯t do anything?¡± Originally, Shangguan Wan was still quite delighted. She thought that she had the upper hand and would definitely be able to force Chu Liuyue to give in. But upon hearing the other girl say this, she felt uneasy again. Isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue saying that I look down on the Tianling Power Staff? ¡°I-I don¡¯t mean it that way!¡± ¡°Elder Chen Ke, there¡¯s something I would like to ask.¡± However, Chu Liuyue ignored Shangguan Wan as her gaze moved until she looked at Elder Chen Ke by the side. ¡°W-what?¡± Elder Chen Ke didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to suddenly talk to him, so he was instantly stunned. Chu Liuyue glanced at the Tianling Power Staff beside her hand as her red lips curled up slightly and smiled deeply. ¡°Just like what the Third Princess said, the Tianling Power Staff is the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s holy item and is extremely dignified. Rumors have it that whoever can lift the Tianling Power Staff up can successfully ascend the throne. Then¡­ What if I do it?¡± Elder Chen Ke instantly widened his eyes in shock. Is Chu Liuyue crazy?! Does she even know what she¡¯s saying?! Lifting the Tianling Power Staff¡­ Is she trying to usurp the throne openly?! ¡°Impossible!¡± Before Elder Chen Ke could react, Shangguan Wan shrilly denied it. ¡°Even if you use some method to make the Tianling Power Staff lose control temporarily, you definitely can¡¯t lift it up or receive its recognition!¡± Shangguan Wan said this confidently. This was because Shangguan Jing was the one who left the Tianling Power Staff behind. From olden times till now, only the people with the Tianling royal family¡¯s bloodline could get near the Tianling Power Staff and receive its recognition! What background does Chu Liuyue have to have such a thought? She must be dreaming! ¡°Oh? Then, why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t frustrated as she shrugged her shoulders. Shangguan Wan became alert. ¡°What bet?¡± ¡°If I can lift this Tianling Power Staff and receive its recognition, then¡ª¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Shangguan Wan immediately interrupted her words violently. ¡°Chu Liuyue, considering your background, do you really think you can be related to my Tianling royal family?! Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± If Chu Liuyue dares to say that and uses it to fight for the throne, I will definitely order people to lock Chu Liuyue up and convict her to death for rebelling! Chu Liuyue lightly laughed. ¡°Third Princess, why are you in such a hurry? I haven¡¯t finished my sentence. If I can do these things, I would like you to reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death!¡± Boom! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sentence was like thunder striking beside the crowd¡¯s ears! Countless people widened their eyes in shock and looked at her in disbelief. Did Chu Liuyue say to reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death? What does that mean? Didn¡¯t the Princess die because she went crazy from cultivation? Reinvestigation¡­ Does it mean that there¡¯s another reason behind the Princess¡¯s death? Quite a few people had doubts about this issue, but they all stopped their investigations due to various reasons in these past two years. Gradually, nobody brought this up again. Some people even felt that they should keep mum about everything regarding the Princess for some reason. That dazzling woman who was as high as the sun finally landed like a shooting star and completely disappeared, falling into eternal silence. Barely anyone even brought her up. When Chu Liuyue said that she wanted to make a bet, quite a few people guessed what request she would make. However, nobody ever thought that she would mention such a thing! Shangguan Wan was also dazed. She even thought she had misheard something for one moment. ¡°W-what did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue slowly repeated her words. ¡°What, are you reluctant, Third Princess?¡± ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± At the side, Jiang Yucheng finally recovered his senses. His face seemed to be covered by a layer of frost as he knitted his brows tightly and coldly asked, ¡°The Princess¡¯s death already had its conclusion back then, yet you want to reinvestigate it. Do you not trust us?¡± No matter how much he liked Chu Liuyue, he couldn¡¯t stand her saying such things. Whining or causing a small commotion wouldn¡¯t harm the greater good. He wouldn¡¯t even care if Chu Liuyue mocked and targeted Shangguan Wan. However, he couldn¡¯t show any mercy if it concerned the Princess¡¯s death! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to hear the threat in his words as she honestly nodded. ¡°Yeah, I just don¡¯t trust you.¡± Jiang Yucheng was suddenly stumped and said after a while, ¡°This matter is very serious. How can we do as you say?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there the Tianling Power Staff?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and smiled. ¡°Could it be that the distinguished Tianling Power Staff can¡¯t even exchange for a chance to reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were too crafty, and nobody dared to say ¡®no.¡¯ The Princess¡¯s identity was dignified, and she was very reputable, but she was still a step lower when compared to the Tianling Power Staff. Whoever dared to deny the Tianling Power Staff would be akin to defaming Shangguan Jing! Jiang Yucheng could only change his tune. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, but if you insist on this, you have to at least produce some evidence to prove that the incident back then was amiss! It has to prove that there was indeed something amiss with the Princess¡¯s death! If not, I definitely can¡¯t agree to this!¡± We committed the crime back then without leaving a single loophole, and we also didn¡¯t leave behind much evidence. No matter why Chu Liuyue suddenly became related to this, she definitely can¡¯t find any clues or discover the truth about that matter! But when Chu Liuyue heard this, she relaxingly nodded. ¡°Okay! As long as you accede to my request, I can produce evidence today. Third Princess, Prince Consort, I hope that¡­ you won¡¯t regret it by then.¡± When Jiang Yucheng saw how calm Chu Liuyue looked, his heart suddenly skipped a beat as he felt very uneasy. Being so confident about this in front of so many people means that Chu Liuyue definitely didn¡¯t do this for fun. If she¡¯s so determined, could it really¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll agree to your request!¡± Before he could reject her, Shangguan Wan directly agreed! ¡°If you can lift the Tianling Power Staff and receive its recognition, I¡¯ll accede to your request to reinvestigate! But if you can¡¯t do it¡­ Then, you need to sacrifice yourself to Tianling! What do you think?!¡± The crowd gasped. Chu Liuyue just wants to reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death, yet Shangguan Wan is planning to drive the former to her death. Chu Liuyue raised her chin slightly and slowly smiled, her gaze as sharp as daggers. ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 876 - A Face Chapter 876: A Face Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Nobody expected things would develop to this stage. Chu Liuyue actually used her life as the wager to exchange for a chance to reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death! After a temporary silence, the crowd broke into an uproar. ¡°Is Chu Liuyue crazy? What exactly is she thinking? She actually wants to reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death no matter the cost?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that she¡¯s born in a small place outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy? Why would she be related to the Princess?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ I really don¡¯t understand¡­ These past two years, people did think of doing this, but they gradually gave up in the end. Isn¡¯t she just causing trouble for herself? What can she do alone?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Aren¡¯t you curious why Chu Liuyue is so confident to say this? Seeing the Tianling Power Staff¡¯s attitude toward her, I think she might be able to do it! Since when could someone without the Tianling royal family bloodline do this?¡± This question was actually what the crowd was most curious about. No matter how they thought about it, this Tianling Power Staff shouldn¡¯t be related to Chu Liuyue at all, right? Jiang Yucheng also heard quite a few of these whispers. He looked at Chu Liuyue and stared at those familiar eyes and brows. Suddenly, a ridiculous thought surfaced in his mind. But the next moment, he immediately shook his head with strength to dispel this thought! Impossible! Back then, Shangguan Yue had already committed suicide by burning herself to death! She¡¯s definitely not alive! At that time, I repeatedly confirmed it and wouldn¡¯t be wrong! Even though he kept convincing himself like this, the doubtful voice in his heart couldn¡¯t go away. If Chu Liuyue really has nothing to do with Shangguan Yue, why would she involve herself in this matter? And that Tianling Power Staff¡­ It didn¡¯t care about all of these people¡ªnot even Shangguan Wan, a legitimate princess of the royal family¡ªyet it treated Chu Liuyue differently! Finally, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Mu Qinghe, who wasn¡¯t far away. However, the latter was also staring at Chu Liuyue in confusion and shock. As the Black Guard¡¯s assistant commander, he was in charge of the security within and outside of the palace today. Lang Kun Hall was the most important place, so he had been guarding it the entire time. Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows tightly. Mu Qinghe was the one who personally brought Chu Liuyue back. When I first saw Chu Liuyue, I suspected her and told Mu Qinghe to investigate her secretly. The results were that there was no problem with Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity. She¡¯s indeed a girl that was abandoned by a desolated family in Country Yao Chen when she was young, and she coincidentally defied the gods and changed her fate after a twist of fate. After surviving so many ordeals, she finally made it to Xi Ling. But now¡­ What is going on? Jiang Yucheng became even more nervous and uneasy as he felt that things had spiraled out of control and was swiftly moving in an unknown direction! Even he couldn¡¯t be sure what would happen in the end! But at this point, Jiang Yucheng wasn¡¯t the only one who was completely stunned. Mu Qinghe stared at the nearby Chu Liuyue and was shocked when he heard her words. She wants to reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death? Who exactly is she? Coincidentally, Hong Yao also flew over at this point. Seeing it flap its green wings in a seemingly frustrated manner as its pair of round eyes stared closely at Chu Liuyue as if it were waiting or expecting something, a thought suddenly surfaced in Mu Qinghe¡¯s mind as his entire body stiffened. His lips moved slightly, and he called Hong Yao back. ¡°Hong Yao.¡± Hearing that his voice sounded amiss, Hong Yao finally turned around to take a look. There seemed to be endless ripples in Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes. ¡°Who¡­ exactly is she?!¡± ¡­ Everyone¡¯s gazes seemed to be gathered on Chu Liuyue at this moment. The girl lowered her head and glanced at the Tianling Power Staff. Originally, I didn¡¯t want to be this open about it. But since it gave me face, then¡­ I don¡¯t need to restrain myself! Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue fixed her gaze and reached out for the dragon head engraved on the top. The Tianling Power Staff was actually right beside her, and it was within her reach! Hence, Chu Liuyue just had to move her arm, and her fingers could already touch the Tianling Power Staff! The crowd unwittingly held in their breaths and were very nervous as they stared at it closely. Whir! The expected resistance and rejection didn¡¯t happen. As Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands officially held the Tianling Power Staff, a whirring sound was heard. At the same time, the light quickly gathered in the eyes of the dragon head! Shua! The tightly shut dragon eyes suddenly widened, and a golden light shot out from within, going straight for the skies! At that moment, the bright light shone everywhere as the holy light landed and wrapped around Chu Liuyue! The winds howled, and her clothes swayed with it as her hair flew up! At first glance, she was more distinguished than ever! At that moment, Chu Liuyue felt that her force seemed to be led by something as it quickly gathered and almost burst out! It was as if something that originally belonged to her finally came back¡ªit was a perfect union! Almost instinctively, she held the staff and raised it high! In the skies, clouds rapidly gathered. With the Tianling Power Staff¡¯s light as the center, they quickly gathered to form a whirlwind! It covered the entire sky, and the aura was formidable! The next moment, Chu Liuyue moved her wrist slightly! A heavy aura, together with harsh murderous intent, went straight for Shangguan Wan! Shangguan Wan was stunned and immediately wanted to retreat! However, how could her speed be compared to the Tianling Power Staff?! Boom! That terrifying force brushed past her left shoulder and instantly shaved off a large piece of meat. ¡°Ah!!!¡± Shangguan Wan screamed and directly flew backward, harshly landing on the floor. Whoosh! She suddenly spat out blood! Her back and left shoulder hurt excruciatingly, and her ribs seemed to be broken. Her organs and tissues were squeezed into a ball, and it was so uncomfortable that she felt like she was about to explode. She struggled to get up with a vengeance and was about to scold Chu Liuyue when she suddenly heard gasps from the crowd. Shangguan Wan instantly felt that something was amiss, so she looked at the crowd and immediately saw countless pairs of shocked and disgusted eyes! They¡­ were looking at her! Suddenly, Shangguan Wan realized something was wrong and felt that her face was burning! She knew something bad had happened, and she instantly touched her face. It was rough and sticky to touch¡ªextremely terrifying! Her mask actually fell! 2 Chapter 877 - It Moved Itself Shangguan Wan instantly felt endless horror and panic as she let out a shrill and instinctively used her hands to cover her face. However, the crowd had already seen her very clearly when she was dazed! That originally petite and beautiful face suddenly became as ugly as ever, being filled with scars. From afar, it looked like worms were scattered all across her face, causing one¡¯s heart to shudder! The surrounding crowd instantly fell into an eerie silence. Quite a few people exchanged glances and secretly conversed. It¡¯s no wonder the Third Princess kept saying she was ill and refused to leave Huayang Palace after she came back from Dahuang Swamp. She only started to see people again after a long period of time, when increasingly more people wanted to see her and the things she had to handle became increasingly troublesome. But in most situations, she still wouldn¡¯t leave the palace. The crowd really thought that she was injured because of His Majesty, so she needed to rest in bed properly. However, they didn¡¯t know that this was the reason behind it! Her face was completely disfigured! Feeling the countless gazes from the surroundings landing on her, Shangguan Wan felt hatred, frustration, and vengeance! Even though she had already ingested the legendary fiend¡¯s blood that came from Chu Liuyue earlier and her facial injury had already taken a turn for the better, it still hadn¡¯t fully recovered as she hadn¡¯t used the medicine for long. The deep and faint scars were much better than her face that kept rotting, but it was still terrifying to the crowd! Shangguan Wan trembled and immediately wanted to disappear! The surroundings were deadly silent, which made her feel extremely tortured! ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡± Chan Yi¡ªwho was standing at the back¡ªwas the first to react when she saw this scene. She hurriedly rushed over and wanted to help Shangguan Wan up. ¡°Get lost!¡± Shangguan Wan pushed Chan Yi away. At this very moment, everyone was watching her as a joke! She swiftly struggled to stand up, and from the corner of her eyes, she saw her broken mask on the floor. It was a thin layer that was stained with dust and blood, looking extremely dirty. It was as if someone ripped off her face and harshly stepped on it! She slowly raised her head and glared at Chu Liuyue, her eyes filled with vengeance. It looked as though she wanted to eat Chu Liuyue¡¯s meat and drink her blood! ¡°You¡­ did it on purpose!¡± Shangguan Wan squeezed out every single word from the gaps of her teeth with deep anger and vengeance! Only a few people know that my face is disfigured, and Chu Liuyue clearly did this to expose my ugly appearance in front of everyone! Chu Liuyue looked at her and revealed a hint of apology on her face. ¡°Ah! Third Princess, I¡¯m really sorry! My hand slipped. Are¡­ you okay?¡± H-a-n-d s-l-i-p-p-e-d?! Shangguan Wan became so furious at this sentence that she almost laughed! I really underestimated Chu Liuyue as she can even make up such a reason! Chu Liuyue held the Tianling Power Staff, but why did it choose her out of so many people present?! Furthermore, she even caused my mask to drop! If one said she didn¡¯t do it on purpose, Shangguan Wan wouldn¡¯t believe it even if she was beaten to death. ¡°You bitc¡ª¡± ¡°Wan¡¯er!¡± Just as Shangguan Wan was about to blurt out vulgarities and scold the other girl, Jiang Yucheng immediately spoke up at the side and forcefully interrupted her sentence. He darkened his face and walked over with arrow steps. ¡°You¡¯re injured. We should check your injury first. Leave the remaining things to me.¡± At this point, Shangguan Wan has already lost it. If she continues making a commotion, something might really happen. ¡°Physician Zuo!¡± he yelled at Zuo Mingxi. Zuo Mingxi hurriedly went forward. ¡°Please take care of the Third Princess¡¯s wound.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Zuo Mingxi agreed readily and took out a pill. ¡°Your Highness, please take this!¡± Seeing this, let alone the external injury, her internal injury might also be serious¡­ ¡°You¡­¡± Shangguan Wan was just about to fling Jiang Yucheng¡¯s hand away when she felt excruciating pain as her face suddenly turned white. Shua! Her cold sweat dropped down. Jiang Yucheng took the medicine. ¡°Wan¡¯er, eat the medicine first.¡± Shangguan Wan looked up with much difficulty and glanced at him. There was no heartache in his eyes at all, only coldness, nonchalance, and a hint of warning. This was warning her not to cause trouble at this point! Sourness overwhelmed Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart. Even though she long knew that he had no feelings for her, she was injured and exposed in front of so many people at this moment. She was utterly humiliated, yet he still didn¡¯t have any form of pity for her. Ever since they fought the day before, he didn¡¯t even want to act any longer! He wasn¡¯t at all worried about how much she would be mocked after this day. Shangguan Wan felt hopeless in her heart as water rushed up and gradually drowned her. Jiang Yucheng fed the pill to her, and she mechanically opened her mouth to swallow it. Then, under Jiang Yucheng¡¯s instructions, both Chan Yi and Zuo Mingxi went forward to check on her injury. After taking her pulse, Zuo Mingxi was stunned. Two forces seem to be crazily going for each other in Shangguan Wan¡¯s body! If she doesn¡¯t settle it as soon as possible, it will spell danger! ¡°Your Highness, your injury seems more serious. Why don¡¯t we go down and treat it?¡± said Zuo Mingxi carefully. However, Shangguan Wan directly rejected it and stared closely at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Today is my wedding day and the day I ascend the throne! I¡¯m the main star today, so why should I leave?! The ascension ceremony hasn¡¯t even started. Why should I leave? I want to see what kind of trouble this Chu Liuyue can cause today! Zuo Mingxi looked at Jiang Yucheng to ask for help. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t force Shangguan Wan, as long as she knew her limits. If she really leaves, the scene will be even more terrible. He nodded. ¡°Take good care of the Third Princess.¡± Then, he turned around and looked at Chu Liuyue. The gentle smiling intent on his face at the start of the wedding had already disappeared, now replaced by coldness with hints of anger. ¡°Chu Liuyue, do you know how serious it is for you to harm the Third Princess!?¡± Even if it were him, he also felt that Chu Liuyue did it on purpose. Chu Liuyue lightly sighed and glanced at the Tianling Power Staff in her hands. At this point, the golden light that shot through the sky had already gradually disappeared, leaving the pair of dragon eyes still glowing with light. It was bright and oppressive! How must I explain it to them so that they believe I didn¡¯t do it on purpose and that the Tianling Power Staff did it itself¡­ It was about to awaken earlier on, and its aura exploded. Before I could even react, it had already attacked Shangguan Wan! In her eyes, that move was more of a warning than an attack. If not, Shangguan Wan¡¯s injuries wouldn¡¯t be this light. Thinking of this, she squinted her eyes and looked at Shangguan Wan. ¡°Honestly speaking, the Tianling Power Staff did it itself just now.¡± Chapter 878 - Clingy Sprite ¡°Nonsense!¡± When Shangguan Wan heard this, she immediately retorted. ¡°Why would the Tianling Power Staff do this out of nowhere? I¡¯m of the Tianling royal family¡¯s bloodline!¡± Even if there were people who failed in picking the Tianling Power Staff up, we have never heard of the staff attacking anyone! Chu Liuyue¡¯s words are a joke! ¡°Exactly. With your identity, why would the Tianling Power Staff do this to you?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and asked in return. ¡°If I didn¡¯t recall wrongly, the Tianling Power Staff seemed quite resistant toward you when you tried to pick it up just now.¡± Just as Shangguan Wan was about to rage at Chu Liuyue, she was instantly stumped when she heard this. Her remaining words got stuck in her throat, and she felt very uncomfortable, but she couldn¡¯t say a single word. She instantly felt guilty, and her gaze became dodgy. Actually, she had also noticed this problem. Since the start, the Tianling Power Staff has been very rude to me and has shown no signs of becoming obedient. When I invited Senior to help me after that, it directly exploded and caused me to fly backward¡­ Could it be because of this? As she was furious just now, she scolded without a care. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s sentence instantly made her uncertain. If it¡¯s really because of this¡­ She clenched her teeth and insisted on saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± The surrounding people¡¯s gazes became incredulous. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words make sense! When Shangguan Wan tried to hold the Tianling Power Staff in the beginning, it wasn¡¯t successful, and there seemed to be something wrong¡­ Even if she couldn¡¯t lift the TIanling Power Staff up and receive its recognition, there is no need to attack her and cause her to roll down the nine flights of stairs¡­ Is there really something wrong with Shangguan Wan? ¡°Y-you¡ªdon¡¯t try to shirk responsibility! You clearly know about my face. It became like this because your fiend scratched it, yet you¡¯re treating me in this way in public. Don¡¯t you clearly want me to humiliate myself?!¡± Seeing that things were going south, Shangguan Wan immediately changed her tune and retracted her vengeance and anger on her face. Then, she started crying as if she had been wronged. Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. You¡¯re trying to make me your scapegoat? You have to see if I agree with it first! ¡°Third Princess, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. When your face was scratched, I hadn¡¯t even made an agreement with it, so it¡¯s really not my fault. Besides, even though the trouble that Tuan Zi previously caused was unrelated to me, I felt bad and directly went into the palace to give you and His Majesty the blood of a legendary fiend once I came back. If I really dislike you, why would I do this?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke lightly, and she looked sincere. Shangguan Wan was so enraged that her chest heaved up and down as she widened her eyes. However, she couldn¡¯t say a single word. I was the one who asked for the legendary fiend¡¯s blood, but why did Chu Liuyue make it seem like she willingly gave it up? She¡¯s lying through her teeth! Though Shangguan Wan¡¯s blood was boiling, she couldn¡¯t retort. How can I admit in public that I forced Chu Liuyue to give out the blood of a legendary fiend? Seeing Shangguan Wan¡¯s stumped expression, quite a few people despised her in their hearts. Since it was a mistake that happened before they made an agreement, it naturally has nothing to do with Chu Liuyue. It¡¯s already very rare for her to offer her help willingly, yet Shangguan Wan played the blame game! One can easily tell what their personalities are like! At this point, Jiang Yucheng finally spoke. ¡°Even if so, it¡¯s true that you hurt the Third Princess. Hence, you must take responsibility for this.¡± In front of the crowd, he naturally had to stand on Shangguan Wan¡¯s side. Besides, he wasn¡¯t even sure of Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity now, let alone what she was planning. Thus, he was naturally very guarded. Chu Liuyue glanced at the Tianling Power Staff. You cause even more trouble than me¡­ The Tianling Power Staff trembled undetectably. ¡°After this ends, I¡¯ll naturally do what I have to do. But now¡­ We can decide on the winner of this gamble, right?¡± said Chu Liuyue as she raised her arm and twisted her wrist. Shua! She held the Tianling Power Staff tightly in her hands and pointed the dragon head toward Jiang Yucheng. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, he felt anxious when facing that pair of golden dragon eyes. It was like¡­ they could see through everything! He instinctively averted his gaze and knitted his brows. ¡°I¡¯ve already lifted this Tianling Power Staff up and received its recognition. Then¡­¡± Chu Liuyue dangerously squinted her eyes as her red lips curled up, but her eyes were cold and nonchalant. ¡°Can we reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death?¡± ¡­ The large Lang Kun Hall was completely silent. Chu Liuyue held the Tianling Power Staff up high, and its dragon eyes were burning brightly. Everyone knew that Chu Liuyue had indeed won this bet. When they heard her mention the reinvestigation of the Princess¡¯s death, quite a few of them had conflicted gazes. Who would¡¯ve thought such a grand and solemn ceremony would end up in this manner? Almost everyone looked toward Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng. With everyone watching, they couldn¡¯t go back on their words on the spot. This time¡­ They had to investigate! Jiang Yucheng stared at Chu Liuyue closely and said after a while, ¡°Okay! Since you¡¯ve done it, then¡­ The Third Princess and I will admit our defeat!¡± The crowd broke into an uproar. This means he has agreed! They¡¯re really going to reinvestigate the Princess¡¯s death! Everything happened too quickly two years ago, and there are indeed many doubts. And now¡­ Is it finally going to be checked clearly? ¡°Do you think there¡¯s really something wrong with the Princess¡¯s death? The Tianling Power Staff felt that the Princess died wrongfully, so it let Chu Liuyue succeed in exchange for this chance?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Wasn¡¯t it already concluded back then? Even the Princess¡¯s confidants didn¡¯t really make much of a ruckus¡­ If there¡¯s really a problem, why would they take this lying down?¡± ¡°Why not? The Princess¡¯s confidants from back then are either dead or injured now, especially the Thirteen Yue Guards, who are still being pursued. The remaining confidants are only a handful. If you must talk about it, only Mu Qinghe can still do something¡­¡± ¡°I think so too! If not, it really can¡¯t explain how Chu Liuyue managed to lift the Tianling Power Staff! If she¡¯s so persistent, was she one of the Princess¡¯s people back then?¡± The crowd discussed, and all sorts of guesses emerged. Jiang Yucheng roughly heard what they said, and his heart was in a mess. He looked at Chu Liuyue and boomed, ¡°Put the Tianling Power Staff back onto the black Xuan stone first. We can talk about these things later.¡± After all, this was a holy item of the Tianling Dynasty. Why should Chu Liuyue keep holding it in her hands? Especially when there¡¯s an unkempt Shangguan Wan at the side! The comparison was miserable¡ªA joke! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, she flung her wrist. The Tianling Power Staff rapidly flew out! But not long after it flew out, the Tianling Power Staff suddenly changed its direction and flew back to stand in front of Chu Liuyue. The dragon head lightly tapped the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand before it shook. It was as though it was fishing for a compliment. Hehe, I¡¯m back again! Did you miss me? The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. Chapter 879 - Interrogation! How should I put it? In her previous life, she naturally didn¡¯t see the Tianling Power Staff since she didn¡¯t make it to her wedding day. In Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, the Tianling Power Staff was a very solemn and holy existence. It was high and mighty, and nobody could go near it. Hence, when the Tianling Power Staff took the initiative to fly over to her today, she was shocked and surprised. With the staff in her hands, it was also a sort of repayment for the emptiness she had felt back then. However¡­ Nobody ever told me the Tianling Power Staff was so clingy! Seeing the excited and energetic Tianling Power Staff that was waiting for a compliment, even Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had a very strong mentality¡ªalmost broke down at one moment. You are happy, but please think about me! There are so many people watching! Normally, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really care much about the other people¡¯s gazes. It was only at this moment that she actually felt the burn. ¡°Ahem!¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fist, placed it by her mouth, and coughed. Then, she stretched out her hand and pushed it. ¡°Um¡­ I think you should go back¡­¡± As if the Tianling Power Staff didn¡¯t hear those words, it still shook its dragon head and spun around, having zero intention of going back. Shua! Something flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Tuan Zi suddenly flew out and stared straight at the Tianling Power Staff with its pair of watery eyes. She already told you to go back. Why are you still sticking around? The Tianling Power Staff paused, changed to another position to shake, and moved back and forth by Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Why do you care? I¡¯m not even a legendary fiend. Why are you jealous of me? Tuan Zi was confused. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Clearly, one is a legendary fiend, and the other is a holy object. Bringing out either one of them will cause others to be extremely envious, but why do I feel humiliated for some reason? Seeing that they were about to continue quarreling, Chu Liuyue swiftly grabbed Tuan Zi¡¯s wings and placed the fiend on her shoulders. But the moment she let go, Tuan Zi struggled to rush out. The Tianling Power Staff also jumped back as if it were challenging the fiend. Chu Liuyue held her forehead helplessly and loudly yelled when she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Stop being a nuisance!¡± ¡­ It was finally quiet. The Tianling Power Staff stood obediently at the side, and Tuan Zi stood on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ve already tried my best¡­ I really can¡¯t do anything about this either¡­¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression was strange. There was no choice. Whoever saw the previous scene would not be calm. However, Jiang Yucheng had seen all kinds of scenarios before, so he quickly calmed himself down. Seeing that the Tianling Power Staff was really sticking by Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and refused to leave, harping on this matter would only cause Shangguan Wan to be even more humiliated. The best way was to ignore it first. Hence, Jiang Yucheng directly changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this matter first. About what you said earlier¡­ We¡¯ll send people to form a team later to specifically investigate¡ª¡± ¡°No need.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and interrupted Jiang Yucheng¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s too troublesome. We¡¯ll just start from here directly.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Jiang Yucheng was stunned for once as he didn¡¯t know what Chu Liuyue meant. Even Shangguan Wan couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth and coldly say, ¡°Start from here? How can this be done? Chu Liuyue, you have to be clear that this is Lang Kun Hall! How dare you cause a ruckus here!¡± Forget her stealing the limelight by using the Tianling Power Staff, but she wants to start investigating Shangguan Yue¡¯s death here directly?! She¡¯s thinking too much! Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows. ¡°After all, today is my wedding with the Third Princess¡­¡± Even though Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t really care about Shangguan Wan, he still thought highly of this wedding. Shangguan Wan has already been humiliated enough. If Shangguan Yue¡¯s incident is brought in, it will become an even bigger mess! Hearing what Jiang Yucheng said, Shangguan Wan had a few hints of vengeance on her face. ¡°Chu Liuyue, if you insist on doing so, aren¡¯t you just jealous of me being happy? It¡¯s my wedding day, yet you purposely brought these matters up. Are you sincerely cursing me?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes and looked confused. ¡°Third Princess, why would you say that? Didn¡¯t you always say that the Princess is your most respected elder sister? Why would you feel that bringing her up today is a curse to you?¡± Shangguan Wan was instantly stumped. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°The Princess has always doted on you. If she knew that you were marrying Prince Consort today, she would definitely be happy for you. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± A chill suddenly went down Shangguan Wan¡¯s spine and shot through the skies! ¡°Enough!¡± She violently interrupted Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. ¡°Just do whatever you want!¡± Back then, Shangguan Yue had already died to the extreme. All the evidence and clues have basically been destroyed as well. There is no way of investigating it! I don¡¯t believe these people can really discover something after two years! ¡°Wan¡ª¡± Jiang Yucheng instinctively wanted to stop her, but Shangguan Wan had already said it. He clenched his hands in his fists tightly. For some reason, he felt anxious. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Third Princess.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and agreed as she took a step forward. Everyone looked over and had various expressions. Chu Liuyue looked straight at Jiang Yucheng, and her smile faded away. There seemed to be a cold gaze in her eyes. ¡°Back then, the Princess¡¯s funeral was handled by the Third Princess and the Prince Consort. Then, the two of you should understand the incident the best, right?¡± Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t understand what she wanted to do but still nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He was still a lowly fianc¨¦ at that time, and Shangguan Wan was the only slightly older one out of all the royal family¡¯s descendants, so they naturally were in charge of it. Everyone knew this. ¡°Okay. I have a few questions for you then.¡± Chu Liuyue raised one finger. ¡°First question: Prince Consort, you were the first person to discover what happened to the Princess, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Jiang Yucheng without hesitation. Actually, countless people had already asked these questions before, so he, Shangguan Wan, and the rest had already come up with a story. Even if Chu Liuyue asked another hundred times openly, he would still say that. ¡°Back then, the Princess said that she wanted to cultivate and try to break through to become a stage-nine warrior. Hence, she chose to seclude herself. I was guarding her from outside, but not long later, I felt that something was amiss. When I barged in, I found that the Princess was on the verge of dying.¡± Jiang Yucheng said it very smoothly and calmly as if the scene was indeed this that day. Chu Liuyue raised her second finger. ¡°Okay, the second question then. Why would the Princess not cultivate earlier or later and specifically choose the day before her wedding¡ªwhich was very important to her¡ªto try and break through to become a stage-nine warrior? All cultivators know that breaking through has risks to it. The higher one¡¯s cultivation level is, the more time they require for the breakthrough. If she did this, was she not planning to participate in the wedding the next day?¡± Chapter 880 - Do You Think It’s Coincidental? Jiang Yucheng answered naturally, ¡°Others don¡¯t know what the Princess was thinking, but everyone knew that the next day was also her ascension ceremony, other than her wedding. Perhaps she did this to hold up the Tianling Power Staff and stand at the top in a better position. Besides, she had a Tianjing Yuan meridian. For normal cultivators, breaking through to become a stage-nine warrior might be something they can only wish for in their lives. However, it might be much easier for her.¡± This made sense. Not long after the Princess was born, she was tested to have a Tianjing Yuan meridian. Ever since then, she had been the top talent in the entire Tianling Dynasty. No matter as a warrior, Xuan Master, or a heavenly doctor, she had a lot of potential! If she had such thoughts, it wasn¡¯t strange. Chu Liuyue nodded in deep thought and then asked, ¡°Since this is so, why would the Princess go to the ancestral hall instead of cultivating at her own place if she had planned on focusing on her cultivation? I recall that the Tianling royal family¡¯s ancestral hall was also ruined because of this, right?¡± ¡°As the descendant to the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s throne, what¡¯s wrong with the Princess going to the ancestral hall?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng in return. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s nothing wrong. According to what you said, the Princess had been in the ancestral hall for the entire day or night the day before, right? Eldest Young Master Jiang, you¡­ were also guarding outside the whole time?¡± ¡°Of course. Everyone serving us that day can attest to this.¡± Jiang Yucheng had already answered all these questions countless times, and he could do it naturally and easily. He gradually knitted his brows and looked at Chu Liuyue as he coldly said, ¡°If your reinvestigation means asking these questions again in front of the crowd, let me tell you that there isn¡¯t any meaning at all. If you really doubt what happened back then, you must produce evidence. If not¡­ There¡¯s no need to continue!¡± ¡°Why are you so anxious? I¡¯m not done asking.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and suddenly looked at Weichi Song at the side. ¡°Mentor, you should also have some things to ask Eldest Young Master Jiang, right?¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd looked at Weichi Song in unison. Weichi Song nodded and looked at Jiang Yucheng as he boomed, ¡°Previously, I went to Thousand View Garden to retrieve some items I left there before. However¡­ I discovered something wrong with the Princess¡¯s phoenix-tailed zither there.¡± Hearing the words ¡®phoenix-tailed zither,¡¯ Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart suddenly sank. ¡°Everyone knows that the Princess loved that zither when she was alive, but I discovered that she had left behind a Xuan formation on it!¡± Weichi Song stared at Jiang Yucheng and said every single word clearly. ¡°Even though I¡¯m not a top Xuan Master, I have also dabbled in this area. The Xuan formation that the Princess carved on the zither was just a third-grade Xuan formation, but the most important point is that the Xuan formation¡¯s name is ¡®Trap Dragon Formation!¡¯¡± ¡°If there really was no problem at all, why would the Princess leave such a Xuan formation on the ancient zither that she liked so much? From what I see, that Xuan formation¡¯s standard and suppression are nothing, but the Xuan formation¡¯s name has great meaning!¡± ¡°Trap Dragon Formation¡ªbecause the dragon was trapped and was asking for help! The Princess clearly met with danger and purposely left such a Xuan formation behind, hinting to people that she had been harmed by villains!¡± Everyone was shocked when he said this. If what Weichi Song said was true, there would then be a huge problem with this! One had to know that the Princess was already very talented and outstanding in this area since she was born. She definitely wouldn¡¯t leave behind a mere third-grade Xuan formation on such a precious object! Weichi Song¡¯s explanation was the only logical answer! Jiang Yucheng was stunned, and he clenched his fists tightly! I was careless! I took care of the zither room for two years, yet I never discovered such a hint on the ancient zither! Back then, I gave Shangguan Yue the last cup of tea in the zither room after she finished playing a tune. This was so the poison in her would be activated. Later on, she swiftly discovered that something was wrong and wanted to retaliate. But at that time, she was already not my match. In the end, I secretly sent her to the palace and brought her to the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall. Back then, I always thought that everything progressed very smoothly. But thinking back on it now, she did struggle next to the ancient zither for quite some time. Did she leave the Xuan formation behind at that time? Jiang Yucheng tried his best to calm himself down as he said with a dark expression, ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, everything said must be based on evidence.¡± ¡°The evidence is on that phoenix-tailed zither!¡± said Weichi Song immediately. ¡°The zither room has always been in your care. As long as you send someone to retrieve the phoenix-tailed zither, we¡¯ll know what¡¯s going on!¡± When the crowd heard this, they felt that it made sense as they gradually looked at Jiang Yucheng. Jiang Yucheng pressed his lips against each other tightly. At this moment, he finally understood that this was the secret Weichi Song discovered in the zither room! No wonder his attitude changed greatly after that. It turned out that he had already confirmed Shangguan Yue was harmed by others at that point. And as one of the closest few people to Shangguan Yue¡ªone that regularly accompanied her to the zither room¡ªI am the most suspicious! Jiang Yucheng took a deep breath and said, ¡°That phoenix-tailed zither¡­ went missing a while ago.¡± At this point, he felt very grateful that the ancient zither went missing! If not, this matter could never be brushed aside if it really was like what Weichi Song said and they brought the zither out to verify! The crowd was stunned! Missing?! How could such an important thing go missing?! ¡°Wasn¡¯t Jiang Yucheng guarding the zither room all along? Why would the item suddenly go missing for no reason? Isn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence¡­¡± Soft doubts were heard from the crowd. Jiang Yucheng was also in a difficult position, but this was undoubtedly his best shield at this moment. ¡°I failed in guarding it, causing the phoenix-tailed zither to be lost. During this period, I¡¯ve always been sending people to find it in secret, but there hasn¡¯t been much progress¡­ I¡¯m afraid that this trail of clues will be broken.¡± Jiang Yucheng looked guilty, but his gaze was determined. ¡°The item is not here, so we can¡¯t verify if what Cabinet Master Weichi said was true or false. Cabinet Master Weichi, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but this matter is very important. Without concrete evidence, I wouldn¡¯t dare to say much.¡± Weichi Song retorted, ¡°Does it mean that you will believe what I say if I can find the phoenix-tailed zither?¡± Jiang Yucheng paused. ¡°Yes. If the phoenix-tailed zither isn¡¯t here, we can¡¯t proceed on with everything today. This will all be empty talk.¡± Quite a few people looked disappointed. They thought that there were finally some clues, yet they disappeared just like that¡­ If the Princess was really harmed by someone, then¡­ The longer it drags on, the harder it will be to unearth the truth from back then! Right at this point, Weichi Song suddenly said, ¡°What a coincidence. Someone coincidentally sent me a gift yesterday.¡± Jiang Yucheng looked up in shock! He then saw Weichi Song waving his sleeves, and an ancient zither appeared in front of the latter! It was that phoenix-tailed zither! ¡°The item is here. Why don¡¯t we take a closer look at it?!¡± Chapter 881 - Way of Escape Back Then Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression finally cracked as he was so shocked that he blurted out, ¡°Why would that thing be with you?!¡± Could the person who secretly barged into the zither room to steal the phoenix-tailed zither be Weichi Song?! That person hid their aura extremely well, and I never thought that it could be related to Weichi Song! ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say just now that someone gave me a big present yesterday?!¡± Weichi Song stroked his beard and presented the phoenix-tailed zither to the crowd. ¡°Everyone, take a look and see if this is the Princess¡¯s zither from back then.¡± The crowd exchanged glances and fell silent. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang, you should be the most familiar with this. Why don¡¯t you check it? If not, someone might say that I produced a fake item to start rumors,¡± said Weichi Song as he pushed the zither to the front. Jiang Yucheng was standing ten steps away from it. With his eye power, he could already confirm that this was the zither lost from the zither room when he saw it the first time! However, he really couldn¡¯t understand how this item landed in Weichi Song¡¯s hands! He said someone gave it to him yesterday¡­ Who is that person? ¡°Let me take a look.¡± A person walked out amidst the eerie silence¡ªit was Yuwen Wei. He smiled and walked over. ¡°Back then, the Princess liked this zither very much and specifically told me to prepare many accessories for it. Hence, I¡¯m rather familiar with it. Everyone will trust me if I¡¯m the one who recognizes it, right?¡± Weichi Song passed the item over. ¡°Please¡­¡± Even though Yuwen Wei¡¯s status wasn¡¯t as good as Jiang Yucheng, his family history ran far. Thus, his status was also very distinguished. The words he said had quite a lot of value. Yuwen Wei meticulously took the phoenix-tailed zither and examined it carefully. Then, his expression gradually became solemn. After a moment, he nodded. ¡°This is the Princess¡¯s item, and¡­ There is a Trap Dragon Formation on the inside of this zither!¡± ¡°Let me take a look too!¡± Jian Shuye couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer as he went forward and focused on it. There seemed to be a faint light shimmering on the phoenix-tailed zither. Flipping it over, one could see that there indeed was a palm-sized Xuan formation shining brightly underneath! Jiang Yucheng was in a mess! Back then, I only cared about dealing with Shangguan Yue. Hence, I didn¡¯t look at the phoenix-tailed zither at all. And even though I have always wiped the fragrance on the phoenix-tailed zither in these two years, I have never discovered any of this! Thinking of this, he immediately said, ¡°This Xuan formation didn¡¯t exist before! I¡¯ve never seen such a Xuan formation on it before! It¡¯s just a third-grade Xuan formation. Any Xuan Master could carve it on the zither. Cabinet Master Weichi, you don¡¯t have to resort to such means to lie to everyone even if you doubt the Princess¡¯s death, right?¡± Upon hearing this, Weichi Song sneered. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ve never seen this before. This was because there was originally a seal on this Xuan formation! This Xuan formation was only revealed after I solved the seal!¡± ¡°W-what seal?¡± Jiang Yucheng was stunned. I had no idea about any of this! ¡°This is a Trap Dragon Formation, and the aura¡­ It was made by the Princess!¡± Jian Shuye nodded in confirmation. ¡°As this phoenix-tailed zither¡¯s material is extremely precious and unique, normal people can¡¯t even leave any marks on it. Even though this Xuan formation is only a third-grade one, only a top Xuan Master can do this! If I didn¡¯t see wrongly¡­ The phoenix-tailed zither should¡¯ve used her Tianjing Yuan meridian¡¯s force to seal the Xuan formation and hide its aura.¡± Weichi Song stroked his beard. ¡°That¡¯s right. I only saw this Trap Dragon Formation after I broke the seal.¡± At that time, Shangguan Yue¡¯s abilities had already reached that of an eighth-grade Xuan Master. If she intentionally wanted to hide something, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be difficult. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart kept sinking, and his entire body turned cold. Careless¡ªI was really careless! I forgot that I wasn¡¯t Shangguan Yue¡¯s match at all, causing me not to even see her using such a method! Now, it has become concrete evidence! Afterward, a few other people stepped forward to take a look, and all nodded to confirm that this was indeed left behind by the Princess back then. As she had a Tianjing Yuan meridian, her aura was very easily recognized. Any of the extraordinary characters in the Tianling Dynasty just had to take a look at it to confirm. ¡°Hm, what is this?¡± Jian Shuye was talking when he suddenly realized there was something else below the Xuan formation. He moved in closer, and his expression changed slightly. ¡°It¡¯s a blood word!¡± Everyone was shocked when he said this. If it weren¡¯t because something happened, why would this phoenix-tailed zither have a blood word hidden on it? Besides, it was even hidden with all these complicated layers! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat and almost jumped out of his chest! All the blood in his body seemed to freeze at this moment. It can¡¯t be¡­ It can¡¯t be! Everything happened very suddenly back then. Shangguan Yue wouldn¡¯t even have the time and energy to do such a thing! Jiang Yucheng kept convincing himself, but there was a voice in the depths of his heart that kept ringing. Why not? She was smart and cunning. Why would she not be able to do such small tricks? ¡°The Princess also left this blood word behind!¡± Jian Shuye¡¯s expression completely turned cold. Yuwen Wei and the rest who were standing nearer also had a change in expression. They naturally could recognize it. ¡°What¡¯s the blood word written on top?¡± someone asked anxiously. Weichi Song laughed, but there was no smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, you should know what¡¯s written on it, right?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s temple throbbed! ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Jiang!¡± Jian Shuye suddenly raised the phoenix-tailed zither and sharply hollered, ¡°The word ¡®Jiang¡¯ is written on it!¡± ¡°Jiang Yucheng, isn¡¯t this your ¡®Jiang?!¡¯¡± Chapter 882 - Then Confront! The voice was like thunder that landed heavily, instantly shocking everyone present! The blood word hidden in the phoenix-tailed zither is actually ¡®Jiang?!¡¯ Anyone with a brain can guess that the Princess had other intentions for using such a complicated method to leave this clue behind on the phoenix-tailed zither! Trap Dragon Formation¡­ Blood word¡­ Jiang¡­ When all of this is combined together, isn¡¯t it secretly hinting that Jiang Yucheng was the one who harmed her?! Lang Kun Hall fell into dead silence! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s ears whirred! Jian Shuye¡¯s sharp questioning was like a heavy fist that slammed down, catching him off-guard and causing him to be completely stunned. He originally thought everything was done perfectly without a single mistake and that nobody could find any clues. However, he never expected Shangguan Yue to leave something behind! The phoenix-tailed zither actually hid such a shocking secret! Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered together¡ªsuspicion, shock, anger¡­ All sorts of gazes wrapped around Jiang Yucheng like fire! His entire person was about to burn up as a never-before-felt sense of danger overwhelmed him! Jiang Yucheng had never felt so humiliated before in his life, until this point! He tried his best to calm himself down and tried hard to make his voice sound calm. ¡°A ¡®Jiang¡¯ can¡¯t mean much. Let alone the Tianling Dynasty, there are many people with the surname ¡®Jiang¡¯ in just one Xi Ling City. Why do the few of you immediately think it¡¯s me? What if this word doesn¡¯t refer to someone¡¯s last name but something else?¡± Jian Shuye was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, don¡¯t act stupid here. There are indeed quite a few people with the last name ¡®Jiang,¡¯ but the Princess doesn¡¯t know many of them, right? If she wasn¡¯t driven to a corner, the Princess would never leave such a clue behind. This also means that it¡¯s very likely she was harmed in the zither room! And you¡ªaren¡¯t you the one who most regularly goes to the zither room? Do you really know nothing about this?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s gaze suddenly faltered. ¡°Master Jian, you¡¯re right. However, this really has nothing to do with me. Back then, the Princess and I were in love, and we were about to get married. Why would I have any reason to harm her?¡± ¡°You have to ask yourself!¡± Weichi Song suddenly carried on and nonchalantly said, ¡°Your so-called love¡­. Didn¡¯t you get together with the Third Princess and even throw a majestic wedding in less than two years after the Princess¡¯s passing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The moment Weichi Song said this, another burly voice sounded. It came from the person who was very upset with this wedding from the start¡ªMeng Jingzhi! ¡°Let¡¯s not say that you will never marry in your entire life for the Princess, but you should at least express your feelings, right? In the end, you got together with the Third Princess the moment you finished handling the Princess¡¯s funeral, yet you have the cheek to say ¡®in love?¡¯ Hah, you can¡¯t even be considered a man if this is in the western frontier! Even women will look down on you!¡± It was fake that Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan were together for feelings, but it was true for status! If Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t have such a status, why would Jiang Yucheng fancy her? Even though Meng Jingzhi was stationed at the western frontier most of the time and didn¡¯t return to Xi Ling, this didn¡¯t mean that he knew nothing about Xi Ling¡¯s events. He was a warrior, but he had good eyesight. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed in his position for dozens of years! Back then, even Mu Qinghe bringing troops to appease the rebels in Dahuang Swamp couldn¡¯t allow the former to replace his position! It was obvious how capable he was! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face turned black for a moment. Shangguan Wan was originally quite shocked and worried about the phoenix-tailed zither when she heard herself being scolded the next moment. She was so angry that her face turned white, but after glancing at Meng Jingzhi, she swallowed her ugly words. That person was a bull! There were already many troubles today. Another Meng Jingzhi would be adding oil to the fire! Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t care about him as he lightly said, ¡°My wedding with Wan¡¯er has nothing to do with this. Even if there¡¯s really something else behind the Princess¡¯s death, you guys can¡¯t push the blame to me just based on this blood word, right?¡± He was bent on using this point! The word on it is indeed ¡®Jiang!¡¯ At that time, I was indeed one of the closest people to the Princess! Hence, anyone who sees the blood word will connect the two together. But if they don¡¯t take out any other evidence, I still have a chance of survival! ¡°That¡¯s right! Your words aren¡¯t concrete evidence. If you smear Jiang Yucheng like that, my Jiang family definitely won¡¯t take this lying down!¡± Jiang Lizuo stood up and hollered. ¡°I want to see who exactly wants to drag my Jiang family down and smear my son¡¯s reputation!¡± Jiang Lizuo was the Grand Elder after all, and he had a distinguished status. Additionally, Jiang Yucheng was already married to the Third Princess, so the status of the entire Jiang family had been elevated. Ordinary people really couldn¡¯t afford to offend this Jiang family! However, Weichi Song suddenly laughed. ¡°Everyone will eventually know who is being smeared. Since you want evidence¡­ I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s brows harshly twitched. Seeing how confident Weichi Song is, does he really have any other evidence? Weichi Song stared at him and gradually said, ¡°I personally saw the Princess grow up, and I had the privilege to be loved by her, to be half her mentor. Ever since something happened to the Princess, my Chong Xu Cabinet has also been impacted continuously. Not many elders or disciples were left in the cabinet, and we can barely even hold up our clan now! And the reason for all of this is because I wanted to investigate the Princess¡¯s death.¡± Weichi Song¡¯s expression gradually turned cold and solemn, and the surrounding space seemed to freeze as well. ¡°But it¡¯s not only my Chong Xu Cabinet. In the past two years, quite a few people wanted to investigate the cause behind the Princess¡¯s death. However, these people either ended up dead or injured. Some even silently disappeared, never appearing again. It¡¯s as if someone has been secretly using all sorts of methods to stop them. Everyone, you should know clearly that the people who don¡¯t want the truth to be revealed the most will most likely be the ones who harmed the Princess!¡± A few people secretly nodded. Even though nobody talked about it on the surface, everyone knew what was going on. Jiang Lizuo was so enraged that he laughed. ¡°What? Weichi Song, are you saying that it¡¯s my son that went for your Chong Xu Cabinet?¡± Jiang Yucheng knitted his brows as well. ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, I¡¯ve already sent that Qi Dahe to you personally before. He did use Messed Yuan Gravel on Chong Xu Cabinet, but I really had no¡ª¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s true or not, won¡¯t we know when we invite him over and confront him?¡± said Weichi Song lightly. Jiang Yucheng felt that it was very ridiculous and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You clearly know that Qi Dahe isn¡¯t sane. How can we confront him?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about this?¡± Weichi Song suddenly laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve already treated him!¡± Chapter 883 - Can You Answer? ¡°Qi Dahe, come and say it for yourself!¡± Ignoring Jiang Yucheng and the others¡¯ shocked expressions, Weichi Song suddenly turned around and waved to a person. It was a youngster that looked like he was in his twenties. He had previously been standing behind Weichi Song and the rest the whole time, so everyone instinctively thought that he was Chong Xu Cabinet¡¯s disciple. Due to this, nobody paid attention to him. After hearing Weichi Song¡¯s words at this point, he stepped forward and felt around his collarbone before removing a thin mask. Underneath the mask, his face looked thin and frail as if he had just recovered from an illness. His ear on his left side was missing, leaving behind a bowl-sized scar that looked frightening. It was Qi Dahe! Looking at Qi Dahe¡ªwho should¡¯ve long died in Chong Xu Cabinet¡ªJiang Yucheng tightly clenched his hands in his sleeves! He didn¡¯t die! He actually didn¡¯t die! The point is that his murky eyes have already recovered their clarity! Other than looking a little weak, he is no different from an average person! Qi Dahe looked up at Jiang Yucheng, and he suddenly became agitated as anger and vengeance filled his eyes! His entire body shook, and he wanted to rush up and chop Jiang Yucheng into pieces! Even though his blood was boiling, he couldn¡¯t say a single word. He could only make bitter and incomprehensible cries from his throat. ¡°Someone used a pill on his throat, so he can¡¯t talk anymore.¡± Weichi Song looked at Jiang Yucheng lightly. ¡°I wonder what the culprit was worried that he would say.¡± When Yuwei Wei saw this scene, his gaze flickered as he asked, ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, this Qi Dahe is¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Then, Weichi Song simply explained the entire incident of him discovering the Messed Yuan Gravel and using this to find the murderer secretly. ¡°¡­Only Nan Jiang has Messed Yuan Gravel, and there aren¡¯t many people in the entire Tianling Dynasty who have been to Nan Jiang. Coincidentally, Eldest Young Master Jiang brought people there not long after the Princess died, so I asked him to help me investigate. After a long time, he brought Qi Dahe over and said that he did it. At that time, Qi Dahe had already been brutally punished and interrogated. His consciousness was unclear, and he couldn¡¯t even answer any questions. It was impossible for me to ask him anything.¡± Jiang Yucheng coldly said, ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, are you saying this because you suspect me? This Qi Dahe had signs of being backlashed by the Messed Yuan Gravel. You clearly saw it that day as well! Are you not planning to admit to it now?¡± However, Weichi Song laughed. ¡°Qi Dahe, raise your arm and show it to everyone.¡± Qi Dahe followed his instructions, folding his sleeves up and showing his arm. On the inside of his arm was a red line that spread upward from his palm. ¡°Is this¡­ the evidence of being backlashed by the Messed Yuan Gravel?¡± Jian Shuye immediately went in to take a closer look and was stunned after doing so. Only a handful of people could recognize this in the entire Tianling Dynasty. If not, Weichi Song and the rest wouldn¡¯t have taken so long to find out about this incident. ¡°That¡¯s right. He indeed has Messed Yuan Gravel in his body, and this is the evidence of him suffering from the backlash.¡± Jiang Yucheng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°Since you also said so, Cabinet Master Weichi, where is your suspicion coming from?¡± Weichi Song pointed at Qi Dahe. ¡°It¡¯s naturally because¡­ the timing of the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s backlash in Qi Dahe¡¯s body happened much later than when we found out about the gravel! Honestly speaking, we found out about this Messed Yuan Gravel on the day Liuyue and Wanzhou entered my Chong Xu Cabinet. Wanzhou has grown up in Nan Jiang since he was young, and he was the one who identified it.¡± ¡°In the following two days, we thought of a way to clear all the Messed Yuan Gravel in Qing Yuan Mountain. Logically speaking, the culprit would¡¯ve felt the backlash at that time, but all the injuries in Qi Dahe¡¯s body only came about within this month!¡± With every sentence Weichi Song said, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart sank by an inch! ¡°Other than myself, there are quite a few extraordinary heavenly doctors present. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can come up and check it personally. This injury of Qi Dahe¡¯s clearly only appeared after I asked Jiang Yucheng for help!¡± The moment Weichi Song said this, the crowd collectively fell silent as they looked at Jiang Yucheng with strange gazes. Since he has spoken to this extent, even a fool can hear what the problem is! If Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t do this out of guilt, then why did he do this? ¡°Qi Dahe, who injured you?¡± asked Weichi Song. Qi Dahe furiously pointed at Jiang Yucheng, and his throat let out a few hopeless and hoarse whimpers. ¡°During the interrogation, let¡¯s just take it as he did it. Then, who planted the Messed Yuan Gravel in your body?¡± Qi Dahe still pointed at Jiang Yucheng. Due to his anger and rage, his fingers trembled slightly. Jiang Yucheng stared at him closely. ¡°Qi Dahe, we¡¯re master and servant. I have never done anything wrong to you. Why do you want to smear me like this?¡± ¡°Everyone can see clearly if he is smearing or not. I heard that you once gathered all the subordinates who went to Nan Jiang together and interrogated them one by one. After that, most of them went back respectively, and only this Qi Dahe went missing since then. When he appeared again, you sent him to my Chong Xu Cabinet. During the period of time in between, isn¡¯t it simple for you to do something? Calculating the time, his injury from the Messed Yuan Gravel should be incurred around that period.¡± Weichi Song spoke slowly, but every single word was like a heavy rock that harshly slammed on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart! ¡°What do you have to say for all of this?¡± Everyone looked at Jiang Yucheng, awaiting his reply. In actuality, everyone already had their own guesses even if he didn¡¯t say anything. Weichi Song couldn¡¯t fabricate what he said, so they could basically confirm that it was true! Then¡ªJiang Yucheng was indeed problematic! Facing the crowd¡¯s burning gazes, Jiang Yucheng took a deep breath in and coldly said, ¡°Back then, Qi Dahe accompanied me through life and death. Why would I treat him like this? Cabinet Master Weichi, you were the one who took the initiative to ask for my help back then, so I did this. In the end, you said that I made everything up and lied to you? What¡¯s in it for me if I do this?¡± ¡°You naturally fabricated a lie to cover the real one.¡± Weichi Song pulled at his lips without much smiling intent as his gaze was sharp and cold like a sharp sword that was about to shred Jiang Yucheng¡¯s hypocritical mask! ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can you show everyone your arm? I have a problem that I have long wanted to ask you¡ªwhy did your arm get injured on the day we cleared the Messed Yuan Gravel and caused the culprit to suffer from the backlash? Jiang Yucheng, can you answer these questions one by one?¡± Chapter 884 - A Slam After Another! Weichi Song followed up closely, and his series of interrogative questions almost suffocated Jiang Yucheng! The latter originally thought that Qi Dahe would die not long after he arrived at Chong Xu Cabinet. Even if his subordinate didn¡¯t die, the people in Chong Xu Cabinet would also kill him due to their vengeance. Even if Weichi Song and the rest suspected anything, they couldn¡¯t cause any uproars, and the incident would just be concluded. However, he never expected that not only did Weichi Song and the rest not kill Qi Dahe, but they even tried their best to save him! After considering all of this, I actually left a huge problem for myself! Jiang Yucheng felt extremely regretful. If I knew this, I wouldn¡¯t make this extra move back then! Even if Weichi Song and the rest kept suspecting me, it would be a waste of their efforts if they couldn¡¯t find any evidence! If I had just thought about it a while longer back then, I wouldn¡¯t have landed myself in such a state! Now, the time misalignment of Qi Dahe being backlashed by the Messed Yuan Gravel has become their best evidence to go against me! Jiang Yucheng knew that if he couldn¡¯t give them a logical explanation, he would have to bear the responsibility for this crime! ¡°Cabinet Master Weichi, I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Qi Dahe used to be my subordinate, but I dismissed all of them after we came back from Nan Jiang. If not to help you this time, I wouldn¡¯t even look for them again. During this long period of time, nobody knew what they were doing and who they were with. Perhaps they have already changed their master and are specifically going against me!¡± Jiang Yucheng clenched his teeth and said that he had nothing to do with this matter. ¡°There¡¯s something perhaps some might still remember. I was once attacked in my residence and injured. As a result, I have been tracking that person¡¯s whereabouts during that period, and the person I wanted to find that time was coincidentally Qi Dahe¡¯s good friend!¡± ¡°To be honest, that person is called Xia Mu. He¡¯s good friends with Qi Dahe, and they have experienced life and death together. The two of them didn¡¯t have other relatives, so they became neighbors and took care of each other after I dismissed them. They are on very good terms. If Xia Mu could try to assassinate me, why won¡¯t Qi Dahe have the same thoughts?¡± Even though Jiang Yucheng¡¯s explanation was a little weak, it was not void of convincing power. After all, the news of him being attacked in the Jiang Residence had spread far and wide amongst the aristocratic families. If he was acting, this was too much¡­ ¡°During this period of time, Qi Dahe was locked up in my place. But at the start, I only detained him because I wanted to investigate Xia Mu. Who would¡¯ve thought that I later discovered that he actually suffered from the Messed Yuan Gravel¡¯s backlash? Hence, I thought that he was the person Cabinet Master Weichi wanted to find. After a series of interrogations, I sent him over. I really don¡¯t know about the rest.¡± Saying this, Jiang Yucheng cupped his fists toward Weichi Song. ¡°Speaking of this, I was negligent in this incident. Cabinet Master Weichi, I hope you won¡¯t blame me, but I really have nothing to do with this. Back then, Chong Xu Cabinet was extremely strong. How can I execute and kill more than half of the cultivators in Chong Xu Cabinet overnight? Cabinet Master Weichi, you¡¯re thinking too highly of me.¡± Hearing Jiang Yucheng say this, the crowd had various expressions. Quite a few people looked like they had faltered. Chu Liuyue listened at the side and couldn¡¯t help but laugh coldly. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mouth can really talk as usual. He can turn black to white and right the wrongs. The previous evidence Weichi Song showed had no chances of argument, yet he could use his glib and sharp tongue to fight for a loophole for himself! I really underestimated him. ¡°Eldest Young Master Jiang,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. ¡°According to what you say, the ¡®Jiang¡¯ on this phoenix-tailed zither and the Messed Yuan Gravel have nothing to do with you, right?¡± Jiang Yucheng looked nonchalant as if he was very sincere. ¡°Yes. I was about to get married to the Princess back then. Why must I do all of this and bitterly plan to harm her?¡± The crowd exchanged glances. Actually, this was the point they were most curious about. With Jiang Yucheng¡¯s status and position back then, he definitely wasn¡¯t worthy of the Princess. To him, this wedding would only be beneficial and not disadvantageous at all. Any normal person won¡¯t personally ruin their future and happiness, right? One had to know that many youngsters wanted this chance back then, but they all failed. This was because the Princess was already engaged. Due to this, Jiang Yucheng was the target of envy amongst the many aristocratic children in Xi Ling City for a very long period of time. At that time, he also seemed to be rather serious about the Princess, so there was no reason for him to do so. No matter what he wanted to do, wouldn¡¯t it be completed if he successfully married the Princess? Why would he spend so much effort to kill the Princess and remove all her roots? In the end, he just changed and married the Third Princess, Shangguan Wan. Compared to the Princess, the latter was still lacking in some areas. Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully as if she was convinced by him. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ I heard that the Princess was quite nice to you back then and that you won her liking with much difficulty. Everything was originally going smoothly, so you really had no reasons to betray her, right?¡± She spoke slowly as if she was narrating, but it was also with faint doubt. For some reason, Jiang Yucheng felt apprehensive and anxious when he saw such a Chu Liuyue. Her words seem to have another meaning¡­ Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed, and there was unconcealable curiosity and mockery on her pretty face. Jiang Yucheng was dazed for a moment when he saw her smile. Her clear and black gem-like eyes seemed to have secret light flashing across like sharp knives coming straight at him! ¡°Since you had such deep feelings for the Princess, then why did you join hands with Xiahou Rong, fabricate a document to deploy her troops outside, and lie to get the Thirteen Yue Guards out of Xi Ling?!¡± Chu Liuyue said this sentence very clearly and understandably! At that moment, almost everyone was stunned. Thirteen Yue Guards? Didn¡¯t they betray their master back then? As a result, Jiang Yucheng even ordered people to get the guards back dead or alive. This order hasn¡¯t even been retracted to this date. What does Chu Liuyue mean by ¡®fabricating documents¡¯ and ¡®deploying people away?¡¯ The crowd¡¯s gazes landed on Jiang Yucheng. Even Xiahou Rong¡ªwho was standing amidst the crowd¡ªsuddenly became under the spotlight. He never expected that Chu Liuyue would suddenly mention him and even directly expose the matters from back then, so his entire person was dazed as he looked pale. He almost instinctively hollered, ¡°Chu Liuyue, what nonsense are you saying!?¡± Chu Liuyue lightly laughed. ¡°I was just speaking the truth.¡± ¡°You¡ªhow dare you?! Don¡¯t think that you can be arrogant just because you have Chong Xu Cabinet backing you up. If you don¡¯t produce any evidence today, don¡¯t blame¡ª¡± Before he could even finish his sentence, Chu Liuyue raised her hand and shook it slightly. A secret letter appeared in front of the crowd. ¡°Inside is the imperial edict that Officer Xiahou personally fabricated back then. Why don¡¯t we get Officer Xiahou to identify it himself?¡± Chapter 885 - Important Witness! Xiahou Rong stopped talking as he stared at the secret letter in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands with his eyes wide open and mouth agape. His face was as white as a sheet, and he instinctively denied it. ¡°I-impossible¡­¡± I¡¯ve always kept that thing properly in my study. Even Xiahou Tingan doesn¡¯t know where it is. How can it be in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands?! ¡°Officer Xiahou, what exactly is going on?!¡± Jiang Yucheng demanded an answer with a low voice and a face as cold as ice. How could Xiahou Rong let Chu Liuyue get such an important thing?! Isn¡¯t he courting his own death?! Xiahou Rong glanced at him and felt very guilty. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡­! I¡¯m very loyal to His Majesty. How can I possibly do such a thing?!¡± ¡°We can just look at it to see if you¡¯re telling the truth,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she passed the letter to Yuwen Wei. ¡°Officer Yuwen, you¡¯re very familiar with His Majesty¡¯s handwriting. Why don¡¯t you personally take a look to see if this letter is problematic?¡± Yuwen Wei looked solemn and took it with both his hands. This secret letter had already been opened, but the remaining gold seal mark on it was obviously used only by the royal family. Even the format and paper used for the letter were also strictly done according to the standards. If one took a rough glance at it, it was really exactly the same as the real one. He opened the envelope and retrieved a letter. There were only a few lines of words on it. The general meaning was that there were troubles at the border, and it commanded the Thirteen Yue Guard to go and handle the situation. Logically speaking, the Thirteen Yue Guard was the Princess¡¯s personal guard and wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone else¡¯s commands. But as the Princess did indeed usually handle many matters related to the borders and this letter kept hinting that this incident might threaten the Princess, it managed to convince the Thirteen Yue Guard to set off together. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t convenient for the Princess to leave as her wedding was around the corner. Thus, the Thirteen Yue Guard left her in Xi Ling while they went to the border on their own. They planned to handle the situation before coming back. Later on, they realized that something was amiss and rushed back to Xi Ling, but they were still a step too late. These people had set up many traps to deploy away all the dependable forces around the Princess before dealing with her. Chu Liuyue had defended and guarded herself securely, but she had never expected that these two people would work together to kill her! How could she defend against them?! ¡°This letter, this paper, this ink, and this seal are all His Majesty¡¯s exclusive items, but the handwriting is not His Majesty¡¯s.¡± Yuwen Wei furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°And this letter does look like it was from two years ago.¡± The Yuwen family had always been loyal to the Tianling Dynasty. Since Yuwen Wei has already said so, it¡¯s an undeniable fact! In this way, everything makes sense! Back then, someone first fabricated such a letter to deploy the Thirteen Yue Guard out of Xi Ling. Then, they took advantage of the Princess not having anyone by her side and secretly killed her! In the end, they didn¡¯t even forget to remove and handle all the people who wanted to investigate the truth! This series of methods is almost flawless! If it weren¡¯t planned in advance, they would never be able to do it to such a stage! They clearly wanted to drive the Princess to her death! Yuwen Wei looked solemn and glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Chu, may I ask if you really found this letter in the Xiahou Residence?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Of course. I think there aren¡¯t many people close to His Majesty who can fabricate such a genuine letter, right?¡± Other than the handwriting, everything else was legitimate! One just had to think to know that it was done by His Majesty¡¯s confidants! After much thinking, as the Grand Preceptor of the three lords, Xiahou Rong usually accompanied His Majesty and interacted with him the most. Hence, it was the easiest and most convenient for him to do such a thing! This time, even the observing officials looked at Xiahou Rong with different expressions. It¡¯s a death penalty to fabricate the imperial edict! If things are serious, his family and relatives might even be implicated! Xiahou Rong must be crazy to do such a thing! ¡°Officer Xiahou, do you not plan to explain it?¡± The gentle smile on Yuwen Wei¡¯s face had already disappeared and was replaced by a cold and sharp gaze. The Yuwen family had never intervened in the power struggle in the imperial court. But if it concerned His Majesty, this incident was much more serious, and they had to get to the bottom of this! Xiahou Rong made up his mind and was determined to deny it no matter what. ¡°Chu Liuyue, you said that this was found in my Xiahou Residence, but do you have any evidence? Who knows if someone else did it, and you framed me for it? I, Xiahou Rong, am very loyal to His Majesty and have never done anything to betray him!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. ¡°Officer Xiahou, do you dare to swear on it since you¡¯re so insistent? If you really betrayed His Majesty, your entire Xiahou family will be completely eliminated!¡± Something was stuck in Xiahou Rong¡¯s throat for a moment, but he still braved himself and said, ¡°M-my conscience is clear. Why won¡¯t I dare to do it?! I-if I really have betrayed His Majesty, I¡¯ll die without a proper burial ground!¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and touched her chin. ¡°You haven¡¯t finished talking. Isn¡¯t there the part about your entire family?¡± Xiahou Rong¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. ¡°Chu Liuyue, don¡¯t go overboard!¡± ¡°Overboard? I¡¯m helping you clean your reputation!¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you yourself say that your loyalty toward His Majesty could be attested by the heavens? What, do you not dare to continue?¡± Xiahou Rong was stuck in a difficult position. If I don¡¯t say it, Chu Liuyue and the rest won¡¯t let this lie, and it would make me seem guilty. But if I say it¡­ ¡°The gods are three feet away from you when you raise your head! Officer Xiahou, if you¡¯re open and just, what¡¯s there you can¡¯t say?¡± Chu Liuyue said this clearly, but every single word was like an extremely sharp blade that pressed Xiahou Rong to the corner. The surrounding people didn¡¯t say a word, but every gaze landed on him substantially, forming an invisible suppression that suffocated him. Jiang Yucheng coldly said, ¡°Officer Xiahou, if your conscience is clear, why can¡¯t you swear on it?¡± If Xiahou Rong makes a mistake, the consequences will be unimaginable! Xiahou Rong clenched his teeth. ¡°I, Xiahou Rong, swear! If I really did something to betray His Majesty, everyone in my Xiahou Residence will not have a peaceful death!¡± Pak! Pak! Pak! Not far away, sudden applause came amidst the dead silence. One after another, the claps were rhythmic. At the same time, a middle-aged man¡¯s low voice sounded. ¡°Officer Xiahou, you have wise words!¡± When Xiahou Rong heard this voice, his expression changed drastically. Even Jiang Yucheng, Shangguan Wan, and the rest suddenly widened their eyes and turned around. They saw a person in Lang Kun Hall, decked in a yellow dragon robe, walking out slowly. Perhaps because he had stayed in bed for a long time, but he had become much thinner. However, his bone structure was burly and large, and his back was straight as he still exuded an imperious, elegant aura just by standing there! This was the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Emperor¡ªShangguan You! Chapter 886 - Don’t be Worried! A tone caused thousands of waves to ripple! If all the earlier quarrels had secretly caused waves in people¡¯s hearts, then Shangguan You¡¯s appearance had completely started a shocking wave in the crowd¡¯s heart. Who in the Tianling Dynasty didn¡¯t know that His Majesty was in a coma due to his severe illness and hadn¡¯t woken up in two years?! Many even guessed that he would never wake up, but they didn¡¯t expect that he did wake up and even appeared at this time. When Chu Liuyue heard this, her heart trembled as she instinctively looked up. Even though she had already guessed that her father would appear today, she still couldn¡¯t conceal her excitement and elation when she personally saw him standing there. Looking at the familiar and kind appearance, her mind was momentarily blank. Everything in the surroundings suddenly became blurred at that moment. Only that person occupied her entire vision and became increasingly clear. Chu Liuyue opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t say a word as her heart was overwhelmed with longing at this point. Finally¡­ I can finally see him again! Back then, I felt that I had no way out and knew that Father was also in their hands. Hence, I chose to set myself on fire and commit suicide in the end. But after I was reborn, I unknowingly discovered that Father was still alive but was unconscious the whole time. Although I don¡¯t know why Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t kill Father the whole time and even tried to wake him up later on, this is a happy thing for me. I have been waiting patiently for this, and this day finally came after countless days of torturous waiting. The scene seemed to become still. Even Weichi Song and the others didn¡¯t expect Shangguan You to suddenly appear as they stood rooted to the ground in shock. Xiahou Rong was the fastest one to react. Perhaps it was because he had made a vicious oath earlier or because he was pointed out, but he was the first to realize what was going on compared to the rest. He looked up at the man standing on the upper ground in a daze, and his lips trembled. ¡°H-His Majesty? You¡ªyou¡¯re awake?!¡± Once he said this, he finally shocked the others awake. Shangguan You looked up, glanced at the sky, half-squinted his eyes, and looked emotional. ¡°Yeah, I woke up! Why? Officer Xiahou, are you very disappointed?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Putong! Xiahou Rong immediately kneeled down. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t even have time to be happy that you¡¯re awake. Why would I be disappointed?!¡± Jiang Yucheng also tidied his expression and kneeled down. ¡°Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!¡± This move brought along the rest. Everyone in the square kneeled down in unison, and the shouts were deafening! ¡°Congratulations, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, may you live for a million years!¡± Shangguan You looked down, and his gaze turned hazy when he saw the crowd kneeling down. ¡°Everyone, at ease!¡± The crowd then stood up respectively, but with Shangguan You around, the atmosphere had greatly changed from before. Most people chose to remain hushed, afraid that they would say something wrong and cause trouble for themselves. Anyone that had a brain would¡¯ve reacted. How is this a wedding and an ascension ceremony? Someone clearly set up a trap, and they¡¯ve been waiting for a good show! It looked calm on the surface, but tensions were rising in secret! Jiang Yucheng glanced at Shangguan Wan and reminded her, ¡°Wan¡¯er, His Majesty is awake. Your efforts weren¡¯t wasted.¡± Shangguan Wan was dazed and rapidly realized something. Her expression then abruptly changed, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Father¡ª¡± She rapidly rushed forward as two rows of clear tears streamed down as if she was crying out of happiness. ¡°Greetings, Father! Father, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re awake!¡± As she spoke, she touched her face and took pity on herself. After that, she muttered, ¡°My injury is worth it¡­ to be able to see you safe, Father.¡± Shangguan You glanced at her quietly, but it didn¡¯t look like his heart ached. Instead, he looked rather nonchalant. Then, he lightly asked, ¡°Looking at this ceremony, it seems like you¡¯re planning to ascend the throne?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s cries instantly disappeared as if someone forcefully cut her off. Panic flashed across her face at that moment. Without even wiping her tears, she hurriedly said, ¡°N-no¡­ It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t wake up for a long time, s-so¡­¡± As an emperor, they would be most afraid of someone eyeing their position! Shangguan Wan had clearly touched a big taboo! Even though the Tianling Dynasty couldn¡¯t carry on without a leader and that it was right for her to ascend the throne, she couldn¡¯t say such words in front of Shangguan You. After all, he hadn¡¯t died yet! This was especially the case when he was still awake at this moment! ¡°W-when did you wake up? I actually didn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve really failed in my duties¡­¡± Shangguan Wan tried hard to save her face. However, this move clearly didn¡¯t have much use on Shangguan You. ¡°It was all because of Physician Zuo¡¯s meticulous care that I can wake up so smoothly.¡± Shangguan Wan was dazed. Physician Zuo? At this point, another person walked out from behind Shangguan You¡ªit was Zuo Mingxi! Everyone was dazed at that moment. There is also a Zuo Mingxi beside Shangguan Wan! Why are there two¡ª ¡°Wh-who are you?!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s expression changed suddenly, and she hollered! The ¡®Zuo Mingxi¡¯ standing in front suddenly laughed lightly. ¡°Why are you yelling? Do you not recognize me?¡± As he spoke, he removed his mask. A handsome appearance with eyes as clear and cold as ice appeared, and he smiled in a flirtatious manner. It was Jian Fengchi! Shangguan Wan seemed as though she was struck by lightning when she saw Jian Fengchi. Jiang Yucheng also suddenly realized something as shock flashed across his eyes. Could it be¡­ Shangguan You stood at the top of the nine flights of stairs as his gaze turned. He looked at Chu Liuyue and smiled slightly. ¡°Ms. Chu, right? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be your witness.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s nose turned sour, and tears suddenly welled up. Chapter 887 - They forced me! She looked down and tried to hide her emotions. When she looked up again, her eyes as clear as a black gem seemed to be washed in water. She bent her knees and bowed as her lips moved. ¡°Thank you¡­ Your Majesty!¡± Shangguan You¡¯s heart tingled as he stared at the woman below. Actually, he had once heard her voice when he was pretending to be unconscious. At that time, he felt that this girl was a smart, cunning, and decisive woman. Even though she didn¡¯t have a high status, she could still use all sorts of conditions to force Shangguan Wan in reverse and turn the situation to her advantage. Now that they met, he realized she looked so¡­ For some reason, he felt like he had seen her before. He quickly scanned through his memories, but after much thinking, he discovered that he really hadn¡¯t seen her before. In this close to two-year period, he was basically sick and stuck in bed at Qingfeng Palace day and night. He rarely even saw the other people in the palace, let alone someone like Chu Liuyue from outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. It¡¯s probably because her eyes look too similar to those of Yue¡¯er¡­ When Shangguan You thought of this, his heart ached as he looked at Chu Liuyue even more kindly. ¡°I should thank you for doing so much for Yue¡¯er. If you didn¡¯t take the initiative to reinvestigate what happened back then, I¡¯m afraid many people can still enjoy their lives for a while.¡± When he said the latter half of his sentence, Shangguan You¡¯s tone turned completely cold. Even though he didn¡¯t reprimand them in a harsh tone, the low and stern nature of his voice was filled with the suppression of a ruler as it suffocated the people. Everyone collectively fell silent in Lang Kun Hall, and they were as quiet as they could be. ¡°Yuwen, bring that letter to me.¡± Upon hearing this, Yuwen Wei immediately acknowledged the order as he respectfully presented the letter to his superior. Shangguan You opened it and examined it closely. Xiahou Rong stood with his hands down as cold sweat kept breaking out. His heart beat crazily, and all the blood in his body surged up as if it were about to break through his earlobes! Not long later, his entire back was already drenched! It had just been a short while, but he felt that a year had passed! It was very torturous! In this almost suffocating atmosphere, Shangguan You finally spoke. ¡°I have never written this letter before.¡± His light sentence was like thunder that struck the crowd¡¯s hearts. He never wrote it before! This means that someone fabricated this letter! Nobody answered, and the air seemed to freeze inch by inch. Shangguan You looked at Xiahou Rong. ¡°The letter is dated the third of July. That day, I was in the Imperial Study with Officer Xiahou discussing important matters. But for some reason, I felt very tired and asked Officer Xiahou to leave first while I went to the side room to rest. When I woke up again¡­ It was already today.¡± Gasps could be heard from the audience. Didn¡¯t they say that His Majesty was heartbroken over the Princess¡¯s death and received too much agitation in a short while, so he fell ill and couldn¡¯t get up? So what His Majesty means is that he was already unconscious since the third of July? One has to know that the Princess died on the tenth of July! At this point, everyone could tell what was wrong. Back then, someone clearly attacked His Majesty and caused him to fall unconscious and sleep without waking up. At the same time, the person fabricated this document and tricked the Thirteen Yue Guard to be deployed out of Xi Ling before taking the chance to harm the Princess! It was already understood without saying who did this. Other than Xiahou Rong¡ªwho was in the perfect position back then¡ªwho else could it be? ¡°Officer Xiahou, it seems like you didn¡¯t leave the Imperial Study that day and did a lot of tricks.¡± Shangguan You looked down at Xiahou Rong from above as he whipped his sleeves lightly and threw the letter to Xiahou Rong. ¡°Look at this! Did you write it?¡± Xiahou Rong finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Putong! He kneeled down! ¡°Your Majesty, please check again! I was framed! I really didn¡¯t do anything!¡± As he regretted it in his heart, Xiahou Rong kept saying that he was wronged. The reason he always kept the letter was to use it as evidence to control Jiang Yucheng. Even though they had done quite a few things together, they still didn¡¯t trust each other very much. Hence, he left this item just in case. However, he never expected Chu Liuyue to find this item and even get His Majesty to identify it personally! This time, I can never wash my reputation clean! If I had known about this earlier, I would¡¯ve directly destroyed the secret letter back then! In front of such concrete evidence, Xiahou Rong¡¯s cries of debate seemed weak and useless. ¡°I seem to have heard Officer Xiahou swear in the name of the entire Xiahou Residence just now. You seem to have said that if you really betrayed me, the entire Xiahou Residence will not have a peaceful death¡­¡± Xiahou Rong was suddenly stunned as intense uneasiness overwhelmed his heart! ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡ª¡± ¡°Officer Xiahou, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so heartless to your own family¡­¡± said Shangguan You lightly as he shook his head. ¡°I trusted the wrong person in the end.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I didn¡¯t! I really didn¡¯t do anything to betray you! It¡¯s a trap¡ªsomeone must¡¯ve framed me! Your Majesty, please check properly!¡± Xiahou Rong panicked as he anxiously went forward while kneeling. But before he could reach the nine flights of stairs, Shangguan You already spoke. ¡°Officer Xiahou Rong, your first crime is insubordination and attempting to assassinate me! Your second crime is the fabrication of a secret edict and lying to everyone! The punishments for the two crimes will be carried out together. Xiahou Rong will be stripped of his position as Grand Preceptor, and he will then become a slave. Tomorrow, he will be executed in front of the crowd at noon! Furthermore, everyone within three relations of the Xiahou family will also be sent to the borders to become slaves, regardless of their genders! They are never to return to Xi Ling in their lives!¡± Every single word and phrase reverberated very clearly throughout the hall! Xiahou Rong suddenly paused in his actions as he collapsed onto the floor in defeat. The last hint of blood on his face instantly disappeared! At that moment, it was as if all the energy in his body had been sucked away. Even breathing became difficult for him. Oh no¡­ Oh no! The moment this verdict came, the entire Xiahou family was exterminated! My wife, concubines, relatives, the old and the young¡­ Being sent to the borders and becoming slaves is even more terrifying than directly being executed! It¡¯s better to die than live! ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please show mercy! I¡¯m begging you¡ªplease take the Xiahou family being loyal for more than a hundred years into account and forgive my wife, children, and the old and young.¡± If the Xiahou family is ruined in my hands, I will become the sinner of the entire family! Shangguan You looked at him with a deep gaze. ¡°Xiahou Rong, you also know that the Xiahou family¡¯s hundreds-of-years-long loyalty was destroyed in your hands!¡± After so much talking, he deserved it! Xiahou Rong collapsed onto the floor, and his heart became entirely cold. ¡°Bring him away!¡± Shangguan You waved his hands. Just as the people beside were about to go forward, Xiahou Rong suddenly pointed at Jiang Yucheng harshly. He yelled with a contorted expression, ¡°It¡¯s him! He and the Third Princess were the ones who forced me to do this!¡± Chapter 888 - Let Me Say It If I¡¯m dying, we¡¯ll all die together! At this point, Xiahou Rong had completely lost it. With His Majesty¡¯s imperial edict, the Xiahou family can never make a comeback! Everyone in the family clan¡ªwhich amounts to thousands of people¡ªwill be implicated, and Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng are the ones who caused all of this! Since I can¡¯t live, then¡­ Nobody else will have a good life either! Jiang Yucheng narrowed his eyes at that, and he stared at Xiahou Rong sinisterly. ¡°Officer Xiahou, watch what you¡¯re saying! Don¡¯t drag innocent people down just because you made a mistake and implicated your entire family clan!¡± Shangguan Wan also panicked as she hurriedly retorted, ¡°That¡¯s right! I have nothing to do with this. Xiahou Rong, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Innocent people?! Nonsense?! Xiahou Rong laughed out loud in mockery. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, are you now saying that you¡¯re innocent? Back then, weren¡¯t you the one who gave me the drug to be used on His Majesty?! Now, you¡¯re jumping out and saying that you¡¯re innocent, pushing all the blame on me while escaping by yourself. Dream on!¡± Xiahou Rong decisively started a vicious cycle and directly exposed everything back then! The crowd was stunned! This sentence has too much information! Jiang Yucheng was the one who provided the drug that His Majesty was poisoned with? Then, doesn¡¯t it mean that Jiang Yucheng had a part to play in this matter? ¡°If you didn¡¯t promise to give me the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill after the deed was done, why would I agree to do such a thing?! Now that everything is exposed, don¡¯t even think of escaping!¡± Since I¡¯m bound to die, I will definitely drag a few others down with me! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s temple pounded rapidly, and he really wanted to go forward and stuff Xiahou Rong¡¯s mouth! His face turned green as he clenched his fists tightly and suddenly sneered. ¡°Officer Xiahou, didn¡¯t you say that I gave you the drug back then? Do you have any evidence? This is just a baseless accusation. If whatever you say is the truth, then everyone present will be at your disposal!¡± Xiahou Rong was stunned and immediately clenched his teeth. We committed those incidents very discreetly back then. Even the drug was given to me by Jiang Yucheng personally. Other than the two of them, nobody else can come out and testify! If Jiang Yucheng refuses to admit it, it¡¯ll be really hard to convict him of his crime. ¡°Besides, my Jiang family is an aristocratic family. I was also about to get married to the Princess. What reasons do I have to spend so much effort and first harm His Majesty before hurting the Princess?¡± Xiahou Rong was enraged. This Jiang Yucheng is so cunning! He didn¡¯t only do this one deed back then, yet he¡¯s completely denying everything! ¡°You gave the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill to me as a reward back then! Do you dare to deny it?! You need to know that after the Princess died, all of her belongings were handled by you and the Third Princess! Only the two of you can get your hands on the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill!¡± ¡°Oh? Since you said so, then¡­ Officer Xiahou, can you produce the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill and prove that you¡¯re not lying?¡± asked Jiang Yucheng in return. Xiahou Rong just lost the item a few days ago, and it¡¯s impossible for him to produce it now! As expected, Xiahou Rong was instantly stumped, and his face turned red when he heard this. ¡°You! You clearly know¡ª¡± ¡°It seems like you can¡¯t produce it, Officer Xiahou.¡± Jiang Yucheng interrupted him. ¡°Since this is so¡­ Officer Xiahou, don¡¯t let your mouth run¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Before he could finish, he heard a clear voice from the side. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He turned around and saw Chu Liuyue smiling while taking out a black wooden box. The moment Jiang Yucheng saw that box, his heart sank! Didn¡¯t someone steal it? Why is it with Chu Liuyue?! Thinking about how the letter was also stolen from the Xiahou Residence¡­ Could all of this have been done by Chu Liuyue alone?! But she was clearly at Dahuang Swamp previously. How can¡ª ¡°This should be the thing you are looking for, right?¡± Chu Liuyue waved the box in her hands and smiled with deep meaning. ¡°I can prove that this item was indeed taken from Officer Xiahou¡¯s study.¡± As she had already produced the letter earlier, the crowd was very convinced by her words. The Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was the only ninth-grade pill that Shangguan Jing had left behind, and it had always been carefully protected by the Tianling royal family. Previously, it was His Majesty who gifted it to the Princess and let her keep it. After the Princess died, all these items were handled by the Third Princess and Jiang Yucheng. If such a precious item like the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands, it clearly meant that someone had taken it away earlier. This coincidentally proved what Xiahou Rong said earlier¡ªJiang Yucheng used this Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill as a reward for helping him drug His Majesty and fabricating the document! Chu Liuyue presented the wooden box to Yuwen Wei. ¡°Your Majesty, please check it.¡± Yuwen Wei took the item and carefully opened the box. An intense herbal fragrance permeated throughout the area, and Shangguan You¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°This is indeed the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill!¡± He looked at Jiang Yucheng. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, what else do you have to say?¡± Jiang Yucheng clenched his teeth. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t manage to protect it well and let the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill be stolen. But whatever Officer Xiahou previously said were all lies! Your Majesty, please investigate properly!¡± He was bent on denying everything. Xiahou Rong felt extreme hatred and started searching through his mind, wanting to bring Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan down with him. But after thinking for a while, he then realized that he really couldn¡¯t produce any strong evidence! Jiang Yucheng had always been meticulous when doing things and wouldn¡¯t leave any traces behind. Every time they discussed, nobody else was around. Even if they had taken out the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill now, he still insisted that it was stolen because he failed in protecting it, not because he gave it out! Other than the words coming out of his mouth, Xiahou Rong really couldn¡¯t do anything to Jiang Yucheng! He was so angry that his entire body trembled as he pointed at the duo, ¡°Okay, okay, okay! You don¡¯t want to admit it, right? If you didn¡¯t do anything to His Majesty then, why did you guard Qingfeng Palace so strictly for the past two years and even sent three heavenly doctors to take care of him on a routine basis?! Isn¡¯t this being guilty of something?!¡± As he spoke, he suddenly looked at the crowd and sharply hollered, ¡°Xiong Yishui! Xia Lang! Do you dare to step forward and tell everyone what exactly is going on with His Majesty¡¯s body?! Right, Zuo Mingxi as well! The three of you were in charge of caring for His Majesty from the start. You can say a few words now, right?¡± Ever since Shangguan You came out, Xiong Yishui and the rest were stunned. The three of us did take care of His Majesty on a routine basis, but we never discovered any signs of His Majesty awakening! Thinking about it now, perhaps His Majesty was long awake! After suddenly being called out, the trio had ugly expressions as they stammered. Jian Fengchi laughed lightly and said, ¡°Since the three of you don¡¯t want to say anything, why don¡¯t I tell everyone about it?¡± Chapter 889 - Dogfight Jian Fengchi waved the mask in his hands and smiled playfully. ¡°Talking about it, I took care of His Majesty for quite some time. Even though I did it under Physician Zuo Mingxi¡¯s name¡­ this was also for His Majesty¡¯s good. I believe everyone present is loyal to His Majesty and won¡¯t mind it, right?¡± This crime was too serious, and nobody dared to deny it. Him standing next to His Majesty and coming out of Lang Kun Hall with the latter proved that His Majesty trusted him very much! How could the others say anything? ¡°Actually, this incident starts with the Third Princess,¡± said Jian Fengchi with a smile. ¡°I still remember that I coincidentally met the Third Princess when I entered the palace using Physician Zuo¡¯s identity for the first time. I wonder if you still remember what you said back then, Third Princess?¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s face turned scarily white. I didn¡¯t even know when Jian Fengchi pretended to be Zuo Mingxi. Why would I remember what I¡¯ve said? But¡­ I¡¯ve trusted Zuo Mingxi all along, and I didn¡¯t hide much about Father¡¯s condition from him¡­ ¡°Back then, the Third Princess was very worried about His Majesty not waking up, so she told ¡®me¡¯ to reduce the dosage and find ways to wake His Majesty up.¡± Jian Fengchi sincerely clapped. Pak! Pak! Pak! ¡°The heavens can be the judge to the Third Princess¡¯s filial piety! To awaken His Majesty, she couldn¡¯t even bear to use those drugs on him anymore. Just based on this point alone, I believe nobody present can compare to her, right? Hm?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s words were like a sharp knife that directly sliced through Shangguan Wan¡¯s hypocritical outer surface. Finally, the calm expression she forced herself to have cracked! ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡­¡± She instinctively retorted, but she looked anxious, and her feet were weak. She clearly was exposed! Shangguan Wan finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore as she said with much hatred toward Zuo Mingxi, ¡°Zuo Mingxi, to think I trusted you so much! How dare you betray me like this!?¡± If he didn¡¯t join hands with Jian Fengchi, why would this happen?¡± ¡°I, you¡­ I don¡¯t know anything!¡± Zuo Mingxi wanted to say something, but he felt guilty and didn¡¯t know what to say. He really didn¡¯t know that Jian Fengchi had always been secretly using his identity to enter the palace, but it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t noticed it. During this period, he would occasionally feel that he liked to sleep even more than before, and his head became even more muddled. This feeling would become even more intense when it was his time to do his duties. He vaguely felt that something was off, but he didn¡¯t dare to announce it. He was terrified that Shangguan Wan and the rest would directly kill him if they found out. However, he didn¡¯t expect that he still couldn¡¯t hide the issue! It even ended up in this state today! Shangguan Wan felt extreme hatred, but she knew that there was no use to say all of this now. The only way was to try her best to get herself out of the situation and prove her innocence! But how could it be that easy?! She thought of the many words she previously said in Qingfeng Palace, thinking that her father wasn¡¯t awake. If Father has heard all of that¡­ ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s Jiang Yucheng too.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s gaze turned, and his lips curled up in a sinister manner, his eyes filled with mockery. ¡°Later on, you also said something similar. I remember it very clearly.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression seemed to freeze for a moment as his eyes, lips, and nose became scarily stiff! Various scenes kept flashing through his mind! No wonder¡­ No wonder I felt that Zuo Mingxi was quite weird previously. So it was someone else instead! When he saw Jian Fengchi accompanying His Majesty out earlier, he felt very uneasy. It¡¯s indeed exposed now! No matter if Jian Fengchi is speaking the truth or not, Shangguan Wan and I have no way of denying it! Who told him to be standing beside His Majesty now!? Everything Jian Fengchi is saying now was clearly already approved by His Majesty, and¡­ It even represents His Majesty¡¯s stance! ¡°I didn¡¯t enter the palace many times, but every time I saw the two of you, you would talk about the usage of drugs back then. Wasn¡¯t Officer Xiahou talking about this just now? What, do you deny it?¡± With the evidence being flung at our faces, we would be very thick-skinned to deny everything! Dead silence. Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan fell silent. They couldn¡¯t wash off their suspicions just by denying it now. After all, there was a very high chance His Majesty knew about all these things! If he had woken up much earlier on, then¡­ Many things were already confirmed! But when the crowd thought that the truth was already out and that the duo was about to admit their crimes, Jiang Yucheng suddenly said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that His Majesty was poisoned back then. Wan¡¯er told me that she had used too many drugs back then to cultivate His Majesty¡¯s body, causing him to fall into a coma. As for using less medicine, we did discuss it for quite a long time, but I didn¡¯t know it was poison.¡± Hearing this, Shangguan Wan gradually widened her eyes in shock and looked at Jiang Yucheng in disbelief. ¡°W-what did you say?¡± Jiang Yucheng looked apologetic. ¡°Sorry, Wan¡¯er. I only helped you because you lied to me back then. But now that everything is clear¡­ I can¡¯t help you anymore. You should take responsibility for whatever you did.¡± Chu Liuyue found it amazing. If it weren¡¯t because the atmosphere isn¡¯t suitable, I would want to applaud Jiang Yucheng¡¯s ability to argue! I¡¯ve finally witnessed what it means by ¡®distorting the truth!¡¯ Seeing that everything is about to fail, he first sacrificed Shangguan Wan to protect himself! However, this harsh and cruel method is indeed his usual style. How could Shangguan Wan be his match? As expected, Shangguan Wan completely exploded after she heard this and fell into a temporary shock. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, what exactly are you saying?! Are you trying to push all the blame on me?! Okay! Since you¡¯re heartless, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Shangguan Wan stepped forward, went to the middle, and screamed, ¡°Whatever Xiahou Rong previously said was right! Everything was commanded by Jiang Yucheng! He was the one who attacked Father and deployed the Thirteen Yue Guards away! He was the one who secretly sent people to attack Chong Xu Cabinet! He was the mastermind behind everything!¡± The veins on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s forehead throbbed, and he coldly said, ¡°Wan¡¯er, you¡¯re muddle-headed!¡± Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t care about him. She was already humiliated today, and her emotions were originally not stable. With Jian Fengchi and the rest¡¯s additional blow, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Anyway, she already couldn¡¯t deny anything. It would be hard for her to make a comeback in the future. Not mentioning that she had no fate with the throne, but she might not even be able to keep her status as the Third Princess! After today, her life and death were still unknown! At this point, Jiang Yucheng actually took the initiative to betray me. Then, there is no reason for me to care about anything else! She glared straight at Jiang Yucheng with red eyes and laughed coldly. ¡°Hah! What, do you not want to admit it now? Don¡¯t forget that you were the one who poisoned Shangguan Yue with the Dispelling Yuan Powder for three years and eventually attacked her on the day before your wedding, trapping her in the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall!¡± Chapter 890 - I’m—Shangguan Yue! ¡°She¡¯s such a smart person. Unless it¡¯s someone extremely close to her, why would she fall for the trap and die in the end!?¡± Shangguan Wan laughed maniacally. Due to anger and vengeance, her five features distorted in a terrifying manner, and her eyes were so red and sharp that she looked like a vicious ghost. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you are also part of the reason why she suffered before she died!¡± Her sharp voice broke through the air, and it made everyone¡¯s heart turn cold. Once she said this, everyone present looked stunned. What¡­ did Shangguan Wan just say? She said Jiang Yucheng was the one who personally harmed the Princess back then and that he had even planned it for three years! Also, the Princess didn¡¯t die because of ¡®going crazy from cultivation,¡¯ but she was driven to her death and finally chose to commit suicide! These few short sentences revealed an alarming secret! Even if they had already guessed that Jiang Yucheng and the rest had harmed the Princess and the others, they were still shocked when they heard this. Shangguan You¡¯s heart suffered agina, and he staggered backward. Yuwen Wei and Jian Fengchi immediately went forward to help him up. ¡°Your Majesty, y-you must take care!¡± Yuwen Wei wanted to advise him even more, but he didn¡¯t know what else to say when the words reached his mouth. The Princess had always been the child His Majesty doted on the most. Ever since she was young, His Majesty had spent a lot of effort cultivating her. Usually, if the Princess suffered even a minor injury, his heart would already ache. No matter if it were her coming-of-age ceremony, the grand court meeting, or the later wedding¡­ His Majesty would always want to give the Princess the best of everything related to her. And the child that he doted on so dearly, terrified that she would get any form of grievance, actually died in such a despicable scheme! How could he tolerate it? Jian Fengchi looked on from the side, and his smile had already faded away. Even when His Majesty knew that Shangguan Wan and the others set himself up, he hadn¡¯t revealed such an expression. It¡¯s clear how much Shangguan Yue¡¯s death impacted him. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Shangguan You waved his hands and gradually got rid of the two people¡¯s help, but his entire person had aged at that moment as his face seemed to be covered by a layer of gray. He looked at Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng. Suppressing the immense sorrow and anger in his heart, he said carefully, ¡°I just want to ask¡­ Has Yue¡¯er ever done anything wrong to you? Why must you harm her in this way!?¡± Once he thought about how Yue¡¯er was harmed by someone in secret and later discovered that the culprits weren¡¯t anyone else but the two people she trusted the most¡­ His heart ached even more! When they talked about it now, it was just an incident that could be summarized in two sentences. However, it contained the immeasurable pain Yue¡¯er had suffered! It buried the torture she had to undergo! Even if these people die 10,000 times, they can¡¯t be relieved of their crimes! When Shangguan Wan heard this, her sensitive mind was stabbed again! Then, she shrieked. ¡°I knew it! I knew it! After so long, everyone will only say this! It¡¯s as if I did something so terribly wrong to her, but all that she¡¯s done was just her taking pity on me! Who cares for it?! Father, I¡¯m also your daughter, but have you ever properly looked at me since I was young?! When I don¡¯t have enough to eat or wear or when I¡¯m being bullied in the palace, have you ever thought of this daughter of yours?! In your eyes, there¡¯s only that Shangguan Yue!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s voice trembled as if she wanted to release all her accumulated grievances from all these years! ¡°She just needs to wave her hands, and she can have everything she wants easily¡ªa magnificent and spacious palace and an imperious status! She can even easily steal the man I¡¯ve liked for so many years! What do I have?! If I don¡¯t flatter her and depend on her, I won¡¯t have anything! I¡¯ll be nothing!¡± I am done with the despicable days of needing to live by her words! Hence, I want to snatch her Huayang Palace, her status, and even Jiang Yucheng! Shangguan You looked at the maniacal Shangguan Wan as his expression turned cold and solemn. His gaze was deep and painful. ¡°If I neglected you, you can come and find me! Why must you blame everything on Yue¡¯er?! You said that she took pity on you¡­ If you didn¡¯t want it, you could just say that! But while you enjoyed all the benefits she gave you, you were envious and jealous of her! What wrong did she do?!¡± At the end of the day, she just had too much hatred and jealousy toward Shangguan Yue. Due to this, she didn¡¯t want to see the latter have a good life and thought of all sorts of ways to harm her! After doing so many wrong things, she still eventually blamed everything on Shangguan Yue, who was betrayed and harmed. How ridiculous! Shangguan Wan was stumped and couldn¡¯t say a word. Her chest heaved up and down heavily; then, she suddenly laughed. ¡°See! Even at this point, you still miss her the most. It¡¯s a pity¡ªshe¡¯s already dead! Completely dead! Hah!¡± No matter how heartbroken these people are, Shangguan Yue will never come back alive! Even if everything has failed today, nothing we did before can be salvaged! She looked at Jiang Yucheng, a hint of craziness in her eyes. ¡°Yucheng, I¡¯ve already admitted it. You should too! Anyway, we did all of those things together, right? Look, so many people like her and protect her. Even though she has died for so long, there will still be people who will spend so much effort to get an answer for her. And I¡ªus¡ªwe don¡¯t have anything. Only I like you, you know? Only me!¡± As she spoke, she stretched out her hand and wanted to pull Jiang Yucheng. Jiang Yucheng silently moved a step back, avoided her hand, and expressionlessly said, ¡°Shangguan Wan, you¡¯re really crazy. A¡¯Yue treated you like her biological sister, yet you treated her like this! I trusted the wrong person!¡± Shangguan Wan was stunned and then realized that he still refused to admit it. After staring at him for quite a while, she laughed mockingly at herself. ¡°¡­I¡¯m really stupid¡­ I actually believed you¡­ You thought about her for ten years, but you still dealt with her without hesitation in the end. What am I?¡± Jiang Yucheng could even attack the woman he had liked for so many years, let alone the rest. I, Shangguan Wan, am just his chess piece! Thinking back on everything the past few years, it was all just a joke! Jiang Yucheng cupped his fists toward Shangguan You and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I know that my explanations are very weak, but I really don¡¯t know¡ª¡± ¡°Jiang Yucheng, are you still not going to admit it even at this stage?¡± asked Chu Liuyue suddenly. Jiang Yucheng paused for a moment and looked straight at her. ¡°If I didn¡¯t do it, why must I admit it? Shangguan Wan isn¡¯t sane now, and her words aren¡¯t trustable.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed. ¡°If her words aren¡¯t trustable, then¡­ What about mine?¡± Jiang Yucheng was dazed. Following this, he saw Chu Liuyue take a step forward suddenly, and there seemed to be a strong fire burning in her eyes. Shua! The Tianling Power Staff was lifted up high, and the dragon eyes glowed straight to the front when it landed. It was very majestic! ¡°I forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m¡ªShangguan Yue!¡± Chapter 891 - Proving Her Identity! I¡¯m¡ªShangguan Yue! This sentence was clear and forceful. The few words were like thunder that suddenly exploded! Too many things had happened today, and pieces of explosive news came one after another. Just as the crowd thought that they had become numb from all sorts of secret information being exposed, Chu Liuyue¡¯s sentence caused ripples in their hearts again! The words were like a hit to their heads, causing all of them to be stunned again! It was even stronger than the impact the others had caused earlier! It wasn¡¯t only Jiang Yucheng and the rest. Shangguan You, Jian Fengchi, Weichi Song¡­ Everyone who had agreed to collaborate and go against Jiang Yucheng, Shangguan Wan, and the others today were collectively shocked. Nobody expected that Chu Liuyue would suddenly pop up with this statement when things were coming to a stalemate! The venue was terrifyingly silent. At this point, even breathing became unnecessary! Everyone looked at Chu Liuyue with eyes widened and mouths agape as they had a hard time digesting her previous sentence. The mask on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face finally cracked at this moment! He stared at Chu Liuyue in shock and fright as he stammered for once. ¡°W-what did you say?! Who exactly are you?!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up into a smile¡ªthis smile was beautiful and elegant! She was like the sun in the clouds that one could never reach, and she dazzled more than ever like a bright gem. She was decked in elegance, and it made people respect her unwittingly! Everyone was unknowingly attracted to this woman. She was slim and tall. Wearing a red dress, she looked simple and clean with her hair simply tied up! She clearly didn¡¯t do anything, but her bodily aura changed drastically at that moment! At this moment, she was like a pearl covered in dust that had finally wiped away its last layer of dust to reveal the glory that originally belonged to her. The same thought almost flashed across everyone¡¯s minds at the same time. This is her. This is Chu Liuyue¡ªno, or should we say¡­ Shangguan Yue!? Her back was straight, and she held the Tianling Power Staff tightly as she pointed at Jiang Yucheng. Every single sentence was like a holy voice making a judgment. ¡°Jiang Yucheng, are you very disappointed that I didn¡¯t die? If you still refuse to admit whatever you did before, I¡¯ll be the last witness today!¡± ¡­ Who would¡¯ve thought things would end up like this? The Princess didn¡¯t die¡­ She actually didn¡¯t die! That woman who had already been declared dead two years ago actually came back today? At that moment, countless thoughts popped up in Jiang Yucheng¡¯s head! I-impossible! I specifically sent people to investigate Chu Liuyue¡¯s background back then, and everything was shown to have no problems. Why would she suddenly become Shangguan Yue out of nowhere?! ¡°You¡¯re not her!¡± Jiang Yucheng almost immediately denied it. ¡°She already died two years ago! There are no other possibilities! Chu Liuyue, don¡¯t pretend! Do you know how big of a crime it is to impersonate the Princess?!¡± Even though he retorted in this manner on the surface, Jiang Yucheng had lost all confidence in his heart. If Chu Liuyue really is Shangguan Yue, then many things can be explained! That similar-looking gaze¡­ That stunning talent and ability¡­ And¡­ the Tianling Power Staff! I was wondering why the Tianling Power Staff was so close to Chu Liuyue. If she is Shangguan Yue, there is nothing to doubt! Chu Liuyue raised her chin slightly, her gaze nonchalant. It was as though she was looking down on an ant. ¡°Are you questioning my identity?¡± ¡°You¡¯re clearly just an abandoned girl from a family in a small country outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy!¡± Jiang Yucheng immediately argued as he stared at Chu Liuyue closely. ¡°Your face, figure, age¡­ Everything is right here! There¡¯s no room for mistakes! You¡¯re definitely not Shangguan Yue!¡± At the side, Shangguan Wan could not help but yell, ¡°That¡¯s right! That b*tch can¡¯t be more dead than she already is! How can she be alive?!¡± She pointed at Chu Liuyue, and her gaze was filled with vengeance. ¡°You¡¯re just lying!¡± Originally, I already thought that it was very humiliating for me to end up in this state on my wedding day. But who would¡¯ve expected Chu Liuyue to arrogantly claim that she¡¯s Shangguan Yue? Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t afraid that everything she did would be exposed in front of the crowd, and she ignored all these people¡¯s gazes of contempt and disdain! However, I definitely can¡¯t allow Shangguan Yue to be alive! Definitely not! At this very moment, everyone looked at Chu Liuyue with various gazes¡ªshock, doubt, surprise, apprehension¡­ ¡°Yue¡¯er¡­ You¡¯re really Yue¡¯er?¡± Shangguan You looked at Chu Liuyue without blinking and couldn¡¯t help but ask. Actually, the moment she spoke, he had already confirmed that this was his Yue¡¯er! In the entire world, only Yue¡¯er would have such demeanor! It¡¯s no wonder I felt very close to her when I first saw her from afar! It turned out¡ª But the more he thought of this, the more he desired, and the more terrified he was that all of this was just a dream. Shangguan You spoke carefully as if he was terrified that he would disturb something and break the dream-like scene in front of him. There seemed to be something tingling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. Her throat went dry, but her lips curled up into a very bright smile. ¡°Father, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡­ This sentence was enough! Shangguan You¡¯s nose turned sour, and his eyes immediately glowed brightly! ¡°I-it¡¯s Yue¡¯er¡­ It¡¯s my Yue¡¯er!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Shangguan Wan felt extreme hatred. ¡°Shangguan Yue had a Tianjing Yuan meridian, but yours is just a Dijing Yuan meridian. How can you possibly be her?!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned, and she looked at Shangguan Wan¡ªwho was on the verge of losing her sanity¡ªand Jiang Yucheng. She knew very clearly that these two weren¡¯t the only people who doubted her. ¡°You want me to prove my identity? Then, I¡¯ll satisfy you!¡± She yelled loudly, ¡°Long Yuan Sword!¡± Whir! Once she yelled this, heaven and earth shook! Chapter 892 - : Do You Admit It! The dark clouds quickly gathered in the bright sky and formed a gigantic black spiral above the crowd¡¯s heads! The winds howled, and the clouds covered the sky! At that moment, the world was completely dark! Then, a ferocious and tremendous aura suddenly landed! The Tianling Power Staff in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands seemed to feel something as it suddenly moved. Chu Liuyue raised her wrist, and the Tianling Power Staff quickly flew forward, landing on the black Xuan stone once again! The golden light shining out from the dragon¡¯s eyes poured everywhere¡ªit was brilliant! Hong long long¡ª Accompanied by this low, powerful, and shocking sound, everyone¡¯s heart shook, and they looked up in unison. A gigantic black figure broke through the clouds that were crazily tumbling around and gradually landed! It was a sword! It was entirely dark and black, looking very ancient. There was only a tiny silver dent in the center, and one could vaguely see the ice-blue lightning swimming across it! The thunder suppression was formidable! The hilt was also black with a dragon carving on it; it could be clearly seen and was very lively! As it gradually landed, an opening was immediately ripped apart in the empty space! From top to bottom, it was completely straight! The sharp and terrifying sword aura¡ªcoupled with the immense suppression¡ªshocked the world! ¡°T-that¡¯s the Long Yuan Sword!¡± Elder Chen Ke was the first to react as he widened his eyes, his old appearance filled with shock and disbelief. Once he said this, the crowd was stunned. Long Yuan Sword?! It¡¯s really the Long Yuan Sword?! Is this the rumored sword that Shangguan Jing personally made and even used to break open the lands, creating the current Tianling Dynasty?! Shangguan You stared at the sword in midair tightly and lowly said, ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s indeed the Long Yuan Sword! I can¡¯t believe that¡­ I can see the Long Yuan Sword being invited out of the Tianling God Realm while I¡¯m still alive!¡± Even Shangguan You¡ªwho had seen countless storms¡ªcouldn¡¯t conceal his excitement and agitation when he saw this scene! Over the past thousands of years, people in the Tianling Dynasty had always wanted to make the Long Yuan Sword reappear but failed countless times. No matter who it was and what methods they used, they could never do it. Gradually, it became a persistent thought in everyone¡¯s hearts. After all, it was a precious item that Shangguan Jing had left behind, and it was the Yuan instrument he had thought the most highly of. Hence, it had extraordinary meaning. Even if they failed every single time, the people in the Tianling royal family had never given up and kept trying. In the past few years, many people were once hurt by this and even directly lost their lives. Even Shangguan You had tried once when he entered the Tianling God Realm, but he returned with injuries in the end. Nobody expected that the holy object that only existed in rumors would appear in front of the crowd now! Then, under countless pairs of eyes, that Long Yuan Sword landed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! She held the hilt and injected a wave of force! Whir! The sword whirred, like the howl of a dragon! At the same time, she raised her arm and raised the sword high! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started crazily gathering in the Long Yuan Sword! The thunder sounds kept coming, and it caused one to almost turn deaf! ¡°Long Yuan Sword¡ªland!¡± Chu Liuyue yelled loudly. The black sword in her hands immediately slashed down! At that moment, it was like an invisible hand tore the space apart! When the tumbling clouds were suddenly ripped apart in the middle, they quickly rushed to the two sides. The thunderstorm stopped and later formed into two violent wind waves that kept spiraling downwards like a swimming dragon! The winds howled, and the sky above Lang Kun Hall started crumbling silently! Every inch of darkness started swallowing the empty space at an observable speed. The suppression of the Long Yuan Sword was clear! Buzz¡­ Buzz! The Tianling Power Staff immediately glowed brightly! Then, a faint golden light formed a barrier and enveloped Lang Kun Hall! That black space collapsed, and this collapse finally stopped when it reached the edge of the barrier. However, the crowd could still feel the tremendous suppression unavoidably! The crowd was stunned, and their hearts were shocked! So¡­ this is the true suppression of the Long Yuan Sword! It¡¯s no wonder the Tianling royal family kept trying to invite it out in the past thousands of years! Once such a legendary weapon is invited out, what else will people be afraid of?! At that moment, a black sword aura flew out of the Long Yuan Sword and went straight to Jiang Yucheng! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart harshly sank. Danger! The moment this thought flashed across his mind, he immediately jumped into the air and rapidly moved backward! If this attack landed on him, the consequences would be unthinkable. As a stage-seven warrior, his combat power wasn¡¯t considered low. Jiang Yucheng was still a strong warrior compared to the majority of the crowd, but when he faced the rapid and tremendous sword aura at this moment, deep fear and anxiety crept into his heart! Hence, he directly used all his force from the start and retreated at the fastest speed possible, showing zero reservations! In the blink of an eye, he had already moved back by more than ten feet! Though Jiang Yucheng was fast, the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword aura was faster! The crowd saw a black sword aura piercing through the air! The next moment, it arrived in front of Jiang Yucheng! At this point, the harsh winds blew Jiang Yucheng¡¯s clothes, and his hair danced crazily with the wind. He could almost feel the pain of the sharp sword aura cutting through his brows! He set up a barrier in front of himself without hesitation! Bang! The moment the black sword aura touched his barrier, a crisp sound was heard! His barrier was broken instantly and cracked! Jiang Yucheng was even more stunned. The Long Yuan Sword is bent on going after me, and it¡¯s very formidable! Given my current abilities, it¡¯s impossible for me to stop it, let alone others! Jiang Yucheng was alarmed in his heart as he kept moving backward! However, how could he be the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s opponent at this point? In the blink of an eye, the distance between the two kept shortening! The strong aura almost oppressed Jiang Yucheng from all directions! Jiang Yucheng felt that the surrounding aura gradually seemed to become stickier as his every move used up much more force than before! He closely stared at the black sword aura coming after him, and his heart stopped beating! Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his brows. Then, sticky blood gradually flowed down. Jiang Yucheng clenched his teeth, and an extremely sinister aura flashed across his eyes. Just as he was about to take action, the sword aura stopped. After that, it moved and directly slashed Jiang Yucheng¡¯s left arm! Shoo! Hearing the very heart-wrenching sound of bones breaking and muscles being shredded, the crowd saw something dropping from the sky and landing on the floor! When they focussed on it, they realized it was none other than half of Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arm! His arm was directly sliced by Chu Liuyue! Bang! Jiang Yucheng suffered from an immense shock as he collapsed onto the floor! He was dragged along the marble floor for meters, and a long bloodstain was produced! Chu Liuyue waved her sword, and her lips curled up into a cold smile. ¡°I can cut your arm once, and I can do it again! Now, do you admit¡­ or not?!¡± Chapter 893 - Kneel! The surroundings were silent. At that moment, it seemed like everything between heaven and earth had stopped. All the light reflected on the woman in red as her clothes flew up, and her black hair flowed with the wind! She held the Long Yuan Sword, and it shocked the world once it landed! Her pair of black, gem-like eyes were burning with intense fighting desire as if she wanted to burn all of the vengeance from before! She had already waited for this day for too long! That shout was like thunder exploding, clearly traveling to everyone¡¯s ears and stunning them! The terrifying suppression she exuded made her seem like she was the god of war that killed her way back from hell! Excruciating pain traveled all over his body, and blood kept flowing down his half-cut arm. Not long later, the ground below Jiang Yucheng was covered in bright red blood, looking horrifying. Chu Liuyue just sent out one sword attack, and it made Jiang Yucheng unable to retaliate and become covered in injuries. When the crowd saw this scene, they were shocked and couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Jiang Yucheng and Chu Liuyue were quite a few cultivation levels apart, but the latter could easily suppress the former with the Long Yuan Sword! The suppression of the Long Yuan Sword is actually so frightening! At this point, nobody dared to suspect the authenticity of that sword! Other than the true Long Yuan Sword, what other item in the world can have such a godly suppression?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword attack cut off half of Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arm, as well as everyone¡¯s doubts! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mind turned blank as the terrifying pain spread throughout his body, almost drowning him! He forced himself up and looked up at the woman opposite him. She was thin, and her back was straight as she held the Long Yuan Sword tightly. All the colors in the world seemed to be gathered in her eyes alone! How familiar was this scene! He had a moment of dazedness. Two years ago, it was also such a scene¡ªshe finally decided to light a fire to commit suicide, ruining Shangguan Wan¡¯s Yuan meridian and his arm! After that, he spent a lot of effort thinking of ways to recover. But not long later, the same thing happened again! It¡¯s her¡­ It really is her! At this moment, Jiang Yucheng knew more clearly than anyone else that the woman in front was Shangguan Yue! She didn¡¯t die but came back with a heartbreaking vengeance, returning all the betrayals and pain she once suffered! No wonder¡­ No wonder I felt that she was so familiar the first time I saw her. No wonder I could always feel somewhat distant when I interacted with her¡­ No wonder I wrongly recognized her when she only revealed her side-profile as she brightly stood there on the day the streets were lit up with lanterns¡­ I even thought that I had fallen for her, so I told her to go to the lake beside the zither room, wanting to confess to her before my wedding. It turns out¡­ She is her! The truth was out at this point! His feelings overwhelmed him! Jiang Yucheng had never felt as laughable as this before! When I couldn¡¯t sleep because of her; when I fell for her; when I told her, ¡®I want to marry you¡¯¡­ What was she thinking? When he thought of everything that happened before, everything was now very ridiculous. It was like a resounding slap that kept hitting Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face! ¡°No wonder¡­ No wonder!¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s chest shook, and he vomited blood as his face immediately turned pale. However, his eyes were still glued to Chu Liuyue. This face is so similar to that of the past Shangguan Yue, but her gaze is completely different! Back then, she was elegant, gentle, smart, and generous as if she had never-ending patience for everyone, and her eyes were always bright and brilliant. She shone brightly like the sun, and one could only look up to her. And now, she has experienced all sorts of pain and suffering, becoming stubborn and resilient. Her every move is swift and decisive. Even though she smiles, her face always seems to have cold intentions that can¡¯t melt away. It¡¯s as if she had built up a thick wall to prevent anyone from entering. Jiang Yucheng suddenly laughed to himself in a mocking manner. ¡°¡­It really is you!¡± I had planned for so long back then and used a good three years to finally attack her, just to ensure that everything would go smoothly. However, I never expected that she could still escape in the end and would come back with a different appearance! I thought that I did it flawlessly and perfectly, but it was a failure from the start. ¡°H-how can this be!¡± When Shangguan Wan saw the Long Yuan Sword land and heard that Jiang Yucheng finally admitted it, her heart oozed with endless hatred. She looked at Chu Liuyue in disbelief, not able to accept everything. The scenes that happened in the past few months kept playing in her mind. At that time, she only felt that Chu Liuyue and Shangguan Yue looked very similar, so she instinctively disliked the former. Later on, she discovered that Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent and capabilities far exceeded hers, causing her to be upset. After the trip to Dahuang Swamp, she even thought of Chu Liuyue as a thorn in her side, and she wanted the other girl to die outside forever! Shangguan Wan originally thought that everything was going smoothly and that she could finally get her peace, but she didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to come back in one piece. The latter even made an agreement with a legendary fiend, plucked the Dancing Lotus, and had her abilities elevated! At this point, she even directly exposed that she was Shangguan Yue! Shangguan Wan suddenly rushed forward crazily, and her expression was contorted. ¡°I want to kill you! You should die! You ruined my wedding and stole my throne! You b*tch, you should¡¯ve gone to hell a long time ago!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned, and she suddenly laughed. ¡°Shangguan Wan, I should be the one telling you that, right?¡± Back then, these two people collaborated and destroyed my everything! They stole everything I had and gave me endless pain! Now, I¡¯ve only returned to take back everything that once belonged to me! What right does Shangguan Wan have to say this? Shangguan Wan disregarded her half-sister as she maniacally started moving her surrounding force! Her expression filled with jealousy and vengeance made her scar-filled face even more contorted and terrifying. At first glance, she looked like a harsh ghost. But the moment the Third Princess took two steps out, Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist turned as she pointed toward the Long Yuan Sword in her palm! Shoo! It drew a crack in the black sky! Whir! Following this, a whir was heard! An invisible suppression suddenly rushed out of the Long Yuan Sword! When the space felt this suppression, it started crumbling inch by inch as this collapse went toward Shangguan Wan! Shangguan Wan knew that something was amiss, and anxiety and fear flashed across her eyes. She immediately wanted to shun to the side! But at this moment, she shockingly discovered that she couldn¡¯t move¡ªher surrounding space had long been enveloped by the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s tremendous suppression! Plop! The Third Princess¡¯s shoulders seemed to be pressed down by heavy mountains, causing her to directly kneel down and her kneecaps to crack! Chapter 894 - Who Says She Isn’t Worthy?! The dull colliding sound of bones and flesh hitting the ground, along with the crisp bone-cracking sound, made people grow numb. Shangguan Wan¡¯s face¡ªwhich was flushed with anger¡ªinstantly grew pale as every bit of color drained from her face due to her inability to withstand the terrifying force. As she fell to her knees, her body lurched forward, and she coughed up blood several times. Because she was already in an injured state, this blow worsened her condition. She collapsed on the ground, her hands scraped, bloody, and stinging with pain. The clean, white marble ground became stained with patches of blood, which she knew belonged to her. Shangguan Wan tried to get back on her feet, but she found this supposedly simple action immensely hard to do. It felt like something was weighing on every inch of her flesh, making it hard for her to even breathe. In the silence, the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. Shangguan Wan instinctively looked over and saw a pair of black boots and a red hem. ¡°If you can¡¯t get up, then just remain on your knees.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice rang from overhead. In Shangguan Wan¡¯s ears, Chu Liuyue¡¯s light and breezy tone was filled with mockery and contempt. Anger surged within her as she gnashed her teeth. ¡°Dream o¡ª¡± While attempting to get up again, Shangguan Wan suddenly felt a chill on her neck, making her collapse once more. It turned out that Chu Liuyue was holding the Long Yuan Sword to her neck. The blade¡¯s bone-chilling coldness spread throughout her body, while its sharp edge exuded a thick murderous intent. It was like it would immediately take her life if she dared to even make the slightest movement. Chu Liuyue tilted her head and bent down to take a closer look at Shangguan Wan. Her lips arched into a sincere smile as she said, ¡°Speaking of which, there¡¯s something I have to thank you for. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve gotten married to Jiang Yucheng. That would be disastrous.¡± ¡°You!¡± Shangguan Wan screeched, momentarily feeling at a loss on what to say. On the other hand, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression dimmed when he heard what Chu Liuyue said. His pale lips trembled slightly, but he didn¡¯t say a single word. However, his heart hurt as if it had been stabbed with a knife as he looked at the woman standing a short distance away. From the smile and relaxed expression on her face, it was clear that she meant those words. She truly felt that it was fortunate that she didn¡¯t end up with him. Gone was the gentleness she used to have in her eyes. He had thought that they would be filled with hatred instead, but there was none. The way she looked at him now was as if he were a stranger. Other than the anger and resentment from being betrayed, she had no lingering attachment and yearning for him. Jiang Yucheng lowered his eyelids as he let out a self-mocking laugh. Well, it¡¯s only to be expected. She has never liked me to begin with. It¡¯s nothing but my wishful thinking. ¡­ It suddenly came to Shangguan Wan¡¯s mind that Yang Qin¡¯er had previously told her that Chu Liuyue had taken the Long Yuan Sword out of the Tianling God Realm. However, she didn¡¯t believe it at the time because Elder Duanmu¡ªwho had gone to the Tianling God Realm at her request to check the sword¡ªhad told her that it was still in there. Although she couldn¡¯t figure out how Chu Liuyue managed to draw the sword out and cover this matter up, she no longer had the time and opportunity to wonder about these questions. The cold and sharp blade against her neck made her scream in fear. ¡°Chu Liuyue! I¡¯m the Third Princess of the Tianling Dynasty, and I carry the blood of the Shangguan family within me! I dare you to kill me!¡± Chu Liuyue condescendingly looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. ¡°This sword is stained with the blood of countless Tianling royalty members anyway. One more won¡¯t make any difference. Do you really think you¡¯re that important?¡± The Long Yuan Sword killed members of the royal family before? How is that possible? This sword is left behind by our ancestor! Shangguan Wan was shocked to hear that. She had never stepped into the Tianling God Realm before, so she naturally didn¡¯t know what it was like in there. ¡°Nonsense!¡± She even wanted to curse at Chu Liuyue loudly, but she dared not act arrogantly with the Long Yuan Sword dangling above her neck. Thus, her voice came out a lot weaker. That said, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel indignant. She looked up at Chu Liuyue with glowing scarlet eyes that were filled with jealousy and hatred. ¡°So what if you¡¯re Shangguan Yue? Your original body has been destroyed, and your current body¡­ doesn¡¯t belong to you. Even if your soul remains, you¡¯re in a completely different body now! The blood flowing in you belongs to a down-and-out family of a small empire that¡¯s outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy! It¡¯s not related to the Shangguan family!¡± At the thought of something, she burst out cackling. ¡°The Shangguan Yue back then had a Tianjing Yuan meridian and was an advanced stage-eight warrior! But other than your consciousness, nothing about you is deserving of the ¡®Crown Princess¡¯ title! Even if you want to take back everything that originally belonged to you, shouldn¡¯t you take a good look at yourself and see if you have the right to do so?¡± Shangguan Wan then turned to look at Shangguan You, who was standing atop the nine flights of stairs. ¡°Father, even if I did wrong, I¡¯m still a descendant of the Shangguan family! This woman here, on the other hand, has nothing to do with the Tianling royalty! Father, aren¡¯t you afraid that her current bloodline will dirty our legacy?!¡± She was practically in hysterics, and she no longer cared about the sword on her neck. Since things have come to this stage, there¡¯s no way they will spare my life. In that case, I have nothing to worry about anymore! I¡¯m willing to pay any price to take Chu Liuyue down with me! Her hysterical scream was heard throughout the square, and everyone had different reactions to it since what she said wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. The person standing there was Shangguan Yue, but she was also Chu Liuyue. While they didn¡¯t really have any issue with her, the problem about her bloodline was indeed tricky. Many people quietly snuck glances at Shangguan You, wanting to know what his reaction and opinion on this matter were. Shangguan You¡ªwho had calmed down a lot by now¡ªfrowned slightly, and his eyes dimmed when he heard what Shangguan Wan said. ¡°There¡¯s only one Yue¡¯er in the world.¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart sank as her smug and maniacal expression stiffened. She couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°Father, you¡¯ll be showing great disrespect to our ancestors if you insist on acknowledging her! Even if you¡¯re willing to acknowledge her, our ancestors might not be willing to do so! The current her isn¡¯t worthy of being a member of the Shangguan family!¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, a low and mellow voice that seemed to have traveled through time and space boomed across the square. ¡°Who says she isn¡¯t worthy?!¡± Chapter 895 - Who Dares to Say No?! The majestic voice covered the entire land and reached everyone¡¯s ears clearly. Everyone looked up in shock to see ripples in the dark sky and a tall figure slowly appearing. The person seemed to be an apparition, but he exuded so much authority that one couldn¡¯t help but submit to him. In fact, the people standing close to him almost fell to their knees due to their legs growing weak from the immense pressure. Countless eyes remained fixed on him as various emotions¡ªshock, surprise, unease, excitement, respect, and admiration¡ªplayed out on their faces. The apparition was a tall and handsome man¡ªwho was wearing a long, dark olive robe and looked like he was in his late thirties. He was translucent like a soul, and there weren¡¯t any force fluctuations around him. Still, he carried an air of nobility even if he just stood there in the air doing nothing. Just as many people were guessing this man¡¯s identity, Shangguan You¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, ¡°Ancestor?!¡± Ancestor¡­ Ancestor?! Everyone was rendered shocked as the only person who could make Shangguan You call out this title was none other than Shangguan Jing, the founder of the Tianling Dynasty. W-wasn¡¯t it said that he passed away in the Tianling God Realm a long time ago? How come he¡¯s here now?! ¡°Are you Shangguan You?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression became gentler. From what I saw just now, he treats Yue¡¯er pretty well. He was actually slightly upset with Shangguan You at first because he felt that the latter had a large responsibility for the way things turned out to the current state, but his dissatisfaction considerably diminished upon seeing how the latter seemed to truly love and care for Shangguan Yue. Thus, his attitude toward Shangguan You became a lot better as well. The natural ties between people with the same bloodline instantly made Shangguan You convinced that the person in front of him was Shangguan Jing. He couldn¡¯t hide his excitement and thrill as he immediately kneeled down on the ground to pay his respect to the latter. ¡°I, Shangguan You, pay my respects to the Ancestor!¡± As the current Emperor had gone down on his knees, the rest of the people naturally had to follow suit. Everyone in front of Lang Kun Hall hastily dropped to their knees in unison and greeted in what seemed to be an ear-splitting shout. ¡°Greetings to the Great Ancestor!¡± ¡°You may rise.¡± As Shangguan Jing said this in his mellow voice, everyone felt a gentle force lifting them up. T-this is the Ancestor¡¯s force! Many people marveled inwardly. Rumors say that his cultivation level is at the peak of stage nine and that he¡¯s just one step away from breaking through to reaching the realm of God. It looks like the rumors are true! He can easily crush everyone here with just one hand! ¡°It¡¯s the Ancestor¡­ It¡¯s really him!¡± Elder Chen Ke and the others had tears in their eyes as they said this excitedly. As the royal elders, they were considered to be the Tianling royalty¡¯s most loyal servants. Hence, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how excited they were to be able to see Shangguan Jing in person. Shangguan Jing sighed gently as his eyes swept across Yuwen Wei and the others. ¡°This child must be from the Yuwen family, right? He bears a striking resemblance to Mingchen.¡± Yuwen Mingchen was an ancestor of the Yuwen family. Yuwen Wei was in reverence. ¡°Greetings to the Ancestor!¡± Only a few families managed to stand against time. Among them, it was rare to find those who still remained loyal to the Tianling Dynasty to this day. Shangguan Jing nodded in acknowledgment. Everyone present¡ªbe it the courtiers or the clan members¡ªwas still in a state of shock, and they couldn¡¯t help but be quiet and respectful in front of the legendary ancestor. Only Shangguan Wan remained kneeling on the ground, her eyes wide with shock as she dumbly watched this scene with a blank mind. Her limbs grew numb, her heart skipped a beat, and her blood seemed to be frozen. W-what did the Ancestor say just now? ¡®Who says she isn¡¯t worthy?!¡¯ W-was he¡­ speaking up for Chu Liuyue? Is he also on her side?! Just as doubt crept into her heart, she saw Shangguan Jing move and land next to the Tianling Power Staff. Although Shangguan You was standing next to him, his presence immediately faded into the background a lot. As expected of the Ancestor! He doesn¡¯t need to say anything¡ªjust his presence alone is enough to overwhelm everyone! ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, yet you¡¯re still behaving recklessly like a kid.¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head at the sight of the Tianling Power Staff, having clearly seen what it did earlier with his own eyes. The glowing Tianling Power Staff didn¡¯t seem repentant though. I was bored to tears from helping you to watch over the Tianling Dynasty for so many years. Can¡¯t I even have a little fun? Shangguan Jing let out a helpless chuckle before turning around to look and beckon at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Come here, Yue¡¯er.¡± ¡­ Everyone¡¯s tense expressions cracked once more. W-who is the Ancestor calling? Chu Liuyue? The way he called her sounds so intimate and indulgent, which is a far cry from the way he treated His Majesty! Chu Liuyue blinked. She didn¡¯t want to trouble her ancestor at first since this was her own affair, and she had the ability to solve the matter entirely on her own. Moreover, Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan¡¯s evil plans had completely fallen through. But it was clear that Shangguan Wan¡¯s words had infuriated Shangguan Jing. She glanced at Shangguan Wan¡ªwho was kneeling on the ground¡ªand realized that the latter¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet. The latter¡¯s eyes were also blurry as if she had been dealt a great blow. Apparently, Shangguan Wan was too mentally and physically drained to even cause a scene. After putting the Long Yuan Sword away, Chu Liuyue walked forward under countless watchful eyes as if they were afraid to miss out on something. Once she was at the bottom of the stairs, she stood still and bowed. ¡°Ancestor.¡± Shangguan Jing beckoned to her once more. ¡°Come on up.¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment because no ordinary person was supposed to go up these stairs under normal circumstances¡ªonly the Emperor. Although she had revealed her identity, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to go up, especially in the presence of Shangguan Jing and her father. If I go up¡­ Still, she finally decided to go ahead after much thinking. But unlike how Shangguan Wan had much difficulty climbing the stairs, she did it easily as if she were riding on the wind. The only thing the crowd saw was the hem of her clothes fluttering, and she was atop the nine flights of stairs the next second. ¡°Although I haven¡¯t appeared in a thousand years, I believe I still have some speaking rights regarding the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s affairs. Am I right?¡± Shangguan Jing smiled at Shangguan Wan. ¡°Were you the one who said that the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestors would be infuriated if Shangguan You acknowledged Yue¡¯er?¡± Shangguan Wan was trembling badly, and her face was pallid. ¡°I now announce to the world that she is the most outstanding descendant of the Shangguan family! Not only is the ¡®Crown Princess¡¯ title hers, but the throne will be hers as well! I¡¯d like to see who dares to say no in my face?!¡± Chapter 896 - Did You Betray Me Back Then?! Not only did Shangguan Jing promise to give the throne to Chu Liuyue, but he was even giving it to someone who wasn¡¯t a part of the royal lineage and bloodline. This was practically unheard of and was unlikely to happen again as this was all because Chu Liuyue made the Ancestor reappear and had his protection and support. Any one of the above terms was enough to stabilize her position as the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ruler. Thunder-struck, Shangguan Wan¡¯s last strand of hope died out. How did things turn out like this? How did things get into this situation?! Shangguan Yue should¡¯ve died two years ago, but why is she still alive?! How did she get everyone¡¯s support after destroying all my efforts? Even the Ancestor is on her side! Who would dare to go against him? Had I known this outcome earlier¡­ I thought I was the winner, but I turned out to be the biggest loser and the butt of the joke in the end! There¡¯s no way I can turn things around now! Knowing that her last bargaining chip had been rendered useless, Shangguan Wan fell into despair. She slowly lifted her head and stared at Chu Liuyue blankly for a long time. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh in hopelessness and self-mockery. ¡°Ha¡­ That explains your boldness¡­ It turns out that you still had a trump card up your sleeve¡­ You win, Shangguan Yue! Who could possibly be your match? Who can?!¡± Ever since Shangguan Jing appeared, Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knitted together. This situation is far worse than I initially expected! ¡­ ¡°Ancestor, you¡ª¡± Even Chu Liuyue herself was taken aback by what Shangguan Jing said, as evident by the slight widening of her eyes. She knew that he was speaking up for her, but she had never expected him to give such a huge promise. ¡°This is what you deserve,¡± affirmed Shangguan Jing with a light shake of his head. ¡°Be it your talent, strength, or character¡­ They¡¯re all impeccable! It¡¯s the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s fortune to have you as its ruler!¡± He was truly sincere about this. If it weren¡¯t for her, I would still be trapped in the Tianling God Realm, unable to see the light of day. It¡¯s also very likely that my last wisp of consciousness would vanish just like that after some time. ¡°Since both the Long Yuan Sword and the Tianling Power Staff have acknowledged you, nobody else is more suitable to stand here than you!¡± Many people had the chance to receive an acknowledgment from the Tianling Power Staff, but Chu Liuyue was the only person¡ªaside from Shangguan Jing himself¡ªto become the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s owner. ¡°Since you have pretty much inherited my legacy, there¡¯s nothing wrong with you becoming the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ruler right away.¡± Chu Liuyue let out an awkward cough as she glanced at her father, only to see him showing the same approving expression. ¡°You¡¯re right, Ancestor! Yue¡¯er has always been an intelligent child, and she manages court affairs really well! It was my plan to pass her the throne on her wedding day two years ago, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± Shangguan You¡¯s face dimmed a little at the mention of the past, but it soon brightened up again. ¡°But now that she¡¯s safely returned, everything can go back on track! Yue¡¯er, I¡¯m still in a weak condition since I haven¡¯t fully recovered yet. There are some matters that I really can¡¯t handle! Why don¡¯t you just ascend the throne today?¡± How could they push me to the throne with just a few mere sentences? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is¡­ appropriate¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so inappropriate?! Today is a day filled with many joyous events, so it¡¯ll even be better if we have another reason for celebration!¡± said Shangguan Jing with a wave of his hand. Everyone couldn¡¯t believe their ears when they heard that. Many joyous events? Ancestor, can you open your eyes wide and take a look at the mess on the ground?! The Third Princess and her Prince Consort are currently covered in blood! Only you would say such things when the royal family¡¯s internal strife ended up in this manner! While Chu Liuyue was at a loss on what to do, Shangguan You put a fist against his lips and coughed. ¡°Yue¡¯er, look at me¡­ I¡¯m in serious need of proper recuperation! Can you really bear to see me overwork myself?¡± Haven¡¯t you been resting in bed for two years?! Chu Liuyue looked at Shangguan Jing and Shangguan You inquiringly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­ settle this mess first?¡± She was talking about Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan. They weren¡¯t done dealing with them yet. ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot about this.¡± Shangguan Jing¡ªwho was known to be a man of action and resolution¡ªclapped his hand and looked down at the masses. ¡°Aside from these two and Xiahou Rong, is there anyone else who harmed or betrayed you back then? Let¡¯s gather all of them here and punish them together!¡± An imperceptible frown appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. She had basically investigated what happened back then, but she still had a few questions that were yet to be answered. Firstly, she couldn¡¯t figure out what Jiang Yucheng¡¯s motive was because it was clear that he didn¡¯t like Shangguan Wan¡ªor rather, who he liked wouldn¡¯t affect his decision at all since the only person he cared about was himself. Still, it didn¡¯t explain why he had gone to such lengths to kill her. Secondly, some people had held onto their positions or led the lives of fugitives for her sake, so she wondered if it was true that the others had completely betrayed her. Her gaze unconsciously roamed in a certain direction. In his black armor, Mu Qinghe looked especially conspicuous since he was standing outside the crowd. He looked over upon seemingly sensing her line of sight. ¡°Mu Qinghe.¡± Chu Liuyu called his name all of a sudden. Hushed silence instantly descended upon the crowd as they looked curiously and uneasily at the two. Everyone knew that it was Shangguan Yue who had groomed Mu Qinghe to become the Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant and that something was fishy about how the Black Guards didn¡¯t go to her rescue when she was in trouble. With deep and serious eyes, Chu Liuyue looked at Mu Qinghe and asked, ¡°You say it yourself. Did you betray me back then?!¡± Chapter 897 - Don’t Cry As her clear and powerful voice echoed throughout Lang Kun Hall, everyone silently watched this scene with bated breath. Countless eyes were gathered on Mu Qinghe. Never mind that other people colluded with Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan to set Shangguan Yue up since they had their own needs, but Mu Qinghe was different¡ªhe owed everything he had today to Shangguan Yue. Without her, he wouldn¡¯t have become the Black Guard¡¯s lieutenant. Moreover, he used to be one of her most trusted aides. Not only was he likely to be sentenced to death if he had indeed betrayed her, but he would also be scorned by many after his death. But if he didn¡¯t betray Shangguan Yue, then the cause of her death remained a mystery. Mu Qinghe lifted his head and stared blankly at the woman standing atop the stairs. So¡­ it¡¯s really her! No wonder I found Chu Liuyue so familiar when I first saw her in Country Yao Chen and kept thinking about her. I didn¡¯t think much when I sensed her seemingly excessively distant and polite attitude toward me. I thought she merely bore a striking resemblance to Shangguan Yue, but now that I think about it, her demeanor and aura are really similar as well. He looked sideways at Hong Yao¡ªwho was sitting on his shoulder. ¡°You knew about it long ago, didn¡¯t you?¡± Hong Yao¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and it buried its head under its wing. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you, but¡­ Mu Qinghe had no intention of scolding it though. He merely exhaled slowly and moved to stand in the middle of the square before looking up again to face Chu Liuyue. Something seemed to be squeezing Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, and her body tensed up as well. In regards to other people¡¯s betrayal, she could just put the past behind her after taking her revenge on them, but she would always have this slight feeling of resentment toward Mu Qinghe when it came to his betrayal. He used to be a reserved, obstinate, and loyal person, so she didn¡¯t understand what caused his change. Hence, she wanted to hear the answer from his mouth. After a brief stalemate, Mu Qinghe tossed the sword in his hand aside, which produced a clanking sound when it hit the ground. Chu Liuyue frowned, only to see him removing his armor the next second. As today was supposedly Shangguan Wan¡¯s wedding-cum-coronation day, everyone was grandly dressed. Even Mu Qinghe had put on the most formal armor he had. With the heavy black armor now removed, he felt much lighter as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He then dropped to his knees, and a dull colliding sound was produced when his kneecaps hit the ground. ¡°Your Highness.¡± He suddenly leaned forward and put his forehead on the marble floor, the coldness of which spread throughout his body. ¡°I¡¯ve betrayed you and failed you as a subject. Please sentence me to death!¡± ¡­ Mu Qinghe¡¯s reply said it all. Everybody present didn¡¯t expect this reaction from him. He didn¡¯t try to defend himself, appeal, or even protest. Instead, he frankly admitted his betrayal with just one sentence. In this sort of situation, he was basically asking for death because he might have a chance of survival if he had said that he didn¡¯t betray Shangguan Yue or that he was forced to do so. However, he didn¡¯t. Two years ago, nobody would¡¯ve expected that this day would come for Mu Qinghe¡ªShangguan Yue¡¯s most trusted aide. If he had remained loyal to her, he would now become her subject with the most credit after she ascended the throne and became the ruler. Thus, it was really a pity. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes gleamed darkly when he glanced at Mu Qinghe, but they soon returned to normal as he quickly lowered his eyelids and hid the look in his eyes. Everyone¡¯s gaze was on Chu Liuyue while she regarded Mu Qinghe with calm and aloof eyes. They were certain that only death awaited him now. In the silence, she opened her mouth once more to ask, ¡°Are you speaking the truth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying, nor are you in a predicament?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re willing to die?¡± Mu Qinghe¡ªwho had been kneeling on the ground with his head hung low¡ªfinally looked up and rose to his feet when he heard that question. There was a look of serenity on his face as he said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to ask Your Highness to grant my wish.¡± Each of his answers expressed his will to die. Chu Liuyue suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°The last time you asked me to grant your wish was because you wanted to go to Dahuang Swamp.¡± Although Shangguan Yue had a highly respected status back then, her power in court wasn¡¯t firm. Thus, Mu Qinghe volunteered himself to lead the army to Dahuang Swamp to win the military power for her. She didn¡¯t agree to it at first since Dahuang Swamp was a dangerous place. Not only would one have to suffer many hardships there, but they would also risk losing their life. That was the only time he had defied her order. He kneeled outside her palace for a long time and said those very same words to her back then: I¡¯d like to ask Your Highness to grant my wish. It didn¡¯t occur to her that when she heard those words again years later, it would be because he was pleading for his death. When Mu Qinghe heard that, he felt as if something was stabbing at his heart. It hurt so badly that he trembled slightly. His countenance dimmed for a moment, and he quickly lowered his head once more. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask Your Highness¡ª¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the last few words though. Chu Liuyue let out a soft sigh as she looked at him. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡ª¡± Before she could finish saying her piece, she saw Hong Yao anxiously flapping its wings on Mu Qinghe¡¯s shoulders. It flew around him and went close to him from time to time while crying anxiously as if it was saying something or trying to persuade him. When Mu Qinghe ignored it, it turned around and flew straight toward Chu Liuyue. A ball of green flame was seen streaking across the air, and Hong Yao was right in front of Chu Liuyue the next second. With tears in its eyes, it anxiously flapped its wings at her as if it wanted to tell her something. Just as Chu Liuyue stretched her hand out toward Hong Yao, Mu Qinghe realized what was going on. He immediately shot to his feet and shouted in warning while frowning, ¡°Hong Yao!¡± Hong Yao flinched slightly but still landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Large, warm droplets of tears rolled down its face and wet its fluffy feathers before dropping onto her palm. No, no! Chu Liuyue could see the aggrieved look in its eyes. Tuan Zi¡ªwho appeared out of nowhere¡ªwatched this scene while squatting on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder. For once, it didn¡¯t pick a fight with Hong Yao. After hesitating briefly, it flew over and circled around Hong Yao in helplessness, carefully nudging its head against Hong Yao¡¯s. Don¡¯t cry. Chapter 898 - Counterattack! It was the first time Tuan Zi ever saw Hong Yao in this state. The former was used to seeing the latter¡¯s proud and willful side. When Hong Yao¡¯s tears continued to pour down nonstop, Tuan Zi flapped its wings in irritation and looked at Chu Liuyue for help. Sighing inwardly, Chu Liuyue wiped Hong Yao¡¯s tears away and said, ¡°Alright, alright. Stop crying; I won¡¯t kill him.¡± W-what does that mean? Because of a green sparrow, the Crown Princess isn¡¯t going to sentence Mu Qinghe to death?! Everyone was surprised to hear that, and whispers broke out among the crowd. ¡°No way! Is she really going to spare his life, all for the sake of a green sparrow?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know about this, do you? Although that green sparrow is Mu Qinghe¡¯s contracted fiend, it was under the Crown Princess¡¯s care most of the time¡­ I heard that she dotes on it as much as her own fiend! If Mu Qinghe dies, that green sparrow will surely die too.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Still, this is¡­ Her contracted fiend is now a legendary fiend, so why does she have to care about that green sparrow?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know what¡¯s on her mind¡­ Then again, Mu Qinghe is really lucky! His life is spared because of his fiend!¡± Most people were rather shocked by Chu Liuyue¡¯s decision, but they had no right to say anything since it was her own affair, and it was up to her to deal with Mu Qinghe however she wanted. Chu Liuyue looked at Mu Qinghe. ¡°With immediate effect, Mu Qinghe will be stripped of his post as Black Guard lieutenant and grounded at the Mu Residence! Nobody is allowed to visit him without my permission!¡± Jian Fengchi finally settled down as he exhaled in relief. Thank goodness¡­ Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t know how I should help him plead for mercy¡­ But what¡¯s wrong with him anyway? Why would he ask to be sentenced to death? I have to ask him about this when the chance arises! Mu Qinghe, on the other hand, was shocked. He thought he would surely receive what he was waiting for, but in the end¡­ A hint of struggle surfaced from the depths of his eyes as he said, ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡± ¡°Take him away!¡± ordered Chu Liuyue. The burly Black Guard standing next to her stepped forward and grabbed Mu Qinghe immediately. Nobody noticed his existence earlier, and it was only when he came forward that everyone realized with a start how powerful his aura was. Mu Qinghe knitted his eyebrows together and looked back to see a familiar face in front of him. This very face belonged to none other than Lei Laosi. Somehow, he had managed to sneak and blend himself in with the Black Guards without anyone discovering him. ¡°Thank you, Si Jing,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Si Jing smiled. ¡°You can rest assured that I do my duties well, Your Highness!¡± The crowd was shocked. Si Jing? Isn¡¯t that the person who ranks fourth in the Thirteen Yue Guards? When did they return to Xi Ling, and without anyone¡¯s notice?! Jiang Yucheng previously utilized a lot of manpower and resources to hunt them. Yet, not only did he fail to find any of them, but they even followed the Crown Princess back to Xi Ling! The frown on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face deepened. I knew it! The Thirteen Yue Guards have returned with new faces! I thought something was off when Xiahou Rong told me that the Nine Clouds Yuan Recovery Pill was stolen, but I didn¡¯t manage to find anything even after sending my men to search for them in the city. It turned out that they¡¯ve snuck into the palace! Chu Liuyue has planned everything right from the start! She¡¯s determined to turn things around and eliminate any chance of us escaping! He kept trying to think of a way to get out of this sticky situation. The Thirteen Yue Guards are back, His Majesty has awakened, and even the Ancestor has appeared! This is basically a deadlock! I have to think of another way to get out of this situation¡­ ¡­ Completely restrained and unable to say a word, Mu Qinghe was escorted back to his mansion by Si Jing. Hong Yao¡ªwho was nestled in Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder¡ªglanced at Mu Qinghe reluctantly and retracted its gaze quickly. When Mu Qinghe was passing by Jiang Yucheng, the latter looked up and cast the former a meaningful glance. The former¡¯s heart thumped hard as a hint of worry surfaced in his eyes. ¡°Father,¡± said Chu Liuyue all of a sudden. ¡°Shangguan Wan plotted for power and tried to usurp the throne. An insidious and ruthless woman like her should be sentenced to death! What do you think about this?¡± Although Shangguan Wan had committed a lot of crimes, Chu Liuyue thought it was better to seek her father¡¯s opinion regarding the former¡¯s punishment. Shangguan You frowned and regarded Shangguan Wan with a heavy look. An intense feeling of unease surged within Shangguan Wan, for she didn¡¯t want to die. She begged for mercy repeatedly. ¡°Father, I only committed those mistakes during a moment of folly! I was instigated by someone! Please forgive me this time, Father!¡± Shangguan You shook his head. ¡°Dying a hundred times isn¡¯t even enough to pay for the crimes you committed in the past two years! The Tianling royalty doesn¡¯t have a descendant like you!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s heart sank fast. ¡°From today onward, you¡¯re no longer worthy of being a member of the Shangguan family, and you won¡¯t be buried in the Imperial Mausoleum when you die! Your birth mother was an orphan with a humble origin, so her family won¡¯t be implicated. However, the servants working in Huayang Palace and Qingfeng Palace will have to be executed as well! I¡¯ll take it as I never had you as a daughter!¡± With each word Shangguan You said, the color on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face faded a little more. Eventually, she completely collapsed on the ground, her face looking ashen. My existence will be completely wiped off from the Tianling royalty¡¯s genealogy! ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that, Father!¡± She moved forward on her knees but was stopped by Elder Chen Ke with a wave of his sleeve. ¡°Impudent!¡± Shangguan Wan¡¯s body flew backward, and she landed on the ground with a crash. She was already injured in the first place, so this blow worsened her condition. She coughed up blood several times in a row. As she lifted her hand to wipe the blood off her mouth, she saw the glaring red clothes on herself. She was suddenly reminded that it was her wedding day today and that she was still wearing the phoenix coronet and the ceremonial robe. I was just one step away from sitting on that throne. I was supposed to become the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s most esteemed woman from today onward, but all that is gone now! My years of hard work have been for naught! Feelings of hatred, jealousy, and resentment consumed her from within, and a black symbol faintly appeared on her glabella. It¡¯s all gone¡­ I have nothing left! No matter whether she¡¯s Chu Liuyue or Shangguan Yue, that woman has snatched everything away from me! She must be feeling very smug to be standing above the masses! Shangguan Wan slowly lifted her head and stared at Chu Liuyue as she said, ¡°You own too many things.¡± Chu Liuyue had a vague feeling that something was off about Shangguan Wan¡¯s behavior, but she sensed the latter¡¯s aura intensifying as soon as the thought appeared in her mind. A black blade suddenly cut through the air and headed straight for her. Chapter 899 - Get Lost! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned sharp. The moment she raised the Long Yuan Sword in her hands, the Tianling Power Staff immediately flew out from the side! Shoo! When they heard a sharp, ear-piercing sound, the black blade already met with the Tianling Power Staff! Before the two objects could even touch, the two tremendous forces started killing each other! The surrounding space started to be ripped open, and turbulence flew out! That black blade was sinister and cold, but it couldn¡¯t win against the Tianling Power Staff in the end as it suddenly disappeared amidst the dragon roar. Taking this chance, Shangguan Wan suddenly stood up, tore open the space, and tried to escape! Coincidentally, Chu Liuyue turned her wrist at this point, and the Long Yuan Sword flew toward Shangguan Wan! The very harsh and dangerous cold wind attacked Shangguan Wan from the back of her head, and all the hair on her body stood up. She immediately tried to escape, but she wasn¡¯t faster than the Long Yuan Sword! The terrifying sword aura immediately covered her! Forced and helpless, Shangguan Wan turned around and crossed her arms. Then, a gigantic black symbol appeared in front of her! Whir! The sharp sword hit the black symbol, letting out a loud sound as the strong and vigorous impact spread in all directions! Kacha! Cracks immediately appeared on the ground! ¡°That¡¯s not Shangguan Wan¡¯s strength!¡± someone cried out. At this point, everyone could clearly see that the power exploding out from Shangguan Wan didn¡¯t belong to her. The current her could only forcefully be considered a beginner stage-seven warrior. She could still be compared to other average people, but she couldn¡¯t stand in front of the Long Yuan Sword. One had to know that even the peak stage-seven Jiang Yucheng couldn¡¯t even withstand the sword aura¡¯s suppression! His arm was also slashed, let alone the injured Shangguan Wan! At this point, her bodily aura kept strengthening! One had to be a stage-eight warrior at the very least to release such a suppression! Chu Liuyue half-squinted her eyes. Previously, I had already suspected that something was wrong with Shangguan Wan¡¯s body, and it is indeed the case! She was about to go forward when Shangguan Jing stopped her. ¡°Yue¡¯er, hold on!¡± Chu Liuyue paused and looked back at her ancestor¡ªwho was staring closely at Shangguan Wan with a solemn expression. ¡°Ancestor, can you see something?¡± Shangguan Jing seemed pretty shaken as he muttered, ¡°Could that symbol be¡­ But how is that possible¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. Ancestor seems to know the background of the black symbol! But before she could ask in detail, the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor had already moved and rushed in front! He waved his sleeves and immediately set up a gigantic barrier around Shangguan Wan. When the violent aura was finally blocked, the surrounding crowd secretly heaved a sigh of relief. This shocking blow wasn¡¯t something they could easily withstand! Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes gradually turned completely black, gaining a hint of craziness. Her expression became rather stiff and strange, a clear indication that she was being controlled by someone. Shangguan Jing stood in the air and stared closely at the front as he loudly questioned, ¡°You¡¯re from the Black Demon Hole?¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. What¡¯s Black Demon Hole? When Shangguan Wan heard this, she raised her hand. Following this, that black symbol suddenly started burning! She glanced at the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s founder coldly, and her lips curled up into a cold smile. ¡°You do know something.¡± This voice was a little hoarse and lazy¡ªit was clearly not Shangguan Wan¡¯s voice anymore! Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression became even more serious. ¡°We have always stayed in our own lane. Your Black Demon Hole has nothing to do with my Tianling. Why would you do such a thing?!¡± At this point, that black symbol had completely burned, and the last bit of black star suddenly exploded! Boom! The violent force started crazily spreading in all directions! The marble floor suddenly silently turned into powder, and the violent winds hurled up! Shangguan Wan¡¯s gaze turned, and she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± I was just a step away! Everything I planned for the past few years went to waste! Chu Liuyue met with that gaze and was stunned. For some reason, her instincts told her that the mysterious person hiding in Shangguan Wan¡¯s body was saying this to her! What a pity¡­ What is a pity? This person doesn¡¯t seem to be coming for the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s throne, but for me! However, what do I have that the person wants? The next moment, a black light suddenly exploded from Shangguan Wan¡¯s chest! The Long Yuan Sword sparked, but the black light suddenly disappeared at this moment! The next moment, it actually appeared outside the barrier, forming into a sharp black arrow that went straight for Chu Liuyue! The crowd gasped! This person broke through the ancestor¡¯s barrier so easily. Is he even stronger than the latter? The key is that his target is clearly the Princess! ¡°Yue¡¯er, be careful!¡± ¡°Princess!¡± ¡°Liuyue!¡± Shocked shouts could be heard everywhere. Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up and was alarmed when she saw the black light quickly approaching her! At the same time, the Tianling Power Staff and Long Yuan Sword rushed toward her! However, danger was already right in front of her! Suddenly, the water droplet in Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian seemed to have been triggered by some force as it started rapidly spinning. Just as Chu Liuyue was about to take action, she shockingly discovered that the water droplet didn¡¯t exude its force as it rapidly turned into the appearance of a transparent page. It was exactly the same as it was in the beginning! Suddenly realizing something, she looked up. A hoarse and sinister voice clearly landed in her ears. ¡°You have no right to hold onto this!¡± Buzz¡­ Buzz! Once he said this, Chu Liuyue felt that the transparent page in her dantian had signs of struggling free! It was as if an invisible hand wanted to take this item from her body! Chu Liuyue instinctively wanted to retreat, but she discovered that her body couldn¡¯t move! In the blink of an eye, that black light had already reached her eyes! The pulling force also became increasingly stronger! Chu Liuyue¡¯s force started turning uncontrollably and crazily. Coincidentally, a silver light suddenly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes at this moment and rushed forward! Shoo! That black light was instantly sliced apart from the middle, and the strange controlling force suddenly disappeared! Chu Liuyue focused on it and saw that a dagger had stopped it¡ªit was¡­ the dagger Rong Xiu had given her before! The snow-white dagger was gleaming at this point, vaguely showing a strange pattern with intense suppression. The hoarse and sinister voice sounded again but with a hint of shock. ¡°How¡­ is this¡ª¡± Before he could finish talking, the dagger glowed! ¡­ In the Red Moon Desert miles away, Rong Xiu slowly opened his ice-cold eyes. ¡°Get lost!¡± Chapter 900 - Humble This clear holler instantly made the dagger in Lang Kun Hall¡ªwhich was miles away¡ªfly forward and rapidly kill the black light! The surrounding golden sand flew up as the winds blew! Xue Xue¡ªwho was behind Rong Xiu¡ªimmediately shrunk its neck and moved back sensibly. It finally had the chance to bathe a few days ago and was just cleaned. It didn¡¯t want to become as dirty as before. The surrounding sandstorm gradually calmed down the next moment, and the Red Moon Desert seemed to have recovered its peace. Only the burning hot sun was roasting the ground, causing it to be boiling hot. Rong Xiu stopped in his tracks and looked up. Other than him, there was nobody else in the vast desert. A childish and ice-cold voice sounded. ¡°Someone is bullying Yue¡¯er Girlie?¡± Rong Xiu paused as a golden fire seemed to be burning in his eyes, but it instantly disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s people from Black Demon Hole.¡± ¡°Why would they look for her?¡± This was Lan Xiao¡¯s voice. ¡°Why did they go to Tianling instead of staying in their territory?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up, and he laughed lightly. ¡°That person had already destroyed his physical body many years ago and is only left with a soul. He needs to keep living off cultivators and maintain his life by absorbing their cultivation.¡± Whoosh! The yellow sand moved in front, and a blurred figure appeared in the lake, looking like a four or five-year-old child. ¡°You know that person?¡± asked Dugu Mobao. ¡°We met once.¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes, and nobody could guess what he was thinking. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect his guts to be so big now.¡± He even dared to touch Yue¡¯er. Lan Xiao lazily said, ¡°Who cares why he went to Tianling? If he wants to attack Yue¡¯er, he¡¯s going against us. Diwu, if I didn¡¯t recall wrongly, you still had some relations with Black Demon Hole before, right?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Diwu Zhangze immediately denied it. ¡°I¡¯m not close to them!¡± Lan Xiao laughed lightly. ¡°Not close? If you¡¯re not close to them, why would they pray to you for ten years? I heard that the gifts they give you every year should be enough¡ª¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Diwu Zhangze yelled as his head hurt. ¡°I was wrong, okay?! Back then, I just thought that they were seeking medicine. Who knew they would do all sorts of secret things? Besides, I didn¡¯t even help them once!¡± Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°You didn¡¯t help because you were already trapped in this Red Moon Desert!¡± If Diwu Zhangze didn¡¯t come here, he might¡¯ve become one with the people from Black Demon Hole! Diwu Zhangze sighed deeply. What does that mean?! I really have nothing to do with that Black Demon Hole. I just agreed to meet them because they offered ten years of hard work. I also didn¡¯t do much during that rushed meeting. After so many years, I never expected them to bring this incident up again at this point! ¡°T-then, why don¡¯t I find Black Demon Hole¡¯s people and warn them?¡± Diwu Zhangze tried to ask, but he found it weird after some thinking. ¡°Logically speaking, there¡¯s no reason for Black Demon Hole¡¯s people to go to Tianling¡­ Could it be because of something Girlie has?¡± She does have quite a few treasures¡­ ¡°That person was chased out of Black Demon Hole many years ago,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. Dugu Mobao and the rest found it strange. ¡°Chased out? What exactly did he do that even Black Demon Hole can¡¯t tolerate?¡± asked Dugu Mobao immediately. Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°You have to ask that person.¡± He then moved his feet, and his figure instantly became countless faint shadows. After half an hour, he finally stopped at the center of the Red Moon Desert¡ªnext to the sapphire-blue lake. He looked in front and smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already passed your tests, Seniors. According to the agreement, I can leave, right?¡± Dugu Mobao snorted. ¡°You could¡¯ve passed the test long ago. Why must you act as if you were in a difficult position?¡± Considering the abilities he showed at the later part, he had clearly hidden his abilities! Rong Xiu smiled, slightly bent his back, and respectfully bowed. After that, he humbly said, ¡°I just broke through not too long ago, and that¡¯s also because of your guidance, Seniors. If I didn¡¯t pass this stage luckily, I would¡¯ve been stuck here for quite some time.¡± ¡°You still refuse to admit that you¡¯ve benefited!¡± Lan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but scold. We originally wanted to make it difficult for this kid, but we didn¡¯t manage to make him suffer much. We even helped him to break through! This was like throwing a gigantic stone in an attempt to smash the other person¡¯s head to teach them a lesson. However, they didn¡¯t expect the stone to land right beside that person¡¯s leg and become their stepping stone! This feeling was too aggravating! To think that I still thought of so many methods to deal with Rong Xiu previously, but they all benefited him in the end. Rong Xiu was already immune to such words. From the day he got together with Yue¡¯er, they already disliked him. Hence, Rong Xiu handled it with ease after much practice. ¡°Besides¡­ It¡¯s also my fault that I didn¡¯t take good care of Yue¡¯er, causing the few of you to worry about her.¡± Dugu Mobao and the rest fell silent for a moment. Even though they scolded him harshly, they knew how Rong Xiu treated Yue¡¯er. If he had any way, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let things escalate to this stage. After a moment, the water surface rippled. Dugu Mobao said, ¡°Go ahead! If the girl is hurt again¡ªeven an inch of her hair¡ªwe won¡¯t let you off!¡± Rong Xiu cupped his fists. ¡°Seniors, please take care. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Then, he finally turned around, and Xue Xue followed him closely. The human and the fiend quickly disappeared into the empty space. Once again, the Red Moon Desert was quiet. After some time, Diwu Zhangze carefully asked, ¡°We just let him go like that, then¡­ What should we do next?¡± They couldn¡¯t leave the Red Moon Desert and could only temporarily come out once a month. They were restricted in whatever they wanted to do. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie returned to the Imperial City, and we can¡¯t help her much¡­¡± ¡°If she can¡¯t even handle those nobodies, then we¡¯ve judged her wrongly,¡± Dugu Mobao coldly said. ¡°That¡¯s true, but Girlie was still bullied. Are we just going to watch on like this?¡± retorted Lan Xiao in extreme disapproval. ¡°Of course not,¡± said Dugu Mobao gradually. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have my own plans.¡± ¡­ Lang Kun Hall, Palace, Xi Ling. The dagger flew out and killed the black light. Everything happened in just one moment. Before Chu Liuyue could even clearly see the dagger moving, she heard a miserable cry filled with vengeance by her ear. Then, everything in front of her suddenly disappeared! The sinister and cold suppression was instantly resolved! The pattern on the dagger gradually dimmed before disappearing without a trace. The dagger then flew back into Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. Chu Liuyue blinked. That aura just now¡­ It was Rong Xiu?! Chapter 901 - Your Husband Watching the last ray of black light disappear, Chu Liuyue instinctively wanted to continue attacking. However, she suddenly heard Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you mustn¡¯t chase it!¡± At that moment, the light swiftly left! Chu Liuyue turned back strangely and saw her ancestor¡¯s solemn expression. Is he¡­ worried because of the so-called ¡®Black Demon Hole¡¯ incident? As the Princess, she still understood the structure of the mainland. Outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy were many small countries like Country Yao Chen. Inside Heaven¡¯s Canopy were many strong existences like the Tianling Dynasty. All these dynasties had vast regions, and most of them were in charge of guarding Heaven¡¯s Canopy. They were known as the main characters of the mainland. They did contact and interact with each other, but they didn¡¯t really intervene with whatever the other parties were doing. After all, millions of people¡¯s lives would be lost once such existences fought. Besides, countries that could have a place within Heaven¡¯s Canopy had extremely strong warriors to back them up, so they couldn¡¯t be easily offended. But within here, Chu Liuyue had never heard of Black Demon Hole¡¯s name. Ancestor seems fearful¡­ What exactly is he worried about? However, Shangguan Jing seemed to have no intention of talking about this in detail in front of the crowd as he glanced at Chu Liuyue meaningfully before gently shaking his head. At this point, a painful moan was heard from below. Shangguan Wan lay down on the floor and curled up into a ball in pain as the pool of blood below her body kept expanding. At first glance, it seemed to be faintly black. Pain! Extreme pain! Her mind was blank, leaving behind the pain she couldn¡¯t struggle free from or avoid. This was because that person rushed out of Shangguan Wan¡¯s body without a care, causing her force to go out of control and barge around. This led to her body being rotten, even revealing her scarily white bones. Her entire body seemed to be roasted by strong fire, and it also seemed to be harshly sliced by thousands and millions of blades. Shangguan Wan was in so much pain that her vision blurred. She finally experienced what it meant by ¡®better dead than alive!¡¯ Seeing Shangguan Wan¡¯s non-human and non-ghost appearance, quite a few people looked shocked and disgusted as they hurriedly moved backward, afraid that they would be tainted by her. Chu Liuyue watched this scene coldly and nonchalantly. Then, she walked down the stairs and inched toward Shangguan Wan. The Long Yuan Sword returned to her hands, and the Tianling Power Staff followed beside her silently. When Shangguan Wan heard the footsteps, she knew that Chu Liuyue was here. Her trembling body finally stopped for a moment as she gradually lifted her head. Gasps could be heard coming from the audience. The uneven scar on Shangguan Wan¡¯s face actually started rotting! Blood kept spewing out, covering her face and mixing with her black blood. This caused her to look like a harsh ghost, and people were very afraid of her. She was wearing a red bridal gown, so it wasn¡¯t obvious when her blood stained her clothes. Only the pool of blood that kept expanding below her body could show how severely injured she was! She raised her head with much difficulty as she stared at Chu Liuyue in despair and sorrow. At this point, she didn¡¯t even have the energy to hate or be jealous of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked at her. ¡°What relationship do you have with the person just now?¡± Shangguan Wan opened her mouth, and her voice sounded floaty. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ satisfied now¡­ Just¡­ kill me¡­¡± She knew that she couldn¡¯t live past this day. That person had ruined her body¡¯s last chance of survival, and she was now just a broken shell. Instead of suffering and enduring countless people¡¯s contempt and scoldings, she would rather die directly! However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care as she bent down and stared straight into Shangguan Wan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m asking you: how much do you know about that person just now?¡± Shangguan Wan was so arrogant, mostly because of that person¡¯s help. Speaking of which, she should be the one who understood that person the most. Shangguan Wan laughed in a self-mocking manner, but before her lips could curl up, they drooped. Her face then darkened as well. Chu Liuyue took a step back and raised her chin. ¡°Qi Han, wake her up.¡± A figure walked out of the Black Guard troops¡ªit was Qi Han! He walked straight to Shangguan Wan, pulled her hair, and forced her to look up as his other hand rapidly shoved a pill down her throat. The entire process was smooth and precise! Before Shangguan Wan could even yelp in pain, she felt the warm medicinal effects spreading throughout her stomach. However, this didn¡¯t make her feel happy or elated. Instead, it triggered a deeper horror! She hurriedly struggled to try to puke the medicine out, but the pill dissolved once it entered her mouth, and she had long swallowed it. ¡°You have the strength to talk now, right?¡± asked Chu Liuyue lightly. Shangguan Wan felt hatred and fear as she couldn¡¯t help but cry, ¡°W-what exactly do you want! I know you h-hate me¡­ Just kill me!¡± I would rather die than endure the pain of being trampled by the crowd! Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed as her eyes curved, and her expression had a few hints of coldness. ¡°You want to die? How could it be that easy?¡± To a certain extent, being able to die swiftly was also a type of relief. Shangguan Wan inflicted so much pain on me. How can I just let her off easily? Back then, I decided to commit suicide and set myself on fire without hesitation because I couldn¡¯t endure the duo¡¯s torture. However, I don¡¯t plan on giving Shangguan Wan such a chance. She blinked, looked at Shangguan Wan, and said seriously and slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you refuse to say it now, you¡¯ll say it sooner or later.¡± A chill ran down Shangguan Wan¡¯s spine. At that moment, endless terror overwhelmed her. ¡°I-I really don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know anything! He appeared himself. I-I was forced!¡± However, Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to panic. You can properly tell me again when you¡¯ve thought it through, lest you waste my time.¡± Then, she raised her head slightly, glanced at Jiang Yucheng, and shook her head with much pity. ¡°Pfft, what a pity. Your husband hasn¡¯t even put in a good word for you since the start.¡± Chapter 902 - That Person Helped You, Right? Shangguan Wan was already numb because she had long known that Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t treat her genuinely at all! He currently wants to push all the blame to me, so why would he even speak up for me? Thinking about it now, all the romance and sweet nothings in the past few years were just my wishful thinking! This meticulously planned and highly anticipated wedding eventually became a gigantic joke! Shangguan Wan hopelessly closed her eyes, and her tears seemed to be dried as she was just left with an empty heart. Then, she directly fainted, her eyes flipping over. ¡°Bring her down and take ¡®good care¡¯ of her,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Han acknowledged the order as he hurriedly dragged Shangguan Wan down, leaving a scary pool of blood on the ground¡ªan indicator of whatever happened here before. The crowd watched this scene silently and was stunned. Who would¡¯ve thought that the delighted Shangguan Wan would end up in such a state overnight? From today onward, this piece of land will drastically change¡­ ¡­ From start to end, someone still seemed nonchalant to everything¡ªJiang Yucheng. Even if he saw his newly-wedded wife ending up in such a state, his face didn¡¯t have much of an expression as if it had nothing to do with him. Only the empty and bloodstained arm sleeve reminded people that he had lost half his arm previously. Chu Liuyue looked at Jiang Yucheng and turned her wrist. Whoosh! The Long Yuan Sword went forward, the black blade gleaming with ice-cold light as it let out sinister, murderous intent. It was as though it could directly kill Jiang Yucheng the next second. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn!¡± ¡­ ¡°Your Highness!¡± A hurried and sorrowful cry came, and then a figure suddenly rushed up from behind, blocking Jiang Yucheng. Putong! He directly kneeled on the floor. It was Jiang Lizuo. His delighted and arrogant expression had completely disappeared at this point, leaving behind a face filled with panic and loss. He kneeled there as he looked up at Chu Liuyue in despair. ¡°Your Highness, please spare Yucheng!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze changed, and she looked at him as if it were very funny. ¡°Grand Tutor Jiang, you should¡¯ve clearly heard what happened earlier, right? Why do you still have the cheek to say such words of mercy now? Jiang Yucheng collaborated with Shangguan Wan to poison my father and me. He even fabricated an imperial edict, framed loyal subjects, and even tried to kill the entire Chong Xu Cabinet! Which of such actions aren¡¯t worthy of convicting him? I really want to know on what basis you want me to let him off now?¡± Jiang Lizuo broke out into a cold sweat, and his face was pale. How could he not know how serious these crimes were!? However, Jiang Yucheng was his eldest son and the one he doted on the most. When he saw Jiang Yucheng¡¯s arm being cut off, he almost jumped out. But at that point, he was stunned by the continuous happenings and just endured it. But after hearing whatever Chu Liuyue was saying now¡ªshe clearly wanted Jiang Yucheng¡¯s life¡ªhow could he sit still? ¡°Y-Yucheng always liked you, Your Highness. Why would he harm you? Shangguan Wan might hate you, but¡­ Yucheng doesn¡¯t! T-there must be a misunderstanding here!¡± ¡°When you were preparing for your wedding two years ago, Yucheng personally handled every single aspect on the Jiang family¡¯s side. He wanted to successfully marry you more than anyone else. Why would he do such a thing behind your back?!¡± Jiang Lizuo kowtowed. ¡°Your Highness, Yucheng had already liked you many years ago! He admired you for so many years, and it¡¯s impossible for him to betray you!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I remembered the person who killed me wrongly?¡± Jiang Lizuo was stumped. ¡°P-perhaps he was forced¡­¡± ¡°Grand Tutor Jiang.¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted him with a nonchalant expression. ¡°Don¡¯t just beg for mercy for your son. You should beg for your entire Jiang family as well.¡± Upon hearing this, Jiang Lizuo was suddenly dazed. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Jiang Yucheng has committed so many crimes. Do you really think your Jiang family can escape from this unscathed? Just the crime of trying to murder Father alone is enough to wipe out your entire family clan. You can¡¯t even protect yourself, so why do you still have the energy to beg for mercy for Jiang Yucheng?¡± Chu Liuyue reminded him kindly, ¡°If you really want to cry, why don¡¯t you cry for your entire Jiang family.¡± Jiang Lizuo really didn¡¯t think of this. Too many things had happened today, and he was too impacted, so he couldn¡¯t think of such implications. When he saw Shangguan Wan¡¯s miserable state earlier, he was petrified that Jiang Yucheng would end up in the same manner. Hence, he hurriedly rushed out. However, he didn¡¯t think that the entire Jiang family would be implicated by Jiang Yucheng! Chu Liuyue¡¯s words struck Jiang Lizuo in the head and suddenly woke him up! His pale and cracked lips violently trembled as his eyes turned dazed before showing immense horror. That¡¯s right! This will implicate the entire family clan! Previously, we could say that the previous evidence wasn¡¯t sufficient and that there was still room for argument. But now that the Princess and His Majesty have personally stepped up and proved that Jiang Yucheng did everything back then, what¡¯s there to argue about? ¡°Yucheng¡­ Yucheng! Quickly, say something!¡± Jiang Lizuo instinctively looked at Jiang Yucheng. This son had been his pride since he was young as he was always the most outstanding one in every aspect. Later on, he was even more delighted and elated when he had a marriage agreement with the Princess. There were so many handsome and talented lads in the Tianling Dynasty, yet the Princess chose Yucheng! Anyone would be envious of him! But when he originally thought that everything was going smoothly, the Princess suddenly died, and the marriage was voided. Jiang Lizuo was very disappointed at first, but Jiang Yucheng actually became close to Shangguan Wan gradually. He also smoothly took over many affairs after the Princess¡¯s death because he had helped the latter with those matters when she was alive. With this, he rapidly became the most powerful person in the entire Tianling Dynasty. Jiang Lizuo was naturally happy about this. He had never asked about anything in detail and just felt that this son of his was very capable, so he safely enjoyed everyone¡¯s flattering and envy. Who would¡¯ve thought that he did such things in the dark? Now that everything was exposed, he couldn¡¯t hide anymore! Not only would the wealth and fame they enjoyed turn into naught, but the entire Jiang family would also be implicated! Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t even care about Jiang Lizuo¡¯s angry scoldings and begging as he simply looked at Chu Liuyue. Other than the initial shock, he seemed to have calmed down at this point. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you were still alive.¡± Once Jiang Yucheng spoke, Jiang Lizuo immediately collapsed onto the floor in defeat as his face turned gray. He admitted it! Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. ¡°Yeah, are you very disappointed that I¡¯m alive?¡± Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t answer her, but his expression turned strange. ¡°That person helped you, right?¡± Chapter 903 - Accompany You That person? What person? The question baffled Chu Liuyue. Looking at her expression, Jiang Yucheng suddenly understood something. It seems like she still doesn¡¯t remember¡­ This instantly made him feel better. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes, and a thought surfaced in her mind. Jiang Yucheng seems to know about my loss of memory! But just as she was about to continue asking, Jiang Yucheng suddenly moved and hurriedly went forward! He was a stage-seven warrior, so even though he was injured, the strength he suddenly exerted still couldn¡¯t be underestimated! A silver light flashed across as he whipped out his longsword and directly went against the Long Yuan Sword! Murderous intent flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as she raised her wrist. Tsing! The two longswords hit each other harshly! Kacha! A crisp cracking sound was heard! Jiang Yucheng¡¯s sword was directly sliced down the middle and turned into halves by the Long Yuan Sword! This sword was actually a Yuan instrument that Jiang Yucheng treasured, and it could be considered a good sword. It was a pity that it couldn¡¯t be compared to the Long Yuan Sword at all, directly breaking once it went against the other weapon. But Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t panic at all as he took advantage of the time when the longsword was broken to go forward quickly! His hand went straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck! Chu Liuyue saw it clearly, and there seemed to be a purplish-black mark appearing on his hand! A dangerous aura loomed over her! The next moment, Jiang Yucheng was already half a step away from Chu Liuyue! The crowd gasped! The situation is already in this state, but he hasn¡¯t given up and chose to go against the Princess directly?! The Long Yuan Sword was indeed extremely strong, but Jiang Yucheng¡¯s attack came too quickly and suddenly! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Worried shouts came from all directions, but this happened too suddenly. The others didn¡¯t even have time to go up and help! They watched on as Jiang Yucheng¡¯s hand was about to strangle Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck tightly! Chu Liuyue went on her toes and swiftly avoided it. At the same time, a transparent fire suddenly came out from her palm and quickly enveloped her body. The scorching temperature made Jiang Yucheng¡¯s brows twitch! Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s transparent fire, the familiar burn suddenly came! This¡­ Just as he was dazed at that moment, Chu Liuyue had already avoided his attack! She then raised her leg and kicked forward, directly kicking Jiang Yucheng out! Crack! The bone-cracking sound was extremely clear! Bang! Jiang Yucheng harshly fell onto the floor! He was originally injured, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s sudden blow was adding oil to the fire. However, he didn¡¯t care about his injury as he struggled to look at Chu Liuyue with much shock. ¡°You were the one who attacked me that day! You disguised as Xia Mu!¡± He didn¡¯t feel it previously, but after this round of close-quarters combat, he suddenly realized that the cunning and harsh fighting method was too familiar! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Immense uneasiness overwhelmed Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart, and he touched his chest as if he wanted to take something out. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t give him this chance. She stared straight at Jiang Yucheng and clearly hollered, ¡°Explode!¡± Then, Jiang Yucheng felt a rush of fire entering his dantian¡ªit was excruciating! Previously, his stomach would faintly hurt from time to time, but he never took it to heart. But at this point, he stunningly discovered that this force had already burned all the way to his dantian! ¡°No¡ª¡± The moment he said this, he felt a crazy and terrifying aura exploding in his dantian! Boom! His pearl of essence broke, and his dantian was damaged! The intense pain made Jiang Yucheng¡¯s vision go blank, and he almost fainted! He had previously used all sorts of methods to store his force, but it started to flow crazily as he had lost control. Everything happened in just one moment. Without waiting for the crowd to react, Jiang Yucheng was already lying on the floor with a pool of blood underneath and looked extremely unkempt. A fist-sized blood hole appeared in his stomach. All the muscles in his body also started cracking due to the impact of his body¡¯s force. Bloody wounds appeared all over his body, looking terrifying! Jiang Yucheng lost some of his consciousness as blood flew into his eyes, causing them to turn red. He lay on the floor and wasn¡¯t sure which part of his body hurt more. It turns out¡­ It turns out it really is her! She had already started planning all of this then¡ªno, perhaps even earlier! The transparent fire quickly spread across Jiang Yucheng¡¯s body! Chu Liuyue looked down at him from above and tilted her head. ¡°How does this feel?¡± They should also experience the heart-wrenching pain I felt back then! Jiang Yucheng wanted to convert his force into a barrier and defend against the transparent fire¡¯s attack, but this fire seed had been buried in his body for a very long time before it directly imploded from the inside. How could he defend against it? Besides, with his damaged pearl of essence, his entire person was just a good-for-nothing. Jiang Lizuo watched on from the side, and his heart ached more than ever. However, everyone had clearly seen that it was Jiang Yucheng who instinctively attacked the Princess earlier! He deserved to die in such circumstances! How would he dare to beg for mercy again? Jiang Lizuo¡¯s vision blurred as he thought of the entire Jiang family¡¯s end. He was devastated as his blood hurled up, and he directly fainted. Immediately, the Black Guards at the side brought him down. The scene in front of them was very messy, but it was also organized in some manner. A smart person could tell that the Princess¡¯s people had already done all the necessary preparations. Everything that happened today was within her control! Jiang Yucheng rolled on the floor in excruciating pain, wanting to extinguish the fire on his body. However, the fire from the Heavenly Square Cauldron was too strong. How could it be settled so easily? Jiang Yucheng could even hear his surrounding bloodstains being burned and making the ¡®zz, zz¡¯ sound. All his muscles, blood, and bones¡­ were suffering immense pain! Finally, Jiang Yucheng spat out a few words with much difficulty. ¡°I-if you want to kill me, just do it!¡± However, Chu Liuyue suddenly raised her bare hands, and the transparent fire seemed to receive the command. The fire rapidly gathered and finally formed a tiny ball before flying into the air and jumping onto Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. If one didn¡¯t take a closer look, they wouldn¡¯t be able to identify that it was a spirit-like, transparent fire spark. Following this, Chu Liuyue raised her sword and tilted the sword tip to slash a wound on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s chest. Without waiting for her ex-fianc¨¦ to react, she flicked her finger, and the fire spark entered Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t bear to kill you now.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°In the future, I think you won¡¯t be lonely with this fire seed accompanying you.¡± Chapter 904 - You Have a Fiancé? From now on, Jiang Yucheng would have to endure the pain and burn in his heart endlessly. And with his pearl of essence being damaged, he could only passively endure this torture! Chu Liuyue had vowed that she would make those people who hurt her repay whatever she had suffered a thousand-fold over. Today was only the beginning. Jiang Yucheng wanted to say something, but the excruciating pain overwhelmed him, causing him to curl up into a ball and lay on the floor with blood everywhere, as lowly as an ant. Who would¡¯ve thought that the high and mighty Jiang Yucheng would eventually end up in such a state? Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze, raised her head slightly, and wanted to go forward. Her feet had been stained with blood at some point, so it looked very terrifying as she left a bloody footprint with every step she took. Countless gazes gathered on her. She clearly had a slim figure and thin shoulders, but her surrounding murderous aura was imposing! Chu Liuyue walked up the nine flights of stairs one by one and looked at Shangguan You. ¡°Father, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t discuss this with you.¡± Even though Qi Han and Jian Fengchi had previously worked together and both of them had vaguely guessed something, she really didn¡¯t tell anyone about what happened later on. Shangguan You shook his head and raised his hand. The Tianling Power Staff seemed to be summoned as it flew into his hands. The next moment, Shangguan You passed the Tianling Power Staff to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Today, I will officially pass you the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s throne! From today onward, you¡¯re the new emperor of Tianling!¡± Chu Liuyue opened her mouth, but she heard Shangguan You continue speaking. ¡°You can do whatever you like from now on! Nobody can hurt you again!¡± This position originally belonged to her. In the entire Tianling Dynasty, nobody was more suited than her! After knowing about what happened back then, Shangguan You actually felt very regretful. If I had passed on the throne to her earlier, Shangguan Wan and the rest wouldn¡¯t covet it. So many troubles might not have happened after that either. Now that she has finally come back safely and with Ancestor here, everything falls into place! Seeing Shangguan You¡¯s eyes filled with doting love, a wave of warmth rushed up Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart as tears welled up in her eyes. She paused and finally took the Tianling Power Staff with both hands. The next moment, the Tianling Power Staff glowed brightly and went straight for the clouds! The suppression boomed! Everyone kneeled down! ¡°Congratulations, Princess, for becoming Emperor!¡± In a land filled with blood, that woman stepped over the boundaries of life and death and came back once more! Chu Liuyue was overwhelmed. From now on, as Tianling thrives or sinks, I am the emperor! ¡­ Today was originally the day when the Third Princess, Shangguan Wan, ascended the throne. However, the news from the palace shocked everyone and instantly caused an uproar in the entire Xi Ling! It turned out that Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng had colluded to harm the Princess and killed her! It turned out that they were also responsible for His Majesty being unconscious for two years! It turned out that the continuous setbacks suffered by Chong Xu Cabinet were orchestrated by Jiang Yucheng! The more important point was¡ªthe Princess didn¡¯t actually die! After exposing all the crimes the duo committed back then, the situation in the entire Tianling Dynasty changed drastically! Everyone in the Xiahou Residence and Jiang Residence was killed! Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng were stripped of their cultivation, their bones were broken, and they were imprisoned! The Black Guard Lieutenant, Mu Qinghe, was removed from his position and was under house arrest in the Mu Residence! Other than this, many people were also implicated and punished at once! It could be said that after this battle, half of Tianling¡¯s imperial court was cleansed! On the same day, the Princess officially ascended the throne and became the emperor! Overnight, Tianling completely changed! ¡­ As a result, the outside world was in a mess. But as the Princess originally held a very high position in many people¡¯s hearts in the Tianling Dynasty, the crowd quickly chose to accept this after knowing the truth. In fact, many people felt that the Princess coming back and ascending the throne was much better than Shangguan Wan doing so. However, they never expected that Chu Liuyue was actually the Princess! Due to this, there were people who doubted her bloodline. But since Shangguan Jing had already appeared, nobody dared to say anything else. The entire Tianling Dynasty was founded by Shangguan Jing alone. Who could refute his words? So after that struggle, there weren¡¯t many objections, and all the arguments were quickly appeased. Quite a few people scolded and showed contempt toward the incident of Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng colluding to harm the Princess. Of course, Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng wouldn¡¯t know what the public said. Shangguan Wan was under house arrest in Huayang Palace. As for Jiang Yucheng¡­ After seeing his entire Jiang family being executed on the second day, he was brought to Huayang Palace but wasn¡¯t placed in the same room as Shangguan Wan. They were a couple after all, and Chu Liuyue felt that it wasn¡¯t good to purposely separate them. It was quite good to fulfill their wishes of being a deserted couple. ¡­ The treatment of everyone in the palace was done for three whole days. Everywhere was filled with an intense, bloody aura that only disappeared completely a few days later. However, Chu Liuyue handed all of these things to the Thirteen Yue Guards as she rapidly took over the many matters of the imperial court. As the changes were too drastic and impacted many areas, she had to attend to quite a few matters personally. Luckily, she was already used to doing all of this before, so it wasn¡¯t hard for her to take over and quickly arrange everything cleanly. This day, she read and approved the last bit of documents and finally heaved a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to go out, she coincidentally saw Shangguan You pacing back and forth as if he were hesitating about something. ¡°Father, why are you here?¡± Hearing the voice, Shangguan You turned around. After a few days of rest, the former emperor looked much better. However, his expression still seemed hesitant. ¡°Um¡­ Yue¡¯er, I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Father, you can just say it directly.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. What can make Father have such a reaction? Logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t have much to worry about now. Shangguan You coughed as he carefully glanced at Chu Liuyue. After a moment of hesitation, he finally said, ¡°Um¡­ I heard that you already have a fianc¨¦ in Country Yao Chen?¡± Chapter 905 - Who is Scolding Me Chu Liuyue did not expect her father to come for this, so she couldn¡¯t help but laugh and nod. ¡°That is true. Father, where did you hear this news from?¡± Shangguan You didn¡¯t expect his daughter to admit it in such a straightforward manner, and he was slightly shocked. ¡°Oh, I coincidentally talked to Old Song for a while the day before¡­¡± Everyone in Chong Xu Cabinet knew of Rong Xiu¡¯s existence. After all, he had personally visited them and even gave them quite a few substantial gifts, so it was hard to even forget about him. Chu Liuyue had been busy with court matters for the past few days, so she didn¡¯t even have the chance to sit down and talk to Weichi Song and the rest. However, she originally had no intentions of hiding it, so she nodded in understanding. ¡°I see¡­ I didn¡¯t think of hiding this from you. I was just too busy recently, so I didn¡¯t have the time to talk to you about it.¡± Shangguan You felt more at ease. It should be fine if my daughter is so honest about it. ¡°Then¡­ How is he as a person? I heard that he¡¯s a prince from Yao Chen. He¡¯s called¡­ Rong Xiu, right? How old is he? What¡¯s his cultivation level? Most importantly, how does he treat you?¡± Shangguan You didn¡¯t hold it in and voiced all his doubts. Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. ¡°Father, you didn¡¯t come here to see me today but to specifically ask about Rong Xiu, right?¡± After being exposed, Shangguan You was embarrassed for a moment. This concerned his most precious daughter¡¯s marriage after all, so he naturally had to be meticulous and careful about it. ¡°Ahem! K-kind of! He¡¯s your husband after all, but I haven¡¯t even seen him yet¡­¡± With Jiang Yucheng¡¯s incident fresh in his mind, Shangguan You was now scarred and terrified that Chu Liuyue would meet another indecent chap. He didn¡¯t want the incident of two years prior happening again. Even though Chu Liuyue saw that he looked very nonchalant, how could she not notice the worry and nervousness in her father¡¯s eyes? Her heart felt warm as her red lips curled up, and she nodded seriously. ¡°He¡¯s very good and treats me very well.¡± Shangguan You observed her expression in detail and saw that she looked secure when she talked about Rong Xiu and that her eyes would shine brightly. It was as if spring bloomed on her face. This was the expression one would only have when they liked someone very much. He had never seen such an expression on his daughter before. Even when she took the initiative to say that she wanted to get engaged with Jiang Yucheng back then, she didn¡¯t show such an expression. Shangguan You had lived more than half his life after all, and as a former ruler, he was very good at reading people. My precious daughter really likes that Rong Xiu! Shangguan You heaved a slight sigh of relief but became vaguely worried. On the one hand, he was worried that Yue¡¯er would be very defensive after experiencing the double betrayal from Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan and would push everyone outside her wall. On the other hand, he was also afraid that this Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t be able to give Yue¡¯er the best. She had already suffered too much. He didn¡¯t want her to endure even a little more pain. ¡°Since this is so¡­ Now that many things in Xi Ling have been solved, why don¡¯t we find a time and ask him to come to Xi Ling?¡± It¡¯s natural for Father to want to see his son-in-law. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°Sure.¡± After all, it isn¡¯t like he hasn¡¯t come before. Now that everything is settled, I also want to tell him about my true identity seriously. Hearing Chu Liuyue say this, Shangguan You nodded but still looked hesitant. Chu Liuyue inched closer toward him in confusion. ¡°Father, is there something else you want to say?¡± Shangguan You immediately denied it. ¡°No, no!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him lazily, and it was clear that she could see through him. Shangguan You instantly felt awkward as he stuttered for a while before softly asking, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. B-but¡­ I just heard that Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t seem to be in the best of health?¡± Chu Liuyue almost burst out into laughter. ¡°Did you go and check on Rong Xiu¡¯s background when you didn¡¯t come here for the past few days?¡± After being exposed on the spot, Shangguan You instantly felt very awkward as his face flushed. ¡°I was just worried about you, so¡­ I asked around in private¡­¡± Country Yao Chen was outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy, but it was still possible if Shangguan You wanted to ask around for some news. However, the things he heard were rather unsettling. Everything else is fine, but his physique¡­ It seems like he was ill when he was in his mother¡¯s womb and couldn¡¯t get better afterward. This made Shangguan You worried. Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and her eyes curved up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not any less talented or capable than me, and he¡¯s even stronger than me. Everything else is just hearsay.¡± Shangguan You was first stunned before he raised his brows slightly, looking like he did not believe her. ¡°Yue¡¯er, even if you want to put in a good word for him, you don¡¯t need to exaggerate to this extent, right? Even in the entire Xi Ling, we might not even be able to find a person that¡¯s more outstanding than you, let alone one Yao Chen?¡± It wasn¡¯t that he looked down on Yao Chen, but it was indeed rather insignificant when compared to the Tianling Dynasty. Chu Liuyue shook her head and said sincerely, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you¡¯ll naturally find out when he comes.¡± Actually, there were still some unknown things between her and Rong Xiu¡ªlike her identity as the Princess and¡­ his identity as His Grace! Seeing how confident Chu Liuyue was, Shangguan You half-believed her but still nodded in agreement. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. As long as he¡¯s as outstanding as you claim, I¡¯ll definitely support you two! You don¡¯t have to care about the rest!¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. ¡°The rest¡­? What other things?¡± Shangguan You¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he stammered, ¡°N-nothing much¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Ahem, just¡­ You see, now that you came back safely and have been crowned as emperor, the imperial court officials are all quite concerned about your marriage¡­¡± Shangguan You carefully glanced at her. ¡°This¡­ You also know that there are quite a few handsome and talented young men in Xi Ling City who¡­ For you, the second son of Officer Zhao hasn¡¯t married anyone yet¡­ The Xun family has also been requesting to see you for a few days already¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. What is going on? I haven¡¯t even sat stably on the throne, yet they¡¯re already starting to propose marriage to me? ¡°There is no need to be in such a hurry¡­¡± ¡°How can they not be in a hurry? Most of the emperors in the Tianling Dynasty were already married when they ascended the throne, and some of them got married on their ascension day. The minority of them also had marriage agreements. Only you¡ªthey don¡¯t really know about your marriage agreement now. But even if they know¡­¡± Shangguan You didn¡¯t finish his remaining words, but Chu Liuyue knew what he meant: Even if they knew that she already had a marriage agreement with Rong Xiu, they wouldn¡¯t care for it. Even if he was a prince, he wouldn¡¯t be worthy of the distinguished Tianling Emperor¡ªChu Liuyue¡ªin their eyes as he was from a small country outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy! ¡­ At the same time, in Ping Liang Square outside Xi Ling City. A bulky figure just walked out of the transportation formation. He wore a hood and covered his face, so he looked rather unreal. Not many people walking back and forth noticed him. He looked up at the ancient and vintage Xi Ling City and suddenly sneezed. Rong Xiu rubbed his nose and muttered softly and nasally, sounding extremely lazy. ¡°Who is scolding me?¡± Chapter 906 - Cancel Marriage Agreement Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was in the palace¡ªhad yet to know the news of Rong Xiu arriving at Xi Ling. After comforting her father with much difficulty, she went straight to Huayang Palace. The once glamorous and crowded Huayang Palace was now cold and quiet. Other than the Black Guards guarding inside and outside the palace, there wasn¡¯t even a single palace maid serving them. Chu Liuyue walked straight all the way and directly entered the main hall of Huayang Palace. After entering the room, an awful smell attacked her nose! The entire room was in a mess and extremely dirty. Inside that mountain of rubbish, one could forcefully see a person lying there¡ªit was Shangguan Wan! As nobody took care of her injuries, they kept rotting repeatedly. But every day, Qi Han would specifically make a trip here to feed her a pill and extend her life. Due to this, she couldn¡¯t die or faint and could only tolerate this terrifying pain clearly. Day and night, without an end. Hearing the noise, Shangguan Wan thought that Qi Han was here, so she didn¡¯t move at all. Anyway, she had no strength to struggle and could only live every day in a deathly state. After the long torture in the past few days, she was already void of all thoughts. The only wish she had was to be lucky enough one day to die directly. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re living quite well.¡± A familiar voice sounded. Shangguan Wan was stunned as she looked up in shock and realized the incoming person was Chu Liuyue! Today, the latter was wearing a pure white dress. Her hair drooped down, with only a peach blossom hairpin attached to it. At first glance, she was pure, elegant, and charming. Who would¡¯ve expected that such a person would use such a cruel method to force Shangguan Wan into such a state? It was as if the surrounding dirt had nothing to do with her as she stood there in a high and mighty manner. Shangguan Wan knew that she had come back. She really came back! ¡°Wh-what do you want?¡± Shangguan Wan struggled to spit out that sentence, but it was weak. Chu Liuyue simply smiled. ¡°I came here to ask you who exactly the soul that escaped that day was. How is he related to you, and what did he help you do?¡± Shangguan Wan kept silent for a moment. ¡°I can say it if you want me to, but¡­ If I say it, you have to promise that you¡¯ll directly kill me!¡± I really can¡¯t carry on living such days! Chu Liuyue raised her brows, and her eyes had a hint of a smile. ¡°Do you think you still have the right to bargain with me? Say it if you want, but if you don¡¯t¡­ I have a lot of time to wait.¡± Then, she directly turned around and seemed to leave! Seeing how decisive she was, Shangguan Wan panicked. ¡°Wait¡ªI¡¯ll say it! I¡¯ll say it now!¡± As if afraid that Chu Liuyue would go back on her words, she took a deep breath in and spurted out everything in her mind. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know when that person entered my body, and I don¡¯t know who he is. All these years, he has always been the one instigating me to do things. H-he was also the one who hinted me to harm you back then! A-and the way to heal my Yuan meridian¡­¡± Chu Liuyue half-squinted her eyes and thought for a moment. ¡°He was the one who taught you to attack those people at Dahuang Swamp back then?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± ¡°This means that he long hated me from the start and manipulated you into doing so?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If it weren¡¯t for him, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have the guts! I swear!¡± Chu Liuyue paused, and many thoughts flashed across her mind. Given Shangguan Wan¡¯s current appearance, her words must be true. I purposely locked her up and tortured her for so many days. On the one hand, I want her to repay her debt from back then. On the other hand, I want to push her to the breaking point and make her honestly speak the truth. At this point, she has no reason to lie anymore. It seems like I can¡¯t find out more from this end. Chu Liuyue was slightly disappointed. It¡¯s expected that such a strong person can control Shangguan Wan. Perhaps Shangguan Wan doesn¡¯t even understand that person as much as Ancestor. ¡°Was it your idea to attack me or Jiang Yucheng¡¯s?¡± Chu Liuyue changed the topic. ¡°It was his idea! He willingly came to look for me. H-he said that he liked me and wanted to be together with me forever¡­¡± Shangguan Wan said, but her voice gradually trembled. She felt that she was a fool played by Jiang Yucheng, but she didn¡¯t even know! It was a pity that she had a crush on Jiang Yucheng for many years back then, so how could she differentiate the truth? ¡°When he looked for me back then, he had already started poisoning you. From start to end, it was always Jiang Yucheng who wanted to harm you! Even though I hate you, I never had the plan or the guts to do it¡­ Speaking of which, I was just his assistant. If you want to take revenge, just look for him!¡± As Shangguan Wan talked, she laughed in a self-mocking manner. ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s quite funny. His study has a portrait of you from ten years ago. He already liked you since the day you became of marriageable age, but in the end, didn¡¯t he kill you as well?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. I can¡¯t live up to Jiang Yucheng¡¯s so-called ¡®like.¡¯ As for why he wanted to harm me, I have to ask him clearly to find out the truth. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue turned around to leave. Shangguan Wan hurriedly called her and wanted the latter to end her, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had long disappeared. After yelling so much, Shangguan Wan¡¯s throat became hoarse. It also bled again, and she gradually fainted. Not long later, Qi Han came over and woke her up again so that she could endure the pain and torture that would never end! ¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care much about what happened in the main hall. The Thirteen Yue Guards had been by her side for a very long time, so they naturally would help her with a lot of things. After stepping out, she turned and entered the side hall. Jiang Yucheng was inside, and his condition wasn¡¯t any better than that of Shangguan Wan. However, his mental state was much stronger than that of the latter. Hearing the noise, he gradually looked up. When he saw the familiar yet strange face, his heart tingled slightly, and his eyes rippled. Even though Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t dress up elaborately today, she no longer hid her aura after she recovered her status. She was even colder and more distant than before. Even if she was only wearing a simple dress, she was still so captivating that one couldn¡¯t look away. Perhaps it was a hallucination, but Jiang Yucheng vaguely felt that Chu Liuyue seemed to become increasingly similar to Shangguan Yue from back then. If one previously said that she was only 50% similar¡ªwith 20% being due to her features and the other 30% being due to her mannerisms¡ª then the appearance of the young woman gradually blooming was already 70% similar to how she was back then. This was especially so when Shangguan Yue was also this age back then¡­ They really did seem to be carved out of the same mold. How could there be two people born in such a similar manner in the world? Perhaps they became increasingly similar as the inner soul changed? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what he was thinking at this point as she openly asked, ¡°I came here to ask you about something today. Have I ever told you to cancel the marriage agreement?¡± Chapter 907 - Of Course Not Jiang Yucheng¡¯s eyes shrunk slightly, and a faint light rapidly flashed across his eyes before disappearing the next moment. After a while, he said, ¡°Nope.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Actually, she had a long dream on the night she exposed her identity and officially ascended the throne. The dream was in bits and pieces, and they were discontinuous parts. After she woke up, she forgot most of it and only vaguely remembered a few scenes. Other than the octagonal pavilion she had once seen beside the cliff, there were still many unfamiliar scenes in her dream. She had never been to those places before, but she found them extra familiar for some reason. The key was that she remembered the details of some scenes very clearly. It was like¡­ she had seen them before. After she woke up, she tried to draw these scenes. But the moment she lifted the brush, she forgot everything completely. Not even a vague outline remained. Other than the octagonal pavilion on the cliff, all the other places became a blur. Other than this, the clearest view was actually Thousand View Garden. She dreamed that she stood beside the lake and that Jiang Yucheng was standing in front of her. She seemed to have vaguely said a sentence with some sensitive terms. Marriage agreement, cancellation, agreement¡­ Chu Liuyue thought of it for a very long time after she woke up, and she felt that this wasn¡¯t completely a dream. Perhaps many things inside were related to the portion of memory she had lost! If all those had actually happened before¡­ Chu Liuyue guessed that she wanted to cancel the marriage agreement when she went to find Jiang Yucheng back then. After a few days, she then came here to meet him and ask the question. However, she didn¡¯t expect Jiang Yucheng to deny it. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe him completely and asked again, ¡°Really?¡± Jiang Yucheng saw her doubtful appearance and suddenly revealed a strange smile for some reason. ¡°Given things are in this state, why should I lie to you about this?¡± Back then, she truly didn¡¯t say that she wanted to cancel the marriage agreement. This was because they had just picked a time to set the marriage agreement, but she then found him to cancel this agreement before they could even do it. She just said it was because she had someone she liked. However, she still settled the marriage agreement in the end. But that was afterward. Her asking such a question clearly meant that she had completely forgotten about what happened back then. Jiang Yucheng had no interest in explaining anything, much less repeating whatever happened back then. After all, those experiences were nothing worth remembering and recalling for him. Chu Liuyue sized Jiang Yucheng up and kept thinking if his words were true. ¡°Yesterday, the Jiang family¡¯s residence was seized. She suddenly changed the topic. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, but it disappeared the next moment as his eyes showed a faint bloody red. However, he controlled his entire expression very well as if he had nothing to do with this. In actual fact, the moment he was dragged to see the Jiang family being executed, he had predicted all of this. Or perhaps he had thought of such a scenario from the moment he decided to attack her. However, he was always confident in the past and thought that he wouldn¡¯t mess up, let alone that she could still come back alive. ¡°They all died because of you.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him. ¡°Before your sister¡ªJiang Yuzhi¡ªdied, she was still yelling your name. You should¡¯ve heard it, right?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s veins throbbed. Of course, I heard it¡ªloud and clear! Blood covered the floor back then, and the tens of energetic lives suddenly lost their vitality the next moment, leaving behind a pool of nothingness. Jiang Yucheng gradually closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the emotions had completely disappeared, leaving behind cold nonchalance. ¡°The winner is king, and losers are nothing. This is your revenge against me; I¡¯ll take it.¡± No matter how much he begged for a savior and mercy, it couldn¡¯t change the outcome. Usurping the throne and all his other crimes¡­ Not to mention Chu Liuyue, anybody else related to this wouldn¡¯t let him off easily! Besides, his pearl of essence was now broken, and he was covered in injuries. He couldn¡¯t even be compared to a normal person. What else could he do other than be sorrowful and angry? And all of this actually had no use since it just gave him more pain. After turning numb, he became much better. Chu Liuyue smiled. Jiang Yucheng could really look past this, or perhaps he is sufficiently cold and selfish. It¡¯s clearly him who implicated the thousands of people in the entire Jiang family, but in the end, he doesn¡¯t seem regretful at all. This was because he didn¡¯t even care about those people! It was the same for even his parents and biological sister. He might have some love for them, but he still cared about himself the most. If someone else had met with this incident, they would¡¯ve committed suicide as they couldn¡¯t tolerate the pressure from the guilt and self-reproach. But Jiang Yucheng did not. From a certain angle, he could be considered quite the character. If he didn¡¯t have such a mental capacity and abilities, how could he silently prepare everything back then and betray her in one shot?! ¡°I found this in your study.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly took out a rectangular wooden box. As they were afraid that the Jiang family still had some dangerous items, Qin Yi had also followed them over during the search. Later on, he sent this item over. When Jiang Yucheng saw that wooden box, her expression cracked for a moment. Chu Liuyue glanced at him, opened the wooden box, and took out a scroll. Her hands then shook slightly, and the painting instantly expanded! It was a painting of a woman¡ªShangguan Yue from back then! When Chu Liuyue saw this portrait, she was also quite stunned. From the appearance of this painting and the footer, it seemed like Jiang Yucheng had painted it on the day she became of marriageable age. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s so-called thinking of me for ten years¡ªwhich Shangguan Wan previously mentioned¡ªshould be referring to this. Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you would actually leave behind such a thing after you attacked me back then.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face paled for a moment as if someone had exposed the secret that he had buried for a long time, and he seemed lost. He admitted that he did like her. If not, there wouldn¡¯t be a marriage agreement in the first place. But now that she suddenly produced this painting, he felt very awkward for some reason. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not interested in your ten years of longing,¡± said Chu Liuyue lazily, but her gaze was as sharp as a knife. ¡°I want to ask you: When exactly did you decide to betray me?¡± There was no love in this world that came without a reason nor hatred that came from nowhere. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really believe it if Jiang Yucheng said he did it for the throne. If he got married to her, he could still get the power he desired. The more he liked her back then, the more it proved that a shocking secret hid behind this heart-wrenching betrayal! Chapter 908 - That Letter Chapter 908: That Letter Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s interrogation, Jiang Yucheng chose to be silent. He shut his mouth and refused to say anything. He even averted his gaze and turned his body as if he had no intention of continuing the conversation with Chu Liuyue. Smack! Chu Liuyue snapped her fingers. A red fire immediately rose from her fingers, and the painting suddenly burned. Jiang Yucheng heard the commotion, and he abruptly turned around. Seeing this scene, the veins on his forehead throbbed. ¡°Since you refuse to say anything, we won¡¯t talk anymore. As for this painting¡­ You should¡¯ve burned it the day you decided to kill me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was cold and heartless. Seeing this portrait would just make me disgusted. I wonder who he was acting devoted to all these years? If he liked me even one bit, he wouldn¡¯t have done all those things back then. Ridiculous¡ªa joke! The painting was rapidly swallowed by the fire seedling and eventually turned into ashes. When the last spark was extinguished, there was a hint of emotion on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face. He seemed to want to snatch the painting over, but he didn¡¯t do anything in the end. Chu Liuyue looked at him with deep meaning before turning around to leave. When her figure disappeared, the room resumed its deadly silence. Not long later, a miserable cry was heard in the main hall beside the side hall. Hatred surfaced on Jiang Yucheng¡¯s face. That was Shangguan Wan¡¯s shout. It seemed like it was time for her to be tortured again. Such a cry would be heard almost every day. Even without looking, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what kind of terrifying pain the owner of the voice was experiencing. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s heart suddenly had a burning sensation as his face flashed white, and he slowly bent down. ¡­ After handling all of this, Chu Liuyue planned to go back to Shaoyue Palace first. Even though her status was different from before, she still stayed in the same place. Just as she walked past the entrance of Shaoyue Palace, she saw a familiar figure¡ªQiang Wanzhou. He seemed to be waiting for her. After hearing the footsteps, he looked up. Chu Liuyue was quite shocked and walked over. ¡°Little Zhou, why did you come back so quickly?¡± She had previously asked Qiang Wanzhou to do a favor for her¡ªbring Chu Ning over from Country Yao Chen. When she left Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City back then, Chu Ning only knew that she followed Mu Qinghe over to the Tianling Dynasty. He didn¡¯t know that she came back to take revenge, and naturally, he knew nothing of her true identity. When everything was settled, she planned on inviting Chu Ning over for a reunion and telling him the truth. The original Chu Liuyue was already dead, and it was her who was living in this body. Even though this was too cruel to tell a father, it was unavoidable. Now that she had already recovered her identity in Tianling, she couldn¡¯t pretend to be the Chu Liuyue from back then. She had already thought of a plan. As long as Chu Ning was willing, she would be his daughter for the rest of her life. No matter if he decided to stay in Xi Ling in the end or return to Yao Chen, she would respect his choice and do her best to accompany and take care of him. Even though she only spent less than a year with Chu Ning after being reborn, she already thought of the latter as her real father. Walking to Qiang Wanzhou, Chu Liuyue then discovered that his expression was amiss. She immediately felt uneasy. Then, she heard Qiang Wanzhou say, ¡°Lord Chu Ning is gone.¡± ¡­ Dead silence filled the study of Shaoyue Palace. Chu Liuyue stood at the top, and Qiang Wanzhou was five steps in front of her. The air slowly froze inch by inch. ¡°¡­This means that he was already missing when you reached Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°Yes. I asked around, and all of them said that Lord Chu Ning had set off for Tianling alone a month ago. They said¡­ they received a letter from you. I even heard that many were very envious of him, but when I went to Heaven¡¯s Canopy to check, there were no traces of Lord Chu Ning appearing.¡± Even though Qiang Wanzhou hadn¡¯t seen Chu Ning before, Chu Liuyue had shown him a portrait earlier on. Hence, he would definitely recognize the older man once he saw him. Besides, he was very strong. His movement techniques were agile, and he had quite a few trump cards with him. Even if he acted on his own, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t be worried. Everything was originally arranged nicely, but she never expected that Chu Ning wasn¡¯t at Yao Chen. ¡°I¡¯ve never written my father a letter to ask him to come to Xi Ling.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned cold and solemn as if a thin layer of frost covered it. If the rumors are true, then who sent the letter? If the rumors are fake, it¡¯s even more troublesome. This is because it means that we won¡¯t even know where he went. Searching for a person in this entire world is akin to finding a needle in a haystack! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly, and a thought popped up in her mind. ¡°Call Qi Han over.¡± ¡­ The moment Qi Han entered the room, he noticed that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right. ¡°Your Highness.¡± He cupped his fists and respectfully greeted the emperor. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say any nonsense as she directly asked, ¡°Qi Han, you¡¯ve always been responsible for the letters between my father and me, right?¡± Qi Han was dazed but immediately said, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Other than the initial letter I wrote to my father¡ªwhich told him to stay safe¡ªI¡¯ve never written a second one. Did Father ever reply?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and knocked against the table. ¡°The news that Little Zhou got was that Father started his journey to Xi Ling a month ago as he received a letter from me. However, there are no signs of him even now.¡± Upon hearing this, Qi Han also realized the severity of the situation. He thought carefully. ¡°There¡¯s no¡ª¡± The moment he opened his mouth, he suddenly thought of something, and his expression was solemn. ¡°Ms. Mu¡¯s parents previously sent a letter over, and I gave it to Young Master Jian. Perhaps something was written on that letter?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and walked outside. ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked extremely quickly as she went all the way to Dragon Teeth Mountain. When she reached the bottom of the mountain, the guarding disciples saw the incoming person and wanted to stop her. They then saw the incoming person take off her hood, revealing a breathtaking appearance. ¡°Where¡¯s Jian Fengchi?¡± Chu Liuyue had come here before. In addition to matters like the clan competition and the Wan Zheng Competition, quite a few people knew her. Due to her shocking identity, everyone in Xi Ling had been talking about her in recent times. The guarding disciples didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly appear in this place at this time. ¡°Greetings, Your High¡ªYour Majesty!¡± The two hurriedly bowed. However, they recalled that she was already the emperor when they greeted her halfway, so they hurriedly changed the title. ¡°Young Master is coincidentally on the mountain today. I¡¯ll bring you over right away.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go there myself.¡± Chu Liuyue left this sentence behind and hurriedly went up the mountain. When she was halfway there, she coincidentally met Mu Hongyu. Seeing that it was her friend, Mu Hongyu was very surprised. ¡°Liuyue? Why are you here?¡± She hurriedly rushed over and was about to pounce onto Chu Liuyue when she quickly stopped herself. She had actually forgotten that Liuyue was no longer ¡®Liuyue¡¯ now. However, Chu Liuyue grabbed her hand instantly. ¡°In the letter your father and mother sent you, did they ever mention my father?¡± Chapter 909 - Seen Him Before Mu Hongyu was dazed. ¡°I think they did¡­ Hold on.¡± As she spoke, she searched through her Cosmic Ring and pulled out a letter not long later. She had always kept the letters from Country Yao Chen carefully. ¡°Young Master passed me this letter a few days ago¡­¡± said Mu Hongyu as she passed the letter over. ¡°There¡¯s a sentence here¡­¡± Chu Liuyue opened the letter and skimmed through it. As expected, the last sentence mentioned that Chu Ning had received her letter and planned on coming to Xi Ling to reunite with her. During that period, Mu Hongyu¡¯s parents had been staying in the Imperial City and heard of this news. They were still very envious and wanted to come along to see Mu Hongyu, but considering all the other aspects, they couldn¡¯t go with him in the end. Chu Liuyue looked at the date on the footer, and it was indeed from a month ago. She knitted her brows tightly. Thousands of miles separate Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City and Xi Ling, and there is even a Heaven¡¯s Canopy in between! What kind of news did Father receive that made him come to Xi Ling so swiftly? One has to know that with his current abilities, it¡¯s impossible for him to find those transportation formations if nobody led him over. He also wouldn¡¯t arrive safely. He wouldn¡¯t be ignorant to these reasons, but he still did it¡­ Was it because he was confident, someone ¡®helped¡¯ him, or perhaps¡­ he was threatened? Now that so long has passed, I wonder how Father is¡­ Seeing how solemn Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was, Mu Hongyu also felt that something was wrong. ¡°What? Is there something wrong on Uncle¡¯s side?¡± Chu Liuyue simply recounted the incident to her. Mu Hongyu shockingly said, ¡°You didn¡¯t ask him to come? I really thought you sent him a letter to ask him to come over!¡± When she received this letter, it was coincidentally after Chu Liuyue announced her identity. Back then, she was still immersed in the shock that Chu Liuyue was actually Shangguan Yue. So after she saw this letter, she naturally thought that her friend had done preparations earlier on and wanted to directly invite Chu Ning over after everything was settled. Now that she thought about it, it wasn¡¯t even the case! Chu Liuyue held the letter tightly and knitted her brows. An idea then popped up in her mind. This person clearly used my name to do this to my father, but¡­ who could it be? Someone who could do all of this must firstly be from Heaven¡¯s Canopy, and the more important thing is that he must know me very well. If not, the other party definitely wouldn¡¯t think of using her father. Why did the other party do this? To threaten me? But even now, I haven¡¯t received any news. If I didn¡¯t send Qiang Wanzhou to Country Yao Chen, I might not even know of my father being missing. ¡°Hm? Why are you standing around?¡± Just as the two people fell silent, Jian Fengchi suddenly arrived. He waved the fan in his hands and smiled happily as he walked over, but his gaze was glued to Chu Liuyue. He kept sizing her up as if he had never seen her before. Walking nearer to her, he then closed his fan, cupped his fists, and slightly bent his back to greet her. ¡°Greetings¡­ Your Majesty.¡± He really never expected that Shangguan Yue hadn¡¯t died and would even come back with another identity! He kept feeling that Chu Liuyue was very familiar¡­ It turned out she was her! Now that they had met again, the feeling was quite strange. Seeing the rather solemn expressions on the duo and that Chu Liuyue was holding onto the letter he passed to Mu Hongyu earlier¡­ There seems to be something wrong? ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Jian Fengchi as his gaze swiftly switched between the two. Chu Liuyue returned the letter to Mu Hongyu and briefly explained the incident. Jian Fengchi gradually knitted his brows and knocked the fan against his hands. ¡°After you came back to Xi Ling, you did offend quite a few people, but¡­ I don¡¯t think many can touch Lord Chu Ning, right?¡± Even though Chu Liuyue had already ascended the throne now, Jian Fengchi had always been daring and carefree. As he was used to being relaxed in front of her, he still talked in the same casual manner as before. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it either as she nodded slightly. ¡°I originally thought I could find some clues in this letter, but¡­¡± The letter¡¯s content was about the same as what Qiang Wanzhou found out, and they couldn¡¯t find more clues. ¡°Do you not have a way to find Lord Chu Ning?¡± asked Jian Fengchi strangely. According to her usual meticulous and smart nature, she should be prepared. Besides, when she left the Imperial City back then and came all the way to Xi Ling, she should¡¯ve been more careful in this aspect. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re too far apart.¡± Back then, she did leave something with Chu Ning to confirm each other¡¯s locations and safety. But now that the two of them were so far apart, how could they detect each other? ¡°Then, the only way now is to find him as best we can.¡± Jian Fengchi was silent for a moment. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t announce this matter.¡± To Chu Liuyue now, this matter could be said to be difficult and easy at the same time. Now that she had already recovered her identity and the entire Tianling was under her control, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to send people to find a person¡¯s whereabouts. But the key was that Chu Ning¡¯s identity was special¡ªhe was the biological father of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue¡¯s status was different from before. Besides, Shangguan You was already awake and was staying in the palace. Then, Chu Ning¡¯s existence would become awkward. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to look for him in private, but without any clues and the world being so big, it¡¯s akin to finding a needle in a haystack.¡± Seeing her worried expression, Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but pat her friend¡¯s hands. ¡°Liuyue, don¡¯t worry. Uncle is blessed, and nothing will happen to him.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I hope so.¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at the duo¡¯s overlapped hands, and his gaze flickered. Shangguan Yue is indeed different from before. When she was the Princess in the past, even though she was also very friendly, she always had a faint distant and elegant aura to her. It wasn¡¯t done on purpose, but it was because she was too outstanding since birth, causing her personality to have an unspeakable loneliness to it. Let alone others, even the children in the Tianling royal family weren¡¯t very close to her. Everyone instinctively admired her and would thus naturally keep a distance from her. Perhaps this was also the reason she treated Shangguan Wan¡ªwho she had been closer to¡ªso well. And even the later Mu Qinghe¡­ But after surviving the ordeal and coming back, her personality has undergone a clear change. She has her most trusted friend and also many things she didn¡¯t have in the past. Her entire person became more genuine. Thinking of this, Jian Fengchi hesitated for a moment and finally asked, ¡°Have you gone to see Mu Qinghe?¡± Chapter 910 - You Can Speak First Chu Liuyue¡¯s lashes moved slightly as she looked up at him. ¡°Not yet. Why?¡± ¡°Ahem, nothing. I just¡­ casually asked.¡± Jian Fengchi clenched his fist, put it by his lips, and coughed. Chu Liuyue raised her brows and asked, ¡°I remember that you seem to be quite close to Mu Qinghe, right?¡± Jian Fengchi frowned in his heart. When she talked to Mu Hongyu, she did it in such a friendly and intimate manner. But when she talked to me, she said her words so formally. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s afraid that I¡¯ll forget her current identity. I previously did help quite a bit after all. Why is she treating me differently now? However, he didn¡¯t dare to say this out loud directly. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve recalled wrongly.¡± Jian Fengchi averted his gaze, and it floated around. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t you clearly know how our relationship is?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. ¡°Yeah. I still remember that when Hongyu¡¯s mother was ill, Mu Qinghe directly invited you to go to Country Yao Chen to help out.¡± If they didn¡¯t have a solid relationship, according to Jian Fengchi¡¯s personality, why would he come so far to treat someone? Later on, Mu Qinghe also directly entrusted me to Jian Fengchi and told him to bring me back to Xi Ling. Every single incident can clearly prove that the duo interacted quite a bit in private and that they trust each other a lot. It¡¯s now too late to say that they aren¡¯t on good terms. Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression froze for a moment. Why did I forget that Chu Liuyue also knows all those things from before and also remembers it clearly! Seeing that he could not deny it, Jian Fengchi could only explain in a blurry manner, ¡°Your Majesty, if you must say this¡­ Actually, there¡¯s nothing wrong¡­ Mu Qinghe is still the assistant commander of the Black Guards after all. His status isn¡¯t low, and he holds great power. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to interact with him for quite a bit?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning. It was fine if Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t say this, but because he said it, it further proved that he¡¯s guilty. She slowly said, ¡°Oh, if this is so¡­ When I was the Princess, didn¡¯t I hold a higher position and more power than him? But you still didn¡¯t give me any face? Did you change your personality?¡± Jian Fengchi was stumped, and he couldn¡¯t say anything as he knew he was in the wrong. ¡°Since this is so, you can accompany me to the Mu Residence.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Coincidentally, I have many things that I want to ask you about.¡± ¡­ Arriving at the Mu Residence and seeing the familiar door, Jian Fengchi felt extremely regretful. Why didn¡¯t I hold my mouth back? If I didn¡¯t take the initiative to talk about this, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be forcefully brought over! The people in charge of guarding Mu Qinghe were still Black Guards, but the previous batch was Mu Qinghe¡¯s confidants. Hence, they were all changed. When the guards standing at the front saw the duo arriving, they were first shocked and were about to bow when they saw Chu Liuyue waving her hands. ¡°Where¡¯s Mu Qinghe?¡± One of the guards hurriedly said, ¡°Lieutenant Mu¡ªhe¡¯s been in the residence all along. Officer Si Jing is here too.¡± Previously, Chu Liuyue sent Si Jing to bring Mu Qinghe back, and he stayed here all along. Mu Qinghe¡¯s cultivation base wasn¡¯t removed, so only people of Si Jing¡¯s level could restrain him. Chu Liuyue nodded slightly and walked in directly. Jian Fengchi struggled internally and wondered if he should go in when he saw Chu Liuyue turn around and glance at him. Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart instantly trembled, and he still obediently followed her in. The moment they entered the yard, Si Jing heard the noise and directly came out. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The Thirteen Yue Guards were directly under Chu Liuyue, so although she had already ascended the throne, they were still used to calling her ¡®Your Highness.¡¯ Chu Liuyue was very direct. ¡°I brought Hong Yao and Young Master Jian over to see Mu Qinghe.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Si Jing glanced at Jian Fengchi strangely. There is nothing strange about Her Highness and Hong Yao coming, but what has it got to do with Jian Fengchi? But he didn¡¯t ask further. ¡°Mu Qinghe is in the practice area in the backyard.¡± Even though Mu Qinghe was under house arrest in the Mu Residence and wasn¡¯t allowed to go out, he was rather free in this area. Anyway, a barrier and a Xuan formation were already set up outside, so Mu Qinghe couldn¡¯t escape. Arriving at the practice area, Chu Liuyue saw Mu Qinghe practicing the sword in the empty arena. Hearing the noise, he stopped his actions and turned around. When he realized it was Chu Liuyue, there was a surge of emotions in his eyes. However, his eyes quickly calmed down and regained their usual nonchalance and calmness. Hong Yao flew over and was pacing back and forth hesitantly in front of Chu Liuyue. It looked between Chu Liuyue and Mu Qinghe in a very aggrieved and pitiful manner. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Okay, he¡¯s your Master after all. If you want to go, go ahead.¡± With this sentence, Hong Yao happily snuggled against her face and flew toward Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe saw a green figure rushing toward him, and he looked hesitant. It¡¯s best if Hong Yao can follow her. It doesn¡¯t seem very good if it is too intimate with me. However, Hong Yao had been very worried about him these few days. Now that it finally saw him, it just directly rushed over. Why would it care about the rest? It directly bumped into Mu Qinghe¡¯s arms. Mu Qinghe had no other choice but to hold it. He then gently patted Hong Yao¡¯s head. Tears welled up in Hong Yao¡¯s eyes and were about to drop, but the fiend managed to hold them back in time. Mu Qinghe glanced at it with a complicated gaze. It was only a superficial way of explaining that Chu Liuyue left him behind because of Hong Yao. She definitely wouldn¡¯t let anyone that betrayed her off easily. Logically speaking, he should¡¯ve been executed on that day. But¡­ no. She left him alive and didn¡¯t punish him at all, just putting him under house arrest in the Mu Residence. Other than some restrictions in his freedom and the surrounding people no longer listening to his commands, everything here seemed rather similar to before. He vaguely guessed Chu Liuyue¡¯s intentions, but the latter didn¡¯t come after he waited for a few days. Until today¡ªshe even brought Jian Fengchi. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze landed on Jian Fengchi for a moment. Jian Fengchi felt that his back was filled with daggers, and he wanted to run away immediately. He had always been thick-skinned and rarely revealed such emotions, but he felt that it was extremely torturous to stay in this place for even a single second longer. I¡­ really didn¡¯t bring Chu Liuyue over on purpose¡­ ¡°I left Xi Ling for two years,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. ¡°Everything changed in Xi Ling City. I came here today to ask: how did you two become so close?¡± As Jian Fengchi was too unreasonable and arrogant back then, Mu Qinghe fought with him quite frequently. Now, in the blink of an eye, the two of them seemed to have resolved their enmity and became friends. If one said that there was nothing wrong here, she didn¡¯t believe it. Chu Liuyue sat down on the chair at the side as her lips curled up. Following that, she smiled and said, ¡°Qinghe, you can speak first.¡± Chapter 911 - Hold Umbrella for You After being called, Mu Qinghe was dazed as he looked at the woman not far away. She sat there relaxingly and lazily, and her dressing was very simple, but she exuded an elegance throughout her body. She still had a young woman¡¯s youthful smile on her face, and her eyes dazzled like stars, looking just as she did more than a year ago. And she directly called out his name in such a relaxed and free tone as if all the vengeance that she had these few years¡­ was completely non-existent. Mu Qinghe clenched his fists gradually and looked down. ¡°We just have ordinary interactions. Y-Your Majesty, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± After this one-line answer, Mu Qinghe shut his mouth as if he didn¡¯t want to continue explaining. Jian Fengchi glanced at him hesitantly and knitted his brows slightly, hesitation flashing across his eyes. At this point, does he still not want to talk about anything¡­ Actually, everything that Chu Liuyue asked was also what he wanted to ask. That day, the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall burned for a day and a night, and even he was alerted as he rushed to the palace. In the end, Mu Qinghe arrived even later than him. Even he could tell that the Princess¡¯s death was amiss, but Mu Qinghe never expressed any objections from start to end. If it weren¡¯t because of the things that happened later on¡­ Jian Fengchi was almost certain that he had completely betrayed Shangguan Yue. If he said that he sided with Jiang Yucheng because he cared for the big picture, what else can he not say now that Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan are already eliminated? Jian Fengchi really didn¡¯t understand it. He always wanted to help explain a few things, but in actual fact, he couldn¡¯t explain much. Only Mu Qinghe knew his reasons for doing many things. Whatever outsiders said would just make the scenario more complicated. ¡°What do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem surprised by Mu Qinghe¡¯s answer as she shrugged her shoulders and looked at Jian Fengchi. Jian Fengchi¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°Uh¡­ We just fooled around last time. If you think carefully, we didn¡¯t actually have a deep conflict¡­¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to laugh, but her gaze seemed like she had seen through everything. Jian Fengchi¡¯s words seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t help but look at Mu Qinghe. However, Mu Qinghe looked down as if he were thinking of something. After some time, he then raised his head again and calmly said, ¡°Your Majesty, you once sent out three signals for help that day, right?¡± Chu Liuyue gradually sat up straight and stared at him closely. Mu Qinghe stood with one hand behind his back as he clenched it slowly. His expression was as calm as normal. ¡°I was the one who halted the three signals. It¡¯s me; I was the one who stopped your last chance of survival.¡± ¡­ It was already the middle of June, and it was quite hot and humid. The streets were bustling. Rong Xiu walked on the streets alone. As he was wearing a hood and hid his surrounding aura, he didn¡¯t attract much attention. Everyone here was still talking about her. While Rong Xiu walked forward, he listened to the crowd¡¯s discussions. Every time he heard those people gasp in surprise and praise her, his thin lips would curl up slightly. She could always do everything she wanted. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t think of coming over to help, but in the end, he felt that it was better if he let her have a run. It was best if she could get back what she lost. She could take her own revenge and completely wash away all the pain she had once suffered. And he just had to give her the knife when she needed it. Of course, the knife needed to be quick enough. Just as he was thinking about this, he suddenly felt his surroundings darken. He looked up and realized that the previously bright sky was suddenly covered by dark clouds as it darkened. Very quickly, rain dropped down on his forehead; it was ice-cold. He was originally heading toward Hundred Herbs Building, but he didn¡¯t expect the weather to suddenly change midway. The rain quickly became heavier, and all the stall vendors quickly packed their stuff and left. White water droplets gradually appeared on the marble floor. Only a curtain made of rainwater was left between heaven and earth. Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly, and his gaze was dark. Then, he turned his body and went in another direction. The tall and muscular man rapidly disappeared in the water curtain. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue exited the Mu Residence alone, she walked aimlessly on the streets as Mu Qinghe¡¯s words kept replaying in her mind. He admitted it; he said that he did all of those things. What else did he say? Oh yes, he said that he was originally Jiang Yucheng¡¯s man, so his betrayal wasn¡¯t really a betrayal. It turns out¡­ This is the truth! Countless scenes flashed before her eyes. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in. The winds started brewing, and the skies quickly darkened. She looked up. Humid and hot, yet cold at the same time. She had already forgotten what expression she made or what reply she gave after she heard those words. She didn¡¯t even remember how she walked out of the Mu Residence. Suddenly, a furry sensation was felt. Tuan Zi squatted on her shoulders and snuggled against her face. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± It should be because I left hope for myself and thought¡­ However, there aren¡¯t so many assumptions in the world. Chu Liuyue looked at the sky, and the rain fell. In the blink of an eye, the rain quickly fell and connected into one long line between heaven and earth. Chu Liuyue took a step out and was about to go back when she suddenly felt a sinisterly cold aura suddenly rushing toward her from the rain curtain far away. Alarmed, she suddenly looked up! A purplish-blue light shot through the sky, and it went straight toward her! She moved her feet and was about to take action when she suddenly felt someone rapidly approaching her from behind and grabbing her waist. At the same time, a silver blade flew out and harshly collided with the light! There seemed to be a transparent barrier that appeared in the surroundings, blocking all of the ripples outside. An extremely familiar cold fragrance came over, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started beating quickly. She turned around and judged from the incoming person¡¯s breathtaking appearance and shocking aura that it was Rong Xiu! ¡°R-Rong Xiu¡­ What are you doing here?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. Rong Xiu held her even more tightly as he held the black umbrella with his other hand. He said with a lazy voice, ¡°It¡¯s raining. I¡¯m here to hold the umbrella for you.¡± Chapter 912 - With Me Here, Don’t Be Afraid The originally empty heart suddenly seemed to be filled instantly. Chu Liuyue instinctively held his skinny waist tighter and stuck her face against his chest. It was as if hearing his powerful heartbeat melted all her frozen blood and let it circulate again. The rain fell down, and the cold wind blew up, causing the ripples on the ground to intersect. In the dark sky, the figures of two people closely holding onto each other were reflected. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eardrums beat, and she then felt that her floating mind was finally being pulled back. Her numb limbs gradually recovered their warmth as the countless hallucinations before her eyes disappeared bit by bit. Only Rong Xiu was left behind¡ªhugging her and letting her depend on him¡ªin such a genuine manner. With the black umbrella above her head, it was as if all the storms were blocked outside. The wide and warm embrace that she longed for. Chu Liuyue was dazed. After a while, she softly said, ¡°Rong Xiu, I miss you so much.¡± Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly. Her voice doesn¡¯t seem right. She has always been smart, independent, and strong. No matter what situation she was in, it seemed like she never panicked. Even when she experienced that kind of betrayal back then, she still relied on her own strength to repay all the pain and sufferings she once felt and take back whatever once belonged to her. It was as if she would always be strong and unbreakable. But in this world, anything that has flesh and blood will feel pain and get hurt. However, there are just some people that are better at hiding it. He leaned in closer, and his jade-like chin gently rested on her forehead. ¡°With me around, you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡± This simple sentence was his most precious promise. Tears welled up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. No matter how tumultuous and torturous the journey was, there would always be one person in this world who would accompany her when she needed him the most¡ªto give her courage and love. This was enough. She closed her eyes, and the last bit of desolation and regret in her eyes faded away. Anyway, it isn¡¯t like I haven¡¯t experienced greater setbacks. These things don¡¯t count for much now. At the very least, the situation today was all under my control. Bang! The sound of something exploding came from behind. Chu Liuyue looked up from Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace and turned around to take a glance. She saw the purplish-blue light that was rapidly flying toward her previously had collided with Rong Xiu¡¯s force and completely disappeared. At this time, only one thing was left in the water. Pada! It caused some rain droplets to ripple. Chu Liuyue focused on it and vaguely saw that it seemed to be a thumb-sized object as it glistened with a faint light in the water, looking rather fake. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Chu Liuyue weirdly. Previously, I clearly felt that this thing was coming for me! The aura I felt at that moment was very unfamiliar. She thought back on it for a moment, but she couldn¡¯t figure out who would do such a thing. ¡°It¡¯s just a small toy,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. Unsure if it was an illusion, Chu Liuyue unknowingly felt that Rong Xiu seemed to have recognized that item¡¯s background and that his tone was slightly cold. Chu Liuyue made eye contact with Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi flew out and picked up that item. Rong Xiu glanced at Tuan Zi, and his gaze turned slightly cold. A chill went down Tuan Zi¡¯s spine, and its strong urge for survival made its wings tremble and almost threw that item out. Withstanding the tremendous suppression, it still passed that item to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue reached out and was about to take it when Rong Xiu held her hand by the side and sent out a wave of force to hit that item. Bang! A crisp sound was heard, and that item cracked. Then, a paper flew out from within and unrolled itself. It seemed to be a piece of white Xuan paper that was casually cut, but it floated in midair and let the surrounding rainwater drop all over it without staining its surface a single bit. It was as if there was a layer of invisible barrier around it. Only two lines of words were on that paper. The first was: Congratulations, Shangguan Yue. The second was: Your father is having a great time with me. Don¡¯t miss him. We¡¯ll naturally meet in a month. As soon as Chu Liuyue finished reading it, the paper started burning rapidly by itself and turned into ashes, disappearing without a trace! Other than the faint burning smell that permeated the air, it was as if nothing had happened. However, Chu Liuyue widened her eyes and was stunned. This was because she had seen the handwriting on the note before! When she received this letter in Country Yao Chen, the letter used a half-Xuan formation as its seal, and she had to draw out the remaining half of the Xuan formation to open it. That letter was written with: ¡®Shangguan Yue, long time no see.¡¯ She hadn¡¯t told anyone about her identity at that time, so she thought for a very long time after receiving that letter. However, she couldn¡¯t guess who had written it to her. After coming to Xi Ling, she was busy with everything and forgot about this incident until today¡ªwhen she saw that note again¡­ The same person must¡¯ve done it, and the other party clearly knew of my identity from the start! The other party might even know everything about me very clearly! Without question, this ¡®congratulations¡¯ is definitely talking about my throne ascension! Also, Father was purposely brought away by the other party! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. Who exactly is this person? In the beginning, she thought that it was written by someone in the Tianling Dynasty. However, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case now. To be able to use such a formal tone and have such extreme methods¡­ It is very likely that it is someone from outside Tianling! Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly, and cold intent flashed across the corner of his eyes. He never goes away¡­ Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up at Rong Xiu. ¡°Do you¡­ know who this is?¡± She had an unknown hunch that Rong Xiu seemed to know much more than she had expected. She was also unsure where this feeling came from, but judging from Rong Xiu¡¯s previous reaction, it seemed like her guess was right. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips moved, and he was about to speak when a shout came from the corner of the streets behind the duo. ¡°Your Highness!¡± That was Thirteen¡¯s voice. Chu Liuyue turned around and indeed saw a slim young man rapidly running toward her. His movement technique was nimble and agile. He looked like he hadn¡¯t moved much, but he was already in front of her. Thirteen came here in spite of the rain, but there was a barrier around him, so he wasn¡¯t worried about getting wet. As he was young, Chu Liuyue never assigned any missions to Thirteen and just told him to focus on his cultivation. This caused Thirteen to be very free within and outside of the palace, able to come and go as he wished. Today, he coincidentally met Shangguan You. Once he heard that it was related to his master, he immediately agreed and came out of the palace to look for her. When he was just a short distance away from Chu Liuyue, Thirteen excitedly yelled, ¡°Your Highness, the Supreme Emperor was worried since you were out for too long alone. Hence, he told me to give you an umbrella and bring you back to the pal¡ª¡± Chapter 913 - Gave Her Rong Xiu Suddenly, Thirteen¡¯s voice trailed off, and he stopped in his tracks. He watched the scene in front of him in shock. Someone is already holding the umbrella for Her Highness! The key point is that he¡¯s even hugging Her Highness! With their intimate actions, anyone can tell that the pair have an extraordinary relationship! ¡°W-who are you?!¡± Thirteen originally came to take Chu Liuyue back to the palace happily, but his entire person became disoriented when he suddenly saw this scene. Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to speak, Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m Yue¡¯er¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°Y-you¡­ You¡¯re Her Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦?!¡± Thirteen widened his eyes in shock and opened his mouth. Didn¡¯t Her Highness just settle Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan? Where did this fianc¨¦ suddenly come from? As Thirteen was young, nobody had told him about this matter. Thus, he was especially shocked when he saw them. However, Chu Liuyue was thinking about what Thirteen had just said. He seems to have said¡­ Supreme Emperor? With Rong Xiu¡¯s intelligence, he will definitely notice that something is amiss after hearing this sentence and will thus guess my identity! As expected, Rong Xiu slowly and directly asked, ¡°Who did you say asked to fetch Yue¡¯er back?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Thirteen was about to respond when he saw that Her Highness¡¯s expression was amiss and hurriedly covered his mouth. ¡°Um¡­ Rong Xiu, I have something to tell you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue originally wanted to find an appropriate time to tell him the entire story, but she didn¡¯t expect this to happen the moment they met¡­ In that case, I definitely have to say it! Rong Xiu looked down at her and saw her embarrassment, causing his lips to curl up undetectably. Is she feeling awkward because she didn¡¯t honestly tell me about those things before? ¡°Hm?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was deep, and this low questioning tone came from his chest as it tightly pressed down on his heart and brushed past one¡¯s ears. It was pleasant to the ears. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face blushed slightly, but she gently and determinedly held his hand and intertwined their fingers. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡­ Six Clouds Street, Chu Residence. As the rain came suddenly, the peaceful and relaxing yard already had a layer of rainwater. The rain droplets from the roof kept falling into the puddle, causing ripples. The post-rain air had a tinge of sweetness to the humidity. Thirteen stood outside and waited frustratedly and uneasily, continuously glancing at the shut door from time to time. Her Highness has gone in with that man for quite some time and hasn¡¯t come out yet. Hearing what Her Highness said, it seems like she¡¯s explaining something to that man? But Her Highness has been distinguished since birth and is harsh and decisive. Since when did she need to explain so much to others? And¡­ the key is that the man is actually Her Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦! Thirteen scratched his ear and cheeks. Seventh Brother and the rest didn¡¯t talk about this before¡­ I¡¯ve grown up in Xi Ling City, so I¡¯m very sure that the man isn¡¯t a local. But judging by his surrounding aura, he isn¡¯t one to be underestimated. Thirteen looked inside again and scratched his head. ¡­ ¡°¡­This was what I wanted to tell you.¡± Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu sat opposite each other inside the room. Chu Liuyue curtly explained all the happenings from her previous life and current life. ¡°I¡¯m Country Yao Chen¡¯s Chu Liuyue and also the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Shangguan Yue,¡± she said seriously as she looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Previously, I only said that my enemies were in Xi Ling City, but I didn¡¯t tell you exactly what happened because¡­ At that time, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could successfully complete what I wanted to do.¡± ¡°But now, everything has been settled. I wanted to find a chance to talk to you about it, but I didn¡¯t expect it to coincidentally happen today.¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°Rong Xiu, this is¡­ the real me.¡± She then quietened down and silently waited for Rong Xiu¡¯s reaction. But to her surprise, the latter didn¡¯t look shocked at all and looked doting instead. He stretched out his hand and held her hand tightly, gently caressing the back of her hand. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°No matter if it were you deciding to burn yourself to commit suicide that day or everything that you experienced later on¡­ My Yue¡¯er, you must¡¯ve suffered a lot, right?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her, and his gaze was deep. He had been waiting for her to tell him everything personally, but this was undoubtedly akin to ripping her own wounds open. To him, knowing all the pain and sufferings she had previously been through was also torture. ¡°Rong Xiu, y-you¡¯re not angry that I lied to you?¡± Chu Liuyue dazedly stared at him, and tears welled up in her eyes. Even though I didn¡¯t hide it from him on purpose, I still hid too many things. Does Rong Xiu¡­ not mind at all? Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu gently shook his head, smiled slightly, and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t even have enough time to dote on you. Why would I have additional energy to get angry at you?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect him to have such a reaction. The next moment, Rong Xiu leaned in and kissed the tear at the corner of her eye. ¡°Promise me that no matter what happens in the future, don¡¯t shoulder it all by yourself. I¡¯m always here.¡± The previous uneasy apologies disappeared at this point as they all became grievances to be let out. It suddenly seemed like she had removed her heavy armor, and her entire body became relaxed. All the pain and sufferings she had once experienced weren¡¯t worth a mention now. The heavens gave her pain and obstacles, but they also gave her Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and buried herself in his shoulders, her tone low as she replied. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ After a while, knocks were heard. Thirteen¡¯s rather nervous voice sounded. ¡°Your Highness? The rain has stopped for quite some time. Should we return to the palace now?¡± Actually, he also didn¡¯t want to rush her at this point. However, there were still people waiting for her in the palace! Chu Liuyue¡¯s emotions then gradually calmed down, and she removed herself from Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace. I almost forgot that Thirteen was still waiting outside. ¡°There are some things that I want to tell you, but it seems like I can¡¯t do it today.¡± Rong Xiu brushed her messy hair behind her ear and gently caressed her face. Chu Liuyue looked at him, and a white light suddenly flashed across her mind. I vaguely feel that Rong Xiu wants to tell me about something important, and¡­ It is most likely related to his ¡®Your Grace¡¯ identity! But Thirteen is already hurrying us, and it is indeed inconvenient for us to stay any longer. Chu Liuyue could only nod. ¡°Then, you can stay here first for the night. Tomorrow¡­¡± She paused, looked up, and glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°Actually, Father had mentioned to me that¡­ he wants to see you.¡± Rong Xiu understood what she meant and gently kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll visit Father-in-Law tomorrow then.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned red, and she suddenly became worried. ¡°Will tomorrow be too fast?¡± This kind of matter should be left with more time to prepare, right¡­? Rong Xiu squinted his eyes, and smiling intent flashed across them. My wife doesn¡¯t seem to be very confident in her man¡­ ¡°Then¡­ three days later.¡± Chapter 914 - Confession After bidding farewell to Rong Xiu, Chu Liuyue left with Thirteen to head to the palace. Her originally disappointed and worried emotions suddenly became much better after she saw Rong Xiu. It was as if there was nothing else to worry about with him around. When she returned to Shaoyue Palace, Shangguan You had already been waiting for her for quite some time. Seeing Chu Liuyue coming back safely, the former emperor heaved a sigh of relief. Ever since experiencing that incident two years ago, he became much more sensitive. If Chu Liuyue left for too long, he would be worried. Even though he knew that she had quite a few trump cards with her, it was normal for him to be worried as her father. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and told Shangguan You about Rong Xiu coming to visit three days later. However, she didn¡¯t mention the fact that Chu Ning was kidnapped. Now that she didn¡¯t even know who the other party was, telling her father about it would just make him more worried. On the other hand, Shangguan You became increasingly curious about Rong Xiu. I wonder what kind of person can make her like him so much. Seeing how his daughter¡¯s eyes dazzled when she mentioned Rong Xiu made Shangguan You secretly determined. As long as that chap is decent, I won¡¯t object to it. I¡¯ll put my daughter¡¯s happiness above everything! ¡­ After sending Shangguan You off, Chu Liuyue returned to the study and sat down on a chair. Today, she had experienced too many things that made her confused. Too many scenes kept intersecting in her mind. After some time, she opened her eyes¡ªthey were completely calm. ¡°Ancestor,¡± Chu Liuyue respectfully called out. A half-transparent figure appeared in front of her¡ªit was Shangguan Jing! He stood with one hand behind his back and asked, ¡°Girlie, what are you worried about?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°That thing you previously mentioned¡­ Black Demon Hole¡ªwhat kind of existence is it?¡± Upon hearing this, her ancestor¡¯s expression turned stern as he became silent for quite some time. Chu Liuyue waited quietly. She understood the matters of many dynasties within Heaven¡¯s Canopy rather well¡ªthere were some stronger and others weaker than the Tianling Dynasty. But Black Demon Hole¡­ She really hadn¡¯t heard of them before. ¡°That¡¯s a reclusive clan.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°Reclusive clan?¡± After some time, Shangguan Jing gradually spoke and deeply sighed as if he was recalling something. ¡°A thousand years ago, I was already a peak stage-nine warrior. I was just one step away from entering Apotheosis, but I spent ten years and still didn¡¯t succeed. Later on, I left Tianling and roamed around the mainland. Meeting Black Demon Hole was a pure accident.¡± ¡°Black Demon Hole is very strong. Even me in my peak couldn¡¯t be compared to them. I had once seen someone from Black Demon Hole take action, and his moves were indeed heaven-defying!¡± Even after thousands of years, the scene from back then was still deeply engraved in his mind, as good as new. Chu Liuyue was also shocked. Ancestor is the strongest warrior in the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s thousand-year history. If even he says this, then¡­ How strong must Black Demon Hole¡¯s people be? ¡°Even though that person didn¡¯t have a physical body and was left with only a soul that day, the Black Demon Hole aura was extremely strong. Thus, I recognized him at one glance.¡± These reclusive clans were always very formidable in terms of cultivation, and most of them had their own obvious characteristics. Once one saw them, they could basically recognize them with one glance. ¡°But these people are usually very arrogant and rarely come into the world, let alone interfere with the royal family¡¯s power struggles¡­¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened this time¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°That soul had been living in Shangguan Wan¡¯s body for at least a few years. According to what Shangguan Wan said, she doesn¡¯t even know when that person started living inside her, but the many things she did later on were all instigated by that person, including¡­ killing me.¡± Shangguan Jing glanced at her with complicated emotions. ¡°Actually, I already felt that the person seemed to be targeting you that day. Do you know why?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. I still remember what that person said that day very clearly. It seems to be because¡­ of the water droplet in my body? Ever since the water droplet formed a pearl of essence-like existence in my body, it had always maintained such a shape. But under that man¡¯s influence that day, it took the appearance of a transparent page and had the faint feeling of being yanked out! If one said that the man came for this, then why did he target me from such an early time? Before I died in my previous life, I didn¡¯t have this item with me. This item just mysteriously appeared after I was reborn. Even now, I still haven¡¯t figured out what it is myself¡­ She shook her head. ¡°That person failed on the first attempt, but he definitely won¡¯t just give up. He¡¯ll come again,¡± said Shangguan Jing deeply. ¡°It¡¯s fine if he is the only one, but if others get involved¡­¡± This was what he was most worried about. If Black Demon Hole wanted to go against Tianling, even he might not be their opponent! ¡°Girl, the most important thing now is to elevate your cultivation level. This way, even if someone wants to cause trouble for you next time, you will have the ability to retaliate.¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s founder knitted his brows. ¡°Besides, you have too many treasures with you, and taking any of them out will definitely attract many people coveting it¡­ You can hide for a moment but not forever.¡± The only and best way was to make herself stronger! Chu Liuyue seriously nodded. ¡°I will remember your teachings in my heart.¡± ¡­ In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. That morning, Chu Liuyue stood up and tidied herself before going to Yuan He Palace. Yuan He Palace was Shangguan You¡¯s current sleeping residence. Setting the venue here and not the main hall that most officials would go to was enough to show that Shangguan You wanted to see Rong Xiu as a father first. Even though Shangguan Yue was the emperor now, to Shangguan You, the most important thing was to see if this marriage could give her happiness. Perhaps to the entire world, an emperor¡¯s marriage was first a political affair and then a family affair. But to Shangguan You, it was first a family affair and then a political affair. Wherever she walked, the palace maids respectfully greeted her. But the moment she stood outside Yuan He Palace, she saw someone standing there as if they were waiting for a person. Hearing the commotion, that person turned around. After examining Chu Liuyue¡¯s appearance carefully, that young and handsome man looked emotional and elated. He quickly walked. ¡°Your High¡ªYour Majesty!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. ¡°Zhao Zicheng? Why are you here?¡± This was the Zhao family¡¯s second young master, and he could be considered a descendant of a famous aristocratic family in Xi Ling City. However, he left Xi Ling a few years ago, so she didn¡¯t expect him to come back today. When Zhao Zicheng heard her question, his ears turned red. ¡°I heard that Your Majesty came back, so I rushed home overnight to see you.¡± He seemed very nervous, but his face was filled with hope and sincerity. ¡°Your Majesty, I came here today to confess to you. Because you previously chose Jiang Yucheng, I didn¡¯t say much and just left Xi Ling City. But this time¡­ I hope you¡¯ll give me a chance!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Is he¡­ confessing?! On the day I¡¯m bringing my fianc¨¦ to see Father no less?! Chapter 915 - No Zhao Zicheng didn¡¯t seem to notice that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was amiss as he continued, ¡°I knew that Your Majesty would be busy with work recently, so when I came back, I stayed in my residence all along. I didn¡¯t dare to disturb you, but¡­¡± Zhao Zicheng looked up and quickly glanced at the woman in front of him, his eyes filled with unconcealable love and admiration as his nervous heart kept beating. ¡°B-but¡­ I¡¯ve admired Your Majesty for many years. If I still don¡¯t say it this time, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have the chance to do so next time.¡± After finally voicing out his inner thoughts, Zhao Zicheng instantly felt much better, but his handsome face was stained with a tinge of red. He looked at Chu Liuyue with eyes filled with hope and uneasiness as if he were waiting for her reply. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. Objectively speaking, Zhao Zicheng is great. Even though the Zhao family isn¡¯t considered a top aristocratic family in Xi Ling City, they have also been a subordinate of Tianling for hundreds of years and contributed much to the dynasty. And as the second young master in the Zhao family, Zhao Zicheng¡¯s status is even more distinguished. The most important thing is that he is an outstanding Xuan Master talent. Other than myself, almost nobody in the entire Xi Ling can be compared to him. If one said that Jian Fengchi lost to her by one step in regards to medicine refining, then Zhao Zicheng was someone that could challenge her in terms of her Xuan Master skills. When she was young, she often followed the royal family elders to cultivate, and Jian Fengchi and Zhao Zicheng were once her study buddies for a period of time. Different from Jian Fengchi¡¯s arrogant and bold personality, Zhao Zicheng was a humble gentleman. He was introverted and gentle. All these years, everyone in Xi Ling City that mentioned the Zhao family¡¯s second young master would be full of praise for him. Even when compared to Jiang Yucheng, his every aspect didn¡¯t lose out to the latter. ¡°Zhao Zicheng, I remember that you¡¯re already 27 this year,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Zhao Zicheng was dazed for a moment as he nodded in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve long married someone and had kids at this age,¡± said Chu Liuyue sincerely and calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t waste any more time on me.¡± Zhao Zicheng¡¯s originally flushed face turned white in an instant, and panic flashed across his eyes. ¡°Your Majesty, what do you mean?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Someone as smart as you should understand what I mean. In that case, let¡¯s not bring this up anymore. Please go back.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue planned to leave. Zhao Zicheng hesitated for a moment before immediately stepping in her way. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m sincerely proposing to you!¡± He tried his best to suppress his nervousness and embarrassment. ¡°Because Jiang Yucheng was a step ahead of me back then, you agreed to his marriage agreement. I recollected my thoughts and left Xi Ling alone after that. Even though it was hard on me, everything else didn¡¯t matter as long as you were happy. But now, he has betrayed you, and I thoroughly regret it! I missed you once, and we were separated by life and death. I don¡¯t wish for the same incident to happen again!¡± Zhao Zicheng came here determined. The previous few years, he left dejectedly and thought that he was giving her his blessings, but he didn¡¯t expect everything to turn out into ridicule in the end! When he heard that she survived the ordeal and came back alive, he immediately rushed back! No matter what, I must persist to the end this time! Even though I don¡¯t really care about materialistic items, I¡¯m confident that I¡¯m definitely one of her most suitable choices today in terms of background, talent, and other aspects! Chu Liuyue felt her head ache. Zhao Zicheng is a gentle person, but even cows cannot pull this kind of person back when they are stubborn. ¡°Zhao Zicheng, I always understood your intentions.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. ¡°Even when you didn¡¯t say it many years ago, I still knew.¡± Zhao Zicheng was actually a very sincere person, and he didn¡¯t really know how to hide his likings. She wasn¡¯t stupid. The both of them had spent a few years studying together, and when he later joined the imperial court as an official, they would see each other during court or at a banquet. Hence, how could she not know what he was thinking? However, one could never force feelings. Zhao Zicheng was dazed for a moment and took quite some time to understand what she meant. As he looked at the woman¡¯s clear eyes, his heart broke. Even though her appearance was slightly different from before, her eyes were still how he remembered. She¡¯s still her. This is a clear rejection, but¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t want to give up just like this. ¡°Can¡¯t you¡­ give me another chance?¡± Zhao Zicheng spoke with much difficulty, and there seemed to be something so fragile in his eyes that it could break with one touch. It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t thought of letting down this person he longed for for so many years. If he could do it, he wouldn¡¯t be here today. ¡°Just once¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± A clear and cold male voice sounded suddenly from behind. Even though the tone was light, it had a faint tinge of sharp suppression! Zhao Zicheng turned around and saw a man in white that appeared behind him at some point. This man looked like he was in his twenties. He was tall and muscular as he was decked in white. When the wind lightly blew the corner of his clothes, he looked like a deity. The more shocking thing was that his five features seemed to be meticulously crafted by the heavens as every spot was perfect. He was unparalleled, and he had a hint of demonic aura. Just by standing there, he could easily steal all the colors between heaven and earth. Even Zhao Zicheng had to admit that this appearance and aura were things that he hardly ever saw. ¡°Y-you are¡ª¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up into a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m Yue¡¯er¡¯s fianc¨¦¡ªRong Xiu.¡± Chapter 916 - Surely You Have Some Sense of Shame? The simple sentence was a thunderbolt that sent Zhao Zicheng reeling with shock. His mind became completely blank for a moment. ¡°W-what did you just say?¡± H-he¡¯s¡­ her fianc¨¦?! But didn¡¯t she return? When did¡ª Zhao Zicheng turned his head back, only to see the woman¡ªwho had been so cold and distant toward him just now¡ªsmiling unconsciously at the sight of the newcomer. Her eyes were even sparkling with joy. His heart immediately turned cold. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho hadn¡¯t expected his early arrival¡ªwalked over to him. ¡°Why are you here so early?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and lifted the corners of her lips. ¡°I naturally have to come early since I¡¯m paying my respects to my father-in-law. Besides, I would¡¯ve missed a good show had I come any later.¡± Chu Liuyue shot him a glare in return. Trust him to make fun of me when I¡¯ve clearly rejected Zhao Zicheng. Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened, and his heart tingled slightly when he saw her annoyed expression. He wanted to wrap her in his embrace, but considering the fact that they were currently at the Tianling Imperial Palace and that many palace staff were watching them, he endured it and held her hand instead. At the sight of the two¡¯s tightly clasped hands, Zhao Zicheng finally snapped back to his senses, and a frown unconsciously formed on his forehead. Anyone could tell that the two were on intimate terms. Fianc¨¦¡­ How come I never heard about it before? I even specifically asked my father to test His Majesty a few days ago, but the latter didn¡¯t mention a single word about this. Did she get to know this man during the past two years? If I remember correctly, she came back from an empire called Yao Chen, which is outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy. Then, this man¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be from Xi Ling.¡± Zhao Zicheng took a deep breath in a desperate bid to make himself appear calm. There¡¯s no aristocratic household with the surname ¡®Rong¡¯ throughout the entire Tianling Dynasty, much less in Xi Ling. Chances are that he¡¯s from Yao Chen. Not wanting to explain things to Zhao Zicheng, Chu Liuyue thus said, ¡°My father is probably waiting for us inside, so I¡¯ll leave with Rong Xiu now. You should go back, Second Young Master Zhao.¡± Zhao Zicheng, however, looked at Rong Xiu insistently. ¡°Since you¡¯re Her Majesty¡¯s fianc¨¦, then there should be nothing you can¡¯t say about your family background, right?¡± This was a clear confrontation. Rong Xiu gave Chu Liuyue a reassuring look before flashing a bland smile at Zhao Zicheng. ¡°I¡¯m Rong Xiu, the Seventh Prince of Country Yao Chen.¡± I knew it¡ªhe¡¯s from Country Yao Chen! Zhao Zicheng¡¯s frown deepened. Although he¡¯s a prince, his status is nothing worth mentioning in Xi Ling since Country Yao Chen is a lesser empire. He¡¯s not even worthy of marrying the young miss of an average aristocratic family, much less Her Majesty. Their difference in status is so huge that even the courtiers won¡¯t agree to this marriage! He couldn¡¯t resist glancing at Chu Liuyue and clenching his fists while feeling conflicted and aggrieved. She surely understands this, and yet she¡¯s still so insistent about the marriage. This just means that she¡¯s truly in love with him. Jiang Yucheng was one step ahead of me back then, and now, she has this man named Rong Xiu by her side. It seems that I¡¯m always one step too late. ¡°I¡¯m Zhao Zicheng, the Assistant Minister of Appointments.¡± Although Zhao Zicheng wasn¡¯t in Xi Ling the last few years, he hadn¡¯t resigned from his post. He had just gotten promoted to become the Assistant Minister this year, but truthfully speaking, this title was nothing compared to his family background. There were several Assistant Ministers after all, yet there was only one Second Young Master Zhao. Zhao Zicheng had no intention of using his family background to pressure Rong Xiu. He just wanted to exert pressure on the other with his court title. While ordinary people would inevitably reveal looks of surprise and admiration when they heard Zhao Zicheng¡¯s position, Rong Xiu only nodded in a calm and indifferent manner. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you.¡± Chu Liuyue and Zhao Zicheng looked at him in surprise. The former wondered, Rong Xiu has only been to Xi Ling that one time, but Zhao Zicheng wasn¡¯t in the city back then. So how did he hear about Zhao Zicheng¡¯s name? Zhao Zicheng found it perplexing that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to be surprised or in awe of him when the latter seemed to have heard a thing or two about him. Is he clueless about the way things work in Xi Ling? If that¡¯s the case, then his reactions make sense. He took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a brief chat with you alone, Young Master Rong. I wonder if it¡¯s convenient for you?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and nodded. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Just talk here.¡± Noticing that the atmosphere was beginning to become strange, Chu Liuyue grabbed Rong Xiu¡¯s arm to stop him from leaving. Since they¡¯re most likely going to talk about me, why can¡¯t I listen? Zhao Zicheng gave her a hesitant look. ¡°Your Majesty¡ª¡± ¡°What is it that I can¡¯t hear about when Rong Xiu and I have been engaged to one another? If you have something to say, please cut to the chase, Young Master Zhao.¡± Rong Xiu blinked in amusement. Oh, it¡¯s rare to see her standing up for me¡­ This doesn¡¯t feel bad. I don¡¯t think she has ever stood up for Jiang Yucheng back then¡­ Seeing how protective she is of Rong Xiu, she must be serious about him. There was a moment when Zhao Zicheng¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, but a ball of fire suddenly ignited within him when he saw how Rong Xiu seemed to be enjoying Chu Liuyue¡¯s protection behind her back without the slightest ounce of guilt. If he¡¯s already behaving like this now, what more in the future?! Her Majesty deserves better! Zhao Zicheng¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t beat around the bush anymore. Young Master Rong, if you truly love Her Majesty, then please leave her right away and don¡¯t get involved with her ever again.¡± The temperature around them instantly dropped to freezing point, and the air around them seemed to be freezing bit by bit. Chu Liuyue distinctly detected the biting aura coming from Rong Xiu. In fact, there was this one moment when Zhao Zicheng felt a murderous aura in the air. His heart thumped, and all the hair on his body stood on their ends. However, that feeling disappeared as quickly as it came as if it was all just his imagination. A ghost of a smile touched Rong Xiu¡¯s lips, and his voice was glacial. ¡°Oh? What if I say ¡®no?¡¯¡± Zhao Zicheng wasn¡¯t discouraged by Rong Xiu¡¯s answer, for he had already expected this. Instead, he continued saying, ¡°You two might¡¯ve been a good couple in the past, but as you can see now, she¡¯s currently the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Empress. Her future partner needs to be someone who¡¯s well-matched with her, but you¡¯re not. If you truly like and cherish her, you should leave and forget all about the engagement for her sake. Surely you have some sense of shame?¡± Chapter 917 - Take Your Pick Chu Liuyue¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Zhao Zicheng¡ª¡± Rong Xiu grabbed her hand, gave her a placating look, and let out a laugh. It appeared that Zhao Zicheng¡¯s words had no effect on him, for he didn¡¯t seem bothered or angry. ¡°If I can prove that I¡¯m good enough for Yue¡¯er, then you¡¯ll have to take back your words and promise not to disturb her ever again. What do you think about this?¡± Zhao Zicheng didn¡¯t expect this response from Rong Xiu. He frowned and returned the other¡¯s question with more of his own. ¡°Prove? How can you prove it?¡± ¡°Whatever you can think of.¡± Like a cold and misty landscape painting, Rong Xiu exuded an indescribable aura as he stood there calmly. His voice was light and calm as if he didn¡¯t take this matter to heart at all. The confidence he had could only be found in cultivators who were really strong. The word ¡®ridiculous¡¯ immediately appeared in Zhao Zicheng¡¯s mind, and his feelings of annoyance and indignation grew exponentially. He sure thinks highly of himself for him to be able to say such things! Does he even know the kind of existence the Tianling Dynasty has? A random person here might be able to crush him easily! A conceited man like him doesn¡¯t deserve to be with Her Majesty! Even if she doesn¡¯t like me, I¡¯ll have nothing to say if she chooses another handsome and talented young man to be her husband. However, Rong Xiu¡­ doesn¡¯t make the cut! Zhao Zicheng squeezed his fists as he said, ¡°Okay. Since you dare to confront me head-on, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. It¡¯s pointless to compare family backgrounds since one can¡¯t choose their birth origins, so I¡¯ll consider it my defeat if you can prove that you¡¯re outstanding enough! May I know what cultivation path you practice? Are you a warrior, Xuan Master, or a heavenly doctor?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°May I know which you are best at, Second Young Master Zhao?¡± ¡°Xuan Master,¡± replied Zhao Zicheng seriously with a straight back after he got over his initial surprise by the question. He was actually also somewhat skilled at the other two cultivation paths, but he was most talented at being a Xuan Master. His Xuan Master cultivation level was the highest among the three cultivation paths. ¡°Xuan Master it is then,¡± said Rong Xiu. Their surroundings immediately went quiet. ¡°Xuan Master? Are you sure?¡± asked Zhao Zicheng with widened eyes a moment later. I just said that I¡¯m best at being a Xuan Master, yet he still chose this? ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ll naturally follow your wishes if you wish to compete in other areas.¡± The calm and patient smile on Rong Xiu¡¯s face irked Zhao Zicheng to no end. ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll have a Xuan Master competition then! If you can win against me, I won¡¯t interfere in this matter ever again!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll also have to keep your distance from Yue¡¯er,¡± reminded Rong Xiu. Zhao Zicheng was at a loss for words. ¡°Fine!¡± Rong Xiu nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this answer. Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu. Is he¡­ doing it on purpose? Why do I get the feeling that he deliberately induced Zhao Zicheng to say all these things? Zhao Zicheng became serious. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s set a date¡ª¡± ¡°Make it today!¡± Before Zhao Zicheng could finish speaking, a deep and powerful voice resonated from nearby. The trio looked back and saw Shangguan You, who had come out of Yuan He Palace at some point in time. Clearly, that voice belonged to him. Chu Liuyue greeted, ¡°Father.¡± Rong Xiu cupped his fist and paid his obeisance to Shangguan You. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Zhao Zicheng¡ªwho didn¡¯t expect Shangguan You¡¯s appearance¡ªnervously paid his bow at the thought that the latter had heard what he said. Hints of astonishment and appreciation shone in Shangguan You¡¯s eyes as he sized Rong Xiu up. He had been waiting for Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu at Yuan He Palace for some time, but nobody showed up. It was only later when he heard from the servants that there was some sort of argument outside that he came out to take a look. He saw his precious daughter from afar at first glance. His gaze then shifted and landed on the man in white clothes standing next to her. Based on how close they were standing to each other, he had an idea of who the man might be. Although all he saw was the man¡¯s back, he could faintly detect the air of nobility and elegance from him. It surprised him much, for not even the ordinary scions could carry themselves in this manner. Having been the emperor for a long time, Shangguan You had naturally developed an eye for judgment. Only someone who¡¯s in a high position and status will have such a demeanor. I¡¯ve seen the Emperor of Country Yao Chen a few times, but the way he carried himself is totally different from this young man. There¡¯s no way Country Yao Chen can produce someone like this¡­ ¡°So you¡¯re Rong Xiu¡­¡± Now that Shangguan You was facing Rong Xiu and looking at him from a close distance, he got a clear look of the latter¡¯s appearance. He couldn¡¯t help raising his eyebrows in surprise. H-his looks are out of this world. Even the former emperor had to admit that he had never seen such an ethereal appearance in his life. Even Jiang Yucheng¡ªwho was deemed as the most good-looking man in Xi Ling¡ªpaled in comparison to Rong Xiu. It was like comparing a glow-worm with the sun and the moon¡ªthere was no competition at all. Just one look, and he immediately understood why his daughter would like Rong Xiu. In fact, all the young ladies would be infatuated with him. Had he not eavesdropped on the trio¡¯s conversation for a while and thought that this young man was pretty responsible and gutsy, he would pretty much suspect that his precious daughter was solely attracted to his alluring face. ¡°Father, we were on our way to meet you when we ran into Second Young Master Zhao. You¡¯re not angry by the delay, are you?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with blinking eyes. Shangguan You laughed, knowing that his daughter was speaking up for Rong Xiu, but he also couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat displeased when he saw how protective she was of Rong Xiu. ¡°Do I look like such a petty person?¡± S-so they¡¯ve arranged to meet? Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡­ Zhao Zicheng became even apprehensive. Shangguan You sighed inwardly when he saw Zhao Zicheng standing at the side. Even though Zhao Zicheng is outstanding in all aspects, there is nothing I can do about it if my daughter doesn¡¯t like him. He knew that Zhao Zicheng had left Xi Ling heartbroken when Shangguan Yue was engaged to Jiang Yucheng. Now that Jiang Yucheng had fallen from grace and was imprisoned, there was nothing wrong with Zhao Zicheng coming forward to ask for her hand in marriage since he was still fond of her. Unfortunately, he was one step too late again. ¡°Since both of you have agreed to compete, then why not just do it today?¡± It just so happened that Shangguan You wanted to see how capable Rong Xiu was too. He wasn¡¯t fully convinced about the latter¡¯s abilities when his daughter sang his praises. Thus, the only way to confirm it was to see it with his own eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a training ground behind Yuan He Palace, so we can have it there!¡± Since Shangguan You had given the word, the rest of them naturally wouldn¡¯t object to it. Thus, everyone started moving toward Yuan He Palace. Chu Liuyue tugged on Rong Xiu¡¯s sleeve and whispered to him, ¡°When did you become a Xuan Master? Zhao Zicheng is extremely talented at this. Are you¡­ up to it?¡± Chapter 918 - Step up Your Game Hearing that, Rong Xiu stopped in his tracks and looked at Chu Liuyue with a raised eyebrow. The dangerous gleam in his dark phoenix eyes made Chu Liuyue feel a chill run down her spine. He didn¡¯t even open his mouth, but she could hear his soft whisper clearly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that again.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked, having the vague feeling that she had committed a serious faux pas. Uh¡­ What did I say just now? ¡°Stop worrying.¡± Rong Xiu shot her a warning glare. ¡°Your man is good at everything.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s cheeks and ears immediately burned up. She quickly averted her gaze and followed the crowd forward. Tch, I was just worried about him! We¡¯ve known each other for so long, yet I didn¡¯t even know that he¡¯s also a Xuan Master. Although she knew that Rong Xiu was pretty formidable, she¡ªsince the beginning¡ªthought that he was just a warrior. Thus, she wasn¡¯t confident that he could win against Zhao Zicheng in a Xuan Master competition. Moreover, the latter was just slightly lagging behind her in terms of talent in this aspect. After years of diligent practice, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how far he had progressed in his Xuan Master cultivation journey. Rong Xiu is being so calm and nonchalant¡­ I guess that means he¡¯s fairly confident about his skills¡­ Having received a stern warning from Rong Xiu, Chu Liuyue naturally dared not comment further on the matter. Not to mention that his lazy and unconcerned attitude gradually made her worries ease. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever needed to worry about this man before¡­ ¡­ Yuan He Palace¡¯s training ground. Rong Xiu and Zhao Zicheng stood facing each other, while Shangguan You and Chu Liuyue sat down at the side. Surrounding them were Black Guards, who were responsible for guarding the place. It was quiet, and everyone¡¯s eyes were on the two people standing in the middle of the training ground. Some were curious, while others were skeptical. By now, everyone here had already found out that the man in white was Chu Liuyue¡¯s fianc¨¦, that Zhao Zicheng failed to ask for her hand in marriage, and that the two men had agreed to compete to see who was better suited for her. As this matter involved Chu Liuyue, everyone was naturally curious. Despite their calm exteriors, they were all really agitated on the inside. Some of the palace staff were even carefully peeking in from outside the palace gate. ¡°I heard that the man in white is Her Majesty¡¯s fianc¨¦. He seems to be the Seventh Prince of Country Yao Chen!¡± ¡°Yao Chen? Isn¡¯t that one of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s subsidiary countries? Even though he¡¯s a prince, he isn¡¯t compatible with Her Majesty in terms of status¡­¡± ¡°Few in the world have such a graceful appearance though! I used to find Second Young Master Zhao good-looking, but for some reason, I now find his appearance slightly lacking compared to the other man¡­¡± ¡°Hey, this is all superficial stuff and isn¡¯t so important! Given Her Majesty¡¯s noble status, the courtiers won¡¯t easily agree to their marriage even if she agrees to marry him¡­¡± ¡°Second Young Master Zhao was already a seventh-grade Xuan Master when he left Xi Ling, and his cultivation must¡¯ve improved considerably over the past few years. I¡¯m afraid that the outcome of the competition is already out¡­¡± ¡­ Zhao Zicheng looked at Rong Xiu and cupped his fist. ¡°Please¡­¡± Rong Xiu gave an indifferent nod in return, which made the former frown. He can only continue to act arrogant for so long. Once the duel starts, he¡¯ll know what it means by ¡®there is always someone better out there!¡¯ A mere Seventh Prince of Country Yao Chen isn¡¯t worthy of Her Majesty! Zhao Zicheng then held his breath and gathered his focus while spreading his feet apart slightly and lifting his arms. A thumb-sized silver force instantly flew out from his palm¡ªit was concentrated and powerful despite it swaying along with the wind. With a wave of his arms, the force instantly split into hundreds of bits. The thing was that each of them was completely identical to the original strand in terms of thickness and aura. The fact that he could gather such concentrated force together and split it up so quickly was proof that he had perfect control over his force. Like agile fish swimming in the sea, countless strands of silver force hovered around his hands and intertwined to form a gigantic Xuan formation. As the formation became increasingly complex, the aura Zhao Zicheng released became more powerful as well. In just the span of a few breaths, the silver Xuan formation became so complicated that it was mind-boggling. It exuded a strong pressure that slowly spread out and spun as black spatial cracks silently formed on the edges of the void, which showed how terrifyingly powerful this Xuan formation was. Shangguan You sat slightly straighter in his seat as he stared closely at the Xuan formation in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­ Zhao Zicheng is already an eighth-grade Xuan Master!¡± There was no doubt about it, given how strong the pressure was. It was apparent the young man hadn¡¯t slackened off in his cultivation and had, in fact, been training hard over the past few years all along. Thinking about it, he¡¯s not even 30 this year. Even across the entire Tianling Dynasty, very few people can break through to become an eighth-grade Xuan Master in the middle of a competition. Shangguan You then turned to look at Rong Xiu but ended up being slightly taken aback when he saw the latter calmly standing still with a hand behind his back. He couldn¡¯t help but frown. He hasn¡¯t¡­ even started? He¡¯s not going to do anything even though his opponent is about to complete his advanced Xuan formation? Don¡¯t tell me that¡­ he¡¯s giving up without a fight? Even if he¡¯s not on the same level as Zhao Zicheng, he should give his best shot at least. What is he just standing there for? Chu Liuyue also found this strange, although her curiosity was even stronger. Even now, she still didn¡¯t know where Rong Xiu truly stood in terms of cultivation level, and this was a Xuan Master competition on top of that. Hence, she really wanted to see how capable of a Xuan Master he was. ¡­ Zhao Zicheng¡¯s bad mood worsened when he saw Rong Xiu¡¯s reaction¡ªor rather, lack thereof¡ªfor it appeared that the latter was disregarding the effort he was putting in. As he pursed his lips, he injected more force into his Xuan formation. A huge figure appeared above the Xuan formation, and it turned out to be a tiger. ¡°Fearsome Tiger Formation!¡± With a thundering roar, the tiger leaped forward and charged straight toward Rong Xiu. However, a white lion suddenly appeared in front of the man in white robes the next second. Its ice-blue eyes stared coldly at the tiger illusion as it lifted its paw indifferently. Whoosh! The illusion was ripped into pieces in a flash. Rong Xiu looked up and curled his lips into a small smile. ¡°This isn¡¯t good enough. You need to step up your game.¡± Chapter 919 - Worthy Everything happened in just an instant. Before the audience could process what was going on, they saw the white tiger illusion disappear. Even the Xuan formation began to show signs of cracking, which appeared all over it in just the blink of an eye. Zhao Zicheng¡¯s heart sank, and he quickly retreated. Just as he moved away from his spot, the gigantic silver Xuan formation completely shattered into pieces and exploded into countless blinding rays of light that scattered all over the place along with its terrifying impact. Even though his chest felt stuffy and his shoulders felt heavy as if two mountains sat atop them, he was in no mood to pay attention to his condition. He stared at Rong Xiu in shock. H-how was that possible? All he did was summon a fiend, and the Xuan formation that I created with painstaking effort was destroyed just like that! To make things worse, what Rong Xiu said made him feel even more embarrassed. His face became flushed, and he was boiling mad on the inside. I thought I could end the competition with just one move, but I ended up being the loser instead¡­ Despite his shock and anxiousness, he couldn¡¯t resist glancing at the menacing white lion with ice-blue eyes sitting quietly in front of Rong Xiu. A layer of frost had actually formed on the ground where it was sitting. ¡°I-is this your fiend?!¡± asked Zhao Zicheng in disbelief. Based on that attack, this white lion must at least be an eighth-grade fiend and is very likely higher than that! Zhao Zicheng had seen his share of high-grade fiends before. After all, Chu Liuyue¡¯s Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant used to be a ninth-grade fiend. He had also come across a couple of them during the past few years when he traveled. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m imagining things, but based on this lion¡¯s aura¡­ it seems to be even more powerful than any of the ninth-grade fiends I¡¯ve seen before! The moment this terrifying thought appeared in his mind though, he immediately shot it down. That¡¯s absolutely impossible! There are conditions in place when a fiend agrees to be contracted with a human. Generally speaking, fiends will only willingly agree to submit to humans if the latter is powerful and capable enough. If this white lion really is¡­ Then, Rong Xiu¡­ Zhao Zicheng shut his eyes tightly and tried to rid these thoughts from his mind. Still, it didn¡¯t stop him from breaking out into a cold sweat. Rong Xiu¡­ is most likely much stronger than I thought! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was leisurely watching the competition¡ªslightly raised her eyebrows when she saw Xue Xue appear. It seems that Xue Xue is almost on the same level as a ninth-grade fiend¡­ From what I remember, Xue Xue was just a seventh-grade fiend when I first met it. How did it become so strong all of a sudden? It should be noted that a fiend¡¯s grade was decided at birth, and extremely few of them could raise their grades with repeated breakthroughs. These were the fiends that had extremely strong bloodlines. Even if Xue Xue has the potential, it¡¯s somewhat impossible for it to reach this level in such a short time. Chu Liuyue rubbed her chin, her eyes narrowing slightly. Did it¡­ deliberately hide its true power, or perhaps it hasn¡¯t even unleashed all of its power yet?! Rong Xiu smiled and nodded right then. ¡°That¡¯s right. I guess I should be considered worthy of Yue¡¯er in this aspect.¡± ¡­ Dead silence ensued as everyone present stared dumbly at Rong Xiu, pondering the meaning of his words. It was well-known throughout the entire Tianling Dynasty that Chu Liuyue had returned to Xi Ling with a legendary fiend¡ªa red-tailed phoenix¡ªand ascended the throne after experiencing a great ordeal. Hence, they wondered if he meant that his fiend was also a legendary fiend. Unable to hold back his burning curiosity any longer, Shangguan You turned to his daughter and asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er¡­ I-is that white lion also¡­ a legendary fiend? Why didn¡¯t you mention it before?¡± This would¡¯ve earned Rong Xiu a lot of brownie points since Yue¡¯er is the only person in the Tianling Dynasty to own a legendary fiend! But Chu Liuyue was utterly speechless herself, for she had no idea either. Shangguan You¡¯s eyes were fixed on Rong Xiu as he stroked his beard, so he didn¡¯t notice his daughter¡¯s expression. ¡°When have the princes of Country Yao Chen become so capable? No wonder he was so confident in himself!¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t answer the question, and she was, in fact, more curious than her father himself. Countless images flooded her mind all of a sudden. I just thought that Xue Xue was smart and adorable, and it has never crossed my mind that it might be a legendary fiend. Most importantly, I¡¯ve never heard of a white lion being a legendary fiend¡­ Rong Xiu has never mentioned it to me before! Her heart thumped hard just then. If Xue Xue is so strong, then what more of Rong Xiu?! ¡­ Never did Zhao Zicheng ever imagine that Rong Xiu could summon a legendary fiend so easily, and it showed on his face, seeing how he was staring at Xue Xue incredulously. What sort of person can make a legendary fiend become their contracted fiend? Isn¡¯t he just an ordinary prince from a lesser empire? Then, how did this legendary fiend come about?! Unease started to creep in. However, as there was no way they could stop the competition since they had placed their bets and were still in the middle of it, Zhao Zicheng forced himself to calm down and adjust his breathing before he started constructing another Xuan formation. I previously thought that I could easily win against Rong Xiu with just a random move, so I didn¡¯t give it my best shot. But now, it¡¯s time for me to get serious. ¡­ Just as Zhao Zicheng began constructing his second Xuan formation, a few people suddenly flew in from outside. ¡°Your Majesties!¡± Chu Liuyue and Shangguan You turned their heads at the same time, only to see Elder Chen Ke and the rest of the elders heading their way. Elder Chen Ke¡ªwho was the person to land¡ªswiftly walked over to their side and asked nervously, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Your Majesties? Why was there such a huge commotion just now?¡± Things were still pretty tense after what happened at the palace a few days ago, so the elders thought that something had happened again when they heard the commotion over on this side. However, Elder Chen Ke and the others soon realized that nothing seemed unusual over here after quickly surveying their surroundings. All they saw was the two people on the training ground. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. These two chaps are just dueling.¡± Shangguan You waved his hand to indicate to them that they didn¡¯t need to worry. It was only then that Elder Chen Ke and the rest heaved a sigh of relief, although they were all taken aback again when they saw the two young men¡¯s faces. W-what¡¯s going on? That¡¯s Zhao Zicheng. Based on his aura, it appears that he was the one responsible for that commotion. Who¡¯s the man in white though? They wanted to ask about it, but they kept their silence and looked over at the training ground instead when they sensed that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right. Zhao Zicheng had just finished constructing his second Xuan formation, and it was clearly much stronger and more powerful than the previous one. He took in a deep breath and then sent out the Xuan formation with all his might. ¡°Sun Formation!¡± Chapter 920 - Do You Admit Defeat? Like a brilliant sun slowly rising, light gathered above the Xuan formation and shot out from above. It was so blinding that everyone could hardly open their eyes. The temperature around them suddenly shot up, and the people who stood near Zhao Zicheng could almost feel a burning pain. Looking solemn, Elder Chen Ke waved his hand in the air and cast a barrier around the training ground. There was a hint of shock in his eyes as he mumbled quietly to himself, ¡°Are these two people bent on destroying this place?¡± Although Yuan He Palace and its training ground were carefully built to withstand extremely strong force, one mustn¡¯t underestimate Zhao Zicheng¡¯s full-force attack as he is an eighth-grade Xuan Master now. Not to mention that he¡¯s joined by the man in white and the white lion. I might not know who that man is, but it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s extremely powerful too, seeing how he easily dealt with Zhao Zicheng¡¯s Xuan formation. If these two fight for real¡­ Of course, they¡¯d go all out. This matter concerns Yue¡¯er after all. Shangguan You snorted when he heard what Elder Chen Ke said to himself. He was initially worried that Rong Xiu might not be a match for Zhao Zicheng and would embarrass his daughter if he lost the match, but he now realized that his worries were unfounded since the latter probably had some sort of tricks up his sleeves for him to be capable of contracting with a legendary fiend. But the question is¡­ How did a mere Seventh Prince of Country Yao Chen become so capable? ¡­ Black scorch marks could be found on the ground, which was the result of the Xuan formation. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how terrifying it would be if the force had landed on a single person. Zhao Zicheng¡¯s face turned somewhat pale as force gushed out of his body. The Sun Formation was an eighth-grade Xuan formation, as well as the highest level Xuan formation he could execute at the moment. In order to understand this Xuan formation fully, he spent three whole years studying it. Even when dueling with others, he rarely executed this Xuan formation because the toll on his body would be extremely huge if he wanted to fully execute it at his current level. Regardless of whether he won or lost, there would be no more fight in him once he executed it. In other words, he had to win with this one move. With much difficulty, he drew the last stroke of the formation and pushed it forward with all of his might. ¡°Go!¡± ¡­ The dazzling Xuan formation speedily flew toward Rong Xiu, burning the ground in its trail. Even the air seemed to be burning up. The distance between Rong Xiu and Zhao Zicheng wasn¡¯t wide in the first place, and the latter had used his full force in this strike. Thus, it took only a blink of an eye for the Xuan formation to reach five steps in front of the former. Turbulent force intertwined above the Xuan formation and formed a squall. As the hem of Rong Xiu¡¯s clothes fluttered in the wind, one could see faint golden lines on his clothes, which were like a clear lake¡¯s sparkling reflection of a starry night. It was at that moment Rong Xiu finally moved; he lifted his right hand and drew a light stroke in the air with his long and bony finger. A silver light immediately appeared in front of him. Then, his finger moved again to draw another stroke, and the two strands of silver light moved to form a cross that was slightly bigger than a palm. It was nothing compared to the size of Zhao Zicheng¡¯s Xuan formation though. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too late for you to start constructing a Xuan formation?¡± said Zhao Zicheng as he stared closely at Rong Xiu. He¡¯s too arrogant for his own good! Rong Xiu looked up with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Zhao Zicheng in confusion. He completed his Xuan formation? Just that little cross? What kind of Xuan formation is this?! Even a stage-one Xuan Master won¡¯t call these two lines a Xuan formation! Why did he insist on competing in this aspect when he obviously has no knowledge about Xuan formations? Is it just for the sake of saving his face? But what¡¯s the use if he¡¯s going to lose anyway? A man with such poor abilities and character isn¡¯t worthy of standing next to Her Majesty! Annoyance surged within Zhao Zicheng. ¡°There are many ways for you to prove your abilities. Why do you have to¡ª¡± Before Zhao Zicheng could finish talking, he saw Rong Xiu push the cross forward. From afar, the latter¡¯s Xuan formation looked like a fluttering butterfly, flying lightly in the air as it reached the front of the gigantic Xuan formation in no time. Then, it flew straight through the other Xuan formation. Whoosh! A soft rustling sound was heard, which made Zhao Zicheng stop talking. He looked at the scene in front of him in shock and disbelief. D-did that cross just fly through my Xuan formation?! The Sun Formation can¡¯t be easily destroyed because it has abundant force. Not to mention that little thing¡ª Just then, the gigantic, terrifying Xuan formation stopped three steps away from Rong Xiu. Its light quickly dimmed, and a thick layer of frost covered it. A strong feeling of unease hit Zhao Zicheng. ¡°No¡ª¡± Crack! A clear and crisp cracking sound resounded throughout the training ground, followed by the shattering and disappearing of the Xuan formation. ¡­ ¡°Cough!¡± The heavy blow made Zhao Zicheng jolt. He coughed up blood as he staggered backward, almost falling to the ground. The aura around him dissipated quickly, and he looked as if he was physically and mentally drained. The shock and horror in his eyes, however, revealed his current emotions. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± he said with much difficulty, only to taste the metallic blood in his mouth. Aside from him, everyone present was just as incredulous. D-did¡­ Rong Xiu just defeat Zhao Zicheng with that cross Xuan formation?! The cross Xuan formation made a U-turn and flew back to Rong Xiu, who caught it easily with his fingers. The whole process was so simple that it seemed as if he had just thrown a dart. It was deathly quiet as Rong Xiu¡ªwho was seemingly oblivious to the reactions of the people around them¡ªlooked at Zhao Zicheng calmly and asked, ¡°Do you admit defeat?¡± Zhao Zicheng¡¯s heart trembled as he looked into those deep and cold phoenix eyes that seemed to conceal countless ripples of emotions. It was at that moment he finally admitted that Rong Xiu was indeed far stronger than him. While others might not know it, he distinctly felt an unbeatable pressure coming from the cross Xuan formation when his own Xuan formation was destroyed. That was indeed a Xuan formation! If I¡¯m not wrong, those strands of light contained higher levels of Xuan formations within them. It¡¯s just that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t fully execute them¡ªthe cross Xuan formation alone was more than enough to deal with me. Zhao Zicheng closed his eyes. ¡°I¡­ concede!¡± Chapter 921 - Accompany Her Zhao Zicheng actually admitted defeat just like that! The moment he said it, the surrounding crowd revealed conflicted expressions. Actually, they had already predicted this ending when they saw the previous scene. Zhao Zicheng clearly had no more combat power. If he continued dragging it, he had no chances of winning. He was covered in injuries, but on the other hand, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t even move an inch from start to end. In the entire match, the latter just raised a hand and casually drew two strokes! There was no need to continue battling. Zhao Zicheng should admit defeat at this point, but¡­ Who would¡¯ve expected such an ending 15 minutes ago? Zhao Zicheng was an eighth-grade Xuan Master! ¡°Elder Chen Ke, did you see it clearly just now? That¡­ Is it a Xuan formation?¡± The few royal family elders standing at the side couldn¡¯t help but ask softly. Elder Chen Ke knitted his brows tightly and took a deep breath in. ¡°That is a Xuan formation!¡± Upon hearing this, the few elders exchanged glances. ¡°But what kind of Xuan formation behaves in that manner? Only two forces intertwined¡­ How can it break an eighth-grade Xuan formation so easily?¡± However, Elder Chen Ke stared at Rong Xiu closely and didn¡¯t explain further. Why¡­ What else can it be? It is naturally because the ¡®cross¡¯ formation Rong Xiu executed was much stronger than Zhao Zicheng¡¯s! Normally speaking, the higher one¡¯s Xuan Master level, the more control one had over their force. In this kind of situation, the more complicated the Xuan formations were, the greater the power. This was also the reason the crowd was confused over Rong Xiu¡¯s victory. To a normal person, his item definitely couldn¡¯t be counted as a Xuan formation. However, it clearly encompassed a stronger suppression than an eighth-grade Xuan formation as it managed to destroy it! Elder Chen Ke vaguely recalled that there were rumors about how a top Xuan Master could simplify complicated Xuan formations into minimalist drawings and have them encompass terrifyingly strong suppression! Could Rong Xiu¡­ be like this?! But those that can reach such a level are all¡­ ¡°Where did this Rong Xiu come from?¡± Elder Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°He is Country Yao Chen¡¯s Seventh Prince and Yue¡¯er¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± At this point, Shangguan You also recovered his senses. When he heard Elder Chen Ke¡¯s hushed question, he solemnly replied. The few elders were stunned. Country Yao Chen? Isn¡¯t that the place Chu Liuyue came back from? It seems like it¡¯s just a subsidiary country in Tianling¡­ How can it have such a strong warrior?! Shangguan You sighed deeply, but the waves in his heart continued surging as he looked at Rong Xiu with admiration. He then glanced at Chu Liuyue and sighed emotionally with deep meaning. ¡°What Yue¡¯er said was true!¡± This Rong Xiu¡¯s talent and capabilities aren¡¯t weaker than hers! Just based on his talent as a Xuan Master, he can surpass Zhao Zicheng! This isn¡¯t even mentioning how he has a legendary fiend! Even if his background is lacking, all of this is already enough! That previous tinge of doubt had completely disappeared! Shangguan You was then thoroughly relaxed. Chu Liuyue blinked and was caught between laughter and tears. Actually, even she didn¡¯t know that Rong Xiu was so strong in this area¡­ Even if it were me, I might not be able to fight against that attack. How exactly¡­ did Rong Xiu get to this cultivation level? ¡­ Shangguan You stood up and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡­ are great!¡± Rong Xiu nodded with a smile and bent his back to bow. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re too kind.¡± ¡°How is this being kind?!¡± Shangguan You¡¯s first impression of Rong Xiu was already very good. Now that he personally witnessed the latter¡¯s abilities, he admired this young man even more. ¡°You deserve it!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved slightly, and he smiled with deep meaning. It seems like this meet-the-parent session went quite smoothly. Shangguan You¡¯s gaze turned, and he looked at Zhao Zicheng. ¡°Someone, quickly bring Second Young Master Zhao down to rest!¡± Zhao Zicheng¡¯s face was a mixture of white and red as he immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty, thank you for your offer, but I¡¯m fine. I can go back by myself.¡± It¡¯s already enough for me to lose this match. If someone helps me off, I won¡¯t have any face left for myself. Zhao Zicheng wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth as he clenched his teeth and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°You are strong.¡± This sentence had no mockery or jealousy as it was honest from his heart. He really admired Rong Xiu. ¡°I admit that I¡¯m not good enough, and I¡¯ll admit defeat. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll leave Xi Ling and won¡¯t disturb you again.¡± When Zhao Zicheng said this, his heart seemed to be pricked countless times by a silver needle, and he was extremely hurt. He turned around and glanced at Chu Liuyue. A faint light flashed across his eyes before disappearing. Then, he smiled. Even though I didn¡¯t get back what I¡¯ve always wanted this time, I don¡¯t regret it. I¡¯ve said and done all that I should have. I have no more regrets! ¡°Please¡­ Take good care of her in the future.¡± Zhao Zicheng held his chest and harshly coughed. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned slightly deep. ¡°She¡¯s the apple of my eye. Of course, I¡¯ll dote on her a thousand times more than anyone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I thought too much.¡± Zhao Zicheng smiled in a self-mocking manner. This man is completely different from Jiang Yucheng. He can give her the best. Thinking of this, Zhao Zicheng turned around to leave. Rong Xiu walked toward Chu Liuyue. The moment he took two steps, Zhao Zicheng stopped, turned around, and asked rather hesitantly, ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Rong Xiu glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Zhao Zicheng held his breath and asked, ¡°How¡­ did you train to this level?¡± Rong Xiu thought of something as an extremely faint and slight smile appeared on his face. ¡°Yue¡¯er taught me.¡± I have no interest in the Xuan Master path. I just trained in it to accompany her for a while longer back then. Chapter 922 - What Do You Think? Zhao Zicheng was stumped and felt that Rong Xiu was joking. Shangguan Yue does have shocking talent as a Xuan Master, but she was also an eighth-grade Xuan Master back then, so she definitely couldn¡¯t teach Rong Xiu skills to suppress an eighth-grade Xuan Master. It seems like he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it. But Zhao Zicheng didn¡¯t mind either since a Xuan Master¡¯s cultivation was different from that of a warrior. One normally needed a mentor to guide them. The mentor-mentee relationship developed would be even more intimate and close. Perhaps Rong Xiu had his own reasons for not reporting his teacher. After all, there were indeed too many strong, reclusive warriors in this world that didn¡¯t like to show themselves off or casually expose their identities. Someone that can develop a disciple like Rong Xiu¡­ definitely mustn¡¯t be someone simple. Zhao Zicheng cupped his fists and didn¡¯t ask further as he turned around and limped to leave. The back view that originally could be considered tall and muscular had more hints of loneliness to it now. ¡­ ¡°Just now, did you say that I taught you?¡± Seeing Rong Xiu walk over, Chu Liuyue squinted her black eyes and asked. I have only recovered to the stage of a sixth-grade Xuan Master and haven¡¯t crossed the seventh-grade barrier for a long time. The abilities he previously executed aren¡¯t things I could teach him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know when I had such an outstanding disciple. Besides¡­ This disciple is also like me and made an agreement with a legendary fiend,¡± said Chu Liuyue as her gaze turned. She glanced at Xue Xue, who was about to pounce over happily from Rong Xiu¡¯s side. Xue Xue stopped in its actions and couldn¡¯t go forward or backward. Withstanding Chu Liuyue¡¯s introspective gaze, Xue Xue felt very guilty as it turned its big head and looked left and right. Haiya, I didn¡¯t want to hide it from you either! If Master didn¡¯t request it, why would I want to lie to you? Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve played chess together so many times. Even if I don¡¯t want to learn, I¡¯ll understand a little.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed and then understood what he meant. From a certain angle, chess and Xuan formations were extremely similar. Both tested one¡¯s sensitivity and agility. When she normally played chess, she would mix in some Xuan formations from time to time. Rong Xiu¡¯s words¡­ seem to make sense. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s doubts weren¡¯t totally dispelled. Even if Rong Xiu was just joking, the top talent and abilities he showed off aren¡¯t things that can be mistaken. I don¡¯t know when he became so strong as a Xuan Master! He seemed to hide countless mysteries as he was very ambiguous, and nobody could figure him out. But when those two eyes looked at her, they were so genuine, clean, and honest that they didn¡¯t hide any lies. For some reason, she felt that he would always be by her side and shelter her from the storms no matter what happened. Actually, she wasn¡¯t someone that easily trusted others. But in front of Rong Xiu, trust and dependence became her instincts, and everything was taken for granted. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and looked at Shangguan You. ¡°Father, I want to talk to Rong Xiu alone.¡± Shangguan You could tell that his daughter had something to ask Rong Xiu, so he immediately agreed. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve already seen him. Yue¡¯er, your taste is very good. You can discuss any concerns among yourselves.¡± He then patted Rong Xiu¡¯s shoulders with deep meaning before leaving. Elder Chen Ke originally wanted to go up and ask him a few questions. Seeing Shangguan You leave, he could only swallow his remaining words and bring the other elders with him. After walking quite a distance, Elder Chen Ke was still in deep thought. That Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t seem to be as simple as he is on the surface¡­ When everyone in the surroundings left, Chu Liuyue then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Shaoyue Palace and talk.¡± Rong Xiu walked forward, held her hand, and had a doting smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue shot him a look. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rong Xiu looked over, leaned in closer, and softly laughed. ¡°Executing my rights as a fianc¨¦.¡± ¡­ The news of Chu Liuyue having Country Yao Chen¡¯s Seventh Prince as her fianc¨¦ grew wings and rapidly spread throughout the palace. At the same time, the incident of Zhao Zicheng proposing to Chu Liuyue and battling with said fianc¨¦ but losing miserably in the end became the talk of the town immediately. When most people heard the first piece of news, they were purely shocked and surprised. But upon deeper thought, they found it very normal. After all, Chu Liuyue was just a woman from a desolated aristocratic family in Country Yao Chen. Having a marriage alliance with a prince was an elevation of her status. But the second piece of news didn¡¯t seem right! Who was Zhao Zicheng? He was the Zhao family¡¯s second young master and the most outstanding talent amongst the Zhao family¡¯s younger generation! Even though he wasn¡¯t in Xi Ling these few years, most people still remembered how talented and outstanding he was back then! They heard that he came back after already breaking through the bottleneck to become an eighth-grade Xuan Master! That person called Rong Xiu actually beat him?! How incredible! Doesn¡¯t this prove that he¡¯s more outstanding than Zhao Zicheng? A prince from a¡­ small subsidiary country? These incidents rapidly caused an uproar in Xi Ling, and the name ¡®Rong Xiu¡¯ swiftly became the talk of the town. ¡­ No matter how much the waves surged outside, it was calm within Shaoyue Palace. Chu Liuyue dismissed her subordinates, and only she and Rong Xiu were left in the room. Oh, and Xue Xue. Ever since they came in, Xue Xue sensibly found a corner to lie in and put on a wronged and self-repentant appearance. Looking at how its eyes and ears drooped down, one might even think that it had suffered a great setback! Who could compare this unlively white lion to the previous legendary fiend that shredded the eighth-grade Xuan formation with one claw?! However, Xue Xue¡¯s eagerly-repentant attitude made Chu Liuyue more satisfied. It¡¯s too obedient compared to its master. Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu and dangerously squinted her eyes. ¡°Rong Xiu, do you have nothing to talk to me about?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s long lashes fluttered as he smiled and said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, what do you want to know?¡± He¡¯s asking the obvious! Chu Liuyue sized him up with her gaze. ¡°Then¡­ Let¡¯s start with your abilities! You¡¯re already a ninth-grade Xuan Master now, right?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips moved as he wanted to deny it, but he swallowed the words back when they reached his lips. Following that, he nodded. Hearing him admit it personally, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was already prepared before¡ªstill had her heart skip a beat. Even I couldn¡¯t cross the barrier of a ninth-grade Xuan Master back then, so I didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to do it much earlier! ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you talk about it earlier?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone had a hint of warning. Rong Xiu blinked and looked quite innocent. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. I can¡¯t retort this! She took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Then, let me ask you: Other than being a ninth-grade Xuan Master, are you also a heavenly doctor?¡± Rong Xiu gradually leaned against the chair, and his hand lightly knocked against his table rhythmically. The next moment, he looked up. Stars seemed to travel in his eyes as his voice was deep and low. ¡°What do you think?¡± Chapter 923 - Having You is Enough Chapter 923: Having You is Enough Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched. Whatever Rong Xiu means doesn¡¯t need to be put in words! She squinted her eyes.¡±Then, your heavenly doctor level¡ª¡± Rong Xiu thought for a moment before smiling slightly. ¡°I know a thing or two.¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. Only a fool would believe his words! ¡°Since when did Mingyue Tianshan¡¯s disciples become this strong?¡± Chu Liuyue had never personally gone to Mingyue Tianshan, but she knew some things about them. Mingyue Tianshan was a clan independent of all the countries and had the vibes of an imperious, reclusive hero. Compared to countries like Country Yao Chen, it was stronger. This was also why Rong Xiu was directly sent to Mingyue Tianshan when his body wasn¡¯t healthy after being born. That place had warriors that Country Yao Chen couldn¡¯t fight against. But although Mingyue Tianshan was strong, it was still outside Heaven¡¯s Canopy and couldn¡¯t be compared to the Tianling Dynasty. Therefore, how did this clan cultivate a strong warrior like Rong Xiu? As if seeing through her doubts, Rong Xiu leaned back and looked at her with much interest. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re born in Country Yao Chen, but you also became a strong warrior that an ordinary person wishes to become.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless at that moment. After she was reborn and lost her previous life¡¯s Tianjing Yuan meridian, she had to restart everything. From Country Yao Chen to Xi Ling, she indeed suffered a lot on this journey and was also lucky enough to have what she had today. If I could do it, why can¡¯t others do it? Besides, I already knew from the start that Rong Xiu was very dangerous and guessed that he was extraordinary back then. But it¡¯s only now that I¡¯ve clearly realized that he¡¯s even stronger than I had thought! Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a while before saying, ¡°Rong Xiu, you haven¡¯t told me how the ¡®Your Grace¡¯ identity came about.¡± The moment she said this, the entire room fell silent. Rong Xiu looked into her eyes, and his phoenix-like eyes seemed to have light coursing through like a spiral that could swallow one whole. Then, he suddenly asked, ¡°Do you still remember my mother?¡± Chu Liuyue was confused by his sudden question, but she still nodded. Everyone knows about Consort Wan, who won over the entire harem in Country Yao Chen back then. Rong Xiu smiled, but his smiling intent didn¡¯t reach his eyes as his voice was extremely light. ¡°The so-called ¡®Your Grace¡¯ is my identity in my mother¡¯s clan.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue had thought of many answers before, but they were all vastly different from this. His¡­ mother¡¯s clan? Didn¡¯t they say that Consort Wan was from an ordinary family? Why¡ª Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of the day when the Third Prince brought troops to start a rebellion and the harsh battle between Rong Xiu and Emperor Jiawen. At that time, Emperor Jiawen wanted to break through and enter Heaven¡¯s Canopy, but Rong Xiu said something¡­ He seemed to say that the last wish his mother had was to prevent Emperor Jiawen from taking a single step into Heaven¡¯s Canopy! Right! Thinking of this, everything makes sense! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes.¡±Y-your mother is from within Heaven¡¯s Canopy?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°I see¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for quite a while. I had suspected it before, but many things happened later. Hence, I just put this incident behind me. Speaking of this, Rong Xiu can also be considered as someone who was born within Heaven¡¯s Canopy¡­ His mother¡¯s identity was clearly much better than that of Emperor Jiawen. ¡°Then, you¡ª¡± ¡°Back then, my mother was training outside of Heaven¡¯s Canopy. She accidentally met my father when she was in danger, and the two of them got together. When they got married, my mother didn¡¯t know about Father¡¯s identity,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. Even though Rong Xiu explained it very briefly, I can basically guess what happened. A woman born within Heaven¡¯s Canopy married someone beneath her status when she married Emperor Jiawen. Besides, from the many situations I know of, the clan Rong Xiu¡¯s mother was in didn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary one. Consort Wan was young and naive. After meeting Emperor Jiawen, she thought that he was the one and got together with him despite everything else. In the end, she didn¡¯t expect that she would marry an emperor with a huge harem. After being lied to, nobody could willingly accept and forgive him. It¡¯s no wonder there were rumors that Consort Wan was still very upset after she entered the palace, even though Emperor Jiawen loved her and doted on her very much. She only stayed in the palace for a year or two before moving out and didn¡¯t return even in death. As for her background, it should only be something that Emperor Jiawen made up. ¡°After I was born, Mother sent me to Mingyue Tianshan. The next few years, the people from the clan found us and wanted to bring my mother and me back. It¡¯s a pity that¡­ Mother had already passed on by then.¡± Rong Xiu spoke nonchalantly, and his expression was calm as if he were narrating someone else¡¯s story. ¡°Back then, Mother married an outsider on her own and had already gone against the clan rules. When she later found out about Father¡¯s identity and discovered that she had become a concubine, she had no more courage to return home and hid from the clan¡¯s searches until she died.¡± Actually, she sent Rong Xiu to Mingyue Tianshan as she didn¡¯t want his identity to be exposed. She thought that she could rest assured if Rong Xiu was sent there, but many unexpected things happened after that. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t know any of this. Chu Liuyue looked at her man. His gaze was clearly ordinary¡ªas if he had seen through all of this¡ªbut her heart still ached faintly. ¡°So¡­ All these years, you didn¡¯t actually stay at Mingyue Tianshan?¡± she asked lightly. ¡°En.¡± Rong Xiu acknowledged. ¡°I¡¯ll come back once in a while, but I won¡¯t stay for too long. I couldn¡¯t find the right time to tell you all of this earlier on. Yue¡¯er, are you angry at me?¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart and shook her head. It was definitely very hard for him to return to the clan with such an identity. Rong Xiu hated Emperor Jiawen and had completely fallen out with him back then, so he definitely wouldn¡¯t want to return to Country Yao Chen. This is also probably one of the reasons why he prepared everything but chose to leave Country Yao Chen¡¯s throne to the Third Prince. As for his mother¡¯s family clan¡­ One can just think to know how awkward his identity was. ¡°Rong Xiu, it¡¯s been hard on you these few years¡­ right?¡± From what Rong Xiu previously said, it isn¡¯t hard to guess how strict the rules of Consort Wan¡¯s family clan are. They were probably reluctant to accept Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It was just that there were many people eyeing his ¡®Your Grace¡¯ position after he took it. Quite a few people also wanted to rebel, so it was rather troublesome. Rong Xiu looked up and saw her eyes filled with pain. He smiled slightly, held her hands tightly, and brought her in close. The gentle and sweet aura she gave out filled his embrace immediately. He held her thin waist and buried his head in her shoulders, smelling her faint cloud-like fragrance. Every empty spot in his heart seemed to be filled. ¡°I¡¯m very well,¡± he softly said, like a mutter and also a rant. ¡°I have Yue¡¯er.¡± Having you is enough. Chapter 924 - Trying to Murder Your Husband Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart turned into goo as she looked up and gently pecked his lips. Slightly cold and soft. ¡°Rong Xiu, I¡¯ll be your family in the future, okay?¡± She moved half an inch back, stared into his eyes, and said it ever so seriously. Even without Rong Xiu voicing it, she could still feel his lonely aura as if it was exuded from his bones. His hand was cold, and so were his lips, but she felt that his heart was warm. If he is alone in this world, I¡¯m willing to accompany him forever as the love of his life and his closest kin. She didn¡¯t want to ask further; she only knew that he was him. Everything else had nothing to do with them. No matter if he were Country Yao Chen¡¯s Seventh Prince or Your Grace from a certain aristocratic family, it didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was that they belonged to each other. Rong Xiu looked at her and suddenly hugged her tightly with one hand. His other hand held her face as he kissed her. One of his hands was very forceful as if he wanted to smash and merge her with his own bones and muscles, while his other hand was ridiculously careful as if it was holding a rare treasure, afraid that it would hurt her. Within the endless uproars, he had a tinge of love and restraint. A slurred syllable came out from his lips and teeth. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu defeated Zhao Zicheng, and the resulting influence was much greater than they had expected. This was because other than Zhao Zicheng, there were quite a few handsome and talented lads in Xi Ling City that originally had an interest in Chu Liuyue. No matter if it were her status, appearance, or talent, the current Chu Liuyue was definitely considered one of the top. When she was still the Princess last time, countless people admired her. Now that she had retaliated against Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan and even ascended the throne to bring honor back, she naturally attracted many people to bend their backs for her. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s appearance interrupted these people¡¯s plans. With Zhao Zicheng falling in front until his head broke and blood spurted everywhere, the remaining few people naturally calmed down and thought about it carefully. Even an eighth-grade Xuan Master could lose to Rong Xiu, which showed how strong he was! It was impossible to say that they weren¡¯t afraid. But at the same time, quite a few people had doubtful attitudes. Zhao Zicheng is a famous talent in Xi Ling City and can even be considered an elite amongst the younger generation. How could he lose to a mere prince from Country Yao Chen? But this news indeed came from the palace, and rumor has it that quite a few people personally witnessed it¡­ In no time, the crowd partook in heated discussions, and many people were curious about Rong Xiu. Countless people wanted to personally see what kind of character this Rong Xiu was! ¡­ Chu Liuyue originally planned on confessing everything to Rong Xiu honestly and then proceeding on with their wedding after she settled everything on the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s side. However, she didn¡¯t expect Chu Ning to be abducted. With this matter in the way, their wedding definitely couldn¡¯t proceed. Even though she knew that the note said that the other party wouldn¡¯t casually hurt Chu Ning, Chu Liuyue was still very worried. From the start to the present, the other party knew my identity like the back of his hand. This means that he clearly came for me, but I don¡¯t know anything about the other party at all. After much thinking, she still asked Rong Xiu. This time, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t hesitate and directly nodded. He knew where the note came from, but when Chu Liuyue wanted to ask further, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t continue answering and just said that she currently wasn¡¯t suited to know all of this. Chu Liuyue was confused by this answer. ¡°Then, when can I know?¡± Rong Xiu paused. The current Chu Liuyue is only a stage-six warrior. Even if she knows about all of this, she can¡¯t do anything about them. It would only add to her burdens. ¡°If you break through and become a stage-seven warrior a month later, I¡¯ll tell you about it.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. It¡¯s not hard for me to break through to become a stage-seven warrior, but it¡¯s hard to achieve it in a short one month¡¯s time! One had to know that she had just come back from the Red Moon Desert not long ago and that she just became an intermediate stage-six warrior! This speed was already very fast. If she continued to break through to become a stage-seven warrior, it would be terrifying! As if seeing through her considerations, Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°If you trust me enough, I¡¯ll be your training buddy for this month, okay?¡± When Chu Liuyue saw his calm and composed smile, her heart suddenly burned with fighting desire. ¡°That¡¯s a deal.¡± ¡­ In the backyard of Shaoyue Palace was also a training arena. It was even bigger and of better quality than the previous one at Yuan He Palace. This was the place where Chu Liuyue used to train. Other than the very hard marble floor, the entire training arena was surrounded by a ninth-grade Xuan formation to guard it and ensure that any aftershocks caused on the training ground wouldn¡¯t spread outside and harm others. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu stood opposite each other. As the former had already given her orders earlier, nobody in the palace was serving them in the surroundings. Only the two of them were on the vast training ground. Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu opposite her and couldn¡¯t help but feel excited when she thought about how the two of them hadn¡¯t really fought each other before despite knowing one another for so long. I¡¯ve long known that Rong Xiu is very strong, and I¡¯ve finally waited until today, where I have recovered a portion of my power. Perhaps¡­ I can go against him? When Chu Liuyue thought of this, her eyes lit up. Seeing her excited manner, Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. I do miss this familiar scene¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu, don¡¯t let me off easy later. Just attack!¡± Chu Liuyue believed that she wouldn¡¯t be Rong Xiu¡¯s match as a Xuan Master, but¡­ It might not be the case for the warrior path! After all, even though she looked like she was only an intermediate stage-six warrior, her combat skills had actually reached that of a stage-seven warrior! The torturous training she previously experienced at the Red Moon Desert wasn¡¯t for nothing! Rong Xiu smiled and answered: ¡°Okay.¡± When Xue Xue¡ªwho was lying on the floor¡ªheard this, it glanced at his own master with much contempt. You didn¡¯t even blink when you lied. Pfft! Detecting Xue Xue¡¯s gaze, Rong Xiu glanced at it coldly. Not talking about the past, but Yue¡¯er hasn¡¯t even fully recovered now. If I really attack her without holding back, I¡¯ll also be the one who suffers when she gets hurt. I can only dote on the wife I found for myself. At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure moved, and she went straight for Rong Xiu. She was extremely fast. The aspect that Chu Liuyue improved the most in after continuously fighting those puppets in the Red Moon Desert was her close-combat skills! Hence, even her speed had increased by quite a bit! Now that she had already recovered her identity, she didn¡¯t need to hide the many skills she had learned before. Due to this, it was naturally much more convenient for her. In the blink of an eye, the slim and tall figure had already rushed to Rong Xiu! She clenched her bare fists and sent out a punch! But before she could see Rong Xiu¡¯s movements clearly, his figure had already disappeared before her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s punch landed on empty air, and she sent a side kick without even thinking. Bang! Rong Xiu held her ankle easily. Chu Liuyue was shocked, and she immediately took the chance to spin in midair. Rong Xiu quickly let go of her and avoided her attack. ¡°Tsk! Yue¡¯er, are you trying to kill your husband?¡± Chapter 925 - Mastermind Chu Liuyue landed lightly like a sparrow as she looked at Rong Xiu opposite her. Hearing his teasing, she gently grunted. ¡°You didn¡¯t even use all your force, yet you can easily block my attack. Your words aren¡¯t very suitable, right?¡± Earlier, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t even attack and just defended. But even so, she could still feel that his cultivation level was much better than hers! ¡°To be your training buddy, I need to have some abilities, right? If not, I¡¯ll just be beaten down directly.¡± Rong Xiu raised his hand and faced his palm upward. He then curled his finger slightly and smiled. ¡°Again?¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth tightly as her force crazily surged out, causing her surrounding aura to reach its peak instantly! A spark of light gradually flashed on her fingertip. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡ªJingshen Finger!¡± Small beatings definitely can¡¯t threaten Rong Xiu at all, so I can only put my best foot forward. A satisfied smile flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s face. One had to continuously challenge their limits to elevate their capabilities rapidly and stably. Coincidentally, he knew best where her limits lay. Hence, it was most suitable for him to be this person. The next moment, a golden fire appeared in Rong Xiu¡¯s palm! ¡­ After thinking by himself for a long time when he went back, Elder Chen Ke still wanted to find Shangguan You. Arriving at Yuan He Palace, Shangguan You was reading a book in the room. Hearing the noise, he looked up. ¡°You still came in the end.¡± He didn¡¯t look shocked at all as if he had long expected it. ¡°Please sit¡ª¡± Elder Chen Ke was an elder that had served three rulers, so his status was extraordinary. Even Shangguan You had to be polite to him. Seeing Shangguan You¡¯s reaction, Elder Chen Ke knew that they were thinking of the same thing. Thus, he didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and directly sat down. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve also noticed something amiss, Your Majesty,¡± said Elder Chen Ke openly as he knitted his brows slightly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s identity isn¡¯t that simple¡­¡± How could a mere Country Yao Chen¡¯s prince have the abilities he previously executed? Even if he is extremely talented, it is impossible for him to reach his current cultivation level without sufficient resources and fate. ¡°I¡¯ve seen his father before.¡± Shangguan You put down the book in his hands and suddenly said this. ¡°He¡¯s normal and ordinary.¡± Even if such a person was lucky enough to give birth to a talented child, it wouldn¡¯t be too exaggerated. However, Rong Xiu had clearly exceeded this standard. ¡°You mean¡­¡± Elder Chen Ke was beyond shocked. ¡°I keep thinking that I¡¯ve seen his aura before.¡± Shangguan You rubbed his temple. ¡°But I can¡¯t remember in such a short time.¡± However, I had a good impression of Rong Xiu the moment I saw him. Thus, I didn¡¯t further question him in person and let Yue¡¯er do the asking. ¡°Elder Chen Ke, what do you think?¡± Since he came, he definitely had something to say. Elder Chen Ke hesitated for a moment. ¡°Your Majesty, I suspect that¡­ Rong Xiu is someone from ¡®that side.¡¯¡± Shangguan You paused in his actions and suddenly looked up, a sharp glow flashing across his eyes. ¡°Elder Chen Ke, you think so too?¡± ¡°¡­A ninth-grade Xuan Master is also like a stage-nine warrior, and they¡¯re both very strong. They¡¯re just one step away from the higher ground! There might not even be a few such warriors in the entire Tianling Dynasty, yet Rong Xiu reached such a level at a young age¡­ Other than ¡®that side,¡¯ who else can cultivate such a character?¡± Shangguan You stroked his beard and seemed to agree with it. ¡°That was also what I was thinking. Back then, Yue¡¯er was born with a Tianjing Yuan meridian and was a rare talent that appeared once in a thousand years. This was why she could reach a cultivation level that a normal person couldn¡¯t even reach in their entire lives in such a short period of time. As for Rong Xiu¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t see through him. ¡°Ancestor should understand these things better, right?¡± Elder Chen Ke had a solemn expression. ¡°However, it seems like Ancestor didn¡¯t really tell her much about the related matters¡­¡± ¡°Ancestor must have his own considerations. Perhaps he has already told Yue¡¯er.¡± Shangguan You was in deep thought for a moment. ¡°Now that Yue¡¯er has already ascended the throne, many things have been settled. We can just find a time later on to talk to her about this in detail.¡± Elder Chen Ke nodded and curiously muttered, ¡°If Rong Xiu is really from ¡®that side,¡¯ why must he appear as Country Yao Chen¡¯s prince¡­ When Your Majesty was injured back then, she also managed to revive on ¡®that side¡¯¡­ Isn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence?¡± There was one point that Elder Chen Ke did not say¡ªif Rong Xiu¡¯s identity was really what they thought of it to be, then¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be certain who was marrying up the social ladder. Shangguan You thought for a moment and waved his hands. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s fine as long as Yue¡¯er wants him and vice versa. As for the rest, there¡¯s no need to care so much! Right, I asked you to check on Jiang Yucheng previously. Did you find out anything?¡± Elder Chen Ke calmed down and straightened his body, his expression becoming stern. ¡°I really did find quite a few points amiss. Jiang Yucheng¡­ seems to be secretly contacting some person these few years. It also seems like he listens to the other party¡¯s every command and keeps helping him do things. However, he has always been doing it discreetly, so I can¡¯t find out clearly who exactly the other party is.¡± Shangguan You coldly grunted. ¡°This means that he indeed has a master behind him?¡± ¡°Yes. Also¡­¡± Elder Chen Ke hesitated for a moment. ¡°Also what?¡± Shangguan You asked further. ¡°Also¡­ Mu Qinghe seems to be related to this as well.¡± Shangguan You knitted his brows tightly. ¡°He is Jiang Yucheng¡¯s man. It¡¯s normal if he¡¯s related to this.¡± ¡°No.¡± Elder Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°If Mu Qinghe is purely Jiang Yucheng¡¯s subordinate, he¡ªlogically speaking¡ªwould have no right to contact the mastermind directly. However¡­ this isn¡¯t the case. He seems to have contacted the mastermind behind Jiang Yucheng¡¯s back!¡± Chapter 926 - You Can Definitely Win Against Me Next Time ¡°Really?¡± This time, Shangguan You was truly stunned. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, ¡°If this is so, Mu Qinghe might not be Jiang Yucheng¡¯s man completely¡­¡± But what¡¯s his motive for doing so? When Yue¡¯er asked Mu Qinghe if he betrayed her, the latter admitted it without hesitation. From start to end, he didn¡¯t even defend himself. Mu Qinghe was personally nurtured by Yue¡¯er, and compared to the rest, they naturally had a deeper relationship. His doings made Yue¡¯er feel betrayed much more strongly than many others. According to what Mu Qinghe said, he was Jiang Yucheng¡¯s man right from the start. But it now seems like there is something wrong¡­ If there wasn¡¯t another underlying reason, why would he have to do this? It¡¯s as if¡­ he wants to be executed? ¡°Is Mu Qinghe still under house arrest in the Mu Residence?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shangguan You stood up but stopped after taking two steps out. Elder Chen Ke tried to ask, ¡°Your Majesty, do you want to go to the Mu Residence and question him yourself?¡± Shangguan You stood with one hand behind his back and shook his head. ¡°Forget it. If he¡¯s not willing to speak, nobody can get an answer from him. When there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll personally tell Yue¡¯er about this. Then, we¡¯ll decide.¡± Elder Chen Ke nodded and probed, ¡°Then, about Rong Xiu¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s observe what happens first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Mu Residence. The yard was cold and silent. Other than a few armored Black Guards patrolling past from time to time, nobody else¡¯s figures appeared again. Jian Fengchi stood at the door and felt conflicted when he saw this scene. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply. Sigh¡­ Even though the Mu Residence only had Black Guards guarding it in the past, the atmosphere back then was greatly different from now. At the very least, there was still some liveliness back then. But now¡­ It¡¯s no different from a prison. I¡¯ve always avoided this kind of place, but I have to come here now. ¡°Jian Fengchi, you¡¯re here again?¡± A figure flashed before him, and Si Jing appeared. Taking away the Lei Laosi mask, the current Si Jing looks much more gentlemanly. He has also slimmed down from before, but he still looks very burly and muscular. In addition to his formidable capabilities, he can cause invisible stress on people just by standing there. Jian Fengchi coughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you come once or twice, but you come here every day¡­¡± Si Jing sized the other male up suspiciously as he smacked his mouth and couldn¡¯t help but ask the question that had been bothering him. ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡± Jian Fengchi resigned himself to his fate and walked in. ¡°Is he still in his room doing nothing?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Si Jing shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You can go in yourself.¡± Since the time Her Highness came and the three of them talked in the room¡­ I don¡¯t know what they said, but the few of them had strange reactions afterward. Her Highness seemed lost and depressed, while Jian Fengchi scolded Mu Qinghe for an hour in frustration after she left. Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t talk about the details, but his general message was that Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t know what was good for him. As for Mu Qinghe¡­ Ever since that day, he has stayed in the room and didn¡¯t come out. I originally thought Her Highness locked him in the Mu Residence and restricted his freedom here, but it seems like he didn¡¯t want to come out himself. Hence, Jian Fengchi came every day after that. However, it didn¡¯t seem to work at all. Mu Qinghe was an extremely stubborn person that wouldn¡¯t fall for any tactics. Si Jing crossed his arms and shook his head. Actually, I can¡¯t figure it out either. Back then, Her Highness treated Mu Qinghe wholeheartedly and even nicer than she treated the Thirteen Yue Guards. Why did this ingrate suddenly betray Her Highness? However, Her Highness doesn¡¯t even have any intentions of killing him up to this point¡­ Si Jing flung the hammer in his hands and walked away. ¡­ The door wasn¡¯t locked, so Jian Fengchi directly pushed the door to enter and saw Mu Qinghe sitting there. Hearing the commotion, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t react much as if he didn¡¯t even care. Seeing his current appearance, Jian Fengchi was enraged. He sneered and leaned against the door frame. ¡°Are you planning to be like this forever?¡± Mu Qinghe did not speak. ¡°Are you happy that you angered her and that she left after you purposely said those words?¡± Jian Fengchi furrowed his brows tightly, his usual flirtatious look currently covered by a thick layer of frost. Mu Qinghe finally had a reaction. ¡°I was just speaking the truth. If I did something wrong, I should be punished.¡± Jian Fengchi clenched his teeth furiously. ¡°Bullshit! Weren¡¯t you the one who begged me to help her find evidence?!¡± Jian Fengchi quickly went forward and grabbed Mu Qinghe¡¯s collar. ¡°Do you believe that I¡¯ll go tell her about all of this right now!?¡± Mu Qinghe knitted his brows and pushed his hand away. ¡°It¡¯s fine even if you say it. Could it prove that I have nothing to do with all those things?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter if she kills me or not. Isn¡¯t it great that the truth is out now?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi was dissatisfied with his friend¡¯s words and wanted to hit him, but he unintentionally saw that the back of his palm had a hint of blood. He was suddenly dazed and took a closer look. I¡¯m not injured, and only Mu Qinghe touched my hand previously¡­ This is Mu Qinghe¡¯s blood! Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mu Qinghe saw the bloodstain on the back of his hand and secretly knitted his brows. I¡¯m so careless¡­ ¡°It¡¯s nothing much,¡± said Mu Qinghe lightly as he nonchalantly took a handkerchief and cleaned away the blood on his hands. However, that white handkerchief was quickly drenched in fresh, red blood! Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. There¡¯s clearly something wrong with how much Mu Qinghe is bleeding! He rushed forward and directly stretched out his hand, wanting to grab Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe agilely avoided it, but his feet weren¡¯t stable and directly knocked against the chair beside him. He eventually managed to stabilize himself with much difficulty, but his face flashed white as blood oozed out from the corner of his mouth. Jian Fengchi was even more stunned. ¡°This is¡­¡± Plop! Mu Qinghe fainted and suddenly collapsed onto the floor. ¡­ Shaoyue Palace. Every second and minute trickled past quickly. Unknowingly, it was already evening. As the sun went down in the west, the thick clouds reflected its brilliant light. The exchange between Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu finally ended! The clothes around the former were already drenched by the sweat, and she seemed exhausted. On the other hand, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t look any different other than his clothes being a little messy. It was as if he just leisurely walked around instead of fighting with Chu Liuyue for a long time. Chu Liuyue breathed harshly and couldn¡¯t help clenching her teeth when she looked at Rong Xiu. This man is always restricting his abilities to be just one notch above mine! How infuriating! ¡°Y-you actually hid so much of your ability¡ª¡± She was about to go forward, but she directly fell forward as her body turned soft. Rong Xiu went forward, hugged her into his arms, and carried her bridal style. He then smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little stronger than you this time. You¡¯ll definitely be able to win next time, Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue clutched his face and grunted heavily. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely overtake you on the Qing Yun Ranking next time!¡± Chapter 927 - Dream Chapter 927: Dream Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Xiu suddenly stopped his actions. His brows moved undetectably as he looked at Chu Liuyue in his arms and slowly asked, ¡°What¡­ did you just say?¡± Chu Liuyue was also dazed. Qing Yun Ranking¡­ What¡¯s that? Why would I suddenly say that? It¡¯s as if¡­ I said the same words before. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue, but she instantly knitted her brows and kept searching through her memories. However, she couldn¡¯t remember anything. Rong Xiu stared at her face closely. His uneasy heart relaxed a little when he saw the faint layer of confusion in her eyes. He silently turned his gaze away, looked down, and hid the emotions in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back first.¡± Chu Liuyue dazedly nodded as she hugged Rong Xiu¡¯s neck and leaned against his shoulders, but she kept thinking about the previous incident. Qing Yun Ranking¡­ I said that I would definitely overtake Rong Xiu on the Qing Yun Ranking? ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± She suddenly spoke and glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°Have you heard of the Qing Yun Ranking¡­?¡± The man shook his head, and the remaining light shone on his smooth and perfect side view, which was also very charming. However, he didn¡¯t say anything. Chu Liuyue was confused. Rong Xiu means that he doesn¡¯t know, but why did I suddenly say such a thing to him? Is this related to the memory I lost? Chu Liuyue was deep in thought and planned to find another chance to think carefully about it after she went back. Rong Xiu carried her and walked back. Luckily, all the palace maids were purged after Chu Liuyue came back, so there weren¡¯t many people serving in Shaoyue Palace. In addition, the training arena was a more private place in Shaoyue Palace, so she could directly return to her bedroom from there. Due to this, they didn¡¯t meet many people on the way as Rong Xiu directly carried her back. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡ª¡± He had just called her when he suddenly felt that the person in his arms was very quiet. He looked down and saw that the woman in his arms was leaning against his shoulders with her eyes closed and that her breathing was uniform as if she had fallen asleep. Rong Xiu laughed and felt his head ache. She must¡¯ve been too tired from the training, but it also proves that she feels secure enough to rapidly fall asleep in my arms. This comforted Rong Xiu. He carefully placed her on the bed, wiped her sweat, and covered her with a thin blanket. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes gradually gained a tinge of gentleness as he watched her peacefully sleeping. In the past, even though she was also very tired during this kind of time, it was very rare for her to sleep directly. This time, the revenge in Xi Ling must¡¯ve used up much of her energy and mental power. It¡¯s good that she can rest now. Rong Xiu held her wrist, and a pure and warm force was gradually inserted into her body. Chu Liuyue dreamed of something as she muttered softly. Rong Xiu heard her mutters, which were faintly related to the Qing Yun Ranking. He knitted his brows slightly. Since she has yet to break through to become a stage-seven warrior, she shouldn¡¯t be able to think about this because that thing in her body is still sealed perfectly. However, it seems like she is much faster than I had predicted. With the nurturing of Rong Xiu¡¯s force, Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows gradually relaxed, and she fell asleep peacefully. Rong Xiu stood at his spot quietly and glanced at Tuan Zi, who appeared at some point. ¡°Take good care of her.¡± Tuan Zi nodded sensibly for once. Rong Xiu then turned and left. Xue Xue followed him closely. ¡­ After walking out of Shaoyue Palace, Rong Xiu looked up in a certain direction. If I don¡¯t recall wrongly, Huayang Palace should be there. That is also where Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng are locked up. Rong Xiu thought for a while and still changed his direction to leave the palace. ¡­ Chu Liuyue had a very long and messy dream. In the dream, she seemed to be competing with someone to be the champion of the Qing Yun Ranking. The other party¡¯s face and figure were very blurred, but his abilities were extremely strong. She failed at every battle and tried again to no avail. Amongst the many competitions, some were very quiet, and others were very noisy in the surroundings as if there were many people spectating and cheering. She wanted to take in the other party¡¯s face carefully, but she couldn¡¯t do so. After some time, even she didn¡¯t know how many times she had competed. After another competition, she finally won. She was very happy, and that person opposite her also seemed to be elated. Someone shouted from the surroundings, and she vaguely heard that it was ¡®Yue.¡¯ The person opposite suddenly took a step forward. It was as if he ran through a layer of mist, and his figure gradually turned clearer. It was a black-robed young man with a jade belt at his waist. The outfit easily outlined his broad shoulders and skinny waist. He seemed to be saying something to her. The surroundings fell silent. Thunderous applause and cheers were then heard, and it was lively! And his face gradually appeared¡­ ¡°Hu¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open! She broke out into a cold sweat, and her heart kept beating wildly, causing her ears to turn numb. She adjusted herself for some time before realizing that it was a dream. Tuan Zi flew over and intimately rubbed against her cheeks. Chu Liuyue hugged Tuan Zi into her arms, and her heart gradually calmed down. After she woke up, she quickly forgot everything about the dream. That man¡¯s figure seemed to be very familiar, but she still didn¡¯t clearly see that face in the end. A ridiculous thought surfaced in her heart. I actually vaguely felt that the man competing with me in my dreams seemed to be the one from the octagonal pavilion on the cliff! Also, he is very similar to Master! ¡­ The night sky fell. Hundred Herbs Building was already closed, and Yue Ling was checking the merchandise on the third floor. Suddenly, he heard something. He turned around and was so frightened that his heart almost jumped out. ¡°Master!¡± He hurriedly greeted the man. ¡°Master, why are you¡ª¡± Rong Xiu waved his hands. ¡°I just came here to take something.¡± Yue Ling heaved a slight sigh of relief. Only the heavens know what I felt to see Master standing there once I turned around. ¡°Yes!¡± Yue Ling hurriedly acknowledged the words as he watched Rong Xiu walk in, still feeling very shocked. Master is now known all over Xi Ling. Who doesn¡¯t know that the new emperor has a fianc¨¦ that managed to win against Zhao Zicheng even though he was born in Country Yao Chen? ¡°Are you¡­ buying for Madam?¡± Yue Ling followed him and asked carefully. Actually, he was also stunned when he found out that Chu Liuyue was actually Shangguan Yue. I was wondering why Master returned to Country Yao Chen again¡­ So it was because of this! Rong Xiu nodded and walked to an unassuming rack. A fist-sized and unassuming green gem box was placed there. Perhaps it hadn¡¯t been touched in a while, so there was a thin layer of dust on it. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to care as he took it. Yue Ling was slightly stunned. So Master came to take this! Chapter 928 - Surge! Yue Ling wanted to ask something, but he didn¡¯t speak up. The moment Rong Xiu put away the green gem box, he heard knocks from outside. ¡°Master, I have something to report.¡± This was Yu Mo¡¯s voice. Yue Ling looked at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu said lightly, ¡°Just come in.¡± Yue Ling then understood that his master was the one who called Yu Mo over. Yu Mo pushed the door to enter and lightly nodded in acknowledgment when he saw Yue Ling before bowing toward Rong Xiu. ¡°Master, you guessed correctly. Jiang Yucheng contacted that person again.¡± Upon hearing this, Yue Ling was stunned and immediately said sensibly, ¡°Master, I¡¯ll guard outside.¡± Rong Xiu nodded, and Yue Ling hurriedly went out. When the latter left, he carefully closed the door. Outside the door, Yue Ling¡¯s expression was stern. It seems like Master is planning to take action¡­ ¡­ Yu Mo had been staying in Xi Ling during this period to check on Jiang Yucheng secretly. After the incident was exposed, the entire Jiang family was executed, and Jiang Yucheng was also locked up. Thus, Yu Mo waited for a long while before finding this clue. ¡°It should¡¯ve happened yesterday.¡± A hint of contempt flashed across Yu Mo¡¯s eyes. ¡°He chose this time because the entire Jiang family has been executed, and everyone has lowered their guard toward him. This Jiang Yucheng is really extremely selfish. For his own life, he¡¯s willing to sacrifice his entire family.¡± Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°He only cares about himself. It¡¯s not strange for him to do such a thing.¡± Jiang Yucheng thought that he managed to grab his last straw of survival, but he shot his own foot. ¡°Have you found out that person¡¯s identity?¡± Yu Mo paused for a moment and shook his head. ¡°I¡­ only managed to find out that the other party had been Jiang Yucheng¡¯s backing all along, but I didn¡¯t find out their identity.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°If it was so easy for you to find out, they¡¯d be too useless. Jiang Yucheng is now trapped in Huayang Palace. How did the news get out?¡± Yu Mo¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°From my checks, there¡¯s a specific path to send out news in Huayang Palace!¡± ¡­ Mu Residence. The next day, bright sunlight shone in from the windows. Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyeballs moved, and he finally opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, and he instinctively closed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± A cold voice sounded from the side. Mu Qinghe turned around and saw a familiar face. Jian Fengchi crossed his arms and stared at him coldly. He had eyebags and looked very frail as if he didn¡¯t rest well. ¡°Not many people can make me use so much effort to save someone. From today onward, you owe me your life! Do you understand?¡± Mu Qinghe sat up and held his head that hurt faintly, not having much of an expression. ¡°Why did you waste your effort?¡± I know my own body. Jian Fengchi¡­ had no need to do so. Hearing this, Jian Fengchi was enraged. He wanted to go up and beat his friend up. ¡°You¡­¡± Thinking that he only managed to save his friend with much difficulty, he endured it and pointed at Mu Qinghe furiously. ¡°You¡¯re really capable! I must be crazy to help you!¡± Mu Qinghe leaned against the bed frame, closed his eyes, and seemed unaffected. ¡°I don¡¯t only owe you my life.¡± I can¡¯t even repay what I owe Chu Liuyue. Jian Fengchi suppressed his anger and didn¡¯t plan to continue haggling with him. He went forward, pulled over a chair, and sat opposite Mu Qinghe. ¡°Say it! What¡¯s wrong with your body?¡± Mu Qinghe lightly said, ¡°It¡¯s just an old injury.¡± Jian Fengchi sneered continuously. ¡°Do you really think that I only became a heavenly doctor yesterday? The poison in your body has been there for quite some time, right? This poison is very sinister and cold. Now, it has already infiltrated your organs and limbs. Not to mention clearing it, your life is almost over even if you can get rid of it completely! Xi Ling doesn¡¯t have this type of poison, not even the entire Tianling. Clearly, someone has poisoned you. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know about this.¡± Mu Qinghe kept quiet and didn¡¯t say a word as if he were too lazy to explain so much. The two of them fell silent and faced each other. After a moment, Jian Fengchi stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I can¡¯t deal with your poison, it doesn¡¯t mean someone else can¡¯t. I¡¯ll just enter the palace and ask someone.¡± Then, he turned around to leave. Just as he was about to step out of the door, a voice finally sounded from behind. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡­ Chong Xu Cabinet. Ye Ranran arrived at the medicinal garden early on and planned to tidy the herbs. After she arrived, she saw that someone was already there. She took a closer look and shockingly yelled, ¡°Cabinet Master?!¡± Weichi Song cut away the dragon vine in his hands before straightening his back and smiling kindly at Ye Ranran. Ye Ranran walked over and asked rather curiously, ¡°Cabinet Master, why did you personally come to tidy it?¡± Weichi Song smiled and said, ¡°I have nothing to do, so I came over to take a look.¡± Ye Ranran squinted. ¡°You miss Liuyue?¡± Back then, most of these herbs were taken care of by Liuyue. It wasn¡¯t hard to understand why the Cabinet Master was here today. Weichi Song smiled and gently knocked on her forehead. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine if you call her that in our Chong Xu Cabinet, but you can¡¯t do that outside.¡± Now, Chu Liuyue had already recovered her identity. As the emperor, she was the most distinguished presence in the Tianling Dynasty, so people naturally couldn¡¯t address her as casually as before. ¡°I understand!¡± Ye Ranran stuck out her tongue. I spent a long time accepting this fact! ¡°Cabinet Master, if you miss her, why don¡¯t you directly go to the palace?¡± After all, Cabinet Master is Liuyue¡¯s mentor, right? However, Weichi Song sighed and shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s definitely very busy this time. Besides¡­¡± ¡°Cabinet Master!¡± Lu Zhiyao suddenly ran over. ¡°Cabinet Master, Qi Dahe said that he remembers about Nan Jiang!¡± Weichi Song¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ Xi Ling City gradually became peaceful. The once arrogant Jiang family and Xiahou family were completely exterminated overnight. Other than this, many other family clans and people were implicated and washed away in this mess. Time trickled past day by day, and the shocking news gradually seemed to calm down. People were very forgetful. Not long later, Xi Ling City resumed its usual liveliness. It seemed like those incidents had never happened. The thick bloody smell after the executions had finally dissipated, and normal people continued on with their lives as usual. It was as if they had already forgotten the jailed Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng. But somewhere in the crowd where one couldn¡¯t see, there were secret surges of chaos. ¡­ A month quickly passed. In the blink of an eye, the one-month deadline on that Xuan paper arrived. Chu Liuyue was currently cultivating in Shaoyue Palace. She sat cross-legged with her hands on her knees as her vigorous force started circulating crazily. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started entering her body rapidly! She was about to break through! Chapter 929 - : Letter In this month, she battled against Rong Xiu almost every day, and her combat power started increasing at an observable speed. But every time her abilities strengthened, Rong Xiu¡¯s capabilities would also be elevated. Hence, he would still suppress her. He seemed to know very clearly what kind of standard he should maintain his abilities at to unleash her potential to the maximum and not cause harm to her. However, this was actually the most terrifying part. This was enough to prove that Rong Xiu¡¯s control over his force was refined to a stage one couldn¡¯t fathom. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe it at the start, but she later hopelessly discovered that she really couldn¡¯t figure out Rong Xiu¡¯s true abilities. Every time she thought she had found his weakness and could defeat him, she discovered that he had more up his sleeves. Hence, Chu Liuyue slowly realized that she needed a long time to win against him completely. However, this didn¡¯t impact her and instead made her fighting spirit even more intense. Gradually, she realized that this type of ¡®duel¡¯ was even more effective than the bitter training she previously did at the Red Moon Desert. Compared to those puppets, Rong Xiu was much better in all areas, and the battle was also more realistic as he could use his force. Every day and night, Chu Liuyue kept thinking of how to win against him. In this type of situation, her abilities kept improving unknowingly, and she quickly strengthened herself the whole way! Hence, she finally touched the barrier to break through after a month¡¯s time. Previously, she had already broken through to become an intermediate stage-six warrior at the Red Moon Desert. If she broke through again, she would be a peak stage-six warrior! Chu Liuyue held in her breath and calmly conducted introspection. In her dantian, the six lines quietly floated on her water droplet. The first five lines were very brilliant, but only the last was slightly dull. Force entered her body and coursed through her limbs and Yuan meridian before gathering here. Like a whirlpool, the water droplet kept absorbing the waves of force! At the same time, the five organs were connected, and the aura kept strengthening. Time quickly trickled past. At some point, Chu Liuyue finally felt that the time had come as she gathered all the force in her dantian and harshly hit the water droplet. Hong! The two forces slammed against each other ferociously. A loud sound was heard in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, and then a breaking sound was heard! Kacha! An invisible barrier broke with the sound. The next moment, Chu Liuyue clearly saw that the sixth line seemed to have a layer of dust on it wiped away, clearly revealing its brilliant color! Whir! A wave of force exuded from it. Chu Liuyue suddenly widened her eyes, and her originally bright, black gem-like eyes were burning with two balls of fire! One as red as the hot sun! One as transparent as the bright moon! It seemed as though the two forces had merged completely, and it exploded into a formidable aura! At this point¡ªpeak stage-six warrior! ¡­ Shangguan You had just arrived at Shaoyue Palace when he detected a terrifying aura exploding from within. With that, he hastened his pace and walked in. That force seemed to be coming from Yue¡¯er¡¯s bedroom¡ª A tall and muscular figure stood outside the tightly shut door¡ªit was Rong Xiu! At this point, his hand was raised as he set up a barrier outside the bedroom that easily blocked all of the aftershocks. Like a drop into the ocean, it didn¡¯t cause any ripples. Shangguan You¡¯s eyes narrowed. Even though he wasn¡¯t as talented as Yue¡¯er, he was quite capable and had recovered his status as a peak stage-eight warrior after recuperating during this period of time. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have ascended the throne back then. But upon seeing this scene, he suddenly realized that Rong Xiu¡¯s abilities were definitely above him! And this further proved his previous guess! Hearing the commotion, Rong Xiu turned around, smiled, and bowed toward Shangguan You. Shangguan You looked at him with a conflicted gaze. ¡°Are you¡­ guarding Yue¡¯er?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°She just broke through to become a peak stage-six warrior.¡± Even though he had already guessed this previously, Shangguan You was still quite emotional when he personally heard this from Rong Xiu. ¡°Really?¡± He looked at the tightly shut door, and his gaze was passionate and proud. I recall that when Yue¡¯er came back previously, she was only an intermediate stage-six warrior. I didn¡¯t expect her to break through so quickly. ¡°It¡¯s all because of your help during this period, right?¡± asked Shangguan You as he glanced at Rong Xiu. He knew that the latter would come at a fixed time to train with his daughter. Rong Xiu definitely had a part to play in Yue¡¯er smoothly breaking through. Rong Xiu smiled with a deep meaning. ¡°She¡¯s very outstanding. This isn¡¯t something difficult for her.¡± He had no intention of claiming the credit for it. Shangguan You did not speak. It seemed like a small jump to cross from the intermediate stage to become a peak warrior, but it was actually a huge chasm. Even the same Dijing Yuan meridian cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to successfully break through without half a year. Yue¡¯er¡¯s speed was almost the same as when she had her Tianjing Yuan meridian. During this period of time, he actually went to look for past news about his daughter. He knew that she reached this stage within a short year, from being born as a good-for-nothing with a damaged Yuan meridian. In comparison, this was even faster than her previous cultivation speed! Screech! The door finally opened at this point. Rong Xiu whipped his sleeves, and the barrier immediately disappeared as it formed into countless light points and disappeared in the sky. Shangguan You couldn¡¯t help but glance at Rong Xiu and was even more curious about the latter¡¯s background and identity. What kind of strong power can raise such a person¡­ Some thoughts flashed across his mind as Chu Liuyue walked out. Seeing Shangguan You, she was rather shocked. ¡°Father?¡± Shangguan You looked at her kindly. ¡°I haven¡¯t congratulated you for breaking through again, Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up, and she looked delighted as she stepped forward. ¡°Thank you, Father. Why did you come here today?¡± Shangguan You nodded and took out an invitation card from his arms. ¡°The Beiming Dynasty sent us a letter.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Here it comes! Chapter 930 - Jun Jiuqing She reached over to take the letter and seemingly asked unintentionally, ¡°The Beiming Dynasty has never interacted much with us. Why would they suddenly send us a letter?¡± Shangguan You shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t looked at it.¡± Chu Liuyue looked down at the invitation letter, which had a line written on it: ¡°Dear Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Emperor.¡± Her brows harshly twitched! The handwriting is exactly the same as the one on the previous note! She suppressed her wildly beating heart and opened the letter¡ªthere was an invite inside. Chu Liuyue rapidly read it and slightly knitted her brows. Shangguan You asked rather worriedly, ¡°What? Is there something wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue passed the invitation card over. ¡°The Beiming Dynasty invites the other four dynasties to go to Lin Zhou.¡± ¡°To do what?¡± Shangguan You asked as he read the invitation. Lin Zhou was the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s capital. Even though the dynasties within Heaven¡¯s Canopy would occasionally communicate, it wasn¡¯t very regular. It was very rare for one to suddenly invite people from so many dynasties to go to the same place together. He then shockingly said, ¡°Ancient Phoenix Mountain is about to erupt?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The letter says that Ancient Phoenix Mountain will erupt around half a month later, and they feel that the Beiming Dynasty alone can¡¯t handle it. Hence, they invited other dynasties to go there.¡± Chu Liuyue tightly knitted her brows. Ancient Phoenix Mountain is actually a mountain outside Lin Zhou City. I hear that it was where the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s ancestor tried to break through last time. Different from Shangguan Jing, that ancestor of theirs actually did it successfully. Ever since then, the entire Ancient Phoenix Mountain became the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s holy mountain. Even though it happened a thousand years ago, it was because of this that the entire Beiming Dynasty seemed to be above the rest. The surrounding dynasties were all more polite toward the Beiming Dynasty. ¡°This invitation is written by the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince. I heard that he is the Old Emperor¡¯s only son and is very talented. He has always been doted on, and half of the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s royal power is in his hands.¡± Shangguan You glanced at the letter and fell into deep thought. ¡°No matter if they are going for Ancient Phoenix Mountain or doing it for the Beiming Dynasty, the other dynasties will most likely go this time.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded; she thought so too. Shangguan You thought seriously for a moment and asked in confusion, ¡°But the other three dynasties are closer to the Beiming Dynasty, and they interact a lot more frequently. Only the Tianling Dynasty is further away from them, and I don¡¯t think we have ever interacted with them in this manner before. Why would they send this invitation?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold. So the person who abducted Chu Ning is from the Beiming Dynasty! And if I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, the mastermind is this so-called Beiming Crown Prince¡ªJun Jiuqing! This is targeted at me! However, I¡¯ve never been to the Beiming Dynasty and don¡¯t know this Jun Jiuqing. So why must he do this? ¡°No matter what it is, we¡¯ll know if we go there,¡± Chu Liuyue said calmly. Shangguan You hesitated for a moment. ¡°Yue¡¯er, why don¡¯t I go on this trip for you?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°The letter invited each dynasty¡¯s emperor to bring people with them. They must know that I¡¯ve ascended the throne. If you go in my place, it might incur unwanted gossip and trouble.¡± Shangguan You was actually quite worried. ¡°But¡­¡± It was precisely because the letter¡¯s target was too obvious that he was hesitant. For some reason, he just felt that the invitation contained ill intentions. Chu Liuyue looked at his worried expression and laughed as she raised her hand to relax his knitted brows. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Father, are you so worried about me doing this? Besides, they said that Ancient Phoenix Mountain was about to erupt, so they invited all the dynasties to bring outstanding talents with them. With so many people around, it can also be considered as a grand event that everyone will be focusing on. Nothing much will happen.¡± Shangguan You was caught between laughter and tears from her actions. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re smart, and I¡¯m not worried about anything that you do! Since you¡¯re already set on it, tidy up your belongings these few days and choose people to go with you!¡± She nodded. ¡°Ancient Phoenix Mountain is about to erupt, and rare treasures will present themselves. I¡¯ve heard that the force tides will also come. This is a very rare cultivation opportunity to any cultivators, and I wouldn¡¯t want to miss it.¡± When Shangguan You saw his daughter¡¯s serious expression, his heart tingled. ¡°Okay! You can do whatever you want! I¡¯ll always be behind you to support you!¡± ¡­ The news of the Beiming Dynasty inviting Chu Liuyue to bring people to Lin Zhou to witness Ancient Phoenix Mountain erupting had quickly spread to many clans and aristocratic families. Many were tempted, and they were eager to go. The Beiming Dynasty was a legendary existence! Ancient Phoenix Mountain was also a place of rare treasures! Which cultivator in the world wouldn¡¯t like to go and see it for themselves? Additionally, it would be even grander with people from other dynasties going! Even if they just went to look around, it would be a precious experience! It was extremely fortunate for one to meet so many top outstanding talents! In no time, the nominee list became the center of attention. Everyone wanted to know who Chu Liuyue would pick to go with her. ¡­ Study, Shaoyue Palace. Chu Liuyue sat before the study table and looked at the list she had just written. The invitation said I could bring a total of ten people. Five top warriors and five outstanding talents¡­ This number isn¡¯t considered small as people from three other dynasties besides the Tianling Dynasty will also be going, not to mention the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s people as well. There is a limited number of vacancies, so the choice of people is extremely important. Chu Liuyue first crafted her own list of nominees. On the one hand, the people who go there have to be sufficiently strong. Adequate manpower also has to be left behind on Xi Ling¡¯s side just in case someone stirs trouble when I¡¯m not around. Besides, all the clans and aristocratic families must be closely watching this limited number of vacancies, so I have to balance it well. Staring at the list in her hands for a while, she edited it again before settling on the finalized one. Ten days later¡­ The Tianling Dynasty wasn¡¯t near to the Beiming Dynasty. Even if they used transportation formations, they would still have to spend quite a few days on the road. Thus, they should set off after settling everything on Xi Ling¡¯s side. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned, and it landed on the invitation at the side. Her expression turned slightly solemn. Jun Jiuqing¡­ Did we know each other before? Plop! A sound suddenly sounded from behind. The girl turned around and saw that Tuan Zi had accidentally knocked down a few books from the rack. She stood up to pick the books up. When she picked up the last book and was about to put it back in order, she realized that the book was slightly different. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she flipped open the book. After a moment, shock flashed across her eyes. This is my handwriting, but I have no memory of writing this! Chapter 931 - My Soul Chapter 931: My Soul Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and started reading this book from the first page. As she flipped through page by page, she became increasingly shocked and confused. The things written in the book seemed messy and incoherent, but they had a tinge of regularity to them. It was like some sort of secret code. Tuan Zi also seemed to notice that something was wrong as it obediently squatted by the side and looked between her and that book from time to time. Its eyes kept turning. Chu Liuyue stood there and spent a long while finishing the book. When she flipped to the last page, there was finally a footer that she could understand: ¡°Xin Dynasty Year 3572. Come back in spring.¡± Chu Liuyue stared at that line of words and read it for a very long time. Xin Dynasty¡­ There is no such year in the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s thousand-year history. And according to my understanding, some of the surrounding dynasties don¡¯t even have a 3,000-year-long history. Then, what year does this record refer to? Come back in spring¡­ Does it mean that the generation left in spring? But this is my handwriting, so where do I have to return to? There seemed to be a layer of mist before Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, and she couldn¡¯t see clearly. She had a feeling that this book could be a diary of some sort, but she had actually completely forgotten when she wrote these things, and she didn¡¯t know the content. But does the sentence on the last page represent some sort of end? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t understand at all. She kept flipping through the book back and forth, but she had no clue at all. I¡¯m the one who wrote the book, and I should be the one who left it here. However, I have no impression of it at all. ¡°Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s related to that memory too¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. At this moment, a ripple was felt from her body. The ripple came from the black pyramid! The seal on it was undamaged, but something inside seemed like it wanted to break through! Chu Liuyue was shocked. This commotion¡­ seems to be because of the book in my hands?! But the ripple was appeased after a moment, and peace resumed. Chu Liuyue stood quietly and thought for a long while. ¡°Ancestor,¡± she suddenly called out. ¡°Girl, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice clearly landed in her ears. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you about. You previously said that this black pyramid seals a soul from the Shangguan family, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I want to ask: you should know whose soul it belongs to, right?¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly fell silent. Something heavy seemed to hammer Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Her lips moved, and she lightly said, ¡°The thing inside¡­ is my soul, right?¡± ¡­ The study was dead silent. After Chu Liuyue finished her sentence, Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t respond for a long time. The night sky fell, and the bright moon hung high as the moonlight relaxingly shone in through the windows and cast a long shadow of the girl¡¯s tall and skinny figure. The moonlight shone on her porcelain-like face, causing half of it to be in the light and the other half to be in the dark. She looked down, and her eyes were dark like a lake that was so deep one couldn¡¯t see the bottom of it. They were mysterious. The night wind gently came in and curled up her sleeves. After some time, Shangguan Jing finally sighed deeply. ¡°Actually¡­ I can¡¯t confirm it either, but I faintly feel that it is similar¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was the descendant of his bloodline, so he was naturally most familiar with this. When he first saw her back then, he knew that this black pyramid had sealed a soul from the Shangguan family. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s attacks and go underground. In the beginning, he just thought it was some descendant¡¯s soul and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But later on, he gradually discovered that it seemed to be related to Chu Liuyue. However, he never told her about this as he didn¡¯t have much evidence. He didn¡¯t expect her to bring it up herself. ¡°Did you discover something?¡± asked the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor. ¡°Just the tip of an iceberg.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and shook her head. If I didn¡¯t flip through this book and incur the movement of the black pyramid, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of this. To think that I thought it was some ancestor¡¯s¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the seal is too strong, and I can¡¯t open it for now.¡± Chu Liuyue felt slightly regretful as indignation and confusion attacked her. If my guess is true, then who exactly stored it specifically in this pyramid and even hid it in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial Mausoleum!? Also, that Master once said that this item was related to his wife and that he would temporarily leave it with me. Therefore, what is going on? Since it is related to his wife, he should know what¡¯s inside, right? Chu Liuyue suddenly wanted to meet that Master anxiously! She wanted to question him personally to find out what was going on! ¡°The person who left this seal is extremely strong. Unless you break through to become a stage-nine warrior, you won¡¯t be able to open it¡­¡± Shangguan Jing also felt his head ache. Chu Liuyue was his most loved descendant. If he could help, he would definitely do it without hesitation. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and kept the book. I must solve these mysteries one by one! ¡­ Knock knock. Knocks were heard from outside. Chu Liuyue was awakened from her deep thoughts as she walked to open the door. The person outside was Rong Xiu. It was late at night. He wore a white gown, and the cold moonlight came in from behind him. He looked at her with a deep gaze as if it contained the beautiful galaxy. Chu Liuyue blinked before reacting and pulling him in. ¡°Rong Xiu, why are you here?¡± He left after I received that invitation in the afternoon. I didn¡¯t expect him to come back at this hour. Rong Xiu held her hand and walked into the study. He then simply and directly said, ¡°I came here to bid farewell to you.¡± Chu Liuyue asked in shock, ¡°Now? Where are you going?¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly and said nonchalantly, ¡°Something suddenly cropped up in my clan, and I need to go back to handle it.¡± He is indeed going back to his mother¡¯s clan¡­ A portion of Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be dug away, and it felt empty. The two of them were separated more often than they gathered. They finally spent time together for a month with much difficulty, and now they had to part again. Perhaps it was because the disappointment in her eyes was too obvious, but Rong Xiu noticed it. He pushed Chu Liuyue¡¯s loose strands of hair behind her ear as he held her face and landed a kiss on it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go to the Beiming Dynasty to look for you very soon.¡± Chu Liuyue hugged his thin waist, and her voice was unclear. ¡°Really?¡± Rong Xiu squeezed her white and thin earlobe as he chuckled lowly, his voice filled with gentleness and love. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true.¡± Someone is so arrogant in front of my face. How can I ignore it? ¡°At that time, I¡¯ll give you a big gift.¡± Chapter 932 - : I’m Counting on You! Three days later, Chu Liuyue picked her accompaniments, and they left from Ping Liang Square. This time, there were a total of ten people following her. Five of them were young talents, who were respectively Jian Fengchi, Yuwen Jinghong, Mu Hongyu, Qiang Wanzhou, and Tian Ji Residence¡¯s Wu Ming. The other five were top warriors in Xi Ling: Elder Xia Yi, Sheng Yan Harem¡¯s Elder Xiao Ran, Qin Yi, and two royal family elders¡ªChen Ke and Su Jin. Of course, Qin Yi had already recovered his original name: Cen Yi. ¡°Commander Meng, I¡¯ll leave it to you to guard Xi Ling after I leave,¡± said Chu Liuyue to Meng Jingzhi solemnly. Meng Jingzhi cupped his fists. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty!¡± He swore to be loyal to the Tianling Dynasty and would naturally do his best to enforce safety in the area. Chu Liuyue nodded and felt more at ease. She trusted Meng Jingzhi¡¯s character. Ever since the major cleansing, many positions in Xi Ling City were left empty. For example, the Black Guards lost their Lieutenant Mu Qinghe and had no leader. Many other areas were also lacking in one way or another. Among the people she was bringing to the Beiming Dynasty this time included Elder Chen Ke and the rest, so it undoubtedly would cause Xi Ling¡¯s defenses to be lowered. At this time, Meng Jingzhi was the best choice to stabilize the situation. Someone that could suppress Xi Jiang for many years wouldn¡¯t have a problem dealing with these matters. The key point was that he was indeed loyal to the Tianling Dynasty. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here, and I¡¯ll definitely help you take care of this place,¡± said Shangguan You calmly. Chu Liuyue nodded. Even though Father has already become the supreme emperor, he held the throne for many years and was more proficient than me at handling these things. I really have nothing to worry about. ¡°Father, please take care of yourself. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue nodded to the people at the side. The transportation formation gradually spun. Shangguan You took a step forward. ¡°Yue¡¯er, be careful! I¡¯ll wait for you to come back safely!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded at Shangguan You with strength. An intense light flashed across, and the group¡¯s figures instantly disappeared from the spot. Shangguan You looked at the empty square, his expression stern. I hope everything goes smoothly for this trip! ¡­ After entering the transportation formation, the surroundings were pitch black. Elder Chen Ke took out a water pearl and illuminated the space. ¡°I wonder how long it¡¯ll take for us to go on this trip¡­¡± muttered Mu Hongyu curiously. ¡°The journey will take about five days. We have to pass through four transportation formations in between,¡± explained Chu Liuyue. Si! ¡°Isn¡¯t it further than us going to Dahuang Swamp?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°The Tianling Dynasty is originally very far from there. Besides, the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s land is about twice that of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s. Even if we reach their area, we¡¯ll spend quite some time before we get to Lin Zhou.¡± ¡°I see¡­ In other words, this Beiming Dynasty is very powerful?¡± Mu Hongyu originally wasn¡¯t from the Tianling Dynasty, and she didn¡¯t even understand the Tianling Dynasty much, let alone the Beiming Dynasty. She only knew some relevant information after she found out that she was going on the trip. Before Chu Liuyue said anything, Jian Fengchi laughed lightly and lazily said, ¡°They have an ancestor that entered the Apotheosis realm before them. Of course, they¡¯ll think highly of themselves.¡± Chu Liuyue touched her brows and smiled. ¡°This is a fact. Out of all the surrounding dynasties, there aren¡¯t many who have warriors that entered the Apotheosis realm. The Beiming Dynasty is considered one of the top few elites, and they¡¯re very strong. Nobody can deny this. This time, I wonder how many people will want to join in on the fun of Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s eruption.¡± It was really surprising for the Tianling Dynasty to be invited over. Not to mention the Beiming Dynasty, even the other three dynasties that were invited over weren¡¯t weak on their own. If it were in the past, they might be able to compete with them. But the current Tianling Dynasty had just experienced a drastic change, and countless people were implicated. Their core was severely affected. Hence, Tianling Dynasty was predicted to be the one at the bottom out of these five dynasties. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really care about this. She went on this trip mainly to save Chu Ning and also to see what Jun Jiuqing had up his sleeves! ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re right. That Ancient Phoenix Mountain is the place where the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s ancestor once broke through as a ninth-grade warrior. They now treat it as a holy mountain because it contains quite a few treasures, and the force within is immense. If one can enter it and roam around, it will definitely be very beneficial to their cultivation. This chance is rare. You must cherish it,¡± Elder Chen Ke said kindly to Jian Fengchi and the rest. Even though they didn¡¯t know why the Beiming Dynasty suddenly invited them, it was still a rare opportunity! Chu Liuyue nodded, smiled, and teased, ¡°Even when I was the Princess for 20 years, I didn¡¯t meet with such a chance before.¡± Mu Hongyu asked curiously, ¡°Liu¡ªYour Majesty, will you also be going with us this time?¡± Chu Liuyue knocked on her forehead. ¡°You can just directly call me by my previous name. Calling me ¡®Your Majesty, Your Majesty¡¯ sounds very awkward.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes lit up. Actually, she took quite some time to accept Chu Liuyue¡¯s true identity. Previously, she was still upset for a few days because she thought that the two of them had different statuses and couldn¡¯t have the same relationship as before. Hearing her friend say this now, she instantly became elated. ¡°T-then, I¡¯ll call you that in private, okay?¡± Liuyue says she doesn¡¯t mind, but I have to think for her. She is the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s emperor after all, so I naturally can¡¯t do the same as before. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°As for whether I¡¯ll be going with you¡­ It¡¯s not too late to decide when we get there!¡± ¡­ After the few of them used three transportation formations, they finally arrived at the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s border. A gigantic transparent curtain dropped down from the sky. ¡°Why do they still have a Heaven¡¯s Canopy here?¡± muttered Mu Hongyu. ¡°That¡¯s not Heaven¡¯s Canopy. It¡¯s the barrier formed by a Xuan formation,¡± said Elder Chen Ke lowly. Mu Hongyu widened her almond-like eyes in shock. I¡¯ve never seen such a huge barrier before! ¡°This is a suppression that only a ninth-grade Xuan formation can have¡­ Besides, it¡¯s not only one. A few formations were joined together to form this¡­¡± Elder Su Jin was the only female amongst the royal family elders. She looked like she was in her thirties and was very pretty, but her personality was a little cold. But at this point, even she couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. ¡°The Beiming Dynasty¡­ really lives up to its name!¡± Su Jin didn¡¯t have much interest in anything else, but she was crazy about Xuan formations. When it came to a high-level Xuan formation, she would regularly be very invested in studying it and wouldn¡¯t rest for many days. Upon seeing such a formation suddenly, Su Jin couldn¡¯t hide her excitement and hurriedly patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s elbow. ¡°Yue¡¯er, it¡¯s rare to see ninth-grade Xuan formations. You must look at it more now! When we get back, I¡¯m counting on you to draw it out again for me to study!¡± Chapter 933 - I’m the Emperor! Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Mentor Su Jin, c-control yourself¡­¡± Elder Su Jin used to be one of her Xuan Master mentors. She was already crazy about Xuan formations back then, but she was even more so now. ¡°Hey, haven¡¯t you always had a photographic memory? Just take it as me begging you, okay?¡± Elder Su Jin clasped her hands together and smiled at Chu Liuyue in a flattering manner, without showing her previous distant and cold aura. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Su Jin, if you really want to look at it, I can help you too. We¡¯ll each remember a portion, okay?¡± Xiao Ran¡ªwho had been very quiet at the side¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but speak up. His eyes were filled with desire as he looked at Elder Su Jin with a very gentle gaze. Elder Su Hui waved her hands to reject him without even turning around. ¡°No way! How will you remember it more clearly than Yue¡¯er?¡± Disappointment flashed across Xiao Ran¡¯s eyes. But the next moment, he still turned to look at the barrier and tried his best to memorize it. Even if I can only help a little, it¡¯s good enough¡­ Chu Liuyue laughed in her heart. Xiao Ran was Sheng Yan Harem¡¯s first elder and the strongest in their clan. His identity is even higher than Sheng Yan Harem¡¯s Master. He has chased Elder Su Jin for 20 years but has never succeeded. I didn¡¯t expect him to not give up even now. ¡°Master Su Jin, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll memorize it, but if you want to study it properly, you might need Elder Xiao Ran¡¯s help from time to time.¡± Xiao Ran glanced at Chu Liuyue gratefully. Why would Elder Su Jin not know Chu Liuyue¡¯s intentions? She tapped on her former student¡¯s nose. ¡°Sneaky! You were an eighth-grade Xuan Master yourself! Why do you not understand it?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged.¡±It¡¯s a pity I¡¯m not one now.¡± Jian Fengchi finally couldn¡¯t help but glance at her. ¡°You have nothing to do with the word ¡®humble.¡¯ Please wake up.¡± Even though she no longer had her Tianjing Yuan meridian, this wouldn¡¯t affect her talent as a Xuan Master at all! All these years, the most talented Xuan Master he had seen was Chu Liuyue. If not, Elder Su Jin wouldn¡¯t seek her help. Chu Liuyue was stumped for once and raised her hand to surrender. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Give me 15 minutes.¡± Then, she looked up at the intersecting Xuan formation. The others at the side immediately fell silent as they watched and waited with her. ¡°Pfft.¡± A sneer filled with contempt was heard from behind. ¡°There are really all sorts of arrogant people at this age! This barrier was made by many ninth-grade Xuan Masters in the Beiming Dynasty for over a year. Normal people will get dizzy by taking a few more glances at it, yet these people are delusional enough to think that they can memorize it¡­ Haha, what a joke!¡± Elder Su Jin and the rest turned around and saw a group of people arriving behind them. The other party also had 11 people. The person talking was a young woman in her twenties. She had a cute appearance and was wearing lavish attire. However, arrogance filled her eyes. Elder Chen Ke glanced at her, and his gaze landed on the middle-aged man at the front. This man¡¯s appearance was ordinary, and he looked rather stern with a long beard. There were dragon patterns on his sleeves and collars, which revealed his identity. ¡°Ruoli, don¡¯t be rude,¡± said the middle-aged man. It seemed like a scolding, but his tone was very gentle and clearly pampered this woman. That woman lightly grunted. ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth, and I can¡¯t stand that some people are acting like they¡¯re a big shot! If not, will there really be people that can memorize this ninth-grade Xuan formation at one glance?¡± The middle-aged man didn¡¯t reprimand her anymore, clearly sharing the same thoughts as her. He helplessly smiled and shook his head. ¡°When can you change your direct nature?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, Eldest Princess is right. They¡¯re already behaving in this manner when they just reached the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s border. Who knows how overboard they¡¯ll be when they reach Lin Zhou?¡± A young man wearing a purple robe helped to chip in. The middle-aged man shook his head. ¡°That is true, but we¡¯re in the Beiming Dynasty now. It¡¯s other people¡¯s territory, so you need to hold yourself back. No matter what, the other party was also invited over like us. Why must you make the situation tense?¡± Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue and the rest again. Elder Chen Ke took a step forward. ¡°I am Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Chen Ke. Greetings, Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s Emperor Huai Ren.¡± Dantai Chen glanced at him strangely and smiled politely. ¡°So you¡¯re Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Elder Chen Ke. You¡­ know me?¡± Elder Chen Ke¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°You once came to Tianling 43 years ago, and I had a chance to meet you then.¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s face suddenly froze. I went to the Tianling Dynasty at that time for a marriage alliance. At the time, the Taiyu Dynasty was a notch weaker than the Tianling Dynasty, so we had the plan of getting close to them. But it was a pity I was rejected in the end. Ever since then, he felt humiliated and had never gone to Tianling again. Decades had passed, and the Taiyu Dynasty had now exceeded the Tianling Dynasty in regards to overall capabilities. With all the situations that cropped up previously, they naturally couldn¡¯t be compared. ¡°I see. That happened so long ago. I don¡¯t really remember it clearly.¡± Emperor Huai Ren didn¡¯t even care about Elder Chen Ke back then, so he naturally couldn¡¯t remember the latter after so many years. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t know that the Tianling Dynasty was also coming for Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s eruption¡­¡± Dantai Chen smiled, but his smiling intent didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°I thought you would be quite busy recently¡­¡± His words had a mocking tone to them. Elder Chen Ke¡¯s brows knitted undetectably, and he smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. We have been quite busy lately, but since the Beiming Dynasty sent us an invitation, we must give them face. How can we not come?¡± His words meant that they were also invited¡ªlike the Taiyu Dynasty¡ªby the Beiming Dynasty. Since they were all the same, there was no sense of superiority between them. Dantai Chen was stumped, and his face turned dark. I really didn¡¯t know beforehand that the Tianling Dynasty was invited! No matter logically or personally, the Tianling Dynasty doesn¡¯t seem to have the right now! However, only the Beiming Dynasty knows the answer to this. ¡°Tianling Dynasty? It¡¯s the one where the Heavenly Princess caused a huge commotion?¡± asked Dantai Ruoli. She specifically emphasized the words ¡®Heavenly Princess.¡¯ Back then, the news of the Tianling Dynasty having a Tianjing Yuan meridian cultivator was spread far and wide. It was as if it was incredible to have such a talent. In the end, they also heard quite a few incidents about that Princess. Most of them mentioned how outstanding she was. Who knew she would be set up by her own fianc¨¦ and sister in the end? What kind of ¡®Heavenly Princess¡¯ is this? It¡¯s just a joke! Elder Chen Ke could hear her mockery, and his expression changed. Just as he was about to retaliate, Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze, turned to look at them, smiled, and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I¡¯m no longer the Princess now. I¡¯m Tianling¡¯s Emperor with the year Yuan Xi. Eldest Princess Dantai, please address me as Emperor Yuan Xi.¡± Chapter 934 - Finally Here Chapter 934: Finally Here Even though she was smiling, her black, gem-like eyes were cold and harsh, causing one¡¯s heart to chill! Dantai Ruoli only exchanged a glance with Chu Liuyue, and her heart felt cold! It was as if her entire person had been seen through at that moment! The other party¡¯s vague suppression terrified her! This was a true emperor¡¯s suppression! Even though the Tianling Dynasty couldn¡¯t beat the Taiyu Dynasty now, Chu Liuyue was still the emperor after all. In contrast, Dantai Ruoli was only a princess. The duo had a huge disparity in their statuses. ¡°According to the rules, I have the same standing as Emperor Huai Ren. When you see me, you should greet me. But seeing that the Tianling Dynasty and the Taiyu Dynasty have interacted before and that we all came to the Beiming Dynasty this time around, you don¡¯t have to bother with the greetings,¡± Chu Liuyue said nonchalantly. However, her every word was using her status to suppress Dantai Ruoli! ¡°But when you enter the Beiming Dynasty and see the others¡­ Eldest Princess Dantai, I hope you¡¯ll remember your status clearly. If not, you might cause trouble for yourself if such a joke happens again.¡± Dantai Ruoli opened her mouth and wanted to retort, but her throat tightened. She couldn¡¯t say a single word as she felt very suffocated. Compared to the other party, she did have a lower status! ¡°Father!¡± She stomped her feet and looked at Dantai Chen for help with a face filled with grievance. Dantai Chen knitted his brows slightly and glanced at her. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ruoli.¡± Usually, he could allow her to do whatever she wanted, but she couldn¡¯t be this unreasonable in other people¡¯s territory. Even though Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were mean, they made sense. Seeing that her own father¡ªwho always doted on her¡ªdidn¡¯t speak up for her, Dantai Ruoli could only keep quiet obediently. However, she held a grudge against Chu Liuyue in her heart. Aren¡¯t you just Tianling¡¯s Emperor? What¡¯s there to be happy about?! In what aspect can Tianling compare with us now? I¡¯ll show her who¡¯s boss when we reach Lin Zhou! ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at the few people beside her. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Elder Su Jin¡¯s eyes lit up. Since she said that, it means that she has finished looking at those Xuan formations. Even though her physical body has changed, her talent wasn¡¯t reduced a single bit and even became stronger? ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s not be delayed by irrelevant people!¡± Dantai Chen and the rest¡¯s expressions changed slightly and didn¡¯t look too good. That last sentence was clearly referring to them, but Chu Liuyue clearly didn¡¯t care about their reactions as she didn¡¯t even give them an extra glance. The few of them continued walking further. The soldiers guarding the Xuan formations stood within and boomed, ¡°Please show your invitation card!¡± Chu Liuyue produced the invitation, and her fingertips moved slightly as the invitation flew out and landed on the barrier formed by the Xuan formations. Whir! With that invitation as the center, a wave started spreading in all directions! The next moment, the barrier opened from the middle! Inside, a transportation formation gradually spun! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± hollered Chu Liuyue, and their figures instantly disappeared. ¡­ ¡°That Shangguan Yue is so arrogant!¡± Seeing that they left, Dantai Ruoli couldn¡¯t help but speak and smiled coldly. ¡°All the rumors about her in the past painted her in such a legendary picture. If she¡¯s really that amazing, why would she be set up? I don¡¯t even know what method she used to come back and ascend the throne, but it made her so arrogant! Does she really think that she¡¯s invincible?¡± ¡°Yeah! She even said that she was going to memorize the ninth-grade Xuan formation on that barrier in 15 minutes. How laughable! Even if one has a photographic memory in terms of reading books, the higher the Xuan formation grade, the more complicated it is. How could she remember them all?¡± The young man at the side hurriedly agreed. ¡°Ruoli, it¡¯s not worth getting angry at a person like this! When we reach Lin Zhou, we can expose her in front of the rest. Let¡¯s see how arrogant she can get then!¡± Dantai Ruoli¡¯s eyes turned, and she smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! All those who came to Lin Zhou are big shots in their dynasties. By then, she will definitely be utterly humiliated!¡± Dantai Chen didn¡¯t object. In actual fact, he also couldn¡¯t stand that Shangguan Yue¡¯s speech and behavior. Additionally, he already had some grudges against the Tianling Dynasty previously, so he naturally didn¡¯t want to maintain a good relationship with the other party now. He turned around and looked at the few people before saying lightly, ¡°All of these things are small matters. You need to watch your limits. Don¡¯t forget¡ªthe most important thing about this journey is to wait until Ancient Phoenix Mountain erupts! This is especially so for you, Ruoli. You¡¯re only a step away from becoming an eighth-grade warrior, so you must take this chance and break through! If you can meet with some fate, you¡¯ll be able to improve further¡­ Then, you¡¯ll have a bright future!¡± Dantai Ruoli patted her chest with much confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I¡¯ll definitely do you proud this round! I¡¯ll show them who the top talent is!¡± Dantai Chen nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s go too!¡± ¡­ After entering via the barrier at the border, this was the last transportation formation. They could directly reach Lin Zhou from here. After another period of waiting, a ray of light finally came from the dark front! Elder Chen Ke boomed, ¡°We¡¯re reaching soon!¡± Once he said this, the atmosphere had a strange change. There were hints of nervousness and expectancy. After all, none of them had come to the Beiming Dynasty or Lin Zhou before. Thinking that they were going to meet people from other dynasties and compete with them, ardor and zeal coursed through their blood. The light in front became increasingly brighter until a strong squeezing force came from the surroundings! A group of people rushed out of the transportation formation one after another. Light flashed across their eyes, and they finally stepped onto some actual ground. Chu Liuyue stood still and took a closer look in front. A well-structured city stood in front! Then, there were endless mountains lying on the ground like gigantic beasts. It was intimidating! Even though they stood so far away, they could still clearly feel the terrifying suppression! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°That is¡­ Ancient Phoenix Mountain!¡± ¡­ At the same time, in Beiming¡¯s palace. A tiny boat floated on the sapphire lake. On it, someone lay on his side and looked very carefree. The gentle breeze came over. He smiled slightly with a hint of drunken intent, and his voice was hoarse as though it had a hook that scratched at one¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­Finally here¡­¡± Chapter 935 - Differential Treatment The moment he said this, he held the boat, and his figure rose up! His green robe drew an outline in midair. From afar, it was like an elegant calligraphy painting as the sky and the water reflected the same color. However, the tail end of it had a hint of demonic red like an intense and bright stroke that wanted to break free from this calm and peaceful painting! Gugu¡ª A strange bird call came as a white bird flew over rapidly in the sky. That bird wasn¡¯t big, and it was totally white. Only its claws and top of the head were entirely in black. Originally, it should¡¯ve looked quite cute and obedient. But with its sharp and red beak, together with its harsh and cold eyes, it looked even fiercer and harsher. Its wings flapped until it landed on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s right shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a step too late. I already know.¡± He chuckled lowly. Of course, I¡¯ll know the earliest about her arrival. The moment she walked out of the transportation formation and arrived at Lin Zhou, I already knew. This sentence seemed to disappoint the bird as the harshness in its eyes burned even more. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I won¡¯t give you any lesser rewards.¡± Hearing this, that bird was excited again as it anxiously flapped its wings. It looked as though it couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Jun Jiuqing tilted his head slightly and lazily said, ¡°Bring the beginner stage-seven one for him.¡± A guard quickly appeared by the lake and respectfully kneeled on one knee. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Oh right, throw away the ones from before. Kill a fresh one for it today.¡± That guard was a little surprised, but it seemed like it wasn¡¯t the first time he had experienced this, so he immediately reacted. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Gugu¡ª That bird then chirped in a flattering manner. Jun Jiuqing extended his arm, and it flew up. Very quickly, the guard and the fiend¡¯s figure disappeared without a trace. Jun Jiuqing quietly stood with one hand behind his back on the boat for a moment. ¡°Anyone there!?¡± Two guards rushed out together. ¡°Your Highness, is there anything you want us to do?¡± ¡°How are the things I told you to do earlier coming along?¡± ¡°Crown Prince, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re all prepared!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. We must treat our very important guests well,¡± said Jun Jiuqing as he slightly tilted his head and looked in a certain direction. ¡°You really¡­ let me wait for too long¡­¡± ¡­ After Chu Liuyue came out, the other few people gradually walked out. They surveyed their surroundings and saw a team of armored soldiers strictly guarding around this vast transportation formation square. Two men stood in front of the transportation formation. One of them was tall and burly, while the other one looked skinny. The two of them stood beside each other, but one of their auras was strong, and the other was weak. Clearly, both wore an official¡¯s attire, but the skinny man obviously looked much shorter than the muscular man beside him. It seemed like they were waiting for someone. After Chu Liuyue and the rest came out, the two of them looked over in unison. When they first saw Chu Liuyue at the front, amazement flashed across the duo¡¯s eyes. Even the guards in charge of guarding the transportation formation couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at her. There were many beautiful women in this world, but there were very few women who were as breathtaking and elegant as this one. Not to mention her perfect features, the most charming thing about her was the intent in her eyes that was cold and bright and the outstanding aura that made one unable to reach her level. At first glance, she was as passionate as the hot sun. With another glance, she was as cold and charming as the bright moon. She truly took one¡¯s breath away! The burly man was then the first to react as he smiled in a flattering manner. But before his lips could curve up properly, he suddenly thought of something, and his expression froze. His expression changed extremely quickly, but Chu Liuyue still saw it clearly. She squinted her eyes slightly. That man spoke hesitantly, ¡°I am Yin Hao and was ordered to wait here. May I know if you are from the Tianling Dynasty?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I am Tianling¡¯s Shangguan Yue.¡± A look of ¡®I knew it¡¯ flashed across that man¡¯s face. He then smiled again, but it was more polite and distant as his smiling intent didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Guests, you¡¯ve come a long way, and I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t welcome you properly. Wen Fan, why are you still in a daze? Invite them to the city quickly!¡± The skinny man at the side glanced at his colleague and was about to say something, but he swallowed his remaining words. Then, he stepped forward and respectfully greeted Chu Liuyue and the rest. ¡°I am Wen Fan, and I¡¯ll be responsible for your housing, food, and everything else in Lin Zhou. If you have any tasks, just let me know.¡± So they are in charge of welcoming us. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. They shouldn¡¯t have a low status in the Beiming Dynasty if they were sent to do such a thing, but considering the previous scene¡­ That Yin Hao seems much better than Wen Fan. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°Okay, then we¡¯re sorry for the trouble during this period, Officer Wen.¡± Wen Fan didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be this polite and was instantly shocked as he hurriedly shook his hands. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare! This is what I have to do! The Crown Prince has already arranged your residence earlier on. Please follow me into the city!¡± Chu Liuyue looked nonchalant and nodded slightly. The other party targeted me from the beginning, so it isn¡¯t surprising that they¡¯ve prepared all of this in advance. She didn¡¯t speak further as she called Elder Chen Ke and the rest. The few of them then followed Wen Fan to walk into the city. But the moment the few of them got off the transportation formation, they heard some noises behind. Chu Liuyue turned and glanced. Dantai Chen and the rest had indeed arrived. Upon seeing them, Yin Hao immediately welcomed them elatedly. ¡°Emperor Huai Ren, you¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you for hours!¡± Dantai Chen glanced at him. ¡°You are¡­¡± Yin Hao respectfully bowed and greeted, his face eager. ¡°I am Yin Hao, and I¡¯m in charge of your everything in Lin Zhou City. His Majesty said that you¡¯ve not come in a while and that he misses you so. He even wants to have a game of chess with you!¡± Dantai Chen then understood and laughed out loud. ¡°The same goes for me! Since I¡¯m here, we must play our hearts out!¡± Yin Hao raised his arm. ¡°Everyone, please¡ª¡± Then, he bent his back and led the road. ¡°Pfft, I thought he was some amazing character, but he¡¯s just a slave that cares about one¡¯s status!¡± said Mu Hongyu with a face full of contempt. When this Yin Hao saw them, he was very cold and didn¡¯t even smile. However, he completely changed when he saw Dantai Chen and the rest. ¡°He¡¯s not even scared that his smile will crack!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled nonchalantly. ¡°This is nothing weird. Our Tianling is indeed weaker than their Taiyu now. It¡¯s naturally more beneficial for him if he can suck up to them.¡± Her gaze turned, and she glanced at Wen Fan. This person seems to be used to the bullying. Chapter 936 - Go and Meet! ¡°Just ignore them. We¡¯ll go first.¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze, lifted her leg, and went forward. When Wen Fan heard this, he hurriedly reacted and led the front. ¡°Please, walk here.¡± In the square, teams were waiting to be deployed on both sides as if they specifically came to pick people up. There were quite a few horse carriages in every team. The carriage at the front was more extravagant, and the one behind paled in comparison. But compared to normal horse carriages, it was also very elegant. All these horse carriages were carved with a pattern. They were obviously prepared by the Beiming Royal Family. The two top horse carriages at the front were led by eight blue-scaled horses. Blue-scaled horses were seventh-grade fiends, and they were considered superior fiends and very precious. It just showed how formidable the Beiming Dynasty was to be able to send out so many of such horses at once to pull these carriages! The slight difference was that one of the eight blue-scaled horses on the left had an extremely pure color, and it dazzled like the sapphire sea under the sunlight. At first glance, this was the one that was about to break through, so it was naturally more elegant than the rest. Wen Fan was about to walk to the group of horses on the left when Yin Hao¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from the back. ¡°Wen Fan, you¡¯re going to the one on the right, correct?¡± Even though this was a question, his tone was clearly a command! Wen Fan knitted his brows and turned around to glance at him. He said, ¡°According to the order, the one on the left is number three, and the one on the right is number four. Hence, we should take the third one.¡± Yin Hao laughed out loud. ¡°Aren¡¯t they all in a row? The first two teams have already left, and only these two groups remain, so why is there an order? Let us take the one on the left!¡± Wen Fan was a little angry. It¡¯s fine that I had to tolerate him and give in previously, but he now wants to snatch this horse carriage as well! I don¡¯t care about it if I¡¯m bullied, but won¡¯t I implicate these people from the Tianling Dynasty and cause them to be despised as well if I give in now? His voice turned cold. ¡°Yin Hao, everyone knows the logic of ¡®first come, first serve.¡¯ Besides, the guests from the Tianling Dynasty came first, so they should take the left one.¡± Yin Hao was talked back to in public and instantly felt that he was humiliated. His face turned ugly. ¡°Did you not hear what I said earlier? His Majesty is waiting to reminisce with Emperor Huai Ren over chess. If you delay it, can you be responsible for this?¡± Wen Fan sneered in his heart. Today, our mission is just to receive the guests and arrange their lodgings. We have to wait for the next day to see His Majesty! Now that he used this as an excuse, he clearly wants to snatch my things! ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a horse carriage. What¡¯s there to fight about? Since Emperor Huai Ren is in a hurry to use it, I¡¯ll give in.¡± Before Wen Fan could finish his sentence, Chu Liuyue smiled and spoke from the side. The originally harsh and intense atmosphere cracked because of this sentence. The crowd gradually looked over. Who can¡¯t tell that this fight for the horse carriage is a fight for status? Is she really going to back away so easily? Wen Fan couldn¡¯t help but softly remind, ¡°Do you really want to do this¡­ But¡­¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really care about the surrounding gazes as she smiled brightly. ¡°Yeah! Since we don¡¯t have anything urgent today, why can¡¯t we just give in? Everyone came here by invite, so why don¡¯t we do it happily? Why must we be so upset over such a small thing?¡± Once she said this, the crowd increasingly felt that Chu Liuyue was so afraid of the Taiyu Dynasty that she gave in. At that moment, quite a few people had a disdainful look. We¡¯ve long heard that the Tianling Dynasty was severely impacted, and it really does look like that¡¯s the case. They haven¡¯t even officially entered Lin Zhou yet, but they were already bullied into this state. In the future, won¡¯t other people step all over them? This Shangguan Yue is also so-so¡­ Dantai Chen smiled and cupped his fists. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll thank you here.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded as if she really didn¡¯t care about it. Dantai Chen then brought his men and walked toward the horses on the left. Dantai Ruoli sneered and glanced at Chu Liuyue in contempt when she brushed past the latter¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Pfft, it seems like some people are really ignorant. Even if they¡¯re both emperors, there are still more superior ones¡­¡± Shangguan Yue isn¡¯t even fit to be compared to us! Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s wrist moved as if he was going to hit her! Chu Liuyue glanced at the few of them, telling them to calm down. The suppression of the silent atmosphere made one even more suffocated. Wen Fan¡¯s face was filled with apologies as he softly said, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s all because I¡¯m too useless¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and walked toward the horse carriage on the right. ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± Dantai Chen and the rest quickly reached the most elegant horse carriage at the side. Just as he was about to board it, he heard a clear voice again. ¡°Emperor Huai Ren, please wait.¡± Dantai Chen turned around. He saw Chu Liuyue standing beside the horse carriage and looking over with a smile plastered on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve never come to Lin Zhou before, nor have I seen anyone from the Beiming royal family. Since you¡¯re going to see the Emperor of Beiming this time and talk to him over chess, I hope you¡¯ll put in a good word for me in consideration of this horse carriage. Then, I¡¯ll be able to talk to him more on the day we meet, right?¡± Dantai Chen was dazed. I didn¡¯t say I was going into the palace today! After all, the Emperor of Beiming has a slightly higher status than me. I can¡¯t see him as and when I want to. Now that Shangguan Yue said this, won¡¯t it be very inappropriate if I don¡¯t go over today?! However¡­ we¡¯ve already snatched the horse carriage! He vaguely felt that he had jumped into a trap the other party had set up, but he couldn¡¯t jump in nor not jump. Chapter 937 - Not For You Dantai Chen was secretly frustrated. This Shangguan Yue looks harmless on the surface, but she has a stomach filled with dirty water. Once she said this, she didn¡¯t even leave me any space to back down. The meaning was clear: When she saw the Emperor of Beiming, she would mention what happened today. Even though it felt good to snatch the horse carriage, it wasn¡¯t pleasant for the public to know about it. Dantai Chen clenched his teeth. Seeing that he didn¡¯t say a word, Chu Liuyue blinked and teased in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°What? Emperor Huai Ren, are you not willing to do me this small favor?¡± Dantai Chen could only say, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be willing? I can still help you with this simple matter, but I¡¯m not feeling very well today. Hence, I need to take a rain check to see if I¡¯ll be going into the palace.¡± At the side, Yin Hao hurriedly said, ¡°Emperor Huai Ren, you must be tired from the journey, right? Why don¡¯t I bring you to your lodging first?¡± With this sentence, Dantai Chen looked better as he nodded and boarded the carriage. The curtain fell and blocked Chu Liuyue and the rest¡¯s vision. Dantai Chen then heaved a sigh of relief as he leaned against the carriage and knitted his brows in frustration. This Shangguan Yue¡­ doesn¡¯t seem as easy to handle as she looks¡­ After these two encounters, our two parties have formed a grudge. Today, she made an issue out of the horse carriage. In the future, she might do something else. I should be more guarded! After Dantai Chen got onto the horse carriage, Dantai Ruoli and the rest gradually boarded the ones at the back. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± hollered Yin Hao as the horses began going toward the city. But no matter how one looked at it, they looked like they were escaping from humiliation. ¡­ Wen Fan glanced at Chu Liuyue strangely. Even though the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s new emperor looks like she¡¯s in her teens¡­ She has her own methods and mindset! Normal people simply aren¡¯t capable of silently dragging the sly old fox¡ªDantai Chen¡ªdown to a stage where he couldn¡¯t say anything in front of so many people. His impression of Chu Liuyue changed greatly, and his attitude was even more polite as he wanted to apologize. ¡°This is all because I¡¯m useless¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the distant horse carriage as she smiled slightly. ¡°They just wanted to show me who¡¯s boss.¡± Without Dantai Chen allowing it, a person like Yin Hao wouldn¡¯t openly steal my things no matter how arrogant he was. ¡°It¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t buy that.¡± This time, I retorted a little. If Dantai Chen knows what is best and toes the line, I will also let the matter rest. But if the other party is relentless¡­ By that time, they won¡¯t be able to blame me for being harsh! ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go too,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she boarded the horse carriage. Elder Chen Ke and the rest then boarded the carriages behind respectively. Chu Liuyue then pushed apart the curtain and glanced at Wen Fan. ¡°Oh, right. Since you¡¯re in charge of all our lodgings while we¡¯re in Lin Zhou, then I have a request.¡± Wen Fan instinctively straightened his back and respectfully said, ¡°Please let me know. I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not anything difficult, but if the same thing happens again, you don¡¯t have to care about anything and just fight back as much as you want! I¡¯ll bear all the consequences!¡± I came to Lin Zhou and entered the lion¡¯s den to save my father, not to get bullied! Wen Fan was shocked by the coldness in the other party¡¯s eyes, and it was as if he took a calming pill as he determinedly said, ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and looked up slightly to glance at the tall city gate. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ Passing the city gate, the horses continued on. Dantai Chen sat in the horse carriage and closed his eyes to think. Gradually, all sorts of noises could be heard from the surroundings, sounding very crowded. They should¡¯ve entered the bustling streets, but these sounds made Dantai Chen even more frustrated and upset. He originally wanted to stay in the horse carriage to relax and rest, but the previous scene kept flashing across his mind. I actually lost to a mere Shangguan Yue¡­ I feel wronged no matter how much I think about it! Originally, I just wanted to teach them a lesson to let them know who they could offend and who they couldn¡¯t offend. However, I didn¡¯t expect this Shangguan Yue to expand on this topic! Before I even boarded the horse carriage, she had already thought of how she was going to complain about me to the Emperor of Beiming in front of the public! If I had known about this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have snatched this horse carriage! I caused trouble for myself for nothing! At this point, the horse carriage finally stopped. Yin Hao¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re here. You can get off.¡± Dantai Chen shook his head and threw away all his messy thoughts as he pushed the curtains away and got off the horse carriage. After standing still, he looked up. When he clearly saw the scene, surprise flashed across his eyes. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Hehe. Your Highness, the Crown Prince specifically made the order to prepare this as your housing!¡± Yin Hao was eager to please him. ¡°We prepared four villas in the palace this time, and each dynasty will live in one. However, this is the biggest and most extravagant one! In the beginning, quite a few ancestors lived in this place before¡ªnot to mention that the Crown Prince personally commanded people to renovate this place a few years ago! This lodging can be said to be the best!¡± When Dantai Chen saw the elegant and extraordinary entrance, he already knew that this villa was special. Now that he heard this, he couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement. ¡°Did¡­ the Crown Prince specifically leave this place for me?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Yin Hao wanted to flatter him. If this wasn¡¯t specifically left for them, the ones who came earlier would¡¯ve directly entered! Isn¡¯t it clearly left for the Taiyu Dynasty? The other two dynasties in front are only stronger and not weaker than them. It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t win against the other two and could only fight with Wen Fan in the end. However, I didn¡¯t expect that the Crown Prince would specifically leave this place for them! I really am too fortunate! Even though he didn¡¯t know why the Crown Prince did this, Yin Hao was still elated. As long as I can serve them well, I will have a bright future ahead of me! ¡°Please, go ahead¡ª¡± said Yin Hao eagerly. Dantai Chen looked calm on the surface, but his lips that curved up slightly and his expectant gaze had already exposed his excitement and happiness regarding this matter. Normally speaking, as an emperor, he wouldn¡¯t be too interested in places that other emperors had stayed in before. But this place was different. This was the villa that the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s emperors had stayed in before! To him, this was undoubtedly an invisible honor. To be able to live in this place, he would definitely have face in front of all the other dynasties. He tidied his clothes and walked forward confidently. But the moment he reached the door, he was stopped. Tsing! Two longswords crossed each other. The guard in charge coldly said, ¡°Sorry, this place is not reserved for you.¡± Chapter 938 - Come Often when You’re Free! ¡°How dare you!¡± hollered Yin Hao, his face immediately changing when he saw this scene. ¡°Do you know who the person standing here is?!¡± The two guards¡¯ expressions didn¡¯t change, and they looked emotionless. ¡°The Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s residence is on the neighboring street, not here.¡± Yin Hao was stumped. This means that they know Dantai Chen¡¯s identity, but they actually still insisted. Could it be¡­ ¡°Impossible! You must be mistaken!¡± Yin Hao took a step forward and tried to use logic to fight them. There are a total of four villas, and the first two are already occupied, leaving two more. Out of the remaining two, it¡¯s obvious that this place is better. Currently, only people from the Taiyu Dynasty and the Tianling Dynasty haven¡¯t moved in. Isn¡¯t it obvious who should stay in the better one? But the two guards in charge of this place weren¡¯t weak, and they weren¡¯t scared of Yin Hao at all. ¡°Officer Yin, we¡¯re just carrying out orders. Please don¡¯t make it difficult for us.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Yin Hao wanted to continue when Dantai Chen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the side. He said, ¡°You said this place isn¡¯t for my Taiyu Dynasty. Then, could it be left for the Tianling Dynasty?¡± Once he said this, the two guards nodded in unison. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s remaining words were instantly stuck in his throat. Even Yin Hao widened his mouth in shock as if he swallowed an egg whole. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Hm? It seems like this place is left for me?¡± Just when the two parties were deadly silent, a familiar voice sounded from behind. The few of them turned around and saw Chu Liuyue lightly jumping down from the horse carriage. As this street was very spacious, it could hold two horse carriages moving at the same time. Hence, their horse carriage was parked beside those of Dantai Chen and the others. And Chu Liuyue and her entourage heard their conversation very clearly. She leaned sideways against the horse carriage, crossed her arms, and smiled with much interest. She was already born a beauty, and this smile made her look even more beautiful and charming. ¡°What nonsense are you saying?!¡± At this point, Dantai Ruoli also heard those words and found Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile very irritating. She immediately went forward and yelled at the two guards, ¡°Carrying out orders? Whose orders are you carrying out?!¡± The two guards knitted their brows and glanced at her. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the Crown Prince¡¯s orders!¡± The Crown Prince was in charge of Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s eruption and inviting the few dynasties over, so their residential arrangement wouldn¡¯t be an exception as well. The Crown Prince specifically instructed that this should be left for the Tianling Dynasty! The two guards then bowed toward Chu Liuyue in a more respectful and polite tone. ¡°His Highness said to rest assured and stay here. If you need anything, just instruct us.¡± This attitude was miles apart from the previous one. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin and smiled with deep meaning as she walked forward. When her intricately crafted boots landed on the floor and let out a rhythmic sound, it was like a heavy hammer hitting Dantai Chen and the others¡¯ hearts, slam by slam. She walked to the door and stood still beside the few of them. Then, she blinked her eyes as if she was shy. ¡°So it¡¯s really left for me? I thought you were kidding just now. Look at how this situation turned out¡­ How embarrassing. Emperor Huai Ren, it¡¯s not that I want to fight with you. Please don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± Then, she glanced at Dantai Chen. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s not easy to get here, yet you need to retreat to another street¡­ How troublesome! Everyone, I¡¯m really sorry. If we reached first, such a joke might not even happen.¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s face felt as if it was slapped harshly! We were the ones who snatched the horse carriage first, and it was clear that we shot ourselves in the foot and humiliated ourselves. If we had known about this earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have made this extra move back then. Dantai Ruoli couldn¡¯t continue listening as she sneered and looked at the two guards. ¡°You said that this is the Crown Prince¡¯s order, but do you have any evidence? Or perhaps the two of you secretly made this decision on your own and put us in a difficult spot?!¡± Once she said this, the two guards¡¯ aura instantly became dangerous. Even Yin Hao couldn¡¯t help but grumble in his heart. Does this Dantai Ruoli not have a brain?! Not to mention Lin Zhou, even in the entire Beiming Dynasty, nobody will dare to fake the Crown Prince¡¯s edict, let alone do things against his will! That is unless they are tired of living and want to bring their whole family clan down with them! Her saying this isn¡¯t caring about the Crown Prince at all. ¡°Eldest Princess Dantai, please mind your words!¡± warned one of the guards harshly. Dantai Ruoli was frightened by this scene. Her initial arrogant and impudent expression immediately disappeared without a trace as she instinctively took a step back. ¡°I-I was just casually asking¡­¡± Her face turned white. These people are really scary! I just said one sentence¡ª ¡°Eldest Princess, please don¡¯t comment further on this issue! If not, it will just make things worse!¡± Even Yin Hao couldn¡¯t help but say this. It¡¯s fine if you want to court death, but don¡¯t drag other people down with you! Seeing that this incident was really related to the Crown Prince, Yin Hao didn¡¯t dare to ask further as he kept begging for mercy. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. It¡¯s all because I didn¡¯t properly find out in advance that this misunderstanding arose. We¡¯ll leave now, we¡¯ll leave now! But please don¡¯t report to the Crown Prince about this as it will just frustrate him. Tomorrow¡ªtomorrow, I¡¯ll definitely treat the two of you to drinks! How about that?¡± Now that he flattered and pleased them in all manners, the two guards finally nodded. Yin Hao heaved a sigh of relief as he leaned in toward Dantai Chen and softly said, ¡°Uh¡­ L-let¡¯s leave¡­ I¡¯ll bring you to the other villa. It¡¯s not far away¡­¡± Dantai Chen was the emperor his entire life and hadn¡¯t met such an incident where he was rejected at the door and needed all sorts of excuses to successfully leave! Even if the one begging for mercy wasn¡¯t him, he was completely humiliated! His face burned, and he wanted to find a hole to bury himself! He took a deep breath in. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The moment he turned around, Chu Liuyue asked with a smile, ¡°Hey, do you want to go in and sit?¡± Dantai Chen was stumped, and his expression was incredulous. He clenched his fists tightly, and they made a cracking sound before he finally suppressed the fire in his heart. He then threw a sentence back without turning around. ¡°No need!¡± After that, he quickly boarded the horse carriage and left this street. Chu Liuyue waved her hands and smiled delightfully. ¡°Come often when you¡¯re free!¡± Dantai Chen almost spat out blood! Chapter 939 - I Dare! The people from the Taiyu Dynasty didn¡¯t even say an extra word as they left very quickly and looked miserable. When the horses¡¯ figures completely disappeared, Chu Liuyue then smiled slightly, retracted her gaze, and looked at the two guards. ¡°Go ahead.¡± The guards moved a step back each and respectfully invited them in. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned slightly deep. Who knows what that Jun Jiuqing is thinking to purposely leave the best villa for me. It looks like he is taking care of us on the surface, but he is actually digging a hole for me. The incident today will definitely spread very quickly. It won¡¯t only be the Taiyu Dynasty; the other two dynasties will definitely be upset when they hear about this. The weakest people actually got the best residence. No matter what place this occurred in, it would definitely spark a fight. Besides, this is related to each dynasty¡¯s reputation! Who knows what trouble it will bring? He is purposely pushing me to the front of the crowd¡­ But¡­ Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. Since the other party is blatantly teasing us, then I¡¯ll just take it as it is! She extended her long legs and walked through the door. ¡­ ¡°Liuyue, do you know Beiming¡¯s Crown Prince? Why did he do this?¡± After entering the villa and seeing how exquisite the surroundings looked, Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but lean in closer and ask softly. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know him. I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± ¡°Then, why did he do this?¡± Mu Hongyu surveyed her surroundings and faintly felt worried. ¡°This place is good, but won¡¯t doing this openly be putting us on the chopping board?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. Even someone with a direct personality like Mu Hongyu could see through the other party¡¯s intention, which proves how direct his plan is. ¡°It¡¯s a waste to refuse the advantages brought to your door.¡± As Chu Liuyue walked, she lifted her fingers. ¡°Quite a few Beiming emperors have stayed here before, and this is truly a place where the dragons convened. Since so many of them liked this place so much, it proves that this place is different. Not to mention the others, this villa alone has a ninth-grade Xuan formation, and we¡¯re already benefiting from it. If we cultivate here, our cultivation speed will definitely be elevated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Since the others have already stepped all over us, why must we take it lying down? Yue¡¯er is right. We¡¯ll just stay here!¡± Elder Su Jin¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she spoke and quickly walked inside. ¡°I¡¯ll go see how the Xuan formation is. Yue¡¯er, remember to copy down the previous few Xuan formations for me!¡± Once she said this, her figure disappeared. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Xiao Ran wanted to call her but glanced at Chu Liuyue hesitantly. The latter couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Mentor Su Jin has always been addicted to Xuan formations and won¡¯t care about anything else once she starts looking at them. Elder Xiao Ran, please help look after her.¡± Embarrassment flashed across Xiao Ran¡¯s face, but he still glanced at Chu Liuyue gratefully before chasing after his crush. Shua! Jian Fengchi shook his fan and looked very carefree. His icy eyes were filled with curiosity and nosiness as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Hey, do you really have nothing to do with Jun Jiuqing?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him coldly. ¡°I can allow you to have something to do with him.¡± Jian Fengchi felt a chill run down his spine as he immediately retreated. ¡°Haha! I was just making a joke¡ªa joke! Actually, Jinghong was the one who asked me to ask.¡± Yuwen Jinghong: ?? Just as he was about to defend himself, Jian Fengchi covered his mouth. ¡°Go, go! Let¡¯s go and cultivate! It won¡¯t be good if we humiliate ourselves when we compete with the talents from the other dynasties!¡± He then dragged Yuwen Jinghong along and rapidly left. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll take my leave too,¡± said Wu Ming respectfully. Even though he wasn¡¯t the weakest among the few people that came, he vaguely felt that they had a lot of potential. Just by staying together for a few days, he could already feel an obvious improvement in their auras. This made him nervous and secretly determined to cultivate even more! Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. Wu Ming is a Tian Ji Residence disciple and is an outstanding talent. The more important thing is that he¡¯s stable and serious. This was one of the reasons why I brought him over. Seeing his behavior, he clearly felt a sense of danger, so he planned to cultivate properly and strengthen himself. This is definitely something I¡¯m pleased to see. Being able to stay here is more beneficial for cultivation. Perhaps we can gain an advantage in future battles. Wu Ming acknowledged her and left. Mu Hongyu then followed Jian Fengchi and the others, planning to duel with them. She had recently learned a new move from her mentor, and her hands were itchy. After the few of them left, Elder Chen Ke asked rather hesitantly, ¡°Your Majesty, are¡­ you really not worried? There are benefits to living here, but¡­¡± He felt that this journey seemed to be unsettling¡­ It vaguely seemed like someone had arranged everything in advance. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly, and her eyes were filled with cunningness as they dazzled with a harsh gleam. ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? I dare to come to Lin Zhou, and I also dare to live in this villa!¡± She walked forward with her back straight and her aura formidable! ¡°No matter what kind of demon or fiend it is, I¡¯ll be able to stop it! I¡¯m bent on taking the benefits of living here!¡± ¡­ Beiming Palace, hunting ground. Average palaces didn¡¯t have hunting grounds, and they were mostly situated outside. However, the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s palace had a huge hunting ground. This hunting ground was very spacious, and its periphery was surrounded by a tall barrier made from superior metal. Every barrier was the size of an adult¡¯s thigh, and they were neatly arranged with a hook above. If one wasn¡¯t careful, a large piece of their flesh would be hooked out. Upon closer look, one could still see spots of blood on the barrier. It had already been a whole day, and the blood spots had started to dry. Some seemed to be newly left behind and were very red. The entire hunting ground exuded an intense bloody aura. Other than this, there was a barrier above the hunting ground that covered everything within. Flying creatures or fiends wouldn¡¯t be able to escape at all! At this moment, someone was lying in the center of the hunting ground. Fresh blood spewed out of his neck and drenched the entire floor as he lay there motionless. He hung onto his last breath, looking as if he was going to die soon. If not for his chest that was still heaving slightly, one really would¡¯ve thought that he was dead. But in actual fact, the current him was better dead than alive. This was because a black and white bird was using its claws to rip open his chest and swallow his heart! At the side, the few fiends gathered and greedily watched this scene. Even though they kept salivating, they didn¡¯t dare to take a step forward. This was because a man was standing outside the barrier! ¡°Your Highness, the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people have already moved into that villa,¡± said the guard that quickly went forward and went down on one knee respectfully. Chapter 940 - Impudent! ¡°Is she satisfied?¡± Jun Jiuqing stood with his hands behind his back, and his words seemed to have a hint of lazy smiling intent. ¡°I¡­ think so,¡± said the guard rather hesitantly. ¡°Hm?¡± Jun Jiuqing turned his head slightly, revealing a perfectly carved side profile His brows were sharp, his nose was high, and his lips were curled up in an enticing smile that made him look more demonic and charming. His long lashes that covered half his eyes revealed a demonic-red color vaguely. Even if it was only half his face, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how handsome this man was. His soft voice and the extended syllable made him more dangerous. The guard immediately looked down and hurriedly explained, ¡°The people from the Taiyu Dynasty had a misunderstanding with them¡­¡± Then, he narrated the entire incident once. After Jun Jiuqing heard it, he kept silent for a moment and laughed lightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Dantai Chen to be so agitated. I really overestimated him before.¡± ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve always done everything smoothly, and everything is in Your Highness¡¯s control.¡± The guard hurriedly said, ¡°Do you want me to send someone¡ª¡± ¡°No need.¡± Jun Jiuqing raised his hand and interrupted the guard¡¯s words. Thinking of something, he then smiled with deeper meaning. ¡°She really didn¡¯t change her temper at all¡­¡± The guard was shocked. He was His Highness¡¯s confidant and could see through His Highness¡¯s temper and thoughts a little. But this time, he couldn¡¯t guess what the latter wanted to do at all. His Highness seems to be different toward Shangguan Yue, the one who just ascended the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s throne recently. If I were to say that His Highness didn¡¯t treat her well, why did he give her that villa to live in so openly? If I were to say that His Highness didn¡¯t treat her well, then why does his tone have a few hints of interest every time he talks about her? Which person could receive such treatment from the Crown Prince in the past? I cannot tell and dare not think further. I will only do whatever His Highness instructs me to do. However, I can confirm one thing¡ªthat Shangguan Yue isn¡¯t someone that we can easily offend! ¡°You¡¯re dismissed. Just quietly observe the situation,¡± said Jun Jiuqing lazily. ¡°Yes!¡± The guard quickly went down. Jun Jiuqing looked up. Within the hunting ground, that person¡¯s heart seemed to be swallowed clean, and his entire person lost his breath. That black and white bird suddenly shrieked! That stage-seven warrior had connected his five organs, and his heart was the place that gathered most of the force. So after swallowing this heart, the bird¡¯s aura naturally strengthened. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s tone became light as if it was tainted with drunken intent. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Following this, that bird flew up! At that moment, the fiends that had already waited for a long time in the surroundings pounced forward in unison. Blood spurted everywhere! Not long later, they started to kill each other! That black-white bird perched at the top of the barrier and watched this scene with a harsh expression, being high and mighty. The scene was very bloody and violent, but Jun Jiuqing seemed to be used to it. He lightly touched the corner of his eyes, seemingly revealing a satisfied expression, before turning around to leave. ¡­ Yin Hao brought the Taiyu Dynasty people to the villa on the neighboring street. The entire way, he was very cautious and didn¡¯t dare to speak much. It was only when he reached the door that he then braved himself to invite Dantai Chen and the rest down. Your Majesty, we¡¯re here.¡± Dantai Chen and the others got off the carriage and rapidly surveyed the surroundings, their expressions turning increasingly dark afterward. At first glance, they could tell that this villa was much worse than the other one, be it in terms of scale or something else! ¡°What kind of stupid place is this?!¡± Dantai Ruoli couldn¡¯t help but scold. We¡¯re from the Taiyu royal family after all. Even if we aren¡¯t as distinguished as the Beiming royal family, it¡¯s beneath us to stay in such a place! ¡°They don¡¯t even care about us!¡± It would be fine if everyone stayed in such a place, but the residence of those people from the Tianling Dynasty is clearly much better than ours! How can we calmly accept such differential treatment?! Yin Hao broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°Eldest Princess Dantai, the Crown Prince personally arranged the villas, and they¡¯re all from the Beiming royal family. How can you call it a ¡®stupid place?¡¯ Please don¡¯t say such words in the future!¡± Then, he couldn¡¯t help but say to Dantai Chen, ¡°Your Majesty, you must advise her!¡± If she always lets her mouth run, she will get into trouble sooner or later! Do they still remember that this is the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s territory?! Even though Dantai Chen also felt very aggrieved, he had been the emperor for many years and knew what he should say and should not. He shot Dantai Ruoli a look of warning, and his tone was cold. ¡°Ruoli, did you forget what I told you before?¡± I told you that you need to control yourself! Be low-key! If the Beiming Crown Prince heard this, it wouldn¡¯t be good for us at all! Dantai Ruoli shut her mouth indignantly. The other people also felt complicated after experiencing that series of events, and all kept quiet. It was already very humiliating to end up in this state. If they were still relentless about it, they would just be seen as a joke. Seeing that they all stopped, Yin Hao then brought them in. ¡­ After arranging all of them, Yin Hao dismissed himself first and went back to report. The moment he left, Dantai Ruoli couldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°I¡¯m so angry! This is killing me!¡± Her eyes burned with an intense fire, and her face flushed red due to her frustration. ¡°Father, we can¡¯t just let this incident go!¡± Dantai Chen sat on the chair, his face as calm as water. ¡°Then, what do you want to do? They already clearly said that the Beiming Crown Prince arranged all of this. Do you want to cause trouble for the Beiming Crown Prince?¡± Dantai Ruoli was stumped. She naturally knew that the Beiming Crown Prince was someone she couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Now, more than half of the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s power was in his hands! It wasn¡¯t an understatement to say that he could cover the sky with one hand! ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince has always been heartless and harsh? With this arrangement, could it be that the Tianling Dynasty is related to him?¡± If not, she really couldn¡¯t understand why the weakest Tianling had the right to enjoy the best treatment! ¡°Logically speaking, Tianling shouldn¡¯t even have the right to be invited to Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s eruption!¡± ¡°They still came without a right.¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°If that Shangguan Yue really knows the Beiming Crown Prince¡­ It won¡¯t be easy to handle this.¡± The room fell into a dead silence. Then, a young man¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Your Majesty, just let them be delighted for now. When Ancient Phoenix Mountain erupts, won¡¯t we know who is strong and weak? They live in the best place, but won¡¯t it be even more humiliating for them if they become last place at that time?¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. Dantai Ruoli¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Yeah! Father, Zefeng is right! We¡¯ll let them be arrogant first, and then we¡¯ll slap them with our capabilities later! Let¡¯s see how that Shangguan Yue can continue to be impudent!¡± Chapter 941 - Please Pick the Princess Consort! As night fell, starlight dotted the dark sky. It was quiet both inside and outside the courtyard, and all that could be heard was the cool wind that breezed through the hall. Chu Liuyue was currently cultivating in her room. Seated in a cross-legged position with her eyes tightly shut, her aura enveloped her as two flames¡ªtransparent and red¡ªcould be seen leaping around her from time to time. She raised her right hand and lightly pointed a fair and slender finger in the air. Silver force then rushed out and quickly split into countless strands of light, which later intertwined to form a pattern. Following this, she did the same with her left hand. More strands of silver light flew out and formed the same pattern, which then connected with the first pattern. If Elder Su Jin and the others were here right now, they would realize that this Xuan formation closely resembled the ninth-grade Xuan formation they saw at the border. This was because Chu Liuyue had constructed this one based on its original design. For people who had no talent in the Xuan Master path, Xuan formations were nothing but a bunch of strange shapes and lines. It would be very tough for them to remember the patterns no matter how hard they studied them. Despite its regularity, memorizing the patterns of a Xuan formation wasn¡¯t as simple as memorizing a book. In fact, the complexity of a ninth-grade Xuan formation was unimaginable. Even for an advanced Xuan Master, their head would spin after staring at it for a long time, which made it impossible for them to remember the patterns. However, it was different for Chu Liuyue. Even though she was in a different body now and her powers were limited, her cognitive abilities were still on the same level as when she was an eighth-grade Xuan Master in her previous life. On top of that, she had an astonishing talent in this aspect to begin with, so memorizing a few ninth-grade Xuan formations wasn¡¯t a tall order for her. What she wanted to do now was try her best to replicate the ninth-grade Xuan formation she saw earlier. As time trickled past, Chu Liuyue drew out the pattern in her mind stroke by stroke. In front of her were countless streams of silver light that illuminated her clear, porcelain face and gradually formed the Xuan formation¡¯s outline. ¡­ Ten thousand miles away. Floating atop the boundless and sparkling azure water were several islands shrouded with misty white force, making it look like a scene straight out from a fairytale. Above the void, a golden light suddenly appeared and expanded at a rapid speed to form a golden circle. The space fluctuated and rippled before a tall figure walked out from it¡ªit turned out to be Rong Xiu. He was dressed in a black brocade robe, and he exuded a cold aura. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the warmth and gentleness he had as Prince Li vanished and were replaced by cold ruthlessness and indifference. The power suppressing his force was gone, and his aura immediately grew stronger. At a glance, he looked like a god who had killed his way out of hell with his murderous aura. Honk! Followed by the sounding of a horn, a loud greeting was heard. ¡°Welcome back, Your Grace!¡± Countless people were currently kowtowing in his direction. Rong Xiu headed straight for the island in the middle. Although it seemed like he was walking on water, there was actually a small gap between his shoes and the water surface. With his hands behind his back, he looked like he was taking a leisurely stroll, but in reality, he had covered a great distance in just a few steps. When he reached the island, he leaped into the air and gently floated down to the ground. The black jade slab reflected his long figure as he continued to walk forward while the two guards on duty bowed respectfully toward him. ¡­ The building in front was Rong Xiu¡¯s palace. Security was very tight there, so ordinary people had no way of even getting close. It was usually very quiet there, but it seemed that someone had been waiting outside his palace for a long time today. Upon hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s arrival, that person also went down on his knees in the direction the former was coming from. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he took a glance, for he found the visitor somewhat familiar¡ªthe latter seemed to be an acquaintance. Sure enough, his guess was proven correct when he got closer. The visitor was none other than 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s nephew, Ming Yao. As an elder, Ming Yao¡¯s status was considered pretty high within his clan, for it was second only to the clan leader. Usually, the elders rarely appeared here and would tend to go look for 36 Respected Elder Ming if they had any problems. There was hardly a time when they directly went to look for Rong Xiu. Not until now. Rong Xiu stopped right in front of him. ¡°What brings you here today, Elder Ming Yao?¡± ¡°Greetings, Your Grace!¡± Ming Yao hurriedly paid his respect to Rong Xiu. One of the guards next to him cupped his fist and reported, ¡°Your Grace, Elder Ming Yao has been waiting here since three days ago. He says that he has something important to report to you in person.¡± Rong Xiu looked up slightly. ¡°Where¡¯s 36 Respected Elder Ming?¡± ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming went into seclusion recently, Your Grace.¡± So he deliberately chose to come when 36 Respected Elder Ming was away. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°You may rise, Elder Ming Yao. Feel free to speak your mind.¡± Only after giving his thanks did Ming Yao stand up. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous about facing Rong Xiu alone. He tried his best to eke out a smile. ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m actually here on behalf of many other clans.¡± Rong Xiu slightly raised his eyebrows as he gave Ming Yao a look. ¡°Oh?¡± With much difficulty, Ming Yao swallowed his saliva and mustered his courage to say, ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s been a few years since you took the throne, but you still don¡¯t have a Princess Consort. It just so happens that your birthday is coming up, so we¡¯re thinking¡­ Why don¡¯t you take this chance to pick someone to be the Princess Consort?¡± Chapter 942 - I’ll Pick One Then As soon as he said the words, he felt the temperature around him plummet to freezing point, and the coldness seeped into his bones. There was this one moment that his keen sixth sense almost made his legs go wobbly and give way, but that ice-cold aura vanished just as quickly as if it had never appeared before. Ming Yao summoned his courage to cast a fleeting glance at Rong Xiu, only to see the latter¡¯s cold and dark eyes. Unable to tell what was on the latter¡¯s mind, he quickly retracted his gaze and looked down uneasily. It was a well-known fact that Rong Xiu kept his distance from women, and it was widely discussed by many ever since he ascended the throne. Still, he would always firmly turn women away. Once, a venerable secretly arranged for two women to wait on Rong Xiu. Although Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t interested, it wasn¡¯t polite to refuse the venerable right in his face, so he sent the two women to do miscellaneous chores instead. Things could¡¯ve ended just like that, but those two women felt indignant over the fact that they weren¡¯t able to even enter his palace and thus plotted to drug his tea in hopes that they could go from rags to riches. Alas, they didn¡¯t know that Rong Xiu was well-versed in medicine. The cup of tea was smashed to pieces right there and then, while the two women were dragged out to be beaten to death in public. The point was that Rong Xiu even specially invited that venerable to watch the punishment. Knowing that he was in the wrong, the venerable dared not say anything despite being tricked by Rong Xiu. After this incident, he went into seclusion right away. This matter was then widely spread, and everyone began to behave themselves when they found out how ruthless Rong Xiu could be to women. Rong Xiu thus had some peace and quiet for a long time after that. No matter how anxious the others were, they didn¡¯t dare to step out of their boundaries again. But as time passed and the spot of Princess Consort was still empty despite it being a few years since Rong Xiu took the throne, the masses started getting antsy again. This was only natural since everyone wanted the spot of Princess Consort for themselves. The entire clan would rise in status should a young lady from their clan get married to Rong Xiu and become Princess Consort. When the benefits of a certain matter became imaginably huge, the people¡¯s courage and motivation became greater as well. The reasons why Ming Yao dared to come forward with this proposal this time were that he had 36 Respected Elder Ming behind him and that he believed the Princess Consort issue was a valid reason nobody would oppose. They dared not do anything about it in the past since the reason that Rong Xiu refused to marry might be that he had just assumed the throne and thus didn¡¯t have firm political power. But now that he was firmly seated in his position, it didn¡¯t make sense if he continued to refuse to take a wife. ¡°It seems that Elder Ming Yao and the rest are very concerned about my marriage,¡± said Rong Xiu after a brief silence. He¡¯s neither angry nor rejecting my idea outright. Does that mean we have a chance? Delighted to hear this response, Ming Yao hurriedly bowed and said, ¡°You¡¯re the core of the clans, so it¡¯s only natural that everyone is concerned since you¡¯ve yet to decide on your Princess Consort. Thus, I¡¯m here for the sake of you and the rest of the clans!¡± ¡°Oh? It sounds like you already have a plan in mind,¡± said Rong Xiu with slight interest. Feeling greatly encouraged, Ming Yao rushed to explain, ¡°To tell you the truth, although you haven¡¯t been actively considering these matters, the rest of us have been thinking about it on your behalf. We¡¯ve already selected the most outstanding women from several clans. As long as you give us the approval, we¡¯ll arrange for them to come to your birthday celebration for you to meet them. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find the woman of your liking among them.¡± Rong Xiu laughed. ¡°I wonder which clans they are from? I haven¡¯t been paying much attention to these matters in the past.¡± Ming Yao thus said a string of names. Apart from his own clan, several other clans that got along pretty well with them were also involved in this matter. Rong Xiu patiently waited for him to finish speaking before asking, ¡°It seems like you guys have prepared this for a long time. How come I haven¡¯t heard 36 Respected Elder Ming mention it before?¡± Ming Yao¡¯s eyes flickered out of fluster as he laughed it off. ¡°Well¡­ He¡¯s often not around, so we didn¡¯t dare to bother him with these matters.¡± The truth, however, was that they had already mentioned this matter to 36 Respected Elder Ming when they sought him out previously. But not only did 36 Respected Elder Ming coldly shoot down their idea, he even warned them not to think about it. The latter knew that Rong Xiu would naturally have his own plans when it came to such matters, so whoever tried to interfere in his affairs was just courting their own death. Though after Ming Yao and the rest went back and thought about it again, they still refused to give up on this opportunity. They couldn¡¯t help thinking that Rong Xiu might pick a lady from their clan. Although the clan owed its current status to 36 Respected Elder Ming, he had grown old, and he tended to avoid being associated with the clan instead of putting in a good word for them. Everyone was secretly disappointed in 36 Respected Elder Ming as they thought that he was doing this purely for the sake of protecting his own status and winning Rong Xiu¡¯s trust. Hence, they would rather bank on this chance than remain at the status quo. This was also why they had chosen to work with a few other clans to push this idea forward and why they had specifically acted in 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s absence. ¡°I see¡­¡± Rong Xiu smiled as he nodded in understanding. What a shame. There goes 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s years of effort in trying to protect his clan from trouble. Despite going to great lengths, he still failed to stop them from getting into trouble in the end. Once the seed of greed is planted into one¡¯s head, it¡¯s hard to get rid of it. Ming Yao didn¡¯t seem to find Rong Xiu¡¯s smile the slightest bit dangerous. On the contrary, he thought that their plan had worked and was secretly delighted about it. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you invite the rest of the clans to participate as well?¡± ¡°Oka¡ª¡± Ming Yao couldn¡¯t believe his ears as he looked at Rong Xiu in shock. ¡°W-what? T-the rest of the clans?¡± ¡°It¡¯s two months away from my birthday celebration. All the clans will come to celebrate my birthday anyway, so isn¡¯t it better to have everyone join in?¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± Seeing how Rong Xiu seemed to be serious about it, Ming Yao felt that things were beginning to develop out of his control. But this is something that we¡¯ve discussed and agreed upon with the other clans! We¡¯ll lose our advantage if the rest of the clans join in as well! There are so many clans! There¡¯s no telling who His Grace would choose! The number of women who want to get married to him is more than we can count! People didn¡¯t dare to say anything in the past because he didn¡¯t have the intention of taking on a wife, but once they know that he¡¯s choosing his Princess Consort¡­ I can¡¯t imagine how fierce the competition will be! It¡¯ll be a wasted trip if he ends up choosing someone else! Ming Yao wanted to object to the idea, but standing in front of him was their esteemed ruler. Not daring to utter the word ¡®no,¡¯ he could only say, ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ do as you say, Your Grace!¡± Chapter 943 - : You Guys Should Just Follow Behind! At dusk, Yan Qing hurriedly came back from outside and went straight to the main hall. As soon as he entered the room, he saw Rong Xiu sitting leisurely by the window as he played chess. He paid his respects immediately. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± replied Rong Xiu without even lifting his head. He seemed to be considering his next move as he stared at the chessboard. ¡°How did the investigation go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve managed to obtain a portion of the evidence, and I¡¯ll be able to get the rest once the time is right!¡± Rong Xiu nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ve never needed to worry about the way you work. Just leave it aside for now.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Yan Qing then got up and stood aside, but he couldn¡¯t resist glancing at his master again out of curiosity at the thought of the rumors he heard when he came back. Master always has his reasons for doing things, so I suppose it¡¯s the same for this time as well¡­ ¡°Just shoot your questions.¡± After a brief hesitation, Yan Qing finally asked, ¡°Master, are the rumors about you selecting the Princess Consort on your birthday celebration¡­ true?¡± ¡°Of course, it is. Ming Yao doesn¡¯t have the guts to spread rumors about me.¡± Rong Xiu hooked his lips up meaningfully. Besides, it was my intention to spread the news. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have spread so fast and wide. Yan Qing was perplexed, however. ¡°But Madam¡­¡± ¡°It just so happens that I want to settle this matter as soon as possible.¡± The chess piece in Rong Xiu¡¯s hand landed on the chessboard with a thud. Like two dragons killing off each other, the black and white chess pieces were clearly separated on the chessboard. When that chess piece landed, it was like the black dragon had beheaded the white dragon, and it marked a clean end to the game. ¡°I¡¯ve been very lonely all these years. The Princess Consort position is hers to begin with, so it¡¯s better to give it to her as soon as possible.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were filled with amusement as he leaned back. This way, she can come to my side sooner and proudly stand side by side with me. Those people can stop fantasizing about the impossible too! ¡­ Beiming Dynasty, Lin Zhou. After a night of hard work, Chu Liuyue finally stopped what she was doing when the first ray of morning light shone in through the window. Floating in front of her was a huge silver barrier, and if one looked carefully, they would notice that it was formed from countless strands of silver light in an intricate yet beautiful pattern. Clearly, it was a replica of the barrier at the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s border. Even the various Xuan formations¡¯ patterns were clearly visible. Chu Liuyue had actually copied it to a T. Although her face was slightly pale, her eyes were twinkling with excitement. This wasn¡¯t actually her first attempt at replicating a ninth-grade Xuan formation. When she was still an eighth-grade Xuan Master, her cultivation level was stuck at that stage for a long time. While she didn¡¯t manage to reach the ninth grade, she had studied many ninth-grade Xuan formations during that time, which helped build the strong foundation she had today. That said, this was the first time she managed to successfully construct one. Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door from outside. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s time for us to leave for the palace,¡± said Wen Fan. ¡°Noted.¡± With a wave of her arm, the replicated barrier in front of her instantly dissolved into small rays of silver light and disappeared. She then got up, washed up, and changed into a clean set of clothes before leaving the room. ¡­ Wen Fan hurriedly bowed at Chu Liuyue when he saw her come out. He sneaked a quick glance at her and realized from her sparkling eyes that she seemed to be in good spirits. It seems that she wasn¡¯t affected by what happened yesterday. On top of that, her aura seems to have gotten a little stronger as well¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by this. I heard that she used to be a genius with the rare Tianjing Yuan meridian, but she was unfortunately harmed by others and only managed to return with great difficulty. Contrary to expectations, it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s worse off than before¡­ Wen Fan pushed his thoughts aside and then respectfully showed Chu Liuyue out. Upon receiving the news, Elder Chen Ke and the others came out one after another as well. The horse carriage from yesterday was already waiting outside, and it immediately left for the palace as soon as they all got in. ¡­ However, they didn¡¯t expect to run into the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people after leaving the street and turning a corner. Wen Fan¡ªwho sat in the front¡ªsaw Yin Hao right away, and vice versa. The latter¡¯s face darkened when he recalled what happened yesterday. Fuming, he spat a mouthful of saliva on the ground. ¡°Tch, what a coincidence indeed. Our horse carriage was arranged in front of yours, so we have the right to go first. Hurry up and make way, Wen Fan!¡± Having been bullied for years, Wen Fan instinctively wanted to avoid Yin Hao and give way when he saw the latter flare up. But just as he took a step backward, he heard someone laughing behind him. He then froze as he recalled what Shangguan Yue told him yesterday. Knowing that she would be there to bear all responsibility, he puffed up his chest and lifted his chin as he stared Yin Hao down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but our side of the street is closer to the palace, so we ended up being in front of you when we came out. Although your horse carriage was in front of ours yesterday, there¡¯s no need to worry about the order of arrival since everyone is heading in the same direction. It¡¯ll be more troublesome if we have to make way for you.¡± Then, he lifted the long whip in his hand. A resounding smack was heard when the whip landed. ¡°You guys should just follow behind! Giddy-up!¡± Chapter 944 - Do You Mind Sharing It With Me? Wen Fan led the horse carriage away, leaving behind a trail of dust in the process. ¡°Cough!¡± Yin Hao¡¯s face was flushed as he fumed, ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you really think that you¡¯ve gotten associated with a big shot?!¡± As Wen Fan was weak, frail, and timid, he used to be a coward in front of Yin Hao and dared not disobey the latter¡¯s orders. Hence, Yin Hao thought that Wen Fan had gotten cocky after just one day of following the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people around. Seriously, the Crown Prince arranging for them to stay at that villa may not necessarily mean anything! ¡°The Tianling Dynasty¡­ has got some airs, huh?¡± Dantai Chen lifted the curtain to take an expressionless look at the horse carriage that was disappearing into the distance. ¡°Don¡¯t take it to your heart, Your Majesty. They won¡¯t be able to act smug for too long! Only those who are truly capable will get the last laugh, don¡¯t you agree?¡± said Yin Hao hurriedly out of fear that Dantai Chen might get angry. The Tianling Dynasty might¡¯ve been a match for the Taiyu Dynasty in the past, but with all the unrest and instability they¡¯ve been through, they¡¯ll definitely come in last place now. Let¡¯s see how they¡¯re going to continue to act arrogant when that happens! Dantai Chen put the curtain down and coldly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ The Beiming Imperial Palace¡ªwhich sat atop a huge piece of land¡ªwas spectacular and magnificent. Word had it that the palace had been renovated to celebrate the successful attempt at reaching Apotheosis by the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s ancestor. Because of the ancestor¡¯s blessing, nothing major had ever happened in the Beiming Dynasty, and they remained a strong and rich empire throughout the millennium following his success. This was why their royal treasury was always full and why they could afford to use a portion of the money specifically on the maintenance of the palace every century. In addition, everything that was related to the royal family was paid special attention in Lin Zhou City. No matter which aspect it was, Lin Zhou was indeed much stronger than Xi Ling. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes to rest while sitting inside the carriage. At first, she could still hear occasional noises coming from outside, but they gradually died down. Their surrounding atmosphere also became cold and tense. The horse carriage stopped a moment later, and that was when she opened her eyes. We¡¯re here! ¡­ Wen Fan stepped forward and handed over the invitation he had prepared beforehand. ¡°Tianling Dynasty?¡± The guard at the palace gates took a closer look at the invitation in surprise. Word about the Tianling Dynasty and the Taiyu Dynasty fighting for a villa yesterday had spread, so a lot of people had found out that the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince seemed to regard the Tianling Dynasty highly. As such, even the guards couldn¡¯t help but be nervous, and they didn¡¯t dare to slack off at all. ¡°Horse carriages aren¡¯t allowed within the palace grounds. Please get off and proceed inside on foot.¡± Chu Liuyue lifted the curtain and hopped off from the carriage before raising her head slightly to take a look at her surroundings. The thick and heavy palace gates exuded a menacing aura, and one could vaguely smell a sweet metallic scent in the air by just standing there. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. I¡¯d like to see what those people are up to this time! ¡­ Imperial Palace, Qianlong Hall. In the middle of the far end of the hall was a golden throne that clearly belonged to the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s emperor, Jun Qizhi. On its left was a similar chair that was slightly smaller in size, which indubitably belonged to the Crown Prince, Jun Jiuqing. Generally speaking, only rulers were qualified to sit on a throne. But the fact that Jun Jiuqing was allowed to sit on one despite him being a crown prince showed how high his status was in the Beiming Dynasty¡ªhe was almost on the same footing as his father. Following downward were two rows of seats on the left and right respectively. If one looked closely, they would notice that each side was further divided into two areas. Apart from the Beiming Dynasty, a total of four dynasties were invited, so each dynasty had one area to themselves. Currently, an area on each side was occupied by the Dongning Dynasty and the Xiyan Dynasty, which arrived one after another. Jun Qizhi and Jun Jiuqing weren¡¯t here yet. Apart from the people from the two mentioned dynasties, only the palace staff responsible for waiting on them were present. Hence, the atmosphere was relatively relaxed. ¡°Have you heard about yesterday¡¯s interesting incident, Brother Ning?¡± asked Gongsun Xiao, the Xiyan Dynasty¡¯s emperor, with a glass of wine in his hand. Ning Yuan looked up with an expressionless look. ¡°Are you talking about¡­ the villa issue?¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve heard about it as well.¡± Gongsun Xiao laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that we arrived too early yesterday and ended up missing such a good show.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be missed about. It¡¯s just a lodging anyway.¡± Ning Yuan seemed unconcerned about this matter. This wily old fox is just as pretentious as ever! Gongsun Xiao snickered inwardly, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to bicker with Ning Yuan about this, for what he was most interested about now was the Tianling Dynasty. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Brother Ning. The Crown Prince was responsible for the lodging arrangement. Can¡¯t you tell anything from it?¡± If Jun Jiuqing wanted, he could¡¯ve arranged the same accommodation for all of us. However, he didn¡¯t. Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s deliberately picking a fight with the Tianling Dynasty? ¡°Do you know anything about the Tianling Dynasty, Brother Ning?¡± Ning Yuan froze. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Tianling Dynasty since the Dongning Dynasty is far away from them.¡± ¡°But surely you¡¯ve heard that their new ruler is coming today? Aren¡¯t you the slightest bit curious about her?¡± Gongsun Xiao smiled and stroked his beard. It¡¯s hard for us not to hear about the sensational news! Ning Yuan was just about to speak when he heard the palace staff announcing, ¡°Shangguan Yue, Empress Yuan Xi of the Tianling Dynasty, has arrived!¡± Silence immediately descended upon the entire hall as everyone turned their heads toward the doors to see a group of people coming their way. Leading the group was a tall and slim young lady who looked around the age of sixteen. She looked like a red cloud floating over from afar in her attire, and gasps of surprise could be heard throughout the hall as she got closer. A hint of astonishment appeared in everyone¡¯s eyes. Beautiful! This lady has such outstanding and distinguished looks! ¡®Beautiful¡¯ is the only word that can be used to describe her! Her presence alone makes everything fade into the background! Many people were secretly amazed by Shangguan Yue¡¯s astounding beauty. Every single person was one of the most esteemed figures in their respective dynasty, so they had naturally seen their fair share of beauties. But still, their hearts skipped a beat at the sight of her, and their gazes unconsciously roamed over to her. Being used to such looks, Chu Liuyue walked to the middle of the hall, where she stopped and smiled. ¡°It seems that I arrived a little late. I wonder what you were talking about earlier. Do you mind sharing it with me and letting me join the conversation?¡± Chapter 945 - Long Time No See Like a pearl falling onto a jade plate, the lady¡¯s clear voice echoed throughout the hall. It became even quieter in the hall, for Shangguan Yue was the exact person the rulers of the Dongning Dynasty and the Xiyan Dynasty were talking about just moments ago. But of course, they couldn¡¯t say this to her face as she was ultimately also a ruler of a dynasty. Even if the Tianling Dynasty was in no way comparable to the other dynasties, they were considered equals in terms of status and positions. The people in the hall suddenly felt that they were caught in the act of bad-mouthing someone behind their back. After a brief silence, Ning Yuan took the lead to say, ¡°It was just a trivial matter. No need to pay heed to it. The Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Emperor and Crown Prince haven¡¯t arrived yet. Please feel free to make yourself at home, Empress Yuan Xi.¡± The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly in a smile. ¡°Thank you. Everyone here today is considered my elder and senior. If you don¡¯t mind, you may just call me by my name.¡± Ning Yuan had a good impression of her when he saw that she carried herself well as both an empress and a junior despite her young age. He nodded and introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Ning Yuan, and I¡¯m from the Dongning Dynasty.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and looked to the other side. ¡°And you are¡­¡± Despite Gongsun Xiao¡¯s contempt toward the Tianling Dynasty, it would be impolite of him to make things difficult for Chu Liuyue when she was treating him in such a polite manner. Thus, he said, ¡°Gongsun Xiao from the Xiyan Dynasty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about the two of you, and it¡¯s an honor to meet you today. I hope that you can guide me along if there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a gracious smile as if she hadn¡¯t heard what they had said about her earlier. After that, she led her entourage to take their seats next to Ning Yuan and his people. Countless gazes followed her, and many people had confused expressions on their faces when they saw how relaxed she was. S-she seems different from what the rumors say¡­ She doesn¡¯t seem like a despotic young lady at all! Each of her words and actions was flawless, and she¡¯s clearly very gracious! Gongsun Xiao and Ning Yuan exchanged a look. After hearing the rumors, I thought that Shangguan Yue deliberately provoked the Taiyu Dynasty because she had the support of the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince. But now that I see her, she doesn¡¯t look like a person who would do such a thing¡­ Gongsun Xiao pondered for a moment before saying with a laugh, ¡°I wanted to go meet you after hearing about your arrival yesterday, but your villa is a little far from ours. I also didn¡¯t want to disturb you since it was already quite late. I wonder¡­ if you had a good rest yesterday?¡± Although it seemed like he was just asking a simple question about the villa, he was actually trying to sound out the relationship between Chu Liuyue and the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince. If they really had something going on between them, then he would have to be extra careful moving forward. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Senior Gongsun. Like everyone else, everything was arranged for us by the Crown Prince, so everything is well.¡± She didn¡¯t give a direct answer to Gongsun Xiao¡¯s question and merely praised the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince. They were now on the latter¡¯s turf after all, so it didn¡¯t hurt to praise him a bit. Besides, who would dare to say anything bad in the open? Sure enough, Gongsun Xiao was disappointed to hear this answer, but he didn¡¯t comment further on it. Ning Yuan, on the other hand, seemed truly disinterested in their conversation. ¡°Emperor Huai Ren of the Taiyu Dynasty has arrived!¡± Thereafter, Dantai Chen and his group walked in one after another. The former¡¯s mood worsened when he noticed that everyone else had arrived. After making a simple introduction, he quickly went to his seat and sat down. However, the uneasy feeling didn¡¯t subside, for he could distinctively sense the eyes staring at him from all directions. Without even lifting his head, he knew what those looks meant¡ªeveryone must¡¯ve already found out about what happened yesterday. This made Dantai Chen feel even more embarrassed and restless. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even have a chance to defend himself as they didn¡¯t say anything on the matter. Thus, he couldn¡¯t help but feel even more aggrieved. In addition, after sitting in the hall for a while, he realized that Gongsun Xiao and Ning Yuan¡¯s attitude toward Shangguan Yue was rather polite, which might be because yesterday¡¯s event made them suspect the relationship between the Tianling Dynasty and the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince. Dantai Chen secretly clenched his fists. I¡¯ll leave her be for the time being. Once I get the chance, I¡¯ll expose all of her pretenses and disgrace her in public! ¡­ ¡°His Majesty has arrived! His Highness has arrived!¡± As the doors opened, the noise in the hall instantly died down. Everyone turned to look at the doors in unison, only to see a bright yellow figure walking toward them. It was a middle-aged man with a sturdy figure. This man exuded authority and a powerful aura, and he was none other than the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Emperor, Jun Qizhi. Walking slightly behind him was a young man clad in a bright-blue brocade robe that had embroideries of golden dragons on its collar and cuffs. He had a jade belt around his waist and a crown on his head, and he exuded an air of nobility. He had sharp eyebrows and a high nose bridge, and his lips were gently hooked up in an alluring smile. However, the most mesmerizing thing about him was his unique phoenix eyes. Although he appeared to be smiling, his eyes were cold and indifferent. There was also a hint of red in them that looked like faint bloodstains, making them unforgettable. His gaze looked lazy, and it was like he had never held anything in regard before. Chu Liuyue froze slightly when she saw him for the first time, and a thought surfaced in her mind: This must be Jun Jiuqing! What an arrogant man he is! Indeed so. Even though he didn¡¯t say or do anything, her sixth sense told her that this was a very prideful man. Jun Jiuqing¡ªwho seemingly felt her gaze on him¡ªlooked over and met her gaze. This man is very strong! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart turned cold as she instinctively went on her guard. All of a sudden, Jun Jiuqing curled his lips and laughed. The ice in his eyes was seemingly shattered as he let out what seemed to be a sincere laugh. However, cruelty and ferocity were reflected from the depths of his eyes. Chu Liuyue could feel that Jun Jiuqing held no malice toward her, but her wariness toward him just wouldn¡¯t fade for some reason. ¡°Shangguan Yue?¡± Jun Jiuqing called her name out of nowhere, his voice deep and mellow like wine. He then smiled and said, ¡°Long time no see.¡± Chapter 946 - Cause Trouble This successfully pushed everyone¡¯s attention to Chu Liuyue, and countless gazes were immediately directed at the latter! Even Jun Qizhi¡ªwho had just walked in¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but look over in shock. Deadly silent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body tensed up, and she cursed Jun Jiuqing in her heart. Long time no see? Who hasn¡¯t seen you in a long time!? Do I know you? Why would you say that?! However, I definitely can¡¯t say this. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly, looking very magnanimous and elegant as she spoke in a polite and distant manner. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I¡¯m doing well.¡± Thinking that her father was still in the other party¡¯s hands, Chu Liuyue could only clench her teeth and cooperate with his act. Jun Jiuqing raised his brows slightly as if he wasn¡¯t happy with her reply. ¡°Really? But I haven¡¯t been doing well lately.¡± Once he said this, the atmosphere became even more awkward. Quite a few gazes kept darting between Chu Liuyue and Jun Jiuqingas people secretly guessed in their hearts. Why¡­ does it sound like the two of them have a special relationship? Could it be that the previous rumors were all true? Does Chu Liuyue really have Jun Jiuqing¡¯s backing? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flashed slightly, and she kept sneering in her heart. Is this Jun Jiuqing sick in the mind? I don¡¯t even know him, so what has it got to do with me that he¡¯s not having a good time?! If he really hasn¡¯t been doing well recently, it¡¯s probably because he did too many things against his conscience. ¡°So you are Shangguan Yue.¡± Jun Qizhi spoke amidst the awkward silence. He looked at Chu Liuyue rather gently and with a hint of curiosity. ¡°Jiuqing has mentioned you before, and he also insisted on inviting the Tianling Dynasty to this trip. I hope that you can show off your abilities when Ancient Phoenix Mountain erupts!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Jun Jiuqing even mentioned me in front of Jun Qizhi? This is even weirder! She tugged at her lips and revealed a perfect and polite smile. ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd showed a meaningful expression. Who doesn¡¯t know that the Beiming Crown Prince is harsh and heartless? Not many people are able to receive such special treatment¡­ right? Dantai Chen secretly knitted his brows. It¡¯s no wonder the Tianling Dynasty¡ªwhich originally didn¡¯t have much right¡ªcame. There are indeed some weird happenings behind it¡­ It seems like I need to delve into the relationship between Chu Liuyue and Jun Jiuqing before I can take action¡­ ¡­ Jun Qizhi and Jun Jiuqing quickly took their own seats, and the hall¡¯s atmosphere seemed to recover gradually. However, there were still some gazes continuously being directed at Chu Liuyue from time to time. Very obviously, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s few sentences had made the crowd have a lot of guesses. Even the few people sitting behind Chu Liuyue were confused and vaguely felt that something was amiss. Elder Chen Ke leaned in and softly asked, ¡°Your Majesty, didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t know this Beiming Crown Prince?¡± But it clearly wasn¡¯t the case just now! Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s just quietly observe what happens.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elder Chen Ke acknowledged her words and didn¡¯t continue asking. Elder Su Jin and the rest glanced at him in pursuit of an answer, but Elder Chen Ke silently shook his head and indicated for them to rest assured. She didn¡¯t seem to be lying previously, and our Tianling Dynasty really didn¡¯t have many interactions with the Beiming Dynasty for so many years. Today¡¯s greeting is indeed rather strange¡­ However, we can just believe her. ¡­ ¡°Everyone, Beiming welcomes all of you to come here from afar. I¡¯ll first give you a toast.¡± Jun Qizhi wanted to toast, and the crowd raised their wine cups respectively. Everyone drank together in the hall, and it was very lively. Everybody looked elated as if the previous open and secretive fights were non-existent. Jun Jiuqing lazily leaned against his chair and held his cheek with one hand as he looked up in much disinterest. The wine cup in front of him was still full, but nobody dared to advise him to drink it. Even Jun Qizhi didn¡¯t say much, so how could the others chime in? However, they had heard quite a few things about Jun Jiuqing and knew that he wasn¡¯t easy to serve, so they naturally avoided offending him. Mu Hongyu leaned toward Jian Fengchi and softly said, ¡°That Beiming Crown Prince seems to be quite formidable.¡± Before Jian Fengchi could even notice, Mu Hongyu suddenly leaned in, and her sweet, womanly aura instantly overwhelmed him. Jian Fengchi was dazed for a moment and glanced at her before he realized that Mu Hongyu was talking to him with her side profile facing him as her gaze stayed on Jun Jiuqing. It was as though she was very curious. As Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t look over, she actually didn¡¯t realize that she had almost bumped into Jian Fengchi¡¯s arms. They were only inches apart. Jian Fengchi could even see the soft facial hair on her face. His heart started beating uncontrollably as his ears and cheeks seemed to burn. He knew that he should move backward, but his body seemed to be frozen for some reason. He couldn¡¯t move. His eardrums sounded beat by beat as if something heavy was slamming against his heart. ¡°Hm? Do you agree?¡± Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t hear his response and turned over. The duo¡¯s cheeks barely scraped past each other, and they were breathing in each other¡¯s breaths. Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart stopped for a moment. But Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t seem to notice anything as she instinctively moved back and glanced at him strangely. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jian Fengchi recovered his senses and averted his gaze. ¡°Nothing much¡­ He¡¯s Beiming¡¯s Crown Prince. Isn¡¯t it normal that he¡¯s amazing?¡± Mu Hongyu held her head with one hand and knocked against her chin. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ But¡­ I still find it weird. He seems like he really knows Liuyue!¡± Among all the people I¡¯ve met, Jian Fengchi is the top in terms of flirtatiousness. Although this Jun Jiuqing seems even more so, these two are still different since that Jun Jiuqing seems to be a little more sinister¡­ Jian Fengchi saw that she was still thinking about Jun Jiuqing, and he undetectably knitted his brows as he felt quite uncomfortable. ¡°If they¡¯re really friends, yesterday¡¯s incident wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± He opened his fan and drove away the warmth on his face as he spoke lightly. Mu Hongyu nodded in strong agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡­ After brief greetings, Jun Jiuqing finally spoke. ¡°Father, let¡¯s get straight to the topic since everyone is already here.¡± Jun Qizhi wasn¡¯t angry after being interrupted, and he stroked his beard. ¡°Okay then. You will tell everyone what¡¯s happening next.¡± The hall was long silent. Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Jun Jiuqing. Jun Jiuqing surveyed his surroundings, and his gaze landed on the woman in red for an extra moment before he smiled slightly and straightened his body. ¡°I believe everyone already knows our motive for inviting everyone here. Our Beiming Dynasty alone isn¡¯t enough to handle Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s eruption. Besides, this is also a rare opportunity for cultivators. Hence, we decided that the people from five dynasties will get to enter Ancient Phoenix Mountain together!¡± Chapter 947 - Why Don’t You Do It When he mentioned Ancient Phoenix Mountain, the crowd was energized. They came specifically for this! ¡°Starting from this evening, Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s exterior barrier will be affected by the Heaven and Earth Force, and its suppression will gradually subside. After one day and one night, its suppression will decline to its lowest. It will thus be the best time to enter then.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s explanation was brief. ¡°There¡¯s only one entrance to Ancient Phoenix Mountain, which is also its exit. This also means that you need to come out from wherever you go in. This opening was also formed after countless ancestors worked together for thousands of years. This time, we can only open it because of the perfect timing, location, and manpower.¡± The crowd nodded in understanding. They were stepping into the barrier left behind by Apostheosis Realm cultivators after all, so average cultivators naturally couldn¡¯t go against it. Their only chance was to work together to get this one opportunity. It was no wonder the Beiming Dynasty was willing to invite people from the other dynasties to share this opportunity. This really was the only way. ¡°Thousands of years ago, the founder of my Beiming Dynasty cultivated at Ancient Phoenix Mountain and successfully broke through as a peak stage-nine warrior, leaving behind this mountain. This whole time, Ancient Phoenix Mountain has always been shut and never activated, let alone had people enter it. As time passed, the force within Ancient Phoenix Mountain gathered and gave birth to countless precious herbs and treasures. Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s interior has reached the peak of its tolerance, so it chose to automatically activate itself and release its strength before entering the next cycle. This entire process is called the ¡®Three Yuan Convention.¡¯¡± ¡°At that time, the force gathered within Ancient Phoenix Mountain will rush out like a tidal wave, and the cultivators there can use this chance to strengthen themselves. Cultivators with strong talent and potential might even break through continuously.¡± With every sentence that Jun Jiuqing said, the crowd below looked even more agitated. Who didn¡¯t want to become stronger in this world where the strong were respected? Some people may not have even had this chance in their past few lifetimes. Besides, Ancient Phoenix Mountain was truly a holy mountain. Someone might find the magnificent method and strength to break through as a peak stage-nine warrior inside. As long as they could go in, they would be benefiting from it! ¡°The Beiming Dynasty is too kind to invite the rest of us into Ancient Phoenix Mountain. I have nothing to offer in return, and I can only implore my elders to do their best to help at that time.¡± Ning Yuan cupped his fists. Once he said this, the rest naturally expressed their thanks respectively. Even though they knew that the Beiming Dynasty had only invited them mainly because of themselves, this was undoubtedly a good thing for them, so nobody was calculative. Jun Jiuqing surveyed the surroundings and seemed to be very satisfied with the crowd¡¯s reactions as his lips curved up into a sinister smile. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re too kind. At that time, we¡¯ll need everyone to help open Ancient Phoenix Mountain at the same time. As for how long one can stay on that mountain, that will depend on your own abilities.¡± Jun Jiuqing leaned back slightly in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°There was something I forgot to mention just now. When Ancient Phoenix Mountain erupts, only five people can enter every four hours. This also means that everyone needs to split into four batches to go in. Why don¡¯t we decide on the order of entering Ancient Phoenix Mountain now?¡± ¡­ The hall instantly fell silent once he said this, and quite a few people exchanged glances. They initially thought that everyone could go in together once they opened Ancient Phoenix Mountain, so they didn¡¯t expect that there would be an order of entry. And the interval period wasn¡¯t short¡ªit was a whole four hours. This didn¡¯t sound like much, but one had to know that time was especially precious within Ancient Phoenix Mountain. The longer one stayed within, the higher one¡¯s chances of finding some miracle or elevating their strength. Who would be willing to be behind everyone else? Hence, this order of entry became extremely precious. The Beiming Dynasty would definitely be the first to enter, and the remaining four dynasties had to arrange themselves accordingly. At that point, nobody spoke. Chu Liuyue looked down and silently stared at the wine cup in front of her as her lips undetectably curled up. This Jun Jiuqing is really afraid that the world won¡¯t be in chaos. As Beiming¡¯s Crown Prince, he could just directly settle the order of entry without a problem, but he refused to do it. He insisted on getting the other four dynasties to decide on it. On the surface, it looks like it¡¯s a fair fight that he doesn¡¯t want to intervene in. But in actual fact, he just wants to spark a fight between the four dynasties. There were already intense secret battles before they even entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain. With this commotion, everyone would definitely have arguments and quarrels, which would directly reduce their possibilities of forming an alliance. And the Beiming Dynasty just had to stand outside and watch everything with a smile. Everyone present was smart and knew that the hunter would shoot the bird that stuck out. Nobody wanted to offend anyone and become this tool. ¡­ ¡°I do have a suggestion,¡± said Dantai Chen suddenly. Upon hearing this, the crowd looked over at him in unison. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw Dantai Chen staring straight at her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she had a strong feeling. As expected, she heard Dantai Chen say, ¡°The Tianling Dynasty traveled a long way to come here, and it must be very tiring for them. Why don¡¯t we put them at the front of the entry order? What does the rest think?¡± Once he said this, the hall became even more silent. Other than the host¡ªthe Beiming Dynasty¡ªwho didn¡¯t come here from far away? The reason why Dantai Chen purposely said this was just to emphasize that the Tianling Dynasty was the only dynasty that didn¡¯t neighbor the Beiming Dynasty, secretly hinting that they had no right to be here. But not only were they here, they even stayed in the best villa. This made quite a few people feel indignant. Didn¡¯t they say that she was related to the Beiming Crown Prince? Didn¡¯t they say that she has him as her backing? Since this is so, why don¡¯t we directly arrange for her to be at the front? Then, everyone can see if they¡¯re worthy and if they have this capability. In the silence, Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Senior Dantai to take care of me so well. Logically speaking, I¡¯m the youngest here and should be the last to go in. But since Senior Dantai has already said this¡­ Won¡¯t it be disrespectful if I reject it?¡± Dantai Chen sneered in his heart but didn¡¯t show it on his face as he said lightly, ¡°You¡¯re still young, and you¡¯ve just ascended the throne. I believe it must¡¯ve been tiring to bring all of them to Beiming. It¡¯s nothing much for us to give in.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curled up. As if she didn¡¯t hear the mockery in his words, she smiled and nodded. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already said so, then¡­ I¡¯ll respect your wishes! But what do the other seniors think?¡± Then, she looked at Ning Yuan and the rest. Gongsun Xiao wanted to fight for it, but he didn¡¯t expect Dantai Chen to push Chu Liuyue and the others to the front. Since they¡¯ve already said so much, I would seem too petty if I refused it! Gongsun Xiao paused for a moment and said rather hesitantly, ¡°Uh¡­ they¡¯re all young kids. Won¡¯t it be too dangerous if they¡¯re the first to go in?¡± Dantai Chen laughed. ¡°Everyone, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. You might not know, but Shangguan Yue had already memorized the few ninth-grade Xuan formations on the barrier when she reached the borders of Beiming. She just has to execute some of them after entering Ancient Phoenix Mountain, and she would be invincible.¡± Chapter 948 - Even You are Worthy? His words were very confident, and everyone in the crowd heard this clearly. After a temporary daze, waves of gasps could be heard. What did Dantai Chen say?! Shangguan Yue has already memorized the ninth-grade Xuan formations by the borders of Beiming? How is that possible?! ¡°Oh my god! I didn¡¯t hear that wrongly, right?¡± ¡°Shangguan Yue¡­ Ninth-grade Xuan formations¡­ It must be a joke!¡± ¡°I heard that Shangguan Yue used to have an outstanding talent and that she was an eighth-grade Xuan Master¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, there are a few ninth-grade Xuan formations by Beiming¡¯s borders, and quite a few ninth-grade Xuan Masters from the Beiming Dynasty worked together to form the barrier. It¡¯s extremely complicated! Let alone a Shangguan Yue, even other ninth-grade Xuan Masters would need months to directly memorize the entire formation! How can she possibly do it?!¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Gongsun Xiao also found it ridiculous as he laughed. ¡°Brother Dantai, what are you talking about?¡± Dantai Chen looked as calm as usual. ¡°Brother Gongsun, I¡¯ve known you for many years, and you also know my personality. Do you think I¡¯d joke about such matters? Shangguan Yue said this herself back then.¡± Gongsun Xiao¡¯s smile immediately froze as he looked at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. Dantai Chen poured himself a cup of wine and seemingly said nonchalantly, ¡°Back then, we reached the borders almost at the same time as the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people. Once we walked out of the transportation formation, we heard them talking about this.¡± As he spoke, he looked up at Chu Liuyue. Even though he was smiling, his eyes were filled with a cold gleam. ¡°If I didn¡¯t recall it wrongly¡­ Shangguan Yue, you said that you took 15 minutes back then, right?¡± If he dares to ask her openly, it should mean that the matter is true! The noise immediately died down, and countless eyes stared closely at Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue tilted her head and honestly smiled. ¡°Yeap! What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡­ What¡¯s the matter¡­ What¡¯s the matter?! She herself said, ¡®what¡¯s the matter?!¡¯ Who in the world can do such a thing, yet she admitted to it so honestly?! Does she really think that exaggerating everything will make her seem more amazing? All the people present were top talents and strong warriors in their respective dynasties, but nobody dared to openly say such a thing! Seeing her behavior, she even seems nonchalant?! Does she even know what she¡¯s saying?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply was too direct, causing the crowd to be unable to recover in a short while. Even Dantai Chen¡ªwho wanted to openly ridicule her at first¡ªwas dazed for a moment. I originally thought that Chu Liuyue would deny it, but who knew¡ª ¡°It seems like Emperor Yuan Xi is very confident and has already understood and memorized all those Xuan formations by heart?¡± Dantai Ruoli¡ªwho was sitting at the back¡ªfinally couldn¡¯t hold herself back as she spoke with a mocking expression. She even specifically emphasized the words ¡®Emperor Yuan Xi.¡¯ Chu Liuyue glanced at her lightly and seemingly smiled. ¡°I just memorized those Xuan formations. I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯ve remembered them by heart, nor would I dare to say I understand them. Not to mention others, a day or two is definitely not enough to understand such a top Xuan formation barrier. But Eldest Princess Dantai, you¡¯re not a Xuan Master, so it¡¯s natural if you don¡¯t understand this,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she leisurely sipped on her wine. ¡°You!¡± Dantai Ruoli was stumped. Is she mocking me that I¡¯m not a Xuan Master?! Does she think she has it all just because she cultivated in all three aspects?! The current Shangguan Yue doesn¡¯t even have her Tianjing Yuan meridian, and her cultivation seems to only be that of a stage-six warrior. Even if she can continue her cultivation as a Xuan Master and a heavenly doctor, there is nothing to be arrogant about if her skills aren¡¯t up to par! Does she really think that she is still that old and outstanding talent?! ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m indeed not a Xuan Master, so I¡¯m not very clear about all the details. I¡¯m not as good as you, Emperor Yuan Xi¡ªwho can memorize ninth-grade Xuan formations just by taking a few glances at them. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t find a second person with such talent from all the dynasties, right?¡± Dantai Ruoli sneered in a strange manner. ¡°Wu¡­¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to rub her temple as if she had a headache. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s indeed quite troublesome if one is too outstanding. Sigh, I actually do envy people like Eldest Princess Dantai sometimes because you won¡¯t have so many problems.¡± Dantai Ruoli was speechless. The crowd was speechless. They had never seen someone boast to this extent. Dantai Ruoli was so angry that she laughed. ¡°This means that you really memorized all those Xuan formations?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°What? Can¡¯t I?¡± She then turned around and looked at Jun Qizhi, who was sitting at the top. ¡°Your Majesty, you won¡¯t mind if I take a few more glances at the ninth-grade Xuan formations at your border, right?¡± What could Jun Qizhi say? Those Xuan formations were used specifically to build the border, and anyone coming in and out of Beiming¡¯s borders is able to see them. Why can¡¯t I let others see it? Let alone allowing other people to take a few more glances, even if someone sets up a tent outside and examines them for years on end, it isn¡¯t necessary for us to stop them! ¡°Of course not.¡± Jun Qizhi coughed as his gaze turned and looked at Jun Jiuqing. Previously, I had only heard Jiuqing mention Shangguan Yue once or twice, and he seemed to admire her very much in his words. If not, we wouldn¡¯t have invited the Tianling Dynasty this time. However, Jiuqing didn¡¯t mention that this woman was actually this arrogant¡­ Jun Qizhi originally had a very good first impression of Chu Liuyue, but it was now discounted. But from the corner of his eyes, he saw that Jun Jiuqing was leaning against the chair and watching the people below argue. The Beiming Crown Prince¡¯s lips curled up slightly as if he found it rather interesting, and the demonic aura around him subsided by quite a bit. Jun Qizhi muttered to himself, Jiuqing does seem to be different toward this Shangguan Yue¡­ On the other side, Chu Liuyue smiled and looked at Dantai Ruoli after receiving Jun Qizhi¡¯s answer. ¡°Eldest Princess Dantai, I believe you¡¯ve heard His Majesty¡¯s words, right? Do you have any other questions?¡± Dantai Ruoli was stumped and had nothing to say as there seemed to be a ball of fire crazily burning in her heart. As if noticing her strange behavior, Dantai Chen turned around to glance at her with his eyes filled with warning. Don¡¯t forget what place this is! You mustn¡¯t cause a commotion! Dantai Ruoli clenched her fists tightly until her knuckles turned white before she managed to control her anger with much difficulty. She then forced a smile, revealing a very contorted one. ¡°No. Actually, I was just pretty curious¡­ After all, not everyone can do such a thing. Emperor Yuan Xi, I wonder if you can execute it in front of everyone to convince us all?¡± As long as Shangguan Yue dares to nod, her hypocritical mask will immediately be ripped apart! Dantai Ruoli stared at her closely, and everyone else quietly waited as if they were equally curious. Is Shangguan Yue as amazing as she claims to be? Chu Liuyue gradually smiled and put down her cup with a bang. She then looked up slightly, her expression cold. ¡°My every word is true. You decide if you want to believe it or not. Wanting me to execute it in public to prove my words¡­ Are you even worthy of asking me to do so?¡± Chapter 949 - This is Great Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was clear and cold with a suppression to it as every single word and sentence clearly reverberated throughout the entire hall. It was as if a resounding slap harshly hit Dantai Ruoli¡¯s face. Dantai Ruoli¡¯s face instantly flushed red! She had never been so humiliated in front of so many people before! ¡°Shangguan Yue! You¡ª¡± ¡°I already reminded you earlier that my year is Yuan Xi. Why? Eldest Princess Dantai, did you forget about it so quickly?¡± Chu Liuyue coldly interrupted Dantai Ruoli¡¯s words in an even more stern manner. She was born with a distinguished status and was always above the rest. Now that she had ascended the throne, the elegance in her bones was even more pressurizing. At this point, she didn¡¯t restrain herself as her aura instantly formed an invisible mountain that pressed against Dantai Ruoli¡¯s shoulders tightly. Dantai Ruoli felt her shoulders sink, and her face turned white. ¡°Impudent!¡± Seeing that his precious daughter was being bullied, Dantai Chen¡¯s blood boiled as he gathered his force in his palm and shot it out. The orange, thick, and vigorous force formed a gigantic palm that went straight for Chu Liuyue! In the hall, violent winds blew up. Chu Liuyue¡¯s black hair flew up, and it blew at her sleeves. She calmly looked at the palm rapidly flying toward her and stood stably as if she didn¡¯t plan to retaliate. She also didn¡¯t look shocked or nervous at all. Elder Chen Ke¡¯s aura became harsh, and he was about to take action! Suddenly, a white gleam of light flew across the sky! Whoosh! The sound of something breaking was heard, and the white gleam directly flew out from the gigantic orange palm. Bang! The palm disintegrated, and the force within started crazily spreading in all directions! But almost at the same time, a transparent barrier quickly appeared and covered everything! In the blink of an eye, the thick and violent strength quickly disappeared! The hall resumed its peace. Everything happened too quickly. Before the crowd could even see what was happening clearly, it had already ended. When all the commotion was over, many people stared at the white gleam in a daze and then realized that it was actually a¡­ silver chopstick?! Whoosh! That item formed a ray of light again and quickly returned! It made a light, crisp sound. ¡°Dantai Chen, who gave you the guts to cause a commotion here?¡± Dantai Chen was shocked and suddenly looked up to see that Jun Jiuqing had already straightened his body and was holding that silver chopstick from just now! Jun Jiuqing actually took action?! Realizing this, Dantai Chen was shocked and afraid. Shocked because he didn¡¯t expect Jun Jiuqing to directly take action and not leave him any face. Afraid because judging from that attack, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s abilities were clearly above his! If Jun Jiuqing used more strength just now, then¡ª At that moment, Dantai Chen¡¯s face flashed white and red, and it was incredulous. At this point, he couldn¡¯t tell if Jun Jiuqing took action because he wanted to maintain the Beiming royal family¡¯s authority or¡­ to help Shangguan Yue! If it were the former, it would be fine as he could just admit his mistake and apologize for it. But if it were the latter¡­ Would it not mean that he had already offended Jun Jiuqing? ¡°Crown Prince, please forgive me. I-I just saw my daughter being bullied, and I was rash¡­ Hence, I forgot we¡¯re still in the hall¡­¡± said Dantai Chen forcefully, wanting to explain himself. ¡°I can¡¯t control who bullies your daughter, but you can¡¯t take action here!¡± Jun Jiuqing was too lazy to hear the other man ramble on, and he directly interrupted him. Dantai Chen felt even more indignant. If I had known this earlier¡­ I really shouldn¡¯t have directly taken action. Even though Shangguan Yue had also released her force, she did it silently and didn¡¯t attract anyone else¡¯s attention. In contrast, his previous palm directly gave the other party evidence against him. Dantai Ruoli was also stunned by the scene in front of her. She had always been doted on, and she had the last say in the Taiyu Dynasty, so she was long spoiled. Hence, she hadn¡¯t been able to restrain herself even after coming here. Until just now when she personally witnessed her own father¡¯s move being easily destroyed by Jun Jiuqing¡¯s one attack, she then realized that this Beiming Dynasty indeed had the ability to be arrogant. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and she smiled delightfully. ¡°It seems like Senior Dantai and everyone else from the Taiyu Dynasty are a little feisty. Why don¡¯t they wait until the end before they enter Ancient Phoenix Mountain? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be inappropriate to enter with so much anger within them, right?¡± When Dantai Chen heard this, his heart tightened. This Shangguan Yue is indeed cunning! She managed to get the front position because of my words, yet she actually wants Taiyu to be last? ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Ning Yuan¡ªwho had been observing the entire time¡ªsuddenly spoke and agreed to it. ¡°Since this is so, our Dongning can be third.¡± On the other side, Gongsun Xiao changed his mind when he saw this scene. Even though he wanted to be as forward as possible, the situation was complicated, and it was best not to cause so much trouble. He thought for a moment and agreed to it. ¡°Brother Ning, then it¡¯s fine if we go behind you since you¡¯re right after Tianling, right?¡± Other than the Taiyu Dynasty, everyone else naturally had no issues with it. Dantai Chen held it in until his lungs were about to explode. It was fine if Shangguan Yue was the only one who said this, but Ning Yuan and Gongsun Xiao all nodded in agreement right after, so what else could he say? One had to know that out of all these dynasties, their Taiyu Dynasty was only stronger than the Tianling Dynasty. How would he dare to openly go against the rest? Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced at Dantai Chen. ¡°Senior Dantai, what do you think?¡± Dantai Chen swallowed the bloody aura tumbling in his throat. ¡°This is¡­ great!¡± Chapter 950 - Are You Not Going In? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curled up. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ Everyone is happy!¡± Dantai Chen felt like his heart was harshly hammered, and he felt suffocated! Everyone is happy¡­ Who is happy with you? Originally, he wanted to take this chance to humiliate Shangguan Yue in public, but he didn¡¯t expect to shoot himself in the foot and cause himself to suffer. He was the last to go in and was a whole 16 hours away from the first group! That was almost a day away! When we get in, perhaps all the good items will have been snatched away by the people in front! Only some scraps will be left for us! But everyone else other than us have expressed their agreement now, so what else can I do? Dantai Chen took a deep breath in and suppressed his anger with much difficulty. ¡°Father, are you okay?¡± asked Dantai Ruoli worriedly. Dantai Chen shook his head. I¡¯m not injured, but my face has been completely thrown away! If it weren¡¯t for the opening of Ancient Phoenix Mountain, I definitely wouldn¡¯t continue staying here! ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If it weren¡¯t because I was too impulsive, this wouldn¡¯t have happened¡­¡± Tears welled up in Dantai Ruoli¡¯s eyes as if she blamed herself very much. Yu Zefeng¡ªwho was sitting beside her¡ªfelt his heart ache when he saw this and couldn¡¯t help but gently comfort her. ¡°Ruoli, how can you blame yourself? You didn¡¯t do anything wrong! The one in the wrong is¡ª¡± That name tumbled in his throat. Thinking of the previous scene, Yu Zefeng still swallowed those words. ¡°Anyway, you can¡¯t blame yourself for this. Don¡¯t be upset.¡± Dantai Chen sighed and gently patted her shoulders. ¡°Zefeng is right. We¡¯ve long had a grudge against them. Even if you don¡¯t say anything today, they won¡¯t be nice to us.¡± That Shangguan Yue was very arrogant! Dantai Ruoli sniffed and rapidly glanced at the other side before rapidly retracting her gaze and biting her lips. ¡°Father, that Shangguan Yue didn¡¯t dare to show everyone, which means that her words were definitely a lie! She didn¡¯t even memorize those ninth-grade Xuan formations!¡± She lowered her voice to the minimum. The hall was as noisy as usual at this point, so not many people heard her words. Shangguan Yue purposely used her identity as an excuse to rage. It¡¯s definitely because she wants to hide this incident! Dantai Chen closed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely take revenge!¡± ¡­ After the entry order to Ancient Phoenix Mountain was settled, the crowd finalized some details next. The main point was how the strong warriors from the few dynasties were going to work together to open Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier and what they had to take note of after they entered. After the discussion, the crowd set off for Ancient Phoenix Mountain together! ¡­ This Ancient Phoenix Mountain was situated behind Lin Zhou City. In other words, this vast Lin Zhou City was built close to Ancient Phoenix Mountain. There were many mountains which had majestic peaks, and it formed a natural defensive barrier. Reaching the foot of Ancient Phoenix Mountain, it was already close to evening. The sun gradually set, and its remaining glow outlined the rise and fall of Ancient Phoenix Mountain. As the ball of red fire was slowly being swallowed by the dark mountain, the sky gradually darkened. The strong warriors from the five dynasties were all prepared! Chu Liuyue raised her eyes. A brilliant barrier covered the giant Ancient Phoenix Mountain and looked formidable! She held her breath in. This is¡­ the suppression of a strong warrior that had stepped into the legendary realm. Mu Hongyu softly asked, ¡°Liuyue, are you really not going in with us?¡± Chapter 951 - Opening of the Ancient Phoenix Mountain! Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°All the dynasties¡¯ emperors will be waiting outside, and I won¡¯t be an exception.¡± Only five people could go in, and she brought five with her from the start, so it was just right. ¡°With Jian Fengchi and Little Zhou around, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. I¡¯ll just wait for you guys outside.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue seemed to have decided, Mu Hongyu knew that there was no use in convincing her, but she still felt regretful. ¡°But this is a rare chance¡­¡± If she misses it just like this, won¡¯t it be a pity? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have my own plans.¡± Hearing her say this, Mu Hongyu could only nod. ¡­ ¡°Elders, please go ahead.¡± With the command of an elder, the strong warriors from the few dynasties started to take action and stood still according to the agreed plan. In front of this gigantic rainbow barrier, the strong warriors each took a corner and formed a huge pentagon. At the pentagon¡¯s five corners, the five warriors from the dynasties formed a small pentagon on their own. Out of all of them, the weakest one was still a stage-eight warrior! The strongest was the elder that spoke earlier, the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s oldest elder¡ªHua Qian, a stage-nine warrior! Rumors had it that he was only a step away from a stronger realm, and he was undoubtedly a strong warrior! Many people secretly guessed if he would be the second warrior to reach Apotheosis in the Beiming Dynasty! Hence, he was naturally the one leading the opening of Ancient Phoenix Mountain! ¡°Rise!¡± With Hua Qian¡¯s command, everyone took action. Chu! Chu! Chu! At that moment, different-colored forces flew out and intersected in midair, forming a ball in the middle of the pentagon. As time passed, the ball of light gradually expanded. Below, the young talents from all the dynasties were already positioned properly and prepared to enter in sequence. The group at the front was naturally the Beiming Dynasty, who planned to go in first. Jun Jiuqing was right in front, and standing beside him were three young men and a woman. The few of them looked like they were younger than twenty, but their surrounding auras couldn¡¯t be underestimated. At this point, the few of them gathered together and seemed to be discussing some arrangements for post-entry. Jun Jiuqing lazily listened on as if he was nonchalant. But after doing so for a while, he found it boring and turned his gaze to look at the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s group. Then, he raised his brows slightly. ¡­ ¡°This is a golden bell. Every single bell can detect each other. After going in, you can use this to contact each other.¡± Chu Liuyue took out a gold bracelet from her Cosmic Ring and used some strength to separate the pearls on it before passing them to Jian Fengchi and the rest respectively. She left the biggest one for herself, which was engraved with a pattern. ¡°If you meet with danger, you can squeeze it. It contains an eighth-grade Xuan formation, and it can help you block one attack.¡± Hearing this, the few of them looked shocked as they didn¡¯t expect that a round and smooth golden pearl like this would be so formidable. Jian Fengchi sized it up and glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°If I didn¡¯t recall wrongly, this golden bracelet was broken back then, right?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged and said nonchalantly, ¡°Yeah, so I fixed it.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Forget that I even asked! Why did I forget that this person is a pervert? Even if she has restarted and no longer has a Tianjing Yuan meridian, her talent is still outstanding. I originally thought I could win one round using this chance, but it looks pretty difficult. It¡¯s infuriating to compare with people! ¡°Once the eighth-grade Xuan formation within it is used, its suppression will disappear. If you meet with danger again, the only way is to rapidly break it to alert the rest. Once this golden bell breaks, the other people with golden bells will immediately receive the news, including me! After it breaks, it will also release a special scent that will stay on the person¡¯s body for three days. This way, the others can quickly find the person who needs help. Of course, the condition is that the person in need must ensure their safety during this period.¡± Wu Ming glanced at the rainbow barrier and softly said, ¡°Your Majesty, with Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s opening, the most important thing is the Three Yuan Convention. Everyone should be focused on it. Even if there is competition with the rest, they won¡¯t be overboard, right? After all¡­ The emperors from all the dynasties will be waiting outside.¡± If they really came out severely injured or dead, how could they explain it when they came out? ¡°Stupid!¡± Yuwen Jinghong poked him with his elbow and raised his chin. ¡°Wu Ming, you¡¯re so devoted to cultivation that your brain isn¡¯t working! Do you really think these people are so kind as to let us snatch all the benefits? It¡¯s precisely because the Three Yuan Convention is too powerful and the temptation is too great that it¡¯s the most dangerous! Look, who present doesn¡¯t have equipment with them and appears very ready? If we don¡¯t prepare ourselves more, we won¡¯t even know how we will die later!¡± Wu Ming followed his gaze and found that it was indeed so. The young talents from the other dynasties seemed to be gathered together and discussing something with a solemn expression. The atmosphere was tense with a slight hint of danger to it. ¡°This means that I¡¯ve been thinking too simply¡­¡± Wu Ming felt awkward, but he still clenched his fists. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± No matter what, I can¡¯t embarrass Her Highness! Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and didn¡¯t really care about this as she looked at the few of them and said seriously, ¡°All of this is secondary. Safety is your utmost priority.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Shangguan Yue doesn¡¯t plan on entering¡­¡± Dantai Ruoli had been observing the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s situation from afar and couldn¡¯t help being disappointed when she saw that Chu Liuyue was patiently instructing the other five people. I originally wanted to take this chance to teach her a harsh lesson! Outside, she can use her status as an emperor to flaunt her authority, but after entering Ancient Phoenix Mountain, it will be the true battle between each other¡¯s capabilities! ¡°She probably knows that she can¡¯t beat us, so she purposely hid from it,¡± Yu Zefeng said in contempt. ¡°But Ruoli, you don¡¯t have to worry. Though we can¡¯t teach her a lesson, we¡¯ll still be able to get back some interest if we make the remaining of them suffer.¡± Dantai Ruoli lightly grunted. ¡°Of course!¡± The group from the Tianling Dynasty was the weakest out of all the people from the dynasties. They could easily teach them a lesson. ¡°The most powerful of them seems to be that Jian Fengchi only, but I heard that he¡¯s a heavenly doctor, so his combat skills should be ordinary. There¡¯s no need to mention the rest.¡± Yu Zefeng looked at Dantai Ruoli eagerly. ¡°Ruoli, I¡¯ll vent your anger for you at that time!¡± Dantai Ruoli nodded. ¡°We have to let that Shangguan Yue know who she can offend and who she can¡¯t!¡± ¡­ When the crowd was adequately prepared, the last hint of red in the sun was drowned out by the black mountains. Elder Hua Qian commanded, ¡°Open Ancient Phoenix Mountain!¡± Chapter 952 - Alert! Accompanying a deafening rumbling sound, the ball of light that gathered the various elders¡¯ forces finally exploded, and the rainbow barrier slowly opened from the middle to form a pentagonal entrance. ¡°Please enter!¡± bellowed Elder Hua Qian. Of course, he was saying this to the Beiming Dynasty people, who would be the first ones to enter the mountain. Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t move though. He stood in his position and looked toward Chu Liuyue pensively. Given my understanding of her, she definitely won¡¯t want to miss such a good opportunity. So why isn¡¯t she going in? ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time for us to enter.¡± It was only after receiving a reminder from the youth standing next to him that Jun Jiuqing retracted his gaze and moved to enter the mountain. The four other members quickly followed him in. Just like that, the five people from the Beiming Dynasty disappeared in front of the rest of the people as the faint layer of rainbow light slowly spread and covered the entrance once more. Upon seeing this scene, everyone finally understood why four hours of waiting time were required in between each entry. Even though the barrier was currently at its weakest, it was still so powerful that the elders could only open it for a short while despite having joined forces. Hence, the next group of people had to patiently wait for the elders to open the barrier again. ¡°No wonder nobody has entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain all these years¡­ Only someone as powerful as the barrier would be able to open it by force,¡± mumbled Yuwen Jinghong in awe. We wouldn¡¯t have gotten this chance to enter Ancient Phoenix Mountain if it weren¡¯t for the weakening of the barrier due to the gradual spreading of the mountain¡¯s powers that happened over a long passage of time. ¡­ Time always seemed to be especially grueling when one was waiting anxiously. Night had completely fallen, and the land had descended into darkness. Not a single star or the moon could be seen with all the dark clouds hanging overhead. The only things illuminating this part of the mountain were the luminous pearls held in the hands of the soldiers around them. It seemed that everyone had gotten strung up from the moment the first group of people entered the mountain. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on inside¡­¡± said Jun Qizhi worriedly with a frown. He put a hand behind his back as he stared at the barrier that was still glowing with colors. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. His Highness is strong and capable. Besides, Ancient Phoenix Mountain was left behind by the Ancestor, so everything will definitely proceed smoothly,¡± whispered the servant next to him. While it was understandable that other people had their own worries, there was really no need for them to worry about Jun Jiuqing since he had the blood of the Beiqing Royalty flowing within him. Logically speaking, not only would he not be in any danger, but he might even get lucky in Ancient Phoenix Mountain. ¡°His Highness has been stuck at his current cultivation level for a long time, but who knows? He might be able to break through this time¡­ That would be something to celebrate!¡± ¡°I hope so¡­¡± Jun Qizhi nodded as he turned to look at Chu Liuyue. Like most people, he had also thought that she would be entering the mountain, but his assumption turned out to be wrong. Chu Liuyue appeared serene under the night sky. Unlike the others who were equally as nervous and anxious as him, she looked like a complete outsider who had nothing to do with this situation. Jun Qizhi was surprised to see this. Not everyone can be so calm and patient¡­ Just then, Elder Hua Qian shouted, ¡°Open!¡± Rumble! A pentagonal hole appeared in the rainbow barrier once more. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With eyes gleaming with determination, Jian Fengchi moved forward at once. While Mu Hongyu and the others followed closely behind Jian Fengchi, Qiang Wanzhou turned back and took a look at Chu Liuyue. Although his pretty and youthful face was looking indifferent as usual, his eyes revealed a ripple of emotions. Chu Liuyue gave an imperceptible nod in his direction, to which he pursed his lips tightly and left with the others straight after. Their figures soon disappeared behind the barrier. ¡­ Chu Liuyue slowly exhaled as she watched Qiang Wanzhou and the others enter the mountain. Thereafter, she sat down on the chair that had been set up for her as if she had made up her mind to wait in peace. ¡°What a shame,¡± said Gongsun Xiao when he saw this scene. ¡°This is such a good cultivation opportunity, yet you gave it up just like that. Nobody said that you couldn¡¯t enter the mountain just because you¡¯re an empress. I find it truly a shame since I heard that you¡¯re extremely talented.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Thank you for your concern. It¡¯s true that this is a hard-to-come-by opportunity¡ªthat¡¯s why I¡¯m glad to even have the chance to bring my people here. I wouldn¡¯t dare to dream of anything else.¡± Her reply made Gongsun Xiao even more baffled. Is she saying that she had no intention of entering the mountain in the first place? The reason that the rest of us didn¡¯t enter was that our age doesn¡¯t meet the requirements, not to mention that it¡¯s embarrassing for us to vie with the youngsters. But she¡­ Isn¡¯t she only in her teens? Even if we base it on her previous age, she was only in her early twenties. Don¡¯t tell me that she has no ambitions now that she no longer has a Tianjing Yuan meridian? Not bothered by the speculations the others made, Chu Liuyue remained sitting in her seat as she quietly waited. It was only when people stopped asking her such questions that she finally had some peace and quiet to herself. She initially planned to make use of this time to cultivate, but she ultimately decided against it as she still needed to keep an eye on the goings-on in Ancient Phoenix Mountain and the surrounding area. Hence, she instead opted to reconstruct the ninth-grade Xuan formation in her mind. It hadn¡¯t been easy for her to connect the lines together, so she wanted to strengthen the Xuan formation, as well as take the chance to examine it closely. Knowing how to see the Xuan formation was one thing, while reconstructing it was another. As for comprehending it, that was something that required even more effort and energy. The good thing was that she had studied ninth-grade Xuan formations a bit in the past, so it didn¡¯t go as difficult as she thought it would. As time passed, the Xuan formation in her mind became clearer bit by bit. ¡­ ¡°The third group of people, please enter!¡± The five people from the Dongning Dynasty finally entered as well. ¡­ ¡°The fourth group of people, please enter!¡± This time, it was the Xiyan Dynasty¡¯s turn. ¡­ Dawn was currently breaking. The only group of people still waiting for their turn was the Taiyu Dynasty, and many of them looked quite haggard after staying up all night. Dantai Ruoli rubbed her bloodshot eyes. Her companions weren¡¯t looking much better either. Although nobody was stopping them from resting and sleeping, who could actually fall asleep in this place and time? From the corners of her eyes, Dantai Ruoli noticed that Chu Liuyue was still sitting in her original position and looking quite spirited. She couldn¡¯t understand why the difference between them was so huge when the latter had clearly stayed up all night too. However, what she didn¡¯t know was that Chu Liuyue had been repeatedly constructing the ninth-grade Xuan formations in her mind throughout the night. Having received comfort and nourishment from the advanced Xuan formations, she naturally felt quite relaxed. ¡°The fifth group of people, please enter!¡± Hearing that, Dantai Ruoli and the others snapped to attention right away and excitedly moved toward the entrance one after another without further ado. The rainbow barrier then closed once more. Just then, the golden bell on Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist jingled. She looked down and realized that Wu Ming¡¯s golden bell had been crushed. Chapter 953 - Probe Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thinking about it, it has only been 12 hours since they entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain. The fact that Wu Ming crushed his bell means that he had no choice but to activate the eighth-grade Xuan formation in it. What has he encountered in such a short frame of time? Where are the others? Chu Liuyue was deep in thought as she silently retracted her gaze and tilted her wrist to hide the bell under her sleeve. It was a good thing that nobody was paying attention to her since she had been waiting silently at the side, so they didn¡¯t notice the subtle change in her expression. It was all quiet again. Based on what was estimated previously, Ancient Phoenix Mountain would be open for about 15 days. After that, the three elements would gather at the top, causing the force accumulated within the mountain over thousands of years to erupt. Once everything was back to normal, Ancient Phoenix Mountain would then enter the next cycle. In other words, they had to wait outside for about half a month. Of course, this didn¡¯t include the people who had to come out early due to reasons like injuries and inability to withstand the pressure. Everything was dependent on their own ability. Chu Liuyue took a look at the rainbow barrier that was all sealed up again. It looks like I have to act fast. ¡­ Meanwhile, everything was as usual at Lin Zhou Imperial Palace. As Jun Qizhi, Jun Jiuqing, and a few others had gone to Ancient Phoenix Mountain, the palace was cold and empty now, especially since it was just the beginning of dawn. At the Eastern Palace. A team of soldiers on patrol had just changed shifts with another team. ¡°Although His Highness won¡¯t be in the palace for the next few days, we mustn¡¯t let our guard down. We still have to strictly guard the palace and stop random people from coming in. Do you hear me?!¡± bellowed the man standing at the front. ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t worry; we all know that. We will naturally pay our utmost attention during work.¡± The soldiers who were here to take up the next shift seemed to be somewhat afraid of this man, and they all echoed their agreement. ¡°Glad you know it.¡± Seeing how obedient they were, the man nodded in satisfaction before lifting his chin toward the soldiers behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With that, the group quickly strode off. Only when they had disappeared into the distance did the rest of the men heave a sigh of relief in unison. ¡°Brother Qian, that man seems to hold a lot of power. Why does it seem that he¡¯s above everyone else when we¡¯re all on patrol duty?¡± asked the skinny youth. ¡°Hmph. Xiao Song, you¡¯re here as Four¡¯s replacement today, so you¡¯re not aware of this since this is your first time here. That man is called Shang Binghe, and he¡¯s not someone we can afford to offend. It¡¯s not just us; most of the people who work in the Eastern Palace are at his mercy!¡± ¡°Oh? He has so much authority?¡± Xiao Song widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Does he have some sort of background?¡± ¡°No. His arrogance stems from him being the Crown Prince¡¯s trusted aide. His Highness brought this man back when he returned from his training two years ago. His Highness trusts him a lot and gives him a lot of important things to do. He even let him take charge of the security in the Eastern Palace.¡± ¡°Hey, how could his ego not inflate when he has His Highness backing him up?¡± someone interjected from the side. Xiao Song nodded in understanding while murmuring, ¡°I see¡­ In that case, I have to be more careful when I see him in the future¡­¡± ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t have to go to that extent! You¡¯re just here to replace Four for a few days. Once Four is all recovered, you won¡¯t have to report here anymore. Therefore, there¡¯s no need for you to be so worried!¡± The man known as Brother Qian patted Xiao Song¡¯s shoulder. Xiao Song couldn¡¯t resist grimacing. ¡°Brother Qian, you¡¯ve also worked here for many years and are much more experienced than he is. By right, your position ought to be higher than his, but now¡­¡± As soon as these words came out, Qian Dehou¡¯s face darkened, and the others fell silent. It was only then that Xiao Song seemingly realized his mistake, and he hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! That was my bad. Please don¡¯t take it to heart, Brother Qian! It just so happens that I have a flask of good wine here. Why don¡¯t you help me taste it?¡± The people close to Qian Dehou all knew that the latter had no other hobbies except for drinking. And sure enough, Qian Dehou¡¯s expression eased up when he heard what Xiao Song was offering. Still, he frowned and said sternly in his deep voice, ¡°What are you saying?! How can I drink on duty?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, Brother Qian. I¡¯m not asking you to drink it now. I¡¯m saying that you should bring the wine back home to sample it. After all, you¡¯re quite the wine connoisseur. Help me see what this wine tastes like. I¡¯m not much of a drinker, so it¡¯s a waste for me to keep it!¡± With a cheeky smile, Xiao Song took out a flask of wine from his Cosmic Ring. But some of the wine accidentally spilled out as he did so, and its fragrance immediately permeated the air. This is a good quality wine! Qian Dehou¡¯s eyes lit up, and his feelings wavered. Under Xiao Song¡¯s insistence, he half-reluctantly accepted that flask of wine. ¡°Alright, alright! Let¡¯s get to work!¡± shouted Qian Dehou. ¡°We have to be even more diligent since His Highness isn¡¯t around. Understand?!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ An hour later, Xiao Song found Qian Dehou all wasted and reeking of alcohol at a corner. A grin appeared on his face, making his youthful appearance look a little cunning. ¡°Heh. Not even a real immortal can withstand the Drunken Immortal, especially after I added some special ingredients to it!¡± He then moved forward and dragged Qian Dehou to an even more secluded area. ¡°Since you drank my wine, lend me your clothes for a bit.¡± ¡­ Not long after, Qian Dehou appeared at the entrance of the Eastern Palace¡¯s inner courtyard, where he flashed his token. ¡°His Highness has ordered me to collect something from the study.¡± What¡¯s Qian Dehou doing here? The guards found it strange to see him here since the guards responsible for guarding the outer courtyard hardly ever came to the inner courtyard. The two guards exchanged baffled looks with each other. ¡°Captain Qian, did you just say that His Highness ordered you to collect something from the study? But His Highness must¡¯ve entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain by now.¡± Qian Dehou looked up. ¡°This was what he ordered me to do before he left. What, are you guys doubting me or questioning His Highness¡¯s order?¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Qian Dehou was considered a veteran in the Eastern Palace, so they had to show him some face no matter what. Besides, Jun Jiuqing had a habit of acting arbitrarily too. ¡°Please enter. Do you need us to get someone to go with you?¡± Qian Dehou gave them a withering look. ¡°This is a secret order, so it¡¯s better that fewer people know about it. Understand?¡± Not daring to ask any more questions, the two guards could only answer, ¡°Yes!¡± Qian Dehou then adjusted his collar before he made his way further inside.. Chapter 954 - Looking for Someone Time flew by, and it was evening again in the blink of an eye. The crowd was still quietly waiting at the foot of Ancient Phoenix Mountain. What made Chu Liuyue feel slightly at ease was that Wu Ming was the only person who had crushed his bell¡ªit meant that the same thing didn¡¯t happen to the others. ¡°We¡¯ve been guarding here for an entire day. Why don¡¯t we go back and get some rest before we come back again tomorrow?¡± Jun Qizhi suggested. Although pulling several all-nighters in a row wasn¡¯t too big a problem for cultivators, there were 14 more days to go. Moreover, the various rulers waiting here were all busy people¡ªeven Jun QIzhi himself had to go back and settle some matters. Gongsun Xiao and the others were surprised to hear that. Isn¡¯t it¡­ a tad too early to leave now? Besides, it¡¯s worrying since our people are still inside. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. In that case, I¡¯ll head back first.¡± Chu Liuyue was the first person to stand up amidst the silence. Everyone was taken aback by her response. Is Shangguan Yue serious? She wants to leave first? Isn¡¯t she worried about her people? Being the weakest among the lot, they must be having a hard time in there¡­ Jun Qizhi was equally surprised, but there was nothing he could say since Chu Liuyue had already expressed her intention. Hence, he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to take you back.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Chu Liuyue flashed him a smile before turning to speak to Elder Chen Ke and the others. ¡°I¡¯m going back to rest for a while. I¡¯ll have to trouble you all to guard here while I¡¯m away.¡± Following that, she moved to leave without the slightest hesitation. ¡°She¡¯s ultimately still too young. Her patience ran out so fast!¡± Gongsun Xiao laughed it off. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about since we have elders watching over the place,¡± said Jun Qizhi as he stood up. ¡°I have some matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t stay any longer. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable. If there are any problems, General Qi and the elders here will naturally help to resolve them.¡± As this was his own territory to begin with, he had nothing to worry about. They also weren¡¯t able to see what was going on inside, so it was pointless to keep waiting outside. Seeing that Jun Qizhi and Chu Liuyue had left one after another, Gongsun Xiao began to waver. He took a look at Ning Yuan. ¡°Brother Ning, what¡¯s your plan? Are you going to continue waiting here?¡± ¡°It makes no difference to me since I can cultivate here as well,¡± answered Ning Yuan calmly. So he¡¯s going to camp out here until the end? Gongsun Xiao was appalled to hear that. ¡°That makes sense.¡± He thus dismissed the idea of leaving and chose to stay as well. He initially wanted to cultivate while waiting too, but he unfortunately just couldn¡¯t concentrate and hence simply gave up on the idea. Fine, it¡¯s just waiting! Since Ning Yuan wants to wait here, I naturally have to follow suit. I can¡¯t admit defeat! The Tianling Dynasty people are probably just here for fun, while the Taiyu Dynasty people aren¡¯t capable enough to pose a threat. The ones that truly pose a threat to us are the people from the Beiming Dynasty and the Dongning Dynasty! But then again, it¡¯s normal for the Beiming Dynasty to have an advantage since this is their territory and all. We weren¡¯t planning to fight with them anyway. I just hope that we can win against the Dongning Dynasty! Upon seeing that the other two had no intention of leaving, Dantai Chen could only stay and continue to wait in silence. ¡­ Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue soon arrived back at her villa in Lin Zhou City. Almost everyone had remained at Ancient Phoenix Mountain, so the villa seemed particularly cold and empty at the moment. The only people present were the servants who were sent to wait on Chu Liuyue and the others. They were all astonished to see her return, but none of them dared to ask her about it. Having heard the rumors that Chu Liuyue might be on good terms with Jun Jiuqing, they were all eager to fawn over her, so who would dare to offend her? After telling the servants that she didn¡¯t want to be disturbed during her rest, Chu Liuyue dismissed them and entered her room. She then locked her room as if she really had the intention of getting some rest. However, she went around the folding screen instead of heading toward the bed. A young man¡ªwho had been waiting there at some point in time¡ªstood up unhurriedly and paid a bow in her direction when he heard her footsteps. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the man in front of her. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties. On top of having a tall and slender frame, he also had a delicate and pretty face. However, a crafty glint could occasionally be seen in his brown eyes, which suggested that he wasn¡¯t as harmless as he appeared. The tip of Chu Liuyue¡¯s nose twitched. ¡°Have you been drinking again?¡± The man¡¯s expression crumbled. ¡°Your Majesty, we haven¡¯t seen each other for two years. Why are you talking about this as soon as we meet?¡± Chu Liuyue walked to the side and sat down with a smile. ¡°Wu Yao, it¡¯s been two years, yet you haven¡¯t kicked your drinking habit?¡± Wu Yao rubbed his nose and flashed a smug smile at her. ¡°Heh, you got it wrong, Your Majesty. I haven¡¯t touched a single drop of alcohol in two years!¡± ¡°For real? Then, where is this alcohol scent coming from?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with raised eyebrows. As Wu Yao leaned in closer toward her, the smile on his face became more and more wicked. ¡°I might¡¯ve quit drinking, but my wine-making skills haven¡¯t gone to waste! I managed to enter Jun Jiuqing¡¯s study with just a flask of wine!¡± Chu Liuyue sat up straighter in her seat. ¡°Did you find out anything?¡± Wu Yao narrowed his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a secret passage underneath Jun Jiuqing¡¯s study. Most importantly, there¡¯s a transportation formation hidden inside the tunnel!¡± ¡°Did you manage to find out where it leads to?¡± ¡°Unfortunately not. However¡­ I did find out that the person you wanted me to look for has seemingly appeared in the study before!¡± Chapter 955 - Heaven Is on My Side ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused. She didn¡¯t actually harbor much hope when she approached Wu Yao for help. After all, she wasn¡¯t familiar with places and people in the Beiming Dynasty, so her search for Chu Ning would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Wu Yao was the only person among the Thirteen Yue Guards who had ever been to the Beiming Dynasty, and he was quite familiar with the place. Actually, the Thirteen Yue Guards were rushing back to Xi Ling one after another upon receiving news of Chu Liuyue, but considering that Chu Ning was very likely trapped in Lin Zhou, she decided to make Wu Yao turn around and come straight here instead. Though, she didn¡¯t expect that he would really manage to find a clue. Wu Yao nodded as he curiously studied the look on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°Your Majesty, how is that person¡­ related to you? Why are you so concerned about him?¡± She¡¯s not the type of person to wear her emotions on her sleeves, and there aren¡¯t many people in this world who can make her so worried. Previously, Wu Yao had only received orders to look for someone, but he didn¡¯t know who that person was. Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°That¡¯s my father, Chu Ning.¡± Wu Yao immediately understood what she meant after his shock wore off. Her father Chu Ning? I guess that¡¯s the father of the original Chu Liuyue. That explains why she¡¯s so worried about him. It looks like she¡¯s very close with him. ¡°I see¡­¡± After figuring out Chu Ning¡¯s identity, Wu Yao managed to string a lot of things together and form his own understanding. ¡°You said that you found traces of my father in the study of the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince?¡± Chu Liuyue asked. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Wu Yao became much more serious. ¡°Didn¡¯t you send me a belonging of his that has his scent on it? I carefully searched every corner of the study, and I dare say that he appeared there before.¡± Wu Yao liked making wine and had a very sensitive sense of smell. On top of that, it just so happened that he owned a Wind-Smelling Beast, which made it all the more convenient when looking for someone. ¡°Based on my estimations, he was here one and a half months ago.¡± That must be when Father was first brought to Lin Zhou. Not long after that, Jun Jiuqing sent me a note telling me that we would meet a month later. I wonder how Father spent his time here and where he is now? Chu Liuyue was deep in thought. ¡°Is it possible to find my father with this clue?¡± Wu Yao knitted his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll take some time. After all, too much time has passed. His scent must be pretty gone by now. It had taken me a lot of effort to ascertain that he had been to the study before. What¡¯s more¡­¡± He paused and looked up. ¡°The fact that Chu Ning was able to enter Jun Jiuqing¡¯s study proves that the latter is behind the former¡¯s captivity. The entire Lin Zhou is Jun Jiuqing¡¯s territory, so he can easily wipe out any traces if he wants. If he has the intention of hiding your father, I¡¯m afraid that the search for your father will only become more difficult.¡± ¡°Two may keep counsel, putting one away. If he¡¯s done it, he¡¯ll definitely leave clues behind.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a second before adding, ¡°Since Jun Jiuqing has entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain, he won¡¯t be out for the time being. Everyone else¡¯s attention will also be diverted to this matter. As long as we continue looking into it, we¡¯ll surely be able to find some clues.¡± These two weeks are the best chance we¡¯ve got! So Her Majesty didn¡¯t enter Ancient Phoenix Mountain because of this¡­ It looks like she really has a tight-knit relationship with Chu Ning for her to willingly give up such a great opportunity and do her best to find him¡­ This matter rose to the top of Wu Yao¡¯s priority list when he realized this. Upon seeing the frown on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, he smiled and confidently declared, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. Even if I do lose my sense of smell, I¡¯ll make sure that your father is found!¡± Chu Liuyue broke into laughter. ¡°How is the credit yours when it¡¯s the Wind-Smelling Beast who¡¯ll be doing all the work?¡± ¡°Heh, it¡¯s my fiend, so its credit is naturally mine as well.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head in amusement and didn¡¯t bother to give a retort. Although Wu Yao was carefree in nature, he was a bold and meticulous person who had proven to be very reliable. Hence, she had never needed to worry when she tasked him with something. ¡°Actually, I think that your father might still be trapped in the palace.¡± Wu Yao became serious once more. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°The Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince has always lived in the Eastern Palace. Even though he has come of age, it doesn¡¯t seem like he has any intention of moving out. Besides, the Eastern Palace¡¯s security is far stricter than that of any other palace. I wanted to go check out the other places at the same time, but I wasn¡¯t able to do that. Just getting into the study alone had taken me a lot of effort.¡± Every room of the Eastern Palace¡¯s inner courtyard was guarded by someone. Apart from Jun Jiuqing, nobody was allowed to enter the rooms, which was strange in itself. Having spent some time in the Beiming Dynasty before, Wu Yao had heard a lot about Jun Jiuqing. But even so, it wasn¡¯t until today that he knew that the Eastern Palace was so heavily guarded. It was clear that something fishy was going on in there, but Jun Qizhi didn¡¯t say anything about it, which was probably because Jun Jiuqing had always been acting in such a willful and presumptuous manner. Chu Liuyue tapped her finger against the table as she fell deep in thought and only raised her head again a moment later. ¡°If we want to know the answer, we¡¯ll just have to find it out ourselves. I¡¯m going to the Eastern Palace tonight!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Your Majesty! That place is heavily guarded and protected by several barriers! You might end up being discovered if you go now!¡± Shocked, Wu Yao rushed to dissuade her. Even I had to spend several days making plans before I snuck in with a new identity. It¡¯d be dangerous if she breaks in by force. It¡¯ll be like entering a lion¡¯s den! Chu Liuyue, however, smiled. ¡°Is it because of my current cultivation level that you think that I¡¯ll be discovered and won¡¯t be able to get away?¡± ¡°N-not exactly¡­ I-I¡¯m just¡­ worried about you¡­¡± whispered Wu Yao in a fluster. He could tell that Chu Liuyue¡¯s cultivation was currently only at the peak of the sixth stage. While it was considered pretty good when compared to ordinary people, he reckoned that there was no way she could sneak inside the Eastern Palace alone with her current abilities. ¡°I know that you¡¯re not weak and that you have a legendary fiend, but there are countless experts within the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s imperial palace! Even if you can escape those people¡¯s notice, you won¡¯t be able to open the barriers that are made of ninth-grade Xuan formations surrounding the palace!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Did you just say that¡­ the barriers surrounding the palace are ninth-grade Xuan formations? Are they the same as the ones at the border?¡± ¡°I-I think so¡­ W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes glinted as she smirked. ¡°It¡¯s just that even heaven is on my side!¡± Chapter 956 - What a Shame Wu Yao drew a map of the imperial palace and carefully marked out the Eastern Palace¡¯s location, which Chu Liuyue memorized by heart after looking at it for a while. Following this, she immediately planned out her route. He had wanted to accompany her inside, but she objected to it and insisted that he should just stay outside the palace. She said that she was better off acting alone since their chances of getting discovered would be higher if they moved together. So despite his worries, he could only go along with her plan. By the time they were done with their discussion, night had fallen. Chu Liuyue looked at the sky outside, which had completely darkened. After changing into a black robe and hiding their faces under a hood, the two headed straight for the Eastern Palace. ¡­ It was quiet in Lin Zhou City, with only soft rustling sounds in the background. Chu Liuyue and Wu Yao moved stealthily and arrived outside the palace unhindered. Since they couldn¡¯t walk in from the main gates, they decided that Chu Liuyue would enter by scaling the wall that was closest to the Eastern Palace. ¡°Stay here as backup,¡± Chu Liuyue whispered. Wu Yao nodded his head seriously. ¡°Be careful, Your Majesty!¡± Chu Liuyue then turned around and looked up at the tall palace wall. The Beiming Imperial Palace was massive, and its wall was incredibly long. A lot of manpower and resources would be needed if a soldier was sent to guard an area of the wall. Hence, the Beiming Dynasty didn¡¯t do that¡ªall they did was dispatch a few squads to do their rounds. While it seemed like this would result in the security becoming lax, the truth was that they had their own reason for doing this¡ªabove the palace wall was a barrier layer powerful enough to block out most cultivators. It should be known that the barrier was constructed from a ninth-grade Xuan formation. If the intruders were so powerful that even the barrier wasn¡¯t enough to stop them, then all the less the guards on patrol duty were a match for them. Therefore, the Beiming Imperial Palace¡¯s security was mostly dependent on this barrier. Even though it seemed like there was nothing other than the palace wall, Chu Liuyue knew that the barrier was right in front of her. Breath abated, she slowly lifted a fair and slender finger, and a strand of force flew out from its tip. The silver force quickly split into countless strands and intertwined with each other to form a strange palm-sized pattern. Wu Yao looked closely at the pattern, finding it oddly familiar. With a slight movement of Chu Liuyue¡¯s finger, a second pattern appeared, which she then linked with the first one. It was only at that moment that Wu Yao suddenly recalled where he had seen that pattern. Shock flashed crossed his eyes. I-isn¡¯t this¡ª As if to confirm his guess, the void in front of them rippled slightly as a transparent barrier slowly appeared. It looked like a spider web with faint flickering silver light from afar, but one would realize that it was actually a complicated Xuan formation once they took a closer look at it. The barrier rippled as silver lights continued to intertwine with each other. Slowly, a circular Xuan formation was formed in front of Chu Liuyue. Wu Yao could see that the Xuan formation was almost identical to the first pattern Chu Liuyue constructed moments ago. Although the one Chu Liuyue constructed was much smaller and weaker in comparison, the patterns matched the other perfectly. Soon, a second Xuan formation appeared next to it and connected with the first one, which was exactly what Chu Liuyue had done earlier. If it hadn¡¯t been for the size difference, Wu Yao almost thought that it was just a reflection from a mirror that had been placed in the middle. His jaw slackened out of surprise. Wasn¡¯t Her Majesty¡¯s original body destroyed? Didn¡¯t she begin her cultivation all over again? Isn¡¯t she not as talented as before? Then, what¡¯s going on now?! T-that¡¯s a ninth-grade Xuan formation! Wu Yao stiffly turned his head and looked at Chu Liuyue in confusion and disbelief. The latter appeared calm and indifferent as if what she was currently doing was just something trivial. It took Wu Yao a long time before he managed to bring himself to ask, ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­ D-did you just¡­ replicate¡­ those two ninth-grade Xuan formations?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a shame that only these two patterns are the same though. Thus, I can only work on this area.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded without looking at him. The barrier isn¡¯t completely the same as the one at the border. It¡¯s fortunate that the same ninth-grade Xuan masters were tasked to construct this barrier, which was why I managed to find two similar patterns. This makes things easier for me. It¡¯s a shame¡­ that only these two patterns¡­ are the same? What does that even mean?! The corners of Wu Yao¡¯s lips twitched hard as he gulped. ¡°Uh¡­ Your Majesty, are you saying that you have more ninth-grade Xuan formations as backups?¡± ¡°No.¡± Wu Yao exhaled in relief. ¡°I just memorized a couple of them when I was at the border, though I didn¡¯t expect to use them right now. I guess I got lucky!¡± said Chu Liuyue indifferently as she gathered force in her palm and injected it into the Xuan formation once more. A strong force suddenly shot out from the two palm-sized silver patterns and flew toward the barrier in front of it. Bam! A soft collision was heard, and a glowing bridge was formed between the two Xuan formations. Under Wu Yao¡¯s shocked and watchful gaze, Chu Liuyue calmly moved her hand. The two palm-sized Xuan formations suddenly split right in the middle, and a crack arose from it and grew bigger at a rapid speed. Crack! Affected by this force, the two Xuan formations on the barrier split in the middle, forming a narrow but perfect entrance. Chu Liuyue quickly checked the other areas of the barrier and only exhaled in relief when she noticed that the rest of the barrier wasn¡¯t affected by this crack. The barrier was made up of many ninth-grade Xuan formations, so the rest of them might be affected as well if one wasn¡¯t careful enough. It was a good thing that Chu Liuyue had specifically picked these two links and carefully split them up. This was why the rest of the barrier remained unaffected and why she could hence go unnoticed. Meanwhile, Wu Yao was completely dumbfounded, his mind blank. He knew that Chu Liuyue used to be extremely talented in the Xuan Master path, which was what allowed her to become an eighth-grade Xuan Master at a young age. Putting aside the fact that she had to restart her cultivation journey and hadn¡¯t reached her former cultivation level, even if she still were an eighth-grade Xuan Master, it was incredible that she could open the barrier made up of ninth-grade Xuan formations. Not wasting any time on this matter, Chu Liuyue quickly went through the barrier. Chapter 957 - The Second Piece! Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure rapidly disappeared, and the crack in the barrier quickly fixed itself. In the blink of an eye, the two Xuan formations that were forced apart connected once again. The silver light flashed and later dimmed. The barrier regained its peace and looked transparent again. It was as if¡­ everything hadn¡¯t happened. Wu Yao closed his eyes and looked dazed. Then, he couldn¡¯t help but pinch his face. ¡°Si¡ª¡± The sharp pain jolted him awake, and he hurriedly stopped himself. But at the same time, it made him realize ever so clearly that everything which happened previously was real! Her Highness actually opened the Beiming Imperial Palace¡¯s barrier! ¡°Damn¡­¡± muttered Wu Yao. ¡°Did Her Highness just find a place to cultivate during these two years?¡± If not, how did she do it just now? But after some careful thinking, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Big Brother previously sent news saying that Her Highness had indeed changed her physical body and used her identity as Chu Liuyue to return to Xi Ling from Country Yao Chen step by step. It seems like the physical body used to lack a Yuan meridian¡­ However¡­. It¡¯s no wonder Her Highness could calmly say that she wanted to sneak in. Perhaps she has other trump cards? Wu Yao rubbed his temples and felt his head ache. With such an outstanding Master, it¡¯s very hard on us as subordinates, okay?! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure perfectly merged with the night sky. She was agile and moved very quickly. Additionally, her entire journey was smooth as she had previously carved the palace¡¯s entire map into her memory clearly. This was the case as she sprinted all the way to the Eastern Palace. She met a few patrolling palace maids on the way, but she had already hidden her aura, so they didn¡¯t discover her. In this manner, she finally reached the Eastern Palace¡¯s exterior about 15 minutes later. Perhaps as the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t around and it was currently nighttime, the guarding of the Eastern Palace wasn¡¯t very strict. It was probably because nobody thought that someone would be so daring as to sneak in here at night. They wouldn¡¯t even expect that this formidable barrier couldn¡¯t stop some people. Chu Liuyue silently slipped into the yard. Once she stepped through the yard¡¯s barrier, Chu Liuyue immediately felt that the inside was obviously different from the exterior! In many corners of the dark hid strong and concealed auras! Other than the ones guarding on the surface, there were quite a few strong warriors guarding in the dark. Luckily, Chu Liuyue was already adequately prepared. As long as she didn¡¯t meet them head-on, these people couldn¡¯t discover her so easily. Chu Liuyue hid in the dark, closed her eyes, and held in her breath to focus, trying to find Chu Ning¡¯s aura. Back when she was at Country Yao Chen¡¯s Imperial City, Chu Ning always worried about her as she frequently got into trouble. Due to this, she later specifically hid something with Chu Ning so that they could detect each other¡¯s presence within a certain distance. Now, she didn¡¯t know if she could use this to find him. The surroundings were deadly quiet as Chu Liuyue waited calmly. After some time, a weak ripple came over. Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes and looked in a certain direction! He seems to be in the study! ¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Wu Yao previously said that Father entered this study one and a half months ago, but the aura within is already very faint as if he has left for quite some time. However, this ripple indeed came from the inside! Perhaps he is hidden in a secret place beneath the study or some unknown location¡­? No matter what, I have to go in to take a look. But it was a pity that there were many people guarding outside the study, so it was difficult to enter silently. Just as Chu Liuyue was in deep thought, she heard footsteps coming from not far away. She quickly looked back and saw a man walking from the outside yard. Following this, she immediately hid her entire figure! The footsteps sounded nearer and nearer, and that man¡¯s figure and face gradually became clear. As the night was dark, only the stars were shining slightly. Chu Liuyue could only see the rough outline of that person, but for some reason, she actually felt that this person looked quite familiar. Very quickly, she discovered that this man seemed to be heading toward the study! Walking to the door of the study, the soldiers in charge immediately greeted this man respectfully, ¡°Greetings, Officer Shang!¡± Shang Binghe nodded. ¡°Is there anything amiss with the inside?¡± ¡°No.¡± The guards shook their heads in unison. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s good.¡± Shang Binghe nodded with one hand behind his back and looked oppressive. ¡°The Crown Prince isn¡¯t around, but we mustn¡¯t let our guard down!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± One of the guards hesitated for a moment and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Officer Shang, didn¡¯t you already come once in the day? Why did you come so late again?¡± Shang Binghe glanced at the tightly shut door. For some reason, I¡¯ve felt very uneasy the last two days. He originally planned to rest, but his heart kept beating wildly. He also couldn¡¯t calm down, so he decisively came to take a look. ¡°Nothing much. The Crown Prince isn¡¯t around, so I wanted to take an extra look to ensure that everything is safe.¡± The two guards nodded in understanding. Shang Binghe had always been very meticulous and strict with his work, so it wasn¡¯t strange that he would do this. The rare thing was that the Crown Prince seemed to trust him a lot and gave him great authority, so he could walk around this yard. He was thought highly of, so the people below definitely treated him with extreme respect and polite manners. After confirming that there was nothing wrong, Shang Binghe planned to turn around to leave. But the moment his feet turned around, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared closely at the lock at the entrance. Detecting the change in his aura, the two soldiers were rather dazed and nervous. ¡°Officer Shang, why¡ª¡± ¡°Did anyone enter the study during the day?¡± interrogated Shang Binghe coldly. ¡°Y-yes, Qian Dehou came before¡­ He said he came on the Crown Prince¡¯s orders¡­¡± Piak! Piak! Before they could finish their sentences, the two of them were slapped by Shang Binghe respectively and flew backward! Bang! The two of them fell onto the floor harshly and spat out blood! ¡°Stupid!¡± Shang Binghe¡¯s face was green. ¡°What kind of person is that Qian Dehou?! How would the Crown Prince possibly give him instructions alone?! Do you have brains?¡± The two soldiers were hit until they couldn¡¯t speak. They were paralyzed on the floor and kept vomiting blood, gasping for air. Shang Binghe was very strong, and he didn¡¯t hold himself back when he was angry, so how could these people be his opponents? He walked toward the study with big steps and directly unlocked it to enter. Chu Liuyue stared at the open door, and her gaze flashed slightly. At this point, a commotion was heard from the golden bell! She looked down and was slightly shocked. Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s golden bell was also crushed! She clenched her teeth and circulated her force! The peach blossom engraving on her wrist suddenly lit up. The next moment, her figure silently disappeared from the ground! Chapter 958 - Found Him! After Shang Binghe entered the study, he immediately conducted a thorough check. But after surveying the surroundings, he didn¡¯t find any traces of anything being flipped over, not even a sign of anyone entering. However, this made Shang Binghe even more uneasy. This means that the other party didn¡¯t come in for the items but for something else! Who knows what intentions they had when they purposely entered the place and were so meticulous not to leave anything behind?! In the end, Shang Binghe walked to the bookshelf and felt around for a while. Then, a secret compartment jumped out behind the bookshelf. He took out something from the compartment. After looking at it for a while, he seemed to heave a sigh of relief and put it back again. ¡°Luckily¡­¡± His voice was very low, but one could still hear the thankfulness and fear in his voice. After standing rooted to the ground for a while, he pushed the secret compartment back and did some actions to the rack as if restoring the mechanism on it. A while later, he then turned around to walk out when he confirmed that everything was fine and locked the door again. Shang Binghe stood before the steps and said coldly and harshly, ¡°Go and find Qian Dehou immediately!¡± Realizing that something was amiss, the soldiers in charge respectively recovered their senses and hurriedly answered, ¡°Y-yes!¡± Following that, they hurried on their way. The soldiers previously beaten by Shang Binghe lay on the floor with their faces and bodies badly mangled, but they didn¡¯t even dare to beg for mercy as they shuddered in fear. They knew very clearly that they would be the first to die if something happened! Shang Binghe glanced at the two of them coldly. ¡°Someone, tie the two of them up! They will confront each other when Qian Dehou comes!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Outside the study, the bloody aura permeated everywhere, and the sinister and cold atmosphere was suffocating. And inside the study, Chu Liuyue could finally breathe as she moved her wrist and neck, feeling the sourness. When Shang Binghe came in earlier, she took the chance to follow and teleport in as well. In the end, Shang Binghe searched around this place for a while, causing her to crouch in this extremely narrow space until her entire body was stiff. Luckily, he finally left and closed the door again. This undoubtedly benefited Chu Liuyue greatly, and even she couldn¡¯t help but admit that her luck was heaven-defying tonight! After confirming that the people outside were still waiting to capture Qian Dehou, Chu Liuyue felt slightly relaxed as she silently went to the study. Previously, she only vaguely saw Shang Binghe touching around the area before opening the secret compartment. She didn¡¯t clearly see how he did it, so she had to quickly find a way to solve it now. At first glance, this bookshelf didn¡¯t look any different from a normal one. There were no barriers and no Xuan formations, not even a special pattern¡ªit was normal and ordinary. Chu Liuyue stared at it for a while before taking action hesitantly. She had once learned about mechanisms and compartments from Cen Yi for a while, so she could forcefully recognize that this seemed to be some sort of a mechanism. However, even she couldn¡¯t confirm whether she could open it successfully. She tried a few methods afterward, but this item still didn¡¯t move. ¡°Officer Shang, Qian Dehou is here!¡± A piercing announcement was suddenly heard from outside. Chu Liuyue was stunned. I don¡¯t have much time left! I must open this compartment as soon as possible! In her hurry, she tried again! And this time, the bookshelf finally had a change! The originally smooth surface suddenly split into a few parts; some were high, and others were low as they intersected. It was a pity that the secret compartment didn¡¯t jump out. ¡°Qian Dehou, do you know why you¡¯re asked to be here?¡± This was Shang Binghe¡¯s voice. Tiny beads of sweat broke out on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead as she was very nervous and tried again! ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Qian Dehou¡¯s voice was dazed with a hint of horror. I was originally sleeping soundly when someone suddenly dragged me out of bed and directly brought me to the palace! And this is even the Crown Prince¡¯s study yard! Seeing Shang Binghe¡¯s expression, he knew that something bad had happened. However, he didn¡¯t even know what exactly happened! ¡°They said that you entered the Crown Prince¡¯s study today?¡± said Shang Binghe coldly and then immediately hollered, ¡°How impudent!¡± Piak! A resounding slap was heard. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be gripped by something tight as she immediately tried again. The compartments changed, but the secret compartment area still remained motionless. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Say it! What exactly is going on?¡± Qian Dehou¡¯s argument sounded very weak and useless at this point. ¡°Could it be that the people in the yard worked together to target you?! Do you want me to bring you in now and jolt your memory?!¡± Following this, a commotion could be heard from the yard. Amidst this commotion, footsteps were approaching! It seemed like they really wanted to come in and take a look! Chu Liuyue¡¯s back was almost drenched by the sweat! Crack! That was the unlocking sound! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth, and her hands quickly felt around the bookshelf as she tried for the last time. If I really cannot do it this time, I have to give up no matter what. Da. She heard an extremely soft sound, and the secret compartment finally sprung out again! Chu Liuyue immediately went forward and retrieved the item within¡ªit was cold to touch and rather heavy. When Chu Liuyue saw what was in her hands, shock flashed across her face. It was actually a copper mirror! But different from average copper mirrors, this mirror¡¯s surface didn¡¯t reflect the mirror-holder¡¯s face and was instead covered by intense blood! At first glance, the blood filled the area, looking stunning! The sinister and horrifying aura that spread from within was suffocating! An indescribable harsh feeling rose from the bottom of her feet, and Chu Liuyue shuddered. For some reason, she could feel an extremely terrifying and sinister murderous intent just by taking one glance! She tried her best to control her urge to throw this mirror away as she stared at it for quite some time. Gradually, the blood on the mirror dissipated bit by bit, revealing a blurred scene. It seemed to be a cage, and the surroundings were pitch black. She couldn¡¯t see anything at all. There was only a blurred figure within that metal cage. He kneeled on the floor, and there was a chain around his neck as his head was lowered. His body was covered by bloodstains, and he was motionless. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat! The moment she saw this figure, she knew that it was Chu Ning! She bit her lips to restrain herself from shouting. After not seeing him for so long, he seemed to have become thin as his clothes looked empty. She could even see his wrists hanging out of his sleeves¡ªthey were so thin that she could see his bones. Endless fire burned in Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest as it almost exploded! Bang! Coincidentally, the door was opened at this point! Chapter 959 - What Do You Think ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The moment Shang Binghe dragged Qian Dehou into the room, he felt that something was amiss. He harshly hurled the latter to the floor and quickly searched around the study! There was nobody, but Shang Binghe confirmed that someone had been here previously! His heart then tingled, and he looked toward the study! There were signs of someone touching it, and it seemed like the search was done in a hurry to forcefully open something. His heart immediately sank, and he immediately rushed to the secret compartment! Everything was normal. He rapidly restored the mechanism¡¯s original appearance and opened the secret compartment. That item was still lying inside properly. Shang Binghe then sighed deeply. Good that it¡¯s not lost, good that it¡¯s not lost¡­ If this thing went missing, all of us wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the consequences! Judging from the situation, someone should¡¯ve wanted to trigger the mechanism and take away the item in the secret compartment. But before they could do so, they were interrupted and escaped in a hurry. After Shang Binghe repeatedly confirmed that the item was fine, he then put the secret compartment back into its original position. However, his facial expression was very ugly. No matter what, someone barged into this study and almost stole that item! When His Highness comes back, he won¡¯t let this go easily! Shang Binghe¡¯s face darkened, and he walked to Qian Dehou. Sensing the other man¡¯s dangerous aura, Qian Dehou unwittingly shuddered. ¡°O-Officer Shang¡­ I¡¯m innocent. I was framed! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Whoosh! Shang Binghe drew out his sword and pressed it against Qian Dehou¡¯s neck as he squinted his eyes. ¡°Tell me what exactly happened today!¡± He knew that Qian Dehou didn¡¯t have this much courage, but something must¡¯ve happened in between. As expected, Qian Dehou was dazed for a moment when he heard this. Then, he suddenly thought of something and hurriedly said, ¡°I-it¡¯s Xiao Song! It must be him!¡± Following this, he narrated the entire incident once. After Shang Binghe heard the narration, he was so furious that he laughed. ¡°So because of this pot of alcohol, someone took advantage of you?! Qian Dehou, how many lives do you have for you to be so daring to drink when you¡¯re patrolling in the Eastern Palace?!¡± This was severe misconduct, and the consequences this brought were so severe that it was beyond one¡¯s imagination! ¡°Do you know that you dying a hundred times isn¡¯t even enough to make up for the mistake you caused because of your drinking?!¡± Qian Dehou had difficulties that he couldn¡¯t voice out as he could only crazily kowtow and beg for mercy. Actually, he didn¡¯t plan to drink the alcohol in the beginning, but for some reason, he thought that Shang Binghe was suppressing him and felt very upset. Thus, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back and drank it. Originally, he only wanted to sip a few mouthfuls of alcohol to relieve himself of his agony, but he directly lost his consciousness. When he woke up again, he realized that he had slept in a corner for a very long time. As he knew that he had made a mistake and that he was very guilty, he pretended that nothing had happened and went back directly. Who knew that such a serious thing would happen here? Shang Binghe clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Go! Bring that person over too!¡± However, he actually knew that there was a high chance that they couldn¡¯t find the other party since they were prepared. As expected, after searching for a while, his subordinates reported that the person had disappeared. When Qian Dehou heard this, he immediately collapsed onto the floor and looked defeated. He knew that it was completely over for him this time¡­ Shang Binghe had already predicted this, but he was still enraged and needed to suppress the news first. ¡°Immediately suppress the news and don¡¯t let it go out of the Eastern Palace! If the news gets out, you will be held responsible! Also, lock Qian Dehou up and wait until His Highness returns before we make a decision!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shang Binghe knitted his brows and thought for a moment before walking out. ¡°Send my command out¡ªsay that a high-level fiend escaped from the hunting ground. Immediately send people to search the palace as well! At the same time, tighten the palace¡¯s security. We mustn¡¯t let that fiend escape just like that!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Outside the palace walls, Wu Yao waited anxiously. Her Highness has gone in for a long time without coming out, and there is no news at all. Who knows what is going on¡­ It is about to be daylight soon. If Her Highness doesn¡¯t come out in time, it will be problematic! Just as Wu Yao was filled with worry, the transparent barrier in front of him suddenly moved! He looked up in surprise and saw a tiny crack appearing in that barrier. A familiar figure then leaped out of it the next moment. It was Chu Liuyue. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Wu Yao welcomed her happily. ¡°You¡¯re finally out!¡± But when he walked in closer, he realized that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was amiss. ¡°¡­Your Highness, are you alright?¡± Wu Yao asked rather worriedly. He then thought of something and glanced behind Chu Liuyue. It was empty. Did she¡­ not find Lord Chu Ning? Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I at least know Father¡¯s whereabouts now, but it¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t bring him out together with me.¡± On the one hand, she hadn¡¯t confirmed her father¡¯s whereabouts. On the other hand, the Eastern Palace¡¯s security was tight. She could come in and out alone, but it would undoubtedly be much more difficult if she brought her father along. Besides, judging from the previous situation, her father might be immediately discovered once he was free of that cage. Without adequate preparations, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. Wu Yao nodded. Actually, it¡¯s also good that Her Highness could confirm his location. After all, the person that brought Chu Ning away was the infamously harsh Beiming Crown Prince! It¡¯s already very difficult for Her Highness to sneak into the Eastern Palace and find out about these things! But considering Her Highness¡¯s behavior, Lord Chu Ning doesn¡¯t seem to be doing well. At this point, noises were heard from within the palace walls. Chu Liuyue turned and glanced. Light from fires could be seen everywhere inside the high walls, and it was very bright. It seemed like they were searching for someone. She coldly stared at this. Suddenly, the golden bells on her wrist rang again! Her heart tingled. After Wu Ming and Yuwen Jinghong continuously crushed the golden bell, her heart would harshly shudder every time she felt something from the golden bells. Uneasiness surged into her heart. She flipped over her wrist and took a look. As expected¡ªthis time, Mu Hongyu crushed her golden bell! Calculating the time, they¡¯ve only gone into Ancient Phoenix Mountain for around two or three days. However, three out of five of them have already decided to crush their golden bells! Something must¡¯ve happened! Chu Liuyue suppressed her tumbling emotions. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ On this night, Beiming Imperial Palace¡¯s troops were in a mess. However, Chu Liuyue returned to her residence overnight as if nothing had happened. It was only when the next morning arrived that she woke up, tidied herself, and went to Ancient Phoenix Mountain again. When she reached the place, Chu Liuyue still greeted Ning Yuan and the rest before sitting down at her seat. Dantai Chen stared at her for quite some time and asked with unknown intentions, ¡°I heard that something happened in the palace yesterday. I wonder what you think about it, Shangguan Yue?¡± Chapter 960 - Perilous Situation! Chu Liuyue leaned against the chair lazily, and her lips curled up. ¡°Senior Dantai, your words are pretty interesting. This is the Beiming royal family¡¯s business, and my view doesn¡¯t seem to be important. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve asked the wrong person.¡± As she spoke, she surveyed the surroundings. Jun Qizhi hadn¡¯t come yet; he seemed to be delayed by this incident. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t feel that Shang Binghe would tell the full story to Jun Qizhi. Dantai Chen lightly grunted. ¡°The rest of us have been here for the past two days, and we haven¡¯t gone back since, except for you who went back to the city yesterday. Yet, such a thing happened¡­ Do you think it¡¯s a coincidence?¡± Chu Liuyue straightened her body and looked at Dantai Chen calmly in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°If you put it this way, Senior Dantai, do you think this is related to me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you mean it? You¡¯ve already put it in that way, and everyone heard it. The few of us present aren¡¯t fools¡­ Or do you expect me to help investigate this matter?¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to be joking, but her words were very direct. Dantai Chen didn¡¯t expect her to be so ruthless and felt awkward for a moment. This Chu Liuyue is banking on the backing that she has and is becoming increasingly rude! She was still quite polite previously, but she doesn¡¯t even care for my face now! However, Dantai Chen didn¡¯t think that even a normal person couldn¡¯t continue tolerating their repeated bullying. Besides, Chu Liuyue was never a master that liked to be disadvantaged. If other people owed her something, she had to get it back! Thus, she had no intentions of being superficial with him now. ¡°I was just asking casually. Why do you need to be so agitated?¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s tone became cold. Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°If I question the Taiyu Dynasty in such a manner, I wonder if you can still smile at me?¡± ¡°You!¡± The atmosphere immediately became tense and cold. Without Jun Qizhi around, there was nobody to control the crowd. Gongsun Xiao took two glances but didn¡¯t say a word. As for Ning Yuan, he didn¡¯t seem to care about these arguments from the start as he kept looking at the rainbow barrier and waited patiently. Dantai Chen couldn¡¯t win against Chu Liuyue, and he could not speak further in front of so many people. Even if he won the argument, it would be happiness at that moment. In the blink of an eye, others might secretly say that he was bullying a younger person. If he lost the argument, he would be even more humiliated. He decisively shut his mouth and didn¡¯t glance at Chu Liuyue again. If Ruoli and the rest can win against the Tianling Dynasty in Ancient Phoenix Mountain, nothing else matters! ¡­ After finally having peace, Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples. In actual fact, she was far from being as leisurely and relaxed as she looked on the surface. On the one hand, she was worried about her father¡¯s situation. On the other hand, the situation of Jian Fengchi and the rest in Ancient Phoenix Mountain didn¡¯t seem to be good. She only gave these golden bells to the few of them out of precaution. After all, nobody knew what kind of situation Ancient Phoenix Mountain would be in since it hadn¡¯t opened in thousands of years. Nobody knew what dangers one would meet either. She didn¡¯t expect that three of them would get into trouble after entering for such a short period of time. It was a pity that this barrier was blocking her, so she couldn¡¯t find out what exactly happened inside. If everyone met with the same danger, it was reasonable. But if it were only them¡­ it would be perilous. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. When it was evening again, Jun Qizhi still didn¡¯t appear. Perhaps he was busy with imperial court matters or the incident at the Eastern Palace. Without thinking, Chu Liuyue also knew that Lin Zhou City had to be bustling with chaos in secret at this point. However, she was unaffected since she was staying at the foot of Ancient Phoenix Mountain. From another perspective, this was also a good way to hide her identity. As she was in a hurry back then, she didn¡¯t restore the bookshelf to its initial state. Thus, it would definitely cause many strict checks. Of course, she didn¡¯t bring back that weird mirror. That mirror had an obvious and special aura to it. If I had brought it with me, the other party would¡¯ve found me easily. I still have to make another trip to that study, but it clearly can¡¯t be done in these two days. While Chu Liuyue waited, she breathed in, focused, and started to cultivate. Even though this place was outside the barrier, the intensity of the force was still quite high as it was at Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s edge. Actually, after she broke through to become a peak stage-six warrior, she could clearly feel that the force in her body hadn¡¯t been used up and that she had much of it left. In other words, she had faintly touched the barrier of a stage-seven warrior when she broke through to become a peak stage-six warrior. Perhaps because she had dueled with Rong Xiu for quite some time, so she knew her strengths and weaknesses better. Thus, she could naturally find her breakthrough point. As the force in her body kept accumulating, the distance between her and that barrier was reduced. Just like this, two days passed. Jun Qizhi had come once in between before leaving in a hurry again. As Chu Liuyue was cultivating, she didn¡¯t go back again. Most of the people didn¡¯t care about Chu Liuyue cultivating. In their eyes, no matter how hard Chu Liuyue cultivated, it wasn¡¯t worth a mention compared to entering Ancient Phoenix Mountain. Since she willingly gave up on this chance, she couldn¡¯t blame anyone else. With nobody disturbing her, Chu Liuyue cultivated in peace and tried to reach a higher level bit by bit. It was now the sixth morning. Chu Liuyue finished the last Heavenly Cycle and finally opened her eyes before gradually breathing out. Her eyes seemed to be brighter than before, and her aura had obviously strengthened. Then, she looked up at the rainbow barrier. Suddenly, the golden bells on her wrist vibrated twice. Chu Liuyue was stunned and suddenly stood up! It was actually Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou crushing their own golden bells one after another! Chapter 961 - I Just Want To! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this point, all five golden bells were crushed! This meant that Jian Fengchi and the other four¡ªwho had entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡ªwere all in danger! Logically speaking, Ancient Phoenix Mountain would automatically eliminate people when they were in danger. However, not a single person had come out at this point! Chu Liuyue stared at that rainbow barrier closely. It was calm as if nothing had happened, but this made her even more worried. Detecting the commotion on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, the few people waiting at the side all looked over. That woman¡¯s face was solemn and cold as her eyes glistened with a cold gleam. The few of them exchanged glances. What¡¯s¡­ going on? Judging from her appearance, did something happen inside? Dantai Chen thought of this in his heart and squinted his eyes as an undetectable cold smile slid across his lips. No matter how capable Chu Liuyue is, she is helpless at this point! This time, let¡¯s see how arrogant she can be! At this point, Chu Liuyue suddenly went forward and stopped ten steps away from the rainbow barrier. She looked up and stared at Elder Hua Qian in the middle determinedly. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Elders, but could you help me? I want to enter Ancient Phoenix Mountain!¡± ¡­ Dead silence. Chu Liuyue¡¯s sentence was like thunder striking everyone¡¯s ears, causing the crowd to be shocked. Even Elder Hua Qian¡ªwho was used to seeing all kinds of scenarios¡ªwas dazed for a moment. Then, he knitted his brows. ¡°Shangguan Yue, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± As he was a top warrior and his identity was long beyond that of an ordinary elder, even Jun Qizhi had to be respectful toward him. Hence, he completely had the right to talk to Chu Liuyue in such an attitude and tone. Chu Liuyue calmly nodded. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°This Ancient Phoenix Mountain only opens once in a thousand years, and the barrier is unimaginably strong! Even if it were a few days ago when the barrier was at its weakest, all the elders had to work together to open it forcefully! And now, you¡¯ve missed the best time to enter.¡± Elder Hua Qian shook his head and directly rejected her. ¡°You should just give up on this idea!¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fists and knitted her brows slightly. ¡°I know all that you¡¯re saying, but I have a reason why I must enter! Elders, please help me!¡± Elder Hua Qian looked at her, and his old eyes seemed to have seen through everything, but they were cold and nonchalant. ¡°You want to go in because the people inside have met with dangers, right? If it¡¯s this reason, then don¡¯t say it. Entering Ancient Phoenix Mountain is originally already very perilous. If they want to obtain the benefits and fate that a normal person can¡¯t have, they need to have the guts to face the corresponding danger and pressure! Not to mention that this barrier is hard to open, even if we manage to open it forcefully and you go in, what about the rest? Could it be that they¡¯ll enter with you?¡± Since this was a competition, everything had to be fair and square. One had to know all of this from the beginning! Chu Liuyue clenched her fists even more tightly, and her knuckles turned white. Of course, I understand what Elder Hua Qian is saying. But the key point now is that Jian Fengchi and the rest are in abnormal situations! Ancient Phoenix Mountain is the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s holy mountain, and it is the place where the strong warrior broke through and entered Apotheosis back then. Even if there is a certain danger to it, it isn¡¯t very possible that the few of them would be pushed to the point of no return in a mere few days! Either this Ancient Phoenix Mountain is strange, or someone is secretly targeting them! Whichever it is, I can¡¯t take it lightly! Do they want me to just sit and wait outside? Seeing the indignation in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, Elder Hua Qian shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll naturally know what happened after nine days.¡± Nine days? I can¡¯t even wait a single day! I originally left them the golden bells because I was worried about their safety. It¡¯s fine if one or two were crushed, but now all five are gone! I must go in today! ¡°This means that you¡¯re not willing to help me, Elder Hua Qian?¡± asked Chu Liuyue carefully, and her voice was clear and cold. Elder Hua Qian knitted his brows. Why is this Chu Liuyue so stubborn?! He was instantly enraged as he said, ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t go in! As long as you can open the barrier to Ancient Phoenix Mountain, you can go in and out as you wish! At that point, we won¡¯t stop you!¡± The crowd had various expressions. Isn¡¯t this driving Chu Liuyue to her death? Including Elder Hua Qian, this barrier was finally opened with the efforts of 25 strong warriors from various dynasties. To let Chu Liuyue do it alone¡­ How can she do it? This is clearly rejecting her request. Hearing this, Chu Liuyue stood rooted to the ground and didn¡¯t speak for some time, but her gaze was bitter. Ning Yuan¡ªwho seemed like he didn¡¯t really care about everything¡ªturned his gaze and lightly said, ¡°Everyone has their own destinies. Elder Hua Qian is right. Since they¡¯ve entered, they must be prepared to endure everything. Do you still want to protect them all the way?¡± There was no such logic in the world. Besides, she was still a child herself. Even if she was worried and anxious, she should consider the actual situation. It was too ridiculous to want to barge into Ancient Phoenix Mountain forcefully at this point. Gongsun Xiao looked over, but he didn¡¯t say anything as he watched on quietly. However, Dantai Chen couldn¡¯t hold himself back as he laughed in a seemingly teasing and mocking manner. ¡°You could¡¯ve gone in before, but you refused. Now, you want to barge in forcefully. Do you think that this Ancient Phoenix Mountain is your Tianling¡¯s territory and that they must listen to you?¡± Her impudent behavior is such a joke! What kind of place does she think this Ancient Phoenix Mountain is? Somewhere she can randomly throw her temper? ¡°In this world, the strong are respected! If some people want to take something that doesn¡¯t belong to them, they naturally have to face the consequences.¡± The few people from the Tianling Dynasty seemed to be the weakest out of everyone here, right? If so, how could they not fail? Hah. Chu Liuyue turned around, and her gaze was as cold as ice as she calmly glanced at Dantai Chen. ¡°Consequences? Emperor Huai Ren, it seems like you know something?¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal. ¡°I don¡¯t know about anything else. I only know that the victorious one is king, while the losers are nothing! If you don¡¯t have the capability, you shouldn¡¯t have come out to humiliate yourself in the first place!¡± This was blatant mockery! Everyone present couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue. Anyone who heard this wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back and would be furious¡­ However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s face was scarily calm. Even her lips were curled up slightly, but her smiling intent didn¡¯t reach her eyes, which chilled people¡¯s hearts unwittingly. ¡°Emperor Huai Ren, your words make sense. In this world, only the strong have the right to talk.¡± She turned around and looked at Elder Hua Qian! Elder Hua Qian¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and uneasiness overwhelmed him. Chu Liuyue tilted her head. ¡°Elder Hua Qian, you said just now that you¡¯d let me do whatever I want if I managed to open this barrier, right?¡± Elder Hua Qian knitted his brows but still nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± yelled Chu Liuyue.. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll open this barrier today!¡± Chapter 962 - I Will Enlighten You! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone thought that Chu Liuyue had gone crazy! She wants to open this barrier?! In her dreams! After a temporary silence, Dantai Chen directly laughed out loud. ¡°Hah! Empress Yuan Xi, it seems like you¡¯re planning to enlighten all of us? This scene is such a rare opportunity!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about his mockery at all as her distinguished and beautiful face had a cold expression with a heavy suppression. The next moment, she suddenly raised her hand! ¡°Long Yuan Sword!¡± At that moment, violent winds whirred as a strong aura gathered from all directions! A long black sword appeared in her hands! That black sword was completely dark and looked very ancient; only its middle had a tiny silver dent. When it first appeared, all the light in the surroundings seemed to be quickly absorbed by it! It was very oppressive, and it stunned people! Chu Liuyue moved her wrist! Roar! At that moment, a dragon seemed to be howling! Its suppression was harsh, and its aura was daunting! The crowd¡¯s faces changed in unison. Is this¡­ a legendary weapon?! ¡°Could this be the Long Yuan Sword personally crafted by that ancestor from the Tianling Dynasty back then?¡± Shocked discussions could be heard from the crowd. ¡°Definitely! Could there be a second Long Yuan Sword in the world?!¡± ¡°Right. I heard that Shangguan Yue used this Long Yuan Sword to ascend the throne a while back¡­¡± ¡°This is a true legendary weapon¡­¡± The moment he saw the Long Yuan Sword, Dantai Chen¡¯s smile immediately froze, and his lips curled up in a forceful manner. But the next moment, he coldly grunted. ¡°So what if you have a legendary weapon? I don¡¯t believe that a mere peak stage-six warrior can slash open this barrier!¡± The amount of strength a legendary weapon could release was highly related to how capable its owner was. It was fine if it was a strong warrior, but someone incapable might not even be able to endure the suppression from the legendary weapon itself, let alone others! To Dantai Chen, Chu Liuyue produced this Long Yuan Sword for nothing! Gongsun Xiao, Ning Yuan, and the rest clearly thought the same way, and their expressions were ugly. ¡°She¡¯s really still young¡­¡± Gongsun Xiao laughed and muttered. Ning Yuan didn¡¯t say a word, but he was momentarily stunned when his gaze swept across the Long Yuan Sword. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about the discussions in the surroundings. ¡°Ancestor, I have to trouble you to take action now,¡± said Chu Liuyue in her heart. Shangguan Jing laughed out loud. ¡°It¡¯s just a barrier. How is it troublesome? Girlie, just watch on!¡± Then, a tremendous aura suddenly emerged from the Long Yuan Sword! ¡°What?!¡± Dantai Chen and the rest also noticed the abnormal strength, and they were extremely stunned! Even Elder Hua Qian¡¯s eyelids twitched! T-this aura¡­ It¡¯s actually much stronger than mine! This clearly is¡ª ¡°Open it!¡± Coincidentally at this point, Chu Liuyue held the Long Yuan Sword with both hands and raised it high before harshly slashing down. A ray of black light immediately shot out! Shua! The empty space shattered! A gigantic black space crack appeared, and endless violent turbulence emerged! In the blink of an eye, that black light had already flown to the rainbow barrier! Whir! As if detecting the suppression, that barrier started moving rapidly and let out a whir! The two forces started going for each other¡¯s throats¡ªthey were on par! Seeing this, the crowd was still shocked. However, Chu Liuyue felt that it wasn¡¯t enough. I have to quickly think of a way to open this barrier swiftly! When she thought of this, an idea popped up in her mind as a red fire suddenly burned on the Long Yuan Sword! Rumble! A fireball rapidly flew out, and it struck the two forces in a stalemate harshly! Crack! With a crisp sound, a crack suddenly appeared on the rainbow barrier! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. But the next moment, the strength from the side surged up and quickly repaired that crack! When Dantai Chen and the rest saw this scene, they actually heaved a sigh of relief. L-luckily, it wasn¡¯t broken¡­ If Chu Liuyue really managed to open this barrier and barged in, what would it look like for us? But even if so, it¡¯s already very shocking for her to be able to slash out a crack! ¡­ Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice was more solemn. ¡°This barrier has been here for thousands of years, and it has been nourished by the strength from within Ancient Phoenix Mountain. Due to this, it¡¯s not that easy to break it. If you want to go in, you must directly slash it open!¡± A mere crack was definitely not enough! Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Following this, she breathed in and urged the force in her body once again! In her dantian, the water droplet started spinning quickly! Then, an even more formidable force gathered on the Long Yuan Sword! Silver dragon-like lightning quickly flashed across the Long Yuan Sword! ¡°That¡¯s the strength of lightning!¡± Gongsun Xiao finally couldn¡¯t hold himself back as he shockingly stood up and stared at Chu Liuyue tightly. Isn¡¯t she just a peak stage-six warrior? How can she release such strength? Normally speaking, only strong warriors¡ªstage-seven and above¡ªcan reach such a stage! Gongsun Xiao and the rest didn¡¯t know that the suppression of lightning did not count for much to her. After all, the lightning refused to strike when she crafted the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, so she had to snatch it back forcefully. The Long Yuan Sword recognized her as its master, so everything was naturally in her control! Her gaze harsh, Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in before she slashed out the second sword! Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t give up, Dantai Chen couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°How stupid¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his throat seemed to be stuck as his voice suddenly stopped. Everyone else present had a face of disbelief. The middle of the rainbow barrier was actually slashed open¡ªwithout any sound! With the landing of her sword, Chu Liuyue directly cut open the barrier silently! Upon closer look, one could see that the edges of the torn area were still burning with red fire! It seemed to be due to the fire¡¯s suppression that the rainbow barrier was unable to restore itself. Also, the crack was even expanding! Elder Hua Qian was standing nearer to her, so he felt the impact the best! Almost at the moment the Long Yuan Sword landed, this barrier silently broke! Even the suppression acting on their bodies had declined greatly! Everyone lost their voices as they stared at the woman in red in shock. She was tall and skinny, and her hair and clothes flowed with the wind. She held the long black sword with fire blazing on it, looking just like a god of war that had fought out of a burning hell! At this point, she exuded a suppression that made people want to bow down to her! Chu Liuyue looked at the torn opening and heaved a sigh of relief. She then turned around, and her gaze landed on Dantai Chen as she smiled delightfully. ¡°Emperor Huai Ren, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted me to enlighten you? Did you clearly see what happened just now?¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s blood was stuck in his chest! Chapter 963 - I Am Protecting My Subordinates! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue sized up the Long Yuan Sword in her hands as she slowly smiled and said, ¡°But I¡¯ve always been magnanimous. Emperor Huai Ren, you don¡¯t have to thank me!¡± Thank?! Thank your head! Dantai Chen felt stifled, and he was so angry that smoke almost came out from his nostrils! But now that the barrier was open, he couldn¡¯t retort her at all! Who would¡¯ve thought that Chu Liuyue would actually do it?! Not only Dantai Chen, everyone present was stunned. This barrier could only forcefully be opened with so many strong warriors working together, but why was it so easy for Chu Liuyue? Even if her talent and capabilities are heaven-defying, it should be more reasonable, right?! Is she not letting others live?! ¡°With that ancestor from the Tianling Dynasty helping¡­ It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re so confident,¡± boomed Ning Yuan, but he was looking at the Long Yuan Sword. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows, but she wasn¡¯t surprised that Ning Yuan could guess this as she had no intentions of hiding it from the start. From the first time she tried, Shangguan Jing directly took action. As long as one took a closer look, they would definitely notice it. ¡°Ancestor?¡± Gongsun Xiao was stunned for a moment and later recovered his senses rapidly. ¡°The one that had one foot in the Apotheosis realm?¡± Right! Wasn¡¯t there previously a rumor that mentioned how people couldn¡¯t accept Shangguan Yue changing her physical body and coming back at first but was directly solved with the help of Tianling¡¯s Ancestor appearing? Rumors had it that the ancestor was long dead, but he actually left behind a soul! But with just this soul, he¡¯s already much stronger than ordinary people since he can deal with this barrier! After all, he was rumored to be the closest person to Apotheosis! Elder Hua Qian and the rest also noticed this at this point and had a conflicted expression. No wonder¡­ Since she has that person to help her, it isn¡¯t surprising that Chu Liuyue dares to be so arrogant and directly slash open this barrier. However, Dantai Chen was scared. Tianling¡¯s Ancestor? Isn¡¯t that a half-step Apostheosis existence?! If she had asked this person to help previously¡­ Dantai Chen suddenly felt uneasy. If that Shangguan Yue finds out about what we did¡­ At this moment, he suddenly realized that this woman indeed couldn¡¯t be easily offended! After much thinking, he shut his mouth tightly. ¡­ ¡°It seems like they all thought that you managed to open this barrier with my help¡­¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice suddenly sounded softly. ¡°Heh, I really don¡¯t know what their expressions would be like if they knew that I was just a support and that you¡¯re still the one who exerted your own strength¡­?¡± He did exert great strength with the first slash, but he only ended up even with this rainbow barrier. After all, his cultivation level wasn¡¯t stronger than that of the Beiming Ancestor back then. However, more of the second sword¡¯s strength was from the water droplet in Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian! It was done with incredible ease! After injecting this wave of strength into the Long Yuan Sword, the second sword easily crushed the barrier the moment it hit. Even though Shangguan Jing knew that this thing wasn¡¯t simple, he was stunned once again at this point! ¡°I¡¯m just lucky.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed in her heart. This trump card is pretty useful sometimes! The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor didn¡¯t speak at all. What he didn¡¯t tell Chu Liuyue was that he even felt a sense of horror when the wave of strength attacked the barrier. It was the unknowing fear and respect that came from the bottom of one¡¯s heart when one faced great power! This girl seems to be unclear about how formidable the item hiding in her body is¡­ ¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t waste too much time with them as she turned around to look at Elder Hua Qian and directly asked, ¡°Elder Hua Qian, can I go in now?¡± Elder Hua Qian¡¯s lips moved, and the lines of wrinkles on his old face seemed to gather together more tightly. What else can I say? The outcome is right in front of me! How can I go back on my words?! Finally, he nodded with difficulty. ¡°I always make good on my words. You¡­ can just go in!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Thank you so much then!¡± Then, she took a step forward and was about to enter. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Gongsun Xiao¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and looked up. Gongsun Xiao was taken aback by her harsh and cold glare as he unwittingly averted his gaze and laughed. ¡°Uh¡­ Uh¡­ Shangguan Yue, look¡ªthis is a competition after all. If you just go in like this, then.. Isn¡¯t it too unfair to the rest?¡± Chu Liuyue had already predicted what he was going to say, so she only raised her brows slightly. ¡°Oh? Senior Gongsun, what do you think then?¡± Gongsun Xiao coughed. Actually, I feel quite embarrassed as well, but this is something I have to do¡­ ¡°Look, since you¡¯re going in¡­ Then, why don¡¯t we each send one person in? Coincidentally, five people can go in this time¡­¡± Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Your words make sense. It is pretty boring if I enter alone.¡± At this moment, even Dantai Chen and the rest looked over. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin and smiled brightly. ¡°Then¡­ how about I close this barrier first? After that, the rest of you can each send someone over to open the barrier and enter. For the sake of fairness, I can wait for a while.¡± ¡°What? H-how can this do?¡± retorted Gongsun Xiao instinctively. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already open the barrier? Why¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. ¡°You also know that I opened this barrier? Then, what right do you have to bargain with me?¡± Gongsun Xiao suddenly realized something as his face turned green, and he shut his mouth. The area became silent. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I never liked to owe other people things, and I hate other people owing me even more!¡± Want to take advantage of me? Dream on! This time, the surroundings were finally quiet. Following this, she turned around. Just as she was about to go forward, she suddenly thought of something as she tilted her head slightly and glanced at Ning Yuan. ¡°Right, there¡¯s something I forgot to say.¡± Ning Yuan seemed to notice something, and he looked up. Then, he saw the beautiful woman with a harsh aura smile brightly with eyes glistening. ¡°I can¡¯t care about the rest, but I¡¯ll personally protect my own people!¡± Chapter 964 - Courting Death! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Chu Liuyue said that, her figure jumped up and entered through the opening. When her figure completely disappeared within, she raised her wrist and retracted the burning red fire. Without the strength to restrain it, the opening quickly closed, and the barrier recovered its original appearance! ¡°Hey, this¡ª¡± Gongsun Xiao widened his eyes and opened his mouth as disappointment flashed across his eyes. I still wanted to see if I had a chance to enter! I didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be so harsh and not give us any leeway. Dantai Chen lightly grunted. ¡°Senior Gongsun, that Shangguan Yue is originally very petty. You can¡¯t count on her!¡± Gongsun Xiao¡¯s expression looked awkward. ¡°She opened the barrier herself. Isn¡¯t it her choice to do whatever she wants with it?¡± said Ning Yuan suddenly, his tone cold. ¡°Just now, none of us present went up to help her. It¡¯s normal that she doesn¡¯t want to help us.¡± Gongsun Xiao swallowed the words in his throat. This Ning Yuan is a very traditional person, and it¡¯s hard to talk logic to him, but he is very strong. Also, the Dongning Dynasty is only a little weaker than the Beiming Dynasty. Unless I have to, I also don¡¯t want to offend him. Since things have already ended up in this state, there is no need to continue arguing, lest I offend another one. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t stir up trouble, Dantai Chen felt very indignant. Like Gongsun Xiao, he didn¡¯t want to go against Ning Yuan directly, so he could only swallow his anger. The surroundings fell silent again, but everyone wasn¡¯t as calm as they seemed. Originally, only five people from every dynasty entered. But with Shangguan Yue entering, it was another one! The key point was that her capabilities were obviously much stronger than they had predicted! Once she joined them, it would definitely elevate the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s combat power greatly! Dantai Chen closed his eyes. Now, I can only hope that the rest from the Tianling Dynasty have already been settled¡­ This way, even another Shangguan Yue won¡¯t help matters! ¡­ Chu Liuyue passed through the barrier and entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain. When she came in earlier, she immediately felt that the Heaven and Earth Force was very intense! It was almost three-fold denser than outside! Looking ahead, the mountains were high and low as a long green river extended from the mountains. It was truly a beautiful lake with charming scenery. Other than this, one could still vaguely hear the crisp chirps from the birds and occasionally see fiends passing by. All in all, it looked like a very energetic and lively scene. This Ancient Phoenix Mountain was worthy of being treated as a holy mountain by the Beiming Dynasty, and it was indeed very rare to have the chance to cultivate in such an environment. But at this point, Chu Liuyue had no mood to admire all of this. She raised her wrist and glanced at the golden bells to try to locate their auras. Then, she realized that the golden bells actually pointed in two directions! This meant that the five of them were actually separated! Chu Liuyue was even more worried, and she knitted her brows tightly. Before they entered, I had already instructed the few of them to move together if possible. All five golden bells are crushed now, but the few of them have separated and are at two different locations! The situation might be even worse than I had expected! If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou are on the left, while Mu Hongyu¡¯s group of three is on the right. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and chose to go right! Other than the golden bell, Qiang Wanzhou still has the whistle that Mentor gave him previously. Since he hasn¡¯t blown the whistle, it means that there is still a tinge of hope left. Besides, he and Jian Fengchi aren¡¯t weak, which makes me feel slightly more assured. The situation of Mu Hongyu¡¯s group of three might be even more alarming! Then, Chu Liuyue yelled, ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Clang! A red figure gradually appeared before her! Its gigantic wings spread, and its suppression was strong! Chu Liuyue leaped up and jumped onto Tuan Zi¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ In the middle of some rocks in Ancient Phoenix Mountain. Mu Hongyu¡¯s trio was resting behind a gigantic stone. Though it was called resting, it wasn¡¯t that relaxing. At this moment, all three of them were in very bad conditions. Wu Ming was severely injured and had fainted, and Yuwen Jinghong was covered in blood. Mu Hongyu was the least injured, but this was mostly due to her special physique that allowed her to dodge quickly. If not, she would¡¯ve ended up like Wu Ming. ¡°Are there still any pills?¡± asked Mu Hongyu as she wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth. Yuwen Jinghong leaned against the rock as he shook his head with a pale face. ¡°N-no¡­ Before we came, I only prepared this many¡­ We¡¯ve already finished using all of them¡­¡± Mu Hongyu bit her lips. ¡°But Wu Ming can¡¯t hold on much longer¡­¡± If it weren¡¯t for him saving them both earlier, Wu Ming wouldn¡¯t be so severely injured. These few days, they kept using the pills to extend his life, but they had now run out of pills. The two weren¡¯t heavenly doctors either, so they could only watch on as his aura became weaker and weaker. This was also undoubtedly torturous to the two of them. Yuwen Jinghong laughed bitterly, and his face was filled with hopelessness and helplessness. ¡°The three golden bells of ours were continuously crushed, but the two of them still haven¡¯t come until now. They must¡¯ve met with dangers of their own¡­¡± As the three of them had crushed their golden bells first, they didn¡¯t know about the situation on the side of Jian Fengchi¡¯s group of two. They didn¡¯t know that the two of them had actually crushed their golden bells as well. This made the two of them fall silent. If nobody comes until the end¡­ Wu Ming can¡¯t hold on for much longer, and the two of us won¡¯t be any better¡­ ¡°How long has it been since we entered? It¡¯s only been six days, right?¡± said Mu Hongyu suddenly. She muttered in a daze, ¡°¡­If only Liuyue was here¡­¡± If she were here, she would definitely have a way. Yuwen Jinghong laughed bitterly again. Ancient Phoenix Mountain will only open again nine days later. How would Chu Liuyue come in from the outside now? We might not even be able to last until then. ¡°If Liuyue were here, she would definitely be able to deal with all of them!¡± said Mu Hongyu indignantly and furiously. ¡°Oh, who are you talking about?¡± Suddenly, laughter filled with contempt sounded. Mu Hongyu and Yuwen Jinghong were both stunned, and they suddenly raised their heads. They saw a group of people walking out from the forest not far away¡ªit was Dantai Ruoli and the rest! After continuously battling for so many days and being severely injured, Mu Hongyu and Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s defenses were already at their lowest. Hence, they only reacted when the other party was right in front of them! ¡°You¡¯re like a pesky ghost!¡± Mu Hongyu suddenly stood up and went in front. ¡°You have already chased after us and tried to kill us for so many days! What exactly do you want to do?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already say it? We¡¯re naturally here to chase and kill you.¡± Dantai Ruoli laughed lightly as a cold and sinister glow flashed across her eyes. ¡°Previously, I couldn¡¯t tell that you actually had the rare Faint Yuan Body that only appears once in a thousand years¡­ It¡¯s such a pity that you¡¯ll be destroyed like this! If you want to blame somebody, blame your Shangguan Yue for offending someone she shouldn¡¯t have!¡± Then, she raised her palm and pushed it forward! ¡°Die!¡± Chapter 965 - You Can’t Say Some Words Wilfully ¡°Congcong!¡± hollered Mu Hongyu. A golden mane bear cub immediately appeared before her and ran toward that palm¡¯s force! The golden mane bear cub had already grown up by now, so its size was similar to an adult golden mane bear. Its abilities were also much stronger than before. It ran forward step by step, and the ground started shaking with it. The next moment, it directly used its physique to strike against that force harshly! Bam! That wave of force instantly dissipated as Congcong¡¯s body flew backward and landed on the ground harshly. Its brown fur that faintly glowed with golden light was stained with spots of blood. ¡°Congcong!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart seemed to be tightly gripped! ¡°Golden mane bear?¡± Dantai Ruoli looked at it closely and immediately chuckled. ¡°I thought it was some high-level fiend! You dare to present such a golden mane bear?¡± Tears welled up in Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes as she clenched her teeth and rushed over. Congcong had collided with a sharp rock, and a long wound was slashed across its body, looking very terrifying. Mu Hongyu¡¯s hands were trembling slightly. She wanted to carry Congcong, but she didn¡¯t know where to begin. Yuwen Jinghong limped over, and his face was flushed red with anger. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of other people knowing about your despicable acts?!¡± It should¡¯ve been a fair competition after everyone entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain. But after these people from the Taiyu Dynasty came in, they started chasing after us incessantly! It¡¯s as if they won¡¯t stop until we have died! ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± At the side, Yu Zefeng laughed lightly. ¡°As long as you stay here forever, who would know about any of this?¡± Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s heart completely sank! These people are so arrogant and don¡¯t bother hiding themselves at all, which shows that they are bent on killing us! The other party had five people, while they only had three¡ªwith one unconscious and two severely injured. How could they win against them? Actually, everyone was separated after they entered. The three of them found each other using the golden bell and planned to rendezvous with Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou, but they didn¡¯t expect someone to throw a wrench in the works as the five people from the Taiyu Dynasty started attacking them together. Nobody knew what method they used to gather together in such a short amount of time, but how could they possibly win when it was five against three? Hence, their condition became increasingly terrible after a few days of battling. This was the case until now, where they didn¡¯t even have the basic strength to fight back. There was something they said right. As long as they all died here, who would know what happened here before? Dantai Ruoli waved her hands in frustration. ¡°You don¡¯t have to spend so much time talking to them. Just kill them directly! There are still two more behind.¡± Yu Zefeng smiled flatteringly. ¡°Ruoli, why do you need to personally take action against these people? You just need to rest at the side and watch. Leave the rest to us.¡± Dantai Ruoli couldn¡¯t help but smile in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s true, lest I dirty my hands. Then, do it more cleanly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yu Zefeng then stepped forward, and cold murderous intent flashed across his face. The few people behind him moved forward respectively and rapidly surrounded Mu Hongyu¡¯s group of three. This scene was a deadly encounter. Yuwen Jinghong glanced at Mu Hongyu as he softly said, ¡°Hongyu, I¡¯ll stall them first. You need to take the chance to escape.¡± Even though Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t fight against them, she could definitely escape with her Faint Yuan Body. ¡°But you guys¡ª¡± ¡°Every one that escapes counts!¡± Yuwen Jinghong interrupted her and stared at her solemnly and seriously. ¡°As long as you can escape, you can testify against them!¡± You can¡¯t let the three of us die here for nothing! Mu Hongyu clenched her fists tightly, and blood flowed out from the corner of her mouth. ¡°Take action!¡± commanded Yu Zefeng! The few of them attacked at the same time, and four waves of force flew out! It was unavoidable! Mu Hongyu and Yuwen Jinghong were about to be killed on the spot! Yuwen Jinghong rapidly glanced at Mu Hongyu as tears flowed down the latter¡¯s face. The terrifying waves of force got increasingly nearer, and violent winds were stirred! Mu Hongyu closed her eyes tightly, hopelessness filling her heart. Just as she was about to take action, that harsh thunderstorm suddenly stopped! Mu Hongyu was dazed and opened her eyes. However, she saw that a red barrier had appeared in front of them at some point and blocked all the attacks outside. This is¡­ Mu Hongyu stared at it dazedly. Then, a ridiculous and bold thought surfaced in her mind! T-this aura is clearly¡ª At this point, a very familiar voice sounded from midair! ¡°Try touching my people again!¡± ¡­ A clear and powerful voice distinctively traveled to everyone¡¯s ears! At that moment, almost everyone looked up. They saw a red-tailed phoenix with spread wings in midair, and the phoenix tail seemed to be burning with fire as the fiend covered half the sun. A woman in red stood on its back; she was breathtakingly beautiful and unparalleled! It was Chu Liuyue. She came with incomparable suppression. She was high and mighty, which made people respect and fear her uncontrollably. Some people were born to be rulers, and Chu Liuyue was exactly such a person! The moment they looked up and saw the person¡¯s face, Dantai Ruoli and the rest were stunned! ¡°S-Shangguan Yue?!¡± Dantai Ruoli couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. Isn¡¯t Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier fully sealed? How did this Shangguan Yue come in?! The moment Mu Hongyu saw Chu Liuyue, she felt calm and at ease. It was as if all the problems would be solved with the latter around. Mu Hongyu rapidly wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes, unable to conceal the excitement and happiness within. ¡°Liuyue!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but pull Yuwen Jinghong. ¡°It¡¯s her¡ªit¡¯s really her! She really came!¡± Yuwen Jinghong had yet to recover his senses at this point, and his face showed dazedness. H-her Majesty personally came?! How did she come here?! ¡­ ¡°Shangguan Yue, how dare you secretly barge into Ancient Phoenix Mountain!¡± hollered Dantai Ruoli immediately. This Shangguan Yue clearly said that she wouldn¡¯t come in previously, yet she appeared again! The only explanation she could think of was that Shangguan Yue had already sneaked in from the beginning! However, she had always been hiding previously and only appeared now! Chu Liuyue laughed lightly as she clenched the Long Yuan Sword in her hand. Her white and thin fingers then gently slid across the ancient black sword. ¡°Dantai Ruoli, I advise you to be careful with your words. I slashed open Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier legitimately. Oh, forget it¡ªthere¡¯s no use telling you all of this. Anyway¡­ you won¡¯t have the chance to go out and let your mouth run wild!¡± Once she said this, a cold gleam flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes! ¡°Since you look down on the golden mane bear, then this legendary fiend should be to your liking, right? Tuan Zi, tear her lips apart!¡± Chapter 966 - Don’t Leave Anyone Behind Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Once she said this, the crowd saw a ray of burning red color rush down from midair! It went straight for Dantai Ruoli! Dantai Ruoli was stunned! Even though she wasn¡¯t weak, she definitely wasn¡¯t this legendary fiend¡¯s opponent! She went on her toes without thinking and rapidly moved backward as she flung out a three-sectioned whip at the same time! ¡°Soul-Calling Whip!¡± Piak! A crisp and loud ear-piercing sound was heard! That three-sectioned whip was completely black, and every section was tightly connected with a silver ring. When she moved it, one could still vaguely hear a sharp howl coming from it! Tuan Zi¡¯s gaze turned cold and nonchalant while it looked at her as if it were looking at a clown. This three-sectioned whip didn¡¯t slow down Tuan Zi at all! The fiend spread its wings and left a few scarce figures in midair as it reached Dantai Ruoli¡¯s head in the blink of an eye! The distance between the human and the fiend rapidly decreased. Detecting the frightening suppression coming nearer, Dantai Ruoli became increasingly nervous as deep horror overwhelmed her. She hurriedly injected even more force into that three-sectioned whip. Peng! Many more sharp pricks suddenly emerged at the top of the three-sectioned whip! Under the reflection of the sun, they shone a dark-blue color! The whip was clearly poisoned! As long as one touched it¡ª Tuan Zi¡¯s gaze turned sharp as it suddenly waved its claws to hit the three-sectioned whip away! Bam! The next moment, the three-sectioned whip actually broke into countless pieces from the force¡¯s impact! At the same time, the red fire rolled out and directly burned it into ashes! From start to end, it didn¡¯t threaten Tuan Zi at all! After the three-sectioned whip was taken away, Dantai Ruoli¡ªwho was already appalled¡ªhad her face turn pale when she saw this scene. She instinctively moved backward, but the moment she took a step back, she heard a spark behind her. Rumble! Tuan Zi waved its wings, and countless sparks flew out, exploding around Dantai Ruoli¡¯s body! At that moment, stones flew everywhere as the firelight shot out in all directions! Dantai Ruoli felt that the surrounding air seemed to burn! The terrifyingly high temperature wrapped around her¡ªit was hard to get rid of it! She rapidly surveyed her surroundings, but she hopelessly discovered that she had no path to escape! At this moment, she had undoubtedly become meat on a chopping board, allowing others to deal with her however they wanted! ¡°Ruoli!¡± Upon seeing this scene, Yu Zefeng and the rest were instantly dazed as they rushed forward to save her. But the moment they tried to get close to her, they flew backward due to the terrifying fire waves! How could it be so easy to break through a legendary fiend¡¯s suppression? In his panic, Yu Zefeng rapidly looked at Chu Liuyue standing at the side. At this point, the latter was currently holding onto her sword as she watched the scene unfold in front of her leisurely and nonchalantly. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you really dare to kill us?! After we go out, the Taiyu Dynasty won¡¯t let you off!¡± hollered Yu Zefeng furiously. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned, and she glanced at him lightly in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°As long as you stay here forever, won¡¯t nobody know about this? To think about it, you taught us that just now.¡± Yu Zefeng was stumped, and his face flushed white. He wasn¡¯t stupid, so he could tell that Shangguan Yue was planning to get rid of them completely! She isn¡¯t joking or threatening us! She is for real! Right at this point, Tuan Zi got increasingly near and harshly slashed across Dantai Ruoli¡¯s face! A hurried and short scream was heard as Dantai Ruoli directly collapsed onto the floor, her face filled with blood! ¡°Ruoli!¡± ¡°Princess!¡± When Yu Zefeng and the rest saw this scene, their hearts almost stopped. Dantai Ruoli ignored the pain on her body as she touched her own face immediately. Her face was filled with sticky blood; she could even feel the badly mangled scratches on her face! There was a wound on the corner of her left mouth, which directly sliced to her cheekbones! Without checking the mirror, she also knew how terrifying she looked! ¡°M-my face!¡± Dantai Ruoli¡¯s face trembled slightly, and her entire body also shook like a vein! She collapsed onto the floor and widened her eyes in panic and hopelessness as she kept vomiting blood. Not only did Tuan Zi¡¯s scratch destroy her face, but half her body¡¯s strength as well. Even cultivators of the same level as the fiend would be weaker than it, let alone her¡ªwho wasn¡¯t even a stage-eight warrior. How could she compare with Tuan Zi? She would be completely destroyed! Tuan Zi flew back to Chu Liuyue and obediently lowered its head as it stared at her pleasingly, waiting to be praised. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, and she gently patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head. ¡°You did great.¡± Tuan Zi squinted its eyes in comfort and elation. That¡¯s right! It really isn¡¯t that hard to deal with such a minor character. Chu Liuyue glanced at it from above. ¡°Pfft, I just told you to tear her lips. Why did you destroy her entire face? How inappropriate.¡± Tuan Zi lightly grunted. The remaining was for free! Didn¡¯t you see how she looked down on Congcong previously? I stood up for it too! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, and she didn¡¯t control it too strictly. She then jumped up and lightly landed on the floor, walking to Mu Hongyu and the rest. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t conceal her agitation and excitement. She had many things to tell her friend, but she knew that it was inappropriate now. They had more important things to do. ¡°Liuyue, quickly look at Wu Ming! He has been unconscious for a few days!¡± When Yuwen Jinghong heard this, he hurriedly agreed. The two of them could still hold on, but treatment for Wu Ming¡¯s condition couldn¡¯t be delayed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and hurriedly walked to Wu Ming. She first took his pulse and then knitted her brows slightly. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression, Mu Hongyu and Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s hearts hung high. ¡°Liuyue, how is he¡­¡± asked Mu Hongyu worriedly. Chu Liuyue took out a pill and fed it to Wu Ming as she nonchalantly looked in front. At this point, Dantai Ruoli was kneeling on the floor and hanging onto her last breath. Yu Zefeng and the rest went around the crazily burning fire with much difficulty to rush to her. ¡°Princess, Princess, how are you¡­¡± Seeing Dantai Ruoli¡¯s current condition, the few of them were stunned. Yu Zefeng hurriedly hugged her in shock and anger. ¡°Quick! Bring the medicine over!¡± ¡°Oh! Right, right! Medicine! Didn¡¯t we prepare¡ª¡± When the people at the side heard this, they hurriedly searched around. ¡°You don¡¯t have to waste your efforts,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly. She then gestured for Yuwen Jinghong to take good care of Wu Ming before standing up. ¡°The injuries caused by a red-tailed phoenix can¡¯t be treated with any medicine apart from a legendary fiend¡¯s blood.¡± When Yu Zefeng and the rest heard this, they were petrified. ¡°You¡ªShangguan Yue, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so vicious!¡± Chu Liuyue ignored them. When she thought about the injuries Wu Ming¡¯s group of three had suffered, cold murderous intent gradually surfaced in her eyes. She looked up slightly at Tuan Zi and lightly said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave anyone behind..¡± Chapter 967 - They Still Have a Trick up Their Sleeves? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Caw! Following the clear and resounding bird cry, two crimson fireballs shot out as Tuan Zi glided across the air. Rumble! As the people from the Taiyu Dynasty were already huddled together, it made things easier for Tuan Zi to deal with them. After a series of shocking explosions, strong flames lit up around them again and formed a huge semicircular barrier, trapping them inside. Yu Zefeng and the rest panicked when they realized that they were in danger of being burned to death. ¡°Shangguan Yue, I dare you to kill us!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell if I dare to do it or not?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. What¡¯s with the pointless shouting when the fire is already right in front of them? As expected, that¡¯s all the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people are capable of. Actually, Chu Liuyue had no intention of killing anyone, but her mind changed when she noticed how serious the injuries on Wu Ming, Yuwen Jinghong, and Mu Hongyu were. If I came any later, the three of them would¡¯ve died right here. The Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people besieged them and drove them into a corner, yet they don¡¯t allow us to fight back? Hah, the world doesn¡¯t work this way! Yu Zefeng was rendered speechless. ¡°Argh!¡± Dantai Ruoli groaned in pain and agony once more as the wounds on her face and body began rotting quickly, much to everyone¡¯s horror. ¡°O-our medicine isn¡¯t working!¡± The guy next to her shrieked in a fluster. He didn¡¯t expect her injuries to worsen after he fed her the medicine. Yu Zefeng clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging. Looks like Shangguan Yue wasn¡¯t lying. The injuries caused by a red-tailed phoenix really can¡¯t be treated with any medicine! Currently, Dantai Ruoli was all curled up on the ground. She was in so much pain that she was on the verge of passing out, much less having the energy to even glare at Chu Liuyue. After all, not many people could withstand such a legendary fiend¡¯s deadly strike. Meanwhile, a few sparks landed on a guy next to her and quickly grew bigger into flames. Flustered, he hurriedly tried to put out the flames on his body, but he soon realized in horror that the ordinary fire-extinguishing methods were useless against these flames. Time flew past, and the few people trapped inside the flaming cage had no way of escaping from this inferno hell. ¡°Zefeng, what do we do now?¡± As Dantai Ruoli was seriously injured now, they could only listen to Yu Zefeng¡¯s orders. However, the latter was at a loss himself. Threats and coercions are useless since Shangguan Yue is bent on taking our lives. If we beg for mercy, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll only die sooner! ¡­ It was actually rare that Chu Liuyue would go on a killing rampage. But then again, there was no reason for her to hold back anymore when her people had been bullied to this extent. On top of that, there was no better place than an enclosed environment like Ancient Phoenix Mountain to beat people up. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± Wu Ming¡ªwho had been unconscious for a long time¡ªsuddenly started coughing. ¡°Wu Ming, you¡¯re awake?!¡± cried Yuwen Jinghong in surprise and delight. Wu Ming slowly opened his eyes, only to shut them again because of the blinding sunlight. It was only after he slowly adjusted to his surroundings that he gradually took in the scene in front of him. ¡°J-Jinghong¡­¡± Before he could understand what was going on, he noticed with a start that Yuwen Jinghong was looking all haggard and bloodied. ¡°Quick¡­ Run¡­¡± Yuwen Jinghong hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Her Majesty has come to save us!¡± Shocked, Wu Ming turned his head with much difficulty and saw a familiar female figure standing a short distance away from them. Not only that, but he also saw a blazing fire further in front of her that seemed to have trapped several people within. He could vaguely hear the hysterical screams. Aren¡¯t those¡­ ¡°Those are the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people,¡± explained Yuwen Jinghong. Wu Ming was all the more confused. What exactly¡­ is going on? Just then, Chu Liuyue turned around and flashed Wu Ming a small smile. ¡°Your internal organs are injured, and your vitality has suffered a huge blow. You need to recuperate properly. Don¡¯t worry about these matters. I¡¯ll deal with them.¡± Wu Ming had no time to find out how Chu Liuyue managed to enter Ancient Phoenix Mountain as he said with much difficulty, ¡°Your Majesty¡­ T-they have something¡­ on them¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What is it?¡± Wu Ming shook his head, his face even paler than before. ¡°I-I think¡­ it¡¯s something¡­ that allows them to communicate¡­ with each other and the o-outside world¡­¡± Even though his words were stuttered out softly, Chu Liuyue immediately understood what he meant. ¡°Are you saying that they have some sort of device that lets them communicate with each other and Dantai Chen?¡± Wu Ming gave a firm nod of his head. ¡°I see! So that was how they managed to gather so quickly!¡± said Mu Hongyu in hindsight. I thought we had gathered up pretty quickly with the help of the golden bells, but I didn¡¯t expect the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people to be even faster! Something is fishy about this! ¡°Your Majesty, if that¡¯s true, won¡¯t the people outside find out about their deaths right away?¡± A jolt ran through Yuwen Jinghong as he looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. It¡¯ll look strange if all of the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people are killed right after Her Majesty entered the mountain. Chu Liuyue blinked. That¡¯s nothing, actually. Everything is based on evidence. Even if Dantai Chen accuses me of killing his people, there¡¯s nothing he can do about it if he has no evidence. The important thing now¡­ is that I don¡¯t know what method they are using and whether or not it¡¯ll leave behind any clues. As Chu Liuyue turned around, Tuan Zi¡ªwho had a telepathic connection with her¡ªimmediately stopped what it was doing, though it didn¡¯t remove the barrier of fire. Meanwhile, the group trapped inside the fire had fallen deep into despair. ¡°Zefeng, Her Highness has fainted! What should we do now?¡± ¡°The fire is very strong. There¡¯s no way for us to run through the fire¡­¡± ¡°Are we really going to die here?¡± ¡°Even if we die, we can¡¯t make things easy for Shangguan Yue! We have to make her responsible for our deaths!¡± said Yu Zefeng through clenched teeth. With firm determination, he then added, ¡°We have to inform His Majesty about this no matter what!¡± As long as the people outside know that it was all Shangguan Yue¡¯s doing, they won¡¯t let her off once she leaves the mountain! The rest of the people exchanged looks with each other before nodding their heads. Thereafter, Yu Zefeng closed his eyes and stretched out his hand, palm up. A strange rune appeared on his palm moments later. His companions did the same. Apart from Dantai Ruoli and a young man¡ªwho had fainted and been burned to death respectively¡ªthere were only two other people still alive. Black runes appeared on their hands as well. Soon, the runes on their hands floated up and gathered together in the middle, forming a new palm-sized rune. However, it looked incomplete as it had two missing parts. ¡°So that¡¯s what you guys are relying on¡­¡± Just as the trio wanted to activate the rune, they heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s lazy voice. They looked up with a start, only to realize that the flames surrounding them had parted and that Chu Liuyue was looking in from a short distance away from them with a smirk on her face. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she took a glance at the incomplete rune.. Why does this thing look so familiar? Chapter 968 - What a Vicious Lady Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Isn¡¯t this exactly the same as the one formed by the soul that used to live in Shangguan Wan¡¯s body? Chu Liuyue recognized the black rune despite it being incomplete as soon as the thought formed in her head. Her lips curved into a cold smirk. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that the Taiyu Dynasty has connections with Black Demon Hole¡­¡± ¡°What Black Demon Hole?! What nonsense are you spouting?!¡± Yu Zefeng played dumb, although he was faltering on the inside. How come Shangguan Yue¡­ seems to know what this is? When His Majesty took out this rune, split it into five parts, and hid one portion in each of our bodies, he only said that this was a precious item he found and that it allowed us to communicate with each other inside Ancient Phoenix Mountain. Should anything happen to us, we can even use it to send an alarm. Moreover, each rune contains an extremely powerful force that can be used for self-preservation. He clearly remembered how Dantai Chen previously mentioned that ordinary folks wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize the item since it had some sort of background. The latter had also repeatedly instructed them not to gather the runes together unless they were in a dire situation. Based on what His Majesty said, nobody should be able to recognize this thing. So how did Shangguan Yue recognize it after just taking one look at it? She didn¡¯t look like she was lying either. ¡°You¡¯re denying it?¡± Chu Liuyue burst out laughing, though there was no sign of amusement in her eyes. She really didn¡¯t expect that she would find something related to Black Demon Hole here. Even if Yu Zefeng and the others don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, Dantai Chen surely knows! I couldn¡¯t tell that that wily old fox still had such a trick up his sleeve! Chu Liuyue raised the Long Yuan Sword and struck it down. Roar! For a moment, the roar of a dragon was heard. Fear surfaced in the eyes of Yu Zefeng and the others. ¡°Quick! We have to activate the rune fast!¡± shouted Yu Zefeng in a panic. Even if it¡¯s incomplete, it¡¯ll surely be of some use once it¡¯s activated! And so, they hurriedly channeled their internal force. The edges of the black rune started burning up in black flames, exuding an eerie and gloomy aura. However, a cold sword aura suddenly flew toward them as soon as the words left Yu Zefeng¡¯s mouth. Whoosh! With a teeth-numbing cracking sound, the Long Yuan Sword split the black rune into two. Rumble! The two forces clashed together and formed terrifying turbulence that spread out in all directions. Broken stones flew everywhere, and the ground started to cave in. With a flick of Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist, the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s murderous sword aura flew out again. ¡°You¡ª¡± A bloody hole appeared in Yu Zefeng¡¯s neck right then. His eyes bulged as fresh blood gushed out from his wound and quickly stained his shirt red. He then stiffly collapsed to the ground. His two other companions wanted to rescue him, but they were equally helpless themselves. Soon, the two collapsed one after another, along with two cries of pain. It was then that the black flames on the black rune were finally put out and extinguished. As Tuan Zi flapped its wings, strong winds rushed in as red flames swept in to swallow the five bodies. It didn¡¯t take long before their bodies turned to ashes and dissipated with the wind. ¡­ Meanwhile, Dantai Chen¡ªwho was waiting outside the mountain¡ªsuddenly shot up to his feet almost at the same time his people died. His eyes widened in shock, his lips turned pale, and his back broke out into a cold sweat. T-that was¡­ He looked at his palm in disbelief, where a faint image of the rune appeared and faded before it could show up clearly. Thunderstruck, his vision went black as his legs gave way, making him stagger and nearly fall to the ground. ¡°Brother Dantai, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Gongsun Xiao and Ning Yuan immediately looked over and realized that something must¡¯ve happened to the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people when they saw the look on Dantai Chen¡¯s face. However, Dantai Chen remained stunned in place as if he hadn¡¯t heard their question. Five of them¡­ All five of them are dead? How can that happen when they¡­ Not long ago, he was still fantasizing that his daughter and the others would surely achieve good results this time and that they would be able to let everyone see the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s prowess. However, all of them died in just the blink of an eye. They didn¡¯t even have the chance to leave a clue behind at the end. He felt like there were tens of thousands of arrows piercing his heart. His eyes turned bloodshot, and like a madman, he rushed toward the rainbow barrier. Frowning, Elder Hua Qian stretched out his arm to stop him. ¡°What are you doing, Dantai Chen? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re going to enter Ancient Phoenix Mountain by force like Shangguan Yue?¡± The moment Dantai Chen heard that name, his head immediately shot up, his eyes burning with hatred and fury. ¡°It¡¯s her! It must be her!¡± ¡­ Within the barrier. The last spark of flame died out. Apart from the collision traces, there was nothing left on the spot where the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people originally were. If anyone came, they would probably just think that a huge fight had broken out in this area, but they wouldn¡¯t know who had died here. As Chu Liuyue slowly put the Long Yuan Sword away, she kept replaying the scene of the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people¡¯s last moments in her mind. How is the Taiyu Dynasty¡­ related to Black Demon Hole? When she still couldn¡¯t figure it out after mulling over the question for a while, she decided to ask Dantai Chen herself when she was out of the mountain. Thus, she simply put the thought aside and turned around to look at Mu Hongyu and the others. ¡°We¡ª¡± Clap, clap, clap. Before Chu Liuyue could finish her sentence, she heard a low and husky voice saying, ¡°Tsk, what a vicious lady.¡± Chu Liuyue turned her back in shock.. Jun Jiuqing! Chapter 969 - It’s Them It wasn¡¯t known when he appeared here, but his dark-olive robe made his handsome and alluring face stand out. His slight reddish eyes, in particular, gleamed dangerously as if he could devour people at any time, and his lips were curled up into a mysterious smile. It looks like he has been here for a while¡­ Then, a sudden thought emerged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. He has probably witnessed everything that happened just now. It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s way more powerful than us, but he did a good job in concealing his aura such that none of us noticed his presence. Meanwhile, Mu Hongyu and the others were shocked to see Jun Jiuqing appear. What if he exposes our deeds? As the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince, his words have absolute power! The two sides fell into a brief stalemate, and even the air seemed to be freezing. Chu Liuyue flashed Jun Jiuqing a smile. ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here, Your Highness.¡± Despite knowing that I witnessed her killing and destroying the bodies of the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people, she¡¯s still so calm¡­ She sure is the same as before. Even though her body and appearance have changed, her temper and character didn¡¯t. Jun Jiuqing couldn¡¯t resist laughing as he stared at the young lady in front of him. ¡°Yeah, I happened to be around the corner when I heard the commotion over here, so I came over to take a look. But I didn¡¯t expect¡­ to see such a good show.¡± He stroked his chin. ¡°Dantai Chen must¡¯ve found out about their deaths by now. Never mind about the other people, but Dantai Ruoli is his only daughter, as well as the apple of his eye. I wonder what expression he¡¯ll have on his face if he finds out that¡­ his precious daughter has been killed inside Ancient Phoenix Mountain.¡± ¡°How would I know what expression he¡¯ll have? But if you¡¯re so concerned about him, why don¡¯t you comfort him for a bit when you leave the mountain? We have other matters to attend to, so we won¡¯t stay to chat any longer. We¡¯ll take our leave now.¡± With that, Chu Liuyue turned around and lifted her chin in Mu Hongyu and the others¡¯ direction. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She then moved to leave. She reckoned that there was no point in trying to feign innocence in this matter since Jun Jiuqing had already witnessed the entire incident. Besides, she didn¡¯t think that he was someone she could negotiate with, so she decided not to say anything. Jun Jiuqing raised his eyebrows slightly before moving to block Chu Liuyue¡¯s path. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I might accidentally let this matter slip? Never mind that you killed the other people, but Dantai Ruoli is a princess¡­¡± This might start a war between the two countries. Does she really not care about it? ¡°You want to blackmail me with this matter? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s superfluous?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up with a hint of a cold smile on her lips. Why would I care about this when he has Father in his hands? Jun Jiuqing couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Chu Liuyue ignored him and sidestepped him. If it weren¡¯t because she had to hide the fact that she had been to his study, she definitely would¡¯ve been exchanging blows with Jun Jiuqing by now. But unfortunately, it clearly wasn¡¯t the time for her to do this. Mu Hongyu and the rest exchanged looks with each other. Uh¡­ Previously, Jun Jiuqing acted as if he knew Her Majesty from way back. By the looks of it now, something really seems to be amiss¡­ But upon seeing Chu Liuyue leave without a second word, the trio didn¡¯t say anything and simply followed after her. As Wu Ming had the most serious injuries, Mu Hongyu and Yuwen Jinghong helped him walk by supporting him from each side. ¡°Your Highness!¡± A shout was heard coming from midair before several figures swiftly landed right next to Jun Jiuqing. It turned out that they were the four other people from the Beiming Dynasty. ¡°Your Highness, you moved so fast that it took us some time before we managed to catch up to you. I hope you forgive us for being so slow!¡± said a young man between pants. Although the other people didn¡¯t say anything, they looked pretty much in the same condition as him. It was apparent that they had exerted a lot of effort in order to rush over here. These people were considered geniuses themselves, but they were way more inferior when compared to Jun Jiuqing. A wicked and indifferent smile appeared on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes when she heard what Jun Jiuqing said, but she didn¡¯t stop walking and continued to lead the others forward. It was clear that she didn¡¯t want to be involved with the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s affairs. ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t those¡­ the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people?¡± The rest of the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s people finally realized that Jun Jiuqing had been watching the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people when they looked over. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ Shangguan Yue?¡± muttered a young man. Although he had only seen her a couple of times, he could recognize the girl at a glance because she had such a conspicuous presence that she would be the focus of everyone¡¯s attention no matter where she went. ¡°I remember her saying that she wasn¡¯t going to come in¡­ Did she change her mind in the end?¡± ¡°I doubt so. I saw the other two Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people before, and they were here right from the start,¡± refuted another person. That was when they realized that something was wrong, and they looked at one another. That¡¯s right! We¡¯ve been here for days, and the number of Tianling Dynasty people we¡¯ve seen inside here added up to five! Shangguan Yue isn¡¯t among those five, so how did she appear here?! Although they found this matter strange, Chu Liuyue¡¯s group had seemingly no intention of offering an explanation either. ¡°Forget it; let¡¯s ignore this for now. We¡¯ll know when we go out.¡± The young man standing at the front retracted his gaze and surveyed his surroundings with a grave expression. ¡°Your Highness, what happened here just now? Why is it in this state¡­?¡± From the debris, caved-in ground, and the spots of blood everywhere, anyone could tell that a huge fight had taken place. ¡°I think the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people came in this direction just now¡­ But why don¡¯t I see them now?¡± ¡°Yeah! Weren¡¯t they¡­ chasing after the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people?¡± The only girl in their group warily took two steps forward in a seeming move to check the place carefully. ¡°These¡­ don¡¯t seem to be the marks left behind by an ordinary fire¡­¡± She carefully examined the scorched ground before raising her head and looking at Chu Liuyue and her group with plain suspicion in her eyes. ¡°Did¡­ the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people fight with the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people just now?¡± Mu Hongyu and the others stiffened when they heard this. Even though we¡¯ve done our best to hide this matter, it¡¯s inevitable that some traces were left behind. That girl sure is sharp! She managed to arrive at this deduction after just taking a few glances at the scene. If we don¡¯t make things clear that we weren¡¯t involved in this fight, they¡¯ll surely suspect us when they realize that the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people are dead! Chu Liuyue stopped and turned around, but just when she was about to say something, Jun Jiuqing lazily laughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Both parties were fighting each other just now.¡± Under her sleeves, Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly.. Chapter 970 - My Man Prepared Them for Me Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Silence set in. Seemingly oblivious to the change in atmosphere, Jun Jiuqing curved his eyes, making them resemble crescent moons with red glowing dots. ¡°Unfortunately, the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people are so useless that they fled after failing to defeat a legendary fiend.¡± As Chu Liuyue slowly unclenched her fists to reveal her sweaty palms, Mu Hongyu and the others inwardly heaved sighs of relief as well. Thank goodness¡­ ¡°Did you just say that the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people¡­ fled from a legendary fiend?¡± questioned the girl in Jun Jiuqing¡¯s team suspiciously. Jun Jiuqing scoffed. ¡°Can¡¯t you guys even recognize a red-tailed phoenix?¡± His team members looked in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction, and sure enough, they saw a palm-sized red fiend perched on her shoulder. From its size and shape, they realized that it was indeed a legendary red-tailed phoenix. ¡°Oh yeah, there was a rumor from a while ago saying that¡­ Shangguan Yue contracted a legendary fiend¡­¡± said a young man softly. Although the Beiming Dynasty was rather far away from the Tianling Dynasty and both seldom interacted with one another, they would still more or less know some of the major happenings in these neighboring dynasties. Not to mention that people got even more curious about the Tianling Dynasty after knowing that Jun Jiuqing had invited them to Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s opening. There were a lot of private discussions about this matter, and the most widely discussed subject was this young lady in front of them¡ªthe Tianling Dynasty¡¯s new ruler, Shangguan Yue. After all, everything about her was simply too amazing. Knowing that the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people had the help of a legendary fiend, the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s people weren¡¯t too surprised that the former had managed to defeat the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people. Upon hearing that, the lady in the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s group took a closer look at her surroundings. ¡°Qing Dai, these marks do seem to be left behind by a red-tailed phoenix¡­¡± whispered a young man next to her. She nodded, although her eyebrows were tightly knitted together as she felt that something was amiss. However, she reckoned that there was nothing to be suspicious of since Jun Jiuqing had already given an explanation, so she pushed her suspicions aside. ¡­ ¡°It was just a small fight. I apologize for making a joke of ourselves,¡± said Chu Liuyue politely as if she were a completely different person from the person she was moments ago. Although she¡¯s smiling and acting all polite, she must be cursing me out on the inside right now. There are a lot of things that she has to pay attention to when being in front of so many people. At the thought of this, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s mood improved considerably, and his smile deepened. ¡°No such thing. It just so happened that I was feeling bored from staying in the mountain, and this matter happened to relieve my boredom.¡± He¡¯s probably the only person here who can say such stuff so easily. Knowing that Jun Jiuqing was referring to her, Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes but ultimately kept her temper in check. After several brief exchanges with him, I can basically confirm that the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince has a problem indeed. A huge problem, in fact. It¡¯s better for us not to come in too much contact with him. She raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you didn¡¯t take it to heart. It¡¯s just that we still have some matters to attend to which can¡¯t be delayed any longer, so we really have to take our leave now.¡± Following this, she cupped her fist in obeisance and swiftly left with Mu Hongyu and the others without so much of a head turn. Jun Jiuqing let out a soft snort. She wants to get rid of me? Not so easy. Qing Dai was slightly taken aback by the look she saw on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s face from the corners of her eyes. The latter was watching the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people leave. Although he looked as lazy and wicked as before, his alluring eyes were focused on one of the five people. It only took a split second for Qing Dai to know that Jun Jiuqing was looking at Shangguan Yue. In fact, she had sensed right from the beginning that his attitude toward Shangguan Yue was very different. He seemed to have known her since long ago, and he was extra forgiving toward her. Had it been someone else who spoke to him in such a manner, his reaction certainly wouldn¡¯t be like this. That person might even very likely lose their life if he so much as found them to be an eyesore. However¡­ it was different for Shangguan Yue. Everyone could tell that she was somewhat keeping her distance from Jun Jiuqing despite her respectful attitude. But still, the latter didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all and was even somewhat indulgent toward her. Furthermore, he had never looked at anyone with such a gaze before. Qing Dai couldn¡¯t describe this feeling, but she could clearly sense it. Don¡¯t tell me that¡­ ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Qing Dai?¡± asked the person next to her out of curiosity. Her eyelids quickly fluttered down as she hurriedly pushed her thoughts aside and eked out a smile. ¡°Nothing. I-I was just¡­ envious that she managed to contract with a legendary fiend.¡± The people around her didn¡¯t notice her peculiar behavior as they nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah! Owning a legendary fiend is extremely rare even in the Beiming Dynasty! She¡¯s so lucky!¡± ¡°I heard that she was killed by someone, but she somehow managed to come back alive! I don¡¯t think the word ¡®luck¡¯ is enough to describe it¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard some rumors too. It seems that her fianc¨¦ and younger sister drove her to the brink of desperation, and she eventually decided to die by burning herself¡­ It¡¯s quite tragic, actually¡­¡± ¡°Have you guys finished talking?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s frigid voice interrupted their conversation. When they looked up and saw Jun Jiuqing¡¯s glacial expression and stiff smile, fear struck their hearts, for it was a sign of anger. ¡°Y-yes! We made a mistake! We shouldn¡¯t have talked so much!¡± ¡°Please forgive us, Your Highness!¡± Upon realizing that something was wrong, the four people hurriedly admitted their mistake and apologized to him. It did nothing to appease him though, as he still appeared to be sullen. ¡°If I hear such things coming from you guys again¡­ I¡¯ll make sure that all of you lose your tongues!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Having never expected Jun Jiuqing to fly into such a huge rage, they were feeling quite flustered at the moment. But at the same time, they finally realized that Shangguan Yue wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with and wondered why Jun Jiuqing treated her the way he did. Qing Dai pursed her lips and looked down, her eyelids covering the dimming of her eyes. Meanwhile, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he took a look at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s almost time¡­¡± ¡­ It was only after covering quite a good distance and making sure that they were completely separated from the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s team that Chu Liuyue and her group stopped to rest by a river. She then helped the rest to treat their external injuries and gave a pill to each of them. It was a good thing that she had a lot of reserves in her Cosmic Ring, so it made things quite convenient for her now. ¡°Liuyue, how come you carry so many pills with you?¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t resist asking after she consumed the pill and felt better after following Chu Liuyue¡¯s instructions to circulate her force and adjust her breathing. Even for a heavenly doctor, she has way too many pills on her! Chu Liuyue blinked and gently turned the Cosmic Ring on her finger as her lips bloomed to a smile. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t pack too many things. It was Rong Xiu who helped me prepare most of the stuff..¡± Chapter 971 - : Choice The Cosmic Ring he gave her contained almost all kinds of things, which included precious pills and treasures. Hence, this was a good time to put these pills to use. Mu Hongyu chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that Prince Li treats you differently? Say, did he previously move to the academy because of you?¡± If he didn¡¯t like Liuyue, why would he be so concerned and considerate toward her? Chu Liuyue lightly knocked on her forehead with her fingers. ¡°If you have the time to think about these things, you might as well spend it on recuperating and recovering your energy. This way, we can quickly go look for Jian Fengchi and Little Zhou.¡± At the mention of them, Mu Hongyu, Yuwen Jinghong, and Wu Ming became serious. As they had been getting chased by the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s team all this while, they had no idea what the situation was like on the other two people¡¯s end. ¡°Liuyue, we¡¯re unable to contact them since we¡¯ve crushed our golden bells. Are you able to contact them with yours?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes darkened slightly as she rubbed the golden bell on her wrist. ¡°They also crushed theirs not long after you guys did. This is why I forced my way in here.¡± ¡°What? They¡¯ve also¡ª¡± The other three looked at one another, and it was only then that they realized the gravity of their situation. Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced in a certain direction. ¡°They¡¯re probably still there, but I don¡¯t know how things are now. Let¡¯s rest for a bit before making our way over.¡± ¡°Both of them are quite strong, so how come they also¡­¡± Yuwen Jinghong frowned in perplexity. ¡°We only ended up in this state because the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people kept coming after us to kill us. But both of them¡­ Did they get into a similar situation as us?¡± A total of five teams had entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain, and the team most likely to make a move on them was the Dongning Dynasty¡¯s team. ¡°We didn¡¯t see it for ourselves, so we can¡¯t be sure. Besides, danger might be everywhere in this mountain,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a shake of her head, although she wasn¡¯t too optimistic about their situation. Needless to say, Qiang Wanzhou should feel the most comfortable moving in this sort of place, having grown up in Nan Jiang. Jian Fengchi, on the other hand, was the lazy and carefree type of person who would never put himself in danger. He would fight if he could defeat his opponent and run away if he couldn¡¯t. Chu Liuyue reckoned that they must¡¯ve gotten into a really bad situation that both of them had no choice but to crush their golden bells. That said, she didn¡¯t share these thoughts with the others and merely focused on helping them to regain their health. Mu Hongyu¡¯s condition was the best among the three of them; she merely suffered from some superficial injuries, which weren¡¯t too much of a big deal compared to Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming. Yuwen Jinghong had a broken leg, which Chu Liuyue helped reattach and bandage before feeding him some medicine. Although his leg wasn¡¯t too nimble, he was feeling quite energetic at the least. Wu Ming¡¯s condition was the worst, having sustained plenty of injuries from saving Mu Hongyu and Yuwen Jinghong. His spleen was badly ruptured, making his five organs¡ªwhich he tried so hard to connect together¡ªincomplete. It also resulted in difficulty circulating his force throughout his entire body. This was an incalculable blow to a cultivator because the sudden loss of one of the five connected organs would have a great impact on the cultivator¡¯s recovery and cultivation journey. Chances of their cultivation being stagnant were very high as well. Thankfully, Wu Ming wasn¡¯t too bothered about it. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I¡¯m already very fortunate to be alive. I wouldn¡¯t dare to ask for anything else¡ª¡± ¡°I mind though. I brought you guys here to work on your cultivation, not come here to die. Won¡¯t my loss be greater if you end up handicapped or dead?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Wu Ming disapprovingly with raised eyebrows. Knowing that she was trying to comfort him, Wu Ming couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitter laugh. ¡°But my five organs are no longer connected because of my damaged spleen. How can I still connect them?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°And I used to be a real good-for-nothing because my current body didn¡¯t have a Yuan meridian in the past. Aren¡¯t I doing fine now? Not all of your organs are damaged anyway; it¡¯s just one of them. It¡¯s not a huge problem.¡± Wu Ming remained a little skeptical though. ¡°¡­Really?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up, her black gem-like eyes calm and reassuring. Just like that, the last trace of Wu Ming¡¯s worry dissipated. He pressed his lips tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say, Your Majesty.¡± Only then did Chu Liuyue nod in satisfaction. ¡°Get some rest first. Once you feel better in a couple of days, we¡¯ll proceed with the next stage of treatment.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, only to remember something a moment later. ¡°By the way, did you guys encounter anything good in these six days?¡± The three of them shook their heads. ¡°We weren¡¯t inside for long before the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people came after our lives. We couldn¡¯t care about anything else.¡± That¡¯s true. Who would care about those things when their lives were at stake? thought Chu Liuyue. ¡°But¡­¡± Yuwen Jinghong hesitantly said, ¡°I feel that the concentration of the mountain¡¯s force has decreased a lot from the time we entered the mountain.¡± ¡°Yeah! I feel it too!¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly nodded to express her agreement in the matter. ¡°Are you guys sure?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in surprise. The force concentration in here feels several times higher than outside, yet it¡¯s actually lower than when they first came in? Just how much force was in here at the start? Yuwen Jinghong¡ªwho seemed to have guessed what was on Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind¡ªexplained, ¡°Actually, this isn¡¯t happening everywhere inside the mountain. I-it¡¯s just¡­¡± He scratched his head, not knowing how he should describe it. He then suddenly smacked himself on the forehead and pointed in a certain direction. ¡°Look over there¡­¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. The place Yuwen Jinghong was pointing to was the highest and most dangerous mountain peak. However, the top of the peak seemed to have been sliced off as it looked very flat. Currently, they were a few peaks away from that peak. ¡°Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s main peak?¡± Chu Liuyue knew that only that peak was considered the real Ancient Phoenix Mountain, and it was also where the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s ancestor had broken through and entered Apotheosis. It was said that its flat peak was a result of the ancestor¡¯s strike. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the place! All of the force has been gathering in that direction over the past few days!¡± Chu Liuyue shut her eyes and used her senses to carefully examine her surroundings. The vast mountain range was filled with rich Heaven and Earth Force, and it was slowly moving toward that peak as if something was pulling it over. When she opened her eyes again, she nodded in all seriousness. ¡°You¡¯re right. The Heaven and Earth Force is gathering toward that side. If I¡¯m not wrong, that¡¯s where the Three Yuan Convention will occur nine days later.¡± ¡°Oh right! I almost forgot about this!¡± Yuwen Jingwen laughed in embarrassment. Mu Hongyu looked back and forth before hesitantly asking, ¡°Liuyue, Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou are in the opposite direction¡­ Where do we go first?¡± Without any hesitation, Chu Liuyue answered, ¡°We¡¯ll look for them first..¡± Chapter 972 - He’s Calling for Help! Chapter 972: He¡¯s Calling for Help! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the Three Yuan convened at Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s peak, they would definitely have more benefits the nearer they were to it. If one was lucky enough, they could take in endless force and directly break through! Of course, the most important point was that the mountain peak could possibly hide the secret to the Beiming Ancestor ascension to the Apotheosis realm. Even if they could only find a portion of it, it would be greatly beneficial. Which cultivator in this world didn¡¯t want to improve themselves? Hence, this was undoubtedly a great temptation. However, Chu Liuyue still chose to find Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou without hesitation. Mu Hongyu knew her the best. When they were in the academy in the past, they had once experienced life and death together, so she wasn¡¯t surprised to see her friend make such a decision. She just nodded her head forcefully. However, Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming were shocked. If it were someone else, they might not be able to make such a choice. After all, Ancient Phoenix Mountain only opened once in a thousand years. Such a chance was indeed very rare, but¡­ she still chose to do it! It was impossible to say that they weren¡¯t touched. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care about this much¡ªit was as though she had only made a very ordinary choice. Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming exchanged glances and saw the tumultuous emotions in each other¡¯s eyes. But the two of them didn¡¯t say anything as they fell silent in unison. ¡­ After resting for a while, Chu Liuyue stood up. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Hula! She heard the sound of wings vibrating. Tuan Zi rapidly returned to its original size from being petite. Chu Liuyue jumped up first and called the other three to go up. When the rest of them stood still on Tuan Zi¡¯s back, Chu Liuyue gently patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Tuan Zi spread its wings and flew up, and they rapidly rushed forward! The red figure sliced across midair like a burning line of fire quickly spreading toward the front! ¡­ After another hour, Chu Liuyue felt the special aura on the golden bell becoming more intense. She was stunned. We¡¯re reaching soon! She looked down from above and saw a strange gully in between two mountains¡ªthe two figures in the gully seemed rather familiar. Her heart tingled. Shoo! Tuan Zi screamed, and it rapidly descended. When they were about to reach the bottom, they suddenly felt an invisible resistance! Tuan Zi¡¯s speed clearly decreased! ¡°Leave quickly! This space is weird!¡± said Mu Hongyu suddenly. Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming were dazed. ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± Mu Hongyu raised her hands and pointed below with a solemn expression. ¡°This space seems to be disrupted by some force, and there¡¯s some turbulence.¡± ¡°Turbulence?¡± Yuwen Jinghong took a closer look. The mountains were high and low, and the peaks were pretty. The wind would blow over occasionally, and the trees would rustle with it. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong¡­¡± However, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly and immediately said, ¡°Tuan Zi, move back!¡± Upon hearing this, Tuan Zi immediately flapped its wings and rapidly flew up! Very quickly, that invisible resistance disappeared. Tuan Zi circled the space above the gully. Chu Liuyue confirmed something in her heart and looked at Mu Hongyu. ¡°Hongyu, what do you mean that this space has turbulence?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did none of you feel that the space here is different?¡± A dark light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. I just vaguely felt that something was wrong, but my feeling wasn¡¯t as accurate as Mu Hongyu¡¯s. Suddenly, her expression changed slightly. ¡°You have a Faint Yuan Body, so your control over space is much better than an average person. That is probably why you can feel this.¡± Mu Hongyu was dazed. ¡°¡­Really?¡± Ever since she knew she had a Faint Yuan Body, the most she knew about herself was that she could do instant transportation. In her mind, the stronger she was, the further she could instantly move. However, she wasn¡¯t clear about the rest. If Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t pointed it out at this moment, she wouldn¡¯t have discovered that she had this ability. All along, she thought that everyone was about the same. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s probably because your current abilities have been improved, so you¡¯re more sensitive to space now. Hence, you can clearly feel the strangeness of that space.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded with certainty. When the other two heard this, they suddenly understood and expressed their agreement. Among the few of them, only Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu hadn¡¯t broken through to become stage-seven warriors. However, Mu Hongyu¡¯s talent and advantage in this area were clearly much better than the rest. ¡°Do you still feel anything? Tell us in detail,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she looked down, her expression turning stern. When they went near it previously, she had already confirmed the duo¡¯s identities. They had caused quite a big commotion when they flew down, so logically speaking, the two of them should¡¯ve noticed it. But even until now, the two of them still hadn¡¯t looked up. This made Chu Liuyue more worried. Upon hearing this, Mu Hongyu nodded and pointed at the gully below. ¡°For example, the position we¡¯re at is a stable portion of space. Like paper, it has been evenly dyed with one color, but below¡­ It has different forces of space that keep intersecting and colliding. It¡¯s like¡­ the same piece of paper but dyed messily with all sorts of colors.¡± She talked as she pointed at different positions. ¡°That place is a piece of its own. Beside it, the two small spaces are squeezing each other. Even though a complete space is opposite it, it¡¯s different from the rest¡­¡± Even though Chu Liuyue and the rest couldn¡¯t feel it like Mu Hongyu, they understood a thing or two from her description. ¡°This means that¡­ a simple gully has at least six or seven waves of different space forces?¡± asked Yuwen Jinghong in surprise. Mu Hongyu stroked her chin. ¡°You can say that, but in actual fact, this is even more troublesome. As the different spaces will squeeze and compete with each other, the space here is even worse. If we just go in like this, it will definitely be very dangerous!¡± ¡°Then, Fengchi and the rest¡ª¡± The two of them were just below! At this point, they seemed to be sitting cross-legged on the ground with some distance between them. Nobody knew what they were doing. ¡°So it¡¯s very urgent for them¡­ If they¡¯re trapped there, they can¡¯t get out,¡± said Mu Hongyu as she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, what do you think we should do next?¡± Chu Liuyue stared at the scene below and fell into deep thought. Even though I can¡¯t clearly feel all of this like Mu Hongyu, from the resistance we felt earlier, it¡¯s indeed harder to deal with than we had expected. Being able to stop Tuan Zi is enough to prove how terrifying the intersecting force this space contains! At this point, a shrill whistle sound was suddenly made! Qiang Wanzhou blew the whistle Weichi Song gave them both back then! He was calling for help! Chapter 973 - Ah, I Have Two Fiends Chapter 973: Ah, I Have Two Fiends Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This was definitely because he was in an even more perilous situation! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and focused in front of her! Qiang Wanzhou forced himself to stand up while he blew his whistle, wanting to walk forward. He seemed to want to leave this gully, but his legs gave way, and he fell onto the ground. Motionless. Only the sound of the whistle kept reverberating throughout the air! After a wave of vibration, Chu Liuyue produced her own whistle. It automatically replied, and it produced a strong sound with Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s whistle! At this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly realized very clearly that Qiang Wanzhou was toeing the line of life and death. And Jian Fengchi¡ªwho wasn¡¯t far away¡ªwas not in a better condition! I have to go down and save them immediately! Chu Liuyue decided quickly and held that whistle tightly as she looked up at the few of them. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll go down and bring them back!¡± ¡°No!¡± said the few of them in unison and objected to it. ¡°Your Majesty, this place is so dangerous. How can we let you personally walk into danger?¡± Wu Ming knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Yeah! Even if someone has to go, it should be me!¡± Yuwen Jinghong patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have almost recovered now!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better if I go. Who can compare with the Faint Yuan Body?¡± interrupted Mu Hongyu directly. ¡°Nobody knows better than me about what to do, right?¡± Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming fell silent together. Based on this alone, they really couldn¡¯t compare to Mu Hongyu. ¡°But¡­ Your abilities aren¡¯t even that of a stage-seven warrior¡­¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Both of you have high cultivation levels, but do you believe that I can directly take care of the two of you right now?¡± The two of them were stumped. Chu Liuyue patted Mu Hongyu¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°Let¡¯s go down together.¡± They wouldn¡¯t have a high chance of succeeding if either she or Mu Hongyu went down alone. But it would be most suitable if they worked together as they could make up for each other¡¯s weaknesses. Mu Hongyu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay!¡± Seeing that the two people with the highest combat power had already made a decision, the remaining two could only silently agree. ¡°Tuan Zi, stay here and take care of them,¡± instructed Chu Liuyue seriously. ¡°Your Majesty, how can this be done?¡± This time, both of them refused it no matter what. This gully is very dangerous, and it¡¯s already extremely risky for them to go down. If they bring the red-tailed phoenix with them, they can be more confident. How can she leave it behind to protect us? Chu Liuyue glanced at the two of them. ¡°I just saved the two of you. I don¡¯t want to waste my effort and time.¡± ¡°But¡­ Without the legendary fiend, you and Hongyu¡­¡± Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s face turned red, and he felt very humiliated. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as a golden glow rapidly covered her entire body. In the blink of an eye, it formed a golden armor. ¡°Pure gold armor?¡± muttered Wu Ming in a daze. Didn¡¯t they say that this pure gold armor was damaged when Shangguan Wan went to Dahuang Swamp? Why did it appear on Her Highness in perfect condition? Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Who said I planned to go alone?¡± The few of them were dazed. The next moment, Chu Liuyue snapped her fingers. ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagle!¡± Hua! With the rustling of the wind, a gigantic black figure appeared in front of them. That large black eagle spread its wings, and it almost covered the sky as it entirely exuded a bone-chilling coldness! It also had an eye on its forehead! Its eyes were as cold as ice, and its gaze was harsh and domineering! The suppression it exuded suffocated one! ¡°L-legendary¡­.¡± Yuwen Jinghong was stunned as he pointed at the gigantic figure with trembling fingers. ¡°Legendary fiend?!¡± Wu Ming was also shocked since he recognized this legendary fiend! ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagle?!¡± This was an existence that didn¡¯t lose to the red-tailed phoenix at all! Her Majesty actually summoned such a legendary existence¡­ How did she do it?! Chu Liuyue jumped up and landed on the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s back. ¡°Hongyu, come!¡± After she recovered her senses upon hearing this, Mu Hongyu also had her mouth agape and eyes open as she hurriedly rushed over. But even when she was already standing on the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s back, her face was still dazed. ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagle¡­ Legendary fiend?! Liuyue, you¡­¡± ¡°With it around, you should feel more assured, right? Its speed is on par with Tuan Zi.¡± It was even faster! The legendary three-eyed eagle clan was originally ferocious, and their combat power was high! If they really fought against one another, it would be unknown who would win! ¡°N-no¡­ What¡¯s with this¡­ legendary fiend?¡± stammered Yuwen Jinghong. Actually, this was also what Mu Hongyu and Wu Ming wanted to ask. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Oh, I forgot. This is the legendary fiend I made an agreement with¡ªa legendary three-eyed eagle.¡± ¡°M-made an agreement with?!¡± Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s voice suddenly rose a pitch higher as he shockingly turned toward Tuan Zi. ¡°Then, what is this?!¡± Chu Liuyue said nonchalantly, ¡°That¡¯s mine too.¡± That¡¯s mine too¡­ That¡¯s mine too?! Seeing the doubtful expressions on their faces, Chu Liuyue tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever said that I only have one legendary fiend, right?¡± Once she said this, the entire area fell silent! Wu Ming¡¯s gaze was dazed. Mu Hongyu¡¯s body was stiff. Yuwen Jinghong felt the corners of his mouth twitch. ¡®Only¡¯ made an agreement with one legendary fiend¡­ Listen to this! Is this what a human would say?! Chapter 974 - Yue Chapter 974: Yue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wu Ming recovered his senses and had a face filled with envy and admiration. ¡°Her Majesty is indeed a miracle-like talent¡­¡± Some people might not even see a legendary fiend once in their lives, let alone make an agreement with one. In the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s entire thousand-year history, there were less than three people who had made agreements with a legendary fiend. And Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t only have one, but two¡­ If she talked about it, nobody would dare to believe her! Yuwen Jinghong rubbed his face harshly to confirm that what he was seeing was true. Then, he felt complicated. In the past, she had the Tianling Dynasty, and she was the top talent that the Tianling Dynasty had. Due to her existence, many other talents paled in comparison¡ªYuwen Jinghong was one of them. After being impacted a few times, he resigned himself to his fate. Some people were born to be stronger than you, so strong that one couldn¡¯t even be jealous. Who could bridge the gap that was as wide as the distance between heaven and earth? They should just give up! She was secretly set up later on, and she committed suicide by burning herself before returning with a different identity and physical body. This time, she didn¡¯t have a Tianjing Yuan meridian, right? This time, she hadn¡¯t cultivated in all sorts of areas since she was young, right? This time, they could finally be better than her by even that little bit, right? Knowing that his cultivation level was actually much higher than her, Yuwen Jinghong was over the moon. Even though he knew that she would exceed him in the future, every such happy day counted! But it was only now that Yuwen Jinghong sorrowfully discovered that he wasn¡¯t better than her, even for a single day. Other people came back with a legendary fiend from the start¡ªand she even had two! What about him? If she didn¡¯t leave Tuan Zi behind to protect them, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to touch the fur of a legendary fiend! He stared at Chu Liuyue, and he finally couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°Your Majesty, you should leave quickly!¡± It¡¯s too eye-catching to casually bring along two legendary fiends in front of us! Seeing his expression, Chu Liuyue knew what he was thinking and couldn¡¯t help laughing. Even though Yuwen Jinghong doesn¡¯t have as strong a competitive nature as Jian Fengchi, he still has it somewhat. It seems like he¡¯s quite affected this time¡­ ¡°Jinghong, I¡¯ll leave Wu Ming with you.¡± Once he heard this, Yuwen Jinghong felt more energized. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty!¡± A smile flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as her gaze turned, and she looked at the gully below. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s wings vibrated as it stirred strong winds! The black figure instantly formed a black arrow, and it went straight forward! ¡­ ¡°Go left a little, yes. Right. Go forward a bit more¡ª¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle brought the two of them down while Mu Hongyu kept giving it directions, choosing the easiest path for them to enter. Chu Liuyue clearly felt that the lower they went, the greater the resistance. But with Mu Hongyu¡¯s help, they did avoid a large portion of the turbulence. Even though they couldn¡¯t see it physically, the pressure coming from the interaction of the spaces became increasingly strong. There were quite a few times in between when Chu Liuyue felt her surroundings seemingly have an invisible spiral that wanted to drag them away. Luckily, they all avoided this one by one. They were also becoming increasingly closer to the two of them. ¡°Turn right ten feet in front; then, continue forward. Yes¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu stared closely with all her focus, not daring to relax the slightest bit. ¡°I really don¡¯t know why this place is so strange¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t been to places with turbulence, but it was the first time she saw turbulence caused by such messy and strong forces. If one wasn¡¯t careful, they might be greatly disadvantaged. This was definitely the reason why Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou were trapped here and couldn¡¯t get out. ¡°Why would such a strange place be in Ancient Phoenix Mountain? I wonder what caused it¡­¡± Mu Hongyu was very confused. Chu Liuyue was also thinking in her heart. A thousand years ago, the Beiming Ancestor broke through that barrier and successfully entered an even higher cultivation realm. So logically speaking, Ancient Phoenix Mountain and the continuous mountains should be wrapped by the same wave of force. However, this isn¡¯t the case. But Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t spend too much time thinking about this. The most important thing now is to save the two of them first. ¡­ ¡°Little Zhou!¡± They got increasingly close, and Chu Liuyue yelled downward. Qiang Wanzhou had collapsed onto the floor and was motionless as if he had already fainted. At this point, Mu Hongyu¡¯s voice became nervous. ¡°Liuyue, the situation isn¡¯t good. The turbulence in the space below is even more complicated and terrifying than the ones above! You mustn¡¯t get near it!¡± Almost at the same time, a few waves of invisible force came over! Shoo! The legendary three-eyed eagle flapped its wings, and countless icicles rapidly flew out! Chu chu chu! Ice shards suddenly appeared on the ground, and some messy cracks started expanding! However, the retaliation power couldn¡¯t be underestimated! Chu Liuyue clearly felt that the surrounding space kept shrinking toward the center, and her entire body became as heavy as ever. ¡°The legendary three-eyed eagle is huge, so it will easily be attacked here!¡± Mu Hongyu knitted her brows. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she wanted to jump down directly! Mu Hongyu held her back and urgently asked, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Go down and save them.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were brief. Previously, Mu Hongyu had already explained very clearly that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for the legendary three-eyed eagle to go near the space near the ground. But in regards to her, she was slim, so it would be more convenient for her. ¡°No! You can¡¯t! The strength of the space below is crazy. It has almost become a meat shredder! You¡ª¡± ¡°This is precisely the reason why I have to go down!¡± Chu Liuyue pulled her hand away, jumped down, and went straight for Qiang Wanzhou! ¡°Liuyue¡­¡± Just as Mu Hongyu was worried, a terrifying force suddenly came from the side. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately turned around. His face pale, Jian Fengchi sat cross-legged on the floor with his eyes tightly shut. He was currently experiencing something unknown as his brows were tightly knitted. Pain was written all over his handsome face. An invisible force was slowly and determinedly going for his chest! Upon closer inspection, one could still see the vague black color near its edges! That was the sign of the space breaking! Without thinking, Mu Hongyu directly rushed over! ¡­ On the surface, this place looked calm and peaceful. But in actual fact, one had to be part of it to realize the strangeness of this place! There seemed to be all sorts of forces nearing them in all directions, wanting to rip the person apart! Chu Liuyue walked within¡ªquick sometimes and slow at other times. This was caused by the varying force in the spaces! But luckily, the pure gold armor had managed to defend against most of the attacks. Just like that, she inched closer toward him. At this point, Qiang Wanzhou seemed to have recovered some of his consciousness as his fingers moved slightly. Then, he slowly got up and looked forward. A figure appeared in his blurred vision.. He was dazed, and then his eyes suddenly revealed a great amount of surprise and disbelief. ¡°Yue?!¡± Chapter 975 - Okay? His voice was very weak, so nobody else heard it other than himself. However, this wasn¡¯t important. The important thing was the person in front of him! Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t dare to believe it as he hurriedly shut his eyes, wanting to see clearer. At this moment, that person had already walked to him and stretched out her hand. ¡°Little Zhou, are you okay?¡± He had heard this voice once many years ago, but it had already been too long. It didn¡¯t even sound in his dreams any longer. There seemed to be warm liquid circulating in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s chest as his heart beat so intensely that his ears hurt. He almost instinctively reached forward with a hint of anxiety. It was cold and soft to touch, but it had some sort of immense strength to it. Tears welled up in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s eyes, and the scene before him turned slightly blurry. He harshly closed his eyes and opened them again. This time, it was finally clear. He clutched onto that hand tightly, terrified that she would leave silently again. But just as he was about to say something, a familiar face entered his view. Chu Liuyue¡ªoh no, it¡¯s Shangguan Yue! Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s actions suddenly stiffened. Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. It seemed like he had just experienced a huge battle as he was covered in bloodstains, and he looked very frail. His white, almost transparent face had bits of dust and bloodstains on it, looking rather unkempt. Those overly beautiful eyes were stained with a hint of red. She clearly saw that his eyes were filled with great elation¡ªit was as though a traveler walking through the desert had finally found an oasis or someone who was treading in the darkness had finally found the light. However, it was only for a moment. The oasis was dry, and the light disappeared. The brightness in his eyes instantly dimmed. His expression looked¡­ rather amiss. ¡°Little Zhou?¡± called Chu Liuyue again. This time, Qiang Wanzhou finally recovered his senses. His expression quickly faded away as he became that inhibited and shy young man again. A vague guess surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Did¡­ Qiang Wanzhou mistake me for someone else? I¡¯m afraid only that person can cause him to act this way, right? She sighed in her heart, but she didn¡¯t ask further. Instead, Chu Liuyue said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here to bring you back.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s heart seemed to tingle as he looked up and gazed at her deeply. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue took his pulse and realized that his inner force seemed to be exhausted and that he was severely injured on the inside! She was taken aback. ¡°How did you get this wound?¡± Qiang Wanzhou knitted his brows. ¡°I got it right here.¡± Here? Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. Other than the slightly more dangerous turbulence in the space, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything else¡­ He looks like he has a superficial injury, but his internal organs are much more severely impacted than his superficial ones. This isn¡¯t normal at all. ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s leave here first.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue was about to bring him back. But the moment she turned around, she realized a transparent barrier formed by a water current had appeared in front of her. Chu Liuyue was dazed. I recalled that this didn¡¯t exist when I first came here¡­ All the forces from the surrounding spaces swarmed over and caused waves of ripples in the barrier. A very uneasy feeling overwhelmed Chu Liuyue as she instinctively took a step back. ¡°Little Zhou, it¡¯s dangerous¡ª¡± When she said this, she turned around and realized that Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s figure had completely disappeared! The same transparent barrier replaced it! ¡°Little Zhou?!¡± Nobody responded. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings and realized that the barrier had formed a ball shape, which completely trapped her within. ¡°Hongyu?! Jian Fengchi?!¡± However, nobody else responded. The most terrifying thing was that Chu Liuyue could even hear her own echo! Her heart suddenly sank! I¡¯ve been completely trapped here! ¡­ Chu Liuyue took a deep breath to calm herself down as she silently observed her surroundings. This seemed to be a transparent barrier formed by water ripples. It wasn¡¯t too big as she could casually take three or five steps forward before already reaching the end. She looked up. If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, Jian Fengchi was just there previously. However, his figure has completely disappeared. In addition, the transparent barrier gradually became black in a short amount of time! Finally, her surroundings were pitch black! ¡­ Silent. Chu Liuyue could clearly hear her breathing and her heart pumping. She took a deep breath in and took a pearl, preparing to light up the surroundings. But after she took it out, an invisible force seemed to rush over from the surroundings, gradually squashing the fist-sized pearl! Chu Liuyue immediately threw it out! The moment it left her palm, that pearl was immediately squeezed by the strong force and silently turned into powder! Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingertips could even feel the terrifying and heavy suppression! She immediately gave up on this idea and stood still in the darkness. That strange force gradually approached her before leaving bit by bit. If her fingertips didn¡¯t hurt faintly, she would almost think that everything that previously happened was part of her hallucination! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and started thinking of a way to escape. But very quickly, a spot of light appeared in front of her. It was like a star in the night sky that sparkled brightly. Chu Liuyue looked over. Then, another one appeared beside that star. The third¡­ At this point, she then discovered that these spots of light didn¡¯t come from the empty space but¡­ from that barrier. All these spots of light were weird and exuded a bright light as they pieced together bit by bit. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly and seriously looked at what was happening in front of her. Gradually, she discovered that these spots of light seemed to form a pattern. She vaguely realized that it was a cliff¡ªthe cliff was extremely familiar. Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something, and her expression faltered. Then, an octagonal pavilion appeared on that cliff! It¡¯s indeed that mysterious cliff that has appeared way too many times before! Chu Liuyue unwittingly clenched her fists tightly, and her entire body tensed up. I vaguely have a feeling that this scene should also be part of my memory! The stars aligned above the octagonal pavilion, forming a figure. It was a man¡¯s back view, but at this point, he sat there with a chessboard in front of him as if he were playing chess. And a second figure quickly appeared opposite him! It was clearly a woman with a thin figure and light hair, but her face was blocked by that man¡¯s figure. Hence, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see her clearly. However, she examined that woman¡¯s figure, and her heart started beating very quickly! An extremely familiar feeling surged up her heart! At this point, that woman tilted her head and smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯ll go back this time and tell Father about us, okay?¡± That beautiful face and bright smile were exactly Shangguan Yue! Chapter 976 - Rong Xiu, How Long Have I Made You Wait? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shangguan Yue sat opposite that man and chuckled softly with a loving and gentle tone. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes suddenly! This is a voice I¡¯m familiar with! She clutched her hands tightly and stared at the scene before her closely. That woman in the octagonal pavilion held her face with one hand as she smiled and picked up a chess piece from the box. Pa! She placed it on the chessboard. Then, she looked up, and her long lashes tingled as her black, gem-like eyes glistened with a hint of playfulness. ¡°Rong Xiu, you lost.¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu¡­ Rong Xiu! It¡¯s really him! That bold and ridiculous guess was verified at this moment! It was as though Chu Liuyue was struck by lightning as her mind went blank, and her heart skipped a beat. All the blood in her body seemed to be frozen! That sentence kept echoing throughout her ears. ¡°Rong Xiu, you lost.¡± This was what I told Rong Xiu before¡­ We clearly knew each other long ago! It¡¯s no wonder I felt that this man was very familiar¡­ Chu Liuyue held her breath and watched the scene before her without blinking, terrified that she would miss something. But the spots of light quickly darkened at this point, and the entire scene disappeared. Chu Liuyue instantly became anxious as she instinctively reached out, wanting to save that scene. However, her hand landed on empty air. Other than the space¡¯s force gradually flowing around, there was nothing at all. It was as if everything that happened previously was just her hallucination. But¡­ no! Chu Liuyue knew very clearly that it wasn¡¯t an illusion¡ªit was part of her memory! The surroundings became pitch black again, and it was ever so silent. Chu Liuyue dazedly stood rooted to the spot, and her mind was in a mess as the previous scene kept replaying before her. Countless doubts crazily overwhelmed her! I once went to that cliff, and I had played chess with Rong Xiu in that octagonal pavilion. The most important thing is that I was already with Rong Xiu back then! If everything is true, then I can say that I had lost my memory. However, what about Rong Xiu? Does he still remember all of this? Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled the day she was reborn. She woke up in a forest that people rarely went to and killed the few people who wanted to harm the original owner before walking to a lake. Then, she met Rong Xiu. At that time, she didn¡¯t know his identity and felt that he was extremely strong and not one to be trifled with. However, the other party treated her very politely. At that time, she was on guard and didn¡¯t notice these details. But now that she thought about it, he seemed to be overly polite and even¡­ a little intimate. And the few times when he later appeared to help her in the open and the dark¡­ Rong Xiu was never one that minded other people¡¯s business, but she had always been an exception. Chu Liuyue had asked more than once: Why her? There were so many women who fell head over heels for him. Why did he chase her so relentlessly? She thought that the moment they met in the woods, he fell in love at first sight. However, it turned out that everything happened between them even earlier than she had known! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body started trembling slightly. This means¡­ This means¡­ Rong Xiu already knew who I was? Also¡­ He was even specifically waiting for me there! ¡­ Excruciating pain whirred in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head as she grunted in pain and held her head painfully. She then squatted down. It was as if a very sharp needle kept poking her, and it was very painful! Chu Liuyue forcefully stopped her thoughts and took deep breaths. After a while, this terrifying pain then gradually disappeared. Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body seemed to be drenched by the cold sweat. She closed her eyes and swiftly sat on the ground. Her body was slightly cold, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. This was because, at this time, she was focused on the things that happened previously. She didn¡¯t forcefully try to recall the past as it would only make her head hurt more, but everything that happened previously was enough for her to ponder for a long time. She held her head and looked at the endless darkness in front of her dazedly. It turns out¡­ We¡¯ve long known about and loved each other. I had even agreed with Rong Xiu to tell Father about us after we went back. That means¡­ I wanted to have a marriage agreement with him¡­ Even though I don¡¯t remember that this happened, I know that I must¡¯ve made the decision to spend the rest of my life with Rong Xiu when I said that back then. So¡­ Why do I not remember this? Also, I didn¡¯t even know that I had forgotten such an important thing! ¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh in a mocking manner, and tears welled up in her eyes. Rong Xiu¡­ should remember all of this, right? If not, why would he care about an unfamiliar young woman? If not, why would he insist on being with me? If not, why would he be willing to kneel down just to beg for a marriage agreement with me? Countless scenes intersected and appeared in front of her, causing it to be very messy. However, there was one point that was very clear amidst all of it¡ª From the start to the present, Rong Xiu treated her just like before. No matter what, everything he did was for her. Or in other words, it was to spend the rest of his life with her. Chu Liuyue moved her fingers and touched the Cosmic Ring. She suddenly recalled the scene where Rong Xiu stood in front of the Chu family¡¯s door on a rainy night. He was so lonely and cold. He walked over, hugged her, and held the umbrella for her. He said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, I¡¯ve waited for you for very long.¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, and a hot tear silently dropped from the corner of her eyes. Rong Xiu¡ªhow long exactly have I made you wait? ¡­ The surroundings became increasingly cold. Chu Liuyue instinctively curled up, but she couldn¡¯t fight against the coldness that kept surging into her body from all sides. She hugged her knees and buried her head in between her arms. The breath that she exhaled seemed to be much colder. ¡°Girlie¡­ Girlie!¡± A faint scream seemed to come from far away and landed in her ears. Chu Liuyue moved slightly and slowly opened her eyes. The surroundings were still pitch black, but that voice was much clearer. ¡°Girlie! You¡¯re finally awake!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°¡­Ancestor?¡± ¡°Hu¡­ Luckily, you woke up in time. If you had woken up any later, I¡¯m afraid you would¡¯ve fainted!¡± Shangguan Jing was very nervous, and his voice still had a hint of lingering fear. ¡°Girlie, what happened to you just now? I called you for a very long time, but you didn¡¯t respond at all!¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes forcefully and wanted to stand up, but she realized that her body was very stiff and that she couldn¡¯t move. The key was that her bodily force seemed to be exhausted unknowingly. She was about to move at this point, but her body felt very frail and weak! ¡°What is going on?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and tightly knitted her brows, her entire body tensing up alertly. ¡°This space is very weird. It somehow made you sleep earlier, and your bodily force kept spreading outward crazily. I can¡¯t even stop it! If you had woken up any later, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other.. I must get out of here as soon as possible! Chapter 977 - Hold Me Tightly From the corner of her eyes, She glanced at the place where the scene appeared earlier. It was completely dark as if nothing had appeared. Other than her, nobody else knew what shocking secret happened here! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and shook away the messy thoughts in her mind. There isn¡¯t much meaning to stay here. If I want to know everything, the best way is to ask Rong Xiu personally! Shua! Chu Liuyue summoned the Long Yuan Sword and held the hilt tightly! At the same time, she circulated the force in her body! With this move, she then realized that the situation of her bodily force leaving her body was even worse than she had imagined! The Yuan meridian spread around her body was like river streams. These streams were normally very rich, but at this moment, they were more than half-dry! Chu Liuyue was scared. Without Ancestor, I really would¡¯ve been in danger¡­ ¡°There really is something wrong here,¡± said Chu Liuyue, but she was suddenly stunned. She now seemed to understand why Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou sat in their own spaces, didn¡¯t do anything, and sent out help signals. She didn¡¯t have time to go over to Jian Fengchi¡¯s side, but Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t have many superficial injuries while his internal organs were severely harmed. Furthermore, a great portion of his force was exhausted. Perhaps¡­ they had met the same situation as me. This strange space used some special method to make the memory trapped in a person¡¯s mind resurface and silently cause them to faint while taking the time to absorb their force! ¡°Ancestor, do you know how long we have been here?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°I can¡¯t really confirm since the strength of the space here is different from the external world. The flow of time is also different, so it¡¯s very hard to determine how much time has passed in the outside world.¡± In a difficult position, Shangguan Jing sighed. Chu Liuyue nodded. Actually, I had already predicted this. Now, I just hope that Mu Hongyu and the rest¡¯s rescue goes smoother. And I¡­ must leave this place first! The water droplet in her dantian gradually spun, and thick force was exuded, which rapidly surged toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs! The missing strength in her body was very quickly replenished, and she was strengthened again! If it were someone else, they would basically end up like Qiang Wanzhou. However, Chu Liuyue was different. That water droplet in her body had absorbed too much strength previously. With her current cultivation level, this was basically an advantage! Whoosh! Two sparks of fire exuded from the Long Yuan Sword¡ªone was red, and the other was transparent! The light from the sparks rapidly lit up the surroundings, and the invisible force coming from the surroundings seemed to feel threatened as it rapidly got closer! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body clearly felt the pressure from all directions! Her chest felt stuffy, and she almost couldn¡¯t breathe. Even the force circulation speed in her body gradually declined! She clenched her teeth tightly and injected her thick force into the Long Yuan Sword! Then, she held the hilt tightly with both hands, raised it high, and brought it down heavily! ¡­ Qiang Wanzhou originally planned to go back with Chu Liuyue, but the latter¡¯s figure instantly disappeared once he turned around. His surroundings were empty, and there was nothing in sight. Qiang Wanzhou knitted his brows and knew that he was in the same trap as before. The previous day, he arrived at this place with Jian Fengchi and met with the same situation. Then, the two of them were separated, and both lost contact with each other. After that, he fell unconscious. He knew that he was in a very perilous situation, so he used his last bit of rationality to smash the golden bell first before blowing the whistle. Luckily, he really waited until she came. But after a short while, the same thing happened again! Very quickly, Qiang Wanzhou was wrapped in darkness again! ¡­ ¡°Young Master? Young Master? Jian Fengchi?! Quickly, wake up!¡± An anxious and worried scream was heard. Jian Fengchi gradually recovered his consciousness and opened his eyes with much difficulty. ¡°D-don¡¯t call anymore¡­ C-cough, cough¡ªI can still h-hear you¡­¡± Once Jian Fengchi spoke, he then realized that his voice was very weak and hoarse. When he thought of the previous few incidents, his gaze darkened. He turned around and saw Mu Hongyu in front of him. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s nervous and worried expression instantly dissipated as she heaved a long sigh and patted her chest. When Jian Fengchi saw her in this state, his heart seemed to be lightly scratched by something as the depressed mood instantly disappeared, and an unknown light feeling circulated in his chest. ¡°Why are you so nervous? I have a very blessed life.¡± He coughed and recovered a part of his strength. Mu Hongyu nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. If you didn¡¯t wake up, I was planning to hit you and see if I could beat you awake.¡± I just warmed up my wrists! Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°¡­No need¡­ There¡¯s really no need¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t know Mu Hongyu¡¯s capabilities. If she slapped him¡­ Jian Fengchi suddenly felt that he was very lucky to have woken up in time. If not, this face¡ª Suddenly, he stopped in his movements and tightly furrowed his brows as he looked at Mu Hongyu. ¡°No. How did you come in?¡± I remember that Qiang Wanzhou and I were separated not long after we entered this gully. After that, I realized that something was very wrong here, so I directly crushed the golden bell. Originally, I wanted to go out as soon as possible, but I somehow fainted until Mu Hongyu rushed over. ¡°Of course, we came here to save you guys!¡± ¡°We?¡± Jian Fengchi surveyed his surroundings. They were still in the gully, but other than the two of them, there were no signs of anyone else. ¡°And who else?¡± ¡°Liuyue!¡± said Mu Hongyu as she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity we¡¯re trapped here. Hence, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on outside or if they¡¯re safe¡­¡± Jian Fengchi almost suspected that he had heard wrongly, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who did you say?¡± Mu Hongyu looked at his confused face and simply explained the entire incident to him. After listening, Jian Fengchi¡¯s face was dazed for a moment. Chu Liuyue forcefully slashed open Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier to enter¡­ She saved Mu Hongyu and the rest and found this place¡­ She even summoned her second legendary fiend to save them¡­ How long has it been? Why did so many things happen? Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t bother much with his reaction as she said, ¡°Young Master, we need to get out of here as soon as possible. If not, your current condition will become worse if you continue staying here.¡± Jian Fengchi nodded. I naturally know this very clearly, but¡­ ¡°How do we go out?¡± The turbulence in this space was terrifyingly messy. Every single time he thought that he was going to get out, he would be pushed back. Mu Hongyu patted her chest, and her almond-like eyes curved up. ¡°Did you forget that I have a Faint Yuan Body? Leave it to me!¡± As she spoke, she stood up and extended her hand toward Jian Fengchi to help him up. Then, she said, ¡°Hold me tight.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat! Chapter 978 - Record of the Million Gods Chapter 978: Record of the Million Gods Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mu Hongyu waited for a while and then realized that Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t move at all, so she looked up at him strangely. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The almond-like eyes of the woman in front of him shone brightly, and she looked very cute. She was so near that he could see her long lashes as she stood in front of him. Jian Fengchi met her gaze, and his heart started beating even more quickly. He averted his gaze sheepishly. ¡°Holding you¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be very appropriate¡­¡± If someone else heard this, they would laugh their heads off! The usually flippant Jian Fengchi actually told a woman that it was ¡®inappropriate.¡¯ What a joke! But even though Mu Hongyu only heard some rumors about Jian Fengchi, she wasn¡¯t a local of Xi Ling. During the few months in Xi Ling, she spent most of her time in Dragon Teeth Mountain. What kind of place was Dragon Teeth Mountain? Jian Fengchi¡¯s home! Who would dare to say something bad about the young master? Hence, she wasn¡¯t very clear about this side of Jian Fengchi. Mu Hongyu blinked. ¡°What¡¯s not appropriate? You even saved me before! Shouldn¡¯t I think of a way to bring you out?¡± We¡¯re all friends. Of course, we must help each other! To help us, Liuyue even risked her life. What does this count for? Thinking of this, she took a step forward. The distance between the duo instantly shrunk. The warmth and fragrance on her body wafted toward his nose and instantly overwhelmed him. Jian Fengchi opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t know what to say as his entire body stiffened. As she grabbed his hand and placed it on her waist, Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t realize that he was behaving weirdly. The young woman¡¯s thin and soft waist seemed to burn. The moment he touched it, his palm boiled. Waves of heat attacked Jian Fengchi as his intricate face suddenly flushed red! Even his ears seemed to burn! His face turned red, and he almost instinctively held her waist tightly. However, he didn¡¯t dare to lean in too close because he was afraid he would burn himself. ¡°Hold me tight!¡± hollered Mu Hongyu as she shut her eyes. The next moment, the force of the space in their surroundings suddenly surged toward the outside! Jian Fengchi could clearly feel that the forces previously suppressing them were quickly moving away! Then, his vision turned black, and they quickly disappeared from the spot. ¡­ Rumble! The Long Yuan Sword harshly slashed down and struck the black barrier! The two forces¡¯ waves crazily slammed against each other, producing a terrifying and crazy energy wave! That invisible force in the surroundings started moving crazily, like sharp flying daggers cutting everywhere! Whoosh! One of them went directly for Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck! A bright light exuded from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body at this moment, and the pure gold armor appeared once again! Ding! Ding ding ding! The crisp impact sounds came from all over her body! Luckily, these attacks weren¡¯t worth a mention against the pure gold armor. It was a pity that the black barrier didn¡¯t look like it was going to crack open when the Long Yuan Sword landed, even though it was affected. At this time, Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°This barrier is protected by a holy power. It¡¯s quite difficult if you want to open it with your current abilities. Let me help you!¡± It was a crushing sense of pressure! Countless bolts of silver lightning swam crazily across the Long Yuan Sword and gathered at the sword tip. ¡°Break!¡± Shangguan Jing hollered! The silver lightning¡¯s strength suddenly exploded! Bam! The terrifying force spread in all directions, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword-holding hand started shaking intensely! An opening suddenly formed, and fresh blood flowed everywhere! The moment her arm was completely numb, the darkness in front of her finally broke! Ka! Bright light shone in! The strong pressurizing force came from behind and suddenly pushed Chu Liuyue forward! Chu Liuyue felt that the scene in front of her was bright! Then, she fell forward! ¡­ Tens of thousands of kilometers away. Rong Xiu was busy handling the few divisions¡¯ incidents and didn¡¯t even close his eyes for a few days and nights. He finally had some free time today to lie down and rest. But not long later, he knitted his brows in his sleep. Then, he suddenly widened his eyes. He sat up and held the head of the bed with one hand as his other hand gently rubbed his brows. His white inner top was loose, revealing a collarbone and a small part of his chest. The moonlight was bright as it shone in on him. It instinctively caused the muscles revealed to look like white jade. The moonlight was like water, which increasingly complemented the elegance of his appearance¡ªit was like a flower on a snowy mountain peak. It was high and unattainable as he was cold and composed. After being silent for a while, he removed his blanket and grabbed the clothes at the side before putting them on. As if hearing the noise within the hall, Yan Qing¡ªwho was guarding outside¡ªasked, ¡°Your Highness? Are you awake?¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Hearing this, Yan Qing hurriedly pushed open the door to enter. The moment he stepped in, Yan Qing saw that his master was not only awake but had also already changed his clothes! In addition, his face seemed¡­ amiss. Yan Qing was shocked as he hurried forward and carefully asked, ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s¡­ wrong?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was calm without a ripple, but it was terrifyingly deep. ¡°Bring the Record of the Million Gods over.¡± Shock flashed across Yan Qing¡¯s eyes, but he still immediately said, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go right away! But¡­ There are a total of ten ¡®Record of the Million Gods¡¯ scrolls. Which one do you want to see?¡± Rong Xiu thought for a while and lightly said, ¡°The tenth one.¡± Yan Qing was dazed for a moment and asked, ¡°You¡¯re talking about.. the one from Xin Dynasty Year 3000?¡± Didn¡¯t His Highness already see that scroll before? Rong Xiu lightly nodded and then said, ¡°The ninth scroll as well.¡± If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, the name of that person from Beiming seemed to be recorded in the ninth scroll. Chapter 979 - Rong Xiu’s Plan Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yan Qing didn¡¯t know why His Highness would suddenly want to read the Record of the Million Gods after waking up in the middle of the night. After all, he could count the number of times His Highness read it in all these years. And every time, it was almost the time when something important happened. Did something happen now as well? The tenth scroll¡­ Yan Qing could only think that it was related to that person, but he couldn¡¯t think of a reason for the ninth scroll being requested. However, he naturally didn¡¯t dare to ask this as he acknowledged the order, bowed, and left. After Yan Qing left, the hall fell silent once again. Rong Xiu closed his eyes. The water-like moonlight wrapped his body and cast a faint shadow below his lashes. At this point, she should already be at Ancient Phoenix Mountain. I¡¯m not worried about how dangerous it is. After all, with her capabilities and trump cards, she should be able to handle it. However¡­ it is still a special region after all. I wonder when that person from Beiming had left anything behind when he broke through on Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡­ What if¡­ After a moment, Rong Xiu opened his eyes. That black pyramid was as calm as usual, and it didn¡¯t have much movement. This made him heave a slight sigh of relief. But for some reason, he was still uneasy. It was as though¡­ some things were out of his control. It was fine if it were others, but he felt that it was related to her. Knock, knock¡­ Knocking sounds were heard, and Rong Xiu looked up. The door opened¡ªYan Qing had gone and come back, but this time, he held a copper plate in his hands. Inside the copper plate were two bamboo scrolls, each exuding a faint light. And these were exactly the ninth and tenth ¡®Record of the Million Gods¡¯ scrolls! ¡°Your Highness.¡± Yan Qing respectfully presented the two scrolls. Rong Xiu raised his white finger, and the two scrolls silently went up and flew to him as they floated in midair quietly. He picked up one of the bamboo scrolls. Every bamboo scroll was engraved with neat golden words, but only the last one was blank. No¡ªto be more accurate, there were words on top. But for some reason, these words had faded very strongly, so it was hard to recognize them. It was as if someone forcefully erased it. The remaining few traces of starspots shone with a faint golden light. It was like the occasional few stars that appeared in the night sky. Rong Xiu stared at the few golden spots, his gaze deep as he lightly sighed. ¡°As expected¡­¡± She actually arrived at this stage¡­ It was much faster than I had predicted. But thinking about it, she was originally different. Even if she started all over again, she would win against ordinary people in all aspects. However¡­ Rong Xiu leaned against his chair and massaged his temples as his head ached. Yan Qing worriedly asked, ¡°Your Highness, are you alright?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head and took a last glance before closing the tenth scroll. He then waved his wrist, and the scroll flew back with the wind, landing on that copper plate again. ¡°Nothing much. There¡¯s just some trouble,¡± said Rong Xiu as his thin lips curled up, his tone helpless with a hint of undetectable love. The next time we meet, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have a good time¡­ ¡°Prepare two more blankets for me.¡± ¡°Blankets? The one you¡¯re using has just been changed¡­¡± Yan Qing was confused. His Highness is very distinguished and has always had the best¡ªno matter if it were the food he ate or the things he used. Therefore, why does he suddenly want to change his blanket? ¡°I don¡¯t need it now.¡± Rong Xiu waved his hands and coughed. ¡°Just have it prepared.¡± Yan Qing was dazed. Does His Highness mean¡­ he needs to leave it for future use? But no matter where he goes, His Highness will definitely pick the most comfortable place to sleep. If he wasn¡¯t satisfied, he would rather not sleep. He has never needed to prepare his own blankets¡­ ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± Yan Qing didn¡¯t understand at all, but his instincts¡ªwhich were formed from serving his master all these years¡ªtold him not to ask. If he asked, he would not have a good outcome. Following that, Rong Xiu opened the remaining scroll. After looking at it for a while, he saw a few familiar words. He squinted slightly, and a golden spark suddenly appeared on his fingertip. ¡°Your Highness?!¡± Yan Qing was shocked. What is His Highness planning to do? One has to know that this Record of the Million Gods can¡¯t be damaged! Rong Xiu¡¯s fingertips moved, and a small golden spark landed on one of the scrolls. It was like a drop into the ocean¡ªit didn¡¯t cause any ripples. However, this simple motion exhausted a large part of Rong Xiu¡¯s strength. Once his finger landed, his forehead was already covered in beads of sweat, and his lips vaguely turned white. Yan Qing kneeled down on one knee. Even though he couldn¡¯t see clearly, he could roughly guess what his master was doing and couldn¡¯t help being worried. However, he also knew that there was no use in convincing His Highness if he insisted on doing so. He could only knit his brows tightly and secretly sigh. After doing all of this, Rong Xiu then closed the scroll and put it back on the copper plate. ¡°Send it back.¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± After Yan Qing left, Rong Xiu was left alone in the hall. He sat there quietly for a while before standing up. However, he was no longer lethargic at this point. The moment he took two steps out, a gigantic white figure suddenly appeared¡ªit was Xue Xue. It seemed to have felt something as fear and respect flashed across its eyes before it walked to Rong Xiu and lay on the floor. It then shook its tail and whined in a very obedient manner. Rong Xiu touched its forehead. ¡°Thinking about it, it has been a while since you came back from the Red Moon Desert, right?¡± Xue Xue¡¯s body suddenly tensed up. Gentleness surfaced on Rong Xiu¡¯s face for once. ¡°I believe that Seniors must miss you very much. How about you go there again?¡± ¡­ Ancient Phoenix Mountain. Outside the barrier. The days passed one by one. In the blink of an eye, the crowd had already gone in for 14 days. There was only one final day before the Three Yuan convened on the last day. Everyone waited solemnly. The closer they were to that event, the more nervous the crowd was. The many strong warriors in charge of guarding the entrance outside the barrier could clearly feel the strength within Ancient Phoenix Mountain that caused obvious changes to the barrier¡¯s strength. As a result, they were completely focused, afraid that they would slip up. The four dynasties¡¯ emperors were all waiting, but their expressions were greatly different from before. Jun Qizhi looked calm, but his eyes seemed to have a few hints of expectancy. Ning Yuan was motionless like the mountain. Gongsun Xiao was rather nervous and anxious as he kept glancing at the barrier from time to time. As for Dantai Chen¡­ He sat on his seat, his face as gloomy as ever. His eyes were bloodshot, and he exuded a sinister and dark atmosphere. He stared at the rainbow barrier closely, and his eyes had a deep vengeance. Starting from a few days ago, he suddenly became like this. Actually, the crowd already roughly guessed that it was most likely that the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people had met trouble inside. But as the time wasn¡¯t right and the barrier wouldn¡¯t open, everyone could only wait. At this point, the sky suddenly darkened! Dark clouds gathered, and the winds howled angrily! Gongsun Xiao couldn¡¯t help but point at Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s peak.. ¡°The Three Yuan Convention is about to take place!¡± Chapter 980 - : What About Her? Chapter 980: What About Her? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Even though the rainbow barrier covered the entire mountainous region, the crowd standing outside could still clearly see the outline of the peaks. At this point, the crowd looked up and could see all the dark clouds in the sky gathering toward the highest peak! If there was a change in the weather, something was bound to happen! If it weren¡¯t the Three Yuan Convention, what else could it be? Dantai Chen also suddenly looked over. He slowly clenched his fists, and the veins on his forehead could be faintly seen as murderous intent quickly flashed across his eyes. Finally¡­ We¡¯ve arrived at this moment! When this ends and those people come out from the barrier, I must find Shangguan Yue and make her pay for everything! ¡­ At the same time, the people within the barrier also noticed this commotion. Actually, most of them had reached the main peak¡¯s area by this point. To accept the endless force from the Three Yuan Convention, they had to ascend the main peak and stand at the highest point. Hence, almost everyone came here in the past few days. Seeing the weather phenomenon, the crowd couldn¡¯t conceal their excitement as they started climbing toward the top. ¡­ This commotion naturally attracted the attention of Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming, who were waiting above the gully. ¡°It¡¯s about to be the last day soon. The Three Yuan Convention is also about to take place¡­¡± Yuwen Jinghong stared at the commotion on the distant peak as he softly muttered and then looked at the gully below. ¡°But they haven¡¯t come out yet. What should we do¡­¡± Wu Ming looked worried. Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu went down together earlier, and they said that they were going to bring Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou back. But after the two of them went down, they both sat cross-legged without moving. It has already been a few days, but they still show no signs of coming up. This made them worried. If it weren¡¯t because they had seen the legendary three-eyed eagle still below, they would¡¯ve already rushed down. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s so strange about this gully. Why did they all not move after they went down?¡± Yuwen Jinghong knitted his brows tightly since he really couldn¡¯t figure it out. After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and suddenly stood up. ¡°We can¡¯t continue waiting like this! It¡¯s fine if we can¡¯t make it for the Three Yuan Convention, but what if they haven¡¯t come out when we¡¯re about to go out? What should we do then?¡± One had to know that the time left for them to go out was very short! If they were accidentally delayed here, would they not be stuck here forever? When Wu Ming heard this, his expression became solemn, and he felt that Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s words made sense. Even though the duo knew that Chu Liuyue had slashed open the barrier to enter, they both thought that she did it with the help of all the strong warriors outside. How could they not be nervous now? Previously, they didn¡¯t go down as they were worried that they would become Her Majesty¡¯s burdens. But now¡­ they couldn¡¯t care so much! As he patted Wu Ming¡¯s shoulder, Yuwen Jinghong said, ¡°You haven¡¯t recovered yet. Wait here first. I¡¯ll go down and take a look!¡± Then, without waiting for Wu Ming to object, he quickly rushed forward and leaped up. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Wu Ming was stunned and was about to stop his companion, but he couldn¡¯t grab the latter in time. But at this point, a red fire flew out from the side and rapidly blocked Yuwen Jinghong. Yuwen Jinghong turned around to look at Tuan Zi in astonishment. ¡°You are¡ª¡± Without waiting for him to ask, Tuan Zi flapped its wings. Yuwen Jinghong was instantly pushed by a wave of ferocious force and flew back to his original spot. He then looked at Tuan Zi dazedly. Wu Ming thought for a moment. ¡°It seems like it doesn¡¯t want us to go down.¡± Tuan Zi glanced at the two of them. Why do you want to go down? It¡¯s chaotic enough! You should just stay here and wait! As if understanding Tuan Zi¡¯s gaze, the two of them looked at each other and suppressed their uneasiness as they continued to wait. No matter what, this red-tailed phoenix is Her Majesty¡¯s fiend. Therefore, it can sense something, right? ¡°I hope everything will go smoothly for Her Majesty and the rest¡­¡± said Wu Ming softly as he glanced at Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s main peak. ¡­ Waiting time was always especially torturous. They saw the sky gradually darken, but Chu Liuyue and the rest were still motionless. Wu Ming and Yuwen Jinghong became restless again, but when they saw Tuan Zi¡¯s secured look, they could only continue waiting. Yuwen Jinghong still glanced at the main peak from time to time. They were a little far from there, but they could still see the smooth peak. Until now, nobody had reached the top. However, they knew that those people were climbing up from mid-hill. As the forests were filled with lush greenery, they couldn¡¯t see clearly and couldn¡¯t know the competition situation. The sky darkened, and even the few figures in the gully slowly became blurry. ¡­ Very quickly, it was midnight. The moon hung high in the sky, and it shone down on the mountainous region. The peaks of the mountain with the forests¡¯ cover cast a dark blue shadow. It was especially quiet. There was only the occasional sound of wind blowing from the forests to the gully. At this moment, quite a big commotion occurred in the sky once again! Strong winds blew everywhere¡ªit caused a huge suppression! Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s group of two turned back and saw a burly figure jump up and directly ascend Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s main peak. Below the moonlight, he whipped his long sleeves, which floated with the wind. His movement technique was absolute! ¡°That is¡­ Jun Jiuqing!¡± Wu Ming squinted his eyes and stared closely for a while before stating this with certainty. After Yuwen Jinghong was shocked, he quickly accepted the issue and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯d be weird if it wasn¡¯t him!¡± This Ancient Phoenix Mountain was originally their Beiming Dynasty¡¯s territory, and he was the Beiming Crown Prince with the royal family bloodline¡­ Shouldn¡¯t it be given that he was the first? Wu Ming nodded and said, ¡°Even so, being able to ascend the peak is very enviable. Even if they¡¯re not first and can¡¯t obtain the endless force from the Three Yuan Convention, they can still nourish themselves with the holy force from the side. This¡­ is undoubtedly a rare chance¡­¡± Yuwen Jinghong sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have many thoughts about this now. I just hope that Her Majesty and the rest will be fine and that they¡¯ll come back smoothly¡­¡± Bam! An explosion was heard from the gully. The duo was stunned as they nervously looked down. They then saw two figures jumping up from below. Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of explosions were heard. The seemingly calm space started exploding as it was continuously impacted. The originally chaotic strength started shaking around. ¡°It¡¯s Mu Hongyu and Fengchi!¡± Yuwen Jinghong had sharp eyes, so he recognized the duo. He was shocked and surprised! Seeing that the duo kept going upward and was getting increasingly nearer to them, Tuan Zi suddenly flapped its wings and rushed toward the two! They saw a red figure flash across! Mu Hongyu and Jian Fengchi landed on Tuan Zi¡¯s back! The chaotic and terrifying force started crazily attacking them, wanting to drag Tuan Zi down! The fiend suddenly swiped its claws and flew up at the same time. Then, they landed on the cliff. Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s group of two immediately went forward. Before they could be happy, their expressions changed drastically. This was because Mu Hongyu and Jian Fengchi were covered in blood at this point! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all?¡± Mu Hongyu opened her mouth, but she spat out a mouthful of blood. Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart was harshly tugged as he instinctively held her tightly and rapidly fed her a pill.. He couldn¡¯t care about his own injury as he looked at the duo. ¡°The space below is all in a mess! Where¡¯s Shangguan Yue?!¡± Chapter 981 - Seal Chapter 981: Seal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming were stunned. ¡°H-her Majesty is still in the gully and hasn¡¯t come up yet¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi followed the duo¡¯s gazes and vaguely saw two figures sitting cross-legged. He then clenched his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s an illusion!¡± ¡°What?!¡± When they heard this, the duo was stunned. When they looked again, they indeed saw two figures exploding together in the chaotic force battle. This was indeed not them! ¡°Why is it like this?¡± Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming glanced at each other. For the past few days, they had been stationed here the whole time. They also personally saw them going down and sitting beside Jian Fengchi and Qiang Wanzhou respectively. In between, all their figures didn¡¯t even move! Why did it suddenly become an illusion? Jian Fengchi furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°There are many spaces below, and it¡¯s easy to cause one to hallucinate. The two of them should still be stuck below¡­¡± Everything was fine originally, and Mu Hongyu had brought him to escape from that space. But with the pressure from the surrounding forces, they couldn¡¯t directly escape and barged into another space. After similarly struggling a few times, they finally reached the top when the space wasn¡¯t so chaotic. Previously, they could even see Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s group of two waiting above the gully, and they could successfully rush up in a few steps! But at this point, the many spaces below suddenly started exploding for some reason. The violent forces almost swallowed the duo! Mu Hongyu risked her life to forcefully bring Jian Fengchi out, but she had suffered too many attacks from the exploding spaces, causing her to be severely injured. She had the Faint Yuan Body and had a natural intimacy and sensitivity to space. If she already became like this when she escaped, what about Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou? ¡°Then, what should we do?¡± Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s group of two also noticed the severity of the situation, and their hearts hung high. ¡°Wait a minute! Where¡¯s the legendary three-eyed eagle?¡± yelled Wu Ming suddenly. The few of them looked over and realized that the gully was empty. That gigantic legendary three-eyed eagle had also disappeared! At this point, the explosions below had greatly abated before completely disappearing. The gully was in a mess. Stones flew everywhere, and dust flew up, but there was nobody around! ¡°Quickly, look! What¡¯s that!¡± Yuwen Jinghong suddenly gasped. They saw that a silver force spiral had suddenly appeared on that empty ground! That silver spiral kept expanding toward the surroundings, and it started spinning very quickly. Just when the few of them were dazed and nervous, a figure suddenly flew out from the spiral! ¡°It¡¯s Qiang Wanzhou!¡± Wu Ming saw that person¡¯s face instantly! Due to the impact of the spiral¡¯s force, Qiang Wanzhou flew out and directly went toward one of the cliffs! With his momentum, he would definitely be injured if he collided with the cliff, even if he didn¡¯t die. At this point, a red figure rapidly flew out¡ªit was Tuan Zi! They saw it spread its wings as it quickly flew across midair! The next moment, it appeared in front of Qiang Wanzhou and directly intercepted him! Before the few of them could even see what happened clearly, Tuan Zi had already grabbed Qiang Wanzhou and flew back. Then, it flapped its wings and carefully placed Qiang Wanzhou down. Yuwen Jinghong immediately went forward. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s eyes were tightly shut. He was covered in blood, but he was still breathing. ¡°I think he fainted.¡± Yuwen Jinghong turned around and looked at Jian Fengchi. Mu Hongyu tugged at Jian Fengchi¡¯s sleeves, hinting to him to put her down and check on Qiang Wanzhou. Jian Fengchi hesitated for a moment before putting Mu Hongyu beside Tuan Zi and softly reminding her at the same time, ¡°Your external injuries are more serious. You mustn¡¯t move, do you understand?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded seriously as she smiled and waved her fist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve suffered even more severe injuries! Am I not doing well now?¡± When she previously toed the line between life and death, she even awakened the Faint Yuan Body suddenly! Jian Fengchi¡¯s always smiling and flirtatious face was currently cold and nonchalant as he stared at her quietly. When he didn¡¯t smile, he always seemed especially stern, and it exerted a suppression on other people so that they wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey him. Mu Hongyu instantly felt very awkward and even a little guilty as she retracted her waving fists and said softly, ¡°¡­I know.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression then became gentler. Looking at her unkempt face, he used his sleeves to wipe away the blood from the corner of her lips. Wiping halfway, he met with Mu Hongyu¡¯s confused and strange gaze. He then realized what he was doing and stopped his actions. After that, he nonchalantly retracted his hands. However, Mu Hongyu kept staring at him. Her almond eyes were too clean and pure, so Jian Fengchi felt embarrassed for once. He averted his gaze, knitted his brows, and had a look of contempt. ¡°You¡¯re covered in blood. So ugly.¡± Then, he hurriedly turned around and walked toward Qiang Wanzhou. Mu Hongyu touched her own face. She wasn¡¯t angered by Jian Fengchi¡¯s words and instead found it quite strange. Or should she say¡­ his entire person was weird. Perhaps it was an illusion, but she felt that Jian Fengchi always seemed a little guilty when facing her. ¡­ Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t dare to turn around and look at Mu Hongyu again. He walked over, took Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s pulse, and knitted his brows. ¡°How is he doing?¡± asked Yuwen Jinghong carefully. ¡°His force has already been exhausted, and his internal injuries are very serious.¡± Once Jian Fengchi said this, everyone present became worried. Then, they heard Jian Fengchi continue, ¡°But.. his body is very special. It seems like¡­ there¡¯s a force slowly exuding¡­¡± Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t speak in detail. He could feel that there was a shocking coldness in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body. This harsh intent seemed to have frozen a large portion of the latter¡¯s force. Jian Fengchi could vaguely sense that some of the latter¡¯s strength was suppressed by a seal. Qiang Wanzhou had internal injuries at this moment, so it coincidentally shook this portion of his force. If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, this will cause Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body to strengthen greatly. Jian Fengchi produced two pills and let his injured companion take them one by one. ¡°These two pills can temporarily stabilize his internal condition. We¡¯ll talk about the rest later.¡± Wu Ming asked, ¡°So it means that he¡¯s not in grave danger for now?¡± Jian Fengchi hesitated for a moment before nodding. As long as¡­ the seal in his body isn¡¯t completely solved, he should be safe. Hearing him say this, the few people at the side each heaved a slight sigh of relief. ¡°Qiang Wanzhou is out, but where is Her Majesty?¡± Yuwen Jinghong looked down and saw that the spiral had actually disappeared! Very quickly, everything below calmed down. Chu Liuyue had also disappeared without a trace! Shoo! Right at this moment, Tuan Zi hollered loudly as it lowered its body and put down its wings. Wu Ming was dazed for a moment and then asked with uncertainty, ¡°Is it¡­ asking us to go up?¡± Chapter 982 - Reached Just Like That? Chapter 982: Reached Just Like That? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tuan Zi lowered its head and lightly patted Mu Hongyu¡¯s face. Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart felt slightly warm, and she turned back to look at the few of them. ¡°Tuan Zi does want us to leave this place. Let¡¯s go first!¡± ¡°But Her Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Since Tuan Zi wants to do this, it must be her orders,¡± said Mu Hongyu determinedly. ¡°Let¡¯s just follow Tuan Zi first.¡± This did make some sense. Jian Fengchi walked over first. Without speaking, he carried her, jumped up, and landed on Tuan Zi¡¯s back. He carried her with one hand in his arms but didn¡¯t use too much strength as he was afraid that he would touch her injuries. ¡°Jinghong, bring Qiang Wanzhou up too.¡± While he said this, Mu Hongyu could even feel his chest rising and falling and the breathing above her head. Originally, she did feel quite uncomfortable. But upon thinking about the previous scene, she instinctively shut her mouth. Jian Fengchi doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, so it¡¯s better if I don¡¯t trifle. Very quickly, the few of them all got onto Tuan Zi¡¯s back. Tuan Zi flew up with its wings. Wu Ming turned around to take a look and couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°I wonder where it¡¯s bringing us to¡­ I hope everything goes well with Her Majesty¡­¡± ¡­ The few of them didn¡¯t say much on the way, and the atmosphere was a little tense. But after a while, Yuwen Jinghong pointed to the front in shock. ¡°Is the red-tailed phoenix bringing us to Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s main peak?¡± The few of them looked up and realized that they were indeed going in that direction at this moment! ¡­ At this time, the crowd was still continuously trying to ascend to the top of Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s main peak. Jun Jiuqing was the first to arrive¡ªhe looked up at the sky and waited patiently. Then, people started coming up slowly. These people were naturally of different camps since they came from different dynasties. Hence, they guarded against each other. What a joke! When the Three Yuan Convention took place, they would all be competing against each other in no time! How could they possibly be friendly and polite now? As increasingly more people ascended the peak, the atmosphere became increasingly nerve-wracking. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we seen people from the Taiyu Dynasty yet?¡± Someone finally spoke amidst the silence. The one talking was a young man from the Dongning Dynasty. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe they haven¡¯t come up yet,¡± said a slightly plump man from the side. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ We didn¡¯t see them when we climbed up the mountain, right?¡± That young man shook his head and surveyed his surroundings before knitting his brows and lowering his voice. ¡°Now, people from three dynasties have already come up. Only the people from the Taiyu Dynasty and the Tianling Dynasty haven¡¯t appeared yet.¡± ¡°Speaking of this, the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people didn¡¯t seem to come here¡­¡± The slightly plump man was dazed. ¡°It¡¯s normal if the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people didn¡¯t come, right¡­ Aren¡¯t their abilities clear to see?¡± A slightly piercing voice sounded. The person talking was a man from the Xiyan Dynasty, and his figure was slightly muscular. The surrounding people exchanged glances. They heard that this person was Xiyan Dynasty¡¯s Little Prince, Gongsun Yu¡ª Gongsun Xiao¡¯s biological younger brother. As their age difference was quite big, Gongsun Xiao doted on this younger brother of his very much. Adding on his natural talent, Gongsun Yu was naturally very arrogant. ¡°Hey¡ªif I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people seemed to be chased around and beaten by those from the Taiyu Dynasty, right?¡± Gongsun Yu really didn¡¯t care about the Tianling Dynasty at all. From his point of view, they never had the right to come since the start. Even with their relationship with the Beiming Crown Prince, they would eventually land in a miserable state if they didn¡¯t have the ability. The crowd was silent. Only Jun Jiuqing raised his brows, but he didn¡¯t say much. He tilted his head slightly and looked in a certain direction before retracting his gaze. The surrounding people had been secretly observing Jun Jiuqing¡¯s reaction, and they realized that he didn¡¯t have much of a reaction to Gongsun Yu¡¯s words. They couldn¡¯t help but look at each other. Didn¡¯t they say that the Tianling Dynasty is related to the Beiming Crown Prince? But now, it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case¡­ Gongsun Yu said his words in such a manner, yet Jun Jiuqing had no reaction at all. Could it be that he also thinks that the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people don¡¯t have the ability to come up, so he ignored them? Gongsun Yu lightly grunted and became even more confident. The strong will be respected¡ªeven the Beiming Crown Prince has to admit this! ¡°The Three Yuan Convention is about to take place! When the sky lights up, the people who haven¡¯t ascended the peak won¡¯t have any more chances.¡± Gongsun Yu surveyed his surroundings and couldn¡¯t help but be delighted. Now, there were a total of eight people on the peak. Amongst them, the Beiming Dynasty had three people, the Xiyan Dynasty had three, and the Dongning Dynasty had two. Calculating the numbers, they seemed to be able to compare with the Beiming Dynasty! Even though Jun Jiuqing was the first to come up and the Three Yuan Convention¡¯s endless force might choose him eventually, causing the other people to not benefit, this was already quite good. At least they wouldn¡¯t lose in regards to numbers! Hong long long! A thunderous sound suddenly reverberated through the skies! Dark clouds covered the sky, and the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started surging over crazily! In the end, it formed a rainbow light ray. It hung high in the sky and dazzled beautifully! When the crowd saw this scene, they couldn¡¯t conceal their excitement! This was the sign of the Three Yuan Convention about to take place! Even though the force hadn¡¯t finished gathering, the shocking suppression made one bow down uncontrollably. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what kind of shocking strength it would have when the force completely merged together! Jun Jiuqing squinted his eyes slightly. Inside the rainbow light was a holy power. That¡­ was the true essence of the Three Yuan Convention! At the same time, that was also his real motive for this trip! The winds howled loudly in the surroundings! Everyone¡¯s gazes were gathered on the rainbow light in the air! Gradually, a petal formed within! ¡°The time is about to come!¡± Gongsun Yu looked down the mountain and laughed delightfully. ¡°All those who haven¡¯t come up now have no more chances!¡± Out of the five dynasties, only three came up, and we even have the advantage in numbers! We didn¡¯t lose out on this trip! But the moment he said this, he heard a clear scream come from behind! Caw! The crowd looked back in shock, and they saw a red figure quickly approaching! ¡°Red-tailed phoenix?!¡± That slightly plump man from the Dongning Dynasty couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°I-isn¡¯t that¡­ Isn¡¯t that¡ª¡± That was clearly the legendary fiend of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Shangguan Yue! Gongsun Yu and the rest were stunned. But just as they were momentarily dazed, that red-tailed phoenix had already directly flown to the top of the mountain! A person jumped down from its back. Then, it was the second one. The third. The fourth. Increasingly more people came down. In the blink of an eye, they had already exceeded the three dynasties present. As the crowd watched them shockingly and speechlessly, Qiang Wanzhou was also brought down. The fifth one! Yuwen Jinghong scratched his head, looked up, and said in confusion, ¡°Did we¡­ just reach here like that?¡± Chapter 983 - Convening of the Three Yuan! The crowd fell into dead silence. Wu Ming coughed and glanced at him. ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to nurse our injuries properly.¡± Yuwen Jinghong then noticed that the complicated gazes in the surroundings were causing chills to run down his spine, and he hurriedly nodded. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± The mountain peak was very smooth and spacious; there was more than enough space to fit the few of them. But when the few of them moved, there were still a few gazes glued to them. The surroundings were increasingly silent; only the sounds of the few of them walking was especially clear. This was clearly awkward. Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but say softly to Jian Fengchi, ¡°Why do they keep staring at us¡­¡± While Jian Fengchi applied medicine to his arm, he didn¡¯t even look up as he said lightly, ¡°If anyone suddenly intercepted them during the competition, they would also stare at the culprit in such a manner.¡± Besides, they didn¡¯t even intercept them since they directly reached the top! One had to know that these people spent a lot of effort to ascend the peak with much difficulty. Now that they saw the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people easily reaching the top, how could they not be angry? Mu Hongyu nodded in understanding and obediently shut her mouth. Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming brought Qiang Wanzhou over. Tuan Zi followed tightly behind. The five of them gathered in a circle, and the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s group instantly became the largest team on this mountain peak. Gongsun Yu¡¯s face turned ugly. He had just said those words, yet these people came in the blink of an eye¡ªall five of them in one go no less. Even the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s people couldn¡¯t do this, yet this group easily completed it with just one legendary fiend! How infuriating! ¡°Hey!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but say to them viciously, ¡°All of us came up with our own ability! It¡¯s too much if you play small tricks like this, right?¡± Jian Fengchi was too lazy to bother with him as he meticulously treated Mu Hongyu¡¯s wound. But Yuwen Jinghong couldn¡¯t stand such words, so he crossed his arms and chuckled. ¡°Little tricks? This legendary fiend is ours. Can¡¯t we use it? Besides, before we came in, nobody said that we couldn¡¯t do this, right? If you¡¯re so indignant, why don¡¯t you summon your own legendary fiend?¡± Gongsun Yu was stumped. The young man behind Gongsun Yu defended him by retorting. ¡°But isn¡¯t this legendary fiend Shangguan Yue¡¯s? What has it got to do with you? You secretly snuck the legendary fiend in to ascend the main peak¡­ Hah.¡± As he spoke, his words had an unconcealable contempt. Yuwen Jinghong coldly said, ¡°We didn¡¯t bring in this legendary fiend secretly; this is Her Majesty¡¯s. Also¡ªwatch your words. Can you directly call Tianling Empress Yuan Xi¡¯s name?¡± Hearing Yuwen Jinghong suppress them with Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity, that man looked rather fearful and immediately kept quiet. ¡°Since you admitted that it¡¯s hers, how would it appear here if you didn¡¯t sneak this legendary fiend in? You¡ª¡± ¡°Because Her Majesty is also here.¡± Yuwen Jinghong laughed lightly. The crowd was stunned in unison. ¡°Impossible! There¡¯s already five of you here, so how can she possibly be here too?¡± said Gongsun Yu as he knitted his brows. ¡°Hm? Her Majesty had already entered this place a few days ago. Counting the time, it has already been eight or nine days. What? It has been so long, yet you guys didn¡¯t know at all?¡± Yuwen Jinghong glanced at them from the corner of his eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe us, you can ask the few from the Beiming Dynasty. They saw it clearly back then!¡± Hearing his confident tone, Gongsun Yu and the rest instantly felt guilty as they hurriedly looked at Jun Jiuqing. Jun Jiuqing lazily said, ¡°I thought that she would reach earlier, but it now seems like¡­ I underestimated her.¡± He admitted it! Gongsun Yu and the rest instantly became more embarrassed as many doubts filled their hearts. How could Shangguan Yue just enter in the middle? How did she do it? It seems like she¡¯s the only one from all the dynasties that came. Why did the rest not stop her or send other people in with her? There were too many questions, but there was clearly no meaning in asking them now. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s had already reached the top. Could they really chase the former down? Even though the few of them all looked injured, the red-tailed phoenix at the side wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with¡­ When the two men behind him saw this, they hurriedly comforted him in a flattering manner. ¡°Little Prince, there¡¯s actually nothing much to be worried about. Even if they¡¯re here, they¡¯re just injured troops and aren¡¯t worth a mention!¡± ¡°Yeah! Other than them, who here didn¡¯t use their true abilities to climb up? When the Three Yuan Convention takes place, they will definitely be in a miserable state!¡± Gongsun Yu was originally indignant, but he felt slightly better when he heard this. That¡¯s true. It¡¯s better if I place my focus on the Three Yuan Convention! As for the rest¡­ Capabilities will speak for us! ¡­ The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people didn¡¯t care about this small argument. This was because they were busy nursing their wounds at this moment while also anxiously waiting for Chu Liuyue¡¯s arrival. Since the red-tailed phoenix had sent us here, then¡­ She should also appear here, right? Seeing the rainbow light gradually revealing its rough outline, the few of them knew that they didn¡¯t have much time left. But when looking around, they still couldn¡¯t see any signs of Chu Liuyue! ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. Mu Hongyu¡¯s wounds were basically already treated. Even though she was severely injured before, Jian Fengchi was luckily around and gave her medication in time. Adding on her strong recovery power, she very quickly wasn¡¯t at risk, and her condition stabilized. As Jian Fengchi had Mu Hongyu¡¯s help, he didn¡¯t suffer as many injuries as Mu Hongyu when they escaped from that terrifying space. Hence, he was better after some nourishment. Yuwen Jinghong and Wu Ming had also pretty much recovered in these few days. So, all in all, only Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s condition was the worst amongst them. He leaned against a rock with his head tilted, and his breathing was slightly weak. His soft golden hair covered his eyes, so nobody saw that a faint light had surfaced on his brows. In his body, waves of two different forces were crazily intertwining! One was that seal¡¯s energy, and the other was the freezing cold energy! At Dahuang Swamp previously, that seal already had signs of moving, and the harsh impact from this force now injured him even more! Besides, with the agitation from the force in the space, the frozen strength in his body simply wanted to break free of the restriction and rush out! Excruciating pain filled his entire body! Qiang Wanzhou curled up, and he painfully knitted his brows. The light on his glabella was even more obvious! Wu Ming noticed his strange behavior. Just as he wanted to take a closer look, a loud sound was heard coming from the skies! Lightning descended from the skies and directly struck the rainbow light! Rumble! Chapter 984 - Trump Card Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this point, a bright white light flashed across the sky! The last day had already come, and this lightning was the start of the Three Yuan Convention! When that lightning struck down and harshly hit the rainbow light, thick Heaven and Earth Force started spreading from that rainbow light quickly! Clang! A red row of light quickly spread in all directions! At that moment, it lit up half the sky as if it were tumbling waves that crashed against a harsh rock! It was also like a tidal wave that rolled everything away. The vigorous and terrifying strength was rich! ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± someone yelled! The crowd looked over, and they were all well-guarded. Boundless force sparkling with red light descended from the skies. The terrifying suppression quickly descended as well! Shoo! Before the horrifying force could totally descend, it had already caused great trepidation to arise amongst the crowd. A man standing behind Gongsun Yu suddenly puked out blood, and his face flashed white! He looked up, and his face was filled with horror. I heard that the Three Yuan Convention¡¯s force would descend in a few phases. Only those who can completely endure it will obtain the endless force, including the holy force that Beiming¡¯s ancestor had left behind that year! I never hoped that I could be that person, but I never thought that I couldn¡¯t even endure the first stage! At this very moment, he wasn¡¯t the only one feeling so terrible. The thick red force spread across, dyeing the entire sky red. The dark clouds glowed with red light, and the forests howled on the mountains! Ferocious force came from all directions and entered their bodies, crazily surging through! The excruciating pain made one feel terrible! The first man who puked out blood really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. His knees gave way, and he directly collapsed onto the floor. Bam! The sound of his kneecaps crashing against rock could almost be ignored amidst this stunning commotion. Even Gongsun Xiao had retracted all his thoughts and put in his best effort to handle all of this. It was already very difficult to protect oneself, let alone care for others. The red force came down and instantly destroyed more than half of the trees on the main peak. Everywhere it went, trees and branches broke while rocks collapsed. ¡°Ah!!!¡± A painful cry came from the mountains, and it reverberated throughout the mountains. It wasn¡¯t hard to hear that the voice¡¯s owner was experiencing extreme torture. It was a mess between heaven and earth, and this was only the beginning! ¡­ Just as the entire sky was about to be drowned by the red force, a black figure quickly flew over from far away¡ªit was the legendary three-eyed eagle! A woman stood on its back; her red dress and black hair flew along with the wind! Her face and body had messy bloodstains, but she didn¡¯t look unkempt. Instead, she had an intense combat spirit that made one¡¯s heart shudder. She stared at the nearby main peak closely. It was dark everywhere¡ªonly that ball of rainbow light was the most eye-catching existence! From here, one could clearly see that waves of force were within the empty sky, and these ripples undoubtedly surrounded the rainbow light in the center! At first glance, it seemed like¡­ all the force in this world moved according to its breathing! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes dangerously, but her lips curled up into a smile. ¡°This is the thing that wanted to stop me previously?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A holy force is left within that rainbow light. It¡¯s very obvious and has a tinge of the Beiming Ancestor¡¯s consciousness. It probably detected that you were a threat, so it had such great enmity toward you.¡± The ancestor¡¯s voice entered her ears. ¡°It should¡¯ve already noticed something when you slashed open the barrier, which brought about the series of troubles in the end.¡± ¡°It seems like it thinks quite highly of me. Won¡¯t it be too inappropriate if I don¡¯t give it anything in return?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. Previously, I wasn¡¯t very interested in the Three Yuan Convention. I just wanted to come in and rescue Mu Hongyu and the rest, ensuring their safety. I didn¡¯t expect that the other party had already set their eyes on me even though I hadn¡¯t taken action, and it even wanted to trap me within the chaotic space! I have always abided by a principle: If others don¡¯t offend me, I won¡¯t offend them! If others offend me, I¡¯ll uproot them! Shangguan Jing thought for a moment. ¡°Do you really want to snatch that holy force? You need to know that it¡¯s not that easy to win against all those people and accept the holy power¡¯s suppression with your current abilities!¡± It was hard to deal with Jun Jiuqing alone! He was Beiming¡¯s crown prince, so how could he allow other people to snatch the holy force their ancestor left behind? Shua! A dark glow flashed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand¡ªthe Long Yuan Sword appeared in it. ¡°I need to attempt snatching first to know if I can get it!¡± As she spoke, she jumped up! Then, she quickly landed at the bottom of the main peak! The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s figure also instantly disappeared in midair, returning to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! Chu Liuyue looked up and started going upward. ¡­ Chu Liuyue was the latest to arrive at the main peak. Without a doubt, it would be much harder for her if she chose to climb up the peak at this moment compared to the rest. After all, the others weren¡¯t restricted by the suppression emanating from the Three Yuan Convention¡¯s vigorous and thick force when they ascended the mountain peak! At this very moment, that terrifying force overwhelmed the main peak. Every step one took was even harder than before! But luckily, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t severely injured. Together with her skill and the Long Yuan Sword, it wasn¡¯t that difficult for her to proceed upward. She walked a distance in this manner. Not long later, she met a young man. At this time, that young man was running toward the foot of the mountain in a panic. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Chu Liuyue. The two of them looked at each other. That young man hesitated for a moment before suddenly widening his eyes. ¡°Y-you are¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue recognized this face; he seemed to be from the Xiyan Dynasty. She lightly nodded in agreement before continuing to climb upward. ¡°Hey¡ªy-you want to go up?¡± asked that man hurriedly and dazedly. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Isn¡¯t it very obvious? ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous up there!¡± That young man waved his hands, and his expression was traumatized. ¡°You should hurriedly go down with me!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless, but she then smiled. ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s okay.¡± Seeing that she wasn¡¯t heeding his advice, that young man became even more anxious. ¡°Aiya! You just came up, so you don¡¯t know! The closer you are to the peak, the stronger the suppression you have to endure, and the more dangerous it is! Don¡¯t treat it as nothing¡­¡± Coincidentally, a second lightning bolt came down from the tumbling dark clouds at this moment. Hong long long! The rainbow light glowed brightly, and then endless orange force surged out! Like a mountain collapsing, it covered thousands of miles! Very quickly, that terrifying force surged to where the duo was! ¡°Look! I was saying this is dangero¡ª¡± said that young man hurriedly, but he stopped in his sentence before he could even finish it.. This was because all the force stopped about one step away from that woman! Chapter 985 - A Peach Blossom Chapter 985: A Peach Blossom Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She stood there quietly without doing anything. The force and suppression that seemed very terrifying to others didn¡¯t seem to threaten her at all. One could vaguely see rays of golden light circulating around her. Chu Liuyue was actually shocked in her heart. This was because she only now discovered that the pure gold armor¡­ seemed stronger than before? This is too strange¡­ After all, this isn¡¯t the first or second time I have used the pure gold armor. However, this has never happened before. It¡¯s very strong now, so strong that I can fight with three stage-eight warriors and escape unscathed alone. It didn¡¯t seem to be this strong previously¡­ Chu Liuyue suppressed this doubt and raised her hand. Orange force flew over and silently entered her body. Even though the force is dangerous, it still contains an extremely powerful strength. It would be a pity if it was completely isolated outside. If I can use it, I should still do it, right? Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s series of actions, that young man had his eyes open and mouth agape. W-what exactly is she doing? Others can¡¯t even avoid it, yet she has so much interest that she is willingly leading it into her body? Right at this moment, a suppression quickly arrived from above! The young man was negligent at that moment, so he didn¡¯t notice this danger in time. When he realized that something was amiss, the orange force had already reached the front of his face! It looked like it was about to crush him! Whoosh! A black glow quickly flashed across and blocked this force. At that moment, the orange light dissipated into the air. ¡°This place will become even more dangerous later. You should leave as soon as possible; it¡¯ll be safer for you.¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her Long Yuan Sword, said this, and walked upward. That young man dazedly stared at her figure for quite some time before loudly yelling, ¡°Thank you so much!¡± However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was already very far away. He pressed his lips against each other and finally walked down toward the foot of the mountain. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue was halfway up the peak, she had already endured the third wave of force. Like she had predicted, the higher she went, the stronger the suppression she had to endure, and the more dangerous her situation was. However, she didn¡¯t become slower and instead ascended faster. This was because¡­ it still felt pretty good to absorb this force? As Chu Liuyue went upward, she kept absorbing the surrounding force. It was an existence that contained holy force after all, so the force that emanated from the rainbow light was much purer than the ordinary force from outside. Chu Liuyue vaguely felt that she had touched that invisible barrier again¡ªstage-seven warrior! When the force from the Three Yuan Convention all comes down, I can probably smoothly break through¡­ While Chu Liuyue kept going upward, she could hear occasional cries. These cries should be caused by the people who tried to ascend the mountain but couldn¡¯t endure the force. When she finished two-thirds of her journey, the fifth wave came. And this time, two figures flew down from the top. Of course, they were obviously eliminated. Chu Liuyue glanced at them from afar and found their figures rather familiar¡ªit seemed to be people from the Beiming Dynasty and the Xiyan Dynasty. She looked up and raised her brows slightly. Jian Fengchi and the rest actually persisted until now¡­ ¡­ Rumble! The seventh bolt of lightning landed and struck the light! At this point, it was no longer the rainbow light from the beginning as it was only left with three colors intersecting with each other. And this strike of lightning caused a terrifying force tide again! This time, the force was a sinister purple color! It descended from the skies and rolled over! At this point, the main mountain peak and the surrounding few peaks were basically bald as cracks could be seen everywhere on the mountains. It looked like debris. However, only the top of the main peak was still as smooth and tidy as before. At this moment, only a few people were left up there. Only Gongsun Yu from the Xiyan Dynasty was left. Only that slightly plump man from the Dongning Dynasty was left. Even the Beiming Dynasty was only left with Jun Jiuqing and Qing Dai. But¡­ Other than them, the five people from the Tianling Dynasty were still around! Even though the group wasn¡¯t in good condition, they were still here in one piece! This was due to Tuan Zi¡¯s efforts, but they had also worked together to keep everybody here. Mu Hongyu had a Faint Yuan Body, so she could temporarily freeze the surrounding space. With this alone, they avoided the strongest attack¡ªthis allowed them not to be eliminated until now. The surrounding light burned and was extinguished at various times. Qiang Wanzhou leaned against the side and didn¡¯t move much. Only the pattern on his glabella was shining even more brightly. ¡­ The seventh wave of force spread across! At this point, only the colors of silver and gold were left intertwining within that light, and the outline inside could gradually be seen clearly! It seemed to be a flower, but it was a pity one couldn¡¯t see what it was from the outside! Jun Jiuqing closely stared at the light as if important matters must be kept a secret. Rumble! The eighth lightning bolt! Immediately, silver light shone across the entire land! As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. That glowing, golden fire-like ball in midair started burning intensely¡ªit was very oppressive! Golden light shone everywhere, and one could vaguely see that a flower was waiting to blossom within. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. For some reason, she felt a strong sense of familiarity from the bottom of her heart! She instinctively held the Long Yuan Sword tighter as she jumped up and rushed toward the mountain peak! Light flashed right at this moment, and she could finally see the thing within clearly! It was actually¡ªa peach blossom! Chapter 986 - Everything is Yours Chapter 986: Everything is Yours Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At the same time, Jun Jiuqing also saw this scene. His eyes¡ªwhich had a faint hint of blood-red color¡ªhad a flash of annoyance and murderous intent. ¡°How annoying and irritating¡­¡± His lips slightly curled up into a faint smile, but his eyes and brows were extremely cold. His hoarse and low voice also sounded a little sinister. Qing Dai¡ªwho stood behind him¡ªheard this and couldn¡¯t help looking up. It was a pity that the light in the golden ball kept shining and dazzling, so she couldn¡¯t see what was inside clearly. She quickly glanced at Jun Jiuqing from the corner of her eyes and was a little curious. The Crown Prince seems like he is very temperamental, but most of the time, he is always nonchalant and cold. He cares about very few things, let alone allow them to affect his mood. But just now, he seemed to have seen something within that light, which made his surrounding aura suddenly become so cold and sinister¡­ There haven¡¯t been many such situations. Besides, His Highness has already accepted most of the Three Yuan Convention¡¯s strength. He is only one step away from inheriting the endless force, so why would he be annoyed? But before she could think this through, an extremely dangerous aura attacked from all directions! In the dark sky, the silver force ferociously surged around like a never-ending lake that kept going forward! The crowd atop the peak seemed extremely minute in front of such strength! When the silver force descended from the skies, it instantly became a huge wave! ¡°Your¡ª¡± The moment Qing Dai spoke, her body was hurled forward uncontrollably. She almost instinctively wanted to circulate the force in her body to weaken a portion of this strength, but¡­ she could not! Her bit of strength was very insignificant! The terrifying force kept squeezing and intersecting, causing her internal organs to explode! Then, her vision turned black, and her body was thrown out! Bam! Qing Dai harshly collided with a neighboring mountain! She vomited a mouthful of blood, and her body kept dropping until it landed on one of the protruding stones, causing a few of her bones to break. She wanted to hold herself up, but it was to no avail. She could only depend on her right arm¡ªwhich could still be considered well¡ªto help herself up forcefully. Ignoring the wounds on her body, she immediately looked up at the main peak! At this point, the sky above Ancient Phoenix Mountain was already covered by tumbling dark clouds. The world was completely dark. A golden ball of light floated in midair and dazzled brightly, almost causing one to be unable to open their eyes, as it exuded a holy and tremendous aura! It made one bow down to it instinctively! Below that golden ball of light, a circular-shaped silver sea covered the main peak completely. The colors of the force that previously appeared all seemed dull and lifeless in front of this silver light. From far away, that bit of color was just the edge of the gigantic, circular-shaped silver sea, and it was an insignificant existence. At the same time, the strength that exploded out was more than a few-fold the previous one! Qing Dai nervously watched on as she quickly searched for something within. Very quickly, she saw a tall figure jumping out from that silver sea! Arrogant, sinister, demon-like, yet strong and formidable! Qing Dai¡¯s uneasy heart finally settled down. ¡°Luckily¡­ Cough, cough¡ª¡± She closed her eyes and felt very lucky. Even though the overwhelming blood in her mouth agitated her until she kept coughing, nothing else mattered as long as she could see him succeed. The eighth bolt of lightning struck down, and the Three Yuan Convention exuded a tremendous strength that was never before seen! His Highness should be the only one who can persist in staying atop that mountain peak¡­ right? When Qing Dai thought of this, her eyes were filled with admiration and respect. As if to confirm her guesses, a few figures were quickly kicked out by that violent strength one after another! She looked up and saw that it was two people¡ªpeople from the Dongning Dynasty and the Xiyan Dynasty. Then, a red figure was kicked out from that silver sea¡ªred-tailed phoenix! Amidst the chaos, it flapped its wings and hurriedly stabilized itself. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a few people in its claws. They were clearly the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people. Qing Dai originally already felt discomfort about their presence, so she instantly felt much better when she saw this scene. Even her wounds didn¡¯t hurt as much. In that case, only His Highness is left on that mountain¡ª Whoosh! Just as this thought flashed across her mind, an ear-piercing sound was heard! Then, a thin and tall figure jumped up from below! The sword aura was ferocious and directly broke through the silver sea! Qing Dai suddenly widened her eyes¡ªShangguan Yue! ¡­ After breaking through layers of force, Chu Liuyue felt that there seemed to be a mountain on her shoulders because they felt heavier than ever. But when she tried to break through everything and jump up, the suppression instantly disappeared! The golden light shone above her head, and the silver wave rippled beneath her feet. Great amounts of pure strength came from all directions! Everything was great, except¡­ Jun Jiuqing, who wasn¡¯t far away! Detecting this scene, Jun Jiuqing looked over. His handsome and nearly sinister-like face wasn¡¯t shocked at all as he raised his brows slightly and slowly said, ¡°You¡¯re much slower than I expected.¡± Originally, he thought that she would be a little slower than him at most, but he didn¡¯t expect her to almost not make it. But¡­ Being able to go up all the way from the foot of the mountain with the Three Yuan Convention descending wasn¡¯t an easy feat. Chu Liuyue glanced at him in a nonchalant manner. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I make it. What¡¯s the difference between being early and late?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s brows rose slightly, and he said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°You aren¡¯t as strong as last time, but your personality stayed the same.¡± She has always been like this¡ªway too arrogant. There were many arrogant people in the world, including Jun Jiuqing himself. He usually disliked such people, but he always felt that she was different from the rest. Hence, he found it rather interesting to see more of such scenes. Chu Liuyue completely ignored him. Jun Jiuqing knew my identity a very long time ago. He even knows me better than I know myself. It¡¯s fine if he said something useful, but it¡¯s a pity he always seems to say such meaningless words. How boring. She looked up at that ball of golden light and said openly, ¡°The Three Yuan Convention has endless force and that wave of holy force in it, but it seems like only one person can inherit it?¡± Jun Jiuqing wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°You want to fight with me?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly. ¡°Even though this strength belongs to the Beiming Ancestor¡­ Since I¡¯m already here, won¡¯t it be a pity if I don¡¯t try?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my match.¡± Jun Jiuqing looked very relaxed. ¡°Even if he helps you, distant water cannot extinguish the nearby fire. The results will still be the same.¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. He? ¡°But if you want this item, it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t have a way.¡± Jun Jiuqing looked at her with a deep gaze, and his thin lips curled up slightly. His voice was low and hoarse, like a slightly warm evening breeze that blew past one¡¯s ear.. ¡°As long as you agree to a marriage agreement with me, everything here can be yours!¡± Chapter 987 - Ultimate Weapon! Chu Liuyue half-squinted and chuckled lightly. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but it¡¯s a pity I¡¯m not interested in this suggestion. Besides, you have so many connections, Beiming Crown Prince. You should know that I already have a fianc¨¦, right? It doesn¡¯t seem very appropriate for you to say this, right?¡± ¡°You also said that it¡¯s a fianc¨¦. Since you haven¡¯t married him, others naturally stand a chance. Furthermore¡­ There are many couples who choose to divorce because they can¡¯t stand each other. There wouldn¡¯t be too many if you joined that crowd.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes smiled with deep intentions as if he didn¡¯t notice how inappropriate his words were. ¡°I never had much patience, but¡­ I can still afford to wait for you.¡± ¡°Then, you might be disappointed.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and smiled. ¡°Perhaps this wait will be until the day you die. Why would you do it?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze instantly turned deep, and his surrounding aura became sinister and cold! Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body tensed up as she held the Long Yuan Sword tightly! Anyone who heard this would be upset, let alone the high and mighty Beiming Crown Prince! But just when Chu Liuyue thought Jun Jiuqing was about to blow up, his dangerous aura gradually subsided. She¡¯s indeed like before, not fun to be with at all. Jun Jiuqing retracted his gaze as he looked up and glanced at the golden ball of light, his lips curling up into a cold smile. ¡°Since this is so, I won¡¯t be polite with you anymore!¡± Whenever she mentions that person, her expression will always cause me to be furious very easily. Even though she has now changed her physical body and lost her memory, to that person, she is still so¡­ How infuriating! At this point, the ninth bolt of lightning finally descended! Rumble¡ª The lightning descended and harshly struck that golden ball of light! The shining star instantly exploded¡ªit spread in all directions! Instantly, the sky lost its color! It was like an invisible hand tore a gigantic hole in the dark sky, and the river that sparkled with golden light kept flowing out from it! It instantly covered everything! Chu Liuyue and Jun Jiuqing¡¯s figures were also swallowed instantly! ¡­ When all the spectators saw this scene, they were anxious! ¡°W-was that Her Majesty?¡± asked Yuwen Jinghong uneasily. When they were directly flung out by the violent force earlier, they only forcefully stabilized themselves with Tuan Zi¡¯s help. At this point, they were all at the halfway point of the other mountain. Even though they still couldn¡¯t completely avoid the terrifying suppression, it was still much safer than before. They originally thought that they had no hopes of snatching it, but they didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to appear at the very end! But upon thinking that her opponent was Jun Jiuqing, they were all very uneasy. Jun Jiuqing was extremely strong, and he was also the Beiming Crown Prince. Hence, he had an advantage! Compared to him, Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t have an advantage. ¡°S-she¡¯ll be fine, right¡­ That¡¯s the Three Yuan Convention¡¯s last force¡­¡± The position the duo was previously at could be said to be right in the middle. They had already retreated such a large distance and only felt a slight portion of the suppression, yet they already felt so uncomfortable. It was really hard to imagine if they were within it! ¡°She¡¯ll definitely be fine!¡± said Mu Hongyu seriously as she stared at the gold and silver intersecting ocean in midair. No matter what, she can always handle it. It will also be the same this time! ¡°Wu¡­¡± A low and painful moan was heard. Qiang Wanzhou was huddled in a corner at the side. His eyes were tightly shut as if he were experiencing terrifying torture. Wu Ming called him a few times, but the latter still didn¡¯t wake up. ¡°Qiang¡ª¡± Wu Ming instinctively reached forward to hit him, but the moment he touched the latter¡¯s body, he gasped and immediately retracted his hand! ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body was as cold as a piece of ice! No, this cold intention was clearly even more chilling than that! ¡°Guys, come and see. What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Wu Ming¡¯s nervous state shocked the rest. Jian Fengchi walked over and planned to take Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s pulse. The moment he touched the latter, it was chilling to the bone! He immediately knitted his brows! Just this one touch feels like a sinisterly cold power has flowed to my limbs and bones from my palm! A thought surfaced in his mind, and a ball of fire instantly appeared in his hands! Using this fire as a barrier, he held Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s shoulder and flipped him over. With this one look, Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression instantly changed. Even the others were taken aback! This was because a thin layer of frost had frozen on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s face at some point! A strange pattern faintly appeared on his glabella. That terrifying coldness was exuding from there! ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on with him?¡± Mu Hongyu widened her eyes slightly, and her face was dazed and shocked. Jian Fengchi let go of his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him first. It¡¯ll be hard to remove once this sinisterly cold power enters your body.¡± I only touched him for a short while, yet that coldness almost froze my palm! If I didn¡¯t activate the fire to stop it earlier, I¡¯m afraid¡­ ¡°It seems like a seal in his body is about to break.¡± ¡°Seal? D-didn¡¯t he grow up in Nan Jiang from a young age? Why does he have a seal?¡± asked Yuwen Jinghong curiously. Jian Fengchi shook his head. Then, he suddenly thought of something and turned around to look at the brilliant light show. The waves of force were quickly spreading in all directions, with that place as the center. ¡°Perhaps¡­ the strength from the Three Yuan Convention helped him this time¡­¡± said Jian Fengchi as he knitted his brows even more tightly. This was because he also didn¡¯t know if this was helping Qiang Wanzhou or¡­ At this point, Qiang Wanzhou curled up even tighter, and his brows glowed! ¡­ When that terrifying golden force overwhelmed them, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even have time to react as she was directly hit and harshly fell on the peak! Bam! Excruciating pain came from her back¡ªthis almost made Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind blank temporarily! She stuck the Long Yuan Sword into the ground, wanting to use it to stand up. However, she felt that her entire body was pressed down by an immense force as every movement was very difficult. The last force of the Three Yuan Convention descended. The endless force that had accumulated for thousands of years surged out, and its suppression was naturally unimaginable¡ªnot to mention that it had a hint of holy strength! The bloody taste that appeared between her lips and teeth was directly swallowed by Chu Liuyue. She slowly moved, and the hard armor scratched against the ground, producing an ear-piercing sound. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. She knew that without this pure gold armor, that move would¡¯ve directly taken her life away! She looked up and saw that Jun Jiuqing was still standing in midair, and he was surrounded by an endless sparkling glow! Compared to her, he seemed much more relaxed. At the end of the day, it was still because her cultivation level and capabilities weren¡¯t up to par. Thus, she ended up in such a miserable state. ¡°Girlie, do you still want to continue?¡± asked Shangguan Jing as he was filled with worry. With her current level, handling this scene is too¡­ ¡°Of course!¡± said Chu Liuyue with clenched teeth. Once she said this, a black shield appeared in front of her! She closely stared at the black shield in front of her and softly muttered, ¡°It all depends on you if I can make it this time!¡± Chapter 988 - Why Hasn’t It Stopped? Chapter 988: Why Hasn¡¯t It Stopped? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tsing! When the heavy black shield landed on the ground loudly, a few cracks immediately appeared. Chu Liuyue glanced down, and her eyes shrunk a little when she saw the spreading cracks. One had to know that even the Long Yuan Sword couldn¡¯t leave any traces on this ground¡­ Previously, she had already noticed that this smooth and neat peak was different from the other peaks. The other peaks kept getting destroyed by the continuous waves of force, and even the body of this main mountain was in a state of debris. Only this mountain peak was undamaged! However, this black shield just landed and instantly caused it to crack¡­ In the beginning, Chu Liuyue already faintly felt that this black shield was very mysterious, but it was even stronger than she had predicted. At this point, it indeed seemed like the case. With this black shield¡¯s help, the suppression Chu Liuyue felt was instantly reduced by a fair bit. This also gave her a chance to breathe. After quickly appeasing her aura, she started thinking of what to do next. Without a doubt, Jun Jiuqing is more advantageous than me in every aspect, so it¡¯s actually very difficult for me to take the final victory. But since I¡¯m already here, I have to give it a try. Besides, I haven¡¯t gotten my revenge for whatever I suffered in that chaotic space! Chu Liuyue looked up. The golden force surrounding Jun Jiuqing was being absorbed by him quickly. The absorption of the force waves caused by the Three Yuan Convention depended on one¡¯s ability. If one could absorb more force than others, they would be the winning party. The more one absorbed, the more one could improve their strength. Of course, the cultivator¡¯s strengths in many aspects had to be taken into consideration. If one just greedily absorbed the force and arrogantly ignored their own limits, they would eventually be harmed, with no benefits gained at all. Right at this moment, a small, golden peach blossom silently dropped. Chu Liuyue almost instinctively reached out to catch that peach blossom. The moment she saw it, she could confirm that it was the one she had previously seen in the golden light. But the moment she touched it, the peach blossom silently disappeared, forming a few rays of light that entered her palm. A warm force rushed to her limbs and bones! The wounds she previously incurred started to recover rapidly! Chu Liuyue was also shocked. This.. doesn¡¯t seem like the strength within the Three Yuan Convention? But how did it appear here, and it¡¯s even in the shape of a peach blossom¡­ Rumble! Before Chu Liuyue could think these questions through, waves of force started hitting harshly again! She glanced at her palm deeply and retracted her thoughts as she sat cross-legged and placed her hands on her knees. The endless golden force that came down¡ªlike floodwater¡ªfrom the sky wrapped around her. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and started to absorb the surrounding force crazily. ¡­ The speed that Chu Liuyue absorbed the Heaven and Earth Force was very high. In no time, a golden force vortex appeared above her head. At the same time, her bodily aura was quickly strengthened! However, this didn¡¯t make the spectating Mu Hongyu group rest at ease. Instead, they were even more worried. ¡°Why is Her Majesty absorbing the force at such a high speed?! I-it¡¯s too dangerous! She¡¯s still a peak stage-six warrior!¡± Yuwen Jinghong panicked. With this absorption speed, her body will collapse in less than 15 minutes! But no matter how worried they were, they couldn¡¯t get close to the main mountain. Thus, they could only watch on. Mu Hongyu clenched her fists tightly, and her heart was also being wrenched. She pressed her lips against each other and still said with determination, ¡°I believe she knows her limits. She can definitely do it!¡± ¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± Gongsun Yu wasn¡¯t severely injured after he was thrown off, but he was still very indignant when he saw the scene on the mountain peak. I have nothing to say about Jun Jiuqing being left behind to inherit this strength, but what is with that Shangguan Yue? It¡¯s fine that she suddenly barged into Ancient Phoenix Mountain, yet she still wants to fight with Jun Jiuqing? Who gave her the guts? ¡­ As she stared at the main mountain closely, Qing Dai treated her wounds simply with much difficulty. Why did His Highness not stop Shangguan Yue from snatching the last bit of strength? When they had a face-off previously, he clearly had the time and chance to do so¡­ Qing Dai bit her lips. She had been by His Highness¡¯s side since she was young. Though she didn¡¯t dare to say that she knew him very well, she was still familiar with his character and could roughly guess his thoughts. He has always hated other people stealing things that belong to him. Now that Ancient Phoenix Mountain is opened, he wants to get it very badly. Logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t be this polite to Shangguan Yue¡­ Thinking of the meaningful gaze he looked at her with earlier, Qing Dai felt even more uncomfortable. Does His Highness really like¡­ that Shangguan Yue? Thinking of this, Qing Dai unwittingly held her sleeves tightly. ¡­ Not only these people, but even the crowd waiting outside the barrier had seen this scene. Everyone had different reactions. ¡°Shangguan Yue still went for that¡­¡± Gongsun Xiao had a complicated expression as he silently glanced at Jun Qizhi. Jun Qizhi looked nonchalant as he stroked his beard and said, ¡°It¡¯s good for youngsters to have the guts to try their luck.¡± His meaning was that Shangguan Yue definitely couldn¡¯t beat Jun Jiuqing. Actually, most of the people present had similar thoughts¡ªShangguan Yue had no chance of winning in this battle. ¡°She seemed to be using something to block herself,¡± said Ning Yuan suddenly. It was a pity they could only see the rough situation from outside and couldn¡¯t confirm what it was. ¡°It seems like a¡­ shield.¡± ¡°No matter if it¡¯s a shield or something else, the final result is already confirmed!¡± Dantai Chen sneered. The endless force still has a hint of holy force in it! Even if Shangguan Yue has a legendary weapon, with her current abilities, she definitely can¡¯t use it to fight against that strength. She is bound to lose this battle! Dantai Chen was more than happy to see how pretentious Shangguan Yue was. The more arrogant she is now, the more miserable her ending will be! It will be as easy as ABC to teach her a lesson after she comes out! ¡­ In the blink of an eye, 15 minutes had passed. Chu Liuyue still didn¡¯t move as she kept absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. This made Yuwen Jinghong and the rest stunned. According to our previous calculations, Chu Liuyue could only last for 15 minutes at best. But now, it seems like it isn¡¯t much of a problem? The few of them could only wait uneasily. However, they didn¡¯t expect this wait to last for an hour! At this point, Chu Liuyue still didn¡¯t make any sound at all! Judging from the golden force vortex above her head, they knew that she was still rapidly absorbing the force! Her body was like a bottomless pit that contained all of that force! Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s previously relaxed heart started to tremble again. ¡°W-why hasn¡¯t Her Majesty stopped?!¡± Chapter 989 - Perilous Situation Chapter 989: Perilous Situation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Actually, they felt quite comforted and elated when they saw that Chu Liuyue had persisted for quite some time in the beginning. However, it was¡­ too long now! This instead made them worried again. Jian Fengchi glanced at Tuan Zi by the side, a faint sharp light flashing across his ice-cold eyes. He then leaned against the rock at the side and laughed lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t let herself die so easily.¡± Back when Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng collaborated to harm her, she chose to burn herself and commit suicide. But in the end, she still came back as a different person¡­ How would she be so easily handled? ¡°We should just take this time to digest all the force we absorbed previously! This way, she won¡¯t pull the distance between us so greatly. If not¡­¡± Jian Fengchi raised his brows slightly. Even though he didn¡¯t finish his sentence, his meaning was clear. Yuwen Jinghong glanced at him doubtfully. ¡°A-are you sure? This force has a holy strength within it after all¡­¡± ¡°A maniac will be a maniac everywhere they go.¡± Jian Fengchi decisively threw this sentence behind as he gazed at the thin figure on the distant main mountain deeply before closing his eyes and allowing his surrounding force to move. Seeing him in such a state, the remaining few people exchanged glances. They also could only calm themselves down and start to cultivate like Jian Fengchi. No matter what, it would be very advantageous if they could strengthen themselves. ¡­ The few people temporarily forced themselves to calm down, but the others around Ancient Phoenix Mountain didn¡¯t feel so at ease. Originally, they thought that Shangguan Yue wouldn¡¯t last for long and would quickly be thrown off. But for some reason, she persisted for such a long time! From far away, the endless golden rays of light surrounded Jun Jiuqing and Shangguan Yue respectively, each forming two centers. Even though the scale and commotion on Shangguan Yue¡¯s side couldn¡¯t be compared to Jun Jiuqing, it was much stronger than in the beginning, and it was still expanding! Not only did she not look weak, but she even seemed like she was catching up with him! ¡°How did that happen?¡± Many people looked at this scene and had the same doubt. ¡­ At this point, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know about the outsiders¡¯ reactions at all. This was because all her energy and focus were placed on regulating her body¡¯s force. A cultivator¡¯s body was like a container, which could contain varying amounts of force according to one¡¯s abilities. Chu Liuyue was now a peak stage-six warrior, and she was definitely considered one of the best among other cultivators of the same level. With her Dijing Yuan meridian, she was also stronger than other people of the same level in terms of physical strength. This allowed her to have higher resilience and tolerance when enduring this ferocious force, which is why she could exceed Yuwen Jinghong and the rest¡¯s expectations and hold on until now. But even if so, she was still a peak stage-six warrior at the end of the day, and she was still weaker! She only dared to fight with Jun Jiuqing because the water droplet in her dantian could limitlessly contain all this force! But at the same time, she was also facing a stern limitation: Even if that water droplet could absorb all of this force, her body might not be able to completely tolerate the force¡¯s impact and nourishment again and again! In actual fact, her body started hurting not long after she began. By this point, an hour had passed. Her pain wasn¡¯t reduced and instead became even more excruciating! She could even feel the force becoming sharp knives when it rushed into her limbs, harshly scraping across her meat and tendons! The others were a distance away, so they couldn¡¯t see that her clothes were slowly being stained with drops of blood. Even the spot below her body had a pool of blood! ¡­ Compared to Chu Liuyue, Jun Jiuqing was undoubtedly in a much better condition. Not only was he one cultivation level stronger than Chu Liuyue, but he also had the Beiming royal family¡¯s blood. Hence, he could be the perfect person at the perfect place at the perfect time! Even now, he was still hanging in midair and didn¡¯t fall due to the terrifying force! His capabilities and determination could be clearly seen! His surrounding aura started strengthening as time passed. Of course, he could also clearly feel that a small portion of the force that should¡¯ve all belonged to him was being directed out since it was absorbed by someone else. He originally thought that it would end very quickly, but he didn¡¯t expect it not to stop even after so long. Hence, Jun Jiuqing looked down and glanced at her. With this glance, he clearly saw Chu Liuyue sitting cross-legged while she was covered in blood! Harshness flashed across his eyes as he moved his figure and landed around Chu Liuyue. ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± His face was sinisterly cold, and his voice as chilling as ice. ¡°You don¡¯t even want your life just to beat me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. I¡¯m not risking so much just to beat you!¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled lowly. It¡¯s for that scarce bit of consciousness left in the holy force! Since it feels that I pose a threat, I will show it what that means! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes became increasingly red as if they were drenched in blood! Then, he coldly sneered. ¡°You want to fight with me based on your current abilities?¡± Chu Liuyue gradually turned her head to glance at him while smiling, but the bright red bloodstain at the corner of her mouth made this smile look more stubborn and persistent. ¡°Based on myself¡­ can¡¯t I?¡± Her voice was very light, but her tone was as arrogant as usual. It was as if there was nothing she couldn¡¯t do in this world. Jun Jiuqing stood with one hand behind his back as he gradually clenched his fists in his sleeves. He could roughly guess that she wanted to elevate her strength as soon as possible, but this was too risky. What exactly gave her the confidence? Jun Jiuqing scanned her pale face with his gaze as he laughed with unknown meaning. However, his eyes didn¡¯t have much smiling intent. ¡°Since you want to fight¡­ I¡¯ll make you lose completely!¡± Then, his surrounding force moved, and his cultivation level was elevated once again! The endless golden force in the surroundings all went toward him, and the golden vortex above Chu Liuyue¡¯s head became smaller! The force surrounding her started going toward Jun Jiuqing at an observable speed. ¡­ ¡°Stage-nine warrior!¡± Detecting this commotion, Jian Fengchi widened his eyes and looked over, his expression slightly solemn. It¡¯s no wonder Jun Jiuqing is always so arrogant in Beiming since his talent and capabilities are indeed top-notch. Besides, the key is that this might not even be his true ability! Seeing all the force starting to move toward him, Chu Liuyue looked extra helpless. This was a battle that one could foresee the outcome with one glance! ¡°How is that Jun Jiuqing so strong?¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but stand up and had an anxious expression. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a loss for Her Majesty to lose now. After all, she has absorbed quite a bit of the force from before. As long as she can safely come back, everything¡ªHer Majesty!¡± Before Yuwen Jinghong could finish talking, he suddenly widened his eyes in shock! He saw an arrow suddenly fling out of the golden light at the mountain peak. It went straight for Chu Liuyue! Chapter 990 - Miraculous Recovery! Chapter 990: Miraculous Recovery! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That arrow was entirely rainbow, and it looked brilliant! Even amidst this dazzling gold, it still looked very eye-catching! Its appearance was very sudden, and its target was especially clear¡ªChu Liuyue! Everywhere it went, the golden force would make a path for it. It broke through the space and caused the winds to howl! In the stunning golden force ocean, this needle looked as if it had entered a realm where nobody was, and it was very fast! In the blink of an eye, it had already reached Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead! It was about to pierce through her skull directly! Seeing this arrow, Jun Jiuqing immediately knitted his brows. This was clearly¡­ formed by the last bit of holy force that Ancestor left behind! Why did it suddenly appear at this point and go for her? It clearly wants to take away her life! Coincidentally, Chu Liuyue looked up at this moment! That arrow had tremendous strength. Before it even reached her, her brows already hurt vaguely. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that her life would be left here if this arrow really hit her! It was a pity that she wasn¡¯t that easily bullied! Whir! A thought surfaced in her mind, and the Long Yuan Sword instantly appeared to go against that arrow! Zing¡­ An ear-piercing scratching sound was heard as that arrow quickly scraped past the Long Yuan Sword, causing a series of sparks. The Long Yuan Sword was a legendary weapon after all, so it did reduce the arrow¡¯s speed. However, that arrow had that scarce bit of consciousness and was extremely cunning! Seeing that it was rather troublesome to go against the Long Yuan Sword, it directly changed its direction and planned to come from another way! The Long Yuan Sword chased after it tightly! After all, Shangguan Jing¡¯s soul was also in the Long Yuan Sword. Now that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be distracted, Shangguan Jing was the one who controlled the Long Yuan Sword and stopped the arrow! The two objects kept going for each other, and they entered a ruthless brawl! The intense fighting caused the golden force surrounding Chu Liuyue to be reduced as everything descended into chaos. Very quickly, Chu Liuyue found something strange. Even though that arrow kept trying to attack her from all directions, it had never tried to do so from the black shield¡¯s location. It seemed like¡­ it intentionally avoided the black shield. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Chu Liuyue vaguely felt that it seemed to have a hint of undetectable fear and respect for that black shield. However, the black shield couldn¡¯t cover her completely. After all, she had to use some of her focus to busily absorb the surrounding force. I can¡¯t let this go on! When all the golden force surges toward Jun Jiuqing, it will be a point of no return¡­ A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Then, she suddenly thought of something, and determination flashed across her eyes. ¡°Ancestor, please help me to hold it there for a while,¡± said Chu Liuyue in her heart. Shangguan Jing faintly felt uneasy. ¡°Girlie, what do you want to do?¡± Chu Liuyue exhaled. That person is now scaling me like a fish. What else can I do? Of course, I¡¯ll overthrow it! ¡­ At this point, the people that were nervously spectating also noticed that arrow. That arrow had an extremely strong suppression, so it wasn¡¯t hard for the crowd to guess that it was the holy power that the Beiming Ancestor left behind! ¡°It seems like Ancestor doesn¡¯t like her either¡­¡± Qing Dai heaved a long sigh of relief. An outsider from the Tianling Dynasty actually desires to snatch the strength left behind by our Beiming Dynasty¡¯s ancestor. Isn¡¯t that purposely causing trouble for herself? Previously, I was still worried that the Crown Prince would be soft-hearted. But since Ancestor¡¯s holy force has personally appeared, there is nothing much to worry about. ¡­ ¡°Young Master Jian, half of Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body is covered by ice. What should we do?¡± In such an urgent situation, Wu Ming was originally still worried for Chu Liuyue. But when he saw Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s condition worsening from the corner of his eye, he couldn¡¯t help but hurriedly ask. Jian Fengchi glanced at him, furrowed his brows, and shook his head. ¡°The seal and the suppressed strength in his body are extremely formidable. I can¡¯t do anything about it either. Now¡­ We can only see if he can push through this himself.¡± Wu Ming was hesitant in his words and knew that he was also speaking the truth. Glancing at Qiang Wanzhou, he helplessly sighed. ¡°All that force has already gone toward Jun Jiuqing!¡± Mu Hongyu nervously clutched her sleeves. When all the force leaves Chu Liuyue, it means that¡­ she will be thoroughly eliminated! ¡­ Outside the barrier, the crowd was nervously watching everything unfold on the main mountain peak. ¡°It seems like this Shangguan Yue must¡¯ve done something immoral in Ancient Phoenix Mountain, causing her to attract such trouble,¡± Dantai Chen said in a loud voice as he specially glanced at Jun Qizhi with much meaning. ¡°If not¡­ Why would the Beiming Ancestor attack her with such a holy force out of nowhere?¡± Jun Qizhi knitted his brows and didn¡¯t say a word. Not long after Shangguan Yue went in, Dantai Chen seemed to have completely changed as his every sentence was related to Shangguan Yue. One just has to think to know that it should be because the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people have gotten into trouble inside and that he feels that it was done by Shangguan Yue and the rest. Thus, he¡¯s not even concealing his hatred and targeting of Shangguan Yue now. If it were normal times, Jun Qizhi wouldn¡¯t really care about it. But after seeing that arrow, he couldn¡¯t help but overthink¡­ But since the truth wasn¡¯t out yet, he couldn¡¯t conclude much. Hence, he said, ¡°It¡¯s normal for one to want to become stronger, but it now seems like she needs to do it within¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his expression changed drastically, and he suddenly stood up! The golden force that was first snatched away on the main mountain peak started surging toward Chu Liuyue suddenly! Even the force that originally belonged to Jun Jiuqing started to change direction, going toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! Thick layers of dark clouds suddenly appeared in the sky! ¡°She wants to break through now?!¡± Chapter 991 - God Foreseeing Stage Chapter 991: God Foreseeing Stage Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Dantai Chen immediately sneered. Is Shangguan Yue crazy? She actually wants to try breaking through now?! She must be dreaming! With the Three Yuan Convention, the endless force accumulated in Ancient Phoenix Mountain will ferociously rush out! Why would it let her slowly break through?! Besides, she is just a peak stage-six warrior. Now, she is going to step over the barrier to become a stage-seven warrior! Average cultivators have to prepare for a long time in advance if they want to break through to this stage successfully. They would ensure that everything was perfect before they dared to try. Yet, that Shangguan Yue actually wants to break through that barrier in such a situation?! It¡¯s asking for death! ¡°Dream on! Does she really think that she can defy the heavens?! Just based on that endless force, it can take this chance to destroy her totally!¡± Dantai Chen coldly scolded as he was filled with contempt toward this. This entire process requires a large amount of concentration, and one has to clear their mind of any messy thoughts. Currently, Shangguan Yue is in the midst of being attacked by the surrounding force and the holy force, so how can she calm herself down? Not long later, she¡¯ll be destroyed by that horrifying suppression! The venue fell silent for a moment. Ning Yuan gradually straightened his body and stared at that thin woman¡¯s figure atop the mountain peak. He said undeniably, ¡°With her current capabilities as a peak stage-six warrior, she was already challenging her limit to last until now. If she wants to continue on and snatch the endless force from the Three Yuan Convention, this is her only way.¡± As long as she broke through to become a stage-seven warrior, she would be greatly strengthened! One had to know that there was a very big difference between a stage-six warrior and a stage-seven warrior! Countless cultivators were stuck at this stage and couldn¡¯t break through for many years, even dying with this regret in the end. This was because this barrier was too hard to overcome! The warrior cultivation path had a total of nine stages, and every three stages were a group. Out of which, the breakthroughs from a stage-three warrior and a stage-six warrior were extremely important! Not to mention others, even Heaven¡¯s Canopy required warriors to be at the seventh stage if they wanted to enter and leave as they wished. With this, it could be shown how important this stage was! ¡°It¡¯s not just that¡­¡± Gongsun Xiao squinted his eyes and had a complicated expression. ¡°When cultivators are breaking through, they can usually absorb large amounts of strength. It is even more so when one is trying to break through to become a stage-seven warrior¡­¡± He took a deep breath in and stared at the golden force in the sky. After some time, he boomed, ¡°This breakthrough is also known as the God Foreseeing Stage, and it is related to one¡¯s future potential¡­ To a large extent, it determines the final stage that the cultivator can reach in the end¡­¡± The so-called ¡®God Foreseeing Stage¡¯ meant that one could foresee themselves entering the Apotheosis realm after overcoming this hurdle. Of course, this was just an exaggeration. But undeniably, the success or failure of this breakthrough held great meaning for any cultivator. If one could successfully breakthrough, it meant that they were a step closer to the Apotheosis Realm and that they had hopes of being the top warrior in this mainland! If one failed¡­ They might never improve in their entire lives! Shangguan Yue actually dared to complete such a breakthrough in this manner, which showed how gutsy she was! Even if Gongsun Xiao had always looked down on her from the start, he admired her a little at this moment. However, Dantai Chen just felt that Shangguan Yue was arrogant! ¡°Since forever, greed has never led to a good outcome! She should¡¯ve known this once she went in! Now, she chose to break through at this point¡­ Hmph! I think she¡¯s just ruining her own future!¡± ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Jun Qizhi shook his head, and his gaze was nonchalant. It¡¯s a pity that such an outstanding talent might just be destroyed here. This Ancient Phoenix Mountain is our Beiming¡¯s territory. How can she possibly beat Jiuqing? Even if she tries, she won¡¯t get much help¡­ Many people outside the barrier clearly didn¡¯t think well of this decision, and some were even waiting to see her become a laughingstock. ¡°This¡­ Her Majesty is too impulsive!¡± Elder Chen Ke looked up and seemed anxious. If she can¡¯t snatch it, she can just stop! Anyway, she has already endured through eight waves of force. Other than Jun Jiuqing, she has already beaten everyone else on Ancient Phoenix Mountain! It¡¯s enough to irk them to death! Why is she so stubborn and purposely wants to take this risk at this point? Cen Yi¡¯s nonchalant eyes looked deep, and he lightly said, ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Upon hearing this, Elder Chen Ke turned around to glance at Cen Yi and saw that the latter was very calm and composed as if he didn¡¯t take this incident to heart. Elder Chen Ke¡¯s throat went dry as he asked, ¡°H-how are you so sure?¡± ¡°Elder Chen Ke, you can just watch on if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Cen Yi smiled. Her abilities don¡¯t just stop here. Hearing him say this, Elder Su Jin and the rest¡ªwho were originally very nervous¡ªall felt more at ease. Actually, they weren¡¯t very familiar with this Cen Yi either. They only knew that he had followed Her Majesty since the early years. After that, he was the leader, and they built the Thirteen Yue Guard. As for his background, nobody knew about it. Even his capabilities were a mystery. But like Her Majesty, he always made people feel calm and secure. Perhaps¡­ Her Majesty can indeed safely cross this stage.. ¡­ Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged with her eyes tightly shut. Her body was like a black hole that kept crazily absorbing the surrounding golden force! Very quickly, her entire body was wrapped in dazzling golden light! The immense pain gradually numbed her. Only one thought was left in her mind¡ªto absorb the force! Endless force entered through her limbs and bones as it crazily circulated in her Yuan meridian, even wanting to explode it faintly. But every time it reached this point, the water droplet in her dantian would quickly absorb this force! Endless and immense force entered, but it didn¡¯t cause a single ripple to arise in the water droplet. With this continuous cycle, the potential of Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian was also totally showcased during this process! The water droplet started spinning faster, absorbing even more force crazily! ¡­ This commotion stunned everyone. Originally, they thought that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t last for long before she exploded from this force! But as time trickled past, she was still safe and sound! Furthermore, the vast golden force seemed to tilt toward her side! From afar, there seemed to be an invisible balance on the mountain peak. Chu Liuyue and Jun Jiuqing each took one end of the balance respectively. At first, Jun Jiuqing had the advantage. But now, the balance was tilting toward the other side! It seemed like Chu Liuyue was about to replace Jun Jiuqing and become the new center of the energy vortex! Jun Jiuqing wanted to snatch this force back again, but he shockingly discovered that he seemed to have lost control over it! The dark clouds gathered in the sky, and it was completely dark! Right at this moment, a silver snake-like bolt of lightning appeared in the middle of the black clouds! Hong long long! At that moment, it lit up half the sky! Dantai Chen¡ªwho was outside the barrier¡ªsuddenly stood up and yelled, ¡°God Foreseeing Tribulation?!¡± Chapter 992 - Tribulation Transcendence! Chapter 992: Tribulation Transcendence! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Like its name, the God Foreseeing Tribulation was the lightning incurred when a cultivator was about to cross the God Foreseeing Stage. Not every cultivator who tried to break through to become a stage-seven warrior could successfully summon this lightning. Normally speaking, only talents with superb potential could do this. Even if so, most people only managed to summon it right before or after they broke through as a stage-seven warrior. It was extremely rare to see people summoning the lightning not long after they started to break through like her! ¡°Why did it appear so quickly?!¡± Dantai Chen was very shocked, and his expression was dazed. It was within his expectations that Shangguan Yue could summon the God Foreseeing Tribulation. After all, she was also a talent with a Dijing Yuan meridian, and she had a legendary fiend. Hence, she could be considered one of the elites amongst the younger generation. However, this God Foreseeing Tribulation appeared too early! ¡°The earlier the God Foreseeing Tribulation appears, the stronger the suppression it contains, and the larger the obstacle a cultivator has to face.¡± Ning Yuan spoke slowly, his voice low and powerful. ¡°Of course, this also means that a cultivator can reach a higher realm in the future.¡± In other words, only talents could summon the God Foreseeing Tribulation. The earlier the God Foreseeing Tribulation appeared, the more potential the talent had! Dantai Chen¡¯s face was so dark that it could squeeze out ink. Ning Yuan didn¡¯t need to say this since everyone already knew! This was precisely the reason why he was so stunned that he lost control of himself. This meant that Shangguan Yue¡¯s talent was much stronger than they had predicted! Gongsun Xiao suddenly said, ¡°This is indeed the earliest God Foreseeing Tribulation appearance that I have seen in my entire life.¡± The previous nonchalance and superficialness were gone from his voice as he straightened his body with a tense expression. Compared to before, his attitude had changed greatly. Obviously, he finally realized at this moment that Shangguan Yue¡¯s talent and potential were much greater than what she had showcased previously! ¡°It¡¯s no wonder she can slash open Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier¡­¡± Even if she had help from the Tianling Ancestor, she personally swung that sword down! If she didn¡¯t have the capabilities, how could she rush to the mountain peak and even fight with Jun Jiuqing in the end!? Ning Yuan suddenly thought of something as he turned back to glance at Jun Qizhi. ¡°I wonder how long the Beiming Crown Prince took to summon the God Foreseeing Tribulation when he broke through to become a stage-seven warrior?¡± Jun Qizhi didn¡¯t speak, but his expression was way more solemn than before. It could be seen that this scene had a huge impact on him. ¡°It seems like Tianling¡¯s new emperor indeed has extraordinary talent¡­ Just based on this point alone, she can indeed compare with Jiuqing. If we give her a few more years¡­ Perhaps she can even battle with Jiuqing!¡± Once he said this, the crowd exchanged glances. Jun Qizhi¡¯s words were already very polite. It wasn¡¯t hard to tell that Shangguan Yue¡¯s talents could be compared to Jun Jiuqing! He also said that the two of them could probably battle a few years later! One had to know that Jun Jiuqing was currently already a stage-nine warrior, while Shangguan Yue was only a peak stage-six warrior now! His comments about Shangguan Yue actually praised her so much¡­ ¡°However, she must first have the ability to transcend this tribulation today!¡± Dantai Chen clenched his fists tightly, and his gaze had a hint of craziness. ¡°From ancient times till now, only two or three people out of ten can successfully transcend the God Foreseeing Tribulation! No matter how strong this tribulation is, she first needs to have the ability to cross it!¡± If she failed and was hurt by the lightning¡¯s backlash, it wouldn¡¯t be good for her! ¡­ Seeing the lightning appearing in the sky, Jun Jiuqing furrowed his brows slightly. It¡¯s logical for her to be able to summon the God Foreseeing Tribulation, but it isn¡¯t good to do so at this moment! The endless force and the holy force are threatening her at all times, and ordinary people already can¡¯t care for themselves if this happens. Yet, she still dares to try to break through?! Does she think that she isn¡¯t in enough trouble? Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze darkened, and his aura strengthened again! He then whipped his sleeves, wanting to take back the force! But how could it be that easy? If Chu Liuyue wanted to break through, she had to absorb Heaven and Earth Force! This process was determined by heaven, and no cultivator could stop or change this! This was also an important reason as to why Chu Liuyue wanted to break through at this point! No matter how powerful Jun Jiuqing was, he couldn¡¯t be stronger than heaven! Seeing the lightning crazily swimming around in the clouds as it expanded and strengthened at an observable speed, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze gradually turned cold. He clearly realized that nobody could stop her when things were at this stage. The eventual outcome all depends on her! ¡­ Compared to the others¡¯ reactions, Chu Liuyue was the calmest one. Even though her eyes were shut, she could feel the lightning in the sky. Thanks to living a previous life, she had already experienced this tribulation once. Hence, she was more adept at handling this. However, she had a faint doubt in her heart. This God Foreseeing Tribulation did appear a little early¡­ No, perhaps I should say that it appeared unusually early. This is because it appeared even quicker than when I tried to break through as a stage-seven warrior in my previous life! One has to know that I had a Tianjing Yuan meridian back then! It¡¯s logical that I can summon a strong God Foreseeing Tribulation, but now¡­ I have a Dijing Yuan meridian! Why did it appear faster than that time? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t understand, but it was fine if she did not. The most important thing for her was to be adequately prepared to transcend the tribulation successfully. Increasingly more blood flowed out of her body, and her clothes were already drenched. The intense scent of blood permeated her nose. The winds howled by her ears as the ferocious golden force kept rushing into her body at an increasing speed! Finally, a ripple appeared on that water droplet. Whir! As if sensing this ripple, the lightning in the sky suddenly struck! Rumble! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open! The first bolt! ¡°Long Yuan Sword!¡± she yelled loudly! The Long Yuan Sword instantly flew out and met that lightning. Rays of light flashed across the sword body¡ªthey contained the strength from lightning! Hong long long! When the two forces harshly slammed against each other, a silver light dazzled! Even the golden force in the sky was affected by this collision! When the surrounding peaks were affected by this main mountain¡¯s commotion, they started collapsing one by one. It showed how formidable this strength was! Gradually, the bright light subsided. Countless pairs of eyes hurriedly looked over. Chu Liuyue still quietly sat cross-legged at the mountain peak as the Long Yuan Sword floated above her head! The Long Yuan Sword actually stopped the first lightning bolt! But at this moment, the second silver snake appeared in the sky! It was extremely loud and formidable, and it was much stronger than the previous bolt! Dantai Chen sneered and sat down.. ¡°Hmph, this God Foreseeing Tribulation never stops until the actual person stops it! One can never transcend it if one uses other methods to stop it. If she avoids it once, this God Foreseeing Tribulation will appear again and even stronger than before! I want to see what exactly she can do at this point!¡± Chapter 993 - Who Could Stop It? One had to transcend the God Foreseeing Tribulation themselves, and Chu Liuyue naturally knew this. The more one stopped and avoided it, the stronger its suppression would be. She knew this point very clearly in her heart, but she had no other methods now! This was because she knew that she wasn¡¯t adequately prepared. On the one hand, she barely took the upper hand by force in her battle with Jun Jiuqing. She hadn¡¯t absorbed much of the golden force, so she couldn¡¯t take out time and energy to meet that God Foreseeing Tribulation on her own. On the other hand, this God Foreseeing Tribulation appeared too early and quickly, so she was still a distance away from the barrier of a stage-seven warrior. She didn¡¯t have a high chance of succeeding if she suddenly transcended the tribulation at this point. So in such a situation, she could only choose to let the Long Yuan Sword block for her first. Actually, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t the only one who would make such a choice. Many cultivators would make similar decisions when they were transcending this tribulation. This was also why the God Foreseeing Tribulation¡¯s suppression would be stronger the earlier it appeared. It purposely left a lot of time to attack the cultivator repeatedly! If the tribulation appeared too early and the cultivator wasn¡¯t sufficiently prepared to deal with it, they would definitely fail when they met it. Hence, they could only choose to delay it. During this delaying process, the God Foreseeing Tribulation¡¯s strength would also increase after each bolt! This cycle would continue until the very end¡ªwhen the cultivator was sufficiently prepared to meet and battle it personally! If the cultivator won, it would then be considered as them successfully transcending the God Foreseeing Tribulation! But if something went wrong in the middle, all their efforts would go to waste. As a result, many cultivators would make many preparations and think of many methods to deal with such situations before they broke through to become stage-seven warriors. This was why everyone was so shocked and even thought that Chu Liuyue was crazy when they saw her suddenly trying to break through without preparing at all. How could she not be crazy if she was betting on her life and future? ¡­ After experiencing the previous fight, a portion of the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s strength was used. Chu Liuyue knew that she had to act fast! As if sensing her thoughts, the rippling of the water droplet in her dantian suddenly increased! This allowed Chu Liuyue to absorb the force at a higher speed! The crowd watched from afar and could only see the endless golden force crazily surging toward the thin and straight figure! The countless people below the main mountain and by the edges were all shocked when they saw this scene. ¡°Crazy¡­ She¡¯s really crazy!¡± ¡°With so much force suddenly entering her body¡­ Even a stage-seven warrior might not be able to endure it! What is she doing? Does she not want to live?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder she dares to fight with Jun Jiuqing¡­ With such guts, what can she not do?¡± ¡°But¡­ Don¡¯t you already think it¡¯s weird that she can last until now¡­? She¡¯s only a peak stage-six warrior! Even if she has a Dijing Yuan meridian, it should¡¯ve exploded long ago! However, why does she still seem fine now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really strange¡­ Do you remember the rumors that mentioned how she had a Tianjing Yuan meridian last time? Could it be that¡­ she still has it now?¡± ¡°How is that impossible? It¡¯s not that easy to get a Tianjing Yuan meridian.¡± ¡°Then, how do you explain her current situation? I clearly saw that Jun Jiuqing wanted to snatch the endless force, but he failed! If she doesn¡¯t have a Tianjing Yuan meridian, how can she defy the heavens?¡± ¡­ The crowd partook in heated discussions, but Jian Fengchi and the rest fell into an eerie silence. Yuwen Jinghong used his elbow to nudge Jian Fengchi and lowered his voice, ¡°Hey. Fengchi, don¡¯t you find this scene a little familiar¡­¡± Jian Fengchi had no expression as if he were too lazy to reply. On the other hand, Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but glance at them and question them curiously when she heard this. ¡°Familiar? Have you guys seen such a scene before? Oh, right! Liuyue seems to have also broken through and become a stage-seven warrior last time, right¡­ Did you see it then?¡± When Chu Liuyue was previously Shangguan Yue, they said that her cultivation level was much higher than her current cultivation¡­ Therefore, she should¡¯ve been a stage-seven warrior at least. As if he remembered something, Yuwen Jinghong¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. ¡°I knew it was familiar!¡± When Her Majesty broke through to become a stage-seven warrior, Jian Fengchi and I were coincidentally around. Hence, we indeed saw the scene clearly! Thinking back, the scene before our eyes is extremely similar to that scene! ¡°Though it¡¯s not exactly the same in terms of the details, Her Majesty also coincidentally broke through to become a stage-seven warrior when she was fighting someone¡­¡± At that time, she also summoned the God Foreseeing Tribulation early! It went back and forth quite a few times in between before she personally met it! Mu Hongyu instantly became interested. ¡°I knew it! She must¡¯ve been formidable back then, right?¡± However, Yuwen Jinghong looked away. ¡°Uh¡­ Y-yeah¡­¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t wish to speak further, Mu Hongyu lightly grunted and looked at Jian Fengchi. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯ve seen it too, right? Tell me about it! Tell me about it!¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at her, his expression extremely cold. ¡°Did you see Jun Jiuqing?¡± Mu Hongyu glanced at him. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°I was him back then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A chill ran down Mu Hongyu¡¯s spine as she shivered while asking, ¡°T-then¡­ What happened to you after that?¡± Jian Fengchi laughed. His laughter was extremely flippant, but there wasn¡¯t much smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡± This Jun Jiuqing will probably end up the same way as me back then! If that maniac wants to break through, who can stop her?! The moment this thought surfaced, the second lightning bolt harshly struck! Hong! Chapter 994 - Teasing! Chapter 994: Teasing! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This time, it was still the Long Yuan Sword that battled! But compared to the previous time when it stably took the upper hand, the situation clearly changed this round. The second bolt of lightning was much stronger than before, but the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s strength was gradually diminishing. With one strengthened and the other weakened, it forcefully caused a tied fight. Below it, Chu Liuyue could still feel the aftermath going toward her! Even though a large portion of the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s strength was diminished, it didn¡¯t threaten her much. However, Chu Liuyue knew that the situation would only worsen. I have to break through as soon as possible and step through the barrier of a stage-seven warrior! Thinking of this, she took a deep breath in and quickly urged the water droplet in her body to absorb the surrounding golden force. After this force was transformed by the water droplet to become her force, it gradually seeped into her limbs and bones. Chu Liuyue could feel all the veins and muscles in her body being forcefully torn apart and even her Yuan meridian slowly reaching its limit! But the most shocking thing was that she hadn¡¯t reached the time to break through even at this stage. Breaking through to become a stage-seven warrior meant that she had to pass the God Foreseeing Stage and directly go against the God Foreseeing Tribulation. Normally, cultivators would absorb a portion of the Heaven and Earth Force to increase their capabilities before they broke through. The more they absorbed, the stronger they would become, and the higher their success rate of becoming a stage-seven warrior. Correspondingly, the stronger the God Foreseeing Tribulation they had to face. But as long as one could succeed, their abilities after breaking through would be much stronger than other cultivators of the same level. Their cultivation potential and cultivation speed would be greatly improved as well. Hence, most people were still willing to take the risk. Chu Liuyue originally calculated her breakthrough time and felt that she was about to reach it. But after much waiting, the water droplet in her dantian just kept turning around to absorb the force¡ªit had no intention of breaking through. Previously, she had already faintly felt that she had reached the barrier of a stage-seven warrior. She originally felt that she would successfully break through, but she didn¡¯t expect this one step to be so large! Chu Liuyue inspected herself and saw that there were ripples on the water droplet. The six brilliant lines were extremely clear, but the seventh line simply didn¡¯t appear. She had long known that it was extremely difficult for this water droplet to break through, but she didn¡¯t expect it to remain motionless after she had absorbed so much force! And at this moment, the third bolt of lightning had started gathering in the sky. ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s weirdness had naturally attracted everyone else¡¯s attention. It has already been some time since she started to break through. Logically speaking, she should¡¯ve long reached the breakthrough threshold since she has been rapidly absorbing the endless golden force surrounding her. But time has trickled past, yet she is still maintaining the same posture. If the golden force didn¡¯t continue flowing around with her in the center, others might¡¯ve already thought that she had fainted. Yuwen Jinghong couldn¡¯t help but lean toward Jian Fengchi and carefully asked, ¡°Fengchi, I remember that Her Majesty didn¡¯t take such a long time when she broke through to become a stage-seven warrior¡­ Didn¡¯t she quickly break through and then beat you?¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at him. ¡°I have a very good memory. You don¡¯t have to remind me.¡± Yuwen Jinghong shrunk his neck and awkwardly scratched his head. ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t misunderstand! I-I¡¯m just curious¡­ After all, Her Majesty doesn¡¯t have the Tianjing Yuan meridian anymore, so I thought it might be faster than before¡­¡± Others also wanted to know the reason behind what he asked. Jian Fengchi chuckled and lightly fanned his bone fan. ¡°Just wait and see.¡± He hadn¡¯t realized it previously, but he recently noticed that other than Chu Liuyue not having her previous Tianjing Yuan meridian, she was much better than her previous self in every other aspect. This feeling was strange and hard to explain. This was because the current Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be compared to Shangguan Yue at her peak, no matter if it were her Yuan meridian level or personal capabilities. Most people felt that even though she could restart, she was still weaker compared to before. If she didn¡¯t have a legendary fiend, the Tianling Power Staff¡¯s recognition, and even Shangguan Jing¡¯s bias¡­ She definitely couldn¡¯t sit stably on her throne. But to Jian Fengchi, being able to rapidly grow to her current cultivation level as someone naturally born as a good-for-nothing with a lack of a Yuan meridian in less than two years was even more shocking! These people were either only familiar with Shangguan Yue or knew Chu Liuyue on a superficial level. Only he had a deep understanding of both her identities. Hence, he was sure that she would definitely win the match today! ¡­ Chu Liuyue was completely focused on preparing to break through, so this made her directly forget about the passing of time. But it was extremely torturous for the people waiting. ¡°Have you noticed that the golden force seems to be lesser than what she first started with¡­ I think it has been reduced by at least half!¡± ¡°Other than the force that was initially absorbed by Jun Jiuqing, most of the remaining force entered Shangguan Yue¡¯s body, right? Did she really occupy all of that force for herself?¡± ¡°Hah, I think it¡¯s not that easy! Can¡¯t you see that the holy force Ancestor left behind is still chasing after her? Thinking about it, this also belongs to the Beiming royal family, so it is quite inappropriate if she just snatches it away like that¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. This time, the people from the Beiming royal family invited all of us over. Since they dared to invite us, they should be adequately prepared¡­¡± Hong long long! A frightening sound was heard as the third bolt of lightning quickly rushed down! Quite a few of the people still by the side of the main mountain felt the suppression, and they couldn¡¯t help but retreat! ¡­ This time, the Long Yuan Sword used up its remaining strength to stop the lightning bolt forcefully. The light then disappeared, and it directly landed on the floor. If not for the black shield and the pure gold armor protecting Chu Liuyue, her physical body would¡¯ve been crushed by the spreading aftermath! Suffering from the retaliation of this terrifying force, blood oozed out from the corner of her mouth. Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice sounded quite anxious. ¡°Girlie, the Long Yuan Sword can¡¯t fight anymore! Are you not prepared yet?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the quiet water droplet in her dantian and clenched her fists tightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t break through, the fourth bolt of lightning will strike very soon! By then, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll¡ª¡± If she doesn¡¯t break through to become a stage-seven warrior, she will only end up defeated! Rumble! As if confirming Shangguan Jing¡¯s words, the fourth bolt of lightning appeared in the clouds in the blink of an eye! Its suppression was clearly even greater than before! At this moment, her water droplet finally whirred. Chu Liuyue was elated. But the moment her lips curled up, she heard Shangguan Jing yell in shock, ¡°W-why is this happening?!¡± Chu Liuyue detected something wrong and looked up! She saw a silver snake-like bolt of lightning rapidly swimming amidst the dark clouds in the sky, and beside it, another bolt of lightning was gathering! Chapter 995 - I Just Want to Snatch! Chapter 995: I Just Want to Snatch! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the fourth bolt of lightning appeared, the fifth lightning bolt quickly gathered right after! Chu Liuyue saw this scene and widened her eyes in shock and confusion. W-what is going on?! Whir! Another whir came from the water droplet. Its surface rippled, and the six lines started shaking intensely. The fifth bolt of lightning in the sky seemed to sense it, and it rapidly gathered! A bad feeling surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t be¡ª¡± Whir! Another whir came from the water droplet, and a loud sound was heard in the clouds! Rumble! Silver light flashed as the sixth bolt of lightning poked out of the dark clouds! Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes, and her heart sank. I guessed correctly¡ªthis commotion was indeed caused by that water droplet. It is actually teasing the lightning! ¡­ After recovering from her utterly shocked state, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t describe how she felt. She never thought that the person who caused the most danger wasn¡¯t anyone else but herself. The lightning bolts should strike one by one, and I can just face it whenever I¡¯m ready. Since when did the lightning bolts strike all at once?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she clenched her teeth. ¡°D-do you think that I¡¯m not dying fast enough?¡± That water droplet ignored Chu Liuyue¡¯s interrogation as it kept whirring. Following this, bolts of lightning continuously appeared. The sixth bolt! The seventh bolt! The eighth bolt! In the blink of an eye, five bolts of lightning appeared in the sky! Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t speak for a long time. When the ninth bolt of lightning gradually appeared, he finally couldn¡¯t take it and asked, ¡°¡­Girlie, tell me honestly¡ªwhat sin did you commit?¡± His tone was sincere and serious. This was because it was a genuine question. Other than this reason, he really couldn¡¯t understand how Chu Liuyue directly summoned so many bolts of lightning at once! One had to know that these lightning bolts were different from those summoned when one was refining legendary weapons! The former had a much stronger suppression! With my help, we barely managed to stop the three initial bolts of lightning! Now that so many have appeared¡­ The entire Ancient Phoenix Mountain will be exploded into debris. How can Chu Liuyue¡¯s petite figure handle this? ¡­ Chu Liuyue had no words to answer Shangguan Jing¡¯s question. She had long known that this water droplet was especially arrogant and prideful¡ªnot obedient at all. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t make much noise under most circumstances. But once it moved, it wasn¡¯t to be underestimated. This was also the main reason why Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t use it regularly¡ªit had great strength and could easily cause trouble. I didn¡¯t expect myself to fall this time! I just want to break through to become a stage-seven warrior and not be struck by these bolts of lightning in front of the crowd! Facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s interrogation, the water droplet didn¡¯t seem to care much as it still rapidly absorbed the surrounding golden force. At the same time, it let out a final whir! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and looked up hopelessly. The ninth bolt of lightning had almost finished gathering! There were¡­ six bolts of lightning! ¡­ Long Yuan Sword? Ancestor? Pure gold armor? Before these six bolts of lightning, they are all irrelevant. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in as her mind crazily turned, wanting to find a way to solve her current problem. But after much thinking, she realized that she was wasting her energy. This kind of situation couldn¡¯t be resolved at all! ¡­ The spectators were also stunned by this scene. It wasn¡¯t like they hadn¡¯t seen cultivators breaking through to become a stage-seven warrior or the God Foreseeing Tribulation. Those who managed to come here were all top warriors; they were either top talents or extremely strong warriors! All of them had distinguished statuses with extreme power! What kind of storms had these people not experienced? However, this scene indeed stunned them. ¡°T-the God Foreseeing Tribulation can actually have so many bolts of lightning appearing at once?¡± Gongsun Xiao¡¯s face turned white as he widened his eyes and stared at the scene on the main mountain peak, his lips trembling slightly. The lightning during the God Foreseeing Tribulation always came out bolt by bolt. Once the cultivator successfully met it, the process would directly stop. They had never heard of so many bolts of lightning appearing at once! ¡°There are six bolts here. With the previous three bolts¡­ There are nine bolts of lightning in total!¡± Ning Yuan had long stood up as he closely stared at the scene with a solemn expression. ¡°Rumors have it that those who can summon seven bolts during the God Foreseeing Tribulation will definitely be able to become a peak stage-nine warrior! If there are eight bolts, one can enter the Apotheosis Realm! And now¡­¡± And now, Shangguan Yue had directly summoned nine bolts! Without question, everyone knew what this meant! At the same time, this shocked everyone. Even though Jun Qizhi looked calm on the surface, he had long clenched his fists tightly. Back then, even Jiuqing had only summoned eight bolts of lightning! Does this not mean that Shangguan Yue¡¯s future talent and potential will be higher than those of Jiuqing? Dantai Chen¡¯s gaze was dazed, and all the energy in his body seemed to be sucked away as his limbs gave way, and his breathing became rushed. He moved back two steps and forcefully held the handle to sit back on the chair, but his heart was in a mess. Nine bolts¡­ Nine bolts of lightning! If she really can survive them¡ªimpossible! Dantai Chen harshly shook his head. With six bolts of lightning gathering at once, Shangguan Yue is bound to die! ¡­ It was dead silent between heaven and earth. Everyone spectating around Ancient Phoenix Mountain looked at the few bolts of lightning that almost lit up the entire sky, and they all lost their voices. ¡­ Chu Liuyue dazedly looked up at the sky; the light was so bright that she couldn¡¯t even open her eyes. I recall that I summoned eight bolts of lightning when I was previously Shangguan Yue. It¡¯s nine bolts this time, and six of them have even appeared at the same time! ¡°Girlie, what should we do?¡± asked Shangguan Jing with a low voice. If Girlie is destined to cross this, I must save her even if I have to risk my soul! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, and her lips curled up. ¡°I¡­ naturally need to do what I need to do. No matter what method I use, I just need to survive this!¡± The moment she said this, she heard an old and hoarse voice. ¡°Hah, young and indeed naive!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned slightly solemn, and her gaze turned to look at the arrow not far away! Ever since she summoned the God Foreseeing Tribulation earlier, the item stopped at the side and didn¡¯t try to attack her again. ¡°¡­Beiming Ancestor?¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. Other than this person, there is nobody else. ¡°You are a rare talent, but it¡¯s a pity that you came to the wrong place! This endless force is what I left behind for the Beiming bloodline. You should be punished for wanting to snatch it! Without me taking action, this God Foreseeing Tribulation can directly take your life now!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up into an extremely cold smile. ¡°Really? Originally, I wasn¡¯t too interested in this, but since you said so¡­ I¡¯ll snatch your holy force first!¡± Chapter 996 - Retaliation Chapter 996: Retaliation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Once she said it, Chu Liuyue waved her bare hands. A red fire rapidly appeared in her palm! Then, she flicked her wrist lightly! Piak! An ear-piercing sound reverberated throughout the mountains as a red fire whip instantly flew out toward that arrow! ¡°Hah, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± The Beiming Ancestor kept sneering. With six bolts of lightning above her, Chu Liuyue is already in great trouble and can¡¯t save herself. In such a situation, she is still thinking of snatching the holy force I left behind? Dream on! Whoosh! The brilliant arrow rapidly gave way and went for Chu Liuyue from another direction! After experiencing the torture from the first three bolts of lightning, the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s strength was already exhausted. Hence, it couldn¡¯t continue battling. To the Beiming Ancestor, this was undoubtedly a great opportunity for him to take action! Originally, I still wanted to watch on from the side and let the lightning settle her. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so arrogant! Since this is so, I will teach her a lesson first! Piak! The arrow containing the holy force traveled very rapidly, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s red fire whip seemed to have eyes as it rapidly wrapped around the arrow! Rumble! A scorching fire started burning crazily! ¡°You do have some skills, but it¡¯s a pity these are all small tricks in front of the holy force!¡± That hoarse and old voice was very cold. The next moment, the rainbow color on the arrow rapidly flew up and formed countless flying daggers, directly piercing through the space! A black crack rapidly appeared, and the red fire whip was directly slashed! Whish! That arrow broke free and went toward Chu Liuyue again! Intense battle intent flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as she lightly waved her other hand! Then, a transparent fire silently flew out of her palm like a water current! It formed a gigantic net in midair and directly landed in the direction the arrow was coming up from! ¡°Do you think you can stop me by using the same trick twice?¡± The Beiming Ancestor clearly despised Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. That arrow didn¡¯t slow down the slightest bit as it started rushing forward rapidly! The surrounding rainbow light daggers were extremely sharp, and they were about to directly rip apart the gigantic net formed by the transparent fire! But when the sharp end of that arrow touched it, the gigantic transparent web started expanding rapidly, exuding a shocking strength! Not only did this move avoid the intense clash between the two forces, but it even caused the flying rainbow daggers to lose their advantage! This time, it was like punching a marshmallow, which felt very infuriating! ¡°You¡¯re young, but you¡¯re very cunning!¡± The Beiming Ancestor grunted lightly, and the aura on the arrow instantly strengthened. However, the sound of the force and the space ripping each other apart was extremely piercing! Countless black space cracks appeared beside the arrow tip, but the transparent fire didn¡¯t show any signs of being ripped apart as it stopped the arrow completely and stubbornly. The Beiming Ancestor then realized that something was amiss. There is something wrong with that transparent fire! However, it was already too late when he realized this! The transparent and gigantic fire net rapidly shrunk and trapped the arrow within! At the same time, that red fire whip surged up and wrapped another layer around it. The two layers instantly formed a cage! The Beiming Ancestor didn¡¯t take these two fireballs to heart at first, but he quickly discovered that he couldn¡¯t get out of this cage! The brilliant and sharp long arrow kept trying repeatedly, but it was stopped again and again. At this point, the Beiming Ancestor then realized that he had underestimated Chu Liuyue¡¯s capabilities. ¡°What is this?!¡± His tone started to become exasperated with a hint of rage. Chu Liuyue slowly wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of her mouth as she coldly smiled but didn¡¯t explain. This red fire was formed by the water droplet in her dantian, and that transparent fire was the fire that had been burning in the Heavenly Square Cauldron for thousands of years. Its power could even suppress a legendary fiend like the legendary three-eyed eagle for thousands of years, and it could even destroy it! Neither of these things was an ordinary item. Either one was enough to knock him out, let alone the two of them added together. At the same time, Chu Liuyue kept absorbing the surrounding golden force continuously! Two-thirds of the endless force that came down due to the Three Yuan Convention seemed to be absorbed by Chu Liuyue! This speed wasn¡¯t considered slow. When one recalled that she was still a stage-six warrior, it made one¡¯s heart shudder! ¡­ Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze was cold as the depths of his eyes flashed with a faint blood color. That arrow has the Beiming Ancestor¡¯s holy force. I can feel Ancestor¡¯s enmity toward Chu Liuyue. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the initiative to attack her. I planned to stop him at that time, but I didn¡¯t expect this situation to happen in the blink of an eye. Chu Liuyue is actually the one who took the upper hand?! Her two fires are extraordinary. If not, they definitely couldn¡¯t trap the holy force! He watched on as the fire burned intensely, and the originally brilliant light on that arrow turned dark slowly. Jun Jiuqing felt uneasy for once. He circulated the force in his body and moved his robe! Then, he suddenly raised his hand, and an icy-green chain was flung out from his sleeves as it flew forward! ¡°Jade Bone Chain!¡± That chain entirely exuded a cold color. At first glance, it seemed as though it was engraved superior jade and looked like it would break very easily. But wherever it went, space directly collapsed! This showed how powerful the chain was! In the blink of an eye, that chain flew to the fire! Whoosh! The two forces slammed against each other¡ªone hot and one cold! When they touched, an ear-piercing sizzling sound was heard. Jun Jiuqing squinted his eyes slightly and exerted more strength with his hands. The coldness on the Jade Bone Chain instantly exploded¡ªit directly pierced forward! That arrow noticed Jun Jiuqing¡¯s strength and instantly rushed forward! The two forces¡ªone within and one outside¡ªgathered together, and the result finally tore a hole in the barrier formed by the fire! Taking this chance, the Jade Bone Chain rapidly surrounded that arrow! ¡°Get back!¡± Jun Jiuqing retracted his wrist and smoothly brought the arrow back! Chu Liuyue seemed to have felt the retaliation from this force since her body shuddered, and she spat out a mouthful of blood! Jun Jiuqing averted his gaze, and it landed on her pale face for a moment. He then knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Hah¡­ You do treat her differently¡­¡± He heard the hoarse and old voice. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes slightly shrunk as he looked at that arrow. ¡°Ancestor, you¡¯ve misunderstood¡ª¡± ¡°Kid, who do you think I did this for?¡± interrupted the Beiming Ancestor as he coldly sneered. ¡°The endless force accumulated within Ancient Phoenix Mountain over thousands of years and this holy force left behind are all for my Beiming royal family descendants to succeed me. Yet, you so willingly left it for someone else¡­ You¡¯ve really disappointed me!¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes were dark, and he was about to explain when he saw that the arrow suddenly changed direction and went for Chu Liuyue! The girl seemed to have sensed something as she turned around, and shock flashed across her eyes! She immediately raised her hand to stop it, but it was already too late! Whoosh! The brilliant long arrow directly pierced Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest! Chapter 997 - I’ll Keep It! Chapter 997: I¡¯ll Keep It! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At that moment, blood spurted everywhere! The warm and metallic blood landed on her face, causing her to look more miserable! The instant the arrow pierced her body, Chu Liuyue grabbed the end of the arrow! However, that arrow had already pierced her chest and was only half an inch away from her heart! The fresh red blood oozed out of her wound! As she was wearing red clothes, it wasn¡¯t very obvious when the blood flowed out. Additionally, as she kept absorbing the force earlier, it had already left quite a few wounds and bloodstains on her body. Hence, it was even harder to identify the blood in such a situation! But that extremely brilliant arrow was very conspicuous as it dazzled so brightly that everyone could see it clearly! ¡°Liuyue!¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± When Yuwen Jinghong and the rest saw this scene, they all gasped in unison! Out of impulse, Mu Hongyu wanted to run over directly, but she was stopped by Jian Fengchi! ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Saving Liuyue!¡± Mu Hongyu was very anxious and forcefully shook his hand off. ¡°Why are you holding me back!? It¡¯s too late if we don¡¯t go now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still injured now. Are you courting death?¡± The usual flippant smile on Jian Fengchi¡¯s face disappeared and was replaced with cold nonchalance. Given her current state, she won¡¯t be able to help even if she goes over! Mu Hongyu was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°How do you know I can¡¯t?! I have the Faint Yuan Body! I just need to go over and bring Liuyue back first¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi held her hand tightly and locked her beside him. He looked up and met her slightly red almond-like eyes. His stern words were instantly stuck in his throat. He paused for a moment, and the harsh and cold aura around his body was gradually appeased. ¡°That arrow isn¡¯t enough to take her life.¡± ¡°Why do you¡ª¡± ¡°If she didn¡¯t want it to, that arrow wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to hit her,¡± Jian Fengchi rapidly explained, but this instantly stunned Mu Hongyu and the rest. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Mu Hongyu suddenly thought of something as she turned around and checked Chu Liuyue¡¯s condition without blinking. ¡°Then¡­ she did it on purpose?¡± Because she couldn¡¯t believe it, Mu Hongyu¡¯s voice was extremely light and barely audible. However, she was calmer than before. Jian Fengchi heaved a sigh of relief in his heart as he looked up, his icy peach blossom eyes conflicted. I¡¯m definitely one of the people who understood Shangguan Yue the most in this world, especially when she is battling¡­ She never suffers a loss for no reason. Mu Hongyu clenched her teeth and calmed down quite a bit. Jun Jiuqing is extremely strong. If I went alone, it would be very hard to bring Chu Liuyue back safe and sound, let alone when I¡¯m also injured. Now, Liuyue can only depend on herself¡­ Yuwen Jinghong glanced at Jian Fengchi strangely. Why¡­ was he so nervous about Mu Hongyu just now? He almost never shows such coldness to a woman¡­ At that moment, did he really¡­ panic? As if sensing his gaze, Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression changed slightly as he glanced at Yuwen Jinghong from the corner of his eyes. His eyes were filled with an unconcealable warning. Yuwen Jinghong immediately stretched out his hand obediently and zipped his lips up. Jian Fengchi then retracted his gaze in satisfaction as he loosened his grip on Mu Hongyu¡¯s hand. However, he didn¡¯t completely let go of it and just held it loosely. ¡­ ¡°Ancestor?!¡± When that arrow suddenly flew back, Jun Jiuqing knew that something was amiss and immediately went forward to stop it! It was a pity that he was a step too late. In the blink of an eye, that arrow had already pierced Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest! When he saw fresh blood continuously oozing out of her chest, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes were immediately drowned by blood. He exuded a sinister, bone-chilling coldness¡ªthe surrounding air seemed to freeze! Sinister! Harsh! Wrathful! However, such emotions only lasted for a moment. This was because he saw Chu Liuyue holding the end of the arrow and burning it with fire. The fire enveloped that arrow once again, but this time, the fire seemed much stronger than before! In the blink of an eye, the color on the arrow rapidly faded away! Jun Jiuqing only heard his ancestor¡¯s hurried and rushed shouts before he fell silent. As if detecting his gaze, Chu Liuyue looked up. Her lips that were dyed with fresh red blood curled up slightly into a cunning and arrogant smile! Jun Jiuqing instantly understood, and the blood color in his eyes rapidly faded away like a ripple being quickly appeased. When he looked again, he was completely calm. It was as if that momentary loss of control was just an illusion. His expression recovered too quickly, causing nobody to notice the quick change. ¡°¡­You did it on purpose?¡± said Jun Jiuqing gradually. Even though it was a question, it had an affirmative tone to it. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and smiled with slightly deeper meaning. ¡°Ah¡­ It seems like my acting skills still aren¡¯t up to par, but it¡¯s enough if I can use them, right?¡± She admitted to it! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression became cold. When I took action, Chu Liuyue intentionally showed her weakness and attracted the arrow to fly out. She knew that Ancestor had already wanted to kill her and wouldn¡¯t stop trying, so she purposely allowed this to happen. She was waiting for Ancestor¡¯s retaliation! ¡°There¡¯s no use even if you snatch this holy force. If you can¡¯t remove Ancestor¡¯s consciousness, this holy force will never belong to you!¡± Jun Jiuqing raised his hand. ¡°Return it to me, and I¡¯ll give you something in return. I can help you¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, but there¡¯s no need.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly and directly plucked the arrow out. Two balls of fire rapidly spread from her palms and enveloped the arrow completely. Then, it flashed and disappeared before the crowd¡¯s eyes! Jun Jiuqing furrowed his brows tightly, his aura vague. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what I want to do, but you¡¯re forcing me to do something.¡± Chu Liuyue talked as she used the surrounding fire to set up a translucent barrier. At the same time, that arrow was rapidly being sucked into the Heavenly Square Cauldron in her dantian. Detecting the overwhelming and heavy suppression, the Beiming Ancestor finally realized that something was wrong. Hence, the arrow crazily flew around, wanting to escape! But the Heavenly Square Cauldron could even suppress the legendary three-eyed eagle at its peak back then, let alone this scarce holy force. No matter how much that arrow struggled within, the Heavenly Square Cauldron wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?!¡± The Beiming Ancestor¡¯s voice had a hint of panic. How can a mere stage-six warrior suppress my holy force?! An idea surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and the transparent fire started burning crazily! Short and rushed shouts were heard, but that arrow actually started melting at an observable speed! ¡°I¡¯ll keep this force!¡± Chapter 998 - Crazy Demon! Chapter 998: Crazy Demon! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Very quickly, that arrow formed a fist-sized ball of light in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. It was entirely rainbow and looked very brilliant. The suppression of the holy force that gradually exuded from it made one¡¯s heart shudder. But within this Heavenly Square Cauldron, this bit of strength didn¡¯t pose any threat. Other than the crazily burning transparent fire, there were still two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds. One of them was slowly approaching the ball of holy force. When the two objects were extremely close to each other, that ball of light seemed to be threatened as its light dimmed by quite a bit. With the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed watching it, this holy force was more obedient. ¡°Refine his scarce consciousness,¡± instructed Chu Liuyue in her heart. Once she said this, even more fire instantly appeared within the Heavenly Square Cauldron! The heat seemed to be much higher than before! As if sensing danger, that ball of light kept moving and rushed upward! Whish! The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed suddenly flew over quickly and directly passed through the ball of light in the middle! Spurt! Hearing the sound, that ball of light immediately dispersed! When the light gathered once again, it was smaller than before but looked very pure and clean. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed probably liked such a ¡®game¡¯ as it kept passing through the ball of light happily! Every time it did so, the holy force would become even purer! The Beiming Ancestor¡¯s scarce consciousness within also gradually dispersed with the continuous impacts. This made Chu Liuyue heave a sigh of relief as she turned her attention to the surrounding golden force. At this point, she seemed to have already absorbed four-fifths of this. Of course, her body was already filled with injuries, and she was covered in blood as the price. ¡­ Everything happened rapidly. When everyone thought that Chu Liuyue was bound to die or get injured at the very least, they saw her retaliate and pluck out that arrow. The arrow then disappeared, but Chu Liuyue was still fine! ¡°She seems to be absorbing the force even more quickly!¡± someone suddenly yelled and was filled with shock and disbelief. The crowd looked over. The overwhelming golden force seemed to have subsided by quite a bit compared to the start. Without a doubt, all of it had already been absorbed by Chu Liuyue! Logically speaking, her physical body shouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate so much force and should¡¯ve long exploded! However¡ª Nothing! Jun Jiuqing felt that something was amiss. Even though I have no intentions of killing Chu Liuyue, this holy force still has Ancestor¡¯s consciousness. If it is stolen just like that¡ª He knitted his sharp brows and was about to take action! But at this moment, a loud sound was heard from the skies! Rumble! He suddenly looked up and saw the six bolts of lightning crazily swimming around in the clouds, right about to come down! Kaca! A crack appeared beneath his feet! Jun Jiuqing narrowed his eyes! Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s main mountain peak was the place where Ancestor broke through back then, so it has always been very hard. It has experienced all sorts of impact from the forces before, but it remained unharmed! But now, it suddenly broke¡­ That holy force must¡¯ve been absorbed by Chu Liuyue! As these thoughts surfaced, the cracks on the gigantic mountain started spreading around like a spiderweb! Chu Liuyue looked up. I don¡¯t have much time left! Craziness flashed across her eyes. Then, she closed her eyes, and her surrounding aura suddenly exploded! The surrounding golden force abruptly quickened itself as it entirely surged into her body! Whoosh! As too much force suddenly surged in, a bloody hole exploded on Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist. However, this was only the beginning. Very quickly, the same situation happened everywhere on her! She previously also had external injuries due to similar reasons, so she lost a lot of blood, but all of this was still under her control. She knew the extent of her tolerance, so she could handle it well. But this time¡ªshe completely didn¡¯t care about it! The remaining one-fifth of the golden force entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s body at an unimaginable speed! Bam! A crisp sound was heard from her body! That was the sound of her Yuan meridian exploding as it couldn¡¯t tolerate this terrifying strength! ¡°Girlie! You¡¯re crazy!¡± hollered Shangguan Jing. One can still recuperate if the physical body is damaged, but the impact of a broken Yuan meridian is huge! Besides, the Yuan meridian is very important at this important stage of breaking through! By doing this, she has undoubtedly ruined her future. Due to the excruciating pain, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were completely red. Only the hint of determination in the depths of her eyes let people know that she made this decision herself. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was very light but had deep stubbornness. ¡°This is my only way.¡± The lightning is just about to strike. I had to break through immediately to become a stage-seven warrior! As she spoke, she took in all the surrounding golden force and absorbed the longan-sized holy force that had shrunk within the Heavenly Square Cauldron. All the strength crazily entered the small water droplet floating in her dantian! Bang! Bang! Bang! Absorbing the ferocious strength that rushed in was like opening the floodgates! Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire Yuan meridian within her body continuously exploded! Her vision turned black, and her clothes were torn and tattered. She had badly mangled injuries everywhere, and she became a blood person. ¡­ The last bit of golden spark disappeared, and all the brilliant light rapidly subsided. The world was completely dark. Only the lightning bolts in the skies lit up half the sky as they quickly swam around with stunning suppression. It seemed as though they were going to strike at any moment, ruining the ground. ¡°S-she actually forcefully a-absorbed all of the force¡­¡± ¡°Quickly, look! She seems to be bleeding!¡± ¡°Crazy¡­ She really is courting death!¡± At this time, the crowd finally looked at the mountain peak forcefully. That red woman sat quietly as she held up the black shield. Beside her was the Long Yuan Sword. Her loose hair fell down, and it was very quiet, but the blood pool kept expanding beneath her feet. One look at this scene made everyone else feel that she had no chance of living! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were tightly shut as the water droplet in her dantian rapidly spun! It absorbed all the golden force and that holy force before converting everything into her own strength! Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding Yuan meridian kept breaking! All the crystallized and hard Yuan meridian channels kept collapsing under the impact of this terrifying force. But at this point, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t care less about those! She tried her best to gather all of the force! Then, it all rushed to that water droplet! Hua! It was like tidal waves harshly hitting against a rock, causing endless ripples! The few lines on the water droplet also started to shake intensely! Rumble! At this point, the lightning in the sky finally struck! Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was instantly covered! Chapter 999 - Retreat! Chapter 999: Retreat! The six bolts of lightning struck at the same time! The impact was astounding, and the presence was stunning! The moment the bright light swallowed Chu Liuyue, a loud sound was suddenly heard from the main mountain! Then, under the crowd¡¯s shocked eyes, the main peak was actually slashed right in the middle! Half of the mountain instantly collapsed! Rumble¡ª The sound shocked the world, and dust flew everywhere! ¡°Quickly, retreat!¡± The crowd¡ªwho had been standing nearby and spectating¡ªimmediately retreated! The six lightning bolts¡¯ strength couldn¡¯t be estimated, and ordinary people had no way of resisting it. Hence, the only way was to retreat! ¡­ Jun Jiuqing wanted to take action, but he was still a step too late. The lightning bolts struck, and an immense strength rushed out! His chest felt stuffy when he saw the cracks on the mountain peak rapidly expanding! The moment the mountain collapsed, he went on his toes and rapidly flew up! But just as he was about to go up, the terrifying impact of the lightning bolt came over! His eyes narrowed, and he immediately retreated! But even though he was extremely fast, he was still impacted by the force as his body vibrated, and he vomited blood out. After flying a distance away, he then forcefully stabilized his figure! Following that, he looked up and saw that the remaining half of the mountain had been completely covered by the bolts of silver lightning! That skinny figure had already completely disappeared, and nobody could see her! ¡°Jiuqing!¡± A shout was suddenly heard! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression changed! This voice is Father¡¯s! He instantly turned around and saw Jun Qizhi floating in midair outside the distant barrier. His expression was stern. ¡°The bolts of lightning have struck. Immediately bring everyone out of Ancient Phoenix Mountain! Seal the barrier!¡± ¡­ Jun Qizhi didn¡¯t make this decision out of willfulness. In actual fact, he already felt uneasy the moment he saw six bolts of lightning appearing at the same time. But he still had one last bit of hope at that time, thinking that it wasn¡¯t too late to say it after Jun Jiuqing managed to snatch back the endless force and that holy force. However, who would¡¯ve thought that Shangguan Yue would be so crazy as to absorb all the force directly?! Such ways were maniacal! She wanted to die, but Jun Qizhi didn¡¯t want her to drag everyone down with her! So seeing that the lightning had struck and started to swim around crazily, Jun Qizhi immediately decided to order Jun Jiuqing and the rest to leave Ancient Phoenix Mountain! Hearing this command, Jun Jiuqing instinctively knitted his brows and wanted to reject. ¡°Father, it seems rather inappropriate if we leave Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡ª¡± Rumble! Before he could finish his sentence, the lightning bolts¡¯ impact rushed out in all directions! The surrounding mountains were all slashed, and the mountain body started collapsing! Countless rocks rolled down! Amidst all this were people¡¯s miserable cries. Obviously, the striking lightning bolts¡¯ suppression had spread everywhere! Even the people who had retreated earlier were all affected! Ancient Phoenix Mountain was in a miserable state of debris! Jun Qizhi glanced at him and coldly said, ¡°It has already ended up in this state, yet you don¡¯t want to retreat. Do you want everyone to stay here forever?¡± Jun Jiuqing was a stage-nine warrior, so he might be able to forcefully withstand for a period of time. However, the others didn¡¯t have such abilities. If they continued staying around, they would be taking a bigger risk! ¡°That¡¯s right! Ancient Phoenix Mountain is in a state of debris! They can¡¯t stay there any longer!¡± Gongsun Xiao had also flown up and stood beside Jun Qizhi with a tense expression. He didn¡¯t want all of his dynasty¡¯s people to die in such an unknown manner! The endless force and the holy force that came from the Three Yuan Convention were all taken by Shangguan Yue! What is the meaning of the others staying here? They would just be forced to experience the catastrophe! Jun Qizhi stood with one hand behind his back as he looked at Jun Jiuqing with a dark expression. ¡°Jiuqing, other than you guys, the other top talents from the few dynasties are still inside. If anything happens, can you be responsible for it?!¡± Even if the Beiming Dynasty had the highest status here, they couldn¡¯t afford to bear such responsibility! This was the only way, as well as the best way! Jun Jiuqing gradually clenched his fists in his sleeves tightly, and his eyes were dark and bitter. If we leave now, and she¡¯s left alone¡­ ¡°Jiuqing, why are you still hesitating?¡± Jun Qizhi stared at his son as if he had seen through everything, and his voice was harsh and filled with warning. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your status!¡± Previously, I had already vaguely guessed that Jiuqing had some interest in that Shangguan Yue. But it now seems like this interest is much deeper than I had predicted¡­ This made Jun Qizhi become alert. Jun Jiuqing is the Beiming Crown Prince and the only future emperor of Beiming. It¡¯s fine if he likes a woman, but it will spell doom if this like crosses a certain boundary. In the beginning, Jun Jiuqing could¡¯ve directly attacked so as to not leave any chance for Shangguan Yue. But he didn¡¯t do so and kept giving in to her step by step, causing Shangguan Yue to end up in such a state! The endless force accumulated over thousands of years and the important holy force that Ancestor specifically left behind were all supposed to be his! But now, they¡¯ve been taken away by someone else! This made Jun Qizhi very uneasy. He averted his gaze, but he could no longer see that figure on the damaged mountain peak. Perhaps her demise will be the best ending! At this moment, a figure quickly ran over¡ªit was Qing Dai. She had obviously suffered quite a few injuries as she was covered in blood. She bit her lips and bowed to Jun Jiuqing. ¡°Your Highness, many people below can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Jun Jiuqing squinted his eyes as he looked down and rapidly scanned his surroundings. Actually, even if Qing Dai didn¡¯t come to say this, he already knew the rough situation. The strength within the lightning bolts was too terrifying. Not only the main mountain¡ªeven the surrounding mountains were implicated as well! However, her standing out like this had undoubtedly pushed him again. As expected, Jun Qizhi urged him once again. ¡°Jiuqing.¡± The Beiming Emperor didn¡¯t need to say much as this tone filled with warning and coldness had explained everything. Jun Jiuqing glanced at Qing Dai with deep meaning. The latter suddenly felt guilty as she hurriedly looked down and didn¡¯t dare to glance at him again. His Highness¡¯s previous gaze¡­ I have never seen His Highness look at me like that before! Qing Dai was anxious and afraid, even feeling a hint of indignation. His Majesty and the rest have already requested for us to retreat, so we naturally have to act immediately! If not, does he really want all of us to be dragged down just because of a Shangguan Yue? ¡°I know.¡± After a temporary stalemate, Jun Jiuqing finally spoke. ¡°Everyone, leave Ancient Phoenix Mountain! Fifteen minutes later, Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier will officially be closed!¡± His hoarse and low voice quickly traveled to everyone¡¯s ears! Jun Jiuqing then whipped his sleeves, and a green bridge appeared in midair! The end of the long bridge was directly connected to the barrier¡¯s exit! Very quickly, figures appeared from everywhere as they stepped onto the bridge and ran outside! Chapter 1000 - Sky-Breaking! Chapter 1000: Sky-Breaking! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Facing such a perilous situation, how could the crowd care about the rest? They had to leave this place first to protect their own lives! Hence, everyone within Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier rapidly left continuously with no hesitation! The group of elders in charge of guarding the barrier outside clearly realized that something was amiss, and they ripped open a hole in the barrier! Perhaps because of the commotion within, but the rainbow barrier¡¯s strength seemed to be reduced. This unquestionably allowed the elders to have an easier time. But in such a situation, nobody dared to relax. Who would know how terrifying the strength of the lightning bolts would be? After all, nobody had seen someone summoning a nine-bolt God Foreseeing Tribulation! Besides, there were six bolts coming down together! Elder Hua Qian looked at the maniacal and torturous lightning strength and the continuously collapsing mountain bodies with a solemn expression. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ Ancient Phoenix Mountain will be ruined¡­¡± ¡­ Elder Chen Ke and the rest didn¡¯t even care if Ancient Phoenix Mountain would be ruined! They cared about Chu Liuyue and the others¡¯ safety! Perhaps Jian Fengchi and the rest still have a chance to come back, but Her Majesty¡­ She is already enveloped by the lightning bolts now. I¡¯m afraid¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll go in to bring her out!¡± Elder Su Jin couldn¡¯t hold herself back and was about to take action! But the moment she reached the area where a hole was ripped apart in the barrier, a violent force rushed out! Elder Su Jin wasn¡¯t prepared, so she directly staggered a few steps backward! Xiao Ran immediately came up to help her up and had a worried expression. ¡°Ah Jin, are you okay?¡± However, Elder Su Jin couldn¡¯t care about this as she pointed inside. ¡°Yue¡¯er! Yue¡¯er is still inside!¡± What should we do?! Xiao Ran pressed his lips against each other. ¡°You¡¯re a Xuan Master; you will be disadvantaged if you go in. You should just stay here. I¡¯m a warrior¡ªI¡¯ll go in!¡± Then, he moved his feet and was about to go in. ¡°Nobody needs to go in,¡± said Cen Yi suddenly. Everyone looked at him and saw that he still looked very calm. He wasn¡¯t nervous at all. ¡°This is her God Foreseeing Tribulation. She can only pass it herself. Even if you go over, nobody else can help her.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s words made sense. Even if the rest went over and helped her stop part of the strength, she still had to win this battle herself. ¡°T-then, are we just going to watch on like this?¡± Elder Su Jin paced back and forth nervously. ¡°If it were her in her peak, she might be able to endure it. But now¡ª¡± On the one hand, Chu Liuyue was currently just a peak stage-six warrior. On the other hand, she had already been harmed by the endless force and the holy force to the point where she had no patch of skin left unscathed. In such a situation, it would be courting death if she withstood six bolts of lightning! Cen Yi looked up and squinted his narrow eyes. After a slight pause, he said, ¡°As long as she can break through to become a stage-seven warrior, she might be able to do it.¡± ¡­ More and more people left. In the end, only Mu Hongyu and the rest were left at their spot. ¡°What should we do? Liuyue hasn¡¯t moved yet¡­¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart hung high, and she felt very uneasy. If it weren¡¯t for Tuan Zi properly staying by their sides, they would really think that something had happened to Chu Liuyue. But even if so, they could not completely dispel their worries. Even Jun Jiuqing couldn¡¯t endure that force, let alone her! The few of them felt very conflicted as they all looked at Jian Fengchi, wanting him to make the decision. Jian Fengchi was also very hesitant. If we don¡¯t wait, we won¡¯t feel good about it. If we do wait, we might die here if we aren¡¯t careful. Rumble! A silver lightning bolt struck here, and the mountain peak that they were on started to collapse! Caw! Tuan Zi let out a shriek¡ªit was chasing them to leave! Jian Fengchi knitted his brows and turned around to take a look, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure still couldn¡¯t be seen. He clenched his teeth. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Mu Hongyu originally didn¡¯t agree, but she was worried she would become Chu Liuyue¡¯s burden if she stayed here. Seeing that Tuan Zi had already decided to send them out, she took a few deep breaths and finally got on the fiend¡¯s back. The few of them went up one after another. Tuan Zi¡¯s wings vibrated, and it rapidly flew up toward the exit! Mu Hongyu looked back reluctantly. Jian Fengchi also followed her line of sight and took a glance before looking down to see the latter¡¯s tightly clenched fists and her knuckles turning white. His heart tingled, and he held her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since Tuan Zi wants us to leave, it proves that she¡¯s fine.¡± 1 Mu Hongyu forcefully nodded. The few of them quickly flew out. Jun Jiuqing followed closely after them and was the last to leave. Elder Hua Qian commanded, ¡°Close Ancient Phoenix Mountain!¡± The brilliant rainbow barrier was suddenly closed! ¡­ Other than Chu Liuyue, everyone had come out from inside. Most of them were injured, and they all looked at the forcefully remaining half-mountain with lingering fear. Dantai Chen surveyed the surroundings, and his heart sank. None¡ªnobody is left. Like I had predicted previously, the five people from the Taiyu Dynasty have all died! All the blood in his body seemed to have frozen as his entire body was cold, and his mind was blank. Even if he had already predicted it before, the moment he personally verified it, he still staggered backward and almost fell. He slowly looked up at the bright light. Shangguan Yue¡­ She deserves to die! After experiencing that battle, her soul must¡¯ve dispersed! Even though I couldn¡¯t avenge them personally, such a result is also comforting¡­ 1 But at this moment, gasps could be heard from the crowd. ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly looked up. A thin and tall figure suddenly appeared in the bright light¡ªit was Chu Liuyue! ¡°She broke through and became a stage-seven warrior!¡± Chapter 1001 - Tianjing Yuan Meridian! Chapter 1001: Tianjing Yuan Meridian! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The lightning bolt glowed brightly and lit up half the sky! On the tall mountain peak, that woman stood up straight, and her clothes flowed with the wind! A palm-sized golden peach blossom was above her head. All those terrifying lightning bolts struck down, but they flowed to the side when they met that golden peach blossom as if they were afraid! With it as the center, it helped Chu Liuyue light up this small space! ¡°What¡¯s¡­ that?¡± When Jun Qizhi and the rest saw this scene, they were all stunned. What kind of force can cause these lightning bolts to be afraid? Also, this small golden peach blossom can actually easily block the suppression outside! Jun Jiuqing squinted his eyes dangerously as his eyes glowed with faint disgust. How¡­ annoying¡­ He never goes away¡­ Chu Liuyue looked up and stared at that golden peach blossom closely. When the six bolts of lightning struck at the same time, she was at the crucial moment of breaking through to become a stage-seven warrior. Thankfully, this item helped her block them for a while, so she could have that last bit of time to break through successfully! That sense of familiarity grew increasingly strong as if something wanted to pounce out of her heart. Chu Liuyue stood up quietly, but her body was experiencing a stunning change! That invisible barrier had already been broken, and the ferocious force kept tumbling in her dantian as the seventh line on the water droplet gradually appeared. Different from the previous six lines, the color of this line was especially brilliant and bright! The moment Chu Liuyue looked at it, she also gasped! This is the effect after absorbing the holy force from the Beiming Ancestor! Even if it were me in my previous life, I hadn¡¯t done this step¡ªusing holy force to become a stage-seven warrior! When that brilliant line was drawn, a drop of water suddenly flew out of the water droplet. That drop of water glowed with a rainbow scale. It was very mesmerizing, and it later formed into millions of water droplets that flew toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs! After the impact of the terrifying force, Chu Liuyue¡¯s Yuan meridian was already very damaged like a dry ground with gullies everywhere. When those water droplets flew over, they instantly hydrated the ground and caused everything to flourish! Chu Liuyue¡¯s damaged Yuan meridian started recovering at an observable speed, and it was clearly wider and stiffer than previously as it had an iridescent glow! When Chu Liuyue saw that her Yuan meridian was repaired and that it glowed faintly, her heart suddenly shuddered. Then, under her disbelieving stare, these water droplets landed everywhere and rapidly repaired all of her Yuan meridian. Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding aura strengthened¡ªit was formidable! It was the aura that only a Tianjing Yuan meridian had! Not only did the water droplet¡¯s strength repair Chu Liuyue¡¯s damaged Yuan meridian when she broke through to become a stage-seven warrior, but it even directly turned her Yuan meridian into a Tianjing Yuan meridian at the same time! ¡­ Her body instantly felt comfortable, and it was as spacious as the mountains and waters! When the ferocious force rushed out of her dantian and flowed into the Yuan meridian, it felt very spacious and relaxed! There seemed to be something tingling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. This feeling was one that she hadn¡¯t experienced for a long time. I never thought that I would have a chance in this life to have the Tianjing Yuan meridian again! She instinctively reached out, and the golden peach blossom silently disappeared the moment it touched her hand. At the same time, the black pyramid in her dantian suddenly moved. Then, a crack clearly appeared on it! A faint light shone out from it as if it had been hidden for millions of years. The sense of familiarity also became increasingly strong! At this moment, Chu Liuyue could almost confirm that the thing inside was indeed her soul! This time, the crack on the black pyramid didn¡¯t repair itself, but it didn¡¯t expand either. Chu Liuyue could feel a familiar aura within, but she couldn¡¯t summon it out. She knew very clearly that as long as this black pyramid completely opened and she found the soul that belonged to her inside, her lost memory would also definitely return! She was only a step away from the truth, but this step was undoubtedly a huge chasm that was difficult to cross! Hong long long! Just as Chu Liuyue was thinking about the black pyramid, the lightning bolts above her head made a huge sound, and they all struck her at the same time! Without the golden peach blossom protecting her, Chu Liuyue had to meet this horrifying suppression directly! An idea surfaced in her mind the next moment, and the Long Yuan Sword rapidly returned to her hands! Everyone looked over. The sky was completely dark, and the surrounding mountains had all become flat ground¡ªthey were in a state of debris. Only this mountain still had half its peak left, but that slim woman in red stood upright. Her skinny shoulders seemed capable of lifting up this sky! The winds howled violently, and her hair flew everywhere! Shua! She went on her toes, and her figure was like a sharp arrow that instantly flew up! She actually wanted to face the countless lightning bolts directly! ¡­ Seeing this scene, the crowd outside the barrier all had their eyes wide open! She really chose to face it directly¡­ ¡°W-what exactly is she thinking?¡± ¡°Even if she has already broken through to become a stage-seven warrior, she¡¯ll definitely fail to face six bolts of lightning¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­ Under that kind of situation just now, how exactly did she successfully break through?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dare to speak about others, but Shangguan Yue¡¯s capabilities and luck really can¡¯t be compared to ordinary people¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions, and they all felt that the incidents that happened to that woman during this period were too ridiculous. First, she slashed open Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier. Then, she went against the flow and ascended the mountain peak. Afterward, she even directly snatched the endless force and the holy force that belonged to Jun Jiuqing! When everyone thought that she would undoubtedly die after summoning nine bolts during the God Foreseeing Tribulation, she actually survived in such a situation and successfully broke through to become a stage-seven warrior. Now, she even wanted to go against the last six bolts of lightning! Any one of these incidents was enough to shock the rest, yet she did it all on her own! ¡­ At this point, Chu Liuyue had no other thoughts. In her eyes and heart, there was only one target¡ªto transcend this God Foreseeing Tribulation! One bolt is one bolt; six bolts are also bolts! Since they all appeared at the same time, then¡­ I will just solve all of them together! The sharp and harsh aura kept attacking her, scraping her face and causing excruciating pain. However, this bit of pain didn¡¯t matter to Chu Liuyue. She circulated the force within her body, and she kept injecting her force into the Long Yuan Sword! The ancient black sword body¡¯s power kept surging upward, and that dent in the middle was also filled by silver lightning! A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as ripples appeared on the water droplet. The brilliant ripple extended in all directions! Whir! The sword roared! Chu Liuyue slashed the sword down, and the sky instantly lost its color! ¡°Break it!¡± Chapter 1002 - Champion Returns! Chapter 1002: Champion Returns! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rumble! The two forces harshly slammed against each other, and this sound reverberated throughout the earth. The terrifying and violent force started spreading in all directions¡ªit destroyed everything! The mountains that had previously already been ruined were directly crushed by this force and became flat ground. The hard rocks silently turned into powder and flew up into the air! The ground cracked, and gullies were everywhere! ¡­ Whoosh¡ª The large silver light ball that was formed by the few bolts of lightning was suddenly ripped apart from the middle! Then, the crowd saw a figure go up into the sky! She was very fast as she slashed with her sword. In the blink of an eye, the crowd found that the opening started expanding! She actually slashed this lightning bolt directly, allowing her an opening to survive! The intense battle between the forces left countless battle wounds on Chu Liuyue. Blood kept dripping down from her body, but she didn¡¯t care at this point. The surrounding loud lightning bolts were rapidly approaching! With that opening, it formed a circle that trapped Chu Liuyue within! Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings, and her lips curled up into a cold smile. Want to surround and attack me¡­? You need to see if I¡¯m willing! Her arm shook, and two balls of fire immediately appeared in her palms¡ªone was red, and the other was transparent! The two types of fire intertwined and quickly wrapped around the Long Yuan Sword! The bolts of lightning then approached her in unison! Crazy battle intent flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°You came at the right time!¡± The sharp blade pierced through the lightning bolt that kept approaching! Everywhere it went, fire burned crazily! The lightning bolt that was previously still very arrogant seemed to sense the danger, and it started going at it intensely! But the more it did this, the more intensely the fire burned. The fire even burned the lightning bolts whole! ¡°Shangguan Yue¡¯s fire can actually fight with the lightning bolts?!¡± Gongsun Xiao yelled in shock. At some point, Ning Yuan had also appeared in midair as he looked forward and boomed, ¡°No! Her fire clearly¡­ is swallowing all of that force!¡± In the depths of his calm eyes, there seemed to be ripples. Upon seeing that Shangguan Yue actually successfully broke through to become a stage-seven warrior in this situation, he already predicted that she would win this round. However, he didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Yue¡¯s combat skills to be even more shocking than he had predicted! This¡­ was her true trump card! The surrounding crowd was stumped, and they were at a loss for words. Everything before them had exceeded their knowledge. Every scene flashed across like the traces of a god! At that moment, they saw Chu Liuyue turn around as the terrifying fire on the Long Yuan Sword completely ignited the surrounding lightning bolts! Rumble! The fire immediately exploded! The entire sky burned up, and sparks flew everywhere! ¡­ The lightning bolts¡¯ strength was quickly consumed. Not long later, only the intensely burning fire was left in the sky. The next moment, a figure shot out! All the scenery seemed to lose its color at that moment! Only the woman holding the black sword while in flowing red clothes, hair flowing in the air, descended like the god of war! She also came back like the god of death! She was covered in scars, and her face and body were filled with messy bloodstains. Only her pair of eyes were still as cold and sharp! Her black gem-like eyes seemed to gather all the light in the world as they dazzled brightly! It beat all the treasures in the world! Under the accompaniment of the bright light, it looked like a star was born! ¡­ Her figure moved, and she gently landed. The moment her feet touched the mountain peak¡ª Boom! The mountain body collapsed, and the remaining half of the cliff was also completely destroyed! She still stood there motionless. Her wrist moved, and the overwhelming fire behind her flew back into her body rapidly. Then, she looked over. She was clearly a distance away, and there was a barrier in between, but Jun Qizhi and the rest felt their hearts shudder. This aura. This suppression¡­ Is she really just a stage-seven warrior?! Chu Liuyue raised her hand and swung the sword down! Choo! Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier was instantly split open! Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure moved, and she rapidly flew out. ¡­ Even when Chu Liuyue had stepped out of the barrier, the crowd still hadn¡¯t recovered their senses. Seeing that the woman had appeared in front of them almost in the blink of an eye, the crowd widened their eyes in shock, and their faces were filled with disbelief. Amidst the deadly silence, Cen Yi walked over first. He silently sized Chu Liuyue up, and his lips curled up slightly. Within his nonchalant eyes were unconcealable delight and comfort. He placed his hand on his left chest and bent down slightly as he respectfully said, ¡°Congratulations on your return, Your Majesty.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled as well. Cen Yi¡¯s eyesight has always been very sharp. He has definitely noticed that I¡¯ve already recovered my Tianjing Yuan meridian. My only regret ever since my rebirth was that I had lost my Tianjing Yuan meridian. Now, I have made up for this regret, and everything can be considered to be perfect. Elder Chen Ke and the rest finally recovered their senses, and they couldn¡¯t conceal their agitation. Not only did she survive, but she even successfully broke through to become a stage-seven warrior! The more important thing is that she survived nine bolts of lightning! Her future is definitely limitless! Mu Hongyu and the others rushed over. If not for her last bit of rationality, Mu Hongyu would¡¯ve directly pounced at her. ¡°Liuyue! Liuyue, you¡¯re incredible! I knew you could definitely succeed!¡± Even though her face was filled with elation, her eyes were red, showing that she had cried earlier. Chu Liuyue smiled and comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Am I not doing fine now?¡± How are you doing fine? You directly benefited! Everyone was originally very ambitious and wanted to compete within Ancient Phoenix Mountain. But in the end, the biggest winner was actually Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had no plans of going in since the start! Who wouldn¡¯t envy her? Jian Fengchi opened his fan and raised his brows slightly. ¡°You are really tough.¡± Even though he said this, his eyes had smiling intent, showing that he was genuinely happy for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue agreed. ¡°Thank you for the praise.¡± Jian Fengchi couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Her physical body has changed, but her temperament is still the same. Anyway, the Tianling Dynasty people were all elated. In contrast, the people from the other dynasties weren¡¯t in such a good mood. ¡°Shangguan Yue.¡± A low and stern voice sounded. Chu Liuyue looked up. It was Dantai Chen. He appeared much frailer than when she had seen him before, and his eyes had distinguishable coldness and sinister meaning. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ very delighted now?¡± Once he said this, the surroundings fell silent. Everyone noticed that something was amiss, and they looked over. His voice contained unconcealable deep hatred. ¡°You killed my beloved daughter and the other people from the Taiyu Dynasty! How are you going to atone for your sins?!¡± Chapter 1003 - Who Else Could It Be? Chapter 1003: Who Else Could It Be? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dead silence ensued. Many people had already noticed that something was amiss when all five of the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people failed to show up when everyone else had come out of Ancient Phoenix Mountain after Jun Jiuqing ordered everyone to leave the mountain. The possibility that the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people were dead had already occurred to them, although it only became certain when Dantai Chen voiced his question. Those who were able to join Dantai Chen on this trip and were qualified to enter Ancient Phoenix Mountain were Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s top geniuses. The loss of any one of them was a great shame, what more all five of them¡ªincluding Dantai Chen¡¯s precious daughter, Dantai Ruoli. ¡°That explains Dantai Chen¡¯s odd behavior these few days. It turns out that his people are dead¡­ It seems like he already knew about this at the time.¡± ¡°How terrifying! All five of them are dead?¡± ¡°But there were so many people in Ancient Phoenix Mountain. How can he be sure that Shangguan Yue was the one who killed them?¡± ¡°I guess he has evidence to back up his claim since he¡¯s being so certain about it. Otherwise, why would he accuse her in public like that? Then again, if it really was Shangguan Yue¡¯s doing¡­ We¡¯ll be in for a good show today!¡± Whispers broke out among the crowd as they discussed and voiced their own opinions. ¡­ Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue froze for a moment in seeming surprise. ¡°What do you mean by that, Senior Dantai? When did I kill anyone from the Taiyu Dynasty? How come I don¡¯t know about it myself?¡± As she spoke, she looked around her surroundings as if she were looking for the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people. ¡°Isn¡¯t everybody out already? What, are they not here?¡± ¡°Drop your act!¡± Dantai Chen burst out into angry laughter. ¡°You know very well whether or not it was your doing! They died not long after you forcefully opened the barrier and entered the mountain! How can such a coincidence happen if you¡¯re not the one who killed them?!¡± ¡°Oh? Well¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. The corners of her lips slowly curled to form a cold and wicked smile as she said, ¡°That¡¯s because I happened to bump into them chasing to kill my people.¡± Dantai Chen¡¯s expression suddenly froze. ¡°I was worried when I found out that my people were in life-threatening danger, which was why I chose to forcefully tear open the barrier and enter the mountain. Upon entering though, I saw Hongyu, Yuwen Jinghong, and Wu Ming being surrounded and attacked by Dantai Ruoli and her gang. If I hadn¡¯t arrived in the nick of time, the three of them would¡¯ve died right there and then. ¡°I wonder how my people had offended them that they would go to such extremes to try and exterminate them. We¡¯re all here for the Three Yuan Convention, so it¡¯s really strange that¡­ they were so eager to kill my people. Don¡¯t you think so, Senior Dantai?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke in a slow and logical manner, but each of her words was like steel nails that pinned Dantai Chen motionless to the spot. The latter averted his gaze and ranted, ¡°Who knows what really happened inside! Ruoli and the others have always treated others with leniency, so they would never do such a thing! Even if there was a fight between my people and yours, it must be because your people did something wrong first! Otherwise, why would they go kill the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people for no rhyme or reason?!¡± ¡°Exactly¡ªwe¡¯ve been behaving ourselves! Hongyu and the others knew that they weren¡¯t a match for the people from the other dynasties, so they had been very careful with the way they behaved. Thinking about it, it seems like I¡¯m the only one who has offended the Taiyu¡ª¡± Flustered, Dantai Chen hurriedly interrupted, ¡°That¡¯s just your side of the story! Now that Ruoli and the others are dead, you naturally can say whatever you want! Even if I don¡¯t have incriminating evidence, you¡¯ve admitted to fighting with them, so that makes you a suspect! Unless you can prove your innocence, you¡¯ll naturally be held accountable for their deaths!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly and nearly laughed out loud. Dantai Chen is accusing me without any evidence, yet he still wants me to prove my own innocence. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be held accountable for their deaths¡­ What warped logic is that?! That¡¯s a load of crap! ¡°Dantai Ruoli and her gang swiftly left after engaging in a fight with us. However, we have no idea where they went after that since we were all busy focusing on getting stronger. We didn¡¯t have the spare time to go and deal with those eyesores,¡± said Chu Liuyue in a bland and slightly frigid voice. ¡°You wanted an explanation, so there you have it. We can¡¯t do anything about it if you don¡¯t believe our words. But if you insist on accusing us without any evidence¡­ Forgive me for not cooperating!¡± I have neither the patience nor interest to waste time with you here! ¡­ Dantai Chen got so angry that he couldn¡¯t say a word. Despite wanting to produce evidence, he couldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t dare to. The talisman¡ªwhich he only managed to obtain with great difficulty¡ªhad been split into five parts and hidden on each of the five people who entered Ancient Phoenix Mountain to allow them to find each other quickly and ensure their safety. It was obvious that they had failed to piece the talisman into a whole when they died, but Dantai Chen still managed to vaguely feel a scorching heat. It was like the talisman had been burned by some kind of flame. It was only his conjecture at first, but he became certain that Shangguan Yue was the culprit when he saw her produce the two-colored flame just now. Alas, there wasn¡¯t enough time for him to get more useful information. Most importantly, he couldn¡¯t make public the only evidence he had that could barely be considered evidence, or he would just be inviting great trouble for himself and the entire Taiyu Dynasty. Dantai Chen felt suffocated as if a heavy stone was pressing on his chest. ¡­ Chu Liuyue carefully studied Dantai Chen¡¯s expression. It looks like¡­ Dantai Chen has his concerns, and it¡¯s obvious that they are about the talisman from Black Demon Hole! I would¡¯ve questioned him on the spot about it if he dared to mention it, but it¡¯s a pity that he didn¡¯t. Even though his beloved daughter has died and he¡¯s filled with vengeance and hatred, he still doesn¡¯t dare to mention anything about Black Demon Hole! ¡­ But then again, how could Dantai Chen really possibly swallow his anger just like that? As he looked around, he asked solemnly, ¡°Alright! Since you said that they left after battling with you guys, then can I ask if anyone has seen my people in Ancient Phoenix Mountain from Day 6 onward?¡± The crowd exchanged glances. After a brief silence, some people whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve met any of them¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! I found it strange when they didn¡¯t appear at Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s main peak. Thinking about it now, could something have already happened to them at the time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible¡­¡± Dantai Chen sneered. ¡°Hear that, Shangguan Yue? You and your people were the last ones who met Ruoli and the others! If you guys aren¡¯t the ones who killed them, then who else could it be?!¡± Chapter 1004 - Help Chapter 1004: Help Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°It¡¯s not us. Besides, their deaths could be due to other reasons. Given how dangerous Ancient Phoenix Mountain is, they might¡¯ve encountered some kind of mishap and failed to escape alive. Dantai Ruoli and her companions aren¡¯t weak after all. There aren¡¯t many people here who are capable of killing them all at once,¡± Chu Liuyue calmly said with a smile before lifting her chin in a certain direction. ¡°Even our own people have encountered a lot of danger, and it was only with great difficulty that they managed to escape alive. Look, Little Zhou is still unconscious.¡± The crowd looked in the direction of her gaze, only to see a young chap with short blond hair lying curled up on the ground, motionless. The latter had been in this state since they came out from the mountain and looked like he had been unconscious for a long time. Seeing how one of her own people was in this state, they found Chu Liuyue¡¯s words making sense, and they reckoned that the Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people might¡¯ve really encountered an unfortunate mishap in the mountain. Shangguan Yue sure has a way with words! Dantai Chen¡¯s fists were clenched so tightly that even the veins on his forehead bulged. He pointed an accusing finger at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Excuses! You must¡¯ve killed them because Ruoli offended you before! What a vicious woman you are!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not such a person!¡± A clear voice rang out right at that moment. Everyone turned their heads and realized that it was a youth from the Xiyan Dynasty who had spoken up. Upon sensing everyone¡¯s gaze on him, the youth¡¯s fair cheeks reddened. Still, he firmly said, ¡°S-she even saved me when we were on the mountain. I believe she isn¡¯t that sort of person!¡± ¡°Jinyuan.¡± Gongsun Xiao frowned and cast the youth a disapproving glance. Why is he getting himself involved in this matter? Even if the Tianling Dynasty and the Taiyu Dynasty become complete enemies and wage war against each other, it has nothing to do with us. Besides, there¡¯s no telling what Dantai Chen is capable of doing, having suffered such a great loss and received such a tremendous blow. There¡¯s no need for him to get himself involved at all. Gongsun Jinyuan pursed his lips. He naturally knew that he shouldn¡¯t have spoken up in this situation, especially when things were so intense with the Tianling Dynasty and the Taiyu Dynasty being at odds with each other. It wasn¡¯t his place to meddle in this matter even if he was the Xiyan Dynasty¡¯s prince, but he just couldn¡¯t help it. Chu Liuyue flashed him a small smile as she nodded in greeting. All I did was help him in passing. I didn¡¯t expect him to help speak up for me in return. He¡¯s much more sincere than that old, slicker Gongsun Xiao. ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at Dantai Chen. ¡°Emperor Huai Ren, it was out of respect that I addressed you as ¡®Senior.¡¯ But if you continue to show me disrespect, then¡­ I won¡¯t bother showing you respect too!¡± Dantai Chen scoffed. ¡°Who gives a d*mn about your respect?! I won¡¯t let this matter slide if you don¡¯t give me a satisfactory answer!¡± It was clear that he didn¡¯t want to back down. Chu Liuyue slowly narrowed her eyes. There are plenty of things that require my attention. I don¡¯t have any time and energy to waste on Dantai Chen. ¡°I can bear witness,¡± said Jun Jiuqing out of nowhere. ¡°The Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s people did leave right after fighting with the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s people. As for what happened to them afterward¡­ Well, nobody knows.¡± The fierce expression on Dantai Chen¡¯s face stiffened. While he could disregard other people when they spoke up for Chu Liuyue, he couldn¡¯t do that to Jun Jiuqing. Whether or not the latter was speaking the truth didn¡¯t matter; either way, he could no longer continue to pick a fight with the Tianling Dynasty openly. ¡°Is that true, Jiuqing?¡± Jun Qizhi gave his son a meaningful look. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s lips curled up slightly, although his eyes remained calm and cold. ¡°I said nothing but the truth.¡± The crowd exchanged looks with one another. By now, everyone could see that Jun Jiuqing was bent on speaking up for the Tianling Dynasty. If he said that he was telling the truth, then it was true. Dantai Chen was rendered completely speechless. His eyes wandered back and forth over those few people before he let out a laugh. ¡°Fine! Very well then!¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s attitude toward Shangguan Yue has been different from the start. On top of that, everything that has happened on Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡­ Everything is clear as daylight. After shooting a glare in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction, Dantai Chen flung his sleeves and turned around to leave. ¡­ An odd silence descended upon everyone the moment Dantai Chen took his leave. Although nobody emerged as the victor or loser from the fight, everyone could tell that Dantai Chen wouldn¡¯t let things slide just like that. However, there was no telling what he would do, having lost his beloved daughter and the other talented geniuses. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem bothered about this though. She turned around to thank both Jun Jiuqing and Gongsun Jinyuan before paying a deep bow to Jun Qizhi to express her apology for snatching away the thing their ancestor had left behind for them. Jun Qizhi felt stifled and was beyond speechless. He had always thought that the biggest beneficiary of Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡¯s opening would surely be Jun Jiuqing, which was why he so generously invited the people from the other dynasties over. Right from the very beginning, he had only intended to make use of their power to open the mountain¡¯s barrier. He had never expected things to end this way. Hence, he couldn¡¯t help but see Chu Liuyue as an eyesore. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was in front of so many people, it would¡¯ve been hard for him to even eke out a half-smile. Jun Jiuqing, however, didn¡¯t seem to care much about this matter, although his gaze was deep and unfathomable. Jun Qizhi took one last look at Ancient Phoenix Mountain¡ªwhich had almost completely been razed to the ground¡ªand let out a long and heavy sigh. He swiftly left after giving the excuse that he was tired and wished to retire to his room. As the holy force had been robbed away by Chu Liuyue, Ancient Phoenix Mountain now no longer had anything special about it and thus couldn¡¯t be considered the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s holy mountain anymore. With Jun Qizhi taking the lead to leave, the rest proceeded to leave one after another as well. ¡­ The opening of Ancient Phoenix Mountain thus came to a close. Upon reaching the city, everyone began planning to return to their respective dynasties. Apart from the Taiyu Dynasty¡ªwhich had suffered heavy losses¡ªeveryone else fared quite well overall. Although they didn¡¯t manage to get as much force as Chu Liuyue, most of them managed to gain a bit of the force during the Three Yuan Convention. Overall, they hadn¡¯t made a wasted trip after all. ¡­ It was already afternoon by the time Chu Liuyue and her entourage returned to the villa. After lightly washing up, Chu Liuyue went to Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s room, where Tuan Zi had been guarding him at the side. The fiend happily flew over to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side when it saw her enter the room. ¡°How is his condition?¡± Chu Liuyue asked as she walked over to take Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s pulse. Tuan Zi shook its head to indicate that Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t looking too good. Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. I checked his condition while we were on the way back, so I know this is a sign that the seal in his body is about to break. I thought that his condition would take a turn for the better after some time, but it didn¡¯t. The two forces inside him kept pulling at each other, which was what caused him to be unconscious until now. His youthful and pale face was frosted over, his body was trembling slightly, and he exuded a chilling aura. Not knowing how much longer he would remain in this condition, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit worried about him. Just then, a flickering pattern suddenly appeared on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s glabella. Chapter 1005 - Hitting Her Own Man Chapter 1005: Hitting Her Own Man Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Knock, knock¡­ Someone knocked on the door. Chu Liuyue looked back to see Cen Yi standing at the doorway. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve solved the puzzle you gave me.¡± Surprised, Chu Liuyue stood up and walked over to him. She thus didn¡¯t notice the pattern on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s glabella. ¡°That¡¯s fast.¡± Cen Yi flashed a small smile at her as he handed her a folded piece of paper. ¡°It¡¯s not particularly difficult. In fact, I solved it some time ago. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t have the chance to give you the solution, which is why I¡¯m only giving this to you now.¡± Chu Liuyue took the paper from him and unfolded it, surprise surfacing in her eyes as she quickly scanned through it. It was only a while later that she looked up and smiled helplessly at him. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who will say that it¡¯s not difficult.¡± When she came back from the Eastern Palace previously, she told Cen Yi about the secret mechanism. Although she had managed to unlock it in her flustered state at the time, she wasn¡¯t well-versed in it. She could tell that the room had other mechanisms in place, so she told Cen Yi¡ªwho was proficient in such things¡ªall about it. If he could unlock the mechanism, it would definitely save her a tremendous deal of trouble. At first, she didn¡¯t really harbor much hope that he would be able to succeed. After all, she wasn¡¯t as skilled as him in this aspect, so she could only try her best to describe them to him in as much detail as possible. However, she didn¡¯t expect him to succeed so easily. She took another closer look at the drawing on the paper and sighed internally. No matter how much I try, it¡¯ll be hard for me to reach Cen Yi¡¯s level¡­ ¡°Actually, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve come across anything as interesting as this. I¡¯d say that it has been fun working on it,¡± said Cen Yi sincerely as his smile deepened slightly. ¡°Burn this paper after you¡¯ve finished looking through it.¡± There was no telling what trouble they would be involved in if anyone else accidentally caught a glimpse of this paper. It concerned the secret mechanism of Jun Jiuqing¡¯s Eastern Palace after all. They wouldn¡¯t be able to explain their way out of this matter if they were found to be involved. Chu Liuyue nodded and produced a small flame with her fingertips, quickly burning that piece of paper into ashes. Cen Yi then turned to look at Qiang Wanzhou, who was still lying in bed. ¡°You¡¯re here to see Qiang Wanzhou? Is there any improvement in his condition?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°The two forces in his body are fighting each other. It might do him more harm than good if I try to help him¡­ It¡¯s all up to himself this time.¡± Upon noticing Cen Yi¡¯s hesitant look, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Cen Yi smiled and shook his head. ¡°Nothing. Just leave him to me. You need to rest properly since you¡¯ve just broken through.¡± After thinking about it for a second, Chu Liuyue agreed to leave Qiang Wanzhou in Cen Yi¡¯s care. The latter was powerful and had always carried out his duties well, so that made him the best person to stay behind to look after Qiang Wanzhou. She thus left after leaving him a few instructions. Cen Yi watched her leave, and it was only after she disappeared from sight that he turned around and entered the room. He walked over to Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s side to take a closer look at him, only to notice the flickering pattern on his forehead. She¡­ didn¡¯t notice it, did she? His eyes darkened as he stared at the pattern for a good while. ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to her room and began circulating her force. Although she had sustained quite the sum of injuries previously, most of them had healed to a certain extent after she broke through to become a stage-seven warrior. After crossing this crucial threshold, her abilities in all aspects had greatly improved. On top of that, now that she had regained her Tianjing Yuan meridian, she naturally had an even greater advantage. Be it in terms of her cultivation speed or her physical strength, there were remarkable improvements to them. Her dantian became peaceful once more. As the water droplet quietly floated in it, seven lines shone brightly. Rich force flowed back and forth, charging her body with energy. It had been a long time since she felt this way. Only when one had become a stage-seven warrior could one be truly considered to be on the path of becoming a top warrior. After adjusting her internal force, Chu Liuyue looked at the black pyramid in her body. Faint light could be seen coming from the crack on it, but unfortunately, she still couldn¡¯t touch the thing that was inside the pyramid¡ªnot unless she could fully break the seal. It then suddenly occurred to her that she was now a stage-seven warrior and that she had a holy force in her body. If I properly make use of this force, there might be a chance that I¡¯ll be able to break open the pyramid¡¯s seal. Her eyes lit up in excitement. Let¡¯s do it then! She thus closed her eyes and gathered her focus, drawing the faint colorful holy force from the water droplet and directing it to hit the black pyramid. ¡­ Rong Xiu was currently in the main hall reading documents, and standing respectfully in front of him were Ming Yao and several other people. ¡°Your Grace, this is the preliminary list of the most outstanding women from every clan who are of the right age. Please take a look at it.¡± Ming Yao bent his waist and spoke in a flattering tone. Even though he wasn¡¯t happy about people from the other clans joining in, there was nothing he or the others could do about it since Rong Xiu had given the word. That said, it didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t do something to improve his clan¡¯s chances. The list consisted of a portrait of each woman, so it was another competition from there in terms of beauty. No emotions could be seen on Rong Xiu¡¯s face as he looked at the list. But suddenly, he frowned, and a hint of pain flashed across his noble yet alluring face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Grace?¡± asked Ming Yao and the rest nervously upon sensing that something was wrong. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Rong Xiu waved his hands and pinched the bridge of his nose.. I just¡­ got hit by my own wife. Chapter 1006 - His Wife Chapter 1006: His Wife Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Xiu picked up a random brush from the table and made some annotations to the documents before tossing them aside with the pile of unread documents. It was clear that he had no intention of continuing to read them. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to carefully pick the candidates, Your Grace?¡± Ming Yao felt somewhat indignant as the documents below were also portraits of women from various clans, and he had spent quite a bit of effort on many of them. His Grace has always stayed away from women, so our previous attempts at convincing him to select a wife always ended up in failure. He has only agreed to it this time because he has no choice. Given his personality, it isn¡¯t likely that he wants to make this matter a big event, so it only makes sense that he would eliminate most of the women here. As long as he opens all the scrolls, he will definitely strike some of the women off the list. But he¡¯s only gone through a couple of them, and yet he doesn¡¯t want to continue looking through? ¡°I naturally trust your choices,¡± said Rong Xiu in a nonchalant manner. ¡°But¡­ That¡¯s a lot of people, Your Grace,¡± Ming Yao responded uneasily in hopes of convincing him to strike off more names. Rong Xiu looked up and curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°You guys were the ones who suggested that I select a wife and submitted these documents to me, yet¡­ you¡¯re now telling me that it¡¯s a lot of people?¡± Ming Yao was rendered speechless. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m the Saint. Since I¡¯m selecting a princess consort, I naturally have to do it properly. Are you guys¡­ trying to tell me that I don¡¯t have the right to do so?¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± In a panic, Ming Yao and the others fell to their knees and begged for mercy. ¡°We absolutely have no such intentions, Your Grace!¡± Rong Xiu quietly looked at them with indifference. The dead silence and the freezing air felt utterly awkward and pressurizing to them, evident by the beads of cold sweat dripping down their foreheads. Things remained like this for some time, and it was only when they thought they couldn¡¯t stand this atmosphere any longer that Rong Xiu finally said, ¡°Leave.¡± As if they had received great amnesty, they hurriedly thanked him and turned around to leave. But just as they took their first step, they heard him say from behind, ¡°Take these documents with you as well.¡± They stiffened, and Ming Yao immediately turned around and walked forward with his waist bent. ¡°Sorry, I forgot about them¡­¡± ¡°Redo them.¡± That sentence made Ming Yao freeze to the spot and look up in shock and uncertainty. ¡°Your Grace, you mean¡­¡± Rong Xiu looked up slightly, his eyes dark and penetrating as if he could see through everything. Although he wore a small smile on his face, it held no sign of amusement. ¡°The Luoshan clan¡¯s second daughter looks way too different in the portrait from what I remember her to be. Which artist was in charge of this portrait? Fire him and find someone else to replace him.¡± Despite his light tone, it instantly made Ming Yao¡¯s heart squeeze. He knows¡­ He knows everything! Ming Yao suddenly felt very embarrassed and humiliated as if he had been cut open and exposed in the light. His lips turned pale as he stiffly nodded. ¡°W-will do¡­¡± After saying that, he quickly took the documents and left. Upon sensing that something was wrong, the rest of the people hurriedly took their leave as well. It was only when they completely disappeared from the main hall that Rong Xiu leaned back, rubbed his temples, and slowly exhaled. His thin scarlet lips, however, couldn¡¯t help curling into a helpless smile. ¡°She sure didn¡¯t go easy on me¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Say¡­ What¡¯s going on with His Grace? Hadn¡¯t he been opposed to the selection of a crown princess? So why did he agree to it this time and even want to make it a huge event?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an unfathomable person, so nobody knows for sure.¡± ¡°Is it because he got so annoyed by us bringing this matter up so many times that he decided to make it a huge event to save himself some trouble in the future?¡± ¡°That might be the case, but what a shame¡­ All our preparations were for naught¡­ Ming Yao, what do you think about this?¡± It was only after walking a good distance away from the main hall and going to a secluded corner that they started talking about this matter. Ming Yao, however, was in somewhat of a trance, and the person next to him had to call him several times before he responded to them. ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ I have no idea myself¡­ How can I possibly know what¡¯s on His Grace¡¯s mind?¡± He got even more distraught when he remembered how Rong Xiu seemed to have looked at him with piercing eyes. He had a strange foreboding that things seemed to have spun out of his control and were heading in an unknown direction. However, there was no point in saying anything since things had come to this stage; they could only continue as planned. ¡°We only have a little over a month left, so we should start preparing for the selection! We won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences of failure if any mistake is made! I still have other matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll get going first.¡± After saying this, Ming Yao hurriedly left, leaving the rest of the people looking at each other. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? There¡¯s no need to flare up at us just because His Grace refused to accept his proposal, right?¡± ¡°Ignore him. How could he possibly be in a good mood now, especially when it hasn¡¯t been easy for him to get a hold of that artist?¡± ¡°Hmph, everyone knows what he¡¯s up to! He just wants that young lady from the Ming Division to become the Crown Princess. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t expect His Grace to take the chance to get all of the clans to submit their own name list! This lowers that young lady¡¯s chances!¡± ¡°How can anyone possibly win a scheme against His Grace? There¡¯s a reason why he managed to get to his current position¡­ Forget it; let¡¯s just go back and make preparations! Whether or not our clans will be selected, we can¡¯t let ourselves be embarrassed!¡± ¡­ At this time, Chu Liuyue had no idea that the preparation for the selection of Rong Xiu¡¯s Crown Princess was in full swing. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest with one hand tapping her chin as she frowned and fell deep in thought. ¡°Why is there no movement?¡± she couldn¡¯t help murmuring softly after thinking for a while. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the holy force be able to do some damage to the seal?¡± She had tried using the holy force to break the seal on the black pyramid, but it was to no avail. It remained there as if it hadn¡¯t been disturbed at all. The only thing was that the crack seemed to have gotten a tiny bit bigger than before, and this was something that she noticed¡ªjust barely¡ªafter staring at it for a long time. It was clear how difficult it would be to crack this thing. Chu Liuyue felt a huge headache coming on. She couldn¡¯t help feeling aggrieved when she could do nothing but just look on, even though she knew that a part of her own soul was trapped inside the pyramid. It looks like I¡¯m still not strong enough to break the pyramid¡¯s seal or even pose any threat to it. With a heavy sigh, she finally decided to give up after thinking about it for a while. The attempt to break the seal with the holy force had sapped a lot of energy from her. If she were to do it continuously, it was very likely that she would die of exhaustion before she could even break it open. It seems that I have to get stronger first.. But then again, Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s boss told me that this thing belongs to his wife. How is his wife related to me such that she would keep a part of my soul? Chapter 1007 - I Have Been Waiting for You for a Long Time Chapter 1007: I Have Been Waiting for You for a Long Time Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue desperately wanted to know the answer to that question. Now, she could basically confirm that she knew Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s boss, although she didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t mention it when they met. Could it be because I¡¯ve changed my identity? But then again, my true identity has already been made public. Given his capabilities, he must¡¯ve found out about it. I wonder if he¡¯s an enemy or an ally¡­ She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror right then, freezing for a moment before walking over toward it and carefully examining the woman¡¯s face in the mirror. It looks like¡­ there are some subtle changes in my appearance; I think I¡¯ve grown. Considering that the original Chu Liuyue is only a teenager, it¡¯s only normal that there will be some changes in me as time passes. The thing is¡­ I¡¯m looking more and more alike to my past self. If I had looked 50% similar to my old self in the past, then it¡¯s 70% now. As she rarely looked into the mirror and wasn¡¯t really concerned about her appearance, she was a bit taken aback by her own reflection just now. For a moment, it even felt like she had gone back to the time when she was at this age. Even though it had only been a few years, she felt like it was really far away in the past as she had experienced too many things¡ªeven death¡ªin the years between. Will I¡­ eventually look the same as I did in the past? She wondered as she touched her own face, but she instinctively suppressed that thought as soon as it popped up. There¡¯s no way that will happen¡­ Right? Even twins may not look exactly alike, let alone two completely unrelated people. I must be overthinking things¡­ She sat quietly for a while. Night fell, and the moon hung high in the sky. It was quiet both inside and outside her room when she suddenly stood up, changed into a black robe, and covered her face before silently leaving the house. ¡­ Chu Liuyue went to the palace again. When she arrived outside the palace walls, she could feel that the security there was much stricter than before. Clearly, her break-in had made everyone in the palace be on guard, although this wasn¡¯t much of a problem for her as she was now a stage-seven warrior and was capable enough of dealing with most people. After selecting a spot, she opened the barrier once more, which was a lot easier this time due to the rise in her cultivation level. It didn¡¯t take long before the barrier opened. With a leap, she then passed through the barrier and headed straight for the Eastern Palace. ¡­ Eastern Palace¡¯s study. The courtyard was heavily guarded, and the doors and windows of the study were tightly closed. Jun Jiuqing was currently standing in front of the bookshelf and looking at the traces that were left behind while Shang Binghe kneeled behind him. ¡°I deserve to die! Due to my negligence, someone managed to sneak in here. Please punish me, Your Highness!¡± After he realized that something was wrong that day, he immediately sent people to investigate this matter. But unfortunately, that person seemed to have come prepared and managed to run away and disappear into thin air. He had secretly searched the city several times, though he still wasn¡¯t able to find the intruder. It was clear that the person had used a fake identity right from the start, which meant that they couldn¡¯t investigate further as there were no other clues. Despite having racked his brains to think of a way, Shang Binghe still couldn¡¯t come up with a way to find that person. Thus, all he could do was tighten the security in the Eastern Palace and admit his mistake. ¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake indeed.¡± Jun Jiuqing retracted his gaze and turned around to look at Shang Binghe condescendingly. ¡°Everyone who¡¯s related to this matter¡­ Leave nobody alive.¡± Shang Binghe jerked his head up in shock. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Although the news has been contained, it shouldn¡¯t have been widely known in the first place,¡± said Jun Jiuqing in an indifferent manner. His eyes, however, carried hints of murderous aura. ¡°Understood!¡± Shang Binghe immediately bowed his head. Everyone who was here that day has to die¡­ ¡°You ought to be sentenced to death as well. However, I still have a use for you, so I¡¯ll spare your life this time. Go down and receive a hundred lashes later.¡± The lashing wasn¡¯t done by the hands of ordinary guards, but Jun Jiuqing¡¯s trusted aides, who were much stronger than Shang Binghe in terms of strength and cultivation level. It was considered quite a harsh punishment, considering that it would cost Shang Binghe half his life. But he was grateful enough to be spared from the death sentence, for nobody knew better than him how vicious Jun Jiuqing could be. It was a miracle that he could still be alive after such a serious incident. Hence, he hurriedly offered his thanks. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t stop her if she wants to come.¡± Shang Binghe froze, his eyes gradually filling with shock and disbelief. ¡°Are you talking about¡­¡± Isn¡¯t she¡­ But if His Highness is saying this, she must be still alive. ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Cold sweat broke out on his back. Why would she be here though? All of a sudden, Jun Jiuqing narrowed his gleaming eyes. I didn¡¯t expect her to come back so soon. Although she¡¯s not as powerful as she used to be, it¡¯s obvious that she still has some skills¡­ seeing how she can sneak in here and unlock the mechanism. It looks like I¡¯ve underestimated her. ¡°Your Highness¡­ What do you plan to do next?¡± asked Shang Binghe apprehensively. Jun Jiuqing thought for a second before curling his thin lips. His eyes were cold as he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°In that case¡­ Let¡¯s move Chu Ning to another place.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue had just arrived outside the study and hid in the shadows when she heard these words and frowned. Jun Jiuqing must¡¯ve guessed that it was my doing, but his first reaction is to move Chu Ning to another place? Why? Chu Ning comes from an ordinary background and has had no interactions with him. In that case, the reason why he¡¯s so concerned about Chu Ning is due to me. He¡¯s using Chu Ning to threaten me! ¡°You may leave first,¡± said Jun Jiuqing to Shang Binghe. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Shang Binghe thus quickly took his leave. This time, under the room¡¯s bright lights, Chu Liuyue finally got a clear look at Shang Binghe¡¯s face. She froze, and her eyebrows knitted together upon realizing that she had seen this face before. I¡¯m certain that I¡¯ve never seen this person before, but his face is very familiar to me for some reason. It¡¯s like.. I¡¯ve met him before! Is¡­ Shang Binghe also a part of my lost memories? Just as Chu Liuyue was wondering about this, she heard a hoarse and beautiful voice saying, ¡°Welcome, my late-night visitor.. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Chapter 1008 - Wait for You Chapter 1008: Wait for You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue was slightly taken aback as she looked up. But after Shang Binghe left, the study room door wasn¡¯t closed. Jun Jiuqing walked over and said to the guards, ¡°You are all dismissed. Wait outside the courtyard. Without my orders, nobody is allowed to enter.¡± Even though the guards were confused, they still agreed respectfully. ¡°Yes!¡± Then, the crowd of guards retreated in order. Not long later, nobody was around the study. ¡°Can you come in now?¡± Jun Jiuqing turned around and looked at where Chu Liuyue was at. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and decisively walked out. We are already at this stage, so there is no need to hide. Coincidentally, I also want to talk to Jun Jiuqing about some things. Jun Jiuqing sized her up, raised his brows slightly, and turned around to walk in. Chu Liuyue followed him closely. ¡­ After entering the room, Jun Jiuqing sat down on his own and smiled at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, just sit as you wish.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care for his teasing as she sat on the opposite seat. The two of them looked at each other. Jun Jiuqing stared at her with much interest, and there seemed to be light turning in his eyes. ¡°Did you come in like this the last time as well?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say such polite words. I believe you know very clearly why I¡¯m here today. Why don¡¯t we speak openly?¡± Chu Liuyue was very straightforward. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s smile faded slightly. ¡°I wanted to reminisce about the old times with you today, but you¡¯re still as heartless as usual¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to reminisce. You probably can tell that I¡¯ve already forgotten many things. Today, you and I are just strangers. There isn¡¯t much meaning in saying this now. Why don¡¯t you tell me how you will let my father off?¡± Chu Liuyue was very blunt. Ever since that letter and the later note, everything showed that Jun Jiuqing definitely knew many things about her. Perhaps they did know each other in the past, but she had completely forgotten about it now, so it was useless to mention it. Besides, she had a feeling. Even if they knew each other before, their relationship wouldn¡¯t be any good. Jun Jiuqing leaned against the chair. ¡°What I want is very simple. Didn¡¯t I tell you this before?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°When?¡± Jun Jiuqing lightly held his forehead in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s when we were at Ancient Phoenix Mountain. You didn¡¯t think that I was just joking back then, right?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. Of course, I remembered what Jun Jiuqing said back then. He said that as long as I agreed to marry him, everything would be mine. At that time, I thought he meant the endless force and that holy force. I didn¡¯t expect it to include this as well¡­ ¡°If you agree, I¡¯ll immediately release Chu Ning and personally apologize to him.¡± Jun Jiuqing smiled slightly, but his expression didn¡¯t look like he was joking. ¡°Whatever you want and whatever you want to do¡ªas long as I can help you, I¡¯ll definitely agree to it.¡± Jun Jiuqing looked at her with determination, and there seemed to be something tumbling within his sinister-like eyes. His voice was hoarse with a hint of drunken intent, causing one to be dazed. ¡°As long as you agree.¡± ¡­ Perhaps it was an illusion, but Chu Liuyue actually heard a sense of desire from this sentence. However, she very quickly threw this ridiculous thought away. Desire? Someone like Jun Jiuqing is arrogant, unreasonable, cruel, and extremely proud. Others have always begged him, so why would he beg others? Thinking about the incidents he caused, all of them show how cruel his personality and methods are! Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned solemn, and her voice was cold. ¡°Are you using my father¡¯s life to threaten me?¡± Seeing that her eyes were gradually covered in frost, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression changed slightly, and the smiling intent in his eyes faded quite a bit. ¡°Yes,¡± he said nonchalantly without a care. ¡°I already have a fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°Just cancel your marriage agreement.¡± ¡°I have no feelings toward you.¡± ¡°We can slowly develop them.¡± ¡°Do you think I can develop feelings for you just because you¡¯re using my father to threaten me?¡± Chu Liuyue was so angry that she laughed. She felt that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s thoughts were too ridiculous! ¡°Even though I don¡¯t know what exactly you want to do and why you must have a marriage alliance with me, much less knowing whether we knew each other before and the past we had, I can tell you that it is definitely impossible between the two of us based on whatever you did! Even if you use all sorts of methods, I will never accede to your request!¡± Jun Jiuqing looked at her in that manner and didn¡¯t speak for a while. Just when Chu Liuyue thought he was about to rage, she suddenly saw him laugh. ¡°You¡¯re right. I have indeed used all sorts of methods for this.¡± He held his face and lazily said, ¡°Chu Xianmin wanted to harm you, so I gave her the Red Blood Gu. The people from the other academies wanted to fight you for first place, so I gave them the Seven Coldness Poison. All these people weren¡¯t very obedient, so I swiftly settled all of them¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue gradually widened her eyes, and shock flashed across her face. ¡°All of that¡­ was done by you?! Since when did you think of harming me?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t do it, how would you come back so quickly?¡± Jun Jiuqing smiled with deeper meaning. ¡°They¡¯re just ants, so how can they be your match? I just allowed them to help you elevate your capabilities quickly so that you¡¯d come back faster. See? Haven¡¯t you already come back in less than a year?¡± Chu Liuyue was so shocked that she was at a loss for words. ¡°Shangguan Yue, do you think that you¡¯re the only one waiting to return to Xi Ling?¡± Jun Jiuqing stretched out his hand and pointed at himself.. ¡°I was also waiting for you to come back.¡± Chapter 1009 - Surprise Chapter 1009: Surprise Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Coldness rose in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Jun Jiuqing did so many things in secret, yet he said it was all to help me? I experienced so much torture, but it all seems unimportant to him? If something went wrong in between, I would¡¯ve long died! As if seeing through Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts, Jun Jiuqing smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m not worried that something will happen to you. All of this is nothing to you.¡± If she couldn¡¯t even handle all of these things, then she wouldn¡¯t be herself. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. It¡¯s only now I¡¯ve realized that all the troubles I met previously had mostly been set up by Jun Jiuqing long ago, and he is actually still speaking so arrogantly! ¡°I don¡¯t accept it.¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think and what you do¡ªit has nothing to do with me. It¡¯s my own business that I want to return to Xi Ling; I don¡¯t need anyone interfering. All the previous incidents have already passed, so there¡¯s not much meaning in pursuing responsibility. I just need you to return my father to me in one piece. As for the condition you brought up, I won¡¯t agree to it at all.¡± She looked at Jun Jiuqing harshly and coldly. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t agree to let him go today, I¡¯ll think of a way to save my father! As for the rest¡ªit¡¯s impossible!¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s handsome and nearly demonic face still had a smile, but this smile was like a lit-up firework as it rapidly turned cold with a bone-chilling coldness. ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± he slowly asked. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak, but her expression was determined, showing that it was a tacit agreement. The room fell into dead silence, and the air seemed to freeze inch by inch. Then, Jun Jiuqing stood up. ¡°Since this is the case, we don¡¯t have to continue talking.¡± Chu Liuyue quickly stood up too. ¡°I came here today, and I must bring my father away!¡± Jun Jiuqing slightly raised his brow as if he didn¡¯t care about her words, and he lightly laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to waste your efforts. Did you not hear what I said clearly?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Jun Jiuqing tilted his head and smiled in a sinister manner. ¡°I meant¡­ Chu Ning is no longer here now.¡± He glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I knew you were coming today, and I made full preparations, but it¡¯s a pity¡­ It seems like I have no use for them anymore. If you want to bring Chu Ning back, either you change your mind or¡­ you personally beat me!¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fists in her sleeves tightly! ¡°I have something on, so I won¡¯t accompany you. Please go on,¡± said Jun Jiuqing as he directly lifted his leg to leave. It was as if he really didn¡¯t care if Chu Liuyue would flip all the mechanisms here. ¡°Oh right.¡± Jun Jiuqing paused in his steps and tilted his head slightly. The moonlight shone on his face and outlined his perfect angle. His eyes were half-bright and half-dark. ¡°Since you trust that fianc¨¦ of yours so much, why don¡¯t you go and see what he¡¯s doing now? You¡¯ll be very surprised.¡± Then, he directly left and didn¡¯t turn around. ¡­ Chu Liuyue stood in the study for a while. Only when Jun Jiuqing¡¯s figure had completely disappeared did she knit her brows and walk to the bookshelf. With the previous experience and Cen Yi¡¯s help, she unlocked this mechanism very easily. Kacha! The secret compartment was opened. As expected, there was nothing inside. Chu Liuyue continuously opened the other compartments, but it was all in vain. The most important thing was that she really couldn¡¯t feel Chu Ning¡¯s aura here. This could basically confirm that Chu Ning was indeed no longer here. However, there was something Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t understand. Since Jun Jiuqing ordered someone to bring Chu Ning away only now, not much time has passed. However, Chu Ning has already completely disappeared. How exactly did he do it? Chu Liuyue thought for a long while, but she couldn¡¯t figure it out. Seeing that there was no hope in finding him here, she eventually chose to leave. ¡­ That night seemed to pass calmly. The next morning, Chu Liuyue heard that the Xiyan Dynasty and Dongning Dynasty¡¯s people were planning to leave that day. Ancient Phoenix Mountain was ruined, and everything turned into dust. There was no meaning to them staying here any longer. As for the severely damaged Taiyu Dynasty, they had already left overnight the day before. Chu Liuyue originally planned to stay here for a few more days to search for her father¡¯s whereabouts. But after much thinking, this was dangerous and too obvious. After some time, it might arouse suspicion. The more important point was that after her talk with Jun Jiuqing failed that night, the latter told the public that he would go into seclusion and wouldn¡¯t see anyone. He clearly didn¡¯t plan on discussing it with her. Hence, Chu Liuyue finally also decided to bring the few of them back. And on this side, she would send people to secretly take notice and search for Chu Ning¡¯s whereabouts. The only thing that comforted Chu Liuyue was that Jun Jiuqing wanted to use Chu Ning as his chip, so he wouldn¡¯t do anything overboard. At the very least, she didn¡¯t need to worry about Chu Ning being dead. But every time she thought of how tortured Chu Ning looked in the mirror, she still felt very upset. Now, she could only think of another way. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest went back rather smoothly. Additionally, as all of their abilities had strengthened, their speed was much faster. Other than the still-unconscious Qiang Wanzhou, the other people who had undergone the Three Yuan Convention¡¯s nourishment had improved. Not only did their injuries recover, but Jian Fengchi¡¯s group of three had respectively broken through their original cultivation level. Mu Hongyu was the only one who didn¡¯t break through, and this made her slightly anxious. This was because she was already a peak stage-six warrior a long time ago. After such a long time of cultivating and the Three Yuan Convention, she originally thought that she could successfully break through. However, she didn¡¯t. She had faintly touched the barrier, but she still couldn¡¯t make that step. ¡°Sigh, I have the lowest cultivation level now.¡± On the way back, Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Actually, Mu Hongyu¡¯s talent and capabilities weren¡¯t weak, and her breakthrough speed wasn¡¯t considered slow. Compared to most cultivators, she was definitely one of the top. It was a pity that the few people that traveled with her were all top talents from the Tianling Dynasty, so she naturally wasn¡¯t that outstanding. ¡°It might not be bad to break through a little later,¡± comforted Chu Liuyue. ¡°The stage-seven warrior barrier is originally a major barrier, so it¡¯s not easy to get past it. Besides, you have a Faint Yuan Body, so you must be very careful.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. When she waited for Chu Liuyue outside Ancient Phoenix Mountain, she had heard quite a few people mention this. Chu Liuyue could successfully cross this barrier without any preparations, but it didn¡¯t mean that everyone could do so. If not, the crowd wouldn¡¯t have had such a big reaction when they saw Chu Liuyue succeeding. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to break through as a stage-seven warrior, but what has it got to do with my Faint Yuan Body?¡± Could it be that it makes it harder for me to break through compared to others? Chu Liuyue looked at her and seriously nodded. Chapter 1010 - Xue Xue Chapter 1010: Xue Xue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mu Hongyu was originally teasing herself, but her face immediately froze when she saw Chu Liuyue nod. Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°The Faint Yuan Body hasn¡¯t appeared in a thousand years. Speaking of which, it¡¯s even rarer than having a Tianjing Yuan meridian. Besides, I can learn a lot of things from Ancestor, so I still have someone guiding me. However¡­ you¡¯re different.¡± ¡°The Faint Yuan Body is extremely rare, and there¡¯s almost no record of it. To this day, I¡¯ve only read one ancient book that once mentioned it, but it¡¯s only a few sentences and didn¡¯t speak of it in detail.¡± To be direct, nobody knew how Mu Hongyu¡¯s Faint Yuan Body should be best cultivated. She had to rely on herself for everything. It was still okay in the past as her cultivation level wasn¡¯t that high, and she could slowly find her way. But the stronger she became in the future, the more she couldn¡¯t do this. How one with a Faint Yuan Body should cultivate was a big problem. ¡°From what I see now, I can confirm one point. When a person with a Faint Yuan Body breaks through to become a stage-seven warrior, the God Foreseeing Tribulation they summon isn¡¯t one to be underestimated.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes were wide open, and her mouth was agape. ¡°I-it won¡¯t be the same as yours that time, right¡­¡± If it were so, I¡¯m afraid that I would fail since I can¡¯t withstand it for long! Chu Liuyue shook her head. Mu Hongyu heaved a long sigh of relief. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart hung high again. She coughed, and she held her head with both hands. ¡°Then, what should I do?! Even Liuyue doesn¡¯t know¡ªwon¡¯t I die then?¡± At the side, Jian Fengchi suddenly spoke. ¡°If someone can guide you in this aspect, it won¡¯t be that scary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s head ached. ¡°Didn¡¯t Liuyue just say that the Faint Yuan Body hasn¡¯t appeared in a very long time? Then, how should I find such a mentor? I¡ª¡± Suddenly, her voice trailed off, and she raised her head. ¡°No¡ªthere¡¯s someone! There might be a way!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned slightly. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if the other party is willing to help¡­¡± Mu Hongyu rubbed her nose in worry. ¡°Who is it?¡± Yuwen Jinghong stuck his head over, leaning toward Mu Hongyu with a face filled with curiosity. Jian Fengchi expressionlessly pressed his head back. Mu Hongyu knitted her brows as if she felt quite conflicted. Chu Liuyue finally asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ Red Moon Desert?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes lit up, and she nodded forcefully. ¡°Right!¡± Not long after they entered the Red Moon Desert last time, they were respectively separated. After that, Mu Hongyu was chased by a ball of yellow sand for a very long period of time. Back then, I only cared about escaping. But thinking about it now, that person clearly did it on purpose to help me strengthen my capabilities. I improved the fastest during my time at Red Moon Desert. One had to know that the person behind the training was a top warrior. She could travel through space instantaneously, and Jian Shuye might not even be able to react in time at times. But at the Red Moon Desert, the other party always seemed capable of tracking her down immediately! ¡°If only I could ask him¡­¡± After her excitement, Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond-like eyes darkened. ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± It seemed like Mu Hongyu had greatly benefited when she was at Red Moon Desert previously. If not, her first thought wouldn¡¯t be of that place. Besides, according to my understanding of Big Baby and the rest, they might really be able to solve this problem¡­ ¡°Really?¡± Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t really believe it. She vaguely knew that Chu Liuyue seemed to know the mysterious strong warriors in Red Moon Desert, but she didn¡¯t ask her friend about it in detail. Now, it seemed like her friend was very confident. ¡°There should be no problem, but¡­ You might need to make a trip to Red Moon Desert personally.¡± After all, Big Baby and the rest have no way of leaving that place. Hence, Mu Hongyu has to go over. ¡°No problem!¡± Mu Hongyu wasn¡¯t afraid of suffering, so this small problem didn¡¯t count for anything. When Chu Liuyue saw her friend so filled with ambition, her eyes curved upward. ¡°Okay. After we return to Xi Ling, we¡¯ll go and settle this.¡± ¡­ After going through a few transportation formations, the few of them finally returned to Xi Ling that noon. Chu Liuyue brought Qiang Wanzhou straight to the palace and sent someone to get Weichi Song over, wanting him to check on Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s condition. Before Chu Liuyue returned to Shaoyue Palace, Shangguan You¡ªwho heard the news¡ªhurried over and sized his daughter up for a long time. Chu Liuyue was originally quite severely injured, but as she had broken through to become a stage-seven warrior and had recovered her Tianjing Yuan meridian, she had been recovering. Now, she was only left with a few external wounds. Shangguan You examined her and confirmed that she was fine before he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Our Yue¡¯er isn¡¯t severely injured¡­¡± Only the heavens knew how he survived this period. On the one hand, the Tianling Dynasty was the weakest out of all these dynasties and would definitely be bullied when they were there. On the other hand, the opening of Ancient Phoenix Mountain had to be filled with dangers, so the few of them might¡¯ve gotten injured if they hadn¡¯t been careful. Seeing Shangguan You¡¯s nervous look, Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m doing well.¡± Once she said this, Shangguan You then realized that her aura was different. Then, he shockingly widened his eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er, y-you¡¯re a¡­ stage-seven warrior now?¡± Chu Liuyue openly smiled and nodded. ¡°Yeah! I was luckier and conveniently broke through!¡± If the people present back then heard her words, they would be angered to death. Convenient?! Why don¡¯t you say that you conveniently stole the holy force that the Beiming Ancestor left behind?! You even ruined their Ancient Phoenix Mountain as well! Shangguan You didn¡¯t detect that anything was amiss. The Tianling Dynasty and the Beiming Dynasty were quite far apart, so news traveled slowly. Hence, they didn¡¯t know the situation on the other side. And Chu Liuyue naturally wouldn¡¯t say that she almost lost her life. ¡°Oh right. This time, I received a huge miracle and managed to recover my Tianjing Yuan meridian.¡± Upon hearing this, Shangguan You was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak for a long time. In the end, he just touched Chu Liuyue¡¯s head with his palm trembling slightly. ¡°¡­Good! Good!¡± His voice was faintly hoarse, and he was clearly suppressing his emotions. Chu Liuyue held his hand tightly. ¡°Father, can you rest assured now?¡± Shangguan You smiled relaxingly, but tears welled up in his eyes. After all, they were father and daughter related by blood, so they knew each other the best. At this moment, an ear-piercing sound was heard! Chu Liuyue looked up and saw a figure coming over through the air! In the blink of an eye, it had already reached the front of them! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and couldn¡¯t quite believe her eyes. She slowly uttered, ¡°¡­Xue Xue?¡± Is the dirty fiend with its fur stuck together in blots of yellow to the point where I can¡¯t see its original appearance really that cute white lion?! Chapter 1011 - Maniacal ¡°Ow!¡± Xue Xue looked at Chu Liuyue pitifully and let out a whimper. I actually appeared in this way¡­ It¡¯s really too¡­ embarrassing! ¡°You¡­ Where did you come from?¡± asked Chu Liuyue as she stepped forward. Xue Xue moved a step back and crazily moved its body. Yellow sand immediately dropped down and covered the floor. ¡°D-did you just go to the Red Moon Desert?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. This aura is indeed too familiar¡­ Xue Xue sorrowfully lowered its head in tacit agreement. Chu Liuyue held her forehead. ¡°Why did you go there out of nowhere? Where¡¯s your master?¡± Xue Xue instantly looked furious. If it weren¡¯t for Master¡¯s command and wanted me to go to the Red Moon Desert, why would I end up in this state? ¡°Come, I¡¯ll bring you to take a shower,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she bent her finger toward Xue Xue. Not to mention others, but it¡¯s too pathetic to come out in such a manner. Once Xue Xue heard it, it was immediately happy as it shook its butt and followed her. After bidding farewell to Shangguan You, Chu Liuyue brought Xue Xue back to Shaoyue Palace. Originally, Xue Xue wanted to be more intimate with her, but it was too dirty. Hence, it could only forcefully restrain itself and keep a three-step distance behind Chu Liuyue. ¡­ After an hour, Chu Liuyue was done tidying up and was about to check on Xue Xue next door when a gigantic white figure pounced on her. Luckily, she had already broken through to become a stage-seven warrior and could forcefully catch Xue Xue rather stably. After washing several times and confirming that it had returned to the white and fluffy Xue Xue, it then relaxed and intimately leaned against Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Piak! A small wing pushed out and stopped Xue Xue¡¯s head¡ªit was Tuan Zi, who appeared in between Chu Liuyue and Xue Xue out of nowhere with a face filled with displeasure. Watch it! See whose owner is this! Xue Xue grunted lowly and was too lazy to argue with Tuan Zi. Who asked itself to be so naive back then to choose such a master? Chu Liuyue helped Tuan Zi up to her shoulders as she caressed Xue Xue¡¯s head. ¡°Can you say it now?¡± It doesn¡¯t seem like a coincidence that Xue Xue came back from the Red Moon Desert. Xue Xue raised its claws, and ice-blue force exuded out as it quickly formed a palm-sized ice cube! One faint line of words was written on the ice cube: ¡°Girlie, come quick.¡± The person that signed off was Dugu Mobao. Is this from Big Baby? However, why would they suddenly call me over and send Xue Xue as the messenger? The ice quickly melted and disappeared. Chu Liuyue glanced at Xue Xue and nodded. ¡°I originally planned on making a trip there, so this came at the right time.¡± Xue Xue nodded. That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. With her around, those few will consider her and treat me kinder¡­ right? ¡°Oh, right, what has Rong Xiu been up to lately?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of what Jun Jiuqing had previously said. Surprise¡­ What exactly did he mean? Xue Xue blinked rather guiltily and forcefully shook its head. I haven¡¯t been with Master lately, so I don¡¯t know anything! Seeing its reaction, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho originally didn¡¯t think of it much¡ªimmediately felt suspicious. ¡°Hm?¡± Xue Xue shook its head even more strongly. I don¡¯t know! I really don¡¯t know! Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It seems like¡­ it might really be a surprise¡­¡± She squeezed Xue Xue¡¯s ears, and her voice was gentle and rather seductive. ¡°When this ends, can you secretly bring me over to see him as a surprise?¡± Xue Xue instinctively nodded and later realized what Chu Liuyue meant. Then, it instantly widened its eyes in shock. Bring her over?! Th-this¡­ ¡°Good, I knew Xue Xue was the most obedient one!¡± Chu Liuyue gently patted Xue Xue¡¯s forehead and smiled brightly. ¡°This is a deal then.¡± Xue Xue was dazed. Secretly bring her over¡­ It seems rather inappropriate, right? Master hasn¡¯t said anything! If we suddenly go over¡­ ¡°Ow!¡± Xue Xue whimpered in grievance and painfully buried its head. It¡¯s so hard on me! Chu Liuyue stood up and left. Before I leave, I still have some things to settle. ¡­ Chu Liuyue went to Huayang Palace once again. Upon opening the main door, a rotting and pungent smell attacked her nose. The room was in a state of debris as everything that could be broken was already in pieces. There wasn¡¯t a single spot where one could stand on the ground. ¡°Master.¡± Qi Han guarded outside and bowed to her. During this period, he had been in charge of guarding Huayang Palace. ¡°How has Shangguan Wan been lately?¡± Qi Han said, ¡°She already lost half her life, and she¡¯s hanging onto her last breath by eating a pill every day.¡± He forcefully kept this breath for Shangguan Wan. Shangguan Wan wanted to die long ago. Too many things had happened on the day of the wedding, and she had lost everything. In the end, she could only live bitterly in this lonely and sinister palace. She was better dead than alive. In the middle, she had tried to commit suicide countless times, but it was to no avail. ¡°However, her mental health seems to be a problem.¡± She was tortured day after day, and she couldn¡¯t ask to live or die. No matter who it was, it would be very uncomfortable for them. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and take a look.¡± Qi Han was rather hesitant. ¡°Master, this palace is too messy¡­ Why don¡¯t I bring her out?¡± ¡°No need. Where have I not gone before? Why would I care about these things?¡± Chu Liuyue whipped her sleeves and forcefully paved a way for herself to enter. Qi Han didn¡¯t speak further and followed closely behind. ¡­ It was deadly silent within the messy palace. The once lavish palace had now become a gigantic coffin, and Shangguan Wan was undoubtedly the only living dead here. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings and saw Shangguan Wan¡¯s figure in a corner behind the bed. The latter seemed to notice something as she looked up fearfully. At first glance, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t even recognize that the person was Shangguan Wan. Only a few months had passed, but the former Third Princess had completely changed. Her clothes were torn and tattered, and her body was dirty and very skinny. From afar, she looked like a skeleton covered in rotten cloth. Her face was filled with injuries, and one of her eyes was deeply dented with a rotting injury. ¡°She dug one of her eyes out,¡± said Qi Han. Chu Liuyue now understood what exactly he meant by Shangguan Wan¡¯s mental health being problematic. But Shangguan Wan only glanced at her half-sister before lowering her head and huddling into a ball as if wanting to hide herself in an unseen corner completely. At the same time, she started pulling at her hair. As if she had lost her sense of pain, she kept pulling at it and yanked out a bunch of hair. Her expression was dazed, and her gaze was empty as she kept muttering something from time to time. Chu Liuyue listened carefully to her ramblings for a while and forcefully heard Jiang Yucheng¡¯s name. ¡°¡­Likes me¡­ D-don¡¯t like her¡­¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes.. ¡°During this time, did Jiang Yucheng come by?¡± Chapter 1012 - : Ancestral Hall! Chapter 1012: Ancestral Hall! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Nope,¡± Qi Han immediately replied. ¡°Ever since you separated the two of them and they were locked in here, I have guarded them strictly and never let them leave their rooms.¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Even though their living spaces aren¡¯t next to each other, they seem pretty close, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qi Han answered and then glanced at her somewhat weirdly. ¡°Are you suspecting¡­ there¡¯s something wrong in between?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. This is actually only my guess. Shangguan Wan isn¡¯t acting crazy¡ªshe really is insane. But before I came, Shangguan Wan was just heartbroken and didn¡¯t have any signs of insanity even though she was in a lot of pain. If Shangguan Wan did go crazy, it would¡¯ve been on the day of her wedding¡ªwhen she had lost everything. Now, it seems like she is intensely agitated by something. This culprit¡­ Other than the Jiang Yucheng she keeps muttering about, I really can¡¯t think of someone else. She thought for a moment and then turned around to leave. The moment she left, she heard a bang sound from the room. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she turned around to take a look. Shangguan Wan had smashed herself against the neighboring wall, and fresh blood splattered everywhere! Qi Han immediately rushed over and checked her breathing. ¡°Master, she¡¯s already dead.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the corpse calmly but didn¡¯t seem surprised. ¡°Check the wound on her head.¡± Qi Han nodded and checked it carefully. With this glance, his expression drastically changed! ¡°This¡­ Her skull doesn¡¯t seem crushed from the impact!¡± Even though the bloody hole was frightening, Qi Han discovered that the cutting point was very clean after some serious checks. ¡°¡­It seems like someone slashed her head¡­¡± ¡°This is it.¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡°She had long become a good-for-nothing and was trapped here for many days, so she probably doesn¡¯t even have the strength to walk. How could she smash her skull in one bump?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ someone had long planned this?¡± Qi Han furrowed his brows tightly. But Huayang Palace has always been strictly guarded. Logically speaking, it¡¯s impossible¡ª Chu Liuyue waved her hands. ¡°Go and handle her. I¡¯ll go out to take a look.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ When she walked into the yard, Chu Liuyue discovered that the leaves of some trees were dropping crazily. It was still the end of summer, so it shouldn¡¯t have happened. Chu Liuyue walked to the neighboring trees and sized them up. She could tell that these trees had already started wilting. After a moment, Chu Liuyue summoned the Long Yuan Sword and slashed a tree! Black juice suddenly dripped out! Chu Liuyue rapidly waved her sword, and the winds howled! That juice landed on the ground, and the surrounding leaves started wilting rapidly. Something seems to be digging this tree empty from within! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°Someone¡ªuproot all these trees!¡± The Black Guards in charge of guarding the courtyard rapidly came forward. After some busying around, all the trees in the yard were cleared. Every tree was cleanly uprooted like the one Chu Liuyue had first slashed open, and their roots had entirely turned black! These roots were intertwined underground, and it was the easiest to connect in this manner! Chu Liuyue faintly felt that she had flipped over a gigantic mystery! It was just that the path in front was hazy, and it was very difficult to solve it. A thought popped up in her mind, and she walked toward the back of Huayang Palace. ¡°Continue guarding here! The remaining ones, follow me!¡± ¡­ Once Chu Liuyue reached the back, she realized that something was amiss. I clearly remember that this place was planted with all sorts of flowers and trees the first time I came to Huayang Palace with my identity as Chu Liuyue. Even though it was winter and the winds were chilly, this place was still filled with blooming flowers that were vibrant and bright. Back then, I even secretly found it surprising. Shangguan Wan wasn¡¯t someone who liked florals, so it was weird that she did this. Back then, I still asked in a seemingly unintentional manner. Chan Yi just said that the spring water they directed over allowed these flowers to bloom for a longer period of time. Chu Liuyue walked in. During this period of time, some things should¡¯ve been in full bloom, but they had already started wilting. Chu Liuyue stared at the torn petals and the bunch of wilted leaves and stalks before saying, ¡°Clear all these flowers and plants too.¡± ¡­ Huayang Palace¡¯s garden was huge, and it was filled with flowers and plants. Luckily, the Black Guards were always very efficient, so they completed it very quickly. Chu Liuyue checked them clearly. As expected, the roots had all turned black. ¡°Continue digging!¡± ¡­ When it was evening, the backyard of Huayang Palace was completely dug clean. Below, the drain used to direct the spring water over had long dried up. Chu Liuyue jumped down and took a look. She discovered that there was one entrance and one exit here. Other than this, there was another hole. The hole was deep, and it was clearly a passageway connected to somewhere else. Chu Liuyue followed this passageway and took a look. This direction¡­ seems to be going toward the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall? Chu Liuyue lifted her leg and was about to walk over. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The Black Guards stopped her in unison. At this point, everyone could tell that this passageway had a problem, so how could they allow Her Majesty to put herself in danger directly? Qi Han¡ªwho was done with handling Shangguan Wan¡ªhurried over and was stunned when he saw this scene. ¡°Master, why don¡¯t I help you scout the road first?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°This is the Tianling Imperial Palace. What is there to be worried about?¡± Even if this passageway really connects to the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall, it belongs to our Shangguan family. How can other people cause trouble for us? She thought for a moment and picked a few people, including Qi Han, to follow her over. Qi Han saw that he couldn¡¯t stop her, so he changed his tactic and wanted to walk at the front no matter what. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t argue against him, so she let him be. The other people were in charge of guarding the back. The few of them walked forward in such a manner. ¡­ The passage was narrow and long, and the surroundings were rather rough. It showed that it was dug not too long ago. Chu Liuyue could confirm that this was dug within the past two years. Since it appeared in Huayang Palace, it was clearly done by Shangguan Wan. Of course, perhaps Jiang Yucheng had participated in this. Qi Han held a pearl and led the way. Judging from the surroundings, it seemed like Shangguan Wan and the rest didn¡¯t come here many times. However, this was enough to cause the few of them to have their eyes open and mouths agape. Who would¡¯ve expected there to be such a secret passageway under the royal palace?! No words were spoken during the entire journey. Noticing that this incident might have great implications, the few of them looked increasingly severe. The atmosphere was cold. After around 15 minutes, light finally appeared in front. ¡°The entrance is here!¡± Qi Han softly said and glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡®¡±Master, I¡¯ll go down and take a look first.¡± However, the latter shook her head. ¡°No need. It¡¯s the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall right in front!¡± ¡­ Chapter 1013 - Traces from Back Then Chapter 1013: Traces from Back Then Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That was the place where she decided to burn herself and commit suicide in her previous life. Nobody knew this place better than she did. There still seemed to be a faint burning smell in the air, feeling heavy and deserted. Chu Liuyue walked forward. After walking a distance, it was a flight of stairs. There was a night pearl beside the stairs, and the light they had seen before clearly came from this. She continued upward and quickly touched a marble floor. The marble floor had a circular dent on it. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and placed the night pearl at the side atop it¡ªit fit perfectly! Kacha! The marble floor started moving away slowly, and a ray of light shone in through the cracks! Chu Liuyue raised her hand to cover her eyes. When the marble floor completely moved away, she jumped up! Qi Han and the rest followed closely after! ¡­ After suddenly jumping out of the pitch-black passageway, Chu Liuyue had to adjust to the light before she surveyed her surroundings. Upon taking one glance, she could confirm that this was the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall. Due to that fire two years ago, this place was in a state of mess. There were many scars and damaged items, and it was cold and quiet. This was the first time Chu Liuyue came into this place after she was reborn. She pressed her lips against each other tightly. Back then, I just thought of wanting to drag Jiang Yucheng and the rest down with me. However, I didn¡¯t expect that fire to burn so long and directly destroy the entire ancestral hall. ¡°So that passageway actually connects Huayang Palace straight to the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall¡­¡± After Qi Han came out, he stood behind Chu Liuyue and softly muttered this as he surveyed his surroundings. They definitely had a motive for doing this, but¡­ What exactly was it? Chu Liuyue was also thinking of this problem. She carefully took a look at that marble floor, and the scratch marks at the edges could be clearly seen. This passageway¡­ might¡¯ve appeared earlier than I had expected! The ancestral hall is an important place to the royal family, so it is very hard for outsiders to get in. Why would they take such a huge risk and dig out such a passageway? And there was one point that Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t understand: If they wanted to kill me, they could do it at a lot of places. However, why did they choose the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall? ¡­ Chu Liuyue was stuck for a while and didn¡¯t discover any worthy clues. Everything here was destroyed in that fire, and the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall is a sacred area. Even if Shangguan Wan came here silently from the passageway, she must¡¯ve done it very carefully. After taking a look in the room, Chu Liuyue went out and walked toward the main hall. Once she stepped out, Chu Liuyue realized that the exterior of the western hall seemed to have fresh signs of being renovated. This was clearly requested by Shangguan Wan before. But before the renovation could be done, something happened to Shangguan Wan. Thus, the tasks here were delayed. Looking at it again now, it just makes people sigh. Chu Liuyue stood at the door for a moment and realized that something had landed on her face. She looked up and realized that the sky had turned dark, and raindrops were falling gradually. Very quickly, these raindrops formed a line as if countless lines had connected the ground and the sky. Chu Liuyue looked forward. Even after the main hall was burned in the large fire, it still looks rather complete from the outside. This was because Ancestor had once personally set up a barrier outside the ancestral hall. Once one met with danger, they could activate it. It¡¯s a pity that the fire back then was started from the inside. From here, they could still vaguely see some traces. ¡°Master.¡± Qi Han followed over and looked at her with a complicated gaze. He didn¡¯t know how Her Highness felt when she decided to burn herself and commit suicide here back then. Now that she is back again, how will she feel when she sees this scene? For Her Highness, this is the place where she had spent the most painful day in her life. If not to investigate that strange passageway, Her Highness wouldn¡¯t be willing to come here again, right? Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Guard the corridor. I¡¯ll go in to take a look.¡± Qi Han wanted to follow her in, but he just nodded when he saw her calm and nonchalant side profile. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue had never thought that she would come back here again. Even after her rebirth, even though she kept thinking of taking her revenge and was filled with hatred, she had never thought of returning to this place. She seemed to avoid this issue instinctively. Perhaps it was because she had once experienced the deepest betrayal and gone through the most heart-wrenching pain here. In the past, she couldn¡¯t come near her due to her status. Now, she had already recovered her original name and could casually come here as and when she wanted. However, she had done so at all. She didn¡¯t expect that she would come back due to a mysterious passageway. The rain outside got increasingly heavier, and the raindrops pitter-pattered as they landed on the roof. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, pushed open the door, and walked in. It was like a box that had been sealed for a very long time, and the air was filled with a deserted and old aura. Chu Liuyue looked over. Other than the ancestors¡¯ memorial tablets that were placed in the innermost area, the rest were all burned. She walked over and kneeled down before the prayer table, respectfully kowtowing thrice. I was determined to die in the beginning, but I almost burned the ancestors¡¯ memorial tablets as well. If it were really so, I couldn¡¯t save them even if I regretted it. A translucent figure appeared beside Chu Liuyue¡ªit was Shangguan Jing. He stared at the memorial tablets for a while before kneeling on the floor and lightly sighing toward Chu Liuyue, who hadn¡¯t stood up in a while. ¡°Girlie, you don¡¯t have to blame yourself. Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan did wrong. Even if we want to punish somebody, the two of them should suffer the consequences. It has nothing to do with you. I don¡¯t blame you, and if these people knew, they wouldn¡¯t blame you either.¡± Chu Liuyue then stood up, and there seemed to be something tumbling in her chest. All the words in the world only manifested into one sentence. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± Shangguan Jing smiled and touched her head through her hair. ¡°You¡¯re a good child. It¡¯s our Shangguan family¡¯s blessing to have you!¡± Even though he was only a soul now and this kind of contact didn¡¯t feel like anything, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart still felt fuzzy. She surveyed her surroundings and lightly breathed out as if wanting to let go of all the emotions she had gathered. ¡°I¡¯ll go back today and get someone to refurbish the ancestral hall.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t urgent. What¡¯s the point of me staying in this ancestral hall? I¡¯m happier if I can accompany you and go places,¡± teased Shangguan Jing. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. The previous hint of guilt and sorrow became much better. I really am too fortunate to be able to get Ancestor¡¯s love. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that?¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly focused forward and looked at a corner of the study. There was a dark-red bloodstain left there. Chu Liuyue glanced at it. ¡°I hit it back then, so I left this¡ª¡± Just as Chu Liuyue was about to explain, she suddenly felt the water droplet in her dantian intensely moving! Chapter 1014 - Totem! Chapter 1014: Totem! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice trailed off right then. The water droplet moved for a while and didn¡¯t stop. Instead, it started causing waves of ripples with a certain rhythm. The force in her body also seemed to be affected as it started circulating rapidly. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. This water droplet doesn¡¯t move most of the time. If it isn¡¯t a special situation, it basically won¡¯t move at all. Why did it suddenly¡ª Detecting that something was amiss with his descendant, Shangguan Jing asked concernedly, ¡°Girlie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Before Chu Liuyue could answer, the water droplet in her dantian rapidly turned into a transparent torn page. The page floated quietly, and the seven lines that signified a stage-seven warrior had also disappeared. In replacement, a blood-colored symbol suddenly appeared in the middle of the torn page. Chu Liuyue was very familiar with this item. This was because she had seen such a blood symbol appear on her palm after she was reborn! But why did it suddenly appear now¡­ As if being guided by something, Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand. The moment her fingers touched the dried bloodstain that was left behind, that bloodstain suddenly became ¡®alive!¡¯ It rapidly formed a ball and floated up! Then, it landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm as it rapidly turned into an identical symbol! At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s temples started hurting sharply! Countless scenes flashed across her mind¡ªfamiliar ones and unfamiliar ones. Some she remembered, and some she did not. It was as if something was drilling out in her brain. ¡°Girlie! Girlie, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s appearance, Shangguan Jing immediately became anxious. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to be able to hear his shouts at this point. There seemed to be countless voices intersecting beside her ear. One of them was especially clear. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± That was Rong Xiu¡¯s voice! He seemed to be saying something to her, but Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t hear him clearly anymore. Shangguan Jing saw that the situation was becoming increasingly amiss. In his panic, he saw Chu Liuyue collapsing onto the ground. ¡°Girlie!¡± Shangguan Jing hurried over and called her a few times. Luckily, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t completely unconscious, and she forced herself up when she saw her ancestor¡¯s nervous state. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ancestor. I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°How are you fine?! Just listen to how weak your voice is!¡± Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice. This girl is still forcing herself to be strong at this point? ¡°I j-just¡­ thought of something¡­¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. The excruciating pain finally subsided gradually, but the lingering fear made her uncontrollably nervous. Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°W-what did you recall?¡± He vaguely knew that Chu Liuyue had lost a very important part of her memory and that it was clearly related to the soul within her black pyramid. If she has recalled it¡ª ¡°It¡¯s still a little messy now.¡± Chu Liuyue bitterly laughed. Many scenes she didn¡¯t remember did appear in her mind earlier, but most of those scenes were too blurred, and they hurriedly flashed across. It was hard to recall them now, and she could only forcefully remember a small portion of it. And the part of her memory that she could remember did not have anyone in it. Most of it was just blurred images. ¡°I¡­ still can¡¯t really think of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. You can¡¯t rush this kind of thing. Aren¡¯t you already slowly recovering? You¡¯ll definitely be able to recall everything in the future.¡± Seeing that she was fine, Shangguan Jing heaved a sigh of relief. In his eyes, Chu Liuyue¡¯s life and safety were most important. As for the rest¡­ they could care about them later. Seeing his descendant¡¯s lethargic appearance, Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart ached as his gaze swept past her hands. He was hesitant to speak. Chu Liuyue noticed this abnormality as she glanced up and stared at her palm. That blood symbol had disappeared at some point, and the remaining bloodstain on the table was gone without a trace. Other than the damaged traces on the table corner¡ªwhich recorded whatever that happened before¡ªthe remaining had already disappeared. If Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t leave the bloodstain behind and hadn¡¯t personally seen it before, she would¡¯ve thought that this table corner was like this from the beginning¡ªclean without a bloodstain. ¡°Ancestor, do you have something to say?¡± Shangguan Jing immediately shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m really fine now. If you have something to say, please do!¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor sighed in his heart. This girl is too smart and sharp. It¡¯s really hard to hide it from her. He meticulously surveyed the surroundings before he took a step forward and looked Chu Liuyue in the eye. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, the blood symbol that previously appeared¡­ Why do you have this in your body?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of faint light flashed across her eyes rapidly! ¡°You¡¯ve seen it before?¡± Shangguan Jing met her gaze and nodded after a while. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it once.¡± As expected! Chu Liuyue instantly perked up.¡±Where did it come from?¡± However, Shangguan Jing shook his head. ¡°Tell me how that is related to you first. Hearing her ancestor¡¯s unusually stern tone, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. This blood symbol might have a long history! ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Ever since I was reborn, this thing has been following me,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she raised her hand. At this point, her palm was already clean. ¡°Back then, it appeared here but quickly disappeared. After that¡­ it had never appeared again. As for this time, I¡­ really don¡¯t know why it has such a reaction to the bloodstain left on the table.¡± She had once thought of this, but she couldn¡¯t get an answer. As time passed, she stopped thinking about it. In actual fact, the torn page in her dantian had already reverted to its water droplet appearance. It was as if everything that happened earlier hadn¡¯t occurred. But after hearing his descendant¡¯s explanation, Shangguan Jing furrowed his brows tightly and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. ¡°¡­Ancestor?¡± Chu Liuyue called out. Shangguan Jing then looked at her with a conflicted gaze and said, ¡°I did see this blood symbol once before, and I saw it on a grandmaster.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. ¡°Grandmaster? What¡­ kind of person is that?¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor shook his head, and his gaze focused slightly as if he were recalling the past. ¡°Back then, I had already founded the Tianling Dynasty, and I just kept thinking of breaking through to become a stage-nine warrior and enter a higher realm! Hence, I gave the throne up and went to the mainland alone! During this journey, I met many strong warriors! Compared to them, I¡­ am really nothing!¡± Chu Liuyue secretly felt shocked. It isn¡¯t hard to imagine how strong those people were to have Ancestor say such words! ¡°And I also met someone at that time. Back then, he also had such a blood symbol..¡± Upon speaking of this, Shangguan Jing suddenly paused and looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. ¡°This thing isn¡¯t actually an ordinary symbol, but¡­ It¡¯s a totem!¡± Chapter 1015 - God Residence Realm Chapter 1015: God Residence Realm Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°I don¡¯t know what his background is. I only know that quite a few people were stunned when they saw him exhibit his blood symbol¡ªit was as if his status was extraordinary. However, he only appeared for a while and left quickly after. I later heard from the others that it was a totem which symbolized his status and identity.¡± ¡°Logically speaking, such a thing shouldn¡¯t appear in the Tianling Dynasty¡­ But Girlie, where did your body¡¯s one come from?¡± These few short sentences contained stunning news! Chu Liuyue had reacted for quite some time and kept mulling over his words before gradually understanding a portion of it. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ this is actually a symbol of someone¡¯s identity?¡± Shangguan Jing nodded and then shook his head. ¡°To be more specific, it signifies a clan!¡± This was even weirder! No matter if it were Chu Liuyue or Shangguan Yue, they shouldn¡¯t be related to that clan at all! ¡°Also, this blood symbol should¡¯ve already existed in your body around two years ago. If not, you wouldn¡¯t have left behind such a trace on this table,¡± said Shangguan Jing carefully. Every word he uttered caused Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart to sink an inch deeper. Ancestor has no reason to joke with me regarding this, so his words must be true. Then, it also means that I was indeed related to this clan from a very long time ago. After much thinking, the likeliest possibility is that all of these things are related to my lost memory! The duo fell silent. The silence spread around and caused the room to freeze inch by inch. After a long time, Shangguan Jing finally asked, ¡°Girlie, have you¡­ gone to the God Residence Realm before?¡± ¡­ God Residence Realm! The moment Chu Liuyue heard these three words, her heart harshly skipped a beat! She was dazed, and her mind was blank, but something seemed to be tumbling in her heart! She opened her mouth and softly muttered, ¡°God Residence Realm¡­¡± When she said these few words¡ª Kacha! A second crack appeared on the black pyramid, and another ray of faint light shone out from within! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, and her voice trembled undetectably. ¡°I-I should¡¯ve¡­ gone there before.¡± ¡­ Da! Rong Xiu¡¯s hands slipped, and the book he was holding fell onto the floor. He knitted his sharp brows, picked the book up, thought for a while, and then placed the book back on the shelf again. ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The moment Yu Mo came in, he saw his master standing next to the bookshelf in a motionless and dazed state. ¡°Nothing.¡± Rong Xiu recovered his senses, and his expression was faint. I just didn¡¯t expect things to progress so quickly¡­ ¡°How¡¯s the progress of the banquet?¡± Yu Mo found it strange. His Highness has never really cared about his birthday banquet. In the past, he would just hold it for formality¡¯s sake and wouldn¡¯t ask more about it. This time, His Highness seems to be extra concerned about it. It¡¯s really once in a blue moon for him to ask such a question. ¡°Your Highness, everything has been arranged. The subordinates are also preparing on their own, and nothing is being delayed.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s good. Everyone in the clan divisions should be coming here slowly, right?¡± Yu Mo bowed. ¡°Yes. All the divisions have already sent us news that they have started moving. They should arrive in a few days.¡± ¡°There are more people this year, so be more attentive,¡± instructed Rong Xiu lightly. ¡°At that time, you mustn¡¯t allow the celebration to be spoiled.¡± Yu Mo finally couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows in surprise as he quickly shot his master a look. Celebration? His Highness actually knows how to say such a thing? In the past, only the most distinguished people in the divisions had the right to join Your Grace¡¯s banquet. As he has to choose his wife this time, there are naturally more people who are coming. Even though Yu Mo wasn¡¯t the main person in charge, he also knew that all the divisions would put their best foot forward to fight for the position! He had heard that all the divisions had chosen their most outstanding women to contest for the position of Princess Consort! By that time, one just had to imagine to know how intense the competition would be! Once he thought of that scene, Yu Mo felt his head ache. However, he still respectfully acknowledged the order. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry.¡± He scratched his head and planned to go back, but he still bravely asked, ¡°Your Highness, t-then¡­ What about Madam¡¯s side?¡± From the start to now, His Highness has never mentioned her. If Madam finds out about this¡­ A chill ran down Yu Mo¡¯s spine. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t think that his master liked someone else. After all, his master even touched the Record of the Million Gods for her. But¡­ What¡¯s going on now? Rong Xiu stood with one hand behind his back, and his gaze was deep as his thin lips curled up into an extremely faint smile. ¡°She will come on her own.¡± Madam is coming?! Won¡¯t this wife-choosing birthday celebration become an arena?! Yu Mo¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. ¡°T-then, I¡¯ll go fet¡ª¡± ¡°No need,¡± Rong Xiu said and lightly glanced at Yu Mo. ¡°Let them continue protecting her in secret. As for the rest, I¡¯ll personally explain it to her when the time comes.¡± Yu Mo was very confused, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask further as he respectfully acknowledged the command and dismissed himself. After Yu Mo left, Rong Xiu then slowly walked to the bed at the side and lay on it, taking up most of the bed. He then closed his eyes, and his thick eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his face. His nose was high and straight, his lips were plump, and his face was as white as jade. Only his sharp brows were raised slightly. His voice was deep with a hint of love. ¡°¡­That little fellow is becoming increasingly harsh¡­¡± Chapter 1016 - If You Go, You Will Definitely Die Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The rain became heavier. There was a morning fog between heaven and earth, and the ground was covered in a layer of mist. Qi Han looked at it for a while before turning his gaze to the tightly shut door of the ancestral hall. Her Highness has been inside for quite a while and hasn¡¯t come out. I wonder how she is¡­ Creek! The door opened, and a thin figure walked out from within. Qi Han and the rest hurriedly welcomed her. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Walking closer, Qi Han hurriedly glanced and saw that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression seemed to be amiss. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ wrong?¡± Qi Han knitted his brows and felt slightly worried. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Arrange for more people to guard this place. Without my permission, nobody is allowed to get close.¡± Qi Han didn¡¯t understand why, but he still acknowledged the order. ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Also, seal that secret passageway.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced at the dark sky while holding a black umbrella. This was the one that Rong Xiu left behind when he came. ¡°I¡¯ll make another trip to Huayang Palace.¡± ¡­ This time, she naturally didn¡¯t go back to Huayang Palace for Shangguan Wan¡ªwho had already been cleaned up¡ªbut for the other person who was also trapped here, Jiang Yucheng. Chu Liuyue directly pushed open the door and entered. At first glance, she saw Jiang Yucheng sitting there. Hearing the noise, he looked up, and his expression was calm. Judging from his frail and thin look, one could tell that he had a hard time during this period. However, his mental state was very strong. Even at this point, he could still look very calm and composed. Seeing the incoming person, he wasn¡¯t shocked at all as if he had long expected it. Chu Liuyue closed the door and walked a distance in front. The two of them faced each other. ¡°You killed Shangguan Wan.¡± Chu Liuyue was straightforward. It wasn¡¯t a question nor a suspicion but an affirmative declaration. Jiang Yucheng looked nonchalant. ¡°She committed suicide. What has that got to do with me?¡± He had stayed here and never went out, but he already knew that Shangguan Wan had ¡®committed suicide.¡¯ This showed that he was related to this incident! But even though he denied it, he didn¡¯t seem to want to refute it by saying such words. Jiang Yucheng knew very clearly that Chu Liuyue could definitely sense something wrong with Shangguan Wan¡¯s death and connect it to him. Then, there would be no harm in speaking about this extra matter. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to want her to die earlier than I do.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him with a calm and sharp gaze. It was like a knife that was about to break through his disguise and see through his inner heart. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re kind and aren¡¯t willing to let her suffer another day of torture, or¡­ Are you afraid that leaving her alive would cause more trouble?¡± Jiang Yucheng laughed. He originally had a very handsome and charming appearance, but now, he was so thin that he didn¡¯t look human. Not only did this smile not have his old charm and handsomeness, but he even looked like a skeleton with a bag of skin. His eyes were also deep, and he looked miserable. ¡°You¡¯re still as smart as before. I can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± This was a tacit acknowledgment that he had killed her! ¡°You¡¯re pretty honest.¡± An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head, but she really didn¡¯t know why Jiang Yucheng had to kill Shangguan Wan. Considering Shangguan Wan¡¯s previous reaction, she really didn¡¯t know many things. She didn¡¯t even know that the black symbol in her body came from Black Demon Hole. Besides, from start to end, Jiang Yucheng was the one controlling her. She was an abandoned chess piece at best. Her existence wasn¡¯t important. What exactly is Jiang Yucheng afraid of that he would boldly take action on her? Upon hearing this, Jiang Yucheng laughed. Chu Liuyue asked again, ¡°How did you kill her?¡± ¡°You always knew everything. Why do you need me to tell you?¡± Jiang Yucheng beat around the bush. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. ¡°I have already ordered people to uproot all the trees in Huayang Palace and the flowers in the backyard.¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s expression froze for a moment, and the corner of his lips shook unnaturally, but he quickly returned to normal. Actually, he had already noticed something before. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to act so quickly and remove all of them in such a short period of time. ¡°It seems like you rely on those to get information from outside?¡± questioned Chu Liuyue. Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t speak. He had long known that these cheap shots couldn¡¯t escape her eyes. Hence, he didn¡¯t need to say anything further since she had already stated it directly. ¡°You¡¯re also the one that instigated Shangguan Wan to make the passageway that connects Huayang Palace to the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall, right?¡± Jiang Yucheng closed his eyes and refused to communicate. Chu Liuyue smiled coldly. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say this since it¡¯s not important already. However, there¡¯s something that I really want to learn from you.¡± Jiang Yucheng didn¡¯t move and had no reaction. ¡°Back then, you could¡¯ve chosen many places to kill me. It would even be much more convenient if you directly took action at the zither room back then. But why¡ªwhy did you bring me to the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall in the end? What reason do you have to take action there?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s every single word and sentence was as clear as ever, and they were like heavy rocks landing in an empty and silent room! Jiang Yucheng still didn¡¯t show any reaction. If not for his faint breathing, one might even think that he was dead. Chu Liuyue waited for a while and slightly raised her brows upon seeing that Jiang Yucheng had no intentions of speaking. I long expected that he wouldn¡¯t speak¡ªjust like how he won¡¯t explain why exactly he chose to betray me back then! ¡°It seems like there¡¯s not much meaning if I continue asking,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she turned and walked outside. When she walked to the door, she suddenly stopped and turned around to look at him. ¡°You know that I went to the God Residence Realm before, right?¡± Jiang Yucheng suddenly widened his eyes! His usual calm and nonchalant expression finally broke inch by inch, and his eyes were filled with shock. But when he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s ¡®I knew it¡¯ expression, he then suddenly realized something. He knitted his brows and gradually clenched his fists. She didn¡¯t even remember everything! She was just testing me! ¡°No wonder.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly felt like the mist before her had been removed. ¡°It seems like the person behind you is also from the God Residence Realm?¡± Jiang Yucheng¡¯s veins throbbed as he averted his gaze and refused to say another word. I don¡¯t know how exactly Chu Liuyue recalled the God Residence Realm, but this isn¡¯t a good sign. If she recalls everything¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine if you refuse to say it.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°Since the person who harmed me refuses to come, I¡¯ll go over personally.¡± Then, she pushed open the door and walked outside. The moment she stepped out, she heard Jiang Yucheng¡¯s voice. ¡°If you go, you¡¯ll definitely die.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw black blood gradually flowing down from the corner of Jiang Yucheng¡¯s mouth! She narrowed her eyes and immediately whipped out a red fire! ¡°You¡ª¡± Before Jiang Yucheng could finish his sentence, his body suddenly exploded! Peng! Chapter 1017 - Can’t Wait Chu Liuyue hit the air. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s physical body was rapidly destroyed, only leaving behind a pool of black blood in the end. Something moved in it before rapidly disappearing. When Chu Liuyue rushed over, the pool of blood had already dried up, and an intense deathly aura filled the air. ¡°It seems like the other party was long prepared as he directly took away Jiang Yucheng¡¯s soul, allowing him to escape rapidly,¡± boomed Shangguan Jing. ¡°He acted so quickly¡­¡± Chu Liuyue focused on it for a while, and her gaze turned slightly cold. The moment I found something, the other party acted without hesitation! This proves that the other party is even stronger than I had imagined and is extremely alert. If not, they wouldn¡¯t have settled Jiang Yucheng so swiftly and agilely. This trail of clues is broken again! ¡°Girlie, you don¡¯t have to be too worried. Jiang Yucheng¡¯s physical body is destroyed. Even if his soul survives, he¡¯ll be greatly harmed. If he can¡¯t recuperate well before he finds a suitable physical body, he will forever be a wandering soul.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t personally kill him in time¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly with her furrowed brows. ¡°It¡¯s not that important to kill him now. The most important thing is to find the mastermind behind him! That¡¯s the true person who wants to harm you!¡± Chu Liuyue lightly sighed as she nodded in agreement. Then, she asked, ¡°Ancestor, can you see anything else other than this?¡± ¡°The other party is very discreet, and they clearly come from an extraordinary background¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little difficult to find out immediately.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice was solemn. ¡°That black bloodstain and that unique deathly smell should be the key. If we really want to find the other party, the only way is perhaps to¡­ personally make a trip to the God Residence Realm.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Even if Ancestor didn¡¯t say anything, I was going to go. I have a feeling that my missing memory should be related to the God Residence Realm! ¡°It¡¯s really a pity to let him escape like that,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she directly set that pool of blood on fire, burning it clean! ¡­ In one day, Shangguan Wan¡¯s body and soul were destroyed, while Jiang Yucheng self-exploded and escaped. Since then, the two people trapped in Huayang Palace disappeared silently. When Chu Liuyue returned to her bedroom, it was already nighttime. After washing up, she wanted to sleep directly. But when she lay on the bed, she couldn¡¯t sleep no matter what. She still sat up after tossing and turning for a while. Actually, she had experienced many things today. No matter if it were her energy level or her physical body, she was exhausted. But in the depths of her brain, there seemed to be a tense string that couldn¡¯t relax no matter what. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and took out a book¡ªit was the weird diary that she had found on her bookshelf previously. She just felt that this book should hold a deep meaning to her. So ever since that day, she brought the book everywhere she went. She carefully flipped through it, but she still didn¡¯t understand it. When she flipped to the last page, she saw that line of words again. ¡°Xin Dynasty¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. Could that be a year in the God Residence Realm¡­ After thinking for a while, Chu Liuyue placed the book back again, sat cross-legged, and started cultivating. When the force in her body circulated for a few Heavenly Cycles, her emotions were gradually appeased. ¡­ The next morning, Shangguan You came to Shaoyue Palace. Once the former emperor saw his daughter, he directly asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, I heard something happened at Huayang Palace yesterday?¡± He seemed quite nervous, which Chu Liuyue found strange, but she still nodded lightly. ¡°Indeed.¡± It was normal if others didn¡¯t know that such a thing had happened, but Shangguan You would definitely know. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hide it and briefly recounted the incident to him. ¡°¡­So he really has a backer from the God Residence Realm¡­¡± After hearing this, Shangguan You had a conflicted expression. ¡°Father, you know about the God Residence Realm?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly. I didn¡¯t mention it before. Shangguan You was suddenly dazed. ¡°As the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Emperor, I naturally know about it. Not only me, but most of the other emperors have also heard of it before. As you had just ascended the throne previously and had many things to do with no spare time, I didn¡¯t have the chance to tell you. But¡­ It seems like you already know about it? Did Ancestor tell you about it?¡± ¡°Yes, Ancestor mentioned it to me the day before.¡± An idea surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Seeing Father¡¯s behavior, he clearly doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve gone to the God Residence Realm before. She also didn¡¯t bring this point up. ¡°I see.¡± Shangguan You didn¡¯t suspect otherwise. Actually, one of the reasons why he didn¡¯t mention it before was also due to her abilities being inadequate back then. Now that she had already broken through to become a stage-seven warrior and even recovered her Tianjing Yuan meridian, he could relax more. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve already ascended the throne, I should tell you about it.¡± Shangguan You lightly sighed as he gazed far away as if deep in thought. Chu Liuyue sat at the side and waited quietly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, do you know why the Country Yao Chen you were previously at and our Tianling Dynasty have different statuses?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment, and her gaze moved. ¡°¡­Heaven¡¯s Canopy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shangguan You nodded. ¡°Within Heaven¡¯s Canopy, no matter if it is the density of the Heaven and Earth Force or the resources¡ªall sorts of heavenly treasures¡ªit is much better than outside! This also allows the cultivators within Heaven¡¯s Canopy to be much stronger than the ones outside!¡± ¡°But in actual fact, other than these dynasties, there are many hidden clans in the mainland! They¡­ are the truly formidable existences! To us, the God Residence Realm is like what Heaven¡¯s Canopy is to Country Yao Chen. We can only cross this step and enter the God Residence Realm by becoming true top warriors!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly asked, ¡°Then, at what point do we have the right to enter the God Residence Realm?¡± Shangguan You leaned against the chair and helplessly shook his head as he smiled. He then stretched out a finger and pointed upward. ¡°It¡¯s naturally when¡­ you break through as a stage-nine warrior and enter the Apotheosis realm!¡± Actually, Chu Liuyue had already faintly guessed the standard before, but she was still shocked when she heard the exact answer. If it really is according to this standard, then¡­ How did I enter back then? Also, what exactly did I experience in the past? ¡°Previously, you almost broke through, and I had high hopes for you. I thought you would succeed not long later! I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± He didn¡¯t expect so many things to happen later, and all the plans were disrupted. ¡°Luckily¡ªluckily, you¡¯re back now¡­¡± Shangguan You looked at her dotingly. ¡°Cultivate properly. When you break through as a stage-nine warrior and enter the Apotheosis realm, you can then enter the God Residence Realm!¡± Chu Liuyue looked down and covered the faint light in her eyes.. Wait until then? I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t wait any longer! Chapter 1018 - Go Ahead At this point, an announcement was heard from outside. ¡°Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Ms. Mu is here!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that Mu Hongyu had already arrived outside the hall. ¡°Quickly, come in.¡± Mu Hongyu followed the palace maids into the hall. Once she saw Chu Liuyue, her cute face immediately broke into an excited and elated smile as her almond eyes shone brightly. ¡°Liu¡ª¡± She had just spat out one word when she saw Shangguan You standing at the side. She then realized that she was in the palace, so she hurriedly stopped herself and bent her knees to bow. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. Greetings, Supreme Emperor!¡± Chu Liuyue waved toward her. ¡°Hongyu, this is my own bedroom. You don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony. Come, please sit.¡± Mu Hongyu glanced at Shangguan You anxiously. After all, the latter had been of high status for many years. So even though Shangguan You was wearing casual clothes, he still had the unignorable suppression of an emperor. Even though Mu Hongyu was active, she knew what to do at appropriate venues. Liuyue can be polite, but I can¡¯t lose my manners. Shangguan You laughed out loud. ¡°Mu Hongyu, right? I heard many things about you from Yue¡¯er. You don¡¯t have to restrain yourself here. Coincidentally, I have something on, so I won¡¯t stay here and disturb you. You guys can continue talking.¡± Then, he stood up and was about to leave. However, Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Father, you should stay behind first. The things we¡¯re going to talk about next are also related to you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shangguan You found it strange, but seeing that his daughter didn¡¯t seem to be kidding, he sat down again. Mu Hongyu saw that Shangguan You was very friendly, and her tense emotions relaxed gradually. ¡°Hongyu has a Faint Yuan Body, and it¡¯s much harder for her to break through to become a stage-seven warrior than ordinary cultivators. Hence, I plan to bring Hongyu to the Red Moon Desert this time so that we can ask the seniors that we know to guide her.¡± Mu Hongyu and Chu Liuyue were very close. Besides, the Faint Yuan Body hadn¡¯t appeared in a thousand years, so it would really be a pity if it was wasted like this. Hence, Chu Liuyue was bent on helping her to the end. ¡°Red Moon Desert? Seniors?¡± Shangguan You was confused. Isn¡¯t it very dangerous there? Normal people will barely survive if they go there, but why is Yue¡¯er rushing to go there? And she is even saying that she knows some seniors?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes. I thankfully had their help before, which is why we could successfully leave the Red Moon Desert.¡± Out of all the people Chu Liuyue knew now, they were the strongest ones. Other than them, she really couldn¡¯t think of who could help. Coincidentally, they also asked Xue Xue to send some news over, so it was good if they went over to take a look. ¡°For this trip I¡¯m going on with Hongyu this time, we aren¡¯t sure when we¡¯ll return. Hence, I need you to take care of many things on the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s side, Father.¡± Upon hearing this, Shangguan You naturally wouldn¡¯t reject it. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. With me around, you can do whatever you want!¡± A hint of apology surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°I originally wanted you to lead a leisurely life from now on, but¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to still trouble you in the end.¡± ¡°How is this troublesome?¡± Shangguan You glanced at her in disapproval. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re my daughter. If I don¡¯t help you, who else can I help? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already recovered, so nothing will happen to me!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. Actually, she did come back this time wanting her father to rest properly. She also wanted to make up for what she owed him, but she didn¡¯t expect so many things to happen later. She jokingly said, ¡°If I knew of this earlier, I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to yours and Ancestor¡¯s suggestion to ascend the throne that day. You see, you¡¯re still the one being busy with all these things in the end.¡± Shangguan You laughed out loud. ¡°Anyway, this position is yours sooner or later. You should go there as soon as possible!¡± The Tianling royal family barely had any descendants, and Shangguan Wan had even taken action on many people the whole time. Hence, most of the royal family¡¯s descendants were either dead, injured, or way too young. Amongst them, only Chu Liuyue could hold up the fort. ¡°When do you plan to go?¡± asked Shangguan You. Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu exchanged glances. ¡°Today.¡± ¡­ In the Red Moon Desert, the sun shone aggressively. This vast desert had no end. The heatwaves rose, and even the air became distorted. A white figure suddenly appeared in the desert sky. Following it was a red-tailed phoenix with its wings spread. Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu stood on Tuan Zi¡¯s back, and their clothes flowed with the wind. ¡°We¡¯re going to reach real soon,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Mu Hongyu nodded, but her gaze had landed on Xue Xue in front of her, and she seemed to be in a daze. Why does this figure¡­ look so familiar? ¡°Hongyu, what are you thinking about?¡± Chu Liuyue had long discovered that something was wrong with Mu Hongyu. During this entire journey, she seemed to be lost. ¡°Hm? N-nothing. I¡­ just feel that this white lion¡­ looks pretty familiar¡­¡± muttered Mu Hongyu softly. When she saw Xue Xue rushing toward the desert, a ray of light flashed across her mind! Right! This white lion looks very similar to the legendary fiend we saw in the Mystic Forest previously! ¡°Xue Xue? That¡¯s Rong Xiu¡¯s fiend,¡± explained Chu Liuyue. In the palace back then, Rong Xiu had once summoned Xue Xue over. Quite a few people had seen it, so there was no need to hide this matter intentionally. ¡°What? You¡¯re saying that this is Prince Li¡¯s legendary fiend?¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned. The matter of Rong Xiu having a legendary fiend has spread far and wide in the entire Xi Ling. Even though I didn¡¯t intentionally notice this issue, I had heard of it. I didn¡¯t expect that it actually was¡ª Then¡­ If it really is the one we previously saw, won¡¯t that prove that Rong Xiu is actually here? ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seeing that her reaction was amiss, Chu Liuyue continued asking. Mu Hongyu hesitated for a moment. She was about to speak when she suddenly heard sounds from the desert. The duo looked down in unison. They saw the tumbling balls of sand and the moving yellow sand causing a huge commotion. Chu Liuyue immediately said, ¡°Seniors, it¡¯s us!¡± A gender-indistinguishable grunt could be heard from far away. ¡°Girlie, you know how to come back?¡± This was Lan Xiao¡¯s voice. Even though he sounded angry, he had no intentions of being furious as his tone had a hint of restrained elation. ¡°Come down quickly!¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. For some reason, she felt very intimate when she heard this voice. ¡°Hongyu, let¡¯s go down.¡± She lightly patted Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead and jumped down! ¡°Hey¡­¡± Before Mu Hongyu could question clearly, she saw her friend jump down. She could only follow closely. The moment Chu Liuyue landed on the ground, the yellow sand beneath her feet started moving quickly and sent her forward. It finally stopped when she could see the sapphire-like lake in front of her. Once Chu Liuyue stood still, she heard Diwu Zhangze¡¯s surprised voice.. ¡°Hm? Girlie, you broke through and became a stage-seven warrior?¡± Chapter 1019 - Holy Body! Chapter 1019: Holy Body! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As he was too surprised, Diwu Zhangze¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t transmitted specifically to Chu Liuyue like Lan Xiao¡¯s had been. Hence, his voice directly sounded throughout the desert. Mu Hongyu¡ªwho rushed over after¡ªheard this voice and immediately looked around her surroundings alertly. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled in comfort. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is one of the few people I mentioned to you earlier. The one who just spoke is Diwu Zhangze.¡± ¡°Hehe. Little girlie, you don¡¯t remember me anymore?¡± Diwu Zhangze laughed. ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t suffered enough the previous time?¡± Mu Hongyu was dazed. ¡°You, you, you¡ª¡± She suddenly recalled something and widened her eyes in shock. ¡°It was you last time¡ª¡± Hua! A yellow ball of sand suddenly formed and flew toward Mu Hongyu! Shua! Mu Hongyu¡¯s figure instantly disappeared on the spot. Other than an extremely faint ripple in the air, nobody would¡¯ve noticed anything amiss. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. If I hadn¡¯t broken through to become a stage-seven warrior and was slightly less sensitive, I might not even be able to notice this ripple. The Faint Yuan Body really is as rumored! The next moment, Mu Hongyu appeared on a sand ball 1,000 feet away. ¡°Whew¡­ Luckily, I avoided it¡ª¡± Just as Mu Hongyu secretly felt lucky, she realized that the yellow ball of sand was still floating at its spot quietly and didn¡¯t chase her. She then felt dazed for a moment and realized that she seemed to have overreacted. ¡°Hahaha! It seems like you¡¯ve improved quite a bit during this period of time!¡± Diwu Zhangze laughed out loud. Whoosh! That ball of yellow sand fell on the floor. Mu Hongyu¡¯s face flushed slightly, and she realized that he was teasing her. Chu Liuyue glanced at the lake helplessly. ¡°Senior Diwu, Hongyu was tortured miserably by you the previous time. Don¡¯t joke with her.¡± Mu Hongyu flashed and appeared beside Chu Liuyue as she smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Liuyue, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine! If not for this senior guiding me previously, I wouldn¡¯t have improved so quickly¡­¡± Even though her face was still red, her tone was very sincere and honest. She really wanted to thank Diwu Zhangze for his previous help from the bottom of her heart. As she spoke, she solemnly bowed in gratitude in that direction. Seeing that Mu Hongyu¡¯s attitude was so good, Chu Liuyue relaxed. However, Diwu Zhangze was quite surprised as he laughed out loud. ¡°Good! Good! You are teachable!¡± One that can be friends with Yue¡¯er Girlie won¡¯t be lacking in any aspect. ¡°Tianjing Yuan meridian?¡± At this point, another familiar voice sounded. ¡°When did you recover it?¡± Even though the tone was cold and distinguished, it was a pity that the voice sounded child-like and playful. Due to this, it didn¡¯t sound very threatening. Following this voice, ripples could be seen on the lake surface. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°A few days ago.¡± Dugu Mobao snorted. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± After knowing that Chu Liuyue had recovered her Tianjing Yuan meridian, everyone was either shocked, envious, or in disbelief¡ªas well as other similar emotions. Only Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t express this. He sounded like he despised her a little and looked as if this should happen. It was as though it was normal for Chu Liuyue to recover her Tianjing Yuan meridian and that she could be forcefully liked. Mu Hongyu secretly stuck out her tongue toward Chu Liuyue. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen him, it was shocking enough just to hear this sentence. Having a Tianjing Yuan meridian was such a rare talent! Only two people had it in the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s thousand-year history! Many people in the world were extremely envious of it! But to this ¡®senior,¡¯ it¡­ actually seemed just like that? Mu Hongyu faintly knew why Chu Liuyue said that these few seniors might be able to give her guidance on how to cultivate the Faint Yuan Body. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care much about it as her eyes curled up. ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence, and I was just luckier. I conveniently recovered it when I broke through to become a stage-seven warrior.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched. T-these people are such maniacs! I faintly feel that if I continue staying here, I won¡¯t have a good time¡­ Even though she was already prepared mentally, she realized at this moment that she was still too naive! ¡°Other than coming here on your appointment, I still have a favor I¡¯d like to ask of you, Seniors.¡± Whatever she was afraid of came. Just as Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart was trembling, Chu Liuyue held her friend¡¯s hand and pushed her forward. ¡°Hongyu has a Faint Yuan Body, and she¡¯s going to break through to become a stage-seven warrior real soon. I once read in an ancient book that it¡¯s extremely difficult for people with a Faint Yuan Body to transcend their God Foreseeing Tribulation, so I would like to ask Seniors to guide her a little. I wonder¡­¡± ¡°This small matter isn¡¯t a problem.¡± Diwu Zhangze agreed immediately. ¡°With me around, I¡¯ll definitely ensure that she¡¯ll transcend her God Foreseeing Tribulation!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°You¡¯re really willing to help?¡± ¡°What does this count for? Someone with a Faint Yuan Body is a talent after all. It¡¯s a pity to waste it,¡± Diwu Zhangze said and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Those fools in the Tianling Dynasty will only delay her development. In the coming days, you can just stay here until you transcend the God Foreseeing Tribulation!¡± Since he said this, it meant that he was really going to help! ¡°Thank you, Senior Diwu!¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly bowed respectfully. ¡°Thank you, Senior Diwu!¡± After settling this matter, Chu Liuyue heaved a huge sigh of relief. ¡°Oh right! May I know why you are looking for me, Seniors?¡± Chu Liuyue directed her focus back to this matter after arranging Mu Hongyu¡¯s matters. Diwu Zhangze didn¡¯t reply immediately and seemed rather hesitant. ¡°I¡­ I think Big Baby should say it! I¡¯ll bring Hongyu around to let her familiarize herself with the environment!¡± Then, he yelled, ¡°Hongyu, over here!¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly acknowledged it. ¡°Oh¡­ oh! Okay!¡± Then, she looked at Chu Liuyue rather hesitantly. Chu Liuyue gave her an assuring look. ¡°Just go ahead.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. A yellow ball suddenly appeared beside her. ¡°Ow¡­ Again!¡± Mu Hongyu cried and immediately shot out! Very quickly, only Chu Liuyue was left here. The sun was burning, and there was no wind anywhere, but the lake water still had ripples. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, come over here.¡± This was Lan Xiao¡¯s voice. Chu Liuyue followed the voice and walked over. At the lake, she instinctively looked down. There seemed to be a faint shadow gathering in the clear lake. ¡°Actually, we asked you to come here because Big Baby needs your help with something.¡± Lan Xiao¡¯s tone was a little strange. Chu Liuyue was dazed. Big Baby needs my help? All these people are so strong, especially Big Baby. What matter would they need my help with? ¡°As long as I can do it, I will not refuse. May I know¡­ what it is about?¡± Lan Xiao lightly said, ¡°Big Baby, do you want me to say it, or do you want to tell Girlie yourself?¡± Dead silence. After a while, Dugu Mobao¡¯s extremely awkward voice sounded.. ¡°I managed to form a Holy Body, but I need your force to awaken it.¡± Chapter 1020 - What are You Looking At! Chapter 1020: What are You Looking At! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Holy Body? Guide? Chu Liuyue was confused when she heard it. ¡°This Holy Body is¡­¡± ¡°After a cultivator breaks through as a stage-nine warrior and enters the Apotheosis realm, they can use the Heaven and Earth Force to form a body, which is the Holy Body. Normal cultivators have limited physical body strength, but a Holy Body is different. Its potential is limitless, and if one cultivates to the Paragon realm, they will never die or be harmed! Hence, this Holy Body is very important to cultivators. The more important thing is that once one reaches a certain cultivation level, even if their physical body is destroyed, they can reform it and turn it into a Holy Body!¡± ¡°Our physical bodies have all been destroyed, and we¡¯re left with our souls only. We rely on absorbing the Heaven and Earth Force to finally reform our Holy Body. As long as he can awaken his Holy Body, Big Baby can get out of this place.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and looked very happy. ¡°That¡¯s great! If I can help you, I¡¯ll definitely do it!¡± She knew that Dugu Mobao and the rest were trapped in this area and couldn¡¯t go out due to various reasons. They could only come out for a while on a red moon day, and they spent most of their time under the desert without daylight. Since Dugu Mobao could form his Holy Body, he could then come out. Where could he not go in the world? ¡°This is naturally a good thing, but¡­ There¡¯s a small problem on Big Baby¡¯s side.¡± Lan Xiao sounded like he was holding in his laughter. ¡°What problem?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. When you previously rushed back to Xi Ling, he was in a hurry to help you and hastened his speed in forming the Holy Body. In the end¡ª¡± ¡°Lan Xiao, if you don¡¯t want your tongue, I can cut it for you.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice was filled with murderous intent as it sounded. ¡°Okay, okay, okay! I won¡¯t say it anymore! You can tell Yue¡¯er Girlie yourself!¡± Lan Xiao willingly begged for mercy and didn¡¯t fight with Dugu Mobao for once. This made Chu Liuyue feel even weirder. A Holy Body is so important. Since he has already formed it, what problem could there be? And¡­ listening to Lan Xiao, it seems to have something to do with me? After thinking for a while, she asked, ¡°May I know where your Holy Body is now? What must I do to wake it?¡± The moment she said that, the ripple on the water surface expanded! Then, a spiral appeared in the sapphire lake¡¯s center! The waves extended in all directions and gradually formed a hollow in the middle. A firefly glowing faintly in purple rose from within gradually! A holy and strong suppression faintly came from within! Just by standing here, Chu Liuyue felt that her chest was stuffy! All the force in her body suddenly seemed to slow down at this moment! This was absolutely a crushingly strong warrior aura! Chu Liuyue secretly felt shocked. This is still a Holy Body that hasn¡¯t awakened, yet it is already so terrifying! I don¡¯t know how shocking Dugu Mobao¡¯s true capabilities are! Right at this moment, a warm and strong force suddenly exuded from the water droplet in her body and injected into her limbs. The suppressive feeling then subsided by quite a bit. However, Chu Liuyue still held her breath as she stood at the front without blinking, not daring to miss anything. ¡°The thing inside is my Holy Body.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice somehow sounded even more awkward. ¡°Later, you just have to prick your index finger and inject a wave of force within.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, that firefly flew toward Chu Liuyue. It was most probably because Dugu Mobao purposely hid his aura, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t feel any stronger suppression. Under the support of the water droplet¡¯s strength, she forcefully stabilized herself. At this point, Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something. Why does this firefly seem a little small? Since it¡¯s a Holy Body, it shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­ Just as this thought flashed across her mind, that firefly quickly flew to one step in front of Chu Liuyue. The layer of faint purple on the firefly looked beautiful. It was a mess inside, so she couldn¡¯t see too clearly. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think much as she bit her index finger, and a bright-red blood pearl quickly appeared. Then, the blood pearl seemed to be guided by some force as it left Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingertip and floated toward the firefly. Of course, it contained an extremely rich force at the same time. That blood pearl quickly landed in the center of the firefly. The moment they touched, the blood pearl rapidly disappeared! Then, a whirring sound was heard, and the light on the firefly shone brightly! Chu Liuyue instinctively raised her hand to cover her eyes! The purple light glowed brightly! Kacha! Chu Liuyue clearly heard something breaking! When the light gradually dissipated, she then looked up. With this glance, she was directly stunned. That firefly had already disappeared. Like a layer of mesh unveiled, she could finally see the situation within! A toddler that looked around three or four years old was floating quietly in midair. He had an adorable and chubby face and very thick lashes that were slightly curled. His short purple hair was soft and fluffy. The light wind blew, and it gently rose. As if detecting Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision, he suddenly widened his eyes! He had a pair of purple eyes! They were so beautiful and nearly demonic! The two of them stared at each other. The toddler knitted his brows and looked ferocious. ¡°What are you looking at? Have you not seen it before?¡± His sentence was originally very authoritative, but his voice was too child-like and didn¡¯t feel very threatening. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, extended her fingers, and pointed.. ¡°Uhm¡­ Big Baby, you¡¯re not wearing any clothes.¡± Chapter 1021 - Bitter Story Dugu Mobao¡¯s face was dazed for a moment. Following this, Chu Liuyue saw the pink face flushing red at an observable speed¡ªalmost as if blood could drip out of it! Rumble! A ball of purple fire suddenly exploded in front of Chu Liuyue! She immediately moved back and barely avoided it as a strand of her hair was burned, exuding a faint smell of something burning. The small person opposite her rapidly covered himself in a faint layer of purple light. Then, he waved his small hand. After the light faded away, he had already changed into a purple robe. This robe was very exquisite. Under the sunlight, it reflected a faint light and looked more like brocade. Chu Liuyue stared at the scene before her with a conflicted expression. Originally, this scene should be magnificent and formidable, but it was a pity that¡­ Big Baby¡¯s image was completely destroyed in her heart. ¡°Puahahahhaha!¡± Resounding laughter suddenly exploded from the lake. ¡°Big Baby¡ªyou! Hahahaha! You didn¡¯t wear clothes when you met Yue¡¯er Girlie!¡± Lan Xiao had always been cool and calm when talking, just like a deity. This was the first time Chu Liuyue had heard him laugh so freely. Her eyelids twitched. Uhm¡­ It seems like he¡¯s laughing a little too loudly¡­ As expected, the louder Lan Xiao laughed, the darker Big Baby¡¯s face became. His originally flushed face instantly turned black and red. Holy Bodies that were just formed are indeed nude, but I was careless just now and forgot about this. Besides, this process is very difficult. The three of us have been stuck here for many years, but only I have succeeded first. ¡°Now, you haven¡¯t even formed half your Holy Body. What right do you have to laugh here?¡± said Big Baby with clenched teeth. Lan Xiao took no notice of the danger as he laughed even harder. ¡°Hahahaha! But you didn¡¯t wear clothes! HAHAHAHA!¡± ¡°Are you done laughing?¡± said Big Baby clearly and coldly with endless suppression. ¡°Hahaha¡ªugh!¡± Lan Xiao¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. Whoosh! An explosion was suddenly heard within the lake! Then, the surroundings finally became peaceful. The vortex in the lake quickly recovered, leaving a few ripples. Dugu Mobao had his back facing Chu Liuyue as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. But even after a while, he still didn¡¯t turn around. The atmosphere instantly became very awkward. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. Seeing that he hadn¡¯t turned around, she couldn¡¯t help but call him. ¡°Big Baby?¡± Dugu Mobao then resigned himself to his fate and turned around. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Dugu Mobao coldly as he slightly raised his chin with no facial expression. There was even a tinge of frustration in his eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned. His small face¡¯s expression has already returned to normal, but there is still a hint of red that hasn¡¯t subsided on his ears. He looks just like a kid who made a mistake but is bent on not admitting it. This look¡­ Even if I know he has a Holy Body, he has no look of authority at all. Chu Liuyue held in her laughter and asked very seriously and genuinely, ¡°Big Baby, did I manage to help you?¡± Big Baby¡¯s expression then became more normal as he turned around and looked into the distance. After a moment, he then acknowledged it. Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved up. ¡°That¡¯s great! However, can I ask why I could help you with this?¡± A hint of curiosity filled Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Even though I¡¯ve already broken through to become a stage-seven warrior now and there is a holy force in my body, it doesn¡¯t seem like someone of my cultivation level can do something such as awakening a Holy Body¡­ Why don¡¯t I know how capable I am? Dugu Mobao knitted his brows. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because you¡­ are you.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. What does that mean? Dugu Mobao glanced at her. Seeing her confused expression, he then recalled that she had already forgotten those matters. He opened his mouth, and the words were at the tip of his tongue when he suddenly changed the topic. ¡°After successfully forming the Holy Body, we need a holy force to guide it. Coincidentally, you have a holy force in your body. Therefore¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly as she smiled slightly. ¡°I only obtained the holy force recently. Could it be that you already knew about it then, so you got Xue Xue to send me the news?¡± Big Baby¡¯s group of three was powerful, but they couldn¡¯t leave the Red Moon Desert. Hence, it was impossible for them to know about the incident so quickly. This also meant that they made this decision much earlier on. Due to this, it was definitely not because of the holy force in her body. Dugu Mobao was stumped and said, ¡°You heard wrongly. I meant the force of the Heavenly Dao. Your body had it before, right?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and didn¡¯t say a word. The two of us are just standing opposite each other. I naturally wouldn¡¯t have misheard him. Besides, the Heavenly Dao in my body is split into three. I got one portion when I broke the Tianling God Realm at first. The other two portions were obtained when I made an agreement with the legendary three-eyed eagle and Tuan Zi. However, she was very sensible and did not ask further. Dugu Mobao clearly didn¡¯t want to truthfully answer this question now, so there was no point in asking further. Hence, she nodded in agreement and changed the topic. ¡°I see¡­ Oh right. Just now, Senior Lan Xiao said that because of me, you seemed to have¡­¡± The ¡®small problem¡¯ Lan Xiao mentioned earlier was most likely referring to the very young age of Dugu Mobao¡¯s Holy Body. Even though his voice directly sounded like a child¡¯s, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t believe that Dugu Mobao was truly a three-year-old kid. This even seems to have something to do with me? Dugu Mobao knitted his brows and recovered his expressionless face. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Faint laughter suddenly sounded next to Chu Liuyue¡¯s ear. ¡°Girlie, don¡¯t listen to him argue.¡± Chu Liuyue paused. This is Lan Xiao¡¯s voice. She looked up, but Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t seem to have much of a reaction. ¡°Girlie, don¡¯t worry. He can¡¯t hear this voice¡ªI can still do this small thing. You just need to listen.¡± Chu Liuyue looked down and quietly listened as if she were thinking about something. But in actual fact, she was listening to Lan Xiao talk. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to tell you about this, but I want to tell you.¡± Lan Xiao reduced his teasing tone and became much more serious. ¡°We all knew that you were harmed by that adulterous couple. Back then, you returned to Xi Ling to take revenge, right? Actually, at that time, we also wanted to go back and help you¡ªsupport you. But it¡¯s a pity that the three of us were stuck here and couldn¡¯t leave. Only if we formed our Holy Bodies could we get out of this cage.¡± ¡°You should also be able to tell that Big Baby is the strongest amongst us all, and he¡¯s also the one that can form the Holy Body the fastest. In actual fact, he originally needed three more years to succeed, but he decided to forcefully break through to help you then.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she faintly guessed something. Lan Xiao sighed lightly. ¡°Even though he forcefully succeeded in breaking through earlier, he has become stuck at this age in the end¡­ Once the Holy Body is formed, one can never change it for the rest of their lives..¡± Chapter 1022 - Go Together Chapter 1022: Go Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank harshly. Does this not mean that Big Baby will very likely look like this for the rest of his life? A normal person¡¯s life is already so long, let alone someone like Big Baby¡ªwho has reached the Apotheosis realm and formed his Holy Body. Even though his appearance is adorable, he isn¡¯t a true child. If he is forever stuck in a three-year-old Holy Body¡­ It would be a very torturous matter for anyone. ¡°Shh¡ªdon¡¯t let him know that you already know.¡± Lan Xiao sighed. ¡°In the beginning, even Diwu and I didn¡¯t know about this. Later on, if not because it fa¡ªbecause it almost failed and alerted us, we wouldn¡¯t have known. He refused to let you know about this or let us mention it, but I thought that we shouldn¡¯t hide this from you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you this because I want you to be very thankful toward him, but I want you to know that¡­ Though there are people who chose to betray you, there are also people who are forever on your side.¡± Even if they have to pay a huge price for it! This was the first time Chu Liuyue heard Lan Xiao talk so seriously. Something seemed to be tumbling in her chest. Her heart was warm, and the heat spread, even warming her limbs and bones. She closed her eyes and hid her sourness. When she looked up again, she was smiling as usual. ¡°No matter what, Big Baby, I¡¯m very happy to be able to help you.¡± ¡­ Since he had already formed his Holy Body, Dugu Mobao was free. After being stuck in the Red Moon Desert, he still wasn¡¯t used to it now that he suddenly came out. This was especially so¡­ when he was in his current state. He spent a long time gradually convincing himself to try to ignore this. After all, it was already very hard for him to come out. The two of them chatted for a while before Chu Liuyue asked a question she had in her heart for a long time. ¡°Big Baby, you guys know Rong Xiu, right?¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at her. Chu Liuyue looked calm. ¡°You were willing to let Xue Xue send such important news. Actually, it¡¯s enough to prove this, right?¡± Hearing its name, Xue Xue¡ªwho had been obediently staying at the side¡ªwas immediately energized. Following this, it heard Dugu Mobao¡¯s cold voice. ¡°I was going to look for you when it coincidentally came. It¡¯s a waste not to use it.¡± Xue Xue instantly felt a chill run down its spine, and it was on the brink of tears. How did I come myself? If Master didn¡¯t command me, why would I come to this place?! I really don¡¯t have any rights! Chu Liuyue paused. Dugu Mobao¡¯s sentence didn¡¯t directly answer my question. She looked up and smiled. ¡°Big Baby, you don¡¯t have to consider so much. I¡¯ve already recalled many things, including¡­ the incidents regarding Rong Xiu in the God Residence Realm.¡± Once she said this, a hint of shock and confusion finally flashed across Dugu Mobao¡¯s beautiful and demonic eyes. ¡°Y-you remembered everything? When?¡± Chu Liuyue confirmed it in her heart. As expected¡ªthat cliff and that octagonal pavilion are indeed in the God Residence Realm! Back then, the person I played chess with was indeed Rong Xiu himself! The two of us clearly knew each other in the God Residence Realm! Actually, she recalled a very limited amount of things, but Dugu Mobao¡¯s reply precisely confirmed her previous guess! ¡°I didn¡¯t remember everything but just a portion of it.¡± A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Since Dugu Mobao and the rest know about this, it¡¯s obvious that they know Rong Xiu. Then, it is also reasonable to get Xue Xue to help them. However¡­ all these people hadn¡¯t told me in advance at all! ¡°So this time, I plan on personally making a trip to the God Residence Realm.¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows, and his pink face turned solemn. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Now.¡± ¡°You do know how dangerous it is to go to the God Residence Realm with your current abilities¡­ right?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve gone there before, why can¡¯t I go there now?¡± Dugu Mobao was hesitant in his words. Of course, it¡¯s because you were stronger back then than now! But upon thinking that she did have quite a few trump cards with her¡­ Perhaps¡­ she could take the risk. He thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Before Chu Liuyue could react, Xue Xue suddenly jumped up from far away. ¡°Ow?!¡± This ancestor wants to go? I¡¯m afraid the world will flip! ¡°Hm? You don¡¯t welcome me?¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at it lightly. Xue Xue immediately crouched down obediently. Hehe, I¡¯m joking. Why won¡¯t I welcome you? Chu Liuyue was speechless. With Rong Xiu¡¯s personality, how could he raise a fiend like Xue Xue with no principles¡­ As if seeing through Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts, Xue Xue miserably glanced at her. Did she forget how I was previously tortured? Who can stand that? ¡°You don¡¯t agree too?¡± Dugu Mobao asked Chu Liuyue. Even though his tone was nonchalant, his small face showed a clear and obvious threat. Chu Liuyue raised her hands in approval. ¡°Of course, I agree!¡± She didn¡¯t fake her agreement; she really thought that it was good. The God Residence Realm was mysterious, and there were many strong warriors. Even though she had gone there previously, she couldn¡¯t remember anything now. When she reached there, it would probably be like her sight turning dark. If Big Baby can follow me, won¡¯t I save a lot of trouble? Besides, I can be more confident with such a strong warrior backing me up. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s genuine expression, Dugu Mobao then nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll set off tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment. ¡°Then¡­ Hongyu?¡± ¡°When she¡¯s here, Diwu and Lan Xiao will take care of her.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while and felt that it was quite good. Even though it might be tiring, it is indeed a rare chance for Hongyu. Dugu Mobao is a strong warrior that has entered the Apotheosis Realm. Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao shouldn¡¯t be that much weaker. If it were someone else, it would be hard for them to even see these seniors. Chu Liuyue waved at Xue Xue. ¡°Xue Xue, we should go!¡± Upon hearing this, even though Xue Xue was reluctant, it still moved over slowly. It directly walked to Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet and quickly glanced at Dugu Mobao before sticking closely to the girl. When Tuan Zi¡ªwho was squatting on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders¡ªsaw this, it couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Xue Xue angrily glared at it. You¡¯re the only one who didn¡¯t experience it! You should try this ancestor¡¯s powers! Young! Ignorant! A hint of cold smiling intent flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s sparkly eyes as it directly tilted its head and nestled in Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Of course, I can tell that Dugu Mobao is very strong and can¡¯t be offended. I can depend on my own master. Why would I want to spend bitter days with someone else? Hah. Xue Xue gradually widened its eyes and was furious, but it still turned around angrily, not wanting to argue with it. I chose my own master. What choice do I have? ¡­ ¡°Ah-choo!¡± Rong Xiu suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose.. Hmm. It seems like someone hasn¡¯t been having a good time recently¡­ Chapter 1023 - Who’s that Coming? Chapter 1023: Who¡¯s that Coming? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue originally planned on finding Rong Xiu and asking him about what happened back then. When she found out about the God Residence Realm¡¯s existence later on, she wanted to know more about it. Now that she knew he was there, it naturally saved her quite a bit of trouble. Hence, she wanted Xue Xue to bring them there directly. Xue Xue originally wanted to argue, but ever since it knew that Dugu Mobao wanted to go with them, it directly abandoned this thought and obediently brought the two of them over. Of course, Xue Xue only let Chu Liuyue ride on it. As for Dugu Mobao¡­ Now that he had formed his Holy Body, his speed was only faster and not slower than Xue Xue. Hence, he went on his own. Just like this, the two humans and the fiend were on their way. ¡­ ¡°The God Residence Realm is miles away from here. Even if we go at full speed, it will take about ten days.¡± On the way, Dugu Mobao would answer some of Chu Liuyue¡¯s questions from time to time. Most of them were related to the God Residence Realm. In the middle, Chu Liuyue also tried to ask him about what happened to her back then, but Dugu Mobao kept his mouth tightly shut about it. After trying twice, Chu Liuyue directly gave up. ¡°If we use a transportation formation, would it also take so long?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Dugu Mobao was stepping on a purple sword with two hands behind his back. He rode with the wind, and his clothes flowed. Of course, his expression was high and mighty. If one ignored his chubby face and the stomach that bulged slightly due to the two short hands intertwined behind his back, he still looked very distinguished. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s question, he grunted lightly. ¡°There are no transportation formations between Heaven¡¯s Canopy and the God Residence Realm. If one wants to enter the God Residence Realm, they have to reach the God Residence Realm¡¯s borders first before entering through different entrances.¡± Chu Liuyue was quite shocked, but after some thinking, she understood why. ¡°¡­It seems like people in the God Residence Realm are really imperious and arrogant¡­¡± They didn¡¯t even set up a transportation formation, which meant that they had no plans of contacting the outside world! It was fine if the people inside wanted to go out, but if the people outside wanted to go in¡­ They had to cross mountains and rivers, experiencing all sorts of difficulties. ¡°Of course,¡± said Dugu Mobao nonchalantly. ¡°All those who can have a footing in the God Residence Realm are top clans in the mainland. They have the right to be proud, so they¡¯ll naturally think highly of themselves. Even if you reach the border, it¡¯s not that easy to go in. All those entrances are controlled by different clans, and they guard them especially strictly.¡± As Dugu Mobao spoke, he glanced at Chu Liuyue from the corner of his eye. ¡°If you¡¯re not born in the God Residence Realm, outsiders have to be at least a stage-nine warrior to enter. According to your current abilities, you can¡¯t enter. But luckily, you have a holy force in your body, so you can forcefully go in by then.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded slightly and silently clenched her fists. Dugu Mobao¡¯s words are actually very objective. I indeed don¡¯t have the right now. Compared to the top elite warriors in the mainland, the current me is just an ant. The strong will be respected¡ªI have to become stronger to have the right to speak! If not, I will be stepped all over by anyone! I might not even have the right to look up at others! As if he had seen through her thoughts, Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression changed slightly, and his voice was gentler. ¡°Even though your cultivation level isn¡¯t high now, you have recovered your Tianjing Yuan meridian and have a few trump cards. Therefore, you¡¯re not any worse than those disciples from the God Residence Realm clans.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that he was comforting her, so her eyes curved up as she nodded seriously. ¡°Mm, I know.¡± After a momentary silence, she suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t asked you. What clan is Rong Xiu from?¡± Previously, Rong Xiu had mentioned that his mother¡¯s clan was within Heaven¡¯s Canopy, but it now seems like she was clearly from the God Residence Realm! At that time, I faintly felt that it should be a huge family clan, so I didn¡¯t ask in detail and wasn¡¯t very sure about it. Since I¡¯m going to the God Residence Realm now, I should have some sort of understanding about it. Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression suddenly became incredulous. ¡°You¡¯ll naturally find out when we¡¯re there¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. W-we¡¯re already going to reach, yet Big Baby is still keeping it a secret? Seeing his determined expression, she had no other ways, and she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll ask him personally when we get there!¡± She wanted to see how Rong Xiu would explain it by then. ¡­ After ten days, Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao finally arrived by the God Residence Realm¡¯s borders. This was a spacious field with no boundaries at first glance. It was very similar to Heaven¡¯s Canopy as it had a translucent silver curtain that descended from the sky. However, its suppression was much stronger than that of Heaven¡¯s Canopy! One could faintly see some figures flashing across behind that curtain. That should be the people guarding the God Residence Realm¡¯s borders. At this point, Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t gotten close to it, but she already felt her chest become stuffy. If I hadn¡¯t broken through to become a stage-seven warrior, and I didn¡¯t have the endless force and that holy force saved in my body, I would¡¯ve directly kneeled on the ground at this point. She surveyed her surroundings, but there weren¡¯t many people in the never-ending field. Dugu Mobao retracted his aura and descended from midair. ¡°Starting from here, everyone must walk.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Follow me,¡± said Dugu Mobao as he walked forward. Chu Liuyue quickly followed him. The nearer she got, the stronger the suppression! Chu Liuyue felt that her shoulders were getting heavier and heavier, but luckily, it was still within her range of tolerance. When the two people walked to a certain position, a figure suddenly flew out from the light curtain! At the same time, a gigantic symbol appeared on the light curtain! ¡°This is Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s entrance. Who are the people coming?¡± Chapter 1024 - Mother and Son Legendary warrior! Chu Liuyue looked at the other party for a moment and immediately felt an intense suppression! She clenched her fists in her sleeves tightly and straightened her back. Then, she stepped forward and said in an upright manner, ¡°I¡¯m Dugu Yue. Greetings, sir.¡± She didn¡¯t state her Shangguan Yue or Chu Liuyue name and instead chose the same surname as Big Baby as a fake name. Additionally, she wore a mask and pretended to be an ordinary woman. This was because she wasn¡¯t clear what identity she used when she came to the God Residence Realm previously. Besides, she didn¡¯t intentionally hide the fact that Chu Liuyue was Shangguan Yue. If someone just checked briefly, they would know. Hence, on the way here, she had already discussed with Big Baby about using a completely different identity, which would make it more convenient for her to do things. Lin Xiao¡ªwho was in charge of guarding the entrance¡ªsized up the woman in front of him. She looked like she was in her twenties and had an ordinary appearance. Only her pair of black gem-like eyes had something circulating in them, sparkling strangely at times. It was a pity for such eyes to be on such a face, but this wasn¡¯t what he focused on. Lin Xiao¡¯s expression was cold and solemn as he knitted his brows. ¡°Someone who isn¡¯t born in the God Residence Realm can only have the right to enter the God Residence Realm if they break through as a stage-nine warrior. Are you¡­ strong enough?¡± His speech had a natural pride that came from his bones. It wasn¡¯t that she purposely looked down on Chu Liuyue, but they had always been the same toward people who weren¡¯t from the God Residence Realm. They were stationed here and saw many people who wanted to enter the God Residence Realm. Some had true abilities and used their own skills to break through that barrier and get permission to enter, crossing into a new realm ever since. However, there were only a handful of such people. The cultivation environment was very ordinary outside the God Residence Realm, so those who could make it to this step were all elites amongst elites. Sometimes, a dynasty might not even be able to produce such a strong warrior once in a couple of hundred years. Most of the remaining people tried to use all sorts of deceptive and despicable methods to stay. Hence, any of the people from the clans who guarded the entrances would have such a snobbish attitude. When he heard that Chu Liuyue was from the Tianling Dynasty, he naturally didn¡¯t care much about her. How can such a young lady have the capabilities? She most likely came here to play. If she doesn¡¯t have some sort of legendary weapon on her that hides her aura, causing one to be unable to identify what standard she¡¯s at, I wouldn¡¯t even ask this. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really care about his frustrated attitude; she simply smiled and raised her hand. A sparkling force appeared on her fingertip. Lin Xiao¡¯s originally nonchalant expression froze instantly, and shock flashed across his eyes! T-this is a holy force! He looked at the woman in front of him in shock and asked in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re a demigod?¡± So-called demigods were cultivators that had already broken through as a stage-nine warrior but hadn¡¯t completely formed their own God Realm¡ªlike Shangguan Jing back then. The reason why Lin Xiao asked was that he could tell that the holy force the woman in front of him executed was limited, but she did have a holy force. In such a situation, she was most likely a demigod. In regards to this, Dugu Mobao had already told Chu Liuyue about it on the way here. Hence, Chu Liuyue retracted her holy force as she smiled and nodded, taking advantage of the situation for her benefit. ¡°Do I have the right to go in now?¡± A demigod naturally can. Lin Xiao¡¯s expression changed as his gaze directed at Chu Liuyue was different from before and had more hints of respect in it. ¡°This is your first time here?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Anyone who comes here for the first time needs to register,¡± said Lin Xiao as he waved his wrist. A booklet appeared in the air. He opened the booklet and passed over a brush at the same time. ¡°You just need to write your name and date on it.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at it. This booklet wasn¡¯t the same as other books since it was as heavy as a rock. She almost couldn¡¯t hold it stably at the first instance. The booklet was already flipped open, and a blank page was presented in front of Chu Liuyue. However, she could still see some names¡ªshining in different colors¡ªwritten on the page. Chu Liuyue held the brush and wrote her name. ¡°Dugu Yue.¡± After writing, her wrist paused as she looked up at Lin Xiao. ¡°About the date¡­¡± ¡°Xin Yuan Dynasty Year 3574. Sixteenth of September,¡± reminded Lin Xiao. Chu Liuyue was shocked, and the brush in her hand accidentally drew a stroke on the page! Lin Xiao knitted his brows. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue immediately looked down. ¡°Nothing much, but¡­ I just find the year a little weird. I didn¡¯t hear of it before.¡± Lin Xiao laughed and looked faintly proud. ¡°You weren¡¯t born in the God Residence Realm, so it¡¯s normal if you don¡¯t know these things. Just remember that you will go according to this year after you enter the God Residence Realm.¡± Chu Liuyue held the brush and suppressed the ripple in her heart as she wrote that line. Then, she passed the booklet and brush over, smiling at him in gratitude. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, sir.¡± This smile of hers caused her eyes to curl up and dazzle. It also added a few hints of charm to her originally ordinary appearance. Lin Xiao took another look at her, and he couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself. Even though she looked ordinary the first time I saw her, she has become increasingly pleasing to the eye after looking at her more. Her movements are also elegant. This made him have a better impression of her. After he glanced at that booklet, he nodded. ¡°You can go in.¡± Chu Liuyue thanked him and brought Dugu Mobao in. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Xiao suddenly stretched out his hand and stopped the duo. Chu Liuyue was dazed. Lin Xiao raised his chin and glanced at Dugu Mobao at the side. ¡°You can go in, but he can¡¯t.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows.¡±But don¡¯t I already have the right¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s you, not him.¡± Lin Xiao shook his head and had a persistent attitude. ¡°The two of you aren¡¯t born in the God Residence Realm, so the standard is the same if you want to go in.¡± The moment the duo reached, Dugu Mobao retracted his aura and didn¡¯t look any different from an ordinary child now. Chu Liuyue glanced at Dugu Mobao. He has already formed his holy body, so he definitely has the right to enter. But for some reason, he seems to be avoiding it and is very reluctant to exhibit his true abilities. ¡°Can¡¯t I bring my family members?¡± Chu Liuyue refused to give up and asked. ¡°Look, he¡¯s still so small¡­¡± A gust of cold wind suddenly attacked the back of her head. Chu Liuyue coughed and shot a look at Dugu Mobao. Do you want to go in or not!? Lin Xiao¡¯s gaze went back and forth between the duo as he coldly said, ¡°No, you really can¡¯t.. Can¡¯t you just hand the child over to his father? Why must you, the mother, bring him around?¡± Chapter 1025 - : Abandoned Child and Mother Chapter 1025: Abandoned Child and Mother Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue was dazed. T-this person seems to have misunderstood something?! Before she could say something, she felt another freezing coldness that suddenly exploded beside her. She turned around, and Dugu Mobao¡¯s face was as black as a pot. Looking at his face that was brewing like an incoming storm, Chu Liuyue rapidly pressed his head down with one hand and directly turned his face away. Pfft! If he continues looking, his gaze will directly kill this person! ¡°Sir, you must be kidding¡­¡± Before Chu Liuyue could finish explaining, Dugu Mobao grabbed the former¡¯s wrist and stubbornly turned around. Anyone could tell that something was wrong just by looking at his expression. Lin Xiao seemed to notice something as his gaze turned, and he looked over. Chu Liuyue bent down and rapidly hugged Dugu Mobao with one hand while her other hand pressed his forehead to her shoulders. Before Dugu Mobao could react, his entire body was suddenly hanging in the air. Then, he landed in a warm and sweet embrace. His hand turned, and he was about to take action, but he still held it in. ¡°Sir, see¡ªit¡¯s also not easy for me to take a kid alone¡­¡± A look of misery rapidly surfaced on her face. Even though she was smiling, it made one feel better. ¡°¡­His father¡­ I also don¡¯t know where he is now¡­¡± Dugu Mobao suddenly struggled, but it was a pity that Chu Liuyue was holding him tightly. On the one hand, he didn¡¯t want to exhibit his abilities. On the other hand, he was afraid that he would harm Chu Liuyue if he really took action, so he could only rely on his short and chubby body to do the trick. However, it was a pity it didn¡¯t have much effect. ¡°Big Baby, there there¡­¡± Chu Liuyue coaxed him lightly as her arm restrained his waist, causing him to be unable to move. At the same time, she lightly patted his back as if she were really coaxing a child. When Dugu Mobao heard this, he finally gave up struggling as he helplessly buried his face in Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. At times like this, it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t show my face! If not, my heroic name¡­ is ruined when word gets out! Seeing that he finally stopped, Chu Liuyue secretly heaved a sigh of relief as she looked at Lin Xiao pleadingly. ¡°Sir, please help¡­ Look, he¡¯s such a small child. If nobody takes care¡­¡± She looked aggrieved, and it made one¡¯s heart ache as well. Lin Xiao knitted his brows even more tightly, but he still waved his hands. ¡°No! There has never been such a thing in the past! How can¡ª¡± ¡°Let them go in together.¡± At this point, a warm voice sounded behind the few of them. Chu Liuyue turned around. The incoming person was a youngster that looked about 17 or 18 years old. He was very handsome, and the color of his eyes was extremely light. There was a faint crescent-shaped scar at the corner of his eye, causing his distant and cold aura to be increasingly obvious. He was wearing a robe as white as a crescent moon, and he stood still. He was a true gentleman, but his face was very pale¡ªespecially his lips, where there was no color at all. He looked like he had been ill for a long time. It was as if a light touch would cause him to crack like glass. However, Chu Liuyue quickly discovered that this person¡¯s aura was extremely strong! He is actually also a strong warrior that has entered the Apotheosis Realm! It seems like¡­ he is also a demigod?! When Lin Xiao saw the incoming person, his expression changed as he immediately kneeled on one knee to greet the latter. ¡°Greetings, Fourth Young Master!¡± ¡°Cough, cough cough¡ª¡± That youngster was about to say something more when he suddenly coughed. Lin Xiao hurriedly went forward and looked nervous. ¡°Fourth Young Master, what¡¯s the matter? Are you uncomfortable?¡± That young man smiled slightly. ¡°My body has always been like this. I have long been used to it.¡± He shook his head and indicated that he was fine before he pointed at Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of two. ¡°It¡¯s also hard for her to bring a child along alone. No matter what, the child is innocent. This child doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s older than three, so he won¡¯t cause much trouble either. It¡¯ll be okay if you let him in. Why make the mother and son separate over such a small matter?¡± His tone was very light as if he were recalling something when he looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of two. Lin Xiao didn¡¯t dare to speak further. Everyone knew that Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Mistress had died from difficult childbirth when she was giving birth to the Fourth Young Master, Lin Zhifei. All these years, this Fourth Young Master had taken it to heart. There were many rumors outside that called this Fourth Young Master a misfortune since he had jinxed his mother to death once he was born. Even though the superiors commanded them not to spread rumors, it was their mouths, so who could control them? Lin Zhifei had heard most of it before. This thus caused his personality to be more sensitive, introverted, nonchalant, and distant. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t care about such matters. Today, it was probably because he had seen this scene of mother and son separating, so he couldn¡¯t take it and opened his mouth. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already said so, Fourth Young Master, then¡­ I¡¯ll let them in. You¡¯re very kind, Fourth Young Master.¡± Lin Xiao respectfully replied before he said to Chu Liuyue, ¡°What are you doing in a daze? Thank the Fourth Young Master quickly!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately carried Big Baby and thanked Lin Zhifei with a face filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Fourth Young Master!¡± However, Lin Zhifei just waved his hands and faintly said, ¡°It was no trouble. It¡¯s also not easy for you to reach this stage, so you must take good care of him when you enter the God Residence Realm next time.¡± Then, he looked at Dugu Mobao, who was still lying in Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms. ¡°Even though you¡¯re young, I hope you¡¯ll mature earlier and understand your mother¡¯s hardships.¡± Chu Liuyue clearly heard a certain someone clench his teeth. She patted Dugu Mobao¡¯s head, smiled, and said, ¡°Fourth Young Master, don¡¯t worry. Our Big Baby has always been the most mature one.¡± Originally, she still wanted to make him thank Lin Zhifei so as to complete the show. But after much thinking, Chu Liuyue still gave up on that idea. She wanted to leave more leeway for herself. It was better not to be so extreme when handling matters. Lin Zhifei coughed a few times again with increasing intensity. In the end, he could only take his handkerchief out to cover his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. Lin Xiao couldn¡¯t care about Chu Liuyue as he nervously asked, ¡°Fourth Young Master, should I send someone to fetch you? Your health¡ª¡± Lin Zhifei shook his head. ¡°I can just go back on my own. Why let Father and the rest worry?¡± Then, his figure moved, and he passed through that curtain. Chu Liuyue looked at his back and was in a slight daze. His symptoms seemed like¡­ ¡°Okay, stop looking. Hurry up and go in.¡± Lin Xiao sighed in his heart, turned around, and saw Chu Liuyue in a daze, so he hurriedly urged her. ¡°It¡¯s your utmost fortune to have the Fourth Young Master help you today! But you mustn¡¯t tell anyone about today, okay?¡± Chu Liuyue thanked him profusely and repeatedly guaranteed that she wouldn¡¯t speak about it. Then, she carried Big Baby and went forward. She stepped right into the curtain! ¡­ ¡°What did you say?¡± Rong Xiu looked up from the booklet. ¡°She even brought a kid?¡± Yan Qing kneeled on one knee and didn¡¯t dare to look up. He braved himself and said, ¡°¡­Yes. I heard that¡­ she used the identity of abandoned child and mother to get Fourth Young Master Lin¡¯s help to enter¡­¡± Rong Xiu was so angry that he laughed and slammed the booklet down. ¡°Abandoned child and mother?¡± 1 Chapter 1026 - Cover Chapter 1026: Cover Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yan Qing hung his head even lower. I knew Madam was coming, but who would¡¯ve thought she would come like this¡­ ¡°What does the child look like?¡± ¡°I heard that¡­ he¡¯s a boy around three years old with purple hair and purple eyes, so he¡¯s easily recognizable.¡± ¡°Purple hair?¡± Rong Xiu thought for a moment, and he suddenly thought of something as his distinct fingers knocked against the table twice. Realization flashed across his face. The next moment, he laughed faintly. ¡°She has a big heart.¡± It really is only her who dares to pretend to be that person¡¯s mother. But¡­ This proves that that person treats her in an extraordinary manner. If it were someone else, they would¡¯ve already died 10,000 times. 1 Detecting that Rong Xiu¡¯s anger seemed to have subsided, Yan Qing then looked up and carefully asked, ¡°Then¡­ Your Highness, next¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to intervene. Xue Xue is there to protect them. When they¡¯re here, I¡¯ll personally go and fetch them.¡± Besides, with that person around, who could bully her? Even though I don¡¯t feel very happy, this will have to do since that person wanted to come. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ On the other side, Chu Liuyue crossed the curtain and entered the God Residence Realm! Chu Liuyue suddenly had a dazed moment when her feet stepped on the concrete ground. She focused her gaze and looked forward. It was still a spacious field ahead of her, and the sky was light blue. A city sat at the point where heaven and earth made contact. The city wall and moat were huge and traditional. Outside the moat was a gigantic barrier covering it! Even if they were this distance away, she could still clearly feel its intense suppression! ¡°That¡¯s Grotto-Heaven Cliff.¡± Dugu Mobao jumped down from Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms and spoke with a dark face. ¡°Grotto-Heaven Cliff?¡± Chu Liuyue had heard of this name a few times previously. ¡°Is it a clan within the God Residence Realm?¡± ¡°There are no kingdoms or dynasties in the God Residence Realm, only clans. The stronger the clan, the higher their status, and the more resources and treasures they have. There are no laws or rules here. The only rule is that the strong will eat the weak¡ªthe strong are respected.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart shuddered. Even though he only briefly answered with two sentences, she could smell a bloodbath. ¡°The clans in the God Residence Realm are also split into different tiers. This Grotto-Heaven Cliff can only forcefully be considered as a third-tier one.¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. Third-tier? That Young Master Lin was so young, and he had already entered the Apotheosis Realm. I didn¡¯t expect that the clan of such a person could only be considered as third-tier. ¡°If this¡­ is only the third tier, I wonder how amazing the top tier is¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. ¡°Even though they¡¯re only third-tier, they¡¯ve already beaten more than half the clans in the God Residence Realm to be considered third-tier status. You need to know that most clans don¡¯t even have the right to send someone to guard the God Residence Realm¡¯s entrances.¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at her. ¡°Do you still remember the symbol that appeared on that curtain?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s totem. Very few clans can have their own totem engraved on the God Residence Realm¡¯s curtain.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. ¡°I understand. This also means that no matter how weak they are here, they¡¯re not someone we can offend?¡± Dugu Mobao was speechless. Although he didn¡¯t have much of an expression, he looked even cuter when accompanied by his chubby face¡ªespecially his eyes that were filled with solemnity and cold intent. This was because his curled lashes were too pretty and couldn¡¯t feel threatening. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but stretch out her hand to ruffle his hair. ¡°Speaking of which, your performance just now was great!¡± Shua! Dugu Mobao instantly jumped as high as three feet and rapidly moved backward! He glared at Chu Liuyue¡¯s¡­ hand as if he were facing great enmity. ¡°Wh-what do you want?!¡± It¡¯s impossible if she wants to do the same as just now! Chu Liuyue coughed and then remembered that the person in front of her wasn¡¯t a true child, so she tactfully retracted her hand. ¡°Misunderstanding! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! I¡­ just wanted to say that we should go¡­¡± Dugu Mobao still glared at her with a look of warning. ¡°I¡¯ll walk myself!¡± Then, he inched toward the side and turned to walk forward. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. Pfft. The incident just now seems to have left quite a big scar on Big Baby¡­ She hurriedly chased after him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. If it¡¯s not a special situation, I promise I won¡¯t do this again!¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t speak but silently quickened his pace. ¡­ There weren¡¯t many people in the field. They occasionally saw some people rushing around, but most of them hid their auras. ¡°They all seem to have hidden their cultivation levels¡­¡± After walking a distance, Chu Liuyue lowered her voice and inquired about this. Even though her capabilities couldn¡¯t be compared to most people here, she was extremely sensitive to one¡¯s force and aura. With just one glance, she could basically gauge the other party¡¯s level. However, she had met quite a few people just now, but she couldn¡¯t test their abilities. ¡°Of course.¡± Even though Dugu Mobao still had a cold face, he still answered Chu Liuyue¡¯s question. ¡°The God Residence Realm only has one rule: the strong are respected! To become stronger, the people here can do anything. If one directly exposes their cultivation level outside, they would definitely attract a lot of attention. They might even cause trouble for themselves. Unless you have a strong backing or a strong warrior with you, you definitely can¡¯t expose your cultivation level at will. Especially when¡­¡± Dugu Mobao stopped in his tracks and looked up at her. ¡°You¡¯re still so weak.¡± Chu Liuyue was stumped. I have lived two lives. Other than when I was just reborn and other people called me a good-for-nothing for a period of time, people have always called me a genius most other times. No matter if it is the people that like or dislike me, they will admit that I¡¯m extremely talented and strong regardless of how indignant they are. Only Big Baby has always despised me, but he is right. Here, I am indeed¡­ very weak. She pressed her lips against each other and felt a stronger urge to become more capable! ¡°Most people will use Yuan instruments to hide their aura, but Yuan instruments can be good or bad. Some of the very capable strong warriors can still discern one¡¯s cultivation level through the Yuan instrument.¡± ¡°Then, mine¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about yours,¡± said Dugu Mobao lightly. ¡°Your Yuan instrument that hides your aura is still a little useful. Ordinary people can¡¯t tell much¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh,¡± answered Chu Liuyue in a seemingly understanding tone as she touched the nail-sized silver hoop around her neck. Dugu Mobao gave me this item at the start. At that time, he just said that it was to cross the God Residence Realm¡¯s border successfully and that I had to hide my aura. I didn¡¯t expect it to have such an important use. However¡­ I wonder what level this item is¡­ ¡°There¡¯s a transportation formation in the city in front.. We can walk from there.¡± Chapter 1027 - Spoiled Chapter 1027: Spoiled Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The duo walked all the way to the city gate. The guards in charge of the gate were split into two teams¡ªone on each side¡ªand they all held a longsword. They all wore the same uniform with an identical pattern embroidered on their left chest area. Chu Liuyue glanced at it. It was exactly the symbol that surfaced on the curtain before they came in¡ªit was Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s totem! The city gate was clearly quite crowded, with many people coming in and out. Chu Liuyue brought Dugu Mobao and walked forward. The two of them were very eye-catching among the crowd. Chu Liuyue was wearing a mask, so her appearance was ordinary and didn¡¯t draw much attention to herself. The key was Dugu Mobao. His hair and eyes were purple, looking very adorable. Additionally, his eyes were incredibly beautiful and clean. Anybody who saw them would love them. When such a small person walked on the streets, almost a hundred percent of the people would turn around. With more people looking at them, Chu Liuyue gradually felt that it was inconvenient. She was most worried that this little ancestor would throw a tantrum if these people continued staring. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Dugu Mobao¡¯s face was cold and that his eyes were filled with enduring anger. ¡°Aiyo! Whose child is this!? Why are you so cute!?¡± When a lady went up to talk to him and stretched out her hands, wanting to touch Dugu Mobao¡¯s cheeks, his face finally darkened completely. Chu Liuyue saw that the situation was amiss, so she hurriedly pulled him behind her and smiled apologetically at the lady. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My kid is quite introverted, and he¡¯s scared of seeing strangers.¡± That lady was very disappointed because she couldn¡¯t touch the chubby face, but since the other party had already said this, she couldn¡¯t continue disturbing them. Then, she walked away reluctantly. Even when she was a distance away, she kept turning around to look at them. Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t stop me, I wouldn¡¯t have let her off so easily!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions!¡± Chu Liuyue sighed and could only advise him kindly. Any strong warrior that ends up in this state and even has strangers touching their faces will be very upset. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll be leaving very soon. Just endure it for a while, okay?¡± Dugu Mobao was enraged. She looks like she¡¯s coaxing a child even more¡­ He turned around and left in frustration. Since he hasn¡¯t objected, it means that he has accepted it! Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief secretly. Then, she thought for a while and said, ¡°Actually, you can think about the good aspects. If you weren¡¯t born good-looking, they wouldn¡¯t look at you like this either! It¡¯ll be fine when you¡¯re used to it!¡± Anyway, she was already accustomed to ignoring all sorts of gazes from passersby. Dugu Mobao knitted his brows. Of course, I¡¯m not used to it. Since when did people dare to look at me like that¡ªunless they were tired of living! However, I can¡¯t say these words to her now. After much thinking, he could only endure it. ¡­ Under quite a few people¡¯s stares, the duo finally arrived at the city gate and was about to go in. The guard standing at the frontmost glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°Dugu Yue.¡± Once she said this, that guard¡¯s expression changed slightly. The person in charge of name-recording also looked over. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the Dugu Yue that came from outside the God Residence Realm?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in confusion. But at that moment, the surrounding noises immediately hushed! Almost everyone looked over, and everyone¡¯s gazes landed on Chu Liuyue! Her internal alarm was ringing, but she was still calm and collected on the outside. ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± The guard in charge of checking smiled in an ambiguous manner as he sized Chu Liuyue up again. ¡°It¡¯s just that Grotto-Heaven Cliff hasn¡¯t had people coming from outside in a while, so we¡¯re a little surprised.¡± Even though he said it relaxingly, Chu Liuyue felt that things weren¡¯t this simple. The surrounding people¡¯s reactions¡­ are strange. ¡°Since Officer Lin Xiao let you in, you can just go in.¡± That guard then asked for Dugu Mobao¡¯s name and raised his chin toward the person in charge of name-recording. That person wrote down the duo¡¯s names. ¡°Okay, you can go in!¡± Chu Liuyue felt suspicious but didn¡¯t bother with them as she directly brought Dugu Mobao in after thanking them. When their figures left, the crowd started buzzing again. ¡°Heh, so she came from outside! Our Grotto-Heaven Cliff hasn¡¯t had people coming from outside the borders in a while, right?¡± ¡°She looks young and ordinary. I didn¡¯t expect her to really come in¡­¡± ¡°Who knows how old the people who barged in from outside are? She might even be hundreds of years old!¡± ¡°Who cares how old or young she is? She¡¯s really daring to come here alone! Such a meek sheep who doesn¡¯t know that wolves are all around her¡­ She has much to suffer when she goes in!¡± ¡°Guess how long she can last? Half a month? Ten days?¡± ¡°Hmph! A person from outside the border carrying a child, and she¡¯s even a woman. If she can last for a day, I¡¯ll call her capable! This time, our Grotto-Heaven Cliff has a good show to watch! ¡­ After walking a distance, Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of two turned into an isolated path. The girl then asked, ¡°What are they saying?¡± When I left, I faintly heard the people at the city gate discussing something. It all seems¡­ to be related to me. Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Just some nonsense. You don¡¯t have to care about them.¡± Hearing him say this, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask further. Dugu Mobao said again, ¡°The transportation formation in front is a first-grade transportation formation. The entire Grotto-Heaven Cliff only has one, so we can just directly go over.¡± Chu Liuyue was rather curious. ¡°How do you know there¡¯s only one? Have you come here before?¡± ¡°A place like Grotto-Heaven Cliff only has the right to build one,¡± said Dugu Mobao lightly. Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡­ After walking another distance, the duo returned to a livelier street. Chu Liuyue walked to the front of a herb shop and went to an employee. ¡°Hello, may I know how to get to the first-grade transportation formation?¡± Even though Grotto-Heaven Cliff was a city, it was extremely spacious. She and Dugu Mobao couldn¡¯t randomly walk around, so it was the fastest and most convenient to ask someone. The employee initially thought that Chu Liuyue had come to buy herbs, but when he heard her ask this, his face immediately drooped. He said half-heartedly, ¡°You want to go there?¡± ¡°Yeah. Brother, could you show me the way?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care about his nonchalant attitude as she smiled. ¡°Let me advise you¡ªdon¡¯t go there!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Heh, what else can it be? Look over there!¡± Then, he pointed in a direction. Chu Liuyue looked over and saw a faint light glowing at that end. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because that transportation formation is damaged!¡± That employee crossed his arms. ¡°Even the Cliff Master can¡¯t use it now, let alone you! If you have nothing else, leave quickly! Don¡¯t affect me doing my business here!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. We barely managed to get in, yet the transportation formation is damaged?! Chapter 1028 - Want My Cosmic Ring? Chapter 1028: Want My Cosmic Ring? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± In a restaurant, Chu Liuyue sat opposite Dugu Mobao. The former glanced in the direction of the transportation formation and asked insistently. ¡°Nope.¡± Dugu Mobao answered very swiftly. ¡°The spatial forces in the God Residence Realm are very complicated and messy, and all the clans are very far apart from each other. If ordinary people want to travel within this realm, they have to rely on transportation formations. Even if one has a legendary fiend to guide them, it is very easy to get lost.¡± ¡°But we still have Xue Xue¡ª¡± ¡°It won¡¯t find the wrong place, but¡­ The journey is very long, and we¡¯ll spend a lot of time on the road. The key is that this will easily attract trouble. In the deserted lands, there are traps everywhere. If you¡¯re not careful¡­¡± Without him stating the remaining words, Chu Liuyue also understood why. She rubbed her brows. ¡°This means that we can only depend on that transportation formation to go over. However, Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s transportation formation is currently damaged. What should we do? Either we swiftly fix this transportation formation, or we find another place¡¯s transportation formation¡ª¡± If this first-grade transportation formation can¡¯t work, then we can also use other grade-two or grade-three transportation formations to go elsewhere! It can¡¯t be that all the first-grade transportation formations are damaged, right? ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t do it, but¡­ It¡¯ll be more troublesome.¡± Chu Liuyue was helpless. ¡°But this is the only way now¡ªunless we wait for them to fix the first-grade transportation formation here.¡± Who knows how long it¡¯ll take! Dugu Mobao thought for a moment and still nodded in agreement. ¡­ Chu Liuyue went to ask around and found out that there were two second-grade transportation formations here that went to different places. After discussing it, the duo left the restaurant. ¡°I randomly chose one. Whichever one it is, as long as we can reach¡­¡± Before Chu Liuyue could finish her sentence, she felt a gust of cold air attack her! She paused in her steps and abruptly looked up! ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± This was a small marble-paved road. At this moment, there was nobody at the front or the back, and it looked very peaceful. However, Chu Liuyue was still very alert as she started to circulate her force in secret. ¡°You are indeed someone that can barge in from outside. You¡¯re quite alert.¡± A low voice boomed with a hint of sinister intent. Then, waves of ripples started appearing in the space in front of Chu Liuyue! A large hand strongly ripped the space apart, and a man walked out! He looked like he was in his thirties; he was tall and muscular with a normal face. His left cheek had a worm-sized scar, and he looked very ferocious. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart rate gradually rose. This person is definitely stronger than me! That man directly sized Chu Liuyue up. When he saw the Cosmic Ring on her hand, his eyes lit up. ¡°Yo, you do have good treasures with you!¡± This Cosmic Ring is of a decent grade, so it must hide quite a few good items! The ones I met before couldn¡¯t even match up to this! He reached out and commanded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you hand your Cosmic Ring over, I promise I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°You want my Cosmic Ring?¡± That man chuckled and touched his green beard below his chin. ¡°If you want to give it to others, go ahead. Even though you look ordinary, your body is top-tier¡­¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t angry and laughed instead as she lightly asked, ¡°What if I say no?¡± Chapter 1029 - I Won’t Do Your Business! Chapter 1029: I Won¡¯t Do Your Business! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What place do you think this is? A place where you can say ¡®no?¡¯¡± That man clearly didn¡¯t take Chu Liuyue¡¯s words to heart as he smiled sinisterly, and his eyes were filled with unconcealable contempt and teasing. ¡°You¡¯re someone from outside, and it¡¯s your first time here in Grotto-Heaven Cliff. There are some rules you might not know, so let me, Lu Yi, teach you about them! Everyone who comes here needs to show their sincerity. If not¡­ Grotto-Heaven Cliff is very dangerous, and you might not even be able to make it out¡­¡± He spoke as he coldly snorted, and his gaze darted around Dugu Mobao. ¡°Such a cute child. If something happens to him, it¡¯ll be a true pity! Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°How can you say that I¡¯m threatening you?! I¡¯m just speaking the truth!¡± said Lu Yi as he broke out into an oppressive smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time either. You better hand me that Cosmic Ring obediently!¡± Once he said this, his aura immediately exploded! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. He¡¯s a demigod! No matter what, I can¡¯t beat someone of this level! Upon deeper thought, that was true. All the outsiders who could enter the God Residence Realm were strong warriors that had stepped into the Apotheosis Realm. Here, the weakest person was at least a demigod. If Lu Yi wasn¡¯t capable enough, he wouldn¡¯t dare to do this. ¡°Brother, we can talk about it. Let¡¯s talk about it.¡± Chu Liuyue rapidly retracted her sharp expression as she smiled harmoniously. Lu Yi coldly smiled, ¡°At least you¡¯re sensible! Hand it over!¡± Chu Liuyue pretended to touch her Cosmic Ring as if she was really planning on taking it off. At the same time, she looked like she was in a tough spot. ¡°Actually¡­ This ring is very important to me, so¡­¡± ¡°Why are you hesitating?! If you don¡¯t take it off, I¡¯ll come to take it myself!¡± said Lu Yi as he walked over to Chu Liuyue with big strides! ¡°So¡­ don¡¯t even think about it!¡± A cold gleam flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. At the same time, the peach blossom on her inner wrist suddenly bloomed. Lu Yi knew that something was amiss. He immediately summoned his longsword and slashed forward! ¡°How dare¡­¡± Shua! The duo¡¯s figures disappeared on the spot. Tsing! The longsword landed on the ground heavily and made a crisp sound. Lu Yi rapidly scanned his surroundings and found that there was nobody. There wasn¡¯t even a ripple in the air. ¡°Cunning!¡± Lu Yi¡¯s blood boiled. I was careless for a moment, and the other party actually escaped! But at the same time, he felt doubtful. Only people that have completely stepped into the Apotheosis Realm can instantly teleport themselves. A demigod like me can only watch on in that case, but it didn¡¯t seem like that woman used her own force to teleport¡­ Did she use some Yuan instrument? When he thought of this, his heart tingled. Yuan instruments that can instantly teleport are very rare. In the entire Grotto-Heaven Cliff, not even three people have such a treasure! If I can snatch it over¡­ However, it seems like that woman does have quite a few treasures¡­ Lu Yi thought for a moment, and hesitation flashed across his heart. If she can have so many good things, that woman must be extraordinary¡­ But once this thought surfaced, Lu Yi dispelled it. She is just someone from outside the borders. How good can her background be?! It¡¯s most likely because she was lucky and got those things through some method! That woman knows how to teleport. With my strength alone, it might be quite difficult to catch her quickly. However, I have quite a few spies in Grotto-Heaven Cliff. As long as I command them, I can definitely find her! His eyes looked sinister as he rapidly left. ¡­ ¡°Those people at the city gate were discussing this behind my back, right?¡± After escaping a certain distance, Chu Liuyue found a discreet corner and heaved a sigh of relief when she confirmed that they had already escaped that person. Dugu Mobao glanced at the hand that she unintentionally held. He originally wanted to remove his hand directly, but when he recalled that she grabbed him without hesitation when she escaped, he was rather hesitant. After hesitating for quite a while, he finally decided to turn away and pretend not to see it. ¡°Big Baby, what do you think? Big Baby?¡± Chu Liuyue called twice and finally pulled Dugu Mobao¡¯s attention back. ¡°Mm? Mm.¡± Dugu Mobao replied nonchalantly, and his expression seemed frustrated, but his explanation didn¡¯t stop. ¡°The people in the God Residence Realm have a natural enmity toward the people from outside and despise them. Usually, they will think of ways to bully them. Besides, such a place is very messy. In their eyes, you¡¯re just a meek sheep that¡¯s waiting to be killed.¡± However, those people definitely wouldn¡¯t have guessed that Chu Liuyue was actually a metal board! ¡°I see.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. She then realized that she was still holding onto Dugu Mobao¡¯s hand, so she hurriedly let go of it and chuckled. ¡°It was a special situation just now. Big Baby, you don¡¯t mind, right?¡± After Dugu Mobao¡¯s hand was suddenly flung away, he instantly felt empty as if he were missing something. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s question, he knitted his brows and faintly acknowledged it. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice his micro-changes in expression as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, deep in thought. ¡°Then, we¡¯re in much trouble now¡­¡± If the other party dared to touch me in broad daylight, he must have a certain background here. What if he is bent on dealing with me¡­ I have no confidence that I can beat him. ¡°That Lu Yi has good taste. He just took one glance and confirmed that there are treasures inside¡­¡± Chu Liuyue gradually turned the Cosmic Ring on her hand. When Rong Xiu sent Yan Qing to deliver this item over, I could also tell that this Cosmic Ring was of high quality with one glance. However, I didn¡¯t expect it to bring me such troubles today. ¡°Pfft.¡± Dugu Mobao couldn¡¯t help but snort with unconcealable displeasure and contempt. ¡°If he really had good observation skills, he wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± He wouldn¡¯t have snatched this Cosmic Ring! It¡¯s a pity that he is dumb and that he doesn¡¯t even know what kind of person he has offended! ¡°Wouldn¡¯t what?¡± asked Chu Liuyue curiously. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at the sky. ¡°Let¡¯s first check out the second-grade transportation formations.¡± ¡­ Within the city of Grotto-Heaven Cliff, there were two second-grade transportation formations, and they were located at the city¡¯s north and south quadrants respectively. The duo went directly to the south quadrant. From afar, they could see the large transportation formation. Surrounding the transportation formation was a group of stationed guards. Their clothes were also embroidered with the totem of Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Lin family. Chu Liuyue thought to herself, Even though this is a second-grade transportation formation, its scale is much greater than the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s largest transportation formation. Realistically speaking, the two can¡¯t even be compared. It was already in the afternoon, but there were many people coming through and leaving the transportation formation. Every time someone went up to the transportation formation, they would first go to a position in the lower-left area. It seemed like it was to pay money. Chu Liuyue also brought Dugu Mobao over and politely said, ¡°Hello, we would like to board the transportation formation and go to the nearest city here.¡± That man looked up at her. When he saw Dugu Mobao beside her, he squinted his eyes and faintly said, ¡°I won¡¯t do your business!¡± Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030: Chapter 1028 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Why?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the few people in front who had already paid the money and boarded the transportation formation. ¡°All of them can, but why can¡¯t I?¡± That guard grunted lightly and revealed a sarcastic smile. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll have to ask yourselves. You offended someone you shouldn¡¯t have, yet you¡¯re asking me why?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and instantly understood. It seems like Lu Yi did it¡­ I had long expected him not to give up, but I didn¡¯t expect his connections to be so widespread that he could directly prevent us from boarding the transportation formations in such a short amount of time! Logically speaking, these transportation formations should be the Lin family¡¯s. Who exactly is Lu Yi to have such authority? Chu Liuyue calmed down. ¡°I¡¯ll give double the amount.¡± That guard didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. We¡¯ll never let you up, so you should just give up!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Next!¡± ¡°Five times the amount!¡± Chu Liuyue stepped forward. ¡°If five times the amount isn¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll give you ten-fold!¡± The surrounding crowd fell silent, and they all looked over with different gazes. ¡°How generous! She¡¯s actually going to give ten times the amount? Does she know how much it costs to take the transportation formation once? How dare she say such a thing?¡± ¡°She seems kind of familiar¡­ Hm? I think they¡¯re the two people that just entered the city today! That child has purple hair and purple eyes. Isn¡¯t that them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! I also heard that it¡¯s them!¡± ¡°It seems like they¡¯ve really offended someone¡­ They¡¯re going to have a really hard time in Grotto-Heaven Cliff now.¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly. As expected, the guard opposite shrugged his shoulders without much smiling intent. ¡°I said that there¡¯s no use no matter how much money you offer! If you have the time, you should quickly apologize to him lest you end up in big trouble in the end!¡± Then, he waved toward the people at the back. ¡°The people behind, why are you still in a daze? Do you want to take the transportation formation? How slow!¡± The people behind Chu Liuyue hurried forward and forcefully pushed her away. ¡°Coming! Coming!¡± Chu Liuyue retracted two steps back and instinctively pulled Dugu Mobao behind her to protect him. She stood rooted to the spot for a while before turning around to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s try the other transportation formation.¡± ¡­ The outcome was as expected¡ªthe other transportation formation¡¯s guard persistently rejected Chu Liuyue. The remaining three third-grade transportation formations were also the same. This meant that Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao had no means of leaving here to go to another place at all. It was nighttime in the blink of an eye. Chu Liuyue found an inn to rest, but she couldn¡¯t sleep in peace. ¡°It seems like this Lu Yi has an extraordinary status¡­¡± He has even more methods than I had initially predicted! He can even be considered as the underground boss since he can go to this extent! ¡°He must be related to the Lin family.¡± Dugu Mobao sat on the chair and said lightly, ¡°All the clans are in charge of the transportation formations in their territory. On the one hand, building such a transportation formation requires many warriors to work together. On the other hand, the maintenance cost is also very high, so they send people to guard the transportation formations and collect money from the people coming to and fro. This is to maintain their profits.¡± ¡°Normally, they won¡¯t go against money. So since he can command these guards and tell them to persistently stop us from boarding the transportation formation, it means that he is someone of extraordinary background.¡± Chu Liuyue fell silent. Knock, knock. Knocks were heard from outside. Chu Liuyue went to open the door, and the pageboy brought a letter over. ¡°Guest, your letter.¡± Whose letter could I receive in such a place? Chu Liuyue already had a guess in her heart as she directly tore it open. Then, she quickly read it: ¡°If you¡¯ve thought it through, you can personally come to the Lu Mansion and kowtow to apologize.¡± The handwriting was bold and messy, and the tone was high and mighty. There was no sign-off, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that this was Lu Yi¡¯s letter. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold as she called the pageboy that was about to leave. ¡°Hold it there.¡± That pageboy turned around. ¡°Guest, do you have any other instructions?¡± Chu Liuyue waved the letter in her hands. ¡°Who is this Lu Yi?¡± Nervousness flashed across the pageboy¡¯s face. Chu Liuyue directly threw a bag over. ¡°If you can say it clearly, there¡¯s still more.¡± Even though the pageboy was scared, he thought about it for a while, and his gaze showed some temptation. ¡°The reason why this person is rather famous in Grotto-Heaven Cliff is due to¡­ his elder sister.¡± Chu Liuyue threw another bag over. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡­ Money made the world go round. After Chu Liuyue¡¯s generous offers, she indeed found out quite a bit from the pageboy. It turned out that Lu Yi¡¯s biological sister, Lu Yu¡¯er, was the current mistress of the Lin family. Lu Yu¡¯er originally had an average background, but she flew to the sky ever since she got involved with the Lin family. This caused the entire Lu family to be in the spotlight as well. Lu Yi was her only biological brother, so she always doted on him and allowed him to be so arrogant and unreasonable. Originally, his cultivation talent wasn¡¯t particularly outstanding. He depended on Lu Yu¡¯er¡ªwho went everywhere to find and use up many good things on him¡ªfinally pushing him to the demigod realm. However, Lu Yi was a natural troublemaker; with this backer, he didn¡¯t care about the others. Normally, he would snatch other people¡¯s treasures for fun. Quite a few people in Grotto-Heaven Cliff had suffered from him, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak even though they were angry. After all, the entire Grotto-Heaven Cliff was the Lin family¡¯s. Who would dare to fight with them? As for an itinerant cultivator that came from outside like Chu Liuyue, he bullied them even more harshly. He was enraged by Chu Liuyue this time, so he harshly blocked her from all the transportation formations! He was clearly forcing the latter to bow down to him, forcing her to the point of no return! Before the pageboy left, he didn¡¯t forget to advise Chu Liuyue to beg for mercy earlier. If not, she would have a hard time during her days in Grotto-Heaven Cliff. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t doubt it. When there was nobody in the room, she directly burned that letter. ¡°He wants me to kowtow to him and apologize? He does think he¡¯s somebody!¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. At Ancient Phoenix Mountain back then, I didn¡¯t even give in when I met with the Beiming Ancestor, let alone a useless aristocratic child. Dugu Mobao looked up slightly, and his pretty, demonic purple eyes glowed with faint light. ¡°Do you want me to do something?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No need. I have my own ways of taking care of him.¡± She knew that Dugu Mobao had his own considerations. Even though she didn¡¯t know exactly what they were, she didn¡¯t wish to trouble him unless she needed to. ¡°What ways?¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows slightly. ¡°You¡¯re definitely not his match alone.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°He has a backer, so won¡¯t us finding a stronger backer do the trick then?¡± Chapter 1031 - Grade Chapter 1031: Grade Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next morning, Chu Liuyue brought Dugu Mobao to the Lin Residence. The adult-child duo stood outside the gate and attracted a lot of attention. Chu Liuyue went forward and politely bowed. ¡°May I trouble the two of you officers to announce that I, Dugu Yue, would like to see the Lin family¡¯s master.¡± The Lin family¡¯s master was naturally Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Cliff Master, Lin Tianfeng. The two guards exchanged glances, and one of them asked, ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Do you have an invitation?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Do you have a recommendation letter?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± The guard¡¯s face turned ugly. She has nothing, yet she suddenly appears and wants to see Master. How bold! He waved his hands in frustration. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any of these things, he won¡¯t see you!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I know it¡¯s impolite to suddenly appear and visit him like this, but I do have some important matters today. Officer, please help me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not whether we want to help you or not. There are many people who want to see Master every day. If we announce anyone that randomly comes along, what discipline would this place have?¡± Lin Tianfeng had the most distinguished status in Grotto-Heaven Cliff. Who could see him as and when they wished? Then, that guard urged her to leave. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t offended as she continued, Officer, you just need to help me tell the Lin family head something. He will definitely see me then.¡± The guard acted as if he had heard a joke. ¡°Oh? Then, can you let me know what it is?¡± Chu Liuyue stood with one hand behind her back and appeared relaxed as she said, ¡°I can treat Fourth Young Master Lin¡¯s chronic disease.¡± ¡­ ¡°She really said so?¡± Lin Tianfeng was originally lying on the bed. When he heard this, he pushed away Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s hand that was massaging his temples as he suddenly stood up and looked agitated. Lu Yu¡¯er knitted her brows but relaxed them very quickly. Even though she was in her thirties, she was still as pretty as a lady in her early twenties because she maintained herself well. Additionally, there was a hint of maturity in her eyes. She was indeed beautiful, causing one to be unable to look away. But at this point, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s heart and soul were focused on that guard¡¯s sentence. ¡°She really has a way to treat Zhifei¡¯s illness?¡± The guard hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, she did say so.¡± ¡°Hurry up and bring her in!¡± said Lin Tianfeng hurriedly. For so many years, his youngest son¡¯s body had been troubling him. He begged many doctors, used a lot of herbs, and tried many other methods, but there were no obvious improvements. Thus, he naturally couldn¡¯t hide his excitement when he heard this. ¡°Master, don¡¯t be anxious first. Since it concerns Zhifei, we have to be careful.¡± Lu Yu¡¯er stood up and slowly walked to his side as she gently advised him. ¡°You should at least find out what grade she is as a heavenly doctor, right?¡± ¡°Right! Right! Look at me¡ªI actually forgot about this!¡± Lin Tianfeng clapped his hands and hurriedly asked, ¡°What grade is she?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ She wasn¡¯t wearing a heavenly doctor¡¯s robe, so I¡¯m not too sure either¡­ I only heard that she could treat the Fourth Young Master, so I rushed over¡­¡± That guard broke out into a cold sweat. He had indeed neglected this point, so he could only brave himself and say it now. As long as I say that it¡¯s for the Fourth Young Master, Master normally won¡¯t mind that much. As expected, Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t rage when he heard this, though he did furrow his eyebrows. However, Lu Yu¡¯er reprimanded the guard lightly. ¡°How are you doing your job? You didn¡¯t even find out such crucial information, yet you dare to report it?¡± The guard hurriedly kneeled down to apologize. Lu Yu¡¯er stretched out her hand and pulled Lin Tianfeng¡¯s arm, worry flashing across her eyes. ¡°Master, I know you¡¯re doing this for Zhifei. But in all these years, we¡¯ve met so many deceptive heavenly doctors. If we randomly let her in to check on Zhifei just because she claimed she could cure him, I¡¯m afraid¡­ it won¡¯t be good, right? Besides, Zhifei has always been scared of strangers¡­¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s head ached. The guard tried to ask, ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll send her away?¡± ¡°Let her in first! I¡¯ll personally meet her!¡± However, Lin Tianfeng still clenched his teeth. No matter what, I have to try! Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s expression froze for a moment before she rapidly looked down and hid the jealousy and hatred in her eyes. He doesn¡¯t even want to let go of the slightest bit of hope¡­ He really cares about Lin Zhifei the most! ¡­ Chu Liuyue brought Dugu Mobao along and entered the Lin Residence with the guards leading them. As the residence of the most distinguished person in Grotto-Heaven Cliff, the Lin Residence was spacious, intricate, and extravagant. No matter if it were the pavilion, stairs, or plants, everything exuded elegance. Other than this, there were quite a few Xuan formations set up inside. Chu Liuyue walked over, and though she met a few people on the road, there were many hidden auras. She calmly followed the guard in front and silently remembered everything she saw. When she reached the living room, Lin Tianfeng was already waiting there. Chu Liuyue recognized him instantly. Even though he was past his prime, Lin Tianfeng still looked gentlemanly. It also wasn¡¯t hard to see that he had been a handsome lad when he was young. Lin Zhifei did look like him. Chu Liuyue walked over and bowed. ¡°Dugu Yue greets Master Lin.¡± Lin Tianfeng looked at her in shock. Previously, I only heard the guard say that it was a woman, but I didn¡¯t know that she was this young! At this age¡­ Does she really have a way to treat Zhifei? Thinking of this, he directly asked, ¡°May I know what your grade is now, Ms. Dugu?¡± Chu Liuyue simply smiled.. ¡°Seventh-grade.¡± Chapter 1032 - No Chapter 1032: No Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Once she said this, the living room fell silent. Lin Tianfeng¡¯s face froze a little. ¡°Seventh-grade?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. I really don¡¯t have any problems producing a seventh-grade pill now. As for those of higher levels¡­ I haven¡¯t tried it before, so it¡¯s better not to say it for now. ¡°You¡¯re just a mere seventh-grade heavenly doctor, yet you have the guts to say that you can treat my son?¡± Lin Tianfeng was so angry that he laughed. To think that I was still excited for a while and thought that I had met an expert. Who would¡¯ve thought that she was only a seventh-grade heavenly doctor?! Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. A seventh-grade heavenly doctor is definitely an admirable existence in the Tianling Dynasty, but it is clearly looked down upon here. ¡°Someone¡ªchase her out immediately!¡± Lin Tianfeng was furious as he whipped his sleeves and sent someone to take action. ¡°Hold on,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly. Her voice was very light, but it had an unignorable suppression and strength that instinctively caused the guards¡ªwho were about to take action¡ªto stop in their tracks. ¡°Master Lin, are you going to chase me out without even giving me a chance to try just because I¡¯m a seventh-grade heavenly doctor?¡± ¡°Seventh-grade heavenly doctor¡ªyou don¡¯t even have the right to be the apprentice of my Lin family¡¯s heavenly doctors! You still want me to give you a chance to try?¡± Anger was written all over Lin Tianfeng¡¯s face, and he couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Dream on!¡± The lowest-level heavenly doctor in our Lin family is also an intermediate eighth-grade heavenly doctor! The strongest one can even produce a peak ninth-grade pill, but even they have no treatment for Zhifei¡¯s illness! Why would I care about such a seventh-grade heavenly doctor? Lin Tianfeng even felt that the woman in front of him was fooling him! From the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Dugu Mobao at the side. If not for the child she is bringing along, I would¡¯ve long taken action! ¡°Leave quickly! If you continue staying here, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Master Lin, Fourth Young Master Lin has always been frail and has had this illness since he was born, but it only worsened during the recent few years, right?¡± Originally, Lin Tianfeng had already planned to turn around to leave. However, he suddenly stopped when he heard this, and he turned around to look at Chu Liuyue in shock. Chu Liuyue continued, ¡°If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, Fourth Young Master Lin should¡¯ve started coughing blood about a year ago.¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He stared closely at Chu Liuyue and commanded the surrounding guards, ¡°All of you are dismissed. Without my permission, nobody is allowed to enter!¡± The guards exchanged glances, but they hurriedly left with respect. ¡°Yes!¡± Then, the crowd rapidly went away. Very quickly, the living room was left with only Chu Liuyue, Dugu Mobao, and Lin Tianfeng. ¡°H-how did you know this?¡± asked Lin Tianfeng with a tense expression. Lin Zhifei has always carefully hidden the fact that he vomited blood, and almost nobody within and outside the residence knows about it. Even I only found out half a year ago by chance. This Dugu Yue looks very unfamiliar, and she seems ordinary. Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t know about this. ¡°Of course, I heard it.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°There¡¯s something I forgot to tell you earlier. I¡¯m not from Grotto-Heaven Cliff, and I came from outside the God Residence Realm. When I was crossing the God Residence Realm¡¯s barrier a few days ago, I coincidentally met Fourth Young Master Lin and exchanged a few words with him. Back then, he kept coughing non-stop, so I heard it.¡± Lin Tianfeng was dazed and took a while to react. ¡°You¡¯re from outside the God Residence Realm?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You met Zhifei previously?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You only heard him cough, yet you managed to infer so much?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°Back then, I took a few more glances at Fourth Young Master Lin¡¯s face, and I guessed this by combining the two together.¡± Lin Tianfeng gasped. This woman¡ªshe really has such an ability?! One has to know that even the strongest heavenly doctor in Grotto-Heaven Cliff couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong with him until they personally took his pulse! Yet, she has already guessed so much just by taking a few glances at him?! Lin Tianfeng was in disbelief. But since this woman has said that she is from outside the God Residence Realm, there doesn¡¯t seem to be much meaning to lie about this¡­ Could it¡­ be true?! ¡°You¡­¡± said Lin Tianfeng hesitantly, but he did not know how to put it. On the one hand, this woman¡¯s cultivation level isn¡¯t high, and she is a stranger from outside the God Residence Realm. Her background is unknown. On the other hand, she does seem like she is capable¡­ ¡°Do you really have the confidence?¡± Lin Tianfeng seemed tempted. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Master Lin, this is Grotto-Heaven Cliff, your Lin family¡¯s territory. No matter how stupid I am, I won¡¯t take the initiative to cause trouble in your Lin family¡¯s territory, right?¡± Once she said this, Lin Tianfeng instantly felt that she made sense. She is someone from outside the God Residence Realm and is even bringing a child along with her. Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t have much background here. Since she dares to go up to me directly, she most likely has some method¡­ Lin Tianfeng hesitated for a while before he finally clenched his teeth. ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯ll give you a chance. You¡ª¡± ¡°Master, you can¡¯t.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, someone interrupted him. Chu Liuyue turned around. A lady decked in extravagant clothes slowly walked in. She looked very young and beautiful. ¡°Yu¡¯er, why are you here?¡± Lin Tianfeng found it strange. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes. So this person is Lu Yu¡¯er. She should be in her thirties, but this can¡¯t be discerned from her appearance. It¡¯s no wonder she could meet Lin Tianfeng despite her ordinary background. Lu Yu¡¯er walked straight to Lin Tianfeng, knitted her brows, and softly said, ¡°Master, I saw that you chased all the guards out, and I was worried something happened. Thus, I barged in on my own¡­ You won¡¯t blame me, right?¡± Lin Tianfeng patted her hands. ¡°Why would I blame you over such a small matter? Don¡¯t overthink it. It¡¯s just because I¡¯m discussing with this¡­ Ms. Dugu about something.¡± Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s gaze turned as if she had just seen Chu Liuyue. When she saw the woman¡¯s ordinary face and the little kid next to her, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. These few years, she had seen many foxes trying to take the chance to elevate their statuses, and they could play any tricks. If she didn¡¯t strictly defend her position¡­ How could she be the mistress of the family?! ¡°I believe this must be Ms. Dugu.¡± She smiled slowly, and her eyes looked pretty, but a faint doubt surfaced in her heart. This woman seems to have come here to treat Lin Zhifei? However, she doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s amazing. ¡°Master, look¡ªMs. Dugu is so young, and she even has a child with her. Don¡¯t scare her.¡± She spoke as if she were joking. Lin Tianfeng shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t. I was just planning on asking her to take Zhifei¡¯s pulse and check on his condition.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lu Yu¡¯er was taken aback, and words shot out of her mouth. ¡°How can this be?¡± Chapter 1033 - Treatment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Her voice sounded especially sudden in the silent living room. Lin Tianfeng knitted his brows. ¡°Why? Do you think it¡¯s not good?¡± Lu Yu¡¯er knew that she had lost her composure and hurriedly laughed to hide it. ¡°No, no. Master, don¡¯t misunderstand. I-I was just a little surprised¡­¡± This woman doesn¡¯t look anything special. Why would he agree to let her treat Lin Zhifei? ¡°To gain Master¡¯s nod of approval, this Ms. Dugu must be outstanding,¡± she said as she glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Dugu¡¯s heavenly doctor cultivation level must be very high, right?¡± Chu Liuyue simply smiled. ¡°Madam Lin, you¡¯re too kind. I¡¯m just a seventh-grade heavenly doctor.¡± Lu Yu¡¯er slightly widened her eyes in much disbelief, and she instinctively looked at Lin Tianfeng. Lin Tianfeng said, ¡°Even though this Ms. Dugu is just a seventh-grade heavenly doctor, she¡¯s quite capable. She might be able to do it if we give her a try.¡± Lu Yu¡¯er almost thought that Lin Tianfeng was joking. Is he serious? Even a seventh-grade heavenly doctor has the right to treat Lin Zhifei now? I still clearly remember how Lin Tianfeng treated the eighth-grade and even ninth-grade heavenly doctors in the family clan when they couldn¡¯t treat Lin Zhifei. However, what is going on now? ¡°Master, I know that you¡¯re worried about Zhifei, b-but¡­ We can¡¯t randomly find someone to treat him just because we¡¯re anxious!¡± Knowing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s cultivation level was average, Lu Yu¡¯er didn¡¯t care about her as she directly pulled Lin Tianfeng over and worriedly said, ¡°T-this woman comes from an ambiguous background. Do you really want to let her treat Zhifei? You also know that Zhifei hates strangers. If this aggravates his illness¡­¡± ¡°With me around, what¡¯s there to be worried about?¡± Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t care about Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s worries. What trouble can a young woman from the outside realm¡ªwho even has a child¡ªcause? This is the Lin Residence. How could I be afraid? ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Besides, she has seen Zhifei before, so she¡¯s not considered a stranger.¡± This was also another important reason why Lin Tianfeng was willing to let her try. Lin Zhifei had always been introverted and didn¡¯t talk much¡ªeven the people in the Lin Residence might not be able to talk to him. Since he was willing to talk to this woman, then¡­ There is no harm in letting her try. Lu Yu¡¯er was secretly shocked. W-when did this happen? Why don¡¯t I know about it? She wanted to say more, but seeing that Lin Tianfeng had already made up his mind, she sensibly didn¡¯t object further. ¡°Then¡­ We¡¯ll listen to Master for everything. If Zhifei can become well, nothing else matters.¡± This matter feels amiss in every aspect. Perhaps it will turn out to be nothing after all these troubles! Thinking of this, Lu Yu¡¯er relaxed a little. Lin Tianfeng looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡­ As the Lin family¡¯s Fourth Young Master, Lin Zhifei had a distinguished status, but he lived in a desolated yard in the residence¡¯s south-western corner. Chu Liuyue followed Lin Tianfeng and finally reached his place after walking quite a distance. Standing outside the yard, Chu Liuyue saw the jade bamboo that took up half the courtyard through the moon door. Seeing that Lin Tianfeng was here, the pageboy hurriedly greeted him. ¡°Master.¡± Lin Tianfeng waved his hands and looked inside. ¡°Where¡¯s Zhifei?¡± ¡°Master, Fourth Young Master has been resting in the house the whole time. He¡¯s reading books now.¡± Lin Tianfeng nodded. ¡°Go and announce that I¡¯ve invited a heavenly doctor to treat him.¡± In all these years, the same situation had happened countless times. The pageboys serving here had long become used to it, so they acknowledged the order and turned around to report to Lin Zhifei. When the pageboy left, he glanced from the corner of his eye and swiftly spotted Chu Liuyue standing behind. He secretly felt curious. This woman looks very unfamiliar. Is this the heavenly doctor that Master has invited? But it wasn¡¯t his place to ask this, so he hurriedly left. Not long later, the pageboy returned. ¡°Master, Fourth Young Master invites you and the heavenly doctor in.¡± Before Lin Tianfeng immediately took action, he glanced at Lu Yu¡¯er beside him. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you can¡­ go back first.¡± Lu Yu¡¯er didn¡¯t seem to find it surprising as she nodded lightly. Chu Liuyue watched from the side and noticed some things. This Lin family is rather interesting. As the Lin family head, Lin Tianfeng has to inform his son in advance before he enters the latter¡¯s courtyard. This Madam Lin isn¡¯t wanted at all either as she can¡¯t even enter the courtyard. Lin Tianfeng nodded in comfort. ¡°You¡¯ve been taking good care of Zhifei all these years with all your heart, but he still doesn¡¯t understand it yet. Sooner or later, he will accept you.¡± Lu Yu¡¯er looked slightly aggrieved, but she still smiled gently. ¡°Master, you¡¯re right. Quickly take Ms. Dugu in. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Then, she bowed and directly left. Lin Tianfeng sighed as if feeling apologetic before he stepped in. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chu Liuyue pulled Dugu Mobao closely behind her. ¡­ When they entered the house, Lin Zhifei was reading a book. Hearing the noise, he stood up. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°We¡¯re father and son¡ªthere¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. Quickly, sit!¡± Lin Tianfeng hurriedly walked over. Lin Zhifei nodded slightly and later looked at Chu Liuyue standing behind. He was slightly dazed. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Even though her face was ordinary, with her pair of sparkling, black gem-like eyes and the child with purple hair and eyes beside her, it was hard for him not to recall her. Chu Liuyue smiled and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m Dugu Yue. Greetings, Fourth Young Master.¡± Seeing that the duo really knew each other, Lin Tianfeng felt more at ease. Lin Zhifei suddenly realized something. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the heavenly doctor that Father invited?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Actually, I came to the residence on my own. I previously received your help, but I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you properly. Hence, I specifically came over to return your favor.¡± Lin Zhifei was stunned for a while before he recovered his senses. He glanced at his father, who was by the side. This Dugu Yue is from outside the realm, yet Father was willing to let her treat me. Is she really someone incredible? ¡°You don¡¯t have to waste your efforts.¡± Lin Zhifei¡¯s thin lips curled up into an extremely faint smile as his eyes were distant and cold. ¡°I know my own body¡¯s condition.¡± I¡¯ve tried so many methods, but they were all to no avail. I don¡¯t feel that the woman before me has any special methods. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Fourth Young Master, you have to try before you know for sure, right?¡± Lin Tianfeng couldn¡¯t help but softly advise, ¡°Yeah! Zhifei, I know that you don¡¯t want to cause trouble. If it¡¯s an ordinary heavenly doctor, I wouldn¡¯t have let her in either. This woman¡­ does seem rather capable. Just let her take your pulse first, and we can discuss the rest later, okay?¡± Hearing his father put it this way, Lin Zhifei couldn¡¯t reject him further. He paused for a moment and finally nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue then walked forward. Lin Tianfeng passed a handkerchief over and placed it on his son¡¯s wrist. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it as she lightly placed her white and slim fingers atop it.. Chapter 1034 - Choose a Princess Consort? Chapter 1034: Choose a Princess Consort? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The entire room was silent. Chu Liuyue held in her breath and focused as she sent out a wave of force and inserted it into Lin Zhifei¡¯s body. The force was very thin, but it was extremely pure and very sensitive. Lin Zhifei¡¯s Yuan meridian was also a superior-grade Dijing Yuan meridian; he was definitely considered a genius amongst talents. But for some reason, the flow of the force in his body wasn¡¯t very smooth as if it were being blocked by something. Chu Liuyue continued investigating deeper. Then, she realized that there seemed to be something minute attached to the force¡ªthey were like small circular balls. These things were like gigantic stones in a stream, blocking the water flow. Even though they didn¡¯t completely block the circulation of the force, they posed a huge restriction. This was also the reason why Lin Zhifei¡¯s aura was very weak even though he was very strong. These strange objects had also accumulated in his five organs, especially his lungs. It was also the main reason why he kept coughing blood. Chu Liuyue completely checked his body before retracting her force and releasing her hand. ¡°How is he?¡± Lin Tianfeng¡ªwho was nervously waiting by the side¡ªhurriedly asked. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°The situation is even worse than I predicted.¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression froze. ¡°W-what does this mean?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Lin Zhifei. ¡°I mean that¡­ it¡¯s really amazing for Fourth Young Master to last until now.¡± I had guessed that Lin Zhifei¡¯s body had been obstructed for a long time and that it would be troublesome to handle it. However, I didn¡¯t expect his appearance to be this calm and normal even though he¡¯s in this state. I can only say that his ability to hide things is too strong. I don¡¯t know if he wants people to know about his true situation, or¡­ ¡°Really?¡± Lin Tianfeng looked at his son. ¡°Zhifei, is she speaking the truth?¡± Lin Zhifei smiled, and his expression was nonchalant. ¡°Ms. Dugu is exaggerating. I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t treat your body¡¯s situation in time, you only have a maximum of three years,¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue. ¡°Fourth Young Master, just like you¡¯ve said, you should know about your own body¡¯s situation, right?¡± Lin Tianfeng suddenly stood up! Huala¡ªbang! His movement was too sudden, and the chair directly slammed onto the floor. ¡°How could this be possible?¡± Three years? ¡°Nonsense!¡± he said sharply. ¡°Back then, those few elders clearly said that there wouldn¡¯t be a big problem if he nurtured himself¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue looked calm. ¡°Master Lin, Fourth Young Master knows best if it¡¯s true, right?¡± Lin Zhifei pressed his lips against each other and didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Fourth Young Master, do you dare to poke your finger and show it to Master Lin?¡± In his current state, blood would flow non-stop once he was injured and had a wound! It would be extremely hard to stop the blood! His body had long become an empty shell! When Lin Zhifei heard this, his expression finally changed. He stared at Chu Liuyue closely, and his face was especially pale. Upon seeing his son¡¯s expression, what else did Lin Tianfeng not understand? ¡°¡­Zhifei, you¡ª¡± He choked, and his heart hurt. After taking a few deep breaths in, he finally looked at Chu Liuyue weakly. ¡°Okay, I only have one question for you: Do you have the confidence to treat Zhifei¡¯s illness?¡± Those elders couldn¡¯t even detect Zhifei¡¯s situation; only the Dugu Yue in front of me did. Other than her, I might not be able to find someone else to solve this problem. ¡°Master Lin, don¡¯t be anxious. When I came, I said that I would treat Fourth Young Master¡¯s illness. It¡¯s Naturally the same now, but¡­ it might be a little troublesome.¡± Lin Tianfeng instantly saw the light at the end of the tunnel. ¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s troublesome¡ªa-as long as you have a way! Nothing else matters!¡± However, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly as if she were worried. The light that glowed in Lin Zhifei¡¯s eyes when he heard that she had a way gradually dimmed. He laughed bitterly and said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s already very amazing that you can discern my body¡¯s condition. No matter if I can be treated well in the end, I¡¯ll be very grateful to you. My body has been frail since I was born, and it¡¯s pretty good that I¡¯ve lived for so long¡­¡± Lin Tianfeng was stumped and felt very upset. He wanted to comfort his son, but seeing that the latter had seemed to have seen through life and death, his throat tightened as tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t say a word. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to trouble you with, Ms. Dugu. Not many people know about my body¡¯s condition. I hope you can keep it a secret in the future, Ms. Dugu, and don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not worried about this.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about another problem.¡± Lin Tianfeng and Lin Zhifei were both stunned. ¡°Ms. Dugu, i-if you have anything that¡¯s troubling you, you can just say it. As long as I can help you, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± As long as she can treat Zhifei, nothing else matters! Chu Liuyue sighed softly. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. The reason why I¡¯m troubled is that Fourth Young Master¡¯s body needs a long time to nurture, and this time, I¡¯m just passing by Grotto-Heaven Cliff. I don¡¯t have much time to stay here¡­¡± Lin Tianfeng and Lin Zhifei were confused; they never expected that Chu Liuyue was thinking about this! ¡°Um¡­ Ms. Dugu, if you¡¯re not in a hurry, why don¡¯t you stay here a while longer?¡± Lin Tianfeng tried asking. ¡°If there¡¯s anything we can do, you can just say it!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and politely rejected him. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. That matter is very important to me, so¡­ I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t stay here too long¡­¡± ¡°Master!¡± Right at this moment, an announcement was suddenly heard from outside the yard. Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression became solemn, and he walked out. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± As he was disturbed, his expression wasn¡¯t good. The reporting guard shuddered and hurriedly kneeled down while he presented something with both hands at the same time. ¡°Master, that side has sent a letter; they said that His Grace¡¯s birthday is coming soon. They also asked us if we¡¯re going and if we¡¯ll give up on sending someone to contest for the position of princess consort.¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was sitting in the room¡ªsuddenly paused in her actions.. She gradually raised her head and looked outside the door. His Grace? Birthday? Contest¡­ for Princess Consort? Chapter 1035 - The Child’s Dad is Irresponsible Chapter 1035: The Child¡¯s Dad is Irresponsible Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lin Tianfeng sighed. ¡°Sigh, we naturally must go! However, our only first-grade transportation formation in Grotto-Heaven Cliff is broken at this crucial time, so we¡¯re delayed! We still need two more days to fix it¡­ You are dismissed first. I¡¯ll personally write a reply and explain the reasons clearly¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Upon hearing this, the guard hurriedly went down. Lin Tianfeng stood in the courtyard for a while before he turned around to walk into the house. He furrowed his brows tightly, clearly worried about all these matters. On the one hand, His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet was approaching. It would definitely be bad if they continued dragging it. Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s status originally wasn¡¯t high. If they made a mistake at this crucial time, it would be adding fuel to the fire! On the other hand, he was even more frustrated as he had just learned of Lin Zhifei¡¯s health situation. He walked to the duo and looked at Chu Liuyue worriedly. ¡°Ms. Dugu, look¡­ Can you really not make some time? As long as you can treat Zhifei, my Lin family will definitely treat you as our important guest!¡± Lin Zhifei looked down, his expression light. ¡°It¡¯s life no matter if I live or die. Father, don¡¯t force Ms. Dugu¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no way,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Lin Tianfeng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ms. Dugu, please go on!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and seemingly asked nonchalantly, ¡°Just now, I heard that Master Lin is going to attend¡­ His Grace¡¯s banquet?¡± Lin Tianfeng paused and didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°Yeah.¡± Quite a few people knew about this matter now, so it was not something he couldn¡¯t say. Chu Liuyue looked nonchalant, but she gradually clenched her fists in her sleeves. She asked every word clearly, ¡°I wonder if His Grace¡¯s name is¡­ Rong Xiu?¡± ¡°Ms. Dugu, mind your words!¡± Lin Tianfeng suddenly widened his eyes, and he instinctively hollered, ¡°How can you and I casually call His Grace¡¯s name?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. As expected! This ¡®His Grace¡¯¡­ is indeed Rong Xiu! Then, it seems like the birthday banquet and the contest for the position of princess consort are real? Chu Liuyue was silent for a moment, and she suddenly laughed. So when he said he was busy, he was talking about¡­ this? ¡°Master Lin, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just asking casually, and I have no intentions of offending anyone.¡± Chu Liuyue leaned against the chair and gently knocked on the handle as she smiled. However, Dugu Mobao¡ªwho was right beside her¡ªcould clearly feel the coldness exuding from her body. He raised his brows slightly, and a faint light flashed across his sinister purple eyes. ¡°I previously said that I was rushing to a place, and it¡¯s actually the same place as the one you¡¯re going to, Master Lin. So if Master Lin and Fourth Young Master don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t¡­ we go together? This way, we won¡¯t delay either of our matters. On the other hand, I can constantly check the Fourth Young Master¡¯s body on the way and nurse him back to health as soon as possible. I wonder what the two of you think of this?¡± Lin Tianfeng thought for a moment and was quite tempted. This is indeed a good suggestion. ¡°Ms. Dugu¡­ you¡¯re going there too?¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. That place isn¡¯t somewhere that everyone can go! Besides, Dugu Yue is from outside the God Residence realm, and it would be even harder for her to go there. ¡°May I know what you¡¯re going there for?¡± The matter was important, and Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for himself. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She suddenly looked at Dugu Mobao at the side. Dugu Mobao had a feeling that something was wrong! As expected, the next moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned slightly red as she lightly said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you laughing if I say it. Actually, this time, I came along with Big Baby because¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she used her sleeves to cover her face and sniffed. Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched, and he clenched his tiny fists tightly. If not for his last bit of rationality, he would¡¯ve directly exploded! Lin Tianfeng and Lin Zhifei sized him up and saw a hint of a ripple on Dugu Mobao¡¯s face that usually didn¡¯t have any expression. Agitated? Angry? ¡°W-we were originally in love with each other. Then, he said he had something on, so he had to leave for a while first. But after much waiting, he didn¡¯t come back¡­ Hence, I thought of bringing Big Baby along to look for him¡­¡± The father-son duo exchanged glances and understood in their hearts. So she came to look for the child¡¯s father! ¡°I know nothing about his identity and his background. I only heard him say something about ¡®Your Grace,¡¯ but I don¡¯t know his specific identity¡­ So if Master Lin and Fourth Young Master can help me, I¡¯ll be very grateful!¡± Chu Liuyue curtly finished her story. Even though there were only a few mere sentences, every single word and sentence was filled with sorrow and grievance, causing other people to feel the same way when they heard it and were even moved by it. A wave of ripples appeared in Lin Zhifei¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ms. Dugu¡­ May I know the surname of the person you¡¯re looking for, or perhaps I should address you as ¡®Madam?¡¯¡± Chu Liuyue laughed bitterly. ¡°You should just address me the same way as before. Who knows if his¡­ surname is real?¡± Lin Tianfeng stroked his beard. That side does indeed sometimes send some people outside the God Residence Realm to complete some missions, so perhaps a soldier has let down this Dugu Yue¡­ Originally, I didn¡¯t want to intervene in such a conflict, but Zhifei can¡¯t leave her side. After much thinking, Lin Tianfeng said, ¡°Ms. Dugu, your suggestion might work, but there¡¯s one condition. I hope that you¡¯ll wait for us to finish our matters when we get there; then, we¡¯ll think about the search for your friend. To compensate you, we can also send people to help you find him at that time, okay?¡± As long as we can successfully participate in the birthday banquet and secretly look for the person afterward without making a big deal out of the matter, it will be acceptable. Chu Liuyue gradually smiled. ¡°Then, Big Baby and I will thank you here first, Master, Fourth Young Master! Don¡¯t worry. No matter if I find him or not, Big Baby and I won¡¯t cause trouble for you!¡± As she spoke, she even shot Dugu Mobao a look. ¡°Big Baby, hurry up and thank them.¡± Dugu Mobao took a deep breath in and hopelessly closed his eyes. ¡°Big Baby? Big Baby?¡± Chu Liuyue waved her hands. Dugu Mobao forced his eyes wide open, and every single word seemed to be squeezed out of the gaps of his teeth. ¡°Thank. You!¡± Even though his expression was amiss, he was luckily a chubby ball with a child-like voice, so he didn¡¯t seem strange. On the other hand, the Lin family father-son duo felt that he was upset toward his irresponsible ¡®father¡¯. Thinking of this, Lin Zhifei sighed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s always hard on mothers.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled delightfully. Thinking of Dugu Mobao¡¯s aura that was so scarily low, she didn¡¯t continue on with this topic. ¡°Then, this is a deal. For convenience¡¯s sake, you¡¯ll disguise as Zhifei¡¯s personal accompaniment when we get there,¡± said Lin Tianfeng. ¡°If not, one isn¡¯t allowed to add people suddenly.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in gratitude.. ¡°Thank you, Master Lin. Thank you, Fourth Young Master!¡± Chapter 1036 - Probably Blind! Chapter 1036: Probably Blind! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the two parties reached an agreement, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief from the bottom of her heart. She originally wanted to look for a backer to deal with Lu Yi, but she didn¡¯t expect to directly obtain a chance to travel with them using the first-grade transportation formation. In that case, the entire incident didn¡¯t have much meaning, and she didn¡¯t need to care about Lu Yi¡¯s threat or scare. Hence, Chu Liuyue started focusing on helping Lin Zhifei nurture his body. ¡°Fourth Young Master, your illness has been delayed treatment for a long time. If you want to get rid of it completely, you need to be harsh. It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re very weak now, so you need to recover your Yuan Qi first before I formally take action,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she took a brush from the side and wrote out a prescription. ¡°Master Lin, can I trouble you to retrieve the herbs according to this prescription so that I can make his medicine?¡± Lin Tianfeng hurriedly took it. He first took a glance at the prescription and recognized that quite a few herbs on it were indeed used to replenish one¡¯s energy and improve blood circulation, so he nodded. ¡°Okay, okay! I have all of these in the residence. I¡¯ll get someone to retrieve them!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Most of the herbs in the prescription are common, but some are also very rare and precious herbs. Yet, Lin Tianfeng said that his residence has them all, which shows how strong they are! They are indeed a clan in the God Residence Realm¡­ ¡°Master Lin, what I¡¯m saying is that I hope you¡¯ll go yourself and not let others do it for you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°You seem quite familiar with these herbs, so it won¡¯t be very difficult, right?¡± The reason why Lin Tianfeng recognized these herbs was that he had been extremely concerned about Lin Zhifei all these years. Due to this, he had almost become half a heavenly doctor. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, he was a little confused and pointed at himself. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult, but¡­ why must I personally¡ª¡± Suddenly, his expression changed. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ someone might do something to these herbs?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a heavenly doctor, and the news of me coming over to treat Fourth Young Master¡¯s illness might¡¯ve already spread. Even though Fourth Young Master¡¯s illness has been present since he was born, it originally wasn¡¯t so serious. So clearly, someone has done something behind the scenes¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was hesitant with her words as she calmly glanced at Lin Tianfeng. As expected, the latter knitted his brows. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything else. I only know that you treat Fourth Young Master genuinely, so these herbs should be taken by you to be safe.¡± After Chu Liuyue finished her sentence, the room fell into an eerie silence. Lin Zhifei looked up slightly and glanced at Chu Liuyue with deep meaning. She¡¯s quite smart¡­ She only came to the Lin Residence for a while and took my pulse once, yet she managed to guess so many things. ¡°I understand.¡± Lin Tianfeng left this sentence behind and left. Of course, he wasn¡¯t worried that Chu Liuyue would do anything. This was because other than him, there were many strong warriors guarding within and outside the yard. Besides, after their conversation, he unknowingly had some confidence in that woman. This time¡­ I can only take this risk! ¡­ After Lin Tianfeng left, Chu Liuyue looked at Lin Zhifei. ¡°Fourth Young Master, if you don¡¯t mind, can I try and treat you?¡± Lin Zhifei didn¡¯t speak, but he extended his thin and white wrist. He hesitated for a moment and didn¡¯t place the handkerchief at the side atop it. While Chu Liuyue took his pulse, she quickly glanced at him. This father-son duo is very meticulous about taking pulses. They have clearly met with some trickery in this aspect before. Now that his body has ended up in this state, it isn¡¯t hard to imagine how he spent the last few years. However, these thoughts only flashed across her mind once. Chu Liuyue quickly breathed in, focused, and separated a portion of force to insert into his body. This time, she used more force than before. When the force went past Lin Zhifei¡¯s Yuan meridian, Chu Liuyue purposely controlled her strength and harshly slammed against the thing attached to it! ¡°Si¡ª¡± Lin Zhifei yelped in pain, and his face immediately flushed white. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°Is it very painful?¡± Lin Zhifei pressed his lips against each other and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can continue.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Endure it for a while.¡± Then, she tried again! This time, Lin Zhifei still looked like he was secretly enduring it, but he didn¡¯t make any sounds again. That weird thing also suddenly ran to the side after the collision with the force! A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as her force instantly turned into a red fire and chased after it! A scorching sensation instantly came from within! Lin Zhifei¡¯s face instantly turned red, and his veins all popped out! At this point, that fire had quickly covered that area of the Yuan meridian, burning fiercely! Chu Liuyue even faintly heard an ear-piercing scream! Very quickly, the ball-like item on the Yuan meridian gradually dropped before burning in that ball of fire! ¡°Wu¡­¡± Lin Zhifei finally couldn¡¯t help but grunt. From the corner of her eye, Chu Liuyue saw that his forehead was already covered in sweat and that his lips were white, so she retracted her fire. The moment she let go, Lin Zhifei finally sighed deeply and fell weakly against the chair. It seemed like he had just been taken out of the water, and he looked like he was distressed. This was just a simple test, but he was already in so much pain. I still have to use quite a bit of effort to treat him completely. Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s end here today. Fourth Young Master, rest properly. Your illness has been here for many years, and it can¡¯t be rushed.¡± Lin Zhifei nodded. ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± Even though his body hurt internally, he did feel some strange change. This made him have hope. Perhaps¡­ the woman in front of me can really treat me¡­ ¡°Fourth Young Master, you¡¯ve helped us before, so we¡¯re just returning the favor. You don¡¯t have to care much about it and just focus on recovering. We won¡¯t disturb you further.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue bade farewell and left with Dugu Mobao. When their figures completely disappeared, Lin Zhifei gradually closed his eyes. After a while, a voice sounded from the side. ¡°Fourth Young Master, do you think¡­ we need to warn Lu Yi?¡± Lu Yu¡¯er would help to suppress everything that Lu Yi did, so it would rarely reach Lin Tianfeng. But yesterday, the incident of Lu Yi sending people to block Dugu Yue and her son from boarding the second-grade and third-grade transportation formations had caused a huge commotion, so they could just ask around to find out about it. Lin Zhifei waved his hands. ¡°No need. This time, he has finally met with his nemesis. Just let him carry on.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Besides¡­ The Lu family has gotten enough benefits from my Lin family. Let¡¯s just take this chance to settle them once and for all.¡± ¡°Fourth Young Master, you¡¯ve always taken the situation to your advantage.¡± ¡°This time, it¡¯s mainly because of that Dugu Yue.¡± Lin Zhifei smiled. ¡°She¡¯s also a smart person.¡± Without her help, I really wouldn¡¯t have had this chance. More importantly¡­ If my health can recover¡­ ¡°With such abilities, I don¡¯t know what her husband is thinking¡­ He must be blind!¡± Chapter 1037 - Smile Chapter 1037: Smile Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Chu Liuyue brought Dugu Mobao back to the inn, it was already nighttime. For convenience¡¯s sake and to hide from others, the two of them booked the same room. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to let him use the bed, but Dugu Mobao directly rejected her. According to him, with his Holy Body formed, it wouldn¡¯t pose a problem even if he didn¡¯t sleep or eat for months. Therefore, at night, Chu Liuyue took the big bed while Dugu Mobao stayed on a small couch at the side. The two of them were peaceful all the while before. But the moment Dugu Mobao came back today, he directly flew to the couch and sat down cross-legged. Then, his face turned cold as he stared straight at Chu Liuyue. After Chu Liuyue closed the door, she turned around and saw a purple ball of meat exuding coldness. ¡°Ahem!¡± Chu Liuyue guiltily averted her gaze and inched toward the side, wanting to skip the incident directly. However, Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t let her have her wish. ¡°When do you plan to use this identity until?¡± asked Dugu Mobao coldly. Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples and smiled at him awkwardly. ¡°Look, Big Baby, I have no other choice! If not, god knows how long we¡¯ll still be stuck here! Besides, I¡¯ve never personally admitted that we¡¯re mother and son¡ª¡± Meeting Dugu Mobao¡¯s gaze that suddenly turned cold, Chu Liuyue immediately stopped and changed the topic. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry. When we reach that place and make everyone know about our identities, the truth will naturally come out!¡± Actually, she had never really taken the initiative to admit that she was Big Baby¡¯s mother, nor did she say that she was looking for Big Baby¡¯s father. She just put her words in another way, which caused them to connect the dots and misunderstand. ¡°Okay. Big Baby, don¡¯t be angry, please? Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue clasped her hands together and smiled brightly. When he saw her appearance, the anger in Big Baby¡¯s heart quickly subsided. He then turned around. ¡°Never again.¡± ¡°I knew you were the best, Big Baby!¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but rush over and wanted to rub his chubby face. Dugu Mobao seemed to have sensed it as he turned around to glance at her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand was inches away from him when she stopped her actions. The two of them fell silent. Chu Liuyue was determined as she rapidly squeezed his cheek and pulled a huge smile on his face. ¡°Why do you have a straight face all the time? It¡¯s so much better if you smile!¡± Then, Chu Liuyue hurriedly picked up her last bit of survival instincts and returned at an even higher speed. ¡°I¡¯ll cultivate now!¡± The moment she said this, she sat down cross-legged, and a red fire rose in her palm! Dugu Mobao dazedly watched on as he instinctively reached out to touch the place she had just squeezed. It seemed like it still had the hint of warmth her fingers left behind. His demonically beautiful purple eyes had a flash of dark color. Even though her physical body has changed, her personality hasn¡¯t changed. She Is probably the only one who is so gutsy and arrogant¡ªwho dares to talk to me in such a manner. It was so in the past and likewise now. Dugu Mobao stared at her for quite a while as the nonchalance and coldness in his eyes gradually disappeared. The next moment, his gaze turned, and he looked at the mirror by the side. The copper mirror reflected a strange yet familiar face. His gaze flashed. This face is that of a child, but it was indeed me once. He stared at the person in the mirror for a while. The small person in the mirror also stared at him. His expression was icy, his eyes cold with a faint hint of suppression. It seems like¡­ I am indeed quite upset. A thought popped up in his heart as he tried to curl his lips up. It was a little stiff; it was very unfamiliar. Dugu Mobao felt very awkward, and he was suddenly angry again. I don¡¯t look good smiling like this at all! It¡¯s so different from the bright smile on her face! She told me to smile more just now, but who would like such a smile? He tightly pressed his lips against each other. He was about to retract his gaze, but he couldn¡¯t help but look over after some hesitation. After struggling internally for a while, he finally pulled at his lips and changed his smile. This was different from the previous one; it was a pity that he looked weirder. Dugu Mobao held back his urge to smash the mirror as he hesitated about whether he should try again. Then, he suddenly heard some sounds behind. He panicked. He hurriedly lifted up his blankets, snuggled in, turned over, and pretended to sleep. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and saw this scene. She couldn¡¯t help but ask strangely, ¡°Big Baby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice sounded upsettingly from the blankets. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. Don¡¯t disturb me!¡± Chu Liuyue acknowledged him. Seeing that small bump on the couch, Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help but softly remind, ¡°Um¡­ Didn¡¯t you say that the Holy Body isn¡¯t scared of heat or coldness, so¡­ you don¡¯t need a blanket even if you sleep?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s side instantly fell into a dead silence! After a long while, he stiffly removed his blanket! His purple hair was ruffled until it was very messy, and his ears were still flushed red. He ferociously said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not planning on sleeping. That¡¯s nice. I¡¯ll properly train with you today!¡± ¡­ The next morning, the morning sunlight poured in. The duo sat opposite each other with a chessboard outlined by silver lines in the middle. The red light spots were Chu Liuyue¡¯s ¡®pieces,¡¯ and the purple ones were Dugu Mobao¡¯s. It was an intense battle. Oh no¡ªone should say that the red pieces were badly killed by the purple ones. Dugu Mobao whipped his small hand, and a purple light spot landed! Rumble! The purple light glowed and covered the entire chessboard! It instantly killed all the red pieces in the blink of an eye! When all the light faded away, Dugu Mobao looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°The results of the 372nd round: I¡¯ve won.¡± Chu Liuyue held the chair handle and breathed in deeply. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and she had exhausted her force. She couldn¡¯t help but grumble, ¡°Y-you win every time! Why do you still count it so clearly?!¡± ¡°I naturally want to let you know how weak you are today,¡± said Dugu Mobao. ¡°However, your improvement is very obvious. In this round, you made 23 steps. It¡¯s much better than when we first started.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment, but it¡¯s okay.¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. It would be better if he didn¡¯t compliment me at all! 23 steps¡­ I have never lost so badly to someone before! She massaged her aching neck as she couldn¡¯t help but glance at Dugu Mobao. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ Big Baby, I didn¡¯t expect you to be a Xuan Master. What level are you now?¡± Previously, I only knew that Dugu Mobao¡¯s combat skills were very strong. However, I didn¡¯t know that his Xuan Master cultivation level was also so high! At the very least, he¡¯s the best I¡¯ve seen in my life! Dugu Mobao said swiftly, ¡°You just need to know that I¡¯m better than you.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for us to get to the Lin Residence.¡± Then, she stood up. At this moment, a commotion could suddenly be heard from outside.. Then, the door was harshly kicked open! ¡°Dugu Yue¡ªget out!¡± Chapter 1038 - Just By Myself Chapter 1038: Just By Myself With this angry holler, two figures directly barged in from outside! Chu Liuyue instantly looked up and saw the incoming people! They were two burly men in black. Their muscles bulged exaggeratedly as they looked very muscular and ferocious. Outside, the pageboy nervously looked over as if he were worried, but he didn¡¯t dare to go forward. Chu Liuyue looked at this formation and immediately understood the identity of these people. She asked coldly, ¡°You¡¯re Lu Yi¡¯s men?¡± ¡°Hey! Young lady, you are quite sensible!¡± One of the men shouted, and his voice was like a grandfather¡¯s clock. When his voice traveled to one¡¯s ear, it almost made one¡¯s heart feel like it was slammed against something hard! Both of them are stronger than me! Chu Liuyue rapidly analyzed the situation before her while she silently protected Dugu Mobao behind her, quickly circulating the force in her body. She then snorted. ¡°He has already strictly stopped us from using Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s transportation formations. Isn¡¯t that enough? To what extent does he want to force us to?¡± ¡°Hmph! You offended someone you shouldn¡¯t have, yet you still want to retreat wholly? How can there be such a good thing in the world?¡± mocked the other man beside him. ¡°Our Big Brother isn¡¯t that patient!¡± It turned out that Lu Yi thought Dugu Yue would definitely go forward and kowtow to apologize after he blocked all the transportation formations from her and she had nowhere else to go. However, he didn¡¯t expect that her shadow didn¡¯t even appear after waiting for a day and a night! This infuriated him even more. Dugu Yue is different from the rest; she is from outside the realm! If she wants to survive here, it will be much much more difficult than for others! It¡¯s impossible she doesn¡¯t know this! But at this stage, she is still fighting relentlessly and doesn¡¯t show any signs of giving in¡­ This humiliated Lu Yi. After all, the matter had spread far and wide, so quite a few people in Grotto-Heaven Cliff knew that he was targeting Dugu Yue. If he hadn¡¯t taught her a lesson after so long, how could he still show his authority? Hence, Lu Yi couldn¡¯t swallow this anger down and directly sent someone to find her. ¡°Go with us!¡± Chu Liuyue calmed down. ¡°Sorry, I have something on today. Please forgive me, but I can¡¯t go with you.¡± Even though her voice was light, her tone was very determined and didn¡¯t allow for any rejection. This attitude instantly angered the other party. ¡°It seems like you want to do this the hard way! I¡¯ll teach you a good lesson today then!¡± Before he finished his sentence, one of the muscular men rushed up and hurled out a punch! The punch caused the winds to howl! In the blink of an eye, it reached her! Chu Liuyue rapidly set up a barrier in front of her! Rumble! The barrier only lasted for a few moments before it started cracking! Taking this opportunity, Chu Liuyue swiftly pulled Dugu Mobao and jumped out from the window behind! The duo¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly! ¡°Chase them!¡± ¡­ There were many people bustling on the streets. Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of two suddenly jumping down from upstairs attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. ¡°Where are they!¡± Just as Chu Liuyue stood still, she heard a stern holler from not far away! She quickly glanced in that direction. Dugu Mobao softly said, ¡°Three people in the north, two in the south. All of them are above stage-eight warriors.¡± It turned out that Lu Yi had directly sent a group of people to surround her! This path headed in both south and north directions, so her escape route was completely blocked! ¡°Let¡¯s see where you can go!¡± At this point, the two people from upstairs jumped down in unison! There were already eight people here! A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she clenched her teeth and headed west! ¡°This Lu Yi thinks so highly of me!¡± Chu Liuyue sneered as she went forward at full speed. ¡°He already knows that you can instantly teleport, so he¡¯ll naturally be more alert.¡± Dugu Mobao knew that the current situation was urgent, so he didn¡¯t care that Chu Liuyue was carrying him again. He credited this insult to Lu Yi! As Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of two went forward, the people on the streets gradually shied away and made way for them. Behind, Chu Liuyue could already hear the few of them chasing after her. The crowd had various expressions, but none of them wanted to come up to help, and all avoided her like a snake. Chu Liuyue laughed coldly and wasn¡¯t surprised. They must know that these people belong to Lu Yi. Who would dare to offend him? Originally, I thought that they wouldn¡¯t act too overboard on the crowded streets, but it now seems like this method isn¡¯t viable. Lu Yi, together with his subordinates, were all very arrogant! They didn¡¯t care about this at all! Since this method doesn¡¯t work¡­ we have to change to another method! An idea surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as she directly changed her direction and went to the small alleys. ¡­ ¡°F*ck! Why is this girl so fast?!¡± In the beginning, the few of them didn¡¯t even care about Chu Liuyue. After all, they had the advantage in numbers. Besides, even if Chu Liuyue could barge into the God Residence Realm and her abilities were strong, it would be very inconvenient as she had to carry a child. They didn¡¯t expect to still have such a large distance between them and Chu Liuyue after such a long time of chasing! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She can¡¯t escape! This Grotto-Heaven Cliff is filled with our people. She¡¯ll be doomed sooner or later!¡± ¡°Her speed seems to have decreased? Quickly, chase after her!¡± ¡­ The bustling noises gradually subsided, and Chu Liuyue entered a quiet and deserted area. At this point, the people behind had already caught up with her. One of them directly took action and flung out his force. Chu Liuyue hurriedly handled it. Then, she scrambled into an alley as if she were a headless fly. ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± When the few people who kept chasing after her saw this, they exchanged glances and laughed in delight. Shua! Shua! Their group split into two and cornered her from the front and back. Chu Liuyue entered the alley. As if realizing something was amiss, she was about to turn around and escape when the entrance was already blocked! ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± The few muscular men stood in a line and easily blocked her path! Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression changed slightly. Then, she glanced behind and saw a few people rapidly appearing! They had completely surrounded her in this narrow and quiet alley! The air froze! The man at the front looked down at Chu Liuyue from above. ¡°Are you going to walk yourself, or¡­ Are we going to bring you with us?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°What if I choose neither?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t surrender, they had lost their patience. The man at the front waved his hands. ¡°Bring her back! Just leave her hanging by her breath!¡± Then, the few of them were about to take action when they saw that woman smile. Her smile was bright, and her eyes were like stars, which instantly caused the originally ordinary face to become much prettier. ¡°Do you want to come one by one or all at once?¡± Upon hearing this, the few men were dazed. Then, as if hearing a joke, one of them chuckled and asked, ¡°Do you¡­ want to fight with us? Just by yourself?!¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head. ¡°Just by myself..¡± Chapter 1039 - Intense Bloody Smell! Chapter 1039: Intense Bloody Smell! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lu Yi was bored as he waited in his residence. He glanced at the sky and asked in much frustration, ¡°It has been so long. Why haven¡¯t they come back?¡± A young girl serving by the side hurriedly said, ¡°Perhaps they were delayed by something.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just catching someone back. How can they be delayed?¡± Lu Yi was nonchalant. ¡°They¡¯re useless. When they come back, I must teach them a lesson!¡± Seeing that he had signs of actually raging, that girl followed his words and softly said, ¡°They¡¯re your people. You can do whatever you want with them if you just say a sentence. You don¡¯t have to be angry about these things.¡± Hearing her say this, Lu Yi then felt slightly better as he laughed sinisterly and touched that girl¡¯s waist. ¡°Pan¡¯er, you¡¯re the best. I like you the most!¡± Pan¡¯er shyly and gently smiled as she leaned into his arms. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re someone who will do great things in the future. If you settle accounts with them, won¡¯t it be unbefitting of your status? Just being able to go to His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet will cause so many people to be envious¡­¡± Hearing this, Lu Yi¡ªwho was originally smiling¡ªknitted his brows and pushed her to the floor. Pan¡¯er gasped in pain as she anxiously looked up. She then saw that his face was scarily dark, and she fearfully asked, ¡°Y-young Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Yi threw all the cutlery on the table to the floor! ¡°Don¡¯t even talk about it! Last night, the Lin Residence sent someone to say that I can¡¯t go anymore!¡± Pan¡¯er widened her eyes. ¡°W-why? Didn¡¯t they already say¡ª¡± Lu Yi snorted coldly and scolded, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that sickly weakling! They said he wants to bring an additional heavenly doctor to accompany him and take care of him¡­ There were originally a limited number of spots for Grotto-Heaven Cliff, and Lin Tianfeng¡ªthat old fogey¡ªdirectly replaced me!¡± Actually, with his status and experience, he originally didn¡¯t have the right to go. Lu Yu¡¯er had put in many good words for him in the middle for a very long time before he finally had the chance to go. He didn¡¯t expect things to change right before they set off! ¡°That father-son duo have long disliked me, especially that Lin Zhifei! He must¡¯ve played some tricks in this incident! Logically speaking, an ill-bred child that caused his own mother to die should¡¯ve long died! Who knew he¡¯d survive until now?! And Lin Tianfeng has to dote on him the most! If not for him, my sister wouldn¡¯t be childless after so many years in the Lin family!¡± The more Lu Yi said, the angrier he got. There seemed to be a fire burning in his chest! Pan¡¯er fell onto the floor and shuddered in fear, not daring to say a word. Lu Yi took a deep breath in and suddenly laughed coldly. ¡°However, he can¡¯t be delighted for long¡­¡± ¡°Young Master! Something bad has happened!¡± At this moment, a panicky voice suddenly sounded from outside the courtyard. A pageboy ran over with a pale face and directly kneeled in front of Lu Yi as he pointed outside. ¡°Young Master! Something is amiss! O-outside¡ª¡± Lu Yi kicked him. ¡°Talk properly!¡± That pageboy felt a pain in his chest and didn¡¯t dare to beat around the bush as he forcefully explained, ¡°Young Master, t-they¡¯re back¡­ They¡¯re currently o-outside¡­ You should go and take a look yourself!¡± Lu Yi finally realized that something was amiss, and he walked outside! ¡­ He walked all the way and saw a few boxes outside the door when he reached the entrance. The boxes weren¡¯t locked, and they seemed to have been opened. At the edge, one could faintly see some bloodstains. The guards stationed at the entrance gingerly stood at the side as if there were something terrifying inside that box. Lu Yi¡¯s heart sank, and he commanded coldly, ¡°Open the box!¡± The guards exchanged glances, and they could only go up together to do it meticulously¡ª Da! The box was opened. When Lu Yi saw what was inside, his eyes narrowed! There was nothing else inside but the few people he had sent out! Upon closer inspection, there were eight people¡ªnot more, not less. At this point, they were all covered in blood, and they were shoved into the box in awkward positions! They looked extremely horrifying! ¡°Young Master, t-they haven¡¯t died yet. Just¡­¡± said a guard bravely. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ their arms and legs are all broken¡­ so they¡¯ll be handicapped in the future!¡± This was even more violent and cruel than directly killing them! Death would end everything once and for all, but becoming a cripple would only cause them to suffer even more pain and torture! Lu Yi¡¯s face turned green in disbelief. Without speaking, it was known to all how they were injured! That Dugu Yue must¡¯ve done it! He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked! ¡°Dugu Yue¡­ you have a death wish!¡± ¡­ The moment Chu Liuyue reached the Lin Residence entrance, a guard greeted her with a face filled with smiles. ¡°Ms. Dugu, you¡¯re here! Master and Fourth Young Master have been waiting for you for a long time!¡± Chu Liuyue simply smiled. ¡°I met with a small accident on the road, so I was delayed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s fine! Quickly, come in!¡± As he spoke, the guard quickly brought Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao into the residence. The journey was smooth, and they soon arrived at Lin Zhifei¡¯s yard. Once she went in, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Zhifei looked up in unison. Lin Tianfeng hurriedly said, ¡°Ms. Dugu, I have prepared all the herbs, and they¡¯re all here. Can you check if there¡¯s anything missing?¡± Chu Liuyue walked over, and her eyes curved up. ¡°Master Lin, you went to get the herbs yourself, so there¡¯s naturally not a problem. I¡¯ll start to refine the medicine next.¡± Lin Tianfeng hurriedly nodded. However, Lin Zhifei¡¯s nose moved, and he smelled something.. He looked up at Chu Liuyue. What an intense bloody scent! Chapter 1040 - Sympathy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue seemed to sense something as she looked up and glanced at him. She then smiled and asked, ¡°Fourth Young Master, is there something wrong?¡± Looking into that pair of clear eyes, Lin Zhifei retracted his gaze and lightly shook his head. ¡°Nothing much. Ms. Dugu, I have to trouble you with my health in the coming days.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Fourth Young Master, you don¡¯t have to be polite.¡± Then, she walked over and wanted to take Lin Zhifei¡¯s pulse. ¡°Before I refine the medicine, I want to see how your body is doing, Fourth Young Master.¡± Lin Zhifei stretched out his hand and gently pulled on his sleeves that were embroidered with bamboo leaves, revealing his white and thin wrist. One could even see the veins on it. Chu Liuyue raised her hand. At the side, Lin Tianfeng suddenly handed a handkerchief over and wanted to place it on his son¡¯s wrist. However, Lin Zhifei glanced up at him and lightly said, ¡°Thank you, Father, but we don¡¯t need this in the future since I¡¯ve already agreed to let Ms. Dugu help.¡± Lin Tianfeng was dazed, and shock flashed across his eyes. He said¡­ no need? Hasn¡¯t he always hated people touching him? This was because someone had once disguised as a heavenly doctor and taken action against him while taking his pulse. Ever since then, Lin Zhifei had been very careful about this. But now¡­ He really trusts this Dugu Yue so much? Even though Lin Tianfeng found it weird, he didn¡¯t continue and put away the handkerchief upon seeing his son¡¯s calm expression. ¡°Okay! Okay then¡­ Ms. Dugu, please go on!¡± As if unable to see the interaction between the father-son duo¡¯s gazes, she smiled slightly and stretched her hand over to take his pulse. Compared to yesterday, Lin Zhifei¡¯s aura was obviously stronger. Even though he still couldn¡¯t be compared to normal people, he was much better than his initial condition. Chu Liuyue nodded and injected a wave of force into his body! Then, she followed yesterday¡¯s procedure again. Lin Zhifei looked like he was enduring the pain; he didn¡¯t yelp at all during the entire process. However, his face became very pale, and many tiny beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, making him look very unkempt. At the side, Lin Tianfeng watched on as his heart jumped. So Dugu Yue is treating Zhifei in this manner? Yesterday, he left early and didn¡¯t see. Now that he saw it today, his entire heart was about to jump out from his throat! There were quite a few times in between where Lin Tianfeng¡¯s heart ached very much. If Zhifei didn¡¯t hint at him to calm down, he would¡¯ve called her to stop. This time, Chu Liuyue cleared another portion of the weird thing that accumulated on Lin Zhifei¡¯s Yuan meridian. This exhausted a large part of her energy. When she ended, she sighed deeply. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go refine the medicine. Fourth Young Master, you can just recuperate for now.¡± Lin Zhifei looked at her expression that was faintly lethargic as he asked, ¡°Ms. Dugu, you seem to need rest as well¡­ My body has been ill for many years, and I can afford to wait this while longer. Why don¡¯t¡­ we continue after you rest, Ms. Dugu?¡± Lin Tianfeng also expressed his agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though I¡¯m not a heavenly doctor, I know that heavenly doctors will use up a large portion of their energy when they refine medicines. Ms. Dugu, you¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Master Lin, Fourth Young Master. I know what I¡¯m doing, and I won¡¯t be reckless.¡± Chu Liuyue stood up and smiled. ¡°I want the refinement to work on the first try more than anyone else, so I¡¯ll make my own preparations. You don¡¯t have to worry, but there¡¯s one thing I need help with. This time, I need approximately one day and one night to refine the medicine. Master Lin, I hope you can guard me.¡± If it were someone else, they most likely wouldn¡¯t dare to directly invite Lin Tianfeng to guard them. Normally speaking, only the strongest ninth-grade heavenly doctor in the clan could ask Lin Tianfeng for help. But facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s bold suggestion, Lin Tianfeng directly agreed without much thinking. ¡°No problem!¡± As long as she can treat Zhifei in the end, what does this count for? ¡°I¡¯ve already told someone to arrange a room for you to refine your medicine; it¡¯s nearby. Also, Ms. Dugu, do you need a cauldron or some sort?¡± Lin Tianfeng tried to ask. ¡°I have quite a few cauldrons in my Lin family, and they are all beneficial for refining medicine. Ms. Dugu¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Master Lin, but I have my own cauldron. Therefore, I don¡¯t have to borrow yours.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and politely rejected him. ¡°Oh¡­ Okay then.¡± Lin Tianfeng was slightly disappointed. Dugu Yue is from outside the God Residence Realm, so the cauldron she uses won¡¯t be any better. Originally, I wanted to lend her a slightly better cauldron so that she could refine the medicine more smoothly. However, I didn¡¯t expect her not to be very interested in it¡­ However, Lin Tianfeng knew that heavenly doctors were mostly prideful. Since she had already said this, there was no need to convince her further. Then, Chu Liuyue brought those herbs and went to the room that was specifically freed up for her to refine medicine. At the entrance, Lin Tianfeng looked at Dugu Mobao and asked, ¡°Ms. Dugu, since you need to focus on refining your medicine, we¡¯ll take care of this child first, okay?¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows. Chu Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you, Master Lin, but this child is afraid of strangers. Therefore, he¡¯ll just follow me in!¡± Won¡¯t this small child get in her way if he goes in? Lin Tianfeng found it weird. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Coincidentally, Big Baby is also starting to learn how to be a heavenly doctor, so it¡¯s fine if he follows me,¡± added Chu Liuyue. Lin Tianfeng was stumped. Since he wants to follow his mother to learn, I can¡¯t say anything as an outsider. At this point, Lin Zhifei spoke from the side. ¡°Since Ms. Dugu insists, then¡­ We¡¯ll do it her way.¡± Chu Liuyue then felt assured as she bowed to them and turned around to walk in with Dugu Mobao. When the duo¡¯s figures disappeared, Lin Tianfeng then looked at his son and sighed deeply. ¡°Zhifei, you seem to trust them very much¡­¡± Lin Zhifei glanced at the tightly shut door and window as an extremely light ripple flickered in the depths of his clear eyes. ¡°She¡¯s just a pitiful woman bringing a child with her.¡± Lin Tianfeng felt terrible. He knew that Zhifei thought of himself through them, so he behaved in this manner. ¡°¡­Actually, you have nothing to do with what happened to your mother back then. Besides, it has been such a long time. Zhifei, you don¡¯t have to take it to heart¡­¡± said Lin Tianfeng rather hesitantly. ¡°Besides, because of you, Yu¡¯er has never wanted a child these few years¡­ Are you still not willing to let go of your prejudice against her?¡± Hearing this, Lin Zhifei¡¯s nonchalant expression finally changed. His pale lips curled up as he looked at Lin Tianfeng, an extremely faint smile appearing on his face. The sun shone down on his face, and it was like a piece of fragile glass that dazzled. ¡°Whatever you say, Father.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Lin Tianfeng was stumped and wanted to say something more when he heard a nervous and urgent woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Master! Something bad has happened!¡± Chapter 1041 - Not a Loss Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This was Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s voice. Lin Tianfeng looked up and saw Lu Yu¡¯er hurrying over from outside the courtyard, and anxiety filled her face. When she walked to the yard, she was stopped by the pageboy as expected. ¡°Madam, please stay here.¡± Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s originally anxious mood became even more terrible as she was stopped. I¡¯m the Lin family¡¯s mistress, yet I don¡¯t even have the right to enter this small courtyard! All these years, I haven¡¯t stepped foot into this place¡ªonly because Lin Zhifei stayed here! The entire Lin family couldn¡¯t casually enter this place, and even Lin Tianfeng had to send people to report his presence. However, the rest of the Lin family¡¯s people had entered more or less, but she was never approved¡ªnot even once! Who in the entire Lin family didn¡¯t know that Lin Zhifei looked down on her as a stepmother?! Even if she had already become the Lin family¡¯s mistress, he still didn¡¯t care about her! But no matter how much hatred she felt, Lu Yu¡¯er wouldn¡¯t show it in front of these people. Hence, she obediently stood outside and gazed inside anxiously. Very quickly, Lin Tianfeng walked over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s so urgent?¡± While Lin Tianfeng walked over, he pulled Lu Yu¡¯er to the side. Lu Yu¡¯er was angered, but she didn¡¯t show it as she anxiously grabbed Lin Tianfeng¡¯s arm and said with tears in her eyes, ¡°Master, I rarely ever beg you, but this time¡­ I really don¡¯t have any other way¡­¡± She cried miserably, and Lin Tianfeng¡¯s heart ached when he saw this scene. ¡°Don¡¯t cry first. What exactly is going on? I¡¯ll definitely do you justice!¡± Lu Yu¡¯er then wiped her tears and said discontinuously, ¡°It¡¯s about Lu Yi¡­¡± Once Lin Tianfeng heard this name, annoyance flashed across his face. ¡°He has really been bullied badly this time!¡± complained Lu Yu¡¯er. Lin Tianfeng nonchalantly said, ¡°He has always been the one bullying others. Who could ever bully him?¡± Lu Yu¡¯er knew that Lin Tianfeng never liked Lu Yi, so every time her brother caused trouble, she would try to suppress the news and not let him know about it. However, this time was different! ¡°Master, you might not know, but Lu Yi¡¯s subordinates have been beaten up until only half their lives are left. All their limbs are broken as well! They were stuffed into a box and sent to Lu Yi! If this isn¡¯t a threat, what is this?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression changed slightly. There aren¡¯t many people who dare to do this in the entire Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡­ ¡°Why would I lie to you? When he came over just now, there was still blood on his clothes¡­¡± Vengeance flashed across Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s eyes. She really hated the person who did this to Lu Yi in the dark! So this time, she complained to Lin Tianfeng for once. Things had already ended up in this state. If she couldn¡¯t stand up for Lu Yi, then many people in Grotto-Heaven Cliff would mock him in the future! Lin Tianfeng knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Do you know who did it?¡± Lu Yu¡¯er was dazed for a moment and hurriedly said, ¡°I-I haven¡¯t had the chance to ask yet. However, the person who dared to do this in Grotto-Heaven Cliff mustn¡¯t be simple! From what I see, perhaps¡­ the person might be targeting the Lin family¡­¡± Even though Lu Yi wasn¡¯t part of the Lin family, everyone knew that he was related to them. If one dared to attack him so harshly, they clearly didn¡¯t care about the Lin family! Being unreasonable in the Lin family¡¯s territory was just challenging them! Upon hearing this, Lin Tianfeng knitted his brows. ¡°Master, should I ask Lu Yi to come over and let him personally explain to you?¡± Lu Yu¡¯er tried to ask. Lin Tianfeng thought for a moment, turned around to look, and shook his head. ¡°Not today.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have something to do today. Tell him to come tomorrow.¡± Even though Lu Yi¡¯s matter isn¡¯t minor, its¡¯ not as urgent as the pill for Zhifei. Dugu Yue had said that she needed my help to guard her, so I definitely can¡¯t go back on my words. If not, who can be responsible if something happens? Upon hearing Lin Tianfeng say this, Lu Yu¡¯er almost instantly guessed what it was. Then, she instinctively looked in. ¡°Y-you¡¯re going to be busy with Zhifei¡¯s things?¡± Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t hear the abnormality in her voice as he nodded. ¡°You should go back first. He just needs to wait for a day. Tomorrow, bring Lu Yi over at this time.¡± Then, he turned around and planned to enter. ¡°Master¡ª¡± yelled Lu Yu¡¯er indignantly. Lin Tianfeng glanced at her and thought for a moment. ¡°Why don¡¯t you send someone to investigate and find out what¡¯s going on first? I¡¯ll handle this tomorrow.¡± Then, he didn¡¯t care about Lu Yu¡¯er as he walked straight in. Looking at his gradually leaving back view, Lu Yu¡¯er slowly clenched her fists. Her intricately manicured nails dug deep into her palms, and it hurt her. She instantly woke up as she took a deep breath in and turned around to leave. ¡­ ¡°What? He refuses to see me?¡± Hearing his elder sister¡¯s words, Lu Yi instantly jumped up from his chair. ¡°I¡¯ve been trampled all over, yet he doesn¡¯t care?! Even if it¡¯s not for me, he should care about the Lin family¡¯s reputation, right?!¡± ¡°Why are you yelling!?¡±Lu Yu¡¯er was also very frustrated as she scolded him. ¡°You¡¯re not his biological son, so of course, he wouldn¡¯t care about you! A heavenly doctor came these two days, and she said that she could treat Lin Zhifei¡­ Of course, he¡¯s very concerned about that!¡± Lu Yi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°All these years, how many heavenly doctors have come? He actually still hasn¡¯t given up¡­ Hah! That Lin Zhifei is just waiting for death! Perhaps when he goes over this time, on the road, he¡¯ll just¡ª¡± Lu Yu¡¯er glared at him in warning. ¡°Even though this is my residence, this is the Lin family after all! Watch your words! If you have time, why don¡¯t you tell me in detail who is so bold to do this!?¡± However, Lu Yi felt slightly guilty. At the end of the day, I¡¯m the one who wants to snatch the other party¡¯s items. Previously, Lu Yu¡¯er had repeatedly reminded me not to be so open about my doings. If she knows¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m not too sure either¡­ The other party didn¡¯t leave any clues¡­¡± He looked down and spoke in a blur. Lu Yu¡¯er was extremely frustrated. ¡°Useless! We¡¯ll just wait then!¡± When the Lin family investigated, it would naturally be much easier. Even though Lu Yi felt indignant, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything else and could only agree. ¡­ Within the room. Chu Liuyue first set up a barrier in the surroundings. After confirming that the aura and the side effects wouldn¡¯t travel outside, she summoned the Heavenly Square Cauldron. ¡°You really want to use this thing?¡± Dugu Mobao stared at the transparent cauldron, and his gaze flickered slightly. ¡°I depend on this greatly now.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If not, I wouldn¡¯t have the confidence to form the pill directly in one try.¡± ¡°You really can bear it.¡± Dugu Mobao was quiet for a moment. Lin Zhifei is very lucky to have Chu Liuyue use the Heavenly Square Cauldron to produce a pill for him. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up.. ¡°It¡¯s not a loss if I can use this pill to exchange for a chance to participate in His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet.¡± Chapter 1042 - Sign! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dugu Mobao sensitively detected a faint terrifying aura, so he sensibly didn¡¯t continue this topic. This woman is always scary when she goes crazy. Rong Xiu should handle this himself! Whoever makes a mistake should be responsible for it! Whoever hides from her should bear it all! As Chu Liuyue counted the herbs at the side and placed them in one row, she seemingly glanced at Dugu Mobao unintentionally and asked in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Big Baby, do you agree?¡± Dugu Mobao forcefully nodded. ¡°En.¡± Rumble! A red fire suddenly appeared in the Heavenly Square Cauldron! Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°But luckily, his name is real.¡± While Chu Liuyue controlled the fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron with one hand, she waved her other hand lightly and threw the red, fist-sized berry into it. The jumping fire suddenly rushed up and devoured the berry completely! Very quickly, that berry turned into light-red powder. A faintly sweet but bitter fragrance wafted to their noses. ¡°If not, I really can¡¯t find him even if I want to. After all, the world is so big,¡± said Chu Liuyue slowly as if she was teasing him, and her lips curled up into a slight smile. The spark jumped around and was reflected in her eyes, causing one to be unable to read her. Dugu Mobao suddenly started to regret following her in. I think it wouldn¡¯t be bad if I waited outside? ¡°Big Baby, tell me why the whole world knows that I¡¯ve lost my memory except for myself?¡± questioned Chu Liuyue lazily as she threw the second herb in¡ªit was an arm-sized ear root. The red fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron split into two and tightly surrounded the root! Then, the fire rapidly went in and crazily burned it! Following an ear-piercing blast, the ear root¡¯s original fresh jade-like appearance rapidly wilted. The fresh red juice inside then started dripping out bit by bit. Dugu Mobao glanced at the tightly shut door and the flickering barrier as he fell silent. If I don¡¯t use my barrier, I can¡¯t open this barrier and go out. ¡°Big Baby, why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and glanced at him. Dugu Mobao changed his posture and looked away. ¡°You¡¯ll know what you should.¡± Nice, that¡¯s like not saying anything. Chu Liuyue pouted slightly, but she didn¡¯t really take it to heart. She had never thought of getting anything out of Dugu Mobao. If he was willing to say it, he would¡¯ve done so earlier on. I wouldn¡¯t have to wait until now. However, this let me confirm that he did know about Rong Xiu¡¯s ¡®Your Grace¡¯ identity long ago. But even to this day, all of them refuse to tell me. Forget it. Anyway, I¡¯ll be going over real soon. I can just ask him directly then! Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue flicked her wrist! More than ten kinds of herbs were placed at the side, and they all landed within the Heavenly Square Cauldron. She breathed in, gathered her attention, and focused on producing the pill. ¡­ The room fell silent. Lin Zhifei waited outside for a while, but he didn¡¯t hear any commotion within. Then, he realized that she should¡¯ve set up a barrier inside and isolated everything. In the beginning, I didn¡¯t realize that although this woman is seemingly ordinary, she is quite good¡ªshe is meticulous and brave when doing things. I don¡¯t know who her mentor was, but he definitely had sharp and sensitive eyesight. If she didn¡¯t have the child with her, according to her current abilities, she could definitely make a name for herself in the God Residence Realm. Lin Tianfeng returned very quickly. Lin Zhifei initially wanted to leave but was stopped. He looked at him. ¡°Zhifei, the elders have acted according to the method you suggested earlier. That transportation formation should be fixed very soon. This time, it¡¯s all thanks to you¡­¡± Lin Zhifei smiled faintly, but his gaze was still nonchalant and distant. ¡°I just provided some opinions. If the transportation formation can be fixed, it¡¯s all because of the elders¡¯ hard work. It has nothing to do with me. Father, you don¡¯t have to care about this.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lin Tianfeng sighed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want anyone to know that you suggested it, so I¡¯ve never told them about it. All these years, you have always been very discreet, and such things have happened more than once¡­ However, you¡¯re still of the Lin family¡¯s bloodline. If Dugu Yue can really treat you this time, this Lin family¡­¡± ¡°All of these are matters in the future. We currently don¡¯t know if I can be treated, so Father, you don¡¯t have to bring it up anymore. I¡¯m quite tired, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Then, Lin Zhifei didn¡¯t wait for his father¡¯s reply and directly left. Lin Tianfeng finally couldn¡¯t help but sigh when his son¡¯s figure disappeared. Many people want to fight for the position of Lin family head, yet he has no interest in it. I know that the main reason is that Lin Zhifei was concerned about his health. But this time¡­ Lin Tianfeng turned around to take a look. Now, all our hopes are pinned on that woman¡­ ¡­ Time passed very quickly. When Chu Liuyue finally refined all those herbs, the moon was already high in the sky. Within the Heavenly Square Cauldron, all kinds of herbs were separated and looked brilliant. All the smells mixed together and formed a unique herbal fragrance. Even though it wasn¡¯t the first time she used the Heavenly Square Cauldron, Chu Liuyue still couldn¡¯t help but sigh emotionally. One really might not be able to find a cauldron that can produce such a pure pill even if they search the entire world¡­ This made her even more confident about succeeding. She had finished refining the medicine, and now, she had to produce the pill. Chu Liuyue was determined as she controlled the fire and gradually merged all these herbs together! At this moment, a whir suddenly sounded from the bottom of the Heavenly Square Cauldron! Chapter 1043 - I’ve Successfully Produced the Pill Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue looked over in shock, only to realize that the two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds had come together at some point and were encircling each other at the bottom of the Heavenly Square Cauldron and that the whirring sound was produced from their powers affecting each other. An invisible wave of energy rushed out and spread outside. Appalled, Chu Liuyue quickly slapped the Heavenly Square Cauldron with one hand, making the invisible karmic fire grow bigger. ¡°Stop!¡± Like a leaping elf, flames rose and stopped that wave of energy from spreading. The residual energy hit the cauldron¡¯s inner wall and produced an ear-splitting whirring sound. The tremors numbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms, but she didn¡¯t let go. Her palms remained stuck to the cauldron as she continuously injected force into it and controlled the invisible karmic fire to suppress the two seeds. After a while, the ripples finally ceased. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Chu Liuyue let out a long breath as she watched the two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds gradually calm down and quietly stay at the bottom of the cauldron. Had my reaction been any slower or my force not been enough, these two seeds surely would¡¯ve escaped from here. At this moment, she felt incredibly thankful that she had broken through to become a stage-seven warrior and had absorbed the rich force of the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s ancestor, for she would¡¯ve been really helpless in this situation otherwise. ¡°These two seeds are so cunning!¡± After coming back to her senses, she stared at the seemingly harmless Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds with a frown. I could clearly feel that they were trying to take advantage of the opportunity to escape! ¡°Most of your energy and attention are directed elsewhere when you¡¯re refining pills, so your control over the karmic fire naturally slackened. It¡¯s normal that the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds would try to escape at times like this.¡± Dugu Mobao¡ªwho was sitting next to her¡ªwas much calmer compared to Chu Liuyue, who was worried and scared. ¡°Once you become stronger and can completely control them, you naturally won¡¯t encounter such trouble again.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°So¡­ When would that be?¡± Dugu Mobao shot her a side-glance. ¡°When you can produce a Holy Body, of course.¡± ¡°¡­Forget I asked anything.¡± Does this lass think of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds as some ordinary items? Dugu Mobao narrowed his eyes. ¡°Although the Heavenly Square Cauldron can help you suppress them, you ultimately have to rely on your own abilities to completely subdue them.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°I know; I just find it a bit troublesome.¡± The corners of Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyelids twitched. Those two seeds are something that many people can only dream of owning. She has two, and yet she finds them a bother¡­ She really doesn¡¯t know how incredibly lucky she is! ¡°In that case, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds might come out and cause trouble each time I use the Heavenly Square Cauldron to refine pills?¡± At the thought of this, Chu Liuyue looked at the herbs that had just gathered together with frustration. Pill refining requires concentration. I¡¯m lucky that it hasn¡¯t been long since I started refining the pill, so I could still divert a bit of attention to dealing with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds. However, if this had happened in the middle¡ªor worse, toward the end¡­ There¡¯s no telling what might¡¯ve happened. ¡°It won¡¯t happen every time.¡± Dugu Mobao paused before adding, ¡°Besides, the seeds won¡¯t be able to do much when the Heavenly Square Cauldron is around.¡± Hearing that, Chu Liuyue looked at him in surprise. He¡­ thinks so highly of the Heavenly Square Cauldron? I remember Ancestor saying that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds are something that only legends own and that they are extraordinarily powerful. If the Heavenly Square Cauldron is more powerful than them, then¡­ ¡°Continue refining the pill.¡± Dugu Mobao glanced outside. It was twilight now, and everywhere was quiet. ¡°The earlier commotion didn¡¯t reach outside, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and put her thoughts away. It was only when she had made sure that the karmic fire had completely suppressed the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds that she started to continue refining the pill. It¡¯s a good thing that I¡¯ve been paying attention to the refining process as well. The red flame had enveloped the herbs that started to fuse together, almost creating a barrier against the ripples of energy outside, so it wasn¡¯t affected by anything. With a deep breath, she then began refining the pill. ¡­ Night was over in the blink of an eye. When the morning light shone down, Lin Tianfeng couldn¡¯t resist turning his head toward the tightly closed doors once more. Throughout the night, not a single sound was heard coming from the room. Even though he was waiting anxiously outside, he didn¡¯t dare to disturb Chu Liuyue. However, what he didn¡¯t know was that Lu Yu¡¯er had been quietly waiting outside the courtyard with Lu Yi since a long time ago. She had specifically ordered the servants not to announce their arrival so as not to disturb the people inside. Time slowly ticked by, and Lu Yi gradually became impatient. After looking to his left and right, he couldn¡¯t resist grumbling, ¡°Sis, you¡¯re the matriarch of the Lin family after all. You can go anywhere you want, so why must you be so submissive and live under Lin Zhifei¡¯s mercy?¡± ¡°What do you know?!¡± Lu Yu¡¯er shot him a glare. Only by doing this can my position in the family be higher! Lin Zhifei is Lin Tianfeng¡¯s most favored son. No matter what he does, Lin Tianfeng can¡¯t bear to scold him. Would he dare to behave like this if Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t indulge him so much in the first place? Although it appears like I¡¯m bowing my head to Lin Zhifei, I¡¯m actually giving Lin Tianfeng face! This bit of grievance is nothing. As long as I can make Lin Tianfeng feel guilty toward me, I can get whatever I want in the future. And it¡¯s all because of this that I managed to get to where I am now. She calmed herself down a little. ¡°That heavenly doctor is currently refining pills inside, and my husband is helping to guard the room. Once the pill is successfully refined, it might be able to cure the Fourth Young Master¡¯s illness.¡± ¡°What heavenly doctor? Lin Zhifei has seen so many heavenly doctors over the years. Who can possibly do anything about his illness when even the Lin family¡¯s chief heavenly doctor can¡¯t do anything about it¡ªthe Grand Elder is a ninth-grade heavenly doctor!¡± Lu Yi snickered. I heard that he found that heavenly doctor himself. Pfft, if that heavenly doctor really was capable, would they need to do this? ¡°Don¡¯t shoot your mouth off,¡± Lu Yu¡¯er reminded him. ¡°You might as well think about what you¡¯re going to say to my husband when you see him later!¡± Lu Yi choked, and only then did he stop talking. Just then, a wave of energy fluctuations spread from the courtyard, along with a crisp collision sound. Not long after, a rich herbal fragrance wafted in the air. Lu Yu¡¯er breathed in deeply, only to feel refreshed and relaxed. Her eyes snapped wide open in shock. ¡°H-how can this possibly be a seventh-grade pill?!¡± This energy fluctuation¡­ This smell¡­ Both definitely aren¡¯t what a seventh-grade pill can have! Meanwhile, Lin Tianfeng looked equally bewildered in the courtyard. Creak¡­ The doors opened, and out walked a slender figure. Lin Tianfeng hurriedly rushed forward. Despite her somewhat pale complexion and the dark circles under her eyes, Chu Liuyue pulled her lips back into a satisfied smile and handed a jade box over to Lin Tianfeng. ¡°Master Lin, I¡¯ve successfully produced the pill.¡± Inside the box lay a red pill with eight distinct lines. Lin Tianfeng gasped. ¡°An eighth-grade pill?!¡± Chapter 1044 - Trouble Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Although the eighth line wasn¡¯t as obvious as the rest, it was there nonetheless. Hence, the pill was indeed an eighth-grade pill! Lin Tianfeng almost thought that he was imagining things. He dazedly stared at the pill for a long time. ¡°D-didn¡¯t you¡­ say that you¡¯re a seventh-grade heavenly doctor?¡± ¡°I was indeed a seventh-grade heavenly doctor at the time, but I didn¡¯t say that I couldn¡¯t refine an eighth-grade pill. Hm, since I succeeded this time, then it¡¯s probably an eighth-grade pill¡­¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile as she rubbed her chin in a thoughtful manner. To be honest, she was actually quite surprised herself, for the pill she wanted to refine was supposedly a superior seventh-grade pill. Maybe it¡¯s because the herbs used were all of superior quality, or perhaps it¡¯s because I refined it with the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­ In any case, the pill produced barely made it into the eighth grade. This is considered an unexpected surprise. Lin Tianfeng was speechless. She was indeed a seventh-grade heavenly doctor at the time, and yet she managed to produce an eighth-grade pill? Is she saying that she became an eighth-grade heavenly doctor in just a night?! Can this even happen?! He considered himself as someone who had braved through many storms, yet he couldn¡¯t help but be at a loss for words when he saw the young lady¡¯s careless smile. He wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat. The heavenly doctor path was much harder and more complicated than the other two cultivation paths. Even those who were born with a bit of talent in the heavenly doctor path would find it extraordinarily hard to progress in this path, what more the majority of people who didn¡¯t have the talent. Besides, there was a huge gap between an eighth-grade heavenly doctor and a seventh-grade heavenly doctor. Lin Tianfeng had seen countless heavenly doctors getting stuck at the seventh grade for life and being unable to break through this stage, but the woman in front of him didn¡¯t seem to have such concern. Chu Liuyue closed the jade box, preventing the rich medicinal fragrance from wafting out. However, there was still a lingering fragrance in the air. Just a sniff was enough to make one relax, be it physically or mentally. ¡°Ms. Dugu sure is capable. You succeeded in refining the pill in just one try.¡± Just then, Lin Zhifei came out from the other room. His pale and haggard complexion was looking much better, which was probably because Chu Liuyue had been taking care of him for the past two days. With his hands behind his back and a small smile on his handsome face, he looked like a distinguished young master in troubled times. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly as she walked over with a smile and handed the jade box to him. ¡°This is just the first pill. You¡¯ll still have to continue with treatment. I hope you¡¯ll bear with me as the process might be a little tough on you.¡± ¡°The pain and suffering are nothing if I can get my life back in exchange. I owe you a favor this time.¡± Lin Zhifei took the box from her and smiled. Although Dugu Yue said that she¡¯s helping me because of the help she received from me at the God Residence Realm¡¯s entrance that day, it¡¯s nothing compared to hers. Even though she has her own considerations¡­ that¡¯s not important to me. The fact is that she has done me a huge favor. ¡°You¡¯re being too kind, Fourth Young Master,¡± replied Chu Liuyue with a smile. I don¡¯t know anyone here, so it¡¯ll be more convenient for me if I can claim some connections with the Lin family, especially Lin Zhifei¡­ He seems more capable than he appears to be. It won¡¯t hurt to have him owing me a favor. Just then, a pageboy came forward and carefully said, ¡°Master, Madam has been waiting outside with Young Master Lu for a while now¡­¡± Previously, he didn¡¯t dare to come over and inform Lin Tianfeng about their arrival. It was only when he saw that Chu Liuyue had finished refining her pill that he dared to come over. Upon hearing that Lu Yi was here, Lin Tianfeng instinctively furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at Lin Zhifei, but the latter appeared to be indifferent. ¡°Just go ahead if you¡¯re busy, Father.¡± Lin Tianfeng hesitated. He had only wanted to leave after watching his son consume the pill and seeing how effective the pill was, but he didn¡¯t expect Lu Yu¡¯er and her brother to come so early. ¡°I-in that case, I¡¯ll go over and take a look first. I¡­¡± He paused and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I-I¡¯ll have to trouble Ms. Dugu to take care of Zhifei.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Lin.¡± Only then did Lin Tianfeng leave with peace of mind. ¡­ ¡°Fourth Young Master, I¡¯ll go in with you. You might experience some side effects after taking the pill, so it¡¯s better if I¡¯m next to you,¡± said Chu Liuyue. What he went through the past two days is nothing; this pill is what matters most. I still have to see if Lin Zhifei¡¯s body can take it. Since I agreed to help him, I naturally have to see it to the end. Lin Zhifei, however, smiled after hearing that. A hint of a ripple of emotions could be seen in his clear but aloof eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I can take the pill after you¡¯ve dealt with your trouble.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked at him. Undercurrents were brewing as they met each other¡¯s gaze. A moment later, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and broke into a smile. ¡°In that case¡­ Thank you, Fourth Young Master.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Lin Tianfeng had arrived outside the courtyard and noticed the pair of siblings who appeared to have waited for a long time at the side. But before he could say anything, his wife rushed up to him and asked in concern, ¡°Master, is the pill a success? Can Zhifei¡¯s illness be cured?¡± Feeling comforted to see how concerned she was about Lin Zhifei, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s aloofness slowly melted away. He nodded. ¡°Yes, but we still have to see how effective it is.¡± Although Dugu Yue appeared to be really capable, he didn¡¯t dare to talk big, especially since the pill hadn¡¯t been tested. He was afraid to end up in disappointment again. ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good¡­¡± Lu Yu¡¯er patted her chest in relief. Seeing this, Lin Tianfeng felt somewhat guilty for only caring about Lin Zhifei and treating her with impatience for the past two days. He thus looked at Lu Yi and asked, ¡°Your sister said that your men got beaten up yesterday. What exactly happened?¡± The fact he asked about this matter meant that he was willing to use the Lin family¡¯s influence to help Lu Yi out. Hence, Lu Yi hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Eight of my men were beaten unconscious yesterday. Not only were they stuffed into boxes and delivered to my doorstep, but the nerves in their hands and legs were all severed too! The weakest among them is an eighth-grade warrior, and yet they ended up in this state! You have to help me uphold justice, Brother-in-law!¡± Lin Tianfeng frowned. ¡°Do you know who was behind this?¡± At this point, Lu Yi wasn¡¯t afraid of his older sister reprimanding him anymore. Since things had reached this stage, he frankly said, ¡°It¡¯s an outsider called Dugu Yue! She maimed eight of my men! The fact that she did this to me clearly shows that she doesn¡¯t have any regard for you and the Lin family! You mustn¡¯t let her off, Brother-in-law!¡± Chapter 1045 - I Don’t Know How to Use It Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The moment Lu Yi said the word ¡®outsider,¡¯ Lu Yu¡¯er secretly shot him a hateful glare. No wonder he refused to tell me what exactly happened! It turns out that he got into such huge trouble! There¡¯s no doubt that he must¡¯ve gone to pick a fight with her first and ended up infuriating her into hurting his men! He¡¯s the reason that we¡¯re in this situation now! I¡¯ve warned him time and time again not to be so reckless, but he never learns from his mistakes! Now, he even dared to hide the matter from me and only spilled out the truth in front of Lin Tianfeng! Even though Lu Yu¡¯er cursed Lu Yi out in her heart, he was ultimately her biological brother. There was nothing she could do except try and help him. But just as she was thinking about how she should speak up for her younger brother, she heard a familiar name. Dugu Yue?! She stared wide-eyed in shock and disbelief at her brother. ¡°Who¡­ did you say it was?¡± Lu Yi looked at her. ¡°Dugu Yue! That¡¯s her name, alright! I¡¯ve already sent my men to check!¡± ¡°H-how does she look like?¡± Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s heart and voice were trembling as she held onto the last shred of hope and posed this question. Please don¡¯t let it be¡­ ¡°Average, I guess. But she¡¯s got a child with purple hair and eyes, so she¡¯s easily recognizable! As long as Brother-in-law agrees to help me, we can surely find her in no time!¡± Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s vision went black, and her legs gave way, making her stagger and almost fall to the ground. It¡¯s really that Dugu Yue! Lu Yi hurriedly went forward to support her. ¡°Sis, what¡¯s wrong¡ª¡± Lu Yu¡¯er pushed him away angrily. ¡°Have you said enough?!¡± What¡¯s going on? Why did she flare up at me for no rhyme or reason? Lu Yi became even more confused than ever. He snuck a quick glance at Lin Tianfeng, only to notice a strange look on the latter¡¯s face. It was then that he realized that something seemed wrong. Apprehension sprouted in his heart, and he was no longer acting smug like before. ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for Dugu Yue?¡± Lin Tianfeng suddenly asked. Lu Yi nodded subconsciously. ¡°That woman is very cunning. If you can help¡ª¡± But before he could finish saying his piece, he heard a clear female voice saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble Master Lin with this small matter.¡± Finding this voice somewhat familiar, Lu Yi instinctively raised his head and looked over, only to see a woman slowly making her way over from the courtyard. She had ordinary looks, twinkling eyes, a small smirk on her face, and an air of nobility. Walking next to her was a fair and adorable toddler with purple hair and eyes. Lu Yi widened his eyes in shock as he pointed a finger at the approaching woman. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here, Young Master Lu. There¡¯s no need for you to spend so much effort to look for me.¡± Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao stopped five steps away from them. Lu Yi could hardly believe his eyes as he shouted angrily, ¡°W-what are you doing here?!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Is this also your territory?¡± Lu Yi choked and glanced at Lin Tianfeng in panic. ¡°What nonsense are you babbling about?!¡± ¡°In that case, what does my presence here have to do with you?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in a slow and deliberate manner. ¡°You! You hurt my men, yet you have the cheek to ask me that question, you vicious snake?! Say, did you come here to hurt more people?! That must be it, right?!¡± Lu Yi shouted as his gaze hovered back and forth over the rest of the people. ¡°You¡¯re just a lowly outsider, and yet you dream of creating havoc at Grotto-Heaven Cliff?!¡± As if she were looking at an idiot, Chu Liuyue smirked. ¡°Young Master Lu, why can¡¯t I understand what you¡¯re saying? You claimed that I hurt your men¡­ But why would I hurt them for no rhyme or reason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they went¡ª¡± Lu Yi hurriedly zipped up his mouth when he realized that something was wrong, for he would end up being at a disadvantage if the truth was out. Brother-in-law doesn¡¯t like me much in the first place. If he finds out the truth, he definitely won¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. ¡°How would I know the reason?! It must be because you¡¯re just too vicious! You didn¡¯t spare a single one of the eight men! You¡ª¡± ¡°Did I hear you right, Young Master Lu?¡± Are you saying that¡­ I fought against all eight of them by myself and even ended up winning the fight?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed as if she had just heard a hilarious joke. ¡°You think too highly of me!¡± Lu Yi was hopping mad. ¡°My men are still in my mansion. Do you dare to confront them in person?!¡± ¡°No need for that.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile faded. ¡°I believe it¡¯d be an ugly scene, so I¡¯m not interested.¡± Hearing that, both Lin Tianfeng and Liuyue turned their heads toward Chu Liuyue. Is she saying that¡­ ¡°So you admit that it was your doing?!¡± Lu Yi¡¯s face was flushed, and his eyes were burning with anger as he took a step forward. Chu Liuyue tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and smiled. ¡°Since you claim that it was my doing, then it must be my doing. But then¡­ So what?¡± So what?! I¡¯ve never met anyone as arrogant as her in Grotto-Heaven Cliff in years. Lin Tianfeng is the Lin family¡¯s patriarch as well as Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s head, while my sister, Lu Yu¡¯er, is my older sister as well as the Lin family¡¯s mistress! She hurt my men, and yet she still dared to admit it in front of them? She must be truly tired of living! Lu Yi burst out laughing in anger. ¡°Dugu Yue, I guess you don¡¯t know who you¡¯re standing next to right now. You want to feign innocence after doing that sort of thing?!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem bothered by his threat, however. She tilted her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest before looking at Lin Tianfeng while rubbing her chin in a thoughtful manner. She asked innocently, ¡°Master Lin, are you going to punish me?¡± Lin Tianfeng was stumped. Just then, a light voice was heard from behind. ¡°Ms. Dugu.¡± Everyone turned their heads toward the voice and saw Lin Zhifei standing tall and aloof in front of the courtyard.. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to use this pill. Can I trouble you to help me take a look at it?¡± Chapter 1046 - Favoritism Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lin Zhifei¡¯s appearance shattered the stalemate. When Lin Tianfeng came back to his senses, he gazed at Chu Liuyue with mixed emotions and said, ¡°Ms. Dugu, go ahead and help Zhifei first.¡± Chu Liuyu smiled faintly in return. ¡°Oh? What about Young Master Lu?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll personally settle this matter myself. You don¡¯t have to worry¡­ Ms. Dugu.¡± Although Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t speak loudly, his tone carried a hint of irrefutable authority. ¡°Thank you then, Master Lin.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and then turned around to leave without the slightest bit of hesitation. H-he¡¯s not going to pursue responsibility with Dugu Yue? Lu Yi was surprised by this turn of events, and he immediately moved to chase after Chu Liuyue while saying, ¡°Brother-in-law, she injured eight of my men. How can we let this matter slide just like that?!¡± Lin Tianfeng frowned. Oh no. Lu Yu¡¯er hurriedly stretched her hand out to pull her brother back while shouting a warning at him: ¡°Lu Yi, stop fooling around! Ms. Dugu is Zhifei¡¯s heavenly doctor, so she¡¯s carrying a heavy responsibility on her shoulders!¡± Hearing that, Lu Yi finally understood where the problem was. He gasped as he looked incredulously at his sister. ¡°What are you saying, Sis? Dugu Yue¡­ She¡­ She¡¯s the heavenly doctor who came knocking on the Lin residence¡¯s doors to help treat Lin Zhifei?!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Wasn¡¯t that clear enough?! ¡°H-how is that possible¡­¡± Lu Yi was confused. Dugu Yue was just an outsider without any status or background when I met her two days ago, yet she suddenly became Lin Zhifei¡¯s heavenly doctor?! So she¡¯s the one who will be following the Lin family to attend His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet! The unexpected news rendered Lu Yi¡¯s mind blank. Although he was rude, impudent, and impetuous, he wasn¡¯t stupid. Never mind if she was just some random heavenly doctor, but she just had to be Lin Zhifei¡¯s heavenly doctor. He could tell that Lin Tianfeng seemed to be quite trusting and protective of her. On top of that, Lin Zhifei himself had spoken up on her behalf. Lu Yi knew very well that the reason he could behave so lawlessly in Grotto-Heaven Cliff was that he had the Lin family¡¯s protection. Be it Lin Tianfeng or Lin Zhifei, neither were people who he could openly offend. It was only after Chu Liuyue left that Lin Tianfeng turned his eyes back to the pair of siblings and silently pulled his arm out of Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s arms. Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s heart sank, and she secretly regretted not getting to the bottom of the matter before they brought it up to Lin Tianfeng. ¡°Yu¡¯er, did you know about this matter?¡± Lin Tianfeng calmly asked. ¡°N-no!¡± Lu Yu¡¯er immediately denied as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°I asked Lu Yi about it before, but he refused to tell me. He said that he¡¯d only say it when he meets you to ask for your help in upholding justice for him. I didn¡¯t know¡ª¡± If I had known about it, I wouldn¡¯t have brought him here! Of course, she didn¡¯t know. If she had, she wouldn¡¯t have brought her brother to me. Lin Tianfeng remained indifferent to her cries and turned his gaze to Lu Yi instead. Lu Yi quivered. ¡°You said that Dugu Yue injured eight of your men?¡± Lin Tianfeng asked. Lu Yi nervously swallowed his saliva and nodded. Lin Tianfeng stared at him. ¡°Good. Then, tell me how you had planned to deal with her with those eight men!¡± ¡­ ¡°Thanks for your help, Fourth Young Master.¡± Chu Liuyue thanked Lin Zhifei immediately after entering his room. Lin Zhifei sat down, looking as nonchalant as before. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. This isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Having stayed at the Lin residence for two days, she had gained a certain amount of understanding about Lin Zhifei¡¯s personality, as well as the situation in the Lin family. Although what he said earlier seemed really simple, he was actually declaring that he¡¯s on my side. It¡¯s why Lin Tianfeng naturally took my side as well. Looks like it¡¯ll be hard for Lu Yi to stir up trouble now. ¡°You¡¯ve saved me a great deal of trouble.¡± Lin Zhifei smiled and then took out the pill. ¡°In that case, can we start now?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression became slightly serious as she nodded. ¡­ Under Chu Liuyue¡¯s watchful gaze, Lin Zhifei swallowed the pill. The pill instantly melted in his mouth and transformed into a blazing hot energy stream that flowed down his throat, filling his entire windpipe and quickly spreading toward his organs. It didn¡¯t take long before Lin Zhifei felt a piercing and numbing pain from all over his body as his face and body flushed red. It was like he had ants biting his Yuan meridian. Crash! His hand sent the things on the table sweeping to the ground. ¡°Draw out the force from your pearl of essence and perform a small Heavenly Cycle!¡± Chu Liuyue shouted. Lin Zhifei gritted his teeth and closed his eyes before trying to circulate the force in his body forcefully. Bone-piercing pain immediately spread throughout his body. His Yuan meridian¡ªwhich was almost entirely covered with a strange thing¡ªwas now covered by the pill that had transformed into a scorching aura and flowed into his Yuan meridian. As such, when he started circulating his force, he had to control his force to pass through the blazing aura. In this process, his force would inevitably come into contact with his delicate Yuan meridian, which was what caused him extra pain. He felt as if countless burning sharp blades were slicing off his Yuan meridian. Soon, blood started trickling from the corners of Lin Zhifei¡¯s lips. The blood, however, was black in color. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned serious. His condition has been dragged on for too long, so he can¡¯t completely recover with just one treatment. In order to show improvements, we have to be bold and decisive, so he has to go through the pain no matter what! ¡­ To Lin Zhifei, this was probably the most arduous time he had ever gone through¡ªevery minute and second felt long and grueling. In fact, he seemed to have exhausted his energy a long time ago, and his body had almost become numb to the pain. But whenever his mind was starting to get muddled, he could always hear a clear voice saying, ¡°You¡¯re halfway there, Fourth Young Master. Please continue. ¡°Your organs are cleared. It¡¯ll be ending soon. ¡°Just a bit more before this Heavenly Cycle ends¡­¡± The voice kept him awake again and again, but he himself didn¡¯t know how he had managed to last through it. In the middle, he could vaguely feel a warm force flowing into his body, which helped him recover a lot of his strength. He wanted to open his eyes, but this simple action was just simply too painful and too tiring to do so. Besides, he was constantly urged to continue the process. He knew who the voice belonged to, so he clenched his teeth and tried his best to get through the pain. After some time, when he finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Chu Liuyue immediately looked over. She could faintly see a bead lying in the puddle of black blood. That¡¯s it! As she waved her hand, a stream of fire immediately shot out and enveloped that bead. Chapter 1047 - Totem! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bam! A clear and crisp sound was heard¡ªthat bead had tried to escape but ended up getting stopped by the barrier Chu Liuyue had cast over it. It fell to the ground and into the puddle of black blood once more. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, it would¡¯ve been hard to spot it. Chu Liuyue waved her fingers, and scorching flames instantly appeared and formed a fist-sized ball to trap the bead within it. The fireball then floated back to her palm. She examined the bean-sized bead carefully, although she wasn¡¯t able to see exactly what it looked like as it was covered with blood. Still, she could clearly sense that it contained a startling amount of force and that it was this very thing that caused Lin Zhifei to be seriously ill. ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough!¡± Lin Zhifei started coughing violently. Chu Liuyue turned her head to look at him. ¡°How do you feel, Fourth Young Master?¡± It was only after coughing for a while longer that Lin Zhifei straightened his body. Although his flushed face instantly became pale and the bloodstains on the corners of his lips and chin made him appear even more haggard, his eyes looked even more energetic than before. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Lin Zhifei waved his hand while looking at her palm. His complexion regained a little of its color when he noticed the strange bead that was trapped inside the fireball. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± ¡°You should be very familiar with this thing, Fourth Young Master. After all, it¡¯s been inside your body for decades.¡± Lin Zhifei widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Are you saying that¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This is what caused the bizarre changes in your Yuan meridian.¡± Chu Liuyue then glanced at the bead and narrowed her eyes dangerously as she laughed. ¡°This thing seems to be able to devour Yuan meridians and cause one to become weak. It¡¯s a good thing that you have a superior Dijing Yuan meridian. Otherwise¡­ You wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive this long.¡± Lin Zhifei frowned. ¡°W-what exactly is it?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but I managed to guess that something was inside your body when I was taking your pulse previously. I wanted to get rid of it there and then at the time, but unfortunately, it¡¯s very strange and agile. It split into countless replications of itself in your Yuan meridian, so I couldn¡¯t catch it in that short frame of time. Hence¡ª¡± ¡°So the most important thing that you added in the pill you refined for me is actually¡­ your own force, right?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and very frankly admitted it. ¡°You sure are wise, Fourth Young Master!¡± She had indeed injected a flame of hers into the pill when refining it, and the main effect of the herbs added was to buffer the force of her flame. If an eighth-grade pill could cure Lin Zhifei of his illness, the Lin family¡¯s heavenly doctors would¡¯ve done that long ago and wouldn¡¯t have needed her help. Asking Lin Tianfeng to gather the herbs and making him stand guard was just a pretense that she had put up. Nobody knew that it wasn¡¯t the pill that saved Lin Zhifei¡¯s life but the flame driving the bead out of his body. This was also why Chu Liuyue had been urging him to circulate his force. Only with the combined forces could she cut all the bead¡¯s escape paths. A look of understanding flashed across Lin Zhifei¡¯s eyes, as did a hint of puzzlement. His voice still sounded a little weak, but the question he was about to pose was very important to him. ¡°Did you already know that you could use this method to help me when you came knocking on our door, Ms. Dugu?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Are you suspecting me of something?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Lin Zhifei denied it right away. ¡°I-I¡¯m just a little curious¡­¡± About how she knows that she can do this when she hadn¡¯t even taken my pulse at the time. Chu Liuyue merely smiled in response, for she couldn¡¯t possibly say that her confidence stemmed from the power of the water droplet in her body. ¡°Of course, if it¡¯s not convenient for you to say, I won¡¯t ever bring it up again,¡± Lin Zhifei immediately said after seeing her reaction. He could faintly guess that the woman in front of him possessed an extraordinary force inside her body. Well, it¡¯s understandable that she¡¯s unwilling to tell me anything. Chu Liuyue appreciated Lin Zhifei¡¯s tact as it was much easier to deal with smart people. ¡°Since we¡¯ve gotten rid of this thing from your body, the rest are all just small problems now. There¡¯s still a portion of the bead remaining in your Yuan meridian, but we can slowly deal with that afterward. As long as you recuperate properly, you¡¯ll be able to recover soon.¡± Lin Zhifei was in a bit of a trance as he looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s relaxed and breezy expression and heard what she said. He couldn¡¯t help squeezing his hands. ¡°T-that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Chu Liuyue studied his expression; it was rare for him to reveal such a bewildered and vulnerable expression that one could even see through his thoughts. ¡°Although it sounds easy, a lot of effort is still needed. I¡¯ll be staying by your side for the time being, so don¡¯t worry and just focus on recovering.¡± Lin Zhifei nodded unconsciously. ¡°Thank you¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­ Everything seems to have happened so suddenly¡­¡± I¡¯ve always thought that I wouldn¡¯t live long, so I¡¯ve never taken anything seriously before. In fact, I came back this time fully prepared to wait for my death. But who knew that¡­ As he stared at the bead, something suddenly occurred to him. He quietly whispered, ¡°Does that mean I wasn¡¯t born with the illness?¡± Chu Liuyue fell silent for a moment. ¡°If my guess is correct, the bead probably entered your body not long after you were born. It stayed in your body for many years, which was how you ended up in this state. But¡­¡± She paused and looked up. ¡°This isn¡¯t something that you were born with.¡± Lin Zhifei lowered his head slightly, his pale and skinny face looking extraordinarily haggard and lonely at the moment. After some time, he finally let out a long sigh. ¡°I see¡­¡± I¡¯ve always thought that I was the cause of my mother¡¯s death. I didn¡¯t know that¡­ He felt relaxed as if a heavy stone that had weighed down on him for years was suddenly lifted. This must¡¯ve been premeditated! His face, however, soon sank once again. But if I¡¯m not the cause, then someone must¡¯ve plotted everything¡ªbe it my mother¡¯s death or my illness! He looked up and asked, ¡°Are you able to tell where this bead came from, Ms. Dugu?¡± Chu Liuyue stared at the bead once more. By now, the flame had burned the bloodstains clean. This is just a black and heavy bead, and nothing seems special about it¡­ All of a sudden, her eyes focused. ¡°There seems to be a drawing on it¡ªno! I think it¡¯s a totem!¡± Chapter 1048 - A Night Together, A Life of Devotion Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Totem?¡± Lin Zhifei¡¯s expression turned serious. Chu Liuyue handed the pearl over to him. They saw that the dark, black pearl had an extremely tiny totem that reflected a faint light. However, this totem was very small. If one didn¡¯t take a close look at it, it would really be hard to notice it. ¡°This is a totem, right?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. Previously, she wouldn¡¯t have felt this way. But ever since she entered the God Residence Realm, Dugu Mobao had told her that all these established clans had their own totems. Before this, she had also seen the Lin family¡¯s totem on the light curtain by the God Residence Realm¡¯s borders. Hence, she had this guess once she saw this pattern¡ªthis was an indescribable instinct. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is indeed some clan¡¯s totem.¡± Lin Zhifei nodded affirmatively. ¡°But¡­ I temporarily can¡¯t tell who it belongs to.¡± The God Residence Realm was gigantic, and there were many clans. It wasn¡¯t very possible to know everyone¡¯s totems. Even though he was the Lin family¡¯s Fourth Young Master and his status was distinguished in Grotto-Heaven Cliff, it was only limited to this place. If they went out, there were many clans like Grotto-Heaven Cliff or even much stronger and scarier existences. It was rather difficult to check this totem¡¯s background in such a short amount of time. ¡°Would Master Lin recognize it if he saw it¡­¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment. He is knowledgeable and might know a thing or two. However, Lin Zhifei suddenly said, ¡°Ms. Dugu, I hope you¡¯ll keep this pearl a secret for now.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him strangely, but when she saw his genuine and sincere expression, her heart tingled. She didn¡¯t ask any further and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± It seems like¡­ Lin Zhifei doesn¡¯t trust Lin Tianfeng very much¡­ Or perhaps he is certain that someone beside Lin Tianfeng is problematic. Besides, even though this pearl is tiny, it might implicate many people in the Lin family once we start investigating old trifles and debts. It¡¯s normal for Lin Zhifei to be this meticulous. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll keep this item first?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Lin Zhifei nodded in agreement. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Dugu.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter.¡± It was very simple to deal with this small thing after experiencing all sorts of struggles with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds previously. Lin Zhifei¡¯s lips moved slightly, but he was hesitant. With the totem on the pearl, it might bring about unknown trouble. Normally, people would try their best to avoid this, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be willing to help¡­ ¡°Then, we¡¯ll end here today. Fourth Young Master, rest properly. Big Baby and I will take our leave first.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue bowed and brought Big Baby to leave. ¡°Hold on.¡± Seeing that the two of them were about to leave, Lin Zhifei suddenly yelled. Chu Liuyue turned back curiously. ¡°Fourth Young Master, do you have anything else for me?¡± Lin Zhifei paused for a moment. ¡°If nothing crops up, that first-grade transportation formation will be fixed tomorrow. Hence, we¡¯ll most likely take off tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Chu Liuyue was elated. Previously, I was worried that it would continue dragging. Now that we can go over earlier, we should be able to make it. Lin Zhifei looked at the woman before him. When she heard this piece of news, her eyes became lively. There seemed to be light darting within her black gem-like eyes, and they looked like stars shining. The curl on her lips is definitely not faked. She should¡­ want to go there earlier very badly? Lin Zhifei¡¯s lips also curled up slightly, revealing an extremely faint smile. Originally, I didn¡¯t really care about such things. However, it¡¯s good if I can help her a little. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go back and pack first?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and bade farewell. Lin Zhifei nodded. Chu Liuyue then left with Big Baby. When the duo¡¯s figures disappeared from his line of sight, Lin Zhifei slowly sat back down on the chair. He then closed his eyes and sorted out his aura. After he recovered some of his strength, he stood up and said, ¡°Prepare the water. I¡¯ll bathe and change.¡± The bloody smell on his body was causing his temples to hurt faintly. Upon hearing this, the pageboy waiting outside hurriedly came in. When he saw that Lin Zhifei¡¯s face and body were covered with bloodstains, he was taken aback. ¡°Young Master, you¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just prepare it.¡± Lin Zhifei waved his hands. The pageboy saw that he looked more energetic and less defeated than before, despite his unkempt appearance. The pageboy was also elated as he hurriedly acknowledged the order. ¡°Yes!¡± The pageboy was very efficient. In no time, he had prepared everything. ¡°Young Master, go ahead!¡± Lin Zhifei walked into the house. The pageboy followed beside him, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Young Master, is your health¡­ getting better?¡± Lin Zhifei paused for a moment. ¡°It is slightly better than before.¡± The pageboy gasped in shock. ¡°That¡¯s great! I didn¡¯t expect this Ms. Dugu to be this amazing!¡± Even though her current cultivation level can¡¯t be compared to the few ninth-grade heavenly doctors in the Lin family, she is still capable if she can treat Young Master! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect someone from outside the God Residence Realm to be this outstanding!¡± Upon hearing this, Lin Zhifei smiled faintly. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s not much difference between outside and within the God Residence Realm. It¡¯s still up to the individual¡¯s ability.¡± Even if she is unknown now, she will definitely make a name for herself when the time comes! ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re right!¡± As the pageboy served him, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I didn¡¯t expect. Young Master, this Ms. Dugu is already so outstanding, so why does she still want to find that heartbreaker? Won¡¯t she just make herself suffer for nothing?¡± Recalling her bright smile, Lin Zhifei was deep in thought.. ¡°Probably because¡­ the couple spent a night together, which leads to a lifetime of devotion.¡± Chapter 1049 - : Night Attack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That night, after Chu Liuyue solved Lin Zhifei¡¯s problem, she went back with Big Baby. They then peacefully waited for the next day¡¯s arrival. However, Lu Yi wasn¡¯t so carefree and relaxed on the other side. Lin Tianfeng was clearly on Lin Zhifei¡¯s side. As long as Chu Liuyue could treat Lin Zhifei, he would try his best to protect her no matter what she did. Besides, at the end of the day, Lu Yi started this matter first. If he hadn¡¯t taken action first, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t have possibly retaliated. Hence, both logically and personally, Lu Yi was disadvantaged. After Lin Tianfeng stated that he wouldn¡¯t help Lu Yi, he even sternly warned the latter not to do such nonsensical things again. He even scolded Lu Yu¡¯er as well. After such a series of actions, the sister-brother duo was totally dismissed. Lu Yu¡¯er originally wanted to argue with him, but Lu Yu¡¯er forcefully pulled her brother away. ¡­ Lu Yu¡¯er didn¡¯t dare to let her brother stay in the Lin family, so she swiftly returned home with him. When they reached the Lu family residence, she dismissed all the servants once she passed through the door. After everyone left, Lu Yu¡¯er stretched out her hand and harshly knocked against Lu Yi¡¯s head. ¡°Do you have a brain or not?!¡± Lu Yi¡¯s forehead was scratched by her sharp nails, and blood flowed out. His stomach filled with anger and indignance also exploded at that instant! ¡°Sister, why are you treating me like this too?! Am I not your biological brother?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m scolding you because you¡¯re my biological brother! If someone else dared to do this, I would¡¯ve long settled them in private!¡± Lu Yu¡¯er looked at him as though she expected better from him. ¡°Do you know that the things you did today will bring us a lot of trouble?! Previously, I asked you who exactly the person who attacked you was, and you refused to say! I didn¡¯t expect it to be Dugu Yue! What exactly were you thinking?! Don¡¯t you know that she just became Lin Zhifei¡¯s heavenly doctor two days ago?!¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know this?!¡± Lu Yi also felt very indignant as he yelled, ¡°Who would¡¯ve known that such a lowly person from outside the God Residence Realm would have such formidable methods?! That Lin Tianfeng and his son are also stupid. Do they really think that Dugu Yue can treat Lin Zhifei?! That item in his body¡ª¡± Lu Yu¡¯er hollered in shock, ¡°Shut up!¡± Seeing Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s shocked and furious face, Lu Yi then realized that he had said something wrong as he felt fearful and guilty. ¡°If you dare to casually say such things in the future, you¡ª¡± Lu Yu¡¯er raised her hand and wanted to slap him as she glared at him furiously. However, she still didn¡¯t land her blow. She angrily sat on the chair and harshly slammed the table. ¡°Why do I have such a useless brother like you!? It¡¯s fine if you cause trouble normally, but you actually caused this much trouble! Do you think it¡¯s easy for me to attain this status in the Lin family?!¡± Lu Yi scratched his head and went over. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be angry. You can¡¯t completely blame me for this, right? It¡¯s all because that Dugu Yue is too weird! Not only did she hurt my people, but she even stole my chance to go there! Sister, you must take revenge for me!¡± When he mentioned this, Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s blood also boiled with hatred. I convinced Lin Tianfeng with much difficulty to bring Lu Yi along, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be changed right before we left! ¡°That Dugu Yue does have her methods¡­¡± She clenched her fists tightly as she muttered softly. Hatred flashed across her eyes. ¡°Yeah! Sister, think about it! She¡¯s from outside the God Residence Realm and even has a child with her. How exactly did she fight eight people alone and teach all my people a lesson? The few of them aren¡¯t weak at all!¡± Lu Yu¡¯er rolled her eyes. ¡°Since she can barge in from outside, she¡¯s at least a demigod. Won¡¯t it be as easy as ABC to defeat your subordinates?¡± However, Lu Yi shook his head. ¡°Sister, do you think that I didn¡¯t think of this? It¡¯s precisely because of this that I picked the strongest few to go over.¡± He stretched out his fingers. ¡°Out of the eight of them, half of them were stage-nine warriors, and two of them were even at peak stage-nine! For the remaining few, the weakest was also a stage-eight warrior! Isn¡¯t such a formation more than enough to fight against a beginner demigod?¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Besides, even if they can¡¯t fight against a demigod together, their abilities shouldn¡¯t be that far apart. Why would they end up in that state?¡± All eight of them were beaten up until only half their lives were left. Their limbs were broken, and they became handicapped. Being able to do such a thing proved that Dugu Yue was cruel and heartless! ¡°What you say does make sense¡­¡± Lu Yu¡¯er fell into deep thought. ¡°Besides, she¡¯s just a seventh¡­ No, she should be an eighth-grade heavenly doctor now.¡± It seemed like Dugu Yue was very talented as a heavenly doctor. Normally speaking, someone with talent in this area would usually focus on it. Very few people would proceed with their cultivation as a warrior. ¡°I wonder how old that Dugu Yue is. If she¡¯s really as young as she looks¡­ In her twenties, and she¡¯s someone from the outside realm¡­ With such talent and potential, she¡¯s really¡ª¡± muttered Lu Yu¡¯er, and she was shocked. She didn¡¯t think so in the beginning, but now, she increasingly felt that this Dugu Yue wasn¡¯t simple! ¡°Sister, you must avenge me!¡± begged Lu Yi. However, Lu Yu¡¯er waved her hands in frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t now. Lin Tianfeng is watching us closely. Besides, they¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡± Furthermore, if something really happens to Dugu Yue at this moment, we¡¯ll be the prime suspects! ¡°Put this matter aside first. We¡¯ll talk again after seeing tomorrow¡¯s situation.¡± Lu Yi was hesitant with his words, but he could only acknowledge reluctantly. Indignance flashed across his eyes. ¡­ Night. The moon hung high in the sky, and there were a few stars. In the room, Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and was cultivating. These two days, she had used up a lot of her force. If not for the water droplet in her dantian supporting her, she would¡¯ve collapsed after producing the pill. She closed her eyes. Under the moonlight, her white and charming face looked even purer¡ªlike jade. Following her rhythmic breathing, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force continuously entered her body like tidal waves. After she broke through as a stage-seven warrior, her cultivation speed was much greater than before since she had passed the God Foreseeing Stage and recovered her Tianjing Yuan meridian. After circulating her force for one Heavenly Cycle, Chu Liuyue finally recovered her breathing. Following this, she lightly breathed out and raised her right hand. A silver light suddenly appeared on her index finger. Then, it was the second one. The third. Not long later, five stars lit up on Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, shining brightly! A few rays of light then flew out and connected these five stars as a faint light covered her entire palm. Right at this moment, a strange sound was heard outside the window! Harsh murderous intent suddenly pierced through the air! Chu Liuyue instantly widened her eyes! Chapter 1050 - Sorry for the Trouble Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next moment, her wrist turned as she pushed out a palm print. The silver palm print that dazzled seemed slow, but it moved forward very quickly! Perhaps the suppression was too strong as it even dragged out a long, dark space crack! Bam! The sound of something breaking was heard. The light on the palm print dazzled and instantly darkened by quite a bit! However, the attack¡¯s strength was eventually stopped. A few broken icicle pieces landed on the ground. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and looked up¡ªa long figure was reflected on the window! She narrowed her eyes slightly. This aura¡ª ¡°You are quite strong.¡± A low and stern voice sounded. ¡°Lu Yi?¡± Chu Liuyue almost immediately confirmed the incoming person¡¯s identity. ¡°You¡¯re quite smart. Since this is so, I¡¯m not going to hide myself either!¡± Lu Yi sneered as he abruptly waved his arm! Whoosh¡ª He was extremely strong and directly ripped Chu Liuyue¡¯s barrier apart! He forcefully entered through the window! Chu Liuyue immediately jumped up from the bed! ¡°What do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist shook, and the Long Yuan Sword appeared in her hands. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± Lu Yi raised his brows and chuckled as he sized Chu Liuyue up in contempt. ¡°Aren¡¯t you very amazing? What, are you scared?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly, and she laughed gently, but her eyes were filled with cold intent. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m very scared. If I accidentally cause Madam Lin¡¯s biological brother to become handicapped, it¡¯ll be unfortunate.¡± Lu Yi¡¯s expression instantly turned ugly. ¡°Arrogant!¡± However, fear started growing in his heart. Since the woman in front of me could teach the eight of them a lesson, it proves that she isn¡¯t weak. Could she¡­ have already completely stepped into the Apotheosis Realm? Once this idea surfaced in his mind, Lu Yi immediately dismissed it. Impossible! If she had really reached that stage, she wouldn¡¯t have directly chosen to escape when she met me that day. Besides, she even seemed to have used some sort of Yuan instrument to teleport instantly. This doesn¡¯t seem like something a person who has reached that cultivation level would do. ¡°I think you¡¯re the arrogant one, right?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°I¡¯m Fourth Young Master Lin¡¯s heavenly doctor now, and I¡¯ll be accompanying him to go to that place very soon¡­ If something happens to me today, guess who Master Lin will find first?¡± Lu Yi naturally knew that if this plan succeeded, he and Lu Yu¡¯er wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid the suspicion. But so what? As long as I do it secretly and nobody knows about it, Lin Tianfeng can¡¯t convict us even if he suspects us! ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Lu Yi¡¯s eyes revealed a sense of ferociousness. ¡°Thus, for safety reasons, you should forever shut your mouth from today onward!¡± Then, he moved his foot, raised his triangular awl, and stabbed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction! Chu Liuyue stepped away and used her sword to block it! Tsing! The two short weapons hit against each other! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand was instantly shocked until it was numb. After all, the other party is a demigod¡ªa few cultivation levels higher than me. If we fight head-on against each other, I have no chance of winning! Just as the thought appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, Lu Yi¡ªwho was opposite her¡ªwas also taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re not an Apotheosis-level warrior!¡± It wasn¡¯t a question but a declarative sentence. Within the God Residence Realm, almost all cultivators would use Yuan instruments to cover their aura and conceal their true abilities. Ordinary people normally couldn¡¯t spot anything wrong, but as long as one took action, the cultivator¡¯s true abilities would be shown. It couldn¡¯t be concealed! This was the first time Lu Yi battled Chu Liuyue, so he immediately felt something amiss. Whoosh! Chu Liuyue raised her wrist and flung his triangular awl away. At the same time, a red fire spread along the Long Yuan Sword quickly! It flew toward Lu Yi at the speed of lightning! Detecting the scorching aura attacking him, Lu Yi knew that it was bad! When he focused and saw it, he noticed that it was actually an abnormally hot red fire! He sensitively felt that the power within this fire was extremely strong and couldn¡¯t be underestimated! Without even thinking, he then took a step back and inserted his force into the triangular awl! ¡°Three Yin Icy Awl!¡± Many long, thumb-sized icicles formed in the air and flew out! The two parties¡¯ attacks met each other! Rumble! The originally palm-sized fire started burning intensely! It formed a barrier and blocked Chu Liuyue! Those icicles shot out. The nearer they got, the slower they were! At the very end, they actually melted silently! Lu Yi was stunned! This Three Yin Icy Awl is a very useful Yuan instrument of mine. It¡¯s extremely strong, and its attacks almost cannot be stopped! However, it amounted to nothing in front of this red fire! At this moment, Chu Liuyue rapidly lifted her sword! A ray of black light immediately shot out! In the blink of an eye, it flew to Lu Yi! Lu Yi was alarmed and angered as he crazily circulated his force! Chu! Chu! Chu! Many icicles shot out again! This time, it was several-fold more than before! In the blink of an eye, the icicles completely covered Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure! That black light had stopped most of the icicles, but there were a few that barely avoided it and went straight toward Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue held the Long Yuan Sword and was about to take action when she discovered that her surrounding space suddenly became sticky and heavy! Her body seemed to be suppressed by something, and every action was extremely tedious! Lu Yi used his godly power! ¡°Hmph! Even though I haven¡¯t completely stepped into the Apotheosis Realm, it¡¯s enough to deal with you!¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue was forcefully restricted, the tinge of nervousness in Lu Yi¡¯s heart finally subsided. He couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This icicle is chilling to the bone. As long as one hits your body, it can completely freeze you! Without long, you can¡ªwhat?!¡± Just as Lu Yi revealed his delighted smile, he saw that the icicles didn¡¯t pierce through Chu Liuyue¡¯s skin when they hit her. Instead, they were all shocked by something and broke! He looked forward in disbelief. Then, he saw a faintly golden armor on Chu Liuyue. His icicles met with this armor earlier, and they all broke! ¡°T-this armor¡ª¡± Lu Yi had the Lin family as his backing, so he had seen quite a fair amount of good things. Hence, at this moment, he immediately recognized that this armor was extraordinary! It¡¯s able to stop my attacks easily¡­ ¡°You do have quite a lot of treasures!¡± Lu Yi was so angry that he laughed as greed appeared in his eyes. As long as I settle her, all of these things will be mine! Just as he was about to take action again, the woman opposite him suddenly spoke. ¡°Lu Yi, have you ever thought about how your subordinates ended up in that state when I¡¯m not a full-fledged Apotheosis-level warrior?¡± Lu Yi was stunned. Chu Liuyue revealed a smile with deep meaning as she looked behind him.. ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± Chapter 1051 - A Year Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lu Yi knew that something was amiss, and he immediately turned around to look! But before he could even see the scene before him clearly, he felt an excruciating pain in his head! Bam! His eyes turned black, and he immediately fell onto the floor, making a loud sound. The room recovered its silence again. If Lu Yi wasn¡¯t lying on the floor and a bloody hole had appeared in his forehead, it really looked like nothing had happened at all. Chu Liuyue looked down and coldly glanced at him before sticking out her thumb in respect. ¡°Big Baby, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Opposite her, Dugu Mobao expressionlessly placed the chair down. That chair was even taller than him. If one didn¡¯t see it personally, nobody would believe that such a cute child would actually use a chair to knock a demigod unconscious directly! ¡°He¡¯s just a demigod that was cultivated by using all sorts of methods. His true combat power is around that of a peak stage-nine warrior,¡± criticized Dugu Mobao nonchalantly. This was also the reason why Chu Liuyue could forcefully take his attacks previously. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. You taught all eight of them a lesson previously. You can add him to your list now.¡± Thinking of the scene back then, Chu Liuyue was still shocked. Back then, she and Big Baby were stuck in the dark, narrow alley. They were surrounded by people with cultivation levels all higher than her. Seeing that the scene couldn¡¯t be controlled, Big Baby stood up. From start to end, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even lift a finger. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t dare but that she couldn¡¯t do so in time. When she reacted, Big Baby had already settled the last person. If one had to say that she did something¡­ Did stuffing them into the box count? This was also because Big Baby found it dirty, so he passed this miscellaneous task to Chu Liuyue. From start to end, he only used a¡­ brick. When she thought of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression became complicated. ¡°Last time, it was a brick. Now, it¡¯s a chair¡­ Big Baby, do you want me to buy you a useful Yuan instrument?¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at her coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be humiliated if I still need to use a Yuan instrument against these people.¡± ¡°¡­Forget I asked anything.¡± I seem to be overthinking when I¡¯m talking about these matters with a terrifying existence that has formed a Holy Body. ¡°But speaking of which, I thought you hid your aura from the start because it¡¯s inconvenient for you to take action¡­¡± ¡°It is inconvenient for me to take action, so I didn¡¯t use my godly power,¡± said Dugu Mobao lightly. ¡°This Holy Body is enough to deal with such minor problems.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. M-minor problems?! I¡¯m starting to regret talking to Dugu Mobao about this. Every time I do so, my self-esteem and self-confidence are crazily impacted. ¡°Ahem!¡± Chu Liuyue coughed and glanced at Lu Yi, who was unconscious on the ground. ¡°Then, what should I do with him?¡± It seems rather disadvantageous¡­ if I just send him back like this. Dugu Mobao said nonchalantly, ¡°Just ruin his pearl of essence.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m kind-hearted, but¡­ If he realizes that he has become a good-for-nothing after he wakes up, he will definitely push all the blame to me. Even though he isn¡¯t one to be feared, his sister¡ªLu Yu¡¯er¡ªisn¡¯t easy to deal with. Even if I can rely on treating Lin Zhifei to get a backing for myself, I¡¯m still alone without any support. I¡¯m not afraid of anything, but I feel that this will cause unnecessary trouble for myself. This Lu Yi is very arrogant and has taken action on her many times, yet she doesn¡¯t want to cripple him? Dugu Mobao knitted his brows. ¡°Then, what do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue broke out into a bright smile and lightly said, ¡°There are many ways to punish a person. Why must you do it so obviously?¡± Then, she took out a pill and forcefully fed it to Lu Yi. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Dugu Mobao squinted his eyes. ¡°Soul-sucking pill.¡± Chu Liuyue dusted off her hands. ¡°After he consumes it, he¡¯ll gradually forget all his memories within a year. He will first forget about tonight. When he wakes up tomorrow, it¡¯ll be impossible for him to remember anything and point us out. When his memories are messed up, his mental health will also be affected. In the end, he¡¯ll be a useless person with no rationality or emotions.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s sinister-like purple eyes seemed to glow faintly. His brows then relaxed, and he revealed a satisfied smile. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Even if she has changed to another body, I don¡¯t want her to become soft-hearted. ¡°Okay, we just need to send him back now¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was about to pull Lu Yi up and send him away when she suddenly stopped her actions. It was as if she were thinking about some problem as her expression was dazed. There seemed to be ripples in the depths of her black, gem-like eyes. Dugu Mobao found that something was amiss and immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t react. Dugu Mobao called her. ¡°Yue¡¯er GIrlie?¡± This time, Chu Liuyue finally recovered her senses. She slowly turned her head over, and her actions were stiff. Her expression was also very strange. ¡°Big Baby,¡± she called out lightly. Even though she was talking to Dugu Mobao, her eyes weren¡¯t focused as if she were looking at something through the air. Her appearance caused Dugu Mobao¡¯s heart to skip a beat. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a moment before lightly pronouncing every word clearly.. ¡°Coincidentally, it also seems to be a year¡­ since I died in my previous life and was reborn in this life.¡± Chapter 1052 - Number One Beauty Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue questioned in suspicion. ¡°Back then, you set yourself on fire and committed suicide. Your physical body was already completely ruined, leaving only your soul behind. You only managed to be reborn in this body by force. What has all of this got to do with the soul-sucking pill?¡± said Dugu Mobao nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ but¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. But I still feel that this matter is amiss. After I was reborn, I had even specifically asked for the date¡ªthat day was indeed coincidentally a year after I died. If one says that it¡¯s a coincidence¡­ could there really be no other meaning? ¡°Let¡¯s send him back first. If not, there might be unnecessary trouble,¡± urged Dugu Mobao silently. Chu Liuyue glanced at Dugu Mobao. I wonder if he doesn¡¯t want to talk to me about this or whether he genuinely has no interest in it. However, she didn¡¯t ask in detail. Perhaps¡­ I really am overthinking it? She nodded and collected her thoughts as she pulled Lu Yi up. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ The night silently passed on just like that. The next morning, Chu Liuyue brought Dugu Mobao to the Lin family. Upon seeing the duo¡¯s arrival, the guard bowed from far away and smiled warmly. ¡°Ms. Dugu, you¡¯re here! Master and Fourth Young Master are both waiting for you!¡± Seeing the guard¡¯s reaction, Chu Liuyue understood that the news of Lin Zhifei¡¯s body recovering had already spread around. As expected, not long after she walked in, she saw Lin Tianfeng¡ªwho had heard the news and specifically came out to welcome her. When Lin Tianfeng saw Chu Liuyue, his face immediately broke out into a smile. ¡°Ms. Dugu!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and went forward. ¡°Master Lin, I¡¯m not late, am I?¡± ¡°Not at all! Not at all!¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s face was filled with smiles. ¡°Hurry up and go in! Zhifei is currently packing his things inside, so he didn¡¯t come out. Ms. Dugu, don¡¯t blame him!¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Even though I¡¯ve long known that Lin Tianfeng is biased toward his son, I didn¡¯t expect it would be to this extent. I haven¡¯t even treated Lin Zhifei completely, yet Lin Tianfeng¡¯s attitude toward me is much better than before. If Lin Zhifei really recovers fully¡­ I don¡¯t even know how he would thank me. While Chu Liuyue walked in with Lin Tianfeng, she asked, ¡°May I know if Fourth Young Master is feeling better today?¡± ¡°He¡¯s much better! Much better!¡± Lin Tianfeng hurriedly nodded, his eyes filled with unconcealable comfort and emotions. ¡°Ms. Dugu, you¡¯re indeed amazing! It¡¯s all thanks to you this time!¡± Lin Tianfeng originally wanted to check on his son¡¯s condition the night before, but the pageboy had said that he was resting. Thus, he didn¡¯t disturb him. When he saw Lin Zhifei this morning, he immediately felt that the latter was different! Lin Zhifei¡¯s health did take a turn for the better! This finally calmed his uneasy heart. When he saw Chu Liuyue again, his emotions were naturally different. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s mainly because Fourth Young Master¡¯s core is good, and his circulation is better.¡± ¡°No matter what, I must thank you properly, Ms. Dugu!¡± said Lin Tianfeng emotionally. As he talked, the two of them had already arrived at Lin Zhifei¡¯s residence. The pageboy welcomed them at the door. The moment Chu Liuyue walked in, she saw Lin Zhifei. Today, he was wearing a bamboo-green robe with a jade belt around his waist. It was clearly extremely minimalist clothing, but the robe had a clear aura to it. His usually pale face was tainted with a slight bit of blood color. Together with his eyes that seemed brighter, his entire person looked much more different than before. Without the weird pearl¡¯s existence and with his internal conflict resolved, he naturally got better faster. Seeing his appearance, Chu Liuyue was also secretly shocked. I can only say that Lin Zhifei¡¯s recovery ability is much much stronger than I had expected. Without those restrictions, this person¡¯s future will definitely be bright. It¡¯s no wonder Lin Tianfeng is so happy today. This should be the scene he has most wanted to see for the past few decades, right? ¡°It seems like you¡¯re indeed better, Fourth Young Master.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and went forward. The distance and coldness in Lin Zhifei¡¯s eyes subsided greatly. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Ms. Dugu. Out of all these years, I slept most peacefully last night. May I know¡­ if Ms. Dugu slept well?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she smiled with slightly deeper meaning. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Fourth Young Master. Big Baby and I slept very well.¡± Lin Zhifei nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue took the chance to take his pulse and said, ¡°Fourth Young Master, your health has been deteriorating for the past few years. If you want to recover completely, you still need to recuperate for a period of time.¡± Lin Zhifei smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already survived so many years. There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t wait for.¡± Hearing the duo¡¯s conversation and confirming that Lin Zhifei¡¯s health did have a chance of fully recovering, Lin Tianfeng turned his head to the side slightly and took a deep breath in to suppress the tears in his eyes. ¡°Master, Fourth Young Master, everyone is waiting in the living room,¡± reported the pageboy as he came forward. ¡°It¡¯s time to go!¡± Then, Lin Tianfeng turned around, smiled, and urged the two of them. ¡°Look at me, I actually forgot about this! Zhifei, Ms. Dugu, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ The few of them went to the living room. When they reached, a group of people was indeed gathered there. Chu Liuyue quickly surveyed her surroundings. The three elders had an experienced aura, and they were clearly the elders the Lin family had chosen to go on this trip with them. Beside them were three young girls. At first glance, they were all beautiful with good figures. Furthermore, these three people¡¯s auras weren¡¯t weak. They were clearly beauties that had been meticulously chosen, and they were superior in all aspects. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze suddenly turned a little strange. I think these three must be the candidates Grotto-Heaven Cliff has chosen to participate in His Grace¡¯s consort-picking contest. Seeing Lin Tianfeng and the rest arrive, the people in the living room immediately looked up and bowed in unison. ¡°Greetings, Master.¡± Lin Tianfeng raised his hand and smiled brightly. ¡°We¡¯re about to set off. We don¡¯t have to care about these formalities.¡± When they saw that he was so happy, the few of them exchanged glances and later looked at Lin Zhifei, who followed him in. With that, they all understood why. One of the elders laughed out loud and inquired, ¡°Master, you¡¯re so happy. It seems like Fourth Young Master¡¯s body is recovering?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Ms. Dugu!¡± said Lin Tianfeng heartily with a smile. Hearing his affirmative response, the crowd in the room instantly turned around to look at Chu Liuyue together. This woman seems ordinary, and we¡¯ve heard that she came from outside the God Residence Realm. Could she really be that amazing? However, Chu Liuyue seemed to be in a daze. Lin Zhifei gently called her. ¡°Ms. Dugu? Ms. Dugu, what are you thinking about?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and then noticed that the crowd was looking at her. Her lips curled up into a smile. ¡°Nothing much.. I was just thinking that these few ladies are indeed very pretty. If His Grace sees them, he¡¯ll definitely like them, right?¡± Chapter 1053 - Abandon Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios For some reason, Lin Zhifei faintly felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were amiss. However, he couldn¡¯t specifically point out which part of it was wrong. On the other hand, those few women looked elated when they heard this. Even though they also knew that their chances of being chosen weren¡¯t high, who didn¡¯t like to hear compliments? Besides, who could say for sure? What if they were extremely lucky¡­ Then, they could shoot up to the sky! ¡°Thank you for your words, Ms. Dugu, but there are many clans participating in the contest for the position of princess consort during His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet. Every clan has chosen their most outstanding girls of suitable age, so the competition is very intense. Nobody knows what the outcome will be.¡± Lin Tianfeng laughed. In actual fact, he didn¡¯t have much hope. Among the many clans, Grotto-Heaven Cliff could only be considered as one of the weaker ones. No matter if it was the size of their territory, resources, or any other aspects, they couldn¡¯t be compared to the other divisions. The three women before the group were meticulously chosen by them with much difficulty. At first glance, they might seem decent. However, he was afraid that they couldn¡¯t be compared to the elegant women the major clans carefully brought up. Upon hearing this, the few women hurriedly retracted their gazes. ¡°Ms. Dugu, you¡¯re so young, and you came from outside the God Residence Realm. I didn¡¯t expect you to really be able to treat Fourth Young Master¡­ I heard that you¡¯re already an eighth-grade heavenly doctor now, Ms. Dugu?¡± An elder standing at the back spoke suddenly. His tone was stern with a tinge of unconcealable arrogance. Chu Liuyue followed the voice and looked over. That elder was thin and had white hair, but his eyes were gleaming with a cold glint. Since she and Lin Zhifei walked in, he didn¡¯t really smile at all. Furthermore, he seemed to have some hidden enmity toward her. As if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see anything wrong, she smiled and said, ¡°I just broke through to become an eighth-grade heavenly doctor two days ago. May I know this senior¡­¡± ¡°This is Elder Lou Ruhai,¡± said Lin Zhifei. ¡°He¡¯s also the First Elder in the Lin family who serves as our heavenly doctor.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. So this person is the greatest heavenly doctor in the Lin family? I heard Lin Tianfeng say that he seems to be a peak ninth-grade heavenly doctor? Knowing the other party¡¯s status, Chu Liuyue instantly understood why the other party disliked her. He is extremely strong and has a distinguished status in the Lin family. He didn¡¯t manage to solve Lin Zhifei¡¯s illness after so long, but I did once I came. Won¡¯t this be slapping his face? It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s treating me with such an attitude. Chu Liuyue bowed. ¡°I¡¯m Dugu Yue. Greetings, Senior Lou Ruhai¡ª¡± However, Lou Ruhai directly said, ¡°Forget this formality! Perhaps I might have many questions that require your guidance in the future, Ms. Dugu!¡± His words sounded weird, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take them to heart as she smiled. Elder Lin Mo, who spoke to Lin Tianfeng at first, concluded the conversation. ¡°Haha! Since everyone is here¡ªMaster, shall we proceed?¡± Lin Tianfeng nodded. However, Lou Ruhai suddenly said, ¡°We naturally must go, but¡­ What¡¯s with that child?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. As expected, he was staring straight at Dugu Mobao with a cold gaze. She pulled Dugu Mobao behind her and smiled politely. ¡°Big Baby is just a child, and he¡¯s always obedient. He won¡¯t cause us any trouble.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you sure?¡± Lou Ruhai lightly grunted. ¡°You need to know that the spots to go to that place are very precious. Seeing that you treated Fourth Young Master and that you still need to accompany him for a period of time, it¡¯s not unreasonable to give you a spot. However, this child¡­¡± ¡°Elder Lou, according to the child¡¯s age, he doesn¡¯t need to take a spot,¡± reminded Lin Tianfeng. ¡°Of course, I know this. But Master, don¡¯t forget. This birthday banquet that His Grace is holding is also a contest to choose his princess consort. Won¡¯t it be rather inappropriate to bring a child along to such a venue¡­?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled seemingly, but her eyes lost their smiling intent. ¡°Then, do you think that I should leave Big Baby here alone?¡± Lou Ruhai stroked his beard. ¡°That can be a plan. Anyway, Madam is still around in the Lin family, and there are many people here to take care of the child. He won¡¯t be mistreated, and it¡¯d be more convenient for everyone, right?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. Thinking of leaving Big Baby behind to be the hostage? Dream on! If Big Baby is angered, the others will be the ones to suffer! Chu Liuyue was too lazy to talk nonsense with him as she directly looked at Lin Tianfeng and lightly asked, ¡°Master Lin, what do you think?¡± Lin Tianfeng shook his head without any hesitation. ¡°There¡¯s no need. This child is so young. How can he separate from his mother? We have so many people; he won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± Dugu Yue originally came to the God Residence Realm to find her husband. It would be too unjustified if I separated the mother-son duo. Even though he was also worried, Dugu Yue had treated Zhifei, so he was willing to take responsibility for this. ¡°Master! This¡ª¡± Lou Ruhai wanted to say something further, but he was stopped by Lin Tianfeng¡¯s gaze. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s getting late; we should set off now!¡± Then, Lin Tianfeng left directly. Lou Ruhai¡¯s expression was ugly, but he couldn¡¯t argue further. He knitted his brows and glanced at Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao before following Lin Tianfeng. Chu Liuyue touched Dugu Mobao¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Wherever we go, I won¡¯t abandon you!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyelids twitched. But when he heard this, he still held back his urge to explode in anger. The few of them didn¡¯t speak further and went straight to the transportation formation. Chapter 1054 - Position of the Princess Consort Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Perhaps Chu Liuyue¡¯s current appearance was too ordinary and she was an outstanding heavenly doctor, or perhaps Dugu Mobao looked too cute, but it caused the few women¡¯s motherly hearts to flutter. No matter what, their attitudes toward Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao during the entire journey were extremely good. The few of them surrounded the duo and asked quite a few questions, clearly quite interested in both of them. Chu Liuyue was still okay as she occasionally talked to them. However, Dugu Mobao had a cold face, and he exuded a coldness that prevented strangers from going close to him. It was a pity that it wasn¡¯t very convincing when paired with his current cute and adorable appearance and figure. If Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t defend him sternly, Dugu Mobao¡¯s distinguished face would be terribly touched. They passed through the extremely terrible period in this manner, and the crowd finally reached the place. ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked up. This was a large square. In the center of the square, there was a black circular transportation formation. It was engraved with some pattern¡ªthat was the Lin family¡¯s totem! There weren¡¯t many people in the surroundings, but a few guards were still stationed there as they guarded the place strictly. The discipline was high, and the atmosphere was solemn. After reaching this place, everyone seemed to be especially stern and serious. There seemed to be some faint form of fear and respect. Lin Tianfeng surveyed his surroundings, knitted his brows, and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Yu¡¯er?¡± According to the rules, Lu Yu¡¯er should¡¯ve been waiting here long ago to send us off. But everyone else is here at this moment, yet Lu Yu¡¯er Is nowhere to be found. The person at the front stepped forward and respectfully said, ¡°Master, Madam¡­ temporarily left because something cropped up.¡± What thing could be more important than sending us off to that place? Without thinking, Lin Tianfeng knew what had happened, and his face turned cold. ¡°Did something happen to the Lu family again?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± That man hesitated for a moment and whispered, ¡°I heard that something is wrong with Young Master Lu¡¯s body¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, he¡¯s the most arrogant one usually. What problem can he have?¡± It¡¯s fine if Lu Yi is immature, but even Lu Yu¡¯er is messing around with him! For that younger brother she spoils, she doesn¡¯t even care about her responsibilities as the Lin family¡¯s Mistress! ¡°Forget it!¡± Lin Tianfeng said as he stepped onto the transportation formation! It isn¡¯t too late to do the accounts for this when we¡¯re back. Lin Zhifei, Elder Lin Mo, and the rest followed closely. Then, it was the few young women. Lastly, it was Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao. Actually, this transportation formation wasn¡¯t considered huge. Only a hundred or so people could be transported at one time, but its aura was extraordinary. Just as Chu Liuyue was about to get on, the women that had just gone up yelled in pain. One of them was careless and directly kneeled on the floor! Her knees smashed against the floor harshly, letting out a sound. She was in so much pain that her face paled. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. This is clearly not the reaction one would get from knocking their knees. It seems like¡ª ¡°The other end of the transportation formation is connected to that place. Its suppression is naturally much stronger than other transportation formations.¡± Elder Lin Mo hurried over and helped that woman up. ¡°Even people like us¡ªwho have stepped into the Apotheosis Realm¡ªfeel that it¡¯s hard to handle, let alone you.¡± That woman forcefully stood up with Elder Lin Mo¡¯s help. The other two women seemed to have only forcefully stabilized their figures due to the other two elders¡¯ help. But judging from their expressions, they clearly looked like they were uncomfortable. ¡°When we¡¯re on the road, you must remember to look after each other. Master and the elders will also help you,¡± said Elder Lin Mo comfortingly. The few women then felt more assured, but they still looked shocked. Lin Zhifei looked at Chu Liuyue and slightly knitted his brows. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice this as she pulled Dugu Mobao over. But the moment she stood on the transportation formation, she felt an intense suppression coming from all sides! Danger! Chu Liuyue¡¯s alarm in her heart rang loudly! My true cultivation level is only that of a beginner stage-seven warrior. How can I handle this? But right now, I can¡¯t openly get Ancestor¡¯s help or even Dugu Mobao¡¯s help! Just as she was very nervous, the Cosmic Ring on her hand suddenly vibrated slightly. An extremely small wave was then sent out! Hua! That unknown suppression suddenly dissipated, and the burden on Chu Liuyue seemed to instantly disappear at that moment! Chu Liuyue looked down and glanced at the Cosmic Ring on her hand in shock. There is nothing amiss. Other than me, it seems like nobody noticed this minute change. She pressed her lips against each other tightly. This Cosmic Ring belongs to Rong Xiu, but it doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary Cosmic Ring. This transportation formation¡¯s reaction¡­ ¡°Ms. Dugu, are you okay?¡± asked Lin Zhifei suddenly. Chu Liuyue looked up and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Fourth Young Master, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Then, she looked at Dugu Mobao beside her. ¡°Big Baby, how are you?¡± Dugu Mobao originally didn¡¯t want to talk, but seeing her concerned expression, he still spat out two words. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± What is this girl thinking? I¡¯ve already formed my Holy Body, so the transportation formation naturally won¡¯t pose much threat to me. Yet, she still asked¡­ Dugu Mobao helplessly shook his head. She didn¡¯t let me feel assured at all. When they were talking, the two of them had already reached the rest. At this point, Chu Liuyue then realized that they were looking at her and Dugu Mobao with a strange gaze. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Chu Liuyue curiously. ¡°Are you¡­ really okay?¡± Shock flashed across Lin Tianfeng¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s okay for Dugu Yue. After all, she has to be strong if she could barge in from outside the God Residence Realm. But this child¡­ Why does he seem so unaffected? Chu Liuyue roughly guessed their thoughts, but she didn¡¯t express much. Lin Zhifei touched his palm and smiled slightly. ¡°Good that you¡¯re fine. Father, let¡¯s go.¡± Lin Tianfeng nodded as he suppressed his inner doubts and gathered his force! Very quickly, a bright pattern appeared above his head¡ªit was the Lin family¡¯s totem! Whir¡ª The transportation formation seemed to be urged by some force as it gradually spun! ¡­ At the same time, miles away. The islands floated quietly. The rich Heaven and Earth Force formed white clouds, which floated around lightly. A deep, blue ocean was beneath, and it flickered under the sunlight. At first glance, it looked like paradise. A few guards stood guard next to a transportation formation on one of the islands. Suddenly, the transportation formation moved strangely! One of the guards widened their eyes slightly. ¡°W-why does this seem like His Grace¡¯s aura¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying? His Highness¡¯s birthday banquet is about to start, and everyone from the clans is already here. It¡¯s very crowded on the main island. Why would His Highness be here?¡± retorted another guard by the side immediately. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No more buts.. I heard that the person from Fairy Water Mound is also here. The position of princess consort should belong to her, right?¡± Chapter 1055 - Sky-Cloud Empire Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Hold on!¡± When Lin Tianfeng and the rest planned to leave, an anxious shout suddenly came from far away. ¡°Dugu Yue, you can¡¯t leave!¡± When she heard this voice, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she looked up. The incoming person was Lu Yu¡¯er. She hurried over with accumulated rage filling her eyes. She rapidly rushed to Chu Liuyue and was about to board the transportation formation when she was stopped by the guards at the side. ¡°Madam, you can¡¯t board the transportation formation now.¡± Lu Yu¡¯er was very frustrated. She could only stand rooted to the spot and look at Lin Tianfeng with grievances. ¡°Master, you mustn¡¯t let her go!¡± Lin Tianfeng knitted his brows. ¡°What are you yelling about?!¡± ¡°Master, she injured Lu Yi and even poisoned him! She¡¯s such a ruthless person. You mustn¡¯t leave her with you!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Lin Tianfeng was already very unhappy with her. When he now saw that she had completely lost her composure for Lu Yi, he was even more infuriated. Seeing that the transportation formation had already been activated, Lu Yu¡¯er was even more furious and anxious. She pointed at Chu Liuyue, her eyes filled with vengeance. ¡°Dugu Yue, you know best what you did!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Madam Lin, what are you talking about? Why do I not understand? You said that I harmed Young Master Lu and even poisoned him, but Big Baby and I were resting in the inn last night and didn¡¯t go out. Do you have any evidence for what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lu Yu¡¯er was stumped. This morning, she heard the news that Lu Yi was in trouble. She initially didn¡¯t want to go since she had to bid Lin Tianfeng and the rest farewell after all. But upon seeing that the pageboy was panicking, she felt worried and still went over in the end. It was fine if she didn¡¯t go, but once she did, she realized that Lu Yi¡¯s condition was terrible. Not to mention his forehead having a huge wound, but he even had a high fever and was unconscious the whole time as he kept muttering something under his breath. Seeing him in this manner, she instantly guessed that he must¡¯ve gone to cause trouble for Dugu Yue before ending up in this state. That was why she came to look for Dugu Yue in a rage and wanted the latter to give an explanation. But this evidence¡­ Am I supposed to expose the entire incident? We are in the wrong! For now, the only person who can testify against Dugu Yue is Lu Yi, but he is muddle-headed and can¡¯t say anything clearly. Seeing that Lu Yu¡¯er had nothing to say, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s tone became much sterner. ¡°Ms. Dugu is my Lin family¡¯s very important guest. How can you blindly smear her!? Don¡¯t let me hear this again! If not¡ª¡± Lu Yu¡¯er bit her lips tightly, and a strong bloody smell attacked her lips and teeth. This Dugu Yue is smart. She depended on treating Lin Zhifei to gain Lin Tianfeng¡¯s trust and protection easily! If she just leaves in this manner, it¡¯d be hard to convict her in the future! However, I have no right to go with them¡­ ¡°Dugu Yue, I won¡¯t let this matter slide! The truth will come out one day! At that time, we¡¯ll see how you¡¯ll explain yourself!¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders and laughed lightly. ¡°You¡¯re most welcome.¡± When she saw Dugu Yue¡¯s relaxed expression that looked as if she didn¡¯t care about this matter, Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s blood boiled. But at this moment, the transportation formation was completely activated! The transportation formation glowed brightly and instantly covered the few of them! ¡°Have a safe journey, Master!¡± As the crowd respectfully sent them off, their figures disappeared. Looking at the empty transportation formation in front of her, Lu Yu¡¯er clenched her teeth harshly. Dugu Yue! Don¡¯t think that you can just leave like this! ¡­ Lin Tianfeng and the rest entered the space passageway. Probably because this transportation formation¡¯s grade was very high and was built by strong warriors, it was very stable. After entering it, Elder Lin Mo took out a lantern. The clear light instantly illuminated the space the crowd was in. ¡°Ms. Dugu, what happened just now?¡± After a temporary silence, one woman couldn¡¯t help but ask, breaking the silence. Upon hearing this, everyone looked over. Chu Liuyue looked normal and helplessly smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. When I came to Grotto-Heaven Cliff a few days ago, I met that Young Master Lu once and had a minor argument with him, which didn¡¯t end well. I¡¯m not too sure why Madam Lin is behaving in this way today.¡± The few women exchanged glances, and all nodded thoughtfully. Who in Grotto-Heaven Cliff doesn¡¯t know that Lu Yi is a pervert? Dugu Yue came from outside the God Residence realm and brought a child along with her. She can be considered as not having anyone to depend on. Why would such a person willingly cause trouble for herself? It must¡¯ve been Lu Yi who first caused trouble, and now, he is playing the blame game. ¡°Ms. Dugu, don¡¯t worry. Now that you¡¯ve treated Fourth Young Master, the Lin family will treat you very politely! You don¡¯t have to fear anything else!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Ms. Dugu, you¡¯re so capable! Why would you scheme against such a person?¡± ¡°That Lu Yi is used to bullying people. Someone will teach him a lesson sooner or later!¡± The few of them comforted her one after another. Looking at Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao at the side, the few of them revealed looks of sympathy. Is it easy for a widow to bring the child up alone?! ¡°Thank you, everyone. I won¡¯t take these matters to heart.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°This journey is the most important one to me.¡± The few women had complicated gazes, and all nodded. Actually, they had all heard that this Dugu Yue came from outside the realm to find her husband. Rumors had it that her husband was from that side, and he fell in love with Dugu Yue outside the God Residence realm under some twist of fate¡ªthey even had a child. It was a pity that he went off without returning and directly abandoned the mother-son duo! ¡°All the men in the world are the same! After they¡¯re done eating and playing, they¡¯ll be super irritating!¡± ¡®Ms. Dugu, if you¡¯re going to find that man, you mustn¡¯t back off at that time! You must teach him a harsh lesson and let him know how capable you are!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t worry. At that time, we¡¯ll all stand on your side!¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯re from outside the God Residence Realm, Ms. Dugu, you¡¯re very outstanding and strong. That man is clearly blind to treat you in this manner! It¡¯s not easy to find a three-legged croak, but two-legged men are everywhere! With your qualities, why wouldn¡¯t you be able to find another man?¡± The few women spoke with infuriated attitudes. Chu Liuyue clenched her fist and brought it to her lips to cough. ¡°Um¡­ Actually, he¡¯s not that bad¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the few women gasped in shock. ¡°Ms. Dugu, don¡¯t tell me you still miss that jerk?¡± ¡°You mustn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Such a man can¡¯t be kept!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. If they know that the man they¡¯re scolding now is His Grace¡ªwho they want to keep meeting and seeing¡ªwhat will their expressions be? Furthermore, if that distinguished His Grace hears these words, what will his expression be? ¡°We¡¯re reaching soon,¡± said Lin Tianfeng suddenly. Chu Liuyue looked up. A bright light appeared at the end of the tunnel! ¡°The place in front is the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± Chapter 1056 - Personally Welcome Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sky-Cloud Empire! Chu Liuyue kept thinking of these words in her mind. So¡­ this is Rong Xiu¡¯s family clan¡¯s name? When the others heard it, they instantly fell silent. Even in the dim passageway, it wasn¡¯t hard to detect the slightly tense atmosphere. Even Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression was stern and serious, one he had never shown before. It could be seen that everyone was nervous to some extent. Very quickly, a strange ripple came from the front! Chu Liuyue instinctively held her breath. As the pressure attacked her, the place before her turned bright! ¡­ Chu Liuyue felt slightly more at ease when her feet landed on the concrete ground. She wasn¡¯t too used to the blinding light, so she squinted slightly. Then, she looked at her surroundings. A blue ocean was before her, reflecting the light as it looked pure and vast. Far away, islands of different sizes quietly floated in midair. They were surrounded by smoke, and it looked just like paradise. The sky was a clear light blue. The place where the water and the sky intersected¡ªit was hard for people to differentiate if the blue was the sky or the ocean. There was a faint sweetness in the air, which rejuvenated one¡¯s organs and made one feel comfortable. Chu Liuyue secretly felt shocked. This place has the highest Heaven and Earth Force density I¡¯ve ever seen in my life! Right at this moment, a stern voice sounded in her ear. ¡°Grotto-Heaven Cliff?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and turned in the direction of the voice. Next to the transportation formation were a few guards in black armor. The person talking at the front seemed to be a grade higher as his bodily aura was stronger than the rest. They all had a strange pattern engraved on the upper-left side of their chest armor. This should be their Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem. Chu Liuyue watched on and faintly felt that it was quite familiar. Lin Tianfeng cupped his fists, smiled, and said, ¡°I¡¯m Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Lin Tianfeng. I brought my clansmen over to congratulate His Grace on his birthday banquet!¡± The soldier at the front cupped his fists and politely said, ¡°Greetings, Master Lin.¡± The few people behind him bowed in unison. Chu Liuyue watched on from the back with much interest. Even though these people are very polite to Lin Tianfeng, they don¡¯t put themselves in a very low position. And Lin Tianfeng clearly respects them very much since he treats them differently from ordinary guards. The Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ is indeed different. These soldiers were clearly acting this way because they were from the Sky-Cloud Empire. When a clan was strong to a certain extent, everyone would respect them. This¡­ was the right to speak brought about by capabilities! ¡°Master Lin, why did you guys arrive so late? His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet is about to start in a few hours! If you were any later, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to go to the main island!¡± Lin Tianfeng hurriedly said, ¡°Sorry, we did meet with some troubles on the way here. Firstly, the transportation formation was faulty and kept delaying our arrival.¡± That soldier shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine; there¡¯s still some time left. You¡ªhm? Why is there a child?¡± He glanced at Lin Tianfeng and slightly knitted his brows. ¡°Master Lin, I recall that you don¡¯t have such a young child, right?¡± Lin Tianfeng hurriedly waved his hands in denial. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding¡ªa misunderstanding! This child isn¡¯t from my Lin family; it¡¯s this Ms. Dugu¡¯s! She¡¯s my son¡ªZhifei¡¯s heavenly doctor, so they came along.¡± Quite a few people knew that Lin Tianfeng was biased toward his son Lin Zhifei. Rumors had it that he seemed to want to pass the position of Lin family head to the latter. It was a pity that Lin Zhifei had been frail since birth and was sickly. Thus, many people didn¡¯t think well of this. However, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s attitude still didn¡¯t change. It¡¯s expected that he would bring Lin Zhifei and his heavenly doctor along, but¡­ It¡¯s fine if his heavenly doctor came. What¡¯s with the child? ¡°Master Lin, even though this child doesn¡¯t take up a spot, it seems rather inappropriate for you to do this! This is His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet and the contest to choose his princess consort. You¡ª¡± Lin Tianfeng coughed and lowered his voice. ¡°Uh¡­ You might not know, but this Ms. Dugu has no kin or relatives. It¡¯s really hard on her to bring a child along. I can¡¯t just ask her to abandon her child¡­ I promise that this child won¡¯t run around and cause any trouble! Do you think¡­ you can let this slide?¡± Seeing how Lin Tianfeng was asking him for a favor, the soldier couldn¡¯t say anything further. ¡°Since this is so, then¡­ Master Lin, you must be careful. You also know that this is the Sky-Cloud Empire.¡± When he said the second half of the sentence, that guard¡¯s voice was sterner with a hint of authority in it. Lin Tianfeng hurriedly thanked him. The soldier waved his hands. ¡°The people from the other clans have already arrived. You should hurry on too!¡± Even though Grotto-Heaven Cliff was considered weak out of all the other divisions, they should do what they needed to. He then moved his sleeves slightly, and a palm-sized white plaque appeared in midair. The plaque was engraved with the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem, and it had clouds carved on the edges. It glowed brightly. That soldier boomed, ¡°Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Lin family is here! Someone from the main island, please receive them!¡± Then, the plaque whirred softly. Afterward, a silver ray of light shot out and spread in another direction! Chu Liuyue and the rest looked toward the light. Far away, a gigantic island floated quietly¡ªit seemed to be the biggest and centermost island here! No matter if it were scale or authority, it was unquestionably the top existence here. That¡­ should be the main island they were talking about, right? Once this thought surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, a ray of light suddenly flew out from the main island. Compared to the light on the plaque, that ray of light seemed much more substantial! In no time, the two rays of light met in midair and formed a bridge! ¡°Everyone, go ahead!¡± Lin Tianfeng jumped up first and landed on the bridge. The remaining people followed closely. The few elders were alright as they were quite experienced, so they seemed rather calm. However, those few women still couldn¡¯t conceal the excitement and curiosity in their eyes, though they tried their best to calm themselves down. It was their first time here. To them, the Sky-Cloud Empire was once a high and unreachable place. Now, with this chance, they could actually be here¡­ It was like a dream! Chu Liuyue brought Dugu Mobao with her, and they were the last to go up. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Tianfeng led the way and walked forward first. ¡­ At the same time, Rong Xiu was reading in the study. Suddenly, he paused in his actions, and his thin lips curled up into a faint smile. ¡°She¡¯s finally here.¡± Then, he stood up and walked outside. Seeing this, Yan Qing hurriedly went forward. ¡°Your Highness, you really¡­ want to personally go over now? Why don¡¯t I first¡ª¡± The outside is filled with people. His Highness¡¯s actions will definitely be seen. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows.. ¡°I naturally must personally welcome my own princess consort.¡± Chapter 1057 - Rules Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yan Qing secretly thought to himself, His words are gold, and he even said that she is his princess consort. Yet, he still openly organized a contest to choose his princess consort, making it so real. I wonder what reaction that person will have if she sees this! But since His Highness plans to do this, we can only listen to him as his subordinates. In a short period of time, countless scenarios that might take place flashed across Yan Qing¡¯s mind. Hm? Perhaps I should also think about how not to be implicated by His Highness then¡­ But the moment the master-servant duo walked out and before they could move anywhere else, Yu Mo hurried in from outside. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Seeing Rong Xiu, Yu Mo hurriedly bowed. ¡°Your Highness, Big Missy Jiang is here. She¡¯s currently waiting outside the palace, and she says that she has something to discuss with you personally.¡± Without any background or name, just a ¡®Big Missy Jiang¡¯ was enough to explain who the other party was. This could only prove that this person had a very high status and that everyone would know who she was by her term of address. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stop in his tracks as he looked nonchalant. ¡°Ask her to wait.¡± Yu Mo was dazed for a moment as he looked up strangely and glanced at Rong Xiu. It¡¯s fine if His Highness doesn¡¯t see the rest, but this person¡­ A bulb then lit up in Yu Mo¡¯s mind as he suddenly thought of something. Could it be¡­ He quickly glanced at Yan Qing, and the latter silently nodded. Yu Mo understood. No wonder¡ªso that person really is here! He then swallowed the words in his throat. If that person is here, the rest will definitely have to be pushed back! But not long after Rong Xiu walked out, a sweet and gentle woman¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°His Highness, where are you going? You¡¯re in such a hurry that you don¡¯t even want to see me?¡± Rong Xiu stopped in his tracks and looked over. A girl in a white dress stood there in a lively manner. She was thin and slim, and she didn¡¯t have any unnecessary accessories adorning her. There was only a thin, blue jade belt around her waist, which outlined her womanly figure. She looked like a peach, and her features were perfect. The most charming thing was the gentleness in her watery eyes. Her intricately tied-up hair had a blue hairpin stuck to it. She tilted her head slightly and gently shook it as if she could tingle one¡¯s heart. Rong Xiu squinted his eyes and lightly said, ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan? Why are you here?¡± As he spoke, his gaze turned and landed on Yu Mo. Yu Mo was shocked and hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, I previously told Big Missy Jiang to wait outside, and I didn¡¯t invite her in. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s here either.¡± The soldiers at the side were dazed, and they then realized that they seemed to have done something wrong. Hence, they hurriedly kneeled down. ¡°Your Highness, we¡ª¡± ¡°I have long set rules¡ªwithout my permission, nobody is allowed to enter or leave this area casually. It seems like your memory isn¡¯t serving you well.¡± ¡°Your Highness! Your Highness, please spare us!¡± ¡°You are dismissed from your positions. Also, flog them a hundred times.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Immediately carry it out before the main hall!¡± When they heard him say this, the soldiers¡¯ faces turned pale as they collapsed on the floor in defeat. Oh no¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Your Highness, what are you doing? They just let me come in because they saw that it was me. In the past, I¡¯ve always come and gone to this place as I pleased. There was never¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s in the past.¡± Rong Xiu glanced at her with a deep gaze. ¡°When the clan leader lived here, you could do whatever you wanted. But now, this is my bedroom. I have the last say.¡± ¡°I believe you should remember this rule this time, right, Big Missy Jiang?¡± Chapter 1058 - Chosen Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face gradually turned red as tears welled up in her eyes, and her nose turned sour. She bit her lips and tried hard to calm herself down, but her voice still had an obvious crying tone to it. ¡°¡­It turns out that His Highness hates me so much¡­¡± She originally came over happily and just kept thinking about what would happen after they met. These few years, she rarely came over; she hadn¡¯t met Rong Xiu in two years. She had imagined countless scenarios, but none of them was as embarrassing as the one before her. Her face seemed to be on fire as it hurt with the burn. The surrounding people¡¯s gazes were like needles that pricked her body, and she wanted to disappear from this place immediately! She never thought that he wouldn¡¯t leave her any leeway. Compared to Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s shock and pain, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t even take this matter to heart. The clan leader was in charge in the past and indulged her, and Rong Xiu was too lazy to bother with it back then. But now, it was already different. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s status wasn¡¯t low, but this was the Sky-Cloud Empire. She couldn¡¯t be unruly here. ¡°Yu Mo, stay here and watch them complete their punishment.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Mo wiped away his sweat and couldn¡¯t help but glance at Jiang Zhiyuan. He was slightly upset. Does this Big Missy think that the current Sky-Cloud Empire is still like the Sky-Cloud Empire a few years ago? She is too courageous; she actually dared to barge in directly! She really doesn¡¯t think of herself as an outsider! Then, Rong Xiu stepped out and wanted to leave. Seeing that he was about to leave, Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but call out. ¡°Wait! Your Highness, do you not want to see me so much? We haven¡¯t seen each other in a few years¡­¡± Rong Xiu originally wanted to nod directly, but considering the Jiang clan, he still chose to be kinder with his words. ¡°I have something to do.¡± ¡°At this time, what¡¯s so important that you need to go personally, Your Highness?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was slightly dazed. The banquet is going to begin soon. What does he plan on doing? A thin layer of frost covered Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Big Missy Jiang, are you questioning me?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°No, I-I was just casually asking. It¡¯s fine if Your Highness doesn¡¯t want to say it¡­¡± When she saw that Rong Xiu was really about to leave heartlessly, she clenched her teeth, took a step forward, and said, ¡°Your Highness, I came here because I have something to discuss with you!¡± Rong Xiu seemed like he was going to ignore her as he turned around nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s regarding the academy!¡± yelled Jiang Zhiyuan. Rong Xiu stopped in his tracks and turned around to glance at her, his deep eyes seemingly able to see through everything. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest followed the silver bridge and proceeded on. After about 15 minutes, they arrived at the main island. When they were nearer, they could see everything on the main island clearer. This main island was huge¡ªmountains and forests stood high and low. On these mountains, palaces and halls were everywhere like stars in the sky. On the highest mountain, an extravagant hall stood still atop it. The place where Chu Liuyue and the rest arrived was a lower-corner region of the main island, so they had to look up to see those palaces. This was why they couldn¡¯t see them very clearly. With the white mist surrounding those buildings, they could only see a rough outline. But even if they were this distance away, they could still clearly feel a tremendous suppression! It was an aura and force that almost made one bow down from their souls. ¡°Master Lin.¡± The soldier in charge of welcoming them stepped forward. Judging from his attire and aura, he seemed to be of a higher level than the first soldier that sent them over. ¡°I am Hu Yang. In the coming days, I¡¯ll be in charge of your everything.¡± ¡°Thank you, Officer Hu,¡± Lin Tianfeng smiled and said. ¡°Master Lin, you¡¯re too kind,¡± said Hu Yang as he put away his white plaque. ¡°Everyone, please follow me.¡± ¡­ ¡°Master Lin, you¡¯re the last to arrive. All the other divisions have already settled down in their respective halls, waiting for His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet to start at night,¡± said Hu Yang as he led the few of them forward. ¡°If you were any later, it might be too late for the ladies.¡± Lin Tianfeng smiled and said, ¡°We were delayed because of some issues. I hope you won¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°Master Lin, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. His Highness won¡¯t mind such a small matter.¡± Hu Yang shook his head. Then, Lin Tianfeng and Hu Yang exchanged pleasantries for a while longer before they quickly reached the venue¡ªthis was a smaller mountain, and there was a palace on it. It was said to be a palace, but it couldn¡¯t be compared to those above. ¡°This is Feng He Hall, which is also your residence for the coming days.¡± Hu Yang brought the people over. Suddenly, silver bell-like laughter sounded from the side. However, it seemed like there were a few women at the corner of the palace excitedly discussing something. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire is indeed different¡ªeverywhere is very extravagant! I heard that even the cup of tea we had just now is worth 100,000 white crystals!¡± ¡°Really? Wow¡­ If only we could stay here for the rest of our lives!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of staying here? The buildings above are the truly good places! Did you see the one at the top? Rumors have it that it¡¯s His Grace¡¯s residence!¡± ¡°Ah, not anyone can casually go into that place, right¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple to solve? Now that His Grace is choosing his Princess Consort, as long as we¡¯re chosen¡ª¡± ¡°Shh! Keep it down! Are you really not afraid of others hearing you?! Even though all the divisions have sent quite a few outstanding women, who doesn¡¯t know that the position of Princess Consort has long been set?¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°Are you talking about¡­ the one from Fairy Water Mound?¡± ¡°Who else can it be other than her? Rumors have it that she¡¯s an absolute beauty. When she was born, she was the same as His Grace¡ªthey both have the rare Tianjing Yuan meridian!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. You need to know that Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang clan is the strongest out of all the divisions! Besides, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s old clan leader and the Jiang clan have deep relations; he always doted on that Big Missy Jiang. When she was young, I think she even spent most of her time in the Sky-Cloud Empire! It¡¯s only these few years that the old clan leader is in seclusion while she¡¯s hard-working in her cultivation that she came here less often.¡± ¡°With these conditions, do you think the position of Princess Consort can go to someone else?¡± ¡°Since this is so, why must His Grace hold such a huge contest openly? Can¡¯t he directly get engaged with that Big Missy Jiang?¡± ¡°Who knows? Anyway, we¡¯re here just to be her accompaniment. Besides, even if we can¡¯t be Princess Consort, isn¡¯t there also the position of second consort? If not, we can still be his mistress! Anyway, we don¡¯t have to worry for the rest of our lives as long as we¡¯re chosen!¡± ¡°I heard that His Grace is extremely handsome and that he looks like a fairy. I wonder what he looks like in person¡­¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. Hmm¡­ Princess Consort. Second consort. Mistress? It seems like His Grace is having the time of his life.. Chapter 1059 - You’re Not Worthy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thinking of this, she suddenly couldn¡¯t help laughing. The few of them were originally quietly listening to the few women talk by the corner, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s laugh instantly broke the silence. Lin Tianfeng and the rest looked over strangely. This commotion also attracted the attention of the few women who were chatting happily. They hurriedly stopped and glanced over rather nervously. It¡¯s fine if we had this conversation in private, but if someone with ill intent heard it¡­ When they saw Hu Yang standing at the front, the few women¡¯s faces turned slightly pale. However, they heaved a sigh of relief in their hearts¡ªthis was because Hu Yang wasn¡¯t their direct person-in-charge. They quickly calmed themselves down and exchanged glances before swiftly walking over. ¡°Greetings, Officer Hu.¡± The three women bowed in unison. They were all very beautiful and had good figures. Their every move and action was magnanimous and elegant. They had clearly learned the relevant etiquette, and one couldn¡¯t spot any flaws at all. Hu Yang nodded and pointed at Lin Tianfeng. ¡°This is Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Master Lin.¡± ¡°Grotto-Heaven Cliff?¡± The few women revealed looks of understanding before they smiled and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Master Lin. We have long heard of your name. Now that we¡¯ve met, you¡¯re indeed like what the legends say.¡± Their words were very polite and supportive. If they could conceal the contempt in their eyes, it would¡¯ve been better. Lin Tianfeng was composed and didn¡¯t hold it against them as he looked calm and hid his key emotions. ¡°Ladies, you¡¯re very kind. If you can be chosen today, I would have to bow to you when I see you in the future.¡± The few women¡¯s faces changed instantly. Isn¡¯t this clearly singling us out? But considering the other party¡¯s identity and Hu Yang and the rest standing at the side, they didn¡¯t want to cause a commotion. They swallowed their anger and forced a smile. ¡°No, no¡­ We¡¯re not worthy. We wouldn¡¯t dare have this desire.¡± Lin Zhifei suddenly coughed. Upon hearing this, Lin Tianfeng immediately turned back and asked worriedly, ¡°Zhifei, are you uncomfortable?¡± Hu Yang said, ¡°Fourth Young Master Lin, this way, please.¡± Then, he led them to the side hall. Chu Liuyue planned to go over, but she was suddenly stopped by the few women. ¡°This lady, please stop here.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and looked over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The pretty lady in a mint dress at the front smiled slightly, but her eyes didn¡¯t have any smiling intent. ¡°May I know what you were laughing about just now?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled as well. ¡°Nothing much. I just thought of some things, so I laughed. What, do the few of you have any opinions on this?¡± The woman opposite her sneered and walked forward, inching closer to Chu Liuyue. The three women¡ªwho originally planned to follow Lin Tianfeng¡ªsaw this scene and hurried forward to stand beside Chu Liuyue. ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not trying to do anything. It¡¯s just that this lady seemed to have mocked us earlier. We just want to make it clear.¡± The lady in the mint dress stared at Chu Liuyue with contempt. Chu Liuyue shot the girls with a reassuring gaze as she smiled slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not mocking you; I just feel that the few of you make a lot of sense. No matter what status one has, you¡¯ll be set for life as long as you¡¯re chosen. Besides, Rong¡ªHis Grace is indeed¡­¡± Sinisterly elegant and outstandingly handsome. She suddenly paused. ¡°His Grace is indeed what?¡± asked the few women opposite her rather anxiously. Chu Liuyue enunciated every single word properly and said, ¡°His Grace is the man of many women¡¯s dreams.¡± ¡°Hmph, is there a need for you to say it? But judging from your looks, you don¡¯t have any chance.¡± The woman in mint unreasonably sized Chu Liuyue up. Her expression of contempt was enough to say everything. ¡°Hey, be more respectful! Ms. Dugu is an eighth-grade heavenly doctor, and she¡¯s also our Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s important guest!¡± The few women beside Chu Liuyue instantly retorted. The few women opposite them then reacted and realized that the ordinary-looking woman before them wasn¡¯t going to contest for the position of princess consort. There was still a small boy beside her¡­ Just as the two parties were about to continue arguing, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go back first.¡± She had no interest in wasting her time with these people here. But once she said this, it was a sign of weakness in the other party¡¯s eyes. When they turned around to leave, the few women didn¡¯t lower their voices as they laughed in mockery. ¡°At least she has some self-awareness! With your looks, I¡¯m afraid no man will take another look at you.¡± ¡°Even if she¡¯s pretty, it¡¯s useless! Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡­ pfft!¡± ¡°Originally, I thought they would give up sensibly. Who would¡¯ve thought that they were so thick-skinned to come over? It¡¯s a pity. If we had come even earlier, we could¡¯ve moved to another residence. We wouldn¡¯t have to squeeze with them.¡± ¡°Forget it; there¡¯s nothing much to talk about with them. We should go back and prepare first! The birthday banquet is about to start!¡± ¡­ One woman finally couldn¡¯t help but softly say, ¡°The people from Cold Mountain Gully are outrageous! They clearly aren¡¯t stronger than us. What right do they have to be so arrogant!?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled nonchalantly. ¡°If they want to cause a commotion, allow them to do so. We¡¯ll just do our own things.¡± ¡°Ms. Dugu, are you not angry at all?¡± asked the other woman curiously. ¡°T-they talked about you like that¡­¡± Chu Liuyue touched her own face and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Actually, they¡¯re right. This face is indeed not suitable to join the contest for the position of princess consort.¡± The few women looked at each other speechlessly. Dugu Yue really doesn¡¯t seem to care about this. Chu Liuyue walked into the room and took Lin Zhifei¡¯s pulse before passing him a pill. ¡°This is the last pill. I¡¯ll make it again when I have the time. In another month or so, you should¡¯ve pretty much recovered. But your body has been ill for many years, Fourth Young Master, so you must recuperate for a year or so to recover fully.¡± Lin Zhifei nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Master Lin, the people from Cold Mountain Gully have already snatched the main hall. I¡¯m sorry¡­ You have to stay in this side hall temporarily,¡± Hu Yang sighed and said. Lin Tianfeng was hesitant with his words, but he didn¡¯t rage as he nodded. At this point, familiar footsteps could be heard from outside. As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. A figure appeared at the door¡ªit was Yan Qing! Hu Yang was shocked as he hurriedly went forward and respectfully asked, ¡°Officer Yan Qing, why are you here?¡± Yan Qing was in a hurry as his gaze swept across the room. When he saw Chu Liuyue, his heart instantly skipped a beat. Chu Liuyue smiled brightly, and her red lips curled up. ¡°Officer¡­ Yan Qing?¡± Chapter 1060 - : She Has a Lot of Background Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yan Qing hurried to Chu Liuyue. He was about to speak when the woman opposite him suddenly stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m Dugu Yue. Greetings, Officer Yan Qing,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile as she bowed. Yan Qing¡¯s legs went soft, and he almost collapsed to the floor. ¡°You¡ª¡± His voice trembled. Before he could say anything more, he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s black sparkly eyes. That pair of star-like eyes were glowing with light. Yan Qing was stumped, and the remaining words were stuck in his throat; he had sufferings that he couldn¡¯t state. Originally, His Highness should¡¯ve come here, but he was suddenly stopped by Jiang Zhiyuan. Hearing that it was related to the academy, His Highness stayed behind and asked me to go ahead first. Yan Qing long thought that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t be in a good mood after knowing all of this. She might be angry, she might rage, she might scold¡­ The only thing he didn¡¯t expect was her not even admitting to her own identity! However, this was even scarier than all those reactions! Yan Qing regretted it slightly. If I had known earlier, I should¡¯ve waited for His Highness to come together! Why have I suddenly become the scapegoat now? The surrounding people then realized that the atmosphere around the duo was strange. Hu Yang¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between the duo as he tried to ask, ¡°¡­Officer Yan Qing, do you know Ms. Dugu?¡± Yan Qing swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty as his throat became tight. ¡°¡­Y-yes¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met Officer Yan Qing a few times before, but I didn¡¯t know of Officer Yan Qing¡¯s identity then. It¡¯s only until I came here today did I realize how capable Officer Yan Qing is.¡± Chu Liuyue answered smoothly, and her smiling intent didn¡¯t subside at all as she looked very relaxed. But when the surrounding people heard this, it was like thunder striking by their ears. Dugu Yue actually knows Yan Qing? He¡¯s His Grace¡¯s closest confidant! This status is enough to kill 90% of the people in the Sky-Cloud Empire! Yan Qing¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. Every word that Chu Liuyue said was akin to roasting him on a rack! Lin Tianfeng watched on in shock when a white light suddenly flashed in his mind! Hang on! Dugu Yue is from outside the God Residence Realm, so she shouldn¡¯t have come to the God Residence Realm before. Therefore, the two of them got to know each other outside the God Residence Realm? Seeing the duo¡¯s reactions, especially Officer Yan Qing¡¯s expression¡­ How is it that they¡¯ve only met each other a few times? Could it be¡­ A ridiculous and bold thought surfaced in Lin Tianfeng¡¯s mind. This thought was too absurd, which caused his heart to beat uncontrollably just when he thought about it. He almost instinctively looked at Lin Zhifei, and he saw that the latter was also observing the two of them in deep thought. The surrounding gazes made Yan Qing feel that his back was being stabbed, and he gulped with difficulty. ¡°¡­Ms. Dugu, may I talk to you in private?¡± The originally silent room became even more silent. Who is Yan Qing? With his identity, he would actually talk to a woman so politely?! Actually, this can¡¯t even be called polite¡ªit even has some sincere begging element to it. Everyone present was shocked. Only the person involved, Chu Liuyue, didn¡¯t look surprised at all as she smiled with even deeper meaning. ¡°Sure.¡± Yan Qing took a deep breath in and stretched out his hand. ¡°This way, please.¡± ¡­ After Yan Qing and Chu Liuyue left, the remaining people fell silent for a very long time. After some time, Hu Yang gasped and stared at Lin Tianfeng in disbelief. He hurriedly asked, ¡°Master Lin, why didn¡¯t you say earlier that Ms. Dugu knows Officer Yan Qing?!¡± ¡°¡­I-I didn¡¯t know either!¡± Lin Tianfeng looked innocent. How long have we known Dugu Yue? How is it possible that we know everything clearly?! Even I¡¯m stunned, okay! ¡°Oh my god. Is Officer Yan Qing¡­ that Officer Yan Qing with His Grace?¡± a woman at the side widened her eyes and asked meticulously. Hu Yang sighed. ¡°Other than him, who could it be?¡± The few ladies exchanged glances and were shocked. ¡°I heard that Officer Yan Qing is one of His Grace¡¯s most trusted confidants. In the Sky-Cloud Empire, his status is also very high. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Ms. Dugu to actually know him.¡± ¡°From what they¡¯ve said, it seems like they got to know each other outside the God Residence Realm?¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Ms. Dugu to have such a relationship with him¡­ It seems like their relationship goes a long way!¡± Anyone with eyes could tell that Yan Qing had a different attitude in front of Dugu Yue. Hu Yang recovered his senses and couldn¡¯t conceal the emotions and agitation on his face. ¡°This Ms. Dugu is also¡ªshe should¡¯ve said earlier!¡± With this relationship, their situation in the Sky-Cloud Empire will be much better! The other woman weakly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t she say that she didn¡¯t know Officer Yan Qing¡¯s identity before and only knew about it when she reached here¡­ She must¡¯ve never thought of this scene, right?¡± However, Hu Yang laughed out loud. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not important! Ms. Dugu knows Officer Yan Qing, so it¡¯ll be much more convenient even for all of you! You need to know that Officer Yan Qing usually has a cold heart and a cold face. He¡¯s only loyal to His Grace and doesn¡¯t really care about anyone else. If you can be related to him, tsk tsk¡ª¡± He laughed and said to Lin Tianfeng, ¡°Master Lin, numerous people in the many divisions can¡¯t even be related to Officer Yan Qing when they tried. You¡­ are much better than them!¡± Amongst the many divisions, Grotto-Heaven Cliff had always been ranked one of the last. Who would¡¯ve thought that they would be this lucky?! Lin Tianfeng yawned and silently exchanged glances with his father. It can¡¯t be¡­ that the guess is true, right? ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m guilty. Ms. Liuyue, please punish me!¡± Once they entered the room at the side, Yan Qing directly kneeled down on one knee and willingly admitted his faults. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and was rather shocked. ¡°Officer Yan Qing, what are you doing? Quickly, get up! I can¡¯t bear your greeting. If the people outside know about this, it¡¯d be rather inappropriate, right?¡± Yan Qing laughed bitterly and begged, ¡°Please don¡¯t joke with me anymore. I was forced to hide it from you before¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Forced? So it means that your master was forced too?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Yan Qing was stumped. ¡°If I didn¡¯t come this time, I¡¯m afraid that His Grace would choose his entire harem and lead the time of his life over here, right? Hm?¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯ve really misunderstood¡­¡± ¡°Chubby, slim, pretty, gorgeous¡ªthere are all sorts of beauties here. If I were a man, I would also be tempted if I saw them.¡± Yan Qing felt that he was going to suffocate; this was the first time he hated his master. You caused this trouble yourself. Why must I take it up?! Yan Qing had a severe headache. ¡°Ms. Liuyue! Actually, His Highness planned on coming to fetch you personally, but Big Missy Jiang suddenly looked for him. Hence, he told me to come over first. It¡¯s not too good if you stay in this Feng He Hall. Why don¡¯t you follow me up first?¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Big Missy Jiang?¡± Chapter 1061 - 1: Big Baby’s Biological Father? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rumors had it that Officer Yan Qing was His Grace¡¯s sword. He had a cold heart and a cold face, and he was swift and decisive. Even if he was killing thousands of people and going through many deathly battles, his cruel and heartless expression didn¡¯t change. But today, it was the first time he knew what ¡®fear¡¯ meant. Chu Liuyue was clearly smiling in front of him, but Yan Qing felt a chill run down his spine. His instincts told him that he had said something wrongly. Besides, it wasn¡¯t a minor mistake but a ridiculously major one. He struggled to say, ¡°N-no. It¡¯s because His Highness has some things to discuss with that person. It¡¯s not because of anything¡ª¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Oh, then it does seem like it¡¯s very important¡­ But it¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t come. The contest to choose the princess consort will happen soon. I believe he must be very busy.¡± Yan Qing felt that there was no use if he tried to add anything, so he hopelessly shut his eyes. ¡°Ms. Liuyue, take it as I¡¯m begging you. Please go up with me first! If His Highness doesn¡¯t see you later, he¡¯ll be anxious again¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m from outside the God Residence Realm. Today, I had to rely on my connection with Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Lin family to come to the Sky-Cloud Empire. I naturally need to journey with them, so how can I just leave like this?¡± Chu Liuyue directly rejected him without thinking. He can refuse to come because he doesn¡¯t want to, yet I must go just because he wants me to? How can there be such a good thing in the world? ¡°Besides, why can¡¯t I see him? In another four hours, the birthday banquet will begin. Won¡¯t I see him then?¡± ¡°But¡­ It¡¯s hard on you if you stay here¡­¡± Yan Qing wanted to convince her further, but he swallowed his remaining words when he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s seemingly smiling expression. Due to this, he changed his tone. ¡°T-then, I¡¯ll listen to you for everything. If you have any issues, do let me know.¡± Chu Liuyue waved her hands. ¡°Okay. Since we¡¯ve talked it out, I know what to do. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ Even though Chu Liuyue urged him to leave, Yan Qing still respectfully sent her back to where she was previously. When the duo reached the entrance, the crowd in the room¡ªwho heard the commotion¡ªlooked over. ¡°Uh¡­ I-I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Then, Yan Qing left after seeing Chu Liuyue nod. But after taking a step, he turned back to glance at Hu Yang and instructed, ¡°You must take good care of Ms. Dugu and the rest.¡± Hu Yang hurriedly said, ¡°I understand! Don¡¯t worry, Officer Yan Qing!¡± Yan Qing then nodded. As he couldn¡¯t successfully invite Chu Liuyue over, he left with a heavy heart. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue looked relaxed as she directly walked to the chair at the side and sat down as if nothing had happened. This difference was shocking to the crowd. ¡°Ms. Dugu, are you satisfied with this area?¡± asked Hu Yang carefully. Actually, he was already very polite to Lin Tianfeng and the rest, but he was even more respectful in front of Chu Liuyue. Although Officer Yan Qing said to properly take care of these people when he left, who can¡¯t tell that he specifically meant Dugu Yue? Even a ghost wouldn¡¯t believe that there is nothing between them! Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings, smiled, and said, ¡°It¡¯s quite nice.¡± To Hu Yang, Yan Qing, and the rest, this place might be insufficient. But in actual fact, it was much more extravagant and elegant than most of the palaces she had seen before. It also wasn¡¯t a superficial extravagance. Instead, it was an elegance that came from the bones of a deep-seated traditional aristocratic family. It¡¯s no wonder Rong Xiu is so rich¡­ With such a huge family business, what else does he need to worry about? Hu Yang had a better impression of Chu Liuyue. It¡¯s fine if she didn¡¯t know of Officer Yan Qing¡¯s identity earlier. But now that she knows, she actually doesn¡¯t plan to use this connection to gain benefits for herself. Her attitude is also as approachable as before. How rare. His smile was even more genuine. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! I¡¯ll be staying right beside you. If there¡¯s anything, you can just directly instruct me.¡± Then, he cupped his fists toward Chu Liuyue, Lin Tianfeng, and the rest before leaving. The remaining few people all looked at Chu Liuyue with different expressions. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly and saw them. She then smiled and asked, ¡°Why is everyone looking at me like this?¡± Why? What do you think?! ¡°Ms. Dugu, I didn¡¯t expect you and Officer Yan Qing to have such fate!¡± The few ladies¡¯ thoughts were purer and simpler. They didn¡¯t care about much and directly asked, ¡°How do you know each other?¡± Chu Liuyue sipped on a cup of tea and slowly said, ¡°It was some twist of fate. There¡¯s nothing much to say.¡± Should I say that I know him because of his master? Hearing her ambiguous answer, the few ladies exchanged glances in disappointment. T-this is akin to not saying anything! ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting late. His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet is about to begin; you should go down and prepare,¡± said Lin Tianfeng suddenly. With his reminder, the few ladies then recovered their senses. Oh right! The most important thing that we came here to do is to join the contest for the position of princess consort! All the elegant women that the divisions have meticulously picked out will be shown together! At that time, we naturally have to fight for the limelight. Even though they knew they didn¡¯t have much hope of being chosen, they still had to dress up meticulously in case they humiliated Grotto-Heaven Cliff. The few ladies excused themselves and left together. Lin Mo said to the remaining two elders, ¡°Let¡¯s also go first.¡± Lou Ruhai knitted his brows slightly and glanced at Chu Liuyue. Detecting his gaze, Chu Liuyue turned around. The two of them stared at each other briefly. Lou Ruhai was the first to avert his gaze before he sneered, whipped his sleeves, and left first. Lin Mo coughed awkwardly and advised Chu Liuyue, ¡°Ms. Dugu, don¡¯t worry. Ruhai is a little hot-tempered; he isn¡¯t targeting you. Please don¡¯t mind him.¡± Even if he did have any thoughts beforehand, all of them should¡¯ve disappeared when he realized that Dugu Yue actually knew Officer Yan Qing. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up like a crescent moon. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Elder Lin Mo. I know all of this.¡± Very quickly, only Chu Liuyue, Big Baby, and the Lin father-son duo were left in the room. Lin Tianfeng shot Chu Liuyue a complicated gaze and was hesitant with his words. ¡°Master Lin, if you have anything you want to ask, please do,¡± said Chu Liuyue directly. Lin Tianfeng paused. ¡°Ms. Dugu, I don¡¯t have any intentions of offending you, but I do find this issue rather strange. Uh¡­ You and that Officer Yan Qing¡­¡± As he said this, he glanced at Big Baby¡ªwho was so quiet that it seemed like he didn¡¯t exist¡ªand hesitation surfaced on his face. ¡°Master Lin, you can just say it directly. Big Baby can hear whatever I can hear.¡± Hearing her say this, Lin Tianfeng clenched his teeth. ¡°Actually, I want to ask¡­ Is Officer Yan Qing the one you mentioned before, Ms. Dugu? Is he also¡­ Big Baby¡¯s biological¡ª¡± Kacha! Big Baby sliced the table beside him in half! Chapter 1062 - It’s Here! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Ahem!¡± Chu Liuyue never thought that Lin Tianfeng¡¯s thinking would be so off, and she almost forgot to breathe. Hearing this sound, she knew that it was bad, so she hurriedly grabbed Big Baby¡¯s hand. ¡°Big Baby!¡± The soft hand covering his slightly cold hand calmed Dugu Mobao down instantly, and he glanced at Lin Tianfeng extremely coldly. A cold gleam rapidly flashed across that pair of sinister-looking purple eyes. Lin Tianfeng¡¯s heart suddenly went cold as if a chill directly rose to the top of his head from the bottom of his feet. However, Chu Liuyue immediately covered Dugu Mobao¡¯s face as she glanced at the latter fearfully. Sir, are you really not afraid of exposing your identity?! Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes glowed. He¡¯s courting death! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. He didn¡¯t even do it on purpose! It¡¯ll be fine when I explain to them clearly later! Look at the way you¡¯re watching him. Other than arousing suspicion, what else can it do? I can kill him. Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t speak, but his expression was ever so serious. As long as I want to, Lin Tianfeng definitely won¡¯t be able to leave this place alive! Chu Liuyue was speechless. A grandmaster is indeed a grandmaster. Lin Tianfeng is Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Master after all, and he himself is a strong warrior that has completely stepped into the Apotheosis Realm. But to Dugu Mobao, it is far from being sufficient. Chu Liuyue knew him too well. If he said he could use his gaze to kill Lin Tianfeng, he definitely could do it! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and rapidly leaned toward him. She warned him in an extremely soft voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t cooperate with me, I¡¯ll beat your buttocks in public!¡± Dugu Mobao suddenly looked up, and Chu Liuyue pressed on his shoulders. Dugu Mobao was speechless. ¡°Hehe, Master Lin, don¡¯t mind him. This child is more sensitive and mature, so it¡¯s inevitable that he¡¯ll be agitated when he hears such things¡­ It¡¯s all because of me; I didn¡¯t think this through.¡± While Chu Liuyue controlled Dugu Mobao, she explained. ¡°Also, uh¡­ You¡¯ve really misunderstood. Officer¡­ Yan Qing and I aren¡¯t like that.¡± However, Lin Tianfeng only half-believed her words. If it¡¯s not like that, what else can it be? That Officer Yan Qing is famous for being a cold-faced King of Hell! If they¡¯ve really only met a few times, why would he behave in such a manner? Besides¡­ His gaze landed on the table smashed by Dugu Mobao, and his heart still had lingering fear. How is this strength that a three-year-old child can have? I also clearly felt a sinisterly cold murderous intent earlier! ¡°Father, I¡¯m quite tired,¡± said Lin Zhifei suddenly. Lin Tianfeng¡¯s attention was immediately diverted. ¡°You¡¯re tired? That¡¯s true, that¡¯s true. We¡¯ve traveled for so long, and your body isn¡¯t that strong for now¡­ You should rest first; I won¡¯t disturb you further.¡± Then, he glanced at Chu Liuyue with a questioning look. Lin Zhifei said, ¡°Ms. Dugu, please stay. I wish to discuss with you the treatment after this.¡± Lin Tianfeng then realized that his son was chasing him out, so he didn¡¯t speak any further and left after some instructions. After he left, the room fell silent again. Chu Liuyue then let Dugu Mobao go. Dugu Mobao¡¯s temper was already gone as he stood at the side with a cold face and didn¡¯t take any further action. ¡°My father offended you just now. Ms. Dugu, please forgive him,¡± said Lin Zhifei. Chu Liuyue waved her hand in response. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Master Lin is also worried about me¡ªI understand. But Officer Yan Qing and I¡­¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. I never would¡¯ve thought that things would develop in such a direction. ¡°Fourth Young Master, you wouldn¡¯t think so too, right?¡± Lin Zhifei shook his head. ¡°I believe your words, Ms. Dugu. He¡­ isn¡¯t the person you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Oh? Fourth Young Master, why are you so sure?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him strangely. Thinking about what happened earlier, it is indeed pretty easy for others to misunderstand. However, Lin Zhifei¡¯s tone sounds very certain. Lin Zhifei smiled slightly. ¡°Instincts.¡± The atmosphere between the two was indeed unusual. They aren¡¯t ordinary friends that have only met each other a few times, but they also aren¡¯t like what Father guessed. The reason why I¡¯m so sure is mainly due to her. When she saw that Officer Yan Qing, her eyes didn¡¯t light up. It was completely different when she talked about that person back then. Hence, she is definitely looking for someone else. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. Lin Zhifei is much smarter and more sensitive than Lin Tianfeng. ¡°Actually, Ms. Dugu, you can just ask Officer Yan Qing to help you if you¡¯re really looking for that person. His status in the Sky-Cloud Empire isn¡¯t low. If he¡¯s willing to help you, you can save a lot of energy.¡± Lin Zhifei had no plans of asking what happened between Chu Liuyue and Yan Qing and still brought the conversation back to the original topic. Chu Liuyue held her chin and looked like she was deep in thought. After a moment, she laughed. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. His Grace¡¯s banquet is about to start soon. By that time, everyone should appear there. I believe I should be able to find him.¡± It¡¯s his birthday banquet and his contest to choose his princess consort. He will definitely be there, right? ¡­ Four hours passed very quickly. Chu Liuyue was circulating her aura in her room when she suddenly heard a loud clock outside! Dong¡ª This sound spread far and wide and landed in everyone¡¯s ears clearly! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open, and they sparkled like the stars in the sky! She looked outside through the windows. The birthday banquet is about to start! Chapter 1063 - : Tongshen Palace Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Knock, knock. Hu Yang¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Ms. Dugu, we should go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± answered Chu Liuyue as she turned and gazed at Dugu Mobao. ¡°Big Baby, shall we go?¡± Dugu Mobao was currently sitting opposite her. When he heard this, he didn¡¯t move at all, but his small back view exuded cold air. Chu Liuyue coughed and walked over. From the side view, Dugu Mobao was crossing his arms with his eyes closed. His thick lashes were also curled up slightly. Though his face was ice-cold, his skin was still flushed, and he looked adorable and cute. After they came back, Dugu Mobao had maintained this posture for four whole hours and didn¡¯t even move. Chu Liuyue secretly admired his determination and also complained about how hard it was to coax this grandmaster at the same time. However, it was quite hard for one to get angry when they saw him like this. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she softened her voice. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll clear everything up when we go over today, okay? Don¡¯t you want to make things clear in front of everyone? Hm?¡± Dugu Mobao finally opened his eyes. His sinisterly purple eyes seemed to be as clear and clean as a gem. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°I can¡¯t watch on as my fianc¨¦ becomes someone else¡¯s husband, right?¡± ¡°Then, what do you want to do?¡± Dugu Mobao squinted his eyes and sized her up. With her current ordinary appearance, she won¡¯t achieve much even if she goes. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ruffle his hair, and her lips curled up slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t ask about this first. I have my own plans!¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue walked out, Lin Tianfeng and the rest were already waiting in the yard. The few ladies meticulously dressed themselves up and looked even prettier than before. ¡°Ms. Dugu, why didn¡¯t you change?¡± one of the women asked curiously. Chu Liuyue lightly laughed. ¡°Why should I change?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ This is His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet¡­¡± muttered that woman. Even if Dugu Yue isn¡¯t participating in the contest to be the princess consort, she should dress herself up for such a grand event, right? But Chu Liuyue seemed like she didn¡¯t care about her appearance, so the others couldn¡¯t say more. ¡°Hmph! With her ordinary looks, so what if she changes into extravagant clothes?¡± Ear-piercing mockery came from behind. Chu Liuyue and the rest looked over. A group of people walked over from the main hall. The person at the front was a burly middle-aged man. The person beside him was a soldier in black armor, and the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem was engraved on his left chest area. He had the same outfit as Hu Yang, so they clearly had the same status. Behind the duo were a few elders and those women. Without a doubt, those people had also dressed themselves up intricately. From their hair to their fingernails, every area was done meticulously. The previous sentence was said by that woman who went against Chu Liuyue at the start. She pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ears and lightly snorted. ¡°It¡¯s better if some people know their own limits.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. I never said that I wanted to participate in this contest for the position of princess consort, yet the other party didn¡¯t let me go. They are clearly still upset about my previous laughter and feel that Grotto-Heaven Cliff is easy to bully, so they dared to be this unruly and bold. Without mentioning whether the person is good-looking or not, her fiery and petty personality is irritating. Before Chu Liuyue could retort, Hu Yang stepped forward, glared at that woman, and said, ¡°Ms. Han Zishu, please mind your words!¡± Han Zishu glanced at Hu Yang in shock. What¡¯s going on? This Hu Yang actually dared to talk to me like that in front of so many people? His attitude was clearly very humble before! Cold Mountain Gully Master Han Quan also knitted his brows, but he quickly recovered his composure. ¡°Haha! Officer Hu Yang, don¡¯t blame her. My daughter has always been straightforward. If she offended you, I hope you¡¯ll forgive her.¡± Hu Yang said lightly, ¡°Everyone knows if she¡¯s straightforward or if she¡¯s intentionally mocking someone. Master Han, this is the Sky-Cloud Empire after all, not Cold Mountain Gully. If your daughter can¡¯t restrain her temper, then¡­ I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be to His Grace¡¯s liking.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Upon hearing this, Han Zishu was so angry that her face flushed white. ¡°How dare you curse me?!¡± Hu Yang lightly snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I was just reminding you. It¡¯s up to you if you want to listen to it.¡± At this point, even Han Quan¡¯s expression turned ugly. I was originally just teasing her casually, yet Hu Yang is so insensitive and so arrogant to us openly! ¡°Hu Yang, everyone who comes is a guest. What are you doing?¡± The soldier standing beside Han Quan knitted his brows and spoke with a commanding tone. ¡°Apologise to Master Han and Big Missy Han quickly!¡± However, Hu Yang snorted and ignored them as he looked toward Lin Tianfeng and the rest. ¡°Master Lin, Ms. Dugu, this way please¡ª¡± Then, they really left directly, leaving the people from Cold Mountain Gully behind. ¡­ ¡°W-why did he suddenly become so arrogant?!¡± asked Han Quan furiously. ¡°Officer Chen Ting, he didn¡¯t behave this way when he saw you earlier!¡± Chen Ting also furrowed his brows tightly. Even though Hu Yang and I are at the same level, I have some connections to the superiors. Hence, I have a better time than Hu Yang. When we normally see each other, Hu Yang is always polite. For some reason, he is so stubborn today! ¡°Hmph, does he really think that those few people from Grotto-Heaven Cliff have the chance of being chosen by His Grace?¡± Han Zishu was so angry that she laughed. When Chen Ting heard this, he immediately said, ¡°How can that be? Grotto-Heaven Cliff is the weakest amongst all the divisions. His Grace won¡¯t even take another glance at them, let alone others?¡± ¡°Forget it! Since they¡¯re so arrogant, let them carry on! There are many chances to get back at them in the future!¡± boomed Han Quan. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. We can¡¯t ever be late for His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet!¡± ¡­ The birthday banquet was held on the main island¡¯s highest mountain¡ªSuming Peak. ¡°Suming Peak is the holiest and most solemn place in the Sky-Cloud Empire. It is heavily guarded, and they¡¯re very strict on who comes and goes to that place. Other than the clan leader, His Grace, and the respected elders, everyone else needs permission if they want to go to Suming Peak.¡± While Hu Yang brought them along, he explained, ¡°There are two main palaces on Suming Peak. Did you see the one mid-hill? That¡¯s Tongshen Palace, which is also the venue for today¡¯s event. Tongshen Palace is spacious, and its structure is complicated. Everyone, you must follow me closely and don¡¯t walk off when we go in later.¡± The few of them followed his gaze and looked over. As expected, they saw a magnificent palace mid-hill. At this point, they could already faintly see many people coming in and out of the square before the palace. It was very lively. ¡°What¡¯s the building at the top?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly gazed at the palace at the top and asked. The sun shone down, and its light wrapped around the black palace as if giving it a glow of holy light, making it look high and mighty! Chapter 1064 - Meeting Hu Yang¡¯s expression instantly became solemn and respectful. ¡°That¡¯s Jishen Palace; His Grace lives there. That place is even more heavily guarded and distinguished than Tongshen Palace. You can¡¯t go in there! Other than His Grace and his confidants, nobody is allowed to enter it casually!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. As expected¡­ So that¡¯s where Rong Xiu lives and where he has been all these years¡­ ¡°Actually, that¡¯s the clan leader¡¯s place. But now that the clan leader is in seclusion, everything that goes on in the clan is handled by His Grace. Therefore¡­¡± Hu Yang didn¡¯t continue, but everyone understood what he meant: His Grace was currently the most distinguished existence in the Sky-Cloud Empire! The crowd looked at the black palace, and their expressions were solemn. Even if they were a distance away, they could still feel the endless suppression exuding from that area! Chu Liuyue suddenly giggled. ¡°I see. Then, His Grace usually must be very busy, right?¡± Hu Yang¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly surveyed his surroundings. After confirming that nobody else saw them, he heaved a sigh of relief and glanced at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. He then said, ¡°Ms. Dugu, we¡¯re reaching Tongshen Palace soon. Please try not to say such words in the future, in case you attract trouble.¡± Seeing his nervous look, Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°I know.¡± Then, all of them continued to walk forward. ¡­ After about 15 minutes or so, Hu Yang finally stopped. At this point, they were on one of the peaks beside Suming Peak, and their position was almost the same as Tongshen Palace. Hu Yang took out his white jade plaque and inserted a wave of force into it. The plaque then glowed brightly! ¡°Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Master Lin is here!¡± Very quickly, a ray of silver light flew out from Tongshen Palace! At that moment, it was like a silver river descending¡ªit was dazzling! Under the sky that had already become dark, it was especially charming! At the same time, a similar ray of light also flew out from Hu Yang¡¯s white jade plaque and intersected with it. Of course, compared to the one that flew out from Tongshen Palace, Hu Yang¡¯s light ray lacked in many areas. The person in charge of receiving them was very clearly stronger than Hu Yang! Hu Yang jumped up first and put away his plaque. ¡°Everyone, please¡ª¡± ¡­ Other than their group of people, there were many brilliant light rays that formed bridges around Suming Peak, allowing people to enter. Obviously, these people were also coming to attend the banquet. The closer they got, the more clearly Chu Liuyue could feel the suppression from Tongshen Palace. She looked up. In front of Tongshen Palace was a giant square made of white jade stone. Beside the square, there was a black clock quietly floating near the cliff. The clock sound should¡¯ve come from here previously. Many soldiers in black armor were standing neatly around the square. Even though there were many people coming back and forth, it was very organized. It was clear that no matter what background these people had, they would all become obedient and abide by the rules when they came here. At first glance, all of them were in lavish clothes, and it was very grand. The group of them finally landed on the ground. ¡°Welcome, Master Lin!¡± The moment the few of them landed, someone immediately came forward to greet them. This person looked like he was younger than thirty, and he was wearing black armor. His face was slim, and his eyes were energetic, looking very experienced. Even though his clothes were the same as Hu Yang¡¯s, his surrounding aura was much stronger. Even the previous Chen Ting couldn¡¯t be compared with him. It was no wonder he could stay here and work. Chu Liuyue was thinking about something when the other party suddenly gazed at her. ¡°This should be Ms. Dugu, right?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and immediately understood. It seems like Yan Qing should¡¯ve told them about me beforehand. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± A smile surfaced on that man¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re here. We¡¯ve already allocated seats for you. Please, head in¡ª¡± Then, he turned around and led the way. Lin Tianfeng and the rest couldn¡¯t help but glance at Chu Liuyue. However, Chu Liuyue looked calm as she raised her brows and followed him in. ¡­ The interior of Tongshen Palace was sparkling gold and looked magnificent. Inside the palace, the throne was carved from black stone and looked extremely formidable. Below, many white jade tables were arranged neatly. It split from the middle into two sides, and the crowd would sit on either side. All the seats seemed to have been allocated in advance as all the tables were written with the respective division¡¯s name. After every table were a number of seats, clearly for the people that came with the respective division. At this moment, more than half of the seats in the palace were filled. The crowd was either exchanging pleasantries or having private conversations. The scene was very lively but with some restraint as it wasn¡¯t noisy. Many people looked outside the palace from time to time. They were clearly waiting for the most important person of the night. Lin Tianfeng and the rest¡¯s arrival didn¡¯t cause much of a commotion. Many people just took a glance to the side and retracted their gazes. Grotto-Heaven Cliff? Nothing much. Hence, with that soldier leading Chu Liuyue and the rest, they discreetly arrived at their table. ¡°Master Lin, this is Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s seat. Everyone, please take a seat.¡± However, Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t move as he glanced at the man suspiciously. ¡°Here?¡± Did he get it wrong? This is the first row! One had to know that those who could sit in the first row in such a scenario were the top few divisions! A clan like Grotto-Heaven Cliff would usually sit in the last row, in a very ordinary corner. And now¡ªthis seat is too obvious?! Even if we take Officer Yan Qing into consideration, such a move seems rather inappropriate! Even Hu Yang was shocked as he hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure.¡± That man laughed. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t get such a matter wrong.¡± Lin Tianfeng instinctively glanced at Chu Liuyue. T-this position should be because of her¡­ ¡°Since they arranged it, let¡¯s just sit down,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she naturally walked over. Lin Tianfeng could only nod, and he sat down with the remaining few people gingerly. Once the few of them sat down, the palace quickly fell silent. Everyone looked over and had various expressions. It was clear that everyone had found something amiss. Lin Tianfeng coughed as he shot Chu Liuyue a questioning look. Then, he lowered his voice. ¡°¡­Ms. Dugu, what exactly do you and Officer Yan Qing¡ª¡± ¡°His Grace is here!¡± A thunderous announcement suddenly sounded! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she looked up. A man appeared outside the palace! He was wearing a black robe, and he stood tall and upright, looking very charming. All the light in the palace shone on his face, reflecting the most handsome appearance in the world. Before he stood still, he looked toward the crowd in the palace as if he were looking for something. As if they had a telepathic connection, he stared straight in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction. A ripple flashed across that pair of deep and clean phoenix-like eyes; they were like the spring wind melting the snow, filled with longing and smiles. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be touched by something soft. Her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to call him directly. Right at this moment, a woman¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Your Highness, why are you walking so quickly? I can¡¯t catch up with you..¡± Chapter 1065 - Don’t Misunderstand; I Just Didn’t See You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Following this, a slim woman slowly walked in. The sky outside was already dark. She was decked in a white dress with a turquoise jade belt around her thin waist. Her hair was tied up neatly, and she walked slowly. Her eyes were especially pure and charming, looking as gentle as water, yet her red lips curled up playfully. Such an appearance could be considered superior, but she seemed rather dull compared to the man in front. The crowd first saw Rong Xiu¡¯s deity-like appearance, so they weren¡¯t as shocked when they saw others now. But compared to most of the women in the palace, she was clearly better. Seeing the incoming person, Chu Liuyue squinted her star-like eyes and smiled playfully. This person seems to be the rumored¡­ Big Missy Jiang? As if he didn¡¯t hear her, Rong Xiu moved his long legs and walked toward the palace. Jiang Zhiyuan was dazed and hurriedly went forward. Earlier, I was discussing with Rong Xiu about the academy. Later, Yan Qing went, came back, and said something to Rong Xiu. Afterward, he was quite distracted. If it weren¡¯t because the incident was related to the academy, he would¡¯ve stood up to leave long ago. It was only now¡ªwhen the banquet was about to begin¡ªthat he rushed over directly. He looks as though he¡¯s very worried that he¡¯d be late, but that is the strangest part. As His Grace, even if Rong Xiu made these people wait here for hours, they wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything. Besides, he has always done things at his own pace. He would never behave in such a manner¡­ No matter what, he seems like he¡¯s in a hurry to do something. Before Jiang Zhiyuan could ask clearly, she hurriedly followed him over. She almost instinctively followed Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze and looked toward the palace. It was a pity that there were way too many people in the palace, so she couldn¡¯t even clearly see who Rong Xiu was looking at. The crowd in the palace finally seemed to react as they hurriedly stood up and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Grace!¡± Some of the clan leaders or masters had seen Rong Xiu before, so they weren¡¯t too stunned now. But for many of the women that came with them, it was their first time seeing the legendary His Grace. Quite a few people directly flushed red as they dazedly watched the man walking in. Distinguished! Disdainful! There had long been rumors about His Grace being outstandingly talented, formidable, decisive, and sharp! Hence, many people¡¯s first impression was respect and fear when they talked about him. But now that they saw him personally, they realized how unparalleled and distinguished His Grace was. With his deity-like and sinister-like appearance, it was enough to make countless girls fall head over heels for him. Besides, he even had a high status and held great power. How many women wouldn¡¯t be tempted by such a man? Then, under countless gazes, Rong Xiu suddenly moved his feet and walked toward a certain seat. Thus, everyone¡¯s gazes followed them. ¡°Hiss¡­ Why do I feel like His Grace is walking toward us?!¡± A lady sitting beside Chu Liuyue had her face turn red as she widened her eyes and softly muttered. ¡°How is that possible?! Who is His Grace? Why would he¡ªwait a minute! It seems like he¡¯s really coming over!¡± ¡°He seems to be looking at someone! Is he looking at us?¡± The remaining two ladies were excited as well. Only Chu Liuyue looked down and relaxingly poured herself a cup of wine. ¡°Master Lin.¡± Rong Xiu walked to Lin Tianfeng and lightly spoke. ¡°Y-your Highness?!¡± At this point, Lin Tianfeng was also stunned as he hurriedly stood up. ¡°Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Lin Tianfeng greets His Grace!¡± Lin Tianfeng was also a legendary warrior himself. As the clan¡¯s master, his usual aura wasn¡¯t weak at all. But standing in front of Rong Xiu, he instantly became minute and weak as his aura was lacking compared to the latter. Standing nearby, Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t even dare to look directly at the man before him. The distinguished aura that one would only have when one stayed in such a high position for a long time couldn¡¯t be compared at all! Rong Xiu stood with one hand behind his back and smiled slightly. ¡°Master Lin, you brought so many people with you through such a long journey. It must be tiring, right?¡± The man¡¯s voice was low and melodious, yet the palace fell into a deadly silence. Almost everyone looked dazed. W-what did His Grace just say? He actually asked Lin Tianfeng if it was tiring? Out of all the divisions, which one hasn¡¯t come here from far away? Which of us aren¡¯t tired? Why did he only ask Lin Tianfeng?! All these years, Grotto-Heaven Cliff has been ranked lowly out of all these divisions. In such an event, they usually don¡¯t even have the chance to go forward. What is happening today? Not only are they arranged to sit in the first row, but His Grace has even personally come to ask after him? What kind of honor is this?! ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I-it¡¯s not tiring for us.¡± Lin Tianfeng was also confused. He was dazed for a moment before he recovered his senses and hurriedly replied, ¡°It¡¯s our absolute honor to come and join His Grace¡¯s birthday banquet!¡± This sentence wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. Out of all the divisions, there really weren¡¯t many people who had the right to come to the Sky-Cloud Empire. It wasn¡¯t that Lin Tianfeng hadn¡¯t come before, but he basically stood in the corner and belonged to the forgotten, transparent existences. There was never once a time where he was in the limelight like today. His Grace even took the initiative to come over and ask after him. This all happened too suddenly. Even if Lin Tianfeng was one that had experienced all sorts of big storms, he was also nervous and anxious. ¡°Master Lin, don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m just casually asking; I don¡¯t have any other intentions.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly as he turned his gaze, which landed on the few people behind Lin Tianfeng. ¡°These few should¡¯ve accompanied Master Lin over, right?¡± Lin Tianfeng hurriedly turned around and glanced at the few of them. The few people who hadn¡¯t recovered their senses before this stood up gradually to bow. ¡°Greetings, Your Grace!¡± Perhaps she was too nervous, but one of the ladies even moved the table in front of her. Chu Liuyue had just finished pouring her wine. Before she could even pick up the cup, most of the wine was spilled. Rong Xiu raised his saber-like eyebrows. ¡°These few ladies are also from Grotto-Heaven Cliff?¡± Lin Tianfeng was shocked. He immediately nodded and hurriedly said, ¡°These three are, but Ms. Dugu isn¡¯t.¡± Interest flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ms¡­ Dugu?¡± Lin Tianfeng instinctively turned around, but he saw that while all the others were standing and bowing, only Chu Liuyue was still seated down. She didn¡¯t even raise her head as she poured wine for herself. Lin Tianfeng¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched. What time is it? She actually has the time to drink wine?! Does she know that the person before her is His Grace! ¡°Ms. Dugu, you don¡¯t seem too happy to see me?¡± Chu Liuyue then looked up and smiled slightly. Her pair of star-like eyes was even more intoxicating than the cup of wine in her hands that reflected the fiery light as she smiled and said, ¡°Your Grace, don¡¯t misunderstand.. I just didn¡¯t see you just now.¡± Chapter 1066 - Who Offended Whom? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Gasps could be heard within the palace. Where did this woman come from? Why is she so arrogant to the point she dares to talk to His Grace in this manner? Just when everyone held their breaths in and were waiting for His Grace to rage, he suddenly nodded and seriously asked, ¡°Then, do you see me now?¡± His voice was as per usual. Not only was he not angry at all, but he even had a rare form of patience. The crowd was confused. Your Highness?! Can you wake up!? What are you doing?! Chu Liuyue lightly swirled her wine around, tilted her head, and sized him up in detail. Then, she slowly nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± Mm. After being separated for so long, we finally see each other. However, I didn¡¯t expect us to see each other in such a place with such identities. At this point, Rong Xiu was quite different from before. In the past, he always wore white clothes and looked deity-like. But now, he had changed into a black robe and instantly looked more intimidating and formidable. Chu Liuyue only saw such a him once¡ªit was on that day when she first heard him being addressed as ¡®His Grace.¡¯ It was also from then that Chu Liuyue gradually realized that Rong Xiu was definitely not like he seemed. She had expected Rong Xiu¡¯s background to be unusual, but she never expected it to be this shocking. ¡°Your Highness is indeed distinguished and handsome enough to make many people fall for you,¡± said Chu Liuyue in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Your Highness, you two¡­ know each other?¡± Behind them, Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but speak. Her gaze darted back and forth between the duo while a strange discomfort overwhelmed her. Rong Xiu¡¯s behavior is indeed amiss. All these years, he has never gotten close to women and was even too lazy to talk to them. No matter if it were the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s people or the people from the divisions, they¡¯ve tried to convince him to get married countless times. However, he never agreed. This time, it was probably because he couldn¡¯t delay it any longer, so he agreed to hold this contest to choose the princess consort. Even though the event was grand, Jiang Zhiyuan knew very clearly that it was impossible for Rong Xiu to choose multiple partners. Even his attitude toward her showed even more frustration than before. But now¡­ he actually said such things to another woman? The key is that this woman looks ordinary, and her status seems lowly. What exactly¡­ is His Highness thinking? Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was nonchalant, but he didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Of course, we know each other.¡± She¡¯s my wife, my Princess Consort, my fiance. How can I not know her?! ¡°I had the honor of meeting His Grace a few times before,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Rong Xiu¡¯s brows jumped. This sentence¡­ Isn¡¯t she making it clear that she doesn¡¯t want to be related to me? ¡°Your Highness, this is your birthday banquet and the contest to choose your princess consort. Don¡¯t waste time with me here. You should begin quickly!¡± urged Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu was stumped, but he temporarily couldn¡¯t say anything in front of all these people. ¡°Then¡­ Ms. Dugu, please help yourself. Just treat this as your own home.¡± He then gave Chu Liuyue a deep look before turning around to walk to the seat above. ¡°Hey, Your Highness¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked at Rong Xiu and then at Chu Liuyue. Wh-what exactly is going on?! ¡°Zhiyuan, quickly come back.¡± At this moment, Jiang Hetian suddenly spoke and waved toward Jiang Zhiyuan. In front of so many people, it doesn¡¯t look good for her to stand there alone. Besides, anyone with eyes can tell that Rong Xiu treats her very coldly. After he came in, he didn¡¯t even glance at her. Jiang Hetian doted on his daughter, and he could only call her back hurriedly. Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other and walked toward her father before sitting behind him. That was the first position in the top row on the left¡ªthis showed how high Fairy Water Mound¡¯s status was! After Rong Xiu left, Lin Tianfeng finally let out the breath he was holding in. He hurriedly turned to look at Chu Liuyue with furrowed brows and a complicated gaze as if he had many things to say. However, he didn¡¯t know where to begin. ¡°Ms. Dugu, you¡­ Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier than you know His Grace!?¡± Lin Tianfeng spat out this sentence with much difficulty. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask either!¡± Lin Tianfeng was confused. I would only ask such a question if my brain had problems, right?! Who would¡¯ve thought that an ordinary woman from outside the God Residence Realm would know the high and mighty His Grace? Huh? Who would! ¡°No wonder¡­¡± At the side, Lin Zhifei suddenly understood something. It¡¯s no wonder Yan Qing treated her with that attitude. Previously, I felt that Yan Qing¡¯s polite and even subtly obedient attitude toward her wasn¡¯t normal. Now, I finally understand why. The person she knows is His Grace! Lin Zhifei suddenly recalled that she had once asked in the Lin family if His Grace was called Rong Xiu. At that time, Lin Tianfeng still told her not to address His Grace by his name casually. At that time, he also thought that she was ignorant because she had just arrived in the area, so she casually called out His Grace¡¯s name. Thinking about it now¡­ It was simply because she thought of His Grace as her equal from the very beginning! Hence, her tone was so calm and carefree! ¡°Oh my god! Ms. Dugu, you actually know His Grace?! No wonder he came to talk to us just now!¡± The ladies beside her exclaimed, and their faces were filled with envy. Chu Liuyue slightly smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, I previously didn¡¯t know his identity either. Thus, I didn¡¯t talk about it.¡± ¡°I see!¡± The few ladies didn¡¯t doubt her as they nodded continuously. ¡°I knew it was weird for us to sit in the first row. It must be because His Grace knew that you were coming earlier on, so he purposely arranged it for us, right?!¡± ¡°Yeah! So this means that the two of you are very close, right?¡± ¡°T-then, what kind of girl does His Grace like? Do you know?¡± Chu Liuyue picked up her wine and finished it in one shot. The fiery burn entered her stomach through her teeth, and it burned until half her body became warm. She held her chin with one hand, and her thin, white fingers gently knocked against her chin. ¡°Hm¡­ The girl he likes¡­ Won¡¯t we know when the contest begins?¡± Hearing her nonchalant tone, Lin Tianfeng felt grateful, and his head ached. He was grateful that they treated Dugu Yue decently during this period and that they didn¡¯t offend her. What made his head ache was that she didn¡¯t even notice how shocking her relationship with His Grace was and what it meant! The key is that she didn¡¯t seem worried that she would offend His Grace at all. Just listen to what she said just now! Even if I had ten guts, I wouldn¡¯t dare to say it! However, she said it all! She doesn¡¯t plan to give His Grace any face at all! Without a choice, Lin Tianfeng could only lower his voice. ¡°Ms. Dugu, we¡¯re all very grateful to have been able to enjoy your benefits today. But in the future, I hope you¡¯ll be more careful. D-don¡¯t say such words again in case you offend His Grace!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Hm? Who offended whom now? Chapter 1067 - Dugu Yue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Your Highness, a-are you okay?¡± After Rong Xiu walked over, Yu Mo¡ªwho was serving by the side¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but ask. It¡¯s too scary! The previous scene was too terrifying! Ms. Liuyue¡¯s actions were extreme! In front of so many people, she didn¡¯t leave any face for His Highness! But His Highness couldn¡¯t bear to do anything to her, so he could only be ridiculed. On the other end, Yan Qing was expressionless. When he heard this, he couldn¡¯t help sneering in his heart. Who can he blame for the sin he committed himself?! In the beginning, I had long advised His Highness to speak about it earlier, but he refused. Great, now she has directly come to the door! Then? He said he¡¯d fetch her personally, but he didn¡¯t in the end. It would be earth-shattering if that person wasn¡¯t angry! Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°Just go according to the procedure.¡± Yu Mo hurriedly acknowledged the order. ¡°Yes!¡± Seeing that His Highness really didn¡¯t have any other plans, Yu Mo was anxious as he used his elbow to nudge Yan Qing. Hey, didn¡¯t His Highness tell you to fetch Ms. Liuyue over previously? Why did she still come with the Lin family in the end? Look at how angry that person is now! If you did it well, why would His Highness end up in this situation?! Yan Qing laughed coldly. So what if I went? I directly went down on one knee to beg her sincerely, yet that person was unmoved. At the end of the day, isn¡¯t it because His Highness is in the wrong first? Even if I went there and let her unleash her temper, how can I reduce that person¡¯s anger on my own? His Highness can¡¯t even do it, let alone me! At the end of the day, His Highness should suffer all of this! Seeing how calm His Highness was and how Yan Qing wasn¡¯t doing anything, Yu Mo scratched his head and felt his head ache. After much thinking, he couldn¡¯t conjure up any solution, so he could only sigh deeply in his heart. Sigh! Oh well! Why should I care so much!?? Since His Highness isn¡¯t anxious, there must be a solution to it, right? Then, Yu Mo collected his thoughts and started busying himself with the banquet. ¡­ Rong Xiu came earlier than expected. After he came in, there were some other divisions that gradually arrived. Due to his presence, the atmosphere in the hall was clearly more solemn than before. Even if he had already told the crowd to be at ease, everyone didn¡¯t really dare to be casual! This was especially so for the ladies. All of them fought to be the best and the elegant one as they obeyed the standard for their every action and every word spoken, terrified that they would make a mistake and incur that person¡¯s wrath. Afterward, the people from Cold Mountain Gully came. After they came in, the row of people first saw Rong Xiu sitting above. They then realized that they had come late, so they hurriedly kneeled down. Rong Xiu nonchalantly let them sit down. However, the faces of Han Quan and the rest were still white. They knew very clearly that they wouldn¡¯t have much of a chance after making such a huge mistake. Only Han Zishu and the rest couldn¡¯t react after a long while as they only cared about staring at Rong Xiu sitting above. He sat in a formidably handsome manner¡ªit was very normal for such a person to charm others. It was only until Rong Xiu looked over with coldness in his eyes and the overwhelming suppression attacked them did they finally wake up! ¡°If you don¡¯t want your eyes, just say it,¡± said Rong Xiu coldly. Han Zishu and the rest then hurriedly lowered their heads to beg for mercy. This scene made the crowd in the palace feel very conflicted. In the beginning, Dugu Yue said she didn¡¯t see him, but he wanted her to see him. Now that the few women from Cold Mountain Gully stared at him until they were in a daze, he wanted to dig their eyeballs out. It¡¯s not that His Grace hasn¡¯t done such things before, but with that earlier incident as a comparison, this incident is too strange. Why is the difference between humans so huge?! After much convincing, the people from Cold Mountain Gully finally obtained mercy as they sat in a corner helplessly. At this moment, they saw that Lin Tianfeng and the rest were actually sitting in the first row! Han Zishu was stunned and was about to speak when Han Quan pulled her from the side. We can¡¯t even take care of ourselves! How can we talk about others? Besides, although Han Zishu and the rest might not know, Han Quan and Chen Ting knew the pros and cons. Lin Tianfeng and the rest safely sitting there stated too many problems! Even if they wanted to cause trouble for them, they had to understand the situation clearly first! Hence, the few of them could only suffer their grievances. ¡°Hmph, I want to see how arrogant they can become now! Ms. Dugu, it¡¯s all because of you this time! If not, we¡¯d be bullied by them again!¡± The few women from Grotto-Heaven Cliff felt relieved over this. ¡°Everyone now knows that you and His Grace know each other. In the future, I bet nobody will dare to offend you!¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue laughed as her gaze swept across Lou Ruhai, who had been quiet the entire while. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡­ After everyone arrived, the banquet officially started. Firstly, all the people from the divisions presented their gifts and celebrated His Grace¡¯s birthday. Beautiful compliments fell down like raindrops. Chu Liuyue listened until she was very sleepy. Rong Xiu scanned his surroundings and saw her lazy and tired look. He couldn¡¯t help but smile and interrupt Yu Mo, who was reading the gift list. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll read this later. Other than my birthday, today is also the contest to choose the princess consort. It¡¯s also time for me to choose a wife, so we¡¯ll directly begin.¡± The crowd was stunned and became thrilled. This is the important show of the night! Rong Xiu waved his wrist and passed a booklet to Yan Qing. ¡°Please read out the name list for those participating in the contest.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yan Qing respectfully opened it, and his expression froze. He then quickly looked up and glanced at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu was calm. ¡°Read it.¡± Yan Qing gulped a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. ¡°The list of the people participating in the contest for the position of princess consort is as follows: From Grotto-Heaven Cliff: Lin Miao¡¯er, Lin Shuangshuang, Su Xiaoyan¡­ D-Dugu Yue!¡± Chapter 1068 - You Want to Give, But I Don’t Want Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dugu Yue! When Lin Tianfeng and the rest heard these two words, they were instantly taken aback! Why did her name appear on that list?! The lady beside Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t control herself and directly spilled her wine on the floor. Bam! The crisp sound of the wine cup breaking was heard, and it instantly averted the crowd¡¯s gazes. The hall fell silent. Rong Xiu looked over and raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Master Lin, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Lin Tianfeng hurriedly stood up and said, ¡°Your Highness, uhm¡­ Ms. Dugu isn¡¯t on the list that Grotto-Heaven Cliff submitted! This¡ª¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rong Xiu seemed shocked as his ending tone was slightly higher. He said to Yan Qing, ¡°Show it to me.¡± Yan Qing hurriedly presented the booklet with both hands. Rong Xiu took it and examined it closely. Then, he looked up and lightly said, ¡°Dugu Yue¡¯s name is clearly written on it. Master Lin, you can see for yourself if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Lin Tianfeng was stumped. How would I dare not to believe His Highness¡¯s golden words? B-but this isn¡¯t right! That name list was submitted before Dugu Yue even went to Grotto-Heaven Cliff. Besides, I clearly know that Dugu Yue brought a child along with her to look for her husband. How would I dare to add her name to the list?! ¡°Uhm¡­ There must be a mistake here¡­¡± Lin Tianfeng gulped with much difficulty as his skin was tense, and he was extremely nervous. Even if he had seen all sorts of thunderstorms, he was dazed when he faced such a scene. The people present don¡¯t know Dugu Yue¡¯s background, but I know it clearly! If someone finds out about it, then¡ª ¡°Master Lin, you¡¯re saying that the Sky-Cloud Empire people read this booklet wrong?¡± Rong Xiu leaned against his chair and lazily asked. Even though his tone was relaxed, Lin Tianfeng wouldn¡¯t dare to admit it! I¡¯m not tired of living, so why would I accuse the Sky-Cloud Empire people of being sloppy with their work?! ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s voice became much softer. Rong Xiu laughed and threw the booklet back to Yan Qing. ¡°Forget it. We can¡¯t make this clear in such a short time; let¡¯s leave it as it is first. It¡¯s not too late to check after this is over.¡± The crowd was confused. This is the name list to choose your princess consort. How could you say that in such a relaxed manner?! But since Rong Xiu had already said it, the others naturally couldn¡¯t say anything else. Besides, there were many people participating in the contest for the position of princess consort. There wouldn¡¯t be too many with her and not too few without her. This girl without any background wouldn¡¯t pose much threat. Yan Qing held the booklet and felt that his hands were burning. He looked down and glanced at the two words ¡®Dugu Yue¡¯ that was clearly just added. He was in turmoil. It¡¯s no wonder His Highness wasn¡¯t anxious at all. It turned out that he was waiting here! Rong Xiu knocked his long white fingers. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡­ Yan Qing took a deep breath in and planned to continue reading. ¡°Han¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± The moment Yan Qing spoke, someone suddenly interrupted him. The crowd turned in the direction of the voice. The person speaking wasn¡¯t anyone else but Jiang Zhiyuan, who closely followed Rong Xiu previously. She gazed at Rong Xiu sitting above and slightly knitted her brows; disagreement could be clearly seen on her face. ¡°Your Highness, your actions seem rather inappropriate.¡± The crowd became increasingly silent. ¡°Zhiyuan.¡± At the side, Jiang Hetian knitted his brows and called her with much warning. However, Jiang Zhiyuan ignored him. She pressed her lips against each other and continued, ¡°Just now, Master Lin had already said that Ms. Dugu isn¡¯t from Grotto-Heaven Cliff. Logically speaking, she has no right to be on the name list. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate that you don¡¯t really care about it, Your Highness?¡± The crowd exchanged glances. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s words make sense. All those who can come here are the most outstanding women of the respective clans. It¡¯s indeed weird that this Dugu Yue suddenly jumped out and ridiculously got on the name list, becoming one of the candidates. Rong Xiu glanced at her slightly. ¡°Not everyone present are daughters from the main family. According to what you say, should they also be removed from the name list?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was stumped and bit her lips. ¡°I¡­ Your Highness, you clearly know that that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Only you know what you mean, Big Missy Jiang. How would I know?¡± Rong Xiu seemed to smile, but there was no smiling intent in his eyes and face. Everyone could clearly tell that this was distance from inside to out. Jiang Zhiyuan was dazed, and awkwardness appeared in her eyes. After she saw Rong Xiu today, she was originally elated. But afterward, she realized that he didn¡¯t seem to want to care about her. She didn¡¯t take it to heart because his personality was always this cold. But now, he didn¡¯t leave any face for her at all in front of so many people. Jiang Zhiyuan felt very aggrieved. Just as she was about to say something, Jiang Hetian opened his mouth. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive Zhiyuan for offending you.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Your Highness, you also know that this girl had been spoiled by the clan leader since she was young, so sometimes she¡¯ll be rather unruly with what she says. Your Highness, please forgive her. When we go back, I¡¯ll definitely teach her a lesson!¡± When he mentioned ¡®clan leader,¡¯ Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze darkened slightly, and his thin lips curled up. ¡°Why would I? It¡¯s a pity that the clan leader is still in seclusion. If not, he¡¯d definitely be very happy to see Big Missy Jiang.¡± Jiang Hetian¡¯s smile froze. For some reason, the clan leader hadn¡¯t come out of seclusion after entering it a few years ago. During this period of time, Rong Xiu had held the power and completely controlled the Sky-Cloud Empire! All these years, he had been avoiding Rong Xiu, but he didn¡¯t expect the latter to be more unreasonable and powerful than he had expected. Jiang Hetian awkwardly laughed and didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Father, why didn¡¯t you let me carry on?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but ask. Jiang Hetian knitted his brows. ¡°What else do you want to say?! Can¡¯t you tell what His Highness wants?!¡± ¡°But why?! That Dugu Yue clearly doesn¡¯t have any right! Even Master Lin said that he didn¡¯t put her name on the list. One sentence can solve everything. Why would His Highness go through the trouble?¡± Jiang Hetian became slightly frustrated. ¡°Why do you keep harping on this problem? Isn¡¯t it just a Dugu Yue? Even with her, will it change the eventual outcome? Let¡¯s not talk about others. Just based on her appearance and figure alone, she can¡¯t compete with you at all! Is it worth it to quarrel with His Highness over such an unimportant person?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was stumped for a moment. ¡°As long as you perform well later, won¡¯t that princess consort position be yours? There¡¯s nobody else who is more suitable than you for this position,¡± advised Jiang Hetian. Jiang Zhiyuan could only nod. But for some reason, she just felt uneasy when she recalled how Rong Xiu talked to that woman. Yan Qing continued, ¡°Han¡ª¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Another voice was heard. Hearing this, the person who spoke this time was actually Dugu Yue! They saw that her lips curled up, and she said with a smile, ¡°I think Big Missy Jiang is right.. Your Grace, please delete my name.¡± Chapter 1069 - Tell Your Fiancé to Come and Speak Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Once she said this, the palace fell deadly silent. Yan Qing¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat as he instinctively turned around to look at his master. On the throne, Rong Xiu¡¯s expression froze for a moment. But that moment of stiffness quickly disappeared. However, his pair of phoenix-like eyes were gradually covered by lonely coldness, and his entire body exuded a shockingly cold aura. He smiled slightly, and his voice was extremely light. He pronounced every single word carefully: ¡°What did you say? Say that again.¡± ¡­ The atmosphere became strange. Many people felt a dangerous and sinister aura for some reason. The space started freezing inch by inch. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°Just now, Master Lin had already made it very clear that my name wasn¡¯t on the submitted name list. It¡¯s also no longer important why my name would appear on that list. Your Highness, it¡¯ll be more convenient for everyone if you just delete my name, right? It doesn¡¯t seem very appropriate for me to join this lively event. Don¡¯t you think so, Your Highness?¡± Her gaze turned as she spoke, and she looked at Yan Qing. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble His Highness for such a small matter. Officer Yan Qing can do it for you. Officer Yan Qing, please.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s hands holding the booklet trembled. I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have gone to invite her over in His Highness¡¯s position! Not to mention that I got the cold shoulder, but it¡¯s even hard for me to remove myself from the situation! Why is my life so tough? Helpless, he could only say, ¡°My status is low. I have no right to do so.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s phoenix-like eyes were deep as he stared at Chu Liuyue. It was as though he wanted to eat her whole directly. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yan Qing glanced at Chu Liuyue to beg her. Please don¡¯t¡ª ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning. ¡°After all, I already have a fianc¨¦.¡± ¡­ The crowd went crazy. So Dugu Yue already has a fianc¨¦?! Then, does His Grace know about it? It seems like he shouldn¡¯t know about it, right? If not, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to leave her name on that booklet. However, it is rather embarrassing for her to reject His Grace in front of everyone! Lin Tianfeng and the rest looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. Fianc¨¦?! Not husband?! Then, Big Baby¡ª Just as the crowd partook in hushed discussions, Rong Xiu suddenly laughed and said, ¡°So what?¡± At that moment, almost all the voices disappeared. Countless pairs of eyes looked at Rong Xiu in overwhelming shock. S-o w-h-a-t?! What does that mean? Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and the uneasiness that she felt became increasingly intense. Everyone else present realized that something was wrong one after another, and they all kept quiet. The atmosphere was tense and almost suffocating. Rong Xiu seemed as though he didn¡¯t realize that his sentence had stunned the crowd present. He leaned back in a relaxed position and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°As long as you ask him to stand here now and object to this, I will let this slide.¡± ¡­ Cunning! Chu Liuyue secretly clenched her teeth. I long knew that this man had a black heart, but I never expected him to be relentless when talking about himself! He even dared to say such words¡ªhow shameless! Chu Liuyue almost couldn¡¯t hold herself back from directly scolding him. At the side, Dugu Mobao¡ªwho didn¡¯t move at all¡ªcouldn¡¯t help rolling his eyes when he heard this. A secret light flashed across his sinister, purple eyes. This kid is indeed still the same as before. No, I should say that he has become even worse! He is unscrupulous to achieve his motives! He doesn¡¯t want his face in front of so many people. ¡­ Lin Tianfeng was very uncomfortable. He never expected that the matter would develop to this extent. If he couldn¡¯t tell what His Grace was thinking, he would¡¯ve wasted all his years of experience! He clearly wants to let Dugu Yue participate in the contest! Without asking, I can also guess how that name appeared on the list! But the key is that Dugu Yue has already stated that she has a fianc¨¦, yet His Grace actually said that¡­ Even if her fianc¨¦ had a high status, could it be higher than His Highness¡¯s? Not to mention whether that man is here, would he dare to stand up when His Highness has spoken if he was?! At this point, there seemed to be no solution to this. Lin Tianfeng couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue and glance at Dugu Mobao beside her. He sighed. This child only looks like he¡¯s three or four. He¡¯s so innocent¡­ He hesitated for a moment. Just as he was thinking if he should speak up, Lin Zhifei pulled him back from the side. ¡°Father, don¡¯t be anxious.¡± Lin Tianfeng was hesitant. ¡°But¡­ His Highness¡¯s actions are too¡­ She¡¯s on her own. If we don¡¯t help her, then¡ª¡± Lin Zhifei shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s quietly observe the changes first. It won¡¯t help much even if you stand up now.¡± Lin Tianfeng knew that his son was speaking the truth. Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s status wasn¡¯t high. They only had such good treatment this time because of Dugu Yue. Even the Jiang family from Fairy Water Mound can¡¯t stop His Grace from doing what he wants to do, let alone us? Finally, Lin Tianfeng only nodded. ¡°No matter what, she saved your life. If anything happens, we¡­ can¡¯t just sit around and ignore her.¡± Lin Zhifei nodded lightly, and there seemed to be secret ripples in his faint eyes. He silently glanced at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue before looking down. The relationship between the duo¡­ ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s so good about that Dugu Yue? His Grace actually likes her?¡± In an isolated corner in the palace, the crowd from Cold Mountain Gully had their eyes wide open and mouths agape when they saw this scene. Han Zishu widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°With that appearance and background, how can she gain His Highness¡¯s favor? The key is that she even has a fianc¨¦! What exactly can¡¯t His Highness think through properly?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Han Quan still had some form of rationality left as he hurriedly stopped her. ¡°You can¡¯t talk about His Highness!¡± Han Zishu shuddered, but indignation still filled her eyes. ¡°I just find it weird!¡± This matter is too weird! ¡°That b*tch probably used some method to seduce His Highness! She¡ª¡± Before Han Zishu could finish her sentence, a young woman in front of her suddenly turned around. Her makeup was intricate and appropriate; she clearly came to participate in the contest as well. But at this point, mockery filled her face as she looked at Han Zishu and the rest as though she was looking at fools. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t randomly say such words in case other people hear it. Ms. Dugu¡­ knew His Highness before. If you¡¯re not afraid of being in trouble, continue talking.¡± Then, she smiled coldly and turned around. It¡¯s fine that they came late, but they are also brainless. These people from Cold Mountain Gully are really tired of living. Han Zishu and the rest looked dazed. That Dugu Yue knows His Grace? How is that even possible? ¡­ Amidst the suffocating atmosphere, Chu Liuyue was the first to react.. She squinted her eyes and suddenly smiled. ¡°Your Highness, what if I just want to say no?¡± Chapter 1070 - Additional Spot Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, why are you still so stubborn?¡± Right at this moment, a low and experienced voice suddenly sounded from outside. The crowd looked outside. An elder suddenly came forward. He had no signs of any force ripples, but the unknown strong aura around him made them secretly respect and fear him. This is an absolutely strong warrior! Chu Liuyue was dazed slightly. This was because she knew this elder. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, why are you here?¡± Rong Xiu was about to stand up and personally welcome him when 36 Respected Elder Ming hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s Your Grace¡¯s birthday banquet and the contest to choose your princess consort. Of course, I must come and join in on the fun!¡± At this point, the crowd gradually stood up and bowed when they saw the incoming person. ¡°Greetings, 36 Respected Elder Ming!¡± Quite a few people were secretly shocked. This person is a strong warrior in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Even amongst the tens of respected elders, he is also considered the most capable one with the highest status. Usually, 36 Respected Elder Ming stays in seclusion and never interferes in such things. For some reason, he actually came over today? 36 Respected Elder Ming laughed out loud. ¡°Once I came out of seclusion, I heard about this and rushed over without stopping!¡± As he spoke, his gaze landed on Ming Yao at the side. A chill ran down Ming Yao¡¯s spine as he hurriedly bent down and bowed. ¡°R-respected Elder, why are you out today? Yet, nobody reported to me in advance. We have failed you. I hope¡ª¡± ¡°I heard the news after I came out and immediately rushed over. Of course, nobody will report to you.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming chuckled. ¡°If I were any later, I would miss the meticulously planned banquet today, right?¡± Ming Yao broke out into a cold sweat and didn¡¯t know what to say. It seems like 36 Respected Elder Ming knows everything! Originally, I was a big reason why the contest for the position of princess consort was organized. Previously, 36 Respected Elder Ming kept reminding me not to think of such ideas, but I still took advantage of 36 Respected Elder Ming being in seclusion and secretly did it. I initially thought that everything should be settled by the time this person was out. By then, even if 36 Respected Elder Ming was unhappy, he couldn¡¯t say much since everything had been completed. I didn¡¯t expect him to appear so quickly! This time, I¡¯m caught red-handed! Just when Ming Yao thought that 36 Respected Elder Ming would sternly scold him in front of the crowd, he saw that the latter didn¡¯t talk to him further as he turned and walked in another direction. Under the crowd¡¯s stares, he walked to Lin Tianfeng. It was actually Lin Tianfeng¡¯s first time seeing the person in the legends. But he knew very clearly that 36 Respected Elder Ming was also here to look for Dugu Yue. As expected, 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s gaze directly landed on Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly but quickly relaxed them as a look of understanding flashed across her eyes. ¡°36¡­ Respected Elder Ming?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming instantly felt guilty when that pair of clear black eyes stared at him. He clenched his fists, brought it to his lips, and coughed. ¡°Ahem. Girlie, how can you openly go against His Grace¡¯s words? Just take it as if you¡¯re playing a game. Anyway, it won¡¯t affect you much, right?¡± The crowd was confused. Playing a game? 36 Respected Elder Ming, are your words appropriate?! Many people present have high expectations and take this matter seriously, yet you told Dugu Yue to join as if she were playing a game? When Chu Liuyue saw 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s expression, her heart tingled. She half-squinted and silently glanced at Rong Xiu sitting above. Rong Xiu undetectably nodded slightly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ As 36 Respected Elder Ming intervened and Chu Liuyue took advantage of his situation, the matter finally proceeded on successfully. The atmosphere was slightly strange. Quite a few people started whispering softly. ¡°So 36 Respected Elder Ming also knows that Dugu Yue?! Where did she come from?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ But since she came with those people from Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Lin family¡­ Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t have a distinguished background, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but His Grace and 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s attitudes toward her seemed unusual! This woman looks so normal. I really don¡¯t know what His Grace likes about her¡­¡± ¡°Hah, so what? All the distinguished women from the divisions have come today. Why would she stand a chance?¡± ¡°But speaking of which, why did only 36 Respected Elder Ming come to such an important event? Where are the other respected elders?¡± ¡°Perhaps the other respected elders have something to handle, or they¡¯re cultivating¡­ Didn¡¯t you see that 36 Respected Elder Ming also hurried over after exiting his seclusion? Besides¡­ Not all of those respected elders in the Sky-Cloud Empire respect His Grace¡­¡± ¡°Shh! We can¡¯t say such things¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Jiang Zhiyuan slowly clenched the corner of her clothes. Jiang Hetian turned around to take a look at his daughter and saw her very aggrieved gaze. He sighed and comforted, ¡°Okay, Zhiyuan. I know that you feel aggrieved, but His Grace has always been like this. Nobody can stop what he wants to do. Don¡¯t worry. With that Dugu Yue¡¯s status, she will only be a mistress even if she is chosen. She doesn¡¯t even have the right to be second consort, let alone princess consort. You don¡¯t have to worry¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about this.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips, and her voice was a little hoarse. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just upset¡­¡± He definitely likes this woman. If not, he wouldn¡¯t do this. I¡¯ve known him for so long, yet he never specifically did anything for me. How can such a comparison not break my heart? What is even harder to accept is that Dugu Yue doesn¡¯t even seem to accept his passionate feelings! Rong Xiu is the most outstanding man in the world. How could her so-called fianc¨¦ be compared to him? Jiang Hetian patted her hands. ¡°As long as you¡¯re the one beside him, he¡¯ll always be yours for the rest of your life. Why should you mind the rest?¡± This sentence finally made Jiang Zhiyuan recover her senses. She forcefully held back the tears in her eyes as she nodded and stubbornly said, ¡°I naturally won¡¯t let other people steal whatever belongs to me!¡± Jiang Hetian heaved a sigh of relief as he gradually smiled. ¡°This is my Fairy Water Mound Jiang clan¡¯s Big Missy, my Jiang Hetian¡¯s precious daughter!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other as she looked up and glanced at Chu Liuyue opposite her. Thinking about what had just happened, she felt increasingly uncomfortable. How can such a woman stay beside him? I better¡­ find a way to chase her out from the very beginning! ¡­ Yu Mo very quickly moved a chair over and invited 36 Respected Elder Ming to sit on the left side of Rong Xiu. While Chu Liuyue heard the crowd discussing beside her, she glanced at that side. Rong Xiu seems¡­ to have not specifically prepared seats for those respected elders? Chapter 1071 - Play Chess Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Ms. Dugu, it turns out¡­ you even know 36 Respected Elder Ming?¡± Shock could no longer describe Lin Tianfeng¡¯s current feelings. Firstly, it was Officer Yan Qing. Then, it was His Grace. And now, she even knows 36 Respected Elder Ming, who has always been in seclusion¡­ Is she really just an ordinary person from outside the God Residence Realm? Even if I get beaten to death now, I wouldn¡¯t believe it! ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and nonchalantly nodded. ¡°We¡¯re not that close. I just¡­ saw him a few times.¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s gaze was filled with grumbles. If you only saw him a few times, how can he have such an attitude toward you?! Rumors have it that 36 Respected Elder Ming doesn¡¯t really care about his Ming clan matters. If there really was nothing, how could he say such things to her? Lin Tianfeng felt that he increasingly didn¡¯t understand this woman in front of him. She seemed ordinary, but she could use her eighth-grade heavenly doctor status to treat Zhifei. She seemed like she had no background, but she had interactions with the most distinguished people in the Sky-Cloud Empire. It was as if she had many secrets that nobody could figure out. Lin Zhifei glanced at her with deep meaning. Then, his gaze lightly swept across Dugu Mobao. Perhaps¡­ my guess is true¡­ ¡­ Then, Yan Qing could finally continue reading the booklet smoothly. Luckily, there were no more accidents later on. When he was done reading, he closed the booklet and secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Rong Xiu leaned against the chair lazily and calmly with an elegance that exuded from his bones. ¡°I usually like to play chess, and I also like women who are good at chess. Hence, the first stage is playing chess.¡± He waved his sleeves as he spoke, and countless silver rays of light flew out. The bright and dazzling light rays intertwined in midair, rapidly forming a gigantic chessboard in the middle of the palace. ¡°The person who can play with me to the end is the winner for this round!¡± ¡­ After a temporary silence in the hall, there were hushed whispers. Nobody expected that the first stage for His Grace¡¯s contest was playing chess! However, there were indeed not many people who knew that His Grace liked to play chess. It didn¡¯t seem wrong to do this¡­ Jiang Hetian smiled and glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°Don¡¯t you like this and are usually good at this? From this, you can see that His Highness still has you in his heart.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face flushed red in a rather shy manner. ¡°Father, don¡¯t tease me!¡± ¡°Did I say anything wrong? You¡¯ve learned chess from the clan leader since you were three, and you¡¯re superb at it. Very few people can beat you in this world. Who else can be first other than you?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face turned red as her eyes glowed with more interest and happiness when she looked at the shining chessboard. It seems like he does remember it¡­ Yan Qing asked, ¡°Who would like to be the first to try?¡± The crowd immediately fell silent. Very quickly, a voice came from the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m Cloud Mist Mountain¡¯s Pei Pei. I¡¯m willing to try!¡± The crowd looked in the direction of the voice. That was a woman wearing a red robe; she was tall and slim. She had a naturally clean, melon-face, and her features were pretty. Amongst all the girls who meticulously dolled themselves up, she couldn¡¯t be considered a top beauty. However, the charm in her eyes gave her a different aura. A broadsword was attached to her waist as if she was prepared for a battle anytime. Then, she walked straight to the center of the palace and stood before the gigantic chessboard. ¡°Cloud Mist Mountain¡¯s Big Missy¡­ Rumors have it that she¡¯s fiery and very passionate about the things she does. Now that we see her today, it indeed seems like the case!¡± ¡°She must be courageous if she dares to be the first! I wonder how many moves she can make. I heard that His Grace is very good at playing chess¡­¡± ¡°No matter how many moves she makes, at least she showed her face to His Highness. It¡¯s better than being quiet and silent, right?¡± No matter how much the surrounding people discussed, Pei Pei acted as if she didn¡¯t hear anything as she raised her chin and stared at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu said, ¡°Ms. Pei. you can go ahead first.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± Pei Pei acknowledged it and swiftly started. Brown force gathered in her palm; then, she flung her wrist and sent that wave of force onto that chessboard! Whir! A soft sound could be heard¡ªa circular brown chess piece instantly appeared on the chessboard! ¡°Your Highness, please!¡± But the moment Pei Pei said this, a golden piece rapidly appeared on the chessboard! Rong Xiu said lightly, ¡°This chessboard has all the chess scenarios I have seen and played, so the pieces can move automatically.¡± Pei Pei was dazed. ¡°This also means that if I can¡¯t produce a new chess scenario, you won¡¯t personally take action?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. Sounds of regret could be heard in the palace. Some women who were originally tempted were instantly taken aback. Doesn¡¯t this mean that if we won¡¯t even have a chance to fight with His Highness if we aren¡¯t at the same standard as him? Then, there will be no meaning for one to go up if they aren¡¯t capable. They would even be humiliated! A hint of dazedness flashed across Pei Pei¡¯s face, but she soon returned to normal. She didn¡¯t speak further and continued. But every time she made a move, the chessboard would rapidly react and present a corresponding piece. The more important thing was that with every move she made, the suppression on the chessboard became even heavier. Pei Pei gradually felt the pressure, and she started playing the chess game slower. Finally, Pei Pei could no longer tolerate this terrifying suppression after around seven minutes. No matter how much she tried, the force she executed would suddenly disappear inches away from the chessboard! She couldn¡¯t place any pieces at all! At this point, the crowd could also tell that this chessboard was clearly stronger and more complicated than they had expected. After she failed again, Pei Pei swiftly chose to give up. ¡°I surrender!¡± Yu Mo was in charge of recording at the side. ¡°Cloud Mist Mountain¡¯s Pei Pei made 11 moves!¡± The crowd had various expressions. Actually, Pei Pei was already considered one of the better ones out of all these women. Even though Cloud Mist Mountain couldn¡¯t be compared to Fairy Water Mound, their capabilities and background made them one of the top few clans out of all the divisions. Pei Pei was also a talented young woman that Cloud Mist Mountain had meticulously nurtured. She was just 21 years old, but she had already broken through to become a peak stage-nine warrior. Even someone like her could only make 11 moves on this chessboard¡­ let alone the rest. Pei Pei didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all as she bowed to Rong Xiu and decisively went down. ¡°Next!¡± boomed Yan Qing. The crowd exchanged glances and was hesitant for a moment, but the position of princess consort was too tempting. After much conflict, many women still chose to try. However, most of them couldn¡¯t even be compared to Pei Pei. Some couldn¡¯t even land a chess piece on the chessboard. Hence, though quite a few people had tried, they couldn¡¯t play for long. Very quickly, everyone gradually stopped. At this point, those who dared to go up had already gone. Only two women were better than Pei Pei, but they only made fewer than 20 moves. In the silence, quite a few people looked at Jiang Zhiyuan. Chapter 1072 - Familiar Chessboard Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang Zhiyuan was a famous talent in the God Residence Realm. Jiang Zhiyuan stood up and slowly walked to the gigantic chessboard before standing still in front of it. She was born a natural beauty. Now that she had meticulously dolled herself up, she was even more charming. Furthermore, she had only put on light makeup, and her dressing was very elegant. Compared to the earlier group of women that was extravagantly made up, she seemed purer and fresher. Under the reflection of the chessboard¡¯s faint glow, she stood upright and elegantly. She indeed won over many women that came before her. She glanced at the chessboard, raised her bare hands, and placed a blue chess piece down. Similar to before, the chessboard rapidly reacted, and a golden chess piece appeared in another position. Jiang Zhiyuan continued placing her pieces without any hesitation! Time trickled past. Jiang Zhiyuan had already made more than 20 moves, becoming the person who made the most moves so far, but she still hadn¡¯t stopped! Moreover, her speed of playing chess wasn¡¯t reduced at all! Compared to the previous few people, she was clearly much more relaxed. The palace gradually fell silent, and the crowd had various expressions. Only a few people were whispering softly and sighing. ¡°She¡¯s indeed Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Big Missy. Her skills aren¡¯t something we can compare to¡­¡± ¡°Previously, there were rumors that she was already internally selected to be the princess consort. Now, it seems like there can be nobody else other than her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s only 22 years old this year, right? I hear that she has already broken through to become a demigod.¡± ¡°Hiss¡­ No wonder she¡¯s so amazing! With her appearance and her background, we¡¯re really not her match¡­¡± ¡°I heard that she spent most of her time in the Sky-Cloud Empire when she was young. Furthermore, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader also doted on her very much. Her chess skills were also learned from that person¡­ Considering all of this, did His Grace really set up this stage for her?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan focused on playing chess, but she wasn¡¯t weak, and her senses were sharp. Hence, she could hear most of these words. Sweetness surged up her heart. Then, she landed another piece, looked at Rong Xiu sitting above, and smiled. ¡°Your Highness, please make your move!¡± With this piece, he has to make a move! But after Jiang Zhiyuan made her move, another corresponding golden chess piece appeared on the chessboard! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s smile froze on her face. Chu Liuyue poured herself a cup of wine in a boring manner. I thought this Big Missy Jiang was capable, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Did she overestimate herself, or did she underestimate Rong Xiu? With such skills, she expected herself to force Rong Xiu to make a move? When she glanced at the gigantic chessboard again, she suddenly squinted her eyes and leaned toward Dugu Mobao at the side. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Big Baby, why do I feel that this chessboard¡­ is somewhat familiar?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°All the chessboards in the world look the same. How is there something familiar or unfamiliar?¡± ¡°No,¡± insisted Chu Liuyue as she shook her head. ¡°I remember that I¡¯ve seen this before¡­ This aura¡­¡± Her eyes suddenly shrunk slightly, and she stared at Dugu Mobao in disbelief. ¡°You previously brought me to play¡ª¡± Bam! An explosion was suddenly heard above the chessboard, and a terrifying wave of impact spread in all directions! Jiang Zhiyuan wasn¡¯t prepared, so she instantly flew out! ¡°Zhiyuan!¡± Jiang Hetian was shocked as he hurriedly stood up and hurled out a wave of force! Jiang Zhiyuan was instantly surrounded by a translucent barrier! With the help of this barrier, she finally landed on the ground softly. Jiang Zhiyuan looked at the chessboard with lingering fear. The blue pieces above were dead! Chapter 1073 - Your Highness, Please! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor Atlas Studios Jiang Zhiyuan failed! Yu Mo raised his hand and wrote something down: ¡°Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang Zhiyuan: 43 moves!¡± The number of moves she made was the highest compared to the previous women, but she still didn¡¯t manage to make it to the end and force Rong Xiu to make a move. Clang! The chess pieces on the chessboard instantly disappeared, and the chessboard recovered its previous appearance. The palace was silent as the crowd¡¯s gazes darted back and forth between that chessboard and Jiang Zhiyuan. Jiang Zhiyuan felt like there were many knives on her back, and her face burned with fire. She looked at the chessboard before her in disbelief. How did this happen? This chessboard is so difficult. If it were someone else, they might not even make it to whereI did. Therefore, I was very confident that the game had already reached a step where Rong Xiu had to make a However.. No! This also means that someone has made more moves than me on this chessboardl But who could that person be? Is it the clan leader or 36 Respected Elder Ming? Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t guess. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Zhiyuan; you¡¯re already first. Don¡¯t think so much about the others first,¡± comforted Jiang Hetian. A father knows his daughter best. Jiang Hetian naturally knew that his daughter was currently very upset and aggrieved. She should ve wanted Rong Xiu to take action so that the two of them could play chess together. Jiang Zhiyuan took a deep breath in and forced a smile. ¡°Thank you, Father. I understand.¡± Ijust feel slightly regretful. Ive long known that Rong Xiu is extremely good at playing chess, but ir¡¯s a pity that Ive never properly played chess with him before. Most of the time, he played with the clan leader, and I watched from the side. Every time I was tempted from watching and wanted to play chess with him to find out the eventual winner, he always used all sorts of reasons to reject me. Originally, I thought that I could use todays chance to. Jiang Hetian softly comforted her. ¡°His Highness is very good at this. You¡¯re still a distance away from him today. When you go to the Sky-Cloud Empire in the future, you can just learn more from him.¡± Shyness instantly appeared in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s indignant and aggrieved expression. Then, she nodded seriously. ¡°Mm, I know.¡± Chu Liuyue-who was originally holding her chin and watching all of this lazily -raised her brows. Hm? In the future? Come to the Sky-Cloud Empire? Leam more from His Highness? Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. Did he plan out everything already? Yan Qing looked at the crowd. ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to try? It was silent. ¡°Hehe. Officer Yan Qing, most of the people who want to try have already gone can end here, right?¡± Jiang Hetian said with a smile. Even though he looked harmonious, his tone was persistent and didn¡¯t give anyone space to retort. ¡°Hold on!¡± A clear and composed woman¡¯s voice sounded and broke the silence. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly with some smiling intent. ¡°I also want to try.¡± ¡°You?¡± Jiang Hetian instinctively asked in retaliation as he looked at her doubtfully. Just now, everyone could tell how difficult this game was. If she still wants to come up now, won¡¯t she be causing trouble for herself? Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°What, can¡¯t I do so? ¡°Yes, yes! Of course, you can!¡± Before Jiang Hetian could even say anything, 36 Respected Elder Ming¨Cwho was sitting above-hurriedly urged her. ¡°Girlie, quickly go! The crowd was speechless. Chu Liuyue:¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming then seemed to realize that it wasa little inappropriate, so he hurriedly coughed and glanced at Rong Xiu. How is it? Fm doing well, right?! Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up, and there was a hint of a smile in his eyes. Praises for you, Respected Elder. Chu Liuyue turned around to glance at Dugu Mobao at the side. She squeezed his chubby face and lightly snorted. ¡°Tll come back and discuss it with you later! Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyelids twitched, but for once, he wasn¡¯t angry because his valuable face was squished. Seeing his reaction, Chu Liuyue confimed her guesses. She collected her thoughts, tidied her clothes, and walked to the chessboard. ¡°Excuse me, please.¡± At the front, Chu Liuyue smiled politely. Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other and felt increasingly uncomfortable, but she still endured it forcefully and didn¡¯t throw her temper. Then, she walked back with Jiang Hetian. However, her eyes had never moved away from Chu Liuyue. She wanted to see just how capable this woman was! The gigantic chessboard glowed brightly! Chu Liuyue stood with her hands behind her back and stood upright. Her hair dropped down prettily, and she looked cute and cool in her sharp red outfit. Just by standing there, she could easily attract everyone¡¯s attention. She stared at the chessboard for a moment and placed a piece down! A wave of red force flew out and instantly hit the chessboard! Whir! The chessboard vibrated, and a golden chess piece instantly followed! The sense of familiarity became increasingly strong! Without hesitation, Chu Liuyue played another piece! Very quickly, the crowd shockingly realized that she didn¡¯t need to think when she was playing chess. Her actions were so fast that it sent a chill down one¡¯s spine. Sometimes, before the golden chess piece could even completely materialize on that chessboard, Chu Liuyue quickly followed! ¡°W-why is she so fast? Is she randomly playing? Quite a few people in the crowd started doubting her. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Can¡¯t you see that the chessboard keeps on going too? ¡°She¡¯s not randomly playing. She¡­is really good at this! Her thinking is efficient, and she is very sharp about changes¡­ -I¡¯m afraid that compared to Big Missy Jiang, she¡¯s even more..¡± At this point, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s facial expression had long changed from the initial nonchalance to shock. of course, she could tell that this Dugu Yue was better than her! The latter also wasn¡¯t better by just a small margin! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s gaze was glued to that chessboard. In the beginning, she could still catch up. But as the game gradually became more complicated, she had to think for quite a while for every step. However, that Dugu Yue didn¡¯t stop at all! Very quickly, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind was in a mess. ¡°She¡¯s going to make her 43rd move soon!¡± someone suddenly shouted. ¡°If she makes another move, she¡¯ll beat Big Missy Jiang! Before the person could finish talking, Chu Liuyue flicked her wrist and landed another chess piece without hesitation! Quite a few people suddenly took a deep breath in. Dugu Yue¡¯s results have exceeded that of Jiang Zhiyuan! ¡°Oh my god! I really couldn¡¯t tell that this Dugu Yue was so amazing! What step do you think she can get to?¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t tell, but.. With her currently relaxed manner, she should be able to get His Highness to make a move, right¡± ¡°Even Big Missy Jiang couldn¡¯t do it. If this Dugu Yue really does do it, then.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips tightly. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about anything in her surroundings. She only focused on that gigantic chessboard and¡­ Rong Xiu in front of her! Whir! She made another move! This time, no golden chess pieces appeared on the chessboard! She looked up slightly at the man sitting above, and her sharp brows were slightly raised as she smiled brightly. ¡°Your Highness, pleasel Chapter 1074 - Mystery Solved, Date from Back Then Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Her smile was very bright, and her eyes looked like stars. They were clearly very ordinary five features, but she became more charming because of this smile. Quite a few people were slightly stunned. At first glance, this woman seemed ordinary. But upon closer inspection, she seems very pretty. Her black, gem-like eyes alone had a slight ripple of light in them, causing one¡¯s heart to flutter. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t look shocked at all as he smiled slightly. His originally cold and distinguished eyes instantly felt like spring water melting ice as there seemed to be a vortex in the depths of his eyes, which could easily swallow someone and drown them. He raised his hand, anda ray of golden light flew out! Whir! The golden chess piece landed and blocked the path of Chu Liuyue¡¯s chess piece! ¡°His Highness really took action!¡± ¡°She won¡¯t last for long, right? Rumor has it that His Highness¡¯s chess skills are amazing.¡± ¡°So what? Even if she loses now, she¡¯s still first! Besides, she¡¯s the only one who could force His Highness to make a move today¡± Countless gazes gathered on the duo standing opposite each other in the palace. They all focused completely, terrified that they would miss even a little bit. However, not everyone was like this. At the very least, Jiang Zhiyuan was no longer in the mood to continue watching patiently at this point. Her heart seemed to be clenched tightly by something, and her chest felt stuffy. The discomfort caused by Dugu Yue in the beginning had now spread all over her body! ¡°Zhiyuan, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jiang Hetian furrowed his brows and was filled with worry. Jiang Zhiyuan forced a smile. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± How could she possibly be fine? Ever since she was young, she had been very outstanding. No matter if it were her family background, appearance, or talent, she could easily surpass the rest. She had always been the brightest existence in the crowd. But now? All the limelight had been stolen by that woman called Dugu Yue. She was clearly so ordinary, and there was nothing amazing about her from head to toe. However, she somehow had some magic power that could easily attract everyone¡¯s attention. Not to mention that the skills she currently displayed were extraordinary! Jiang Hetian glanced at that chessboard. ¡°Zhiyuan, she should be close to losing now, right?¡± I don¡¯t really understand this, but according to my previous experience, Dugu Yue shouldn¡¯t last for long. If she loses sooner, Zhiyuan might feel slightly better. However, Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her fists tightly, and something seemed to be stuck in her throat as she couldn¡¯t make a sound. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t tell what was going on in the intense battle on the chessboard. It was because she could that she felt even more terrible! This was because Dugu Yue didn¡¯t lose out too much when compared to Rong Xiu! The two of them were clearly on par! Jiang Zhiyuan asked herself and felt that she was definitely considered a talent in this area, who could easily crush 99% of the people here. But compared to the woman who was standing comfortably and calmly in front of the chessboard, she instantly dimmed and wasn¡¯t worth a mention. Time trickled past. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue had already made tens of moves each. The situation on the chessboard became even more complicated, and the battle between the two parties was even more intense. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red pieces were like a relentless wyrm that kept chasing after Rong Xiu as she tried to attack him in all directions! The chess pieces were ferocious! On the other hand, Rong Xiu was more conservative. However, he was tight on his defense and left some leeway for himself. Both parties had their own advantages, and they were extremely capable in their battles. The two of them went back and forth. The chessboard that originally glowed brightly was even more eye-catching at this moment! Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. Even if there was a chessboard between them, he could still sharply feel the harsh coldness from the opposite end. He helplessly rubbed his temples, and a helpless and doting smile flashed across his eyes. If she can relieve her anger in this manner, thatd be good.. Finally, when the gigantic chessboard was about to be filled, the red wyrm trapped the golden pieces with a deadly grasp. The intense battle and the messy light had already taken away everyone¡¯s attention in the palace. Everyone instinctively held their breaths¨Cthe atmosphere was increasingly tense. Life and death was in this instant! Chu Liuyue looked at the chessboard before her, and that sense of familiarity almost reached its peak! Countless scenes quickly flashed across her mind. Those once blurry and unclear scenes gradually seemed to become clearer at this moment. But for some reason, there always seemed to be a layer of mist before her eyes. She knew very clearly that she was one step away from seeing everything clearly! In her dantian, her force crazily surged out and gathered in her palm! Then, she raised her hand and was about to land her piece. But for some reason, her hand suddenly trembled. Something seemed to be surging out of her heart. She clenched her teeth and suddenly hurled out that force. A red chess piece landed on the chessboard! Whir! It was like a sword sealing a throat! The golden color instantly collapsed and rapidly turned into countless tiny golden sparks as they spread in all directions. Rong Xiu raised his hand, and the overwhelming golden color instantly flew back. At the same time, even the chessboard silently collapsed. The demon and deity-like man on the opposite side had his lips curl up slightly. ¡°YOu¡¯ve won!¡± Kacha! A third crack suddenly appeared in the black pyramid within Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian. Dazzling golden light shot out from within! It was as if a veil was instantly split open in front of her! Those scenes became clear! Chapter 1075 - The Very Beginning Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°One day, I can also beat you without you letting me!¡± The young man in front leaned against the chair, picked up the ginger tea at the side with one hand, and squinted his deep, phoenix like eyes slightly. He was lazy and comfortable as he slowly said, ¡°Great.¡± His voice was deep and melodious as if it were the wind that gently stroked the violin¡¯s strings. Then, the tea was already sent to his lips. His thin lips gently touched the side of the white porcelain cup. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that he had taken the vvrong cup and hurriedly said, ¡°Hey?_ Rong Xiu! ¡®Ihat¡¯s my tea! Rong Xiu stopped his actions and raised his eyelids slightly. His originally cold eyes were instantly much warmer. Like the sun setting by the river in the evening, the brilliant light shone on the water and formed the color of the sky and water. smiling intent. Just as she thought that he was going to put the teacup down, she suddenly saw the man bring the cup to his lips as they moved slightly and gently overlapped with the extremely faint lipstick stain on it. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she was instantly dazed on the spot. Even if she was very cunning normally, she didn¡¯t expect he would do that. He sipped on the tea before slowly placing the teacup down. As his lips were stained with tea, they looked especially supple. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face suddenly turned red¡ªit was like a fire had burned across it! The warm heat hurled over and instantly swallowed her whole! He didn¡¯t seem to notice it as he raised his brows slightly. ¡°So you drink ginger tea every day.¡± As if she finally found her voice, Chu Liuyue gently grunted. ¡°Ginger tea is bitter. You wanted to drink other people¡¯s tea, and now you¡¯ve tasted the bitterness, right?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rong Xiu held himself up with one hand and glanced at her in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°l feel that this tea is sweet and refreshing. Other teas can¡¯t even be compared to it at all.¡± Chu Liuyue could no longer sit around as she suddenly stood up. ¡°I suddenly remembered that I haven¡¯t cultivated some sword technique. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Then, she hurriedly left. Rong Xiu looked over. She walked down the path on the cliff with light footsteps, and her light dress flew like a butterfly. Her hair flew up, and she looked very¡¯ lively. After walking a distance, she suddenly stood still and looked toward the cliff again. Rong Xiu had long expected it as he raised his teacup and bowed to her from afar. ¡°If you want some guidance, I¡¯ll help you anytime.¡± That woman instantly disappeared even quicker. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up, and he smiled with even deeper meaning. It was a bright and clear day as the wind blew lightly. A man in white sat in the pavilion on the cliff, and he leaned against his chair slightly. The mountain wind hurled up his sleeves, and they floated up. A teacup was placed beside his hand. Sweet yet bitter. Those scenes gradually disappeared. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze slowly became more focused, and everything in front of her entered her vision again. She opened her mouth. Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved slightly, and there seemed to be a slight ripple in his eyes. ¡°Ms. Dugu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± His tone became extremely light with some sort of mysterious strength that could calm one down. Chu Liuyue completely woke up. She closed her eyes before gazing at Rong Xiu not far away. At that time, no matter if it were Rong Mu or me, we didn¡¯t seem very old. Our eyes had the youthful energy of a youngster. At that time, we shouldve already known each other for a while. Although I can¡¯t recall how long it had been, I can clearly remember that my heart was beating intensely. That was the first time her heart beat like thunder¡ªher face turned red, and she was helpless. Yet, she had an indescribable liking. Perhaps it was that time or even earlier, but she had already liked that person then. She didn¡¯t even know how many days it had been since then, but they finally still got together. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered, and she shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I just thought of some things.¡± She raised her chin slightly, and she smiled slightly. ¡°l should be first for this stage, right?¡± It was completely silent. The crowd looked at the woman in the middle of the palace and was still quite in a daze. She¡¯s?_ first just like that?! Previously, many people tried to get His Highness to make a move but couldn¡¯t. Not only did she do it, but she has evem__ beat His Highness! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly with slight smiling intent. ¡°You¡¯re first¡ªwell -deserved. ¡± Jiang Zhiyuan broke her perfectly manicured nail, and the strong, intense pain from her fingertips caused her face to turn pale. However, these feelings couldn¡¯t be compared to the indignance and grievances she felt in her heart. How did this happen? I was clearly in first place! From the start to now, 1 never doubted that 1 was the most outstandingperson and also the most suitable and most rightful person to become the princess consort She took it for granted all the time, so she didn¡¯t feel much stress. It was only at this moment, when Dugu Yue stole first place from her, that she finally realized that there were other people better than her! The she thought she could get so easily wasn¡¯t something she could obtain so stably! Actually, if the women in the other divisions beat her, she wouldn¡¯t feel so terrible. She would rather Pei Pei and the rest win instead of seeing Dugu Yue becoming the limelight in the center. This was because Rong Xiu clearly treated her differently! An unknown sense of danger surged up Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart! Jiang Hetian turned around and saw his daughter¡¯s upset and aggrieved He frowned¡ªeven he didn¡¯t expect that Dugu Yue would suddenly intercept out of nowhere and steal first place from her! Zhiyuan definitely feels upset. She is used to being arrogant, so how could she be willing to accept such a result? ¡°Zhiyuan, don¡¯t worry. This is still the first stage. Just work hard in the future and showcase all your abilities. You¡¯ll definitely be able to get it back!¡± comforted Jiang Hetian patiently. ¡°But she won first¡­¡± muttered Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡®So what if she¡¯s first? Can the Sky-Cloud Empire really allow such a woman with an unknown background to become the princess consort?¡± Jiang Hetian was very confident. As long as Rong Mu weighs the situation, he¡¯ll definitely leave the position ofprincess consort to Fairy Water Mound. As for the others? He can randomly choose other people to get the lowly mistress status. All of these things arent important. But as he spoke, he saw blood dripping down from Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s palm from the corner of his eyes. He was instantly taken aback ¡°Zhiyuan, your hand¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan slowly recovered her senses and instinctively hid her hand behind her. She clenched her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Father, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll get first place back later!¡± I definitely wont let that Dugu Yue steal the limelight again!Thinking of this, she looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, the first stage has already ended. Let¡¯s directly start the second stage then!¡± I definitely have to win the second stage! Chapter 1076 - Suppression! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°The second stage is also very simple.¡± Rong Xiu raised his hands. A crack appeared in the middle of nowhere. Then, a gigantic, snow-white figure gradually walked out! That was a white lion with a strong build! It had fur as white as snow, and only its eyes were ice-blue, which shone with a cold gleam. Its aura was frightening as it walked toward Rong Xiu! When its claws landed on the ground, it was silent. However, one could still faintly see its sharp claws. ¡®When the lion walked to Rong Xiu, it obediently laid down. Its eyes that were filled with suppression, contempt, and murderous intent looked down from above as if it were looking at ants! Everywhere it went, the coldness was suffocating! The crowd instinctively held their breaths. This is a legendary fiend, and its cultivation level is extremely high! ¡°Xue Xue is my legendary fiend.¡± Rong Xiu gently ruffled Xue Xue¡¯s head as he nonchalantly said, ¡°Whoever can make it bow down will pass!¡± Gasps could be heard in the palace! His Grace¡¯s legendary fiend! Rumor has it that it¡¯s ferocious, cold-blooded, and very strong! One just has to think to know how hard it will be to attack it! Those that are weak will only be courting death if they go up! Some women already started to pale as they trembled slightly. Originally, they thought that the contest would compare their family backgrounds, talents, and appearances. However, they didn¡¯t expect that His Grace was so unconventional and wanted to compare this?! ¡°Oh my god¡ªthat¡¯s a legendary fiend! Rumors have it that it can even attack legendary warriors! I¡¯m only a peak stage-eight warrior. How can I be its match?!¡± ¡°L don¡¯t even dare to do it, although I¡¯m at stage-nine¡­ I really don¡¯t know what exactly His Grace is thinking¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be much easier if the person also has a legendary fiend, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. How is it so easy to obtain a legendary fiend?¡± ¡°Us ordinary people don¡¯t have to think about the position of princess consort. Only those few powerful divisions have such resources¡­ For example, I heard that when Big Missy Jiang was ten, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader had personally captured a legendary fiend cub for her! We can¡¯t ever catch up with such luck!¡± Quite a few people started whispering softly. Jiang Zhiyuan heaved a sigh of relief. Xue Xue? That¡¯s okay. On the one hand, the legendary fiend she had wasn¡¯t weaker than Xue Xue. On the other hand, she and Xue Xue could be considered old acquaintances, so it would naturally be easier for her to handle it than the rest. Thinking of this, Jiang Zhiyuan stepped up first. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m willing to be the first one to try.¡± As Chu Liuyue stared at Xue Xue lying beside Rong Xiu¡¯s feet, her lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch. So it left earlier to appear at this point? I really don¡¯t know what these people¡¯s reactions would be if they knew that this formidable white lion was still licking my face and wanting a hug from me the night before. Seeing that Jiang Zhiyuan planned to go up first, Chu Liuyue swiftly moved away. Xue Xue immediately looked at her with grievances. I thought she was going to be first¡­ If she directly takes action, won¡¯t the second stage directly end?! Now, I still need to waste some time and be tortured. Chu Liuyue completely ignored it as she smiled politely at Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°Big Missy Jiang, please¡ª¡± Then, she sat back on her seat and looked nonchalant. Xue Xue silently glanced at its master. If it weren¡¯t for you, would I have been implicated?! Hmph! Rong Xiu gazed at it slightly. You only came back after I called you thrice. I wonder whose fiend you are. Xue Xue sighed in its heart. If it¡¯s not because I had bad eyesight then, why would I be so miserable now? Rong Xiu raised his chin. Xue Xue then stood up. We¡¯ll talk after I settle these troubles! Shua! Xue Xue jumped up and flew to the center of the palace from the position above, landing around ten steps away from Jiang Zhiyuan. It had already retracted its willful expression and replaced it with overwhelming sternness. Chu Liuyue watched on at the side and held her chin with one hand, finding it rather interesting. At this point, she then realized that such a big one was actually a legendary fiend. Speaking of which, I¡¯ve never actually seen Xue Xue fight¡ªall because it hid its true abilities like its master. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue raised her brows and was prepared to watch a good show. ¡°Xue Xue, long time no see.¡± A smile appeared on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face. She knew very clearly how highly Rong Xiu thought of this legendary fiend, so it was also important to have a good relationship with it. However, Xue Xue seemed to ignore Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s plan of intimacy. It tilted its head, and annoyance appeared in its eyes as if it didn¡¯t care about the identity of the person in front of it and was even blaming her for not starting yet. Its sharp claws scratched the ground, and a thin layer of frost rapidly formed! It was preparing to go into battle! Jiang Zhiyuan instantly felt very awkward, but she took a deep breath in and comforted herself. Perhaps it hasn¡¯t seen me in a while, so it¡¯s treating me like this. However, she was still confident that she could make it bow down to her. Hence, she recollected her thoughts and breathed in to focus. ¡®The next moment, blue force gathered in her palms! ¡°Six-degree lock!¡± The blue force instantly turned into six ropes as they flew toward Xue Xue and wrapped around it! In the blink of an eye, the six ropes had already formed a gigantic hexagon above Xue Xue. Within it, the light rays shone and very quickly formed a strange pattern! ¡°It¡¯s the totem of Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang family!¡± someone from the audience cried out. ¡°It looks like she¡¯s bent on winning this! She even summoned the totem!¡± ¡°This six-degree lock is one of Fairy Water Mound¡¯s trump cards! It looks simple, but the seal suppression is extremely strong! Rumor has it that even if one is a cultivation level lower than the other party, one can still use this move to lock the other party deadly! Then, they can carry out their retaliation!¡± ¡°It¡¯s great to use this move to handle this stage!¡± ¡°If Jiang Zhiyuan directly wins like this, the remaining people don¡¯t have to go up¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan stared at the white lion. ¡°Xue Xue, I can stop if you surrender now.¡± That would be great for both of us. Xue Xue glanced at her, and contempt flashed across its eyes. Admit defeat? Isn¡¯t she overestimating herself? Six-degree lock? What a joke! Xue Xue lifted its paws and swung them down harshly. Countless rays of lights flew across! Chu! Chu! Chu! ¡®The crowd instantly heard something piercing through! Then, they saw that the six-degree lock circulating above Xue Xue¡¯s head was directly cut open from the middle! All the light on it rapidly dimmed! The force in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s chest turned over! She staggered backward and almost directly fell to the ground! She stared at Xue Xue in shock. How did its abilities suddenly improve by so much?! Xue Xue bared its teeth and hit her with its claw! Do you really think that I ate so much sand for nothing?! Chapter 1077 - Fight! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Roar! A muscular figure suddenly appeared in front of Jiang Zhiyuan as it tried its best to jump up and block Xue Xue! Whoosh¡ª The sound of the sharp claws piercing through skin made one¡¯s hair stand on end. Jiang Zhiyuan hurriedly moved back, and her face turned pale. At that moment, she really thought that she was going to die in Xue Xue¡¯s claws! The crowd focused on them and saw that a fiend was blocking Jiang Zhiyuan. It was a muscular leopard that was completely brownish-yellow with some black spots on it, and it had a pair of wings. Its emerald-green eyes were deep and terrifying! This was Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s legendary fiend¡ªa double-winged black leopard! At this point, Xue Xue harshly tore off a piece of its flesh from its back. Fresh blood dripped everywhere, and it looked terrible. On the other hand, other than a small bloodstain on its claws, Xue Xue wasn¡¯t affected at all. Anyone could tell that although this double-winged black leopard was also a legendary fiend, its cultivation level and abilities were below Xue Xue! In such a battle, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for Jiang Zhiyuan to win! Jiang Zhiyuan was still stunned. If the double-winged black leopard didn¡¯t appear in time earlier, I would¡¯ve¡ª The more anxious she was, the more lingering fear she had as her vengeance grew deeper. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Leopard, go!¡± However, the double-winged black leopard didn¡¯t immediately take action and was hesitant for a moment. It lowered its body alertly and stared at Xue Xue with unignorable fear and respect. Fiend hierarchy was strict¡ªhigher-level fiends would always have extremely strong control and threat toward lower-level fiends. That was the legend that came from their bloodline, and all fiends had to obey it! Hence, even though the double-winged black leopard had heard Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s comman<, it couldn¡¯t get rid of the respect and fear it had in its bones for the higher-level fiend. Previously, it was anxious and forced by the strength of the master-servant relationship between it and Jiang Zhiyuan, so it didn¡¯t care about anything and jumped out. However, it was still rather hard for it to go head-on against Xue Xue. Jiang Zhiyuan was very frustrated. ¡°Leopard! The double-winged black leopard scratched twice on the ground. Xue Xue stared at the human and fiend opposite it, and a cold gleam flashed across its eyes. It charged out the next moment, taking the initiative to attack! The white lion¡¯s target was the double-winged black leopard! Then¡ª The double-winged black leopard flapped its wings and wanted to fly to battle, but before it could even move, the figure before it flashed across. Xue Xue had already reached its front! The double-winged black leopard was startled, and it immediately sprinted in another direction! It was fast, but Xue Xue was faster! The white lion went on its toes and instantly drew a few scarce shadows in midair! Shocked gasps could be heard from the crowd. ¡°Even though the double-winged black leopar¨¦¡¯s cultivation level can¡¯t be compared to this white lion, its speed is its trump card. Logically speaking, it should be advantageous in this area. Why has this happened?!¡± In the blink of an eye, Xue Xue had already blocked the double-winged black leopard¡¯s path! The white lion raised its claws and directly landed! Crash! The double-winged black leopard couldn¡¯t react in time and was directly hit on the head! Its vision turned black, and its body fell heavily and uncontrollably! Bam! A loud sound was heard! ¡°Leopard! Jiang Zhiyuan was taken aback and immediately wanted to rush over. However, Xue Xue didn¡¯t give her a chance. It rapidly landed and opened its mouth to bite without hesitation! ¡°No¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s voice became shrill! Ka! The bone-breaking sound was extremely clear! One of the double-winged black leopard¡¯s wings was directly bitten by Xue Xue in the middle! Blood splattered everywhere. The black bone was exposed, and one could even see its skeleton, which made one¡¯s heart turn cold. Jiang Zhiyuan gasped and nearly fainted from the scene before her. Her father had personally found this double-winged black leopard for her on her tenth birthday. All these years, she had taken care of it meticulously and had a very good relationship with it. Now that she saw someone directly bite off its wings, how could she tolerate it? Xue Xue looked up, and coldness filled its ice-blue eyes with a hint of teasing even. Isn¡¯t this clearer than ever¡ªdo you still want to continue?! The double-winged black leopard struggled to stand up, but Xue Xue restricted it tightly. Thus, the former couldn¡¯t move at all. Jiang Zhiyuan was shocked and enraged, but she also knew that there wouldn¡¯t be a good ending if this situation continued. She was filled with indignation as she tightly clenched her fists, and her palms were hurt by her nails. The earlier scene kept repeating in her mind! The six-degree lock was easily shredded apart by the white lion, and the double-winged black leopard couldn¡¯t even retaliate at all. ¡°I surrender!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her teeth and spat these two words out. The first battle in the second stage ended in this manner. The beginning was expected, but the ending was a surprise. Before this, the crowd thought very highly of Jiang Zhiyuan. However, who would¡¯ve expected things to develop to this stage?! Xue Xue was swift and decisive in its attacks as it single-handedly crushed them! Even someone as strong as Jiang Zhiyuan failed directly. Given a rough estimate, she didn¡¯t even last for 15 minutes. Hearing that she surrendered, Xue Xue then jumped off from the double-winged black leopard¡¯s back. It looked down and rubbed its claws against the ground in contempt. The blood of such a lowly double-winged black leopard will only dirty my elegant claws. If I didn¡¯t want to end everything quickly, I would be too lazy to take action. Jiang Zhiyuan brought the double-winged black leopard down. Rong Xiu leaned against the throne, and his expression was relaxed. His voice was low and melodious as he said nonchalantly, ¡°Next.¡± This instantly made quite a few women¡¯s expressions change. Next? Even Jiang Zhiyuan has ended up in this state. Won¡¯t others be more miserable if they go up?! We do yearn for the princess consort position, but we first had to be alive to gain it. Itd be too much of a loss if we don¡¯t gain anything in the end and even lose our own lives! ¡°Hm?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and surveyed the surroundings. Quite a few people lowered their heads. They clearly didn¡¯t want to battle. 36 Respected Elder Ming glanced at Chu Liuyue a few times before he couldn¡¯t help but urge her. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, don¡¯t you also have a legendary fiend?¡± His behavior was close to pulling Chu Liuyue up directly. Hearing this, many people in the palace looked at Chu Liuyue¡ªincluding Jiang Zhiyuan. Originally, she was still helping the double-winged black leopard to treat its wound. When she heard this, she immediately looked up. Legendary fiend? That Dugu Yue has one too? She pressed her lips against each other tightly. So what if she has a legendary fiend? If she goes up, her ending will still be the same! Chu Liuyue stood up and walked toward Xue Xue before stopping ten steps in front of it. ¡°She also has a legendary fiend? I wonder what level it is¡­¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like she has much of a background. Her legendary fiend¡¯s cultivation level won¡¯t be too high, right?¡± ¡°But she knows both His Grace and 36 Respected Elder Ming! Perhaps¡ª¡± As the crowd discussed, a small red figure appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder¡ªit was Tuan Zi! Hala! Tuan Zi suddenly spread its wings! See how I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson today! ¡°Roar!¡± Xue Xue also seemed like it was instantly energized! J will get you back for stealing my master! Whoever wins will be her fiend! Chu Liuyue was confused. Chapter 1078 - Teasing! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor:Atlas Studios She raised her hand. ¡°Hey, that¡ª¡± Hua! Before she could finish her sentence, Tuan Zi had directly flown out! Xue Xue suddenly jumped! The two short fiends attacked each other and became a ball! ¨C You want to snatch my Master? Dream on! ¨C You¡¯ve obtained all the good things, yet you still don¡¯t allow me to dream?! I just want to! ~ Pfft! You¡¯re shameless! Your proper owner is still sitting above! ¨C Talk after you win! ¡®One was snow white, and the other was bright red. The two figures were entangled with each other, and it was hard to separate them. Chu Liuyue curled her fingers and awkwardly retracted her hand. Um¡­ It looks like I don¡¯t need to attack? She looked upward. Someone¡ªwho was openly despised¡ªlooked normal, and his lips even curled up into a faint smile. However, he had some cold intent when he glanced at Xue Xue from time to time. Chu Liuyue pitied Xue Xue in her heart for a moment before choosing to watch the show. Anyway, this isn¡¯t the first time they¡¯ve fought. They¡¯ll be on good terms after they do. Compared to Chu Liuyue¡¯s relaxed and calm behavior, the other spectators had their eyes wide open and mouths agape as they watched the scene in front of them in disbelief. Dugu Yue¡¯s legendary fiend can actually fight with His Grace¡¯s legendary fiend? ¡°That¡¯s a red-tailed phoenix! Rumor has it that its bloodline power is close to that of an ancient red-gold heavenly phoenix!¡± someone suddenly yelled in shock. According to its cultivation level and capabilities, it was normal for it to have such combat power. However, this explanation didn¡¯t convince the crowd and even made them more shocked and confused. ¡°Red-tailed phoenix? Such a legendary fiend is extremely precious. Even the divisions might not have it. This Dugu Yue¡­ is too lucky.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just luck! Red-tailed phoenixes have a distinguished status, and they¡¯re hard to tame. Without a certain ability, one definitely won¡¯t be able to make it willingly follow them! I think this Dugu Yue is actually quite capable¡­¡± ¡°There will always be better people! Even though she was born ordinary, her capabilities are out of this world!¡± All kinds of discussions could be heard, and they continuously landed in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s ears. She clenched her teeth tightly, and green veins appeared on the back of her hand. Red-tailed phoenix¡­ Red-tailed phoenix! That is indeed a higher existence than my own fiend! If I didn¡¯t see it personally, I never would¡¯ve believed that such a normal woman with an unknown background actually had a legendary fiend of such a level! All this while, I thought that my own double-winged black leopard was great. After all, it¡¯s extremely rare to find someone like Rong Xiu with such outstanding talent, and a fiend like Xue Xue is also extremely difficult to find. But this Dugu Yue¡­ The most infuriating thing is that she¡¯s lazily sitting aside whilst the legendary fiends are fighting! It¡¯s as if she doesn¡¯t even care about this matter. suddenly, Jiang Zhiyuan was dazed, and a guess surfaced in her mind. This Dugu Yue seems so confident. Is she sure that she¡¯ll win? She knows Rong Xiu and 36 Respected Elder Ming as well. Furthermore, the two of them treated her differently than they did others¡­ After all, Xue Xue is also Rong Xiu¡¯s legendary fiend. If he had intentions¡­ Can¡¯t he decide Xue Xue¡¯s win or loss with just a word?! Shoo! With a sharp shriek from Tuan Zi, the two intertwined figures finally separated. Xue Xue¡¯s fur was messy, and there vaguely seemed to be a few bloodstains on its body¡ªespecially its nose, which was bitten by Tuan Zi¡¯s sharp beak. It was bleeding. The white lion looked miserable. Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t any better. A lot of feathers had fallen off, and its tail was even bald. The two of them stared at each other closely and breathed heavily, clearly still indignant. Anyone could tell that the two parties had tied in this match, and both had losses and wins. However, this result was already very stunning! Nobody else in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire could tie with His Grace¡¯s legendary fiend! Seeing that the two fiends were about to continue, Chu Liuyue finally spoke. ¡°Tuan Zi, come back.¡± With that, Tuan Zi retracted its wings and returned to its small size as it landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Then, it looked up and coldly glanced at Xue Xue. Why are you so angry? This master belongs to whoever I belong to! Xue Xue snorted indignantly. Tuan Zi sneered and nestled on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders as it intimately rubbed against the latter¡¯s cheeks, giving Xue Xue a look of contempt. Tsk, I¡¯ll anger you to death. Xue Xue was enraged and couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue pitifully. ¡°Ahem.¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Are you¡­ going to continue fighting?¡± Hmph! Xue Xue turned around gloomily. Depressed! It sadly returned to Rong Xiu and weakly lay down. The crowd was speechless. This is¡­ It admitted defeat?! Rong Xiu glanced at it. It didn¡¯t seem to have purposely let the other party win just now? This means that Tuan Zi¡¯s abilities have improved greatly. It has reached a stage where it can compare with Xue Xue. As if being seen through, Xue Xue swiftly buried its head. Im not listening! Not listening! Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and retracted his gaze. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s still Ms. Dugu who has won¡ª¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± Before Rong Xiu could finish his sentence, someone abruptly interrupted him. The person talking was Jiang Zhiyuan, who left miserably. She stood up. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand.¡± Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°Big Missy Jiang, please say it.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan kept quiet for a moment and pointed straight at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I want to know if Xue Xue purposely let her win in the previous match?!¡± The crowd went crazy. Jiang Zhiyuan is too daring! How dare she directly ask that?! Rong Xiu seemed to laugh. ¡°Big Missy Jiang, are you doubting me?¡± Xue Xue was his legendary fiend. Suspecting Xue Xue was naturally suspecting him! Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other tightly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! I just want to ask Your Highness if I can have a chance. If Ms. Dugu can beat me, I¡¯ll be convinced!¡± Then, she gazed at Chu Liuyue and questioned calmly, ¡°I wonder if Ms. Dugu dares to accept it?!¡± The surroundings were silent. Countless pairs of eyes looked toward Chu Liuyue. In actual fact, it wasn¡¯t only Jiang Zhiyuan who had such doubts. The others also had the same doubts. In this suffocating atmosphere, Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and smiled brightly. There seemed to be stars sparkling in her eyes. She nodded in relaxation. ¡°Sure..¡± Chapter 1079 - : Help Big Missy Jiang Move her Joints Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Then, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned and landed on the bloody double-winged black leopard. ¡°Big Missy Jiang, your legendary fiend seems like it can¡¯t fight anymore.¡± ¡°Even though it can¡¯t, there¡¯s still me,¡± said Jiang Zhiyuan as she walked over. The two people stared at each other. ¡°As long as you and your legendary fiend can win, I¡¯ll be convinced!¡± Once Jiang Zhiyuan said this, she closed her eyes. A layer of light flickered. Then, a shocking aura exploded from her body! ¡°Demigod!¡± Gasps could be heard coming from the audience. ¡°It¡¯s just like what the rumors say¡ªshe has already broken through to become a demigod!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a 22-year-old demigod. She¡¯s the second-best talent in the divisions, just behind His Grace, right?¡± ¡°[heard that she also cultivates as a Xuan Master. She¡¯s really outstanding!¡± ¡°I wonder what Dugu Yue¡¯s cultivation level is?¡± Hearing the discussions, Chu Liuyue tilted her head and glanced at Rong Xiu. His abilities have indeed exceeded the demigod cultivation level and might even be higher! If I want to catch up with him, I really have to spend a lot of time and effort. ¡°Ms. Dugu, please!¡± said Jiang Zhiyuan. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze, smiled, and reached out to touch the chain on her neck¡ªthis was the Yuan instrument Dugu Mobao gave her to hide her aura. Once she touched it, the layer on her disappeared. Her force turned, and her true aura surfaced! The palace was momentarily silenced. ¡°Stage-seven warrior?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was the first to widen her eyes in shock. Is she serious? Dugu Yue¡ªwho performed brilliantly previously¡ªis actually just a mere stage-seven warrior?! I thought that the other party would at least be a stage-nine warrior! If not, why would she be so daring and undisciplined!? However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to feel that it was inappropriate as she smiled slightly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡± She admitted to it! As Jiang Zhiyuan was too stunned, she didn¡¯t react for a while. Almost as if she couldn¡¯t control her laughter, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes were filled with ridicule and disbelief. ¡°¡­ Stage-seven warrior? Are you sure you still want to fight with me?¡± Ican just use one move to directly handle a cultivator of such a level! Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you suggest this match, Big Missy Jiang? Do you regret it now?¡± Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhiyuan felt that it was laughable. This Dugu Yue is crazy, right? Does she not know how big the difference between a stage-seven warrior and a demigod is?! At this point, the surrounding crowd also looked over at Chu Liuyue with complicated gazes. Some were even looking at her as if they were looking at a clown. ¡°A stage-seven warrior actually dares to be this arrogant?¡± ¡°To think I thought that she could still battle with Big Missy Jiang! Pfft!¡± ¡°How did such a cultivator come in? There shouldn¡¯t be any cultivators with a lower level than her in the entire Tongshen Palace, right?¡± ¡®The crowd partook in heated discussions, and some people even purposely asked Lin Tianfeng, ¡°Master Lin, since when did Grotto-Heaven Cliff fall so low that a mere stage-seven warrior had the right to come to the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± Their words were filled with mockery. In the God Residence Realm, the strong were respected! A stage-seven warrior like Chu Liuyue was insufficient here, and they couldn¡¯t blame the crowd for having such an attitude. Lin Tianfeng knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Even though Ms. Dugu¡¯s cultivation level as a warrior isn¡¯t high, she¡¯s an eighth-grade heavenly doctor! She has even treated my son, Zhifei! She¡¯s our Lin family¡¯s benefactor and our Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s important guest. Everyone, I hope you¡¯ll watch your words!¡± Once he said this, it made quite a few people stop. This Dugu Yue is also a heavenly doctor? Even though a heavenly doctor wasn¡¯t a top existence in the crowd¡¯s eyes, her identity as a heavenly doctor would cause others to respect her. Besides, she looked very young. If she really had an outstanding talent as a heavenly doctor, one could still respect her. However, there were also people who didn¡¯t care about this. ¡°Hah! Lin Tianfeng, even if you want to speak up for her, you don¡¯t have to lie like this, right? Your Grotto-Heaven Cliff also has ninth-grade heavenly doctors, so why couldn¡¯t they do anything all these years while a mere eighth-grade heavenly doctor can?¡± This shrill voice came from the corner. Lin Tianfeng turned around and saw that the person speaking was Cold Mountain Gully¡¯s Han Quan. He lightly said, ¡°His Grace is here. I wouldn¡¯t dare to lie.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Han Quan was stumped. Lin Tianfeng talked about His Grace. Who else dares to continue? He harshly flung his sleeves. ¡°Even if she¡¯s an eighth-grade heavenly doctor, she¡¯s bound to lose this match!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan raised her chin slightly. ¡°If you surrender now, I can let you off.¡± Her eyes and behavior had a pride of being high and mighty. It was as if Chu Liuyue was just an ant-like lowly existence. Her pitiful way of talking upset Chu Liuyue, and she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I don¡¯t have such a plan yet.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan sneered in her heart. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you! ¡°Okay! Since this is so, let¡¯s start! I hope¡­ you won¡¯t regret it later, Ms. Dugu!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan actually didn¡¯t want Dugu Yue to give up just like that. She still wanted to use this chance to teach the latter a lesson properly! Anyway, I¡¯ve already given Dugu Yue a chance, but she didn¡¯t want to take it. Therefore¡­ she doesn¡¯t have any chance to go back on her words in the future! Chu Liuyue nodded and took a step back. Jiang Zhiyuan was slightly dazed. Chu Liuyue lightly patted Tuan Zi, who was on her shoulders. ¡°Tuan Zi, go and help Big Missy Jiang to move her joints.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan recovered her senses and felt even more contempt toward her opponent in her heart. Knowing that she¡¯s not my match, she sent her legendary fiend to fight? How smart! It¡¯s a pity that this Dugu Yue is too naive! A legendary fiend is strong, especially when the red-tailed phoenix in front of me has an extremely strong bloodline power! It¡¯s a pity that it is Dugu Yue¡¯s legendary fiend! The abilities it can execute are closely related to Dugu Yue¡¯s own capabilities! A stage-seven warrior¡¯s legendary fiend¡­ is just a joke! Shua! Jiang Zhiyuan waved her bare hands, and a blue shaw! flew out! The blue shawl moved agilely, and when it flowed with the wind, one could faintly see some silver light dots. A stunning suppression spread from above! ¡°Intermediate-grade legendary weapon¡ªwind-stopping shawl?!¡± ¡°Fairy Water Mound indeed has a deep background. An intermediate-grade legendary weapon comes out just like that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid this red-tailed phoenix will be in danger!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s thin waist moved as she flung out the wind-stopping shawl at the same time! Whoosh! An air-piercing sound was heard. Like a blue current, it instantly flew out! Hula! Tuan Zi flapped its wings, and a red fire quickly flew out to meet the shawl! The scorching heat instantly raised the temperature in the entire palace! Chapter 1080 - Who did You Say is Cheating Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rumble! ¡®The red and blue colors harshly hit against each other, and fire sparks flew everywhere! However, the wind-stopping shawl didn¡¯t directly pierce through the terrifying fireball as its sides were stained with the red fire instead! The fire spread around! Jiang Zhiyuan was stunned as she forcefully flung it out. The wind-stopping shawl flickered, and it instantly looked like ice was dropping down! ¡®That spreading fire was restrained and was later extinguished. However, it was just a small part of it. ¡®The gigantic fireball in front of the shawl was like a wall it couldn¡¯t pass¡ªit tightly blocked the wind-stopping shawl¡¯s path! Jiang Zhiyuan thought of something as she moved her feet and quickly left her original spot, running in another direction! At the same time, the wind-stopping shawl also changed its position in midair and started going around the fireball instead of its initial direct attack! Very quickly, half of the fireball¡¯s middle was covered by the wind-stopping shawl! Shoo! Tuan Zi shrieked¡ªit flapped its wings and went straight for Jiang Zhiyuan! A strong gust of wind came over! Jiang Zhiyuan knew that something was amiss, so she hurriedly set up a barrier in front of her as she went on her toes and moved back! Ka! Tuan Zi directly crushed the barrier! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s chest felt stuffy, and doubts surfaced in her heart. That Dugu Yue is just a mere stage-seven warrior. Why is her legendary fiend so powerful?! She flicked her wrist, and the wind-stopping shawl flew toward Tuan Zi with a sinisterly cold air! ¡®When it was about to reach Tuan Zi, countless bolts of lightning flashed¡ªJiang Zhiyuan had used the lightning power gathered above! Dugu Yue hasn¡¯t broken through to reach the Apotheosis Realm, so her legendary fiend definitely won¡¯t be able to endure this force! Just as this thought flashed across Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind, she saw that the red-tailed phoenix opposite her didn¡¯t avoid it at all as it directly shredded the wind-stopping shawl! Whoosh¡ª An opening was directly cut open on the shawl by Tuan Zi! The lightning bolts had no effect on it at all! ¡°How could this be possible?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was taken aback. She didn¡¯t know that Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t born as a red-tailed phoenix. It had also experienced a lightning tribulation before it could break through and enter this cultivation level. Hence, it wasn¡¯t afraid of the lightning bolts. Furthermore, even though Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t a legendary warrior, she had a holy force within her! Based on these strengths alone, Tuan Zi was able to execute extraordinary capabilities! That blue light blade was affected by the strength and suddenly exploded! Jiang Zhiyuan felt the recoil, and her chest shook as she spat out blood! Shock and anger overwhelmed her. She looked up and saw that a gigantic black eagle had blocked all her attacks! ¡®When she saw the other party¡¯s appearance, Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly widened her eyes and gasped uncontrollably. ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagle?!¡± Those completely black and shining feathers¡­ Those sharp and cold eyes¡­ That terrifying aura that makes one¡¯s heart cold¡­ Isn¡¯t it the legendary fiend in the rumors¡ªa legendary three-eyed eagle? Everyone else in the palace was also stunned by the sudden scene. Originally, everything was going fine, and Jiang Zhiyuan was about to win. Why did a legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly come out of nowhere? ¡®The legendary three-eyed eagle crossed its wings and suddenly spread them! Rumble! The shocking suppression spread across, and a sparkling golden light flew out from its eyes! It was like a sharp knife that directly slashed the blue God Realm in front of it. Jiang Zhiyuan knew that something was amiss, and she wanted to retreat immediately! She was fast, but the legendary three-eyed eagle was faster! In the blink of an eye, that golden light directly rushed over as it had entered no man¡¯s land. Jiang Zhiyuan was taken aback as she hurriedly pulled her wind-stopping shawl over to block her. However, the wind-stopping shawl could only forcefully help her block it for a while before it suddenly broke into pieces! Jiang Zhiyuan felt the impact, and her body flew out as she landed on the ground harshly! A loud sound was heard! Jiang Zhiyuan felt excruciating pain all over her body, and her head turned dizzy as she almost fainted. ¡°Zhiyuan!¡± iang Hetian suddenly stood up! ¡°Master Jiang,¡± said Rong Xiu lazily from the top. ¡°If you go up now, it will mean that Jiang Zhiyuan directly surrenders.¡± Jiang Hetian stopped in his tracks. He stared at the messy bloodstains and the pale Jiang Zhiyuan, and he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. At this point, he hated Chu Liuyue to the core! Jiang Zhiyuan was the apple of his eye, and she had never been beaten into this state in so many years! He was enraged as he hollered at Chu Liuyue, ¡°Dugu Yue! How dare you use such despicable means in front of His Grace and the crowd?!¡± Chu Liuyue half-squinted her eyes. ¡°Despicable means? May I ask, Master Jiang, what outrageous thing have I done?¡± ¡°This is your battle with Zhiyuan, yet you employed external help! You¡ª¡± ¡°Master Jiang, you¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue with a smile. ¡°This legendary three-eyed eagle is also my legendary fiend..¡± Chapter 1081 - Right, I Cheated Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Hetian¡¯s expression instantly froze. ¡®The palace suddenly fell silent as countless gazes filled with shock and doubts landed on Chu Liuyue. W-what did she say?! That legendary three-eyed eagle is also her own legendary fiend?! ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Jiang Hetian recovered his senses, and his first reaction was disbelief. ¡°One person can only have one legendary fiend. It¡¯s impossible¡ª ¡°The truth is right before you. Master Jiang, if you don¡¯t believe me, I have no choice either.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and looked at those two fiends. ¡°Are one of you going to stay behind, or are you going to attack together?¡± ¡®The two fiends exchanged glances, and they separated respectively¡ª one at the front and the other at the back to surround Jiang Zhiyuan. They were clearly planning to attack together! Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows and helplessly smiled at Jiang Hetian. ¡°Master Jiang, I¡¯m sorry, but their tempers aren¡¯t very good. Sometimes, I can¡¯t even control them.¡± Jiang Hetian¡¯s brows twitched harshly! What a cunning Dugu Yue! She¡¯s the one who clearly doesn¡¯t want to let Jiang Zhiyuan go, yet she pushed the responsibility to the two legendary fiends! Jiang Hetian was so angry that his veins popped out. ¡°You¡ªwhat method did you use!¡± Even though he asked that, Jiang Hetian knew very clearly that these two legendary fiends should be Dugu Yue¡¯s. No matter if it were the red-tailed phoenix or the legendary three-eyed eagle, they were both legendary fiends with very strong bloodline power. If such an existence was unwilling, nobody could force them to do anything¡ªespecially when they recognized one as their master! One had to know that these legendary fiends were extremely prideful. If one purely used some violent methods to keep them, they would rather commit suicide than concede and follow a cultivator they were indignant to follow. Her having a red-tailed phoenix was sufficient to make one envious and shocked. Who knew that she would actually have another legendary three-eyed eagle?! It was unthinkable! But now, Jiang Hetian didn¡¯t have time to think about these matters. ¡°If Master Jiang insists on thinking this way, I have no choice. We can discuss this properly later, but now, I need to end this battle first,¡± said Chu Liuyue lazily as she looked opposite her. Jiang Zhiyuan was beaten to the floor, and she had just forcefully stood up. Her face and body were covered with messy bloodstains, and her expression was extremely ugly. Her pair of eyes were filled with doubt and anger as she glared at Chu Liuyue¡ªshe heard everything clearly just now! These two legendary fiends¡­ What background does this Dugu Yue have?! ¡°Big Missy Jiang, are you going to admit defeat or continue?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly and asked harmoniously. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s lips trembled. Of course, I don¡¯t want to admit defeat! But there was a legendary three-eyed eagle in front of her and a red-tailed phoenix behind. Both of them were glaring at her fiercely. She knew without a doubt that once she said ¡®continue,¡¯ these two fiends would attack at the same time! She had already used her totem¡¯s strength previously, but she still couldn¡¯t win, let alone now. Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her silver teeth, and an intense bloody aura filled her mouth. Originally, I wanted to use this opportunity to beat Dugu Yue and snatch first place back, but I didn¡¯t expect things to end up in such a state. I haven¡¯t even properly gone against Dugu Yue, yet I have already failed! In the dead silence, Jiang Zhiyuan closed her eyes and said carefully, ¡°I¡­ admit defeat!¡± ¡°Big Missy Jiang, how decisive,¡± praised Chu Liuyue sincerely without compromising on her compliments. Jiang Zhiyuan was stifled and almost suffocated to death! Chapter 1082 - : Must be Her! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Hetian finally couldn¡¯t hold it back as he rushed to Jiang Zhiyuan and brought her down. ¡°Zhiyuan, are you okay?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan wiped away the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth. Of course, I¡¯m not! Two stages of the princess consort contest have gone by, and Dugu Yue got first place for both! Even if Dugu Yue can¡¯t be the princess consort with such results, she can definitely stay in the Sky-Cloud Empire! Thinking that she might have to meet that face every day in the future, Jiang Zhiyuan felt very uncomfortable. If one said that she just didn¡¯t really like this Dugu Yue in the beginning, now she only had overwhelming hatred for the latter. Jiang Hetian hurriedly commanded the heavenly doctors that came with them to take Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s pulse. Seeing Elder Su¡¯s tightly knitted brows, Jiang Hetian asked uneasily, ¡°Elder Su, how is Zhiyuan?¡± Elder Su sighed. ¡°Big Missy is fine, but she has some internal injuries. I¡¯m afraid she can only recover in half a month.¡± ¡°How did that happen?¡± Jiang Hetian was taken aback. ¡°Just now, Zhiyuan clearly set up the God Realm and had the wind-stopping shawI to shield her. Though that legendary three-eyed eagle was amazing, logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t have caused such a serious injury!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Elder Su glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°Big Missy should know it more clearly¡­¡± ¡°That legendary three-eyed eagle is amazing.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan closed her eyes, retracted her hands, and tried her best to make her voice sound calm. Although she was enraged and indignant, she didn¡¯t forget that this was Tongshen Palace. Countless people were looking over from all directions. ¡°It¡¯s even stronger compared to that red-tailed phoenix.¡± ¡®When she recalled what happened earlier, her heart still trembled. The moment the legendary three-eyed eagle attacked, she really felt a deathly threat! ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be!¡± Jiang Hetian increasingly felt confused. ¡°Though the legendary three-eyed eagle is also a legendary fiend, logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t be stronger than the red-tailed phoenix¡­¡± But he also knew that it was impossible for Jiang Zhiyuan to lie about this matter. Elder Su kept quiet for a moment before lowering his voice. ¡°Master, one cultivator can only have one legendary fiend. That Dugu Yue is clearly problematic. Perhaps that legendary three-eyed eagle¡­ has something amiss!¡± Jiang Hetian knitted his brows and shook his head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll treat Zhiyuan first, and we¡¯ll talk about the rest later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue cupped her fists toward Fairy Water Mound, smiled, and said, ¡°Big Missy Jiang, good fight.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her teeth, but she still didn¡¯t rage. IU let her be happy first! ¡®Then, Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings, raised her brows, and smiled slightly. ¡°May I know if there¡¯s anyone who can¡¯t accept the current results? You can just come up and battle with me. I¡¯ll be more than willing!¡± Dead silence. What a joke! Even Jiang Zhiyuan was beaten into this state¡ªwho would be stupid enough to rush up? Won¡¯t that be causing trouble for ourselves? Two legendary fiends¡­ How can an average person endure it?! ¡°It seems like nobody has any objections,¡± Rong Xiu said from above in a relaxed and composed manner. ¡°This second stage¡¯s first place is Ms. Dugu.¡± ¡®The crowd had varied expressions, but they didn¡¯t say anything further. At this point, Rong Xiu suddenly stood up. Everyone looked over curiously. Then, they saw that the man dressed in a black robe looked cool and lavish in a demonic yet god-like manner. He stood with one hand behind his back, and his thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve only prepared three challenges for this contest. Since Ms. Dugu has already won two of the stages, there¡¯s no need to proceed with the last stage now.¡± He raised his hand and pointed to the woman in red standing upright far away. ¡°She definitely has to be the princess consort!¡± Once he said that, the crowd was stunned! His Grace actually chose his Princess Consort directly in this manner?! There was no third challenge and no forewarning¡ªnothing at all! It¡¯s set just like that?! He directly killed everyone and caught them off-guard! ¡°Your Highness, you can¡¯t!¡± Jiang Hetian instinctively stood up and directly hollered. ¡°The position of princess consort is extremely distinguished, and it concerns the Sky-Cloud Empire and all the divisions¡¯ honor and glory. How can you decide so rashly?!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up into an extremely faint smile, but there was no smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°All the divisions and the crowd in the Sky-Cloud Empire were invited to compete in this contest, and nobody was unjustly treated. The competition proceeded fairly, and everyone saw it clearly¡ªall of them can be witnesses! Now that the results are out, it¡¯s logical to choose her as the princess consort since she obtained first place in both challenges. Why did it suddenly become a rash action to the Jiang family?¡± Jiang Hetian was stumped, and his heart was on fire. If he chooses Dugu Yue, what about Zhiyuan?! He took a deep breath in, and his face was dark. ¡°Did Your Highness already choose Dugu Yue to be your princess consort from the start?! Then, what¡¯s the point of these challenges?!¡± Dead silence. Only Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang family would dare to question Rong Xiu to his face. The smile on Rong Xiu¡¯s face faded, and he knitted his brows slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve never intervened in the contest from start to end. Did I help her earn her first place?¡± Jiang Hetian was speechless! Yes, everyone present had personally seen how Dugu Yue had won these two matches! He couldn¡¯t even be indignant! Jiang Hetian clenched his fists tightly. I can tell that Rong Xiu is interested in Dugu Yue. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have insisted on her joining the contest. However, I always felt that Rong Xiu would only let Dugu Yue be a mistress even if she performed well. She doesn¡¯t even have the right to be second consort, so I never cared about Dugu Yue. However, nobody would¡¯ve expected that not only did Rong Xiu choose her, but he even planned to make her the princess consort! Where does this place Fairy Water Mound¡¯s face?! Seeing that he couldn¡¯t use this reason, Jiang Hetian changed his wording. ¡°Your Highness, this woman has an unknown background. Even if you really want to make her your princess consort, you should ask her to show her identity and convince the rest, right?!¡± Then, he looked at Lin Tianfeng, ¡°If I don¡¯t recall wrongly, Dugu Yue¡­ followed Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Master Lin and the rest. However, she doesn¡¯t seem to be part of Grotto-Heaven Cliff, right?¡± While Lin Tianfeng was still immersed in the shock of Rong Xiu directly choosing Chu Liuyue as his princess consort, he didn¡¯t react in time when he heard this. Lin Zhifei¡¯s lips moved slightly, and he was about to speak when he suddenly heard a voice from behind. ¡°She¡¯s really not from Grotto-Heaven Cliff. She came from outside the God Residence Realm!¡± Lin Zhifei¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he turned back. The person talking was Lou Ruhai! At this point, Lou Ruhai didn¡¯t seem to notice Lin Zhife¡¯¡¯s look of warning as he abruptly stood up, pointed at Chu Liuyue in the hall, and loudly said, ¡°She¡¯s just an ordinary woman who came from outside the God Residence Realm a few days ago!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Lou Ruhai, squinted her eyes, and sneered in her heart. I knew he wouldn¡¯t let go so easily¡­ So he was waiting for this! Once he said ¡®outside the God Residence Realm,¡¯ an uproar instantly broke out in the palace! However, Lou Ruhai seemed to be unsatisfied. Noticing Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, he met it, and coldness flashed across his eyes. Then, he raised his hand and pointed at Dugu Mobao at the side.. ¡°Besides, she doesn¡¯t even have a fianc¨¦! She has long gotten married, and she even has a child!¡± Chapter 1083 - Your Highness, Your Child Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The crowd went crazy. It turns out that not only is Dugu Yue from outside the God Residence Realm, but she even has a child?! Th-this¡­ How can such a person be the princess consort?! Discussions were heard, and countless doubtful gazes landed on Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao. ¡°No wonder Grotto-Heaven Cliff also brought a child over this time. So it¡¯s Dugu Yue¡¯s son?!¡± ¡°Since she¡¯s already married and has a child, how can she still participate in His Grace¡¯s contest to choose a princess consort? Isn¡¯t she treating this as a joke?¡± ¡°This Dugu Yue is so gutsy! She played everyone in the Sky-Cloud Empire! She really can¡¯t be underestimated¡­¡± ¡°Such a woman should be directly killed and executed!¡± All sorts of voices filled her ears. Obviously, Lou Ruhai¡¯s sentences were very shocking! Seeing that he had caused such an uproar, Lou Ruhai was secretly delighted. He arrogantly gazed at Chu Liuyue, wanting to see her anxious and helpless expression. But¡ªno. ¡®That woman still stood there quietly as if she couldn¡¯t hear anything in her surroundings, and she still looked as calm and composed as before. The way she looked at him was also very strange. It was as if¡­ it had a hint of pity? Pity?! Lou Ruhai thought that he had seen it wrongly. After being exposed in front of everyone, her future days won¡¯t be easy. Yet, she is still revealing such an expression? Right at this time, Jiang Hetian boomed, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Lou Ruhai cupped his fists. ¡°I¡¯m Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Lou Ruhai, the Lin family¡¯s First Elder and heavenly doctor. I can use my reputation to guarantee that whatever I said was the truth!¡± On the way here, he had heard the Lin father-son discussing with Dugu Yue about finding Dugu Mobao¡¯s biological father. How could it be fake? Jiang Hetian was surprised, yet he didn¡¯t show anything as he shockingly looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Dugu Yue! Do you have anything to say about this?!¡± Chu Liuyue really pitied Lou Ruhai. Such a fine ninth-grade heavenly doctor is wasted from today onward. He could offend anyone, but he had to trifle about Big Baby. It¡¯s fine if he said that I¡¯m married, but saying that Big Baby is my son Chu Liuyue quickly shot a look at Dugu Mobao. As expected, she saw that his pinkish, intricate face had completely darkened. Seeing that he was about to erupt, Chu Liuyue gave him an assuring gaze as she looked at Jiang Hetian and calmly said, ¡°Of course. That¡¯s because¡­ everything he said was fake.¡± Lou Ruhai sneered. ¡°Fake? Dugu Yue, for fortune and glory, you¡¯re actually abandoning your own child?! Master and Fourth Young Master can testify to this! You came here just to find the man that abandoned you and your son! Now, you¡¯re still trying to deny it?!¡± Quite a few people looked at Lin Tianfeng and his son. They brought the person over, so their words are naturally the most trustable. Lin Tianfeng knitted his brows tightly. Even though His Grace choosing Dugu Yue as his princess consort is very unexpected, I still hope for the best for Dugu Yue. After all, she is Zhifei¡¯s benefactor. If I nod now, won¡¯t I be pushing Dugu Yue to her death? Just as he was very hesitant, Chu Liuyue spoke first. ¡°Of course, Master Lin and Fourth Young Master Lin will agree with what you said previously. This was because in their hearts, they do think that I¡¯m such a person. But what if I say all the things I said weren¡¯t true from the start?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips gradually curled up, and she smiled cunningly. ¡°I said that I brought Big Baby over to find someone, but I didn¡¯t personally admit that Big Baby and I are mother and son, nor did I admit that I¡¯m looking for his father. Master Lin and Fourth Young Master Lin can testify to that.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Zhifei paused for a moment and spoke seriously. ¡°Ms. Dugu indeed has never said all of this before. It was just our guess.¡± Awoman brought a child along to look for someone. Who could they be looking for? It was reasonable that they thought this way. Lou Ruhai was dazed for a moment and later clenched his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s not true just because you say so. What proof do you have?!¡± ¡°Then, what other evidence do you have?¡± Chu Liuyue immediately asked in retaliation. Lou Ruhai was stumped. This incident had developed to this stage, and it entered a stalemate. The crowd¡¯s gazes kept darting back and forth between those people, and they didn¡¯t know who to believe. After a temporary silence, a voice came from the side. ¡°If Ms. Dugu really has nothing to do with that child, why would she spend so much effort to bring him into the God Residence Realm from outside?¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue followed the voice and looked over. The person talking was Jiang Zhiyuan, who had just treated her wound. Her pretty face was pale at this moment, but it made her look even more pitiful¡ªshe gained people¡¯s sympathy. ¡°Also, since Ms. Dugu is only a stage-seven warrior, then¡­ How did she successfully pass the God Residence Realm¡¯s entrance to come here?¡± Her voice had already recovered her usual peace as if it weren¡¯t an interrogation but a simple query. However, these two questions hit the nail on the head! It was already very difficult for normal cultivators to barge in from outside the God Residence Realm. Why did she still want to bring a child along and cause so much trouble? Let¡¯s not mention that she couldn¡¯t even come in with her current cultivation level! Everything was suspicious! ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I¡¯m willing to do it!¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. ¡°As for how I got in¡­ I naturally came in with my own abilities! If not, would someone have specifically fetched me in? Rong Xiu touched his nose. Achill ran down Yan Qing¡¯s spine, and he looked down. Yu Mo scratched his head in confusion. Is she scolding Master or Yu Mo? But he very quickly thought it through. She¡¯s still scolding Master. Yan Qing doesn¡¯t have that right. Jiang Zhiyuan felt that Chu Liuyue was being ridiculous and illogical. Her explanation amounts to nothing. Isn¡¯t she just avoiding it? ¡°Ms. Dugu, please answer my questions properly. If you can¡¯t produce any evidence to prove your innocence, we really have reasons to suspect that the child is yours.¡± A woman with a child wants to be the princess consort? Dream on! Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°May I ask everyone: how does Big Baby look like me?¡± The crowd instinctively sized up the two. One had purple hair and purple eyes, while the other had black hair and black eyes. They were really miles apart! Furthermore, that child was born extremely beautiful, yet Dugu Yue ¡°Isn¡¯t this simple? He just looks like his father!¡± Jiang Hetian pressed on. ¡°Dugu Yue, since you admit that you came to the Sky-Cloud Empire to look for someone, why don¡¯t you find that person now so that we can question him in person? Let¡¯s see whose child this is!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jiang Hetian sneered. ¡°What, you¡¯re afraid?¡± No¡­¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin as she turned around and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, they insist on saying that this child is yours.. Why don¡¯t you come and acknowledge him?¡± Chapter 1084 - Will Only be Her! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tongshen Palace was deadly silent. At this moment, the air seemed to freeze, and time seemed to stop. Everyone thought that they had misheard something. What did Dugu Yue say to His Grace just now? This child¡­ is his¡­ The person she¡¯s looking for is His Grace?! If I don¡¯t speak now, that person will take action. Rong Xiu coughed. ¡°I¡¯ve never married before. Why would I have a child?¡± The crowd was as though struck by lightning. Everyone present was dazed, and many people couldn¡¯t recover their senses for a long while. He admitted it¡­ He¡¯s admitting it?! His Highness is saying that he¡¯s the one that Dugu Yue is looking for¡ªher fianc¨¦?! ¡°Your Highness!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t maintain her elegant, gentle, and aristocratic appearance. Her face flushed white, and her eyes were filled with disbelief. ¡°Your Highness, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze lightened, and he glanced at her. ¡°Big Missy Jiang, you seemed to have forgotten your identity.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart ached, and her face was fiery. She was so humiliated that she wanted to find a hole to stuff herself in! Seeing that she was in a difficult spot, Jiang Hetian couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Your Highness, what do you mean? Dugu Yue¡ª¡± ¡°Tam the fianc¨¦ that Yue¡¯er talked about earlier on,¡± interrupted Rong Xiu honestly and directly. ¡°Therefore, I can testify to whatever she said previously.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Lou Ruhai, who had his eyes wide open and mouth agape. ¡°I wonder if I have the right to be that witness?¡± Lou Ruhai¡¯s face flushed white! How could this be¡­ How could this be?! Didn¡¯t they previously say that Dugu Yue¡¯s fianc¨¦ was just a mere guard in the Sky-Cloud Empire? Why did he suddenly change to become His Grace?! But even though he didn¡¯t want to believe it, he knew that this was a fact! His Highness personally said it. How could it be fake? Thinking of the series of incidents that took place after they came¡ªno matter if it were Yan Qing¡¯s respectful and careful attitude, the first-row seats, and 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s closeness¡­ All of them testified to this! Previously, we just found it weird. Thinking about it now, everything was already foreshadowing this! Lou Ruhai¡¯s entire body turned icy cold. Without thinking, he knew what kind of formidable character he had offended! At this moment, he felt very regretful and finally knew why that woman always looked calm and composed¡ªnot only did she have a backer, but that backer was even the most formidable one in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire! ¡°I-1¡­¡± Lou Ruhais lips trembled, and his old face harshly shook, but he still couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Since the contest has already ended and the results are out, Yue¡¯er will be the Princess Consort then¡ª¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± Before Rong Xiu could finish his sentence, a thick and burly voice came from outside the palace. Hearing this familiar voice, 36 Respected Elder Ming¡ªwho was originally smiling¡ªwas suddenly dazed as he glanced at Rong Xiu. A dim light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. The crowd gradually looked outside. Then, a few figures rapidly flew in from outside! Those people were extremely fast. Before the crowd could even see their footsteps, they had already entered the palace! The person at the front had white hair, and his cheeks were slim. He wore a long, gray robe, and his surrounding aura was formidably strong! The two people behind weren¡¯t any weaker! They came over in a rush and were slightly dirty as if they had hurried over from outside. After the few of them entered, the suppression they brought along caused the surrounding people to keep quiet instinctively. Quite a few people looked fearful and respectful. Jiang Hetian saw the incoming person and immediately cupped his fists. ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing, Respected Elder Jing Chen, Respected Elder Shi Kaiyan!¡± Quite a few people were secretly shocked. It turns out that these few people are also the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s respected elders! The crowd bowed respectively. Elder Yu Jing¡ªwho was at the front¡ªwaved his hands and stared straight at Rong Xiu. He openly said, ¡°Your Highness, this Dugu Yue can¡¯t be the princess consort!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and his lips even curled up slightly. ¡°Respected elders, you¡¯ve come from far away, and it must¡¯ve been hard on you. I¡¯ll decide who is going to be my princess consort. I won¡¯t trouble you with it.¡± Yu Jing¡¯s voice was cold and stiff. ¡°Although the clan leader is in seclusion, the Sky-Cloud Empire is under His Highness¡¯s control, and everything should be decided by His Highness now, I hope you will listen to us about the choosing of your princess consort.¡± Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue and knitted his brows. ¡°How can someone from outside the God Residence Realm be the princess consort?¡± Rong Xiu said lightly, ¡°Yue¡¯er and I have known each other before, and we already have a marriage agreement. However, I was later too busy with matters on this end, so I couldn¡¯t bring her back in time. This time, she took first place in the contest to choose the princess consort. Officially and personally, she is the best choice for the position of princess consort. Besides, I¡¯ve already said it. Respected elders, if you are so against it, do you want me to go back on my word?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood! We¡¯re also doing this in consideration for Your Highness and the future of the entire Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± Yu Jing¡¯s attitude was very stubborn. ¡°Your Highness, if you really like her, you can make her your second consort. This would be an absolute honor to her, but she has no right to take on the position of princess consort!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, and there seemed to be light flashing past the depths of his eyes.. As if a god was deciding, he said carefully, ¡°In my entire life, I will only marry one person as my wife, and this person will only be her!¡± Chapter 1085 - Extreme God Sundial Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The man¡¯s low and clear voice reverberated throughout Tongshen Palace¡ªeveryone could hear him clearly. It was completely silent. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s originally pale face became even more miserable as her body shook, and she almost directly fell to the floor. Jiang Hetian hurriedly picked her up. Seeing her depressed and dispirited appearance, he was enraged and anxious. He couldn¡¯t help but look up and holler, ¡°Your Highness, watch your words! Do you want to disregard the Sky-Cloud Empire and all the divisions by saying this?! How can a woman from outside the God Residence realm be the princess consort?!¡± If Rong Xiu had any sense of rationality left, he wouldn¡¯t say such a thing in public! Everyone, including us, had thought that the princess consort could only be chosen from Fairy Water Mound a very long time ago. Now that this suddenly happened, what exactly is going on?! Where can we show our faces? Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and he didn¡¯t allow anyone to disobey him. ¡°I said she can, so she can!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing cupped his fists, and his expression was cold and harsh. ¡°Do you really want to be willful?!¡± Rong Xiu suddenly laughed, and his sharp brows were raised slightly. ¡°All these years, I have been willful many times. Respected elders, are you not used to it yet?¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing was stumped and didn¡¯t know what to say in such a short amount of time. Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t exaggerating at all. His identity was very special. When the clan leader and the rest found him outside the God Residence Realm, he was originally supposed to be executed. However, 36 Respected Elder Ming risked his life to save him, and together with his strong bloodline power and talents, he barely managed to stay. He had been in the Sky-Cloud Empire for more than ten years. Starting from the small brat that was bullied by anyone in the beginning, he was now stably sitting in the position of His Grace. This just showed how intelligent and tactical he was! Now that the clan leader was in seclusion, he held great power and was even more unreasonable! Now, he even wanted to marry a person from outside the God Residence Realm¡ªto be his princess consort! As expected, his bones do have lowly blood! However, Respected Elder Yu Jing and the rest definitely didn¡¯t dare to say this in public. The current Rong Xiu was no longer the him from back then! For example, although this contest seemed lively, open, and fair, he had actually already chosen that woman long ago. Alll of this was just for show! This was all to let her ascend the position legitimately! He even disregarded how other people thought of him and openly exposed his motive! Who could stop him?! ¡°Your Highness, what you said makes sense. Ms. Dugu did pass the selection contest and took first place. It is reasonable for her to be the princess consort.¡± Respected Elder Jing Chen¡ªwho was standing behind Respected Elder Yu Jing¡ªsuddenly laughed and peacefully said, ¡°However, you also know the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s rules. The princess consort must be someone who has the bloodline of the clans in the God Residence Realm. If not, she can¡¯t pass Jishen Palace¡¯s test even if we all agree, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Jishen Palace¡¯s test? Need to have the bloodline of a clan in the God Residence Realm? Just as she was pondering over this, Rong Xiu¡¯s calm and determined voice sounded. ¡°In other words, you will acknowledge her identity if she can pass that stage?¡± Respected Elder Jing Chen nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Rong Xiu lightly laughed. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu in confusion. Okay? What¡¯s okay? I don¡¯t have the bloodline of a clan in the God Residence Realm! Even if I have a Tianjing Yuan meridian, I can¡¯t possibly push my way through such a situation, right? But Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to see her doubts and worries as he extended his leg and directly walked down. He was extremely tall and was dressed in a black robe, which outlined his waist in an even more perfect manner. His shoulders were broad and his waist tiny, and he stood upright. ¡®When he walked, his steps were very fast with an unspeakable distinguished and imperious aura. It was as if he walked out from a painting in a distinguished and demonic manner. Chu Liuyue watched him calmly and was dazed for a moment as she instinctively held her breath in. This man before her was strange yet familiar. In the past, he always wore snow-white clothes and was gentle and leisurely like a deity. But today, he simply changed into black clothes and seemed like he had completely changed. He was swift, decisive, cruel, and harsh. One could even smell a faint sense of blood in the air. That was the aura of someone who regularly toed the line between life and death and controlled many lines. He was Prince Li¡ªRong Xiu. He was also His Grace¡ªRong Xiu! But when she looked into his eyes, she felt that it was still him. Such a gentle expression was left for her alone. He walked over and stretched out his hand. ¡°Yue¡¯er, let me accompany you.¡± He didn¡¯t address himself in a superior manner. Instead, he said he would accompany her. Countless gazes followed him, yet she was the only one in his eyes. At that moment, Chu Liuyue felt something surging in her heart. She held his hand¡ªit was warm and big. ¡°Okay!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan bit until her lips broke. The metallic taste spread within her mouth, but she didn¡¯t feel the pain at all. At this very moment, her eyes only had the two people holding hands. Everyone could clearly see that he was the one who willingly stretched out his hand. In front of that woman, he wasn¡¯t the high and mighty His Grace¡ªhe was just a man looking at the woman he loved. His eyes and heart were filled with elation. He had never used such a gaze to look at her. Seeing her expression, Jiang Hetian sighed in his heart and comforted, ¡°Zhiyuan, don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s from outside the God Residence Realm, so she definitely can¡¯t pass Jishen Palace¡¯s stage. Not to mention others, even the ancestors of the Sky-Cloud Empire won¡¯t agree to let such a woman randomly take on the position of princess consort!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other tightly. ¡°But¡­ she has a lot of tactics. Who knows if she will¡ª¡± If this Dugu Yue really looks as ordinary as she does on the surface, how could she possibly have two legendary fiends?! Even in the God Residence Realm, I have never heard of a person who could do this! Jiang Hetian sneered. ¡°She can use such messy methods to win these challenges, but what kind of place is Jishen Palace? That¡¯s the place where they pay respect to the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s ancestors! No matter how capable she is, could she possibly change her own bloodline?¡± People from outside the God Residence Realm are born to be inferior to the rest. It¡¯s ridiculous to put them and the official clans in the God Residence Realm in the same sentence. ¡°Just watch. Later on, she¡¯ll lose completely and will have to admit defeat!¡± Jiang Hetian raised his chin. ¡°With Respected Elder Yu Jing and the others here, you¡¯ll still be the princess consort!¡± 1 Jiang Zhiyuan then nodded uneasily. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue held hands and walked out of Tongshen Palace, arriving at a square outside. Behind them, Respected Elder Yu Jing and the rest walked out gradually. The other people in the palace also curiously followed them out as they stood around the square. Rong Xiu raised his chin and looked at the mountain peak. ¡°That¡¯s Jishen Palace¡ªover there, there¡¯s an Extreme God Sundial. When we¡¯re there, you just have to put your hand above and inject some force into it. Then, the Extreme God Sundial will point to different numbers according to the strength of the bloodline power in your body.. One is the weakest, and twelve is the strongest!¡± Chapter 1086 - Summon! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°What number must I reach for it to be considered a success?¡± Rong Xiu paused for a moment and then explained, ¡°If Master Lin comes up, it should be around five. If it¡¯s Master Jiang, it¡¯s eight. As long as you hit five, you¡¯ll succeed.¡± Grotto-Heaven Cliff was considered a low-level aristocratic family in the God Residence Realm, so their family¡¯s bloodline power was expectedly around this level. As for Fairy Water Mound, they were clearly superior. This was also the reason why Fairy Water Mound was so confident. Those that were lower than Grotto-Heaven Cliff couldn¡¯t even stand in the God Residence Realm, and they had no right to take charge of the realm entrance. They weren¡¯t recognized at all. So at the very least, she needed to reach five at least. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Then, what about you?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, and his expression was relaxed. ¡°Eleven.¡± He¡¯s indeed weird! Chu Liuyue sneered at him. I¡¯ve long guessed that Rong Xiu is extremely strong, and Im even more sure of this especially after I came here and learned of his true identity. Hence, I was already very mentally prepared when I asked this question. It¡¯s a pity that this man never gives others any leeway. Eleven¡­ This can be considered as the top and most perfect bloodline! ¡°You really know how to cause trouble for me.¡± Chu Liuyue exhaled. ¡°It¡¯ll be so hard on me.¡± As if guessing her thoughts, Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes had smiling intent. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be the same as me; you just need to reach five to convince them.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s only five, Im afraid they won¡¯t obediently shut their mouths, right?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and asked in retaliation. ¡°Besides, I want to stand beside you legitimately. Even if I can¡¯t be the same as you, I can¡¯t be too far away, right?¡± ¡°Hah, naive!¡± Jiang Hetian heard the duo¡¯s conversation and couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°It¡¯s hard for someone from outside the God Residence Realm to even summon the Extreme God Sundial, let alone others! If you have time to daydream here, why don¡¯t you think about how you can embarrass yourself less later?!¡± 1 Jiang Hetian¡¯s words were very rude. He had a very high status in Fairy Water Mound. In addition to the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader looking after him the past few years, he had always been arrogant and unreasonable. Previously, he was still quite polite to Rong Xiu and the rest. But now that Rong Xiu had hurt his precious daughter and damaged their Fairy Water Mound¡¯s face, he was enraged. Hence, he naturally didn¡¯t consider so much. ¡®When he faced Chu Liuyue, he was filled with even more extreme contempt and hatred. In his eyes, such a person from outside the God Residence Realm didn¡¯t even have the right to get him to take another glance at her! When she fails in front of so many people and is humiliated, I don¡¯t believe that Rong Xiu can still protect her to the end! Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned cold, and a murderous intent surfaced in his eyes. However, Chu Liuyue was the first to speak as she smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Master Jiang, I¡¯l definitely do my best and won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± As she spoke, she still shook Rong Xiu¡¯s hand and blinked, and her black gem-like eyes sparkled. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get going!¡± What¡¯s the use of talking so much to these people? The only way to get them to shut their mouths is to use our abilities to prove ourselves. We can naturally show off our love, but this is only for support and can only be done occasionally. I wouldn¡¯t be happy if I did this more. The motive of doing so is to declare more authority, not to engage in nonsensical fights with these people. I don¡¯t want to waste all my time on these people, so I just have to show a little. ¡®When he saw her playful behavior, the anger in Rong Xiu¡¯s heart immediately subsided, and his elegant brows relaxed. ¡°Okay.¡± Rong Xiu waved his sleeves, and a ray of golden light instantly flew out! That ray of light shot through the air and flew all the way to Tongshen Palace, forming a bridge that connected to Jishen Palace. Chu Liuyue jumped onto the golden bridge and went up! ¡°She actually went up. Is she not afraid that they can¡¯t detect any bloodline power and that she¡¯ll be humiliated in the end?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already at this stage. Does she have another choice?¡± ¡°Yeah! How can it be so easy to be the princess consort of the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s from outside the God Residence Realm. Doing so is just courting death..¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure gradually go far away, quite a few people participated in hushed discussions. Most of them didn¡¯t think well of her. Even when Chu Liuyue had just summoned two legendary fiends previously, they still felt that it was impossible for her to pass this stage. She was capable, but it was a pity that background was something she couldn¡¯t change. If she didn¡¯t have the bloodline power when she was born, she wouldn¡¯t have it her entire life¡ªunless she broke through herself and became a legendary warrior! Besides, a demigod couldn¡¯t do it. It had to be someone who had completely stepped into the Apotheosis Realm! But how could such a thing be easy? Not to mention someone from outside the God Residence Realm like her, even many cultivators in the God Residence Realm were stuck in the demigod stage for their entire lives and couldn¡¯t improve at all! Until their death, they couldn¡¯t take that step out of the stage! Besides, she was only a stage-seven warrior now! Wanting to summon the Extreme God Sundial and get a rating higher of at least five on it¡­ Dream on! 1 At this moment, Chu Liuyue naturally couldn¡¯t hear the crowd¡¯s discussions. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t mind even if she could. Everything else was fake, and only capabilities were real. The only thing she was thinking about now was: Since Rong Xiu agreed to let me up, he must be confident that I can succeed. However, I shouldn¡¯t have the bloodline power. Even if it is my past Shangguan Yue that had forcefully inherited some strength from Ancestor, it shouldn¡¯t be sufficient, let alone now. About 15 minutes later, she finally arrived at the end of the golden bridge¡ªJishen Palace! Looking over, it was a magnificent black palace. Its roof was carved with all sorts of legendary fiends and looked suppressive! A large totem was carved in the middle of the tightly shut black door¡ªit was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem! Chu Liuyue just took a glance at it and felt her blood rush up, and her force seemed to explode! She hurriedly retracted her gaze. This Jishen Palace isn¡¯t to be underestimated! In front of the palace was a gigantic square, and its floor was made of black marble. When one stood on it, one could see their own figure. Guards in black armor were tightly guarding around Jishen Palace and the square! These people¡¯s auras were even stronger than that of the soldiers Chu Liuyue had seen before! ¡®When Chu Liuyue came up, they didn¡¯t even look around and stood still in their positions determinedly. Chu Liuyue was secretly shocked. People who can be stationed at Jishen Palace are indeed different¡­ Besides, training such disciplined soldiers is a great help in combat¡­ Chu Liuyue jumped down. At this moment, she stood opposite the palace and in front of the square! Countless eyes gathered on her. The surroundings were silent. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. The next moment, her surrounding aura exploded! Whir! Awhir was suddenly heard! Then, the empty air vibrated intensely! A gigantic, golden circular platform gradually appeared! Chapter 1087 - So Fast! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was already late at night, and the sky was dark, but the light on the mountain illuminated half the peak. But once the Extreme God Sundial appeared, the bright light instantly shone on the surroundings like a white light! Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure could be seen more clearly in the light. She stood at the top of the mountain upright, and the night breeze blew her clothes, causing them to flow with the wind. Her hair danced around, and she looked like she was going to ascend to the heavens. ¡®The Extreme God Sundial was entirely a faint golden color, and it had 12 numbers on it. At this moment, a golden needle pointed at the uppermost 112.¡± That was the position of the needle before the test. It was very huge, so much so that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t even half as big as the golden needle on it when she stood in front of it. Hence, the crowd at Tongshen Palace could see everything clearly despite being a distance away. At this point, they were even more shocked! ¡°How did she summon the Extreme God Sundial so quickly?!¡± Logically speaking, an average person needed about an hour or so to awaken the Extreme God Sundial. But this time, the Extreme God Sundial seemed to appear not long after she stood there! ¡°This speed is even greater than some people in the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the faster one can summon the Extreme God Sundial, the stronger one¡¯s bloodline power might be? Back when His Grace first stepped onto the peak, the Extreme God Sundial automatically appeared before he even summoned it on his own! Afterward, his result was an 11.¡± 1 This was also the reason why Rong Xiu could live on after he came back-his bloodline talent was his biggest bargaining chip! Afterward, he didn¡¯t disappoint the rest as he quickly broke through and became His Grace! ¡°His Grace is a rare talent. How can ordinary people compare to him? The results aren¡¯t certain yet. Let¡¯s talk after she really passes that stage!¡± The crowd had varied expressions, and their thoughts were different, but there were still some critical voices in between. 36 Respected Elder Ming chuckled and stood with his hands behind his back. He said with deeper meaning, ¡°I¡¯ve been in the Sky-Cloud Empire for a few hundred years. I¡¯ve seen such a scene a few thousand times minimum! Just this speed alone¡ªhah, the results are certain!¡± As he spoke, he winked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness¡¯s taste is as good as usual!¡± Rong Xiu nodded happily. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡®When Jiang Zhiyuan heard the duo¡¯s conversation that was all compliments for Chu Liuyue, her heart felt like it was stabbed as she silently clenched her teeth. Back then, Iwas only a little faster than this when I summoned the Extreme God Sundial, and my level was a rare nine. Without any accidents, this Dugu Yue should be able to get a six. If she¡¯s lucky enough, seven isn¡¯t impossible. Dugu Yue will really make it this time¡­ Seeing the Extreme God Sundial appear in front of her, Chu Liuyue blinked and stared at it for quite a while. For some reason, she could feel the tremendous suppression from it but didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable. This item doesn¡¯t seem as scary as they previously said? Chu Liuyue walked forward and calmly stood one step before the Extreme God Sundial. Then, she took a deep breath in and raised her arm as her palm gradually touched the Extreme God Sundial. It was slightly cold to touch and seemed to be made from jade. The surrounding golden light sparkled and made her palm look more translucent. She then breathed in, and a wave of force rushed out from her dantian, inserting into her palm! The Extreme God Sundial had no reaction at all. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and used more strength! But this time, the Extreme God Sundial was still silent. ¡°See! I knew she couldn¡¯t make it! Someone from outside the God Residence Realm will still be an outsider. Even if she can forcefully summon the Extreme God Sundial, it will still amount to nothing!¡± Jiang Hetian sneered. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s uneasy heart relaxed a little. As Jong as Dugu Yue fails in front of the crowd in this manner, she will never have the face to stay in the Sky-Cloud Empire in the future! Time became especially torturous now. Countless eyes stared at the figure on the peak closely. Some waited for her to succeed and rise to fame. Others waited for her to fail and forever disappear. ¡°Lwonder if Ms. Dugu can do it..¡± muttered Lin Tianfeng, who was standing in an isolated corner. At the side, Dugu Mobao squinted his sinister-like eyes. ¡®If she cant, then in this world.¡± ¡®When he said this, his voice suddenly stopped. Lin Tianfeng lowered his head and glanced at him strangely. He¡¯s just a three or four-year-old child, but for some reason, I vaguely feel some sort of respect and fear toward him. After knowing that Dugu Mobao wasn¡¯t Dugu Yue¡¯s child, this feeling didn¡¯t subside and instead intensified. Lin Tianfeng was also a wily old fox. He wouldn¡¯t believe that Dugu Yue brought this child along for no reason at all while barging into the God Residence Realm from far away! Thinking of how the child smashed the table and the intense murderous intent exuding from his body then¡­ Even Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t dare to treat him lightly. ¡°You¡¯re saying that she can succeed?¡± asked Lin Tianfeng meticulously. However, Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t even shoot him another glance as he maintained an expressionless face and refused to say anything more. Lin Tianfeng coughed awkwardly. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. Ms. Dugu can definitely succeed,¡± said Lin Zhifei suddenly. ¡°How are you so certain?¡± asked Lin Tianfeng. Lin Zhifei just smiled and didn¡¯t speak, his clear eyes seemingly reflecting the dazzling golden light on the mountain peak. She could use her eighth-grade heavenly doctor cultivation level to treat me. What else can she not do? Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. This is weird. Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. After all, the force within my body is quite strong. Why does this Extreme God Sundial have no reaction at all? She felt even more determined as she abruptly circulated the force within her dantian! At that moment, her water droplet seemed to be influenced as it spun gradually! Whir! The Extreme God Sundial shone brightly! Following this deafening whir, the golden needle suddenly moved! Kacha! The needle went to ¡®one!¡¯ The crisp sound of the needle moving reverberated throughout the area. The crowd spectating below was taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s moving! The Extreme God Sundial moved!¡± ¡°Does her body really have the bloodline power left behind by a legendary warrior?!¡± ¡°Lwonder what number she can reac! Chu Liuyue looked up at that needle and heaved a sigh of relief as she allowed her force to insert into her palm! At the same time, the needle on the Extreme God Sundial quickly reached ¡®two! Following which, it rapidly jumped to ¡®three!¡¯ Gasps could be heard from the audience.. ¡®Why is it so fast?¡± Chapter 1088 - Her Bloodline Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡®There were a total of 12 numbers on the Extreme God Sundial. Every single number represented a bloodline power of a different level. From the moment it detected the bloodline strength, the Extreme God Sundial was activated. Every step the needle moved required the support of an even stronger bloodline power! If one¡¯s bloodline power was very weak, it would end after the needle reached ¡®two¡¯ or ¡®three¡¯ with much difficulty. Those who had slightly stronger bloodline power would reach ¡®four or ¡®five.¡¯ ¡®What was worth mentioning was that the distance between the numbers that represented bloodline power strength was also greater the further one went. Hence, many people couldn¡¯t continue after taking a few steps. This was because their bloodline power wasn¡¯t enough to make the needle go to the next number. However, that Dugu Yue directly jumped to ¡®three¡¯ now?! They didn¡¯t even have time to react! But just when the crowd was stunned, the needle on the Extreme God Sundial started jumping again! Four! Many people held their breaths in shock as they watched the scene on the mountain without blinking, terrified that they would miss something! As long as the needle moves another step forward, she will eventually be considered as passing the test! Then¡­ she can be the princess consort! At this point, many people were more nervous than Chu Liuyue. Jiang Hetian and the rest were long stunned by the scene before them. The previous moment, they still thought that Dugu Yue would fail. Who would¡¯ve known that the Extreme God Sundial¡¯s needle would already point to ¡®four¡¯ in the blink of an eye? Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her sleeves tightly. It can¡¯t be.. Many people were stuck at this level previously, so she shouldn¡¯t be an exception. How can someone from outside the God Residence Realm have bloodline power?! Chu Liuyue looked up. The light on the Extreme God Sundial seemed to be brighter as the needle kept moving. At this point, half her hand was almost covered by that sparkling golden light. With the water droplet in her dantian continuously spinning, the strength that infused into her palm kept increasing! Seeing the number ¡®four¡¯ on the surface, Chu Liuyue blinked. Didn¡¯t they say that five¡¯ is considered a pass? I still thought it was very difficult, but I¡¯ve already reached this step without trying much. Were the words they previously said true, or were they just scaring me? If the crowd below knew of Chu Liuyue¡¯s current thoughts, they would vomit blood. Who has the time to use this thing to scare you!? You¡¯re weird. Who can you blame!? Just as these thoughts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, the needle moved forward expectedly. Kacha! The needle hit ¡®five!¡± The crowd was completely silent on the mid-hill. The coldness in the night wind blew on their necks and made their hearts chill. Jiang Zhiyuan shuddered, and her face turned pale as she bit until her lips bled. Like a pot of ice water pouring down, it was chilling to the bone! Dugu Yue¡­ actually succeeded so easily?! ¡°Zhiyuan, Zhiyuan?¡± She took a while to react before she heard Jiang Hetian calling her from the side. Jiang Hetian¡¯s expression was also complicated. ¡°Zhiyuan, perhaps she did it with some unknown methods. Don¡¯t take it to heart¡­ Look at how she has two legendary fiends. I¡¯s so weird! Who knows if she¡ª¡± ¡°Father.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan interrupted him as she pulled her lips without much smiling intent. ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s others, but that¡¯s¡­ the Extreme God Sundial!¡± Who can play tricks here? If Dugu Yue can do this, everyone has to acknowledge it. Jiang Hetian was stumped. At that moment, he didn¡¯t know what to say as he closed his mouth and didn¡¯t say a word. He secretly hoped that Dugu Yue would stop and not continue anymore. Kacha! The needle moved to the middle and pointed at six!¡± Chu Liuyue realized that the intervals between the jumps were slightly longer than before. At this point, she naturally didn¡¯t know that this speed had far exceeded the expectations of the people below. When the needle moved downward, Chu Liuyue was nearer and could see it more clearly. This golden needle was exuding a crystal-like light, and it was magnificent. It was engraved with a complicated yet intricate pattern. Countless lines intersected, outlining various strange patterns. It was like some cloud embroidery, but it was even more detailed and complicated. Just by staring at the pattern on it, Chu Liuyue seemed to feel a tremendous aura attacking her! At the same time, the water droplet in her dantian seemed to be attracted to something as the seven brilliant patterns flowed like water ripples! Force surged out! The needle passed by the middle and continued moving forward! In the blink of an eye, it turned to a shocking ¡®seven! Impossible. That¡¯s impossible¡­ At this moment, Respected Elder Yu Jing and the rest finally couldn¡¯t hold it anymore as they all changed their expressions. If one said that Dugu Yue forcefully passed, it wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t accept it. But now, everything proved that her bloodline power was extremely strong! In the entire Sky-Cloud Empire, being able to achieve such results proved that she was definitely a top talent! ¡°It¡¯s already weird that she could summon the Extreme God Sundial. I think she might not really even be from outside the God Residence Realm! As for what her true identity is¡­ ¡®m afraid we have to investigate in detail,¡± Respected Elder Jing Chen stroked his beard and said with deep meaning. ¡°Not from outside the God Residence Realm? Then, where can she be from? Could she really be from some clan in the God Residence Realm?¡± asked Respected Elder Yu Jing doubtfully. ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t she directly show her identity and instead disguised as someone from outside the God Residence Realm?¡± Normally, people from the God Residence Realm had no interest in doing such things and lowering their status. ¡®Just watch on. Anyway, her bloodline totem will be shown when the Extreme God Sundial stops eventually,¡± said Respected Elder Jing Chen calmly. ¡°We¡¯ll know everything by then!¡± When the needle pointed to ¡®seven,¡¯ the strange feeling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart became increasingly strong. Those people all said that this was difficult, but I really don¡¯t seem to feel anything at all¡­ Logically speaking, this result should be decent, right? Even if Istop now and reach just this number, it¡¯s sufficient to be the princess consort righteously. However, it seems like I can still continue¡­ Chu Liuyue was conflicted for a moment. ¡®When she was dazed, the needle jumped again and went to ¡®eight! At this moment, the bloodline talent she exhibited was the same as Jiang Hetian! Now, the crowd had completely fallen silent. For some reason, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart suddenly trembled as she stared at that figure on the mountain peak and the brightly glowing Extreme God Sundial. If this continues, then Dugu Yue will be like me¡ª Kacha! The gigantic needle had no intention of stopping as it continued moving forward¡ª Nine! Chapter 1089 - Stop It! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s vision turned black, and she almost fainted directly. The crowd was long stumped. Looking at this scene, they were stunned. ¡°Hehe! I knew this girlie could definitely do it!¡± A smile broke out on 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s face, spreading from ear to ear. ¡°Look! Nine¡ªthis is nine! Just with these results alone, it¡¯s stronger than so many people! Hey¡ªright, Yu Jing, what did you say just now? Did you say that Yue¡¯er is from outside the God Residence Realm and isn¡¯t suitable to be the princess consort?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming scratched his ears. Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s expression turned extremely ugly. I never would¡¯ve thought that Dugu Yue had such abilities! No matter what, she will stably become the princess consort now! Seeing that the few of them had nothing to say, 36 Respected Elder Ming was elated as he leisurely glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, quickly go and fetch Girlie down!¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes, and there seemed to be some ripples in them. ¡°We¡¯re not in a rush.¡± ¡°What?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was dazed. Then, he blinked and gasped. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ she can still continue breaking through?!¡± Almost nobody believed that Chu Liuyue could still continue. Only a few people could reach ¡®9¡¯ in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire. All these years, there weren¡¯t even more than five including Jiang Zhiyuan. There was nobody else who had a higher number. Oh, that¡¯s not right. His Grace Rong Xiu was the only one who had reached a higher level! Besides, he directly stepped past ¡¯10¡¯ and went to ¡¯11!¡± In the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s thousand-plus years, he was undoubtedly the top talent! Other than him, the others only reached a maximum of¡¯9.¡¯ Hence, everyone subconsciously thought that Chu Liuyue would also stop after reaching this number. But at this time, Rong Xiu and 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s words suddenly reminded them. Quite a few people looked over. Someone cried out, ¡°Her bloodline totem hasn¡¯t appeared yet!¡± Right! One¡¯s bloodline totem would only appear after the evaluation was done! And at the moment, the Extreme God Sundial that glowed with golden light was as clean as before! Everything showed that her bloodline test hadn¡¯t ended yet! Chu Liuyue could clearly feel the force crazily surging in her palm. Her surrounding force was rushing around, and her clothes flew with the wind. At this point, even though she couldn¡¯t hear the discussions and gasps from below, she knew very clearly that she should¡¯ve reached an important stage. Nine¡­ It¡¯s even higher than Jiang Hetian¡¯s result. This is definitely sufficient for me to be the princess consort. Actually, she was currently thinking of another thing: How exactly did I cause the needle to continue jumping? Could it be that my body has that so-called bloodline power? However, why don¡¯t I know it myself? Furthermore, I¡¯m rather curious to see what level I can reach. Thinking of this, she pressed her lips against each other and injected a wave of force! Rumble! The Extreme God Sundial suddenly exploded with bright light! The light was dazzling, and Chu Liuyue instinctively raised her other hand to cover her eyes. But at this moment, the Extreme God Sundial made tiny noises. Chu Liuyue found it weird and forced her eyes open to look. ¡®When she saw the scene in front of her clearly, she was instantly dazed. This was because¡­ the patterns on the Extreme God Sundial needle were suddenly alive! Many lines flew out and attached to the middle of the Extreme God Sundial! The lines intersected each other as if forming some pattern. At the same time, a familiar sound was made, and the needle hit ¡¯11!¡¯ Seeing that the pattern was about to appear, Chu Liuyue was first dazed. Then, she recognized that this was the strange bloody symbol that once surfaced on her palm! But before it was completed, the surrounding golden light dazzled¡ªit was extremely hard to see. She suddenly recalled what her ancestor had said earlier: The symbol that appeared in her body for some reason was also a totem. However, this should be testing an individual¡¯s bloodline talent from the clan, and I¡¯m not related to the totem at all. Logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t have appeared. ¡°That¡¯s Yue¡¯er Girlie¡¯s bloodline totem?!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was still immersed in deep shock, and he couldn¡¯t help but gasp when he saw the pattern gradually appearing under the dazzling light. He suddenly glanced at Rong Xiu. That girl is indeed from outside the God Residence Realm¡ªI know this very clearly. But now¡­ What is going on?! Rong Xiu stood with his hands behind his back, and his sharp brows moved slightly. A gleam of golden light flashed across the depths of his eyes like fire! Looking at the pattern that was gradually being completed, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt uneasy. This is the biggest secret hidden in my body. Even if I don¡¯t know the background of this totem, if someone sees it¡­ This is the God Residence Realm! Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue was decisive as she hurriedly retracted her force! However, it was easy to exude the tremendous force but hard to retract it! Hence, that needle seemed to move slowly and determinedly to the next number. ¡®At the same time, the totem on the Extreme God Sundial became increasingly complete! A faint, tremendous suppression exuded from it! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and tried to retract the remaining force! ¡°Stop!¡± The two parties entered a stalemate, and the needle started shaking intensely! Right at this moment, a strong aura suddenly surged out from under the sparkling golden light. It appeared very quickly, going around the tip of the needle directly and swiftly! Then, that ball of light suddenly spread around! The needle stopped trembling as it stably stopped on ¡¯11!¡± ¡®The bit of black light suddenly disappeared! Chapter 1090 - Princess Consort! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was completely dark between heaven and earth. Only the Extreme God Sundial dazzled brightly with a holy light. The light breeze blew over, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeves were blown up. ¡®When she saw the incomplete pattern abruptly disappear from the Extreme God Sundial, the stone in her heart was finally put down. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Luckily¡ªluckily, I stopped at the crucial moment! Chu Liuyue secretly felt lucky. The needle was just a step away from hitting ¡®12!¡¯ Luckily, I saved it in time¡ª If the crowd below knew of her thoughts, they would probably vomit three liters of blood. Everyone fought to make that needle go forward by even a step or two, yet she was afraid that it would continue and harshly stopped it. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. The light on the Extreme God Sundial gradually dimmed. Then, under the people¡¯s shocked and dazed gazes, the Extreme God Sundial gradually disappeared into space. ¡®The mountain peak was only left with the candles burning brightly, which reflected that woman¡¯s figure. Straight, slim, cool! She turned around and jumped onto the bridge that was formed by the golden light. Her steps were light and cool. In the blink of an eye, she had already returned to Tongshen Palace. She jumped down from above. Rong Xiu waved his sleeves, and the light turned into countless stars. In the dark night, that woman seemed to come from endless light. She walked to Rong Xiu and suddenly smiled. ¡°How is it? Is this result satisfactory?¡± Rong Xiu stared at her with a deep gaze, and his thin lips slightly curled up as they slowly spread into a smile. ¡°Of course¡ªYue¡¯er is the best.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up, and she then discovered that the surroundings were silent. She was dazed and looked at the crowd at the side. She then blinked in confusion when she saw them staring at her in shock. Were they¡­ stunned by that ¡¯11? Chu Liuyue thought to herself. But right at this moment, Lin Tianfeng suddenly muttered, ¡°M-Ms. Dugu, y-your face¡ª Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she immediately reached out and touched her face¡ªit was smooth and silky. That was¡­ her own face! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and glanced at Rong Xiu. She saw the latter holding in his smile as he gently asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you find it uncomfortable if you keep wearing that mask?¡± My mask really fell! What Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know was that when the Extreme God Sundial pointed to ¡¯10,¡¯ the mask on her face had already disappeared without a trace. However, all her attention was placed on the Extreme God Sundial at that time, so she did not notice it. In this type of situation where her mask had abruptly fallen off, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt awkward. ¡°Ahem.¡± Chu Liuyue tried to hide it with a cough. ¡°I-it¡¯s fine¡­¡± During this period of time, I¡¯ve already gotten used to seeing people with that face. Rong Xiu stretched out his hand and tidied her messy hair that the mountain wind had blown, his movements extremely gentle for once. As he took care of the hair meticulously and preciously, he gazed at her as though he was looking at a rare treasure. After a temporary silence, whispers could finally be heard from the crowd. ¡°So this is Dugu Yue¡¯s true appearance!¡± ¡°She¡¯s beautiful, cool¡­ really breathtaking¡­¡± ¡°Originally, I thought that Big Missy Jiang was already pretty enough. But with this as a comparison, Big Missy Jiang instantly pales¡­¡± ¡°She looks like that¡ªit¡¯s no wonder His Grace fell for her! Besides, her bloodline power is so strong!¡± ¡®When they recovered their senses, quite a few people gasped in surprise. Jiang Zhiyuan looked at the duo standing beside each other not far away. ¡®When she saw that Dugu Yue¡¯s level exceeded hers, more than half her heart was cold. At that time, the only comfort she could still give herself was that although Dugu Yue was outstanding in the other areas, she had an ordinary face. At the very least, she beat Dugu Yue in this aspect. But now, she realized that she was very wrong! Dugu Yue¡­ actually looks like this! She was wearing an ordinary red dress, and her hair was simply tied up. She didn¡¯t have any makeup on, but she looked better than all the scenery in this world. She stood at the side, and everything in the surroundings seemed to have lost its color. The countless golden sparks dissipated behind her, reflecting her snow-white and crystal-like face. Her pair of black gem-like eyes seemed to have ripples within, and they hid countless stars. Her lips curled up, and her eyes curved. This should be the appearance of a breathtaking beauty. Even though she didn¡¯t want to admit it, Jiang Zhiyuan knew clearly that she had lost to the other party. Ever since she was young, she was outstanding in all aspects and was the best. This was the first time she had completely lost to another woman! This impact was too intense, such that she was dazed at that moment. She even felt regret. I shouldn¡¯t have come! Rong Xiu specifically organized this magnificent banquet for her from start to end! He racked his brain for her and risked everything for her. Even when he knew that he would get many objections if this woman became the princess consort, he still did it! As for me¡­ From start to end, he didn¡¯t even take another look at me. I¡¯m just a joke. Rong Xiu helped Chu Liuyue tidy her hair and clothes as his gaze stopped on her face for a moment. In actual fact, I haven¡¯t seen this face in a very long time. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we¡¯re still at Tongshen Palace and that there are so many people in the surroundings Thinking of this, Rong Xiu wanted to settle these matters as soon as possible. He turned to look at Respected Elder Yu Jing and the rest. ¡°Yue¡¯er can now be the princess consort without a doubt, right?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing and the rest exchanged glances. Originally, we rushed back to stop Rong Xiu, and the reasons and excuses we thought of earlier were all very legitimate. But who would¡¯ve expected that Dugu Yue would successfully pass all of them?! If we openly go back on our words now, it won¡¯t be good. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Ms. Dugu also has such top bloodline talent. Previously, we were really dumb not to see it. If we¡¯ve offended you, Ms. Dugu, please forgive us.¡± Respected Elder Jing Chen reacted the fastest. After his shock, he quickly adjusted his attitude and expression as he spoke harmoniously. ¡°But for some reason, the bloodline totem on the Extreme God Sundial didn¡¯t show itself completely¡­ Ms. Dugu has such strong bloodline talent, so she must be extremely strong in her clan, right? I wonder¡­ which clan is she exactly from?¡± Upon hearing this, the present crowd looked at Chu Liuyue¡ªthis was what they were all curious about! Chu Liuyue blinked and smiled. ¡°I just came from an ordinary family outside the God Residence Realm. It¡¯s not worth a mention.¡± ¡°Ms, Dugu, you still refuse to let us know of your identity at this time? If you¡¯re not someone from a clan within the God Residence Realm, it¡¯s impossible that such a level would be shown on the Extreme God Sundial!¡± said Respected Elder Yu Jing in frustration. To him, there wasn¡¯t much meaning for Chu Liuyue to deny it vehemently. ¡°I forgot to introduce her,¡± said Rong Xiu suddenly.. ¡°This is my fiance from Country Yao Chen, who is also the future princess consort of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡ªShangguan Yue!¡± Chapter 1091 - Holy Ring Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Quite a few people in the Sky-Cloud Empire had heard of Country Yao Chen. This was because His Grace¡ªRong Xiu¡¯s birth mother had secretly married Country Yao Chen¡¯s emperor back then. Everyone in the Sky-Cloud Empire knew of his identity as Country Yao Chen¡¯s Seventh Prince. All of these incidents were spread far and wide when Rong Xiu was found by them back then; almost everybody knew about it. This was also the reason why they thought of Rong Xiu as the clan¡¯s humiliation all this while. If the Extreme God Sundial hadn¡¯t automatically appeared when he first arrived on the mountain and stood in front of Jishen Palace¡ªwhich tested and showed his shocking bloodline talent¡ªhe would¡¯ve very possibly been executed in front of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s many ancestral plaques. All these years, Rong Xiu¡¯s power in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire grew increasingly greater as his cultivation level kept improving, With that, the masses gradually stopped bringing it up. And this time, it was the first time Rong Xiu willingly brought it up. His motive was known without speaking¡ªhe wanted Chu Liuyue to be the princess consort! Respected Elder Yu Jing and the rest were first stunned; then, they exchanged glances and furrowed their brows tightly. According to His Grace, this Dugu¡­ No, this Shangguan Yue really has an ordinary background? But how can the Extreme God Sundial¡¯s reaction be explained? This has never happened before! ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s really weird that Ms. Shangguan has been tested to have an extremely strong bloodline talent of ¡®11¡¯ even though she¡¯s from outside the God Residence Realm ¡°Tm also considered to be from ¡®outside the God Residence Realm¡¯ to a certain extent, but didn¡¯t I get ¡®11¡ä too? Respected Elders, if you keep talking about this again and again, doesn¡¯t it mean that you have the same attitude toward my identity?¡± Rong Xiu interrupted Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s words and spoke lightly. ¡°wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately denied it. Even if we think so in our hearts, how can we say this out loud? Besides, Rong Xiu as an ¡®outsider¡¯ has the top bloodline talent in thousands of years in the Sky-Cloud Empire! We have to respect him! 36 Respected Elder Ming smiled and said, ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, you¡¯re His Grace¡¯s Princess Consort from today onward!¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing was hesitant with his words, and Respected Elder Jing Chen glanced at him. 36 Respected Elder Ming had a distinguished status and was one of the most experienced elders amongst the crowd. Even Respected Elder Tong Chuan had to respect him, let alone the others. Once he said that, the surrounding people couldn¡¯t even retort at all. They clearly want to be done with this today. If anybody disagrees, they will be openly going against His Grace and 36 Respected Elder Ming! We really can¡¯t act impulsively. Respected Elder Yu Jing took a deep breath in and swallowed his remaining words. Respected Elder Jing Chen controlled his expression pretty well as he bowed slightly. ¡°Jing Chen greets Princess Consort!¡± Seeing him do this, Respected Elder Yu Jing and Respected Elder Shi Kaiyan could only follow. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort!¡± The surrounding crowd was still stunned at this moment. J-it was set just like that?! Even the respected elders have openly acknowledged this person¡¯s status? So¡ª ¡°Congratulations, His Grace, Princess Consort.¡± A voice suddenly came out from the silent crowd. Lin Zhifei was the one who stood up and bowed first. This voice finally made the crowd react, and almost everyone spoke in unison and bowed respectfully. ¡°Congratulations, His Grace, Princess Consort.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ settled just like this?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu. It seems a tad too simple? Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly as he chuckled lowly and suddenly held her hand. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand had a traditional Cosmic Ring. He gently brushed the surface of it, and that layer on the ring suddenly faded away as a sparkling golden light dazzled. Chu Liuyue then saw that the ring was engraved with the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem! She was dazed slightly before suddenly understanding something in her heart. ¡°The holy ring?!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was standing nearby and saw the ring on her hand at first glance. He couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Upon hearing this, the crowd looked stunned. The holy ring is actually on her hand?! Rong Xiu explained, ¡°The holy ring is a symbol of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace identity, and it¡¯s also an heirloom to be passed onto the princess consorts.¡± Chu Liuyue dazedly said, ¡°So¡­ You gave it to me so early on?¡± Rong Xiu chuckled softly. His eyes were gentle but undeniably distinguished and domineering. ¡°It¡¯ll be yours anyway, so why does it matter if I give it to you earlier or later?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan turned around to leave. Jiang Hetian hurriedly chased after her. ¡°Zhiyuan? Zhiyuan!¡± After chasing a few steps, he suddenly stood still and tured back to glance at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. His expression was extremely complicated¡ªlike it contained anger and some sort of vengeance. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re really devoted to Ms. Shangguan! It turns out that my Fairy Water Mound isn¡¯t good enough for you! I¡¯ll leave right now! In the future, I hope the two of you can receive the clan leader¡¯s blessings and live together until you get old!¡± Who is he using the clan leader to threaten? Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up in a distinguished and cool manner. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this, Master Jiang. Thank you for your blessings.¡± Jiang Hetian was enraged as he whipped his sleeves and directly left. The remaining people from Fairy Water Mound also hurriedly left and bade farewell. Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. Shangguan Yue is the princess consort now. Fairy Water Mound probably won¡¯t let it go so easily¡­ especially when Jiang Zhiyuan was originally the best candidate the clan leader wanted the princess consort to be. There will be more fights later on! However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to care about this as he glanced at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Everyone, you¡¯re dismissed! We¡¯ll settle the wedding date another day, and I hope you¡¯ll come over then.¡± Then, he turned around and gazed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Yue¡¯er, it has been very hard on you during the entire journey. Do you want to go and rest?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and gradually smiled. ¡°Okay, but I haven¡¯t seen Your Highness in a while, and I miss you so. Do you have time to reminisce about the past with me first?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°Whatever you say.¡± Jishen Palace, His Grace¡¯s bedroom. Yu Mo and Yan Qing stood guard outside the palace. After busying themselves for one day and one night, the two of them were already very exhausted. However, they didn¡¯t have any sleepy intentions at all. Instead, they felt extra energized as they focused on guarding. Even though they couldn¡¯t see or hear anything from here, they looked inside from time to time as if they were afraid that something would happen. After waiting for quite some time, Yu Mo finally couldn¡¯t help but nudge Yan Qing. He softly asked, ¡°Hey, why do you think there¡¯s no sound inside after so long?¡± Originally, I thought that Princess Consort would fight with His Highness. After having the truth hidden from them for so long, who wouldn¡¯t be angry? ¡°Could it be that Princess Consort was finally touched by His Highness¡¯s efforts, so¡ª¡± Yan Qing glanced at him silently and with much contempt. ¡°If your brain can¡¯t be used, you can donate it.¡± Yu Mo was immediately displeased. ¡°Why are you scolding me?! Am I not thinking for His Highness and Princess Consort?!¡± Yan Qing turned around to take a look.. ¡°You should eat more vegetarian meals and pray to accumulate good deeds for Master!¡± Chapter 1092 - Trash it Out Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Within the room. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu sat opposite each other inside the room. It was totally silent, and the air seemed to be frozen. There was a strange aura that circulated between the duo. Ever since they came in, the both of them maintained their silence. Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and scrutinized the extremely distinguished His Grace. Rong Xiu held tea in one hand and allowed the newly elected princess consort to check him out repeatedly. In comparison, he was the calmer and more composed one. After a while, Chu Liuyue finally scooted forward, placed her hands on the table, and half-squinted her beautiful eyes with a hint of dangerous intent. ¡°Your Highness, you still have the mood to rest leisurely at this time?¡± You¡¯re still drinking tea?! Rong Xiu sipped on his tea and looked up slowly, his eyes relaxed and carefree. His eyes had smiling intent. ¡°I finally managed to have the princess consort I like the most. I have already restricted myself to the maximum by not celebrating openly for three whole days and nights. Can¡¯t I just drink tea and celebrate?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless, No matter if this man is wearing white or black¡ªPrince Li or His Grace¡ªhe still has a black heart! His skin is still thicker than a city wall! With the opening sentence, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know how to rebut him. She took a deep breath in and kept reciting to herself, He¡¯s my own man. I can¡¯t kill him, I can¡¯t kill him! 1 She leaned against the chair and sneered. ¡°Your Highness, if I didn¡¯t come here myself, how long did you plan to hide this identity of yours from me?¡± Rong Xiu thought carefully for a moment and still chose to defend himself, ¡°When we were at Tianling previously, I did tell you. But I didn¡¯t talk about it in detail, so it shouldn¡¯t be considered as me intentionally hiding it from you, right?¡± It was fine if he didn¡¯t mention this, but once he did, Chu Liuyue¡¯s blood boiled. ¡°That¡¯s considered mentioning it?! Back then, you didn¡¯t say that the clan your mother was in was the top clan in the God Residence Realm¡ªthe Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± This wasn¡¯t an ordinary family background, yet he didn¡¯t mention anything about it from start to end. Rong Xiu kept silent for a moment, and his voice became much more serious. ¡°It wasn¡¯t very appropriate to tell you these things then. Besides, on the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s side, there are still some small troubles that I haven¡¯t settled. Hence, I planned to tell you in detail when you broke through to become a stage-nine warrior. However, I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± He smiled and instantly stole all the color in the world. His gaze was deep as if one could fall into it uncontrollably; one was unable to remove themselves from it. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect you to break through so quickly, and¡­¡± And even that totem has awakened¡ªthis is much faster than I predicted. It should be the God Foreseeing Tribulation she transcended when she broke through to become a stage-seven warrior that triggered all of this. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. Actually, from everything that happened today, she could also tell that Rong Xiu¡¯s situation in the Sky-Cloud Empire was quite perilous. Not mentioning those people from Fairy Water Mound, just those respected elders alone didn¡¯t seem like they were on his side. If 36 Respected Elder Ming wasn¡¯t around to restrain them, perhaps ¡°Tll put this aside first. I want to ask you about something else now, and you must answer me honestly,¡± Chu Liuyue said calmly. Rong Xiu touched his cup as the bitter and slightly spicy tea taste still lingered in his mouth. He then nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue was silent for a moment and instinctively straightened her body.. Looking into the eyes of the man opposite her, she asked carefully, ¡°Who¡­ exactly am I?¡± Chapter 1093 - I have Always been Waiting for You to Return Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was completely silent. Rong Xiu thought for a moment and then gazed at his princess consort. ¡°You¡¯re Shangguan Yue and also Chu Liuyue.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°You clearly know that I¡¯m not asking about this.¡± ¡°But these two are indeed your identities,¡± replied Rong Xiu. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re the one who should know most clearly who you are.¡± Chu Liuyue was stifled, and she paused. ¡°Rong Xiu, I¡¯ve already recalled some matters. You¡¯re the one who played chess with me at the octagonal pavilion. You¡¯re the one who purposely drank my ginger tea. You¡¯re also the one who agreed to live the rest of your life with me.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him, and every word she said was accompanied by scenes from back then in her mind. Most of them were still blurred in bits and pieces, but these few parts were especially clear. ¡°You¡¯ve long known that I¡¯ve lost a portion of my memory, but you¡¯ve never taken the initiative to tell me about it. Also, in the portion that I lost, I remember there¡¯s only you.¡± This was enough to prove too many things. ¡°We clearly already knew each other early on, and I even said I wanted to go back and tell my father about our marriage, but¡­ What happened after that?¡± I don¡¯t remember where exactly we met for the first time or what happened after that agreement, which caused me to go back to the Tianling Dynasty and get engaged with Jiang Yucheng, leading to that whole series of events! I once thought that I liked Jiang Yucheng, but after meeting Rong Xiu, T realized that it wasn¡¯t like. Instead, it was a lack of hatred due to many reasons and considerations. Knowing that Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan had collaborated, she felt more of the anger and pain of being betrayed by her most trusted confidants. Upon deeper thought, I don¡¯t really care that they were secretly together. However, I was enraged and obsessed with revenge after being set up back then. I didn¡¯t realize it before, but now that I recall these incidents¡­ I feel that there are many incidents that are amiss. Since Rong Xiu and I were already together, and I even promised that I would return and tell Father about it, it¡¯s impossible for me to have a marriage agreement with someone else. Did something happen after I returned to Tianling? Rong Xiu stared at her with a deep gaze and sighed lightly¡ªas if elated and also dotingly. ¡°So you¡¯ve already recalled so much.¡± No wonder that totem. He kept quiet for a moment. Then, as if he made a big decision, he said, ¡°We did indeed already meet three years ago.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Three years ago! Now, it has already been a year and a half since my rebirth¡ªtwo and a half years since my death. If we met three years ago¡­ It means that we knew each other at least half a year before I died? As if guessing what Chu Liuyue was thinking about, Rong Xiu smiled and shook his head. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s even longer than what you¡¯re thinking. Later on, you said that you wanted to go back, so we were separated. But a few months later, something happened to you. You also know everything that happened in the end.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears were beating along to the tempo of her pulse, which made her hurt. It was as if an invisible hand suddenly clutched her heart, causing it to be difficult to even breathe! Her throat tightened, and she asked with much difficulty, ¡°So, my rebirth in Country Yao Chen¡­ is also related to you?¡± She luckily managed to get her life back and was coincidentally reborn in Country Yao Chen¡¯s Chu Liuyue. Furthermore, she even met Rong Xiu on that day! There were too many coincidences, which couldn¡¯t help but arouse one¡¯s suspicions. Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu gently rubbed against the teacup. The entire room was silent. Every minute and every second became extremely torturous. Just when Chu Liuyue thought that Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t reply, he finally said, ¡°Yes, I specifically waited for you to come back there.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t the two of them come out yet? I wonder what they¡¯ve been talking about for so long?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming also arrived at Jishen Palace after handling the miscellaneous incidents post-princess consort contest. He saw Yan Qing and Yu Mo guarding the room from afar, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously. ¡°Greetings, 36 Respected Elder Ming,¡± The duo bowed respectfully. 36 Respected Elder Ming waved his hands and raised his chin, unable to conceal the curiosity in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Respected Elder, you also know that Jishen Palace is surrounded by Xuan formations and barriers. If His Highness doesn¡¯t want us to see or hear, he naturally has his ways. We¡¯re also unsure of what exactly is going on inside!¡± replied Yu Mo meticulously as he glanced at the sky that was already turning white. More than half the night had gone past, and it was already daytime. Yet, the people inside didn¡¯t come out, and they also didn¡¯t dare to randomly disturb them. ¡°I¡¯s very tiring for Gir¡ªPrincess Consort to travel all the way here. Perhaps she directly rested inside¡­¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming stroked his beard and appeared to be very understanding. He then saw something from the corner of his eyes and suddenly paused in his actions. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the child that previously came with Princess Consort?¡± he asked as he pointed to a small purple figure sitting on the jade stool far away. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s been staying here since yesterday until now. Speaking of this child, Yu Mo and Yan Qing also felt their heads ache. When His Highness and Princess Consort came back yesterday, this child had been following her the entire way. Later on, Princess Consort said that she wanted to talk to His Highness in private, so she left the child behind. Originally, we specifically arranged a room for him to rest in. But no matter how much we tried to convince him, he was apathetic and directly sat there. We thought that it was nothing much for the child to have a slightly more stubborn temper. At most, we would just send him to the room when he couldn¡¯t hold himself back and fell asleep. Who would¡¯ve known that he could maintain that posture for the entire time until now!? ¡°I¡¯s weird¡­¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming squinted his eyes slightly. That child doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary child. Besides, although he doesn¡¯t have many force waves around him, he has an aura that makes the people around him fear and respect him for some reason. This child¡­ is probably extraordinary. 36 Respected Elder Ming thought for a while before saying, ¡°Just let him do whatever he wants.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He looked back at the tightly shut door. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll come back later then!¡± He turned around and planned to leave. But the moment he took a few steps out, he heard the door opening. Creak. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, why are you looking for me?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s soft and slightly hoarse voice sounded. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness!¡± Yan Qing and Yu Mo hurriedly bowed. 36 Respected Elder Ming turned around to take a look. Rong Xiu was still wearing the same black robe as the day before, and there was a faint patch of black beneath his eyes as if he didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. 36 Respected Elder Ming glanced in, but it was a pity he didn¡¯t see anything. ¡°How is Princess Consort?¡± ¡°She¡¯s asleep now.¡± Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. During this period, she has been constantly traveling around. With her memory gradually returning as well, she does need to rest properly. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming nodded in comfort.. His gaze then turned more serious as he asked lowly, ¡°Your Highness, did you hear of what happened to the academy?¡± Chapter 1094 - Again Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan told me a little about it yesterday.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming knitted his brows. ¡°Then¡­ Do you have any plans, Your Highness?¡± Rong Xiu thought for a while before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s settle the matters here first. The other matters aren¡¯t that urgent.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming knew that he was talking about Chu Liuyue. ¡°The princess consort is already set, then¡­ Your Highness, do you think we should immediately¡ª¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°We probably need to do it slightly later. I know what to do, 36 Respected Elder Ming. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Okay!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming wanted to advise Rong Xiu further, but upon seeing the latter¡¯s determined and nonchalant expression, he didn¡¯t continue. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it for now. When you¡¯re done choosing the date, it¡¯s not too late to go over: Rong Xiu cupped his fists and said seriously, ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve troubled me so much. This is nothing!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming chuckled. ¡°You should let her rest properly during these few days or bring her around the Sky-Cloud Empire to let her familiarize herself with He finally waited until she came. They need to have some alone time. Then, 36 Respected Elder Ming waved his hands, turned around, and left. But the moment he took two steps, he suddenly stopped and walked back to Rong Xiu. He lowered his voice curiously and mysteriously as he asked, ¡°Oh right! When Girlie tested her bloodline talent, did you see the totem on it clearly?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered, and he shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming instantly looked regretful. ¡°That¡¯s a pity¡­ I didn¡¯t see it clearly then, and I thought you could¡­¡± He was very clear about Chu Liuyue¡¯s background. That was also the reason why he was so curious about her shocking bloodline talent! Perhaps there is some secret inside that she herself doesn¡¯t even know. If we had seen the totem clearly, perhaps we could¡¯ve followed the lead to find more clues, eventually the result. It¡¯s a pity. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go first!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming gazed into the room again. ¡°Though she has legitimately become the princess consort, there might be further troubles later on. You¡­ must really take care of her.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. His tone was light but very determined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With me around, I won¡¯t let her suffer.¡± After the contest and Chu Liuyue was selected to be the princess consort, quite a few girls were very envious and jealous of her. However, they knew that even if Rong Xiu had specifically prepared the contest for Chu Liuyue, she did win her position using her own abilities. Even if it happened again, she was probably the one who would win. Hence, after everything ended, most girls felt regretful and disappointed but quickly got over it. Amongst them, there were naturally people who split hairs and couldn¡¯t think it through¡ªJiang Zhiyuan was such a person. After seeing that Chu Liuyue long had the holy ring, she finally couldn¡¯t continue pretending and directly left. From that moment, she understood that everything was unrelated to her from start to end. All these years, she was just thinking too much! At the end of the day, she gained nothing and became the crowd¡¯s laughingstock instead! Her becoming the princess consort had long become a tacit understanding in everyone¡¯s hearts. Without thinking, she also knew how those people would see her! After rushing back to Fairy Water Mound overnight, Jiang Zhiyuan lay in bed and didn¡¯t get up as she had a fever. This made Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart ache increasingly. He really wanted to kill those two people to appease his anger. Jiang Hetian sat by the bed and kept comforting his daughter. ¡°Zhiyuan, it¡¯s really not worth it to be so hurt because of them! In the future, there will be better men for you! Not to mention others, there are already many people who like you in the academy! They might not be weaker than Rong Xiu!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan laughed bitterly. Even so, I didn¡¯t like Rong Xiu for a day or two only. Besides, all these years, I always thought that I would be together with him and become his princess consort. I even imagined how our wedding ceremony would be held countless times. But now¡­ How should I recover from suddenly losing everything in such a short amount of time? However, she still forcefully nodded. ¡°I know. After I get better, I¡¯ll directly return to the academy, Jiang Hetian patted her hands, and harshness flashed across his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This time, Rong Xiu humiliated my Fairy Water Mound, and I will definitely remember this! In the future¡­ I¡¯ll definitely make him repay this hundred-fold!¡± After giving some instructions, 36 Respected Elder Ming left very quickly. After his figure completely disappeared, Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze then averted and saw Dugu Mobao sitting on the jade chair not far away. He walked over with large strides and directly sat opposite him. ¡°You¡¯ve already sat here for a whole night. You should go in and rest.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t move his lips and used his thoughts to communicate with Dugu Mobao. Reaching this cultivation level, it was much more convenient to do many things. Dugu Mobao then turned his head and glanced at him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re done talking?¡± Rong Xiu softly laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve said all that I have to.¡± A faint light quickly flashed across Dugu Mobao¡¯s sinister-like purple eyes, and he scoffed. ¡°That means you only mentioned a portion of it. What¡¯s the difference between that and not saying anything?¡± According to Rong Xiu¡¯s personality, if he really wanted to explain everything, he would¡¯ve done so long ago and would not drag it until now. Without thinking, I also know that he only spoke selectively. As for how much that girl can remember now and when she can remember everything¡­ That is all unknown. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°After all, I did answer some of her doubts and let her heave a sigh of relief. If not, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep here peacefully.¡± It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell her the whole truth, but now isn¡¯t the right time. ¡°You also know that even if I tell her everything now, it¡¯ll only add to her troubles.¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t continue. Of course, he knew what Rong Xiu meant. If he also didn¡¯t think so, he wouldn¡¯t have come to find Rong Xiu and would¡¯ve already told Chu Liuyue everything on the way here. Rong Xiu paused for a moment and then said, ¡°Everything will naturally be clear when she breaks through to the Apotheosis Realm..¡± Chapter 1095 - You’re Too Weak! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue had a very long dream. In the dream, she was in a weird place, knew a bunch of strange people, and did many absurd things. The strangest thing was that she actually dreamed of herself trying to break through to the Apotheosis Realm. Rumble! A lightning bolt struck, and excruciating pain spread all over her entire body! Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes and was wide awake! She breathed heavily, and her heart beat rapidly as hot blood circulated all over her limbs and bones. There seemed to be a few remnants of that painful feeling. Chu Liuyue instinctively looked at her surroundings. She was currently lying in bed and covered with a blanket; she was in good condition. However, the feeling of being overwhelmed by the Heavenly Tribulation in her dream seemed too real as if she had really experienced it before. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and noticed a familiar, faint, and cold fragrance lingering in the air. That is Rong Xiu¡¯s scent. Oh right, I¡¯m currently in Rong Xiu¡¯s bedroom in Jishen Palace. Last night, the two of us talked a lot about the portion of memory I lost and our past. We did know each other long ago, but not in Country Yao Chen or Tianling. It was in the God Residence Realm. Rong Xiu stated that the first time we met and everything that happened later actually occurred within the God Residence Realm. He only knew later that I wasn¡¯t actually from the God Residence Realm but from the Tianling Dynasty outside the realm. Afterward, I got into trouble. Later on, Rong Xiu noticed something amiss and tried his best to allow me to be reborn in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body as he specifically waited for me to wake up. But as I was too harsh and determined before I died and committed suicide by burning my Tianjing Yuan meridian, my soul dissipated after my death. Due to this, he only found a portion of it. That was also the reason why my soul was incomplete and why I lost part of my memories. It has to be the memory between us. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. After a whole night of resting, she finally felt energized. She spent some time digesting everything that happened yesterday and seemed to be much clearer, yet she had many new doubts. This was because she didn¡¯t even know how she went to the God Residence Realm from Tianling. Rong Xiu also didn¡¯t seem to be very clear about this portion. This was because she went back not long after he found out that she was from Tianling, so he didn¡¯t have the time to ask her. Chu Liuyue walked to the table and poured herself a cup of tea. The mist wrapped around it, and the hot air rose. It seemed like it was just brewed. Chu Liuyue paused in her motions, and deep thoughts flashed across her eyes. Actually, she had tried to ask Rong Xiu if he knew about that black pyramid the night before, but the latter seemed like he knew nothing about it. Chu Liuyue always suspected that the man in black was Rong Xiu, but she was doubtful again now. On the one hand, that man in black sealed a portion of my soul. If Rong Xiu really is him, he should be trying his best to find all the parts and recover my memory. On the other hand, there are two very clear figures when I recall my fragmented memories. One is Rong Xiu, and the other is that man in black. But in my knowledge, Rong Xiu and that man are indeed two different people. Rong Xiu also doesn¡¯t seem to know that person. Perhaps I will only know the truth after I recover her memory. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue held her breath and focused. The black pyramid quietly floating in her dantian already had three cracks, and golden light faintly poured out of them. My fragmented memories should have come out from here. If only I could open it¡­ Chu Liuyue gathered her force and prepared to strike it! Creek! The door suddenly opened. Chu Liuyue stopped in her actions and looked over. Rong Xiu walked in. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Why don¡¯t you want to sleep a while longer?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯m done resting.¡± ¡®When Rong Xiu sensed the force circulating in her body, his brows moved slightly. ¡°What were you thinking about just now?¡± ¡°Tm thinking of how to find my previous memories,¡± said Chu Liuyue honestly. For some reason, Rong Xiu felt a part of his body ache. He clenched his fists, brought it to his lips, and coughed. ¡°You can¡¯t rush these things. Anyway, since you¡¯ve already recalled some of it now, you¡¯ll naturally recall everything in the future.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. This can only be the case. ¡°Right now, the most important thing is to elevate your cultivation level quickly.¡± A cold and child-like voice suddenly came from the door. Chu Liuyue looked over and saw a purple figure. ¡°Hm? Big Baby, you¡¯re here too?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s face instantly darkened! Rong Xiu kindly reminded her, ¡°Ahem, we came in together.¡± It was a pity that he was too small and was completely blocked by Rong Xiu¡¯s figure in front, so Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see him at all. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Dugu Mobao said carefully, ¡°From today onward, you¡¯ll play chess with me for four hours every day.¡± ¡°Tdon¡¯t want to!¡± cried Chu Liuyue miserably as she held her head painfully. Four hours didn¡¯t seem too long when playing chess. After all, there were times when a single game could drag on for even longer. But¡­ this was playing with Dugu Mobao! Chu Liuyue recalled the night when she was defeated by Dugu Mobao¡¯s terrifying chess skills. Even to this day, she couldn¡¯t last for 15 minutes! Every time, she would play for a while and would be directly killed! The key was that it was a very miserable kind of death! Four hours¡­ She didn¡¯t even know what shape she would be tortured into! ¡°Other than this, you¡¯ll spend another four hours battling the puppet I¡¯ve made for you.¡± Dugu Mobao squinted his eyes. His eyes that originally looked sinister were currently glowing with a harsh light. ¡°Considering that you¡¯re still a beginner stage-seven warrior, we¡¯ll start from the basics¡ªjust a beginner stage-eight puppet!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched as she struggled to say, ¡°Big Baby, do you have any misunderstandings about beginner stage-seven warriors? I¡¯m a beginner stage-seven warrior, yet you want me to fight a beginner stage-eight warrior. This jump is too¡ª¡± ¡°Then, intermediate stage-eight¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go according to what you say!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s strong survival instincts quickly made a decision. According to my understanding of Dugu Mobao, he will definitely do what he says! As long as I can have a breather, he won¡¯t let it go! Dugu Mobao glanced at her. As if seeing through her intentions, he directly said, ¡°T¡¯ll give you ten days. After ten days, we¡¯ll change to intermediate stage-cight.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°.. Big Baby, I was wrong. I¡ª¡± ¡°This is the Sky-Cloud Empire. The Heaven and Earth Force is very dense here, and it¡¯s enough to increase your cultivation speed. Additionally, you¡¯ve already recovered your Tianjing Yuan meridian, so this should be the case.¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows as he spoke, and his eyes were filled with contempt. ¡°You¡¯ve been stuck as a beginner stage-seven warrior for too long.¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. Chapter 1096 - Princess Consort With An Unknown Background Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios How did it feel to have an extremely strong warrior personally guiding them meticulously? Chu Liuyue finally understood it now¡ªit was a living hell! Previously, she felt that she was hard-working enough during her cultivation. But after meeting Dugu Mobao, she knew that she was especially wrong! According to what he said, the weak should know that they were weak. Anyway, the selection for the princess consort had ended, and everything here had concluded. Hence, she should properly cultivate. Chu Liuyue tried to defend herself. ¡°A-actually, I shouldn¡¯t be that bad, right? Yesterday, I tested an ¡®11¡¯ on that Extreme God Sundial¡­¡± Dugu Mobao seemed to be unaffected as he lazily looked up. ¡°So what? Aren¡¯t you still a mere stage-seven warrior now?¡± Chu Liuyue felt that she was harshly hit again. Suddenly, a thought surfaced in her mind, and she looked up at the duo in front of her. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something I forgot to ask previously. His Highness¡¯s chessboard¡­ seems to be quite similar to Big Baby¡¯s?¡± Dugu Mobao and Rong Xiu fell silent in unison. After a moment, Dugu Mobao said, ¡°Tidy up first. I¡¯l come again 15 minutes later.¡± Then, he turned around and left in small steps with his chest high up. But for some reason, Chu Liuyue felt that his back view seemed guilty for some reason. From the corner of her eye, she looked toward Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu gently said, ¡°Senior is extremely strong, and it¡¯s a rare chance to cultivate with him. Yue¡¯er, you must cherish it properly. I¡­ won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± Then, he also planned to turn around to leave. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly called out to him. ¡°Has everyone in the divisions left?¡± Rong Xiu tured around. ¡°Some have left, and a portion of them are still here.¡± As if guessing what she wanted to ask, Rong Xiu added, ¡°The people from Grotto-Heaven Cliff are still here.¡± Chu Liuyue then relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s good. I previously promised that I would treat Lin Zhifei, and Master Lin and the rest have treated me quite well. I can¡¯t go back on my word.¡± She glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°Can I ask them to stay here for a few days until Lin Zhife¡¯¡¯s health gets better?¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows. ¡°Actually, the Sky-Cloud Empire also has a few heavenly doctors that are very strong.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment but still shook her head. ¡°We already agreed on it back then, so it¡¯s not good for me to go back on my word. Besides, his body¡¯s main problem has been solved. He¡¯ll get better after he recuperates for a few days, and it won¡¯t take too much time or effort.¡± Rong Xiu paused and suddenly moved a step forward. He held her chin with one hand and lowered his head to kiss her. She was sitting down, and he was standing up, so they originally had a height difference. ¡®When he suddenly lowered his body, a great suppression overwhelmed her. Before Chu Liuyue could react, she was already surrounded by his familiar cold fragrance. The next moment, her slightly cold lips swiftly tuned hot. Chu Liuyue instinctively stretched out her hand to hook his neck. She then raised her head slightly and inched forward. Rong Xiu held her waist with one hand as if wanting to push her into him. Her waist was slim, soft, and smooth. Chu Liuyue lightly grunted and turned around him. Rong Xiu¡¯s hand suddenly tightened. Then, Chu Liuyue went near his ear, and she could even see his flushed ear tips. She breathed out gently and lightly whispered to him, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re the cutest when your body is frail.¡± Any man who heard this wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain calmness, let alone in this situation. But just as Rong Xiu was about to take action, Chu Liuyue swiftly removed herself from his arms and gently patted his shoulders at the same time. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s getting late. Your Highness, you should get going.¡± Then, she stood up and planned to leave. Rong Xiu hugged her from behind. Chu Liuyue was considered tall and slim amongst women, but she was still tiny when compared to Rong Xiu. As his steel arm hugged her, she was easily wrapped into his tight embrace. Rong Xiu placed his chin on her shoulders, and his voice was hoarse. ¡°You did it on purpose.¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°It¡¯s good if you know it, Your Highness.¡± Rong Xiu paused for a while and said very regretfully, ¡°We should¡¯ve gotten married earlier.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and tumed around to look at him. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you tell me more about us in the past?¡± Rong Xiu suddenly chuckled softly and pecked her lips before lowering his voice to say, ¡°Yue¡¯er, that¡¯s not how you do pillow talk.¡± His voice was low and melodious with a hint of hoarseness, which caused Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears to turn red. Rong Xiu finally stopped after forcefully getting back half the city. Then, he meticulously reminded her of a few things before leaving. In the blink of an eye, Chu Liuyue was left in the room alone. She turned to look at the door, squinted her eyes, and lightly snorted. You can hide from me once, but not forever. I¡¯ll eventually know everything that I should! Not long after Chu Liuyue tidied up, Dugu Mobao came in once again according to their previous agreement. At this time, Chu Liuyue was already sitting next to the chessboard by the window, clearly waiting for him. Seeing him arrive, Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Big Baby, sit!¡± Dugu Mobao walked over and sat opposite her calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡± said Chu Liuyue. Dugu Mobao¡¯s sleeves moved slightly as he glanced at her rather hesitantly. Chu Liuyue seriously said, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t ask about those things again.¡± Dugu Mobao waved his chubby hand, and countless rays of light flew out, instantly weaving into a chessboard between the duo! ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Dugu Mobao placed a chess piece down first and said formally, ¡°The faster you break through, the stronger you get. With that, the more things you will know. Chu Liuyue nodded and placed a piece down as well. ¡°I know.¡± After Rong Xiu came out of the bedroom, he went straight to the study. It had just been a day, but there were many reports on the table. Without thinking, he also knew that most of them were about Chu Liuyue being chosen to be the princess consort. Of course, as Chu Liuyue was chosen legitimately, they didn¡¯t have any special legitimate reasons to rebut him¡ªapart from her background. Even though Chu Liuyue was already tested to have a result of ¡¯11¡¯ on the Extreme God Sundial, this still wasn¡¯t enough in some people¡¯s eyes. Rong Xiu casually opened and glanced at them before sending them all back, clearly not planning to care about it. Anyway, she¡¯s already been given the position. No matter what they want, they can¡¯t cause much trouble. ¡®When Rong Xiu finished handling the last report, a strong aura suddenly approached from outside. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze flickered, and he looked up. The study door opened wide. The next moment, a figure already appeared at the door! It was Respected Elder Tong Chuan! Rong Xiu laughed, looking nonchalant as he asked, ¡°Elder Tong Chuan, why did you come back so quickly?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face was filled with unconcealable anger.. He walked over with long steps and angrily said, ¡°So you purposely led me away to choose that unknown Shangguan Yue as the princess consort?!¡± Chapter 1097 - Threat Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The smile on Rong Xiu¡¯s face faded away, and there was a hint of frost in his eyes. ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, please mind your words. Yue¡¯er is now the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort. You can¡¯t insult her like that.¡± ¡°Insult?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s stomach was filled with anger. Only the heavens knew how furious he was when he heard of the news and understood the cause and ending of the entire incident. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? She does have an unknown background, right? On the surface, she said she¡¯s from outside the God Residence Realm, but her body clearly has extremely strong bloodline talent! Until now, nobody knows what her true identity is!¡± ¡°Besides, she has two legendary fiends! This doesn¡¯t make sense! Your Highness, do you believe if she says that there¡¯s nothing wrong with her? Anyway, this woman has many suspicious points, and she really can¡¯t bear the responsibility of being the princess consort!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was nonchalant as he leaned against his chair and crossed his arms before him. ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, did you come back today to scold me and my princess consort in front of me?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not because you did things inappropriately, why would I have to do this?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan was enraged. ¡°It¡¯s not only me¡ªalll the other respected elders were also sent out by you using all sorts of reasons! This is just a trap you set up, isn¡¯t it? Your Highness, your doings for this mere woman makes my heart cold!¡± Actually, the incident was very simple. In the beginning, Rong Xiu took their Ming Division¡¯s suggestion and agreed to hold a selection contest for the position of princess consort. He even requested to summon all the divisions over. Whoever heard this would think that he would choose his princess consort legitimately! According to this process, the eventual result would be Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang Zhiyuan being selected without any accidents. If he was willing, he could choose second consorts and mistresses. Hence, nobody¡ªincluding Respected Elder Tong Chuan and the rest¡ªthought too much of it. Even when all the respected elders were sent out before the contest, they didn¡¯t think much of it. Who would¡¯ve expected that Rong Xiu had already planned to choose that Shangguan Yue from the start?! ¡°Fairy Water Mound is the head of the 28 divisions, and they have always been loyal to the Sky-Cloud Empire! Big Missy Jiang is also deeply loved by the clan leader, and she¡¯s the most suitable candidate to be the princess consort! Your Highness, have you ever thought that doing this will humiliate Fairy Water Mound!? Big Missy Jiang is¡ª¡± ¡°Tm selecting my wife, not the clan leader and not you,¡± interrupted Rong Xiu in a seemingly smiling manner, but his eyes had no smiling intent at all. ¡°At the end of the day, Fairy Water Mound is only one of the 28 divisions and should follow all of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s decisions. Since when did they get to decide who my wife should be?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan was stumped. ¡°Even the clan leader never personally admitted in front of the crowd that he would choose Jiang Zhiyuan to be the princess consort. What? If I don¡¯t choose her, is Fairy Water Mound going to rebel?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s every single word and sentence was loud and solemn! When he said the very last word, his eyes were extremely cold! ¡°Besides, it seems¡­ rather inappropriate for you to suddenly barge into my study and question me, right?¡± Tong Chuan¡¯s heart shuddered! As he was too angry and almost overwhelmed by the rage, he rushed over without a care. He almost forgot that the current Rong Xiu was no longer the youngster that anyone could bully back then! Respected Elder Tong Chuan took a deep breath in and said, ¡°Your Highness, if you insist on your ways, we have no choice either. This news will spread very quickly. If the academy side insists on you removing Shangguan Yue as your princess consort, I hope¡­ you¡¯ll be adequately prepared!¡± Chapter 1098 - Strict Big Baby! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this, Respected Elder Tong Chuan.¡± Rong Xiu laughed. ¡°If you really feel so upset about this, why don¡¯t you take time out to go to Fairy Water Mound and comfort Master Jiang and Big Missy Jiang? After all, you¡¯ve always had good relations with them.¡± Tong Chuan¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he panicked. He doubtfully glanced at Rong Xiu. Does Rong Xiu know something? However, Rong Xiu¡¯s elegant and demon-like face only had faint smiling intent. His eyes were very deep, and Tong Chuan couldn¡¯t see anything. This His Grace is getting increasingly cunning and harsh. It¡¯s even harder to grasp his thoughts¡­ Respected Elder Tong Chuan secretly felt that it was tricky as he took a deep breath in and gave himself an out. ¡°Not really. As the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s respected elder, I should maintain distance with all the divisions. Therefore, how can I do that? I came to talk to you today because of you and the entire Sky-Cloud Empire. If I have offended you, Your Highness, I hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡± Rong Xiu seemed not to take this to heart as he slightly smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course. All these years, you¡¯ve done your best for the Sky-Cloud Empire. You¡¯re very loyal to us. Why would I be upset with you over such a small matter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great¡­¡± Tong Chuan¡¯s voice became softer. Rong Xiu looked normal, but Tong Chuan felt increasingly nervous for some reason. After saying two sentences, he hurriedly bade farewell. Staring at his departing back view, Rong Xiu squinted his eyes, and his lips curled up in disappointment. ¡°He really¡­ can¡¯t suffer a hit¡­¡± I just merely talked about it, and he panicked so much. It¡¯s rare for him to be able to be so arrogant in the Sky-Cloud Empire for so many years. When Rong Xiu thought about the academy, his gaze darkened. Then, he penned a letter. Of course, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know about the open fights and internal struggles outside. She was busy playing chess with Dugu Mobao. Crash! Dugu Mobao raised his finger, and a chess piece landed on the chessboard! Chu Liuyue¡ªlost! Bam! The chessboard disappeared! Chu Liuyue rubbed her face. ¡°I lost again.¡± Dugu Mobao looked nonchalant. ¡°You¡¯ve improved a little, but it¡¯s far from enough.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him with grievances. ¡°Making another five moves is also considered as an improvement?¡± In those two hours, she didn¡¯t recall how many times she had lost. After everything ended, her only ¡®improvement¡¯ was that she could make an extra measly five moves. Also, it was only once. Chu Liuyue suddenly asked rather curiously, ¡°Rong Xiu has played chess with you before, right? How many moves can he make under your hands?¡± Dugu Mobao looked up and glanced at her. ¡°More than you.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Needless to say! Of course, I know that Rong Xiu is stronger than me now! Even during the contest the previous day, when Rong Xiu miserly lost half a piece to me, I knew that he hadn¡¯t truly shown his true abilities. After thinking for so long, Chu Liuyue felt very upset for not being able to legitimately beat him once. ¡°Let¡¯s continue!¡± However, Dugu Mobao shook his head. ¡°We should practice the other things. If you want to continue, you can wait for tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue then suddenly recalled that Dugu Mobao had specifically told her to leave four hours to duel with the puppet he produced. She surveyed her surroundings. ¡°It seems rather inappropriate here, right?¡± Dugu Mobao jumped down and walked outside. ¡°Jishen Palace is huge. Where can¡¯t we train?¡± After Chu Liuyue came out, she realized that she had thought too much. Rong Xiu seemed to have already made the arrangements as Yan Qing directly brought them to the arena behind the palace. On the way there, other than the soldiers dressed in black armor, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see anyone else. ¡®When she came up the night before, she didn¡¯t notice it. But now, she realized that Jishen Palace was strictly guarded! All the soldiers that were chosen to stay here were naturally very strong and disciplined. Chu Liuyue noticed that most of them had light or heavy bloody auras¡ªthey had obviously fought their way out of death! Chu Liuyue knew more about the Sky-Cloud Empire now. The top clan in the God Residence Realm indeed couldn¡¯t be underestimated! The arena took up a lot of space, and the floor was made from black marble. One could vaguely see a gigantic Sky-Cloud Empire totem carved in the middle. ¡®The strange thing was that nobody guarded this area. There was nobody else other than the three of them. It was even quieter than outside. Yan Qing explained, ¡°Princess Consort, this is His Highness¡¯s arena. Normally, only His Highness will come here alone. Without His Highness¡¯s permission, nobody else can enter.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Only he uses it! ¡°His Highness previously instructed that the two of you can casually come in and out of this place. You can just let me know whatever you need.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and teased, ¡°Only here? Can I go out of this Jishen Palace?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s icy face cracked, but he quickly returned to normal. ¡°You¡¯re wearing the holy ring on your hand. Your current position in the Sky-Cloud Empire is equivalent to His Grace, so you can naturally go wherever you want.¡± This sounded decent. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed first,¡± said Dugu Mobao. This was said to Yan Qing. Yan Qing respectfully bowed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± Then, he quickly left without hesitation. ¡°It seems like Yan Qing and the rest know you too.¡± Chu Liuyue tured back to glance and saw that Yan Qing had already left with the door shut. Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t answer her and instead raised his chin. ¡°You can go up now.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows, went on her toes, and jumped to the middle of the arena! ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Dugu Mobao flicked his wrist, and a ray of purple light flew out! Bam! ¡®The next moment, a big figure appeared in front of Chu Liuyue! ¡®This was a puppet that was entirely copper. It was made from some unknown material that didn¡¯t look like gold or jade, but it glowed lightly as the sun shone on it. Chu Liuyue had previous experience. She knew that although this puppet seemed stiff, it was actually very agile. Other than it not being able to circulate force, it was no different from a real person! Shua! Purple light flashed across that puppet¡¯s eyes. The next moment, it took action first, going straight for Chu Liuyue! In that one moment, it had already arrived in front of her! Chu Liuyue was stunned. How fast! It¡¯s indeed beginner stage-eight! ¡®The copper puppet hurled a punch out straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Chu Liuyue raised her arm to block it. Bam! ¡®A deep sound of impact was made. Pain spread over! However, Chu Liuyue was much better than expected. ¡°Even though you¡¯re only a beginner stage-seven warrior, you¡¯ve passed the God Foreseeing Tribulation, so your muscle strength and physical abilities have greatly strengthened compared to before. Your true ability is actually that of a peak stage-seven warrior.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice sounded. His gaze then swept across Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t need ten days. Change it to five..¡± Chapter 1099 - Not the Weak or Sick’s Match Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before Chu Liuyue could react, the puppet in front of her approached her again! It swept its long legs and directly kicked at Chu Liuyue! The cold wind attacked them, and Chu Liuyue immediately avoided it! However, the other party was faster¡ªit directly kicked her waist! Chu Liuyue staggered backward but still endured this pain. She took the chance to turn around, harshly grabbed its ankle, and hurled it. Bam! ¡®The tall and heavy puppet fell to the ground heavily! However, it didn¡¯t know pain as it kicked toward Chu Liuyue without hesitation! Chu Liuyue immediately retreated! ¡®The puppet followed her closely! Chu Liuyue was currently not its match and was being beaten and chased by it, so she could only use other small tricks to fight for some chances for herself. ¡®The two of them struggled! From time to time, there were all sorts of impact sounds and falling noises. Dugu Mobao stood at the side with his hands behind his back and watched quietly. There wasn¡¯t much expression on his adorable face; only his eyes stared at the scene closely. The current beating was to ensure that she wouldn¡¯t be beaten up in the future and could still hit others. It was a lie if he said his heart didn¡¯t ache, but¡­ This wasn¡¯t the first time. He had to ensure that she broke through as soon as possible! Four hours passed extremely slowly. ¡®When Chu Liuyue finally had a chance and found the puppet¡¯s loophole to restrict it forcefully, she was already covered in injuries. Without thinking, one also knew that her body was covered with bruises. But luckily, Chu Liuyue could use her force, so her organs weren¡¯t injured. Dugu Mobao nodded and put away the puppet. ¡®We¡¯ll end here today.¡± Chu Liuyue then sighed deeply. Her legs went soft, and she almost fell to the floor. Dugu Mobao glanced at the sky. ¡°Arrange your remaining time yourself.¡± ¡®Then, he turned around to leave. ¡°Big Baby, where are you going?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Dugu Mobao stopped in his tracks. ¡°Cultivate.¡± Chu Liuyue never expected that she would hear this word from Dugu Mobao¡¯s mouth! He was extremely strong, and even 36 Respected Elder Ming and the rest couldn¡¯t sense anything wrong with him. ¡°So you need to cultivate too?!¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Dugu Mobao turned around to glance at her and seemed to be embarrassed. However, he was hesitant with his words and left even more quickly. Of course, I need to continue cultivating! If not, I¡¯ll be stuck in this small body forever! But he really couldn¡¯t say such words to Chu Liuyue, so he directly left without saying anything. Chu Liuyue rubbed her nose. Hm¡­ Although Big Baby is strong, he¡¯s clearly not completely carefree She rested on the spot for a while and sat cross-legged, closing her eyes and arranging her aura. At the same time, she kept replaying the earlier scene of her fighting that puppet. Because this kind of puppet couldn¡¯t use Heaven and Earth Force, it had extremely great physical strength. No matter if it were its strength, agility, or other aspects, it was only stronger and not weaker than real cultivators of the same level. Its moves were also very harsh and precise. Chu Liuyue recalled all the moves once and internalized them in detail. After internalizing it completely, she then widened her eyes. It was already afternoon. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and walked to the door. Yan Qing was waiting. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Where are the people from Grotto-Heaven Cliff?¡± Lin Tianfeng and the rest were still staying in their original accommodation. Previously, Yan Qing had said that they could change to a better place, but Lin Tianfeng politely rejected it. Lin Tianfeng knew very clearly that all the benefits they had received after coming to the Sky-Cloud Empire were due to Chu Liuyue. She might not mind, but Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t think so. If it weren¡¯t because Lin Zhifei¡¯s body hadn¡¯t fully recovered, they might have left a long time ago. Lin Tianfeng¡¯s only request was to see Chu Liuyue and ask her to treat Lin Zhifei. However, he wasn¡¯t very confident. Even though they had a decent relationship with Chu Liuyue before, she was currently the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort. Her status was different from before. Hence, Lin Tianfeng was very uneasy as he kept glancing at the door from time to time, hoping to see that familiar figure again. However, their behavior looked like a joke to the Cold Mountain Gully group that lived together with them. ¡°Hah! Master Lin, you¡¯re super lucky this time!¡± Han Quan stood opposite him and spoke weirdly. Lin Tianfeng ignored him. Han Quan sneered. ¡°We¡¯re already packing our items and preparing to leave. What? Master Lin, are you not planning to leave? That¡¯s true. You finally managed to find a strong backer. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t bear to leave!¡± Han Quan spoke sourly. It was impossible if one said that he wasn¡¯t envious of Lin Tianfeng and the rest. Originally, Grotto-Heaven Cliff was even weaker than their Cold Mountain Gully. But because they coincidentally met Shangguan Yue, their current situation was completely different now! Even though Shangguan Yue¡¯s princess consort position was very contentious, she was still an existence they could only hope for! Who wouldn¡¯t be jealous of Grotto-Heaven Cliff having such a strong backing? ¡°But in my eyes, she¡¯s already the princess consort. Why would she still bother with you? Master Lin, do you really want to stick around here?¡± Lin Tianfeng knitted his brows tightly. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Han Quan crossed his arms and coldly laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. Shangguan Yue is currently in the limelight, but she stole the princess consort position of Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Big Missy Jiang. They won¡¯t take this lying down. Even if they can¡¯t do anything to Shangguan Yue now, do you think they can¡¯t use the people around her to reduce their anger? You¡ª¡± ¡°can¡¯t believe Master Han knows so much about the Sky-Cloud Empire.¡± A clear voice sounded. Han Quan was stunned, while Lin Tianfeng looked elated. ¡°Du¡ªGreetings, Princess Consort!¡± Seeing the incoming person, Lin Tianfeng immediately reacted and bowed respectfully. Chu Liuyue gestured for him to get up. ¡°Master Lin, you don¡¯t have to be polite. I came here to treat Fourth Young Master Lin. I had to deal with some issues previously, so I was delayed for a while.¡± Lin Tianfeng was so emotional that he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Thank you for remembering, Princess Consort! Zhifei is right inside. Please¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly and glanced from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Yan Qing, since Master Han has so many opinions, why don¡¯t we let them stay here for a few days more? When His Highness is free, we can invite him over to listen to his advice.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Han Quan¡¯s face flashed white. He was about to explain, but Chu Liuyue completely disregarded him and left with Lin Tianfeng. On the other end, Rong Xiu came out from the study and went straight to the bedroom. However, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t around. ¡°Where is the princess consort?¡± asked Rong Xiu. Yu Mo lowered his head. ¡°Princess Consort went to treat Fourth Young Master Lin.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. I kind of miss the days when I was weak and sickly.. Chapter 1100 - Agreement Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue followed Lin Tianfeng into the house. Hearing the noise, Lin Zhifei also came out to welcome her. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Lin Zhifei bowed. Even though only a mere day had passed, the woman before him had undergone an earth-shattering change in her status. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°Fourth Young Master Lin, you don¡¯t have to be polite. I previously agreed to treat you, so I naturally won¡¯t go back on my word. Please, sit.¡± Lin Zhifei then sat down. Chu Liuyue took his pulse and thought deeply for a moment. ¡°Your body has already recovered by 60 percent. You¡¯ll be able to recover fully in a few more days.¡± ¡°Thank you, Princess Consort!¡± At the side, Lin Tianfeng couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement and agitation as he spoke with gratitude. In the past, Chu Liuyue definitely helped them to get their help. But her status was so shocking now, yet she was still willing to come. This proved something else. Lin Tianfeng was naturally very touched. Lin Zhifei smiled, and a ripple appeared in his clear eyes. ¡°¡­ Actually, the main part of my illness has been removed, and I can leave the remaining parts to the other heavenly doctors. Princess Consort, you don¡¯t have to be troubled¡ª¡± ¡°Other heavenly doctors?¡± Chu Liuyue let go of his hand and smiled. ¡°Like Elder Lou Ruhai?¡± The room instantly became quiet. Other than the four of them here, there was nobody else in the room. Hence, they didn¡¯t have many concerns. Lin Tianfeng knitted his brows and said, ¡°Previously, he was indeed in the wrong for offending you numerous times¡­ I never expected him to say such words in public at Tongshen Palace.¡± He openly pointed out that Chu Liuyue was from outside the God Residence Realm. Wasn¡¯t this clearly going against her? If Rong Xiu and 36 Respected Elder Ming didn¡¯t protect her to the end and with Chu Liuyue¡¯s own outstanding performance, nobody would know what would happen later on. Chu Liuyue walked to the side and picked up a brush to write a prescription. As she wrote, she said, ¡°Lou Ruhai has nothing against me, yet he targets me to this extent and is very arrogant and bold. Master Lin¡­ don¡¯t you find it weird at all?¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s gaze changed. ¡°Princess Consort, you mean¡­¡± ¡°If he only put me in a difficult spot because I treated Lin Zhifei and did something he couldn¡¯t, won¡¯t he be too petty? However, he¡¯s still a peak ninth-grade heavenly doctor after all. He can just play some small tricks and punish me a little. Why must he cause trouble at Tongshen Palace?¡± Chu Liuyue put down her brush and carefully checked the prescription before passing it to Yan Qing. ¡°Help me get these herbs.¡± Yan Qing took it with both his hands and rapidly left after respectfully acknowledging her. This was the Sky-Cloud Empire, and Chu Liuyue had just become the princess consort. Nobody dared to do anything to her. Hence, Yan Qing wasn¡¯t worried and hurriedly went to pick up the herbs for her. Lin Tianfeng wasn¡® silly and immediately understood what Chu Liuyue meant. ¡°Princess Consort, you mean¡­ Someone secretly instructed Lou Ruhai to do that¡ª¡± Suddenly, his expression changed. The person who could do this definitely was related to them and had such abilities. After much thinking, there was only one person with the highest probability! ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Lu Yu¡¯er?¡± he muttered in much disbelief. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Master Lin, it seems like you¡¯re still clear about what¡¯s going on.¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression was mixed. ¡°H-how can this be? Lou Ruhai has been in my Lin family for many decades, and he¡¯s always been loyal. Yu¡¯er had just come¡­¡± ¡°Fourth Young Master Lin was sick for as long as she was at the Lin family,¡± said Chu Liuyue with deeper meaning. Lin Tianfeng was stunned! ¡°This¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words had too much information! ¡°Could it be¡­ Zhifei¡¯s illness is her¡ª¡± He suddenly turned around to look at Lin Zhifei, but he saw that the latter¡¯s expression was light and nonchalant as if he wasn¡¯t shocked at all. Lin Zhifei clearly knew about it long ago! Lin Tianfeng felt like he was struck by lightning. ¡°Master Lin, don¡¯t misunderstand. Fourth Young Master Lin was indeed born with an illness, and it wasn¡¯t caused by someone after he was born. Of course, the illness he had when he was in his mother¡¯s womb was definitely due to someone,¡± said Chu Liuyue nonchalantly. Her few brief sentences solved the largest secret hidden in the Lin family for many years! Lin Tianfeng¡¯s entire body trembled, and his face was pale, but he could not say anything. ¡°Father, you don¡¯t have to worry. My body is recovering, Previously, I didn¡¯t tell you as I was afraid you¡¯d be more worried,¡± explained Lin Zhifei. ¡°However, you can be rest assured now.¡± Lin Tianfeng took a while to react. ¡°T-then, when Lou Ruhai kept saying that he couldn¡¯t treat your illness¡­ Did he pretend¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a pretense.¡± Lin Zhifei laughed lightly. ¡°He really doesn¡¯t have the capability.¡± If I didn¡¯t meet Chu Liuyue, I wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to make a comeback. I didn¡¯t say it earlier as I had to consider many things. But now, Chu Liuyue is already the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort, and Lou Ruhai purposely caused trouble for himself. It¡¯s good now that I can follow the situation and settle him once and for all. Chu Liuyue took out a pearl. ¡°This item was taken from Fourth Young Master¡¯s body, and it¡¯s the reason for his illness. Lu Yi once personally admitted that his elder sister did it.¡± Lin Tianfeng was stunned, but he had to believe it. This was because Chu Liuyue had no need to lie to him about this. Lu Ywer, her brother, and Lou Ruhai did offend Chu Liuyue, but with her current status and identity¡­ She could easily kill them with one word; she didn¡¯t need to fabricate such lies. ¡°There¡¯s someone behind her?¡± asked Lin Tianfeng after taking a while to react. Chu Liuyue passed the pearl over. ¡°Master Lin, do you recognize the pattern here?¡± Lin Tianfeng meticulously took the pearl over and checked it carefully. After a moment, he knitted his brows and shook his head. ¡°This seems to be the totem of some clan, but¡­ I¡¯ve never seen it before. Could this be the person behind Lu Yu¡¯er?¡± When Lin Tianfeng talked, his voice trembled slightly. It was indeed quite hard for him to accept all of this in such a short amount of time. After all, he always trusted and had doted on Lu Yw¡¯er very much all these years. He even disliked Lin Zhifei a little as he refused to acknowledge Lu Yu¡¯er. Now, it seemed like it was a joke! Chu Liuyue shook her head regretfully. Actually, this result was within her expectations. ¡°Tt seems like we need to continue searching.¡± Lin Zhifei walked forward and took the pearl. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I know what to do. When my body fully recovers, I¡¯ll naturally go and take revenge.¡± Lin Tianfeng¡¯s lips moved slightly, and he sighed deeply as if he had aged a lot in a matter of moments. He then patted his son¡¯s shoulders and boomed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When we go back, I¡¯ll personally settle them. As for Lou Ruhai¡­¡± He had already willingly given up on the word ¡®elder.¡¯ A traitor had no right to be addressed in such a manner! ¡°TIL leave him for you to handle, Princess Consort. Is that okay?¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin and smiled. ¡°Okay..¡± Chapter 1101 - Set Rules! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lou Ruhai¡ªwho was right next door¡ªalso found out that Chu Liuyue was here. He paced back and forth in the room uneasily and anxiously. As a peak ninth-grade heavenly doctor, he would be dearly respected no matter where he went. Hence, he had always been arrogant and didn¡¯t really care about others; he was used to being arrogant. But this time, he knew very clearly that he had stepped on a nail! Ever since the banquet the night before¡ªwhen Chu Liuyue¡¯s status as princess consort was confirmed¡ªhe was dazed. He didn¡¯t even remember how he came back as one sentence kept reverberating throughout his mind. Oh no! It¡¯s all over! It¡¯s fine if I offended others, but it had to be Chu Liuyue! Besides, seeing how His Grace protected her, I know that I¡¯ve completely offended him too! After Lou Ruhai came back, he had always been very uneasy. Originally, he was still hopeful that Chu Liuyue and the rest would be busy with their own matters and wouldn¡¯t care about him. However, she was actually here! Lou Ruhai wanted to immediately rush over and hear exactly what they were discussing. He still didn¡¯t know his own fate at this moment, but it had already been decided amongst a few people¡¯s casual talk. Yan Qing quickly returned. Chu Liuyue directly set up a cauldron in the room and helped him refine medicine. Of course, she didn¡¯t use the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Lin Zhifei¡¯s body had already reached the last stage of recuperation. She didn¡¯t even need to produce a pill and could just make herbal soup. The medicine was done after around an hour. The intense medicinal fragrance filled the room. With one deep whiff, it made one feel much more rejuvenated. Lin Tianfeng¡¯s originally sorrowful and furious feelings miraculously became at ease. Lin Zhifei took the medicine, and his originally pale face became much rosier. Actually, his body was recovering at a pace faster than Chu Liuyue predicted. On the one hand, Lin Zhifei was very talented. On the other hand, the Heaven and Earth Force in the Sky-Cloud Empire was very intense, so it was useful for nursing one¡¯s health and improving one¡¯s cultivation. Chu Liuyue glanced at Lin Tianfeng, ¡°Master Lin, can I bother you to ¡®invite¡¯ Lou Ruhai over?¡± Lin Tianfeng was stunned for a moment before immediately nodding. After he left, Lin Zhifei then gazed at Chu Liuyue. He said calmly, ¡°Thank you. May I know if there¡¯s anything else I can help you with?¡± Lin Zhifei is indeed very smart. I can save a lot of effort when I deal with smart people. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I do have something I need your help with.¡± ¡°Please say it.¡± ¡°Ineed your help to build a transportation formation.¡± Lin Zhifei¡¯s gaze flickered, and the depths of his clear lake-like eyes rippled. ¡°From where to where?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°From Grotto-Heaven Cliff to the Tianling Dynasty.¡± Once she said this, the room fell silent. Lin Zhifei instinctively glanced at Yan Qing at the side. ¡°Yan Qing is His Highness¡¯s man. Don¡¯t worry. Nobody else will know about this,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Anyway, whatever I want to do, Rong Xiu will find out sooner or later. Therefore, I¡¯ll just be open about it. Lin Zhifei¡¯s gaze changed slightly, and he was truly taken aback. ¡°His Grace still doesn¡¯t know about this?¡± ¡°Even if he knows, he¡¯ll pretend that he doesn¡¯t.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and smiled with deep meaning. Her words held an extremely natural and determined confidence. At that moment, Lin Zhifei suddenly understood why she always smiled so brightly and why her eyes dazzled whenever she brought up her ¡®husband.¡¯ This was because she trusted and depended on that man more than ever. Perhaps even she herself didn¡¯t notice this rightful wilfulness. Lin Zhifei paused for a moment. ¡°Logically speaking, the clans within the God Residence Realm aren¡¯t allowed to connect with the outside world secretly, nor can we build a transportation formation¡­¡± ¡°So I came to find you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled cryptically. ¡°If it were someone else, they probably wouldn¡¯t dare. Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be capable enough. But Fourth Young Master Lin, you are both.¡± ¡°Grotto-Heaven Cliff guards a barrier, so you should know clearer than everyone else how to complete this. Besides, you¡¯ll be Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Master sooner or later, so it can be considered as your territory. If you¡¯re willing to help me, it¡¯ll be better than ever.¡± ¡°Ican guarantee that I¡¯ll definitely keep this matter a secret, and I won¡¯t implicate you into any trouble. Fourth Young Master Lin, may I know if you¡¯ll agree?¡± Lin Zhifei was silent for a moment before he laughed helplessly. ¡°You¡¯ve already said so much. How can I reject you?¡± Chu Liuyue saved my life, so I should return the favor with my life as well. Besides, she has no doubts and fully believes that I can complete the matter. This is the biggest affirmation for me. Lin Zhifei knew that he was talented in this aspect, but he had always been ill these few years and never dared to harbor any hope. He could only hide in the dark and help out from time to time. It wasn¡¯t that he had no regrets. Young people were always ambitious; who didn¡¯t want to make a name for themselves? ¡°That¡¯s a deal.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Fourth Young Master Lin, happy cooperation!¡± Lou Ruhai was quickly brought over. In the room, Chu Liuyue and the rest were already back to normal. Nobody could guess what exactly happened during that short period of time. ¡°Elder Lou,¡± greeted Chu Liuyue with a smile. ¡°Why do you seem rather lethargic today? Did you not make a scene to your heart¡¯s content yesterday?¡± Lou Ruhai¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°G-greetings, Princess Consort¡­¡± As he spoke, he gingerly bent his body and bowed. Chu Liuyue sat there and leisurely poured herself a cup of tea without drinking it. Time trickled past. Lou Ruhai continued bending down as he held his hand and felt very uncomfortable. He specialized as a heavenly doctor, and his cultivation level as a warrior was very ordinary. Hence, when Chu Liuyue purposely added some pressure, he couldn¡¯t handle it at all. It was only when his legs started trembling and his face turned red that Chu Liuyue nonchalantly said, ¡°Elder Lou, why are you so polite? I asked you to come over today because I have some things I need to ask you,¡± Chu Liuyue spoke as she looked up and glanced at him. Her black and sharp eyes seemed to be blades that could pierce through everything! ¡°Who is Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s backer?¡± Lou Ruhai was stunned and suddenly looked up. When he met the pair of sharp eyes that had a cold gleam to them, he hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Princess Consort¡­¡± ¡°yan Qing.¡± Chu Liuyue lazily called out. Yan Qing expressionlessly went forward and harshly kicked Lou Ruhai¡¯s kneecap! Kacha! The bone-breaking sound was extremely clear! ¡°Ah!!!¡± Lou Ruhai cried bitterly and kneeled on the floor! He wanted to yell out loud, but he didn¡¯t forget that the other party was no longer someone he could offend. Thus, he could only beg Lin Tianfeng. ¡°Master! Master, save me!¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted him. ¡°Elder Lou, you don¡¯t have to yell. Master Lin has already willingly suggested that I handle you fully.¡± His life and death were completely in her hands! Lou Ruhai¡¯s heart turned cold as he forcefully looked up, and his lips turned pale. ¡°Y-you¡­ Princess Consort, you just ascended to your position, yet you can¡¯t wait to torture and kill the people who barely offended you before. Aren¡¯t you afraid that others will say that you¡¯re petty and ruthless?!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed and clearly said, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I just ascended that I want to set the rules straight!¡± Chapter 1102 - I Have a Few Beds Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone knew that Lou Ruhai had offended her. Even if she let it go, nobody would think that she was magnanimous and would instead just feel that she was cowardly and weak. She could endure someone causing trouble for her and humiliating her in public, but she shouldn¡¯t! If they knew that even someone like Lou Ruhai could escape unscathed from her, many people would cause trouble for her in the future! Chu Liuyue clearly remembered that when she first came, the people from Cold Mountain Gully were still guessing how the people from Fairy Water Mound would deal with her. Even people with that kind of status realized such things, which showed that everyone else thought the same way. Chu Liuyue came from outside the God Residence Realm. Even though her performance was outstanding, and her results on the Extreme God Sundial were even more shocking, she still didn¡¯t have the backing of tremendously strong clans. So what if she was the emperor of the Tianling Dynasty? In the eyes of these people, it wasn¡¯t worth a mention! Hence, she had to let all of them understand that she wasn¡¯t one to be messed with! Other than this, she had another motive in interrogating Lou Ruhai: She wanted to investigate clearly who Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s backer was, in case the enemy was in the dark while she was in the light, and she wouldn¡¯t even know that she was set up. After all, she and Lin Zhifei were already on the same side. If he could really connect Grotto-Heaven Cliff and the Tianling Dynasty using a transportation formation, it would be much more convenient for her to travel. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t only for her! With her current identity, she could naturally go in and out of the God Residence Realm as she wished, but she was also restricted to a great extent. ¡®As His Grace, there were many pairs of eyes on Rong Xiu, so she definitely would be treated similarly in the future. From this aspect, Chu Liuyue hoped that she wouldn¡¯t need to depend on Rong Xiu and that she could build her own strength and forces. This way, she could find another way out for herself. ¡°If you explain it earlier, Elder Lou, you¡¯ll also suffer less, right?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled in comfort. She was clearly smiling, but it unwittingly caused deep horror in others. Lou Ruhai¡¯s gaze was evasive. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ I really¡ª¡± ¡°Yan Qing, help Elder Lou Ruhai jolt his memory and see if he can recall a thing or two.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Yan Qing acknowledged the order and immediately went forward to take action. ¡°No¡­ Ah!¡± Lou Ruhai didn¡¯t even have the chance to struggle or explain himself when Yan Qing directly kicked him out! He harshly slammed against the wall! Yan Qing hurriedly went forward and hit his weakest and most painful spot. In no time, Lou Ruhai gradually turned to begging from his initial resistance. Finally, he was only left with weak and painful moans. A peak ninth-grade heavenly doctor sounded like he had a distinguished status and could attract quite a few strong warriors¡¯ recommendation and pursuits. It was a pity he could only weakly lie on the floor and live by his last breath. Lou Ruhai¡¯s ears whirred, and his head was empty. His entire body was in so much pain that it turned numb. At this point, he then realized that the young woman who was always smiling in front of him really had murderous intent! ¡°L¡­ I¡¯ll say it¡­¡± Lou Ruhai forcefully spat out a few words. Chu Liuyue raised her hand. Yan Qing then stopped. ¡°Say it.¡± Lou Ruhai opened his mouth, and it was filled with blood. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s¡­ S-sen¡­¡± Shoo! Before Lou Ruhai could finish his sentence, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyes flipped over, and his body suddenly went into an intense seizure before he stopped moving. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. Yan Qing was about to take action, but she stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!¡± Yan Qing was stunned. Then, he saw that Lou Ruhai¡¯s corpse actually started to rot rapidly! In the end, he turned into a pool of blood. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s also from that place,¡± muttered Chu Liuyue. ¡°He and Lu Yu¡¯er worked together, but it might not be because he was listening to Lu Yur. It might also be because they have the same master¡­ Master Lin, I have to trouble you to investigate this matter when you go back¡­¡± Lin Tianfeng had a complicated gaze as he nodded. ¡°The other party has such formidable methods, so I¡¯m afraid¡­ Lu Yu¡¯er¡¯s side is also well-prepared.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Chu Liuyue stood up. ¡°The truth will finally be unveiled one day. It¡¯s getting late; I¡¯ll get going first. As for this Lou Ruhai¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll clean this up. Princess Consort, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Lin Zhifei gently. From start to end, he behaved even calmer and was more stable than Lin Tianfeng. This made Chu Liuyue increasingly satisfied as she nodded and brought Yan Qing to leave. When Chu Liuyue returned to Jishen Palace, it was already at night. The moment she walked into the room, she saw a familiar figure¡ªit was Rong Xiu. He was lying on the bed and holding a book in his hand. Hearing the movement, he looked up. Before he could speak, he smelled a light and bitter herbal fragrance. He squinted his eyes and put the book down before putting his fist to his lips and coughing. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve always been in the pink of health. Why are you coughing?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s face looked a little pale. ¡°It¡¯s probably because I didn¡¯t sleep last night, so I feel quite uncomfortable now.¡± Chu Liuyue then recalled that she dazedly fell asleep the night before, and she did have an impression that someone carried her the entire way. He didn¡¯t sleep the entire night? During the day, he did look a little frail. Chu Liuyue then walked over, wanting to take his pulse. ¡°Your Highness, your body had better be weak. If you¡¯re well¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and glared at him with warning, ¡°Your Highness, you can lie to me once, but not a second time.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly as he tumed his wrist and held her hand. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you still angry at me?¡± He was always distinguished, cold, and outstanding, Even if he was smiling, he seemed to be surrounded by a faint layer of distant aura, causing other people to be unable to approach him as if they were terrified that they would anger him. It seemed like they could only admire such a person. But at this point, his voice was low and a little hoarse, different from the gentleness he had when he spoke to her normally. For some reason, it felt like something tickled one¡¯s heart. The candlelight at the side reflected on his handsome appearance. He knitted his brows slightly, and his phoenix eyes were dark as he stared at her deeply with a gentle and helpless gaze, even with¡­ a tinge of grievance. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly softened as if something was overwhelming her in a sour, sweet, and numbing way. A normally domineering man would rarely reveal such an expression, so it was especially touching. Rong Xiu gazed at her and whispered, ¡°Without Yue¡¯er, I haven¡¯t slept well in a long while.¡± The mysterious thing was that Chu Liuyue actually guessed his underlying meaning in one shot. Her gaze flickered as she bent down slightly and went closer to Rong Xiu. The two of them shared each other¡¯s breathing. She held in her laughter and asked, ¡°Your Highness, you want to sleep with me?¡± Rong Xiu held her hand tightly. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡­ you¡¯re agreeing to it?¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to furrow her brows in frustration. ¡°But we haven¡¯t gotten married yet. This doesn¡¯t seem to be very appropriate, right? Besides, there¡¯s only one bed here.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly laughed. ¡°I can sleep on the floor.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression froze, and she clenched her teeth and said, ¡°There¡¯s only one blanket.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s long fingertips caressed her wrist gently. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have quite a few beds..¡± Chapter 1103 - : Sleep on the Floor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t know if she should praise His Grace for having foresight and being skillful and extremely intelligent. He actually prepared this kind of thing beforehand?! But seeing that someone seemed to have self-restraint, Chu Liuyue still cooperated with him and ¡®invited¡¯ him to sleep on the floor. Originally, she didn¡¯t want Rong Xiu to stay here. But considering that there were quite a few soldiers guarding outside, it would be inappropriate for her to chase him out like that. In the end, Chu Liuyue chose to take a step back and allow him to stay. His Grace was very satisfied with this outcome. It¡¯s good to get accustomed to some things beforehand. In the end, the two of them peacefully and harmoniously started their night of not sharing the same bed or pillow. Chu Liuyue was on the bed, and Rong Xiu was on the floor. She was still slightly hesitant at the start, but when she saw that Rong Xiu politely took out two blankets and swiftly prepared one bed, leaving another blanket behind, Chu Liuyue felt that her hesitation was unnecessary. Then, she decisively closed her eyes and planned to sleep. In the dark night, the lights in the room were extinguished one by one. The surroundings darkened. Rong Xiu seemed to have already laid down not far away from her. Actually, this bedroom was very big, and there was a very large space to place the blanket. However, Rong Xiu tried his best to fight for the last bit of compromise. According to what he said, it was already very pitiful that he was forced to separate from his newly elected princess consort. If they were too far apart, he still wouldn¡¯t sleep well. Hence, Chu Liuyue allowed him to sleep right beside the bed, and she also¡­ set up a barrier. It was completely silent as Chu Liuyue lay on the bed, but she couldn¡¯t really sleep. After some time, she finally opened her eyes. The moonlight shone in through the windows. It was as clear as water as it reflected a faint shadow on the ground. Chu Liuyue tilted her hand and glanced at Rong Xiu, who was sleeping not far away. From her side, she could see the latter¡¯s sleeping features very accurately. He slept on his arm, and he curled his leg. Even if the surrounding lights were dim, the moonlight still clearly outlined every perfect line on his face. The anxiety and uneasiness at the bottom of Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly faded away. It was as if she could overcome all obstacles as long as this person was by her side. She blinked and turned around slightly to take a closer look. Even when he was sleeping, he still looked very handsome. It was fine if he didn¡¯t open his eyes. But once he opened them, they were alluring as if they could drag someone down to a bottomless abyss, letting them drown on their own. suddenly, he furrowed his brows as if he had a nightmare. Then, his brows were knitted increasingly tight. A faint layer of coldness covered his body. Chu Liuyue was shocked. Very quickly, she saw a layer of frost forming on the ground! Under the reflection of the moonlight, it shone with a sharp and bone-piercing gleam! ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Chu Liuyue called out to him. However, Rong Xiu just curled his body slightly. That thin layer of blanket seemed rather insignificant on his body. Chu Liuyue sat up. ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s face was buried in the shadows and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other as she dissipated the barrier and walked over. ¡°Rong Xiu, if you continue pretending, I¡¯ll get angry.¡± As Chu Liuyue talked, she finally could see Rong Xiu¡¯s face clearly. ¡®When she saw that his thick lashes were also covered in a layer of frost, she finally realized that something was wrong as she hurriedly lowered her body and touched his face. It was cold to touch! It was so cold that Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body trembled. Rong Xiu seemed to feel something as he clutched her hand and hugged her! His movements were crude and rough, completely different from his usual restraint and gentleness. Chu Liuyue controlled her urge to gasp as she lowered her strength, followed him, and fell into his arms. With a grasp of Rong Xiu¡¯s metal-like arm and pressure from his legs, he easily trapped Chu Liuyue in his embrace. Chu Liuyue felt stuffy. When she finally managed to raise her head after much struggle, she saw his brows relaxing. Then, under her gaze, the frost on his lashes gradually melted away. His originally cold limbs started warming up gradually, and he recovered his original warmth. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see that the frost on the ground nearby had also started disappearing bit by bit. Rong Xiu¡¯s lashes moved. Just when Chu Liuyue thought that he was about to awaken, Rong Xiu changed into a more comfortable position and hugged her. His aura then gradually became softer and deeper. Chu Liuyue was dazed. He¡­ fell asleep?! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he did it on purpose from his series of actions. But when she saw that he was really in a deep slumber, she didn¡¯t have the heart to wake him up. It was probably¡­ because he really didn¡¯t sleep well during this period of time. Chu Liuyue looked at him for a while before she raised her head slightly, inched over, and lightly pecked his lips. Then, she snuggled back into his arms and closed her eyes to sleep. For some reason, she actually fell asleep really quickly. After some time, when she completely fell asleep, the man in the dark gradually opened his eyes. He looked at her with a deep gaze. Even though it wasted some strength¡­ It was still very smart of me to get them to prepare a couple-sized blanket beforehand. The next day, Chu Liuyue woke up on the bed. Rong Xiu had already gone out. She instinctively looked on the ground. Mm, it¡¯s clean and tidy. The blanket had been preciously kept by His Grace. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. I should really ask Rong Xiu if his body is indeed sickly. But before she had the chance to ask, Dugu Mobao came over. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Since you¡¯re awake, let¡¯s play chess.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s head hurt. But when she thought of Rong Xiu, she clenched her teeth and rapidly cleaned herself up before inviting Dugu Mobao over. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± The next few days, Chu Liuyue spent each day in a similar fashion. Every day, she would play chess with Dugu Mobao before going to the arena and battling the puppet for four hours. Then, she would spend some time reflecting and improving her cultivation level. In the middle, she would conveniently treat Lin Zhifei¡¯s illness and refine some medicine. Normally, she could only see Rong Xiu at night. Chu Liuyue could feel that Rong Xiu was very busy. But as for what he was busy with, he didn¡¯t speak, and Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t willingly ask. However, he regularly couldn¡¯t sleep well at night. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t bear to watch him in this manner, so she would end up sleeping with him on the floor every night. Of course, the next morning, she would return to the bed. The five days set by Dugu Mobao quickly passed. ¡®The puppet that Chu Liuyue had to battle with actually became an intermediate stage-eight one! Now, she spent six hours here every day. The results were very obvious after the high-intensity training. Chu Liuyue¡¯s physical strength was elevated quite a bit. Additionally, although she couldn¡¯t rapidly break through in her warrior cultivation, Chu Liuyue still broke through to become a peak eighth-grade Xuan Master. ¡®The ninth stage was right within her grasp! Chapter 1104 - Ling Xiao Academy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios These few days, Lin Zhifei¡¯s health had pretty much recovered. Chu Liuyue just had to go one last time and give him the last dose of medicine before she could leave in ease. As for those people from Cold Mountain Gully, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think much about them. This was because Rong Xiu had already gotten Yan Qing to handle those people before she had even talked to him about it. ¡®When they could finally leave in the end, Chu Liuyue coincidentally met them. Han Quan¡¯s one leg and arm were handicapped, and the remaining few were also handicapped in some ways. It was the type that was hard to recover from. After this time, these few people were basically useless. Not to mention improving in the future, but it was already very hard for them to maintain their current cultivation level. In the Sky-Cloud Empire, there were a total of 28 divisions. Previously, Rong Xiu had already personally eliminated Peerless Palace. Now that another Cold Mountain Gully was ruined, nobody would care much about it. Hence, the people from Cold Mountain Gully didn¡¯t even dare to harbor any hatred as they could only leave in despair. They were afraid that their lives would end right here if they left any later. The situations of Lou Ruhai and Cold Mountain Gully quickly spread around. The crowd partook in heated discussions. At this point, some people finally realized that the newly selected princess consort wasn¡¯t as weak and easily bullied as they thought. With such a mindset and skills, together with her talent¡­ It wouldn¡¯t even be hard for her to stabilize herself in the Sky-Cloud Empire! Chu Liuyue allowed the outsiders to guess whatever they wanted, and she ignored all of them. In the God Residence Realm, the strong were respected. As long as she was sufficiently powerful, she could make all of these people shut up obediently. Other than this, she still had something very important to do. This afternoon, Rong Xiu was free for once, so Chu Liuyue pulled him to play chess with her. After an intense battle, Chu Liuyue still lost. Looking at the collapsed chessboard in front of her, Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. This man has stunning talent and capabilities. It¡¯s hard for me to catch up to him in such a short amount of time. Helpless, Chu Liuyue could only change the topic. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s something I forgot to ask you before. Do you know Jun Jiuging?¡± Rong Xiu paused in his actions and silently looked up at her. Then, he nodded. ¡°Sort of, but not really.¡± ¡°How do you know him?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Logically speaking, they shouldn¡¯t have interacted at all. Also, it seemed like Jun Jiuging understood the Sky-Cloud Empire quite well. According to his identity as Beiming¡¯s crown prince, he shouldn¡¯t have known these things. ¡°He¡­ came to the God Residence Realm before? Or is he originally from the God Residence Realm?¡± Rong Xiu kept silent for a moment before laughing. ¡°He was born in the God Residence Realm, but he was sent back to Beiming a long time ago. However¡­ he has never halted his connections with this side.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. This can explain many things, but why was he sent back? In this world, many people would sacrifice everything to enter the God Residence Realm and make a name for themselves. And Jun Jiuging: ¡°Back then, the family clan he was in had very intense fights. In order to protect his life, the people above sent him away. That family clan also has very good relations with Beiming, so-¡± ¡°Then, he¡¯s not the Beiming Emperor¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Of course not. But because of his unique identity, Jun Qizhi has always treated him like his biological son. Not many people in the Beiming royal family know about this.¡± ¡°But you do.¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. Rong Xiu raised his brows and laughed. ¡°If I don¡¯t even know this sort of thing, I wouldn¡¯t be His Grace.¡± A smile was plastered on his lips. He was just teasing, but it made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tighten. She only had a guess about Rong Xiu¡¯s background, and she would finish talking about it in mere sentences. However, only Rong Xiu himself knew how many hardships and heartaches were behind these simple words. From not being acknowledged by his family clan to being one of the top existences in the family clan¡­ One just had to think to know how much he had experienced! ¡°So it means that Jun Jiuging had also returned to the God Residence Realm in between?¡± ¡°En.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly thought of something, and his expression turned light. Chu Liuyue was in deep thought. Even though Jun Jiuging hasn¡¯t broken through to reach the Apotheosis Realm, with his background, it¡¯s not hard for him to go in and out of the God Residence Realm. Chu Liuyue held her chin with one hand and muttered, ¡°But he was still raised outside at the end of the day. Does his family clan not care at all?¡± ¡°This is all because he has a good mentor,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°His mentor is the aca¡ª¡± Rong Xiu spoke halfway and suddenly stopped. Just as Chu Liuyue wanted to continue asking, they heard knocks from outside. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s an urgent letter.¡± This was Yu Mo¡¯s voice. Rong Xiu stood up and walked over to open the door. Yu Mo respectfully presented it and said, ¡°This is the academy¡ª¡± Before he could finish talking, he was stopped by Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze. From the corner of his eyes, he then noticed that Chu Liuyue was here as well. Yu Mo hurriedly fell silent. However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t open the letter. He turned around and told Chu Liuyue that he suddenly had something to attend to and left. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Aca¡­ Academy? Was Rong Xiu about to say this too? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t think of an answer, so she decisively put this at the back of her mind and went to treat Lin Zhifei for the last time. After meticulous recuperation in the Sky-Cloud Empire for a few days, Lin Zhifei looked much better. He looked like a clear and fragile crystal in the past, but now, he looked much warmer. In addition to his gradually strengthening capabilities, it caused people not to dare underestimate him. Chu Liuyue brewed the last bit of medicine. Lin Zhifei held the medicine, paused for a moment, and finished it. ¡°Thank you.¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue with a very serious expression. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°It was nothing, but I do have to trouble you for the transportation formation.¡± Lin Zhifei nodded and said, ¡°With my current abilities, it¡¯s probably a little hard if I want to complete this on my own. So I was thinking¡­ of finding a way to strengthen myself and then¡ª¡± ¡°A beard lathered is half shaved.¡± Chu Liuyue continued his sentence and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you think this way. However, what specific plans do you have? There probably isn¡¯t anyone in Grotto-Heaven Cliff that can teach you¡­ right?¡± Even if there was, he might not trust them. Lin Zhifei paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I want to go to Ling Xiao Academy first.¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Seeing her reaction, Lin Zhifei thought that she didn¡¯t know of it, so he patiently explained, ¡°Ling Xiao Academy is the top academy in the God Residence Realm. Not one of them, but the best. There are many top warriors there. If I can cultivate there, it¡¯ll definitely be very beneficial to my cultivation, so¡ª Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something and interrupted him.. ¡°Rong Xiu has connections with this academy, right?¡± Chapter 1105 - Wait for You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Of course,¡± said Lin Zhifei in a matter-of-factly manner. ¡°His Grace is one of the most outstanding students in the Ling Xiao Academy. Back then, His Grace was completely in the limelight in the academy. However, His Grace has rarely gone back these few years, so he has become much more low-key. Even so, he¡¯s still a very admirable existence in the Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed. ¡°He¡¯s a student from there? But isn¡¯t he from the Sky-Cloud Empire? Why didn¡¯t he cultivate in the clan, but¡±¡ª Lin Zhifei then understood what Chu Liuyue had mistaken. He smiled slightly and explained, ¡°Princess Consort, it seems like you don¡¯t really understand Ling Xiao Academy. Even though it¡¯s an academy, it definitely has its skills since it can be considered the top academy in the God Residence Realm.¡± ¡°Ling Xiao Academy has its history dating back from millions of years ago. It has a long heritage, and its foundation is deep. Even many aristocratic families might not be able to compare to it. There are many strong warriors in the mainland there who have very rich and rare resources. Hence, other than those itinerant cultivators, there are also many descendants of aristocratic families that all want to enter Ling Xiao Academy to cultivate.¡± ¡°On the one hand, one can obtain Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s systematic guidance and cultivation. On the other hand, Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s students are all over the mainland, and many of them have deep relations with the academy. If you can successfully be a part of the academy, you can definitely expand your connections.¡± ¡°Whichever aspect you look at it, being able to cultivate in Ling Xiao Academy is definitely a dream that many cultivators in the God Residence Realm will have,¡± said Lin Zhifei as he took a deep breath in. There seemed to be ripples in his clear eyes. ¡°It¡¯s also mine.¡± To the previous Lin Zhifei, this was a dream that he could only look at but could not touch. At that time, he had problems even going out, and he would always cough and struggle every time. However, it was different now. He already had a healthy body, so¡­ Ling Xiao Academy wasn¡¯t so untouchable anymore! Chu Liuyue could see his deep desire and expectation toward Ling Xiao Academy, and she felt rather curious. Lin Zhifei is quite nonchalant, and it¡¯s rare to see him care so much about something. He didn¡¯t really seem to care about the position of Grotto-Heaven Cliff Master, but when he brought up this Ling Xiao Academy, his expression was completely different. Is that academy¡­ really so amazing? Chu Liuyue could not help but tease, ¡°It seems like this Ling Xiao Academy is really great. You speak so highly of it, and even I want to go take a look at it now.¡± Lin Zhifei¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up as he straightened his body slightly and said, ¡°It might be possible if you think of it in this way. With the abilities you currently show, you can definitely be accepted.¡± No matter what, she is still a mere stage-seven warrior now. If what she said was really true and that she has no clan or family to depend on in the God Residence Realm, then¡­ Ling Xiao Academy is the best place to go! Chu Liuyue also thought of this. She squinted her eyes and started to ponder it seriously. ¡°Your words do make sense¡­¡± Other than her curiosity toward Rong Xiu, she could also go there to strengthen her cultivation and expand her connections. It was the best of both worlds. Even though the Sky-Cloud Empire was also good, she felt that she was still restricted. Once she thought of the few venerables that kept targeting her and Rong Xiu, Chu Liuyue felt frustrated. It seemed rather inconvenient for her to do whatever she wanted. Here, as the princess consort, her every word and action was constantly being spied on. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue wanted to go check Ling Xiao Academy out! ¡°Til think about this,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she stood up. ¡°As for you, if you want to go, just go ahead. However, don¡¯t forget the agreement between us.¡± Lin Zhifei nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯l definitely do my best to complete the task you¡¯ve assigned me, Princess Consort.¡± After Chu Liuyue returned to the bedroom, she started thinking about Ling Xiao Academy again. Dugu Mobao saw that she seemed rather distracted, so he casually asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Chu Liuyue paused before asking, ¡°Big Baby, have you heard of Ling Xiao Academy before?¡± Dugu Mobao paused in his actions as he silently glanced at her. His pair of sinister-like purple eyes were deep and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it before. Why did you suddenly bring it up?¡± ¡°Lwant to go and take a look at it.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hide her plans from Dugu Mobao. ¡°I heard that if one can enter, it would be greatly beneficial to their cultivation.¡± Dugu Mobao was expressionless. ¡°Do you feel that I¡¯m not enough to guide you?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him. She naturally knew what an honor it was to have such a legendary warrior teach her personally! However, the academy and an individual were different. ¡°Ljust feel that it¡¯s beneficial if I go to the academy. Since it could stay in the God Residence Realm for tens of thousands of years, it must be a very extraordinary existence¡­ And¡­¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. ¡°And I just feel that I¡¯m rather familiar with that place.¡± Dugu Mobao looked down. Then, he said, ¡°Up to you.¡± Afterward, he suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°What did Rong Xiu say?¡± Chu Liuyue waved her hand in response. ¡°I have no plans of telling him this.¡± Dugu Mobao looked up strangely. However, Chu Liuyue blinked and looked normal as if she didn¡¯t realize how strange her actions were. She had an instinct that Rong Xiu seemed to be intentionally hiding something from her regarding Ling Xiao Academy. The more he did so, the more she wanted to take a look for herself. Dugu Mobao kept quiet for a moment. ¡°Quite a few people already know that you¡¯re the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort. Many of them have also seen your face. As long as one goes to ask around, they¡¯ll know about you. You¡ª¡± ¡°Who says that I¡¯m going with this face?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. Dugu Mobao instantly understood. ¡°You¡¯ve already made up your mind?¡± ¡°En.¡± Chu Liuyue looked much more serious. ¡°Other than the reasons I told you earlier, there¡¯s also something else. Jun Jiuging seems to have a mentor there. My father is still in Jun Jiuging¡¯s hands, and I still don¡¯t know where he is being locked up. Perhaps¡­ this could be a way.¡± Actually, this was the most decisive factor. At this point, Dugu Mobao finally nodded. ¡°However¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sized Big Baby up rather hesitantly. ¡°Big Baby, your appearance is too obvious. Why don¡¯t I find you a mask too¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about this.¡± Dugu Mobao closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll hide my identity on the way there. After we reach the academy¡­ nobody will notice anything wrong.¡± Rong Xiu came back at night. Just as Chu Liuyue was hesitating on what excuse to find, Rong Xiu spoke first. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I suddenly have to go out for a while due to some matters. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t stay behind and accompany you for now.¡± In actual fact, that side had already chased him for a long time. He really couldn¡¯t delay it any longer, so he said this. Chu Liuyue almost instantly guessed that it should be related to Ling Xiao Academy. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll focus on my cultivation during this period of time. I¡¯ll wait for you..¡± Chapter 1106 - Telepathy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rong Xiu gently kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to investigate the incident regarding Lord Chu Ning. There should be some clues after a while.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed, and warmth filled her heart. Then, she nodded slightly. That night, Rong Xiu finally could keep his blanket and lay on the bed. The two of them hugged each other and slept. The next morning, Rong Xiu went on his way and conveniently left Yu Mo to specifically take care of Chu Liuyue. The moment he left, a few venerables requested to see her afterward. Chu Liuyue told Yu Mo to reject all of them and announced to the public that she was going into seclusion. As the princess consort, Chu Liuyue currently stayed at Jishen Palace. Other than the clan leader and His Grace, nobody else could casually come up to this place. Of course, Chu Liuyue could now do so as well. Hence, these venerables couldn¡¯t see her no matter what as long as she refused. Thus, Chu Liuyue stayed in her bedroom and started her ¡®seclusion,¡¯ while Yu Mo waited outside patiently. It was an extremely troublesome matter to leave the Sky-Cloud Empire silently. This was because one had to pass through the transportation formations that connected to the outside world if they wanted to leave this place. However, this didn¡¯t matter to Chu Liuyue. This was because she had the Holy Ring! Hence, she could easily open the transportation formation specifically used in Jishen Palace! Additionally, she told Dugu Mobao to help her leave her aura behind, which was inserted into a puppet that would be disguised as her. With the barrier in the way, as long as Yu Mo didn¡¯t barge in on his own, nobody would discover it. Even if he did notice something was amiss, Chu Liuyue would be far away by then. Hence, Chu Liuyue silently left the Sky-Cloud Empire and went toward Ling Xiao Academy! Ling Xiao Academy was very far away from the Sky-Cloud Empire. Additionally, as Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t dare to directly use the transportation formation from Sky-Cloud Empire to go over, she purposely took a longer route in the middle and wasted even more time. But luckily, with Dugu Mobao around, their journey was rather smooth. After spending five days in such a manner, Chu Liuyue and Dugu Mobao finally reached Fangzhou. Fangzhou was the nearest city to Ling Xiao Academy. Everyone who wanted to enter Ling Xiao Academy had to pass by here. After exiting the transportation formation, Chu Liuyue sighed deeply and looked at the city not far away. ¡°Fangzhou¡­ really lives up to its name!¡± Below the blueish-purple sky, an ancient city sat on the vast ground. The gigantic grayish-white stones were huge and oppressive! Behind it was a huge silver curtain. Rumors had it that Ling Xiao Academy was right behind it! ¡°There¡¯s a barrier formed by holy force outside Ling Xiao Academy. Anyone who wants to enter must obtain the pass at Fangzhou,¡± explained Dugu Mobao. Chu Liuyue nodded. At this point, the duo had already meticulously disguised themselves. Chu Liuyue was wearing a long, watercolor-blue sleeved shirt with a white pendant around her waist. She wore a crown and stood upright, looking very handsome. At first glance, she looked like she was the young master from an aristocratic family. She wasn¡¯t ostentatious, but she wouldn¡¯t be looked down upon either. At the side, Dugu Mobao had already changed into black hair and black eyes that looked like hers. His appearance was rather different from before¡ªfrom absolutely adorable and cute, he became a normal kind of cute. In the past, his face could stimulate all the females¡¯ motherly love when he walked on the road. But now, he seemed to mind this matter very much, so he purposely disguised himself. Other than his gaze that was as cold and nonchalant as usual, he was completely different from before! As long as people who met him didn¡¯t take a closer look, they wouldn¡¯t be able to spot any abnormalities. ¡°Pass¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue. Before she came, Dugu Mobao had already brought this up. Ling Xiao Academy was highly guarded, and anyone going in and out of the place had to have a pass. ¡®There were only two ways to obtain the pass. One, they had to be related to someone inside the academy. Two, they had to find the Ling Xiao Academy teachers stationed at Fangzhou and pass their test to become part of the academy. ¡®The first method was relatively simpler, but it also had a disadvantage: their entry time was limited. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t expose her identity, so she naturally chose the second method. Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t recruit students at a fixed time. As long as one was outstanding enough, they could come whenever they wanted. Hence, within the God Residence Realm, there would be people rushing over from all walks of life almost every day, trying their best to enter Ling Xiao Academy. Some of them directly stayed at Fangzhou and kept trying as they cultivated. This was also one of the reasons why Fangzhou was so lively. However, only a few of them could succeed in the end. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. However, Dugu Mobao shook his head. ¡°After we enter Fangzhou, I won¡¯t be traveling with you.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Dugu Mobao paused and explained for once when he saw her confused expression. ¡°I have a few people I know here. I¡¯ll go meet them and wait for you in Ling Xiao Academy afterward.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. At this point, she suddenly realized that she had missed out on something the entire time. ¡°¡­So you can actually enter and leave Ling Xiao Academy directly?!¡± Dugu Mobao raised his brows. ¡°Is that very strange?¡± His tone was too righteous with a nonchalant arrogance, which caused Chu Liuyue to doubt herself. After some careful thinking, Chu Liuyue felt that her questions didn¡¯t have much meaning. Dugu Mobao was very formidable, so it was nothing surprising that he could do this. She coughed. ¡°N-not at all¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me wait for too long.¡± After throwing this sentence behind, the air vibrated, and Dugu Mobao flashed across, directly disappearing before Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue was speechless. How decisive Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. Actually, there were at least ten transportation formations here. But luckily, they were in rather quiet corners without many people around, so nobody noticed them. She focused her gaze and walked forward! The further she walked, the more Chu Liuyue discovered that Fangzhou was different from other ordinary cities. There was nobody guarding the entrance at all. There wasn¡¯t even a door! Grayish-white stones gathered and formed walls at the side with a big and spacious hole in the middle. There was consistent damage at the side as if someone had used a sword to chop at it. It seemed like it was very¡­ casual. Many people came to and fro this area. To be more accurate, most of them were entering, and only a small number of them were leaving. Also, most people who were entering the area had faces filled with excitement and expectancy. Those leaving mostly had faces of despair and disappointment, and their eyes were filled with unconcealable regret. It was obvious that these people were cultivators that had given up enrolling into Ling Xiao Academy. Chu Liuyue walked in. But the moment she raised her leg and entered the hole, a strange sensation suddenly traveled out of the water droplet in her body! A strangely familiar feeling overwhelmed her! Chapter 1107 - That Troublemaker is Here Again! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! But this ripple lasted for only one moment. Before Chu Liuyue could react, everything had ended! If it weren¡¯t because Chu Liuyue could still feel the force in her dantian circulating, she would¡¯ve thought that it was just an illusion. ¡°Hey! Are you going in? If you¡¯re not, hurriedly make way. Don¡¯t stand in our way!¡± An arrogant holler came from behind. Chu Liuyue tured and glanced. It was three youngsters¡ªone female and two males. They seemed like they were in their early twenties. They all wore lavish clothes, and their appearances were above average. They had an elegant aura throughout. They were clearly descendants of aristocratic families. The person talking was the skinny and tall person within. At the side, that woman said strangely, ¡°Brother Sheng, have you forgotten what the clan leader told you when we left? You must remember to be more discreet when we¡¯re out.¡± The tall and skinny one seemed to heed her advice very well as he scratched his head and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just scared that we¡¯ll be delayed, right? After all, Fourth Brother and the rest have been waiting for us in the academy for a very long time!¡± That woman smiled and said rather embarrassingly, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s all my fault. If it weren¡¯t because I cultivated too slowly and only broke through to become a stage-nine warrior now, you two wouldn¡¯t have to wait for me until this moment.¡± The two youngsters hurriedly shook their heads. ¡°You¡¯re just a little young, but you definitely have amazing talent! When you enter Ling Xiao Academy later on, you can definitely break through rapidly to reach the Apotheosis Realm and become a legendary warrior!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly as she sensibly took a step back and made way for them. The few of them brushed past each other¡¯s shoulders. That woman nodded slightly toward Chu Liuyue to express her apology. Chu Liuyue suddenly yelled, ¡°Please hold on.¡± That woman¡ªwho had already turned around and walked forward¡ªturned back to look at her when she heard this. ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue cupped her fists and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to ask the few of you.¡± The face she had on now wasn¡¯t considered demonic-like handsome, but she was still rather good-looking, In addition to her pair of clear eyes, it was easy to cause one to have a good impression of her. She smiled slightly, and her eyes curved up a little in a dazzling manner, seemingly able to attract other people¡¯s gazes automatically. For some reason, that woman¡¯s cheeks became slightly warm. ¡°Young Master, go ahead.¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°The students that Ling Xiao Academy recruits have to at least be stage-nine warriors?¡± Once she said this, Chu Liuyue saw that the few people¡¯s faces became strange in unison. They looked at her as if they were looking at something weird. ¡°Which hole did you come out from? You don¡¯t even know this?¡± The youngster who hollered at the start couldn¡¯t help but speak. Originally, he wanted to say more, but the woman at the side glared at him. ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not the case,¡± explained that woman gently. ¡°Normally, cultivators who become stage-nine warriors before they¡¯re 25 will have the right to enter Ling Xiao Academy. But if one is exceptionally talented, there is a chance that they¡¯ll make an exception. The eventual results depend on the academy¡¯s teachers and elders.¡± Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a moment. ¡°Then¡­ do they have the same requests for heavenly doctors and Xuan Masters?¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± That woman couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Of course not. For these two, they just require the candidate to reach the eighth-grade before they¡¯re 25.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. ¡°Thank you, Missy.¡± That woman smiled slightly and nodded. She didn¡¯t take the initiative to report her name, nor did she ask about Chu Liuyue¡¯s as she quickly left with the two youngsters. In Fangzhou, there were countless people who tried to enter Ling Xiao Academy every day, but only a few of them could make it. If they had to exchange pleasantries and names every time they causally saw a person, it would be too tiring and unnecessary. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it either. After seeing the few of them leave, she kept quiet and walked inside. This time, her dantian was completely calm. The moment Chu Liuyue entered the city, a white-haired elder suddenly jumped up from his bed in an isolated courtyard. He surveyed his surroundings in a panic as if he were afraid of something and hurriedly rushed out! At this point, there was a long queue outside the courtyard¡¯s entrance. Most of the people standing here were young men and women. Their faces were filled with unconcealable excitement and expectations as they kept glancing at the elder in white sitting on a chair at the front from time to time. There was a table in front of him, and the table had three booklets. Different-colored stones were placed in front of the booklets. At this moment, a youngster placed his hand on the middle white crystal and gathered all his focus to insert his force! His face flushed red, and it could be seen that he was trying his best. The people behind didn¡¯t speak at all as they clearly all became nervous. The reason why they behaved in such a manner was that this test was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s examination! The ordinary-looking elder sitting behind was one of the Ling Xiao Academy teachers stationed at Fangzhou¡ªElder Wen Xi. The surroundings were completely silent. Elder Wen Xi squinted his eyes and looked like he was about to fall asleep at any time. A moment later, a line of words appeared on the white crystal: ¡°23 years old. Peak stage-cight.¡± Elder Wen Xi glanced at it and closed his eyes. ¡°Out. Next.¡± That youngster¡¯s face immediately flashed white from its initial red! But at this moment, Elder Wen Xi suddenly widened his eyes! He suddenly stood up and looked toward the city gate in shock. At the same time, another elder rushed out from the courtyard. The two of them exchanged glances and could see each other¡¯s gazes. Elder Wen Xi¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched as he said with a trembling voice, ¡°T-that troublemaker is here again?!¡± Chapter 1108 - There’s No Use Escaping Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder Hua Feng anxiously said, ¡°U-uh¡­ I¡¯ll find a place to hide first. I¡¯ll leave this place to you!¡± Then, he turned around and wanted to run away. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Elder Wen Xi pulled him back and clenched his teeth. ¡°If you¡¯re going to leave just like that, what should I do?!¡± ¡°Who told you to be on duty today?!¡± Elder Hua Feng swiftly retorted as he glanced at the sky. ¡°Look, there¡¯s still another hour before the shift changes! Of course, I have to leave everything to you! I won¡¯t talk anymore; I¡¯ll leave first!¡± Then, Elder Hua Feng hurriedly struggled free from Elder Wen Xi¡¯s grasp as he found a direction and was about to escape. Elder Wen Xi was so angry that his teeth were itchy. He moved his legs and was about to directly chase him as he yelled, ¡°You old fogey! Why are you so scared of her?!¡± ¡°E*ck! If you¡¯re not scared, why are you chasing me?!¡± retorted Elder Hua Feng. Elder Wen Xi was stumped, and he felt stifled. Suddenly, his expression changed. ¡°That¡¯s not right. That troublemaker hasn¡¯t returned in years, so why would she suddenly appear now?¡± Elder Hua Feng was also dazed as he looked up and surveyed his surroundings. ¡°There really does seem to be something amiss. It has already been so long, but why hasn¡¯t she looked for us yet?¡± According to our old ¡®rules,¡¯ she should¡¯ve already appeared by now. ¡®The duo exchanged discreet glances. ¡°Is it an illusion? That aura¡­ isn¡¯t her?¡± said Elder Wen Xi with his brows knitted. ¡°Impossible!¡± Elder Hua Feng immediately denied it. ¡°It must be her! It¡¯s definitely her!¡± In this world, only that person¡¯s arrival could shock him awake from his sleep! He had no other choice; he was used to it, and it even became an instinct. The many cultivators still queueing up to be tested saw the duo discussing from afar and had confused expressions. W-what¡¯s going on? Who is the person these two elders are talking about? Both of them are Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s elders. In this Fangzhou, who else can cause them to have such a reaction? The crowd didn¡¯t dare to ask further, and they could only wait silently. After being stared at by these people¡¯s weird gazes, the Elder Wen Xi-Elder Hua Feng duo finally realized that they had lost their composure. Ahem!¡± Elder Wen Xi forcefully coughed as he glanced at Elder Hua Feng. He then lowered his voice. ¡°Why are you causing a scene?! It¡¯s so humiliating in front of so many kids!¡± Elder Hua Feng looked conflicted. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about being humiliated? It¡¯s scary if you lose your life!¡± Elder Wen Xi was speechless. He sighed deeply and finally found a bit of his rationality. ¡°If she really comes back, what¡¯s the use of hiding?! We¡¯ll just wait here. What can she do to us?!¡± Elder Hua Feng glanced at him in doubt and anger. Elder Wen Xi guiltily rubbed his nose. ¡°Give me some face! If you just run away now, don¡¯t you still have to come back for your shift an hour later?! There¡¯s not much use in us running, That troublemaker is more familiar with Fangzhou than we are! Where can you hide?! Why don¡¯t we just wait for her and do whatever we should do?!¡± Elder Hua Feng was uneasy. After hearing how hard his colleague tried to convince him, he was finally a little tempted. ¡°Then, you¡¯re not allowed to run when she comes over later!¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± For safety reasons, the duo discussed and decided to take action together, preventing them from being left alone. Hence, the duo sat behind the table in unison. ¡°Ahem, continue!¡± Elder Wen Xi braved himself and yelled. However, he did not dare to yell too loudly. He was afraid he would attract the troublemaker. Even though the young men and women were confused, they still obediently went forward when they heard this and continued on with the test. However, both the two elders in charge of testing seemed rather distracted. From time to time, they would glance at their surroundings as if they were searching for someone or waiting for someone. However, their facial expressions weren¡¯t ones of elation or expectation. Time trickled past. The two of them gradually felt more at ease. Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s really fine? If not, it¡¯s quite weird that she hasn¡¯t shown herself in such a long while. Elder Wen Xi was even slightly comforted. Perhaps she went to find other people? ¡°That¡¯s strange. What day is it today? Why are there two elders stationed to test us?¡± Seeing the long queue, Luo Shishi widened her pretty eyes slightly, and shock flashed across her face. ¡°Perhaps they knew that we were coming today?¡± Zhuo Sheng chuckled. ¡°The news of us coming over has been kept a secret. Besides, who are these two elders? We¡¯re just small characters, so why would they trouble themselves over us?¡± Luo Shishi shook her in rebuttal. ¡°Perhaps the two elders have other arrangements, but it¡¯s not something that we can ask anyway. We should hurry up!¡± At the side, Luo Yanming spoke with a smile. Then, the few of them went forward and joined the back of the queue. Chu Liuyue looked at them from afar, but she didn¡¯t follow them. From her position, she couldn¡¯t see the two elders. But judging from the long queue and the hushed discussions of the surrounding people, she could guess that it was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s testing area. That place should also be the only location where she could obtain a pass. However, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t in a hurry to go over. After confirming the location, she walked around the city rather leisurely. Every street here was very spacious and broad¡ªit was very lively. Just by walking on the streets, she could clearly feel the strong auras. Even if she couldn¡¯t identify what cultivation level they were at, she could guess a thing or two from Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s enrollment requirements. Someone who became a stage-nine warrior before the age of 25¡­ was definitely a top talent! However, this was just an entry requirement here. Chu Liuyue deeply felt the words Dugu Mobao had spoken earlier: Here, the current her was indeed too weak! Actually, the speed of Chu Liuyue breaking through was already very high. After all, she was reborn into the body of a good-for-nothing with her Yuan meridian broken. Her actual cultivation time was only these two years. If not for the treasures and fates that she managed to receive, it would be hard for her to even reach her current standard. But in a world where the strong were respected, everyone only cared about the results and not the process. Chu Liuyue casually walked along the streets. Fangzhou was very big and lively. As Ling Xiao Academy was behind the city, the people who came here were very disciplined. Other than this, there were many businessmen who sold anything and everything¡ªpills, Yuan instruments, herbs, Xuan formations There was a large market here for almost everything related to cultivation. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to pick a few items, but nothing caught her eye. Chu Liuyue shopped around in this manner for a while before she tuned around to where Luo Shishi and the rest were earlier. At this time, the long queue had shortened by quite a bit. She saw that it was about to be Luo Shishi and the others¡¯ tun. Chu Liuyue walked over. There were a few people between them, and she stood at the end of the queue. Elder Hua Feng suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he alertly looked in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction! Chapter 1109 - Which Yue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡®When she discovered that one of the elders was looking at her, Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and smiled slightly. At this moment, she looked young and handsome. With such a smile, she exhibited the innocent and harmless vibe of a young master. In addition to her respectful and well-mannered expression, it made people like her genuinely. ¡®When he saw that it wasn¡¯t the face in his memory, Elder Hua Feng instinctively heaved a sigh of relief. But for some reason, he felt that this youngster looked rather familiar. At the side, Elder Wen Xi also followed his sight and looked over. Coincidentally, the people in front blocked her, and the duo couldn¡¯t see her very clearly. Chu Liuyue had already looked down. At this time, it was Zhuo Sheng¡¯s turn to take the test. ¡°Greetings, elders. I am Zhuo Sheng, and I want to take the warrior¡¯s test.¡± Elder Wen Xi retracted his gaze and glanced at the youngster. His eyes lit up, and he raised his chin. ¡°Just act according to what it says.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zhuo Sheng tried his best to hide his nervousness and expectations as he placed his hand on the white crystal in front of him! The next moment, a line gradually appeared: ¡°23 years-old, beginner stage-nine warrior!¡± The surroundings fell silent. This met the entry requirement for Ling Xiao Academy, and he was already considered one of the more outstanding ones! One had to know that the earlier one broke through to become a stage-nine warrior, the more resources they would get after they entered the academy! As expected, Elder Wen Xi revealed a smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± Then, he flipped his palm and produced a black jade plaque. This jade plaque was entirely black, and it was engraved with a golden pattern¡ªit was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s logo and also their totem! ¡°Inject a wave of your force into it to activate the pass. Then, you¡¯ll officially be the academy¡¯s student,¡± said Elder Wen Xi with a smile. Many people in Fangzhou tried to enter Ling Xiao Academy every day, but very few of them could actually succeed. Sometimes, there might not be one in a month. Originally, Elder Wenxi thought that he wouldn¡¯t have much of a result today, but he didn¡¯t expect one to appear when his shift was about to end! And¡­ there might be more than one! The two people that accompanied Zhuo Sheng seemed rather decent! Zhuo Sheng meticulously injected a wave of his force. The academy¡¯s totem suddenly flashed across the black jade plaque! Then, the two words ¡®Zhuo Sheng¡¯ appeared below it! ¡°Great! From today onward, you¡¯re the academy¡¯s student!¡± Elder Wen Xi laughed out loud. Once he said this, the surrounding crowd looked over enviously. Zhuo Sheng looked at the black jade plaque in his hands. He was so happy that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth. Even though he had already long expected this outcome when he came, it was still hard to conceal his emotions when it actually became true! ¡°Wait at the side first. When this ends, you can go back with me,¡± said Elder Wen Xi with a smile. ¡°Next!¡± This time, the person who went forward was Luo Yanming. ¡°Greetings, elders. I am Luo Yanming, and I want to take the Xuan Master¡¯s test.¡± Elder Hua Feng suddenly interrupted: ¡°Luo family? Do you know Luo Yanlin?¡± Luo Yanming said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s my brother.¡± ¡°No wonder!¡± Elder Hua Feng also smiled. ¡°I was just saying that you two look quite alike. That fella is very outstanding. I believe the few of you are also the same, right?! Quickly, test and check!¡± Luo Yanming acknowledged it and placed his hand on the black crystal at the side. Very quickly, a line of words gradually appeared on it: ¡°23 years-old, ninth-grade Xuan Master!¡± Gasps could be heard from the crowd! He¡¯s only 23 years old, but he¡¯s actually a ninth-grade Xuan Master?! He is indeed an extremely outstanding talent! ¡°Haha! My taste won¡¯t be wrong!¡± Elder Hua Feng smiled pleasantly at Elder Wen Xi. ¡°This kid is like his brother. They both have excellent talent in this area!¡± The reason why he was happy was that he was also a Xuan Master, while Elder Wen Xi was a warrior. Both of the talents were 23 years old, but a ninth-grade Xuan Master was stronger than a stage-nine warrior! Elder Wen Xi didn¡¯t calculate this against him as he chuckled. Anyway, he came when I was on duty, so this result will be mine! And that lady¡ªcome over!¡± Facing Luo Shishi, Elder Hua Feng and Elder Wen Xi had more harmonious attitudes. Luo Shishi stepped forward and respectfully bowed. ¡°Greetings, elders. I am Luo Shishi. I want to be tested as a warrior.¡± Elder Wen Xi chuckled. ¡°Sure!¡± Luo Shishi smiled and placed her hand on the white crystal. Amoment later, a line of words appeared: ¡°20 years old, stage-nine warrior!¡± The crowd instantly fell silent! The two elders¡¯ expressions changed slightly, and surprise appeared in their eyes! A 20-year-old stage-nine warrior! In this academy, she was one of the top! Elder Wen Xi was elated. There are so many surprises today! Others might not even be able to find a passable one after waiting for a month, yet three of them came in one go today! He even felt that his heart¡ªwhich was hurt because he suspected the troublemaker had appeared¡ªwas comforted! ¡°The Luo family indeed is a gathering of talents! All of the younger generation is outstanding!¡± Luo Shishi blushed slightly. ¡°Elders, thank you for the praise.¡± She received her black jade plaque and felt the slightly cold touch before she felt more sure of herself. ¡°According to your talent, you could¡¯ve come here long ago. Why did you wait so long?¡± asked Elder Wen Xi curiously. Luo Shishi said rather awkwardly, ¡°Actually, my two brothers could already come earlier, but they wanted to wait for me, so¡­¡± She insisted on breaking through to become a stage-nine warrior before coming over. After all, Ling Xiao Academy was one of the top academies in the God Residence Realm. She wanted to perform better, so she waited until now. The Elder Wen Xi-Elder Hua Feng duo smiled and didn¡¯t ask for details. ¡°It¡¯s good that you guys are close! When you reach the academy, I¡¯ll get Luo Yanlin to bring you guys around!¡± The crowd was very lively. ¡®When the spectators saw this, they were filled with envy. Afterward, more than ten people were tested, but none of them passed. However, the two elders were already very happy¡ªespecially Elder Wen Xi. These three people were all recorded under his name! ¡°Next!¡± Chu Liuyue went forward. She was the last one. ¡°Greetings, elders.¡± Chu Liuyue politely bowed, and her every action and movement was like a model young master, which was pleasing to the eye. This also made quite a few people¡ªwho planned to leave¡ªstop and take another look. The Elder Wen Xi-Elder Hua Feng duo then carefully sized the youngster up. They couldn¡¯t discern his background, but his aura¡­ was rare. ¡°rm Chu Yue. I want to take the test for heavenly doctors.¡± To be safe, Chu Liuyue still chose the heavenly doctor test. But once she said this, the two elders opposite her were stunned at the same time as if they had heard something that agitated them. Elder Hua Feng stared at her. ¡°Chu Yue? Which Yue?!¡± The question baffled Chu Liuyue, and she almost instinctively said, ¡°Yue as in pass [1. This ¡®Yue¡¯ character is different from the ¡®Yue¡¯ in Chu Liuyue¡¯s real name].¡± The duo heaved a sigh of relief in unison.. ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great!¡± Chapter 1110 - Awkward Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing the relieved expressions on the two elders, Chu Liuyue had a strange feeling. Even though she didn¡¯t know which ¡®Yue¡¯ the other party was referring to when he asked this, she somehow felt that it was her ¡®Yue.¡¯ However, she didn¡¯t reveal it as she acted like she didn¡¯t notice anything. ¡°May I know if Ican take the test now?¡± ¡°Test, test!¡± Elder Hua Feng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart and said. Chu Liuyue nodded slightly and placed her hand on the red crystal at the side! The surrounding crowd was softly discussing. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be very old. Does he already fulfill the admission criteria?¡± ¡°His appearance and aura seem decent. He must¡¯ve come from a good family, right? He might be some family clan¡¯s disciple!¡± ¡°Perhaps he just came to play¡­¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and gathered her focus. Very quickly, a line of words appeared on the red crystal: ¡°16 years old, eighth-grade heavenly doctor!¡± The crowd was suddenly dead silent. Elder Wen Xi abruptly stood up, while Elder Hua Feng was dazed and not focused, causing him to almost fall on the floor. If it were usual times, he would definitely hold Elder Wen Xi back and beat him up, but he couldn¡¯t care about such things now. ¡°You¡¯re only 16 years old?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re an eighth-grade heavenly doctor?!¡± The two elders voiced out in shock! It was no wonder the duo had such a reaction as this matter was indeed too stunning! In the God Residence Realm, an eighth-grade heavenly doctor wasn¡¯t considered rare¡ªespecially in Ling Xiao Academy, where talents were everywhere. Many top geniuses were gathered here! Those who could become elders here were naturally rare strong warriors. Having been in Ling Xiao Academy for so many years, what kind of freak had they not seen before? But the fella before their eyes still caused them to be taken aback. The main point was¡ª16 years old was way too young! Even in Ling Xiao Academy, where geniuses gathered, it was truly extremely rare for someone to become an eighth-grade heavenly doctor at such a young age! Chu Liuyue coughed. I forgot that my body is only 16 years old. ¡°May I know¡­ if I¡¯ve passed?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°yes! Of course!¡± Elder Wen Xi yelled instinctively. If he can¡¯t enter, all those that came before have no right either! The two elders closely stared at the young man in front of them in elation and frustration. They were elated because they met yet another rare talent. They felt frustrated because it was a pity that this talent specialized as a heavenly doctor. The two of them were either a warrior or Xuan Master, so they couldn¡¯t teach the kid. Seeing the slight smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, Elder Wen Xi recovered his senses and hurriedly produced a black plaque to pass to the youth. ¡°Here, this is your pass and your identity in the academy next time. You must take care of it!¡± ¡°Thank you, elder.¡± Chu Liuyue took it with both hands and smiled humbly and politely. Nobody could fault her behavior at all. She held the black plaque in her hand and injected a wave of force into it. The academy¡¯s totem lit up faintly, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s name was written below: Chu Yue. She stared at the black plaque in her hands and felt incredulous. Previously, Ling Xiao Academy seemed to be an unreachable place, one that she could only dream of going to. But now, she had actually become one of them. The surrounding people watched on, green with envy. Elder Wen Xi glanced at the sky and chuckled toward Elder Hua Feng, ¡°These four kids are all counted under my name!¡± Elder Hua Feng frowned. ¡°Dog-sh*t luck!¡± Elder Wen Xi didn¡¯t care about his mockery. I can properly flaunt when I go back! ¡°Hehe, yesterday I was still envious of Liang Xia for taking in an outstanding Xuan Master. He¡¯s young, but he¡¯s an expert in transportation formations. I didn¡¯t expect my luck to be better today!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears tingled. That person¡­ should be Lin Zhifei. She was slightly later as she purposely took the longer route here, but this was good as well. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t tell Lin Zhifei that she was coming, As for later¡­ She could also temporarily go around the academy with her Chu Yue identity. It was better if fewer people knew about some things. ¡°Hmph!¡± Elder Hua Feng grunted. ¡°Go and enjoy! Be careful of that trouble¡ª¡± ¡®When he said the sentence halfway, he noticed that quite a few people were still watching from the side, so Elder Hua Feng hurriedly kept quiet. However, this was clearly very useful for Elder Wen Xi. He immediately toned down his arrogant manner as he alertly surveyed his surroundings. If Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t bring it up, he would¡¯ve forgotten about this! ¡°Ahem, time is up. Hua Feng, it¡¯s your tum to take the shift. I¡¯l bring these kids back to the academy first!¡± ¡°You want to leave? What did you say just now?!¡± Elder Hua Feng almost jumped up. Didn¡¯t he say that we¡¯ll go together? If he leaves now, and the troublemaker comes, how can I hold her off alone?! However, Elder Wen Xi stroked his beard. ¡± iya! I don¡¯t have a choice, right!? Look, these kids are all waiting for me! I need to send them over quickly! Persevere for a while¡ªsomeone will come to take over in a few hours. Elder Hua Feng was so angry that his teeth felt itchy. It sounds good! If it were normal times, it would be fine if I were stationed here for ten days or half a month, but how could it be the same now? As long as he thought about how the troublemaker could wreak havoc at any area, his entire person became unwell! ¡°Y-you¡ªwhen you go back, immediately call someone to come over!¡± Elder Hua Feng thought for a while longer before giving in. Elder Wen Xi immediately agreed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze shifted between the two elders, and she felt confused. That¡¯s weird¡­ Why do I feel like they¡¯re scared of something? This was Fangzhou. When they walked a few steps forward and passed through the gigantic, silver barrier, it was Ling Xiao Academy. It wasn¡¯t an understatement to say that this was their territory. What exactly caused them to be so guarded and worried? Luo Shishi and the rest also vaguely noticed something, but they weren¡¯t as sharp as Chu Liuyue. They just thought that the two elders had other plans, so they didn¡¯t take much notice. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue was more interesting to them, and they kept looking toward her from time to time. Chu Liuyue nodded at them slightly and instinctively greeted, ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Please guide me along in the future.¡± Her harmonious and polite attitude caused Luo Shishi and the rest to let their guard down, and they had good impressions of her. ¡°Tt seems like you¡¯re quite capable!¡± Zhuo Sheng crossed his arms, his expression slightly awkward. To be more specific, the other party¡¯s talent was clearly higher than his, yet he showed such an attitude toward the other party when he entered the city Zhuo Sheng felt embarrassed, but his dignity and competitiveness didn¡¯t allow him to bow down and apologize, so he could only speak awkwardly. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care as she smiled slightly. ¡°Thank you for the praise..¡± Chapter 1111 - Tired Chapter 1111: Tired Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhuo Sheng¡¯s previous attitude couldn¡¯t be considered polite, but he didn¡¯t have any ill intentions. Being able to willingly admit that she was outstanding was already much better than most people. This was because there were many people who couldn¡¯t even admit that others were capable. But at the same time, Chu Liuyue truly realized that the strong would be respected! This was truly the only rule in this place¡ªeven Ling Xiao Academy wasn¡¯t an exception! Seeing how wide Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile was and that she didn¡¯t take the small conflict to heart, Zhuo Sheng¡¯s last bit of discomfort disappeared. He then laughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯re easygoing! You¡¯re the youngest out of all of us. Call me Brother!¡± Crash! Elder Wen Xi relentlessly smacked the back of Zhuo Sheng¡¯s head. ¡°You guys entered the academy on the same day, so you have the same status!¡± Zhuo Sheng let out a yelp. Luo Shishi and the rest laughed. ¡°All follow me.¡± Elder Wen Xi waved his hands and brought the few of them to leave. Elder Hua Feng miserably yelled from behind, ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised me earlier!¡± Elder Wen Xi silently hastened his pace. The few of them quickly reached the gigantic barrier. Seeing the flickering barrier, Luo Shishi and the rest couldn¡¯t conceal their excitement and emotions. Elder Wen Xi said, ¡°Later on, you just have to put your black plaque on the barrier to open it and smoothly enter!¡± Then, Elder Wen Xi pointed at Luo Yanming, who seemed to be the most mature. ¡°Luo Yanming, come over first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Luo Yanming took a deep breath in and walked forward. Standing nearby, he could clearly feel the unspeakable suppression! It made one involuntarily fear and respect it! He looked much more serious as he raised his hand and carefully placed the black plaque on the barrier. Whir! A soft sound came from the barrier, and the black plaque lit up at the same time! The next moment, a ripple appeared on the barrier, and a hole gradually cracked open from the middle! Luo Yanming¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately entered. The moment his figure disappeared, the barrier immediately closed! ¡°The academy¡¯s barrier is very strong, and one can only open it with a pass. After you use the pass to enter the academy, your records of entering will also be left on the barrier,¡± Elder Wen Xi explained. ¡°Record?¡± asked Luo Shishi strangely. ¡°Yes, the barrier will note down all of this information and automatically arrange it. But normally, only the director can see this.¡± This also showed how strictly they guarded the area. Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng nodded thoughtfully and looked surprised. ¡°I see!¡± Ling Xiao Academy indeed lives up to its name! But when Chu Liuyue heard this, she was slightly stunned. This means that everyone who enters or leaves Ling Xiao Academy will leave their traces behind. Then¡­ What about Dugu Mobao? Previously, he said that he would wait for me in the academy. Therefore, he should already be inside now, right? I wonder how he entered. However, everything still seemed very peaceful from the current situation. ¡°Next, Zhuo Sheng!¡± Zhuo Sheng looked excited as he rapidly went forward and placed the black plaque the same way Luo Yanming did. The same scene happened again! He rapidly passed through the barrier! Elder Wen Xi smiled and waved toward Luo Shishi. Luo Shishi entered very smoothly as well. In the end, it was Chu Liuyue¡¯s turn. ¡°Come, kid. It¡¯s your turn!¡± shouted Elder Wen Xi. Chu Liuyue walked forward like the previous few people. At this point, she was only a step away from the barrier. She produced her black plaque, but at this moment, a scene quickly flashed across her mind! There seemed to be someone in the scene standing in front of the barrier as well. That person¡¯s figure was very blurry and unclear, but this didn¡¯t stop Chu Liuyue from seeing the white and pretty hands. The fingertips danced around, and countless rays of light shot out, intersecting in mid-air. Very quickly, they formed a small Xuan formation. Although the Xuan formation wasn¡¯t big, it was very complicated, and the countless intersections caused one¡¯s eyes to be blurry. Then, that person pushed the small Xuan formation over. The Xuan formation lightly stuck to the barrier. Whir! The barrier made a small sound. Then, countless lines lit up! That was the Xuan formation hidden in the barrier-it was actually summoned directly! The big and small Xuan formations stuck close to each other and had a strange connection. Then, a hand lightly tapped the small Xuan formation. The Xuan formation broke. At the same time, the huge Xuan formation also collapsed! A hole silently opened in the barrier! When the hole expanded until it was enough to fit a person, the blurry figure instantly went in! The speed was extremely fast, and Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see it carefully. But when that figure disappeared, she clearly saw that the barrier returned to normal silently! It was exactly the same as it was in the beginning! If she didn¡¯t ¡®personally witness¡¯ it, she wouldn¡¯t believe that the barrier was opened so easily! Just when Chu Liuyue was shocked in her heart, a thunderous scolding suddenly sounded in her mind. ¡°You opened the barrier secretly again?! Go and reflect on yourself!!!¡± Then, the scene disappeared. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Wen Xi noticed her abnormality and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, shook her head, and took out the black plaque. Then, she paused for a moment, looked at Elder Wen Xi at the side, and asked, ¡°Elder Wen Xi¡­ Does Elder Hua Feng also guard the barrier usually?¡± Elder Wen Xi was dazed for a moment and glanced at her weirdly. ¡°Why did you suddenly think of asking this?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°There¡¯s the power from a Xuan formation on this barrier, and I coincidentally heard that Elder Hua Feng is a Xuan Master, so..¡± ¡°The academy¡¯s barrier is usually guarded by a few elders, and everyone is in charge of different regions. Hua Feng did guard it in the past, but afterward, he refused to do it no matter what.¡± Elder Wen Xi shrugged his shoulders, his expression ambiguous. ¡°He said he was tired.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Looking after a barrier shouldn¡¯t t be tiresome to a Xuan Master¡­ Chu Liuyue recalled the thunderous voice that flashed across her mind. Mm¡­ it does sound like Elder Hua Feng¡­ I wonder who he was yelling at. That person didn¡¯t need to use the black plaque and could open the barrier with the Xuan formation she produced on her own. It seems like that person is rather capable. Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts. When she recalled that her dantian once shook when she entered the city, her gaze flickered. She gathered all her focus to suppress the water droplet in her dantian before she circulated her force and inserted it into the black plaque! Whir! The barrier opened! Chapter 1112 - : Don’t Smile! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This time, the water droplet didn¡¯t show anything abnormal. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. However, Elder Wen Xi glanced at her weirdly. ¡°You¡­ seem to have very outstanding bloodline talent¡­¡± Normally, a genius with stronger bloodline talent would have greater potential. Similarly, when the barrier sensed this aspect, it would open an entrance of various sizes. Of the previous few people, Zhuo Sheng had the smallest entrance, and Luo Shishi the biggest. However, they were still much weaker than the young man in front of him. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. I didn¡¯t expect the barrier to have such a trick too. However, she didn¡¯t show it on her face as she smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Elder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a compliment.¡± Elder Wen Xi shook his head. ¡°This kind of talent seems¡­¡± He suddenly thought of something and kept quiet as he shook his head and smiled. His gaze was filled with envy and regret. ¡°What a pity! You cultivate as a heavenly doctor! If you were a warrior¡­ I¡¯d definitely think of a way to get you to be my disciple!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, and she didn¡¯t speak further. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We should go in too! If not, they¡¯ll be anxious from waiting!¡± Elder Wen Xi laughed out loud and closely followed Chu Liuyue through the barrier! The temporary white light flashed. Chu Liuyue stood still and looked over. Even if she was already mentally prepared, she was still taken aback for once when she saw the scene in front of her clearly. The sky was bright, and there was not a single cloud. On the multiple peaks, the lush greenery looked like jade. The most obvious landmark was the magnificent, metallic black clock tower standing right in the middle. At first glance, it almost seemed to connect the sky and the ground. Below the metallic black clock tower was a gigantic, spacious white square. The black and white colors complemented each other. Under the shine of the sunlight, it reflected a holy veil. Other than this, with this clock tower and square in the center, one could still see quite a few intricately built houses on the peaks¡ªmost of them were independent. The space was wide, and one couldn¡¯t see the edges with one glance! The rich and pure Heaven and Earth Force rejuvenated one. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and couldn¡¯t help but be secretly shocked. Though the density of the force here is lower than at the Sky-Cloud Empire, it won in purity! If one is able to cultivate here, their cultivation speed will definitely be elevated significantly! ¡°This is Ling Xiao Academy¡­¡± muttered Luo Shishi. Her pair of watery and beautiful eyes were filled with expectations and shock. Though the other two people tried their best to control themselves, one could still tell that they couldn¡¯t conceal their excitement. A thousand rumors can¡¯t compare to seeing it once! Ling Xiao Academy indeed lives up to its name! ¡°Yo! Wen Xi, why did you bring so many kids back this time?!¡± A voice suddenly came from afar. The few of them looked up in unison and saw an elder in gray robes suddenly flying toward the few of them. Before they could even see his movements clearly, he had already reached them! He was clearly outside the few peaks a moment ago, yet he reached here in the blink of an eye! Teleportation! This was something that only a legendary warrior who had completely entered the Apotheosis Realm could do! Luo Shishi and the rest had increasingly respectful attitudes. Chu Liuyue was also slightly shocked in her heart. ¡°Haha! Of course!¡± Elder Wen Xi laughed out loud delightfully. ¡°Qiao Zhi, these four kids are very outstanding! You can¡¯t envy them!¡± Upon hearing this, Elder Qiao Zhi then carefully scrutinized the few of them, and his eyes were filled with shock. Elder Wen Xi had very high standards. If he said such words, it proved that these few people really weren¡¯t bad. His gaze slowly swept past Luo Shishi and the rest. ¡°Beginner stage-nine¡­ Beginner stage-nine¡­ Ninth-grade Xuan Master¡­¡± While he looked, he muttered and seemed very satisfied. ¡°Not bad! Not bad! They¡¯re all good kids!¡± As he gasped, he didn¡¯t know that the few people opposite him were all shocked because of this. This Elder Qiao Zhi can actually discern our actual cultivation levels in one shot! W-we clearly hid our auras! ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry. In the academy, all the Yuan instruments used to hide auras will lose their effectiveness. Every student¡¯s true cultivation level will be shown. Besides, Qiao Zhi¡¯s eyesight is superior. It¡¯s normal for him to be able to see your cultivation levels!¡± As if seeing that the few people were uneasy, Elder Wen Xi explained with a smile. Hearing this, Luo Shishi and the rest calmed down and felt even more respectful and fearful toward the academy. Everyone in the God Residence Realm wouldn¡¯t casually reveal their actual capabilities outside, which caused an increase in demand for many Yuan instruments that specifically hid auras. However, they didn¡¯t expect that all these items would be completely useless within the academy! On the one hand, this proved that the academy was strong. On the other hand, this also showed that everyone in the academy was disciplined and wouldn¡¯t cause trouble. Elder Qiao Zhi¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue at the end. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± His smile froze slightly, and his gaze deepened. His aura-concealing Yuan instrument is actually not restricted?! ¡°What¡¯s your capability?¡± asked Elder Qiao Zhi. Once he asked this, the remaining few people looked over. Elder Wen Xi then realized that something was amiss with Chu Liuyue. ¡°Hm¡­ Chu Yue, I couldn¡¯t tell that you have such an amazing Yuan instrument!¡± Elder Qiao Zhi¡¯s brows suddenly trembled. ¡°What did you say his name was?¡± Elder Wen Xi comforted, ¡°Chu Yue¡ªthe other Yue. Can¡¯t you tell that this is a boy?! Why are you so nervous?!¡± Elder Qiao Zhi rolled his eyes at his colleague. You¡¯re talking as if you¡¯re not nervous! Of course, I know that the person in front is a young boy! I was just casually asking! Chu Liuyue was dazed for a while as she smiled, and her eyes curved up. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Eighth-grade heavenly doctor.¡± Qiao Zhi¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t smile!¡± Chapter 1113 - Thunder Strike Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered, and she immediately concealed her smile. She then blinked innocently and purely as if she didn¡¯t know what was going on. This gaze caused Elder Qiao Zhi to be guilty. ¡°Ahem! I-it¡¯s fine¡­ I just find that your smile seems a little familiar¡­ I¡¯m not quite used to it¡­¡± Elder Wen Xi was about to say that he was making a mountain out of a molehill. But from the corner of his eyes, he coincidentally saw Chu Liuyue controlling her smile. Her eyes that were distinctive between black and white were clean and pure. Upon closer look, it was very deep¡ªclear yet mysterious. At first glance, he really looks like that troublemaker¡­ It¡¯s no wonder Qiao Zhi had such a huge reaction. ¡°Elder Wen Xi, did I do something wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue turned her gaze and looked at Elder Wen Xi as if she were asking for help. Being stared at by her pair of eyes, Elder Wen Xi¡¯s heart trembled for some reason. ¡°No, no! Didn¡¯t he say just now that he thinks y-you¡¯re quite similar to a-a¡­ person? Yes, very similar to a person! Don¡¯t take it to heart, okay?!¡± Elder Wen Xi hurriedly explained. He felt that he and Elder Qiao Zhi were making a ruckus for nothing. This child looks clean and fresh. The key is that he is only a 16-year-old boy! Why would he be related to her? It¡¯s not very nice to frighten the child on the first day he comes to the academy. Thinking of this, Elder Wen Xi said again, ¡°Right! Qiao Zhi, don¡¯t underestimate this child. He¡¯s just 16 years old this year!¡± This sentence indeed caused Elder Qiao Zhi to be taken aback, and he recovered his senses. ¡°Really?¡± It was very rare to have a 16-year-old eighth-grade heavenly doctor in the academy! ¡°How can this be fake?! Hmph, those old fogeys got lucky!¡± It was rare to meet such a talented child, yet he cultivated as a heavenly doctor. But luckily, he had Luo Shishi and the rest, so it wasn¡¯t considered a complete waste. At the very least, he was comforted. Qiao Zhi was also a warrior. Hearing this, he seriously nodded and frowned. ¡°Forget it! They originally already had very few students. They¡¯ll owe you a huge favor for sending this child over!¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s right!¡± Elder Wen Xi instantly felt better as he turned around to talk to the rest. ¡°Today is your first day at the academy. Even though you¡¯ve already tested your talents and capabilities, for the first few days of coming to the school, you can move around freely and casually learn from all the teachers in the academy. At the beginning of every month, all the teachers will recruit students at the same time. By then, you can personally decide who you want as your teacher.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t worry. As the academy¡¯s recruitment is very flexible, there are always new students around. Thus, everybody is basically very polite to the newcomers. As long as you learn from them humbly and politely, you won¡¯t get into any trouble in the academy.¡± ¡°Of course, during this process, you might inevitably meet some people who want to duel with you. If you¡¯re willing, you can agree to it. If you¡¯re reluctant, you can reject it. It¡¯s not compulsory,¡± said Elder Wen Xi patiently before his expression turned stern. ¡°In the academy, it¡¯s most important to strengthen your own cultivation. As long as you¡¯re strong enough, everything else can be talked about! As for your identities and the rest, they all don¡¯t matter anymore. Do you understand?¡± Luo Shishi and the rest all nodded seriously. Chu Liuyue had a much better impression of Ling Xiao Academy. Even though this place also promoted the idea that the strong were respected, it was clear that they tried their best to maintain equality between students. This point alone was already very difficult to achieve. The students from Ling Xiao Academy came from all around the world. Some of them were descendants of aristocratic families, and some were civilians with ordinary backgrounds. Outside, their statuses were different. But here, they only held the identity of a Ling Xiao Academy student! This was more beneficial toward cultivation. ¡°The academy is quite big. It¡¯s your first time here, and it¡¯s easy for you to get lost, but you just need to remember that when you¡¯re lost, just walk to the Dong Huang Clock Tower in the center to come back safely.¡± ¡°Of course, you can just reach the Qing Ming Square below the Dong Huang Clock Tower. You don¡¯t have to go up or enter. Only the elders and director with the plaque can enter that place. If others casually barge in without permission, they will encounter danger if they¡¯re slightly not careful. Once something happens, nobody can save you. Do you understand?¡± When he said the last sentence, Elder Wen Xi¡¯s words were filled with warning. The heavy suppression unwittingly caused a chill to rush down Luo Shishi and the others¡¯ spines. They hurriedly said, ¡°I understand!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Dong Huang Clock Tower. Even under the bright sun, the completely metallic-black color still exuded a sinisterly cold aura. If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, the Qing Ming Square below also seems to have a rather strong Xuan formation¡­ She retracted her gaze and suppressed her thoughts. ¡°Other than this, the academy is basically split into four quadrants¡ªnorth, south, east, and west. The east side is for heavenly doctors, south is for Xuan Masters, and west is for warriors.¡± As Elder Wen Xi talked, he gestured to let the few of them see. ¡°Even though the regions are split quite clearly, there¡¯s a lot of interaction between the few of them as there are quite a few students in the academy who have double specializations or even triple. You can just directly go to the region that you¡¯re best at. If you want to go to the other regions to take a look, it¡¯s possible as well.¡± This was indeed the top school in the entire God Residence Realm. If it were some other place, it was already very hard to find a genius with double specializations, but one with triple specializations wasn¡¯t even rare here. ¡°Elder Wen Xi, what¡¯s the place in the north?¡± asked Zhuo Sheng in a straightforward manner. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s a good place!¡± Elder Wen Xi laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s for the Armory Refinement Masters!¡± ¡°Armory Refinement Masters?!¡± Luo Shishi and the rest looked surprised. ¡°That¡¯s right! Even though there have always been rumors that the Armory Refinement Masters¡¯ craft was already lost, our academy has quite a few elders around. But as their disciples are really too few, they have always been discreet.¡± They can¡¯t even not be discreet. With such a low recruitment number, there were already many people who found them. If they stood out even more, the academy¡¯s gate would be broken down! They had no choice as there were indeed only a few people who knew the armory refinement methods left in the world. Most of the legendary weapons in the market were made by Armory Refinement Masters thousands of years ago, or they were left behind by strong warriors. Now, an Armory Refinement Master who could truly produce amazing legendary weapons was too precious. This was also the reason why they still occupied a quarter of the entire academy even though they had low numbers. Thinking of something, Elder Wen Xi said in a thankful manner, ¡°If you have nothing to do, you don¡¯t have to go over there. The Armory Refinement Masters are busy crafting weapons all day long, and there will be lightning striking down from time to time there. It won¡¯t be good if you¡¯re implicated by accident.¡± Chapter 1114 - An Obedient One Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The few of them acknowledged it obediently. ¡°Great! Now that I¡¯ve explained the rough situation of the academy to you, you need to experience the rest for yourself to understand it properly! I won¡¯t talk nonsense anymore!¡± Elder Wen Xi clapped his hands. ¡°Qiao Zhi, please help me send these kids over. I have something that I¡¯m busy with.¡± Elder Qiao Zhi¡ªwho was suddenly mobilized¡ªwas dazed. ¡°What¡¯s so urgent?¡± Elder Wen Xi coughed. ¡°I¡¯m going to chase them to get the next person on duty to get to Fangzhou earlier.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just come back? Hua Feng should be there now, right? Why are you so anxious?¡± Elder Qiao Zhi found it weird. ormally speaking, every elder would be stationed outside for a day. Once it reached a specific time, the elder in charge of the next shift would go an hour earlier. it was very rare that the previous one just came back and went to call the next one. I can¡¯t say that we felt that the troublemaker is back. If I say it, nobody will go! I¡¯ll just hide as much as I can. Elder Wen Xi was hesitant in his words. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing much. You also know Hua Feng¡¯s bad habit¡ªhe likes to drink alcohol whenever he has the time. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll secretly drink there alone. It¡¯s fine if he¡¯s drunk, but it¡¯ll be bad if other incidents are delayed.¡± Elder Qiao Zhi then nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ I¡¯ve talked to him about his habit countless times, but he always refuses to change.¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t he afraid because he was forced to quit alcohol in the past? Now that he has the chance, he can finally drink freely! He¡ª¡± Elder Wen Xi was talking when his voice suddenly trailed off. Qiao Zhi¡¯s expression changed slightly and was slightly strange. Hua Feng quitting alcohol¡­ was all because of one person. Even the director couldn¡¯t make him quit, but someone did. However, the method was slightly violent. The process was tenacious, and Hua Feng was a little miserable. Now that he was freed from his misery, it caused him to be even worse than before. The two of them looked at each other. Qiao Zhi thought of something, and his eyes were filled with reluctance. ¡°Forget it. Let him drink! I¡¯ll help you bring these kids along. Go and find someone to help him!¡± Elder Wen Xi turned around and quickly disappeared before the crowd. His capabilities were indeed not weaker than Elder Qiao Zhi. ¡°Come! We¡¯ll go to the warrior side first!¡± Elder Qiao Zhi waved his hands. Qiao Zhi walked at the front, while Luo Shishi and the rest followed him closely behind. Chu Liuyue silently followed at the back of the team. While she listened to Elder Qiao Zhi talk about the academy from time to time, she kept surveying her surroundings. /t might be an illusion, but I feel that I might¡¯ve been here before. In addition to the scene that appeared in her mind before, she increasingly confirmed this guess. However, it was a pity that most of her memories were broken. Other than that scene, she couldn¡¯t recall anything else. Hence, she could only temporarily suppress her thoughts. After flying forward for a distance, it was clearly much more crowded. One could see students cultivating almost at every peak. From time to time, one could still see teachers teaching. In a nutshell, it was vibrant, lively, and very energetic. Chu Liuyue felt elated for some reason. Jf can cultivate here, it will be a good thing¡­ Why did Rong Xiu always hide this from me? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°The place in front is the warrior region!¡± Elder Qiao Zhi suddenly called out. As if detecting the movement above, quite a few people looked over. ¡°Quickly, look! Elder Qiao Zhi is here! Could the people behind him be the new students today?¡± ¡°One, two, three, four! There are actually four people?¡± ¡°It seems like there¡¯s a junior sister?!¡± Some people couldn¡¯t conceal their excitement. One had to know that there weren¡¯t many female cultivators here, so they were elated every time they saw a junior sister entering the academy. Crash! A tall figure walked out from the crowd. ¡°Collect your thoughts and watch your eyes.¡± Once the person said this, quite a few people shrunk their necks. There was no other reason besides the person talking being one of the top elites in the academy¡ªLuo Yanlin! ¡°Brother Lin, do you know them?¡± The young man who was beaten bared his teeth and bravely asked. Luo Yanlin snorted, but he didn¡¯t care much about him as he directly flew forward to those few people! The next moment, he stood beside Elder Qiao Zhi and respectfully greeted the latter. ¡°Greetings, Elder Qiao Zhi!¡± Luo Yanlin, why did you come here today?¡± Elder Qiao Zhi saw him and laughed. just studied a Xuan formation, so I wanted to try it on them,¡± said Luo Yanlin as his gaze landed on Luo Yanlin and the rest. His handsome appearance instantly became gentle. ¡°Also, | came to fetch my brothers and sisters.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± When Elder Qiao Zhi heard this, he turned around and understood the matter. ¡°Fourth Brother!¡± Luo Shishi and the rest couldn¡¯t conceal their excitement as they yelled in unison. Zhuo Sheng was their cousin. They grew up together since they were young and were on good terms, so he also called Luo Yanlin ¡®Fourth Brother.¡¯ Luo Yanlin smiled deeply. ¡°That¡¯s nice. You came here earlier than I expected; it seems like Shishi broke through in advance. How are Father and Mother?¡± Luo Shishi¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°They¡¯re well, but they really miss you, Fourth Brother.¡± The people below watched them and talked in hushed tones. Jt turns out she¡¯s really Luo Yanlin¡¯s younger sister! She¡¯s even his biological one! Then, there¡¯s not much hope now. Not many people in the entire academy were Luo Yanlin¡¯s match. If they even thought of his sister, they would be tired of living! ¡°Hey! Why did three junior brothers come at once!?¡± Someone sighed deeply. Once Elder Qiao Zhi heard this, he looked down and snorted. ¡°You¡¯re dreaming! Out of these four kids, only Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng are warriors!¡± The crowd looked at the remaining Luo Yanming and Chu Liuyue in shock. ¡°The remaining two aren¡¯t warriors?¡± ¡°Luo Yanlin, bring them down first and let them familiarize themselves with the area. | still have to send the two of them off,¡± instructed Elder Qiao Zhi. Luo Yanlin nodded and waved toward the two new warrior students. ¡°Shishi, Ah Sheng, follow me.¡± The two of them obediently walked to him. After not seeing each other for so long, they definitely missed each other very much. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the Xuan Master¡¯s side next,¡± said Elder Qiao Zhi. Luo Yanlin smiled at Luo Yanming. ¡°Go over first. I¡¯ll be right there. They will give me face, and they won¡¯t bully you.¡± Luo Yanming smiled and nodded. At this point, Luo Shishi suddenly said, ¡°Chu Yue, you must work hard too!¡± Luo Yanlin glanced at his own sister before following her line of vision and looking over. That was a handsome young man. His eyes were clear, and his aura was clean. He squinted his eyes. ¡°Chu Yue?¡± Luo Yanlin didn¡¯t expect Zhuo Sheng to raise his fists as well. ¡°Chu Yue, I¡¯ve heard that those heavenly doctors are all very proud. You mustn¡¯t back down!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and lightly laughed before she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Elder Qiao Zhi suddenly turned around to look at her. Chu Liuyue almost instinctively straightened her back and restrained her smile. ¡°Hey! He¡¯s an obedient one!¡± Elder Qiao Zhi nodded in satisfaction. Then, J can rest assured! Chapter 1115 - Fated Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue quickly followed Elder Qiao Zhi and left with Luo Yanming. ¡°Who is he?¡± When the trio¡¯s figures gradually left far away, Luo Yanlin looked toward the two people beside him and seemingly asked nonchalantly, ¡°It seems like you guys are close?¡± ¡°Actually, we¡¯re not very close, but we met at Fangzhou!¡± At the side, Zhuo Sheng chuckled and smiled brightly. ¡°That young man is very talented! He¡¯s only 16 years old, yet he¡¯s already an eighth-grade heavenly doctor!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Luo Yanlin raised his brows slightly, and a strange gaze flashed across his eyes, but they quickly recovered back to normal. Zhuo Sheng and the rest have just arrived, so they might still be shocked and curious when they encounter such an incident. However, I¡¯ve been in the academy for many years, and I have seen many top elites that come from all over the world. Even though this Chu Yue isn¡¯t bad, he isn¡¯t that surprising. He¡¯s not bad. If he can develop properly, his future will be bright.¡± Luo Yanlin gave a neutral comment. feel that he can do it,¡± said Luo Shishi suddenly. uo Yanlin¡¯s gaze flickered, and he saw Luo Shishi having a serious expression as she stared at the departing figure. ¡®ve also met quite a few outstandingly talented heavenly doctors, but most of them are very proud. However, this Chu Yue¡­¡± He was humble, well-mannered, and knew when to advance and to retreat. If they didn¡¯t see it personally during the test, they wouldn¡¯t dare to believe that he was only 16 years old. Zhuo Sheng was already twenty-three. In front of him, Chu Yue felt like a child. o matter if his calm and composed nature was developed after birth or if he was a natural at it, it was very shocking. Luo Yanlin stroked his chin. ¡°We¡¯ll have to know whether he¡¯s capable when it¡¯s time to follow the teachers at the start of the month.¡± That bunch of prideful heavenly doctors isn¡¯t that easy to be fooled. He waved toward the duo. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s forget about them first. I¡¯ll bring you around to familiarize yourselves with the surroundings. Later on, I¡¯ll go and check on Yanming¡¯s situation. Shishi, now that you¡¯ve already broken through to become a beginner stage-nine warrior, do you want to duel with me again?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Luo Shishi finally retracted her gaze, and her eyes lit up. Ever since Fourth Brother came to Ling Xiao Academy, we¡¯ve never fought with him again. I¡¯m very tempted. At the side, Zhuo Sheng hurriedly yelled, ¡°Fourth Brother, what about me?!¡± Luo Yanlin broke into a smile. ¡°Come with her too!¡± Hearing this, the group of students spectating below cheered. With Luo Yanlin around, the two of them quickly became one of them. Hearing all sorts of weird noises coming from the students behind them, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but turn around. Elder Qiao Zhi seemed to have sensed it as he asked, ¡°What? Do you want to stay behind and watch?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head, and her thin lips curled up slightly in a faint angle. ¡°I was just surprised that the academy would look like that.¡± ¡°Hehe, then what did you think it would look like?¡± Elder Qiao Zhi laughed. ¡°Blindly fighting has no meaning at all, nor does acting strong all the while. Those who can enter Ling Xiao Academy are all the most outstanding talents in the entire God Residence Realm. They will understand this logic. The most important thing is to duel with each other and improve one¡¯s own cultivation level.¡± Other than in the academy, they knew for a fact that there were even stronger warriors outside! They only could make themselves stronger so as not to waste every single minute and second spent here. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly sighed. The academy¡¯s director and elders must¡¯ve spent a lot of effort to create such a positive competitive environment where everyone can tolerate each other. In the beginning, she had many other thoughts when she came here. But now, she suddenly had some expectations and hopes for Ling Xiao Academy itself. ¡°The people over there are all Xuan Masters.¡± Elder Qiao Zhi suddenly stopped and pointed below. Chu Liuyue followed his line of sight. More than twenty students were standing on a broad and spacious piece of land in the middle of the mountain. There were men and women who looked young and energetic. A woman around 30 years old was standing at the frontmost of them. Her figure was thin and curvy, and she looked very gentle. However, her vague suppression caused one to be unable to underestimate her as they were too scared to even take another look at her. Beside her was a gigantic and complicated Xuan formation. It seemed like she was teaching a lesson. Hearing the movement, she raised her head slightly and walked over. Elder Qiao Zhi laughed out loud. ¡°Qiniang, I brought you a child with much potential today!¡± Miao Qiniang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s clearly Wen Xi¡¯s hard work. Why are you fighting for it?¡± Hearing this tone, it seemed like all the elders had the same status. Elder Qiao Zhi grunted softly. ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from you! You already knew about it when they passed the barrier earlier on, right?!¡± Miao Qiniang smiled and didn¡¯t say a word, but she didn¡¯t deny it either. She was in charge of a portion of the Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s barrier. This was also the reason why she could know some things that happened. She gently looked at Luo Yanming. ¡°You¡¯re Yanlin¡¯s younger brother, right? He talked about you previously, and you are indeed quite good.¡± Luo Yanming hurriedly said, ¡°Greetings, Elder. I¡¯m Luo Yanming.¡± ¡°You can just call me Qiniang. Calling me elder makes me sound so old.¡± Miao Qiniang sighed as if she were whining. However, Luo Yanming didn¡¯t dare to do so. Miao Qiniang didn¡¯t tease him, but the other students started talking really loudly. ¡°Qiniang really doesn¡¯t like people to call her elder. Newcomer, you must remember this!¡± ¡°He called her that just now, but Qiniang didn¡¯t get angry. Is it because of Yanlin?¡± ¡°Of course! Haha, Yanlin is Qiniang¡¯s proud disciple! Now that another one has come, she doesn¡¯t even have the time to be happy. Why would she be angry?!¡± Seeing that the crowd was so lively and that they all addressed her in that manner, Luo Yanming was secretly shocked as he didn¡¯t expect there to be such an ¡®elder¡¯ in the world. Miao Qiniang glanced at the crowd in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Don¡¯t scare the child. Have you understood the Xuan formation yet? Why did you come here to join the commotion?¡± The crowd hurriedly retracted their gazes and continued studying her Xuan formation. Miao Qiniang¡¯s gaze turned, and she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°This child seems not bad too¡­ Hm?¡± She raised her sharp brows slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. / actually can¡¯t see this person¡¯s abilities. This shows how formidable the Yuan instrument he has is. The Luo family is already one of the top aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm, yet Luo Yanming doesn¡¯t have such an object. This young man¡­ ¡°Hey¡­ Qiniang, he isn¡¯t left for you! This child is a heavenly doctor!¡± explained Elder Qiao Zhi hurriedly. Miao Qiniang looked regretful. ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s such a pity¡­ I feel rather fated with this child!¡± That was the truth. This young man had distinctly black and white eyes that were as clean and clear as fountain water, causing one to feel elated. His eyes and brows were vaguely familiar. Elder Qiao Zhi¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Okay, okay! Since I¡¯ve already sent the person over, I won¡¯t stay here any longer!¡± Then, he brought Chu Liuyue and left. Not long later, Chu Liuyue smelled a thick herbal fragrance from the mountains. Her eyes lit up. Someone is producing a pill! Chapter 1116 - Pill Betting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Very quickly, she discovered that it wasn¡¯t only one person that was producing pills but two! Two youngsters stood opposite each other at the bottom of the mountain. They each had a cauldron before them, and the fires inside were rising high. One could faintly see a pill the size of a dragon¡¯s eye. The thick herbal fragrance exuded from there. Beside the duo was a stone table. On the stone table were quite a few black plaques, but on the other stone table, there was only one. They seemed to be competing! There were a few people standing around the duo as if they were spectating the match. They should be the ones who placed the black plaques on the table. Chu Liuyue took a closer look. The two young men looked like they were either 23 or 24 years old. The one on the left was tall and skinny. He wore a blue robe and looked very proper as his eyes were glued closely to the pill that was about to be completed in the cauldron. His originally white face flushed slightly, and thin beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. One could tell that he was at the end of his wits. On the other side, the man in the light-green robe had deep features and looked much more relaxed. One seemed to be able to tell who won and lost at one glance. ¡°It seems like Tuo Baxuan is going to win again.¡± Elder Qiao Zhi seemed to be not surprised by this scene as he stroked his beard and said, ¡°If he wins this round, he¡¯ll win five matches in a row!¡± Chu Liuyue followed his line of sight and noticed that he was staring at the young man with deep five features. The stone table beside him indeed had many black plaques. Clearly, everyone thought that he would win. On the other hand, the youngster in blue only had a lone black plaque on the stone table. That should be his own. Detecting her gaze and seeing the curiosity in her eyes, Elder Qiao Zhi laughed and explained, ¡°They¡¯re pill betting.¡± ¡°Pill betting?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s right. There are many students who are learning to be heavenly doctors in the academy, and they¡¯re not convinced by each other, so they regularly pill bet.¡± ¡°The people involved in the betting have to choose a time and a venue to proceed with the competition. Whoever produces a pill with higher medicinal efficacy will be the winner. However, it¡¯s different from normal competitions as they all have to place their own bets before the match. The bets can be anything. The spectating crowd also has to bet on who will win and lose before the match starts.¡± ¡°Other than this, there should be more rewards for winning the bet, right?¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. A pure bet doesn¡¯t seem to be enough to get this bunch of prideful kids to be so invested. It¡¯s fine if they do it once or twice, but there is no need to do it frequently. It¡¯s better if they used the time to research pills. Since so many people are so enthusiastic about it, there must be another reason. Elder Qiao Zhi looked at her in approval. ¡°You¡¯re smart. Actually, these bets aren¡¯t the main point. The main point is that winning or losing this bet will affect their points in school.¡± ¡°Points?¡± ¡°In the academy, many things have to be exchanged with varying amounts of points. In other words, points are the currency in the academy, which is also ¡®money.¡¯ They can be used to exchange for herbs, books, or anything else you want.¡± ¡°When they pill bet, other than the ordinary bets, they will usually bet their points. Using such a method, they can quickly accumulate points. Of course, they will have nothing if they lose.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding as she looked at the black plaques on the stone tables. ¡°Spectators will also bet points?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Their rate of winning also varies with their bets; these are all to be communicated in advance.¡± As long as one pill bet regularly, it wouldn¡¯t cause much trouble. The academy¡¯s elders also supported this; normally, they wouldn¡¯t intervene. Elder Qiao Zhi glanced at her and chuckled. ¡°What, you want to bet too? You¡¯ve just entered the academy, so you should have 100 points.¡± Chu Liuyue curled her fingertips. ¡°I just came here. Can I do it?¡± ¡°Why not!?¡± Elder Qiao Zhi waved his long sleeves and flew downward. Chu Liuyue followed him closely. Detecting the person coming from behind, the people focused on spectating the battle turned around. ¡°Elder Qiao Zhi!¡± Seeing the person coming, the few people hurriedly bowed and greeted him. Elder Qiao Zhi waved his hands and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony! I came here today to bring you a newly recruited kid!¡± The few people looked at Chu Liuyue standing behind him. Chu Liuyue cupped her fists and bowed toward the few people. ¡°Greetings, Senior Brothers.¡± The few of them politely bowed back, but when they saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, they all seemed doubtful. ¡°What¡¯s your cultivation level, Junior Brother?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°Eighth-grade.¡± The few of them looked like they understood what was going on and had vague contempt in their eyes. Elder Qiao Zhi knew their characters the best, and he couldn¡¯t help but grunt. ¡°A 16-year-old eighth-grade heavenly doctor is pretty good in your area, right?¡± The few students were then taken aback as they looked at Chu Liuyue with different gazes. ¡°Chu Yue, go place your black plaque on whoever you think will win!¡± Elder Qiao Zhi confidently patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. / helped to bring him in, so I must support the child a little! With a hit of the palm from a legendary warrior, half of Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders were directly numbed. However, it was lucky that she had followed Dugu Mobao and cultivated with him for a while, so she could withstand it. At this point, she could forcefully stabilize herself. Originally, at this stage of the pill bet, nobody else could participate. But since Elder Qiao Zhi had said it, they couldn¡¯t retort and could only agree. Forget it. It¡¯ll just be a greeting gift for the new junior brother! Chu Liuyue took a glance and walked to one of them before placing her black plaque on the stone table. The number of black plaques on the stone table turned from one to two. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Elder Qiao Zhi raised his hand and wanted to stop her, but it was already too late. ¡°Hey, kid!¡± Didn¡¯t I already tell him that the person who¡¯ll win is definitely Tuo Baxuan?! Just by judging the number of black plaques on the stone tables, one will be able to guess who has a higher chance of winning! Elder Qiao Zhi had expected better from him. When the people at the side saw this, they exchanged glances, and mockery flashed across their eyes. A 16-year-old eighth-grade heavenly doctor sounds shocking, but it seems like he isn¡¯t very capable. It¡¯s already at the last step of the pill production, yet he still chose wrongly?! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to notice these as she walked over after putting down her plaque and looked very calm. Elder Qiao Zhi lowered his voice. ¡°Chu Yue, what are you doing? Your 100 points are going to be wasted just like this!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Isn¡¯t the point of pill betting to gamble?¡±. Chapter 1117 - Minority Beat the Majority Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder Qiao Zhi shook his head in his heart. To think that I just thought this child was very obedient and mature, yet he is so daring when he gambles. Even if he wants to gamble, he should bet on the winning side! Who bets on the losing side!? Great, now he¡¯ll lose everything not long after arriving at the academy! ¡°Don¡¯t do this again in the future! You really don¡¯t know how hard it is to earn points!¡± Elder Qiao Zhi advised kindly. Chu Liuyue nodded seriously, but it was another question whether she had heeded his advice. At this point, a whir was heard! The surrounding crowd looked up and saw that the commotion was coming from Tuo Baxuan¡¯s cauldron. ¡°It¡¯s about to be complete!¡± someone yelled softly. The herbal fragrance became increasingly stronger as the fire rose, and lines continuously appeared on the pill! The crowd couldn¡¯t help but hold in their breaths! But at this moment, a tiny ripple suddenly came out from within! Tuo Baxuan¡¯s expression changed slightly. Then, before he could react, the pill actually exploded! Rumble! A loud sound was heard! Tuo Baxuan was right in the middle of it and was immediately flung away by the terrifying force, harshly slamming against the ground! However, he didn¡¯t care about himself as he hurriedly got up and gazed at his cauldron. The fire inside was completely extinguished, and the pill was destroyed, leaving only dust behind. The faint burning smell permeated the air. Tuo Baxuan¡¯s face flashed white. How did it¡ªI only made a small mistake just now! Originally, I thought I had already fixed it, but who knew¡­ The sudden explosion caused the surrounding people to be taken aback. Almost at the same time, Zhong Xun also reached the last obstacle! His face was slightly red, and his lips were white as he kept sweating. He looked as if he couldn¡¯t hold on any longer, but his feet were still tightly glued to the ground as he used up all his strength to insert the last bit of his force into the pill! Whir! Aripple hit the cauldron, and an intense herbal fragrance exploded! A few lines continuously appeared on the pill! Then, the pill actually rushed out! Zhong Xun hurriedly grabbed a jade box and captured it! Kacha! The jade box was closed! That pill was nicely locked within! Zhong Xun staggered backward and almost fell on the floor. After he stabilized himself, he finally got a breather as he glanced at the crowd. His lethargic face had an unconcealable elation. ¡°I-I won!¡± The crowd was silent. Nobody expected that Tuo Baxuan¡ªwho had the advantage the entire time¡ªactually lost everything at the last step and lost to Zhong Xun! Even Elder Qiao Zhi was dazed for once. ¡°Congratulations.¡± The person talking was Chu Liuyue. Zhong Xun looked at her and revealed a smile. ¡°Thank you for supporting me just now.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Senior Brother, I actually only wanted to take the risk to gamble. I should thank you instead. You won¡¯t blame me for splitting your winnings, right?¡± ¡°Haha! Why would I!?¡± Zhong Xun laughed. This time, he had won quite a bit from his comeback, so it was nothing to split it with this junior brother. The more important point was that when everyone thought lowly of him, only she stood up to support him. He had to admit that he didn¡¯t have much confidence in himself back then. Only this junior brother helped to calm him down. This was more important than anything else. Zhong Xun walked to the other stone table. Tuo Baxuan had already stood up, and his expression was complicated. ¡°Everyone, I won¡¯t hold back on the points that were bet!¡± Zhong Xun laughed. Tuo Baxuan took a deep breath in. ¡°I admit defeat¡ªjust take it! I¡¯ll get it back from you next time!¡± Zhong Xun used his plaque to touch those few black plaques, and rays of light flashed across. Chu Liuyue then realized that this black plaque actually had a cosmic bag inside. After Zhong Xun touched all those black plaques, he walked to her and smiled. ¡°Junior Brother, bring yours over.¡± Chu Liuyue brought her black plaque over. Light then flashed across, and a few lines floated above it. Chu Liuyue quickly scanned it and discovered that there were quite a few items inside. There were herbs and also formulas. There was a number on the last line: ¡°1,000.¡± That should be the number of points she had earned. ¡°Senior Brother, this¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m Zhong Xun.¡± Zhong Xun smiled and returned the black plaque to Chu Liuyue. ¡°All of this is what you deserve. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before finally taking it over. Then, she smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Zhong Xun.¡± This black plaque indeed had similar uses to a Cosmic Ring. As if seeing through her thoughts, Zhong Xun explained, ¡°You can store many items in the black plaque, and the storage expands along with your accumulated points. Additionally, all the items in your plaque will have your aura on it, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it being stolen.¡± Chu Liuyue thought to herself, This item is indeed convenient. Just based on this alone, many people will dispel their evil intentions. ¡°The winnings obtained through regular betting or items that are willingly given will be recorded down, so you won¡¯t get into trouble.¡± Chu Liuyue had a better impression of the black plaque in her hands. ¡°So this item is this impressive¡­¡± ¡°Of course! Every academy student¡¯s black plaque was specifically made by the Armory Refinement Master elders,¡± added Elder Qiao Zhi. As he spoke, he walked over and shot Chu Liuyue a more surprised look. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re really lucky!¡± He could actually win in such a situation! Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve always been lucky, but this time, it¡¯s mainly because of you and Senior Brother Zhong Xun. If not, I wouldn¡¯t have this chance.¡± Elder Qiao Zhi felt good when he heard this. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ve sent you over already, so during this period, you should learn from them first! You¡¯ll undergo assessments to find your teacher at the beginning of the next month! J still have something on, so I¡¯ll go first!¡± Chu Liuyue acknowledged it. The other students hurriedly bowed. Elder Qiao Zhi¡¯s figure quickly disappeared before the crowd. The surroundings quickly fell silent. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Tuo Baxuan¡¯s voice came from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled faintly. ¡°Chu Yue.¡± ¡°Chu Yue?¡± Tuo Baxuan swallowed the mouthful of blood in his throat and looked at her with a doubtful gaze. ¡°Why did you bet that he would win just now?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°It¡¯s only interesting if the minority wins against the majority.¡± If I bet with the majority, I¡¯ll only get a bit of everyone¡¯s soup. Besides, Zhong Xun definitely would¡¯ve won this round. Why would I go against myself? Tuo Baxuan controlled his expression and felt that he had thought too much. He¡¯s just an eighth-grade heavenly doctor; he shouldn¡¯t be able to discern anything. Perhaps¡­ it really was a coincidence? ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, I¡¯ll bring you around. It¡¯ll be the beginning of the month in the next few days. There isn¡¯t much time left for you to prepare,¡± said Zhong Xun. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Zhong Xun.¡±. Chapter 1118 - So Many Points, I Want to Take a Look Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder Qiao Zhi¡¯s previous worries were rather unnecessary. He never expected that although Chu Liuyue had no status or background, she could still stabilize her footing with just a pill bet. At the very least, with a senior brother like Zhong Xun helping her willingly, it would save her a lot of trouble. Even though heavenly doctors were mostly very prideful, they would still have a good impression of the people who chose to stand on their side in times of difficulty. Zhong Xun brought Chu Liuyue around. After interacting for a while, he felt that this new junior brother wasn¡¯t bad. Though he¡¯s young, he is very mature and well-mannered. His appearance can only be considered clean, and he definitely isn¡¯t an eye-catching existence among the crowd. However, he seems to have a natural elegance in his bones. This rare aura makes him different from the rest. n the beginning, Zhong Xun felt that since the other party had supported him during the pill bet, he had to give the latter some face. But slowly, he wanted to make friends with him. This young man named ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ is indeed outstanding in many aspects. He should be a young master from some aristocratic family, Zhong Xun secretly thought to himself. This aura is definitely not something an ordinary person would have. Even though this junior brother hasn¡¯t talked much about his background as if he were intentionally hiding it, many of the students here do the same thing, so it isn¡¯t surprising. Hence, Zhong Xun didn¡¯t mind it either. Chu Liuyue followed him and toured a few places, bumping into a few people on the way. ¡°It¡¯s going to be the end of the month soon. Everyone is busy cultivating in preparation for the test at the start of the month,¡± explained Zhong Xun when he walked to a sheltered stone pathway. ¡°Other than new students who need to find their teachers, the old students have their own tasks too. You need to know that the competition here is very intense.¡± Even though Zhong Xun said this with a smile, it wasn¡¯t hard to see his serious expression. Chu Liuyue nodded. It¡¯s the top academy in the God Residence Realm, where all the talents gather. It would be weird if it wasn¡¯t intensely competitive. ¡°I just broke through a few days ago, so I wanted to practice with Tuo Baxuan.¡± Actually, he didn¡¯t have much hope either. Who knew¡ª He could only say that no matter how good one was, they had to treat every pill production seriously and carefully and put in their best. If not, someone would bring you down at any moment! ¡°That Senior Brother seems to be about to break through too,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Zhong Xun glanced at her strangely. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. This kind of matter was actually very easy to discern, but the condition was that one¡¯s abilities had to be stronger than the other party or at the same level at the very least. Tuo Baxuan was a ninth-grade heavenly doctor. He seemed to fail when he tried to produce a middle-grade ninth-grade pill. Even though Chu Liuyue hasn¡¯t fully recovered her capabilities, she could still see these things. However, she couldn¡¯t say such words. ¡°I guessed it,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. ¡°When I want to break through, I also like to find people to duel with them.¡± Seeing her genuine expression, Zhong Xun didn¡¯t doubt her. ¡°There¡¯s another reason why he agreed to my pill bet. If he could win five rounds in a row, his points could be doubled.¡± Tuo Baxuan should¡¯ve been sure that he could¡¯ve won, so he agreed to the match. It was a pity that he was too anxious. Points¡ªpoints again! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but question, ¡°It seems like these points are very important?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Zhong Xun laughed out loud. ¡°You just entered the academy, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know this. Although Elder Qiao Zhi briefly explained it to you previously, you¡¯ll only truly understand when you slowly experience it.¡± As he spoke, he sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°Do you want a ninth-grade pill formula?¡± Looking at his face, Chu Liuyue swallowed the words ¡®I¡¯m not interested and smiled slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In the academy, you can buy a ninth-grade pill formula with 1,000 points! Of course, it¡¯ll be a low-grade one. If you want a middle-grade or a superior-grade one, you have to use more points. But as long as you want to and your points are sufficient, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t buy here!¡± said Zhong Xun with a slightly emotional expression. Ling Xiao Academy had been around for millions of years and had a deep foundation. Any aristocratic family in the God Residence Realm couldn¡¯t compare to the academy! The academy was even stronger! Things that couldn¡¯t be found outside and were highly sought after or things that one hadn¡¯t even heard of could be found here! As long as one¡¯s points were sufficient, they could exchange for it! This showed how important points were! ¡°This means that points really are quite important¡­ Then, aren¡¯t my 1,000 points quite useless?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and nodded as if she understood. It¡¯s only enough to buy a beginner ninth-grade pill formula. It¡¯s a waste of time and emotions. However, Zhong Xun didn¡¯t notice the faint contempt in her eyes as he encouraged her. ¡°That¡¯s why you must work hard to earn points after you enter! But you don¡¯t have to worry¡ªyou¡¯ve already turned your initial 100 points to 1,000 points on your first day. You¡¯re much better than many people! In times to come, your points will gradually accumulate!¡± Then, he realized that the youngster opposite him had slightly hung his head as if he were thinking of something. ¡°Chu Yue? Chu Yue?¡± After Zhong Xun called twice, that youngster looked up and smiled at him slightly. His black eyes dazzled and shone under the reflection of the sunlight. ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, you¡¯re right.¡± The pure youngster smiled in a gentle and harmless manner. ¡°There should be other people pill betting in the academy, right? I wonder if¡­ Senior Brother Zhong Xun can bring me along? I want to take a look.¡±. Chapter 1119 - Who Organized This?! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue and the others¡¯ arrival didn¡¯t cause much of a commotion in Ling Xiao Academy. Everyone was used to it as new students would come in once every few days. Now that there were only three days left until the assessment at the beginning of the month, they couldn¡¯t even handle their own matters, let alone care about others! There were many talents in the world. Here, only the capable ones had the last say! Fangzhou. After Elder Wen Xi left with them, Elder Hua Feng was left alone to guard the area. It quickly became nighttime. Elder Hua Feng packed his items up and returned to his house. He sat on the stone chair in the yard, and the surroundings were silent. However, Elder Hua Feng wasn¡¯t calm. ¡°It has been so long¡­ Why hasn¡¯t she come out yet¡­¡± muttered Elder Hua Feng softly as he stared at the sparkling stars in the sky. That¡¯s not right. It really isn¡¯t right. I clearly felt that that person had come. Even if I die, I won¡¯t mistake that familiar aura! n the beginning, that person didn¡¯t show up, and Elder Hua Feng thought that she was tricking him. But after waiting for so long and being on his guard for the entire day, he didn¡¯t even see half a person¡¯s figure. Elder Hua Feng stroked his beard, and his head ached. It was as if one knew that a mine was buried next to them, but they didn¡¯t know the exact location or when it would explode! He felt very uneasy, and this feeling wasn¡¯t good. Elder Hua Feng thought for a while as he held up his wine bottle and drank a big mouthful from it. His throat burned! Then, he forcefully wiped his mouth and grunted softly. ¡°Don¡¯t come if you don¡¯t want to! Who is waiting for you!?¡± Following that, he stood up and returned to the house. He lifted his blankets and directly lay on the bed, planning to rest. The moonlight shone in from the windows. Clang! Elder Hua Feng jumped up in frustration. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m so annoyed! When I find you, just see how I¡¯ll teach you a lesson, rascal!¡± The night was silent. Nighttime in Fangzhou didn¡¯t have the hustle and bustle of daytime as the surroundings fell silent. A figure with a slightly curved back paced back and forth on the spacious streets. His footsteps seemed light and silent, but they were very quick. Even if there were people who walked by in the night, they couldn¡¯t detect him. ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­ Not here¡­ Not here either¡­¡± After searching for a long time, Elder Hua Feng finally found a desolate corner and stopped. His head ached. Was it really an illusion? After much thinking, Elder Hua Feng finally clenched his teeth and walked in the direction of the city! The city gates were as per normal, and there was nobody guarding it at night. However, people were prohibited from entering or leaving at night. Hence, the area near the city gates was also very quiet and empty. Elder Hua Feng walked to the entrance and held his breath to gather his focus. Gradually, his expression became determined. That¡¯s definitely not an illusion¡­ Then, he averted his gaze and stared at the hole that was chopped out by the city gate. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in years, yet your patience has grown!¡± grunted Elder Hua Feng softly. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you¡¯ll last!¡± Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. The next morning, he felt someone coming. It was the elder who was supposed to take the next shift¡ªGuan Song. Seeing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s slightly lethargic expression, Elder Guan Song was taken aback. ¡°What happened? You were just stationed here for half a day. Why did you become like this?¡± Elder Hua Feng was stumped. / can¡¯t say it¡¯s because I was waiting for that troublemaker¡­ ¡°Nothing, nothing. Just come over.¡± Elder Guan Song glanced at the empty bottle by his waist and said concernedly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back earlier? I think you¡ª¡± ¡°No need!¡± Elder Hua Feng swiftly rejected him. I¡¯ve already changed my mind! I must wait here! Elder Hua Feng waited for three days in one go. Quite a few elders changed shifts in between, yet Elder Hua Feng insisted on being stationed here and didn¡¯t leave. But after much waiting and searching, that person still didn¡¯t appear. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart was crushed. /f you¡¯ve come back, you should come out after hiding for a few days. If you haven¡¯t come back¡­ Elder Hua Feng¡¯s eyes lit up! Could it be that the troublemaker really didn¡¯t come back?! After much consideration, Elder Hua Feng finally went back the day before the beginning of the month. J won¡¯t wait anymore! It¡¯s more important to accept disciples! At this moment, on a certain mountain in Ling Xiao Academy, two youngsters were staring straight at each other in the middle of an empty space. Hundreds of people gathered around in a circle to watch. Two stone tables were placed beside the two youngsters. Their respective black plaques were placed on them. The atmosphere was tense; it was clear that it was another pill betting session. But at this moment, before the two youngsters began, the crowd¡¯s gazes all fell on a figure in the crowd. It was a youngster in a green robe. His eyes were clear, comfortable, and clean. ¡°Chu Yue, who are you betting on for this match?!¡± Zhong Xun asked at the side. Once he said this, the crowd increasingly fell silent. Some people unwittingly held their breaths in as they closely stared at the young man being questioned. It seemed like they were waiting for his answer. Chu Liuyue felt her head ache withstanding these enthusiastic stares. This matter¡­ seems to have blown up¡­ It was actually very simple. Three days ago, she told Zhong Xun to bring her around and see if there were other pill bets as she wanted to earn some points to spend for herself. In the end, after she won five matches consecutively, the matter started developing in an uncontrollable direction. Many people heard that a new junior brother had consecutively won five pill betting wagers! The key was that all five matches he chose had a high compensation rate! When everyone thought that he would lose completely, he made a comeback and directly won the many points countless people accumulated over a long time! This allowed the junior brother to earn more than a hundred-fold of his points when he started from 100 points on his first day in the academy! Once this news spread around, it caused quite a big commotion. Pill bets were very common in the academy. On the one hand, everyone could duel with each other and learn from each other. On the other hand, it could entertain them and adjust their mood. Hence, once someone started a bet, quite a few people would follow them all the while. There would be wins and losses for the majority. After all, there were many aspects to pill betting. Even if one¡¯s cultivation level was higher, they might fail if they made a slight mistake during the competition. Such uncertainty caused pill bets to be more fun. But now, a new student actually won five pill bet wagers in a row! How could it not shock others and make them curious? Thus, many more people started following her around. Until today, wherever Chu Liuyue went, the betting locations would be very crowded. Everyone was waiting for her to make a decision. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. Actually¡­ it was such a coincidence¡­ I purposely chose those matches with a high compensation rate as I wanted to earn fast money. Who knew it would turn out like this? ¡°I think¡­¡± Chu Liuyue walked to one of the stone tables. Once she placed her black plaque down, she heard a voice boom from above. ¡°What are you doing?! Tomorrow is the assessment. Why are all of you gathered here?!¡± The crowd looked up. Chu Liuyue looked up as well. ¡°Which scoundrel organized this? Stand up!¡± The crowd quickly put away their black plaques and looked at Chu Liuyue in unison. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had just placed her black plaque down¡ªwas confused. . Chapter 1120 - Rumors Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You! Yes, you! Come over here!¡± While he was speaking, that elder¡¯s figure had already quickly flown over from afar and landed on the ground. The crowd moved a step backward in unison and respectfully greeted, ¡°Greetings, Elder Wan Zheng!¡± Elder Wan Zheng grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later!¡± He looked at the ¡®mastermind¡¯ Chu Liuyue. ¡°This kid¡­ Hm? You¡ª¡± Seeing the unfamiliar face, Elder Wan Zheng was dazed. ¡°You¡¯re new?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched as she hurriedly stepped forward, cupped her fists, and respectfully bowed. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Greetings, Elder Wan Zheng.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re Chu Yue!¡± Elder Wan Zheng had heard of this name before. Two days ago, he heard Wen Xi mention that he recruited a rare talent for them. Said talent was only 16 years old and was an eighth-grade heavenly doctor. Originally, Elder Wan Zheng thought that Chu Yue would be busy familiarizing himself with the academy and cultivating. After all, the assessment was coming up, and he had to get a mentor. Who knew he would actually be busy with such illicit matters?! Seeing that the kid was still considered polite and was young, Elder Wan Zheng toned down a little. However, his tone was still rude. ¡°Chu Yue, do you know that you¡¯re not allowed to pill bet on the last day of the month?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. How would I know?! Nobody told me before! At the side, Zhong Xun hurriedly went forward and explained, ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, it¡¯s all my fault. Junior Brother Chu Yue just arrived, and I didn¡¯t tell him about it properly, so¡­¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t know, do all of you not know too?¡± Elder Wan Zheng interrupted him, surveyed his surroundings, and looked solemn. The crowd exchanged glances and became increasingly silent. ¡°Everyone present has violated the academy rules. 3,000 points are to be deducted from everyone!¡± ¡°Ah!!!¡± The crowd groaned in misery. We just wanted to earn some quick bucks, and we haven¡¯t even started! Why did we suddenly have our points deducted!? Elder Wan Zheng raised his brows slightly. ¡°What? Do you want it deducted two-fold?¡± Everyone immediately fell silent. ¡°The two people who made the agreement to pill bet are to have 5,000 points deducted!¡± The two lone people standing next to the cauldron could only be angry, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak. Who told them to do it on purpose? Originally, they thought that they would be lucky and could prepare a little before the beginning of the month, but who knew they would be harmed by their wit? They could only silently accept the deduction. ¡°And you¡ª¡± Elder Wan Zheng glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You led the betting. Even though you didn¡¯t know about it, your points still have to be deducted! Since this is your first offense, I¡¯ll deduct 5,000 points!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. J only managed to earn more than 20,000 points these three days. Now, 5,000 is deducted in one go. It¡¯s a huge loss for me. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, Junior Brother is really innocent in this matter. It¡¯s all because we didn¡¯t tell him on time and guide him properly. You should deduct these 5,000 points from me!¡± said Zhong Xun hurriedly. Actually, he blamed himself quite a bit. They didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Even though the academy had rules that they couldn¡¯t pill bet on the last day of the month, the restrictions had exceptions¡ªit didn¡¯t allow more than two people. This also meant that other than the two parties who were betting, it wasn¡¯t against the rules as long as the others didn¡¯t follow. In the end, more than a hundred of them gathered in one go. It would be weird if Elder Wan Zheng wasn¡¯t angry. Luckily, they hadn¡¯t officially begun. If not, the punishment would be worse! He also forgot about this issue as excitement overwhelmed him when he spent so much time with Chu Yue and saw the latter winning many times. In the end, he implicated everyone¡ªespecially his junior brother, who had just come and didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, thank you for your kind intentions. But since I did this, I should take responsibility for it.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and rejected Zhong Xun¡¯s help. Elder Wan Zheng squinted his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Then, he flicked his wrist and brought up his own jade plaque. This jade plaque was slightly different from theirs, be it in terms of size or appearance. Clearly, this was something that only an elder would have. ¡°Everyone come and queue up now!¡± Elder Wan Zheng commanded, and the crowd could only go forward obediently. They queued up and placed their black plaques above one by one. Rays of light flashed across. Quite a few people looked heartbroken, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak further. Very quickly, even the duo who hadn¡¯t competed in time walked over and had 5,000 points deducted. hong Xun glanced at Chu Liuyue hesitantly. hu Liuyue willingly walked forward and placed her black plaque forward. ray of white light flashed across, and the number above decreased instantly. hu Liuyue¡¯s attitude put Elder Wan Zheng in a better mood. ¡°That¡¯s the way! You need to familiarize yourself with the academy rules. If not, such a situation will happen again because you¡¯re ignorant!¡± hu Liuyue acknowledged it obediently. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Elder Wan Zheng. I¡¯ll remember it.¡± ¡°Great! You¡¯re a talent, so don¡¯t spend time on these nonsensical things! Prepare well today and perform well tomorrowl¡± A rare smile finally surfaced on Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s face. Chu Liuyue nodded. Elder Wan Zheng then waved his hands. ¡°Go back! Go back!¡± Once he said this, the crowd acknowledged the order in unison and disappeared instantly. Chu Liuyue was speechless. In the blink of an eye, only the three of them were left on the giant mountain peak. Elder Wan Zheng reminded them again and then left. Looking at the empty surroundings, Chu Liuyue was speechless for once. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, don¡¯t mind it. Elder Wan Zheng said all of that for your own good. He didn¡¯t really mean to blame you.¡± Seeing that her expression seemed amiss, Zhong Xun hurriedly comforted her. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡ª¡± ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, you don¡¯t have to blame yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I know that Elder Wan Zheng meant well, but I just find it weird.¡± ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± ¡°The atmosphere in Ling Xiao Academy has been great, and everyone toes the line. Why is there such a rule?¡± Can¡¯t pill bet at the end of the month¡­ If they¡¯re really unhappy, they could just ban it altogether. Why must they impose the restriction for the last day only? ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about this?¡± Zhong Xun smiled in understanding. ¡°You just came, so you don¡¯t know. The start of every month is when everyone needs to use up their points crazily, so many people will suddenly have a surge in wealth the day before since they try to accumulate as many points as possible to have better advantages. You¡¯ll understand this in detail in the future.¡± ¡°The academy set this rule to prevent competition with ill intentions as they might steal other people¡¯s points, and¡­¡± Thinking of something, Zhong Xun restrained his expression, and his eyes looked deep. Chu Liuyue looked at him. ¡°And what?¡± ¡°Actually, this is just hearsay,¡± said Zhong Xun slowly after feeling conflicted for a moment. ¡°This rule had never existed before, but a few years ago, a student used pill betting to gain one-third of all the academy students¡¯ points at the end of the month, causing those people to be unable to cultivate properly for the next few months! Ever since then, the academy specifically set this rule to prevent such an event from happening again.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and asked with much interest, ¡°Who is it? This person is so capable.¡±. Chapter 1121 - Come Late Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhong Xun shook his head. ¡°I only came to the academy two years ago, so I didn¡¯t see that person. I heard that she left after staying in the academy for only half a year, but even now, there are still many rumors regarding her spreading around the academy.¡± He grunted. ¡°I heard that she¡¯s a rare all-rounder.¡± ¡°All-rounder?¡± ¡°Yeah. Other than the warrior, Xuan Master, and heavenly doctor aspects, she¡¯s also good at Armory Refinement! And her abilities in all the aspects are one of the top! I heard that when she first came, there were at least ten people who fought to be her mentor. In the end, there was no choice but to let the director personally accept her as his disciple. That¡¯s the first disciple the director had in a hundred years.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. He¡¯s even good at Armory Refinement¡­ He¡¯s indeed deserving of the reputation of an all-rounder. What kind of talent have the elders in Ling Xiao Academy not seen? It shows just how outstanding that person was for them to behave in this manner. ¡°It¡¯s a pity she suddenly disappeared after half a year and never returned since. From then onward, the elders in the academy have never brought up her name, as if she never existed. Gradually, everyone stopped bringing her up.¡± Zhong Xun sighed. ¡°The reason why I¡¯ve heard of these things is that I accidentally barged into her medicinal garden before, and I found out after a senior sister reminded me.¡± ¡°Medicinal garden?¡± Chu Liuyue found it weird. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the herbs everyone uses in the academy are from Medicinal Valley?¡± Ling Xiao Academy was very spacious, and the mountains were continuous. In the heavenly doctor¡¯s region was an area of land specifically used for planting herbs, and it was called Medicinal Valley. With heaven and earth¡¯s nourishment over a million years, Medicinal Valley became a treasured land to plant all sorts of precious herbs and ingredients. Most of the herbs in the academy were produced from there. ¡°Oh, the director specifically dug out an area of Medicinal Valley to be her personal medicinal garden. When she refined medicine, she could only use the herbs that came from her garden.¡± ¡°Why is this so? If he¡¯s an all-rounder, he definitely needs a lot of herbs when she¡¯s producing pills. If you do this, won¡¯t it impede his heavenly doctor journey?¡± Even if they dug out the weeds, it would be really slow to grow her own herbs! One had to know that many herbs needed a hundred or even a thousand years to reach sufficient efficacy. ¡°That¡¯s not true. She could also use the herbs from Medicinal Valley, but she needed to write out a list beforehand and let the elder in charge of Medicinal Valley vet it. If the elder agreed, she could use them. If not, then¡ª¡± hu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Why is there such a strange rule?¡± hong Xun paused. ¡°That¡¯s because she used up the hundreds of top herbs in Medicinal Valley after a month of coming to the academy.¡± hu Liuyue: ¡°¡­I see.¡± This shows that that person is indeed quite capable¡­ Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and smiled lazily. ¡°He caused so much trouble. The director and elder never hit him?¡± hong Xun glanced at her strangely. ¡°The seniors are all very respectable. How can they hit a lady?¡± hu Liuyue: ¡°¡­She¡¯s a lady?!¡± didn¡¯t say it¡¯s a man, right?¡± asked Zhong Xun in return. hu Liuyue smiled shyly. ¡°Haha¡­ When I figured out how tor¡ªhow amazing she is, | instinctively thought in that manner..¡± ¡°I heard that the director and elders doted on her very much back then, especially Elder Hua Feng. He personally taught her Xuan formations, but for some reason, she disappeared in the end, and nobody talked about her again.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, I¡¯ve told you so much today; just take it as us having a personal conversation. You don¡¯t have to take it to heart, and as for others¡ª¡± ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, don¡¯t worry. I know what I can say and do,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Chu Yue is a smart person and understands with a slight hint. I don¡¯t need to worry about him much. Zhong Xun heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. You don¡¯t have to think too much about the rest for the time being. Just prepare yourself and handle the assessment tomorrow to get a mentor. Previously, I roughly told you about the elders. Do you know who you want?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Zhong Xun felt at ease as he smiled and said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait for you to amaze me tomorrow, Junior Brother Chu Yue!¡± Then, Chu Liuyue followed Zhong Xun back to their living area. Like the other peaks, there were many individual houses sitting around. Zhong Xun stayed in one of them. Not far away from his residence was an empty house, and Chu Liuyue now stayed there. After bidding Zhong Xun farewell, Chu Liuyue walked into the house. I should be able to see the others in the academy tomorrow¡­ Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and calmed herself down to cultivate. On the other side, after Elder Wan Zheng was done settling the matter on this end, he returned to Qing Ming Square. Above the clean and tidy square, the white jade stone reflected a faint light. One could vaguely see some flickering light on it. ff there was a capable Xuan Master, they would be able to see the countless complicated, silently intersecting and overlapping Xuan formations within the light. Elder Wan Zheng walked to Dong Huang Clock Tower. Below Dong Huang Clock Tower was a heavy platform with a total of four doors. Every door faced toward the north, south, east, and west respectively. Above the copper doors was a lively floating statue. Elder Wan Zheng walked to one of the doors, took out his green plaque, and placed it on the door. The door opened, and there was actually a living room within! He stepped in. ¡°If it weren¡¯t this urgent, we wouldn¡¯t have called you back so anxiously.¡± Elder Wan Zheng walked in and quickly heard the familiar voice coming from the front. ¡°Everyone here is of certain importance to all the distinguished clans and families. To have you make time to come over is really¡ª¡± ¡°Elder, you¡¯re speaking too formally. We¡¯re all the academy¡¯s students. Now that the academy has trouble, we¡¯ll definitely do our best to help.¡± A young man¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°But may I know what exactly caused the elders to be so worried? For the past few days, the elders didn¡¯t want to speak in detail. Now that we¡¯re all gathered together, can you finally tell us?¡± Elder Wan Zheng walked in from the dark. Inside the room, the candle lights burned. There were about 20 people here. Amongst them were a few elders who had the most distinguished status in Ling Xiao Academy. The remaining dozen or so people mostly looked rather young and had different auras. They came as the academy had wanted their help, and they were all previous students from the academy and were all from top aristocratic families. At this point, the crowd had split into two sides, and the atmosphere was a little strange. Hearing the commotion, the crowd turned around to take a look. Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°I was handling some stuff earlier. I didn¡¯t come late, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. You came right on time,¡± the young man who spoke earlier laughed and said. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace just arrived, and everyone was waiting for him, so we haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡±. Chapter 1122 - I’ll Dote on My Wife Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone went quiet for a moment. Many people snuck glances at Rong Xiu¡ªwho was sitting next to the elders¡ªwith varying expressions on their faces. The young man was obviously taking a dig at him, but much to everyone¡¯s surprise, the latter didn¡¯t seem to be angry about that. Instead, an enchanting smile appeared on his noble and alluring face, making everyone lost in the depths of his deep and inscrutable eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with my clan¡¯s affairs recently, so I was unable to attend to other things at the same time. I¡¯d like to seek the elders¡¯ kind understanding for this.¡± Elder Bo Yan, who sat at the main seat, smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve heard what happened at the Sky-Cloud Empire. You¡­ have chosen a wife for yourself?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes landed on Rong Xiu. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened as hints of amusement appeared in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s her first time at the Sky-Cloud Empire. There are many things that she hasn¡¯t gotten used to, so I stayed to accompany her for a few more days.¡± uzzlement could be seen on everyone¡¯s faces, for they knew Rong Xiu¡¯s temperament and the way he worked all too well. It was hard for them to imagine how he¡ªsomeone who didn¡¯t bat an eyelid when killing someone¡ªcould become so gentle and infatuated with a woman. ¡°It seems like you really love your wife. You care more about her well-being than the crisis the academy is facing. I didn¡¯t know that you were such a devoted lover,¡± said the young man. When Rong Xiu looked up slightly, a clear and sharp glint flashed in his black eyes, which seemed to be swirling with emotions. The young man stiffened at that. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t come, there are plenty of elders here to take care of it. Young Master Wei, are you questioning the abilities of these elders?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Wei Xiping was rendered speechless, for he couldn¡¯t possibly say that to their faces. ¡°Besides, am I supposed to expect other people to dote on my own wife?¡± Even though Rong Xiu was smiling as he said this, the iciness in his squinted eyes struck fear in the young man¡¯s heart. Anger surged up Wei Xiping¡¯s chest, but just when he wanted to retort, Elder Bo Yan said, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to discuss these things now. What¡¯s most important at hand is that matter.¡± Elder Wan Zheng walked over and sat down on one of the two remaining empty chairs. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Elder Bo Yan, is the director not coming today?¡± asked a young lady, who was sitting at the side. The director ought to be the one presiding over this meeting instead. Elder Bo Yan calmly replied, ¡°The director is still in seclusion, so I¡¯m still in charge of the academy¡¯s affairs for the time being.¡± Although there was nothing wrong with this reason, it made some people frown as the director had been in seclusion for a long time, yet it seemed that he still had no intention of coming out to date. Hence, they couldn¡¯t help but find it suspicious. That said, Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t give them the chance to continue this topic. ¡°I¡¯ve only briefly mentioned this matter in the letter to you all because it¡¯s more appropriate that I tell you the details in person.¡± Upon hearing Elder Bo Yan¡¯s serious tone, everyone fell silent and carefully paid attention to what he was about to say. Actually, they weren¡¯t the only people who had received the letter from the academy. There were at least a hundred people who had received said letter, but these people were the only ones qualified to sit here. Take Jiang Zhiyuan for example. She was also one of the recipients and had even arrived earlier than Rong Xiu, but currently, she could only wait outside. Meanwhile, a few girls were sitting together in a circle in an exquisite courtyard on top of a mountain peak at the Xuan Master area. ¡°Zhiyuan, I heard that you¡¯ve picked up a new skill. Are you going to reveal it at the monthly assessment tomorrow?¡± asked a pretty girl with a curious expression. Jiang Zhiyuan, however, didn¡¯t respond. In fact, it didn¡¯t seem like she heard the question. ¡°Zhiyuan? Zhiyuan?¡± It was only then that Jiang Zhiyuan snapped back to her senses and realized what was going on when she met their gazes. She nodded. ¡°Huh? Yeah, I do have the plan to do that.¡± Her gaze then drifted back to Dong Huang Clock Tower. As she hadn¡¯t fully recovered from her injuries, her lips were still a little pale. Her pale complexion, coupled with her faraway look, made her look extra pitiful. It was unfortunate, though, that only these girls were here to see it. The girls next to Jiang Zhiyuan exchanged a look. There wasn¡¯t even a need for them to ask her in order to know why she was behaving like this. The news about the Sky-Cloud Empire had long spread and reached their ears. Even though the various clans and sects in the God Residence Realm didn¡¯t keep in touch with each other very often, it didn¡¯t prevent certain important news from spreading quickly. Besides, almost everybody in the academy knew how Jiang Zhiyuan felt toward Rong Xiu. In fact, he was the main reason why she had enrolled in Ling Xiao Academy. Jiang Zhiyuan came from Fairy Water Mound¡ªwhich was the strongest clan among the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s 28 clans¡ªso many people naturally thought that she would be the one standing next to Rong Xiu¡¯s side. However, things turned out to be different from their expectations. Seeing how crestfallen and distracted Jiang Zhiyuan was, they knew that she probably wouldn¡¯t listen to anything they said to her at this moment. All of a sudden, a girl with a sharp chin pursed her lips and said, ¡°Zhiyuan, this is so unlike you! If this were in the past, you¡¯d definitely be racking your brain for ways to get a good result in the monthly assessment right now!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of all that? It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll notice me¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan let out a bitter laugh. Everything she did in the past was because Rong Xiu was too outstanding in the academy. She figured that the gap between them could be narrowed if she worked harder to better herself. She didn¡¯t mind doing anything as long as it meant that she could be closer to him, but everything had lost its meaning now that he had chosen someone else as his wife. No matter what she thought or did, nothing could change this fact. ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason for you to do well in the assessment!¡± The girl with a sharp chin lightly tapped Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s head with a finger. ¡°Are you going to give up on him just like that after chasing him for so long?! This is the time you have to show how outstanding you are! Let everyone, including him, realize that it¡¯s his shame for not choosing you!¡± A flash of light flickered in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes, but it soon died out. Show how outstanding I am? It looks like they still don¡¯t know about Shangguan Yue¡¯s performance. If they knew that she¡¯s stronger than me, they surely wouldn¡¯t say such things. ¡°Just think about it, Zhiyuan! Both you and Rong Xiu are currently at the academy. As long as you¡¯re willing, there won¡¯t be any chance for that princess consort.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked up in surprise. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±. Chapter 1123 - A Restless Night Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You¡¯re outstanding and admired in the academy, while that princess consort isn¡¯t even qualified to become a student here! You¡¯ll get to reap the benefits of being in a favorable position! It just so happens that Rong Xiu will be staying in the academy for the time being. Once you spend enough time by his side, he¡¯ll naturally prefer you more!¡± The sharp-chinned girl revealed a smug look. ¡°No man will be able to resist such a gentle pursuit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Zhiyuan! You¡¯ve liked him for the longest time, so don¡¯t you feel indignant giving up just like that?¡± ¡°To be honest with you, we¡¯ve always thought that you¡¯d be¡­ Can you really bear to see someone else together with the man you love?¡± It didn¡¯t take long before Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind started wavering. She pursed her lips tightly together and furrowed her eyebrows in hesitation and nervousness. ¡°Actually¡­¡± She wanted to say that Shangguan Yue was far more powerful than they thought. For some reason, there wasn¡¯t much news about Shangguan Yue circulating in the Sky-Cloud Empire; it was like someone had deliberately sealed the news off. That was why everyone else mistook Shangguan Yue for an ordinary girl. Jiang Zhiyuan, however, knew all too well that Shangguan Yue was far superior to her in terms of looks, talents, and everything else. Most importantly, Shangguan Yue had Rong Xiu¡¯s favor. He was indeed fond of her and didn¡¯t hesitate to go to great lengths for her. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say all that and admit that Shangguan Yue was more outstanding than her; she simply couldn¡¯t do it. After a long time, she finally exhaled and said, ¡°I have my own plans.¡± Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged in the room as she gathered her focus and raised a hand. A point of light appeared on her finger, and it soon split into multiple points and illuminated her entire palm. Jingshen Finger was transformed into Jingshen Palm. She then slowly clenched her fist. A stream of force surged to her fist and emitted a faint glow. Whoosh! Chu Liuyue sent a punch flying out. As a strong gust of wind blew across the room, black cracks instantly appeared in the void, which was the result of the violent wind. All of the Heaven and Earth Force in the surrounding¡ªwhich seemed to be affected by that punch¡ªstarted rippling. Bzzt! Bzzt! Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes when she saw an invisible fluctuation rush out of the room, and a rich force suddenly rushed out. Boom! The violent collision was from the power of the punch striking the newly formed barrier. The barrier barely managed to stabilize after that brief and violent collision. ¡°Phew! Are you trying to scare me to death, lass?!¡± Shangguan Jing¡ªwho had appeared in the room at some point¡ªhad a look of trepidation on his face as he patted his chest above his non-existent heart. ¡°If anyone hears this commotion, you¡¯ll surely get punished by those elders tonight!¡± ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t expect this either¡­¡± Chu Liuyue let out an awkward cough. After slowly withdrawing her power, she opened her hand and took a close look at her fair palm and defined fingers. If one didn¡¯t see it for themselves, they surely wouldn¡¯t know that this slender hand contained such astonishing power. ¡°Jingshen Fist is so powerful¡­ ¡± This was the first time she had executed Jingshen Fist. After breaking through to become a stage-seven warrior, the force in her body had been greatly boosted, and she had become extremely proficient in controlling Jingshen Palm. Hence, she reckoned that it was time for her to try practicing Jingshen Fist; it was a part of Ultimate Jingshen anyway. Since Jingshen Fist was transformed from Jingshen Finger and Jingshen Palm, she didn¡¯t need to exhaust a lot of energy to execute it. But the thing she didn¡¯t expect was that it would pack so much force. That punch alone had shown signs of mobilizing the Heaven and Earth Force. ¡°Of course, it is! What did you expect from an Earth-grade warrior technique?!¡± Shangguan Jing huffed and glared at her. ¡°But only Heaven-grade warrior techniques can mobilize the Heaven and Earth¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you have a holy force in your body!¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head. ¡°Jingshen Fist is extremely complex, but it has great potential. The power you unleashed just now could almost be comparable to that of a Heaven-grade warrior technique. If you practice well¡­ you might even be able to execute a more powerful punch in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue was secretly amazed by this when she suddenly recalled the scene where she discovered Ultimate Jingshen. That¡¯s right! This set ofskills contains Heavenly Dao! It¡¯sjust that I was too weak at the time to fully understand the skill and many things happened thereafter, so I temporarily put this matter aside. Now that I think about it¡­ there¡¯s no way an ordinary Earth-grade warrior technique can be so powerful! ¡°Lass, you better master this skill well. It might become your most powerful skill in the future!¡± advised Shangguan Jing earnestly. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll help guard you while you figure things out.¡± After saying that, Shangguan Jing strengthened the barrier to prevent the people outside from sensing the commotion here. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor.¡± Following that, Chu Liuyue quickly gathered her thoughts, closed her eyes, and recalled Ultimate Jingshen. She used to find Jingshen Fist disorganized and disorderly, but for some reason, she could now sense a hint of pattern in it. She thus channeled her internal force once more and lifted her right hand. When a red force shot out and enveloped her palm, she started turning her palm in mid-air slowly and clenching her fingers to form a fist. Her palm was entirely wrapped in radiant light and somehow appeared translucent. Shangguan Jing was shocked to see an appalling pressure spreading out. Ultimate Jingshen is indeed comparable to a Heaven-grade warrior technique! This lass is¡­ unbelievably lucky! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what was running through Shangguan Jings mind. While repeatedly recalling Jingshen Fist¡¯s technique in her mind, she kept injecting force into her right hand. If she were to open her eyes right now, she would see that her palm was gradually becoming transparent as her force flowed to her hand. One couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her hand would completely become transparent once she fully mastered the skill. As time passed, the power in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, as well as the pressure within, became stronger and stronger. Shangguan Jing felt inexplicably nervous while he stared closely at her hand. The dazzling light illuminated Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, making her fair face appear even clearer and cleaner. Just then, Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly as the brilliant light reflected in her black eyes. She then pushed her fist out. Crack! Shangguan Jings eyes widened in shock, for the barrier he had set up had been easily shattered by Chu Liuyue¡¯s punch.. Chapter 1124 - Rong Xiu, You’re Being Too Wilful Whoosh! Whoosh! With a wave of Shangguan Jing¡¯s hand, another two bolts of force flew out to strengthen the barrier. The shattered portion of the barrier was soon covered by a thin, transparent, and glittering layer. Bam! The two forces collided once more. Bam! The barrier failed to stop one of the punch forces, allowing it to fly out of the door. Shangguan Jing was appalled to see the gaping hole in the door. ¡°Are you okay, Chu Yue?! What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhong Xun¡¯s worried voice could be heard coming from outside. Shangguan Jing instantly made himself disappear along with the barrier. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes, only to see that the house was in a mess. It was a good thing that Shangguan Jing¡¯s barrier had stopped most of the force. Otherwise, the consequences would¡¯ve been more serious. ¡°Chu Yue, what are you¡ª I¡® Zhong Xun was shocked to see the state of the house. Even though night had fallen, the moonlight was bright enough for him to have a vague view inside. ¡°No need to worry, Zhong Xun.¡± Chu Liuyue stood up and flashed a smile at him. ¡°I was just studying a certain warrior technique. This only happened because I failed to control it properly¡­¡± ¡°Martial art technique?¡± Thong Xun¡¯s expression relaxed, though the corners of his lips twitched at the sight of the damaged door. ¡°You should¡¯ve practiced in a spacious area instead. It¡¯s too¡ª¡± ¡°It was my mistake. I won¡¯t do it again,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a sheepish smile. ¡°That had better be! Why would you practice your cultivation in the house when there are plenty of places for that in the academy? But then again¡­ You¡¯re a heavenly doctor. Why are you wasting your time and energy on the warrior path?¡± But before Chu Liuyue could say anything, the answer dawned on him. ¡°You¡¯re a dual cultivator?!¡± Chu Liuyue stayed silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m also a warrior.¡± Zhong Xun¡ªwho didn¡¯t seem to notice her pause¡ªsaid frankly to her, ¡°I see¡­ That explains your talent in this aspect! However, it¡¯s better that you place your focus on the heavenly doctor path since you¡¯re extremely talented at it.¡± Even in the academy itself, students who cultivated the heavenly doctor path were somewhat prideful. Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Thanks for your advice, Thong Xun. l¡® It was only after looking around the house a couple more times and leaving repeated warnings to Chu Liuyue that Zhong Xun finally took his leave. As Chu Liuyue stared at the destroyed door, she muttered under her breath, ¡°That door is so lousy¡­ I better replace it with a stronger one tomorrow.¡± ¡°How is that the door¡¯s problem?!¡± Shangguan Jing snapped at her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you restrain yourself a little just now?! My old and feeble body barely managed to contain the force!¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have a body¡­¡± ¡® ..That¡¯s not important! In any case, I want you to be careful in the future!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After a while, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Are you really alright?¡± Shangguan Jing snorted in response. ¡°Ask me that again when you¡¯ve become a stage-nine warrior!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue broke into a chuckle, feeling relieved to know that he was fine. She didn¡¯t continue studying Jingshen Fist and instead started absorbing more force with the hopes that she could break through as soon as possible. Unbeknownst to her, Shangguan Jing had a hard time calming himself down. This lass is currently only a beginner stage-seven warrior, yet she managed to execute an advanced Earth-grade warrior technique to such an extent. This is really shocking! Between her ability and the warrior technique, I wonder which exactly is the truly extraordinary ¡°That thing will appear at any time, and many people will surely be after it. If it ends up in the hands of¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s voice trailed off as a grave expression appeared on his face. Everyone in the hall was quiet. They, too, were looking somewhat serious. Just then, Rong Xiu suddenly turned his head and frowned as he looked in a certain direction. That commotion¡­ Elder Bo Yan paused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Rong Xiu? Is anything the matter?¡± As Rong Xiu retracted his gaze, the ripples of emotions in his eyes got hidden away as well. ¡°Nothing. Please go on.¡± He leaned back against his chair and placed a hand on the armrest. Even though he appeared as lazy and noble as usual, his eyes were drooping slightly. Nobody caught the glint in his eyes though. She really can¡¯t behave herself I can¡¯t believe she found her way back to the academy¡­ Rong Xiu massaged his temples and then looked at Elder Wan Zheng. He leaned slightly over to the latter and whispered, ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, why were you late just now?¡± Elder Wan Zheng waved his hand. ¡°A bunch of naughty kids was caught betting on pills! The new student didn¡¯t know the rules and gathered people to gamble. He seemed to be quite talented in this aspect though. In any case, they¡¯ve been punished!¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows. What¡¯s this feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­? ¡°Why are you asking about this?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± Rong Xiu curled his lips and flashed Elder Wan Zheng a gentle and polite smile. Why does it look like he¡¯s pitying me? What¡¯s with that look? Elder Wan Zheng found Rong Xiu¡¯s smile rather strange, but when he wanted to take a closer look at the latter¡¯s expression, the latter had already looked away and was nodding his head slightly as if he were seriously paying attention to what Elder Bo Yan was saying. He suppressed the uneasy feeling in his heart. It¡¯s not like we haven ¡®t gotten any troublemakers in school before. Most of them tend to behave themselves after punishment. That person is an exception though¡­ A shiver ran down Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s back out of nowhere, and he quickly suppressed the thought. The meeting in Dong Huang Clock Tower went on until the next day, but this was nothing to the people present. Given their cultivation levels, staying up for a night wasn¡¯t a big deal to them. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you all then,¡± said Elder Bo Yan in a sincere manner as he stood up. ¡°You¡¯re being too polite, Elder Bo Yan. As Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s students, it¡¯s only right that we do our part for the academy.¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s our honor to do something for the school!¡± Elder Bo Yan expressed his gratitude to everyone present before they ended the meeting and left. Rong Xiu took his sweet time, and before he knew it, he was one of the last ones in the room. Some people even looked back, but they didn¡¯t say anything, for they knew that the teachers treated Rong Xiu differently from them. It couldn¡¯t be helped that he was much stronger than the rest of them. In fact, it would be weird if the elders didn¡¯t trust and value him. Only Rong Xiu and the elders remained behind. ¡°Rong Xiu, why haven¡¯t I heard you mention anything about the princess consort before?¡± asked Elder Bo Yan with hints of kindness in his expression. ¡°I heard that she¡¯s an outsider?¡± The rest of the elders looked over when they heard that, for it was somewhat inappropriate for Rong Xiu to take an outsider as his princess consort. Rong Xiu smiled and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Elder Bo Yan was surprised when he studied Rong Xiu¡¯s expression. He¡¯s genuinely fond of that girl¡­ An elder at the side shook his head and sighed. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡¯re being too willful. You¡¯re the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s saint now. How could you marry such a woman?¡± Chapter 1125 - Qing Yun Rank Here it is! Rong Xiu¡ªwho had expected this question¡ªsmiled instead of feeling displeased. ¡°It looks like the letter from Fairy Water Mound has reached Elder Dan Qing.¡± Elder Dan Qing replied curtly with a frown, ¡°The letter didn¡¯t mention much. It was your doing, so it¡¯s natural that the matter would spread. Don¡¯t tell me that you were planning to hide the matter?¡± The others fell silent. Even though they shared the same sentiments as Elder Dan Qing, they weren¡¯t as blunt and agitated as him. The reason why he paid extra attention to this matter was that Jiang Zhiyuan was his student. As her mentor, he naturally felt upset when he saw his beloved student being miserable and suffering such grievances. Hence, he found Rong Xiu to be somewhat of an eyesore as a result. ¡°The selection for the princess consort was an open one.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Everything that happened during the selection was witnessed by the people present.¡± Elder Dan Qing was at a loss for words, for what Rong Xiu had done couldn¡¯t be considered as a deliberate cover-up. ¡°If Elder Dan Qing has any questions about the events of that day, I can answer them right away. That way, you needn¡¯t get angry for nothing from hearing unreliable news.¡± Despite the smile on Rong Xiu¡¯s face, these seemingly polite words were as sharp as a knife. Elder Dan Qing¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Are you saying that Zhiyuan lied about everything and was deliberately accusing you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s more convenient and accurate to hear from the person in question himself than an outsider?¡± Outsider¡ªwith that one simple word, he instantly drew a line with Jiang Zhiyuan. Elder Dan Qing felt stifled. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter at first, but he felt bad to see how dispirited and miserable Jiang Zhiyuan was after returning to the academy. Hence, he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to question Rong Xiu. Though, what Rong Xiu said was right since Jiang Zhiyuan was indeed an outsider to him. Aside from the fact that she wasn¡¯t even on par with him in terms of status, he had never shown any interest in her before. It was ultimately just Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s own wishful thinking. ¡°Alright, alright. That¡¯s Rong Xiu¡¯s own business; he has a mind of his own and knows his priorities. Since he has made up his mind, we shouldn¡¯t interfere with his decision,¡± Elder Wan Zheng stepped in to mediate. Elder Bo Yan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Rong Xiu, bring your wife over when you¡¯re free.¡± As Rong Xiu had spent quite some time in Ling Xiao Academy, the director and the mentors were all elders to him, so it was only normal for them to make such a request. Rong Xiu, however, appeared somewhat hesitant for once. ¡°¡­Some other day, I guess. The academy is currently facing some troubles. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be disturbing you from important business if I bring her here. Besides¡­ she needs some time to get used to her new environment.¡± The elders looked at each other in surprise as they didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to politely refuse them. What sort of woman is the princess consort for him to be so protective ofher? ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Elder Bo Yan knew that this was a concession on Rong Xiu¡¯s part, so he didn¡¯t say anything more. Just then, a loud and heavy bell sound could be heard coming from outside. It was from Dong Huang Clock Tower. ¡°The monthly assessment is about to begin.¡± Elder Wan Zheng looked at Elder Bo Yan, who had to be present for occasions like this. Elder Bo Yan nodded his head slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go out. Rong Xiu, you may leave fir¡ª I¡® ¡°I¡¯ll go out with you to take a look too,¡± Rong Xiu interrupted Elder Bo Yan with a smile. The elders revealed looks of surprise. ¡°Really?¡± Rong Xiu had always been aloof, and he wasn¡¯t a fan of crowds. Even when he was in the academy, he didn¡¯t show up for such occasions very often, which was why they were so taken aback. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened slightly. ¡°It just suddenly occurred to me that it¡¯s been a long time since I took the monthly assessments, so I missed them a little. You won¡¯t object, right?¡± ¡°Why would we?! Haha! Those brats would be overjoyed to know that you¡¯re here!¡± Elder Wan Zheng burst out laughing loudly. Rong Xiu was famous for being outstanding in the academy. Even though he had left the academy, his reputation was still as resounding as ever. Many students secretly saw him as their model in the hope that they could, one day, become as outstanding as him and even surpass him. Rong Xiu fell silent for a moment before he laughed. ¡°¡­Probably¡­ I guess.¡± Qing Ming Square was already bustling with activity even though the sun had just risen. Countless students were gathered there brimming with energy. Excitement, apprehension, and ambition could be seen on their faces. Although they were standing on the square in groups or all by themselves, their eyes were all fixed on the clock tower. ¡°So this is the monthly assessment! I wonder if I can successfully get a mentor¡­¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem since we¡¯ve been preparing over the past two weeks or so!¡± ¡°What a headache! I still haven¡¯t figured out the Xuan formation I was asked to look at last month. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll pass this time!¡± ¡°Haha, I just broke through two days ago! Hehe! There might be a chance that my rank will move up!¡± Everyone was talking, and the noise made the originally quiet square much livelier. Chu Liuyue followed Zhong Xun to the area for heavenly doctors. The thing was that their area was slightly further away and located near to the Xuan Masters. They could even hear some of their whispers from their area. Chu Liuyue followed everyone¡¯s line of sight and looked in the direction of Dong Huang Clock Tower. ¡°Why does everyone seem to be looking over there?¡± Thong Xun couldn¡¯t hide the excitement on his face. ¡®That¡¯s because the Qing Yun Ranking will soon appear on the clock tower!¡± Chu Liuyue was surprised to hear that. ¡®Qing Yun Ranking?!¡±. Chapter 1126 - Eye Contact in the Crowd Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The term wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to her; she had once unwittingly blurted out this term when she was sparring with Rong Xiu. The thing was that she didn¡¯t know what it was at the time. So it¡¯s Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s ranking system¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t know about it?¡± Thinking that Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t heard of the Qing Yun Ranking before, Zhong Xun patiently explained it to her. ¡°The Qing Yun Ranking is Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s overall rank. It records the most talented students in the long history of the academy. ¡°It¡¯s divided into four lists, namely warrior, Xuan Master, heavenly doctor, and Armory Refinement Masters. Those four lists will also be on the north, south, east, and west walls of Dong Huang Clock Tower respectively. ¡°As long as you¡¯re a student here and are under the age of thirty, you have the chance of making it into the Qing Yun Ranking with your own ability! ¡°The first day of every month is a big day for the academy. Some people take the assessment to become the student of the elder of their choice, while some do it for the sake of treasures. What¡¯s most important here, though, is to get a rank! You have a lot of benefits if your name is on the Qing Yun Ranking! The director and elders will have a better impression of you too!¡± Chu Liuyue understood now. ¡°That explains it¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking it¡¯s no wonder everyone is so excited and finds the Qing Yun Ranking so important.¡± With her arms crossed in front of her chest, Chu Liuyue smiled and tapped her chin thoughtfully. No wonder I bluffed that out when I was sparring with Rong Xiu, even though I didn ¡®t have any related memories. I guess I used to be obsessed with ranking higher than Rong Xiu on the Qing Yun Ranking¡­ At the thought of that, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt somewhat curious. She turned her head and looked at Dong Huang Clock Tower¡¯s grand black walls. Qing Yun Ranking¡­ I wonder what RongXiu ¡®s rank is and which list he¡¯s on? Creak¡­ Dong Huang Clock Tower¡¯s doors opened, and a group of people walked out. This commotion immediately silenced the noisy crowd, for they all knew that it was the elders who were coming out. It didn¡¯t take long before the crowd noticed that there were ten or so young men and women amidst the elders. They naturally felt curious since only the more important elders were allowed to enter the clock tower. Someone soon recognized the group of young men and women though. ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t that Young Master Wei? Why is he here?¡± ¡°Young Master Wei? Which Wei family?¡± ¡°Qinggu Slope¡¯s Wei family, of course!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s him?! Word has it that he is extremely talented and is highly valued by his family. He¡¯s basically the Wei family¡¯s strong heir candidate! However, didn¡¯t he complete his studies and leave the academy last year? What¡¯s he doing here now?¡± ¡°Look! That seems to be Flying Star Sect¡¯s second miss, Shi Rui¡¯er! Why is she here too?¡± ¡°¡­Haven¡¯t you guys realized that they all used to be our academy¡¯s students and are members of the most influential families?¡± someone whispered. It was only then that the rest of the people realized that seemed to be the case. Most of those people had already left the academy; only a few were still studying there. When gathered together, their combined influence was enough to shake the entire God Residence Realm. It was no wonder that the crowd reacted that way. All of a sudden, the crowd fell silent, and the air around them seemed to be frozen. Upon sensing the subtle change in atmosphere, Chu Liuyue looked over as well. As she was standing at the back of a very remote area, she couldn¡¯t really make out the features of the group of people walking out from the clock tower. However, she recognized the tall and slender man in white almost instantly when he walked out. The sky was currently clear and bright. The black Dong Huang Clock Tower stood coldly behind Rong Xiu, and the reliefs on its bronze doors were lifelike and majestic, forming a contrast with the white Qing Ming Square. Rong Xiu was the most distinctive and eye-catching color in between these two extreme colors. Although he looked ethereal in his white clothes, his slightly drooping eyes cast a faint shadow on his fair skin. From a distance, it looked like a bright white jade that had been dipped into the deep blue ocean. He easily attracted everyone¡¯s attention with his presence. Even though there were many handsome men and pretty ladies in that group of people who had walked out, they instantly paled in comparison. The crowd fell silent with his appearance. Upon sensing something, Rong Xiu looked up. Everyone was shaken by that gaze of his, for he had such deep and impenetrable eyes that they seemed capable of swallowing everything. The gentleness in his eyes at that moment, however, could make people melt in them. Some ladies were blushing as they stared at him in a daze, but his gaze was only on one person. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes met his. When she saw him narrowing his eyes, her heart thumped, and she quickly averted her gaze out of guilt. However, she regretted her action as soon as she did that. Why am I feeling guilty?! He ought to be the one feeling guilty instead! He surely knew that I used to study at Ling Xiao Academy, but he deliberately hid it from me. He didn ¡®t even tell me that he had received news from the academy! Ultimately, he¡¯s the one in the wrong! But when she looked up again, she noticed that Rong Xiu was surrounded by a few elders and that they were whispering something to him. As Rong Xiu was very tall, he lowered his head slightly for convenience¡¯s sake. He seemed to be carefully paying attention to the conversation and was nodding calmly to it. The other young men and women were standing toward the side. Hence, the position where Rong Xiu was standing¡ªtogether with the elders¡ªappeared very special in comparison. The elders seemed to be very friendly and polite toward him too. Whispers slowly broke out among the crowd as they came back to their senses. ¡°Gosh, who¡¯s that man?! He looks so outstanding. There¡¯s no reason why I wouldn¡¯t have an impression of him if he¡¯s a student here!¡± ¡°He resembles someone¡­ Could he be¡­?¡± ¡°Sky-Cloud Empire! Could he be Rong Xiu, the saint of the Sky-Cloud Empire?! I heard that he left the academy a few years ago, so I didn¡¯t expect to see him here today!¡± ¡°Rong Xiu?! T-that legendary Rong Xiu?!¡± Gasps could be heard coming from the crowd. Being the perceptive person he was, Elder Bo Yan naturally noticed everyone¡¯s reactions. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a smile. ¡°I knew it¡­ I knew this would happen if you came. Why don¡¯t I leave the monthly assessment to you¡ª¡± Rong Xiu humbly said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare rob you of your duty, Elder Bo Yan. Please go ahead.¡± Elder Bo Yan laughed and then took a step forward. ¡°I, Bo Yan, would like to welcome you all on behalf of Ling Xiao Academy!¡± Chapter 1127 - You Go First! Chapter 1127 You Go First! His kind yet still authoritative gaze quickly swept across the crowd! Everyone could clearly hear his deep and low voice! Chu Liuyue felt like a thunderbolt had seemingly struck beside her ear. It caused her blood to course around, showing the strength of it! Her heart skipped a beat as she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Ling Xiao Academy indeed lives up to its name! Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words made quite a few people excited, especially the new students who had just entered the academy in the recent month. It was many people¡¯s dream to be able to enter Ling Xiao Academy and cultivate here. Now that they were standing here and listening to the academy elders¡¯ words, how could they not be excited? ¡°Today¡¯s test is split into two portions as usual.¡± Elder Bo Yan stood with a hand behind his back. ¡°The first portion is where the newcomers will find their mentors. After a period of understanding the place, the new students that have just entered in the last month should already have a teacher they want to follow the most. As long as you can pass the relevant assessments today, you can successfully enroll!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t pass the test, you¡¯ll be given another chance to choose another teacher. If you still can¡¯t pass the second round, you have to leave the academy immediately! You can only come back three months later!¡± The crowd fell silent. The nervousness in people¡¯s eyes became increasingly obvious. ¡°Ling Xiao Academy is really strict¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. Even if one had already passed the elders¡¯ first test in Fangzhou, it didn¡¯t mean that they were officially the academy¡¯s student. In the academy, there were even stricter tests waiting for them! One had to know that the first test¡¯s standards were already very high. Together with this challenge¡­ many people would be eliminated. Many talents who were highly respected and envied outside might not even have the chance to enter the area! However¡­ Ling Xiao Academy did have such capability! They wanted the top existences! ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, with your talent and capability, you can definitely pass the test.¡± Zhong Xun thought that she was worried about herself, so he comforted her. Chu Liuyue acknowledged it with a smile and didn¡¯t explain further. ¡°For the second portion, it¡¯s the assessment for all the students and the updating of the Qing Yun Ranking. This depends on your abilities!¡± Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that the crowd became very excited when Elder Bo Yan talked about the ¡®Qing Yun Ranking.¡¯ ¡°Great! Without further ado, let the monthly assessment begin!¡± With Elder Bo Yan¡¯s command, the elders took their spots. Very quickly, many elders appeared in the centermost position of the square. ¡°All new students come forth!¡± hollered Elder Wan Zheng. The crowd fell silent, and a young man walked forward. He previously stood with the Xuan Masters, and he was also going toward the Xuan Master elders. With the first one taking action, the remaining newcomers walked out gradually. Zhong Xun glanced at Chu Liuyue. Just as he wanted to pat her shoulders and encourage her, he felt a sudden gust of cold intent. He stopped in his actions and instinctively looked toward the cold intent. However, he didn¡¯t see anything as if that moment of horror was just an illusion. Chu Liuyue had already walked over. Zhong Xun could only wave behind her back and encourage her. ¡°All the best, Junior Brother Chu Yue!¡± Even though his voice wasn¡¯t loud, he still attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. This was because the name ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ was too popular in the academy these two days. For three days in a row, he won all the pill betting wagers! One had to know that even the many wily old foxes in the academy couldn¡¯t do this! Additionally, on the last day of the month yesterday, the commotion he accidentally caused had ended up with hundreds of people¡¯s points being deducted. Even if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to be in the spotlight, it wasn¡¯t up to her. ¡°Quickly, look! That¡¯s Chu Yue!¡± All sorts of voices came from the crowd. ¡°He¡¯s the brave one that gathered everyone to pill bet?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly. ¡°Originally, I thought he¡¯d be someone muscular, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be a pretty boy. He does look quite clean¡­ If I didn¡¯t see him personally, I wouldn¡¯t have believed that this kid was so brave.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. It seems like something¡¯s wrong¡­ I just wanted to earn some points easily. Why do I suddenly have such a title to my name? Please-if I knew about that rule, I wouldn¡¯t have gone against it, alright?! Hence, Chu Liuyue welcomed everyone¡¯s gaze as she walked through the crowd and went to the front. This was an area that was specifically left empty. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath as she looked up. Dong Huang Clock Tower was in front. Below the tower were a few elders and a few young people who looked like students. Four males and one female. Including Chu Liuyue, only six people had to pass the tests on the heavenly doctor¡¯s side. After Chu Liuyue stood still, she glanced at both sides. On the left was the Xuan Masters, and there were about 20 newcomers. Chu Liuyue quickly spotted Lin Zhifei standing within. She hadn¡¯t seen him for a while, and his body seemed to have recovered. His originally pale white face looked livelier and rosier, not as fragile as it had looked in the past. Even though he still seemed quite frail, his distant aura still made him look quite distinguished. As if detecting something, Lin Zhifei looked over. Chu Liuyue retracted her vision and looked to her right¡ªthis was the Armory Refinement Master side, and there was no new student at all. Oh, not even an elder. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. They¡¯re¡­ pretty straightforward. When Elder Wen Xi brought them in, he had mentioned that there were very few Armory Refinement Masters in the academy. However, Chu Liuyue never expected there to be this few. She couldn¡¯t see the warrior¡¯s side from her area, but she could guess that there would be the most people there. ¡°Who will go first?¡± Elder Wan Zheng stood with his hands behind his back as his gaze gradually swept past the few of them. Actually, he wasn¡¯t that fierce, but he was born with a strict, authoritative face. When he didn¡¯t smile, it gave others a very heavy sense of suppression. People who were unfamiliar with him would mistake that he had a bad temper. The few students standing in front of Chu Liuyue all became scared and nervous when he asked the question so directly. Nobody talked at that moment. Elder Wan Zheng was already used to this scene and didn¡¯t mind it either. His gaze turned and landed on Chu Liuyue. ¡°Kid! Come here!¡± Many of the newcomers came with trepidation and curiosity, and they couldn¡¯t let go of anything easily. However, this Chu Yue was different-he had just come for a few days, yet he had already gotten himself into a lot of trouble. With the earlier incidents as a precursor, his mental tolerance should be much stronger. The crowd looked over. Chu Liuyue stepped forward. A pair of deep and heavy eyes landed on her. Chapter 1128 - Seeing a Shocking Talent Again! Chapter 1128 Seeing a Shocking Talent Again! ¡°Have you thought about which teacher you want?¡± asked Elder Wan Zheng. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I wonder¡­ if I have the honor of being your student?¡± Elder Wan Zheng looked slightly shocked. The elders at the side also looked over with strange gazes. ¡°Really? You really think so?¡± It wasn¡¯t weird for Elder Wan Zheng to have such a reaction. This was because although he was one of the more capable ones amongst the heavenly doctor elders, he was stricter than the rest and had higher expectations for his students. Hence, he wasn¡¯t the most sought-after one among the students. One had to know that heavenly doctor cultivation was very different from other aspects. In many situations, one needed the teacher¡¯s help and guidance. In such circumstances, many people actually preferred to choose teachers who were gentler and easier to get along with. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t feel uneasy and pressured all the time. For the past few years, Elder Wan Zheng had always been doing so. He hadn¡¯t taken any disciples in three whole years. This wasn¡¯t because no students wanted him as their mentor, but¡­ Those students couldn¡¯t pass his test. Hence, everyone was shocked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s choice. ¡°You need to be prepared to take on hardships if you want to be my student.¡± Elder Wan Zheng sized Chu Liuyue up doubtfully. ¡°With your body¡­ Can you do it?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°You¡¯ll know if I can do it when you personally test me.¡± Elder Wan Zheng laughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯re young, but you make big promises! Okay! Since you¡¯ve said so, then¡­ I¡¯ll personally test you!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was challenged for once and was interested. He waved his hands and took out two pieces of paper. With a flick of his wrist, the two pieces of paper flew toward Chu Liuyue. She took it with her hands. Elder Wan Zheng smiled and said, ¡°It records a formula for a pill that I recently produced! However, one of them is real, and the other is fake. If you can choose which is real, you win!¡± Once he said this, quite a few people exchanged glances. ¡°Verifying the authenticity of the formula? Isn¡¯t that too simple¡­¡± ¡°What do you know!? Elder Wan Zheng wrote that formula himself! How can the difference be seen so easily?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! In the last three years, Elder Wan Zheng has only used this method to recruit students. With this alone, nobody has passed his test even now!¡± ¡°I heard that Chu Yue was already an eighth-grade heavenly doctor at 16 years of age, so he might actually be able to¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. There were also people as outstanding as him and even better, but Elder Wan Zheng still didn¡¯t accept them.¡± ¡°I wonder why Elder Wan Zheng has such high standards. Sigh¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the two formulas in her hands. The two pieces of paper were regular-sized, but such thin and small pieces of paper couldn¡¯t fit the hundreds of herbs¡¯ names on it! After taking one look at it, Chu Liuyue realized that the handwriting was disappearing. Then, numerous lines appeared on the clean paper once again this was the content that followed right after! For herbs and ingredients alone, the lines had appeared four times! The fifth time, it became the handling method. After Chu Liuyue took a rough look at it, the handwriting disappeared again. This time, no other traces appeared again. This also meant that from start to end, although Chu Liuyue gathered all her focus and energy, she only forcefully managed to finish reading that formula. It would be extremely difficult for an ordinary person to finish reading it, let alone differentiate its authenticity! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and looked at the next formula. The same situation happened again. Luckily, Chu Liuyue was prepared, and it wasn¡¯t as nerve-racking or intense to read it. Before the last line even disappeared, she had already retracted her gaze and passed the two formula sheets over. Quite a few people sighed and felt pity. It seems like this Chu Yue can¡¯t do it either. That¡¯s true. With such a maniacal assessment method, who can pass it in the world? ¡°You¡¯re not looking at it anymore? You gave up?¡± Elder Wan Zheng took the two formula sheets and had an ¡®as expected¡¯ expression on his face. Anyway, I didn¡¯t expect anyone to be able ¡°The first one I saw was fake, and the second was real,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly and seriously. ¡°Mm¡­ Mm? What?¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t react in time as he looked dazed. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and spoke in greater detail. ¡°Although the blood osmanthus can energize people, its medicinal efficacy will be greatly discounted when placed with white bamboo. Besides, you even put two sticks of white bamboo in, which will increase the coldness of it. There¡¯s only harm and no benefits.¡± ¡°Besides, you can¡¯t put berry malt and frozen stone in one after another. The smell that the former produces when it¡¯s being refined will greatly affect the extent of ice forming on the frozen stone. If you¡¯re not careful, the frozen stone will be completely ruined, and it will lose its medicinal efficacy.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke lightly and curtly. The surroundings gradually fell silent. irro Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyes slowly widened. ¡°¡­Do I still continue?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. I¡¯ve already said so much. Anyone that understands the heavenly doctor trade even a little can understand, right? ¡°Y-you¡­ How did you discern that?¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s voice trembled slightly. Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. ¡°Of course, I saw it with my eyes.¡± ¡°No, I mean,¡± As Elder Wan Zheng spoke, he saw the youngster¡¯s playful smile. He¡¯s witty and intelligent! Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s heart beat even faster. As a heavenly doctor, he knew too well how precious the talent this youngster had displayed was! There were people who had a photographic memory, but very few were like Chu Yue, who could not only remember the herbs but even the quantity and the order in which they were placed! The most precious thing was that he clearly knew all the properties of those ingredients and even knew how to use them! He had completely understood them! A thought popped up in Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s mind. I¡¯ve finally met a treasure again! ¡°No need, no need!¡± said Elder Wan Zheng continuously. His rather stern and plain-looking face couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement and agitation as smiles filled his eyes. ¡°This is enough! You¡¯ve passed!¡± If I don¡¯t even accept such a person, I will really be punished by the heavens! Back then, I couldn¡¯t win against the director. Now, it¡¯s finally my turn! Chu Liuyue blinked. Passed? That¡¯s all? Oh, it seems like Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s request isn¡¯t that hard¡­ If the surrounding people knew of Chu Liuyue¡¯s current thoughts, they would definitely want to dig out her heart! You passed easily, but have you thought about others?! Do you know how much we have suffered?! ¡°Okay, okay! Chu Yue! Chu Yue, from now on, you¡¯re my Wan Zheng¡¯s¡ª¡±. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Before Elder Wan Zheng could finish speaking, he was suddenly interrupted. Elder Wan Zheng was dazed and turned around to look at the few heavenly doctors, feeling rather uneasy. Then, he heard one of them smile at Chu Liuyue and say, ¡°Chu Yue, would you be interested in following me?¡± Elder Wan Zheng grunted. They really came to snatch from me! Chapter 1129 - Acknowledge Mentor Chapter 1129 Acknowledge Mentor ¡°Why are you joining in?! Didn¡¯t you hear that Chu Yue wants me as his mentor? It¡¯s too much if you snatch him now, right?¡± Elder Wan Zheng said rudely. However, the elders didn¡¯t care about this. ¡°The child has just come and doesn¡¯t know much about the academy. It¡¯s normal for him to make wrong decisions in such a sudden situation. You should let the child come over and take a look before he chooses his mentors!¡± ¡°Yeah! Wan Zheng, you pull a long face all the time, so which student wants to follow you? They¡¯ll be frightened to death by you! Chu Yue is young. How can he suffer such torture?¡± ¡°Chu Yue, I think you should just come to my side! I guarantee you that it won¡¯t be worse than Wan Zheng!¡± The few teachers swiftly said their piece. There were already very few geniuses who were heavenly doctors, so how could they not be tempted when they met such an outstanding one? At this point, they threw all their reputation aside! They had to steal him over! Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± The few heavenly doctor elders aren¡¯t weak. This¡­ With the sudden change and the strange atmosphere, the spectating audience was also dazed. Aren¡¯t all the elders arrogant? Aren¡¯t the mentors all high and mighty? What is this situation?! The incoming students who had yet to be tested had various expressions when they saw this situation. Some were envious, others were jealous, and there were also expressionless ones that people couldn¡¯t tell what they were thinking ¡°Fourth Brother, look! I said that kid definitely could do it, right!¡± On the Xuan Master¡¯s side, Luo Yanming looked at the distant scene and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. However, his eyes still had surprise and shock. Previously, I already knew that Chu Yue was very outstanding, but I didn¡¯t expect that he could pass Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s test! With such talent, he will have a bright future ahead of him as long as he properly cultivates in the academy! ¡°Mm.¡± Luo Yanlin nodded slightly, and his impression of that youngster did change. Actually, he didn¡¯t really think much of the other party. But it now seemed like¡­ that Chu Yue was even stronger than he had expected¡­ At the very least, he hadn¡¯t seen these few elders openly snatching a student in a long time¡ªespecially these few arrogant heavenly doctors. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be an underdog in this assessment,¡± said Elder Bo Yan¡ªwho was standing in Dong Huang Clock Tower-in shock. ¡°What a surprise!¡± Even though he wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor himself, he could tell that the young man called Chu Yue did have great talent. At this point, Elder Bo Yan saw from the corner of his eyes that Rong Xiu seemed to be looking at that youngster as well. ¡°What? Rong Xiu, do you have any opinions about that youngster?¡± Rong Xiu retracted his vision, and his lips curled up slightly. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ indeed outstanding.¡± A flash of light quickly went across Elder Bo Yan¡¯s sharp and old eyes. ¡°How rare to get your compliment!¡± Rong Xiu never had much interest in such matters and wouldn¡¯t talk about anything he didn¡¯t care about. Besides, he was already a top talent on his own. There was only a handful of people that had the right to get his compliment and acknowledgment. Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°She definitely has her abilities if she can make Elder Wan Zheng accept her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Elder Bo Yan stroked his beard. Ever since the time Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t win against the director, he became even stricter than before. This was also the reason why he couldn¡¯t accept any disciples for such a long period of time. After seeing such a raw talent, he felt that other people were average and not good enough. Elder Wan Zheng is very stubborn and refuses to lower his standards. Now that he has finally met one he likes, he definitely won¡¯t give up just like this. ¡°The warrior¡¯s side seems to have quite a few students too.¡± They seemed like they had a lot of potential, but Rong Xiu just smiled slightly and acknowledged with an ¡®mm.¡¯ He didn¡¯t even look over at the warrior¡¯s side; this meant that he didn¡¯t care anymore. Elder Bo Yan felt increasingly confused and couldn¡¯t help but glance at Chu Liuyue again. This¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s personality hasn¡¯t changed, and he still doesn¡¯t care about anything else. He seems to care about¡­ ¡°Elders, thank you for thinking highly of me, but I did choose Elder Wan Zheng to be my mentor. Therefore¡­¡± Facing the strong attacks from the few elders, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem nervous as she smiled politely and humbly rejected them one by one. From start to end, she didn¡¯t seem to waver at all. Seeing her determined attitude, the few elders were quite disappointed and gave up in the end. There is no choice. Even if we snatch people, we need to see if they are willing to be stolen! Elder Wan Zheng laughed out loud delightfully and heartily. ¡°Hahaha! You don¡¯t even have a chance to steal him away!¡± It¡¯s rare to have such a precious talent. I have to nurture him properly! Thinking about how he had harshly punished Chu Liuyue the day before, Elder Wan Zheng felt complicated. Luckily, this child is broad-minded and didn¡¯t take that incident to heart. If not, I would¡¯ve missed this huge opportunity! ¡°Kid, don¡¯t worry! With me around, other people won¡¯t dare to bully you in the academy from now on!¡± assured Elder Wan Zheng boldly. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Then, thank you, Eld¡ªMentor.¡± With the word ¡®mentor,¡¯ Elder Wan Zheng burst with joy. ¡°Great, great, great! When we go back later, we¡¯ll complete the formalities!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was overjoyed and was in an extremely good mood. This caused the mood at the heavenly doctor¡¯s side to lighten up and become slightly strange. This was because¡­ Chu Liuyue was the first student! She was the first to go up, yet she performed so outstandingly. She had even successfully become Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s disciple. This undoubtedly caused extreme stress for the remaining few people. They were all heavenly doctors and were extremely sensitive in such aspects. They could all tell that Chu Liuyue was indeed very strong in this area! If it were them, they might not even be able to remember the two formulas! How could they even deduce the authenticity of the formulas and point out the problems like she did? In no time, there were many people in envy and also people with jealousy. After passing the test, Chu Liuyue took a step back, stood at the side, and let someone else have her spot. ¡°Next!¡± an elder yelled. The remaining few people exchanged glances. That woman stood up first. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at that woman. She seemed to be in her twenties. Her skin was white, her nose bridge was high and sharp, and she had watery and mesmerizing eyes. However, the faint arrogance in her eyes made her seem much more distant. She walked straight to Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, I also want to be your student.¡± She looked around and glanced at Chu Liuyue in a seemingly challenging manner. Chu Liuyue chuckled lowly. Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s students are really competitive¡­ Chapter 1130 - Familiar Name! Chapter 1130 Familiar Name! Elder Wan Zheng seemed to be used to all of this as he laughed out loud, and two formulas flew out. ¡°Okay! This is the formula for another pill. Take a look!¡± That woman took it with two hands and glanced at it. Then, her expression changed slightly. When I was standing at the back previously, I didn¡¯t know that the words would appear one after another. When I saw how relaxed Chu Liuyue was, I thought¡­ Just as she panicked, the words on the paper had already disappeared. Very quickly, names of new herbs appeared again. That woman then realized that she had thought things too simply as she started breaking out into a cold sweat. ¡°Wu Xuan is already a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, so she should pass the test more easily than Chu Yue, right?¡± ¡°Besides, she¡¯s only 21 years old this year. In comparison, she should be as talented as Chu Yue. Perhaps Chu Yue won¡¯t even reach Wu Xuan¡¯s level when he¡¯s 21.¡± ¡°That might not be so. If Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s test could be passed so easily, why hasn¡¯t anyone succeeded in the past three years? There were quite a few ninth-grade heavenly doctors amongst them!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Speaking of which, how exactly did Chu Yue pass? He¡¯s too smart.¡± Hushed discussions could be heard from behind. Wu Xuan became increasingly nervous. Originally, she was very confident in herself and felt that she would be the most outstanding one out of all these people. So when she saw that the crowd was filled with praises for Chu Yue, she felt competitive and wanted to beat him. However, she didn¡¯t expect the test to be so hard! The more she read on, the more frustrated and confused Wu Xuan got. How exactly did Chu Yue remember so many herbs in one go earlier!? He even directly found the problem! Very quickly, the last line of words disappeared. Wu Xuan looked at the second sheet anxiously, but she was already panicked. Even if she was very capable, she didn¡¯t execute her full potential. The words on the second piece of paper appeared one after another and quickly disappeared. ¡°Are you done looking at it?¡± Elder Wan Zheng glanced at the two white sheets of paper in her hand and asked. ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Wu Xuan¡¯s voice was a little empty, and her hands trembled slightly. ¡°Then, say it! Which is real, and which is fake?¡± Wu Xuan didn¡¯t speak for a while. It was only when Elder Wan Zheng pressed her for an answer that she clenched her teeth and said, ¡°The first is real, and the second is¡­ No, the second is real¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t speak and just stared at her. After a while, Wu Xuan finally gave up as she lowered her head, and her cheeks flushed red. She opened her mouth and said with much difficulty, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Her words were filled with indignance and humiliation. It was honestly the first time that she admitted her incapability in front of so many people. However, Elder Wan Zheng had seen too many of such scenes. He raised his hand, and a wave of force flew out. The two sheets of paper silently turned into dust. ¡°You still have a second chance.¡± Wu Xuan was shocked and then recalled that Elder Bo Yan had once mentioned everyone had two chances to acknowledge a mentor! If they failed the first time, there was still a second chance. But if they failed both times, they would have to be chased out and couldn¡¯t officially become the academy¡¯s student. She bit her lips and suddenly looked at Chu Liuyue at the side. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, I have something to ask. Was the formula that Chu Yue saw the same level as mine?¡± If it weren¡¯t because the formula¡¯s grade was lower and was simpler than mine, how could he so easily ¡°Chu Yue¡¯s formula had a total of 198 types of herbs, and yours only had 181.¡± Elder Wan Zheng glanced at her and smiled. ¡°Do you still have any questions?¡± Wu Xuan¡¯s face flashed white and red as she finally replied, ¡°¡­ N-no¡­¡± Then, she bit her lips and moved a step back as there seemed to be tears in her eyes. She looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. Is this young man really¡­ that much stronger than me?¡± However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take this matter to heart. This was because that familiar gaze was still on her. She restrained the urge to look up. ¡°Next!¡± The heavenly doctor¡¯s side was rather quiet, but the Xuan Master side and the warrior side were much livelier. Some succeeded, and some failed. Some were elated, but others were disappointed. However, such a scenario would happen every month, so the old students were used to it. From the corner of her eye, Chu Liuyue saw that Lin Zhifei seemed to have passed the test. His talent was much stronger than what he had executed, so it was naturally not a problem for him to enter Ling Xiao Academy. Then, Luo Yanming had also passed the test successfully. Chu Liuyue took a look and pondered for a while. She estimated that it wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem for Zhuo Sheng and Luo Shishi. The new students¡¯ assessments progressed very quickly. The heavenly doctor¡¯s side had ended the earliest¡ªincluding Chu Liuyue, four out of six had passed the test. The remaining two failed regretfully. The elimination rate at the Xuan Master¡¯s side was also a quarter. Looking at the disappointed youngsters¡¯ faces, Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s standard is indeed the highest! However, the atmosphere with intertwining happiness and sorrow quickly disappeared. This was because after the first part¡ªthe new students¡¯ assessments¡ªwas over, more people were enthusiastically and nervously waiting for the Qing Yun Ranking! Countless pairs of eyes focused on Dong Huang Clock Tower. Elder Bo Yan laughed out loud. ¡°It seems like all of you are anxious! Okay then; I¡¯ll release the rankings now!¡± Then, he waved his sleeves. Dong Huang Clock Tower struck thrice. Dong! Dong! Dong! Millions of light rays flew out the next moment, and it looked brilliant! Rows of neat names appeared on the black metallic wall through the countless rays of light. Chu Liuyue looked up; she was looking at the heavenly doctor ranking list! A familiar name suddenly appeared! Chapter 1131 - Erased Name Chapter 1131 Erased Name Rong Xiu! Looking at the ever-familiar two words on the top of the ranking list, Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed. Rong Xiu¡­ is actually on the heavenly doctor ranking list, and he has such a high position?! ¡°How can it be¡­ Why is he first?¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. Hearing her voice, Elder Wan Zheng looked up and squinted his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re talking about Rong Xiu? He¡¯s not first.¡± Chu Liuyue turned to look at him. ¡°Rong Xiu is second. There¡¯s someone else above him.¡± ¡°Another one?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and didn¡¯t see any name appearing above Rong Xiu. ¡°First¡­ The first person¡¯s name has been erased.¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s tone was weird. ¡°Why?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t understand why. Since everyone wants to be on the Qing Yun Ranking, why would the first-place holder¡¯s name be erased? ¡°The director did it. Back then, after the first-place holder made it to the board, her name disappeared soon after. Many of the students who just came to the academy would mistake that Rong Xiu is first, but he actually isn¡¯t.¡± Elder Wan Zheng raised his chin. ¡°Look, if you take a closer look, there¡¯s the director¡¯s seal engraving on the first position. Chu Liuyue took a closer look and realized that there seemed to be a faint suppression on the topmost position. But why did the director do this? Chu Liuyue wanted to say something, but she didn¡¯t know what. These top characters will have their own considerations for doing what they did. It would be futile if I asked Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°But this had already happened a few years ago. Very few people talk about this in the academy now, so not many people know about it.¡± Even if they knew that the Qing Yun Ranking was amiss, many elders and students tacitly chose to remain silent. Elder Wan Zheng suddenly sighed lightly. If I didn¡¯t accept Chu Liuyue as my disciple, I wouldn¡¯t bring this incident up either. After all¡­ some things from the past are already in the past. ¡°You can just know about this; you don¡¯t need to know the details. Now, there¡¯s nothing wrong with having Rong Xiu at the top of the heavenly doctor Qing Yun Ranking. Chu Yue, you need to practice a lot harder and get on the ranking earlier!¡± Elder Wan Zheng laughed as he patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. His usually stern and ordinary-looking face looked surprisingly kind as his gaze flashed when he looked at Chu Liuyue, as if he had high expectations of her. Chu Liuyue felt faintly uneasy. ¡°Master, you mean¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng laughed out loud. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t expect you to appear on the Qing Yun Ranking right away! I¡¯ll give you three months; what do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the last name on the heavenly doctor ranking. The Qing Yun Ranking had a total of a hundred names, and the last one seemed to be a man¡¯s name¡ªBian Wenhao. ¡°W-what grade is that Bian Wenhao at now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue softly. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s not high! That kid is now a peak ninth-grade heavenly doctor! You just need to reach peak ninth-grade as well. With your talent as a heavenly doctor, you can definitely beat him!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Elder Wan Zheng seems to have some misunderstandings about me¡­ No matter how talented I am, it¡¯s quite unreasonable to expect me to break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor when I¡¯m only an eighth-grade one now, right?! Besides, I just broke through to become an eighth-grade heavenly doctor in Grotto-Heaven Cliff not too long ago! ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyes were filled with kindness. ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you some encouragement?¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my good disciple!¡± Elder Wan Zheng then heaved a sigh of relief and felt very emotional. It¡¯s quite hard to find another talent like the troublemaker back then. If not, I wouldn¡¯t have not found anybody these few years. Now, there is finally a Chu Yue. As long as he works hard, he can definitely succeed in life! Elder Wan Zheng was comforted, but Chu Liuyue felt terrible. She glanced at the Qing Yun Ranking again. The last-the hundredth name is a peak ninth-grade heavenly doctor, then¡­ What about Rong Xiu?! I don¡¯t even have any interest in asking that man. We are so far apart; what is there to ask? Looking at the unfamiliar names on the board, Chu Liuyue sighed deeply. I have much to learn at Ling Xiao Academy¡­ Other than the heavenly doctor ranking, the other three ranking lists were also shown. Most people gathered at the Xuan Master side and warrior side, while the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s side was rather empty. Other than an elder standing there symbolically, there wasn¡¯t even a person looking at the ranking. The old students were used to it, and the new students were busying themselves, so it was quite empty there for now. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to take a look at those two rankings, but there were too many people there. Thus, it was very crowded. She thought for a while and walked to the Armory Refinement Masters¡¯ side. Different from the heavenly doctor ranking, the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s one was very short. This also meant that there weren¡¯t even a hundred names on the ranking. Chu Liuyue looked at the name at the top, and her eyes shrunk! It¡¯s¡­ actually Rong Xiu too! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly trembled. She paused for a moment and walked a few steps back. Standing at this position, she could see two rankings. It was very obvious that Rong Xiu¡¯s name on the heavenly doctor ranking was slightly lower than his name on the Armory Refinement Master ranking. Rong Xiu is truly the top on the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s ranking! Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help but look at Rong Xiu, who was standing at Dong Huang Clock Tower. This man¡­ actually hid so much from me! One doesn¡¯t even have to think to know how capable he is to attain such a ranking on the Qing Yun Ranking! Rong Xiu looked down. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and walked toward the warrior ranking. The crowd was bustling with noise. ¡°So this is the Qing Yun Ranking!¡± ¡°Sigh, I finally got in with much difficulty last month, but I didn¡¯t have many breakthroughs last month. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be squeezed out again¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that those who completely break through to become a legendary warrior can only forcefully barge into the top twenty. I really wonder what kind of beasts the people at the top are!¡± ¡°I heard that Senior Brother Rong Xiu has dominated the board for many years. Even to this day, nobody can beat him. It¡¯s really amazing¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. As expected, Rong Xiu¡¯s name was still at the top! However, there was a slight space below his name. Thinking of what Elder Wan Zheng said earlier, she suddenly understood something. Some new students asked in confusion at the side, ¡°The first is Senior Brother Rong Xiu, but what¡¯s with second place?¡± ¡°Yeah! Why is there a spacing for no reason?¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± Upon hearing this, the older students hurriedly gestured for them to keep quiet. ¡°The person in second place is a special student in our academy, and we can¡¯t talk about her name. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t understand this because you just came, but you mustn¡¯t bring this up again in the future!¡± Confusion filled the new students¡¯ faces. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There are no whys; just know that you have to follow this rule in the future. You came to the academy to cultivate and practice. Anything else has nothing to do with you, do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you for your teaching, Senior Brothers!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she looked at the Xuan Master ranking. Rong Xiu¡¯s name was second. The name at the first position was already erased by someone, just like the heavenly doctor ranking! Chapter 1132 - Dare to Battle! Chapter 1132 Dare to Battle! Chu Liuyue had a strange feeling. There were a total of four lists for the Qing Yun Ranking. Rong Xiu was number one for the Armory Refinement Master list and the warrior list. That mysterious student took the top position for the other two lists-heavenly doctor and Xuan Master. Without even thinking, the one that can compete with Rong Xiu would definitely be formidable. The director and the elders should love such an amazing student to death, but why did they purposely erase that person¡¯s name? From how Elder Bo Yan and the rest treated Rong Xiu, she could tell that they were especially kind and gentle toward talented and outstanding students. But only this person¡­ Chu Liuyue recalled what she heard from Zhong Xun earlier. Could the person whose name was erased actually be the director¡¯s disciple? Chu Liuyue sized the Qing Yun Ranking up. Suddenly, she was dazed slightly. I almost forgot something. My name doesn¡¯t seem to be on the Qing Yun Ranking! Of course, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t thinking of her current ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ name but her previous name at Ling Xiao Academy. Since I wanted to overtake Rong Xiu¡¯s name on the Qing Yun Ranking, I should have the capabilities back then. At the very least, I should be on the Qing Yun Ranking, right? However, it isn¡¯t there. Chu Liuyue checked a few times, but she didn¡¯t see her own name. Then¡­ Maybe I didn¡¯t use my real name back then?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze landed on the space where the erased name was on the Qing Yun Ranking for quite some time. An outrageous and bold thought surfaced in her mind, but she quickly suppressed it. Not talking about others, one has to be a legendary warrior to be in the top twenty for the warrior list alone. However, I wasn¡¯t I wasn¡¯t even that when I was at my peak in the past. Thus, such a guess seems ridiculous. Right at this moment, a loud voice came from the crowd. ¡°I, Li Ziming, will challenge the hundredth-ranking person on the Qing Yun Ranking-Sun Xiao!¡± Chu Liuyue followed the direction of the voice and looked over. The person talking was a muscular and tanned youth. He seemed nervous and anxious, but he couldn¡¯t conceal the agitation in his eyes. Being on the Qing Yun Ranking was the biggest affirmation of a student¡¯s capabilities. Many people had this as their goal, so they kept working hard and cultivated painstakingly, hoping that they could make it onto the list one day. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t dare to take it easy even if they were on the list. This was because they had the risk of being dragged down at any moment. Like now-once someone was on the list, there would be people challenging them every time it was the beginning of the month. One had to know that unless there was some special situation, the people on the Qing Yun Ranking couldn¡¯t reject anyone when they were challenged at the beginning of the month. If not, it would be deemed as them surrendering. Of course, if a few people wanted to challenge the same person, these few people had to fight it out first before the strongest one could duel against the person on the Qing Yun Ranking. And most of the people on the Qing Yun Ranking wanted to attain a higher ranking. Hence, those with lower ranks would challenge the higher-ranked ones. But just from the warrior side alone, nobody dared to challenge the top three warriors in the past few years. The ranks of the few people behind this trio regularly changed, and their capabilities were around the same. But as if they had a tacit agreement, nobody willingly challenged the ones at the top. Not to mention Rong Xiu¡ªwho was first-or the mysterious person that had their name erased in second place, nobody even dared to challenge the third on the list. This was so even when the person in third place had been in the academy all along. All in all, those few people at the top few ranks were like mountains. Countless people wanted to surpass them, but it was already very hard for them to harbor such hopes. Even the few who had hopes of surpassing them didn¡¯t dare to take action recklessly, let alone the others below. Li Ziming and Sun Xiao¡¯s duel was about to begin really soon. Then, other people started challenging each other continuously. Qing Ming Square was huge, and it was more than enough to contain these people going against each other at the same time. Besides, the elders were taking control of the situation from the side, so they didn¡¯t need to worry. The challenge quickly started on the Xuan Master¡¯s side. In comparison, the heavenly doctor¡¯s side was much quieter. On the one hand, there were very few heavenly doctors. On the other hand, everyone had a rough inkling of each other¡¯s capabilities when they pill bet in usual times. If they didn¡¯t have the confidence to win, they wouldn¡¯t challenge at all. After a while, only a dozen or so people stepped out from the heavenly doctor¡¯s side to challenge. As for the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s side¡­ There was no point in talking about it. Chu Liuyue even felt that as long as one had some slight talent in Armory Refinement, they would be able to get on the list. ¡°Chu Yue? Come! Watch more and learn more. It¡¯ll be your turn in a few months!¡± called Elder Wan Zheng. Chu Liuyue walked over and obediently stood at the side. There were a total of eight pill production matches occurring simultaneously in front of her. Chu Liuyue was familiar with some of them, these few days, she had been pill betting at the mountain peaks in the academy, so she knew quite a few people. ¡°Kid, who do you think will win that match?¡± Elder Wan Zheng raised his chin and asked softly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flashed slightly. ¡°Mentor, do you want to pill bet with me?¡± Elder Wan Zheng was speechless. Has this kid gone nuts from earning points?! But seeing the serious look on that youngster¡¯s face, Elder Wan Zheng realized that the latter wasn¡¯t joking. He really wants to win points! ¡°You just came to the academy, and you have plenty of time to earn points. Why are you so anxious? I was just asking for your opinion¡­¡± Before Elder Wan Zheng could finish talking, he saw that youngster smile slightly. ¡°Mentor, the academy seems to only ban pill betting at the end of the month but not at the beginning, right?¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that some people will also pill bet around this period. Honestly, quite a few people have already come to ask for my opinions¡­¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to be in a difficult spot. ¡°Do you think I should say it or not¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you points when we go back!¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but shout. Why couldn¡¯t I tell earlier that this kid had such tricks up his sleeves? He seemed obedient and mature, but now, he behaves quite differently than expected¡­ Chu Liuyue then smiled in satisfaction. Her eyes curved up, and they sparkled. ¡°I knew you were the best, Mentor!¡± However, this smile made Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyes twitch. ¡°Y-you-¡° Why do I suddenly feel like I was tricked?! Also, this feeling seems eerily familiar¡­ But before he could think about it carefully, Chu Liuyue had already turned around to look at the competition venue. She crossed her arms and held her chin as if she were in deep thought. ¡°I feel that this match should be¡­¡± The sun shone down on him, and the youngster¡¯s clear face looked pure and harmless. When he was thinking seriously, he was especially silent, and there was a special atmosphere around him. Elder Wan Zheng felt that he had thought too much. At this time, an ear-piercing sound was heard! ¡°Rong Xiu! Do you dare to fight?!¡± Chapter 1133 - Fight for Who Chapter 1133 Fight for Who This thunderous voice sounded-it pierced through the air! Upon hearing this, the crowd looked up in shock. Someone actually wants to challenge Rong Xiu?! When they saw the incoming person, the elders revealed looks of understanding. So it¡¯s him¡­ Then, this matter isn¡¯t weird. Some of the old students also recognized this person, and they gasped. ¡°Yan Shuli?! He¡¯s out of seclusion?!¡± Quite a few people suddenly recovered their senses. ¡°Yan Shuli? The person in the third position on the warrior ranking?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He hasn¡¯t come out in a long while; I heard that he was cultivating in seclusion the entire time. I didn¡¯t expect him to appear today!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so weird about that? Didn¡¯t you hear that he came to challenge Rong Xiu?¡± ¡°There¡¯ll be a good show to watch now!¡± Yan Shuli traveled through the air and held a long silver spear in his hands. At the top of the silver spear, the dark blue lines intersected and gathered above, forming the sharp dark-blue blade. From afar, it looked like a silver and blue serpent with much suppression. He was wearing a black outfit, and he looked pretty tall and muscular. His face was distinct, and his skin was tanned. His pair of narrow eyes were very sharp like blades. If one exchanged glances with him, it was as if his vision could directly pierce through one¡¯s heart and see the depths of that person¡¯s heart. At this point, his gaze was glued to Rong Xiu at the top of Dong Huang Clock Tower! Even though he was expressionless, the depths of his eyes were filled with unconcealable ambition and fighting intent! Everyone could feel that he desperately wanted to challenge Rong Xiu! His bodily aura seemed even sharper than his spear! Some people were born to fight, and Yan Shuli was clearly such a person! Nothing mattered to him anymore. At this very moment, his mind was only filled with one thought: Beat Rong Xiu! Countless pairs of eyes looked toward Rong Xiu -curiosity, shock, expectations, nervousness. Clearly, the crowd really wanted to see Rong Xiu¡¯s reaction. They also wanted to see how capable Rong Xiu, the number one on the Qing Yun Ranking, was! One had to know that Rong Xiu hadn¡¯t been in the academy for the past few years! Now that he suddenly appeared, everyone naturally wanted to personally witness if he was as capable as the rumors claimed. However, Elder Bo Yan spoke first. ¡°Shuli, Rong Xiu came back to handle other matters today, not to-¡° ¡°I accept your challenge.¡± Before Elder Bo Yan could finish his sentence, Rong Xiu interrupted him from the side. His demonically handsome face looked nonchalant, and there even seemed to be faint smiling intent in his eyes as if he didn¡¯t take this matter to heart. Elder Bo Yan hesitated for a moment. ¡°Rong Xiu, aren¡¯t you busy with-¡° ¡°This won¡¯t take up too much of my time,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly with a smile. Arrogant¡ªthis thought flashed across the crowd¡¯s minds in unison! Does he mean that he doesn¡¯t need to use much effort and time to go against Yan Shuli?! He doesn¡¯t even take Yan Shuli seriously! But even if Yan Shuli¡¯s ranking on the Qing Yun Ranking is lower than his, he is still legitimately third! Other than the name that mysteriously disappeared in between, the two of them are only one rank apart! Besides, Yan Shuli has been cultivating diligently in the academy for the past few years. Rumors have it that he can already put up a fight against some elders. However, he doesn¡¯t really show up normally and does things discreetly, so everyone isn¡¯t very familiar with him. However, Rong Xiu was still too arrogant to say this in public. Yan Shuli didn¡¯t look angered at all as the fighting intent in his eyes burned even more. ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll battle once and for all!¡± Whoosh! He flung his wrist, and his silver spear drew a beautiful arc in the air before it pointed straight at Rong Xiu! ¡°Go ahead!¡± Chu Liuyue watched everything from below. In actual fact, she was also very curious about how strong Rong Xiu was. They had battled a few times, but she could clearly feel that Rong Xiu had just suppressed his abilities to a standard slightly above hers. In this manner, every time she thought she had hopes of winning, she would always be a little short of it. One just had to think to know how scary a person who could control his abilities so perfectly was! Right at this moment, Rong Xiu¡¯s figure flashed, and he already appeared in front of Yan Shuli! The two of them looked at each other. For some reason, the vast Qing Ming Square suddenly became silent. The atmosphere instantly became tense! ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Rong Xiu battle in a while¡­¡± The people standing in Dong Huang Clock Tower looked over. A young woman dazedly stared at the scene in mid-air as she muttered, ¡°The last time I saw him fight, it was still with¡ª¡±. As if she thought of something, she suddenly fell silent. ¡°Rong Xiu rarely fights with people. Those who have tried to challenge him basically all gave up after fighting with him once, and they have never fought with him again. Only this Yan Shuli hasn¡¯t given up. If you think about it in this way, his courage is commendable!¡± a youngster smiled and said from the side. ¡°Now that you mention it, this is already Yan Shuli¡¯s fifth time challenging him, right? Rong Xiu is also weird. He actually agreed.¡± Actually, in their eyes, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t have the patience or mood to accept someone¡¯s multiple challenges. ¡°Haha! Other than the first time, aren¡¯t the remaining times because Yan Shuli fought with that person, so Rong Xiu agreed to his challenge and beat him three times consecutively?¡± The moment he said that, the surroundings quietened down. Everyone glanced at the youngster talking with a strange expression. That youngster then realized that he had said something wrong as he gasped and hurriedly covered his mouth. At the same time, he looked at Elder Bo Yan and the rest rather nervously. Perhaps it was because they were a distance away, or the elders weren¡¯t focusing on this side, but they didn¡¯t have much of a reaction. ¡°Hu¡­¡± That youngster sighed deeply but still had lingering fears. I actually forgot about this taboo! ¡°Hmph, you can¡¯t say that,¡± said Wei Xiping coldly all of a sudden, breaking the silence. ¡°I hear that Rong Xiu has been very busy these few years and barely spends much time in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Who knows what he was up to? Anyway, he definitely didn¡¯t focus on cultivating. On the other hand, Yan Shuli has always been cultivating painstakingly. Perhaps there was a distance between the two of them previously, but now¡­ It¡¯s unclear who is strong and who is weak!¡± Chapter 1134 - Fight! Chapter 1134 Fight! Rong Xiu was strong, and he had stably won over the rest when he was in the academy a few years back. But if he has given up on cultivation, he shouldn¡¯t have his old glory after a few years, right? Not talking about anything else, but Yan Shuli is a ¡®maniac¡¯ in combat! With his current abilities against Rong Xiu, he might really be able to win! Upon hearing this, the others had various expressions and did not speak further, as they all looked up at the duo facing each other in the sky. Yan Shuli looked at Rong Xiu¡¯s empty hands and knitted his brows. His originally expressionless face looked sharper. ¡°Where¡¯s your Yuan instrument?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need those.¡± Yan Shuli¡¯s face turned colder. ¡°It seems like you have a lot of confidence in yourself! Rong Xiu, I have been practicing diligently every day for the past three years, all in preparation for this day! Today, I will do my best to beat you!¡± A few years ago, after he repeatedly lost to Rong Xiu, Yan Shuli had strong fighting intent toward him! He had always been waiting to make a comeback, but Rong Xiu left the academy not long after and didn¡¯t come back much in these three years. This caused him to be unable to have a chance to battle with Rong Xiu. After knowing that Rong Xiu had come back this time, he immediately rushed over! Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yan Shuli squinted his eyes, and his surrounding aura exploded! ¡°Legendary warrior!¡± Gasps could be heard from the crowd! ¡°Seeing this suppression, he should¡¯ve already broken through from a demigod and become a true god, right?!¡± ¡°As a true god, he can unleash his God Realm fully¡­ However, he¡¯s only 25 years old this year, right? No wonder he¡¯s third on the warrior Qing Yun Ranking!¡± ¡°I wonder what realm Rong Xiu has reached this year. I heard that when he left the academy three years ago, he was already a legendary warrior. Now,¡± The discussions from below entered Yan Shuli¡¯s ears and caused his fighting will to burn even more! Whoosh! He waved his arm, and the silver spear in his hands suddenly shot out! ¡°Sparkling lightning spear!¡± Whoosh! Whoosh! When he inserted his force into the silver spear, the dark-blue lines on the spear body suddenly seemed alive as they started to dance around crazily! With the terrifying suppression as the center, it crazily spread in all directions! Thunder could be heard! Yan Shuli¡¯s figure flashed across and instantly rushed to Rong Xiu! Then, he thrust his spear forward! The crowd couldn¡¯t even see how he moved! ¡°Teleportation¡­¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. Above stage-nine warriors were demigods, and above them were true gods. As long as a cultivator broke through to become a true god, they would truly become a legendary warrior! Only upon reaching that realm could a cultivator instantly teleport without using any external forces! The distance of instant teleportation differed based on one¡¯s capabilities, and this move was very crucial in actual fights. However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to be worried about this at all. Even when Yan Shuli appeared three steps before him, he still looked as calm as ever. It was as if¡­ he had already predicted everything. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly tingled! At this point, Rong Xiu finally moved! He raised his right hand, reached forward, and grabbed the tip of the spear! ¡°Ah!!!¡± Gasps could be heard from the crowd! Many women looked nervous. Wei Xiping coldly snorted. ¡°Pretentious!¡± Yan Shuli¡¯s sparkling lightning spear was a true advanced legendary weapon! Rong Xiu thinks that he can use his physical strength to counter it directly? Wishful thinking! People who are too arrogant will always have to pay the price for their pride! But at this moment, Yan Shuli¡¯s expression suddenly changed! This was because he realized that the almost unstoppable sparkling lightning spear was actually easily stopped by Rong Xiu, and it couldn¡¯t move another inch forward! Even the sharp spearhead didn¡¯t hurt Rong Xiu at all! The two parties entered a stalemate. Yan Shuli¡¯s expression became more serious as he injected more force into the spear! However¡­ it didn¡¯t move at all! At this point, the spectating crowd finally realized that something was amiss. Logically speaking, Rong Xiu¡¯s hand should¡¯ve been pierced through. But, As if thinking of something, Yan Shuli suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Rong Xiu in disbelief. ¡°You already have a god¡ª¡±. Crack! He hadn¡¯t finished his sentence when Rong Xiu suddenly tightened his grip! A dark-blue light flashed, but it did not affect Rong Xiu at all. He then swiftly pulled at it! The spear was removed from Yan Shuli¡¯s control! Whoosh! Before the crowd could see what was happening clearly, they heard an ear-piercing sound! The next moment, the scene in the sky stunned them! That sparkling lightning spear had landed in Rong Xiu¡¯s hands at some point, and the terrifyingly sharp spearhead was pointed straight at Yan Shuli¡¯s chest! It was as if he could directly pierce right through Yan Shuli¡¯s heart if he moved forward by an inch. It was dead quiet between heaven and earth. Everyone was standing rooted to the ground as they dazedly watched the scene, unsure of how to react. R-Rong Xiu directly snatched Yan Shuli¡¯s Yuan instrument and even switched to offense, driving Yan Shuli to a corner?! He just used¡­ one move! The crowd didn¡¯t even know if they could consider this as a move! Everyone didn¡¯t even see Rong Xiu use his force. Their vision was blurred as the duo¡¯s positions were overturned! Rong Xiu raised his chin slightly, and his face was still as nonchalant as usual. But at this moment, he looked much more suppressive in the crowd¡¯s eyes! ¡°Do you want me to continue?¡± said Rong Xiu lightly as his thin lips moved slightly. Yan Shuli¡¯s entire body tensed up. He could even feel that the cold and sharp spearhead had long pierced through his clothes, touching his chest tightly! A sharp pain could be felt. Without lowering his head to take a look, he already knew that his chest was bleeding. If it were any deeper¡­ He would¡¯ve died! Staring at those deep and unfathomable eyes, Yan Shuli had no doubts that Rong Xiu could do such a thing! He pressed his lips against each other, and his face was slightly pale. Then, he sighed deeply. ¡°I surrender!¡± Hua! The crowd below burst into an uproar. Surrender?! Yan Shuli actually surrendered like that?! According to his competitive nature, it was very hard for him to swiftly admit defeat. At the same time, it also proved that he had no way of going against Rong Xiu¡¯s attack! The Yuan instrument was stolen away, and it was even pointed straight at his chest. Any person had to admit defeat, right? This happened too quickly. Originally, everyone was expecting a formidable fight, but¡­ Rong Xiu didn¡¯t even give them such a chance. The crowd standing at Dong Huang Clock Tower was equally shocked. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ is actually so strong?!¡± ¡°Wei Xiping, didn¡¯t you say that Yan Shuli could beat Rong Xiu? What do you think of this now? Hm?¡± The surrounding people looked at Wei Xiping unanimously. Chapter 1135 - Have an Appointment with a Lady Chapter 1135 Have an Appointment with a Lady Wei Xiping was first shocked, and when he reacted, his expression was ugly. He clenched his teeth and didn¡¯t speak a word as his surrounding aura became cold and stiff. His hands in his sleeves gradually clenched tighter. Rong Xiu¡­ He didn¡¯t waste his time these past few years and even improved?! How exactly did he do it?! Wei Xiping wasn¡¯t the only one curious about this. Yan Shuli wanted to know even more. He stared at Rong Xiu closely and said carefully, ¡°You¡¯ve already¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± As if predicting what he would say, Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he flung his arm and threw the spear back. ¡°But it¡¯s enough to go against you.¡± Yan Shuli grabbed his spear, stared at Rong Xiu with furrowed brows, and felt complicated. I suspect that Rong Xiu has already formed his Holy Body, but since the latter denies it, he shouldn¡¯t have done so yet. But judging by the previous scene, he does have such signs. Without a doubt, the gap between the duo had widened once again! Yan Shuli originally thought that he could close the gap between him and Rong Xiu after practicing so hard these few years or that he could even overtake the latter! However, he didn¡¯t expect that Rong Xiu would improve even faster than him! He held the spear tightly and looked down. Bloodstains started to expand on his chest. If Rong Xiu wanted, he could totally take my life! Yan Shuli took a deep breath in, and when he looked up at Rong Xiu again, the sense of defeat and shock in his eyes had already disappeared. ¡°Today, I lost to you because I am weaker and have admitted defeat. However, there will be a day where I¡¯ll beat you!¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. Yan Shuli always says this after he loses, and I¡¯m already used to it. However, I won¡¯t give him such a chance. ¡­ The duo had already ended their battle in the sky. However, the surrounding spectators hadn¡¯t recovered their senses yet. I-it ended just like that?! From start to end, only one move was made?! The entire process looked enraging, but the more this was so, the more it proved how capable Rong Xiu was! Nobody doubted that Yan Shuli wasn¡¯t strong enough. Of the top three people on the warrior list, he was the only one still in the academy the past few years. Even so, nobody dared to challenge him. How could someone win against a 25-year-old legendary warrior so easily?! To many students, Yan Shuli was the epitome of a talented warrior! They could only look up to him but not reach his standard! However, even such a person couldn¡¯t play out more than one move under Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s strength¡­ Was unimaginable! ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu is indeed formidable! He actually agreed to Senior Brother Yan Shuli so easily!¡± ¡°Previously, there were rumors that he was the top talent in the academy for so many years, and it¡¯s not outrageous to say that he was a legendary existence! In the beginning, I thought that it was just an exaggeration, but who knew¡­ After personally witnessing him, I realize that everything is true!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Senior Brother Rong Xiu hasn¡¯t been in the academy for the past few years, and it¡¯s hard to even see him once. This time, he shouldn¡¯t stay for long, right¡­¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of woman would this man like-¡° ¡°Do you still need to ask? Of course, it¡¯s Jiang Zhiyuan! Her Fairy Water Mound is the strongest division in the Sky-Cloud Empire, and the two of them have known each other much long ago. They can even be considered childhood sweethearts!¡± ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t you know? Rong Xiu has just selected his princess consort a while back!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I heard that his princess consort is someone from outside the realm¡­ Anyway, it has nothing to do with that Jiang Zhiyuan¡­¡± Quite a few girls discussed softly. Some people started to look for Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s figure quietly. When the gazes landed on her, Jiang Zhiyuan felt many daggers at her back. She used an enormous amount of strength to control her urge to turn around and run away! Even though Rong Xiu coincidently left the academy when she came and the duo didn¡¯t spend much time in school together, other than the new students that just came, more than half of Ling Xiao Academy knew that she liked Rong Xiu. Amongst these people, some of them even tried to matchmake her. Of course, this was also part of her plan. Jiang Zhiyuan was pretty and talented, so she was naturally everyone¡¯s treasure-like existence in the academy. Quite a few senior and junior brothers had a good impression of her, and some even tried to chase after her passionately. However, they were all rejected by Jiang Zhiyuan. In the beginning, nobody knew why she did this. But later, there were rumors that although she was born in Fairy Water Mound, she grew up in the Sky-Cloud Empire from a young age as the clan leader loved her. It wasn¡¯t too much to say that she was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Big Missy that was doted on since she was young. In such a way, everyone naturally associated her with Rong Xiu. Some even secretly came to find out some news from her. Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t admit it, but she did not deny it either. Hence, everyone gradually knew of this matter. Quite a few people secretly felt that Jiang Zhiyuan would end up with Rong Xiu, but who knew that a woman would suddenly come out of nowhere and become Rong Xiu¡¯s princess consort?! Now, there were people who pitied Jiang Zhiyuan, mocked her, or watched her become a laughingstock. How could Jiang Zhiyuan not know this? Hence, those gazes and discussions made her feel even more terrible. She wanted to leave, but she couldn¡¯t bear to. Thus, she could only stand around and be tortured. Chu Liuyue had also heard such discussions, and she raised her brows slightly and felt quite incredulous. Rong Xiu can be considered a famous character in Ling Xiao Academy¡­ ¡°Chu Yue? Chu Yue?¡± A familiar voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around and was slightly shocked to see the incoming person. ¡°Ms. Luo, why are you here?¡± She should be at the warrior side. Why did she suddenly come to the heavenly doctor¡¯s side? ¡°You¡­ came to find me?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. Luo Shishi¡¯s cheeks flushed red slightly as she looked at Chu Liuyue with sparkling eyes. ¡°Yeah, I came to congratulate you! Congratulations on becoming Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s disciple! I heard that he has very high standards! You¡¯re the only one that has succeeded in these few years!¡± So it was because of this. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up, and she smiled. ¡°Thank you. Congratulations to you as well. Your mentor is Elder Wen Xi, right?¡±. ¡°Yes!¡± Luo Shishi nodded and was clearly elated. Elder Wen Xi was one of the top few elders in the academy, and he had a good personality. Luo Shishi also felt very lucky to be able to become his disciple. ¡°Brother Sheng is also Elder Wen Xi¡¯s disciple, like me. Fifth Brother is following Elder Hua Feng. Originally, he wanted to follow Qiniang like Fourth Brother, but Qiniang has already accepted many students. Thus, Fifth Brother chose Elder Hua Feng in the end.¡± Actually, these two elders were equally capable. As long as one focused on cultivation, it wouldn¡¯t be very different. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great. Congratulations.¡± The youngster smiled kindly, and his eyes were clear. His smile made everything in the surroundings lose its color. Luo Shishi was momentarily dazed. For some reason, she blushed slightly. ¡°We¡¯re going to celebrate at night. Do you want to come?¡± When Rong Xiu looked down, he coincidentally saw this scene-a handsome young man standing opposite a pretty girl. That young woman blushed slightly, and her eyes sparkled in a shy and happy manner. That young man then looked down slightly as if he were thinking of something before he looked up and smiled at that young woman. Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved slightly in a seemingly smiling manner, but there seemed to be hints of frost in his eyes. She just came, but¡­ she already has a date with a lady? Chapter 1136 - Bright Future Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Sure,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. She had just come to the academy, so she didn¡¯t know many people here. Probably because they entered on the same day and all passed the assessment at the beginning of the month to officially become Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s students that they felt closer. Even though Zhuo Sheng wasn¡¯t polite toward her at the very beginning, Chu Liuyue realized that he didn¡¯t have any bad intentions after getting to know him. It was just that he was quite hot-tempered and loud. In actual fact, the few of them had good personalities. Besides, Chu Liuyue now knew that the few of them came from the Luo family at Ming Sha Ocean, which was a true distinguished family. Even if it was compared to the Sky-Cloud Empire, the Luo family was still on par with it. It was quite rare for one to be born in such an aristocratic family but not have a wilful personality. Chu Liuyue wanted to get to know them better, so she agreed to Luo Shishi¡¯s invitation. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s affirmative reply, Luo Shishi was also elated. ¡®Then, we¡¯ll see you tonight at Million Wine Mountain!¡± Million Wine Mountain was a mountain inside Ling Xiao Academy, and it faced the northwest direction. It was at the intersection between the heavenly doctor area and the Armory Refinement Master area. The reason why Million Wine Mountain got its name was that it had an extremely magical fountain. The water that flowed out of the fountain had a natural alcohol fragrance, and it tasted very similar to wine but wasn¡¯t intoxicating. Hence, the students in the academy loved to go there. It could be considered as a popular place for leisure and relaxation in the academy. Chu Liuyue naturally nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡± Receiving Chu Liuyue¡¯s affirmative reply, Luo Shishi then secretly heaved a sigh of relief and felt happy. Chu Yue was clearly three years younger than her, but for some reason, she always felt nervous when she stood in front of him. His body seemed to have a natural elegance that caused others not to dare treat him casually. Detecting the solid gaze from above, Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and looked up. Noticing her gaze, Luo Shishi looked up as well. ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu is really amazing.¡± Luo Shishi sighed sincerely. ¡°It¡¯d be great if I could have the chance to duel with him.¡± Chu Liuyue turned back to look at her and smiled. ¡°What, you like Rong Xiu too?, This ¡®too¡¯ was naturally said in comparison with the other surrounding women who were crazy about him. Luo Shishi hurriedly shook her head in denial. ¡°Why would l?! I just feel that he¡¯s quite amazing. After all, he¡¯s someone who has topped the ranking for a few consecutive years. I believe every student in the academy wants to be like him, right?¡± With Yan Shuli as a painful example in front, Luo Shishi didn¡¯t even dare to mention ¡®overtaking¡¯ Rong Xiu. The facts showed that it was already very difficult for them to catch up with him. MB-besides, Senior Brother Rong Xiu already has a princess consort!¡± Perhaps it was because of the unknown nervousness in her heart, but Luo Shishi didn¡¯t notice that the youngster in front of her didn¡¯t say ¡®senior brother¡¯ when he talked about Rong Xiu and that his tone and attitude were very calm and normal. It was completely different from the other academy students who respected, envied, or were jealous of Rong Xiu. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. At the very least, I really want to fight with him at this moment. As Luo Shishi and Chu Liuyue stood at the side and talked about this, it looked like the two of them were coupled together and were spending a merry time from above. ¡°Rong Xiu, Rong Xiu?¡± Elder Bo Yan called Rong Xiu twice before the latter recovered his senses. ¡°¡®What are you looking at?¡± Rong Xiu silently retracted his gaze and smiled slightly. ¡°Nothing much.¡± Then, he jumped up and flew back to Dong Huang Clock Tower. Yan Shuli said he would battle him another day and quickly turned around to leave. Nobody stopped him. Anybody who lost so badly in public wouldn¡¯t be able to stick around. Besides, Yan Shuli had already waited a very long time for this battle. Without a doubt, this matter had a tremendous impact on him. However, Yan Shuli had a positive trait¡ªthe more he failed, the braver he got. If other people lost, they would inevitably be upset and unmotivated. If they failed multiple times, the situation might be worse, and they might feel very defeated. However, Yan Shuli definitely didn¡¯t have such a problem. This defeat would only spur a stronger fighting desire to rise. From this aspect, his competitive nature had benefits as well. This match started suddenly and ended unexpectedly. Before the crowd could recover their senses, everything had ended. Quite a few people were hesitant. ¡°Sigh, what a pity! Originally, I thought I could see an amazing fight. I didn¡¯t expect ¡°He countered his enemy in one move, and the person was even Yan Shuli! I¡¯m afraid only Senior Brother Rong Xiu can do this in the entire academy, right?¡± ¡°I wanted to take the chance and learn from observing him, but I had no chance at all! If only I had come to the academy a few years earlier. Perhaps I could¡¯ve seen Senior Brother Rong Xiu fight more?_¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re overthinking things! Everyone in Ling Xiao Academy knows that Senior Brother Rong Xiu never ever fights someone for the second time.¡± Hearing the discussions below, the crowd standing in Dong Huang Clock Tower exchanged gazes of unspoken mutual understanding as they all smiled. To most people, Rong Xiu really didn¡¯t have the patience to fight the people he had defeated for the second time. However, Yan Shuli couldn¡¯t be considered as the only exception. From beginning to end, the only one who Rong Xiu would make an exception for was only one person. Those n?vo people would have a ¡®friendly match¡¯ once every few days, and they had fought countless times. In the beginning, that person would always lose. However, Rong Xiu seemed to have limitless patience and tolerance for her as he would accede to her every request. But that was something that happened much earlier on___ Ever since that person left the academy or ¡®disappeared,¡¯ Rong Xiu returned to the Sky Cloud Empire not long after and rarely came back to the academy ever since. All sorts of scenes that happened in the past couldn¡¯t really be seen now either. ¡°What? Do you have any junior sisters or junior brothers that you think are capable?¡± Elder Bo Yan asked in a joking manner. Rong Xiu thought for a moment and actually nodded. ¡®There¡¯s one that¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Elder Bo Yan was originally teasing him, so he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when he heard Rong Xiu¡¯s words. He looked down. ¡°Which one?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°You clearly know it, so why ask?¡± Elder Bo Yan widened his eyes slightly. ¡°_..lt¡¯s really.. Chu Yue?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and nodded. ¡°She has some natural talent as a heavenly doctor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± After Elder Bo Yan was shocked, he quickly accepted Rong Xiu¡¯s thinking. ¡°That child isn¡¯t bad.¡± Ifnot, Elder Wan Zheng wouldn¡¯t have accepted him. Even though he can¡¯t be compared to that person from back then, they are quite similar.. Elder Bo Yan glanced carefully at the youngster standing below, stroked his beard, and said seriously, ¡°If we properly nurture him, his future will definitely be bright!¡± Chapter 1137 - Bathe and Sleep! ¡°Bo Yan, you think so too?¡± At this moment, Elder Wen Xi popped out of nowhere as he chuckled and reminded delightfully, ¡°I recruited that kid! The moment I saw him a few days ago, I felt that his talent was shocking. He¡¯s obedient, and he definitely has a bright future ahead of him! How is it? My taste isn¡¯t bad, right? Sigh, the only pity is that this kid cultivates as a heavenly doctor! If he were a warrior, tsk tsk¡ª¡± Elder Wen Xi was elated and regretful. He was happy that he recruited such an outstanding student. He felt regret as this child couldn¡¯t follow him to cultivate, and it directly benefited Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°Hmph, Wan Zheng owes me a big favor this time!¡± said Elder Wen Xi confidently. Rong Xiu glanced at him strangely. Hm? You can¡¯t be sure who owes whom¡­ ¡°You accepted quite a few students too. One of them also seems to be the eldest daughter of the Luo family from Ming Sha Ocean?¡± Elder Bo Yan smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Elder Wen Xi coughed. ¡°Um¡­ The more, the merrier, right!? The more, the merrier!¡± Rong Xiu looked down again before slowly bidding the crowd farewell. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, regarding the incident we talked about previously, I need to go back and make some preparations. Therefore, I won¡¯t stay any longer.¡± The few elders weren¡¯t surprised that Rong Xiu wanted to leave. It was already very hard for him to be willing to reveal his face on such an occasion. Besides, he had just fought with Yan Shuli. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send someone¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Elder Bo Yan, but I won¡¯t need them for now.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Even though I haven¡¯t been back in a few years, I¡¯m still quite familiar with the academy as a student.¡± Elder Bo Yan heard Rong Xiu call himself that for once and felt emotional, so he nodded. ¡°Okay, you can just do it your way.¡± Rong Xiu quickly left. Seeing his figure disappear, quite a few people looked disappointed. However, they also knew that Rong Xiu no longer stayed in the academy, so it was already very hard for them to meet him even once. Hence, they didn¡¯t dare to think of anything else. After his departure, Wei Xiping and the rest also left one after another. In Dong Huang Clock Tower, only the elders were left. The competition in Qing Ming Square still continued vigorously. As the competition proceeded, the rankings on the Qing Yun Ranking gradually changed. The people who successfully made it onto the lists were naturally over the moon, while those who unfortunately lost were dejected. The people on the ranking lists competed even more intensely. Everyone was a talent from all walks of life. Other than a special demonic-like existence, most people were equally capable. In such situations, the fight to be the stronger one would be very intense. At this point, Chu Liuyue then knew that the higher one¡¯s ranking on the Qing Yun Ranking and the longer they stayed there, the more points they would get. It was needless to talk about those few people at the top of the ranking lists. Thinking of how 5,000 points were deducted in the blink of an eye after she managed to earn 20,000 points with much difficulty, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached. The fastest way to earn points was actually to get on the Qing Yun Ranking! But even for the heavenly doctor list that she had the most confidence in, the hundredth-rank person was a peak ninth-grade heavenly doctor! If she wanted to beat him, she had to at least produce a pill of a similar grade. Chu Liuyue felt her head ache. ¡°Chu Yue, what are you thinking about?¡± asked Luo Shishi. Chu Liuyue gently stroked her chin. ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­ of how to get on the Qing Yun Ranking¡­¡± Luo Shishi couldn¡¯t control herself as she snorted out in laughter. ¡°You¡¯re already thinking about this now?! Isn¡¯t it a little¡­ mm¡­ early? I think you should try when you¡¯re stronger and more confident so that you¡¯ll succeed on the first try. What do you think?¡± This was already said in a curt manner. As if she didn¡¯t want to pour water on Chu Liuyue¡¯s enthusiasm, she added, ¡°It won¡¯t take too long given your talent, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly as she smiled slightly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t rush this kind of thing.¡± It¡¯s already so hard to get on the heavenly doctor list. The competition for the other two lists will only be more intense. Out ofall the ranking lists, only the Armory Refinement Master list that doesn¡¯t even have a hundred people won¡¯t have much competition. Right¡ªArmory refinement masters! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up as she looked toward the north. If I can exhibit some skills as an Armory Refinement Master, doesn¡¯t it mean that I can directlyget onto the list? Upon deeper thought, I have produced Yuan instruments before. The Cloud-Sky Copper Sword that Qiang Wanzhou used back then was produced by me! Even though it can¡¯t t be considered as completely producing it, maybe¡­ I can reallygive it a try?! Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue walked toward the Armory Refinement Master area. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s footsteps, Elder Ren Ran¡ªwho was about to fall asleep while standing had only one eye open. Oh, it¡¯s the new student that keeps walking around¡­ He seems to be the one that followed Wan Zheng? Following this, Elder Ren Ran saw that young man walking straight toward him and stopping before him. ¡°Greetings, Elder.¡± Elder Ren Ran opened his second eye and said lazily, ¡°What?¡± When ordinary people saw his attitude for the first time, they would definitely think that he was arrogant and rude. But in actual fact, those who were familiar with Elder Ren Ran or familiar with the tempers of Armory Refinement Masters would all know that he was already being very polite. This was all because of Elder Wan Zheng. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it either as she respectfully bowed and said, ¡°I want to get on the Armory Refinement Master list.¡± ¡°Mm¡­ Mm?!¡± Elder Ren Ran reacted and straightened his body. Then, he sized Chu Liuyue up and suddenly laughed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, but you do have quite a few treasures¡­ There really are very few Yuan instruments that can completely hide one¡¯s aura and avoid my vision. ¡°Kid, what warrior level are you at now? Chu Liuyue paused and lazily said, ¡°I¡¯m a beginner stage-seven warrior.¡± I should be able to break through to become an intermediate stage-seven warrior real soon¡ªbut she didn¡¯t say this. ¡°What? Beginner stage-seven warrior?¡± Elder Ren Ran widened his eyes in shock as he slapped his thighs and laughed out loud. ¡°Hahaha! Kid, you really have no fear! Do you know that you must at least be a demigod to be on the Armory Refinement Master list? You¡¯re quite far off as a stage-seven warrior!¡± Elder Ren Ran¡¯s laugh attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. After hearing his words, everyone¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. What else did they not understand? This kid thatjust entered the academy wants to use his skills as a stage-seven warrior to enter the Armory Refinement Master list?! Dream on! He doesn¡¯ t even know the most basic requirement for entering the list. Isn¡¯t he too naive?! ¡°Kid, it¡¯s good that you want to get on the Qing Yun Ranking, but you need to see if you have that capability! You should just go home, bathe, and sleep!¡± Chapter 1138 - Trigger Lightning! As Elder Ren Ran talked, he was about to close his eyes again. ¡°Elder, I have something I would like to ask.¡± Chu Liuyue was quite shocked by what he said, but she didn¡¯t give up immediately. After thinking for a moment, she still spoke. I¡¯m not a demigod, but I have a holy force in my body. The more important thing is that I have already produced a Cloud-Sky Copper Sword even earlier on. Even though Ancestor had helped to trigger the lightning¡­ I did deal with the remaining bolts of lightning myself¡­ Elder Ren Ran opened his eyes and looked at her lazily. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°If one isn¡¯t a demigod, then is there really no other way to test if they¡¯re talented in Armory Refinement?¡± ¡°Why are you so persistent on this?¡± Elder Ren Ran laughed and stared at her as if he were looking at an ignorant kid throwing a tantrum. He pointed at the side. ¡°If you really want to get on the Qing Yun Ranking, you should go back and study your formulas¡ªthat might be faster. As for Armory Refinement¡­ you should just give up! Elder Ren Ran didn¡¯t think that talking so much to a mere stage-seven warrior had much use. In his eyes, Chu Liuyue was just doing this because she was curious. In actual fact, how was it so easy to be an Armory Refinement Master? Many cultivators who were already demigods couldn¡¯t even touch the threshold to be an Armory Refinement Master, let alone this child. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°I hear that Armory Refinement Masters need to trigger the power of the lightning to produce Yuan instruments. If I can do it too, can I be considered as an Armory Refinement Master?¡± ¡°Of course¡ªwhat?!¡± Elder Ren Ran was stumped. He suddenly gazed at Chu Liuyue doubtfully. ¡°What did you say just now? You can trigger lightning and produce Yuan instruments?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and nodded lightly. ¡°Impossible! Definitely impossible! Unless¡ªI¡® Elder Ren Ran suddenly paused. ¡°You have a legendary fiend?¡± In Elder Ren Ran¡¯s eyes, there was only one possibility as to why a warrior who wasn¡¯t at least a demigod could trigger lightning: The cultivator had a legendary fiend! When humans made an agreement with legendary fiends, the Heavenly Dao that originally belonged to the legendary fiend would enter the cultivator¡¯s body. Depending on this, they might be able to trigger lightning¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered, and she then nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing how insistent Chu Liuyue was, Elder Ren Ran didn¡¯t think much as he nagged, ¡°If it¡¯s like this, you can try¡­ But if you get injured, I won¡¯t be responsible for it!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Thank you, Elder.¡± ¡°Chu Yue, what do you want to do?¡± Luo Shishi walked over with eyes filled with doubt. ¡°You want to get on the Armory Refinement Master list?¡± There¡¯s a heavenly doctor list, but he didn¡¯t try to get on it. Why did he come to the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s side? Chu Liuyue nodded, and her expression was nonchalant. Luo Shishi wanted to convince him, but when she saw his calm and composed manner, the words were stuck in her throat for some reason. She hesitated for a moment before standing at the side. At this point, most people¡¯s attention was still on the remaining three lists. Even if some people had noticed the situation here, they didn¡¯t take it to heart. The Armory Refinement Master list hadn¡¯t changed in many years. How could a new student do anything to it? Elder Ren Ran took out a fist-sized piece of green jade. ¡°This is the Huanshen Pearl; it contains numerous bolts of lightning. As long as you can summon lightning, you¡¯ll succeed.¡± The Armory Refinement Master assessment was relatively easy. This was because it was rather troublesome to actually have them produce weapons on the spot. Hence, the elders would use this Huanshen Pearl to test the student¡¯s talent and potential most of the time. If they could trigger the lightning bolts within, it proved that they could be Armory Refinement Masters. ¡°The number of lightning bolts you can trigger represents the talent that you have.¡± Elder Ren Ran passed the Huanshen Pearl over. ¡°As long as you can trigger one bolt of lightning, you succeed!¡± ¡°Girl, do you want my help?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor, but I should do this assessment myself,¡± said Chu Liuyue in her heart. On the one hand, she might be immediately discovered if her ancestor took action. On the other hand, she really wanted to see if she could do it. She took the Huanshen Pearl over with two hands. The Huanshen Pearl was entirely green. Its surface was smooth, translucent, and cold to touch. Chu Liuyue looked at the Huanshen Pearl in her hands calmly. Then, she took a deep breath in and tried to focus. There were four special forces left in her body: The two Heavenly Daos that entered her body when she made agreements with the two legendary fiends respectively, one other force gathered from Shangguan Jing¡¯s Tianling God Realm, and the last holy force taken from the strength that Beiming¡¯s ancestor had left behind. The so-called holy force had the same origins as the Heavenly Dao. Every legendary fiend was born into this world with the blessing of the Heavenly Dao, so they were very related to the Heavenly Daos since birth. The strength within their bodies had a mysterious natural relation to Heavenly Daos. This also meant that they were born with Heavenly Daos. However, humans were different. All cultivators only had hopes of touching the Heavenly Dao after they broke through to become legendary warriors and turned all of their force into holy force. Only the top warriors who had truly touched Heavenly Daos could have such heavenly suppression in their holy force. At this point, humans could then have a chance to reach the same standard as legendary fiends. This was also why legendary fiends were born to be prestigious. Compared to all the other beings in the world, legendary fiends were the most respected existences. The holy force that Chu Liuyue stole had a hint of Heavenly Dao aura within. Even though it was weak, as the Beiming Ancestor was already a legendary warrior when he left this force behind, it was much stronger than the Heavenly Dao that Shangguan Jing, a demigod, had left behind. Hence, Chu Liuyue had a total of four Heavenly Daos in her body. It should be enough to trigger the lightning. But for safety purposes, Chu Liuyue still chose to circulate the Heavenly Dao force that came from making an agreement with Tuan Zi. A thick and vigorous force spread from Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian and went toward her arms! Whir! The Huanshen Pearl seemed to have felt something as it made a tiny sound. At the same time, waves of ripples appeared on it. The ripples gradually extended inward, and that translucent green jade seemed to be moving. ¡°Hm?¡± Seeing this commotion, Elder Ren Ran¡ªwho still thought lowly of Chu Liuyue¡ªchanged his expression. He instinctively straightened his back, and the laziness in his eyes completely disappeared. Very quickly, a dark-blue lightning bolt appeared. Crack! Even though it was a mini-version, as it was genuine lightning, its suppression was still not one to be underestimated. Elder Ren Ran looked elated. ¡°You really¡ª¡± But before he could finish his sentence, the lightning that was just summoned seemed to meet something terrifying as it ran back and quickly disappeared. Chu Liuyue was confused.. Chapter 1139 - You Can’t Do It The venue instantly became very awkward. Elder Ren Ran forcefully rubbed his eyes and confirmed that the lightning within the Huanshen Pearl had disappeared without a trace. Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue strangely. Chu Liuyue innocently looked up and met his gaze. ¡°What happened just now?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? That bolt of lightning clearly came out, but it went back again. The Huanshen Pearl is in your hands, yet you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­Elder, you¡¯re very knowledgeable. You should have a better understanding of it, right?¡± ¡°¡­But I¡¯ve never seen such a situation before!¡± Elder Ren Ran held his forehead and felt a faint headache. I did produce this Huanshen Pearl, but Chu Yue was clearly the one being tested! At the end of the day, it¡¯s still Chu Yue¡¯s problem! But seeing that he looks rather confused, could it be that¡­ he really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on? ¡°Try again!¡± said Elder Ren Ran. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly and tried again. This time, she used the Heavenly Dao force attained when she made an agreement with the legendary three-eyed eagle. She held the Huanshen Pearl with both her hands. Very quickly, the same ripple was produced! Elder Ren Ran¡¯s heart rose as well. As long as that bolt oflightning appears for a sufficient amount of time, she¡¯ll succeed. In the beginning, he didn¡¯t really care about the youngster in front of him. But now, after what he had just experienced, he faintly felt that this Chu Yue might actually have some talent. It was really difficult for the Armory Refinement Masters to accept a student. Hence, Elder Ren Ran¡¯s originally nonchalant attitude changed, and he was a little expectant. I hope this kid can succeed! Crack! A bolt of lightning suddenly appeared! Elder Ren Ran was happy, but before he could fully extend his smile, the bolt of lightning disappeared again. This time, it was even worse than before as only a head appeared before it quickly retreated. It didn¡¯t even let anyone see its full body! Looking at the empty Huanshen Pearl once again, Chu Liuyue and Elder Ren Ran fell silent for a moment. ¡°You¡­¡± Elder Ren Ran took a deep breath in and looked at her. ¡°Haha, I knew he couldn¡¯t make it! How can it be so easy to become an Armory Refinement Master?¡± ¡°Yeah! Even if he¡¯s a little talented as a heavenly doctor, he doesn¡¯t need to be this arrogant, right? Does he really think that he¡¯s an all-rounder like Senior Brother Rong Xiu?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a stage-seven warrior, yet he dared to challenge. His courage¡­ is commendable.¡± Discussions could be heard from behind. They were standing relatively further away, so they couldn¡¯t see the lightning that flashed across in the Huanshen Pearl. Due to this, they thought that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t summon anything. Their words were filled with unconcealable mockery and insults. Even though the overall atmosphere in Ling Xiao Academy was decent, it didn¡¯t mean that everyone was harmonious in private. Chu Liuyue performed in a very outstanding manner at the heavenly doctor¡¯s side earlier. Some were envious of her, and there were naturally those jealous ones. At this moment, her behavior was akin to useless persistence to them. ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Upon hearing this, Luo Shishi knitted her brows and turned around to scold them. She was an elegant lady meticulously nurtured by an aristocratic family. Even though she was gentle, she didn¡¯t need to say much when she raged as the invisible aura around her was enough to frighten others. The students who met her gaze all kept quiet. Even if they felt indignant, Luo Shishi was still from the Luo family, and they didn¡¯t really dare to offend her. Besides, there were quite a few people in the Luo family, like Luo Yanlin, who was reputable in the academy. There was no need to offend them. ¡°Ms. Luo, there¡¯s no need to get angry over such small matters.¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled slightly. Luo Shishi pressed her lips against each other. ¡°They talked about you like that, but you¡ª¡± ¡°Actually, they¡¯re right. I don¡¯t seem to have much talent in this aspect,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she returned the Huanshen Pearl. Mm¡­ I seem not to have an affinity with this item. Actually, she wasn¡¯t a stranger to this scene. When she was previously producing the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword, the same situation seemed to have happened¡­ However, the situation back then was much worse and more realistic than it was now. Even though she felt that she could forcefully grab those bolts of lightning back¡­ she still gave up when she thought about how there were so many people watching. Elder Ren Ran took the Huanshen Pearl and examined it carefully before shooting Chu Liuyue a complicated gaze. ¡°What a pity¡­ Logically speaking, you should have some talent as an Armory Refinement Master, but¡­ But it doesn¡¯t seem to be enough, or there are some other problems. All in all, Chu Yue didn¡¯t successfully trigger the lightning bolts, so he has failed the test! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to look disappointed or regretful as she smiled slightly. Before leaving without reluctance, she then said, ¡°I understand. Sorry for the trouble,¡¯ ¡°Hey¡­¡± Luo Shishi hurriedly followed her and carefully looked at the latter¡¯s expression, seemingly hesitant with her words. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Ms. Luo, if you have something to say, just say it.¡± Luo Shishi was dazed for a moment. ¡°You¡­ We¡¯re also considered friends now, so y-you can directly call my name¡­¡± Ms. Luo sounded too distant and polite. Chu Liuyue went with the flow. ¡°Shishi.¡¯ Luo Shishi¡¯s lashes trembled slightly as if something soft caressed her heart. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice it. Thinking of the earlier scene, she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m fine. Elder Ren Ran is right¡ªit¡¯s not so easy to have the right to become an Armory Refinement Master. Originally, I just wanted to give it a try and see if I had potential in this area. It would¡¯ve been good if I did, but if it¡¯s not terrible that I don¡¯t. After all¡ª¡± Her lips curved up slightly, and her eyes were filled with confidence. ¡°I¡¯m quite talented as a heavenly doctor.¡± As she spoke, she intentionally looked at the crowd around her. The discussions about her grew increasingly quiet. No matter how she lost, she was still the only disciple Elder Wan Zheng received in the past three years! With this point alone, she had beaten many people! What right did they have to mock her? Seeing that Chu Yue really didn¡¯t seem troubled about this, Luo Shishi heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s true! Ling Xiao Academy has recruited many students all these years, but not even a hundred of them could make it onto the Armory Refinement Master list. It¡¯s normal if you can¡¯t do it too!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up, and her gaze landed on the name at the top of the list. She then raised her brows slightly. ¡°Mm, this is enough to show that the people on the list are very strong¡­¡± Luo Shishi followed her gaze and smiled. ¡°Yeah! How can everyone be as amazing as Senior Brother Rong Xiu?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak further. At this moment, a rather familiar male voice came from afar. ¡°Shishi!¡± Seeing that his own sister was standing with that young man in a rather close manner, Luo Yanlin couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice.. ¡°Come over here!¡± Chapter 1140 - Purposely Made Me Wait for so Long Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. Luo Shishi pressed her lips against each other and smiled before she turned around and left happily. For some reason, Chu Liuyue felt a faint coldness wrapping around her. She looked over and realized that this apparent aura of suppression actually came from Luo Yanlin far away. As if he was shocked about her sensitivity, strangeness flashed across Luo Yanlin¡¯s face before he squinted his eyes. The warning in his eyes was very obvious. Chu Liuyue understood what he meant, but she felt very confused. Warning¡­ Luo Yanlin warned me for no reason¡ª Suddenly, an idea popped up in her mind. It¡¯s not because of¡­ Luo Shishi, right?! Suddenly, her heart tingled. If even Luo Yanlin thought ofthis, then RongXiu She shook her head and suppressed these messy thoughts. Since I have already officially become a Ling Xiao Academy student, the most important thing is to strengthen myself as soon as possible. Besides¡­ There¡¯s still Jun Jiuqing! During the past few days, Chu Liuyue indirectly heard that Jun Jiuqing was also considered a famous character in the academy. This was because he was also one of the top few students in the academy a few years ago. His talent was outstanding, and he progressed at a stunning speed. From the bottom ten, he used three months to reach the top twenty of the Qing Yun Ranking. This speed was heaven-defying. However, he spent a very short amount of time in the academy, and he left not long later. He never came back afterward, causing his ranking to drop gradually later. He was currently ranked in the thirties. However, many still had a deep impression of him. This was because his mentor was a reputable person in the academy¡ªElder Ke Lan. There were at least 180 elders in Ling Xiao Academy. Elder Ke Lan wasn¡¯t the strongest, but he was still very reputable. This was because he was from the same clan as the current director! Their mentor was the previous director of Ling Xiao Academy! Rumors had it that the previous director wanted to choose one out of the two to take over his position. He had always doted on his small disciple, Ke Lan, more, and everyone thought that he had already made up his mind. However, nobody expected him not to choose Ke Lan in the end and instead choose his eldest disciple, who was the current director. Everyone partook in heated discussions regarding this. Some said that Ke Lan did something wrong and angered the old director, thus being stripped of his rights. Others said that Ke Lan was set up and was innocently implicated, being forced to give the position of director to someone else. All in all, nobody could talk about what happened back then clearly. However, it seemed to be peaceful all along between the director and Elder Ke Lan. But only they themselves know the true situation. This was also the reason why Elder Ke Lan had a very special status in the academy. All these years, he only recruited three students. Jun Jiuqing was the third one. Now, Jun Jiuqing doesn¡¯ t seem to have returned to the academy. Chu Liuyue could only calm herself down temporarily and wait patiently. Since Jun Jiuqing wants to use Chu Ning to threaten me, he definitely won¡¯t be overboard. Seeing it from this perspective, Chu Liuyue could forcefully feel a bit more at ease. Now, I can only improve my cultivation as soon as possible while I search for the truth. ¡°Fourth Brother, why are you looking for me?¡± asked Luo Shishi when she returned to Luo Yanlin¡¯s side. Luo Yanlin sized her up. ¡°Since when were you so close to that Chu Yue?¡± Luo Shishi was dazed, and her face flushed slightly. ¡°No, I just felt that we have some fate since all of us entered the academy on the same day. I thought that it¡¯d be good if we became friends ¡± Luo Yanlin¡¯s gaze had some meaning of scrutiny, but seeing that his own sister seemed rather nervous, he couldn¡¯t bear to push her too hard. He could only curtly nod. ¡°Mm, that kid is pretty talented as a heavenly doctor, so you can be his friend. But since you¡¯ve already come to the academy, you should focus on cultivation. Breaking through to become a stage-nine warrior is just the start for you. You need to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking so as not to hurt the Luo family¡¯s reputation. ¡± Luo Shishi looked much more serious. ¡°You¡¯re right, Fourth Brother. I¡¯ll remember it.¡± ¡°Great. Go back and cultivate diligently.¡± ¡®Yes!¡± The bustling assessment at the beginning of the month finally ended in the evening. All the new students that passed had their own belonging, and most of them were filled with excitement and expectancy toward their new academic life. Other than the Armory Refinement Master list that didn¡¯t change much, the remaining three lists all changed slightly for the Qing Yun Ranking. Some went up the ranks, while others went down. Some were elated, while others felt regret. However, these things had nothing much to do with Chu Liuyue. After being dismissed, Chu Liuyue and Elder Wan Zheng agreed to formally start her learning the next day. Then, she left Qing Ming Square and went back to her own residence. Inside the room, Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged and was deep in thought. ¡°Ancestor, what do you think is wrong with that Huanshen Pearl?¡± muttered Chu Liuyue in confusion. To say that I don¡¯t have talent, but the lightning clearly came out. To say that I have.. That thing went back in again after coming out for a while?! Shangguan Jing kept quiet for a moment before slowly replying, ¡°Probably because you¡¯re too fierce? Chu Liuyue: ¡°Am I?¡± Shangguan Jing: ¡°Hah.¡± Am I the one who forcefully grabbed those lightning bolts back then? Chu Liuyue: That was a special situation. Who would¡¯ve thought that these lightning bolts would behave like this? ¡°1f you are more discreet, it might be better,¡± Shangguan Jing thought for a while and said, ¡°but you don¡¯t have much hope.¡± You can¡¯t hide some things. ¡®You should just give up.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Originally, I did want to learn how to produce legendary weapons After thinking for half a day and not understanding it, Chu Liuyue swiftly gave up. I won¡¯ tproduce then! I¡¯ll think about it after I complete Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s goal ofgetting onto the heavenly doctor list! Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts and started to focus on her cultivation. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force kept entering her body continuously as they gradually formed an energy vortex above her head. Ever since she broke through to become a stage-seven warrior and recovered her Tianjing Yuan meridian, Chu Liuyue absorbed force at an even faster speed than before. Cultivation was naturally much faster and more convenient than before. Time trickled past, and the sky quickly darkened. The moon was high in the sky. At some point, a tall and big figure gradually closed in. Chu Liuyue instantly widened her eyes and hurled out a punch! Bam! A warm and thick palm quickly and accurately grabbed her hand. A familiar cold fragrance overwhelmed her¡ªit instantly rejuvenated her body. Rong Xiu came over. ¡®You purposely let me wait this long, hm?¡± His low and magnetic voice sounded very seductive in the quiet night, tickling one¡¯s heart.. Chapter 1141 - Jealousy A strange numbing sensation spread from the tip of her ears to half her body. Chu Liuyue curled her finger before swiftly relaxing her body. She then turned around to look at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°This is a misunderstanding. Senior Brother Rong Xiu, you¡¯re not discussing important matters with the elders, yet you¡¯re here at my place in the middle of the night. What are you doing?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her sparkling eyes that still seemed to shine in this dark sky with rays of light that strummed one¡¯s heartstrings. He clenched his hands and played with her soft and tiny palm, but his tone was much lazier. ¡°You¡¯re angry?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him calmly and shook his head. ¡°I was just curious why you don¡¯t want me to come to the academy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to, but¡­¡± Rong Xiu paused and recalled the scene of meeting Elder Hua Feng and the rest previously. They haven¡¯t seemed so happy and relaxed in a long time¡­ Today, at Dong Huang Clock Tower, Elder Wen Xi even delightfully announced that he was the one who recruited Chu Liuyue. If they discover her true identity. ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t want you to come, aren¡¯t you here already?¡± Rong Xiu helplessly held his forehead as a doting and loving smile was plastered on his lips. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. ¡°Y-you knew about it earlier on?!¡± Rong Xiu leaned in and placed his chin on her shoulders, his voice low and seductive. ¡°If I can¡¯t even guess what my own princess consort is doing, that would be weird. But¡­ I just didn¡¯t expect it to be so quick.¡± According to Chu Liuyue¡¯s sensitivity and intelligence, she would realize that something was amiss sooner or later. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to make up her mind so early and come to Ling Xiao Academy directly. Chu Liuyue thought about it and agreed. If I didn¡¯t unintentionally talk to Lin Zhifei about this matter that day, I wouldn¡¯t choose to take action so swiftly. ¡°Anywvay, I¡¯m already a student of Ling Xiao Academy. It¡¯s impossible for you to ask me to leave.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Without Rong Xiu, there wasn¡¯t much meaning in staying at the Sky-Cloud Empire. She felt that it was more interesting to stay here. Rong Xiu suddenly laughed, and Chu Liuyue could even clearly feel his chest vibrate. ¡°1 won¡¯t do that,¡± said Rong Xiu with a smile. ¡°You can stay here however long you like. I¡¯ll help you take care of the matters on the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s side.¡± This time, Chu Liuyue was truly shocked. She used some force and struggled free from Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace, turning around to look at him seriously. ¡°Really?¡± ¡®When have I ever lied to you?¡± asked Rong Xiu as he chuckled. Chu Liuyue snorted lightly. ¡°When have you not?¡± Rong Xiu was speechless. I forgot that this is a vengeful one.. He moved back and leaned against the head of the bed as he stretched his long legs. His eyes which seemed so deep like they could contain everything stared at Chu Liuyue quietly. The gentleness and deep emotions within could almost drown one. He sighed lightly, and his voice was much softer, but he still had indubitable confidence in it. ¡°If my lies can be exchanged for your eternal happiness and joy, I¡¯ll be willing to lie to you forever.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly trembled. This was the first time Rong Xiu said such words to her in such direct and honest manner. Strictly speaking, Rong Xiu really hasn¡¯ t lied to me previously. Instead, he hides the matter from me. Every time I recall some matters or discover some truth, Rong Xiu won¡¯t argue further and chooses to admit it directly. It¡¯s like¡­ theres a gigantic curtain hiding everything in front ofme, and Rong Xiu is standing right behind that curtain. He won¡¯t willingly pull the curtain open, but if I stretch my hand out, he won¡¯t stop me. Chu Liuyue never understood why exactly Rong Xiu did this. He clearly knew a lot of things, but he refused to tell her about them completely. Chu Liuyue had many guesses, but she never expected to get Rong Xiu¡¯s_ answer at such a time. She kept quiet for a moment, stared at Rong Xiu, and said carefully, ¡°Rong Xiu, you don¡¯t want me to remember what happened in the past, right?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and shook his head, his long fingers carefully caressing her palm as if he were touching a world-class treasure. ¡°It¡¯s just that there are some unhappy matters.¡± Even ifit also contains ourpast. But for her, everything else doesn¡¯t matter. Rong Xiu had once thought that there was nothing bad if she could never remember those memories. However¡­ some things seemed to have been destined. ¡°Since you¡¯re already back at the academy, I won¡¯t force you to leave.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly exerted strength with his arms and pulled her in. ¡°At the end of the day, you should decide your own matters.¡± ¡°Then ¡°1¡¯11 just stand beside you and accompany you.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was nonchalant. In the dark night, the bright moonlight reflected on his face, making him look deity-like and demonic at the same time. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and something seemed to be moving in her chest as her entire body started to warm up slightly. She suddenly leaned over. The lips were slightly cold and soft. At that moment, her entire world spun, and her back was against the bed. When the temperature in the air gradually rose, they heard knocks. Dong dong! Following that, a familiar female voice was heard. ¡°Chu Yue, are you there?¡± It was Luo Shishi! Chu Liuyue recovered her senses. Her previously dewy and misty eyes quickly recovered their clearness. Oh right, we previously agreed to go to Million Wine Mountain at night to celebrate! In the end, I completely forgot about this once Rong Xiu came! Chu Liuyue pushed the man in front. When he heard the commotion outside, Rong Xiu hesitated momentarily. However, it was only for a moment. Then, as if he didn¡¯t notice anything, he hugged her tighter and slowly kissed her. ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± Luo Shishi yelled in a strange manner. ¡°Why is nobody answering¡­¡¯ ¡°1s there nobody around?¡± This was Luo Yanmings voice. ¡°No, we already agreed during the day,¡± replied Luo Shishi in confusion. Chu Liuyue glared at Rong Xiu warily. Rong Xiu chuckled softly, and his dark eyes sparkled in a nonchalant and slightly dangerous manner.. ¡°¡­You have a date?¡± Chapter 1142 - Be Good, Don’t Cause Trouble Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This voice didn¡¯t come from Rong Xiu¡¯s mouth, but Chu Liuyue still heard it clearly. It was low, hoarse, and seductive. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment, but she quickly recovered her senses and dangerously squinted at him. She didn¡¯t believe that Rong Xiu did not know about this. ¡°It¡¯s just a trip to Million Wine Mountain.¡± ¡°Million Wine Mountain?¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. As if he thought of something, strange and incomprehensible smiling intent appeared in his eyes. ¡°It is a good place.¡± She just came back to the academy, and she is going there already¡­ ¡°What, we can¡¯t go to Million Wine Mountain?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t seem to be praising Million Wine Mountain when he talks about it. ¡°Why not?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and lightly pecked her lips. ¡°Go early and come back early. When you¡¯re there, be obedient and don¡¯t cause trouble.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. I¡¯m just going to play with a few friends, not pick a fight. Why does Rong Xiu sound like I¡¯m going to do something bad purposely? ¡°Why is there no sound at all? Is he really not around?¡± This was Zhuo Sheng¡¯s voice. ¡°¡®Why don¡¯t we go somewhere else to look for him?¡± ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be¡­ Since we already agreed¡­¡± muttered Luo Shishi. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look. If there¡¯s nobody else, we¡¯ll think of another way,¡± said Luo Yanming as he stepped in and was about to push the door open. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. The moment the door opened, Rong Xiu¡¯s figure had disappeared from within the room. ¡°Chu Yue?¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue sitting cross-legged on the bed, Luo Yanming was dazed for a moment. ¡°¡®We were calling for you just now. Why didn¡¯t you answer?¡± Chu Liuyue slowly breathed out and gently jumped down from the bed. ¡°Nothing much. I was too engrossed in thinking of a formula, so I didn¡¯t hear you.¡± The light in the room was very dim. Hence, the few of them couldn¡¯t see Chu Liuyue¡¯s slightly red and swollen lips, as well as her dewy eyes. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Million Wine Mountain. When the few of them arrived, the moon was already high in the sky. The bright moon shone down and cast faint shadows in the forest. The night wind blew slowly, and the leaves rustled. One could hear crisp noises from time to time. Chu Liuyue leaned in to listen carefully and realized that there seemed to be a cacophony coming from the top of the mountain. ¡°Today is the beginning of the month, so many students will be here,¡± explained Luo Shishi from the side as if she had seen through Chu Liuyue¡¯s intentions. ¡°We came here a little late, but Fourth Brother had already helped us reserve a seat earlier. Therefore, we can just directly go over.¡± Chu Liuyue then realized that Million Wine Mountain had so many rules. ¡°Can¡¯t everyone come here? Why is it so troublesome?¡± asked Chu Liuyue rather casually. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of the fountain!¡± Zhuo Sheng¡ªwho was walking in front¡ªsuddenly turned back and chuckled. ¡°It seems like you really don¡¯t know! Rumors have it that the water that oozes out of the fountain is very beneficial to a cultivator¡¯s health! Sometimes, it can even help them break through to a higher level! Hence, the nearer one is to the fountain, the more precious it is! Today is the beginning of the month, and most people will come around, so it¡¯ll be extremely difficult to get seats!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding and roughly guessed what happened. Everyone had been busy during the day. Now that they had a chance and a place to relax, they naturally wouldn¡¯t miss it. The new students who passed the test wanted to come and celebrate. The old students who got onto the Qing Yun Ranking would also come to celebrate. Even those disappointed ones who were beaten would inevitably want to drink their sorrows away. There was no surprise as to why this place was bustling with people. ¡°Is that fountain really that magical?¡± In comparison, Chu Liuyue was more curious about this. She had seen quite a few heavenly treasures, but she had never heard of this. Water coming out of a fountain actually had such shocking effects. It definitely made one curious. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve only heard about it! We¡¯ll know the exact effects ourselves when we go up, don¡¯t you think?¡± Zhuo Sheng said without a care. Clearly, he didn¡¯t really care about these rumors. He cared about whether they could have a fun time at night! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask further and continued to go up. The nearer they were to the mountain peak, the clearer the bustle. There seemed to be sounds of a stream of water splashing down. Chu Liuyue looked over in the direction of the sound. It was a pity that one couldn¡¯t see clearly into the thick forest and could only forcefully see a stream of water flowing down. The moonlight shone on it, and the water rippled. It doesn¡¯t seem like anything special___ ¡°Zhuo Sheng, why did you only come now?¡± On the mountain, a carefree young man¡¯s voice sounded suddenly. ¡°We all thought that you weren¡¯t coming anymore!¡± Following this, Chu Liuyue saw a few people come down from above. Zhuo Sheng laughed out loud. ¡°Haha! Won¡¯t it be very meaningless if we don¡¯t come?¡± Hearing their exchange, Chu Liuyue knew their identities¡ªthey were also students that the Xuan Master side recruited just today. The first person that talked to Zhuo Sheng was their senior brother, who came to the academy a year ago. The coincidental thing was that he already knew Zhuo Sheng beforehand. Hence, the two parties seemed quite close. Afterward, Zhuo Sheng introduced the two parties¡¯ identities. After they heard the name ¡®Chu Yue,¡¯ the few people¡¯s gazes paused on Chu Liuyue for a moment longer. However, most of their attention was still on Luo Shishi. This was especially so for the young man who initially greeted Zhuo Sheng. He treated Luo Shishi very enthusiastically. Everyone could tell that he was interested in Luo Shishi, and it wasn¡¯t hard to tell from the conversation that they already knew each other earlier on. However, Luo Shishi didn¡¯t seem to be interested in him as she maintained her reserved and polite attitude, not even talking much. The group of them went to the mountain peak amidst this slightly strange atmosphere. Million Wine Mountain was actually a very tall mountain with a spacious peak that could accommodate many people at once. As the bright moon shone down, the atmosphere was perfect. Together with the intensely fresh alcohol fragrance, it caused one to be intoxicated. From afar, Chu Liuyue smelled the strange fragrance. She wrinkled her nose slightly and took a deep breath in. Then, she instantly felt the intoxicating alcohol fragrance spread throughout her chest. However, this fragrance wouldn¡¯t cause one to truly lose their senses. Hence, the elders in the academy would normally turn a blind eye to the students relaxing here. After Chu Liuyue went up the mountain, she immediately saw the fountain right in the middle.. Chapter 1143 - Allow It to Go Chapter 1143: Allow It to Go Speaking of which, the fountain was at the top of Million Wine Mountain, but nobody knew how the water came in. The fountain was the size of a normal well, and it was surrounded by white translucent mountain rocks. Perhaps it was due to the nourishment of the mountain water or the overly bright moonlight, but the fountain looked especially clear. From afar, the water kept flowing out of the fountain and moved down, forming a stream down the mountain peak. Quite a few people were standing in the surroundings. Some of them directly filled their wine cups with alcohol and finished everything in one shot, while others savored it slowly. Everyone chatted heartily, and the atmosphere was lively. Chu Liuyue arrived at the position they agreed on beforehand, and it was beside the stream. This place was still a distance away from the fountain. Chu Liuyue looked over and realized that the people closest to the fountain seemed to be the senior brothers and senior sisters, who were extremely strong. When outsiders looked over, envy was written all over their faces. However, nobody crossed the border. It was clear that everyone obeyed the rules here. ¡°1 really wonder when we can stand at the place nearest to the fountain¡­¡± Zhuo Sheng lowered his voice for once, and envy filled his eyes. ¡°I hear that the water which emerges from the mountain contains the purest strength. When it flows down, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced. If we could stand there. ¡°Hah! In the academy, who wouldn¡¯t want to do so? However, how can this be so easy? You need to know that the people up there are top 50 in the Qing Yun Ranking!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. If they are in the top 50, they should basically be ranked in the forties. Ifnot, they would directly say that they are in the top 40 or even top 30. In the academy, this ranking is definitely one of the more outstanding ones. Ofcourse, they aren¡¯t at the top. The mostpowerful bunch won¡¯t really appear in such a place. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and walked closer to the stream. Then, she took a closer look at it. Standing here, she could feel the strange aura coming from within. It seemed like¡­ a special and pure strength. Chu Liuyue felt rather curious. She had heard that this Million Wine Mountain was actually an ordinary mountain back in the day. One day thousands of years ago, there was a strange weather phenomenon, and a thunderstorm brewed for some reason. After the commotion, this strange thing appeared on Million Wine Mountain. It had already been a long while since then. ¡°Tsk, this Million Wine Mountain¡¯s wine is indeed good!¡± Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t conceal his curiosity as he took a wine cup. Then, his eyes sparkled after finishing it. ¡°You should try!¡± Luo Yanming and Luo Shishi drank a few mouthfuls each, and they looked surprised. ¡°It¡¯s indeed good!¡± ¡°This seems to be even more fragrant than the Nine-Leaf Green we drank in our clan.. At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders suddenly sank. She turned around, and Tuan Zi appeared without her knowledge as it squatted on her shoulders. At this point, it was staring at the fountain water flowing down and looked as if it desired it very much. Chu Liuyue: ¡°You want it?¡± Tuan Zi nodded crazily. Yes! Yes! Isn¡¯t this smell heavenly?! It was rare for Chu Liuyue to see Tuan Zi appear in such a manner, so she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Then, she took a cup, filled it, and brought it to her fiend. ¡°Here, for you.¡± Tuan Zi stuck its head in and drank a mouthful. With that, its eyes sparkled even more than before. Not long later, the water inside the cup completely disappeared. Tuan Zi smacked its lips and looked at Chu Liuyue; its emotions could be seen at one glance. ¡®You still want it?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the fiend¡¯s stomach doubtfully. The current Tuan Zi hasn¡¯t revealed its true body. It¡¯s just palm -sized now, and the earlier cup could completely contain it. Nobody knows how it drank so much fountain water, yet it still wants more now? Tuan Zi inched closer in a flattering manner and lightly pecked her cheeks before burrowing its furry forehead against her face. Its intentions were exposed immediately. Chu Liuyue: ¡® ¡°Hm? Chu Yue, is this your fiend?¡± asked Luo Shishi in shock. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Si___ This seems to be red-tailed phoenix?¡± Luo Yanming who stood at the side¡ªcouldn¡¯t hide his shock. This was a legendary fiend, and it was a legendary fiend with the strongest bloodline! Even they might not be able to make an agreement with such a legendary fiend. Luo Shishi widened her eyes slightly. I knew that Chu Yue had a legendary fiend. If not, he wouldn¡¯t willingly take part in the Armory Refinement Master test during the day. However, I didn¡¯t expect Chu Yue¡¯s legendary fiend to be such a formidable existence. ¡°1 really couldn¡¯t tell! Chu Yue, you actually have a legendary fiend at your age?!¡± Zhuo Sheng glanced from the corner of his eyes, and his face was filled with shock. ¡°Don¡¯t you specialize as a heavenly doctor? How can you make an agreement with such a formidable legendary fiend?¡± They all knew that Chu Yue was just a beginner stage-seven warrior. According to this talent and capability, she shouldn¡¯t be able to convince such an arrogant legendary fiend. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°1 was just luckier.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re too lucky. ¡± Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t help but mutter as he shot Chu Liuyue an increasingly strange gaze. ¡°What kind of background do you have?¡± According to this family background, he should at least be a disciple from an aristocratic family, right? Chu Liuyue smiled but didn¡¯t speak, not having any intentions of revealing her status. Luo Shishi and the rest didn¡¯t mind either. The students in Ling Xiao Academy could come from any place or any clan on the mainland. Due to various reasons, many people weren¡¯t very willing to expose their backgrounds. In addition, with the director and the elders¡¯ control and guidance, everyone focused on cultivation and nothing else. Hence, when someone didn¡¯t want to state their background, the others would sensibly not ask further. Any-vvay, this was secondary in the academy. As long as you were sufficiently outstanding, everything else didn¡¯t matter. Chu Liuyue teased Tuan Zi. ¡°If you still want it, you can just go and drink.¡± Anyway, we are right beside the stream, so Tuan Zi just has to fly down. However, Tuan Zi shook its head as its eyes sparkled in a certain direction enthusiastically. Chu Liuyue followed its gaze and looked over. Then, the corner of her lips twitched slightly. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not¡­ going to head to that fountain to drink, right?¡± Tuan Zi waved its wings. Yeah! There! Chu Liuyue was speechless. She grabbed Tuan Zi¡¯s wings and hurled it up, looking straight into its eyes. ¡®Tuan Zi, do you have some misunderstandings about yourself, or do you have some misunderstandings about me? I don¡¯t even have the right to go over, yet it is interested? Tuan Zi looked at her with much desire. ¡°Let it go.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagles voice coldly sounded.. Chapter 1144 - Way Chapter 1144: Way Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Even though it broke through to the maximum stage and became a red-tailed phoenix, it can¡¯t unleash a huge part of its bloodline strength. This is a good chance for it,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle. ¡°If not, nobody will know how long it will take for your breakthroughs to spur its bloodline strength.¡± ¡°My breakthroughs?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Yup, it wasn¡¯t born as a red-tailed phoenix. Without someone from its clan guiding it, the bloodline strength in its body can¡¯t be unleashed fully. Only when you become a legendary warrior can its potential be fully unleashed. Take note: you have to be a true god, not a demigod.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice was so cold and direct that it sounded rather inhumane. ¡°The current you still requires a long time before reaching that step.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. It was the truth, and she couldn¡¯t even argue against it! ¡°This means that the water that comes out from the fountain at the top of this mountain has such effects for Tuan Zi?¡± ¡®Mm,¡± aclmowledged the legendary three-eyed eagle simply. ¡°0f course, if you don¡¯t want to, you can directly stop it and slowly wait.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. It has already said so much. The addition of the last sentence was rather unnecessary. The legendary three-eyed eagle is arrogant and cold, so it shouldn¡¯t be a small matter that made it open its mouth. Previously, I really didn¡¯t know that Tuan Zi had such a problem. She looked at Tuan Zi. Its pair of sparlding and brilliant eyes looked at her with much desire. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°0kay, I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes brightly glowed as it came up intimately and wanted to kiss her. Chu Liuyue pressed its wings down and looked at Zhuo Sheng beside her. ¡°Is there a way to go to the fountain?¡± Zhuo Sheng took a while to react before he understood what Chu Liuyue meant. Then, he gazed at her strangely. ¡°You really want to go over? I don¡¯t think you should! Haven¡¯t I already said that it¡¯s those few people¡¯s territory? We can¡¯t ¡°1 just want to go and take some fountain water. Besides, Million Wine Mountain is part of the academy¡¯s jurisdiction. Since when did it become theirs?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and interrupted him. ¡°If there are stronger people here, they also have to move away obediently, right?¡± ¡°Shh! You can¡¯t say such words!¡± said the young man who previously welcomed them suddenly. He first glanced at the fountain. After ensuring that those few people didn¡¯t hear Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, he slowly breathed out and looked at Chu Liuyue grudgingly and alertly. Then, he furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine because it¡¯s your first time here, and you don¡¯t know the rules. But in the future, you mustn¡¯t say such words anymore! If not, if something happens¡­ Even we can¡¯t save you!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept past his body. Mm, an intermediate stage-nine warrior really isn¡¯t that useful. He¡¯ll have a problem protecting himself, let alone protecting us. ¡°There should be other ways, right?¡± asked Luo Shishi suddenly, glancing at the young man with her face filled with questions. ¡°Senior Brother Yin Fan?¡± Yin Fan instantly looked like he was in a difficult spot. It was rare that Luo Shishi took the initiative to talk to him, but it was for that Chu Yue. He felt very awkward, and he found Chu Liuyue increasingly annoying. ¡°0f course! There¡¯s no absolute thing in the world, right! If you really want to go, there are two ways. Firstly, you can use points to exchange with them. The starting price is usually 50,000. Secondly, you can get someone to be your middleman. As long as this person is important enough, the other party will naturally give them some face.¡± Yin Fan glanced at Chu Liuyue, and mockery filled his eyes. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, you can choose one out of the two.¡± Once he said this, the few of them fell silent. These two methods didn¡¯t sound wrong at first, but it was actually very difficult to execute them. On the one hand, they had just come to the academy and couldn¡¯t produce so many points. On the other hand, even if they did have so many points, very few people could bear to take them out to exchange. As for the second method¡­ They had just arrived, so how could they know anyone? ¡°1f only Fourth Brother is willing to step up¡­¡± muttered Luo Yanming softly. Luo Yanlin was also on the Qing Yun Ranking, and his ranking was toward the front, so those few people should give him face. However, Luo Yanlin didn¡¯t come together with them tonight. This made the matter much more difficult. ¡®Why don¡¯t I go over and talk to them? Given Fourth Brother¡¯s face¡ª¡± The moment Luo Shishi spoke, Yin Fan rejected her. ¡°There¡¯s no use if you go. They only recognize competitors that are good enough. Even if you are Senior Brother Luo Yanlin¡¯s sister, they won¡¯t give you much face.¡± Ifeveryone uses the family card, won¡¯t it cause a huge mess? There will only be hope ifLuo Yanlin personally steps up. ¡®Then, there¡¯s no way, right?¡± Zhuo Sheng nudged Chu Liuyue with his elbow. ¡°Hey, Chu Yue, why are you so insistent on going over? Our location is pretty decent! Why must you cause trouble for yourself?¡± Luo Shishi glanced at Chu Liuyue and pressed her lips against each other. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Fourth Brother for help next time?¡± Anyway, we are all family, so Fourth Brother won¡¯t reject me. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. Tuan Zi squatted on her shoulders pitifully, and the light in its eyes dimmed. ¡°How long will it take for Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline to awaken?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in her heart. After a momentary pause, the legendary three-eyed eagle replied, ¡°It needs to stay near the fountain for at least one month.¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples painfully. Ifit were only a day or two, I could ask Luo Yanlin for help. At most, I wouldjust have to owe him a few favors. But one month¡­ Thars very difficult. Tuan Zi leaned against her shoulders lazily and weakly. Actually¡­ If theres no way, Ijust won¡¯ t go.. Anyway, the bloodline strength is here. I can just slowly unleash it. Chu Liuyue patted its head. If I exchange with points, I will use them up even faster than I can earn them. Besides, points are very precious. It¡¯s not very worth it ifI use points to exchange for this opportunity every time. IfI could get up on the Qing Yun Ranking and use my ability to get a spot. Chu Liuyue seriously pondered for a while and felt that she had no chance of being in the top fifty in such a short amount of time, so she gave up. It seems like there is no other way¡­ I can¡¯t get Rong Xiu to show up personally. Chu Liuyue cursed in her heart. ¡°Hey, Chu Yue, I think you should stop thinking about it! Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain water is greatly beneficial to one¡¯s cultivation, but you should work hard yourself if you want to become stronger at the end of the day!¡± advised Zhuo Sheng loudly. Chu Liuyue looked up and smiled slightly. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Luo Shishi also comforted her. ¡®Yeah. With your talent, you¡¯ll be on the Qing Yun Ranking sooner or later. As long as you¡¯re sufficiently strong, won¡¯t coming here be a small matter?¡± Her voice was very gentle. Yin Fan watched on from the side and suddenly knitted his brows as he said, ¡®Actually, I do have a way..¡± Chapter 1145 - Tease Chapter 1145: Tease Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced at him. Yin Fan held a wine cup in his hands. His face was slightly red, and his mouth was filled with the smell of alcohol. If it weren¡¯t because they knew that the fountain water wasn¡¯t intoxicating, they would¡¯ve really thought that he was drunk. He moved his hand and pointed in a direction, his gaze seemingly shining with a mysterious and strange light. ¡°Everyone comes to Million Wine Mountain around evening to midnight. Other than that, there¡¯s nobody else here. If you really want¡­¡± ¡°Yin Fan, what are you talking about?¡± interrupted Luo Shishi in dissatisfaction as she furrowed her sharp brows slightly. ¡°You clearly know that everyone isn¡¯t allowed into Million Wine Mountain during daytime. If you say this, do you purposely want to let Chu Yue commit a mistake?¡± ¡°Am I not just saying this because he really wants to go to the fountain?!¡± Yin Fan burped, and the intense smell of alcohol was almost suffocating. He stared at Chu Liuyue and seemed to be smiling, but there was no smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, what do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. Is Yin Fan doing this because Luo Shishi is angry at him? What an unnecessary trouble. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to give him some face, but this person was very petty, and there really was no need to interact with him further. She moved a step back, touched Tuan Zi comfortingly, and lightly said, ¡°Thank you for your ¡®kind intentions,¡¯ Senior Brother Yin Fan, but I have my own plans. I won¡¯t trouble you.¡± Yin Fan sneered. VVhat an act! I don¡¯t believe that this Chu Yue has such guts! He smiled. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, you¡¯ve just come to the academy, so there are many things that you don¡¯t know. As your senior brother, I have to remind you that it¡¯s good to have thoughts. But if you desire something that doesn¡¯t belong to you¡­ you¡¯ll only cause trouble for yourself!¡± The warning in his voice was very clear. Luo Yanming and the rest felt that something was wrong as their expressions changed slightly. Luo Shishi knitted her brows even more tightly. However, Chu Liuyue just smiled slightly. ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Senior Brother, but I have always been lucky.¡± Yin Fan shot her a deep gaze. Chu Liuyue had already turned around and was looking at the fountain. Actually, Yin Fan¡¯s words did remind me. The opening hours ofMillion Wine Mountain are velY weird, but perhaps it has always been like this, so everyone is used to it. During daytime¡­ What kind of secret does Million Wine Mountain have? Hula! At this point, flapping could be heard. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue looked up. The next moment, she saw a red figure suddenly flying down from the top! ¡°Haha! Ah Tong, why is your little fellow going crazy again?!¡± A clear bout of teasing laughter could be heard coming from the top of the mountain at the same time. Another woman cutely replied, ¡°Pfft, you¡¯re the crazy one! My one is a legendary fiend with the bloodline power of the red-gold heavenly phoenix. Perhaps its abilities will be strengthened when it drinks this fountain water!¡± As she spoke, the red figure had already flown down from above! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and saw that the fiend was surrounded by burning red fire. Everyvvhere the fiend went, leaves would be burned, and the rocks would turn black, showing its authority. When it passed by the bustling crowd, there were even gasps. To avoid this fiend, the crowd shied away and hid respectively. The originally lively mountain peak descended into chaos instantly. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to join the mess, so she took a few steps back and wanted to avoid it. Who knew that the fiend would suddenly change its direction after flying halfway and go straight for Chu Liuyue!? When the burning temperature attacked her, Chu Liuyue slightly knitted her brows. This thing¡­ Whoosh! Tuan Zi was suddenly energized! It flapped its wings and was about to rush out! Chu Liuyue stopped it, and upon a closer look, she realized that the fiend rushing over was very familiar. Hm? She tilted her head and looked at her own Tuan Zi. The same figure, the same first¡­ That seems to be a red-tailed phoenix too! Whoosh! The opposite red-tailed phoenix closely stared at Tuan Zi as the fire in its body burned even more brightly. Then, it suddenly increased its speed and rushed to the latter! This was an attack! Chu Liuyue instantly understood something, and her expression turned slightly cold. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes burned with maniacal fighting intent! However, Chu Liuyue still stopped it and moved away. Ca! A ball of fire flew out and barely brushed past Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears! A few strands of loose hair were burned. When the faint smell spread around, it frustrated Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue!¡± ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Luo Shishi and the rest questioned her hurriedly. It was too scaryjust now! Ifit were a little slanted, then¡­ ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was calm as she looked forward coldly. On the opposite side, that red-tailed phoenix was staring at Tuan Zi on her shoulders with a teasing gaze. They were both red-tailed phoenixes, so logically speaking, they should be closer since they were from the same clan. But in actual fact, the red -tailed phoenix clan was very competitive, and they always battled amongst themselves. Once they met their own kind, they had to fight until there was a winner. Hence, this red-tailed phoenix suddenly flew over because its motive was to fight with Tuan Zi! This was the rule of their clan, so other people couldn¡¯t say anything much. However¡­ such a sneak attack didn¡¯t have much meaning. ¡°Hah! I was wondering what¡¯s wrong with this fellow. It turns out there¡¯s another red -tailed phoenix! ¡± Chu Liuyue followed the voice and looked over. A muscular young man stood at the top of the mountain and looked down at this scene from above. There was a curvy young woman beside him, and she looked beautiful. She had a whole head of red hair and looked very arrogant. At this point, she also saw Chu Liuyue standing below, as well as Tuan Zi on her shoulders. Her face¡ªwhich originally had a smile¡ªturned slightly cold as she raised her brows. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really that¡­ There are indeed all sorts of hidden powers in the academy. Even legendary fiends can be the same¡ªhow interesting.¡± Everyone could tell the unhappiness in her voice. ¡°Ah Tong, his red-tailed phoenix¡¯s color seems to be even purer and more intense than yours!¡± That young man laughed as if he were worried that the world wasn¡¯t chaotic enough. ¡°If they really fought, I think you¡¯d lose!¡± That red-haired girl knitted her brows and sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°You¡¯re new? Another man beside her suddenly said, ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t that the disciple Elder Wan Zheng just recruited today? I think¡­ he¡¯s called Chu Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue saw clearly that the red-haired girl¡¯s expression turned even uglier after she heard this. ¡°So he¡¯s such a capable junior brother! I believe he must be outstanding in all aspects to be able to gain Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s liking, right?¡± The young man who spoke at the start laughed with ill intentions. ¡°Ah Tong, didn¡¯t you want to go to Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s side in the beginning and was eliminated?¡± That red-haired girl glared at him before looking at Chu Liuyue.. As if she were commanding Chu Liuyue, she said, ¡°You¡­ Come over!¡± Chapter 1146 - Bet! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Her scream caused the surrounding crowd to quieten down, and everyone looked at Chu Liuyue with various expressions. Chu Liuyue paused and walked forward. ¡°Chu Yue!¡± Luo Shishi came forward to stop her and looked worried. ¡°Why don¡¯t we accompany you¡ª¡± ¡°Shishi, do you know who that girl is?¡± Yin Fan sneered with his eyes filled with warning. ¡°That¡¯s Liu Yintong. She¡¯s ranked 49th on the heavenly doctor list, and she¡¯s also 46th on the warrior list! You can¡¯t offend her! And the person who spoke first¡ªthat guy is Gong Sheng. He¡¯s ranked 39th on the warrior list! As for the rest, they¡¯re all quite strong too, and they¡¯re not random characters. We¡­ can¡¯t afford to offend them like this!¡± This ranking was definitely already outstanding in Ling Xiao Academy. One had to know that the entire academy only recruited talents from all over the world. It was already very amazing to be able to be accepted into Ling Xiao Academy, let alone these people who had a reputation in the academy. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Senior Brother Luo Yanlin¡¯s ranking is ahead of them, but you need to know that you can only depend on yourself for some things in the academy,¡± said Yin Fan as he glanced at Chu Liuyue meaningfully. Luo Shishi wanted to speak further, but Chu Liuyue gave her a reassuring gaze and smiled slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± Then, she stretched out her legs and went forward. Quite a few people looked over. The mountain peak was especially quiet for a moment. ¡°Xiao Feng, come over.¡± Liu Yintong called the red-tailed phoenix. With an ear-piercing sound, the red figure quickly drew an arc in mid-air. That red -tailed phoenix had already returned to the front of Liu Yintong, and the fire on its body disappeared silently. Chu Liuyue walked over and stopped about five steps in front of them. The two parties entered a stalemate, and it was a weird atmosphere. Liu Yintong¡¯s gaze first swept across Tuan Zi¡¯s body. The two parties stood opposite each other at a close distance at this moment, so they naturally could see each other¡¯s situations more clearly. Hence, the few of them¡ªincluding Liu Yintong¡ªwere all looking at Tuan Zi on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Its body was as red as a burning fire, a pure and intense shade. It was clearly much better than Liu Yintong¡¯s fiend. This also proved that Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline strength was even purer and more intense. Liu Yintong knitted her brows. Ever since I made an agreement with this red- tailed phoenix, I¡¯ve always felt very proud. After all, not everyone has such good luck. Who knew that this ordinary new student in the academy would actually have a red-tailed phoenix!?And it¡¯s better than mine! It would be a wonder if Liu Yintong could feel good about it. ¡°Greetings, Senior Brothers, Senior Sister. I am Chu Yue.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke first and politely greeted the few of them. She not only seemed respectable and humble, but she also didn¡¯t look nervous at all. ¡°So you¡¯re Chu Yue.¡± Liu Yintong outrageously sized Chu Liuyue up in a teasing manner as if she were checking a cheap product. Chu Liuyue pretended not to see her gaze as she still seemed calm and collected. ¡°I came here not long ago. Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, do guide me along.¡± ¡°Hah! You¡¯re a kid that knows how to speak!¡± At the side, Gong Sheng clapped his hands and smiled delightfully. ¡°This red-tailed phoenix is quite interesting! Normally, Ah Tong is always flaunting hers. Now that another one has come with much difficulty, why don¡¯t we let them battle each other?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Senior Brothers and Senior Sister are all the cream of the crop. I wouldn¡¯t dare to go overboard.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to compete?¡± Gong Sheng¡¯s words were very direct, and it would seem rather critical at many times. ¡°Tsk! Ah Tong, look, your junior brother doesn¡¯t even want to compete with you!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Gong Sheng. This was clearly done on purpose. As expected, Liu Yintong¡¯s face turned cold. She stared at Chu Liuyue closely. ¡°Why? Do you think that your legendary fiend will definitely win, so you¡¯re too lazy to compete with me?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Are these fewpeople out of their minds? However, she didn¡¯t say it out loud and even hid her expression really well. ¡°Senior Brothers, Senior Sister, you¡¯ve misunderstood. All of you are capable people on the Qing Yun Ranking, while I¡¯ve just come to the academy. I am lacking in many areas compared to all of you. I wouldn¡¯t dare to compare with Senior Sister.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you if you disagree,¡± interrupted Liu Yintong in frustration. ¡°You definitely know the red-tailed phoenix clan¡¯s rules. Since this is so, just let them fight it out and see who the winner will be.¡± I¡¯ve already given the otherparty sufficient face by taking the initiative to invite him. Ifhe still dares to reject me in public¡­ Chu Liuyue felt a vague coldness in the air, and she blinked. ¡°Since you insist, I will respectfully oblige. But¡­¡± ¡°But what? Stop being wishy-washy!¡± Liu Yintong seemed to be really impatient. ¡°Hey¡­ hang on!¡± Gong Sheng suddenly interrupted and smiled at the duo. He said, ¡°Ah Tong, if it¡¯s just a simple match, it¡¯ll be too boring! Why don¡¯t we bet on something?¡± ¡°What kind of bad intentions do you have?¡± Liu Yintong glanced at him in contempt. Gong Sheng didn¡¯t seem to care about her gaze as he continued smiling. ¡°Look, this red-tailed phoenix of yours clearly has a weaker bloodline power than that of Junior Brother Chu Yue. But you¡¯re stronger than him, so the strength that your legendary fiend can unleash is naturally greater than his.¡± ¡°In other words, both of you have your own advantages. It¡¯s really not easy to say who will win. If I were to speak¡­ Why don¡¯t we use three drops of the respective legendary fiend¡¯s blood as a bet? Whoever loses will take out three drops of the legendary fiend¡¯s blood and give it to the other party!¡¯ The crowd instantly fell silent. Even if they didn¡¯t have a legendary fiend, they knew clearly what these three drops of blood meant. Every legendary fiend had a limited amount of blood with bloodline power in their bodies! Giving three drops away just like that was akin to giving their bloodline strength to the other party! ¡°If it were other matches, there wouldn¡¯t be much meaning to compete like this. However¡­ these two are red-tailed phoenixes!¡± Gong Sheng¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. Since they were of the same clan, it meant that they could absorb the other party¡¯s bloodline power! An idea surfaced in Liu Yintong¡¯s mind. She didn¡¯t think of it in the beginning, but after hearing Gong Sheng¡¯s words, she was quite tempted. IfI can snatch the other party¡¯s bloodline power and merge it into my own legendary fiend¡¯s body¡­ My legendary fiend can definitely overtake the other one! ¡°Okay! It¡¯s settled then!¡± She looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue, do you agree?¡± Even though it was a question, she wasn¡¯t seeking his opinion. It was clear that they didn¡¯t allow Chu Liuyue to reject them. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly and looked at the water spouting out from the fountain. Then, she suddenly smiled. ¡°Sure, but I have a request. I want to add on to the bet..¡± Chapter 1147 - Fight! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Upon hearing this, the crowd was stunned. ¡°Add on to the bet?¡± Liu Yintong suspiciously sized her up. ¡°What do you want to add?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand and pointed at the fountain. ¡°If I win, other than the three drops of legendary fiend blood, I want to have the right to stay beside this fountain for a month. I believe this won¡¯t be hard for you, right, Senior Sister Liu?¡± Liu Yintong never expected Chu Liuyue to make such a request. She knitted her brows and looked conflicted as she pondered over the latter¡¯s words. This was because it was rather troublesome for her as well. One had to know that even if she had a decent ranking on the Qing Yun Ranking, there were quite a few people with similar rankings. Occasionally, they would want to come to Million Wine Mountain and get a seat too. The fountain was only that big after all, and there were only a few spots beside it. It was fine if one occupied the best spot for a day or two because everyone could just take turns. However, it would be rather overboard if one occupied it for a month. Even I can¡¯t guarantee that I can continuously do it for a month. But now, Chu Yue actually wants to take that as a wager?! Chu Liuyue slightly smiled as she looked at Liu Yintong in a calm and collected manner, without arrogance or frustration. It was as if she didn¡¯t realize how shocking her conditions were at all. ¡°Hahaha! Junior Brother Chu Yue is indeed carefree!¡± Gong Sheng was exhilarated when he heard this, and he hurriedly urged Liu Yintong to agree. ¡°Ah Tong, since Junior Brother has already spoken, it can¡¯t be that you don¡¯t dare to agree, right?¡± This sentence triggered Liu Yintong, and she glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re the cowardly one! Do you think I¡¯ll lose?!¡± Nobody thought that she would lose. Even though everyone could tell that her legendary fiend was slightly weaker than the other party¡¯s, she was a strong warrior on the Qing Yun Ranking, and her legendary fiend¡¯s combat power couldn¡¯t be underestimated. In contrast, the other party was just a junior brother that just entered the academy. Besides, he specialized as a heavenly doctor, and he only seemed to be a beginner stage-seven warrior. There was nothing much to worry about. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to it.¡± Liu Yintong looked straight at Chu Liuyue, and her gaze was high and mighty. ¡°But if you lose, what kind of punishment should you get?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders and smiled slightly. ¡°You can decide whatever you want, Senior Sister Liu.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a deal.¡± Liu Yintong glanced at the red-tailed phoenix at the side. Whoosh! It spread its wings, and the burning fire rose once again! The surrounding air seemed to burn, and the people standing nearer took a few steps back unwittingly! Everyone knew that this fiend had shocking warring capabilities and that it was as hot-tempered as its owner. If one wasn¡¯t careful, they might just be implicated! On the mountain peak, they quickly emptied an area with Chu Liuyue and Liu Yintong in the center. The people below had long gathered around. Even though they didn¡¯t dare to go too near, their eyes were tightly glued to the two people standing opposite each other. Chu Liuyue tapped Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead and lowered her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve already fought for a chance for you. Now, it depends on you to make use of it.¡± Tuan Zi nodded forcefully and rapidly flew out. Hua! Fire also started burning intensely around Tuan Zi! Different from the one opposite it, its fire was even redder and more intense. The suppression it contained was clearly stronger! Their capabilities could be seen with one glance! Liu Yintong felt even more upset. But upon thinking that she could gain the bloodline power of the other party¡¯s legendary fiend after this competition ended, her expression turned bright again. She glanced at Chu Liuyue, who wasn¡¯t far away. Seeing that the latter was completely unaffected, she knitted her brows and looked away. The kids that just enter the academy always think that they are the most outstanding talents in the world. If they don¡¯t suffer a little, they won¡¯t know their limits. ¡°Why would Chu Yue agree to such a bet?¡± Luo Shishi couldn¡¯t help but mutter worriedly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any chances of winning this match!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t reject it. Given the earlier scenario, he didn¡¯t have a second option.¡± Luo Yanming patted her shoulders in comfort. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch first. If he really needs help, we can ask Fourth Brother to come forward.¡± Luo Shishi could only nod her head. Even though they didn¡¯t come to the academy for long, they had already known some rules beforehand. For example, outsiders couldn¡¯t casually interfere with such duels. In the academy, the strong were respected. If someone only knew how to depend on and always relied on others to stand up for them, then they would be increasingly looked down on. Hence, Chu Yue had to depend on himself to overcome it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His legendary fiend¡¯s bloodline strength doesn¡¯t seem weak. Perhaps he has a bit of hope.¡± Zhuo Sheng scratched his head as he didn¡¯t expect that things would progress to this stage. Luo Shishi smiled bitterly. His words are as good as not saying anything. They are both red-tailed phoenixes. Even if their bloodline strength is different, how different can it be? However, Chu Yue and Liu Yintong are worlds apart! The former is bound to lose this match, yet he added such a wager for himselfat the end! I really don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know his limits. Since he dares to do it, he¡¯ll need to be prepared to pay for it.¡± Yin Fan chuckled. ¡°Very quickly, he¡¯ll know that this is Ling Xiao Academy, not somewhere he can throw his temper!¡± The sky was dark, and the moon hung high in the sky! Above the mountain peak, the two red-tailed phoenixes stood opposite each other! Tuan Zi stared at the one before it and dangerously squinted its eyes. It actually thinks it can challenge me just because its owner is capable¡­ They must be tired ofliving! Tuan Zi flapped its wings. The next moment, it disappeared from the spot! The crowd gasped in shock. Chu Yue¡¯s fiend attacked first! This fiend really follows its masters personality, and it is very daring! Bam! A violent collision was heard! Two balls of fire harshly crashed against each other, and sparks instantly flew everywhere! The two figures instantly tangled together! As they were originally from the same clan, they looked extremely similar. Besides, both of them had fires burning around them. When they were tangled up together, they completely became a ball of fire, and others couldn¡¯t see them clearly. From afar, they could only see sparks that kept exploding out. Above it was a terrifyingly hot ripple that kept spreading in all directions! Bam! Crash! Whoosh! All sorts of clashes could be heard. After a while, the two of them finally separated! Tuan Zi dropped a few feathers, and its entire body looked much messier. Meanwhile, the fiend opposite it had its claws bleeding, and its body was stained with blood. It looked even uglier. With one look, anyone could tell who was stronger and who was weaker. Liu Yintong was originally confident she would win, but when she saw this scene, her expression changed slightly. ¡°Xiao Feng!¡± she hollered. ¡°Defeat it!¡± I have to win this match! Once she said this, the crowd saw the fire around that red-tailed phoenix suddenly rise! Bam! A gigantic figure appeared in mid-air and cast a thick shadow! Scorching! Oppressive! That red -tailed phoenix changed into its true size. It looked down at Tuan Zi coldly and rushed down! Its sharp beak was about to cut the other fiend¡¯s throat! Chapter 1148 - Suppress! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Almost at the same time, Tuan Zi¡¯s figure changed drastically as well! An even hotter fire suddenly rose! But in comparison, Tuan Zi seemed to be a little smaller than the other party. ¡°Pfft.¡± When Liu Yintong saw this scene, she couldn¡¯t help but sneer as she looked extremely confident. The amount of strength unleashed by a legendary fiend that has made a pact is closely related to its owner¡¯s cultivation level and capabilities. No matter how pure this red-tailed phoenix¡¯s bloodline power is, it can¡¯t change the fact that its owner Is just a mere stage-seven warrior! The difference can¡¯t be made up for! ¡°It should end!¡± With Liu Yintong¡¯s command, that red-tailed phoenix flew toward Tuan Zi! Its size was a clear advantage, and a shocking suppression came over! Tuan Zi flapped its wings and was about to fly, but it realized that its surrounding space suddenly became very strange! Everything in the surroundings became heavy. It was as if it sunk into soil, as struggling became more difficult than ever. ¡°God Realm!¡± Someone within the crowd gasped! Legendary fiends were different from humans, who had to cultivate diligently and become legendary warriors before they could build their own God Realms. Legendary fiends had this ability since they were born. When they were of age, they could successfully unleash their own God Realm. At this point, that red-tailed phoenix actually used this trump card directly! ¡°I heard that if the owner isn¡¯t capable enough, their legendary fiend will be implicated and can¡¯t fully unleash all of its bloodline power¡­ Now, it seems like it¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Chu Yue¡¯s red-tailed phoenix also looks like it hasn¡¯t come of age yet. It¡¯ll definitely lose this battle!¡± ¡°Liu Yintong became a demigod long ago. Even though the legendary fiend she has can only unleash limited strength, it should be more than enough to deal with Chu Yue, right?¡± The crowd burst into an uproar as they engaged in heated discussions, already confirming the outcome of this match. At this moment, that red-tailed phoenix stretched its extremely sharp claws toward Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes! It almost wanted to dig out the latter¡¯s eyeballs the next moment! Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes burned with anger! My god! IfI don¡¯t showyou how good I am, you really think that you¡¯re invincible, right?! Bam! The next moment, under the crowd¡¯s stunned stares, a terrifying ripple also exploded out of Tuan Zi¡¯s body! Something seemed to be breaking inch by inch in the air. Shock flashed across that red-tailed phoenix¡¯s eyes, but very quickly, that shock turned into horror and panic! It almost moved backward without thinking! ¡°Xiao Feng!¡± Liu Yintong was taken aback when she saw this scene. Wasn¡¯t it doing okayjust now? Why did it suddenly become like this in the blink of an eye? I can even clearly feel the terror coming from the bottom ofits heart. Very quickly, Liu Yintong knew why it felt such horror. Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of crisp sounds were heard. The God Realm that the red-tailed phoenix had initially unleashed started collapsing inch by inch. The black cracks in space intersected. From afar, it looked like a piece of dehydrated land and was horrifying. An even stronger suppression seemed to overcome everything and rushed over at first instance! Liu Yintong suddenly widened her eyes! At the side, Gong Sheng¡¯s expression changed as he unwittingly put down his crossed arms and speechlessly stared at everything that was happening in shock. He almost thought that he was seeing it wrong! Everyone else¡¯s reactions were about the same. This was all because Tuan Zi had also unleashed its own God Realm! Even though the God Realm was very small, it still easily oppressed Liu Yintong¡¯s red-tailed phoenix wherever it passed! ¡°How is this possible?!¡± Gong Sheng gasped and muttered, ¡°Chu Yue is just a mere stage-seven warrior. How can his legendary fiend unleash a God Realm?¡± Nobody answered his question. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Seeing that the red-tailed phoenix was about to escape, Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes sparkled with an extremely cold glint. Then, it sped forward! At this point, the surrounding space was wrapped in Tuan Zi¡¯s God Realm, so it traveled very quickly and reached the red-tailed phoenix¡¯s back in the blink of an eye. That red-tailed phoenix felt something and turned around. Following that, a hint of shock and terror surfaced in its arrogant eyes for once. Tuan Zi glanced at it. Shoo! A clear shrill suddenly spread around as it reverberated throughout the air above Million Wine Mountain. Everyone was stunned¡ªit was as if a heavy rock had dropped down from above! It instantly caused everyone to have difficulty moving as if all the blood in their bodies was frozen! ¡°This is¡­ the red-tailed phoenix¡¯s suppression¡­?¡± Amidst the deadly silence, someone softly muttered. The voice was light but filled with shock. ¡°T -this is a legendary fiend that truly has the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s bloodline power!¡± The next moment, under countless pairs of eyes, Tuan Zi rushed forward! The red-tailed phoenix opposite it instinctively dodged! Huala! A gigantic wound was scratched on its wings! Its feathers dropped everywhere, and it looked very bloody! One could see the scarily white bones where the wound was. Quite a few people suddenly took a deep breath in. Itjust scratched it once and actually directly ripped halfits wing apart?! What kind ofshocking combat power is this!? Even Liu Yintong had already lost all words when she saw the scene in mid-air. They are both red-tailed phoenixes, and my one has already come of age. It is also bigger and looks stronger. Originally, I thought victory was in my hands. Who knew¡ª ¡°Xiao Feng!¡± Liu Yintong suddenly recovered her senses and screamed, ¡°What are you doing?! Beat it!¡± If¡ªifI lose¡­ When the red-tailed phoenix heard that command, struggle flashed across its eyes. But before it could fully prepare itself, Tuan Zi¡¯s claws harshly slammed down! Who told you to be arrogant!? Who told you to be proud!? Your bloodline strength is so meager that it¡¯s pathetic, yet you think you can beat me?! Huala¡ª The sounds of feathers being ripped, muscles being shredded, and bones clashing merged together, and it made one¡¯s heart shudder! Blood splattered everywhere. Quite a few people felt their hairs stand on end. Th-this¡­ Ifit continues, that red- tailed phoenix will be destroyed! Liu Yintong also realized this point, and she was shocked and enraged. She never thought that her legendary fiend¡ªwhich she thought was a treasure¡ª would actually be beaten up in this manner one day! ¡°Stop!¡± Her body was trembling slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes. At this point, even if she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she knew that everything was set. Her legendary fiend was clearly not the other party¡¯s match, and it even became the meat on the butcher¡¯s board! As if Tuan Zi didn¡¯t hear her, it continued leaving all sorts of wounds on the red-tailed phoenix crazily! Liu Yintong suddenly looked at Chu Liuyue and yelled harshly, ¡°Are you not getting it to stop?!¡± Chu Liuyue then slowly opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t get Tuan Zi to stop according to her request. She looked at Liu Yintong.. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, are you admitting defeat?¡± Chapter 1149 - Courting Death Trust him to ask me that at this point! Liu Yintong was hopping mad, her voice rising a decibel in a screeching manner. ¡°I say, get your fiend to stop what it¡¯s doing! Can¡¯t you hear me?!¡± ¡°Senior, nobody can interfere in a fight between fiends. Besides, Tuan Zi is known to have a foul temper. Even I can¡¯t control it much at times. If we don¡¯t put an end to this match, I¡¯m afraid that¡­ it probably won¡¯t stop,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a hint of an apologetic expression. Everyone, however, knew that this wasn¡¯t the case¡ªits owner refused to get the fiend to stop and was trying to force Liu Yintong into admitting defeat. Liu Yintong naturally could tell what Chu Liuyue was trying to do here. Her body trembled with anger as she glared at the latter with fury in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re being insolent, Chu Yue!¡± Chu Liuyue pretended as if she couldn¡¯t hear the threat in Liu Yintong¡¯s words. She remained indifferent and didn¡¯t respond to her. Meanwhile, Tuan Zi seemed to be having the time of its life and didn¡¯t look back even once. It happily swiped its claws and ripped the feathers off the other red-tailed phoenix, which barely had any left now. The red-tailed phoenix naturally couldn¡¯t put up with the humiliation, but it wasn¡¯t a match for Tuan Zi with it being terribly injured and hanging onto its last breath. It didn¡¯t even have the energy to retaliate and could only tilt its head to the side and let Tuan Zi continue to torture it. It was one hell of a bizarre sight. All of a sudden, Liu Yintong sneered and turned around. ¡°Fine! Since you refuse to make your fiend stop, I¡¯ll stop that thing myself!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll automatically be admitting defeat if you get involved in the fight,¡± Chu Liuyue kindly reminded her. That got Liu Yintong to stop in her tracks. A wave of cold air descended upon them, and the surroundings were filled with dead silence. Everyone turned to look at Chu Liuyue as if she were a lunatic. Where in the world did this guy get his guts from to challenge Liu Yintong in this manner?! ¡°Hah!¡± Liu Yintong scoffed, her voice sounding forced as she gritted out, ¡°Consider this your win! Now, get your beast to stop right away!¡¯ Chu Liuyue lifted her chin slightly, her calm and peaceful expression instantly vanishing and being replaced by a glacial look. ¡°Please take back the last sentence, or I can¡¯t guarantee that your ¡®beast¡¯ will survive tonight.¡± She spoke so slowly that everyone could clearly hear each and every word she said. Despite her youthful look, the way she spoke was resolute. It was like she had immense power. Liu Yintong¡ªwho wanted to snap back at her¡ªsuddenly shivered internally when she met the latter¡¯s dark and unfathomable eyes. The retort that had made its way to the tip of her tongue got swallowed back into her throat instead. After a moment, she finally turned her head and said stiffly, ¡°I concede!¡± This was the biggest ¡®concession¡¯ on Liu Yintong¡¯s part, although it was more appropriate to say that she had yielded to Chu Liuyue. Gong Sheng and everyone else were at a loss for words. As Liu Yintong¡¯s close friends, they naturally knew how big of a humiliation it was for her to say this to a junior who had just joined the academy. But then again, there wasn¡¯t any other way out. Her contracted fiend was about to die in the claws of Chu Yue¡¯s fiend. What more could she say or do now? ¡°Tuan m,¡± Chu Liuyue finally called. ¡°Come back.¡± Only then did Tuan Zi fling the dying red-tailed phoenix down and fly over. It even stomped on the other phoenix¡¯s face on its way down. Bah! Serve you right for eyeing my bloodline! The red-tailed phoenix¡¯s head flopped down, and it finally passed out completely. Liu Yintong was so angry that she stared daggers at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi, however, seemed oblivious to her glares. It flew over to the mouth of the fountain and gulped down the water, its eyes lighting up in surprise when warm energy instantly spread to its entire body. Despite Tuan Zi¡¯s wish to continue drinking the fountain water, it knew that Chu Liuyue was still waiting for it, so it reluctantly flew back to her, shrinking to the size of a palm before landing safely on her shoulder. Even though its feathers were stained with blood, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t look like it was suffering from any serious injuries. Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was put at ease after carefully examining it. Liu Yintong stormed over, only to see her contracted fiend unconscious and seriously injured. From the horrifying wounds on its body, she could tell how hard Tuan Zi had gone on her fiend earlier. D*mn it! This useless thing! Liu Yintong¡¯s expression darkened as she let out a curse internally. It looks like it will take at least ten days for it to recover. Will this affect my ranking on the Qing Yun Ranking next month? The reason why Tm able to rank in the top fifty on the Qing Yun Ranking warrior list is mainly due to my contracted fiend, but now¡­ Just as Liu Yintong wanted to summon her fiend, she heard a clear voice from behind. ¡°You seem to have forgotten something, Senior.¡± Liu Yintong looked back, only to see Chu Liuyue smiling harmlessly at her while saying words that drove her hopping mad: ¡°The bet.¡¯ The audience drew a sharp intake of breath. The nerve ofhim! Can¡¯t he see how dark Liu Yintongs expression is?! He¡¯s completely offended her! Chu Liuyue naturally knew that this would make Liu Yintong hate her even more, but it wasn¡¯t like the latter had given her a chance before. They were the ones who proposed to have a match with a bet after all. If it weren¡¯t because Tuan Zi was capable enough and that she had a few tricks up her sleeves, the fiend lying on the ground now would have been Tuan Zi. From the moment she possessed a red-tailed phoenix that had a stronger bloodline than the other red-tailed phoenix, she had already offended them. In that case, there wasn¡¯t a need for her to be forbearing and conciliatory since whatever she did would be wrong. Liu Yintong clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that fighting between students wasn¡¯t allowed on Million Wine Mountain, she would¡¯ve gone straight up to Chu Liuyue and ripped that sickening face. She turned around and walked to the red-tailed phoenix lying on the ground. With a lift of her hand, a red force shot out and enveloped the fiend. Soon, a red drop of blood gathered at the top of its head, followed by the second and third drops. She then flicked her hand and made the three drops of blood fly over to Chu Liuyue. ¡°There you go!¡¯ Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly as she channeled her force and caught the three drops of blood safely in her hands. The expressions of the people with keen eyes became a lot more complicated when they looked at Chu Liuyue after seeing this scene. Liu Yintong was a demigod after all. Even if she didn¡¯t use all her strength, that move contained a considerable amount of force. However, Chu Yue, a mere stage-seven warrior, had easily caught the blood. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Thank you for honoring your word, Senior. You really are generous.¡± The crowd was speechless. Please! That¡¯s enough! Stop making things difficult for yourself! Chu Liuyue¡ªwho seemed oblivious to their inner cries¡ªfed the blood to Tuan Zi and then asked with a grin, ¡°Then¡­ What about Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain¡­?¡± Chapter 1150 - Lightning Bolt Chapter 1150: Lightning Bolt ¡°I¡¯ll naturally keep my word!¡± Liu Yintong couldn¡¯t resist bellowing. A momentary silence fell over the crowd as many of them cast a pitiful look at Chu Liuyue. He really has completely offended her! The consequences of offending any member of their group are unthinkable! All it takes are some wits and scheming from them, and Chu Yue¡¯s life in the academy will become very tough! Even if his mentor is Elder Wan Zheng, he can¡¯t completely control the students¡¯ relationship dynamics. This guy¡­ is doomed! The student in question, however, remained seemingly oblivious to it all. Upon hearing what Liu Yintong said, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and flashed a smile at her. ¡°And I naturally trust your character.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply was met with dead silence, and everyone could basically foresee how miserable her school life would be in time to come. ¡°Hah, no wonder Elder Wan Zheng likes you. You sure are something¡­¡± The smile on Gong Sheng¡¯s face had faded a lot, and his eyes were filled with a coldness that couldn¡¯t be disguised. Had it been someone else, they would surely tremble with fear under his watchful gaze. But not Chu Liuyue. She calmly replied, ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Senior. I still have a lot of shortcomings, so I need to learn more from you all.¡± Even the arrogant Gong Sheng was rendered speechless at this moment. He choked upon hearing those words and then let out a cold and angry laugh. ¡°Well, well, well¡­ Chu Yue, you sure are something!¡± After saying that, he quickly walked over to Liu Yintong¡¯s side. ¡°Ah Tong, let¡¯s go back and treat your fiend first. We can leave the rest of the matter to another day¡­¡± Liu Yintong nodded, and the few of them turned to leave since the relaxed and happy mood had been completely destroyed. The people standing further down parted quickly to form a spacious path for them. After taking a few steps, Gong Sheng suddenly looked back and stared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue, let¡¯s have a friendly sparring exchange when the chance arises! Show us what you¡¯re capable of when the time comes.¡± The group then finally left the mountain, their shadows quickly disappearing among the dense woods. The atmosphere on the mountaintop remained tense, and nobody spoke for a long time. Nobody had expected things to end up in this manner. ¡°Are you okay, Chu Yue?¡± Luo Shishi walked up to her and asked in concern. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Of course, I am. What can possibly happen to me? ¡°You¡¯re too arrogant for your own good!¡± Yin Fan couldn¡¯t help sneering at her. ¡°You think you¡¯re all capable and impressive after winning that fight? Have you any idea who exactly you¡¯ve offended?! Nothing good will come out of this!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°Then, what should I have done to avoid offending them? Get Tuan Zi to admit defeat and offer its blood?¡± Yin Fan was rendered speechless, for nobody would possibly be fine doing that. It wasn¡¯t just robbing the legendary fiend of its blood but also an utter humiliation to its owner. ¡°Forget it. What happened has already happened, anyway. Let¡¯s just go with the flow,¡± Luo Yanming stepped forward and said comfortingly. ¡°They were being unreasonable in the first place. They can¡¯t really do anything to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being naive!¡± Yin Fan snorted. Luo Shishi and the others didn¡¯t pay any more attention to him. By now, they could tell how much he disliked Chu Yue. Although they had known him for a longer period of time, they were on Chu Yue¡¯s side on this matter, for they could see the many problems of it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chu Yue! You won fair and square! Even if you tell the elders about it, they¡¯ll be the ones at a disadvantage! If they really plan to deal with you, you have us! At most, I¡¯ll rope my Fourth Brother in too!¡± Luo Yanlin¡¯s rank on the Qing Yun Ranking was much higher than any of them. Chu Liuyue was comforted to hear that. ¡°Thank you, but this is ultimately my problem. I¡¯ll try to handle it myself.¡± She then paused, her eyes quietly sparkling away. ¡°I came to the academy to cultivate and become stronger, not bow down to anyone! If anyone wants to do anything to me, I¡¯ll just pay them back in their own coin.¡± Since they have no respect for me, then I don¡¯t have to be courteous with them, either! ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhuo Sheng had an approving look on his face. ¡°They won¡¯t have the cheek to pick on you since they can¡¯t defeat you!¡± Only the strong get respected. While Luo Shishi and Luo Yanming exchanged a worried look, Chu Liuyue shook her head and smiled. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t let this matter dampen your spirits. Tuan Zi¡­¡± She tapped Tuan Zi on its head. ¡°Go on! We still have some time left!¡± Upon hearing that, Tuan Zi excitedly rushed over to the fountain and plunged its head into the water. Gulp, gulp.. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t need to ask or even look at Tuan Zi¡¯s expression to know how happy and excited it was. She could sense it herself, and this made her mood improve considerably. Although the fivo of them were happy now, the rest of the people on the mountain had different thoughts. Some people were starting to leave the mountain; it was clear that they didn¡¯t want to hang around the bold and reckless freshman and have anything to do with him. Soon, there were only very few people left on Million Wine Mountain. The origmally bustling place instantly became quiet and deserted. Yin Fan tried to urge Luo Shishi and the others to leave as well, but he got rebuffed and ostracized by them instead. In the end, he stormed off angrily on his own. Time slowly trickled by. Luo Yanming took another look at the fountain and asked in perplexity, ¡°How come it still hasn¡¯t drunk its fill? Does it intend to stay here?¡± It had been a long time since the match had ended, but Tuan Zi was still at the fountain. Chu Liuyue rubbed her sore temples. Looking at Tuan Zl¡±s condition, the power contained in the fountain water has an extremely obvious effect on it. Its injuries have almost completely healed, although it was also due to the help of the three drops ofblood. If Tuan Zi stays here longer, it might be able to awaken its bloodline sooner! ¡°Time¡¯s almost up. We have to go now,¡± Luo Shishi reminded them as she glanced at the sky. Chu Liuyue shouted Tuan Zi¡¯s name, and only then did Tuan Zi reluctantly leave the fountain while turning its head back with every few steps. By the time it finally arrived at her side again, some time had passed. Knowing the others must be nervous and in a hurry, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± We¡¯re probably still in time to leave the mountain¡ª Rumble! An alarmingly loud sound suddenly exploded in the sky above Million Wine Mountain. Shocked, Chu Liuyue and the others immediately looked up, only to see the bright moon get hidden behind the dark clouds and silver lightning gathering at lightning speed. ¡°Someone¡¯s trying to summon the lightning bolts to refine weapons!¡± Luo Yanming shouted in alarm. ¡°Quickly, leave!¡± It¡¯ll be bad if we get struck by the ligh tning! As he spoke, a lightning bolt suddenly fell from the sky and toward them.. Chapter 1151 - The Secret of the Fountain Chapter 1151: The Secret of the Fountain Its dazzling light lit up half of the sky. ¡°Run!¡± Luo Yanming shouted as he dragged Luo Shishi down the mountain, with Zhuo Sheng following closely behind. Just as he took a step forward, though, he suddenly remembered something. He quickly looked back and shouted to Chu Liuyue, ¡°Why are you still standing there, Chu Yue?! Run!¡± This isn¡¯t the time for him to be standing there like an idiot. Does he want to be struck by the lightning?! Chu Liuyue had just taken a step when she saw a flash of red shadow¡ªit turned out to be Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue hastily called, but the fiend didn¡¯t seem to hear anything. With a few leaps, it headed straight toward the fountain at the top of the mountain. She frowned. Why is it going back when it has only just returned?! Is there something in the fountain that¡¯s attracting it? Still, nothing is more important than its life! Meanwhile, the bolt of lightning was about to land. The red furry figure appeared particularly tiny under the dazzling lightning. Ifit gets struck by lightning.. Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth and rushed up the mountain. ¡°Chu Yue, are you out of your mind?!¡± Zhuo Sheng shouted out in shock. Isn¡¯t that as good as courting his own death?! Luo Shishi and Luo Yanming who had already gone down some distance¡ªlooked back when they heard Zhuo Sheng¡¯s shout, and their eyes grew wide in disbelief. In the darkness of the night, where the lush trees cast dark shadows on the cold and eerie mountaintop, a bolt of lightning suddenly landed on a patch of trees, ripping and burning them. The sight of it¡ªhell, even a glance¡ªwould make people shiver in fear. While everyone was desperately trymg to avoid the lightning, one person was running toward the top of the mountain. ¡°Chu Yue!¡± Luo Shishi instinctively shrieked, but her voice got swallowed in the deafening commotion caused by the violent winds and thunder. She gritted her teeth and moved to run back up, only to get pulled back by Luo Yanming. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Luo Yanming sternly questioned. ¡°Do you want to die?!¡± Luo Shishi opened her mouth, but she eventually swallowed what she wanted to say when she saw her brother¡¯s expression. Luo Yanming could also see the worry in her eyes. He sighed internally and then shouted at Zhuo Sheng, ¡°Zhuo Sheng, come take Shishi away first! I¡¯ll bring Chu Yue back!¡± Although Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng were warriors and Luo Yanming was a Xuan Master, he was the strongest among them in terms of combat power. Zhuo Sheng quickly understood what he meant and rushed over. But just as Luo Yanming wanted to go up the mountain, a clear and powerful voice suddenly came from above. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about me. Just leave first!¡± The trio didn¡¯t take those words to heart at first. In their opinion, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind at the moment; othervvise, she wouldn¡¯t have risked her life to go up the mountain. They thought that she was taking her life too lightly. But before Luo Yanming could take a step up the mountain, a rich force suddenly wrapped around him in a domineering yet gentle and tolerant manner. The force made the trio go down the mountain, which got them looking at each other in shock. Chu Yue really wants us to leave first! He really intends to deal with that lightning on his own! Luo Yanming furrowed his eyebrows. After a moment of silence, he said in a serious tone, ¡°Maybe Chu Yue has his own plans. Why don¡¯t we leave first and wait for him at the foot of the mountain? It¡¯ll be better than staying here and causing him trouble.¡± For some reason, even though it seemed extraordinarily ridiculous, he felt that Chu Yue was capable of handling the current situation on his own. Luo Shishi didn¡¯t agree to it though. Her willovvy eyebrows remained tightly knitted. Chu Yue¡¯s slim and upright figure appeared extraordinarily thin in this dazzling light. ¡°But Plop! Zhuo Sheng accidentally stepped into the stream. ¡°He has the black jade plaque with him. The elders won¡¯t sit back and do nothing if something really happens to him,¡± said Luo Yanming calmly. ¡°This is still the academy grounds after all!¡± Luo Shishi could be seen wavering slightly, and she eventually nodded. ¡°Then Rumble! Before she could complete her sentence, the second bolt of lightning appeared in the night sky. Much to their horror, it was heading straight toward them. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Upon sensing that something was amiss, Luo Yanming quickly made the decision to leave with the others first. Zhuo Sheng hurriedly pulled himself out of the stream, and one of his legs was entirely wet. Still, no matter how fast they were, the lightning was even faster. It took just the blink of an eye for the lightning to reach above their heads, and a powerful pressure enveloped them. Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue had already followed Tuan Zi all the way back to the fountain. ¡°Tuan Zi, we¡­¡± Her words trailed off as she was stunned by the scene in front of her. Water was no longer flowing out of the inch-sized square mouth of the fountain. All that was left was a small patch of transparent water that showed a clear reflection of the radiant lightning bolt above their heads. For a moment, Chu Liuyue had the feeling that the lightning bolt was actually swimming in the water. Next to it, there seemed to be a stream of light pouring out and flowing down the stream. It was such a bizarre and astonishing scene that she stood rooted on the ground. Tuan Zi was currently squatting next to the mouth of the fountain and watching it. It seemed to be waiting for something, yet at the same time, it looked like it wanted to go into the water and take out the treasures that were hidden beneath the water surface. Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled what the legendary three-eyed eagle had said. It said that the water here could help awaken the power of Tuan Zl¡±s bloodline¡­ Could there really be some sort of secret hidden down there? After a brief moment of hesitation, a faint golden glow surrounded her. Feeling slightly at ease with the pure gold armor¡¯s protection, she extended a hand toward the mouth of the fountain. A weird crackling sound was heard just then. Chu Liuyue looked up, only to see the lightning bolt descending upon her at an even faster speed and hear the wind blowing violently. The second lightning bolt that was above Luo Shishi and the others earlier made a sudden U-turn and charged toward Chu Liuyue. Whoosh! Luo Shishi and the others looked over, and their eyes were filled with horror the next second. At the peak, two bolts of lightning came striking down on a slim and tall figure. Boom! Following the explosion was a blinding light that swallowed the youth¡¯s figure.. Chapter 1152 - Which of You Wants to Go First? Chapter 1152: Which of You Wants to Go First? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Chu Yue!¡± They cried out in shock, their hearts almost leaping out of their mouths. Just then, a strong wave of force spread rapidly from the top of the mountain. Luo Yanming quickly pulled the other two backward, but they weren¡¯t fast enough. They felt a terrifying and powerful force sweep over them before their bodies were sent flying backward, and they fell to the ground. Luo Shishi endured the pain on her back and lifted her head with much difficulty, only to realize that she had been sent out of Million Wine Mountain along with Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng, who were lying next to her. Looking up from here, Million Wine Mountain seemed peaceful and quiet with the leaves rustling in the wind. It didn¡¯t look like anything had happened. Luo Shishi gasped. ¡°Are you okay, Shishi?¡± asked Luo Yanming out of concern as soon as he climbed to his feet, not caring about the pain in his own body. Luo Shishi shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fifth Brother. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± It was only when Luo Yanming noticed her odd expression that he looked in the direction of her line of sight, and he was shocked to see Million Wine Mountain being so dark and quiet. He squinted his eyes as he said, ¡°W-What¡¯s going Even though we¡¯re currently at the foot of the mountain, we should be able to see a little of what¡¯s happening at the top. Moreover, it was such a huge commotion. We should be able to see it even if were standing further away, but it looks so quiet now¡­ ¡°It looks like there¡¯s a special barrier around Million Wine Mountain!¡± Zhuo Sheng grimaced in pain as he stood up. ¡°Otherwise, this shouldn¡¯t be the scene we¡¯re seeing right now! That explains why nobody is here to check out the commotion!¡± Zhuo Sheng¡¯s words enlightened the other two. ¡°No wonder!¡± Luo Yanming understood what was going on now. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it before, but now that I think about it, don¡¯t you find it weird that Million Wine Mountain is only open for a specific time every day? That rule might¡¯ve been set because an elder is there refining weapons and is thus always summoning the lightning. Also.. ¡± ¡°In order not to cause suspicion and worry, the elders also set up a barrier around the mountain to hide what¡¯s happening there. Unless one stays on the mountain, nobody knows what¡¯s going on up there.¡± Luo Shishi finished what he was saying. The trio fell into a brief silence. This matter was actually quite easy to understand. They saw the two bolts of lightning descending on Chu Yue just a moment ago, but as soon as they were driven out of the mountain, everything disappeared. ¡°But Chu Yue is still inside!¡± Zhuo Sheng scratched his head. Luo Shishi and Luo Yanming looked at each other, and they could see the worry in each other¡¯s eyes. The force of the two bolts of lightning was so strong that they themselves didn¡¯t dare to face them head-on. The worst thing was that Chu Yue was just a beginner stage-seven warrior. ¡°Million Wine Mountain is between the heavenly doctor area and the Armory Refinement Master area, so there will probably be elders around¡­¡± Luo Yanming slowly said. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that we¡¯ll be able to enter the mountain right now.¡± Luo Shishi hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll look for my mentor.¡± She was naturally referring to Elder Wen Xi. ¡°Now?¡± Luo Yanming looked up at the sky. It¡¯s almost midnight right now. It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to look for him at this hour¡­ Luo Shishi who seemingly saw through his thoughts shook her head. ¡°This matter has to be dealt with as soon as possible. The long Chu Yue stays inside, the more dangerous it¡¯ll be for him.¡± The lightning is no joke. After a brief hesitation, Luo Yanming finally nodded his head. ¡°Alf ght! I¡¯ll wait here while you guys go and fetch Elder Wen Xi!¡± Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue was in a stalemate with the two bolts of lightning. Yes, stalemate. As soon as she felt the lightning descending upon her, she removed her hand from the water and flicked it dry while standing up. However, the two bolts of lightning ended up stopping a few steps in front of her instead. She looked over and got a clear look at the glowing lightning. The power they exuded was even more frightening close-up, but they weren¡¯t moving at all. They appeared a little hesitant as they hovered in mid-air. If someone were to see this scene, they would surely find it absolutely ridiculous. Whoosh! With a flicker of a black light, the Long Yuan Sword appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm, and she grabbed it tightly in her hand. The ancient and heavy sword body glinted coldly in the dark as it waited to battle. As rich force flowed into the sword, Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and curled her lips into a reckless smile. ¡°Which of you wants to go first?¡± ¡°Master! Are you in there, Master?!¡± Elder Wen Xi was resting when he suddenly heard someone knocking urgently on his door. He sat upright in his bed when he realized that the anxious voice belonged to his new disciple, Luo Shishi. Using his willpower, he opened the door. Upon seeing Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng standing at the doorway and looking really anxious, he frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± It must be a big deal if therre here at this hour. Luo Shishi anxiously said, ¡°Master, please quickly go to Million Wine Mountain and take a look! Chu Yue is trapped on the mountaintop!¡± ¡°What?¡± All signs of weariness vanished as Elder Wen Xi widened his eyes and jumped out of bed. ¡°Did you just say that Chu Yue is trapped on Million Wine Mountain? ¡°Yes! When we were coming down, there were two bolts of lightning Elder Wen Xi¡¯s expression became serious, and he immediately walked toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll go there right away!¡± Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng were somewhat relieved to hear that. Things might be a little safer for Chu Yue ifElder Wen Xi can reach there sooner. ¡°Both of you stay here!¡± Elder Wen Xi suddenly turned around and said this to them in a serious manner. ¡°But ¡°Also, you mustn¡¯t breathe a single word about tonight¡¯s incident to anyone else!¡± It was the first time that Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng had seen such a serious and stern expression on Elder Wen Xi¡¯s face, for he was usually smiling away. They couldn¡¯t help but flinch inwardly as they unconsciously nodded their heads. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. We¡¯ll definitely keep it a secret!¡± Elder Wen Xi stared at the two of them for a moment before exhaling slightly. ¡°Alright. You guys don¡¯t need to worry too much either. I¡¯ll go and take a look ¡°Please bring Chu Yue back safely,¡± Luo Shishi blurted out. Elder Wen Xi let out an angry huff. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely bring him back even without you saying! If he¡¯s trapped on Million Wine Mountain, it means that he didn¡¯t come down in time!¡± The two students fell silent out of guilt. It wasn¡¯t exactly very late¡­ Just a bit later¡­ We didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way. ¡°Watch how I punish him when we come back!¡± Elder Wen Xi fumed. Today is just his first day of becoming an official student of the academy, yet he¡¯s already gotten himselfinto such huge trouble! I thought he was a well-behaved and obedient chap, but he turned out to be¡ª ¡°Eh? What are you doing, Wen Xi?¡± Chapter 1153 - Who’s Trapping Who? Chapter 1153: Who¡¯s Trapping Who? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Upon hearing the voice, the three of them turned their heads and saw a familiar figure walking unsteadily toward them under the moonlight. Said figure was none other than Elder Hua Feng. Elder Wen Xi looked at him with distaste when he saw the wine bottle in his hand. ¡°How much have you drunk this time?¡± Elder Hua Feng giggled. ¡°Not too much! Just a few sips¡ªeh? Why are there two students here?¡± He took a closer look at the students and then gazed at Elder Wen Xi with a puzzled expression when he recognized who they were. ¡°You¡¯re giving the students extra lessons at this time of the night? You¡¯re going too far!¡± Even if he wants to give them extra lessons, there¡¯s no need for him to be so enthusiastic. It¡¯s only their first day as his official students. Elder Wen Xi looked at Elder Hua Feng as if he were looking at an idiot. ¡°Do I look like that sort of person? Use your brain!¡± Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng were speechless. Elder Wen Xi couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste any more time on him and just hurriedly walked ahead. ¡°There¡¯s trouble on Million Wine Mountain.¡± ¡°What?¡± Elder Hua Feng instantly sobered up. ¡°What happened? Hey, tell me! I¡¯m counting on that fountain ¡°Chu Yue is trapped there!¡± explained Elder Wen Xi succinctly. ¡°Oh, well¡ªcome again?!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± While they might not know all the students in the academy since there were so many of them, it was hard for the two elders to forget who Chu Yue was. They were the ones who recruited him, after all. On top of that, Chu Yue had just performed well on today¡¯s monthly assessment and became Wan Zheng¡¯s student. Elder Hua Feng forgot all about his wine and hurriedly followed Elder Wen Xi. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Elder Wen Xi glanced sideways at him. Elder Hua Feng let out a loud cough and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m also worried about Chu Yue¡¯s safety!¡± He¡¯s just concerned about the fountain¡¯s water. Elder Wen Xi snorted, but he didn¡¯t expose the other. It¡¯s better to have more people at times like this. Besides, it¡¯s more reassuring to bring him along than let the other elders know about this and cause huge trouble. He turned his head and looked at Luo Shishi and Zhou Sheng. ¡°Stay here and wait for us to come back!¡± Luo Shishi and Zhou Sheng could only agree to it and watch the two elders quickly leave. Once the two elders disappeared into the distance, Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°Shishi, don¡¯t you think the elders seem to be very secretive about Million Wine Mountain?¡± It looks like ther¨¦s some sort of secret hiding on the mountain. Luo Shishi nodded in agreement, but her instincts told her that it was best for them not to know so much. ¡°Chu Yue will probably be fine since the two elders are heading there now¡­¡± Luo Shishi exhaled softly, although she still felt as if a huge stone was weighing on her heart. After thinking about it, Zhuo Sheng comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He has a red-tailed phoenix after all! He¡¯ll be fine!¡± Luo Shishi could only nod her head. I sure hope so. Things became even quieter at the top of Million Wine Mountain after what Chu Liuyue said. The fivo bolts of lightning seemed to have gone still as they stayed motionless above her head. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue cocked an eyebrow and pointed the sword at the first bolt of lightning. ¡°Since you came down first, then¡­ You go first?¡± Whoosh! The first bolt of lightning took a step backvvard. Chu Liuyue, thus, pointed the sword to the second one. ¡°You?¡± Whoosh! The second bolt of lightning retreated even further than the first. Tuan Zi looked at them with disdain. Bah! Useless! ¡°Are you coming down or not?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in a clear and nonchalant voice as she twisted her wrists. Tch, and here I thought that they were different from the lightning I encountered previously. They¡¯re the same. She felt slightly frustrated. I¡¯m not refining a sword or any weapons here. Logically speaking, they shouldn¡¯t be behaving this way. Rumble! Just then, the third bolt of lightning came striking down. ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up impatiently. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯ve all arrived!¡± When Elder Wen Xi and Elder Hua Feng arrived at the foot of Million Wine Mountain, they saw Luo Yanming standing there. ¡°Master?¡± Luo Yanmingwas also surprised to see Elder Hua Feng there. What¡¯s he doing here? Elder Hua Feng glared at him. Tch! To think that I was mocking Elder Wen Xi about his new students being troublemakers just now. The next moment, I see my ovvn student here! ¡°Pfft.¡± Elder Wen Xi looked at Elder Hua Feng in disdain. Well, who¡¯s better Elder Hua Feng let out an awkvvard cough as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Our students are outside the mountain. The worst one is the one inside.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Elder Wen Xi nodded in deep agreement. ¡°I wonder how Wan Zheng will react when he finds out about this.¡± As long as ther¨¦s someone worse than us! ¡°Yanming, just leave this place to us and go back first,¡± urged Elder Hua Feng. H¨¦ll just be finding trouble for himself ifhe continues to stay here. ¡°But Shishi and Zhuo Sheng¡­¡± Luo Yanming looked behind the two and found nobody behind them. ¡°They didn¡¯t come,¡± Elder Wen Xi added. ¡°Hurry up and go back. Remember not to mention anything about this incident to anyone.¡± Upon hearing the serious and stern tone of the two elders, Luo Yanming nodded. ¡°Will do.¡¯ The two elders only looked at each other after Luo Yanming left. ¡°Let¡¯s go up and take a look!¡± With that, Elder Wen Xi headed up the mountain, with Elder Hua Feng following closely behind. He then flew up and took out his green jade plaque. Whir! The air vibrated like rippling water. ¡°This feels like d¨¦j? vu¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng whispered to Elder Wen Xi as he nudged the other with his elbow. ¡°Hey, Wen Xi. Doesn¡¯t it feel like this has happened before in a dream¡­. Is this old man drunk for real? Elder Wen Xi shot the other party a withering look as he ¡®kindly¡¯ reminded, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream; it did happen before. Have you forgotten what happened a few years ago? You were drinking on the mountain when you got caught by that scourge¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s eyes slowly widened as the images that he had almost forgotten flashed through his mind. A trace of panic then appeared in his eyes. ?D*mn it! Shut up, will you?!¡± After saying that, he quickly scanned his surroundings, instinctively grabbed the wine bottle at his waist, and kept his plaque. It looked like he had something on his conscience. Elder Wen Xi was saddened to see him acting this way. ¡°Grow a spine! It¡¯s not like that scourge will appear to steal your wine!¡± Elder Hua Feng was just about to say something in retort when the barrier in front of them suddenly opened. Rumble! A crackling bolt of lightning suddenly descended upon them.. Chapter 1154 - Keep Secretly Chapter 1154: Keep Secretly Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Elder Wen Xi¡¯s reaction was extremely fast as he whipped his sleeves, and a wave of force flew out. Bam! The two waves of force hit each other intensely! After all, Elder Wen Xi was one of the top few strong warriors in the academy. With this impact, the strength of the lightning bolt was instantly reduced by quite a bit. The originally dazzling light instantly dimmed. ¡°Who summoned this!?¡± Elder Wen Xi was ferocious as he stepped into the barrier! Elder Hua Feng followed closely after. ¡°Where¡¯s that kid, Chu Yue? He didn¡¯t get struck by lightning, right?¡± Once Elder Hua Feng said this, he saw Elder Wen Xi¡¯s body stiffen as the latter looked in front in shock, as if he had seen something incredulous. ¡°What are you looking¡ª¡± He followed Elder Wen Xi¡¯s gaze and looked over. His voice trailed off mid-sentence. He saw a young man standing at the top of Million Wine Mountain. His figure was slightly skinny, but he still stood tall and upright. At this point, he was standing beside the fountain as he held a completely dark longsword. His surrounding force moved aggressively! It was Chu Yue! At this point, there were two bolts of lightning hovering above his head! The lightning was only a short distance away from him. As long as it moved another step forvvard, it could easily kill him! But for some reason, those two bolts of lightning didn¡¯t move and just floated above quietly. And Chu Yue had his back straightened. He held his sword as if he wasn¡¯t even fearful. This scene was indeed too strange, causing the two elders who were used to seeing all sorts of thunderstorms¡ªto be speechless for a while. As if detecting the commotion over here, that young man looked over. ¡°Elder Wen Xi, Elder Hua Feng, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Chu Liuyue looked grateful as if she heaved a sigh of relief. The two elders had weirder expressions. T-this isn¡¯t right! ¡°Luo Shishi said you were trapped in Million Wine Mountain¡­¡± said Elder Wen Xi hesitantly. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her sword and pointed at the fivo lightning bolts above her. ¡°Yeah! I am stuck here!¡± Didn¡¯t itjust hit me and make me fly backward? I was even caught by Elder Wen Xi.. Chu Liuyue thought this in her heart, but her expression didn¡¯t break at all. The two elders looked at the two bolts of lightning that didn¡¯t move at all before exchangmg gazes. Both of them looked strange. He doesn¡¯t seem like IVs trapped at all! When we previously saw how nervous Luo Shishi and the rest were, we thought Chu Yue was in a life and death situation. However, why is it completely different from what we expected? Elder Wen Xi waved his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re here. That thing can¡¯t hurt you; just come over!¡± Chu Liuyue looked down hesitantly and glanced at Tuan Zi, who didn¡¯t t even move its butt at all as it squatted next to the fountain. ¡°Elder, um¡­ Can I go after a while?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Elder Wen Xi was confused. ¡°You still want to stay here?¡± ¡°Is this your legendary fiend?¡± His gaze turned, and he finally saw Tuan Zi below. If I don¡¯t see wrongly, that¡¯s a red-tailed phoenix, right? Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Tsk, this red -tailed phoenix¡¯s color is actually so pure and intense. I¡¯m afraid that its bloodline strength must be stunning!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s eyes lit up! I¡¯ve seen other red-tailed phoenixes in the past, but this one is definitely top-tier! ¡°You¡¯re pretty lucky! You can even make an agreement with this kind of legendary fiend¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng smacked his lips. ¡°You¡¯re staying here because of it?¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. The fountain at Million Wine Mountain has a secret. These two elders most likely know about it. If so, I have no reason to hide anymore. ¡°No wonder¡­ but you can¡¯t do this! Students aren¡¯t allowed to overstay at Million Wine Mountain at all. Besides, this is within the restricted time, yet you brought the kid over. Quickly leave with us!¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to leave as well. After all, the fivo elders had already come over. If she continued staying, they might discover something. She walked over and picked Tuan Zi up. Tuan Zi looked at her with much desire. Very soon.. Really soon! It¡¯s a waste if I leave now! From the corner of her eyes, Chu Liuyue saw that the fountain seemed to be glowing. She focused on it and suddenly became dazed. This was because the water didn¡¯t reflect the images of lightning bolts, but.. There were actually bolts of lightning! At some point, countless bolts of lightning gathered in this fountain and were like swimming silver dragons as they swam around in the water! Chu Liuyue held her breath in. Who would¡¯ve thought that this fountain hid such a big secret!? Tuan Zi was waiting¡­ for this?! Chu Liuyue looked down slightly and suppressed all the emotions in her eyes. When she looked up again, her face was calm. Just as she brought Tuan Zi away from the fountain, the two bolts of lightning in the sky suddenly struck one after another! Plop! Without turning around, Chu Liuyue knew that it was the sound of lightning landing in the fountain! Then, the third bolt of lightning¡ªwhich Elder Wen Xi had reduced the strength of¡ªrushed over closely. Elder Hua Feng and Elder Wen Xi exchanged looks. This child might be able to guess something¡­ ¡°Chu Yue, pretend you¡¯ve never seen what happened today ¡± Before Elder Wen Xi could finish his sentence, a few loud noises could be heard from the sky. Rumble! A few bolts of lightning consecutively appeared, and this time, another delighted voice boomed, ¡°Hahaha! I finally broke through!¡± Chapter 1155 - What’s With You Chapter 1155: What¡¯s With You Once this was said, a figure suddenly came from the sky! Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that the incoming person¡¯s robe flew with the wind. The latter took only a few steps, but they covered a huge distance. Before she could see the other party¡¯s movements clearly, the person had already arrived before them. Her heart skipped a beat. This person can only be stronger and not weaker than Elder Wen Xi and the rest! ¡°Again!¡± That person stood in the air and waved his arm! Dark clouds tumbled in the sky, and three bolts of lightning appeared at the same time! In addition to the ones from before, there were a total of nine bolts! Chu Liuyue stared at them closely! Armory Refinement Master¡ªthis is actually my first time formally meeting an Armory Refinement Master! When I previously refined that sword, I only succeeded in the end because of Ancestor¡¯s help. There seemed to be something tingling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. There seemed to be something tingling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. Armory Refinement Masters used to be a legendary existence to her. They were distant and mysterious as if one could never reach them. Even if she had produced the Cloud -Sky Copper Sword with Shangguan Jing¡¯s help, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t truly weapon production! After all, the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword already had its shape and core back then. All she had to do was use the lightning that Shangguan Jing guided to refine it. Now, she finally knew what Armory Refinement meant! She saw the person stand in mid-air while his two hands moved around. The lightning seemed to land according to his command! Plop! Bolts of lightning continuously landed in the fountain! The stunning suppression and aura almost caused Chu Liuyue to suffocate. She should move back to avoid being hurt by accident, but her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. She couldn¡¯t move at all. The silver light in the fountain shone! Even if she was a distance away, Chu Liuyue could still clearly see the scene within! Countless strong forces intertwined with each other! At this moment, the person in the sky raised his hand suddenly! Whoosh! A green light flew out from the fountain, landing in that person¡¯s hands! Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that it was actually a broadsword! The broadsword was entirely green¡ªit was as clear as jade, and it gave out a faint crystal glow. Its body was thin and narrow, but it was extremely sharp! Its suppression was also stunning! Hua! That person held the sword and lightly sliced the air! Then, a gigantic black crack suddenly appeared! A tiger¡¯s howl could be heard vaguely! This was enough to show how formidable the sword was! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. This was her first time seeing a true Armory Refinement Master producing a legendary weapon. Even though she couldn¡¯t see it clearly, everything before her was enough to shock her! Stealing the power of lightning to form a legendary weapon! At that moment, it seemed like everything in the land was under his control! Even though her expression didn¡¯t change much, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was overwhelmed uncontrollably. Her pair of black, gem-like eyes dazzled! Nine bolts oflightning¡­ Then, that person should be producing a top-tier legendary weapon! This person is, at the very least, a superior Armory Refinement Master! ¡°Not bad! Not bad! I didn¡¯t waste my efforts from the past month¡­¡± That person was clearly very happy as he held the broadsword in his hands with elation. But at this moment, Elder Wen Xi and Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expressions weren¡¯t great. Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t hold himself back as he yelled, ¡°Ouyang! Get down right now!¡± Elder Ouyang then recovered his senses and looked down. ¡°Hua Feng? Wen Xi? Why are the fivo of you As he spoke, his gaze turned, and he saw Chu Liuyue standing by the side. His eyes that couldn¡¯t be seen because he was smiling widened instantly. He was stunned. ¡°Why is there a doll here?!¡± The two elders were speechless. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had been ignored the whole time¡ªwas speechless. Even though my appearance isn¡¯t as eye-catching now, I¡¯m not that easily ignored, right.. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with the two of you?¡± Elder Ouyang glanced at the sky. The darkness of the sky was about to go away as the sides were dark blue. Where heaven and earth connected, the white horizon could be seen. Light gradually shone through the layers of clouds. ¡°The sky is about to turn bright. Why did you still bring a doll with you?¡± ¡°Pui!¡± Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t hold himself back and spat. ¡°Ouyang, open your eyes wide and look! We didn¡¯t bring this kid in! When you summoned the lightning bolts to produce your weapon, he was already standing there! You¡¯re blind yourself, yet you blame us?!¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s been here since just now?¡± Elder Ouyang was dazed before he carefully sized Chu Liuyue up. His expression then turned increasingly weird. ¡°This is a new student? He doesn¡¯t know the rules? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. She suddenly felt that ever since she entered Ling Xiao Academy, she was going head-on against the word ¡®rules.¡¯ The key was that she didn¡¯t purposely disobey the rules, but she would always end up in all sorts of situations for some reason. This caused her to reach a state where she couldn¡¯t make herself clear. ¡°Isn¡¯t this all your fault!?¡± Before Chu Liuyue could explain her side, Elder Wen Xi sneered first. ¡°Before you produce your weapons, don¡¯t you know how to check if there are any students around?¡± According to what Luo Shishi and the rest said, they should¡¯ve left on the dot. But before they could leave, the lightning bolts came. Hence, Chu Yue was stuck, and this happened in the end. ¡°I¡­¡± Ouyang blinked in a very innocent manner. ¡°How would I know that there would be other people here?!¡± I was in a rush today, but I didn¡¯t do it much earlier. After all, it has always been fine before. Who knew¡ª At this point, Chu Liuyue finally understood what was going on: It turned out that Elder Ouyang had long been preparing to produce his weapon here. Today was the last day, which was the most crucial day to summon the lightning bolts and nourish his weapon! Previously, he could only summon eight bolts of lightning. Now that he could finally summon nine bolts today, he was elated, so he didn¡¯t care about so much and swiftly produced it in advance. Within the fountain was a sword core he put in previously. After the last step was done today, he could officially produce the legendary weapon. Who knew that he would coincidentally bump into Chu Liuyue and the rest who left late? This then resulted in this scenario. ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡± Elder Ouyang suddenly thought of something when he turned around to look at Chu Liuyue, his eyes filled with doubt. ¡°Even if we did bump into each other, the lightning power would¡¯ve chased all of you out. Why He paused. IfI remember correctly, the lightning bolts that I first summoned stopped after meeting this kid?! ¡°Kid, what¡¯s with you?¡± Chapter 1156 - Trouble Maker Chu Liuyue looked innocent as she blinked lightly, with her clear eyes looking confused. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know either.¡± Elder Ouyang looked at her doubtfully. ¡°After I summoned the lightning bolts, they should all directly land in this fountain. They will only change route when they feel some other threat. Just now¡­ It seems like you¡¯re the reason why the lightning hesitated for so long?¡± He sized Chu Liuyue up and softly muttered, ¡°You seem pretty young. You shouldn¡¯t be able to handle the lightning¡­¡± ¡°Ouyang, what are you thinking about!?¡± Elder Hua Feng laughed out loud. ¡°Chu Yue is just a beginner stage-seven warrior. How can he go against that lightning? If Wen Xi and I didn¡¯t come on time¡ª¡± At the side, Elder Wen Xi didn¡¯t support his words. On the other hand, he glanced at Chu Liuyue, and his gaze was deep. He entered this barrier a step before Elder Hua Feng, so he saw more clearly than the latter. At that time, Chu Yue was standing at the top of the mountain after the duo entered. However, Chu Yue didn¡¯t seem to be trapped by the lightning, and it looked more like¡­ they were in a stalemate. Right¡ªyes, stalemate! Elder Wen Xi was a pretty experienced person, and he knew that this kind of situation would only happen when a cultivator was extremely strong. However¡­ this is definitely not something a Chu Yue can do! He still recalled that when the young man turned around to look, even though he seemed surprised, the depths of his eyes were filled with unexpected calmness. But when he thought of it, he felt it wasn¡¯t right. Chu Liuyue looked down slightly and pretended not to know anything. Elder Ouyang asked for a while, and seeing that he really couldn¡¯t get any information, he swiftly gave up. I probably guessed wrongly¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. What do you plan to do with the current situation?¡± Elder Ouyang¡¯s gaze swept back and forth between the two elders with deep meaning. Normally, this Million Wine Mountain has its opening hours strictly restricted, and we never allow students to appear here at such a time. But not only is Chu Yue here now, but he has also seen too much! Even if he still doesn¡¯t know about the secret within the fountain, he has already seen things he shouldn¡¯t have. If it were an outsider who purposely barged in, they could¡¯ve just directly executed them. But Chu Yue was still their own academy¡¯s student after all, so they couldn¡¯t do that. Hence, this matter became hard to handle. Elder Wen Xi kept quiet for a moment and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue, can you be tight-lipped about today¡¯s matter and not tell the people outside anything about this?¡± Could Chu Liuyue say ¡®no?¡¯ She nodded and seriously said, ¡°I have been cultivating at my residence today, and I don¡¯t know anything about anything else.¡± Elder Wen Xi stared at her closely. ¡°That fountain¡­ you¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t finished his sentence. The young person in front of him looked youthful. His eyes were clean and pure as if one could see the bottom at one look. He heaved half a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s take it as today¡¯s incident never¡ª¡± Hula! Before he could finish his sentence, a weird sound came from the fountain on the mountain peak! Chu Liuyue instinctively turned around and saw the fountain glowing brightly! She could vaguely see the countless lightning bolts swimming even more quickly! They intersected crazily! It was as if they would jump out the next moment! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. Standing here, she could clearly feel the suppression rising at a stunning speed! At this point, Tuan Zi suddenly flew out from her shoulders and went straight for it! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly jumped. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± The three elders were taken aback. ¡°Stop it!¡± Elder Wen Xi hollered! However, it was already too late! Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi were originally very close to the fountain, and the fiend took action at such an unexpected time. Who could¡¯ve stopped it? Plop! Tuan Zi directly stuffed its head into the fountain! Sparks instantly flew everywhere, and its tiny red figure was instantly covered by countless silver rays! Pilihuala! Chu Liuyue could even clearly hear the sounds of lightning crazily swimming around Tuan Zi¡¯s body! She was about to take action when she suddenly felt a weird sensation. This is¡­ Tuan Zi¡¯s aura is strengthening! Chu Liuyue was genuinely stunned. This¡­ is the reason Tuan Zi had to go over! This is just the beginning, but its bloodline potential seems to have signs of being unleashed! If it stays inside longer¡ª ¡°Quick! Get him out quickly!¡± yelled Elder Ouyang as his hands trembled. ¡°My wine!¡± Elder Hua Feng cried bitterly and pounced over first. This thing actually jumped right in! He directly ran to the side of the fountain, moved his hand, and captured Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi blinked its round eyes and suddenly dove even deeper! Elder Hua Feng was anxious, and he couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Come out right now!¡± Tuan Zi finally found a chance to enter and was enjoying it to the fullest. How could it come out? Elder Hua Feng was enraged to the point his teeth were itchy, and he planned to take action instinctively. But when his hands entered the water, he suddenly paused as signs of struggle flashed across his face. We accumulated this over many years with much difficulty¡­ ¡°Chu Yue, immediately get it out!¡± Elder Wen Xi spoke. Seeing his expression that became more serious, Chu Liuyue clenched her hands in her sleeves and looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, if you don¡¯t come back now, don¡¯t ever come back!¡± She said this sentence very calmly, but her voice was filled with obvious warning. Tuan Zi¡¯s body froze. After quickly swimming one round in the fountain, it flew up reluctantly. Its entire body was wet, and its red feathers looked even more intense in color as it was drenched in water. Above it, one could still see a few silver rays of light that quickly flashed across and entered its wings. When the few elders saw this scene, their faces turned incredulous. T-those are the lightning bolts we accumulated in the fountain with much difficulty! We only managed to gather such an amount after all these years, but it was totally taken away by this thing! ¡°You!¡± Elder Wen Xi took a deep breath in, and his vision turned black. Tuan Zi squatted on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders with its wet body. It then used its wings to wipe its head and looked innocent. Elder Wen Xi suddenly couldn¡¯t finish his scolding. The red-tailed phoenix is a legendary fiend, and it has a mind that won¡¯t lose out to humans at all. It did this¡­ totally because it wanted to, and it still dared to do it in front of us! With such personality and guts, there is no use in scolding it a hundred times! Elder Wen Xi¡¯s gaze turned, and he looked at Chu Liuyue. Suppressing his anger, he asked, ¡°Chu Yue, what do you think we should do now?!¡± Chu Liuyue kept silent for a moment. Suddenly, she picked Tuan Zi up, passed it over, and seriously said, ¡°Elder, whoever causes trouble will be responsible for it. Is that okay?¡± Chapter 1157 - Make Mistake Tuan Zi¡ªwho was abandoned, was¡ªspeechless. Master, did you say something wrong? Hm? You¡¯re not serious, right?! With that last bit of hope, Tuan Zi turned its head with much difficulty and glanced at Chu Liuyue, its eyes watery. Chu Liuyue returned a gaze that meant she would love to help but couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry! My instincts tell me that this incident is very serious¡ªextremely serious! Seeing the few elders¡¯ current state¡­ If I don¡¯t remove myself from the situation, I will be punished harshly. Chu Liuyue personally thought that she didn¡¯t have the strength to go against these three elders. Then¡­ We¡¯ll try to save as many as we can! She held Tuan Zi¡¯s wings and passed it forward. Her expression was filled with apology and sincerity. ¡°It¡¯s all because I didn¡¯t teach it properly, causing such an issue. But I¡¯m really incapable, and I couldn¡¯t guard it properly just now¡­¡± At the end of the day, the red-tailed phoenix was still a legendary fiend. If it insisted on doing something, a mere beginner stage-seven warrior couldn¡¯t hold it back. The three elders exchanged glances. We did clearly see that it was this red-tailed phoenix that suddenly ran out. Chu Yue stopped it, but it wasn¡¯t done in time. ¡°This is your legendary fiend after all,¡± said Elder Wen Xi. ¡°You can¡¯t be excused!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°From today onward, your punishment is to be grounded in Fengmin Mountain for a month!¡± Fengmin Mountain? Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. I¡¯ve been to quite a few places in the academy these few days and understand the area a fair bit, but why have I not heard of this place before¡­ ¡°A month? It seems a little too long¡­¡± said Elder Hua Feng rather hesitantly. ¡°This kid is Wan Zheng¡¯s newly accepted disciple¡­¡± That old thing hasn¡¯t taken in disciples for a few years. Now that he¡¯s finally found a suitable one, he definitely treasures him like a baby. His face will be ugly if his disciple has to be grounded for a month! Elder Wen Xi paused. ¡°Then, ten days! It can¡¯t be any less!¡± This time, the other two elders didn¡¯t object to it. Elder Wen Xi¡¯s gaze swept across Tuan Zi¡¯s body. Tuan Zi immediately held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands tightly. ¡°Now you know how to be afraid?¡± Elder Wen Xi sneered. ¡°If I find out later that you did such a¡­¡± ¡°Elders, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely discipline it strictly,¡± said Chu Liuyue seriously and sincerely. Elder Wen Xi grunted. ¡°And you¡ªyou¡¯ve already gotten into such trouble on the first day you came!¡± How exactly did I think that this was an honest and obedient one? Chu Liuyue lowered her head and obediently listened to the elders¡¯ lectures. At this point, the sky was slightly bright. Chu Liuyue stood with her hands behind her back, and she looked down slightly. They could only see her thick lashes trembling slightly and her white and smooth chin. She seemed like she was obedient and quiet again. Elder Wen Xi suddenly couldn¡¯t finish his scolding. Actually, at this point, he could already tell that this kid was a troublemaker. However¡­ His innocent, pitiful, and remorseful look caused him to be unable to scold the kid. ¡°Forget it.¡± Elder Wen Xi shook his head. ¡°Never again!¡± Chu Liuyue could hear the relaxation in his voice, and she couldn¡¯t help but look up in surprise. ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡± The young man looked handsome and clean. He smiled with sparkling eyes, and he looked especially alluring. An extremely familiar feeling suddenly overwhelmed Elder Wen Xi, and his heart beat harshly. This expression, this smile is extremely like¡ª Chu Liuyue could sense his strange expression, so she immediately retracted her smile silently. ¡°Ouyang, bring him to Fengmin Mountain.¡± Elder Ouyang widened his eyes. ¡°Why me?¡± Elder Wen Xi rolled his eyes at him and was too lazy to talk nonsense as he directly turned around and left. Elder Hua Feng patted Elder Ouyang¡¯s shoulders in sympathy. ¡°Brother, you also have to take responsibility because you didn¡¯t guard this fountain well. But don¡¯t worry¡ªwe¡¯ll definitely put in a good word for you later on.¡± Then, before Elder Ouyang could respond, he quickly left. Very quickly, only Chu Liuyue and Elder Ouyang were left on the mountain peak. The mountain wind blew over, and it was slightly cold. Elder Ouyang then recovered his senses and glanced at Chu Liuyue grudgingly. ¡°You kid¡­ Forget it; follow me!¡± ¡­ At this moment, the sky had just lit up. However, quite a few students had already started cultivating in the academy. All the students were busy with their own things at the top of the mountains. The monthly assessment had just ended, and everyone was in a good mood. Those who won wanted to stabilize their position, and those who lost wanted to make a comeback. As for the new students, it was needless to say that they were filled with excitement and curiosity. Their minds were all focused on properly cultivating so that they could beat their senior brothers and senior sisters earlier and have a footing in the academy! But at this moment, a strange and weird scene appeared in the academy¡ªan elder in the academy glided through the air with a student. They passed by an academy and arrived at a mountain peak in the warrior region. That mountain was located in a rather deserted area, so even the warrior students rarely went over. The key was that there was an extremely strong barrier outside of the mountain, and outsiders couldn¡¯t easily go in. These two people suddenly came at this moment, so they naturally attracted a lot of attention. ¡°Who is that elder? Why haven¡¯t I seen him before?¡± ¡°You just came not long ago, so you naturally don¡¯t know! That¡¯s one of the few Armory Refinement Masters our academy has¡ªElder Ouyang!¡± Once he said this, the crowd burst into an uproar. ¡°Armory Refinement Master?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that those few people rarely come out usually? Why did he suddenly¡ªwait! Why does the young man beside him look a little familiar?¡± ¡°Ah! I think¡­ his name is Chu Yue? He performed quite well at the heavenly doctor¡¯s assessment yesterday!¡± ¡°Why did a heavenly doctor student and an Armory Refinement Master elder come here¡­¡± At this point, Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng¡ªwho hadn¡¯t rested well the entire night¡ªfinally came back after receiving Elder Wen Xi¡¯s permission. Hearing the surrounding discussions, the two of them were collectively stunned. They exchanged glances and immediately looked up. As expected, two people were standing in mid-air in front of another mountain. Isn¡¯t one of them Chu Yue, who was trapped on Million Wine Mountain earlier?! ¡°Why is he here?!¡± The two of them were shocked. Previously, they had stayed at Elder Wen Xi¡¯s residence the entire time. After a long time, Elder Wen Xi and Elder Hua Feng finally came back. Originally, they thought that Chu Yue would come back with them. But once they asked, Elder Wen Xi and Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expressions turned strange. The elders just said that Chu Yue was safe and told them to go back without worrying. They thought that Chu Yue had returned to his own place. Who knew¡­ he actually came here?! Suddenly, someone spoke. ¡°Fengmin Mountain is only used to punish and ground students who made major mistakes. What exactly did the new Chu Yue do to go in on the second day of coming to the academy?¡± Chapter 1158 - Close Including Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng, many people who heard this voice couldn¡¯t help but turn around and look toward the source of the voice. The person talking was a young man who looked like he was 26 or 27. He was rather tall and muscular, and his skin was molt-colored. His five features were distinct, and his gaze was sharp. ¡°Senior Brother Mo Ran, are you saying that it¡¯s because Chu Yue committed a mistake that he has to be locked up in Fengmin Mountain?¡± someone asked curiously. When Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng heard this name, they couldn¡¯t help but be secretly shocked. Mo Ran¡ªninth on the warrior list! He could definitely be considered one of the elites in the academy! Thus, his words were more trustable. ¡°Yeah.¡± Mo Ran didn¡¯t have much of an expression, but his gaze slightly flickered when he looked at the thin and tall figure afar. ¡°This newcomer does have his own skills¡­¡± His sentence was so soft that nobody could hear him. But receiving the affirmative answer to the previous question, the crowd was in an uproar. ¡°Who made a mistake? That Chu Yue just came, so what kind of mistake can he make?¡± ¡°Yeah! Besides, he¡¯s personally brought over by Elder Ouyang¡­ Did he cause trouble at the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s side?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be, right? Nobody really goes over there usually. Since he¡¯s already admitted into the academy, the elders must¡¯ve reminded him that he can¡¯t casually go to the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s side, right? Besides, there¡¯s a barrier there. How can he casually enter?¡± Everyone was filled with curiosity, and their eyes had unconcealable nosiness and excitement. Life in the academy was actually pretty calm overall. This sudden movement would naturally attract their attention. ¡°Senior Brother Mo Ran?¡± A gentle voice came from behind. Mo Ran turned around. A man and a woman who looked like they were around 20 years old rushed to his side. The two of them looked rather worried. ¡°Senior Brother Mo Ran, the thing you talked about¡­ Being locked up in Fengmin Mountain, is it really serious? How long will he be locked up for?¡± Mo Ran silently sized the duo up. ¡°The duration of his lockup depends on the severity of his mistake¡­ He¡¯s the only one who went in for the past half a year in the academy.¡± Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng glanced at each other and knitted their brows. Why did this happen? Previously, Chu Yue was trapped on Million Wine Mountain, so we sought help from Elder Wen Xi and Elder Hua Feng. Logically speaking, it would be lucky if Chu Yue could come back safely. But¡­ Why did he suddenly get locked up for no reason? Could it be¡­ he stayed on Million Wine Mountain during the restricted hours? Other than this, they really couldn¡¯t think of another reason. However, they couldn¡¯t say such words. After all, the two elders had already reminded them not to reveal anything that happened the day before. Suddenly, an idea surfaced in Zhuo Sheng¡¯s heart. ¡°Right, does Elder Wan Zheng know about this?¡± ¡­ In front of Fengmin Mountain, Chu Liuyue and Elder Ouyang stood in the air. Once they stood still, an old voice came from the mountains. ¡°Ouyang? Why are you here?¡± This voice was deep and caused one¡¯s heart to rattle, even vaguely increasing the force circulating in one¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue secretly felt shocked. The person talking is probably much stronger than expected! ¡°What can I do here? Of course, I came to send someone over!¡± Elder lightly grunted. ¡°Lock this kid up for ten days!¡± The other party fell silent momentarily. Chu Liuyue felt that there was a gaze that faintly and slowly swept across her body! At that moment, she felt that everything about her was directly exposed to everyone¡ªclearly! She unwittingly restrained her aura. After a moment, that invisible pressure finally disappeared. ¡°New student?¡± Elder Ouyang felt his head ache. ¡°He just came yesterday!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± For some reason, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that the other party was interested in her. ¡°Interesting¡­ The last one that came so early was¡ª¡± That voice suddenly trailed off. It was as if he was rather hesitant or there was some taboo, so he could only stop his sentence abruptly. Chu Liuyue instinctively glanced at Elder Ouyang and saw that his expression was dazed for a moment. However, such a change only lasted for a moment as Elder Ouyang¡¯s gaze quickly returned to normal. If it weren¡¯t because Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were sharp, she really wouldn¡¯t have noticed it. She felt faintly confused. If I didn¡¯t guess it wrongly, the person the other party mentioned should be¡­ the mysterious person whose name was erased on the Qing Yun Ranking? Everyone in the academy, from the director to the elders and even the students below, seems to keep mum about this person. Even now, I still don¡¯t know what that person¡¯s name is. According to what they¡¯ve said, that person is no longer in the academy, but there are traces of that person everywhere. It¡¯s hard to even avoid or ignore it. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart lightly. I really don¡¯t know what kind of person that is. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got. I¡¯ll release him in ten days.¡± Once he said this, the area before the duo vibrated, and the rays of lights were vibrant! Then, the barrier formed by Xuan formations was quickly activated. Elder Ouyang raised his chin toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue seriously bowed before she took a deep breath in and walked in! ¡­ ¡°What?! You guys locked him up at Fengmin Mountain?!¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡ªwho had just finished tidying the herbs¡ªstared at Elder Hua Feng in shock. ¡°Are you guys crazy?!¡± Elder Hua Feng almost spilled the wine in his hands. ¡°Your kid is crazy! I kindly came here to tell you about this, so why did you yell at me?!¡± ¡°If your disciple was locked up, wouldn¡¯t you be anxious?!¡± Elder Wan Zheng rushed over in frustration. ¡°Speak! What happened?! If you don¡¯t explain it clearly and have bullied my disciple, I¡ª¡± ¡°Your kid stayed on Million Wine Mountain yesterday!¡± This sentence caused Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s expression to be dazed for a moment. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Hmph, it means what you think it means!¡± Elder Hua Feng tidied his collar and coldly grunted. ¡°Not only that, but he even coincidentally saw Ouyang producing his sword! He saw most of what happened! If not for you, that kid would have to stay on Fengmin Mountain for a month!¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s breathing paused. I never expected Chu Yue to get into such huge trouble in a day! ¡°But¡ª¡± Elder Wan Zheng was hesitant in his words. He wanted to defend Chu Yue, but he didn¡¯t know where to start. This was because this incident was too serious! Ling Xiao Academy had been established in the God Residence Realm for thousands of years, and they recruited many students. Even now, the academy had around 3,000 students. How could nobody make a mistake out of so many people? The academy had all sorts of punishments. Being locked up in Fengmin Mountain was definitely considered one of the top three punishments. If they didn¡¯t have a choice, the elders wouldn¡¯t want to do this. And now, the student he finally found with much difficulty went in directly! Elder Hua Feng chuckled and comforted, ¡°Aiya, think of the bright side! Didn¡¯t you always want to take that trouble¡ªthat person as your disciple but failed? Look at it now; Chu Yue was locked up in Fengmin Mountain on the second day of school. At least he¡¯s similar to that person in this regard!¡± Chapter 1159 - Same Choice Elder Wan Zheng glanced at him deeply. Elder Hua Feng sensibly kept quiet. ¡°Ahem! I was kidding! Don¡¯t mind me, don¡¯t mind me!¡± Elder Wan Zheng suddenly laughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay; this joke is pretty funny. I¡¯ll tell it to her when she comes back, and she¡¯ll definitely love it to death!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Look at you! Am I not¡ªokay, okay, it¡¯s my fault! I admit my mistake!¡± Seeing Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s seemingly smiling manner, Elder Hua Feng wanted to slap his own mouth. Who asked you to speak so quickly!? You could talk about anything, but you had to mention that troublemaker! Great, you¡¯ve now dug a hole for yourself! Elder Wan Zheng then let the matter rest, but he still couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly regarding Chu Yue being locked up. This child has shocking talent and is very sensible. As long as I properly guide him, he will definitely be outstanding! Originally, I wanted him to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking as soon as possible, but this can only be delayed now. To think I even planned what I was going to teach in advance! Elder Wan Zheng helplessly shook his head. ¡°Then¡­ We¡¯ll wait for him to come out!¡± ¡­ The news of Chu Liuyue being locked up in Fengmin Mountain quickly spread around the school. The crowd had different reactions, and they partook in heated discussions. However, Chu Liuyue knew about none of this at this moment. After walking into the barrier, she saw a seven-story pagoda in the middle of Fengmin Mountain. Her instincts told her that this was the place the voice came out from and also the place she had to be locked up in. Hence, she walked forward. Arriving below the pagoda, Chu Liuyue stood before the door. The surroundings were filled with lush greenery. There was nobody around the pagoda, and it had accumulated with grayish-white mountain rocks. It looked like nobody had been here in a long while¡ªor perhaps, people rarely came here. Seeing the black metallic door in front of her, Chu Liuyue gathered her focus, calmed herself down, and walked forward. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. When she reached the entrance, the door automatically opened before she reached out. Creak¡­ At that moment, Chu Liuyue even had the feeling of opening something that had been sealed for many years. ¡°Come in.¡± An old voice drifted into her ears. Chu Liuyue calmed herself down and walked in. ¡­ The moment she walked in, the path before her was pitch black. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings, but she could only see a blurred black figure. She knitted her brows. Suddenly, the door behind her gradually closed shut. Bang! Hearing the noise, she instinctively turned around to take a look. At that moment, the surroundings suddenly lit up. Her heart skipped a beat as she took a hurried glance and saw that the lock on the door seemed to be a little rusty. ¡°There are a total of seven floors here. Which one do you want to go to?¡± That voice continued to reverberate by her ear. She turned around and looked in front again. Within the spacious and empty hall, seven doors floated quietly. The doors glowed faintly and reflected a solemn and holy figure on the black marble floor. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be tightly clenched by something as even breathing became difficult for her. This was the natural reaction that occurred when she faced a formidable strength! Even if the seven doors looked ordinary¡­ Chu Liuyue knew very clearly that the strength they contained wasn¡¯t something she could imagine! In times like these, she had to be calm. Her gaze swept across the seven doors one by one. Actually, these seven doors were exactly the same. From their appearance, she couldn¡¯t tell any difference. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to try using her force to test it, but she didn¡¯t do so in the end. In such places, it was better to be quiet. The area fell silent. Chu Liuyue knew that the other party was waiting for her to make a choice. ¡°I choose¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment and chose the second door from the right. ¡°This.¡± After a moment, that voice rang again. ¡°Why?¡± This time, the voice sounded rather strange and surprised. Chu Liuyue blinked. Why? What ¡®whys¡¯ can there be? Didn¡¯t I just randomly choose one? However, she naturally couldn¡¯t say this. Hence, she paused and replied, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t¡­ choose this?¡± Chu Liuyue originally asked casually, but the other party actually kept quiet after she spoke! This made her heart sink gradually. Did I really choose something that I couldn¡¯t? ¡°I¡¯ll give you a second chance.¡± That voice sounded again. ¡°Choose properly.¡± Chu Liuyue diligently nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± Then, the seven doors suddenly glowed brightly! It was so bright that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but raise her hands to cover her eyes. However, it happened very quickly, and the light rapidly disappeared. Chu Liuyue put her hand down and looked in front. Without thinking, she knew that the arrangement of the seven doors had changed. ¡°Choose,¡± said that person. Chu Liuyue nodded slightly, and she sized up the few doors before choosing the one in the middle. ¡°I¡¯ll choose this.¡± Silence. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt uneasy. Did I choose an inappropriate one again? Will it be that much of a coincidence? ¡°Hah.¡± At this point, that person suddenly laughed. ¡°It seemed like it¡¯s destined.¡± She couldn¡¯t tell his emotions from his voice as if he had restrained all of them. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. It seems like I¡­ really chose the same one as before! ¡°Go in. Ten days later, the door will automatically open and let you out.¡± Chu Liuyue collected her thoughts, nodded slightly, and walked in. She walked to the door in the middle, raised her hand, and pushed it open. Her figure quickly disappeared behind the door. After a while, the voice sounded lowly again. ¡°¡­They actually chose the same one¡­ It¡¯s really¡­ I hope this kid can make it out in one piece!¡± Chapter 1160 - Old People Come Back Due to her two earlier choices, Chu Liuyue was rather uneasy when she pushed open the door to enter. But after she went in, she realized that things were very different from what she had imagined. This was because there was actually a square room before her. This room wasn¡¯t very big, but it could definitely fit a few dozen people. The four walls had patterns of black and white intersecting. Chu Liuyue glanced at it. Other than forcefully recognizing that the academy¡¯s totem seemed to be printed on the upper-left-hand corner of one wall, she didn¡¯t understand the other patterns at all. Overall, the lines looked messy and disorganized as if someone randomly drew on a piece of paper. Other than that, there was nothing at all. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and walked to the middle. The door behind her closed automatically. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about it. No matter what, she had to stay here for ten days. After surveying the surroundings closely and realizing that there was nothing strange about this place, Chu Liuyue swiftly sat down, closed her eyes, and started cultivating. Not bad. Although there aren¡¯t any windows here, it isn¡¯t stuffy, and it¡¯s filled with rich Heaven and Earth Force like the outside. Since I can¡¯t do anything here, I should just cultivate. Just as she was about to close her eyes and begin¡ª Putong! Something small suddenly landed on the ground¡ªit was Tuan Zi. Seeing the wet Tuan Zi in front of her, Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. I had already called Tuan Zi back earlier, and I didn¡¯t call for it just now, so why did it come out on its own? ¡°Tuan Zi?¡± she called out. Hululu¡ª Tuan Zi crazily flapped its wings as if it wanted to shake the water away to make itself dry. Chu Liuyue stared at it for a while and couldn¡¯t help but remind, ¡°Tuan Zi, you can use your fire to dry yourself.¡± Tuan Zi paused in its actions and looked at her with much desire. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes suddenly shrunk. This was because a ray of silver color quickly flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes! That is lightning?! I knew that Tuan Zi took the chance to absorb quite a few bolts of lightning to unleash its bloodline power, but I didn¡¯t expect such a scene to appear. ¡°Tuan Zi, are you okay?¡± Tuan Zi shook its head and started to shake its wings crazily. ¡°There are many bolts of lightning swimming around in its body, but it can¡¯t absorb them fully. If it suddenly summons fire now and burns, it might not even be able to control it,¡± explained the three-eyed legendary eagle coldly. Chu Liuyue then understood as she watched Tuan Zi diligently moving on the ground, and the corners of her lips twitched slightly. ¡°Then¡­ How long does it need before it can fully absorb this strength?¡± ¡°It depends on itself. If it¡¯s fast, one day. If it¡¯s slow¡­ three days.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°This was because it took action when the lightning¡¯s strength was at its greatest, so it absorbed quite a bit. But if it wants to unleash its bloodline power fully, you still need to do what I previously said.¡± It was fine if it didn¡¯t mention this, but Chu Liuyue felt her head ache once it did. I overstayed at Million Wine Mountain for the first time and was dragged to be locked up here for ten days. If it really stays there for a month¡­ Chu Liuyue felt that she could be expelled. As if guessing Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts, the legendary three-eyed eagle lightly said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if you don¡¯t get discovered.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Do I look like someone who has such capabilities?¡± Million Wine Mountain is guarded strictly. How am I supposed to go there continuously for a month without being discovered? Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi and suddenly felt that it was doing fine. Didn¡¯t it beat Liu Yintong¡¯s red-tailed phoenix previously?! ¡°Of course, you do.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle gave an affirmative reply. Chu Liuyue was stumped. At that moment, she didn¡¯t know if she should be happy that the legendary three-eyed eagle actually thought highly of her or if she should be worried about how to complete this ridiculous task. She shook her head and chose to suppress her thoughts. She closed her eyes lightly, breathed in, and started absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. Waves of force gathered and entered her body. This force spread across all her limbs and finally gathered within her dantian. Time trickled past, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding aura strengthened continuously. However, she didn¡¯t know that the walls around her were also silently changing. The seemingly disorganized lines seemed to be dragged by some sort of strength as they gradually moved and silently became weird patterns. With the movement of these lines, Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding space seemed to move as well. The layers of suppression rapidly overlapped amidst this movement. At this point, Chu Liuyue had her eyes tightly shut and was completely focused on cultivation. If she opened her eyes at this moment, she would realize that there were black cracks in the contorted space. The terrifying ripples gradually and determinedly went toward her like waves! But just as the ripples were about to hit Chu Liuyue, they suddenly stopped. Then, the force took a step forward. Almost at the same time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body glowed with a golden light¡ªpure gold armor! Detecting this light and aura, the aura that the force had gathered disappeared immediately! Then, the force turned around, and the surrounding strength seemed to be affected. It gradually removed its terrifying suppression and surrounded Chu Liuyue in a seemingly doting and longing manner. Chapter 1161 - Time is Up As this commotion silently happened, Chu Liuyue absorbed the force at a gradually faster rate. It was as if she had entered an extremely special state. Even with her eyes closed, she could strangely feel everything in her surroundings. She vaguely felt that her surroundings seemed to be moving slightly and passing through her. During this process, a portion of the force silently entered her body. At this point, she suddenly discovered that the Heaven and Earth Force here was extremely pure. She didn¡¯t need to refine it much before she could completely consume it. Her body was like a sponge that kept absorbing the surrounding force crazily, and this absorption speed kept increasing! Chu Liuyue originally had some considerations. She was worried that her body might not be able to tolerate such a terrifying force entering her body since she was just a beginner stage-seven warrior. But very quickly, she realized that she had thought too much. This was because from start to end, her body wasn¡¯t uncomfortable at all. The rich force kept circulating within her Yuan meridian. Not only did it not cause any discomfort or pain, but it also kept nourishing her Yuan meridian, allowing it to become more resilient. Chu Liuyue could even clearly feel her surrounding aura strengthening! Could it be that the force here is more special¡­ This thought just flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind once. However, it doesn¡¯t seem to be entirely so¡­ Chu Liuyue still suppressed her thoughts very quickly and focused on cultivating. Tuan Zi¡ªwho stayed beside her¡ªstopped moving at some point and lay on the floor lethargically. Only the shining silver lightning on its body showed that it wasn¡¯t as harmless as it seemed at this moment. ¡­ Qing Ming Square. Elder Bo Yan stood with his hands behind his back as his gaze swept across the crowd before him. Standing here were the same few people who previously discussed the matter in the hall. However, there were significantly fewer people than at that time. For example, Wei Xiping wasn¡¯t here at this moment. However, there were dozens of elders standing beside him, so they looked like they had higher numbers overall. The closest to Elder Bo Yan was Rong Xiu. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t say anything unnecessary. We¡¯ll have to trouble you guys for this.¡± Elder Bo Yan cupped his fists. The crowd acknowledged him in unison. ¡°If there¡¯s danger this time, Rong Xiu¡ª¡± Before Elder Bo Yan could finish speaking, he saw Rong Xiu¡¯s expression suddenly change as he looked in a certain direction. Rong Xiu squinted his deep phoenix eyes, and his thin lips curled up into an extremely faint and helpless smile. She¡¯s really¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Elder Bo Yan strangely. Rong Xiu retracted his gaze, smiled slightly, and shook his head. ¡°Nothing much.¡± Elder Bo Yan followed the direction he just looked in and took a glance. That¡¯s the warrior region. Everything is normal. Elder Bo Yan¡¯s brows moved slightly. Even though I can¡¯t tell much from Rong Xiu¡¯s face, I just feel that there is something amiss. It was the same the previous time¡­ It seems like there is something occupying Rong Xiu¡¯s heart in the academy. This person has always been cold and lonely, and there aren¡¯t many things he cares about. But since he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, it will naturally be better if others don¡¯t ask. Right at this moment, Elder Wen Xi came late. Elder Bo Yan smiled and said, ¡°Wen Xi, if you still hadn¡¯t arrived, you wouldn¡¯t make it on time.¡± Elder Wen Xi coughed. ¡°I was delayed by a last-minute matter.¡± Elder Bo Yan glanced at him, and his expression changed slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Wen Xi wasn¡¯t someone who liked to be late, and it seemed like he was really preoccupied. ¡°That¡­¡± Elder Wen Xi hesitated for a moment and still decided to report the truth. After all, they would know about this incident sooner or later. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s just that a student made a small mistake and was locked up in Fengmin Mountain.¡± Once he said this, the people at the side all looked over. People don¡¯t easily go into a place like Fengmin Mountain. This student¡­ shouldn¡¯t have made a ¡®small¡¯ mistake, right? ¡°Oh? Who?¡± Elder Bo Yan frowned slightly. The academy indeed hasn¡¯t given out such punishments in a while. It seems like that student has really done something that touched the academy¡¯s bottom line. Elder Wen Xi sighed. ¡°He didn¡¯t come down in time yesterday and stayed at Million Wine Mountain for an extended period of time.¡± The elders¡¯ expressions changed slightly. ¡°Which student is this bold and preposterous?¡± Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows even more tightly. Regarding Million Wine Mountain, the academy has repeatedly emphasized that the students aren¡¯t allowed to stay there during the restricted time period. Why would a student do such a thing? ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s¡­ Chu Yue.¡± Elder Wen Xi lowered his voice and quickly added, ¡°But that child didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It was just that he coincidentally went back late and was stuck on Million Wine Mountain. After we received the news, Hua Feng and I immediately brought him out.¡± Once he said this, Elder Wen Xi felt slightly shocked. For some reason, he actually unwittingly made an excuse for Chu Yue as if he didn¡¯t want the latter to suffer such a severe lecturing. ¡°I see¡­ Since you guys have already punished him, this matter shall be the end of it!¡± Luckily, Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t ask further, causing Elder Wen Xi to heave a secret sigh of relief. After recovering his senses, he was dazed. It¡¯s probably because¡­ I recruited the child, so I can¡¯t bear it, right? Anyway, once he thought of that young man being lectured and how he lowered his head and admitted his faults, he somehow became determined. Elder Wen Xi took a deep breath in and suppressed his messy thoughts. At the side, Rong Xiu had a light expression as he looked down slightly, and a faint light flashed across his eyes. Fengmin Mountain¡­ At the very least, it¡¯s safe to stay there during that period. However¡ª Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly before he hid his emotions. This small intervention did not attract much attention. In their eyes, a student being locked up in Fengmin Mountain for a few days wasn¡¯t that big of a matter. ¡°Go!¡± An elder hollered and took action first, flying toward the academy! The others followed closely behind. Rong Xiu silently glanced at Fengmin Mountain and left afterward. Their figures quickly disappeared. ¡­ Within the seven-story pagoda on Fengmin Mountain. Within the hall, the seven doors floated quietly and silently. Time trickled past. Finally, that old voice sounded again. But this time, his voice was filled with doubts. ¡°Hm? Logically speaking, that kid should¡¯ve escaped because he can¡¯t take it¡­ Why hasn¡¯t he made any noise until now?¡± Nobody answered the empty and silent hall. Another period of time passed, and the seven doors were still as normal. ¡°Are the trouble makers these days and age so capable¡­¡± That person couldn¡¯t help but mutter. He is rather capable since he hasn¡¯t come out after such a long time. ¡­ In the special space, Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged with her eyes tightly shut. The surrounding tremendous force continuously entered her body as the lines on the walls moved according to her breathing. It was as if her entire person had merged with this place! Coincidentally, knocks could be heard. An old and low voice went into her ear. ¡°Kid, time¡¯s up!¡± Chapter 1162 - Courting Death Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open, and a strangely bright light quickly flashed across her eyes! That moment of sharpness caused others to not be able to look straight into her eyes. But that light quickly dissipated, and she recovered her lazy and nonchalant look. She stretched her waist and relaxed her bones, and her body that had been sitting for a long time made crisp sounds. Time¡¯s up¡­ Chu Liuyue calmly thought, Did ten days just pass like this? However, why did I not feel anything at all? During the entire process, the only thing I did was cultivate. It seems as if I have to go out in the blink of an eye. Chu Liuyue stood up and surveyed her surroundings. There weren¡¯t many changes compared to when she first came here. She didn¡¯t know that the moment she opened her eyes, the lines on the four walls had already returned to what they looked like in the beginning. Thus, she naturally couldn¡¯t discern anything. She picked Tuan Zi up. It was probably because Tuan Zi had already digested all of that force, so it didn¡¯t have the rays of sparkling silver lightning on its body. Besides, the color of Tuan Zi¡¯s feathers seemed to be richer than before. Perhaps this is a sign of its bloodline power being unleashed? Chu Liuyue thought as she walked over to open the door. When her hand was about to touch that door, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and squinted her eyes slightly. Hm¡­ I actually want to stay here for a while longer. What should I do? For some reason, she felt that it was very comfortable to cultivate here. The surrounding force naturally entered her body, nourishing her muscles and veins and strengthening her aura¡­ She also didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable during this entire process¡ªit was like everything happened smoothly. It was as if¡­ this force should already be hers. This type of feeling was very strange, and she had never experienced it before. ¡°Senior¡ª¡± She suddenly spoke but stopped when she spoke halfway. The voice came from outside. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She smiled slightly, and she changed her tone for the remaining half of the sentence. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me during this time.¡± That person grunted lightly. After he passed through the door, I could no longer intervene, especially when I didn¡¯t touch the door this kid picked at all. How would I take care of him? / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡°Just come out!¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, took one last glance, and turned around to leave. ¡­ A white light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, and she instinctively squinted her eyes. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she then saw her surroundings clearly. The hall that entered her view was empty, just like when she had just come. She turned around and took a look. The seven doors didn¡¯t change at all. It was as if¡­ the ten days spent inside were just a dream. ¡°Go on.¡± After exiting the door, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t tell where the voice came from. It was as if the entire hall was his voice that clearly landed in her ears in the end. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and bowed in the direction of the seven doors. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Then, she turned around and left. But the moment she took a step out¡ª ¡°Hm?¡± That voice sounded again with confusion and hesitation. Chu Liuyue immediately stopped in her tracks, stood rooted to the ground, and turned around obediently and respectfully, allowing that person¡¯s blade-like gaze to sweep across her. ¡°Senior, is there anything else?¡± The other party¡¯s voice sounded weird. ¡°¡­Your aura has strengthened?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Is there a need to ask? In there, I focused on cultivating for ten days. Isn¡¯t it normal for my abilities to be strengthened? But since the other party asked, there seems to be something wrong. She paused for a moment before replying, ¡°I have been focusing on cultivation the past few days.¡± The other party didn¡¯t speak for quite some time. Chu Liuyue was slightly disappointed. This answer doesn¡¯t seem right¡­ ¡°Forget it. Go ahead!¡± After a while, that voice sounded again. However, Chu Liuyue sensitively felt that the other party¡¯s attitude toward her seemed different. She couldn¡¯t point it out exactly, but she had such a feeling. She pressed her lips against each other, bowed, and bade farewell. The door automatically opened, and after she walked through it, the door automatically closed behind her. Bang! The hall was completely silent within the pagoda. Filled with confusion, a low voice muttered, ¡°This kid¡­ Perhaps she liked him¡­¡± Outside the door, Chu Liuyue turned around and glanced at it, lightly sighing. Even though the senior in charge of guarding was a little weird¡­ If only I could come a few more times¡­ If Elder Wen Xi and the rest knew that not only did she not remember any lessons but even benefitted from this trip and wanted to come again, their expressions would be incredulous. Her neck itched. Chu Liuyue patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head. ¡°Okay, I know you still want to go, but you need to wait for me to figure out a way. If you¡¯re disobedient like before¡­¡± She glanced at Tuan Zi coldly. Tuan Zi immediately nodded eagerly. I won¡¯t cause trouble! I¡¯ll listen to you for everything, Master! Chu Liuyue then nodded in satisfaction and flew out! ¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I also don¡¯t know when Chu Yue will come back.¡± Zhong Xun suppressed the anger in his heart and said carefully, ¡°This is our residence, so please leave first. When he comes back, I¡¯ll tell him that you came.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for trouble. We¡¯ll just wait for him here directly.¡± The few youngsters opposite him smiled brightly. That young man standing at the front lazily said, ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, why are you so nervous? We just want to duel with Chu Yue. We hear that he¡¯s very talented as a heavenly doctor, so we wanted to experience it. Do you¡­ want to stop this too?¡± Zhong Xun furrowed his brows tightly. Starting from a few days ago, these few people suddenly ran over and said they wanted to duel with Chu Yue. Chu Yue isn¡¯t around, so they come every day in the morning and only leave at night. Chu Yue¡¯s residence was flipped upside down by them. The few of them weren¡¯t old, but according to seniority, Zhong Xun was their senior. However, they didn¡¯t treat Zhong Xun respectfully or politely. This was because their backgrounds weren¡¯t to be underestimated! These few people were all Liu Yintong¡¯s junior brothers! It was clear who instructed them to come here! That night, Zhong Xun didn¡¯t go to Million Wine Mountain, so he didn¡¯t know what exactly happened back then. However, he heard from the crowd later and knew that Liu Yintong insisted on competing with Chu Zhong¡¯s legendary fiend, yet she completely lost in the end. This time, Chu Yue had completely offended Liu Yintong and even her little team. Hence, a few people willingly came forward and challenged him. ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, this incident has nothing much to do with you. I think you shouldn¡¯t intervene.¡± That youngster at the front nonchalantly smiled. ¡°Since he can be accepted by Elder Wan Zheng as his disciple, he definitely is capable, don¡¯t you think? If he doesn¡¯t even dare to accept our challenge, won¡¯t he be too much of a coward?¡± Zhong Xun was about to argue when a clear voice filled with smiles suddenly sounded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll accept it!¡± Chapter 1163 - Challenge Upon hearing this, the few of them turned around to take a look. They saw a young, green-robed man standing behind them at some point. His figure was quite slim, but he was very tall and had a clear appearance. His gaze was pure as he looked over, and his lips were curled up into a faint smile as if he were nonchalant and a little flippant. Those few youngsters were dazed. Some of them were at Million Wine Mountain that day, but others were not. However, they weren¡¯t very familiar with Chu Yue. Now that they suddenly saw him, they realized that this young man¡­ had such an aura. ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re back?!¡± Zhong Xun reacted first and immediately welcomed him. He walked forward and rapidly sized Chu Liuyue up, looking worried. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Being locked up at Fengmin Mountain is one of the most severe punishments in the academy. He has just come to the academy and definitely feels uncomfortable meeting such a matter. Seeing Zhong Xun¡¯s gaze filled with worry, Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears, and her heart felt warm. ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Or perhaps I should say: I¡¯m great! Zhong Xun originally thought that Chu Yue purposely said that to make himself feel better, but after closer inspection, he realized that the young man before him looked relaxed. His eyes also had smiles as if he were really okay. He heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re Chu Yue.¡± An ambiguous voice sounded. Chu Liuyue looked up. Opposite them were a total of three people who looked quite young, around their twenties. The one talking was the one standing at the front. At this point, his arms were crossed as he outrageously sized Chu Liuyue up with a complicated gaze. ¡°You just came to the academy and were locked up in Fengmin Mountain. Junior Brother Chu Yue, your abilities are something I can¡¯t ever have! Haha!¡± His words were strange with thick sarcasm. ¡°You¡ª¡± Zhong Xun¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he was about to speak, but Chu Liuyue stopped him from the side. She stepped forward and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yeah, I do think so too. I am much more outstanding than you.¡± The laughter on the opposite side suddenly stopped. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to be discouraged. After all, you have to admit defeat sometimes.¡± As if she didn¡¯t see the incredulous expression changes on the opposite end, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, and her tone was light. However, the words she said could drive someone to the wall. ¡°Hah!¡± The two parties fell into a stalemate for a moment. The few youngsters looked as if they finally recovered their senses. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°It seems like your hearing isn¡¯t very good either. I¡¯ll repeat it again.¡± She smiled in a clean and harmless manner, but the words she spat out were like needles that shot straight at the few of them! ¡°I said that you guys are too weak. Have you heard it clearly now?¡± ¡­ Arrogant! Preposterous! Everyone present, including Zhong Xun, had such a thought when they heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s name! Is this kid crazy? Does he know what he¡¯s saying?! ¡°Chu Yue, you¡­¡± Zhong Xun¡¯s face changed as well. He had thought that Chu Yue might not be convinced by them. If not, he wouldn¡¯t directly accept their challenge once he came back. After all, he was a kid in his teens, and it was normal to be confident in himself. However, he never thought that Chu Yue would actually say such words! But at this point, Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around, blinked at him, and smiled slightly. She said, ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Zhong Xun was dazed for a moment. He clearly saw that the young man¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t filled with anger from being agitated. The few people¡¯s previous targeting and teasing didn¡¯t trigger Chu Yue at all. He is clear and logical, and he actually said such words in such a situation¡­ ¡°Hah! You have guts!¡± Liu Zi¡¯an was so angry that he laughed. There haven¡¯t been such arrogant new students in the academy for a long time! ¡°Since this is so, let¡¯s compete for once, shall we?¡± Zhong Xun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The next moment, he saw Liu Zi¡¯an wave his wrist, and a black plaque suddenly appeared. ¡°I¡ªLiu Zi¡¯an¡ªchallenge you, Chu Yue, today! Chu Yue, do you dare to accept it?!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Zhong Xun hurriedly said, ¡°Chu Yue, you mustn¡¯t agree! You can¡¯t accept this challenge!¡± Chu Liuyue looked over. ¡°Why?¡± Zhong Xun secretly felt anxious as he explained, ¡°Because once you accept this challenge, it means that nobody can interfere with your match! And if any of you two refuse to end the challenge, then¡­ the match will continue!¡± ¡°This also means that as long as you¡¯re not beaten to death, the two parties have to suffer the torturing of the other party!¡± This was also the reason why very few people would issue such challenges in the academy. Those who would do such a thing would normally have quite big grumbles in private. Chu Yue has completely offended the other party now. Once he agrees, then¡ª ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, do you think that I¡¯ll be the one getting beaten?¡± asked Chu Liuyue softly. Zhong Xun looked into Chu Yue¡¯s eyes, and his heart suddenly faltered. Could it be¡­ he has confidence that he¡¯ll beat Liu Zi¡¯an? Welcoming the pair of clear and silent eyes, Zhong Xun¡¯s words of advice were suddenly stuck in his throat. Chu Yue, he¡­ He doesn¡¯t seem to be as immature and young as he looks on the surface¡­ ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t worry.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue glanced opposite her. Liu Zi¡¯an raised her brows. ¡°What, do you not dare to accept it?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. If I allow myself to be bullied when they find me at my door, I will definitely be treated worse in the future! Anyway, I¡¯ve already offended Liu Yintong. Besides, these few people are basically minor characters sent by Liu Yintong. Chu Liuyue felt that she had never willingly offended anyone, nor had she purposely teased and offended whoever. Liu Yintong took the initiative to cause trouble for me, and it¡¯s still never-ending. Even if I lie down and be the smaller one, the other party won¡¯t treat me well anyway. Instead, they will stomp on me and bully me as much as they want. Therefore¡­ From the very beginning, I had no intentions of being tactful or fake with these people. The only thing I have to do is take this chance and tell everyone that I¡¯m not one to be messed with! Chu Liuyue took out her black jade plaque. ¡°Accept!¡± ¡­ According to the rules, the students at the academy had to carry out such challenges at Qing Ming Square. Hence, the few of them came to this place. The entire square was spacious and huge. They came over here and only occupied a small portion of the ground, but even so, they still attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. This was because students weren¡¯t allowed to go to Qing Ming Square casually during normal days. Hence, the sudden appearance of the few people at the square naturally attracted quite a few people¡¯s gazes. Chu Liuyue walked over and stood still. Liu Zi¡¯an stood opposite. The two of them looked at each other. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, I believe nobody has told you before, but you must be diligent and humble when you¡¯re incapable. If not, you won¡¯t even know how you died.¡± Liu Zi¡¯an sneered. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Bang! A cauldron dropped heavily! ¡°Senior Brother Liu, you can say these words after you beat me!¡± Chapter 1164 - Im Not Looking at You At some point, a few people had already gathered around their competition area. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Liu Zi¡¯an and Chu Yue? What are they doing? A challenge?¡± ¡°It must be if they went to Qing Ming Square! Tsk, why did these two people suddenly fight?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Didn¡¯t Chu Yue offend Liu Yintong before? That Liu Zi¡¯an seems to be a younger brother of a division in her clan¡­ Normally, this Liu Zi¡¯an also uses Liu Yintong to get his way.¡± ¡°Huh, isn¡¯t Chu Yue in danger then? Even if he¡¯s quite talented, he¡¯s only an eighth-grade heavenly doctor. And didn¡¯t Liu Zi¡¯an break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor just recently?¡± ¡°What is Chu Yue thinking? Why would he agree to a challenge that he¡¯ll definitely lose? The elders won¡¯t easily interfere with such matches¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. All kinds of voices drifted into their ears. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as if she was unaffected. Liu Zi¡¯an also took out his own cauldron. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s boss!¡± ¡­ The two people stood opposite each other on the square. Cauldrons were already placed before them. Liu Zi¡¯an was the first to take action. He was currently a ninth-grade heavenly doctor. Even though he could only produce inferior-class ninth-grade pills, it was still a piece of cake to go against a mere eighth-grade Chu Yue. In actual fact, he had already prepared his pill before coming, so he even prepared the ingredients. He took out the herbs and placed them side by side one after another, while his other hand was on the cauldron. Rumble! A blue fire suddenly rose! Following this, he whipped his sleeves. The herbs then flew up consecutively, landing in the cauldron. The special bitter fragrance of the herbs quickly spread around. But in stark comparison, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was opposite him¡ªhadn¡¯t moved at all. She just stood there and crossed her arms with one hand, looking lazy. Her gaze seemed to be staring at Liu Zi¡¯an. Look? What¡¯s about Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s medicine is good to look at? Quite a few people exchanged glances and revealed confused looks. This match has already started. Why hasn¡¯t Chu Yue moved? Can he directly win just by watching Liu Zi¡¯an produce his medicine? ¡°Chu Yue, do you have a problem?¡± Zhong Xun knitted his brows and asked rather worriedly. ¡°If you¡¯re missing herbs, I can go to Medicinal Valley to grab them for you.¡± Liu Zi¡¯an came prepared, but Chu Yue didn¡¯t. The moment he came out from Fengmin Mountain, he directly agreed to this challenge. Therefore, he might be missing a lot of ingredients. Chu Liuyue tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Zhong Xun, but I¡¯m not missing any herbs. Don¡¯t worry.¡± How could Zhong Xun really not worry? Even if he isn¡¯t missing herbs, the eighth-grade pill he produces will definitely lose to Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s! According to the current situation where the two¡¯s abilities are clearly different, Chu Yue only has one way to win¡ªLiu Zi¡¯an¡¯s pill production has to fail! Only this can let Chu Yue win! However, this is a challenge. As long as Liu Zi¡¯an doesn¡¯t wish to end the competition and continues producing, Chu Yue has no choice either. If Zhong Xun still produces a pill in the end¡­ Chu Yue will still lose this match! Watching the young man on stage, Zhong Xun was anxious, and his throat became dry. Why does Chu Yue not seem panicked at all at this time? ¡­ Liu Zi¡¯an added a few herbs and produced the pill in an orderly manner. When he had time, he looked up and glanced. On the opposite side, Chu Yue hadn¡¯t moved, and even his cauldron was empty. He couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, do you simply intend on watching me produce the pill during the competition? Let me remind you: the competition has already started. It¡¯s too late for you to surrender.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Senior Brother Liu, don¡¯t misunderstand. I really don¡¯t have any interest in you producing pills.¡± Her tone was very sincere and serious. Honestly speaking, Liu Zi¡¯an wasn¡¯t very good at producing pills. She already looked down on his hand techniques. If she stared at him longer, she was even worried that she would affect her own performance. Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you still can be this unreasonable when the results come out!¡± However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care about this agreement at all. After Liu Zi¡¯an threw a few herbs in again, she finally retracted her gaze and smiled. ¡°It seems like Senior Brother Liu wants to make the Greater Mastery Pill.¡± Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s hand trembled slightly, and he accidentally put a little more of the very last herb. He hurriedly took out that portion, but most of it had instantly dissolved. Even if he reacted fast enough, it was still normal if he didn¡¯t solve it thoroughly. Luckily, it won¡¯t really affect one¡¯s pill production¡­ Liu Zi¡¯an looked up, and his heart was shocked as he felt regretful. ¡°You¡¯ve watched for so long to know what pill I¡¯m producing?!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and directly affirmed his guess, but her eyes seemed to be a little disappointed. I originally thought¡­ Forget it. This saves quite a lot of trouble. In the beginning, I was thinking about what quality the produced pill would be. After all the commotion, it¡¯s actually just an inferior-class ninth-grade pill. Besides, it¡¯s the more forceful kind. This made Chu Liuyue feel bored. But considering that the other party wasn¡¯t very strong and that she could beat him more easily, she felt better again. Her emotions and thoughts had no intention of sabotage, and Liu Zi¡¯an spotted it effectively. At that moment, his heart skipped a beat and burned! This kid! He¡¯s actually belittling me?! ¡°You¡ª¡± Rumble! Before he could say anything, Chu Liuyue finally traveled around. An intensely red fire instantly filled the entire cauldron. Then, she attended to another bunch of herbs without hesitation. The entire process was very smooth¡ªthe technique was pure and could even be considered perfect! Chapter 1165 - Thousands of Ways to Win Once she made a move, the originally noisy crowd fell silent instantly! Not all of the spectators were heavenly doctors, but even if they were warriors or Xuan Masters, they were all top elites to be able to enter Ling Xiao Academy. They had a certain level of understanding toward heavenly doctors, so they could also differentiate one¡¯s standard in pill production. Hence, when Chu Liuyue started to produce the pill, they were all star-struck. This smoothness in movements and control over the herbs were clearly better than Liu Zi¡¯an! Liu Zi¡¯an was also shocked. Isn¡¯t Chu Yue an eighth-grade heavenly doctor? However, the abilities he¡¯s showcasing have clearly long exceeded someone like that! Liu Zi¡¯an closed his eyes and focused again. Perhaps Chu Yue is just bluffing people and doesn¡¯t actually have capabilities¡ª When Liu Zi¡¯an saw the opposite Chu Yue relaxingly separate the herbs and refine them respectively, his last bit of hope was completely shattered! At this point, even if he didn¡¯t feel indignant, he had to admit that Chu Yue was indeed capable! He was slightly anxious. Perhaps Chu Yue can actually beat me¡­ ¡°Si¡ª¡± Suddenly, a scorching pain was felt! Liu Zi¡¯an gasped and looked down. He then realized that he actually forgot to control the fire within the cauldron as he was distracted! Just now, the fire spark that flew out burned his hand. He wasn¡¯t really injured, but the herbs within the cauldron were already burned. Looking at the scorched mess, Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s blood boiled. He wanted to kick the cauldron away and smash it against Chu Yue¡¯s face! Bang! He harshly poured all of the herbs within the cauldron out! The dust flew away. Seeing this scene, quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. This Liu Zi¡¯an¡­ doesn¡¯t have much resilience¡­ Chu Yue just stood there and only started producing his pill, yet he has already accidentally ruined the herbs he just refined. Tsk. If this Chu Yue really wins, god knows what kind of expression he will have! Liu Zi¡¯an took a deep breath in and forced himself to calm down. Even though he wasted his previous efforts, he luckily still had some spare herbs. The next thing I have to do is quickly produce my pills! He started refining the herbs again. ¡­ Glancing from the corner of her eyes, Chu Liuyue roughly knew about Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s condition. Her lips curled up slightly, and she found it funny. I really don¡¯t know why Liu Yintong would ask him to come over. Did she overestimate Liu Zi¡¯an or underestimate me? She clearly has already lost to me once at Million Wine Mountain, yet she is still so careless now. Isn¡¯t she just directly giving me a win? Chu Liuyue started to add herbs to the cauldron in an orderly fashion./ please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Ever since she came out from Fengmin Mountain, she clearly felt that her abilities had improved. She faintly felt that she had touched a higher stage, and she seemed to be much more energized. This allowed her to be more comfortable when producing pills. Time slowly trickled past. Outside the square, there were quite a few spectators. On the one hand, there weren¡¯t many challenges in the academy, so it would attract quite a few people¡¯s attention every time one happened. On the other hand, the name ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ had been talked about wildly in the academy. The moment he came out from Fengmin Mountain, he had a challenge with someone else, and the other party was clearly stronger than him¡­ It was hard to forget this new student even if they wanted to. ¡­ After receiving the news, Luo Shishi and the rest also rushed over. Luo Yanlin also came with them. ¡°It¡¯s really Chu Yue!¡± After seeing that person standing on the square, Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°What exactly is he thinking?! He knows the rules of the challenge, right?¡± If the other party is bent on teaching him a lesson, he¡ª ¡°Shishi, your friend isn¡¯t very mature.¡± Luo Yanlin stared at the square and gave a comment. It was rare to see such torturous students. ¡°Liu Yintong and the rest want to bully him, so he reacted in this manner.¡± Luo Shishi pressed her lips against each other. On Million Wine Mountain that day, it was clearly those people who went to provoke him and wanted to compete. After Liu Yintong lost, she was still indignant and sent other people to purposely cause trouble for Chu Yue. From start to end, Chu Yue actually didn¡¯t do anything wrong. If it were someone else, they might not even be in Chu Yue¡¯s state as they would be bullied completely. ¡°The strong are respected. There¡¯s nothing about bullying or no bullying,¡± said Luo Yanlin lightly. ¡°He clearly knows this logic too.¡± Hence, he agreed to this challenge! Thinking of this, Luo Yanlin suddenly laughed. ¡°This kid¡­ is rather interesting!¡± If he really can win, it won¡¯t be others bullying him. Instead, he¡¯d be setting a precedent! ¡­ Whir! Noise suddenly came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron, and an intense herbal fragrance spread out from within! ¡°Chu Yue is about to form the pill!¡± someone cried out. Almost at the same time, Liu Zi¡¯an had the same commotion! The fire burned even more strongly, and a circular-shaped pill vaguely appeared! ¡°Liu Zi¡¯an is about to complete it!¡± ¡°I wonder who can finish completing the pill first¡­¡± ¡°So what if it¡¯s Chu Yue? An eighth-grade pill can¡¯t be compared to a ninth-grade one!¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be anxious at all. Perhaps he has some backup plan¡­¡± ¡°Hah! Backup plan? Do you think he¡¯ll produce a ninth-grade pill?¡± Laughter could be heard from the crowd. Coincidentally, Chu Liuyue suddenly slapped the cauldron at this moment! Fire wrapped around the fist-sized pill and suddenly flew up! At the same time, she whipped her sleeves, and a few herbs landed within the cauldron one after another! This sudden movement shocked the entire crowd. ¡°What is he doing? He hasn¡¯t finished producing the pill, yet he emptied the cauldron?¡± ¡°No! He¡¯s producing a second one!¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t even finished the first, so why is he producing a second one?¡± Suddenly, a gasp filled with shock could be heard from the crowd. ¡°No! He¡¯s merging pills!¡± Chapter 1166 - Familiar Technique Luo Shishi knitted her brows slightly and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°What is pill merging?¡± ¡°Pill merging is a special method during pill production. I¡¯ve heard that one can join two or even more pills and finally form one pill. With this method, you can gather the efficacy of the medicine in one place and produce a pill of an even higher level,¡± explained Luo Yanlin patiently. Even though he wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, he had stayed in the academy for a few years and had some form of understanding toward this. ¡°Increase the standard of the pill?¡± Luo Shishi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Does he really plan to produce a ninth-grade pill?¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable if he wants to win.¡± Luo Yanlin smiled. ¡°Previously, I thought that he could only win if Liu Zi¡¯an made a mistake. I didn¡¯t expect him to have this second path.¡± In the beginning, he didn¡¯t really care about Chu Yue and even had some form of natural enmity toward him as Luo Shishi cared about him especially. But now, he realized that this Chu Yue¡­ was indeed rather interesting. Chu Yue has already made such a name for himself after just arriving at the academy. Not to mention the previous few incidents, he can definitely be famous in the entire academy if he wins this match today! Luo Shishi and the rest looked elated. ¡°This means that his chances of winning will be high if he can succeed?¡± Seeing her smile, Luo Yanlin couldn¡¯t help but reach out and lightly flick her forehead. He then lightly grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t be so optimistic! I just said that because he wants to pill merge, not that he can definitely do it! You need to know that focus is very important when merging pills. If one wants to merge pills, they need to multitask at the very least. He¡¯s an eighth-grade heavenly doctor, so if he wants to beat Liu Zi¡¯an, he needs to produce at least two superior-class eighth-grade pills!¡± Luo Shishi and the rest were stunned. Producing two superior-class eighth-grade pills would be quite hard for a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, let alone an eighth-grade one, right? ¡°Anyway, to this day, I¡¯ve never heard of an eighth-grade heavenly doctor merging pills successfully.¡± Luo Yanlin¡¯s words sank their hearts again as they gazed at the square worriedly. He is just a sixteen-year-old youngster. Can he really do it? ¡­ Chu Liuyue split out some fire and wrapped it around the pill she previously produced as she quietly refined it a half-arm above the cauldron, carrying out the finishing touches. On the other end, she kept adding new herbs into the cauldron. Liu Zi¡¯an saw such a scene when he looked up. He clenched his teeth and was even more enraged. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± He cursed softly. Does an eighth-grade heavenly doctor know what pill merging is? He¡¯s just forcefully doing it, putting on an act! At the very end, he might not even produce an eighth-grade pill! However, time trickled past bit by bit, but there was no strange situation on the opposite end. Chu Liuyue completed the entire process in an organized manner. The pill above the cauldron kept shrinking continuously, and the herbs below were extracted and refined smoothly. Very quickly, Chu Liuyue actually started producing the second pill! Liu Zi¡¯an forced himself to retract his gaze as he focused on his own pill. However, he faintly felt anxious and uneasy as if something bad was about to happen. When his heart was in a mess, the fire in the cauldron also moved. His heart harshly skipped a beat, and he hurriedly tried to calm himself down. Luckily, the pill seemed fine. However, Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s heart still sank. During pill production, the last stage was extremely important and needed even more focus! Any small mistake would cause an irreversible outcome, affecting the quality of the produced pill! It would even destroy the pill in serious cases! Even though I can complete the pill, the quality¡­ Clenching his teeth, Liu Zi¡¯an still controlled the fire and finished the last bit of heating and forming! Whir! A shocking ripple reverberated throughout the cauldron! At the same time, an intense herbal fragrance permeated the air! A red pill flew out from the cauldron. Liu Zi¡¯an was long prepared as he flicked his wrist and formed a barrier above it. That pill harshly slammed against the barrier and bounced back! Then, Liu Zi¡¯an whipped his sleeves and rapidly stored the pill within his jade box! Kacha! He closed the jade box! The pill was completed! ¡­ Holding the jade box in his hands, Liu Zi¡¯an heaved a sigh of relief. Luckily, there weren¡¯t many mishaps, and the pill was finally completed! Now, the win and loss of the competition depends on Chu Yue! ¡­ Seeing Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s expression, everyone guessed that he had smoothly produced a Greater Mastery Pill. This also meant that he had an inferior-class ninth-grade pill with him. If Chu Yue failed in merging the pills or the pill he produced wasn¡¯t as good as an inferior-class ninth-grade one, Liu Zi¡¯an would win this match! But if the pill he produced was better than Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s, then¡ª Some people secretly shook their heads when they thought of this. How can that be? A mere eighth-grade heavenly doctor like Chu Yue doesn¡¯t have such abilities. ¡­ Chu Liuyue focused on producing her pill and ignored everything else in the surroundings. When she was still Shangguan Yue, she was quite experienced in merging pills. But after she was reborn, she hadn¡¯t done it again. She only had such an idea because she wanted to beat Liu Zi¡¯an today. With her current abilities, it was fine if she wanted to produce an eighth-grade pill. However, it was quite hard to produce a ninth-grade pill. Rather than taking a risk, she decided to use a more stable method¡ªpill merging! This method had lower requirements on a heavenly doctor¡¯s abilities, but it had more demands on one¡¯s techniques and focus, which suited the current her. Of course, if the people present knew she was thinking in this manner, they would probably want to beat her up. This was because techniques and focus were the biggest tests for a heavenly doctor! For warrior cultivators, if they weren¡¯t talented enough, they could use their hard work to make up for it. However, this wasn¡¯t so for heavenly doctors. Every improvement in cultivation and every breakthrough for heavenly doctors were closely related to the cultivator¡¯s talent. For example, different heavenly doctors would produce pills of different efficacy with the same formula. If one was talented and had natural abilities, they could unleash the formula¡¯s full efficacy. A heavenly doctor¡¯s technique, sensitivity, and sharpness were all included in the word ¡®talent.¡¯ Some people could practice producing a pill more than hundreds of times, but it still might not be better than others producing it once. And Chu Liuyue was that kind of person. ¡­ ¡°Why are a bunch of people gathered there?¡± A few elders were sitting together at Dong Huang Clock Tower. Hearing the noise, one of them looked down. ¡°Hm? It seems like some students are doing a challenge¡ªwait! Wan Zheng, look. it looks like it¡¯s your new disciple!¡± Upon hearing this, Elder Wan Zheng walked over. Suddenly, his expression became slightly dazed, and he slowly knitted his brows. ¡°¡­Why does this technique look familiar?¡± Chapter 1167 - Done! He took a closer look at the young man producing the pill below. His movements were well-practiced, and his actions were smooth. It was clearly a nerve-racking challenge, but he didn¡¯t look nervous at all. Elder Wan Zheng focused on him and squinted his eyes slightly, the sense of familiarity in his heart becoming increasingly stronger. ¡°It¡¯s really that Chu Yue? Wasn¡¯t he locked up in Fengmin Mountain previously? Why¡ª¡± ¡°Haha! Wan Zheng, I thought your disciple was an obedient one, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so capable! He just ended his punishment, and now, he¡¯s fighting with someone else again!¡± The other elders also walked over and watched the competition below with much interest. ¡°Hey, it looks like he¡¯s merging pills?¡± Suddenly, the elder who noticed this match first turned around in shock and glanced at Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°Wan Zheng, he didn¡¯t have the chance to learn much from you after he came to the academy, right?¡± Elder Wan Zheng knew what he meant and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t teach him how to merge pills.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s surprising.¡± Upon hearing this, the surrounding elders took a glance and laughed with ambiguous meaning. ¡°You won¡¯t normally teach an eighth-grade heavenly doctor how to merge pills, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, back then, I only started learning it a year after I became a ninth-grade heavenly doctor.¡± ¡°Oh, but this kid¡¯s pill production techniques are indeed very smooth. I think he¡¯s even better than the ninth-grade one opposite him! Wan Zheng, you accepted a good student,¡± teased the few elders. Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t speak. Of course, I know that Chu Yue is very talented, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be able to do this. If I don¡¯t recall wrongly, he seems to be only 16 years old now, right? If he successfully merges the pills now¡­ For some reason, a figure suddenly appeared in Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s head. They had the same shocking talent and the same troublemaking tendencies. The hands in his sleeves clenched slowly. ¡­ At this point, Liu Zi¡¯an had already finished producing the pill and waited along with the spectators. The second pill had already formed within the cauldron. As time gradually passed, the two pills finally became of similar size. Bang! Chu Liuyue slammed her hand down! Then, a ball of fire wrapped around the second pill and flew up! The two pills floated in mid-air and faced each other. Seeing this scene, the crowd unwittingly held in their breaths. It¡¯s coming! Chu Liuyue stared at it closely and gathered all her focus. This was her first time trying to merge pills after she was reborn, and she had to win this match! When she estimated that the two fires¡¯ temperatures were adjusted appropriately, she took a deep breath in. Two waves of forces surged out of her dantian, and one wave injected into each hand! Rumble! Rumble! The two balls of scorching hot fire instantly wrapped around her hands! At the same time, she rapidly raised her hands and controlled them respectively before forcefully merging them. After the two pills approached each other, they started repelling each other crazily. The surrounding fire started moving around agitatedly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s movements had no form of hesitation at all! She continued to use even greater strength! The two pills started approaching each other at an even slower speed. When the two fires touched each other¡ª Huala! Sparks flew everywhere, and a light glowed very brightly! Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm started trembling slightly. She clenched her teeth and crazily circulated her bodily force! Rumble! The fire on both her hands burned even more intensely! Under such strong movements, the fire of the two pills finally started merging! Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s heart seemed to be harshly knocked as an intense uneasiness filled his heart! Suddenly, a sound exploded between the two balls of fire! Then, the fire that had already started merging separated again from the middle! At the same time, the two pills started retreating slowly! Liu Zi¡¯an¡¯s eyes lit up. It is about to fail! If a heavenly doctor can¡¯t control the state of the two pills and forcefully merges them, it will cause the pills to be completely destroyed in the end! It is such a situation now! He couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and his eyes were filled with mockery. One indeed only has such an outcome if they continue forcing themselves. I¡¯ve long known that a mere eighth-grade heavenly doctor like Chu Yue cannot do it! When these thoughts flashed across his mind, the two pills between the young man¡¯s hand had already completely separated, and the fire above gradually dimmed. Liu Zi¡¯an held the jade box tightly, and happiness filled his heart! I will definitely win this match! ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a pity.¡± The elders at Dong Huang Clock Tower were also watching the match below. Upon seeing this scene, they all looked rather regretful. ¡°Just a little bit more¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s an eighth-grade heavenly doctor after all, and his abilities are quite lacking. It¡¯d be rather difficult if he wants to use this method to win.¡± The other elder gave a neutral comment and looked at Wan Zheng at the side. Elder Wan Zheng just stared speechlessly at the match below without an expression. The elders even thought that he was unhappy because his disciple was going to lose. That¡¯s true. Nobody can smile in such a scenario. Besides, it¡¯s even a challenge. Losing isn¡¯t the most important thing. If the person opposite Chu Yue is relentless, it will be¡­ troublesome. According to the rules, even the elders couldn¡¯t intervene. ¡°Wan Zheng, don¡¯t be disappointed that Chu Yue lost. Actually, Chu Yue is very talented, and he¡¯ll definitely exceed the person opposite him in time to come.¡± An elder advised, ¡°With your guidance, this child will definitely be on the Qing Yun Ranking!¡± Elder Wan Zheng shook his head. ¡°He won¡¯t lose.¡± Although his tone was calm, it was filled with determination and insistence. This wasn¡¯t a question but a statement! It was a very determined statement too! The few elders exchanged glances. What is Wan Zheng saying? Chu Yue won¡¯t lose? However, we all saw clearly that the kid had lost control of the two pills. When the fire above completely extinguishes, he will¡ª ¡°How can this be?¡± Suddenly, an elder gasped. Upon hearing this, the few people immediately looked over. When they saw the scene below, the few of them fell into dead silence. They saw that the young man¡ªwho already showed signs of losing earlier¡ªdidn¡¯t completely lose on the spacious square. On the other hand, the fires of the two pills before him started burning crazily! The aura was even more ferocious than before as he pressed hard with his two hands! Following this, the two balls of fire immediately merged! At the same time, the two pills also merged! Chu Liuyue yelled, ¡°Join!¡± A shockingly intense herbal fragrance exploded from within! The fire in her hands had already completely wrapped around the pill! The next moment, the pill rushed out of the fire and wanted to escape! Chu Liuyue went on her toes and directly flew up to capture the pill! Then, she swiftly put it in the jade box she had already prepared! Kacha! The jade box shut tightly! Chu Liuyue landed on the ground lightly, and her clothes flowed with the wind. She raised the jade box in her hands, raised her brows, and smiled at the pale Liu Zi¡¯an. ¡°Senior Brother Liu, let¡¯s compare?¡± Chapter 1178 - Thank You for the Compliment Chapter 1178: Thank You for the Compliment Chu Liuyue was rather shocked. I didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly talk about Rong Xiu, and¡­ His words seem so strange¡­ ¡°But it¡¯s one thing that you have a backer and another if you have a death wish.¡± Dugu Mobao opened the door. ¡°When you¡¯re here at Ling Xiao Academy, although we can¡¯t continue most of the training we did before¡­ When I have the time, I¡¯ll still personally teach you.¡± Then, he stepped out. The next moment, his small figure disappeared into the thick darkness! ¡°Hey, you¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and rubbed her brows. She could already predict what kind of days were waiting for her! She picked Tuan Zi up and walked outside. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We should tour around while we¡¯re still free!¡± ¡­ Million Wine Mountain. Evening to midnight was Million Wine Mountain¡¯s opening hours. At this point, quite a few people had already gathered at Million Wine Mountain. However, there were much fewer people than the day before. To most of the students in the academy, Million Wine Mountain was a place they could rest and relax. It was nice if they came once in a while, but there was no need to come every day. Besides, the incident between Chu Liuyue and Liu Yintong had caused much commotion these few days. Quite a few people were fearful and didn¡¯t want to get into trouble, so they didn¡¯t come. Once Chu Liuyue stepped into Million Wine Mountain, she attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Countless pairs of gazes landed on her in unison with varying expressions. However, Chu Liuyue pretended she didn¡¯t see them as she went up. She finally stopped when she was about to reach the peak. At this point, almost all the seats near the fountain had been taken, and Liu Yintong¡¯s figure wasn¡¯t there. Chu Liuyue looked at a young man next to her. ¡°Senior Sister Liu hasn¡¯t come yet?¡± There was a tacit understanding of who this ¡®Senior Sister Liu¡¯ was. That young man was dazed for a moment and instinctively nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. It seems like Liu Yintong didn¡¯t take my words seriously¡­ She actually hasn¡¯t come yet at this time. I can wait, but Tuan Zi doesn¡¯t have that patience. Chu Liuyue stood at her spot and waited for about 15 minutes before Liu Yintong finally strolled in. Together with her was also Gong Sheng from that day. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, you really made me wait quite a bit,¡± said Chu Liuyue first with a smile. After Liu Yintong saw Chu Liuyue, she felt agitated again when she had just forcefully calmed herself down. However, the surrounding people¡¯s gazes still made her swallow those words. ¡°I was delayed by some matter,¡± she said frustratedly, and her tone was cold. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t plan to waste time on pursuing her mistakes and smiled. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, you¡¯re very busy, and it¡¯s already hard for you to make time. Please¡ª¡± Liu Yintong secretly clenched her teeth. This is only the first day, and I already feel utterly humiliated! I really don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to survive the coming month! However, I¡¯ve already given my promise in front of so many people. If I really go back on my words midway¡­ my reputation in the academy would be ruined! Hence, no matter how torturous it is, I still have to continue! She took a deep breath in and looked at the top of the mountain. When she saw those few people¡¯s faces, her expression changed slightly. Why are they here today?! Seeing her expression, a thought surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart as she looked over as well and quickly sized the few people up. There were males and females in extravagant clothing; they all looked like disciples taught by distinguished families. The most important thing was that the few of them had an aura as strong or stronger than that of Liu Yintong! Besides, seeing Liu Yintong¡¯s expression, those people might even be stronger than her¡­ ¡°What, Senior Sister Liu, Is there a problem?¡± asked Chu Liuyue gently. Liu Yintong clenched her fists even more tightly, and her nails dug into her palm. He still has the cheek to ask! But she was caught between a rock and a hard place and had to go up bravely. She turned around, lowered her voice, and said carefully, ¡°We¡¯ll fulfill the bet in a month!¡± The threat and warning in her voice weren¡¯t concealed at all. Chu Liuyue looked apologetic. ¡°Originally, I still thought that we could let this go if you feel like you¡¯re in a difficult spot today. But since you¡¯ve said there¡¯s no problem, then¡­ I¡¯ll gladly accept it.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, her lips curled up slightly. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, you do as you promised! You¡¯re really my role model!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t lower her voice when she said these two sentences, so the surrounding people heard her rather clearly. At that moment, the atmosphere became strange. Liu Yintong didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to play such tricks in front of so many people, and she almost couldn¡¯t control her expression. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Ah Tong.¡± Just when Liu Yintong was about to explode, Gong Sheng suddenly spoke from the side and pulled her last bit of rationality back. ¡°We still have things to do later on. You should quickly settle Junior Brother Chu Yue¡¯s problem. If not, Junior Brother Chu Yue would think that you¡¯ve forgotten.¡± As Gong Sheng spoke, he glanced at Chu Liuyue deeply. Even though he was smiling, his words were filled with unconcealable mockery. He wasn¡¯t present that day, but he had heard Liu Yintong speak about what happened. Even though he was shocked that a stage-seven warrior like Chu Liuyue could beat Liu Zi¡¯an¡ªwho was an entire stage higher than her¡ªhe still despised Chu Liuyue even more. In his eyes, he felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s victory was problematic and that she definitely used unscrupulous means. Besides, she later requested Liu Yintong to continuously send her up to Million Wine Mountain for a month, so he hated Chu Liuyue even more. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about this. No matter what they say, nothing else matters as long as they do what they should. Hence, she smiled and continued, ¡°Senior Brother Gong Sheng is right. My memory has always been bad. For the following month, Senior Sister Liu, you have to bear with me.¡± Liu Yintong felt like there was a flame in her heart that crazily shot up, almost burning her alive! She didn¡¯t speak further and walked up. Gong Sheng followed her closely. When he passed by Chu Liuyue, he stopped in his tracks, turned around, and glanced at Chu Liuyue deeply. ¡°You have guts.¡± Even though he was smiling, his words were sinister and cold, sending a chill down one¡¯s spine. Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Senior Brother Gong Sheng.¡± Gong Sheng took a deep breath in, turned around, and rapidly followed Liu Yintong! Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and slowly walked over. ¡­ Liu Yintong arrived near the fountain. The few people who heard the noise all turned around. Liu Yintong stood still, took a deep breath in, and politely said, ¡°Liang Xiaoxiao, is there another seat here? I can¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± An intricately dressed-up woman interrupted her directly and said lazily, ¡°There¡¯s already someone here, and he should be coming soon. If you want to come, come earlier tomorrow.¡± Chapter 1179 - Confession Chapter 1179: Confession Liang Xiaoxiao spoke in a very straightforward manner, clearly not planning to give Liu Yintong any face. This was only because her ranking on the warrior list was 39th¡ªit was much higher than that of Liu Yintong! One had to know that the competition on the Qing Yun Ranking was very intense. Every single improvement in position meant that the person was much stronger than the previous one. Liu Yintong naturally didn¡¯t dare to offend Liang Xiaoxiao casually. Of course, there was another reason behind it: Liang Xiaoxiao was from an aristocratic family, and her background was much better than that of Liu Yintong, who was from a second-tier family. Even if everyone rarely talked about their backgrounds in the academy, it didn¡¯t mean that they could actually ignore it. After all, they wouldn¡¯t stay in the academy for the rest of their lives. These were problems they had to face when they left the academy and had to survive in the God Residence Realm. If they offended some of these people with backgrounds, their future days wouldn¡¯t be easy. Thus, Liu Yintong¡ªwho always had a fiery temper¡ªdidn¡¯t rage when someone gave her a cold face. Her facial expression even became more polite. ¡°Um¡­ May I know who that person is? I can use points to exchange¡ª¡± As if hearing some joke, Liang Xiaoxiao suddenly covered her lips and laughed. ¡°Points? Do you think we¡¯re people who lack them?¡± Her tone was light as if she were teasing Liu Yintong, but the latter found it very jarring. It wasn¡¯t that Liang Xiaoxiao and the rest truly didn¡¯t lack points. The importance of points was understood by all in Ling Xiao Academy¡ªnobody would think that they have too many points. It was just that in comparison, they had no need to exchange points for such matters. It was beneath their status. This sentence was also to mock Liu Yintong. Liu Yintong was also in a difficult spot. Who would¡¯ve thought that I would meet this bunch of people on the first day? They normally don¡¯t come here, but for some reason, they all came over today! Besides, they have occupied all the seats here, not even giving me a chance! I don¡¯t want to offend these few people, but there is a Chu Yue who keeps forcing me from behind¡­ Just when Liu Yintong was planning how to speak up again, Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up as she waved to someone behind Liu Yintong. ¡°Zhiyuan, come quickly! We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡± Hearing this voice, the crowd present looked over. Liu Yintong¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly turned around. When she saw the incoming person, her expression immediately became ugly. Jiang Zhiyuan?! The person Liang Xiaoxiao said who had yet to come was her? Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s movement technique was light as she floated down. Under the moonlight, she looked somewhat like a fairy descending. The venue fell silent, and quite a few people seemed amazed. However, Jiang Zhiyuan completely didn¡¯t notice these gazes as she walked straight to the few people, slightly smiled, and said, ¡°Sorry that I came late. I was about to come when I suddenly understood some matters in cultivation. Thus, I came late.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao smiled widely. ¡°You¡¯re going to break through again?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan blushed slightly and shook her head. ¡°Not so fast.¡± ¡°That means it¡¯s still fast!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao and the rest exchanged glances. ¡°Look at you¡ªyou just broke through not too long ago, right? In the blink of an eye, you¡¯re quick to break through again! If this continues, we¡¯ll be completely suppressed by you! We won¡¯t play with you in the future!¡± ¡°Yeah! Zhiyuan, when you cultivate, can you consider other people¡¯s feelings!? My heart has been crushed into pieces by you!¡± ¡°Haha! Zhiyuan wants to catch up with Senior Brother Rong Xiu. She¡¯s not somebody you can compete with!¡± The last young man¡¯s unintentional sentence caused the originally bustling crowd to fall into an awkward silence. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s smile froze for a moment before it became much fainter. Liang Xiaoxiao glanced at the man who had no brain. ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu is extremely strong and ranks at the top on two of the four Qing Yun Ranking lists! Who doesn¡¯t have him as their target in the academy? What¡¯s there to talk about that?¡± That man hurriedly said, ¡°Yeah, yeah! I meant that too! But Rong Xiu is still a rare top talent. Normal people can¡¯t even be compared with him.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan lightly said, ¡°Of course¡­ he¡¯s the best. How do I deserve to be compared with him?¡± The crowd exchanged glances, and the atmosphere was extremely awkward. Everybody in the academy knew that Jiang Zhiyuan was completely devoted to Rong Xiu. Even if Rong Xiu had already left when she entered the academy, and he rarely ever came back afterward, everyone was well-aware of her relationship with Rong Xiu. Everyone thought that she would be Rong Xiu¡¯s princess consort. Who knew¡ª Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned, and she had a natural flirtatious look to her. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the use of talking about that? Zhiyuan, you haven¡¯t come to Million Wine Mountain in a while, right? Quickly, come! This fountain seems to be sweeter than before!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan forced a smile. Just as she was about to walk over, she saw Liu Yintong standing at the side from the corner of her eyes. Hatred quickly flashed across her eyes. ¡°Liu Yintong? Why are you here?¡± Liu Yintong secretly felt that it was too easy to bump into enemies. I actually have to see Jiang Zhiyuan out of everyone else! It¡¯s all my fault for being too careless. Liang Xiaoxiao and the rest have always been on good terms with Jiang Zhiyuan. When I saw the few of them earlier, I should¡¯ve thought of this. If I immediately left, it would show that I was in the wrong and that I felt guilty. ¡°Can¡¯t everyone come to Million Wine Mountain?¡± Liu Yintong asked in return. Jiang Zhiyuan pulled at her lips without much smiling intent. ¡°That¡¯s true. Then¡­ Do as you wish.¡± She then walked forward and didn¡¯t even give the other party an additional gaze. It was as if she didn¡¯t even take Liu Yintong to heart. Liu Yintong secretly felt enraged as she turned around to leave. But the moment she took a few steps out, someone stopped her. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, where are you going?¡± Chu Liuyue stood before her, raised an arm, and blocked her path. ¡°You haven¡¯t completed what you promised me before.¡± Liu Yintong was extremely frustrated. ¡°Today doesn¡¯t count! We can talk about everything tomorrow!¡± As she spoke, she was about to leave. However, Chu Liuyue blocked her tightly and didn¡¯t give her a chance to walk forward. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, I¡¯m really sorry, but I don¡¯t wish to wait for tomorrow. If you delay tomorrow to the day after, or three days later¡­ What does this bet count for?¡± Liu Yintong clenched her teeth. ¡°I said tomorrow!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze shuffled between her and Jiang Zhiyuan. It seems like the two of them have a deep grudge¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to directly bump into them today. The opposing few people seem to be rather capable. It¡¯s no wonder Liu Yintong wants to leave. If she stays, she will be humiliated for nothing. However, I don¡¯t plan on caring about these things. I just want Liu Yintong to fulfill her part of the deal. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, I also said that I don¡¯t want to wait till tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone became more serious. Right at this point, Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s playful laugh sounded from the side. ¡°Yo, Liu Yintong, have you reached a state where you¡¯ll be bullied by a junior brother? Thinking about how you confessed to Senior Brother Rong Xiu in public back then, you were so amazing. How did you become like this now?¡± Chapter 1180 - Pour Dirty Water! Chapter 1180: Pour Dirty Water! ¡°Liang Xiaoxiao!¡± As if she were a cat that had its tail stepped on, Liu Yintong instantly felt irritated and couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. She yelled in a shrill manner, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m still considered as your senior sister! Be more respectful!¡± ¡°Senior Sister?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao smiled widely. ¡°A senior sister that entered the academy earlier than us but has skills far behind us?¡± Her words were filled with mockery. Liu Yintong was so angry that her face turned red, and there seemed to be a fire burning in her eyes! These people¡­ are overboard! However, Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Confess¡­ in public? Oh, it seems like Rong Xiu is quite popular in the academy. No wonder the atmosphere between Liu Yintong and Jiang Zhiyuan was so strange. When these two enemies met, their eyes turned especially red. It seems like these two people have previously exchanged blows a few times, openly and secretly. However, Liu Yintong was clearly on the losing end. The other party has more people, and they are more capable than her. It¡¯s normal that she would be humiliated. ¡°Xiaoxiao,¡± said Jiang Zhiyuan as if she had intentions of making peace. ¡°They¡¯re all matters of the past. Why bring it up again? Anyway¡­¡± Anyway, the person currently beside Rong Xiu isn¡¯t either of us. Jiang Zhiyuan had long known that Rong Xiu had many admirers in the academy. If she targeted them one by one, she would be exhausted. Hence, she only wanted to shoot the bird that stuck out, which is why she fought with Liu Yintong to this extent. There were many people that liked Rong Xiu, but most of them didn¡¯t even dare to talk to him. However, this Liu Yintong¡­ actually confessed to Rong Xiu in public. The incident spread far and wide back then, causing Jiang Zhiyuan to remember it in her heart. Although Rong Xiu didn¡¯t even give Liu Yintong an additional gaze, it still happened, and Jiang Zhiyuan was very upset about it. The more ridiculous thing was that Rong Xiu had told Liu Yintong that he already had someone he liked. This wasn¡¯t just for Liu Yintong but for all those people who had thoughts about him in the academy. After Liu Yintong knew about this, she instinctively thought it was Jiang Zhiyuan. Hence, she caused a scene at the latter¡¯s place. The two held a grudge against each other since then. When Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t even in the academy any longer, the two of them still had a deep grudge and would be in an awkward situation every time they met. It was still fine in the beginning. Later on, as time passed, Jiang Zhiyuan caught up to Liu Yintong and gradually overtook the latter. Additionally, with the news of her being romantically close to Rong Xiu, quite a few people wanted to befriend her in the academy. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s capabilities strengthened greatly, and she expanded her connections, quickly suppressing Liu Yintong. Hence, Liu Yintong¡¯s life at the academy gradually became not so good. Although Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t finish her sentence, everyone could tell that she didn¡¯t even take Liu Yintong seriously, considering her nonchalant look. Liang Xiaoxiao smiled curtly. ¡°Great, great! Since you¡¯ve said that, then¡­ Senior Sister Liu, stay safe on your journey back. We won¡¯t send you off.¡± Liu Yintong¡¯s gaze was sharp. She was about to retort when Gong Sheng held her back. His normally playful and disrespectful face looked worried for once. ¡°Ah Tong, bear with it for a while to avoid trouble.¡± Currently, we really aren¡¯t their match. Liu Yintong flung his hand away. ¡°I know how to walk!¡± But the moment she took a step out, she heard Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s voice come from behind. ¡°Mm, there¡¯s nothing much to be angry about¡­ There¡¯s no need to lose my status for such a person¡­¡± When Liu Yintong heard this, her suppressed anger finally exploded! She turned around in anger and quickly walked back. Gong Sheng saw that her expression was amiss and hurriedly went to pull her back. ¡°Ah Tong¡ª¡± Liu Yintong quickly dodged him and didn¡¯t even let him touch her. Detecting Liu Yintong¡¯s ferociousness, Liang Xiaoxiao and the rest all looked over. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan!¡± Liu Yintong stood still and stared straight at Jiang Zhiyuan. Jiang Zhiyuan knitted her brows lightly. Liu Yintong coldly sneered. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you really think Rong Xiu cares about you? The news has long been spread around the academy. Rong Xiu has long chosen his princess consort, and that person isn¡¯t you! You¡¯ve always stayed in the Sky-Cloud Empire with the identity of future princess consort, but you never thought that you wouldn¡¯t even be his mistress in the future, right?¡± Her sentence was said hurriedly and anxiously as if it were a cannon that shot out, not giving anyone time to react! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression finally changed! ¡°Liu Yintong, how dare you!?¡± Liu Yintong chuckled. ¡°How dare I? What identity are you using to talk to me in this manner? In terms of status, your Fairy Water Mound is just one of the many divisions in the Sky-Cloud Empire. You¡¯re considered a second-tier family! In terms of seniority, you entered the academy after me. Don¡¯t you know the meaning of ¡®being respectful toward your elders as a junior?! In terms of skills¡­ Yes, your ranking on the warrior list is higher than mine, but I am ranked on two lists. If we really compare, I might not be worse than you in any way!¡± ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort hasn¡¯t scolded me yet. How is it your turn?!¡± Crash! Jiang Zhiyuan finally couldn¡¯t hold herself back as she directly slapped Liu Yintong! Her combat skills were better than Liu Yintong¡¯s, so the latter couldn¡¯t even hide from this slap. The surroundings fell into deadly silence. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin with much interest in a seemingly smiling manner. Someone isn¡¯t around, yet he can cause such a big commotion. He¡¯s really something¡­ ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan!¡± Gong Sheng immediately stood forward and blocked Liu Yintong. He then furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°You¡¯re too overboard!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan regretted it the moment she took action. I¡¯ve always maintained a good public image. Who would¡¯ve thought I would take action when I was agitated¡ª Quite a few people looked at her. Her eyes rapidly turned red, and she looked like she had suffered grievances. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have the right! He doesn¡¯t like me. The agreement between the elders and us growing up together were all for naught. If he likes someone, it would be fine even if she came from outside the realm. What do I count for?¡± Then, she stomped her feet and rapidly left. ¡°Hey, Zhiyuan!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao called after her and anxiously said to the few people beside her, ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Chase after her quickly!¡± Those few people rapidly followed her. Liang Xiaoxiao took a few steps out and turned back to glance at Liu Yintong. ¡°We¡¯ll remember what you¡¯ve done today!¡± Then, her figure also rapidly disappeared before the crowd. Liu Yintong¡¯s face turned white. At this point, she then understood what exactly she had just done! Chu Liuyue crossed her arms, and her long and slender fingers knocked gently. Her brows had risen slightly. She¡­ publicly poured dirty water on me? Chapter 1181 - She Hasnt Come Back Chapter 1181: She Hasn¡¯t Come Back Dead silence. The originally crowded mountain suddenly became cold and lonely due to this sudden commotion. Quite a few people exchanged glances and had various expressions. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s previous words¡­ contain too much information! Agreement between the elders, childhood sweethearts?! Doesn¡¯t this mean that¡­ she and Rong Xiu long had a marriage agreement settled by the elders? However, someone stole her love in the end, and it wasn¡¯t fulfilled? Also¡­ the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort is actually someone from outside the realm? Even though Elder Bo Yan and the rest had long known of the news regarding the Sky-Cloud Empire, it didn¡¯t spread. Thus, quite a few people in the academy didn¡¯t know about it, which was why it was especially shocking now that they suddenly heard it. Gradually, all sorts of discussions could be heard amidst the crowd. ¡°Previously, I only heard that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort has a mysterious background. However, I didn¡¯t expect her to be from outside the realm!¡± ¡°Such a person won¡¯t even be worthy of a child from a third-tier country in the God Residence Realm, let alone Senior Brother Rong Xiu, right?¡± ¡°Tsk, I really don¡¯t know what Senior Brother Rong Xiu was thinking¡­ Did he reject his marriage agreement with Jiang Zhiyuan and marry another woman?¡± ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a marriage agreement between Jiang Zhiyuan and Senior Brother Rong Xiu, right? If there really was one, according to her personality, she should¡¯ve spread the news far and wide¡­¡± ¡°Even if there isn¡¯t, it should be roughly the case. After all, she grew up in the Sky-Cloud Empire from a young age and was raised by their clan leader. He was clearly raising her to be the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s future princess consort! But it¡¯s a pity¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m rather curious about what kind of woman could gain Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡¯s favor.¡± ¡­ The crowd partook in heated discussions. Chu Liuyue ignored all of them and walked to the fountain. Mm¡­ No matter what, they¡¯re gone and have freed up a huge space. Tuan Zi flew down, stood on the rock beside the fountain, and lowered its head to drink happily. If it weren¡¯t for so many people being present, it would¡¯ve long stuck its head in! Chu Liuyue saw how happy Tuan Zi was and also smiled as she turned to look at Liu Yintong. ¡°Thank you so much, Senior Sister Liu!¡± If Liu Yintong wasn¡¯t around today, it would be rather tricky. Her voice caused Liu Yintong to recover her senses and instinctively look up. When Liu Yintong saw the smiling young man standing beside the fountain, her heart harshly sank! On purpose¡ªthis Chu Yue¡­ clearly did it on purpose! He must¡¯ve long expected that there would be a fight over this spot next to the fountain, so he purposely made me come with him. I became his tool, and I offended all those people in his place! Even if they want to take revenge in the future, those people will only cause trouble for me! In contrast, Chu Yue¡­ has gained all the benefits and can sleep soundly! Liu Yintong wanted to explode and scream at the top of her lungs, but she was only left with weak hopelessness in the end. She could not do so¡ªshe had no reasons. There was never a moment Liu Yintong regretted her actions as much as she currently did. From the very start, I shouldn¡¯t have gone with the gamble or agreed to Chu Yue¡¯s conditions! However, it¡¯s too late now. Thinking of Liang Xiaoxiao and the others¡¯ warning before they left, she gradually felt uneasy. One Jiang Zhiyuan is indeed not that difficult to handle, but all of those people¡­ Besides, she still has the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader as her backer¡­ When Liu Yintong thought of this, her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed onto the floor. ¡°Ah Tong!¡± Gong Sheng hurriedly helped her up and knitted his brows tightly, his eyes filled with worry. ¡°Ah Tong, I¡¯ll send you back first?¡± Liu Yintong nodded with difficulty. Gong Sheng looked at Chu Liuyue and boomed, ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, don¡¯t think that you can completely absolve yourself from the responsibility. If anything happens to Ah Tong in the future, you won¡¯t be able to escape as well!¡± Then, he helped Liu Yintong up and left. Chu Liuyue looked down and glanced at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, for you, I have offended everyone I can.¡± Tuan Zi rapidly looked up, and its eyes sparkled. There seemed to be silver lightning flashing in its eyes. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile. The effects of this fountain are rather obvious¡­ Tuan Zi is already very strong now. I wonder what it will be like when it completely awakens its bloodline power. ¡­ While Tuan Zi was absorbing the strength within the fountain, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t idle. The density of the force on Million Wine Mountain was also very high. Perhaps it was because of the numerous lightning bolts hidden in the fountain, but the force here was faintly different from the outside. Chu Liuyue swiftly sat down cross-legged and started to cultivate peacefully. She became increasingly closer to breaking through and becoming an intermediate stage-seven warrior. She could even feel the invisible barrier as if she just had to exert some force to break it! Chu Liuyue was waiting for that opportunity. ¡­ Seeing how calm and composed Chu Liuyue was, the other people on the mountain found it increasingly weird. Speaking of today, the source of the problem is still him, Chu Yue. Liu Yintong and Jiang Zhiyuan have completely fallen apart and ended on such a bad note, but he acted as if nothing had happened. Not only did he let his legendary fiend drink the fountain water, but he has even started cultivating himself! What confidence does he have to be so nonchalant and calm? He probably has a backer, but we¡¯ve never heard about it before. His mental capacity might be too strong, but this has been proven countless times since he entered the academy. Some people originally wanted to go up and greet him, but they decided not to do so after thinking of tonight¡¯s incident. Offending one Liu Yintong wasn¡¯t enough, and there is another Jiang Zhiyuan now. Even though the two of them fell apart, Chu Yue will most likely be implicated when Jiang Zhiyuan calms down and thinks about it. After much thinking, most people still chose to avoid all of this. Million Wine Mountain gradually became quiet. ¡­ On the other mountain, Elder Wen Xi was packing the ancient books he had treasured for many years in the room. There was already a thin layer of dust on the bookshelves¡ªclearly, nobody had touched them in a while. Elder Wen Xi waved his sleeves and swept away the dust on the books. Seeing the flying dust, his gaze seemed distant as he muttered to himself, ¡°Nobody has come to read it in secret in a while¡­¡± Knock knock! Knocks were heard at the door. Elder Wen Xi retracted his thoughts and looked up. The door opened, and a familiar figure leaned against the door frame. ¡°Hua Feng? Why are you here again?¡± Elder Wen Xi secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but annoyance still flashed across his face. From the corner of his eye, he saw Elder Hua Feng holding a bottle of wine. ¡°If you¡¯re drinking, go back to your own place and drink!¡± Elder Wen Xi said as he directly chased him out. ¡°Why are you walking around at night?¡± Elder Wen Xi went over and was about to close the door when he smelled an intense alcoholic smell. That was the smell coming from Elder Hua Feng. Elder Wen Xi knitted his brows in contempt. ¡°Why did you drink so much? I¡¯ll say it first: I don¡¯t collect drunken ghosts¡ª¡± ¡°Wen Xi,¡± said Elder Hua Feng suddenly, without any drunken intent. He slowly exhaled. ¡°Why do you think that troublemaker hasn¡¯t appeared yet?¡± Chapter 1182 - : Done Reading Chapter 1182: Done Reading Elder Wen Xi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He took a closer look at Elder Hua Feng and realized that his expression was normal with clear eyes. The latter didn¡¯t look like he was drunk at all, yet the thick and intense alcoholic smell spread out from his clothes. The bottle of wine was empty, yet it seemed like it didn¡¯t enter his stomach and was instead spilled out. Elder Wen Xi grabbed Elder Hua Feng¡¯s elbow, pulled him into the house, and closed the door behind him. After ensuring that the surroundings were empty, Elder Wen Xi looked at him calmly. ¡°You came today to talk to me about this?¡± Elder Hua Feng found a seat for himself, knitted his brows, and looked like he had a lot of problems. ¡°That day, she clearly already entered Fangzhou City. Even if she loves to play, she logically should¡¯ve been back after so long, right? But why¡­ Why hasn¡¯t she appeared yet?¡± For this, he had even specifically waited at Fangzhou for a few days. However, she had yet to show up to this day. The longer it had been, the more Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t let it go. Thus, he decided to come and find Elder Wen Xi to seek his opinion. ¡°She has always been unpredictable like this. Perhaps she was delayed by something last minute. Besides¡­ Even if she¡¯s back at Fangzhou, nobody said that she has to come back to the academy.¡± Elder Wen Xi sat down at the side. ¡°Perhaps she has left?¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s lips moved, and he couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°She has no conscience!¡± She had already reached Fangzhou. According to her abilities, she definitely knew that it was Wen Xi and me there that day! ¡°She disappeared without a trace a few years ago, and she didn¡¯t even see us when she came back! She doesn¡¯t even know her rules!¡± Elder Wen Xi looked at him with a deep gaze. ¡°Since when was she related to the word ¡®rules?''¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bang! Elder Hua Feng slammed his wine bottle onto the table. ¡°It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t come back! Without her, I can still drink a few more bottles of wine!¡± Elder Wen Xi was too lazy to expose him. Seeing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s disinterested face, Elder Wen Xi knew that the latter wouldn¡¯t feel good no matter how much alcohol he drank. ¡°She has her own thoughts. When she wants to come back, she will. Why are you so anxious?¡± Elder Wen Xi smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just accept a disciple recently? Teach her well! She¡¯s neither of our disciples, so why should we waste our time on her?¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Elder Hua Feng glanced at the bookshelf at the side in contempt. ¡°Why did you purposely bring out those books? Other than her, nobody would dare to secretly come over and look at your books!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Wen Xi was stumped. It¡¯s most annoying to hurt each other! ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you accept a disciple too? That Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng aren¡¯t bad, especially Luo Shishi. In time to come, she¡¯ll definitely have a place on the Qing Yun Ranking.¡± ¡°Hmph, that girl¡¯s mind is filled with Chu Yue half the time!¡± Elder Wen Xi couldn¡¯t help but tease. ¡°However, Chu Yue seems to be quite talented in this aspect. Previously, we couldn¡¯t really tell¡­¡± They had found out that Chu Liuyue defeated Liu Zi¡¯an, and they were all very shocked. Being able to beat someone of a higher grade said a lot. ¡°Back then, he just said that he was a stage-seven warrior and didn¡¯t reveal the rest. Who would¡¯ve guessed? But seeing what he plans, he probably wants to specialize as a heavenly doctor.¡± Elder Wen Xi shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s too easy for Wan Zheng. It¡¯s hard to see such natural talents.¡± The two of them sat opposite each other and stayed silent for a while. Then, the two of them exchanged a glance. ¡°Hua Feng, don¡¯t you think that Chu Yue is a little similar to her?¡± ¡­ The moon was high in the sky. Nearing the time she had to leave Million Wine Mountain, Chu Liuyue absorbed the last bit of force and gradually opened her eyes. In no time, I should be able to break through. She turned around and saw that Tuan Zi had immersed half its body into that fountain. Bubbles kept floating up, and the fiend looked very comfortable. Chu Liuyue grabbed her fiend¡¯s wings and picked it up. Tuan Zi was originally enjoying it properly. Now that it was suddenly interrupted, it couldn¡¯t help but grumble. Chu Liuyue pretended like she didn¡¯t see it, flinging it away like a used cloth. ¡°Not today.¡± I¡¯ve just come out from Fengmin Mountain. Even if I want to go back again, today is not the day. Wouldn¡¯t that be me purposely causing trouble for myself? Besides, when I left the residence, Big Baby purposely reminded me not to wreak havoc. I have a prediction that if I do this secretly, Big Baby will definitely know immediately! By that time¡­ Nothing good would be waiting for me. ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way another day.¡± The wet Tuan Zi could only agree. Even though this bit of force it absorbed wasn¡¯t sufficient, it could forcefully accumulate. When the time came, it could unleash the bloodline power completely! ¡­ When Chu Liuyue walked to the foot of the mountain, she turned back to take a look. As she had already left the barrier, she couldn¡¯t see the scene on the mountain peak too clearly. Perhaps an elder was producing a weapon there, or perhaps the lightning strength within the fountain kept increasing. She retracted her gaze and left with Tuan Zi. ¡­ Chu Liuyue spent the next period of time rather peacefully. During daytime, she would study the medicinal formulas Elder Wan Zheng gave her. At night, she would cultivate with Tuan ZI on Million Wine Mountain. Of course, before she went to Million Wine Mountain, Big Baby would come to ¡®duel¡¯ with her punctually. Perhaps it was because a huge commotion was caused between Liu Yintong and Jiang Zhiyuan on the first day, so not many people went to Million Wine Mountain during this period. This undoubtedly benefited Chu Liuyue greatly. Ten days later, she successfully broke through to become an intermediate stage-seven warrior. Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly. But as time passed, Chu Liuyue became increasingly anxious. This was because she still hadn¡¯t thought of a way to stay on Million Wine Mountain for the whole day. Just depending on that bit of time at night caused Tuan Zi to accumulate limited strength. The main point was that the lightning strength would only appear in the fountain during the restricted hours, and it was the key to unleashing Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline power! ¡­ Bang! On the mountain, Chu Liuyue slapped her bare hands, and the pill within the cauldron rapidly flew up! She quickly caught it and stored it within the jade box. Kacha! The remaining intense herbal fragrance spread around. ¡°Mentor.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over and presented the jade box with both hands. Elder Wan Zheng stroked his beard in satisfaction and took the jade box. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to choose this first.¡± He opened the jade box as he spoke, and surprise flashed across his eyes. Actually, when Chu Liuyue competed with Liu Zi¡¯an previously, he saw clearly from Dong Huang Clock Tower. Thus, he knew that this newly accepted disciple of his was much stronger and more talented than he had thought. But after he saw the pill, he was still taken aback and pleasantly surprised. ¡°You managed to succeed in producing a superior eighth-grade pill on your first try. You did every step well¡­ How rare!¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue emotionally. ¡°In no time, you should be able to try and produce a ninth-grade pill!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly and took out the medicinal book, passing it back to him. Elder Wan Zheng was dazed for a moment. ¡°This is¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°I¡¯ve finished reading this book. I¡¯ll return it to you.¡± Chapter 1183 - Medicinal Valley Chapter 1183: Medicinal Valley ¡°You¡¯ve finished reading it?!¡± asked Elder Wan Zheng in shock. ¡°You¡¯ve already remembered all the formulas here?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Actually, she had already finished reading it a few days ago, but she only had time to return the book today. A portion of it was eighth-grade formulas, and the other portion was ninth-grade formulas. They were all for superior pills. Elder Wan Zheng looked at her doubtfully. ¡°I know that you have a photographic memory, but¡­ You¡¯ve understood the ninth-grade formulas here?¡± One had to know that the difference between an eighth-grade pill and a ninth-grade pill wasn¡¯t that simple. The number of herbs used in a ninth-grade pill was many more than the number of herbs used in an eighth-grade one. Additionally, its steps were complicated and had an extremely high requirement for techniques. It was actually not that simple to break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor from an eighth-grade one. Normally, eighth-grade heavenly doctors had to spend a lot of time understanding ninth-grade formulas. It has only been ten days¡­ He has already memorized all of them? Meeting his gaze, Chu Liuyue smiled openly. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can just test me.¡± Elder Wan Zheng took the book over and asked a few questions. Chu Liuyue answered them smoothly. Elder Wan Zheng stared at her, and his eyelids twitched harshly. ¡°¡­Y-you¡¯ve seen the formulas here before?¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve seen five of them before.¡± This meant that she had seen the remaining ones for the first time, yet she was able to understand all of them in such a short period of time! Elder Wan Zheng felt very conflicted at that moment. When I saw Chu Yue successfully producing the pill that day, I already knew that he would be close to breaking through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor. However, this is too¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master?¡± Chu Liuyue saw his weird expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask. Elder Wan Zheng held the cauldron and waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; I was just feeling emotional. So this is how it feels like to have a talented disciple.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°Kid¡­ you have been so quiet all the way. You¡¯re really¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng glanced at Chu Liuyue deeply. I have been in Ling Xiao Academy for many years and have seen countless students. Those who can enter this place are definitely all geniuses, but there are also differences between them. And Chu Yue¡­ is undoubtedly one of the top few! Actually, even now, I¡¯m still not sure of my new disciple¡¯s family background. If he really comes from an aristocratic family, his name would¡¯ve been spread far and wide if he had such talent. Chu Liuyue looked down slightly. Hm? It seems like I can¡¯t count it like that completely¡­ My reputation as the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort has been spread pretty far and wide recently¡­ However, she naturally couldn¡¯t say this. ¡°Have you tried producing a ninth-grade pill?¡± asked Elder Wan Zheng. Chu Liuyue shook her head. I haven¡¯t recovered my abilities after I was reborn, so I didn¡¯t do it. Thinking of the pill she previously produced with its uniform color and thick herbal fragrance, it could¡¯ve been considered a superior one! ¡°Your aura seems to be stronger than before?¡± As Chu Liuyue had been carrying a Yuan instrument that hid her aura with her, even Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t clearly determine her current cultivation level. Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°I just broke through to become an intermediate stage-seven warrior.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Elder Wan Zheng thought deeply for a moment before punching his other palm and saying in temptation, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already broken through, why don¡¯t you directly try to produce a ninth-grade pill?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and didn¡¯t reject him. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Mentor.¡± Elder Wan Zheng was elated when he heard his disciple agree. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is just a trial, so it¡¯s fine if you fail. Anyway, I¡¯m here! Since you¡¯ve already finished that book, do you like any of the inferior-class ninth-grade pills?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and chose a simpler one. ¡°I feel that the Transcend Ninth Golden Pill is not bad.¡± ¡°Transcend Ninth Golden Pill? It¡¯s decent¡ªthat pill can aid stage-eight warriors to become a stage-nine one. If you can successfully produce it, you can use it for yourself in the future!¡± Elder Wan Zheng felt that this choice was very good and immediately agreed. ¡°Its production method is considered relatively easy amongst ninth-grade pills. It¡¯s good to use it to practice, but some of the herbs within are quite special, so I don¡¯t have them with me. Go to Medicinal Valley and get some!¡± Chu Liuyue originally wanted to say that she had those herbs, but after some thinking, she swallowed her words. Anyway, she still had the 100,000 points Elder Wan Zheng gave her, and she hadn¡¯t really used them. Besides, she had been in the academy for a while now, so she wanted to take the chance to check Medicinal Valley out. ¡°Okay.¡± After confirming the herbs she was about to collect, Elder Wan Zheng told her the exact position of Medicinal Valley and let her leave. Chu Liuyue acknowledged it respectfully and left for Medicinal Valley alone. ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy was huge. Medicinal Valley was a place specifically used to plant herbs in the academy, so it occupied a larger space. Chu Liuyue took about an hour to reach it. As its name suggested, Medicinal Valley was a valley. There were two rising mountains on the sides and a valley in the middle. Inside the valley and the two mountain peaks were all kinds of planted herbs. Chu Liuyue stood on one of the mountain peaks and looked down. Even though she was already prepared, she couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. The ground that was neatly cut into separate pieces had all kinds of treasured herbs on it. Its color was vibrant and brilliant. The intense fragrance of the various herbs caused one to be rejuvenated when smelling it. Amongst them, one could see figures of some elders and students. This scene was unexpectedly harmonious. In the middle of the valley was a piece of empty land. An elder placed a bed there, lay on it, and looked very carefree. Some people walked past from time to time. After watching for a while, Chu Liuyue understood that this elder should be in charge of guarding the herbs within Medicinal Valley. Everyone who came to exchange herbs at Medicinal Valley had to register on that elder¡¯s side. Chu Liuyue flew down. ¡­ Medicinal Valley was huge, and there were many herbs planted here, so it wasn¡¯t that easy to accurately find the herbs one needed. Luckily, Chu Liuyue had already confirmed three of the herbs¡¯ locations when she came over, so she quickly found them after she went down. There were two other herbs remaining, and she started searching for them slowly in the vast spread of herbs. Being immersed in it, she was surrounded by the aroma of the herbs. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath in and felt more refreshed. Actually, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t lacking any herbs. After all, Shangguan Jing and Rong Xiu¡¯s items were basically all with her. But looking across the field, she still saw some treasured herbs she didn¡¯t have. The treasured herbs that seemed hard to find outside were ordinary here. The top academy in the God Residence Realm indeed lived up to its reputation! Chapter 1184 - Medicinal Garden Chapter 1184: Medicinal Garden Some people looked over from time to time as if they had recognized Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue completely ignored them as she focused on finding the herbs she needed. After surveying her surroundings, she found one of them. The last remaining herb was the treasured pin-bone leaf, and she didn¡¯t see it after searching for a while. Medicinal Valley was really too huge, and there were too many herbs. A treasured pin-bone leaf was the size of a nail, so it was very hard to find. However, this herb always grew toward the sun, so it could most probably be found on the sunny side of the mountains. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and walked to the left mountain. After walking a very long distance, she finally smelled the familiar faint scent. She was elated. It should be at the top! But just as she wanted to quickly walk over and retrieve the treasured pin-bone leaf, a faintly glowing transparent barrier suddenly appeared in front of her. She paused in her tracks. ¡°Kid, that¡¯s not a place you can go.¡± An old and deep voice sounded with a hint of laziness, as if he had just woken up. Looking at the faint silver lines on the barrier and the shocking suppression, Chu Liuyue sensibly stopped and looked back. The place I¡¯m located is very isolated, and there aren¡¯t many people in the surroundings. This sentence seems to come from¡­ the elder who is lying in the middle of Medicinal Valley far away? The two of them were a very long distance away from each other. That elder was still lying on the wooden bed motionlessly, as if he were having a good sleep. However, that voice was very clear as if he was right beside her. ¡°Kid, what are you looking at?¡± That voice had a hint of teasing to it. Chu Liuyue confirmed that the person talking was indeed that person, and she was secretly shocked. Medicinal Valley is huge, but everything is clearly under that elder¡¯s control. He should¡¯ve made this gigantic barrier. She cupped her fists toward that elder and respectfully bowed. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Greetings, Elder.¡± ¡°Hm? Chu Yue?¡± Hearing her words, that elder sounded a little shocked. Chu Liuyue then saw the elder¡ªwho had been lying down motionlessly¡ªfinally sit up and place one hand on his brows as he looked over. Even though she couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s face and expression clearly, Chu Liuyue was very sure that his judging gaze was filled with curiosity. ¡°You¡¯re the one who got sent to Fengmin Mountain after coming here for a day?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. So my name has been spread far and wide in Ling Xiao Academy¡­ ¡°I was in the wrong.¡± She hung her head down slightly. ¡°I just wanted to retrieve a few treasured pin-bone leaves. I didn¡¯t know I couldn¡¯t go here, and I had no intentions of offending anyone. Elder, please forgive me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your first time here, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know this.¡± That elder seemed like he had no intentions of blaming Chu Liuyue as he smiled. ¡°However, it seems like Wan Zheng is very satisfied with you. He actually told you to come to Medicinal Valley so quickly?¡± The elders were clearly familiar with each other. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what to say next as she obediently fell silent. ¡°The position of the treasured pin-bone leaves is indeed strange, but it¡¯s still within the barrier. If you go to take it, don¡¯t cross the barrier.¡± A weird sensation occurred behind her. Chu Liuyue turned back and saw that the light on the barrier had dimmed quite a bit. That elder had clearly reduced the strength of it. Feeling the great weakening of the suffocating suppression, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief and immediately went up swiftly. She moved away a shrub and found a few treasured pin-bone leaves in a corner under a gigantic stone. The leaf was entirely emerald green, and it was the size of a nail. It had toothed edges with a faint layer of frost. It seemed translucent like jade. If one took a closer look at it, one could still see the thin veins on it, which looked like bone structures. Chu Liuyue carefully retrieved the herbs. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew over. A few loose strands of hair dropped down, causing her face to itch slightly. She bent down and unintentionally looked forward. Then, she suddenly focused her gaze. As the strength of the barrier was greatly reduced, the originally blurry scenes became much clearer. This also allowed her to see the scenery she hadn¡¯t noticed before. There seemed to be a sapphire blue lake far away. The lake was clear, and there was a faint layer of mist above the water, adding to its blurred beauty. However, this was why Chu Liuyue was so shocked. She knitted her brows as she stared closely at the translucent pinkish flower in the middle of the lake. Her heart was in chaos. That¡¯s¡­ Dancing Lotus! Many, many Dancing Lotuses were swaying above the water surface, and it looked heavenly! Dancing Lotuses were extremely precious and hard to grow. Even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t guarantee that she could grow a Dancing Lotus properly. She thought back on how she had racked her brains and experienced so many troubles just to get that one stalk, yet there were so many here! Just when Chu Liuyue was shocked, something flashed across her eyes, and a strong force suppressed her. She suddenly recovered her senses and hurriedly took a few steps back. When she looked up again, the barrier had regained its original appearance. The lake she had just seen and the blooming Dancing Lotuses had all become blurred images and disappeared. For a moment, Chu Liuyue almost suspected that it was an illusion. However, the faint aroma lingering around her nose reminded her that everything was real! ¡°Kid, now that you¡¯ve taken your item, it¡¯s time to leave.¡± The elder¡¯s voice sounded by her ears. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other, retracted her gaze, and walked toward that elder. ¡­ Passing through half of Medicinal Valley, Chu Liuyue finally reached the center. There, she respectfully bowed. ¡°Greetings elder.¡± Elder Meng Ye¡¯s hair was rather messy. He wore a white robe and was barefooted as he lazily sat on the wooden bed. He stretched out one leg, bent the other, and placed his elbow on his knee, looking very casual. He then opened his eyes and sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°Tsk. You look obedient, but you¡¯re quite bold!¡± He laughed and asked ambiguously, ¡°What did you see just now?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Elder Meng Ye held up a wooden block in his hand and directly knocked it against Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. ¡°You¡¯re so young, yet you don¡¯t speak the truth? I won¡¯t eat you up anyway!¡± Chu Liuyue hissed and obediently replied, ¡°¡­I¡¯m wrong. I saw¡­ a field of mature Dancing Lotuses.¡± ¡°And what else?¡± ¡°Nothing else.¡± Elder Meng Ye was then satisfied and lightly grunted. ¡°That¡¯s better. In this Medicinal Valley, nobody is allowed to hide from me. Do you understand?!¡± Chu Liuyue frankly said, ¡°Thank you for your teachings, elder.¡± ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to tell Wan Zheng about it.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Why?¡± Elder Meng Ye grunted lightly. ¡°That medicinal garden is¡ªforget it, forget it. Why are you asking so much? Just remember my words!¡± However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Medicinal garden?! Chapter 1185 - Practice as You Wish! Chapter 1185: Practice as You Wish! The herbs that elders and students in the academy require to produce pills can all be taken from Medicinal Valley. Only one person in the entire academy has her own medicinal garden¡ªthe student whose name was erased from the Qing Yun Ranking! That means the medicinal garden belongs to that person? Chu Liuyue thought to herself. Previously, I only heard Zhong Xun talking about it. He said that the director specifically dug out a piece of land from Medicinal Valley to be that student¡¯s medicinal garden, and others couldn¡¯t go to that place. I originally thought that it was hidden in some mysterious place, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be right beside Medicinal Valley! However, the elders used a barrier to separate it. Thus, the people in Medicinal Valley can¡¯t detect it. Thinking of how she had surveyed the surroundings on the mountain peak when she first came, Chu Liuyue also didn¡¯t see any additional land. After thinking about it again, that medicinal garden should¡¯ve been hidden with some special methods. Originally, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t very interested in that medicinal garden. But after seeing the many blooming Dancing Lotuses, she suddenly felt very curious and wanted to investigate it. She couldn¡¯t explain where this feeling came from, but it was as if something hidden inside attracted her. However, these were just thoughts that flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She looked down. ¡°Elder, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll remember your words carefully.¡± This attitude pleased Elder Meng Ye, and he chuckled.¡±Okay! You don¡¯t have to be nervous either. No matter what, you¡¯re Wan Zheng¡¯s disciple, and I have to give him face. Right, calculate the points for these herbs.¡± He pursed his lips toward the side. Chu Liuyue then saw that a green jade plaque was hanging by the head of the bed. It should be his. ¡°You can just place your black jade plaque on it!¡± Chu Liuyue acted according to his instructions. The moment the two plaques touched, a ray of white light flashed across. Chu Liuyue clearly saw the six-digit figure becoming a five-digit one. She instantly felt her heart ache. How expensive! These herbs aren¡¯t ordinary ones, so they are naturally more expensive. Luckily, I¡¯m using the points that Elder Wan Zheng gave, so I can still accept it. In the future¡­ I definitely have to pay for them on my own. Chu Liuyue put away her own black jade plaque and bowed to bid farewell. When her figure disappeared from Medicinal Valley, Elder Meng Ye stroked his beard and laid back down as he propped his leg up and shook his foot. ¡°Why¡­ does this kid look so familiar¡­¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue brought the herbs back. Seeing her return, Elder Wan Zheng welcomed her with a smile. ¡°Was everything smooth?¡± Chu Liuyue took out the herbs one by one. ¡°I didn¡¯t fail your wishes and brought all the herbs back, Mentor.¡± Elder Wan Zheng counted them and nodded in satisfaction. He then asked, ¡°How¡¯s Medicinal Valley?¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment before seriously replying, ¡°It¡¯s a land filled with treasures.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Elder Wan Zheng laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s indeed a unique place!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered a little. Being able to produce so many precious herbs, Medicinal Valley¡¯s existence on its own is a miracle. Only Ling Xiao Academy¡ªwhich has a history dating back thousands of years¡ªhas such a rich foundation. ¡°There are many good things there! If you want to produce pills in the future, just go over and take the herbs from there!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up before quickly dimming again. Elder Wan Zheng sharply captured the momentary change in her gaze and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Chu Liuyue laughed in embarrassment. ¡°Medicinal Valley has many herbs, but they all require a lot of points¡­¡± So it¡¯s because of this! Elder Wan Zheng reacted and nonchalantly waved his hands. ¡°I was wondering what problem you had! Isn¡¯t it just points? As long as you can quickly break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor and get onto the Qing Yun Ranking, I¡¯ll definitely prepare a substantial gift for you! In the meantime, just tell me if you need any herbs! You can consider it to be public funds¡ªit¡¯ll be deducted from me!¡± What do points count for? With such a rare talented disciple, many people will be envious to death! I have waited for so long and finally obtained such a good disciple. How can I not try my best to nurture him? In comparison, wasting some points and using some herbs are normal! His sentence of generosity energized Chu Liuyue instantly. ¡°Mentor, are you for real?¡± Elder Wan Zheng acted angry and glared at her. ¡°Can I still lie to you? Don¡¯t worry!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled until her eyes curved into crescents, and her eyes sparkled. ¡°I¡¯ll thank you now then, Mentor!¡± Elder Wan Zheng waved his hands. ¡°Come! Let me see if you can produce a ninth-grade pill!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded, walked to the cauldron, and arranged the items she needed in order. Bang! She slammed her hands on the mouth of the cauldron! Two balls of fire instantly surged out, filling the entire cauldron! Rumble! The fire burned brightly, and the surrounding temperature instantly increased greatly. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then, she placed the herbs inside in an organized manner to refine them. All sorts of herbs were gathered in the fire within the cauldron. Elder Wan Zheng watched her familiar techniques and smooth actions from the start, feeling emotional. Previously, quite a few people doubted me when I said that I wanted Chu Yue to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking in two or three months. This time, I want my precious disciple to blind their eyes! He magnanimously yelled, ¡°Disciple, practice properly! Don¡¯t worry about anything! I¡¯ll be your backing, so just train however you want!¡± Chapter 1186 - Ancient Feather Abyss Chapter 1186: Ancient Feather Abyss With this sentence, Chu Liuyue could finally rest assured. It¡¯s rare to have such a chance, so I have to treasure it! Thus, she rapidly recalled the herbs she saw at Medicinal Valley today. After calculating for a while, she came to a conclusion: I¡¯m on a roll! In consideration of how much Elder Wan Zheng is going to spend, I have to produce the pill properly this time! ¡­ Miles away, in Ancient Feather Abyss. The mountains surrounded the area with lush greenery. A dark-blue lake was in the middle with many trees growing beside it, adding a tinge of soft greenery around it. The sky and the water were of the same color as the branches swayed, and the water flowed down from one direction, forming a faint silver waterfall. It appeared like a river that passed through the forest, looking brilliant. This was an extremely special place within the God Residence Realm. Rumors had it that a royal Armory Refinement Master had produced weapons here thousands of years ago and successfully made a royal Yuan instrument. It was a pity that the production had exhausted all of the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s strength and energy. Not long after he produced the royal Yuan instrument, he collapsed. Ever since then, the royal Yuan instrument had been left within Ancient Feather Abyss, disappearing without a trace. Over thousands of years, countless cultivators from the God Residence Realm came here and used all the means they had to find that royal Yuan instrument. However, Ancient Feather Abyss was very perilous. Cultivators left their lives here one after another, yet they still couldn¡¯t find that item. Gradually, fewer people came. But in recent months, strange happenings kept occurring in Ancient Feather Abyss. Quite a few people guessed that it was probably the royal Yuan instrument that was about to descend! Hence, everyone was tempted! Many powers wanted to take this chance and obtain it for themselves! Originally, Ling Xiao Academy rarely participated in such matters. But this time was different. This was because the person who produced the royal Yuan instrument and had fallen¡ªthe royal Armory Refinement Master¡ªwas someone from Ling Xiao Academy! Thus, the elders and students formed teams this time and made preparations to come to this place. Rong Xiu and the rest had been waiting here for a solid ten days. During this time, many people came from all sorts of places. When some people saw Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s formation, they cowered and sensibly decided to give up. However, there was still a portion that stayed. Ling Xiao Academy was truly the top academy in the God Residence Realm. The people who came today included Rong Xiu and the others, who represented many formidable aristocratic families. But even so, it couldn¡¯t deter everyone. After all, the Sky-Cloud Empire and the others weren¡¯t the only aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm. Besides, with such benefits, who would care about those things? At this point, people from all walks of life gathered at Ancient Feather Abyss as they waited for the descent of the legendary royal Yuan instrument. ¡­ ¡°It has already been so long. Other than the occasional strange phenomena appearing in the sky, there hasn¡¯t been much reaction below. I wonder how long we will need to wait for the treasure to descend¡­¡± A woman¡¯s soft voice could be heard from Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s team. ¡°It¡¯s a royal Yuan instrument after all, so it¡¯ll naturally require some effort. We¡¯ve already waited a few thousand years. This bit of time is nothing,¡± comforted someone from the side. ¡°Yeah! Such Yuan instruments haven¡¯t appeared in the God Residence Realm in a while. Besides, this is an item that originally belonged to our academy¡¯s senior. No matter how long it takes, we have to wait for it.¡± ¡°Not only do we have to wait, but we still need to bring the item back successfully. If not, we¡¯ll waste our time here, and we¡¯ll tarnish our reputation.¡± They discussed softly, but from start to end, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t say anything as he stood at the side and waited patiently. He was dressed in a snow-white robe and stood upright as if he were quietly admiring the scenery of Ancient Feather Abyss. But if one took a closer look, they would realize that the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force was entering his body rapidly and silently. Actually, those who traveled with him had long discovered this. But every time they saw it, they still couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Only the people who have completely entered the Apotheosis Realm can do this, yet he can do it so smoothly and nonchalantly! People couldn¡¯t even be jealous of him. When one was more outstanding than the surrounding people, they would usually be the targets of jealousy or ostracization. But if they were much better¡ªto the extent that others could only look up to them¡ªthose feelings would turn into admiration and respect. Rong Xiu was the second type. It wasn¡¯t that nobody wanted to overtake him, but¡­ It was too difficult! ¡°Rong Xiu has left the academy for a few years, right? I didn¡¯t expect him to improve in strength so quickly¡­ Even some of the elders in the academy might not be his match now, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Sky-Cloud Empire has been very messy for the last few years? Originally, I thought that he wouldn¡¯t have time to properly cultivate as he would be busy handling those matters. Who knew¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire is in his hands now, and his abilities have been greatly strengthened! How exactly did he do it?¡± ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re asking me? If I knew, could I still be like this?¡± The crowd of people roared with laughter, and the atmosphere was rather harmonious. However, there were times when people loved to ruin such an atmosphere. ¡°He just became a true god one step earlier than us. What¡¯s so amazing about that?¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s face was cold, and his voice had a hint of mockery. The surrounding people¡¯s voices gradually quietened down as quite a few people exchanged glances in secret. A young woman smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s easy to talk. Wei Xiping, you¡¯re also considered a famous cultivator. Surely you know how difficult it is to ¡®become a true god one step earlier,¡¯ right?¡± They were all around the same age and had entered the academy around similar times. But now, Rong Xiu had already broken through to become a true god, yet they could only admire him. The difference between them grew larger and larger. How could they not feel emotional? Wei Xiping clenched his teeth and didn¡¯t answer. He thought to himself, When I have the chance, I must kill Rong Xiu¡¯s aura! This time, I must be in front of Rong Xiu when the royal Yuan instrument descends! ¡­ Rong Xiu completely ignored those discussions. As he kept absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force to strengthen himself, he kept looking at the scenery below and around him. His handsome and demonic-like expression was light. Nobody knew what he was thinking. Rumble! A loud sound suddenly came from the sky, and the originally noisy sounds disappeared in unison. Everyone looked up, and they saw that the dark clouds gathered quickly in the cloudless sky! The harsh winds howled angrily, and the thunder boomed. The sky quickly darkened. ¡°It¡¯s for real this time! That item must be descending!¡± On a mountain peak not far away, a macho man with tanned skin laughed. ¡°It came just on time! Let me see what this legendary weapon can do!¡± Rong Xiu also looked up. His eyes were filled with calmness, and nobody could see through him. Rumble! The lightning descended! Chapter 1187 - Snatch! Chapter 1187: Snatch! The waterfall below gradually stopped flowing, and a vortex appeared in the center of the blue waters. The vortex gradually expanded as time passed, slowly and silently absorbing all the lush trees in the surroundings. At the same time, dark clouds appeared in the sky as if they were also attracted by some sort of strength, slowly turning and forming a gigantic windstorm. The world was completely dark. The winds howled, and the suppression was heavy! The crowd waiting at the respective peaks of Ancient Feather Abyss were all energized! Given this phenomenon, the royal Yuan instrument really is about to descend! ¡°When all the water below has dried up, it¡¯ll definitely be the time when the royal Yuan instrument descends! At that time, we must act quickly and snatch it before the rest!¡± Elder Shu Feng instructed seriously. The crowd gradually nodded and waited alertly. Time slowly trickled past. Below the water vortex seemed to be a black hole that kept swallowing everything in the surroundings. The windstorm in the skies gradually went down. Countless pairs of eyes stared at this scene closely. At some moment before the water vortex was about to disappear, the windstorm attacked! The two parties touched each other! Rumble! A loud sound was heard from within! The next moment, a ball of sparkling light exploded from within! ¡°Now!¡± Elder Shu Feng commanded and rushed out first! The crowd behind him took action in unison! At the same time, the other people waiting at Ancient Feather Abyss also rushed over to that side! Ling Xiao Academy was actually the fastest. Seeing that they were about to take the lead, the others secretly panicked. The tanned, muscular man that spoke earlier boomed suddenly, ¡°Everyone! Why don¡¯t we make an alliance?¡± Upon hearing this, Elder Shu Feng and the others¡¯ hearts sank! As expected, that man raised his voice and yelled, ¡°The treasure that¡¯s about to descend is left behind by someone from Ling Xiao Academy. If they want to snatch it, it¡¯ll be much easier for them! Why don¡¯t we make an alliance first before we discuss who the treasure belongs to!?¡± His voice was low and vigorous, with much strength. Once he spoke, his voice reverberated loudly! Quite a few people hesitated in their actions for a moment as they exchanged glances and had complicated gazes. Elder Shu Feng angrily yelled, ¡°Golden Wings Sect, how dare you?!¡± That man laughed out loud. ¡°I even dare to snatch the item in front of you. What else do I not dare to do?¡± Their Golden Wings Sect was also an aristocratic family within the God Residence Realm. They had a rich family heritage and were very powerful. Ling Xiao Academy had a distinguished status, but they were an academy in the end. It was true that the strong were like clouds, but they were still different from actual traditional aristocratic families. After all, Ling Xiao Academy couldn¡¯t let all their elders and students risk their lives for the academy. Besides, although the treasure descending today was a rare royal Yuan instrument, it wasn¡¯t enough to make Ling Xiao Academy fall out with the rest. Thus, the others dared to snatch it so openly! Besides, there were other people present, so they were even more fearless. ¡°Everyone, why are you still hesitating?! Since we¡¯re already here, do you really plan to see the treasure land in someone else¡¯s hands?¡± This sentence finally caused the other present families to make up their minds. Shua! The sound of things piercing through the air could be heard. The people who originally planned on rushing for the center all changed their direction and went for Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s team. Apart from Ling Xiao Academy, there were many people in the surroundings. Adding up the pockets of people, there were about 180 people, which was many times more than that of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s team! Even if the people from Ling Xiao Academy were all quite capable, they couldn¡¯t withstand the attacks from so many people! After all, those who could openly go against them wouldn¡¯t be weak. Once they met, they were bound to lose today¡¯s battle! The people gathered around and trapped Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s team within. An idea popped up in Elder Shu Feng¡¯s head as he looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Rong Xiu, we¡¯ll stop them! When you find the chance, go and retrieve the item!¡± Rong Xiu nodded lightly. ¡°Hah! How would it be so easy for you to avoid us?¡± That man coldly snorted and went straight for Rong Xiu. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you first!¡± Rong Xiu looked up slightly, and his expression was cold. There were no ripples in the depths of his eyes. The next moment, his body immediately disappeared from the spot. ¡°What?!¡± Including the man about to attack Rong Xiu, the other spectators were also taken aback when they saw this scene. What they were shocked about wasn¡¯t that Rong Xiu knew how to teleport instantly but that he could do it so easily and freely under such a stressful situation! There were quite a few true gods present, but even true gods might not be able to break through the situation so quickly! The next moment, Rong Xiu appeared behind the crowd! He was just a small distance away from the sparkling ball of light! That man from the Golden Wings Sect was the first to react as he hollered, ¡°Stop him!¡± Elder Shu Feng commanded, ¡°Go forward!¡± The two parties attacked each other with their short weapons and rapidly descended into chaos! A few gusts of cold wind came from behind. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t turn around and rapidly flashed across, easily avoiding it. In the blink of an eye, he had already arrived where the windstorm was. Standing here, everything appeared in front of them clearly. The previous water had already disappeared, and only a gigantic black vortex was slowly turning in the wetland. It was completely dark and so deep that one couldn¡¯t see the bottom. Looking down from above, it was like a gigantic fiend had opened its mouth. Once one dropped into it, endless torture and death would await! At this time, the windstorm caused by the gathering of the dark clouds had already hit them. The grayish-black windstorm was also gradually absorbed by the black hole-like existence. Only where the two parties connected could one see a faintly glowing ball of light. It was only the size of a human head. The light was soft yet magnificent as it exuded tremendous strength! Rong Xiu stared at it closely, and shock flashed across his eyes. This aura¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem to be the royal Yuan instrument? ¡°Go and die!¡± While Rong Xiu was momentarily dazed, the people behind found an opportunity to strike. Majority won. Even though the people from Ling Xiao Academy had already tried their best, they still gradually became the losing side. Some people tried to break through their line of defense and went straight to Rong Xiu! Detecting the countless cold auras behind him, Rong Xiu¡¯s expression turned cold as harsh murderous intent flashed across his eyes! He didn¡¯t turn around as he waved his hand! A ray of golden light flew out, forming a very strong barrier around him! The muscular man¡ªwho thought that he was winning¡ªsuddenly had a change in expression. ¡°You¡ª¡± Coincidentally, Rong Xiu had already rapidly gone forward and took that ball of light into his arms at this time. ¡°Shoo!¡± Elder Shu Feng¡¯s two fists couldn¡¯t go against four hands, and he suddenly vomited blood. However, he still immediately noticed Rong Xiu¡¯s actions, and he couldn¡¯t help but be elated. Withstanding the bloody taste all over his mouth, he boomed, ¡°Activate the formation!¡± Chapter 1188 - Fight! Chapter 1188: Fight! The many elders took action from the side! Whoosh! Waves of brilliant light flew out. The light intersected in the sky and formed a gigantic Xuan formation in the blink of an eye! Suppression faintly spread from it! The surrounding empty space distorted with it, and numerous black cracks appeared! ¡°They¡¯re leaving!¡± someone yelled at the top of their voices. That man from the Golden Wings Sect glared at Rong Xiu with anger and hatred. Yet, he didn¡¯t go forward for some reason as if he feared something. Hearing the shout, he hesitated for a moment before swiftly turning around. ¡°Break down their Xuan formation!¡± Everyone knew that once the Xuan formation was formed, the people from Ling Xiao Academy could rapidly escape from this place! At that time, it would be even harder for them to stop it! The crowd surrounded Ling Xiao Academy. Elder Shu Feng and the rest couldn¡¯t care for their own safety as they respectively increased their speed of forming the Xuan formation! The Xuan formation was very complicated and brilliant. As the patterns on it were gradually completed, its aura became increasingly stronger! ¡°I want to see how you guys can go back today!¡± That man from the Golden Wings Sect hollered and suddenly jumped up! He held a gigantic black axe in his hand and harshly slammed it down! Ka! A crack appeared on the Xuan formation! The terrifying force crazily surged in from the crack, spreading in all directions! Elder Shu Feng and the others¡¯ faces flushed white! If this Xuan formation is ruined, we won¡¯t have a way to rush back to the academy. With so many people surrounding us, we are doomed to fail! He was furious as he looked at that man. ¡°Jin Lei! Do you really want to go against Ling Xiao Academy?¡± Jin Lei laughed out loud. ¡°Elder Shu Feng, you mustn¡¯t misunderstand! At the end of the day, we just want that royal Yuan instrument. If you produce the item, I promise that we¡¯ll immediately let you go! We¡¯ll also go and apologize to you personally another day!¡± Elder Shu Feng was so angry that he laughed. ¡°This item originally belongs to Ling Xiao Academy. It¡¯s already outrageous that you guys are openly snatching it. Do you still expect us to present it to you with both hands?!¡± ¡°Thousands of years have passed!¡± Jin Lei interrupted him and looked arrogant. ¡°This item isn¡¯t produced in your Ling Xiao Academy, and the royal Armory Refinement Master also fell back then! His body isn¡¯t even here anymore! Then, how can this treasure be counted as yours? Since this item has no owner, why can¡¯t we snatch it?¡± ¡°Unreasonable!¡± hollered Elder Shu Feng furiously. ¡°Stabilize the Xuan formation!¡± Jin Lei raised the axe in his hands again. ¡°Everyone, help me!¡± A crack had already appeared on the Xuan formation. If another one appeared, the Xuan formation would definitely collapse completely. The other people also seemed to have seen hope as they revealed excited looks and injected their force into the axe! A terrifying force surged up, and heaven and earth shook! The bloody taste in Elder Shu Feng¡¯s mouth became increasingly strong, and the others weren¡¯t any better. At this point, a golden ray of light flew over! It lightly covered the crack on the Xuan formation! Whir! With this sound, the Xuan formation¡ªoriginally on the verge of collapsing¡ªrapidly mended! The golden ray of light quickly formed countless small branches as they spread in all directions. At that moment, it covered more than half of the Xuan formation! Seeing this scene, even Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s team was shocked! Rong Xiu was quite good as a Xuan Master, but his most outstanding aspects had always been the warrior and Armory Refinement Master paths. Hence, everyone thought that although his skills as a Xuan Master were good, they couldn¡¯t be compared to his talent in the other two aspects. But now, they realized that Rong Xiu had already become a top contestant as a Xuan Master! This Xuan formation was successfully formed with so many of them working hard to build it. Rong Xiu used his own force to repair the Xuan formation that was about to break down and finish the remaining portion¡­ Wei Xiping stared at the man standing upright in mid-air, whose clothes flowed with the wind. The latter wore his white robe and looked like a deity. He was so strong that other people could only look up to him. Rong Xiu¡­ Since when did the gap between us become so large? Wei Xiping clenched his teeth, looked down, and hid his indignation and jealousy in his eyes. Right at this moment, the Xuan formation was finally completed! Elder Shu Feng immediately yelled, ¡°Activate!¡± With his command, a gigantic crack suddenly appeared on the brilliant Xuan formation in mid-air! ¡°Rong Xiu, let¡¯s go quick!¡± Elder Shu Feng anxiously yelled. Rong Xiu raised his long legs, and his figure rapidly disappeared within the crack! Then, Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s team continuously followed him. Seeing that they were leaving one by one, Jin Lei couldn¡¯t help but hold the axe in his hand tightly, about to rush up. ¡°Chase them!¡± The few people behind them hurriedly advised, ¡°No!¡± ¡°This Xuan formation breaks through space, and it definitely connects to Ling Xiao Academy! We can¡¯t go there!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Here, we could still fight with them. But if we reach their territory¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions, and they all expressed their disagreement. Jin Lei¡¯s face darkened. It would be very infuriating to let them leave with the royal Yuan instrument! ¡°There¡¯s a special barrier outside Ling Xiao Academy, which is guarded strictly. Nobody can enter as and when they wish! I¡¯m guessing that they¡¯re probably going to Fangzhou, which is outside the academy! As long as we can reach there in time, we might¡­¡± He surveyed the surroundings, and his sinister and cold gaze swept across the crowd. He then suddenly smiled coldly. ¡°Everyone, have you forgotten that it¡¯s a¡­ royal Yuan instrument!? Since we¡¯ve already offended Ling Xiao Academy, are we still missing this step?¡± Quite a few people were tempted. After all, the temptation of a royal Yuan instrument was too great! ¡°Quickly! See if the Xuan formation has been kept properly!¡± someone suddenly gasped. The crowd¡ªincluding JIn Lei¡ªlooked over and saw that the crack suddenly froze when it was about to close. Without any hesitation, Jin Lei¡¯s figure flashed across as he followed them! The people from the Golden Wings Sect naturally followed closely behind. The remaining few people exchanged glances and were quiet for a moment. A middle-aged man suddenly yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s just go! We¡¯ve offended them already anyway. If we give up now, we¡¯ll be letting the Golden Wings Sect get the treasure for nothing!¡± Then, he also moved immediately! Everyone who had other intentions naturally didn¡¯t hesitate further when they heard this, and they rushed up! ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. Chu Liuyue was producing pills on the mountain. Elder Wan Zheng stood at the side. The surroundings fell silent, and the atmosphere was slightly nervous. Chu Liuyue had failed the first two attempts. Now, this was the third attempt. However, Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t seem too worried. It was originally not that simple to break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor from an eighth-grade one. If Chu Liuyue really succeeded in one try, it would be too strange. The process in front was done rather smoothly, and she was about to reach the last step of pill production! Chu Liuyue held her breath in, controlled the fire within the cauldron, and merged all the herbs! Rumble! The fire burned even more intensely. But at this moment, Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he looked toward the academy entrance! Chapter 1189 - The Precious Stone Lands its Innocent Possessor in Jail Chapter 1189: The Precious Stone Lands its Innocent Possessor in Jail This place was still quite a distance away from that area, but Elder Wan Zheng still sensitively detected a hint of dangerous aura. He furrowed his brows tightly and walked forward. But the moment he took half a step out, he suddenly recalled that Chu Liuyue was still producing her pill beside him. He suppressed his overwhelming feelings. After much thinking, he still decided to stay here first and wait for Chu Liuyue to finish producing her pill. Even if the academy really were in danger, the other elders were still around. Thus, it was okay for him to go late. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue was at the most crucial moment of finishing her pill. If she was abruptly interrupted at this point, it would spell trouble. Chu Liuyue also noticed that something was wrong with him as she averted her gaze and glanced at him. His face¡ªwhich was previously filled with excitement¡ªhad hints of nervousness and worry now. Her heart sank slightly as well. ¡°Mentor, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Elder Wan Zheng hurriedly shook his head. ¡°Nothing, nothing. Just focus on producing your pill! I¡¯ll be watching you from here. Don¡¯t be distracted¡ªit¡¯s going to be produced soon!¡± However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe him. I have come to the academy for some time, but I have never seen Elder Wan Zheng reveal such an expression. She originally wanted to ask him about it, but after much thinking, she held it in and turned her attention to producing the pill. A fist-sized pill had already appeared in the fire! Feeling the force from within, Chu Liuyue felt slightly more at ease. This time, I might actually succeed! Even though she used to be a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel agitated and elated now that she could come back after her rebirth and reach such a stage again. Every day after her rebirth, she hoped that she could return to her peak or become even stronger! She didn¡¯t expect to achieve this goal in the heavenly doctor aspect first! She focused all her strength and became increasingly careful. At the side, Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t completely rest assured as he kept looking in that direction from time to time. The academy¡¯s plan this time is confidential, and even some elders aren¡¯t too clear about it. This shows how highly everyone thinks of this issue. Calculating the time, they have been gone for more than 20 days, so it is normal that they came back at this time. But that ripple¡­ clearly had hints of strangeness and uneasiness. Whoosh! Whoosh! A few figures quickly flashed across in mid-air! Those were clearly elders who noticed that something was amiss, and they rushed over. Elder Wan Zheng gradually clenched his fists tightly. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows slightly. She originally wanted to focus on producing her pill, but the strange vibe change on Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s side wasn¡¯t ignorable. As she stared at the pill in the cauldron closely and controlled the fire carefully, she said, ¡°Mentor, if you really have something urgent on, you can just go ahead first. I¡¯ll be over real soon¡ª¡± ¡°No, I want to supervise you personally. You don¡¯t have to care about those things; just produce your pill.¡± Elder Wan Zheng was very insistent. Chu Liuyue could only swallow her remaining words, but she was increasingly curious. It¡¯s probably not a small matter that can cause Elder Wan Zheng to be so worried. Previously, a few elders had already flown over in the sky. It seemed like¡­ they were going toward the academy entrance? Did someone come and cause trouble? But once this thought flashed across her mind, Chu Liuyue dispelled it. This is Ling Xiao Academy. Who has so much courage to cause trouble? Won¡¯t they be making it unpleasant for themselves? The fire burned relentlessly, and the pill gradually formed within. A wave of herbal fragrance spread across. Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyes lit up, and he couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward and cross his arms tightly. Is this¡­ succeeding?! Whoosh! Another figure flew across the sky! Elder Wan Zheng felt as if another pot of cold water was poured on him. It seems like the situation is even worse than I thought¡­ He knitted his brows tightly and stared at Chu Liuyue and the pill in front of her without blinking. His heart beat increasingly quickly. Time seemed to pass especially slowly. The pill¡¯s fragrance became increasingly strong. Chu Liuyue held her breath in, circulated the force within her body, and turned it into fire, causing it to surge up! Whir! A strong force circulated within the cauldron! Chu Liuyue was sure that the success of the pill production was right before her eyes! She slammed against the cauldron harshly, and the fire suddenly exploded! The pill in the middle became increasingly round and smooth. The lines gradually surfaced more clearly! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips had already become slightly white. For the current her, she still had to force herself to produce a ninth-grade pill. This pill production basically exhausted all her force. As she had already failed twice before, she was even weaker. Hence, this pill came with much difficulty! The waves of weakness attacked her until her legs became soft. She bit the tip of her tongue and used the sharp pain to wake herself awake. The faint bloody taste spread across her lips, but Chu Liuyue already couldn¡¯t care about all of this. As long as I can successfully produce it, Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s previous promise will come true! Thinking of this, she tried her best and sent the last bit of strength into the cauldron, merging it with the fire! Whish! That pill suddenly flew out, and it seemed like it was about to escape! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth tightly and controlled it as much as she could! If I just continue for a while¡­ the pill will¡ª ¡°Wan Zheng, why are you still here?! Fangzhou is already in a mess!¡± An anxious voice suddenly sounded, and it was Elder Hua Feng who rushed over. ¡°That item is with Rong Xiu now, and they¡¯re being surrounded¡ª¡± Bang! Explosions could be heard from Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron! Ashes flew everywhere, and an intense burning smell spread across the area. Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill¡­ was destroyed! Chapter 1190 - Stalemate Chapter 1190: Stalemate The explosion successfully allowed Elder Hua Feng to notice Chu Liuyue¡¯s presence. The main thing was that the incident happened too quickly, and he was focused on calling for Elder Wan Zheng. As he was too anxious, he directly spoke when he saw the latter, not realizing that Chu Liuyue was still at the side. The venue fell silent. Only the spreading burning smell indicated what had just happened. Chu Liuyue looked at the extinguished cauldron in front of her with its inside and edges totally black. One more step¡­ Even the pattern on it was about to be formed! She gradually clenched her fists. The atmosphere gradually became strange and nervous. Elder Wan Zheng then realized that he seemed to have done something wrong as he opened his mouth and glanced at Elder Wan Zheng anxiously. ¡°Um¡­ Did I come at the wrong time¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng glanced at him deeply. Needless to say! This kid was about to succeed! I held it in the entire time and patiently waited without leaving, wanting to see Chu Yue successfully produce the ninth-grade pill! Great, everything is wasted! ¡°Um, Chu Yue¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng also felt rather embarrassed. He was about to explain when he saw the young man turn over. The young man¡¯s handsome and gentle face had lost its usual smile and had more cold intent. ¡°Elder Hua Feng,¡± said that young man coldly. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart trembled for some reason, and he instinctively answered. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Did you say that Fangzhou is in a mess? Rong Xiu¡­ Senior Brother Rong Xiu is being surrounded? ¡°Yeah! Hm? Why are you asking about this?¡± Elder Hua Feng originally thought that the young man was angry because his pill was destroyed and wanted to reason with him, but he didn¡¯t think that the latter would ask about this, so he nodded without much thinking. After saying it, he suddenly felt that it wasn¡¯t good to let a student know about this. Thus, he added, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be going over right away, so there won¡¯t be much of a problem.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Elder Wan Zheng. Elder Wan Zheng sighed in his heart. ¡°Chu Yue, go back first. We¡¯ll settle the matter outside.¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. If things could be settled that simply, Elder Hua Feng wouldn¡¯t be so nervous when he came and wouldn¡¯t have said such words. They are just saying these things to comfort me. However, she didn¡¯t show these thoughts as she acted as if she believed them and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. I still thought¡­ Actually, Mentor wanted to leave earlier, but he was delayed because I was producing the pill.¡± She looked at Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°Mentor, you should follow Elder Hua Feng and take a look!¡± Elder Wan Zheng sighed. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s a pity about your pill today¡­ You could¡¯ve succeeded¡­¡± Chu Liuyue then smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve already felt the barrier, so I¡¯ll succeed sooner or later. You don¡¯t have to worry, but¡­ Your previous promise still counts, right?¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude was still decent and that she didn¡¯t blame the world due to her failure, Elder Wan Zheng felt comforted. ¡°Of course, it does! Besides, Elder Hua Feng has a part to play in this issue today. In the future, I¡¯ll get him to give some points to you to make up for it!¡± Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t know what this mentor-disciple duo was talking about, but it seemed like it was related to points. This wasn¡¯t a big deal, so he immediately agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll make it up to you when I come back!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with even deeper meaning as she respectfully bowed. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Mentor, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Elder Wan Zheng thought that she was about to go back and study the pill, so he directly agreed. Thinking of the trouble outside that hadn¡¯t been settled, the two elders quickly left. Chu Liuyue was soon left alone on the mountain. When the two elders¡¯ figures disappeared, Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile slowly disappeared. Her black gem-like eyes seemed to have ripples. Fangzhou City? People actually dare to chase them here and cause trouble for Ling Xiao Academy? The key is¡ªwhat exactly is ¡®that thing?¡¯ As it is with Rong Xiu, Rong Xiu isn¡¯t in an optimistic situation? She turned around and walked down the mountain. ¡­ Fangzhou. The varying parties of people fell into a stalemate. Rong Xiu was standing in the middle, and the people from the Golden Wings Sect surrounded him completely. The outer layer was Elder Shu Feng and the rest, including people from Ling Xiao Academy who gradually came over. At this point, the number of people kept increasing. Countless people were looking up from the city, and their hearts shook. Who would¡¯ve thought they would see such a scene at Fangzhou, outside Ling Xiao Academy? All of those people in the sky were legendary warriors from the God Residence Realm! Now, the focus of their fight was clearly Rong Xiu! Elder Shu Feng and the rest had ugly expressions. This was because according to the previous plan, as long as they activated their Xuan formation, they would be able to forcefully create a transportation formation to go back to the academy directly. However, they didn¡¯t expect these people to be so relentless and chase them all the way over here! Jin Lei and the rest weren¡¯t feeling any better. They originally wanted to quickly handle Rong Xiu when they reached Fangzhou to snatch the item back. Who would¡¯ve known that Rong Xiu was extremely strong and delayed until this moment!? Increasingly more people came out from Ling Xiao Academy, and they all gathered at this place. If this continued, their situation would be increasingly worse! They had to handle it as soon as possible! But both parties had their own fears and things holding them back, so they entered an awkward state. Finally, Jin Lei held up the ax in his hands, and thunderous sounds could be heard from below his feet. He went straight to Rong Xiu! ¡°Everyone, go up! Settle him!¡± Chapter 1191 - Senior Brother Rong Xiu Chapter 1191: Senior Brother Rong Xiu In Ling Xiao Academy, many elders gradually gathered together and rushed to Fangzhou. The entire academy¡¯s atmosphere silently became nervous. When Chu Liuyue rushed to the academy entrance, she saw that many students had arrived around Qing Ming Square. Clearly, they already knew that something had happened outside. Chu Liuyue slowed down her steps and mixed into the crowd, not looking obvious. Quite a few students talked in hushed whispers. ¡°Did you hear? Something wrong has happened outside!¡± ¡°It seems like someone came to cause trouble at Fangzhou, right? I heard that Elder Shu Feng and the rest are still fighting with them outside, and some of the elders from our academy have rushed out¡­¡± ¡°Who exactly are they? How do they have the courage to barge into our academy?¡± ¡°They seem to be from the Golden Wings Sect. They¡¯ve never really had many interactions with our academy and are extremely arrogant just because they¡¯re powerful. This time, it seems to be because they¡¯re fighting for something¡­ Other than that, they still collaborated with other clans.¡± ¡°Even if they want to fight for something, there is no need to chase all the way here, right? Isn¡¯t this causing trouble for themselves? Do they really think that our academy can be easily stepped on?!¡± ¡°It seems to be for some precious treasure. Previously, Senior Brother Rong Xiu and the rest came back just to help the academy retrieve that item¡­ Just now, I unintentionally heard an elder say that Senior Brother Rong Xiu is surrounded because of that item¡­ I wonder what¡¯s happening now¡­¡± ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s right outside our academy after all. We can¡¯t possibly let them succeed, right?¡± ¡­ All sorts of discussions entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, causing her to be increasingly frustrated as she furrowed her brows tightly. It turns out that the letter Ling Xiao Academy previously sent to Rong Xiu was about this. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t bring it up the whole time, so I didn¡¯t ask about it in detail. So many people took action at the same time after all, with quite a few elders from the academy. Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be much danger. But now¡­ Rong Xiu has clearly put himself in a perilous situation. She panicked in her heart, but she could only comfort herself. After all, they had already arrived at Fangzhou City, which was right beside the academy. Even if they really met with trouble, many elders in the academy could provide assistance. Elder Hua Feng and the others have already rushed over. They should be able to reach in time. More and more students gathered around, and the originally silent Qing Ming Square became noisy. Chu Liuyue silently walked over as she thought of how to go out quietly to take a look. Even if the academy¡¯s barriers were guarded strictly, she couldn¡¯t help but be worried as she knew that Rong Xiu was in danger. ¡°Chu Yue!¡± A familiar voice sounded from the side. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and stood still. When she looked up, her expression returned to normal. ¡°Zhuo Sheng, Shishi, why are you here?¡± Other than these two, there was still Luo Yanming. The three of them cultivated different aspects, so it was usually hard to see them all at once. Zhuo Sheng winked. ¡°Why do you think we¡¯re here? Of course, it¡¯s for the same reason as you!¡± Luo Shishi patiently explained, ¡°I was originally training with my mentor, but something happened suddenly, and he left. Thus, we came here. Then, we coincidentally met Fifth Brother.¡± The mentor she was talking about was Elder Wen Xi. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I was also producing pills just now when Elder Hua Feng came over and called my mentor. They then left together.¡± Actually, many students experienced similar situations. Hence, Luo Shishi¡¯s trio didn¡¯t think much when Chu Liuyue gave such an explanation. ¡°Did you hear what those people said earlier?¡± asked Zhuo Sheng mysteriously. ¡°Are they crazy?! They dared to chase all the way to Fangzhou to fight for the item!¡± Luo Yanming, who was silent all along, suddenly spoke. ¡°The Golden Wings Sect is extremely strong. Even though they¡¯re a top-tier family as well, the cultivation technique they pass down in their sect is extremely domineering. Within the sect¡­ From the sect master to the disciples, all of them are formidable. Hence, their behavior is extremely arrogant. It¡¯s not surprising they would do such a thing.¡± People die because of fortune, and birds die because of food. An item that could get Ling Xiao Academy to send out so many students and elders mustn¡¯t be something ordinary, and it would definitely cause other people to be jealous. Besides, the other party seemed to have collaborated with other clans, so they were even more fearless. ¡°They could just settle them as soon as possible, but leaving them around for a while longer doesn¡¯t pose much of a problem as well.¡± Zhuo Sheng glanced at him strangely. ¡°Yanming, why do you know so much?¡± Luo Yanming fell silent. ¡°¡­Mentor said a thing or two before he left.¡± Elder Hua Feng had a very loud personality and was very shocked after he learned of the news, so he didn¡¯t care to keep his mouth shut. While he was speaking, Luo Yanming and the others¡ªwho were beside him¡ªroughly heard what was going on. The few of them were speechless. Recalling the previous scenario, Chu Liuyue silently mourned for her ninth-grade pill that could¡¯ve succeeded. ¡°Elder Hua Feng is indeed fiery sometimes¡­¡± Dong¡ª A low clock sound was heard¡ªit came from Dong Huang Clock Tower! The square quickly fell silent, and the crowd looked up in unison. Elder Bo Yan stood on the tower with one hand behind his back. His hair was white, and he looked calm. ¡°A small incident happened outside the academy, but it¡¯ll be settled as soon as possible. Everyone, go back and don¡¯t worry. Just cultivate.¡± His deep voice reverberated throughout the area as it gently and clearly landed in everyone¡¯s ears, causing people to unwittingly be more secure. Some students were originally still worried and uneasy, but they gradually calmed down when they heard Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words. Actually, upon deeper thought, this is still Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s territory. Can others really come here and do whatever they want? The elders are very experienced, so they naturally can handle all these problems. However, a woman¡¯s voice sounded amongst the crowd. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, as a member of the academy, the academy¡¯s safety is closely related to all of us. Hence, I, Zhiyuan, volunteer to go out and fight!¡± This voice was especially sudden in the silent crowd, so everyone heard it clearly. Countless pairs of eyes looked toward the source of the voice. It was Jiang Zhiyuan, who was standing behind the crowd! At this point, Liang Xiaoxiao and the rest were standing behind her. But as Jiang Zhiyuan was the one who spoke, everyone¡¯s attention fell on her. Elder Bo Yan laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve already said just now that it¡¯s only a small problem. We¡¯ve already sent a few elders to handle it together. You don¡¯t have to worry and should just stay in the academy.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other and looked obviously worried. ¡°But Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. I, the legitimate princess consort, haven¡¯t spoken, yet Jiang Zhiyuan is so enthusiastic. I really don¡¯t know if I should compliment her for not giving up on him in times of trouble or that she is extremely stubborn. To some people, perhaps Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s behavior was devotion. But to Elder Bo Yan, she behaved as if she didn¡¯t know the importance of the matter. His expression turned faint, and he asked nonchalantly, ¡°Are you doubting Rong Xiu¡¯s capabilities or the abilities of the academy¡¯s elders?¡± Chapter 1192 - Rong Xiu Danger! Chapter 1192: Rong Xiu Danger! This sentence shocked everyone awake. Jiang Zhiyuan originally wanted to take the chance to go out. Even if she could only show her face in front of Rong Xiu once, at least she could let him know that she would disregard everything for him. But now that Elder Bo Yan spoke, she suddenly realized how stupid it was to say such words in public! ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­¡± she hurriedly explained in panic. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡­¡± ¡°Rong Xiu¡¯s talent and capabilities are one of the top few in Ling Xiao Academy, and he¡¯s also the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace. Could it be that you think his ability to protect himself isn¡¯t as good as yours and that he needs you to worry for him?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s tone was light, but his words made Jiang Zhiyuan increasingly humiliated. The entire square was silent. Everyone looked at Jiang Zhiyuan with complicated and strange gazes. That¡¯s right! Elder Bo Yan makes sense. The situation outside is indeed perilous now, but many elders in the academy have already taken action. Therefore, it is impossible for those people to have their way outside the academy. Besides, Rong Xiu is also at the top of two of the four Qing Yun Ranking lists. What is the use of a demigod like her being worried? Even if she goes over, she will probably cause more trouble and become everyone¡¯s burden. Since this was so, her attitude is especially¡­ ¡°Pfft, someone just wants to act like she¡¯s really devoted in front of everyone, but she should see if she has the capabilities and the right to do so.¡± Chuckles could be heard from the crowd. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face instantly flushed white and red. She rapidly looked up, wanting to identify who had said those words. But there were many people in the square, and that voice was rather unfamiliar, so she couldn¡¯t identify who said it. She bit her lips and looked aggrieved. In the past, this expression of hers would receive many people¡¯s pity and sympathy. However, it didn¡¯t seem to work this time. When the academy was in trouble, everyone¡¯s first thought was about the academy and not an individual. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s series of actions was clearly for her own needs, so the crowd would naturally ignore her and even feel disgusted. ¡°That¡¯s right! Elder Bo Yan already told us not to worry and that we should go back and wait, yet she wants to risk her life to go over. What can she do over there? Offer her head? Haha!¡± ¡°I believe she thinks too highly of herself, right? What right does she have to be worried about Senior Brother Rong Xiu?¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m actually pretty worried about Senior Brother Rong Xiu too! But I know my own capabilities, so I won¡¯t cause trouble for Senior Brother and the elders at this point!¡± The many mockeries and jokes were like needles that stabbed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart, shredding, throwing on the floor, and trampling all over her face and dignity! She had always been the apple of everyone¡¯s eyes, and she was the proudest and most doted on existence everywhere she went. But now, those people looked at her like they were watching a show. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s limbs turned soft. She didn¡¯t understand why it suddenly became like this when she just said a few sentences and didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Seeing her pale face and dejected and embarrassed appearance, Elder Bo Yan shook his head. ¡°I heard your mentor say that you¡¯re about to break through, so you should just focus on cultivating for now!¡± This sentence was considered as giving Jiang Zhiyuan an out. Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips and forced herself to acknowledge it before turning around and leaving rapidly. Her head¡ªwhich was always held up proudly¡ªfinally fell, and her back view looked embarrassed and dejected. Liang Xiaoxiao and the rest exchanged glances, looking awkward, and quickly left together. ¡­ After experiencing this small incident, everyone in the square felt more relaxed than before. Hearing what Elder Bo Yan had said, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. So as Elder Bo Yan kept urging them, the students that gathered together dispersed quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s go back too!¡± Zhuo Sheng moved his limbs. ¡°Shishi, I didn¡¯t really understand the point that Mentor taught earlier. Could you exchange blows with me later and help me tidy it up?¡± Although his current cultivation level was higher than that of Luo Shishi, the latter was, in actual fact, more talented than him as a warrior. Zhuo Sheng had long known this fact, so he would regularly ask Luo Shishi for guidance patiently. Luo Shishi nodded. Luo Yanming thought and said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go back and study Xuan formations.¡± Even though they had just come to the academy not long ago, they also felt enormous competition and pressure here. So even if they were rather talented and had a good background, they didn¡¯t dare to take it easy. ¡°Chu Yue, what about you?¡± The few of them looked at Chu Liuyue. She smiled. ¡°Since you guys are all going back, I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡­ The group of people dispersed on their own. Chu Liuyue walked toward the heavenly doctor¡¯s side, but she didn¡¯t go up the mountains in the end. At this point, the sky was gradually darkening as the sun set in the west. She chose an extremely discreet location, and after confirming there was nobody else in the surroundings, she raised her wrist. A peach blossom silently bloomed on her snow-white wrist. A thought then popped up in her mind, and her figure quickly disappeared from the area! ¡­ With the instant teleportation, Chu Liuyue silently arrived at the edge of the academy¡¯s barrier. Probably because the academy¡¯s elders had heightened their defenses, but the barrier had a faint glow to it and a strong suppression. She held her breath in and stared at that barrier closely. Many thoughts flashed across her mind. Elder Bo Yan was right. Fangzhou City was right outside the academy, so nobody would act unreasonably here. The elders had already taken action together, so it shouldn¡¯t pose a problem for them to handle the bunch of people. Besides, Rong Xiu was also very strong. Chu Liuyue had known him for so long, but until now, she couldn¡¯t be certain of Rong Xiu¡¯s cultivation level. Logically speaking, nothing would happen. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other, and her internal struggle was intense. If I go over, I might very possibly be like Jiang Zhiyuan, becoming a useless burden. If that is so, it would be better for me to wait here silently. Besides, the academy¡¯s barrier is heavily guarded, and it is almost impossible for me to go out secretly without anyone noticing. After much thinking, Chu Liuyue turned around and wanted to go back. But the moment she made a move, a ripple suddenly came from her dantian! That ripple wasn¡¯t from the water droplet but¡­ the black pyramid! An extremely faint golden light seeped out from the three cracks! For some reason, the black seal had faint signs of moving! This¡­ Chu Liuyue focused on it, and just when she was thinking about what it meant, a silver light abruptly flashed before her eyes. She looked forward and saw the dagger¡ªwhich Rong Xiu had given her¡ªsuddenly fly out on its own! Whir! The dagger vibrated! The sharp blade gleamed with a cold light¡ªit had murderous intent! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Rong Xiu¡­ is in danger! Without thinking, she immediately rushed to that barrier! Chapter 1193 - Key to Unlock the Barrier! Chapter 1193: Key to Unlock the Barrier! Chu Liuyue grabbed that dagger back and held it tightly in her palm. In this manner, the intense movement became even clearer. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heartbeat seemed to increase along with it as if her heart were about to jump out of her chest! She hastened her steps and quickly felt the pressure from the barrier! The nearer she was, the heavier it felt! She was at the bottom of a mountain. There were many rocks around her, and she quickly hid behind them. As the sky had darkened, and the place was originally desolated with not many people passing by, nobody noticed her. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t dare to take it easy. This was because she knew that the difficulty she had to overcome wasn¡¯t this, but¡­ the gigantic barrier in front of her! What must I do to open the barrier silently¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. Suddenly, a ray of white light flashed across her mind. Got it! When I first entered the academy and stood in front of the barrier, some blurred images had flashed past my mind. Someone has set up an extremely small Xuan formation that connects with the barrier. Later, it became a key that easily opened the barrier! If I can also draw out that Xuan formation, then¡ª This thought made Chu Liuyue tempted. She closed her eyes and started to search for that memory crazily. If I don¡¯t recall wrongly, that Xuan formation doesn¡¯t seem to be super hard. I might be able to succeed if I work hard with my current abilities. However, the image only flashed across my eyes once, and I didn¡¯t notice it much before the entire scene disappeared. Hence, I only have a vague impression of it. She didn¡¯t remember exactly what the Xuan formation looked like. But she now had to recall the shape of the Xuan formation clearly and completely! ¡­ This matter seemed simple, but it was very hard to do. She had lost a large part of her memory, so she didn¡¯t even know when that memory took place or what happened after it. This caused it to be even harder for her to recall. Now that she wanted to pick up the vague and broken pieces of her memory, it was akin to finding a needle in a haystack. The surroundings were completely silent, and a light breeze blew past, blowing her loose strands of hair. Chu Liuyue could clearly hear her own heartbeats as countless scenes flashed across her mind. Time became incredibly hard to pass at this moment. Finally, she picked up that broken piece and started searching for more details in her mind. In her vague memory, it was still a pair of white and long hands. That pair of hands gently moved around in mid-air, and numerous rays of light flew around, quickly outlining a Xuan formation. To Chu Liuyue, that small Xuan formation was actually a blurred ball of light. However, she didn¡¯t give up as she ¡®watched¡¯ on patiently. The same scene kept replaying¡ªtime and time again. She even stared at the pair of hands¡¯ every single movement closely, not letting go of any details. Finally, the Xuan formation gradually showed a general outline. She was elated. I originally didn¡¯t harbor much hope, but I didn¡¯t expect this to really work! And it is even faster than I had expected. Gradually, every line on the Xuan formation became clearer slowly. This process was actually very peculiar. It was like a layer of mist covering the glass, causing one to be unable to see anything. But when she wiped the mist away bit by bit, everything started to become clearer. Everything happened smoothly, as if¡­ she already knew what that Xuan formation looked like. Once that thought appeared in her mind, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! She almost instinctively knitted her brows and rejected this guess. The reason why I could do this so smoothly is probably that¡­ I used to be a ninth-grade Xuan Master and had a very high level of understanding of Xuan formations. Therefore, it¡¯s normal for me to understand everything in one go. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care much about this incident as she rapidly turned her attention to the Xuan formation. Some time had passed, and the last stroke could finally be seen clearly! Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes as she raised her bare hands and slowly outlined something in mid-air. Countless rays of light flew out and intertwined in front of her, looking very mesmerizing. Following what she had learned before, Chu Liuyue meticulously followed the steps and did it step by step. Very quickly, a rough Xuan formation outline appeared in front of her! But as it was her first time, she wasn¡¯t well-practiced in many areas. Besides, Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t recovered her status as a ninth-grade Xuan Master, so although she forcefully outlined the Xuan formation, it was still rather rough. However, Chu Liuyue was already very satisfied with this. She gathered all her focus, stared at the Xuan formation closely, and slowly added the remaining lines. As the Xuan formation became increasingly complete, its suppression and aura slowly strengthened! When she solemnly and carefully drew the last stroke of light and completed the Xuan formation, she didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly. She tried her best to contain her emotions and looked up. The academy¡¯s barrier was only ten steps away from her! She raised her wrist gently and sent the small Xuan formation out. At first glance, it was like a butterfly that was eager to fly as it flew over, dancing lightly in mid-air. Chu Liuyue held her breath. Plop! Plop! Her heart seemed to be clutched tightly! Her heart beat intensely and clearly! Such a short distance seemed to be especially long at this point. Finally, the Xuan formation flew to the barrier. It was like a thin piece of paper that gently stuck itself to the barrier. At this moment¡ª Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that there was a strange connection between her and that barrier! This feeling wasn¡¯t unfamiliar. She pressed her lips against each other as she walked forward and landed silently. As she got closer to the barrier, the suppression and strength she felt became increasingly scary. When she stood near it, her bones even felt faintly painful. However, Chu Liuyue had no time to care about all of this. Following the image in her mind, she stretched her hand out. Ka. An extremely soft sound was heard. The gigantic barrier slowly split open from the middle! The movement was extremely light, and the barrier at the sides didn¡¯t seem to be affected¡ªthey were as calm as the start. Chu Liuyue raised her leg and stepped right over! ¡­ Rumble! The moment Chu Liuyue walked out of the barrier, she heard a loud sound from far away! She suddenly looked up and was shocked as her eyes rapidly shrunk! Hundreds of people were fighting in the distant sky, and that sound seemed to have come from there! Forces of all colors flew around and crazily collided with each other! It was extremely messy, but Chu Liuyue still spotted Rong Xiu at first glance! At this moment, Rong Xiu seemed to be surrounded by a group of people. His snow-white robe was already messily stained with blood. Those people had no intention of letting him off. A sharp arrow suddenly pierced through the air, going straight for the back of Rong Xiu¡¯s head! The peach blossom on Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist immediately bloomed as she crazily circulated her bodily force! The next moment, her figure completely disappeared! Chapter 1194 - Protect Her Safety Chapter 1194: Protect Her Safety Rong Xiu detected the gust of cold wind attacking him from behind. His eyes turned harsh, and the golden light in his palm moved! Suddenly, he paused in his movement, his face looking confused for once. With that moment of hesitation, that sharp arrow had reached behind him and was about to pierce through his body! ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± When Elder Shu Feng and the rest saw this scene from afar, they were stunned as they widened their eyes. They hollered, ¡°Quickly move away!¡± How could Rong Xiu be distracted at this point?! Jin Lei sneered, and the corner of his lips curled up. His eyes were filled with mockery as if victory was in his hands. Rong Xiu is very good at combat. The crowd surrounded him and attacked him, but we couldn¡¯t get much of an upper hand. But so what? At such a critical moment when he couldn¡¯t be hesitant and distracted, a minor mistake will cause severe consequences! But just when Jin Lei thought he could wait for Rong Xiu to fall, a long and slender figure suddenly appeared behind Rong Xiu! That person appeared extremely suddenly. Without even any energy ripples, he appeared right there! Teleportation! When Jin Lei and the surrounding crowd saw this, the same thought surfaced in their minds! They should be a true god at the very least to be able to teleport instantly. However, we¡¯ve already surrounded Rong Xiu completely, and the academy elders failed in coming after many tries. How did this person¡ª Tsing! A crisp and forceful impact was heard! That person held a black sword and blocked the arrow on the outside! Huala! That person moved their wrist easily, and the sharp arrow was averted as the dark sword body lightly scraped past it! The sound was sharp to the ears! However, that person¡¯s black sword swiftly landed and cut the sharp arrow down the middle directly! Ka! Everything happened in that one moment! ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Jin Lei and the others¡¯ hearts tightened as they focused on the scene before them. But when they saw that person¡¯s appearance, they were collectively taken aback. That is¡­ a young man? That was indeed a young man! He was wearing a light-green robe and had a long, slender body. He looked handsome and had the unique youthfulness written all over his face. He didn¡¯t look like he was older than 20. He was a child who didn¡¯t seem like he could be compared to these people. But at this moment, he held the black sword and broke through their defense in that manner suddenly and rapidly. He appeared behind Rong Xiu and blocked that arrow! Almost at the same moment, the crowd instantly understood that he used a Yuan instrument that allowed him to teleport instantly. ¡­ The chaotic scene had a moment of cold silence. Chu Liuyue held the sword with both hands, and the arrow shocked her until her limbs turned numb. If it weren¡¯t because she had been training with Big Baby all this while and had greatly increased her physical strength, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to hold the arrow back. Chu Liuyue could feel the countless sharp gazes from the surroundings that scraped past her body like blades. ¡°Who are you?!¡± hollered Jin Lei. He instinctively wanted to check what cultivation level this person had, but he shockingly discovered that the other party had hidden his aura very well. Even he couldn¡¯t find out that young man¡¯s true abilities. But being able to block that arrow made it seem like he was at least a stage-nine warrior. Facing such a young face, Jin Lei really couldn¡¯t connect him with the words ¡®legendary warrior.¡¯ However, Chu Liuyue ignored his words as she looked around and glanced at Rong Xiu. Their eyes met. The shock and confusion in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes had disappeared, leaving behind a dark color that she couldn¡¯t see clearly. Ripples lightly moved as if he were overwhelmed. This gaze was enough. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. His appearance and aura are fine, so he shouldn¡¯t be too injured. Also¡­ he looks like he is handling it well. Her gaze quickly scanned the bloodstains left on his body. Most of them shouldn¡¯t be his. This caused her anxious heart to calm down, but another thought quickly flashed across her mind at the same time. Rong Xiu is much stronger than I had expected! This man¡­ ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± Just when the people here fell into an eerie silence, the few academy elders finally saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s face from afar and couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Elder Wan Zheng was the most taken aback. His usually calm face that never changed its expression was filled with shock. It was first filled with shock and then anger. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Didn¡¯t this kid say that he was going back just now? Why did he suddenly appear here and directly barge into the center of the encirclement!? Does he think that he has lived for too long?! Chu Liuyue originally wanted to explain a thing or two, but the murderous gazes from the surroundings didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak. ¡°Chu Yue?¡± Jin Lei¡¯s gaze swept across Chu Liuyue, and he sneered. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re also a Ling Xiao Academy student?¡± He quickly searched through his mind and realized that there wasn¡¯t a top-tier family in the God Residence Realm with the last name ¡®Chu.¡¯ This caused him to be even more bold and fearless as he didn¡¯t take Chu Liuyue seriously at all. Today, I have even offended all these people from Ling Xiao Academy, so why would I be scared of such a little fellow? ¡°You¡¯re young, but you¡¯re really bold!¡± Chu Liuyue held the Long Yuan Sword in her hands tightly, but she didn¡¯t seem to be nervous at all. Upon hearing this, she even laughed. ¡°Everyone praises me like that.¡± Jin Lei¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched, and his face quickly turned cold. ¡°It seems like your academy¡¯s elders really don¡¯t know how to teach their kids. Hasn¡¯t anyone told you that there are some people you can¡¯t offend?!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and looked at Rong Xiu before she said sincerely, ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu, are these people I can¡¯t offend?¡± Her call of ¡®Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡¯ was clear and soft as she dragged out the last syllable slightly. This made it seem like a light feather was scratching one¡¯s palm, causing one to itch from their hearts. Looking at her pair of watery and cunning eyes¡ªas well as her playful smile¡ªRong Xiu raised his brows as his gaze turned deep. Her character really hasn¡¯t changed. If there weren¡¯t so many people present, I¡­ He silently suppressed his urge as his thin lips curled up at a perfect angle. ¡°Of course not.¡± His voice was low and magnetic as every single word and sentence was like a light mutter to one¡¯s ears, causing one to be mesmerized unwittingly. ¡°You can offend them however you want.¡± The duo¡¯s conversation was flirtatious, but it seemed impudent to others¡ªeven arrogant. As if he heard a joke, Jin Lei laughed out loud. He then raised his ax and pointed at the duo! ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s about time.¡± Harsh and sharp murderous intent suddenly exploded from his body! When the elders saw this scene far away, their hearts all skipped a beat. Elder Wan Zheng very anxiously wanted to go forward, but Rong Xiu suddenly glanced at him. His distinguished and unparalleled face had a smile plastered to it. ¡°Elders, don¡¯t worry. With me around, I¡¯ll definitely assure her safety.¡± Chapter 1195 - Rong Xius Ability! Elder Wan Zheng and the rest were stunned. At that moment, Jin Lei and the others had already taken action! Almost at the same time, the academy elders immediately followed! A portion of them was stopped. After all, quite a few elders had come out from the academy¡¯s side, and the two parties had equal numbers. But amongst them, some people were faster and surrounded Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu suddenly took a step closer and lightly patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Stay here. Leave the rest to me.¡± Chu Liuyue felt her shoulders sink. Then, something silently flowed down her shoulders. She opened her hands and quickly put the item into her Cosmic Ring. Then, she looked at Rong Xiu. The two of them exchanged a glance and understood what the other party meant. She silently nodded. ¡°Senior Brother, be careful.¡± The next moment, Rong Xiu lifted his hand and rapidly set up a golden barrier around Chu Liuyue! Then, he moved his figure and stood before Chu Liuyue. ¡°Their target is me.¡± He lifted his chin slightly and looked calm, but he revealed a natural nobleness that came from his bones. ¡°Come up together!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s sentence completely agitated those few people. ¡°Arrogant!¡± These few years, Rong Xiu had a famous reputation as the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace. Rumors had it that his birth mother secretly married someone from outside the realm and gave birth to him. He was only discovered by the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s people a few years after he was born and was later brought back. In the beginning, the Sky-Cloud Empire planned to kill him directly. After all, such a matter was a huge stain to any top-tier country in the God Residence Realm. However, the Sky-Cloud Empire still kept him in the end¡ªbecause of his shocking talent! In the end, not only could he live in the Sky-Cloud Empire, but he even became His Grace! Rumors had it that his personality was violent, and his methods were vicious. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have held great power during the mere few years the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader was in seclusion, taking control of the entire Sky-Cloud Empire. Hence, from the very start, Jin Lei and the others didn¡¯t underestimate Rong Xiu. But hearing him say this now, they still found it ridiculous. After experiencing the previous battle, they roughly already knew how capable Rong Xiu was. It was normal for him to be able to resist for a while, but it was impossible for him to challenge so many people at the same time! Jin Lei took action first! The others didn¡¯t lag behind as they were terrified that Jin Lei would snatch the item away, so they quickly followed! Rong Xiu floated in mid-air and raised his arm. A ball of golden light rapidly appeared in his palms! At the same time, his surrounding aura crazily exploded! The shocking suppression started spreading in all directions with him as the center! Jin Lei¡¯s heart tingled, and he suddenly felt uneasy. After experiencing the bitter battle just now, Rong Xiu should be weaker. However, why does he seem the same as before? At this point, Rong Xiu looked up. Two balls of golden fire quickly flashed across the depths of his two eyes! Jin Lei suddenly noticed something, and shock flashed across his face. ¡°Why do you have a god¡ª Rumble! Jin Lei didn¡¯t even have time to finish his sentence. Rong Xiu waved his wrist, and a golden ball of fire silently flew out! It was the size of a fist, but the outer layer seemed to be wrapped by a transparent layer of glass as it contained rich golden light. When it glided through the air, it very strangely didn¡¯t cause any energy ripples. It seemed like it just floated forward in a slow and ordinary manner. Shock quickly flashed across Jin Lei¡¯s eyes as he rapidly moved backward! This Rong Xiu still hid his true abilities previously! He panicked and retreated as if that small golden ball of light was something extremely terrifying. He was fast, but that golden ball of light was even faster! Jin Lei also quickly realized that his surrounding space became sticky and heavy! His every move used up more strength than ever! ¡°Why is his God Realm so powerful?!¡± At this point, the few people at the side finally realized something was wrong as they all yelled in shock. Jin Lei¡¯s throat tightened, and all the blood in his body seemed to freeze as his mind turned blank! Rong Xiu was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace. According to the rumors, his bloodline power had long awakened, and he had already crafted Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body. The so-called ¡®Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body¡¯ was a special Holy Body. It was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s unique technique. Even if other cultivators became true gods, they might not be able to produce their own Holy Body. However, the Sky-Cloud Empire was different. Over the years, their His Graces could unleash their bloodline power and form Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body when they broke through to become a true god. This was akin to crafting their own His Grace. This was also why the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace always had strong combat skills. This was beneficial, but it also had cons. Once they formed Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body, they wouldn¡¯t be able to produce an even stronger Holy Body. This was their greatest weakness, but just now, Jin Lei clearly felt that Rong Xiu¡­ had unleashed a Holy Body suppression that was stronger than Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body! He has two Holy Bodies! His God Realm¡¯s suppression is naturally two times¡ªno, more than two times stronger! When these crazy thoughts kept flashing across Jin Lei¡¯s mind, that golden ball of light had arrived three steps in front of him. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was nonchalant as he looked down at the others. His thin lips curled up slightly, and he spat out a word¡ªthe suppression was very heavy, like a royal verdict. ¡°Break!¡± Chapter 1196 - Threat With his command, the golden ball of light suddenly exploded! Instantly, the golden light shone¡ªit was extremely bright! The dazzling light instantly enveloped the surroundings as the enormous God Realm descended! Before those few people could exchange blows with Rong Xiu, they were already trapped within the God Realm! They instinctively wanted to unleash their own God Realm to fight with his, but they quickly and shockingly discovered that their force was harshly restricted in this God Realm wrapped by the golden light. They couldn¡¯t unleash their own God Realm at all, and every single movement became extremely difficult! They truly became meat on the cutting board! If they couldn¡¯t find a way to get out of the God Realm quickly, they could only stay here and be attacked by Rong Xiu as he wished! Jin Lei had no more intentions of fighting with Rong Xiu. Dual God Realm¡­ Anybody will be bound to die if they go against him! But even if Jin Lei had tried his best to retreat, it was too late. This was because they were originally close to Rong Xiu in terms of distance. Previously, he rushed to the front first, and it was too late for him to retreat now. Compared to their sticky situation, Rong Xiu¡ªwho was in the middle¡ªseemed especially carefree. His gaze darkened, and the space before him started crumbling inch by inch. It was almost going to hit where those few people were at! Everyone could tell that he could directly take their lives if he wanted to! ¡­ It wasn¡¯t only Jin Lei and the others who fell into deep shock. The crowd that was in a chaotic battle sensed the commotion over here and looked over. It was fine if they didn¡¯t look, but once they did, incredulous expressions flashed across all their faces. In actual fact, even Elder Shu Feng and the others didn¡¯t know what Rong Xiu¡¯s current capabilities were. Thus, when they saw this scene, they weren¡¯t any less shocked than Jin Lei and the rest. ¡°W-wasn¡¯t Rong Xiu still bitterly fighting with them just now? Why did he suddenly become so strong?!¡± An elder couldn¡¯t help but mutter. Elder Shu Feng suppressed the ripples crazily surging in his heart. ¡°Is there a need to talk about it? He clearly hid his capabilities!¡± Even though they didn¡¯t know why Rong Xiu suddenly changed his mind and used his true abilities, it was a good thing for them! This time¡­ they were bound to win! ¡­ ¡°I surrender!¡± When the collapsing space was about to reach him, Jin Lei finally gave up without hesitation! He looked tense, and his veins could faintly be seen. From this, they could tell that although he said this sentence swiftly, he wasn¡¯t very willing. He did want the treasure. After all, a royal Yuan instrument was extremely rare in the God Residence Realm¡ªeven a top-tier family would go crazy over it. But at this point, he had to live to get it. He would lose all his eggs in the basket if he died here, and others would benefit greatly! Jin Lei had seen quite a few large scenes. Even though he was hot-tempered, he could still put down his pride at key moments. ¡°Rong Xiu! As long as you stop now and let us leave, I guarantee that the Golden Wings Sect will never go against the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± Seeing that the speed of the space collapse didn¡¯t reduce, but the suppression he felt became increasingly stronger, Jin Lei couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva and raise his voice. ¡°My words will count!¡± Rong Xiu smiled.¡±Oh? Really?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m the eldest descendant of the sect leader. I¡¯ll definitely fulfill what I say in front of so many people!¡± When Jin Lei spoke, one could already feel the suppression intensifying. This caused his face to hurt faintly like a sharp knife kept scraping past his face. Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved slightly in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°You should¡¯ve said this earlier. Do you think you still have the right to bargain with me now?¡± Jin Lei¡¯s face turned white. He saw murderous intent in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes! Rong Xiu really dares to kill me! Jin Lei completely panicked. ¡°I-I¡­ Rong Xiu, I just wanted to snatch that treasure, but I never wanted to kill you! If you kill me right here, the Golden Wings Sect won¡¯t let this go!¡± ¡°You¡¯re using the Golden Wings Sect to threaten me?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was nonchalant, and his expression was light. ¡°If the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s leader were here, I might give him face. Who¡­ are you?¡± This calm voice had the strongest attack! Jin Lei was stumped. He then recalled that although the sect leader thought highly of him, he wasn¡¯t the person in control of the Golden Wings Sect. On the other hand, Rong Xiu¡ªas the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Your Grace¡ªwas equivalent to his clan¡¯s sect leader! As if this didn¡¯t have a huge enough impact on Jin Lei, Rong Xiu said, ¡°Besides, even if I¡¯m willing to let you guys off¡­ the academy might not.¡± Causing trouble at Fangzhou City was equivalent to lashing out at Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s territory! Originally, Jin Lei wanted to end the battle as soon as possible to snatch the item back. In consideration of the treasure, the sect leader would definitely protect him. But now, he didn¡¯t get the item and instead landed himself in a sticky situation. His life and death could be decided by the other party¡¯s single thought! ¡°Y-you did it on purpose just now?!¡± Jin Lei suddenly understood something and asked in an unbecoming manner. Rong Xiu was previously surrounded, but he lost and won, so the two parties were in a tug-of-war situation. Hence, they thought that if they continued fighting, they could snatch the item back from Rong Xiu. But thinking about it now, Rong Xiu was just stalling for time! He gave them hope and let them think that they could get the item, but in actual fact, he was just wasting their strength and patience as he waited for the academy elders to come. It was only now that he directly turned the tables and took the upper hand. They now wanted to leave, but they couldn¡¯t escape from the attack of so many elders. At that moment, regret overwhelmed Jin Lei. I was too impulsive! If I had known of this earlier, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have come over! Rong Xiu smiled slightly in acknowledgment. ¡°You¡¯re easier to trick than expected. It¡¯s a pity that the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s leader took so many years to nurture you and gave you such heavy responsibilities.¡± In the end, he had no brains. Jin Lei clenched his fists tightly, and countless thoughts flashed across his mind. His face gradually turned pale, and he quickly broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°He encouraged us!¡± Suddenly, a shrill voice came from the side. ¡°We originally wanted to compete with you fairly, but he coaxed us into forming an alliance!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªit¡¯s him! Everything is the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s fault! It has nothing to do with us!¡± ¡°Rong Xiu! Elders! You should go to the person who committed the crime. This is his¡ªJin Lei¡¯s fault!¡± At that moment, the people from the various clans turned around and changed the situation. Jin Lei was so furious that his entire body trembled, and he laughed out loud. ¡°Great, great! Since all of you have said so, then¡­ I won¡¯t be polite with you!¡± Once he said this, he suddenly hollered! The next moment, he forcefully struggled free from Rong Xiu¡¯s God Realm! At that moment, his skin cracked. Fresh blood flowed out! He rushed straight to Chu Liuyue! 1 Chapter 1197 - Supreme Yuan Instrument! Jin Lei¡¯s explosion was very sudden. Nobody expected it¡ªHe was still bitterly begging for mercy the previous moment, but the next second, the tides were suddenly turned as he went straight for Chu Liuyue! He did so in a very harsh manner as well! The moment Jin Lei rushed over, Chu Liuyue realized what he wanted to do. Her leg moved, and she quickly dodged him. It was most likely because Rong Xiu had set up a barrier around her, so even though she was situated within the God Realm, she didn¡¯t feel any impact and could move as freely as she wanted. This gave her a chance to avoid Jin Lei. But at this point, Jin Lei was maniacal¡ªthe fate of dying made him break down. When everyone turned around and pushed all the responsibility to him, he knew that he was dead! This matter had been spread far and wide. Ling Xiao Academy needed an explanation, and the participating clans had to push the responsibility away. Even for the Golden Wings Sect, the sect leader wouldn¡¯t be willing to go against Ling Xiao academy and the other clans like the Sky-Cloud Empire just because of him¡ªwho didn¡¯t bring anything back! Jin Lei just had to think to realize that he would definitely be the sacrificial lamb! The outcome had been set, and he had no other way. So in his maniacal state, he could only think of one way to protect himself¡ªhold a Ling Xiao Academy student hostage! Whoever that student was and what identity they had didn¡¯t matter. The most important thing was that it was impossible for Ling Xiao Academy to publicly give up on their student in front of so many people! They will definitely give in! These thoughts immediately popped up in Jin Lei¡¯s mind. Thus, he took action without hesitation. Even if forcefully escaping Rong Xiu¡¯s God Realm would cause him to be covered in wounds, he couldn¡¯t even save himself at this moment. Therefore, why would he think about anything else? ¡°Black-boned leopard!¡± As he rapidly got close to Chu Liuyue, he hollered and summoned his own fiend! To be more accurate, it was a legendary fiend! A short but stout black figure immediately appeared on command! It was a totally black leopard with only dark-green eyes that looked like ghoul fire, causing one to feel coldness from the bottom of their heart. It was even faster than Jin Lei! In the blink of an eye, it had already rushed behind Chu Liuyue! The human and fiend prepared to attack Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Hula! The sound of wings flapping could be heard. A bright-red, red-tailed phoenix appeared in front of everyone. It spread its wings, and the fire burned strongly! Everywhere it passed, everything was about to be burned! Seeing Tuan Zi, the black-boned leopard had a moment of hesitation and panic flash across its eyes. Within the God Residence Realm, there were quite a few legendary fiends. But even if they were both legendary fiends, they had differences in status. Among the many legendary fiends, the two ancient legendary fiend groups¡ªgreat phoenix dragon and red-gold heavenly phoenix¡ªwere in the lead. Those ranked after were the legendary fiends that had the same bloodline power as them. Accordingly, their status would be higher if their bloodline power was stronger. Even though the black-boned leopard was also a legendary fiend, it was still weak in comparison to Tuan Zi, who had an ancient legendary fiend¡¯s bloodline power. Fear and respect for the two major ancient legendary fiend groups were deeply buried in the black-boned leopard¡¯s bones, causing it to be petrified and want to concede. With this moment of hesitation, Tuan Zi had already struck first! Rumble! A ball of red fire flew out, going straight to the black-boned leopard! The black-boned leopard hurriedly avoided it, but a part of its tail was still burned. Tuan Zi directly leaned downward and rushed over! Its claws directly went for the black-boned leopard¡¯s eyes! The two legendary fiends quickly battled! Jin Lei¡¯s gaze had a moment of confusion. He didn¡¯t expect that this teen¡ªwho looked rather childish¡ªcould make an agreement with such a legendary fiend! Perhaps this Chu Yue isn¡¯t so easy to deal with! But at this point, Jin Lei had no other options. Hence, he didn¡¯t stop in his tracks and rushed toward Chu Liuyue! At the same time, he used all his strength to fight Rong Xiu¡¯s terrifying suppression as he forcefully raised his ax! Then, he chopped down harshly! ¡­ Ka! A small crack appeared on the golden barrier! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. While she quickly retreated, she kept circulating her bodily force. Bang! The barrier cracked! At this moment, the two of them were very close to each other! Jin Lei raised his ax and chopped down again! The empty air shook as the strong force crazily surged over! Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned sharp, and the murderous intent burned in his eyes! But at this moment, a strong light suddenly exploded in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. A golden ball of light rushed to the sky! ¡°It¡¯s the royal Yuan instrument!¡± Someone within the crowd gasped! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart shook. Royal Yuan instrument?! So they wanted to snatch this?! Following this, Chu Liuyue saw that the ball of light left behind a faint golden glow wherever it passed. Rong Xiu¡¯s golden God Realm silently disappeared. After seeing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened, and she suddenly realized that something was amiss. The suppression of the royal Yuan instrument is stronger than Rong Xiu¡¯s God Realm? She looked up. The ball of light gradually became gentler. From here, one could vaguely see that something seemed to be inside and moved with the golden light. The interior became increasingly clear. The more important thing was that the suppression rose crazily! The moment Jin Lei¡¯s ax chopped down, the sharp aura was affected by the ball of light and disappeared silently. Chu Liuyue sucked in her breath. This thing¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not a royal Yuan instrument!¡± Elder Shu Feng suddenly said in shock. ¡°That¡¯s a supreme Yuan instrument!¡± ¡­ Once he said this, everyone was shocked! Everyone¡ªincluding the elders of Ling Xiao Academy¡ªundoubtedly believed that the treasure at Ancient Feather Abyss would be a royal Yuan instrument. According to the history books of the academy, that Armory Refinement Master was a royal Armory Refinement Master back then. Nobody expected that the last item he left behind was a rumored supreme Yuan instrument! No wonder¡ªno wonder he fell not long after he made it. It was clearly because this item exhausted all his strength and energy! ¡­ In the deadly silence, Jin Lei was the first to react! On the brink of death, he unleashed all his potential! Without thinking, he directly rushed forward! Currently, the person closest to the supreme Yuan instrument is that kid and then me! As long as I can overtake the ignorant fool and take the supreme Yuan instrument, the situation can be saved! When Jin Lei thought of this, his gaze turned maniacal as he used all his strength to rush forward! The moment Jin Lei took action, Chu Liuyue moved as well! Rong Xiu handed the item to me, not for me to lose it! If it really lands in someone else¡¯s hands, I can¡¯t bear the responsibility! However, she quickly realized a problem¡ªunder the supreme Yuan instrument¡¯s terrifying strength, she couldn¡¯t instantly teleport! In this manner, she would be slower than Jin Lei. In no time, Jin Lei had already rushed forward! The two of them were inches apart! Jin Lei directly flung his ax and chopped toward Chu Liuyue! ¡°You want to fight with me? Dream on!¡± Chapter 1198 - Punch With Ones Full Effort! At this moment, the closest people to the supreme Yuan instrument were only Chu Liuyue and Jin Lei. Everyone¡¯s focus centered on who would be able to snatch the item! When they saw Jin Lei directly throw the ax toward Chu Liuyue, all the academy elders¡¯ expressions changed! ¡°Chu Yue!¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s heart harshly sank! That kid is just an intermediate stage-seven warrior! How can he be Jin Lei¡¯s match?! If he gets hit, I¡¯m afraid¡ª Elder Wen Xi and the rest were also anxious. At this point, nobody could take action in time. Everything¡­ depended on Chu Yue alone! ¡­ When Chu Liuyue saw Jin Lei, she knew that he was a legendary warrior. He was a legendary warrior that had completely stepped into the Apotheosis Realm! This standard was much, much higher than her. Even she knew clearly that she was bound to die if she fought with such a person! However, the two of them were so close¡ªnobody could help her! She had to take this hit! Seeing the cold ax that was rapidly flying toward her, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hesitate as she brought out her greatest combat power! But at that moment, her body was rapidly covered by a layer of gold armor! At the same time, a black shield stood before her! Jin Lei disregarded this and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°This ax is an advanced legendary weapon, and it¡¯s extremely sharp. Don¡¯t think that you can randomly take out a broken shield to¡ª¡± Tsing! The two items hit each other! Before Jin Lei could finish his remaining words, his originally delighted expression suddenly became shocked and disbelieving. This was because his ax didn¡¯t break the black shield! Instead, it was bounced back by the intense impact! Whish! He quickly avoided it! That ax scraped past his face, actually cutting off half his ear! The intense pain overwhelmed him as his face started to bleed profusely! In addition to his pale face, he was in a more unkempt state! This wasn¡¯t enough. The strong wind blew past him and also slowed him down. The distance between him and Chu Liuyue increased again! ¡°You¡ª¡± Jin Lei stared at Chu Liuyue in anger and shock. He held his ear with one hand while in disbelief about what had happened. A teen that wasn¡¯t even in his twenties could actually resist his attack and even counter-attack to take the upper hand! One had to know that Jin Lei had used all his strength to ensure that the attack would hit the teen! Humiliated! Ridiculous! Then, the young man revealed his face from behind the black shield. His clean and handsome face was pale as blood came out from the corner of his mouth¡ªhe wasn¡¯t totally unaffected by the previous exchange, but he was still complete in the end! Jin Lei couldn¡¯t describe his current feelings. He looked at the black shield in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand with shock and anger. This item clearly is problematic! Ever since I got that ax, I have almost been completely victorious! I have also never lost! No matter how strong something is or how thick the barrier Is, I could easily chop it down with the ax. Didn¡¯t it happen to the barrier Rong Xiu put up previously? However, such a sharp ax had no use on that black shield! Jin Lei took a closer look and realized that he didn¡¯t even leave a trace on it! This is definitely not a normal Yuan instrument! Detecting his maniacal gaze, Chu Liuyue immediately became alert as her entire body tensed up. The other party is much stronger than me, and I almost couldn¡¯t withstand the previous impact. If it happens again, my arm will be rendered useless! She swiftly rushed toward the thing above! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± she yelled loudly! A red figure instantly came closer¡ªit was Tuan Zi, who had just attacked the black-boned leopard! Its claws still had some flesh stuck in it. It was left behind when Tuan Zi scratched the black-boned leopard¡¯s face! Chu Liuyue leaped up and jumped onto Tuan Zi¡¯s back. Whoosh! Tuan Zi flapped its wings, and its speed suddenly increased! Jin Lei instinctively turned around to take a look. The black-boned leopard could no longer be recognized as its face and body were badly mangled. Quite a few parts of its body were still burning as it rolled around in agony, trying hard to extinguish the fire. But how could a red-tailed phoenix¡¯s fire be so easily extinguished? As if detecting Jin Lei¡¯s gaze, the black-boned leopard looked up. The cold violence in its eyes had disappeared, replaced by overwhelming desire and hope. Now, only its owner could help it! But the next moment, Jin Lei forcefully retracted his gaze and rushed toward Chu Liuyue! At this time, he had already crossed the bridge and couldn¡¯t even protect himself. Thus, how could he still care about someone else? The black-boned leopard was useless and couldn¡¯t help him anymore. He could only abandon it! Seeing Jin Lei¡¯s actions, the black-boned leopard¡¯s last complete eyeball moved. It was left with miserable hopelessness as it whimpered with grievances. However, Jin Lei ignored it as he circulated all his strength. He hoped that he could snatch the supreme Yuan instrument before Chu Liuyue. Imagination was perfect, but reality was cruel. He quickly realized that the previous battle he experienced had exhausted more than half of his strength. He also couldn¡¯t catch up with the red-tailed phoenix! The distance between the two parties became increasingly larger! This made Jin Lei more and more anxious. If I can¡¯t even grab this last chance, I will have to stay here forever! After much thinking, he clenched his teeth and made a bold decision. Since I¡¯m bound to die, why don¡¯t I take a gamble!? Even if I die, I can still drag someone down! Thinking of this, a strange pattern suddenly appeared on his forehead¡ªit was the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s totem! When the totem appeared, Jin Lei¡¯s surrounding force increased! It started intensifying at an abnormal speed! An elder suddenly gasped. ¡°Oh no! He¡¯s burning his own bloodline power!¡± The disciples of the Golden Wings Sect naturally had bloodline power, but their bloodline power was different from what was passed down in other aristocratic families. Most of them attained their bloodline power through cultivation or other means, and this was the most important criterion to secure their foothold in the clan. The greater one¡¯s bloodline power, the higher their power, and the more authority they had in the clan. Jin Lei had now activated his totem and burned the bloodline power that he managed to accumulate with much difficulty. This proved that he was prepared to risk everything! Chu Yue was in danger! But once this was said, the crowd saw that Rong Xiu had already taken action! Rong Xiu lifted his long legs and went close to Jin Lei! He had no expression as if his face were covered in a layer of frost that was chilling to the bone. This made one undoubtedly think that he had already decided to kill Jin Lei! Chapter 1199 - Weapon Soul Detecting the cold murderous intent that came from behind, Jin Lei instinctively turned around. He then took one glance at Rong Xiu and couldn¡¯t help shuddering. A deep sense of fear suddenly emerged from the bottom of his heart! Why¡­ Why does Rong Xiu suddenly have such a strong murderous intent toward me?! We¡¯ve been fighting for so long, but Rong Xiu has been calm and nonchalant throughout, as if everything had nothing to do with him. That or he didn¡¯t even take those matters to heart. Even if Rong Xiu tried his best to take action and restrain us, he didn¡¯t show much emotion. But at this moment, he suddenly became like this¡­ Jin Lei really couldn¡¯t understand. The lack of time and the danger of death caused him to be unable to think about this matter carefully. The only thing he could do was rush toward Chu Liuyue at an even faster speed! Either I get the supreme Yuan instrument, or I hold that Chu Yue hostage! ¡­ Chu Liuyue flew upward with Tuan Zi. At this point, the supreme Yuan instrument had already stopped. It floated in the air quietly, and a faint layer of light enveloped it. Chu Liuyue could forcefully see the outline of the item inside from her position. It seems like¡­ a sword?! The closer she was, the better she could feel the suppression coming from it! Chu Liuyue held her breath. This sword¡¯s aura is much stronger than that of the Long Yuan Sword! The Long Yuan Sword was personally made by Ancestor back then, and it took a total of 81 bolts of lightning. It can be considered an advanced Yuan instrument. Even in the God Residence Realm, the Long Yuan Sword is definitely a treasure worth taking notice of. Only after coming to the academy did Chu Liuyue realize that Shangguan Jing had outstanding talent in Armory Refinement even though he hadn¡¯t been able to break through to become a true god. But every time she asked about this, Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it further. After one or two attempts, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask further. The sword in front of me is a supreme Yuan instrument, and it is two entire grades higher than the Long Yuan Sword! Its strength is unspeakable! ¡°Girlie, this supreme Yuan instrument has no weapon soul. You can obtain it!¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from the bottom of her heart. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Weapon soul?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only something a Yuan instrument above the royal grade has. I¡¯ll explain it to you in detail later! Right now, you must obtain it!¡± The Long Yuan Sword was decent, but it couldn¡¯t be compared to this item! It was rare for Chu Liuyue to hear her ancestor this agitated, so she pressed her lips against each other. ¡°Ancestor, please guide me.¡± ¡°The Long Yuan Sword has a sword soul. Although it can¡¯t be compared to a weapon soul¡­ With me around, I can help you! You just have to find the right time to transfer the sword soul to that sword!¡± Such a chance was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! However, Chu Liuyue was rather hesitant. ¡°But¡­ Ancestor, this supreme Yuan instrument is the academy¡¯s item. It doesn¡¯t seem to be very appropriate for me to take it as my own.¡± Hearing what they said previously, the academy had sent out quite a few people and used up a large portion of their manpower to get this item. If I do this now, I won¡¯t be able to get over myself. Originally, this matter didn¡¯t have much to do with me. I¡¯m only here because I was worried about Rong Xiu. When it was dangerous earlier, Rong Xiu passed the Yuan instrument to me without hesitation so that I could protect it well. But if I take the chance to obtain it for myself¡­ Shangguan Jing was dazed for a moment, but his voice then turned much calmer. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was impulsive.¡± He was emotional when he detected that the supreme Yuan instrument had no weapon soul, so he didn¡¯t think so far. But after hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, and after he thought about it deeply, he felt that she made sense. ¡°Although a supreme Yuan instrument is very rare¡­ we can just act according to what you say,¡± comforted Shangguan Jing. It wasn¡¯t that he had no regrets¡ªeven he had only heard about supreme Yuan instruments. Now that such a rare treasure was right in front of her, Chu Liuyue chose to give it up. With her intelligence, it was impossible that she didn¡¯t know what this meant. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re the Shangguan clan¡¯s pride.¡± Shangguan sighed with extreme emotion. With such a mentality, she will have nothing to worry about in the future. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Ancestor. I¡¯ll keep it first.¡± At this moment, Tuan Zi had already reached the ball of light. Chu Liuyue jumped down! She didn¡¯t know how it flew out previously, so Chu Liuyue planned on letting it return to her Cosmic Ring. But at this moment, Jin Lei suddenly approached! ¡°Die!¡± At that moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair stood on end! After countless experiences on the brink of death, she had trained her instincts. She turned around almost without hesitation! Jin Lei¡¯s fist burning with his bloodline power was right before her! Chu Liuyue raised her sword, and the holy force within her dantian immediately surged out! Rumble! The Long Yuan Sword suddenly exploded with a strong aura! ¡°Holy power?!¡± Jin Lei was taken aback. Is this young man really a legendary warrior?! He had no time to think further, so he used all his force! The reason why he dared to fight with Chu Liuyue bare-handed was that he had a layer of scales on his fist. Although he hadn¡¯t completely produced his own Holy Body, he had finished forging this hand! This also meant that this punch was equivalent to a true Holy Body! Thus, Jin Lei was extremely confident. Tsing! The Long Yuan Sword and Jin Lei¡¯s fist met! Chapter 1200 - Hug After a temporary silence, excruciating pain rushed up from his hand! Jin Lei had a stunned expression for a moment. Whoosh! The sound of the sword piercing through his skin and flesh made one¡¯s teeth tremble. Jin Lei could even feel the sharp sword tip scraping past his bones! Panic finally surfaced in his eyes, and he rapidly retreated! However¡­ how could he come and go as he pleased? Chu Liuyue stared at him coldly and sharply! At the same time, she held the hilt tightly and advanced further! Helpless, Jin Lei could only turn his fist into a palm as he forcefully grabbed the blade! Without a doubt, this scraped off another portion of his flesh. Blood kept flowing down from his hands and down the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s black sword body. The excruciating pain caused his face to turn white. The next moment, he clenched his teeth, held onto the Long Yuan Sword, and harshly flung it away! Even though the current Jin Lei was at the end of his wits, he was still a legendary warrior. A starving camel was still bigger than a horse. At her highest speed, Chu Liuyue circulated the holy force in her body and punched Jin Lei. However, she still couldn¡¯t be compared to Jin Lei in many aspects. It was like now¡ªwhen Jin Lei hurled out a punch with all his might maniacally, he instantly caused Chu Liuyue to lose her balance. Her body flung to the side! A golden ray of light rapidly flew over as the gentle and strong strength gave Chu Liuyue support, allowing her to stabilize herself swiftly. But at this moment, a tiny collision was heard by her ear. Chu Liuyue instinctively turned around¡ªit turned out that when she was flung out and struggling, the Long Yuan Sword she held hit the ball of light¡¯s side accidentally. The tip of the sword had pierced an inch into the ball of light. That sound was made when the tip of the Long Yuan Sword touched the sword within. Crisp, clear, melodious¡ªonce one heard it, one would definitely know that it was a good sword! If it were any other time, Chu Liuyue would definitely be elated when she saw this treasure and heard this noise. It was even better if she had a chance to examine it closely. But at this point, her heart suddenly skipped a beat as Shangguan Jing¡¯s words suddenly surfaced in her mind: The supreme Yuan instrument doesn¡¯t have a weapon soul! Chu Liuyue hurriedly wanted to retrieve the Long Yuan Sword! But with her attempt, she realized that the Long Yuan Sword seemed to be stuck to that sword¡ªit didn¡¯t move at all! At the same time, she clearly felt that something was flowing out of the Long Yuan Sword and kept going into the supreme Yuan instrument! As the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s owner, Chu Liuyue knew too clearly what it was: sword soul! The strength accumulated within the Long Yuan Sword started turning away crazily! This time, Chu Liuyue was truly shocked. She never expected such a blunder to happen! She increased her strength and wanted to take the Long Yuan Sword away, but it was to no avail. The sword within the ball of light was extremely strong! It was crazily snatching the thing within the Long Yuan Sword! At this point, she clearly felt that she couldn¡¯t control this scene. ¡­ The others didn¡¯t notice Chu Liuyue¡¯s situation. When Jin Lei saw that Chu Liuyue was standing still without moving, he thought that she was beaten up silly. He immediately wanted to take the upper hand and attack again! But the moment he took a step out, he suddenly felt a gust of cold intent attack him. He stiffened his neck and looked down. An extremely thin golden line shook slightly in mid-air. It had a bloodstain on it, which was thick and red. Enormous horror overwhelmed Jin Lei¡¯s heart. He turned around and saw that half his shin had been silently cut! He didn¡¯t even hear the sound of his bones breaking as everything had happened too quickly! The next moment, that half of his shin suddenly dropped down under his gaze. He looked up in shock and saw that Rong Xiu had arrived near him. But as he was too focused on battling Chu Liuyue, he didn¡¯t notice the latter at all. Rong Xiu stood in mid-air, and a layer of frost covered his unparalleled appearance. His deep pair of eyes seemed like a lake frozen for a thousand years¡ªjust one look could freeze a whole person! That was an intense murderous intent! Rong Xiu stood with one hand behind his back as his other hand was wrapped around a golden string¡ªit was exactly the one that cut off Jin Lei¡¯s shin! Jin Lei¡¯s face flushed white as his dry lips trembled. ¡°I¡­¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s long fingers moved slightly, and that golden string instantly turned into countless sharp light blades that flew toward Jin Lei! ¡°No¡ª¡± Detecting the danger, Jin Lei wanted to beg for mercy, but he felt his throat turn cold. Warm blood suddenly flowed out¡ªhis throat was cut! Jin Lei raised his hand in panic, wanting to cover the wound on his throat, but he realized that his hand had dropped off. Then, it was his lower arm and upper arm. Excruciating pain could be felt all over his body. Jin Lei opened his mouth, but there was only the sound of the wind. He knew that his body was slowly disintegrating. He could even feel his surrounding blood flow out and rapidly turn cold! Jin Lei widened his eyes and shot Rong Xiu a deadly stare. His eyes then exploded, turning into smoke silently. Countless people saw this hell-like scene, and they were all taken aback. This was what it meant to kill someone by dismembering their body! When they looked at Rong Xiu again, quite a few people¡¯s thoughts had changed. Rong Xiu was able to kill him with such a harsh method, yet he looks so calm and nonchalant. This man is really too terrifying! But the next moment, they saw an even more shocking scene¡ªthe young man standing next to the ball of light fainted suddenly. And the moment he fell, Rong Xiu went to his side and hugged his waist. Chapter 1201 - Its Yours It was as if Chu Liuyue had a very long dream. In the dream, she seemed to be continuously struggling with some person. She couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s appearance or figure clearly. She didn¡¯t even know if the one going against her was a person. There was only an extremely strong force that gripped onto her tightly, flinging her forward. She tried her best to retreat, wanting to escape, but her body was still dragged forward uncontrollably. Finally, she saw a gigantic abyss appear in front of her! She looked down and knew that she definitely couldn¡¯t go there! Even if she didn¡¯t see anything and didn¡¯t know what it contained, her sharp instincts told her that it was dangerous! Her feet were glued to the ground as she wanted to open her mouth to scream, but everything was to no avail. She was like a struggling fish in the desert, and what awaited her was only endless darkness and death! Finally, she was still dragged to the edge of the black abyss! One of her feet had already slipped into that space! ¡°No, no!¡± The room was silent, so her sleep mutters were especially clear. Rong Xiu had been sitting by the bed and holding her hand. Seeing that she seemed to awaken, he heaved a slight sigh of relief, but his heart ached again when he saw her pained and struggling expression. She tightly furrowed her brows as if she were suffering immense pain, and she kept muttering. Rong Xiu held her hand tightly and leaned in closer to peck her forehead. Then, he hugged her and allowed her head to rest on his chest as his other hand gently patted her hand to coax her gently and patiently. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I¡¯m here.¡± Hearing this low whisper, Chu Liuyue seemed to finally be at ease as her brows relaxed. After a while, she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry. She closed her eyes and clearly saw everything in front of her after she gradually adjusted to the surrounding light. This was an unfamiliar house¡ªthe interior of the house was clean and tidy. Although there weren¡¯t many objects, those on display were extremely precious. Everywhere had a hint of discreet elegance. Chu Liuyue immediately recovered her senses. This isn¡¯t my house! That¡¯s not right! Wasn¡¯t I outside just now¡ª ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice came from the top of her head. Chu Liuyue raised her head and gazed at him dazedly. The two of them stared at each other. Her eyes were especially beautiful, and they always sparkled with a cunning light. Perhaps it was because she had experienced too much or because she hadn¡¯t recovered her senses, but a layer of mist seemed to cover her eyes at this moment. They were blurry and unclear, with a hint of confusion in them. ¡°Senior Brother¡­ Rong Xiu?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him and instinctively called. She also didn¡¯t forget to add the two words at the front. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes instantly darkened¡ªthey were so dark that one couldn¡¯t see the bottom of them. His gaze was very dangerous as if he were suppressing something, but his actions were especially gentle. After a moment, he stopped in his actions, pinched her chin, and tilted her head up slightly. After taking a closer look, he then nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Mm, you shouldn¡¯t be able to tell.¡± Even though he really wanted to continue, he still restrained himself when he thought of the group of people waiting outside. Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella twitched. At this point, she had already recalled everything that happened before she fainted. She recalled that she was originally fighting that man, but he flung her away. Then, the Long Yuan Sword hit against the supreme Yuan instrument, and the sword soul started moving toward it. Then, as she couldn¡¯t withstand the suppression caused by that process, she fainted. Afterward¡ª ¡°Where¡¯s the Yuan instrument?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and grabbed Rong Xiu¡¯s arm. ¡°That sword¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That item is fine.¡± Rong Xiu knew what she wanted to ask and immediately gave a reply. His tone was calm with his usual nonchalance as if he were narrating a very simple matter. No matter what, he always seemed to be this calm and composed. Chu Liuyue was affected by him, and she felt more at ease. She heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great. That¡¯s great¡­¡± I thought that it¡ª ¡°The owner of that item left a notebook in the academy previously. I¡¯ll go and help you find it later.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s sudden sentence confused Chu Liuyue. Owner? Notebook? What do I need that for? Seeing her reaction, Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly and squinted his phoenix eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started beating rapidly. Wait, it can¡¯t be¡ª ¡°You still don¡¯t know?¡± said Rong Xiu in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°That supreme Yuan instrument has already recognized you as its owner.¡± 1 ¡°¡­¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slowly. ¡°For some reason, it had a missing weapon soul. Your Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword soul successfully entered it, causing it to become your Yuan instrument as well,¡± explained Rong Xiu slowly. ¡°Logically speaking, your sword¡¯s sword soul shouldn¡¯t be able to control the supreme Yuan instrument. The only possibility was that it completely consumed and destroyed it, but¡­ For some reason, the sword soul suddenly became the master in the end¡­ It¡¯s also one of the reasons why you fainted. The moment the two forces clashed, you couldn¡¯t handle it and thus fainted.¡± Chu Liuyue clearly heard every single word that Rong Xiu said and understood each of them on its own, but she was confused when the words were joined together. To be more accurate, she was taken aback by the matter¡¯s entire process. I really didn¡¯t think of taking that item as my own! Back then, I talked to Ancestor about this and clearly planned on leaving it for the academy. However, why did it become mine in the end? Rong Xiu gently stroked her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Back then, everybody saw clearly that you didn¡¯t mean to occupy it on purpose but that you unintentionally hit it when they attacked you. Additionally, nobody knew that the supreme Yuan instrument had no weapon soul¡­ Everything was just a coincidence, so the elders won¡¯t blame you.¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue finally found her own voice. She asked with much difficulty, ¡°Then¡­ where are we now? Where are the elders¡­?¡± Rong Xiu said, ¡°Oh, we¡¯re at my house now. Elder Shu Feng and the rest are waiting in the living room.¡± The gaze Chu Liuyue shot at him became strange instantly. ¡°So how did we¡ª¡± ¡°I carried you back.¡± Chapter 1202 - Finding Excuses for Him Those few sentences contained so much information that Chu Liuyue found it hard to process everything right away. She fell silent for a moment. With much difficulty, I managed to get the supreme Yuan instrument back. Then, Rong Xiu carried the unconscious me back to his room. And while we¡¯re staying in here, the elders are currently waiting outside¡­ Chu Liuyue massaged her temples, no longer seeing a need for her to go out. Judging by the situation, she felt like she might die if she stepped out of the room. Knock, knock. A young man was then heard speaking carefully. ¡°Rong Xiu, is Chu Yue awake? Elder Wan Zheng and the others are very worried. They would like to come in and take a look at him if he still hasn¡¯t come around.¡± While Chu Liuyue was at a loss for what to do, Rong Xiu burst out chuckling when he saw the pitiful expression on her face. It was only a moment later that he raised his voice a little and said, ¡°Go tell the elders that he¡¯s awake. I¡¯ll bring him out after he gets some rest.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± answered the young man respectfully before leaving right away. Meanwhile, Chu Liuyue closed her eyes in despair. ¡°Are you sure I won¡¯t get beaten to death if I go out?¡± ¡°Who would dare to do that?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows, but despite his smiling expression, his voice sounded a bit intimidating and domineering. It was gone in a flash though. He got off the bed and then carried Chu Liuyue out from the blanket. ¡°Do you want to dress up on your own, or do you need my help?¡± He had removed her outer shirt earlier so that she could get some proper rest. And although her inner clothes remained intact, the question sounded somewhat ambiguous coming from him. ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to crack jokes with me?¡± Chu Liuyue shot a glare in his direction. I don¡¯t even know how I should deal with the elders when I step out later! Rong Xiu kissed her on the cheek before reluctantly putting her down on her feet and saying with a smile, ¡°I guess you¡¯re really worried about how the elders are going to punish you. This is rare.¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had just put on her outer shirt and was just about to tidy her hair¡ªturned to look at him when she heard that. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up in amusement. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. What happened with the supreme Yuan instrument is purely an accident¡ªit wasn¡¯t intentional on your part. Besides, it¡¯s only right that I stay behind to take care of you since you rescued me just now.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was slightly put at ease when she knew that Rong Xiu would be around, although she was actually thinking about how she was going to face the elders¡¯ interrogation later. There were so many things she needed to explain after all. After taking a deep breath, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ It was quiet in the hall, with the elders sitting in line based on their seniority. Wei Xiping and the others had long been sent back, and those currently present were all important members of Ling Xiao Academy. Even Elder Bo Yan¡ªwho wasn¡¯t involved in the matter outside¡ªwas here too. Nobody spoke, and everyone had varying complicated expressions on their faces. While a few people would occasionally glance in Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s direction, the latter pretended not to notice it. It wasn¡¯t like he was in the mood to care about what they thought either. His mind was currently filled with images from before. He had been feeling very proud and smug about the fact that he had taken in a genius disciple, but it was only now that he realized that said disciple wasn¡¯t so simple. On top of that, his disciple was a real troublemaker. Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t know what excuse he could find to get his disciple out of this mess. Just then, footsteps were heard coming from outside. Everyone in the hall immediately looked up, only to see two figures walking over toward them one after another. In the lead was Rong Xiu¡ªwho had already changed his clothes. Walking a step behind him was Chu Yue, who everyone was waiting for. Countless eyes were pinned on them¡ªmore specifically, on Chu Yue¡ªas the two entered the hall. Rong Xiu typically tended to be the center of attention whenever he appeared in the academy, so it was very rare for people to ignore his presence like this. Even with her eyes slightly looking down, Chu Liuyue could feel the eyes boring into her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep everyone waiting.¡± Calmly and politely, Rong Xiu paid a bow to the elders. Chu Liuyue did the same and greeted them. ¡°I, Chu Yue, pay my respects to everyone here.¡± Seeing how nobody responded to her, Chu Liuyue had the intensifying feeling that the situation was a little bad. But fortunately for her, Elder Bo Yan was the first person to speak. ¡°Take a seat, Rong Xiu.¡± Rong Xiu shook his head and replied with a smile, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to¡ªnot when all the elders are here.¡± Knowing the kind of person Rong Xiu was like, Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t bother to insist on it. The former¡¯s character was such; he acted according to his wishes, and it was useless for anyone to say anything about it. Hence, Elder Bo Yan turned his attention to Chu Liuyue instead. It was the first time he was studying this freshman from such proximity. Although he had a deep impression of Chu Yue, he had never taken a good look at the latter before. However, there was no way he couldn¡¯t do that today. He was actually quite familiar with the name Chu Yue since the latter had actually successfully passed the monthly examination, become Wan Zheng¡¯s disciple, and got locked up in Fengmin Mountain on his first day of school. Any of those accomplishments were enough to make a deep impression, not to mention the trouble he had caused today. ¡°Chu Yue?¡± Elder Bo Yan stroked his beard calmly. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m much better now. Thank you for your concern, Elder Bo Yan.¡± A snort was heard coming from the side just then. ¡°Are you sure he was showing concern for you? And not because you usurped the supreme Yuan instrument for yourself¡ª¡± ¡°Guan He.¡± Elder Bo Yan raised his voice slightly and shot a look of warning at him. Elder Guan He angrily turned his head away with a snort in response. He didn¡¯t bother to hide the fact that he was reproaching Chu Yue. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? We planned for months, gathered people from everywhere, and finally managed to wait until that sword emerged. It didn¡¯t even manage to make it past the school entrance, and it became his! No matter what, I demand an explanation from him!¡± Elder Bo Yan frowned and was just about to say something when Rong Xiu suddenly spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re not entirely correct, Elder Guan He. It¡¯s true that supreme Yuan instruments are hard to come by, and it¡¯s also true that it has now become Chu Yue¡¯s possession. However, you can¡¯t blame him for that.¡± Elder Guan He¡¯s expression changed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re finding excuses for him, Rong Xiu. You suffered a lot to bring that thing back, but it ended up¡ª¡± The weapon had been in Rong Xiu¡¯s possession, and he was the one who had been besieged, so he naturally had the most say among everyone here. With a smile, Rong Xiu explained, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to find excuses for him. What I said is true.¡± Chapter 1203 - : How Did You Open the Barrier? ¡°Several elders were present at the time, so I believe that they saw what happened clearly. Chu Yue was just trying to get the weapon back and not let it fall into Jin Lei¡¯s hands; he didn¡¯t mean to keep it for himself. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if Jin Lei didn¡¯t launch a counter-attack and Chu Yue didn¡¯t accidentally bump into him,¡± explained Rong Xiu in a calm and relatively objective manner. A few elders expressed their agreement as well. ¡°He¡¯s right. That was indeed what happened back then.¡± ¡°I can vouch that Chu Yue didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± Elder Guan He frowned and retorted, ¡°You can¡¯t just look at the surface of the matter! That¡¯s a supreme Yuan instrument after all! The Golden Wings Sect¡¯s people went out of their way to chase us all the way to Fangzhou City. Who¡¯s to know if he would take advantage of the situation to get the weapon?¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore. ¡°What do you mean by that, Guan He?¡± ¡°Everyone knows what I mean. Chu Yue, don¡¯t you know best why the matter ended up like this?¡± Elder Guan He wasn¡¯t convinced by Rong Xiu¡¯s explanation. ¡°Although this matter was strictly kept as a secret at first, many people in the academy found out about it when the chase ended up in Fangzhou. I¡¯m sure Elder Bo Yan can testify to this, right?¡± Elder Bo Yan paused. ¡°Some people might¡¯ve inadvertently gotten wind of the matter¡­ But this can¡¯t be considered proof against Chu Yue.¡± ¡°Hmph! Why would he take such a risk if he wasn¡¯t driven by interest? In my opinion, he had it all planned out from the start; otherwise, how did he suddenly appear at Rong Xiu¡¯s side? Also, how could it be so coincidental that the supreme Yuan instrument didn¡¯t have a weapon soul and that his sword soul just so happened to take advantage of this opportunity to occupy it?!¡± The crowd fell silent once more. Even Elder Wan Zheng was unable to say anything in Chu Yue¡¯s defense, for it was indeed too much of a coincidence that one couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. All of a sudden, Rong Xiu asked, ¡°Elder Guan He, do you know what cultivation level Jin Lei had reached?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Elder Guan He was stumped by the question. Although he wasn¡¯t outside at the time and didn¡¯t spar with any of those people, he had more or less heard a thing or two. ¡°True god.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªhe was indeed a true god. In fact, he had also managed to form half of his Holy Body.¡± The elders weren¡¯t surprised by that. It was only normal that one would try to form their Holy Body as soon as possible after breaking through to become a true god. ¡°Then, do you know what Chu Yue¡¯s current cultivation level is?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Surprise appeared on Guan He¡¯s face for a moment before he said in irritation, ¡°He¡¯s just a freshman, and it¡¯s not like he¡¯s my disciple. How would I know that?¡± Rong Xiu glanced at Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, I believe you¡ªChu Yue¡¯s master¡ªshould know best, right?¡± Elder Wan Zheng hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Intermediate stage-seven.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Elder Guan He refuted immediately. ¡°He unleashed a holy force! How could he only be an intermediate stage-seven warrior?!¡± I heard this from several elders, so it can¡¯t be false! ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± said Elder Wen Xi. With a rare solemn expression, he said, ¡°It was I who conducted the entrance assessment on him. He was only a beginner stage-seven warrior at the time, so I believe that he reached the intermediate stage just recently. I can guarantee this with my name.¡± Elder Guan He was rendered speechless since it must be true if Elder Wen Xi said so. ¡°T-then, what was that holy force about?!¡± The elders looked at Chu Liuyue in unison. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho finally had the chance to speak¡ªsighed internally before explaining, ¡°I got that holy force from¡­ an elder some time ago.¡± Of course, she couldn¡¯t say that she had snatched it over. It was quiet in the hall once more, with the elders looking at each other. This reason seems to make sense¡­ After all, Wen Xi and Wan Zheng have no need to lie about this for the sake of a student. ¡°Well, nobody foresaw that the supreme Yuan instrument had no weapon soul,¡± said Elder Shu Feng out of nowhere. ¡°We saw it emerge with our own two eyes and even tried to bring it back, but we never discovered anything amiss with it. If we didn¡¯t know about it, then all the more Chu Yue¡ªwho had been in the academy¡ªwas clueless about it. I doubt that he had planned for this. Besides, I saw the sword he owned¡ªit was an advanced Yuan instrument. By right, the sword soul hidden in it shouldn¡¯t be able to occupy a supreme Yuan instrument, but it still did. I think¡­ Chu Yue probably has an affinity with the supreme Yuan instrument in the first place!¡± Elder Shu Feng was very open-minded about it. ¡°Honestly speaking, the reason why we tried so hard on this mission was just so that we could bring it back to the academy and not let it go to someone else. Although the sword now belongs to Chu Yue, he¡¯s a student of the academy. In a way, the sword is still back in the academy. It¡¯s also not a bad thing that someone managed to inherit the legacy, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Many elders nodded their heads in agreement as what Elder Shu Feng said made sense. Besides, now that the weapon had acknowledged Chu Yue as its owner, it would only regain its freedom if Chu Yue was dead. They couldn¡¯t possibly kill Chu Yue, could they? He was a student of the academy after all, a very promising one at that. Most importantly, he wasn¡¯t entirely at fault for what happened. At the very least, he had helped Rong Xiu, which was an incredible feat itself. Elder Guan He¡¯s expression changed, but he didn¡¯t say any more about the matter and merely just let out a snort. Elder Bo Yan, on the other hand, appeared a lot gentler than before when he looked over. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chu Yue. Let¡¯s just accept the reality since it has already happened! However, you have to work hard in your cultivation from now on. Don¡¯t destroy the reputations of the school and that elder.¡± Does that mean¡­ he¡¯s not going to pursue the matter? Chu Liuyue gleefully answered, ¡°Thank you, Elder Bo Yan! I¡¯ll bear that in mind!¡± She thought that this matter was quite tricky at first, but it ended up getting resolved rather smoothly, although this was perhaps due to the help of Rong Xiu, Elder Wan Zheng, and a few other elders. When the elders didn¡¯t ask why Rong Xiu had carried her back and spent so long in the room with her, she figured that this matter was nothing in comparison to the supreme Yuan instrument. Thus, not many people paid attention to it. But just as she heaved a sigh of relief, she heard somebody calling her name from the side, making her heart leap to her mouth again. ¡°Chu Yue.¡± The person calling her name was Elder Hua Feng. He had been silently watching her ever since she entered the hall, and it was only now that he addressed her. Elder Hua Feng sat straight up and looked into her eyes as if he wanted to see through all her thoughts. In a clear manner, he asked, ¡°How did you manage to get past the academy¡¯s barrier?¡± 2 Chapter 1204 - As Expected of the Woman I Love The hall was filled with silence as soon as the question was posed. Many people¡ªwho had never realized this problem because their attention had been on the supreme Yuan instrument¡ªwere suddenly aware of it. That¡¯s right! That¡¯s a very important question! The barrier has always been heavily guarded, and it¡¯s all the more so today. After we realized that the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s people had chased us all the way to Fangzhou, we sent several elders out to provide assistance and guard the barrier. Nobody can easily get past the barrier, but Chu Yue¡­ somehow did it! Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Chu Liuyue, their gaze filled with suspicion and scrutiny. The atmosphere was tense as if the air around them was frozen. ¡°According to the elders guarding the barrier, they didn¡¯t feel any unusual activity at the time.¡± Elder Hua Feng stared closely at her. ¡°Only the Xuan Master elders responsible for guarding the barrier can open the barrier without raising any commotion, so how did you manage to do that?¡± It should be known that all students of the academy had to report to the elders when entering and exiting the barrier. If not, their black jade plaque would emit a warning sound and leave behind evidence when they attempted to cross the barrier. However, that didn¡¯t happen to Chu Yue. It was like he suddenly appeared outside the barrier, and he even managed to get past all the obstacles and arrived next to Rong Xiu in a flash. All of this would be explainable if she were a true god, but she was only an intermediate stage-seven warrior. The fact that a freshman¡ªwho had only entered the academy less than a month ago¡ªwas able to do this was suspicious. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was tense as she looked down at the ground in front of her, trying to quickly come up with a reasonable explanation. She didn¡¯t think so much when she was exiting the school premises, for she had been so worried about Rong Xiu at the time. But from the time she had regained her consciousness, she knew that the elders would surely question her about this. Part of her worries stemmed from this. How should I explain this matter? Do I have to say that I learned it from a fragmented memory of mine? That¡¯s just making things worse! I obviously used to be a student here, or I wouldn¡¯t have had those memories. But how am I going to explain things clearly to them when I can¡¯t remember anything from that time? Besides, not many students would know how to open the barrier, and that would make my identity even more suspicious. It was so quiet in the hall that one could¡¯ve heard a pin drop, and everyone¡¯s breath was held. Even Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knitted together. ¡°Chu Yue, you¡­ What exactly happened? Just tell us what you know.¡± Chu Yue was his student after all. It¡¯d be a lie to say that he didn¡¯t feel bad for him and that he wasn¡¯t biased toward him. Even now, he still wanted to believe in his student, even though the latter seemed really suspicious. ¡°I¡¯ll believe you no matter what.¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Chu Liuyue looked up in surprise and saw Elder Wan Zheng sitting in the chair with one hand on the armrest and the other hand tightly clenched in front of him. She could see the nervousness and worry in him. Despite the hints of resignation in his eyes, there was even more gentleness and leniency in the way he looked at her, and it warmed her heart. ¡°Wan Zheng, it doesn¡¯t matter if you believe him or not,¡± said Elder Guan He after keeping quiet for a while. ¡°I told you that this kid has a problem. Why don¡¯t you believe me? There¡¯s no way he¡¯d do all those things if he¡¯s really an ordinary student as well as an ordinary intermediate stage-seven warrior! Even if he¡¯s your disciple, you have to open your eyes wide, Wan Zheng!¡± Elder Wan Zheng clenched his fists even tighter, but his gaze remained on Chu Liuyue. Understanding that everyone was waiting for her explanation, she took a deep breath and opened her mouth¡­ ¡°I taught her that,¡± said Rong Xiu before she had the chance to say anything. Chu Liuyue looked at him in shock, only to see him standing calmly with his hands behind his back and with a faint smile on his face. His words, however, caused a commotion in the quiet hall. The elders looked at each other in what seemed to be surprise. Even Elder Bo Yan¡ªwho had remained calm so far¡ªshowed a hint of shock and disbelief. ¡°What did you say, Rong Xiu?! Did you just say¡­ you taught him that?!¡± Rong Xiu frankly nodded his head as he met the elders¡¯ skeptical gazes. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Like a bowl of cold water poured into a pan filled with hot oil, his answer sparked a huge commotion. ¡°What do you mean by that, Rong Xiu?!¡± Elder Guan He couldn¡¯t help but jump to his feet and stare closely at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu, however, didn¡¯t seem to realize how big of a shock his words were to the people present. He said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone here should know that I¡¯m able to open the barrier, right? I taught that to Chu Yue, and that¡¯s how she was able to open it. What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± What is so strange about that? Everything, of course! Rong Xiu was the best student in the academy, and it¡¯s true that he was able to open the barrier starting a few years back. However, that isn¡¯t where the problem is! ¡°Take a seat, Guan He. Don¡¯t get so agitated.¡± Elder Bo Yan raised his hand and motioned him to sit down. Elder Guan He angrily sat back in his seat and gave the two a deep look. Let¡¯s see what they have to say! ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± Elder Bo Yan, being the person with the highest status here, was naturally the most suitable person to question him about this matter. ¡°That¡¯s your business if you can open the barrier, but why did you teach it to Chu Yue? What¡¯s your relationship with him, and when did you teach him that?¡± He paused before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s only been about a month since you came back, but you left with Elder Shu Feng and the others not long after that. By right, there¡¯s no chance for the two of you to cross paths with each other.¡± Other than the monthly assessment day where they sort of met each other, I don¡¯t think there was any chance for them to meet. Unless these two have known each other from way back! ¡°Chu Yue¡­ and I do know each other.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t deny it, but he gave an ambiguous answer. The elders fell silent for a moment. Elder Bo Yan frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mentio¡ª¡± His words suddenly cut off though. Oh right, Rong Xiu did take a few looks at Chu Yue when we were at Dong Huang Clock Tower that day. I didn¡¯t pay attention to it back then because Chu Yue, having become Wan Zheng¡¯s disciple, was the focus of attention at the time. Nothing seemed unusual about Rong Xiu taking a few more looks at him, but now that I think about it, it turns out that they knew each other even then! ¡°I taught it to her before she came to the academy, thinking that she would take a while before she could master it. I didn¡¯t expect her to comprehend it so quickly.¡± As Rong Xiu said that, he turned his head and flashed Chu Liuyue an appreciative smile. ¡°Not bad.¡± As expected of the woman I love. Chapter 1205 - Punishment Chu Liuyue was speechless. If there weren¡¯t so many elders around her giving her the death stare, she would be a lot happier to hear this praise. That said, she never expected Rong Xiu to take responsibility for this matter on her behalf. Many thoughts flashed through her mind as she pursed her lips. Rong Xiu probably knows what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s trying to cover it up for me so that I can hide my secret. Does that mean¡­ he knew from the start that I would be able to open the barrier? Why didn¡¯t he mention it before? But then again, his attitude has always been like this when it came to matters involving the academy. He won¡¯t say much if I can¡¯t remember it myself. At the thought of the conversation they had on the night of her first official day of school, her heart stirred. She had never once doubted Rong Xiu¡¯s feelings for her, and she knew that he must have his reasons for choosing to do so even if she didn¡¯t know why. Unbeknownst to Chu Liuyue, her current eye contact with Rong Xiu was strong proof that they had known each other all along, for the man had never spoken so gently to anyone before. He was cold and aloof in nature, and his power had been growing by the day ever since he became His Grace. Many of the academy elders even had to treat him with respect, but there was a rare moment of calmness and tenderness on his face when he was speaking to Chu Yue. Upon recalling how Rong Xiu had rushed up to carry the unconscious Chu Yue back to his residence and how he had personally taken care of the latter, everyone¡¯s expressions changed. They didn¡¯t realize it before, but in hindsight, they realized that there had been signs everywhere. Rong Xiu is the type of person who can¡¯t tolerate having the blood of other people splattered on him, yet he didn¡¯t hesitate to carry Chu Yue back to his residence. Hence, it would be strange to say that those two didn¡¯t know each other. Elder Bo Yan was pretty convinced about it. ¡°I see, but why didn¡¯t you mention it before?¡± ¡°Chu Yue has always been looking forward to attending the academy, so he wanted to get in on his own. We were afraid that there might be a lot of inconveniences if we had revealed that we knew each other,¡± explained Rong Xiu in a tactful but arrogant manner. Ling Xiao Academy was highly respected with countless experts here. It didn¡¯t matter what background one had, for they paid more attention to talent and abilities here. That said, it didn¡¯t mean that one¡¯s background really had no influence in the academy. If everyone had known from the start that Chu Yue and Rong Xiu knew each other and were on rather good terms, both elders and students alike would surely treat Chu Yue differently. Given Rong Xiu¡¯s status in the academy, Chu Yue would also be able to receive a lot of conveniences, and that was the inconvenience Rong Xiu was talking about. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Everyone was rendered momentarily speechless, for they couldn¡¯t refute what Rong Xiu said. ¡°So the two of you purposely hide your relationship just so that¡­ Chu Yue can focus on his cultivation?¡± Even though Elder Bo Yan posed it in the form of a question, he was pretty much already sure about it. Rong Xiu nodded before breaking into a smile. ¡°That¡¯s how he has always been, so I can only let him be.¡± Although what he said sounded like a reproach, everyone could hear the indulgence and protectiveness in his voice. It was clear that he was bent on protecting Chu Yue to the end. The elders quietly exchanged incredulous looks with one another. Given their relationship, it is now understandable why Chu Yue suddenly appeared next to Rong Xiu back then. The latter has probably given a teleportation Yuan instrument to the former. ¡°Chu Yue, did you take the risk to come out because you were worried about Rong Xiu?¡± interrupted Elder Wan Zheng. This is the only excuse that can get Chu Yue out of trouble since it¡¯s against the rules to exit the barrier without permission! Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Standing next to her, Rong Xiu lowered his eyes slightly to hide the flash of amusement in them. Elder Wan Zheng heaved a sigh of relief and laughed. ¡°See, this kid didn¡¯t do it on purpose! It¡¯s all because he was worried about Rong Xiu! How can you put the entire blame on him when he¡¯s so sincere?¡± Elder Guan He snorted in response, but he didn¡¯t refute Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s words either. He had heard about how Chu Yue had shielded Rong Xiu from a critical blow, so he couldn¡¯t deny Chu Yue¡¯s contribution in this matter. Coming back to his senses, Elder Bo Yan shook his head and said disapprovingly, ¡°Rong Xiu, even if you and Chu Yue have long been acquainted, you shouldn¡¯t have taught him how to open the academy¡¯s barrier!¡± That¡¯s one of the academy¡¯s top secrets. Other than the elders responsible for guarding it, almost nobody else knows it. And the reason why Rong Xiu knows is because¡ª Elder Bo Yan hurriedly ended his thoughts. Rong Xiu said rather apologetically, ¡°It was my fault for not thinking it through. I¡¯m willing to be punished.¡± Punished? How should we punish him? Even though Rong Xiu and Chu Yue are at fault, they contributed a lot to protecting the supreme Yuan instrument. This isn¡¯t easy to judge. Elder Bo Yan then narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°What else did you teach Chu Yue?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°That was all.¡± He¡¯s already taught Chu Yue how to open the barrier. It doesn¡¯t matter if he teaches him other things anymore. Sigh¡­ Why are these kids becoming more and more of a handful? Elder Bo Yan sighed. He didn¡¯t have the intention of punishing Rong Xiu though. All he was thinking was that the barrier had to be reinforced. ¡°That¡¯s good. Please be careful in the future. Since you¡¯ve helped to recover the supreme Yuan instrument, we¡¯ll let this matter slide this time.¡± ¡°Thank you, Elder Bo Yan.¡± ¡°As for Chu Yue¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan looked to the side. ¡°Wan Zheng, he¡¯s your disciple after all. What do you want to do about him?¡± Seated on the chair, Elder Wan Zheng slowly knitted his eyebrows and fell into deep thought. He appeared to be very conflicted, and everyone could understand why. It was rare for him to find a student he liked, so he naturally doted on Chu Yue a lot. If he punished the latter too harshly, he would end up feeling pain for him as well. That said, Chu Yue had acted really recklessly this time and had flouted several rules. He might repeat his offenses if they didn¡¯t give him a disciplinary warning, and worse, it might lead to other students following in his footsteps. The entire academy would be in a mess if that happened. Knowing that this was a difficult decision to make, everyone waited patiently. After a while, Elder Wan Zheng finally let out a long sigh and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue.¡± Chu Liuyue tensed up. ¡°Yes, Master?¡± Elder Wan Zheng paused before asking with much difficulty, ¡°Is your talent in the Xuan Master path higher than that of the heavenly doctor path?¡± Chapter 1206 - Fighting for Chu Yue The expressions of the elders in the room changed as they looked at Elder Wan Zheng strangely. What stupid question is that?! We¡¯re asking you to think of a punishment for Chu Yue, not ask him that! ¡°Ahem!¡± Elder Bo Yan cleared his throat and shot Elder Wan Zheng a look. Watch yourself. What are you doing right now? Despite understanding what that look meant, Elder Wan Zheng ignored it. All he could think about at this moment was what Rong Xiu said just now about Chu Yue mastering the skill he had taught the latter. One has to be at least a ninth-grade Xuan Master in order to open the school¡¯s barrier. Doesn¡¯t that mean Chu Yue is already a ninth-grade Xuan Master?! How did he do that when he¡¯s not even a ninth-grade heavenly doctor yet?! What¡¯s going on? Elder Wan Zheng felt that the student he had so painstakingly nurtured had grown wayward. For a second, he even wondered if he had nurtured his student for the Xuan Masters. ¡°Answer me, Chu Yue!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what to say. Why is Master always able to find the blind spots? Elder Bo Yan eventually spoke up. ¡°Uh¡­ Wan Zheng, we¡¯re currently discussing what we should do with Chu Yue. We can leave that question for later¡ª¡± ¡°No! Since he¡¯s already asked the question, let¡¯s hear what the child says!¡± said someone excitedly. That voice, however, wasn¡¯t from Elder Wan Zheng, but¡­ ¡°Stop being a busybody, Hua Feng! That¡¯s my student! Don¡¯t you get involved!¡± Elder Wan Zheng naturally knew what Elder Hua Feng was thinking when he saw how the latter¡¯s eyes lit up. Elder Hua Feng chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s indeed your student, but there¡¯s no rule saying that the student can only have one mentor. Besides, weren¡¯t you the one who posed that question? Can¡¯t we hear the answer together?¡± Tch! Why didn¡¯t it occur to me earlier?! I was so curious about how Chu Yue managed to open the barrier that I forgot about this. Elder Hua Feng was only enlightened about the problem when Wan Zheng asked it. That¡¯s right! Isn¡¯t that proof that Chu Yue has extraordinary talent in the Xuan Master path?! Why didn¡¯t I think of testing his talent back then? If I had known this sooner, I wouldn¡¯t have given him to Wan Zheng so easily! Thank goodness it¡¯s not too late now! It¡¯s only been less than a month since he started school, so he still has plenty of time ahead! / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡­ There was a subtle shift in the supposedly solemn and quiet atmosphere, and the way many Xuan Master elders looked at Chu Liuyue had changed. Elder Wan Zheng noticed it all, and he felt very troubled about it. Just as he was beginning to think about how he should make those people perish their thoughts, Chu Liuyue answered seriously with a shake of her head. ¡°No. The reason why I managed to comprehend that Xuan formation so quickly was due to sheer luck and that Senior Rong Xiu had taught me well. In reality¡­ my talent in this aspect is only average.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good.¡± Elder Wan Zheng immediately let out a sigh of relief. I don¡¯t care whether Chue Yue is telling the truth or not. I¡¯ll take it as the truth! It¡¯s clear that he wants to continue on the heavenly doctor path, anyway! That¡¯s enough for me! Although Elder Wan Zheng was satisfied with Chu Liuyue¡¯s answer, Elder Hua Feng and the others refused to give up so easily. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Chu Yue. The students in our academy have always been outstanding. The more talented and hardworking you are, the better the treatment you¡¯ll receive here. You¡¯re only 16 this year, but you already managed to comprehend the Xuan formation on the school¡¯s barrier. This is a rare feat. Do you even believe yourself when you say that you don¡¯t have much talent in the Xuan Master path?¡± Elder Hua Feng leisurely leaned back in his chair while staring at Chu Liuyue as if he had already seen through her. ¡°You only underwent the heavenly doctor assessment when you entered the school, so it was only natural that you became Wan Zhang¡¯s student later on. There¡¯s nothing wrong with wanting to practice the heavenly doctor path, but there¡¯s also no need for you to hide your talent for the other aspects. There are many people in the world who would kill to have such cultivation talent!¡± He looked intently at her. ¡°Chu Yue, this is closely linked to your future. You have to think it through!¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help wanting to kick Elder Hua Feng. The nerve of him to try and poach my student in front of me! Elder Hua Feng instinctively avoided Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s look of resentment. Pfft. Never mind that I wasn¡¯t aware of it before, but now that I know, I won¡¯t let Wan Zheng enjoy the benefits all by himself! I must fight for Chu Yue this time! ¡­ Chu Liuyue felt a little bit in a dilemma. She really didn¡¯t know that she would get into so much trouble just because she had gone out in a moment of rashness out of worry for Rong Xiu. Being experts with keen judgment, Elder Hua Feng and the others wouldn¡¯t believe her words so easily. Other people would surely be overjoyed if they were in her position, but Chu Liuyue only felt worried right now. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to learn from an expert like Elder Hua Feng. It was just that¡­ Big Baby probably wouldn¡¯t agree to it. After all, the time she had been spending playing chess with Big Baby was her undergoing Xuan Master training. Besides, her schedule was so full at the moment that she really didn¡¯t have the spare time for anything else. After thinking about it, she solemnly paid a bow to Elder Hua Feng. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Elder Hua Feng, but the things I can do are limited. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to manage two things at the same time.¡± Elder Hua Feng, who was surprised by her answer, fell into deep thought afterward. That¡¯s true¡­ One¡¯s time and energy are limited, and one has to focus on practicing the Xuan Master path and the heavenly doctor path. It might be a little tough for him to practice both at the same time. ¡°Does that mean you still want to practice the heavenly doctor path?¡± Elder Hua Feng was quite disappointed as he could tell that Chu Yue had an outstanding talent for the Xuan Master path. He found it a great pity for Chu Yue to give up like that. ¡°How about this¡­? Can you spare a few days each month to read books, play chess, and study Xuan formations with me?¡± Elder Hua Feng looked at Chu Liuyue with eyes filled with expectation. He didn¡¯t want to give up just yet, so he decided to compromise instead. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows. I guess it¡¯s not without reason that some people often get tricked. I mean, who can stop them if they come running over themselves? It looks like he hasn¡¯t suffered enough losses¡­ ¡°Hey, just give up! You have to respect Chu Yue¡¯s decision no matter what!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was in a good mood after making sure that his student wouldn¡¯t leave. ¡°Can¡¯t he continue to refine pills? What if he ends up destroying the barriers around the school like before¡ª¡± Elder Wan Zheng immediately cut short his sentence upon realizing that he had misspoken. A chill ran down Elder Hua Feng¡¯s spine. Chapter 1207 - I was Willing! The scenes of the previous painful teachings appeared before Elder Hua Feng, causing his heart to tremble. He instinctively looked up at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue blinked in confusion, smiled, and asked, ¡°Elder Hua Feng, what¡¯s the matter?¡± When she smiled, her eyes¡ªwhich could originally be considered clean and clear¡ªinstantly became mesmerizing. Her eyes were like stars that had a cunning light to them. Elder Hua Feng felt his head hurt. ¡°N-nothing!¡± He took a deep breath in. ¡°Um¡­ Since you want to specialize as a heavenly doctor, t-then we¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Confusion flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. This¡­ Previously, Elder Hua Feng still looked like he had to have it. Why did his attitude suddenly change? Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t say much, right¡­ But her instincts told her that she shouldn¡¯t ask further, so she respectfully bowed. ¡°Thank you, Elder Hua Feng.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng looked at her and still felt rather indignant, so he added a sentence hesitantly. ¡°¡­If you ever want to learn Xuan formations, just come and visit me!¡± Chu Liuyue felt a slight warmth in her heart. She could tell that Elder Hua Feng really wanted to accept her as his disciple so that she wouldn¡¯t waste her talent in this aspect. It was indeed her rare blessing to be able to receive his guidance. ¡°I¡¯ll remember your teachings in my heart.¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Elder Hua Feng glanced at her again. He then thought of something, shook his head, and sighed. Chu Liuyue clearly saw that his gaze wasn¡¯t looking at her but remembering somebody through her. Hearing this, the other Xuan Master elders had also given up. Elder Bo Yan rubbed his temple. He now finally realized that this Chu Yue was also a troublemaker! It was as if he could cause trouble wherever he went, and there wouldn¡¯t be a moment of quietness around him. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll just stop this matter here and talk about your punishment.¡± He surveyed the surroundings. ¡°The supreme Yuan instrument incident is indeed an accident. We can¡¯t blame him, so we shouldn¡¯t talk about it. However, Chu Yue still made a huge mistake by secretly passing through the academy¡¯s barrier. Even if he did help Rong Xiu and protected the supreme Yuan instrument, his work can¡¯t pay for his sins. Besides, this incident has spread across the academy, and its effect is terrible! We must punish him severely to warn everyone else.¡± After a moment of silence, an elder tried to ask, ¡°Since this is so, then¡­ Why don¡¯t we lock him up at Fengmin Mountain for him to reflect on himself?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°That¡¯s not too nice, right? He was already locked inside on the second day of coming to the academy and was only released ten days ago. If he¡¯s locked up again¡­ it¡¯s rather inappropriate.¡± An elder immediately objected to it. ¡°Chu Yue made a mistake this time, and we must punish him. But if the punishment is too severe, Elder Wan Zheng can¡¯t bear it either. Besides, this child didn¡¯t have any bad intentions. He just made an impulsive mistake. After much thinking, the other punishments aren¡¯t good either!¡± ¡°I agree. Locking him up at Fengmin Mountain is the most suitable option for now.¡± ¡°Anyway, he has already been there before. It doesn¡¯t matter if he goes there again. As for it having a bad effect because he has been continuously locked there¡­ He was already locked up there on the second day of school. Now that he has made these mistakes, could it be any worse?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions in no time. Some agreed while some opposed, and they all had their own reasonings. Amongst them, the one who objected intensely was Elder Wan Zheng. What a joke! What place is Fengmin Mountain? How can he go there again and again? Besides, my precious disciple is already going to break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor! If it weren¡¯t because he was suddenly interrupted today, I¡¯d be holding the ninth-grade pill and flaunting it everywhere! Why would I still be left arguing with this bunch of people? If he¡¯s locked up again, won¡¯t he be delayed once more? ¡°No! I won¡¯t agree no matter what!¡± said Elder Wan Zheng furiously. The crowd exchanged glances and fell into a stalemate. Wan Zheng protects his disciples the most. If he really insists on objecting to it, we can¡¯t forcefully do so. But at this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly took a step forward. ¡°Mentor, I¡¯m willing to go to Fengmin Mountain and receive my punishment.¡± The room instantly fell silent. Elder Wan Zheng looked confused. ¡°Chu Yue, you¡­¡± ¡°Mentor, I did do wrong in this incident, so I should accept full responsibility for it. If you fall out with the other elders because of me, I¡¯ll be even more guilty.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was especially sincere. ¡°Do let me go!¡± Elder Wan Zheng reacted to it and felt very touched. This child¡­ At this time, he still didn¡¯t forget to think about me! I didn¡¯t accept this disciple for nothing! Seeing his faltering gaze, Chu Liuyue added, ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll diligently cultivate inside and try to break through earlier! Perhaps when I come out, I will have fulfilled your wishes already?¡± His wish was naturally for her to break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor as soon as possible! ¡°Good child¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng felt very comforted. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard on you.¡± It would already be very hard to protect himself inside. How would he have the extra energy to cultivate? He just said this to comfort me, but it is very rare for a child to have such a mindset. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not hard on me.¡± Hearing this made Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s heart ache further. ¡°Put all those matters aside first. You¡­ should take good care of yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up.¡±Thank you for granting me my wish, Mentor!¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly, and his thin lips curled up. His demonically handsome face had a smile to it. She¡¯s really¡­ ¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s residence was on a more isolated mountain peak in the warrior region. Quite a few people had gathered outside this peak at this moment as they waited curiously in confusion. In a short period of time, news of what happened outside had spread far and wide in the academy. In the blink of an eye, everyone knew that the new student Chu Yue¡ªwho had come to the academy for less than a month¡ªhad secretly barged out of the academy barrier and fought with Jin Lei and the rest outside. Of course, as the elders were tight-lipped regarding the supreme Yuan instruments, news of it didn¡¯t spread. Thus, all the students instinctively thought that the item had definitely returned to the academy, so they didn¡¯t think much about it. After all, this matter was too much of a coincidence and ridiculous. Talking about it also made it seem fake. Thus, everyone gathered around, wanting to know what the elders planned to do with him. ¡°This Chu Yue is indeed daring¡ªhe actually snuck out! There were so many people fighting there. Wasn¡¯t he afraid that he¡¯d pay with his life?¡± ¡°Hey, he came back alive anyway! I hear that he even blocked a fatal blow for Senior Brother Rong Xiu. From now onward, won¡¯t he be on very close terms with Senior Brother Rong Xiu?¡± ¡°Pfft! Who is Senior Brother Rong Xiu? Even without him, he should be fine.¡± ¡°But secretly sneaking out of the academy is a major mistake. All the elders are gathered there, and they should be discussing how to punish him, right?¡± ¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll be expelled¡­¡± ¡°No matter what, he¡¯s Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s disciple. As long as Elder Wan Zheng protects him, I believe he¡¯ll only be punished.¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. At some area, Jiang Zhiyuan looked at the mountain peak and muttered with a complicated gaze, ¡°¡­How did that Chu Yue go out?¡± Chapter 1208 - Extreme Welcome Yes, she didn¡¯t care how the elders would punish Chu Yue at the end, and she didn¡¯t care about the intense battle¡¯s situation. She only cared about one thing: As a stage-seven warrior, how did Chu Yue get out?! One had to know that Elder Bo Yan previously instructed them not to worry and that they should just wait patiently because the elders would naturally solve the problems. Then, he strengthened control over the academy barrier, killing all possibilities of people wanting to go out secretly. However, Chu Yue actually went out under such circumstances, and he had even blocked an attack for Rong Xiu? The matter was extremely weird from start to end, which caused Jiang Zhiyuan to be shocked and doubtful! ¡°Perhaps he secretly snuck out with some elder?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao¡ªwho was standing at the side¡ªsaid with some uncertainty. Jiang Zhiyuan pulled at her lips. ¡°Do you think that the elders won¡¯t discover it if he really did that?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao was stumped. ¡°Then, what else can he do? He¡¯s only an intermediate stage-seven warrior, right? Even if his actual combat power is a little stronger than his cultivation level, it won¡¯t be so much that he can cross through the barrier alone, right? We can¡¯t even do that, let alone him!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan furrowed her brows tightly. This is the point I found strangest. The only plausible explanation now is that Chu Yue forcefully passed through the barrier in the chaos. But for some reason, the elders didn¡¯t discover him in time to bring him back. Normally speaking, anyone who passes through the barrier without permission will immediately attract the elders¡¯ attention. Yet, Chu Yue succeeded and even helped Rong Xiu in the chaotic battle! It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t see the process myself. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no use for us to think so much! If he really has made a mistake, the elders will punish him.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think that this issue was a matter of concern. ¡°Won¡¯t we know what happened when Chu Yue comes out?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan could only nod. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡­ After waiting for a while, the crowd finally saw people leaving the mountain. ¡°The elders are out!¡± The crowd began to stand up as they gathered their focus and looked over. The elders came out first. After they came out, they didn¡¯t stop and went back on their own. Hence, everyone¡¯s gazes landed on the people who came out afterward. When most of the elders had left, a few special figures finally appeared! The person at the front stood upright in a white robe. Although they were a distance away, his handsome features couldn¡¯t be hidden¡ªit was Rong Xiu! Close behind him was a youngster. Without thinking, they knew that it was Chu Yue. The two people walked out one after another. The people at the side were Elder Wan Zheng and Elder Bo Yan. After the other elders left respectively, only these few people seemed to be talking as they stood still. Jiang Zhiyuan stared at them closely. If it weren¡¯t because Rong Xiu had set up an extremely complicated barrier on the mountain he was normally at, she wanted to go up and hear what they were talking about. After a while, Elder Wan Zheng patted Chu Yue¡¯s shoulder and left with Elder Bo Yan. Then, only Rong Xiu and Chu Yue were left. They stood facing each other. Although the crowd outside couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, they had to admit that the duo looked especially harmonious together. Amidst the lush greenery, the young masters stood like jade. Logically speaking, Chu Yue¡¯s appearance couldn¡¯t be compared to Rong Xiu, but his surrounding aura was rare. This caused him not to take the losing end when he stood before Rong Xiu. ¡°Why did the elders leave? Are they planning on not punishing Chu Yue?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ Even though Chu Yue did contribute, the elders kept instructing us not to go out on our own. If he doesn¡¯t get punished in the end, won¡¯t everyone be allowed to do it in the future?¡± ¡°Yeah! Also, why are Senior Brother Rong Xiu and the others standing there talking for so long? I wonder what they¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Although the crowd was filled with curiosity, they didn¡¯t dare to barge in casually. Thus, they could only guess on their own. ¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you there.¡± Rong Xiu raised his chin, and a smile flashed across his eyes. ¡°You must¡¯ve gotten impatient from waiting.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and smiled. ¡°As expected¡ªSenior Brother Rong Xiu, you do know my condition.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t call me randomly.¡± Chu Liuyue used the fact that he was much taller than her and could completely cover her, so she wasn¡¯t afraid that the others could see her and became more daring. ¡°I entered the academy a few years later than you. I should call you ¡®senior brother.''¡± Rong Xiu laughed lightly, took a step closer, and lowered his voice in a soft and flirtatious manner. ¡°You have your own way of addressing me. Why follow the rest?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted at him with a smile as she quickly turned around and leisurely said, ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu, we should go back quickly! I wouldn¡¯t dare to delay you too much, lest other people talk about us!¡± Rong Xiu stepped out and followed her as he smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you became so cowardly after coming to Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°How am I cowardly? I was just speaking the truth. Let¡¯s not talk about the rest, but there are many people on that mountain watching my every move.¡± Her lips curled up. ¡°Do you believe that if I do anything to even offend you slightly, I¡¯ll be captured back by them and severely punished? Then, it¡¯ll be hard for me to cultivate peacefully afterward.¡± To those people, Rong Xiu was definitely not just an ¡®amazing senior brother.¡¯ His outstanding talent and capabilities had turned him into many people¡¯s admiration and an existence that they wanted to catch up with. His name was securely placed at the top of the Qing Yun Ranking and became the symbol of a strong warrior. Chu Liuyue felt that it was better if she was more obedient. Rong Xiu suddenly laughed and slowly said, ¡°So you wanted to calmly cultivate in the academy? I couldn¡¯t tell.¡± Chu Liuyue blushed slightly, unable to refute this. She had only come to the academy for more than 20 days, but she had gotten into so much trouble. Nobody would think that she wasn¡¯t a troublemaker. ¡°However¡­¡± Rong Xiu dragged his last syllable, and his tone was even lower as if it were a mutter right next to her ear. ¡°If you really want to offend me¡­ I¡¯ll welcome you anytime.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and tilted her head to glance at him. No matter what identity he has, his thick-skinned nature doesn¡¯t change at all. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Do you really think I won¡¯t dare to do anything to you with those people watching?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her and brightly smiled as he replied expectantly, ¡°You¡¯re most welcome.¡± Chapter 1209 - Nothing Hard Chu Liuyue was speechless. I admit defeat! As expected, I shouldn¡¯t have tried to win against someone else in this aspect. The two of them walked to Fengmin Mountain. At this point, the crowd waiting at the far end finally noticed something. ¡°They seem to be going toward Fengmin Mountain? Could the elders want to lock Chu Yue up there?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be, right? Wasn¡¯t Chu Yue already locked there once and just came out? Even if the elders want to punish him, it doesn¡¯t seem very appropriate to choose this again, right¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so inappropriate about it? He did something wrong and should be punished. Could he be absolved of the punishment just because he went there not long ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ It seems like Senior Brother Rong Xiu is in charge of bringing him there¡­ However, why do the two of them look like they¡¯re talking so happily¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Actually, I think so too! I think Rong Xiu even smiled just now¡ªdid you see that? I¡¯ve heard that he has a cold personality and isn¡¯t even willing to say a few more sentences normally, so why does he have such a good attitude toward Chu Yue¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? That Chu Yue blocked an attack for Senior Brother Rong Xiu previously! Could a normal person be compared to him? It isn¡¯t strange that Senior Brother Rong Xiu would treat him like this.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked at the two figures moving further away as she bit her lips, turned around, and left. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡­ With her previous experience and Rong Xiu leading her, Chu Liuyue came to Fengmin Mountain very quickly. She glanced at Rong Xiu in surprise when she arrived before the mountain. ¡°Why do I feel like¡­ you seem to be very familiar with this place?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s residence was actually not near to this place, but Rong Xiu led the way in front and didn¡¯t pause or hesitate at all. He even led her to take the fastest route. Chu Liuyue even felt that he had come here more than once. As expected, Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°I came here¡­ a few times.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Oh? I couldn¡¯t tell that the outstanding Senior Brother Rong Xiu would come to this place. Did you also do something wrong and get locked up inside?¡± Rong Xiu glanced at her with deep meaning. Because of someone, I did come here a few times. ¡°I¡¯ve been to most places in the academy. Fengmin Mountain is nothing. As for you¡­ you seem like you want to come here a lot. Why? Is there something interesting about this place?¡± As the elders were present earlier, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t tell Rong Xiu much. However, she didn¡¯t hide it now as she nodded honestly and looked at Fengmin Mountain. ¡°Yeah. For some reason, I just feel that cultivating here seems to be faster and more comfortable.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were very sharp and sensitive. Even if she didn¡¯t say anything, he could tell. ¡°Fengmin Mountain has a rich force and is the same as the outside world. But since you like it here¡­ do it your way.¡± Rong Xiu smiled as if he had no intentions of asking further. ¡°Go in. I¡¯ll see you in a month.¡± Yes, to hand out a severe warning, the punishment for Chu Liuyue was set to be one month long. Elder Wan Zheng was originally very opposed to it, but Chu Liuyue managed to convince him to accept it. But because of this incident, he nagged at Elder Bo Yan for quite some time. Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°Will you stay in the academy for this month? Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Yeah. Coincidentally, I have some things to settle.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and tried to ask, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ related to that supreme Yuan instrument?¡± This matter was blown up, and many top-tier clans were involved. Rong Xiu even personally killed Jin Lei, so there must be a lot of battles to fight. Suddenly, her heart tingled, and she looked at Rong Xiu in shock. ¡°Wait, you purposely let me stay here for a month?¡± Yes, this one-month punishment period was suggested by Rong Xiu. In the beginning, Elder Bo Yan wanted to lock her up for half a month, but Rong Xiu said that this issue had severe consequences. Thus, there would be a lot of trouble later if they didn¡¯t handle it properly. Locking her up for a month would cause all the rumors in the academy to disappear automatically. They could even take the chance to refine Chu Liuyue¡¯s mentality. Elder Bo Yan felt that he made sense and agreed. In the beginning, Chu Liuyue thought that Rong Xiu only said it because he guessed that she wanted to go to Fengmin Mountain. But it seemed like¡­ he had planned it in advance! ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about those trivial matters,¡± said Rong Xiu calmly. ¡°With me around, nobody will cause trouble for you.¡± Of course, Chu Liuyue would be in trouble. The crowd had racked their brains to get the supreme Yuan instrument, but it eventually landed in her hands and recognized her as its owner! If the Golden Wings Sect and the other clans really wanted to pursue this matter, she would definitely be implicated! Something overwhelmed Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, but she felt that there was no need to say some things between them as both would understand. With this man around, it was like she wouldn¡¯t need to worry even if she caused the biggest trouble as he would handle it all. This form of security could only be obtained with him. She suppressed these thoughts as her red lips curled up into a bright smile. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see each other in a month!¡± Rong Xiu was influenced by her smile as his lips curled up. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue walked up. But after she took two steps, she felt like she suddenly recalled something as she turned around to take a look. ¡°Right, there¡¯s something¡­¡± Rong Xiu nodded and gestured for her to continue. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment, lowered her voice slightly, and asked, ¡°Rong Xiu, do you know the student whose name was erased from the Qing Yun Ranking?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s hand gradually clenched behind his back, but his expression was as calm as normal. ¡°Yes. Why?¡± ¡°Have you been to her medicinal garden?¡± ¡°Medicinal garden?¡± ¡°Yeah, the one that the director specifically left for her.¡± Chu Liuyue asked with some uncertainty, ¡°Did the director do it?¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯ve been there before. But it was later locked up, so I didn¡¯t go there anymore. You¡­ went there?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°How could I enter that place? The elders guard it super strictly! I just unintentionally took a look at it when I went to Medicinal Valley to get herbs.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tense body relaxed slightly. ¡°Actually, the herbs inside aren¡¯t very different from those within Medicinal Valley, so it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t go there.¡± However, Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No, I feel that the medicinal garden seems amiss.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved slightly, and he looked at her. ¡°How is it amiss?¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. ¡°I¡­ saw many, many Dancing Lotuses blooming. That item is extremely precious, and it¡¯s usually very rare to even see a stalk or two. However, there were so many there¡­ Dancing Lotuses only bloom once every few hundred years, so it¡¯s quite unbelievable to get so many at once.¡± Rong Xiu heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s not really hard.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned and squinted her eyes. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Chapter 1210 - Originally Hers The two of them faced each other, and there was a moment of silence. Then, Rong Xiu smiled and said nonchalantly, ¡°Dancing Lotuses are indeed very rare herbs in Ling Xiao Academy, but it¡¯s much easier to obtain them in the God Residence Realm. Many aristocratic families with long years of history even specifically employ people to plant it. With Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s million-year-long history, it¡¯s nothing much for them to have this.¡± He voiced the entire explanation in a calm and composed manner, with a hint of power that made one unwittingly convinced. ¡°There are only a few in Medicinal Valley as Medicinal Valley is huge and has all kinds of herbs. The elders in charge of it have to look after all of the herbs, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t focus all their energy on one type of herb. After all, there are more precious herbs in Medicinal Valley.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. That makes sense¡­ ¡°Although Dancing Lotuses are good, they¡¯re very picky with their environment and require long-term meticulous care¡­ Therefore, they expend one¡¯s energy and patience very much.¡± As she shrugged her shoulders, she muttered, ¡°That person must like Dancing Lotuses very much to have so many of them¡­¡± Rong Xiu paused, smiled, and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you like them?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. If I didn¡¯t like it, I wouldn¡¯t have paid special attention to it. ¡°If only I had the chance to go in and take a look, but¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very possible,¡± Chu Liuyue said regretfully. Firstly, that medicinal garden is someone else¡¯s private property. Besides, that person is no longer in the academy. Most importantly, that person seems to be someone nobody can bring up in the academy from all aspects. Thus, it would be even more difficult to go to her medicinal garden. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll go in first!¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts, waved toward Rong Xiu, and walked to Fengmin Mountain. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. She retrieved her black jade plaque and threw it out. Whir! The black jade plaque touched the barrier and caused a tiny ripple. Then, an opening slowly formed! Chu Liuyue walked in. When her figure completely disappeared into the barrier, Rong Xiu stood in mid-air for quite some time before he softly spoke as if he were muttering to himself. ¡°¡­There will naturally be that day.¡± Those were originally planted for you. Then, he finally turned around and left. ¡­ ¡°You again.¡± The moment Chu Liuyue stood before the pagoda, she heard a familiar old voice. Chu Liuyue had an ¡®awkward¡¯ smile for once as she hid it by coughing. She cupped her fists and bowed respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Greetings, Elder. I haven¡¯t seen you in a while. How have you been?¡± ¡°You only left ten days ago. How is that considered not seeing me in a while?¡± The other party spoke in a very direct manner with a hint of contempt. Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Elder, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Come in!¡± Chu Liuyue thanked him again before she pushed the door open and entered. ¡­ Everything inside the hall was the same as when she left. Of course, it was rather normal as there was only a ten-day interval in between. The door automatically closed behind her. Seven doors glowed faintly and floated quietly in front of her. ¡°Bo Yan has already told me about you. You really know how to cause trouble. How many days have you been obedient before you came back?¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her head slightly and looked as if she were admitting to her mistakes. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Perhaps it was because the other party saw that she had a good repentant attitude, but the elder didn¡¯t continuously interrogate her. ¡°Okay, there¡¯s not much use talking about this. If you¡¯ve really repented, you must show it through your actions.¡± Chu Liuyue obediently said, ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same process as before. Choose!¡± The other party talked for a while before quickly jumping into the real agenda. Chu Liuyue then looked up at the seven doors before her, and her gaze swept past all the doors. All the doors were completely the same from the outside¡ªeven the aura and suppression they exuded were the same. However, there seemed to be something attracting her vaguely. She raised her hand and pointed to the third door on the left. ¡°I¡¯ll choose this.¡± ¡­ The hall was silent, but the air seemed to have frozen. Even if that feeling passed after a moment, Chu Liuyue still felt it sharply. At that moment, she was sure that she had chosen the same one as before! As expected, a low and slightly doubtful voice sounded beside her ear. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chu Liuyue suppressed her overwhelming emotions as she said calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ After sending Chu Liuyue to Fengmin Mountain, Rong Xiu returned to his residence. Different from ordinary students, he lived alone on a mountain. His treatment was the same as the academy elders. Of course, nobody had any objections to it. If anyone else could have the same talent and capabilities as him, they would be treated in the same manner. Before he walked to the door, Rong Xiu seemed to have noticed something as he stopped in his tracks. He calmly glanced at the room in front of him before walking in. Returning to the room, he turned around, closed the door, and walked right in. Dugu Mobao appeared here at some point in time. ¡°Senior.¡± Rong Xiu cupped his fists and bowed. Dugu Mobao looked at him coldly. ¡°She¡¯s being locked up at Fengmin Mountain again?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°One month.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s face turned even colder. ¡°You have a big heart. You just let her go like that.¡± Rong Xiu looked up slightly, and there seemed to be a faint light flashing across his deep eyes. He smiled slightly and said softly, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ originally somewhere she wants to go.¡± Chapter 1211 - Explanation Seven-story pagoda, Fengmin Mountain. After a temporary silence, that voice finally rang again. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already decided, just go in.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. He didn¡¯t let me choose again this time. She smiled, thanked him, and walked toward that door. The moment she put her hand on the door, that person suddenly asked, ¡°You came here on purpose this time?¡± A ray of faint light quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes that were looking down slightly. When she looked up again, they were completely calm. ¡°What do you mean, Elder?¡± she asked strangely with a face filled with confusion. After a pause, that voice sounded. ¡°Nothing, go ahead.¡± The tone was calm. Chu Liuyue nodded and didn¡¯t ask further as she pushed open the door and entered. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Kada. The door closed, and the hall recovered its initial silence. After a long while, a faint voice sounded. ¡°I must be old and foolish¡­¡± This incident was just an accident. If this kid really has the ability to plan such a huge operation, it would be too shocking. I must be thinking too much. However, Chu Yue does seem rather fated with that person¡­ Choosing it once might be out of chance, while twice might be coincidental. Then¡­ What about the third time? ¡°Perhaps I should check on the child¡¯s background¡­¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know about what was going on outside, but at this time, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with it. This was because she only wanted to stay at this place and properly cultivate! Looking at the messy lines on the four walls, Chu Liuyue felt very close to them for some reason. It was clearly only her second time here and there were only a few days in between, but she felt like she had reunited with them after a long while. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. The surrounding force silently came up and surrounded her as if it had missed her for a long time. Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed, and something seemed to flash across her heart at that moment. However, this feeling quickly disappeared. Before she could clearly capture what it was, it had already disappeared. She flung her head, trying to wake herself up, before she sat cross-legged and directly started cultivating. The moment she closed her eyes to focus and circulate her bodily force, the surrounding force fought to enter her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura started strengthening at an incredible speed! ¡­ ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng sighed again. At the side, Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t continue listening, and he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Wan Zheng, you¡¯ve been sighing here ever since you came back from there. Can you not do this anymore? I¡¯m frustrated just from listening to you!¡± Elder Wan Zheng looked up and glanced at him lazily. ¡°Sigh¡­ What do you know? Your disciple isn¡¯t locked up.¡± ¡°¡­Wan Zheng, if you continue talking in such a manner, there¡¯s no need for us to talk anymore!¡± Elder Hua Feng acted as if he were going to leave. I can¡¯t argue with someone like this! At this point, he still doesn¡¯t forget to flaunt! ¡°No matter what, Chu Yue is already locked up. Do you think you can convince Bo Yan to release him?¡± Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t accept his words as he grunted. ¡°One month¡­ Do you know how much I can teach him in a month?!¡± Such a good talent is delayed just like that! ¡°What else can you do? Things have already ended up in this state!¡± Elder Hua Feng stroked his beard. ¡°However, I think you shouldn¡¯t sigh like this. Can¡¯t you look at the positive side? Upon deeper thought, that kid didn¡¯t lose out! Supreme Yuan instrument¡­ Do you think everyone has a chance to get one?¡± Even they didn¡¯t have such a treasure! ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± When this was mentioned, Elder Wan Zheng finally looked elated. ¡°He was originally very talented. With this, it¡¯s like adding wings to a tiger!¡± ¡°It is a good thing, but you shouldn¡¯t be happy too early.¡± Elder Hua Feng shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a crime to hold a precious item. With such a treasure, Chu Yue might be the target of jealousy.¡± Originally, this item should be the academy¡¯s. In the end, it became Chu Yue¡¯s because of some twist of fate. It was fine if the students didn¡¯t know, but¡­ Not all of the elders were convinced. ¡°Although he¡¯ll suffer when he¡¯s locked up at Fengmin Mountain, he¡¯s safe at the very least. But when he comes out¡­¡±Elder Hua Feng revealed looks of worry. Upon hearing this, Elder Wan Zheng suddenly laughed. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry! All of these aren¡¯t problems! That kid¡­ has a backer!¡± ¡°Oh? It seems like this kid has an extraordinary background? I knew it! With his aura and movements, he didn¡¯t seem like a kid from an ordinary family¡ª¡± ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t know his family background.¡± Elder Wan Zheng smiled and shook his head. He said mysteriously, ¡°I only know that even if he gets into more severe trouble, he won¡¯t have to worry about his life.¡± Someone would definitely protect him till the end! Elder Hua Feng was confused for once, and his expression turned stern. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± Elder Wan Zheng chuckled, but he didn¡¯t want to reveal it further. ¡°I can¡¯t talk about this, but all you need to know is that although the kid seems gentle and harmless with not much background, in actual fact¡­ Heh, he¡¯s a true steel board! Whoever causes him trouble¡­ tsk!¡± They¡¯d just be courting their own death! ¡­ The news of Chu Liuyue being locked up at Fengmin Mountain quickly spread around the academy. The crowd had varied reactions. Some were worried, and others gloated. Even the people who initially disregarded this name started to view him in a different light. This new student is such a troublemaker, which also proves his uniqueness in another area, right? If he doesn¡¯t have true abilities, how could he survive that intense battle? Besides, rumor has it that he blocked an attack for Rong Xiu. Additionally, he beat Liu Zi¡¯an, a stage-eight warrior, with his stage-seven warrior skills. Everything proves that this new student has more potential than everyone else previously predicted! But no matter what, Chu Liuyue¡¯s name had finally risen in the academy after this incident! Everybody was familiar with the name ¡®Chu Yue,¡¯ and it became a common topic for a period of time. ¡­ However, this situation didn¡¯t last for long because an incident worthy of more concern took place¡ªGolden Wings Sect¡¯s leader Jin Minyao came to the academy personally. Hall on the third floor of Dong Huang Clock Tower. The situation was tense. Two rows of chairs were placed within the hall. Elder Bo Yan was sitting on the first seat on the right, while the other academy elders sat on the other seats respectively. Sitting opposite him was a muscular middle-aged man. He had a squarish face with a black mustache. He wore a dark gown and sat upright with a harsh aura! This person was exactly the Golden Wings Sect leader, Jin Minyao! His face darkened as he questioned, ¡°This means that the academy isn¡¯t planning on giving an explanation for my beloved disciple¡¯s death?¡± Chapter 1212 - Recall Elder Bo Yan suppressed his anger and explained, ¡°Sect Leader Jin, I¡¯ve already told you clearly that Ling Xiao Academy isn¡¯t in the wrong for this issue. If you want to blame somebody, you can only blame your disciple for being too greedy!¡± ¡°Logically speaking, that Yuan instrument belongs to my Ling Xiao Academy. But as it descended at Ancient Feather Abyss and there were many people who wanted to snatch it, we didn¡¯t say much and just fought for it fairly. However, Jin Lei still relentlessly chased us after we got the item, even coming all the way to Fangzhou City!¡± A hint of anger surfaced on Elder Bo Yan¡¯s face, and he raised his voice. ¡°Sect Leader Jin, I believe I don¡¯t have to explain further what Fangzhou City is, right? He caused havoc all the way to our territory. Are we supposed to be polite all the way?!¡± Jin Minyao snorted coldly. ¡°Even so, you could just punish him. Why must you do it so harshly!?¡± ¡°How are we harsh? It was clearly Jin Lei who sought his own death!¡± Elder Bo Yan was so furious that he laughed. ¡°From start to end, he single-handedly requested for the alliance with the other clans to go against Ling Xiao Academy! In the end, he saw that he was on the losing end and tried to hold my academy¡¯s disciple hostage! He even risked everything and burned his bloodline power to snatch the Yuan instrument!¡± Hearing this, shock flashed across Jin Minyao¡¯s face. He clearly hadn¡¯t known beforehand that Jin Lei had used such harsh methods to snatch the treasure, even risking his own life on the line! ¡°Even if we didn¡¯t kill him, he wouldn¡¯t have survived!¡± Elder Bo Yan said rudely. Jin Minyao was stumped. After a momentary pause, he defended his disciple. ¡°He was in the wrong at first, but he didn¡¯t have to die for it. Now, he has died in Fangzhou alone. At the very least, I have to bring his corpse back! If not, how do I explain it to everyone else?! Also, I must have the person who killed my disciple! An eye for an eye!¡± At this moment, the other elders present couldn¡¯t continue listening. But before they could speak, they heard a voice come from outside the door. ¡°I killed Jin Lei.¡± This voice was cold and elegant with a hint of unparalleled pride, causing one to be unwittingly nervous. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. The crowd turned around. A large and tall figure stood before the crowd. Elder Bo Yan asked, ¡°Rong Xiu, why are you here?¡± Jin Minyao was first stunned before he squinted his eyes dangerously. ¡°Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ Rong Xiu?¡± ¡°This incident is related to me, so I naturally need to be here.¡± Rong Xiu shot Elder Bo Yan a reassuring gaze before he walked in. He walked to the innermost seat and sat opposite Jin Minyao. ¡°Jin Lei tried to kill me, so it¡¯s reasonable that I defended myself and killed him instead. What, Sect Leader Jin¡­ are you thinking of taking revenge?¡± Jin Minyao¡¯s face turned ugly. I only knew that Jin Lei was killed in Fangzhou City, but nobody knew the details. I originally thought that it was some elder from Ling Xiao Academy, but who would¡¯ve thought the culprit was Rong Xiu?! Honestly, he would rather offend an elder from Ling Xiao Academy than be Rong Xiu¡¯s enemy. This was because Rong Xiu¡­ was a ruthless character! Rong Xiu had no background at all and was bullied by everyone, but he still held it in and ascended to the His Grace position years later, even controlling the entire Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ Just this alone proved what kind of person he was! Besides, although Ling Xiao Academy had a deep foundation and great power, it was still an academy. When it met with incidents, it had a lot of restrictions and boundaries. In extreme scenarios, Ling Xiao Academy would always choose to use a gentler method to solve the problem. This was also one of the reasons why he dared to come up to them directly. However, the Sky-Cloud Empire was different! After Rong Xiu ascended the throne all these years, he made a lot of moves, and the soldiers under him were very strong. Jin Minyao knew without a doubt that with Rong Xiu¡¯s single command, the entire Sky-Cloud Empire would become a sharp sword of his! He could manipulate them as he wished! Jin Minyao took a deep breath in. ¡°Rong Xiu, I know that you¡¯re capable, but how can you not show any form of remorse for killing my disciple?¡± Rong Xiu stood with one hand behind his back and looked very calm. His thin lips curled up slightly, but he didn¡¯t have much smiling intent in his cold eyes. ¡°So what if I killed him?¡± He didn¡¯t explain further, only leaving this sentence behind. ¡°Oh. As for his corpse, Sect Leader Jin, you don¡¯t have to think about it. When he died in my hands, his corpse wasn¡¯t left behind,¡± said Rong Xiu nonchalantly. Jin Minyao finally couldn¡¯t hold himself back as he harshly slammed the table and stood up! ¡°Rong Xiu, don¡¯t be too much of a bully!¡± Rong Xiu glanced at him with an extremely cold gaze. Elder Bo Yan also stepped forward and scolded, ¡°Sect Leader Jin, don¡¯t forget what place this is!¡± Even though they didn¡¯t want to fall out with the Golden Wings Sect completely, there was nothing much to say if the other party continuously pushed their bottom line! Jin Minyao suppressed his anger and changed his tone. ¡°The person who snatched the Yuan instrument with Jin Lei isn¡¯t here, right?¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes dangerously. Elder Bo Yan and the rest were collectively stunned. Jin Minyao coldly laughed. ¡°Although I wasn¡¯t present back then, I¡¯m not completely ignorant. I know some things very clearly! The reason why Jin Lei died in the end is largely due to the person snatching the Yuan instrument from him at the very last moment! If it weren¡¯t for that person, Jin Lei wouldn¡¯t need to burn his bloodline power, and the remaining things wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± His dark gaze scanned across the crowd. ¡°As long as you hand that person over, I¡¯ll let this matter rest!¡± ¡­ Fengmin Mountain. Time slowly trickled past. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and completely focused on her cultivation. The surrounding force kept entering her body, and her aura continuously strengthened. This time, she could clearly feel that her cultivation state here was different from outside. The force here seemed endless, and it had a strange connection to her body. Not only could the force rapidly enter her body, but it could even smoothly flow to her limbs and combine with her strength. Of course, this force ultimately gathered in her dantian. The water droplet floated quietly, and the seven lines became increasingly bright. Here, Chu Liuyue almost forgot about time. When she focused on cultivating, the lines on the four walls started moving again in a strange rhythmic way that followed Chu Liuyue¡¯s breathing. The accumulated strength within her body increased. At some point, a crisp breaking sound was suddenly heard! Chu Liuyue was stunned and later shockingly discovered that the sound came from the black pagoda! Perhaps it was because the force kept flowing around repeatedly, causing it to break silently! Seeing the fourth crack that suddenly appeared, a scene instantly appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind! Chapter 1213 - She Went Before! It was a cliff, and there was an octagonal pavilion on the cliff. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. She was very familiar with this scene because she had seen it more than once! She still remembered that she had once played chess with Rong Xiu here. This was also the place where the two of them agreed to wait for her to go back to Tianling and discuss the marriage with her father. However, Chu Liuyue quickly discovered that the scene this time was much clearer than before. The more important point was that she finally saw the scenery around the mountain! She seemed to be standing in the octagonal pavilion again. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and saw many mountains with lush greenery. Below the cliff was an emerald-blue lake that flowed around. She vaguely found the place familiar as if she had seen it before. Then, she walked to the edge of the octagonal pavilion and looked in another direction. Suddenly, her movements stiffened as her heart beat crazily when she saw the distant scene. It was a lake that surrounded a group of mountains. For some reason, the lake didn¡¯t look low and seemed to be on the same ground as the middle of those mountains. As the mountain peak she was located was higher, the varying heights of the mountains before her didn¡¯t affect her vision. This allowed her to see the lake and its surroundings very clearly. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Bright sunlight shone down on the lake, reflecting the water surface. Above it were pinkish translucent flowers blooming. They floated quietly on the water surface as they swayed with the movement of the lake. Some branches spread out and waved even more animatedly with the wind. Beside the lake were other types of herbs that looked very healthy. They were clearly taken good care of. The light mist surrounded everywhere, causing the scene to look more fairy-like. Everything was as beautiful as a paradise. Chu Liuyue opened her mouth and didn¡¯t know what to say at that moment as her heart plunged into deep shock. The moment she saw this scene, she knew that it was the medicinal garden! So it looks like this¡­ So if one stands here, they can see such a scene if they look up! Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings again, suddenly recalling that this mountain peak was in the middle of this academy. This was the region that connected the Xuan Master area and the heavenly doctor area. The straight-line distance wasn¡¯t very far away from Medicinal Valley, but due to the land formations, one had to walk a huge round to get to that area. Most people had to take that round, but she wouldn¡¯t. This was because¡­ She had been to that medicinal garden! ¡­ Dong Huang Clock Tower. Jin Minyao¡¯s sudden suggestion caused the entire room to fall into a deadly silence. Silently, a murderous cold intent spread. Everyone present was strong warriors, and they naturally could swiftly feel that the murderous intent¡¯s source was¡­ Rong Xiu! His expression didn¡¯t change much, but people felt fear for some reason. ¡°Sect Leader Jin.¡± Rong Xiu spoke in an extremely cold voice that was even colder than his usual tone. ¡°Jin Lei deserved to die. If you continue to make a scene¡­ I¡¯ll wait for you at the Sky-Cloud Empire any time!¡± Jin Minyao was stunned before he realized the severity of the matter. What does Rong Xiu mean? The corner of his lips twitched. ¡°Rong Xiu, are you challenging me? For someone who doesn¡¯t matter?¡± I¡¯ve already made it very clear earlier that as long as they hand over that person, I will let the matter slide. But seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s reaction¡­ It seems like he is bent on protecting that person! Jin Minyao looked curious. ¡°Interesting¡­ I wonder who that person is. How can he have the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace protect him to this extent?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly into a cold smile. ¡°He¡¯s someone you definitely can¡¯t offend.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Jin Minyao¡¯s expression changed. But seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s cold and stern gaze that didn¡¯t seem like he was lying, he couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. Elder Bo Yan also took a step forward at this moment, and his suppression spread! ¡°Sect Leader Jin, do you still want to continue talking about this?¡± The warning intent was obvious! Jin Minyao knitted his brows. This is Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s territory, and I came alone. If we really fight, I¡¯m not these people¡¯s match! After much thinking, he decided to give in. ¡°Okay, okay! Since you¡¯ve decided to protect him to the end, then¡­ I¡¯ll let him off this time, but I¡¯ll definitely find out that person¡¯s identity! If he meets me¡­¡± He scoffed coldly. ¡°It¡¯ll be time for him to pay everything back!¡± Then, he whipped his sleeves harshly and walked toward the door in big strides. ¡°Sect Leader Jin.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly called him. Jin Minyao stood still and turned around in frustration, yet he saw an extremely faint smile appearing on Rong Xiu¡¯s face. ¡°You can try all you want.¡± ¡­ Jin Minyao left furiously. The crowd in the hall felt exhilarated as they shot Rong Xiu increasingly comforted and admiring gazes. Elder Bo Yan glanced at Rong Xiu and was hesitant with his words. Actually, I really want to ask what Rong Xiu¡¯s relationship with Chu Yue is. Brothers? Rong Xiu¡¯s mother only had him, and she passed on not long later. His mother¡¯s clan also doesn¡¯t seem to have any other descendants either. Friend? But they seem much closer than that¡­ At the very least, I have never seen Rong Xiu get angry because of someone else. As long as it is related to Chu Yue, he will easily be affected emotionally. This is quite weird. Friend-like mentor? That seems closer to the truth. If not, Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t have taught Chu Yue how to activate the academy¡¯s barrier. After much thinking, Elder Bo Yan arrived at a conclusion: The two of them must be more compatible. Rong Xiu had a personality that made it hard for outsiders to get close to him. But when he was with Chu Yue, he seemed especially relaxed as he let his guard down. Given that Chu Yue willingly risked his life to save Rong Xiu, the two of them must have a deep relationship. Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t ask in the end. The crowd quickly left on their own. Rong Xiu returned to his residence once again. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, it was the beginning of the month. The monthly assessment was held as usual. Like before, a few new students were recruited, and the old students continued to take their assessments. After a month, Luo Shishi and the rest had basically adjusted to life at the academy, and they all achieved decent results in the assessment. But because Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t appear for a long time, the few of them weren¡¯t too happy. ¡°Sigh, if only Chu Yue was here!¡± Zhuo Sheng stroked his chin and said regretfully, ¡°Without him, I just feel that something is off. Originally, I wanted to see what he¡¯d achieve in this month¡¯s assessment!¡± Too many things had happened in the past month. Now, they all knew very clearly that the kid had hidden his true abilities previously. They originally wanted to take this chance to ask him properly, but it was a pity that he was locked up at Fengmin Mountain again! ¡°I heard that Fengmin Mountain¡¯s environment is terrible and that the punishment is harsh. I wonder how he is doing¡­¡± muttered Luo Shishi. Chapter 1214 - Do You Dare? ¡°Shishi, I don¡¯t think you should be too worried. That kid got into so much trouble but is only locked up at Fengmin Mountain for a month. He¡¯s already very lucky. Besides, I heard Elder Wan Zheng say that he was going to break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor but didn¡¯t succeed because he was delayed by the incident that day. However, he should be able to break through without much time after he comes out.¡± Luo Yanming could see past this very well. He looked up at the Qing Yun Ranking. ¡°Perhaps he can directly get onto the Qing Yun Ranking in no time! If we¡¯re not there by that time, it won¡¯t look good on us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! Shishi, we should take the time to cultivate!¡± said Zhuo Sheng in agreement. Luo Shishi¡¯s lips pressed against each other slightly, and she nodded seriously. ¡­ At the same time, Dong Huang Clock Tower. Elder Bo Yan and the others were gathered here once again. The students who had joined in the fight for the supreme Yuan instrument were also here. Everyone sat in their own seats, but they all had ambiguous expressions. ¡°Everyone is here. Rong Xiu, you previously said that you had something important to announce. Can you say it now?¡± Elder Bo Yan glanced at Rong Xiu. That¡¯s right. They were here today because Rong Xiu gathered them. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Normally, the academy students didn¡¯t have such power, but Rong Xiu was clearly different. And from Rong Xiu¡¯s previous interaction with Elder Bo Yan, the latter faintly felt that this issue was related to that supreme Yuan instrument. Thus, he didn¡¯t delay it further and called everyone over. Amongst them included the students who had already left a few days ago. ¡°Pfft. I thought Elder Bo Yan had something urgent to tell us, so I came back without stopping. Who knew it was actually because of Rong Xiu?¡± Strange mockeries could be heard within the quiet room. Wei Xiping leaned against the chair and had a smile of contempt. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu¡¯s current status in the academy to actually be higher than many elders. He can call us to come and go as he wishes?¡± ¡°Wei Xiping.¡± Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Today¡¯s issue is related to Ancient Feather Abyss, so I gathered all of you. You don¡¯t have to target Rong Xiu.¡± Wei Xiping was indifferent as he smiled nonchalantly. ¡°That incident? Didn¡¯t it already end? Rong Xiu single-handedly snatched the treasure back and made a huge contribution! What does it have to do with us?¡± The atmosphere was even stiffer. Everyone could hear the mockery and contempt in his words. Quite a few people looked at Rong Xiu. Unexpectedly, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to be angry as his lips curled up into a smile with deep meaning. He looked at Wei Xiping and said, ¡°This incident doesn¡¯t have much to do with the rest, but it has a lot to do with you.¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Rong Xiu, what do you mean?¡± Rong Xiu said lightly, ¡°That day, Elder Shu Feng and the others set up the barrier to open the space forcefully, wanting us to return to the academy directly. This was something that the elders had long planned in advance, and it was carried out smoothly then. Logically speaking, we should¡¯ve been able to come back successfully, but¡­ Jin Lei and the rest still chased us. Wei Xiping, don¡¯t you find this strange?¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s heart started beating wildly, and anxiety quickly flashed across his eyes. He tried his best to calm himself down as he had a cold expression and questioned, ¡°Rong Xiu, are you doubting me?¡± ¡°That Xuan formation was built with everyone¡¯s strength. If it weren¡¯t because something went wrong somewhere, Jin Lei and the rest wouldn¡¯t have been able to seize the opportunity.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s slender and white fingers knocked against the chair lightly. Then, he looked up directly at Wei Xiping. ¡°I¡¯m not doubting you. I¡¯m calling you out.¡± ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Wei Xiping suddenly stood up from his chair and looked furious. ¡°This incident is serious. Don¡¯t blame it on me without evidence! I know you have always hated me, but the elders are all here. Don¡¯t even think of putting the blame on me!¡± He was very agitated, and his voice was much shriller. Perhaps he was angry, or maybe there was another reason. The many elders present were also taken aback as their gazes jumped between Rong Xiu and Wei Xiping doubtfully. ¡°Rong Xiu, are you saying that¡­ Wei Xiping played some tricks that day?¡± asked Elder Shu Feng anxiously with tightly furrowed brows. Actually, he also felt that something was amiss. Originally, that Xuan formation was almost slashed open by Jin Lei, but it was still successfully completed with Rong Xiu¡¯s help. Normally, they could¡¯ve completely used the Xuan formation to fling those people behind away. However, this didn¡¯t happen. The situation was urgent at that point in time, so he couldn¡¯t think about it in detail. But after the incident was over, he found it weird every time he thought about it. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have such a doubt, but because the people there were all academy elders and students that were very trustworthy, he really didn¡¯t want to doubt them. Thus, he instinctively hid it. Now that he heard Rong Xiu¡¯s words, Elder Shu Feng immediately recovered his senses. ¡°You must have evidence when you speak!¡± Seeing that the elders were about to be convinced by Rong Xiu, Wei Xiping hurriedly yelled. ¡°Rong Xiu, you must produce evidence!¡± I did it extremely discreetly back then, so I shouldn¡¯t have left behind any traces! Thinking of this, Wei Xiping sneered. Rong Xiu has no proof, so I have to take this chance and attack him in return! However, Rong Xiu¡¯s next sentence caused his lips¡ªwhich didn¡¯t even have time to rise¡ªto freeze. ¡°Since I dared to say it in front of so many people, I naturally would have evidence,¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly and said leisurely. Wei Xiping¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Impossible¡­ Impossible! He quickly recalled the scene once in his head and didn¡¯t discover any loopholes. Is Rong Xiu¡­ lying to me? ¡°Okay! Then, take out the evidence!¡± shouted Wei Xiping harshly. Rong Xiu lifted his chin. ¡°The evidence is on you. You take it out.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wei Xiping was dazed. Rong Xiu patiently explained, ¡°Back then, the Xuan formation was slashed by Jin Lei and was on the brink of breaking, so I used my own force to repair the Xuan formation and complete it. Hence, every line of the Xuan formation has my force.¡± Every word Rong Xiu said caused Wei Xiping¡¯s face to turn paler by a shade. ¡°The reason why Jin Lei and the rest could catch up to us is naturally due to the Xuan formation being damaged. And the force that was purposely left behind¡­ it¡¯s still in the culprit¡¯s body now.¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s lips started trembling. ¡°If you want to prove your innocence, you just need to draw a Xuan formation now. We¡¯ll then see if it has my force.¡± Rong Xiu leaned back and shot him an almighty gaze as if he were looking at an ant. ¡°Wei Xiping, do you dare to do it?¡± Chapter 1215 - Pushing to Death Rong Xiu ended his sentence. The room was completely silent, and everyone stared at Wei Xiping. As Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, Rong Xiu had already forged Your Grace¡¯s Golden Body. Due to this, his force was very special and was presented in an extremely bright and golden color, so it was very easily recognizable. ¡°Wei Xiping, what do you think?¡± asked Elder Bo Yan in a low voice. Wei Xiping kept breaking out into a cold sweat, and it almost drenched his inner shirt. The shirt stuck to his body, making it very stiff and uncomfortable. He opened his mouth and found his voice with much difficulty. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± He suddenly looked up and was furious. ¡°This is humiliating to me! I reject it!¡± However, this move didn¡¯t work on the elders present. Elder Shu Feng sneered. ¡°If you reject it, it means it¡¯s a tacit agreement. We¡¯re just asking you to draw out a Xuan formation¡ªis it that difficult?¡± Wei Xiping swallowed a mouthful of saliva and defended himself. ¡°There were so many people present that day. Anyone could¡¯ve done it! Why do you only suspect me? Everyone has to be checked then!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Seeing his behavior, Elder Shu Feng increasingly confirmed his suspicions. Thinking of the dangerous scenario that day, his blood boiled. We finally managed to work together to bring the item back, but because of Wei Xiping¡¯s selfishness, it caused so much trouble afterward! If it is really Wei Xiping who did it, I will be the first person to punish him! ¡°Why don¡¯t we start from you before we go to the rest!? If not, we can start with me!¡± Things had already developed to this stage, and Wei Xiping couldn¡¯t defend himself any longer. He stood there with his two hands hanging low. His face was white, and his entire body trembled slightly. These few days after he came back, he had been busy recuperating and secretly regretting that he didn¡¯t injure Rong Xiu during the chaotic battle. The only comfort was that Rong Xiu would have a complete grudge against the Golden Wings Sect from that day on. Even if it seemed calm on the surface, he knew that Jin Minyao was petty. Now that Rong Xiu had killed his most beloved disciple in public, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let it go. However, Wei Xiping didn¡¯t expect that Rong Xiu completely defeated him before Jin Minyao could attack! Also, it was in front of so many elders! All those present, including the students, were people of power! His behavior was undoubtedly a betrayal to the academy! Once he admitted to it, there was no turning back! Countless gazes landed on him like sharp blades that scraped his body as if they were about to scrape his skin off, leaving only his naked, bloody self! It was as if there was a hand that clutched his heart tightly, blocking his airway and causing him to be unable to breathe. Actually, even if he didn¡¯t speak, his reactions were more than words. Elder Bo Yan shook his head and sighed. ¡°Wei Xiping, do you know how serious it is to betray the academy?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Wei Xiping instinctively retorted in a sharp voice, but his face and eyes couldn¡¯t conceal his emotions and panic. ¡°I-I really didn¡¯t! Elder Bo Yan! Mentor! Mentor, you must put in a word for me!¡± It was useless to beg Elder Bo Yan. His only hope now was his own mentor, Elder Jiang Lei! However, Elder Jiang Lei wasn¡¯t stupid. It is clear that Wei Xiping did this, and the academy definitely won¡¯t let him off easily. Not to mention that my status in the academy isn¡¯t like Elder Bo Yan and the rest, so I don¡¯t have much right to speak. Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t stand up for Wei Xiping! It¡¯s the mentor¡¯s fault if the disciple does wrong! Previously, it was reasonable because he was hidden in the dark. But if I speak for Wei Xiping now, I will be intentionally hiding him! At that point, I¡¯ll also be implicated! All these thoughts quickly flashed across his mind. After calculating the pros and cons, Elder Jiang Lei immediately made a decision. He suddenly stood up and pointed at Wei Xiping, furious. ¡°Just say if you did this or not! Did you do anything to let the academy down?¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s heart went cold. He knew his mentor the best. Since his mentor said such words, it was clear that he was on the academy¡¯s side. He clenched his teeth tightly, and his expression immediately changed. ¡°Mentor, even you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Elder Jiang Lei flung his robe and coldly said, ¡°My trust depends on evidence! How do you want me to believe you now?! You have left the academy for more than a year, and now that you finally came back, how could you do such a thing behind my back?¡± Wei Xiping sneered. Is he¡­ completely removing himself from the picture? Now that I¡¯m in trouble, my closest mentor isn¡¯t thinking of how to protect me but how not to be implicated! 1 ¡°Okay, Jiang Lei, you don¡¯t have to be so angry. Even though he¡¯s your disciple, he has his own hands and feet. Can you control him in everything that he does?¡± Elder Bo Yan looked very calm as he raised his hand, gesturing for Elder Jiang Lei to calmly sit down. Elder Jiang Lei turned around furiously with a hint of guilt. ¡°Bo Yan, I failed to teach my student. I also play a part in this¡ª¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with you.¡± Elder Bo Yan shook his head. ¡°If it weren¡¯t because Rong Xiu is so meticulous to leave evidence behind, even I wouldn¡¯t expect him to do such a thing¡­ Like you said, he has left the academy for some time. So even if he really planned to do something, you wouldn¡¯t have known about it.¡± Elder Jiang Lei secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but his facial expression was increasingly anguished as he held his forehead with one hand, like he was heartbroken. ¡°It seems like we need to tell Qinggu Slope about this.¡± This finally made Wei Xiping¡¯s tense emotions collapse! ¡°Elder?!¡± Overwhelmed with shock and anger, he stared at Elder Bo Yan in disbelief. ¡°This is my own matter. Why is there¡ª¡± ¡°Until now, you still refuse to admit to it! In order not to accuse you then, we¡¯ll also invite the people from Qinggu Slope over to investigate the matter. The academy has always been on good terms with Qinggu Slope. I believe they won¡¯t find it a problem,¡± said Elder Bo Yan lightly. Wei Xiping¡¯s heart sank harshly! This is pushing me to death! Chapter 1216 - Removal of Name! Wei Xiping clenched his fists tightly and felt like he was stuck in a difficult spot! If this matter is blown up, I will definitely be gravely affected! The reason why I can be one of the strong contenders to be the next family head is largely due to the fact that I have always had an outstanding performance at Ling Xiao Academy! If other people from the Wei family learn that I¡¯ve done this and that I am hated by the academy, then¡­ Will the Wei family choose such a traitor to be the next family head? Of course not! ¡°I did it!¡± Something seemed to overwhelm Wei Xiping¡¯s chest, which made him frantic. ¡°I admit to it! Back then, I did purposely allow Jin Lei and the rest to come over! However, I didn¡¯t want to betray the academy! I-I just wanted to teach Rong Xiu a small lesson¡ª¡± When he said this, even Wei Xiping himself found it funny. Lesson? The person who truly learned a lesson wasn¡¯t Rong Xiu but him! Ever since Wei Xiping entered the academy, he disliked Rong Xiu. This was because the latter was always the most outstanding one. No matter how hard others worked and how much they sacrificed, they could never be on the same level as him. Rong Xiu could always easily get the things that others desired the most and tried their best but couldn¡¯t obtain. They were clearly around the same age, and they entered the academy only a few months apart! But from the start to now, Rong Xiu never seemed to be on the same level as the rest. He had outstanding talent and was extremely strong, not even mentioning that he currently controlled the Sky-Cloud Empire. Wei Xiping felt that it was unfair. 1 Based on what? Why can Rong Xiu already achieve everything when I¡¯m still racking my brains to think of how to please the people from the Wei family so that they will support me in becoming the family head? / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. And Rong Xiu never ever took those things into consideration, so Wei Xiping naturally hated him! Hence, he was overwhelmed by his emotions at that moment and did such a stupid thing! Hearing that he finally loosened up and personally admitted to it, the entire room fell silent for a moment. A significant portion of the people here were those that had been to Ancient Feather Abyss. The remaining people had basically all participated in the chaotic battle at Fangzhou City. Thus, when everyone heard this sentence, almost all of them glared at Wei Xiping with furious gazes. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, I¡¯m willing to accept all the punishments at this moment! However, I hope you won¡¯t spread this incident!¡± Wei Xiping quickly resigned himself to his fate and immediately started begging for mercy after he admitted to his wrongdoing. ¡°Please take into account that I¡¯ve contributed quite a bit to the academy and give me a chance!¡± Elder Bo Yan said, ¡°There are no secrets in the world. Besides¡ª¡± ¡°As long as you and the rest are willing to try your best to seal the news, I can do anything!¡± said Wei Xiping anxiously. Now that the entire situation has collapsed for me, the most important thing is to control my losses. As long as they are willing, they will definitely be able to keep this news a secret! If they really can¡¯t, they can just drag it for half a year! One had to know that the competition for the next Wei family head had reached its final intense contest during this half-year! Any flaw would definitely be expanded limitlessly by the other party, let alone such a harsh flaw! At this point, Wei Xiping didn¡¯t know that his behavior was akin to a clown in front of the crowd. ¡°Wei Xiping, do you really think you can keep this incident under wraps?¡± Elder Bo Yan was still nonchalant. ¡°You! Rong Xiu, you wanted to push me to death from the start, right?!¡± Wei Xiping suddenly realized something as he abruptly looked at Rong Xiu. How did I forget that Rong Xiu is still here!? Even if the rest are willing to keep this a secret, what about Rong Xiu? Rong Xiu leaned against the chair and folded his arms, exuding an indescribable elegance. This was the pride and honor that he had in his bones since he was born! No matter where and what happened, such a person would always seem confident. Rong Xiu smiled faintly and said, ¡°Ditto.¡± Wei Xiping wanted to deal with me, but didn¡¯t allow me to retaliate? Besides, I¡¯ve only exposed his wrongdoings. I didn¡¯t personally kill him. Of course, this is only because I know that such a method is much more painful than directly killing Wei Xiping! ¡°The academy won¡¯t tolerate anyone who betrays us.¡± Elder Bo Yan stood up. A very bad feeling surged up in Wei Xiping¡¯s heart. ¡°Elder Bo Yan¡ª¡± ¡°From today onward, you¡¯re no longer a student at Ling Xiao Academy. Later on, I¡¯ll personally erase your name from our booklet. From today onwards, you¡¯ll have nothing to do with Ling Xiao Academy!¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s face was scarily pale as his entire mind went blank. Am I¡­ getting expelled from the academy?! Without the connection with Ling Xiao Academy, I will lose a huge advantage in the competition to be the next family head! Those people will definitely ridicule me! ¡°Elder Bo Yan, you really can¡¯t give me another chance?¡± asked Wei Xiping with much difficulty. Elder Bo Yan squinted his eyes and said, ¡°You deserve this punishment since you committed such a crime. I¡¯ll only retract my decision if you can convince the director to speak for you.¡± The director had a higher status than Elder Bo Yan, so he naturally had the authority to change the latter¡¯s decision. However, this sentence was undoubtedly a huge mockery to Wei Xiping. The director had left the academy a few years ago, and Wei Xiping didn¡¯t know where he had gone! How could he find the director to get him to speak up for him!? Besides, according to the director¡¯s temper, he would only give him a harsher punishment! Wei Xiping closed his eyes defeatedly. ¡­ Wei Xiping left. Nobody asked him where he was going, and nobody sent him. The news of him being removed from the academy roster would be quickly spread around, and his reputation in the God Residence Realm would thus be severely affected. The situation on the Wei family¡¯s side would only get worse, but all of this wasn¡¯t what the academy had to care about. Because of his selfishness, he committed the sin in secret and almost landed the academy into huge trouble. Such a punishment was already very light. After the others gradually left, only Elder Bo Yan and Rong Xiu were left at Dong Huang Clock Tower. ¡°Rong Xiu, luckily we have you for this. If not, it will ultimately be bad for us if we leave such a bad seedling behind.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°His target was me, not the academy.¡± ¡°With his mentality, he can¡¯t be kept.¡± Elder Bo Yan shook his head and took out a book. It was a booklet that looked very ancient. Its cover was a copper-colored hardboard carved with Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s totem. It glowed with a faint golden light, looking solemn and holy. This was the academy¡¯s booklet. Elder Bo Yan opened it and quickly flipped to Wei Xiping¡¯s name. He then stretched out his hand and gradually slid it across the book¡¯s surface. Wei Xiping¡¯s name silently disappeared! At the same time, the Qing Yun Ranking suddenly appeared on Dong Huang Clock Tower¡¯s four walls! The Qing Yun Ranking glowed brightly! On it, Wei Xiping¡¯s name gradually dimmed until it completely disappeared! Chapter 1217 - Bring Junior Brother Along The Qing Yun Ranking¡¯s movements attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. When they saw Wei Xiping¡¯s name disappear, everyone was taken aback. ¡°What happened? Why did Senior Brother Wei Xiping¡¯s name disappear?¡± ¡°Only the director and Elder Bo Yan can summon the Qing Yun Ranking. What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡± ¡°Ah, did Elder Bo Yan want to erase Wei Xiping¡¯s name¡ªlike the number one person on the heavenly doctor list¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same. That name was just covered by the director using some special means, but it didn¡¯t actually disappear. However, this¡­ Look quickly¡ªthe ones below all rose by one rank!¡± ¡°¡­This means that Elder Bo Yan has completely removed Wei Xiping from the Qing Yun Ranking. This situation will only happen for one reason: Wei Xiping has been expelled?!¡± A tone rippled thousands of waves! Even though they didn¡¯t talk about it openly, many students in the academy could directly infer what had happened. This was also the reason why everyone was especially stunned. A student being expelled from Ling Xiao Academy was actually not something rare. During the monthly assessment, those who continuously failed would meet with such a situation. But all those people were expelled because they weren¡¯t good enough and couldn¡¯t adjust to the academy¡¯s rhythm and environment. However, Wei Xiping was different. He was a very famous and talented student in the academy. Of the four Qing Yun Ranking lists, he was on two and in the top ten for both! Such talent and results were amazing, so it caused such an uproar when his name disappeared from the Qing Yun Ranking. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Outside the square, countless people saw this scene and partook in heated discussions. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such a scene in a while,¡± said Elder Bo Yan suddenly. ¡°The last time was because her name was suddenly erased by the director.¡± The commotion caused back then was even worse than the current one. After all, she was number one on the Qing Yun Ranking. Her every movement and action attracted a lot of people¡¯s attention. Elder Bo Yan sighed deeply. ¡°I wonder¡­ where she is now and how she¡¯s doing.¡± It was as if she suddenly disappeared as her traces never appeared within the God Residence Realm again. Rong Xiu looked at the Qing Yun Ranking and faintly said, ¡°Perhaps¡­ she changed to a different identity.¡± Elder Bo Yan looked down, and his old fingers gently swiped across the page as if he wanted to flip it. But eventually, he still stopped his actions. He took a deep breath and closed the book. ¡°Maybe!¡± He sighed deeply. ¡°But that child¡­ Hiding her name and changing her identity doesn¡¯t seem like something she would do¡­¡± That person always causes trouble. It¡¯s hard to imagine her staying around peacefully. Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. That¡¯s true. Even if she has changed her appearance and even lost relevant memories, her behavior is still the same as before. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something I want to ask permission for,¡± Rong Xiu turned around and said. ¡°I want to bring Chu Yue around for a while.¡± ¡°Bring him around?¡± Elder Bo Yan was rather shocked. ¡°You want to accept him as your disciple? But your mentor hasn¡¯t been in recently, and¡­¡± Rong Xiu coughed. ¡°Chu Yue has his own mentor, so there¡¯s no need to trouble him to be under the same mentor as me. However, he¡¯s rather playful and frequently gets into trouble, so I want to bring him around during this period and teach him the rules. If not, he¡¯ll just impulsively cause trouble again like this time.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s gaze suddenly turned strange. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s personality is very cold, and he hates all kinds of trouble the most. But this time, he actually took the initiative and wanted to bring Chu Yue around. This is rare¡ªit is akin to the sun rising from the west! ¡°Rong Xiu, what relationship do you and that kid exactly have for you to be so concerned about him?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s interest was piqued, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask. Those who don¡¯t know might even think that Chu Yue is his younger brother! No, according to Rong Xiu¡¯s temper, he might not even treat his biological younger brother in this manner. How strange! ¡°We go way back, and he did save me this time. Besides¡­ If it weren¡¯t because I had taught him those nonsensical things before, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten into such huge trouble. I should teach him properly now.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, and he had a faint smile. Elder Bo Yan felt his heart itch as he couldn¡¯t find anything out, but he also knew that if Rong Xiu didn¡¯t want to say it, nobody could pry his mouth open. Hence, he swiftly gave up. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already said so, I have no reasons to object to it! When he comes out from Fengmin Mountain, he¡¯ll go to your place to learn!¡± Rong Xiu nodded, paused for a moment, and said rather unintentionally, ¡°His place is rather far from mine, and it¡¯ll waste quite a bit of time to travel back and forth every day. Coincidentally, I have a few empty rooms on my side, so I¡¯ll let him stay there.¡± ¡°Up to you!¡± Elder Bo Yan was used to his strange behavior, so he waved his hands. Anyway, the two of them have known each other for a long time. Rong Xiu even took the initiative to say that he would teach Chu Yue, so what does this count for? ¡°That kid has a bright future. You must teach him properly!¡± Rong Xiu smiled with a deep meaning. ¡°Definitely.¡± ¡­ Seven-story pagoda, Fengmin Mountain. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged in the weird room. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force rhythmically entered her body according to her breathing. She could clearly feel the force flowing through her limbs and bones. A portion of it immersed into her muscles and silently increased her physical strength. The remaining portion gathered in the water droplet in her dantian. The lines on the surrounding walls also moved around Chu Liuyue in a special rhythm. After a long while, that old voice sounded again. ¡°One month is up. Kid, come out!¡± Everything rapidly returned to normal! Chu Liuyue opened her eyes slowly, and a sharp and cold gleam flashed across her eyes! She then stretched her body, and cracks could be heard from her body. ¡°This place is indeed extraordinary¡­¡± She had only stayed here for a month, but she faintly felt that she was about to break through again. According to the normal process, even if she had a Tianjing Yuan meridian, she would still need roughly three months to break through and become a peak stage-seven warrior from an intermediate one. Cultivating here was two or three times faster than outside! She had greatly benefitted this time. The more important thing was that she had recalled many things. It was a pity that the black pagoda didn¡¯t move much after she recalled the medicinal garden. Afterward, she didn¡¯t remember any other content. Perhaps¡­ I¡¯ll recall more matters when I break through again. Chu Liuyue collected her thoughts, briefly tidied up, and prepared to go out. When she walked to the door, she turned around and took a look. The familiar and longing feeling overwhelmed her again. This time, it was obviously more intense than the first time. Her gaze flickered slightly before she turned around to leave. Chapter 1218 - Rong Xiu is Waiting for Us Walking out from that space, Chu Liuyue arrived at the hall. She stood in her spot and turned to cup her fists in the direction of the seven doors. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me during this period, Elder.¡± The other party sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you again next month, kid!¡± Hearing the intense disdain, Chu Liuyue rubbed her nose. She originally wanted to say that she would try her best, but after some thinking, she just acknowledged it obediently. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Quickly leave! Quickly leave!¡± Chu Liuyue bowed and obediently left. Walking out of the door, Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in. The fresh and cooling air entered her lungs, rejuvenating her entire self. Not to mention others, but this place seemed even more comfortable during this month than before¡­ Suddenly, she focused her gaze and saw a familiar figure standing outside the barrier¡ªit was Elder Wan Zheng. Seeing Chu Liuyue come out, Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyes lit up as he hurriedly said, ¡°Chu Yue, I¡¯m here! Come over quickly!¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. Why does this scene seem like I just came out of prison¡­ / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. But seeing Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s overjoyed behavior, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be influenced as she moved her feet and quickly walked toward Elder Wan Zheng. ¡­ ¡°Mentor, why are you here?¡± Arriving in front of Elder Wan Zheng, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask. Elder Wan Zheng sized her up and said, ¡°Hehe, I have been waiting here since morning!¡± A month was really a tad too long. He was worried, so he directly came over. Anyway, he¡¯s my own disciple. If I don¡¯t dote on him, who will? Suddenly, his gaze focused as he widened his eyes slightly and asked in disbelief, ¡°Y-you seemed to have strengthened again?¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and smiled. ¡°I haven¡¯t officially broken through yet.¡± That means it¡¯s soon! Elder Wan Zheng blinked, and his eyes flashed with overwhelming shock as he didn¡¯t know what to say. Normally speaking, students who get locked up at Fengmin Mountain will mostly be exhausted when they come out. Some might even be injured. However, not only does Chu Yue look fine, but his surrounding aura even seems to be stronger than before! Elder Wan Zheng glanced at the pagoda suspiciously. What kind of situation is this? ¡°Did that old fella give you some convenience because you¡¯re my disciple?¡± muttered Elder Wan Zheng softly. Once he said that, he heard an old and deep voice. ¡°Wan Zheng! What are you dreaming about?¡± Give you face? Dream on! I might not even give Bo Yan this face if he came, let alone Wan Zheng?! Elder Wan Zheng looked awkward for once. ¡°Alright, alright. If it¡¯s a no, you can just say so! Why must you scold me!? The kid is listening over here!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°Ahem, um¡­ Disciple, let¡¯s ignore him! It¡¯s even better if he didn¡¯t give you convenience on purpose!¡± Elder Wan Zheng arranged his collar. What does this prove? It proves that my own disciple is capable! Look at how energized he looks! Look at his gradually strengthening aura! He¡¯s doing great! ¡°Let¡¯s go! Follow me back!¡± If his abilities as a warrior have improved, perhaps his heavenly doctor skills did as well! Elder Wan Zheng wanted to see if his disciple had broken through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor! Chu Liuyue nodded and surveyed her surroundings in a seemingly casual manner. Elder Wan Zheng was dazed and asked, ¡°Disciple, who are you looking for?¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and smiled. ¡°Nothing much. Let¡¯s go.¡± Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t care about it either as his figure moved, and he left first. Chu Liuyue followed him closely. ¡­ After journeying halfway, Chu Liuyue realized that the academy¡¯s atmosphere was quite strange. ¡°Mentor, what happened in the academy during this period of time?¡± Elder Wan Zheng acknowledged his disciple. Then, he realized what the latter was asking and explained, ¡°Nothing much. It was just that Wei Xiping was expelled by the academy a while ago.¡± Chu Liuyue had some impression of this name. That man seems to have an honorable background and was thought of highly by the academy. If not, they wouldn¡¯t have allowed him to go to Ancient Feather Abyss this time. Why did he suddenly get expelled? ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°Hmph. Of course, he did something he shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Elder Wan Zheng coldly snorted. ¡°At Ancient Feather Abyss back then, he purposely let Jin Lei and the rest chase us in order to deal with Rong Xiu. Expelling him is already too easy for him!¡± His few sentences were very succinct and clear. Chu Liuyue quickly understood what went on. ¡°I see¡­ It seems like the people in the academy already know about this?¡± ¡°Of course. When Bo Yan personally removed his name from the Qing Yun Ranking, quite a few people saw it!¡± Elder Wan Zheng shook his head. ¡°In the past, I already felt that he was petty, arrogant, and someone who got jealous easily. In the end, he really did such a thing! If it weren¡¯t because Rong Xiu left some evidence behind¡­ We wouldn¡¯t have even known how many times he lied to the academy!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ discovered this?¡± Elder Wan Zheng nodded. The two of them walked a distance, and Chu Liuyue then realized that the direction seemed wrong. ¡°Mentor, this doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯re going to your place?¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re going to yours!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. I thought that Elder Wan Zheng came over early in the morning to fetch me and bring me back so that he could test my heavenly doctor standards. As if seeing through her thoughts, Elder Wan Zheng chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. I do intend to test you, but I chose the venue to be at your place.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly think of going to my place, Mentor?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because you¡¯re going to pack your things!¡± Elder Wan Zheng stroked his beard. ¡°You need to turn another bend to get to my place, so it¡¯s more convenient if we come to yours directly!¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. ¡°Pack my things? Me?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡ªyou don¡¯t know about this yet!¡± Elder Wan Zheng hit his head. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re going to move to Rong Xiu¡¯s place and stay with him!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t react in time as she instinctively asked, ¡°Me? Stay with Rong Xiu?!¡± Why didn¡¯t I hear of this before at all? I just made a trip to Fengmin Mountain. Why am I suddenly moving house now that I¡¯m out? And it¡¯s to stay with Rong Xiu¡­ As one of the top few existences amongst the students in the academy, doesn¡¯t Rong Xiu always stay alone? ¡°Hehe, I think Rong Xiu was the one who took the initiative to talk to Bo Yan about this. He said that he planned to bring you around the academy during this period of time, so it¡¯ll be convenient if you stay at his place.¡± As long as one doesn¡¯t snatch my disciple, I welcome them greatly, not to mention that it is Rong Xiu. If my precious disciple can learn from Rong Xiu for a period of time, she will definitely benefit greatly! Such an opportunity is very rare, and others couldn¡¯t have it even if they wanted to. Why does this kid look so shocked? Elder Wan Zheng smiled and said, ¡°Disciple, although Rong Xiu mainly specializes in the warrior aspect and the Armory Refinement aspect, he is pretty good as a heavenly doctor. This chance is rare. You must learn from him properly, okay?¡± While they were talking, the duo had already reached a familiar mountain. Elder Wan Zheng laughed out loud. ¡°See! Rong Xiu is already waiting for us!¡± Chapter 1219 - Worried About You Chu Liuyue had mixed emotions when she saw the man in white standing tall halfway up the mountain. Just a month ago, he was a high and mighty senior, and I was a freshman who had just joined the academy. But we¡¯re going to stay together now, and he even wants to ¡®guide me along?!¡¯ What on earth happened in the past month? Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t notice her expression. With a laugh, he speedily flew over to Rong Xiu¡¯s side and landed in front of him. Chu Liuyue had no choice but to follow him. ¡°That¡¯s early of you, Rong Xiu!¡± Elder Wan Zheng greeted Rong Xiu cheerfully. Rong Xiu smiled and nodded. ¡°I had nothing to do, so I came straight here to wait for you after hearing that you had gone to fetch Chu Yue. I can¡¯t possibly make you wait for me, right?¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t be more pleased to hear that. Hear that?! He¡¯s saying how much he respects my precious student and me! Nobody else in Ling Xiao Academy can receive such treatment from him. Chu Yue will surely learn a lot under his wings! ¡°Hey, Chu Yue. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Elder Wan Zheng urged his disciple to come forward. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys acquainted?¡± We¡¯re more than just acquaintances. Chu Liuyue maintained a smile on her face. ¡°Hello, Senior¡­¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s deep, warm gaze swept over her face. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve spent a pretty good time at Fengmin Mountain.¡± Not only is she looking better than before, but her strength has also increased. She also probably¡­ remembers a lot more things now. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°Not as well as you, Senior, seeing how you managed to make so many arrangements in just the span of one month.¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Although Elder Wan Zheng could feel the slightly strange atmosphere between the two, he didn¡¯t dwell on it. Instead, he excitedly said, ¡°Hurry up and refine the pill now, Chu Yue. Let me see how much you¡¯ve improved!¡± Actually, he had a feeling that Chu Yue could do it when he saw the latter coming out of Fengmin Mountain earlier, but he wanted to confirm it for himself so that he could have peace of mind. Knowing that her master was hung up over this matter in the past month, Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue chose to refine the pill that she didn¡¯t manage to finish refining the last time. One reason was that she could save herself a great deal of trouble since she could use the herbs she hadn¡¯t used up the last time. Another reason was that Elder Wan Zheng thought she could only refine one type of ninth-grade pill, so it only made sense to refine that particular pill. Once she was done preparing, she started refining the pill. The process was so much smoother than last time since her ability in all aspects had improved over the month. From gathering the herbs to refining them, everything was done in an orderly manner, much to Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s satisfaction. I knew it! This kid is obviously much calmer and more skilled when handling the herbs this time. His control over the flame is basically perfect too. To think I was a little worried that he¡¯d forget everything after getting locked up at Fengmin Mountain for a month. I can finally put my mind to rest now! Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t resist showing off to Rong Xiu, who was right next to him. ¡°Rong Xiu, what do you think about my new student?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled. ¡°Very good. He¡¯s¡­ indeed better and much more outstanding than many other people.¡± Elder Wan Zheng chuckled. ¡°Oh right, both of you have known each other for a long time! Then, I guess you¡¯ve long found out about his talent in this area!¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t say anything, but the smile on his face was a clear acknowledgment. ¡°I never heard you mention that you knew such a talented junior! You should¡¯ve asked him to join the academy long ago!¡± said Elder Wan Zheng with a stroke of his beard. Of course, it¡¯s not too late now. Chu Yue is only 16, so he still has a lot of potential! Just then, a faint herbal fragrance permeated the air. It turned out that Chu Liuyue was already beginning to form the pill. As Elder Wan Zheng stared at the fist-sized pill hovering quietly in the red flame, he couldn¡¯t help but rub his palms together. It looks like he¡¯s going to succeed this time! At the thought of that, his smile widened as he said to Rong Xiu, ¡°You don¡¯t know this, but Chu Yue actually almost succeeded on his first attempt at refining this pill! It was a shame that blabbermouth Hua Feng suddenly came over and said that you had been besieged. In his moment of distraction, that pill was destroyed at the last step! Sigh¡­ He could¡¯ve broken through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor back then!¡± Rong Xiu narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly while smiling in amusement. His usually cold expression became more alive in that instant. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± His deep voice was pleasing to the ears. ¡°It turns out that Chu Yue is so concerned about me¡­¡± ¡°Of course, he is! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have failed the last time!¡± Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t notice anything wrong with Rong Xiu¡¯s tone and nodded in agreement. ¡°He lied to me back then, saying that he wanted to go back and work on the pill on his own, but he snuck out in the end. Now that I think about it, he was obviously worried about you!¡± If not, he wouldn¡¯t have appeared at Rong Xiu¡¯s side at the time. There¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t know how dangerous that melee was to him¡ªa seventh-grade warrior¡ªbut he went into it all the same. That is already enough to explain everything! Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened slightly. Bam! Chu Liuyue slammed a palm against the cauldron. Chapter 1220 - Isn’t It Only Right for Us to Stay Together? A pill as big as a dragon¡¯s eye shot up to the sky! With a sweep of her hand in the air, Chu Liuyue grabbed the pill and put it into a jade box, leaving behind only the lingering rich herbal scent in the air. 1 Elder Wan Zheng returned his attention to Chu Liuyue and stared unblinkingly at the box in her hand. He was even more nervous than when he was refining the pill himself. Chu Liuyue walked over and handed the box to him. ¡°Master.¡± Elder Wan Zheng reached out for the box, only to hurriedly wipe them down on his clothes before carefully taking it from her. He then took a deep breath to calm himself down. Creak¡­ As the jade box opened, a refreshing medicinal scent hit his nose. Lying quietly in the middle of the box was a rich-blue round pill with nine lines on it. Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyes lit up in delight. ¡°It¡¯s a ninth-grade pill! It¡¯s a ninth-grade pill!¡± Even though it was slightly inferior, it was still a ninth-grade pill. Despite having expected this outcome, Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but feel excited and happy when he saw the pill. ¡°You¡¯ve succeeded! You didn¡¯t disappoint me, Chu Yue! Hahaha! It won¡¯t be hard for you to get a place on the Qing Yun Ranking next month!¡± A 16-year-old ninth-grade heavenly doctor! That¡¯s an incredible feat even across the entire academy! Many people will be shocked and envious of this! ¡°Rong Xiu, what do you think about Chu Yue¡¯s skills?¡± asked Elder Wan Zheng excitedly. It was understandable that he wanted to show off his outstanding student, not to mention that the person he was showing off to was Rong Xiu. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡°Excellent.¡± Rong Xiu smiled and nodded his head. ¡°Congrats, Elder Wan Zheng. I¡¯m sure Chu Yue will have a bright future under your guidance!¡± ¡°Hahaha! He sure is good!¡± As Elder Wan Zheng held the pill in his hand lovingly, he couldn¡¯t help wanting to let everyone in the academy know that his precious student had broken through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor. Most people experienced multiple failures when attempting to get past this hurdle, but Chu Yue managed to succeed in just less than five tries. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s not easy to find a student I like these days! The last one I liked was taken away by the director. Good thing I didn¡¯t let this kid get away this time!¡± Rong Xiu blinked. ¡°Master, who are you referring to¡­ when you said: ¡®the last one you liked?''¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s laughter died off instantly. It was only then that he realized he was so carried away that he had accidentally mentioned the past again. He coughed and tried to gloss it over. ¡°Nothing¡ªthat was just stuff in the past. I was just mentioning it in passing¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to compare you with anyone!¡± Elder Wan Zheng felt somewhat guilty when he looked at Chu Liuyue. He hurriedly explained, ¡°I promise, you¡¯re the best student to me!¡± Knowing that he had mistaken her, Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. However, she was heartened to hear that. Although she wanted to ask more questions, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so when she saw his slightly flustered look. With a nod, she said, ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to thank about!¡± Seeing that his disciple didn¡¯t seem to mind about this, Elder Wan Zheng heaved a sigh of relief and secretly told himself not to shoot his mouth off again. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t teach you anything at all. It¡¯s all thanks to your own intelligence and hard work that you managed to break through!¡± He knew very well that he hadn¡¯t actually done much for Chu Yue since it had only been less than two months since the latter joined the academy. Chu Yue had also spent most of his time locked up at Fengmin mountain, so the time he had spent teaching Chu Yue wasn¡¯t a lot. Even though Chu Yue managed to break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor so quickly largely because of his own efforts, he was still immensely pleased and proud of his disciple. He had a feeling that his student would make something of himself in the future. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today since you¡¯ve broken through and managed to refine the pill! It¡¯s getting late. You should go back with Rong Xiu now. Go familiarize yourself with the surroundings and learn from him. In the meantime, I¡¯ll adjust your curriculum.¡± Since Chu Liuyue turned out to be more outstanding than he thought, Elder Wan Zheng had to make tweaks to his lesson plans. Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu with a cock of an eyebrow. ¡°Rong Xiu is also quite accomplished in the heavenly doctor path. You¡¯ll definitely learn a lot of things from him.¡± Elder Wan Zheng patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder and looked at her with great expectations. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. Rong Xiu was basically perfect in the academy elders¡¯ eyes, so whatever he did¡­ Not only would it not arouse their suspicion, but he would also receive their strong support. All Chu Liuyue could do now was agree with what her master said, so she nodded. ¡°In that case¡­ Please guide me along, Senior.¡± ¡­ After returning the pill to Chu Liuyue, Elder Wan Zheng quickly left. Chu Liuyue had a rough idea of what he was about to do from his hurried and gleeful departure. ¡°It looks like many people will know that you¡¯ve become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor in no time.¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows. ¡°Before that happens, I believe more people will know that I¡¯ve moved to stay with you.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him with a smile. I¡¯m sure there will be as much commotion as when people find out that I¡¯ve refined a ninth-grade pill, if not more. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t deny it, and he laughed instead. ¡°Isn¡¯t it only right for us to stay together?¡± Chapter 1221 - Just You Wait! Chu Liuyue quietly looked at him with an ambiguous smile on her face. ¡°Rong Xiu, do you really think that way?¡± Rong Xiu shifted his gaze to meet her eyes. An invisible current instantly flowed between the two when their eyes met. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Chu Liuyue stared into his eyes as if she were trying to peer into the deepest part of his mind through them. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that I¡¯ve been to that medicinal garden?¡± ¡­ Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng were currently battling each other at the top of a mountain in the warrior area. Both of them were trying to figure out the new technique that Elder Wen Xi had taught them recently¡ªsparring was the quickest and most effective way to do that, and it was beneficial to their respective cultivations. The fight was intense with both of them flipping their bodies around and exchanging blows. There were several times when Zhuo Sheng slipped up and nearly got defeated by Luo Shishi, but he managed to hold on and launch a counter-attack when the latter¡¯s energy was almost depleted, eventually winning the fight. ¡°I¡¯ve lost.¡± Seeing how beads of sweat were dripping down Luo Shishi¡¯s flushed face, it was clear that she had given it all in that match. However, there wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of joy on Zhuo Sheng¡¯s face despite having won the match. Instead, he shook his head with a sigh. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t a few years older and had broken through to become a ninth-grade warrior sooner than you, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have been a match for you just now! Shishi, you¡¯ve improved by leaps and bounds. If this goes on, I believe it won¡¯t be long before you catch up and overtake me.¡± Luo Shishi pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°That won¡¯t happen so easily, given how capable you are and how strong your foundation is. I still have a long way to go.¡± Zhuo Sheng laughed. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be modest! I¡¯m proud of your speedy improvement! We grew up together, so I know the talent and potential you¡¯ve got all too well! If that wasn¡¯t the case, your father and the others wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let you specialize in the warrior path.¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. The Luo family was famous for producing Xuan Masters¡ªmost of their members, including Luo Yanlin and Luo Yanming, were quite talented in this aspect. However, it was different for Luo Shishi. Her talent in the warrior path far exceeded her talent in the Xuan Master path, and that was why her family had agreed to let her undergo warrior training at Ling Xiao Academy. ¡°As long as you focus on your cultivation, you¡¯ll surely be able to achieve great things in the future!¡± said Zhuo Sheng. ¡°You might even be the first among us to make it onto the Qing Yun Ranking!¡± Having their name on the Qing Yun Ranking was the greatest recognition and glory to them at the moment. Luo Shishi thought about it and laughed. ¡°I doubt so. I heard that Chu Yue almost managed to refine a ninth-grade pill the last time. Besides, he¡¯s quite talented in other aspects too¡­ In my opinion, he has a higher chance of getting on the Qing Yun Ranking first.¡± Zhuo Sheng stroked his chin and nodded in agreement as he recalled what he had seen so far. ¡°That¡¯s true! Heh, that fella sure isn¡¯t simple! When he¡¯s out, I¡¯ll have to ask him how strong he really is!¡± Luo Shishi suddenly froze. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t today the day he¡¯s supposed to be out?¡± Zhuo Sheng slapped his forehead. ¡°Oh, yeah! I¡¯ve been so focused on studying the new skill that I completely forgot about this!¡± After thinking about it, Luo Shishi said, ¡°Should we go see him?¡± ¡°Sure! I heard that the punishment at Fengmin Mountain is really tough. I wonder how he¡¯s doing now!¡± After reaching an agreement, the two of them set off immediately. However, they had only just taken a couple of steps when they suddenly heard someone from the side saying, ¡°Hah, Chu Yue is all capable now. Why would he even need you to worry about him?¡± They looked over and saw some familiar faces¡ªit was Gong Sheng and Liu Yintong with a few other people behind them. It seemed like they happened to be passing by. Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng weren¡¯t too fond of them in the first place, so Zhuo Sheng frowned when he heard that. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Gong Sheng snickered. ¡°You guys haven¡¯t heard the news? Chu Yue managed to become friends with Rong Xiu! So what if he was locked up at Fengmin Mountain? With Rong Xiu behind him, he can do whatever he wants in the academy in the future.¡± Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng looked at each other with bewilderment. How did that happen? Does that mean Chu Yue and Rong Xiu¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t you good friends with Chu Yue? How come you didn¡¯t know this?¡± The sarcasm in Gong Sheng¡¯s tone was heavy. ¡°Rong Xiu even brought Chu Yue back to his place earlier. I hear that Chu Yue will be staying there for the time being, and Rong Xiu will be personally mentoring him! The rumor has already spread across the entire academy!¡± Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng really had no knowledge of this matter, but that was a given since they had been diligent in their cultivation lately and hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to other matters. However, this news came as a shock to them, and they could see the incredulity on each other¡¯s faces when they looked at each other. J-just what exactly is going on¡­? ¡°That kid sure is lucky to have found such a powerful backer for himself just by taking a risk¡­¡± With Rong Xiu protecting him, nobody in the academy will dare to pick a fight with him anymore. Instead, people will all be flocking to fawn on him! Despite his indignation, Gong Sheng knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to gain the upper hand in a fight with Chu Yue anymore. They had been waiting for a chance to teach Chu Yue a lesson, but it turned out that he was one step ahead of them. It would be a lie to say that they weren¡¯t furious and jealous of him. Zhuo Sheng soon noticed the plain mockery, jealousy, and hatred on their faces. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because Chu Yue is capable! Why do you think Rong Xiu likes him of all people in the academy? It¡¯s despicable how some people who don¡¯t have ability or guts only dare to talk about others behind their backs!¡± The expressions of Gong Sheng and the others darkened. ¡°What did you just say?!¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mention any names. Why are you so eager to admit it?¡± Zhuo Sheng wasn¡¯t afraid of them because Luo Yanlin alone was enough to make those people scared, let alone Rong Xiu. If they hadn¡¯t tried to find trouble on Chu Yue, there wouldn¡¯t be beef between us now. Everything that has happened is their own doing! ¡°You¡­!¡± Gong Sheng was stopped by Liu Yintong, who was right next to him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go!¡± Gong Sheng was seething, but he had no choice but to keep his temper in check when he turned and saw Liu Yintong¡¯s expression. He gritted his teeth and pointed a finger at Zhuo Sheng. ¡°Go on acting smug! I¡¯d like to see if Chu Yue will still be friends with you now that he has Rong Xiu behind him! Just you wait!¡± Chapter 1222 - Explanation After Liu Yintong and the others left, it was strangely quiet. Although they acted very confidently when arguing with Zhuo Sheng earlier, they knew that Chu Yue had become someone they couldn¡¯t offend since he was now under Rong Xiu¡¯s protection. However, it just so happened that they ¡®offended¡¯ him a while back. Even they themselves had no idea what their lives in the academy would be like in the future. Gong Sheng felt especially depressed and annoyed. As he was walking next to Liu Yintong, he could see her tightly knitted eyebrows if he so much as slightly turned his face toward her. She seemed to be somewhat distracted and lost in thought as she walked forward. He, of course, knew what was on her mind, and that was the reason why he felt all the more miserable. It must be because of him! He felt angrier the more he thought about it, and it was like his anger was about to burst out from his pounding chest. Finally, when he couldn¡¯t contain his anger anymore, he looked back and said to the rest, ¡°You guys go ahead first. I have something to say to Ah Tong.¡± The others didn¡¯t dare to say or ask anything when they saw how dark his expression was, and they just quickly took off. Soon, it was just the two of them left. Liu Yintong stared at Gong Sheng in bafflement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gong Sheng tried his best to hold his anger back. ¡°Ah Tong, you¡¯re still thinking about Rong Xiu, right?!¡± A flash of panic appeared in Liu Yintong¡¯s eyes, and she quickly averted her gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Gong Sheng¡¯s pitch rose. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? I bet you¡¯ve been thinking about how you can go up and talk to him ever since he came back to the academy! You¡¯re so smitten with him, but unfortunately, he probably doesn¡¯t even remember what you look like! Must you do this to yourself, Ah Tong?!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Liu Yintong¡¯s countenance darkened. ¡°I was just thinking about Chu Yue. You¡ª¡± ¡°Chu Yue? Chu Yue?! He probably wouldn¡¯t have even crossed your mind if he didn¡¯t have a connection with Rong Xiu!¡± Gong Sheng knew her too well. Even though Rong Xiu had left the academy a few years ago, he was still able to grab attention whenever he appeared, and that attention came from Liu Yintong as well. Liu Yintong looked away and explained, ¡°I¡¯m just feeling a bit regretful. I shouldn¡¯t have offended Chu Yue back then! Now that he has Rong Xiu behind him, I¡ª¡± ¡°What are you regretting? What¡¯s there to be afraid of? You¡¯re afraid that he¡¯ll talk bad about you in front of Rong Xiu? Given Rong Xiu¡¯s temperament, do you really think he cares about that? We¡¯re nobodies to him. It doesn¡¯t matter what trash Chu Yue says to him about you.¡± Gong Sheng scoffed. He didn¡¯t think Rong Xiu would take the trouble to get revenge on them just to help Chu Yue vent his anger. ¡°Let me put it this way: Even if you manage to butter Chu Yue up into singing your praises in front of Rong Xiu, he won¡¯t spare you a second glance.¡± The more Gong Sheng said, the darker Liu Yintong¡¯s countenance was. It got to the point that her fists were both tightly clenched, and her body was trembling slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that he already has a princess consort!¡± Slap! Liu Yintong delivered a hard slap to Gong Sheng¡¯s face, which turned red and swollen immediately. ¡°I know all that! I didn¡¯t need your lecture!¡± Her face was scrunched up in anger, and her lips were pale as she turned around to leave. Gong Sheng instinctively moved to follow her, but he stopped as soon as he took his first step. A hint of pain flashed in his eyes as he watched her walk further and further away from him. In the end, he walked off in another direction. ¡­ When Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng arrived outside the mountain where Rong Xiu was staying, they realized that a crowd was already gathered there. Everyone was looking toward Jiuheng Peak with shock and curiosity. Clearly, they had also come after hearing the rumors. Whispers could be heard from the crowd. ¡°Is it true that Rong Xiu will be mentoring Chu Yue?¡± ¡°Of course, it is! Many people saw them coming back together just now! It seems that Chu Yue will be staying at Rong Xiu¡¯s place for some time!¡± ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t Rong Xiu known to be aloof, arrogant, and unapproachable? How come he¡¯s suddenly willing to mentor a freshman?¡± ¡°I heard that Chu Yue took a blow for Rong Xiu¡­ Could that be the reason why?¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk. Rong Xiu is the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s saint. People will flock to die for him as long as he gives the order. Why would he value Chu Yue so much for something so trivial? From what I heard¡­ Both of them actually knew each other long ago!¡± ¡°What? For real?! How come we¡¯ve never heard about this before? I thought Chu Yue was just an ordinary person with no background!¡± ¡°Pfft! There¡¯s no way an ordinary person can have a red-tailed phoenix as their contracted fiend. Besides, which ordinary stage-seven warrior can defeat a stage-eight warrior? From Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude, it¡¯s not hard to tell that they knew each other long ago!¡± There were all sorts of speculations from the crowd. Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng looked at one another. Strictly speaking, they knew nothing about Chu Yue¡¯s background even though they were on close terms with him. ¡°It looks like I have to ask that fella about this¡­ He¡¯s way too low profile if he really knows Rong Xiu on a personal level!¡± Zhuo Sheng stroked his chin. Had it been someone else, they would¡¯ve spread the word to everyone on their first day of school! Luo Shishi fell deep into thought. From the first time we met, I knew that Chu Yue had to be of extraordinary background from the way he carried himself. However, I didn¡¯t expect him to know Rong Xiu. While other people might be still trying to guess the truth, I¡¯m certain about it because neither Rong Xiu nor Chu Yue are the type of people to do that for a stranger. I bet they know each other very well! Jiang Zhiyuan claimed herself to be a childhood friend of Rong Xiu¡¯s, and there were even rumors that she would become the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort at one point. However, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t important to Rong Xiu. It was different for Chu Yue, however. The fact that Rong Xiu was willing to spend his patience and energy to guide Chu Yue proved that the latter was much closer to him than Jiang Zhiyuan was. Nobody knew what sort of background Chu Yue had for him to be treated this way by Rong Xiu though. And since they couldn¡¯t enter Jiuheng Peak, they naturally couldn¡¯t find out what was going on inside as well. Just then, someone whispered, ¡°Rong Xiu and Chu Yue have been inside for quite some time. Why aren¡¯t they out yet?¡± ¡­ Isolated from the commotion outside, Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue sat facing each other in the room. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I¡¯ve followed you here. Can you explain it to me now?¡± Chapter 1223 - : The Person Whose Name Was Removed Was Me! Rong Xiu didn¡¯t give a clear answer to the question she asked previously¡ªthe one about her having been to the medicinal garden before. Rong Xiu looked down slightly. Although he had expected Chu Liuyue to remember some more things of the past after coming out of Fengmin Mountain, he didn¡¯t think she would remember so much. After a moment of silence, he looked up. ¡°What other things do you remember?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. Being the smart person she was, she could naturally tell that Rong Xiu was trying to sound her out. ¡°No. All I remember is that I¡¯ve picked herbs out of that garden before.¡± She then paused and added, ¡°That garden¡­ Logically speaking, nobody but its owner is allowed to enter, right?¡± Rong Xiu leaned back in his chair and remained silent for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s indeed the case, although it¡¯s not like people haven¡¯t been in there before. The director freed up that piece of land years ago. Although that medicinal garden has only been around for a few years, it has all sorts of precious herbs there. Some of which were even personally tended to by the director himself, so some people would go there to gather herbs.¡± ¡°The owner¡¯s consent was naturally required, so there weren¡¯t actually many people who could go pick herbs from that garden. Besides, that place is right next to Medicinal Valley. There have been cases where people accidentally ended up there after losing their way in Medicinal Valley.¡± ¡°That seemed to be the case for Zhong Xun. It looks like there have been quite a number of people who have been to the medicinal garden before.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully before looking fixedly at Rong Xiu. ¡°In that case, I was there at the medicinal garden for one of those two reasons?¡± Rong Xiu hesitatingly said, ¡°You did like going there to pick herbs.¡± All of a sudden, Chu Liuyue stood up and walked toward Rong Xiu. She stopped right in front of him and bent down to look straight into his eyes. The gap between them was so small that they could hear each other¡¯s breathing. They could even touch each other if they so much as moved. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, which were usually sparkling, were dark and calm right now. Rong Xiu widened his eyes. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Not only do I like going there to pick herbs, but I seem to also like tending to the herbs there. I suppose not anyone has the right to do that, right?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke in a slow manner. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart thumped. She remembers more than I expected her to! ¡°From the octagonal pavilion on that cliff, one can directly cross over the mountains and see the beautiful scenery of that medicinal garden. An easier and more convenient method would be to fly straight there.¡± Rong Xiu slowly clenched his fists. ¡°For someone who could make Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director open a medicinal garden for them, they probably wouldn¡¯t allow just anyone onto their territory, right?¡± said Chu Liuyue slowly with a slight smile. ¡°Unless that place is theirs to begin with!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him. ¡°Rong Xiu, the person whose name was removed from the Qing Yun Ranking¡­ is me, right?¡± As unbelievable as this sounds, it must be true since there¡¯s no other explanation than this! It was dead quiet in the room. Rong Xiu relaxed his body and leaned completely against the back of the chair as he looked up slightly. There was a hint of a smile on his noble yet alluring face, along with surprise and resignation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ The passing time felt really long and arduous, and the glow of the setting sun shone in through the window. Chu Liuyue,¡ªwho had sat still for the entire afternoon¡ªfinally let out her breath. It¡¯s rare that I have such free time to myself, where I don¡¯t need to cultivate, understand Xuan formations, or even study pills. All she did was sit there and let her mind go blank. Well, not entirely so because what Rong Xiu said to her, along with her fragmented memories, had been constantly replaying in her mind. It was just that they seemed surreal to her even now. They seemed to be a dream, though she knew they weren¡¯t. I-it was all real! I was the disciple of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director, the owner of the medicinal garden, as well as the one whose name was removed from the Qing Yun Ranking¡­ That person had only been an amazing legendary figure to her. Chu Liuyue had once thought of wanting to meet that person after hearing so much about them, but it turned out that she was that person all along. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. Even now, everything about this matter still felt really surreal to her, and she found it a little hard to believe. That said, she became even more curious about things like the Qing Yun Ranking after her question had been answered. From what I remember, I was only a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, warrior, and Xuan master when I was faced with Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng¡¯s betrayal, and that standard would only guarantee me the last position on the Qing Yun Ranking lists at best. There is no way I could rank highly, much less top the ranking. Based on Rong Xiu¡¯s account and my own memories, I came to the God Residence Realm and spent some time here before returning to the Tianling Dynasty. I didn¡¯t come back after that though. She couldn¡¯t understand why her cultivation level had dropped after going back to the Tianling Dynasty or why she had forgotten everything about the God Residence Realm. I must¡¯ve been a legendary warrior since my name used to be on the Qing Yun Ranking. In that case¡­ How did I end up being a stage-nine warrior? Countless questions flooded her mind. After thinking about them for a while, she suddenly got up and walked outside. Almost instantly, Rong Xiu walked out of the room next door. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Qing Ming Square,¡± Chu Liuyue answered with pursed lips and then added, ¡°I just want to go and take a look.¡± Although the medicinal garden was hers, it was inconvenient for her to go there in her current capacity. There were also many other places where she couldn¡¯t go. Hence, after much thinking, she decided that Qing Ming Square was the most suitable place for her to go. Even though students weren¡¯t usually allowed to go there, she wanted to go and check it out. In fact, she felt an urge to do just that. Rong Xiu smiled in understanding. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Given his status, he naturally had no problem going there. After hesitating for a moment, Chu Liuyue nodded in agreement. ¡­ The sky was getting dark as it was evening now. Although it was almost empty around Qing Ming Square, they still attracted the attention of many people when they left Jiuheng Peak since Rong Xiu¡¯s every move was closely watched. Some people even secretly followed them, but they didn¡¯t care about them. Chu Liuyue walked to the edge of the square and stood still. Rong Xiu looked at her. ¡°Want to take a closer look?¡± Chapter 1224 - Try Chu Liuyue nodded. Rong Xiu walked over first. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a while, but she still followed him. Both of them knew that she came here not to see Qing Ming Square, but¡­ the Qing Yun Ranking in Dong Huang Clock Tower! But at this point, the Qing Yun Ranking was hidden, and one couldn¡¯t see much from the outside. Only its black body that was dark and hidden, solemn and sober. Walking to the front of Dong Huang Clock Tower, the two of them stood still. Chu Liuyue looked up. This was originally the position of the heavenly doctor list. Chu Liuyue still clearly recalled the shock she felt when she first saw the Qing Yun Ranking upon coming to the academy. Although the Qing Yun Ranking wasn¡¯t summoned, she had a completely different feeling when she saw it again at this moment. She looked up at the highest point. She¡­ couldn¡¯t see anything strange there, but her name was sealed there! ¡­ / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡°It seems like the news of Senior Brother Rong Xiu personally teaching Chu Yue is true!¡± ¡°What are they doing here at this time? Do they want to see the Qing Yun Ranking? But without the elders summoning it, the board won¡¯t appear! Why are they looking at the dark board?¡± ¡°Heh, what¡¯s so important about that!? Everyone in the entire academy knows that Senior Brother Rong Xiu is top on two of the Qing Yun Ranking lists. Even if the Qing Yun Ranking isn¡¯t here, it¡¯s an indisputable truth! Perhaps¡­ Senior Brother Rong Xiu wants to motivate Chu Yue?¡± ¡°Ah! I really want to see the Qing Yun Ranking with Senior Brother Rong Xiu as well! I want to be guided by Senior Brother Rong Xiu!¡± ¡°You? We can talk when you¡¯re as talented as Chu Yue! Haha!¡± ¡°Hmph, that Chu Yue is pretty talented, but he isn¡¯t at a stage where people should worship him! If I work hard, I might not lose to him! I really don¡¯t know what Senior Brother Rong Xiu sees in him¡­¡± Outside Qing Ming Square, quite a few people partook in heated discussions. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t really return to the academy all these years, and when he did appear, he accompanied the elders. The scene of him appearing with a normal student had never been seen before. Besides, this person was a student who had just come to the academy two months ago. This scene was indeed too strange, causing one to be shocked and inevitably causing people to discuss it. ¡­ These voices traveled to Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, but at this point, she didn¡¯t want to care about them. At the bottom of her heart, there seemed to be something urging her. She took a deep breath in, raised her hand, and reached forward. Rong Xiu squinted his phoenix eyes slightly but did not stop her. In this manner, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand finally touched the cold and heavy board. Whir! A ripple was heard from her dantian¡ªit came from that black pyramid! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat even faster as all her blood rushed up! At the same time, the board beneath her palm seemed to be summoned as well! An extremely familiar strength entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm from within! That¡­ was her strength! It was a connection that only those who had their names engraved on the Qing Yun Ranking would have! The crystallized faint light suddenly seeped out from her finger cracks! Chu Liuyue was shocked. Before she could react, Rong Xiu took a step forward and placed his hand on the board. He was only a few inches away from Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! The next moment, the light beneath Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm rapidly disappeared! That ripple was covered by an even greater strength! Almost at the same time, a gray figure suddenly flew out of Dong Huang Clock Tower¡ªit was Elder Bo Yan! ¡°Who summoned the Qing Yun Ranking?!¡± A deep voice reverberated throughout the square! The surrounding crowd felt their hearts shake as they instinctively took a few steps back! Chu Liuyue was also affected by the tremendous strength as the blood in her body started coursing around rapidly, going straight for her heart! At the same time, there seemed to be something very heavy weighing down her heart! Rong Xiu waved his sleeves, and an invisible ripple spread, covering the shocking suppression. Chu Liuyue then heaved a sigh of relief. Almost instinctively, she retracted her hand! Elder Bo Yan quickly landed beside the two of them. Rong Xiu turned around, took a step forward, and silently hid Chu Liuyue behind him. ¡°Greetings, Elder Bo Yan.¡± ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Elder Bo Yan looked surprised. ¡°Why are you here¡ªChu Yue?¡± Actually, when he heard Rong Xiu¡¯s voice, he had already identified the latter. However, Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t expect Chu Yue to be standing beside him. Seeing their appearance, they seem to have arrived here not long ago. ¡°You¡­ did that just now?¡± Elder Bo Yan stood with one hand behind his back and glanced at Dong Huang Clock Tower. The Qing Yun Ranking didn¡¯t appear, and the faint ripple had disappeared. If it weren¡¯t because he was coincidentally in Dong Huang Clock Tower, it would¡¯ve been really hard for him to detect the slight change. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Elder Bo Yan walked over. ¡°Why did you suddenly do such a thing for no reason?¡± Normally, only the director could summon the Qing Yun Ranking. Now that the director wasn¡¯t around, he temporarily took over this task. But in actual fact, a few other people could do this besides him. Rong Xiu¡ªwho had taken two number one positions on four Qing Yun Ranking lists¡ªwas one of them. Rong Xiu curled his thin lips and smiled faintly. ¡°I just wanted to bring Junior Brother Chu Yue over to take a look.¡± It seems like he wants to use himself to motivate Chu Yue? Elder Bo Yan thought to himself. Although it sounds weird, it isn¡¯t surprising that Rong Xiu would do such a thing, given that he previously said that he wanted to take good care of Chu Yue. ¡°Oh? It seems like you do have high hopes for Chu Yue! If I haven¡¯t remembered wrongly, he only came out of Fengmin Mountain today, right? I didn¡¯t expect you to bring him here directly.¡± It was already the end of the month, and it was only a few days away from the beginning of the next month. At that time, without Rong Xiu taking the initiative, Elder Bo Yan would also summon the Qing Yun Ranking. As if seeing through his thoughts, Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°It¡¯s quieter this way.¡± Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t refute him. If it were someone else who said this, it might seem like they were arrogant and ill-disciplined. But when this person was Rong Xiu, everything seemed to make sense. After all, he did have the skills to say such words. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded and sized Chu Liuyue up carefully again. Speaking of which, this was his first time observing Chu Yue at such a close distance. Although he had seen the latter before, he hadn¡¯t taken a good look at the teen. The young man looked clean and pure, and he acted magnanimously. Just based on his looks alone, nobody would¡¯ve guessed that he had the guts to cause so much trouble. ¡°Chu Yue, Rong Xiu thinks highly of you. You must work hard and cultivate. Don¡¯t let him down!¡± As Elder Bo Yan spoke, he raised his chin and said with much interest, ¡°I heard Wan Zheng say that you can already produce ninth-grade pills. Why don¡¯t you try and see if you can get onto the Qing Yun Ranking?¡± Chapter 1225 - Who Are You The last name on the heavenly doctor list is a ninth-grade heavenly doctor¡¯s name. With Chu Yue¡¯s current standards, it might be difficult but not entirely hopeless. He can give it a try. Coincidentally, I want to see this Chu Yue¡¯s skills and abilities! The moment Elder Bo Yan said that, the surroundings fell silent. The students spectating the scene were taken aback. Is he serious? Elder Bo Yan actually directly requested Chu Yue to try out for the Qing Yun Ranking?! He came to the academy less than two months ago! If he really gets on the Qing Yun Ranking, what will the other students¡ªwho have cultivated in the academy for a long time but failed to do this¡ªfeel? ¡­ Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Elder Bo Yan, but I know that I¡¯m not good enough to compare to my senior brothers and senior sisters. Perhaps¡­ I should try again when I¡¯ve improved more.¡± Elder Bo Yan was rather shocked. Chu Yue¡­ rejected it? This is rare. One has to know that there aren¡¯t many such chances. In the academy, many students want to come up and try, but they can only wait until the beginning of the month. Yet, this kid looks nonchalant. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Elder Bo Yan stared into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Young people are the most hot-blooded and impulsive. In such situations, they normally should be most excited and nervous. But from Chu Yue¡¯s pair of clear eyes, I only see calmness. It really isn¡¯t a gaze that a young man in his teens would have. ¡°Yes,¡± Chu Liuyue replied lightly with determination. Meeting Elder Bo Yan¡¯s meaningful gaze, Chu Liuyue paused and added, ¡°I know that I¡¯m not good enough, so I¡¯ll definitely work hard and fight for a chance to ascend the Qing Yun Ranking earlier.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply caused many people¡¯s mouths to widen. ¡°What is Chu Yue doing? It¡¯s rare for Elder Bo Yan to make an exception and let him directly take the test, yet he rejected it!¡± ¡°Pfft, he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him! Could it be that he thinks his status has also risen with Senior Brother Rong Xiu as his backer? Thus, he can be so casual.¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t say that either. Didn¡¯t you hear him saying that he knows he¡¯s not good enough, so he did that? Although it¡¯s rather overboard to curtly reject Elder Bo Yan, it¡¯s better than being humiliated after trying and failing to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking, right? It¡¯s even in front of so many people!¡± ¡°Even if he is talented, it is hard for him to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking directly! I really don¡¯t know what the elders and Senior Brother Rong Xiu see in him¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions in no time. Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows tightly. Not talking about others, but Chu Yue is really outstanding. If not, he wouldn¡¯t be admired by Wan Zheng, who has always been picky. Besides Chu Yue already being able to produce a ninth-grade pill, even his warrior skills are pretty good! Being able to beat a stage-eight warrior with his stage-seven warrior cultivation is problematic on its own. He laughed out loud and raised his voice. ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to be nervous! No matter Rong Xiu, your mentor, or the elders in the academy, many of them think highly of you! You just have to work hard in the future!¡± His words were filled with unconcealable praise and admiration. Hearing Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words, the surrounding people fell silent. Elder Bo Yan rarely praised any student in public. Being able to receive his affirmation was enough to prove how outstanding Chu Yue was! Some people shut their mouths quickly. Chu Liuyue bowed. ¡°Thank you, Elder Bo Yan.¡± Seeing Chu Yue¡¯s still calm and composed gaze, Elder Bo Yan liked the teen even more. I have seen too many talented young men and women, but not all of them could become top elites. Other than talent, determined will and mature mentality cannot be lacking! And Chu Yue is already behaving in such a manner at a young age. There is no need to worry! ¡°Okay! Okay!¡± Elder Bo Yan smiled and stroked his beard. ¡°Wan Zheng really accepted a good disciple this time!¡± As he spoke, he looked toward Rong Xiu. ¡°Rong Xiu, I¡¯ll hand this kid to you now. You must teach him well!¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡± ¡­ Elder Bo Yan quickly left. Rong Xiu glanced at Chu Liuyue and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and turned around to look at the black wall of Dong Huang Clock Tower. The Qing Yun Ranking didn¡¯t come out in the end, but the previous touch was enough. However, I probably cannot try to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking in the future. My name at the top of the ranking lists can probably only see daylight again when I become strong enough. She took a deep breath and left with Rong Xiu, one after another. After they left, the surrounding spectators found it boring and left respectively. ¡­ Night. Chu Liuyue sat in her own room quietly. The cold moonlight poured in. A tiny figure silently appeared within the room, and as if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡°Although you have moved, you can¡¯t give up on playing chess every day¡ª¡± As Dugu Mobao talked, he walked toward Chu Liuyue. But before he could finish his sentence, he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze. He understood what happened almost instantly, and he stopped in his tracks. However, Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°Big Baby, you came at the right time. I have some things I want to ask you.¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows gradually. Chu Liuyue tilted her head. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chapter 1226 - Sensible A mysterious and strong existence in the Red Moon Desert. A top warrior that is strong enough to reform his Holy Body. One that can freely come in and out of Ling Xiao Academy without being detected, or perhaps nobody dares to notice him! Why would such a person be close to me and help me so much? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t understand. When she knew that she was the one whose name was hidden on the Qing Yun Ranking, the identities of the people around her became strange and worthy of investigation. The room door closed shut, and the surroundings fell into dead silence. Dugu Mobao¡¯s strange purple eyes shone with a faint light, and his adorable face had no expression at all as he said, ¡°Dugu Mobao.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°That¡¯s your real name? Or¡­ do you have another identity?¡± Dugu Mobao squinted his eyes. ¡°What exactly do you want to ask?¡± ¡°I naturally want to ask about things I should know.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°You already knew that I¡¯m on the Qing Yun Ranking, right?¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t say a word, but this was clearly a tacit acknowledgment. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll ask something else.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°When did we meet? Was it¡­ after I came to the God Residence Realm? Of course, I¡¯m referring to the¡­ previous time.¡± Dugu Mobao shook his head and coldly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s even earlier than that. At the Red Moon Desert.¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Red Moon Desert? Not in the God Residence Realm?¡± Dugu Mobao walked to a chair at the side and calmly sat down. ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck in the Red Moon Desert for many years. It¡¯s only because I managed to reform my Holy Body this time that I could leave. How could I meet you at the God Residence Realm?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows, and countless chaotic thoughts surfaced in her mind. Seeing Dugu Mobao¡¯s appearance, he doesn¡¯t look like he is lying. Besides, with his abilities and status, he has no need to lie about this matter. Then¡­ we really met at the Red Moon Desert? However, why do I not have this memory? ¡°Then, you and Ling Xiao Academy¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. Originally, I thought that Dugu Mobao was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director and thus my mentor. However, it doesn¡¯t seem so based on his reply. As if guessing her thoughts, Dugu Mobao slightly looked down as his thick and long lashes trembled slightly, hiding the emotions in his eyes. When he looked up again, his gaze had returned to normal as he said calmly, ¡°I was part of Ling Xiao Academy in the past, but¡­ That was a long time ago.¡± However, Chu Liuyue could hear an emotional sigh as many years had passed by. It should¡­ be rather long ago, right? Chu Liuyue thought to herself secretly. If this is so, then¡­ Regardless of Dugu Mobao¡¯s identity, he is considered a senior to many people in Ling Xiao Academy. It¡¯s understandable why Elder Wan Zheng would respect and fear him so much. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Then, why were you trapped in the Red Moon Desert in the first place? Oh, Senior Diwu and Senior Lan Xiao as well¡ª¡± ¡°They¡¯re just matters of the past. We don¡¯t have to talk about it.¡± Dugu Mobao interrupted Chu Liuyue¡¯s words for once. Chu Liuyue paused. I rarely see Dugu Mobao having such a reaction, which shows that he really doesn¡¯t want to talk about it. She didn¡¯t ask further. Like Rong Xiu, Dugu Mobao seems to keep quiet about many things around me. Unless I recall it on my own, they will never take the initiative to reveal it. To this day, I have only recalled a very small portion of things, and they are all related to the academy. I still don¡¯t have any memories of Dugu Mobao. ¡°Since you¡¯ve recalled these matters, then¡­ We¡¯ll add to your training!¡± Dugu Mobao suddenly said. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at her. ¡°You and Rong Xiu are each at the top of two lists because your abilities were indeed on par back then. But now that such a long time has passed and you¡¯ve experienced many things, you can be considered as starting anew. However, Rong Xiu never gave up on his cultivation. With his current abilities, he can easily overtake your ranking on those two lists.¡± However, he just didn¡¯t do so. Whir! Dugu Mobao waved his small hand, and a faintly glowing chessboard floated in mid-air! ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be left far behind, come and train!¡± As Dugu Mobao spoke, he gazed at Chu Liuyue meaningfully. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before¡ªas long as you¡¯re strong enough, you¡¯ll know what you want to know and recall what you want.¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and walked to the opposite side of the chessboard. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Since I could be at the top of the Qing Yun Ranking back then, I can do it now too! ¡­ Chu Liuyue spent her next few days in a very disciplined manner. She dueled with Rong Xiu when it was daytime and played chess with Dugu Mobao in the evening. At night, she brought Tuan Zi to Million Wine Mountain. Perhaps it was because the entire academy knew that she was staying with Rong Xiu and that he thought highly of her, but nobody fought with her for the seat next to the fountain. Every time she went, there would be a seat that was specifically left for her. Of course, there were also some people who tried to chat her up and get close to her, wanting to hear Rong Xiu¡¯s news. Some wanted to use her as a bridge and be somewhat related to Rong Xiu. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really talk to them every time. If they asked too much, she would say that Rong Xiu disliked it. Everyone would be scared and didn¡¯t dare to pester her too much, but because they knew that Rong Xiu was behind her¡­ Although some people were furious, they didn¡¯t really dare to show her their temper. This caused Chu Liuyue¡¯s days in the academy to be much more relaxed. Other than this, she would spend her remaining time studying the new ninth-grade pill formula that Elder Wan Zheng had sent over. In comparison, this was the easiest. As she had moved to Rong Xiu¡¯s residence, there were no other people on Jiuheng Peak. It was more convenient in all aspects, and this allowed her to be freer when cultivating. In that short period of time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s skills in all aspects improved greatly! ¡­ In the blink of an eye, it was the beginning of the month again. Even though Chu Liuyue had come to the academy for more than two months¡­ As quite a few incidents happened in between, this was her first time participating in the monthly assessment after officially becoming a student. She had long passed on Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s side, so the assessment wasn¡¯t very important. The key was¡­ the Qing Yun Ranking! Early in the morning, almost all the elders and students in the academy gathered at Qing Ming Square! The crowd was bustling. Many people were tempted and wanted to compete for the Qing Yun Ranking. When Chu Liuyue came, she saw Elder Bo Yan and the rest standing on Dong Huang Clock Tower at one glance. ¡°Chu Yue! You¡¯re finally out!¡± At this point, a familiar shout was heard from the crowd. Chu Liuyue turned around¡ªit was Luo Shishi and the rest. The person talking was Zhuo Sheng. He was the fastest to rush to Chu Liuyue as he sized her up curiously and excitedly. ¡°How¡¯s cultivation with Senior Brother Rong Xiu? Can you get onto the Qing Yun Ranking today?¡± Chapter 1227 - Cannot be Compared to You He didn¡¯t purposely lower his voice, so his loud behavior instantly attracted quite a few people¡¯s gazes. Clearly, they were all very curious about this problem. Chu Liuyue simply smiled. ¡°The Qing Yun Ranking competition is very intense. I¡¯m just a new student, so how can I compete?¡± Zhuo Sheng snorted. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days, but you¡¯ve become much humbler!¡± Actually, after Chu Liuyue came to Ling Xiao Academy, she didn¡¯t flaunt or show herself up more. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have reported the heavenly doctor aspect to be her only strength. However, she always ran into random matters for no reason, causing her reputation to spread far and wide in the short two months. This allowed her to be ¡®famous¡¯ in the academy. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, Luo Shishi strangely asked, ¡°Chu Yue, do you really not intend on trying?¡± As he was following Senior Brother Rong Xiu, many people in the academy were doubtful. There were quite a few open and private struggles. This assessment at the beginning of the month was undoubtedly the best chance for Chu Yue to prove his skills, but he didn¡¯t seem to care about it. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Chu Liuyue paused. It is impossible for me not to compete all the time as it would only attract more attention, but judging from the previous day¡¯s scenario, it seems like I will directly summon the Qing Yun Ranking as long as I¡¯m close to it! I have to think of a way to hide it from everyone¡­ ¡­ The assessment went on as per normal. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. The entire Qing Ming Square was very lively. Chu Liuyue walked to the heavenly doctor area and waited quietly. There weren¡¯t many people here, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s existence was increasingly obvious. Some people kept looking at her from time to time. Chu Liuyue ignored all of them. At this point, Elder Bo Yan finally whipped his sleeves and summoned the Qing Yun Ranking! Whir! A strong force attacked! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was shocked as she looked up! Everyone fell silent for a moment as they respectively raised their heads. Some people were nervous while others were expectant, but they were more filled with battling intent and were tempted to try. ¡°The monthly assessment¡­ officially begins!¡± Elder Bo Yan announced! The crowd quickly busied themselves nervously, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t move as she looked up slightly at the Qing Yun Ranking. A hundred names on the black list were arranged in order, and they glowed with a faint light. It was holy and formidable, with an unignorable suppression. She looked at the topmost position¡ªit was still pitch-black. Almost nobody knew that it hid her name! Chu Liuyue gradually clenched her hands in her sleeves. When I look at it now, I feel totally different from when I first saw it two months ago! ¡°Chu Yue, what are you looking at?¡± Zhong Xun walked over and stood beside Chu Liuyue, following her gaze. A look of understanding flashed across his eyes as he smiled and said, ¡°You still want to get onto the ranking, right?¡± He had also heard a part of Chu Liuyue¡¯s conversation with Luo Shishi and the rest. He also knew that young men in their teens were very ambitious. Even if they said they didn¡¯t dare and didn¡¯t want to, their hearts were filled with desire that they couldn¡¯t hide completely. Chu Liuyue smiled and didn¡¯t say much. At this moment, a commotion could suddenly be heard from outside. Chu Liuyue and Zhong Xun turned around to take a look. ¡°It seems like someone has won on the Xuan Master¡¯s side,¡± muttered Zhong Xun. Chu Liuyue looked at the familiar face in the crowd and squinted her eyes¡ªLin Zhifei. At this moment, Lin Zhifei was standing in the arena with a pale face. His forehead was covered in sweat. There was a youngster opposite him, but he had collapsed onto the floor and spat out fresh blood. He looked defeated. There was a chessboard between the two of them. Without looking, Chu Liuyue knew that this was a Xuan Master competition, and the person who won was¡­ Lin Zhifei! The crowd was very stunned by the unexpected ending, and they partook in heated discussions. ¡°He won?! He actually won?! The other party is a famous character on the Qing Yun Ranking! Doesn¡¯t this mean that he¡¯ll replace him and get onto the ranking?¡± ¡°I remember that this person is only 98th on the Xuan Master list, right¡­ There are quite a lot of people fighting for this ranking. Isn¡¯t it normal for others to win?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something you don¡¯t know! The one who just won the competition is called Lin Zhifei. He has only come to the academy for more than two months, and he¡¯s truly a new student!¡± ¡°New student?! Really?!¡± ¡°Not many people can get onto the Qing Yun Ranking not long after they come to the academy! I hadn¡¯t really heard of Lin Zhifei before, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so amazing!¡± Lin Zhifei didn¡¯t really care about the surrounding noises as he cupped his fists toward the other party. ¡°Thank you for letting me, Senior Brother.¡± The youngster¡¯s face flashed white and red as he looked very awkward. Letting you? I put in my full effort! I didn¡¯t let him at all! I was bound to lose this match! He forcefully stood up. ¡°¡­Junior Brother, you don¡¯t have to be humble. I¡¯m not as good as you.¡± Then, his face burned even more as he quickly turned around to leave. The elder in charge of observing the assessment laughed at the side and said, ¡°Lin Zhifei, right? You¡¯re indeed young and capable. Congratulations!¡± The elder then waved his sleeves, and that youngster¡¯s name gradually disappeared from the Qing Yun Ranking, being replaced with Lin Zhifei¡¯s name! Upon seeing his name, Lin Zhifei heaved a sigh of relief. He then cupped his fists toward the elder, smiled, and said, ¡°Thank you, Elder.¡± ¡°Why are you thanking me? If you want to thank someone, you should thank yourself! You¡¯re outstanding enough, so you could get onto the Qing Yun Ranking in such a short amount of time!¡± That elder clearly admired Lin Zhifei very much as he patted the latter¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Cultivate properly in the future! Work harder to get better!¡± Lin Zhifei respectfully acknowledged it. His behavior¡ªwhich was neither humble nor arrogant¡ªwon the praises of quite a few elders at the side. They had met many people and had very good eyesight. Lin Zhifei was very talented. Even in the entire academy, he could be considered one of the top few elites. The key was that his personality was great as well, and he was mature, not arrogant or impatient. As long as his path was smooth, his future would definitely be bright. Lin Zhifei left the competition venue. Quite a few people shot him envious gazes. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people who can get onto the Qing Yun Ranking within three months of entering the academy, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others. I only know that he¡¯s the first one to get onto the ranking amongst the students who have just entered the academy!¡± ¡°Heh, didn¡¯t they all keep saying that Chu Yue is the strongest out of all the new students? Seeing this, I don¡¯t think so! I think Lin Zhifei might even be better than him!¡± ¡°Other than him, Luo Yanlin¡¯s sister, Luo Shishi, is actually also very talented. I believe she¡¯ll be able to get onto the ranking in no time. Isn¡¯t she also stronger than Chu Yue?¡± ¡°I want to see if Chu Yue can get onto the ranking today!¡± All sorts of discussions filled the entire square. ¡°Zhifei! You did it!¡± The moment Lin Zhifei came down, a muscular man walked over. ¡°I have long said that you can shock everyone with your skills! It really is so! That Chu Yue can¡¯t be compared to you at all!¡± Chapter 1228 - Agreement Lin Zhifei smiled faintly, and his clear eyes were calm as he looked as distant and handsome as usual. ¡°Senior Brother, you¡¯re too kind. I¡¯m a Xuan Master, while he¡¯s a heavenly doctor. There¡¯s nothing much to compare actually.¡± He didn¡¯t really care about this matter. ¡°Heh, I just feel like that kid knows how to promote himself! He just came to the academy two months ago, and almost everyone knows about him! Many people say that he¡¯s the most outstanding one out of all the new students, but I don¡¯t think so! Just now, I heard quite a few people on the heavenly doctor¡¯s side say that Chu Yue has no intentions of fighting for a spot on the Qing Yun Ranking this time. I think it¡¯s most likely because he knows he¡¯s not good enough, so he just gave up!¡± Lin Zhifei shook his head. ¡°If he¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t live up to his name, His Grace¡­ I¡¯m sure Senior Brother Rong Xiu won¡¯t think of him so highly.¡± Although he didn¡¯t interact with Rong Xiu much, he had seen that man¡¯s manner and aura at the banquet. Chu Yue is definitely not someone who fools around if he has caught Rong Xiu¡¯s eye. ¡°I forgot that you¡¯re also from one of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s divisions.¡± That young man shrugged his shoulders and didn¡¯t continue talking, but he still didn¡¯t care much about Lin Zhifei. He just thought that Lin Zhifei was afraid to offend Rong Xiu, which was why he purposely said that. Lin Zhifei knew that the other party had misunderstood. His lips trembled, but he didn¡¯t explain further. His personality was originally like that¡ªhe would do his own things properly, and he wouldn¡¯t care much about the rest. While thinking, he looked up toward the heavenly doctor¡¯s side. They were a distance away, and there were quite a few people in between. Actually, he couldn¡¯t really see much when standing here; he could only forcefully see a long and straight figure. Although Lin Zhifei could only see half of his side profile, the other party¡¯s extraordinary aura still stood out from the crowd. People noticed him instantly. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. That young man stood upright and looked pure. He looked up slightly, as if he were looking at the Qing Yun Ranking and also as if he were in deep thought. Lin Zhifei took a few glances and retracted his gaze as extremely faint confusion flashed across his eyes. Back then, that person said she also wanted to come to Ling Xiao Academy. However, I haven¡¯t seen her at all. I wonder if she will come. ¡­ Lin Zhifei making it onto the Qing Yun Ranking caused quite a huge commotion. After many people heard the news, they all sized him up curiously. Quite a few of them had the same thoughts as the previous man as they all wanted to see who was the most outstanding one out of all the students recruited recently. Lin Zhifei was the first to get onto the ranking, and he was currently at the top of the herd. If Chu Yue couldn¡¯t get onto the ranking, he would be humiliated. ¡­ ¡°Next, Chu Yue!¡± It was finally Chu Liuyue¡¯s turn. The crowd fell silent. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that all the gazes had landed on her. She walked forward. Elder Wan Zheng smiled and looked at her. ¡°Chu Yue, who do you want to challenge?¡± He was asking about the people on the heavenly doctor list. To Elder Wan Zheng, his disciple was already a ninth-grade heavenly doctor. Even though his disciple temporarily couldn¡¯t be compared to those people at the front, he could still challenge the people at the back without a problem. If it were another student who had just broken through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, Elder Wan Zheng would definitely not be this confident. However, this was Chu Yue. Everything seemed possible. The techniques she used when producing pills were very smooth and well-versed. Although she had just broken through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, she didn¡¯t lose out to other ninth-grade heavenly doctors. Hence, Elder Wan Zheng was very interested in seeing his disciple get onto the Qing Yun Ranking! However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply stunned him. ¡°Mentor, must I choose?¡± Elder Wan Zheng was dazed. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to?¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. ¡°With my current abilities, I¡¯m afraid¡­ I might not win, so why don¡¯t we wait a while¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng widened his mouth in shock. W-what¡¯s going on? Chu Yue really doesn¡¯t want to challenge the Qing Yun Ranking? But he clearly has already broken through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor! Besides, with his current talent and sensitivity in this aspect, he does have a chance of winning. Why¡ª ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Elder Wan Zheng was still in much disbelief. In the academy, countless students looked up to the Qing Yun Ranking. They trained hard just to occupy a spot on it. It would be fine if it were someone who is relatively weaker. Chu Yue clearly has hopes of entering the ranking, so why did he reject it? ¡°This chance is rare!¡± Elder Wan Zheng glanced at the few elders not far away and looked like he was put in a difficult spot. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she suddenly recalled the sentence Elder Bo Yan said the day before. Elder Wan Zheng has already spread the news of me breaking through and becoming a ninth-grade heavenly doctor. As if to confirm her thoughts, Elder Wan Zheng coughed at the next moment and lowered his voice. ¡°Disciple, it¡¯s not that I want to put you in a difficult spot, but¡­ I¡¯ve already made a bet with them¡­ You see¡­ Even if you think you don¡¯t have a stable chance of winning, why don¡¯t you just go and try¡­ Hm?¡± Even if he loses, it will be good to let the fellas see that Chu Yue has already broken through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor! Why would he directly give up? If I go back, they¡¯ll definitely ridicule me. Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°Disciple, have you forgotten the agreement you had with me before?¡± Elder Wan Zheng glanced at Chu Liuyue deeply. Back then, they had already agreed that Chu Yue would enter the Qing Yun Ranking as soon as possible! Having all the herbs I can is indeed a huge temptation¡­ Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 1229 - Pei Yuan Pill Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply, Elder Wan Zheng looked elated. ¡°Then, who do you want to challenge? The last few people on the heavenly doctor list are all ninth-grade heavenly doctors!¡± He meant that Chu Liuyue could try to challenge any of them. Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡°I would like to choose Senior Brother Tang Rui.¡± ¡°Tang Rui?¡± Elder Wan Zheng followed her line of sight and looked over. Hm, the hundredth on the heavenly doctor list. Why did this child become so cautious after not seeing him for a few days? Elder Wan Zheng stroked his beard. Is he traumatized from being locked up at Fengmin Mountain? ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s him?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. Seeing that she had made up her mind, Elder Wan Zheng agreed. So be it then! Anyway, this is the first time. He can just start on a good note! ¡°Tang Rui!¡± Elder Wan Zheng looked at a young man in the crowd. Tang Rui looked like he was in his twenties. He wasn¡¯t tall, and his figure was rather round. His face was white and round like dough as he had a smile on his face and looked very harmonious. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡°Greetings, Elder Wan Zheng.¡± Tang Rui was just standing at the side, so he naturally heard the conversation between the mentor-disciple duo, knowing that he had become Chu Liuyue¡¯s target. ¡°Tang Rui, guide Chu Yue a little,¡± said Elder Wan Zheng. Tang Rui nodded and laughed. ¡°Sure.¡± Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue with an even more polite smile. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, please¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand. ¡°Senior Brother Tang Rui, please!¡± ¡­ Jiuheng Peak. At the middle of the mountain. With his hands behind his back, Rong Xiu stood in front of the door as he looked toward Dong Huang Clock Tower. Although he couldn¡¯t see Qing Ming Square¡¯s situation from here, Jiuheng Peak was high enough, so he could see Qing Ming Square. ¡°She went to participate in the assessment?¡± A child-like voice sounded from the room. Even though it was child-like, it had a stern nature to it that one couldn¡¯t underestimate. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°As long as she¡¯s in the academy, it¡¯s something she can¡¯t avoid.¡± Her name had now been spread far and wide in the academy. Her every move would be noticed by the crowd. It would be weird if she refused to try getting onto the Qing Yun Ranking. Dugu Mobao snorted, ¡°With her current abilities, it¡¯s impossible if she wants to break the barrier and let her name surface again. However, it¡¯s her name at the end of the day. Her strength is sealed inside.¡± Rong Xiu smiled faintly, turned around, and looked inside. ¡°Senior, if you¡¯re worried, why don¡¯t you take action directly?¡± Dugu Mobao snorted. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already make preparations on that Qing Yun Ranking? Do you still need me?¡± ¡°I should do it.¡± Rong Xiu smiled without a doubt. Of course, I need to dote on my own wife. ¡°But everything lies in her hands at the end of the day.¡± ¡­ Qing Ming Square was demarcated into many small regions as venues. Chu Liuyue and Tang Rui were standing in one of the arenas. There weren¡¯t many people on the heavenly doctor¡¯s side, so it was normally very spacious. But this time, many people squeezed into the competition venue¡¯s surroundings. Other than the students who were also heavenly doctors, quite a few people from the Xuan Master side and the warrior side had also run over. Chu Liuyue rubbed her temple as if she had a headache. It seems like I¡¯m really ¡®famous¡¯ in Ling Xiao Academy. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, please¡ª¡± Tang Rui placed his cauldron in front. Chu Liuyue followed him closely. The surroundings fell silent. ¡­ The two people took their herbs out respectively and started refining them in the cauldron. Tang Rui had coincidentally seen Chu Yue merging pills before and knew that he wasn¡¯t weak, so he didn¡¯t dare to look down on the latter. From the very start, he had already gathered all his focus. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think much as she started refining the pill in an orderly manner. Even though she could successfully produce ninth-grade pills with her current abilities, she still had to spend quite an amount of effort to win this competition. She moved her wrist and placed the herbs into the cauldron in order. The red fire burned brightly, and the unique bitter fragrance of the herbs gradually spread around. Elder Wan Zheng looked at it for a while and gasped in shock. This kid doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s producing the pill he previously produced! If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, he wants to produce the Pei Yuan Pill? Even though the Pei Yuan Pill was a beginner ninth-grade pill, it was much better than that one in all areas. Of course, the requirements were also elevated. This was also one of the formulas Elder Wan Zheng had given Chu Liuyue a few days ago. ¡°This kid is too impulsive¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly. Chu Yue obtained this formula not long ago, and he might not have even understood it completely, yet he was competing with it? It would be a problem to even produce it¡­ But since the competition had already started, the outsiders could only quietly observe. ¡­ Actually, it wasn¡¯t Chu Liuyue¡¯s first time producing the Pei Yuan Pill. When she had just broken through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor in her previous life, the first pill she produced was the Pei Yuan Pill. Hence, this was one of the pills she was most familiar with. When Elder Wan Zheng previously tested her, she didn¡¯t choose this as she didn¡¯t want to reveal too much about herself. A few days ago, the Pei Yuan Pill¡¯s formula was coincidentally amongst the ones he sent over. Now, it became logical that she produced it. That formula was already deeply engraved in her memory. She didn¡¯t even need to think to perfectly execute the herb placement sequence and the time and strength needed to refine them. Her movements were very smooth and beautiful! Tang Rui looked up unintentionally and glanced over. His heart clenched. With such techniques and him looking so much at ease, how does he look like someone that just broke through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor? Chapter 1230 - Formula Quite a few spectators were also taken aback. Even though the news of Chu Liuyue merging pills had spread far and wide in the academy, she was still an eighth-grade heavenly doctor back then. But now, the abilities she showcased were clearly those of a ninth-grade heavenly doctor! After a temporary silence, the crowd became noisy. ¡°Did this Chu Yue just break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor? I¡¯ve broken through for a year, but my technique isn¡¯t as smooth as his!¡± ¡°Me too¡­ His control over the fire is very precise. How exactly did he refine so many herbs simultaneously?¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s someone that Elder Wan Zheng thinks highly of after all, so how can he not be talented? No matter how awfully other people have talked about him, Chu Yue didn¡¯t even care. He can just fling them away easily!¡± ¡°When he previously competed with Liu Zi¡¯an, he was still indeed an eighth-grade heavenly doctor. Not only did he break through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor in such a short amount of time, but his skills in all areas have even improved by so much¡­ Sigh, if only I were half as talented as him!¡± Students who were also heavenly doctors saw the situation the clearest. The talent and sensitivity that Chu Liuyue exhibited weren¡¯t what an ordinary person could compare to. They couldn¡¯t even be indignant! ¡°With Senior Brother Rong Xiu guiding him personally, he¡¯ll naturally be different,¡± someone said ambiguously, but this voice was quickly drowned out by the crowd¡¯s discussions. Anyone with eyes could tell that Chu Liuyue was indeed capable. She was definitely a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, and the pill she produced would probably be quite decent. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Even if she lost in the end, there wouldn¡¯t be so many doubts in the future. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. The assessments on the warrior side and Xuan Master side went on steadily. Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng had passed successfully¡ªespecially the former, who had improved greatly and broke through to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior. Even though Luo Yanming performed well¡­ With Lin Zhifei in front, he instantly didn¡¯t look that outstanding. Even Luo Yanlin had to admit that Lin Zhifei¡ªwho had just come not long ago¡ªhad stunning talent. Lin Zhifei might not even lose out to him. After Luo Shishi and the rest were done with their assessments, they went to the heavenly doctor¡¯s side to spectate Chu Liuyue and Tang Rui¡¯s match. ¡­ The atmosphere became increasingly nerve-racking. The crowd fell silent as they watched the scene before them silently. Their hearts seemed to hang high. Whir! A ripple came out from Tang Rui¡¯s cauldron! Quite a few people had their eyes light up. Tang Rui produced his pill first! A spherical-shaped pill had already formed in that cauldron! With the fire burning it, the herbal fragrance became increasingly strong! Detecting this aura, Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. She looked up, and a faint light flashed across her eyes. This aura¡­ ¡°Intermediate ninth-grade!¡± Someone within the crowd gasped! ¡°That¡¯s an intermediate ninth-grade pill!¡± The crowd went crazy. Tang Rui had been the hundredth place on the Qing Yun Ranking for a while, and his pill-producing standard had been maintained at the same level. However, nobody expected that he could already produce an intermediate ninth-grade pill! With this alone, his ranking could improve by quite a bit! ¡°He hid his skills!¡± Someone gasped in realization. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that although Tang Rui looks so peaceful normally, he secretly had already broken through long ago.¡± When Tang Rui heard this, he was caught between laughter and tears. I could indeed produce intermediate ninth-grade pills a long time ago, but I hadn¡¯t revealed this to the public due to various reasons. Even for the Qing Yun Ranking, I just planned for myself to stay around the hundredth position and not go forward. I originally planned to wait until I could produce a superior-class ninth-grade pill or a pill of an even higher grade before I formally challenged. However, I didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to choose me and go through with such a competition. In actual fact, if I didn¡¯t see Chu Liuyue¡¯s smooth and well-practiced pill refinement techniques, I had no intention of exposing my true abilities. But today, I can only do my best to secure my ranking! ¡°Chu Yue is bound to lose! Even though an intermediate ninth-grade pill is just one small grade higher than a beginner ninth-grade pill, the two of them have a huge difference. It¡¯s extremely hard to cross that gap!¡± ¡°Seeing how confident Tang Rui is, he should¡¯ve broken through for a while, but¡­ That Chu Yue has just become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, right? How can he compete against Tang Rui? Isn¡¯t this bullying? Haha!¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t forget that he could make Tang Rui show his true abilities, which shows that the other party is good enough to make him wary! And this person is¡­ Chu Yue!¡± That was just a sixteen-year-old man! In no time, the crowd looked at Chu Liuyue with different gazes. ¡­ After Elder Wan Zheng was shocked, he was comforted. Tang Rui¡¯s abilities are clearly stronger than what he had shown before. The outcome of this match is probably already set. After all, Chu Yue is producing a beginner ninth-grade Pei Yuan Pill. But as long as my disciple can successfully produce the ninth-grade pill, everything else doesn¡¯t matter. He thought in his heart silently, Disciple, don¡¯t disappoint me¡­ ¡­ Right at this point, Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped in her actions and took out a few more herbs from her Cosmic Ring, pouring them into the cauldron. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Elder Wan Zheng was dazed for a moment and instinctively looked closer. However, it was a hurried glance, and he could only forcefully recognize that they were all herbs. But¡­ Why did Chu Yue suddenly put these items in? I didn¡¯t write these herbs in the formula! Chapter 1231 - Competition According to my understanding of Chu Yue, he definitely hasn¡¯t remembered the formula wrongly or put the wrong herbs in. The only explanation is¡­ Chu Yue changed the formula on his own! What exactly is this kid thinking?! Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but grind his teeth. Formulas of such a grade are all extremely complicated. Just adjusting the quantity of even one of the herbs can cause the pill to fail, let alone directly changing the formula and putting in so many herbs?! His lips trembled, and he swallowed his words with much difficulty. Now, I can only quietly observe¡­ ¡­ It wasn¡¯t only Elder Wan Zheng. Many other heavenly doctors present had also noticed that something was amiss. ¡°Chu Yue is planning to produce the Pei Yuan Pill, right? But why did he put a green lotus seed in?¡± ¡°Not only did he do that, but he has also put in four herbs that aren¡¯t in the formula¡­ I really don¡¯t know what he¡¯s planning to do.¡± ¡°With Elder Wan Zheng and Senior Brother Rong Xiu personally guiding him, he shouldn¡¯t have made such a low-level mistake, right? Seeing how calm he is, he definitely did it on purpose!¡± Many people were confused. No matter our standard, we all know that formulas can¡¯t be changed casually, let alone in such a nerve-racking competition. Chu Yue is indeed gutsy! Some people secretly shook their heads. ¡°The herbs used to produce the Pei Yuan Pill are all very gentle. When cultivators take the pill, they can elevate their Yuan and be calmer. But all the herbs that Chu Yue just put in have very strong natures. Isn¡¯t this going to ruin the pill?¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s no need to compete anymore¡­¡± ¡°What a pity! I thought he performed quite decently just now! However, suddenly changing the formula is really a big taboo!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. ¡­ Some people discussed softly, and they clearly had no more hope for Chu Liuyue. When Luo Shishi heard those words, her heart hung high. Even though she wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, she knew these kinds of things that were akin to common sense. As a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, Chu Yue definitely knows this. Therefore, why did he do it? Zhuo Sheng shook his head regretfully. ¡°I think Chu Yue is going to lose this time.¡± Luo Shishi pressed her lips against each other. ¡°Perhaps he has his own thoughts¡­¡± ¡°He just broke through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor. How can he randomly change the formula?¡± Although Zhuo Sheng always felt that Chu Yue was very talented, formulas were the root of pill production! Luo Shishi kept quiet for a moment and stared at the young man in the square. He stood tall and upright, with one hand on the cauldron controlling the red fire while the other hand continuously added herbs. He looked calm and composed. ¡°I don¡¯t think he suddenly changed the formula¡­¡± muttered Luo Shishi softly. Seeing how natural Chu Yue looks, it¡¯s as if those herbs should be added. Zhuo Sheng shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Just now, that bunch of heavenly doctors said that he¡¯s producing the Pei Yuan Pill. Quite a few people know this formula, and they all said that Chu Yue changed the formula. Are they all wrong?¡± Luo Shishi didn¡¯t speak further. When Zhuo Sheng saw her gaze, his heart tingled. He knew that she was worried about Chu Yue, so he comforted her. ¡°Hey, you actually don¡¯t have to be too worried! This is the first match after all, and his opponent is a senior brother on the Qing Yun Ranking. Even if he loses, nothing will happen to him. After all, everyone can tell that he¡¯s indeed a ninth-grade heavenly doctor!¡± Luo Shishi was hesitant in her words. Even so, there are a lot of people waiting to see Chu Yue make a joke of himself. If he really loses, then¡­ It¡¯s fine if he is mocked on his own, but he will also implicate Senior Brother Rong Xiu and Elder Wan Zheng. Does Chu Yue¡­ really not care about the results of this match? ¡­ No matter what the others said, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take it to heart. The reason she would add those herbs was actually due to the fact that she produced the pill according to her own formula. Yes, she had once changed the Pei Yuan Pill formula. Every pill formula was perfected after countless trials by heavenly doctors. The quantity of every ingredient, the refinement technique, one¡¯s fire control, and even the sequence of herb placement all had strict requirements. If any of them went wrong, the pill would likely fail. Chu Liuyue naturally wouldn¡¯t treat this matter as a joke. She moved her wrist and finally placed the last herb in to refine it. After all the herbs were prepared, she had to produce the pill. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and circulated her force to rush out! Rumble! The fire in the cauldron suddenly rose, and all the herbs gathered together! ¡°The medicinal nature of the herbs he put in is too strong, and it¡¯s hard to merge with the other herbs. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t even be able to produce the pill this time¡­¡± Soft murmurs could be heard coming from the crowd. Some people even felt that it was boring as they turned around and planned to leave. But at this moment, a strong collision suddenly sounded from Chu Liuyue¡¯s cauldron! Dong! The sound was thick and loud as it spread far and wide! Quite a few people¡¯s expressions changed! Is this¡­ succeeding?! As expected, they saw a spherical pill appear in the red fire the next moment! The thick herbal fragrance spread around! Elder Wan Zheng took a deep breath in, and his eyes lit up! This smell¡­ is indeed one that can only come when a Pei Yuan Pill is successfully produced! Besides, it vaguely has a different fragrance to it, causing the entire Pei Yuan Pill smell to be even richer! At that moment, the fragrance rejuvenated one¡¯s lungs and caused one to be very comfortable as if they had been energized rapidly! Elder Wan Zheng looked at Chu Liuyue with bright eyes. The herbs she put in earlier have clearly merged with the pill perfectly! And if I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, the grade of this Pei Yuan Pill¡ª Bam! Tang Rui was finally done producing his pill! He jumped up and captured the pill, placing it in a jade box! Almost at the same time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand slammed against the cauldron harshly! A pill flew out! She moved her wrist, and red force flew out! At the same time, it turned into a net and stopped the pill! Chu Liuyue then moved her foot slightly and quickly captured that pill! The two of them had finished producing their pills one after another! ¡­ Tang Rui knitted his brows slightly. Although he had successfully produced an intermediate ninth-grade pill on his side, for some reason, he felt faintly uneasy when he saw that young man¡¯s calm expression. Even if he hadn¡¯t seen Chu Yue¡¯s pill personally, he also knew that it wasn¡¯t simple! Changing the formula yet ultimately being able to successfully produce the pill stated too many problems! He hesitated for a moment and passed his pill over first. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, please take a look.¡± Elder Wan Zheng took his pill and then looked at Chu Liuyue. His eyes had a slight hint of emotion. ¡°Chu Yue, yours.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingers moved slightly, and she still passed the box over. Elder Wan Zheng held two jade boxes. He took a deep breath in and opened Tang Rui¡¯s first. Chapter 1232 - Her Name! A maroon pill lay in the jade box quietly. The nine horizontal lines were clear and bright, and only the last line was slightly faint. This was indeed an intermediate ninth-grade pill! Elder Wan Zheng nodded, smiled, and said, ¡°Tang Rui, you¡¯ve broken through for a while already, right? You hid it quite well!¡± Seeing the quality of this pill, it definitely wasn¡¯t something one could have after producing it for the first time. Tang Rui smiled in embarrassment as his white dough-like face became even rounder. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, you have sharp eyes. I can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± Elder Wan Zheng nodded and suppressed his agitation. He then opened Chu Liuyue¡¯s jade box. Nine lines could clearly be seen on the bright-red pill! Elder Wan Zheng glanced at the ninth line and gasped. This is also an intermediate ninth-grade pill! Even though he had already predicted this result, Elder Wan Zheng was still stunned when he saw it personally. Not long ago, Chu Yue produced his first ninth-grade pill in front of me. And now, this kid can actually produce an intermediate ninth-grade pill?! Elder Wan Zheng seemed to be overwhelmed as if his heart would burst out the next moment! Although he had seen all sorts of incidents, he still couldn¡¯t control his excitement and agitation! / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. At the side, Tang Rui also saw the pill in the jade box. He couldn¡¯t help but be stunned and smiled bitterly. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, you indeed have outstanding talent, and your abilities are amazing. I heard that you were just an eighth-grade heavenly doctor when you first came to the academy. It has only been two months, yet you can already produce an intermediate ninth-grade pill¡­¡± He sighed deeply and cupped his fists toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°I am not good enough!¡± Tang Rui¡¯s words reverberated throughout the square. The noise instantly disappeared as almost everyone went into a daze. They took a while to react. What did Tang Rui say?! Chu Yue has also produced an intermediate ninth-grade pill?! How could this be possible!? Chu Yue even changed the formula, so how could he successfully produce the Pei Yuan Pill and even improve it by one small grade?! Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Senior Brother Tang Rui, you¡¯re too kind. I was just luckier.¡± However, Tang Rui shook his head and smiled helplessly. Luck? Luck is the most useless thing when a heavenly doctor produces pills. I have never heard of anyone being lucky and managing to produce a ninth-grade pill. Being able to do this proves that Chu Yue indeed has genuine talent and capabilities! ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯re too humble.¡± Tang Rui sighed. He had previously heard quite a few rumors regarding Chu Yue. Like the others, he also felt that Chu Yue wasn¡¯t very capable and that he was just luckier with many fateful encounters. But with this match, he finally understood that¡­ those rumors weren¡¯t false! After thinking about it, he agreed with it. Who are Elder Wan Zheng and Rong Xiu? Someone that they think highly of is definitely not ordinary. Elder Wan Zheng took a deep breath in and gazed at his disciple, his gaze still filled with admiration and surprise. ¡°Intermediate ninth-grade.¡± He stretched out his hand and patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re¡­ great!¡± I originally just wanted to let those people see how outstanding my disciple is, but I didn¡¯t expect Chu Yue¡¯s performance to be this shocking! He is much better than I had predicted! Seeing the two pills, Elder Wan Zheng knitted his brows slightly and seemed conflicted. ¡°Um¡­ The pills you two produced are of the same grade, and they are of similar quality. This match¡­ is a tie!¡± The crowd went crazy. Tie?! Doesn¡¯t this prove that Chu Yue indeed has the ability to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking? However, Tang Rui is the hundredth-ranking person, so only one of them can be on the list. Of course, with the skills the two of them have exhibited, they should be able to rank higher on the list. However, they would then have to continue challenging those above. Tang Rui suddenly cupped his fists toward Chu Liuyue and laughed. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue should be on the Qing Yun Ranking. Even though Junior Brother Chu Yue and I have produced pills of the same standard, Junior Brother Chu Yue is just 16 years old. Just based on this point alone, he¡¯s already much better than me.¡± The crowd had various gazes, but nobody objected to it. That was because the Qing Yun Ranking indeed had such a rule: If the two competitors were of similar standards, the younger one would be placed in front. Chu Yue had entered the Qing Yun Ranking with enough reasons! At this point, Elder Wan Zheng actually didn¡¯t really care if Chu Liuyue could get onto the Qing Yun Ranking. Anyway, everything that the latter showcased was enough to prove how capable he was! That was enough! He thought in his heart, Actually¡­ From the start, I shouldn¡¯t have given Chu Yue the target of just getting onto the Qing Yun Ranking. With this kid¡¯s potential, he should go for an even better ranking! Elder Wan Zheng glanced at Tang Rui, and his gaze had admiration in it. ¡°Tang Rui, although you¡¯ll drop out of the Qing Yun Ranking after this match¡­ With your current abilities, you can definitely challenge those people above you.¡± Tang Rui nodded respectfully. ¡°I understand.¡± Elder Wan Zheng looked at his disciple again as he smiled and raised his chin. ¡°Kid, go ahead! Place your hand on the Qing Yun Ranking and inject a bit of force; then, your name will naturally appear!¡± Chu Liuyue curled her fingers. Qing Yun Ranking¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seeing that his disciple hadn¡¯t moved for a while, Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but ask. Chu Liuyue shook her head and walked toward the heavenly doctor list. ¡­ Countless gazes landed on her¡ªenvy, jealousy, admiration, shock¡­ Chu Liuyue ignored all of them. She stood a step away from the heavenly doctor list. As long as I stretch out my hand and my name appears on it, I will get onto the Qing Yun Ranking! However¡­ will my name really appear? Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and finally raised her hand¡ª Chapter 1233 - Ascend the Board! The white palm gradually went near and was finally placed on the black list. With the contrast between the two extreme colors of black and white and the glowing names on the list, it seemed like a painting had been formed. Quietly glowing in an iridescent manner¡ªsolemn and holy. The cold touch spread from her palm, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s blood seemed to be rapidly coursing through her veins! Her heart seemed to be tightly clutched by something. Everyone felt that the current her should be proud, elated, and filled with honor, but in actual fact, she was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t hear the surrounding sounds. All that she could see and hear was only the Qing Yun Ranking before her! Yesterday, she was also standing here. The extremely familiar ripple was still coursing in her heart as she carefully circulated her force and injected it into the Qing Yun Ranking! Whir! A tiny whir suddenly entered her ears! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she almost wanted to retract her hand! But the sound quickly disappeared the next moment as if it had never appeared before! / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Chu Liuyue was dazed, and she waited quietly for a while. That sound didn¡¯t ring again, and even the ripple that should¡¯ve occurred didn¡¯t flash! Then, a ray of light appeared in her palm and rushed forward! She immediately looked up! The ray of light stopped at the last name of the Qing Yun Ranking. Then, the name ¡®Tang Rui¡¯ silently disappeared as her name replaced it! When she saw the words clearly, her heart finally eased. That was because the name was Chu Yue! ¡­ The matter she was most worried about didn¡¯t happen, allowing her to be much more at ease. She looked up slightly at the highest point. It was still dark and quiet. The hidden name didn¡¯t appear. Everything seemed as normal as ever. She lightly exhaled. ¡­ The surrounding spectators were silent. No matter how much doubt and suspicion they had before, they all immediately disappeared! Nothing else could prove one¡¯s ability even better than winning such a match and officially entering the Qing Yun Ranking! Even though this matter seemed extremely unbelievable, it¡­ still happened! In Dong Huang Clock Tower, Elder Bo Yan stroked his beard and nodded with much satisfaction. ¡°This Chu Yue indeed has a lot of potential.¡± He faintly had the image of the girl back then. They equally loved to cause trouble yet were similarly intelligent. They even had shocking talent in the Xuan Master path and the warrior path. ¡°Bo Yan, it seems like you think highly of this Chu Yue.¡± A voice sounded behind Elder Bo Yan. Elder Bo Yan turned around, smiled, and said, ¡°Yeah, you just came back, so you don¡¯t know him well. However, this kid¡­ is pretty capable.¡± ¡°If Rong Xiu thinks of him so highly, he definitely has decent talent.¡± A middle-aged man walked over, looked down, and nodded. ¡°He¡¯s indeed not bad, but Elder Meng has some comments about him.¡± ¡°You went to Fengmin Mountain?¡± asked Elder Bo Yan in shock. Shang Yulin bared his teeth. ¡°Do you still need to ask that? If Elder Meng knows that I didn¡¯t go there the moment I came back, I¡¯ll be skinned alive!¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s true, but you said that Elder Meng is displeased with Chu Yue? Did this kid do something strange when he was locked up at Fengmin Mountain previously?¡± Shang Yulin stretched out a finger and shook it as a smile with deep meaning appeared on his face. ¡°No. I just haven¡¯t seen someone who can affect Elder Meng¡¯s emotions so easily in a long time, and¡­ The old man even misses him, so I was rather curious. Strictly speaking, Elder Meng isn¡¯t displeased toward Chu Yue but more¡­ curious.¡± Thinking of the words Elder Meng said before, Shang Yulin stroked his chin. ¡°Even I want to personally meet this Chu Yue.¡± He glanced at Elder Bo Yan. ¡°He has only entered the academy for two months, but he spent most of his time locked up at Fengmin Mountain. Such a person hasn¡¯t appeared in quite a few years, right?¡± He¡¯s rather capable. Elder Bo Yan smiled. ¡°He¡¯s currently Wan Zheng¡¯s precious disciple. Wan Zheng dotes on him very much, so don¡¯t cause trouble.¡± ¡°How can it be considered as causing trouble? Many students want to be guided by me, but they don¡¯t even have the chance!¡± Shang Yulin was nonchalant. ¡°If he¡¯s outstanding enough, he can definitely handle me easily!¡± Elder Bo Yan laughed out loud. Shang Yulin suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Right, did you bring back the Yuan instrument from Ancient Feather Abyss?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression became rather strange. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Shang Yulin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Where is it? I¡¯ve been thinking about this item for a long time. Now that it¡¯s finally brought back, you must let me study it properly!¡± Elder Bo Yan raised his brows. ¡°There¡¯s no use asking me about this. It¡¯s not with me.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not with you, where can it be?¡± Shang Yulin was dazed. Logically speaking, such an item should be taken care of by the director after getting returned. But now that the director isn¡¯t around, Bo Yan should take care of it. Elder Bo Yan raised his chin toward the young man below. ¡°There¡ªit¡¯s with him.¡± Shang Yulin couldn¡¯t help laughing out loud. ¡°Huh? You must be joking. That kid¡ª¡± ¡°That item recognized him as its owner.¡± As Elder Bo Yan explained slowly, he saw the man opposite him change his expression incredulously rapidly in much satisfaction. Shang Yulin closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. ¡°Good child!¡± Chapter 1234 - Celebrate Elder Bo Yan laughed silently. Shang Yulin has been thinking about the Yuan instrument in Ancient Feather Abyss for years. Every day, he just hopes that it will be brought back to the academy one day and that he can properly study it. But Shang Yulin didn¡¯t expect that when he came out after being in seclusion for a few months, that Yuan instrument had already recognized someone as its owner! One had to know that a Yuan instrument with an owner was no longer easy to get close to. Shang Yulin¡¯s previous plan was entirely thwarted! How could he not be angry? ¡°But you don¡¯t have to put Chu Yue in a difficult spot because of this. In actual fact, this incident is just a coincidence.¡± Then, Elder Bo Yan explained the entire incident to Shang Yulin clearly. During this explanation, Shang Yulin¡¯s expression kept changing. He wanted to interrupt Elder Bo Yan on several occasions, but he still held it in. However, it was obvious that such an explanation couldn¡¯t directly cause him to let it go. After all, he had thought about that item for years. Yet, once it appeared in the world, it was taken in by a kid in the blink of an eye. It would be a wonder if he could be at peace with it! ¡°Actually, as an Armory Refinement Master, you should also understand that this matter is more related to fate than capabilities.¡± Elder Bo Yan sighed. ¡°That Yuan instrument didn¡¯t have a weapon soul, and Chu Yue coincidentally flung out his advanced Yuan instrument. The sword soul then forcefully barged in, allowing the item to become his¡­ The key is that the sword soul couldn¡¯t possibly suppress the weapon soul, yet it still succeeded in the end. This could only prove that the item had also chosen him¡­¡± Others really could not be envious of such incidents. ¡°Hmph.¡± Shang Yulin coldly snorted. ¡°I will go to see that kid sooner or later and see what he has up his sleeves!¡± ¡­ / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Currently, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know that someone had already had his eyes on her. Seeing the two words ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ on the heavenly doctor board, she instantly felt much better. She stared at that name calmly before turning around to return to Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s side. ¡°Mentor, do the things you said before still count?¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°I knew you¡¯d remember this! Don¡¯t worry! Since I¡¯ve said it, I¡¯ll definitely do it! I will fulfill everything I promised you!¡± Isn¡¯t it just some points and herbs? I¡¯m more than elated to develop such an outstanding disciple. Why would I care about anything else? ¡°For you!¡± As he spoke, Elder Wan Zheng waved his hand. A bright ray of light flashed across! Chu Liuyue captured that item. She then looked at it, and her heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat. This is Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s green jade plaque! He directly threw it to me? Just as this thought surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, she heard Elder Wan Zheng generously shouting, ¡°As your reward, I¡¯ll give you 200,000 points this time! Additionally, for the next three months, all the herbs you collect at Medicinal Valley will be recorded under my name!¡± Once he said this, not only Chu Liuyue but even the surrounding crowd was stunned. 200,000 points?! We might not even have so much after accumulating in the academy for a few years! Chu Yue actually got it in one shot?! For many of the heavenly doctor students present, this wasn¡¯t what they were most envious of. They were most envious of Chu Yue being able to take any herbs he wanted at Medicinal Valley for the next three months! As heavenly doctors, herbs were something they had to have. As they got stronger, the herbs required when producing pills became increasingly precious. This also caused their cultivation costs to increase continuously, and some of them might not even be able to bear it. Even though they could also accumulate points by selling pills, one had to know that they didn¡¯t succeed in every pill production. Sometimes, it was normal to fail ten times or even a hundred times. This entire process even exhausted them. Sometimes, even if they were very frugal with their spending, they would still be unable to make ends meet. As soon as he spoke, Elder Wan Zheng allowed his disciple to use the herbs as much as he wanted for the next three months. How could others not envy the latter!? ¡°Thank you, Mentor!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled happily, and her eyes curved up. She was truly elated. Originally, I thought one month would be the maximum. I didn¡¯t expect that Elder Wan Zheng would be so supportive and give me three months of free herbs in one go! With these three months, I can definitely break through to become a peak ninth-grade heavenly doctor! Elder Wan Zheng laughed out loud. I saw the great hidden potential in Chu Yue through today¡¯s competition. In such a situation¡­ As a mentor, I can only patiently guide him and try my best to solve all the unnecessary worries. I can¡¯t wait to see Chu Yue¡¯s capabilities in three months! ¡­ Chu Liuyue placed the two jade plaques together, and a ray of light flashed across. Her black jade plaque instantly had a series of zeroes. She raised her brows, and a large smile was plastered on her face. Luckily, I didn¡¯t reject competing with Tang Rui. If not, I would¡¯ve missed out on too much. She put away her own plaque and returned the green jade plaque respectfully. Tang Rui cupped his fists toward her. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, let¡¯s duel again if there¡¯s a chance in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and bowed in return. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll wait for you eagerly, Senior Brother Tang Rui.¡± Tang Rui then turned around to leave. He didn¡¯t find anyone else to challenge and directly left the area. It seemed like he planned on competing again next month. Chu Liuyue thought and looked at Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°Mentor, since the competition here has already ended, I would like to go back and cultivate too.¡± Elder Wan Zheng stroked his beard. He originally wanted to ask about the formula in detail, but seeing that his disciple really had no intentions of staying here, he swallowed his words. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve worked very hard today. Go back and rest!¡± Elder Wan Zheng patted her shoulders. It also seems rather inappropriate to ask about the formula in front of so many people. I can ask another day when we have the time. Receiving Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s approval, Chu Liuyue bowed and quickly left. Different from when she came, her steps were now much lighter. The crowd just thought that she behaved in this manner because she won the match and didn¡¯t think much about it. Now, they were only envious and jealous that Chu Yue had such a generous elder as his mentor. Of course, they also knew that Elder Wan Zheng did this because Chu Yue was worth it. Who didn¡¯t want such a talented disciple? They could only watch and be envious. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue left the venue, Luo Shishi and the rest rapidly went up to congratulate her. Amongst their congratulations were naturally all sorts of praises and gasps. Chu Liuyue knew that the few of them also performed very well, especially Luo Shishi. Without long, Luo Shishi should be able to enter the warrior list successfully. After the few of them congratulated each other, Zhuo Sheng chuckled and asked, ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re the first amongst all of us to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking. We must celebrate this properly! Why don¡¯t we gather at Million Wine Mountain tonight?¡± Chapter 1235 - Good to Make a Trip There Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. Yes, today is the beginning of the month. Million Wine Mountain will definitely be very crowded. ¡°I think we should forget it.¡± Luo Shishi knitted her sharp brows slightly and glanced at Chu Liuyue carefully. Chu Yue seems to have an ill fate with Million Wine Mountain. Every time he goes there, he gets into a whole lot of trouble. What if he causes more trouble? Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine if we make a trip there. After all, I don¡¯t think anyone will purposely cause trouble for me like the first time.¡± After all, there is still a Rong Xiu behind me. ¡°Chu Yue, you really want to go?¡± Luo Shishi was still rather worried. Chu Liuyue nodded, smiled, and said, ¡°Everyone can go, so why can¡¯t I? Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll be more careful myself. And¡­ I don¡¯t want to be locked up in Fengmin Mountain again.¡± Of course, she was talking about recently. After all, she was severely warned when she came out a few days ago. It would really be quite inappropriate if she went back again. I should go back after a while. Hearing this, Luo Shishi and the rest felt at ease. ¡°Oh, right! Chu Yue, you¡¯re staying with Senior Brother Rong Xiu, but we can¡¯t go to Jiuheng Peak. We¡¯ll wait for you outside the mountain tonight?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to Jiuheng Peak and saw Rong Xiu standing with his hands behind his back. She quickly flew over and stood before him. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°You did something to the Qing Yun Ranking?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that either.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Although that¡¯s also your name, your current strength is still different from back then. I just suppressed the connection that strength had with you. When you break through to recover your original cultivation level, that seal will naturally dissolve.¡± ¡°Original cultivation level?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. In my memory, I have always been a stage-nine warrior and didn¡¯t continue to break through. But since I could be at the top of two lists, then¡­ I should¡¯ve been a true god. However, I¡¯m still not sure what level it was exactly. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°You¡¯ll know naturally at that time.¡± At this point, a cold and child-like voice came from the house. ¡°Come in and cultivate.¡± 1 Chu Liuyue rubbed her temple. Ever since she stayed at Rong Xiu¡¯s place, nobody came to disturb her, and it was much more convenient for her to cultivate in all aspects. In this manner, Dugu Mobao would come over and train with her when he had the time. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Chu Liuyue acknowledged it, took a deep breath, and walked in. ¡­ After this period of training, Chu Liuyue¡¯s capabilities had strengthened by quite a bit. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t completely collapse after a few steps under Dugu Mobao like in the past. However, this bit of skill was far from good enough for Dugu Mobao. Hence, every time he trained her, he would unleash a stronger force than before. Chu Liuyue was still greatly suppressed by him. The only good point was that under this extremely maniacal training, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that her skills as a Xuan Master had improved greatly! She was only one step away from becoming a ninth-grade Xuan Master! ¡­ Evening. The ¡®duel¡¯ finally ended. Seeing the chessboard that suddenly disappeared, Chu Liuyue sighed deeply. Then, she glanced outside and stood up. ¡°Big Baby, I have an appointment with them to go to Million Wine Mountain. I¡¯ll go first!¡± Unexpectedly, Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t object as he glanced at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s good if you make a trip there.¡± Chapter 1236 - Apology The sun was setting. When Chu Liuyue came out from Jiuheng Peak, she saw Luo Shishi and the rest from afar. She rapidly went forward and met with them. Zhuo Sheng curiously glanced behind her and smacked his lips. ¡°Chu Yue, you entered the Qing Yun Ranking today. Does Senior Brother Rong Xiu not plan to celebrate with you?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°You want me to invite him to go to Million Wine Mountain with us?¡± After being seen through, Zhuo Sheng didn¡¯t hide his intentions and chuckled. ¡°I just respect Senior Brother Rong Xiu a lot, and I want to see how good he is! However, I think he won¡¯t be very interested in such matters¡­¡± He just said this casually and didn¡¯t actually want Chu Liuyue to think of ways to invite Rong Xiu. Thinking of how someone kept reminding her not to play outside for too long, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile. Rong Xiu isn¡¯t just uninterested in Million Wine Mountain. He even has opinions about me going to Million Wine Mountain. However, he just saw that I really wanted to go, so he didn¡¯t stop me further and let me have my way. ¡°If Senior Brother Rong Xiu really came, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have a good time,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Many academy elders are very polite when they meet Rong Xiu, let alone students. If he goes, everyone present will probably have to restrain themselves. What could we talk about then? Luo Shishi couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°That¡¯s true! Many people in the academy respect Senior Brother Rong Xiu greatly, but if he was really in front of them¡­ They might not even be able to say a full sentence.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhuo Sheng could only shrug his shoulders regretfully. ¡°Then, let¡¯s just go ourselves!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. ¡­ When they reached Million Wine Mountain, the sky had completely darkened. Only a sea of candlelights burned brightly in the middle. The crowd bustled, and it was very lively. The moment Chu Liuyue and the rest arrived, they attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. The surroundings fell silent. Even though Chu Liuyue had come quite a few times before, today was different. This was because she had entered the Qing Yun Ranking. Tuan Zi had run out much earlier on and was squatting on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Hearing the water by the side, its eyes glowed with temptation. If there weren¡¯t so many people around, it would¡¯ve rushed to the fountain without care long ago. Tuan Zi looked up with much desire and kept using its furry head to nudge Chu Liuyue¡¯s cheeks. Its intentions were clear. Chu Liuyue knew that Tuan Zi was impatient from all the waiting, so she walked forward. Quite a few people automatically retreated to the two sides and made way for her. Even if being hundredth on the heavenly doctor list wasn¡¯t an elite achievement, everybody in the academy knew that Chu Yue¡ªwho had gotten this position¡ªcame to the academy less than two months ago. The point was that he was only sixteen years old. One just had to think to know how bright his future would be! Even if they didn¡¯t consider his backer, his talent and personality would unwittingly cause people to fear him. When Chu Liuyue arrived at the fountain area, quite a few people were already standing there. There was even a familiar face amongst them¡ªLiu Yintong. But before Chu Liuyue could speak, Liu Yintong had already taken a step back and said, ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re here? I¡¯ve already helped you reserve this seat. Just use it!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for once before she looked up and sized Liu Yintong up. Liu Yintong was different from the previous few arrogant and unreasonable times. Her current gaze had a slight hint of urgency and nervousness. It was as if she were terrified she had done something wrong and that she faintly wanted to flatter her. That¡¯s strange¡­ Chu Liuyue thought to herself secretly. Liu Yintong has a fiery temper and is always competitive. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have hated me just because her own red-tailed phoenix lost to Tuan Zi. Therefore, why did she suddenly become someone else now? ¡°Senior Sister Liu, the agreement between us has already been completed. I can do it myself in the future; I won¡¯t trouble you anymore,¡± said Chu Liuyue. The effects of the punishment had sunken in, and Liu Yintong had even offended quite a few people because of this. To Chu Liuyue, this incident was over. After all, her time was also very precious, and she didn¡¯t want to waste her time on such matters. Chu Liuyue originally thought that the other party would look relieved when she heard this, but Liu Yintong¡¯s face actually flushed white unexpectedly. Liu Yintong couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward as she anxiously and worriedly asked, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble¡ªno trouble! I made a mistake previously, so I should do all of this to apologize and make it up to you! Junior Brother Chu Yue, you mustn¡¯t stand on ceremony with me! Y-you aren¡¯t still angry with me, right?¡± 1 Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression became even weirder. This¡­ What¡¯s going on? Liu Yintong still wants to continue? But this matter only seems to have cons and no pros for her, right? Wouldn¡¯t any normal person be happy that they are done with such a torture? Who would still miss it? Chu Liuyue glanced at the other party calmly and realized that the latter¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t fake. She was even more surprised. She smiled. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, why would I be angry with you? This matter has already passed, right?¡± She didn¡¯t like to waste her emotions on such matters. Liu Yintong looked at the young man before her anxiously. His appearance was clean and handsome, and his eyes were clear. His lips formed a nonchalant and gentle smile, causing his entire person to look harmless. It seems like¡­ he really didn¡¯t take it to heart¡­ Liu Yintong secretly heaved a sigh of relief and felt empty. It had just been a mere two months, but their identities had completely changed. When she saw this young man for the first time, she never thought that she would bow down to him one day. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ That¡¯s good¡­¡± she muttered softly. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, I was too impulsive last time, so I did a lot of things to make you upset. I hope¡­ you won¡¯t take it to heart. I promise I will never do it again! I just hope that you won¡¯t bear a grudge, Junior Brother Chu Yue!¡± At that moment, Chu Liuyue wanted to ask if Liu Yintong was sick or if she was foolish. Actually, it was normal that she wanted to totally resolve the previous grudges. After all, Chu Liuyue had a spot of her own in the academy. With the few backers supporting her, she truly became someone that wasn¡¯t to be trifled with in the academy. Everyone feared her in some way or another. However, Liu Yintong doesn¡¯t need to be this enthusiastic, right? This really doesn¡¯t seem like something she would do. ¡°Senior Sister Liu, if you need anything, just say it directly.¡± Chu Liuyue sized her up and said it. Liu Yintong felt that her entire self had been seen. At this point, she shockingly realized that Chu Yue was even more intelligent and cunning than she had thought. She clenched her fists tightly, and her nails dug into her palm. She hesitated for quite some time before saying, ¡°N-nothing much. I just feel that I was overboard regarding those matters, so¡­ If you need my help with anything in the future, just say so, Junior Brother Chu Yue!¡± Before Chu Liuyue could reply, she suddenly heard a mockery from the side. ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue currently has Elder Wan Zheng and Senior Brother Rong Xiu protecting him. Why would he need your help? You think too highly of yourself.¡± Chapter 1237 - Familiar Legendary Fiend! The crowd quietened down. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that it was also a very familiar face¡ªLiang Xiaoxiao. She and Jiang Zhiyuan walked over together. She was the one who said the sentence earlier. ¡°If Senior Brother Rong Xiu didn¡¯t think highly of Junior Brother Chu Zhong, I believe you¡¯d still be thinking of how to teach him a lesson, right?¡± ¡°You!¡± Liu Yintong¡¯s face flashed white and red. This Liang Xiaoxiao has never given me face. Previously, they had already ended on bad terms. Now that they met again, they would naturally not be able to stand each other. ¡°Do you think you can absolve yourself of responsibility regarding what you previously did just because you said a few good words?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao covered her lips and laughed. ¡°It seems a little too late for you to come over and apologize, right? Do you really think that everyone is stupid and that they can¡¯t guess your true intentions? You just want to know Senior Brother Rong Xiu through Chu Yue, right?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao lightly nudged Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s elbow. ¡°Zhiyuan, you know Senior Brother Rong Xiu the best. Why don¡¯t you say if he will fall for this trick?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan lightly said, ¡°He¡¯s naturally a cold person, so he won¡¯t take these things to heart. Besides¡­¡± She paused and glanced at Liu Yintong as she said meaningfully, ¡°Besides, he hates other people harassing him non-stop the most.¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Even if it were me, who had loved Rong Xiu for so long and could be considered the princess consort that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader had wanted from the very start, I didn¡¯t dare to do anything out of character. A few years ago, I kept diligently cultivating but couldn¡¯t even see Rong Xiu once. When I suddenly barged into the Sky-Cloud Empire the previous time, I was already lectured. Not to mention others! Liu Yintong clenched her silver teeth tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t accuse me! I-I just feel that I let Junior Brother Chu Yue down previously, so¡ª¡± 1 Before she could finish her sentence, Liang Xiaoxiao laughed in mockery. ¡°Liu Yintong, do you believe your own words?¡± Liu Yintong finally couldn¡¯t carry on, and her face burned! Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing at the side¡ªblinked and suddenly realized. It was still because of Rong Xiu. I knew that Liu Yintong¡¯s sudden attitude change was too weird¡­ Detecting her gaze, Liu Yintong felt even more humiliated as she hurriedly turned around to leave. That back view looked as if she were running out of fear and humiliation. Liang Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and laughed. ¡°She¡¯s really relentless! Senior Brother Rong Xiu has already made himself very clear, yet she still dares to harbor such filthy intentions! She really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t seem so agitated; she was calmer and glanced at Chu Liuyue. After a momentary pause, she suddenly walked toward the latter. When she stood still, the both of them were only three steps away from each other. She gave Chu Liuyue a generous and magnanimous smile. ¡°Junior Brother, thank you for what happened previously.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was a natural beauty. She had a slim figure and intricate five features. Even though it was nighttime, she still looked very charming under the reflection of the surrounding candlelight. Her smile looked even purer and gentler, causing quite a few people to be dazed. It was a pity that this move didn¡¯t have much effect on Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue also smiled, and her black gem-like eyes were calm and unaffected. ¡°Senior Sister Jiang, why did you thank me?¡± Seeing that the young man seemed to be nonchalant toward her goodwill, Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but be dissatisfied. This Chu Yue¡­ Why can¡¯t I seem to see through his thoughts¡­ But these thoughts only flashed across her mind once, and she didn¡¯t show any of her inner emotions on her face. Her smile was unfaltering as she gently replied, ¡°I¡¯m naturally thanking you for helping Senior Brother Rong Xiu block that attack. Even though he¡¯s very strong and won¡¯t normally be in trouble if he meets with such matters¡­ it¡¯s still good that you helped him, Junior Brother Chu Yue.¡± Her eyes looked worried, but she smiled even deeper, and her eyes were genuine. ¡°I heard that he came back safely and isn¡¯t very injured. If it weren¡¯t because of your intelligence and you managed to pass through the academy barrier to help him in time, I¡¯m afraid¡­ the consequences would be unimaginable. Not to mention that you were even locked up at Fengmin Mountain for a month because of this. For him, Junior Brother Chu Yue, you have sacrificed greatly.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered, and she smiled. On the surface, Jiang Zhiyuan seems to be praising me. However, she is actually scolding me for not knowing what is good for me, breaking the academy rules, and barging through the barrier. To many people, this wasn¡¯t a very glorious event. It was a pity these words weren¡¯t harmful to Chu Liuyue. This was because she didn¡¯t even care about how others thought or talked about her, and it was pretty nice to stay at Fengmin Mountain. Hence, after this sentence, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t angry or awkward as she smiled even more brightly. She took advantage of the situation and said, ¡°Senior Sister Jiang, you¡¯re too kind. I was just doing a little something within my means. I really don¡¯t dare to take all the credit for myself. Besides, Senior Brother Rong Xiu has already thanked me personally. I think¡­ you don¡¯t have to make this unnecessary move, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression immediately became incredulous. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to notice it as she continued, ¡°I helped Senior Brother Rong Xiu, not you, Senior Sister Jiang. I think you should keep your gratitude. If not, it¡¯ll be bad if other people misunderstand you.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s blood boiled! Is Chu Yue slapping my face in public?! She forced a smile and said, ¡°His Grace and I have grown up together since young, and we have a deep relationship. We don¡¯t have to separate it so clearly¡­¡± To save her face, Jiang Zhiyuan had even changed how she addressed Rong Xiu. ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted her and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Listening to you¡­ Senior Sister Jiang, I almost thought that Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡¯s Princess Consort was you.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t maintain her smile any longer! She finally could tell that this Chu Yue had no intentions of talking to her peacefully! He is young, but he has a sharp tongue! The atmosphere was cold and awkward. Everyone could tell the mocking intent in Chu Liuyue¡¯s sentence. Yeah! At the end of the day, Jiang Zhiyuan has no special relationship with Rong Xiu. How could she have the right to thank him? Strictly speaking, isn¡¯t Chu Yue the closest one to Rong Xiu in the entire academy? Her previous sentence was laughable! Jiang Zhiyuan took a deep breath in. In actual fact, she already disliked Chu Yue greatly from the first time she saw him. She wasn¡¯t sure where this feeling came from, but she couldn¡¯t get rid of it. Seeing Tuan Zi squatting on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder, she squinted her eyes and suddenly said, ¡°Junior Brother Chu Yue, you legendary fiend seems rather familiar¡­¡± I remember clearly that Chu Liuyue also had an identical red-tailed phoenix! She suddenly thought of something, averted her gaze, and stared at Chu Liuyue closely! Chapter 1238 - : Interception ¡°My red-tailed phoenix?¡± With a calm smile, Chu Liuyue turned to look at Tuan Zi and said, ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that you find it familiar. After all, Liu Yintong has one too.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan frowned. No, that can¡¯t be right. That definitely isn¡¯t the reason why I find it familiar! I¡¯ve seen Liu Yintong¡¯s red-tailed phoenix before. Although they¡¯re of the same race, hers looks different from this one because of the difference in bloodline purity. I can tell that they¡¯re different! On the contrary, Chu Yue¡¯s red-tailed phoenix looks a lot like the one I¡¯ve fought with! I didn¡¯t notice it before, but this one seems similar to that one now that I¡¯m taking a closer look at it! Once this thought emerged in her head, it stayed stuck in her mind. ¡°No, yours is different.¡± She stared into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes with scrutiny. Something¡¯s not right. Given Rong Xiu¡¯s character, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d value someone so much for no rhyme or reason, much less let them stay with him. Not unless¡­ he¡¯s known that person for a long time and is very close with them! Jiang Zhiyuan carefully studied the youth in front of her and tried to find hints of panic and fluster within him, but it was, unfortunately, to no avail. ¡°My fiend can¡¯t be compared to, of course.¡± Despite being in the face of Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s interrogation, Chu Liuyue smirked. She sounded confident and calm, and her voice even carried hints of pride in it. It was hard for anyone to be suspicious of her. ¡°You may take a longer look at it if you want. Its color is very beautiful, which is hard to see elsewhere.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t believe Chu Liuyue and continued staring at the red-tailed phoenix. Perched on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder, Tuan Zi looked like a ball of flame from afar with its red and feathery figure. When it sensed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s gaze, it lifted its head to look at her before lazily burying its head into its wing again. It was then that Jiang Zhiyuan realized that this red-tailed phoenix was a little different from the one she remembered. The color of its feathers and eyes seem a little darker. Am I¡­ really mistaken? Chu Liuyue then lightly patted Tuan Zi. ¡°Go on!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Tuan Zi looked up with sparkling eyes and rubbed its head against Chu Liuyue¡¯s face before swiftly flying over to the fountain. As there were many people around, it restrained itself a little and landed on the stone next to the fountain. As the water gushed out of the fountain, it repeatedly poked its small head into the water as if it were about to fall inside. As Chu Liuyue had been bringing Tuan Zi to the fountain whenever she was free, many people were used to this scene. Hence, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t attract too much attention. Chu Liuyue looked back at Jiang Zhiyuan, who appeared to be deep in thought. ¡°Is there anything else you want to say? If not, my friends and I will be heading over to the fountain as well.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan hesitated. Even though she wanted to pull Chu Yue to the side and question him, she eventually held herself back and turned to leave instead. ¡°Xiaoxiao, let¡¯s go.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao hurriedly stopped her as she asked in surprise, ¡°Eh? Why are we suddenly leaving? We¡¯ve only just arrived!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan frowned. ¡°I feel a bit sick all of a sudden, so I want to go back and rest.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao found this strange. She feels sick? But she was fine just now. Is she¡­ upset over what Chu Yue said? That must be it. Liang Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan shook her head though. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just stay here; I don¡¯t want to spoil your fun.¡± Great! It¡¯d be so boring if I went back just like that! Liang Xiaoxiao¡ªwho wasn¡¯t too keen on leaving in the first place because this was the only day of each month that they could properly relax¡ªasked, ¡°Will you be okay on your own?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan forced a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can take care of myself.¡± Thereafter, she politely rejected the requests of a few young men to take her back and left on her own. Liang Xiaoxiao shrugged her shoulders as she watched Jiang Zhiyuan leave. Even though she was best friends with Jiang Zhiyuan and had always gotten along well with her, the latter kept a lot of things from her. Besides, she was no fool, so she could naturally see that something was up. It was just that she saw no need to question her about it. People of their status knew best the things they should and shouldn¡¯t say. Even though she wasn¡¯t super talented, she was at least capable of reading faces. While Liang Xiaoxiao retracted her gaze and went to join the others to have fun, Chu Liuyue was reminded of what happened at Million Wine Mountain when she saw Tuan Zi stick its head into the water. There¡¯s been a noticeable change in Tuan Zi, even though we¡¯ve been coming here only in the evening. I wonder what will happen if Tuan Zi stays here for an entire month to awaken its bloodline power completely. ¡­ After leaving Million Wine Mountain, Jiang Zhiyuan quickly went back to her residence and carefully locked the door before sitting in front of the study table. After some contemplation, she spread out a piece of paper and took a brush to start writing a letter. It didn¡¯t take long before she finished writing the letter. She then carefully folded it and stuffed it into the body of a bronze bird she had prepared. Once she injected some force into the bronze bird, it started flapping its wings to fly outside. It soon disappeared into the night sky. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s hands were clasped together in front of her, and her eyebrows were tightly knitted together. She was very suspicious of Chu Yue¡¯s identity, not to mention that Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude toward him was also highly suspicious. After much thinking, she had decided to write a letter to her father in Fairy Water Mound and ask him to look into this matter. She wanted to expose Chu Yue right away even if there was the slightest bit of a problem with him. ¡­ It was all quiet in Jiuheng Peak. With a ripple of the air, a tall, black figure suddenly appeared in front of the house. It was Rong Xiu, and it appeared that he had just returned from somewhere. He was about to walk forward when he suddenly froze and looked up. All that could be seen in this dark night was the undulating mountains, but his dark eyes suddenly became murderous. Whoosh! With a wave of his hand, a dark force flew out and soon returned with a bronze bird. Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes at the sight of the bronze bird. Boom! A soft blast was heard, and a letter dropped out of the bronze bird as it shattered into pieces. Rong Xiu lifted his hand and caught the letter, which he opened and took a glance at. He then curled his fingers and crushed the letter into powder before taking out a white hankie to clean his hand. A golden flame lit up and then burned the hankie into ashes. It was only then that he turned around and entered the house. Chapter 1239 - Weapon Soul As time gradually passed, people slowly started leaving Million Wine Mountain. Luo Yanming looked up at the sky. ¡°I have to go. Master gave a few Xuan formations today and said that there would be a test coming up in a few days. I don¡¯t have much time until then.¡± Luo Shishi and the others expressed their understanding. Even though Elder Hua Feng was amiable, he was very strict when it came to learning. Besides, Luo Yanming was inevitably under more pressure since he had an outstanding older brother, Luo Yanlin, to be compared with. ¡°Oh right! Chu Yue, let¡¯s exchange pointers with each other when you¡¯re free,¡± Luo Yanming said earnestly to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows in surprise, but she later realized that this request had probably come about because Elder Hua Feng had said something about her to him. She laughed and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Actually, there had been all sorts of rumors about how Chu Yue had managed to pass through the academy¡¯s barrier. Even though they weren¡¯t confirmed, one thing for sure was that Chu Yue was also a Xuan master. Luo Yanming had heard Elder Hua Feng talk a lot about this matter in the past few days. Although the latter didn¡¯t go into details, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell that Chu Yue had to be extraordinarily talented in the Xuan master path. It was out of curiosity that he had proposed to exchange pointers with Chu Yue. A wide grin appeared on Luo Yanming¡¯s face when he saw how readily Chu Yue had agreed to it. ¡°That¡¯s a promise!¡± He soon left after that. Zhuo Sheng¡ªwho couldn¡¯t resist looking back and studying Chu Liuyue¡ªlaughed in surprise. ¡°Chu Yue, you must be pretty talented for Yanming to be so competitive! You must be quite well-versed in the Xuan master path, right?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. ¡°Not exactly, but¡­ I¡¯m good enough because I have a good master.¡± Zhuo Sheng and Luo Shishi thought that she was referring to Rong Xiu, so they didn¡¯t ask further questions. After some time, there were fewer people left on the mountain. ¡°Should we get going now?¡± Luo Shishi specifically looked at Chu Liuyue when she asked this question. She didn¡¯t want history to repeat itself. There was no telling what punishment they¡ªChu Yue, in particular¡ªwould receive this time if the same thing happened again. Knowing what she was worried about, Chu Liuyue let out a helpless laugh as she raised her hands. ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s get going.¡± Luo Shishi couldn¡¯t help chuckling, and she felt her heart thump hard when she saw Chu Yue¡¯s black eyes. Her face flushed, and she quickly looked down. 1 Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice this, for she was turning back to call out to her fiend. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tuan Zi!¡± Tuan Zi wobbly lifted its head from the water. Despite its reluctance, it forced itself to fly back to the group. Sigh¡­ When can I enjoy myself again? It then closed its eyes and started digesting the power it had absorbed today. Just as the group was planning to leave, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a strange and unfamiliar fluctuation within her body. She stopped to feel it carefully. Sure enough, she felt another fluctuation again. ¡°The Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword soul has almost completely fused with this sword. There¡¯s only one last step before it awakens!¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly rang in her ears. Chu Liuyue was confused. ¡°What do you mean by that, Ancestor?¡± Shangguan Jing explained, ¡°This is a very strong Yuan instrument. Although it has acknowledged you as its owner, it¡¯s not completely yours yet. It¡¯ll only be truly under your control once it¡¯s undergone the lightning tribulation, merged with the sword soul, and forged the sword soul into a weapon soul!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that if I want to use this sword, I have to¡­ call out the lightning and refine it?¡± Chu Liuyue was flabbergasted. But I can¡¯t possibly do that at my current level! Shangguan Jing, who seemed to know what she was thinking, assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just like the last time, I¡¯ll help you to draw the lightning bolts out. You¡¯ll just need to control the sword and refine the weapon soul! As the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s owner, the sword soul only listens to you, so this is something¡­ that only you can do!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Chu Liuyue felt a little hesitant. Drawing the lightning bolts out will definitely attract the elders¡¯ attention, and this sword used to belong to an ancestor of the school¡­ ¡°Once the sword soul becomes a weapon soul, I¡¯ll be able to come out,¡± said Shangguan Jing heavily. ¡°What? Are you saying that you can come out of it?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. Isn¡¯t this just a remnant of his consciousness? By right, he should¡¯ve dissipated when the Long Yuan Sword acknowledged me as its owner, but he didn¡¯t. After that, he¡¯s been staying inside the Long Yuan Sword, almost becoming one with it. It has never crossed my mind that there¡¯d be a chance for him to come out! Shangguan Jing sighed. ¡°I never thought this day would come, but the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword soul has been getting stronger by the day ever since it acknowledged you as its owner. Its growth is even more astonishing now that it¡¯s fused with the supreme Yuan instrument. Perhaps the moment it becomes a weapon soul is also the moment I become free!¡± A thought suddenly struck Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind just then, making her heart race in excitement. With much disbelief and difficulty, she asked, ¡°Ancestor¡­ Are you¡­ still alive?!¡± Chapter 1240 - Notes By ¡®alive,¡¯ she was, of course, referring to the real Shangguan Jing, not the remnant of his consciousness. In fact, he couldn¡¯t be deemed as a consciousness if he was able to leave the Yuan instrument and live independently¡ªhe was a proper piece of soul! Chu Liuyue¡¯s question made Shangguan Jing fall into silence. It was a while later that he finally let out a long sigh and said, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± His voice sounded a lot deeper as if he had aged quite a bit at that moment. It contained deep-seated emotions like loneliness, regret, and a hint of helplessness. It was the first time Chu Liuyue had heard such a melancholic tone from him. He really¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to know. ¡°Having spent a millennium in the Tianling God Realm alone, I¡¯ve forgotten a lot of things, including¡­ my death.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s secret records only stated that Shangguan Jing¡¯s failed attempt at breaking through had led to his demise. After his death, the Long Yuan Sword was left in the half God Realm that he had formed with much difficulty, becoming a divine object of support. He, on the other hand, naturally dissipated. Chu Liuyue had never once questioned this matter because what she had previously seen matched the entries. Even though she previously did find it weird that his consciousness remained intact after the Long Yuan Sword acknowledged her as its master, she didn¡¯t think too much about it at the time. It wasn¡¯t until now that she realized that Shangguan Jing was capable of leaving the Yuan instrument and that he had actually forgotten how he had died. How could an expert like him possibly forget what had happened in the last moments of his life? There¡¯s something fishy about this! ¡°Chu Yue. Chu Yue?¡± Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng only realized that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t keeping up with them after walking for some distance. When they looked back, they found her standing at the spot and seemingly in a daze. Zhuo Sheng, thus, raised his voice a little louder. ¡°Snap out of it, Chu Yue! We have to get going!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. It was only that Chu Liuyue returned to her senses and proceeded to walk toward them. ¡°Coming.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhuo Sheng looked at her strangely. What¡¯s gotten into him? He was fine just moments ago. ¡°Chu Yue, are you okay?¡± Luo Shishi furrowed her eyebrows in concern. Although he appears somewhat calm, it¡¯s rare to see him being so absent-minded. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and calmed herself down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m fine. I was just thinking about something and got lost in thoughts.¡± ¡°What is it that got you so distracted?¡± Zhuo Sheng asked curiously. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. It¡¯s not even worth mentioning.¡± It was clear that she didn¡¯t want to tell them. Zhuo Sheng¡ªwho wasn¡¯t the nosy type of person in the first place¡ªdidn¡¯t ask her anymore after seeing that she didn¡¯t want to talk about it. ¡°You can always go back and think about it! We should hurry along now! We¡¯ll be doomed if we get out of here late!¡± Luo Shishi frowned slightly, but she didn¡¯t ask any questions either. The trio then continued making their way down the mountain. ¡­ This time, they managed to make it out of the mountain in time. They were already at the foot of the mountain and out of the barrier when they heard the vague sound of wind and thunder coming from the top. Chu Liuyue looked back. Although she couldn¡¯t see anything with the barrier in place, she could seemingly sense the colorful lightning bolts falling from the sky. It¡¯s a shame that we couldn¡¯t stay¡­ She then retracted her gaze and said goodbye to the other two before going back to their own respective lodging. ¡­ It was already late at night by the time Chu Liuyue returned to Jiuheng Peak, but Rong Xiu¡¯s bedroom light was still on. It just so happened that he walked out of his room at that moment. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back.¡± Chu Liuyue felt comforted to see that, although she didn¡¯t know if it was because Rong Xiu was patiently waiting for her. For a second, she could clearly feel a sweet and gentle warmth spreading from her heart to the rest of her body. She nodded. ¡°Have you been waiting for me?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Not exactly. I happened to be looking at a rather interesting item.¡± That got Chu Liuyue¡¯s attention, for that item must be something extraordinary for it to be of interest to Rong Xiu. ¡°What is it?¡± Rong Xiu walked over to her and grabbed her hand. ¡°Come with me.¡± As his warm and broad palm enveloped her somewhat cold hand, his familiar scent made her increasingly at ease. She obediently followed Rong Xiu to his room and was led to the study table, where a book was placed on it. By the looks of its yellowish pages, she could tell that the book was quite old. ¡°Is this the interesting item you were talking about?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu with puzzlement. Rong Xiu, however, lifted his chin and smiled. ¡°Take a look at it.¡± It was only then that Chu Liuyue picked the book up. It didn¡¯t take long before she realized with a start that this thin and worn-looking book was very heavy. If it weren¡¯t because she was physically strong enough, she might not have been able to pick it up. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Her voice trailed off when she saw the book¡¯s cover. On it was an exquisite drawing of a sword¡ªit looked ancient, dignified, and majestic, and the lines appeared powerful. Just one look at the drawing was almost enough to take one¡¯s breath away, but all that wasn¡¯t important because the sword in question was the Yuan instrument she had obtained not long ago. Chapter 1241 - The Chi Xiao Sword ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She looked at Rong Xiu in shock. ¡°That¡¯s the notes left behind by the sword¡¯s creator,¡± said Rong Xiu with a smile. ¡°It took me quite the effort to find it.¡± Although Rong Xiu had said this in a joking tone, Chu Liuyue understood how difficult it must¡¯ve been for him to find the book. The academy had millions of books in its collection, so one could just imagine how much time and effort were needed to locate that one book. Besides, the academy had spent great effort to retrieve the Xuan instrument, so it was only natural that everything related to it was kept strictly. I can¡¯t believe he managed to get it¡­ Chu Liuyue could feel the thick, heavy, and rough pages of the book in her hands. Her heart stirred. ¡°This book¡­ I doubt the academy would hand it over just like that, right? How¡­ did you manage to get it?¡± ¡°Without the Yuan instrument, the notebook itself is meaningless. It¡¯s only considered a treasure when it¡¯s in your hands. It¡¯s pointless for them to keep it, so it¡¯s not as hard to obtain as you think.¡± Despite what he said, Chu Liuyue knew that things weren¡¯t so simple. But since it was clear that Rong Xiu had no intention of sharing the details with her, she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to get an answer out of him no matter what. ¡°I had to keep my promise of getting this book for you.¡± As Rong Xiu said that, he held Chu Liuyue¡¯s face in his hands and kissed her glabella. When his warm breath landed on her forehead, Chu Liuyue felt as if she was burning up. She looked up at him. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­¡± Her red lips parted in an attempt to say something, but she didn¡¯t think that there was any word that could quite convey her feelings. This man has always been by my side, giving me everything I wanted. I believe only very few people in the world are capable of doing that, but he did just that. He has never boasted about how good of a man he is¡ªit¡¯s like he¡¯s only doing what he should do. How rare of a husband he is. When Chu Liuyue stretched out her arms to grab Rong Xiu¡¯s clothes and pull him toward her, he cooperated and leaned down slightly to meet her kiss. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. That kiss was incredibly soft and sweet, and it left both of them giddy with pleasure. It took a while before they finally pulled apart from each other. Rong Xiu then tightly held her in his embrace and rested his chin in the crook of her neck. ¡°Is this a reward?¡± His voice was deep, slightly hoarse, and even carried a hint of confusion when he asked that question. It almost instantly made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tremble when she heard it. ¡°No.¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s love.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue ended up going back to her room obediently because, according to a certain person, he couldn¡¯t guarantee what would happen next if they continued staying together in that situation. It was late at night, and her surroundings were all quiet. All that could be heard was the occasional rustling of the evening wind passing through the forest, and that made the night seem extra lonely. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged with the notebook in her hands. She still felt as amazed as before even as she looked at it now. Her eyes carefully swept across the cover in great detail. The strange golden pattern engraved on the sword sheath appeared stately and mysterious. The gold-blue hilt was carved into the shape of a dragon¡¯s head, and its eyes were so dark that it seemed capable of swallowing someone when they looked into it. Further above it was a clean, smooth, round, and black handle that had a tassel dangling at the end. ¡°So this sword is somewhat associated with the dragons¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. That explains why the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword aura managed to fuse with it smoothly. Of course, Ancestor must¡¯ve played a part in its success too. With a mere thought, a stream of sparkling light appeared right in front of her, followed by the appearance of a longsword. Although it was just quietly floating in the air, the space around it distorted a little. This showed how tremendous its pressure was. Chu Liuyue stared closely at the sword in front of her¡ªit looked exactly the same as the one drawn on the notebook¡¯s cover. It was just that the notebook¡ªdespite being well-kept¡ªhad become slightly yellowish due to it being too old, so it looked as if a grayish-yellow veil was covering the drawing. It was only when said sword appeared right in front of her that she could clearly sense its majestic aura, which seemed to have come from a distant time and space. Everything was so vivid. She flipped open the notebook, and on the title page were the words ¡®Chi Xiao Sword¡¯ written in a powerful handwriting. ¡­ Slowly and carefully, Chu Liuyue flipped through the entire book. When she finally finished the last page, she closed the book, closed her eyes, and let out a long breath. It turned out that this sword¡¯s former owner-cum-creator was Elder Fan Bei. Back then, Elder Fan Bei, upon receiving a piece of precious sword core, was determined to refine the ultimate sword. In order to forge this sword, he went to Ancient Feather Abyss and stayed there for three whole months, calling on the lightning every day before he finally managed to produce it. Unfortunately, he was dying by the time the Chi Xiao Sword was produced, having exhausted all his energy and power in those three months. Knowing that his days were numbered, he decided to take his heart¡¯s blood and fuse it with the sword. Using his own life, he managed to turn the sword into a supreme Yuan instrument, but he died in the process of doing so. Just like that, the Chi Xiao Sword fell into Ancient Feather Abyss before it could even emerge, and it stayed that way for years after. It wasn¡¯t until recently¡ªwhen there was chaos happening in Ancient Feather Abyss¡ªthat the elders of Ling Xiao Academy realized that the sword was about to emerge. Many people actually knew that there was a Yuan instrument hidden within Ancient Feather Abyss. It was why the Golden Wings Sect and many other sects had sent so many people to try and get their hands on the sword. Word out there was that the Chi Xiao Sword was a royal Yuan instrument, but it was actually a supreme Yuan instrument in reality. It was fortunate that Ling Xiao Academy managed to get it back in the end, so not many people knew the true grade of this Yuan instrument. Otherwise, it would become quite a problem for them. Elder Fan Bei had kept a constant record of the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s forging process. The notebook contained every step of the process, as well as some of his thoughts. It was just a shame that he failed to include the usage method since he died as soon as the sword was produced. Hence, Chu Liuyue could only figure things out on her own based on the notes he had left behind. That said, such a supreme Yuan instrument was highly intelligent in the first place. There wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her as long as she was able to master it completely. Chu Liuyue put the book away and looked at the sword in front of her. After taking a deep breath, she grabbed its hilt. Chapter 1242 - Strike! Despite having put a lot of strength, the Chi Xiao Sword didn¡¯t budge. Confused, Chu Liuyue took a closer look at it. It¡¯s not rusty at all¡­ Why can¡¯t I pull it out? She then gritted her teeth and tried harder this time. The Chi Xiao Sword showed no response though¡ªit was like the sword was stuck in the sheath. No matter how hard Chu Liuyue tried, she just couldn¡¯t get it out. After numerous failed attempts, Shangguan Jing said, ¡°Stop wasting your energy. This sword can¡¯t be used until its weapon soul is refined.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°What?! So I won¡¯t be able to use it if I don¡¯t refine the weapon soul?¡± Shangguan Jing gave the question some thought before saying in all seriousness, ¡°Hm¡­ That seems to be the case. By the way, I forgot to tell you that the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword soul has been transferred into this sword. This means that¡­ the Long Yuan Sword is now useless.¡± Shocked, Chu Liuyue immediately summoned the Long Yuan Sword. A long, cold, and heavy black sword appeared in her hand. She then injected her force into it, but there was no response from the Long Yuan Sword. ¡°What¡­¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. ¡°The supreme Yuan instrument is so powerful that it can easily crush the Long Yuan Sword. If I wasn¡¯t around at the time, the Long Yuan Sword would¡¯ve been destroyed the moment its sword soul was transferred to the Yuan instrument,¡± Shangguan Jing explained with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to control.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. So what am I going to do now? Not only am I unable to use the Long Yuan Sword, but I can¡¯t even pull out the Chi Xiao Sword! She rubbed her glabella in frustration. Doesn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s only one way left? ¡°Heh, this is nothing. I¡¯m around anyway. I can help you call on the lightning while you complete the refining of the weapon soul. Isn¡¯t it easy?¡± Chu Liuyue was at a loss for words. He seems to think a little too highly of me¡­ But then again, there¡¯s no other solution either. After a slight pause, she said, ¡°Please help me, Ancestor!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked out of the room and headed to the mountaintop, which was the most appropriate place for her to call on lightning. Although she was worried that she would attract the attention of many people if the commotion got too big, she couldn¡¯t care so much right now. She figured that the barrier Rong Xiu had placed around Jiuheng Peak would be able to provide some shielding. After finding a relatively flat spot, she took out the star stone and placed the Chi Xiao Sword on it. A translucent figure¡ªShangguan Jing¡ªappeared at that moment. Chu Liuyue looked at him with squinted eyes. ¡°Ancestor, why does it seem like you¡¯re becoming a lot more¡­ opaque?¡± There was a vast difference between how Shangguan Jing looked now compared to when he previously looked like an apparition. Shangguan Jing stayed silent for a moment before nodding his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I feel the same.¡± The longer he stayed together with Chu Liuyue, the stronger he became. When they first met, he was in a state where he could dissipate at any moment, but he had gradually become stronger since then. He didn¡¯t know what was going on though. Ever since the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword soul entered the Chi Xiao Sword, he realized that he seemed capable of living independently. Chu Liuyue became more certain about her previous guess. This must be his soul. It¡¯s just that his power diminished, and his memory became somewhat fuzzy over time. That must be why he thought that he was just a remnant of his consciousness. After thinking about it for a bit, a thought suddenly struck her. If his soul still exists, then¡­ does it mean that he has the chance to come back to life once I refine the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s weapon soul? She took a deep breath and pushed the thought aside. Let¡¯s think about it once I¡¯m done refining the weapon soul! ¡­ ¡°Step back a bit.¡± Shangguan Jing¡ªwho was floating in the air¡ªbecame serious as Chu Liuyue took five steps backward while staring closely at the star stone and the Chi Xiao Sword. His power began surging madly around as he lifted his arms in the air. A formidable pressure began spreading in all directions. Dark clouds soon gathered above, and the sky became darker, with the moon being hidden by the dense clouds. They were surrounded by undulating mountains, and it was all quiet around them. The only thing that could be heard was the wind passing through the mountains and the forest. Chu Liuyue felt as if her heart was being squeezed. She could hear her heart beating wildly inside. As the wind blew and the dark clouds rolled in, a lightning bolt finally appeared from behind the clouds. It was followed by a second and a third one. Chu Liuyue gasped, for the speed at which the lightning bolts had appeared was far faster than she had imagined. She wondered how many lightning bolts she had to withstand in order to refine the supreme Yuan instrument¡¯s weapon soul. From the looks of it, it would far exceed the number of lightning bolts she had withstood when forging the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. ¡­ Almost at the same time the sky had changed, Rong Xiu¡ªwho had just laid down in bed¡ªsuddenly opened his eyes and pushed his blanket aside to hop off the bed. He then rushed out of the house and looked toward the mountaintop, where a few lightning bolts were hovering in the sky. His eyes narrowed slightly as he raised a hand. A golden stream of light flew out and transformed into countless dots of light before floating down on the barrier around Jiuheng Peak. Now that the barrier was strengthened, it perfectly hid what was happening inside. 1 ¡­ Chu Liuyue had no idea about this as her entire attention was currently on the lightning bolts that were about to strike down. The dark clouds had gathered dozens of silver lightning bolts in just a short span of time, but the problem was that the number was still increasing. ¡°I called on a total of 81 lightning bolts when you were forging the Long Yuan Sword, but I don¡¯t know how many lightning bolts there¡¯ll be this time since this is a supreme Yuan instrument,¡± said Shangguan Jing. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. As the Chi Xiao Sword was two grades higher than the Long Yuan Sword, it was hard to imagine how one could fill this huge gap. The black star stone sparkled as it reflected the light from the numerous lightning bolts in the sky. When countless dots of light finally appeared on it, the Chi Xiao Sword slowly rose to the air. It quietly floated above the star stone while giving out an astonishing aura. Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t even begun the refining process, yet she could already feel something heavy pressing down on her heart. Even the simple act of breathing felt difficult to her. I wonder what will happen when the lightning strikes¡­ As soon as this thought appeared in her mind, she heard a loud rumble in the sky. A thick, shining lightning bolt came shooting down in a flash toward the Chi Xiao Sword. Chu Liuyue could hardly open her eyes in this blinding light. It was followed by another loud rumbling sound. This time, however, the rest of the lightning bolts came striking down one after another. Chapter 1243 - Try Her Best Chu Liuyue had never seen such a scene before. The countless lightning bolts surged toward them as though they were free of charge! It was like a gigantic silver sword that shot out of the clouds and struck down! Looking up at it, it was like it directly split the sky into two! The light was bright, and the sound reverberated throughout the sky! The strong impact almost caused Chu Liuyue to fly away, but she immediately stabbed the Long Yuan Sword into the ground! She clutched it tightly to prevent herself from being blown away by this violent wind! Her clothes blew with the wind, and only the crazy howls of the wind could be heard beside her ear! Shangguan Jing¡¯s gaze had never been this stern and solemn! This was because he knew that it would definitely be a tough fight as soon as he saw the lightning bolts! He was afraid that¡­ this would be the most intense fight with the most number of lightning bolts summoned in his entire lifetime! After the lightning bolts landed, new lightning bolts quickly appeared! Shangguan Jing¡¯s strength quickly diminished along with the terrifying refinement process! / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Time seemed to pass especially slowly! Just when Chu Liuyue felt that her face was about to be scraped by the terrifying force, the Chi Xiao Sword finally moved! A glow of golden light appeared on the sword sheath, glowing quietly! The light from the surrounding lightning bolts was very sharp, but this golden glow wasn¡¯t dimmer than the rest. Chu Liuyue saw clearly that the golden pattern on the sword sheath had exploded with a crystalized light! ¡°Girlie! Go forward!¡± Shangguan Jing hollered! Chu Liuyue immediately jumped up and held the Chi Xiao Sword by its hilt! Countless rays of silver light flashed on the sword sheath! The sword sheath was cold to touch, but the strength of the lightning was scorching hot! The two extreme forces merged with each other! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and held the sword tightly! A familiar aura gradually surged up her heart¡ªthis was the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword soul! If one wanted to refine it to become a weapon soul, the Chi Xiao Sword had to undergo the impact from these lightning bolts! For some reason, the lightning bolts respectively avoided Chu Liuyue when they went past her. This helped reduce the pressure she felt. As the lightning bolts kept landing, there seemed to be a seal on the sheath that gradually weakened. The patterns¡ªwhich had been originally dim for thousands of years¡ªfinally glowed a little with their original golden light! Chu Liuyue tightly held the sword hilt as the surrounding violent strength kept rushing toward her, yet she didn¡¯t move at all! Force was silently injected into the Chi Xiao Sword! ¡­ Time seemed to pass especially slowly. After some time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands had been struck numb by the terrifying force, and her bodily strength seemed hard to constrain. It vaguely had the signs of erupting. However, the lightning bolts kept striking downward! It was as if there were no end to them! Chu Liuyue forced herself to open her eyes and looked up. She couldn¡¯t see anything clearly in the sky filled with bright lights. This meant that the attack from the lightning bolts hadn¡¯t ended! She clenched her teeth and urged her force to circulate! As she injected more force into the Chi Xiao Sword, the golden pattern on the sword sheath became increasingly clear. She could clearly feel that the strange connection between her and the Chi Xiao Sword kept deepening! As long as she persisted to the end, she could definitely succeed! But at this moment, a strange and sudden phenomenon suddenly occurred in her body. Chu Liuyue turned around, and through the sparkling light, she shockingly saw that her ancestor seemed to collapse onto the ground as his body couldn¡¯t hold on any longer! His body became much weaker as if it would be blown away by the wind at any time! His face was even paler. His originally energized appearance looked much older and frailer instantly. Chu Liuyue was overwhelmed. ¡°Ancestor!¡± She nervously yelled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± Hearing the voice, Shangguan Jing forced his body up. ¡°N-nothing¡­ It¡¯s just that there are too many lightning bolts, so I used too much of my strength¡­¡± Hearing the weakness in his voice, Chu Liuyue felt increasingly worried. Even though Ancestor doesn¡¯t have a physical body, he is very strong. This is my first time seeing him in such a frail manner. One couldn¡¯t help but worry about him. Rumble! Lightning bolts kept landing! Shangguan Jing¡¯s aura started weakening at an observable speed! Chu Liuyue quickly glanced at the Chi Xiao Sword. Only one-third of the pattern on the sheath had lit up! This cannot go on! Chu Liuyue calmly thought. Seeing Ancestor¡¯s current look, he definitely can¡¯t last till the end. The Chi Xiao Sword is a supreme Yuan instrument. The lightning bolts required to nourish the sword soul into a weapon soul will definitely be shocking. I definitely can¡¯t finish it with Ancestor¡¯s strength alone! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to risk her ancestor¡¯s life just because of this! ¡°Ancestor, please stop triggering the lightning bolts!¡± Chu Liuyue rapidly made a decision and yelled loudly. Shangguan Jing outright rejected her. ¡°No!¡± The supreme Yuan instrument is a treasure. Girlie was lucky enough to get it¡ªit¡¯s in her fate. Many people can¡¯t even see one in their lives, yet she took it so luckily. How can she not treasure it? Even if it means exhausting my last bit of strength, I have to help her to the end! Shangguan Jing then focused, gathered his strength, and flew up again! Many lightning bolts appeared in the dark sky again! The winds howled crazily, and Shangguan Jing¡¯s figure seemed to move. Chu Liuyue looked down nervously and felt her heart ache. She knew very clearly that her ancestor had reached his limits. If this doesn¡¯t stop, the consequences will be unimaginable! This isn¡¯t Ancestor¡¯s remaining sense of consciousness but his true soul! If anything happens to him today, the consequences will be irreversible! Fire burned in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart as her eyes turned red. ¡°Ancestor, please go back!¡± Shangguan Jing stood in mid-air and straightened his back. He didn¡¯t turn back. Darkness and brightness intertwined with each other in the sky. It was as if he were going to leave the world alone and take on everything by himself! As time passed, Shangguan Jing¡¯s aura became increasingly weak. Gradually, lightning bolts didn¡¯t appear in the sky any longer. Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart harshly sank. With my current cultivation level¡­ Even if I use my life, I can¡¯t summon enough lightning bolts! Rumble! The last lightning bolt struck down! Shangguan Jing¡¯s face flushed white. He finally turned around, looked at his descendant, and felt apologetic. His lips trembled. ¡°I-I was useless¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve already done your best. I am very grateful!¡± At this point, the pattern on the Chi Xiao Sword had only lit up by half! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her black gem-like eyes seemed to have some ripples in them as they burned brightly! She held her Chi Xiao Sword tightly and stood up! The lower half of her body had long been affected by the terrifying force¡ªshe couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore. At this point, she relied on her last bit of consciousness to hold onto the Chi Xiao Sword tightly! Shangguan Jing sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­ I actually wasted your efforts¡­¡± However, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Not exactly.¡± The Tianling Dynasty¡¯s ancestor was dazed. ¡°What other methods do you have?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted and looked in another direction. Lightning bolts¡­ There¡¯s a place that has plenty! Chapter 1244 - Fight for the Lightning Bolt Chu Liuyue raised her eyes. Outside Jiuheng Peak, a faint golden barrier shone quietly in the dark. Her heart tingled, and she looked toward a place below the mountain. A long figure was rapidly flying over¡ªit was Rong Xiu! His speed was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, he flew to her! The two of them looked at each other. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I want to go to Million Wine Mountain.¡± Rong Xiu slightly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Without any explanation and with just an exchange of gazes, they could tell what each other was thinking. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt slightly warm, and her slightly pale lips curled up. ¡°Are you not asking me why I¡¯m going there?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°That¡¯s not important. As long as you want to go, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± As he spoke, his gaze swept across Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand that was holding the Chi Xiao Sword tightly. ¡°Follow me.¡± He then waved his wrist lightly, and the barrier on the mountain suddenly rippled! Following that, an opening was made! His figure moved, and he rushed out first! Chu Liuyue followed him closely! After the two of them left, the barrier rapidly closed again, covering everything silently. From the outside, it was like nothing had happened. ¡­ It was still late at night, and the entire academy was quiet. The two of them left Jiuheng Peak and went to Million Wine Mountain. Rong Xiu seemed to be very familiar with that place as well as he didn¡¯t stop at all on the way there. As he was worried that the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s movements would attract attention, he had even specifically set up a barrier around Chu Liuyue to cover her aura completely. In this manner, the two of them arrived below Million Wine Mountain successfully. The barrier around Million Wine Mountain couldn¡¯t be seen in the dark. One could only see the rising mountains within and the shadows that were cast by the trees. The surroundings were quiet, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat even more quickly. The Chi Xiao Sword in her hands let out a weird sensation. She looked down and saw that the bolts of silver lightning¡ªwhich were originally covering it¡ªhad completely disappeared. The golden pattern¡ªwhich finally had lit up halfway with much difficulty¡ªvaguely looked like it was going to dim again. This was because too few lightning bolts were triggered previously and the sword soul couldn¡¯t completely become a weapon soul. Thus, it was stuck in the middle, neither here nor there. If she couldn¡¯t give it more lightning bolts, she would fail this refinement, and whatever she suffered earlier would amount to nothing! Hence¡­ she couldn¡¯t give up just yet! Chu Liuyue looked at the barrier before her. A tremendous aura exuded from it! Ever since that incident happened to her, the elders seemed to have strengthened Million Wine Mountain¡¯s defensive barrier. Given her current state, it was impossible for her to barge in. But luckily, there was Rong Xiu! He stood before the barrier and raised his hand. A few golden rays of light shot out and outlined a strange Xuan formation in mid-air. That small golden Xuan formation then stuck to the barrier lightly. Whir! An opening rapidly appeared! Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu in shock. Seeing his composed appearance and calm gaze, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Rong Xiu, this isn¡¯t your first time doing such things, right?¡± His technique looked too smooth! Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. He glanced at her in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°I learned it all from you.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. What exactly did the previous me do in the academy? From what Rong Xiu has said, it seems like I led him astray¡­ ¡°Go up. I¡¯ll tell you these things when you get back.¡± Or perhaps, she will remember it unintentionally, like the medicinal garden incidents. As Rong Xiu spoke, he stepped past the barrier. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, raised her sword, and walked in. ¡­ After passing through the barrier, her first reaction was to look at the mountain peak. Without surprise, a figure was standing at the highest point. Dark clouds gathered in the sky as lightning bolts flashed and kept striking! It seemed like he was refining a weapon. Some of the lightning bolts landed in front of him while others landed in the fountain. Even if they were such a long distance away, Chu Liuyue could still feel the shocking strength contained in those lightning bolts. She licked her pale and cracked lips. This¡­ That¡¯s what I need the most! However, that person seems like an academy elder as well. It¡¯d be rather inappropriate if I directly rushed over. But just when Chu Liuyue was in deep thought about how to discuss with that person, her Chi Xiao Sword struggled and rushed out! Whish! The Chi Xiao Sword drew a faint golden line in mid-air! In the blink of an eye, it had already rushed to the top of the mountain! Chu Liuyue was taken aback and immediately went after it without thinking! I just thought for a moment, and the Chi Xiao Sword took the chance to directly leave my hands! It even went straight for that mountain peak! No¡ªit is going for the lightning bolts! Chu Liuyue was already chasing at full speed, but no matter how capable she was, how could she be faster than a supreme Yuan instrument? Very quickly, the Chi Xiao Sword directly rushed up under her shocked gaze! Those bolts of lightning suddenly sensed something as they changed direction and struck the sword! Rumble! Sounds reverberated throughout the area as sparks flew everywhere! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t open her eyes due to the sharp and bright light, but she could only endure the pain and watch on! The lightning bolts that should¡¯ve landed were all intercepted by the Chi Xiao Sword midway! Shang Yulin was originally focused on refining his weapon when he detected a strange force. He suddenly looked over and saw something flash across! Then, bolts of lightning exploded above his head! Rumble! Chapter 1245 - Borrow for Me to Use Shang Yulin¡¯s first reaction was to set up a barrier around him to block all the terrifying force that shot out! Even so, the lightning bolts clashed right above his head. He was extremely close to them, so he couldn¡¯t possibly avoid all of them. The shocking aura rushed toward him, causing his chest to turn numb. He almost collapsed onto the ground, but he still forced himself to stand up and rapidly look up! At this moment, he saw clearly what had happened. The lightning bolts that should¡¯ve landed were all intercepted by a sword that came from nowhere! Silver light flashed brightly, while sparks flew everywhere! Bam! An explosion could be heard. Shang Yulin looked down. The Yuan instrument he produced with much difficulty cracked due to the great difference in temperature¡ªwhich occurred due to the lightning refinement stopping. Shang Yulin raised his brows sharply, dropped the Yuan instrument onto the floor, and couldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°Who the heck did this?!¡± His shout was like the thunder that reverberated throughout Million Wine Mountain. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. Chu Liuyue stopped in her actions and instantly felt guilty. Originally, I planned on bringing the Chi Xiao Sword over and dipping it into the fountain when the lightning bolts gathered there. Who knew¡­ such a thing would happen? At this point, Shang Yulin also detected Chu Liuyue¡¯s existence and looked over sharply! ¡°Who?! Come out!¡± As he yelled, he furiously rushed over and wanted to directly drag that person out! Seeing that the other party had already rushed down, Chu Liuyue knew that she couldn¡¯t avoid it and sensibly stood out. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Greetings, Elder!¡± Shang Yulin then saw the person in front of him clearly. The latter looked like a young man about 16 or 17 years of age. He had a slim figure and a clean appearance. His face was slightly pale, and there were bloodstains at the corner of his mouth, clearly showing that he had just experienced an ordeal. Shang Yulin angrily shouted, ¡°All students in the academy aren¡¯t allowed to step into Million Wine Mountain at this time! Don¡¯t you know?! Chu Liuyue thought to herself, Of course, I know. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve done such a thing. She looked up slightly and looked past the middle-aged man¡¯s shoulders. In mid-air, the Chi Xiao Sword kept absorbing the lightning that dropped from the sky. There were many bolts of lightning, which showed that this person was very capable. She felt slightly more at ease before she bent down and admitted her mistakes. ¡°You¡¯re right, Elder! Actually, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I was just anxious, so I accidentally barged in¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this nonsense!¡± Thinking of his Yuan instrument that was damaged and incomplete, his blood boiled. I have been in Ling Xiao Academy for so many years, and such an incident hasn¡¯t happened before! A student actually barged into Million Wine Mountain suddenly and interrupted my refinement process, intercepting my lightning bolts! He has really eaten bear hearts and leopard galls! ¡°You¡¯re going against the heavens! You¡ªimmediately put away your item! Then, ask your mentor to come over and personally apologize to me!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and looked like she was in a difficult spot. The Chi Xiao Sword rushed out on its own, and it probably won¡¯t be easy for me to take it back now. Besides, I came to Million Wine Mountain for the lightning bolts. Now that I¡¯ve found them, how can I just leave? As for asking my mentor to come over¡­ She wondered what expression Elder Wan Zheng would have when he heard about this. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and revealed an extremely apologetic and flattering smile. ¡°Elder, today¡¯s incident is purely an accident! I know that I¡¯m in the wrong and understand the severity of the consequences. No matter what, I can¡¯t escape the punishment, but¡­ Can I ask for you to just wait a while?¡± Shang Yulin raised his brows, glared at her, and yelled, ¡°Wait? Wait for what?!¡± Chu Liuyue paused, raised her finger, and pointed above. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Um¡­ Wait¡­ for me to finish refining my Yuan instrument¡­¡± Shang Yulin was about to laugh from being too furious. I have never seen such a student before! Forget that he has made a mistake, but he is going too far! On the brink of his own death, he actually still has the courage to raise conditions?! ¡°Hah!¡± He sized Chu Liuyue up again. ¡°Great! You¡¯re such a young kid, but you¡¯re very gutsy! What kind of treasure can your Yuan instrument be to even snatch my lightning bolts! You¡ª¡± Suddenly, his voice trailed off, and the gaze he shot at Chu Liuyue changed. Chu Liuyue felt guilty for some reason and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Elder, w-why are you looking at me like that?¡± Shang Yulin squinted his eyes. ¡°What did you say your name was?¡± Chu Liuyue answered honestly, ¡°Chu Yue.¡± ¡°It is you!¡± Shang Yulin¡¯s lips twitched. As he was too agitated, he didn¡¯t hear Chu Liuyue reporting her identity clearly. Now that he was closer to her, he found her rather familiar. Chu Yue! Isn¡¯t it the kid I was talking to Bo Yan about in the morning!? Chu Liuyue blinked. Basically all the elders in the academy know me, but this person seems like he is seeing me for the first time. I¡­ also find the face rather unfamiliar as if I haven¡¯t seen him before. ¡°If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, you were locked up at Fengmin Mountain for barging into Million Wine Mountain, right? How long has it been, yet you¡¯re doing it again?!¡± Shang Yulin was still talking when he suddenly recalled something and immediately turned around. ¡°Wait! That thing¡­ is the Yuan instrument you snatched back from Ancient Feather Abyss?¡± The object which Chu Yue has and is strong enough to intercept my weapon refinement seems¡­ to be that?! ¡°Ahem. Elder, you¡¯re very smart.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed awkwardly and said very urgently and honestly, ¡°I really don¡¯t have any other intentions in coming here! I-I just want¡­ to borrow the lightning bolts here¡­¡± Chapter 1246 - Help Shang Yulin thought that he was hallucinating. ¡°What did you say?¡± He clenched his teeth and said every word clearly. Every word was as if squeezed out of the gaps of his teeth, with hints of teeth-grinding aura. Chu Liuyue shrank her neck back. I don¡¯t have a choice. I stole his item, and I¡¯m guilty, but I really didn¡¯t have a choice in this! Who knew that he was refining weapons here? Besides, I didn¡¯t do anything after I arrived. The Chi Xiao Sword ran out on its own, so I can¡¯t be completely blamed! However, she didn¡¯t really dare to say these words to defend herself, and it seemed like there wasn¡¯t much use even if she did. She lowered her head. ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong.¡± Her genuine repentant behavior caused Shang Yulin to be unable to rage. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re really capable! ¡®Borrow¡¯ lightning¡­ To think you could say such a thing!¡± Shang Yulin flung his sleeves and looked at the mountain peak again. A longsword could be vaguely seen under the lightning bolts that kept striking. He squinted his eyes and asked, ¡°Is that the Chi Xiao Sword?¡± Chu Liuyue was quite shocked that he recognized the sword, but a thought popped up in her head. He is an elder at the academy after all, so it is nothing strange for him to know this. This was originally a Yuan instrument that an academy senior produced, and that notebook had been kept preciously in the academy. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You really lucked out.¡± Shang Yulin grunted softly. I¡¯ve thought about this item for so many years, but I still couldn¡¯t see it. Who would¡¯ve thought I would coincidentally miss it just when I went into seclusion for a short period. The key is that this Chi Xiao Sword has even recognized an owner! It isn¡¯t that simple for a supreme Yuan instrument to recognize an owner. I wonder how this kid did it. Chu Liuyue hung her head even lower. ¡°I¡¯m guilty.¡± She faintly felt that this elder had a rather different attitude toward the Chi Xiao Sword compared to the other elders. Elder Bo Yan¡ªeven Elder Shu Feng and the other elders who went to snatch the Chi Xiao Sword personally¡ªdidn¡¯t seem to have such a deep understanding of the Chi Xiao Sword. ¡°Is it refining its weapon soul?¡± Shang Yulin¡¯s next sentence caused Chu Liuyue to be slightly shocked, but she thought about it and understood. The other party is originally an Armory Refinement Master, and it seems like he has quite a high standard, so it is normal for him to tell at one glance. ¡°Elder, you¡¯re very observant. I admire you.¡± ¡°Hmph, you don¡¯t have to lick my boots! Strictly speaking, I am much more familiar with this Chi Xiao Sword than you are!¡± It¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t have that fate! Since this supreme Yuan instrument could recognize a new owner, it proves that it didn¡¯t have a weapon soul. Thinking of what Bo Yan had told him earlier, he roughly guessed what situation this was. The sword soul moved to the supreme Yuan instrument without a weapon soul and forced it to recognize an owner¡­ Such a situation has a one-in-a-million chance, but it really happened! This caused others to be unable to feel envy. ¡°Why are you still standing here? Are you not going to go up?¡± Shang Yulin glanced at Chu Liuyue in contempt. ¡°Do you not even know how to do this?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and realized that he was rushing her. This¡­ Didn¡¯t he really want to teach me a lesson a moment ago? Why did he suddenly become so supportive? ¡°¡­Elder, um¡­ Don¡¯t you mind?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. ¡°Why are you so wishy-washy! Even if I mind, haven¡¯t you already stolen the lightning bolts?!¡± Shang Yulin wanted to take over directly. This kid looks sensible, but why is he so stupid at such a crucial time? The Yuan instrument I wanted to refine is already ruined, and it can¡¯t be salvaged. There isn¡¯t much use in thinking about it, but this Chi Xiao Sword is at a very crucial stage! ¡°If anything happens during the refinement of the weapon soul, it could cause failure! If you don¡¯t go up now, do you want to see such a treasure get ruined?¡± Shang Yulin finally couldn¡¯t hold back as he grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders and pushed her. ¡°Hurry up and get there!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hesitate any longer. ¡°Thank you, elder!¡± Then, she went on her toes and rapidly flew toward the top of the mountain! Shang Yulin looked up. The number of lightning bolts in the sky was decreasing. All those were previously summoned when he was about to refine his weapon, and he was interrupted in the middle, so other lightning bolts naturally didn¡¯t appear later. And the previous few were used up very quickly¡ªonly about half was left. But until now, the Chi Xiao Sword didn¡¯t move much. This also meant that it was still very far away from refining its weapon soul. Shang Yulin glanced at it and couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°You still need me to take action! How troublesome!¡± As he spoke, he stepped on the ground heavily and rushed up to the sky! ¡­ Chu Liuyue rushed to the mountain peak, where the Chi Xiao Sword floated in mid-air. Two-thirds of the golden pattern on the sword sheath had appeared. However, the aura surrounding the sword seemed to be much more chaotic, and it had signs of erupting. ¡°Girlie, you must hold this sword properly! If you don¡¯t control it well, the weapon soul might not be suppressed. That will cause the entire process to fail!¡± Although Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice was weak, it was especially stern and serious. Even though this wasn¡¯t Armory Refinement, it was still very hard to refine a weapon soul for a supreme Yuan instrument. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I know.¡± She took a deep breath in and walked forward, passing through the countless shining lightning bolts while holding the Chi Xiao Sword in her hands. Then, she continued to insert her force within! There were immediate results. Very quickly, the violent aura surrounding the Chi Xiao Sword became stable again. The familiar and strange connection gradually strengthened! Suddenly, Tuan Zi ran out of her body and stuck its head into the fountain below! Plop! Chu Liuyue looked down. The calm water surface rippled slightly, but one could still see the countless lightning bolts crazily swimming within. ¡­ Rumble! Another wave of commotion came over. Chu Liuyue was stunned and rapidly looked up! Many lightning bolts appeared again in the sky that had originally quietened down! It was a thunderstorm between the sky and the ground. A figure stood in mid-air¡ªit was Shang Yulin! His clothes flowed with the wind as he whipped his sleeves, causing his surrounding aura to rush around in an oppressive manner! When he did such movements, increasingly more lightning bolts appeared in the sky! Chu Liuyue instantly understood that he was helping her to trigger the lightning bolts! She felt a wave of gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡± Shang Yulin didn¡¯t turn back and yelled, ¡°Why are you thanking me!? Focus on refining the weapon soul. If it fails, see how I¡¯ll punish you!¡± I used so much effort to help him. This definitely can¡¯t fail! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile and didn¡¯t speak further. She retracted her vision and focused on the Chi Xiao Sword! Finally, the sword sheath seemed to move a little! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she held the hilt tightly! Chapter 1247 - Quick! At this point, the entire peak of Million Wine Mountain was covered by the bright, silver lightning bolts. Amidst the roar of the sparks, it was very hard to see what was going on. One could only faintly see Shang Yulin in mid-air. As for the place where the lightning bolts gathered, one could only see a tall and slim figure vaguely. Seeing this scene, Rong Xiu stopped not far away. I originally planned on helping her, but since someone else has taken action, I can just observe quietly. It seemed like everything was progressing rather smoothly, but such a ¡®harmonious¡¯ scene was quickly ruined. This was because¡­ someone else came! Elder Ouyang originally heard that Shang Yulin had come out of seclusion and was going to refine his weapon at Million Wine Mountain at night, so he came over to take a look. But the moment he stepped through the barrier, he realized something was wrong. This ripple¡­ is too stunning! He almost instantly looked up and was taken aback by the scene before his eyes. Lightning bolts kept striking, but they weren¡¯t targeting Shang Yulin. However, Shang Yulin¡ªwho was in mid-air¡ªkept triggering lightning bolts. What kind of situation is this?! Elder Ouyang wanted to go forward immediately. Suddenly, a figure appeared from the side and blocked his path. ¡°Elder Ouyang, please hold on.¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. The deep, melodious, and familiar voice caused Elder Ouyang to be dazed. When he saw the person in front of him clearly, Elder Ouyang widened his eyes in even more shock. ¡°Rong Xiu?! Why are you here too?¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°I just arrived. I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡± Elder Ouyang glanced at the mountain peak suspiciously. ¡°Who are you waiting for?¡± There wasn¡¯t much meaning in lying at such a time as they would all know about it eventually. Hence, Rong Xiu answered very honestly, ¡°Chu Yue.¡± ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± Elder Ouyang¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. He was ever so familiar with this name! Isn¡¯t that the kid who caused trouble here only a while ago?! He reacted, and the change in his expression was incredulous. He pointed at the blurred figure enveloped by the lightning bolts at the mountain peak in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ that¡¯s Chu Yue?!¡± Rong Xiu nodded and gently explained, ¡°She¡¯s busy with some urgent matters now and can¡¯t be distracted. Elder Ouyang, if you can be considerate, please go over later.¡± Elder Ouyang was speechless. Busy with some urgent matters? With so many lightning bolts on Million Wine Mountain, isn¡¯t it obvious what this kid is busy with?! ¡°Y-you-you¡­ H-he¡­ What is he doing again?!¡± Elder Ouyang was agitated and started stammering. ¡°Oh yes, and that Shang Yulin! What is he doing again?¡± It¡¯s fine if Chu Yue is being ridiculous, but why is Shang Yulin helping him?! Elder Ouyang was confused, and his entire person was unwell. ¡°You¡¯ll know after you ask them when they come down,¡± said Rong Xiu with a smile. Elder Ouyang was also an Armory Refinement Master. He naturally knew that outsiders couldn¡¯t casually disturb them in such a scenario. If something really happened, the consequences would likely be irreversible. Hence, even if he found this scene extremely strange, he could only hold himself back and wait. ¡°This kid was previously punished once because he stayed at Million Wine Mountain during the restricted hours. Logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t commit that mistake again in such a short period of time. Yet, he appeared again today¡­ Does he not have a brain, or did you give him the courage?¡± Elder Ouyang glanced at Rong Xiu suspiciously. A faint light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s deep eyes, and his thin lips rose slightly. ¡°Nothing can escape your eyes, Elder Ouyang.¡± ¡°Hmph! It is you!¡± Elder Ouyang flung his sleeves. ¡°Previously, they said that you thought highly of this Chu Yue, and I didn¡¯t really believe it. However, it seems like it¡¯s true!¡± If it were someone else, it was impossible for Rong Xiu to bring them to Million Wine Mountain at this time! Seeing Rong Xiu smiling and not speaking, Elder Ouyang couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice. ¡°Rong Xiu, you can come in and out as you wish, but that kid can¡¯t! Don¡¯t think that Chu Yue will be absolved of all responsibility just because you¡¯re standing up for him!¡± Not to mention that he has knowingly gone against the rules, but he has done so repeatedly! If he isn¡¯t taught a lesson to remember this time, he will be rebellious in the future! Rong Xiu thought to himself, If the punishment is still locking her up at Fengmin Mountain, she will probably be elated. However, he had to give Elder Ouyang face, so he nodded in seeming agreement. ¡°Elder Ouyang, you¡¯re right.¡± Seeing how he was nonchalant and unaffected, Elder Ouyang felt suppressed. He isn¡¯t very old, but his maturity and thoughts are very deep. Even I¡ªat my old age¡ªcan¡¯t guess what exactly Rong Xiu is thinking. That is the case now. Rong Xiu clearly wants to stand on Chu Yue¡¯s side. Not only did he bring Chu Yue over during the restricted hours, but he even let the latter do all of that at the mountain peak! The fountain was right there, but Rong Xiu¡¯s appearance caused people to be unable to rage¡ªjust because he was Rong Xiu. Elder Ouyang glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s not wrong for you to protect Chu Yue, but you have to tell me clearly first. What exactly is that kid doing at the mountaintop?¡± Rong Xiu paused. ¡°She¡¯s holding onto the Yuan instrument that appeared in Ancient Feather Abyss.¡± Elder Ouyang was dazed and immediately understood. ¡°Weapon soul?!¡± That Yuan instrument was extraordinary, so he naturally heard of the incident. However, he was agitated just now and didn¡¯t recall it in time. But with Rong Xiu¡¯s reminder, he instantly understood: Chu Yue was refining the weapon soul for that Yuan instrument! No wonder! Given Chu Yue¡¯s strength, he probably can¡¯t even trigger lightning bolts, so he came over. Shang Yulin is also problematic. He actually tried his best to help Chu Yue?! ¡°He still can¡¯t give up on that thing!¡± Elder Ouyang rolled his eyes. Even if he thought with his toes, he knew that Shang Yulin definitely went for that Yuan instrument. Rumble! Thunder could be heard again! The surroundings of Million Wine Mountain were entirely lit up! As lightning bolts kept striking, the repeated refinement caused the golden pattern on the Chi Xiao Sword to appear gradually. Chu Liuyue held the sword hilt tightly, took a deep breath in, and stared at the sword sheath tightly. Finally, the final pattern lit up! Whoosh! The dragon eyes on the sword hilt suddenly burned with fire! One gold and one blue! It was as if a gigantic dragon¡ªwhich had been hibernating for a long time¡ªfinally woke up! Roar! The dragon seemed to roar, and it reverberated throughout the area! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth tightly and tried to pull at the sword hilt! Shing! The sword body finally left the sheath gradually! Right at this moment, all the lightning bolts in the sky suddenly seemed to land in unison! Shang Yulin¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat. There aren¡¯t enough lightning bolts! He immediately turned around and yelled toward Elder Ouyang, ¡°Ouyang, don¡¯t talk nonsense there! Hurry¡ªcome up and help!¡± Elder Ouyang was dazed for a moment. Is he¡­ yelling at me?! Shang Yulin raised his voice. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Chapter 1248 - Rong Xiu Takes Action! Elder Ouyang¡¯s lips twitched. It¡¯s fine if Shang Yulin wants to help Chu Yue himself, but he still yelled at me to go over? What is going on? But seeing that the situation in the sky was indeed very urgent, Elder Ouyang clenched his fists. ¡°I¡¯ll help you this once, but you will have to return the favor!¡± Then, he finally moved and rushed up to the sky! On the mountain peak, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was already covered by the countless lightning bolts, and one couldn¡¯t see her clearly. The sky was completely dark, and all the lightning bolts had just finished striking. But the Yuan instrument¡¯s weapon soul was clearly not finished and needed more lightning bolts to be triggered. Elder Ouyang floated in mid-air and crossed his arms before him. Then, a shocking aura instantly covered him! Whoosh! He pointed at the sky! Very quickly, a loud sound spread from the overlapping dark clouds in the sky. A silver bolt of lightning appeared once again! With this bolt, other lightning bolts naturally appeared. In no time, the sky was illuminated with countless intersecting lightning bolts. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. At this moment, Shang Yulin finally heaved a sigh of relief. If he were any later, we wouldn¡¯t have made it. The closer we are to the end, the more we can¡¯t relax! He lowered his head to take a look and couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°There are so many lightning bolts. How did this kid manage to survive them¡­¡± Didn¡¯t they say that Chu Yue is only a stage-seven warrior? Even if these lightning bolts are headed for that Yuan instrument, he is standing right beside it and will be affected to some extent. Besides, he is the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s new owner, so he has to direct the force to nourish and refine the weapon soul. The exhaustion of one¡¯s energy and force is extremely terrifying. If it were another cultivator of the same grade, they would¡¯ve already collapsed to the ground. But from start to end, Chu Yue seems very stable. I heard that he beat a stage-eight warrior as a stage-seven warrior¡­ ¡°No wonder Elder Meng Ye takes so much notice of him¡­¡± In the beginning, Shang Yuling didn¡¯t really care about Chu Yue. He just thought that the latter was a kid who made trouble and was a little smart. But now, he finally realized that this Chu Yue was indeed capable! ¡­ The roars of dragons could be heard everywhere. The tremendous suppression caused Chu Liuyue to be unable to breathe. She crazily circulated all the force in her body to pull out the sword bit by bit. From the portion that appeared, one could already tell that it was a silver sword. It was roughly three fingers wide, thick in the middle, and had a very sharp blade. Just from this glance, one could clearly feel the sharp and cold aura coming from it! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat crazily, and she could only hear her blood flowing in her ears. Even though she hadn¡¯t completely unsheathed it, Chu Liuyue could already confirm that this Chi Xiao Sword was much stronger than the Long Yuan Sword by at least a hundred times! This was a strength that couldn¡¯t be compared to! On it, some silver bolts of lightning flashed across. The originally oppressive lightning bolts would have their strength absorbed or extinguished once they landed on the sword body. In front of the Chi Xiao Sword, even the lightning bolts paled in comparison. Chu Liuyue already couldn¡¯t remember how many lightning bolts it had digested, but as time passed, she gradually felt that there was something gathering within the Chi Xiao Sword. And the strange connection between her and it became increasingly stronger. It was so strong that¡­ At this moment, she could faintly feel how much strength was being absorbed as the lightning bolts coursed through the Chi Xiao Sword. The supreme Yuan instrument snatched the strength from countless lightning bolts to refine its weapon soul! It showed how oppressive it was! ¡­ At this point, the few people on Million Wine Mountain had their attention on the Chi Xiao Sword. But not far below Chu Liuyue, a strange change was also taking place in the not too big fountain. The calm waters rippled slightly, and countless lightning bolts gathered under the water, swimming around and intersecting with each other. A red figure was buried within¡ªit was Tuan Zi! The surrounding lightning bolts kept swimming around Tuan Zi as its aura changed slightly! ¡­ The Chi Xiao Sword used up the lightning bolts at an increasingly higher rate. Not long later, Elder Ouyang realized that the number of lightning bolts in the sky kept decreasing. He couldn¡¯t help but turn around to take a look. ¡°Why does it take so much for this thing to refine its weapon soul!?¡± The speed at which he triggered lightning bolts couldn¡¯t catch up with its absorption speed! Shang Yulin also noticed this situation and couldn¡¯t help furrowing his brows tightly. The Chi Xiao Sword was even more formidable than he had predicted, so they needed even more lightning bolts to refine it continuously. But he was already at the end of his wits, and Elder Ouyang wasn¡¯t any better. Perhaps¡­ it wasn¡¯t enough even if the both of them tried their best! At this point, a tall figure silently appeared in mid-air. Rong Xiu glanced at the sky, looking extremely calm. Then, he raised his hand slightly. Rumble! Almost in the blink of an eye, countless lightning bolts appeared in the clouds again! Without any hesitation, these lightning bolts struck downward! At that moment, it seemed like a rain of silver swords! Elder Ouyang and Shang Yulin looked back in shock. ¡°What the heck! Since when did Rong Xiu become so strong?!¡± Shang Yulin couldn¡¯t help but curse. Elder Ouyang swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. ¡°How would I know!?¡± Rong Xiu actually broke through to this cultivation level after so few years?! At this point, Chu Liuyue finally pulled the Chi Xiao Sword out from the sheath completely! Chapter 1249 - Interrogation The moment the longsword was unsheathed, there seemed to be an invisible barrier silently breaking within. An aura¡ªwhich seemed to rush over from a distant time¡ªinstantly rushed out of the Chi Xiao Sword and entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. It was as if a vague line connected her and the Chi Xiao Sword. The Chi Xiao Sword¡ªoriginally as heavy as a rock¡ªsuddenly felt as light as a feather at this moment. Chu Liuyue had suffered some internal injuries previously, which rapidly healed under the nourishment of this tremendous and gentle strength. The aura was familiar and also strange. It was familiar because it was combined with the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s sword soul strength, and it faintly had some of Shangguan Jing¡¯s aura. As for unfamiliarity¡­ It was the original strength of the Chi Xiao Sword! Chu Liuyue held the Chi Xiao Sword, and there seemed to be something overwhelming her heart. The next moment, she whipped out the sword¡ª A terrifying sword aura swept forward! After a temporary silence, the trees in front of her were all collectively cut down! When those trees landed at the same time, Chu Liuyue shockingly realized something and couldn¡¯t help but slightly widen her eyes. This¡­ I only wanted to give it a try unconsciously and just waved it around randomly, but why was such a terrifying suppression generated?! At first glance, the trees in front of her were all silently chopped! / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. However, this wasn¡¯t the end. That was because some trees couldn¡¯t hold up against this sword aura. Hence, after the lush greenery was chopped down, its speed didn¡¯t decrease at all as it went for Million Wine Mountain¡¯s barrier! ¡°Quickly stop it!¡± Elder Ouyang was taken aback and hurriedly yelled. Shang Yulin was about to take action when a figure flashed across his eyes¡ªit was Rong Xiu! He raised his wrist, and a ray of golden light rapidly flew out! Rumble! This force was extremely quick, and it chased after the sword aura. Finally, it managed to stop the sword aura right before it reached the barrier. The two forces harshly slammed against each other and let out a bang! The barrier was affected by the aftershock impacts and intensely vibrated. Elder Ouyang watched on fearfully and hurriedly rushed over. He frequently came to Million Wine Mountain, so he was very familiar with this and hurriedly strengthened the barrier. After confirming that the barrier had no more risks of being damaged, he heaved a long sigh of relief. If this barrier broke, everything that happened on Million Wine Mountain would be rapidly known by everyone! It would be bad if this incident was blown up! Thinking of this, his blood boiled as he raised his brows. He glared at Chu Liuyue and clenched his molar teeth. ¡°Chu Yue, you better give me a good explanation!¡± Chu Liuyue touched her nose and went to put away the Chi Xiao Sword carefully. A thought then popped up in her head, and the Chi Xiao Sword directly went to her dantian. In this manner, she could still clearly feel everything that was happening to the Chi Xiao Sword. This made her certain that the current Chi Xiao Sword had finished refining its weapon soul and that it had completely recognized her as its owner! Her uneasy heart finally settled down. Now that the most important thing is settled, I have to handle the troubles that come after¡­ She looked at Elder Ouyang with a helpless expression and clean eyes. ¡°Elder Ouyang, I know I¡¯m wrong.¡± No matter what, it is good to admit my mistakes first. But Elder Ouyang was already experienced, so he wouldn¡¯t fall for her trick. He stood with one hand behind his back and snorted. ¡°You know you¡¯re wrong? I don¡¯t see it at all! Chu Yue, it¡¯s not your first time going against the rules and barging into Million Wine Mountain, right?! I remember that it has only been a little more than a month since you were last locked up at Fengmin Mountain for ten days? Not to mention that you were locked up again for a month in between because of some other mistakes!¡± ¡°What, do you feel uncomfortable if you don¡¯t cause trouble for a day?¡± Elder Ouyang was enraged. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember your lessons, do you?!¡± Chu Liuyue waited until he finished scolding her before she softly defended herself. ¡°Elder Ouyang, I really didn¡¯t have such intentions. You also saw the previous situation¡­ The Yuan instrument needed to refine its weapon soul, so I could only come here. After I came here, it was uncontrollable, which caused the later incidents¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± Elder Ouyang interrupted Chu Liuyue¡¯s words in frustration and felt his head ache. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what standards you have now? You actually wanted to use your own strength to refine that Yuan instrument¡¯s weapon soul¡­ Do you think you have been having too much of a great time recently, or are you really not afraid of death?!¡± If something really happened, nobody could help him! Chu Liuyue sighed in relief. Even though Elder Ouyang is harsh with his words, he is still caring for my well-being. Besides, if he really didn¡¯t like me, he wouldn¡¯t have helped me without reservations previously. At the end of the day, his bark is worse than his bite. Chu Liuyue smiled at Elder Ouyang.¡±Am I not doing fine? Although I¡¯m young and inexperienced, I know that life is precious, Elder. I would never dare to joke with it.¡± If she had no confidence at all, she would never agree even if someone urged her to come over. Elder Ouyang was stumped. This is true. After all, anyone that obtains such a treasure wouldn¡¯t want to seek death. However, this was still too dangerous! ¡°What, do you think that you¡¯ll be safe with Rong Xiu around?¡± Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a moment and seriously nodded. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Ouyang was even more at a loss for words. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up in a perfect angle, and he lightly laughed and said, ¡°Elder Ouyang, since I brought him over, I¡¯ll definitely bring him back in one piece.¡± ¡°You! You guys!¡± Elder Ouyang flung his sleeves. I can¡¯t continue with this interrogation! Chapter 1250 - Hide from the Whole World! As he couldn¡¯t continue questioning the two of them, Elder Ouyang swiftly changed his target. ¡°Shang Yulin, what were you doing?!¡± Rong Xiu brought Chu Yue to fool around, but what identity does he have to play along with them?! However, Shang Yulin really wasn¡¯t afraid of Elder Ouyang. Hearing this, he crossed his arms and lazily answered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it all just now? I was helping him! Don¡¯t you see what he¡¯s holding?¡± He had thought about the Chi Xiao Sword for many years but didn¡¯t even get to see it once. Now that he finally had the chance, it had already recognized Chu Yue as its owner. He was naturally unhappy and indignant, but what else could he do? This kind of Yuan instrument wouldn¡¯t easily recognize someone as its owner. Even if he had thought about it for many years, he didn¡¯t dare to harbor such hopes. From start to end, he only wanted to wait for the Chi Xiao Sword to come into the world. Then, he could have a chance to study it in close proximity after it was brought back to the academy. After a twist of events, it had now become Chu Yue¡¯s. Other than the word ¡®fate,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t describe it in any other way. If Chu Yue wanted to refine its weapon soul, how could he just watch on without caring? After all, he had thought about the Chi Xiao Sword for so many years yet still missed it. Even if it wasn¡¯t for Chu Yue, he had to take action for this Chi Xiao Sword! ¡­ Elder Ouyang felt that his entire person was unwell. He closed his eyes and held his forehead as it ached. These people are all troublemakers! But they clearly have sharp tongues, causing it to be hard for me to argue with them. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.C0M. ¡°Ouyang, there¡¯s not much meaning in you asking this now!¡± Shang Yulin stroked his chin. ¡°Didn¡¯t you also participate just now?¡± If Shang Yulin didn¡¯t urge me, would I have done such a thing?! It¡¯s also my fault for being foolish¡ªI actually helped! Elder Ouyang was speechless. ¡°Hmph, do you mean that we¡¯re all on the same boat now?¡± Shang Yulin glanced at him strangely, and his entire face had an expression of ¡®obviously.¡¯ Elder Ouyang¡¯s brows twitched harshly. He felt that he was wrong to even think about conversing with them. Shang Yulin¡ªhe was frequently not in the academy and always went into seclusion once he came back. He was always very carefree and did whatever he wanted. Rong Xiu¡ªone of the most outstanding talents in the academy, and he had a high status. He even held more power than some elders did. Chu Yue¡ªthere was nothing much to say about him except that he was a stupid kid with an extreme amount of courage! He even committed mistakes repeatedly! Elder Ouyang took a deep breath in and tried his best to calm himself down. ¡°Shang Yulin, Bo Yan will know about what has happened tonight sooner or later.¡± Shang Yulin nodded. ¡°Of course, he¡¯ll know.¡± A portion of Bo Yan¡¯s force was within the barrier and the Xuan formation below Million Wine Mountain. ¡°However, this is nothing much. He already knows that Chu Yue has the Chi Xiao Sword. Refining the weapon soul¡­ How can it be considered a mistake? If that item was with me, I¡¯d do it too,¡± Shang Yulin said nonchalantly and looked regretful. ¡°It¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t have the luck.¡± Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue again. ¡°Since I have helped you today, what do you think of lending me the Chi Xiao Sword for a day some other time?¡± Chu Liuyue already faintly knew that he had cared about the Chi Xiao Sword for many years and swiftly nodded. ¡°Elder, I¡¯ll do all that I can to repay your favor. You can just let me know whenever you need it.¡± Since the Chi Xiao Sword has already become mine completely, other people can¡¯t forcefully snatch it from me. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about. Seeing that Chu Yue was so decisive, Shang Yulin instantly had a better impression of him. ¡°Hahaha! Okay! With your sentence, I didn¡¯t help you in vain today!¡± As he spoke, he was agitated and even wanted to reach out to pat Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Rong Xiu silently took a step forward and stood in between the two of them, preventing Shang Yulin¡¯s fan-sized hand from landing. ¡°Elder Ouyang, I actually brought Junior Brother Chu Yue over today. Everything happened because of me, and I¡¯m willing to take full responsibility.¡± ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡ª¡± Elder Ouyang had long guessed that Rong Xiu would stand up for Chu Yue, but he still couldn¡¯t help feeling shocked when he heard Rong Xiu say this. I really don¡¯t understand why Rong Xiu is so protective of Chu Yue, but I have to admit that with Rong Xiu standing up for him, this incident won¡¯t be too severe. He glanced at Rong Xiu deeply and shook his head to sigh. ¡°He hasn¡¯t come to this place in a few years. I never expected you to come here this time because¡ª¡± He had only said his sentence halfway when he stopped and looked hesitant with his words. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was normal as he smiled faintly. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you for today.¡± Elder Ouyang completely lost his temper. He then surveyed his surroundings and knitted his brows. The mountain peak was filled with debris. Countless trees had tipped over, and many rocks had fallen down as they were hit by the countless lightning bolts. A large patch of black had also appeared with deep cracks. Anyone who saw it could guess what had happened here. ¡°It seems like we have to close Million Wine Mountain for a while.¡± Judging by its current appearance, quite a bit of effort had to be used to refurbish the area. The dark clouds in the sky gradually dissipated. It was already dawn, and the white horizon could be seen in the sky. It seemed like daybreak was about to arrive. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go find Bo Yan!¡± Elder Ouyang sighed deeply and left first. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at the fountain¡ªTuan Zi was still inside. She opened her mouth and wanted to shout, but a thought suddenly flashed across her mind. ¡°Kid, what are you looking at? Follow me!¡± Elder Ouyang urged her from the front. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡°Coming.¡± Her figure flashed and left together with him, not turning back again. A ripple occurred in the fountain and quickly disappeared. Chapter 1251 - You Went Again Dong Huang Clock Tower. The air seemed to be frozen in the solemn hall. Elder Bo Yan sat at the front with not much of an expression on his face. Only his slightly clenched fists reflected that his current mood wasn¡¯t as calm as it seemed on the surface. In front of him were the four people who had just come out of Million Wine Mountain. ¡°¡­That¡¯s basically what happened.¡± Elder Ouyang narrated the entire story once, and he almost spoke until his mouth was dry. Then, the hall fell into silence again. After a while, Elder Bo Yan said gradually, ¡°So you guys rushed over early in the morning because¡­ the few of you destroyed half of Million Wine Mountain?¡± Shang Yulin couldn¡¯t help but remind, ¡°It¡¯s mainly to help Chu Yue refine the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s weapon soul¡­ The weapon soul¡ªahem, ruined some trees and rocks, and¡­¡± That fountain is still fine! He didn¡¯t finish his last sentence, and his tone became much lighter when he said the first few words under Elder Bo Yan¡¯s solidifying stare. Everyone who understood Elder Bo Yan knew that he rarely got angry. But once he was furious, it would be very hard to handle! / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.COM Even Shang Yulin and Elder Ouyang¡ªwho had worked with him for so many years¡ªfelt a faint sense of coldness. ¡°Chu Yue, this means that this incident still started because of you?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders dropped, and she hung his head slightly. ¡°I was impulsive and made a huge mistake. Elder Bo Yan, please punish me.¡± ¡°Of course, you should be punished.¡± Elder Bo Yan really didn¡¯t know what to say. This Chu Yue¡ªjust as I thought he would be more obedient and stop his troublemaking ways, he caused new trouble again! And it is even more serious than the previous time! This time, he has even implicated Shang Yulin and Ouyang! Oh yes, and a Rong Xiu! ¡°Elder Bo Yan, if I didn¡¯t take the initiative to propose the idea, Junior Brother Chu Yue wouldn¡¯t have gone to Million Wine Mountain today.¡± Rong Xiu spoke calmly and also very sincerely. ¡°Previously, I promised you that I would guide Junior Brother Chu Yue properly, so the person who should be punished is me.¡± Elder Bo Yan was so furious that he laughed. ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t punish you?! You can¡¯t be absolved of responsibility in this incident! Rong Xiu, you¡¯re very capable, but you should see if it will work and if you can handle the responsibility!¡± ¡°None of you can escape from this!¡± His gaze swept across the few of them. What kind of place is Million Wine Mountain? It¡¯s fine if Chu Yue didn¡¯t know, but the remaining three know very clearly. Under such a situation, they still dared to do such a thing. They are literally defying the heavens! The four of them fell silent¡ªeven Shang Yulin had lost his temper and stood obediently. Elder Bo Yan closed his eyes. ¡°Is there anyone else who knows about this?¡± Elder Ouyang replied, ¡°Other than the people inside this hall, nobody else knows.¡± This also meant that only Elder Bo Yan had received news of this so far. This made Elder Bo Yan relax a little. If this matter was blown up, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to resolve it. He fell into deep thought and started considering how to punish the few of them. Time seemed to pass especially slowly. Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t speak, and the four of them maintained their silence. Finally, after some time, Elder Bo Yan looked up at Chu Liuyue first. ¡°Chu Yue.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Was the weapon soul refinement successful?¡± ¡°Elder, it¡¯s done.¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded. Even though this incident is ridiculous, it can¡¯t be considered unfruitful. The Yuan instrument has already become Chu Yue¡¯s, and nobody can steal or take it away. It can be considered a good thing that he could refine the weapon soul and merge it completely. Even though everyone didn¡¯t say much about the Yuan instrument recognizing Chu Yue as its owner, in actual fact, a large portion of the elders in the know was very unhappy. The academy had made preparations a long time ago and had put in a lot of effort to snatch the item back again. But in the end, it was taken by a new student who had just come to the academy two months ago. They naturally wouldn¡¯t be elated. But as this incident had already happened and they couldn¡¯t change it, they could only accept it as it was. Chu Yue could only use his abilities to prove himself and convince those people. Actually, Elder Bo Yan thought highly of Chu Yue, which was also why he gave the latter chances repeatedly. Even though Chu Yue had gone against the rules several times, he still largely stood on Chu Yue¡¯s side. Chu Yue has gone overboard in this incident, but I really can¡¯t do much to him. After much thinking, the refined weapon soul is the only good news. While Elder Bo Yan comforted himself, he waved his hand toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Alright, you can go back first. Later on, I¡¯ll discuss with your mentor and see how we can punish you.¡± An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. She instantly guessed that Elder Bo Yan probably had some things he wanted to discuss with the other three, so she sensibly left first. ¡°Yes.¡± She bowed and quickly left the hall. Her movements were clean and succinct, without any form of hesitation. When her figure had completely disappeared outside the door, Elder Bo Yan looked at the remaining three people. He finally knitted his brows gradually, and his voice became increasingly stern. ¡°Did this commotion affect that fountain?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Elder Ouyang immediately. ¡°At that time, all of us were above the mountain peak, and we were a distance away from the fountain.¡± In actual fact, all those lightning bolts were absorbed by the Chi Xiao Sword. Only the after-effects had caused some damage to the surroundings, but everything else was safe. Of course, this wasn¡¯t considering Chu Yue¡¯s last unintentional slash. ¡°Okay then. However, I¡¯ll still have to go over and check personally later,¡± said Elder Bo Yan. The three of them had no objections to this. The fountain was very important, and it was normal for Elder Bo Yan to treat it so seriously and carefully. ¡°We must seal this news and not let anyone else find out about it.¡± With an additional person knowing about this, there would be additional trouble. ¡°Even though it¡¯s understandable that you helped today, you still have to be punished.¡± Elder Bo Yan glanced at the three of them. ¡°Go back and think about what you should do about this!¡± ¡­ The sky gradually got brighter. When Chu Liuyue walked out of Dong Huang Clock Tower, it was already morning. However, there weren¡¯t many people at Qing Ming Square at this time, so nobody saw her walk out. Chu Liuyue turned around and glanced at the tightly shut door. Then, she pressed her lips against each other, turned around, and went toward Jiuheng Peak. ¡­ When she returned to Jiuheng Peak¡­ The moment Chu Liuyue landed on the ground, she felt that something was amiss. She paused and still went forward. Following that, she opened the door and saw a familiar face. Dugu Mobao was sitting cross-legged. When he heard the noise, he looked up. ¡°Big Baby¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue called him. When she met those purple demonic-like eyes, she felt guilty for some reason. Dugu Mobao looked at her quietly in that manner. ¡°You went to Million Wine Mountain during the restricted hours again?¡± Chapter 1252 - Secret Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. I knew I couldn¡¯t hide anything from him. Dugu Mobao seemed to have countless pairs of eyes in the academy. No matter what happened, he could rapidly know about it. Chu Liuyue long felt that this incident was too weird and strange, but she could never get an answer. It was like now. There were only the four of them at Million Wine Mountain the night before. With the barrier protecting and covering them, the people outside the mountain knew nothing of it. Logically speaking, other than the four of them, only Elder Bo Yan knew about this. And they were the ones who willingly told Elder Bo Yan. Dugu Mobao actually guessed it so accurately¡­ It really isn¡¯t normal. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue chose to be honest. She didn¡¯t feel that she had the ability to lie to Dugu Mobao. Dugu Mobao knitted his brows slightly, and his gaze became dangerous. ¡°Did you forget what I told you before?¡± Of course, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t. Back then, because Dugu Mobao stated that she wasn¡¯t allowed to go to Million Wine Mountain at that time, she had obediently resisted until now. Even when Tuan Zi always looked at the fountain reluctantly, she didn¡¯t stay there any longer. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.COM ¡°Today¡¯s situation was rather special¡­¡± explained Chu Liuyue rather helplessly. ¡°I went to refine the weapon soul.¡± Dugu Mobao coldly snorted and turned away, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t go to Million Wine Mountain, there are other ways to do so. There are many mountains at the Armory Refinement area, and there are quite a few masters. If you go find them, it will be the same outcome. Why must you do this?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Big Baby¡­ do you think I can do it?¡± Since the first day she entered the academy, she had already heard many rumors regarding the Armory Refinement Masters¡ªarrogant, cold, prefered to be alone, and never came out once in a million years¡­ She didn¡¯t even have the time to respect and admire them, so how could she think of such a solution? Although she was bold and sometimes arrogant and ill-disciplined, it didn¡¯t mean that she did not know her limits. Dugu Mobao was stumped. ¡°Of course¡ª¡± His voice suddenly trailed off, and a complicated expression quickly flashed across his eyes. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see the momentary change, but she felt that his tone wasn¡¯t right. Thus, she asked curiously, ¡°Of course what?¡± Dugu Mobao closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were clear. ¡°Nothing. I was negligent.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. She still felt Dugu Mobao¡¯s reply was weird, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint which part. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t do it, Rong Xiu can. Yet, he brought you to Million Wine Mountain directly¡­ Hmph!¡± Dugu Mobao coldly snorted. Does Rong Xiu think that it isn¡¯t chaotic enough!? Chu Liuyue looked down slightly and didn¡¯t continue. I hadn¡¯t thought about it before, but¡­ Rong Xiu is at the top of the Qing Yun Rank Armory Refinement list! How did I forget about this? Judging by the various academy elders¡¯ attitude toward Rong Xiu¡­ If he stepped forward personally, they might be willing to help me. But like Dugu Mobao said, he didn¡¯t do so. However, this is also understandable. After all, it is hardest to owe people favors. Comparatively, inviting a few Armory Refinement Masters to help me is much more troublesome than directly going to Million Wine Mountain. Even though choosing the latter option would bring about quite a severe punishment, Rong Xiu definitely had his own reasons for not doing so. Chu Liuyue thought for a while before walking over and smiling in a flattering manner. ¡°Big Baby, don¡¯t be angry. This incident has passed, right? Not only did I come back in one piece, but I even successfully refined the weapon soul. Even if I suffer a little punishment, I gained a lot more!¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t say a word. How am I supposed to explain that I wasn¡¯t only worried about that? After pausing for a moment, Dugu Mobao finally shook his head. ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, I definitely won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved up. ¡°Okay!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s gaze swept across her face. He opened his mouth and finally said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already refined that weapon soul, you must study it carefully and cultivate properly. There are only so few supreme Yuan instruments in the world. It¡¯s your honor to be able to get one of them, so you must cultivate properly.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded forcefully. After spending so much effort and time, won¡¯t it be a huge waste if I can¡¯t use it fully? Dugu Mobao nodded, stood up, and planned to leave. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but question, ¡°Big Baby, you¡¯re leaving now? Are you not going to stay for a while longer?¡± Dugu Mobao stopped in his tracks. ¡°I¡¯ll come back around evening time.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Ever since we came to Ling Xiao Academy, I have never interacted with Dugu Mobao for a long time during the day. My daily training is all done in the evening to nighttime. It¡¯s as if¡­ he has other things to do at other times. However, what does he need to do daily in Ling Xiao Academy? Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Big Baby, when you¡¯re not with me, where¡­ are you? If I want to look for you, I don¡¯t even know where to go.¡± Dugu Mobao looked back and glanced at her expressionlessly. He lightly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to find me. If you meet with trouble in the academy, I¡¯ll rush over on my own.¡± Then, he turned around to leave. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows even more tightly. What secrets does Big Baby have? Chapter 1253 - Defend Him Chu Liuyue stayed in her own residence anxiously for a while. In the afternoon, news spread across the academy that Million Wine Mountain would be closed for maintenance for a month. The students were all very shocked about this. After all, although Million Wine Mountain had restricted opening hours, it was never closed for such a long period of time before. Everyone partook in heated discussions regarding this and had all sorts of guesses. In actual fact, many elders also didn¡¯t know anything about this. It was still fine the day before, yet the mountain had to be closed for no rhyme or reason today for an extended period of time. It was indeed strange. However, many elders also knew that Million Wine Mountain wasn¡¯t an ordinary place, so they didn¡¯t ask further. Although the students felt regretful that they lost a recreational place, they naturally still accepted it as it was only a month. Of course, there wasn¡¯t much meaning even if they objected to it. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to take a walk outside and go to Million Wine Mountain to find Tuan Zi. After some thinking, she still gave up. Now, she could only hope that Tuan Zi could safely spend a month at Million Wine Mountain. After temporarily setting this matter aside, Chu Liuyue started waiting for Rong Xiu to come back and waited for her upcoming punishment at the same time. She wouldn¡¯t naively think that she could escape this ordeal. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.COM From Elder Bo Yan¡¯s reaction, he was the angriest this time, and he wouldn¡¯t let this slide easily. One had to know that when she took the Chi Xiao Sword the previous time, he didn¡¯t reveal an expression like today. This showed the importance of Million Wine Mountain! This made Chu Liuyue even more certain that the fountain at the top of Million Wine Mountain definitely hid a giant secret regarding the academy. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t figure out what the academy would do to her. Even though Elder Wan Zheng and Rong Xiu would help her, she instinctively felt that the ending wouldn¡¯t be good. This wait lasted until evening. However, the person who came back wasn¡¯t Rong Xiu and was instead Elder Wen Xi. ¡°Chu Yue.¡± Elder Wen Xi stood outside the barrier and placed his green jade plaque on it as he called Chu Liuyue¡¯s pseudonym. Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had been quietly waiting in the room the entire while¡ªheard this and immediately walked outside. She saw Elder Wen Xi outside the barrier at first glance. At this point, he was standing with one hand behind his back as he gazed at her complicatedly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she unwittingly slowed down her steps. ¡°Elder Wen Xi, why are you here?¡± Elder Wen Xi didn¡¯t speak and just stared at her as if he were investigating something, like he was confused and conflicted. After some time, he then said, ¡°Come out first, and we¡¯ll talk then.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she walked out of the barrier and obediently stood in front of Elder Wen Xi. ¡°Did you get into trouble again?¡± Elder Wen Xi tried his best to make his voice sound calm, but in actual fact, anyone could hear his suppressed emotions. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just come out from Fengmin Mountain? Huh¡ªwhy did you get into trouble again!?¡± Elder Wen Xi held his forehead and didn¡¯t know what to say. I haven¡¯t seen such an expression on Bo Yan in a long time! The more shocking thing is that it even seems to implicate Rong Xiu, Shang Yulin, and Ouyang! ¡°You¡¯re really becoming increasingly capable! What exactly did you do to get Bo Yan so angry?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood that Elder Wen Xi didn¡¯t know about the incident. Even though Elder Bo Yan is furious, he has still chosen to suppress the matter. On the one hand, perhaps it has larger implications. On the other hand, it is to protect the secret of Million Wine Mountain. But Chu Liuyue had no way of knowing all of this. She pressed her lips against each other and carefully asked, ¡°Elder Wen Xi, what¡¯s happening to Rong Xiu and the rest?¡± ¡°You still have the mood to ask about them? You can¡¯t even protect yourself!¡± Elder Wen Xi finally couldn¡¯t help but slap the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. But considering that the child was still young and that he looked rather pitiful, he didn¡¯t use much force. Chu Liuyue hissed, held her head, and looked at him pitifully. Elder Wen Xi¡¯s heart went soft, and he instantly shuddered. Pfft! What¡¯s so pitiful!? This kid knows who is soft-hearted, so he purposely looked at me in that manner¡ªdefinitely! If he really didn¡¯t do anything, why would Bo Yan react in that manner? It¡¯s a pity that Bo Yan seems bent on sealing the news and only told me to bring Chu Yue over without mentioning why. He could only guess in his heart. But after much thinking, he couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly this kid had done to implicate such formidable characters. Elder Wen Xi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and he alertly sized Chu Liuyue up. This kid¡­ Will he also betray me one day? ¡°They have their own punishments; you don¡¯t have to care about them. Wan Zheng is now in Dong Huang Clock Tower with Bo Yan, discussing how to punish you. Wan Zheng wants you to be there no matter what, so I was told to bring you over.¡± Chu Liuyue felt a slight warmth in her heart. Elder Wan Zheng should know about this already, but he is probably thinking about me as he insisted on this request. She nodded. ¡°Thank you, Elder Wen Xi.¡± Elder Wen Xi grunted. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± As the elder that recruited Chu Yue¡­ Although Elder Wen Xi wasn¡¯t the latter¡¯s mentor, he had to take some form of responsibility. In the beginning, he just felt excited that he had recruited such a rare talent. But now, he vaguely felt that he was tricked. The longer Chu Yue stayed at the academy, the more obvious this feeling became! When Elder Wen Xi thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Why do I meet all of the troublemakers? ¡­ When they reached Dong Huang Clock Tower and entered the hall, Chu Liuyue clearly felt that the atmosphere was different from before. ¡°I¡¯ve brought him over,¡± said Elder Wen Xi. Chu Liuyue quickly glanced at him. In the large hall, Elder Wan Zheng and Elder Bo Yan sat there. Other than that, Rong Xiu and the rest were gone. She retracted her vision and respectfully bowed. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Greetings, Elder Bo Yan, Mentor.¡± Elder Bo Yan glanced at Elder Wen Xi. Elder Wen Xi understood what he meant. ¡°You guys can continue talking. I have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After saying that, he turned around to leave. When his figure completely disappeared outside the door, Chu Liuyue instantly felt that the atmosphere within the room became nerve-racking! Even the air started freezing inch by inch. The two strong gazes landed on her like sharp knives scraping past her! ¡°Chu Yue, Bo Yan said that you caused trouble at Million Wine Mountain again. Is that true?¡± asked Elder Wan Zheng with a low voice. Chu Liuyue honestly nodded. ¡°I¡¯m in the wrong.¡± Elder Wan Zheng took a deep breath in. Elder Bo Yan snorted. ¡°Wan Zheng, he admitted it himself. Do you still want to defend him?¡± Chapter 1254 - Fiend Park Elder Wan Zheng coughed, and his aura weakened. ¡°Ahem, I actually don¡¯t want to defend him either¡­ That Yuan instrument needed its weapon soul refined, right? Strictly speaking, he didn¡¯t intend to go against the rules. He was just¡­ for¡ª¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t finish his last words. Elder Bo Yan sneered. ¡°But this isn¡¯t his first time. If he doesn¡¯t correct himself, in the future¡ª¡± Although Wan Zheng felt that he was logical in his heart, the person in front was still his disciple after all. If Chu Yue really was punished harshly, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it. Not to mention that this child did it to refine the weapon soul for that Yuan instrument. Now, he truly possesses a supreme Yuan instrument! He felt happy in his heart, but he couldn¡¯t show it to Elder Bo Yan. ¡°Of course! Of course, he must be punished!¡± Elder Wan Zheng supported it. ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t harm the child¡¯s foundation¡­¡± He is really a rare talent. If he is harmed, we will be the ones feeling the pity and heartache! Elder Bo Yan had already expected Elder Wang Zheng would say such a thing. Ever since he called the latter over, the two of them had been arguing about this for a long time. How could he not know what Elder Wan Zheng was thinking? Elder Bo Yan helplessly shook his head. ¡°Wan Zheng, if you continue to spoil him, he¡¯ll get into serious trouble sooner or later!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL.COM Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It¡¯s not like there wasn¡¯t another kid who could cause more trouble than him. Back then, that girl¡ª¡± ¡°Wan Zheng!¡± Elder Bo Yan furrowed his brows tightly and immediately yelled for him to stop. Elder Wan Zheng then realized that he had misspoken and fell silent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. That girl¡­ Who? Almost without hesitation, Chu Liuyue felt that they should be talking about her. She looked down slightly, and emotions flashed across her eyes. In actual fact, she had already recalled some incidents here and there during this period. The previous me was a genius in Ling Xiao Academy, and I did many things that made life difficult for others. Continuous opening of the academy¡¯s barrier, using precious herbs from Medicinal Valley¡­ All of them are hard to calculate. If not, the elders won¡¯t have lingering fears when they talk about me, even after I had left the academy for so long. But¡­ Even now, I don¡¯t understand how exactly I did those things. I don¡¯t even know when I broke through to the Apotheosis Realm. The room fell silent. Elder Bo Yan recovered his emotions and gazed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue, your mentor dotes on you and can¡¯t bear for you to be punished, but this incident is very serious. If we don¡¯t punish you severely, it won¡¯t be inappropriate. What do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up, and her gaze was clear and genuine. ¡°I know that I¡¯m in the wrong. I¡¯m willing to bear all the responsibility.¡± Elder Wan Zheng was hesitant in his words, but seeing that his disciple had such an insistent attitude, he could only swallow those words. Elder Bo Yan¡¯s gaze became gentler. Chu Yue has this attitude, which shows that he can still be taught. But after the previous two incidents, he didn¡¯t dare to completely believe that Chu Yue would turn over a new leaf. ¡°Originally, your mentor and I wanted to lock you up at Fengmin Mountain for a period of time.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered a little. ¡°But we did that the previous two times, yet it didn¡¯t serve as a warning to you.¡± Elder Bo Yan could also tell that Chu Yue had no fear of this incident. If it were someone else, they would become very obedient after going there once. However, Chu Yue was completely different. Hence, he felt that this method had no use on Chu Yue anymore. ¡°So this time, we¡¯ll change the punishment.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart instantly felt empty. I thought I could go there again¡­ What a pity¡­ She paused and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Elder Bo Yan, I made a very serious mistake this time, and I¡¯m willing to accept any punishment! Y-you can lock me up at Fengmin Mountain again¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan glanced at her strangely. ¡°Why? Do you really want to go again?¡± Chu Liuyue sensibly stopped the topic. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I just¡­ I mean that I¡¯ll be willing to accept any punishment you give me.¡± Elder Bo Yan then nodded in slight satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s good that you have this realization. As for your punishment¡­ From today onward, you¡¯ll be responsible for guarding Fiend Park for a month.¡± ¡°Fiend Park?¡± ¡°A month?!¡± Chu Liuyue and Elder Wan Zheng spoke in unison. The difference was that Chu Liuyue just didn¡¯t understand what Fiend Park was, while Elder Wan Zheng was stunned that Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s punishment was so long that it lasted a month! ¡°Bo Yan! Y-you¡­ I don¡¯t agree!¡± Elder Wan Zheng swallowed the vulgarities that were about to slip out of his mouth with much difficulty, and he slammed the table angrily. ¡°What kind of place is Fiend Park? Aren¡¯t you trying to send him to his death by asking him to go there for a month?! No! You must reduce the time!¡± However, Elder Bo Yan had a calm gaze and leisurely said, ¡°If it were someone else, it would naturally be dangerous. But don¡¯t forget that Chu Yue has a legendary fiend. Since he has the ability to make an agreement with a red-tailed phoenix, will he be unable to guard Fiend Park for a month?¡± Elder Wan Zheng was stumped. ¡°T-that¡¯s different! The ones at Fiend Park are free to roam around, and they haven¡¯t been trained. They¡¯re violent! Even if an elder went, they might get hurt, let alone Chu Yue!¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Elder Bo Yan shook his head and had an insistent attitude. ¡°Chu Yue has caused trouble repeatedly, but his life is tenacious. The previous time, he managed to escape unscathed even though so many legendary warriors surrounded him and attacked him. When he refined the weapon soul this time, countless lightning bolts struck, but he¡¯s in one piece. If you say that his life is tenacious, I would even think that it¡¯s an understatement!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Elder Wan Zheng was at a loss for words. He had no choice because everything Elder Bo Yan said was the truth! In actual fact, I¡¯ve always thought about it in my heart. Chu Yue always causes trouble, but his troubles aren¡¯t something an average person can cause. It requires some form of capability as well. Knowing that there was no room for bargaining, Elder Wan Zheng hesitated for a long time and could only agree. ¡°You can ask him to go, but I¡¯ll immediately bring him out if there¡¯s any danger!¡± As he spoke, he looked at his disciple and reminded her, ¡°Chu Yue, if anything wrong happens, you must immediately use your black jade plaque and send a call for help. I¡¯ll definitely rush over instantly! You mustn¡¯t act strong under any circumstances! Do you understand?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. ¡°Thank you, Mentor.¡± Elder Wan Zheng looked at the young man in front of him. Probably because the latter had experienced a huge ordeal the day before and didn¡¯t rest properly today, he looked frail, and his lips were pale. But when he smiled, he had clean eyes and a warm smile. It unwittingly caused one to want to smile with him. This kid¡­ He can only smile this naively now. When he knows what kind of place Fiend Park is, he will¡­ Elder Bo Yan stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll send you over personally.¡± Chapter 1255 - Capability! Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. When I was previously locked up at Fengmin Mountain, Elder Wen Xi sent her there the first time. The second time, it was Rong Xiu. But this time, Elder Bo Yan actually plans to send me over himself. What kind of place is it that made him so cautious? Of course, it might be because Elder Bo Yan wants to seal the news and can¡¯t appoint someone else to send me there. Thus, he can only do it on his own. But judging from Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s strong reaction, Fiend Park¡­ shouldn¡¯t be a place that is nice to stay. At the very least, Elder Wan Zheng never worried about my safety when I was locked up at Fengmin Mountain previously. But this time¡­ Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts and followed the two of them. ¡­ The three of them walked out of Dong Huang Clock Tower and went straight toward Fiend Park. After walking for a while, Chu Liuyue realized that they were heading to the Xuan Master area. As if seeing her confusion, Elder Wan Zheng inched closer to her and explained, ¡°Fiend Park is indeed in the Xuan Master region, but it doesn¡¯t only belong to them. The warrior and Xuan Master elders will take turns to patrol around here.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Seeing her calm expression, Elder Wan Zheng felt that the kid didn¡¯t know what she was about to face later, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Chu Liuyue could see through his worries. She thought for a while and asked, ¡°Mentor, is Fiend Park¡­ very dangerous?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Elder Wan Zheng paused. ¡°Forget it. You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡± Chu Liuyue could only suppress her curiosity. After going past many mountains, Chu Liuyue still saw quite a few high-grade Xuan formations along the way. About an hour later, Elder Bo Yan finally stopped. ¡°We¡¯re here! The place in front is Fiend Park!¡± Chu Liuyue took a few steps forward, followed Elder Bo Yan¡¯s line of sight, and looked down. The tens of mountain peaks were of various heights. There was lush greenery, and white mist floated in mid-air. At first glance, it was like a picturesque forest that wasn¡¯t much different from the other places in the academy. However, Chu Liuyue knew that it wasn¡¯t this simple. This was because the sky above this mountainous region had a gigantic silver Xuan formation covering it. It floated quietly in mid-air and completely covered the large forest in a semicircular shape. Through the gaps where rays of lights intersected, one could still see the view below clearly. However, everyone who stood here could feel the shocking suppression coming from that Xuan formation! One couldn¡¯t be reckless! Chu Liuyue held her breath. This Xuan formation is definitely one of the top few Xuan formations I have seen in my entire life! It is on par with the academy¡¯s barrier! One had to know that many strong warriors were required to build such a Xuan formation. Much manpower and resources had to be invested into the making of it! To be able to generously build such a Xuan formation within the academy was enough to prove how precious the region below this Xuan formation was. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept across the Xuan formation in detail, and she could vaguely feel some strong yet hidden auras. Those should be the elders in charge of patrolling the area. The next moment, Elder Bo Yan flew down. Elder Wan Zheng patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and rushed forward without hesitation. The three of them stood a few hundred meters in front of the silver Xuan formation. From here, Chu Liuyue could feel the strong suppression from the Xuan formation even more clearly. I really don¡¯t know what the situation inside is¡­ Chu Liuyue thought to herself secretly. Suddenly, an aura rapidly came close! A middle-aged man stepped out from behind the Xuan formation. ¡°Bo Yan, Wan Zheng, why are you here?¡± That man wore a white robe and had a skinny figure. His gaze was sharp. When his gaze swept across one¡¯s body, it caused one to dare not move. ¡°Who is this? Why did you bring a kid over?¡± Elder Bo Yan explained, ¡°This is Chu Yue.¡± Once he said this, Chu Liuyue saw that the other party had a look of realization. It seemed like he had also long heard of her ¡®famous name¡­¡¯ Elder Bo Yan raised his chin. ¡°This is Elder Shu Yu.¡± Chu Liuyue felt very embarrassed for some reason, but she still greeted him respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Greetings, Elder Shu Yu.¡± ¡°Chu Yue has caused some trouble recently. Wan Zheng and I discussed it and decided to throw him here for a month and let him suffer a little to learn from his mistakes,¡± said Elder Bo Yan in a very straightforward manner. Elder Shu Yu glanced at Chu Liuyue in shock. What exactly did he do to end up in such a state? Bo Yan normally wouldn¡¯t casually put a person here, let alone for a month. ¡°How are your current abilities?¡± Elder Shu Yu raised his chin and asked, ¡°Note, I¡¯m asking about everything.¡± Chu Liuyue paused and honestly answered, ¡°I¡¯m currently an intermediate stage-seven warrior, ninth-grade heavenly doctor¡­ ninth-grade Xuan Master.¡± Once she said this, the scene fell silent. The three elders stared at Chu Liuyue collectively. ¡°Chu Yue, when did you break through to become a ninth-grade Xuan Master?¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but ask. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Um¡­ not long ago¡­¡± She originally didn¡¯t want to talk about it, but as a Xuan Master, Elder Shu Yu had very sharp eyes. She couldn¡¯t guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t be taught a lesson later if she lied now. Besides, one could basically guess this from the incident of her opening the academy barrier. Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s lips moved, but he didn¡¯t speak. Finally, he glanced at Elder Wan Zheng and grunted. See! This kid is much stronger than we thought! If something happens to such a rare talent, I¡¯ll give Bo Yan hell! ¡°Not bad. At least you¡¯re honest.¡± Elder Shu Yu nodded. ¡°Go in!¡± Chapter 1256 - Untitled Chu Liuyue was dazed. I¡¯m going in¡­ just like that? Elder Shu Yu glanced at her strangely. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. It seemed like this Elder Shu Yu was a very efficient person. But this was good. It would reduce a lot of trouble. She took half a step out and suddenly stopped. Turning around to look at Elder Bo Yan, she asked rather hesitantly, ¡°Elder, may I know if Senior Brother Rong Xiu and the rest¡­¡± ¡°They have their own punishments. You don¡¯t have to care about them.¡± Elder Bo Yan waved his hands. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM ¡°Just focus on repenting this month.¡± Seeing that she could not find out anything, Chu Liuyue could only nod. ¡°I understand.¡± Then, she continued walking forward and stepped into the barrier entrance. After her figure disappeared before his eyes, Elder Shu Yu raised his brows and looked at Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°One month¡­ Wan Zheng, can you really bear with it?¡± Elder Wan Zheng sneered coldly and looked away. If Bo Yan did not insist on doing this, how would he agree? He had only accepted this disciple for two months, and he had spent forty of those days in Fengmin Mountain! Calculating the time, he had only spent a little more than ten days cultivating with him! How could his heart not ache? But what else could he do? That kid always caused trouble! No matter how much he protected his disciple, he really had no other way sometimes. However, Elder Bo Yan suddenly said, ¡°One month might not be even be able to get him to repent.¡± He realized that one had to use extraordinary means to handle Chu Yue. If not, he really could not be controlled! ¡°Why do you have such high ratings for him?¡± Elder Shu Yu was very surprised. ¡°Hmph.¡± Elder Bo Yan laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll know why after he spends some time here.¡± Elder Shu Yu¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat and felt uneasy. ¡°Okay, since we¡¯ve already sent him here, we¡¯ll make a move first. For the remaining month, do take care of the kid.¡± After speaking, Elder Bo Yan wanted to leave with Elder Wan Zheng. For some reason, Elder Shu Yu had an illusion that they finally got rid of a tricky problem. Elder Wan Zheng glanced at the barrier reluctantly. Even though he could not see anything, he still secretly prayed for his precious disciple in his heart. For this month, please¡­ don¡¯t cause any trouble! After Bo Yan and Elder Wan Zheng left, Elder Shu Yu quickly returned to the barrier. ¡­ Fiend park. Not long after entering this place, Chu Liuyue understood where this name came from. There was the rich aura that uniquely belonged to the fiends coming from all directions! A faint blood smell permeated throughout the air. That was the special smell that would only appear when one¡¯s meat was just ripped apart. Chu Liuyue walked on a narrow pathway in the mountain. There were bushes lining the sides and lush greenery. As the sun shone down, it casted a shadow on the ground. Silently without wind. She walked forward step by step. Sometimes, she could also see the fiend prints left on the ground. The further she went, the more tense her muscles became and more alert she had to be. Every single tiny sound in the surroundings and every bit of change caused her to be extremely alert. In the middle, she had turned around to take a look once. Elder Shu Yu did not follow her. Clearly, they planned to let her do everything on her own. Roar! Suddenly, a low and violent roar was heard from the side of the mountains! Chu Liuyue immediately turned around to look. With the thick forest in the middle, she could not see the situation there clearly. But the roar contained tremendous suppression, which caused her mind to be dazed for a moment! That was a strength that could not be underestimated! At the very least, it was also a ninth-grade fiend! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart rate gradually rose. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s more than a few fiends in the fiend park¡­ She took a deep breath in and carefully surveyed the surroundings, before she continued forward. Whoosh! An air-piercing sound was heard. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned harsh and she rapidly shunned to the side! Chu! An extremely sharp grayish-brown needle stabbed right into the place that Chu Liuyue was just standing at. That needle was thick at the top and thin at the bottom, and the top was around the size of an adult¡¯s finger. The further down it was, the sharper it became. As it contained tremendous strength, after it inserted into the ground, its tail still shook slightly. The originally flat rock surface suddenly cracked! It showed how strong this item was! If it really hit her body, it might instantly pierce through her! But the key was that this was not a Yuan instrument. As the top still had a few stains of fresh blood, when one looked at it closely, there was still a layer of thin fur on it. This clearly was¡­ Boom! Boom! Boom! The thunderous footsteps sounded and the ground began to shake! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she stared at the sound of the voice tightly! A large figure gradually appeared in her vision. That was a fiend that was completely brownish-black. Its figure was huge and its limbs were muscular with a silver horn on its head. Its back had a string of thick things that looked like steel needles. This thing was the object that shot toward Chu Liuyue. The orange-yellow eyes were cold and nonchalant with a shocking suppression! When the gigantic paw stepped onto the ground, one could see its sharp claws. Without a doubt, once this feet went down, it could directly smash a person! Chu Liuyue felt suffocated. ¡°¡­ Ninth-grade¡­ steel-ridged fiend?!¡± She had only heard of this type of fiend in rumors. She heard that it was born as a ninth-grade fiend and was very formidable. As it grow older, its size would also rapidly increase. After it came of age, it would break through and become a legendary fiend! She heard that the weight of a strong legendary steel-ridged fiend was comparable to mountains! Wherever it went, it had intense suppression! The needle-like object on its back was one of its biggest trump cards. It was extremely sharp and stiff. The most important thing was that it was poisonous! Once one was injured by it, without an hour¡¯s time, a stage-nine warrior would die! This showed how incredible this steel-ridged fiend was! But the one before her eyes¡­ Though it had a huge figure, it had not broken through to become a legendary fiend, so it was still considered a cub. Of course, even if it were a cub, its size was still shockingly huge. Chu Liuyue stood in front of it and looked as small as an ant. She was not even as tall as one of its legs. Under such a circumstance, the other party could smash her to death in minutes. The two parties fell into a stalemate. The steel-ridged fiend first glanced at the slanted needle on the floor and seemed dissatisfied that it did not succeed. Then, its gaze turned and it looked at Chu Liuyue. Cold! Stern! That was the arrogance and nonchalance that belonged to a superior being! Strong murderous intent appeared in its eyes! Boom! It lifted its leg and took a step out! Chapter 1257 - Fight! Chu Liuyue¡¯s force rushed around rapidly, and a spark appeared on her fingertips! Unless it reached a critical moment, she wouldn¡¯t use the Chi Xiao Sword. Although the steel-ridged fiend in front of her was dangerous, she might be able to fight it with her current abilities! If it didn¡¯t work, she could just escape! But at this moment, she heard some strange rustling noises behind her. She originally didn¡¯t want to turn around, but the sound came increasingly near, and the sharp and dangerous aura caused her to be alert! Hence, she turned around and quickly glanced in that direction. With this look, Chu Liuyue instantly narrowed her eyes as her hair stood on end! That was because a cluster of snakes was behind her! It wasn¡¯t one snake but a pile of snakes that were intertwined! At one glance, there were at least a hundred of them! All those snakes were roughly as thick as a thumb, and they were iridescent. Under the sun, they reflected an icy and mesmerizing light. But at this point, Chu Liuyue had no mood to appreciate it as her hair stood on end! This was because every snake was a ninth-grade fiend¡ªtriangular sword-toothed snake! The reason why it had this name was that its head was flat and triangular. Every time it was in combat mode, its two sharp and sword-like teeth would be exposed and glisten in a scary white light. Of course, it was also poisonous. Its venom was only stronger and not weaker than the steel-ridged fiend! / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM At this point, they had formed a group and were going toward Chu Liuyue. Wherever they passed, the ground would produce a tiny rustling sound. Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t realized it previously, but after seeing their true intentions, she felt her entire body turn numb when she heard this noise. Now, she was stuck in the middle and couldn¡¯t go anywhere! A steel-ridged fiend was at the front, and behind her were triangular sword-teethed snakes. She didn¡¯t have full confidence that she could come out unscathed either way. Chu Liuyue clearly felt that her entire body had stiffened. If Tuan Zi were here, these problems could be solved easily. After all, it was a red-tailed phoenix with premium bloodline power. Just based on this natural bloodline suppression, it could handle these fiends easily. But now¡­ How could she handle them alone? At this point, Chu Liuyue finally realized why Elder Wan Zheng would have so many objections when Elder Bo Yan suggested this punishment. Thinking of the meaningful gaze Elder Wan Zheng gave her before he left¡­ Back then, she still innocently thought that he was reluctant to leave her, but it now seemed like he was clearly worried for her life! Fiend Park¡­ Fiend! Park! While Chu Liuyue crazily thought of how to solve the situation before her, she urged her bodily strength to flow out! Five sparks had already appeared on her fingertips. If I really can¡¯t do it¡­ I can only get the legendary three-eyed eagle to help me. But for Chu Liuyue, this was a very unwise decision. Quite a few people in the Sky-Cloud Empire knew that she had two legendary fiends. Jiang Zhiyuan had already started suspecting her because she had a red-tailed phoenix. Luckily, Liu Yintong had one too, so she still had room to defend herself. But once Jiang Zhiyuan knew about the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s existence, she could immediately confirm Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity! In this world, it could be said to be a coincidence for cultivators to have the same legendary fiend. But if they had two identical ones, there was definitely a problem! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have much understanding of Fiend Park. Other than Elder Bo Yan saying that there were a few elders in charge of patrolling the area, she didn¡¯t even know if there were other people around. Besides, if those elders knew of this, the incident couldn¡¯t be hidden. Although Ling Xiao Academy had many elders with their own positions, most of them had frequent contact with each other. Thus, news spread fast. This was a good thing for the academy as it could allow the academy to settle many things efficiently and quickly. However, this wasn¡¯t so good for Chu Liuyue. The three parties were silent. The surrounding space seemed to freeze inch by inch. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started beating intensely. Bam! Bam! The steel-ridged fiend and the triangular sword-teethed snakes had also noticed each other¡¯s existence. Hiss¡­ Quite a few triangular sword-teethed snakes let out a strange sound that caused one¡¯s heart to turn cold. Their dark-green eyes flashed with unconcealable violent and murderous intent! Boom! The steel-ridged fiend took a step forward! The rocks below its foot cracked, and the ground shook! It wasn¡¯t weak at all! Chu Liuyue instantly understood something. Did they become enemies because they wanted to fight for me? Of course, Chu Liuyue knew very clearly that they didn¡¯t behave in this manner because they liked her and wanted to fight for her. They were fighting¡­ for the chance and right to kill her! Fight! Fight! Chu Liuyue yelled at the top of her lungs in her heart. As long as the two parties go against each other, I can find a chance to leave the place! Whoosh! The steel-ridged fiend took action first¡ªa steel needle quickly flew out from its back! Chu! That needle traveled very quickly. Chu Liuyue only saw its straight and blurred image before hearing a familiar sound the next moment. That steel needle landed about one step before the triangular sword-teethed snakes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart clenched. After being instigated, no fiends can remain calm. This time, an intense battle will be unavoidable. Hiss¡­ Just when Chu Liuyue was waiting for the battle to start, the cluster of triangular sword-teethed snakes actually started to retreat. Chu Liuyue was confused. What kind of situation is this? Are they not fighting? But before she could figure it out, the steel-ridged fiend changed its direction and started going toward her! Chapter 1258 - Attack from the Front and Back! Chu Liuyue almost cursed out loud. These triangular sword-toothed snakes are too useless! They performed so bravely earlier. The steel-ridged fiend then executed a tentative attack only, yet they directly retreated?! They decided too quickly! Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t understand. Even though a triangular sword-toothed snake¡¯s combat skills couldn¡¯t be compared to a steel-ridged fiend, they still won in numbers! They didn¡¯t even symbolically fight with the steel-ridged fiend. They¡¯re too much of a coward. Before she could think further, the steel-ridged fiend rushed toward her. Chu Liuyue moved her figure and hurriedly dodged to the side! Boom! The steel-ridged fiend slammed heavily onto the ground! Quite a big trench immediately appeared in the ground that was considered rather straight. Numerous cracks quickly spread in all directions. Chu Liuyue casually picked a direction with lush greenery and rapidly went toward it! She had already entered Fiend Park, and there was danger lurking everywhere. Actually, there wasn¡¯t much difference no matter which direction she picked. The most important thing now was to get rid of that steel-ridged fiend. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM The more forested the area, the more beneficial it was for her. Chu Liuyue was nimble. In the blink of an eye, her figure disappeared in the lush greenery! ¡°Roar!¡± The steel-ridged fiend raised its head and hollered. When the nearby trees felt the suppression, they directly exploded! The steel-ridged fiend took a step forward and rushed toward Chu Liuyue. Meanwhile, the cluster of triangular sword-toothed snakes suddenly dispersed after retreating a distance. More than a hundred snakes dispersed in all directions. Their figures were very small, and they could perfectly hide themselves once they entered the bushes. Hence, not long after they dispersed, they each slithered toward the forests and disappeared. Only the extremely soft rustling could be heard intermittently, but it disappeared very quickly as well. ¡­ Chu Liuyue went at full speed and escaped. She jumped up and down like an elf, and her figure could vaguely be seen in the forest. Even so, she still couldn¡¯t successfully escape from the steel-ridged fiend that kept chasing her relentlessly. The steel-ridged fiend¡¯s destructive capabilities were even scarier than Chu Liuyue had predicted. Originally, she thought that the lush greenery could become barriers for the steel-ridged fiend and impede it. But in actual fact, the steel-ridged fiend didn¡¯t even care about this. Its physical strength was formidable, and everywhere it went, the area was destroyed! Hence, the human and fiend competed with each other in the forest. ¡­ Elder Shu Yu stood with his hands behind his back and waited below the mountain for a while. Even without going over to see personally, he could guess what had roughly happened by the change in force. He couldn¡¯t help but snort. It seems like this Chu Yue has something following him. I wonder how long this kid can last. One has to know that other than those cubs, the lowest-grade mature fiends are at least ninth-grade here! They aren¡¯t so easy to handle. Besides, to allow these fiends to develop and stimulate their capabilities to the maximum¡­ Other than a few elders protecting and patrolling the area, there were basically not many people in the entire Fiend Park. These fiends were very sensitive to the human scent, and they naturally had the urge to attack humans. Chu Yue¡¯s talent and capabilities are decent, but at the end of the day, he is still a kid that hasn¡¯t developed. He definitely isn¡¯t the opponent of those fiends in regards to battle. He glanced at the sun that was about to descend as he smiled and shook his head. ¡°I hope this kid can first last through the night!¡± ¡­ The sky quickly darkened. The trees in the forest cast a dark shadow, and there wasn¡¯t much light. As Chu Liuyue ran forward, she kept thinking of other methods in her heart. This can¡¯t go on. Just based on my strength alone, I can¡¯t escape from the steel-ridged fiend. Besides, as time passes, my physical strength will slowly deplete, and my speed will inevitably decrease. However, the steel-ridged fiend seems to become increasingly braver as it competes. It is naturally good at combat, so its explosive speed and stamina are extremely good. Chu Liuyue was really worried that it would drag her to death in the end. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t think of fighting the steel-ridged fiend head-on. At the very start, she had already accumulated some force and did her best to prepare, but she hesitated when she saw the pile of triangular sword-toothed snakes retreating. If they were so fearful, it just proved how capable this steel-ridged fiend was. Although she could battle with a stage-eight warrior now, she would only lose in front of a stage-nine warrior. Besides, the combat power of a stage-nine warrior was far below that of a ninth-grade fiend. After much thinking, it didn¡¯t seem very possible to go head-on. She had to think of another way, but this steel-ridged fiend kept chasing after her relentlessly, causing her not to have a chance to breathe. What else could she do? Suddenly, Chu Liuyue felt a sense of warning! She was on high alert and immediately forced herself to stop! She had been traveling at high speed just now. Now that she suddenly stopped, the blood in her lungs rushed up. However, she could no longer care about this. This was because¡­ danger was right ahead! Boom! Heavy footsteps could be heard! This noise was rather familiar, and it was quite similar to the steel-ridged fiend¡¯s footsteps, but it was much louder! Chu Liuyue clearly didn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s shadow this time, but she already felt that the other party had directly slammed down on her heart! She stood on a tree and held its trunk. Her body was tense, and she almost suffocated! The next moment, a small mountain-like figure appeared before her! With just one look, Chu Liuyue immediately recognized that it was also a steel-ridged fiend, and its figure was a few times larger than the previous one! This was definitely a mature steel-ridged fiend! It walked toward the area. Trees collapsed, and the mountain rocks were crushed! At that moment, Chu Liuyue even suspected that the entire mountain would be flattened! Bang! Bang! Bang! Suddenly, the steel-ridged fiend behind her suddenly increased its speed for some reason! ¡°Roar!¡± This roar was very different from the previous one. The stern and threatening aura was gone and was replaced with elation and a flattering meaning. Also, this was clearly for the steel-ridged fiend that had just appeared! Chu Liuyue hurriedly turned around, and half her heart went cold. These two¡­ seem to be mother and son?! Then, am I still able to escape unscathed? She held the trunk tightly, and her knuckles turned white. As she had been running for a long time, she had exhausted much of her energy. At this point, her forehead was already covered in tiny beads of sweat, and her back was drenched. This won¡¯t do if it continues¡­ Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. If I¡¯m really pushed to the corner¡­ I have to reveal my trump cards! Hong! That steel-ridged fiend cub rushed over and hammered into the tree that Chu Liuyue was on! The tree¡ªwhich needed two people to hug the trunk¡ªcollapsed instantly! Chu Liuyue went on her toes and was about to fly! However, that steel-ridged fiend seemed like it had predicted this as it directly pounced over! Chapter 1259 - Im Back If this foot landed, Chu Liuyue would¡¯ve immediately turned into a pile of mush! A thought appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and a harsh aura gathered! But just as the foot was about to land and Chu Liuyue was going to fight for her life, the adult steel-ridged fiend opposite her suddenly rushed over and hit the steel-ridged fiend cub. Said cub directly flipped over on the ground. Boom! The steel-ridged fiend cub¡¯s heavy body flew out, and the trees fell down on the way! After being knocked back by quite some distance, it finally stopped. A deep track was left on the ground. Smashed rocks and broken trees were scattered everywhere¡ªit was a pile of debris! Chu Liuyue was confused. The knocked-away steel-ridged fiend cub was also dazed. The surroundings fell silent. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Chu Liuyue stiffened her neck and looked toward the adult steel-ridged fiend beside her. W-what¡¯s going on? Why did it help me? Could it be that the other steel-ridged fiend isn¡¯t its cub? However, she quickly dismissed that guess. This was because after the steel-ridged fiend cub recovered its senses, it didn¡¯t get up and instead directly wailed. ¡°Ow!¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively turned around and saw the fiend cub lying on the ground as it stared at the adult steel-ridged fiend in disbelief. Its eyes were filled with grievances and pity. ¡°Wu-wu!¡± The next moment, Chu Liuyue clearly saw that the cub¡¯s lantern-sized eyes quickly had a layer of watery mist. Da! Da! Fist-sized tears kept falling and landed on the ground, forming a small puddle. Chu Liuyue was speechless. If the mature fiend isn¡¯t its own mother or father, it wouldn¡¯t have such a reaction, right¡­ But this cub didn¡¯t seem very loved¡ªthe adult steel-ridged fiend watched as it wailed. Not only did it not comfort the cub, the mature steel-ridged fiend even walked over and kicked it! The fiend cub didn¡¯t expect its parent to be so harsh toward it. It didn¡¯t pay attention and directly flew from the kick. The wails suddenly stopped, and it turned around. Probably because steel-ridged fiends were born with thick skin and heavy muscles, this kick was filled with strength and wasn¡¯t merciful at all. The sound of bones being harshly kicked caused Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes to twitch. I-I really didn¡¯t expect this to happen¡­ ¡°Roar!¡± The adult steel-ridged fiend roared at its cub as if it were rather stern. After suffering, the cub had learned its lesson and didn¡¯t dare to make a scene. It hid its temper and looked very obedient. The adult steel-ridged fiend roared again and said something, which caused the cub to look up suddenly. Shock flashed across its eyes. Then, the cub glanced at Chu Liuyue as it crazily shook its head. Roar! The adult steel-ridged fiend roared again, causing the cub to stop in its actions and immediately become obedient. Chu Liuyue stood at the side in a very awkward manner. This¡­ I fought with someone else¡¯s kid, but after the other party¡¯s parent came¡­ Not only did they not blame me, but they even lectured their own child. This adult steel-ridged fiend has too high of a moral standard, right? Chu Liuyue originally wanted to leave. But thinking that her speed couldn¡¯t even compare to the steel-ridged fiend cub¡¯s, let alone the adult, she decided to just stay put and see what attitude the other party had. After a while, the two steel-ridged fiends were finally done talking. Of course, this talk was just the adult steel-ridged fiend lecturing the cub. Bang. The adult steel-ridged fiend walked over. The cub hung its head in defeat and followed behind. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart clenched. It¡¯s coming! She instinctively straightened her back and looked up. She had no choice¡ªthe other party was too big. When Chu Liuyue tried to meet its gaze, she could only see the other party¡¯s thighs. The adult steel-ridged fiend stopped not far before her. Meanwhile, the cub inched over step by step. Anyone could tell that reluctance was written all over its face. As if despising it for moving too slowly, the adult steel-ridged fiend kicked the cub¡¯s buttock from behind. ¡°Wu¡ª¡± The cub almost flew from the kick, and it instinctively turned around. Originally, the steel-ridged fiend cub seemed like it wanted to protest, but it immediately kept quiet when it saw the pair of stern eyes. After some hesitation, it let out a soft whimper that sounded very pitiful. The adult steel-ridged fiend was unaffected and simply raised its head. The cub could only retract its vision and walk to Chu Liuyue step by step. The human and the fiend looked at each other. The cub glared at Chu Liuyue before it hung its head with grievances. Chu Liuyue was confused when she saw the steel-ridged fiend cub¡¯s head stretch toward her. The silver horn wasn¡¯t far before her eyes! She could reach it if she stretched out her hand! This is¡­ Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and suddenly realized something. I-it¡¯s apologizing?! Once this guess surfaced, Chu Liuyue instinctively wanted to reject it. This was too ridiculous! One had to know that just a moment ago, she was still being chased by this steel-ridged fiend cub to the end of the world, and she almost died under its feet. But now¡­ Not only did it stop its attack, but it had even apologized repeatedly? This was indeed too shocking. But other than this reason, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t think of any other explanation. She looked at the adult steel-ridged fiend behind the cub in much confusion, and she saw those eyes¡ªdeep and stern, with a hint of undetectable reminiscence. An extremely familiar feeling overwhelmed Chu Liuyue. This steel-ridged fiend¡­ She opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t speak. A bold thought then quickly flashed across her mind. Perhaps¡­ I met it long ago? As if detecting her emotional activity, that steel-ridged fiend finally walked over. Looking down, it stared into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. It was a pity that it was still too tall. Even if Chu Liuyue raised her hand, she couldn¡¯t touch it. Detecting the pat, the steel-ridged fiend blinked its eyes and kneeled down without hesitation. Then, it inched forward in a gentle and dependent manner. Something seemed to rush out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. She instinctively wanted to stretch out her hand and pat its head. The steel-ridged fiend¡¯s skin was very thick and hard¡ªtouching it was akin to touching steel. But for some reason, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt soft. Suddenly, her gaze focused. She saw that there seemed to be a scar on this steel-ridged fiend¡¯s horn. It seemed like someone had used a sharp weapon to cut it by about half an inch. It was hard to notice from afar, but it could be seen clearly when close. Chu Liuyue unconsciously touched it. At that moment, a scene quickly appeared in her mind! Her head hurt so much that she furrowed her brows tightly and almost collapsed onto the ground. The steel-ridged fiend looked at her with much worry. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and moved forward, getting even closer to it. The steel-ridged fiend allowed her to hug it as it didn¡¯t move. The cub stood at the side and watched on with much desire and helplessness. After a long while, Chu Liuyue then sighed lightly. ¡°Ah Qiong, I¡¯m back.¡± Chapter 1260 - Tuan Zis Memory! Ever since she knew that she was missing a part of her memories, Chu Liuyue started to think of all sorts of ways to get herself to remember them. She had previously tried many methods and experienced quite a bit of torture, but they were mostly to no avail. She could not recall those memories no matter what. She didn¡¯t remember how she came to the God Residence Realm. She didn¡¯t know how she reached the top of the Qing Yun Ranking. She didn¡¯t know what exactly she had done in Ling Xiao Academy and why she had forgotten everything in the end! Many times, she even felt that it didn¡¯t have much meaning to be like that. Since the mist was already there, and she couldn¡¯t see past it clearly, she could just not look at it. But now, she finally realized that it was definitely not meaningless. That was because a scene she definitely couldn¡¯t bear to forget was behind the mist. Like now, she suddenly recalled some past matters regarding Fiend Park. Even though her memory was still in bits and pieces, and they were even unclear¡­ It was still very precious to her. ¡°Ah Qiong!¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and hid the tears in her eyes. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM She hugged it tightly before taking a few steps back and carefully sized it up. Then, she smiled brightly and said, ¡°Ah Qiong, you¡¯ve grown up!¡± When we first met at Fiend Park a few years ago, it was about the size of that cub. I didn¡¯t expect it to have grown up and even have its own child! Ah Qiong gently rubbed against her palm dotingly. It then stood up, and its eyes were also filled with elation and emotions. Actually, it couldn¡¯t quite confirm Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity in the beginning, so it had such a meticulous attitude. But now, it could finally be at ease! ¡°Ow?¡± The cub¡ªwhich had been ignored for quite some time¡ªfinally found a chance to speak. Its gaze flicked between Chu Liuyue and its mother, and it was confused. It was clear that it was still in a daze now. I¡¯m clearly Mother¡¯s son, but why does Mother treat this human that suddenly popped out of nowhere better than she treats me? Chu Liuyue saw the cub¡¯s seemingly jealous and angry look. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t fight with you over your mother!¡± Intense doubts filled the cub¡¯s eyes. Won¡¯t fight? Then, why is Mother so good to her? She even hugged Mother just now, not to mention that Mother hit me for the first time because of her! It was very serious, and the consequences were severe. Hence, the cub went over to its mother¡¯s side and snuggled with the latter. As it did so, it stared at the latter with much desire. Let her go. Let her go. Let her go¡ª Bang! It was kicked by its mother, and it flew away. ¡°Ow!¡± I can¡¯t live like this anymore. Wu wu wu! Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and curtly advised, ¡°Ah Qiong, you¡¯ve already become a mother, but why haven¡¯t you changed your temper¡­ It¡¯s your son after all, right¡­¡± ¡°Wu-wu!¡± Yeah, even the human said so! Mother is so harsh! Ah Qiong glanced at it. The cub rapidly shut its mouth and didn¡¯t dare to utter another sound. It finally realized that humans were its arch-enemy! It¡¯s a pity that Mother is biased toward her, so I definitely can¡¯t do anything today. I¡¯ll find a chance to retaliate in the future! Seeing that it finally stopped, Ah Qiong then looked at Chu Liuyue. How would the kid know that I would¡¯ve ceased to exist without the woman before it. Then, how would it come about? Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I want to see your current home!¡± ¡­ Late at night. The moon was high in the sky. On some mountain, Elder Shu Yu hid the Xuan formation before him and looked up. It¡¯s already so late¡­ I wonder how Chu Yue is doing¡­ Thinking of this, he looked at the distant mountains. The night was quiet. Other than the occasional wind blowing, there were no other noises. Everything was the same as before. ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­¡± Elder Shu Yu stroked his beard. ¡°Logically speaking, strangers will definitely encounter quite a few fiend attacks when they enter Fiend Park. It definitely won¡¯t be this quiet¡­¡± This situation was indeed rather strange, but he could confirm that Chu Yue wasn¡¯t in trouble. If not, the Xuan formation would¡¯ve long been activated. ¡°Did he find a place to hide?¡± Suddenly, he clapped his hands. ¡°Tsk, how did I forget that he has a legendary fiend!?¡± I heard that it¡¯s a red-tailed phoenix with a very pure bloodline! With such a legendary fiend, normal fiends won¡¯t cause trouble for him. This has really reduced the trouble Chu Yue has to face. Elder Shu Yu couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I hope tomorrow¡­ can be this calm and peaceful!¡± Within this Fiend Park, there are existences that aren¡¯t afraid of red-tailed phoenixes! ¡­ That night, because of Ah Qiong¡¯s help, Chu Liuyue could finally rest in peace. In the cave they were at, after Chu Liuyue briefly talked to Ah Qiong about some things, she leaned against a gigantic rock, propped her head up, and planned to sleep. Ah Qiong also knew that she was very exhausted after the day¡¯s ordeal, so it didn¡¯t disturb her and just guarded her silently at the side. However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully. In her dream, there were a few familiar and new images. Most of them were related to Fiend Park, and of course, Ah Qiong. Thinking of it, they were quite destined. When Chu Liuyue came to Fiend Park for the first time, it was the first fiend she met. At that time, it was being hunted by other fiends. During its hurried escape, it met Chu Liuyue. She helped it avoid an ordeal and even gave it a name, but they didn¡¯t make an agreement. Chu Liuyue recalled. Back then, I already had an agreement with Tuan Zi¡­ Suddenly, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes wide! Tuan Zi had come with me to the God Residence Realm! Yet, I never thought of asking it what it remembered? Chapter 1261 - Prepare Detecting the noise on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, both fiends looked at her. Ah Qiong stared at her with much worry. Chu Liuyue gave it an assuring gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Then, she rubbed her temples. Yeah, why didn¡¯t I think of it before¡­ I had already made an agreement with my own fiend when I was in my teens. At that time, Tuan Zi was still a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant, but it was considered the best fiend in the entire Tianling Dynasty. After I successfully made an agreement with Tuan Zi, my father even specifically held a banquet to celebrate the occasion. Since then, Tuan Zi has been following me. Coming to the God Residence Realm happened afterward. Logically speaking, Tuan Zi should¡¯ve come with me. But for so long, Tuan Zi hasn¡¯t mentioned any of this¡­ ¡°Tuan Zi,¡± Chu Liuyue called in her heart, but nobody responded. She then recalled that Tuan Zi was left at Million Wine Mountain and wasn¡¯t by her side. She knitted her brows. It seems like I can only ask about this in detail a month later. She sat in a daze for a while before lying down again. This time, she finally went to sleep dazedly. ¡­ Just as Chu Liuyue passed the night with conflicted feelings, the people outside weren¡¯t calm either. Million Wine Mountain. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM At the mountain peak, there were a few figures beside the mountain. Elder Bo Yan was standing in the middle with Elder Ouyang and Shang Yulin beside him. ¡°This is what you¡¯ve done?¡± Elder Bo Yan surveyed his surroundings and asked with a deep voice. Even if he had heard them talk about it before, he still couldn¡¯t help but be furious when he saw the scene for himself. These few people can really cause trouble! The previous punishments were too light! ¡°Ahem.¡± Elder Ouyang coughed. ¡°Actually, mainly the surrounding forests and rocks are ruined, but the fountain is pretty fine¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan sneered coldly. ¡°If something happened to the fountain, do you think I can still talk to you about this here?¡± Elder Ouyang awkwardly shut his mouth. Shang Yulin was more relaxed. ¡°Sigh¡­ Bo Yan, since it has already happened, there¡¯s not much use talking about it, right? Besides, you¡¯ve already punished us, and the few of us didn¡¯t escape, right? Let¡¯s directly start repairing this place as soon as possible, okay?¡± Elder Bo Yan glanced at him with warning. ¡°There will be no next time.¡± Even though Million Wine Mountain was already sealed, one could only come in at night to repair it. Hence, they specifically waited until this time to come. As Elder Bo Yan spoke, he walked to the fountain and checked it carefully. The fountain that flowed during the day became very calm at night. Under the water surface with no ripples, the bolts of lightning gathered and intertwined. ¡°I told you the fountain is fine.¡± Shang Yulin laughed. ¡°Do you not believe Ouyang and me? We were very careful at that time!¡± Elder Bo Yan retracted his gaze. ¡°This fountain is very important. It¡¯s better to be more careful.¡± After all, they had caused such a big commotion. He definitely was more worried. Elder Ouyang nodded in agreement. ¡°Bo Yan is right. Because of this thing, our academy has put in a lot of effort, and we don¡¯t dare to cause any trouble. Calculating the time, it should be soon, right?¡± Elder Bo Yan shook his head. ¡°It originally should¡¯ve been soon, but Chu Yue had previously caused a scene here and reduced the number of lightning bolts. Thus, it¡¯s delayed again.¡± ¡°Luckily, he didn¡¯t bring too many away, so we can still recoup the loss during this period of time.¡± Elder Ouyang sighed. ¡°At the end of the day, this Chu Yue is a real troublemaker¡­ Luckily, you threw him to Fiend Park this time to correct his behavior!¡± If not, what will happen if he is always this bold and arrogant? Elder Bo Yan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too.¡± Chu Yue held many treasures, and he would inevitably garner other people¡¯s envy and jealousy. If he couldn¡¯t strengthen his abilities as soon as possible, nobody would know what would happen. After all, any so-called backer couldn¡¯t protect him at every moment and for the rest of his life. At the end of the day, it was most important to become stronger! ¡°I wonder how the kid is doing at Fiend Park¡­¡± Elder Ouyang spoke and looked in the direction of Fiend Park. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be able to sleep on the first night, right?¡± Elder Bo Yan laughed. ¡°He has a red-tailed phoenix. You don¡¯t have to be too worried.¡± If it weren¡¯t because Elder Bo Yan knew that Chu Yue had a legendary fiend, he wouldn¡¯t dare to leave the latter at Fiend Park for a month. Suddenly, there seemed to be some sounds coming from within the fountain. Elder Bo Yan immediately looked down and saw a faint ripple spreading from the middle. He stared at it for a while. After confirming that it was nothing strange, he retracted his gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± The three of them went their own ways and started repairing the area they were in charge of. Within the fountain, lightning bolts quietly shone. A flash of red suddenly appeared in the deep waters! ¡­ A night quickly passed. By the time Chu Liuyue woke up, the sky was already very bright. Ah Qiong was standing guard outside the cave, and the cub wasn¡¯t around as if it had gone out. Hearing the noise, Ah Qiong turned around. Chu Liuyue got up and walked outside. She then stretched and heard her bones cracking. She looked in front and smiled. ¡°This place is still the same as before. It¡¯s a good place to cultivate.¡± Ah Qiong glanced at her curiously with the intent of asking her something. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Ah Qiong, I¡¯m going to go into seclusion today. Please help guard me.¡± Ah Qiong nodded. Chu Liuyue felt much more at ease as she turned around and returned to the cave. Yes, she wanted to break through to become a peak stage-seven warrior! Ever since she recovered her Tianjing Yuan meridian, her cultivation speed had increased greatly. After she came to Ling Xiao Academy¡ªwhich had rich Heaven and Earth Force¡ªit was akin to adding wings to a tiger. Additionally, as she had been through this before and was experienced, she didn¡¯t need anyone to guide her to break through successfully. Now, she just needed a relatively quiet and stable environment. Some of the fiends in Fiend Park used to be trained, while the others were brought back by elders and students who hunted outside. There were quite a few legendary fiends. If Chu Liuyue were alone, she definitely wouldn¡¯t choose this place and time to break through. But with Ah Qiong around, she now felt more at ease. These legendary fiends feared each other and typically wouldn¡¯t offend each other, so they led quite peaceful lives. She basically wouldn¡¯t meet with any trouble when cultivating in Ah Qiong¡¯s cave. She sat down cross-legged, and her shoulders naturally dropped as she placed her hands on her knees. Then, she closed her eyes and started to absorb the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force rapidly! The waves of force fought to enter her body! Chapter 1262 - Lesson The academy was peaceful and quiet. That night¡¯s incident at Million Wine Mountain was forcefully sealed by Elder Bo Yan. Other than the few of them, nobody else knew about it. Everything was normal as usual. Even the news of Chu Liuyue being locked up at Fiend Park wasn¡¯t spread under Elder Bo Yan¡¯s instructions. On the one hand, the few elders in charge of patrolling knew very clearly that those who were sent there definitely did something wrong. Thus, it was better to talk less to reduce the number of mistakes made. On the other hand, they also weren¡¯t nosy people. Since they knew that Bo Yan and Wan Zheng didn¡¯t want to spread the news, they had a tacit agreement to remain silent. Hence, even if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t appear in everyone¡¯s sight, nobody suspected a thing. In everyone¡¯s eyes, she was currently busy cultivating with Rong Xiu, so it was normal for her to stay at Jiuheng Peak and not come out. Many of these days simply passed. ¡­ ¡°Fifth Brother, did you hear that the few Xuan Masters want to collaborate and teach a lesson?¡± On some mountain peak, after Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng finished cultivating, they thought of Luo Yanlin¡ªwhom they hadn¡¯t met in a while¡ªand planned on visiting him. It was a pity that Luo Yanlin wasn¡¯t around, so they turned to find Luo Yanming instead. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Luo Shishi poured tea for the other two people and asked. Luo Yanming looked happy, and he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mentor said that we normally duel with each other and that we already know each other¡¯s styles after some time, so there¡¯s not much meaning to it. He discussed it with the other elders and decided to teach us together.¡± This wasn¡¯t surprising in Ling Xiao Academy. Not only Xuan Masters, but even the warriors and heavenly doctors would conduct such activities from time to time. To put it nicely, it was a friendly exchange. To put it plainly and directly, they were challenging each other. Many of the students in the academy had distinguished backgrounds and were very prideful and competitive. The elders naturally had similar ambitions as well. The few elders collaborated to conduct a lesson, and they would even frequently battle with the students personally to guide them. In this manner, the students could learn quite a bit, and they could strengthen their abilities through a certain amount of competition. At the end of the day, cultivation was for one to become stronger and to allow one to succeed in battles! This matter had many advantages, so many elders and students were happy to do so. ¡°Who are the elders coming?¡± Luo Shishi asked curiously. Luo Yanming thought for a while. ¡°Other than my mentor, there are another three elders. Oh, Qiniang too.¡± ¡°So it means that Fourth Brother will be there too?¡± ¡°Yeah. Actually, quite a few people want to battle with Fourth Brother,¡± Luo Yanming said with much emotion and envy. Luo Yanlin had always been in the top ten on the Xuan Master ranking and could be considered one of the top few warriors amongst the students. There were many people who wanted to challenge him. After all, battling with strong warriors might be much better and faster than figuring things out on their own. ¡°I wonder when I can be as good as Fourth Brother,¡± Luo Yanlin said rather emotionally. Luo Shishi comforted him. ¡°Fifth Brother, you¡¯re very talented, and you¡¯ll definitely be as outstanding as Fourth Brother in the future!¡± Luo Yanlin shook his head. ¡°When Fourth Brother first came to the academy a few years ago, he was around the same age as me now. After coming to the academy for a month, Fourth Brother got onto the Qing Yun Ranking. In contrast, I¡¯m¡­ still the same.¡± Normally, he wouldn¡¯t say much about it, but he actually minded it quite a bit. They were both sons of the Luo family, so they would inevitably compare. Luo Shishi was hesitant in her words. Luo Yanlin smiled in mockery. ¡°Shishi, you don¡¯t have to think of words to comfort me. I know it clearly in my heart. The person who is the most talented as a Xuan Master in our Luo family is Fourth Brother. Didn¡¯t we all know this since we were young? I said this because I hope that I can cultivate harder and not be too far behind Fourth Brother.¡± Luo Shishi saw that he seemed sincere and genuine and knew that he was telling the truth, so she didn¡¯t speak further. ¡°Father and the elders have always praised you for being magnanimous and that you have a bright future ahead of you, Fifth Brother.¡± Luo Yanming smiled. ¡°Actually, talking about this, Lin Zhifei is quite decent too. If there¡¯s a chance this time, I must battle with him properly.¡± Zhuo Sheng forcefully patted his shoulders. ¡°Brother, I support you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s something else though¡­ Have you seen Chu Yue lately?¡± Luo Yanming asked. ¡°That day, we agreed to battle when we had the time. But so many days have passed, and I haven¡¯t even seen his shadow.¡± Compared to Lin Zhifei, he actually wanted to battle with Chu Yue more. This was because Elder Hua Feng¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t as big when he mentioned Lin Zhifei compared to when he talked about Chu Yue. Lin Zhifei couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Chu Yue was even more talented in this area than Lin Zhifei! ¡°We haven¡¯t seen him either.¡± Luo Shishi shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s probably¡­ busy cultivating at Jiuheng Peak with Senior Brother Rong Xiu, right? Anyway, I haven¡¯t heard much news about Senior Brother Rong Xiu these few days.¡± ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Luo Yanming didn¡¯t think further. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll find him when he comes out again.¡± Dong! A bell could be heard! Luo Yanming stood up and looked in a certain direction. ¡°Class is about to start. I¡¯ll get going first. We can talk another day.¡± Then, he went on his toes and left rapidly. Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng didn¡¯t stay on and quickly left. ¡­ When Luo Yanming reached the place, quite a few people had gathered in the middle of the mountain. Clearly, they were all here for the lesson. He was quite familiar with a portion of them as they were all Elder Hua Feng¡¯s students, but he didn¡¯t know the majority. They should be the other elders¡¯ students. Luo Yanming quickly took a look and realized that his fourth brother, Luo Yanlin, hadn¡¯t appeared yet, so he found a few familiar friends and stood with them. As the elders had yet to arrive, the atmosphere was still rather casual. Everyone stood in groups and talked from time to time. Of course, most of it was about what was going on today. ¡°¡­This time, I want to challenge Senior Brother Luo Yanlin. I wonder if he¡¯ll agree¡­¡± ¡°Hm? I think you should just forget it. How are we good enough?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t participation more important? Battling with Senior Brother is a rare chance!¡± ¡°Hmph, good that you know! I think that instead of putting all your hopes on one person who might not actually agree, why don¡¯t you pick someone else who doesn¡¯t have that high of a requirement and isn¡¯t as strong?¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Jiang Zhiyuan? She came here today too?¡± ¡°Her mentor, Elder Dan Qing, is also one of the elders who collaborated for today¡¯s lesson. Isn¡¯t it normal that she comes? But speaking of which, she is quite a good person to challenge¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, I think you have an ulterior motive, right? Hm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Gentlemen will always chase elegant ladies! Once, she was deeply in love with Senior Brother Rong Xiu and ignored everyone around her, but Senior Brother Rong Xiu already has his own princess consort now. It¡¯s time for her to look at others now, right?¡± All sorts of chatter could be heard, which caused Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s originally frustrated mood to be even worse. Chapter 1263 - Shes Not as Good as Me in All Aspects I sent the letter out a few days ago, but I didn¡¯t receive a reply after so long. Logically speaking, the letter should¡¯ve reached Fairy Water Mound after such a long time has passed. But for some reason, there is no news from that side. If it were in the past¡­ Even before Father can investigate and find anything, he will first send me a letter to comfort me. This time is really weird¡­ For the past two days, Jiang Zhiyuan had even started getting insomnia and couldn¡¯t sleep well, so she didn¡¯t have much energy in the day and looked very frail. ¡°Pfft, she¡¯s really punching above her own weight!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao heard these words when she was standing at the side, and she couldn¡¯t help but scold silently, ¡°How dare they harbor thoughts of being liked by you. Zhiyuan, they¡¯re really dreaming! Even if you¡¯re not the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort, you¡¯re not someone those people can even desire! Do you agree, Zhiyuan?¡± As Liang Xiaoxiao spoke, she looked at Jiang Zhiyuan. But with this look, she realized that the latter wasn¡¯t listening to her speak. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t focused, and her gaze was relaxed as if she were in a daze. Liang Xiaoxiao raised her brows, and dissatisfaction flashed across her heart. I was kindly comforting her and praising her, yet she didn¡¯t even hear me? ¡°Zhiyuan, Zhiyuan?¡± The expression on Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s face quickly returned to normal as she called Jiang Zhiyuan twice. Jiang Zhiyuan then recovered her senses. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s discomfort grew as she smiled. ¡°Nothing. What are you thinking about in a daze?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked down. ¡°I kind of miss my father. I haven¡¯t gone back in a long time. I wonder how the situation at Fairy Water Mound is.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao almost laughed out loud. Miss her father? Others might believe Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s words, but she wouldn¡¯t even think that a single word was true. They had known each other for quite some time. A few years before Jiang Zhiyuan entered the academy, she basically stayed at Fairy Water Mound and didn¡¯t even have the chance to go to the Sky-Cloud Empire. This was because her father kept urging her to cultivate diligently. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s father doted on her very much, but this love had conditions. If Jiang Zhiyuan wasn¡¯t outstanding enough, she definitely would not have everything she owned today. Fairy Water Mound¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan personally once said that she was tired of staying there! After she came to Ling Xiao Academy, she wanted to stay here all the time in a carefree manner. She had never said that she missed her father. This showed that this was just a casual and superficial excuse she came up with. With the other party¡¯s attitude, Liang Xiaoxiao naturally didn¡¯t want to stick her face to a cold buttock. Strictly speaking, her background was even better than that of Jiang Zhiyuan, so she really didn¡¯t have the need to flatter the latter. ¡°Since you miss him, can¡¯t you just take leave from your mentor?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ears and said nonchalantly. Normally, Jiang Zhiyuan would definitely notice Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s displeasure immediately, and she would coax her friend to ease their tension. But her mind was now filled with her letter, so she was in no mood to think of anything else. ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll go after today¡¯s lesson.¡± Hearing that Jiang Zhiyuan had gone along with the situation and said such words, Liang Xiaoxiao was almost so angry that she laughed. She had no interest in continuing to speak. After a while, she found an excuse and went somewhere else to talk to other people. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind was in a whir, and she didn¡¯t even notice this. Not long later, the elders came. ¡­ For today¡¯s class, other than Elder Hua Feng, there were still Elder Dan Qing, Elder Qiniang, and Elder Shu Feng. Seeing their arrival, the students gradually kept quiet and looked at these few people with excitement and curiosity. Without exaggeration, these few elders together could be considered a top formation! There were a few hundred elders in Ling Xiao Academy, and the Xuan Master elders numbered about one-third of them. However, all cultivators had varying standards. Elders weren¡¯t an exception. These few elders were publicly recognized as the strongest few existences. It was hard for the students not to be excited. The four elders grouped themselves in pairs and battled each other. After demonstrating to the students, they gave the students time to study on their own. Finally, the students could battle each other. This was a segment that everyone paid attention to the most. Many students had rapidly chosen their targets for the duel. Some people also found Jiang Zhiyuan, but they were all rejected by her. After the fifth young man was rejected, he didn¡¯t leave like the previous few people. He smiled at Jiang Zhiyuan and said, ¡°Zhiyuan, we¡¯ve known each other for two years. You should know how I feel about you. In the past, I didn¡¯t say much about it because I know that you have someone else in your heart. But now¡­ He and you are impossible, so why don¡¯t you consider me?¡± Hearing that this sentence implicated Rong Xiu, Jiang Zhiyuan finally looked up, raised her sharp brows slightly, and glanced at him calmly. She had some impression of this man. Their relationship was decent, but it just stopped there. If he talked nicely, she could still politely reply to him. It was a pity that¡­ his last two sentences really got on her nerves! She endured the anger in her heart and said, ¡°If you like, you like. If you don¡¯t, you don¡¯t. You can¡¯t force such things.¡± Seeing that she still had the same attitude, that man couldn¡¯t help but reach out and want to hold her. Jiang Zhiyuan immediately shied away, and disgust quickly flashed across her eyes. That gaze immediately caused the man to fly into a rage out of humiliation. He boomed, ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu already has a princess consort. No matter what you do, can you really get the position of princess consort back?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan also exploded, and she couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice. ¡°That woman isn¡¯t as good as me in all aspects. How can she be the princess consort? It¡¯s my spot!¡± Chapter 1264 - : Win and Loss Once she said this, the guy opposite her had an immediate change in expression. Jiang Zhiyuan also suddenly recovered her senses, and her heart skipped a beat. Why did I say all of this in public?! Even if I think so in my heart¡ªor perhaps many people think the same way¡ªsuch words should never come out of my mouth! The surroundings immediately fell into silence. Some of the people standing nearby looked over with various expressions. Their gazes were incredulous. Jiang Zhiyuan felt as if there were many daggers on her back, and she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it! Other people could say some words, but she could not! Previously, she had continuously hinted secretly that she was the one who got her lover stolen. Many people didn¡¯t have much understanding of the Sky-Cloud Empire, so most of them believed her and thought that she suffered grievances, so they sympathized and pitied her. But if she said it out plainly by herself, the nature of the matter would change! Wasn¡¯t this openly telling everyone that she had always thought of the princess consort position being her own? ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan panicked and wanted to explain. But after stuttering for so long, she couldn¡¯t find a reasonable excuse. The more nervous she got, the more she didn¡¯t know how to save the situation. ¡°Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan.¡± At this point, a nonchalant and cold voice sounded, which broke the stiff and frozen atmosphere. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Jiang Zhiyuan immediately turned around and saw that the person talking was a teen around his twenties. He was wearing a green robe and stood upright with a clear appearance. Just by standing there, he seemed like a watercolor painting. His eye color was much lighter than that of ordinary people, which made him look more distant. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Lin Zhifei?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan recalled that she had seen this face before. If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, this person was the first to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking amongst all the new students. At the same time, he is also the young master of Grotto-Heaven Cliff¡¯s Lin family. In the beginning, Chu Liuyue disguised herself and went to the Sky-Cloud Empire with them. Thinking of these things, Jiang Zhiyuan felt much hatred. She hated and felt that everything related to that woman was very disgusting! ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s tone obviously became much colder. However, Lin Zhifei didn¡¯t seem to care as he smiled slightly. ¡°There¡¯s something. I heard that you¡¯re very outstanding as a Xuan Master, Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan. I would like you to guide me. May I know¡­ if that¡¯s possible?¡± So it was because of this. Jiang Zhiyuan sneered in her heart and looked very nonchalant. ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you just got onto the Qing Yun Ranking, and it¡¯s inevitable that you¡¯re ambitious. It¡¯s natural that you want to challenge people, but you must pick the target carefully. There are many Xuan Masters present that can duel with you. You¡­ don¡¯t have to waste your time with me.¡± These words sounded polite on the surface, but in actual fact, she was mocking Lin Zhifei for being incapable and not knowing his limits. Anyone who had a temper would inevitably be angered. But after hearing it, Lin Zhifei had a normal expression as if he didn¡¯t care about it. ¡°Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan, you¡¯re right. Those who are incapable definitely shouldn¡¯t think of challenging those who are way stronger than themselves. If not, they¡¯ll be the ones who will be humiliated in the end.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression changed. He was clearly scolding her in public! Even if one thought with their toes, they would know that Lin Zhifei was referring to what happened at Sky-Cloud Empire that day! She had lost to Chu Liuyue consecutively! ¡°What exactly do you want to say?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan had lost her patience. Lin Zhifei smiled. ¡°What I meant to say are those previous words. Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan, did you not hear me clearly?¡± He raised his chin slightly, and his gaze gradually became cold and harsh. ¡°I originally wanted to ask you to duel with me, Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan, yet you¡¯re reluctant to agree. But¡­ I don¡¯t think that the difference between you and me is that huge, Senior Sister Jiang.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was so furious that she laughed. Does this mean that I¡¯m arrogant?! ¡°Junior Brother Lin, do you really think that you¡¯re invincible after getting onto the Qing Yun Ranking? Don¡¯t forget that there are a few dozen people in between you and me.¡± At this point, this commotion had already attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. Most of them felt that Lin Zhifei was arrogant. He was very outstanding, but Jiang Zhiyuan had been in the academy for a few years and was publicly recognized as one of the top warriors. She also held quite a high position on the Qing Yun Ranking. Yet, he dared to say this¡­ He thought too highly of himself. But Lin Zhifei seemed to completely disregard the surrounding people¡¯s opinions. He looked at Jiang Zhiyuan and said, ¡°Senior Sister Jiang, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can try.¡± This was a very direct challenge¡ªor perhaps, an instigation! ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan sized Lin Zhifei up and squinted slightly. ¡°Junior Brother Lin, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re bold, but sometimes¡­ If you don¡¯t know how to restrain yourself, you¡¯ll cause trouble for yourself. Lastly, let me advise you: know your own limits!¡± Lin Zhifei glanced at her and smiled without much smiling intent. ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan. My courage is nothing much compared to yours.¡± He said every word slowly. ¡°After all, you can even say words to twist the truth even in front of so many people¡­ Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to do it?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart suddenly sank. She tried her best to restrain her urge to be violent as she forcefully smiled and said, ¡°Junior Brother Lin, I don¡¯t really understand what you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°The Princess Consort was chosen based on a few selections in a contest. That day, you clearly lost from start to end, so I really don¡¯t know how you could say the words ¡®the Princess Consort loses to me in all aspects,¡¯ Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan.¡± Every word that Lin Zhifei said caused Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face to turn a shade lighter. At the very end, her face was completely pale, and her entire body was trembling slightly. ¡°Y-you!¡± She opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t say anything to retort him. That was because everything that Lin Zhifei said was true! She had lost to Chu Liuyue¡ªin more than one aspect too! Seeing that Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t argue, the surrounding spectators gradually realized something, and they exchanged glances. This¡­ Most of them weren¡¯t very clear about what happened at the Sky-Cloud Empire. When they occasionally heard some news, most of it came from Jiang Zhiyuan and the rest. Why does Lin Zhifei¡¯s narrative sound completely different from that of Jiang Zhiyuan? ¡°Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan, since you¡¯ve lost and can say that you¡¯ve won, then¡­ Even if I lose, there won¡¯t be much of a problem, right?¡± asked Lin Zhifei. ¡°Why don¡¯t we compete first and see who will win?¡± ¡­ Fiend Park. The entire place was peaceful. Elder Shu Yu looked in a certain direction and knitted his brows in confusion. ¡°It has already been a few days. Why hasn¡¯t there been any commotion on Chu Yue¡¯s side?¡± Chapter 1265 - Courting Death! Originally, he thought that it was good if Chu Yue could even make it through one night. Who would¡¯ve expected that Chu Yue still hadn¡¯t sent out any signal for help even at this moment? Judging by the situation of Fiend Park¡¯s Xuan formation, he really didn¡¯t get into trouble and has indeed stayed at one place throughout, Elder Shu Yu thought to himself. ¡°Did he really find an ultimate hiding spot?¡± The fiends in Fiend Park don¡¯t have such good tempers¡­ For some reason, no fiends have acted up even now¡­ Elder Shu Yu thought for a while and planned on waiting a little while longer. If Chu Yue can really last a month here on his own, I will be viewing him in a different light! ¡­ In the cave, Chu Liuyue had already forgotten how time had passed. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force entered her body and passed through her bones and limbs before finally gathering within her dantian! As the surrounding force increased, the seven lines on the water droplet started glowing more brightly. However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t relax when she detected this commotion. Because¡­ According to her original calculations, she should¡¯ve broken through a few days ago. But for some reason, all the force within her dantian kept circulating back and forth. She actually dragged on to this day, and nothing happened. Chu Liuyue was confused. Breaking through to become a peak stage-seven warrior isn¡¯t very difficult for me. According to my past experience, I can successfully break through in less than a day or so. However, the current situation is progressing in an unknown direction. After much thinking, Chu Liuyue still decided to wait patiently and absorbed the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force continuously. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM After some time, a tiny ripple finally came from her dantian! Then, a tremendous force surged out from within! This force had a rather familiar aura. Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment and later realized that it was force that came from the Beiming Ancestor! After she absorbed all that force and it silently entered her water droplet, they stopped making any more commotion. Chu Liuyue had never expected that the force would suddenly surge out at this time! As it had been refined in the water droplet for a long time, this force had become very pure. It instantly rushed toward Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue was dazed and felt pricks all around her body! She was taken aback and instantly knew what had happened¡ªthis force was going to help her directly break through to become a stage-eight warrior! After reacting, Chu Liuyue swiftly guided the force immediately. Even though I don¡¯t know why such a situation would happen, the opportunity is rare. Since I can directly break through to become a stage-eight warrior, then¡­ Why don¡¯t I give it a try!? With Chu Liuyue¡¯s intentional control, the force¡ªwhich was originally flowing around chaotically¡ªstarted entering her Yuan meridian in an orderly manner. A Tianjing Yuan meridian¡¯s tolerance was much higher than that of a Dijing Yuan meridian, so after the initial pain, Chu Liuyue quickly got used to the impact of such strong force. During this process, some of the force silently entered her blood and veins. The force in the water droplet kept flowing out. After all, the force left behind by a legendary warrior couldn¡¯t be underestimated! Chu Liuyue had never paid much attention to this force when it was previously stored in the water droplet. It was only when she tried to absorb this force that she realized it was absolutely terrifying! As she kept merging the force with her body, her aura kept strengthening rapidly! If anyone else were here at this point, they would definitely be shocked by this scene! This was because Chu Liuyue¡¯s force absorption speed was way too shocking at this moment! Normal cultivators had to make sufficient preparations before they tried to break through to become stage-eight warriors. Strictly speaking, they had to gather sufficient force to break through the stage-eight warrior barrier. For warriors, the higher the realm they broke through to, the more experience they needed. In actual fact, the amount of force Chu Liuyue had circulated far exceeded average cultivators! Chu Liuyue realized this point herself, so she could only urge the force to flow around! She had long known that the water droplet in her body had to use up more force when it wanted to break through. From the beginner stage to the intermediate stage, and then the intermediate stage to the peak stage¡­ It was at least in the same cultivation realm, and it wasn¡¯t that difficult. But every time she had to break through to the next cultivation realm, the situation would become very troublesome. Not to mention anything else, but just breaking through to become a stage-seven warrior¡­ She had spent quite a lot of effort. She didn¡¯t expect the endless force she absorbed at that time would be put to use when she broke through at this moment! Ka! A tiny sound was heard. The seventh line on the water droplet finally became as bright as the other lines! However, this was only the beginning. Chu Liuyue held her breath and didn¡¯t dare to relax at all as she kept increasing her strength and urging the force to move around! Boom! A loud sound suddenly could be heard coming from the sky. Dark clouds gathered, and the winds howled! The sky rapidly turned dark! Ah Qiong¡ªwho was standing guard at the cave entrance¡ªlooked up and turned around as if it felt something. Is she¡­ continuously breaking through?! ¡­ At the same time, Elder Shu Yu had heard this commotion from a few mountain peaks away and was extremely shocked. He knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Why did the sky darken so quickly¡­ No!¡± Suddenly, his expression changed. ¡°That kid is about to break through?!¡± He went on his toes and immediately flew over to that side! Breaking through in Fiend Park¡­ Is this kid courting death?! Chapter 1266 - Dont Talk Nonsense The world was completely dark. The wind howled as it blew past. These circumstances caused the fiends in Fiend Park to be restless. Some of them even started going toward the mountain peak Chu Liuyue was. The winds howled relentlessly, and the cold air was harsh. However, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was preparing to break through in the cave¡ªwas ignorant of all of this. ¡­ After breaking through to become a peak stage-seven warrior, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t pause as she continued to absorb the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force and merge it with the force coming out of the water droplet. Finally, she infused the force into her body¡¯s every inch of muscle and blood! Her body was like a black hole. No matter how much force she absorbed, she could accept it easily. Of course, she also had benefits after breaking through to become a peak stage-seven warrior¡ªshe could circulate the force at a higher speed. Chu Liuyue had her eyes closed tightly, and her mind was clear. She only had one thought¡ªbreak through to become a stage-eight warrior! Outside the cave, Ah Qiong¡ªwho was standing guard¡ªuneasily scratched the ground twice as it surveyed the surroundings. It was originally evening time, and with Chu Liuyue about to break through, dark clouds gathered. This made the light even dimmer. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM One couldn¡¯t see many things clearly. Looking out, one could only see the dark and rising mountains. Some tiny sounds came from all directions. A sense of alert flashed across Ah Qiong¡¯s eyes. ¡­ When Elder Shu Yu rushed over, he first saw such a scene: A gigantic, adult steel-ridged fiend was standing before the cave in a stern and alert manner! Its reaction was very sharp. Once Elder Shu Yu arrived, it detected his aura and looked over. Elder Shu Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This steel-ridged fiend looked at me with a gaze filled with enmity and warning! It¡¯s as if it will fight me to death if I take another step forward! Elder Shu Yu furrowed his brows tightly. What¡¯s with¡­ this steel-ridged fiend? I¡¯ve been in Fiend Park for a while, and I¡¯m rather familiar with most of the fiends here. Normally, we are quite courteous when we meet each other and won¡¯t cause a commotion. But this time, it¡¯s strange that this steel-ridged fiend went into such a pose once it saw me. It looks like it is protecting its cub¡­ But the noise came from the cave. Logically speaking, the person inside at this time should be Chu Yue! Elder Shu Yu was extremely confused, but he didn¡¯t dare to act recklessly. Normally, the fiends in Fiend Park were considered quite restrained, but they still didn¡¯t have agreements. The pride and wildness in their bones proved that they weren¡¯t easy to handle! At this point, strange sounds came from the surroundings. The unique bloody aura that belonged to fiends gradually approached. Elder Shu Yu surveyed his surroundings and looked stern. There are quite a few fiends gradually coming in this direction from the forest! Their target is obviously that cave! This increasingly confirmed his guess that Chu Yue had to be preparing to break through in the cave! Ordinary people didn¡¯t know that this was a major taboo in Fiend Park! When a cultivator broke through, they would trigger Heaven and Earth Force. The higher the realm one had to break through to, the bigger the commotion¡ªjust like now, the weather had strange phenomena as a thunderstorm brewed. But within Fiend park were many high-level fiends and legendary fiends. They had a natural desire for force. Normally, they would be more restrained, but cultivators that were preparing to break through could trigger a large amount of force. Yet, they were very weak at this time! Hence, such cultivators became a piece of fat meat to many fiends! At this time, many fiends would engage in intense combat for this ¡®fat piece of meat.¡¯ Chu Yue choosing this place and time to break through has driven himself to the brink of death! Elder Shu Yu became anxious. At the same time, the steel-ridged fiend¡¯s reaction made him confused. Is it¡­ standing guard for Chu Yue? Once this thought flashed across his head, Elder Shu Yu instinctively denied it. How is that possible?! An adult steel-ridged fiend is a legendary fiend with a violent, cold, and heartless nature. It is extremely alert toward humans. I have been in Fiend Park for so long, but it is hard for me to even approach them, let alone Chu Yue¡ªa kid who came just a few days ago. But seeing the steel-ridged fiend¡¯s appearance¡­ Other than this explanation, he really couldn¡¯t think of another reason. After much thinking, Elder Shu Yu decided to observe the changes silently. If something really happened, it wasn¡¯t too late for him to take action. ¡­ Outsiders didn¡¯t know about the chaos within Fiend Park. In the middle of the mountain, Lin Zhifei¡¯s words caused Jiang Zhiyuan to be unable to back down. Countless people in the surroundings looked over with varying expressions and gazes. Jiang Zhiyuan hated Lin Zhifei to the core. He¡¯s doing it on purpose! ¡°Okay, I promise you!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan raised her voice. Lin Zhifei smiled. ¡°Do guide me then, Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan.¡± Then, the two of them prepared themselves for battle. The spectators exchanged glances and couldn¡¯t conceal their excitement and curiosity. Elder Hua Feng and the rest had noticed the situation on this side, and they all looked over. ¡°Shu Feng, your newly accepted disciple is pretty prideful,¡± said Elder Dan Qing nonchalantly. ¡°He came to the academy less than three months ago, yet he already has this courage. It¡¯s truly commendable.¡± Elder Shu Feng could hear the sarcasm and mockery in his voice, but he wasn¡¯t angry at all and laughed out loud. ¡°Haha! Even though Zhifei doesn¡¯t talk much normally, he¡¯s someone with a temper and perseverance. If one wants to become a strong warrior, they need to have the confidence to challenge the strong ones, right?! But actually, this kid has always been stable and mature. Normally, he won¡¯t do something he has no confidence in. This match¡­ Haha, I¡¯m actually rather curious who will win!¡± Elder Dan Qing¡¯s face darkened, and he coldly snorted in his heart. Lin Zhifei is arrogant, and Shu Feng is like that too. How can a kid that just got onto the Qing Yun Ranking be Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s match? He flung his sleeves and coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s beneficial for young people to suffer some setbacks and hardships.¡± Elder Shu Feng raised his brows and pretended like he didn¡¯t hear it as he directly changed the topic. ¡°Actually, all of this isn¡¯t important. After all, it¡¯s just a small competition, and they¡¯re just dueling and interacting. The most important thing is to improve one¡¯s skills. As for Jiang Zhiyuan¡­ Dan Qing, she seems rather distracted today. Her condition doesn¡¯t seem very good, hm?¡± Elder Dan Qing knitted his brows. He had also realized this. With my understanding of Jiang Zhiyuan, she should¡¯ve met with some trouble. Additionally, after Lin Zhifei said those words earlier, her expression turned even uglier. ¡°Actually, everyone has their own frail and weak times. This is very normal, but no matter when, some words¡­ can¡¯t be casually said!¡± Chapter 1267 - You Lost Elder Dan Qing¡¯s heart instantly tightened. He suddenly turned around, furrowed his brows, and looked at Elder Shu Feng. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Rong Xiu isn¡¯t around, but it doesn¡¯t mean that he won¡¯t hear those words.¡± As if not seeing the other party¡¯s look of warning, Elder Shu Feng said relaxingly, ¡°Rong Xiu personally chose his princess consort, which shows that it was done according to his wishes. Besides, when Rong Xiu came back to the academy, he once honestly said that the princess consort was the one he really liked. If he finds out that Jiang Zhiyuan has ridiculed his princess consort in front of so many people and even expressed that she should be the princess consort¡­ With his personality, he won¡¯t let this incident slide so easily. Dan Qing, what do you think?¡± Elder Dan Qing¡¯s expression changed slightly. Rong Xiu has harsh methods and is ruthless. If not, it would be impossible for him to become His Grace and control the Sky-Cloud Empire in a mere few years! If he really wants to pursue the matter¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan won¡¯t have a good ending. Actually, all these years, it wasn¡¯t the first or second time that Jiang Zhiyuan had purposely made her relationship with Rong Xiu sound ambiguous and caused other people to misunderstand. Rong Xiu was no longer in the academy at that time, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t care. However, it was different now¡ªRong Xiu was right here. Besides, if he wanted to know something, he would definitely know the details of the matter. Elder Dan Qing¡¯s heart gradually sank. Others might not know, but as Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mentor, he knew clearly what kind of attitude Rong Xiu had toward her. What childhood sweethearts? What seniors¡¯ agreement¡­ They are all Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s wishful thinking! The legitimate princess consort is in the Sky-Cloud Empire now. How could Rong Xiu allow other people to ridicule her as they wished? ¡°I¡¯ll settle this myself,¡± boomed Elder Dan Qing. ¡°I don¡¯t need other people to teach my students!¡± Elder Shu Feng knew that he had heeded the advice, so he smiled and didn¡¯t speak further. Although Dan Qing is stubborn, he is very experienced, and his mind Is clear. However, it¡¯s a pity that Jiang Zhiyuan doesn¡¯t have such brains. Rong Xiu is in the academy, yet she still dares to say such words in front of so many people! Elder Shu Feng stroked his beard. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s future days won¡¯t be easy¡­ / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM ¡­ Lin Zhifei and Jiang Zhiyuan stood opposite each other. There was a chessboard quietly floating in between them. The two of them took turns to attack. In the beginning, Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t care about Lin Zhifei at all. However, she gradually realized that something was amiss. Every time she made a move, Lin Zhifei could follow her quickly, and the positioning of his pieces was very precise! It was as if he didn¡¯t need any reaction time, and his movements were rapid and precise! At the start, Jiang Zhiyuan could lie to herself and comfort herself that it was just the start and that nothing complicated had taken place. Lin Zhifei could make many moves, so he did it so naturally and easily. But as time passed, the number of pieces on the chessboard increased, and the situation became increasingly complicated. Even Jiang Zhiyuan had to think repeatedly before she made a move, yet Lin Zhifei didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all. He still made moves as sharply and sensitively as before! At this moment, Jiang Zhiyuan finally felt that she wasn¡¯t doing as well as she had hoped. She quickly looked up and saw that Lin Zhifei was still calm. Detecting her gaze, Lin Zhifei still smiled lightly and nodded toward her. Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her silver teeth. In her eyes, Lin Zhifei¡¯s reaction was clearly an insult! But no matter how infuriated she was, she couldn¡¯t save the losing situation. She became increasingly anxious and broke out into a cold sweat. The spectators had already detected something amiss as they secretly exchanged meaningful gazes. They were all Xuan Masters, so they could naturally tell what was happening. With the current situation, Jiang Zhiyuan was clearly on the losing end! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lin Zhifei to be so strong¡­ Did he hide his abilities before?¡± ¡°Most likely! You need to know that Jiang Zhiyuan is ranked much higher than him on the Qing Yun Ranking, but judging by the current situation¡­ Lin Zhifei is much better than her!¡± ¡°If Jiang Zhiyuan really loses this, won¡¯t she be humiliated?¡± ¡°The strong will be respected. If she¡¯s incapable, someone will replace her sooner or later! I think that¡­ she hasn¡¯t spent much effort on cultivation recently, so it¡¯s normal that people can catch up with her.¡± ¡°I think so too¡­ Didn¡¯t Lin Zhifei say that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort had actually beaten her legitimately? That wasn¡¯t what she said previously¡­¡± ¡°Would you be able to proudly talk to everyone about your loss? Actually, I already felt that something was amiss from the beginning. Rong Xiu is the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, and his status is very distinguished. How can he casually marry an ordinary woman as his princess consort? I don¡¯t know how much of what Jiang Zhiyuan said is true!¡± Although the person talking had already tried his best to lower his volume, everyone present was quite strong, so they could roughly hear it. This included Jiang Zhiyuan. She felt increasingly aggrieved, yet she couldn¡¯t righteously say anything in retaliation. This was because whatever they said was the truth! When everybody didn¡¯t know the truth, perhaps she could still lie her way through. But once they had some form of understanding, she couldn¡¯t do so anymore. This was because when the truth was out, the liar would always be in the most difficult position! Slap! A shocking sound came from the chessboard. Jiang Zhiyuan recovered her senses and looked forward. She then shockingly realized that the move Lin Zhifei just made had cut all her paths! Lin Zhifei calmly said, ¡°Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan, you¡¯ve lost.¡± Those nonchalant words were like heavy rocks that harshly slammed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart! She was dazed for a moment and didn¡¯t dare to believe whatever happened in front of her. I was only distracted for a moment. How did it become like this? However, I¡¯m indeed in a dead corner on the chessboard¡ªI have really lost! This realization made Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s legs go weak, and she almost collapsed onto the floor. The young man who previously wanted to challenge her hurriedly went forward to help her up. ¡°Zhiyuan, are you okay¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan pushed him away as if she were scared that she would be tainted by something dirty. That young man¡¯s face darkened, and he silently moved back. Lin Zhifei raised his brows slightly. ¡°Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan, it seems like your abilities¡­ haven¡¯t improved since you came back from the Sky-Cloud Empire.¡± These words were like a harsh slap to Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face! She stared at the chessboard intently, took a deep breath in, and suppressed her rage with much difficulty. ¡°I¡¯ve neglected my cultivation lately. Thank you for correcting me, Junior Brother Lin.¡± Then, she turned around and walked toward the few elders. Elder Dan Qing took a step forward worriedly. ¡°Zhiyuan¡ª¡± ¡°Mentor, I would like to take leave.¡± Chapter 1268 - Leave Without waiting for Elder Dan Qing to finish, Jiang Zhiyuan spoke first. ¡°Junior Brother Lin is right. Recently, my condition hasn¡¯t been good, so¡­ I want to go home for a while and come back after I¡¯ve readjusted my thoughts.¡± Elder Dan Qing didn¡¯t expect her to have such a plan and was slightly stunned. ¡°Zhiyuan, if you have any difficulties, you can just let me know. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to help you in anything I can.¡± Although Jiang Zhiyuan had a temper, she was still the best student Elder Dan Qing had taught for many years, so he wasn¡¯t willing to scold her much. These few years, he had spent quite a lot of effort on Jiang Zhiyuan as he had hopes of her being more outstanding than most people¡ªeven if she couldn¡¯t become a top existence like Rong Xiu. But seeing her current appearance, his heart ached as well. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Mentor, but this time¡­ I have disappointed you. It¡¯s all my fault, but don¡¯t worry. After I have readjusted my thoughts, I¡¯ll come back as soon as possible.¡± Seeing that she had already made up her mind, Elder Dan Qing knew that there wasn¡¯t much use in convincing her. Thus, he could only nod his head in agreement. ¡°Okay, come back whenever you want. I¡¯ll wait for you anytime.¡± Today, she had misspoken in front of the crowd and even lost to Lin Zhifei. It would be better if she left for a while. After the matter had calmed down, it wouldn¡¯t be too late for her to return. Jiang Zhiyuan smiled in gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Mentor. I¡¯ll take my leave today then.¡± Elder Dan Qing sighed in his heart and nodded. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Jiang Zhiyuan then turned around and left. The crowd exchanged glances. ¡°She just¡­ left? We haven¡¯t even finished the lesson¡ª¡± ¡°She has already lost to Lin Zhifei, so who cares if she¡¯s still going to attend the lesson? If I were her, I would¡¯ve left as well!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that she¡¯s a sore loser, right¡­ It¡¯s good to have a backer. You can leave and come back whenever you want, as and when you please!¡± Some awful words entered Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s ears. Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her hands within her sleeves tightly and managed to control her expression with much difficulty. She then walked to Lin Zhifei and stopped before him. Lin Zhifei felt something and looked up. Suddenly, Jiang Zhiyuan smiled, but her eyes were still cold as ice. ¡°Junior Brother Lin, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re so protective of her and that you¡¯re even willing to stand up for her¡­ If she knew about it, she¡¯d definitely be very grateful, right?¡± Her tone was sincere as if she were just praising Lin Zhifei. But if one thought about it even slightly, they would feel that something was amiss. Her words had some elements of ambiguity to them. Lin Zhifei looked up slightly, and his clear eyes glowed with some mockery and smiling intent. ¡°As one of Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s 28 divisions, people of Grotto-Heaven Cliff have the duty to protect our Princess Consort. Yet¡­ If Senior Brother Rong Xiu knew what you were doing today, Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan, I wonder how he would react?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You!¡± ¡°This is Ling Xiao Academy, not Fairy Water Mound. Senior Sister Jiang Zhiyuan, it¡¯s better if you¡¯re more careful with your words in the future.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was so furious that she laughed. ¡°Okay! Junior Brother Lin, I¡¯ll challenge you another day!¡± Then, she quickly left. I can¡¯t do anything to Lin Zhifei in the academy, but after I leave, Grotto-Heaven Cliff is under Fairy Water Mound¡¯s disposal. When I get back, I will definitely give them a hard time! ¡­ After Jiang Zhiyuan left, the crowd fell silent for a while before quickly returning to normal. A Jiang Zhiyuan wasn¡¯t worth wasting so much time and energy. The students of Ling Xiao Academy knew very clearly that the most important thing was to be capable, no matter when. The duels continued, but this time, there were clearly a lot fewer people who wanted to challenge Lin Zhifei. They originally thought that he was a newbie who had just come to this world, but he actually hid his skills! This time, anyone who wanted to challenge him had to think about it carefully. After some contemplation, the person who eventually dueled with Lin Zhifei became Luo Yanming. Without surprise, Luo Yanming also lost after some struggle. At this time, everyone realized that Lin Zhifei was much stronger than they had expected! Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but smack his lips. ¡°This Lin Zhifei wasn¡¯t too obvious in the past, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so outstanding¡­ Shu Feng, you¡¯ve really earned it this time!¡± Elder Shu Feng was also elated as he smiled until his wrinkles jiggled. ¡°Hehe, of course! Amongst all the new students these few months¡­ If he¡¯s second in terms of Xuan Master talent, nobody will dare to be first!¡± The key is that he is very mature, and I don¡¯t need to worry much about him. Elder Hua Feng raised his brows. ¡°That might not be¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he thought for a while and still swallowed his remaining words. Elder Shu Feng continued asking, ¡°What did you say?¡± Elder Hua Feng smiled and shook his head. ¡°Nothing! Teach this kid properly! Don¡¯t let him go astray!¡± Elder Shu Feng laughed out loud. ¡°How can all of them be so playful? Don¡¯t worry! My disciple is very obedient, and he has been very interested in transportation formations, so he has been studying them lately. Oh right, aren¡¯t you very good at that too? When you have the time, could you go and guide him?¡± Elder Hua Feng laughed out loud and naturally agreed. ¡­ Fiend Park. The night sky fell. The clouds rushed up, and the winds howled. Elder Shu Yu stood in mid-air and stared at the mountain peak below him tightly, waiting to strike anytime! Chapter 1269 - Give Suddenly, a sharp and painful shrill reverberated throughout the forest! Elder Shu Yu looked down and faintly saw that a steel-ridged fiend cub¡ª at the foot of the mountain¡ªwas struggling on its way back. With just one glance, he recognized that it was the cub the adult steel-ridged fiend gave birth to not long ago! It seemed to be injured. When it ran, it limped, and there was a faint trail of blood behind it. Elder Shu Yu went in closer and took a more careful look. Then, he saw that there was a wound on the cub¡¯s hind limb. It seemed like some fierce fiend had forcefully ripped off a large piece of meat, and one could see its white bones. Elder Shu Yu was shocked. Steel-ridged fiends have thick skin, and their physical strength can definitely be considered one of the top three amongst the fiends in Fiend Park. It definitely isn¡¯t an ordinary fiend that wounded the cub to this state! It most likely seems like it¡­ However, the fiends usually stay in their own lanes. Why would they suddenly fight? Not to mention that it is just a cub¡ªhurting the cub will undoubtedly harm the adult steel-ridged fiend completely! This way, they would have an intense fight! Just when Elder Shu Yu was thinking about these problems, that steel-ridged fiend cub started running toward the mountain peak. As it ran, it kept crying out for help. Ah Qiong¡ªwho was standing guard outside the cave¡ªheard this familiar voice and immediately looked down. Its vision was very sharp. Even if the whole place was dark, Ah Qiong still could quickly see the scene below. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM An intense bloody aura attacked them. Ah Qiong¡¯s expression changed when it saw the wound on its cub! Whoosh! All the steel needles on its back immediately stood on end, and harsh murderous intent flashed across its eyes! ¡°Roar!¡± It looked up in anger and let out a furious roar. This roar was thick and powerful as it reverberated throughout the forest! All the fiends knew that this was a warning! Hearing its own mother¡¯s voice, the steel-ridged fiend cub felt more at ease. But very quickly, it shockingly discovered that the fiend chasing after it didn¡¯t stop! Said fiend even increased its speed! Whoosh! The one behind suddenly pounced forward! The steel-ridged fiend cub quickly dodged it, almost staggering and collapsing onto the ground. During the process, its body fell onto a piece of broken wood, and a thick branch that extended out from it stabbed into its wound harshly! ¡°Roar!¡± The steel-ridged fiend cub let out a painful cry. But at this moment, it couldn¡¯t care about all of this as it struggled to stand up and ran toward the mountain. Go home! As long as I¡¯m by Mother¡¯s side, I¡¯ll be safe! With this belief, it tried its best to rush back. Ah Qiong took in all of this. Its eyes seemed to be burning with two balls of fire as if it wanted to burn everything before it! It raised its leg and wanted to rush over, but it suddenly recalled that Chu Liuyue was still cultivating within the cave and was preparing to break through. If it left now, Chu Liuyue would be completely exposed to danger! Ah Qiong knew too clearly what kind of trouble a human breaking through in Fiend Park would have! The mature steel-ridged fiend struggled internally. Its only bloodline was in front, and behind was the benefactor that had saved its life. Ah Qiong couldn¡¯t decide. Roar! Below the mountain, another painful shrill could be heard. However, this sound was clearly much weaker than the initial shrill. Without looking, Ah Qiong knew that its kid was definitely in a perilous situation. Its natural mother instincts made it want to throw everything down and immediately rush over, but the bit of stubborness in the depths of its heart caused it to stay rooted to the ground. Finally, it raised its leg and harshly stomped down! Hong long! With this step, almost the entire mountain started vibrating! Cracks spread from the bottom of its feet! The terrifying suppression was like howling winds moving below! Before Chu Liuyue broke through, it still couldn¡¯t leave this place! Normally, all the fiends would stay in their own territory and not intervene with one another. Once there was any breach, they would receive warnings and threats. Under most circumstances, such warnings were effective. This was because there wasn¡¯t one fiend that could solely dominate Fiend Park. Every fiend was interconnected, which formed a peculiar balance. But now, this balance was broken. The other party had already ignored Ah Qiong¡¯s continuous warnings and wanted to attack no matter what! Other than facing the fight, it had no other choice! However¡­ the current Ah Qiong couldn¡¯t even leave. How could it fight? The cub¡¯s shouts gradually became weaker. Ah Qiong looked over and could clearly see that its cub¡¯s speed had decreased greatly and that its body was covered with fresh blood. It clearly couldn¡¯t carry on any longer. There seemed to be fire burning in Ah Qiong¡¯s eyes as they turned bloodshot! Roar! This roar was painful and miserable, on the verge of craziness! However, the adult steel-ridged fiend still continued to guard the cave and didn¡¯t leave at all! ¡­ ¡°How can this be¡­¡± When Elder Shu Yu saw this scene not far away, he was stunned. What exactly is that adult steel-ridged fiend thinking? The one on the brink of death below the mountain is its cub! At this time, shouldn¡¯t it rush over immediately and try its best to protect it? Why hasn¡¯t it moved even at this moment and keeps on guarding the cave? Is the person in the cave¡­ really Chu Yue?! Elder Shu Yu was very confused. Could it be that Chu Yue is even more important than its own bloodline? If he didn¡¯t see it personally, he definitely wouldn¡¯t believe that such a thing happened. If he told other people about this, they would probably think that he was joking. He furrowed his brows tightly and suddenly thought of all the rumors related to Chu Yue. Every single one of them was incredulous. Originally, he didn¡¯t really care about Chu Yue. He just felt that the latter was a kid who liked to cause trouble. At the end of the day, he was just a little more talented and luckier. But now, he realized that he had thought wrongly. To get an adult steel-ridged fiend to willingly sacrifice its bloodline¡¯s life¡­ What exactly has Chu Yue been doing in Fiend Park these few days? ¡­ Actually, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t do anything. She was just cultivating and planned to break through to become a stage-eight warrior! A few days had passed, yet she still maintained the same posture. As she absorbed the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force, she kept merging it with the force contained inside her water droplet. Even she was taken aback by the amount of resources needed for this breakthrough. This was because it had long exceeded the amount she needed when she broke through to become a stage-eight warrior in her previous life. But from start to end, she still did her best. Vaguely, she could feel an invisible barrier. She knew that it was the barrier to becoming a stage-eight warrior! She took a deep breath in, gathered her forces, and slammed against that barrier! ¡­ Chapter 1270 - Chu Yue in Danger! Boom! A gigantic force wave suddenly came out of the cave! Elder Shu Yu¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. This commotion¡­ Is Chu Yue really only breaking through to become a stage-eight warrior? I have cultivated for many years and have seen many cultivators try to break through this barrier, and some of them were outstanding talents. However, none of them caused so much commotion! Some cultivators might not even have such a huge commotion when they break through to become stage-nine warriors! Elder Shu Yu clenched his fists tightly and had the urge to even scold people! Before he entered, I had clearly told Chu Yue to honestly tell me about his abilities! Back then, I thought that he had said everything, but I didn¡¯t expect him to still hide it in the end! When this incident Is over, I definitely have to teach Chu Yue a lesson! Roar! An excited, high-pitched screech came from another mountain peak not far away! This sound felt like it had instantly opened a mysterious passage. The unknown and frightening water rushed out before everyone else could react! Caw! Another sharp shrill came from another direction! Following this, all sorts of noises came from all directions! The fiends¡ªthat had silently arrived previously and were hiding quietly¡ªfinally couldn¡¯t hold themselves back and flashed their sharp teeth! / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Their screams were filled with endless greed and desire! Even if the murder hadn¡¯t officially begun, the air was already filled with a thick bloody aura! Elder Shu Yu¡¯s back suddenly broke out into a cold sweat. The fiends that rushed over due to the temptation were even more than he had previously predicted! Under the dark sky, the figures filled with murderous intent came out from the mountains and went toward the one in the middle! Elder Shu Yu lowered his head to take a look, and all his hair stood on end! There are too many fiends! Chu Yue has caused too big a commotion while breaking through. Other than the nearby fiends, even some distant fiends have detected the commotion and came over respectively. If one doesn¡¯t think of a solution in time, the number of fiends gathered around will only increase! Elder Shu Yu¡¯s entire body tensed up, and his mind whirled crazily in hopes of finding a solution. But¡­ How could it be that easy? Strictly speaking, there were only two methods. One was to forcefully interrupt Chu Yue¡¯s breakthrough and quickly bring him to leave the place. The other was to chase all the fiends away and rescue Chu Yue. But whichever method it was, it didn¡¯t sound like it was possible. When cultivators broke through, they had to do it in an extremely stable environment. Any disturbance could cause them to fail, and in more serious circumstances, one might not even be able to step past this barrier again. If he did this, what would happen if he destroyed Chu Yue? Not to mention that there was an adult steel-ridged fiend guarding Chu Yue by his side. A steel-ridged fiend that was willing to give up on its cub to protect him¡ªonce it detected someone approaching, the thought of the force that would explode out was horrifying. As for the second method¡­ Elder Shu Yu admitted that he didn¡¯t have such abilities. Even if he regularly patrolled and guarded this place, he wasn¡¯t the match for so many fiends! In his panic, Elder Shu Yu finally retrieved his green jade plaque and sent out a signal for help: Chu Yue is in danger. Quickly come and rescue him! ¡­ It was already night. Elder Bo Yan and the rest arrived at Million Wine Mountain, and they planned on continuing the repairs. But once Elder Bo Yan stood still, he suddenly noticed something, and his expression changed. Elder Ouyang and Shang Yulin glanced at him weirdly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t speak as he directly took out his green jade plaque. A string of words gradually appeared, and Elder Bo Yan¡¯s eyes shrunk! Detecting the change in his surrounding aura, Elder Ouyang and Shang Yulin exchanged glances and felt uneasy. ¡°I have something on. I need to go first.¡± Elder Bo Yan said this and quickly turned around to leave. ¡°Hey, what exactly is going on?¡± Elder Ouyang couldn¡¯t help but ask. They rarely saw Elder Bo Yan display such an expression. Elder Bo Yan paused and said, ¡°There¡¯s a problem with Fiend Park. I¡¯ll go over there to take a look.¡± ¡°Fiend Park?¡± Doesn¡¯t that mean that Chu Yue is in trouble? ¡°But haven¡¯t Shu Yu and the rest always been there¡­¡± Before Elder Ouyang could finish speaking, he suddenly fell silent. This message was clearly sent by the few of them. It showed that the incident had already gone out of those few people¡¯s control! ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± Shang Yulin was swift. Elder Bo Yan shook his head. ¡°You can just continue staying here. After all, Fiend Park has a huge Xuan formation, Shu Yu, and the rest. Nothing major will happen in such a short amount of time, but¡­ If you go with us, we¡¯ll draw too much attention.¡± The incident of Chu Yue being locked in Fiend Park was only known to the few of them. Once this news went out, it would waste their previous efforts. The Elder Ouyang-Shang Yulin duo exchanged glances and could only agree. ¡°If anything happens, we¡¯ll also rush over immediately.¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded, went on his toes, and rapidly left. Clang! A water sound suddenly came from the fountain. Elder Ouyang immediately became alert. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± Shang Yulin quickly went up, checked it carefully, and heaved half a sigh of relief. ¡°Nothing much. I think a rock dropped in from the side.¡± Elder Ouyang was still suspicious and only relaxed after he went over and looked at it personally. ¡°Good that there¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s already at such a crucial moment; nothing can go wrong now.¡± ¡­ At the same time, Elder Wan Zheng¡ªwho was tidying up his herbs in his own residence¡ªalso received Elder Shu Yu¡¯s message. Seeing the line of words on the green jade plaque, he was so shocked that he suddenly stood up and flipped the table. Tens of tidily placed precious herbs all dropped to the ground and were mixed together. However, Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t care about this as he left immediately. ¡°I should¡¯ve stayed there to guard him and not leave!¡± At that moment, his figure disappeared into the night sky outside the door. ¡­ Rumble! Another ripple came from within the cave. At this point, the Xuan formation in the sky suddenly glowed. Elder Shu Yu quickly flew forward and whipped his sleeves, and an opening was made in the Xuan formation. A figure rapidly rushed in¡ªit was Elder Bo Yan. Once he saw Elder Shu Yu, Elder Bo Yan asked anxiously, ¡°How¡¯s Chu Yue?¡± Before Elder Shu Yu could reply, another person swiftly flew in. ¡°Disciple! Disciple!¡± yelled Elder Wan Zheng in panic. After he came in, he saw Elder Shu Yu and immediately went up to grab his wrist. ¡°My disciple! How is he now?!¡± Elder Shu Yu swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty and pointed below. ¡°There¡ª¡± Chapter 1271 - : Rescue Elder Wan Zheng and Elder Bo Yan were aghast when they looked in the direction Elder Shu Yu was pointing. One mountain peak stood tall and majestically among the undulating mountains. It wasn¡¯t any different from any other peak, but it stood out at this moment with the dark clouds gathered above to form a large vortex that almost seemed connected to it. Not to mention that the howling winds seemed capable of destroying the peak at any moment. Fiends could be seen everywhere further down the peak. Some were creeping on the side of the rocks, some were standing atop the tree branches, and some were hiding in the ravines. In short, the peak was surrounded by fiends of all sorts. At a glance, the fiends at the outermost ring were of the ninth grade, which was the lowest grade there. The ones at the innermost ring, on the other hand, were all legendary fiends. The power of one legendary fiend was extraordinary enough, what more a group of them. And they were all looking at the mountain in the middle with cold, greedy, and murderous eyes. The air seemed to be frozen, and the sight of the numerous fiends could make one¡¯s hair stand on end. In fact, just one glance from afar was stifling enough. Both Elder Wan Zheng and Elder Bo Yan were appalled, having never expected to see such a scene. ¡°T-this¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s lips grew pale. ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Yue?¡± Elder Shu Yu gulped with much difficulty as he pointed in a certain direction. ¡°H-He¡¯s inside that mountain cave¡­¡± Actually, it was easy for anyone to guess Chu Yue¡¯s location based on this situation, let alone the two elders with vast experience. But they simply refused to believe the truth, for it was far too alarming and worrying. ¡°Why is he there? No, that¡¯s not right¡­ Is he doing okay?¡± Elder Wan Zheng unconsciously tightened his grip on Elder Shu Yu¡¯s wrist. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Knowing that the former was worried, Elder Shu Yu hurriedly assured him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s fine for now!¡± His words, however, weren¡¯t able to put Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s mind at ease. Even if he¡¯s fine for now, there¡¯s no telling what might happen next since he¡¯s surrounded by formidable enemies. Elder Bo Yan was a bit calmer in comparison. A flicker of doubt appeared in his eyes after he carefully scanned the surroundings. ¡°Is Chu Yue preparing for a breakthrough?¡± There was only one situation that could trigger the current situation. Elder Shu Yu nodded. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just an intermediate stage-seven warrior? Even if he¡¯s going to break through, there shouldn¡¯t be so much commotion¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not so simple.¡± Elder Shu Yu took a deep breath. ¡°He¡¯s going to break through to the eighth stage in one go!¡± Elder Wan Zheng instinctively looked at him with a frown. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?!¡± Elder Shu Yu kept quiet and looked at him helplessly. Do I have to lie about this? ¡°Shu Yu is right. Based on the amount of Heaven and Earth Force here, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s not trying to make it to the advanced stage. In my opinion, this situation will only occur when one is trying to break through to become a stage-nine warrior.¡± Elder Bo Yan was filled with remorse as he looked at the numerous fiends surrounding the mountain. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. This is happening because I failed to make things clear to Chu Yue¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who failed my duties.¡± Elder Wan Zheng rubbed his face hard. I told him a lot of things while we were on the way here that day, but I forgot to tell him about this. How could I have forgotten to mention the most important point when I knew that he was a gifted child?! Elder Bo Yan patted his shoulder in consolation. ¡°Since things have already happened, let¡¯s not blame ourselves for now. Our priority should be rescuing Chu Yue.¡± As it hadn¡¯t been long since Chu Yue became an intermediate stage-seven warrior, nobody expected him to break through so soon again. And the thing was that he was aiming to reach the eighth stage. Everything happened so suddenly that it caught the elders off-guard. ¡°Rescue him? How are we going to do that?¡± Elder Wan Zheng looked worried. Although those fiends are usually reasonable, the situation is unique now. They won¡¯t listen to us since they¡¯re currently blinded by impulse and greed. It¡¯s also impossible for us to use force. Even if we joined forces, we might not be able to beat them. When Elder Shu Yu noticed the worried looks on the other two, he added, ¡°Things may still turn around. Chu Yue isn¡¯t alone right now. Can you see what¡¯s in the middle of the mountain?¡± The two looked in the direction he was referring to. ¡°Is that¡­ a steel-ridged fiend?¡± The corners of Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°That¡¯s right, but that steel-ridged fiend isn¡¯t trying to attack Chu Yue. On the contrary¡­ it¡¯s guarding him.¡± As soon as Elder Shu Yu said that, Elder Bo Yan and Elder Wan Zheng looked at him weirdly. Elder Shu Yu laughed wryly at that. ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡± Just then, a roar filled with grief and despair could be heard coming from nearby. Everyone looked over, only to see two fiends fighting at the top of the mountain. No, to be precise, it was actually a one-sided fight. A golden-cloud leopard with a brown body and golden spots was currently madly attacking a dying steel-ridged fiend lying in a pool of blood. Most of the steel needles on its back had been broken, and it was injured almost everywhere with the majority of its wounds caused by the golden-cloud leopard. ¡°That¡¯s the steel-ridged fiend¡¯s cub,¡± Elder Shu Yu said with a resigned sigh. ¡°The mother chose to remain in front of the cave to save Chu Yue instead of going down to save its cub.¡± Chapter 1272 - Kill! ¡°Unbelievable, right? But it¡¯s true. I saw it myself, and now, you too.¡± Elder Shu Yu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Chu Yue has done to make that adult steel-ridged fiend behave this way. It would rather give up its own child and protect him to the end.¡± Elder Bo Yan and Elder Wan Zheng fell silent out of shock. ¡°Still, even with that steel-ridged fiend around, things might not last long. It usually takes very long to break through to the eighth stage, and I can¡¯t be certain when Chu Yue will break through. But once those fiends band together to attack him, I¡¯m afraid that¡­¡± Elder Shu Yu looked up at the sky. Worse still, there¡¯s a chance that Chu Yue¡¯s breakthrough might end in failure. Elder Bo Yan suddenly said, ¡°If we can lure them away¡­¡± ¡°This method won¡¯t work. With Chu Yue on the verge of breaking through and mobilizing a large amount of Heaven and Earth Force, nothing is more attractive to those fiends.¡± Having watched over Fiend Park for years, Elder Shu Yu naturally had more experience than the others. And if he was saying this, it meant that that method really wasn¡¯t viable. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s basically impossible for us to get close to that mountain to take him away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious that the adult steel-ridged fiend will fight to its death to stop the approaching enemies¡ªus included. Also, if we suddenly break in, we might not be of any help and might even rile those fiends up, forcing them to attack.¡± ¡°This won¡¯t work, and that won¡¯t work either! Then, what the hell should we do?!¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help lashing out at Elder Bo Yan. ¡°See? I told you not to send him in here! It¡¯s dangerous, but you didn¡¯t listen! If anything happens to my student, you¡¯ll get it from me, Bo Yan!¡± Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t get angry over Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s outburst. He remained as calm as ever. ¡°This is Ling Xiao Academy. I¡¯m responsible for everything here when the director isn¡¯t around. I won¡¯t let anything happen to Chu Yue as long as I¡¯m around!¡± His firm tone made Elder Wan Zheng gradually calm down. He closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for losing my temper at you, Bo Yan¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that now. What we should be doing is find a way to bring Chu Yue out¡ª¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Boom! Another startling wave of force came out from the cave. Elder Bo Yan clenched his fists. After much internal conflict, he said with gritted teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for him to break through first!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, the golden-cloud leopard stared coldly at the steel-ridged fiend cub in front of itself. There was a thick metallic blood scent in the air. Being a legendary fiend, it was naturally easy for it to deal with a ninth-grade cub. Besides, its only protector was standing guard in front of the cave instead of coming down to protect it. The golden-cloud leopard looked up and licked its claw provocatively. ¡­ Ah Qiong could, of course, see everything clearly from where it was. From the way its eyes were all scarlet and filled with rage and hatred, there was no doubt that it would rip the golden-cloud leopard to pieces if it had the chance. However, it didn¡¯t move. Like a fortress, it stood in front of the cave and carefully protected Chu Liuyue. Its eyes were glued on the golden-cloud leopard though, and it could clearly remember all the wounds the former left on its child¡¯s body. I just have to¡­ I just have to wait until C-Chu Liuyue breaks through, and I can make that golden-cloud leopard pay for what it¡¯s doing to my child! A hint of satisfaction could be seen on the golden-cloud leopard when it saw the resentment in Ah Qiong¡¯s eyes. It wanted the latter to feel anguish and to watch it kill its own child with its own eyes. It was extremely difficult for steel-ridged fiends to give birth, with some only giving birth to only one cub in their lifetime. And that was the reason why they were extremely doting on their cubs and why they valued them so much. Some adult steel-ridged fiends would even die of depression because of the loss of their children, so the golden-cloud leopard believed that this particular steel-ridged fiend wouldn¡¯t be an exception. At the thought of that, the golden-cloud leopard became more arrogant and smug. It tilted its head and looked at the dying cub on the ground. The cub was actually numb to the pain now, and it didn¡¯t have the strength to even stand up. Using all its might, all it could do was turn its head with much difficulty to look up the mountain. The mother and child looked at each other from a distance. The cub¡¯s eyes were filled with longing, desire, and also desperation. It looked like it wanted to cry out, but its voice was no longer working. It could only gasp. After several failed attempts, it finally gave up and slowly closed its eyes with two streams of tears flowing out of them. The golden-cloud leopard leaped onto the cub¡¯s body and opened its mouth wide to bite the cub¡¯s throat. That bite would surely kill the cub. A violent shiver ran through Ah Qiong¡¯s body. It instinctively wanted to close its eyes, but it didn¡¯t. It wanted to see how the leopard was going to kill its child. Although it held back its cries, two streams of tears flowed down its eyes. The golden-cloud leopard¡¯s sharp fangs glinted coldly as it leaned down to take a bite. Whoosh! A sharp air-cutting sound was heard. Startled, the golden-cloud leopard immediately dodged toward the side, but the cold wind was even faster. Before it could even jump away from the cub¡¯s body, a sharp sword stabbed through its head and pinned it to the ground. Blood splattered everywhere. It had died a horrifying death with its body all stiffened, its eyeballs bulging, and its head deformed. Chapter 1273 - Who’s up Next?! The sudden strike took everyone aback, and the entire mountain peak was surrounded by an eerie silence. Ah Qiong, however, instantly jerked its head to the back. A long, slender figure was currently walking out of the deep cave¡ªit was Chu Liuyue. Her steps landed quietly in a smooth and natural manner, and each of her moves seemed to exude some kind of indescribable grace and ease. Even when the wind passed by her, it seemed to become extra gentle and light. The sky was quite dark at this hour, but the surroundings seemed to light up when she appeared. She still looked the same as before, but something seemed a little different about her at the same time. This change only happened when one became stronger. ¡°Why are you still standing there, Ah Qiong? Go and fetch your child.¡± Chu Liuyue stood still and flashed a smile at Ah Qiong. It was only then that Ah Qiong snapped back to its senses. After nodding its head vigorously at her, it started to run down the mountain. Thump! Thump! Due to its massive size, the steel-ridged fiend looked like it was going to crush the mountain under its feet when it ran. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM It didn¡¯t take long for the fiend to reach its child since it was incredibly fast and the distance was quite short. Ah Qiong carefully lowered its head and nudged the cub¡¯s head before going closer to touch the cub¡¯s horn with its own glowing silver horn. Warm energy flowed into the cub¡¯s body. When the cub¡ªwho was waiting for its death in despair¡ªfelt a familiar scent instead of the fatal blow, it slowly opened its eyes. From how it blankly stared at its mother, it was clear that it didn¡¯t understand what was going on. Ah Qiong carefully carried it up and walked back to the cave. With its mother¡¯s energy flowing within it, the dying cub regained a bit of its strength. It only had a vague understanding of what had happened when it was placed at the entrance of their cave. ¡°It¡¯s pretty badly injured. I¡¯ll give it some medicine to stabilize the condition first. After that, it needs proper treatment and recuperation.¡± While speaking, Chu Liuyue took out a bottle and poured out five pills to feed to the cub. Just one pill would be enough for a person, but due to the steel-ridged fiend¡¯s massive size, five pills were needed. The cub obediently swallowed the pills. Ah Qiong pressed its face against the cub. Although its eyes were still red, the resentment and despair in them had faded and were replaced by endless joy and gratefulness. The mother and child quietly huddled together as if nothing could separate them. Moved by the sight, Chu Liuyue solemnly said to Ah Qiong, ¡°Thank you, Ah Qiong¡­¡± Feelings of gratitude, guilt, and comfort were condensed in those few words. Although Chu Liuyue had been in the cave the entire time and wasn¡¯t able to see what was going on outside for herself, she had a rough idea about the situation outside as she had been paying attention. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Ah Qiong would be willing to give up its child for her. She was deeply shocked and moved by that, but she also felt bad and remorseful at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll help treat your child properly.¡± Chu Liuyue paused before adding, ¡°Also, don¡¯t do that next time¡­¡± Ah Qiong shook its head. It would still make the same choice all over again. It could always give up its life and exact revenge for its child, but it wanted Chu Liuyue to live. Chu Liuyue choked up, and her eyes became moist. She took a deep breath and then flashed a bright and proud smile at the fiend. ¡°My bad. There won¡¯t be any next time!¡± I won¡¯t let this happen again! ¡°Stay here and take care of your child. Just leave the rest to me.¡± Chu Liuyue then stepped forward and raised her hand. Whoosh! The sharp, cold, and majestic Chi Xiao Sword that killed the golden-cloud leopard swiftly flew back. As Chu Liuyue gripped the sword hilt, which felt slightly cool to the touch, she was burning on the inside. Even though she had already expected the Chi Xiao Sword to be far more powerful than all the Yuan instruments she had owned before. Its terrifying power still left her amazed when she brandished the sword. She didn¡¯t actually use her force when she threw the sword out earlier. In fact, she just randomly threw it out and controlled it with her mind due to the urgency of the situation, but she still managed to kill the golden-cloud leopard in a single strike. This showed how powerful the Chi Xiao Sword was, considering that the golden-cloud leopard was a legendary fiend. The supreme Yuan instrument was indeed worthy of its name. Chu Liuyue looked at the sword, which still appeared clean and shiny even after killing a legendary fiend. There weren¡¯t any bloodstains on it. It was quiet all around, with all hissing sounds ceasing the instant the golden-cloud leopard was killed. The lowest ranked among the fiends present were ninth-grade ones, so they weren¡¯t stupid. At the very least, they no longer thought Chu Liuyue was easy prey after what they had seen. Chu Liuyue looked up and swept a cold gaze at the fiends around her while smirking. ¡°Who¡¯s up next?!¡± Chapter 1274 - : You, Then! Silence ensued, and all that could be heard was the evening breeze blowing through the mountain and making her sleeves flutter. The slender young man standing on the mountain suddenly straightened his back and confronted the fiends. The key was that he didn¡¯t lose to the fiends in terms of presence. When the three elders saw this from mid-air, they were shocked. ¡°I-is this¡­ really my student, Chu Yue?¡± stammered Elder Wan Zheng while feeling his throat go dry. However, he wanted to give himself a slap on the mouth as soon as he said that. What nonsensical question is that?! Who else can he be but my precious student?! Just look at that face, body, and presence! And that Chi Xiao Sword! That¡¯s my precious student! ¡°Eighth stage¡­ He really broke through to become a stage-eight warrior!¡± Elder Bo Yan muttered under his breath, his eyes filled with shock. It wasn¡¯t an easy feat. Many cultivators did everything they could and even made lots of preparations in advance, but only a few managed to break through successfully. Most importantly, the more talent and potential cultivators had, the harder it would be for them to break through because every step beyond the seventh stage would have a tremendous impact on their subsequent development. Every step was akin to walking on thin ice¡ªno mistakes could be made. Chu Yue has absolute talent in this aspect, so how did he manage to break through just like that? Elder Bo Yan could still remember the terrifying scene he saw when they arrived here. The commotion proved that Chu Yue had extraordinary talent in the warrior path, but that also made the elders all the more worried. Elder Bo Yan thought that there was no way Chu Yue could succeed, but the latter actually proved him wrong a while later. Chu Yue even killed a legendary fiend in a single strike. Had it been someone else, they might not be able to do it even if they were a ninth-grade warrior. Elder Shu Yu was considered the calmest of the three. As he had been here the entire time to witness almost the entire incident, he had mentally prepared himself a long time ago. Thus, his receptivity was much higher than the other two. After taking a deep breath, he said comfortingly, ¡°Bo Yan, Wan Zheng, you can put your mind at ease now. Usually, times like these are the most dangerous because the cultivator who has just made a successful breakthrough is overflowing with force. This holds a fatal attraction to the fiends. Normally, they would strike by now, but they¡¯re currently feeling a bit apprehensive because Chu Yue made the first move and killed a golden-cloud leopard. If they choose to leave after weighing their pros and cons, that will mark the end of this matter!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Elder Shu Yu¡¯s words lifted the spirits of the other two elders as they prayed for the matter to resolve in a peaceful manner. A fight between the two parties would ultimately result in casualties. If the fiends were smart and wise enough to give up, it would save everyone a great deal of trouble. ¡°This is a critical period for both sides. If the fiends spot the slightest bit of cowardice and fear in Chu Yue, they¡¯ll surely attack him! Success or failure¡ªit all depends on Chu Yue now!¡± said Elder Shu Yu in a grave tone. ¡­ Not a single fiend stepped forward during the silent confrontation, but they didn¡¯t retreat either. All they did was just keep staring at Chu Liuyue with their aggressive and greedy eyes. Of course, there were also hints of apprehension in them now. The fiends had only come over because they could sense a great temptation, but they now realized how dangerous this temptation was. That arrogant golden-cloud leopard was an example. ¡°Those who want to fight, step forward. Those who want to give up, move back!¡± Chu Liuyue shouted impatiently. ¡°On the count of three, those who don¡¯t move back will be viewed as my opponent!¡± She then raised her other hand and pointed a slender finger in the air. ¡°One!¡± A small number of fiends began to stir. ¡°Two!¡± The fiends standing in the innermost circle started to look at each other as they tried to figure out each other¡¯s thoughts. The ones in the outermost circle, however, were quietly starting to leave. Even though the human in front of them was indeed tempting, they needed to make sure that they were alive in order to get what they wanted. With a group of legendary fiends ahead of them, it was unlikely that there would be anything left for them, so they chose to leave. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and shouted the last number: ¡°Three!¡± About half of the fiends in the middle circle began to retreat. The ones in the innermost circle didn¡¯t move though¡ªoh, not exactly. One of them took a step forward; it was a wolf with shiny black fur and a touch of gold on its forehead. It had a pair of wings on its back. Its eyes were very special¡ªthey were all white with no pupils in them, and they emitted an eerie white light. It looked very bizarre at a glance. ¡°A black-gold werewolf?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. It was also a legendary fiend, and it had tremendous force and combat power. It was a notch stronger than the golden-cloud leopard. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have dared to step forward if it weren¡¯t capable. Upon hearing what Chu Liuyue said, the black-gold werewolf crouched down slightly and bared its sharp fangs while growling. It was clear that it was preparing to attack. ¡°Good, it seems to me that you want to fight,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a laugh. She then shifted her gaze to the other fiends around her before looking back at her opponent. With a flick of her wrist, the Chi Xiao Sword¡ªwhich was as light as a feather¡ªcut an arc in mid-air and was aimed at the black-gold werewolf. ¡°Bring it on!¡± With that, Chu Liuyue leaped into the air on pointed toes. At the same time, the black-gold werewolf spread its wings and flew straight toward Chu Liuyue. ¡­ A hint of worry appeared on the three elders¡¯ faces as they watched this fight from a short distance away. ¡°A black-gold werewolf? That¡¯s one of the strongest fiends in Fiend Park. It¡¯s incredibly hard to deal with because of its cunning nature! Will Chu Yue be able to deal with it¡­ alone?¡± Elder Wan Zheng asked. Elder Shu Yu let out a wry laugh. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say¡­ Seeing how she unexpectedly managed to kill the golden-cloud leopard in one strike, I say that she¡¯s probably much stronger than the average beginner stage-eight warrior. I really can¡¯t tell who will emerge as the winner of this fight¡­¡± Chapter 1275 - Win! Of course, Elder Shu Yu hoped that Chu Yue would win. With the death of the golden-cloud leopard, he was certain that Chu Yue was capable of defeating one-fifth of the legendary beasts in Fiend Park at his current stage. Although the golden-cloud leopard was considered pretty strong among the fiends in Fiend Park, it must¡¯ve lost some of its strength after its fight with the steel-ridged fiend. And that was why Elder Shu Yu lowered Chu Yue¡¯s winning rate. That said, one in five was still pretty impressive, considering that some of the stage-nine warriors in the academy might not even be able to defeat one legendary fiend. Even if most of the credit belonged to the Chi Xiao Sword, it was considered part of her strength since the sword was hers. He paused and then said in a lower tone, ¡°This black-gold werewolf has a high status in Fiend Park. If Chu Yue is able to defeat it, she¡¯ll be able to deter the rest of the fiends.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the black-gold werewolf were facing each other from a distance in the air. After sizing it up, she shook her head, lamenting, ¡°Tsk, what a pity.¡± A hint of confusion showed in the black-gold werewolf¡¯s eyes. Clearly, it couldn¡¯t understand what Chu Liuyue was talking about. She then explained with a smile, ¡°I wanted to help you find an owner, but I doubt you¡¯d submit to anyone with that temper of yours.¡± The fur on the black-gold werewolf instantly stood up as it emanated a murderous aura. It was clear that it was offended by Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. Gripping the Chi Xiao Sword in her hand, Chu Liuyue swung it in the air. There was something else she didn¡¯t say earlier¡ªshe planned to kill the black-gold werewolf as a warning to others. Thus, it had to die. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM ¡°Awoo!¡± The black-gold werewolf raised its head and howled into the air. The next second, it started moving and flew toward Chu Liuyue at rapid speed. With a flap of its wings, two black-gold werewolves suddenly appeared in front of her and surrounded her from both sides. Elder Shu Yu frowned. ¡°The black-gold werewolf is extremely fast, and it¡¯s able to split itself into two. Its clone is almost as powerful as its own self. Chu Yue will have to kill both at the same time to truly end its life, or it¡¯ll be able to revive itself as long as it still has a breath. I wonder if he¡¯s able to deal with it this time¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan suddenly said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have a contracted legendary fiend? How come he didn¡¯t summon it out? He might stand a chance to win if he¡¯s fighting with his fiend.¡± Meanwhile, Elder Wan Zheng was too nervous to even speak. His fists were clenched, and his palms were all sweaty. Knowing that he was worried, Elder Shu Yu said, ¡°If Chu Yue really can¡¯t handle the fight, let¡¯s find an opportunity to¡ª¡± Whoosh! The sound of two sharp objects piercing through flesh was heard almost at the same time. Elder Shu Yu felt as if someone was grabbing his throat and forcing him to swallow the rest of his words. His eyes widened in shock, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. This was because both the black-gold werewolf and its clone were pierced through their glabellas right in front of them. The fiend died just like that before it could even have the chance to cry for help. The right one was pierced through by the Chi Xiao Sword, while the left one¡­ Elder Shu Yu couldn¡¯t help but gasp in surprise when he got a clear look at what object it was. It turned out to be an ordinary-looking sheath that was round and blunt. By right, it shouldn¡¯t be able to pierce through the flesh of the black-gold werewolf, but it did. On top of that, Chu Liuyue had only executed a single strike in the fight. Chu Liuyue lifted her hand and summoned the Chi Xiao Sword back. The moment the sword and its sheath were pulled out, the black-gold werewolf on the left instantly disappeared. The one on the right, on the other hand, fell to the ground and landed with a plop. Shing! The Chi Xiao Sword entered the sheath. What made Chu Liuyue rather satisfied was that both the Chi Xiao Sword and its sheath weren¡¯t stained with a single drop of blood. Other than the hint of a metallic smell, one couldn¡¯t tell that it had just killed a legendary fiend. Everything was done so smoothly and at such ease that it left the other fiends and even the three elders in shock. W-what¡¯s going on? D-did he just kill a legendary fiend with a sword sheath¡­?! And its main body at that?! They didn¡¯t even notice when the sheath had appeared. Before they knew it, the sheath was already stuck in the black-gold werewolf¡¯s head. It was such a sick move. Numerous eyes fell on Chu Liuyue, who calmly adjusted her breathing and looked down with a smirk. ¡°Anyone else?¡± Actually, she wasn¡¯t feeling as good as she appeared. The reason was that the usage of the Chi Xiao Sword twice had a huge toll on her. It wasn¡¯t obvious the first time as she had just broken through and was so highly concentrated because the steel-ridged fiend cub¡¯s life was in danger. This time, she could distinctively feel a portion of her energy and spirit being sapped from her the moment she took out the sword. A rich internal force wasn¡¯t the only thing that was needed to maintain the best combat state. There were many other factors, including mental state and willpower. Like now, even though Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t inject any force into the Chi Xiao Sword and was able to pick it up easily, she had to pay quite a high price for using it. After a brief silence, some of the fiends started leaving, which made some of the legendary fiends in the innermost circle waver as well. Chu Liuyue raised her sword and pointed it downwards, but before she could say or do anything, she heard a familiar voice saying, ¡°Wait!¡± Chapter 1276 - Make Peace Chu Liuyue turned around to look. The person talking was Elder Shu Yu. His figure moved, and he rapidly came over. Seeing him move, Elder Wan Zheng and Elder Bo Yan immediately followed him. Probably because Chu Liuyue had settled the black-gold werewolf too swiftly, but many fiends were fearful. Hence, when they saw the three elders move, they didn¡¯t react extremely and just looked above alertly. ¡°Chu Yue.¡± Elder Shu Yu came to Chu Liuyue, sized her up, and finally heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. But when he looked into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, his gaze was extremely complicated. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ fight anymore.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Then, she saw that Elder Shu Yu was embarrassed. ¡°Um¡­ The academy has spent quite a lot of effort nurturing the legendary fiends in Fiend Park¡­ It¡¯s fine if you kill two and warn them, but if you really kill them all¡­ This Fiend Park¡­¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly realized what happened¡ªhe came to make peace. Upon further thought, it was understandable. Not counting the ninth-grade ones, there were quite a few legendary fiends amongst the fiends in Fiend Park. Some of them seemed to have been raised here for a long time, while others were brought back from the wild through all kinds of methods by the elders and students. The fiends¡¯ existences were meaningful. Some students who had outstanding performance would sometimes have the opportunity to enter Fiend Park and pick their favorite fiend to make an agreement with it. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Of course, the condition was that they had to be capable enough. This was a huge wealth for the academy. ¡°Shu Yu, you rushed over so quickly just to say this?¡± Elder Wan Zheng looked at him in disbelief. What¡¯s wrong with him!? My precious disciple almost died here! The first thing this fellow thought of was to ask Chu Yue not to continue killing? Elder Shu Yu¡¯s face flushed red as he coughed and glanced at Elder Bo Yan. ¡°Wan Zheng, I don¡¯t have a choice either, okay?! Our academy has had a hard time raising these fiends. Although they threatened Chu Yue just now, they didn¡¯t really do anything. Besides, with the black-gold werewolf as a warning, they definitely won¡¯t fight with Chu Yue any longer. It¡¯s best to make peace now. Bo Yan, do you agree?¡± Elder Bo Yan thought for a moment and lightly nodded. ¡°Shu Yu is right.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Wan Zheng, I know your heart aches for Chu Yue, but if you allow him to continue fighting, fiends driven to the extreme might retaliate. If they¡¯re out of their wits¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan slapped his shoulders. ¡°For Chu Yue¡¯s safety, it¡¯s better to stop now!¡± Even though Elder Wan Zheng was angry, he still could be reasoned with. Seeing that Bo Yan and Shu Yu had the same attitude, he felt conflicted for a while and finally agreed reluctantly. He flicked his sleeves and grunted. ¡°Then, you must compensate our Chu Yue properly! If he wasn¡¯t capable enough today, he might¡¯ve just¡ª¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t bear to finish his sentence, but everyone present understood what he meant. Elder Bo Yan also laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that! Chu Yue has suffered quite a lot today. Even if you didn¡¯t say it, I wouldn¡¯t treat him badly!¡± As he spoke, he glanced at Chu Yue. ¡°Chu Yue, this was indeed caused because I didn¡¯t consider it properly. If you want anything, you can just say it. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to satisfy you.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything I particularly want right now¡­ May I know if I can leave it for later and let you know later on?¡± Elder Bo Yan naturally agreed. ¡°It¡¯s all up to you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, and she smiled. ¡°Thank you, Elder Bo Yan.¡± ¡°Why are you thanking him!?¡± Elder Wan Zheng jumped forward and pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, how would you have suffered so much?¡± I was really almost scared to death just now! Chu Liuyue patted his hands in comfort, smiled, and said, ¡°Mentor, don¡¯t worry. Am I not doing fine? Besides, if I didn¡¯t come here¡­ I might not have broken through so quickly.¡± When she mentioned this, Elder Wan Zheng finally forgot all of his previous grievances and felt excited. Stage-eight warrior! In Ling Xiao Academy, this level isn¡¯t considered high, especially on the warrior side. It isn¡¯t even enough to meet the academy¡¯s entry requirement, but Chu Yue is only 16 years old this year! His main specialization is also the heavenly doctor path! Under such circumstances, he can still successfully break through and become a stage-eight warrior. How would one not be proud of him? Not to mention that this kid has already silently broken through to become a ninth-grade Xuan Master. Previously, Elder Wan Zheng was still worried that someone would steal his disciple and cared about his disciple¡¯s main specialization very much. But now, he suddenly thought it through. What was there to care about? His disciple was excellent in all aspects, and as his mentor, he could only bask in his disciple¡¯s glory! Anyway, Chu Yue was his disciple. Not only could he flaunt in front of heavenly doctors, but he might even be able to do so on the Xuan Master side and warrior side in the future! Elder Wan Zheng felt that it was very worthwhile. ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯re competent!¡± Seeing that she had finally appeased Elder Wan Zheng, Chu Liuyue turned around and asked, ¡°Elder Shu Yu, even if I¡¯m willing to make peace, these legendary fiends below don¡¯t seem like they want to leave¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them about it.¡± Elder Shu Yu heaved a long sigh of relief. As long as Chu Yue agrees, the remaining things are easy to handle. The remaining legendary fiends might not really want to fight with Chu Yue, but as legendary fiends, they are very prideful. She is already right in front of them. If they just leave in this manner, they would look too cowardly. Strictly speaking, if they really wanted to kill Chu Yue as much as they did at the start, they would¡¯ve gathered in groups and attacked. They wouldn¡¯t have waited until now, not to mention that they directly allowed the three of us to come over. Elder Shu Yu had stayed in Fiend Park for a while and was still quite clear about this. Hence, he took a step forward and looked down at the legendary fiends that had yet to leave with a stern gaze. He boomed, ¡°You were the ones who instigated today¡¯s incident. Chu Yue killed the golden cloud leopard and the black-gold werewolf in self-defense!¡± His deep voice reverberated throughout the area! ¡°Chu Yue came here to be punished, and he has no other intentions! He has no intention of killing you! As long as both parties stay low and do not cause trouble in the remaining period, he¡¯ll leave once the time is up! In consideration of my face, why don¡¯t both parties each take a step back and let this incident go?!¡± Elder Shu Yu said the last sentence very sincerely. He admired Chu Yue very much, and he had feelings toward Fiend Park. Thus, he naturally didn¡¯t wish to see both parties go at each other¡¯s throats. It would be best if they could make peace. After a temporary silence, a legendary fiend slowly moved back. Once one started, the remaining ones followed suit. The second one. The third. Very quickly, all the fiends in the surroundings retreated! Their figures were hidden in the mountains! Chapter 1277 - Owe The sky was dark, and the mountain wind blew over. As the fiends left, the intense bloody smell and harsh murderous intent that filled the air seemed to disappear silently. The surroundings quietened down and gradually regained their initial appearance. Elder Shu Yu¡¯s uneasy heart finally settled down. This is the best ending. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept across the dark forest, and the still waters rippled slightly. ¡°Wait. Shu Yu, what did you mean by that just now?¡± Elder Wan Zheng suddenly reacted. ¡°You said ¡®remaining time.¡¯ You mean that¡­ Chu Yue still needs to continue staying here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Elder Shu Yu was also dazed and instinctively looked at Elder Bo Yan. ¡°But we previously said it would be a month. It has only been less than ten days, so I thought¡­¡± Nobody said Chu Yue was allowed to go back today! He naturally thought that it would continue, so he said that. ¡°Bo Yan, you tell me! Does this punishment need to continue?¡± asked Elder Wan Zheng with widened eyes. Ever since his precious disciple almost died here, he didn¡¯t believe that Bo Yan would have the cheek to ask Chu Yue to continue staying here! Elder Bo Yan felt his head ache. I sent Chu Yue over to teach him a lesson and refine his character. If not, he will always boldly cause trouble and not think of the severity of the situation. However, I didn¡¯t expect this to happen. He had also seen the previous situation clearly, and Chu Yue really was on the brink of death. If it weren¡¯t because Chu Yue was too outstanding on his own, I really might not have been able to save him. If the lesson and warnings are sufficient for Chu Yue after this ordeal, it is fine if he just leaves. However¡­ Every time this kid causes trouble, and we give him all sorts of punishments, it doesn¡¯t seem to work. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Elder Bo Yan felt aggrieved for some reason. After some slight hesitation, he finally said, ¡°Since he¡¯s experienced this ordeal here, then¡­ He can directly go¡­¡± ¡°I want to continue staying here,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly and interrupted Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words. The three elders looked at him in shock. ¡°Disciple, what are you talking about?¡± Elder Wan Zheng was stunned and hurriedly winked at his disciple. It¡¯s such a good chance to leave this place legitimately! Does this kid have a nut loose? What¡¯s so good about staying here? ¡°You! Do you think that today¡¯s situation isn¡¯t dangerous enough?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Mentor, today was a special situation, and it¡¯s all because I was negligent. I forgot that I couldn¡¯t break through in Fiend Park, so I caused all this trouble. I came here to be punished. If I leave after staying here for a few days¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem very appropriate. Hence, I¡¯m willing to continue staying here until the last day of the one-month deadline.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were very sincere. Originally, Elder Wan Zheng wanted to convince his disciple further. But after seeing that young man¡¯s determined expression, he swallowed his words in the end. He waved his hands and turned around. ¡°Up to you! No matter what, you must come out in one piece¡ªdo you understand?!¡± Chu Liuyue knew that his bark was worse than his bite, so she smiled brightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mentor. I¡¯ll definitely do as you say!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words caused Elder Bo Yan to have a better impression of his disciple. At first, he also thought that Chu Yue would take this chance to leave directly. Fiend park is dangerous, and after today¡¯s incident, Chu Yue should understand it even more. Under such circumstances, he still chose to stay behind, which is very rare. I should re-evaluate this young man¡­ Elder Bo Yan thought to himself. ¡°Okay! Since you¡¯ve said so, Chu Yue, we¡¯ll continue with the initial agreement then. As long as you stay put during the remaining time, these fiends shouldn¡¯t put you in a difficult spot.¡± After all, with this incident happening at the beginning, anybody who wanted to deal with Chu Yue had to think carefully about it. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you, Elder Bo Yan.¡± At the side, Elder Shu Yu suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed slightly. He looked at Chu Liuyue closely, and his gaze was filled with questions. ¡°Wait. Chu Yue, how did you know that you can¡¯t break through in Fiend Park?¡± Once he asked this, the few of them fell silent. When the three elders met, they had already expressed that they didn¡¯t tell Chu Yue about this. However, the latter said that he forgot about it just now¡­ ¡°Other than the elders in charge of patrolling here, almost nobody knows¡­ You knew about it long ago?¡± Elder Shu Yu couldn¡¯t be blamed for being suspicious as this incident indeed had doubts. This was because very few people knew about this. At the same time, even fewer people knew about Chu Yue being locked up here. How did Chu Yue know? Under the three elders¡¯ supervising gazes, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she smiled lightly. ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu was the one who told me.¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s brows moved slightly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know that you were locked up here.¡± In actual fact, this was decided by him and Elder Wan Zheng together. Before that, Rong Xiu had already gone somewhere else and directly accepted his punishment. Ouyang and Shang Yulin would know because he had mentioned it at Million Wine Mountain before. However, Rong Xiu definitely didn¡¯t know. Chu Liuyue undetectably paused before she smiled more deeply and said, ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu specifically told me about these things before I came to the academy.¡± The three of them looked at each other. This explanation¡­ seems rather logical. After all, Rong Xiu has even told him how to open the academy barrier. What else would he not say? In this way, it seems rather normal for Chu Yue to know about this. ¡°Hmph, he keeps teaching you all sorts of nonsense.¡± Elder Wan Zheng grunted. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t teach him good things but all the bad rules. Normal students wouldn¡¯t even be able to come to Fiend Park, yet Rong Xiu even talked to him about this. Could it be that he had long expected Chu Yue to come here? ¡°Forget it¡ªit¡¯s good that you know. You mustn¡¯t make such a huge blunder again in the future,¡± reminded Elder Bo Yan. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We should go back first.¡± Chu Liuyue respectfully bowed. ¡°Elders, Mentor, be safe on your way back.¡± ¡­ After handling these items, Chu Liuyue returned to the mountain peak she was at previously. In the middle of the mountain, Ah Qiong was still standing guard there. Seeing Chu Liuyue come back, the last bit of worry in its eyes finally disappeared. Chu Liuyue walked over. ¡°Okay, all those troubles have been settled. Let¡¯s go back, and I¡¯ll check on it properly.¡± Ah Qiong nodded and caressed the steel-ridged fiend cub lying on the floor in a heartbreaking manner. Then, it brought its cub into the cave. After it entered, Chu Liuyue gave it a meticulous check. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Its injuries are mostly superficial; it¡¯ll get better after resting for a while.¡± Chu Liuyue felt lucky that steel-ridged fiends were physically strong. It was injured to this extent, yet it was still hanging onto its last breath. She touched the steel-ridged fiend¡¯s head. ¡°This time, I owe you mother and son. I¡¯ll definitely repay you a hundred-fold. I¡¯ll give you a name! You¡¯ll be called¡­ Tao Tao! I hope you can be as playful as you are now. You¡¯ll be healthy and without worries.¡± Chapter 1278 - : I Will Naturally Dote on Him! Tao Tao¡¯s big eyes turned, and it seemed to be rather satisfied with this name. Actually, it was jealous and hated Chu Liuyue in the beginning. This was especially so when its mother didn¡¯t respond when it was on the brink of death and kept sending out help signals to its mother. Tao Tao and its mother depended on each other. Ever since it had memories, its mother was very good to it. It was normally playful outside and caused frequent trouble. Ah Qiong always protected it and didn¡¯t let any fiends bully it. But from the moment this person came, everything had changed. Tao Tao then realized that this person¡¯s status was more important than it in its mother¡¯s heart. When it thought that it was going to die, its feelings reached its peak. However¡­ She saved it, and her gaze was filled with guilt and apologies. Tao Tao suddenly felt that it couldn¡¯t be angry any longer¡ªespecially because her aura was fragrant, which unwittingly caused it to want to get close to her. Yes, it was going for that at the very beginning. It was a pity that she seemed to misunderstand. Ah Qiong also kicked it a few times because of this. Tao Tao looked at its own mother. Thinking of its desperation and sorrow when it ran toward the latter, Tao Tao suddenly felt better. It closed its eyes and rubbed against Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. She walked to the side, took out her cauldron and herbs, and started producing pills. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.COM Rumble! A red fire burned brightly in the cauldron! The huge cave lit up. Chu Liuyue threw the herbs into the cauldron in an orderly manner. Then, an intense herbal fragrance with a few bitter notes gradually permeated through the air. Chu Liuyue stared at the fire rising in the cauldron and the medicinal soup slowly forming as she sighed lightly. I have to admit¡­ It feels good to break through to become a stage-eight warrior! I¡¯m more sensitive to my surroundings, and my entire body feels rejuvenated, free, and relaxed. When I produce pills, it feels much easier. This breakthrough finally digested all the force I snatched from Beiming Ancestor. But other than this, the water droplet still contains more force. That force will only come out during my future breakthroughs. Chu Liuyue actually felt even luckier that she broke through in Fiend Park. Even though she had caused quite a few fiends to attack her, she didn¡¯t come into actual harm. The important thing was that only those few elders personally witnessed her breakthrough. Normal cultivators wouldn¡¯t cause such a huge commotion when they broke through to become stage-eight warriors. If more people knew about it, it would be harder to hide her identity. She didn¡¯t worry about those few people, but when she broke through in the future¡­ She probably had to prepare in advance. After her abilities were strengthened, Chu Liuyue produced the pills at a faster speed. In no time, she fed Tao Tao the medicine. She then handled some herbs and covered its wound with them. Luckily, she had quite a few herbs, so they were enough to use. Chu Liuyue decided that she would claim them from Elder Wan Zheng after she went out. By the time she finished handling Tao Tao¡¯s injuries, an hour had passed. Chu Liuyue helped Ah Qiong produce some pills to regulate its circulation. Even though it didn¡¯t have many superficial injuries, seeing its own child get brutally beaten up and almost get killed¡­ its mental health had sustained quite a bit of trauma. After handling these things, Ah Qiong turned around and saw that Tao Tao had fallen asleep. Ah Qiong watched it dotingly with much love. Chu Liuyue patted Ah Qiong. ¡°Rest well today. We can talk about the rest tomorrow.¡± ¡­ Without a doubt, this night passed precariously. On the way back, Elder Bo Yan and Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t speak much. It was only when they were about to separate that Elder Bo Yan then called the other person. ¡°Wan Zheng.¡± Elder Wan Zheng turned around. Elder Bo Yan kept silent for a moment as if he were hesitating. ¡°Did you know of Chu Yue¡¯s condition before?¡± Elder Wan Zheng naturally understood what he was asking and shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°He just broke through to become a stage-eight warrior and caused so much commotion¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan took a deep breath. ¡°When you have the time, you should ask him how many lightning tribulations he summoned when he broke through to become a stage-seven warrior.¡± Elder Wan Zheng nodded in agreement. When Chu Yue first entered the academy, he only said that he was a stage-seven warrior. Back then, quite a few people looked down on him. Even we thought that Chu Yue specialized as a heavenly doctor and did not focus much on the other aspects. However, it seems like that isn¡¯t the case! ¡°His talent in these few aspects seems exceptional. Wan Zheng, you have a good disciple!¡± Even Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t help but be envious. Accepting one such student was enough! Elder Wan Zheng felt elated, and his entire face lit up. ¡°Of course. I have always had good eyesight!¡± After all these years in the academy, he had taught quite a few students but accepted very few as his disciples. He didn¡¯t even accept one in recent years. ¡°Honestly, other than that girl, Chu Yue is the only one I¡¯ve fancied. Originally, I just thought that he was talented as a heavenly doctor, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng seemed reminiscent. ¡°Thinking about it, those two kids are rather alike! They both have unknown backgrounds!¡± Elder Bo Yan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past. If you want to know about his background, won¡¯t you know when you ask Rong Xiu?¡± Elder Wan Zheng chuckled and turned around to leave. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. The kid will say it when he¡¯s willing to. And if he¡¯s not, I¡¯ll still dote on him!¡± Chapter 1279 - Regret? Too Late! The night passed quickly. When the morning sunlight shone into the cave, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes. After a night of recovery, her body had basically recovered to its best state. She stood up and stretched. She could clearly feel that her body was much stronger than before as the dense force circulated through her bones and limbs even more smoothly! This is¡­ the feeling of being stronger! Chu Liuyue smiled and was in a very good mood. I wonder how it¡¯ll feel when I become a stage-nine warrior again¡­ A soft sound came from the side. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that Tao Tao was already awake. The latter was looking at her with wide eyes as it lay on the floor. It was wrapped tightly, looking like a large circular pudding. Chu Liuyue winked at it. Tao Tao instantly acted as if it was caught red-handed and hurriedly shut its eyes in guilt. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Chu Liuyue almost burst out laughing. At this point, Ah Qiong had already woken up. It nudged against Tao Tao¡¯s forehead in a doting and helpless manner. ¡°Ah Qiong, Tao Tao, I¡¯ll go out for a while,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Ah Qiong looked up, and Tao Tao opened one eye. It was a pity that its eye was as big as a lantern. Even though it had already tried hard to squint, it was still very obvious. Chu Liuyue could only pretend that she didn¡¯t see it as she explained to Ah Qiong. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time to tell you earlier, but I came in because I did something wrong. This is my punishment for a month. Since I¡¯m here, it¡¯s not good for me to stay here all the time. I have to go out, right?¡± Actually, Ah Qiong didn¡¯t agree to it and looked worried. After the battle that night, Chu Liuyue had entered a strange balance with those fiends in Fiend Park. If she went over there now, it was still slightly dangerous for her. Ah Qiong stood up and seemed to want to go with her. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Ah Qiong, I can just go on my own. Stay here and take good care of Tao Tao. After I¡¯m done patrolling, I¡¯ll come back.¡± Seeing that it was still worried, Chu Liuyue raised her Chi Xiao Sword, smiled, and said, ¡°They couldn¡¯t do anything to me yesterday, and they definitely can¡¯t today.¡± Seeing the Chi Xiao Sword, Ah Qiong instinctively took half a step back and seemed rather fearful. It then relaxed and nodded toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue put away the Chi Xiao Sword and walked outside. ¡­ Fiend Park was huge, and it had many mountains and peaks. The forest was lush with greenery, and the leaves rustled as the light breeze came by. It was in the morning, and the white mist around the middle of the mountain hadn¡¯t disappeared as it swayed with the wind. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, and the slightly cold air was rejuvenating, causing her entire person to feel much more refreshed. She looked over and surveyed the surroundings. Following that, she asked in her heart, ¡°Where¡¯s the black-gold werewolf¡¯s cave?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Behind three mountains in the southeastern direction.¡± Chu Liuyue went in the direction it stated and saw a mountain peak sticking out. She stood on her toes and immediately jumped in the air, flying in that direction! The legendary three-eyed eagle finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you going there for?¡± Before Chu Liuyue rested yesterday, she specially asked if it could find a fiend¡¯s position through its respective aura. After it gave an affirmative reply, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak further. In the end, she wanted to go over right in the morning. ¡°There¡¯s only one black-gold werewolf in the entire Fiend Park, and you killed it yesterday. Why are you going to the cave?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°The black-gold werewolf is a legendary fiend, so there are many valuable items in the cave. If I don¡¯t go and take them, won¡¯t it benefit others?¡± Of course, in Fiend Park, it would benefit other fiends. The legendary three-eyed eagle couldn¡¯t rebut this reason and sensibly shut its mouth. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue broke through to become a stage-eight warrior, her speed almost improved two-fold. This allowed her to reach the peak where the black-gold werewolf¡¯s cave was located in 15 minutes. Standing in mid-air, she saw the cave in the middle of the mountain at first glance. Compared to Ah Qiong¡¯s cave, this was around 1.5 times the size of it. But as a black-gold werewolf with top skills and cultivation level here, Chu Liuyue could think with her toes to know that there had to be quite a few good items here! But just when she was about to go over, she suddenly heard the legendary three-eyed eagle whisper, ¡°Wait! There is another fiend around!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and suddenly laughed. ¡°It seems like I¡¯m not the only one eyeing the treasures¡­¡± She crossed her arms and stared forward lazily. In a seemingly smiling manner, she muttered, ¡°Can you figure out what fiend it is?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle paused. ¡°Silver-eared flower-pattern fiend. It¡¯s also a legendary fiend, and it is very cunning. Yet, it¡¯s cowardly and scared of trouble. Normally, it likes to pilfer. It doesn¡¯t have a good reputation among legendary fiends, and it is much weaker compared to the black-gold werewolf.¡± ¡°Hah, I think it¡¯s very brave to dare to take my things,¡± Chu Liuyue said slowly. In Fiend Park, there was an unspoken role: When one party was killed by another, everything that belonged to the deceased party¡ªincluding its territory¡ªwould belong to the killer. Chu Liuyue had killed the black-gold werewolf the day before, so everything in the cave should belong to her. Besides, she had done it in front of many fiends. The news should¡¯ve spread far and wide here. All fiends would know about this. This was also the reason why she didn¡¯t immediately rush over after the matter ended yesterday. ¡°It seems like this place has gotten more chaotic these few years¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ear and smiled slightly as she spoke. If it were in the past, everyone would obey the rules. Why would they do such a thing? ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± asked the legendary three-eyed eagle. For some reason, it vaguely detected unclear impulsiveness in Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. It was as if she had made up her mind about something. Chu Liuyue lazily smiled and said, ¡°What else can I do? Of course, I need to teach them to obey the rules.¡± At this point, a figure came out from the cave. The fiend looked like a lion and a tiger, with pointy silver ears and a body that was adorned by flower-shaped patterns. It was biting something in its mouth as it stuck its head out to survey its surroundings, planning to leave rapidly. ¡°How many trips have you made?¡± A clear and nonchalant voice sounded. The silver-eared flower-pattern fiend was instantly taken aback and hurriedly looked up. When it saw that the person was Chu Liuyue, it was so stunned that it moved a few steps back. Chu Liuyue tilted her head, and her gaze swept across the thing it was biting¡ªit was a fist-sized black-gold rock, and it reflected a faint light under the sun. Black-gold crystal¡ªthis was a treasure that could only be found in places where black-gold werewolves lived. It was very hard and contained a rich amount of force. It was also very precious. The silver-eared flower-pattern fiend only hesitated for a moment before it spat out the black-gold crystal in its mouth. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and laughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too late to regret now?¡± Chapter 1280 - Scrape Clean Panic flashed across the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend¡¯s eyes. It naturally knew that it had committed a huge mistake, and it was natural for the other party to be angry. But¡­ it had waited here for the entire night and didn¡¯t see Chu Liuyue come over. It thought that she didn¡¯t know Fiend Park¡¯s rules and felt lucky. Thus, it wanted to pick some treasures. Who would¡¯ve expected that she would come the moment it started? The silver-eared flower-pattern fiend whimpered softly, and a few small items dropped from its body. After it removed all of the loot from its body, the fiend took a few steps back and looked up¡ªit was begging for mercy. It was a pity that this move had no use on Chu Liuyue. ¡°If you had this realization, then what did you do earlier?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words made the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend increasingly nervous. Yesterday, it was also there when the black-gold werewolf was killed. It saw the scene back then very clearly. I¡¯m not as good as the black-gold werewolf. If the other party is set on attacking me, I will be dead! The silver-eared flower-pattern fiend took another step back, wagged its tail, and looked very anxious and terrified. Only its pair of eyes kept turning around as if it were planning something. Whoosh! Just then, Chu Liuyue suddenly moved! She was very quick and flew to the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend in the blink of an eye! / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M The silver-eared flower-pattern fiend was a legendary fiend after all. It reacted very swiftly as it turned around and wanted to escape immediately! ¡°If you don¡¯t want your heart to be pierced, stay here obediently!¡± Chu Liuyue hollered, causing the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend to stop its actions suddenly. The fiend hurriedly took a glance and saw that Chu Liuyue was holding the Chi Xiao Sword as if she was going to strike at any time. Whir! The sword whirred! The silver-eared flower-pattern fiend was frightened, but it didn¡¯t run out and instead obediently lay on the floor. Chu Liuyue landed and walked toward it. Da. Da. The rhythmic footsteps seemed to step on its heart. The sharp tip of the sword gleamed coldly. Shing! Chu Liuyue raised her hands, and the sword tip directly pointed at the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend. It was only an inch away! If she moved any closer, she could easily kill it! ¡°If you don¡¯t follow the rules, you don¡¯t belong here. You have been in Fiend Park for so long¡ªdo you need me to tell you this?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke nonchalantly, but the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend was petrified. It looked at Chu Liuyue with wide eyes as if it were begging. Chu Liuyue stared at it calmly and attacked without hesitation! Whoosh! The silver-eared flower-pattern fiend¡¯s two ears were cut off! ¡°Wu¡ª¡± The sudden sharp pain made the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend cry out sorrowfully. For silver-eared flower-pattern fiends, their ears held great importance and meaning to them. After they were cut off, its hearing would be largely affected, and its combat power would also decrease. Having their ears removed was an extremely serious and harsh punishment or even an insult to them. But at this point, the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend¡ªwhich barely managed to keep its life¡ªdidn¡¯t have the mood to think about this. ¡°Seeing that this is your first offense, I¡¯ll let you off lightly. If there¡¯s a next time¡­¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at it coldly. The silver-eared flower-pattern fiend didn¡¯t care about its ears that kept bleeding as it hurriedly shook its head. No! There won¡¯t be a next time! Chu Liuyue then put away her sword. ¡°Get lost!¡± With this command, the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend hurriedly left and disappeared without a trace in no time. ¡°You actually didn¡¯t kill it.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice had a hint of shock. Chu Liuyue sheathed her longsword. ¡°It isn¡¯t worth me using the Chi Xiao Sword.¡± Using it once required an extremely large amount of effort and force. It wasn¡¯t worth it for a silver-eared flower-pattern fiend. From the very beginning, she just wanted to use the Chi Xiao Sword to put on an act. ¡°Besides, it can spread the news if it goes back alive, right?¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. ¡°Kill two birds with one stone. Why not?¡± Killing two was originally enough. As for the rest, she just had to put in a little bit more effort to threaten them. Chu Liuyue then walked over and put away the black-gold crystal before walking into the cave. ¡­ The cave was of ordinary width, but it was very long. Chu Liuyue walked for quite a distance before she finally saw the end. A complete black-gold crystal sat quietly in the deepest part of the cave! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. This is even more than I imagined! She rapidly walked over and saw that a portion of the crystal edge was bitten off. But luckily, it didn¡¯t sustain much damage overall. ¡°This black-gold crystal is at least a hundred years old and contains very rich force. It¡¯s rather suitable for that steel-ridged fiend cub,¡± said the legendary three-eyed eagle. Chu Liuyue nodded. Actually, she thought so too. With such a large piece, it should be enough for Tao Tao to recover its strength quickly. If Tao Tao is successful, it might even be able to break through and become a legendary fiend in advance. Without speaking, Chu Liuyue put away the black-gold crystal. Then, she searched around the cave interior and found some items here and there. Most of them were items obtained by the black-gold werewolf when it was alive. Some things were legendary fiend bones, while others things were herbs and some messy pieces of jade. Chu Liuyue searched through most of the area before she finally stopped, turned around, and left. After walking out of the cave, Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and then flew in another direction. After a while, the legendary three-eyed eagle realized that she didn¡¯t seem to be going back. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Actually, the legendary three-eyed eagle already had an answer. ¡°Don¡¯t forget¡ªI also killed a golden cloud leopard yesterday.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. I naturally have to take the items there. As expected. The legendary three-eyed eagle instantly understood. Then, it asked, ¡°You know where the golden cloud leopard¡¯s home is?¡± I don¡¯t think she asked me just now¡­ ¡°Of course.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. I went there more than one time. Chapter 1281 - King of Mountains! The legendary three-eyed eagle quickly realized that things were more complicated than it had thought. This was because¡­ it realized that Chu Liuyue seemed to be very familiar with the place as if she had come here many times before. She was very familiar with the road and accurately reached the golden-cloud leopard¡¯s home. The closer she was, the stronger the golden-cloud leopard¡¯s aura. This made the legendary three-eyed eagle believe what she said previously¡ªshe did know the exact position! After knowing about Chu Liuyue¡¯s relationship with the adult steel-ridged fiend, the legendary three-eyed eagle roughly guessed that Chu Liuyue had come here before. But isn¡¯t she too familiar with it? With many mountains around, the paths here are extremely complicated, and one will become lost if they aren¡¯t careful. And the most important thing is that most of the mountains are already occupied by legendary fiends and are their territories. Chu Liuyue sometimes had to avoid offending them, so she had to take another path. However, she seemed to be very relaxed about this. She clearly knew every mountain and every river here. The legendary three-eyed eagle even suspected that she knew what fiends were on every mountain. After about another hour, Chu Liuyue finally reached a mountain. It was a very secluded one, and its peak seemed to be scraped off by something. It was flat and revealed a grayish-white stone. There weren¡¯t many trees around, and most of the surroundings were rocks. This was the kind of space golden-cloud leopards loved the most. They liked to run around between these kinds of narrow cliffs to train their stunning climbing abilities and explosive power. Of course, there wasn¡¯t much meaning in talking about this now. Probably because the news of the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend¡¯s injury had already spread, but there weren¡¯t many fiends who came around to steal benefits when Chu Liuyue came. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M After cleaning the cliff once, Chu Liuyue clapped her hands energetically and surveyed her surroundings. ¡°Where should I start¡­¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle asked curiously, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing much. I just feel that there¡¯s still more than 20 days here. It would be very boring if I kept cultivating in the cave, so I wanted to find a few fiends and duel with them. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Of course, those that I don¡¯t need to use the Chi Xiao Sword on.¡± She stroked her chin, paused for a moment, and said thoughtfully, ¡°I remember quite a few of the fiends who were preparing to attack me yesterday live around here¡­ Hm, let¡¯s start with the anti-sky sparrow!¡± ¡­ Anti-sky sparrows were ninth-grade fiends and were very fierce. They had good combat skills and the vermilion bird bloodline, so their status wasn¡¯t low. In Fiend Park with many legendary fiends, they also had their own place. Just when Chu Liuyue arrived near the mountain, an anti-sky sparrow squawked on the top of it. Hualala¡ª More than ten anti-sky sparrows flew out from all areas of the mountain! They instantly gathered together, and it was very dark. They stared at Chu Liuyue like they had great enmity toward her. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I came here to duel with you; I don¡¯t have any other intentions. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± The anti-sky sparrows exchanged glances, and the atmosphere was still very tense. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I won¡¯t use my sword today. You can just randomly send someone out to fight with me. We¡¯ll just fight till it¡¯s enough, and we won¡¯t harm each other¡¯s lives. How about that?¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s friendly attitude, the anti-sky sparrows conversed noisily for a while before one of them flew out. Anti-sky sparrows weren¡¯t big and were around the size of a palm. But if anyone dared to underestimate them because of this, they would have to pay a huge price. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she circulated the tremendous force around her! Whoosh! That anti-sky sparrow was the first to attack! ¡°You came at the right time!¡± Chu Liuyue hollered, and her body instantly flew out like a sharp arrow! The human and the fiend faced off! ¡­ ¡°This kid is rather quiet today¡­¡± Elder Shu Yu¡ªwho had just patrolled Fiend Park¡¯s perimeter¡ªmuttered to himself. ¡°It seems like he has learned his lesson.¡± 1 No matter how playful one is, they would be more stable after yesterday¡¯s dangerous battle, right? Today, these fiends also seem to have quietened down. I can¡¯t really hear their usual roars and noises. They should still be fearful of Chu Yue¡¯s sword¡­ Elder Shu Yu didn¡¯t take all of this to heart. In actual fact, they had always given Fiend Park free rein. Those fiends had their own minds. Without other people intervening, they would naturally form their own balance. All parties fight to conquer and restrict each other. Now, there is just another Chu Yue temporarily. As long as he stays put, those fiends basically won¡¯t cause him trouble. After the deadline, Chu Yue can leave safely. Elder Shu Yu thought in this manner and rubbed his brows. Since yesterday, he had been very tense and stressed and was only willing to relax slightly now. His lethargy and exhaustion instantly overwhelmed him. It¡¯s time to rest¡­ Elder Shu Yu thought to himself. After checking the Xuan formation of the area he was in charge of, he returned and planned to catch up on his sleep. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. After an hour, Chu Liuyue came out from the anti-sky sparrows¡¯ mountain. There were a few holes in her clothes, and she looked rather messy. But luckily, she wasn¡¯t very injured. She took a deep breath in, turned around, and touched her Cosmic Ring as she revealed a satisfied smile. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, but the anti-sky sparrows have quite a few treasures¡­¡± The anti-sky sparrows¡ªwhich finally sent Chu Liuyue away with much difficulty¡ªheaved sighs of relief. She¡¯s finally gone! I thought she was easy to bully, but who would¡¯ve known she would be a devil!? Unreasonable and illogical! She almost took our entire house! ¡°I¡¯ll see you later!¡± Chu Liuyue elatedly waved at them. The few anti-sky sparrows squawked loudly. See? See what?! Get going! One of the anti-sky sparrows at the back flew away unsteadily. From far away, it seemed like half the feathers on its wings were gone. It was the one that ¡®dueled¡¯ with Chu Liuyue earlier. Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders very regretfully. ¡°Still as boring as before.¡± The three-eyed legendary eagle was speechless. You beat it up into this state and even took its things, yet you still have the cheek to say that it¡¯s ¡®boring?!¡¯ Chu Liuyue kicked a rock away and walked forward. ¡°That¡¯s it for today!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Even though it had always been nonchalant about other things, it felt rather shocked at this moment. ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡­? You plan to come again tomorrow?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head swiftly. The legendary three-eyed eagle heaved a sigh of relief, but it then heard Chu Liuyue say, ¡°I¡¯ve taken everything here and have kinda taken revenge on them for surrounding me that day. There¡¯s not much meaning in coming here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else tomorrow!¡± Chapter 1282 - Vengeful Chu Liuyue! The legendary three-eyed eagle: ¡°¡­There were so many who attacked you yesterday. Are you going to find them one by one?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Chu Liuyue walked forward and patiently explained, ¡°Actually, I was in the wrong first and shouldn¡¯t have broken through here. And I even directly broke through to become a stage-eight warrior¡­ This is an absolute temptation to the fiends in Fiend Park. It¡¯s natural for them to come over.¡± ¡°But when I was battling with them yesterday, I had given them an ultimatum and given them time to regret and retreat. It was a pity that not all the fiends were this sensible.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while and counted with her fingers. ¡°Yesterday, other than the black-gold werewolf that took the initiative to walk up, there were 13 legendary fiends and seven ninth-grade fiends that didn[¡®t retreat. Not retreating meant they were challenging me! Let me think¡ªthere¡¯s a total of 20 fiends¡­ If I battle one fiend a day, I should be able to settle all of them before I leave.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle was truly stunned. It didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to be able to pay attention and remember all of these things under such a nerve-racking scenario at that time. Of course, with her photographic memory, this wasn¡¯t very hard. She just had to take another glance¡­ However¡­ ¡°Do you really plan on challenging all of them?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle felt incredulous. ¡°You could win today because anti-sky sparrows are ninth-grade fiends and have limited combat skills. But when you go against those legendary fiends without using your Chi Xiao Sword, you might not have a huge chance of winning!¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t angry because the legendary three-eyed eagle didn¡¯t think well of her. On the other hand, she felt happy. This was because she knew that the legendary three-eyed eagle was really thinking for her. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I¡¯ll definitely win.¡± Chu Liuyue looked much more serious. ¡°These legendary fiends have different types, and they are all very strong, each with their own strengths. If I can duel with them, I¡¯ll definitely benefit greatly.¡± One had to know that the fiends in Fiend Park truly had wildness and ruthlessness. They were different from the fiends that already had an agreement with humans. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Chu Liuyue knew very clearly that such combat skills would be even more brutal and harsh, but this was the only way for her to strengthen her skills quickly and directly! Ever since I entered the area, Big Baby hasn¡¯t come. Without being tortured every day, I feel rather empty. Chu Liuyue sighed. I¡¯ve been led astray by Big Baby. ¡°I see.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle then understood her plans. One had to admit that this was a bold and crazy move, but if Chu Liuyue could really persist, her skills would definitely be strengthened greatly. Besides, she had just broken through to become a stage-eight warrior and needed to refine herself. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to worry. If I really can¡¯t beat them, I can still call for help!¡± Elder Shu Yu and the rest reacted quite quickly. ¡°However, I should still be more discreet now. If not, I will be criticized when I go back again.¡± Chu Liuyue was still very careful about this. When she battled with the anti-sky sparrow, she even intentionally chose a rather discreet area and settled it quickly. She ended the battle before she caused any commotion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid these fiends will leak the news?¡± An advanced and mysterious smile appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°Which fiend do you think will be willing to tell others that they lost? Especially those in Fiend Park.¡± Anyone who had a bit of backbone and pride wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. Hence, they could only silently accept the results. Legendary three-eyed eagle: ¡°¡­You planned this long ago?¡± Beating them up, stealing their things, and not even giving them a chance to complain in the end¡­ She is really driving them to the corner! Chu Liuyue humbly said, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d be sent over here previously, right? At the end of the day, I just used some previous person¡¯s experience. There¡¯s nothing much to be praised about!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle was confused. Since when did I praise her?! Suddenly, doubts flashed across its mind. ¡°Not many people would do such a thing. W-where did you learn this experience from?¡± ¡°Hey, myself!¡± Chu Liuyue freely waved her hands. If not, can I say that I¡¯m experienced in doing such things? The legendary three-eyed eagle had been following her the entire way and basically knew some of her secrets. Hence, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hide this intentionally. ¡°But I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose previously. At that time, a few legendary fiends bullied Ah Qiong, and they even dragged me into the picture. What else could I do?¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. Thinking of the times back then, she couldn¡¯t help but say sorrowfully, ¡°I have no choice. I can only teach them all a lesson.¡± The three-eyed legendary eagle was speechless. ¡°Originally, I planned on properly staying put this time. Who knew that this would happen, and everyone bullied me? If I don¡¯t retaliate, won¡¯t it be too aggrieving for me?¡± Chu Liuyue said seriously. ¡°But it¡¯s also not good if I offend too many people, so I only chose the ones that didn¡¯t leave back then.¡± This way, even if she was discovered someday, she could still righteously defend herself. The legendary three-eyed eagle silently mourned for the fiends in Fiend Park for three seconds. I¡¯d rather offend the entire world than Chu Liuyue alone! ¡­ After going back, before she reached the middle of the mountain, Chu Liuyue saw Ah Qiong waiting for her at the cave entrance. Ah Qiong saw that she was smiling brightly and that everything seemed like it went smoothly. It then felt more at ease. Chu Liuyue walked over. ¡°How is Tao Tao recovering?¡± Once she said this, Chu Liuyue heard footsteps coming from inside. A big head carefully and curiously poked out. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look bad.¡± A steel-ridged fiend¡¯s recovery power was one of the best amongst legendary fiends. ¡°Tao Tao has great bloodline strength, and it might be even stronger than you in the future, Ah Qiong,¡± said Chu Liuyue seriously. Ah Qiong smiled. Praising one¡¯s child would much more easily make their parents even happier and prouder than praising themselves. Hearing it being praised, Tao Tao was shy for once and shrunk its head back. Chu Liuyue walked in. ¡°I brought back some toys with me. Some of them are for you, Ah Qiong, and the others are for Tao Tao.¡± As she spoke, she walked into the cave and retrieved her victory spoils under the mother-son duo¡¯s gazes. Boom! The gigantic black-gold crystal landed on the ground with a low sound. Chu Liuyue clapped. ¡°Tao Tao, you can eat this when your health gets better!¡± Tao Tao didn¡¯t really know what it was, but it sensitively detected the shocking strength hidden within and instantly felt happy. It then walked a few rounds around the black-gold crystal. Ah Qiong was first shocked before it glanced at Chu Liuyue gratefully. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Before I leave, I¡¯ll return you a healthy and fit Tao Tao!¡± Chapter 1283 - Suspect Chu Liuyue spent the next few days in a very disciplined manner. Every day, she would find a fiend to duel in the morning or afternoon. If she won, she would eat and take their things, ransacking their entire houses. If she lost, she would keep trying. If she really couldn¡¯t win, she would run. 1 As she had broken through to become a stage-eight warrior, she was still rather fast when she escaped. When she was sometimes driven to a corner, she would instantly teleport. If the other party chased after her relentlessly and followed her back¡­ With Ah Qiong around, those fiends could only go back sadly. All in all, Chu Liuyue had spent her time quite smoothly. After the various bitter battles, her combat skills had rapidly improved. And Elder Shu Yu and the rest didn¡¯t notice any of this. Everything was still peaceful. ¡­ Fairy Water Mound. Jiang Zhiyuan rushed the whole way back and returned at the fastest speed. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M When the guards stationed outside the Jiang residence saw Jiang Zhiyuan coming back from afar, they were all stunned. They exchanged glances and hurriedly welcomed her. ¡°Big Missy, why didn¡¯t you inform us in advance that you were coming back?! We could¡¯ve fetched you!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t stop and rushed into the residence. ¡°Where¡¯s Father?¡± Seeing her anxious look and dirtied appearance, Jiang Zhiyuan seemed like she had something very urgent to handle. The guards didn¡¯t dare to be slow and hurriedly replied, ¡°Master is in the residence!¡± Hearing this, Jiang Zhiyuan felt more at ease and rushed inside at a faster speed. ¡°Big Missy is back!¡± One of the guards hurriedly jogged to catch up with her, while the other was even faster and ran forward to announce her return. The entire Jiang residence knew of this very quickly. Jiang Zhiyuan had a distinguished status. Once they heard that she was back, quite a few people in the residence hurriedly came out and welcomed her. In the past, Jiang Zhiyuan would still put on a pretense. However, she had lost her mood today and didn¡¯t even give those people an extra glance as she rushed toward Jiang Hetian¡¯s courtyard. She was like a wind that blew by, leaving the crowd confused. ¡°Um¡­ Did something happen to Big Missy? Why does her expression look so awful?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Big Missy like this before¡­ It seems like she has a frozen aura all over her¡­¡± ¡°In the past, Big Missy would happily greet us every time she saw us. I don¡¯t think she did this on purpose today¡­ Seeing how panicked she looks, maybe something urgent really happened.¡± ¡°Forget it. This isn¡¯t something that we can talk about. Let¡¯s disperse!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t care about this chatter as she directly walked over. Reaching the courtyard entrance, Jiang Hetian¡ªwho had heard the news¡ªcame out. Originally, his face was filled with smiles, but he froze after seeing Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s cold and anxious look. ¡°Father!¡± When Jiang Zhiyuan saw her father, her uneasy heart finally relaxed a little, and she couldn¡¯t help but call him. Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart sank, and he hurriedly went forward. ¡°Zhiyuan, what¡¯s with you?¡± All these years, Jiang Zhiyuan had always been very magnanimous and presentable in his eyes, and he was very proud of her. He had never seen her in such a frail and anxious manner. Even though her clothes were lavish and her makeup and hair were intricate, they couldn¡¯t hide her tiredness and vague despair. ¡°Father¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was about to speak. Then, she recalled that there were some people around, and she stopped in her words. Jiang Hetian understood her. ¡°We can go in and talk. You can tell me slowly then.¡± Following that, the two of them entered the house one after another, leaving the crowd muddled outside. ¡­ ¡°Zhiyuan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Once they went in, Jiang Hetian couldn¡¯t help but ask worriedly. Jiang Zhiyuan took a deep breath in and asked, ¡°Father, why didn¡¯t you reply to my letter?¡± ¡°Reply? Reply to what letter?¡± Jiang Hetian was shocked and asked this in return. Seeing his behavior, Jiang Zhiyuan immediately understood something. ¡°You didn¡¯t receive my letter? I specifically sent it back with the thousand-chance bird.¡± Jiang Hetian shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been in Fairy Water Mound the entire time, but I really didn¡¯t receive any news from you.¡± As expected! Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her teeth. ¡°Father, I wrote you a letter previously, but it should¡¯ve been intercepted. Thus, you didn¡¯t receive it.¡± No wonder! No wonder I waited so long, yet Father didn¡¯t reply. Something went wrong much earlier! ¡°What exactly happened that caused you to be this anxious? Besides, not many people dare to intercept your letter, right? Who would¡¯ve done it?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Even though the academy was far from Fairy Water Mound, accidents had never happened when she corresponded through letters before. This time, someone must¡¯ve done it on purpose. However, she probably couldn¡¯t find out who in such a short amount of time. ¡°We can just investigate this letter. I came back today to ask for your help.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan paused, reorganized her thoughts, and briefly explained the recent happenings in the academy. After hearing it, Jiang Hetian knitted his brows. ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re currently suspecting that Chu Yue has a problem with his identity?¡± ¡°Yes. Rong Xiu does treat him rather differently, which causes other people to be suspicious.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips. ¡°Besides¡­ He also has the exact same red-tailed phoenix as Shangguan Yue. Isn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence?¡± Jiang Hetian asked, ¡°You¡¯re guessing that the Chu Yue is Shangguan Yue?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan nodded hesitantly. Jiang Hetian fell silent, placed two hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the room. After some time, he then said, ¡°Your doubts are valid, but¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire has never said that the princess consort had left.¡± One had to know that with Shangguan Yue¡¯s current identity, she definitely couldn¡¯t go to any place quietly. Ever since she had become the princess consort, she had stayed in the Sky-Cloud Empire. So why would she suddenly appear in the distant Ling Xiao Academy? Chapter 1284 - Investigate ¡°Who knows if Shangguan Yue is in the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± At this point, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind was extremely clear. She clenched her teeth and couldn¡¯t hide her jealousy. ¡°Rong Xiu dotes on her so much and would even risk offending the venerables for her. He could just silently send her out.¡± Anyway, other than himself, only his confidants can go to his bedroom. If something really happens, how would outsiders know? Jiang Zhiyuan increasingly felt that her suspicions could be true. ¡°I wrote the letter to you because I originally wanted you to check on the situation in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Yet, this letter was intercepted. It shows that¡­ someone is stopping me from investigating Chu Yue!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s words tempted Jiang Hetian. ¡°Your guess isn¡¯t illogical, but now¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire is heavily guarded and has strong defenses. It¡¯s as hard as ascending to the sky to find out about something, let alone those core members¡­ Zhiyuan, you¡¯re really putting me in a difficult spot this time!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was slightly dazed. ¡°How could this be? Didn¡¯t we previously have a¡ª¡± Jiang Hetian instantly looked at her alertly. Jiang Zhiyuan hurriedly shut her mouth. ¡°After the selection of the princess consort, the situation drastically changed at the Sky-Cloud Empire. Some people are as good as being powerless¡­¡± On the surface, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t do anything and just left for Ling Xiao Academy. But in actual fact, he had already set up a plan in secret and was extremely accurate and harsh in attacking, not even giving others any time to retaliate. Now, those people were in perilous situations themselves. How would they help them? Ever since Jiang Zhiyuan lost the position of princess consort, their attitudes toward Fairy Water Mound had been becoming increasingly negative by the day. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart gradually sank. ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Jiang Hetian shook his head and sighed. ¡°If the clan leader came out of seclusion now, perhaps he could put in a word for us. But now¡­¡± Nobody knew when the clan leader could come out, but with the current situation, how could they afford to wait? The father and daughter fell silent together. The room was completely quiet. After a while, Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly said, ¡°Let¡¯s check on Shangguan Yue then!¡± Jiang Hetian was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan squinted her eyes and said every word carefully, ¡°Rong Xiu personally admitted that this Shangguan Yue was a woman he had a marriage agreement with when he was at Country Yao Chen back then. If we want to check on this Shangguan Yue¡¯s background, we can directly send someone over and know about it! Perhaps that Chu Yue is also from that place, and we can find out something!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan increasingly felt that this plan would work. ¡°Father, we need to know our enemies to win!¡± However, Jiang Hetian was still rather hesitant. ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t, but¡­ If Rong Xiu knows that we¡¯re secretly checking the princess consort¡¯s status¡­¡± ¡°So what if he knows?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan sneered. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort should have a distinguished background, and she needs to be legitimate! If she can¡¯t even undergo such a check, it just proves that her identity is problematic and that she¡¯s not worthy of being the princess consort!¡± Jiang Hetian sighed in his heart. This daughter is good at everything, but she becomes especially impulsive and unrealistic every time it is something related to Rong Xiu. That Shangguan Yue is no longer just a candidate for the princess consort position. She is now a legitimate princess consort. Some things cannot be done like before, but Zhiyuan doesn¡¯t seem to realize this. ¡°Father?¡± Seeing that Jiang Hetian hadn¡¯t made a response for so long, Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but knit her brows slightly. When Jiang Hetian saw her behavior, his heart ached, and he could only nod. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send someone to check on her later.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was then satisfied. ¡°Thank you, Father! I knew you were the best to me!¡± Jiang Hetian laughed out loud and patted her head. ¡°Okay, you can rest assured now, right? Look at how dirty you are; you must¡¯ve come back in a hurry. Was the journey tough? Go have a hot shower and rest.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was very touched and forcefully nodded. However, Jiang Hetian¡¯s next sentence caused her smile to freeze. ¡°Oh right, how long of a leave did you take from Elder Dan Qing this time?¡± After hesitating for a while, Jiang Zhiyuan vaguely replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t specify a time¡­ I just wanted to come back, so I told Mentor that I¡¯d head back to the academy after I settled my private matters. Mentor also agreed.¡± ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t say a time?¡± Jiang Hetian was very surprised. ¡°Then, you mustn¡¯t neglect your work at the academy.¡± Previously, Jiang Zhiyuan had already taken leave for the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort selection. It hadn¡¯t been long since then, yet she took leave again and didn¡¯t even specify the duration this time. Elder Dan Qing might overthink it. Besides, if the news got out, it wouldn¡¯t be good. ¡°The strong will be respected. No matter what, you can get everything you want as long as you¡¯re strong enough!¡± ¡°Father, you¡¯re worrying too much. I won¡¯t.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan forced a smile. ¡°Since when have I been behind others on this? After I¡¯ve rested at home, I¡¯ll go back.¡± Jiang Hetian then felt more assured and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re always the most obedient one; I would say much more about the others. You should know what to do.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan could only force herself to acknowledge it. The father and daughter talked for a while longer before they went back on their own. Jiang Zhiyuan went back to rest, and Jiang Hetian started sending people to investigate Shangguan Yue. The Jiang residence was still calm and peaceful as if there weren¡¯t much difference from before. ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. A month hurriedly passed. In the blink of an eye, it was the last day of Chu Liuyue being locked up in Fiend Park. Early in the morning, Chu Liuyue woke up. She absorbed the force and circulated it. After allowing the force to circulate for a Heavenly Cycle in her body, she widened her eyes again and breathed out slowly. She felt rejuvenated. She had to admit that she felt very comfortable and free during this one month. After all, not everybody had the chance to fight with so many incredible fiends. At this time, a familiar voice came from outside. ¡°Chu Yue, you can go out today!¡± Elder Shu Yu was calling her from outside. Ah Qiong and Tao Tao looked over. Chu Liuyue stood up, tidied her clothes, and smiled brightly at them. ¡°I¡¯m leaving today!¡± Ah Qiong seemed reluctant. After some hesitation, Tao Tao walked to the cave entrance and sat down, rejection written all over its body. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Tao Tao, are you stopping me from leaving?¡± Tao Tao turned its head and refused to speak in a very stubborn manner. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. Actually, she became much closer to Tao Tao during this period of interaction. She also felt very reluctant to leave just like that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll still be in the academy in the future. When I have the chance, I¡¯ll come over and visit you.¡± ¡°Chu Yue?¡± Seeing that the person hadn¡¯t come out yet, Elder Shu Yu urged. Chu Liuyue walked over and patted Ah Qiong and Tao Tao. Tao Tao then obediently made way and looked at Chu Liuyue with grievances. Da! A fist-sized tear dropped down and landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Chapter 1285 - Mature The reluctant and sad atmosphere was instantly broken. The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched as she looked at Tao Tao and seriously said, ¡°Tao Tao, you¡¯ve already swallowed such a huge black-gold crystal. You¡¯re a big kid now. You can¡¯t cry so easily, okay?¡± Tao Tao nodded forcefully and flung a few large teardrops out. Chu Liuyue was caught off-guard and was hit again. She wiped her face. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Elder Shu Yu waited for a while, and just as he planned to go in and find her, Chu Liuyue finally walked out from within. He looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s wet face in shock. ¡°Chu Yue, what¡¯s¡­ with you?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Nothing; I just washed my face. Why did you come so early and even trouble yourself to specifically come and fetch me?¡± Elder Shu Yu didn¡¯t take it to heart as he smiled and said, ¡°Today is the last day after all. Your mentor must be anxious like mad. Back then, I promised him that I would take good care of you, so I naturally have to be in charge of sending you out in one piece.¡± He raised his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Just as the two of them jumped up and prepared to leave, a reluctant cry came from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look but saw Ah Qiong and Tao Tao standing at the cave entrance and bidding her farewell. She waved her hands. ¡°It seems like they¡¯re really reluctant to leave you.¡± Elder Shu Yu looked curious. ¡°These steel-ridged fiends are very cold and hard to approach. I didn¡¯t expect them to be so close to you.¡± Actually, he wanted to ask about this long ago, but he didn¡¯t have much of a chance beforehand. Even now, he didn¡¯t know exactly how Chu Yue built such a deep relationship with this steel-ridged fiend mother-son duo. Especially that adult steel-ridged fiend. To guard Chu Yue, it could even sacrifice its child¡­ It was really stunning. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s fate?¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to talk about it further, Elder Shu Yu understood and didn¡¯t ask more. Anyway, he already understood that this Chu Yue was indeed different from ordinary people. Things that seemed impossible to other people, he could complete many of them easily. One had no choice but to be convinced of this. Some people were born lucky. ¡°Your aura seems stronger than before?¡± Originally, Elder Shu Yu wanted to check on Chu Liuyue¡¯s current abilities. However, he recalled that the latter had a Yuan instrument that hid her aura, so he couldn¡¯t check it. However, there were some faintly obvious changes. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°There is rich Heaven and Earth Force here, and it¡¯s peaceful and quiet. It¡¯s very suitable to cultivate here. I¡¯ve already been here for a month. It¡¯s normal for me to strengthen myself, right?¡± ¡°Peaceful? Quiet?¡± Elder Shu Yu¡¯s gaze turned strange. Does Chu Yue have some misunderstanding about Fiend Park? Not to mention others, just judging from the night when he was about to break through and become a stage-eight warrior, it definitely had nothing to do with the words ¡®peaceful¡¯ and ¡®quiet.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? Fiend Park has been much quieter recently,¡± asked Chu Liuyue in return. Elder Shu Yu thought for a while and was rather hesitant. ¡°I think¡­ so¡­¡± When he patrolled in the past, he would occasionally hear some cries and roars from fiends, but it did decrease in frequency recently. ¡°Probably because the incident that night had caused a huge commotion¡­¡± said Elder Shu Yu with uncertainty. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t correct him and nodded in agreement. ¡°Elder Shu Yu, you make sense. In this way, I¡¯m very fortunate.¡± As they spoke, the two of them had reached the Xuan formation. With the translucent Xuan formation in the middle, Chu Liuyue already saw two familiar figures. Elder Shu Yu raised his hand, and an opening was made in the middle of the Xuan formation. ¡°Disciple!¡± Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement and yelled, ¡°Come out quickly! Let me take a good look at you!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm as she walked out. Elder Wan Zheng took two steps out and sized her up carefully. After confirming that she was really unharmed, he heaved a sigh of relief. Chu Liuyue smiled and comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mentor. I¡¯m doing great.¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve suffered a lot inside. How can you be good?¡± Seeing her face filled with smiles, Elder Wan Zheng felt his heart ache even more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! From today onward, we won¡¯t come here again!¡± ¡°Um¡­ Mentor, it¡¯s actually pretty nice here¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked hesitant for once. I spent my days rather happily¡­ I even picked up quite a few good items¡­ Elder Wan Zheng looked at her behavior and thought that she didn¡¯t dare to go against Bo Yan in front of him, so he didn¡¯t speak further. He patted her shoulders. ¡°Good disciple!¡± If the news of her being able to stay in Fiend Park for a month safely and even complete such a major breakthrough got out, who wouldn¡¯t be envious of Wan Zheng having a good disciple? Seeing that he had already confirmed a few things, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t explain further and allowed him to carry on. ¡°You performed quite well this time.¡± At the side, Elder Bo Yan nodded in admiration after sizing Chu Liuyue up. ¡°You¡¯ve become much stabler and more mature.¡± It seems like it was right to send Chu Yue here this time. ¡°Remember this lesson, and don¡¯t make any more mistakes in the future.¡± Chu Liuyue seriously answered, ¡°Thank you for the teaching, Elder Bo Yan. I¡¯ve benefited greatly this time.¡± It was great to exchange blows with so many ninth-grade fiends and legendary fiends! Sigh, it¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t know when I can have this chance again. Elder Bo Yan admired Chu Liuyue even more. ¡°Good, good. It¡¯s great that you can think in this manner.¡± As he spoke, he sighed. ¡°If only¡­ Jun Jiuqing can think like you.¡± 1 Chapter 1286 - Ill Fight with You Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up! Detecting her reaction, Elder Wan Zheng curiously asked, ¡°Disciple, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and smiled to hide her thoughts. ¡°Nothing much. I was just curious¡­ The person you mentioned, Elder Bo Yan, did he¡­ receive the same punishment as me?¡± Elder Bo Yan shook his head. ¡°Not really, but¡­ he also made some mistakes before, so he received his corresponding punishment. But from start to end, his attitude was very stubborn, unlike you¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t only stubborn; he just refused to repent. He was exactly the same as his mentor. Perhaps he had long seen such a quality in Jun Jiuqing, so he was always so protective of him¡­ ¡°Forget it; it¡¯s all matters of the past. We don¡¯t have to talk about it.¡± Elder Bo Yan directly ended this topic. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved slightly, but she didn¡¯t say anything in the end. ¡­ Elder Bo Yan and Elder Wan Zheng personally sent Chu Liuyue back to Jiuheng Peak. After the incidents that happened during this period, they were already used to putting Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu together. Hence, they naturally sent her back here. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M After Elder Bo Yan instructed her about some matters, he left and gave the mentor and disciple space to talk. When his figure disappeared, Elder Wan Zheng looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Disciple, do you know Jun Jiuqing?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°No. Mentor, why did you suddenly ask that?¡± Elder Wan Zheng stared at her and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me. When you talked about him, your expression was clearly amiss. You must know him¡ªat least you¡¯ve heard of him recently, right?¡± Old ginger is still the spiciest. Chu Liuyue sighed. It was because Elder Bo Yan had mentioned him too suddenly, and I was too shocked, so I couldn¡¯t control my expression properly. She kept silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of him before.¡± Elder Wan Zheng asked again, ¡°Did Rong Xiu tell you about him?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered; then, she nodded. ¡°Sigh¡­ I knew it.¡± Elder Wan Zheng suddenly sighed as if he were emotional like he had expected everything. ¡°He has deep grudges against Jun Jiuqing. You¡¯re so close to Rong Xiu, so it¡¯s normal that you¡¯ve heard of his name.¡± An imperceptible frown appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. In the beginning, I thought that Elder Wan Zheng would guess Rong Xiu because I had pushed the blame to him for a few incidents before. Thus, he naturally thought of Rong Xiu this time. However, it seems like this isn¡¯t the case. She didn¡¯t speak, and Elder Wan Zheng thought it was her tacit agreement. ¡°Actually, Jun Jiuqing was originally a good kid. It¡¯s a pity¡­¡± It¡¯s a pity he has a deep mind, and his personality is extreme. When he meets with certain problems, his reactions will often head in an uncontrollable direction. But such comments are left for the elders to be well-aware of on their own. It¡¯s still inappropriate to tell the students about this. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to take this to heart. Just focus on yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What conflicts happened between Senior Brother Rong Xiu and Jun Jiuqing?¡± In the past, I could tell that the two of them didn¡¯t see eye to eye. But hearing Elder Wan Zheng, it seems like they had a long history. Elder Wan Zheng knocked on her forehead. ¡°There are some things that aren¡¯t for you to be concerned about. No matter what¡¯s happening to them, just focus on yourself and cultivate properly.¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her head and obediently acknowledged it. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay, you can go back first! Rest well today. Tomorrow, make a trip to my place. Now that you¡¯ve broken through, I want to know where your skills are.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and said, ¡°Oh yes, Mentor, I have used up almost all of my herbs. I want to go to Medicinal Valley to take some more. What do you think¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng waved his hands. ¡°Just go and take as much as you like! You can put all of them under my name!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile instantly became much more sincere. After sending Elder Wan Zheng away, she turned around and entered Jiuheng Peak. This barrier was set up by Rong Xiu specifically, and only the two of them could open it. Of course, Dugu Mobao was the only exception. Returning to the mountain, Chu Liuyue went straight to the residence. But after touring a round, she then realized that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to be here. After that, she even searched quite a few places on the mountain and within and outside the house, but she still couldn¡¯t see Rong Xiu. Looking at the empty house, Chu Liuyue was a little dazed. She instinctively thought that Rong Xiu would be here, so she didn¡¯t ask much when she was with Elder Bo Yan and the rest. Was he¡­ punished because of the previous incident? But even I came back. Why is Rong Xiu still missing? ¡°You don¡¯t have to find him. He can only come back after half a month.¡± A cold and milky voice sounded. Chu Liuyue was elated. ¡°Big Baby!¡± She followed the direction of the voice and walked a few steps forward, discovering that Dugu Mobao was indeed in the room next door. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked in surprise and curiosity. Dugu Mobao calmly glanced at her as if he were speechless that she would ask such a question. Chu Liuyue coughed in embarrassment. ¡°Um¡­ I mean, it¡¯s currently daytime. Why are you here?¡± According to Dugu Mobao¡¯s habits, he would normally appear in the evening or night. Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t directly reply to Chu Liuyue. He clearly felt that there wasn¡¯t much point to the latter¡¯s words. After being despised, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind it either as she moved over happily. With Dugu Mobao around, it was normal to be despised. If he wasn¡¯t, it meant that he was cold. After a while, Chu Liuyue had gotten used to it. Every time she saw the cold expression filled with contempt, all she wanted to do was harshly squeeze it! Of course, she had the thought but not the guts. In the past, she still dared to be slightly unruly. Ever since she started cultivating with Dugu Mobao, Chu Liuyue had restrained herself much more. The feeling of being crushed harshly on the chessboard was too painful. This was enough to make her restrain the urge to squeeze his small face and not let her have any desire left at all. ¡°Where exactly did he go? Why is it taking him so long?¡± Chu Liuyue sized him up curiously. ¡°This should be very confidential. How do you know this so clearly?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not in the academy.¡± Dugu Mobao was a man of few words. He only gave a half-assed answer and ignored all of Chu Liuyue¡¯s other questions. ¡°You broke through and became a stage-eight warrior?¡± Hearing him stiffly change the topic, Chu Liuyue had the urge to squeeze his chubby face again. However, the last bit of her rationality stopped her. If Dugu Mobao doesn¡¯t want to speak, it¡¯s clear that asking him anything will be useless. Besides, I probably would accumulate more contempt. ¡°I broke through a few days after entering Fiend Park.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over and sat opposite Dugu Mobao. Dugu Mobao stared at her. ¡°I¡¯ll fight with you.¡± Chapter 1287 - Lesson ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and almost suspected that she had misheard him. ¡°You? Want to fight with me?¡± Chu Liuyue pointed at her nose and asked in disbelief. Dugu Mobao knitted his brows. ¡°What, are you reluctant?¡± ¡°No!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately denied it. What a joke! It¡¯s rare for an ordinary person to meet such a strong warrior once. It¡¯s even rarer to exchange blows with one and receive some guidance. No matter how stupid I am, I wouldn¡¯t say ¡®no.¡¯ ¡°I was just a little shocked¡­¡± After all, she had known Dugu Mobao for so long, but other than playing chess, she hadn¡¯t truly fought with him. Even for her warrior training, he just threw out a few puppets and never personally fought her. Hence, Chu Liuyue was still quite shocked to hear him say this suddenly. ¡°Although you¡¯re still far from being a legendary warrior, you¡¯re already a stage-eight warrior now, so it¡¯s not so easy for you to break when you fight,¡± commented Dugu Mobao very calmly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips quivered. What is he saying?! What does he mean by ¡®not so easy for me to break?¡¯ I trained and broke through to become a stage-eight warrior with so much difficulty, but this is my only use?! Dugu Mobao glanced at her. Chu Liuyue became stern. ¡°Please guide me!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M ¡­ Their fight was still in the room. Looking at the expensive furniture, Chu Liuyue hesitated. ¡°Big Baby, are we really not going outside to fight? This place is so small. It¡¯s hard to execute our moves, right? It¡¯s not good if we destroy the furniture¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such need,¡± said Dugu Mobao lightly. Chu Liuyue was stumped. This was the one sentence that could express the opponent¡¯s contempt and nonchalance the most. She personally felt that she had quite a sharp tongue, but she always lost without fail in front of Dugu Mobao every single time. Yet, she couldn¡¯t argue against him at all. He just had to crush her in all areas! She took a deep breath in, and her gaze became much more serious. Then, she widened her stance, tensed up her muscles, and circulated the force within her dantian rapidly! Almost in the blink of an eye, she entered combat mode completely! Faint satisfaction flashed across Dugu Mobao¡¯s face, and it disappeared right after. ¡°It seems like you didn¡¯t waste your time at Fiend Park for this one month.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s previous combat skills weren¡¯t weak, but she was restricted in some way. After breaking through to become a stage-eight warrior, she maintained her peak condition and continuously battled all sorts of fiends for a month. She had improved her skills in almost all aspects. Even though her cultivation level didn¡¯t change, her observation skills, sensitivity, and other aspects had strengthened quite a bit. This was extremely important for strong warriors when they were battling. Hence, when she faced Dugu Mobao, she rapidly circulated all the force in her body! She bent her knees slightly and stared at Dugu Mobao closely! Whoosh! The next moment, her figure disappeared from the spot! She attacked first, hurling out a punch! Then, Dugu Mobao raised his hand and placed his palm in front of him! Rumble! Chu Liuyue¡¯s fist harshly flew out and quickly met with an invisible and shocking force, producing a low blunt sound. At that moment, her entire palm seemed to have hit against a very hard steel board! Her mind turned blank for a short moment. But very quickly, the soreness and excruciating pain came from her palms! Her palm was almost crushed in the next second as a strong force bounced back! Chu Liuyue was at the front, and her body instantly flew backward, about to harshly collide with the wall behind! She clenched her teeth tightly and quickly struck her palm out, using the force to slow herself down so that she wouldn¡¯t collide with the surface. But even so, the instant the forces intersected, she almost couldn¡¯t stand still and fell to the ground. Using the handle of a chair beside her, Chu Liuyue forcefully stabilized her body. ¡°It seems like you still need to train.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice came from behind. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and turned around. Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression was calm and nonchalant as if he had already expected all of this to happen. Chu Liuyue felt very conflicted. This was because she didn¡¯t even touch Dugu Mobao¡¯s palm from start to end! He just raised his hand, and the aura that came with it was enough to crush her! She naturally knew that she wasn¡¯t his match, but she never thought that she wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to properly exchange blows with him, even though she had tried her best. After some time, she then asked, ¡°Why¡­ do you want to show me this move?¡± The both of them were on completely different levels. Such a fight only had one meaning to her¡ªto let her know even more clearly how weak she was! ¡°I just want you to see that you¡¯re indeed one of the top few compared to the students in Ling Xiao Academy. But at this very moment, you¡¯re still worlds apart from becoming a true warrior.¡± Dugu Mobao retracted his hand, and his purple, demonic eyes seemed to sparkle slightly. Chu Liuyue laughed bitterly. She finally realized that the contempt Dugu Mobao had every time he faced her wasn¡¯t fake but real. If she were him, she would also despise herself. Then, her expression became stern as she bowed toward Dugu Mobao. ¡°I¡¯ll remember your teachings in my heart.¡± She knew very clearly that Dugu Mobao was willing to do this because of her. ¡°One day¡­ I¡¯ll definitely be able to go against you legitimately!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s lips curved up slightly, and he revealed a very rare smile. ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± His smile seemed like a flower that suddenly emerged on an ice-filled, snowy mountain. All along, he had a cold face, and even Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see him smile much. Hence, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned when she suddenly saw it. The next moment, she finally couldn¡¯t help herself as she took a few steps forward and squeezed Dugu Mobao¡¯s face. ¡°Ahhh! Big Baby, you¡¯re so cute!¡± Three seconds later, Dugu Mobao walked out with a black face. Thump! The door was shut. Inside the room, Chu Liuyue started to regret it when she saw the gigantic Xuan formation before her. ¡°Big Baby, I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it next time!!¡± Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t solve it, you can¡¯t come out!¡± Then, his figure flashed, and he disappeared on the spot. He left Chu Liuyue studying the chessboard with a miserable expression. Fifteen minutes later. ¡°Dugu Mobao, this isn¡¯t even a ninth-grade Xuan formation! Come back!¡± However, Dugu Mobao had already completely disappeared. As her objections were to no avail, Chu Liuyue could only continue examining the Xuan formation obediently. Sigh. Suddenly, I really want to go back to Fiend Park. At the very least, I won¡¯t be so harshly bullied there. ¡­ Chu Liuyue sat in the room for a few hours. Nearing evening, her eyes finally lit up. ¡°Here!¡± Chapter 1288 - Biggest Black Horse Amongst the New Students She raised her hand, and her thin and white fingers danced around lightly. A few rays of light shot out and intertwined to form a small Xuan formation in mid-air. Then, she carefully placed it somewhere on the large Xuan formation before her. Very quickly, the surrounding light surged in and merged with this small Xuan formation. Chu Liuyue was elated. This is a sign of it being solved! However, the smile on her lips didn¡¯t completely extend. The next moment, she saw that the light on the large Xuan formation continuously rushed forward and quickly drowned her small Xuan formation. Chu Liuyue sighed in disappointment. My way of thinking to solve this Xuan formation is right, but it¡¯s a pity that I¡¯m rather weak now. I can¡¯t go against such a Xuan formation. When her small Xuan formation was completely absorbed, a ray of silver light in front flashed across, and the big Xuan formation silently disappeared. Chu Liuyue heaved a slight sigh of relief. ¡°It seems like Big Baby doesn¡¯t want to directly put me in a difficult spot with a Xuan formation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three months to solve this Xuan formation completely. I¡¯ll come and check by then.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ears! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she looked outside. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M It was quiet and silent as if nobody had been here. She rubbed her brows. Three months¡­ I really don¡¯t know where Big Baby got his confidence in me from¡­ But luckily, I have basically already memorized that Xuan formation, so I can study it when I have the time. She glanced at the sky, turned around, and opened the door. Like she had expected, the previously locked door silently opened. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment, walked out, and went toward Medicinal Valley. ¡­ It was already in the evening. There weren¡¯t many people when she reached Medicinal Valley. She saw Elder Meng Ye sleeping on the broken wooden bed in the middle at first glance. He seemed to be facing the sky and sleeping. Sometimes, students would bring herbs and pay for them there. After the previous incident, Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t really think that he was sleeping. The entire Medicinal Valley had always been in his control. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t disturb him either. She flew down and started looking for her own herbs. ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± The moment Chu Liuyue stood still, she heard a surprised voice from behind. She turned around and smiled. ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, what are you doing here?¡± Zhong Xun walked over and sized Chu Liuyue up, unable to conceal the curiosity in his eyes. ¡°I should be the one asking you this! You haven¡¯t come out in a month, right!? I haven¡¯t seen you this entire time. Has Senior Brother Rong Xiu been giving you private lessons?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly as she smiled and answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± It seems like these people don¡¯t know that Rong Xiu isn¡¯t at the academy. ¡°No wonder.¡± Zhong Xun looked at Chu Liuyue in admiration and envy. ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu is second on the Qing Yun Ranking. With his guidance, you must¡¯ve benefited greatly, right? Of course, Chu Yue, you¡¯re outstanding as well. You came to the academy two months ago and directly got onto the Qing Yun Ranking. It¡¯s a pity that this month¡¯s assessment just ended, and you didn¡¯t come. If not, your ranking would¡¯ve improved, right?¡± Chu Liuyue then recalled that during her one month in Fiend Park, she had coincidentally missed this month¡¯s assessment. She smiled and shook her head. ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, you¡¯re too kind. I¡¯m not that good.¡± After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°Unlike Lin Zhifei¡ªhe got onto the Qing Yun Ranking earlier than me.¡± Zhong Xun made a ¡®tsk¡¯ sound. ¡°That¡¯s true. For this monthly assessment, he¡¯s already the 89th person on the Qing Yun Ranking for Xuan Masters.¡± Chu Liuyue was quite surprised. ¡°Oh? So fast?¡± ¡°Heh, actually, this isn¡¯t his true ability!¡± Zhong Xun glanced left and right and lowered his volume. ¡°You haven¡¯t been out for a while, so it¡¯s normal for you not to know this. When the few Xuan Master elders previously collaborated for a lesson, Lin Zhifei beat Jiang Zhiyuan on the spot!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan isn¡¯t weak. Being able to beat her just shows how strong Lin Zhifei is! Even though it¡¯s not considered a true battle but just a comparison on the chessboard, it was enough to prove that Lin Zhifei was outstanding.¡± As Zhong Xun spoke, he felt very emotional. ¡°I heard that he¡¯s only 20 years old and looks very gentle and elegant. I didn¡¯t expect him to hide his skills¡­ The people from the Xuan Master side say that he will at least be 30 ranks higher than he currently is now if he shows his true abilities. But for some reason, he doesn¡¯t seem very interested in this. He only handled the monthly assessment casually.¡± Not only Zhong Xun, but many people also didn¡¯t know what Lin Zhifei was thinking. Everyone in the academy wanted to get onto the Qing Yun Ranking. The higher one¡¯s ranking, the greater the honor. Many people might not even get to go onto the ranking once even after they left the academy, and it became their regret. Yet, Lin Zhifei didn¡¯t seem to care about it. ¡°However, this doesn¡¯t affect how everyone else thinks of him. Many people also say that he¡¯s the most outstanding black horse these few years¡ª¡± When Zhong Xun said this, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Of course, the Xuan Masters said that¡­¡± Seeing his careful behavior, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Senior Brother Zhong Xun, you can say whatever you want. You don¡¯t have to worry about how I¡¯ll feel.¡± ¡°You¡­ really don¡¯t mind?¡± Zhong Xun asked in surprise. One or two months ago, especially after Chu Yue secretly left the academy to help Senior Brother Rong Xiu and even came back in one piece, most of the people in the academy felt that he was the most outstanding one out of all the new students. But now, the tides had suddenly turned. More people were leaning toward Lin Zhifei. Any cultivator would be affected by such a change, right? ¡°I really don¡¯t mind,¡± said Chu Liuyue seriously as she controlled her smile. I know Lin Zhifei¡¯s talent and capabilities the best. If not, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen to make an alliance with him back then. But now¡­ why does it seem like everyone is secretly comparing the two of us? Thinking of the scene of her ¡®exchanging blows¡¯ with Dugu Mobao, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but sigh. With such a strong top global warrior beside me, how would I have the mood to mind that Lin Zhifei is stronger than me? Seeing that Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t seem to mind, Zhong Xun felt more at ease. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Anyway, you¡¯re cultivating with Elder Wan Zheng and Senior Brother Rong Xiu. Your future will definitely be bright!¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and asked, ¡°You just said¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan lost to Lin Zhifei? What happened? I remember that she¡¯s quite strong.¡± ¡°She is decent, but she wasn¡¯t in good condition that day,¡± said Zhong Xun hesitantly. ¡°If not, she wouldn¡¯t have said such words¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What words?¡± Zhong Xun shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s still hung up about the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort position. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t anything nice. After the competition, she took leave and returned to Fairy Water Mound.¡± Chapter 1289 - Considerate Disciple Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. According to my previous understanding, most people have a good attitude toward Jiang Zhiyuan. On the one hand, she has a decent background. On the other hand, her skills are quite presentable as well. Besides, she is born pretty, and to outsiders, she has an energetic, gentle, magnanimous, and elegant image, which everyone really likes. But hearing Zhong Xun¡¯s current tone, he seems to look down on Jiang Zhiyuan. It seems like Jiang Zhiyuan really had misspoken that day. As if seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s doubts, Zhong Xun simply recounted the incident that day. ¡°¡­That¡¯s what happened. Previously, everyone kept thinking that she was the pitiful and innocent one that was bullied. But after Lin Zhifei stood up, everyone then realized the incident wasn¡¯t like she had announced before. She was clearly the one who wasn¡¯t as good as others, yet she framed someone else¡­ Someone who did such a thing isn¡¯t good.¡± Zhong Xun pouted, and irritation flashed across his face. ¡°There were many students present that day, and quite a few people had heard what she said. Later on, her series of actions also wasn¡¯t presentable. I really didn¡¯t expect her to be like that¡­ Thinking about it now, Senior Brother Rong Xiu has always avoided her from the very beginning till now. Perhaps he had long seen through her, right?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. Actually, Jiang Zhiyuan has decent control over her emotions. But when a person has acted for too long, they will have times where they expose themselves. I don¡¯t know what happened that caused her to be so triggered. From now on, her image in the crowd¡¯s hearts in the academy will be completely destroyed. In addition, she lost to Lin Zhifei¡­ She has lost even more thoroughly. In Ling Xiao Academy, you can be alone, you can be arrogant, and you can be pristine. But the condition to all of this is that you must be sufficiently strong! Without skills as the foundation, one cannot stand stably. ¡°I think she won¡¯t come back anytime soon.¡± Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. Jiang Zhiyuan clearly minds that I¡¯ve become the princess consort. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have said such words out of impulse even now. If she has gone back to Fairy Water Mound¡­ ¡°Chu Yue? Chu Yue, what are you thinking?¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t reply after so long, Zhong Xun waved his hands in front of her eyes. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, smiled, and said, ¡°Nothing. I just feel that these incidents¡­ Forget it¡ªanyway, it has nothing to do with us. We can just watch as spectators. Senior Brother Zhong Xun, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go and pick my herbs first, okay?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Zhong Xun hurriedly said, ¡°Go ahead, go ahead. I¡¯m basically done. I won¡¯t delay you further.¡± Then, he turned around and picked two more herbs before quickly leaving. Chu Liuyue also retracted her vision and started looking for the herbs she needed. ¡­ The sky gradually darkened, and almost all the people in Medicinal Valley had left. Chu Liuyue walked amidst the purple bone flowers that were the height of her knee and carefully picked from them. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re not done yet?¡± Elder Meng Ye finally opened one eye and asked lazily. Chu Liuyue was shocked. She stood up and turned around, realizing that she was the only student here. She scratched her head in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elder. I was negligent and didn¡¯t notice the time¡­ I¡¯ll pack up and leave now.¡± Elder Meng Ye suddenly stood up and fanned his bare foot with his fan as he laughed. ¡°Hehe, kid, do you know how many herbs you¡¯ve taken since you came? Hm, I remember that you only came to the academy about three months ago. If you can¡¯t afford these points¡­ I won¡¯t let you leave so easily!¡± So he was worried about this. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief, smiled, and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Elder, but my mentor said that I could take whatever I want at Medicinal Valley. Everything will go under his name.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± This time, Elder Meng Ye finally opened both his eyes and sized Chu Liuyue up for quite some time before he asked in disbelief, ¡°Did that old fellow really say that?¡± ¡°Yeah! Why would I dare to lie about this kind of thing?¡± ¡°Did this old fellow really have a change in personality¡­¡± Elder Meng Ye couldn¡¯t help but mutter. That Wan Zheng is very stubborn. He would actually do such a thing? But as a new student, Chu Yue indeed doesn¡¯t look like he would lie about such a thing. After all, I can ask Wan Zheng to find out the authenticity of it. This is definitely true. Elder Meng Ye thought for a moment and stroked his beard. ¡°Since this is so, I can rest assured. You can just take whatever you want!¡± Now that he said that, Chu Liuyue felt embarrassed to continue. She hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ve already picked enough today, and it¡¯s quite late, so I won¡¯t disturb you further.¡± As she spoke, she walked over and asked Elder Meng Ye to calculate it. Elder Meng Ye picked up his green jade plaque and wrote a number on it. ¡°It¡¯s fine! I know what you took very clearly. I don¡¯t have to count it! This bill¡­ I¡¯ll send it to him myself tomorrow¡ª¡± ¡°Elder,¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue suddenly. ¡°I have a request, and I hope you¡¯ll agree to it.¡± Elder Meng Ye looked up at her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. Under Elder Meng Ye¡¯s eyes that looked as if they could see through everything, her skin burned as she said awkwardly, ¡°Um¡­ Could you give the bill to my mentor a month later?¡± Chapter 1290 - Physician Medicinal Guide Elder Meng Ye¡¯s gaze turned strange. He waved the green jade plaque in his hands and revealed a smile with deep meaning. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ you¡¯ll come again tomorrow?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in embarrassment for once. ¡°And the day after?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned even redder, and she nodded. ¡°¡­You won¡¯t come for a month straight, right?¡± Elder Meng Ye¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°No, no! How could I do such a thing?!¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly denied it. She cupped her hands together and explained with much difficulty and embarrassment, ¡°Um¡­ You also know that I just broke through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor not long ago, so I¡¯ll use up a lot of herbs now¡­¡± Elder Meng Ye glanced at her strangely. Nobody would have the same reason. There are so many ninth-grade heavenly doctors in the academy, but none of them did this! ¡°Elder¡­ You wouldn¡¯t disagree, would you?¡± asked Chu Liuyue carefully. Elder Meng Ye suddenly laughed out loud. ¡°Why would I?! Since Wan Zheng has already promised you, it means that he thinks highly of you! These few years, he only accepted you as his disciple, and he doesn¡¯t even have enough time to dote on you! Why can¡¯t he let you spend some of his points?¡± He waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I promise to send this bill to him in a month!¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Chu Liuyue also smiled. ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡± Elder Meng Ye lay down again. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Chu Liuyue bowed and left. Medicinal Valley recovered its peace. As a light breeze came over, the intense herbal fragrance wafted through the air. Elder Meng Ye lay on the broken wooden bed and propped his leg up as he fanned himself in an irregular manner. He muttered softly, ¡°Hah, Wan Zheng that old fellow will suffer greatly this time!¡± He tilted his head and looked in a certain direction within Medicinal Valley. At night, the gigantic Xuan formation flickered with an extremely faint light, which covered everything. It also hid everything within it. Elder Meng Ye¡¯s gaze turned deeper, and he kept silent for some time before he softly chuckled. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a kid that caused so much trouble in a while¡­ He is rather similar to you. That medicinal garden has been kept for you all this while, but you don¡¯t even know how to come back and take a look at it, stupid girl.¡± At the very end, he shook his head and closed his eyes with some reminiscence and helpless love. ¡°You always make people worry about you¡­¡± ¡­ She had a peaceful sleep that night. The next day. Chu Liuyue woke up early in the morning, briefly tidied herself up, and went directly to Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s place. After reaching, she realized that Elder Wan Zheng was already waiting for her. The mentor and disciple talked for a while before going straight into the topic. Elder Wan Zheng first exchanged some blows with Chu Liuyue. After confirming that her abilities were indeed stronger than she looked, he felt proud and curious. However, he eventually held back his impulse and didn¡¯t ask Chu Liuyue about her background. ¡°Since you can already produce intermediate ninth-grade pills¡­ With your talent and sensitivity, you¡¯ll be able to go to the next stage in no time and produce a peak ninth-grade pill.¡± As Elder Wan Zheng spoke, he took out a book and passed it over. Chu Liuyue took it with both hands and saw a few powerful words on it¡ªPhysician Medicinal Guide. Chu Liuyue looked up strangely. ¡°Mentor, this¡ª¡± ¡°Above ninth-grade heavenly doctors is the Physician level.¡± Elder Wan Zheng stood with one hand behind his back and said seriously, ¡°Amongst the public medicinal books in the academy, the highest-grade formula is peak ninth-grade. Above that are all the private collections of the elders. This is the book that my mentor gave me back then. Now, it¡¯s time to give it to you.¡± The passing down of heavenly doctor skills was extremely private, and it was even more so for higher grades. Normally, it was already very hard for a top-grade heavenly doctor to develop a disciple with similar skills to them. This disciple alone would use up a large amount of effort and strength. Elder Wan Zheng passing this book to her had already proved how highly he thought of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm as she held the medicinal book tightly and solemnly said, ¡°Thank you for your teaching, Mentor. I¡¯ll definitely work hard to cultivate and not let you down.¡± Elder Wan Zheng patted her shoulders emotionally. ¡°You¡¯ve always been sensible. I¡¯m not worried at all! Take this book back and study it carefully. If you don¡¯t know anything, feel free to ask me about it!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded forcefully. ¡­ Time always passed very quickly when she focused on her cultivation. It was afternoon in the blink of an eye, and Chu Liuyue planned on bidding farewell. She glanced at the sky and suddenly recalled that Tuan Zi was still at Million Wine Mountain in an unknown state. ¡°Mentor, has Million Wine Mountain been opened?¡± Elder Wan Zheng was dazed and calculated the time. ¡°It should be ready soon. Originally, it was time two days ago, but due to safety reasons, Bo Yan and the rest delayed it by a few days. If I haven¡¯t recalled it wrongly¡­ it¡¯ll be open the day after tomorrow.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Chu Liuyue with much alertness. ¡°Why? What do you want to do there again?¡± He remembered very clearly that out of the three times Chu Liuyue was punished, two of them were related to Million Wine Mountain! This caused him to be scared even when he talked about Million Wine Mountain. Chu Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°Nothing. I was just casually asking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡ªyou¡¯re not allowed to go over as you wish anymore!¡± Elder Wan Zheng warned her. ¡°Previously, Bo Yan didn¡¯t punish you severely because you went there to refine the weapon soul for the legendary weapon, and Shang Yulin tried his best to protect you. If it happens again¡­ Even I won¡¯t help you any longer!¡± It seems like I don¡¯t have any credibility in front of these elders. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll remember it!¡± Chapter 1291 - Saved Before During the next few days, Chu Liuyue stayed at Jiuheng Peak obediently. For some reason, Big Baby never appeared again. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know where he went and didn¡¯t know how she should look for him, so she simply stayed at her own place and cultivated peacefully. Sometimes, she would study the Xuan formation Big Baby left behind. Other times, she would read Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s Physician Medicinal Guide. Originally, Chu Liuyue thought that these two aspects would use up a lot of brainpower and energy. After all, with her current abilities, it was still rather hard for her to understand these things. However, she very quickly discovered that things were different from what she had imagined. She didn¡¯t feel that these two things were too difficult when learning. Sometimes¡­ she would even find it familiar for some reason. It was as if¡­ she originally knew how to do it. Chu Liuyue hid her thoughts very well and cultivated peacefully as usual. Her only worry now was Tuan Zi. The one-month deadline had come, yet Tuan Zi hadn¡¯t exited yet. She didn¡¯t know how it had been doing during this period of time. According to what the legendary three-eyed eagle said before, such a long duration should be enough to trigger Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline power completely. The more uneasy thing is that Million Wine Mountain¡¯s opening day keeps getting pushed back. Many students were confused by this, but most of them wouldn¡¯t find out why. After all, to them, Million Wine Mountain was just a place they could rest and relax. Even if it were closed for one month or three to five months, it wouldn¡¯t have a great impact. However, Chu Liuyue felt something unusual about it. / please keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M There were a few times she had tried to ask about Million Wine Mountain, but it was all to no avail. In the end, as she was afraid of arousing suspicion, she could only calm down temporarily and wait silently. Now, no news was probably the best news¡­ ¡­ Before the news of Million Wine Mountain being opened came, Chu Liuyue met another person¡ªShang Yulin. The moment she saw him, Chu Liuyue knew what he was here for. ¡°Greetings, Elder.¡± Chu Liuyue bowed respectfully. Shang Yulin glanced at Jiuheng Peak behind her and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Rong Xiu really thinks highly of you. Not only did he bring you to Million Wine Mountain, but he even let you stay here.¡± He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You need to know that even we don¡¯t have this right.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and asked, ¡°Did you come for that thing today?¡± Shang Yulin laughed out loud. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be more direct than me! I¡¯ll be straightforward!¡± ¡°You helped me so much previously. If I still beat around the bush now, won¡¯t it be too overboard?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words worked very well with Shang Yulin. ¡°Okay! We won¡¯t talk any more nonsense then. Let¡¯s go!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Go? Go where?¡± Shang Yulin glanced at her strangely. ¡°To my territory, of course! You wouldn¡¯t want to show it to me here, right?¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. After all, it was a rare treasure. Besides, other than those elders in the academy, the students basically didn¡¯t know about this. If Shang Yulin wanted to study it properly, he had to choose a safe and discreet place. It was best to go to his place. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Elder, you¡¯re wise.¡± ¡­ Shang Yulin stayed at the Armory Refinement Master area. It was the first time Chu Liuyue had come here, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. It was different from the other three areas that were crowded. In contrast, it was very cold and lonely here. If it weren¡¯t because one could feel the faint strong aura in the mountain area, Chu Liuyue would¡¯ve thought that there was nobody around. But after Chu Liuyue came here, she felt that it was very different. The mountains in the innermost area were all bald, and most of them were burned. It seemed like they had ended up in this state because they had triggered too many bolts of lightning. In the mountains, all sorts of rare armory refinement materials outside could be found anywhere here as if they didn¡¯t cost money. There were even some failed Yuan instruments that gathered together like a small hill. Actually, not all of them were damaged. Some of them didn¡¯t meet the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s own standard, so they were casually thrown away. Just based on those few at the edges, Chu Liuyue could confirm that people would definitely be willing to lose an arm and a leg for it if they were brought out. However, it was clear that they didn¡¯t have such intentions. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and couldn¡¯t help but sigh in her heart. The Armory Refinement Master elders are indeed carefree and rich¡­ ¡°Some of those Yuan instruments should be usable, right? Won¡¯t it be a pity if they are just thrown away like that?¡± After walking a further distance inside, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask this. Shang Yulin followed her vision and looked over as he nonchalantly shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s so good about those pieces of scrap? It¡¯s fine if they¡¯re thrown away. If they flow out, it¡¯ll be humiliating.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Chu Liuyue silently acknowledged it. I really don¡¯t understand the Armory Refinement Master world. ¡°Here¡ªthe inside is my residence.¡± Shang Yulin pointed to the front. ¡°When I¡¯m back at the academy, I stay there.¡± Chu Liuyue took a glance and realized it was a normal-looking mountain. However, Shang Yulin¡¯s words still caused her to be curious. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t stay in the academy?¡± Shang Yulin nodded. ¡°Yeah! Normally, I only stay here for about two months a year. This year¡¯s situation is rather special, and I went into seclusion to break through, so I stayed until now.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. From what she knew, most of the academy elders lived in the academy. She hadn¡¯t seen someone like Shang Yulin, who only stayed here for two months¡­ As if seeing through her confusion, Shang Yulin laughed out loud. ¡°Why are you so shocked? I¡¯m not the academy¡¯s official elder, so I can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± Chu Liuyue was truly stunned this time. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not an official elder?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shang Yulin flew forward, and Chu Liuyue followed closely behind him. ¡°I¡¯m from the Shang family of Mysterious Sky Residence. It¡¯s already very hard for me to have the title of ¡®elder¡¯ in the academy. If it were someone else from a top-tier aristocratic family, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to do this.¡± Such a short sentence contained too much information. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brain worked quickly, and she rapidly understood. Mysterious Sky Residence was the same as the Sky-Cloud Empire, and they were both top-tier clans in the God Residence Realm. Disciples with such backgrounds could study in Ling Xiao Academy, but they couldn¡¯t be elders here. ¡°Ever since Ling Xiao Academy was established, there was this rule. It¡¯s still the same even today. This is also the reason why the academy can maintain a neutral stance the entire time and have a balanced relationship with all the aristocratic families.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You must have your merits if you can be an elder, right?¡± Shang Yulin laughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯re wrong! The reason why I could become half an elder in the academy is that¡­ I had once saved the director¡¯s precious disciple!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat! Chapter 1292 - See ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and I don¡¯t think you would like to hear it.¡± Shang Yulin didn¡¯t seem to have any intentions of talking about it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved, and she said, ¡°After coming to the academy, I did hear quite a bit about that person.¡± Shang Yulin looked at her in shock and instantly smiled in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s true. The Qing Yun Ranking has always been there, and only her name is erased. It¡¯s inevitable that there will be some news.¡± Unlike the mysterious behavior the elders have toward me, Shang Yulin¡¯s attitude seems much more relaxed when he talks about this. Perhaps it¡¯s because he isn¡¯t an official elder in the academy, Chu Liuyue thought to herself secretly. ¡°Actually, when you talk about it, she and you are pretty similar in many areas.¡± Shang Yulin sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°Back when she came to the academy, she was also sent to Fengmin Mountain on the second day. When she came out later on, she kept committing mistakes. However, the director protected her, and the elders also doted on her. Hence, they always closed an eye and couldn¡¯t bear to punish her severely.¡± He sighed rather emotionally. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that later on¡­¡± His voice suddenly trailed off. Chu Liuyue felt very complicated. Actually, after she came to the academy, she also faintly felt that the elders were very kind and even indulged her back then. If not, how could they allow a student like her to casually open the academy barrier? They were biased in the end. / Please Keep reading on MYB0XNOVEL.C0M It was a pity she didn¡¯t remember all of this. Even when Shang Yulin talked about saving her, she had no impression of it at all. ¡°Forget it. Let the past be the past.¡± Shang Yulin quickly adjusted himself and looked at Chu Liuyue expectantly. ¡°The Chi Xiao Sword¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue slightly nodded. A thought surfaced in her mind, and she summoned it over! She passed the sword over. ¡°Elder, please.¡± Shang Yulin¡¯s breathing paused for a moment, and his eyes were as if glued onto the Chi Xiao Sword. Agitation, passion, emotion¡­ That was the gaze of being able to see it after so many years! He took a deep breath in and reached out to take the sword. But after stretching his hand out halfway, he hurriedly wiped it against his shirt and took the sword carefully and sincerely. Even though Chu Liuyue knew that he liked the Chi Xiao Sword, she didn¡¯t expect him to treat it so solemnly. This had clearly become his obsession. Shang Yulin tightly grabbed the sword sheath and the hilt as he gathered all his focus. When he calmed down a little more, he started to take the Chi Xiao Sword out gradually. It was bright, cold, and sharp! Just looking at it almost caused one to be hurt by the terrifying sword aura! Shang Yulin¡¯s cheeks turned red from being too agitated, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Supreme Yuan instrument¡­ It indeed lives up to its name!¡± His gaze carefully swept across it, including every single line on the sword sheath, the dragon head on the hilt, and the perfect sword body! Every area was done perfectly! On the side, Chu Liuyue saw that he couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement and felt very emotional at that moment. Perhaps this Is a true Armory Refinement Master! They always have a respectful and loving attitude toward elite Yuan instruments! It¡¯s hard to imagine that someone who is carefree and cool to the outside world has such sincere and serious moments. Shing! Shang Yulin finally pulled the sword out! The sword weighed a ton, and even he had to use a lot of effort to lift it up. The strong suppression almost made him unable to breathe. However, Shang Yulin still insisted on holding it up, but his hands shook greatly. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. That¡¯s weird. It wasn¡¯t heavy when I held it, but why did it become like this in Shang Yulin¡¯s hands? Even when I first fought with Jin Lei for this item, and it had yet to recognize an owner, its weight didn¡¯t seem so exaggerated¡­ She thought for a while and still expressed her doubts. Shang Yulin was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Silly! Previously, this Chi Xiao Sword didn¡¯t have a weapon soul, so it had a normal weight. Hence, many people could snatch it! Now that you¡¯ve refined its weapon soul and even became its owner, it¡¯ll naturally be more than ten or a hundred times heavier than before!¡± Finally, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and put the Chi Xiao Sword down. When the tip of the sword was inserted into the ground, a giant crack instantly appeared! He breathed heavily and said, ¡°Do you think everyone is as lucky as you?!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately understood. ¡°I see! Thank you for your guidance, Elder!¡± ¡°You, you, you¡ª¡± Shang Yulin raised a hand and pointed at her. Sigh, this world is really unfair! I had thought about this Chi Xiao Sword for many years, but it was all for naught. It¡¯s hard for me to even hold it up. Chu Yue knows nothing about this, yet he suddenly became the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s master! There will always be someone who is better. Meeting Chu Liuyue¡¯s pure and clean gaze, he couldn¡¯t say a single word. Forget it. What¡¯s the use of talking about this? ¡°There, for you!¡± Shang Yulin pushed the Chi Xiao Sword to Chu Liuyue. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not going to examine it in detail anymore?¡± Chu Liuyue was quite surprised. Previously, didn¡¯t he say that he wanted to study it closely? This seems rather fast, right? Shang Yulin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I just wanted to see its structure. What did you think I was looking at? Even if I examine it for another day or month, it will never be mine! Faster! This thing is too heavy!¡± He urged her. Chu Liuyue then reached out and took the Chi Xiao Sword back. She held it up and looked at it. ¡°Did you say that you were looking at its structure? Is this very important?¡± Chapter 1293 - Bloodstains ¡°Of course, it¡¯s important!¡± When Shang Yulin talked about this, he immediately became energized and explained to Chu Liuyue passionately, ¡°When refining weapons, the materials are important. If you want to produce an outstanding Yuan instrument, you need to look at your materials first and then your structure. These two aspects determine how much nourishment it can receive from the lightning bolts. You need to know that the greater the number of lightning bolts triggered, the stronger the Yuan instrument, and the better it can be used.¡± ¡°Look at this Chi Xiao Sword. In all aspects, it is the best. That¡¯s the only way you can produce a supreme Yuan instrument.¡± He sighed. ¡°Back then, that person used up all his blood, sweat, tears, and energy to produce this Chi Xiao Sword. It¡¯s a pity that it was deeply buried in Ancient Feather Abyss for many years and didn¡¯t see the light of day. Now, it¡¯s in your hands, and you inherited it. If that person in the heavens knows about it, he would be comforted, right?¡± ¡°The higher a Yuan instrument¡¯s grade, the harder it is to understand the mysteries behind it. This is the case for the Chi Xiao Sword as well. I just stared at it for a while, and I already feel uncomfortable. I don¡¯t know if I can study it properly,¡± said Shang Yulin very honestly. ¡°It¡¯s a pity you¡¯re not an Armory Refinement Master. If you were, it would be much more convenient for you since you have such a treasure with you. If you¡¯re talented enough, you might even be able to produce an even stronger Yuan instrument in the future.¡± His words were filled with regret. Chu Liuyue silently listened, and an idea popped up in her mind. Armory Refinement Master¡­ Strictly speaking, I am one, right? First of all, a true Armory Refinement Master has to trigger lightning bolts. A cultivator can only determine if they have the ability to become an Armory Refinement Master after they break through the bottleneck and become a legendary warrior. As for whether I have the potential to become an Armory Refinement Master, I will only know after I break through to become a legendary warrior. Shang Yulin randomly found a spot at the side and sat down cross-legged. ¡°I¡¯ll study it for a while. You can walk around and tour the area. Oh yes, there are quite a few items at the back. If you like any of them, you can just take it.¡± Then, he closed his eyes as if he really planned on cultivating. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Elder, there¡¯s something I want to ask you about.¡± Shang Yulin still had his eyes closed, and he looked relaxed. ¡°Say it.¡± / Please Keep reading on MYBOXN0VEL.COM Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°I caused huge trouble at Million Wine Mountain that day. May I know if it has recovered yet?¡± Shang Yulin snorted and looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about this? Don¡¯t worry! You did cause a significant amount of damage, but we kept repairing it overnight, and it¡¯s basically as good as it was before.¡± ¡°Then, why hasn¡¯t it been opened to the public yet?¡± Chu Liuyue added, ¡°I thought the trouble I caused was too serious¡­ I felt really uneasy¡­¡± Shang Yulin didn¡¯t suspect anything else as he waved his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Million Wine Mountain is fine. As for why it hasn¡¯t opened yet¡­ Bo Yan has his own considerations. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± After not being able to find out any information, Chu Liuyue could only give up. Seeing that Shang Yulin had already started cultivating, Chu Liuyue thought for a while and swiftly decided to shop around the area. It¡¯s rare for me to come once, so I have to take a good look. Besides, my name is on the Armory Refinement ranking, which means that I was talented in this aspect back then. Perhaps I can recall something if I look around. ¡­ The surroundings fell silent. There weren¡¯t many things to see on the mountain. Perhaps it was because they would usually trigger lightning when they refined weapons, but there wasn¡¯t even a place to stay on the mountains. Instead, traces of weapon refinement would be seen everywhere. This was still the territory of Shang Yulin, who only stayed at the academy for two months a year. If it were someone else, half their mountain would probably be split open. Unknowingly, Chu Liuyue walked to the back of the mountain. Her eyes lit up. There are indeed quite a few good items here. Armory Refinement Masters search for all kinds of precious materials to refine Yuan instruments, but they might not actually be used. Hence, they will just be piled up here. If I randomly take one out, I might be able to sell it for quite a sum. One had to say that Armory Refinement Masters were prouder than heavenly doctors. They weren¡¯t even worried that the items would be stolen. Chu Liuyue walked over and picked a few interesting trinkets. She suddenly focused her gaze. In the small hill that was piled up with all sorts of precious stones, there seemed to be a palm-sized jade pendant packed inside. Under the sun, it shone faintly. The jade pendant was entirely white and looked translucent and crystalline. Probably because it was a little old, so there were traces of the years on it. It really looked very unassuming amongst these stones, but Chu Liuyue closely stared at that jade pendant as her heart beat rapidly. She reached out, carefully took the jade pendant, and examined it closely on her palm. This was a circular jade pendant. There was nail-sized damage at the edge of it as if someone had chipped it by accident. Upon closer inspection, that damaged edge had a few small cracks. It was as if a light knock would completely smash this jade pendant. However, this wasn¡¯t Chu Liuyue¡¯s focus. Instead, she focused on the pattern on it! A sword slashing a dragon¡¯s head was engraved in the middle of the jade pendant. She was very familiar with this pattern! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands trembled slightly as she flipped the jade pendant over. There was one word engraved on the back of it, and it had almost vanished from the wear and tear. But after cleaning the dust on its surface, the word could be clearly seen and recognized¡ªTianling! ¡­ This belongs to the Tianling Dynasty! At this moment, Chu Liuyue was very sure of it! This pattern, these engraved words¡­ All of it shows its background! The most important thing is that this handwriting is Ancestor¡¯s¡ªif I haven¡¯t recognized it wrongly! Chu Liuyue suppressed her rapidly beating heart and lightly called out, ¡°Ancestor.¡± Detecting that her emotions seemed off, Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice had a hint of worry. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue tried hard to make her voice sound calm. ¡°There¡¯s something I would like you to verify personally. May I know if it¡¯s convenient for you to come out now?¡± Shangguan Jing hesitated for a moment before coming out from the Chi Xiao Sword. Even though it was rather inappropriate to appear here, and he might be discovered by the people in Ling Xiao Academy, he cared about Chu Liuyue even more. Chu Liuyue handed the jade pendant over. ¡°Ancestor, do take a look. Is this¡­ yours?¡± Shangguan Jing went forward and took a closer look. With this glance, his gaze suddenly changed! Chu Liuyue immediately confirmed it in her heart. This belongs to Ancestor! As expected, she heard Shangguan Jing say, ¡°T-this is my jade pendant. Why did it appear here?¡± Chu Liuyue pointed at the damage on it. ¡°Ancestor, there are some bloodstains on this crack. Are¡­ they yours?¡± Chapter 1294 - Heavenly Square Cauldron That blood had seeped into the cracks. If one didn¡¯t take a close look, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see it. The color seemed dark and dry as if a long time had passed. Shangguan Jing knitted his brows and stared at the jade pendant for a while before reaching out slowly. A sense of familiarity came over, and he spoke with much difficulty, ¡°Yes, this is my blood, and¡­ There seems to be a part of my soul sealed in here.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyes in shock. ¡°Really?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s translucent hand gently swiped across the damaged jade pendant. ¡°Yes¡­ I used to bring this jade pendant with me everywhere. Later¡­ Later¡­ I don¡¯t remember what happened later.¡± As he finally reunited with it after such a long time, his voice was extremely low and slow as if it contained the happenings over a thousand years and a bit of bloody metallic aura. ¡°Before seeing this jade pendant, I actually didn¡¯t recall its existence. And now, I don¡¯t even remember how exactly I lost it.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and guessed, ¡°Ancestor, perhaps you purposely threw this jade pendant?¡± If not, why would there be a part of his soul sealed here? Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t talk for a long time, and one couldn¡¯t see the depths of his eyes. Actually, he also agreed with what Chu Liuyue said. When Chu Liuyue previously refined the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s weapon soul, he shockingly discovered that he wasn¡¯t his last bit of consciousness but a soul! / Please Keep reading on MYBOXN0VEL.COM During this period, he had been thinking about this problem. However, he still couldn¡¯t remember what happened back then. He further confirmed his previous doubts when he saw this jade pendant. I¡¯m indeed still alive! Chu Liuyue looked at her ancestor with a complicated gaze. ¡°Ancestor, do you really not remember it at all? Perhaps¡­ it¡¯ll be useful if you merge with the soul piece within the jade pendant?¡± Shangguan Jing paused for a moment before slowly nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± His two soul pieces had been separated for a thousand years. It wasn¡¯t that easy to merge them. Chu Liuyue held the jade pendant in her hands tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to help you.¡± Ancestor is still alive, and he has found another part of his soul. As long as I find the other pieces of his soul, perhaps I can find the chance to help Ancestor take someone¡¯s body and help him live again! This thought made Chu Liuyue faintly emotional. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the elder. Perhaps he knows where this jade pendant came from! If we follow this trail, it¡¯ll be a matter of time until we can find out what happened back then!¡± ¡­ ¡°The background of this jade pendant?¡± Shang Yulin flipped over the jade pendant in his hands and recalled with furrowed brows for a while. Eventually, he still shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Disappointment flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, but she asked persistently, ¡°Think about it carefully. Do you really have no clues at all?¡± Shang Yulin returned the jade pendant helplessly. ¡°Chu Yue, you also saw that I have many things back there. I don¡¯t even remember when I obtained most of them, let alone their background. As for this jade pendant¡­ I really can¡¯t think of anything.¡± Chu Liuyue took the jade pendant and looked down. Actually, she had long expected this outcome. The material of this jade pendant might be considered decent to ordinary people, but it wasn¡¯t very impressive in front of Armory Refinement Masters like Shang Yulin. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have casually thrown it to the hill behind. He might not even have taken another look at it, let alone others. ¡°Thank you. Then, I¡¯ll think of another way.¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s persistence, Shang Yulin felt curious. ¡°Is this jade pendant very important to you?¡± Chu Liuyue held the jade pendant tightly and nodded seriously. ¡°This¡­ is my ancestor¡¯s item.¡± No wonder. Shang Yulin immediately realized something. ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯ll return you the jade pendant from today onward. You must take good care of it from now on. Perhaps you¡¯ll be able to find some clues about it one day?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± She paused and said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else¡­¡± Shang Yulin knew what she was going to say and immediately agreed. ¡°Nobody can remain calm after finding such an item. It¡¯s better if you go back and rest first.¡± Chu Liuyue held the jade pendant tightly, thanked him, and left. ¡­ On the way back, Chu Liuyue still felt rather dazed. She never thought that she would find the jade pendant Shangguan Jing had lost by just going to Shang Yulin¡¯s place. The key point was that there was still a part of his soul in it! There was actually such a coincidence in the world! Perhaps this was fate arranged by the heavens? Chu Liuyue was shocked and felt very lucky, with a feeling of indescribable happiness. Ancestor is very benevolent toward me. If I can help Ancestor revive, it would be for the best! ¡°Ancestor, do you know what you need to prepare to merge your soul pieces?¡± Chu Liuyue asked with uncertainty. After a moment, Shangguan Jing boomed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s even harder than you think.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Back then, I had already built half my God Realm and could be considered a demigod. If you want to merge such a soul, you have to be a Physician at the very least.¡± If not, it would be to no avail. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s words calmed Chu Liuyue down. ¡°Then, it seems like we need a long-term plan for this. But no matter what, it¡¯s already very lucky that we could find your soul.¡± Shangguan Jing acknowledged it and fell silent again. Chu Liuyue knew that he needed some time now, so she didn¡¯t speak further and didn¡¯t disturb him. ¡°Chu Yue!¡± The moment Chu Liuyue reached Qing Ming Square and was about to turn in the direction of Jiuheng Peak, she suddenly heard a familiar voice. She turned around¡ªit was Luo Yanming. She smiled and greeted him. Luo Yanming walked over and said very emotionally, ¡°I finally saw you! Why did you not even come out during this period?¡± Chu Liuyue could only find an excuse to hide. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy cultivating recently, so I haven¡¯t really been out¡­ Why? Is something wrong? Oh yes¡­ We previously agreed to duel.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly slapped her own forehead. ¡°Look at my memory. I was busy and forgot about it!¡± Luo Yanming chuckled. ¡°So you still remember¡ªthat¡¯s great! However, I¡¯m not looking for you today because of this.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°The academy released the Mission Board today, and I planned to go over to take a look at it. Do you want to go together?¡± ¡°Mission Board?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Luo Yanming couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°It seems like you really haven¡¯t been out lately. You don¡¯t even know about such a major event. Every season, the academy will release a Mission Board. The one who successfully finishes all the missions first will receive a very substantial reward! Many people are tempted. Are you not going to take a look at it?¡± Chu Liuyue was actually not very interested in this as she had enough things to be busy with. But seeing Luo Yanming¡¯s enthusiastic face, she asked, ¡°What mission?¡± Luo Yanming¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I heard it¡¯s related to the Heavenly Square Cauldron!¡± Chapter 1295 - True or False Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and almost suspected that she had misheard something. Then, she slowly asked, ¡°What?¡± Luo Yanming thought that she didn¡¯t understand, so he explained, ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron! Rumor has it that it¡¯s one of the top ten holy weapons in the God Residence Realm! Don¡¯t you know?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. I really don¡¯t think I know¡­ Since when did the Heavenly Square Cauldron suddenly become one of the top ten holy weapons in the God Residence Realm?! That item has been in my body for so long, but I never realized that it was any different! Oh, other than it being especially powerful and having a large storage space¡­ Chu Liuyue held her forehead and rubbed her temples. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on in detail.¡± Luo Yanming said, ¡°I can¡¯t really explain the matter in one or two sentences. If you really want to know, you can directly go to the Mission Board. Everything will be clear then!¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her black, gem-like eyes were as calm and dark as usual. ¡°Where¡¯s the Mission Board?¡± ¡­ Luo Yanming brought Chu Liuyue to the side of Dong Huang Clock Tower. There were already quite a few people gathered there. Luo Yanming raised his hand. ¡°Look! It¡¯s up there!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. / Please Keep reading on MYBOXN0VEL.COM A few lines of words shone brightly on the black board. The two words ¡®Mission Board¡¯ were the biggest at the top. Below were the related mission details and explanation. This was originally where the Qing Yun Ranking¡¯s warrior list was located. Now that the Mission Board was hung here, it wasn¡¯t considered weird. Chu Liuyue looked at it a few times and finally understood it. There was a place in the God Residence Realm known as the Flood-Desert Northern Region. The environment there was extremely terrible, and almost nobody went there. But recently, it had become an extremely crowded place. That was because the legendary Heavenly Square Cauldron was about to descend there! 1 The Heavenly Square Cauldron had been missing since a thousand years ago, and nobody in the God Residence Realm had heard news of it ever since. It was only recently that news of the Heavenly Square Cauldron appearing again had spread far and wide. All the aristocratic families were very tempted, and they wanted to have it as their own. Normally, Ling Xiao Academy rarely participated in such fights. But since a treasure like the Heavenly Square Cauldron descending would greatly affect the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force, and there could possibly be other Yuan instruments appearing, there were many benefits. Hence, after the academy elders discussed it, they decided to list it as the mission this time. Whoever could stay in the Flood-Desert Northern Region for a month and could find a Yuan instrument related to the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­ It would be considered as them completing the task. All in all, this so-called mission could more accurately be considered harsh training. ¡°Flood-Desert Northern Region¡­ I heard that the place is very dangerous. Whether we¡¯ll even be able to come back will be a problem, right?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s where the Heavenly Square Cauldron is about to descend! Wealth only presents itself in danger. If you don¡¯t want to go, there will be plenty of people wanting to go!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and it also states that the elders will go together and try to ensure everyone¡¯s safety! As long as we feel that something is wrong, we can just try to ask for help and leave. We won¡¯t be in much danger.¡± ¡°Hah, so what if it¡¯s dangerous? Being able to see the Heavenly Square Cauldron once personally would be worth it even if I died! I came to the academy to become stronger! If we¡¯re so cowardly, when can we become true warriors?¡± The students gathered together and partook in heated discussions. After listening for a while, most people were still leaning toward taking the risk. After all, the reputation of the top ten holy weapons in the God Residence Realm was indeed too appealing. ¡°So what do you think, Chu Yue? Are you going?¡± asked Luo Yanming rather nervously and expectantly. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before replying, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and think about it.¡± Luo Yanming nodded. ¡°We can form a team for this. Shishi, Zhuo Sheng, and I have decided to go together. If you want to go too, you can just let us know. We can go together!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the Mission Board again before she left. ¡­ Jiuheng Peak. Inside the room, Chu Liuyue held her chin with one hand and furrowed her brows slightly. ¡°Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­ What exactly is going on?¡± I clearly obtained that item accidentally when I fought with the legendary three-eyed eagle. Without talking about how it suddenly became a precious object, there is actually another Heavenly Square Cauldron descending in the so-called Flood-Desert Northern Region? ¡°Could there be two Heavenly Square Cauldrons in this world?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded. ¡°In the entire mainland, there¡¯s only one Heavenly Square Cauldron, and it¡¯s currently with you.¡± ¡°But the one at the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡ª¡± ¡°Either someone made a mistake, or someone purposely spread rumors. Anyway, it¡¯s fake. Don¡¯t believe it.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s tone was very insistent, and he was sure of it. After listening to him, Chu Liuyue thought to herself. Some time passed before she slowly said, ¡°This should be a trap someone set up.¡± ¡°Why do you say this?¡± asked the legendary three-eyed eagle in return. ¡°If one or two people deduced it wrongly, it could still be understandable. But now that word has spread far and wide throughout the entire God Residence Realm, and even the academy elders didn¡¯t detect that something was wrong¡­ That¡¯s rather strange.¡± Chu Liuyue felt that the elders had good decision-making skills, but even they believed in it without a doubt and were even prepared to bring the students over¡­ Clearly, someone had used some method to cause everyone to believe that the news was true. The Heavenly Square Cauldron hadn¡¯t appeared once in a thousand years. Even if someone suspected that there was a problem with it, they couldn¡¯t produce any evidence¡ªunless the true Heavenly Square Cauldron appeared. And currently, it was with her. Other than Ling Xiao Academy, this incident had even implicated quite a few top-tier aristocratic families. Who exactly was the mastermind with such shocking abilities? Chapter 1296 - A Given Chu Liuyue felt that she had faintly detected a huge scheme. A gust of cold air traveled from the bottom of her feet all the way to the top of her head, causing her to feel very uncomfortable. She poured a cup of tea for herself and moisturized her rather dry throat. How am I supposed to tell the elders about this? Just talking about it Is baseless. If I can¡¯t produce evidence, nobody will believe me. Perhaps they might even think that my brain has issues, but if I just allow them to continue¡­ I feel very uneasy. Chu Liuyue slowly rubbed the cup in her hands and said after a long while, ¡°How do I prove that I have the true Heavenly Square Cauldron in my body?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle paused for a moment before saying, ¡°You think that something that could suppress me for a thousand years is fake?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless for a moment. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t forget that it once suppressed a great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton and is currently sealing two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds.¡± Taking out any of them was hard evidence! In this world, not more than five people could do such a thing! Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was thinking too much.¡± ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron is an absolute treasure; it¡¯s much stronger than your Chi Xiao Sword. So no matter what, you can¡¯t reveal this news now. If not, you¡¯ll attract all sorts of flies!¡± warned the legendary three-eyed eagle. / Please Keep reading on MYBOXN0VEL.COM ¡°I understand.¡± Chu Liuyue finished the last bit of her tea. ¡°I¡¯ll think of another way.¡± ¡­ Tianling Dynasty, Shaoyue Palace. It was already late at night, and the moon was hanging bright in the sky. Octagonal crystal lanterns were hanging outside the palace. The candles burned and increased the length of one¡¯s shadow. Shangguan You stood on the stairs before the door. He looked at the moon and sighed lowly. ¡°I wonder how Yue¡¯er is doing there now¡­¡± Calculating the time, it has already been a few months. Other than a few correspondent letters in between, I haven¡¯t received any other news. As time passed, he was getting anxious. ¡°Your Majesty, Her Highness is now the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort and enjoys a distinguished status. Besides, that person is protecting her. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Behind Shangguan You, Cen Yi was wearing a stone-colored robe. He looked calm, and his narrow eyes were nonchalant without a ripple. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m especially worried!¡± Shangguan You shook his head and sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to have such a shocking status¡­ Yue¡¯er¡¯s identity will be questioned by many people¡­¡± It had been a long time since he received the news, but every time he thought about it, Shangguan You would be very affected. ¡°She¡¯s alone over there. If she gets bullied¡­¡± In the Tianling Dynasty, Yue¡¯er is the distinguished new empress above millions of people. But over there, all of this isn¡¯t worth a mention. He knew too well how important background was in a place like that. If she suffers any grievances¡­ We are miles apart, and there will be nobody to stand up for her. Even though Rong Xiu can help her, he can¡¯t take care of her all the time, right? All parents were worried about their children. Thinking of this, Shangguan You couldn¡¯t help but turn around. ¡°Cen Yi, do you have any ways of going over?¡± It would be better with one additional person around. Cen Yi paused for a moment and said, ¡°Her Highness never gave such an order.¡± Shangguan You felt rather helpless. The Thirteen Yue Guard only listens to Yue¡¯er, and even I can¡¯t command them. But in the entire Tianling Dynasty, I only trust these few people. Cen Yi said again, ¡°We¡¯re loyal to Her Highness, and her safety is definitely our priority.¡± Hearing this, Shangguan You felt slightly more at ease. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good¡­¡± As he spoke, he left with his hands behind his back. After sending the former emperor out for a distance, Cen Yi returned to Shaoyue Palace again. In the end, he met Qi Han, who came back in a hurry. ¡°Big Brother, there¡¯s a situation.¡± Cen Yi squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°Say it.¡± Qi Han¡¯s gaze was serious, and the scar on his face looked much more murderous. ¡°Someone went to Country Yao Chen and seemed to be secretly investigating Her Highness. Also, the other party is very strong. We paid quite a high price to settle him, but¡­ The other party doesn¡¯t seem like he will just stop there.¡± Cen Yi knitted his brows. ¡°Have you found out who it is?¡± Qi Han hesitated for a moment. ¡°It seems like¡­ someone from that side.¡± If not, I really can¡¯t think of someone else who can be so powerful. Qi Han hesitated for a moment, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°However, there also seems to be someone protecting us.¡± Cen Yi wasn¡¯t surprised about this as he said, ¡°He should be the one protecting Her Highness. Just do whatever you did previously. Also, add more manpower on Country Yao Chen¡¯s side. With that person helping, there shouldn¡¯t be much of an issue.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Han was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Big Brother, are we really going to stay here and wait the whole time?¡± Her Highness has gone to the God Residence Realm for so long, and we don¡¯t know how she¡¯s doing now¡­ Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°We just need to do what Her Highness instructed us.¡± Qi Han could only acknowledge it. After jumping around a few times, his body quickly disappeared into the night sky. Cen Yi thought for a moment and walked in another direction. ¡­ Night. After sending away the last customer, the Hundred Herbs Building was about to close when a man in a black cape appeared at the door. The pageboy instinctively said, ¡°We¡¯re closed for the day. Guest, please come again tomorrow!¡± The man at the door had a cold voice. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Yue Ling.¡± In Xi Ling, not many people dared to call Hundred Herbs Building¡¯s general manager by his actual name. The pageboy was taken aback and hurriedly looked up. However, the incoming person was completely hidden with the cape, and he was even wearing a hood. One couldn¡¯t recognize his appearance at all. The pageboy immediately felt alert. ¡°You are¡ª¡± ¡°Invite the important guest up,¡± yelled Yue Ling, who was standing on the second floor. The pageboy immediately put a smile on his face. ¡°Please, go up¡ª¡± That man moved his foot slightly. Without even seeing how exactly he moved, he had already passed the pageboy and went up the stairs. The pageboy turned around in shock. This¡­ ¡°You are dismissed,¡± instructed Yue Ling. The pageboy knew in his heart that he shouldn¡¯t stay, so he acknowledged the order and quickly left. On the second floor, Yue Ling directly guided the other party to a room. After closing the door and the windows, the two men faced each other. Yue Ling sat down freely, smiled, and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t looked for me in a few years. Why did you suddenly have the urge today?¡± The man opposite him took down his hood. It was Cen Yi, who had just left the palace! Cen Yi¡¯s expression was nonchalant as he said succinctly, ¡°I came here to work with you.¡± Strangeness flashed across Yue Ling¡¯s eyes. ¡°Work? You? With me?¡± Cen Yi looked at him silently. ¡°Someone is checking on Her Highness¡¯s identity. I need to borrow your people.¡± Yue Ling naturally understood that he was referring to Chu Liuyue. He nonchalantly replied, ¡°My people aren¡¯t cheap.¡± Cen Yi suddenly laughed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be a given for His Grace¡¯s people to do such a thing?¡± Chapter 1297 - Someone is Protecting Her Yue Ling¡¯s expression finally changed. ¡°When did you find out?¡± Cen Yi said nonchalantly, ¡°That¡¯s not important. The important thing is that I already know. Now, I¡¯m asking you for the last time: are you lending your people or not?¡± The two of them stared at each other, and the air froze inch by inch. They silently faced each other. Finally, Yue Ling was the first to break the silence. ¡°This matter is important. Of course, I¡¯m lending you my people. Just tell me how many you need.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s eyes finally curved up into a satisfied smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± The originally tense atmosphere between the duo silently disappeared! After settling some details, the two of them officially started their cooperation. The entire process took less than 15 minutes. Cen Yi stood up. ¡°Thank you for your help. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Yue Ling called him and still seemed very curious. ¡°What¡­ else do you know?¡± Even Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know that she was His Grace¡¯s person, yet the head of the Thirteen Yue Guard, Cen Yi, knew. This is too weird. Yue Ling couldn¡¯t figure it out. Cen Yi¡¯s gaze¡ªwhich seemed like it could see through everything¡ªcouldn¡¯t stop him from suspecting that Cen Yi knew many secrets. / Please Keep reading on MYBOXN0VEL.C0M Cen Yi paused and looked up slightly. ¡°More than you think.¡± After saying that, he turned around to leave. Yue Ling opened his mouth, but he discovered that the person had already left. ¡­ Fairy Water Mound. Inside the room, Jiang Zhiyuan looked at the letter in her hands in disbelief. She knew every single word on it, but when they joined together, she didn¡¯t understand what it meant. All the troops were destroyed¡­ Continuously assassinated¡­ Nobody came back alive¡­ W-what does this mean?! The ones sent over were clearly the most outstanding subordinates in the Jiang family. How could all of them die in a small Country Yao Chen, not to mention that they didn¡¯t find out any information at all! So many people were even lost! Due to her anger, her body trembled slightly. Then, she suddenly stood up and swiped all the items on the table to the floor! Pilihuala! ¡°Zhiyuan, what exactly are you doing?!¡± Jiang Hetian¡ªwho had just walked to the door¡ªwas caught off-guard by the outburst and immediately hollered. Seeing the ground filled with debris and the furious Jiang Zhiyuan, he first turned around to look at the subordinates. They very sensibly lowered their heads and left, even closing the door properly. Jiang Hetian walked over with large strides. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did you throw such a huge temper?¡± As he spoke, he already noticed the letter in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s hands and immediately took it to read. It was fine if he didn¡¯t read it, but now that he did, his expression instantly changed. ¡°H-how did this happen?!¡± As he was shocked, his tone became shrill. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes turned red as she clenched her fists tightly and clamped down on her teeth. ¡°I told you that there¡¯s a problem! In the small Country Yao Chen, it¡¯s rare to even see a stage-nine warrior. How could anyone be our people¡¯s match? Someone must be defending against us in secret! It¡¯s most likely that b*tch¡¯s people!¡± Other than her, who else can it be? Previously, I already felt that it wasn¡¯t simple, and it indeed seems like the case! If she isn¡¯t guilty, why does she need to do this?! Jiang Hetian read the letter many times and furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°No matter if it¡¯s her, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. The important thing is that it proves that she¡¯s definitely not someone with no background. And from the contents of the letter, it seems like there are two parties of people protecting her in secret. The person behind these two parties is worth investigating¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her teeth, suddenly looked at him, and said, ¡°Father, we were negligent before, so we ended up in such a state. This time, we¡¯ll send more people over, and we¡¯ll choose the stronger ones! I don¡¯t believe they can still do this!¡± ¡°You still want to go?¡± However, Jiang Hetian disagreed with her suggestion. ¡°Zhiyuan, we already suffered a great loss this time. If you send more people, and the same thing happens again, what should we do? You need to know that there are some people with quite a high status amongst them. How should I explain it to the family clan later on?¡± He was the clan leader, and he did have power, but great power also came with great responsibility. He could randomly find a reason for the damage and hide it this time, but what if it happened again? As this matter was extremely private, he sent the people he trusted the most. With this battle, he suddenly lost so many of them, and his heart ached as well! ¡°Father, what do you mean? Do you want to just give up and not investigate?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was in disbelief. ¡°We suffered such a great loss, yet you decided to just let it go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. Zhiyuan, you can¡¯t just look at what¡¯s in front. You need to consider the big picture!¡± Jiang Hetian nagged at her. ¡°They¡¯re in the light, and we¡¯re in the dark, yet we were completely destroyed this time around¡­ This shows that the other party isn¡¯t one to be trifled with! I think we should first investigate the other party¡¯s background¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan sneered. ¡°Check their background? Wasn¡¯t the first group of people going over to do this? What happened in the end?¡± Jiang Hetian was at a loss for words. Seeing that Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s attitude was persistent, he kept the letter and boomed, ¡°You¡¯re not to be unruly about this. You must listen to me! After a while, we can discuss this again! Also, you¡¯ve stayed at home long enough. It¡¯s time to return to the academy, right?¡± When Jiang Zhiyuan heard the first half of the sentence, she still wanted to argue. But when she heard the second half, she suddenly fell silent. She turned around, and there was her usual stubbornness and willfulness in her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back.¡± Chapter 1298 - Convince ¡°What did you say?¡± Jiang Hetian¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°No matter how angry you are, it has already been so long. Hasn¡¯t your anger disappeared? Previously, I had already asked you a few times, but you kept saying that you didn¡¯t want to go back. If you continue on like this, do you plan on never returning again in the future?!¡± When he asked the last question, his voice had already become very stern. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart trembled. She knew that he was about to truly rage, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel scared. But at the same time, the heretical fire in her heart rose. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to go back! If you ask me again, I¡¯ll still have the same answer!¡± She just had to think to know that what awaited her after she went back was definitely endless mockery and laughter! Jiang Hetian took a deep breath in. ¡°Zhiyuan, don¡¯t be willful. I¡¯ll still look after the things here closely. You should go back to the academy first and not let Elder Dan Qing worry about you.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t speak and clearly rejected him. Jiang Hetian¡¯s patience began to wear off slowly. I don¡¯t understand. In the past, my precious daughter was clearly understanding, smart, and generous. Therefore, why did she suddenly become like this in the blink of an eye? ¡°Zhiyuan, I¡¯m asking you for the last time. Have you already decided that you¡¯re not going back anymore?¡± Jiang Hetian¡¯s tone was dark. Jiang Zhiyuan was still scared, so she eased her attitude and couldn¡¯t help but tear up with grievances. ¡°Father, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to go back, but¡­ They¡¯re really bullies!¡± Following this, Jiang Zhiyuan cried as she told Jiang Hetian everything that happened in the academy. Of course, she had exaggerated some details in between and twisted the truth. / Please Keep reading on MYBOXN0VEL.C0M Thus, when Jiang Hetian heard it, he felt that the entire world was targeting his daughter. His heart ached. The anger that just accumulated couldn¡¯t be unleashed no matter what. After keeping quiet for a while, he said, ¡°Zhiyuan, I know that you feel wronged, but you managed to get into Ling Xiao Academy with much difficulty, and it¡¯s one of your strengths. If you just leave Ling Xiao Academy for good, how will they talk about you? Have you thought about that?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression froze. ¡°Someone else is already the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort. You don¡¯t have many advantages now, do you still not understand?¡± Seeing that Jiang Zhiyuan finally started to waver, Jiang Hetian softened his tone. ¡°It was my fault just now. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten angry at you, but I did all of this for your own good. You know that very clearly, right? If you can get everything you had before by just going back, why do other people talking a bit about you behind your back matter?¡± The final sentence eventually changed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind. She wiped her tears, and her eyes still had anger burning in them. ¡°Father, you¡¯re right. I was too short-sighted.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best that you can think through this.¡± Jiang Hetian heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Besides, if you go back now, you can still rush to the Flood-Desert Northern Region.¡± ¡°Flood-Desert Northern Region?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been busy handling the matters in the residence, and I didn¡¯t have the time to tell you about it¡­¡± Following this, Jiang Hetian told the relevant news to Jiang Zhiyuan in detail. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a pity that our Fairy Water Mound isn¡¯t a top-tier aristocratic family, and we don¡¯t have the right to go there. But as long as you return to Ling Xiao Academy, you can go with the elders!¡± Jiang Hetian¡¯s eyes seemed to glow with excitement. ¡°Zhiyuan, that¡¯s¡­ one of the top ten holy weapons!¡± It would be extremely beneficial if they could get some advantages from it! Jiang Zhiyuan was tempted as well. After slight hesitation, she finally nodded as if she had made up her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll go back right away!¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. Chu Liuyue watched as the last tiny Xuan formation got slowly swallowed by the light on the large Xuan formation, and her lips curled up into a satisfied smile. Over the past ten days, she had solved half of the Xuan formation. The further she got, the smoother her progress. I should be able to solve it completely in no time. Even though solving the Xuan formation doesn¡¯t mean that I can unleash a Xuan formation of the same level, it is still a good start. This proves that the cultivator has the corresponding potential. This was the case now. As a ninth-grade Xuan Master, after Chu Liuyue solved this Xuan formation, she would be a step closer to breaking through to the next level. She closed her eyes and recalled the previous scene in her mind. After confirming that every step was correct and flawless, she stood up and walked outside. Reaching the door, she habitually glanced to the side. Rong Xiu hadn¡¯t returned yet. Doubts flashed across her eyes. Dugu Mobao previously said that Rong Xiu needed another half a month before he came back. But time is almost up now, yet Rong Xiu is nowhere to be seen. For some reason, she felt uneasy. But this feeling quickly dissipated and wasn¡¯t caught by Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue!¡± Zhuo Sheng, Luo Yanming, and Luo Shishi were already waiting for her outside the barrier. Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts and walked outside. Seeing that the three of them looked ready to take action at any moment, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Today is just a contest to choose who can participate in the mission. Why are you so nervous?¡± Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m nervous! Are you not scared that you¡¯ll be eliminated at all? If you miss this chance, you might not be able to see a holy weapon for the rest of your life!¡± I might not get others, but I still have a chance for this one, Chu Liuyue silently thought. ¡°Later, we just need to showcase ourselves properly. This is much more useful than scratching your ears and heads.¡± Luo Yanming and Luo Shishi couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The originally tense atmosphere became much more relaxed. Luo Shishi smiled gently and said, ¡°Chu Yue is right. Shall we go now?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded, and the four of them headed toward Dong Huang Clock Tower together. After flying a distance, Chu Liuyue instinctively turned around and looked at Million Wine Mountain. ¡°Chu Yue, what are you looking at?¡± Zhuo Sheng followed her vision, and the corner of his lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not thinking of going to Million Wine Mountain again, right?¡± This kid always gets into trouble when he goes there, causing us to have some lingering fears now. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. ¡°Not really. I was just wondering why Million Wine Mountain hasn¡¯t opened yet after so long¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about this?¡± Zhuo Sheng instantly understood and was interested. ¡°Actually, everyone has their own guesses! Didn¡¯t Elder Bo Yan previously say that it¡¯ll be closed for a month? It¡¯s going to be one and a half months soon, yet nothing has changed. Many people are curious¡­¡± ¡°Million Wine Mountain is one of the most important places in the academy. This should be the reason why the elders have so many considerations, right?¡± guessed Luo Shishi. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t affect us much anyway. We don¡¯t have to care too much about it and just need to wait patiently. Perhaps it¡¯ll be opened real soon.¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and smiled slightly. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡­ Quite a few students had gathered below Dong Huang Clock Tower. At first glance, they looked like a black patch. Once Chu Liuyue and the rest came, the crowd instantly quietened down. Quite a few people looked over with enthusiastic gazes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Chapter 1299 - Enmity Why¡­ does the atmosphere feel so weird¡­ ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re here!¡± A woman who looked like she was eighteen or nineteen years old walked to Chu Liuyue and smiled brightly. She was wearing a bright-yellow dress matched with a hair tie of the same color. Her melon face had smooth skin, and her five features were intricate, looking very gentle and pretty. However, her eyes revealed her wit, letting people know that she wasn¡¯t as harmless and innocent as she looked on the surface. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Liao Shuiqing! I came to the academy three months earlier than you! You can just directly call me Qing Qing!¡± The woman in front didn¡¯t seem to be awkward because Chu Liuyue seemed unfamiliar with her. Instead, she magnanimously introduced herself in an intimate manner. Upon seeing this, Luo Shishi couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of annoyance, but she didn¡¯t show such feelings on her face. As the distinguished daughter of a top-tier aristocratic family, she had such teachings ingrained in her. ¡°I heard you¡¯re planning to go to the Flood-Desert Northern Region too? Have you formed a team? Can I be in a team with you?¡± As Liao Shuiqing spoke, she inched toward Chu Liuyue. An overly intense perfume fragrance attacked Chu Liuyue¡¯s nose, causing her to lose her breath for a moment. Recently, she was either picking herbs at Medicinal Valley or producing pills on Jiuheng Peak. She was surrounded by faintly bitter herbal fragrances every day. Now that this fragrance suddenly attacked her, she instantly felt discomfort. She controlled her expression and silently took half a step back. Then, she smiled slightly. ¡°Senior Sister Liao, I appreciate your kind intentions, but I already have a team.¡± / Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XNOVEL.C0M As she spoke, she intentionally emphasized, ¡°They¡¯re the three people here with me today. I thought it was already very obvious, but I didn¡¯t expect you to miss it, Senior Sister Liao.¡± Liao Shuiqing¡¯s smile instantly froze on her face. She crossed her arms, shrugged her shoulders, and quickly took a glance behind Chu Liuyue. ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­ I thought you were going to team up with Senior Brother Rong Xiu! What, did he¡­ not come with you today?¡± So this is her goal. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Without looking up, she knew how many pairs of eyes were staring at her at this moment. Naturally, they were all waiting for her reply. ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t plan to participate in the Mission Board this time,¡± replied Chu Liuyue slowly. Quite a few people instantly looked disappointed. After a moment of silence, hushed whispers could be heard. ¡°I knew it¡­ I said he wouldn¡¯t come¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! Senior Brother Rong Xiu has already left the academy for a few years. How could he possibly still participate in this activity?¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s also interested in that thing, he could totally go as the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, what a pity. I thought that even if we couldn¡¯t form a team together, it¡¯d be fine if we went there together¡­ It looks like there isn¡¯t such a chance now.¡± ¡­ Those people silently left. Many people retracted their sight. Clearly, without Rong Xiu backing Chu Liuyue up, the latter didn¡¯t have a high value in their eyes. Even Liao Shuiqing couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment, but she was decent at maintaining her expression as she smiled at Chu Liuyue. In a seemingly aggrieved and whining manner, she said, ¡°Oh, it seems like I won¡¯t have a chance to duel with you this round. Then¡­ How about next time? Oh, I forgot to mention that I¡¯m also a heavenly doctor. I just broke through to become a ninth-grade heavenly doctor half a year ago. I heard that you¡¯re only sixteen years old? Compared to you, Junior Brother Chu Yue, I¡¯m really far weaker.¡± If it were a young man who met this passionate, optimistic, and beautiful woman, they wouldn¡¯t have much control. If other people wanted to make an appointment with a legitimate reason, how could they have the cheek to reject her? Luo Shishi found her increasingly irritating, and there seemed to be a ball of fire burning in her chest. She couldn¡¯t help but turn around and look at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue, we should go over now.¡± Liao Shuiqing glanced at her. Chu Liuyue nodded and replied to Liao Shuiqing politely. ¡°Senior Sister Liao, you¡¯re too kind. We still have something on, so we¡¯ll take our leave first.¡± Then, she nodded slightly. Without waiting for Liao Shuiqing to say anything, she lifted her legs and walked in. Luo Shishi, Luo Yanming, and Zhuo Sheng followed closely behind her. After walking a distance, Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Shishi, why do you seem so angry? Did that Liao Shuiqing offend you before?¡± Luo Shishi¡¯s ears instantly turned red. ¡°No, I just think¡­ feel¡­ that she has something against us. We clearly came together, yet she still asked that. She clearly did it on purpose.¡± Zhuo Sheng still felt that something was amiss. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve met such a person. Usually, you can¡¯t be bothered to deal with them. Why¡ªaish, I can¡¯t pinpoint it!¡± Luo Shishi hurriedly said, ¡°Even a clay doll has a temper. I just felt that her behavior wasn¡¯t right. You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Zhuo Sheng wanted to say something further, but Luo Yanming interrupted him from the side. ¡°I heard that the number of people in the team isn¡¯t fixed. If there are any suitable people, we can also pull them over. However, the condition is that we have to pass today¡¯s test.¡± The elders were going to select from all the people who wanted to go to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Only those who passed the test could follow the academy¡¯s group. The eliminated ones could only stay in the academy. With Luo Yanming¡¯s interjection, Zhuo Sheng really didn¡¯t ask further. Luo Shishi couldn¡¯t help glancing at Chu Liuyue and quickly retracted her vision. Luo Yanming saw it clearly from the side and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in his heart. It seems like what Fourth Brother thought was right. Shishi is really interested in Chu Yue¡­ But Chu Yue seems to be nonchalant about it¡­ I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s really ignorant or if he¡¯s putting on a pretense. Luo Yanming thought to himself, When there is time, I should go test the waters. Chu Liuyue was walking at the front and was the first to be tested. The person testing her was still someone familiar¡ªElder Wen Xi. Elder Wen Xi wasn¡¯t surprised to see Chu Liuyue and raised his chin. ¡°Bring out your black jade plaque.¡± Chu Liuyue passed it over with two hands. Elder Wen Xi touched it with his own green jade plaque. Chu Liuyue saw a few lines of words appearing on her black jade plaque. It seemed to be related to her current cultivation level. ¡°Si¡ª¡± Elder Wen Xi gasped and instantly looked up, staring at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. Since when did this kid break through to reach this cultivation level?! I actually didn¡¯t hear of it at all! Those few lines disappeared very quickly. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Elder Wen Xi, do I pass?¡± He¡¯s asking the obvious! Elder Wen Xi wanted to knock her head with the plaque. ¡°Pass!¡± If he doesn¡¯t pass, a whole bunch of people wouldn¡¯t be allowed to pass in the academy! Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Thank you, Elder Wen Xi.¡± Chapter 1300 - Call Chu Yue to Come Over! At this point, a small commotion came from the crowd. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw a familiar face¡ªJiang Zhiyuan. She actually returned at this time. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. ¡°Zhiyuan, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao¡ªwho was originally chatting happily with a few people¡ªseemed shocked when she saw that Jiang Zhiyuan was back. She hurriedly smiled and welcomed her. ¡°We thought you weren¡¯t coming!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been at home for a while. If I don¡¯t come back soon, my grades will be affected.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re back! Did you see the Mission Board? Today, we¡¯re selecting the people that can go to the Flood-Desert Northern Region! If you were late by a few days, you would¡¯ve missed it!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan nodded. ¡°I heard about it. It seems like we need to form teams? I remember that when the last Mission Board was released, we did it together. I didn¡¯t expect us to go so far this time.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s smile instantly became a little awkward. ¡°Um¡­ Zhiyuan, you didn¡¯t say that you were coming previously, so I¡¯ve already teamed up with other people¡­ It¡¯s not very appropriate to kick someone out now so suddenly¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan then realized something, and her expression froze. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Even if we¡¯re not on the same team, we can still be together then!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao carefully glanced at her. ¡°Zhiyuan, you won¡¯t be angry with me, right?¡± / Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Jiang Zhiyuan suppressed her anger, forced a smile, and replied, ¡°Why would I? I also know that I came back suddenly, and there¡¯s no choice if you¡¯ve already formed a team. Don¡¯t worry. I can look for other people.¡± As she spoke, she surveyed the surroundings and walked in a direction. There were still many people around, so Jiang Zhiyuan had to maintain her expression. But in her heart, she was already annoyed and hated Liang Xiaoxiao. She seems passionate on the surface, but her every move and action Is ostracizing me. Liang Xiaoxiao clearly plans to keep her distance. Just because I lost to Lin Zhifei and accidentally said those words? Whatever the reason, I have seen through her. The past few years of friendship were worth nothing! Liang Xiaoxiao looked at her back view and crossed her arms, her intricate, fox-like face curling up into a smile. ¡°Xiaoxiao, there¡¯s actually no fixed number of people in a team. It¡¯s fine if she tags along. Why¡­¡± At the side, a woman couldn¡¯t help but lean over and speak softly. Liang Xiaoxiao raised her brows and looked at her. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we replace you with her? If you¡¯re willing, we¡¯ll all be fine with it.¡± ¡°No, no, forget it then!¡± That woman shrunk her neck and hurriedly rejected her. The other youngster laughed and said, ¡°Actually, Xiaoxiao is doing this for our own good. Zhiyuan¡­ is actually quite okay in other aspects, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be in good condition nowadays. What will happen if she suddenly makes a blunder and we get into trouble? We can¡¯t afford that.¡± Actually, his words were a stretch. Jiang Zhiyuan was in bad condition, but that was before she left the academy. If he still brought it up now, it was clear that he was just looking for an excuse. In actual fact, due to the previous incident, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s image in the academy had collapsed. Everyone felt that she was unlike what she seemed on the surface, so they weren¡¯t willing to team up with her. Besides, with her current behavior, she probably had offended Rong Xiu long ago. Nobody wanted to take the risk and stand on opposing sides as Rong Xiu. Even though Jiang Zhiyuan was outstanding, she wasn¡¯t the only girl in the academy. There were also quite a few daughters of aristocratic families with good backgrounds, looks, and talent. There was no need to chase after her. Liang Xiaoxiao pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ears and turned around. ¡°Everyone has their own fate. We should just mind our own business.¡± ¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan then found quite a few people afterward, but all of them curtly rejected her using all kinds of reasons. The smile on her face could not last as the anger in her heart grew increasingly intense. How long has it been?! I only left the academy for a short period of time, yet such a big change had occurred! In the past, they still doted on me and chased me, but now, everyone is avoiding me like poison! Even the few that I¡¯m on the best terms with have all flung me away without hesitation! After being rejected once again, Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her fists tightly and clenched her teeth. Her face felt hot as if someone had slapped her multiple times! She had never felt such ostracization in Ling Xiao Academy! This situation was much worse than she had predicted! She wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it! ¡­ ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Jiang Zhiyuan to have such a day.¡± Zhuo Sheng pouted. ¡°When we first came, she was kind of in the spotlight in the academy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because she did something wrong,¡± said Luo Yanming faintly. Chu Liuyue watched on for a while and retracted her gaze. Jiang Zhiyuan really can¡¯t control herself. Such a person isn¡¯t even worth worrying about. ¡­ Million Wine Mountain. Elder Bo Yan and Elder Ouyang stood on the mountaintop and looked at the fountain with tightly furrowed brows. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± After a long while, Elder Ouyang said with a deep voice. ¡°It has been so long, but the fountain hasn¡¯t recovered at all.¡± Actually, they had already repaired everything in Million Wine Mountain more than half a month ago. But as they always came at night, they only discovered that something was wrong with the fountain on the last day in the afternoon. It didn¡¯t spout water anymore. In the past, the fountain water would continuously emerge from within and flow down during the day. But now, it stopped! They came over to take a look every day, but the results they had were all the same! Elder Bo Yan walked down the mountain. ¡°Call Chu Yue to come over!¡± Chapter 1301 - Unrelated Seeing that Elder Ouyang was rushing toward her, Chu Liuyue instinctively knew that something was amiss. As expected, Elder Ouyang just briefly said one sentence after meeting her. ¡°Chu Yue, follow me.¡± The surrounding crowd was attracted by this sudden scene. Quite a few people seemed curious and shocked. Elder Ouyang is an Armory Refinement Master, and he rarely comes out. Why did he suddenly come over to find Chu Yue? Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Elder Ouyang, may I know why you¡¯re looking for me?¡± Elder Ouyang stared at her, and his gaze became mysterious as if he were wondering if her confused and ignorant expression was real or fake. ¡°You¡¯ll know later.¡± Then, Elder Ouyang turned around to leave. Chu Liuyue was about to follow him when Luo Shishi couldn¡¯t help but stop her from the side. ¡°Chu Yue, this¡­¡± She felt that something was amiss. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± / Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Then, she quickly followed Elder Ouyang and left. They left the crowd behind exchanging glances. ¡­ Chu Liuyue followed Elder Ouyang to Million Wine Mountain. Elder Bo Yan was standing with his hands behind his back. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Recently, Million Wine Mountain had been closed the whole time, so barely anyone came here. Right now, there were only Chu Liuyue and two other people. ¡°Chu Yue.¡± Elder Bo Yan looked at her and spoke first. Chu Liuyue immediately went forward. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, why¡­ are you looking for me?¡± Elder Bo Yan shot her a sharp gaze as if he wanted to see right through her heart. ¡°What did you promise me before? Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue had a face of confusion as if she hadn¡¯t figured out what the situation was. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, which¡­ promise are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Elder Bo Yan coldly grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that Million Wine Mountain¡¯s situation is unrelated to you!¡± This time, Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t know what Elder Bo Yan was referring to. She vaguely guessed that it might be related to Tuan Zi, but she wasn¡¯t sure of the details. Seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t fake, Elder Bo Yan was hesitant again. Could this really be unrelated to him? But the fountain only became like this after Chu Yue caused a scene here that day! ¡°I¡¯m a little slow. Elder Bo Yan, kindly explain to me,¡± said Chu Liuyue carefully. Elder Bo Yan stared at her and didn¡¯t speak for quite some time. The fountain is of great importance. Now that it has suddenly become like this, this news cannot be spread around easily. How could I directly tell Chu Yue about it? The two parties fell into a stalemate. Elder Ouyang couldn¡¯t watch from the side any longer, and he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Chu Yue, when you were refining the weapon soul, did you notice anything strange?¡± Perhaps it¡¯s not Chu Yue¡¯s fault? Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°At that time, I placed all my attention on it, so I didn¡¯t focus on other things.¡± That¡¯s true. Elder Ouyang and Elder Bo Yan exchanged glances and were increasingly worried. ¡°Bo Yan, Ouyang, you¡¯re looking for me?¡± Right at this moment, low and forceful laughter broke the calmness here. It was Shang Yulin. He came with a smile and seemed to be in a very good mood, but after seeing the three of them, he then realized that something was wrong. Shang Yulin controlled his smile and asked seriously, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ouyang, bring him there,¡± said Elder Bo Yan. Elder Ouyang nodded and brought Shang Yulin¡ªwho had a face filled with confusion¡ªinto Million Wine Mountain again. After the two left, only Elder Bo Yan and Chu Liuyue were left staring at each other. ¡°Chu Yue, if you tell me honestly now, I can still reduce your punishment,¡± said Elder Bo Yan with a heavy heart. Chu Liuyue was now even more certain that Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain was faulty. However, Tuan Zi isn¡¯t exposed yet. If not, Elder Bo Yan wouldn¡¯t have to test me so many times. Therefore, I won¡¯t relent no matter what. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. Could you¡­ give some hints?¡± Elder Bo Yan was so angry that his heart clenched up. He finally could tell that Chu Yue wouldn¡¯t fall for his trick! Even though the kid is just sixteen years old and seems rather harmless, he is very mature and experienced, not allowing others to see through him! After all, Rong Xiu brought him out, and he is really as much of a headache as he is! Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression became dangerous. ¡°That day at Million Wine Mountain, only the three of you were present. This matter will definitely be related to one of you. Who do you think it is out of the three of you?¡± Chu Liuyue looked down slightly and smiled bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening now, so how can I admit to it? Are you sure that it¡¯s me?¡± Of course! Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression was extremely clear. Ouyang and Shang Yulin both know how important the fountain is, so they definitely wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble. The only possibility would be Chu Yue, right?! ¡°Everything will be clear when they come.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced up at the mountain. They were separated by a barrier, and she couldn¡¯t see anything, but she faintly felt that Tuan Zi¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t bad. After a human made an agreement with a fiend, they would have a miraculous connection with each other. After Tuan Zi was left there, it seemed to be in a stable and calm state. This was one of the reasons that allowed her to feel slightly more at ease. Considering the time, Tuan Zi has been inside longer than the one month stipulated by the legendary three-eyed eagle. I wonder when it can come out¡­ ¡°Bo Yan.¡± After a while, Elder Ouyang and Shang Yuling came back. Elder Bo Yan looked over and realized that Elder Ouyang¡¯s expression was rather strange. He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you discover something?¡± Elder Ouyang glanced at Chu Liuyue. Elder Bo Yan boomed, ¡°Chu Yue, are you still not going to admit it at this point?¡± Before Chu Liuyue could speak, she heard Elder Ouyang hurriedly say from the side, ¡°You can¡¯t blame Chu Yue for this.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shock flashed across Elder Bo Yan¡¯s face. Afraid that he would misunderstand, Elder Ouyang hurriedly explained, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ back!¡± Back? Elder Bo Yan was dazed for a moment and instantly understood what he meant. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you go and see it!¡± In front of Chu Liuyue, Elder Ouyang couldn¡¯t be too direct. How should I explain that the fountain was still dried up when Bo Yan and I went up an hour ago? In the end, when Shang Yulin and I went over, we saw that the fountain was as good as before! Hearing him say this, Elder Bo Yan walked up the mountain in disbelief. He came back in no time, and his expression couldn¡¯t be described. Shang Yulin couldn¡¯t help but laugh and say, ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s clearly fine. Why are you so nervous? You called Chu Yue over before you¡¯ve even checked it properly. See how much you scared the kid!¡± Ever since Chu Liuyue let him see the Chi Xiao Sword, Shang Yulin¡¯s attitude toward Chu Liuyue was better than best. At this point, he directly stood up and put in a good word for him. Elder Bo Yan and Elder Ouyang exchanged glances and were extremely confused. Could it¡­ really be unrelated to him? ¡°Forget it. Go back then.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. Chapter 1302 - Drunk ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Chu Liuyue respectfully bowed and bade them farewell. She didn¡¯t turn around the entire way back. Seeing her gradually departing back view, the remaining three elders had varied expressions. ¡°Bo Yan, it¡¯s not very appropriate for you to do this.¡± Shang Yulin stroked his chin. ¡°What if this child has some trauma after this?¡± Elder Bo Yan coldly grunted. ¡°He¡¯s not that weak.¡± ¡°Then, you shouldn¡¯t have concluded this without confirming anything first.¡± Shang Yulin looked much more serious. Elder Bo Yan was dazed for a moment and shook his head. ¡°This matter is indeed my fault.¡± ¡°Actually, you can¡¯t completely blame Bo Yan for this. Yulin, you don¡¯t know, but the fountain was completely silent previously. Bo Yan and I observed it for very long before deciding to ask Chu Yue about it. Who would¡¯ve thought that when you came, it¡ª¡± Elder Ouyang knitted his brows and couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°Perhaps Chu Yue had affected it to some extent when he refined the weapon soul? But at least it¡¯s repaired now, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡± Even though Shang Yulin hadn¡¯t been here in a while, he believed that Ouyang was stating the truth. After much thinking, they cared too much about it and were a little overboard. Elder Bo Yan stroked his beard and sighed helplessly. ¡°If it isn¡¯t because that kid kept causing trouble previously, I wouldn¡¯t have¡ª¡± / Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Shang Yulin was stumped and felt that it made sense. ¡°Anyway, all the problems have been solved. You don¡¯t have to be so nervous anymore. If you¡¯re still worried, you can observe it for a few more days.¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll wait until the day we leave for the Flood-Desert Northern Region!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going too?¡± Shang Yulin was rather shocked. ¡°You¡¯re not staying in the academy?¡± Elder Bo Yan had always been in charge of the academy when the director wasn¡¯t around. Even if something happened, he would basically send the other elders over. This time, Elder Bo Yan actually planned on bringing people over personally, which was rather shocking. ¡°This matter is important, and there are a lot of people going. It¡¯s safer if I go. Besides¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows. ¡°I might be able to find the director¡¯s whereabouts if I go this time.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to Qing Ming Square again. Quite a few people looked over curiously and had varied expressions. Chu Liuyue seemed calm and ignored all of them as she walked straight back to Luo Shishi and the rest. Then, she realized that the trio¡¯s expressions were amiss. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Chu Liuyue strangely. Zhuo Sheng sighed heavily. ¡°I didn¡¯t get selected.¡± Luo Yanming said, ¡°Me too.¡± Chu Liuyue found it very strange. ¡°¡­What about Shishi?¡± Luo Shishi pressed her lips against each other. ¡°I passed, but¡­¡± But facing such a result, she really couldn¡¯t be happy. They originally decided that the four of them would go together, but it definitely wouldn¡¯t work this time. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized what had happened. It¡¯s no wonder the atmosphere around the trio is so sad. ¡°Hey! Actually, it¡¯s fine! Previously, I felt that it might be a bit hard for me. There are so many outstanding students in the academy, so it¡¯s normal not to be selected!¡± Zhuo Sheng was the first to pick himself up. He looked at Chu Liuyue and broke into a smile. ¡°Chu Yue, you must perform well this time! Make me proud! When you come back, I want to take advantage of your spotlight!¡± The regret and disappointment were real, but the results were out. There was no use in being sad and depressed about it. Even though Zhuo Sheng was very loud normally, he had a good point as well¡ªhe was light-hearted! After being sad, he could still eat and drink as usual, and he wouldn¡¯t take it to heart. Such a person would instead live a more comfortable and honest life. Luo Yanming sighed in his heart. Actually, he still couldn¡¯t get over it, but there was a more important matter that he had to take care of. ¡°Chu Yue, I¡¯ll need to trouble you to take care of Shishi later on. She rarely goes on distant trips and doesn¡¯t know a lot of things. If she causes trouble for you¡­¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± interrupted Chu Liuyue with a smile. She said seriously, ¡°Shishi is my friend. Of course, I¡¯ll protect her.¡± Luo Yanming then felt more at ease. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± At this point, someone suddenly came from the side. ¡°Fourth Brother?¡± Luo Shishi, Luo Yanming, and Zhuo Sheng were all surprised to see Luo Yanlin, especially Luo Shishi. She directly took a few steps forward, grabbed his arm, and asked, ¡°Fourth Brother, are you going too?¡± I didn¡¯t hear him talk about it at all previously! Luo Yanlin laughed. ¡°I should be the one asking you this. How long has it been since you arrived at the academy, yet you dare to take such a huge risk? I¡¯ve already discussed it with my friends. Shishi, you and Chu Yue can just travel with us then.¡± Luo Shishi looked at Chu Liuyue to ask for the latter¡¯s permission. Luo Yanlin saw it and felt stifled. ¡°Thank you then, Senior Brother Luo.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and cupped her fists. Luo Yanlin didn¡¯t want to bother with Chu Liuyue anymore, but due to his sister, he could only say, ¡°The academy is planning to leave tomorrow. Go back today and prepare yourselves adequately.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue went straight back to Jiuheng Peak. When she reached her room and locked the windows and door, she held her chest with one hand and exhaled deeply. Luckily! Luckily, It was just a shock! If I showed any signs of a mistake today, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to come back. ¡°You still know how to be scared?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue was taken aback and then realized that Dugu Mobao was already in the room at some point. He was much stronger than Chu Liuyue, so it was as easy as ABC for him to hide his aura and traces in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡°Big Baby, you gave me a fright!¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and comforted her wildly beating heart. Then, she froze in her actions and looked opposite her in half-belief. ¡°You¡­ know about it?¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t speak and threw something over. Chu Liuyue instinctively caught it. Slap! It was soft to touch and was still wet. Chu Liuyue focused on it, and the corners of her eyes twitched. ¡°T-Tuan Zi?!¡± Who else could the palm-sized ball be if it weren¡¯t Tuan Zi?! However, the fiend currently seemed to be asleep as it buried its head in one of its wings, allowing Dugu Mobao to just throw it around casually without showing any signs of waking up. It was covered in water, and even its feathers were currently stuck close to its body. It seemed¡­ bald. Of course, there was an even more direct word¡ªugly. Other than the bolts of lightning that flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s body from time to time, which made it look extraordinary. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even want to admit that this was her fiend. ¡°It was submerged in the fountain for too long. It¡¯s drunk,¡± said Dugu Mobao coldly. Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°Normal people won¡¯t get drunk when they drink the fountain water, but it¡¯s inevitable for fiends if they drink too much. Not to mention that¡­ it has absorbed so much lightning strength.¡± Dugu Mobao looked up at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Do you know how much lightning strength¡ªwhich has accumulated in the fountain for so many years¡ªit has used? If I didn¡¯t pick it up in time, it would¡¯ve hibernated there for a long time.¡± Chapter 1303 - Punishment Every word that Dugu Mobao said caused Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart to beat intensely. In the end, her face was slightly hot, and she seemed embarrassed for once. Tuan Zi in her hands was clearly cold, but it somehow felt like a hot potato at this moment. If it weren¡¯t because it was her own fiend that she had an agreement with, Chu Liuyue would almost lose control and pass it up, allowing Dugu Mobao to do whatever he wanted with it. Suddenly, a bright idea popped up in her mind. ¡°So that means you were the one who helped me¡­ when Elder Bo Yan and the rest called me to go over?¡± Dugu Mobao snorted. ¡°I had already instructed you previously not to go to Million Wine Mountain. Did you roll it off like water on a duck¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Big Baby, I knew you were the best!¡± However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t hold herself back and rushed up to hug him. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you today! If not, I¡¯d be finished!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice sounded from Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders with much difficulty. He sounded upset yet extremely dangerous. ¡°If you don¡¯t let go of me, I¡¯ll let you know what it means to be finished.¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly let him go. She examined him closely and realized that Dugu Mobao¡¯s hair was already messed up and looked like a bird¡¯s nest. With his cold and small face that was seething with anger, it was the perfect combination. Chu Liuyue coughed and carefully stretched out to help him comb and tidy his hair. ¡°Ahem, look, your hair is already messy¡­¡± Dugu Mobao stared at her, and there seemed to be a demonic light glowing in his purple eyes. Chu Liuyue sensibly retracted her hand and politely explained, ¡°It¡¯s all because I couldn¡¯t hold Tuan Zi back in time and let it run in. After that, I was busy refining the weapon soul, and I forgot about it. When I recalled it later on, Elder Bo Yan and the rest had already sealed the mountain¡­ If this really can¡¯t do, t-then¡­¡± / Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XNOVEL.C0M As if she had made a huge decision, Chu Liuyue placed Tuan Zi on the table and pushed it toward Dugu Mobao. She spoke in a tone like she was withholding the pain of sacrificing her love. ¡°You can punish it however you like!¡± Tuan Zi¡ªwho was still in a drunken sleep¡ªmoved uneasily, as if it knew that it was being heartlessly abandoned. However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t care about it anymore. With her fingers intertwined, she smiled at Dugu Mobao with a pleading look. ¡°Big Baby, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± Dugu Mobao turned around. Every time I see her in this manner, I will very easily become soft-hearted. This time, I definitely can¡¯t do it! After calming down, he said, ¡°There¡¯s something that Bo Yan said was right. If you don¡¯t learn your lesson and continuously cause trouble without fear, you¡¯ll get into big trouble one day.¡± Chu Liuyue looked pitiful. ¡°T-then, how do you want to punish me? Play chess with me, or¡­ fight with me?¡± When Chu Liuyue said the last few words, the corner of her lips twitched. That really can¡¯t do¡­ Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°For the next few days, other than peacefully cultivating here, you¡¯re not allowed to do anything else. I¡¯ll set up a barrier here. You can leave whenever you solve it.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°But the academy is going to the Flood-Desert Northern Region tomorrow!¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at her coldly. ¡°I told you that you can¡¯t go. There are many students and elders going from the academy. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t go.¡± Chu Liuyue then realized that Dugu Mobao was serious. He is really doing it! ¡°But¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was conflicted. ¡°I¡¯ve already made an agreement with them previously and passed the test. If I give up now¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t because she wanted to search for some treasure or obtain some precious destined item. She was purely worried. The real Heavenly Square Cauldron was with her, and some mastermind meticulously planned such a huge scheme. If she didn¡¯t go¡­ But Dugu Mobao¡¯s attitude was very persistent. He whipped his sleeves, and a gigantic silver Xuan formation suddenly appeared in front and quickly filled the entire room! Chu Liuyue still wanted to convince him. ¡°Big Baby¡­ If you want to punish me, I¡¯ll accept it. However, can you wait until I return? I¡ª¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop you when you solve this Xuan formation.¡± Then, Dugu Mobao¡¯s figure instantly disappeared from the room. Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡­ After quietly sitting inside the room for a while, Chu Liuyue finally realized what had happened. She glanced at the unconscious Tuan Zi on the table. At this point, the amount of water on Tuan Zi¡¯s body had decreased, but one could still see the silver lightning bolts flashing across. The pair of playful and mesmerizing eyes were tightly shut, without any signs of waking up. Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows and found it weird. I have known Dugu Mobao for so long. Although he regularly gets angry from my teasing, he won¡¯t truly rage most of the time. Even if he is occasionally strict, he will only behave in that manner when he teaches me cultivation. Yet¡­ his reaction was indeed different today. Could it really be because Million Wine Mountain has a grave secret, so he behaved in this manner? But if it really is so, he doesn¡¯t need to intervene at all and could allow Elder Bo Yan and the rest to punish me. Now, Dugu Mobao brought Tuan Zi over and erased all the traces, yet he locked me up here¡­ Chu Liuyue thought for a while and put Tuan Zi away. Then, she tried to walk out. Everything was normal when she walked around the room. Then, she pushed open the door and carefully walked forward. After walking 20 steps, Chu Liuyue felt an invisible force stopping her. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look into the room, vaguely seeing a few rays of lights shining on the ground. That was the strength of the Xuan formation he left behind. Chu Liuyue tried a few times and realized that she really couldn¡¯t forcefully barge her way through, so she swiftly gave up. Returning to the room, she closed the door and windows. She started to study the Xuan formation on the ground with much focus. ¡­ Chapter 1304 - Signs of Breaking Through One night quickly passed. The morning sunlight shone in from the windows. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and lay behind. ¡°Sigh¡­ Big Baby is really determined this time¡­¡± This Xuan formation was by far the most difficult one she had seen, and it was even harder than the one Dugu Mobao had previously left behind. Even now, she had yet to solve that one, so there was no need to mention this one. Chu Liuyue rubbed her temple. After studying it for an entire night, she didn¡¯t make much progress. She could almost confirm that she couldn¡¯t go out today. A ripple was suddenly heard from her dantian. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she called Tuan Zi out. The noise just now had just come from him. Compared to the previous day, the number of lightning bolts flashing across Tuan Zi¡¯s body had reduced by quite a bit. They should¡¯ve been slowly absorbed by it, but its eyes were still tightly shut. It didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up. / Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XNOVEL.C0M Chu Liuyue picked Tuan Zi up and carefully looked at it. Yesterday, Tuan Zi was completely drenched, so she couldn¡¯t tell. But now, she realized that Tuan Zi¡¯s feathers were much darker than before. At first glance, it seemed like a burning ball of fire¡ªintense and fiery. Chu Liuyue recalled that last time, Tuan Zi had only soaked in the fountain for a while and was unconscious for quite a long time. Therefore, she really didn¡¯t know when it would wake up this time. But by the time it wakes up, it¡­ should be the time when its bloodline power is completely activated, right? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue felt more comforted. ¡°Chu Yue! Chu Yue?¡± Luo Shishi¡¯s voice came from outside. Chu Liuyue sighed, turned around, and briefly tidied herself up before walking outside. She glanced at Luo Shishi standing outside the barrier. ¡°Chu Yue, it¡¯s time to go. There are many people gathering at Qing Ming Square.¡± Luo Shishi waved toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue walked a few steps forward and stood at a safe distance. ¡°Shishi, could you help me take leave? Just say that I¡¯m not feeling well. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t go this time.¡± Luo Shishi was taken aback. ¡°Are you sick? Is it very serious? I¡¯ll ask an elder to come and take a look!¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°No need; it¡¯s an old illness. I¡¯ve already taken medicine, so I¡¯ll be fine after I rest for a while. But with my state¡­ I definitely can¡¯t go to the Flood-Desert Northern Region anymore. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Luo Shishi saw that Chu Liuyue¡¯s face was indeed rather frail and felt worried. But looking at the latter¡¯s determined attitude, she agreed. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell the elder for you. Take good care of yourself. If you really can¡¯t hold on anymore, you must find an elder for help.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled gratefully. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue being sick and her sudden departure from the team shocked quite a few people. After all, such a chance was very rare, and it was a real pity to just give up on it. Even Elder Bo Yan found it rather strange and asked more about Chu Liuyue¡¯s condition. Elder Wan Zheng was very worried and directly went to Jiuheng Peak himself. Chu Liuyue could only come out and explain again. After much talking, she finally got Elder Wan Zheng to believe that she was fine. As Elder Wan Zheng had to join the trip to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, he quickly left after confirming that Chu Liuyue was fine. Chu Liuyue finally had some peace and quiet. Even though she was worried in her heart, the true Heavenly Square Cauldron was with her, which gave her sufficient confidence. She started to focus on solving the Xuan formation. ¡­ The team that Ling Xiao Academy sent out this time was massive. There were a total of 30 or so elders and about 300 students going to the Flood-Desert Northern Region together. After those people left, the entire academy became much quieter, but the cultivation atmosphere was even richer than before. Many of the students who failed the selection this time were determined to work hard and become stronger so that they wouldn¡¯t miss such a chance again in the future. Abilities were forever the strongest right to speak! Everything seemed to be the same as before. ¡­ The days of studying the Xuan formation alone were very dry. If it were someone else, they would find it very hard to bear after a day or two. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t act like this. Her attitude was great because she knew that Dugu Mobao did this mostly for her, so she didn¡¯t grumble. She stood rooted to the spot and stared at the Xuan formation, studying it bit by bit. When she felt tired, she would choose to flip open the Physician Medicinal Guide that Elder Wan Zheng had left behind. Three days later, as if afraid that she would be bored, Dugu Mobao still threw a puppet over to ¡®accompany¡¯ her. Mm, beginner stage-nine warrior. When Chu Liuyue finally could fight with this puppet head-on, Dugu Mobao threw a second one over. Inside the room, Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and hugged her arm with one hand while the other held her chin. She looked very serious. Looking at the complicated Xuan formation on the ground and the two puppets that were about to fight anytime, she fell into deep thought. Did I offend Big Baby before? Five days later, Chu Liuyue dismissed this thought. Even though she didn¡¯t solve the Xuan formation Big Baby gave her, she had successfully solved the previous Xuan formation during this process. Above ninth-grade Xuan Masters were King Xuan Masters! She faintly had an intuitive feeling that perhaps she would reach a higher stage as a Xuan Master before she broke through to become a Physician or a demigod. During this period, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t make much movement and was still in deep sleep. However, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel the tremendous changes that were taking place in it. This type of change was silent, as calm as the rain flowing down. But Chu Liuyue understood that this would definitely be a shock to most people one day! Chapter 1305 - Try The Flood-Desert Northern Region was a dangerous place in the God Residence Realm. Its climate was extreme, and the terribly dangerous conditions caused it to be the place where countless cultivators had died without a trace. Yet, due to the news of the Heavenly Square Cauldron reappearing there, many top-tier aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm had sent people over. An intense battle was about to begin! ¡­ Compared to the other aristocratic families¡­ Although Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t have many soldiers who were willing to risk their lives and barge at the forefront to clear the way, they had an extremely good advantage. Ling Xiao Academy had the only transportation formation in the God Residence Realm that could directly access the Flood-Desert Northern Region. This transportation formation was personally built by the founder of Ling Xiao Academy, who was also the first director, millions of years ago. But later, as time passed and the Flood-Desert Northern Region became increasingly dangerous, Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t send anyone over. This transportation formation also became abandoned. Nobody expected it to be put to good use this time. Within the transportation formation were many candlelights that were much brighter and bigger than the other transportation formations. The surrounding turbulence couldn¡¯t be felt here either, so it was very secure. Some of the elders were at the front while some of them were at the back, ensuring the students¡¯ safety to the greatest extent. In the beginning, everyone was still rather reserved and nervous, so they were mostly quiet. After a while, everyone gradually relaxed, and the atmosphere became much livelier. Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M In between, they could still hear some people whispering about something. ¡°This transportation formation is so stable¡­ I have never seen such an amazing transportation formation before¡­¡± ¡°I heard that it was personally built by the first director back then. In the following millions of years, the academy elders will regularly maintain it, so it¡¯s naturally incredible!¡± ¡°Hiss¡­ How much manpower and resources would be needed for this? It¡¯s shocking! I heard that in the entire God Residence Realm, there¡¯s only this one transportation formation that is directly connected to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. If other people want to go, they have to transit a couple of times, eventually needing to go through Red Valley Beach before they can step into the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡­ I¡¯ve heard that many cultivators had lost their lives there as well!¡± ¡°If we really can see the reappearance of the Heavenly Square Cauldron this time, I¡¯ll be willing to suffer any hardships! That¡¯s¡­ one of the top ten holy weapons!¡± ¡°The top ten holy weapons are spread all around the world. To this day, only five of them have clear whereabouts, and all of them are precious treasures that have been passed down in top-tier aristocratic families for thousands of years. Yet, the remaining five ones are nowhere to be found. In the last thousand years, this is the only holy weapon that has resurfaced!¡± ¡°The key is that it doesn¡¯t have an owner! Sigh, I wonder who will be the eventual winner and obtain this Heavenly Square Cauldron?¡± ¡­ ¡°Shishi, Shishi?¡± Luo Yanlin called her twice before Luo Shishi recovered her senses. ¡°Hm? Fourth Brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°What are you thinking about in a daze?¡± Luo Yanlin asked with a smile, ¡°Are you thinking about going to the Flood-Desert Northern Region and got too nervous?¡± Luo Shishi pouted and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Luo Yanlin raised his brows slightly. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about Chu Yue?¡± Luo Shishi¡¯s face immediately flushed red as she hurriedly said, ¡°Fourth Brother, what are you talking about? I¡¯m not¡ª¡± Meeting Luo Yanlin¡¯s gaze that could seemingly see through everything, Luo Shishi guiltily swallowed her remaining words. After some time, she then softly said, ¡°I-I just feel that it¡¯s quite a pity that he couldn¡¯t come¡­ After all, this chance is rare, and he passed the test¡­¡± Everything went smoothly, yet he suddenly fell sick on the day itself. He could only give up regretfully, which caused others to find it a pity. Luo Yanlin sighed in his heart. This silly girl clearly likes him, but she doesn¡¯t realize it herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not some idle person. Even if he doesn¡¯t come this time, he¡¯ll definitely have some other destined item for him in the future,¡± said Luo Yanlin. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s still Rong Xiu behind him.¡± When I have the time, I should go and ask Rong Xiu about Chu Yue¡¯s background. If he¡¯s decent in all areas, it can be considered¡­ At this point, Luo Shishi didn¡¯t know that Luo Yanlin was planning so far ahead. She nodded and seriously said, ¡°I hope that I can quickly become stronger and get a good ranking on the Qing Yun Ranking one day!¡± ¡­ At the back of the crowd, Jiang Zhiyuan stood beside Elder Dan Qing quietly and was very out of place with the crowd that was talking happily at the front. The more she heard, the more uncomfortable she felt. Those people seemed to have completely neglected her and didn¡¯t care about her at all. Jiang Zhiyuan could still endure it for one or two days. But such a long time had passed, and their attitudes toward her became even worse. This was especially so for Liang Xiaoxiao and the rest. She was clearly so far away from them, yet she could still hear them laughing! Jiang Zhiyuan thought about how many people wanted to flatter her and suck up to her previously, yet when the situation turned for the worse, there wasn¡¯t even a single person willing to talk to her in the end! If it weren¡¯t because she could go to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, she wouldn¡¯t have tolerated it and would¡¯ve left! Elder Dan Qing took a few glances at her. How could he not know how aggrieved and upset she was? She was still his disciple at the end of the day, so he still felt his heart ache. ¡°Zhiyuan, have you studied and understood the Xuan formation I gave you previously?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan hurriedly answered, ¡°I¡¯m almost done with it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be almost done. You have to understand it thoroughly!¡± said Elder Dan Qing with a heavy heart. ¡°You¡¯re a warrior and a Xuan Master, and you are very talented in these two areas. If you want to have balanced progress, you must put in more effort than the rest. This is especially so for your cultivation as a Xuan Master. You can¡¯t save effort on it at all.¡± ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Mentor.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face flushed red. During this period of time, she did neglect her cultivation. As she couldn¡¯t calm down and focus, she hadn¡¯t seen Xuan formations for about a month. If Elder Dan Qing tested her on the spot, she definitely wouldn¡¯t pass it. ¡°You¡¯ve always been smart and sensible. I believe you¡¯ll understand even if I don¡¯t say some things.¡± Elder Dan Qing paused. ¡°I still have great hopes for you! You¡¯re already a ninth-grade Xuan Master now. If you can break through earlier, you¡¯ll be better than many people. In the academy, or even the entire God Residence Realm, abilities are the most important thing. Do you understand?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked down slightly and nodded forcefully. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Also, you have been stuck in the demigod stage for a while now. When we¡¯re at Flood-Desert Northern Region, try to take the chance to break through!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Definitely!¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy, Jiuheng Peak. Inside the room, Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged. She seemed serious, and her expression had a rare few hints of nervousness as she raised her hand and drew something in the air. It was a small Xuan formation. If someone were here at this moment, they would realize that the small Xuan formation was extremely similar to the Xuan formation quietly glowing on the ground in the room! Chu Liuyue was trying to copy this Xuan formation! Chapter 1306 - King Xuan Master! She had tried many times previously, but every attempt had failed. However, she hadn¡¯t given up. Even if she was only a little more accurate than the previous attempt, she still wasn¡¯t tired. As she was always in a highly focused state and studying Xuan formations used up a large amount of energy and strength, the current Chu Liuyue was already very exhausted, and her eyes were becoming bloodshot. Yet, the signs and urge of breaking through kept supporting her! The surroundings were completely quiet, and Chu Liuyue could even clearly hear her heart beating, the sound of the pulse in her ears, and her blood flowing. Her hands started to tremble slightly. This was because crafting a Xuan formation of this standard was actually a stretch for her at this cultivation level. The force in her body was crazily used up, and her vision kept turning black as if she was going to faint at the next moment. But she was very determined, and her black, gem-like eyes seemed to have fire burning in them! Finally, she finished the last stroke with her hand. The Xuan formation before her was finally complete! Whir! Light ripples spread from her small Xuan formation! Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest was shocked, and the fishy scent of blood filled her mouth. Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M She forcefully swallowed her blood, rapidly circulated her aura, and urged the movement of her bodily force. Only half of the Xuan formation was complete. If she wanted to solve the Xuan formation completely, she couldn¡¯t make a mistake in the later important steps. Chu Liuyue gathered her focus and gathered the force in her limbs and bones all in her palms before transferring all of it to the Xuan formation in front. The light on its surface gradually became brighter, and the ripples became increasingly larger! But soon, the force in her body rapidly depleted. As she had kept trying previously, she had already used up a large portion of her strength. Now, she was really at the end of her wits. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and finally used the holy force contained in the water droplet. A harsh aura instantly coursed around her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm glowed brightly! As the holy force kept depleting, the Xuan formation before her had finally expanded to the height of half a person! This was an octagonal Xuan formation. Rays of lights intersected, and the pattern was complicated. An average person would probably feel dizzy just looking at it. If they looked at it for too long, they might even faint. Chu Liuyue held her breath in, stretched out her right hand, and lightly covered the middle of the Xuan formation. Whir! At this moment, the brightly glowing Xuan formation seemed to have felt the summoning of a certain force as it slowly rose from the ground! Its light was smooth and bright with great suppression, yet there was a tiny hole in the middle of it. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. That Is the key to solving the Xuan formation! She pushed her palm lightly and pressed the small Xuan formation she copied on the empty spot in that Xuan formation. Ka! The two Xuan formations completely matched! The next moment, it suddenly disappeared! ¡­ The light gradually faded away. Chu Liuyue used one hand to support herself with the handle and slowly got up. Everything in the room had gone back to normal. The Xuan formation that had trapped her for many days disappeared without a trace. Chu Liuyue stood in the same spot for a while and took out a pill to eat. A gentle and comforting strength then instantly followed her airway and flowed down. The feeling of her soul flying away from her body was reduced by quite a bit. She wiped away the bloodstains by the corner of her mouth. Then, she unintentionally looked up and saw herself in the mirror. Her face was frail, and her lips were pale, but her eyes were sparkling brightly! This proved that she hadn¡¯t wasted her time being tortured by Big Baby! She could no longer remember how many times she had fought with Big Baby on the chessboard. Every time, she would be skinned alive. Every time she felt that she had improved, Big Baby would raise his skills to an appropriate standard. All in all, she was always restricted. A long time had passed, and Chu Liuyue had started to get used to it herself. In the beginning, she still thought that she could be on par with Big Baby one day, but she slowly gave up on this idea. At the very least, it was extremely unrealistic in such a short period of time. However¡­ She had forgotten one thing¡ªalthough she currently wasn¡¯t as good as Big Baby, her skills had been rapidly improving every day with his guidance! Compared to the others, this was an absolute existence! Like now, she had actually silently broken through to become a King Xuan Master! ¡­ Chu Liuyue spent about 15 minutes readjusting her state. When her body recovered slightly, she walked outside. Without that Xuan formation restraining her, she seemed to be more relaxed. Chu Liuyue looked in front. It was currently evening. The sun set in the west, and the red hues filled the sky. The mountain breeze blew over with slight coldness, which instantly woke her up. I actually broke through like that¡­ Chu Liuyue blinked and looked at her hands, feeling rather dazed. A strange emotion overwhelmed her. ¡°It turns out¡­ I still remember so many Xuan formations¡­¡± she whispered softly, her gaze complicated. The moment she solved the Xuan formation just now, a fifth crack appeared on the black pyramid in her dantian. At the same time, many memories instantly resurfaced in her mind. In her memories, there was nobody or any scenes but just very intricate Xuan formations and many medicinal formulas. The Xuan formations and medicinal formulas that had appeared were clearly much better than the ones she had seen previously. In Chu Liuyue¡¯s memory, she had never seen them before, but their content clearly appeared in her mind. From her broken memories, Chu Liuyue seemed to have seen a corner of the past she had forgotten. Her gaze turned, and she looked at the distant Dong Huang Clock Tower. Solemn, magnificent, and suppressive. She recalled the Qing Yun Ranking that floated above the black wall. It turns out that I was long a King Xuan Master and a Physician. I just don¡¯t know¡­ if this is the end. ¡­ Medicinal Valley. Elder Meng Ye was leisurely lying down to rest when his ears suddenly moved, and he opened an eye halfway. A familiar young man¡¯s figure appeared not far away¡ªit was Chu Yue. ¡°Hm?¡± He stood up. ¡°Chu Yue, why are you here today? I heard that you weren¡¯t feeling well, so you didn¡¯t follow Bo Yan and the rest to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Are you feeling better now?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled brightly at Elder Meng Ye. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Elder Meng Ye. I¡¯m much better.¡± Elder Meng Ye felt more at ease. He chuckled, waved his fan, and said, ¡°What? The moment your body is a little better, you come to pick herbs?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered. She pressed her lips against each other and smiled as if she were rather embarrassed. ¡°Yeah. Elder Meng Ye, you won¡¯t find me annoying, right?¡± Chapter 1307 - Shock ¡°Haha! Why would I?¡± Elder Meng Ye waved his fan excitedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I haven¡¯t had the time to give your herbs bill from the previous month to Wan Zheng yet! It¡¯s not too late to show him when he comes back! During this period of time, you can take whatever herbs you want!¡± After he said that, he smacked his lips, squinted his eyes, and leisurely said, ¡°All these years, he has only accepted you as a disciple. He¡¯ll definitely dote on you like the apple of his eye. Hehe, I think he¡¯ll want to leave all his good items for you. What does this bit of herbs count for?¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched as she faintly heard some hint of gloating over one¡¯s misery. She politely bowed. ¡°Thank you, Elder Meng Ye.¡± Then, she walked to the side and started picking the herbs seriously. Elder Meng Ye lay back down. Thinking about Wan Zheng¡¯s expression when he saw the bill after coming back, he couldn¡¯t help but whistle. That scene will definitely be amazing! ¡­ Actually, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t lack herbs. When Rong Xiu gave her the Cosmic Ring, it had many herbs inside. Later on, she had also obtained quite a few herbs with different means. After she came to the academy, she had come to Medicinal Valley a few times¡­ She definitely had enough herbs, but ever since she recalled the Xuan formations and medicinal formulas, Chu Liuyue felt that she was still lacking some. Additionally, she kept flipping through the Physician Medicinal Guide these few days, so she really had to come here and search again. Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M Very quickly, Chu Liuyue picked quite a few herbs again. Unknowingly, she walked to the edge. A faint suppression came from the front. Chu Liuyue stopped in her movements and looked up. The barrier of Medicinal Valley wasn¡¯t far away from her. The sky gradually darkened, and the barrier shone faintly. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt an urge. I want to go in and see the medicinal garden! Ever since she confirmed her identity, this thought had popped up in her mind more than once. But it was too difficult, so she hadn¡¯t tried. On the one hand, the medicinal garden¡¯s location was extremely special, so it was impossible to enter without attracting anyone¡¯s attention. On the other hand, she kept flouting the rules in the academy. If she got caught again, she would be in a lot of trouble. However, she couldn¡¯t completely suppress such thoughts. As time passed, they became increasingly obvious. This was especially so today¡ªafter she broke through to become a King Xuan Master, such thoughts surged to their peak! Right at this moment, she suddenly felt a gaze land on her back. That was Elder Meng Ye¡¯s gaze. Chu Liuyue silently picked a few herbs from the surroundings and leisurely walked around the area for a while before packing her items and getting the bill. The strong gaze reduced gradually. Elder Meng Ye seemed lazy, but he was very meticulous and careful in reality. The large Medicinal Valley was all in his control. Wanting to do anything under his watch was just courting death. After Chu Liuyue got the bill for the herbs, she respectfully bade him farewell and left Medicinal Valley. Looking at her departing back view, Elder Meng Ye used the fan to scratch his chin as he lay back down again. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue returned to Jiuheng Peak, the sky was completely dark. She silently cultivated in her room and adjusted her condition to the best that it could be. Late at night. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes, changed into a black robe, and covered herself up tightly. She then glanced outside. The moon was round and bright, and it reflected the light coolly. It was so quiet that she could hear the wind passing through the mountains. She raised her hand. The light-pink peach blossom gradually bloomed on her wrist. The next moment, her figure disappeared from the room! ¡­ At this point, when the sky was darkest, the entire academy was silent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure appeared in a dark corner. The surrounding large trees completely covered her figure. There was nobody else around. After staying in the academy for such a long period of time, Chu Liuyue had almost gone to all the places a student could go. She was now already very familiar with the academy¡¯s terrain, so she could easily avoid the places where people could easily see her and take a quieter and more deserted pathway. She surveyed her surroundings. After confirming the direction, she made up her mind and left quickly. ¡­ After a few rounds, Chu Liuyue finally entered the Xuan Master region and came to the bottom of the innermost mountain. She looked over, and her heart seemed to be hit by something. It¡¯s here, Chu Liuyue said quietly in her heart. The place that had appeared in her memories countless times and held significant meaning to her¡ªYu Heng Mountain! The mountain peak was tall and sharp. One side was a road that led all the way down, and the other was a dangerous cliff. At first glance, it seemed like someone held a sword and slashed it down from the skies, directly slashing it so that it would end up in this state. On the cliff was an octagonal pavilion. Chu Liuyue¡¯s breathing stopped. The scene¡ªwhich had only appeared in her mind previously¡ªwas in front of her eyes in this manner. She clenched her fists and walked forward, but the moment she took a few steps out, she felt a vague yet strong suppression! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and then realized that there was also a barrier on the outside of Yu Heng Mountain. And its level was not low. According to the scene in her memory, opposite Yu Heng Mountain was the medicinal garden with a lake in the middle. It wasn¡¯t very possible to go over from Medicinal Valley, so this was the only way. However, she didn¡¯t expect there to be a barrier here as well. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t dare to take action casually, terrified that she would cause some commotion and attract people over. By that time, she really wouldn¡¯t be able to explain herself. But if she gave up right now and turned around to leave, she would be very indignant. Just when Chu Liuyue was frustrated about what to do, she heard two people talking behind her. ¡°Do you think the elders have reached yet?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and hurriedly hid behind one of the gigantic stones at the side as she hid her aura at the same time. ¡°Considering the time, they should be there already. After all, the academy has a transportation formation that can directly bring them there. Isn¡¯t it more convenient for them than others?¡± The people talking seemed to be two young men, and they should be the academy students. However, Chu Liuyue was unfamiliar with their voices, so she felt that she shouldn¡¯t know them. ¡°That¡¯s true. Perhaps they can personally see the Heavenly Square Cauldron appear in a short while¡­ It¡¯s a pity that we¡¯re not capable enough. We don¡¯t even have a chance to go there, sigh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. We just need to cultivate diligently. Perhaps we¡¯ll have another chance in the future!¡± ¡°We can only do that¡­ At the end of the day, it¡¯s still because we¡¯re not talented enough. Do you think we¡¯ll be stronger than we currently are if we have half of Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡¯s talent? He actually occupied the entire Yu Heng Mountain!¡± Chu Liuyue was suddenly stunned as her body fell forward uncontrollably! Whir! Yu Heng Mountain¡¯s barrier vibrated intensely. Chapter 1308 - My Medicinal Garden The noise caused the speaking duo to be alert immediately! ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was as if clutched by something. If they discover me, I can never explain myself clearly! Not hearing a response, the two students exchanged a glance, their expressions stern. One of them yelled loudly, ¡°Who is there? You¡¯re behaving so sneakily. Come out quickly! If not, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± Beads of sweat trickled down Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. She looked at the peach blossom on her wrist. If they come any closer, I can only¡ª Whoosh! Suddenly, a sound broke the air. The person that had first spoken brandished his broadsword! ¡°Come out!¡± The other person had already rushed forward. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth, circulated her force, and prepared to leave! But at this moment, she suddenly felt that something was wrong behind her. Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M She instinctively turned around and widened her eyes in shock instantly. That was because¡­ An opening had actually broken open on Yu Heng Mountain¡¯s barrier behind her! Chu! That broadsword harshly pierced into the stone in front of Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue made up her mind and directly entered! Her black figure instantly disappeared from the spot. The next moment after she left, one of the males rushed over and directly looked behind the gigantic stone. The tense expression on his face froze. The other man had come over by this point and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± The man who first came over furrowed his brows and shook his head at his acquaintance. ¡°Nobody.¡± ¡°Nobody? How can this be?¡± The person talking pulled out his dagger and walked toward the gigantic stone to take a look. ¡°I clearly felt that there was someone here earlier and that the barrier had moved, right?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s really nobody here. I didn¡¯t see anyone escape just now either.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Also¡­ the ripples on the barrier have already subsided.¡± ¡°¡­What exactly is going on? It can¡¯t be that the two of us saw wrongly, right?¡± The two of them kept silent for a moment and surveyed their surroundings again, but they still didn¡¯t discover anything strange. This made them dispirited, and they slowly started suspecting that they had guessed wrongly. ¡°Perhaps we really got it wrong¡­ Yu Heng Mountain¡¯s barrier is very strong. Normal people can¡¯t go in,¡± said one of the men softly and shook his head. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s just go back!¡± After a fruitless search, they left with regrets and confusion. ¡­ Hearing their footsteps going further and further, Chu Liuyue finally heaved a sigh of relief slowly. She then turned around and took a look. The transparent barrier had already returned to normal, and nobody could tell that someone had passed through it previously. Chu Liuyue glanced at her body in disbelief. I actually¡­ came in just like that? When I touched that barrier, it didn¡¯t have any resistance as it directly opened and let me in¡­ Can the barrier sense my aura and strength? Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and decided to suppress this matter. She then looked up and surveyed her surroundings. Very quickly, she found the road to the mountain according to her blurred memory. She focused her gaze and walked forward. ¡­ Different from many other mountains in the academy, Yu Heng Mountain was the most intricate one. Even though its peak was rather sharp, the intricacy and setup of it seemed like someone had done it meticulously. It looked very impressive and admirable. There were many different steps that led upward. Chu Liuyue walked across and kept looking at the scenery on both sides from time to time. The sense of familiarity in her heart grew increasingly stronger. I did come here before. As Chu Liuyue walked, she tried to recall. With the actual scenery before her, those originally blurred scenes gradually became clear. Finally, Chu Liuyue walked to the peak of the mountain. A traditional octagonal pavilion was standing upright by the cliff. Inside the pavilion was a stone table and two stone chairs. On the stone table, there was a chessboard and two chess containers, one by each side. Everything was exactly the same as she remembered. An emotion that she couldn¡¯t precisely pinpoint overwhelmed her heart suddenly. She walked over step by step and almost instinctively sat down on one of the stone chairs. The chessboard was as clean as a new one, and the chess container was kept pretty well. Everything seemed as if nobody had left. Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand as if she wanted to touch it. But halfway through, she hesitated and stopped. This was probably the feeling of being scared when one was so close to home. The scene that she had imagined countless times was finally happening, yet she suddenly didn¡¯t dare to do anything anymore. It was as if she was afraid that she would be shocked by something. The mountain wind blew over with a hint of bitter herbal fragrance. Chu Liuyue looked up. Under the bright moon, the sky and ground were clear. Below the cliff, the lake was quiet, and there were overlapping mountain peaks on the opposite end. In between those mountains, there was a unique scenery¡ªit was a medicinal garden. A barrier covered it, and it couldn¡¯t be seen clearly from the outside. One could only faintly see its outline. But even so, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what kind of magnificent appearance lay within. Chu Liuyue felt dazed for a moment. This feeling was too familiar and too natural. There was a moment when she almost thought that she had been here the whole while and had never left. Every plant, tree, table, and chair was the same as before, without any hint of dust. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. After a temporary pause, she finally stood up, went on her toes, and flew forward! Chapter 1309 - Awakening The night was silent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was like a ghost puppet, and she quickly reached the opposite mountain. Standing here, she could finally see the appearance of the medicinal garden that was surrounded by the mountains. What she saw made her hold her breath. She didn¡¯t blink at all, terrified that she would miss something. This medicinal garden was actually a piece of low-lying land in the middle of many mountains. But for some reason, its altitude was higher, and it was basically around the height of the mountains¡¯ midpoint. It was spacious, big, and lively¡ªthis was Chu Liuyue¡¯s first impression of it. The mist-like barrier covered it completely. When she stood on Yu Heng Mountain and looked over, Chu Liuyue could only see a blurred view as it was a distance away. Now that she was standing nearer, it was much clearer. Chu Liuyue could even faintly see some of the herbs that were planted inside. At first glance, she realized that the rumors she heard from Zhong Xun weren¡¯t false. She could recognize those herbs and knew that they were all very rare and precious. Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M Even with the barrier in the middle, Chu Liuyue could still smell the fragrance emitting from within. It was similar to Medicinal Valley but still different. Medicinal Valley¡¯s herbal fragrance was mainly bitter, but the smell in the medicinal garden had a hint of sweetness. Chu Liuyue suddenly focused her gaze. She looked over and saw many Dancing Lotuses blooming. They swayed with the wind and looked beautiful. Doubts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Did I¡­ plant all of these? Even though I like Dancing Lotuses, these things are very troublesome to take care of, and their flowering period is very short. According to my personality, I don¡¯t seem like I would have the patience and energy to do such things¡­ She walked a distance forward and saw two rattan chairs beside the lake. Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed. One of them should be mine. Then¡­ What about the second one? Before she could figure it out, a ripple suddenly came from the medicinal garden¡¯s barrier. Chu Liuyue was stunned. This time, I didn¡¯t touch that barrier, so why did it suddenly move? The next moment, she suddenly felt alert and rapidly looked in another direction of the medicinal garden! Someone opened the barrier and walked in¡ªit seemed like they came from Medicinal Valley. Chu Liuyue immediately retreated and hid herself. She felt that she should¡¯ve checked the calendar before coming out today. She came at this time, yet she met so many people on the way. She looked at that person and realized that his figure was rather familiar. Upon a closer look, she then realized that it was Elder Meng Ye! At this point, he held a fan and walked into the medicinal garden bare-footed, with his belly protruding out slightly. He walked over in a very well-versed manner and stood still before the large patch of herbs. He then pulled up his sleeves and pants. Chu Liuyue suddenly guessed something, and her heart skipped a beat. As expected¡ªthe next moment, she saw Elder Meng Ye going down personally to tidy the herbs! Chu Liuyue gasped and watched the scene in disbelief. Elder Meng Ye¡­ is helping me tidy the medicinal garden? Elder Meng Ye is a Xuan Master and also a heavenly doctor, so it is more convenient for him to do such things. And looking at the entire process, it doesn¡¯t seem like it is his first time doing it either¡­ Staring at the bent figure that was seriously picking out the weeds and the dried plants, Chu Liuyue felt very complicated. She never expected to see such a scene when she came today. Elder Meng Ye is not only in charge of Medicinal Valley, but he is also taking care of the medicinal garden? According to what everyone said, ¡®I¡¯ had left for a few years, and even my name had almost become a taboo. I originally thought that I should¡¯ve been intentionally forgotten. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ ¡°Hu¡­¡± Elder Meng Ye finally tidied up that large patch of herbs. He straightened his body, supported his waist, and sighed deeply. ¡°¡­This girl ran off and is carefree on her own, leaving this mess to me!¡± Yet, all the herbs planted here are very precious, and all of them require much care and effort. If it weren¡¯t because of that girl, I would be too lazy to deal with this! Chu Liuyue felt her heart ache. Elder Meng Ye grumbled for a while longer before walking to another region and repeating what he had done previously. After doing all of this for another hour, he finally stopped and looked around in satisfaction. Then, he clapped his hands. ¡°Hmph, see if I¡¯ll make you pay for the debt you owe me these few years!¡± Then, Elder Meng Ye finally turned around and left. The barrier was closed, and everything went back to normal. Just when Chu Liuyue was about to go forward, a ripple suddenly came from her dantian. She was shocked and realized that the noise came from Tuan Zi. And¡­ It was very abnormal! ¡°It has already started merging the lightning bolts it absorbed and is about to unleash its bloodline power!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice sounded in time¡ªit was powerful and calming. ¡°The entire process might cause a huge commotion. It¡¯ll be better if you go back as soon as possible!¡± Once someone discovered it, Chu Liuyue¡¯s whereabouts today would definitely be found out as well. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and rapidly nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± She moved back without hesitation. After taking a few steps back, she couldn¡¯t help but turn around to take a look. It was just for a moment; then, she retracted her gaze, moved, and quickly left! ¡­ The commotion coming from Tuan Zi became increasingly bigger. Gradually, even Chu Liuyue had a feeling of not being able to control it. She returned to Jiuheng Peak at the fastest speed. The moment she entered the room, she immediately summoned Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi? Tuan Zi!¡± Tuan Zi still had its eyes closed and didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up. ¡°The awakening of bloodline power is a long and complicated process. If it can¡¯t wake up in time, it will very possibly be affected by the eruption of the force and¡ª¡± Hula! A gigantic black figure appeared in the room. The legendary three-eyed eagle retracted its wings and stared at Tuan Zi with its sharp eyes. ¡°We must get it to wake up as soon as possible so that it can awaken and control the bloodline power awakening process!¡± This short sentence was enough to let Chu Liuyue understand the severity of the situation. She looked at Tuan Zi, and worry flashed across her eyes. ¡°But it hasn¡¯t moved much to this point, and I can¡¯t wake it up no matter what¡­¡± As she spoke, an even stronger and invisible ripple extended from Tuan Zi¡¯s body! Now, silver lightning bolts were no longer flashing across its body. Tuan Zi curled up into a red, furry ball and lay on the table quietly, looking very obedient. If it were any other day, Chu Liuyue would be happy to see it like this. But now, she was just extra worried. ¡°Continue calling it. Before this, I¡¯ll use my body to guide the bloodline power that is about to awaken. However¡­ There is a limit to how much I can help. It still needs to do it itself in the end.¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 1310 - Ill Do It Time seemed to pass especially slowly. In the room, Chu Liuyue kept trying to wake Tuan Zi up but to no avail. But as time passed, Tuan Zi¡¯s surrounding aura became increasingly stronger. In the beginning, the legendary three-eyed eagle could still control the force and guide it to enter its body. The force then nourished and refined its body. But when Tuan Zi¡¯s force became increasingly stronger, it started to become hard on the legendary three-eyed eagle. Even though it was also a legendary fiend and its cultivation level wasn¡¯t low, awakening bloodline power wasn¡¯t something others could intervene in. Chu Liuyue tried all sorts of methods, yet Tuan Zi still didn¡¯t budge. Its tightly shut eyes had no signs of opening. Rumble! A ripple started spreading in all directions. It let out a low sound when it struck the barrier Chu Liuyue had previously set up. The barrier started to shake. Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples. According to the momentum of Tuan Zi¡¯s force increase, my barrier will be broken in another hour. ¡°This can¡¯t go on.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the legendary three-eyed eagle worriedly. ¡°Is there another way?¡± Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M The legendary three-eyed eagle shook its head. ¡°Only it can successfully solve this problem if it wakes up by itself. Even if others from its clan come, they can¡¯t do anything. If we let this force overwhelm its body uncontrollably, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± It didn¡¯t finish its sentence, but Chu Liuyue knew what it meant. After thinking for a while, she suddenly asked, ¡°Can I help it?¡± Shock flashed across the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue seriously said, ¡°I¡¯m its owner, and there¡¯s an agreement between us. We¡¯re tightly connected, and you can almost count it as if we live by the same breath and fate. Can I help Tuan Zi?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle kept silent for a moment. ¡°With your help, it naturally can last for a while longer. However, you can¡¯t help it from the roots¡ª ¡°Then, it¡¯s settled.¡± Without waiting for the legendary three-eyed eagle to finish, Chu Liuyue swiftly made a decision. At this time, it will be good if I can help even a little. If it lasts even a second longer, Tuan Zi will have a bit more hope. As long as we can wait until Tuan Zi wakes up, everything else is worth it. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle stared at Chu Liuyue closely, and its eyes were filled with disapproval and warning. ¡°You need to know that the force to awaken the bloodline power of a red-tailed phoenix is very violent and harsh. It¡¯s not something humans can endure!¡± It was ridiculous that Chu Liuyue planned on using her own physical body to contain it! She didn¡¯t even care about her safety at all! Yet, Chu Liuyue curled her lips and smiled. ¡°Even though I¡¯m just a stage-eight warrior now, my physical strength isn¡¯t any weaker than a stage-nine warrior. Besides, if I¡¯m really in danger, I have the skills to protect myself. You know this clearly too, right?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle still wanted to convince her. ¡°Besides, the more important thing is that Tuan Zi is my friend, and it¡¯s also my family. I can¡¯t stand by the side and do nothing¡ªeven if I need to pay a painful price for it.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were very light, yet her every word weighed a ton. There seemed to be something flashing across the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s eyes. Rumble! Chu Liuyue¡¯s barrier started to waver. ¡°I can¡¯t hesitate anymore.¡± Chu Liuyue placed her hand on Tuan Zi and slowly closed her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± ¡­ Morning. Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng arrived at Jiuheng Peak early in the morning. On the one hand, they wanted to come and check in on Chu Liuyue¡¯s ¡®sickness.¡¯ On the other hand, Luo Yanming had always wanted to find a chance to battle with Chu Liuyue using Xuan formations a while ago, but they couldn¡¯t find the time. Hence, he decided to come over today and try his luck. If Chu Liuyue¡¯s health was fine, then they could directly start today. The two of them yelled outside the barrier, yet nobody responded. ¡°This kid wouldn¡¯t still be sleeping, right?¡± asked Zhuo Sheng doubtfully. Luo Yanming knitted his brows and raised his voice to shout again. There was still no response. ¡°There seems to be something wrong.¡± Luo Yanming furrowed his brows slightly. It wasn¡¯t their first time coming here to call her. Every time, Chu Liuyue could come out very quickly. This was the only time that nobody responded, and her figure couldn¡¯t be seen. ¡°Could he really be in some trouble?¡± Zhuo Sheng¡¯s originally joking expression became more restrained. He took a few steps forward but was quickly shocked and retreated due to the barrier¡¯s suppression. He looked at Luo Yanming with much conflict. ¡°He hasn¡¯t gone out recently, right?¡± Luo Yanming shook his head. ¡°I saw that he went to Medicinal Valley last night. He should¡¯ve gone to pick herbs. It¡¯s impossible that he hasn¡¯t come home the entire night.¡± The two of them exchanged glances and were worried. ¡°Could it really be because he¡¯s sick?¡± Zhuo Sheng had a face filled with doubt. ¡°If it isn¡¯t anything serious, he wouldn¡¯t have given up on a chance to go to the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡­ This can¡¯t do. Let¡¯s get an elder to come over and take a look at him.¡± Luo Yanming was still rather uncertain originally. After hearing his friend speak, he felt that it made sense and nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Wait here first; I¡¯ll call Mentor over. I think he can go into Jiuheng Peak.¡± Then, Luo Yanming turned around to leave. But at this moment, a loud sound came from the inside of Jiuheng Peak! Rumble! The two of them were stunned and looked over in unison. Nothing¡ªnothing at all! That sound seemed to come from the room! The two of them had more tense expressions. In the beginning, they were just speculating, but now¡­ It seemed like Chu Yue might actually be in trouble! Without saying anything else, Luo Yanming immediately unleashed his full speed and left. Zhuo Sheng was left alone as he looked at Jiuheng Peak, filled with worry. ¡­ Within the room. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged, and her eyes were tightly shut. Her face was flushed red, and her brows were slightly knitted as if she were experiencing tremendous pain. Before her, Tuan Zi lay there quietly without moving. The color of its feathers gradually seemed to become richer as its surrounding aura kept strengthening. Waves of force spread in all directions! A portion of this force was swallowed by the legendary three-eyed eagle. The remaining force flowed into Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Her veins popped up, and all the blood in her body seemed to be boiling! Chapter 1311 - Borrow Fiend Park! Chu Liuyue¡¯s physical strength could definitely be considered one of the best amongst warriors of the same cultivation level, or even a cultivation level higher. The current her had been through much torture. Even if she fought two stage-nine warrior puppets, she still had a chance. However, this was still in comparison to humans. At this point, Chu Liuyue finally understood what the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s previous warnings meant. The tolerance of a fiend and a human really couldn¡¯t be compared! The bloodline power gradually awakening in Tuan Zi¡¯s body had horrifying force! Even if her body had already been through many hardships, it was still rather forceful to deal with the force. Her muscles and bones seemed like they were about to be ripped apart. When the harsh and terrifying force approached them, it seemed like it could instantly swallow them! Chu Liuyue endured the physical torture of this force as she guided it into Tuan Zi¡¯s body. At the same time, she kept calling Tuan Zi¡¯s name in her heart, hoping that it could wake up as soon as possible. But as time trickled past, Tuan Zi still didn¡¯t respond. ¡­ Elder Hua Feng rushed over with Luo Yanming. ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Yue?¡± Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M Zhuo Sheng hurriedly answered, ¡°He should still be inside! But the situation might be rather dangerous¡­¡± Within such a short span of time, another sound could be heard from inside. He felt uneasy hearing it. On the way here, I had already heard a rough summary from Luo Yanming. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows tightly and stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go in to take a look.¡± Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng planned to follow him, but they were nailed to the ground because of his gaze. ¡°You guys can just stay here.¡± If there really was something going on inside, he would still have to worry about the both of them. Seeing the always harmonious and friendly Elder Hua Feng revealing such a stern and serious expression, the duo didn¡¯t dare to say much. They nodded and obediently stood at the spot. Elder Hua Feng raised his hand, took out his green jade plaque, and placed it on the barrier. Whir! The barrier opened, and Elder Hua Feng went in in a flash! ¡­ ¡°Someone is coming!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice suddenly entered her ears. Chu Liuyue had been in a highly focused state, so she didn¡¯t hear Luo Yanming and the rest calling her. But at this point, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s words finally made her more awake. ¡°Who is it?¡± Normally, almost nobody would casually come in. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be Rong Xiu?¡± if it were him, she should be able to sense it. ¡°No,¡± the legendary three-eyed eagle quickly replied. Chu Liuyue clenched her silver teeth. ¡°Come back first!¡± The fact that the legendary three-eyed eagle was her legendary fiend couldn¡¯t be easily found out by others. If not, it would be a matter of minutes before her identity was discovered. ¡°But¡­¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline power hadn¡¯t fully awakened. Once it stopped, the torture and stress Chu Liuyue had to face and endure would be double what she was going through now, or even more! Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I have my own ways!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle could only go back into Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian. Rumble! The terrifying force overwhelmed her, causing her chest to be suppressed, and she almost vomited blood. ¡°Chu Yue! Chu Yue, are you in there?¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s voice, with a hint of anxiety and worry, sounded closer and closer. Chu Liuyue endured the excruciating pain as she carried Tuan Zi, hugged it tightly, and rushed outside! Thump! Elder Hua Feng was about to push the door open when it suddenly opened from the inside, and a figure rushed out! It was Chu Yue! Elder Hua Feng was about to speak, but Chu Liuyue had already brushed past his shoulders. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, I have something urgent. I¡¯ll go first! I¡¯ll explain it to you when I come back!¡± Elder Hua Feng was slightly dazed, but he hurriedly followed Chu Liuyue and pulled her back. ¡°Wait! Chu Yue, what¡¯s going on?!¡± Once he said this, he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s current appearance clearly and was taken aback. This was because the current her had her originally white and clean face flushed red. The veins on her forehead were popping, and her brows were tightly knitted. The clothes on her body seemed to be drenched. She looked as if she had just suffered some harsh punishment. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Elder Hua Feng, I really don¡¯t have the time to explain it to you in detail now. Let me go first!¡± Chu Liuyue hugged Tuan Zi even tighter and spoke in a hurry. Elder Hua Feng was even more confused, but seeing her in this state, he didn¡¯t dare to do much as he immediately let go. Yet, he still couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where are you going? If you have any difficulties, just say it! I¡¯ll think of a way for you!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. If it weren¡¯t because she couldn¡¯t tolerate Tuan Zi¡¯s harsh bloodline power any longer, she wanted to stay behind and talk to him more. ¡°Thank you, elder!¡± Without speaking anymore, she turned and ran away. ¡°Hey! This kid!¡± Elder Hua Feng was also anxious. Anyone can tell that something has happened! He hurriedly followed her! Chu Liuyue ran crazily in a certain direction the entire way! When Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng saw her, she had already rushed past them before they could even greet her. Elder Hua Feng followed closely after, but very quickly, he realized that something was wrong. That was because Chu Liuyue was heading toward Fiend Park! When she reached the front, Chu Liuyue glanced at Elder Shu Yu and acted as if she had seen her savior. ¡°Elder Shu Yu, please open the barrier! Let me borrow Fiend Park!¡± Chapter 1312 - Help Elder Shu Yu was frightened by the commotion before him. ¡°Chu Yue? What are you doing?!¡± Elder Hua Feng hurriedly yelled from the back, ¡°Don¡¯t ask first! Open the barrier and let him in!¡± At this point, Elder Shu Yu then clearly saw how disheveled Chu Liuyue looked. He didn¡¯t dare to take it slow as he hurriedly opened the barrier. An entrance slowly formed. Chu Liuyue immediately increased her speed and directly rushed over. ¡°Thank you, Elder Shu Yu!¡± Once she said this, she had already rushed in! Elder Shu Yu felt that some wind had brushed past him, and Chu Liuyue was gone. He hurriedly turned around to look and saw that young man rushing straight toward Fiend Park at a shocking speed. Elder Hua Feng followed closely after. ¡°Hua Feng, what exactly is going on?¡± Elder Shu Yu immediately followed and knitted his brows tightly. Why did Chu Yue suddenly rush over out of nowhere early in the morning? Also, it looks like there is something very wrong. As Elder Hua Feng rushed forward, he said, ¡°Aiya, I¡¯m not too sure either! That kid didn¡¯t have the time to tell me anything before he rushed straight in! I don¡¯t know what to do either!¡± Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M Then, he briefly explained today¡¯s incident to Elder Shu Yu. When Elder Shu Yu heard this, he furrowed his brows tightly as well. ¡°¡­If he¡¯s just sick, why must he come here? Fiend Park has all sorts of fierce fiends. Wouldn¡¯t it be even more dangerous if he just rushes over so suddenly?!¡± Elder Shu Yu really didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. We should follow him and see what he wants to do!¡± As Elder Hua Feng spoke, he increased his speed. ¡­ On the other end, Chu Liuyue really unleashed all her strength as she rushed to a certain peak at full speed. As if detecting her aura, a gigantic steel-ridged fiend walked out from the cave and looked toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ah Qiong!¡± Chu Liuyue yelled and rapidly flew down! She landed before the cave and hurriedly walked in. ¡°Ah Qiong, help me!¡± When Ah Qiong saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s current state, its originally surprised and reminiscent expression immediately became stern. It directly followed Chu Yue in. Tao Tao seemed to be taking a nap, and it only slowly opened its eyes after it heard the commotion. From the corner of its eyes, it saw a familiar figure and immediately turned around elatedly. But just when it wanted to lean over excitedly, it realized that Chu Liuyue seemed amiss. At this point, Ah Qiong had also walked over and was gazing at Chu Liuyue worriedly. Tao Tao hurriedly ran to its mother. Under the mother-son duo¡¯s stares, Chu Liuyue released her arms. A furry Tuan Zi was revealed. Ah Qiong and Tuan Zi suddenly took a step back in unison as respect and fear flashed across their eyes! The red-tailed phoenix had the bloodline power of the red-gold heavenly phoenix, which was one of the two ancient legendary fiends. Hence, they had a distinguished status even amongst legendary fiends. Besides, Tuan Zi was currently in a critical stage of its bloodline power awakening, so the suppression from its bloodline was even stronger. This naturally made Ah Qiong and the rest feel a sense of conviction. Right at this moment, Chu Liuyue turned back to look at Ah Qiong. Her black, gem-like eyes seemed to be burning with fire. Her clothes already had bright-red blood slowly seeping out and drenching her entire outfit. As Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t tolerate the bloodline power currently awakening in Tuan Zi¡¯s body, her skin was already starting to break! Ah Qiong¡¯s expression turned tense, and it immediately understood what was going on. Chu Liuyue swallowed a mouthful of blood with much difficulty. ¡°Ah Qiong¡ª¡± Before she could say anything, Ah Qiong had already walked forward and lay beside Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi. It then lowered its head and used its horn to touch Tuan Zi. A portion of Tuan Zi¡¯s force started entering its body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm, and the suppression on her body was instantly reduced by quite a bit. She said carefully, ¡°Thank you so much, Ah Qiong.¡± ¡­ Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure disappear into the cave, Elder Shu Yu knitted his brows and stopped. Elder Hua Feng was about to rush over but was stopped. ¡°Hua Feng, wait! That mountain is the steel-ridged fiend¡¯s territory. You can¡¯t just go over there.¡± ¡°At this point, we have to go even if we can¡¯t go near them!¡± Elder Hua Feng felt anxious and pushed his hand away, about to go over. ¡°That steel-ridged fiend is a legendary fiend! With Chu Yue¡¯s current state, how could he possibly be its match?¡± Elder Shu Yu helplessly sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s the steel-ridged fiend that we don¡¯t have to be so worried. I won¡¯t possibly leave Chu Yue in the lurch just because it¡¯s dangerous, right?¡± Elder Hua Feng was stumped. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That steel-ridged fiend has an extraordinary relationship with Chu Yue and won¡¯t hurt him. I think that Chu Yue came over this time just to seek that steel-ridged fiend¡¯s help.¡± Elder Hua Feng was dazed. Chu Yue has an extraordinary relationship with that¡­ steel-ridged fiend? W-where did all of this come from? Seeing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s face of confusion, Elder Shu Yu could only simply explain to him everything that had happened before. Every sentence Elder Shu Yu said made Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression even more shocked. In the end, he was completely taken aback. ¡°¡­That¡¯s what happened. Even though I don¡¯t know why that steel-ridged fiend was willing to risk its life for Chu Yue, I¡¯m sure that it won¡¯t hurt Chu Yue when he goes over. Not only that, but it will even try its best to help him. So¡­ we should just stay here and watch.¡± Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t speak for quite a while. There was too much information, and he couldn¡¯t accept it all in such a short period of time. Chu Yue¡­ was actually locked up here for a month, and he even broke through to become a stage-eight warrior here? Also, one of the legendary fiends here¡ªa steel-ridged fiend¡ªwas willing to risk its life and guard him¡­ Elder Hua Feng held his forehead as it ached, and he closed his eyes. Elder Shu Yu glanced at him in sympathy. When all of this happened one after another, I was also shocked until I was speechless, let alone Elder Hua Feng, who didn¡¯t know about any of this. ¡°Since this is so¡­ doesn¡¯t it prove that Chu Yue should be safe now?¡± Elder Hua Feng asked, and his voice was trailing off. ¡°Sort of. He clearly came for the steel-ridged fiend, so perhaps he already expected that it could help him. It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to him, so we can only watch silently. As Elder Shu Yu talked, he patted Elder Hua Feng¡¯s arm in comfort. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That kid has a very tough life. Nothing will happen to him.¡± That night, he survived in one piece after being surrounded and attacked by so many legendary fiends, let alone now? Elder Hua Feng felt complicated and could only sigh deeply. ¡°I hope so!¡± ¡­ There was nothing but silence in the cave. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged. Not far away from her was Tuan Zi lying on the floor, and beside it was Ah Qiong. Terrifying waves of force were torturing her body. The ground below her was gradually dyed by the fresh blood. Chapter 1313 - Command Some time later, Tuan Zi¡¯s wings finally moved as if it were about to wake up. Chu Liuyue was surprised, but she didn¡¯t dare to relax at all. Her body seemed to be cut by countless blades, and excruciating pain came from all areas. No matter how capable she was, she was still a stage-eight warrior. How could she endure the suppression of a legendary fiend? This was especially so with the bloodline power¡ªwhich could almost be considered top-tier¡ªfrom the red-tailed phoenix. At the side, Ah Qiong took up most of the force. Gradually, even its hard skin and muscles had tiny cracks appearing. Blood slowly flowed out. ¡°Wu¡ª¡± When Tao Tao saw this, it was scared and worried. Its eyes were filled with panic. It rushed over and touched Ah Qiong¡¯s body. Ah Qiong didn¡¯t move. Seeing the bloodstains on the floor, Tao Tao cried again. It swiftly went in, wanting to help. Detecting this movement, Chu Liuyue softly warned, ¡°Tao Tao, move back!¡± Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M It isn¡¯t an adult yet and is inadequate in all aspects and strength. It hasn¡¯t even passed through the barrier to become a legendary fiend, so how could it endure Tuan Zi¡¯s force? Ah Qiong opened its eyes and kicked Tao Tao away. Tao Tao rolled on the floor and was stained with quite a bit of blood and mud, looking very disheveled. It indignantly stood up and wanted to go forward. Ah Qiong let out a low roar that was filled with suppression! Tao Tao was so frightened that it stood rooted to the ground and didn¡¯t dare to move as its tears kept dropping down continuously. Blood came out from the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. Her organs seemed to be crazily moved by something, and it felt terrible. Very quickly, her originally red face turned white, and all the blood color rapidly faded away. The feelings of weakness came from the depths of her body. The scene before her eyes started to become blurry. Chu Liuyue knew that she was at the end of her wits. From the time she discovered that Tuan Zi was about to break through to now, about four or six hours had passed. It was already very shocking that Chu Liuyue could last until now. If it were other stage-eight warriors, their bodies would¡¯ve long exploded as they couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°You can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice entered her ears. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°There are many fiends here. Once you appear, they¡¯ll definitely notice you. Besides, Elder Shu Yu and Elder Hua Feng are outside.¡± I can¡¯t take that risk. ¡°But you can¡¯t hang in there anymore.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice was especially cold, deep, and determined. ¡°Do you want to die?!¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips slightly curled up as she revealed an extremely faint and light smile. ¡°There¡¯s still¡­ another way.¡± She kept silent for a moment. Suddenly, she looked at Tao Tao and said carefully, ¡°Tao Tao, if you want to save your mother, immediately go out and get help.¡± Tao Tao stopped crying, and its two large eyes stared at Chu Liuyue in confusion. Help? What help? The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice became even colder. ¡°Those two people have nothing to do with red-tailed phoenixes. Even if they come, they won¡¯t be able to help. You should just¡ª¡± ¡°Who said that I¡¯m inviting them?¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s words. ¡°Who else?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle was stunned. Only those two people seem to be able to come over and help within this radius, right? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t answer the question as she took a deep breath in, endured the pain in her body, and slowly said, ¡°Silver-eared flower-pattern fiend, anti-sky sparrow, dream demon fiend, nine lightning werewolf¡­¡± The names of legendary fiends came out of her mouth one by one. ¡°¡­Ask them to come over immediately!¡± Once she said this, the cave fell silent for a moment. The legendary three-eyed eagle asked in disbelief, ¡°Y-you want to get these legendary fiends to help?¡± All of the named fiends were legendary fiends who were arrogant, harsh, and fierce. It was impossible for all of them to gather together and help anyone. Even the ninth-grade fiends won¡¯t be willing to listen to a human¡¯s command, let alone them? What exactly is Chu Liuyue thinking?! Is she crazy?! Chu Liuyue naturally wasn¡¯t crazy. On the contrary, she was especially calm. ¡°Tuan Zi is a legendary fiend. There¡¯s not much use if ninth-grade fiends come, so I have to get the legendary fiends.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle was stumped and didn¡¯t know how to argue at that moment. He simply felt that Chu Liuyue was daydreaming. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind that it disapproved of the idea. She just looked at Tao Tao and urged, ¡°If we¡¯re any later, we won¡¯t be able to make it.¡± Tao Tao was taken aback. Then, it recovered its senses and immediately ran outside. The moment it rushed to the cave entrance, Chu Liuyue yelled, ¡°Hold on.¡± Tao Tao turned around. Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was very light, but it seemed like it weighed a ton as it shocked everyone¡¯s hearts! ¡°If they¡¯re uncooperative, just say that I told them to come. If anyone doesn¡¯t listen, I¡¯ll definitely give Fiend Park another bloodbath!¡± ¡­ Waiting was always especially torturous. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s hands were tightly crossed before him. He furrowed his brows and kept staring at the mountain peak not far away. His heart seemed to be hanging by some thread, neither up nor down, and it was extremely uncomfortable. ¡°Hey! There was still some noise just now, but why is it quiet now? I don¡¯t even know how Chu Yue is doing!¡± Even though Elder Shu Yu was also very worried, he was much calmer than Elder Hua Feng. After all, he had personally witnessed how Chu Yue previously killed the black-gold werewolf and golden-cloud leopard with one sword. Seeing that Elder Hua Feng was too worried, he thought for a moment and comforted, ¡°Hua Feng, there¡¯s no use if you¡¯re so nervous now! Didn¡¯t I say that this kid is quite capable? He won¡¯t get¡ª¡± His voice suddenly stopped, and he looked doubtful and shocked. Elder Hua Feng followed his line of sight and looked over, instantly feeling confused. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the steel-ridged fiend¡¯s cub?¡± Elder Shu Yu nodded.¡±It came out. Then, what exactly¡ªno, why did it run down the mountain?¡± As he spoke, he saw the steel-ridged fiend cub run out of the cave and down the mountain at top speed! Thump! Thump! The ground it passed started to shake! For some reason, Elder Shu Yu had a very bad feeling. Logically speaking, this steel-ridged fiend cub should have a good relationship with Chu Yue. Now, it ran out on its own for some reason. However, Chu Yue and the adult steel-ridged fiend didn¡¯t make any sound in the cave. This is too strange¡­ ¡°No, I have to go down and take a look!¡± Elder Hua Feng said and wanted to go over. Elder Shu Yu immediately pulled him back. ¡°Wait for a while longer!¡± ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± Elder Hua Feng was so anxious that he broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°If something really happens to the kid, it¡¯ll be too late to go over later! Let go! You¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng was struggling when he suddenly saw Elder Shu Yu¡¯s expression changing drastically. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly turned around to take a look. This time, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp! ¡°Why did legendary fiends come over at this time?!¡± Chapter 1314 - Summon ¡°Anti-sky sparrow! Rumor has it that this kind of fiend is very ferocious and competitive. Is this real?¡± Elder Hua Feng widened his eyes, stared at the rapidly approaching anti-sky sparrow closely, and asked hurriedly. Elder Shu Yu pressed his lips against each other and calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although this anti-sky sparrow is a legendary fiend¡­ With you and me around, dealing with this one isn¡¯t a pro¡ª¡± His voice suddenly trailed off. That was because a few other anti-sky sparrows flew consecutively behind that one! They moved rapidly! They flashed across in the blink of an eye and went toward the peak Chu Yue was at! At a rough glance, there seemed to be five or six anti-sky sparrows! Elder Hua Feng pulled Elder Shu Yu. ¡°Do your words just now still count? They¡¯re so small. The two of us against five or six of them should¡­ be manageable, right?¡± Even he said it rather weakly. Anti-sky sparrows were small, but they were still legendary fiends after all! They were also famous for being fierce! Being able to have such a reputation amongst all these fiends proved their strong combat skills! Elder Shu Yu was actually also dazed. In this entire Fiend Park, there are only a total of about ten or so anti-sky sparrows. Yet, half of them came at once! Even when Chu Yue was preparing to break through that night, not so many of them had surrounded him! Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M He furrowed his brows tightly, and his expression was solemn. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We should¡ª¡± ¡°Quickly, look!¡± Without waiting for him to finish, Elder Hua Feng gasped again and pointed below. ¡°Is that¡­ a silver-eared flower-patterned fiend?!¡± Elder Shu Yu focused on it and indeed saw a silver-eared flower-pattern fiend with its ears cut off. ¡°It¡­¡± The ears looked like they were cut cleanly, so it didn¡¯t seem like they were bitten or ripped off by other fiends. Instead, it looked like it was cut off by some sharp object. ¡°With its ears being cut off, its abilities will be greatly weakened. Why did it come to join in the commotion at this point?¡± Elder Shu Yu didn¡¯t understand. But very quickly, he didn¡¯t have the time to think about this. That was because there were still many fiends continuously approaching from behind the silver-eared flower-pattern fiend! ¡°Dream demon fiend¡­ nine lightning werewolf¡­ golden-eyed ice bat¡­¡± Looking at the figures that kept appearing one after another, even Elder Shu Yu¡¯s voice started to tremble gradually. Why did so many legendary fiends suddenly come?! And it seems like they are all going for Chu Yue! ¡°What sin did this kid commit!?¡± Elder Shu Yu¡ªwho could previously still be counted as calm¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but explode. Chu Yue isn¡¯t preparing to break through this time. We waited outside for so long, but we didn¡¯t detect any commotion. Why did he attract so many legendary fiends?! Elder Hua Feng grabbed his collar. ¡°Shu Yu, didn¡¯t you previously say that there wasn¡¯t a problem?! What exactly is going on now?!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have listened to you! I should¡¯ve gone over directly!¡± Elder Hua Feng pushed him with much hatred. ¡°With so many legendary fiends here, it¡¯ll be hard to even go there!¡± If they teamed up, perhaps they could handle a few. But this number had long exceeded their expectations! Even if they went up to stop these fiends, it would be to no avail. ¡°Wan Zheng only has this one precious disciple, and Chu Yue has an extraordinary relationship with Rong Xiu. If he gets into trouble¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s throat went dry. ¡°In this current situation, what do you think we should do!?¡± Elder Shu Yu seemed conflicted. At this moment, his gaze suddenly focused. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± After seeing that bunch of fiends, a familiar figure suddenly ran forward. It was the steel-ridged fiend cub that had previously left in a hurry! At this moment, it had already run to the front of the fiends and rushed back to the cave at top speed. During the entire process, no fiends had stopped it. They even faintly seemed like they were running after it¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Hua Feng saw his amiss expression and felt even more worried. ¡°Look¡ª¡± Elder Shu Yu raised his hand and said in disbelief, ¡°They seem to follow that steel-ridged fiend cub over!¡± ¡°How could this be possible?¡± Elder Hua Feng instinctively rebutted. Even though he didn¡¯t come to Fiend Park frequently, he also knew that steel-ridged fiends were ninth-grade fiends when they were a cub. It was lucky that these legendary fiends didn¡¯t bully it. Why did they follow it and run after it? But right after, he realized that what Elder Shu Yu said was right. These legendary fiends usually stayed in their own lanes and had their own territories; they didn¡¯t interact much. But at this moment, they actually got together for once. Additionally, they didn¡¯t fight and headed in the same direction. His gaze turned, and he held his breath. They do seem to be following that steel-ridged fiend cub up to the cave in the middle of the mountain! ¡°What exactly is Chu Yue doing¡­?¡± Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but mutter, and his face was filled with shock. He never ever dreamed that he would still see such a scene in his life. Elder Shu Yu was speechless. His expression seemed frozen, and only his pair of eyes with secret waves coursing through them revealed that he wasn¡¯t calm. Does Chu Yue really plan to break through again? But if it really is so, these legendary fiends definitely won¡¯t have such a reaction. They are quietly heading in a direction in unison. It seems like¡­ they are following some sort of command. Once this thought flashed across, Elder Shu Yu suppressed it. Ridiculous! How is that possible?! Only the two ancient legendary fiends can summon all the legendary fiends in the world! And Chu Yue¡ª Rumble! An extraordinarily loud roar suddenly sounded from the cave! Chapter 1315 - Awakening! With this loud sound, a tremendous force exploded from the cave! The mountain peak shook intensely, as if it were going to collapse at any moment. The two elders¡¯ hearts were scrunched together. Then, they saw that not only did these legendary fiends not leave when they heard the commotion, but they even increased their speed and ran toward the cave! ¡­ The first to arrive were the anti-sky sparrows. The few anti-sky sparrows saw Tuan Zi laying on the floor, felt its suppression, and instinctively moved a step back. Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced at them. Following this, the few anti-sky sparrows rapidly flew forward and lined up. Chu Liuyue was familiar with one of them. Looking at the wing that had just grown out some feathers, she squinted her eyes. ¡°You came quite quickly.¡± The few anti-sky sparrows dared to be angry, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak as they straightened their bodies. Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and a portion of the force shifted to their bodies. Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M ¡°The ones behind, come one by one,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. The few fiends who just came in were stunned. They exchanged glances and didn¡¯t t know who should come first. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and was quite annoyed. ¡°Go according to the sequence in which we fought.¡± Oh, so it¡¯s the sequence of being beaten up! The few of them rapidly understood and hurriedly stood in their places. Chu Liuyue slowly wiped the blood away from the corner of her mouth and revealed a satisfied smile for once. Actually, she couldn¡¯t hang on any longer and was persevering with her last bit of willpower. She raised her finger, and another portion of force was split out. At this point, quite a bit of Chu Liuyue and Ah Qiong¡¯s pressure was reduced. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes in a seemingly smiling manner, and her voice was rather hoarse and lazy. ¡°As obedient as before.¡± ¡­ All the legendary fiends entered the cave in order. The surroundings seemed to have recovered their peace. Other than the increasingly strong force that kept spreading out, everything seemed the same as before. The two elders stood in mid-air dazedly and were confused by everything that happened before them. ¡°All¡­ these legendary fiends went in so obediently?¡± Elder Hua Feng swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. ¡°They¡¯re even lining up?!¡± What has this world become? ¡°Shu Yu, say something!¡± Elder Shu Yu rubbed his brows. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± ¡°At the very least, you have been in Fiend Park for such a long time. You should know better than me, right? W-what¡¯s going on?¡± Elder Hua Feng was shocked and worried. Elder Shu Yu glanced at him and softly said, ¡°Do you think I know what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But Chu Yue is still inside!¡± ¡°Rather than worrying about him, you should worry about the fiends in Fiend Park.¡± Elder Shu Yu took a deep breath in. Normally, I spend so much effort taking care of Fiend Park, but I¡¯m not even worth a little kid in the end! Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows and said, ¡°The force that keeps spreading out doesn¡¯t seem to be Chu Yue¡¯s. If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly¡­ perhaps it¡¯s the red-tailed phoenix¡¯s aura?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Elder Shu Yu looked at the mountain peak. ¡°I¡¯m afraid his legendary fiend, the red-tailed phoenix, is currently awakening its bloodline power. And¡ª¡± He paused and suddenly turned around to ask, ¡°Who else knows that Chu Yue came here?¡± ¡°Hm? Let me think¡­ Other than Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming, I don¡¯t think anyone knows¡­¡± said Elder Hua Feng hesitantly. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if anyone saw us on the way here.¡± ¡°Try your best to suppress the news. If someone talks about it, say that he went over there.¡± Elder Shu Yu pointed at the few mountain peaks outside Fiend Park. ¡°With you as his alibi, I believe nobody would doubt it.¡± Elder Hua Feng nodded. Then, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I know that coming to the academy¡¯s Fiend Park can¡¯t be considered to be a good thing, but this isn¡¯t the only reason, right?¡± Elder Shu Yu nodded. ¡°Treasures attract trouble. It¡¯s not good to be too open.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Just watch first. Chu Yue¡¯s red-tailed phoenix is about to cause a huge commotion!¡± ¡­ The calm before the frightening storm was always the most anxiety-inducing one. Time slowly trickled past. Gradually, all the legendary fiends that went into the cave started to come out in order. On the surface, they didn¡¯t seem to be any different than when they had first gone in. And after they came out, they didn¡¯t stay behind further and quickly left. But during this entire process, the force that kept spreading out from the cave was gradually strengthening. ¡°A few cracks have already appeared on the mountain peak.¡± The entire mountain started to shake, and rocks started to roll down. Everything seemed like it was hinting at a shocking and imminent change. ¡­ With these legendary fiends¡¯ help, Chu Liuyue was much more relaxed. She even slowly got used to the pain of being shredded apart. Almost all of the force in her body had also been exhausted. As Chu Liuyue tried her best to help Tuan Zi circulate its force, she was also healing the wounds in her body. Suddenly, Tuan Zi¡¯s wings moved. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. At this moment, the water droplet in her dantian seemed to be guided by some force as it slowly spun! Tremendous force continuously surged out! Almost at the same time, a red fire exploded from Tuan Zi¡¯s body! Peng! The fierce fire completely enveloped its body! The force that kept circling around it rushed toward its body rapidly! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up. Tuan Zi is about to wake up! But at this moment, the legendary fiends suddenly felt some terrifying existence and continuously moved back. Their gazes directed at Tuan Zi were filled with unconcealable deep shock and fear! Chu Liuyue felt something and looked at Tuan Zi. A golden spark suddenly exploded! Chapter 1316 - Breakthrough! The golden spark was as bright as ever. The moment it appeared, it instantly illuminated the entire cave. An indescribable and tremendous suppression spread from within! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the water droplet in her body unwittingly started moving even more quickly. The force in her body started spinning at an extraordinary speed! ¡°Wuwu¡ª¡± Soft whimpers could be heard, but they were from the surrounding fiends. At this point, they were already lying down and trembling as they watched the fire burn brightly. That was the absolute suppression from the bloodline¡ªit was completely unleashed! Even Ah Qiong had difficulties getting up, and it brought Tao Tao back a few steps. Within the cave, the light shone brightly like the horizon. In the middle were a human and a fiend. Chu Liuyue stared at the speck of gold in the middle of the fire. As time trickled past, the surrounding red fire gradually seemed to turn golden as well. The light shone even brighter! Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M Chu Liuyue said, ¡°You can all go out first.¡± Hearing her words, the many fiends hurriedly nodded like Russian dolls and quickly left. ¡°Ah Qiong, you and Tao Tao can go outside and guard the area.¡± Ah Qiong glanced at her hesitantly, but it still listened to her in the end and left with Tao Tao. Its injuries were serious, and its skin had broken as blood kept flowing down. Many of the wounds were badly mangled. This showed how terrifying the attack from the force was. Everywhere Ah Qiong went, it left uneven bloodstains all over the ground. When they all left, Chu Liuyue then retracted her gaze and looked at Tuan Zi. As if detecting her gaze, Tuan Zi¡¯s eyelids twitched. Chu Liuyue softly chuckled. ¡°You must properly repay the debt you owe when you go out later.¡± Tuan Zi didn¡¯t speak, but the fire in its body burned even brighter. ¡­ The two elders stared at the mountain peak intensely. More and more fiends were walking out, but they didn¡¯t leave after reaching the foot of the mountain. Instead, they all stopped and stared at the middle of the mountain in unison, as if they were waiting for something. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Elder Hua Feng was confused. ¡°The previous few had all left on their own. Why did they come out and not leave?¡± Elder Shu Yu didn¡¯t speak, but his expression became even more serious. Perhaps my guess will come true¡­ On the mountain peak, increasingly more cracks started spreading. Trees fell one after another as mountain rocks rolled down. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started surging over crazily. In the end, it formed a gigantic energy vortex and looked frightening. The dark clouds tumbled, and the winds howled fiercely. Anyone could tell that this mountain couldn¡¯t be saved. Besides¡­ There would definitely be more shocking things to happen! The turbulent winds preceded the storm. Elder Hua Feng gradually felt uneasy as he pressed his lips against each other tightly and did not speak. The surroundings fell into silence. It was as if the water surface with harsh tides would explode at any moment! ¡­ A day quickly passed, and evening came in the blink of an eye. Looking at the sky that slowly darkened, Zhuo Sheng paced back and forth in the house and looked very anxious. Luo Yanming¡ªwho was sitting inside the house¡ªfinally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Zhuo Sheng, you¡¯re causing my head to spin. Can¡¯t you sit down and wait?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sit!¡± Zhuo Sheng scratched his head and looked frustrated. ¡°Where do you think Chu Yue and Elder Hua Feng went? It has been more than half a day, but we haven¡¯t seen them! Sigh, if only we could chase after them in time then!¡± Luo Yanming glanced at him doubtfully. ¡°Do you have a misunderstanding about your own abilities, or do you think too highly of me? You actually think that the two of us can catch up with my mentor?¡± Back then, the situation happened suddenly. After Chu Yue came out from Jiuheng Peak, he disappeared without a trace. Elder Hua Feng followed him closely and left without even saying anything. Originally, Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming planned on following them, but they lost them after some time. Helpless, they could only choose to go back first. They planned on asking in detail about what happened after Elder Hua Feng and the rest came back. Even though they were worried about Chu Yue, Elder Hua Feng was still a highly respected elder in the academy. With him around, they could be slightly more at ease. Who knew that this wait would be close to a day? Yet, Elder Hua Feng and Chu Yue showed no signs of returning. The both of them couldn¡¯t casually go out to ask around, so they could only stay here, scratch their ears, and wait. Hearing this, Zhuo Sheng was rather despondent. ¡°It¡¯s weird too! Look, it¡¯s normal that we can¡¯t catch up with Elder Hua Feng because he¡¯s very strong, but why is Chu Yue so fast as well?¡± Back then, I didn¡¯t even see anything, and the person just disappeared! ¡°He is a ninth-grade heavenly doctor, but his warrior level isn¡¯t as high as mine. How is he faster than me?¡± Zhuo Sheng really didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a hallucination, but when he rushed past me, I felt that his aura seemed¡­ It seemed like it wasn¡¯t any weaker than mine.¡± He said this rather conservatively. In actual fact, he thought about it later and even felt that he was weaker than the other party. But Chu Yue was indeed still a stage-seven warrior previously¡ªeveryone had seen it personally. No matter how talented he was, it was impossible for him to break through so many times in such a short amount of time, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Compared to Zhuo Sheng¡¯s shock and doubts, Luo Yanming was much calmer. He smiled. ¡°Do you really think that he¡¯s only talented as a heavenly doctor?¡± Zhuo Sheng¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Luo Yanming¡¯s lips moved. In the end, he just said, ¡°How can Senior Brother Rong Xiu think so highly of someone normal? I just feel that the things he¡¯s showing now aren¡¯t his true abilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Chu Yue is a tough nut to crack, and he hid his abilities quite well.¡± Zhuo Sheng believed it and nodded. Then, he said, ¡°But I still hope that he won¡¯t get into trouble and that he¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± said Luo Yanming. ¡­ Night. Fiend Park. Elder Hua Feng and Elder Shu Yu were still waiting. The surroundings had already darkened, yet there was still bright light shining out from the cave. Additionally, as time passed, the light became increasingly brighter. Suddenly, the gigantic energy vortex stopped turning, and the dark clouds faded away! Crack! The clear sound of a mountain rock breaking could be heard. It was especially clear in the quiet forest! The two elders exchanged a glance and saw the nervousness in each other¡¯s eyes. Hong! The mountain peak¡ªwhich had long been shaking¡ªsuddenly exploded with a terrifying force from within! A golden-red spark that seemed to be unable to split rose to the sky! Amidst it, a shocking aura that seemed to travel from ancient times came over and swept across the skies! Whoosh! A pair of gigantic wings suddenly spread open! Shoo! Chapter 1317 - Red-Gold Heavenly Phoenix Bright! Prideful! Stern! A clear cry reverberated throughout the area! The many fiends¡ªwho had waited around for a day¡ªheard this command and were immediately energized as they shrieked in unison! In their voices, there was no trace of a legendary fiend¡¯s pride and the violence of their tempers. They only had complete compliance, fear, and respect. The next moment, these fiends all lay down gradually! They moved gingerly and were filled with sincerity and respect. That was the admiration and respect one had for the most distinguished bloodline in the world! This formation stunned the two elders. Elder Hua Feng widened his eyes in shock. ¡°T-that¡¯s¡ª¡± Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M A ridiculous and bold guess flashed across his mind. As it was too incredulous, he couldn¡¯t say those few words. Red-gold spark¡­ In this world, there is only one type of fiend that has this fire! At the side, Elder Shu Yu had already guessed this outcome earlier, but he was still taken aback when he personally saw it. He took a deep breath in as if he could smell the unique scent of the fire burning brightly. It was as if it wanted to burn everything down! ¡°That¡¯s¡­ an ancient legendary fiend¡ªred-gold heavenly phoenix!¡± Every word seemed to weigh a ton as it landed like a shocking stone and stunned everyone! ¡°H-how could this¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng was dazed and softly muttered in disbelief. ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenixes haven¡¯t appeared on the mainland for 3,000 years. Yet, today¡­¡± That is Chu Yue¡¯s fiend! The reality kept hitting Elder Hua Feng¡¯s inner mentality, causing his entire person to be dazed. Elder Shu Yu looked up at the red-gold figure in the dark sky with a complicated gaze. If I didn¡¯t see this personally, I would think that it was just a dream. ¡°Red-tailed phoenixes originally have the bloodline power of the red-gold heavenly phoenix in them. Out of so many fiends, they¡¯re the most likely to break through and become a red-gold heavenly phoenix! However, it¡¯s very, very difficult to do this. After so many generations, the current red-tailed phoenixes have very little bloodline power in them. Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be such a possibility anymore, but¡­¡± But Chu Yue¡¯s fiend actually did it! How could it not be shocking?! ¡°No wonder¡­ No wonder the fiends were so obedient previously. Was it because they already had predicted the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s birth?¡± Elder Hua Feng seemed to have suddenly thought of something and looked understanding. Other than the two ancient legendary fiends, who else has such terrifying commanding skills? 1 The next moment, a thin and long figure jumped up from below! It was Chu Liuyue, whom the two elders had waited so bitterly for! At this point, her clothes were already stained with blood, and her face was as pale as ever, looking very disheveled. However, only her pair of eyes were as bright as stars as they shone brightly! Detecting her arrival, the red-gold heavenly phoenix that many fiends were bowing down to lowered its eyes and looked over. Then, it flapped its wings and flew toward Chu Liuyue. A red-gold arc was drawn across the dark skies. The next second, it had already flown to Chu Liuyue. The human and the fiend stood opposite each other. Chu Liuyue¡¯s originally tall figure seemed especially petite with the red-gold heavenly phoenix by her side. But for some reason¡­ Although she stood there quietly, her entire aura didn¡¯t lose to the red-gold heavenly phoenix at all. With such an accompaniment, she was still not overshadowed. ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± As Chu Liuyue gazed at Tuan Zi¡ªwhose appearance had completely changed¡ªher heart was overwhelmed. It beat so quickly that it was about to jump out. Previously, I had already guessed that Tuan Zi might break through with the awakening of its bloodline power. However, I didn¡¯t expect that it would directly become a red-gold heavenly phoenix! It was no wonder it didn¡¯t wake up after such a long time. Tuan Zi was waiting for this big move! My efforts to help it weren¡¯t wasted! She sized Tuan Zi up carefully. Its figure wasn¡¯t too different from before, but its previously red feathers had all become red-gold. Its claws were snow-white, but its eyes had become intensely black. At first glance, they seemed crystallized, yet one couldn¡¯t see the bottom of them. When Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes moved, one could occasionally see a brilliant light flash across. From this pair of eyes, Chu Liuyue clearly saw her own shadow. Tuan Zi looked down and intimately rubbed against her face. It was surrounded by burning red-gold fire, but when Chu Liuyue touched that fire, she didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, she naturally merged with it. Of course! This was her fiend! Detecting Tuan Zi¡¯s warmth, its soft feathers, and the heavy reminiscence, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward and wrap her hands around Tuan Zi¡¯s neck tightly. Luckily, it was just a shock, and Tuan Zi is still by my side in one piece! Looking at the human and fiend hugging, the many legendary fiends fell silent. They stared at Chu Liuyue with fear and respect. If one were to say that they were beaten up until they were scared of her and that they dared to be angry but didn¡¯t dare to voice it out, they didn¡¯t even dare to be angry now. She had an agreement with one of the two most distinguished ancient legendary fiends in the world. She could almost be considered above millions of fiends! Then, what was there to argue about? In the future, they could only listen to her obediently! ¡°This kid¡­ His future is limitless!¡± Elder Shu Yu couldn¡¯t calm himself down. However, he finally accepted everything before him. Seeing how close Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi were, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve long known that he was amazing, but I didn¡¯t expect him to get this kind of fate as well¡­¡± Neither luck nor capabilities could be missing! When he previously heard that Chu Yue had accidentally obtained the Chi Xiao Sword, he still felt rather indignant. There were so many academy elders and outstanding students, but in the end, a young man that came to the academy not long ago benefited. Anyone who heard it wouldn¡¯t be completely at peace. But today, he finally understood. What did a Chi Xiao Sword count for? His fiend broke through in one go and became an ancient legendary fiend. This was the part that made one speechless. After all, in the entire mainland, there weren¡¯t many supreme Yuan instruments like the Chi Xiao Sword. But how many fiends were there in the world? Just in their Ling Xiao Academy alone, he had seen about four or five red-tailed phoenixes these few years, not to mention the entire God Residence Realm! There would definitely be more! However, it had to be Chu Yue¡¯s one that broke through and became a red-gold heavenly phoenix! How could this make sense? ¡°Hu¡­ You¡¯re right.¡± Elder Hua Feng sighed deeply, forcefully rubbed his face, and genuinely sighed. ¡°Luckily, I don¡¯t have a fiend. If not, I would be angered to death when I see this.¡± Chapter 1318 - Secret Chu Liuyue touched Tuan Zi, released her hands, and raised her chin toward the many fiends below. ¡°To help you just now, they have all put in quite a bit of effort.¡± The fiends¡ªwho were suddenly praised¡ªbecame energized, and their expressions were anxious and nervous. Help? Put in effort? We wouldn¡¯t dare! We should¡¯ve done it! Being able to personally witness the birth of an ancient legendary fiend¡ªa red-gold heavenly phoenix¡ªwas the greatest blessing in their lives. How could they ask for anything more? In the beginning, they came here for Chu Liuyue. But now, that definitely wasn¡¯t the case. The grumbles they had toward Chu Liuyue when they came had all disappeared, and they even felt quite grateful. For fiends, the bloodline level was strict. Not to mention helping this once, even if they were asked to sacrifice their lives, they would absolutely not have any grievances. That was the supremacy of an ancient legendary fiend! Tuan Zi followed Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision and looked down. Whoosh¡ª It flapped its wings, and a red-gold fire suddenly flew out, drawing a beautiful arc in mid-air. Then, the fire burst and exploded into countless sparks that landed everywhere! These sparks landed on many fiends. Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M The moment the sparks touched the fiends, they quickly melted. Following this, these fiends¡¯ injuries started rapidly healing at an observable speed! These wounds were originally caused when Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline power was awakening, so this was considered as solving it from the root of the problem, and the effects were exceptionally good. Many of the fiends were shocked, and all of them respectfully kneeled down and thanked Tuan Zi. It was very rare and beneficial for them to help a red-gold heavenly phoenix break through and receive the nourishment from its powers. They were naturally very grateful¡ªthis caused them to have even gentler and respectful gazes when they looked at Chu Liuyue. Tuan Zi¡¯s actions were clearly telling them who had the last say. All of the legendary fiends here weren¡¯t silly, and they naturally followed the flow. Shoo! Tuan Zi let out a loud cry again. The many fiends gradually started to leave. Not long later, the fiends surrounding the mountain peak began to leave respectively. Everything finally seemed to return to normal. A light flashed on Tuan Zi¡¯s body, and it became tiny again. Compared to before, it looked more intricate and beautiful. Tuan Zi blinked its eyes and stuck its head into Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms. Chu Liuyue hugged it tightly and couldn¡¯t help but smile with her eyes curving up. Tuan Zi¡¯s small head rubbed against her shoulders in reminiscence and intimacy. ¡°A¡¯Yue.¡± A clear and crisp voice entered her ears. Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed. This is¡­ Tuan Zi¡¯s voice? ¡°A¡¯Yue! A¡¯Yue, I miss you so much.¡± ¡­ ¡°Chu Yue.¡± Just when Chu Liuyue planned to talk to Tuan Zi further, she suddenly heard a familiar voice from the side. She looked up and smiled. ¡°Greetings, Elders.¡± When Elder Hua Feng saw Tuan Zi being hugged by Chu Liuyue, his gaze was filled with curiosity and shock. After all, this was also his first time seeing a red-gold heavenly phoenix in person, especially¡­ one that had an agreement with a human. ¡°Chu Yue, how are you feeling?¡± Elder Shu Yu was rather calm as he examined Chu Liuyue¡¯s disheveled appearance and inquired in concern. Chu Liuyue smiled and replied, ¡°Elder, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Even though she was injured previously¡­ After Tuan Zi broke through, her wounds started healing rapidly¡ªprobably because they had an agreement. She even felt that she was stronger than before. ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± Elder Shu Yu heaved a sigh of relief. As long as he is fine, everything else will be easy to talk about. ¡°You¡­¡± His gaze then landed on Tuan Zi. After a moment of hesitation, he carefully said, ¡°I haven¡¯t congratulated you yet. Your legendary fiend has¡­ broken through.¡± ¡°Thank you, Elder Shu Yu.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly patted Tuan Zi and placed it on her shoulders. Her expression then looked much more serious. ¡°Actually, I have something that I would like to request of you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Um¡­ For today¡¯s incident, could I trouble the elders to temporarily keep it as a secret for me?¡± The two elders glanced at each other. She actually thought of asking this¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is a serious matter. Unless you¡¯re willing to say it on your own, the two of us will definitely not say anything about this,¡± said Elder Shu Yu carefully. Elder Hua Feng hurriedly nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! We definitely won¡¯t say it!¡± What a joke. If we announce this, isn¡¯t it throwing the kid to the wolves? It would be fine if he was a legendary warrior, but it¡¯s a pity he is still a stage-eight warrior. Even though his combat skills are stronger than an average stage-eight warrior, he is still a stage-eight warrior. Under such circumstances, it is better to be more discreet about it. ¡°For Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming, I¡¯ll explain to them slightly later. They definitely won¡¯t doubt you.¡± As Elder Hua Feng talked, he felt that he was speaking nonsense again. Who would suspect that Chu Yue¡¯s fiend broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix? Even if they had ten times their imagination, they wouldn¡¯t be able to think of it. If I wasn¡¯t here and saw everything clearly from the start, my first reaction when hearing about this would definitely be to think that it was a joke. Hearing them say this, Chu Liuyue felt much more at ease. These two elders are rather reliable. Before I¡¯m sufficiently strong, it is better not to reveal such secrets. It¡¯s a pity that I won¡¯t be able to casually summon Tuan Zi out for a period of time. ¡°Thank you, Elder Shu Yu, Elder Hua Feng.¡± Chu Liuyue politely bowed and thanked the duo. Elder Shu Yu glanced at her and then at Tuan Zi. Suddenly he asked, ¡°Why¡­ did your red-tailed phoenix suddenly break through?¡± Chapter 1319 - Interrogation Red-tailed phoenixes did have the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s bloodline power, but it wasn¡¯t that easy to cross the barrier. Elder Shu Yu had seen quite a few red-tailed phoenixes after all these years, so he was especially curious when he met with such situations. ¡°It had some fateful encounter, right?¡± Elder Shu Yu crossed his arms and gently knocked his fingers against the elbow. ¡°After all, even if it has intense bloodline power, you need to spend a great amount of effort to activate it.¡± And this was definitely not something a stage-eight warrior cultivator could do. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. At that moment, she felt that she could be seen right through. Elder Shu Yu had indeed guarded Fiend Park for many years. He was very experienced and knew these things very well. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have asked such a question. ¡°Yeah! Chu Yue, your fiend¡¯s experience should be quite extraordinary, right? Or did it have some fateful encounter?¡± Elder Hua Feng intervened and asked. After experiencing much with Chu Liuyue, he felt that even her fiend was like the chosen one and was very lucky. Chu Liuyue paused, and her lips curled up into a smile. ¡°I managed to make an agreement with Tuan Zi quite long ago by chance. From what I know, it doesn¡¯t have any shocking origins, and it¡¯s just an ordinary red-tailed phoenix. As for why it will break through this time¡­¡± She blinked and looked rather helpless. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either, but it has been hibernating during this period of time, and I couldn¡¯t wake it up no matter what. It suddenly woke up today, and I felt that something was amiss, so I hurriedly brought it here.¡± Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M Elder Shu Yu fell into deep thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s it, I think. Why it would hibernate is probably because it was activating its bloodline power. Then, it only exploded today to break through directly. Your luck is really one of a kind!¡± This caused people to be unable to be envious of her. The heavens were originally unfair. Some people would achieve nothing after working extremely hard, but others could always have a suitable encounter at the right time. Of course, Elder Shu Yu felt that it wasn¡¯t completely based on luck that Chu Yue had everything he had today. If another person had experienced the dangers he went through, they would¡¯ve been impacted until their bodies were breaking. They might not even be alive. It is also a type of capability to grab this opportunity. Chu Liuyue smiled. When Elder Hua Feng saw her pale expression, his heart ached slightly. ¡°Okay, okay, we can talk again tomorrow. Chu Yue, you have suffered quite a bit today. Follow me back and recover first.¡± Look at this small body. This better not have any lingering effects. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ Elder Hua Feng personally sent Chu Liuyue back to Jiuheng Peak. After confirming that she was indeed fine, he instructed her a while longer and told her not to worry before he left. As stated in his previous promise, he didn¡¯t ask further. After watching Elder Hua Feng leave, Chu Liuyue then returned to the room as deep thoughts flashed across her mind. The two elders said that they would help me keep it a secret, and I have no doubts about that. In their hearts, they definitely have suspicions and curiosity about me. After going back, they can definitely think of many illogical aspects if they just think about it in detail¡ªsuch as why I would first go to Fiend Park when I was in trouble. Another example would be why I could summon so many fiends when I met with danger. Let¡¯s not even mention Tuan Zi¡¯s sudden breakthrough. They temporarily can¡¯t see through anything today, but there aren¡¯t permanent secrets in the world. Nobody can guarantee that the incident of Tuan Zi using Million Wine Mountain¡¯s lightning bolts to break through and become a red-gold heavenly phoenix won¡¯t be exposed one day. I can temporarily use some vague answers to make my way through these questions, but¡­ in the future? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t feel that she could continue hiding this, but she really had no choice but to bring Tuan Zi to Fiend Park. At that time, under such circumstances, she needed the other legendary fiends¡¯ help to resolve the crisis. The later results also proved that if she only depended on the legendary three-eyed eagle for help, she might not be able to make it through. This was the best result. Chu Liuyue shook her head and suppressed her messy thoughts. She then changed out of her dirty clothes and had a warm bath for once, even placing some herbs in the water to heal her wounds. After an hour, she finally tidied up and changed into clean and comfortable clothes. Only then did she feel like she had lived. Luckily, her wounds weren¡¯t very serious. Chu Liuyue used some herbs on her own and would recover in a while. When she came out, Tuan Zi¡ªwho had waited for so long¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but pounce over. But this time, Chu Liuyue directly raised her hands and grabbed it. She grabbed Tuan Zi¡¯s wings and picked the fiend up. The human and the fiend stared at each other. Chu Liuyue raised her brows and smiled. ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± This smile unknowingly sent a chill down Tuan Zi¡¯s spine, and it suddenly had the urge to escape. It was a pity Chu Liuyue grabbed its wings, and it couldn¡¯t even move. Hence, it could only stare at Chu Liuyue wilfully. ¡°Tuan Zi, I have a few things I want to ask you about. You must answer me honestly, okay?¡± Tuan Zi blinked and forcefully nodded. Chu Liuyue was rather satisfied with its attitude, so she directly asked, ¡°How much of the past do you remember?¡± Tuan Zi was dazed. Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning and reminded, ¡°Note, when I say ¡®past,¡¯ I¡¯m talking about when I came to the God Residence Realm the previous time. If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, you came with me back then, right?¡± Chapter 1320 - : Open Day The room instantly became quiet. Tuan Zi guiltily averted its gaze. Chu Liuyue pinched its small head and turned it back. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you miss me very much? Don¡¯t you want to talk to me and reminisce about the past?¡± Coincidentally, Tuan Zi could directly open its mouth and speak in the future after breaking through, so it saved quite a bit of trouble. Tuan Zi turned its head to another side. This time, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about it anymore. Instead, she directly let go, turned around, and walked to the bedroom. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to say it now, then we won¡¯t. It won¡¯t be too late to talk about it when you want to.¡± Then, she directly walked into the room and climbed onto the bed, planning to rest. Tuan Zi¡ªwho was abandoned¡ªwas dazed. It hurriedly looked at Chu Liuyue nervously but saw that she had already laid down as if she were going to sleep directly. The candlelights were extinguished, and the room darkened. Only the faint moonlight seeped in like water, drawing the outline of the room. Tuan Zi stood rooted to the spot for a while and seemed very conflicted. Its claw was about to step out, but it rapidly took it back again. Please Keep reading 0n MYB0XN0VEL(.)C0M The fiend went back and forth a few times, and it felt extremely tortured. After much conflict, it finally made up its mind and flew toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°A¡¯Yue.¡± Tuan Zi rested by Chu Liuyue¡¯s pillow and carefully called out to her. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at it. ¡°You want to talk now?¡± Struggle flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes. In the end, it nodded its small head in embarrassment. Chu Liuyue sat up. ¡°Let¡¯s start then.¡± ¡­ After settling Chu Liuyue, Elder Hua Feng then returned to his own residence and discovered that Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng were still waiting for him. ¡°Mentor!¡± ¡°Elder Hua Feng!¡± Seeing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s familiar figure, the duo¡ªwho were anxious from waiting¡ªcalled out in surprise. Zhuo Sheng was even faster, and he just rushed over. ¡°Elder, you¡¯re finally back! Is Chu Yue okay now? Are the both of you fine?!¡± The series of questions exploded in front of Elder Hua Feng and even caused his head to hurt faintly. But thinking that the two of them were kind-hearted, he couldn¡¯t bear to rage and patiently said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That kid is doing fine!¡± Even though he is slightly injured, he obtained a red-gold heavenly phoenix! If this isn¡¯t counted as ¡®fine,¡¯ then nobody in the world is doing fine. Seeing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s reaction, Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming finally relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! Elder, rest first then. We¡¯ll go check on Chu Yue!¡± said Zhuo Sheng and was about to drag Luo Yanming away. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Elder Hua Feng called the two of them. Meeting the duo¡¯s confused gazes, Elder Hua Feng coughed. ¡°It¡¯s already so late, and he should¡¯ve gone to sleep after he went back. It¡¯s not appropriate for you two to go over now.¡± The two of them thought about it and agreed. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go again tomorrow,¡± said Luo Yanming to Zhuo Sheng. Zhuo Sheng nodded. Elder Hua Feng then relaxed. By tomorrow, everything should¡¯ve returned to normal. ¡°That¡¯s good too. Oh right, there¡¯s something. Try not to tell other people about what happened today. Chu Yue¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng hesitated for a moment. ¡°Recently, there have been enough rumors about him in the academy, so there¡¯s no need to add one more. Give him some time to quietly cultivate and recuperate.¡± The duo didn¡¯t doubt anything else and agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ The next day, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes when the sky just started to turn bright. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, and there was a faint patch of black below her eyes. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t slept well the entire night. She turned around to take a look and saw Tuan Zi nestled by her side. Hearing the movement, Tuan Zi immediately woke up. When the fiend met Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, it blinked in confusion. Then, it leaned over and rubbed against her cheek. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart instantly became soft, and she gently rubbed Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s time to go out.¡± Tuan Zi glanced at it. ¡°A¡¯Yue, you¡¯re not angry at me, right?¡± Chu Liuyue paused, smiled, and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about? Didn¡¯t you already tell me what you know?¡± Tuan Zi looked down and touched her palm. Two familiar voices were suddenly heard from outside. Chu Liuyue stood up and carried Tuan Zi up. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve just broken through and should rest properly. During this period of time, you can¡¯t come out, okay?¡± Tuan Zi nodded, and its figure instantly disappeared. Chu Liuyue then walked outside. ¡­ The people visiting here were still Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng. Even though Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really sleep the entire night, her wounds had pretty much healed. So at first glance, other than people thinking that she didn¡¯t sleep well, she did not look like she had other problems. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s current state, the duo felt more at ease. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. Yesterday was really¡ª¡± Zhuo Sheng had spoken halfway when he suddenly recalled that he shouldn¡¯t talk about this incident anymore, so he hurriedly kept quiet. Luo Yanming silently changed the topic. ¡°Oh right. Chu Yue, today is the academy¡¯s open day. Do you want to go out and tour around?¡± The so-called open day was actually a holiday that Ling Xiao Academy had once every three months. It usually lasted for three days. Within these three days, the students could leave the academy, and the elders wouldn¡¯t ask further. Many students would take this chance to go out and relax. Some who lived nearer could make a trip home, while the remaining ones would tour around Fangzhou City. Zhuo Sheng immediately became interested. ¡°Right! We¡¯ve come to the academy for so long, but we haven¡¯t gone out yet! Chu Yue, let¡¯s go together!¡± Chapter 1321 - Totem Fangzhou City was beside Ling Xiao Academy, and it gathered the countless cultivators that wanted to enter the academy. For many people, Fangzhou City was the transit stop for Ling Xiao Academy. In actual fact, it was far beyond this. As it wasn¡¯t under the jurisdiction of any authorities, Fangzhou City gathered people from all walks of life. But as they were fearful of Ling Xiao Academy, everyone was more polite and honest in the city. But if one stayed in Fangzhou City for a long time and understood it better, they would realize that the amazement this place brought was far beyond one¡¯s imagination. Even for Ling Xiao Academy students, Fangzhou City was also a place filled with temptations. Some students would frequently enter the city. Some would buy things, while others would duel with other people or just do whatever they wanted. They had a lot of freedom, and with the academy elders around, many students from Ling Xiao Academy liked to go to Fangzhou City. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to reject them, but seeing that they had invited her enthusiastically, she didn¡¯t have the heart to reject them. Thus, she nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Too many things have happened during this period of time, so I can also relax my mind and improve my mood. After some discussion, the trio immediately took action and went straight for the barrier. ¡­ On the way there, Chu Liuyue saw that quite a few people were heading in the same direction as them. They clearly wanted to go out too. This showed just how precious these three days were to the students. Inside the academy, many people were under extreme stress, and they would inevitably be tired after a long time. As they only had these three days to go out and tour around leisurely, everyone would definitely be very willing to do so. Reaching the academy¡¯s entrance, Chu Liuyue saw two elders guarding it at first glance. The students who wanted to go out had also formed a queue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of three obediently stood at the end of the queue. Luckily, the elders were very efficient. The students only had to produce their black jade plaques and place them on the barrier; then, the elders would rapidly react, opening the barrier for them. Very quickly, it was the turn of Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of three. Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng both successfully passed through it one after another, and now, it was Chu Liuyue¡¯s turn. ¡°Chu Yue?¡± The two elders looked up and recognized Chu Yue at the same time. Then, they rapidly became alert as they walked forward and blocked Chu Liuyue¡¯s path at the same time. ¡°What do you want to do?!¡± Seeing the two elders¡¯ exaggerated formation, Chu Liuyue sweated a little and immediately took out her black jade plaque. ¡°Elders, don¡¯t misunderstand. I just want to shop around this time. I didn¡¯t think of doing anything else.¡± As she spoke, she passed the black jade plaque over. The two elders exchanged a glance suspiciously. One of them took the black jade plaque and placed it on the barrier. A ray of light then flashed across the barrier and quickly disappeared. It seems like it really is so¡­ The two elders then felt slightly more at ease. They sized Chu Liuyue up a few times before letting her in. ¡°Go over then!¡± Chu Liuyue could then step through the barrier and meet with the two people in front. ¡°Hahaha! Chu Yue, even the elders are scared of you now!¡± Zhuo Sheng laughed out loud mercilessly. ¡°Who asked you to cause all that trouble previously!? Now you know what you¡¯ve done, right? You can¡¯t even leave through the academy¡¯s entrance now!¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her nose. According to my frequency of causing trouble, it seems rather normal for the elders to guard against me. ¡°It¡¯s rare that we get to come out. Let¡¯s not waste any time here.¡± Chu Liuyue looked forward. She could vaguely see a city lake, which was traditional and magnificent. It looked very lively. It was Fangzhou City! ¡°Go!¡± ¡­ This was Chu Liuyue¡¯s second time in Fangzhou City. The last time she had been here was quite a few months ago, and she was preparing to enroll in Ling Xiao Academy at that time. She didn¡¯t expect such a long time to have passed since then. Walking on the bustling streets, Chu Liuyue suddenly had the hallucination of being isolated from the world. During this period of time, she basically stayed inside the academy and was close to forgetting what the outside world looked like. With one glance, she could see many young cultivators. It seemed like most of them were preparing to enter Ling Xiao Academy. Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of three walked on the streets and attracted quite a few people¡¯s gazes. Even though they came out in a hurry and were dressed casually, their auras were there, and they attracted many people¡¯s attention. Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng were truly from a top-tier aristocratic family, and their every move had the aura of a well-established family. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ Although her appearance could only be considered decent, she was clean and pure. Standing beside the two of them, she wasn¡¯t overshadowed at all. It was quite normal for the three of them to attract these gazes when they took action. But luckily, the three of them didn¡¯t really care much about this as they pretended that they couldn¡¯t see it and went their own way. There were quite a few vendors that had set up their own stalls on both sides of the street. Some sold herbs, some sold Xuan formations, and others sold legendary weapons. Even though most of them didn¡¯t catch the trio¡¯s eyes, there were still quite a few interesting items. The group of three walked for about an hour on the long street before they reached the end. ¡°Actually, the items placed here can only be considered average in Fangzhou City. If we really want to get something nice, we should go to another street!¡± Zhuo Sheng raised his chin. ¡°Do you want to go?¡± Chu Liuyue saw his expectant look and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Why do you seem like you know this place very well? You came here before?¡± ¡°Nope! But I asked the senior brothers and senior sisters for quite a bit of advice in this area, so I know a little here and there. If I¡¯m like the two of you and came out without knowing anything, won¡¯t I miss out on a lot of good items?¡± Zhuo Sheng looked delighted. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Today, I¡¯ll bring you around Fangzhou City!¡± Chu Liuyue and Luo Yanming knew that their friend was elated after leaving the academy. They laughed and agreed to follow him. ¡°Then, it¡¯s a deal. When we get there, you have to treat us to a meal if there¡¯s nothing we like.¡± Luo Yanming made a bet. ¡°Hehe! No problem!¡± Zhuo Sheng agreed excitedly. Chu Liuyue followed him from behind and couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake her head. Suddenly, her gaze focused, and her feet were nailed to the ground as she stared at something in the stall beside her. ¡°Hm? Chu Yue, why are you not leaving?¡± The two of them took a few steps forward and realized that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t follow them, so they walked back. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak and directly walked over, picking up a wooden plaque from the ground. On the wooden plaque, a familiar totem was engraved on it! Chapter 1322 - Attract Perhaps it had been too long, so this totem was quite damaged. If one didn¡¯t look closely, they would just think that it was a few simple lines, and they wouldn¡¯t expect it to be a certain totem. It was also because Chu Liuyue was so familiar with this totem that she could recognize it immediately. Chu Liuyue stared at the vendor behind the stall closely. It was a man in his thirties wearing a washed-out gray sweater. He had a muscular build and stubble on his chin. He seemed like a normal vendor in Fangzhou City. ¡°How much is this?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. That man glanced at her hand and broke into a smile. ¡°Young Master, you really have good eyesight! This item is a rare sea-buckthorn wood¡ªit¡¯s a superior herb! If you bring it along with you, it can calm your nerves and boost your spirits! It¡¯s very useful for cultivation! If you really want it¡­ This price!¡± He showed three fingers. Chu Liuyue touched the wooden plaque. ¡°Even though sea-buckthorn wood is good, it can¡¯t be considered any top or precious treasure. The price you¡¯re asking for is too much, right? Where did you get this item from?¡± When the vendor heard it, he chuckled. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not expensive, isn¡¯t it a treasure since you took a fancy to it? As for where this thing came from¡­ Heh, I don¡¯t remember! Look, I have so many items. How can I remember where each and every one of them came from? If you genuinely want it, I¡¯ll give you a discount. How about that?¡± ¡°Do you really think we¡¯re fools? This item isn¡¯t even worth half the price you mentioned!¡± At the side, Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t help but walk over and laugh in contempt. ¡°Chu Yue, if you want this sea-buckthorn wood, the aca¡ªwe have a lot of it back home. Why must you waste the money?¡± What does Ling Xiao Academy not have? I really don¡¯t understand why Chu Yue is interested in this item. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see something I like. It¡¯s not too bad to buy it and play with it.¡± Then, she said to the vendor, ¡°I¡¯ll have it at half the price.¡± Once the vendor heard it, he immediately looked elated. ¡°Okay! Young Master, you¡¯re really generous!¡± Zhuo Sheng wanted to convince her further, but seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was already made, he could only let her be. Chu Liuyue took out a money pouch and passed it over. That vendor took it happily. ¡°Young Master, if you like anything else, just take your pick!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No need. I just want this.¡± Then, she looked at Zhuo Sheng. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to bring us to an even more crowded place? Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s right over there!¡± Then, Zhuo Sheng walked forward first. Chu Liuyue and Luo Yanming followed him closely. The trio¡¯s figures quickly disappeared around the corner. ¡­ ¡°Chu Yue, isn¡¯t that a wooden plaque made with sea-buckthorn wood? What¡¯s so good about it? I think that you have too much money and nowhere to spend it!¡± On the way, Zhuo Sheng was still thinking about Chu Liuyue buying the wooden plaque. As a Ling Xiao Academy student, especially a heavenly doctor like Chu Yue, what good things has he not seen? He came to Fangzhou City and actually bought that item. If word gets out, he will definitely be a laughingstock. Luo Yanming smiled faintly and said, ¡°Zhuo Sheng, if he wants to buy it, let him do it. He didn¡¯t spend your money, so why are you thinking so much?¡± ¡°Am I not just¡ªhey, Chu Yue, why aren¡¯t you walking?¡± Zhuo Sheng was still talking when he saw that Chu Liuyue suddenly stood still. She was sizing up the wooden plaque in her hands before she turned around and walked back. Her two friends were dazed and thought that she was angry, so they hurriedly chased after her. ¡°Hey! Chu Yue, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhuo Sheng scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Did I talk too much and make you upset?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No, I just realized that the wooden plaque seems to be fake. You guys can go shop around; I¡¯ll find that person and ask for a refund. I¡¯ll meet with you in a while.¡± ¡°Fake?¡± Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming were rather shocked, but seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s genuine expression, they believed their friend. ¡°He actually sold fake goods! We must teach him a lesson! We¡¯re brothers; we¡¯ll go with you!¡± As Zhuo Sheng spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and looked like he was about to start a fight. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t hold in her laughter and glanced at him. ¡°I think it¡¯s better if the two of you don¡¯t go. If not, what should we do if the matter is made big? Don¡¯t forget that this is Fangzhou City. If anything happens, the academy will find out instantly.¡± Zhuo Sheng curtly put his sleeves back down. ¡°Then, can you do it alone?¡± What if they don¡¯t want to admit it? Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°If I really can¡¯t handle it, there are still the academy elders in Fangzhou City guarding us.¡± If something happened to the students, they would appear instantly. ¡°Therefore, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming glanced at each other and could only agree. ¡°Okay then.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue went back the way she came on her own and quickly returned to the street she was previously at. She didn¡¯t go forward and just stood at a corner as she glanced at the street. That vendor had already disappeared without a trace. There is something wrong! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. She had left a special marking on her coin pouch. As long as the other party was within a 30-yard radius, she would be able to detect his tracks. She turned the Cosmic Ring on her hand, surveyed her surroundings, and rushed in a certain direction. ¡­ All the streets in Fangzhou City were very crowded. Chu Liuyue journeyed through them and looked normal, no different from the others. But in actual fact, she had been keeping a certain distance from the other party. After walking down three streets, Chu Liuyue finally realized that something was amiss. The other party¡¯s direction¡­ He seems to be planning to leave the city! She paused in her tracks. The other party is either planning to leave directly or¡­ purposely attracting me out of the city! Inside Fangzhou City were quite a few Ling Xiao Academy elders and students, so it wasn¡¯t very convenient. Once they were out of the city, it would be much easier to do things. Chu Liuyue clutched the wooden plaque in her hands tightly, and she could clearly feel the totem engraved on its surface. She only hesitated for a moment before she followed him! Very quickly, she arrived at the city gate. There was nobody standing guard here, so many people were coming in and out. Chu Liuyue took a look and didn¡¯t see that vendor¡¯s figure. This meant that he had already gone out! Chu Liuyue put away the wooden plaque and walked toward the city gate. When Chu Liuyue passed through the barrier near the city gate, she even purposely controlled her strength. Her dantian was quiet. She then heaved a sigh of relief and looked forward. Outside Fangzhou City was an endless deserted space. The sky was dark as if it were about to rain. A blurred area connected the sky and ground, and one couldn¡¯t see it clearly. In the deserted land, people came and went. But there were much fewer people compared to the city. Chu Liuyue looked over and finally saw a familiar figure¡ªit was the previous vendor! She took a deep breath in and rapidly chased him. The further one was from Fangzhou City, the fewer people there were. Gradually, there was nobody else in the surroundings. ¡°You purposely brought me out. Can we have a good talk now?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke clearly. Chapter 1323 - Old Grudge and New Hate That man stood still and turned around. ¡°You¡¯re still as smart as usual.¡± At this point, the kind and flattering smile from before had disappeared, and it was replaced with a faint smile that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. His voice became lower and much hoarser. He was gloomy in an uneasy manner. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that his voice was rather familiar, as if she had heard it before. She knitted her brows slightly and stared at the other party closely. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve met before.¡± I¡¯m currently wearing a mask, and the other party might be doing so as well. ¡°You dare to follow me out directly. It seems like you¡¯re rather confident in your abilities.¡± That man laughed, but there was no smiling intent in his eyes. His eyes were ice-cold as he stared at Chu Liuyue. It was as if he were looking at meat on the chopping board. It was as if victory was in his hands. Chu Liuyue became alert, and an idea suddenly popped up in her head. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the person from Black Demon Hole!¡± She had only heard such a dark and sinister voice from one person¡ªthe soul that lived in Shangguan Wan¡¯s body back then! On the day of Shangguan Wan¡¯s wedding, Chu Liuyue wanted to kill him, but he escaped in the end. The key was that he seemed to be eyeing the water droplet in her body all along! ¡°Sh¡­¡± The man opposite her suddenly stuck his thumb out and laughed sinisterly. ¡°That¡¯s not right. Although the wooden plaque is engraved with Black Demon Hole¡¯s totem¡­ To be more accurate, I¡¯m no longer from there, so you don¡¯t have to associate me with them.¡± ¡°You should know very clearly why I¡¯m here today.¡± As that man spoke, he raised his hand with his palm facing upward¡ªas if he were tempting her¡ªand commanded her, ¡°Give me that item.¡± ¡­ ¡°Pfft.¡± After a temporary silence, Chu Liuyue mercilessly chuckled. She seemed to completely ignore the threat in the other party¡¯s words. She raised her brows slightly and stared at him in a seemingly smiling manner as if she were watching some sort of joke. ¡°I have to give it just because you want it? Nobody in the world has such a right with me. You think too highly of yourself.¡± Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s sarcasm, that man wasn¡¯t angry. ¡°What a pity¡­ Originally, I thought that everyone could be happy. You give me the item, and I spare your life. How wonderful¡­ It¡¯s a pity you don¡¯t seem to cherish your life very much.¡± Once he said that, a dark-green ball of fire suddenly appeared in his palms! At the same time, his surrounding aura crazily strengthened! ¡°You really never go away¡­¡± said Chu Liuyue coldly. Previously, I always regretted that I couldn¡¯t stop and kill him in the Tianling Dynasty. I didn¡¯t expect him to send himself to me today. This has saved me quite a bit of trouble. The force in her body rapidly circulated and surged toward her hands! A brilliant light appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm! At this point, the man suddenly pressed his hand down! Instantly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s water droplet suddenly started turning crazily, and it even had the signs of struggling free and rushing out! Chu Liuyue forcefully suppressed it as she guided the holy force out and inserted it into her palms! Very quickly, dark clouds in the sky gathered in this area, and the winds howled. The Heaven and Earth Force kept rushing toward Chu Liuyue continuously! The wind blew her long hair, and her sleeves floated with the wind. However, that man seemed to look down on Chu Liuyue as he laughed lightly with a face filled with contempt. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± He closed his eyes, and the surrounding space started freezing inch by inch. He was a true legendary warrior! Very quickly, with the duo in the center, the surrounding large space was controlled by this man! Chu Liuyue¡¯s force started circulating in her body at a slower rate, and her movements became slower as well. However, she still took action with much difficulty. ¡°Jingshen Fist!¡± Chu Liuyue sent a punch flying out! A fist figure that shone with a brilliant light instantly pressed forward! Wherever it went, the air shattered! Very quickly, a large black crack in space appeared! Chu Liuyue had already broken through to become a stage-eight warrior. Together with the holy force within this fist, its suppression wasn¡¯t to be underestimated! She previously couldn¡¯t retaliate when facing the other party¡¯s attacks, but after a mere half a year, Chu Liuyue could already take him on! ¡°What?!¡± This scene clearly caused that man to be taken aback. I have already unleashed my God Realm. Logically speaking, Chu Liuyue should be unable to retaliate. The strength that can smash the God Realm¡­ naturally has to be a holy force! He previously did expect Chu Liuyue to improve after entering Ling Xiao Academy, but he didn¡¯t expect her to reach such a shocking stage! The Jingshen Fist seemed to have entered no man¡¯s land as it went straight for that person¡¯s face! At this point, that man finally realized that he had underestimated Chu Liuyue. The next moment, his expression turned cold as he rushed toward Chu Liuyue! But the Jingshen Fist had already detected his movement and immediately changed its direction! ¡°F*ck!¡± That man exploded with vulgarities and increased his speed once again. However, the Jingshen Fist¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t reduced at all¡ªhe couldn¡¯t shake it off. The man never thought that it would take so much effort to deal with a stage-eight warrior! This was clearly his own God Realm, but he was being chased around and beaten up! Finally, he chose to face it head-on! A dark-green fire rapidly gathered and later smashed against that fist harshly! Rumble! At that moment, the violent force exploded from within and spread toward the surroundings crazily! That man¡¯s God Realm felt the impact and actually started to break slowly! The suppression around Chu Liuyue was reduced. Without hesitation, she immediately summoned the Chi Xiao Sword! She then swung it down! Chapter 1324 - Flood-Desert Northern Region A ray of sword light cut through the air! The harsh sword aura was swift and decisive as it went straight for that man¡¯s skull! The Chi Xiao Sword was a rare supreme Yuan instrument in the world. It had an extremely good advantage¡ªit could rapidly form its force and give the other party a fatal blow! When Chu Liuyue executed the Jingshen Fist, she needed some time to prepare and use it. However, she didn¡¯t need to do this at all when she used the Chi Xiao Sword! The sword moved wherever she wanted, and it slew things right ahead! In just one moment, the Chi Xiao Sword could gather shocking force and easily slash forward! It was even more so at this point! ¡°Supreme Yuan instrument?!¡± That man moved a few steps back due to the impact of the violent force. Before he could even stand stably, he felt an even harsher aura coming toward him! He looked up, and shock flashed across his eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were filled with intense murderous intent. Other than some elders in the academy, almost nobody knew that she had the supreme Yuan instrument. Due to various reasons, the academy elders wouldn¡¯t tell the public about this, but others might. Chu Liuyue knew too clearly what the news of her having a supreme Yuan instrument would attract. Hence¡­ This man has to die today! Thinking of this, she went on her toes, flew forward, and struck a second time! ¡­ Inside Fangzhou City. After Chu Liuyue left, Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming went to a relatively nearby restaurant, wanting to wait for her to come back before they toured around together. But after much waiting, as the duo¡¯s teas became cold and were changed, Chu Liuyue still hadn¡¯t come back. ¡°It won¡¯t take that long to return that item, right?¡± Zhuo Sheng looked down from the window on the second floor. There were many people walking on the streets, and it was bustling, but they didn¡¯t see that familiar figure. ¡°Could it be that the person refused to return the item, and the two of them quarreled?¡± Luo Yanming thought about it and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. That wooden plaque isn¡¯t something important, so there¡¯s no reason to argue over this. The man is originally in the wrong for selling fake goods. If a commotion is made, he won¡¯t be able to do his business.¡± Zhuo Sheng thought about it and agreed. Fangzhou City had a unique location. Normally, nobody would dare to cause trouble here, so she would come back in a while. The two of them waited for a while again, but nobody came. ¡°No, we should just go and look!¡± Then, the two of them hurriedly returned to the previous street. That vendor had long disappeared and even put away the stall. Chu Liuyue had also disappeared. After searching around, the two of them then realized that something had gone wrong! ¡°What happened? How did the two of them disappear?¡± Zhuo Sheng looked anxious. ¡°The other vendors are clearly still here¡­ That man definitely is amiss! Could it be that he brought Chu Yue away?¡± Luo Yanming thought for a moment. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. Back then, Chu Yue said that the item was fake and that he wanted to return it¡­ But as a heavenly doctor, how could he recognize it wrongly?¡± They previously didn¡¯t think of this, but now that they thought about it, the incident was filled with doubts! Chu Yue seems to have gone back on purpose! ¡°T-then, why didn¡¯t Chu Yue tell us about it?¡± Zhuo Sheng was a little annoyed. ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s afraid of us knowing something?!¡± If there really is danger¡­ With the two of us around, we might be able to help! Now, we don¡¯t even know where he has gone! ¡°Fangzhou City is too big. That man seemed to have come prepared. I¡¯m afraid the two of us alone aren¡¯t enough,¡± said Luo Yanming as he turned and walked in a certain direction. ¡°Hey! Yanming, where are you going?¡± Zhuo Sheng hurriedly followed him. Luo Yanming said calmly, ¡°Going into the city to find the elders on duty. Everything that happens in Fangzhou City is in their control. With their help, we¡¯ll definitely be able to find Chu Yue as soon as possible.¡± ¡­ On the other side, after experiencing a harsh and long journey, the group from the academy had finally arrived at the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Elder Bo Yan looked in front and boomed, ¡°The place in front is the Flood-Desert Northern Region. The environment is very extreme, and it¡¯s really dangerous. Everyone, you must be well-prepared!¡± Behind him, the students answered in unison, ¡°Yes!¡± Many of the elders had stern expressions. Being influenced by them, the entire atmosphere was rather suppressed. But even so, quite a few students still couldn¡¯t contain the excitement and curiosity in their eyes. Perhaps they were young and knew no fear. Anyway, they all clearly had desires to become stronger and hoped that they could improve their skills through this experience. They even wished to have some fateful encounter and rise all the way up! The surroundings fell silent once again. But underneath this seemingly peaceful surface, there were secret waves crashing. Everyone set up a barrier around themselves, and some even directly held Yuan instruments in their hands as if they were ready for battle at any time. Elder Bo Yan exchanged glances with the other elders and nodded. ¡°Activate!¡± With his command, the elders raised their hands together! An extremely complicated Xuan formation suddenly appeared in the dark front! Everyone was stunned. That was the transportation formation¡¯s exit! As long as they exited from there, it would be the legendary Flood-Desert Northern Region! Very quickly, with all the elders¡¯ hard work, a crack appeared in the middle of the Xuan formation. A ray of bright light shot out from within! Elder Bo Yan squinted his eyes and increased his strength. The Xuan formation was totally split into two portions as they faded away toward their own sides, and the transportation formation¡¯s exit finally opened slowly! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Elder Bo Yan moved and rushed out first! The dozen-plus elders followed him closely behind! Everyone started moving out slowly. Elder Bo Yan was the first to come out. With his feet on hard ground, he finally felt a sense of stability. Elder Bo Yan looked up and looked forward. It was a vast snow land. The sky was pencil-gray and dark as large snowflakes fell. Other than this, there was nothing else in sight. This¡­ Elder Bo Yan was slightly dazed. ¡°This is the Flood-Desert Northern Region?¡± Behind him, Elder Wen Xi came over and was also taken aback when he saw this scene. It was all their first time here. Although they had heard quite a few rumors about it before, they still felt rather stunned when they saw it personally. Behind, more and more people came out of the transportation formation. ¡°Will that thing really descend here?¡± Elder Wen Xi couldn¡¯t help but mutter. Suddenly, his gaze focused as he pointed to the front. ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Chapter 1325 - Self-Cut Arm! The cold winds howled harshly and picked up the scarce snow. The sky and earth were white. Far away, something suddenly dug out from the flat snowy ground¡ªit was a fiend around the size of an adult¡¯s fist. It looked like a fox, but its ears and nose didn¡¯t look like those of a fox, especially with its protruding mouth. It revealed two especially sharp teeth, causing it to look extra ferocious. As it was totally white and only its face was grayish brown, it was very easy for it to camouflage in this snowy land. ¡°That¡¯s a ninth-grade gray-faced fox. Although it¡¯s very small, it¡¯s agile and cunning. It regularly swallows other souls¡¯ skeletons to survive, so many people hate it. I didn¡¯t expect this to be the first fiend we would meet after coming to the Flood-Desert Northern Region,¡± explained Elder Bo Yan. However, Elder Wen Xi didn¡¯t relax at all. He naturally recognized what fiend it was, and that was exactly why he was especially shocked. ¡°This place is icy cold and filled with snow. It¡¯s deserted, and there¡¯s nobody here. How¡­ did it survive here?¡± Elder Bo Yan was dazed and then knitted his brows. This is true. Gray-faced foxes aren¡¯t fiends that like cold places, so there is no reason for it to be here. And this one looks like¡­ it is in decent spirits. As if detecting their gazes, the gray-faced fox looked over and then rapidly dug into the pile of snow. The snow flew everywhere, and the fiend quickly disappeared without a trace. From the outside, other than a hole appearing in the middle of a pile of snow, everything else looked the same. Elder Bo Yan and Elder Wen Xi exchanged glances and saw the uneasiness in each other¡¯s eyes. This gray-faced fox is so agile and energetic. It doesn¡¯t look like it is being tortured or like it has suffered at all. Clearly, it has had a good time here. Then¡­ Doesn¡¯t this mean that there is a lot of food that they can ¡®enjoy¡¯ here? The ground was covered with thick snow. With one foot down, it would go up to one¡¯s thighs. Nobody knew what was hidden beneath the snow layer. Elder Bo Yan faintly felt uneasy. ¡°Bo Yan, our people are all out. Where should we go next?¡± another elder walked over and asked. Elder Bo Yan turned around to take a look. The remaining students and elders were indeed all out. He thought for a while and said, ¡°We¡¯re all here in the Flood-Desert Northern Region now, but this place is huge. Nobody knows where the Heavenly Square Cauldron will descend, so for the next few days, everyone must be separated. Two elders will be in a team, and they will be in charge of looking after 60 students. But there¡¯s one point: Everyone must stay in contact at all times. Once there are any problems, you must retreat immediately. Your life is the top priority, do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Elder Bo Yan waved his hands. ¡°Go!¡± ¡­ At this moment, at Red Valley Beach outside the Flood-Desert Northern Region, countless cultivators had come here. The people who came were all from top-tier aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm. They were very ambitious, and they all wanted to fight for the Heavenly Square Cauldron that was about to descend! The Flood-Desert Northern Region¡ªwhich was sunken for a few thousands of years¡ªsilently became crowded. The fight was about to begin! ¡­ Outside Fangzhou City. The intense battle finally stopped! A muscular man lay on the floor, and the clothes in front of his chest were already dyed red by blood. The bright longsword pierced through his chest and nailed him to the ground directly. He breathed heavily and struggled to get up, but it was to no avail. His face rapidly turned white, and his breathing was weak. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± He opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t say anything as he stared at the figure not far away from him with eyes filled with anger and vengeance. The ground below was quickly covered by fresh blood, and he looked miserable. Chu Liuyue stared at him coldly and slowly walked over. She stepped on that man¡¯s chest, suppressing it and causing quite a lot of blood to ooze out. At the same time, a hand held the sword hilt and turned slowly. She held the Chi Xiao Sword that was as light as a feather, but to other people, it weighed a ton. She turned it lightly and almost minced all of that man¡¯s muscles, blood, and bones. ¡°Ah!!!¡± That man¡¯s expression changed, and he let out a cry at the top of his lungs. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and seemed to be very satisfied with his reaction. Back then, Shangguan Wan collaborated with Jiang Yucheng to harm me, and this person had instigated them a lot from behind. Therefore this is also taking revenge for back then. Chu Liuyue tilted her head. After admiring his painful struggle, she slowly asked, ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t quite understand. We have no grudges at all, and I don¡¯t even know who you are at this point in time. But why does it seem like you have planned on killing me since a very long time ago? Is it because of that thing in my body?¡± As Chu Liuyue talked, she squinted her eyes dangerously. That water droplet only appeared in my body after I was reborn. Back then, there was a period of time I thought that this belonged to the original owner. But if this person has planned this for a long time and wanted to kill me for the water droplet, does this not prove that I already had it when I had yet to be set up in my previous life? However, I don¡¯t have this portion of my memory. Also, if I really had this water droplet back then, why did it stay quiet until I died? Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s question, that man¡¯s painful moans died down. He suddenly laughed in mockery, spat out a mouthful of blood, and refused to answer. Chu Liuyue withdrew the Chi Xiao Sword, and blood flowed everywhere! ¡°Oof!¡± That man knitted his brows in pain. An ice-cold feeling came from his neck¡ªthe cold blade was already stuck to his neck! He had no doubts that Chu Liuyue would kill him at any moment! ¡°Since you think so highly of this item, why don¡¯t¡­ we talk about how much you know about this thing?¡± That man swiftly closed his eyes, clearly not wanting to talk to Chu Liuyue further. Then, a strange pattern appeared on his forehead. Chu Liuyue was shocked and hurriedly moved back! Peng! The body started exploding! There was something that took the chance to escape quickly! It was still the trick from the previous time! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold as she raised her hand and produced a ball of transparent fire! That fire quickly set up a barrier in the surroundings! Crack! The barrier cracked, but at the same time, that aura became much weaker! Chu Liuyue clenched her silver teeth. He escaped last time, but it is impossible this time! A thought surfaced in her mind as a transparent cauldron appeared in her palms. She then lightly pushed her palm, and the Heavenly Square Cauldron rapidly flew out! The quickly escaping soul seemed to be affected by a great suction force as it slowed down at an observable speed. But just when Chu Liuyue thought that the Heavenly Square Cauldron was about to suppress it, she saw that the soul actually started burning for no reason! Her heart sank. The next moment, that soul completely disappeared without a trace! Chapter 1326 - Question Tsing! Chu Liuyue slammed the Chi Xiao Sword into the ground. ¡°He escaped again!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This soul is destroyed. Even if he hasn¡¯t died, he will be greatly affected,¡± Shangguan Jing comforted. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve managed to retaliate once, you have at least taken a bit of revenge.¡± Chu Liuyue calmed herself down, summoned the Heavenly Square Cauldron, paused, and said, ¡°Thank you Ancestor. I understand this as well.¡± In actual fact, it was already very hard for her to win today¡¯s battle. The other party was much stronger than her, but it was a pity that he didn¡¯t have a physical body and could only live in other people¡¯s bodies. This greatly affected his skills. Besides, the thing inside that physical body wasn¡¯t his complete soul. ¡°It seems like this person is very meticulous, and he has tested you multiple times. He does have great patience!¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°But it¡¯s not bad if he keeps doing this. If he comes a few more times, I¡¯ll definitely be able to completely destroy him bit by bit.¡± Shangguan Jing knew that she was frustrated. Whoever met with this incident wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate it either. ¡°Girlie, ignore all of that first. You also used up quite a bit of your energy during your fight just now. It won¡¯t be late if you rest properly and think of another way to solve this when you go back later.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. I have left Fangzhou City for a while. Zhuo Sheng and the others might already be looking for me. Although I had the upper hand just now, I have used up quite a bit of my force. If they see my current state, it would be even harder to explain it. Chu Liuyue put away the Chi Xiao Sword, swallowed two pills, and sat down cross-legged on the spot. After about 15 minutes, she recovered a bit of her strength, and her face didn¡¯t look that pale anymore. After that, she got up, thought of something, and walked to the corpse. She then took out a jade bottle and poured something out. Transparent liquid flowed out and landed on that man. That man¡¯s physical body quickly turned into a puddle of blood water before it rapidly seeped into the ground and disappeared without a trace. Other than messy bloodstains on the ground, nobody could see anything else. And as the floor was a dark-brown color¡­ If one didn¡¯t take a closer look, those bloodstains were rather hard to discover. In the deserted land of the God Residence Realm, all kinds of battles would happen anywhere. This bit of bloodstain wouldn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention. But after some thought, Chu Liuyue still waved her bare hands and burned the remaining bloodstains cleanly. She took out that wooden plaque and was about to crush it when she suddenly stopped in her actions and kept it properly. ¡°Ancestor, you know where Black Demon Hole is, right?¡± Shangguan Jing paused for a moment before giving an affirmative answer. ¡°I know the rough location, but it has been a thousand years. Now that such a long time has passed, I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re still there.¡± ¡°This is simple. We can¡¯t just ask around.¡± Chu Liuyue was nonchalant about it. Now that she was also at the God Residence Realm, it wasn¡¯t that hard to find Black Demon Hole. Shangguan Jing said hesitantly, ¡°Yue¡¯er, it¡¯s fine if you want to go there, but with your current abilities¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. Without absolute confidence, I won¡¯t act rashly. Besides¡­ didn¡¯t that person say that he¡¯s no longer part of Black Demon Hole? Perhaps I might be able to find some clues through other means in the future.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s thought process was clear and that she was calm, Shangguan Jing then relaxed. ¡°As long as you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Chu Liuyue then turned around to leave. ¡­ After a while, Chu Liuyue went back to the city alone as if nothing had happened, walking toward the place she agreed to meet Zhuo Sheng and the rest. Just as she turned around a street corner, she heard a familiar voice coming from the front. ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± She looked over and saw that it was Luo Yanming. ¡°Chu Yue, where did you go just now?¡± Luo Yanming hurriedly rushed over and sized Chu Liuyue up nervously. Chu Liuyue laughed bitterly and helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue looked exhausted, Luo Yanming swallowed his mouthful of words. ¡°Go back with me first. I¡¯ll tell the elders and Zhuo Sheng about the news.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Elders?¡± ¡°Yeah! After we realized you were gone earlier, Zhuo Sheng and I looked around the city to find you for quite some time but couldn¡¯t. We panicked, so we decided to ask the elders for help. Now, they¡¯re looking for you everywhere.¡± Chu Liuyue revealed an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for causing all this trouble. Nobody else knows about this, right?¡± ¡°No. Other than Zhuo Sheng and I, only the two elders on duty currently know about this. Originally, we were still thinking of asking more people to look for you if you hadn¡¯t come back by dark.¡± There were quite a few Ling Xiao Academy students in Fangzhou City. As long as the elders gave a command, they would take action immediately. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great¡­ If I troubled so many people, I would feel even more apologetic. Where are the elders now? I¡¯ll go over and apologize to them personally.¡± Luo Yanming didn¡¯t doubt anything else as he brought Chu Liuyue to find Zhuo Sheng and the rest. ¡­ Luo Yanming initially had a lot of questions, but there were many people coming to and fro, so he didn¡¯t ask much. He just kept looking toward Chu Liuyue from time to time. His eyes had hints of shock, curiosity, intrigue, and confusion. Chu Liuyue could only pretend not to notice it first. Luckily, not long later, they bumped into Zhuo Sheng and the elders who were anxiously looking for her. Seeing Chu Liuyue come back, they were first surprised before they had many questions. The few of them swiftly returned to the house that the elders on duty were staying at. After entering the room, Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t hold himself back and asked first, ¡°Chu Yue, what exactly is going on?¡± Chapter 1327 - Test The people in the room all looked at Chu Liuyue, clearly waiting for her to give them an answer. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Actually, I lied to you earlier. I said the wooden plaque was fake because I actually wanted to look for that person. But after I went back, I realized that he was already gone. I followed him all the way and went out of Fangzhou City.¡± Other than the elders present, Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming were taken aback. ¡°You went out of the city?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Back then, I just thought of chasing him, so I didn¡¯t think too much about it.¡± Meeting the few people¡¯s shocked and doubtful gazes, Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°I already knew him beforehand, and¡­ We had some conflicts between us. After meeting him this time, I wanted to go teach him a lesson, but I felt that this was a private matter and that it wouldn¡¯t be good for me to get you guys involved. Thus, I thought of a reason to lie to you.¡± Zhuo Sheng then looked more normal. So they are old enemies. No wonder Chu Yue cared about him so much. Chu Yue¡¯s explanation does make sense. Though we are his friends, it is normal if he doesn¡¯t want other people to intervene in his private matters. ¡°But Chu Yue, this was too dangerous. If that man was a lot stronger than you, or he had other people hiding around to ambush you, then¡ª¡± Luo Yanming seemed to disapprove of it greatly. ¡°Exactly! You mustn¡¯t do this again in the future! The two of us still thought that something happened¡ª¡± Zhuo Sheng had spoken halfway when he hurriedly stopped himself and almost bit his tongue. ¡°Now that you¡¯re back, what about that guy then?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°We fought one round, and he ran away, so I came back.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue was fine, the few of them believed her words and didn¡¯t ask further. After a few reminders from the elders, they finally decided to let them go back to the academy first. After this incident, Zhuo Sheng and Luo Yanming weren¡¯t in much of a mood to continue staying around, so they agreed with the elders¡¯ suggestion. Chu Liuyue naturally had no opinions. Hence, after resting here for a night, Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of three returned to Ling Xiao Academy the next morning. However, nobody knew about what happened outside the city. Everything passed by calmly. ¡­ After returning to the academy, Chu Liuyue went back to Jiuheng Peak alone. Rong Xiu still hadn¡¯t returned yet. The weird thing was that Dugu Mobao hadn¡¯t shown up either. Looking at the empty room, Chu Liuyue slowly knitted her brows. According to Dugu Mobao¡¯s personality, he definitely won¡¯t sit around and do nothing if he knew about what happened in Fangzhou City. However, he still hasn¡¯t appeared. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he had actually already left Ling Xiao Academy. Thinking of the news about the so-called Heavenly Square Cauldron descending at the Flood-Desert Northern Region, Chu Liuyue vaguely felt that something was about to happen. Hence, after much thought, she still decided to make a trip to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Even though that place was very dangerous, she still had quite a few trump cards and could protect herself. Besides, the real Heavenly Square Cauldron was with her. If something really happened to Elder Bo Yan and the rest¡­ she might be able to help them a little. Of course, she hoped that such a situation would never happen. However, these were just her thoughts. It was actually very difficult for her to actually execute it. This was because none of the elders in the academy would agree to let her go over on her own. Ling Xiao Academy had a transportation formation that directly led to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. But if one wanted to activate this transportation formation, they needed many elders to work together. Just with Chu Liuyue¡¯s current strength alone, it was definitely impossible. Chu Liuyue also didn¡¯t have much hope in secretly going over, especially when there were people standing guard by the side of the transportation formation. After thinking for a long while in the house, Chu Liuyue still couldn¡¯t think of anything useful. Thus, she decided to go to the transportation formation and take a look around. ¡­ This special transportation formation was in the Xuan Master region. Chu Liuyue first went to look for Elder Hua Feng. Seeing Chu Liuyue come over, Elder Hua Feng was very surprised. ¡°Kid, why did you have the time to come over today?¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue and was filled with expectations. ¡°Did you think it through and decide to cultivate as a Xuan Master?¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. It has already been so long, but Elder Hua Feng is still harping on the issue. Suddenly, her heart flickered as she swallowed the words that were about to escape from her mouth. She then smiled brightly and nodded. ¡°Yeah! Didn¡¯t you previously keep saying that you wanted me to come over and take a look? These two days are a holiday for the academy, and everyone has gone out. I had nothing to do, so I thought of coming over to ask for your guidance.¡± This time, Elder Hua Feng was over the moon. ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Of course. If not, why would I come here to look for you? Do you agree?¡± Elder Hua Feng stroked his beard and chuckled. Does this kid finally have a conscience? Or is it because of that red-gold heavenly phoenix¡ªhe wanted to confirm if I had abided by our agreement and kept it a secret? Thinking of this, Elder Hua Feng gave Chu Liuyue a look. ¡°Heh, don¡¯t worry! I will definitely do as I said!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment before she reacted and realized what he was talking about. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I really came here to seek your guidance today. I had a Xuan formation that I couldn¡¯t solve recently, so I was wondering if you would be able to give me some advice.¡± Hearing her say this, Elder Hua Feng instantly felt happier. ¡°Great, great! Since you¡¯re here today, I¡¯ll teach you properly!¡± If I perform well, perhaps this kid might be willing to learn and cultivate with me? Chu Liuyue raised her hand and quickly drew a ninth-grade Xuan formation. ¡°It¡¯s this. Kindly take a look.¡± A ninth-grade Xuan formation was a token to Elder Hua Feng. He very quickly identified a few minor errors in the Xuan formation Chu Liuyue drew, but he still admired Chu Liuyue in his heart. He could draw out a ninth-grade Xuan formation so easily¡­ He¡¯s only sixteen years old! ¡°Chu Yue, it¡¯s really a pity if you don¡¯t become a Xuan Master with your talent!¡± Elder Hua Feng sighed. As if she suddenly thought of something, Chu Liuyue tried to ask, ¡°Elder Hua Feng, I heard that you have been in charge of maintaining the Xuan formation that directly connects the academy and the Flood-Desert Northern Region for the past few years?¡± Chapter 1328 - Im Going Too She looked at Elder Hua Feng sincerely. ¡°That must be because Elder Hua Feng is the most amazing one, right?¡± Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t hide his happiness and stroked his beard. ¡°Hehe, no, no! There are many hidden experts in the academy and countless amazing elders. To be more accurate, one person can¡¯t maintain that Xuan formation alone, so it can only work with a few elders working together. I¡¯m just one of them¡ªit¡¯s not worth a mention!¡± Even though he said this, anyone who saw his overjoyed expression would know that Chu Liuyue had hit the right spot. As this Xuan formation was very special, those in charge of maintaining it had to be very strong and reliable. There were quite a few Xuan Master elders in the entire academy, and one could just imagine how competitive it was. It was normal for Elder Hua Feng to be proud of this. Chu Liuyue revealed a look of admiration. ¡°I heard that the first director personally built it himself back then, and there¡¯s only this one transportation formation in the entire God Residence Realm that directly connects to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. If only I had the chance to see it personally.¡± As she spoke, momentary regret flashed across her face. Elder Hua Feng knew that she was supposed to go initially, but as she fell sick, she didn¡¯t make it. She was young after all, and it was inevitable she would find this a pity. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. Look, it¡¯s been so many years, and this is also the first time that Xuan formation has been activated, right? Many elders who have stayed in the academy for hundreds of years didn¡¯t even get to experience it! Such a chance can¡¯t be controlled. Chu Yue, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± As Elder Hua Feng spoke, he gave Chu Liuyue a look. ¡°Why don¡¯t you consider whether you should learn Xuan formations from me?¡± Seemingly jokingly, Chu Liuyue replied, ¡°Then, if I accept you as my mentor, would you bring me to take a look at that transportation formation?¡± Elder Hua Feng just thought that she was being playful and patted his chest. ¡°How difficult is that? When you break through to a certain stage, you might even be able to¡ª¡± Whoosh! An air-piercing sound was heard. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s voice suddenly trailed off, and he rapidly looked up. Chu Liuyue also turned around to take a look. It was a familiar elder. ¡°Hua Feng!¡± That elder was very fast and reached the two of them in the blink of an eye. His face was rosy, and his eyes were bright, looking very emotional. ¡°Hua Feng! Flood-Desert Northern Region¡ª¡± He was about to say something when he saw Chu Liuyue standing at the side from the corner of his eye. Then, he immediately stopped. Chu Liuyue silently raised her brows. ¡°Long Ze, what are you so happy about?¡± Elder Hua Feng laughed and asked. Elder Long Ze was hesitant in his words. Chu Liuyue immediately left sensibly. ¡°Elders, you can slowly talk. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Originally, Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t mind that Chu Liuyue stayed here. However, Long Ze¡¯s expression made it seem like it was something serious, so he didn¡¯t stop her. But he was worried that Chu Liuyue would leave just like that, and he didn¡¯t know when she would come again, so he hurriedly said, ¡°Chu Yue, don¡¯t go back first. Wait over there. After I¡¯m done with Long Ze, we can continue talking about you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, she left obediently. After Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure disappeared before their eyes, Elder Hua Feng then turned around to look at Elder Long Ze. ¡°Say it! What¡¯s so mysterious?¡± Elder Long Ze took a deep breath in and still couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement. He clenched his fists tightly and said emotionally, ¡°The team in the Flood-Desert Northern Region sent news back¡ªthe Heavenly Square Cauldron has appeared!¡± Elder Hua Feng was shocked and hurriedly asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, Bo Yan¡¯s news is true! I was just standing guard by the transportation formation previously, and I immediately rushed over to tell you when I received the news!¡± Elder Hua Feng was also over the moon as he walked two steps back. ¡°That¡¯s great! Previously, I was still quite worried. I didn¡¯t expect them to meet with the Heavenly Square Cauldron appearing so quickly! Oh yes, what else did Bo Yan say?¡± Elder Long Ze nodded. ¡°He said that the situation there is rather urgent and that he needs us to send a few more people over to support them. Thus, I rushed over to discuss with you and see how to select the people.¡± ¡°He wants to send more people over?¡± Hearing this, Elder Hua Feng was stunned. ¡°We had previously already sent quite a few people over, right?¡± More than 30 elders and roughly 300 students definitely still had an advantage even when compared to those aristocratic families. ¡°Yeah! In the beginning, I also found it weird, but that was indeed Bo Yan¡¯s message. And think about it. It¡¯s the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡ªone of the top ten holy weapons in the God Residence Realm! Many parties are vying for it, and the competition is intense. Even if we don¡¯t go for that item, we still have to protect ourselves, right?¡± Elder Hua Feng thought for a moment. ¡°Did Bo Yan say how many people he needed?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t specify, but I think¡­ at least seven or eight elders from the academy?¡± This number sounded low, but it was already a lot when counted with those who had already gone over. After all, the entire academy only had a hundred-plus elders, and most of them still had to be stationed here. Elder Hua Feng nodded. ¡°We can still find seven or eight people. How about this? You can go back and continue guarding the transportation formation while I go and find other people.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Elder Long Ze quickly left. Elder Hua Feng thought in his heart for a while and rapidly drafted a list. His position in the academy wasn¡¯t low, so it wasn¡¯t a problem for him to send elders over. Right at this moment, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho saw Elder Long Ze leave¡ªfinally walked in. When Elder Hua Feng saw her, he then recalled that he had just said that he wanted to accept her as his disciple. However, this was clearly not a good time to continue discussing this. Hence, he said rather embarrassedly, ¡°Chu Yue, I have some urgent matters to handle now. I¡¯m afraid we have to push back on you becoming my disciple.¡± Actually, Chu Liuyue had already expected this. Judging by Elder Long Ze¡¯s behavior, something should¡¯ve happened in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. She smiled. ¡°You can go on and do your things first. My side isn¡¯t urgent!¡± Elder Hua Feng glanced at her in comfort. Although this kid regularly gets into trouble, he mostly still knows what to do at the right time. Seeing that he seemed to be preparing to leave, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered as she seemingly asked unintentionally, ¡°Elder Hua Feng, did¡­ something happen at the Flood-Desert Northern Region?¡± Elder Hua Feng thought for a moment and felt that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide this later on, so he nodded. ¡°We need to pick a few more elders to go over.¡± He didn¡¯t state the reason, but Chu Liuyue immediately felt that this was the crux of the matter. So many of them have already gone previously. Why do they still need more now? Her brows knitted undetectably as she tried to ask, ¡°I have a special request¡ªmay I know if you¡¯ll agree?¡± ¡°Go ahead and say it.¡± Elder Hua Feng waved his hands. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. ¡°Could you¡­ bring me along this time?¡± Chapter 1329 - Soft-Hearted ¡°What did you say?¡± Elder Hua Feng instinctively asked in return. As if mustering her courage, Chu Liuyue looked at him anxiously and expectantly. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to offer myself and go with the elders to the Flood-Desert Northern Region.¡± ¡°No.¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s first reaction was to reject her. Chu Yue wants to go too? Is he joking? ¡°I had already passed the test previously¡ª¡± ¡°That was previously. Now is now.¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s attitude was persistent. ¡°How can that be the same?!¡± At the very beginning, the academy had formed a large team that went together. It was fine if Chu Yue followed them at that time. But now, Bo Yan was the one who sent a message requesting support. I can choose a few elders, but what is with bringing Chu Yue along? Chu Liuyue looked down slightly. From where Elder Hua Feng was standing, he could coincidentally see the young man¡¯s lashes that trembled slightly and his slightly pale lips that were tightly pressed against each other. Anyone who saw this could sense the disappointment and regret in his heart. Elder Hua Feng instantly felt conflicted. This child clearly didn¡¯t say much, but why do I feel so bad for him? Both logically and emotionally, I can¡¯t let Chu Yue go over! Elder Hua Feng rubbed his temples and advised, ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re still young. You have many opportunities in the future! Why harp on this one time, right?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at him. ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that some elders have stayed in the academy for more than a hundred years, yet they didn¡¯t even get the chance to see the Xuan formation¡­ Won¡¯t I have even less hope?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s all because of your wretched mouth! Elder Hua Feng instantly wanted to retract whatever he had said previously. ¡°T-this is just an exception. It can¡¯t represent everything¡ª¡± ¡°All the students who previously passed the assessment should¡¯ve gone over, except for me¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in loneliness. She forced a smile, but she looked even uglier than if she were crying. ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re right, Elder. I shouldn¡¯t be focused on what¡¯s in front of me. I couldn¡¯t go the previous time, and I can¡¯t go now, but I might have chances in the future!¡± When Elder Hua Feng heard this, his eyelids twitched! Why does this sound so awkward?! I really didn¡¯t consider bringing Chu Yue alone. After all, it is really rather strange for a few elders to bring a student along. However, Chu Yue was indeed the only one who couldn¡¯t go with those people back then¡­ Actually, which student in the academy didn¡¯t want to go? Even though the Flood-Desert Northern Region was famous in the God Residence Realm for being very dangerous, with so many people going together, it would still be much safer overall. Even if one didn¡¯t have a fateful encounter, they could still use this chance to strengthen their abilities! It was understandable that Chu Yue felt awful for not being able to go. Elder Hua Feng walked over. ¡°There¡¯s no room for discussion about this. Go back!¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°It seems like I really don¡¯t have this luck. In the future, I¡¯ll just obediently stay at Jiuheng Peak and produce my pills¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng paused in his tracks and was so angry that his teeth felt itchy. He turned around and rapidly walked to Chu Liuyue, giving her a slap on the back of her head immediately. ¡°This kid¡ªyou even dare to threaten me?!¡± ¡°Hiss¡­ It hurts, elder! Pain!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately held the back of her head and took a step back. ¡°How could it hurt? I didn¡¯t even use any force!¡± Elder Hua Feng literally wanted to press the person in front of him down and beat him up. The moment he raised his hand, he saw Chu Liuyue staring at him pitifully. Her pair of black, gem-like eyes were clear and bright, looking like they had rays of light circulating in them, and they were as bright as stars. Elder Hua Feng paused in his actions and suddenly couldn¡¯t hit him. This gaze¡­ is so familiar! ¡°Elder¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and called him. Then, she smiled and curved her eyes up. ¡°Elder, just agree to me this once! I promise I won¡¯t be a burden! Not to mention others, but I do have the ability to protect myself!¡± Let¡¯s not forget that her fiend was a red-gold heavenly phoenix, one of the two ancient legendary fiends! Elder Hua Feng looked at her, and his expression suddenly became complicated. That hand trembled slightly but finally got retracted as he turned around to leave. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and was rather confused. W-what does that mean? ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to come over!?¡± Elder Hua Feng¡ªwho had walked for a distance¡ªturned back to glance at her. ¡°Why are you still standing over there?!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± ¡­ In this manner, Elder Hua Feng brought Chu Liuyue along and continuously went to invite a few elders. In the beginning, he didn¡¯t state the specific reason and just said that some problems had arisen in the Flood-Desert Northern Region, so Elder Bo Yan wanted to send more people over. The few elders didn¡¯t doubt anything else, and all agreed. After handling the matters in their hands quickly, they followed Elder Hua Feng to where the transportation formation was. Of course, Chu Liuyue followed him the entire way. Although the few elders found it strange, they didn¡¯t ask further. The position of this special transportation formation wasn¡¯t hidden, but as there were many layers of barriers outside that covered a huge area, it was hard to get close to it. Even if people knew that it was here, an average person wouldn¡¯t even be able to get close to it, let alone enter. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept across the few layers of barriers, and she was secretly shocked. Ling Xiao Academy is indeed very careful in regards to this Xuan formation. ¡°Hua Feng, you guys are here!¡± Elder Long Ze¡ªwho had waited for quite some time¡ªimmediately welcomed him. When he saw Chu Liuyue, he couldn¡¯t help but be dazed and gazed at Elder Hua Feng questioningly. ¡°Hua Feng, why did this kid follow too?¡± Elder Hua Feng coughed. ¡°Oh, this! He¡¯s coming with us!¡± Once he said this, the entire venue instantly fell into dead silence. Chapter 1330 - Real or Fake ¡°Hua Feng?¡± Elder Long Ze had a look of disbelief. Didn¡¯t I already clearly say that it was enough for a few elders to go over under such circumstances? How could he add an additional student? It¡¯s fine if it is someone like Rong Xiu, but Chu Yue has only been enrolled at the academy for a few months. How could he go? ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?!¡± Elder Hua Feng also felt embarrassed, but he had already said it. How could he go back on his words? Besides¡­ He was originally rather open-minded about this matter. On the one hand, Chu Yue did have the right to go over previously but didn¡¯t make it on time. On the other hand, his legendary fiend was too formidable, and he shouldn¡¯t become a burden. He might even be able to help at critical moments. He still clearly recalled the scene of all the fiends kneeling toward Chu Yue that night. Other than this, there was another point. It seemed hard for him to reject Chu Yue¡¯s request. Anyway, for some reason, he just really liked this kid and doted on him a lot. Even if he knew that other people would object to this, he still did it. It was just because he didn¡¯t want to see that pair of eyes show sadness or grievances. Even he could not clearly state what kind of feeling this was. He wasn¡¯t even this nice to his own disciples! ¡°Ahem. Actually, Chu Yue should¡¯ve gone over previously, but he suddenly fell ill on the day itself, so he missed the chance. He has already recovered now, so he wants to follow us and take a look. I-I thought about it and agreed.¡± Saying this, Elder Hua Feng hurriedly added, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. This child is very sensible; he won¡¯t cause you any trouble!¡± 1 The few elders kept quiet and didn¡¯t speak. They had stern expressions and clearly disagreed with it. Elder Hua Feng patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If something really happens, I, Hua Feng, will be fully responsible!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she couldn¡¯t help but turn around to look at him. He seemed very determined as if he had already made up his mind to protect her till the end. There seemed to be something coursing through Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. She looked down and hid the ripples in her eyes. ¡°Hua Feng, this isn¡¯t child¡¯s play. Have you thought about this clearly?¡± Elder Long Ze asked with a low voice. Elder Hua Feng nodded again. ¡°Long Ze, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± The two of them exchanged a glance and kept quiet for quite some time. They were silently exchanging blows! Finally, Elder Long Ze was the first to look away, and his sharp gaze scanned Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. ¡°Kid, you are a little capable. Since Hua Feng is bent on vouching for you, then we¡¯ll allow you to come with us. But if anything happens¡­ you must be fully responsible for the outcome yourself!¡± What kind of place was the Flood-Desert Northern Region? Those people in front were safer because they had gone together. But these few people were heading there to support them. Nobody could guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t run into trouble. Chu Yue was really a sore thumb sticking out in the middle of all these elders. Chu Liuyue seriously said, ¡°I understand.¡± Elder Long Ze furrowed his brows, glanced at Elder Hua Feng, and helplessly shook his head. Forget it. Let them try it out on their own, and they¡¯ll know how dangerous it is! ¡­ Receiving permission, Chu Liuyue could finally go forward and saw the transportation formation clearly. It was just a circular-shaped transportation formation with a copper body that seemed traditional and thick. In the middle was an engraving of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s totem. It wasn¡¯t very large, but it was made meticulously. Standing at the side, Chu Liuyue could faintly feel the shocking suppression coming from it. Elder Long Ze and the rest stood around the transportation formation, and each took out their own green jade plaques. Countless rays of light flew out from the green jade plaques floating in mid-air before they gathered above the transportation formation. The sparkling yet not bright rays of light instantly flew out in all directions, wrapping the entire Xuan formation. Then, a holy and heavy aura spread out from within! Chu Liuyue unwittingly straightened her back and stared at that transportation formation closely. At this moment, she could confirm that this transportation formation was of the highest grade out of all the other ones she had seen in her life! Elder Hua Feng and the rest were also stern as they hurriedly walked up the transportation formation. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and followed them. As force kept accumulating in it, the transportation formation was finally activated slowly. Whoosh! A ray of light sparkled, and the few people¡¯s figures instantly disappeared from the spot. Elder Long Ze looked at the empty transportation formation and shook his head. Now, I can only hope that everything will be smooth-sailing¡­ ¡­ After entering the transportation formation, the surrounding turbulence was instantly separated. Everything was stable in the surroundings, but it was too quiet. Chu Liuyue naturally knew that it was because of her, so she quietly stood at the side and tried her best to minimize her existence. After a moment, an elder finally spoke. ¡°Hua Feng, you refused to say it earlier, but you can now tell us why exactly we¡¯re going there, right?¡± Once he said this, the other people all glanced at Hua Feng. Even Chu Liuyue had her ears pricked up. She was also very curious as to what Elder Long Ze had told Elder Hua Feng previously. Elder Hua Feng nodded. ¡°Just now, I didn¡¯t tell you guys clearly because the matter was too important.¡± His voice became much lower, and it seemed irregularly distant and intimate at the same time. This caused the few people present to be slightly nervous as well. Then, they heard Elder Hua Feng explain, ¡°Bo Yan wants us to go over this time because¡­ the Heavenly Square Cauldron has already appeared in the Flood-Desert Northern Region!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes, and shock flashed across them! Luckily, everyone¡¯s attention was attracted by Elder Hua Feng¡¯s one sentence at this moment, so nobody saw the change in her expression at this point. ¡°Really?¡± An elder first said in surprise, ¡°It appeared so quickly? If Bo Yan wants us to go over, then does it mean that¡­ they¡¯re currently fighting for the Heavenly Square Cauldron and even have hope?¡± Elder Hua Feng shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t confirm that now, but I¡¯m sure that the Flood-Desert Northern Region is in chaos. After we reach, I¡¯m afraid there will be more than one intense battle.¡± Even if one thought with their feet, they would know that many, many people would be going down this time! If one wanted to stand out amongst all these people and snatch the Heavenly Square Cauldron back, it would be as hard as ascending the skies. However, this news still hyped the elders up. As long as we have a ray of hope, we must fight till the end. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Elder Hua Feng, did¡­ Elder Bo Yan really send this message back?¡± Chapter 1331 - Picky Director ¡°Of course. When Bo Yan and the rest left, they specifically left behind a communication device for convenience. Once they meet with any situation, they will be able to rapidly send messages back. During this period of time, Long Ze and the rest have been taking turns guarding the transportation formation, so they definitely won¡¯t get it wrong.¡± Elder Hua Feng glanced at Chu Liuyue weirdly. ¡°Why did you ask?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Nothing much. I just thought that the Flood-Desert Northern Region is so far away from the academy, so it must be inconvenient to send news back and forth. I was curious about it, so I asked.¡± Elder Hua Feng laughed out loud. ¡°Kid, it naturally seems like something incredible to you now. But if you learn Xuan formations from me, you will break through to become a strong warrior in the future, and all of this will be a piece of cake to you!¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. Elder Hua Feng is really rather stubborn about this. I really don¡¯t know what kind of expression he would have if he knew that I broke through and became a King Xuan Master. When the other elders heard this, they all showed looks of understanding. So Hua Feng is going for this! Previously, they did hear some news about Chu Yue. Other than being a heavenly doctor, he also had talent as a warrior and Xuan Master. This was a well-acknowledged fact amongst the elders. From this, it showed that Hua Feng really cared about this kid. ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron is one of the top ten holy weapons. There will definitely be a lot of people going to the Flood-Desert Northern Region this time. After we reach, there will definitely be an ugly battle,¡± an elder said with a low voice. ¡°Our first priority isn¡¯t the Heavenly Square Cauldron, but if we have the chance¡­ We naturally can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Such an opportunity is very rare, so we must treasure it. I just don¡¯t know¡­ how the situation there is now.¡± ¡°I heard that quite a few top-tier aristocratic families had gone over today, and some of them are even our enemies. The Flood-Desert Northern Region is a very dangerous and harsh place. Perhaps some people might take the chance to attack us, so you must be careful.¡± ¡°Is there the Golden Wings Sect?¡± Speaking of this, the few elders silently glanced at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Elder Hua Feng said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they go. The Heavenly Square Cauldron is right there. Would they still care about the conflict with us? Previously, his disciple had already caused trouble at our academy entrance. It¡¯s already very good if we don¡¯t pursue the matter with them!¡± Then, he couldn¡¯t help but lower his voice and say to Chu Liuyue, ¡°Kid, you must follow us closely later. Don¡¯t go by yourself, do you understand?¡± Chu Liuyue seriously nodded. ¡­ It was very far to go to the Flood-Desert Northern Region from Ling Xiao Academy. Even with the direct transportation formation, they still had to spend quite some time on the road. Chu Liuyue spent most of the time cultivating silently by herself. She couldn¡¯t absorb force here, so she started studying Xuan formations and medicinal formulas. Ever since she broke through to become a King Xuan Master, when she went back to look at the complicated Xuan formations floating in her mind, she felt that they were much simpler. She practiced those Xuan formations in her mind over and over again, quickly memorizing them. As for the heavenly doctor aspect, although she had already memorized the formulas in the Physician Medicinal Guide, she still couldn¡¯t break through as she didn¡¯t have the time to try the formulas. She could only properly study it when she had the time later. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to have the chance to see this transportation formation being activated when I¡¯m alive.¡± After some time, the few elders saw that Chu Liuyue was mature and sensible, so they gradually relaxed. One elder sighed emotionally and said, ¡°This was built by the first director personally¡­ Back then, in the entire God Residence Realm, almost nobody could fight with him! It¡¯s a pity¡­ It¡¯s a pity¡­ nobody can continue his legacy.¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was initially memorizing Xuan formations silently¡ªopened her eyes curiously. ¡°Elder, why is this so?¡± One just had to think to know how amazingly talented Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s first director was. Why would such a person not have a disciple to pass his legacy down? Wasn¡¯t that too much of a pity? Elder Hua Feng smiled helplessly and explained, ¡°I heard that he was extremely picky. Although he had founded Ling Xiao Academy and accepted quite a few students, he wasn¡¯t satisfied with any of them and left them all to other elders. Until his demise, he¡­¡± As he spoke, Elder Hua Feng looked regretful. ¡°The first director was truly a genius. He was an expert as a warrior, Xuan Master, heavenly doctor, and armory refinement master! He knew everything, and he was an elite in all of them! It¡¯s normal for such a person to have high expectations. If there was a student who could continue his legacy back then, I believe the situation today would be greatly different. Back then, many of his precious secrets couldn¡¯t be preserved as he left in a hurry, and his skills turned into nothing.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. At one side, an elder lightly sighed. ¡°Actually, there were many people who followed the director back then. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to establish Ling Xiao Academy. At that time, Ling Xiao Academy had recruited many talents. If the director was willing to teach them personally¡­ they might¡¯ve actually been absolute warriors. But¡­¡± But that person was just too stubborn! No meant no, and there was no basis for negotiation. Thousands of people wanted to cultivate under him, but he refused, and nobody could do anything about it. Elder Hua Feng shook his head. ¡°Even though it¡¯s regretful, mentors and disciples also go by destiny. If you force yourself to accept a disciple you don¡¯t like, it won¡¯t be good for either party. The director back then was a very carefree individual, and there was no need for him to do something he didn¡¯t like.¡± Many people felt that it was extremely pitiful that the first director didn¡¯t leave his legacy behind, but Elder Hua Feng understood it very well. Isn¡¯t Wan Zheng like that too? All these years, if he didn¡¯t see anyone that he fancied, he was bent on not going easy and didn¡¯t accept any of them. Normally, he can give the students some lessons and guide them from time to time. But if he has to pour his heart out to teach everything he learned to one person¡­ That won¡¯t do¡ªunless that person passes his requirements. A few years ago, one finally appeared with much difficulty but was intercepted. Now, with Chu Yue, he naturally doesn¡¯t want to let go of him. Thinking of this, Elder Hua Feng instantly felt rather guilty. If Wan Zheng knows that I¡¯m still eyeing Chu Yue even now, then¡­ That elder nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ The first director had especially shocking talent as a Xuan Master. It¡¯s a true pity that all those amazing and strong Xuan formations were lost just like that. If I could have the chance to see them personally¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re already very lucky to be able to reactivate this Xuan formation. Let¡¯s not think about others.¡± Then, the few of them fell silent in unison. Chu Liuyue also kept quiet and waited silently. Time slowly trickled past. Finally, after the long torture, the few of them finally reached the Flood-Desert Northern Region! Chapter 1332 - Movement ¡°We¡¯re reaching soon.¡± As Elder Hua Feng spoke, his expression became much more serious. The other elders stood together, glanced at each other, and took action together! A bright Xuan formation suddenly appeared in the dark front! Very quickly, the Xuan formation broke from the middle and slowly opened toward both sides. Bright white light shone in from the outside. ¡°Go!¡± With Elder Hua Feng¡¯s command, he rushed out first! Chu Liuyue and the other elders followed behind him closely! ¡­ Cold. Extremely cold. This was what Chu Liuyue first felt when she exited the transportation formation. She looked across, and it was a white snowy land. Other than that, there was nothing else. The sky was dark as if it had just snowed. Tuan Zi moved in her dantian, and a gush of warm aura instantly flowed all over her body. Chu Liuyue then felt much better. ¡°Hiss¡­ Why is this place so cold!?¡± Behind her, an elder couldn¡¯t help but shiver. As he spoke, he hurriedly set up a barrier around him. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that the Flood-Desert Northern Region has extreme conditions, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this scary!¡± They were all legendary warriors, and regular coldness or hotness didn¡¯t have much impact on them. If they had such a huge reaction, it just showed that this place was cold beyond one¡¯s imagination. ¡°Chu Yue, are you okay?¡± Another elder saw that Chu Liuyue looked normal, and he couldn¡¯t help but inquire. Chu Liuyue blinked, smiled, and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Elders. My fiend is a red-tailed phoenix, so I¡¯m doing fine.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Cultivators below legendary warriors probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to stay here for long. In the beginning, they were still rather worried about bringing Chu Yue along, but it now seemed like this child didn¡¯t need their concern. This matter caused the few elders to change their views of Chu Liuyue, and their gazes toward her were much gentler. Elder Hua Feng silently glanced at Chu Liuyue. Hm? Red-tailed phoenix¡­ That¡¯s true. It did break through from a red-tailed phoenix! Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression did not change. An elder surveyed the surroundings and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where are Bo Yan and the rest now? This place is covered in snow. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be a little hard to find them quickly.¡± Elder Hua Feng took out his own green jade plaque. The two stars on it shone quietly. One of them was his, and the other was naturally Elder Bo Yan¡¯s. He looked for a while and confirmed that he was on the right. ¡°He should be there, but he seems to be a distance away. Even if we all rush over at full speed, it will take a few hours.¡± As he spoke, he glanced at the sky. ¡°But the snow is very deep¡­ I¡¯m afraid it would reduce our speed by more than half.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice either. If we fly through the air here, we¡¯ll be moving live targets. We don¡¯t know who else is here, so we should be careful.¡± Even if it was much slower, they couldn¡¯t randomly risk their lives. Elder Hua Feng nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ Just like that, the few of them slowly treaded past the snow. Every step they took, a deep snowy hole would appear behind them. After walking a distance, Chu Liuyue felt rather frustrated and hot. She slowly knitted her brows and felt that something was amiss. It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t walked through snow before, so she knew that it took up a lot of energy. However, this seemed too¡­ It was as if something underground was gluing their feet, causing every step to be especially effortful. She couldn¡¯t help but look down, yet she did not see anything. Other than crystallized snow, there was nothing else. She hesitated for a moment and temporarily suppressed her thoughts. Some time had passed, and the other elders clearly couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Is there something wrong with this place? Why does walking in snow feel so effortful!¡± ¡°I also think that there¡¯s a problem here. Logically speaking, we¡¯re all legendary warriors, and we¡¯ve only walked for an hour, but how did it exhaust so much of our energy?¡± ¡°Hua Feng, what do you think?¡± Elder Hua Feng¡ªwho was walking at the front¡ªstopped and sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re right. There is¡­ something wrong here.¡± The few elders all stopped. Chu Liuyue also stood still. The few elders glanced at her and realized that she wasn¡¯t left behind, even after she had followed them for so long. And looking at her expression, she didn¡¯t seem to be greatly affected, so they were all collectively taken aback. Did we really underestimate this kid¡¯s abilities earlier? In actual fact, the reason why Chu Liuyue could survive walking for so long and still have a relatively relaxed attitude was firstly due to Tuan Zi. The other reason was that¡­ she had undergone Big Baby¡¯s training, so her physical combat skills were far superior to what she had showcased. She looked down again. Suddenly, she heard some shuffling noises. She turned around and looked over. A gray-faced fox suddenly came out from the snow, stuck its head out, and looked around. As if detecting her gaze, that gray-faced fox looked over and met Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Then, it instantly shrunk its head back alertly. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly and felt that something was wrong. ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s something wrong with the snow below?¡± An elder asked strangely. ¡°I think so too, but¡­ the snow is so thick. How are we supposed to check it? We can¡¯t just dig five feet under, right?¡± Elder Hua Feng spread his hands rather helplessly. The few elders exchanged glances. Even if there was really a problem below, with their abilities, they might not be able to solve it quickly. ¡°Forget it; let¡¯s not deal with this now. We should first find Bo Yan and the rest and gather with them!¡± another elder suggested. Chu Liuyue looked around and suddenly asked, ¡°Elder, didn¡¯t Elder Bo Yan say that the Heavenly Square Cauldron has descended here? Why¡­ isn¡¯t there any noise at all?¡± Chapter 1333 - Difficult Situation Chu Liuyue¡¯s words caused the few others to be collectively stunned as they instinctively surveyed their surroundings. The white snow covered the sky and the ground. It was dead quiet. It looks like¡­ something is wrong. ¡°Chu Yue is right. How precious is the Heavenly Square Cauldron? If it appeared here, it would definitely cause a huge commotion. But now¡­ it seems like nothing has happened.¡± ¡°Could it have appeared in other places and not reached here yet, so this place looks like this?¡± The few elders discussed softly. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows. ¡°It¡¯s not really possible. Bo Yan sent a message saying that the Heavenly Square Cauldron had appeared, so they definitely would¡¯ve seen it. Even if it¡¯s not by their side, it shouldn¡¯t be too far away. And now, they¡¯re not far away from us. If they had seen it, we should be able to see it too.¡± Once he said this, everyone then fell into dead silence. At this point, they started to truly suspect the authenticity of the matter. ¡°No matter what, Bo Yan should be nearby. Even if we rack our brains here, we might not be able to find out the truth, so we should just go and meet them first!¡± This suggestion received everyone¡¯s approval. Hence, after some deliberation, they moved forward once again. ¡°Chu Yue, let¡¯s go!¡± Elder Hua Feng took two steps out and saw that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t move, so he called her. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Chu Liuyue answered and followed them. However, she couldn¡¯t help but turn around and take another look with slightly furrowed brows. She felt that¡­ something seemed amiss¡­ ¡°That gray-faced fox has a very strong bloody scent.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice suddenly entered her ears. Chu Liuyue was first shocked; then, she suddenly recovered her senses. Right, it was that feeling! It was just because this place was covered in snow and ice, so the bloody smell was covered. But Tuan Zi was now a red-gold heavenly phoenix, so it was naturally much more sensitive toward this sort of thing compared to her. ¡°If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, it should¡¯ve just experienced a fight, and¡­¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice paused. ¡°And it ate until it was very full.¡± A chill was suddenly sent down Chu Liuyue¡¯s spine. Even though she hadn¡¯t personally seen a gray-faced fox before, she still had a certain level of understanding of it. The so-called ¡®eating¡¯ meant gnawing on corpses! Judging from the strong bloody scent on it, the corpse had very likely died not too long ago! It was very rare for people to come to this place. Even for fiends¡­ If their cultivation level wasn¡¯t high enough and they weren¡¯t strong enough, only death would await them. Then¡­ What exactly did that gray-faced fox¡ª Chu Liuyue knitted her brows even more tightly. During this recent period of time, quite a few people have actually come to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Not talking about the other people first, Ling Xiao Academy has sent more than 300 people over. They should¡¯ve also walked past this area¡­ If something really has happened, the heavy snowfall is enough to cover all the traces. An intense shadow loomed over her heart. ¡­ The few of them walked some more, and a lot of their force was greatly exhausted. Even Elder Hua Feng¡¯s lips started to turn pale faintly. He glanced at the green jade plaque in his hands, and his expression suddenly changed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The other elders saw that his expression was amiss, and they instantly asked worriedly. Elder Hua Feng closed his eyes and looked at that green jade plaque closely again. The two stars on it were right beside each other. Logically speaking, they should¡¯ve already met Bo Yan and the rest. But looking over, there wasn¡¯t a single person at all! The few elders saw that the two stars on the green jade plaque almost seemed to have gathered together. They were dazed for a moment, and their expressions changed. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where are they?!¡± ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s something wrong with this plaque?¡± Elder Hua Feng slowly opened his mouth, and his voice was hoarse. ¡°Bo Yan had specifically left behind the aura in this green jade plaque before he left. It definitely won¡¯t be wrong!¡± They had clearly reached the location, but they didn¡¯t see anyone, causing one to have some suspicions. Upon hearing this, the few of them fell silent and exchanged glances. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, what is this?¡± At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice came over. The few of them looked up and saw that Chu Liuyue had walked a distance at some point and was holding something in her hands. Elder Hua Feng looked over and immediately said, ¡°Quickly bring it over and let me look at it!¡± As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t wait for Chu Liuyue to come over and immediately went forward himself. Chu Liuyue passed the item over¡ªit was a green jade plaque. The moment Elder Hua Feng saw it, he immediately confirmed his guess. ¡°This is Bo Yan¡¯s! Why is it here?¡± He hurriedly looked at Chu Liuyue and anxiously asked, ¡°Chu Yue, where did you find it?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand and pointed. ¡°Where I was standing just now. Initially, I just wanted to look around. Suddenly, I felt that I had stepped on something, so I took it. It turned out to be this.¡± ¡°That explains it¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng furrowed his brows tightly and held the green jade plaque tightly in his hands. No wonder it kept indicating that Bo Yan and the rest are here! It turns out that only the green jade plaque was left here! But this made one worry even more. This was because the plaque was a symbol of one¡¯s identity, and Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s elders and students would take care of theirs meticulously. If it weren¡¯t because something had happened¡­ this item wouldn¡¯t appear here for no reason! The other elders had also realized this as their expressions changed. Right at this moment, a strange sound suddenly came from the side. Chu Liuyue turned around. This sound was coming from beneath the snow not far away from her. Just as she thought that it was the gray-faced fox again, the same sound came from another direction. Very quickly, the few of them were quickly surrounded by these sounds completely. Whoosh! Countless rays of dark-blue light flew out from the snow and intertwined in mid-air! A gigantic Xuan formation cage instantly trapped the few of them! Chapter 1334 - Familiar Everything happened too suddenly. When the few of them recovered their senses, they were already all trapped inside the Xuan formation. The entire Xuan formation was semi-circular and trapped the few of them in the center. It shone with a dark-blue, cold icy light, which sent chills down one¡¯s spine. ¡°W-what is this?¡± an elder couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly and rapidly surveyed their surroundings. ¡°Someone was hiding here to ambush?! Why did we not detect it at all beforehand?¡± ¡°This Xuan formation should¡¯ve been set up here in advance,¡± said Elder Hua Feng in a low voice. ¡°We only activated it automatically after we walked over.¡± Any crafting and creation of Xuan formations required time and energy. The higher the Xuan formation¡¯s level, the more it was so. The Xuan formation that trapped them here had appeared very quickly, so it had clearly been prepared in advance. ¡°Who would set up such a trap here?¡± Out of all these elders, only Elder Hua Feng was a Xuan Master. The others were warriors, so at this point, everyone looked at him instinctively. The snowfield was vast, and one couldn¡¯t see the end of it. Even if there really was someone who wanted to ambush them, why must they choose such a place? What if they didn¡¯t come over? Would it not be in vain? Elder Hua Feng held the green jade plaque in his hands tightly. ¡°It seems like someone purposely hid Bo Yan¡¯s plaque here to lure us over.¡± Once he said this, the few elders instantly understood, and they became even more worried. If it really was so, won¡¯t that mean that Elder Bo Yan and the others¡¯ situation is also very worrying? ¡°Let¡¯s put all of this aside first and think of how to get out of here.¡± Elder Hua Feng looked up slightly and saw the Xuan formation above his head. Then, he slowly knitted his brows. This caused the few people who put all their hopes on him to feel anxious as well. After some time, an elder tried to ask softly, ¡°Hua Feng, is there a way to solve this Xuan formation?¡± Elder Hua Feng lowly replied, ¡°This was created by a Grandmaster Xuan Master.¡± ¡°What?¡± When the others heard this, their expressions changed in unison. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Above ninth-grade Xuan Masters are King Xuan Masters. Above the latter are Great King Xuan Masters. From what I know, Elder Hua Feng is at such a level. And Grandmaster Xuan masters¡­ are terrifying existences of an even higher level! In the entire Ling Xiao Academy, there aren¡¯t even more than ten such Xuan Masters in 10,000 years! One just had to think to know how difficult it was to solve this Xuan formation! Even if Elder Hua Feng was an elite in the academy, it would be extremely difficult for him to deal with this. ¡°Grandmaster¡­ Then, we won¡¯t be able to get out anymore, right?¡± an elder muttered softly in a daze. ¡°Hua Feng, do you have any confidence in escaping from here?¡± This was undoubtedly the question they cared about the most. Elder Hua Feng closed his eyes and had a solemn expression. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a step away from breaking through to become a Grandmaster?¡± Another elder held onto the last speck of hope and meticulously asked, ¡°You should be able to solve it, right?¡± Elder Hua Feng bitterly laughed. ¡°A step away is still one step away. Besides, this step requires one to pass through the barrier!¡± He had remained as a Great King Xuan Master for many years and knew very clearly how difficult it was to take this step forward. Compared to other Great King Xuan Masters, he might indeed be slightly stronger, but he was still worlds apart from a Grandmaster Xuan Master. How could it be that easy to fill the gap? ¡°Besides, even if I can solve it in the end, we also have to see how much time it¡¯ll take. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s a few days, but what if it¡¯s a month or even three months?¡± They couldn¡¯t keep waiting here like this. Suffocating silence filled the air. ¡°Forget it. Let me give it a try.¡± Elder Hua Feng clenched his teeth. ¡°If I really can¡¯t do it, let¡¯s see if I can use another method to get us out forcefully.¡± Then, he held his breath in and focused on studying that Xuan formation. The other people didn¡¯t dare to disturb him as they quietly waited at the side. Chu Liuyue looked up as well and studied the Xuan formation in detail. For some reason, I actually feel that this Xuan formation seems familiar¡­ However, I can confirm that I¡¯ve never seen this Xuan formation before. Like Elder Hua Feng had said, this Xuan formation was created by a Grandmaster. It was by far the most complicated and difficult Xuan formation Chu Liuyue had seen, not one of them. This made the sense of familiarity in her heart even stranger. Chu Liuyue looked calm, but her brain started turning rapidly. Where does this sense of familiarity come from¡­ ¡­ Snow quickly fell from the skies, and the harsh winds pricked their bones. If they stayed at the same spot and didn¡¯t move, it was even easier for them to be cold. That gust of harsh air seemed to be able to pass through their skin and directly pierce their bones like many small needles, causing one to feel extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, Chu Liuyue had Tuan Zi, so she could basically avoid such pains. However, the other elders didn¡¯t have it as easy as her. If they wanted to defend themselves against the cold, they had to burn their force. Hence, although they looked like they were just resting there on the surface, the force in their bodies was actually rapidly depleting every second and minute. This time, they directed even more complicated gazes at Chu Liuyue. Originally, they thought that she was a burden, but who would¡¯ve expected them to be the ones dragging everyone behind in the end!? Detecting the elders¡¯ gazes, Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look. Looking at their ears and cheeks that were going red from the cold, her heart tingled. If it weren¡¯t because she was worried that Tuan Zi¡¯s identity would be exposed, she really wanted to help them. On the other side, Elder Hua Feng was still standing rooted to the ground as if he were frozen while staring at the Xuan formation in front of him closely. The rays of light moved with secret ripples. Chapter 1335 - Ive Seen It Before Two hours quickly passed. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s side had no noise at all, other than his tightly knitted brows and the increasingly intense worry in his eyes. Great King Xuan Masters solving a Xuan formation left behind by Grandmaster Xuan Master was filled with impossibilities on its own. Now, he could only hope that he could discover the weakness of this Xuan formation as soon as possible. Then, the few of them could work together and use this breaking point. Perhaps they might have a tinge of hope to succeed. Though the elders waited anxiously, they didn¡¯t dare to urge him as they waited quietly. Chu Liuyue stared at the Xuan formation for quite a while but still couldn¡¯t quite remember it. Additionally, as it was easy for her to become dizzy and her head to hurt after looking at it for an extended period of time, she swiftly gave up. This Xuan formation was huge, and the lines on it were as complicated as ever. She casually chose a spot and stared at it for a while. After she felt uncomfortable, she looked elsewhere. The other elders didn¡¯t quite notice this. They had long known that Chu Liuyue had talent as a Xuan Master, so they just thought that she was trying to learn and didn¡¯t think much of it. As Chu Liuyue scrutinized the Xuan formation, she instinctively tried to replicate it in her mind. However, such a Xuan formation was too high in level, so she couldn¡¯t succeed. No matter how clearly she saw it with her eyes, the image in her mind was always a blurred one. She had long predicted this, so she didn¡¯t give up and slowly observed the Xuan formation. ¡­ Another two hours passed. The few elders started to become restless. Elder Bo Yan¡¯s side was clearly not very optimistic, and they were trapped here as well, without knowing when they could get out. Even if they got out, they wouldn¡¯t even know how to find the other people from the academy. At this point, even a fool could guess that they were definitely in trouble. However, Elder Hua Feng hadn¡¯t made much progress. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s shocked voice came from the side. The few elders looked over and realized that she was staring at the Xuan formation, and her expression seemed amiss. ¡°Chu Yue, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked an elder. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and smiled at the elders in comfort. ¡°Nothing much. I just feel that the Xuan formation¡­ is very profound.¡± ¡°A Grandmaster¡¯s work is naturally extraordinary.¡± The few elders didn¡¯t doubt anything else as they helplessly shook their heads. ¡°I wonder who is targeting us like this.¡± In the entire God Residence Realm, there were top-tier aristocratic families with Grandmasters. But with only one Xuan Master here, it was clearly useless to identify the other party¡¯s identity. Besides, some families would even purposely hide experts of such skill, so it was even harder to guess. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and silently exhaled. Looking at the Xuan formation before her, her eyes were still filled with shock that didn¡¯t fade away. That was because she suddenly remembered why she found this familiar just now¡ªthe two Xuan formations that Dugu Mobao had previously left behind to test her were shockingly similar to this one in some areas! It was hard to describe this feeling, and people who weren¡¯t Xuan Masters wouldn¡¯t even be able to detect it. This was because this type of similarity was really too minute, and they were basically just some small details. She had only suddenly discovered it after staring at it for four hours! But¡­ isn¡¯t this too ridiculous? Judging from the force that was used to craft this Xuan formation, it definitely wasn¡¯t created by Dugu Mobao. However, this Xuan formation is indeed very similar in some strange way to those he has created. To say that this is a coincidence¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe it. She stood rooted to the spot in a daze, and quite a few scenes appeared in succession in her mind¡ªincluding Dugu Mobao forcefully trapping her on Jiuheng Peak before he left¡­ Back then, she had already found it weird. Now seeing the strangely similar Xuan formation, she confirmed the guess in her heart even more¡ªBack then, Dugu Mobao purposely didn¡¯t let her come to the Flood-Desert Northern Region! However, she was extremely confused as to who crafted this Xuan formation. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and planned to suppress this doubt first. I can directly ask Dugu Mobao about this after I see him in the future. But now¡­ it is more important to leave this place directly. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue turned around to look at Elder Hua Feng. He still had the same posture as he stared at the Xuan formation before him with tightly knitted brows. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t found the solution to it. ¡°Elder Hua Feng,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Hearing this, Elder Hua Feng turned around, his eyes still dazed. ¡°Chu Yue? What¡¯s the matter?¡± The other elders also looked over strangely. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and said, ¡°I suddenly remembered that I seem to have seen a similar Xuan formation before.¡± Her light sentence caused the gazes of everyone present to change instantly! ¡°Really?¡±Elder Hua Feng quickly walked over. ¡°Where did you see it before? Who made it? Chu Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°I j-just happened to see it in some cave, and it was engraved on the walls. As for who left it behind, I¡¯m not sure either. That Xuan formation¡¯s level also¡­ seems much lower than this one¡­¡± A look of disappointment flashed across Elder Hua Feng¡¯s face. Originally, I thought that I could find a breakthrough on Chu Yue¡¯s side, but it¡¯s all for naught. Following that, he suddenly recalled something. ¡°Then, do you remember what the Xuan formation looks like?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Roughly.¡± ¡°Draw it out for me to see!¡± As Elder Hua Feng spoke, he hurriedly made space for Chu Liuyue. It doesn¡¯t matter even if it¡¯s a Xuan formation of a slightly lower level. As long as it really is similar, perhaps I can use it to continue solving this one! Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and glanced at him rather uneasily. ¡°It has been a long time since then, and I didn¡¯t look at it closely at that time, so there might be some mistakes in between¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing; you don¡¯t have to worry about this. Just try to draw it out for me to see!¡± comforted Elder Hua Feng. Right now, I can only make a Hail Mary effort. Even if there is only a speck of hope, I have to try it. Chu Liuyue then sighed with ease. ¡°I¡¯ll start then.¡± After that, she held her breath in to focus and gently raised her arm. Her white fingers lightly moved around in mid-air. A ray of light silently flew out and later dispersed into a few more intersecting lines. Elder Hua Feng sighed in his heart as he watched. Chu Yue is extremely talented as a Xuan Master. Although these movements don¡¯t seem as smooth and carefree as they should be, he is already comparatively outstanding. If I can take him in as my disciple and teach him properly, he could probably suppress quite a few students on the Xuan Master side. He might not even be any weaker than Lin Zhifei, whose reputation has soared recently. Chu Liuyue crafted the Xuan formation extremely slowly, and she had to stop and think about it from time to time. Besides, the Xuan formation was empty in some parts, and some patterns were intertwined together complicatedly. All in all, it seemed like she was really unfamiliar with this Xuan formation. After some time, Chu Liuyue finally ¡®finished¡¯ the Xuan formation. She looked at Elder Hua Feng uneasily. ¡°Elder, it should be like this.¡± Chapter 1336 - Accidentally got It Somehow The Xuan formation Chu Liuyue drew out was the first Xuan formation Dugu Mobao used to test her. At that time, she was still a ninth-grade Xuan Master, and he left after leaving behind this Xuan formation that wasn¡¯t suitable for her level. Luckily, this Xuan formation wasn¡¯t very difficult, especially when compared to the one that had her locked up at Jiuheng Peak. It was a piece of cake. According to Chu Liuyue¡¯s current ability, she could naturally draw out its outline completely. But after some thinking, she didn¡¯t do so. This resulted in the damaged Xuan formation now. It couldn¡¯t even be counted as her successfully creating it; it was more like she just ¡®drew¡¯ it out. This would then not arouse the elders¡¯ suspicions. In the end, she didn¡¯t arouse suspicions, but the few elders looked at Chu Liuyue with clearly more disdain. ¡°Chu Yue, this is the Xuan formation you came up with?¡± An elder¡¯s eyelids twitched. Chu Liuyue explained awkwardly, ¡°As that Xuan formation was too complicated¡ªwith my current abilities, I can¡¯t form it completely, so I can only forcefully draw the outline of it¡­ Besides, I don¡¯t quite remember it already, so¡­ It became like this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let me take a look at it.¡± However, Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t mind it as he started to stare at the Xuan formation closely. ¡°The rough outline of this Xuan formation¡­ is rather similar¡­¡± Even though it seemed rather forceful, Elder Hua Feng was a Great King Xuan Master after all and had seen countless Xuan formations, so he would only be more sensitive toward these things than Chu Liuyue. Hence, after he looked at it for a while, he gave an affirmative answer. ¡°Let me see if I can find a solution. Perhaps¡­ some of the thinking is common.¡± Hearing him say this, the other elders were energized. Elder Hua Feng stared at it for quite a while again. This naturally can¡¯t be considered a complete Xuan formation, but luckily, its rough outline is clear. Additionally, I can clearly tell that some small details are indeed extremely similar to the Xuan formation that currently traps us. Probably because Chu Yue really can¡¯t remember it, so the lines are messier. ¡°Chu Yue, all the lines here are clumped up together. What¡¯s going on here?¡± Elder Hua Feng pointed at an area and asked. ¡°Huh?¡± Chu Liuyue followed his hand, looked over, and smiled rather embarrassedly. ¡°You¡¯re talking about this? I really couldn¡¯t recall this part properly, so I randomly drew a few lines. I¡¯m not sure how it became like this too¡­ It¡¯s just a small portion. It won¡¯t have much of an impact, right?¡± ¡°How can it not have any impact? It¡¯s a Xuan formation.¡± Elder Hua Feng shook his head in disapproval. ¡°The higher the level of a Xuan formation, the more detailed it is. Even the slightest mistake can cause the entire Xuan formation to collapse. How can you randomly draw it?¡± The student¡¯s attitude in this aspect had to be corrected properly. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Elder. I¡¯ll remember it!¡± Chu Liuyue slightly lowered her head as if she were a little guilty, and her expression was genuine. Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t really want to scold her, so he waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Remember it carefully this time. Don¡¯t make the same¡ª¡± Suddenly, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s eyes lit up. His eyes that were staring at the Xuan formation burned faintly with a fire of excitement. ¡°Elder, what¡¯s¡­ wrong?¡± asked Chu Liuyue strangely. ¡°It¡¯s this!¡± Elder Hua Feng smiled happily. ¡°Haha! This is the one!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the Xuan formation in confusion as if she didn¡¯t really quite understand what he meant. However, Elder Hua Feng had already turned around and was looking at the dark blue barrier again. ¡°Take a step back first. Let me try and see if I can open this barrier.¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s words caused everyone present to be taken aback as they immediately moved back in unison. Elder Hua Feng raised his hand, and a bright ray of light appeared in his palms. He then waved his hands at an increasing speed. The countless rays of light intertwined before him, and they quickly gathered to form a small Xuan formation. If one took a closer look, they would realize that the Xuan formation before him was very similar to the one Chu Liuyue had just drawn out. There were quite a few areas that were exactly the same as the messy lines in her Xuan formation. Then, Elder Hua Feng gradually pushed the Xuan formation forward with a stern expression. Whir! That tiny Xuan formation quietly stuck on the gigantic, dark-blue Xuan formation. The moment it touched, it let out a whir! As he was nervous, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s back was drenched in sweat. Seeing this reaction, he was elated, and he instinctively felt that there was hope! However, he still didn¡¯t dare to relax at all as he tried to stretch his hands out and turn them slightly. The lines on the tiny Xuan formation gradually had changes. As if being affected by the force, the dark-blue Xuan formation¡ªwhich the small Xuan Formation was tightly stuck to¡ªstarted to turn! With it as the center, the surrounding dark-blue rays of light started dispersing in all directions slowly. Seeing the shocking change, everyone present held their breaths in. The surroundings were so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s force quickly depleted, and his face rapidly turned pale. With his current abilities, it was clearly rather difficult to solve this Xuan formation. ¡°Help me!¡± he suddenly hollered! The elders behind him immediately understood as they transferred their force to his body! Receiving additional force, Elder Hua Feng finally caught his breath. He took a deep breath in, gathered his force, and injected it into the Xuan formation in front of him! Crack! A crisp sound was heard! A crack appeared in the dark-blue Xuan formation! ¡°Go!¡± With Elder Hua Feng¡¯s command, the few elders behind immediately rushed out! ¡°Chu Yue! Quick!¡± He could only forcefully open this hole for a short period of time, so they had to act fast! Without speaking, Chu Liuyue rapidly followed! The last person who came out was Elder Hua Feng. Thump! The Xuan formation closed again! Feeling the impact, Elder Hua Feng flew out. The few of them hurriedly rushed forward. ¡°Hua Feng! Are you okay?¡± Elder Hua Feng forcefully stood up and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine!¡± Then, he glanced at Chu Liuyue and couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Good kid! You have done a great job today! If not for you accidentally drawing this, we might not even be able to solve the Xuan formation today!¡± Chapter 1337 - Abandoned Piece Chu Liuyue blinked, and her black, gem-like eyes seemed to have faint smiling intent in them. ¡°It¡¯s all because of your help that we managed to open the Xuan formation and come out.¡± Elder Hua Feng patted the snow on his body, looked at the dark-blue Xuan formation that had closed up again, and still felt stunned. He said emotionally, ¡°If you didn¡¯t recall that Xuan formation, I¡¯m afraid we might not even be able to solve this even a month later! Not to mention that although the Xuan formation was broken, it was still very useful, especially the few areas you got wrong¡­¡± Just looking at the messy pattern, he was reminded. He followed that train of thought and tried to solve the Xuan formation. He indeed succeeded! ¡°Kid, you¡¯re really our lucky star!¡± Elder Hua Feng was really convinced. Not only is this kid lucky himself, but the people that follow him also seem to be decently lucky as well. This should be the potential of being a lucky star! I was originally about to give up, but who would¡¯ve known that the light at the end of the tunnel was right there! Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and smiled.¡±Elder, you¡¯re too kind. No matter what, it¡¯s great that I could help.¡± The other elders all heaved a sigh of relief respectively, and their gazes toward Chu Liuyue had become kinder like never before. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t expect the Xuan formation Chu Yue forcefully drew out was actually this useful! Chu Yue, you deserve the credit this time!¡± ¡°Yeah! Why don¡¯t you follow Elder Hua Feng in the future and cultivate Xuan formations with him? If not, it won¡¯t be presentable if you create such Xuan formations every time!¡± ¡°I think so too! Anyway, you¡¯re talented. You mustn¡¯t waste it!¡± After experiencing this incident, the few elders completely changed their views of Chu Liuyue. Now, they could finally tell that not only did this kid not cause trouble or drag them behind, but he could always help them at crucial moments. At the very least, they all owed Chu Yue half a favor today. This sentence caused Elder Hua Feng to be overjoyed. He secretly thought in his heart, After we return from the Flood-Desert Northern Region, I must get this kid to accept me as his mentor! I really can¡¯t miss a disciple with so much potential! Even if I have to steal, I must steal him away! Seeing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s extremely enthusiastic gaze, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched as she silently changed the topic. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, since we¡¯re already out, then¡­ Should we find Elder Bo Yan and the rest?¡± Once she said this, she immediately reminded them. ¡°You¡¯re right. We shouldn¡¯t stay here for long. We should leave as soon as possible.¡± As Elder Hua Feng spoke, he glanced at the Xuan formation again. ¡°I wonder who exactly left this Xuan formation behind¡­¡± Right at this moment¡ª Bang! That Xuan formation suddenly broke open from the middle! It formed into countless rays of light that rapidly disappeared from the snowy field! Elder Hua Feng¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he rapidly went a few steps forward. However, there were already no traces on the snowy ground. ¡°Cunning!¡± Elder Hua Feng scolded. But from this, one could tell how smart the person who prepared the trap was. Firstly, he prepared a trump card, and even if it failed, it wouldn¡¯t leave any traces behind. The culprit was clearly well-prepared. ¡°I wonder if Bo Yan and the rest had met with the same circumstances¡­¡± Behind him, an elder spoke with knitted brows. This was actually what they were worried about all along. Elder Hua Feng looked up. This land of snow is vast. How are we supposed to find them¡­ ¡­ At the same time, somewhere in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. A figure quickly flashed across the accumulated snow. Different from others, he was moving forward while being half an inch above the ground. Hence, wherever he flew past, the snow was smooth like before, without leaving any traces behind. Then, he stood still at some point and slapped forward with a palm facing the ground. Snowflakes flew everywhere! The frozen, black ground was revealed. He took out an item and knocked it against the ground thrice. Dong dong dong! After three blunt sounds, an entrance leading underground suddenly appeared! Without hesitation, he jumped forward, and his figure instantly disappeared from the snowy field! Not long later, a gust of cold wind blew over, and snow fell down as it silently covered this area. ¡­ After walking below, it was a long flight of stairs. On the two walls by the sides of the stairs were many candlelights. The pale white fire against the long, narrow corridor made it seem even darker and more oppressive than before, even causing one to suffocate. However, that man already seemed used to it as he didn¡¯t slow in his steps and walked down. After about 15 minutes, he finally reached a large hall downstairs. The entire hall was empty without a single person, but all four corners of the area had a lantern. The light that came out from them reflected the mysterious statues on the walls and the ceiling. The centermost area was a gigantic copper mirror. On the edges of that copper mirror, there was a layer of blood that looked extremely frightening. This scene caused the entire hall¡¯s atmosphere to become especially grave and oppressed. That man quickly walked to the copper mirror and kneeled on the ground with one knee. ¡°Master, someone broke the ghoul Xuan formation.¡± Once he said this, the blood by the edges of the copper mirror suddenly moved and flowed toward the middle. Very quickly, that copper mirror was completely covered by the blood. At first glance, it seemed like an overflowing sea of blood! A hoarse and low voice came from within. ¡°Oh? He¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Master, it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s him.¡± The man kneeling on the ground hung his head even lower. ¡°It is an elder from Ling Xiao Academy. If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, he should be a Great King Xuan Master.¡± ¡°Great King Xuan Master? How long did he take?¡± ¡°Just.. four hours.¡± Once the man said this, the blood on the copper mirror seemed to tumble. After a moment, laughter sounded. ¡°Since when can a Great King Xuan Master solve the ghoul Xuan formation so quickly?¡± ¡°¡­Everything I say is true!¡± Beads of cold sweat formed on the forehead of the man on the ground. ¡°Watch them closely first and see what else he can do. What about¡­ the other people?¡± ¡°Master, other than a dozen-plus people escaping, the other people from Ling Xiao Academy have already been controlled.¡± The man in the copper mirror paused for a moment, and his voice became especially dangerous. ¡°Escaped? Dozen-plus?!¡± Thump! The man kneeling on the floor immediately kowtowed sincerely in horror. ¡°Master, Bo Yan and the rest are really cunning. I was negligent for a moment, s¡ªit¡¯s all because I¡¯m incompetent. Master, please punish me!¡± ¡°Immediately go and check! You can¡¯t let any of those people from Ling Xiao Academy go!¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± That man kowtowed a few more times horrifyingly before he stood up and left gingerly. But the moment he took a few steps out, he heard a voice from behind. ¡°Where¡¯s Mu Qinghe?¡± With a conflicted expression, that man paused in his tracks and hesitated while turning around. ¡°Um¡­ Master, he previously didn¡¯t listen to your instructions and insisted on staying in Tianling. Hasn¡¯t he become an abandoned chess piece already? You¡­¡± ¡°An abandoned chess piece has its own uses. Since he doesn¡¯t want to come back, then ¡®invite¡¯ him back.¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± After his figure disappeared, the blood on the copper mirror dissipated. Not long later, everything returned to normal. ¡­ Chapter 1338 - He Treats You Very Well After Chu Liuyue and the others cultivated and rested at the original spot for a while, they continued on their journey. That green jade plaque was practically useless, so Elder Hua Feng kept it. Other than this, they didn¡¯t have any other way to contact the other people from the academy. Hence, after some discussion, they decided to head toward the center of the Flood-Desert Northern Region! The place where the Heavenly Square Cauldron would most likely appear should be there. If they continued walking there, they could meet other people from the aristocratic families, even if they couldn¡¯t find the others from the academy. Perhaps they could ask them what exactly happened. After that previous incident, everyone else was much more alert, terrified that the same incident would happen again. With how much force they had left¡­ If it happened a few more times, they might really be unable to take it. Luckily, everything seemed to become calm and stable afterward. After walking for a very far distance, Chu Liuyue glanced at the sky. The dark-gray clouds were gathered together in huge bunches, and the sky and ground were gloomy. However, there were no signs of it being nightfall. Rumors had it that the Flood-Desert Northern Region was a very special place. With the changes over the past million years, its weather conditions and climate were very different from other places. Daytime was extremely long here, and nighttime was only a short two hours. The day was cold, and the night was even colder. In such an extremely cold place, it was indeed very hard for average people to continue staying here. As the few of them walked on, they suddenly heard a few people faintly talking in front. But as they were rather far away, they couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying clearly. They looked up and could vaguely see a group of people going toward the snowfall in the vast snowy field. Their direction was the same as Chu Liuyue and the rest, but perhaps because they were slower, Chu Liuyue and the rest managed to catch up with them. ¡°Who are they?¡± An elder tried his best to look over. ¡°Judging from their clothes and disguise, they don¡¯t seem like ordinary people¡­ They should be from some top-tier aristocratic family?¡± Chu Liuyue also followed his gaze and looked over. With a rough calculation, there should be about a dozen-plus people. There were old ones and also young men and women. At this point, those people seemed to have noticed something as they turned over. ¡°Who are you?!¡± one of the elders first yelled out alertly. Elder Hua Feng boomed with his dantian, ¡°I¡¯m Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Hua Feng!¡± The low and powerful voice spread far and wide! In the God Residence Realm, Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s reputation was very well-known. Other than a few who had grudges against them, most top-tier aristocratic families had to give them face. Hence, Elder Hua Feng dared to directly report his name. As expected, when they heard him say this, the other party¡¯s attitude immediately changed. ¡°Elder Hua Feng?!¡± The other party answered, and the tone was especially surprised. Elder Hua Feng was about to ask them for their identities when he suddenly heard one of the young women walking over to this side. As she walked, she yelled happily, ¡°Elder Hua Feng, it¡¯s you guys!¡± Elder Hua Feng and the others were originally quite confused, but as the woman walked closer, they instantly looked elated when they saw her appearance. ¡°Shi Rui¡¯er?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er walked over and breathed heavily, her petite face slightly flushed. ¡°That¡¯s me! Greetings, Elders!¡± As Shi Rui¡¯er spoke, she even politely greeted Hua Feng and the rest. Then, she finally noticed Chu Liuyue at the back and was dazed for a moment. But very quickly, she reacted and asked with some uncertainty, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Junior Brother Chu Yue?¡± When Chu Liuyue heard the elders call out her name, she had already recalled this person¡¯s identity¡ªShi Rui¡¯er, Flying Star Sect¡¯s Second Miss. When the academy was calling people to go to Ancient Feather Abyss, Shi Rui¡¯er was one of them. Although the two of them weren¡¯t exactly acquaintances, they did see each other a few times. Chu Liuyue smiled and greeted her. ¡°Greetings, Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er sized her up rather curiously, but her gaze was very controlled, without any meaning of offending her. ¡°I heard that Senior Brother Rong Xiu is personally guiding you now?¡± Chu Liuyue was rather shocked that she would ask this question first, but she still nodded sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be able to receive Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡¯s concern.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth and smile. ¡°He¡¯s not someone who will teach anyone. You naturally have your own abilities if he¡¯s willing to think so highly of you. Besides, I saw your battle with Jin Lei that day. You don¡¯t have to be too humble.¡± Then, she looked left and right and asked in shock, ¡°Hm? Why did Rong Xiu and the rest not follow you over?¡± Elder Hua Feng shook his head. ¡°Rong Xiu has something on, so he didn¡¯t come with us this time.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Shock flashed across Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s eyes. According to my understanding of Rong Xiu, he would definitely come for such a rare chance. I didn¡¯t expect him not to come this time¡­ ¡°What about the other elders? Did you guys separate?¡± asked Shi Rui¡¯er curiously. The expressions of Elder Hua Feng and the rest changed slightly. Shi Rui¡¯er instantly noticed something sharply, and her smile froze for a moment. ¡°We¡¯re still looking for them.¡± Elder Hua Feng thought for a while and still chose to tell the truth. Ling Xiao Academy and Flying Star Sect had frequent interactions, and their relationship wasn¡¯t bad. If he told Shi Rui¡¯er, perhaps they could still help. ¡°W-what does this mean?¡± Even though she had already guessed that the situation wasn¡¯t optimistic, Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t expect that Elder Hua Feng would say such words. Then, Elder Hua Feng briefly explained the incidents to her. Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s gaze gradually became solemn. ¡°¡­So we don¡¯t know where they are now either. We can only find them slowly.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er furrowed her brows tightly. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for about two days, but I¡¯ve never seen Elder Bo Yan and the rest.¡± Elder Hua Feng and the rest had actually expected this outcome, but they still couldn¡¯t hide their disappointment when they heard this. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, since this is so, why don¡¯t we work together and find them on the way? With an extra person, you¡¯ll have more help, right?¡± Hearing Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s suggestion, the few elders naturally didn¡¯t have any reason to reject it. They had very few people, so they weren¡¯t very strong. Based on their own strength, they didn¡¯t have any hope at all of finding so many people from the academy. The remaining people from Flying Star Sect naturally expressed their agreement. After all, Shi Rui¡¯er had the highest status out of all of them, and the Flying Star Sect and Ling Xiao Academy were on good terms. Hence, out of many considerations, they should help them this time. After some slight discussion, the group of people started walking forward again. Chu Liuyue was coincidentally walking on the right of Shi Rui¡¯er. After thinking for a while, she asked, ¡°Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er, may I know if you have seen the Heavenly Square Cauldron appearing in the past two days?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er shook her head. ¡°Nope. In between, we haven¡¯t seen anyone at all.¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly disappointed, but she still thanked her politely. However, Shi Rui¡¯er stared at her for a while and suddenly smiled. ¡°Chu Yue, Rong Xiu rarely treats a person this well. The last one was still¡ª¡± Chapter 1339 - Coincidental Meeting ¡°Rui¡¯er.¡± Elder Hua Feng suddenly interrupted her. Shi Rui¡¯er turned her head. Elder Hua Feng smiled faintly and said, ¡°I heard that the Flying Star Sect obtained a legendary fiend recently?¡± The topic changed so suddenly, and everyone could tell that Elder Hua Feng intended it. Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s gaze flickered as she smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes. My father recently hunted and got a legendary three-eyed eagle recently.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. Elder Hua Feng clearly doesn¡¯t want Shi Rui¡¯er to talk more about Rong Xiu¡¯s past. It should be related to me. Additionally¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the Flying Star Sect to obtain a legendary three-eyed eagle. What a coincidence. ¡°The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s bloodline is extremely precious. It¡¯s prideful and ferocious, and it almost doesn¡¯t interact with humans. For the past thousand years, one hasn¡¯t even openly appeared in front of others. It seems like your father must have put in a lot of effort this time!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er smiled even more brightly. ¡°You¡¯re right. That legendary three-eyed eagle is indeed very hard to teach. Father painstakingly went through three months before it became more obedient.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a tiny sensation in her body. It was as if the legendary three-eyed eagle became restless after hearing this. Chu Liuyue comforted it in her heart before it gradually calmed down. After all, they were of the same clan¡­ How could it not care at all? Besides, the one in her body was once the clan leader of the legendary three-eyed eagles. Another elder suddenly asked, ¡°Rui¡¯er, if I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, you don¡¯t seem to have a fiend, right?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was a warrior, but she never had a fiend. Logically speaking, with her talent and background, she was more than enough to have a legendary fiend. But even when she left the academy, she still didn¡¯t have an agreement with any fiend. Shi Rui¡¯er pressed her lips against each other and smiled. ¡°I do now. Before I came, Father gave me that legendary three-eyed eagle.¡± Elder Hua Feng and the rest seemed surprised. But thinking about it, they felt that it made sense. As the Flying Star Sect¡¯s Second Miss, Shi Rui¡¯er was doted on and deeply loved, so it was normal for her to enjoy such treatment. ¡°No wonder¡­ I have to congratulate you then. Oh right, it seems like you¡¯ve broken through again?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er nodded magnanimously, smiled, and said, ¡°If not, my father wouldn¡¯t have given me that legendary three-eyed eagle.¡± Elder Hua Feng and the rest exchanged a glance. It seems like Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s position as the next heiress is secured. Right at this moment, the crowd heard hurried footsteps from the front. ¡°It seems like someone is running toward us,¡± said an elder with white brows next to Shi Rui¡¯er. ¡°One person?¡± asked Shi Rui¡¯er curiously. That elder with white brows looked over with much focus and nodded with certainty. ¡°One person.¡± That was weird. In this dangerous and hellish place, everyone came in large teams or at least in groups of three or five. They would never journey alone. How was that different from having a death wish? ¡°It seems like a girl, and it looks like she lost her friends.¡± The elder with white brows looked at Shi Rui¡¯er to ask for her opinion. ¡°Second Miss, should we¡­ save this person?¡± Actually, he was leaning toward not saving. Who knows where the other party came from? What if she sets us up in the end after we kindly save her? In the Flood-Desert Northern Region, everyone¡¯s lives are hanging by a loose thread. What could one not do? Shi Rui¡¯er thought for a while and shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have to care about her.¡± After a pause, she said again, ¡°If she forcefully comes near us, just settle her directly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Her tone was very light as if she were talking about today¡¯s weather. However, her one sentence had decided someone¡¯s life or death. But everyone else present didn¡¯t have much of an opinion toward this. Everyone understood that ¡®kindness¡¯ at this time would very likely harm their own lives. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but glance at Shi Rui¡¯er. This Second Miss¡ªwho is rumored to have been brought up as the next successor¡ªis indeed harsh and decisive in her ways. Just when they wanted to walk in another direction, that distant woman seemed to have seen them. After a temporary pause, she rapidly ran over. The elder with white brows stepped forward. Just as he was about to stop her, he heard that woman yell anxiously, ¡°Elder Hua Feng! Save me!¡± The group of them stopped in their tracks. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows and looked over. That voice¡­ seems rather familiar. However, Chu Liuyue raised her brows and looked forward with much interest. What a coincidence¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that the first person we meet at Flood-Desert Northern Region again would actually be Jiang Zhiyuan? At this point, the other elders gradually recognized her identity. ¡°Hua Feng, this voice¡­ sounds like Jiang Zhiyuan?¡± ¡°I think so too. It should be her, right?¡± ¡°Why does her face not look like her¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng walked forward, and Shi Rui¡¯er suddenly advised him, ¡°Elder, be careful.¡± It was really suspicious for one person to suddenly pop up out of nowhere in this snowy land. Even if it were really Jiang Zhiyuan, they couldn¡¯t believe her so easily. Seeing this scene, Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but bite her lips as she quickly glanced at Shi Rui¡¯er. Anger flashed across her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡± Elder Hua Feng knew that Shi Rui¡¯er was being kind, but he still chose to walk over. After all, she was a student from the academy. How could he not save her? Besides, Jiang Zhiyuan left with the main team that had Elder Bo Yan and the rest in the beginning, so perhaps she might know something. Shi Rui¡¯er could only say, ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go over with you.¡± After that, she shot the elder with white brows and the others a look. Everyone immediately went forward together. Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Rui¡¯er, it¡¯s been so long, but you¡¯re still as meticulous as before.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Being careful brings you a long while.¡± As she spoke, the group of them arrived before Jiang Zhiyuan. Jiang Zhiyuan looked at Elder Hua Feng and the rest emotionally, and her eyes turned red. ¡°Elder, you must save me!¡± Seeing the rather unfamiliar face, the crowd was stunned. Elder Hua Feng pointed at her and asked, ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan? Your face¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan then recalled something as she hurriedly explained. ¡°Oh, oh, this is a mask. I used it to hide my appearance¡­¡± As she spoke, she felt around her chin for a while before she slowly took off the mask that was as thin as a butterfly¡¯s wing. The face below the mask was indeed Jiang Zhiyuan, but at this point, there was an inch-long scar on her left cheek for some reason. It was as if someone had used a sharp weapon to scratch it during a battle. Her originally pretty appearance was destroyed by this wound, and it became rather scary. With her frail looks and pale and cracked lips, she looked even more frightening. Noticing the crowd¡¯s gazes, Jiang Zhiyuan then recalled the scar on her face and hurriedly reached out to cover it. But the moment she touched the badly mangled wound, her heart trembled, and she felt extremely awful. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, what exactly happened? Didn¡¯t you come with Elder Bo Yan and the rest? How did you end up in this state?¡± Chapter 1340 - Discussion Facing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s series of questions, Jiang Zhiyuan kept quiet as tears streamed down her face. Anyone who saw it would think that she had met with something unfortunate and was aggrieved. However, Shi Rui¡¯er seemed unaffected by this as she calmly asked. ¡°We¡¯re not standing here to watch you cry. Answer Elder Hua Feng¡¯s questions properly and clearly. Only then can we help you, right?¡± This sentence made Jiang Zhiyuan choke. She couldn¡¯t cry, but she couldn¡¯t stop either. The tear stains on her face seemed very awkward. Chu Liuyue silently glanced at Shi Rui¡¯er. Previously, I still thought I had assumed wrong. But now, I can confirm that Shi Rui¡¯er indeed doesn¡¯t like Jiang Zhiyuan. It can even be said that Shi Rui¡¯er hates her, and it¡¯s the type of hate that she doesn¡¯t conceal. Jiang Zhiyuan also seems rather fearful of her. After being lectured, she didn¡¯t retort and didn¡¯t even dare to show her emotions of being upset. I wonder what happened between the two¡­ ¡°W-we did come to the Flood-Desert Northern Region together previously. Not long after we came out from the transportation formation, we were ambushed¡­¡± ¡°Who is the one that attacked you?¡± Elder Hua Feng immediately questioned. Jiang Zhiyuan shook her head with lingering fear. ¡°N-nobody¡­ Just a Xuan formation¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng and the rest glanced at each other and thought that they had expected it. ¡°That Xuan formation is very powerful. Elder Bo Yan and the others had to work together to break it open forcefully. However, only a portion of us could escape. The remaining people¡­¡± Fear flashed across her eyes. ¡°At that time, the ground suddenly collapsed, and they all¡ª¡± ¡°After they disappeared, the ground got patched up again¡­ I-I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re doing now¡­¡± As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but tear up again. But as if she were afraid of Shi Rui¡¯er lecturing her again, she hurriedly turned away and wiped her face. Elder Hua Feng asked with a low voice, ¡°How many people escaped?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s gaze flickered as she answered hesitantly, ¡°A-about¡­ 50 or 60 people¡­ About ten elders and 30 or 40 students. However, I didn¡¯t see the specific numbers very clearly at that time¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s hearts sank. Fifty or sixty people¡­ A total of 300-plus came from Ling Xiao Academy! At this moment, they directly lost more than half of their people, and their fates were unknown. If something really happened¡­ it would have a huge impact on Ling Xiao Academy! ¡°Since you escaped with the rest, why are you alone now?¡± asked Shi Rui¡¯er calmly. Jiang Zhiyuan shuddered and looked down slightly, and she seemed heartbroken and in despair. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either¡­ We were originally together. Elder Bo Yan said he wanted to try and get those people back, but we were quickly ambushed again. That was also when I accidentally separated from them¡­ I don¡¯t know where the others are as well¡­¡± As she spoke, she rubbed her eyes. ¡°If I didn¡¯t meet you, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to walk out of here¡­¡± Her miserable-looking state seemed to correspond to the experiences she mentioned. Elder Hua Feng and the rest had stern expressions. Originally, they thought that they could get some clues by finding Jiang Zhiyuan, but it now seemed like it wouldn¡¯t work. The other party prepared very meticulously and didn¡¯t even reveal their faces, yet they managed to trick so many people from Ling Xiao Academy. Just Jiang Zhiyuan alone might really be unable to say anything. It would probably be very hard to find the others. ¡°Which way did you run from?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er stared at Jiang Zhiyuan and asked, ¡°There¡¯s so much snow here. Every step you take must exhaust a large amount of your force. You¡­ wouldn¡¯t have walked too far out alone, right?¡± If they walked according to Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s escape route, they might be able to find something. Jiang Zhiyuan was dazed and bit her lips. ¡°I-I was busy escaping and only knew to run forward. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve changed directions and how far I ran. This place has no boundaries or ends. I-I really can¡¯t remember¡­¡± Only plain white snow gathered in between the sky and the earth as if there were no boundaries. There wasn¡¯t even a reference point here, so it was naturally very hard to ascertain their direction and positions. Shi Rui¡¯er knitted her brows and didn¡¯t speak further. Elder Hua Feng glanced at another elder, who said, ¡°I¡¯ll treat her wound first. When she gets better, we can continue going forward.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked grateful. ¡°Thank you, Elder.¡± However, Shi Rui¡¯er turned around and gazed at Elder Hua Feng. ¡°Elder, could you step aside to talk?¡± Elder Hua Feng nodded. The two of them walked to the side. Jiang Zhiyuan glanced at them and knitted her brows undetectably. It has already been so long, and Shi Rui¡¯er indeed still doesn¡¯t like me. I wonder what method she is going to use to deal with me¡­ However, she brought so many Flying Star Sect people with her. I can¡¯t go against her¡­ Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, she saw Chu Liuyue behind the crowd. ¡°Chu Yue?! Why are you here?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but yell in shock. When we were leaving, didn¡¯t Chu Yue say that he was ill and didn¡¯t come? Why did he appear here again? Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°What? Senior Sister Jiang, are you very surprised that I¡¯m here?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly thought of something and glanced at the elder treating her wound. ¡°Elder, y-you brought Chu Yue over?¡± That elder didn¡¯t even look up and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°H-how can this do?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t it happen?¡± That elder took out herbs, placed them on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s elbow wound, and said with a smile, ¡°Chu Yue had already passed the evaluation beforehand, but something cropped up suddenly, so he didn¡¯t manage to come. Now that we planned on coming here, we just brought him along.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan still wanted to say something, but looking at the smile on the elder¡¯s face, she suddenly realized something and sharply swallowed her remaining words. She then quickly glanced at the other elders and realized that they seemed to have a decent attitude toward Chu Yue. She retracted her gaze, and countless doubts filled up her heart. Why¡­ What exactly is going on? These few elders clearly came after us, so they shouldn¡¯t bring any other students along. Yet, why did they bring Chu Yue? Do they not feel that bringing such a person will hold them back? Jiang Zhiyuan had too many questions, but she was very good at reading the situation. At this moment, everyone seemed to have a good impression of Chu Liuyue, so she naturally knew what to say and what not to¡ªespecially¡­ when there was a Shi Rui¡¯er at the side. Originally, I really thought that I was going to die. Who would¡¯ve thought that I would meet Elder Hua Feng and the others on the brink of death? No matter what, I have to stick with them this time! ¡­ On the other side, Shi Rui¡¯er and Elder Hua Feng had already walked to the side. Elder Hua Feng had even specifically put up a barrier in case other people eavesdropped. His instincts told him that Shi Rui¡¯er had something to say. As expected, Shi Rui¡¯er spoke in a straightforward manner after they stood still. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, are you really going to bring Jiang Zhiyuan with us?¡± Chapter 1341 - Legendary Three-Eyed Eagle Elder Hua Feng sighed. ¡°Rui¡¯er, I know that you¡¯ve never really liked her, but she¡¯s still a student of the academy after all. And out of the 300-plus people that came to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, she is the only one we¡¯ve met. We can¡¯t just leave her here.¡± ¡°Elder Hua Feng, I¡¯m disagreeing with bringing her along, not because of personal reasons, but¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er paused. ¡°You also said that a total of 300-plus people came from the academy. Why is she the only one who appeared here? Not to mention the elders, there are also many students who are stronger than her, right? In my opinion, it¡¯s very suspicious that she appeared alone.¡± Elder Hua Feng stroked his beard. ¡°Rui¡¯er, your worries are justified, but I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have any other choice, right? If she¡¯s really problematic, do you think it¡¯s safer to let her go or to put her right in front of us?¡± With so many people around, it couldn¡¯t be that they could not handle one Jiang Zhiyuan, right? Upon hearing this, Shi Rui¡¯er thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll listen to you then, but if we realize that she has some problems, I won¡¯t show any mercy.¡± Elder Hua Feng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, smiled, and said, ¡°Okay! You¡¯ve always been sensible, so I trust you!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er also smiled. ¡°But¡­ there¡¯s something I never really understood. Why do you dislike Jiang Zhiyuan so much? I recall that you had returned to Flying Star Sect a few months after she came to the academy, right?¡± These two people basically didn¡¯t have much interaction, so he didn¡¯t know where the unhappiness came from. Shi Rui¡¯er pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ears, faintly smiled, and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. She just did some things that I don¡¯t really like, so¡­ But don¡¯t worry. As long as she behaves herself during this journey, I won¡¯t do anything to her.¡± It¡¯d be a waste of my time. Not to mention Jiang Zhiyuan, I don¡¯t really care about the entire Fairy Water Mound. Elder Hua Feng looked at her genuine expression and knew that she was speaking the truth, so he felt more at ease. ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great.¡± ¡­ After the two finished talking, they quickly went back. At this point, the wounds on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body had basically been treated. After taking one pill, her face finally had some color to it. She obediently stood behind the crowd and tried to lower her existence to the minimum. All of those people started walking in the direction she talked about previously. ¡­ ¡°Chu Yue, I heard that you have a red-tailed phoenix?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er seemed to like Chu Liuyue very much and was very curious about her. After walking for a distance, she started talking to Chu Liuyue again. Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Elder Hua Feng¡ªwho was standing in front¡ªrubbed his nose. ¡°That¡¯s great. Why don¡¯t we exchange some blows some time?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ever since I had this one, I didn¡¯t really duel with anyone.¡± It must be very interesting to watch a legendary three-eyed eagle and a red-tailed phoenix fight. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Tuan Zi has been very lazy lately, and it keeps sleeping. It¡¯s not energized at all. Why don¡¯t we talk about such things at a later date?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er felt slightly regretful, but such things really couldn¡¯t be forced, so she said, ¡°Okay then. I just feel that it¡¯s pretty lonely. From a thousand years ago, legendary three-eyed eagles haven¡¯t appeared in the God Residence Realm again. My father found this one in some twist of fate. I don¡¯t know when I can find another one¡­¡± ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagle?¡± Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho was quiet all along¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°There¡¯s one in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er. Why don¡¯t you go over there and exchange blows with that person?¡± Chapter 1342 - I Came Here Before Shi Rui¡¯er glanced at her strangely. ¡°Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan tugged at her lips, but there was no smile in her eyes. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you know? The princess consort of the Sky-Cloud Empire coincidentally has a legendary three-eyed eagle. She also has a red-tailed phoenix at the same time.¡± ¡°She has an agreement with two fiends, and they¡¯re both legendary fiends? How is that possible?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s first reaction was to shake her head. Fiends were very prideful; it was impossible for them to choose to serve the same master at the same time, let alone two legendary fiends. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to lie in front of you, Senior Sister. You can go and ask around to know if it¡¯s true or false.¡± Talking about this, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s blood boiled. If it weren¡¯t because Shangguan Yue had two legendary fiends, how could I possibly lose? Even now, I still don¡¯t know how exactly Shangguan Yue did that. Hearing Jiang Zhiyuan say this, Shi Rui¡¯er was rather surprised. Jiang Zhiyuan really has no need to lie about such things. After all, I can easily know about it if I ask the Sky-Cloud Empire. So that means¡­ it is actually true? ¡°If it¡¯s true, then I really have to go there when I have the chance in the future.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er thought for a moment and suddenly laughed. ¡°She¡¯s really worthy of being the princess consort that Rong Xiu chose. It seems like she isn¡¯t as unworthy as the rumors in school say, right? Jiang Zhiyuan, what do you think?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression froze. Shi Rui¡¯er was clearly mocking her! That was because all the rumors that were spreading about the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort basically came from her back then. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t say anything good about the other party. After much spreading, it became even worse. Jiang Zhiyuan forced a smile. ¡°¡­Senior Sister, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s wrong with the academy these few years as there are always people causing trouble out of nowhere. Some people aren¡¯t as capable as others, yet they aren¡¯t thinking of how to diligently cultivate and be better. Instead, they keep thinking of ways to spread false rumors about other people and even ruin their reputation to drag them down¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er coldly snorted. ¡°Sometimes, they really deserve to be taught a lesson.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was so angered that she couldn¡¯t speak as her face flashed white and red. Chu Liuyue watched on from the side and raised her brows slightly. Tsk. I really rarely see Jiang Zhiyuan being stumped in front of one person. Even in the Sky-Cloud Empire back then, she acted as if she was half the master. But in front of Shi Rui¡¯er, she has to act gingerly, terrified that Shi Rui¡¯er will do something to her. If it weren¡¯t because the time isn¡¯t right, I really want to go up and ask what happened. ¡°Oh right! Jiang Zhiyuan, you previously said that they were ambushed again when you guys escaped, and that¡¯s also the reason you separated from the rest, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan nodded rather nervously, as if she still had lingering fear about the previous incident. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you tell us what exactly happened back then?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan muttered, ¡°¡­I was too nervous at that time, so I only focused on escaping. I don¡¯t remember the things that happened clearly¡­¡± ¡°Then. just tell us in detail about how you fled.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er emphasized the word ¡®fled¡¯ in a seemingly laughing manner. ¡°The more detailed your description, the more useful it is to us. It can¡¯t be that¡­ you¡¯re not willing to say this either, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan felt guilty, and her mind quickly spun. This Shi Rui¡¯er is very sharp and critical! I did meet with two attacks, and I did escape in the middle of the chaos, but the truth Is very different from what I had told Elder Hua Feng and the rest at the start. If I say it¡­ No! I definitely can¡¯t say it! I can¡¯t let them find out what happened back then! If I do¡ª ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Why wouldn¡¯t I talk about it? M-my mind is still quite messy now. Let me think about it carefully¡­¡± ¡°You should think about it.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er laughed lightly. ¡°When you¡¯re done tidying up your thoughts and have figured out what you¡¯re going to say, it¡¯s not too late to tell us then.¡± This sentence sounded weird somehow, but Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t find a way to retaliate. Thus, she could only suppress the anger. She looked down, and her light gaze seemed frail and pitiful. Nobody saw the grievances that flashed across her eyes. It wasn¡¯t the first or second time that Shi Rui¡¯er had targeted her, and it wasn¡¯t like Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t hate her. However, Shi Rui¡¯er was the legitimate Second Miss of the Flying Star Sect, and she was nurtured as the next successor from a young age. She had a distinguished status, and she was more talented and capable than her. The two were worlds apart, so she could only hold it back. Luckily, Shi Rui¡¯er left after a few months. Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t expect to meet her a few years down the road! ¡°Yeah, Rui¡¯er is right. Rest properly and tidy up your thoughts. Then, you can try your best to recount the entire incident clearly. That way, perhaps we might be able to get clues to find Bo Yan and the rest,¡± Elder Hua Feng agreed with Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s words and added. Jiang Zhiyuan could only smile forcefully. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡­ The crowd walked for a distance, and the sky completely turned black. The temperature at night was extremely low. If they stayed at the same spot, they had to waste a large amount of force to maintain their body temperature. And if they weren¡¯t careful, they might just sleep forever. Hence, the crowd chose to continue going forward. In the dark sky, the moon wasn¡¯t to be seen, and there were only a few stars shining. The crowd silently walked forward. Suddenly, Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice sounded in Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue was quite surprised. ¡°Ancestor? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shangguan Jing paused and said, ¡°I feel that¡­ this place is very familiar.¡± His voice was very light, but it sounded like thunder to Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears. She knew very clearly that if there wasn¡¯t something important, her ancestor wouldn¡¯t randomly say this. ¡°Did you recall something?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in her heart lightly. ¡°Not yet, but¡­ I should¡¯ve been here before.¡± In actual fact, he had this feeling ever since they reached the Flood-Desert Northern Region and got out of the transportation formation. As they kept going forward, the feeling became increasingly stronger. It was only now that he could finally say it with certainty. Chu Liuyue found it weird. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shangguan Jing simply replied, ¡°I think I know¡­ where to walk from here.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped in her tracks. ¡°Chu Yue, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Hua Feng was walking beside Chu Liuyue the whole time. Seeing that the latter suddenly stopped, he couldn¡¯t help but turn around and glance at her curiously. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and smiled to hide her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, but I feel a little tired.¡± Elder Hua Feng sighed, and white mist escaped from his mouth. It was indeed too cold here, and it was very effortful to walk. ¡°I think everyone is also tired too. Why don¡¯t we all sit down and rest for an hour?¡± This suggestion gained everyone¡¯s agreement. In actual fact, after traveling for a day, they couldn¡¯t hang on for much longer. Everyone cleared an empty spot on the snowy ground and sat down cross-legged as they recuperated respectively. The only benefit here was that the force was still quite rich. Chu Liuyue also sat down and closed her eyes. ¡°Ancestor, please continue.¡± Chapter 1343 - Dangerous ¡°This place¡­ didn¡¯t look like it currently does.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s tone was rather uncertain. ¡°I know which direction to head toward that is safer, but as to what exactly that place has, I don¡¯t remember at all. And¡­ I can only sense things that are within around a ten-yard radius. Things beyond that¡­ I have to go there to know about it.¡± ¡°Perhaps too long has passed, or my soul isn¡¯t complete, so the things that I can recall are really not much.¡± Shangguan Jing hesitated for a moment and still said, ¡°Also, you can just listen to it. You mustn¡¯t completely believe it. If I have remembered it wrongly¡­ Besides, even if I really came here before, it was 1,000 years ago. The world is ever-changing, and we can¡¯t say anything for sure.¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Ancestor. I understand. Then, where do you think we should head toward now?¡± Shangguan Jing pointed out a direction. Chu Liuyue slowly opened her eyes, and deep thoughts flashed across her mind. There must be a certain logic to Ancestor¡¯s words. Since he has said so much¡­ What¡¯s the harm of trying? After all, even Elder Hua Feng and the rest have no other methods in such a hellish place. ¡­ An hour quickly passed. The group of them stood up and prepared to leave. Elder Hua Feng looked at Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°Where should we go next?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan took a look and pointed in a direction. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s there.¡± The sky was dark. Luckily, the accumulated snow above the ground reflected a faint light, so one could forcefully see the direction clearly. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With Elder Hua Feng¡¯s command, the crowd started walking in that direction. ¡°Hold on,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Elder Hua Feng glanced at her. ¡°Chu Yue, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue hugged her arm with one hand, and the other held her chin. She thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that direction. Let¡¯s go there instead.¡± As she spoke, she pointed in another direction. The crowd was stunned in unison and exchanged glances. W-what¡¯s going on? Only Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression changed slightly after she saw this scene. ¡°Chu Yue, what are you talking about?¡± Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Do you want to walk there?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Yeah. For some reason, I just feel that that place might be safer.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem like she was kidding, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression froze for a moment. ¡°Uh¡­ but Jiang Zhiyuan said there¡ª¡± ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s words might not be right either. Didn¡¯t she say that she doesn¡¯t remember anything clearly just now? Who knows if she coincidentally remembered the opposite direction?¡± At the side, Shi Rui¡¯er suddenly spoke and raised her chin toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue, tell us¡ªwhy do you want to change direction?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°No reason. It¡¯s just my instincts.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er stared into her eyes for some time and nodded. ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll go according to your direction.¡± ¡°No!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly raised her voice. It was so shrill that it was slightly piercing. Seeing the crowd all look over toward her, she then realized that she had lost her composure. She lowered her voice again. ¡°I-I remember it very clearly that it¡¯s there. The Flood-Desert Northern Region is very dangerous. If we go the wrong way, the consequences are unimaginable.¡± ¡°Senior Sister Jiang, I¡¯m just saying that we can walk there too. Why are you so agitated?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s back was filled with cold sweat as she forced a smile. ¡°Nothing. I was just worried about everyone¡¯s safety. After all, there¡¯s so many of us. If something happens, who is going to bear the responsibility?¡± Hearing her say this, the other elders all believed it. ¡°Chu Yue, Jiang Zhiyuan is right. We really can¡¯t randomly walk anywhere in this place. No matter what, she still escaped alone, so her route should be right. Let¡¯s walk there.¡± ¡°Yeah! In this land filled with snow, who knows what traps are hidden underneath? Let¡¯s not risk it, okay?¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t angry either as she smiled faintly. I can naturally understand why they would think this way and say such things. If it weren¡¯t for Ancestor, I wouldn¡¯t jump up and say such words. However, it is useless to tell them about this. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned, and she looked at Elder Hua Feng. ¡°Elder, do you trust me?¡± Elder Hua Feng was dazed. ¡°Of course, I believe you¡ª¡± Suddenly, his voice trailed off, and he squinted his eyes. Chu Yue is so persistent, so he clearly isn¡¯t doing this on impulse. Could it be¡­ that he knows something? He has the red-gold heavenly phoenix with him. Perhaps¡­ this is the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s advice? Elder Hua Feng thought for a while and finally said, ¡°We¡¯ll listen to you this time. Let¡¯s try walking over there!¡± ¡°Elder Hua Feng?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked at him in disbelief. ¡°You really decided that?¡± This is a major issue that concerns everyone¡¯s lives! He actually believed Chu Yue so easily? This is too immature! The other elders were also surprised. Elder Hua Feng laughed and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing serious about going over to take a look. If something happens, we can just come back again!¡± The crowd fell into a momentary silence. Listen to what he¡¯s saying¡­ What if we don¡¯t have the time and strength to run back? Then, won¡¯t we all die there? But although Elder Hua Feng seemed like he was smiling and harmonious, those who understood him knew that he had already made up his mind. Seeing that Elder Hua Feng and Shi Rui¡¯er had agreed to walk in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction, even if the rest had opinions, there was no use. Hence, they swiftly agreed. The most anxious one was Jiang Zhiyuan. However, her previous reaction was too big and had already aroused suspicions from Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest. If she forcefully objected again, perhaps¡­ 2 Helpless, she could only choose to keep quiet and follow the crowd from behind. The group of them rapidly went in the direction Chu Liuyue pointed. The further they walked, the more anxious Jiang Zhiyuan was as she kept thinking of how to convince everyone to go back. However, everyone didn¡¯t really talk, and nothing much happened on the way, so she couldn¡¯t say anything. Hence, after walking a while, the horizon appeared in the skies. Shi Rui¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°Chu Yue, it seems like the direction you picked is indeed pretty good¡ª¡± Hula! Before she could finish her sentence, something suddenly rushed out of the snowy ground in front of her. It caused a huge commotion and ran straight toward the crowd! Chapter 1344 - Cant Kill ¡°Nine-tailed green crow!¡± The elder with white brows, who was standing beside Shi Rui¡¯er, immediately gasped in shock. ¡°Quickly disperse!¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd was stunned and rapidly moved backward! Nine-tailed green crows were legendary fiends! They were very ferocious and had strong combat skills! The most important thing was that they always traveled in groups! Once one was surrounded by nine-tailed green crows, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to escape! Following this, the crowd saw a patch of black rapidly flying toward them! In the blink of an eye, it was already before their eyes. Every one of them couldn¡¯t be considered big, but they were entirely a dark grayish-green color. Their pairs of black eyes were cold and sharp, and their sharp white beaks seemed like they could bite off a piece of meat at any point in time! At their behinds, they had nine long and hard tails that usually gathered together and drooped down slightly. But when they were going to attack, all those tails would immediately expand and reflect rainbow light under the sun. It was very pretty but very dangerous. In the vast white snowy field, their appearance was very eye-catching. The crowd retreated. They were fast, but the nine-tailed green crows were even faster! As their wings flapped, the nine-tailed green crows had already brushed past the snowy ground and quickly flew up! Elder Hua Feng and the rest were originally standing at the front, so they were implicated in the situation. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s gaze turned harsh, and he rapidly set up a barrier before him! Bang bang! The few nine-tailed green crows slammed into that barrier harshly! Hearing this noise, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but turn around as shock flashed across her eyes. Those nine-tailed green crows actually seemed like they didn¡¯t want their lives. After they moved back slightly, they rushed straight up with even greater force! Thump! Kacha! A crack appeared on Elder Hua Feng¡¯s barrier! Thump! Another nine-tailed green crow hit against it as if it didn¡¯t want to live. This time, the crack started rapidly spreading in all directions! These nine-tailed green crows were indeed ferocious! They clearly could turn in from another direction and attack him, but they refused and stubbornly kept hitting the barrier that stopped them. As legendary fiends, their intelligence could be compared to humans or even better than humans. It was impossible that they didn¡¯t know there was another easier way out, but they still chose to face it head-on! This was the ferocious temper that was built in their bones! Of course, the more important thing was that they had the ability to go against the barrier head-on. The barrier broke, and Elder Hua Feng felt stifled. He chose to leave rapidly. ¡°Although nine-tailed green crows have great explosive power, their stamina isn¡¯t great. After about 15 minutes, they will leave if they can¡¯t get to anyone!¡± As Elder Hua Feng ran forward, he hurriedly reminded everyone, ¡°Remember¡ªyou must not take their lives!¡± The long walk through the snowy field had already exhausted quite a bit of everyone¡¯s force. Thus, their speed slowly started decreasing. The nine-tailed green crows kept catching up from behind, and they rushed to them in no time! Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho was originally standing at the back¡ªbecame the safest person when escaping. But before she could feel lucky about it, a rush of air went by her ear. Then, a nine-tailed green crow flew before her and stopped her path! The nine-tailed green crow stared at her nonchalantly as if it wanted to skin her alive! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Whoosh! The nine-tailed green crow rushed straight toward her. Almost instinctively, Jiang Zhiyuan whipped out her sword and slashed down harshly. However, the nine-tailed green crow was faster as it easily used its claws to stop the sword. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart sank! Right at this moment, the nine-tailed green crow took the longsword in her hands and threw it out! Jiang Zhiyuan immediately ran in another direction! But at this point, she had long lost her physical strength, so how could she be the nine-tailed green crow¡¯s opponent? Putong! Jiang Zhiyuan fell to the ground, and more than half her body sunk into the thick snow. An ear-piercing sound was heard. Jiang Zhiyuan looked back in horror. That nine-tailed green crow was already very near, and it was right about to rip her face! Everyone else had also seen this, but as they were quite far apart and Jiang Zhiyuan kept running to the side anxiously to avoid the nine-tailed green crow, their distance between each other grew increasingly bigger. Shi Rui¡¯er knitted her brows. The next moment, a gigantic black figure appeared above her head! It was the fiend she had an agreement with¡ªa legendary three-eyed eagle that had just reached maturity! ¡°Go!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er commanded! The next moment, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s figure instantly disappeared before their eyes. At the same time, a shrill shriek rapidly spread! The shriek that was filled with suppression caused all the nine-tailed green crows present to be dazed for a moment. In comparison, the legendary three-eyed eagle was more distinguished than nine-tailed green crows. The strong bloodline power in its bones made these nine-tailed green crows have a sense of fear, respect, and hesitation¡ªincluding the one in front of Jiang Zhiyuan. Hearing this noise, their movements finally had a moment of hesitation. Seeing this scene, Jiang Zhiyuan was elated and rapidly took action! She flung something out. It was a golden metal container, and it looked ordinary. Whoosh! Flying dagger leaves, which were as thin as cicada wings, suddenly flew out from within! These flying daggers were extremely quick, and she chose the most crucial moment. The nine-tailed green crow before her wanted to avoid them, but it was too late. Countless flying daggers had pierced through its body! The incredibly sharp weapons had cut its feathers and muscles, making an extremely soft sound that made one¡¯s hair stand on end. Spurt! An immeasurable amount of fresh blood spurted out and landed on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face! Thump! The nine-tailed green crow fell to the ground. The crystal-white snow beneath rapidly melted due to the blood, dyeing everything red. And its body was already cut into many pieces. It lost its breathing in the blink of an eye. The surroundings suddenly fell into silence. Everyone dazedly stared at this scene, shocked. Even the nine-tailed green crows were stunned to the ground. Only Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho was half-lying on the snow ground¡ªpushed against the ground with one hand and held the golden metal container tightly with another. She clenched her teeth tightly and breathed heavily. Her chest heaved up and down violently, and she widened her eyes as she stared at the deceased nine-tailed green crow before her harshly. Happiness from the success flashed across her eyes. Her originally pale face had blood on it now, causing her to look ominous for some reason, and people feared her. After some time, as if detecting everyone¡¯s gazes, she then looked up slowly. Not waiting for her to announce her victory, the elder with white brows angrily scolded, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was slightly dazed. This shout was like a bat to her head, causing her to be dizzy. She raised her brows in disbelief. ¡°It wanted to kill me! If I didn¡¯t retaliate, am I supposed to just sit here and watch?!¡± As she spoke, she looked at Elder Hua Feng to ask for help. ¡°Elder, I know that Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er doesn¡¯t like me. But no matter what, she can¡¯t disregard my safety, right?¡± However, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say just now that you¡¯re not allowed to take their lives?!¡± Chapter 1345 - Implicate His every word and sentence was cold to the extreme. Jiang Zhiyuan was confused. W-what¡¯s going on? Even Elder Hua Feng is standing on Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s side? Hah, that¡¯s right. After all, she is the Flying Star Sect¡¯s Second Miss, a successor that has a bright future. Compared to me, she is much more outstanding. Even the academy elders are humans, so they will praise the high and mighty and trample on the low and weak, right? Jiang Zhiyuan sneered in her heart and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Elder Hua Feng, do you mean that I can¡¯t retaliate even if this nine-tailed green crow is about to kill me? I can only let it kill me?¡± ¡°Stupid!¡± At the side, the elder with white brows couldn¡¯t help but scold her. ¡°Do you know that nine-tailed green crows live and die as a group!? Once you kill one of them, the other members will chase you till the end! They won¡¯t stop until you die!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression instantly froze. ¡°Why do you think we just ran away and didn¡¯t fight them directly? Do you think that you¡¯re the only one here who has the ability to kill them? Now that you¡¯ve killed one of them, what are we supposed to do with so many of them left?!¡± Huge trouble was caused. ¡°We just had to survive for 15 minutes to avoid this disaster! Great, how are we supposed to handle the situation now? Depend on your sneaky weapon?¡± The elder with white brows was enraged, so his words were very direct. Nervousness and terror finally surfaced on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­ But I didn¡¯t have a choice either¡­ It wanted to kill me just now¡­¡± ¡°I had already summoned the legendary three-eyed eagle. With its suppression¡­ Although it can¡¯t make the nine-tailed green crows run away, it can at least make them fearful.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er had a cold and harsh expression as she stared at Jiang Zhiyuan with a dagger-like gaze. ¡°If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, after the legendary three-eyed eagle came out, the nine-tailed green crow had already stopped its attack in front of you. Yet, you took the opportunity to kill it! Jiang Zhiyuan, do you have no brains, or do you want to drive all of us to our deaths?!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er really hated Jiang Zhiyuan to the core. This woman is incredulously stupid! We had clearly stated everything openly, and everyone else was doing fine. We just had to wait for a while and pass that time, yet Jiang Zhiyuan came out and caused a huge commotion! Jiang Zhiyuan was scolded until she couldn¡¯t speak, and her face started to burn. Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s words were as if slapping her in public as she didn¡¯t leave her any face at all. Yet, she didn¡¯t have any reason to retort. Helpless, she could only look at Elder Hua Feng and cry in desperation. ¡°Elder¡­ Elder, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose! I was too nervous and scared just now, so I¡­ I-I didn¡¯t know that Senior Sister was saving me just now. I¡­¡± In that situation back then, I had already disregarded everything. Why would I think so much? Besides, Shi Rui¡¯er has always had an opinion about me. Nobody knows if her intent of saving me is real or fake! If she had acted sooner and summoned the legendary three-eyed eagle from the beginning, why would we end up in such a state? I wouldn¡¯t have had to kill the nine-tailed green crow out of helplessness. Shi Rui¡¯er was very smart and immediately guessed what Jiang Zhiyuan meant as she laughed in mockery. ¡°What, do you mean that you think I acted too late?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan immediately said, ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯ve misunderstood! I definitely didn¡¯t mean that¡ªreally!¡± ¡°You know yourself if it¡¯s true or false.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and contempt flashed across her eyes. ¡°I do dislike you, but it¡¯s not to the point where I would cause myself so much trouble just to teach you a lesson.¡± Her sentence was plain and light, yet it was high and mighty. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart felt like it was stifled. Her entire person was extremely uncomfortable as her tears kept falling. As they touched her bloodstained face, two streaks of tears came down. Her miserable appearance seemed like she had suffered a huge grievance. Hearing that Jiang Zhiyuan had no intentions of admitting her mistakes, Elder Hua Feng was extremely disappointed. Jiang Zhiyuan is clearly the one who has caused trouble for us, yet she still acts as if she is the victim. Who is she putting on a pretense for? ¡°Rui¡¯er had already helped you. Not only do you not appreciate it, but you¡¯re even doubting her¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan, you¡¯re too disappointing!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan hurriedly defended herself. ¡°No! Elder, I was just¡ª¡± ¡°Ah!!!¡± A hoarse and ear-piercing shriek suddenly sounded! The crowd looked over and saw the nine-tailed green crows quickly flying toward Jiang Zhiyuan. Jiang Zhiyuan was petrified as she hurriedly moved back. Those nine-tailed green crows stopped not far in front of her. With the dead crow in the center, they formed a circle and kept circling back and forth in the air. Soft whimpers could be heard. ¡°Elder, we must leave immediately!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. These nine-tailed green crows are summoning their other clansmen! If we are any later¡­ ¡°Go!¡± Elder Hua Feng decided immediately! Even if Shi Rui¡¯er summoned her legendary three-eyed eagle now, it was useless. The legendary three-eyed eagle could cause them to be momentarily stunned, but now that a nine-tailed green crow was dead, they definitely wouldn¡¯t let this slide! Seeing that the crowd was about to leave, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she hurriedly got up. ¡°Elder!¡± I have to be with them and cannot be left behind! How can I deal with the nine-tailed green crows alone? The elder with white brows coldly scolded, ¡°Nine-tailed green crows bear grudges very well. I¡¯m afraid this won¡¯t be the end of this incident! Jiang Zhiyuan killed that one, and her body still has its blood; she can¡¯t escape at all. If we want to continue going with her, we won¡¯t be able to escape them either!¡± He gazed at Shi Rui¡¯er. ¡°Second Miss, we don¡¯t have to pay for this, right?¡± His meaning was very obvious¡ªthey had to abandon Jiang Zhiyuan! Shi Rui¡¯er thought for a moment and glanced at Elder Hua Feng. ¡°Elder, what do you think?¡± Elder Hua Feng felt very conflicted. On the one hand, Jiang Zhiyuan did cause this incident herself, so she should be the one bearing the responsibility. On the other hand, she was a student from the academy. If they just abandoned her here¡­ he would feel very guilty. ¡°Rui¡¯er, you¡¯re all students of the academy, and we wouldn¡¯t want to abandon any of you, so¡­ Why don¡¯t we do this? You can leave first, and we¡¯ll be at the back. After settling these issues, we can gather again when we have the chance, okay?¡± Helplessness flashed across Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s eyes. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s suggestion didn¡¯t seem problematic on the surface, but was this not pushing them toward the most dangerous situation? And this was all because of Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°Elder, we can¡¯t leave alone. Since you have decided to bring her along, then we shall. We have so many people, perhaps we can handle¡ª¡± Once she said this, roars could be heard from far away! A patch of dark grayish-green color was swarming toward them from the place where the sky and ground connected! Chapter 1346 - Follow With a rough estimate, there were at least more than a hundred of them! ¡°Why are there so many nine-tailed green crows here?¡± the elder with white brows yelled in shock. Then, he immediately looked at Shi Rui¡¯er. ¡°Second Miss¡ª¡± It was fine if there were only a few as they could still handle them, but¡­ So many of them came now! One had to know that they were all legendary fiends! They were afraid they wouldn¡¯t even be able to handle half of them! When Jiang Zhiyuan saw this scene, she was so stunned that she forgot to even cry. She hurriedly yelled at Elder Hua Feng in panic, ¡°Elder, save me!¡± I survived with much difficulty. How can I just die here?! She almost rolled and crawled as she ran over and hurriedly kneeled on the ground to beg them. ¡°Shut up!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er felt disgusted. All she knows how to do is cause trouble. It¡¯s as if she is afraid that the world will be at peace. At crucial moments, she becomes the most cowardly one! Jiang Zhiyuan is the one who caused all this trouble. Why should we pay with our lives as well!? She isn¡¯t worth it! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s entire body trembled due to this scream, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She could only hopelessly stare at Elder Hua Feng and the rest and beg them. Now, she could only depend on them. Elder Hua Feng clenched his fists tightly. Even if we leave Jiang Zhiyuan here now, we might not even be able to get rid of these nine-tailed green crows¡­ ¡°Elder.¡± When the crowd was in a state of panic, a clear voice sounded. This voice was clean like mountain water flowing down, instantly breaking the fiery and stiff atmosphere. ¡°Chu Yue?¡± Elder Hua Feng glanced at Chu Liuyue strangely. Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°If you trust me, follow me.¡± Her tone was very calm, which made Elder Hua Feng determined. For some reason, although it was just a short sentence, his uneasy emotions were instantly comforted. Looking at that pair of dark and clear eyes, many thoughts flashed across his mind, and he finally nodded with determination. ¡°Okay!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and she smiled. Although Elder Hua Feng is usually indecisive, he trusts me very much. This point alone is enough. Chu Liuyue walked forward. Elder Hua Feng followed closely after. ¡°Everyone, follow us!¡± Hearing this command, the other academy elders exchanged glances. But thinking about the series of incidents that happened along the way, they hurriedly followed. Not to mention others, but Chu Yue is indeed a lucky star! If we follow him, we might actually be able to avoid this disaster. Shi Rui¡¯er knitted her brows and planned to follow them, but the elder with white brows stopped her from the side. His old face was filled with disapproval. ¡°Second Miss, this is an important matter. You must think about it carefully!¡± In the beginning, I agreed when Second Miss said that she wanted to go with the people from Ling Xiao Academy. Then, when Second Miss agreed to journey in Chu Yue¡¯s direction, I also agreed. But now? The people from Ling Xiao Academy have caused such a huge mess, yet we have to deal with it? We are on good terms, but it isn¡¯t good to that extent! The clan leader sent us over to find the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Why are we doing all of this?! There can be a first time or a second but never a third! We have to separate from Ling Xiao Academy to have a chance of survival! ¡°Sixth Uncle, I know what you¡¯re considering, but I have to go with them,¡± said Shi Rui¡¯er with a light yet determined tone. The elder with white brows was hesitant with his words. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Even if we go our separate ways, it¡¯s already too late. When that nine-tailed green crow died just now, all of us were present. Our auras are mixed. The remaining ones¡­ won¡¯t let us off so easily.¡± As Shi Rui¡¯er spoke, she revealed a faint smile. ¡°Also, I trust the academy elders and¡­ Chu Yue.¡± Seeing her persistent attitude, the elder with white brows could only nod helplessly. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± If we are really driven to the corner, we can only¡ª Shi Rui¡¯er turned around and followed them. The people from the Flying Star Sect hurriedly followed. Right at this moment, Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly rushed to Elder Hua Feng¡¯s side and said anxiously, ¡°Elder, you¡¯re really planning on trusting Chu Yue¡¯s so-called instincts?¡± Elder Hua Feng paused in his tracks. Chu Liuyue raised her brows and glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Just now, we followed the direction she chose and walked over. In the end, we met with these nine-tailed green crows. Life and death are at stake. If we follow him again¡­¡± ¡°Senior Sister Jiang,¡± said Chu Liuyue lazily. ¡°If you didn¡¯t kill that one nine-tailed green crow, we would¡¯ve already been out of danger. Why would we be chased by so many nine-tailed green crows?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was stumped. ¡°Besides, if you really think that it¡¯s dangerous to follow us, we won¡¯t force you either. You can go whichever side you think is safer, okay?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s short few sentences caused Jiang Zhiyuan to be unable to speak further. Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her teeth and still looked down. The current me indeed has no right to continue bargaining with these people. Forget it! As long as I¡¯m alive, we can talk about the rest later! Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and sneered in her heart. Even now, Jiang Zhiyuan doesn¡¯t seem like she can read the situation clearly. All the people present have grudges against her. Even Elder Hua Feng probably doesn¡¯t have the initial pity and sympathy he had for her. If it weren¡¯t because he wanted to find the whereabouts of Elder Bo Yan and the rest, why would he still tolerate Jiang Zhiyuan? The sound of wings flapping could be heard in the air. That was the sound of nine-tailed green crows rapidly approaching! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even turn around as if she didn¡¯t care about those nine-tailed green crows. She walked forward step by step. ¡°Ancestor, where should we go next?¡± Chapter 1347 - Path In Front Chu Liuyue followed Shangguan Jing¡¯s instructions and walked forward. She wasn¡¯t fast. In actual fact, everyone had basically exhausted quite a bit of their force by this moment, so they couldn¡¯t be any faster. The nine-tailed green crows would be able to catch up with them sooner or later. Hearing the noise of the flapping wings rapidly approaching, Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but glance at Chu Liuyue from the corner of his eyes. Yet, he saw that the latter was exceptionally nonchalant and calm. Such a stable mentality didn¡¯t seem like a young man in his teens at all. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t curious. Instead, he instinctively chose to trust Chu Liuyue because he knew about the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s existence. The crowd silently walked forward. Whoosh! A terrifying aura attacked from behind! Jiang Zhiyuan was stunned and immediately dodged to the side! A green fire then rapidly brushed past the side of her body! Her sleeves started burning instantly! ¡°Ah!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan yelled out in pain and hurriedly extinguished the fire! That fire was quickly put out, but more than half her sleeves were burned. Her shoulders were also burned, resulting in a scorched and distorted wound. The intense pain spread everywhere! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s lips turned white in a flash. In this cold and icy place, the harsh winds attacked her bones, and her forehead broke out into a cold sweat. She turned around and looked back weakly. The nine-tailed green crow flying at the front launched an attack toward her! Their target was indeed her! At this point, Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t care about the pain as she started running forward at full speed. As she ran, she kept thinking of ways to survive in her head. Some of the people in front turned around and saw the scene, but they didn¡¯t help. At such times, they had to leave some strength for themselves to escape. How could they have any energy left to help others, not to mention that this ¡®other person¡¯ was still the culprit who brought them into this mess? ¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan was tortured on this side, yet she couldn¡¯t voice her sufferings. She ran crazily, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even give her an additional gaze. The further they walked, the clearer Shangguan Jing¡¯s memory seemed to be. To Chu Liuyue, this was clearly a boundless snowy field. But to Shangguan Jing, he seemed to clearly know all the trees and plants that had once been here. At this point, Chu Liuyue could confirm that her ancestor had come here before. ¡°Ancestor, will your remaining soul be here?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask. Shangguan Jing fell silent for a moment before sighing lightly. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± In actual fact, he did feel that something was summoning him. This feeling was very familiar. As time passed, the feeling became increasingly strong. At this moment, those nine-tailed green crows had already caught up with them! A portion of them even went straight ahead and directly blocked Chu Liuyue and the rest. Whoosh! Countless green fires flew out and formed a barrier in front of them! The temperature of the fire wasn¡¯t high, and there was even cold intent. It burned crazily on the snowy ground, yet the snow had no signs of melting at all. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Chu Yue, move back. Let me¡ª¡± Before Elder Hua Feng could finish his sentence, he saw Chu Liuyue directly stepping over it! The green fire seemed to have met something terrifying as it retreated quickly! Everything happened within a moment. If it weren¡¯t for Elder Hua Feng standing beside Chu Liuyue and staring at her the whole time, he wouldn¡¯t have seen such a small scene. He was dazed for a moment and immediately understood as he hurled out a wave of force. The fires started extinguishing. The crowd hurriedly forward. Shi Rui¡¯er saw all of this and planned on going up to ask when she saw Chu Liuyue suddenly stopping in her tracks. Elder Hua Feng also hurriedly stopped. ¡°Why¡ª¡± The moment she spoke, her voice trailed off. That was because she had also seen the scene before her. A gully was right in front of them! It was as if the ground was suddenly split open by a gigantic axe, and a narrow gully¡ªwhich one couldn¡¯t see the end of¡ªspread across. They couldn¡¯t see where this gully started or where it ended. They only knew that this break in the ground stopped them. Both sides had black rocks that seemed to have experienced all sorts of weather from the past thousands of years. Thick, ancient, spacious. The ground below them had red sand accumulating there. The wind blew past, and the layer of thin sand on the surface rose with the wind. The sand was rough, and the aura was humid. Nobody knew where exactly this path led. ¡°Why¡­ is there such a gully here¡­¡± muttered Shi Rui¡¯er softly in shock. She surveyed her surroundings, and it was filled with white snow. It was as if no matter where they walked, they could never reach the end. Yet, there was actually such a special scene in such a place¡­ All the snow and wind seemed to avoid this area automatically. The air that came up from below was dry and hot. It was like a completely different world. At this point, the crowd behind had walked over. After seeing everything before them, the crowd fell silent. This¡­ How should we choose? At this point, the nine-tailed green crows were already right behind them. However, they seemed to be fearing something as they flew back and forth on the spot and refused to take another step forward. ¡°They don¡¯t seem like they dare to approach the gully.¡± A soft voice came from the crowd. ¡°But we¡¯re also on the brink of death¡­ Even these nine-tailed green crows are behaving like this. Who knows what¡¯s hidden below this gully?¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have any other choice now.. There are so many nine-tailed green crows; we¡¯re not their match at all.¡± ¡­ Clearly, quite a few people were hesitant about this gully that suddenly appeared. At this point, Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and jumped! ¡°Chu Yue!¡± Elder Hua Feng gasped in shock. After a moment of hesitation, he immediately flew up and jumped in! At this point, we can only continue going forward! Even if there are dangers lying there, are we considered safe now? Seeing Elder Hua Feng and Chu Liuyue going down, Shi Rui¡¯er knitted her brows slightly and flew down as well. In this situation, everyone chose to follow them. From afar, the figures in the snowy field rapidly disappeared. Those nine-tailed green crows let out shrieks of anger, but they didn¡¯t dare to go close. After circling in mid-air for a long time, they finally left. Chapter 1348 - Peace Chu Liuyue went toward the bottom of the gully. The nearer she got, the more she could feel the humid and warm aura coming from it. Different from the bone-chilling snowy field, the temperature was much higher here, similar to the warmth of spring. When Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet finally landed on the red sand, she even faintly felt that it was a little hot. She looked down and took a glance. The sand that flowed with the wind and brushed past her face was hot. Luckily, these sand clumps were slightly larger and rougher, so walking on the sand wasn¡¯t like walking in a desert, where one would sink in every step. Just with this alone, it was already much better than treading on the thick snow outside. She looked at both sides. The red sand covered the land, and one couldn¡¯t see the end. Elder Hua Feng landed beside Chu Liuyue and followed her gaze to take a look. Then, he couldn¡¯t conceal the shock in his eyes. If I didn¡¯t see it personally, I wouldn¡¯t believe that there was actually such a gully below. Also¡­ this gully seems rather strange. ¡°This is¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng originally wanted to ask Chu Liuyue where they were, but after speaking halfway, he then realized that she probably didn¡¯t know. But no matter what, this place seems much safer than the outside. At the very least, we have gotten rid of the nine-tailed green crows. ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re really capable! You could even find such a place?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s face had a surprised smile as she walked toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯re too kind. I just happened to find it. I didn¡¯t know¡­ this place looked like this either.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s brows moved slightly, showing that she didn¡¯t completely believe in her words. If she really didn¡¯t know, why would she head in this direction without stopping¡­ Seeing Chu Yue¡¯s expression just now, she really did seem surprised. It shouldn¡¯t be a pretense. She suppressed her thoughts. No matter what, Chu Yue did help us solve a problem. ¡°I owe you a favor,¡± said Shi Rui¡¯er with a smile. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t know how we would end up today.¡± Chu Liuyue thought about it and didn¡¯t reject it. Shi Rui¡¯er had intentions of making friends with her, and coincidentally, she admired Shi Rui¡¯er quite a bit as well. It was quite nice to have another friend. Besides, the other party had such a high status. At this point, a soft gasp of pain could be heard. Jiang Zhiyuan had fallen down from the stone walls, and her face and head were covered in blood. She looked like she was in a sorry state. Initially, she had flown down like the crowd, but in the end, her physical strength couldn¡¯t support her. She had also suffered quite a few injuries, so when she didn¡¯t control herself properly, she ended up in this state. An elder from the academy shook his head and sighed as he walked over and passed her a jade bottle. This was the elder who previously attended to Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s wounds. Without a doubt, the bottle contained pills. But this time, the elder had left after giving the medicine and didn¡¯t intend to help her treat her new wounds. Even though everyone had already gotten out of danger, they still couldn¡¯t immediately forgive Jiang Zhiyuan for her mistakes. Lives had been at stake. How could they let it go so easily? Jiang Zhiyuan knew that she was in the wrong and didn¡¯t dare to speak as she silently hid in a corner. ¡°There are two paths¡ªleft and right. Which one should we take?¡± asked Elder Hua Feng. After experiencing these incidents, he had already unwittingly started asking Chu Liuyue for her opinion. Chu Liuyue hugged her arm with one hand and fell into deep thought. After a moment, she pointed toward the right. ¡°There.¡± Chapter 1349 - Dragon Bones ¡°This used to be a river.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice sounded softly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered, and she walked forward with a normal expression. It seems like this place looked completely different when Ancestor came to this place a thousand years ago. However, the world is ever-changing, and everything has changed. ¡°The sand contains rich force, but it¡¯s too sparse, and it¡¯s hard to absorb properly.¡± Shangguan Jing said rather regretfully, ¡°If not, you could¡¯ve continued cultivating here.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled in her heart. ¡°Ancestor, even I¡¯m not anxious. Why are you in a hurry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m anxious, but¡­ This is the only way you won¡¯t let down your current achievements.¡± Shangguan Jing sighed lightly. ¡°You¡¯re already broken through to become a King Xuan Master. If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, you should be able to break through to the ultimate point very soon and become a Physician. As for the warrior aspect¡­ Logically speaking, even if you don¡¯t break through to the Apotheosis Realm, you should be a stage-nine warrior at the very least with the amount of Heaven and Earth force you have absorbed.¡± However, this wasn¡¯t the case. Without a doubt, Chu Liuyue had the same outstanding talent in all three aspects. Whichever talent she showed, she would be an elite at it. Chu Liuyue had always been very successful in her cultivation as a Xuan Master and heavenly doctor. Only the warrior aspect¡­ Her breakthrough speed was so slow to the point where it was infuriating. Even to this day, she was just a stage-eight warrior. The others didn¡¯t know, but she knew it the best¡ªshe had already recovered her Tianjing Yuan meridian. When she broke through to become a stage-seven warrior and went through the God Foreseeing Tribulation, the phenomena were extraordinary. Shangguan Jing had never seen it before in his life. With such talent, it was really strange that she could only forcefully break through to become a stage-eight warrior. A very faint smile quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. I¡¯ve long been used to this. After I was reborn and got this water droplet, I realized that my cultivation as a warrior seemed to be intentionally restricted by this item. ¡°Even though I¡¯m a stage-eight warrior¡­ I might be able to fight a stage-nine warrior,¡± Chu Liuyue teased in her heart. However, Shangguan Jing had a different opinion on this. ¡°It¡¯s still different. Yue¡¯er, I know that you¡¯re strong and that the difference in cultivation levels doesn¡¯t seem to be very obvious here. However, it¡¯s only for the time being. The difference between a stage-eight warrior and a stage-nine warrior can be closed with all sorts of methods you have now. But when you go higher, the difference between cultivation levels will only be greater. At that time, it won¡¯t be so easy if you want to challenge those with a higher cultivation level.¡± ¡°For example, if you¡¯re a stage-nine warrior and the other party is a demigod, what are you supposed to do? If the other party is a true god, they can unleash their God Realm and easily suppress you. Have you¡­ thought about all of these problems?¡± The current Chu Liuyue could use the holy force to forcefully fight a demigod with a move or two. With the Chi Xiao Sword, she might even be able to tie with the other party. But all of this was still external support. As long as she was strong and capable, she could then be considered as a true warrior! Chu Liuyue lowered her head and thought deeply for a moment. ¡°Ancestor, you¡¯re right.¡± Actually, she had been very curious about this. This was because from the Qing Yun Ranking¡¯s situation, it seemed like the previous her had broken through to become a legendary warrior. However, this part of her memory was missing, so she couldn¡¯t investigate it. I wonder¡­ What will it look like when I break through to the Apotheosis Realm now? ¡­ Time seemed to pass especially slowly. The crowd silently walked forward, not knowing when they would reach the end. This feeling where they couldn¡¯t see hope was the most torturous. The further they went, the hotter the surroundings seemed to be. ¡°Do you feel that something is wrong?¡± Finally, an academy elder couldn¡¯t help but ask this and wipe the sweat on his forehead. ¡°I also feel that the temperature here is indeed abnormal.¡± Another elder nodded. With their abilities, even if they walked such a distance underneath the burning sun, they wouldn¡¯t feel this hot. This type of feeling seemed like¡­ it had come from the inside of their bodies. ¡°Look, the surrounding scenery seems rather different.¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, instinctively looked up, and surveyed her surroundings. Now, it seemed like there was a problem. On the mountain rocks on both sides of the gully were many holes and cracks. It was as if it had some rhythm or was contorted to this state by some special force. After all, it seemed rather strange. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t say clearly where this feeling came from, but something seemed to be weighing down on her heart. Suddenly, she focused her gaze and walked a few steps to the right. ¡°Chu Yue, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Hua Feng followed her curiously. Chu Liuyue stopped one step before the mountain rocks. Looking up, it was a steep cliff that was almost perpendicular. One could even see the thick piles of snow above it. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Elder Hua Feng followed her gaze and looked, but he didn¡¯t discover anything wrong. Chu Liuyue took a step forward and swiped away the red sand below her feet. Half a white bone was suddenly revealed. Elder Hua Feng was dazed. That seemed to be a bone that had been buried here for a long time. As only a part of it was exposed, one couldn¡¯t guess what shape it was or even find out the owner¡¯s identity. However, the crucial point was that the bone shone like a crystal and faintly gave out some light. Upon a closer look, one could still see rays of light slowly moving in it. This was definitely not an ordinary bone. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and grabbed the bone, wanting to pick it up. However, the bottom portion was buried within extremely hard rock. Chu Liuyue tried a few times but couldn¡¯t succeed. In the end, she could only give up. ¡°This should¡¯ve been completely buried underneath,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly as she grabbed a handful of sand. This sand should¡¯ve been formed from these mountain rocks. That is why it reveals this half of the bone. I just don¡¯t know what kind of human bone would be buried under such a hard mountain rock. ¡°This isn¡¯t a human¡¯s bone,¡± said the three-eyed legendary eagle suddenly. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Not a human bone? Then, this¡­¡± ¡°This is the bone from a dragon clan member!¡± Chapter 1350 - True or False Chu Liuyue felt a pang in her heart. ¡°Dragon bones?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and it seems like the owner of the bones had quite the high status in the dragon clan when it was alive. It¡¯s very likely to either be the bones of an azure dragon or a black dragon.¡± Perhaps it was because he had merged two skeletons from the dragon clan, but the current legendary three-eyed eagle was very sensitive to this. If not, it wouldn¡¯t be able to identify the other party¡¯s rough identity just through this half-exposed bone. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows in confusion. There shouldn¡¯t only be one bone buried here. It¡¯s very likely¡­ that an entire dragon had met its demise here! ¡°Chu Yue? Chu Yue?¡± Elder Hua Feng called Chu Liuyue twice before she recovered her senses. ¡°Did you think of something?¡± Elder Hua Feng carefully sized her expression up. Chu Liuyue shook her head rather regretfully, and her thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°No. I just feel that it¡¯s rather strange that such a white bone appeared here.¡± ¡°Perhaps a cultivator had died here before?¡± An elder guessed from behind. ¡°Judging by this bone¡­ he should at least be a demigod.¡± But this was nothing surprising. This was the Flood-Desert Northern Region, and quite a few strong warriors had died here, so a skeleton was nothing. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Probably.¡± The few of them continued walking forward. The bone incident didn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention. But after walking for a distance, Chu Liuyue discovered more similar bones. They were mostly buried underground. With the red sand covering them, if one didn¡¯t take a close look, it would be very hard to detect them. ¡°Would these bones be related to that Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­¡± an elder couldn¡¯t help but ask softly. The crowd fell silent for a moment and exchanged glances. Actually, they all had such a suspicion in their hearts, but they didn¡¯t bring it up the whole time. It was fine if they saw one or two pieces from time to time, but one would appear every few steps during this entire journey. And these bones were exactly the same as the first one. They glowed like crystals, and they seemed like white jade at first glance. Thump! At this point, a shocking sound was suddenly heard from the front! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened as she rapidly looked up! She saw a rock suddenly collapsing in front and dropping down rapidly! It fell onto the ground harshly! At that moment, the ground vibrated, and sand flew everywhere! The gully that was originally considered rather spacious became compact because of the presence of this gigantic rock, which almost blocked their paths. Then, countless figures came out from behind the rock. Chu Liuyue looked up. There were about ten people, and one of the men was surrounded. Two fists were hard to fight with four hands, and the man kept failing. Yet, those people that surrounded him all delivered lethal blows, so that man was beaten to the ground in no time. ¡°Die!¡± The man¡ªwho was about to be killed¡ªgot up with much difficulty and wanted to escape. However, one of his legs was broken, and he was hanging onto his last breath, so how could he run? Seeing that the longsword was about to pierce through his skull, he suddenly looked up and saw Chu Liuyue and the rest, almost using up all of his strength. ¡°Save me! I¡¯m begging you¡ªsave me!¡± He struggled to climb over here. His face was filled with blood, and he panicked. ¡°I¡¯m the Liang family¡¯s third young master, Liang Shaokang! As long as you save me, my Liang family will definitely repay you in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Liang family¡­ It sounds rather familiar. Shi Rui¡¯er recognized his identity. ¡°That¡¯s Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s elder brother.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. Liang Shaokang, Liang Xiaoxiao¡­ It¡¯s no wonder I feel like I had heard his name before. In the entire God Residence Realm, there is only that one Liang family. The people who wanted to kill Liang Shaokang heard him report his identity, and their expressions instantly turned ugly. ¡°You¡ª¡± The first person directly looked at Elder Hua Feng and the rest. Initially, he wanted to scold Liang Shaokang directly, but after seeing Elder Hua Feng and the rest, he instantly realized that these people were strong and weren¡¯t to be trifled with. He swallowed his remaining words with much difficulty, and his gaze swept across the crowd in shock. The few people that followed behind him had already taken the opportunity to hold Liang Shaokang captive. His life and death would be determined by a sentence. ¡°May I ask¡­ where you are from?¡± Elder Hua Feng took a step forward. ¡°I¡¯m Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Hua Feng.¡± Once he said this, those few people opposite had their expressions change. That man standing at the front immediately cupped his fists politely. ¡°So you¡¯re Elder Hua Feng. Sorry for not recognizing you. We come from Lingyun Mountain¡¯s Su family.¡± Lingyun Mountain¡¯s Su family was always on bad terms with the Liang family, and it was normal for them to fight. But Liang Shaokang was the eldest descendant of the Liang family, so it was rather strange that they drove him into a corner. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, you must save me! Take it as helping my sister!¡± His younger sister was naturally Liang Xiaoxiao. ¡°I¡¯ve already been chased by these people for a day and a night, and they¡¯re bent on killing me. Elder, please save me! My Liang family will definitely be very grateful!¡± At this point, Liang Shaokang was like a drowning person, trying his best to clutch the last straw. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, this is a private grudge between Liang Shaokang and us. I hope you won¡¯t intervene,¡± said the man at the front, who came from Lingyun Mountain. They and Ling Xiao Academy essentially didn¡¯t have much interaction, so they wouldn¡¯t be on good terms as compared to the Liang family. If Ling Xiao academy was bent on standing up for Liang Shaokang, then they might really be unable to do anything to him today. Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± ¡°Hmph, you have to ask Liang Shaokang about this. If he didn¡¯t set us up in the first place, why would we chase after him and kill him!?¡± ¡°He fabricated a huge lie and lured us over before taking the chance to harm us. He has already killed more than 20 people from Lingyun Mountain!¡± ¡°How could we not take revenge for this!?¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd present was taken aback. If this is true, then it is understandable why they are insistent on killing Liang Shaokang. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! Elder Hua Feng, don¡¯t listen to his one-sided story! I was lied to as well!¡± Liang Shaokang swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. ¡°Previously, we discovered traces of the Heavenly Square Cauldron descending and planned on going over to take a look when we met the people from Lingyun Mountain.¡± ¡°They initially wanted to cause trouble for us, but we didn¡¯t want to waste time on this, so we just told them about the news. We even discussed properly and agreed that we would fight for the Heavenly Square Cauldron with our own abilities. After everything ended, we would then settle our grudges.¡± When Liang Shaokang thought of this, his body shuddered as if he had recalled something terrifying. ¡°We set off on a journey to find it, but who knew it had nothing to do with the Heavenly Square Cauldron. And¡­¡± Roar! A low and distant dragon roar came from afar! Chapter 1351 - Fight The dragon roar reverberated throughout the gully! It was as if it had a thousand years¡¯ worth of frost encompassed in it, and it was filled with a metallic blood aura that caused one¡¯s heart to be shaken! Chu Liuyue felt her ears ring as a heavy suppression came over, which instantly spread to her heart! She almost couldn¡¯t breathe! She quickly looked up and forward! In the long, narrow, and deep gully, there were two cliffs by the side and red sand in the middle that flowed with the wind. It was vast. ¡°This.. Could there be a dragon clan member here?!¡± The crowd was taken aback. However, Liang Shaokang and the people from Lingyun Mountain had strange expressions. They looked as if they were shocked, and there was also horror and lingering fear in their eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s not a real dragon clan member¡­¡± Liang Shaokang spoke with much difficulty, and his throat tightened. ¡°Not a real dragon clan member? But the dragon roar has such suppression¡ªthat can¡¯t be fake. Why¡­¡± ¡°Elder Hua Feng, that¡¯s where Liang Shaokang lied to us and brought us to.¡± The Lingyun Mountain man at the front sneered. ¡°That place is extremely dangerous. I advise you not to take this risk.¡± Seeing that his expression was genuine, Elder Hua Feng and the rest exchanged glances. This commotion is extraordinary, so perhaps it does hide some secrets. But judging from Liang Shaokang and the others¡¯ reactions, it is indeed very dangerous. ¡°Rui¡¯er, what do you guys think?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er thought for a moment and was rather hesitant. She naturally wanted to go. After all, they didn¡¯t come here from miles away to play. However, Lingyun Mountain¡¯s people and the Liang family¡¯s people were severely injured or killed. This¡­ ¡°Chu Yue, what do you think?¡± The remaining people looked at Chu Liuyue. After experiencing all of that, they seemed to have unwittingly treated Chu Liuyue as their core leader, and they would ask for her opinion when they couldn¡¯t decide on matters. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Elder Hua Feng, you mustn¡¯t go!¡± At this point, Liang Shaokang couldn¡¯t care so much as he yelled anxiously and struggled to get up. ¡°Kneel down!¡± The few men at the side hollered angrily as they used their swords to press Liang Shaokang down again. Feeling the cold and icy touch on his neck and the blood that slowly seeped out, Liang Shaokang was so frightened that his face flushed white as he hurriedly kneeled down again. Even if it was humiliating, his life was still important in this scenario. ¡°T-that place is indeed very dangerous. Elder Hua Feng, why would you do this? I didn¡¯t know about it previously, so I harmed a lot of people from the Liang family and even implicated Lingyun Mountain. But now that I¡¯ve already suffered, how can I just watch you guys go over?¡± Liang Shaokang really didn¡¯t want them to go over. He barely managed to escape from that place. How could he go back with them again? The Lingyun Mountain man at the front also knitted his brows and had a face of disapproval. However, this has nothing much to do with us. As long as the other party agrees not to interfere with Liang Shaokang¡¯s matters, everything is fine. ¡°Since this is so, we¡¯ll leave first.¡± As he spoke, he waved his hands and wanted to leave with Liang Shaokang. Elder Hua Feng nodded. Liang Shaokang suddenly widened his eyes. Are Elder Hua Feng and the rest not planning to stand up for me? What he didn¡¯t know was that Elder Hua Feng was already in a mess. Elder Hua Feng hadn¡¯t even found his own academy¡¯s elders and students, and he had just escaped from the attack of the nine-tailed green crows. How would he have additional strength to care about others? Liang Shaokang was Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s elder brother, but none of them was Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s mentor. To talk about the Liang family¡­ Lingyun Mountain wasn¡¯t easy to deal with, not to mention that they did have a grudge that involved dozens of lives. At this time, the best option was to ignore and not intervene. ¡°I-I know the safest way to go over! Elder Hua Feng, if you can help me this once, I can go back with you!¡± Every moment I can drag on will count. Liang Shaokang dared to confirm that after these people left, those from Lingyun Mountain would kill him immediately! Elder Hua Feng hesitated for a moment. If Liang Shaokang brings us along, it would be much more convenient¡­ However, I really don¡¯t want to intentionally get involved in their messy situation. ¡°No need.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Elder, if you¡¯re worried, I can lead the way.¡± Seeing that she seemed rather confident, Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but feel much more at ease. ¡°Okay.¡± Anyway, Chu Yue has been the one in charge of this journey the whole time. Although it has been dangerous, we are still safe and sound. Thus, Elder Hua Feng trusted Chu Yue very much. ¡°Let¡¯s not delay it further. Let¡¯s go,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she directly moved her feet and walked over. The crowd quickly followed. Liang Shaokang had his mouth agape and eyes wide open. What kind of situation is this?! All of these people actually listened to a small kid? Is that so-called Chu Yue a formidable character? But I hadn¡¯t heard of him before¡­ Isn¡¯t he courting death?! Even the people from Lingyun Mountain were stunned by this scene. Is that young man the one that has the last say in this group? Other than him looking clean and handsome, there is nothing particular about him¡­ Roar! A dragon roar sounded again. This time, it was much clearer and louder than the previous sound. Its suppression was naturally stronger. Hesitation flashed across the face of the Lingyun Mountain man at the front. In actual fact, when they had just gone over, they didn¡¯t even see what had happened after being attacked, and more than half of them got injured or killed. After a moment, he walked to Liang Shaokang. Whoosh! If the longsword moved forward another inch, everything would be settled! Liang Shaokang widened his eyes in shock, and hopelessness filled his heart. Suddenly, from the corner of his eyes, he saw a familiar figure. ¡°Zhiyuan?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body froze. Then, she acted as if she didn¡¯t hear anything as she continued walking forward. Seeing her reaction, Liang Shaokang¡ªwho was originally still doubtful¡ªimmediately confirmed her identity. ¡°Zhiyuan, it¡¯s really you?!¡± He looked at the woman that walked by him in disbelief. Her clothes were disheveled. She was stained with blood, and her left sleeve seemed to have been burned by something, in addition to a large contorted burn wound on her arm. Her aura was weak, and she looked frail. She was completely different from the woman that smiled brightly in his memory. However, Liang Shaokang couldn¡¯t care to ask about the rest as he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Zhiyuan! Quickly come and help me!¡± Because of Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s relationship, they knew each other. And Liang Shaokang always had some thoughts about her, so he always flattered her. It was a pity that Jiang Zhiyuan always kept him a distance away. She should be the one Liang Shaokang was most familiar with amongst these people. Hearing Liang Shaokang call out her name, Jiang Zhiyuan felt annoyed, but she only could perk herself up and say hesitantly, ¡°Third Young Master Liang, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but¡­ You¡¯ve also seen that I can¡¯t say much. Everyone listens to Chu Yue¡­¡± Something slipped out of Liang Shaokang¡¯s mouth. ¡°Then, help me beg him!¡± Chapter 1352 - Death Door Jiang Zhiyuan looked at Liang Shaokang in disbelief. What did he say? He wants me to go and beg Chu Yue for him? Dream on! Previously, I had already suffered enough as I had to lower myself, let alone do it for an unrelated Liang Shaokang! I don¡¯t want to deal with Chu Yue, and I have grudges against Shi Rui¡¯er. The only people I can beg are Elder Hua Feng and the rest, but that is also because I¡¯m a student from the academy. Previously, the elders had already shown very clearly that they had no intentions of helping. If I jump out to speak up for Liang Shaokang at this moment, won¡¯t it be causing trouble for myself?! ¡°Third Young Master Liang, I¡¯m really sorry, but I¡¯m just an ordinary student from the academy. As for your matters¡­ I really can¡¯t help you.¡± Then, Jiang Zhiyuan lifted her legs and was about to leave. Liang Shaokang panicked. ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t abandon me! If something happens to me, Xiaoxiao will never forgive you!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan sneered. Liang Xiaoxiao? Even if the one being killed is Liang Xiaoxiao, I won¡¯t take another look, let alone Liang Shaokang. She didn¡¯t even turn around and walked forward. Liang Shaokang looked distraught. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan! To think that Xiaoxiao and I always treated you so well! I didn¡¯t expect to raise a traitor in the end! Just wait, you¡ª¡± Liang Shaokang didn¡¯t finish his sentence. Thump! His body went limp, and he simply fell. Bright red blood gushed out from his neck, and it quickly spread around before the red sand rapidly absorbed it. His eyeballs popped out as he stared at Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s back view as if he couldn¡¯t rest in peace. Jiang Zhiyuan faintly felt a wave of cold intent attacking from behind as goosebumps rose on her back. However, she still didn¡¯t turn around as she quickly walked forward and followed the crowd. The man in front of Liang Shaokang took a long and meaningful gaze at the departing figure before he retracted his gaze and coldly glanced at the dead Liang Shaokang. ¡°Clean it up properly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Passing by the rock that blocked their way in the middle, Chu Liuyue and the rest continued forward. The further they went, the deeper the gully between the two cliffs. The lines intersected in a defined manner, and the temperature was much higher than before. Chu Liuyue unwittingly felt a sense of annoyance as the blood in her body rushed around. It was as if it was about to rush out! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s especially low and powerful voice seemed like a bucket of ice-cold water that poured down from her head, immediately causing Chu Liuyue to calm down. ¡°The Heaven and Earth Force here is very chaotic. If too much enters your body, it will disrupt your mindset. Be careful.¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples and felt lingering fear. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Ancestor.¡± With all this chaotic force gathered together¡­ Even if one didn¡¯t purposely absorb it, walking amidst it would still cause one to be inevitably affected. She was really rather negligent previously. ¡°Elder, remind everyone to set up a barrier here. The Heaven and Earth Force seems to be problematic,¡± said Chu Liuyue as a spark of a bright gold color quickly flashed across her body before disappearing. Elder Hua Feng solemnly acknowledged it as he turned around and seriously reminded the crowd. Previously, he also noticed that something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t confirm it. ¡°There seems to be a large portion of force coming out from the red sand¡­ I wonder what¡¯s going on,¡± muttered Elder Hua Feng softly. Chu Liuyue looked down slightly, and the dragon bones that she previously saw buried in the ground flashed across her eyes. Perhaps¡­ ¡°Quickly look! What¡¯s that!?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er suddenly shouted in shock. Chu Liuyue filed away her thoughts and looked up. At the front, a cliff blocked the road. It seemed like it was the end of the gully. On that rock was a door. Tall! Tremendous! Solemn! That door was totally red as if it were iron that was burned. The terrifying warmth spread out from it and caused heat waves. The surrounding air seemed to be slightly distorted. It made one fear. On the ground not far away from the door, a few corpses were lying around in a messy fashion. Most of them were incomplete, and they were frightening. Chu Liuyue immediately realized that they should be the people from Lingyun Mountain and the Liang family that had previously died here. It seemed like they couldn¡¯t even enter the door before they were completely wiped out. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on? Why would there be such a place in the Flood-Desert Northern Region?¡± ¡°It seems very strange. Didn¡¯t you see all those people in front of the door?¡± ¡°If we were to go in, it would be very dangerous, right¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that although this place is hot, there seems to be a sinister feeling?¡± ¡­ The crowd debated softly. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Chu Liuyue was about to walk forward when Elder Hua Feng pulled her back. This kid is too reckless! There are corpses all over the ground, yet he can continue walking forward expressionlessly? Is he really not afraid of death?! ¡°Move back first. I¡¯ll see what¡¯s going on,¡± said Elder Hua Feng as his tone was filled with disbelief. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile and did not argue with him. ¡°Elder, be careful.¡± Elder Hua Feng nodded and walked forward. The crowd gradually fell silent, and everyone looked over. The closer he was, the more Elder Hua Feng could feel the shocking suppression exuding from the door! The blood in his body seemed to be moving much slower. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows, and he stopped about 20 steps away from the door. Standing here, he already felt the murderous intent rushing out from within. His many years of experience told him that it would be dangerous if he continued going forward! But after stopping for a moment, he still walked forward. Choo! Before he could land his step, a gust of strong wind suddenly attacked him! Elder Hua Feng was shocked and immediately hurled out a punch! He actually chose to fight with it head-on! Rumble! The two strong forces harshly hit each other and let out a loud sound! Flying sand and rocks flew everywhere as the wind howled crazily! The red sand quickly formed a vortex in mid-air as a strong suction force exploded out! Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t expect it, and his body moved a step forward uncontrollably! He was instantly taken aback, but he moved backward without hesitation. He came easily, but it was hard to leave. These grains of sand contained rich force, especially when those close to the door gathered together. The force was so strong that even Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t resist! ¡°Elder!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er planned to go forward but was stopped by the elder with white brows. ¡°Second Miss, wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll go forward first!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his figure had already disappeared from the spot. The next moment, the crowd saw him appear beside Elder Hua Feng. Whoosh! He held a longsword in his hands and slashed it down harshly! A crack immediately appeared in the vortex that trapped Elder Hua Feng! ¡°Go!¡± Elder Hua Feng took the opportunity and immediately turned around to run back! But just when the two of them were about to leave, the vortex formed by the red sand expanded suddenly with the wind! Hu! The vortex became a tornado that came straight toward them! Chapter 1353 - Open! ¡°Quickly retreat!¡± Seeing that it was amiss, Elder Hua Feng immediately hollered! Shock flashed across Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s eyes before she turned around without hesitation. ¡°Go!¡± At this time, anyone that could escape was good! Everyone instinctively felt that something was wrong as they immediately left without hesitation! However, it was already too late! Whoosh¡ª Before they could escape in time, the red sand suddenly flew up with the wind and formed a gigantic screen! It completely blocked their path! An elder¡¯s gaze turned sharp before he jumped up, raised his sword, and rushed over. Tsing! With a crisp sound, the longsword in his hands was actually broken into two! The rebound force attacked, causing the elder¡¯s body to fly backward, and he fell to the floor harshly! Shoo! His face became much paler, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! Everyone who planned to follow him was all stunned and stood rooted to the spot. This¡­ Isn¡¯t this some red sand that gathered together? Why is it so terrifying?! Before they could react, the great suction force came from behind and surrounded them. A young man from the Flying Star Sect couldn¡¯t resist it as he directly fell backward and was surrounded by red sand. Then, he was quickly dragged backward. The rough ground quickly scratched and broke his clothes. He struggled in shock, wanting to break free from this situation, but it only aggravated the injury on his back. The places he was dragged had faint bloodstains appear on the ground before they rapidly got absorbed and disappeared. ¡°Brother Shao!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er jumped up and quickly chased after him! But at this point, everyone was already controlled within this red sand space, and all their force was restricted. They couldn¡¯t even unleash half of their force. Besides, even if they used all their strength, they were no match for this terrifying force. Before Shi Rui¡¯er could even touch the person, her body had already lost control. It wasn¡¯t only her¡ªit happened to everyone present as well. They seemed to be very light ants as they were easily dragged toward the door! ¡­ Chu Liuyue felt that every part of her body seemed to be totally restricted by some force as she couldn¡¯t struggle free and couldn¡¯t move. A sea of red was before her eyes. Other than this, she couldn¡¯t see anything. She was almost squeezed until she was deformed. Her organs and limbs also squeezed together as if she would explode at any time! Suddenly, a piercing pain came from her hands. She looked down with much difficulty and realized that her arm was directly broken by rough sand as blood slowly seeped out. Even though she was only a stage-eight warrior now, her physical strength could be compared to a stage-nine warrior. This sand could easily pierce through her skin and muscle. One could just think to know what kind of shocking force it contained! A strong force attacked, and her chest suddenly trembled before blood seeped out from the corner of her mouth. At this moment, she suddenly realized how those corpses in front of the entrance came about. We can¡¯t be dragged around like this anymore! Chu Liuyue tightly clenched her teeth as she urged the force in her body with much difficulty. But the surrounding force was too strong. The force she could use within her body was minimal! In this manner, she couldn¡¯t even execute Jingshen Fist! Roar! Right at this point, another dragon roar was heard. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked up. This time, she finally heard clearly that the sound was coming from the gully! It was coming from the cliffs that formed the gully, the red sand that spread around the area, and the bones hidden in the ground or those exposed to the air. Right at this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a tremendous force! Thump! The door below the cave suddenly opened with the sound! Chapter 1354 - Life and Death Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was instantly dragged in! ¡­ Thump! The door closed heavily behind! At the same time, Chu Liuyue was also hurled to the ground by a great force. Her entire body felt like it was about to collapse, and it hurt. She supported her body to stand up and looked forward. This was a very spacious cave. There were fist-sized pearls on the red and gray mountain rocks, exuding a faint light that illuminated the surroundings. A tombstone was erected on the spacious ground. From a distance away, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel the heavy suppression coming from the tombstone. She held her breath in and surveyed the surroundings. There was nobody. Other than her, there was nobody here. The entrance was tightly shut. Nobody else came in? Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. She waited for a moment at the spot quietly, wanting to hear the noise from outside. But other than the sound of her heartbeat, there were no other noises. This heavy door seemed to separate everything from the outside directly. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment, lifted her legs, and went forward. ¡­ She stood about five steps away from that tombstone. It looked like an ordinary tombstone. It was entirely grayish-white, looking ancient and traditional. It was about Chu Liuyue¡¯s height, but the surface was empty, and there wasn¡¯t a word on it at all. Other than this tombstone, there was nothing else here. The back was flat. Chu Liuyue stared at the tombstone for quite a while but didn¡¯t see anything strange about it. Just when she was confused, the water droplet in her dantian suddenly moved slowly! The previous ripple came from this surface. Very quickly, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started surging toward her surroundings and quickly entered her body. ¡­ The storm outside stopped. Everything calmed down. The crowd trapped in the red sand was thrown to the ground. The next moment, Elder Hua Feng was the first to recover his senses. He rested for a while, stood up, and looked around. Even though some people were injured, their lives were basically not in danger. After looking around, he immediately noticed something amiss. ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Yue?!¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd was stunned. ¡°Chu Yue? Wasn¡¯t he just here¡ª¡± The moment the elder spoke, he shockingly discovered that the figure indeed disappeared from his side. Upon a closer look, everyone was around except for Chu Yue. ¡°The door opened just now. He seemed to have¡­ been dragged in.¡± An uncertain and soft voice came from the side. The red sand spread all over just now and trapped everybody. They couldn¡¯t even ensure their own safety, let alone look at what other people were doing. Thus, not many people personally witnessed what happened earlier. ¡°What?!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart sank, and he turned around to take a look. That red door was tightly shut. If it weren¡¯t because he did hear the sound of the door opening and closing earlier, he wouldn¡¯t believe this as well. ¡°How can this be¡­¡± Everyone has survived this, but only Chu Yue was dragged in! What should we do now? ¡°Why must it be him¡­¡± Even though Chu Yue still wasn¡¯t his disciple, in Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart, he had long doted on him like his own disciple. Now that he was in danger and his fate was unknown, he would definitely be very worried. ¡°He¡¯s the only stage-eight warrior out of all of us. Would he¡­¡± At the side, Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho had just stood up¡ªcarefully wiped away the dust and bloodstains on her face and tried to ask softly. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Chu Yue only ended up like this because his capabilities are too low?¡± asked Elder Hua Feng with a low voice. Jiang Zhiyuan could hear the dissatisfaction in his voice, so she immediately shook her head and nervously explained, ¡°Elder, I don¡¯t mean it that way! I was just worried. After all, so many of us are fine, but only Junior Brother Chu Yue¡­ One can¡¯t help but suspect¡­¡± If it isn¡¯t for this reason, what else could it be?! Those who can come here are either very talented or have exceeding capabilities. Only Chu Yue¡ªwho is only a stage-eight warrior¡ªactually came along! It¡¯s fine if he came, yet he still directed everyone as if everyone should listen to him. How could he?! Now, even the heavens couldn¡¯t watch on and directly locked him in! Who knows what kind of hellish place is behind the door? Whether Chu Yue can come out¡­ It is still unknown! Elder Hua Feng sneered in his heart. He knew Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s thoughts as clear as day. Jiang Zhiyuan has already restrained herself greatly when it comes to this incident, considering that she didn¡¯t laugh out loud at Chu Yue¡¯s misfortune. In her heart, she would love for Chu Yue to be in trouble. ¡°Even if he¡¯s only a stage-eight warrior, his abilities and capabilities can¡¯t be compared to an average person. Without him, we¡¯d probably still be chased by that group of nine-tailed green crows!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression froze. With this sentence, it was undoubtedly as if Elder Hua Feng had slapped her in public! ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s rest on the spot,¡± Elder Hua Feng commanded before he walked toward the entrance alone. Shi Rui¡¯er immediately followed him with a solemn expression. ¡°Elder, what do you plan on doing now?¡± ¡°Think of a way to open the door and bring Chu Yue out.¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s reply was simple and direct. Shi Rui¡¯er knitted her brows and glanced at the door. I naturally want to do that too, but the key is¡ªhow could it be so easy to open that door?! Just by getting close to it, I can already feel the immense suppression from it! Without trying, Shi Rui¡¯er could guess that they would have no way of opening the door. But if they didn¡¯t care about it, Chu Yue would stay trapped inside! Thinking of the previous terrifying storm, Shi Rui¡¯er had lingering fears. I wonder what¡¯s the situation with Chu Yue inside¡­ Judging from the previous commotion, it is probably not easy to deal with. ¡°No matter what, we just have to try,¡± said Elder Hua Feng deeply. Then, he walked to the door. After a moment, he took a deep breath in and raised both his hands. Countless rays of light flew out and intertwined rapidly in midair, forming a large silver Xuan formation. As he was just injured, forcefully circulating his force caused him to vomit. He slowly and determinedly swallowed the blood spreading throughout his mouth as he stared at the door in front closely. I have to break open this door today! Right at this moment, a loud holler was heard. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was dazed for a moment and turned around to take a look. A group of people was walking toward here from the gully. It was those Lingyun Mountain people that they had just met. Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Left and came back¡­ They clearly said they wanted to leave previously, so why did they suddenly come back?! ¡°So it¡¯s you guys!¡± The elders recognized the incoming people¡¯s identities and immediately became alert. ¡°Why did you come back?!¡± Chapter 1355 - Gather ¡°Elder, don¡¯t be nervous. We just came over to take a look, and we don¡¯t have any other meaning.¡± The man at the front politely cupped his hands. However, Elder Hua Feng and the rest didn¡¯t believe his words. They had clearly left previously, yet they suddenly came back. They wouldn¡¯t have come back in boredom. The crowd from Lingyun Mountain exchanged glances. In the beginning, they really wanted to leave. But after settling Liang Shaokang, they couldn¡¯t reach the end no matter how much they walked. They wanted to know what was going on here, so they came back again. Previously, they only stayed a long distance away, so they still saw everything that happened clearly. The most shocking thing was that Chu Yue got dragged in. That was because they also met a similar danger when they were here previously. But back then, almost all of them were dead or injured, yet the door still didn¡¯t open. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, if you don¡¯t mind, we can try to help you open this door.¡± The man at the front didn¡¯t mind their alert attitude as he continued speaking. Once he said this, the crowd exchanged glances. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows as well. ¡°Really?¡± With their strength alone, it was indeed very hard to open that door. If there was external support, it would be much better. Although the other party only had ten people or so, they were all very strong. Perhaps they could really help. ¡°To be honest, we felt some regret when we couldn¡¯t activate this door earlier. If we can open it together¡­ it¡¯ll be beneficial for both parties, right?¡± The man at the front was rather honest as he directly voiced out his thoughts. Elder Hua Feng stared at him for quite a while before finally saying, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ It was totally silent in the room. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged, closed her eyes, and kept absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. Different from the outside, the force here was very pure, so she didn¡¯t have to be worried about it being chaotic. The water droplet slowly turned and took in all of the force endlessly. It was like water flowing into the ocean¡ªcalm and silent. As time passed, Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura kept strengthening. ¡­ Night quickly fell. Elder Hua Feng and the rest stood before the door, and their faces were dark. At this point, the sky had completely darkened, and the surroundings were black. Only that door exuded a faint red light. It was like a door to hell¡ªsinister and strange. The air seemed to freeze inch by inch. ¡°We¡¯ve already tried all sorts of methods, but we can¡¯t even get three steps within this door, let alone open it¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng finally spoke, and his every word and sentence slammed the crowd¡¯s hearts harshly. Many people seemed helpless. They had already tried their best, but some things really couldn¡¯t be done. Even if they thought of millions of methods, it still couldn¡¯t be done. ¡°Elder, do you plan to give up?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er wiped the sweat on her forehead, knitted her brows, and asked. Elder Hua Feng fell silent. I naturally don¡¯t want to give up. Chu Yue Is still inside, and his fate is unknown. I was the one who agreed to bring him out. If I can¡¯t bring him back safely, I will feel very bad. I¡¯m still waiting to accept him as my disciple after everything in the Flood-Desert Northern Region ends! However¡­ We really can¡¯t open the door now. Even with the people from Lingyun Mountain taking action together, we still can¡¯t move the door at all. At this point, an elder suddenly gasped in shock from the side. In such a silent atmosphere, this sound was especially sudden. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows and looked over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± That elder raised his head in shock. He held a green jade plaque in his hands, and his fingers trembled slightly. ¡°H-Hua Feng¡­ Dan Qing is looking for us!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Elder Hua Feng was stunned and immediately rushed over. ¡°What did Dan Qing say? Where is he now?¡± That elder passed the green jade plaque in his hands over. ¡°Look. Previously, my plaque had sensed Dan Qing¡¯s news.¡± Elder Hua Feng took the plaque, took a closer look, and realized there was an additional spark on it. ¡°Dan Qing and I had taken action together before. To facilitate our communication, we kept this as a backup. However, this was many years ago. If we didn¡¯t see this just now, I would¡¯ve forgotten about it¡­¡± That elder explained softly, and his face had shock and surprise that didn¡¯t fade away. ¡°At the very least, this shows that Dan Qing is still alive. As long as we follow this and find them, we should be able to meet him!¡± The feeling of being defeated¡ªwhich the crowd had felt previously¡ªhad dissipated, and they immediately felt energized. After struggling in the Flood-Desert Northern Region for so long, they didn¡¯t see anyone else from the academy other than Jiang Zhiyuan. They had almost lost all hope. Once the news from Elder Dan Qing had appeared, they finally saw a hint of hope. ¡°Wait. This wouldn¡¯t be like the one before, right?¡± another elder asked with lingering fear. Previously, they thought that they had found Elder Bo Yan, but it was all for naught. If this time¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The message can only be sent if Dan Qing injects his force himself, so this shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.¡± Hearing this, the crowd secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heavily-suppressed feelings finally relaxed a little. Then, his brows knitted again. It Is good that Dan Qing sent a message back, but this side¡­ There is still Chu Yue trapped inside! We can¡¯t just abandon Chu Yue here. The others followed his gaze and looked over before recalling this incident. They couldn¡¯t help but fall silent and exchange glances. Elder Hua Feng thought for a moment and returned the green jade plaque. ¡°Reply to him and see if he can come over. We temporarily¡­ can¡¯t leave here.¡± That elder nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, he asked again, ¡°Then¡­ Hua Feng, how long are we going to wait here?¡± If Dan Qing can¡¯t come over, then¡­ We can¡¯t keep waiting here like this. After all, this is the first time someone from the academy sent us a message after we came here. Elder Hua Feng closed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± In actual fact, he didn¡¯t have much confidence. ¡°Zhiyuan, you previously said that you separated from Elder Dan Qing and the rest during the second time, right?¡± That elder suddenly looked up and asked. Jiang Zhiyuan was standing nearby, but it seemed like she didn¡¯t hear anything as she stared at the ground distractedly, thinking about something. That elder raised his voice again. ¡°Zhiyuan?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan then recovered her senses, and her expression seemed dazed. ¡°Ah? Oh right¡­ Back then, it was urgent, and we separated. I don¡¯t know¡­ where Mentor and the rest are either.¡± That elder nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We should be able to meet with your mentor and the rest very soon.¡± Chapter 1356 - Seal Then, that elder realized that Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face seemed paler. He couldn¡¯t help but ask concernedly, ¡°Zhiyuan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan pulled at her lips. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­ It¡¯s just that my body isn¡¯t very comfortable¡­¡± With her current disheveled look, it was indeed quite hard to feel comfortable. ¡°Rest at the side first then.¡± Initially, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to say that either, but who told Jiang Zhiyuan to be Dan Qing¡¯s most favorite disciple? When the two groups met and Dan Qing saw Jiang Zhiyuan in this state, he wouldn¡¯t feel good. This elder had to give this face to Dan Qing. ¡°Thank you, Elder.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan spoke as she lowered her head. Nobody knew that her hands were already tightly clenched in her sleeves. The sharp nails dug into her palm, and blood seeped out, but she didn¡¯t feel it at all. How could it be¡­ Mentor and the rest are actually alive?! And they even contacted the people here! What should I do? If the two groups really meet, then¡­ How should I explain it? 1 Great nervousness and horror overwhelmed Jiang Zhiyuan, causing her to suffocate. ¡­ Nights in the Flood-Desert Northern Region were very short. The crowd only rested for a while before the sky lit up again. After some rest, they recovered a slight bit of their physical strength. Elder Hua Feng stood in front of the door and had two hands behind his back as his weak eyes stared at the door tightly. ¡°Elder, do you not think that after Chu Yue went in yesterday, the force here became much more stable and gentler? Besides, the dragon roar didn¡¯t sound again.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er walked to Elder Hua Feng and asked softly. Elder Hua Feng nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You discovered it?¡± If not for this, they wouldn¡¯t be able to wait here stably yesterday. However, this calmness made them even more worried about the situation behind the door. Such a long time had passed, but no noise was heard. ¡°We can¡¯t just keep waiting here¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er muttered. Then, she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh right, Elder, does Rong Xiu know that you came over?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Elder Hua Feng thought for a moment. ¡°Before we came here, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to be in the academy. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er shook her head. She just felt that perhaps Rong Xiu would have a way if he was here. After all¡­ he had an extraordinary relationship with Chu Yue. According to his personality, he should have a way of dealing with this situation. It¡¯s a pity¡­ ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s just take this time to rest ourselves. If there are still no noises later¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng clenched his teeth. ¡­ Chu Liuyue naturally knew nothing about the situation outside. All her energy was focused on cultivation. After some time, she finally opened her eyes slowly. ¡°Ancestor, do you know what time it is now?¡± In a daze, she felt that a long time had passed. In such circumstances, Shangguan Jing would normally always remind her. But this time, she waited for a while and didn¡¯t hear her ancestor¡¯s reply. ¡°Ancestor? Ancestor?¡± Chu Liuyue called twice in her heart. Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice slowly sounded. ¡°About¡­ a month.¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. On the one hand, it was because of how long it had been. She thought that only a few days had passed, but who knew that it had been a month?! On the other hand, it was because her ancestor¡¯s voice sounded especially weak. Chu Liuyue had been with Shangguan Jing for so long, but she had never heard such a weak voice from him. It was as if all his force had been exhausted, and he was only hanging onto his last breath. ¡°Ancestor, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± asked Chu Liuyue hurriedly. ¡°Nothing¡­ I¡¯m just tired¡­¡± Shangguan Jing seemed to want to perk himself up, but it was to no avail. In actual fact, he faintly felt tired after entering the gully. But he was just a scarce remaining part of his soul, so he logically shouldn¡¯t feel such a thing. Together with the various dangers in the gully, he didn¡¯t tell Chu Liuyue about this at all. However, he didn¡¯t expect that this feeling wouldn¡¯t subside over time. Instead, it even became worse. This was especially so after entering this area¡ªall the feelings of drowsiness almost drowned him. If Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t call him, he would¡¯ve directly slept, and nobody knew what time he would wake up. ¡°Ancestor, are¡­ you okay?¡± Chu Liuyue was still worried. Since we met, I have never seen Ancestor in such a state. ¡°Could there be something wrong here?¡± She felt that it wasn¡¯t obvious and that it was similar to the cultivation training areas. But from her ancestor¡¯s reaction, it didn¡¯t seem so. ¡°Nothing¡­ I¡¯m just tired. Everything else¡­ is fine¡­¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice became weaker. ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about me. I¡¯ll be better after I sleep for a while¡­¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. ¡°Then¡­ If you feel any discomfort, you must tell me immediately.¡± Shangguan Jing acknowledged it softly. The surroundings became silent once again. Chu Liuyue looked at the nameless tombstone before her. Kacha! A crisp sound was heard, and a tiny crack appeared at the top of the nameless tombstone. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly took two steps forward. In the crack, there was only a deep dark color. Other than that, she couldn¡¯t see anything. There was no force movement, but Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t calm down. This tombstone that appeared in the Flood-Desert Northern Region should¡¯ve been here for at least a thousand years. So many years have passed, and this tombstone is doing fine. Why did it suddenly break when I just came for a while. Chu Liuyue stretched her hand over and instantly felt a sharp aura crazily exuding out! Rumble! Chu Liuyue rapidly set up a barrier before her! Ka! The barrier instantly shattered! Then, the terrifying aura attacked Chu Liuyue and caused her to fly toward the door! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body glowed with a golden light, and the pure gold armor immediately appeared on command! The next moment, the force harshly struck Chu Liuyue. Her chest was shocked, and her body instantly flew backward! She fell to the ground harshly and slid a distance. Thump! Her back made a sound at the door! Shoo! Chu Liuyue spat out a mouthful of blood! At the same time, the crowd waiting bitterly outside the door heard this commotion and looked at the entrance in shock! ¡°There are noises inside!¡± Elder Hua Feng felt elated and wanted to rush over. As long as there is noise, it can basically prove that Chu Yue is still alive. But the moment he took a step out, two strange noises came from the sides. He stopped in his steps and looked up at the gully in front. The two mountain walls at the sides started cracking in unison! A mountain rock then fell from above! Shock flashed across his eyes. ¡°Everyone! Retreat immediately!¡± Chapter 1357 - Dead End Hong long long! The earth-shattering noise was heard as the rock rapidly fell and smashed against the gully! Then, without waiting for the crowd to breathe, increasingly more rocks fell from the surroundings and fell toward the gully! Bang! Bang! Bang! Countless rocks hit against each other! ¡°No¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng widened his eyes. Following that, he watched as the road was sealed completely by the messy rocks gathered there! And one couldn¡¯t see any gaps behind all these rocks! Elder Hua Feng panicked and immediately wanted to rush over. But before he could move, more and more rocks started falling toward him! Helpless, he could only move back again and again! The crowd behind him wasn¡¯t in a better situation. That was because the same thing was happening on their side. Someone suddenly gasped. ¡°This gully is about to collapse!¡± ¡­ At the same time, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was behind the door¡ªwiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and supported herself to stand up. Perhaps it was because the pure gold armor was protecting her, but she wasn¡¯t severely injured. Standing here, she could still hear the chaotic sounds outside. It seems like¡­ the gully is in trouble? Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other tightly. She then turned around and took a look. The door was shut tightly and didn¡¯t show any signs of it being opened. After a while, the commotion gradually stopped. There seemed to be something hanging in her heart. I wonder what¡¯s going on outside¡­ After a moment, she walked toward the tombstone again. At this point, the attack had already disappeared. The surroundings were quiet as if nothing had happened. Only the cracks on the nameless tombstone reminded her of what had happened here before. She stood in her spot before again. Suddenly, she was shocked and looked toward the surroundings. The density of the force here seems much higher than before! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes to feel it in detail. It Is indeed so! She glanced at the tombstone in shock. Could it¡­ Did the force spread out from there? What kind of secret is hidden inside? After thinking for a long while, she still decided to continue. With my current skills, it is rather difficult for me to come out from here. I want to see how this situation will develop! ¡­ The drastic movements in the gully finally stopped. The messy rocks piled up, and dust flew everywhere. The red sand spread across the skies, and one couldn¡¯t see anything. Everyone was gathered in an empty spot that was forcefully made as they were silent and speechless. Many of their faces had scratches, and they looked very disheveled. Thinking of the previous scene, some people were still stunned. Who would¡¯ve thought that the gully would suddenly collapse out of nowhere?! Everything happened too quickly! And the more important thing was that the road to the door was tightly blocked! If one wanted to open the door, they had to clear the rocks gathered outside first. But how was that possible?! Even if all of them worked together now, it would be impossible to do it! Elder Hua Feng stared at the front dazedly, and hopelessness gradually filled his heart. A few wounds had appeared on his face and body as fresh blood kept flowing out. A few spots on his clothes were broken, but at this point, he couldn¡¯t care about himself. In actual fact, his mind was completely blank upon seeing the scene in front. How Is Chu Yue going to come out in this situation?! Chapter 1358 - Leave Shi Rui¡¯er asked dazedly, ¡°Elder, what¡­ should we do?¡± The previous situation was already troublesome enough, and this happened again today¡­ It seemed almost hopeless to want to bring Chu Yue out. ¡°Hua Feng, we can¡¯t continue staying here anymore.¡± Behind, an elder walked forward and spoke with knitted brows. Although the commotion had already stopped temporarily, who would know if it would continue later on? Previously, it was because they hid quickly, but it didn¡¯t mean that they could be this lucky every single time. Besides, the door at the front was already sealed. Everyone looked at Elder Hua Feng, awaiting his decision. After a long pause, Elder Hua Feng said, ¡°You guys move back first. I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡± ¡°Elder!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er called him and was very worried. Even though she was worried about Chu Yue, it was really very dangerous for Elder Hua Feng to go over on his own. ¡°This place isn¡¯t safe. You guys leave first; I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Elder Hua Feng glanced at her in comfort and turned around to say to that elder, ¡°Dan Qing might find us very quickly. Lead them to a safe place first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± That elder acknowledged the order, turned around, and left. Shi Rui¡¯er originally wanted to advise further, but after some thinking, she still swallowed her remaining words. The crowd from Lingyun Mountain surveyed their surroundings, and after much thought, they finally decided to retreat first. Jiang Zhiyuan moved back with the crowd, taking two steps before she couldn¡¯t help but turn around to take a look. In the gully, the mountain rocks were piled together as the dust spread everywhere. The person who is locked inside¡­ will never be able to come out, right? ¡­ Behind the door. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged, and her eyes were tightly shut as she crazily absorbed the surrounding force. The water droplet in her dantian spun increasingly quickly. The surroundings were completely quiet, and time slowly passed. Unknowingly, increasingly more cracks appeared on the tombstone. The force density in the entire space became increasingly higher. As if not knowing exhaustion, Chu Liuyue allowed all of this force to enter her body and flow through her body. She faintly felt an invisible barrier at some moment. Intermediate stage-eight! Shock quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. My cultivation speed here seems much higher than when cultivating outside. Even though it can¡¯t be compared to my cultivation speed at Fengmin Mountain, it is also very outstanding. Unknowingly, I reached the point of breaking through again. At this point, Chu Liuyue had already realized that the time flow here was different from the outside. I wonder how long has passed outside¡­ Normally speaking, the thing that can change the time flow is a God Realm¡­ This thought just flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind very quickly before she rapidly retracted her thoughts and started to focus on breaking through. Another period of time passed as she gathered the force within her body and hurled it toward her dantian! Ka! Soft shattering sounds could be heard. Chu Liuyue officially broke through to become an intermediate stage-eight warrior! The force in her body crazily surged around, and it almost overflowed! She suddenly opened her eyes! A strange glow of light flashed across the black, gem-like eyes! ¡­ Elder Hua Feng passed by the pile of rocks and reached the door. Of course, the door was completely blocked at this time. He couldn¡¯t even see the main entrance now. It was very quiet inside as if there was no more commotion. Elder Hua Feng waited for a while before his heart sank bit by bit. After much thinking, he took a deep glance and turned around to leave. ¡­ ¡°This place is really weird¡­ There are dangers everywhere¡­¡± ¡°The Flood-Desert Northern Region¡­ is scarier than I thought. It¡¯s no wonder there hasn¡¯t been anyone here in the past thousand years.¡± ¡°They said that the Heavenly Square Cauldron would appear here, but we didn¡¯t even see its silhouette after coming here for so long! Now, I don¡¯t want to think so much anymore. As long as we can go back safely, it¡¯ll be better than anything¡­¡± The crowd gathered together. They cultivated and softly discussed things as they waited for Elder Hua Feng to come back. ¡°Sigh, if we knew about it earlier, we shouldn¡¯t have brought so many people over¡­¡± The few elders from Ling Xiao Academy had also gathered together, and they couldn¡¯t help but sigh. In the beginning, everyone was too positive. It was only after experiencing so many things that they then realized that this wasn¡¯t a place they could bring students to cultivate. The dangers here far exceeded their expectations. ¡°I wonder where Bo Yan and the rest are now¡­ Now, I just hope that we can meet with Dan Qing first. I wonder if there are other people with him¡­¡± An elder spoke and suddenly looked at Jiang Zhiyuan at the side. ¡°Zhiyuan, when you guys separated, did Dan Qing tell you anything?¡± Dan Qing has always been very concerned about his top student. On the brink of death, he would say something, right? Jiang Zhiyuan was dazed for a moment as she nervously clutched her hands in her sleeves. ¡°N-no¡­ The situation was very chaotic back then, so¡­¡± The few elders looked regretful. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s wait and see if he will come over. If there are other people with him or if he has news about Bo Yan and the rest, it would be great.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked down. ¡°Hua Feng, what¡¯s the situation?¡± At this point, Elder Hua Feng had already come back. The crowd looked over in unison. Elder Hua Feng shook his head. ¡°Chu Yue¡­ might not be able to come out for now.¡± The surroundings fell silent for a moment, but everyone didn¡¯t seem shocked. Actually, they had long expected this outcome. After a moment, Shi Rui¡¯er then questioned, ¡°Then, for now¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng took a deep breath in. ¡°Let¡¯s meet with Dan Qing. After that, we¡¯ll find Bo Yan and the others.¡± Chapter 1359 - Break Through! Once he said this, quite a few people were taken aback. ¡°Then¡­ you mean¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er spoke as she turned around to take a look with much meaning. I still thought that Elder Hua Feng would continue to choose to stay here. How would Elder Hua Feng not know what she meant? But with the current situation, this was the best choice. They had already waited here for a very long time and tried all sorts of methods, but they couldn¡¯t open the door. It was even more impossible today. As long as they could find Bo Yan and the others, there might still be a hint of hope when they worked together. Even though he was very worried, there wasn¡¯t much use just waiting here. The few elders exchanged glances and expressed their agreement. Shi Rui¡¯er thought for a while and finally nodded. Elder Hua Feng looked at the people from Lingyun Mountain. He took a deep breath in, took a step forward, and cupped his fists. ¡°Everyone, I have a request for you.¡± The man at the front had a slight change in expression. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, you¡¯re too kind. Just tell me if you have any instructions.¡± Elder Hua Feng solemnly said, ¡°Today, we really feel uneasy about taking a move first and leaving Chu Yue and the rest behind. Therefore, I would like to trouble you to stay here for a while more. If Chu Yue comes out or if something happens, I hope you can help him. We, Ling Xiao Academy, would be very grateful.¡± The people from Lingyun Mountain exchanged glances. Previously, they could already tell that Chu Yue was someone whom Elder Hua Feng and the rest thought highly of. However, they didn¡¯t expect it was to this extent¡ªthat Elder Hua Feng would personally speak up for him. What background does this Chu Yue exactly have? Before this, we heard that he seemed to only be a stage-eight warrior¡­ ¡°Elder Hua Feng, you¡¯re too polite.¡± The man at the front smiled and returned the bow. ¡°Since you¡¯ve spoken up personally, we¡¯ll definitely do this favor.¡± On the one hand, they did want to continue staying here and see the situation. On the other hand, it was a good thing for them to take this chance and be closer to Ling Xiao Academy. This matter had two advantages for them, so there was naturally no reason to reject it. ¡°Thank you.¡± Elder Hua Feng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. Even if they just did it in consideration of Ling Xiao Academy, these people won¡¯t just sit back and ignore him. Now, as long as Chu Yue can persist¡­ ¡°Elder Hua Feng, this Chu Yue¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be your disciple. Why¡­¡± The man at the front finally couldn¡¯t help but ask. Elder Hua Feng smiled. ¡°He¡¯s Rong Xiu¡¯s person.¡± ¡­ The people from Ling Xiao Academy and Flying Star Sect left together. Lingyun Mountain¡¯s people rested for a while and decided to observe the changes silently. They were too curious about everything behind that door. Besides, more than half of them had previously died or were injured just trying to go in. If they couldn¡¯t go in and find out what was going on, they would feel a sense of regret. They just didn¡¯t know whether this door would open and¡­ what would happen to that Chu Yue? ¡­ Chu Liuyue seemed to have forgotten everything about the outside world. She was already completely immersed in her cultivation now. After she broke through to become an intermediate stage-eight warrior, she didn¡¯t stop at all and continued absorbing the surrounding force. At this point, the tombstone was already filled with cracks. It seemed like it would collapse at any point. As the number of cracks increased on its surface, the density of the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force had reached a crazy extent. Chu Liuyue almost didn¡¯t need to move, and the force would fight to enter her body. Her bodily aura quickly strengthened! If it were someone else, they might be overjoyed. However, Chu Liuyue gradually felt uneasy because¡­ the force here was too rich! Every cultivator had a limit to how much their physical bodies could endure. Once that upper limit was exceeded, their bodies wouldn¡¯t be able to take it any longer. The more serious thing was that it would very possibly cause damage to a certain extent. Although she now had that water droplet and could absorb all the additional force, who knew when it would end? Here, she almost couldn¡¯t feel the flow of time. All she could feel was the shocking force that was about to overflow! With such worries, Chu Liuyue continued to break through and became a peak stage-eight warrior! ¡­ However, everything hadn¡¯t stopped. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that every part of her body was changing in a stunning manner. And that tombstone kept exuding force to the outside world continuously. The rich force gathered together and formed a liquid on the rock wall above her head as it shook slightly. Chu Liuyue was most worried about one thing¡ªSuch a long time had passed, but there was no sound from Shangguan Jing. It was as if he had really fallen into a deep sleep. In the middle, Chu Liuyue had called him a few times but didn¡¯t hear his reply. If it weren¡¯t because she could still feel her ancestor¡¯s aura, she would think that he was in some trouble. This place¡­ is indeed weird. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. Perhaps Ancestor had come here before? ¡­ At some point, the water droplet in Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian finally stopped moving. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes wide, and her expression was solemn. That was because¡­ she was about to try and break through to become a stage-nine warrior! To any cultivator, this was a very important checkpoint. After Chu Liuyue was reborn, she had dreamed of this day countless times. But of the numerous scenarios she imagined, the only thing she didn¡¯t expect was her preparing to break through to become a stage-nine warrior in such a situation. ¡°Tuan Zi,¡± Chu Liuyue called out softly. A red-gold fire flashed across, and Tuan Zi appeared before her eyes. ¡°Help me guard.¡± Tuan Zi had clearly noticed that this incident was abnormal, and its expression was very serious. Whoosh! Hot fire flew around, and Tuan Zi¡¯s figure instantly changed! Its two wings spread out, and its aura was stunning! The temperature in this entire space seemed much higher. Chu Liuyue raised both her hands. Then, countless rays of light flew out from her thin and white fingers as they quickly intertwined and overlapped. A gigantic Xuan formation quickly appeared above the ground and guarded her tightly! At the same time, a golden light faintly appeared over her body¡ªthat was the pure gold armor she had summoned out. After thinking for a moment, Chu Liuyue took out her Chi Xiao Sword and pierced it into the ground! Tsing! She heard a crisp sound, and the Chi Xiao Sword trembled slightly before reflecting a bright light. At this point, all her preparations were complete. Chu Liuyue sighed deeply. She could even clearly hear her own heartbeat. A little while longer and another while. Finally, she closed her eyes and gathered all the force in her body. The surrounding force also started rushing toward her at a shocking speed! At the same time, the sky above the gully instantly darkened! The winds howled crazily, and dark clouds gathered! At that moment, heaven and earth changed drastically! The Lingyun Mountain crowd waiting in the gully looked up in shock! Chapter 1360 - Good Fortune ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡± someone couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly. Ever since they came to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, the sky had always been dark and gloomy, and they had never seen such a scene before. ¡°It seems like¡­ someone is preparing to break through?!¡± Once he said this, someone immediately retorted, ¡°How can that be?! Isn¡¯t there only Chu Yue inside? His fate is still unknown. Besides¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t see the situation inside either. Perhaps he¡¯s really breaking through? Who would know for sure?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ After all, everyone initially came to the Flood-Desert Northern Region wanting to gain experience, right¡­¡± The crowd fell silent and exchanged glances. The door was locked, and gigantic rocks blocked it. They couldn¡¯t even see it even if they wanted to, but judging from this commotion, it did seem like someone was about to break through. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a while longer!¡± The man at the front glanced over with knitted brows and one hand behind his back. When Elder Hua Feng and the rest left, they asked us to take care of Chu Yue. Now, we don¡¯t even know if it is a blessing or trouble that Chu Yue got dragged in¡­ ¡°Did anyone see the situation back then clearly?¡± he suddenly asked. ¡°Was Chu Yue the one at the front?¡± ¡°No.¡± A tall and skinny man at the side shook his head. ¡°At that time, Elder Hua Feng, Flying Star Sect¡¯s Shi Rui¡¯er, and the others were in front, while Chu Yue was behind them.¡± ¡°Then, why was he the one dragged in in the end?¡± ¡°Um¡­ At that time, everyone was trapped by the vortex, and Chu Yue seemed to be suddenly dragged in. It seemed like after he went in, the door was closed immediately.¡± In the beginning, they didn¡¯t feel so. But now that they thought about it, everything back then seemed rather strange. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man at the front looked up and glanced at the dark sky. Turbulent winds preceded the storms. Elder Hua Feng and even many people from Ling Xiao Academy are very worried about Chu Yue being trapped behind the door. But perhaps¡­ That Chu Yue has his own good fortune¡­ ¡­ Every second and minute was very torturous for the crowd waiting outside, but Chu Liuyue completely ignored time and focused on making preparations to break through to become a stage-nine warrior in one shot! Her body seemed to be a bottomless pit that kept absorbing the surrounding force. That force then flowed through all her limbs and nourished every inch of her bones and muscles. As it occurred silently, the force in her body seemed to be strengthening at a shocking speed. The tombstone was filled with cracks, and every black crack seemed to contain terrifying force. Once the force was released, it could destroy everything! The eight lines on the water droplet were brilliant. The boundless force was like waves that surrounded it. Chu Liuyue had her eyes tightly shut, and her dense and thin black lashes trembled slightly. They were like wings that danced lightly to stir up a huge storm! Roar! A dragon roar suddenly howled from the tombstone! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the force in her body seemed to be influenced by this dragon roar. The force became restless and seemed to want to rush out from all parts of her body! Screech! Tuan Zi looked up at the sky and shrieked in a holy and relaxed manner! It fought with the dragon¡¯s suppression head-on! With Tuan Zi¡¯s help, Chu Liuyue¡¯s situation was immediately much better. She rapidly gathered the force within her dantian and hurled it toward the water droplet harshly. Rumble! The strong impact force spread everywhere, instantly nourishing Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs and organs! Then, excruciating pain spread throughout her body! Chapter 1361 - Dragon Bones The lines on the water droplet didn¡¯t move, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s body shook violently before she spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face then rapidly turned pale, and the force in her dantian seemed to be dissipating. She forced herself to straighten her body and wiped away the blood from the corner of her move. After that, she strengthened herself and tried again! Rumble! The eight lines on the water droplet seemed increasingly clear and bright, but the ninth line didn¡¯t show any signs of appearing. As Chu Liuyue sorted out the force in her body, she kept absorbing the force outside her body. Ka! In the middle of the tombstone, a crack pierced through from top to bottom! Something seemed to flash across it before it rapidly returned to calmness. ¡­ Just as this was happening, Elder Hua Feng and the others who had left were already far away. They were in the gully and were walking in the opposite direction. The sound of mountain rocks falling kept sounding from behind, forcing them to move forward continuously. After walking a distance, Elder Hua Feng finally couldn¡¯t help but turn around to take a look. Of course, they couldn¡¯t see anything at this moment. They could only see that the distant sky seemed to have darkened. ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡± Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows and was rather worried. An elder beside him followed his gaze and guessed, ¡°It should be snowing, right?¡± They had been here for so long and had seen it snow several times, and the sky looked like this every single time. For some reason, Elder Hua Feng felt rather uneasy. He thought for a moment before retracting his gaze and looking at someone else. ¡°Where is Dan Qing now? How far is he from us?¡± That elder took out his green jade plaque and glanced at it as he said in surprise, ¡°Dan Qing seems to be rushing over here. In no time, we should be able to meet him.¡± Elder Hua Feng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± If they could find another person now, it would be great for them. ¡°I hope that Dan Qing is with Bo Yan and the others. Even if¡­¡± Even if they only knew a small amount of information. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s steps suddenly became stiff. Mentor and the rest¡­ are reaching soon? She thought deeply for a moment and suddenly turned around, quickly walking to Elder Hua Feng and the rest. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, shall we go up toward that land?¡± The others were dazed. ¡°What?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan laughed rather nervously. ¡°Do you see that part on the cliff that caves in? I suddenly recalled that I seemed to have walked across the outside. From there on, the entire path should be pretty safe.¡± ¡°When I asked you just now, didn¡¯t you say that your brain was muddled and that you couldn¡¯t recall anything?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er questioned suddenly and shot Jiang Zhiyuan an incredulous gaze. Why did she so coincidentally recall it at this time? ¡°Just now, you said that you had once walked past the sides of the gully. If you really did walk that way, you should¡¯ve seen this gully, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s breathing stopped, and grievances flashed across her heart. What I hate about Shi Rui¡¯er the most¡­ Other than her imperious pride, I hate how she always likes to get to the bottom of things and always targets me! ¡°I-I did walk past this place before, but I just cared about escaping. Hence, I didn¡¯t see anything else. Thinking about it now, it should be¡­ rather safe if I could go back safely through this road, right?¡± As Jiang Zhiyuan spoke, she looked at Elder Hua Feng rather uneasily. ¡°Elder, I¡¯m doing this for everybody. I don¡¯t have any other motives. Who knows what it¡¯s like on the other side of the gully? Are we just going to continue walking down here¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er smiled coldly. ¡°Walking straight ahead would be better than going to some other place, right? Who knows if it¡¯s really safe or¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng glanced up. ¡°Let¡¯s continue walking forward. If¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips and didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She could only agree forcefully. It seems like I can only think of another way later¡­ Hong long long! At this point, the ground of the entire gully suddenly vibrated intensely! ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± The crowd immediately became alert as they looked at the cliffs on both sides, terrified that the gully would collapse. If everything that previously happened occurred again, they probably couldn¡¯t survive the second time¡­ Suddenly, Shi Rui¡¯er gasped. Elder Hua Feng heard that something was wrong, and he turned around to look at her. ¡°Rui¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t speak as she slowly raised her hands in shock and pointed in a direction at the front. Elder Hua Feng and the rest looked over, and they were instantly taken aback. A crystal-like bone actually slowly appeared from the bottom. The cracks on the hard ground rapidly spread, and the large and small cracks seemed to be covered by a layer of spiderwebs. That bone slowly rose from the bottom and formed a small hill. The shattered rocks kept rolling down toward the surroundings. The red sand flowed down and made small noises. ¡°This is¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng opened his mouth. At that moment, countless guesses flashed across his mind! It turns out that it isn¡¯t a broken piece of bone¡ªit is an entire piece! Slowly, that bone revealed its original shape. It was a long white bone that was totally crystal-like and exuded a faint light. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be transparent liquid slowly flowing inside. A gush of suppression slowly spread across from above! ¡°That¡¯s not a human bone!¡± Someone suddenly gasped. The surroundings fell into dead silence. At this point, they all had naturally realized this! But if it isn¡¯t a human bone, then what could it¡ª The elder with white brows beside Shi Rui¡¯er stated lowly, ¡°There are more at the back!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest turned around to take a look and indeed saw that there seemed to be bones slowly emerging from the bottom not far behind them. These bones had exactly the same shape as the one before! The ground was still shaking, and increasingly more white bones appeared in the gully. ¡°One, two¡­¡± An elder looked over, and his voice slowly became softer. That was because the number of white bones appearing in the entire gully had long exceeded their expectations! The places the white bones appeared were very peculiar as the distance between each one was exactly the same. Their appearance also seemed exactly the same. ¡°What exactly¡­ is that?¡± Elder Hua Feng looked over from afar and almost couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes. Who exactly would specifically bury so many bones here and in such an orderly fashion?! Suddenly, a thought surfaced in his mind. Hang on! If they aren¡¯t human bones, then¡­ They are most likely fiend bones. There aren¡¯t many fiends with so many gigantic bones. In addition to the dragon roars heard here earlier¡­ Roar! Right at this moment, a stunning dragon roar sounded! The crowd followed the direction of the sound and looked over before they were collectively taken aback. From afar, a gigantic dragon¡¯s white skull suddenly rose! The suppression was tremendous! Chapter 1362 - Opposite There was actually a dragon skeleton buried in the gully! Everyone was taken aback by the scene before their eyes! As the ground continued to shake vehemently, increasingly more bones were revealed. Then, the tremendous suppression came over! Elder Hua Feng rapidly hollered, ¡°Quickly go up!¡± Everyone then recovered their senses and started to run forward rapidly before they all flew up consecutively and jumped out of the gully! Even though the outside was an ice-cold land and was very dangerous, the gully had now become an obvious land of danger. Elder Hua Feng was the last to go up. The moment his feet landed on the snowy ground, he hurriedly turned around to take a look and gasped! Within the long, bright-red gully, a gigantic dragon skeleton slowly rose from the ground. The ground shattered, and mountain rocks fell! ¡°T-there¡¯s actually a dragon skeleton buried underneath here?!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s eyes were filled with shock as she muttered softly, ¡°But the dragon clan has always thought very highly of their own member¡¯s corpses and never allows them to be left outside. Why would one appear here?¡± And it was even a complete skeleton! ¡°Quickly look!¡± someone screamed in shock. The crowd turned around and saw that the white bones of another dragon skeleton suddenly appeared far away! The second dragon skeleton actually appeared! At the same time, a low and deep dragon roar reverberated throughout the area! Following this was the third set! Pak! The snow ground vibrated, and the dragons roared. ¡­ The dragon¡¯s suppression was apparent. All the people walking in the snowland in the entire Flood-Desert Northern Region were taken aback when they heard this commotion! Countless people started rapidly rushing toward this side! ¡­ At some place in the snowy land, a man quickly rushed forward. Hearing the noise, he was shocked and immediately tilted his head to take a look. When he saw the white dragon skeletons that continuously appeared, he widened his eyes in shock. Then, he quickly walked a distance and reached some place in an empty piece of land. A downward-leading staircase appeared above the ground. His body flashed, and he quickly disappeared from the spot. Following the stairs that led down, he quickly reached an empty hall. ¡°Master!¡± He nervously kneeled down on one knee. A sea of blood color quickly filled the entire copper mirror. A hoarse and low voice then sounded. ¡°Has Mu Qinghe returned?¡± The man kneeling on the floor lowered his head. ¡°Master, Mu Qinghe has returned, but his body has been rendered useless. He¡¯s locked up in jail, waiting for your instructions. However¡ª¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°However¡­ the cemetery has been moved! All the dragon bones have been awakened one after another! In no time, I think¡ª¡± The surroundings fell into dead silence. The voice within the copper mirror fell silent, but the man kneeling on the ground became increasingly horrified as chills ran down his spine. He almost couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t those bones doing fine the whole time? Why did such a commotion suddenly happen?¡± That voice became increasingly terrifying and sinister. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ I just found out about this earlier, so¡ª¡± Slap! A tremendously strong force suddenly rushed out from the copper mirror and harshly slapped the face of the man kneeling on the ground! The kneeling man didn¡¯t dare to dodge it. He suffered the slap, and his body fell to the side. A bloody palm print could be clearly seen on half his face as blood slowly seeped out from the corner of his mouth. ¡°If you don¡¯t know, go and check!¡± For the past thousand years, that place has been quiet, and things were considered peaceful between them. But now¡ª ¡°Yes! Yes! I¡¯ll go right away!¡± That man acknowledged the order in panic and hurriedly stood up to leave. After his figure disappeared, the blood color overturned in the copper mirror, and it took a long while before it gradually calmed down. ¡­ At this point, Chu Liuyue knew nothing about the outside world. She kept trying to break through, but it still felt like she lacked something in the end and couldn¡¯t step past the barrier. Every time she failed, the force would dissipate within her dantian before rushing toward her limbs and organs, causing them to feel extremely painful. However, she very quickly perked herself up and tried again! On the tombstone, the cracks intersected. Rich force kept surging out from within. Chu Liuyue could even feel the surrounding force enveloping her, causing some form of suppression. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her face gradually turned pale. ¡­ Roar! Another complete dragon skeleton appeared again. Elder Hua Feng and the rest were long shocked by the scene before them, to the point they were speechless. From the time they discovered the first dragon skeleton, more skeletons appeared on the snowy ground during the period of time later. Now, there were about five complete skeletons! ¡°Elder, have you realized that these¡­ seem to be surrounding the place we just left as the center¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er looked at it for a while and couldn¡¯t help but ask softly. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows tightly. Of course, I can tell. These dragon bones all seemed to have been buried deep underground, and they were all gathered in the surroundings. However, the dragon heads are facing different directions. This is what I¡¯m most worried about! From this situation, it is enough to see that a stunning secret must¡¯ve been buried behind the door! Chu Yue is still inside! ¡°Go back immediately!¡± commanded Elder Hua Feng. Everyone was taken aback. ¡°Hua Feng¡ª¡± An elder looked at him worriedly. We only walked here after much difficulty, yet we have to go back now?! Everyone could tell that this place was even more dangerous than before. If they insisted on going back, everyone would be in danger again. Elder Hua Feng had a serious expression. ¡°Even if we stay here, what do you think we can do?¡± That elder was stunned and was suddenly stumped. Yeah! The position we¡¯re at is surrounded by these dragon skeletons! If something really happens, we might not be able to avoid it¡­ Shi Rui¡¯er seemed to have suddenly thought of something as shock flashed across her eyes. Then, she turned around to take a look. Heaven and earth were completely dark in the snowy land. Another dragon skeleton appeared again. The suppression coming from the center became increasingly stronger! It was as if something was about to shoot out from within! Her heart started beating very quickly. Could it be¡­ ¡°Elder, we¡¯ll go back with you,¡± she said with a determined tone. ¡°Second Miss?¡± The elder with white brows glanced at her strangely. Shi Rui¡¯er paused. ¡°Perhaps the Heavenly Square Cauldron is there?!¡± 1 Chapter 1363 - Untitled The crowd fell silent for a moment. They had experienced too many things lately, to the extent that they had forgotten their initial motive in coming here¡ªHeavenly Square Cauldron! In the beginning, they didn¡¯t notice it. Now that Shi Rui¡¯er reminded them, they finally recovered their senses. So many dragon skeletons surround this area. Doesn¡¯t this prove that there¡¯s a problem?! Other than the Heavenly Square Cauldron, which is one of the top ten holy weapons, what else can have such a phenomenon? Elder Hua Feng perked up. ¡°You make sense. Besides, with this commotion, everyone in the entire Flood-Desert Northern Region will know about it. Perhaps¡­ Bo Yan and the others will come as well!¡± It¡¯s fine if we didn¡¯t know previously, but now that we¡¯ve guessed that there is this possibility¡­ We have to go back! ¡°Go!¡± Elder Hua Feng was the first to turn around, and he walked forward along the edges of the gully. The crowd quickly followed from behind. It was different from the initial nervousness and uneasiness. On this return journey, everyone felt more agitated and hopeful. Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­ Perhaps it will really appear there! ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect things to take such a turn¡­¡± The few young people from the Flying Star Sect joined together and whispered softly. ¡°If the Heavenly Square Cauldron really appears there, won¡¯t Chu Yue be in luck?!¡± ¡°Yeah! There were so many people present, but only Chu Yue went in. Back then, I still thought that he was pretty unlucky, but it now seems¡­ it might be some sort of good luck!¡± ¡°What kind of treasure is the Heavenly Square Cauldron? Countless strong warriors are fighting to chase after it. If it really lands in his hands¡­ He¡¯d be so lucky. Sigh! If only I was the one who went in back then!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan walked forward from the side. She heard most of these words and couldn¡¯t help but knit her brows. ¡°Nobody knows what exactly is behind the door. If he didn¡¯t meet that so-called fortune and even risked his life, won¡¯t everything be over?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t hold herself back and directly said this. Those few people looked at her in unison, and their expressions were incredulous. One of them said, ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, why do I feel that¡­ you hope Chu Yue gets into trouble? Isn¡¯t he a student from Ling Xiao Academy as well? Speaking of which, it seems like he can be considered to be your junior brother? You¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly smiled. ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m just worried about him. One can never be too careful. Elder Hua Feng and the rest also think very highly of Chu Yue. I, too, admire him greatly.¡± As she spoke, she knitted her sharp brows slightly and looked a little worried. ¡°Now, I just hope that everything goes smoothly for him. No matter the Heavenly Square Cauldron, it¡¯ll be great if he can come out safely.¡± If it were in the past, people wouldn¡¯t bear to scold her after seeing her pitiful expression and gaze. It was a pity that her face and body were covered by messy bloodstains and dust, causing her entire person to look disheveled. Who would still take pity on her? Besides, Elder Hua Feng, Shi Rui¡¯er, and the others always had a very clear attitude toward her, and they weren¡¯t silly. Hence, the few of them exchanged glances and smiled with deep meaning. ¡°How would we know what you¡¯re thinking?¡± They didn¡¯t conceal the mockery and ridicule in their eyes at all. Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t maintain her expression any longer. Originally, she wanted to argue further, but she swallowed her remaining words. She clenched her teeth and suppressed the anger and frustration in her heart with much difficulty. These people¡­ are just lackeys from the Flying Star Sect. What right do they have to look at me in this way!? She looked down and hid her emotions, but her feelings were in turmoil. If¡­ If Rong Xiu had chosen me to become the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort, how would these people dare to look down on me? Even though Fairy Water Mound was the head of the 28 divisions, that was only limited to the Sky-Cloud Empire. In the outside world, all the top-tier aristocratic families wouldn¡¯t take them into consideration at all. She would even be looked down on! Under such circumstances, she still had to suffer this humiliation! At the end of the day¡­ It was all because of Shangguan Yue! If there is a chance in the future, I have to check that b*tch¡¯s background! I will return everything I suffered these few days by a hundredfold! ¡­ The crowd continued walking forward for a distance. Dragon roars sounded continuously. The nearer they were, the more shocking they sounded. When the group was about to return to their previous position, seven or eight dragon skeletons had already appeared! Luckily, although these dragon bones had shocking suppression, they didn¡¯t attack people. However, the crowd knew very clearly that this was just the calm before the storm. Elder Hua Feng looked forward and suddenly squinted his eyes. ¡°Someone is coming!¡± The crowd was dazed and hurriedly looked over. As expected, there was a group of people quickly walking over in the snowy field. ¡°They look rather familiar¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er muttered. At the side, the elder with white brows poked his head out to take a look and reminded, ¡°Second Miss, they seem to be from the Golden Wings Sect!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart tightened! Because of Jin Lei being killed previously, we are on very bad terms with the Golden Wings Sect. I didn¡¯t expect us to meet them so quickly. The people from the Golden Wings Sect had also seen Elder Hua Feng and the others. The man at the front stopped in his tracks for a moment before he continued walking toward this area. He finally stopped about 30 feet in front of Elder Hua Feng and the others. It was completely silent. The two parties stared at each other, and there was faintly a strange current flowing around. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, long time no see. How have you been!?¡± The middle-aged man at the front wasn¡¯t the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s sect leader but his younger brother, Jin Di. As he spoke, he glanced at Shi Rui¡¯er at the side. ¡°Flying Star Sect is here too. Second Miss, you¡¯re really brave!¡± Elder Hua Feng cupped his fists and faintly said, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time. It seems like we¡¯re rather fated with the Golden Wings Sect. What, your sect leader didn¡¯t come this time?¡± If they could take the Heavenly Square Cauldron, it would definitely be a treasure that would secure their positions. Elder Hua Feng never believed that the Golden Wings Sect wasn¡¯t interested in this. Jin Di laughed out loud. ¡°My elder brother is still in seclusion, so naturally, we came instead. Oh? Elder Hua Feng, toward my eldest brother, you seem¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I just asked casually.¡± Elder Hua Feng smiled. ¡°After all, the Flood-Desert Northern Region is very spacious. It was indeed very coincidental to meet you.¡± Jin Di raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°There¡¯s such a huge commotion in this place. Everyone here should¡¯ve come, right?¡± As he spoke, his gaze turned as he looked at the positions of the few dragon skeletons in the middle. ¡°This place¡­ might hide the top treasure in this Flood-Desert Northern Region!¡± Elder Hua Feng stood with one hand behind his back and didn¡¯t speak. At this point, some commotion could be heard from afar. An elder glanced over and yelled in surprise, ¡°Dan Qing and the rest are here!¡± Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart seemed to tightly clench as she looked over! Chapter 1364 - : Break Ties Not far away, a few figures were rapidly approaching. The person in front was Elder Dan Qing, who they hadn¡¯t seen in a long time! Behind him were the other elders from the academy. Elder Hua Feng quickly welcomed him. ¡°Dan Qing!¡± He flew forward and quickly arrived in front of them. Before he could finish the words in his throat, he saw that the few of them had messy bloodstains. One of them even had a broken arm as if it was just chopped off by something! ¡°You guys¡­ What happened?!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart skipped a beat! The Flood-Desert Northern Region is dangerous, but these few people are very capable and strong. How did they end up in this state? Elder Dan Qing¡¯s face flushed white. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it in detail later. Bring him to a place to rest and heal his wounds.¡± Elder Hua Feng nodded solemnly before bringing the few people back. The others hurriedly followed, and all helped him. The elder with the broken arm lasted until this moment and finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore as he fainted. The others weren¡¯t in a better state. Anyone who saw them could guess that they had definitely suffered a terrifying attack. After Elder Hua Feng and the rest treated their wounds, they finally asked, ¡°Dan Qing, there are only a few of you? Where¡¯s Bo Yan and the others?¡± Elder Dan Qing took a deep breath in and continuously ate two pills before his face looked slightly better. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. We originally came together, but we were later separated¡­ How did you guys come here?¡± ¡°Bo Yan sent us news saying that the Heavenly Square Cauldron had appeared, and he told us to get more people¡­¡± said Elder Hua Feng. Seeing Elder Dan Qing¡¯s sudden change in expression, he instantly realized something. ¡°All of this is fake, right?¡± Elder Dan Qing laughed bitterly. ¡°After we came here, we kept getting into trouble, and we were so tired from running for our lives. Since when did we see the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart sank. Even if he had already guessed this earlier, a strong sense of uneasiness filled his heart after truly confirming it. ¡°Bo Yan was long separated from us at the start. Why would he send you such a message?¡± Elder Dan Qing also noticed something wrong and asked in shock. ¡°¡­Perhaps we had already been tricked since that time.¡± Elder Hua Feng shook his head. ¡°His green jade plaque was lost. Perhaps everything has been wrong since then¡­¡± Clearly, someone had purposely released the news to lure us over. But¡­ Who exactly is the person behind it, and what do they want? The people who came this time¡ªincluding me¡ªare only a few elders, and we aren¡¯t considered people with power and strength in Ling Xiao Academy. Who would spend so much energy to do such a thing?! ¡°We¡¯ve already been here for a few days, and we have been looking for you the whole time. It¡¯s a pity that not much progress has been made. You¡¯re the first batch of people from the academy we have seen ever since we came here,¡± said Elder Hua Feng. Then, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh right, Before you guys, there was still someone¡ªJiang Zhiyuan.¡± Speaking of this, he turned around and waved toward Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°Zhiyuan, aren¡¯t you going to come and see your mentor?¡± When Jiang Zhiyuan heard this, her entire body stiffened as cold sweat kept trickling down her back. Elder Dan Qing¡¯s expression became slightly incredulous. ¡°Zhiyuan¡­ is with you guys?¡± Previously, he hadn¡¯t noticed. Now that he heard Elder Hua Feng¡¯s words, he then realized that there was indeed a very familiar figure behind the crowd. He naturally wouldn¡¯t mistake the talented student he had taught for a few years. Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t notice that Dan Qing¡¯s tone was amiss as he nodded and explained, ¡°Yeah. Not long after we came, we coincidentally met her, and she has been following us ever since.¡± Seeing that Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t move, he raised his voice again. ¡°Zhiyuan?¡± She really couldn¡¯t avoid it. Everyone looked over. Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her fists very tightly until her nails were about to scratch her palm, causing pain. She stiffly turned around and walked to Elder Hua Feng and the rest step by step, lowering her head so that nobody could see her expression. Her voice was so soft that it seemed like it could be blown away by the wind. ¡°Mentor¡­¡± Elder Dan Qing looked at her. Silence. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between the duo before he realized that Elder Dan Qing¡¯s reaction was amiss. Then, he thought for a while before saying, ¡°Dan Qing, I¡¯m really sorry that we couldn¡¯t take good care of your disciple. But actually, when we saw her, she was already injured¡ª¡± ¡°I know.¡± Elder Dan Qing suddenly spoke and interrupted him, smiling with deep meaning. ¡°Zhiyuan¡­ you¡¯re still alive. I¡¯m really surprised.¡± The atmosphere unknowingly became strange. Which mentor would say such words? Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s breathing stopped. ¡°I-I¡­ I was just lucky. In the end, I met Elder Hua Feng and the rest. If not¡­ I definitely would¡¯ve died¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been smart. Why would you get into trouble? You can always get out of danger safely, right?¡± said Elder Dan Qing faintly. This time, everyone noticed the problem here. Elder Hua Feng raised his brows. Interesting¡­ In the past, Dan Qing treasured this disciple greatly. Even if she occasionally did unkind things, he always turned a blind eye to it and protected her very much. This time, he is acting so strange for some reason. Hearing this, could it be that something happened previously? ¡°Mentor¡­¡± After being quiet for some time, Jiang Zhiyuan then looked up, her eyes filled with tears. Putong! Jiang Zhiyuan directly kneeled down. ¡°Mentor, I was wrong. Please punish me!¡± The sudden scene shocked everybody. What kind of situation is this? Jiang Zhiyuan actually kneeled down and admitted her mistakes directly? Elder Dan Qing looked down at her from above and did not have any expression on his face. Only his old eyes had deep mockery and criticism. He was laughing at himself. Why couldn¡¯t I tell before that Jiang Zhiyuan was such a person? All the blood, sweat, and tears I put in these past few years are all a joke. ¡°You¡­ get up.¡± Elder Dan Qing finally spoke. Jiang Zhiyuan looked at him uneasily and had some hints of hope in her eyes. Actually, I can¡¯t be completely blamed for that. Under those circumstances back then, everyone could only care about themselves. How could they think of others? Mentor has always been nice to me, so perhaps this time¡ª ¡°Mentor, you¡¯ve forgiven me?¡± Elder Dan Qing¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Just get up. In this snowy land, you¡¯re also injured. How could you take this?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was elated. Does this mean that Mentor doesn¡¯t plan on holding it against me? I did follow Mentor for a few years, so he definitely can¡¯t bear¡ª She stood up and took two steps forward. ¡°Mentor¡ª¡± Elder Dan Qing suddenly said, ¡°From today onward, you can hit your high road, and I¡¯ll cross my log bridge. From now on, we will no longer be mentor and disciple!¡± 1 Chapter 1365 - Stalemate Jiang Zhiyuan instantly felt like she had dropped into an ice hole. ¡°Mentor?!¡± She stared at Elder Dan Qing in disbelief as her legs became soft. She couldn¡¯t even stand stably. Break the mentor-disciple ties¡­ Then, what should I do in the future?! If this news gets out, how will others look at me? One of the main reasons why I can be where I am today is that I¡¯m a student of Ling Xiao Academy and Elder Dan Qing¡¯s favorite top student! If I lose this backer¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve already made myself very clear. I can¡¯t bear the name of being your mentor. In the future, you should directly have someone else as your mentor.¡± Elder Dan Qing seemed to be unaffected by her reaction and drew the line very clearly. Then, he turned around and planned to rest. Jiang Zhiyuan hurriedly ran forward and blocked his path. ¡°Mentor, I know that I¡¯m wrong. Please give me another chance!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan spoke as two streams of tears flowed down her face. ¡°Just consider what I¡¯ve done the past few years¡ª¡± Elder Dan Qing suddenly looked up and glanced at her coldly. Deep annoyance and warning filled his eyes. It was precisely because I considered our relationship in the past few years that I only broke the ties between us and didn¡¯t expose everything that she did! If I had done so¡­ She wouldn¡¯t even be able to stay in Ling Xiao Academy! Jiang Zhiyuan knew Elder Dan Qing too well and immediately realized that if she continued pestering him, he would definitely choose to throw everything out of the window! Thus, she swallowed her remaining words. Elder Dan Qing passed by her and didn¡¯t even glance at her from the corner of his eyes. There was also no form of reluctance or reminiscence on his face. The surroundings fell into dead silence. Everyone¡¯s gazes landed on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face. Jiang Zhiyuan felt like there were many daggers on her back, and she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it! Find someone else¡­ That¡¯s easier said than done! Being publicly abandoned by Elder Dan Qing, my reputation in the future will be ruined! In Ling Xiao Academy, no other elders will want to accept me! Staying in Ling Xiao Academy without any mentor¡­ is no different from being expelled! I have to figure out a way¡­ Elder Hua Feng walked to Elder Dan Qing and wanted to ask him a few questions. But seeing that the latter¡¯s expression was ugly, he gave up. It seems like¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan did something she shouldn¡¯t have. However, Dan Qing still left the last bit of face for her, so he didn¡¯t say exactly what it was. I really don¡¯t know what exactly Jiang Zhiyuan did to cause Dan Qing¡ªwho has doted on her all the while¡ªto be so harsh¡­ Very quickly, quite a few clans rushed over from the surroundings. They all gathered at different places respectively. At this point, Elder Hua Feng and the others finally saw the situation clearly. In the middle of this place was a gigantic, circular-shaped mountain with nine gullies that spread in different directions. And all these gullies each buried a dragon skeleton. If they didn¡¯t guess wrongly, there should be a corresponding door in each gully. The door that they saw in the beginning should be one of them. Everyone used these gullies as a dividing line, and they all stared at each other from afar. Without a doubt, they were all top-tier aristocratic families and clans in the God Residence Realm. Most of the people were injured. It was silent. Nobody wanted to stand up. The crowd fell into a stalemate. Many people also looked toward the center of the gully. There was obviously something in that place. Something landed on their foreheads. Shi Rui¡¯er raised her hand to touch it, and it felt icy cold. ¡°It¡¯s snowing.¡± Feather-like snow fell down. Roar! A low and vigorous dragon roar sounded from all areas! The nine dragon skeletons shrieked toward the sky, and they looked like they wanted to struggle free from the gullies! However, there seemed to be something tightly wrapping around their bodies tightly, trapping them in a solid manner. Hence, the crowd could only see these dragon skeletons struggle and move crazily. The mountain in the gully vibrated, and mountain rocks fell! It was very chaotic. ¡°There seems to be something inside controlling these dragon skeletons¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er said with some uncertainty. ¡°No. To be more accurate, there¡¯s a force that suppressed them here¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng had a serious expression. Dragon skeletons are never allowed to be left outside, yet there are nine of them here. I don¡¯t believe that the dragon clan has given up on these dragon bones. The greatest possibility is that¡­ the dragon clan can¡¯t do anything about this situation either! To be able to act to this extent¡­ Other than the Heavenly Square Cauldron, what else can it be? At this point, another group of people rushed up from the sides of the gully. Everyone looked over alertly. They were the people from Lingyun Mountain. ¡°Elder Hua Feng.¡± The man at the front walked over as if he wasn¡¯t surprised by them leaving and coming back again. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows. ¡°How is the situation?¡± The other party shook his head. ¡°Originally, we were waiting outside quietly. Later on, the dragon skeletons moved. We noticed that something was amiss and quickly came up.¡± It was also why they had long predicted that everybody would come over when they detected the commotion on this side. ¡°The door hasn¡¯t been activated yet. We don¡¯t know how Chu Yue is as well. Sorry.¡± Elder Hua Feng waved his hands. ¡°We really have to thank you.¡± With the current situation, they couldn¡¯t do anything about it even if they were here, right? Jin Di¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between Elder Hua Feng and the others, and he squinted his eyes. ¡°What? It seems like¡­ someone from Ling Xiao Academy is also trapped here?¡± Everyone was alerted as they all looked over. The atmosphere suddenly became tense. ¡°Previously, we were walking in the gully in the northeastern direction. But before we could reach the front, the shocking change happened. We originally thought that everyone was the same, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ someone actually beat us to it?¡± ¡°Hah. We did walk to the door, but all of us were either severely injured or dead, and we couldn¡¯t even open a gap in that door. It seems like Ling Xiao Academy is indeed special¡­¡± ¡°Now that everyone is outside, and someone from Ling Xiao Academy is inside¡­ If there really is any twist of fate, I¡¯m afraid that one person will gain it all. How envious¡­¡± Everyone spoke up, and they all had a rude tone. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression turned cold. Ever since Chu Yue was dragged behind that door, we were all worried that something would happen to him. Why do these people make it sound like Chu Yue has a head start? He originally wanted to unleash his anger, but he then surveyed his surroundings. Not counting the Flying Star Sect and Lingyun Mountain, there were already a total of seven family clans. If they work together¡­ Elder Hua Feng took a deep breath in and tried his best to maintain the calmness in his tone. ¡°Everyone, Chu Yue is trapped in it, and it was purely accidental. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening outside as well. I hope¡ª¡± ¡°Since Elder Hua Feng doesn¡¯t know either, then we better think of a way to get in as soon as possible, right?¡± Jin Di interrupted him and spoke lazily. He then glanced at the crowd in the surroundings. ¡°There are a total of nine doors here. It would be quite difficult to break down all of them. In my opinion, why don¡¯t we choose a door and work together to break it down?¡± Chapter 1366 - : Surround and Attack! Jin Di¡¯s suggestion received everyone¡¯s approval. Even though they were competitors and didn¡¯t really like each other, someone from Ling Xiao Academy had already gone in and broken the balance, so they had to choose to work together at this moment. The Heavenly Square Cauldron was very possibly inside. What would they do if it was just stolen like that? They went on this trip just for it! Elder Hua Feng clenched his fists tightly, and his expression turned grave. However, he knew that this matter couldn¡¯t be stopped. I don¡¯t know how exactly Bo Yan and the rest are now¡­ With the few of us around, we aren¡¯t the opposite few people¡¯s match. If Chu Yue can really come out safely and has received some fateful item, these people won¡¯t let him off so easily. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, don¡¯t you really want to bring that Chu Yue out as well? Why don¡¯t we do it together?¡± teased Jin Di. The others might not be very clear with the name ¡®Chu Yue,¡¯ but he knew it very well. There weren¡¯t many people who could cause the Golden Wings Sect to suffer and still live properly. Elder Hua Feng hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Why not?! But which door would you want to break?¡± Jin Di laughed and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­ we start from the door that Chu Yue previously entered? That¡¯s currently the only door that has been opened.¡± Elder Hua Feng nonchalantly said, ¡°You might not know, but that door¡­ has been blocked by rocks, so it¡¯s impossible to go in.¡± ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t have to worry about that! The previous commotion was so huge that¡­ the other doors should be in a similar state, right?¡± As Jin Di spoke, he looked around the crowd. ¡°Everyone, am I right?¡± Nobody retorted. ¡°Since all the doors have been blocked, then¡­¡± Even though Jin Di didn¡¯t finish his sentence, everyone understood his meaning. Elder Hua Feng squinted his eyes. ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue seemed to have entered a special state. Her body kept continuously absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force, and she could clearly feel that invisible barrier. It was as if she just had to stretch her hand out to smash it and officially become a stage-nine warrior! However, she was faintly a little short of it. She didn¡¯t know how long had passed, and she couldn¡¯t even remember how much force she had absorbed. The water droplet quietly spun in her dantian. The eight lines were very clear and bright, but the ninth line didn¡¯t appear. Chu Liuyue knew that she had to absorb more force than others every time she tried to break through, so she was long prepared. However, she didn¡¯t expect there to be such a shocking gap for a stage-eight warrior to become a stage-nine warrior. Blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth and flowed down her skin which was as white as jade. It dripped onto her clothes and gradually spread across, forming bright red plums. Her face was extremely pale, and her thick and long lashes cast two faint shadows. Suddenly, a loud sound was heard from outside! The ground shook. The countless black cracks on the tombstone in front of Chu Liuyue seemed to have rainbow lights flashing across them! It was as if something was gradually awakening! ¡­ Boom! Another loud sound was heard from the gully. Rocks flew up, and dust flew everywhere. The originally blocked pathway finally had a path cleared after experiencing such an ordeal. Even though it was narrow, it could contain two people walking forward side-by-side, and this was enough for the crowd. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, since you said that you came here before, then¡­ Why don¡¯t you go first?¡± Jin Di¡¯s suggestion received the crowd¡¯s approval once again. Elder Hua Feng sneered in his heart. It sounds nice, but isn¡¯t he just afraid that there will be danger in front?! Wanting the treasure but not willing to take risks¡­ He deserves to get nothing! Without speaking, Elder Hua Feng went forward. In the front, the hot door was still exuding a shocking warmth. The nearer they were, the more the force in their bodies boiled. Elder Hua Feng held his breath in. Now, I just hope that Chu Yue is safe inside¡­ The crowd cleared out a piece of land. After Elder Hua Feng stood there, he turned around to look at them. ¡°Previously, we tried all sorts of methods to open it, but they were all to no avail. So¡­ Everyone, you should join hands!¡± The crowd gradually walked over and stood still in their positions. The leader of every family clan exchanged glances and finally expressed their agreement. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s work together to open the door. Later¡­ everything will be done with our own abilities!¡± Although everyone had their own malicious thoughts, they would still do some perfunctory work now. Shua! Waves of dense force flew out as everyone exerted their strength together and tried to open the door! A smash landed! Rumble! The door didn¡¯t move at all. The crowd¡¯s expressions changed. This¡­ Suddenly, a bolt of lightning quickly flashed in the sky! It was so bright that it illuminated half the sky! Everyone looked up. They saw that dark clouds gathered above the sky, and it was so gloomy that it looked like night was about to fall. A storm brewed, and the winds howled. Countless thunderbolts continuously appeared behind the clouds! From afar, they looked like snakes crazily swimming around! ¡°Strange weather phenomenon¡­ Is a treasure about to appear?!¡± Shocked and excited voices could be heard from the crowd. This is an extraordinary phenomenon¡­ The rumored Heavenly Square Cauldron is truly about to appear! However, someone very quickly denied this guess. ¡°No! The Heaven and Earth Force has gathered together! Someone is clearly about to break through!¡± When precious treasures appeared¡­ Although they would trigger a phenomenon, they wouldn¡¯t gather so much Heaven and Earth Force. It could only be that someone was breaking through! Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Could it be¡­ Rumble! A bolt of lightning suddenly struck¡ªit went straight to the center of the nine dragon skeletons! Chapter 1367 - Trap! This is Chu Yue breaking through?! This thought quickly surfaced in Elder Hua Feng¡¯s mind, but it was rapidly denied. Chu Yue has just broken through to become a stage-eight warrior. How could he possibly continuously break through in such a short amount of time? Besides, breaking through as a beginner stage-eight warrior to become an intermediate stage-eight warrior¡ªor even a peak stage-eight warrior¡ªdefinitely wouldn¡¯t cause such a huge commotion. Then¡­ it should be someone else? There must be other incredible characters hidden inside! Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but be even more worried. The situation was nerve-racking, and he wondered how Chu Yue was inside. Boom! Just when he was very worried, the lightning in the sky struck continuously! The thick snow started to melt, revealing the rocks underneath. To the surrounding crowd, the middle rock was like an isolated island, and it was only connected to the nine dragon skeletons around it. Feeling this energy ripple, the people standing at the front took a few steps back instinctively, and their expressions turned ugly. What does this mean? Everyone has worked together, but we still can¡¯t go in. Then, do we have to just wait here? Let¡¯s not mention that lightning bolts keep striking, almost swallowing the entire place whole! ¡°This phenomenon¡­ Could it be that someone is breaking through to the Apotheosis Realm¡­¡± At this point, everyone¡¯s attention was gathered here. Elder Dan Qing wasn¡¯t an exception. As he was injured, he stood at a position toward the back, and his eyes were tightly glued to the front. Suddenly, a weak and gentle voice sounded from behind. ¡°¡­Mentor?¡± Elder Dan Qing turned around, and unconcealable disgust flashed across his eyes. ¡°I said that I¡¯m no longer your mentor. You should save this form of address for someone else!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart turned ice-cold from his gaze. After so many years in the academy, Mentor has never looked at me with such an expression¡­ She bit her lips and acted as if she wanted to kneel. Elder Dan Qing sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do such useless things. Even if you destroy your knees, I will never take back what I said earlier!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s movements suddenly froze, and she didn¡¯t know what to do. I was born with a distinguished status and have always been doted on. Since when have I suffered such humiliation? Elder Dan Qing broke ties with me in front of so many people and almost nailed me to the pillar of humiliation. How am I supposed to accept it? I have to try my best to salvage it! ¡°Mentor, I know that¡­ what I previously did disappointed you. I don¡¯t want to defend myself; I just hope you¡¯ll give me a chance.¡± Tears welled up in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve already seen my current state. I¡¯m neither like a human nor a ghost. If you don¡¯t help me, how am I supposed to live in the academy¡ªin the God Residence Realm¡ªin the future? You¡ª¡± ¡°What has that got to do with me?¡± Elder Dan Qing¡¯s expression turned cold and nonchalant. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, Fairy Water Mound wouldn¡¯t want the things you¡¯ve done to spread around the God Residence Realm, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan seemed to be slapped by someone as her face flashed green and white. Finally, she clenched her teeth and looked down. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡­ Hong hong hong! As time passed, the number of lightning bolts in the sky kept increasing instead of reducing. The bright rays of light pierced through the dark clouds, causing one to be unable to look straight at them. Crack! A crisp shattering sound was suddenly heard! ¡°This mountain rock is about to collapse!¡± Jin Di saw it clearly¡ªa crack pierced through the door from top to bottom! A tremendous aura seeped out from within! ¡°Quickly disperse!¡± Jin Di¡¯s expression swiftly changed. We are definitely no match for this force! Before he could finish his sentence, his figure had already disappeared from the spot. The others standing in the surroundings slowly reacted. Some people left quickly, while others didn¡¯t believe it and wanted to go up to take a look personally. After a momentary pause, those few people were consecutively enveloped by that shocking force and then flung out! Roar! The dragon roar seemed to have a hint of struggle and pain. At first glance, it seemed like it was trying its best to struggle free of the invisible restriction! Elder Hua Feng quickly retreated as well! Crack! Cracks rapidly filled the mountain rock¡ªthey were like a spider web! It was as if something was about to break through it! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open! Her pair of eyes were dark yet bright, her aura light yet tremendous! Countless bolts of lightning swam around her limbs and all around her! Every inch of her muscles and veins was rapidly strengthening! She gathered all the force in her body and slammed against the water droplet in her dantian! Rumble! She heard a shocking sound, and waves of ripples formed on the water droplet. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Then, she saw the ninth line slowly appear! That line seemed to have gathered all the colors in the world, and it was magnificent! With one glance, it seemed to be able to cause one to fall within it unwittingly! A holy and strong aura suddenly erupted from within¡ªstage-nine warrior! Coincidentally, the tombstone in front of Chu Liuyue suddenly broke into pieces at this moment! Thump! Countless black shards flew toward the surroundings! At that moment, they filled the entire room! Chu Liuyue was coincidentally surrounded in the middle. She focused her gaze and looked forward. Those black shards were of different sizes. Some were the size of a nail, while others were only as big as a sesame seed. They floated quietly like stars that kept glowing and extinguishing, shining non-stop. There seemed to be a special and invisible force in between these shards that connected them, forming a gigantic web! A strong pressure silently spread from it! A cold glow flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. This web has already trapped me within! Chapter 1368 - Questioning A thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as she immediately summoned the pure gold armor! A golden light dazzled, causing her skin to look like jade and her eyes to look like stars. Following this, she took a step forward and held the Chi Xiao Sword in her hands! These few movements were very simple, but Chu Liuyue still felt a heavy suppression. She held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly. I can now confirm that not only is this a certain strong warrior¡¯s tomb, but it is also their God Realm! Hence, the flow of time here is vastly different from the outside. After I broke through as a stage-nine warrior, it can still pose a huge threat to me. The surrounding force was rich, and it kept increasing¡ªthis created some threat to the human body. If she couldn¡¯t leave here as soon as possible, even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t guarantee how much longer she could stay here. She turned and walked toward the door. As she moved, the surrounding air flowed as well, bringing along the floating black shards. The air seemed to become sticky. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stop and walked until she was three steps away from the door. She then took a deep breath in, held the sword with both hands, and raised it up high! Dense force rapidly surrounded the Chi Xiao Sword! Without hesitation, she slashed her sword! ¡­ Crack! A straight opening suddenly appeared on the tightly locked door, and countless cracks spread! Everyone looked over in shock. They saw a slim and long figure stepping out from within¡ªit was a young man with a clear appearance, and he looked like he was about 16 or 17 years old! At this moment, he held an extremely sharp longsword and was exuding a stunning aura as harsh combative intent flashed across his eyes. It was as if he wanted to smash everything here! ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± Elder Hua Feng said in elation, almost unable to believe his eyes. Who could that cool young man who had stunned the crowd be if it weren¡¯t Chu Yue?! Hearing this, everyone was taken aback. Chu Yue? The one that previously went in?! He actually came out alive! Besides¡­ ¡°You broke through?!¡± As he was too shocked, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s voice trembled slightly. If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, Chu Yue¡¯s current cultivation level is clearly¡­ stage-nine warrior?! When he went in, wasn¡¯t he just a beginner stage-eight warrior? How has he now¡ª After Chu Liuyue broke open the door, she noticed that something was amiss and rapidly surveyed the surroundings. After taking a glance, she had basically already guessed what was going on. It seems like the previous commotion summoned all the top-tier families that were journeying in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Hearing this voice, she looked at Elder Hua Feng with much focus. Her gaze flickered slightly, and she asked the question in her heart. ¡°Elder, how long has it been?¡± Elder Hua Feng immediately answered, ¡°Three days. From when you were locked inside to now, it has been three days.¡± It has only been three days¡­ Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. I had clearly spent a very long time inside. I even felt that a few months or even a year had passed. But as I was focused on breaking through later on, I didn¡¯t notice how long it had been. I didn¡¯t expect that only a short three days had passed outside after experiencing so many changes inside. Seeing her expression, Elder Hua Feng immediately realized something. It seems like the flow of time inside was greatly different from the outside world. Thus¡­ Chu Yue directly broke through to become a stage-nine warrior in such a short amount of time! But no matter what, it is for the best that he could come out safely! He opened his mouth and had a ton of questions to ask, but when it hit his tongue, he didn¡¯t know how to express it. In the end, he only waved toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Naughty kid, come back now!¡± Does he know how worried we were during this period!? Chu Liuyue curved her eyes and moved her figure, about to go over. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± At the side, a low and powerful holler suddenly stopped Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned. The person talking was a muscular middle-aged man. That face was very unfamiliar, but at this point, he clearly looked like he was targeting Chu Liuyue. The incoming person is an enemy! Chu Liuyue became alert. ¡°May I know who Senior is¡ª¡± ¡°Golden Wings Sect¡¯s Jin Di!¡± He was filled with confidence, and his voice even had some faint hints of teasing. His gaze swept across the Chi Xiao Sword in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands, and he sneered ambiguously. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re using this item rather nicely?¡± Chu Liuyue held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly, but her gaze was calm. It¡¯s normal for the Golden Wings Sect to have enmity against me. Anyway, now that the Chi Xiao Sword is mine, they can¡¯t get it back no matter what. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re quite lucky. Not counting the rare treasure you got, but you¡¯re even thinking of fighting for others¡­ Chu Yue, on account of Ling Xiao Academy, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Immediately hand over all the items you gained inside¡ªthey¡¯re not things you can take!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly and realized that those people at the side didn¡¯t retort as if they agreed with his words. However¡­ I only borrowed the tremendous force inside and broke through to become a stage-nine warrior. How am I supposed to return it? ¡°Senior Jin Di, please forgive me for being stupid, but¡­ What exactly are you referring to?¡± Even though Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t understand it in her heart, she was still very polite on the surface. In front of so many people, she didn¡¯t want to attract trouble out of nowhere. Jin Di sneered, and his tone became annoyed. ¡°What, you¡¯re denying it?¡± Chu Liuyue calmly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t make yourself clear, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Jin Di laughed. ¡°You¡¯re still putting on a pretense¡­ We naturally want the Heavenly Square Cauldron!¡± Chapter 1369 - Heavenly Square Cauldron! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Someone interrupted from the side, ¡°That¡¯s right! As long as you hand the Heavenly Square Cauldron over, everything else can be discussed!¡± Chu Liuyue took a glance. She didn¡¯t recognize the person talking, but it seemed like he was an important character from some top-tier clan. Those who could come here weren¡¯t ordinary characters, so their words naturally had more weight. Chu Liuyue silently surveyed her surroundings. Many people did not speak, but they clearly shared the same stance as Jin Di. Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak for some time, Jin Di thought that she had obtained some treasure and refused to part with it. He continued, ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re still young. There are some things that you can¡¯t touch. Even if you¡¯re lucky for a moment, you might not be able to keep it. It will only become a hot potato in your hands and attract trouble, so¡­ Why don¡¯t you just hand the item over? We¡¯ll accept this favor of yours. How about that?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly realized what was going on. ¡°Oh, does everyone think that I obtained the Heavenly Square Cauldron inside?¡± Nobody answered, but everyone¡¯s expressions clearly showed ¡®obviously.¡¯ Clearly, they all thought in this manner. Not to mention the huge commotion incurred, but all of them worked together and couldn¡¯t even open the door previously. Yet, Chu Yue could slash it open with one sword! How could one not suspect anything? Seeing everyone¡¯s reactions, Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. They really can imagine¡­ Even though the Heavenly Square Cauldron is indeed with me, I didn¡¯t obtain it in this manner. Besides, isn¡¯t it quite shameless for them to want my things just because they do? They¡¯re even asking for it in such a pompous manner! Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and faintly said, ¡°Everyone, sorry to disappoint, but other than successfully breaking through to become a stage-nine warrior, I didn¡¯t obtain anything from inside.¡± The moment she said that, the surroundings fell silent. Quite a few people exchanged glances and knitted their brows, clearly in disbelief. What¡­ Nothing? How could this be possible!? Jin Di¡¯s expression became cold as murderous intent quickly flashed across his eyes. ¡°So this means that you¡¯re not willing to hand the item over?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything, so how am I supposed to give you anything? Everyone, you think that I obtained the Heavenly Square Cauldron inside, but can I ask¡­ What evidence do you have?¡± She was inside, but they were outside. During the entire process, the door was tightly shut. She didn¡¯t believe that they had seen anything! ¡°Perhaps the evidence is with you!¡± As Jin Di spoke, he suddenly went on his toes and rapidly rushed toward Chu Liuyue! ¡°Since you want to do this the hard way, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± ¡°Jin Di, how dare you!?¡± Seeing this, Elder Hua Feng was stunned and immediately flew up! Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure flashed, and she disappeared from the spot. How is he so fast? When all the spectators saw this, they were taken aback. ¡°How is this a speed that a stage-nine warrior can have?! This Chu Yue is clearly problematic!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard that he was previously a stage-eight warrior. However, he¡¯s continuously broken through after a few days of entering the area to become a stage-nine warrior. If the Heavenly Square Cauldron isn¡¯t with him, where can it be?¡± ¡°Why are you still dreaming? Quickly go up! If we¡¯re any later, the people from the Golden Wings Sect will snatch all the treasures!¡± Very quickly, everyone rushed out. Everybody was in a mess, and their target was Chu Liuyue! At this point, a loud sound was suddenly heard from far away. Chu Liuyue looked up, and shock flashed across her eyes. The world was completely dark. A transparent fire burned crazily in mid-air! Within that was a transparent square cauldron, and it floated quietly¡ªit was the Heavenly Square Cauldron! Chapter 1370 - Attack All the colors and lights in the world seemed to be occupied by that one square cauldron. A tremendous and holy aura exuded from within, shocking everyone! ¡°Heavenly Square Cauldron!¡± Someone suddenly gasped. People rapidly changed their directions and rushed toward that side! Jin Di glanced at Chu Liuyue doubtfully. So the large commotion that previously occurred wasn¡¯t the Heavenly Square Cauldron appearing? He sneered, ¡°Chu Yue, we¡¯re not over!¡± Then, his figure flashed across and followed the crowd to that side! ¡°Chu Yue, are you okay?¡± Elder Hua Feng went forward and nervously sized her up. Chu Liuyue slightly smiled. ¡°Elder, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m doing great.¡± Elder Hua Feng then heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Chu Liuyue with unconcealable admiration and exclamation. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you¡­ to have such a twist of fate!¡± In such a short amount of days, Chu Yue broke through from a stage-eight warrior to become a stage-nine warrior. If word got out, many people would be envious! Chu Liuyue raised her chin toward that side. ¡°Elder, everyone went to fight for that Heavenly Square Cauldron. Are you¡­ not going?¡± ¡°That item is a treasure, but we didn¡¯t come for it this time. Besides, so many people have gone to take a first look at it. It won¡¯t be easy.¡± It would be another intense bloodbath again. Now, he could only try his best to find Bo Yan, the other elders, and the hundreds of students from the academy as soon as possible. As for other things, he wasn¡¯t interested in them at all. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°That¡­ Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s appearance is indeed strange. Let¡¯s just silently observe the changes.¡± Then, she glanced toward the side and realized that the group of people from Lingyun Mountain had gone over. Yet, Shi Rui¡¯er flew toward her. ¡°It¡¯s great that Junior Brother Chu Yue is fine.¡± Hearing the duo¡¯s conversation, she seemed to heave a sigh of relief. The elder with white brows urged her from behind. ¡°Second Miss, we have to hurry up! If this drags on, the Heavenly Square Cauldron will be snatched by other people!¡± Different from Ling Xiao Academy, they came for that treasure this time. Now that it finally appeared before them, how could they not fight for it? Shi Rui¡¯er nodded toward Elder Hua Feng and Chu Liuyue. ¡°Elder, Chu Yue, we¡¯ll go over first¡ª¡± ¡°Senior Sister,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly as she tried to advise her. ¡°If such a holy weapon wants to appear, it would definitely cause a huge commotion. But that item appeared silently just now, so it¡¯s really strange. I think¡­ there¡¯s no need to be so anxious first. Perhaps you should watch and examine it more carefully.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was dazed. ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± She was born from a distinguished family and had seen a holy weapon before. If one wanted to obtain a treasure of such a level, it normally depended on fate. Even if one rushed over first, they might not be able to get the treasure¡¯s recognition, not to mention that so many people had already rushed forward first. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go over first and see what exactly is going on.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she nodded lightly. Coincidentally, I also want to go over and see what exactly it is. ¡°Second Miss¡ª¡± The elder furrowed his white brows as if he wanted to convince her otherwise. However, Shi Rui¡¯er lightly shook her head toward him. The elder with white brows finally swallowed his remaining words and glanced at Chu Liuyue in confusion. This young man comes from an unknown background, and Second Miss seems to think very highly of him. She even chose to listen to his suggestion at such a time. This¡­ He suppressed his doubts and followed Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest to go forward. ¡­ ¡°There has always been one Heavenly Square Cauldron from last time until now.¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s voice sounded deeply. ¡°The one in front must be fake.¡± Chu Liuyue gave an imperceptible nod. ¡°But that aura is indeed rather similar to the real Heavenly Square Cauldron.¡± If it weren¡¯t because the true item was in her hands, she would¡¯ve also been tricked by the scene before her. Even she could mistake this, let alone the others. The legendary three-eyed eagle sounded annoyed. ¡°If it¡¯s fake, it¡¯s fake. It will never be real.¡± As they spoke, Chu Liuyue and the rest had already reached the area and stopped about 300 feet before the Heavenly Square Cauldron. The group of people that first arrived was relatively nearer and had already surrounded the gigantic, transparent square cauldron. Perhaps it was because of the shocking suppression or they were afraid of the other competitors present, but after they came, nobody took action first. It was silent. Only the pairs of eyes that glowed with excitement and greed revealed their inner thoughts clearly. Chu Liuyue looked over. A ball of fire burned in mid-air in a hot and intense manner. The gigantic transparent square cauldron floated quietly within. From the outside, it seemed exactly the same as the one in her body¡ªeven the patterns engraved on it were exactly the same. Except for one aspect¡ªthe aura was different. Previously, she didn¡¯t realize it. But now that she was closer, she immediately realized that this item was indeed a fake. No matter how similar their appearances were, the aura inside was still different, so they couldn¡¯t be compared. It was a pity that these people who hadn¡¯t seen the true Heavenly Square Cauldron wouldn¡¯t be able to differentiate it. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and quickly found a deep trench on the ground below the transparent square cauldron. The thick ice had already melted, and even the surface of the ground had flown away. The dark edges of the deep trench faintly exuded a scorched smell. It seemed like it rushed out from underneath. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and fell into deep thought. Someone clearly had set this up in advance, but¡­ I wonder why exactly the other party did this? Suddenly, the transparent square cauldron spun in mid-air! Everyone waited strictly! Then, the transparent fire suddenly exploded! Rumble! The terrifying heat wave spread in all directions! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t directly face it head-on and chose to move backward directly. But at this moment, a painful groan was heard. She rapidly turned around and saw that Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s shoulder was harshly whipped by a fire whip! Her muscles and skin flipped! Whoosh! A black figure appeared before Shi Rui¡¯er and protected her tightly. It was her fiend¡ªthe legendary three-eyed eagle! However, the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t allow Shi Rui¡¯er to escape safely. It even attracted even bigger trouble! This was because after it appeared, that transparent square cauldron suddenly rushed toward Shi Rui¡¯er! The fire burned intensely and brightly as it immediately formed two fire whips and wrapped her from the right and left sides, easily trapping Shi Rui¡¯er within! Everyone was stunned by this scene. ¡°Did this Heavenly Square Cauldron choose Shi Rui¡¯er?¡± But the next moment, their guess was shattered. That was because the surrounding transparent fire had relentlessly attacked Shi Rui¡¯er! Chapter 1371 - Self-Destruct Shi Rui¡¯er was completely dazed. She did come for the Heavenly Square Cauldron, but she didn¡¯t expect to be targeted by this item! In the beginning, she thought that she was chosen by the Heavenly Square Cauldron, but the excruciating pain immediately woke her up. This item was clearly coming for her life! After she reacted, she crazily moved back and tried to struggle free. But how could it be that easy? However, in such a short amount of time, burns of different degrees had already appeared on her body! ¡°Second Miss!¡± When the people from the Flying Star Sect saw this, they all noticed the danger and quickly rushed up, wanting to save Shi Rui¡¯er. However, the transparent fire burned crazily, and they couldn¡¯t even get near it, let alone others! Shoo! The legendary three-eyed eagle spread its wings and blocked Shi Rui¡¯er. However, that transparent fire formed a fire whip and rapidly flung it away! Then, The fire whip rushed toward Shi Rui¡¯er at an even more frightening speed! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t do anything out of the norm, so why did it target her? Chu Liuyue wanted to go up to help, but she suddenly heard a strange sound from below. She lowered her head, and her eyes shrunk because she saw something emerging from the deep and chaotic trench! It was a tree branch that was totally black. It was about the thickness of a child¡¯s arm, but it contained a shocking aura. It poked out from below and started continuously spreading along the ground. Everywhere it went, the accumulated snow quickly melted. Some of the snow water was absorbed by it while the rest seeped into the ground. The branch started growing at an observable speed. Then, it was the second and the third! A tree grew from within, and everything in the surroundings started changing rapidly. That tree was very strange. Only the branches and trunk were totally dark and didn¡¯t have a single leaf. If one didn¡¯t personally witness it grow out, they might think that it was just an item carved from black jade. However, Chu Liuyue suddenly detected a faint familiar aura. She stared at that tree closely and felt that she had seen it somewhere before. In a short time, this tree was already the same height as normal trees. However, it didn¡¯t stop growing and instead continued. The tree grew, and the branches extended. Wherever it went, the snow melted, and it was a scene of warm spring. Everything was too strange. The spectating crowd couldn¡¯t help but look shocked as they retreated respectively. ¡°Ah!!!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was beaten to the ground, and she let out a painful gasp! Chu Liuyue looked over. Shi Rui¡¯er was covered in wounds and bloodstains, and she looked to be in a very disheveled manner. She was surrounded by the transparent fire and kept struggling with all her might, but she still couldn¡¯t extinguish the fire and could only suffer the great pain. The elder with white brows and the others were panicking, but they couldn¡¯t go forward to help her. That transparent square cauldron clearly wanted her life! ¡°What exactly is going on with Shi Rui¡¯er? She¡¯s actually being chased by the Heavenly Square Cauldron?¡± The crowd was filled with confusion. Chu Liuyue was about to go forward when she saw a speck of purplish-golden light flash across from the corner of her eyes! Her heart skipped a beat as she looked over. For some reason, a tiny leaf grew on the black wood. That leaf was purplish-gold in color, and it was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing. It was clear like jade and reflected a faint light under the sun. This is¡­ purplish-gold Buddha leaf! Chu Liuyue was very familiar with this item! In order to obtain a purplish-gold Buddha leaf, she had spent a lot of effort back then! However, she didn¡¯t expect to see it here! If such a leaf is growing here, then this tree is¡­ A ridiculous and crazy thought quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind! This is the legendary purplish-gold bodhi tree! ¡­ The purplish-gold bodhi tree usually grew in extreme conditions and was a legendary tree that belonged to the legendary three-eyed eagle clan. Since it appeared here, it proved that the legendary three-eyed eagle clan should be nearby! Chu Liuyue rapidly surveyed the surroundings. It was empty. There was no sign of the legendary three-eyed eagles, but her heart still seemed to be tightly clutched. Not appearing now doesn¡¯t mean that they aren¡¯t here! She suddenly thought of something and asked in her heart, ¡°Back then, did the legendary three-eyed eagle clan know that you were trapped within the Heavenly Square Cauldron?¡± After a temporary silence, a low and clear voice finally sounded. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Back when it happened, everything occurred too suddenly. Thus, it didn¡¯t have the time to tell its clan what exactly happened. In the later thousand years, it was trapped in the Heavenly Square Cauldron and was totally suppressed, so it lost all contact with the clan. Hence, it wasn¡¯t sure if the clan knew about this. ¡°But this tree is indeed my clan¡¯s legendary tree. There should be other legendary three-eyed eagles nearby¡ª¡± Huala! Before it could finish its sentence, a few legendary three-eyed eagles suddenly flew out from that bodhi tree! Their black apparitions filled the entire sky! Harsh and fierce murderous intent attacked them! Then, they actually flew toward Shi Rui¡¯er in unison! It seemed like they clearly wanted to kill her! ¡­ Upon seeing this, the people from the Flying Star Sect were stunned, but they could only face it head-on! Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart beat wildly. ¡°Quick! Save Rui¡¯er!¡± Just with the few people from the Flying Star Sect, they aren¡¯t the legendary three-eyed eagles¡¯ match! But when the elders planned to go forward, they suddenly heard someone stopping them from behind. ¡°Elder, think carefully!¡± Elder Hua Feng turned around coldly. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, now is not the time for you to casually intervene! You¡ª¡± ¡°Elder, I¡¯m doing it for everyone¡¯s good!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan hurriedly went forward and rapidly said, ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagles are arrogant and never make agreements with humans. They¡¯re clearly treating Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er in this manner because she forcefully made an agreement with that legendary three-eyed eagle. Did you forget how she got that legendary three-eyed eagle?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er had said herself that her father personally spent a lot of effort to catch it. And that legendary three-eyed eagle wasn¡¯t an adult at that time. He raised it for a long time before finally giving it to Shi Rui¡¯er. This was undoubtedly an utter humiliation toward the legendary three-eyed eagle clan! They naturally wouldn¡¯t let Shi Rui¡¯er off! ¡°If we go over and help now.. Not to mention that we can¡¯t beat these legendary three-eyed eagles, but we might even anger them and cause the situation to worsen!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Then, what do you want?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan took a deep breath in and quickly glanced at Shi Rui¡¯er, who was on the brink of death. ¡°In my opinion, those who hide can find. The only thing we can do today is to get Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er to dissolve her agreement with that legendary three-eyed eagle and try to talk peace with the other party¡ª¡± ¡°Once a human and a fiend have an agreement, there is no way to dissolve it unless the fiend dies. Your method can¡¯t work.¡± Elder Hua Feng quickly rejected it. However, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s gaze flickered. ¡°Elder, you clearly know that it can be done.¡± ¡°As long as¡­ Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er is willing to destroy her pearl of essence, won¡¯t everything be alright?¡± Chapter 1372 - Grudge Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression changed. Actually, quite a few people know of this method, but almost nobody would use it. This was because the damage caused to the cultivator was too great! Once the pearl of essence was ruined, all their cultivation would turn into nothing overnight! Who could bear it? ¡°Impossible!¡± hollered Elder Hua Feng immediately, and he glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan with eyes filled with warning. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, even if you have a grudge against Shi Rui¡¯er, she¡¯s still your senior sister after all! And when you were surrounded by the nine-tailed green crows previously, she still helped you! You¡­ better watch yourself!¡± It was as clear as day as to what Jiang Zhiyuan was thinking! Seeing that her thoughts were guessed, Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t panic as she laughed bitterly. ¡°Elder, you¡¯ve really misunderstood me. Actually, it¡¯s not just me; Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er herself definitely knows of this way too. In this situation, if she doesn¡¯t do this, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll¡ª¡± Be on her road to death! If this is already so, what else can we do? She can only blame herself for being too lucky and making an agreement with a legendary three-eyed eagle! What goes around comes around. When she was arrogant and in the limelight, why did she not think of today? Jiang Zhiyuan felt great. Now, Shi Rui¡¯er only has two paths to choose. Firstly, fight head-on to the end and cause all the people from the Flying Star Sect to be killed by the legendary three-eyed eagles. Secondly, ruin her pearl of essence and destroy her agreement with the legendary three-eyed eagle, becoming a good-for-nothing from then on. No matter which choice it is, they are all paths of doom for Shi Rui¡¯er. Seeing that Shi Rui¡¯er was almost completely surrounded by the legendary three-eyed eagles, Jiang Zhiyuan was elated. Originally, I was still thinking of a way to reduce her suppression. However, I didn¡¯t expect that I don¡¯t need to take action at all! See if she still dares to be high and mighty! Elder Hua Feng furrowed his brows tightly and felt very conflicted. Actually, they didn¡¯t have enough people. Besides, Dan Qing and the others were injured, so they couldn¡¯t even help. If they really went all-out against the legendary three-eyed eagles, then¡­ ¡­ Shi Rui¡¯er fell to the ground, and never-before-experienced hopelessness filled her heart. She had suffered quite a few injuries and had many bloodstains. The snow beneath her body had already melted as the ice-cold water drenched her clothes. It was so cold that it pierced her bones, but her surrounding body was wrapped by the transparent fire, terrifyingly hot. The coldness and heat intertwined, almost taking away half her life. An air-piercing sound was heard. She turned around. The Heavenly Square Cauldron was at the front, and the legendary three-eyed eagles were at the back. The people from the Flying Star Sect couldn¡¯t go near it, and even her legendary three-eyed eagle was being restrained by two other legendary three-eyed eagles. She had no way to go back! A harsh aura rapidly approached! Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s lips moved slightly, and her lips curled up into an extremely faint bitter smile. It seems like I will really be destroyed here this time¡­ But the next moment, she suddenly noticed something and widened her eyes. A long and slim figure appeared before her! Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s heart skipped a beat! ¡°Chu Yue?! You¡ª¡± ¡°Senior Sister, don¡¯t be worried.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand and swung her longsword! The transparent fire that was crazily burning in the surroundings was quickly absorbed by the sword body! The fire then followed the sword body and silently disappeared into Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. But to outsiders, the fire seemed to be settled by the sword, and nobody would doubt Chu Liuyue. Her series of actions was very smooth. Before the crowd reacted, they saw that the young man had raised his sword and completely absorbed the surrounding fire. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± Mockery could be heard from the crowd. ¡°You want to be a hero, but you didn¡¯t see if you¡¯re capable enough! You¡¯re just a mere stage-nine warrior, yet you think you¡¯re such a big deal? Just watch! The Heavenly Square Cauldron and the legendary three-eyed eagles aren¡¯t things to be trifled with!¡± Many people looked at Chu Liuyue with much contempt and mockery. Shi Rui¡¯er also suddenly recovered her senses and hurriedly said, ¡°Chu Yue, you better leave!¡± If he was implicated, she would never feel good about it. Before she could finish her sentence, the Heavenly Square Cauldron flung out another fire whip! It went straight to Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue raised her eyelids slightly and glanced at the Heavenly Square Cauldron that was about to attack her. The next moment, that fire whip actually stopped inches before Chu Liuyue! The scene seemed to be frozen, and it was filled with unspeakable strangeness. Chu Liuyue raised her hand in frustration, and the dense force rapidly became a red fire in her palm! One could faintly see golden sparks, but they were covered by the red color. Hence, one couldn¡¯t differentiate it. Whoosh! The red fire also became a fire whip that was harshly flung toward the sides! Slap! Crack! That transparent fire instantly disappeared, and even the Heavenly Square Cauldron behind shook! Everyone was dumbfounded. W-what¡¯s going on? Since when did Chu Yue become so strong?! That Heavenly Square Cauldron had driven Shi Rui¡¯er to this state. Why did it suddenly become weak? However, Chu Liuyue had already turned around and looked at the tens of legendary three-eyed eagles rapidly flying over. The one at the front stared at her closely, and its eyes were as cold as ice. The two of them stared straight at each other. ¡­ In such a short period of time, the bodhi tree had grown many leaves. A purplish-golden light shone and almost dazzled their eyes. The more the gree grew, the taller it became as the leaves covered the sky. Below, the snow melted wherever the tree roots extended, revealing the dark-brown ground that was rich and filled with life. The surrounding warmth seemed to gradually increase with it. ¡­ Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart seemed to be tightly clutched by something, and he didn¡¯t even dare to breathe deeply. At the side, one elder couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°Hua Feng, should we¡­ go over to help?¡± Chu Yue can¡¯t do it alone, right? Although he has broken through to become a stage-nine warrior, the legendary three-eyed eagles he is facing are all legendary fiends! How could he be their match? ¡°Hold on first.¡± Elder Hua Feng swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. It isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t want to help, but¡­ I know Chu Yue too well. If he didn¡¯t have sufficient confidence, this kid definitely wouldn¡¯t have rushed up. Legendary three-eyed eagles are amazing, but Chu Yue has an ultimate trump card! Now, it just depends on how he chooses to play his cards! Hearing Elder Hua Feng say this¡­ Although the others were worried, they could only stay still. Jiang Zhiyuan sneered in her heart. These people think too highly of Chu Yue. Even with the red-tailed phoenix¡¯s help, how could he handle so many legendary three-eyed eagles? He has really gone crazy from wanting to be in the limelight! However, this is fine. It would be for the best if Shi Rui¡¯er could be settled as well! ¡­ Chu Liuyue stepped forward. Shi Rui¡¯er opened her mouth. ¡°Chu Yue¡ª¡± Everyone looked over. The legendary three-eyed eagle at the front had a dagger-like gaze that scraped past Chu Liuyue. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure flashed as she rushed toward the bodhi tree at the side! Shoo! The eyes of the legendary three-eyed eagle exploded with deep hatred as it went for Chu Liuyue! The other legendary three-eyed eagles rapidly followed suit! Chapter 1373 - Obey Chu Liuyue was extremely fast. In no time, she had arrived under the purplish-gold bodhi tree. She looked up. The charming leaves swayed with the wind and looked lively. Waves of invisible and peculiar aura flowed in the surroundings, exuding a shocking and energetic aura. Even in the God Residence Realm, purplish-gold Buddha leaves were extremely rare treasures. Now that a purplish-gold bodhi tree suddenly appeared, it was even more precious. If the Heavenly Square Cauldron and the many legendary three-eyed eagles didn¡¯t appear at the same time in front of them, the crowd wouldn¡¯t be this calm when they saw that tree. Of course, the reason why they didn¡¯t move was something else¡ªwouldn¡¯t they be courting death if they attacked the purplish-gold bodhi tree in front of the legendary three-eyed eagles? Chu Liuyue stood under the tree and turned around to take a look. The few legendary three-eyed eagles had already followed and surrounded her completely. Chu Liuyue could clearly feel the intense hatred in their eyes! She raised her brows slightly. This hatred came rather suddenly. Even though I have helped Shi Rui¡¯er, it doesn¡¯t seem like they should have such a reaction. Then¡­ It is because of something else? Could it be because of that fake Heavenly Square Cauldron? Once this thought surfaced in her mind, the legendary three-eyed eagle at the front suddenly flapped its wings! At the same time, it let out a sharp shriek! Thump! A crisp cracking sound was heard! The transparent square cauldron¡ªwhich was floating in mid-air not far away¡ªsuddenly exploded! Everyone was taken aback! Following this, they saw that the transparent square cauldron shards immediately burned and glowed before leaving behind a transparent fire. Whoosh! That ball of fire rapidly flew over! In the end, it was directly swallowed by the legendary three-eyed eagle at the front! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. I see¡­ That spark of fire was the karmic fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. I don¡¯t know what method these legendary three-eyed eagles used to extract the fire from within and preserve it to this day. It seems like they had even directly controlled it to become their own force. They used this fire to fabricate the Heavenly Square Cauldron and lured everyone over. The reason being¡­ To find the person that truly held the Heavenly Square Cauldron! When I made a move and caused the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s fire to disperse, they should¡¯ve already realized this. Their intense hatred should¡¯ve come because of that. Chu Liuyue held the tree trunk lightly with one hand, and aura was inserted within! ¡°He¡¯s rather relaxed!¡± Everyone didn¡¯t have a good opinion of this as they discussed it softly. ¡°The purplish-gold bodhi tree is a legendary tree of the legendary three-eyed eagles. How can other people taint it?¡± ¡°I think Chu Yue really doesn¡¯t realize what he¡¯s doing. He thinks that he can do whatever he wants just because he broke through and became a stage-nine warrior. He doesn¡¯t realize that there are many strong warriors in this world that he can¡¯t afford to offend!¡± ¡°I heard that Chu Yue has a red-tailed phoenix. That¡¯s probably the reason why he¡¯s so confident, right?¡± ¡°So what? The legendary three-eyed eagles and red-tailed phoenixes never interact with each other. If they really meet, one person can¡¯t defeat a crowd. Chu Yue has no advantage!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle at the front suddenly flew up and went straight for Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. The leaves thrived on the purplish-gold bodhi tree. A light breeze blew, and the leaves flowed with it. The voice beside Chu Liuyue¡¯s ear suddenly trailed off, and everything became peaceful and quiet. Countless pairs of eyes looked over. The sharp beak looked like it was about to peck Chu Liuyue¡¯s face! Elder Hua Feng clenched his fists tightly, and his heart almost jumped out of his chest! Hopelessness flashed across Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s gaze. She dazedly watched this scene as two streams of tears fell down from the corner of her eyes. The corner of Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s lips slowly curled up into a cold smile. But at this moment, the purplish-gold bodhi tree swayed lightly! Clang! The leaves rustled¡ªthey dazzled brightly! That legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly stopped all its movements in front of Chu Liuyue. After a temporary pause, it stared into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. From hatred, its feelings became shock, disbelief, and finally, intense elation! It retracted its wings and landed before Chu Liuyue, looking like it was about to bow. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. A gust of wind blew over, and the leaves gradually stopped swaying. That legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly stopped in its movements as a look of understanding flashed across its eyes. Then, it moved a step back and yelled toward the sky. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt the purplish-gold bodhi tree shake beside her. She looked up. The countless purplish-gold Buddha leaves flew out! They flew to mid-air and connected continuously, seemingly forming a gigantic barrier! ¡°Quickly retreat!¡± Someone gasped in shock. The crowd, which was silent for a long time, finally moved. Everyone retreated respectively! The crowd from the Flying Star Sect was as fast as lightning as they hurriedly went forward and brought Shi Rui¡¯er away. ¡°No! Chu Yue is still there!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er struggled and wanted to go back. The elder with white brows boomed, ¡°Leave with Second Miss first. I¡¯ll find a way to save Chu Yue!¡± With Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s current condition, she wouldn¡¯t be able to help even if she stayed. She might even be their burden. Shi Rui¡¯er rapidly understood this and swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. She could only hurriedly and worriedly swallow her remaining words and stare at the young man standing quietly underneath the purplish-gold bodhi tree. How exactly¡ª Elder Hua Feng¡¯s figure flashed, and he had already rushed over. However, the barrier formed at a faster speed than he had expected. Without waiting for him to get near to Chu Liuyue, a purplish-gold barrier had already blocked him! The strong suppression loomed. Before Elder Hua Feng could even touch that barrier, his body had already flown out! Everyone was either willingly or forced to spread in all directions! They looked at the scene in front of them in shock. The brilliant purplish-gold barrier enveloped everything and blocked the whole world on the outside! Chapter 1374 - Meeting The barrier extended and separated everything outside, but the magical thing was that sunlight could still seep in. Hence, the surrounding scenery didn¡¯t seem different from before. Oh no, there were still some changes¡ªthe places where the purplish-gold bodhi tree hid had basically changed into another appearance. Looking around, everywhere was warm like spring and very energetic. Chu Liuyue then relaxed her hands and looked in front. The legendary three-eyed eagle standing at the front couldn¡¯t conceal its emotions. Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°Zi Chen, come out and meet your clansmen.¡± ¡­ In the snowy field, the gigantic purplish-gold barrier was especially obvious. The crowd wanted to go in and see what was going on, but they were mostly fearful. We might not be the match of so many legendary three-eyed eagles. Besides, even the purplish-gold bodhi tree is around. Who knows if there are other legendary three-eyed eagles? ¡°So this is their habitat¡­¡± An elder couldn¡¯t help but mutter. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder no legendary three-eyed eagles have appeared for the past thousand years. After so much hassling, they¡¯re all in the Flood-Desert Northern Region!¡± And they had even hidden so discreetly! If the crowd hadn¡¯t seen them personally this time, they wouldn¡¯t believe this had happened. The elder with white brows was chased out. He walked to Shi Rui¡¯er apologetically. ¡°Second Miss, I was useless¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er coughed and spat out a few mouthfuls of blood. Her face became increasingly pale. ¡°I-I can¡¯t blame you¡­ It¡¯s a-all my fault¡­¡± If not to save me, Chu Yue wouldn¡¯t have offended those legendary three-eyed eagles! He also wouldn¡¯t be stuck inside! How could he alone be their match? The elder with white brows thought for a moment and furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Second Miss, actually¡­ I don¡¯t think those legendary three-eyed eagles have any intention of harming Chu Yue¡­¡± In the beginning, they were filled with murderous intent and went straight for Chu Yue. But later on, something happened, and their attitudes seemed to have changed. If not, they wouldn¡¯t have stopped their attacks at the last minute. Shi Rui¡¯er had naturally noticed this, but one could never be too careful. No matter what, Chu Yue did it to help me. If something really happens to him, I¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The strange thing was that Elder Hua Feng seemed to have heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°He will be safe.¡± With the red-gold heavenly phoenix around¡­ No matter how many more legendary three-eyed eagles there are, it should be fine, right? ¡­ At the same time, in some prison in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Within the dark and oppressive room, there was an intense bloody aura that caused one to vomit. A skinny man was half-leaning against the ice-cold wall. His hands and feet were all locked up, and he could only move within five steps of wherever he was. His originally good-looking face currently caved in deeply, and his bones were jutting out, looking very frail. His pale lips were even dried until they cracked. With a slight movement, fresh, red blood would ooze out. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slightly weak as if he would faint at any moment. ¡°Mu Qinghe.¡± A hoarse and low voice sounded from the front. Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he opened his eyes with much difficulty. When he saw the gigantic copper mirror in front of him, fear, respect, and uneasiness quickly flashed across his eyes. He immediately stood up and kneeled toward it with much difficulty. ¡°¡­Master¡­¡± ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t been having a good time recently.¡± That voice seemed to have some hints of teasing, sending chills down one¡¯s spine. ¡°Shangguan Yue doesn¡¯t seem to have done anything to you, so how did you end up in this state, hm?¡± Mu Qinghe placed his head on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m useless¡­ I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t work for you much longer¡­¡± That voice chuckled. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯ve followed her for so many years. Do you not miss her at all? Oh right, she¡¯s coincidentally also in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Why don¡¯t¡­ I let you guys meet?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Chapter 1375 - Truth Mu Qinghe kneeled on the ground and didn¡¯t get up for a long time. His voice was deep and weak. ¡°She already knows that I betrayed her. There shouldn¡¯t¡­ be a need to meet her anymore, right?¡± What else can I say even if we meet? In this world, there won¡¯t be a person who would continue believing in someone that once betrayed them. Besides, every single thing I did back then was enough to push her to her grave. ¡°That might not be the case.¡± That voice laughed and said ambiguously, ¡°She already knows that you betrayed her, but she still chose to let you live. It¡¯s precisely because of this that makes things more interesting, right? She personally brought you up. Perhaps¡­ she still can¡¯t bear it?¡± Mu Qinghe kneeled on the ground and fell into deep silence, his entire body cold and stiff. He closed his eyes and hid all the emotions in his eyes. The surrounding air froze inch by inch. ¡°Too many people have come here, and it¡¯s very chaotic. When it becomes quieter, you can just bring her over. If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, the two of you haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time, right? At the end of the day, both of you were master and servant, so you should reminisce about the past. Don¡¯t forget¡ªthat item is still with her.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s pale lips trembled, and he finally spat out a few words with much difficulty. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your instructions.¡± Cold and sinister laughter sounded before it quickly disappeared. After much time, Mu Qinghe finally straightened his body. The blood color in the gigantic copper mirror not far away from him finally subsided, leaving faint dark-red stains by the edges. The surroundings were dark, empty, and quiet. Mu Qinghe slowly stood up, and his face was half-light and half-dark. One couldn¡¯t see him clearly. ¡­ ¡°Unfilial descendants greet the ancestor!¡± Within the barrier, the many legendary three-eyed eagles gathered together and respectfully greeted Zi Chen. They couldn¡¯t hide their emotions. Even though Zi Chen seemed calm, Chu Liuyue was connected to its aura and could naturally feel its rollercoaster-like emotions. After being trapped for a thousand years, it could finally see its clansmen today. How could it not be agitated? ¡°Be at ease. Is everything alright in the clan?¡± Zi Chen composed itself and finally spoke. Once Zi Chen said that, the legendary three-eyed eagle opposite it had a strange change in expression. The one at the front looked helpless. ¡°Ancestor¡­ To be honest, the clan isn¡¯t doing very well.¡± Zi Chen¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Ever since you suddenly disappeared back then, someone surrounded us and attacked us continuously. After a hard struggle, more than half of the clan died or got injured. In the end, to preserve our bloodline, we left our original place and came to this place after many twists and turns.¡± ¡°All these years, we never heard anything from you. We all thought that someone used that Heavenly Square Cauldron on you and¡ª¡± When the legendary three-eyed eagle at the front said this, it glanced at Chu Liuyue. Zi Chen¡¯s expression was nonchalant. ¡°Just continue.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. When you disappeared back then, you had left behind a bit of karmic fire from the Heavenly Square Cauldron, so we used this clue to investigate. It¡¯s a pity that after so many years, we couldn¡¯t find anything. It was only until this moment that we discovered that the item actually¡­¡± Temporary silence. The many legendary three-eyed eagles couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue again. If our instincts aren¡¯t wrong, the Heavenly Square Cauldron seems¡­ to be with this person! ¡°So this time, you actually purposely set up this trap to lure the person who truly holds the Heavenly Square Cauldron and think of a way to obtain it?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with a slight smile. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± These legendary three-eyed eagles were honest and directly admitted to it. ¡°That¡¯s also why when we first detected it was with you, we¡ª¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle at the front spoke and glanced at Zi Chen uneasily. They could all tell that their ancestor had an extraordinary relationship with this young man. Back then, the rumors clearly said that Ancestor was harmed by the Heavenly Square Cauldron, so we all hated it and held a grudge against the Heavenly Square Cauldron. But it now seems like¡­ that this isn¡¯t the case¡­¡± ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron has indeed recognized her as its owner, but the incident back then has nothing to do with her.¡± Knowing that they would misunderstand, Zi Chen directly explained it. ¡°To be more accurate, without her, I might¡¯ve already been destroyed.¡± Once it said this, Chu Liuyue immediately felt many passionate gazes land on her. ¡°So this is what happened. Young Master Chu, sorry for being disrespectful!¡± Their attitudes instantly changed greatly. Saving Zi Chen was an extremely huge favor for their entire clan, so they naturally had to thank him properly. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re welcome.¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. Actually, I¡¯m not at a loss. After all¡­ Zi Chen has become my legendary fiend¡­ ¡°The incident back then is a long story. I¡¯ll explain it to you in detail later on,¡± said Zi Chen while staring at the legendary three-eyed eagle at the front. ¡°Did you decide on this matter yourself, or¡­ Is there another plan? Did you release the news that the Heavenly Square Cauldron would appear here?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused. This was one of the truths she wanted to know the most. The legendary three-eyed eagle at the front shook its head. ¡°Actually¡­ Someone previously came to find us and said that he wanted to help us find the person who had the Heavenly Square Cauldron, so we agreed. Later on, it was basically the other party executing the plan, and we just waited here quietly¡­¡± Zi Chen exchanged glances with Chu Liuyue. ¡°Who is that person?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know him either. When the other party appeared, he didn¡¯t meet us with his true appearance. Even his figure and looks were different, but¡­ he should be someone extraordinary.¡± That was a given. Being able to find the legendary three-eyed eagles and convince them to work with him stated too many problems. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment. ¡°Zi Chen, who knows that the legendary three-eyed eagle clan has conflicts with the person holding the Heavenly Square Cauldron?¡± Zi Chen squinted its eyes and shook its head. ¡°I originally thought that only the people in the clan knew, but it seems like it¡¯s clearly not the case.¡± ¡°Could it be the person who harmed you back then? Or¡­ the people who attacked the legendary three-eyed eagle clan after you were in trouble?¡± Zi Chen was dazed, and a spark of complicated emotions flashed across its eyes. ¡°There is that possibility¡­ But after thousands of years, I don¡¯t know where they are and what identity they would use to appear in this world¡­¡± The world was ever-changing. After such a long time, anything could happen. Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and lightly stroked her chin in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°The other party seems¡­ to be coming for me.¡± With the Heavenly Square Cauldron as the bait, I¡¯m definitely the one being lured. However, I can¡¯t confirm if the other party knows that the Heavenly Square Cauldron is with me. After pausing for a moment, she looked up and asked, ¡°Can you still contact those people now?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagles shook their heads in unison. ¡°They¡¯re very meticulous. They would always be the ones who contacted us every time, and later on, all traces and evidence would be destroyed rapidly. We wanted to chase after them and check on them, but it was all to no avail. The other party is very cunning, but there¡¯s something we can confirm¡ªthe other party is also in the Flood-Desert Northern Region!¡± Chapter 1376 - Coincidence Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. ¡°The Flood-Desert Northern Region¡¯s conditions are terrible, and the climate is extreme. Almost nobody can stay here for an extended period of time. Besides, the snowy field is vast. Even if there¡¯s someone¡ª¡± Suddenly, her voice paused. It was clearly obvious in the snowy field, but¡­ What if they are underground?! This place is vast without edges and boundaries. Who could guess what is hidden underneath? She hadn¡¯t forgotten that there was a tombstone hidden underground in that gully! Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue was curious and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Oh right, do you know who died here and set up a tomb cave and a tombstone?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle at the front had a slight change in expression. ¡°Um¡­ A thousand years ago, a great battle did happen here. If you¡¯re talking about the tombstone that the nine dragon skeletons are guarding¡­ It should be right.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Nine dragons¡­ guarding?¡± ¡°Yeah! Back then, that strong warrior had an intense battle with the dragon clan here and later met his demise. But when he died, he dragged a total of nine dragons down with him. After his death, he still used his scarce amount of force to suppress them here so that they wouldn¡¯t be able to struggle free.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°The dragon clan rarely interacts with humans. What exactly did that person do to be surrounded in this manner?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure about this, but¡­ I heard that it was related to a great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton.¡± 1 Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly seemed to be hit harshly. She suddenly looked up, and her expression was shocked. ¡°What?¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle thought that she had such a reaction when she heard the words ¡®great phoenix dragon.¡¯ After all, that was one of the two ancient legendary fiend races. It was pretty normal for her to have such a reaction, so it patiently explained, ¡°We¡¯re not too sure of the details, so we can only guess roughly what happened. Back then, that strong warrior unwittingly obtained a great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton, and before he could do anything about it, he was discovered and attacked by the whole group of them, leading to the great battle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the dragon clan kind of underestimated that person¡¯s capabilities. With nine dragons working together, they still weren¡¯t the other party¡¯s match. In the end, both parties died together. Of course, judging from the current situation, that strong warrior still gained a slight advantage. Even if he died, he still trapped the dragon clan members here.¡± Countless thoughts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. A great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton¡­ I¡¯ve seen it before, and two of its wing bones are on Zi Chen! Wasn¡¯t it buried in Ancestor¡¯s Tianling God Realm? How could it be¡­ Is it a coincidence, or¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down, but her heart was beating wildly. It¡¯s rare to even see a great phoenix dragon¡ªan ancient legendary fiend¡ªonce, and the possibility of two skeletons appearing¡­ isn¡¯t very high. Besides, Ancestor had previously mentioned that he did come here once¡­ Could it be¡­ A ridiculous and bold thought kept flashing in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She took a deep breath in and silently asked, ¡°Since everyone knows that the dragon skeletons are trapped here, then¡­ Why hasn¡¯t the dragon clan made any moves? Rumors have it that they don¡¯t¡­ allow the corpses of their clan to be out in the open, right?¡± ¡°That is true, but you have to see the situation first. It isn¡¯t that the dragon clan hasn¡¯t come and tried to take these nine dragon skeletons away when they were trapped here for a thousand years. However, it was all to no avail. In the end, they decided not to come. But this just shows that the strong warrior back then was indeed formidable. If not, he wouldn¡¯t be so powerful even after his death.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was a mess as she started to call Shangguan Jing repeatedly. However, the latter seemed to be in a deep sleep and didn¡¯t give her any reaction. Zi Chen realized that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was amiss. It thought of its wings and guessed something in its heart. ¡°Do you want to go back and take a look?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. The sky gradually darkened. Only the faint purplish-gold barrier was especially obvious in the area. ¡°It has been so long. Why isn¡¯t there any movement? I wonder how Chu Yue is now¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re inside, and we¡¯re outside. Even if something really happens, we can¡¯t see it, so we should just wait!¡± ¡°I heard that Chu Yue has a red-tailed phoenix. Perhaps he can really get out of this dangerous situation.¡± ¡°I feel that it was even more shocking that he continuously broke through to become a stage-nine warrior after he was locked behind that door¡­ Others can¡¯t even beg for such a miraculous opportunity!¡± ¡°Luckily, the Heavenly Square Cauldron didn¡¯t land in his hands. However, that item seems to be the legendary three-eyed eagles¡¯? The news that previously came out didn¡¯t mention this. I¡¯m afraid we have to check on this properly¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions, and quite a few people started doubting this Heavenly Square Cauldron matter. Everyone present had an important presence in the God Residence Realm, so they naturally had brains. Now that so many things had happened, they just had to think about it slightly and could detect the problem. Now, they all planned on waiting for Chu Yue to come out before reaching a decision. Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s side was quiet. Chu Yue was their person, so they were naturally most worried. Jiang Zhiyuan stood in an inconspicuous corner behind the group and treated her wounds on her own. Not to mention her other injuries, the most serious ones were still the burns on her arm. Even though medicine was applied to the burns before, such a long time had passed, and the medicine should¡¯ve long been changed. However, they kept running back and forth the entire time, so they didn¡¯t have the time and energy to do this. She slowly took off her bandage¡ªher wound had already become rotten. With a light tug, she even peeled off some skin and meat. It was so painful that her face flushed white, but she could only clench her teeth and continue with it. At the side, Shi Rui¡¯er unintentionally saw this scene, and mockery flashed across her eyes. As Elder Dan Qing had already openly broken off his ties with Jiang Zhiyuan, everyone from Ling Xiao Academy now had a vastly different attitude toward Jiang Zhiyuan than before. This wasn¡¯t because everyone looked down on the weak, but¡­ Elder Dan Qing had always loved and protected this disciple greatly. Now that this suddenly happened, it was clear that Jiang Zhiyuan had done something wrong. He left a last bit of face for Jiang Zhiyuan and didn¡¯t expose her in public. But everyone wasn¡¯t stupid, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t have a good attitude toward Jiang Zhiyuan. Hence, nobody even helped her treat her wounds now. She had already lost most of her items, and she didn¡¯t even have a slightly useful herb with her, so she could only forcefully get some herbs from the elders to apply to herself. She was clearly miserable. ¡°She deserves it.¡± The elder with white brows followed Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s gaze and coldly snorted. This voice was neither loud nor soft, but it was enough for Jiang Zhiyuan to hear it clearly. Jiang Zhiyuan was distracted for a moment and couldn¡¯t control the force of her hands, directly pulling off a large piece of skin and meat that was stuck together. It was so painful that her face flushed white! However, nobody cared about it as if she didn¡¯t even exist. Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips. This cannot go on¡­ If something really happens, I will definitely be abandoned by everyone instantly! Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she turned around to take a look! Chu Yue just came out, so¡­ that door should still be open, right?! Chapter 1377 - All Settled Back then, everyone¡¯s attention was suddenly stolen by the suddenly appearing Heavenly Square Cauldron, but almost nobody thought that the place where Chu Yue had been was also a good place to go. If not, how could he possibly directly break through to become a stage-nine warrior from a stage-eight warrior?! The Heavenly Square Cauldron was indeed a treasure, but only one person could get it in the end¡ªnot to mention the legendary three-eyed eagle clan that was hard to handle. Rather than waiting here for an extremely unlikely opportunity, I should try another path! Perhaps¡­ I can also obtain some twist of fate? Thinking of this, Jiang Zhiyuan had already made up her mind. Anyway, these people don¡¯t care about me and hate me to the core, so what else should I consider? As long as Elder Dan Qing is around, I can¡¯t do anything good for myself. Then, I should just give up! As she slowly and carefully bandaged her wounds again, she silently surveyed her surroundings. The sky had already darkened, and the surrounding scenery slowly became blurred. Everyone was staring at that barrier, and nobody noticed her. She carefully moved toward the back, and her figure quickly and silently disappeared behind the crowd. ¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan thought that she had done it perfectly. However, she didn¡¯t know that her every move was already watched from the start. ¡°She still doesn¡¯t know her place like before¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er retracted her gaze, and her expression was nonchalant. ¡°Second Miss, you have indeed predicted it.¡± The elder with white brows softly said, ¡°If not, I¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to spend so much effort on the current her, so you don¡¯t have to do anything about it.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er smiled. Although her lips were pale, she had recovered much of her aura. ¡°We don¡¯t even have to think about where she went. I want to see what kind of commotion she can still cause.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ The sky was dark. Relying on her previous memory, Jiang Zhiyuan forcefully returned to the gully. At this point, those nine dragon skeletons had quietened down at this point and just stood in their spots. The night sky seemed rather scary. Jiang Zhiyuan poked her head out and glanced below. She could forcefully see an outline of some shattered rocks, and the door was indeed still open. However, the inside was dark, and she couldn¡¯t see anything at all. I probably still have to go down¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan mustered her courage and jumped down! The moment she landed, Jiang Zhiyuan noticed something amiss¡ªthe warmth in the gully had dissipated at some point. She was standing not far away from the door, but the previous hot temperature had already dissipated. It was even slightly cold. She carefully looked in. It was a pity she couldn¡¯t see anything by standing here. The opening on the door had a sharp and clean cut to it. It showed just how sharp the sword was and how strong the person who wielded it was. Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but feel jealousy and hatred. She knew that she could never leave such a mark on this door with her own strength alone, but Chu Yue could! Even if he is only a stage-nine warrior now, his abilities have long exceeded the crowd¡¯s expectations! And that sword¡­ It is definitely not something ordinary. Why does he have all the good things? Jiang Zhiyuan was enraged. She clenched her teeth and finally walked forward. Since Chu Yue can get a fateful opportunity here, then¡­ Why can¡¯t I?! ¡­ In less than 20 steps, Jiang Zhiyuan quickly reached the door. She paused in her tracks slightly and hesitated for a moment in front of the door. Through the opening on the door, she stuck her head in to take a look. It was completely dark, and a ray of light flashed across faintly. However, she couldn¡¯t identify what it was clearly. She thought for a moment and finally stepped in! ¡­ At the same time, the purplish-gold barrier finally dissipated! The barrier transformed into countless leaves, which flew back to the tree branches and swayed as per normal. This commotion caused the entire spectating crowd to be taken aback as they hurriedly looked over. Under the night sky, the faint light exuding from the purplish-gold bodhi tree outlined a slim and long figure¡ªit was Chu Liuyue! Countless eyes landed on her face. The crystallized light caused her porcelain-white face to look as clear as jade. Her pair of black, gem-like eyes sparkled like stars, and there seemed to be light flashing in her eyes. ¡°Chu Yue!¡± Elder Hua Feng called out in surprise. The crowd saw that young man look over. Then, his lips curled up into a smile. On this dark and quiet night, she was like a bright pearl that glowed silently and was very eye-catching. The crowd kept quiet. She clearly had an ordinarily good-looking appearance, but for some reason, her smile made her look charming. Chu Liuyue walked toward Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s side. ¡°Elder.¡± Elder Hua Feng hurriedly pulled Chu Liuyue over and checked her carefully. ¡°How are you? Are you injured? Did those legendary three-eyed eagles put you in a difficult spot?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Elder Hua Feng then relaxed. That¡¯s true. With the red-gold heavenly phoenix around, those fellows probably wouldn¡¯t do anything toward him. Seeing his expression, Chu Liuyue basically guessed his thoughts. She smiled with slightly deeper meaning. Actually, I didn¡¯t use this trump card. Wouldn¡¯t Zi Chen be more suitable than Tuan Zi? But she temporarily couldn¡¯t say such words. Noticing the inquisitive gazes around her, Chu Liuyue seemed to smile unintentionally and said, ¡°I let the red-tailed phoenix talk to them and explained everything, so they didn¡¯t put me in a difficult spot. Oh right, they also agreed to return Senior Sister Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s fiend.¡± The crowd instantly had strange expressions. This¡­ Why does everything sound so easy when coming out of Chu Yue¡¯s mouth?! Chapter 1378 - Guess That is the legendary three-eyed eagle clan! Since when was it so easy to talk to them? If he said that they took the red-tailed phoenix into consideration and didn¡¯t touch Chu Yue, then it is fine. Yet, they actually agreed to return Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s fiend¡­ Isn¡¯t that too incredulous?! Even Shi Rui¡¯er was stunned. She disregarded her injured shin and limped over. The elder with white brows hurriedly supported her from the side, terrified that she would accidentally fall down. ¡°Chu Yue, are you telling the truth?!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s heart beat intensely, and her eyes were overflowing with expectations. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and snapped her fingers. Hula! A legendary three-eyed eagle rapidly flew over! Shi Rui¡¯er instantly looked surprised. This was exactly the one she had an agreement with. That legendary three-eyed eagle flew above Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s head for a moment and glanced at her apologetically. Actually, after the agreement was made, Shi Rui¡¯er had always treated it very well. If the legendary three-eyed eagle said that it had no feelings for her, it was definitely fake. But when its ancestors came, it was put in a difficult spot on both sides. On the one hand, it didn¡¯t want Shi Rui¡¯er to be injured. On the other hand, it didn¡¯t want to go against its ancestor¡¯s rules, which caused this outcome. Luckily, everything had passed now! Shi Rui¡¯er almost couldn¡¯t believe it, and she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Your¡­ clansmen aren¡¯t going to pursue the matter of us making an agreement?¡± That legendary three-eyed eagle nodded and quickly glanced at Chu Liuyue. The ancestor had said it personally, so the others naturally wouldn¡¯t have any opinions¡ªnot to mention that Ancestor has also made an agreement with a human¡­ It quickly returned to Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s body. Shi Rui¡¯er was overjoyed and looked at Chu Liuyue excitedly. ¡°Chu Yue, I really don¡¯t know how to thank you!¡± Even though Chu Yue didn¡¯t say much himself, one just has to think to know he definitely put in a lot of effort this time. Even if I don¡¯t know how exactly he convinced the legendary three-eyed eagle clan¡­ This is great! That legendary three-eyed eagle was given to me by Father, and I have always treasured it. Originally, I thought that I was on a path of no return, but who would¡¯ve thought that there was light at the end of the tunnel! ¡°Senior Sister, you don¡¯t have to be polite. It was willing to follow you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°The legendary three-eyed eagles are arrogant but also very loyal and direct. As long as you treat it properly, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything else.¡± Does this mean that he has already talked it out with the legendary three-eyed eagle clan?! Shi Rui¡¯er was shocked. All the people present are formidable characters in the God Residence Realm. But even if they went over, they might not be able to convince the legendary three-eyed eagle. After all, this is related to their clan¡¯s reputation and dignity. Yet, Chu Yue did it¡­ Her heart was suddenly filled with doubts. What identity does Chu Yue have? Why does he have such power?! It wasn¡¯t only Shi Rui¡¯er; everyone else present had the same thoughts. Chu Liuyue disregarded those gazes and turned around. That purplish-gold bodhi tree stood quietly and didn¡¯t continue growing, but it did not hide either. The legendary three-eyed eagles that previously appeared had all returned to the tree the moment she appeared. Chu Liuyue convinced them for a long time, so they didn¡¯t respectfully send her out. After all, it wasn¡¯t good if other people saw it. It was better to be discreet. Detecting Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, all of them looked over with shining eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Originally, knowing that Zi Chen had made an agreement with her, they felt rather unbalanced. But after hearing that she saved Zi Chen and even helped it reform its physical body, they were totally convinced by her. If she hadn¡¯t warned them repeatedly before, they would have pounced on her again. She coughed, cupped her fists, and said, ¡°Thank you for your understanding, everyone. The future is long. We¡¯ll see each other again next time.¡± Shoo! The many legendary three-eyed eagles answered in unison, and their shrieks no longer had the previous mockery and targeting nature. Instead, there was a hint of reluctance. The surrounding spectators present had incredulous expressions. This¡­ What exactly did Chu Yue say and do when he went in, allowing the legendary three-eyed eagles to be so polite toward him? Elder Hua Feng revealed a meaningful gaze. The red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ is indeed formidable¡­ ¡°Elder, I suddenly recalled that I left some things in that tomb, so I¡¯m afraid I have to go back and take a look.¡± Elder Hua Feng was stumped. ¡°Tomb? What tomb?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and explained, ¡°The place where I was locked up previously.¡± The surroundings fell silent. Everyone¡¯s attention was immediately attracted. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, quite a few people looked shocked. Tomb? So that place is actually¡ª ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go back and take it together.¡± Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t want to let Chu Liuyue go by herself again and insisted on following her no matter what. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t argue against him and could only agree in the end. She walked forward. Jin Di and the others exchanged glances and knitted their brows. But before they spoke, Chu Liuyue paused in her tracks and turned around. She raised her brows slightly and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something I forgot to tell everyone. The Heavenly Square Cauldron that previously appeared¡­ is fake. That was just an illusion that the legendary three-eyed eagles conjured up, and it¡¯s still with them. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can go ahead and snatch it. Then¡­ we¡¯ll take our leave first.¡± Then, she turned around and left in a carefree manner, leaving the crowd behind in a daze. Is¡­ he saying the truth? ¡°¡­That Heavenly Square Cauldron appeared suddenly, and there was no weather phenomenon. Thinking about it now, there does seem to be a problem¡­¡± ¡°I think so too. Previously, that thing was controlled by the legendary three-eyed eagles. This isn¡¯t normal, right?¡± ¡°Does Chu Yue really have nothing to do with that Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pretended as if she didn¡¯t hear all those voices behind her. Anyone who had brains could guess something now. Now, she just wanted to make one thing clear! ¡°Why does it seem like someone is missing?¡± Chu Liuyue took a few steps out and suddenly realized that something was amiss. They surveyed their surroundings, and there was indeed someone missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Jiang Zhiyuan?¡± The few elders also found it strange. ¡°She was still here just now. Where can she go in such a short time?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er added, ¡°Chu Yue, if I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, she should¡¯ve gone to the place you were at just now.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Shi Rui¡¯er paused. ¡°Actually, I knew when she left, but I didn¡¯t stop her. There¡­ shouldn¡¯t be any problem, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and she revealed a faint smile. ¡°That place¡­ is very safe.¡± As she spoke, she continued walking forward. Shi Rui¡¯er blinked in confusion. Why do I feel that Chu Yue¡¯s previous expression seems like¡­ he is waiting to watch a good show? Suddenly, her gaze flickered. Could it be that something good is hidden in the tomb?! Chu Liuyue continued walking forward and kept calling Shangguan Jing in her heart. Now, she desperately wanted to verify the guess in her heart! Chapter 1379 - Dig Her Own Ancestors Grave Jiang Zhiyuan stepped through the door and went in. The surroundings were dark, and there were only a few bright pearls shining faintly on the walls, allowing one to forcefully see the scene before them. It was empty, and one couldn¡¯t see anything. Jiang Zhiyuan was stunned and suddenly stopped in her tracks. The surroundings were sinisterly cold. After staying in here for a while, she couldn¡¯t help but have goosebumps. She felt fear for some reason and surveyed her surroundings again. There was still nothing. Did Chu Yue break through from a stage-eight warrior to become a stage-nine warrior here?! Jiang Zhiyuan knitted her brows and felt that something was amiss. This place doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special¡­ She suddenly focused her gaze. A ray of light seemed to have flashed across not far in front of her! As the surroundings were very dark, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s attention was attracted the moment that ray of light appeared. She tightly clenched her fists in her sleeves and walked forward with a tense body. The nearer she was, the more she could feel the strange air current in the air. The space here isn¡¯t right! Many thoughts quickly flashed across her mind. The surrounding air gradually became sticky, and it even became effortful to move. Not long later, she shockingly realized that her bodily force was rapidly depleting! She had experienced so much earlier on and didn¡¯t have much force left in the first place. In this manner, she was almost totally depleted of her force. She felt hesitant and wanted to leave, but she was afraid that she would miss something. In the end, she could only brave herself and walk forward. Luckily, she was closer and closer to where the ray of light was shining. After the distance shortened, she could finally see that item clearly. She was slightly stunned. That was because the light that glowed faintly was a broken rock. The rock was totally black and was the size of a nail as it floated quietly in mid-air. When it spun lightly, it would reflect an extremely faint yet brilliant light. This was the thing she had seen previously. Other than this, there was nothing special about this rock. There wasn¡¯t even a ripple of force here. Jiang Zhiyuan slowly knitted her brows. What the hell!? Why can Chu Yue absorb the Heaven and Earth Force here and continuously break through, yet I can only see these messy items?! She clenched her teeth and indignantly clutched the rock in her hands. It was burning hot to the touch. ¡°Ah!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan threw the rock away and hurriedly looked at her palm. A scorched wound had already appeared on it. Thump! That tiny rock was thrown to the ground, and it rolled a small distance away. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan.¡± A clear voice was heard from behind. Jiang Zhiyuan was taken aback and hurriedly turned around to take a look. When she saw the incoming person, her heart beat wildly. ¡°Chu Yue?! W-when did you come!¡± Wasn¡¯t he still in the barrier previously? Why did he appear so silently! ¡°I just came.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was later than you.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she looked down, glanced at the rock that Jiang Zhiyuan threw away, and dangerously squinted her eyes. ¡°Why? Are you looking for something?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan guiltily took a step back. ¡°N-nothing much¡­ I was just curious, so I came over to take a look.¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. That sense of familiarity overwhelmed her again. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. W-why did I not notice anything at all?! ¡°Ancestor,¡± she silently said in her heart. Shangguan Jing hadn¡¯t woken up yet, and he couldn¡¯t give her any response. I¡¯m probably the only one in the entire world to dig my own ancestor¡¯s grave! Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows painfully. ¡°Sorry for disturbing your peace; it¡¯s my fault. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll clear all the messy things here!¡± Chapter 1380 - Whos Territory! ¡°This isn¡¯t somewhere you can come. Please get out as soon as possible.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Jiang Zhiyuan and spoke calmly without allowing for rejection. Jiang Zhiyuan knitted her brows, and she naturally disagreed. ¡°I have to go out just because you say so? This isn¡¯t your territory; you have no right to command me!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved. Not to mention others, this place is really my Shangguan family¡¯s¡­ However, I¡¯m too lazy to argue with Jiang Zhiyuan about this. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you still don¡¯t head out, I¡¯m going to ¡®help¡¯ you,¡± Chu Liuyue said nonchalantly, but her brows and expression became colder. Jiang Zhiyuan felt her heart turn cold from the other party¡¯s gaze, but the next moment, she was infuriated. I¡¯m a demigod! I¡¯m only stronger and not weaker than Chu Yue, yet I have to be ordered around by him?! How does this make sense? Even if I¡¯m not as good as Chu Yue in some aspects, I¡¯m not one to be trifled with! Thinking of this, Jiang Zhiyuan felt much more confident. She laughed, but there wasn¡¯t much smiling intent in her eyes. ¡°Chu Yue, I know you¡¯ve become more capable, but you¡¯re not invincible. If you can come to this place, why can¡¯t others come over? Could it be¡­ that you¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll steal any treasures?¡± When she spoke, she kept staring at the young man in front of her. She wanted to see any hint of secrets on his face, but there were none. His good-looking and clean face had a faint smile, but nobody could guess his thoughts. This was especially so when it came to his deep and bright eyes that perfectly covered all his emotions¡ªone had no way of guessing his thoughts. At that moment, Jiang Zhiyuan felt a little discouraged. Even if there are treasures here, wouldn¡¯t Chu Yue have already taken them? Chu Liuyue just quietly watched her as her lips curled up slightly, and she snorted in her heart. It seems like the experience in Flood-Desert Northern Region during this period has caused Jiang Zhiyuan to be overly exhausted, causing all her emotions to be clearly displayed on her face. It¡¯s as if she is afraid that others can¡¯t tell. Even if she wants a treasure, this is not the way. ¡°One.¡± Chu Liuyue raised one finger. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she felt hatred. This Chu Yue really thinks he¡¯s something! She turned around and continued searching in the empty space, clearly not planning to care about Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°Two.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan ignored her, and many thoughts flashed across her mind. There are only two possibilities that allow for a cultivator to continuously break through in a mere two days. Either he suddenly obtained an inheritance that allowed his cultivation speed to be increased significantly, or the time flow of this place was different from the outside world, allowing him to achieve what other people would take months or even years to achieve in such a short period of time. From the strange feeling in the surroundings, it seemed like the second one¡­ ¡°Three.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up, and she coldly spat this word out. Seeing Jiang Zhiyuan who was freely walking inside and not taking her words into consideration at all, Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. Since she is so stubborn, then¡­ There is no need to be soft-hearted. ¡­ Thump! Elder Hua Feng and the others just rushed over. Before they could speak, they saw a figure flying out from the door and harshly falling onto the ground! Shoo! Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood as her face flushed white! Shi Rui¡¯er, who was standing in front, took a step back in contempt. Even though she was also covered in dust and bloodstains now, looking very disheveled, being stained with Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s blood would cause her heart to weaken. Nobody went forward to help Jiang Zhiyuan. Elder Hua Feng took a look inside. ¡°Chu Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue gradually walked over and clapped her hands. ¡°Senior Sister Jiang, I had already warned you earlier, but you refused to listen. Therefore, don¡¯t blame me for this.¡± The crowd exchanged glances. This Chu Yue¡­ is really bold. He didn¡¯t even avoid such a matter. However, Jiang Zhiyuan is clearly abandoned by Ling Xiao Academy, so others naturally won¡¯t be polite to her. Hearing this, Jiang Zhiyuan was so angry that her organs and muscles tightened, and she almost couldn¡¯t catch her breath. ¡°Chu Yue, don¡¯t be such a bully! This place doesn¡¯t even belong to you. You don¡¯t have the right to treat me like this!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at her lazily. ¡°Senior Sister Jiang, do you still not understand the logic of ¡®the strong are respected?''¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°If you want to continue staying here, it¡¯s very simple. You can come in if you want¡­ as long as you can stay here.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and said to Elder Hua Feng and the rest, ¡°Elder, I still have some matters to settle, so I¡¯ll go in first. Could I trouble you¡­ and the others to wait outside for a moment?¡± Then, without waiting for Elder Hua Feng¡¯s reply, she turned around. After taking one step, she stopped, turned around slightly, and glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan very coldly. ¡°Senior Sister Jiang, I¡¯ll welcome you anytime.¡± The moment she said it, her figure rapidly disappeared behind the door. A silver barrier rapidly appeared, sealing the door shut and excluding all the events from the outside world¡ªalthough everyone couldn¡¯t even see anything from the outside in the first place. Jiang Zhiyuan was humiliated in public, and she flew into a rage. Yet, she was filled with injuries and could only stand up forcefully, so how could she avenge herself? Her cultivation level was indeed higher than that of Chu Yue. Logically speaking, there should be no issues beating him. But after experiencing all those incidents before, she was left with not much strength. On the other hand, Chu Yue was complete and uninjured. Besides, he had just broken through, and it was when his combat skills were at their peak. Battling under such circumstances, was it not obvious who would win?! ¡°This¡­¡± The other people that slowly rushed over were all taken aback when they saw this scene. Jin Di couldn¡¯t help but knit his brows, and he asked with a deep voice, ¡°Hua Feng, what does Chu Yue mean? Does he plan on taking this entire place himself and not letting us enter?¡± Due to the fake Heavenly Square Cauldron that suddenly appeared, everyone¡¯s attention was attracted away, and nobody cared about this place. However, they just recalled that this was the place where the true treasures lay! Chu Yue¡¯s attitude was very suspicious, and one couldn¡¯t help but doubt him. Elder Hua Feng sneered. ¡°Previously, you guys didn¡¯t come for such a long time. Now that Chu Yue is back, you recalled it too?¡± Jin Di ignored his mockery and walked right in. ¡°Since the door is open, I have to go in and take a look!¡± But the moment he took a few steps out, a cold voice came from inside. ¡°From now on, nobody is allowed to step into this place. If anyone wants to try¡­ bring it on!¡± Arrogant! Preposterous! As they were shocked, everyone widened their eyes and exchanged glances. Jin Di couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Wow! Chu Yue, you think too highly of yourself! I want to see just how long you can guard this place!¡± Then, he moved his arm, and a golden spear appeared in his hands! Whoosh! The spear pierced through the air! Chapter 1381 - Enemy Incoming This spear was directly thrown at the damaged opening above the door by Jin Di. His previous experience had told him that this door wasn¡¯t easy to deal with, so to be safe, he still chose a position that was easy to break. But very quickly, he realized that his thoughts were childish and laughable. That was because the spear was stopped three steps in front of the door due to the strong suppression. Jin Di¡¯s expression changed as he rapidly went forward, grabbed the spear, and thrust it forward! It didn¡¯t move at all. There seemed to be an invisible iron wall in front that easily blocked everything outside. He had tried his best, but he couldn¡¯t even leave a single ripple behind. It was too laughable. Jin Di¡¯s face flushed red¡ªhe was angry. ¡°Cunning!¡± He tried twice. After he realized he couldn¡¯t make any progress, he swiftly chose to give up and furiously yelled at Elder Hua Feng, ¡°Hua Feng! How does your Ling Xiao Academy teach its students?!¡± Elder Hua Feng raised his brows up high, and his expression became strange. He glanced at the door that was still very resilient despite having a hole in it and then gazed at the exasperated Jin Di. ¡°Jin Di, it seems like it¡¯s your problem that you can¡¯t go in, right?¡± He pouted. He isn¡¯t capable enough, yet he wants to push the blame on someone else, and the other party is even a youngster. What is this? He is too shameless. Even though he didn¡¯t say his remaining two sentences, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s gaze and expression beat all words. Jin Di widened his round eyes, and there seemed to be two balls of fire intensely burning in them as his chest heaved up and down intensely. ¡°You! Hua Feng, don¡¯t go overboard!¡± ¡°Are we overboard?¡± Elder Hua Feng decisively found a rock to lean on and crossed his arms, looking leisurely. ¡°We¡¯re not stopping you either. You can just do whatever you want.¡± As he spoke, he waved his hands to the crowd at the side as if he felt that it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Everyone from Ling Xiao Academy, listen up. We¡¯ll rest on the spot! If someone wants to barge in, we don¡¯t have to care about them. We¡¯ll just watch from the side!¡± The crowd acknowledged in unison, ¡°Yes!¡± Jin Di was so angry that his lungs almost exploded! Watch on from the side? Isn¡¯t this clearly treating me as a joke? Yet, I really can¡¯t open that door¡ªeven if there is a large hole in it! Humiliated! Jin Di put away his spear and spat on the ground in hatred. He didn¡¯t turn around to leave and just stood there, staring at the shining barrier tightly. There¡­ must be a problem here! No matter what, I¡¯m a legitimate legendary warrior. How can I be easily stopped by a stage-nine warrior¡¯s barrier?! The surrounding spectators were originally tempted, but after seeing his situation, they all became well-behaved and planned on silently observing the situation. Hence, due to all sorts of reasons, the area in front of the door quickly fell silent. Other than the rather strange atmosphere, everything else was normal. Elder Hua Feng coldly snorted and closed his eyes. Chu Yue is always the one taking advantage of other people. I have never seen anyone taking something from Chu Yue! Wanting to deal with him¡­ is extremely difficult! Look at how ugly Jin Di¡¯s previous expression is¡ªhow relieving! Thinking of this, Elder Hua Feng felt proud for some reason. Our Ling Xiao Academy students are indeed extraordinary! ¡°Heh, this Chu Yue is really the best at causing trouble!¡± At the side, an elder couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly. They never had a good relationship with the Golden Wings Sect, so they were rather happy to see the other party embarrassed. Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s gaze flickered as she asked rather hesitantly, ¡°Elder Hua Feng, don¡¯t you think¡­ Chu Yue is really similar to that person in some aspects?¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression became dazed, and he shot that door a complicated gaze. Behind the shining silver barrier, nobody knew what was going on. He didn¡¯t speak. If it weren¡¯t because of this, why would I intentionally and unknowingly take care of Chu Yue ever since he stepped into the academy? Not to mention that I was dazed for a moment and directly brought Chu Yue to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Since I knew that this place was dangerous, I should¡¯ve rejected Chu Yue¡¯s request according to his identity. However, I didn¡¯t. It is all because of those pair of eyes that look really similar, and¡ª ¡°That¡¯s all in the past.¡± Elder Hua Feng closed his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it anymore.¡± That girl didn¡¯t even send us any news in such a long time. Who knows where she has gone wild?! As long as she doesn¡¯t come back, we will not speak of her! Shi Rui¡¯er was hesitant in her words and finally nodded slightly. ¡­ ¡°Hu¡­¡± After blocking everything outside, Chu Liuyue returned to the tomb again. She stood in the middle, looked at the empty surroundings, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Then, she lifted up her sleeves and directly kneeled down, kowtowing toward the tombstone¡¯s previous location. ¡°Ancestor, I¡¯m in the wrong. Please punish me.¡± Nobody responded. Chu Liuyue placed her head on the ground for quite some time before she stood up. Shangguan Jing seemed to be in a deep sleep and didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up. This caused Chu Liuyue to be rather worried and also faintly expectant. Now, I can basically confirm that this is Ancestor¡¯s true tomb. Then, there is a very high chance that Ancestor¡¯s last remaining soul portion is hidden here! If I can gather all the portions¡­ Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and took out that jade pendant. In the dark space, the jade pendant exuded two balls of faint light as if a stream of water was slowly flowing within. It was a pity it didn¡¯t merge in the end. They were Shangguan Jing¡¯s two scarce soul parts. Chu Liuyue had previously gathered them, but she wasn¡¯t able to merge them. I don¡¯t know if the last soul part is here¡­ Chu Liuyue held the jade pendant tightly and knitted her brows slightly. According to what the legendary three-eyed eagles said, Ancestor used his own strength to battle the nine dragons. Even if they were the dragon clan¡¯s worst bloodline, it is still more than enough to deal with humans. Ancestor could beat nine of them alone, and he even used the nine dragon skeletons to suppress his tomb. What kind of strength did he exactly have back then?! .com Why did the soul part left in the Tianling God Realm think that he was still a demigod and couldn¡¯t break through at all? Besides, Ancestor was so familiar with the Flood-Desert Northern Region. What exactly did he do here back then? ¡°Ancestor, quickly wake up¡­¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, cupped her hands, and prayed silently. Now, I can only wish for Ancestor to be safe and sound. I don¡¯t know¡­ if the tombstone breaking previously will have any effect on him¡­ Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue felt guilty. I hope that tombstone¡ª Boom! A loud sound suddenly came from above her head! The entire tomb shook intensely! Chu Liuyue suddenly stood up! A sinister and cold aura rapidly attacked her! Her heart skipped a beat. The incoming person is an enemy! Chapter 1382 - Old Acquaintance The crowd waiting outside was even more shocked than Chu Liuyue. Most of them were deciding between patiently waiting or thinking of a way to barge in. Actually, everyone was tempted, but the previous few incidents were enough for them to calm down and try their best to find the best solution. However, nobody expected that someone would rush over, barge in, and be a step ahead of them before they could do anything. In the sky, a few figures wearing black robes attacked directly below! Elder Hua Feng went on his toes and rapidly flew up. ¡°Who are you?!¡± The other party had roughly about seven or eight people, and all of them covered their faces so that they couldn¡¯t be seen. However, their auras were very strong, and all of them were legendary warriors! This was especially so for the man at the front. His body was slightly curved like an elder, and his aura was hidden¡ªone couldn¡¯t even discern his cultivation level! Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart sank. The other party directly rushed over like this. They should¡¯ve long been prepared! All these people didn¡¯t care about Elder Hua Feng as they kept attacking below. It was as if they wanted to destroy the entire tomb! Crack! A large crack appeared on the rock at the top. ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression changed. Before he could say anything, he suddenly saw a figure rush out from below. Slim and long with agile movements¡ªit was precisely Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue nodded toward Elder Hua Feng. The latter hesitated for a moment but still took a few steps back. However, his heart was filled with worry as he stared at the two parties in a stalemate without even blinking. Chu Liuyue stood in the air and was opposite the other party. She quickly looked at the other party and realized that she didn¡¯t know them. However, their sinisterly cold aura was rather familiar. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and suddenly smiled. ¡°May I know why all of you respected individuals came here today?¡± The elder at the front had an icy and nonchalant voice. ¡°My master wants to see you.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed at first and raised her brows slightly. ¡°Who¡­ is your master? If he wants to see me, he should at least tell me his identity, right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to ask about this yet.¡± That elder seemed to look down on Chu Liuyue as he said every single word without allowing her to go against him. ¡°Just follow us over. If not, all the people here will pay the price for your choice.¡± This elder¡¯s tone was calm as if he were just narrating something ordinary. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Ancestor is still in a crucial period. If I leave, I don¡¯t know what will happen later. However, the elder¡¯s second sentence rapidly made Chu Liuyue change her mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. An old friend of yours is there too. You haven¡¯t seen him in a long time; it¡¯s time to see him.¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Who?¡± That elder glanced at her with a deep meaning. ¡°Mu Qinghe.¡± Immediately, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± Elder Hua Feng was taken aback and hurriedly advised her, ¡°Chu Yue, think carefully!¡± With just one look, these people are obviously up to no good. Won¡¯t it be very dangerous to leave with them? It would be hard to even escape by then! Chu Liuyue shook her head lightly. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, I must make this trip. Don¡¯t worry; I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Seeing that she had a persistent attitude, Elder Hua Feng opened his mouth and could only shake his head with a sigh in the end. Who exactly is that Mu Qinghe? When Chu Yue heard his name, his expression immediately changed. He wanted to leave with them without a care for the danger. If something really happens¡ª Chu Liuyue looked at that elder. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ The few of them surrounded Chu Liuyue and flew toward the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡¯s depths. Their figures quickly disappeared before the crowd. Only when the crowd was certain that they completely couldn¡¯t see them anymore did they look at Elder Hua Feng and the others with incredulous expressions. ¡°Where are those people from?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell¡­ but they¡¯re not weak, especially the person talking. I¡¯m afraid not many of us would be his match.¡± ¡°But they don¡¯t seem to be from an aristocratic family in the God Residence Realm¡­¡± ¡°Why did they call Chu Yue to go over? And they even said that an old friend wanted to meet her¡­ Who is that Mu Qinghe?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions, and they were all confused. Shi Rui¡¯er looked at Elder Hua Feng. She couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°Elder, are we really going to just watch? What if Chu Yue¡ª¡± He obviously isn¡¯t those people¡¯s match! What will happen if something happens to him because he just followed them? Elder Hua Feng closed his eyes. ¡°Chu Yue¡­ doesn¡¯t want us to follow him¡­ He probably has another plan¡­¡± ¡°But his abilities are limited, and he¡¯s alone. What other plan can he have?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er furrowed her brows tightly. Chu Yue saved me previously, so I¡¯m filled with gratitude toward him and don¡¯t want him to be in trouble at all. Elder Hua Feng was about to say something when he suddenly felt a tingle. He turned his palm and held a green jade plaque¡ªthis was Elder Bo Yan¡¯s one. The star on it suddenly exploded into a bright ray of light! A strong summon was coming from within! Elder Hua Feng was stunned and elated. ¡°Bo Yan is looking for us!¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd from Ling Xiao Academy rushed over. The few elders had very nervous expressions. ¡°Is it true? It won¡¯t be another mistake like the previous time, right?¡± They had already suffered once! Elder Hua Feng held the green jade plaque in his hands tightly.¡±No, it¡¯s real this time! Such a signal will only appear if the owner of the green jade plaque is at risk of losing their life. Bo Yan and the others¡¯ situation probably isn¡¯t optimistic.¡± Once he said this, the crowd exchanged glances and fell silent. ¡°Then, we¡­¡± On the one hand, it was Chu Yue. On the other hand, it was Bo Yan and the rest¡­ It was really hard to decide. Elder Hua Feng clenched his fists tightly. After much thinking, he finally gritted his teeth and made a decision. ¡°Let¡¯s find Bo Yan and the rest!¡± As for Chu Yue¡­ Since he dares to go, he will definitely have the confidence to come back! Besides, those people that previously appeared are strong. Only by finding the other people from the academy do we have a chance of beating the other party. If we suddenly go over now, we won¡¯t help the situation. After making the decision, the people from Ling Xiao Academy rapidly gathered together and left without any reluctance. They left Jin Di and the rest in a confused state. They just¡­ left? First, Chu Yue was taken away. Next, the people from Ling Xiao Academy quickly left. Do they really not want to continue staying here? Jin Di couldn¡¯t help but look at the gigantic tomb, and he shockingly discovered that the silver barrier was still there. He clenched his teeth and looked at the crowd. ¡°Whoever wants to go in, take a step forward! Let¡¯s work together! If we find any treasures inside, we¡¯ll split them! How does that sound?¡± Chapter 1383 - Obvious Hint Quite a few people snorted in their hearts. Split evenly? That¡¯s nonsense! Everyone present wasn¡¯t naive. If they really saw a treasure, how would they obediently wait to split it evenly? At that time, they would definitely fight for it, and it would probably be a situation where only one party could leave! But¡­ Seeing Chu Yue¡¯s previous attitude, there might actually be something inside. We can first work together to break open this barrier. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Almost everyone expressed their agreement one after another. Hence, after a short discussion, the crowd present started attacking at the same time! They tried their best to break open that barrier! ¡­ Chu Liuyue, who was far away, turned around to take a look. Although she couldn¡¯t see anything from here, she could still roughly guess the situation of the tomb. She hoped that the barrier Shangguan Jing left behind was strong enough to last for a while¡­ ¡°It¡¯s right inside,¡± said the elder at the front. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She immediately retracted her gaze and looked over. It was filled with snow. The crystal and translucent snowflakes gathered together in one thick stack. At this point, it was the darkest time of night. Hence, the icy snow looked even colder than in the day. She followed the people in front of her and stood still. Then, that elder went up alone. Chu Liuyue stood behind him and could only see his arms waving around. Very quickly, thick snow started rapidly melting on the ground. The ground started to reveal itself! She focused her gaze, and her heart seemed to be clutched by something tightly! It was just one glance, but she saw that there was another compartment below the ground. As expected, that elder flew down and knocked twice on the ground. Ka¡ª Following an extremely soft sound, an entrance appeared in the ground! It was pitch black, and one couldn¡¯t see anything at all. It brought with it a hint of coldness that caused one¡¯s heart to tremble. Nobody knew what exactly was beneath the surface. ¡°Go ahead¡ª¡± That elder turned around and glanced at Chu Liuyue extremely coldly. ¡°Ms. Shangguan.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. As expected¡­ When they said Mu Qinghe¡¯s name, I had already guessed that the other party knew my identity. This is also why I chose to come over so swiftly. Not many people know of my double identity at the moment. Even Jiang Zhiyuan is doubtful, but she can¡¯t confirm it. Yet, these people seem very confident. Also¡­ they clearly seem to know much more than me! Without hesitation, Chu Liuyue flew down and walked to that entrance. She glanced below and saw a cold and dark staircase. She walked down. ¡­ Thump! Not long after she went down, the few people sealed the entrance again. What surprised Chu Liuyue was that they actually didn¡¯t follow her down; this caused her heart to sink. This was because it didn¡¯t mean that they were less alert if they let her go down. On the contrary¡­ it meant that there was an even stronger existence here. Hence, they could leave so easily and allow her to come in herself! Isolated, cold, dark, and oppressive. Only Chu Liuyue¡¯s footsteps kept reverberating throughout the entire space. Very quickly, she saw a person. She was too familiar with that figure. He was sitting on the ground and leaning against the walls motionlessly. His hands and legs were all cuffed to the square patch of ground. His clothes were messy and even had some bloodstains. His aura was slightly weak, and he looked very disheveled. If it weren¡¯t for the slight heaving of his chest, Chu Liuyue might think that he was already dead. ¡°Mu Qinghe.¡± She paused and spoke softly. Hearing the voice, the man¡ªwho had his head down the whole time¡ªfinally moved. He looked up hesitantly. When he saw Chu Liuyue, confusion flashed across his face. But very quickly, he recognized Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity. His white and dried lips trembled slightly as if he had a lot to say. But in the end, he just looked down again. ¡± ¡­Greetings, Your Highness!¡± Chu Liuyue walked down the stairs and stood there for a while, just staring at Mu Qinghe. If it weren¡¯t for his reply, she wouldn¡¯t even dare to confirm that the frail, skinny, and disheveled man in front of her was once the arrogant and prideful Mu Qinghe that had followed her for so many years. For some reason, her heart seemed to be harshly hit by something when she saw this scene, and it ached. She didn¡¯t know if it was for him or for herself. Once, they fought hand in hand in battle. Now, they were almost pointing swords at each other. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and surveyed her surroundings. Then, her gaze focused. There was a gigantic copper mirror in the middle. This copper mirror was very familiar. She stared at it for a few seconds before a thought flashed across her mind! This is exactly the same copper mirror as the one I saw in the study of the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s Crown Prince! ¡°Shangguan Yue.¡± A low and hoarse voice suddenly sounded from the copper mirror. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered, and her lips curled up slightly. ¡°At this point, you¡¯re still not willing to reveal yourself?¡± The other party chuckled. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re very curious about me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile was even deeper. ¡°Mu Qinghe¡­ is actually your person, right? If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, Jiang Yucheng seems to have the same identity too?¡± ¡°You¡¯re as smart as before.¡± The other party actually admitted to it in a straightforward and confident manner. He wasn¡¯t afraid that Chu Liuyue would cause any scene. ¡°Smart people only ever make smart choices. I believe¡­ you should also know why I invited you over here.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly and raised her brows. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know; I hope you could enlighten me.¡± Chapter 1384 - Making a Cunning Getaway ¡°Shangguan Yue, we¡¯re all rational people. Why should we beat around the bush? We¡¯ll just waste each other¡¯s time for nothing.¡± The other party laughed, but he had an unignorable suppression. ¡°You won¡¯t really think that you can hide that item perfectly and that nobody will notice, right?¡± Chu Liuyue remained silent. She was certain that the other party was also going for the water droplet. However, she didn¡¯t know what identity this person had. Before she came, she kept suspecting that the other party was the person who lived in Shangguan Wan¡¯s body. But once the other party spoke, she knew that it wasn¡¯t him. ¡°Honestly, your idea of making a clean getaway by getting rid of your old shell is used extremely well, but you forgot something. As long as that item is still with you, it¡¯s impossible nobody will notice it. At the end of the day, you just wasted your time.¡± Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed. Making a clean getaway by getting rid of my old shell? What does that mean? Is he¡­ talking about me being reborn? But I was clearly harmed by someone back then¡ª Suddenly, something flashed across her mind! She instantly turned her head and looked at Mu Qinghe at the side! Mu Qinghe kneeled on the floor with his head lowered, making one unable to see his expression. Only his tightly clenched fists showed that he wasn¡¯t as calm as he looked. Countless scenes flashed before her eyes. Back then¡­ My death, what exactly¡ª Whoosh! A long blood-colored whip suddenly flew out of that copper mirror and went straight for Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue immediately moved backward! But although she was fast, the blood whip was even faster! In the blink of an eye, it had already flown to the front and was closing in on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face! Chu Liuyue raised her hands, and a red fire set up a barrier before her! Zz zz! A pungent smell spread across, causing one to be nauseous. That blood whip seemed to have touched something scary as it rapidly melted! ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix?!¡± The voice in the copper mirror suddenly changed its tone, and it was filled with shock and disbelief! Then, that person sneered. ¡°Hah, I didn¡¯t expect that after not seeing you for so long and your force is depleted, you¡¯re still as lucky as before!¡± His sentence contained too much information. While Chu Liuyue handled it, she kept thinking in her heart. This man¡­ I¡¯ve seen him before?! Also, it seems like he has long known about the water droplet in my body! Slap! Another blood whip attacked her! This time, the force it contained was clearly much stronger than before! An opening formed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s barrier. That blood whip was extremely agile and cunning as it rapidly stretched in from the opening and harshly struck toward Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s alarm in her heart rang loudly! The other party is definitely stronger than a legendary warrior! If I¡¯m hit, half my life will directly be taken away! At that moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body glowed! At the same time, a black shield suddenly appeared in her left hand! Rumble! That blood whip harshly hit against the black shield! Chu Liuyue¡¯s blood tumbled, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! The terrifying force surrounded her, causing her to fly backward uncontrollably! Thump! She harshly fell against the wall behind her and later onto the ground, almost breaking her bones! The excruciating pain spread throughout her body. Her face instantly flushed white! Mu Qinghe kneeled on the ground and lowered his head even more. He clenched his fists even tighter. ¡°It¡¯s a real pity that the thing has already recognized you as its master, so I have to put in some effort to take it out¡­¡± As the other party spoke, the blood whip changed into a longsword, and it went straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s stomach! Suddenly, a few ripples appeared on the ground before Chu Liuyue. The blood longsword was silently blocked on the outside! Chu Liuyue was dazed and looked up. She saw a tall and big figure walking out from within! He was wearing a black robe today, and he exuded a shocking coldness. He was distinguished from head to toe, looking high and mighty with disregard for anything. The more stunning thing was that his clothes were already stained by blood. When he moved, there were even a few drops of blood that trickled down. It was as though he had just rushed over from an intense killing. The intense bloody aura almost made one unable to breathe. However, Chu Liuyue suddenly calmed down. It was as if with this person around, all the thunderstorms would be blocked outside, and she didn¡¯t have to worry at all. This man raised his hand and clutched the empty air. Thump! That harsh-looking blood longsword was actually crushed into pieces and disappeared cleanly! ¡°Rong Xiu?!¡± The man in the mirror seemed to be taken aback. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Rong Xiu softly laughed. ¡°If she¡¯s here, what¡¯s so strange about me coming? But it seems like¡­ I disappointed you?¡± The other party fell silent for a moment before sneering. ¡°You¡¯re even harder to handle than before.¡± ¡°Your men are too weak,¡± said Rong Xiu nonchalantly. The other party seemed stumped and couldn¡¯t say anything. Chu Liuyue was about to say something when she suddenly felt a ripple in her dantian. Crack! A tiny breaking sound was clearly heard! Another crack appeared on that black pyramid! Inside, there seemed to be something about to rush out! Rong Xiu suddenly turned around. Chu Liuyue raised her head in shock. The two of them stared at each other. At that moment, endless longing surged up her heart. They clearly hadn¡¯t seen each other for only a short period of time, but Chu Liuyue felt that it had been way too long. She opened her mouth, and her voice was so soft that it sounded like it would disappear with the wind. ¡°¡­Rong Xiu¡­¡± Once she said that, countless scenes popped into her mind! She closed her eyes and fell toward the ground. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Rong Xiu knitted his sharp brows, and his figure flashed. He rapidly rushed over and brought her into his arms! Chapter 1385 - Rong Xiu Slap! Behind him, many blood whips attacked them! They were like sharp claws that surrounded Rong Xiu completely! Rong Xiu hugged Chu Liuyue tightly in his arms and suddenly turned around! Harsh murderous intent flashed across his cold and dark eyes. There seemed to be golden fire burning within them! Rumble! The golden fire formed a barrier that appeared before him! It blocked all the blood whips outside! The two forces slammed against each other harshly. Rong Xiu¡¯s shoulders sank, and his two feet instantly went half an inch into the ground. ¡°Rong Xiu, leave her behind, and I¡¯ll let you off today.¡± The cold and sinister voice sounded like a venomous snake slowly circling one¡¯s heart, causing one to feel cold from within. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up, but his smile was very cold. ¡°It has been so many years, but you haven¡¯t changed your habit of daydreaming.¡± ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± This sentence clearly agitated the other party, causing him to be instantly enraged. ¡°Since this is so, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Once he said this, blood color overwhelmed the copper mirror! An intense bloody aura exuded from within! Then, a translucent blood-colored figure suddenly formed in midair¡ªit was a middle-aged man with empty eyes. His expression was stiff and listless, like he was a puppet. He rapidly flew toward Rong Xiu! Following this, a second figure appeared. It attacked from another direction and surrounded Rong Xiu! Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. These two people are clearly exalted warriors that are even stronger than legendary warriors! ¡°You¡¯re willing to spend so much.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly, and the golden fire burned in his eyes even more intensely. This special puppet without a physical body or Holy Body was formed secretly by the other party using real cultivators. Once it was summoned, it could only experience one battle before it completely collapsed. However, this had its advantages as well¡ªthis type of special puppet could usually give their all in battles! They could unleash all their strength in one go! This was one of the reasons why they were hard to beat. ¡°As long as I can make her stay, what does this damage count?¡± The other party laughed. ¡°I allowed her to escape last time, but¡­ It won¡¯t be so easy now!¡± Rong Xiu looked down at the person in his arms. Chu Liuyue seemed to be completely unconscious as her eyes were tightly shut, and her face was pale. Her dense and long lashes trembled slightly, as if she were trapped in some scary nightmare. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart seemed to be forcefully squeezed. He hugged her even tighter and carefully raised her head, burying it in his chest. Confirming that she wouldn¡¯t suddenly wake up and see everything, he looked over. ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly,¡± he lightly said. If Chu Liuyue could wake up now, she would see that the current Rong Xiu was significantly different from before. His clear and demonic appearance was as calm as water, but it also seemed like it was covered in ice that wouldn¡¯t melt in a thousand years. No matter what happened, nothing could cause his expression to falter. The most shocking thing was his eyes¡ªone was sparkling gold, and the other was intensely dark. The golden fire blazed intensely, and the holy light glowed as if it could burn all the stained and dirty items in the world cleanly! The intensely dark ink seemed cold and distinguished as if it could swallow the entire world whole! These two intense and contrasting colors appeared on him now, but they didn¡¯t seem out of place. Instead, they looked more harmonious than ever. ¡°My patience is limited,¡± he said every word carefully. His cold voice reverberated throughout the space like a judge¡¯s ruling! ¡­ ¡°Pfft! What kind of stupid place is this!? We have been busy for so long, but there isn¡¯t any sign of it opening!¡± In the gully, the crowd gathered around and tried countless times, but that silver barrier still wouldn¡¯t budge. Finally, someone couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°That Chu Yue is a mere stage-nine warrior, but he can freely come in and out of this place. In contrast, so many of us are working together, but there¡¯s no use at all! What the hell!¡± Once he said this, the other people present had ugly expressions. Which one of us doesn¡¯t have stronger abilities than Chu Yue? But no matter how hard we try, we can¡¯t open the barrier! It¡¯s fine if everyone can¡¯t go in, yet there was Chu Yue, who could enter and leave as he wished! With such a comparison, who can feel good about it? ¡°The people from Ling Xiao Academy are indeed scheming. They left just like that!¡± If Hua Feng and the others were still here, they would definitely demand reasoning from them! Thump! Jin Di pierced his spear into the ground. The rock was hard, and it caused his hand to feel numb. This made his originally displeased feeling even worse. ¡°There must be something wrong with this place! And that Chu Yue¡ªhe definitely isn¡¯t someone simple!¡± To think that I still thought of the other party as an ordinary young man in the beginning¡­ I also didn¡¯t care much about him. Now, it seems like I was especially wrong! If he really was normal, he couldn¡¯t have possibly stolen that treasure from Jin Lei back then and even caused Jin Lei¡¯s death! Jin Di slapped his forehead loudly. Why did I not think of all of this earlier?! ¡°I think that we can¡¯t go on like this. Why don¡¯t we wait for Chu Yue to come back and get him to directly open the barrier? I think¡­ this shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him, right?¡± A middle-aged man snorted coldly and seemed displeased. His tone was rather strange. ¡°There are demigods and true gods here, yet we¡¯re not as good as a stage-nine warrior. If word goes out, I¡¯m afraid nobody will believe it!¡± ¡°Enough! What¡¯s the use of talking about this now? Besides, Chu Yue has already been taken away, and he might not even be able to come back!¡± ¡°Oh right, speaking of this, do you know who the group of people that brought him away was?¡± The crowd shook their heads and expressed their ignorance. Jin Di sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t know their backgrounds, but I can tell that the elder at the front¡­ is a true exalted warrior! Don¡¯t forget that the one who wants to see Chu Yue¡­ is his master!¡± What kind of person would the master of an exalted warrior be? Casually thinking about it sent chills down one¡¯s spines! ¡°Whoever is willing to wait, just go ahead!¡± Waiting for Chu Yue to come back might even be less hopeful than waiting for him to break through to become an exalted warrior! This made quite a few people calm down, but the situation in front was a stalemate. They couldn¡¯t open the barrier even if they worked together, and Chu Yue¡¯s return was still a question. Would they have to waste their time here?! Jin Di knitted his brows tightly and looked at the door. What exactly¡­ is inside?! ¡­ On the other side, Elder Hua Feng and the rest had left far away! The sky started to snow again. The cold winds howled, and every step used up a lot of force. Everyone silently walked forward. After some time, Elder Hua Feng looked at the green jade plaque in his hands and finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°They¡¯re right in front!¡± Chapter 1386 - Hearts Understanding Hearing this, everyone recovered their senses and were much more energized, as they raised their heads and looked up. However, the place in front was filled with snow, and it didn¡¯t seem much different from other places. Elder Hua Feng quickly realized this, and the smile on his face froze momentarily. He lowered his head to take a look again. The star on the green jade plaque was indeed nearby. It shouldn¡¯t be wrong this time. ¡°Elder, if Elder Bo Yan and the rest are really in front, they should¡¯ve detected our arrival by now, right? Why¡­ haven¡¯t they come out yet?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest also followed them over. Although her breathing was slightly weak, she had basically recovered. ¡°Stay here first. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± As he spoke, Elder Hua Feng went forward first. Two other elders followed him. Elder Hua Feng originally wanted to reject them but chose to go forward with them in the end. After walking for a distance, the trio stood still and stared at the large piece of empty land that suddenly appeared in front of them in shock. That¡¯s right¡ªit was a piece of empty land! In this piece of land, the accumulated snow melted. There wasn¡¯t a single snowflake on the black surface. Even the snow falling from the sky seemed to intentionally avoid this area and landed on the side. There seemed to be an invisible barrier which surrounded this piece of land. ¡°Bo Yan should be here¡­ Why don¡¯t I see him?¡± Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows and softly muttered. Is it still the same as before¡ª That¡¯s not right! Suddenly, a thought struck him, and an idea quickly flashed across his mind! ¡°They¡¯re below!¡± The other two elders¡ªwho were initially confused¡ªwere taken aback when they heard this. ¡°What?!¡± Elder Hua Feng stared at that empty piece of land closely. He could even faintly feel some auras and forces tumbling! ¡°Elder, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The people behind saw that they were standing there for a long time without moving. Afraid that something had happened, they hurriedly rushed over. When they saw the scene before their eyes, they lost their voices in unison. ¡°This¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er looked at Elder Hua Feng with some uncertainty. ¡°Elder, are Elder Bo Yan and the rest really here?¡± Elder Hua Feng took a deep breath in. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ they¡¯re below!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s eyes shrunk. ¡°That can¡¯t be right? How can there be something below¡ª¡± ¡°Hua Feng is right.¡± Elder Dan Qing, who was silent the whole way, suddenly spoke. ¡°When we met with trouble previously, those people did suddenly rush out from below¡ª¡± Boom! The ground suddenly shook violently! Then, countless rays of light intertwined above the originally empty land! In the blink of an eye, they formed a gigantic Xuan formation! Countless figures flew out from within! They went straight for Elder Hua Feng and the others! These people were similar to those that appeared earlier. They were all covered in black robes and had black cloth covering their faces, so one couldn¡¯t see what they looked like. ¡°Those who trespass the prison will die!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart sank. It seemed like they had found the other party¡¯s territory! But at the same time, he also confirmed that Bo Yan and the rest were all locked up below! ¡°Kill!¡± Elder Hua Feng waved his hands, and a gigantic Xuan formation rapidly appeared! The other elders immediately took action! There weren¡¯t many of these people clothed in black¡ªonly six of them. Compared to the tens of people from Ling Xiao Academy and Flying Star Sect, they didn¡¯t have the advantage. But the key was that Elder Hua Feng and the others had journeyed for a long time, and they didn¡¯t even have much force left, not to mention that many people were injured in between. On the other hand, although the other party had few people, they were all energized and strong! In such circumstances, the two parties quickly fell into a stalemate. But Elder Hua Feng and the rest knew very clearly that this would not do. The longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it was for them! As the crowd gradually went toward the losing end, a deep and loud roar was suddenly heard from the skies! Roar! This voice contained a formidable aura that instantly attracted the crowd¡¯s attention! Everyone looked up. A totally snow-white figure broke through the clouds! In the blink of an eye, it had already rushed to them from the horizon. That was a white lion. Its fur was like snow, and its pair of ice-blue eyes were like the best sapphires¡ªcold and mighty! It looked formidable! Its surroundings contained stunning coldness. Wherever it went, a long icy bridge would be left behind in midair! When Elder Hua Feng and the rest saw this, they were shocked and elated. ¡°It¡¯s Little Xue Hua!¡± Xue Xue¡¯s originally ferocious expression almost collapsed. Its paws slipped, and it directly flew toward the men in black. But luckily, it was mentally much stronger than before, so it quickly collected its feelings and directly struck at the men in black. A fiend¡¯s combat power was much greater that of humans at the same cultivation level¡ªnot to mention Xue Xue, who had just gone through intensified training. Xue Xue directly slapped one and caused him to fly with its claws. With the whip of its lion head, another one was pushed away. The sound of bones breaking was especially melodious at this point. The situation changed instantly! Shi Rui¡¯er heaved a sigh of relief, and her lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up. ¡°It seems like Rong Xiu is here!¡± The others had clearly realized this, and they all had more relaxed expressions. Elder Hua Feng glanced at the two elders at the side. ¡°Stay here and observe first. I¡¯ll go over there and solve the Xuan formation!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ Underground. It was an intense battle! The golden and black fires flew out and formed a figure in front of Rong Xiu respectively. The apparition looked exactly the same as Rong Xiu. ¡°Two Holy Bodies?!¡± The two Holy Bodies that suddenly appeared clearly caused the man in the mirror to be taken aback. In the entire world, I have never seen someone who cab cultivate two holy bodies at once! How exactly did Rong Xiu do it? Before he could think about it properly, the few figures were in a heated battle. ¡°With the Holy Body out of the way, I want to see if you yourself can stop me!¡± As he spoke, a few blood whips flew out and went straight for Rong Xiu! Without the Holy Body protecting him, Rong Xiu is basically weak! As long as I hit him¡ª Slap! A gigantic red-gold figure blocked in front of Rong Xiu! It was Tuan Zi! It spread its wings and almost took up half the space here! That blood whip flew out and directly crushed one of its wings! Rumble! A red-golden fire spread across! The entire space instantly became an ocean of fire! The stairs started to collapse! Mu Qinghe was still kneeling on the ground. When the fire came over, the metal chains on his hands and legs instantly turned burning red! The scorching hot temperature caused his skin near his wrists and ankles to be instantly burned! Terrifying pain instantly overwhelmed his entire body! At this point, Rong Xiu glanced over. His fingers moved slightly, and a golden string flew out. Mu Qinghe looked over and saw this extremely faint golden light flashing before him. As long as he took a step forward, he could break his chains. He closed his eyes. Due to the pain, the veins on his forehead could be seen. Then, he took a step back and avoided it. Chapter 1387 - Pity and Cherish Mu Qinghe fell onto the ground. At this point, he was only an inch away from that golden string. However, he did not move. The excruciating pain caused him to unwittingly curl his body up. The scorched smell spread from his body. The areas near his wrists and ankles were burned till they turned black, and his muscles curled up as they became contorted bit by bit under such a high temperature! There wasn¡¯t even a hint of blood on his face, making him as white as a ghost. Blood kept seeping out from the corner of his lips. His surroundings were clearly burning, scorching hot, yet he felt that his body was turning colder inch by inch. Even his skin, muscles, blood, bones¡­ It was like he was falling down a deep abyss. His consciousness gradually became blurred. His blank mind was only left with a familiar smiling face. At this point, she was still young, but her distinguished aura was already present. Even if she walked in a bustling street, she was still the most eye-catching one. Whoever saw her would know that she had a special status. In comparison, the dirty and skinny him was as lowly as dirt. When she walked over, the first thought he had was to escape. However, a humble desire emerged in the bottommost part of his heart, which caused him to choose to stay in his spot. After a long time, he found out the most perfect phrase to describe the situation back then¡ªworlds apart. ¡°Follow me then!¡± she tilted her head and said with a smile. At that time, he knew that this sentence would determine his entire life. Mu Qinghe kept trembling, and his head was buried in his arms. It was as if this would make him slightly safer. His lips moved, yet he felt that there was fire spreading on his tongue ¡°¡­Your Highness¡­¡± he muttered, and his extremely weak voice disappeared between his lips. The surrounding fire rapidly surged up and completely swallowed his entire figure! A faint light quickly flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, and he retracted that golden string. He glanced at the person in his arms. The surroundings were boiling hot, but she didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up. Rong Xiu hugged her even tighter and rushed toward the exit! The stairs had already collapsed, but this wasn¡¯t a problem for him. Behind, the few apparitions were intensely fighting, and the few blood whips had already burned to their ends in the intense fire! Rong Xiu pushed his palm upward, and an entrance opened above his head! A ray of light from the sky shone in! Rong Xiu turned around to take a look before his figure flashed. He completely disappeared from the spot. ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Sounds of anger and indignation reverberated below! ¡­ Rong Xiu came out from below and raised his wrist. The golden fire and black fire rushed out continuously and returned to his body. Tuan Zi flew over as well. The cave was charcoal-black, and one could faintly see some sparks. Rong Xiu raised his hands. An extremely complicated Xuan formation instantly flew out and sealed that cave entrance shut! The Sky-Cloud Empire totem faintly appeared. Very quickly, that sinister, cold, and cunning voice gradually disappeared. Rong Xiu closed his eyes. The other party doesn¡¯t dare to come out, so I could only do it to this extent at most. ¡°¡­Rong Xiu¡­¡± The person in his arms softly called his name. Rong Xiu immediately looked down and realized that she hadn¡¯t woken up. She was just calling him unintentionally. Rong Xiu brushed away the few strands of loose hair on her face. He then held her face lightly and kissed her brows in a very precious and cherishing manner. Chu Liuyue¡¯s originally slightly knitted brows relaxed. Rong Xiu carried her up bridal style and was about to go forward when his chest slumped. Bright red stains flowed out from the corner of his lips. Chapter 1388 - Truth Rong Xiu paused in his tracks and tried to stabilize the tumbling aura in his body. His expression only became more relaxed when he looked down and saw that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to be affected by this. After a while, he continued walking forward. Chu Liuyue lay in his arms, and her expression was quiet as if she were hibernating. Tuan Zi had already returned to the size of a palm as it lay on her chest and waited quietly. Everything seemed to have returned to normal. The bloodstains on Rong Xiu¡¯s clothes had long been dried by the fire, leaving behind a large patch of dark red. His footsteps were light, and wherever he walked past, he didn¡¯t leave any traces behind on the ground. After walking for a distance, Rong Xiu arrived next to a gully. It was one of the nine gullies, and they were at the furthest one. Rong Xiu carried her and flew down. The snow didn¡¯t continue falling, and the surrounding temperature was higher than outside. On one side of the rock wall, a gigantic dragon head was stuck to it. Its two eyes were empty holes, and it seemed like it had lost all its soul and consciousness. Only the fresh traces on the rock and the ground showed that this dragon skeleton was still struggling to escape from this place not too long ago. What a pity¡­ Rong Xiu retracted his gaze and carefully placed Chu Liuyue on a rock. Then, he sat by the side. He leaned against the large rock and bent his long legs, allowing Chu Liuyue to rest in his arms. Glancing at the color of her face, Rong Xiu felt more at ease. Then, he freed his hand and took out a snow-white handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth slowly. An intense bloody aura floated over. Rong Xiu knitted his brows, worried that the smell would trigger her. I came in too much of a hurry, so I didn¡¯t even have the time to change my clothes. But now¡­ I¡¯m definitely not willing to put her aside and change my clothes. He looked down slightly and rested on her shoulders. Closing his pair of charming and mesmerizing phoenix-like eyes, he sniffed gently. Fragrant and gentle. Even if she is covered in messy bloodstains, the smell on her body never seems to change, and it is always so rejuvenating. Rong Xiu held Chu Liuyue with one hand while his other hand gently caressed her face with very light motions, like wind brushing past. Chu Liuyue seemed to be tickled by his actions as she muttered something and struggled toward the outside. Rong Xiu moved his arms and silently turned her back. This time, he didn¡¯t dare to move casually and held her waist with that hand. I haven¡¯t seen her in a long time, and she seems to be slimmer. I can hold her waist easily. She¡¯s so charming when she¡¯s sleeping quietly. However, Rong Xiu knew that the inside of her body wasn¡¯t calm as it looked on the surface. His body ached faintly. That seal¡­ should be broken soon, right? ¡­ On the other side, with Xue Xue¡¯s help, Elder Hua Feng and the others heaved a sigh of relief. Of the six people from the other party, Xue Xue had settled half of them on its own. The remaining three also had injuries, so their combat skills greatly declined. Additionally, with the defense from the other elders, Elder Hua Feng finally had sufficient time. He stared at the Xuan formation on the ground. It was clearly icy cold weather, but he broke out into a sweat. His hands kept moving as he adjusted and tried to solve the Xuan formation. Finally, at one moment, the two Xuan formations merged completely! Following that tiny ripple, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart beat crazily! He took a deep breath in and didn¡¯t even blink as he tried to turn the Xuan formation around meticulously. Kada. A crack appeared on the Xuan formation! The Xuan formation was broken! This sudden movement caused the few men in black to immediately turn around. They looked shocked and enraged. But when everyone thought that they were going to rush over and stop them, the few people suddenly had a change in gaze, and they rapidly rushed in another direction! Their movements were very sudden, and the elders couldn¡¯t stop them in time. Xue Xue looked up. It was thinking of something and didn¡¯t chase them either. Very quickly, the few men in black disappeared before the crowd. Boom! A loud sound came from the ground! Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t care about those people and hurriedly retracted their gazes. The Xuan formation on the ground was rapidly disappearing! At the same time, a crack appeared on the ground. The thick soil started spreading toward both sides, and an entrance slowly appeared before the crowd! When all movements had stopped on the ground surface, Elder Hua Feng saw the scene before him and couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Even if he had made sufficient mental preparations beforehand, he still couldn¡¯t conceal his shock when he saw this scene. A large staircase led down floor by floor. Looking in, it was as black as charcoal, and one couldn¡¯t see anything. Only the sharp smell of blood emerged from within! It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how downstairs would like ¡°Are Elder Bo Yan and the rest¡­ just downstairs?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er walked in closer, and her face was filled with worry. Elder Hua Feng suppressed his emotions and boomed, ¡°You guys stay outside first. The few of us will go in to take a look.¡± Elder Dan Qing took a step forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Elder Hua Feng nodded. Everyone stood at the side and waited patiently. Elder Dan Qing walked to the edge of the entrance and suddenly turned around to take a look. Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho was standing behind the crowd¡ªsuddenly felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively looked over. With this look, she coincidentally met with Elder Dan Qing¡¯s gaze. Elder Dan Qing nonchalantly said, ¡°When we find Bo Yan and the others, we should¡­ be able to ask properly what they¡¯ve experienced during this period.¡± For some reason, Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly shuddered. Chapter 1389 - : Secretly Help ¡°I hope they¡¯re all safe¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t notice Elder Dan Qing¡¯s strange expression and walked down. When he stepped on the ice-cold stairs, his heart seemed to tremble as well. Suddenly, footsteps came from below. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart tightened, and he immediately became alert! He gathered his force in his palms and was about to take action! The next moment, a familiar voice sounded. ¡°Hua Feng, it¡¯s me.¡± Although the voice was quite weak, Elder Hua Feng could immediately tell the other party¡¯s identity! He was elated and hurriedly looked down. ¡°Bo Yan?! Is that you?!¡± The footsteps sounded nearer and nearer¡ªclearly, someone was walking up. Very quickly, an old yet familiar face appeared before them. It was Elder Bo Yan, who they hadn¡¯t seen in a while! Elder Hua Feng hurriedly walked over and supported him. ¡°Bo Yan, how are you?¡± He had known Elder Bo Yan for so many years, but this was the first time he saw the latter in such a frail and weak state. Walking closer, he then saw that Bo Yan was injured in some areas. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. There are quite a few people downstairs; we should talk after we bring them up,¡± said Elder Bo Yan as he waved his hands. ¡°Huh? Oh, okay! Okay!¡± Elder Hua Feng reacted very quickly and helped Elder Bo Yan up before he turned around and waved toward the few elders. ¡°You guys, follow me to go down and bring the people up!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The few of them rushed down quickly with Elder Hua Feng. The remaining people surrounded Elder Bo Yan. Seeing him in such a state, the crowd was shocked and dazed. In the entire Ling Xiao Academy, Elder Bo Yan is definitely considered one of the top few strongest warriors. What kind of trouble did they meet with that caused him to end up in such a state? Yet, Elder Dan Qing heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Bo Yan in this state. Luckily, he¡¯s still alive¡­ ¡°Are the others doing okay?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression was solemn as his lips moved. ¡°Seven died, and three of them are academy elders.¡± When the crowd at the side heard this, they were all taken aback. They didn¡¯t know what to say. Elder Dan Qing fell silent for a moment and shook his head to sigh. ¡°We¡¯ve all tried our best, and this is already a rather good situation. You don¡¯t have to blame yourself too much.¡± With the situation they previously encountered and being locked up below for such a long time, only seven of them dying was already the best result. ¡°It¡¯s all because I was too impulsive¡­¡± Pain flashed across Elder Bo Yan¡¯s face. I just thought that this was a good opportunity for the students to train, but I neglected the possible dangers that existed here! I¡¯m responsible for every single person¡¯s death. Elder Dan Qing paused. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan is there.¡± As he spoke, he lifted his chin in a certain direction. Everyone looked over and had various expressions. This¡­ There¡¯s something wrong! Why did Elder Dan Qing not talk about anyone else and only Jiang Zhiyuan? Hearing this tone, it doesn¡¯t sound like something good. ¡°What?¡± Elder Bo Yan was clearly stunned as he turned his gaze and looked over. With this look, he indeed saw Jiang Zhiyuan, who was standing at the back of the crowd and trying her best to reduce her presence. Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows and said ambiguously, ¡°She¡¯s rather lucky¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan lowered her head, and her entire body stiffened, not daring to move. Elder Dan Qing tugged at the corner of his lips, but there wasn¡¯t much smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°Who would say otherwise?¡± Elder Bo Yan and the others risked their lives and struggled hard, but seven still died. Jiang Zhiyuan escaped alone and actually¡­ survived. One had to say that sometimes the heavens weren¡¯t very wise. ¡°I¡¯ve already broken my mentor-disciple relationship with her. As for how she should be handled in the future, it¡¯ll be up to you,¡± said Elder Dan Qing. Elder Bo Yan glanced at him complicatedly. Originally, I still thought that Elder Dan Qing would be reluctant. I didn¡¯t expect him to be this decisive. But thinking about it, it makes sense. Anyone who has been used by their most trusted and beloved disciple as a shield would have all their feelings toward that person dissipate. Besides, for survival, that person chose betrayal without hesitation. It would be weird if a traitor could be forgiven and if everything went back to normal. ¡°Got it. We can talk when we go back to the academy.¡± Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t want to waste time and energy on Jiang Zhiyuan. At the very least, the other elders and students¡¯ safety were more important at this moment. Elder Dan Qing lightly nodded. Knowing that there was a decision, he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. It was filled with slight despair but felt more like finally freeing himself. How would Jiang Zhiyuan not understand what this meant? Her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed onto the floor. There seemed to be something ringing continuously in her head. What to do¡­ What to do?! Elder Bo Yan clearly won¡¯t continue letting me stay here! However¡­ Ling Xiao Academy is one of my biggest trump cards. If I am expelled, I will be humiliated in the God Residence Realm. How am I supposed to continue my days ahead? Jiang Zhiyuan took a deep breath in and tried her best to calm herself down as countless thoughts crazily turned in her mind. I must¡­ I must solve this problem! I can¡¯t be expelled from Ling Xiao Academy! ¡°Xue Xue is here too?¡± Elder Bo Yan turned his gaze and saw Xue Xue. This way of address made Xue Xue feel much better as it proudly held its head up and flew over. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to it for rushing over in time earlier. If not, we really would¡¯ve¡ª¡± Elder Dan Qing sighed. Elder Bo Yan smiled and asked Xue Xue, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, your master should be here too, right?¡± As he asked, he looked up and surveyed the surroundings. ¡°Where is he?¡± Xue Xue pouted. Hmph, where else can he be? He¡¯s definitely by her side! Originally, I wanted to follow him, but it is a pity that Master said that the situation here was problematic and insisted on me coming over to help. Pfft! He clearly doesn¡¯t want me to see my dear Yue¡¯er! Seeing Xue Xue¡¯s expression, Elder Bo Yan roughly guessed that Rong Xiu had something on, so he didn¡¯t continue asking. He thought that Rong Xiu would come over and meet them after everything was settled. At this point, Elder Hua Feng and the rest had already slowly brought the people from the jail up. The students and elders looked disheveled, and they more or less had bloodstains on their bodies. For those who had rather serious-looking injuries, people quickly came from the side to help them. Thankfully, most of them luckily survived even though so many of them came. If something happened to them¡­ Ling Xiao Academy would be in big trouble. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect all of you to be able to come back in one piece under such circumstances.¡± Elder Dan Qing couldn¡¯t help but say. At the start, I really thought that they¡ª ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan squinted his eyes as if he were recalling something. ¡°Actually, it is quite strange.¡± He paused and seemed hesitant. ¡®It seems like¡­ someone is helping us in secret.¡± Chapter 1390 - Return Elder Hua Feng found it strange. ¡°Who is it?¡± Elder Bo Yan shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but¡­ When we met with danger, there seemed to be someone helping us secretly, so we managed to escape the ordeal. If not¡­¡± If not, according to our situation back then, it would be impossible that only seven people died. But from start to end, the other party didn¡¯t show themselves, so I cannot guess. ¡°Even you don¡¯t know? That¡¯s weird then¡­ Who would help our Ling Xiao Academy and not leave their name behind?¡± Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows, but they quickly relaxed. He smiled and said, ¡°Forget it! We probably can¡¯t figure it out even if we think about it now. Let¡¯s go back first! It¡¯s always good to have someone help us. If we find out who it is in the future, we¡¯ll then thank them properly!¡± ¡°En.¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded. As if he suddenly thought of something, he asked, ¡°Oh right, why are you guys here?¡± Elder Hua Feng and the others exchanged glances. As expected¡­ Someone indeed hid behind their backs and did this, so Bo Yan doesn¡¯t even know. Elder Hua Feng passed Bo Yan his green jade plaque. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the one I previously lost?¡± Elder Bo Yan took it and said rather strangely. ¡°We received news from it, so we came. But after we came, we realized that you didn¡¯t send it.¡± Elder Hua Feng had one hand behind his back and thought deeply for a moment. ¡°Even now, we still don¡¯t know who the mastermind is¡­ Wan Zheng!¡± As he spoke, he saw Elder Wan Zheng coming up from downstairs. Elder Wan Zheng looked up. As he had suddenly walked out of the dark jail, he wasn¡¯t used to the light outside, causing him to squint his eyes. Seeing that Elder Hua Feng seemed rather nervous, he was a little confused. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Hua Feng took a deep breath in and said apologetically, ¡°I¡­ I let you down. I couldn¡¯t take good care of Chu Yue for you.¡± Elder Wan Zheng suddenly woke up. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°H-he followed the few of us over at that time¡­ But later on, a group of men in black suddenly appeared and said that their master wanted to see him, so they brought him away. I¡­ The other party had legendary warriors. We couldn¡¯t do anything about it, so we could only watch Chu Yue leave with them¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly walked over. ¡°Chu Yue followed you guys here too?!¡± Elder Hua Feng pressed his lips against each other tightly, and his throat became dry. Even though it was Chu Yue who requested it himself, I still hold some responsibility for it. If I had insisted on rejecting at the start, how would¡ª Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s expression turned pale. Men in black¡­ Legendary warriors¡­ Aren¡¯t they the people that attacked us previously? But¡­ ¡°Why did they want to see Chu Yue out of everyone?¡± And it is the other party¡¯s master! Even with so many of us around, we didn¡¯t even hear those people talking about their master. Elder Hua Feng closed his eyes. ¡°We¡­ don¡¯t know either. This is my fault. I¡¯ll bear all responsibility for this¡ª¡± Elder Wan Zheng held his palm out, indicating that he didn¡¯t need to talk further. He then took a deep breath in and calmed his tumbling emotions with much difficulty. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s voice was slightly cold. He spent a lot of energy controlling himself and not raging. This was because he knew that this was definitely not Elder Hua Feng¡¯s fault alone. But if something really happened to Chu Yue¡­ He didn¡¯t know if he could still be this calm! Elder Hua Feng clenched his fists tightly, and he was filled with remorse and self-blame. ¡°¡­Their actions are discreet. We¡­¡± They naturally didn¡¯t know. If a legendary warrior wanted to take someone away and hide them in this boundless snowy field, it would be as easy as ABC. The surroundings fell into dead silence. Everyone knew how much Elder Wan Zheng treasured his disciple. Now that this had happened, how could he not be worried? ¡°I¡¯ll find him myself!¡± Elder Wan Zheng said and turned around, wanting to leave. Elder Bo Yan shook his head. ¡°Wan Zheng, you don¡¯t even know where he is. Where are you going to look for him?¡± Elder Wan Zheng stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists tightly. Then, should I just wait like this? I can¡¯t do it! Elder Bo Yan thought for a moment before saying, ¡°This place is dangerous. We must leave with the remaining students as soon as possible. Even if the Heavenly Square Cauldron appears, we can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°The news regarding the Heavenly Square Cauldron is fake,¡± Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. Then, under the shocked expressions of the crowd, Elder Hua Feng narrated the previous incident once. ¡°So this news was most likely released on purpose to lure the crowd over. If there¡¯s really a Heavenly Square Cauldron appearing, the legendary three-eyed eagles that live here wouldn¡¯t have used a fake Heavenly Square Cauldron to lie to others. Besides¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng paused and said with some uncertainty, ¡°Besides, judging from the legendary three-eyed eagles¡¯ reactions, that Heavenly Square Cauldron had a master long ago¡­ But I didn¡¯t ask for the specifics. I think Chu Yue would know it better.¡± After a temporary silence, Elder Bo Yan laughed bitterly. ¡°I see. Actually, we also felt that something was wrong previously. I didn¡¯t expect this to really be the case. It seems like everyone was tricked this time. However¡­ I wonder who the mastermind is as he spent so much effort to lure so many top-tier clans. I wonder what his intentions are.¡± Can¡¯t figure it out. One really couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I think it¡¯d be better if we don¡¯t join this ¡®commotion.''¡± Elder Bo Yan thought for a while and raised his head to point at a few people. ¡°Leave some of them behind to search for Chu Yue¡¯s whereabouts. The others, follow the main team back¡ª¡± ¡°Elder Bo Yan.¡± A young woman¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Quite a few people looked toward the sound of the voice. ¡°Luo Shishi?¡± Elder Bo Yan had a questioning gaze. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± They could tell that Luo Shishi was rather nervous and apprehensive. But after taking a deep breath in, she still said determinedly, ¡°Elder, this place is big with not many people, and it¡¯s really extremely difficult to find someone here. Why don¡¯t I stay behind and search with you?¡± As she spoke, she glanced at Luo Yanlin. Luo Yanlin raised his brows and felt helpless. But she was still his biological sister at the end of the day, so he could only dote on her and spoil her. He took a step forward. ¡°Shishi is right. Elder, the few of us want to stay and look for Chu Yue together.¡± It was always better to have more manpower. However, Elder Bo Yan was rather hesitant. ¡®But you guys are injured more or less¡­¡± In such circumstances, it would be better if they returned as soon as possible to treat their wounds. Who knew what would happen if they stayed here? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. We know what we¡¯re doing.¡± The attitude of Luo Yanlin and the rest seemed rather determined. Elder Bo Yan was put in a difficult spot. On the one hand, he wanted to find Chu Yue as soon as possible. On the other hand, he didn¡¯t want to put the other students in danger any longer. At this point, Xue Xue¡ªwho was extremely bored¡ªsuddenly had its eyes light up as it rushed forward! The crowd instinctively looked over. A tall man wearing a black robe was walking in this direction. He was holding someone tightly in his arms. ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Chapter 1391 - Comparison Elder Bo Yan and the others were surprised, and they hurriedly went forward. Walking closer, they then saw that the person in his arms was actually Chu Yue. But at this moment, Chu Yue¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, and his lips were pale. He didn¡¯t seem like he was in good condition. Additionally, Rong Xiu¡¯s clothes also had a large patch of dark bloodstains. The intense bloody aura caused one to be in discomfort, allowing one to imagine what kind of battle the duo had experienced before. Elder Wan Zheng was filled with worry. ¡°Chu Yue¡ª¡± ¡°His physical strength wasn¡¯t enough to support him, so he fainted temporarily,¡± Rong Xiu explained calmly. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine after he goes back and rests for a while.¡± Elder Wan Zheng then felt relieved. ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!¡± His pair of eyes were glued to Chu Liuyue. He clearly still had lingering fears, and he was terrified that something would really happen to her. Elder Hua Feng recovered his senses. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡­ specifically went to save Chu Yue?¡± Once this was said, the crowd fell silent. Rong Xiu lightly nodded. Quite a few people exchanged glances and were stunned. Who didn¡¯t know that Rong Xiu always took great care of Chu Yue in Ling Xiao Academy and that they had an extraordinary relationship? But today, they finally had seen it for themselves! Rong Xiu actually risked his life to save Chu Yue¡­ With the bloodstains on his body, it isn¡¯t hard to imagine what happened previously. Yet, he still brought Chu Yue back in one piece! This¡­ It probably isn¡¯t an average liking toward him. Rong Xiu has a cold personality and won¡¯t even take another look at irrelevant people or things. Yet, he was willing to help Chu Yue today to this extent¡­ It is really shocking. ¡°Then¡­ Did you see the people that took Chu Yue away, and¡­ their master?¡± asked Elder Hua Feng anxiously. A dark light flashed across the depths of Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°When I rushed over, I only met two subordinates. and I didn¡¯t see their master.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good too¡­ As long as you return safely, that¡¯ll be the best.¡± Elder Hua Feng felt rather disappointed and lucky as well. In that case, it will probably be very difficult if we want to find who the mastermind is. But these two should thank the lucky stars that they can come back safely. However, I don¡¯t know¡­ if Chu Yue saw the other party. We can only ask about these things later on. ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s not stay here any longer and go back first,¡± said Elder Bo Yan. However, Elder Hua Feng suddenly thought of something. ¡°Wait!¡± The people at the side looked at him. Elder Hua Feng was rather hesitant. ¡°If we just leave like that, then¡­ What should we do about the place where Chu Yue had broken through? If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, those people should still be waiting there. I¡¯m not worried about others, but I don¡¯t know if Chu Yue has left anything behind there. After all, he had stayed there for quite long¡­¡± In actual fact, a few days wasn¡¯t considered long. But it was indeed special toward the people who couldn¡¯t even go in. Every time Elder Hua Feng thought of how Chu Yue could go in and out freely and how the other top warriors couldn¡¯t even open the door even when they worked together, an incredulous and strange feeling would overwhelm him. Rong Xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder Hua Feng. According to his personality, why would he leave such a problem behind.¡± Besides, that place is actually¡ª He paused. ¡°Let¡¯s just directly go. There¡¯s not much to see here.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was always calm and nonchalant, but it had a distinguished aura that one couldn¡¯t go against. Elder Hua Feng felt more at ease. ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, then¡­ we¡¯ll just leave?¡± Rong Xiu hugged Chu Liuyue even tighter and looked down at her. ¡°En.¡± We have to go back as soon as possible. ¡­ The few hundred people from Ling Xiao Academy started their return journey. Thankfully, their journey back was rather smooth, and they didn¡¯t meet with any more troubles or dangers. As long as they followed the designated path and returned to that transportation formation, they could leave directly. The road was still filled with thick snow, so most people walked rather effortfully. Hence, everyone wasn¡¯t fast. From time to time, some people turned around to look at Rong Xiu. Compared to other people¡¯s hardships, Rong Xiu seemed very relaxed. Even though he had messy bloodstains on his body, this journey clearly wasn¡¯t a problem for him. He was even carrying a person in his arms the whole time. Quite a few people secretly sighed. A strong warrior is indeed different from an average person. After walking for a distance, Elder Wan Zheng finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Rong Xiu, are you tired? I see that you¡¯re injured too, and it¡¯s quite hard on you to carry Chu Yue the entire way. Why don¡¯t¡­ I carry him for a while?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he had no intention of letting go. ¡°Thank you, Elder. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Elder Wan Zheng found it weird, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint where it was strange, so he could only nod. ¡°If you need help, just speak up.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. Even though this small little episode passed quickly, it still attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. Some of the students following behind couldn¡¯t help but discuss softly. ¡°Previously, there had been rumors about Senior Brother Rong Xiu having quite a good relationship with Chu Yue, and I thought it was fake. Now that I finally see it for myself¡­ How is this ¡®quite good?¡¯ He takes care of Chu Yue as if he were his biological younger brother!¡± ¡°Tsk, some won¡¯t even do this for their biological younger brother, right? Isn¡¯t Senior Brother Rong Xiu a clean freak, and doesn¡¯t he dislike getting close to people? It now seems like¡­ he just chooses the person!¡± ¡°I really wonder what kind of lucky path Chu Yue chose to be liked this much by Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡­¡± ¡°I heard that the two of them actually knew each other before, so their relationship was this good! Think about it. If not so, how would Chu Yue risk his life to help block that shot for Senior Brother Rong Xiu? Senior Brother Rong Xiu probably wouldn¡¯t easily treat someone so well, right? Chu Yue¡¯s background is rather mysterious too, and I¡¯ve never heard of it. Perhaps¡­¡± There were all sorts of speculations from the crowd. It was clear that today¡¯s incident had indeed given them a huge impact. ¡°I think so! Senior Brother Rong Xiu has been in the academy for quite a few years, right? I never heard that he took care of someone to this extent. Even for Jiang Zhiyuan back then, he didn¡¯t even put in a good word for her in public. Compared to Chu Yue¡­ the treatment is really worlds apart!¡± ¡°Yeah! In the past, I still thought that he treated everyone in the same way, but who knew¡­ Hah, Jiang Zhiyuan always said that she was Senior Brother Rong Xiu¡¯s childhood sweetheart and even proclaimed that she was the top choice for the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort position. But today, Senior Brother Rong Xiu didn¡¯t even take another look at her!¡± ¡°If they really had something, judging by Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s injured and disheveled look, would Senior Brother Rong Xiu really be nonchalant? I think Jiang Zhiyuan was just thinking too much!¡± ¡°Oh right, Jiang Zhiyuan and Elder Dan Qing have already broken their mentor-disciple relationship. I think¡­ she might not even be able to stay in the academy when we go back, right?!¡± That group of people burst out in laughter. Some even didn¡¯t hold themselves back as they turned around, wanting to admire Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression. There seemed to be a volcano tumbling in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s chest, as if it would explode suddenly the next moment! Chapter 1392 - Fever However, she still held it in. Now, everyone is waiting to see me as a laughingstock. All the people who previously thought of all sorts of ways to flatter me now avoid me like the plague. Jiang Zhiyuan was furious, but she could only endure it. She knew that her situation had already reached the worst circumstances. If I don¡¯t find a way to get Elder Dan Qing to retract his decision, expulsion will be waiting for me when I go back to the academy. ¡°Zhiyuan, what¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t seem to look too well.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao walked over as if she were very worried. As she spoke, she sized Jiang Zhiyuan up like she was ¡®admiring¡¯ her disheveled appearance. Jiang Zhiyuan snorted in her heart. If Liang Xiaoxiao was concerned about me at all, she would¡¯ve come over long ago. Why would she wait until now? She just wants to watch me become a laughingstock! Suddenly, Jiang Zhiyuan recalled something, and her expression changed slightly. Then, she squeezed out a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. As for you¡­ Xiaoxiao, so many top-tier families and clans have come this time. Your Liang family should¡¯ve also come, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, right?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao was dazed and didn¡¯t expect her to bring this up suddenly. Previously, I had corresponded with my family over letters, and Father said that he was busy with something in the clan recently. Hence, he couldn¡¯t leave and didn¡¯t plan on joining the chaotic situation. ¡°Why? Did you¡­ see my family earlier?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao instantly became alert. Jiang Zhiyuan smiled. ¡°No, I was just casually asking. After all, it¡¯s quite dangerous here. Once they¡¯re here¡­ it¡¯s not that easy to leave.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao quickly knitted her brows. For some reason, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s smile makes me feel awkward and uneasy. Liang Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have the mood to continue teasing Jiang Zhiyuan. After saying something superficially, she turned around to leave. Seeing her departing back view, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s smile slowly turned cold. Pfft, it seems like the people from the Liang family haven¡¯t received the news. At the very least, Liang Xiaoxiao doesn¡¯t know of it yet. Liang Shaokang was the eldest son of the Liang family. Now that he has died in an ambiguous manner, the Liang family will definitely not take it lying down! Thinking of this, she hurriedly took a few steps forward. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, I have some things I want to say to you.¡± Elder Hua Feng was originally talking to Elder Bo Yan and the others about some things. Hearing this, he turned around to look at her. ¡°What?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan cupped her hands together as if she were nervous. ¡°I¡­ just want to take up some of your time.¡± Quite a few people in the surroundings looked over, and they were filled with curiosity. Elder Hua Feng thought for a moment and still walked over. Jiang Zhiyuan walked to the side. The two of them walked toward the outside of the group. Elder Hua Feng swiftly set up a barrier and blocked their conversation from the outside world. ¡°You can speak now, right?¡± Elder Hua Feng knew that Jiang Zhiyuan must have something urgent, which was why she suddenly looked for him. Hence, he was more patient as well. He wanted to see what else Jiang Zhiyuan could do. Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other and didn¡¯t beat around the bush. She said directly, ¡°Elder, I want to ask you something. Um¡­ Could you help convince my mentor to retract his decision?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Elder Hua Feng almost thought that he had misheard her. Is something wrong with Jiang Zhiyuan?! She actually came to me to ask me to help her beg for mercy? Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s fingers were intertwined, and she looked very sincere. Tears had already welled up in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. Mentor refuses to listen to my explanation now, and he doesn¡¯t want to speak to me. Only you can help me!¡± Elder Hua Feng wanted to laugh. He shook his head. ¡°Dan Qing is your mentor. For the past few years, he has always doted on you. Now that he did this, it¡¯s clearly because you were wrong in the first place. He has always been stubborn and definitely won¡¯t change his decision. Even if I go and convince him, it would be of no use.¡± Even though I don¡¯t understand what exactly Jiang Zhiyuan is trying to do, judging from Dan Qing, Bo Yan, and the others¡¯ reactions, it is most likely something that can¡¯t be forgiven. I didn¡¯t like Jiang Zhiyuan in the first place, so why would I be willing to put in a good word for her. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, you need to know that once you make some mistakes, there won¡¯t be a chance to start anew.¡± Then, Elder Hua Feng turned around to leave. There doesn¡¯t seem to be much meaning to continue talking to Jiang Zhiyuan. That is because even now, she is still not remorseful and is trying to use all sorts of means to continue staying in the academy. This type of person¡­ isn¡¯t reliable. ¡°Elder.¡± Seeing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s determined attitude, Jiang Zhiyuan made up her mind. Elder Hua Feng turned around and was suddenly dazed when he saw Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s gaze. To the outsiders, her gaze was gentle and pitiable. But only Elder Hua Feng¡ªwho was standing nearby¡ªcould see the harshness and cunning in her eyes. ¡°I was just talking to Liang Xiaoxiao. She said that the Liang family didn¡¯t send anyone over this time.¡± Elder Hua Feng suddenly realized something! ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°If they know that Liang Shaokang died here and that¡­ Ling Xiao Academy silently allowed it, then¡­ What kind of reaction would they have?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan laughed. ¡°The Liang family is a top-tier aristocratic family after all. Unless absolutely necessary, the academy wouldn¡¯t want to have a bad relationship with them, right?¡± Elder Hua Feng finally understood Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s intentions, and he couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± It is a serious offense to threaten an elder! ¡°Do you think I will still care about this if I¡¯m expelled from the academy?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t seem afraid as she smiled gently. At most, I will just drag everyone down. Elder Hua Feng stared at her for a long time. ¡°¡­Dan Qing was really blind to have accepted you as his disciple and dote on you for so many years.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°Can you help me?¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue felt that she had fallen into a long, long dream. Countless scenes flashed across her mind¡ªscenes that she had seen, scenes she hadn¡¯t seen. Things that she had heard, things she hadn¡¯t heard. Messy memories rushed out and caused her to have a splitting headache. She knitted her brows slightly and softly said, ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Rong Xiu looked at her, and his heart seemed to be rubbed by something harshly. He lowered his head slightly and wanted to kiss her. The moment he moved, he stopped. I almost forgot all these people were around¡­ After a moment of hesitation, he gently placed his forehead on hers. The surroundings immediately fell into silence. Elder Bo Yan looked at Rong Xiu in shock, and his entire face was confused. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡ª¡± Rong Xiu looked up, and his expression was calm and nonchalant. ¡°She seems to be having a fever.¡± Chapter 1393 - Publicize Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression became very strange. This doesn¡¯t sound wrong, but¡­ why do I find it weird? No matter how concerned I am, this action of lowering his head is¡­ too intimate, right? If anyone saw two men behaving in this manner¡­ Elder Bo Yan panicked. This¡­ Rong Xiu only said that he knew Chu Yue long ago, so I just thought that the duo was friends and that Rong Xiu treated the latter like his younger brother. But it now seems like¡­ Rong Xiu looked up and glanced toward this side. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, do you have a Clear Wind Pill?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I do!¡± Elder Bo Yan recovered his senses, produced a jade pill bottle, and handed it over. Seeing that Rong Xiu had no free hands, he took the pill out and fed it to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other tightly, and the pill couldn¡¯t go in no matter what. Rong Xiu¡¯s hand on her shoulders patted her lightly, and he softly said, ¡°Be good. Eat the medicine.¡± Chu Liuyue snuggled in his arms but still opened her mouth obediently. Elder Bo Yan hurriedly fed her the pill. The Clear Wind Pill immediately melted in her mouth. Chu Liuyue still had her eyes closed as she swallowed the pill. The entire process was very smooth and natural. Elder Bo Yan retracted his hand, but he became increasingly terrified and shocked as he watched on from the side. Look! Since when was Rong Xiu so gentle and harmonious to anyone?! Previously, Rong Xiu insisted on carrying Chu Yue back and taking care of him personally. I only thought he did it because he felt guilty and wanted to make it up to Chu Yue, who had helped him block the attack. But now? In my impression, Rong Xiu has never gotten close to a woman¡­ A ridiculous idea surfaced in Elder Bo Yan¡¯s mind. This thought caused his heart to beat rapidly. He quickly glanced at Rong Xiu and then immediately retracted his gaze. Forget it, forget it! It¡¯s better not to ask too much about these things! At the very least, I probably won¡¯t have such strong tolerance. But in the future¡­ I have to change my attitude toward Chu Yue. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up undetectably. He could naturally guess what Elder Bo Yan and the others would think when they saw this scene, but¡­ He didn¡¯t care. ¡°Bo Yan, Dan Qing.¡± At this point, Elder Hua Feng had already ended his conversation with Jiang Zhiyuan. Elder Dan Qing and Elder Bo Yan turned around to look at him as their gazes swept across Jiang Zhiyuan, who stayed behind. Actually, they really wanted to know what Hua Feng and Jiang Zhiyuan talked about. ¡°I have something I need to tell you.¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s gaze was solemn. This caused Elder Bo Yan and the others¡¯ hearts to sink. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Hua Feng took a deep breath in and looked like he was in a difficult spot. Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho was standing not far away¡ªstopped in her tracks and looked over with a delighted and expectant gaze. Great. As long as Elder Hua Feng agrees to help, everything can be discussed. Thinking that she had avoided an ordeal, Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief. Right at this moment, Elder Hua Feng suddenly turned around and waved toward a group of people. ¡°Liang Xiaoxiao, come over here first.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s smile¡ªwhich hadn¡¯t fully widened¡ªinstantly stiffened. Uneasiness suddenly overwhelmed her heart. Why did Elder Hua Feng suddenly call Liang Xiaoxiao over? This has nothing to do with her at all! Liang Xiaoxiao was confused herself, but she still walked forward while bearing the crowd¡¯s gazes. Then, she first bowed and greeted the elders one by one before asking with a confused expression, ¡°Elder Hua Feng, were you looking for me?¡± Elder Hua Feng nodded. ¡°There are some things I have to tell you.¡± The surroundings fell silent. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart fell into a deep abyss, but everything started developing in a direction she could not control. ¡°Your elder brother, Liang Shaokang, had brought people over here previously.¡± Elder Hua Feng spoke very directly. ¡°My Third Brother came?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao widened her eyes slightly. Didn¡¯t Father previously say he didn¡¯t want to intervene in this matter? Did Third Brother bring people and sneak over? He has always been very ambitious. Recently, there were a few other disciples that performed quite well in the clan. Was he¡­ anxious? This does seem like something he could do. Elder Hua Feng nodded slightly. ¡°About a few days ago, we coincidentally met him when we just reached that gully. He was being pursued at that time, and the Liang family people that accompanied him were already dead.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression changed. Her lips moved. ¡°My brother¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng paused. ¡°Sorry. You know that Ling Xiao Academy has a neutral stance.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s legs went soft, and she almost collapsed. At the side, an elder hurriedly supported her. Liang Xiaoxiao felt waves of coldness coming from the depths of her heart. Something rushed up to her eyes, and her vision became blurred. She opened her mouth but realized she couldn¡¯t say anything. Only a cold wind kept coming in between her teeth¡ªit was so cold that her organs and limbs seemed to curl up. Suddenly, she seemed to have recalled something as she abruptly turned around and looked at Jiang Zhiyuan! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she guiltily averted her gaze. ¡°But¡­ Zhiyuan previously said that she didn¡¯t see my brother¡­¡± said Liang Xiaoxiao with clenched teeth. Elder Hua Feng followed her gaze and sighed. He said, ¡°Actually, you can¡¯t blame her for this. After all, you were good friends for so many years, and you guys have a good relationship. She wouldn¡¯t want you to be sad¡ª¡± Hah! Liang Xiaoxiao almost burst out laughing. Afraid that I would be sad? Didn¡¯t Jiang Zhiyuan previously ask those things earlier?! Why is she pretending to be a good person now? ¡°Elder Hua Feng, could you tell me¡­ who killed my elder brother?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao clenched her hands tightly and said every word slowly. Elder Hua Feng paused. ¡°Um¡­ Back then, your brother had specifically asked Jiang Zhiyuan for help, and she stayed there for quite some time. She should be the clearest about it.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan raised her head in overwhelming shock and panic! ¡°Elder Hua Feng, how can you say that?!¡± Elder Hua Feng blinked and seemed rather helpless. ¡°The¡­ matter is serious, so it¡¯s better to tell the truth, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t defend herself. She hurriedly ran over to Liang Xiaoxiao and anxiously said, ¡°Xiaoxiao, listen to my explanation! Back then, I¡ª¡± Slap! A resounding slap was heard. Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t stand stably and was directly beaten until she fell to the floor. Half her face rapidly swelled up. However, she was originally disheveled. Now that she fell, it wasn¡¯t especially obvious. ¡°B*tch!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao was enraged and wanted to shred Jiang Zhiyuan apart directly! Liang Shaokang didn¡¯t enter Ling Xiao Academy and wasn¡¯t familiar with the elders in the academy. Out of all these people, he was most familiar with Jiang Zhiyuan! Liang Xiaoxiao naturally knew what her third brother thought of Jiang Zhiyuan. However, Jiang Zhiyuan was arrogant and prideful and refused to agree to him, so Liang Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t intervene in this matter further. However, this didn¡¯t mean that she did not know that Jiang Zhiyuan had taken quite a few advantages from her third brother. At the end of the day, she¡ªJiang Zhiyuan¡ª¡¯repaid¡¯ my Third Brother in this manner?! Jiang Zhiyuan was beaten until she was dazed. She thought that victory was in her hands, but she didn¡¯t expect Elder Hua Feng to be this harsh and directly expose everything in public! 1 Chapter 1394 - You Disturbed Her Sleep What should I do now? Jiang Zhiyuan tried her best to rack her brains, but she hopelessly realized that she was at a dead end! Elder Hua Feng took action first, so it¡¯s inevitable that Liang Xiaoxiao had a preconceived notion when she heard his words. Thus, she thought that everything was my fault. But¡­ the real culprits are those people from Lingyun Mountain! Besides, I¡¯m not the only one who stood at the side to watch. Why did Liang Xiaoxiao push all the blame on me? ¡°Xiaoxiao, you really misunderstood! I-I didn¡¯t have a choice back then!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan covered her face, and blood slowly seeped out from the corner of her mouth. ¡°With just me alone, how can I be those people¡¯s match?!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao took a step forward and grabbed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s collar, her eyes turning red. ¡°Those people? Who are they?!¡± ¡°They¡¯re¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was about to say it when she saw Elder Hua Feng looking at her from the corner of her eyes. She raised her brows slightly and revealed an extremely faint smile. A chill then ran down her spine. No! I can¡¯t say it! If the two words ¡®Lingyun Mountain¡¯ come out of my mouth, Lingyun Mountain will definitely take revenge on me in the future! That is a true top-tier aristocratic family! Not to mention me, even the entire Fairy Water Mound isn¡¯t the other party¡¯s match! I definitely can¡¯t get into that trouble! ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± The intense bloody aura filled Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mouth, causing her to be nauseous. ¡°Back then¡­ they all had disguises on¡­ Hence, I couldn¡¯t recognize them¡­¡± Thump! Liang Xiaoxiao threw Jiang Zhiyuan to the ground. Although she wasn¡¯t as capable as Jiang Zhiyuan, the latter was at her wits¡¯ end at this point and didn¡¯t even have the strength to retaliate. Thus, Jiang Zhiyuan could only be humiliated by the other party. Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s chest heaved up and down violently, clearly still enraged. She pointed at Jiang Zhiyuan and laughed sinisterly. ¡°Good! Good! Jiang Zhiyuan, I¡¯ve finally seen through you today! From today onward, I¡ªLiang Xiaoxiao¡ªand the entire Liang family will be sworn enemies with you!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What would be the outcome of being targeted by a top-tier aristocratic family? She knew without even having to think! However, Elder Hua Feng and the rest clearly directed this. What has it got to do with me? At that time, the people present didn¡¯t even take action¡ª Suddenly, a white light flashed across Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart. She abruptly realized something. Liang Xiaoxiao did it on purpose! Growing up in such a top-tier aristocratic family and being loved by all, Liang Xiaoxiao clearly isn¡¯t as stupid as she seems. She is extremely intelligent! She knows that the academy should definitely be involved in this, but she doesn¡¯t want to be the academy¡¯s enemy. Besides, the academy is known for its high and aloof status in the God Residence Realm as it has never interfered with the aristocratic families. It is reasonable that they would do this, but someone must be responsible for this. Then¡­ I, Jiang Zhiyuan, became the scapegoat! In this case, Liang Xiaoxiao can maintain a stable relationship with the academy and avenge Liang Shaokang, so why not? Jiang Zhiyuan wanted to support herself to stand up, but after a few tries, she realized that her body was trembling violently. How did things end up in this state¡­ I clearly had the upper hand earlier, and now¡ª Elder Hua Feng finally spoke slowly. ¡°Xiaoxiao, you really can¡¯t blame her for this. Even though your brother begged her for a long time, you can also imagine that she was also injured back then. How could she help your brother?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan wanted to go up and shred Elder Hua Feng¡¯s mouth! Stop talking! Does he think I¡¯m not miserable enough?! If this continues, how am I supposed to have a standing in the God Residence Realm? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Before I investigate this matter clearly, I won¡¯t do anything to her.¡± A cold gleam flashed across Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. But after I investigate it clearly, it won¡¯t be easy to say! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart was numb. In this situation, what else can I do¡­ Suddenly, she looked up, looked past the group, and saw the tall man in black. I¡¯m afraid only he can help me now! ¡°Your Highness!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan used all her strength to yell out loud as two streams of tears fell down her face. She didn¡¯t know where the strength came from, but she suddenly stood up and rushed over. Although she was staggering, she wasn¡¯t considered slow. As it was too sudden, she had already rushed out for quite a distance when the crowd recovered their senses. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s face turned cold. He took a step forward and blocked Jiang Zhiyuan as he scolded, ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, are you crazy?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t go past him and was anxious. Her voice became even shriller. ¡°Your Highness, say something! Can you really bear to watch all of this happen? Fairy Water Mound is still one of the 28 divisions under you. If you don¡¯t care about me, you still have to do it for the clan¡¯s sake!¡± The crowd looked at Rong Xiu. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s words made sense. Fairy Water Mound was the strongest and had the deepest background out of all the divisions in the Sky-Cloud Empire, and Jiang Zhiyuan was the apple of Jiang Hetian¡¯s eye. If Rong Xiu really wanted to put in a good word for her¡­ everyone had to give him face. Rong Xiu first glanced at the person in his arms. A faint trace had appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows, and her lashes moved slightly as if she had dreamed of something uneasy. Rong Xiu hugged her tighter, turned around, and looked up slightly. That pair of clear and deep phoenix-like eyes had stunning coldness in them. A chill was sent down Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s spine from this glance. She opened her mouth. Her sharp and shrill voice suddenly became much weaker. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°You disturbed his sleep,¡± said Rong Xiu coldly. Chapter 1395 - Worry The surroundings fell into deep silence. Jiang Zhiyuan opened her mouth slightly, and her pale lips trembled slightly in disbelief. She wanted to say something, but she realized that her throat was dry and that her chest had become tight. She couldn¡¯t say a single word, and her face burned. Rong Xiu¡¯s one sentence humiliated her even more than the slap Liang Xiaoxiao gave her previously! Disturbed¡­ Chu Yue¡¯s¡­ sleep?! Could my life and death be less important than that person¡¯s sleep? Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t ask this because she could already tell the answer from Rong Xiu¡¯s annoyed and cold face. The pair of phoenix eyes looking at her was cold, heartless, and distant, without any hint of friendship! All the strength in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body seemed to be emptied as she collapsed onto the ground. Nobody went to help her up. The ground was icy cold as if it had sunk into her blood, and it was so cold that she trembled. Rong Xiu had already retracted his gaze, carried Chu Liuyue, and continued walking forward. Not far away was the transportation formation to head back. Chu Liuyue¡¯s current condition wasn¡¯t looking good, and she had to return to the academy as soon as possible. Looking at the cold and harsh back view, Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her fists tightly. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help but look up and ask with indignation and overwhelming anger, ¡°Your Highness, can you really bear to give up on Fairy Water Mound?!¡± Fairy Water Mound was the head of the 28 divisions, and it had important meaning to the Sky-Cloud Empire. She didn¡¯t believe Rong Xiu would be willing to risk this for Chu Yue! Rong Xiu stood in the transportation formation. He moved his arms slightly and allowed the person in his arms to have a more comfortable position before he looked up and glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan. This look was extremely cold and nonchalant. The corner of his lips curled up slightly with some hint of smiling intent, but they seemed to be covered in frost, and it made one¡¯s heart cold from the inside. ¡°Before this, maybe you should think of how you want to tell your father about yourself.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly widened her eyes! At that moment, something seemed to collapse in her heart! Right! In the past, I was the apple of Father¡¯s eye and was a top elite in the entire Fairy Water Mound. Even if Father was biased toward me, nobody would say anything. However, it is different now. I¡¯ve been abandoned by Elder Dan Qing and am about to be expelled by Ling Xiao Academy. Let¡¯s not mention that I have a problem I can¡¯t get out of on Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s side. Even if my father is willing to help me, what about the others? I no longer have my previous status, so I won¡¯t have the same special rights! By then, would the entire Fairy Water Mound still confront the Sky-Cloud Empire because of me!? There was never a moment that Jiang Zhiyuan so clearly realized that she actually had nothing at all! This trip to the Flood-Desert Northern Region made her lose everything! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about her as he turned around and called for the crowd to follow up. They then boarded the transportation formation. Elder Hua Feng wasn¡¯t so anxious. He passed through the crowd and walked to Jiang Zhiyuan. Jiang Zhiyuan seemed to notice something as she raised her head and looked into Elder Hua Feng¡¯s seemingly kind but actually filled with mockery gaze. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, you¡¯ve always been smart and sharp, and your mentor has praised you for your agile thinking more than once. It¡¯s a pity you don¡¯t know that sometimes, others might outsmart you. If you think too much about what you shouldn¡¯t, it¡¯ll just be disadvantageous for you!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s throat tightened. Suddenly, she went forward as if she wanted to grab the corner of Elder Hua Feng¡¯s shirt. Elder Hua Feng silently took a step back and avoided her hand. Jiang Zhiyuan grabbed nothing and fell to the ground. Snow flew to her face, making her look even more miserable. ¡°Elder Hua Feng, I-I¡¯m begging you¡ªplease give me another chance!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t care about anything else now as she begged bitterly. It would be good if she could salvage even a little bit. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! It was a moment of folly! P-please forgive me this time!¡± Why was I so stupid to think of threatening Elder Hua Feng to protect my everything?! Elder Hua Feng has the entire Ling Xiao Academy backing him up! What do I have?! Elder Hua Feng seemed to laugh, but his voice was very calm. ¡°You can¡¯t keep spilled water. How can you retract the words you said?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s entire body stiffened as if she froze inch by inch. She suddenly couldn¡¯t say her remaining words. Other than letting other people ridicule her, what else could it do?! Elder Hua Feng looked down at her from above and glanced at Elder Dan Qing again. From start to end, he didn¡¯t look over again. It was clear that he was thoroughly disappointed in Jiang Zhiyuan! ¡°Taking into consideration that you were a student of the academy for a few years¡­ I can send a message back to Fairy Water Mound to ask them to fetch you as soon as possible. Oh, you don¡¯t have to thank me for this small matter.¡±As he spoke, Elder Hua Feng laughed and turned around to walk away. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s brain was in a mess, and one sentence kept echoing in her mind: It¡¯s over! It¡¯s completely over! ¡­ ¡°I wonder what Jiang Zhiyuan did to be hated like this.¡± Luo Shishi went up the transportation formation and glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho collapsed on the snow ground helplessly¡ªfrom the corner of her eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly, ¡°No matter what it is, it can¡¯t be something good.¡± At the side, Luo Yanlin laughed. ¡°Elder Dan Qing treats her like his goddaughter and has always doted on her. Something that could force him to break their ties¡­ Hah, it¡¯s Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s capability as well!¡± Luo Shishi nodded. Judging from the other academy elders¡¯ reactions, Jiang Zhiyuan probably won¡¯t be able to stay in Ling Xiao Academy after going back. ¡°She had a deck of good cards, but she played so badly in the end.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan used to be so glamorous and proud. Now, she was actually hated and abandoned by others¡­ In the future, it would be very hard for her to have a standing in the God Residence Realm. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how she ended up here.¡± Although Luo Shishi wasn¡¯t very familiar with Jiang Zhiyuan, thinking of the difference between the current her and the previous her, she sighed as well. ¡°Why are you thinking so much?¡± Luo Yanlin knocked on her forehead lightly. ¡°Her life and death have nothing to do with us. Just watch casually.¡± As the most outstanding eldest son of the Luo family and most likely to inherit the position of the head of the family, Luo Yanlin was always proud. He never cared about someone like Jiang Zhiyuan; he just treated her like a clown. Luo Shishi obediently acknowledged him. She then curled her fingers and couldn¡¯t help but look in another direction. Even if everyone was squeezed together, she could still see Rong Xiu at one glance. He was very tall and always stood out from the crowd. Besides, his seemingly intricately carved, handsome, and demonic-like appearance gathered all the limelight at any point, causing everything else to lose its color. This transportation formation wasn¡¯t considered small, but it was rather crowded if so many of them stood together. However, there seemed to be an invisible barrier around Rong Xiu, causing other people to be unable to get near him easily. Cold, distinguished, imperious, and mighty. It was as if it would be blasphemous to even take a step forward. He carried Chu Yue in his arms, and one couldn¡¯t see the latter¡¯s appearance. Luo Shishi bit her lips. ¡°I wonder how Chu Yue is doing¡­¡± Chapter 1396 - Didnt Wake Up Luo Yanlin followed her gaze and squinted his eyes slightly. He and Rong Xiu entered the academy almost at the same time, so they could be considered to be peers. However, they didn¡¯t interact much. Of course, with Rong Xiu¡¯s personality, he treated other people in the same way. Other than going out to train or doing tasks together, they usually only meet during monthly assessments in school. Ever since Rong Xiu became number one on two of the Qing Yun Ranking lists, he went out even less frequently. ¡°With Rong Xiu personally taking care of him, that kid won¡¯t be in trouble,¡± said Luo Yanlin as he took out a jade bottle and stuffed it into his sister¡¯s hands. ¡°You keep thinking about other things, but you forgot to eat your own medicine?¡± His gaze landed on Luo Shishi with deep meaning. Luo Shishi instantly felt guilty as she hurriedly opened the jade bottle and poured one pill out to eat. ¡°Nothing. I was just wondering¡­ Senior Brother Rong Xiu and Chu Yue seem to have a good relationship¡­ Has he treated anyone like this in the past?¡± The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace was famous for being harsh and cunning. Even in the academy and restrained his aura, others still felt distant from him. Luo Yanlin stroked his chin. ¡°Actually¡­ you can¡¯t say that. There used to be someone Rong Xiu treated really¡ª¡± Speaking of this, he suddenly paused. ¡°Really what?¡± Luo Shishi¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity. Is there a person in this world who has received better care from Rong Xiu? That is truly unbelievable. Rong Xiu is a natural king and is like an ice mountain that won¡¯t melt in a thousand years. It is hard for other people to even approach him, let alone anything else. It is really hard to imagine him being nice to someone, so it is jaw-dropping to see him treat Chu Yue in this manner. If there was something even worse, then¡ª Peng! Luo Yanlin knocked her again, with even more force this time around. Luo Shishi hurriedly held her forehead in pain. ¡°Fourth Brother, you¡ª¡± ¡°Little girl, there are some things that you can ask, but it¡¯s better not to know about other things. Do you understand?¡± Luo Yanlin reminded her with a smile, but his gaze was very serious. Luo Shishi pouted her lips and muttered, ¡°Okay.¡± Luo Yanlin glanced at that side and quickly retracted his gaze. ¡­ Everyone went up the transportation formation and started their return journey. The crowd gathered in groups and spoke softly. Actually, most of them were talking about the Flood-Desert Northern Region trip. This was especially so for Elder Bo Yan, Elder Bo Yan, and the other elders¡ªwho gathered together and talked in an even more serious manner. After all, they still wanted to find out the mastermind. This time, Ling Xiao Academy suffered a huge loss. They couldn¡¯t let this lie. Only Jiang Zhiyuan was standing in a corner alone. Nobody talked to her, and she looked very lonely. However, quite a few people were secretly looking over. Most of them were filled with mockery and insults, and they looked like they were watching a commotion. Jiang Zhiyuan lowered her head. She had to use all the strength in her body to restrain her impulsiveness. This cannot go on¡­ The situation is settled. What¡¯s awaiting me is probably that worse ending. If I had some backing I could rely on¡­ Suddenly, her gaze flickered! Right! How did I forget that there¡¯s still that person?! ¡­ The way back was boring and dry. Additionally, as everyone was injured, the atmosphere was at a low point. It was completely different from the excitement and agitation they had when they first came. The waiting time seemed to become especially long. After some time, light finally appeared in front. Elder Bo Yan yelled out loud, ¡°We¡¯re about to return to the academy! Everyone, prepare to go out!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Following this, the elders took action at the same time! The Xuan formation at the entrance suddenly broke open! Elder Hua Feng and the others rushed out continuously! Rong Xiu gazed at the person in his arms. Chu Liuyue was still in a deep sleep, but compared to the start, her pale face had recovered some of its rosiness. She seemed much better, and her aura seemed to faintly become stronger. Rong Xiu tightened his hands slightly and went on his toes before he flew out! ¡­ ¡°Hua Feng, you¡¯re back!¡± The few elders¡ªwho had been waiting for a very long time around the transportation formation¡ªwere immediately energized! Only the heavens knew how hard they waited during this time! But very quickly, they realized that something was amiss. The people who came out behind Elder Bo Yan and the others had scars on their bodies. They seemed like they had experienced quite a big ordeal. ¡°W-what happened to you guys?!¡± The few elders exchanged glances and vaguely felt uneasy. Elder Hua Feng shook his head. ¡°This is a long story. Send the students back first and let them recuperate properly. We can talk about the rest later.¡± Seeing that his gaze was stern for once, the few elders didn¡¯t dare to be slow as they hurriedly took action. The students with lighter injuries heeded the instructions and went back on their own. Those in more serious conditions were sent back by the elders. The more they saw, the more frightened they were. Didn¡¯t they say that the Heavenly Square Cauldron appeared and that Elder Hua Feng and the others were only here to support them? How did this happen? Anyone could tell that the situation was much worse than expected. ¡°Rong Xiu?!¡± When that tall and slim figure appeared, the few elders were stunned. Since when did he come here? And what¡¯s more shocking is that he is carrying someone in his arms! ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± An elder standing nearby had sharp eyes and recognized that person. As it was too incredulous, even his tone changed. Rong Xiu nodded to gesture toward the elders and kept walking forward. ¡°I¡¯ll bring him back to rest.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh! Oh, okay!¡± Without waiting for the crowd to react, Rong Xiu had already rapidly left with her. ¡°Hey! Rong Xiu, wait for me!¡± Elder Wan Zheng hurriedly followed them in an anxious manner. After their figures disappeared behind the rising mountains, the crowd left behind was dazed. After a while, someone stammered and asked, ¡°W-what exactly is going on?!¡± Elder Bo Yan laughed bitterly. It¡¯d be great if I knew. Also, I don¡¯t really want to make sure of it. There¡­ must be something wrong here! ¡°Rong Xiu always knows what he¡¯s doing; we don¡¯t have to care about him. Let¡¯s clean up this mess first!¡± Hearing Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words, the crowd couldn¡¯t ask further and acknowledged his order in unison. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu directly brought Chu Liuyue back to his residence. Entering the room, he meticulously placed her down. Elder Wan Zheng followed hurriedly from behind. ¡°Rong Xiu, how is Chu Yue?¡± Rong Xiu covered Chu Liuyue with a blanket, and his fingers gently caressed her soft hands before he placed her hands underneath the blanket. This action was extremely light. Additionally, his back was facing Elder Wan Zheng¡ªwho was standing behind¡ªso the latter didn¡¯t notice it. When Elder Wan Zheng walked over, Rong Xiu straightened his body and placed a hand on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead. ¡°The fever seems to have subsided, but I don¡¯t know when she will wake up.¡± Chapter 1397 - Expulsion! ¡°We¡¯ve been through so much this entire way. Why hasn¡¯t he shown any signs of waking up¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s heart ached, and he was worried. The Chu Yue he saw was always energetic, active, playful, and charming. But now, Chu Yue was lying on the bed silently and weakly. He looked very frail, like a piece of glass that would break when touched. ¡°How could this happen¡­ What exactly did this child experience?¡± Rong Xiu paused and covered the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s blanket. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, let¡¯s go outside to talk.¡± Staying here would disturb her to some extent. Elder Wan Zheng hurriedly nodded in agreement. ¡°Right, right! Let¡¯s go outside and let him rest properly!¡± When he was speaking, he even intentionally lowered his voice as if he were terrified that he would disturb Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Elder Wan Zheng was very reluctant and almost turned back thrice with each step he took. He only felt more relieved when Rong Xiu said that he had already set up a barrier here and that he would instantly know about anything that happened here. The duo walked out and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard. ¡­ ¡°I know that you have many questions; you can ask whatever you want to know. I will definitely tell you all that I can.¡± After sitting down, Rong Xiu spoke in a straightforward manner. Facing Elder Wan Zheng, his attitude was very open and genuine. It didn¡¯t matter if it were someone else, but Elder Wan Zheng was currently Chu Liuyue¡¯s mentor and one of the few people who had the most right to take care of her. Elder Wan Zheng originally had a stomach full of questions and too many things that he wanted to ask. Hearing Rong Xiu say that, he didn¡¯t know how he should begin. After some serious thinking, he tidied his thoughts and finally asked, ¡°How is Chu Yue¡¯s condition?¡± This journey was too hurried, such that he actually forgot to take Chu Yue¡¯s pulse personally. However, Rong Xiu was a heavenly doctor himself and should know about this clearer since he brought Chu Yue back. Rong Xiu replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. Her body¡­ is fine. Even though she was slightly injured before, she should quickly recover after resting for a while.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°After all¡­ you also know that she just broke through to become a stage-nine warrior.¡± At this point, her recovery speed and other aspects were all very strong¡ªnot to mention that it was Chu Liuyue of all people. Upon hearing this, Elder Wan Zheng heaved a sigh of relief. He clenched his fists, relaxed them, and clenched them again as countless complicated emotions flashed across his eyes. In the end, he could only shake his head and sigh. He said rather helplessly, ¡°I actually don¡¯t know if I should be worried or happy for him.¡± I previously heard Elder Hua Feng briefly talk about how Chu Yue had broken through to become a stage-nine warrior from a stage-eight warrior in a mere few days. But at that point, I was more worried, so I didn¡¯t think much about it. Now that everyone is back and Chu Yue¡¯s condition seems to have stabilized, I am slowly realizing how¡­ shocking this matter is! How many people in the world can have such an opportunity? So many people went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region this time, but all of them came back empty-handed. Only Chu Yue¡ªwho couldn¡¯t even go over in time at the start¡ªbecame the winner! ¡°This kid¡¯s¡­ luck is really abnormal!¡± After much thinking, Elder Wan Zheng could only use the word ¡®luck¡¯ to describe this. Previously, I was already shocked enough when witnessing the kid break through to become a stage-eight warrior. I didn¡¯t expect such a short time to have passed, and he¡ª ¡°Hah! With his speed, he might suddenly reach the Apotheosis Realm some day and become a legendary warrior!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was relaxed and couldn¡¯t help but tease. Rong Xiu looked down, and his thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Sigh. As long as he¡¯s fine, I can rest assured!¡± Elder Wan Zheng wiped away the sweat on his forehead. ¡°Oh right, Hua Feng and the others previously said that Chu Yue was brought away by a group of mysterious men in black. Do you¡­ know them?¡± Rong Xiu was the one who saved him. If someone really knows something, it has to be him. Rong Xiu shook his head, and his words were the same as before. ¡°When I went there, I didn¡¯t see their so-called master. The other party was also very cunning; they didn¡¯t leave any traces behind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s difficult to solve¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng knitted his brows tightly. ¡°If it¡¯s like that, we can only find out some information when Chu Yue wakes up.¡± But who knows when he will wake up? Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. During this time, I will take good care of him. When he wakes up, perhaps¡­ everything will have an answer.¡± Elder Wan Zheng nodded. ¡°I guess that¡¯s all we can do¡­ Oh right, there¡¯s something¡ª¡± As he spoke, he looked at Rong Xiu opposite him with some hesitation. ¡°What kind of relationship¡­ do you and Chu Yue have?¡± Elder Wan Zheng asked this in a very conflicted manner. Previously, I just thought that the two of them were good friends and that Rong Xiu treated Chu Yue like his younger brother. But judging from the situation in the past few days, it is clearly¡ª Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, and there seemed to be ripples in the depths of his phoenix eyes. After some time, his lips curled up into a smile. ¡°She¡¯s very important to me.¡± To be more accurate, she is the most important person to me. Elder Wan Zheng was dazed. It is¡­ very rare for Rong Xiu to say such words. After all, this is someone that can ruthlessly kill many of the people in the Sky-Cloud Empire without blinking! Rong Xiu clearly didn¡¯t want to reveal too much, and Elder Wan Zheng knew that it was best not to ask again. Elder Wan Zheng carefully digested Rong Xiu¡¯s words in his heart and finally looked at the latter calmly. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± As long as Rong Xiu can protect him, nothing else matters. With Chu Yue¡¯s personality, he might get into some trouble in the future. It might be just like this time, where the enemies didn¡¯t choose anyone else and only took him away¡­ If it weren¡¯t for Rong Xiu, I really don¡¯t know what the consequences would¡¯ve been. Elder Wan Zheng stood up. ¡°Everyone just came back, and there are quite a few things to settle. During this period of time, it might be quite chaotic outside. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take good care of Chu Yue.¡± Rong Xiu stood up as well and lightly nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡­ The entire Ling Xiao Academy was indeed in a mess. The 300-plus students and elders had toed the line between life and death, and almost all of them had met their demise in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. This was an incident that the academy had never met in the past few hundred years. Other than comforting the crowd¡¯s emotions, Elder Bo Yan and the others had already started investigating this matter. The key was where exactly did the news of the Heavenly Square Cauldron appearing come from! The person who released this fake news could basically be locked in as the mastermind! The entire academy¡¯s atmosphere became tense. Everyone waited sternly, and even the air seemed to be frozen. And in this solemn and cold atmosphere, something that shocked the crowd¡¯s hearts happened¡ªFairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang Zhiyuan was expelled from Ling Xiao Academy! Chapter 1398 - Fengmin Mountains Door With Elder Hua Feng¡¯s ¡®enthusiastic help,¡¯ Fairy Water Mound received the news firsthand. Jiang Hetian rushed to the academy at the fastest speed. Ling Xiao Academy was still in a crucial period and had heavy defenses, not allowing anyone to come in and out casually. According to Elder Bo Yan, he wanted to send Jiang Zhiyuan out of the academy directly and let the Jiang family¡¯s people pick her up in Fangzhou City. But considering that it wouldn¡¯t be good for the academy¡¯s reputation if the matter was blown up, he still allowed them to come in. Of course, only Jiang Hetian was allowed into the academy alone. The other Jiang family people that came along were all rejected outside the door. Jiang Hetian felt deeply humiliated, but it was an urgent matter, and he couldn¡¯t care too much. ¡­ In some hall in the academy. The moment Jiang Hetian walked in, he saw the elders sitting there while his precious daughter, Jiang Zhiyuan, stood in the middle of the hall in a lonely manner. The atmosphere was stiff as if every inch had frozen. Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart sank. Such an atmosphere can explain too many things! ¡°Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang Hetian greets the elders.¡± Jiang Hetian forcefully suppressed the uneasiness in his heart and still greeted them politely. When Jiang Zhiyuan heard the voice, her body trembled as she slowly turned her head. The father-daughter duo¡¯s eyes met. Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart harshly shuddered! This was because the current Jiang Zhiyuan was indeed too frail and disheveled! Her face, neck, and even her wrist had clear wounds. Her pair of charming watery eyes were bloodshot and even slightly dazed. There were two patches of black beneath her eyes, clearly showing that she hadn¡¯t slept well. ¡°Zhiyuan!¡±Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart ached. He hurriedly took a few steps over and walked to his daughter. ¡°W-what happened to you?!¡± Seeing his anxious look, tears welled up in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes and fell. ¡°Father, I let you down!¡± Her reaction made Jiang Hetian even more worried and nervous. He patted her shoulders lightly and softly comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely uphold justice for you!¡± As he spoke, he took a step forward and cupped his fists toward the few elders present. ¡°Elders, you must have a reason to expel Zhiyuan, right? If you do it in such an ambiguous manner, what is she supposed to do in the future?¡± In the news that Ling Xiao Academy sent me, they only talked about expelling her and didn¡¯t state a reason. This is the part I¡¯m most confused about. I know that Wei Xiping was also expelled not too long ago, but everyone knows the reason, causing Wei Xiping not to have the face to go back to Qinggu Slope¡¯s Wei family even now. Yet, why did it become so muddled on our end? I need an explanation! Elder Hua Feng laughed. ¡°Master Jiang, you traveled a long way to get here, and it must¡¯ve been hard on you. Sit down first, and then we can talk!¡± Jiang Hetian refused. ¡°I won¡¯t sit. Elders, if you have something to say, just do so directly!¡± He was furious, so he wasn¡¯t willing to give them any face at all. However, Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t mind this. He just nodded and didn¡¯t continue. ¡°Master Jiang, to be honest, it¡¯s precisely because we gave Fairy Water Mound face that we didn¡¯t publicize the reason. If you must know¡­ Why don¡¯t you ask Jiang Zhiyuan personally?¡± When Jiang Hetian heard this, his heart suddenly sank. The other party¡¯s attitude is so calm. Did¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan really do something wrong? ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something you might not know yet.¡± Elder Hua Feng informed him, ¡°Before she was expelled, Elder Dan Qing had already broken his mentor-disciple ties with her.¡± This was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire. Jiang Hetian was originally filled with anger, but when he heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel doubtful. Thus, he glanced at his daughter in disbelief. ¡°Zhiyuan, what exactly is going on?¡± Putong! Jiang Zhiyuan kneeled on the floor. ¡°Father, it was really a moment of folly! Please help me beg the elders and beg Mentor. I don¡¯t want to leave the academy! I can¡¯t be expelled!¡± The remaining half of Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart turned cold when he saw his daughter¡¯s face filled with snot and tears. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, I will.¡± Elder Dan Qing¡ªwho had been quiet the whole time¡ªfinally spoke. His gaze slowly swept past Jiang Zhiyuan, and his tone was calm as if he were saying something irrelevant. ¡°Back when we reached the Flood-Desert Northern Region together, we were attacked by others. In order to survive¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan betrayed us.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan had a face of defeat. ¡°Back then, everyone planned on splitting into two parties and escaping on their own. Jiang Zhiyuan was first caught by the other party, then¡­ She told all of this to the other party. Later on, she took advantage of the other party not paying attention and escaped on her own.¡± With every word that Elder Dan Qing said, another hint of hopelessness overwhelmed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face before finally swallowing her whole. ¡°¡­She¡¯s also lucky as well. After that torment, she actually survived. However, I heard that she had also brought Hua Feng and the rest quite a bit of trouble.¡± ¡°Hah! Compared to your troubles, ours is nothing!¡± Elder Hua Feng waved his hands as if he didn¡¯t care. ¡°She just killed a nine-tailed green crow and almost caused us to die under that group of nine-tailed green crows¡¯ claws.¡± This nonchalant rebuttal caused Jiang Hetian to choke, and his face flashed white and green. Elder Dan Qing looked at him and slowly sipped on his tea. ¡°Master Jiang, is there anything you want to say now?¡± ¡­ Fengmin Mountain. This place was as quiet as usual. No matter how many storms had brewed outside, nobody would dare to disturb this area casually. Inside the empty room in the pagoda, seven doors floated quietly. A faint light reflected on the black stone surfaces in a holy and pure manner. Suddenly, a soft ripple was heard from one of the doors. This commotion immediately attracted Elder Meng¡¯s attention. ¡°Hm?¡± The old and weak voice sounded in the room, with a hint of confusion. The ripple on the door gradually spread as time passed, and even the entire door frame started to tremble slightly. It was as if something was about to rush out from within. ¡°Could it be that the girl came back?¡± Elder Meng¡¯s voice was filled with shock and doubt. Other than her, nobody else can cause such a commotion. However¡­ Why isn¡¯t there any news from outside at all? If that girl really came back, Bo Yan and the rest should¡¯ve long rushed over and told me about it. Dong! The force within started slamming the door, wanting to break free from inside! ¡°It¡¯s indeed as much of a troublemaker as she is,¡± Elder Meng grunted. A tremendous and invisible force suddenly gathered from all directions and enveloped that door! Feeling the restriction, the ripple gradually became smaller. Then, after a moment of silence, collisions could be heard behind the door again. Dong dong! Dong dong! The sounds¡ªthe knocks¡ªwere very regular. In the calmness, it burned with intensity! Chapter 1399 - Tempting Jiang Hetian finally brought Jiang Zhiyuan to leave Ling Xiao Academy. The father and daughter walked out of the hall and headed to the barrier of the academy without speaking a single word. Elder Hua Feng wanted to send them off, but he was curtly rejected by Jiang Hetian. His daughter was humiliating to that extent. He really didn¡¯t have the guts to face the elders from Ling Xiao Academy again. Now, the only thing he could do was to bring Jiang Zhiyuan away from this place quickly! In the middle, some students bumped into this scene and pointed at them from where they were. They had no intention of going over to greet them or bid them farewell. The weird gazes here and there and the awkward mockery and laughter seemed like a nightmare that loomed over Jiang Zhiyuan and her father¡¯s hearts. The two elders in charge of the barrier didn¡¯t purposely make life difficult for them. After they saw that it was them, they briefly acknowledged them and opened the barrier. Jiang Hetian stepped out first. He couldn¡¯t stay in this place for another moment! Jiang Zhiyuan stood rooted to the ground and was rather hesitant as she was quite reluctant in her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but turn around. The tall and respectable Dong Huang Clock Tower, the spacious and clean Qing Ming Square, and the rising mountains that were filled with Heaven and Earth Force. At this point, a figure appeared on Dong Huang Clock Tower¡ªElder Bo Yan. He whipped his long sleeves, and the Qing Yun Ranking appeared above the black Dong Huang Clock Tower as summoned! There were countless names glowing on it. That was a glow and also an honor. Quite a few people in the academy looked over. Jiang Zhiyuan saw her own name, but the next moment, those two words rapidly darkened as if they flew away with the wind. Her name was removed in public! This was the biggest humiliation! Jiang Zhiyuan staggered backward and almost fell to the ground. A sense of indignation and vengeance overwhelmed her heart. Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists tightly in her sleeves. I have stayed here for so many years, so how could I not miss it at all? It is precisely because I had outstanding performance in the academy that everyone looked up to me and envied me. But today, all of this disappeared into thin air. All the honor, glory, compliments¡­ They¡¯ve vanished! Originally, I should¡¯ve gotten the best¡ª ¡°Zhiyuan.¡± Jiang Hetian couldn¡¯t help but urge her. His voice was slightly cold as if he were forcefully suppressing something. Jiang Zhiyuan recovered her senses and hurriedly turned around. ¡°Coming.¡± But the moment she took a step out, she was stopped by an elder from the side. ¡°Hold on.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked up in confusion. The other party stretched his hand out and didn¡¯t have much of an expression. He used a professional tone and said, ¡°Since you were expelled from the school, I have to confiscate your pass.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan felt extremely ridiculed. This feeling of being an abandoned dog that was heartlessly chased out¡­ This is really infuriating! She had never thought that she would have such a day! But no matter how upset she was, she didn¡¯t dare to go against the other party¡¯s wishes. She retrieved her black jade plaque and passed it over. The other party took the plaque and realized that Jiang Zhiyuan was still tightly clutching it subconsciously. He knitted his brows impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s time to let go.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh! Oh!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was very reluctant, but she could only retreat as if she had burned her hand. ¡°T-then, Elders, take care. I-I¡¯ll leave with my father first¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the two elders had already whipped their sleeves and closed the barrier. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s remaining words were stuck in her throat, and she couldn¡¯t say them anymore. Jiang Hetian¡¯s face completely turned cold. Jiang Zhiyuan was ridiculed. How could I not be implicated?! The other party clearly wants to show their mockery to us, as well as the entire Fairy Water Mound. However, Jiang Zhiyuan was the one in the wrong. Ling Xiao Academy is already very kind to not publicize the reason. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jiang Hetian turned around to leave, his voice cold and stern. Jiang Zhiyuan trembled. All these years, Father has never treated me in this manner¡­ Her heart tightened uncomfortably. She felt like she had suffered all of the hardships and grievances in her life during this period! ¡°Father¡ª¡± Jiang Hetian gave her an extremely cold glance. ¡°If you have anything to say, we can talk about it when we go back! Do you think you¡¯re not humiliated enough?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was directly dazed by this thunder-striking sentence. The fire she had suppressed for a long time finally exploded! ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going back?¡± Jiang Hetian couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Then, where else do you want to go? Do you still dream of returning to Ling Xiao Academy?¡± After being expelled from Ling Xiao Academy, her future situation in the God Residence Realm can be easily known! I had invested so much effort and resources into her, but it all turned out for naught today! I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to face the bunch of fellows from Fairy Water Mound after I get back! Jiang Zhiyuan took a deep breath in. ¡°I want to go to the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± Jiang Hetian was dazed and knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Why do you want to go to the Sky-Cloud Empire?! Avoiding is not a solution. You¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to avoid it.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan brushed her hair, and her tone was strangely determined. ¡°Father, I want to see the clan leader!¡± Jiang Hetian finally realized something. ¡°But the clan leader has been in seclusion for so many years. What use is it if you go there now?¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait until the clan leader comes out!¡± Anyway, it is a crucial time now, and it is inappropriate for me to go anywhere. Therefore, it is better if I just wait! Now, the only person who can help me is the clan leader! Besides¡­ The people from the Liang family will only be afraid and hold back if I¡¯m at the Sky-Cloud Empire. Even if they really want to do something to me, they have to pass that stage first! Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t want to help me, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t rely on the Sky-Cloud Empire! This is indeed the best solution now¡­ Jiang Hetian finally looked a little tempted. ¡°Are you sure you can wait there until the clan leader comes out?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan nodded determinedly. ¡°As long as you help me tell the venerables to do you this favor and send me there, everything will be fine! Also¡­ perhaps I can check that Shangguan Yue¡¯s background¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re still thinking of checking this?¡± Jiang Hetian¡¯s face was filled with disapproval. The people we previously sent to investigate Shangguan Yue have all disappeared and not returned. What could Jiang Zhiyuan do alone? In the end, she might just alert the other party! ¡°Take care of yourself first!¡± Seeing his reaction, Jiang Zhiyuan was stunned. However, she readily followed his advice. ¡°I understand.¡± Seeing her aggrieved behavior, Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart ached. However, he was angry as well. ¡°Forget it! Let¡¯s go to the Sky-Cloud Empire! But if you continue to do this¡­¡± He whipped his sleeves and turned around to leave. Jiang Zhiyuan suppressed the overwhelming emotions in her heart and rapidly followed him. ¡­ On the other side, Rong Xiu sent Elder Wan Zheng away. He stood in the middle of the mountain with his hands behind his back. In Dong Huang Clock Tower, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s name being removed had caused quite a bit of commotion in the academy. The crowd grouped together and discussed something. Rong Xiu silently looked up to the top. Over there was an erased name. Within it, there were ripples secretly bubbling. Chapter 1400 - Peach Blossom that Bloomed in Winter As Ling Xiao Academy continued handling the aftermath, the many aristocratic families in the Flood-Desert Northern Region finally realized something was wrong. The crowd surrounded the gigantic tomb quietly. Finally, someone couldn¡¯t help but stand up. ¡°Forget it! Whoever wants to continue waiting here, go ahead! I won¡¯t play with you any longer!¡± This sentence instantly broke the dangerous balance present. Everyone looked over and started to become nervous unwittingly. Jin Di glanced at him coldly and snorted. ¡°What, you can¡¯t take it anymore? Didn¡¯t we already agree previously to open this barrier together? If you want to back out now¡­ sure! Up to you!¡± One less person meant that there would be one less competitor! The other party wasn¡¯t weak at all. ¡°Hah! Jin Di, don¡¯t be too optimistic! We have so many people, and how long have we been here? We haven¡¯t made any progress, right? I think average people can¡¯t even enter this hellish place! Staying here is just wasting our efforts!¡± Jin Di¡¯s expression became ugly. This was because he knew that the other party was telling the truth. Quite a few people glanced at each other awkwardly. Actually, such a long time had passed, and they had all already wanted to leave. However, they were too embarrassed to speak up first, afraid that they would lose out. Now that someone finally spoke first, they instantly let their guards down, and their minds became active. ¡°That makes sense! Even if there are really treasures inside, it¡¯ll still be for naught if we can¡¯t go in! Besides, Chu Yue had already searched the area once when he went in. Who knows what leftovers there are?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We won¡¯t wait anymore! We wasted so much time and effort for nothing!¡± ¡°Instead of waiting for an extremely unlikely miracle here, I should just go back and focus on my cultivation!¡± More and more people were influenced. Jin Di then panicked. If they all leave¡­ With the Golden Wings Sect alone, we won¡¯t be able to open the barrier! Of course, there doesn¡¯t seem to be much of a result even if we all work together. He glanced at that barrier in hatred. ¡°Oh right! Such a long time has passed, but why hasn¡¯t there been any news from the people in Ling Xiao Academy?¡± This sudden sentence caused the crowd to fall silent for a moment. They had indeed been waiting here for so many days, but the people from Ling Xiao Academy hadn¡¯t come at all. They did not even know how their situation was now. And Chu Yue, who was brought away by the men in black¡­ ¡°They¡¯ve already gone back.¡± A sharp voice suddenly sounded from the crowd. The crowd looked over in unison. The person speaking was the leader of Lingyun Mountain¡¯s group. ¡°How do you know? There are so many unsettled matters in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. They would leave just like that?¡± asked Jin Di doubtfully. ¡°Did you randomly say it to bluff us?¡± That man put away the items in his hand and stood up. The Liang family has already started to investigate Liang Shaokang¡¯s death, so Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s people have clearly gone back long ago! But luckily, they seemed to have kept their word and didn¡¯t expose Lingyun Mountain. However, there are no permanent secrets in the world. We have to go back as soon as possible and prepare adequately! The crowd behind started to gather. ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you want to believe it or not. This mess¡­ Our Lingyun Mountain will not join in anymore! You can go ahead!¡± After saying this, that man immediately turned around and left with his people. ¡°This¡­¡± The crowd that was left behind was dazed. They left too suddenly, right?! Lingyun Mountain¡¯s people quickly disappeared from their sight. With someone taking the lead, it was much easier for the remaining people to leave. ¡°Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s people have left, then¡­ Doesn¡¯t it mean that there¡¯s a problem here?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave too¡­ There¡¯s not much meaning in staying in this place!¡± ¡­ Then, the various powers really started to leave gradually. Jin Di wanted to fight for a while longer, but seeing that everyone had left, he felt uneasy as well. Hence, after half a day and several tries, he realized that he really couldn¡¯t do anything to that barrier and could only give up. In the end, he left with his people. Then, the surroundings of the tomb finally regained their peace. The winds howled crazily, and snow started to fall again. The nine dragon skeletons didn¡¯t move in the gully as if they had been completely destroyed. Only the silver barrier outside the tomb flickered. It was as if something was about to awaken from its sleep! ¡­ Jiuheng Peak. Time slowly trickled past. Chu Liuyue had already been lying on the bed for three days. She completely didn¡¯t know anything that was happening outside. A barrier blocked all the noisy sounds outside. During these three days, Rong Xiu was the one who accompanied her. Every morning, Elder Wan Zheng would come to check on Chu Liuyue¡¯s condition once. Seeing that she hadn¡¯t woken up after such a long time, Elder Wan Zheng increasingly felt anxious. But in comparison, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to be in such a hurry. Elder Wan Zheng could only temporarily suppress his emotions and wait patiently. Luckily, Chu Liuyue¡¯s physical condition was recovering at an observable speed. Her aura also seemed to be vaguely strengthening. Elder Wan Zheng just thought that it was due to the miracle she received after breaking through in the Flood-Desert Northern Region the previous time, so he didn¡¯t take it to heart. This kid could already break through to become a stage-nine warrior from a stage-eight warrior in a couple of days. Anything else doesn¡¯t seem as shocking anymore. It¡¯s a pity that as long as Chu Yue doesn¡¯t wake up, the academy can¡¯t make progress in the investigation of the incident in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. But with Rong Xiu around, they couldn¡¯t come to disturb. Thus, they could only wait outside day by day. ¡­ Chu Liuyue felt that she had a long dream. In the dream, she had another name and another identity. She kept hearing someone calling her. Even though she couldn¡¯t make out what it was, she knew that they were calling her. There also seemed to be a person beside her who kept her company. She wanted to see the other party¡¯s face clearly, but she couldn¡¯t. She faintly felt that this person was similar to Rong Xiu, but they didn¡¯t feel completely the same. She was confused and knitted her brows. Later on, she even dreamed of a very special scene¡ªit was a snowy day. There was heavy snowfall, and the ground was totally covered in white snow. Only one area had unexpected scenery¡ªthere were many peach blossoms quietly blooming in the icy place. The light-pink petals flowed gently with the cold wind as they exuded a light fragrance. With one sniff, it rejuvenated one¡¯s heart. Under the pure silver and white background, these patches of pink looked extremely pleasing. Some snowflakes landed on the petals in an iridescent manner. She turned around and smiled at that person. ¡°See! I told you peach blossoms can flower in winter!¡± That man seemed to chuckle softly as he walked toward her. He was closer and closer. Kuang! This sound suddenly shattered her dream! Chu Liuyue instantly widened her eyes! Chapter 1401 - His Grace Said that it was Hard on Him She sat up and looked in the direction of the sound. The door was pushed open to reveal a gap as a furry head stuck in. It suddenly stopped in its movements and looked at the teacup that suddenly dropped in front of it helplessly. It clearly didn¡¯t expect that such a ¡®small¡¯ movement would cause such a huge commotion. Who would actually put a teacup on an unlatched door?! Pfft! That person is outrageous! As if detecting her gaze, it slowly turned its stiff neck and looked over. The human and the fiend stared at each other. A pair of ice-blue eyes widened slightly with hints of nervousness in them. Then, the fiend blinked. S-she¡¯s awake?! Looking at Xue Xue¡¯s dazed appearance, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh and wave toward it. ¡°Xue Xue, why are you in a daze? Come here.¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Xue Xue roared excitedly and hurriedly flew toward Chu Liuyue! It jumped with its muscular body and directly went for Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms from the door! It was just about to be hugged! ¡°Hm?¡± A clear and low voice came from the door. Xue Xue instantly became alert and stepped on the brakes! It stopped just half an inch before Chu Liuyue! Its large forehead almost hit Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. The scene seemed to be frozen. Looking at the wet nose before her eyes and the pair of panicked and guilty ice-blue eyes, the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. A well-defined hand appeared on the door and slowly pushed it open. Rong Xiu then walked in. It seemed to be evening now as the remaining glow of the setting sun shone on him. He glowed with a faint gold, causing his entire person to look like he had just walked out of a holy paper. His deep and clear phoenix-like eyes looked straight at Chu Liuyue as his thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re awake?¡± Hearing the noise, he had already guessed it as he immediately came in. Chu Liuyue gazed at his face. The light from behind shone on his face, which was as clear as jade, but it also seemed like there was a veil she couldn¡¯t see through above it. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°I seemed to have¡­ dreamed of you.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze flickered as he walked over. His steps were calm, and he exuded a cold elegance. ¡°Did you?¡± Standing beside the bed, the side of his eyes slightly swept past Xue Xue at the side. Xue Xue shuddered and sensibly turned to walk away before it escaped. Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°What did you dream of?¡± Rong Xiu sat down by the bed, held her hands, and asked lightly. Chu Liuyue gazed into his eyes with much focus as if she wanted to see something through them. Then, she smiled. ¡°I dreamed that¡­ you brought me to see the peach blossoms that bloomed in winter.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Only the depths of his eyes seemed to have a ripple that quickly flashed across. ¡°Was it nice?¡± He held her face up with one hand, and the corner of his lips curled up slightly. A warm aura came from his palms with deep reminiscence and gentleness. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she suddenly felt heavy lethargy overwhelming her. She held Rong Xiu¡¯s hand and gently stuck her face on it. Rong Xiu was dazed slightly. The next moment, Chu Liuyue looked up at him. Perhaps it was because she had just woken up, or perhaps it was because she had a very long and complicated dream that made her tired, but her voice became lazy. She dragged on her last syllable in a soft and whiny manner. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­¡± She spoke softly, but it seemed to be an elongated string that gently and lightly encircled his heart. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart instantly became a soft mess. He leaned in closer, hugged her, and kissed her brows. ¡°It¡¯s nice when I see it with you,¡± said Chu Liuyue. The volume wasn¡¯t loud, but he heard it clearly. This caused him to smile, and even his eyes and brows had hints of happiness. ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue leaned on his shoulders and nodded lightly. ¡°But I don¡¯t know why I always can¡¯t see your face clearly in the dreams.¡± Rong Xiu paused and pinched her soft earlobes. ¡°I¡¯m right here. You can see me however much you want.¡± Chu Liuyue leaned in his arms for a while. Only after she felt that she had recovered most of her physical strength and mental energy did she support her body. She stared at him, and her eyes were like stars. Suddenly, she moved forward and quickly landed a kiss on his lips. ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± He is mine, and he is right here. What is there to be conflicted about? Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes darkened instantly. But when he wanted to continue, Chu Liuyue suddenly asked, ¡°Rong Xiu, can you do me a favor?¡± Rong Xiu paused in his actions. ¡°What favor?¡± ¡°I want¡­¡± Hesitation appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. ¡°I want¡­ to go to Fengmin Mountain.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Reason?¡± ¡°There is no reason,¡± Chu Liuyue replied as she moved half a step back, planning on getting up after removing the blankets. Halfway through removing the blankets, she suddenly stopped in her movements. Then, she slowly raised her head and stared at Rong Xiu with a dazed expression. ¡°How long¡­ have I slept for?¡± She vaguely knew that she was carried back to Jiuheng Peak by Rong Xiu from the Flood-Desert Northern Region, but she couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since then. Rong Xiu was calm. ¡°Seven days.¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched crazily. She swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty and asked clearly, ¡°Then¡­ these seven days¡­ clothes¡­¡± ¡°I helped you change your clothes, and I fed you the pills and water.¡± As if knowing what she wanted to ask, Rong Xiu answered smoothly. He suddenly went in close, and his two palms went to Chu Liuyue¡¯s sides. Chu Liuyue instinctively moved backward and only stopped when her back hit the head of the bed. Rong Xiu silently approached her, and the duo¡¯s distance rapidly shrunk. Finally, they were breathing the same air. There seemed to be millions of rays of light swimming inside his eyes, causing one to be charmed. In this world, it would be hard for any woman to escape when such eyes were deeply gazing at her. ¡°T-then¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face suddenly burned, and her entire body heated up. ¡°The blood on my body¡­¡± ¡°We naturally have to clean those messy bloodstains as soon as possible. If not, the wound will be infected, and it will even rot, right?¡± Rong Xiu continued, ¡°In the academy, there¡¯s nobody else who can do this to do it personally. There¡¯s only me¡­. You wouldn¡¯t want your identity to be exposed, right?¡± He leaned in very closely. When he spoke, the warm air blew to her thin neck and ears. It seemed like comets were burning. At that time, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really hear his words clearly. She felt that something lightly scratched her heart, causing her to be rather distracted. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. To allow your wound to heal as soon as possible, every single day for the past few days, I had¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t continue listening, and she grabbed the clothes in front of his chest, dragged the person over, and kissed him. There seemed to be fires burning in her eyes in a passionate and intense manner. Let¡¯s see if you want to talk! Rong Xiu suddenly sighed softly, and his syllables were unclear. ¡°Yue¡¯er, actually¡­ It has been very hard on me too¡­¡± 1 Chapter 1402 - Bill It¡¯s been very hard on me too¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s face seemed to be on fire, and it was so hot that it burned. Was it because I was in too deep a sleep the past few days, or were Rong Xiu¡¯s actions so light that I didn¡¯t even notice? ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Chu Liuyue felt embarrassed for once. Seeing that he had teased her until her entire face flushed red, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t continue any longer and reluctantly moved back. He held her hand tightly, and their fingers intertwined. ¡°We already have a marriage agreement, and we¡¯re just missing a wedding, right? If you think it¡¯s wrong, then¡­ Why don¡¯t you help?¡± Chu Liuyue literally didn¡¯t know how to continue this conversation. This man¡¯s heart, lungs, liver, and other organs are completely black, and his skin is getting thicker by the day! She took a deep breath in, lightly snorted, and glared at him. ¡°Dream on!¡± Then, she finally could stand up. At this point, she realized that the white inner garment wasn¡¯t her clothes. As if seeing through her doubts, Rong Xiu kindly explained, ¡°I have some of your spare clothes here, but¡­ They were from a few months ago. Now¡­ It seems like they don¡¯t fit you very well.¡± Speaking of this, his gaze lightly swept across her body. Even though this was done by fabricating men¡¯s clothes, the inner garment was looser, and it was still hard to conceal the curvy young woman¡¯s figure. Her silent movements charmed his heart. He faintly felt hot again as he moved his gaze on his own, and one of his hands unknowingly loosened his collar. ¡°Just bear with it first. I¡¯ll get them to send some new ones over in a few days.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡± ¡­You have been preparing clothes for me the whole time?¡± Even inner garments! Rong Xiu didn¡¯t deny it and said in a straightforward manner, ¡°You¡¯re at a stage where your body is growing, so you naturally need to change your clothes often. Originally, I changed them once a month, but you have been in the academy the whole time recently. Hence, I temporarily didn¡¯t get them to send it over.¡± After all, she was around 16 or 17 years old, and shocking changes would happen during this short period of time. Rong Xiu silently touched his fingers, and the tips of them still had the remaining fragrance of her warmth. Chu Liuyue felt that she couldn¡¯t stay in this room any longer! She searched around and realized that her previous clothes were gone. Thinking about it, this would indeed be the case because those clothes were stained with blood. Thus, she couldn¡¯t want them anymore. She retrieved a red robe from her Cosmic Ring and changed into it, with a black jade belt around her waist. In addition to her tied-up hair, she looked like a mature young man from afar¡ªother than her overly good-looking appearance. Chu Liuyue looked into the copper mirror and sized herself up. ¡°It¡¯s not good if you keep wearing that mask, so I¡¯ll only help you wear it for a while when Elder Wan Zheng comes,¡± said Rong Xiu as he lightly flung his wrist. The thin mask flew before Chu Liuyue and gently landed. Chu Liuyue stretched her hands out and grabbed it. She wanted to wear it on her face but stopped in her actions after some thinking. She looked up again at herself in the copper mirror. She hadn¡¯t seen this face so meticulously in a long time. A few months had passed, and slight changes had taken place on her face again. Her eyes were even more intricate and brighter, and the outline of her cheeks was clearer. In other words¡­ She was becoming increasingly similar to the previous Shangguan Yue. She recalled that her face seemed to be 70% to 80% similar to this one when she was around this age in her previous life. Her stature was even more so. A thought quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. I wonder if I¡¯ll be exactly the same as the previous me in a few years? But how could there be someone who looks exactly the same in the world? Chu Liuyue looked down slightly and hid the emotions in her eyes before she wore her mask properly. Whether it will be the case or not¡­ I will find out myself by then. After checking her body once and ensuring that there was no problem, Chu Liuyue then turned to look at Rong Xiu. ¡°Will you help me regarding what I said earlier?¡± She was referring to Fengmin Mountain. Rong Xiu¡¯s aura focused slightly, and he smiled as he gazed at her. ¡°Whatever you want, I will do my best to fulfill it.¡± ¡­ After Chu Liuyue tidied up, she directly went to find Elder Wan Zheng. After all, the latter was her mentor and had spent so much effort and time on her during this period, so she had to greet him first. Elder Bo Yan also found out the news of her waking up at the same time. This was because Rong Xiu personally came forward to tell him. ¡°What? You want Chu Yue to go to Fengmin Mountain?¡± Elder Bo Yan paused in his actions and closed the thick book in confusion. ¡°His body should still be very weak since he just woke up, right? Would it be rather inappropriate for him to go to Fengmin Mountain now? Besides¡­ that place has always been where students who made mistakes would stay. He¡¯s doing fine now, and there¡¯s no reason¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. He has just broken through to become a stage-nine warrior¡ªyou know that. Also¡­ it¡¯s rather forceful to say that he didn¡¯t make any mistakes at all. During this trip to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, he had no right to follow Elder Hua Feng, but in the end, he still went. And after he went, he got into quite a lot of trouble¡­ It¡¯s not a punishment to lock him up in Fengmin Mountain; it¡¯s a warning.¡± Rong Xiu had long known that Elder Bo Yan wouldn¡¯t easily agree to this, so he had long prepared a speech. Elder Bo Yan fell into deep thought and was still rather hesitant. ¡°But¡­ At the end of the day, this should be considered Hua Feng¡¯s fault. After all, without his permission, Chu Yue wouldn¡¯t be able to go. As for the incidents that happened later on¡­ Actually, Chu Yue wasn¡¯t willing for it to happen¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t really want to push all the blame on Chu Liuyue alone. He knitted his brows and looked at Rong Xiu with some uncertainty. ¡°Rong Xiu, there should be another reason for him going there, right?¡± According to how Rong Xiu treats Chu Yue, he definitely isn¡¯t coming for a punishment. Rong Xiu paused for a moment. ¡°Yes. Fengmin Mountain is dangerous, but¡­ The most dangerous place is usually the safest place.¡± A faint smile appeared on his face. ¡°Just for¡­ a period of time.¡± ¡­ On the other side, Elder Wan Zheng was overjoyed to see Chu Liuyue. He pulled her over and sized her up for a while. After confirming that she had really recovered and that there was nothing wrong with her, he finally felt relieved. ¡°Bad kid! Your sleep had scared me to death!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was normally a rather stern person. Now that he said such words, it could be seen that Chu Liuyue had deeply frightened him. There was no choice. Thinking of her pale and frail look when she lay in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms, his heart tightened uncomfortably. All these years, he had searched far and wide and finally found this disciple. When said disciple got into trouble, how could he not be worried? Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. ¡°Mentor, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m doing fine!¡± ¡°Wan Zheng!¡± At this point, a rather familiar voice sounded. The two of them turned around. A barefoot elder waving his fan came from midair¡ªElder Meng Ye! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. If I haven¡¯t recalled it wrongly, Elder Meng Ye previously said that he would pass the bill to Elder Wan Zheng when he came back¡­ Chapter 1403 - That Place is Pretty Nice ¡°Meng Ye, why are you here?!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was in a good mood, so he was even laughing when he looked at Elder Meng Ye. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m here to give you something!¡± yelled Elder Meng Ye confidently. While he spoke, he already walked to the front. He looked closely and saw that Chu Liuyue was standing beside Elder Wan Zheng. He was first surprised. Then, he suddenly thought of something, and his smile had a deeper meaning to it. ¡°Hoho! Chu Yue, you¡¯re here too? How are you? Are you feeling better?¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. It seems like the entire academy knows about me sleeping for such a long time. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Elder Meng Ye.¡± Chu Liuyue bowed obediently. ¡°I just woke up today, and my body is much better, so I thought of paying my mentor a visit. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you so coincidentally. Elder Meng Ye, how have you been doing lately?¡± ¡°Good! Of course, I¡¯m good!¡± Elder Meng Ye flipped his fan and laughed out loud. I stayed in the academy and looked after Medicinal Valley safely. How can I not be good? Those who aren¡¯t good are probably those that went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region! ¡°Oh right, Wan Zheng, I came today to give you something.¡± Elder Meng Ye chuckled. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and instantly wanted to leave. ¡°Mentor, Elder Meng Ye, I won¡¯t disturb you if you two have things to talk about.¡± Elder Wan Zheng hurriedly said, ¡°Hey, why are you leaving when you just came? We haven¡¯t even had a good talk!¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. If this continues, we probably can¡¯t talk properly. Elder Meng Ye chuckled. ¡°If the child wants to leave, let him go! His body has just recovered, and he has many things to do! Am I right, Chu Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue seriously nodded. It seems like Elder Meng Ye has no intentions of pushing me to my death. However, Elder Wan Zheng still refused. ¡°Even if he has something on, he has to postpone it!¡± This is my precious disciple! Anyone else has to take a back seat! ¡°Meng Ye, what did you say you wanted to give me?¡± Elder Meng Ye clenched his fist and coughed dryly. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much¡­¡± Elder Wan Zheng found it strange. Meng Ye usually stays in Medicinal Valley and rarely comes out. Normally, he will only willingly leave that place if he has something important to do. What is with him today? At this point, another person came forward. ¡°Chu Yue.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and instantly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Senior Brother Rong Xiu.¡± ¡°Rong Xiu, why are you here too?¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s gaze swept past the few of them. What kind of day is it? All these people who rarely step foot into this place actually all came over! Rong Xiu seemed to be walking slowly, but he was very fast. He reached them in no time. He first bowed to the two elders respectively before he slowly smiled and said, ¡°Elder Bo Yan told me to come over and bring Chu Yue to Fengmin Mountain.¡± At this moment, both elders were taken aback. ¡°Fengmin Mountain?¡± ¡°Again?¡± There was a momentary silence. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. ¡°How can this do!? Chu Yue has just woken up, and his body hasn¡¯t recovered yet! He can¡¯t go!¡± Elder Wan Zheng protected his disciples greatly and wouldn¡¯t agree no matter what. To him, his precious disciple had literally just gotten out of suffering, yet he had to go to hell again! ¡°Mentor, this is Elder Bo Yan¡¯s command. We can¡¯t disobey it. I think¡ª¡± The moment Chu Liuyue said this, Elder Wan Zheng interrupted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! This time, I will personally get an explanation for you! Has he become used to bullying our mentor-disciple duo?!¡± Chu Liuyue felt her head ache even more. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem worried as he smiled and said. ¡°Elder Bo Yan has his reasons for doing so.¡± ¡°Reason? What reason?¡± Elder Wan Zheng was extremely indignant. My precious disciple has suffered quite a bit recently. How could he go to Fengmin Mountain at this time?! Rong Xiu slowly explained, ¡°After the Flood-Desert Northern Region incident, the academy has been investigating the truth behind it. I heard that the other top-tier aristocratic families and clans have slowly been coming out these few days and have started doing this as well. A chaotic battle¡­ might erupt.¡± Elder Wan Zheng paused in his actions, and his expression became complicated. ¡°Chu Yue was the only one taken away by those people in public, not to mention that she had obtained some miracle at that place and continuously broke through to become a stage-nine warrior. She will definitely become one of the targets that the crowd is chasing after. If she enters Fengmin Mountain¡­ On the one hand, she will be able to cultivate quietly. On the other hand, she can also avoid all those conflicts.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was still very calm, but it had some strange convincing power to it, which caused others to believe him unknowingly. Elder Wan Zheng was quiet for some time. Chu Liuyue stepped forward. ¡°Mentor, don¡¯t worry. I think that¡­ Fengmin Mountain is quite nice.¡± She said this sincerely, but to Elder Wan Zheng, he just felt that his precious disciple didn¡¯t want him to worry and thus purposely said this. His heart ached even more, and he continuously sighed. ¡°Forget it! If this is so¡­ you can go over for a while. When this passes, you must come out as soon as possible!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Then¡­ Mentor, I¡¯ll leave with Senior Brother Rong Xiu now?¡± Elder Wan Zheng waved his hands. Chu Liuyue bowed again before leaving with Rong Xiu. Looking at the two of them leave until their figures disappeared, Elder Wan Zheng then retracted his gaze reluctantly. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so sad.¡± At the side, Elder Meng Ye nudged him with his elbow and passed something over. ¡°What is this?¡± Elder Wan Zheng took it in confusion. Elder Meng Ye bared his teeth and smiled. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s¡­ the bill incurred from the herbs that Chu Yue took from Medicinal Valley. Look, is it time to settle it?¡± Elder Wan Zheng laughed. ¡°I thought it was something else! Isn¡¯t it just¡ª¡± His voice suddenly trailed off. Elder Wan Zheng stared at the thing in his hand with his eyes wide open and mouth agape. He almost thought that his eyes were blurry. ¡°D-did this kid pick the entire Medicinal Valley once?!¡± Elder Meng Ye was rather unhappy. ¡°Hey¡­ that¡¯s too much of an exaggeration! It¡¯s clearly only three-quarters of it. Besides, don¡¯t you have many points? It won¡¯t be considered much to you, right?¡± Elder Wan Zheng closed his eyes. He suddenly recalled what his disciple said: That Fengmin Mountain is pretty nice¡­ Can avoid the crowd¡­ He knew that this was waiting for me! ¡°Naughty kid!¡± Elder Wan Zheng harshly shoved the bill back into Elder Meng Ye¡¯s hands. ¡°Settle it! I must develop a top heavenly doctor in the future!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hear Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s ambitious words. She went forward with Rong Xiu, and they could be considered to know the path well as they quickly reached Fengmin Mountain. Rong Xiu stepped forward. ¡°Elder Meng, Rong Xiu has brought Chu Yue here to see you.¡± Nobody answered, and it was completely quiet. Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Elder Meng?¡± Chapter 1404 - A Door After some time, some ripples finally appeared on the barrier in front as it opened slowly. ¡°Come in.¡± An old and low voice went into their ears. Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed. This voice¡­ sounds sterner, colder, and deeper than before, with a few hints of lethargy in it. It has only been a while since I haven¡¯t been here. How¡ª Rong Xiu squinted his phoenix eyes slightly, clearly noticing that something was wrong, and exchanged a glance with Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue moved her figure and went in with Rong Xiu. ¡­ The two of them walked forward and reached the pagoda. With the previous experiences, Chu Liuyue also knew her way around now. She walked straight to the door. Three steps away from it, the door opened slowly. Looking in, it was completely back. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened. She took a deep breath in and walked in. ¡°Yue¡ªChu Yue.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly called her. Chu Liuyue turned around. The two of them stared at each other. There seemed to be something slowly flowing. Rong Xiu moved his thin lips slightly, and there seemed to be ripples in his eyes, but they returned to normal in the end. ¡°Have¡­ a smooth journey.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will.¡± Then, she turned around and walked in without hesitation. Thump! The door closed shut, and her figure totally disappeared from his vision. Rong Xiu stood upright with one hand behind his back as he stared at that door for some time. After a while, he finally turned around to leave. ¡­ Coming to this place again, Chu Liuyue actually felt a sense of familiarity and that she hadn¡¯t come to this place in a while. Step by step, she walked in. Suddenly, she paused in her tracks and stared at the scene before her in shock. In the spacious and quiet room, the original seven floating doors were actually only left with six! The six doors had different positions, and they were equidistant from each other. At first glance, one couldn¡¯t even tell that there were initially seven doors here. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Elder Meng, why¡­ is there a missing door?¡± After a temporary silence, Elder Meng¡¯s voice then sounded softly. ¡°Nothing much. There was some small mishap in between.¡± Small mishap? It doesn¡¯t seem like it at all. Chu Liuyue silently cursed to herself. There were a total of seven doors, and one is suddenly missing out of nowhere. If it weren¡¯t because I had come here before, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to notice this problem. But hearing Elder Meng¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to talk about it in detail. Thus, Chu Liuyue sensibly did not ask further. ¡°Originally¡­ I didn¡¯t want anyone to come in during this period, but Bo Yan and Rong Xiu spoke for you, so I could only agree¡­¡± boomed Elder Meng. A strange expression flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. To others, being locked up here is one of the worst punishments, and they want to avoid this place with all their might. Only me¡­ Not only do I want to come, but others are even helping me¡­ This feeling is really¡­ weirdly amazing! Rong Xiu and the others should¡¯ve used the same words he used on Elder Wan Zheng to convince Elder Meng¡­ For some reason, Chu Liuyue felt guilty. ¡°Thank you, Elder Meng.¡± She cupped her fists, respectfully bowed, and greeted him. ¡°Alright. You¡¯ve been in the academy for a few months, and this is already your third time here. Others might not know, but do you think I won¡¯t know your playful nature?¡± Elder Meng lightly snorted. Chu Liuyue coughed lightly and touched her nose rather awkwardly. It¡¯s really¡­ ¡°Even though there¡¯s a door missing, it doesn¡¯t affect much. You just have to choose one and stay inside.¡± I really don¡¯t know what this kid has done again that caused Bo Yan and Rong Xiu to put in a few words for him together, just to send him over. If it were normal times, it would¡¯ve been fine. However, it has to be now¡­ If it weren¡¯t in consideration of those few people, I wouldn¡¯t let this kid in at this time! Forget it! It¡¯s just a small matter! Chu Liuyue acknowledged him and looked at the six doors before her. These doors were still glowing with a faint light. They didn¡¯t seem any different from before. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before pointing to the door on the leftmost. ¡°I want to choose this one.¡± ¡°Go in,¡± Elder Meng replied swiftly. Chu Liuyue walked over. She put one hand on the door and pushed hard. The door didn¡¯t move at all. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue took a step back strangely and took a closer look. There¡¯s no problem, but why can¡¯t I open the door? She tried increasing her strength. She still couldn¡¯t open it. This shouldn¡¯t be¡­ my fault, right? Chu Liuyue yelled with conflict, ¡°Elder Meng, I can¡¯t¡­ open the door?¡± Elder Meng clearly didn¡¯t expect such a situation to happen. In the past, all of these doors could be opened casually. ¡°You really can¡¯t open it?¡± Chu Liuyue pushed again and had an innocent look. The door was like a wall of steel, and she really couldn¡¯t push it open. ¡°Try the others then,¡± said Elder Meng. Chu Liuyue nodded and walked to the second door. With her push, her expression changed again. ¡°¡­Elder Meng, I still can¡¯t open it.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Elder Meng raised his voice. ¡°Could I still lie to you here?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed bitterly. It isn¡¯t like I haven¡¯t come before. I just pushed the door to enter every single time. Since when was it like this time, where I¡¯m trying my best to open but it is to no avail? This door clearly has a problem! Elder Meng was quiet for a moment. ¡°Change again!¡± Chu Liuyue held her breath in and walked to the third door. Staring at the door before her, she suddenly had a strong prediction. Perhaps¡­ She reached out. After trying, she shook her head and gave up. ¡°Elder Meng, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡­ Then, under Elder Meng¡¯s instructions, Chu Liuyue tried all six doors once. All of them couldn¡¯t be opened. All of the doors seemed to be locked tightly from the inside, and she couldn¡¯t open them at all. Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows and felt her head ache. Elder Meng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there¡­ a problem with you kid?!¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. ¡°Elder Meng, I haven¡¯t come in a while. This¡­ shouldn¡¯t be my fault, right?¡± Chu Liuyue felt like she had bumped into porcelain! When I first came, there was a door missing. Therefore, something clearly happened here! How could this be my fault?! Elder Meng was stumped for once. Then, he coldly snorted, ¡°Just stay in the hall then!¡± This kid has some temper! Originally, I was already worried sick about that thing. Now, I still have to take care of this kid! It really is an uphill task! Chu Liuyue: ¡°Oh¡­¡± I¡¯ll stay in the hall if I have to. Anyway, all these doors can¡¯t be opened, so going anywhere will be the same. Then, Chu Liuyue directly sat down. The jade ground was as cold as ice. A gush of coldness overwhelmed her, and she unwittingly shuddered. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged, and her shoulders naturally dropped down. She then placed her palm on her knees facing upward. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force slowly entered her body. Chu Liuyue gradually calmed her heart. Although the force density here isn¡¯t as high as inside the door, it still isn¡¯t bad¡­ Suddenly, a lightning-like thought flashed across her mind! Hang on! Could the door that disappeared be¡­. The one I previously passed through?! Chapter 1405 - Pursuit Once this thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, she felt that a faint ray of light quickly flashed across her eyes. She closed her eyes. When she looked up again, there was nothing. The space was still empty. Her fingertips moved slightly. Then, she strangely discovered that the surrounding space seemed to be stickier. This change was very subtle. If one didn¡¯t observe closely, they wouldn¡¯t notice it. Confusion surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Why does this place¡­ seem increasingly weird? She originally wanted to ask Elder Meng, but a thought popped up in her mind. Everything here should be under Elder Meng¡¯s control. Since he has no reaction, it should be fine. She closed her eyes and focused on her cultivation. ¡­ Chu Liuyue stayed at Fengmin Mountain in that manner. Outside, chaos ensued. The Liang family¡¯s Third Young Master, Liang Shaokang, died ambiguously in the Flood-Desert Northern Region, and they didn¡¯t even know who the murderer was. Liang Xiaoxiao hurriedly rushed back to the Liang family. When she reached home, the entire Liang family had already received the news. From the inside to the outside, the entire Liang family had a stiff and stern atmosphere. In the study. The Liang family head, Liang Yiye, had a face that was as still as water, and his brows were tightly furrowed. His bloodshot eyes and the two patches of black below them caused this extraordinary and capable character to look much frailer. Even though he had quite a few sons, he doted on Liang Shaokang the most. Now that he had painfully lost his beloved son, how could he not be upset? When Liang Xiaoxiao entered, she realized that the air seemed to be frozen. ¡°Father!¡± She opened her mouth, and the tears in her eyes had already fallen. Liang Yiye immediately went forward. ¡°Xiaoxiao! You¡¯re finally back!¡± He stared at his daughter closely. ¡°You followed the academy to the Flood-Desert Northern Region previously. Do you know what exactly happened to your elder brother there?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao first wiped her tears before forcefully controlling her crying voice and asking, ¡°Father, didn¡¯t you previously say that the clan was busy, so you won¡¯t be interfering with the Flood-Desert Northern Region matters? How did Third Brother appear there?¡± Liang Yiye was dazed and averted his gaze. ¡°He¡­ He secretly went there behind my back¡ª¡± ¡°Father, you say such words, but do you believe it yourself? Third Brother didn¡¯t go there alone; he had brought quite a few elders with him! Without your agreement, how could Third Brother bring them along?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao originally didn¡¯t know about it, but this news had already spread throughout the entire Liang family. No matter how slow she was, she should know about it. Liang Yiye let go of the hand that was clutching his daughter¡¯s arm and turned away. He then took a deep breath in, closed his eyes, and said after a while, ¡°¡­You also know that your Third Brother isn¡¯t considered the most outstanding in all aspects. It would be hard to convince the crowd if he was to inherit the family assets¡­ If he could gain credit at then Flood-Desert Northern Region, then¡ª¡± ¡°Father, you were foolish!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but interrupt her father, and there seemed to be fire burning in her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t you know best about how capable Third Brother is? The Flood-Desert Northern Region is so dangerous, yet you just let him go?!¡± And he even hid it from me! No, this should¡¯ve been done behind the backs of everyone in the Liang family! It was just for¡­ Liang Shaokang to shock everyone in one move! It was so that he could take this chance to ascend! Liang Yiye couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice. ¡°I had already sent quite a few elders to follow him closely. Who would¡¯ve known¡ª¡± His voice suddenly trailed off. The veins on his forehead popped up, and he slammed his fists against the table at the side. Thump! The superior black metal-wood engraved table was crushed until a corner almost fell off. Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s body trembled, and her heart ached. Yeah! Father only did it for Third Brother¡¯s good. With the current outcome, he should be more upset than anyone, right? She took a deep breath in and uttered every single word clearly: ¡°Father, even though I don¡¯t know who the murderer is, I know where to start investigating.¡± Liang Yiye suddenly turned around. Liang Xiaoxiao clenched her fists tightly, and deep enmity exuded from her eyes. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan! If you want to find out the truth, you just have to find her!¡± ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan? Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang family? What has this got to do with her?¡± Liang Yiye was confused. Seeing his daughter¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Besides, weren¡¯t you on very good terms with her? How¡ª¡± ¡°Good? Hah! Father, you don¡¯t know what that b*tch did!¡± Following this, Liang Xiaoxiao told her father everything that she knew. Liang Yiye¡¯s expression rapidly changed. In the end, it was left with frost. ¡°The academy has always had a neutral stance, so it¡¯s basically impossible to get any information from them. However¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan is different! Besides, Third Brother asked her for help back then, but she still ignored him! She¡¯s really hateable!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao wanted to shred Jiang Zhiyuan apart directly! ¡°I know¡­¡± Liang Yiye suppressed the anger in his heart and immediately sneered. ¡°She just came from a mere Fairy Water Mound, yet she has such courage! I really want to see how they plan to give our Liang family an explanation!¡± Then, he lifted his leg and walked outside. ¡°Father! Where are you going?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao was stunned and hurriedly followed. Liang Yiye didn¡¯t even turn around. ¡°I¡¯m going to Fairy Water Mound personally to investigate the truth and take revenge for Shaokang!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao pressed her lips against each other. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡­ The people from the Liang family went to Fairy Water Mound ferociously, but it was to no avail. Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t even return to Fairy Water Mound¡ªshe directly went to the Sky-Cloud Empire! ¡°B*tch! She¡¯s so cunning!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s blood boiled. If Jiang Zhiyuan has escaped to the Sky-Cloud Empire, it won¡¯t be so easy if we want to force her out again. After all, the Sky-Cloud Empire is also a top-tier aristocratic family, and their status is only higher and not lower than ours. They directly rushed over to cause trouble for Fairy Water Mound, but they didn¡¯t dare to barge through the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s door directly! Yet, Liang Yiye had a different attitude. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire might not protect her¡­ Xiaoxiao, didn¡¯t you previously say that Jiang Zhiyuan had once asked Rong Xiu for help, but Rong Xiu didn¡¯t care about her?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao laughed in mockery. ¡°Yeah! She still thinks she¡¯s the future princess consort of the Sky-Cloud Empire, and she thought Rong Xiu would treat her differently¡­ In reality, Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t even give her another glance!¡± That day, Rong Xiu could be considered to have given Jiang Zhiyuan a tight slap in public! ¡°That¡¯s it then.¡± Liang Yiye heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Rong Xiu is now in charge of the Sky-Cloud Empire. His attitude toward Jiang Zhiyuan determines the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s attitude toward her.¡± With such a huge problem, I don¡¯t believe that the Sky-Cloud Empire will really get involved! Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Father, you¡¯re right! Jiang Zhiyuan has been expelled from Ling Xiao Academy now, and her reputation can be considered to be tarnished in the God Residence Realm! Even if Fairy Water Mound is the leader of the 28 divisions in the Sky-Cloud Empire, they might not be willing to protect this clan!¡± Liang Yiye nodded. ¡°Then¡­ we can directly go to the Sky-Cloud Empire. If Jiang Zhiyuan is rejected at the door, we can directly take action!¡± ¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire. Jiang Hetian and Jiang Zhiyuan stood outside the barrier for three days and three nights. Chapter 1406 - When is it Your Turn to be Worried After experiencing all the previous incidents, Jiang Zhiyuan originally thought that she had already trained her mindset. Even if she faced a bigger problem, she could still face it freely. But after waiting here for nothing for three days, she finally faced hopelessness once again. She had never expected that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡ªa place she could come and go as she pleased since she was young¡ªwould one day reject her at the door! And it was so merciless! Jiang Hetian¡¯s expression was even worse, but he was still someone experienced and could hold himself back better than his daughter. Glancing at the sky, he stepped forward again and asked the guard stationed at the door, ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing hasn¡¯t come back yet?¡± The guard cupped his fists, but his expression was cold and nonchalant. ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing is busy. We don¡¯t know when he will come either.¡± How could Jiang Hetian not tell that the other person was being perfunctory? If it were in the past, how would they dare to have such an attitude toward him? But the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort had now been settled. Jiang Zhiyuan wasn¡¯t chosen, so the guards naturally didn¡¯t have to treat them with so much respect. Besides, the incident of Jiang Zhiyuan being expelled from Ling Xiao Academy had spread far and wide. According to the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s sensitivity, they definitely would¡¯ve long known about this. If it weren¡¯t because Fairy Water Mound still had a foothold amongst the 28 divisions, they might not even have the chance to wait here and would¡¯ve been directly chased away! Jiang Hetian glanced inside again. Of course, he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly from here. He paused and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you really report to them the news of our arrival?¡± ¡°Master Jiang, do you not trust us?¡± The guard knitted his brows. Isn¡¯t this openly doubting us?! Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding¡ªmisunderstanding! Maybe Elder Yu Jing is still busy¡­ We¡¯ll continue waiting.¡± Then, he took two steps back and stood at the side. When Jiang Zhiyuan saw this scene, she almost crushed her silver teeth. If it weren¡¯t for me¡­ Father wouldn¡¯t be humiliated! ¡°What¡¯s the noise about?¡± Right at this moment, a cold and stern voice sounded. Jiang Zhiyuan and Jiang Hetian were elated, and they looked up! An elder walked out from the barrier within. It was Respected Elder Yu Jing, who they had bitterly waited three days for! ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing¡ª¡± Jiang Hetian hurriedly went forward. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Respected Elder Yu Jing hold up his palm. ¡°You don¡¯t have to speak further. I already know about this.¡± His tone was much more nonchalant compared to the past, but it was already a surprise to Jiang Hetian and his daughter that he would come out, so why would they care so much? Respected Elder Yu Jing looked at Jiang Zhiyuan with a harsh gaze. ¡°You want to go into the Sky-Cloud Empire and cultivate on your own?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s entire body shuddered from the gaze, and she softly acknowledged it. ¡°I¡¯ve done something wrong lately and have caused quite a lot of trouble for everyone, so¡­ I hope to cultivate here and wait for the clan leader to come out of seclusion.¡± ¡°The clan leader has been in seclusion for many years, and nobody knows when he will come out. Once you go in¡­ you don¡¯t know when you can come out. Are you sure?¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing squinted his eyes. Jiang Zhiyuan tightly wrapped her hands together over her stomach. After a moment, she said, ¡°The clan leader has always doted on me, and this is what I should do. As long as the clan leader doesn¡¯t come out of seclusion, I won¡¯t leave Wan Zhong Mountain!¡± Wan Zhong mountain was where the clan leader went into seclusion. Respected Elder Yu Jing sized Jiang Zhiyuan up and down for quite some time. ¡°Since this is so¡­ From today onward, you will¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, why is this place so crowded?¡± Before Respected Elder Yu Jing could finish, a voice containing laughter came from afar. But hearing this voice, a few people¡¯s expressions changed. In the blink of an eye, that person¡¯s figure had rapidly approached. ¡°Greetings, 36 Respected Elder Ming!¡± The guard bowed respectfully. 36 Respected Elder Ming laughed and waved his hands as his gaze quickly swept across the few of them. Seemingly surprised, he asked, ¡°Hey, Master Jiang, since when did you come? Why did you not tell us in advance? Look, you came so far, but we didn¡¯t even prepare anything for you in advance. It won¡¯t be nice if we don¡¯t treat you well!¡± Jiang Hetian¡¯s expression faintly turned green. Why did this fellow come! Hearing his tone, he is clearly here to cause trouble! I purposely revealed the news to only Elder Yu Jing because I wanted to enter the Sky-Cloud Empire before the news spread. As long as the matter is settled, others can¡¯t jump out to object to it. But now that 36 Respected Elder Ming is here, it will be hard for Jiang Zhiyuan to go into the Sky-Cloud Empire! He forced a smile and said, ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, you¡¯re very busy, and I wouldn¡¯t dare to disturb you. We have¡­ already spoken to Respected Elder Yu Jing beforehand¡­¡± ¡°I heard you talking about the clan leader earlier. What¡¯s going on?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming laughed and interrupted Jiang Hetian as he silently and decisively moved past this incident and looked at Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°It seems like¡­ it¡¯s related to you?¡± He¡¯s asking the obvious! Jiang Zhiyuan secretly felt angry. According to 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s status and capabilities, he can immediately know whatever he wants to know. Openly asking us is just to purposely put me in a difficult spot and cause me to be humiliated! But Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t dare to say much, so she could only repeat her previous words. Of course, she made herself sound very miserable, pitiful, and extremely sincere. However, this method didn¡¯t work on 36 Respected Elder Ming, and he directly asked, ¡°¡­So it means that you¡¯ll be staying in the Sky-Cloud Empire in the future?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was stumped. Why does this sound so weird¡­ ¡°If the clan leader can come out of seclusion earlier, I can naturally¡ª¡± ¡°The clan leader has been in seclusion for many years. If he needs another ten years or twenty years¡­ If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, Zhiyuan, you¡¯re¡­ already of marriageable age, right? Won¡¯t it be a delay if you waste a major portion of your youth here?!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming sighed emotionally. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression instantly changed incredulously! Marriageable age? Is he purposely mocking me for not becoming the princess consort?! All these years, everyone thought that I would be the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort, but I am nothing in the end! Jiang Zhiyuan lowered her eyes, terrified that her emotions would show and that others would see them. Then, she clenched her teeth and said, ¡°Such matters can¡¯t be forced, and they all depend on fate. Besides, my individual matters are so small, and it¡¯s not worth a mention compared to the clan leader exiting his seclusion. No matter if it is ten years, twenty years, or even longer, I can still wait!¡± She said it very determinedly. This was because this was her only path now! 36 Respected Elder Ming raised his brows, and his smile became fainter. ¡°You¡¯re willing to do this, but you need to see if others are agreeable to it. After all, this Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ isn¡¯t your Jiang family, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly explained, ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, I don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Besides, the clan leader has an important and special status. In what name¡­ would you go there?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming stroked his beard. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire has its princess consort stationed here now. Everything will be handled by her. You¡­ don¡¯t have to be worried about this!¡± Chapter 1407 - Personally Is he not planning on letting me in!? How can this be? I have nowhere to go now, and¡­ the Liang family will definitely cause trouble for me soon! Jiang Zhiyuan could not help but ask, ¡°I-is this¡­ the Princess Consort¡¯s idea?¡± When Jiang Zhiyuan asked this, she purposely looked at 36 Respected Elder Ming, wanting to see any traces or hints from his face. That was because the thoughts in her heart weren¡¯t fully dispelled until now. She just felt that there was something wrong with that Shangguan Yue. Could it be that she¡¯s really not in the Sky-Cloud Empire? However, 36 Respected Elder Ming suddenly laughed. ¡°This is my idea. After all, for such a small matter¡­ there really is no need to disturb the Princess Consort¡¯s cultivation, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body swayed. Small matter¡­ I¡¯m now treading the line between life and death, yet to them, it is just a small matter that isn¡¯t enough to affect Shangguan Yue. Hah¡ªhow laughable! If there weren¡¯t other people watching from the side, Jiang Zhiyuan wanted to burst out in cold laughter. She wanted to laugh at the high and mighty Shangguan Yue, and laugh at her insignificant self. This was the first time she clearly realized that the position of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort had been occupied by that woman! And this brief address had completely decided the difference in the duo¡¯s statuses. Even if she had all the indignation and vengeance in the world, she could only look up to the other party. If she wanted to stand on the same level as the other party¡­ It would be much more difficult in the future! ¡°She just wants to accompany the clan leader; she is filial after all. 36 Respected Elder Ming, why must you put a child in a difficult spot?¡± At the side, Respected Elder Yu Jing finally spoke. He had very complicated feelings toward the Jiang family. In the past, Jiang Zhiyuan was greatly doted on by the clan leader, and everyone thought that she would be the future princess consort. Additionally, Fairy Water Mound had always been the strongest and the one with the most background out of the 28 divisions. He wanted to pull them in, so he was closer to them. However, who would¡¯ve thought that the clan leader would go into seclusion for a few years, and Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t become the princess consort¡ªnot even a second consort. Not to mention that she had come back with a load of trouble. Originally, Respected Elder Yu Jing didn¡¯t want to interfere in such matters, but he had interacted with Fairy Water Mound for so many years, and they were deeply connected. If he really just watched from the side, he would very likely be dragged down by the Jiang family. Helpless, he could only help them. Originally, everything was fine. As long as he let them in first, the others couldn¡¯t say anything. Who would¡¯ve thought 36 Respected Elder Ming would come out of nowhere! And this attitude¡­ He clearly disagreed! ¡°It¡¯s precisely because the clan leader doted on her the most in the past, so I feel that this matter is inappropriate!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming seriously said, ¡°When the clan leader comes out and knows that he delayed you because of this, won¡¯t his heart ache even more?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°In my opinion, you just have to take good care of yourself! If you¡¯re good, the clan leader will naturally be happy! 36 Respected Elder Ming was still laughing, yet the determination in his words didn¡¯t allow for any doubts. The expressions of the few people present changed. In this current situation, how can Jiang Zhiyuan be good? Other than the Sky-Cloud Empire, she has nowhere else to go! 36 Respected Elder Ming is determined to push her to her death! Jiang Hetian¡¯s blood boiled, but he didn¡¯t dare to confront 36 Respected Elder Ming openly. He could only take a deep breath in and look to Respected Elder Yu Jing for help. Respected Elder Yu Jing was also very frustrated. ¡°Even she herself¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly took a step forward. ¡°Since 36 Respected Elder Ming has said so, then¡­ I would like to personally meet the princess consort and talk to her about this. If she¡¯s willing to let me stay, I¡¯ll stay. If she wants me to leave, I¡¯ll leave. I won¡¯t drag on my feet and be relentless. Respected Elder, what do you think?!¡± Chapter 1408 - Illusion 36 Respected Elder Ming glanced at her nonchalantly. His gaze was extremely faint, yet Jiang Zhiyuan felt humiliated. It was an expression that would only be revealed when a strong, long-lived warrior faced a minute and insignificant ant. Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly felt uncomfortable. Although she didn¡¯t come from a true aristocratic family, with the clan leader doting on her in addition to her pretty appearance and outstanding talent, she had always treated herself as a princess these past few years. Every time she came to the Sky-Cloud Empire, she was proud, imperious, and mighty. There was never a moment she clearly realized that everything she had was lower than others. She wasn¡¯t more distinguished compared to other people. ¡°I¡¯ve already said it before. This kind of small matter shouldn¡¯t affect the Princess Consort. It¡¯s the same with me representing her,¡± said 36 Respected Elder Ming slowly. ¡°But¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan still wanted to defend herself, but she met 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s gaze. She suddenly fell silent, and her remaining words were stuck in her throat. She couldn¡¯t voice them. ¡°In consideration of our reputation, there are some words that I didn¡¯t say directly at first. But if you continue to be stubborn¡­ I won¡¯t have to be polite to you as well.¡± It was probably Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s sentence that offended 36 Respected Elder Ming. His gaze became much lighter, and he said slowly, ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, the news of you being expelled from Ling Xiao Academy has spread all over like wildfire. As a result, do you really think we don¡¯t know why you came to the Sky-Cloud Empire¡­?¡± Does she treat the other people as fools? Ling Xiao Academy is the top academy in the God Residence Realm. Even though it is hard to be admitted, they rarely expel a student so harshly. All these years, the people who were expelled had all committed unforgivable sins, so they were chased out of the academy. Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t announce the reason for Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expulsion to the public. However, one just has to think to know that it isn¡¯t a small matter! After all, she was thought highly of in Ling Xiao Academy in the past. One just has to think to know what Jiang Zhiyuan has done to cause Ling Xiao Academy to make such a decision. Yet, she still has the cheek to come to the Sky-Cloud Empire to seek protection? Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body swayed, and the last bit of blood on her lips completely faded. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming.¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing knitted his brows. ¡°It¡¯s normal for young people to make small mistakes occasionally. Besides, she¡ª¡± ¡°Small mistake?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming laughed out loud and didn¡¯t conceal his mockery. ¡°I coincidentally wanted to ask what exactly is a ¡®small mistake?¡¯ One that could get Elder Dan Qing to take the initiative to break their mentor-disciple ties?¡± One has to know that he specially took care of Jiang Zhiyuan all these years! Yet, he is willing to do this now¡­ It is hard not to let one¡¯s imagination run wild! Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips, and tears welled up in her eyes before they landed continuously. It was a pity that she couldn¡¯t rebut at all. She naturally couldn¡¯t announce the truth! If she did so, her life would be completely ruined! ¡°This¡­¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing was stumped. ¡°But she¡¯s part of the Jiang family after all, and the clan leader treats her extremely well. If he knows that she¡¯s in such a situation, yet we just watched on¡­ How are we supposed to explain this to him in the future?¡± After much thinking, he could only bring up the clan leader. 36 Respected Elder Ming laughed. ¡°Of course¡­ they have to explain themselves!¡± In this day and age, the people who make mistakes still have reason on their side? ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t the Jiang family¡­ just one of the division clans under the Sky-Cloud Empire? Since when could they call the shots here? Yu Jing, you¡¯re helping them too excessively today, right?¡± As he spoke, 36 Respected Elder Ming squinted his eyes and sized him up with scrutiny. Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s body went numb from his gaze, and he hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Am I not doing this for the Sky-Cloud Empire? The Jiang family is the head of the 28 divisions after all. Now that the clan leader is in seclusion and His Grace isn¡¯t here, if something really happens¡­¡± ¡°Whoever committed the mistake will bear the responsibility.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s attitude was persistent. After a temporary silence, the two parties fell into a stalemate. Jiang Hetian became anxious. 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s status is higher than Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s. If he insists on not letting us enter the Sky-Cloud Empire, then¡­ There will be no hope even if more venerables come! 36 Respected Elder Ming turned around and wanted to leave. He didn¡¯t have much time to waste on these few people. ¡°Lock the barrier. Without my permission, nobody is allowed to enter.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± the guard hurriedly answered. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming! Please hold on!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly took a step forward. As she spoke, she retrieved something from her neck, clenched her teeth, and said, ¡°I have the clan leader¡¯s token!¡± The air froze for a moment. 36 Respected Elder Ming slowly turned around and looked at Jiang Zhiyuan in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan originally didn¡¯t want to reveal this as it had too many implications after all. However¡­ She really had no choice! She held that item tightly and said carefully, ¡°I¡­ want to go to Wan Zhong Mountain!¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. Fengmin Mountain. Inside the pagoda, everything was silent. Time slowly trickled past, and even the soft sound of the wind was hidden. Everything in the surroundings seemed to thicken as a slight change seemingly took place. At one moment, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes again! Her black gem-like eyes seemed to be shining with a bright light. It was like the remaining spark that fell into the autumn waters, causing faint ripples. The shards of lights also intersected, charming one¡¯s heart. She blinked in a daze. Just now¡­ There seemed to be a ray of light that flashed before my ¡®eyes.¡¯ This saying isn¡¯t accurate as my eyes were shut previously. However, I did ¡®see¡¯ that faint ray of light. It seemed like¡­ something had flashed across my mind! But when I opened my eyes, everything disappeared. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. I¡¯ve never had such a feeling before, but after entering this place this time, I became like this for some reason. Besides¡­ I vaguely feel that Elder Meng doesn¡¯t seem to know about this. She tried hard to maintain her expression as her gaze slowly swept across the six doors. Everything was normal. It seemed like¡­ nothing happened. Chu Liuyue silently closed her eyes. In no time, that ray of light surfaced again. This time, Chu Liuyue was finally certain that the light had silently squeezed into her mind! That ray of light seemed to be a fluttering butterfly, going back and forth before her ¡®eyes¡¯ and seemingly drawing something. Vaguely, Chu Liuyue finally saw the outline of it. Then, her heart skipped a beat. That was because¡­ the ray of light actually outlined a door in her mind! With just one glance, Chu Liuyue was certain that this was the door she had previously entered! Chapter 1409 - You Took Action? Didn¡¯t this door disappear? Why did it¡­ appear here? Chu Liuyue was dazed for a long time before she finally accepted this fact. She adjusted her breathing and maintained the expression of everything being normal. Gradually, the outline of the door and the lines became increasingly clear. Finally, it just appeared before Chu Liuyue¡¯s ¡®eyes!¡¯ If only this door could open¡­ Just as this thought flashed across her mind, Chu Liuyue realized that the door really opened! At this point, she realized her consciousness seemed to be controlled by some force, which formed into a tiny figure. That tiny figure was exactly the same as her, and it could move according to her wishes. Just as she was thinking of going in, that figure entered the door! The scene before her ¡®eyes¡¯ changed, and something seemed to rapidly brush past in the surroundings! It brought a gust of cold wind with it! After a while, the surroundings slowly fell silent. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes. Then, she held her breath in. I really entered this door! It was still the same squarish space with messy lines engraved all over. And¡­ the density of the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force seemed exactly the same as before! The invisible force that tumbled around started gathering in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body at high speed! ¡­ On the highest floor in the pagoda. Within the quiet and empty room, an elder in a blue robe sat cross-legged. His hair was white, and his face had many wrinkles, which were the traces of the years that passed. His aura was ethereal, and he seemed like a fairy. The empty air before him floated quietly. The surroundings were so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Suddenly, his brows moved. ¡°Hm?¡± A low and hoarse voice came softly from his throat. The next moment, he opened his eyes¡ªit was a pair of extremely clean and pure gray-colored eyes! Like the purity of a newborn, his eyes also seemed like they had experienced many waves and were deep and filled with tolerance. If one¡¯s gaze met with this pair of eyes, it seemed like all the secrets in the world would become visible. At this point, he was looking at a door not far away. That door seemed to look at him from afar, and the duo was in a stalemate. Deep thoughts flashed across Elder Meng¡¯s eyes. There seems to be¡­ something wrong with this door? But upon closer inspection, it seems rather normal, and I can¡¯t specify what is wrong. Am I thinking too much? Elder Meng calmed his heart. Recently, I have been tortured enough by this thing. Previously, it was rather unstable, and I spent a lot of effort moving it from the first floor to the top floor. I put it in front of me so that I could personally look at it. Nothing can happen again. After staring at that door for quite some time and confirming that nothing was strange with it, Elder Meng then closed his eyes again. However, he still felt quite troubled. ¡°This girl¡­ Does she really not want it anymore? Hmph¡­ If I catch her when she comes back¡­¡± He muttered to himself before he meditated again. Only that door floated quietly. ¡­ Chu Liuyue thought for a long while and was uncertain about what kind of state she was in. Am I inside the door, or¡­ has the door entered my body? My body and everything in my surroundings seem so realistic, but I recall that I¡¯ve stayed at the same spot from start to end and didn¡¯t do anything. Additionally, if there really was such a big movement, there is no reason why Elder Meng wouldn¡¯t come out¡­ Unable to make heads or tails of it, Chu Liuyue swiftly stopped thinking. Time is precious. I have to take all the chances I have to cultivate! After all, it¡¯s not easy to come here. Calming herself down, Chu Liuyue started to focus on cultivation. I¡¯m now a beginner stage-nine warrior, so my cultivation speed is naturally much higher than before. Besides¡­ After coming back from the Flood-Desert Northern Region, I¡¯ve realized that my aura seems to be undergoing obvious changes every day. It seems like I¡¯ve absorbed too much force in the tomb in one go. Now, it is slowly being released and is merging into every inch of my bone and veins. Therefore, my abilities are naturally strengthened. Besides, after I broke through to become a stage-nine warrior, there were way more changes. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and ¡®looked¡¯ at her dantian again. On the water droplet, the nine bright and eye-catching lines were energetic. Although the last line seemed to pale in comparison, it was also very clear. And that black pyramid was now filled with cracks like a spiderweb¡ªespecially in the middle. There was a crack that went down from the tip of the pyramid, almost cutting right through it! Only the last portion of it connected the item together. At first glance, it seemed extremely frail as if a random touch could totally break it! After Chu Liuyue woke up, it was already in this state. Faint light seeped through the cracks with a few hints of illusion. Even Chu Liuyue herself didn¡¯t know when the last part of the seal would be broken, but she could already feel a strong sense of familiarity. Without a doubt, that was indeed her soul! Inside, there were naturally the memories she had forgotten! Chu Liuyue suppressed the temptation in her heart and crazily absorbed the surrounding force. Like river water that rushed down, it harshly passed through the dry riverbed. The dry ground met with spring, and everything was filled with life once again. Chu Liuyue felt that perhaps the day of her soul returning wouldn¡¯t be too far away! ¡­ Jiuheng Peak. Rong Xiu came back from Fengmin Mountain. The moment he reached the door, his expression changed, and his gaze paused on the tightly locked entrance. After a moment, he pushed open the door and entered. Dugu Mobao was waiting in the room. Hearing the sound, he turned around. His exquisite and extravagant purple robe was stained with blood! Rong Xiu knitted his brows. ¡°You took action?¡± Chapter 1410 - Out of Seclusion ¡°I met with some trouble,¡± said Dugu Mobao lightly. Dugu Mobao spoke lightly, but Rong Xiu knew that it was definitely not a small matter that caused him to do this. ¡°I¡¯ve already sealed the news and used some methods. Within a short period of time, there should be no problem,¡± continued Dugu Mobao. Hearing him say this, Rong Xiu swallowed his remaining words. ¡°Where¡¯s Yue¡¯er Girlie?¡± Dugu Mobao paused. ¡°She seems to have already broken through to become a stage-nine warrior, right? It shouldn¡¯t be long before she breaks through and reaches the Apotheosis Realm, right?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°She¡¯s at Fengmin Mountain.¡± Dugu Mobao squinted his eyes and didn¡¯t speak for some time. There seemed to be a faint light glowing in his demonic-like purple eyes. ¡°She wanted to go there herself?¡± ¡°Yes. You guessed it.¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t seem shocked as if he had long expected it. ¡°How much did she recall?¡± Speaking of this, he looked up slightly at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips slightly curled up as he walked over in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know for sure. She was still unconscious for a period of time before. After she woke up, she said she wanted to go to Fengmin Mountain. Other than this, everything seemed normal. As for how much she has recalled and what she has recalled¡­ She refused to reveal it, and I can¡¯t guess either.¡± He naturally knew that Chu Liuyue had recalled quite a few things. If not, she wouldn¡¯t directly request to go to Fengmin Mountain and ask for his help in such a confident manner. But¡­ She seemed like she didn¡¯t want to reveal all her cards. He swiftly did not ask. Dugu Mobao kept silent for a moment. ¡°Let her be. There will be quite some trouble during this period of time, and she can coincidentally avoid it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°With the academy supporting her, I believe those people can¡¯t cause any trouble, but¡­ Are you sure your situation is fine? If not¡ª¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows. The chubby and white face revealed a stern and serious expression, which made it easy for other people to act out of character. But luckily, other than himself, only Rong Xiu was here. ¡°No need.¡± Dugu Mobao picked up the teacup from the side. ¡°With this journey to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, Ling Xiao Academy has suffered quite a bit, and there will be trouble afterward. Look after them more.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°No matter when, the Sky-Cloud Empire and I will stand by Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Hearing this, Dugu Mobao felt more relieved. Even though he was always very picky with Rong Xiu, in comparison, Rong Xiu was already the more dependable one out of all these people. The room fell into temporary silence. ¡°I need to make a trip back to the Red Moon Desert,¡± said Dugu Mobao. ¡°There seems to be some problem with Diwu.¡± Calculating for a moment, he had already been out on this trip for quite some time. It was time for him to go back to take a look. Dugu Mobao could almost imagine how Lan Xiao scolded him behind his back. Originally, he was quite worried, but now that Chu Liuyue had gone to Fengmin Mountain, she probably wouldn¡¯t come out for a while. He could take this chance to make a trip back. ¡°Be careful with everything.¡± Rong Xiu nodded and asked, ¡°When are you going?¡± ¡®Today.¡± Dugu Mobao had always been a very efficient person. Rong Xiu paused. ¡°Then, as for Elder Bo Yan¡¯s side¡­ He seems to have detected something.¡± Dugu Mobao sipped on his tea and nonchalantly said, ¡°Let him be. You don¡¯t have to care about him.¡± Anyway, they won¡¯t be able to find out anything in such a short period of time. Hearing Dugu Mobao say that, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t ask further. ¡°Then, be careful with everything.¡± Dugu Mobao placed his teacup down and walked forward. When he walked to the middle of the room, he stopped. Thump! A small spark suddenly burned on his clothes! Everywhere the fire passed, the bloodstains disappeared, and the robe became as good as new. Under the accompaniment of the spark, the scale-like light shone faintly. In no time, he had already recovered his normal appearance. Then, he raised his hand and drew. The empty air shook, and a crack appeared in the air! Dugu Mobao turned around to glance at Rong Xiu. ¡°During this period, I¡¯ll leave Yue¡¯er Girlie to you. You must take good care of her.¡± ¡°I am responsible for her and won¡¯t shrink away from my duty. I will do my best.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. I naturally need to dote on my own princess consort. Dugu Mobao grunted coldly and stepped in. His tiny figure disappeared from the room. The space crack quickly recovered, and the energy ripples in the room were quickly appeased. Everything was still peaceful and quiet as if nothing had happened. Rong Xiu stood quietly at his spot for a while. Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He raised his sharp brows slightly and looked at the window. Extremely faint and cold smiling intent seemed to flash across his eyes. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± It seems like those people have gone to the Sky-Cloud Empire and plan on¡­ letting us be scapegoats together? ¡°Xue Xue,¡± yelled Rong Xiu suddenly. Xue Xue¡ªwho had automatically disappeared for a long time¡ªfinally appeared as it stuck its snow-white head out from behind the screen. ¡°Make a trip back to the Sky-Cloud Empire first.¡± Xue Xue¡¯s gaze, which was originally filled with intense hope, instantly darkened. Go back? What¡¯s so good about going back! My dear Yue¡¯er is here! Even though I can¡¯t see her, I should at least be in the same place as her! If I go back, who knows when I can see her again? Rong Xiu glanced at it, and his gaze turned slightly cold. ¡°The clan leader is finally coming out of seclusion¡­ We must show some form of appreciation.¡± Shock flashed across Xue Xue¡¯s eyes. Coming out of seclusion? Back then, didn¡¯t¡ª Meeting Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze, Xue Xue suppressed its inner doubts, sneezed, and obediently went away. When the fiend¡¯s figure disappeared, the corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips then curved up slightly. He could actually come out of seclusion¡­ That¡¯s¡­ even more interesting. Chapter 1411 - Purple Scale The Liang family rushed to the Sky-Cloud Empire at the fastest speed and coincidentally met Jiang Hetian, who was about to leave. When enemies met, their eyes would turn especially red. Due to Liang Shaokang¡¯s death, Liang Yiye and Liang Xiaoxiao now treated everyone from the entire Fairy Water Mound as their enemies. This naturally included the Jiang family head, Jiang Hetian! Seeing them come ferociously, Jiang Hetian had mostly understood what happened. This was because before they came, he had already made Jiang Zhiyuan tell him in detail about whatever happened in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Jiang Zhiyuan also knew that her father was the most dependable at this time, so she said everything. That included Liang Shaokang¡¯s incident. ¡°Master Liang.¡± Jiang Hetian cupped his fists in a very polite manner. However, the other party didn¡¯t fall for this. Liang Yiye surveyed his surroundings and realized that only Jiang Hetian was here without Jiang Zhiyuan. His heart sank. ¡°Where¡¯s Jiang Zhiyuan?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking about my daughter? Oh, she has just followed 36 Respected Elder Ming and Respected Elder Yu Jing into the Sky-Cloud Empire to accompany the clan leader at Wan Zhong Mountain.¡± Jiang Hetian described it relaxingly. However, his words had another meaning as he revealed an important piece of news¡ªJiang Zhiyuan now had the Sky-Cloud Empire protecting her! Liang Yiye and his daughter had a slight change in expression. We quickly rushed over as we were afraid that such a situation would happen. We didn¡¯t expect¡ª ¡°Hah, that¡¯s really weird. Jiang Zhiyuan has already been expelled from Ling Xiao Academy. Logically speaking, it¡¯s not very possible for the Sky-Cloud Empire to accept her at this time, right? Why¡­ would they let her in?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have such good patience, and she directly spoke coldly. Jiang Hetian was displeased, but as the other party had a higher status, he could only hold it in and laugh. ¡°Even though Zhiyuan is my¡ªJiang Zhiyuan¡¯s daughter, she has grown up in the Sky-Cloud Empire since she was young and has a close relationship with the clan leader. The venerables in the Sky-Cloud Empire also treat her as their closest junior. What¡¯s so strange about this incident?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao sneered. Even that Jiang Zhiyuan is worthy? The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader is still in seclusion. It is impossible for him to stand up for Jiang Zhiyuan now, not to mention that the current situation isn¡¯t like before. The Sky-Cloud Empire now has a true and legitimate princess consort around! How could Jiang Zhiyuan trample around like before? I really don¡¯t know what kind of tricks that b*tch used¡­ ¡°Master Liang, if you want to see Zhiyuan, it¡¯s not impossible. You can directly ask the guard to announce your arrival. However¡­ Zhiyuan came all the way here to accompany the clan leader until he is out of seclusion. I¡¯m not sure if she can come out.¡± Seeing that this matter was settled, Jiang Hetian was much bolder. ¡°You¡ª¡± Liang Xiaoxiao was enraged and was about to go forward. ¡°Xiaoxiao,¡± Liang Yiye was still calm and boomed after her. Liang Xiaoxiao then forcefully suppressed the fire in her heart. ¡°Since she has already entered the Sky-Cloud Empire, we shan¡¯t disturb further.¡± Liang Yiye was very decisive. The Sky-Cloud Empire won¡¯t be ignorant of the consequences of doing so. Yet, they still did it. There must be a problem! ¡°Father¡ª¡± Liang Xiaoxiao was filled with indignation. Liang Yiye glanced at her with deep meaning before he turned around to leave. Liang Xiaoxiao stomped her feet and could only rapidly follow. Looking at their backs filled with failure, Jiang Hetian¡¯s uneasy heart finally relaxed. No matter what¡­ At least we managed to avoid this rather big problem. With the Sky-Cloud Empire, our Fairy Water Mound¡­ will be fine! ¡­ ¡°Father, why did you stop me just now? I want to ask if the people from the Sky-Cloud Empire are crazy! Why would such a b*tch be worthy of their protection?!¡± On the way back, Liang Xiaoxiao was still enraged. In comparison, Liang Yiye was much calmer. ¡°If you know all of this, why do you think the people from the Sky-Cloud Empire don¡¯t know?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao was dazed. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± ¡°The Jiang father-daughter duo clearly has more trump cards, which caused the Sky-Cloud Empire to give in. But I don¡¯t know¡­ what exactly it is,¡± Liang Yiye muttered and was very confused. ¡°Xiaoxiao, you were on good terms with her in the past. Do you know?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°That person does everything for herself, and she¡¯s very meticulous. If she really has such an amazing trump card, do you think she would let me know about it?¡± Liang Yiye knitted his brows tightly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ it will be hard to cause trouble for her. Who knows when the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader will come out of seclusion? And when he does, what should we do if he protects Jiang Zhiyuan even more?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao kept quiet for some time before she said, ¡°That¡¯s strange. At the end of the day, Jiang Zhiyuan is just a subordinate in the Sky-Cloud Empire. How does she have her current status? I heard that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader doted on her a lot since she was young and specifically brought her to the Sky-Cloud Empire to raise her up. If it weren¡¯t because of this, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be in the spotlight.¡± Liang Yiye shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid only they know the secrets behind this mystery.¡± ¡°Father, what should we do next then? We can¡¯t just let her off like that, right?!¡± No matter what, Liang Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t willing to do this. Liang Yiye thought for a while. ¡°First, send someone to investigate and see if they can find any evidence. Also¡­ there have been quite a few people checking Chu Yue lately. Do you have any understanding of him?¡± ¡°Chu Yue? Doesn¡¯t he have a good relationship with Rong Xiu? As for the rest¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± Even though Chu Yue was quite famous in the academy during this period of time, his background was still a mystery. ¡°It seems like Rong Xiu wants to protect him¡­ However, I heard that Chu Yue broke through as a stage-eight warrior to become a stage-nine warrior in the Flood-Desert Northern Region in a mere few days. Then, he was even brought away by a group of mysterious people. You need to know that quite a few aristocratic families have suffered a loss there this time¡­¡± Without obtaining the Heavenly Square Cauldron, how would they be convinced? Perhaps this trouble would land on Chu Yue in the end. Liang Yiye thought for a long while. ¡°Go back to the academy first and see what exactly is up with that Chu Yue. I¡¯ll go and ask the other aristocratic families and see what they¡¯re planning. Perhaps¡­ I might be able to get some clues about Shaokang from them.¡± Even though Liang Xiaoxiao wanted to settle Jiang Zhiyuan immediately, she knew that with the Sky-Cloud Empire around, this wasn¡¯t something that could be done in a day or two. Now, the only thing she could do was to restrategize. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. Dong Huang Clock Tower. Elder Bo Yan sat in the room alone and held a thick booklet in his hands. Ever since the director left, the academy¡¯s booklet was in his charge. This booklet recorded the names of every elder and student in the past 10,000 years of Ling Xiao Academy. Of course, there were the directors as well. He stared at the booklet¡¯s totem for some time before he took a deep breath in and chose to open it. On the first page were the recorded names of every director. Elder Bo Yan¡¯s gaze swept past them one by one and finally landed at the top. There was no name there, only a purple scale. 1 Chapter 1412 - Protect That purple scale was the size of a nail and glowed faintly. Upon closer look, there was an engraved pattern that protruded out slightly¡ªit was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s totem! And this scale was left behind by Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s first director! Different from the other directors after him, this director didn¡¯t leave his name behind. He only left this purple scale to signify his status. In actual fact, even though Ling Xiao Academy was the top academy in the God Residence Realm with a famous reputation, nobody knew the name of the first director. Back when he journeyed through the mainland, he had used many names, and nobody knew which were real and which were fake. After creating Ling Xiao Academy, everyone only addressed him as ¡®director.¡¯ Tens of thousands of years had passed, and everything had changed. Legends and rumors of that person had mostly been drowned out in the passing years, and nobody brought him up again. Only the appointed directors of Ling Xiao Academy had the right to know this person¡¯s real name. Even though Elder Bo Yan was helping to take care of everything in the academy, he still had no power and right to see the name behind this purple scale. He stared at it for a while before he averted his gaze and glanced at the last name on the page. This person is still gone without a trace¡­ Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t help but sigh internally. ¡°Director, you must come back quickly¡­¡± Knock knock! Knocks were suddenly heard, interrupting Elder Bo Yan¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Bo Yan, we¡¯re in trouble!¡± This was Elder Wen Xi¡¯s voice with rare anxiety and nervousness. Elder Bo Yan¡¯s heart sank slightly. He closed the book, put it away carefully, and turned around to open the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Once he opened the door, he met Elder Wen Xi¡¯s gaze filled with worry. I have never seen Wen Xi reveal such an expression. Elder Wen Xi swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± ¡°They?¡± ¡°The top-tier aristocratic families that went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region previously!¡± Elder Wen Xi spoke very quickly. ¡°They said that¡­ they have some things to clarify with Chu Yue, and they asked us to hand him over!¡± ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s blood boiled. ¡°This entire incident was planned meticulously by someone. They can¡¯t find out who the mastermind is, so they came to cause trouble for Chu Yue?!¡± This is really illogical! ¡°Bo Yan¡­¡± Elder Wen Xi took a deep breath in. ¡°You also know that every single one of their families has people who died in the nine gullies. Chu Yue was the only one who went in and had clearly benefited from it. T-they feel that Chu Yue should give an explanation for this¡­¡± Strictly speaking, Jiang Zhiyuan had gone in as well. However, she was chased out by Chu Yue not long later. Back then, quite a few people had seen this clearly. Right after that¡­ Chu Yue had somehow sealed the barrier, stopping others from entering. These were all facts that couldn¡¯t be changed. In that case, it didn¡¯t seem baseless for them to push all of this to Chu Yue. If not, they wouldn¡¯t work together and storm Ling Xiao Academy. Elder Bo Yan furrowed his brows tightly. I haven¡¯t seen this incident personally, but I did hear Elder Hua Feng mention it. Back then, I already faintly felt that it was inappropriate. Now¡­ trouble has really come! ¡°I¡¯ll meet them personally!¡± ¡­ Fangzhou City. Compared to the bustling streets, it was empty and quiet now. Only the place where Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s barrier connected was dark. Everyone in the city had heard the news and carefully went back to hide. They were terrified that they would be implicated. There were only a few dozen people standing here, but the factions they represented were all the top-tier aristocratic families and clans in the God Residence Realm! With a random stomp of their feet, the entire God Residence Realm would shake! Ordinary people naturally wanted to avoid this, but they had suspicions in their hearts. I wonder what happened that caused these people to make an alliance and confront Ling Xiao Academy? This is the first time this has happened in hundreds of years! ¡­ The crowd stood at the side, and all of them were quiet. The atmosphere was suppressive, and the air was stiff. It was suffocating. Not far away on the other side, the few elders in charge of the barrier had dark expressions. The two parties were in a stalemate and would explode with a touch! When Elder Bo Yan rushed over, this was the scene he saw. Although his blood was boiling, he had to calm himself down first. He took a deep breath in and was about to walk out of the barrier. ¡°Bo Yan¡­¡± Elder Wen Xi called him rather hesitantly. The incoming people aren¡¯t friendly, and it would be dangerous for us to go out abruptly. Elder Bo Yan gave the few of them a reassuring gaze. These people only want to use their authority to force us to hand Chu Yue over. They don¡¯t really want to go against Ling Xiao Academy completely. I currently represent the entire academy. They won¡¯t dare to do anything against me casually. After comforting them, Elder Bo Yan stepped out of the barrier. He stood in front of the barrier and cupped his fists toward the crowd. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve come a long way to get here. Why didn¡¯t you tell us in advance? It won¡¯t be good if we can¡¯t host you properly.¡± As he spoke, he silently scanned these people¡¯s faces. Mm, they are mostly familiar appearances. Quite a few of them even have personal grudges. Today, they actually all stand on the same side so that we can hand Chu Yue over. How ridiculous. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, we¡¯re all old acquaintances, so let¡¯s lay our cards on the table!¡± A middle-aged man spoke. ¡°I believe you already know why we¡¯re here. Whether you want to hand the person over is up to you!¡± Elder Bo Yan laughed, but there was no smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°Since this is so, I won¡¯t have to say any more nonsense. However, there has to be a reason if you want our Ling Xiao Academy to hand the person over, right?¡± ¡°Reason? Elder Bo Yan, you should know this reason, right? Do you dare to say that Chu Yue has nothing to do with the Flood-Desert Northern Region incident?¡± A slightly younger man spoke out loud. His face had a few hints of anger. ¡°So many people died, and only Chu Yue has benefited greatly. Also, he clearly has something to do with the gully¡­ You should just ask him to come out and speak to us clearly!¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s brows undetectably furrowed as he glanced at that young man. Many parties have collaborated, and their capabilities are formidable. This has even caused them to think too highly of themselves. ¡°Chu Yue is my Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s student. If he really has done something wrong, we will let this go. But if someone wants to smear his name and bully him¡­ We definitely won¡¯t agree!¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t high, but every word was determined. There was a strong aura in his words! The crowd immediately fell silent. Elder Bo Yan then stroked his beard and slowly said, ¡°Besides, you came at the wrong time. He has just been locked up in Fengmin Mountain. I¡¯m afraid¡­ he won¡¯t be able to come out in a short period of time.¡± Chapter 1413 - Give In Once he said this, the crowd burst into an uproar. They didn¡¯t send him there earlier or later, yet he sent him there right at this time. Isn¡¯t this clearly protecting him? ¡°Elder Bo Yan, if I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, Fengmin Mountain seems to be a place where Ling Xiao Academy specifically punishes students. Why is Chu Yue locked up there for no reason?¡± A rather sharp voice was heard. The scene fell silent for a moment. All pairs of eyes looked at Elder Bo Yan with much intuition and doubt. Elder Bo Yan stroked his beard. ¡°He has indeed broken quite a few of the academy rules. Originally, he should¡¯ve been immediately locked inside after he came back, but he was unconscious back then. Hence, we let it slide. We only sent him over when he woke up and was feeling better.¡± The other party was relentless. ¡°Oh? Elder Bo Yan, is it convenient for you to reveal what rules Chu Yue flouted so that we can know a thing or two?¡± Upon hearing this, Elder Bo Yan¡¯s smile faded slightly. ¡°This is my Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s matter. No matter if it¡¯s a punishment or a reward, it seems¡­ to have nothing to do with outsiders, and I don¡¯t have to give others an explanation, right?¡± We are normally just more discreet, but it doesn¡¯t mean that Ling Xiao Academy can be bullied by anyone! If anyone wants to interfere in the academy¡¯s business, the world will be in chaos! Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words caused the crowd to be unable to retort. He controlled the entire Ling Xiao Academy at the moment. Whoever he said was in the wrong would be in the wrong. Whoever he wanted to punish, nobody could say anything about it. Detecting the coldness and anger in Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words, the other party curtly shut his mouth. However, the others didn¡¯t plan on letting the matter slide just like this. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, we have no intention of intervening with your academy¡¯s matters. But for Chu Yue¡­ We came here, and we must have an explanation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve known each other for so many years, and you also know that we¡¯re not unreasonable. If not forced, we wouldn¡¯t want to offend the academy as well and suddenly pop up here. Today¡­ we really don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°In the Flood-Desert Northern Region, all the clans suffered great losses, and only Chu Yue benefitted alone. It is really hard for one not to suspect him. Actually, Elder Bo Yan, you don¡¯t have to be this nervous. You just have to call Chu Yue over and ask him to give an explanation for this incident in front of everyone. In that situation, everyone can speak openly, and it would be good for everyone, right?¡± Everyone chipped in a word or two, and many things were said. Yet, Elder Bo Yan heard it and sneered in his heart continuously. I have lived for so many years. What kind of scene have I not seen before? It looks like these people are indeed considering our relationship. But in actual fact, this isn¡¯t the case! If they really are this reasonable, they wouldn¡¯t directly rush to Fangzhou City and put up such a formation. In other words, the sword is already on their shoulders, yet they pretend like they want to communicate properly. How is this believable? How laughable! Elder Bo Yan also had very high endurance. Even though he was fuming mad, his expression didn¡¯t change as he still controlled himself and was courteous. As the other party spoke, he listened. It was only until the other people kept chipping in sentences and words, spoke until their throats were dry, and had finished everything that had to be said that he then slowly nodded. ¡°Everyone makes sense.¡± Quite a few people had their eyes light up. ¡°However¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words took a turn. ¡°I also have some things to say to you. The Flood-Desert Northern Region is very dangerous. From ancient times to present times, many strong warriors have gone there without returning. Everyone, you should¡¯ve known this when you first brought people over, right? Not to mention you guys, even my Ling Xiao Academy was in perilous situations. We lost three elders and many students! You come and ask our Ling Xiao Academy for an explanation, then¡­ Who should we find?¡± The crowd was stumped. ¡°Besides, at the very beginning, everyone risked their lives to go to the Flood-Desert Northern Region most probably for the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Now, every single thing has proven that this was just fake news purposely released by someone, and the motive was to lure everyone there and harm us. You¡¯re not investigating who the mastermind is, yet you come to my Ling Xiao Academy and interrogate a teen? Do you feel that he has planned all of this on his own?¡± Quite a few faces from the other party started turning ugly. ¡°I know why you¡¯re not letting go of Chu Yue. It¡¯s just because he obtained a twist of fate in the Flood-Desert Northern Region, so you think he¡¯s problematic. However¡­ Nobody can be sure about luck. Just because he coincidentally gained something, he has to be surrounded and attacked in this manner. Isn¡¯t this¡­ too unfair? You might not know, but Chu Yue originally didn¡¯t go on this trip to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. It was because someone used some tricks later on to lure Hua Feng and the rest over, so he followed.¡± Elder Bo Yan laughed, and his old and deep gaze swept past the crowd. ¡°And there¡¯s one last thing I want to ask everyone. You want to ask Chu Yue for an explanation, but can you produce a single piece of evidence that proves that your people¡¯s deaths are related to Chu Yue at all?¡± Once he said this, the entire place was silent. Actually, they also knew that they were being unreasonable on the basis of them being the majority. At the end of the day, they were just indignant. Yet, they couldn¡¯t find the culprit, so they could only find a substitute to unleash their anger on. Everyone thought that Ling Xiao Academy would hand Chu Yue over when they saw that they stepped forward in unison. However, they didn¡¯t expect Elder Bo Yan¡¯s attitude to be so stubborn and that he wanted to protect Chu Yue to the end. This caused some people to start doubting Chu Yue¡¯s identity. After a temporary stalemate, Elder Bo Yan softened his tone and harmoniously said, ¡°Actually, I can understand everyone¡¯s feelings. After all, it¡¯s not easy for any aristocratic family to produce a strong warrior, not to mention that everyone has suffered a great loss on the Flood-Desert Northern Region trip. Why don¡¯t we do this? We can first work together to investigate this matter. Power lies in numbers¡ªperhaps we might be able to find something out. Besides, when Chu Yue comes out from Fengming Mountain, I can then ask him to give everyone an explanation.¡± Elder Bo Yan took a step back to make progress and give them an out. Quite a few people hesitated. They originally weren¡¯t willing to completely go against Ling Xiao Academy. If they could discuss and come up with a solution, that would be for the best. Besides, even if Chu Yue could hide in Ling Xiao Academy for a while, it was impossible for him to hide there forever. As long as they wanted to find him, there would be a chance. Since Elder Bo Yan had said so much, perhaps they should also take a step back. ¡°Since this is so, then¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid this won¡¯t do.¡± An objection suddenly sounded. Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows and looked over. The person speaking was Jin Di. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, everyone present came from distant places just for Chu Yue to come out and explain everything. If we just go back now, when will we have to wait until?¡± Chapter 1414 - My Relationship with Her Elder Bo Yan¡¯s voice became much colder. ¡°But Chu Yue is already locked in Fengmin Mountain now-¡± ¡°Won¡¯t he be locked or released with your one word?¡± Jin Di stroked his chin and smiled in a sinister manner. ¡°We still can¡¯t trouble him to show his presence with so many of us here?¡± He didn¡¯t care what other people thought. Anyway, since he was already here, he wouldn¡¯t be chased away so easily! Others were afraid of offending Ling Xiao Academy, but he wasn¡¯t! After all, they already had a grudge before this. Once Jin Di spoke, it instantly caused the people on the fence to change their minds again. Yeah! We¡¯ve spent quite a bit of effort to come this time. If we really let it slide, won¡¯t we have made a futile journey? ¡°Jin Di¡¯s words make sense. Elder Bo Yan, think of the bigger picture. Why don¡¯t you get Chu Yue to come over?¡± ¡°Yeah! Anyway, we¡¯re all here, and we won¡¯t do anything to him.¡± ¡°Besides, he should know the most. Won¡¯t directly asking him be much more efficient than us investigating like headless flies?¡± The crowd was influenced once again. Elder Bo Yan had his hands behind his back and slowly clenched his fists. These people¡­ It seems like they aren¡¯t so easy to chase away! His gaze turned slightly cold. Just as he was about to speak, a low and melodious voice sounded from behind. ¡°Chu Yue can¡¯t come here for now. Everyone, if you have any questions, just ask me.¡± The crowd looked at the incoming person, and the scene fell silent for a moment. The man that slowly walked in stood upright with a demonically handsome appearance. From head to toe, from inside to out, he seemed to have stolen all the glory in the world, and every part of him was perfect. He was really breathtakingly handsome. Elder Bo Yan was stunned. ¡°Rong Xiu, why are you here?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly at an extremely faint angle. ¡°It¡¯s rare for this place to be so crowded. Besides¡­ it¡¯s not that easy to see so many important characters in the God Residence Realm at once. Of course, I have to come here and take a look.¡± He said ¡®I¡¯ in a distinguished manner. He wasn¡¯t speaking as a student from the academy but as the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace! Elder Bo Yan¡¯s gaze flickered. Rong Xiu had already stepped forward. His cold and nonchalant gaze silently swept across the crowd. The crowd had various expressions. Most of them actually hadn¡¯t seen Rong Xiu before. This famous Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace came to the world with nothing and only used a few years to take control of everything. And they had always seen his deeds but not his face. In the God Residence Realm, the top-tier families had their residences very far away from each other. If there was nothing major, they would basically not interact. Hence, there naturally weren¡¯t many chances for them to see him personally. Now that they saw him, he indeed lived up to his name. Even though he was young, his aura didn¡¯t lose out to all of these characters that had been in command for many years! ¡°Rong Xiu, are you saying that¡­ you can speak for Chu Yue?¡± Jin Di¡¯s voice was filled with doubts. ¡°This means that you know everything that happened to him in the Flood-Desert Northern Region and that you can say it clearly?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and faintly retorted, ¡°Are you doubting me?¡± Jin Di was stumped. Just as he was about to retort angrily, he met Rong Xiu¡¯s pair of deep and icy eyes. At that moment, coldness filled his heart, and more than half his anger had subsided for some reason. That pair of nonchalant, imperious, and mighty eyes caused him to suddenly recall that with the other party¡¯s identity, he did have the right to speak to him in this manner! Rong Xiu was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace. The most important thing was that he had authority in his hands! Only the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s sect leader could be on par with him. And he, Jin Di, didn¡¯t have this right at all. Even if he was older and more experienced, it was still not enough! The atmosphere became stiff, cold, and strange. They might¡¯ve dared to threaten Elder Bo Yan, but they didn¡¯t dare to do so to Rong Xiu. This was because Elder Bo Yan wouldn¡¯t dare to bet the entire academy, but Rong Xiu could use his power in the Sky-Cloud Empire to fight with them till the end! This was a harsh character who killed without blinking! All these years, there had been many rumors regarding His Grace, and most of them were filled with blood, gore, and violence. He could even exterminate one of the 28 divisions in the Sky-Cloud Empire, Peerless Palace, let alone others. After a while, someone curtly asked, ¡°Rong Xiu, what identity are you using¡­ to help Chu Yue answer these questions?¡± Everyone straightened their eyes. Even Elder Bo Yan¡¯s heart tightened. This is actually asking about the relationship between the duo. Rong Xiu¡¯s reply will decide what attitude they will have toward Chu Yue, so it is very important. Amidst the silence, Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly, and the corner of his lips had a few hints of a smile. ¡°If I must categorize it¡­ I¡¯m his direct kin. Now, you can ask whatever you want to know.¡± ¡­ Red Moon Desert. At this point, it was daytime, and the sun was high in the sky. The yellow sand rolled, and the air seemed to be distorted by the heat waves. A curvy and muscular figure suddenly appeared on a sand ball! Suddenly, the surrounding yellow sand rapidly gathered. In the blink of an eye, it turned into many sand balls and rushed toward that person from all directions! Whoosh! That figure instantly disappeared from the spot! These sand balls smashed into each other and rapidly crumbled. The next moment, that figure appeared again on another sand ball about a few yards away. Shoo! A ball of yellow sand formed a fist and suddenly came out from the empty air, going straight for the back of that person¡¯s head! However, there seemed to be eyes on the back of that person¡¯s head as she bent her body and rapidly pounced forward! She barely managed to escape that attack! At the same time, her feet quickly moved, and her long legs kicked! Thump! The fist-sized yellow sand ball was instantly kicked and exploded. At this point, that figure seemed to have heaved a sigh of relief. She straightened her body and smiled brightly as her pair of almond-like eyes lit up. This person was precisely Mu Hongyu, who Chu Liuyue had specifically sent over to cultivate here! After staying here for a few months, her originally white face had become tanned, and she was malt-colored now. Facing high-intensity training every day, she almost had no time to rest. But luckily, she still gritted her teeth and persisted through it. ¡°Senior Diwu, I¡¯ve finally passed the test this time, right?¡± Chapter 1415 - Worry Only the Heavens knew how much she had suffered for this day. However, what comforted her was that her abilities truly strengthened rapidly during this process! Just yesterday, she had just broken through to become a stage-nine warrior! This was also the reason why she could handle such a difficult and complicated assessment in such a relaxed manner. Before she came here, even she didn¡¯t expect to complete such a major breakthrough in such a short period of time. ¡°Yeah.¡± Elder Diwu¡¯s voice that contained laughter sounded. Not far away, light ripples appeared on the clear lake. ¡°Before you broke through to become a stage-nine warrior, your abilities had strengthened greatly. This is nothing to you now.¡± Receiving an affirmative compliment, Mu Hongyu smiled even brighter. ¡°Thank you, Senior Diwu! Then¡ª¡± She blinked and asked rather uneasily, ¡°Previously, you said that you¡¯d send me to see Liuyue if I passed the test¡­¡± ¡°Haha, I knew you¡¯d bring this up! Don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t go back on what I promised you!¡± Elder Diwu replied very heartily. ¡°However, you can¡¯t rush this matter, and you must wait for an opportune time.¡± Mu Hongyu was rather confused. Opportune time? What kind of opportune time? At this time, an ear-piercing sound was heard! Mu Hongyu turned around. A ray of purple light flew from the sky! In the blink of an eye, it had already reached her. Mu Hongyu widened her eyes slightly and found this aura very familiar. Hang on! Isn¡¯t this¡ª Whoosh! Before she could see clearly, the other party¡¯s figure had disappeared! Only a scarce shadow that gradually dissipated was left behind! In the lake not far away, a soft sound could be heard. Mu Hongyu instinctively held her breath in. It should be¡­ that person who came back, right? But why does it seem like Liuyue didn¡¯t come back with him? Mu Hongyu surveyed her surroundings uncertainly. She was rather disappointed when she indeed didn¡¯t see that familiar figure. ¡°Hongyu, go and rest first.¡± Diwu Zhangze¡¯s voice sounded. Mu Hongyu was very confused, but she still acknowledged it obediently. ¡°Yes.¡± She took a few looks in the lake¡¯s direction before her figure flashed, and she disappeared into thin air! ¡­ Below the lake, there was an extremely discreet space. The four walls were made from black Xuan metal. Each of them was engraved with a strange pattern that exuded faint light. Rays of light intersected and overlapped each other, forming a gigantic and complicated symbol. Heavy suppression kept exuding from it¡ªit could almost suppress everything! Below these two symbols, two faint figures were suppressed. They were Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao! These symbols passed through the top of their heads and bodies, nailing them to this place! Other than during the night of a red moon, they couldn¡¯t leave this place at all. This was a cage! A purple light glowed, and Dugu Mobao¡¯s figure gradually appeared. Then, his gaze calmly and silently swept across the two. When he saw Lan Xiao, he knitted his brows. That was because Lan Xiao¡¯s figure was clearly much fainter than that of Diwu Zhangze, and his aura was slightly weaker. Additionally, his ever-handsome face was half-rotten! He sat down cross-legged with his brows tightly furrowed, clearly not in good condition. ¡°Big Baby, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Diwu Zhangze sighed deeply. ¡°What happened to him?¡± asked Dugu Mobao with a boom. Lan Xiao thought very highly of his own face, so he definitely wouldn¡¯t allow his face to end up in this state. This showed that something must¡¯ve happened. Diwu Zhangze sighed helplessly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because he wants to leave this hellhole! After you left, he also wanted to try to reform his Holy Body, but he didn¡¯t succeed¡­ and ended up like this.¡± Lan Xiao wasn¡¯t as strong as Dugu Mobao. Dugu Mobao failed once and still had the energy to try the second time, but Lan Xiao didn¡¯t. Additionally, Dugu Mobao could succeed because he relied on the help of Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue together. How could Lan Xiao succeed when he was alone? ¡°Stupid! Impulsive!¡± Dugu Mobao was enraged. ¡°Does he not know how dangerous it is?! He has waited so many years. Why can¡¯t he just wait a while longer?¡± Diwu Zhangze laughed bitterly and shook his head. ¡°I tried to advise him too, but¡­ you took action previously, right?¡± Dugu Mobao paused. ¡°I¡¯ve already sealed the news¡ª¡± ¡°As long as you take action, the other party can detect it. It is just a matter of time.¡± Diwu Zhangze interrupted Dugu Mobao for once. ¡°If it weren¡¯t because you met with great trouble, you definitely wouldn¡¯t take action. Lan Xiao was anxious, so¡ª¡± Dugu Mobao kept silent for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s all because I wasn¡¯t considerate enough. Back then, the situation was too anxious, so I didn¡¯t think so much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always meticulous, so how could you not consider things? You must¡¯ve reached a dead end, so you had to do this.¡± They had known each other for many years and understood each other very well. Others might believe his words, but he couldn¡¯t trick the other party. After a momentary silence, Dugu Mobao then said, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s talk about this later; I¡¯ll treat his wounds first.¡± Diwu Zhangze nodded. During this time, he had also spent quite a lot of effort trying to stabilize Lan Xiao¡¯s injury. But without the Holy Body, he had no independence, and his abilities were limited. He only could rely on Dugu Mobao. ¡°Oh right, how is Yue¡¯er Girlie?¡± asked Diwu Zhangze concernedly. They had gone for a few months, and they didn¡¯t know how their situation was there. Dugu Mobao¡¯s brows moved slightly. ¡°She¡­ should be able to break through and reach the Apotheosis Realm soon.¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. Chu Liuyue had no idea about whatever was happening outside. She had closed her eyes tightly, and her entire person seemed to enter a certain special state. And her aura started strengthening at a shocking speed! Chapter 1416 - Strong! ¡°Hm?¡± Elder Meng¡ªwho was sitting cross-legged on the highest floor¡ªsuddenly widened his eyes, and his face had a strange expression. ¡°Why is that kid¡­ cultivating at such a high speed?!¡± He hasn¡¯t come in for a long time, but why is his surrounding aura strengthening by so much? Elder Meng faintly felt that something was amiss, so he retracted the ashes floating in front of him. Then, he walked down and wanted to personally see what was going on. The moment he took two steps out, he paused in his tracks and turned around to take a look. In that empty room, that door floated quietly. It seemed no different from before, and the uneasy commotion didn¡¯t occur again. There shouldn¡¯t be¡­ any more problems, right¡­ he silently thought. Suppressing his tumultuous uneasiness, Elder Meng went downstairs. His figure quickly disappeared. A strange pattern quickly flashed across the door that was floating alone! Then, it immediately disappeared! ¡­ The pagoda at Fengmin Mountain had a total of seven floors. Normally, Elder Meng would stay on the top floor. He would only come down when there was a special situation. However, there weren¡¯t many such situations, especially¡­ because of a student. Elder Meng followed the stairs down, and his steps made no sound. Without incurring any commotion, he silently came down. When he reached the second floor, he finally stopped for a moment and looked down at the young man sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room. That young man had his eyes shut, and his appearance was calm and motionless. Compared to before, he didn¡¯t seem to have changed. However¡­ his surroundings faintly had rich force moving about¡ªit was about to overwhelm him! This was the movement that would only occur when a cultivator was crazily absorbing force and when their capabilities were rapidly strengthening! Elder Meng knitted his brows slightly. Although the Heaven and Earth Force in this pagoda can be considered rich¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem to be to this extent¡­ He stared at Chu Yue for quite a while and finally noticed something amiss. A portion of the force moving in Chu Yue¡¯s body seems to be coming from within his body! As he absorbs the force from outside, he is digging the force within his body and completely merging it with himself! With attacks from both inside and out, he can improve his skills rapidly! Elder Meng squinted his eyes. It seems like this kid has some abilities¡­ Previously, I felt that Chu Yue was definitely not as simple as he seemed. Now, it is truly the case! Suddenly, a ray of brilliant light flew out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s left palm! The strong suppression spread toward the surroundings! Whir! That is¡­ Elder Meng widened his eyes slightly. ¡°Holy force?!¡± I¡¯ve long known that Chu Yue has a holy force in his body, but in this situation¡­ Chu Yue wants to merge this holy force? Elder Meng was caught between laughter and tears. During these few months that Chu Yue has been in Ling Xiao Academy, even though his abilities have strengthened rapidly, and he even directly broke through to become a stage-nine warrior after he came back from the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡­ A stage-nine warrior is still a stage-nine warrior. Only a legendary warrior can merge holy force. Chu Yue is still far away from this step! Elder Meng could not help but shake his head. It seems like this kid is very ambitious. It¡¯s right for him to want to become stronger, but he has to be reasonable, right? At the end of the day, he¡¯s still a young and ambitious kid¡­ Elder Meng watched Chu Yue for a while and felt that his previous worry and uneasiness were unnecessary. He thought for a moment and didn¡¯t disturb Chu Yue. Young people have to suffer first before they will grow! I should just do my own things! Thinking of this, Elder Meng turned back. Like the way he came, he still left without a sound. ¡­ That ray of brilliant light encircled Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. The bright light shone on her face and made her white porcelain-like skin look even clearer. Within her body, an immeasurable amount of force rushed around in her Yuan meridian, almost becoming the wind! Her body seemed to be surrounded by warm spring water. The warmth and her force passed through every part of her body and silently rejuvenated it. Every inch of her bones and muscles was undergoing a shocking change silently! At one moment, she ¡®opened¡¯ her eyes. When she saw that she was still in the squarish and strange space, Chu Liuyue knew that she wasn¡¯t seeing this with her physical eye. A ray of bright light flashed before her¡ªit looked very charming. That seemed to be the holy force hidden in her body. Chu Liuyue felt rather strange because she didn¡¯t know how it came out by itself. However¡­ A thought suddenly surfaced in her mind. If I can completely merge this holy force, it will definitely be very beneficial to my cultivation. Chu Liuyue faintly felt that she was guided by something as she raised her hands and grabbed that ball of light. The ray of light was like flowing sand as it flowed between her fingers. It¡¯s naturally impossible for a stage-nine warrior to absorb holy force. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and laughed at herself in self-mockery, wanting to retract her hand. But right at this moment, something changed on the wall in front of her. She felt something and looked up. She saw that the strange lines suddenly moved! The lines gathered together. In the blink of an eye, a strange pattern was formed. Chu Liuyue looked at it, knitted her brows, and felt that this pattern was rather familiar. The next moment, that ball of holy force suddenly floated toward that pattern. That pattern moved lightly, and every line was intricate, elegant, charming, and agile. During this process, that ball of holy force was actually silently crushed¡ªit formed many stars! Hu! A light breeze blew over, and these stars moved like the tide, flying toward Chu Liuyue and merging with every part of her body. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment, and deep shock filled her eyes. T-this space¡­ actually wiped away that holy force¡¯s holy consciousness so easily, and it became mine?! Chapter 1417 - Younger Brother This holy force was snatched from Beiming Ancestor. All along, Chu Liuyue thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to completely merge it before she broke through and reached the Apotheosis Realm. But now, such a shocking scene actually happened, and¡­ it seemed like it was done so easily! Chu Liuyue instinctively held her breath. She could feel that the holy force had already merged into her Yuan meridian, bones, and blood, and it was with the addition of this force that Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura intensified! She was just a step away from becoming an intermediate stage-nine warrior! She closed her eyes, yet the tumultuous feelings in her heart could hardly relax. What kind of place is this, and where does this terrifying suppression come from?! The key is, why is everything here helping me so naturally? Countless thoughts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. ¡­ The arrival of the top-tier aristocratic families and clans made the entire academy¡¯s atmosphere very nerve-wracking. Many students had gathered at Qing Ming Square on their own, while some chose to stay in their own places and waited quietly for the matter to develop. On some mountain peak, Luo Yanming and Luo Yanlin were standing opposite each other. In the middle of both of them was a gigantic, translucent chessboard. The rays of silver light had an outline as they shone with an iridescent light. Xing Luo Chessboard¡ªit seemed like half was already complete. Luo Yanming crossed his arms and knitted his brows as he stared closely at the chessboard in front of him, looking like he was in a difficult spot. He had maintained this posture for 15 minutes already. On the opposite end, Luo Yanlin looked much more relaxed as he waited patiently and relaxingly. Time slowly trickled past. Tiny beads of sweat slowly appeared on Luo Yanming¡¯s forehead. Luo Yanming raised his arm and tried to take action, but every time he hit a crucial point, he hesitated and moved back. He was indecisive. Finally, after another eight minutes or so, he laughed bitterly in defeat. ¡°Fourth Brother, I¡¯ve lost.¡± Luo Yanlin waved his wrist, and the chessboard rapidly shrunk. Finally, it became a translucent, palm-sized, and thin piece of paper. It then flew to Luo Yanming. Luo Yanming was dazed for a moment and accepted it with both hands. ¡°Study it properly when you go back.¡± Luo Yanlin walked past and patted his shoulders. ¡°Your understanding isn¡¯t bad. You should be able to solve it in half a month¡¯s time.¡± Luo Yanming¡¯s lips moved, and he smiled rather helplessly. ¡°I am useless and have disappointed you, Fourth Brother.¡± Compared to an average person or even most Xuan Master cultivators, he was considered a top elite. But compared to a true elite, he knew that he was much weaker. This talent was something he could never catch up with. Luo Yanlin laughed out loud. ¡°My cultivation level is originally higher than yours. If you win, won¡¯t I be embarrassed? Besides, if you want to become a strong warrior, it won¡¯t do if you just have talent. Yanming, you must remember this¡ªhard work prevails!¡± Luo Yanming took a deep breath in and nodded forcefully. ¡°Thank you, Fourth Brother.¡± As he spoke, he put away the item in his hand carefully. ¡°Fourth Brother, are you guys done with your chess?¡± A gentle and curt voice sounded¡ªit was Luo Shishi. She originally came to spectate today, but she left when she heard that there was a commotion outside the academy. ¡°It just ended.¡± Luo Yanlin walked over. ¡°How¡¯s the situation outside?¡± Luo Shishi saw that Luo Yanming¡¯s face was slightly pale, and she knew that he had definitely lost in the previous chess game. But luckily, Luo Yanming had experienced too many such situations before and was used to it, so he returned to normal after being disappointed for a moment. Luo Shishi retracted her gaze and knitted her sharp brows slightly. ¡°The situation¡­ isn¡¯t very good.¡± Following this, she briefly explained what had happened outside. Actually, her knowledge was limited as she wasn¡¯t present after all. She only heard a little. ¡°¡­Anyway, both parties are in a stalemate now, and it¡¯s hard to say what will happen later.¡± Luo Shishi was very worried and confused. Why would these people want to cause trouble for Chu Yue out of nowhere? It is his luck to be able to gain a twist of fate, so what does it have to do with other people? These people are important people in top-tier aristocratic families after all. Are they not embarrassed to force a young man like this? After hearing this, Luo Yanlin could not help but laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This commotion will definitely be loud thunder but small raindrops in the end. The big matter will be reduced to a small one, and a small one will turn into nothing. Nothing will happen to that kid.¡± Luo Shishi was dazed and hurriedly asked, ¡°Fourth Brother, how do you know? I saw that those people¡¯s formation is really huge¡­¡± Seeing her reaction, Luo Yanlin was instantly upset. Even though he already knew that his sister liked that kid, seeing her so worried over this, he still had some thoughts as her elder brother. He lightly grunted, walked to the stone bench at the side, and sat down. Then, he poured himself a cup of tea and muttered to himself, ¡°That kid has such a tough life. Who can do anything to him?!¡± In the few months Chu Yue has been in the academy, has he gotten into any less trouble? It felt like his life was at risk those few times, and he was in a very dangerous situation. What happened in the end? Isn¡¯t he living well?! Also, he has even strengthened himself at a terrifying speed! If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t have done it. Yet, this kid could endure it every time. Now, I can finally say that one cannot use a normal gaze to look at Chu Yue. ¡°Besides, now that both Elder Bo Yan and Rong Xiu are speaking for him, they are clearly backing him up. With Ling Xiao Academy and the Sky-Cloud Empire as his backers¡­ These people won¡¯t dare to do anything casually.¡± No matter if it were Ling Xiao Academy or the Sky-Cloud Empire, they weren¡¯t one to be trifled with, let alone when they worked together and stood on the same side! As long as those people weren¡¯t crazy, they wouldn¡¯t completely offend these two powers for one Chu Yue! Upon hearing this, Luo Shishi also felt that it made sense. ¡°Fourth Brother, you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°All these people are just jealous of Chu Yue because they didn¡¯t obtain anything from the Flood-Desert Northern Region. If I had to say anything¡­ It¡¯s the people who started this incident who have ill intentions, and the people who foolishly went because of them are even more stupid!¡± It really wasn¡¯t worth it to offend Ling Xiao Academy and the Sky-Cloud Empire over a matter without evidence. They thought that they could absolve themselves of responsibility just because they joined hands, yet they didn¡¯t realize that it was never too late for a gentleman to take revenge! After knowing Rong Xiu for so long, he had never seen Rong Xiu stand up for anyone. He would probably remember this grudge for life! ¡°Oh right, what did Rong Xiu say about his relationship with Chu Yue?¡± Luo Yanlin had always been very curious about this. Now that Rong Xiu has personally admitted to it, we naturally have to check it. Luo Shishi¡¯s expression was rather strange. ¡°He said¡­ direct kin¡­ but he didn¡¯t say the specifics.¡± Luo Yanlin stroked his chin and thought for a long time. When he spoke again, his voice was a little hazy. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that Rong Xiu¡¯s mother had given birth to a younger brother for him back then¡­¡± Chapter 1418 - Unreasonable Boom! A loud sound suddenly came from the mountain peak at the side! Luo Yanlin and the rest looked over in shock. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± As Luo Yanlin told them to relax, he quickly walked over and took a closer look. He saw that a cave had suddenly collapsed at the opposite mountain¡¯s midway point. A few large rocks rolled down, and dust flew everywhere, almost sealing the cave entrance. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s Lin Zhifei¡¯s residence.¡± Luo Yanming followed him and knitted his brows after taking a look. ¡°He seems to have been cultivating in seclusion during this period of time. I wonder what happened to result in such a huge commotion.¡± Lin Zhifei was one of the most outstanding students out of all those the academy had recruited during this half a year. Additionally, he was also a Xuan Master, so Luo Yanming paid more attention to him. ¡°Lin Zhifei?¡± Luo Yanlin raised his brows. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in a while.¡± Previously, Lin Zhifei didn¡¯t follow the rest of the academy to the Flood-Desert Northern Region and had been peacefully cultivating in the academy. After he defeated Jiang Zhiyuan in public the previous time, he stayed in his own place and didn¡¯t really come out. He was very discreet. Many people didn¡¯t know what Lin Zhifei was thinking, including Luo Yanming. Luo Yanming wanted to duel with the other party several times later on, but he couldn¡¯t find a suitable time. ¡°Is he in trouble? Should we go over to take a look?¡± asked Luo Shishi rather worriedly. This commotion doesn¡¯t look like nothing is wrong! Luo Yanlin was about to take action when he suddenly stopped. ¡°No need.¡± Once he said that, the pile of gigantic rocks was suddenly pushed away by someone! A slim and tall figure came out from within¡ªit was Lin Zhifei, whom they hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. He had quite a lot of dust on his face, and there seemed to be bloodstains at the corner of his mouth. He looked rather disheveled. Seemingly choked by the dust, he started coughing while walking. However, Luo Shishi and the rest were relieved. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s fine¡­¡± Luo Shishi heaved a sigh of relief. Even though they weren¡¯t familiar with each other, they were all schoolmates. They naturally didn¡¯t want to see the other party in an accident, especially when Lin Zhifei had such good talent as a Xuan Master. Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity if he was in trouble? ¡°Hm?¡± Suddenly, Lin Zhifei¡¯s gaze focused. He stared at Lin Zhifei and squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°Fourth Brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Luo Shishi and Luo Yanming detected that something was amiss and looked at him strangely. ¡°This Lin Zhifei¡­¡± Luo Yanlin spoke hesitantly as if he were guessing something, and there seemed to be ripples in the depths of his eyes. If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, the commotion that came from the cave seems to be¡­ caused by building a transportation formation? Even though it was very tiny, my abilities are strong, and I have experience in building transportation formations with the elders in our clan. Hence, I could sensitively notice it. Was Lin Zhifei trying to build a transportation formation on his own inside that cave?! This sudden thought caused Luo Yanlin to be uneasy. That was because building a transportation formation was a very complicated and difficult task. Normally speaking, even ordinary King Xuan Masters would only know a thing or two. Lin Zhifei is actually trying this now¡­ What exactly are his true abilities? Judging from the previous situation, Lin Zhifei should¡¯ve failed. However¡­ being able to cause such a commotion proves that he has at least found a way or two. Luo Yanlin was rather shocked. He had always known that Lin Zhifei was very talented and mature. After entering the academy a few months ago, other than the monthly assessments at the beginning of each month and the duel with Jiang Zhiyuan where he had proven his existence¡­ He seemed like he had completely disappeared at other times and focused on his own cultivation. Such a person didn¡¯t have to worry about not succeeding! Hence, Luo Yanlin always thought highly of him. But it was only today that Luo Yanlin then realized that perhaps¡­ he had underestimated the other party! As if detecting the few people¡¯s gazes, Lin Zhifei stopped in his tracks and looked over. After seeing their appearances clearly, Lin Zhifei was honest and nodded toward them politely and smiled slightly. It was like¡­ everything was normal, and he didn¡¯t feel embarrassed because he was discovered doing something secretly. Luo Yanlin nodded and retracted his gaze. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s fine.¡± Luo Yanming stared at that side and took a few more looks. As a Xuan Master, he instinctively felt that something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll end here today. The two of you, go back and cultivate properly. When we go home after a while, we still have assessments.¡± ¡°I understand, Fourth Brother.¡± ¡­ Fangzhou City. The two parties were still in a tug of war. ¡°So¡­ you mean that you also don¡¯t know who exactly took Chu Yue away? Then, at the end of the day, only Chu Yue knows himself?¡± Jin Di asked coldly. Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know either.¡± Jin Di coldly grunted. ¡°Who knows if that¡¯s true or false!¡± The corners of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips were raised slightly, and it outlined an extremely cold smile. ¡°If he knew, he would definitely tell me. Everyone, do you think that I¡¯d still be talking here if I knew who that person is?¡± His voice was originally low and cold. Now that he dragged his ending syllables a little longer, it was even colder and caused one¡¯s heart to feel cold. Silent. Quite a few people glanced at each other awkwardly. Rong Xiu¡¯s words did make sense. Everyone could tell how protective he was of Chu Yue. If he knew Chu Yue was bullied by someone and knew the culprit behind it, with his unreasonable personality, he definitely wouldn¡¯t hold it in until now. It seems like he really doesn¡¯t know¡­ Chapter 1419 - Do You Think Im Dead Elder Bo Yan came out to ease the situation. ¡°Everyone, regarding this, we also want to quickly find out the truth. After all, no matter if it¡¯s us Ling Xiao Academy or the Sky-Cloud Empire, we have all suffered a loss. If you were to say that he obtained some twist of fate¡ªyes, that¡¯s right. However, it¡¯s not like he wasn¡¯t in trouble at all. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have been taken away by those people, right?¡± He sighed. ¡°To be honest, actually when Rong Xiu saved Chu Yue, he was severely injured and unconscious. During this period of time, he was in a coma and woke up with much difficulty. If not, we wouldn¡¯t have sent him to Fengmin Mountain only now, right?¡± These words caused many people to waver. Could it¡­ Chu Yue entered that place alone, so he was brought away by the mysterious people? If they put it this way, it does make sense¡­ ¡°In my opinion, we should work together and find out the truth!¡± After a series of intense debates, someone finally started to compromise. ¡°Then¡­ Since Elder Bo Yan has said so, let¡¯s¡­ wait and see first?¡± ¡°I think that works too. If not, we can wait for Chu Yue to come out and explain to us.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much use if we struggle here. Why don¡¯t we go back first and find some clues¡­¡± Since Elder Bo Yan had willingly given them an out, there were naturally people who wanted to come down. Originally, some people wanted to haggle further. But seeing that the tides had turned, they chose to keep quiet. At this point, Jin Di suddenly thought of something. He took a step forward and asked, ¡°Wait! I still have one last question!¡± The people in the surroundings fell silent, and all looked over. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°You can just speak directly.¡± Jin Di laughed, but there wasn¡¯t much smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°I want to ask¡­ The sword that Chu Yue used¡ªis it the one that he stole from Jin Lei?¡± Once he said this, quite a few people revealed strange expressions. The entire God Residence Realm knew about the incident that happened between Ling Xiao Academy and the Golden Wings Sect. Logically speaking, the people from the Golden Wings Sect would really hate to bring up this matter in front of the public. After all, they had lost. Therefore, why did Jin Di suddenly talk about this now? Elder Bo Yan¡¯s heart tightened, and he silently glanced at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he said nonchalantly, ¡°So what if it is, and so what if it¡¯s not? Anyway, that item is hers. There doesn¡¯t seem to be a difference here, right?¡± Jin Di laughed out loud. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t there be?! There¡¯s a huge difference! Rong Xiu, that sword should be¡­ a true supreme Yuan instrument, right?!¡± Once he said this, the entire surroundings fell into a deadly silence! Supreme Yuan instrument¡ªeven in the entire God Residence Realm, it is still a top treasure! It is a rare item that all the top-tier aristocratic families in the world would fight for! How many years has it been since a supreme Yuan instrument appeared in the God Residence Realm? What is Jin Di talking about? Chu Yue used a supreme Yuan instrument?! At that moment, everyone¡¯s gazes toward Rong Xiu changed. Even though they had tried their best to hold it in, they still couldn¡¯t conceal the curiosity and fire in their eyes. In the beginning, they did not think so. But once Jin Di mentioned it, they found it weird. In the Flood-Desert Northern Region, quite a few people had seen Chu Liuyue use a sword personally. At the very least, the mysterious region in the middle of the nine gullies and the door that seemingly could never be opened was slashed open by him! Upon deeper thought, probably only a supreme Yuan instrument could do such a thing, right? Rong Xiu looked at Jin Di, and his phoenix-like eyes deepened slightly. This question really has bad intentions. In the silent atmosphere that seemed to be freezing, Rong Xiu finally spoke. ¡°Won¡¯t you know if she shows it to you personally the next time?¡± Jin Di¡¯s smile suddenly froze. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Rong Xiu softly laughed. Since the other party is so harsh and mean, there is no need to be merciful. If it were the Golden Wings Sect sect master, I might still be polite. A mere Jin Di¡­ What is he!? ¡°You¡ª¡± Jin Di¡¯s face instantly flushed to the color of pig lungs. ¡°But you have to see if she¡¯s willing,¡± said Rong Xiu with a faint smile. ¡°If she finds it troublesome, then¡­ I might have to do it for her.¡± Every single word was nonchalant, but it had the aura of a thousand lightning bolts, which made one¡¯s heart shudder! Jin Di was furious and immediately went forward. Rumble! A ball of fire suddenly exploded before him! The terrifying heat wave came over, and the scorching hot temperature caused him pain! Jin Di let out a miserable cry, and his body flew backward! Thump! His body fell onto the floor harshly and let out a loud sound! The sound of his bones being crushed could be clearly heard, and his face and body were covered in blood. He looked disheveled, and his aura was weak, looking very miserable. Everyone was taken aback! Nobody expected Rong Xiu to take action, and once he did, he did it so harshly! The other party was the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s second-in-charge¡ªJin Di! Jin Di wanted to say something, yet blood kept coming out of his mouth, and he couldn¡¯t stop coughing. A terrifying and sinister suppression instantly overwhelmed him! It caused him to be unable to move! At this point, Jin Di detected an extremely sharp murderous intent! Without a doubt, as long as he said another word, Rong Xiu would execute him on the spot without hesitation! He shrunk his body, forcefully looked up, and glanced at Rong Xiu. However, he saw the demonically handsome young man¡ªwho looked like a spirit and yet a fairy¡ªsmile slightly. ¡°You think of having ill intentions toward him in front of me¡­ Do you think I¡¯m dead?¡± Chapter 1420 - Protect That man¡¯s voice was as cold and melodious as usual, and the corner of his lips showed a faint smile. It was as if it were just a light joke between friends, but at this moment, the crowd viewed his current appearance exactly the same as the Grim Reaper walking out of hell! Every single word revealed his absolute power and domineering self! At this point, some people then suddenly recalled this man¡¯s identity¡ªthe Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace! From an illegitimate child that was bullied and looked down upon by the clan, he turned into a leader that stably sat on the head seat of the Sky-Cloud Empire. How could he be easily bullied? Firstly, his attitude was polite, which made everyone let down their guard, and they started to become nonchalant. It was only now, when he suddenly took action, that everyone shockingly realized that he was indeed someone who killed people without blinking! ¡°Second Master!¡± When the few Golden Wings Sect subordinates saw this, they gradually cried out in worry and anxiously rushed to Jin Di. ¡°Second Master, are you okay?¡± How could I be okay! Jin Di was enraged. ¡°Quickly, help me up!¡± Even though his tone was fierce, he was currently injured, and his aura was slightly weak. Hence, this admonishment had no authority at all. However, the people below him still didn¡¯t dare to treat him lightly as they carefully supported him. Jin Di¡¯s entire body trembled. Quite a few bones were broken. When he took a light breath, his chest would hurt continuously. It was as if someone used a few knives and kept stabbing his insides. Once he stood up, Jin Di pushed the people beside him away. ¡°Get lost! Blinded things!¡± The few subordinates were pushed until they staggered backward and almost fell to the ground. Yet, they didn¡¯t dare to show any signs of being upset as they stared at Jin Di nervously and kept begging for mercy, terrified that they would be reprimanded. There was a fire burning in Jin Di¡¯s heart. In front of so many people, my reputation is totally tarnished after being beaten into this state by Rong Xiu! The key point is that Rong Xiu only used one move from start to end! One had to know that he was much older than Rong Xiu! Anyone would feel upset if they were beaten by their juniors in public until they couldn¡¯t retaliate at all, let alone an arrogant Jin Di that looked down on everyone! However, he didn¡¯t dare to rage at Rong Xiu. For some reason, he had some fear toward Rong Xiu in his heart. He couldn¡¯t state where this feeling came from, but it kept entangling his heart, and it couldn¡¯t go away. This made him increasingly frustrated, so he could only release all these grievances toward his surrounding subordinates. ¡°Rong Xiu, I will remember this grudge!¡± Jin Di still had to save the last bit of his reputation, so he mustered his courage and ferociously left that sentence behind. Rong Xiu disregarded it. He had heard such words many times before, but almost nobody had the chance to avenge themselves. ¡°This is Ling Xiao Academy, and I¡¯m also a student of the academy, so I don¡¯t want things to turn too ugly here. Everyone, if you want to discuss this properly, let¡¯s talk peacefully. If anyone wants to cross the line and offend anyone as they wish¡­ Don¡¯t blame me for not giving you face.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he cupped his fists toward Elder Bo Yan at the side and said rather apologetically, ¡°I dirtied the academy¡¯s floor. Elder Bo Yan, please forgive me.¡± The corner of the crowd¡¯s lips twitched in unison. This man is harsh to the extreme! It¡¯s fine that he beat Jin Di up until he was covered in injuries, yet he still wants to harshly stomp on the latter¡¯s face! However, he makes it look like he is innocent and was helplessly forced by all of the matters¡­. Th-this¡­ Elder Bo Yan coughed. ¡°Ahem! I-it¡¯s fine!¡± In actual fact, he didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to take action. Originally, he wanted to stop Rong Xiu, but this thought just flashed across his mind once before he directly ignored it. Why should I stop it? At this point, someone has to stand up to show their temper and shock all these people! This is to set a precedent! If not, the others will really think that Ling Xiao Academy and the Sky-Cloud Empire are easy to bully! Jin Di was so angry that his entire body trembled. He turned around furiously and limped away. The other people from the Golden Wings Sect hurriedly left. The group¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly. With such a commotion, the remaining people had no interest in continuing to stay here, so they bade farewell respectively. Even if they really had some thoughts toward Chu Yue, they knew that they definitely couldn¡¯t present this now. Did you not see how Rong Xiu was bent on protecting that Chu Yue?! Ling Xiao Academy wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with, and Rong Xiu was even worse! They could only suppress their indignation and curiosity and leave on their own. ¡­ After they all left, Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t help but sigh and shoot Rong Xiu a complicated gaze. ¡°Rong Xiu, today¡¯s matter is all thanks to you.¡± If Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stand up, these people would continue haggling until no end. ¡°No problem.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m also quite upset with the Golden Wings Sect.¡± Today was just a brief show. If the other party really continued with their actions, he wouldn¡¯t spare them so easily. Elder Bo Yan glanced at Rong Xiu and saw the ice-cold murderous intent in his eyes that wavered like crushed ice, appearing from time to time. He couldn¡¯t help but be secretly shocked. Rong Xiu¡­ He shockingly protected Chu Yue and thinks even more highly of him than I expected! Even if those people used the same methods against Rong Xiu himself, he wouldn¡¯t even be this angry. Chu Yue¡­ is clearly Rong Xiu¡¯s Achilles heel! Elder Bo Yan recalled what Rong Xiu previously said again. He and Chu Yue¡­ Are they really biological brothers? I really couldn¡¯t tell that Rong Xiu treated his family in such a¡­ All along, I thought that with Rong Xiu¡¯s cold and nonchalant personality, he wouldn¡¯t care about anyone. Oh right, I heard that his birth mother had passed away when he was very young. Perhaps that is the exact reason why he cares so much about Chu Yue? After all, if Chu Yue really is his younger brother, he is Rong Xiu¡¯s only bloodline kin. It is no wonder Chu Yue is so mysterious about his identity and refuses to say anything further¡­ Thinking of this, Elder Bo Yan¡¯s heart ached for Chu Yue again. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. After today¡¯s incident, they should stop for a while.¡± Then, Elder Bo Yan turned around to leave. ¡°Oh right, when Chu Yue comes out from Fengmin Mountain, comfort him properly. Don¡¯t let him feel aggrieved.¡± At the end of the day, being locked up at Fengmin Mountain was a punishment. Chu Yue really didn¡¯t do anything wrong, yet he had to be locked up. It was indeed rather aggrieving. Rong Xiu paused in his tracks, and a smile flashed across the corner of his eyes before it disappeared. ¡°Okay.¡± She probably won¡¯t feel aggrieved about going to Fengmin Mountain¡­ right? As Rong Xiu thought, he accompanied Elder Bo Yan to cross the barrier and return to the academy. He looked in Fengmin Mountain¡¯s direction¡ªpeaceful and calm. But under the seemingly calm lake surface, there seemed to be secret currents crazily surging around. Nobody knew when it would suddenly explode and shock the world with a storm! Chapter 1421 - Trump Card The Sky-Cloud Empire. Wan Zhong Mountain. On the tall mountain peak, there was lush greenery that decorated the area in a lively manner. As the sun shone down, it cast a light shadow on the forest. Thick leaves were gathered on the ground. When one stepped on them, crackling sounds could be heard. A light breeze blew over, and the leaves rustled. It was a rare peace and harmony. Only when one was within could one feel that every single plant and flower in the surroundings had a shocking strength to it, causing one to feel pressured unwittingly. The three figures cut through the forest, and they went toward the peak of the mountain. They were 36 Respected Elder Ming, Respected Elder Yu Jing, and Jiang Zhiyuan On the way, the three of them did not talk much, and they were overly quiet. 36 Respected Elder Ming¡ªwho was walking at the front¡ªhad no expression on his face. In comparison, Jiang Zhiyuan and Respected Elder Yu Jing, who were behind, were much more relaxed. They naturally were in a good mood to be able to gain the upper ground against 36 Respected Elder Ming, not to mention that Jiang Zhiyuan had managed to break free from that hopeless situation. Now, everything was refreshed, and her steps were much lighter and quicker than before. She clenched the item in her hand tightly, and she lightly breathed out. Luckily¡­ Luckily, the clan leader had left me with such a trump card! Now, I have already entered the Sky-Cloud Empire, and it is to accompany the clan leader. Without a special situation, nobody can casually chase me out! 36 Respected Elder Ming walked at the front. Even if he didn¡¯t turn around, he could imagine how delighted Jiang Zhiyuan looked at this moment. His brows quickly knitted for a moment. He really didn¡¯t understand what the clan leader was thinking and actually passed such an important token to an outsider like Jiang Zhiyuan! Does he really treat Jiang Zhiyuan as his own biological granddaughter?! I wonder if His Grace knows about this¡­ Very quickly, the three of them quietly came to the top of the mountain. In the middle of the mountain was a gigantic, floating statue made of white jade. If one looked down from above, they could tell that it was a circular-shaped door engraved with the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem. 36 Respected Elder Ming stood at the side and cupped his fists to bow. Jiang Zhiyuan and Respected Elder Yu Jing followed him respectively. The totem was completely silent. Clearly, the clan leader had no intention of coming out of seclusion. 36 Respected Elder Ming turned around, looked at Jiang Zhiyuan, and nonchalantly said, ¡°Since you have the clan leader¡¯s token in your hands, you have the right to stay here. But from today onward, you must guard this place. Unless the clan leader comes out of seclusion, you aren¡¯t allowed to take another step out of Wan Zhong Mountain!¡± His voice was low and powerful, like a heavy hammer that smashed one¡¯s heart. Jiang Zhiyuan gathered her focus and looked down. ¡°Yes. I will definitely abide by the rules and won¡¯t dare to go against them.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming felt stifled. However, he could not rage again at this stage, so he didn¡¯t speak further. Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s attitude toward Jiang Zhiyuan was much better. ¡°Zhiyuan, it¡¯ll be hard on you during this period.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not hard. It¡¯s what I should do.¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing nodded in admiration. Originally, he thought that Jiang Zhiyuan would be finished and that Fairy Water Mound would be the same. Who knew that she had such a trump card! Since the clan leader is willing to give that token to Jiang Zhiyuan, it proves how highly he thinks of her! If he can come out of seclusion earlier, he might be able to stand up for Jiang Zhiyuan. At that point, nobody can say for sure what the situation will be like. He was deeply connected to Fairy Water Mound. Of course, he wished for them to be well. As long as Jiang Zhiyuan can endure this¡­ ¡°With your filial piety, it¡¯s right for the clan leader to treat you in this manner.¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing instructed her a while more before he left with 36 Respected Elder Ming. The duo¡¯s figures quickly disappeared into a distant place. Jiang Zhiyuan stared at their departing backs for a while. When she made sure that they had completely left, the humble and respectful smile then gradually subsided. ¡°Pfft.¡± She lightly snorted, put away the token, and turned around to glance at the gigantic totem in the middle of the mountain peak. ¡°Clan leader, it¡¯s all thanks to you this time.¡± She stood rooted to the spot for some time. After calming her thoughts, she kneeled at a position at the side. Her movements were careful, and her posture was respectful. It seemed like she was indeed sincerely waiting for the clan leader to come out of seclusion. Anyone who saw it wouldn¡¯t be able to pinpoint any errors. After such a struggle, quite a few wounds on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body had opened, and quite a few parts on her clothes were stained with blood. However, she purposely ignored it and left it in that manner. Even though Wan Zhong Mountain had a distinguished status, was heavily guarded, and people rarely could come on a normal basis, there were still people who came in and out of this place normally. They were basically people of important status in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Since she was here, she had to build her reputation. She temporarily couldn¡¯t make a name for herself outside, so she had to grab this last straw! The more important thing was that Wan Zhong Mountain was in a good location, and one could see quite a few sceneries by staying here. One could even see Suming Peak from afar! Jishen Palace was on this Suming Peak, which was also His Grace¡ªRong Xiu¡¯s bedroom. Of course, it was also the residence for that Princess Consort! After kneeling for a while, Jiang Zhiyuan looked over. A rather familiar figure suddenly flew out of the Suming Peak. Jiang Zhiyuan squinted her eyes. That person seems to be¡­ Yan Qing? Oh right, during the period Rong Xiu returned to Ling Xiao Academy, there didn¡¯t seem to be people around him. Yan Qing seems like he¡¯s in a hurry. Where is he going? Jiang Zhiyuan looked at the side and slowly clenched her fists. Shangguan Yue¡­ Is she there too?! Chapter 1422 - So This is So I¡¯ve heard that ever since Shangguan Yue became the princess consort, she has been in Jishen Palace. After Rong Xiu went to Ling Xiao Academy, Shangguan Yue focused on her cultivation and didn¡¯t really come out. However, who knows if that person is really there? In actual fact, Jiang Zhiyuan had never dispelled her doubts. She wanted to go over to find out about it, but it was a pity that she could only station herself at Wan Zhong Mountain and not leave. With the barrier right outside Suming Peak blocking everything, one couldn¡¯t even see the situation inside clearly. Jiang Zhiyuan looked over for a while and relaxed her straight body in disappointment. She was rather frustrated. With the crowd watching her, she couldn¡¯t go check on it personally. If she wanted to know the truth, she had to find someone else to go over and see what was going on. Jishen Palace was Rong Xiu¡¯s bedroom, and it was always guarded strictly. Even the venerables had to submit a request and gain Rong Xiu¡¯s approval before entering, let alone the others. This was especially so after she suddenly trespassed and caused Rong Xiu to rage, where he harshly punished the guards for letting her in. One just had to think to know that it would be as hard as ascending the heavens if they wanted to go over. Jiang Zhiyuan thought to herself. I have to find a suitable person¡­ ¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s arrival had caused an average commotion in the Sky-Cloud Empire. The incident of her being expelled from Ling Xiao Academy had spread far and wide in the God Residence Realm. Her reputation could be considered completely tarnished, and she seemed to have offended the Liang family, which had much trouble with her. Everyone knew clearly that accepting the current Jiang Zhiyuan again would only harm the Sky-Cloud Empire with no benefits. Yet, she still came in and really went to Wan Zhong Mountain to wait for the clan leader to come out of seclusion. Not only did the subordinates not understand, but even many important characters in the Sky-Cloud Empire didn¡¯t know why 36 Respected Elder Ming and Respected Elder Yu Jing had let her in. As it implicated the clan leader¡¯s token, the two venerables didn¡¯t announce much to the public. Hence, after much thinking, the crowd felt that the Sky-Cloud Empire was only willing to do this in consideration of how Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang family had been loyal to the Sky-Cloud Empire for so many years. However, the Sky-Cloud Empire was a top-tier aristocratic family after all, so they didn¡¯t take much of this to heart. In another two days, the popularity of this incident had slowly faded away, and almost nobody talked about it again. Jiang Zhiyuan quietly waited at Wan Zhong Mountain as if she were hidden. ¡­ Red Moon Desert. In the night sky, the blood-red moon hung in mid-air. The bright moonlight shone on the ground and covered everything in a faint layer of crimson. It was completely silent in the wide desert. Behind a sand ball, Mu Hongyu was sitting down cross-legged. Every night, the Red Moon Desert was always very cold. Even if it looked no different from the day, the temperature difference was great, and it was chilling to the bones. Mu Hongyu closed her eyes tightly, and there was a layer of frost on her body and face. Luckily, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force kept entering her body, causing her aura to continuously strengthen. The rushing force warmed her body up, which coincidentally helped her fight the frost. After staying in the Red Moon Desert for so many months, she could already find this balance perfectly. Time slowly trickled by in a peaceful and quiet manner. Under a nearby lake, it was a completely different scene. Within the dark and gloomy cage, the crimson moonlight shone in at some point. The intersecting and overlapping rays of light seemed like frost that had just met fire as they rapidly melted. In ten minutes, these light rays disappeared without a trace. When the last ray of light pierced through his body and disappeared, Lan Xiao finally couldn¡¯t hold on any longer as he fell toward the side. Dugu Mobao and Diwu Zhangze¡ªwho had been waiting for a long time at the side¡ªimmediately rushed forward. Whir! With a flick of Dugu Mobao¡¯s finger, a purple ray of light flew out and formed a strange totem on the top of his head. Lan Xiao¡¯s body was instantly wrapped in this demonic and distinguished purple color. His translucent apparition gradually started to become more corporeal, and his aura started becoming better. But at this moment, the lines on the surrounding walls seemed to have felt something as they started to waver. Diwu Zhangze stood at the side with his hands crossed, and he kept reciting something. His syllables were slurred as though he had come from a distant ancient time, sounding low sometimes and loud during other times. This came with shocking strength and suppression! Under the situation of this mysterious force, the surrounding noises started to slowly ease away. That purple totem had also gradually lost its color at this moment and totally became transparent. Finally, it formed millions of sparks and merged with Lan Xiao¡¯s body. After a long while, Lan Xiao finally opened his eyes slowly. Seeing Dugu Mobao standing in front of him, he knitted his brows slightly. ¡°¡­Big Baby? Why did you come back?¡± Dugu Mobao squinted his eyes. ¡°If I didn¡¯t come back, I wouldn¡¯t have seen you for the last time, right?¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Lan Xiao chuckled softly. Even though it was still slightly weak, it was much better than before. ¡°Can¡¯t you speak nicely?¡± He clearly did it out of concern, yet he spoke in such a harsh manner. Lan Xiao lazily wiped his face. When he touched the frightening scar, he shook his head rather regretfully, sighed, and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity I have to live with this face for the next period of time¡­¡± Thinking of this, he felt terrible and couldn¡¯t even sleep well during this period of time. Diwu Zhangze¡¯s eyelids twitched. He held it in and didn¡¯t yell out loud. He almost lost his life, yet he¡¯s only concerned about his skin?! If I knew that Lan Xiao would behave in this manner earlier on, I would¡¯ve harshly beat him up. Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want the other half of your face to rot, stay still obediently! It¡¯s enough if you do a dumb thing once. If you do it again¡ª¡± Lan Xiao nonchalantly waved his hands. ¡°Aiya, what does that count for? Am I not doing fine here?¡± As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at Dugu Mobao and smile boldly. ¡°However, I don¡¯t have much hope in you speaking properly. In this world, only Yue¡¯er Girlie can handle you.¡± Speaking of this, his voice became much softer and had a few hints of silent insolence. ¡°Oh right, where is she?¡± Speaking of this, Lan Xiao looked around. ¡°She didn¡¯t come back with you?¡± Dugu Mobao coldly said, ¡°She¡¯s at Fengmin Mountain.¡± Lan Xiao paused in his actions and had an incredulous expression. ¡°That place¡­ Forget it; let¡¯s not talk about her first. As for you, why did you suddenly fight with others?¡± Even though Lan Xiao¡¯s tone was as relaxed as normal, his eyes looked more serious. With their current situation, Dugu Mobao should definitely know what kind of trouble taking action in the God Residence Realm would bring. This is also the reason why I risked my life to reform my Holy Body after knowing of this incident. Dugu Mobao kept quiet for a moment and briefly narrated the incidents that happened in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. After a temporary silence, Lan Xiao touched the corner of his eyes and sighed in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°So Ling Xiao Academy was implicated. It¡¯s no wonder you behaved in that manner.¡± Chapter 1423 - Give Dugu Mobao looked down slightly, and his long and thick lashes cast a faint shadow below his eyes, causing one to be unable to see his emotions. Diwu Zhangze could not help but sigh. ¡°Since this has already happened, there¡¯s no use if you say anything else. Let¡¯s think of how to handle the remainder of the situation. Big Baby, have you already sealed the news?¡± Dugu Mobao nodded. ¡°Within a short period of time, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡± ¡°One can never be too careful.¡± Diwu Zhangze thought carefully for a moment and said rather hesitantly, ¡°For safety precautions, it¡¯s better if you continue staying at the Red Moon Desert. For the God Residence Realm¡¯s side, don¡¯t go back first.¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Then, Girlie Yue¡¯er¡ª¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say just now that Rong Xiu is there? With him looking after her, you can relax.¡± It was rare for Diwu Zhangze to be so insistent. Normally, Dugu Mobao was the core of their trio, and most decisions were made by him. Occasionally, Lan Xiao would chip in a little. Diwu Zhangze was the neutral one that papered something over. But now that Dugu Mobao had taken action in the God Residence Realm, those people would definitely discover it and investigate it. Additionally, Lan Xiao was also severely injured, and he couldn¡¯t fight. At this point in time, he naturally had to stand up. Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t say a word. He naturally knew that this was the best way in the current situation, but¡­ He still couldn¡¯t relax regarding Yue¡¯er Girlie¡¯s side. ¡°Originally, I wanted you to bring Hongyu to the God Residence Realm. Now, it seems like I have to think of another way.¡± Diwu Zhangze stroked his beard. After interacting with her during this period of time, he liked Mu Hongyu very much. Even though this girl wasn¡¯t old, her personality was active and very determined. No matter how much she suffered, she would never say that she was tired. With her personality, her future would definitely be bright. ¡°If she goes to Ling Xiao Academy, she can be a good partner with Yue¡¯er Girlie.¡± Dugu Mobao paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll send her there.¡± ¡­ The night sky slowly faded away, and a spark of golden appeared in the skies. Mu Hongyu slowly opened her eyes. Her surrounding frost melted rapidly, and the temperature started to rise again. The sky slowly turned bright. Everything was the same as before. She stood up and stretched lazily. The next moment, her figure instantly disappeared from the ground. Whoosh! On a sand ball in another part of the Red Moon Desert, a black crack appeared in the air. A thin and tall figure flashed and appeared within¡ªit was Mu Hongyu! ¡°It seems like I¡¯m not too far from teleporting 50,000 meters¡­¡± She smiled. Senior Diwu said that once I broke through and reached the Apotheosis Realm, my abilities would be greatly strengthened. I wonder when that day will come¡­ ¡°Hongyu.¡± A low and familiar voice sounded. Mu Hongyu was stunned and looked over. There was nobody in front of her, but the yellow sand started flowing slowly. ¡°Senior Diwu?¡± Mu Hongyu was rather confused. Is this another test? ¡°Today, I¡¯ll send you to the God Residence Realm¡¯s Ling Xiao Academy. When you¡¯re there, you can directly take the admission test. Yue¡¯er Girlie will be there.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mu Hongyu was surprised and elated. I have waited too long for this day! A ray of light flew over. Mu Hongyu hurriedly caught it with both hands. She looked at it and then realized it was a palm-sized jade box. She hesitated for a moment before opening the jade box. A roll of paper was lying inside quietly. ¡°This is the map to Ling Xiao Academy. After you go there, just follow the directions on it.¡± Mu Hongyu wanted to pick that roll of paper up, but after she approached it, she felt a strong suppression! ¡°There¡¯s a layer of barrier on it. It will automatically open when you reach the God Residence Realm,¡± explained Diwu Zhangze. Mu Hongyu nodded continuously and glanced at it curiously before she carefully put away the box. At this point, she then realized that the yellow sand in front of her had formed a huge Xuan formation! A thick, cold, and strong aura slowly exuded from within! Mu Hongyu was stunned. ¡°Hongyu, go on.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded and walked over step by step. The moment she stepped on the special Xuan formation, she immediately felt that she was wrapped by some force. But luckily, this force seemed to be controlled, so it didn¡¯t affect her greatly. She walked to the middle, and a spark of light suddenly reflected in her eyes. She squinted her eyes, looked over, and then realized that there was a tiny purple scale in the middle of the Xuan formation below her feet. At first glance, it was very ordinary. Only after approaching it could one feel that the purple was very pure. Under the reflection of the sunlight, it revealed a charming brilliance. This gigantic Xuan formation seemed to be controlled by this scale. ¡°Oh right, Yue¡¯er Girlie has changed to another identity in Ling Xiao Academy; she¡¯s called Chu Yue. You¡¯ll know when you get there,¡± reminded Diwu Zhangze. Mu Hongyu was rather surprised, but she still nodded seriously. ¡°I understand.¡± Whir! The next moment, purple light suddenly exploded from that scale and wrapped Mu Hongyu! The Xuan formation had a heavy sense of suppression! Very quickly, the surroundings started to collapse! The wind howled crazily! Mu Hongyu¡¯s figure rapidly disappeared! ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. After those people left, the academy seemed to have regained its usual peace. As if everyone had made an agreement, nobody brought that incident up anymore. They didn¡¯t even talk much about everything that happened in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. When Yan Qing reached the academy, he felt that the atmosphere here seemed different from before. He guessed that it should be related to recent events. After all, such a huge commotion was made, and almost the entire God Residence Realm knew about it. He didn¡¯t ask further. After stating his intentions to the elder standing guard at the barrier, he looked down and waited at the side. All the elders basically knew that Yan Qing was Rong Xiu¡¯s confidant, so their attitude was very polite. In no time, someone reported to let Yan Qing in. The person in charge of bringing him in was a student from the academy, and he was brought directly to Jiuheng Peak. ¡°According to the rules, outsiders can¡¯t stay in the academy for more than a day. Please¡ª¡± That student was very courteous toward Yan Qing. Yan Qing immediately said, ¡°I know all of this. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll leave immediately after I¡¯m done.¡± That student heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb you further. Go ahead¡ª¡± It was very hard for people not from Ling Xiao Academy to enter. But with Rong Xiu around, it was smoother for Yan Qing. After that student left, Yan Qing looked toward Jiuheng Peak in front. Just as he was about to speak, the barrier before him opened slowly. Yan Qing flew in without hesitation. After coming in, Yan Qing saw Rong Xiu playing chess in the room. He immediately kneeled down and greeted, ¡°Greetings, Your Highness!¡± Chapter 1424 - Collusion ¡°Get up.¡± Rong Xiu placed a piece down and turned around to glance at him. ¡°Have you brought the items?¡± Yan Qing stood up and hurriedly said, ¡°Yes. According to your instructions, I prepared an extra portion.¡± As he spoke, he presented a Cosmic Ring with both hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The materials used were the ones you picked earlier.¡± Rong Xiu lifted his long fingers, and the Cosmic Ring flew into his hand. After looking into it and briefly checking, he then nodded slightly. When she comes out of Fengmin Mountain, she can wear these clothes. But¡­ ¡°Yan Qing, you¡¯re a day later than expected. Were you delayed by something?¡± Rong Xiu put away the ring and asked lightly. Yan Qing held in his breath to focus and cupped his fists. ¡°Your Highness, I discovered that there are strange movements at Fairy Water Mound, so I specifically sent people there to investigate. I was late because I was waiting for their news to come back.¡± Faint light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s phoenix-like eyes. ¡°Start talking.¡± Yan Qing paused for a moment, looked at Rong Xiu. and said every word carefully, ¡°I discovered that Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang Hetian seems to be contacting a person from outside the God Residence Realm quite frequently.¡± ¡°Outside the God Residence Realm?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Yes. According to my investigations, that person from outside the God Residence Realm seems to be¡­¡± Yan Qing hesitated for a moment and continued, ¡°It seems to be Taiyu Dynasty¡¯s Dantai Chen!¡± Dantai Chen? Rong Xiu had heard of this name before. He paused for a moment and suddenly laughed nonchalantly. ¡°So it¡¯s him.¡± Even though he was laughing, his tone was cold and thin. Yan Qing recalled Dantai Chen. Back then, Jun Jiuqing had set up a scheme that gathered a few dynasties, including the Tianling Dynasty, at Beiming. Among those people was Dantai Chen as well. And at that time, a grudge appeared between him and Chu Liuyue. According to some of the clues he investigated, his precious daughter, Dantai Ruoli, also died in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands at that time. Even though he had no evidence to prove this, Dantai Chen had great enmity toward Chu Liuyue, so he insisted on this from the start. It wasn¡¯t a day or two that he wanted to take revenge. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he managed to contact Fairy Water Mound. During this one month, they keep exchanging messages frequently. Perhaps they¡¯re discussing something.¡± Yan Qing knitted his brows slightly. Murderous intent surfaced on his harsh appearance that was like an ice mountain. ¡°Your Highness, do you want me to¡ª¡± He made a ¡®kill¡¯ gesture. There wasn¡¯t much to consider about a mere Taiyu Dynasty emperor. He could just directly kill him! Rong Xiu raised his palm and raised his brows slightly, looking rather interested. ¡°No hurry. I want to see exactly what Fairy Water Mound is planning.¡± Actually, upon deeper thought, it isn¡¯t strange that Dantai Chen can find Fairy Water Mound. Back when I announced Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity in the Sky-Cloud Empire, I used the name ¡®Shangguan Yue.¡¯ As long as one wants to investigate, it isn¡¯t hard to find out that she is from the Tianling Dynasty. One doesn¡¯t have to think to know what Dantai Chen wants, and he clearly has impure intentions in regards to getting close to Fairy Water Mound. When these two parties come together¡­ ¡°Dantai Chen wants to kill the Princess Consort. The people from Fairy Water Mound definitely know this, yet they still talk to him so closely. Their intentions¡­¡± Yan Qing knitted his brows, and his expression was solemn. The Jiang family is indeed crazy! Do they really intend on doing something to the Princess Consort?! They have to know that the Princess Consort is now their superior and that they are her subordinates! Such behavior is acting against their superiors! It is akin to reason! However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to be enraged. A light curve flashed across his lips in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Even without Dantai Chen, there will still be other people.¡± During the previous few years, Fairy Water Mound had always been the only biggest one out of the 28 divisions. Additionally, with the clan leader being biased toward them, it caused Fairy Water Mound to repeatedly forget their identity and want to be on par with the Sky-Cloud Empire. Originally, everything was planned well. But now, the position of princess consort¡ªwhich they had planned a long time for¡ªhad landed in someone else¡¯s hand. They had no more chances of going up the ranks, so they were naturally furious. It could be possible that they resorted to desperate measures. Hearing Rong Xiu say this, Yan Qing couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Your Highness, what do you plan on doing then? When I came out, Jiang Zhiyuan had already gone up Wan Zhong Mountain.¡± Yan Qing didn¡¯t know why 36 Respected Elder Ming allowed Jiang Zhiyuan to enter the Sky-Cloud Empire, but he believed there had to be a special reason. And that reason probably gave Jiang Zhiyuan the confidence and courage to run to the Sky-Cloud Empire for shelter at such times. ¡°Just let her stay there.¡± Rong Xiu squeezed a chess piece from the chess bottle, touched it for a while in his hands, slightly smiled, and said, ¡°The clan leader is about to come out of seclusion. If he can see her at first instance, he will definitely be elated.¡± Yan Qing was shocked and immediately looked up to see Rong Xiu¡¯s calm expression. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± But wasn¡¯t the clan leader¡­ Piak! The chess piece landed on the chessboard with a crisp sound. ¡°Send people to watch Jiang Zhiyuan. Also, before I go back, nobody else is allowed to go to Wan Zhong Mountain.¡± As he spoke, Rong Xiu waved his wrist. A thin piece of paper flew to Yan Qing. He immediately held it with both hands. That piece of paper was white without any words, but there was an extremely faint golden ray of light that covered it with a strong suppression that stunned others! ¡°If anyone dares to go against me, take my written edict and stop them no matter who they are! Kill them if you need to!¡± Yan Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Yan Qing quickly came out of Jiuheng Peak. He didn¡¯t continue staying in the academy and directly flew back to the barrier. After talking to the elder in charge, he rapidly left. The entire process was swift and smooth, without any delays. The crowd only thought that he came to Rong Xiu to report about some issues in the Sky-Cloud Empire, so they didn¡¯t take it to heart. After a few people talked about it in private, they forgot about this issue. ¡­ Fengmin Mountain. Within the pagoda, Chu Liuyue sat quietly cross-legged. After merging that holy force, her aura became much stronger. As time trickled past, she got increasingly closer to that invisible barrier. She vaguely felt that she just had to lift her leg to step into a higher stage! Within her dantian, that water droplet was as calm as before. Force kept gathering from the surroundings like tidal waves that wrapped around her. It was as if it were waiting for an opportune time to completely overcome it! The seal on that black pyramid was also flushed time and time again by the force, gradually loosening. Faint rays of light seeped out from within, and that extremely familiar feeling kept intensifying. It seemed as if something would break out from within at any moment! On the top floor, Elder Meng had sat back down on his seat. At one moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and focused on the door in front of him. For some reason, he faintly felt that this door seemed to have strange movements. He stood up, walked to the door, stretched out his hand, and placed it against the door. It was slightly cold to the touch. Other than this, it was calm and peaceful. I must¡¯ve been overthinking¡­ Elder Meng retracted his thoughts, shook his head, and walked back, not wanting to think further. Chapter 1425 - Faint After sending Jiang Zhiyuan to the Sky-Cloud Empire, Jiang Hetian directly returned to the Jiang Residence. Perhaps with the Sky-Cloud Empire as their backer, some of the elders who wanted to interrogate the father-daughter duo all chose to sit back first. Jiang Hetian superficially rejected all those who occasionally wanted to ask why exactly Jiang Zhiyuan was expelled from Ling Xiao Academy. The matter about her betraying the mentor and academy naturally couldn¡¯t be said. If it were known¡­ Even if Jiang Zhiyuan could hide in the Sky-Cloud Empire for this period of time, she would still be ridiculed when she came back in the future. Jiang Hetian didn¡¯t want to see that. He had spent a lot of effort developing Jiang Zhiyuan over the years. How could he let all of that go to waste? Hence, when he came back, he didn¡¯t relax and kept thinking of ways to solve the problem before him. In the study. After Jiang Hetian sat behind the desk, he flipped through the booklets and letters he didn¡¯t have the time to read during this period of time. When he saw one of the letters, his gaze focused as he instinctively straightened his body and surveyed the surroundings. After confirming that nobody would come in to disturb him, he carefully opened that letter. A slightly yellowish rough letter was pulled out, and a faint bitter fragrance exuded from that letter. Jiang Hetian retrieved a jade bottle from his Cosmic Ring. His fingers moved, and the seal immediately popped out. A faint layer of white mist floated out. Jiang Hetian picked up the letter and placed it on the mouth of the jade bottle, using the white mist to smoke it. A few lines of words gradually appeared. He stared at the letter closely and in much detail. Then, he tightly furrowed his thick brows and looked confused. In no time, that letter suddenly burned on its own! Rumble! An orange fire rose and immediately swallowed that letter cleanly! It didn¡¯t even leave a trace of ash behind. Other than the extremely faint burning smell lingering in the air, that letter didn¡¯t leave behind any traces. However, Jiang Hetian fell into deep shock and thought. ¡°Shangguan Yue¡­ actually has such an experience¡­¡± Previously, a man named Dantai Chen somehow sent a letter stating that he knew many things about the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort¡ªShangguan Yue. Jiang Hetian was originally worried that the other party was scheming something. But in the letter, the other party directly stated that Shangguan Yue had killed his daughter and that they had a deep grudge between them. Yet, Shangguan Yue¡¯s status rose, and he couldn¡¯t handle her alone, so he found Fairy Water Mound and hoped that the two of them could cooperate. Jiang Hetian always had a doubtful attitude toward this. He originally wanted to ignore it, but he was terrified that he would really miss a chance to handle Shangguan Yue, so he secretly sent people to investigate. Later on, he realized that the other party was not lying. He then believed it and replied to the other party, hoping that Dantai Chen could explain Shangguan Yue¡¯s matters in detail. One had to know their enemies to win every battle. The people he previously sent to investigate Shangguan Yue all disappeared without a trace. This caused him to have no understanding of Shangguan Yue until now. Even though he didn¡¯t know how Dantai Chen found him, this wasn¡¯t important to Dantai Chen. He just wanted to know how to defeat Shangguan Yue! However, Dantai Chen had his own motives as well. Every time he sent a letter, he would write about some matters regarding Shangguan Yue, but he wouldn¡¯t reveal them completely, causing Jiang Hetian to be so anxious and nerve-wracked. If the two parties hadn¡¯t initially agreed not to make contact in real life to prevent causing unnecessary trouble, he would definitely not hold back and go up to him. Even though there weren¡¯t many words in the letter, it contained rich information! That was because it clearly stated that after Shangguan Yue was ¡®harmed and died¡¯ because of that person, she didn¡¯t truly die. She used another identity to go back to the Tianling Dynasty¡ªChu Liuyue! And this Chu Liuyue¡¯s birthplace was precisely Country Yao Chen! That was also Rong Xiu¡¯s birthplace! It was a pity that the letter didn¡¯t explain how Shangguan Yue became Chu Liuyue. Was it stealing one¡¯s soul, or¡­ Additionally, regarding ¡®Chu Liuyue¡¯s¡¯ everything, Dantai Chen said that he had once sent people to investigate but could only find very superficial items. He couldn¡¯t find out anything more. Jiang Hetian was the same as well. There faintly seemed to be a pair of invisible hands that protected Shangguan Yue tightly. No matter what, one couldn¡¯t find out anything about her. ¡°Could His Grace be involved in what happened to Shangguan Yue back then¡­¡± If not, I really can¡¯t figure out why Shangguan Yue went back with Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity. If Rong Xiu really knew of all of this before, then¡­ Does that not prove that he already loved Shangguan Yue from an even earlier period of time? However, this was never heard of before¡­ Jiang Hetian slowly leaned back against his chair, fell into deep thought, and didn¡¯t talk for a long time. How many secrets does Shangguan Yue have? He thought to himself and was hesitant about Dantai Chen¡¯s last suggestion. If I really do it, and someone finds out, then¡ª After some time, his expression changed. As if he had made a huge decision, he picked up the brush beside him, spread the paper, and started on his reply. ¡­ Fengmin Mountain inside Ling Xiao Academy. The outside seemed peaceful, yet Chu Liuyue faced a huge rush of force inside the pagoda! Heaven and Earth Force quickly gathered and formed a force vortex above her head! She closed her eyes tightly, and her body was like a sponge that kept absorbing that force. Detecting the commotion, Elder Meng had already come down from above and stood on the second floor, looking at her with shock in his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s actually¡­ going to break through?!¡± How long has this kid been here? Didn¡¯t he just break through to become a stage-nine warrior at the Flood-Desert Northern Region? Why did he¡ª Hua! Chu Liuyue heard the sound of the force in her body crashing like tidal waves. Every inch of her bones¡ªevery part of her blood and muscles were rapidly strengthening! There seemed to be hot liquid coursing through her chest, wanting to spout out! She gathered all her focus, accumulating all her force and rushing it toward the water droplet in her dantian! But at this moment, a crisp shatter was heard! Her heart trembled. My father is in trouble! At that moment, her mind was in a mess, and the tremendous force started rushing in all directions! Excruciating pain was felt throughout her body, causing her to faint! Shoo! Her body shook, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! Then, she collapsed onto the floor! The surrounding force was still torturing her body. Quickly, patches of blood could be seen. Upon seeing this, Elder Meng widened his eyes and rushed down. ¡°Chu Yue!¡± Chapter 1426 - Take Care Elder Meng carefully helped Chu Liuyue up. He saw that her eyes were tightly shut, her face was pale, and there was blood on the corner of her lips. She looked very miserable and weak. ¡°Chu Yue? Chu Yue! How are you?¡± Elder Meng asked worriedly and anxiously, as he pressed Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist, and his old hands were placed on her pulse. He wanted to separate out some force to see what was going on in her body when he suddenly felt a terrifying aura crazily rush out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! Rumble! Elder Meng was stunned and immediately let go of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist dropped down weakly. Elder Meng panicked. This kid met with a mishap when he was about to break through. All the force in his body has become chaotic and is barging around crazily! In such a short amount of time, it has caused quite a lot of damage to his body. If he can¡¯t control it in time, I¡¯m afraid¡ª It is a small matter if he is injured. The key is that if this matter isn¡¯t handled well, it will very possibly hinder Chu Yue¡¯s future cultivation! That causes an even bigger headache! ¡°Chu Yue!¡± The force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body had already lost control. As an outsider, Elder Meng didn¡¯t dare to take action randomly, terrified that he would accidentally make matters worse. In the current situation, I might cause secondary damage if I do it by force. The best way is to get Chu Yue to wake up as soon as possible and tidy his own aura! In this way, the damage will be lowered to the minimum! But no matter how he yelled, that young man was still unconscious and showed no signs of awakening. As time passed, Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding force became crazier, and her aura was weakened yet again. Just when Elder Meng was worried, an intense energy vortex was suddenly felt outside! He was shocked and looked up. Even though he was within the pagoda, his consciousness wrapped around the entire Fengmin Mountain. Hence, he would instantly know whatever happened outside clearly. After focusing for a moment, he widened his eyes slightly. ¡°Rong Xiu? Why is he here?!¡± Does he know that Chu Yue is in trouble? This thought quickly flashed across Elder Meng¡¯s mind. Then, he hurriedly raised his hand and wanted to open Fengmin Mountain¡¯s barrier. Boom! A loud sound was heard¡ªFengmin Mountain¡¯s barrier was directly slashed open by Rong Xiu! Shock flashed across Elder Meng¡¯s eyes. Since when did Rong Xiu become so strong that he could directly slash open Fengmin Mountain¡¯s barrier? Thump! Without waiting for him to figure it out, the pagoda¡¯s door was forcefully opened from the outside! A tall and large white figure walked in from outside with big steps¡ªit was Rong Xiu! The warm smile on his face had already disappeared without a trace, leaving behind harsh, cold intentions! It was as if a layer of ice was frozen, and it was chilling to the bone! With just one glance, it made one¡¯s heart instinctively turn cold. His speed was very fast, and he reached the hall in the blink of an eye. The messy wind rolled up the corner of his sleeves, and they flew in the air. Wherever he passed, there seemed to be cold wind hurling over! ¡°Rong Xiu¡ª¡± Elder Meng opened his mouth and didn¡¯t know what to say at that moment. ¡°The situation is urgent, and I was forced to barge into Fengmin Mountain. Elder Meng, please forgive me.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was low and cold. Even though he was talking to Elder Meng, his pair of deep, phoenix-like eyes were staring at Chu Liuyue. There seemed to be ripples in the bottom of his eyes that could flip through everything at any moment! Elder Meng was stumped and didn¡¯t know what to say. It is really rare to see Rong Xiu in this manner. Is he¡­ worried about Chu Yue? Just when he was thinking, Rong Xiu had already walked over. He rolled up his sleeves and kneeled down on one knee as he naturally stretched his hand over. Elder Meng was dazed for a moment and instinctively passed Chu Yue over. Rong Xiu carefully hugged her, with one hand on her back and the other encircling her waist, holding her hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª¡± Elder Meng wanted to remind Rong Xiu that Chu Yue¡¯s current situation was extremely terrible and that one couldn¡¯t forcefully do it from outside. But the next moment, he shockingly realized that the unreasonable force around Chu Yue started to retract themselves rapidly after they met Rong Xiu. The few rays of faint golden light escaped from the duo¡¯s tightly interlocked hands¡ªbright, gentle, and strong! Rong Xiu silently absorbed this force and later chose an opportune time to insert his own. The violent and unreasonable force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was originally wavering, but once it met Rong Xiu, it didn¡¯t retaliate intensely and instead obediently accepted his aura. In this manner, Rong Xiu helped to tidy Chu Liuyue¡¯s force bit by bit until her breathing became stable. At the side, Elder Meng watched as his mouth became agape. T-this¡­ What kind of situation is this?! Why did I meet so many obstacles when I wanted to help, but it was this successful when Rong Xiu helped?! But seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s face looked better, he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. He was cultivating in seclusion in my place. If something happened, how should I explain it when I go out? I have guarded Fengmin Mountain for so many years, but I haven¡¯t seen such a situation. The chaotic aura in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body finally calmed down. Only the blood on her body and the corner of her mouth reminded them that she had just been in a perilous situation. Rong Xiu carried her up and looked at Elder Meng. ¡°Elder Meng, she needs to recuperate now. May I know if we can go up?¡± In the entire pagoda, every floor had a different meaning, and the requirements to go in varied greatly. The key was other than the first floor, each floor had its respective barriers, and they wouldn¡¯t easily open. Only Elder Meng controlled all the barriers, and he was the only one who had the right to open the barriers to let people up. The first floor was now filled with chaotic force, and there was debris everywhere, so it was really not suitable to stay there any longer. They had to find another place. Elder Meng was dazed for a moment and immediately said, ¡°Okay, okay! There¡¯s a thousand-year cold jade bed on the second floor that can help him heal his body.¡± At this point, he didn¡¯t care if he could do it. It was more important to save the person. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Thank you, Elder Meng.¡± Elder Meng glanced at the person in his arms, shook his head, and sighed. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± As he spoke, he turned around and hastened his steps to go up the stairs. He lightly flicked the ashes on his hand. The barrier to the second floor was opened! ¡°Quickly come up! Elder Meng stood upstairs and waved toward Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu hugged Chu Liuyue even tighter and walked up. ¡­ The space on the second floor seemed much smaller than the first, but it was probably because Elder Meng didn¡¯t open up some of the areas. However, all of this wasn¡¯t important to Rong Xiu now. He followed Elder Meng and went to the thousand-year cold jade bed. It was a dark-green jade bed and was crystal clear. A strange symbol was even engraved on it mysteriously. Rong Xiu carefully placed the person down, and his actions were overly gentle. He then took out a pill bottle and gave it to Chu Liuyue before taking the jade pillow over to support her head so that she could maintain her stable breathing. Finally, he even took out a snow-white handkerchief to carefully wipe away the bloodstains on the corner of her mouth. Elder Meng watched on from the side and increasingly felt something amiss. Hiss¡ªwhy does Rong Xiu look like he has taken care of Chu Yue meticulously many times? Chapter 1427 - Punishment Elder Meng found it strange. Actually, it was normal for him to have such doubts. Who was Rong Xiu? The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace! He was above tens of thousands of people and held great power. He was extremely distinguished! Even in the God Residence Realm, where many top-tier aristocratic families were strongly established and where strong warriors were like the clouds, he was also a top elite. Such a person could determine one¡¯s life and death with a word. If he stomped his feet, the entire God Residence Realm would shake. Previously, he was rather restrained in the academy. At most, his personality was cold, and it was hard for normal people to approach him as they felt distant from him. But after leaving the academy, he changed at a shocking speed. He controlled the entire Sky-Cloud Empire and unified its factions. He held great power and was extremely strong and domineering! All these years, many people had died in his hands. His famous reputation was mostly built on the blood and corpses of his previous enemies! Such a person could rule the world and control the weather. He was basked in a holy light that made people admire him. And not, and not¡­ Elder Meng looked at the scene before him and couldn¡¯t find a suitable phrase to describe it. How should I put it? Rong Xiu seems to have become another person in front of Chu Yue. He has great patience and gentleness, completely different from the rumored violent, harsh, and decisive ruler. Elder Meng recalled how Rong Xiu previously barged in and held Chu Yue in his arms. It was so natural and smooth. He didn¡¯t even care that he had to get down on one knee. In this world, who could make Rong Xiu kneel without any consideration and hesitation? And he did this just so that he could take better care of Chu Yue and not tear his wound. The more Elder Meng thought about it, the more shocked he was. His heart rapidly beat, and countless thoughts flashed across his mind. He knew that the two of them had a good relationship, and from what Rong Xiu said, Chu Yue was most likely his younger brother. However¡­ he never expected Rong Xiu to do so much for Chu Yue. The even more shocking thing was that Rong Xiu¡¯s behavior looked rather strange on its own. But when the scene was both of them leaning together, it was weirdly harmonious. There seemed to be natural chemistry between them. Invisibly, there seemed to be a magical current that surrounded the duo and separated them from the rest. In that special realm, there were only the two of them. Nobody else could enter, and getting close was extremely hard. Such a feeling was difficult to describe, but it was very strong. Elder Meng watched for a while longer and couldn¡¯t help but mutter in his heart. It isn¡¯t that I¡¯ve never seen biological brothers before, but there don¡¯t seem to be many who are on such good terms¡­ At this point, Rong Xiu had already put away the handkerchief stained with blood and switched to a new one as he carefully wiped the blood on Chu Liuyue¡¯s finger. Previously, the force in her body barged around too ferociously, causing quite a few wounds on her body. Luckily, most of these were tiny wounds and weren¡¯t serious. She could quickly recover after resting for a period of time. The corner of Elder Meng¡¯s eyes harshly twitched as he hurriedly averted his gaze. Even though he had already mentally prepared himself, he still couldn¡¯t accept seeing how Rong Xiu focused on taking care of Chu Yue seriously. ¡°Rong Xiu, how is Chu Yue¡¯s condition?¡± Elder Meng was previously afraid that forcefully helping would harm Chu Yue again, so he didn¡¯t even take the latter¡¯s pulse properly. As Rong Xiu cleaned the wound on Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be too worried. Even though she¡¯s injured, it¡¯s not fatal. As long as she recuperates properly, she can recover back to normal.¡± Elder Meng then heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± Suddenly, he seemed to have recalled something and asked rather worriedly, ¡°Oh right, even though this thousand-year cold jade bed can nourish her body, this isn¡¯t the best recuperation spot. Do you want to¡ª¡± Fengmin Mountain had a special status. To most students, this was a place of punishment. No matter the density and purity of the force or other aspects, it actually paled in comparison to many other places outside. Rong Xiu paused. ¡°Thank you for your care, Elder Meng. However¡­ this place is great. Besides, she has just been injured, and the situation is urgent, so she should just rest nearby. If she goes out now, someone might see her, and unnecessary trouble will be caused again.¡± Elder Meng thought deeply and felt that it made sense, so he nodded. ¡°Then, you can stay here and take good care of him. I¡ªahem, I¡¯ll go fix the door and the barrier.¡± Previously, Rong Xiu barged in directly, so the door and the barrier probably had to be fixed. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips moved. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Elder Meng.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, nothing. I was also taken aback by what happened to Chu Yue back then¡­¡± As Elder Meng spoke, he glanced at Chu Liuyue lying on the bed again. Seeing that color had returned to her face slightly and that she wasn¡¯t as pale and disheveled as before, his heart eased slowly. After saying a few sentences, Elder Meng turned around to leave. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were quickly left behind. Rong Xiu looked down, and pain quickly flashed across his eyes. Once I detected that something was amiss, I hurriedly rushed over. However, I didn¡¯t expect that I was still a step too late. Judging from her previous pulse, it should be because her mind was suddenly messed up when she tried breaking through to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior, which caused her force to smash against each other and fail. Additionally, the uncontrolled force crazily swarmed around and caused quite severe damage to her body. However, she has always been determined. I wonder what exactly happened that caused her to be in this situation, especially at such a crucial juncture¡­ It is a small matter to fail her breakthrough, but if it affects her cultivation¡­ Intense murderous intentions gathered in his eyes! Someone must¡¯ve used some tricks behind this! ¡°Father¡­¡± Right at this moment, a soft moan filled with pain and struggle escaped from Chu Liuyue¡¯s mouth. Her brows were still tightly shut, and her eyes were closed as her expression was anxious and worried. It was as though a ray of white light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s heart! It was because of Chu Ning! ¡­ Thousands of miles away, in a black deserted land without boundaries. The pencil-gray sky was gloomy. Weed filled the deserted land, and a stream curved around on the cold ground. A few black crows occasionally flew across the sky, letting out creepy shrieks. A figure was walking on this deserted land. His clothes were torn and tattered, and he had a disheveled appearance. When he walked, one could see quite a few badly mangled wounds on his body. He lowered his head slightly and quietly walked on step by step. His hands and legs were locked up with black chains as they severely locked his freedom. At some point, he suddenly stepped on something sharp, and intense, excruciating pain attacked him. He stumbled backward and fell onto the ground. Thump! A low sound was heard. Sharp pain enveloped him. He breathed heavily, and his dried and cracked lips trembled slightly as he spat out a few words with much difficulty. ¡°¡­Y-Yue¡¯er¡­¡± Chapter 1428 - Examination That person was Chu Ning, who had disappeared for a long time. He struggled to get up, but it was a pity that his strength seemed to be exhausted. He only managed to get up forcefully after trying a few times. His hands and knees were covered in quite a bit of soil, but with his currently disheveled appearance, this did not count for much. He straightened his body with much difficulty and breathed. As a result of this series of actions, his face became even paler, and there seemed to be a sharp pain circling in his chest, almost shredding his organs! A few of his bones were broken, and he was overly exhausted. Now, he was just relying on his stubborn willpower to continue walking forward. He lowered his head to take a look. There was a broken and sharp white bone on the dried grass. Half of it was stuck in the ground, and the other half was hidden in the grass. As he didn¡¯t see it previously, he stepped right onto it. Someone¡¯s corpse was just left here. Chu Ning retracted his gaze and continued walking forward. The chains on his arms and legs seemed heavier as they suppressed him, and he couldn¡¯t breathe. Every step he took seemed to be walking on the tip of a sword. Everything on his body was either lost or damaged. Only his tortured body was living like a zombie. He didn¡¯t know how he came to this place, and he couldn¡¯t recall how long he had been here. The only thing he could do was walk forward continuously, hoping that he could leave this place one day. Chu Ning swallowed the bloody taste in his mouth and clenched his teeth tightly. I¡­ can never die! Yue¡¯er is still waiting for me! ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. Fengmin Mountain. On the first floor, after Elder Meng repaired the barrier and the main entrance, he couldn¡¯t help but turn back, shake his head, and sigh. Luckily, basically nobody comes to Fengmin Mountain, and very few people appear in the vicinity. If not, the commotion that Rong Xiu previously caused would¡­ If word got out, many people would be shocked until their jaws dropped. Elder Meng flicked the dust away and stroked his beard, planning on going up to take a look. Suddenly, a strange commotion came from the six doors. He knitted his brows and focused on the six doors floating in midair! On the surface, these doors looked exactly the same as they normally would. However, Elder Meng had guarded this place for many years and was very familiar with everything. He could confirm that it was not an illusion! He walked nearer to the six doors and meticulously examined them for a while. However, that ripple didn¡¯t appear again. Everything was normal. Elder Meng knitted his brows. For some reason, these few doors seem amiss lately¡­ Thinking of this, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly went upstairs! When he passed by the second floor, he stopped in his tracks and said to Rong Xiu, ¡°Rong Xiu, take good care of him. You can tell me if anything happens!¡± Rong Xiu lightly nodded. ¡°Thank you, Elder Meng.¡± Then, Elder Meng rode on the dust and continued going upward. His steps seemed hurried. Rong Xiu squinted his phoenix-like eyes slightly. Then, he got up and walked a few steps forward. Standing by the stairs, he looked down. There should¡¯ve been seven doors there, but only six were left. His hand gently held the pole, and his slender and white fingers knocked against it twice before he looked up. The stairs in the middle of the pagoda spiraled all the way up. Looking up from here, the stairs of every floor intersected and formed a disciplined and illusionary image. Elder Meng¡¯s figure quickly disappeared into the top floor. Rong Xiu seemed calm, yet his phoenix-like eyes were so deep that one couldn¡¯t see the bottom of them, causing one to be unable to see through him. The location of the last door¡­ seemed to be understood without speaking. A soft sleepy voice came from behind. Rong Xiu looked over and tightly held the pole as veins vaguely appeared on the back of his hand. Her failing to break through at such an important juncture will definitely cause some harm to her. But luckily, she failed when she tried to break through to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior¡ªthis can still be handled. If something happened when she broke through into the Apotheosis Realm¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned dark. After a moment, he took out something from the Cosmic Ring. Then, he lightly extended his fingers, and a layer of faintly golden dust scattered in the air. ¡­ Outside Fangzhou City. In the deserted land of a hidden place, the air rumbled. Following a ray of purple light, a tall and slender figure walked out from the dark space! It was a young lady dressed in red. Her skin presented a healthy malt color, but it didn¡¯t hide the youthfulness in her almond-like eyes. ¡°Hu¡­ I¡¯m finally here!¡± She lightly exhaled. I felt like I was in the transportation formation for ages¡­ But luckily the process was very stable, or perhaps because that person was too strong, so I didn¡¯t feel any aftereffects at all. ¡°Did he directly create a transportation formation¡­¡± She smacked her lips and guessed with some uncertainty, feeling even more shocked. She wondered about the extent of that person¡¯s strength¡­ A slight breeze attacked her and blew her hair, causing it to stick to her face and tickle her slightly. Mu Hongyu pushed the loose strands of hair behind her ear and looked up. A large and magnificent city lake was not far away! It was like a gigantic fiend with a shocking aura! That should be Fangzhou City, right? Mu Hongyu took a deep breath in and clenched her fists to give herself courage before walking over. ¡­ Fangzhou City had no door, so everyone came in and out very freely. Mu Hongyu walked over curiously, but after walking on the streets for a while, she realized that the situation seemed slightly different from what she had expected. There didn¡¯t seem to be as many people as she had predicted here. There were only a few pockets of people on the road, and it definitely was not considered crowded. Didn¡¯t they say that one has to pass by Fangzhou City to get into Ling Xiao Academy? As the top academy in the God Residence Realm, there should be countless cultivators rushing toward this place in hopes of getting a chance to cultivate, right? But now, why¡­ Mu Hongyu walked for a while and asked a passerby. Before she came, Diwu Zhangze had already told her many things. Hence, she knew that after she came, she just had to find Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s assessment venue directly and go through with the assessment. Hearing that she was asking about Ling Xiao Academy, the other party guided her rather heartily. However, he looked at Mu Hongyu with a slightly strange gaze. Mu Hongyu found it weird and touched her own face. ¡°Big Brother, is there something wrong with me?¡± The other party shook his head. ¡°Hehe. Miss, it¡¯s your first time here, right?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°Do you know what has happened to Ling Xiao Academy lately?¡± Mu Hongyu shook her head. ¡°That explains it¡­¡± That man raised his chin and lowered his voice. ¡°You don¡¯t know, but previously, quite a few top-tier aristocratic families came to Fangzhou City together to go against Ling Xiao Academy! Even though the two parties didn¡¯t fight in the end¡­ there must be something that caused them to do such a thing publicly! Now, many people want to silently observe the situation just in case they get into trouble. It has been more than half a month since anyone went to participate in Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s admission examination in Fangzhou City!¡± Chapter 1429 - Old Acquaintances Ling Xiao Academy was powerful, but those aristocratic families weren¡¯t to be trifled with! If they really made an alliance, Ling Xiao Academy might not be their match! At times like this, it was normal for people to be very careful. Only people like this lady who came from outside and didn¡¯t have much background would still be in the dark and want to go to Ling Xiao Academy with all their hearts! ¡°I see¡­¡± Mu Hongyu nodded thoughtfully. It is no wonder I felt that the atmosphere here was weird after I came. So this had happened beforehand? However, this won¡¯t affect my decision. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother.¡± She smiled brightly and sincerely bowed to the other party. He reminded her kindly, so she had to thank him. ¡°But I have a friend who¡¯s also in Ling Xiao Academy, so I have to go over and find her!¡± ¡°Hey, this kid¡ª¡± On the opposite side, the big brother saw that she wasn¡¯t convinced and wanted to try again. But meeting the lady¡¯s bright smile, he couldn¡¯t finish his remaining words. Suddenly, he chuckled. ¡°Heh. Miss, the friend you¡¯re in such a hurry to find is a young man, right?¡± Mu Hongyu wanted to say it wasn¡¯t, but an idea popped up in her mind, and she recalled that Diwu Zhangze had mentioned that Liuyue used another identity to go to Ling Xiao Academy. Hence, she nodded. ¡°Yeap!¡± The other party smiled in understanding and didn¡¯t ask further. ¡°Okay, hurry over then! If you¡¯re any later, you won¡¯t make it in time for the assessment, and you will have to wait for tomorrow!¡± Mu Hongyu thanked him again and ran in the direction the person pointed. ¡­ The person on duty today was Elder Wen Xi. He was still sitting in his usual spot as he leaned against the chair and looked very bored. During this period of time, not many people came for the assessment. He was here every day and basically didn¡¯t have much to do, so he was very bored. He glanced at the sky. ¡°Hm, I can go back in another hour¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t very anxious about nobody coming for the assessment. In actual fact, the entire Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t take this incident to heart. Being able to be established in the God Residence Realm for so many years and not fall after weathering so many ordeals, Ling Xiao Academy naturally had its own strengths and foundation. They wouldn¡¯t be affected in such a short amount of time. At this point, a young woman walked over. ¡°Hello, Senior. May I know if this is where Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s assessment is held?¡± Her voice was crisp, and it lightened one¡¯s mood instantly. Elder Wen Xi looked up. It was a lively and charming young woman bubbling with energy. Elder Wen Xi looked left and right and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Yes. Do you want to enroll into Ling Xiao Academy?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded forcefully. Elder Wen Xi¡¯s gaze was fiery, and he could tell at one glance that Mu Hongyu was definitely not from a top-tier aristocratic family¡ªnot even a third-tier one. However, she was magnanimous, well-mannered, and cultured. She wasn¡¯t much different from the descendants of those aristocratic families. A young lady coming here alone proved that she had guts. Elder Wen Xi had a good impression of her and straightened his body. ¡°What do you want to be assessed on?¡± Mu Hongyu said, ¡°Warrior!¡± Her physique was special. To be more specific, it didn¡¯t belong to any of the three cultivation aspects¡ªheavenly doctor, warrior, or Xuan Master. But if she had to choose one, she would be considered a warrior. After all, she was indeed a stage-nine warrior now. Elder Wen Xi nodded. ¡°Okay! You don¡¯t look too old. As long as you¡¯re at least a stage-nine warrior, you can be admitted.¡± Mu Hongyu walked over and placed her hand on the black jade. Before she moved, she suddenly thought of something and couldn¡¯t help but raise her head to ask, ¡°Elder, do you know Chu Yue?¡± Chapter 1430 - Is Everything Good? ¡°You know Chu Yue?¡± Elder Wen Xi was interested. Chu Yue had been in Ling Xiao Academy for quite a few months, and his identity and background had always been a mystery. At the moment, everyone only knew he had an extraordinary relationship with Rong Xiu and that they were most likely brothers. However, they didn¡¯t get confirmation, and it was still a guess in the end. It was rare to have someone who knew Chu Yue. ¡°We¡¯re good friends!¡± Mu Hongyu pressed her lips against each other and smiled as her almond-like eyes shone. ¡°I see. What a coincidence¡ªI was also stationed here when he had his entry assessment previously,¡± said Elder Wen Xi with a smile as he stroked his beard. ¡°Really?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes lit up. It¡¯s no wonder the other party had such a well-acquainted tone when he mentioned ¡®Chu Yue.¡¯ It turns out they had such a relationship! ¡°Come, give it a try! If you can successfully pass the assessment, you can go into the academy and meet him.¡± Elder Wen Xi¡¯s initial impression of Mu Hongyu wasn¡¯t bad. Now that he heard that she was good friends with Chu Yue, he naturally felt closer to her. ¡°Mm!¡± Mu Hongyu nodded and placed her hand on the black jade for assessment. She held her breath in to focus. Her expression was serious as she carefully moved her force and inserted it in! Whir! A string of words gradually appeared! ¡°Seventeen years old, beginner stage-nine warrior!¡± Elder Wen Xi widened his eyes slightly in shock and stared at that line of words for quite some time. It was only until that line of words gradually disappeared that he blinked and looked at Mu Hongyu with unconcealable praise. ¡°Y-you¡¯re just 17, and you¡¯re already a stage-nine warrior?!¡± He knew that this lady shouldn¡¯t be too old, but he did not expect her to be 17 only. Oh right, Chu Yue should also be 17 now. With such talents, she is definitely considered outstanding in the entire Ling Xiao Academy! Could it be that all of Chu Yue¡¯s friends are so strong? Mu Hongyu retracted her hand and looked at Elder Wen Xi expectantly and curiously. ¡°Then¡­ Elder, does this count as a pass?¡± ¡°Haha! Of course!¡± Elder Wen Xi was dazed for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. If this isn¡¯t considered a pass, many students in Ling Xiao Academy can be directly chased out! As Elder Wen Xi laughed, he secretly thought that his luck was pretty decent. There were Chu Yue and the rest initially, and now, a Mu Hongyu has come along. They are all rare talents! This is especially so since many matters in the academy have been blown up recently, causing there to be very few cultivators coming for the admissions assessment in the recent half-month. Now that one has finally come, she is also very outstanding! Tsk. This caused Elder Wen Xi¡¯s originally depressed emotions¡ªcourtesy of the recent events¡ªto become much better. He immediately produced his black jade plaque. A thought popped up in his mind, and a faint light quickly flashed across. Then, he passed it to Mu Hongyu. ¡°Here. In the future, this is your pass to come in and out of the academy, and it¡¯s also a symbol of your identity here.¡± It¡¯s so simple and swift? Mu Hongyu was also very surprised. She took the black jade plaque with both hands and flipped it around to take a closer look. She cherished it more than ever. She knew that she could enter Ling Xiao Academy, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be so quick! Touching the black jade plaque that was slightly cold, she still felt that it was a dream. So I¡¯m directly enrolled into the top academy in the God Residence Realm? In actual fact, as she was close to Chu Liuyue, Mu Hongyu had always instinctively compared herself to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue was known as a maniac. After being with such a maniac for so long, Mu Hongyu had become one herself, not to mention that her physique¡ªwhich only appeared once in a thousand years¡ªcouldn¡¯t be compared with an average person. Hence, even though she was already excellent, she never had such a clear and obvious recognition of herself. This caused her to have a pretty big misunderstanding of her own standards. ¡°Thank you, elder!¡± Mu Hongyu preciously touched the black jade plaque for a while before she put it away carefully. Elder Wen Xi laughed and said, ¡°Wait here first. I¡¯ll go back with you later on.¡± It was rare for such a student to come, and she even had great potential and talent. Of course, he had to bring her into the academy personally. Mu Hongyu nodded obediently. She walked two steps to the side, and just as she was about to sit at the position specified by Elder Wen Xi, she suddenly asked curiously, ¡°Oh right, Elder, how has Chu Yue been doing in the academy recently?¡± Elder Wen Xi¡¯s smile froze. He clenched his fists, brought one to his lips, and coughed. ¡°F-fine¡­ You¡¯ll know about it after going to the academy.¡± Seeing his reaction, Mu Hongyu was puzzled. It seems like she¡¯s not doing very well¡­ ¡°Could it be that Chu Yue¡­ got into trouble again?¡± asked Mu Hongyu tentatively. According to my understanding of Chu Liuyue, this should be the most plausible reason. The corner of Elder Wen Xi¡¯s lips twitched. Again¡­ It seems like that kid had this personality beforehand! Actually, Mu Hongyu¡¯s question isn¡¯t wrong, but¡­ It is even bigger trouble than expected! Elder Wen Xi sighed in conflict. ¡°Quite a few things have happened in the academy recently. You should¡¯ve heard about them more or less, right?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°Chu Yue has some relation to these matters, but¡­ His current situation is rather complicated and can¡¯t be explained in a word or two. You should ask him yourself when you go to the academy and see him.¡± Mu Hongyu was confused, but she could faintly feel that the situation was rather abnormal. Her originally excited feelings became calmer. She acknowledged it and sensibly did not ask further. ¡­ Fengmin Mountain in Ling Xiao Academy. When Elder Bo Yan reached here, the commotion at Fengmin Mountain had already calmed down. Fengmin Mountain had returned to normal, and it looked no different from before. However, his brows were still tightly knitted. ¡°Elder Meng.¡± Elder Bo Yan cupped his fists and politely bowed toward the pagoda. Even if he currently controlled the entire academy, he still had to be respectful when he came here. Elder Meng¡¯s seniority was much higher than his. After a moment, a low and deep voice came. ¡°Bo Yan, why did you come here today?¡± Elder Bo Yan asked hesitantly, ¡°Previously, I seem to have detected some strange movements here in Fengmin Mountain. What happened?¡± It was fine if it were somewhere else, but this was Fengmin Mountain! With Elder Meng stationed here, such a commotion could still happen, which really shocked him. He even directly abandoned all the matters he hadn¡¯t handled and came straight over. Elder Meng¡¯s voice sounded rather calm. ¡°It¡¯s just some small matter. I¡¯ve already handled it; you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Elder Bo Yan then heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing much here. You can deal with your own matters,¡± said Elder Meng lightly. Elder Bo Yan nodded. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly thought of something and turned back. His gaze flickered hesitantly, and he purposely lowered his voice after some time to ask, ¡°Elder Meng, the item that the girl left behind¡­ Is everything okay with it?¡± Chapter 1431 - Close Relationship On the top floor of the pagoda, Elder Meng¡ªwho heard this question¡ªfell silent for a moment. He looked at the door floating quietly and said after some time, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Outside the barrier, Elder Bo Yan then heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°With you around, there naturally won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll go back now.¡± Then, Elder Bo Yan cupped his fists, bowed politely, and turned around to leave. Silence resumed in the surroundings as if nothing had happened. After some time, Elder Meng sighed lightly. ¡°I wonder when the girl will come back¡­ Does she not want her item anymore?¡± After such a long time, she didn¡¯t even send a letter back. I wonder what she¡¯s busy with¡­ Elder Meng shook his head, and thinking of the two below, he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head again. It seems like if I have the time, I need to ask Rong Xiu about it. Perhaps I can find something out from him. ¡­ On the second floor, Chu Liuyue lay on the thousand-year cold jade bed. Rong Xiu sat beside her and held her hand. The duo¡¯s fingers were interlocked, and a faint golden light shone. A warm strength entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and carefully rejuvenated it. Her organs, including a portion of her Yuan meridian, were injured in the previous accident. Even though her recovery power was great, Rong Xiu still insisted on using his force to help heal her injuries every once in a while. Chu Liuyue¡¯s condition was indeed much better now. A hint of red dyed her pale and frail face, and her aura was much stabler than before. Perhaps it was because Rong Xiu was around, and the familiar faint cold fragrance lingered, but she felt more at ease. She didn¡¯t have a nightmare again, and she slept with a peaceful appearance. ¡­ When Elder Wen Xi brought Mu Hongyu into the academy, it attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. In the past half-month, not many people came to the academy. Now that one suddenly came, she naturally became everyone¡¯s focal point. As he liked Mu Hongyu very much, Elder Wen Xi directly arranged her residence personally. ¡°Originally, I wanted to arrange for you to stay with Chu Yue on the same mountain. But as Chu Yue has moved, I can only try my best to let you stay closer to him.¡± Elder Wen Xi and Mu Hongyu stood at the middle of a mountain, and the former pointed in a certain direction. ¡°This is Hutou Mountain. In the southeastern direction, that mountain is Jiuheng Peak. That¡¯s Rong Xiu¡¯s residence, and Chu Yue has also moved there as well.¡± ¡°His Highness?¡± Mu Hongyu was rather confused. Elder Wen Xi was dazed for a moment and recovered his senses. Since Mu Hongyu is good friends with Chu Yue, it was normal for her to know Rong Xiu. Hearing this address, she seems to be one of the people from the 28 divisions under the Sky-Cloud Empire? ¡°Yes. After Rong Xiu came into the academy, he has been living there alone. Chu Yue was the first one who was allowed to stay with him. I must say that Rong Xiu treats him extremely well!¡± Even we elders can¡¯t casually approach Jiuheng Peak, and only Chu Yue can. Doesn¡¯t this state something? ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for His Highness to treat him well?!¡± Mu Hongyu chuckled. The two of them have a marriage agreement and only lack an official wedding. Others naturally can¡¯t compare to such a relationship. Hearing this, Elder Wen Xi was curious. ¡°Oh? Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu had spoken halfway when she suddenly recalled that Chu Liuyue came here under the alias ¡®Chu Yue,¡¯ so she hurriedly stopped talking. Her almond-like eyes turned, and she smiled playfully. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because they naturally have a good relationship!¡± Without waiting for Elder Wen Xi to ask further, she immediately changed the topic. ¡°Oh right, Elder¡­ Since they¡¯re all living at Jiuheng Peak, can I directly go over to see them?¡± Elder Wen Xi¡¯s expression stiffened, and he laughed hoarsely. ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s¡­ a long story¡­¡± ¡°Mentor!¡± At this moment, a gentle voice sounded. Elder Wen Xi looked over. ¡°Shishi, what brings you here?¡± Luo Shishi¡¯s figure flashed, and she quickly arrived before the duo. She respectfully bent her knees and bowed to Elder Wen Xi before smiling delightfully and saying, ¡°Elder Hua Feng came over to look for you. He heard that you were helping the new student to ease in and left. He said that if you have the time, you should drop by his place as he wants to talk to you about something.¡± Elder Wen Xi lightly grunted. ¡°What things can¡¯t be said directly? The older he is, the more troublesome he gets.¡± Even though he said this, he still had a smile on his face and was just clearly teasing him. Luo Shishi was used to the way these two elders interacted and didn¡¯t really mind it. Her gaze turned, and she saw Mu Hongyu at the side. Curiosity filled her eyes. ¡°This is the new junior sister that came in, right?¡± She had already been here for a few months, so she naturally addressed herself as senior sister. Elder Wen Xi laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s right! This is Mu Hongyu, a new student I recruited today. Hongyu, this is Luo Shishi, and she¡¯s my student.¡± Mu Hongyu smiled and said, ¡°Hello, Senior Sister!¡± Luo Shishi saw that the lady wasn¡¯t old and that her face was malt-colored, but it didn¡¯t hide her beauty at all. This was especially so for her round and bright almond-like eyes that were energetic, active, carefree, and cute. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Junior Sister Hongyu, you don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony. Since you¡¯ve come to the academy, we¡¯re all one big family. Especially since you were also personally assessed by Mentor, we have even more fate. In the future, if you don¡¯t understand anything in the academy, you can just ask me about it.¡± ¡°Haha! That¡¯s not where your fate ends!¡± Elder Wen Xi smiled and stroked his beard. ¡°Hongyu, did you know that when Shishi came into the academy, she was assessed together with Chu Yue!? And the few of them are quite close even now!¡± They¡¯re so close that they got into trouble at Million Wine Mountain together¡­ However, he naturally couldn¡¯t say this. Once she heard that the other party was also Chu Liuyue¡¯s good friend, Mu Hongyu instantly felt closer to her. However, Luo Shishi found it strange. Hearing what Elder Wen Xi said¡­ It seems like Mu Hongyu and Chu Yue know each other? As if seeing through her thoughts, Elder Wen Xi smiled and said, ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention. Shishi, Hongyu is Chu Yue¡¯s good old friend! Look, she came to the academy looking for Chu Yue!¡± Luo Shishi was dazed. Oh, so she¡¯s¡­ Mu Hongyu blinked. ¡°Elder, you haven¡¯t said where Chu Yue is now. My f-father and mother told me to ask about her.¡± In actual fact, she hadn¡¯t gone home in a long time. During the period of time she was in the Red Moon Desert, she also didn¡¯t correspond with her family through letters. However, her father and mother indeed were grateful to Chu Liuyue, and they sometimes missed her even more than they missed Mu Hongyu. Hence, it wasn¡¯t wrong to say this. Luo Shishi found it strange. ¡°It seems like Junior Sister Hongyu and Chu Yue are really close¡­¡± If they are normal friends, why would a young lady¡¯s parents care about him so much? And seeing Mu Hongyu¡¯s appearance, it does seem like she isn¡¯t ordinarily close to Chu Yue¡­ An unknown sadness crept into Luo Shishi¡¯s heart. She pressed her lips against each other and said, ¡°Chu Yue isn¡¯t at Jiuheng Peak now. She¡¯s at Fengmin Mountain.¡± Chapter 1432 - Similar! The corners of Elder Wen Xi¡¯s eyes twitched. Aiyo! Why did this kid say it directly?! I had been thinking for so long, and I didn¡¯t know how to speak! ¡°Fengmin Mountain? What place is that?¡± Mu Hongyu looked confused. She had just come to the academy, so she naturally didn¡¯t know what Fengmin Mountain meant. Since she said it¡­ It¡¯ll be better to say it upfront. Elder Wen Xi silently advised himself in his heart and explained, ¡°This incident has to be explained starting from when all of us went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡­¡± ¡­ Elder Wen Xi used about ten minutes to explain the entire incident to Mu Hongyu once. Actually, much of this incident had been spread far and wide outside, so it was fine if they talked about it. He just saw that Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t seem to know much about it, so he didn¡¯t know where to start. But upon deeper thought, these things had to be said sooner or later, so he decided to say it directly. ¡°¡­That¡¯s roughly what happened. During this period of time, Chu Yue has been locked up at Fengmin Mountain. Bo Yan hasn¡¯t said when he can come out, so I¡¯m not sure either.¡± Mu Hongyu widened her eyes slightly and digested this after some time. After reacting, she hurriedly asked, ¡°How is Chu Yue now?¡± Elder Wen Xi comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. He went to Fengmin Mountain after he woke up, and he seems to have pretty much recovered. Logically speaking, nothing much will happen to him.¡± Mu Hongyu was still worried. ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that Fengmin Mountain is very dangerous? She¡ª¡± ¡°Um¡­ I think that you don¡¯t have to be too worried about this. He has gone to Fengmin Mountain twice previously, and he seemed to be fine¡­¡± Elder Wen Xi was rather open-minded about this. After witnessing that kid¡¯s ability to get into trouble, he actually felt that he didn¡¯t need to be too worried. Under such circumstances in the Flood-Desert Northern Region, he could still have a twist of fate and directly break through to become a stage-nine warrior from an intermediate stage-eight one. There was no need to be worried about such a person. Mu Hongyu then felt slightly more at ease. That¡¯s true. Liuyue can always convert dangers into benefits, and this is just a punishment in the academy, so it should be fine. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll cultivate first and wait for him to come out!¡± Mu Hongyu quickly adjusted her mindset and smiled. Luo Shishi was stunned by this dazzling smile and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Hongyu, are you¡­ really not worried at all?¡± During this period of time, Luo Shishi actually couldn¡¯t sleep well as her mind kept recalling Chu Yue¡¯s bloody and disheveled appearance. Additionally, many people were still waiting to cause trouble for him outside¡­ This was really worrying. However, it seemed like Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t have this consideration. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m worried!¡± Mu Hongyu nodded, and she changed her tone. ¡°However, I believe in her!¡± The life and death experiences they had experienced together in the past made her always believe in Chu Liuyue unconditionally. Luo Shishi was slightly dazed. ¡°Shishi, bring Hongyu around first. I¡¯ll go to Hua Feng¡¯s to take a look.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, okay.¡± Luo Shishi recovered her senses and hurriedly agreed. Elder Wen Xi handed Mu Hongyu to Luo Shishi assuringly and quickly left. Luo Shishi thought for a while and said, ¡°Shall we go to Qing Ming Square to check it out first? Chu Yue got onto the Qing Yun Ranking not long after he came to the academy. When we get there, I¡¯ll tell you about it in detail.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded excitedly and gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister!¡± Luo Shishi smiled. ¡°You¡¯re Chu Yue¡¯s friend, so you¡¯re naturally my friend. Let¡¯s go!¡± Then, she left with her. ¡­ ¡°Hua Feng, why are you looking for me?¡± Elder Wen Xi quickly rushed to Elder Hua Feng and asked this question as he walked into the house. Nobody answered. Elder Wen Xi looked inside and realized that his friend was sitting behind the study table and staring at an item dazedly. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Elder Wen Xi walked over and was about to reach out to take it. Elder Hua Feng hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t touch it!¡± Elder Wen Xi wasn¡¯t angry, but he became even more curious as he leaned in and looked toward that item. ¡°What item are you hiding so preciously¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng looked up, and his expression was solemn. Elder Wen Xi suddenly felt that something was amiss, and his heart slightly skipped a beat. Bang. Elder Hua Feng closed the door outside. At the same time, a barrier appeared in the surroundings. Elder Wen Xi felt even more uneasy. According to my understanding of Hua Feng, something must¡¯ve happened for him to behave in this manner. His teasing smile froze slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Hua Feng paused and looked very conflicted. After a while, he moved his fingers. The item on the table flew up and quietly floated in the air under his control. It was a squarish piece of paper with one thin layer, but its material was very good and even glowed with a faint jade light¡ªholy and pure. On it, countless rays of light intersected and formed a very complicated Xuan formation. Elder Wen Xi stared at it for quite a while and felt dizzy before he hurriedly averted his gaze. ¡°What Xuan formation is this? How is it so strong?!¡± Although he wasn¡¯t a Xuan Master, he had been in the academy for so many years, and there was a powerful Xuan Master like Elder Hua Feng beside him. Hence, he had some understanding of Xuan formations. He had seen quite a few advanced Xuan formations, but the Xuan formation here couldn¡¯t be considered the most complicated one he had seen. Yet, it exuded a strong aura. He only stared at it, and he could already feel the harsh combative and murderous intent that seemed to want to break the paper and directly rush out! Elder Hua Feng waved his hands, and that piece of paper flew back again. He then picked up a paperweight and placed it in the middle. The shocking ripples then gradually appeased. ¡°You can also feel how strong this Xuan formation is?¡± Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows. ¡°But this isn¡¯t even a complete Xuan formation.¡± ¡°What?¡± Elder Wen Xi was taken aback. An incomplete Xuan formation is this formidable. If it is complete¡­ It is hard to imagine just how shocking it would be! ¡°Where did you get this Xuan formation from?¡± According to my understanding of Hua Feng, he shouldn¡¯t be able to execute such a terrifying Xuan formation, right? ¡°Do you remember me previously telling you we had met with quite a few troubles on the road after we reached the Flood-Desert Northern Region? And that there was one time we were even trapped by a Xuan formation?¡± Elder Wen Xi nodded. ¡°Yeah, I do. Hiss¡­ Could this be that¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t that Xuan formation.¡± Elder Hua Feng rubbed his temple and smiled helplessly. ¡°Even I can¡¯t execute that Xuan formation now. This¡­ is the Xuan formation that Chu Yue drew. He only recalled a part of it, so during this time, I¡¯ve been trying to replicate that Xuan formation. Even now, I can¡¯t do it completely and only finished a part of it, but¡­ You¡¯ve also seen its strength.¡± Elder Wen Xi knew that Chu Yue had contributed to them escaping back then, but he didn¡¯t know many details. ¡°So?¡± Elder Hua Feng took a deep breath in and said every word carefully after some time. ¡°This Xuan formation is extremely similar to the one the first director left behind!¡± Chapter 1433 - Break The first director that only existed in distant rumors was one that even Elder Hua Feng and the rest couldn¡¯t be compared to. Back then, that person created Ling Xiao Academy on his own and left behind many of his precious items, which were all kept and treasured in the academy¡¯s secret library. Over the past thousands of years, only the directors and specific elders could enter. Elder Hua Feng was coincidentally one of them. That was also the reason why he could personally witness the Xuan formation the first director had left behind. However, it was a pity that this Xuan formation contained too much strength, and it was too hard for Elder Hua Feng¡ªwho wasn¡¯t capable enough¡ªto remember it thoroughly. But even if he only recalled a portion of it, it would be extremely beneficial for him. Back at Flood-Desert Northern Region, he already felt that it was faintly familiar when he was trapped in the gigantic barrier, but he wasn¡¯t too sure. After he came back, he recalled the Xuan formation Chu Yue drew for him in detail and slowly repaired it bit by bit. Now, he had already solved more than half of this Xuan formation, and he could finally confirm that this Xuan formation was indeed extremely similar to the one left behind by the first director. Of course, he didn¡¯t dare to confirm that it was the same Xuan formation. After all, if these things were the slightest bit different, the effects would be vastly different. However, he could basically confirm that this Xuan formation did have some relation to the first director! Upon hearing this, Elder Wen Xi was also stunned and couldn¡¯t recover his senses for a long time. ¡°D-do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± Elder Wen Xi spoke with much difficulty. He felt his throat tighten and become hoarse. His first reaction was ¡®impossible,¡¯ but rationality told him that nothing was impossible. Even though Elder Hua Feng liked to joke normally, he was definitely serious about this type of issue. He could even confirm that Elder Hua Feng must¡¯ve compared it repeatedly on his own and basically confirmed the situation before he found him. Elder Hua Feng bitterly laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say now either. Perhaps¡­ we should tell Bo Yan about this.¡± Elder Wen Xi fell silent for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s not be so anxious. Recently, there have been many matters in the academy that he has to handle. I think he¡¯s quite busy as well, so why don¡¯t we discuss this first¡­ You said that Chu Yue told you about this Xuan formation? Even though he is talented as a Xuan Master, he shouldn¡¯t know such an advanced and complicated Xuan formation, right?¡± Elder Hua Feng calmed down for a while before telling Elder Wen Xi about that day¡¯s incident in detail. The room was completely silent. After a while, Elder Wen Xi then asked, ¡°So this means that Chu Yue accidentally saw this Xuan formation?¡± Elder Hua Feng nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s what he said, but I don¡¯t know the authenticity of his words.¡± This matter was serious, and one had to maintain a doubtful attitude toward every aspect of it. ¡°I think this Xuan formation is very likely to be related to the first director. As for whether Chu Yue knows about this, we have to ask him.¡± Elder Wen Xi¡¯s gaze landed on that piece of paper again. This type of paper was specifically used by Xuan Masters to carve their advanced Xuan formations and was very precious. However, one could clearly write their Xuan formations down on it, so it was widely loved by the Xuan Masters. The rays of light glowed iridescently, but who would¡¯ve expected that the Xuan formation hid such a big mystery? ¡°¡­Actually, I think that Chu Yue might not know about it. If he did, why would he directly tell you about the Xuan formation?¡± said Elder Wen Xi hesitantly. Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Since this has already happened, we have to solve it first. You¡¯re right¡ªBo Yan has been pretty tired recently. We should talk about this after Chu Yue comes out of Fengmin Mountain.¡± For the past few days, he had felt unsettled by this matter. In the end, he had no choice but to call Elder Wen Xi over and discuss with him. Now that he had confirmed his train of thought, he felt a slight sense of relief. Elder Wen Xi nodded as well. ¡°This matter has great implications. Before we have any concrete evidence, we must be discreet.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue was unconscious for two days and nights before she slowly woke up. She tried her best to open her eyes, and it was blurry. Someone leaned over. Before she could see that person¡¯s face, a familiar cold fragrance wafted toward her nose. That was the smell that allowed her to sleep peacefully during this period. Her originally uneasy heart settled down suddenly. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Her vision became clearer bit by bit. With Rong Xiu¡¯s help, she sat up and surveyed her surroundings. It was empty, and there was a jade bed below her. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°This is the second floor of Fengmin Mountain,¡± explained Rong Xiu. ¡°You previously met with an accident when you tried to break through to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior, and the forces clashed, so you fainted. For the past two days, you have been recovering here.¡± Rong Xiu explained the entire incident to her in a few sentences. Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples and felt her entire body ache. Previously¡­ Suddenly, she stopped in her actions and wanted to get down from the bed! Father! But as she had been lying down for two whole days¡­ Now that she suddenly got up, her vision instantly turned black, and her legs became weak as she almost collapsed onto the ground. Rong Xiu held her up by the waist and slightly furrowed his sharp brows. ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet, so you can¡¯t run around for now.¡± During the past two days, he kept using his own force to heal her body, and about 50% of it had recovered with much difficulty. But for the next few days, she had to recuperate properly to return to normal. After all, failing to break through was not a small matter. Besides, it was a breakthrough to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior. It was only because her body was strong that she could endure the impact of the force. If it were someone else, their situation would be more severe, and they might not even be able to continue cultivating. Chu Liuyue was very worried and grabbed Rong Xiu¡¯s sleeves tightly. ¡°B-but Father is very dangerous now!¡± If something happens to him¡ª Chu Liuyue could never forgive herself if so. For the longest time, she wanted to save her father but kept getting delayed by everything, dragging on until now. But in actual fact, she could make it if she wanted to go! Rong Xiu held her wrist. ¡°Where are you going to go now? Do you even know where he is?¡± This sentence was like a bucket of cold water that instantly calmed Chu Liuyue. She closed her eyes, and all the energy in her body seemed to be sucked away. Oh yeah. I only know that Father should be in the God Residence Realm, but I don¡¯t know his exact location. The only item that had a connection with Father was broken, and our last hint of hope is now gone. How hard will it be to find him? Rong Xiu hugged her and slightly patted her back. He then lowered his voice, and it was filled with tolerance and gentleness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already sent someone to check secretly, and they should be able to bring us news soon.¡± Chu Liuyue placed her forehead on his shoulders and nodded lightly. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡ª¡± Elder Meng just walked down the stairs and was about to say something when he bumped into this scene and lost his voice. Chapter 1434 - Substitution for Love At that moment, the air seemed to be frozen. The surroundings were silent, and even breathing became earth-shattering. The air seemed to contract silently and squeeze within the middle, causing one to suffocate. Elder Meng had his eyes open and mouth agape. Even if he had been dominating the God Residence Realm for so many years and witnessed countless storms, he was taken aback when he saw this scene. Rong Xiu and Chu Yue are actually hugging?! The key is that it isn¡¯t an ordinary hug! Such intimacy looks wrong in all ways! Even if they really are biological brothers, they shouldn¡¯t do this, right?! Even though Elder Meng didn¡¯t speak, his heart was in turmoil. In comparison, Rong Xiu was calmer and more composed. Hearing Elder Meng¡¯s voice, strangeness flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. However, it quickly disappeared, and his eyes returned to normal. Elder Meng was stronger than him, and he placed all his focus on Chu Liuyue previously, so he didn¡¯t notice Elder Meng coming. But¡­ So what? Rong Xiu lightly patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Be good. Go back and rest first.¡± Chu Liuyue originally wanted to ask more about her father, but seeing this current situation, she knew she couldn¡¯t do it. She nodded and removed herself from Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace as she turned and looked at Elder Meng. ¡°Thank you for letting me stay, Elder Meng.¡± Even though Rong Xiu didn¡¯t talk about it, she knew that it was all thanks to Elder Meng that she and Rong Xiu could stay here. Not to mention others, she was really much more comfortable here than outside, and it was more convenient for her to recuperate her body. She had to say this word of gratitude no matter what. However, how could Elder Meng take it in now?! He nodded rather slowly and stiffly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s n-nothing much¡­ You¡¯re injured, so you should rest first¡­¡± It seemed like he had lost his soul even when speaking. Chu Liuyue obediently lay on the jade bed. Rong Xiu stood with one hand behind his back and lightly said, ¡°She just woke up. I was just about to tell you.¡± The corner of Elder Meng¡¯s lips twitched. Just about to tell me? I couldn¡¯t tell that Rong Xiu had this intention at all! ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s awake.¡± Elder Meng took a deep breath in and swallowed his words with much difficulty. ¡°I coincidentally have something to discuss with you. Follow me.¡± Rong Xiu lightly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Elder Meng turned around, went up two floors, and couldn¡¯t help but turn around to glance at Chu Liuyue. He met with that pair of black, gem-like eyes. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Elder Meng, is there anything wrong?¡± ¡°N-no!¡± Elder Meng suddenly felt guilty for some reason as he hurriedly retracted his gaze and went upstairs. His figure quickly disappeared in the stairs. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue exchanged a glance, and the corner of their lips curled up slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡­ After Rong Xiu left, Chu Liuyue was alone on the entire second floor. Originally, she wanted to rest for a while longer, but she missed her father and couldn¡¯t calm her heart no matter what. After thinking for a while, she swiftly took out the Physician Medicinal Guide that Elder Wan Zheng had previously left behind to read. Ever since she came back from the Flood-Desert Northern Region and broke through to become a stage-nine warrior, a long crack had appeared on her black pyramid. Just one more touch, and it would break completely. She recalled quite a few things, including many advanced Xuan formations and medicinal formulas. Now that she couldn¡¯t use her force, she could only read the medicinal guide. After those memories came back, she seemed to be a master without a mentor as she naturally learned those items¡ªespecially the medicinal formulas. Although they were as complicated as ever, she could memorize them smoothly. Chu Liuyue faintly felt that she seemed to have reached the barrier to becoming a Physician. But with the previous failure, she became even more careful. ¡­ Rong Xiu followed Elder Meng to the top floor. Ordinary people had no right to enter here, but Rong Xiu was an exception. On the one hand, Elder Meng¡ªwho was agitated¡ªhad lost his rationality. Besides this place, he really couldn¡¯t think of another place he could talk to Rong Xiu properly. On the other hand, Rong Xiu had come here before. After walking to the top floor, Elder Meng raised his hand to seal the barrier and sat down on his usual seat. Rong Xiu followed him and saw the door quietly floating in the middle. He squinted his phoenix-like eyes slightly, and a ray of dim light flashed across his eyes. Then, he silently retracted his gaze and stood five steps before Elder Meng. ¡°Elder Meng, you said that you have something to discuss with me. May I know what it is?¡± Elder Meng lowered his head, and when he heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but look up and glance at him strangely. ¡°Do you really not know what I want to ask?¡± Rong Xiu was straightforward. ¡°Elder Meng, please enlighten me.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± However, Elder Meng didn¡¯t fall for his trick and harshly grunted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say what¡¯s going on with you and Chu Yue!?¡± If Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t make this clear, I will feel very uneasy the whole day! Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it just now? He just woke up and wanted to go out, but he got up anxiously and almost fell. Hence, I went to support him.¡± Elder Meng half-believed his words. I didn¡¯t see the front and only saw their backs! Besides, was that supporting him? The two of them were clearly hugging! I¡¯ve known Rong Xiu for a few years. According to my understanding of Rong Xiu, he definitely wouldn¡¯t do such a thing unless¡­ that person has an extraordinary status in Rong Xiu¡¯s heart! But seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s behavior, he clearly won¡¯t say anything more. That¡¯s true. Chu Yue¡­ is handsome, clean, has an outstanding talent, and people will fall for him when he smiles. However, he¡¯s a true young man! Doesn¡¯t Rong Xiu already have a Princess Consort? What is he thinking? The two of them fell silent and faced each other. After a moment, Elder Meng¡¯s gaze unintentionally swept across that door. His expression suddenly drooped, and he looked lethargic. He then swiped the dust and rubbed his brows. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡­ are already married now. You need to know your limits in some things.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. This sentence¡­ ¡°I heard from Bo Yan that you picked your own princess consort and that you seem to be very satisfied with her. You¡­ should like her very much, right?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression became even more incredulous, and he nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Elder Meng hesitated for a moment and spoke with much difficulty. ¡°I know that when the girl left without coming back, she broke your heart. When you went to find her personally later, you experienced life and death situations and came back filled with injuries. However, those are matters of the past. Since you already have your princess consort, you need to treat her nicely, and not¡­¡± He sighed. It shouldn¡¯t be me saying these words, but if I don¡¯t say them, nobody will care about Rong Xiu. Hence, no matter if Rong Xiu hates to hear it, I still have to say it! Thinking of this, Elder Meng¡¯s gaze became much more solemn as he said, ¡°That kid Chu Yue is indeed quite similar to the girl. However, it¡¯s unfair to both of them if you treat him as that girl¡¯s substitute!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched. Chapter 1435 - Exiting Seclusion! W-where did all of this come from? Rong Xiu rubbed his brows rather helplessly. ¡°Elder Meng, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± The two of them are clearly the same person. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. ¡°The relationship between Chu Yue and me¡­ can¡¯t be explained in a word or two, but don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s definitely not what you think it is.¡± Elder Meng looked at him, and his heart wavered. ¡°Really?¡± Rong Xiu retracted his hand, and his thin lips curled up into an extremely faint smile. ¡°Do you think Chu Yue would accept it if I did that?¡± Of course, he wouldn¡¯t! That kid looks handsome and is always smiling, but in actual fact, he isn¡¯t someone who would let others step all over him. If not, could he have gotten into so much trouble? Seeing that Rong Xiu had guaranteed it himself, Elder Meng felt more at ease. Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t have to lie about such a matter, but the duo¡¯s relationship is indeed strange. When I have the chance in the future, I must ask about it properly. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about this first. It¡¯s fine as long as you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Elder Meng stopped the conversation and flung the dust. His gaze then swept across Rong Xiu¡¯s shoulders and landed on the door that was quietly floating. ¡°I told you to come because of an even more important matter. Look at this door and see if there¡¯s a problem.¡± Previously, he went down just for this. Rong Xiu turned around, and his brows were raised slightly. ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask¡ªwhen did this door come up?¡± Elder Meng squinted his eyes. ¡°Probably¡­ ten days ago. At that time, I already felt that the door wasn¡¯t right, so I moved only it up. After observing it for a while, I realized that it¡¯s indeed amiss, but¡­ I can¡¯t be sure, so I invited you over to take a look.¡± Rong Xiu stared at the door for a few seconds and suddenly laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve guarded the door for so many years. Nobody else knows it better than you, right? If you think it has a problem, then it definitely has.¡± Elder Meng still felt uneasy. ¡°This situation is rather complicated. Take a look at it first.¡± Seeing how insistent Elder Meng was, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t decline him further. He took a few steps forward and walked to the door. Then, he raised his hand and slowly stuck his palm against the door. It was cold to the touch. A faint coldness directly dug into his heart from his palm, but there faintly seemed to be warmth. That gush of warmth was very peculiar as it flashed across, and one couldn¡¯t differentiate it. It seemed as though something was wavering and wanted to rush out from within, but it turned around and disappeared the moment it was about to come out. Rong Xiu retracted his hand and looked calm. ¡°How is it?¡± Elder Meng leaned his body forward and asked rather anxiously. In the beginning, he didn¡¯t want Rong Xiu to intervene in this matter. But now that Rong Xiu was already here, and he increasingly felt that the door was problematic, he still decided to ask Rong Xiu for his opinion after much thinking. Rong Xiu paused for a moment and looked at Elder Meng. ¡°What do you think?¡± Elder Meng¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, and his expression was solemn. ¡°I thought¡­ that item is about to wake up¡­¡± The first time he detected the ripple, perhaps he could convince himself it was a misunderstanding. However, it was still like this the second time and the third time, and the commotion got increasingly bigger. He couldn¡¯t help but be alert. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Since you already have a decision, why are you still asking me?¡± ¡°But this isn¡¯t right!¡± Elder Meng couldn¡¯t hold himself back as he rushed forward and flung the dust in his hand. Then, he pointed toward that door. ¡°That girl is still missing now, and I can¡¯t even see her figure. How can this thing have a commotion, or does it represent that the girl is coming back soon?!¡± When Elder Meng said the second half of the sentence, faint elation surfaced in his eyes. Thinking that Rong Xiu was still standing here, he hurriedly restrained himself. Back then, many people knew that Rong Xiu liked that girl, but they basically didn¡¯t mention it anymore. A few years had passed, and everything had changed. Rong Xiu even had his own princess consort, so it seemed more inappropriate to bring up that girl. However, Rong Xiu looked normal as if he didn¡¯t mind talking about this. He thought about it seriously and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That might be possible.¡± She is indeed¡­ coming back soon. ¡°You think so too?¡± Hearing this, Elder Meng felt more at ease. Previously, he was still worried if this represented that the girl was in trouble. But now that Rong Xiu said that it just represented that she was coming back soon, he felt more relieved and less worried. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze flickered, and his peripheral vision lightly flashed across that door. If she didn¡¯t fail to break through two days ago¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t have to be worried. It seems like everything is fine,¡± Rong Xiu added. Elder Meng heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°T-then, I¡¯ll just wait for her to come back!¡± It seemed like Rong Xiu had already put things down, so Elder Meng had let go of his last consideration. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else now. Take good care of Chu Yue.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you further then.¡± Then, Rong Xiu cupped his fists, turned around, and left. Looking at his departing back, Elder Meng sighed. ¡°Sigh¡­ Thinking of back then¡­¡± What a match made in heaven! Yet, it became like this now¡­ Forget it! Since Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t think about it anymore, why should we join in? Elder Meng¡¯s hands slightly slid across that door. The intricate markings on the door left a smooth and gentle touch on his palm. ¡°That girl¡­ is really magnanimous¡­¡± ¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire, Wan Zhong Mountain. The sun set, and the remaining warm orange glow dyed the sky a faint golden. Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho had kneeled for the entire day¡ªfinally loosened her body and rubbed her sore and numb kneecaps. Even though she had been here for quite a few days, she still wasn¡¯t used to this kind of punishment. Anyone who had to maintain the same kneeling posture for 12 hours from morning to night wouldn¡¯t be able to take it, yet she had to endure it. This was because it was her only path of return now! Jiang Zhiyuan looked up. The top of the mountain was peaceful. I wonder when the clan leader can come out of seclusion¡­ She thought with much grumbles. But once that idea popped up in her mind, she became hopeless again. The clan leader had already been in seclusion for so many years and didn¡¯t show any signs of coming out. Now, Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t know when she had to wait until¡­ Crack! A crisp shatter was suddenly heard! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly looked up! She saw an inch-long crack appearing in the middle of the gigantic Xuan formation on the mountain. Faint and pure rays of light shone out from within. This¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, and a bold guess surfaced in her mind! Crack! At the side, another crack appeared! It was as if a switch was suddenly activated, and the entire Xuan formation moved. Those cracks appeared one by one according to the Xuan formation¡¯s outline. Not long later, the bright light shining out from below had already wrapped the entire mountain! A tremendous aura exuded from within! Detecting that suppression, Jiang Zhiyuan wasn¡¯t terrified at all and was elated. The clan leader is coming out of seclusion! Chapter 1436 - Hide Away Boom! A loud sound suddenly came from the skies¡ªit was earth-shattering! The sky¡ªwhich was still considered clear earlier¡ªrapidly darkened. The dark clouds gathered, and the winds howled! Jiang Zhiyuan looked up and increasingly confirmed her guess. It must be! The clan leader must be coming out of seclusion! And seeing this formation, he is clearly about to break through! This commotion quickly attracted the attention of the other people from the Sky-Cloud Empire. Shua! Sounds of things piercing through the air could be heard. In just a moment, many figures gathered in the surroundings! Amongst them were the guards in black armor in charge of guarding Wan Zhong Mountain and some distinguished venerables! Even 36 Respected Elder Ming and the rest quickly gathered over when they heard the noise! Everyone looked at the place that triggered the commotion¡ªWan Zhong Mountain! In the dark skies, only Wan Zhong Mountain had bright iridescent lights! ¡°Is¡­ the clan leader coming out of seclusion?¡± Someone from the crowd couldn¡¯t conceal their shock and muttered. The voice was light and very low, but of the people who could appear here weren¡¯t top warriors? This sentence clearly landed in everyone¡¯s ears. In actual fact, this was what they were thinking! Wan Zhong Mountain was the place the clan leader specifically chose to go into seclusion. For the past few years, it had been very quiet, and there was no noise at all. Today, the Xuan formation on the mountaintop was activated. Everything opened, and the Heaven and Earth Force burst out! The answer was: only that one! Hong long long! Many rays of silver light swam in the dark clouds! The aura was stunning! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s hair and clothes were blown into a mess by the crazy winds. That terrifying suppression descended from the skies and wrapped the entire Wan Zhong Mountain! Excruciating pain pressed on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body! Her face paled, and she directly spat out a mouthful of blood! She almost rolled down from the mountain! She hurriedly grabbed the rock at the side and tightly nailed herself to the ground. I can¡¯t leave! I can¡¯t retreat! At such times, I have to persevere to the end! When the clan leader comes out, he must see me first! Holding this belief, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s originally weak body exploded with great potential. Her face was blown till it hurt by the wind, and her body didn¡¯t seem to be hers anymore as it was in so much pain that it turned numb. Only that pair of hands hugged that rock tightly and didn¡¯t let go at all! The next moment, that gigantic Xuan formation suddenly broke from the middle! Tsing! The entire Wan Zhong Mountain shook thereafter! A figure suddenly rushed out from below! Almost at the same time, countless lightning bolts landed in unison from the sky! Hong hong hong! Wan Zhong Mountain was like a thunder sea. The terrifying energy spread toward the surroundings! Thump! The barrier outside Wan Zhong Mountain suddenly exploded! 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s gaze focused, and he rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Silver chain!¡± A long silver chain flew out and expanded with the wind. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped the entire middle of Wan Zhong Mountain. After the exploding force hit the silver chain, it seemed as though the force was absorbed and disappeared rapidly! ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan, out!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming yelled at the top of his lungs. The end of the silver chain flew up with the wind and reached not far behind Jiang Zhiyuan. As long as she turned around and jumped onto this silver chain, she could escape successfully. However, Jiang Zhiyuan seemed like she didn¡¯t hear it as she kneeled on the ground, lowered her body, and tightly hugged that rock. 36 Respected Elder Ming knitted his brows and coldly snorted. At this time, Jiang Zhiyuan is still thinking about that¡­ It¡¯s really hard on her! Rumble! A ray of silver lightning rapidly slashed toward Jiang Zhiyuan! She detected the danger and finally looked up. Hide? Absolutely not! Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her teeth and persistently chose to face it head-on. She whipped out her sword, went on her toes, and rushed toward that lightning! Crack! The sword in her hands broke once it met the lightning! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart harshly trembled, and she immediately had thoughts of running for her life. But just as the lightning was about to split her head, a barrier suddenly appeared before her! At the same time, a strong force came from the side, held her body, and slowly put her down. When Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s feet hit the ground, they were trembling. However, she still turned around as soon as she could. Shock and elation overlapped, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Clan leader!¡± A figure that was slightly curved but had a terrifying aura walked out from the never-ending light. He walked forward in the air. Everywhere he passed, the surrounding force froze gradually and later dissipated! Those lightning bolts seemed to be swimming in his body and quickly disappeared underneath his skin. It was as if he had swallowed them. Finally, he stopped in his tracks. He then raised his hand, and the last bit of shining thunder broke in his palms and disappeared. The erratic Heaven and Earth Force all froze at this moment! Everyone was taken aback by this scene. Now, they could finally see the elder¡¯s true appearance clearly. He was wearing a dark-green robe, and he wasn¡¯t considered tall. His face was old and ordinary, his hair was white, and he looked no different from an ordinary elder, other than that pair of eyes. Experienced, calm, and mysterious. When he looked over, there seemed to be the feeling of stars extinguishing and the months flying by. It seemed like there was a wide universe in that pair of eyes. Everyone in the surroundings fell silent. Baili Chun surveyed his surroundings, and the wrinkles on both his cheeks seemed to deepen. Wherever his gaze passed, the crowd felt fearful, and they lowered their heads. They faintly felt like they had to bow down to him. Quite a few people were secretly shocked. The clan leader has been in seclusion for a few years and has indeed broken through. Such suppression is really¡­ ¡°I really haven¡¯t come out in a long time¡­¡± Baili Chun lightly sighed. His voice was experienced and low; one couldn¡¯t hear his emotions. ¡°Congratulations on coming out of seclusion, Clan Leader!¡± A voice that couldn¡¯t conceal its excitement sounded from the quiet crowd. 36 Respected Elder Ming glanced at the side. When Jiang Zhiyuan was in danger previously, he didn¡¯t come out. Now that the clan leader is out of seclusion, he reacts very quickly. Of course, I can¡¯t say for sure if it was done on purpose. Respected Elder Yu Jing looked agitated, and his old face blushed for once. ¡°Clan Leader, you¡¯re finally out! We¡¯ve missed you very much during the past few years!¡± It was during these few years that Rong Xiu strengthened his rule with ruthless methods, and he had completely controlled the entire Sky-Cloud Empire! If the clan leader didn¡¯t come out, Rong Xiu would probably teach all of them a lesson! Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s voice reminded the crowd. At that point, everyone bowed in unison. ¡°Congratulations on coming out of seclusion, Clan Leader!¡± Baili Chun smiled slightly, but probably because he had been in seclusion for a long time, his smile seemed rather stiff and had a thick distance to it. ¡°No need to stand on ceremony.¡± As he spoke, his figure flashed as he walked to Jiang Zhiyuan. His expression became much gentler with more hints of cherishing. ¡°This kid, why didn¡¯t you hide?¡± Chapter 1437 - Pitiful So many people had rushed over, but the first person Baili Chun saw and the one he asked about most concernedly was still Jiang Zhiyuan. But toward such a situation, everyone was just dazed and exchanged a knowing gaze before they quickly accepted it. Anyway, it was like this in the past, so it wasn¡¯t surprising at all. There were so many people in the Sky-Cloud Empire, and there were many outstanding ones amongst the younger generation. However, they all couldn¡¯t be compared to Jiang Zhiyuan. Baili Chun had personally raised her by his side, so she was naturally different from the others. The tears that Jiang Zhiyuan held back for a long time fell as though they were free. Her happiness had hints of grievances, and she was indeed pitiful. If her face didn¡¯t have the messy wounds and bloodstains, she would look even more pitiful. But when Baili Chun saw this, he didn¡¯t feel disdain at all, and his heart ached even more. ¡°Why? Yuan Yuan, why are you crying suddenly?¡± He took another step forward and lightly patted Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s head. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t Grandpa fine?¡± In the entire Sky-Cloud Empire, only Jiang Zhiyuan could call him ¡®grandpa.¡¯ ¡°Grandpa Chun¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan hurriedly wiped her tears, but she cried even more fiercely. ¡°This is embarrassing¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± Baili Chun watched on, and his heart ached. He couldn¡¯t help but knit his brows. Previously, he didn¡¯t notice it. But after approaching her, he realized that Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s condition was indeed terrible. Her aura was chaotic, and she was filled with injuries. Her face was frail as well. Her body and face even had stunning bloodstains. These definitely aren¡¯t because of the aftereffects of the thunder force from just now! Once I came out, I detected that Jiang Zhiyuan was nearby and looked after her carefully. Logically speaking, she would at most be slightly shocked and wouldn¡¯t be this severely injured! ¡°W-what happened to you?!¡± Baili Chun¡¯s expression became stern. ¡°Who bullied you?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan pressed her lips against each other tightly and was hesitant in speaking. ¡°I-it¡¯s not¡­¡± But to Baili Chun, this behavior essentially looked like she was bullied! Baili Chun comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With Grandpa around, I won¡¯t let you be aggrieved at all!¡± Then, he looked at 36 Respected Elder Ming and the rest. He suppressed the anger in his heart and asked, ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Why is Jiang Zhiyuan at Wan Zhong Mountain? How did her injuries come about? In my memory, she has always been elegant, active, and magnanimous. Since when did she look this disheveled? 36 Respected Elder Ming sneered in his heart. This Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader is indeed strange. He has never married in his entire life and doesn¡¯t have any descendants. His personality is arrogant, and he is extremely stubborn. In the Sky-Cloud Empire, the Baili clan actually holds power. The Baili clan¡¯s connections are extensive, and there are many divisions below with good talents. However, Baili Chun has always had a cold and nonchalant attitude toward them, and he has very strict requirements. He only dotes on Jiang Zhiyuan very much. When Jiang Zhiyuan was a few years old, she came to the Sky-Cloud Empire and was spotted by him. Then, he left her behind and personally raised her up. He acted as if he were taking care of his own biological granddaughter. Even though Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s background is slightly worse than that of the children in the Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ With Baili Chun doting on her, her treatment was even better than the eldest daughter of the Sky-Cloud Empire! And Jiang Zhiyuan herself has long been used to such a feeling, so she always treats the Sky-Cloud Empire as her own home. She isn¡¯t from the Baili clan, but it would be great if she became the prince, king, and monarch. When she first saw Rong Xiu being brought back, she liked the young man that was cold and arrogant. All along, she thought that everything was rightfully hers. Hence, when another woman appeared and occupied the position of the prince, king, and monarch, even snatching everything that should belong to her, she was filled with vengeance and grudges. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s expression was light. ¡°Clan Leader, please head to Tongshen Palace. We can all talk about it openly.¡± ¡­ Putong! The moment Jiang Zhiyuan entered the hall, she directly kneeled on the ground as tears welled up in her eyes again. ¡°Yuan Yuan, what are you doing? Quickly get up!¡± Baili Chun¡ªwho had just sat down¡ªsaw this, and his heart ached terribly. All these years, Jiang Zhiyuan has never kneeled to anyone in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Why did she become like this now? However, Jiang Zhiyuan refused to get up. She just cried, ¡°Grandpa Chun, I¡¯m in the wrong! Please punish me!¡± Upon seeing this, Baili Chun could only suppress his emotions and anxiously ask, ¡°What exactly is going on?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan looked up. In the surroundings, 36 Respected Elder Ming, Respected Elder Yu Jing, and the rest were all gathered here as they split up and sat on both sides. In front of these people, there are many things that are inconvenient to say. I can only¡­ pick what I can say. An idea popped up in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind, and her expression was depressed. ¡°Grandpa Chun, I previously did something wrong and angered Mentor. H-he doesn¡¯t want me anymore!¡± Baili Chun was dazed. 36 Respected Elder Ming kindly explained, ¡°She was expelled by Ling Xiao Academy, and they didn¡¯t publicize the reason. However, this incident has spread far and wide, and the entire God Residence Realm knows about it.¡± I¡¯m humiliated! Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her fists tightly, and her nails dug into her palm. She wanted to defend herself, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. She could only swallow this anger. Baili Chun tightly furrowed his brows and didn¡¯t speak in a while. He did not expect such a thing would happen. No matter how much he doted on Jiang Zhiyuan, he had to admit that this incident was a major black mark for her and the Sky-Cloud Empire. After a while, he took a deep breath in and boomed, ¡°Your injuries¡ª¡± ¡°They were left behind when I went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡­¡± said Jiang Zhiyuan as she lowered her head. ¡°They¡¯re already much better now. Grandpa Chun, you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Much better? Doesn¡¯t this mean that her previous injuries were more serious? Seeing her aggrieved yet considerate behavior, the bit of doubt Baili Chun had because she was expelled from Ling Xiao Academy disappeared. I brought Yuan Yuan up personally, and she has always been a good kid. Besides, didn¡¯t the academy elders all like her? There must be a misunderstanding here! Thinking of this, Baili Chun looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Rong Xiu? It¡¯s been so long, yet why isn¡¯t he here?¡± Even if he is His Grace, he can¡¯t be so sloppy! Jiang Zhiyuan wiped her tears and fearfully said, ¡°Brother Rong Xiu should still be in the academy¡­ It¡¯s normal for him not to come in such a short time. Don¡¯t be angry at him.¡± She paused and looked down. ¡°But I don¡¯t know why Sister Princess Consort isn¡¯t here¡­ Logically speaking, you came out of seclusion. so she should be here¡­¡± ¡°Princess Consort? What Princess Consort?¡± Baili Chun was confused. Jiang Zhiyuan laughed bitterly. ¡°Oh yes, you don¡¯t know yet. Brother Rong Xiu¡ªh-he has already chosen his princess consort. She¡¯s staying at Jishen Palace now¡ª¡± Thump! ¡°How dare he!?¡± Baili Chun was enraged as he slapped the desk and stood up! Jiang Zhiyuan was appointed as the princess consort long ago, yet Rong Xiu wants to change to someone else now. What exactly is he doing?! ¡°Princess Consort¡­ is indeed daring! Someone, go get that woman over!¡± Chapter 1438 - What a Coincidence, She Truly is a Genius 36 Respected Elder Ming lazily said, ¡°Clan Leader, the princess consort is cultivating in seclusion at Jishen Palace. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be too good to invite her over suddenly, right? It won¡¯t be good if it delays her cultivation.¡± This sentence stopped the people who were planning to rush over. They stood rooted to the spot and paced back and forth. On the one hand, it was the clan leader. On the other hand, it was the head of the venerables. Who should they listen to? Normally, they should listen to the clan leader. But these few years, the clan leader had been in seclusion and didn¡¯t really come out. Many matters were left to His Grace and 36 Respected Elder Ming to handle. Now that His Grace wasn¡¯t around, 36 Respected Elder Ming represented the power on this side. Even the clan leader had to be polite to him. Upon seeing this, Baili Chun was so angry that he laughed. How many years has it been? So the sky has changed in the Sky-Cloud Empire! ¡°What, do you not understand what the clan leader is saying?¡± Baili Chun spoke deeply, and his expression was harsh. The two words ¡®clan leader¡¯ were emphasized even more. The subordinates¡¯ faces paled, and they trembled. Just as they were about to leave, 36 Respected Elder Ming stopped them again. ¡°His Grace has already commanded that without his permission, nobody is allowed near Jishen Palace to disturb the princess consort. What, did you all forget about His Grace¡¯s instructions?¡± When 36 Respected Elder Ming spoke, he didn¡¯t look at Baili Chun. His formidable gaze only swept across the subordinates one by one, and it was enough to terrify them. At the same time, he retaliated against Baili Chun from the side. The clan leader¡¯s status is distinguished, but don¡¯t forget who holds the power in the Sky-Cloud Empire now. Besides, Jishen Palace has always been His Grace¡¯s territory. Even if the clan leader wants to intervene, he has to think about it! ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± The subordinates¡ªwho were originally wavering¡ªwere fearful and respectful when they heard the words ¡®His Grace.¡¯ They moved back respectively and stood in their places obediently. Baili Chun was dazed for a moment. What kind of situation is this?! As the clan leader, I have commanded the Sky-Cloud Empire for many years. Now, I can¡¯t even summon a single person?! 36 Respected Elder Ming touched his teacup and found it rather boring. Times have changed. Does he still think he is the top character that nobody can defy? If it really were so, then His Highness and I would¡¯ve done nothing in the past few years. The hall fell into dead silence. Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t quite expect this. Originally, she thought that the clan leader could stand up for her after he came out and take revenge for the humiliation she received. But now, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t the case. The Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ had long changed its owner! Even Respected Elder Yu Jing and the others had hesitant expressions and didn¡¯t really speak. They either didn¡¯t want to offend 36 Respected Elder Ming, or they didn¡¯t want His Grace to take revenge on them later! 36 Respected Elder Ming nodded in satisfaction as he smiled gently. ¡°Clan Leader, the princess consort has actually always been elegant, mature, and well-mannered. The reason why she couldn¡¯t come here in time today is definitely that she¡¯s still focusing on her cultivation. If not¡­ If she knew that you¡¯ve come out of seclusion, she would¡¯ve long come to welcome you. Why wouldn¡¯t she be here?¡± All the important people in the Sky-Cloud Empire had come, and only she did not. Who would be so stupid to cause trouble for themselves? There must be a reason! Baili Chun snorted in disdain. ¡°Seclusion? Cultivation? Is she an absolute genius and can¡¯t even afford this little time out?¡± His words were filled with mockery. However, 36 Respected Elder Ming laughed out loud, and he looked elated. ¡°Clan Leader, you¡¯re really intelligent! How did you know that our princess consort is an absolute talent? Back then, the Extreme God Sundial tested her bloodline power, and it reached the same ¡¯11¡¯ as His Grace!¡± Baili Chun¡¯s smile suddenly froze. E-eleven?! The Extreme God Sundial had tested her bloodline power? Yeah¡­ Since she is the princess consort, she definitely had to pass this test¡­ Why would it be so high?! At that point, countless thoughts flashed across Baili Chun¡¯s mind. His original expression filled with mockery and insults seemed frozen. ¡°Is this true? That woman¡­ What¡¯s her background? The tested result is indeed an ¡¯11?''¡± One had to know that in such a big family clan like the Sky-Cloud Empire, there was only one standard ¡¯11¡¯ like Rong Xiu in a thousand years. Why was this woman¡ªwho suddenly popped up¡ªcoincidentally an ¡¯11¡¯ as well? Jiang Zhiyuan lowered her voice, and she clasped her fingers tightly. ¡°She¡­ Elder Sister Princess Consort was tested in public, and the Extreme God Sundial did show an ¡¯11.¡¯ Even though she¡¯s from outside the realm, with such talent, we can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Baili Chun suddenly interrupted her and was in disbelief. ¡°Outside the realm? You¡¯re saying¡­ she¡¯s from outside the realm?!¡± How can this be? Baili Chun was about to go insane. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ Rong Xiu is really wreaking havoc!¡± The Sky-Cloud Empire is a top-tier aristocratic family in the God Residence Realm. Those who can be the princess consort¡­ Even if they aren¡¯t of similar status, they should at least have a decent background, right? In the end, she is someone from outside the realm?! ¡°Isn¡¯t this completely humiliating my Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s face?! No¡ªI will never agree!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming scratched his ears and wasn¡¯t so agitated. He even wanted to laugh. ¡°Clan Leader, are you serious? This princess consort has talent that doesn¡¯t lose out to His Highness. In days to come, her future will definitely be bright! If word goes out, many aristocratic families would be envious. Why is it a humiliation to you?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Baili Chun was stumped, and his expression changed. I really can¡¯t argue against this point. ¡°As for Jiang Zhiyuan¡­¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming raised his chin and snorted. ¡°Being expelled from Ling Xiao Academy, being chased by the Liang family over thousands of miles¡­ She got into so much trouble, yet we have to clean up her mess¡­ This is the real utter humiliation, right?¡± All these years, this was the first time the Sky-Cloud Empire had someone suddenly expelled from Ling Xiao Academy for no reason! Baili Chun felt annoyed. ¡°Do you know that our Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s reputation has hit rock bottom because we allowed her back and protected her? Do you want to hear how the people from outside mock us?¡± Baili Chun was so angry that his face turned pale. ¡°Enough!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan softly whimpered. ¡°I-it¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Baili Chun sat back down, depressed. Why must that so-called princess consort be such a top genius? Even I don¡¯t have a reason to find trouble with her! In the God Residence Realm, at any point in time, being strong is the best defense! ¡°Besides¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan, if I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, the princess consort is only 17 this year. She¡¯s much younger than you, so I think you shouldn¡¯t continue calling her ¡®elder sister,¡¯ right?¡± reminded 36 Respected Elder Ming very leisurely. Jiang Zhiyuan felt as though she was slapped by someone harshly, and she wasn¡¯t even in the mood to cry. She just wanted to disappear from the spot! I don¡¯t understand. The clan leader has already come out of seclusion. Logically speaking, I should be able to make a comeback. But why¡­ is everything not right?! Chapter 1439 - Stop Jiang Zhiyuan still didn¡¯t understand. Earth-shattering changes had happened in the Sky-Cloud Empire during the past few years. Rong Xiu now held great power and was very formidable. Even if the clan leader came out of seclusion now, he was no longer as powerful as he was back then. At this moment, Rong Xiu was the person with the most speaking rights! Shangguan Yue was the princess consort he personally chose. Even if those people didn¡¯t care about her, they had to give him face, right? Not to mention Shangguan Yue¡¯s shocking talent. One would have a dent in their head, and they would have to be not thinking straight to go against them. Baili Chun looked at the scene before him and was a little late in realizing it. After understanding the issue, he clenched his teeth. When I was in seclusion back then, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t think of such problems. But at that time, Rong Xiu was still green, and I didn¡¯t really take him into consideration. How would I know that everything would change in just a mere few years? How could it be so easy to get back the empire I¡¯ve lost? After a temporary silence, Baili Chun took a deep breath in and finally said, ¡°Yuan Yuan is Fairy Water Mound¡¯s eldest missy after all. When she¡¯s in trouble, can the Sky-Cloud Empire really sit at the side and not care about her? Besides, she has already come. What¡¯s the use of saying all of this now?¡± The crowd silently exchanged glances and revealed meaningful expressions. Look, he still protected her! I really don¡¯t know what kind of luck that Jiang Zhiyuan has for the clan leader to protect her so much. But if Jiang Zhiyuan continues to cause trouble, even the Sky-Cloud Empire can¡¯t protect her! 36 Ming was too lazy to continue discussing Jiang Zhiyuan with him. ¡°Since the Clan Leader insists, we¡¯ll put this matter to the side first. When His Grace comes back, he can make the decision.¡± According to Rong Xiu¡¯s personality, he might not want to have Jiang Zhiyuan around. Baili Chun¡¯s lips moved, and he still swallowed the words of retaliation in his throat. After a moment, he appeased himself and stood up. ¡°Since the princess consort is so busy, I¡¯ll meet her personally!¡± Harshness flashed across the 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s eyes! He stood up as well and silently blocked Baili Chun¡¯s path. In a seemingly smiling manner, he said, ¡°Clan Leader, I¡¯m afraid¡­ This wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, right? You¡¯re a senior, and she¡¯s a junior. No matter what, she should find you. If word goes out¡­ won¡¯t they say that our Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort has no manners?¡± Without a doubt, she would be scolded yet again. Besides¡­ if he goes to Jishen Palace now, he can¡¯t see her anyway! Baili Chun stopped in his tracks and glanced at 36 Respected Elder Ming suspiciously. Perhaps it was an illusion, but he felt that the latter seemed to be continuously stopping him and didn¡¯t want him to go to Jishen Palace, or look for the new princess consort. Could there be something wrong? Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t cry any longer. She stood up, wiped her tears, and walked to Baili Chun¡¯s side with red eyes. ¡°¡­Grandpa Chun, you just came out of seclusion today, and you must have a lot of things to do. We can just wait for this matter¡­¡± She paused. ¡°Ever since she became the princess consort, she has been staying in Jishen Palace the entire time and hasn¡¯t really come out. I believe she must be busy cultivating and breaking through, right?¡± No matter how diligent she is, she should not do this! Does she not even have the time to come out and meet a person?! Baili Chun¡¯s blood boiled, and he coldly snorted. ¡°Yuan Yuan, this matter has nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t have to intervene. I want to see how hard it is to see this princess consort!¡± As he spoke, he flung his sleeves and walked forward with big steps! 36 Respected Elder Ming couldn¡¯t stop him any further. After thinking for a moment, he immediately followed them. Behind him, quite a few people silently followed with varying mindsets. ¡­ Walking out of Tongshen Palace, Baili Chun looked up. On Suming Peak, Jishen Palace stood magnificently. A strong barrier covered it. From here, one could only see the white clouds floating across, but they couldn¡¯t see its specific appearance clearly. Jiang Zhiyuan stood behind him and looked at that palace while she secretly clenched her teeth. In the past, I have always casually walked in and out of Jishen Palace. But today, I have fallen into such circumstances¡­ Without a word, Baili Chun flew forward! 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s heart was suddenly tightly clutched! Baili Chun is the clan leader. Even if he doesn¡¯t have actual power now, he still has the most distinguished identity in the Sky-Cloud Empire in name. He has the right to enter Jishen Palace directly! If he discovers that the person he wants to find isn¡¯t in Jishen Palace, then¡­ Won¡¯t all our efforts during this period of time be wasted?! But if I continue to stop him, it would be too obvious and might arouse their suspicions. 36 Respected Elder Ming held his breath in and stared at the front tightly. Baili Chun was very quick. In a few breaths, he reached the lone barrier before Jishen Palace. A few guards in heavy armor looked over in unison and respectfully bowed. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± Baili Chun nodded. He knew that these people were Rong Xiu¡¯s most trusted confidants, so he had no intentions of playing around with them. He said in a straightforward manner, ¡°Where¡¯s the princess consort? I want to see her.¡± This is giving her enough face, right!? Anyone who has brains and wants face would have to give in! At this point, a figure hurriedly rushed over from behind. ¡°The clan leader came over, but we couldn¡¯t welcome you in time. Clan Leader, please forgive us.¡± Yu Mo bowed respectfully and smiled. Baili Chun knitted his brows and felt dissatisfied. However, he knew that the people from Jishen Palace never interfered with outside matters, so he couldn¡¯t rage. ¡°Where¡¯s the Princess Consort? Is she still cultivating in seclusion?¡± Yu Mo smiled. ¡°Clan Leader, you¡¯re so wise! The princess consort is indeed at the point of breaking through. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inconvenient to disturb her now¡­¡± Baili Chun had long predicted this answer and was about to walk in. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll just wait here! She can come out to meet me whenever she¡¯s free!¡± Yu Mo¡¯s smile froze. This¡­ Roar! A thunderous lion¡¯s roar filled with murderous intent reverberated throughout the air! The next moment, a fit white figure came through the air! With a few flashes, it appeared in front of Baili Chun! It was Xue Xue! It stood before the barrier and faced Baili Chun head-on. Its ice-blue eyes were filled with cold nonchalance in a high and mighty manner. Roar! It raised its head toward the sky and roared¡ªthe suppression was aplenty! Baili Chun¡¯s expression changed. Is this beast planning not to let me in?! 1 Chapter 1440 - Scheme Xue Xue snorted from its nose. Isn¡¯t it very obvious? Is there a need to ask? Seeing Xue Xue arrive, Yu Mo instantly heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. However, he still had to do perfunctory work. ¡°Xue Xue, the clan leader wants to go into Jishen Palace and meet the princess consort. Don¡¯t cause trouble.¡± Xue Xue licked its claws and bared its white teeth. It looked nonchalant and didn¡¯t care about this. It was clearly bent on blocking the door this time! Baili Chun felt that it was extremely ridiculous! I am the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader and could originally come and go from Jishen Palace freely. But today, I was actually stopped by a beast?! The world has changed! An idea popped up in Baili Chun¡¯s mind, and his gaze turned much colder. Anyone can tell who intended this. Rong Xiu clearly doesn¡¯t want to let me in, and he even did it so openly¡ªpublicly! There are so many people watching below! Rong Xiu¡¯s actions don¡¯t give me any face at all! Baili Chun¡¯s face darkened, and he said, ¡°Move.¡± Xue Xue stretched and nonchalantly glanced at Baili Chun, not moving at all. Its meaning was more obvious than ever. Yu Mo rushed up and looked like he was in a difficult spot. He looked at Xue Xue and then glanced at Baili Chun. ¡°Clan Leader, this¡­ You also know that Xue Xue has always had a stubborn temperament and won¡¯t listen to anyone. I¡¯ll apologize to you first! Why don¡¯t you come back another day? You came out of seclusion today, and you should celebrate it grandly! Don¡¯t be unhappy because of such a small matter!¡± Yu Mo looked sincere. Even if he doesn¡¯t consider us, he should consider the whole group of people at Tongshen Palace¡¯s square that is looking at this scene in unison from below. Does he still want his face? If a commotion is caused, it won¡¯t be good for anyone. Naturally, Baili Chun didn¡¯t want to make a big fuss about it. What¡¯s there to fight with a beast about?! However, it was also very difficult for him to take this lying down! ¡°Clan Leader, why calculate it against Xue Xue?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming heaved a sigh of relief. He leisurely strolled up, smiled, and said, ¡°The princess consort is in Jishen Palace. Can she escape? If you want to see her, there¡¯ll be plenty of chances in the future! You¡¯ve been in seclusion for a few years, and you finally came out today! It¡¯s a happy matter! Yu Mo is right. No matter what, you must celebrate it properly! If not, let us tell you about the situation in the Sky-Cloud Empire and the God Residence Realm these few years so that the subordinates can prepare?¡± He spoke personally in a sincere manner, which was akin to giving Baili Chun an out. Hearing the sentence at the back, Baili Chun was tempted. In such a short period of time, he did notice that the Sky-Cloud Empire had changed greatly. He desperately wanted to understand the current situation so that he could prepare himself mentally. ¡°His Grace hasn¡¯t been around lately. There are many things awaiting your opinion.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming smiled genuinely. Baili Chun was determined, and his expression became much better. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll settle these matters first. As for¡­¡± ¡°As for the other things, we can talk about them another day!¡± He glanced at Jishen Palace. I don¡¯t believe that this Shangguan Yue can be arrogant forever! Seeing them retreat, Jiang Zhiyuan almost smashed her teeth. We¡¯re already at the door, but we still can¡¯t go in! There must be something wrong with that Shangguan Yue! At this point, someone rapidly flew in from afar. ¡°Big Missy Jiang, Fairy Water Mound has sent you a letter.¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy, Fengmin Mountain. Chu Liuyue was sitting on the thousand-year cold jade bed and silently flipped through the medicinal books in her hand. A strange commotion suddenly came from outside. ¡°Elder Meng! Elder Meng!¡± Chu Liuyue recognized this anxious voice to be Elder Wen Xi¡¯s. Why is he here?! Chu Liuyue was curious and planned on getting up to take a look. However, she suddenly recalled that she was ¡®locked¡¯ up here, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to go out suddenly. Hence, she sat back down obediently. Rong Xiu coincidentally came down from upstairs. Hearing footsteps, she turned around and looked up. The two of them stared at each other. Chu Liuyue carefully sized Rong Xiu up and didn¡¯t notice anything amiss. She felt more at ease and pointed outside. ¡°Elder Wen Xi is here. He seems to be looking for Elder Meng urgently.¡± Rong Xiu walked to her side and smiled slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Elder Meng will handle it.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. As expected, Elder Meng¡¯s voice sounded from upstairs. ¡°Wen Xi, what¡¯s so urgent?¡± ¡°Let me in first! I have to tell you this in person!¡± Hearing that the voice was amiss, Elder Meng opened the barrier and let Elder Wen Xi in. Elder Wen Xi¡¯s steps were hurried, and he looked anxious. ¡°Elder Meng, it¡¯s not good!¡± He walked to the hall on the first floor and searched around. Then, he suddenly stopped. ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Yue?!¡± At this point, Elder Meng¡¯s figure flashed, and he had already appeared before Elder Wen Xi. ¡°He¡¯s gone to rest, and he isn¡¯t here now. What issues do you have? Say it.¡± Elder Wen Xi smacked his palm. ¡°Aish! This kid is in big trouble!¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Rong Xiu turned around and looked down. ¡°Why do you suddenly say this?¡± Elder Meng found it weird. ¡°That kid has been in my place recently, and he¡¯s fine. He didn¡¯t do anything¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Flood-Desert Northern Region!¡± Elder Wen Xi furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who is spreading news outside, but they say that the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡¯s matters are done by Chu Yue in cahoots with Black Demon Hole. They even said that the true Heavenly Square Cauldron has long been with Chu Yue! Everything was just a scheme between him and Black Demon Hole!¡± ¡°This news has spread far and wide outside. Now, all the aristocratic families are requesting to investigate Chu Yue properly!¡± Chapter 1441 - Head-On! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly tightened! Rong Xiu turned around and lightly shook his head toward her, indicating to her to calm down. The sounds below still continuously sounded. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elder Meng was clearly confused by this news, and his first reaction was disbelief. ¡°Chu Yue is Rong Xiu¡¯s person. How can he be related to Black Demon Hole? Besides, the Heavenly Square Cauldron is one of the top ten holy weapons. It has been missing for thousands of years without any traces. How can it suddenly be with Chu Yue?!¡± Who would believe that such a treasure is with that kid?! ¡°I don¡¯t believe it either, but the news has spread far and wide outside! We can¡¯t just ignore it!¡± Elder Wen Xi was extremely anxious. ¡°This time, they didn¡¯t personally come forward, and all used letters to convey their messages harshly. Their attitudes are clear. Bo Yan is handling this now, and he asked me to come over and check on Chu Yue.¡± No matter what, this couldn¡¯t be avoided. Black Demon Hole had quite a high status in the God Residence Realm, but its reputation was rotten. That was because their cultivation techniques were unreasonable and evil, and most of the people in the clan were cunning and ruthless. Their methods were cruel. The other aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm rarely interacted with them. Quite a few of them even had deep feuds against them. It was a pity that Black Demon Hole was quite strong and not one to be trifled with. Hence, even now, everyone¡¯s best choice was to keep them a distance away. Chu Yue¡¯s name was now connected to the Black Demon Hole. How could one not mind it?! If they weren¡¯t solemnly warned by Rong Xiu and Elder Bo Yan previously, and they had more considerations, they would¡¯ve rushed over! Not to mention that the rumors even said that the Heavenly Square Cauldron was with Chu Yue! If it were an ordinary treasure, it would be fine. However, this was one of the top ten holy weapons! In the God Residence Realm, the few family clans with a top ten holy weapon had more speaking rights than anyone else! It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that such a treasure was enough to promote a second-tier family to a top-tier one, and it was the type with extremely high status and power! Who wouldn¡¯t be moved? In the God Residence Realm, there were many aristocratic families. If one wanted a strong footing in this intense battle, it would be as hard as ascending the skies! But if one had one of the top ten holy weapons, all of this would be easy to solve! Hence, this time, it wasn¡¯t an interrogation by those top-tier aristocratic families alone. Even those second-tier ones started to become restless. The situation was urgent. If not, Elder Wen Xi wouldn¡¯t have directly barged in so recklessly. ¡°Elder Meng, this situation is serious. Chu Yue can¡¯t avoid it no matter what. Bo Yan told me to come over and check on how his body is recovering. If he¡¯s much better, then he can go over and discuss how to handle this matter with Bo Yan.¡± Elder Wen Xi finally stated his motives. Elder Meng furrowed his brows tightly and had a solemn expression. Being involved with the Heavenly Square Cauldron and Black Demon Hole is indeed great trouble¡­ However, Chu Yue failed in breaking through to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior just a few days ago, and he¡¯s now in a crucial period of recovering. How could he just go out like that? Isn¡¯t this taking his body and future as a joke?! ¡°For Chu Yue¡¯s side¡­ There are still some issues that need time to be handled. Can Bo Yan wait for a while?¡± Elder Wen Xi asked, ¡°Then¡­ how long will it take?¡± ¡°Half a month¡ªno, ten days!¡± said Elder Meng with some uncertainty. Actually, if it were an ordinary cultivator facing this situation, they wouldn¡¯t recover without two or three months. Luckily, Chu Yue¡¯s physique was better, and Rong Xiu rushed over in time. Later on, he kept helping so Chu Yue could recover quicker. But no matter how fast he was, he still needed some time! Elder Wen Xi smiled in a very bitter and difficult manner. ¡°Ten days¡­ Do you think this is possible?¡± Those people already wanted to rush over again to take Chu Yue away directly! Waiting for Elder Bo Yan to reply was the only compromise they were willing to make now. How could they be willing to wait calmly for ten days?! Even if it were five days, they would panic! ¡°What else can we do then!? To what extent do these people want to force Chu Yue?! He¡¯s only 17!¡± Elder Meng was enraged. Even though he acted very displeased every time Chu Yue came over, in actual fact, he did like the kid. Fengmin Mountain had a special status. For all these years, he was the only one quietly guarding it. Lonely, cold, boring. Sometimes, the students who committed mistakes were locked here, and they were mostly terrified with pale faces. They didn¡¯t even dare to utter another word. When their punishment was finished, those scoundrels ran faster than anyone else! However, Chu Yue was different. He was talented and intelligent, and the key was that he was active and very interesting. Elder Meng said he didn¡¯t want to see Chu Yue, but he did miss the latter quite a bit. Now that he had heard all these terrible things, he naturally couldn¡¯t help but speak for Chu Yue. It is already miserable enough that Chu Yue failed to break through. Now that people suddenly accused him of all of this, what is he supposed to do?! Elder Wen Xi laughed bitterly. ¡°They won¡¯t care about these things¡­ Last time, we forcefully protected him with Bo Yan and Rong Xiu standing up for him. But at that time, it was probably because everyone had doubts. However, nobody had any evidence, so they relented. Do you think they will be easily appeased this time?¡± One just had to think with their toes to know that they wouldn¡¯t! With absolute benefits involved, who would stand by and watch? There seemed to be a fire in Elder Meng¡¯s chest, and it went up bit by bit as if it were going to explode out the next moment. ¡°Elder Meng.¡± A clear and calm voice came from upstairs. Elder Wen Xi and Elder Meng were all taken aback as they looked up collectively. ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± Elder Wen Xi opened his mouth. Why is he on the second floor? And isn¡¯t that Rong Xiu beside him?! He¡¯s here too?! ¡°Elder Wen Xi, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Chu Liuyue said calmly. ¡°No!¡± Elder Meng immediately objected to it and furrowed his brows. ¡°Your health¡ªyou must stay here and recuperate for a while!¡± If he goes over now, who knows what will happen? If things blow up¡­ How could Chu Yue¡¯s tiny body handle it? Chu Liuyue smiled and felt grateful toward Elder Meng in her heart. I know that Elder Meng is thinking for me, but now that things have developed to this stage, there isn¡¯t much meaning in hiding further. Everyone has already crawled onto my head. Why should I continue tolerating it? No matter what considerations I have, I know that I have to face it myself. She walked down the stairs. Rong Xiu was a step behind her and followed her. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Elder Meng, but this started because of me. Therefore, I have to face it personally.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. Elder Meng and Elder Meng were dazed. The young man before them had a decent appearance, smiled gently, and wasn¡¯t nervous at all. This aura¡­ changed their impression of him. Elder Meng¡¯s heart faltered again. ¡°Are you sure? Those people aren¡¯t so easy to deal with¡­¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°My conscience is clear. Why must I be nervous and scared of them?¡± As she spoke, she looked at Elder Wen Xi. ¡°Can I daringly ask something? Elder Wen Xi, do you know¡­ who spread this news?¡± Chapter 1442 - Interrogation This was the thing Chu Liuyue wanted to know the most now. No matter if it was connecting her to Black Demon Hole or revealing that the Heavenly Square Cauldron was with her¡­ These matters were extremely secretive. All along, she had been very meticulous, terrified that something would leak. This was because she knew too well that if word got out, she would be in a lot of trouble. But she didn¡¯t expect that despite being so careful, someone still schemed against her! She thought that she had hidden it very well, yet she didn¡¯t know that someone was already staring at her in the dark! Who exactly is the other party? And how much do they know? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be sure. I have too many secrets with me. Revealing any one of them would cause a huge commotion! According to my current abilities, it would be very hard for me to deal with these problems¡­ Elder Wen Xi was dazed for a moment and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. It seems like those aristocratic families all found out about it overnight. Bo Yan has already sent someone to check, but¡­¡± It would be weird if they could find out about it. The other party clearly came prepared, so why would they make a mistake on this small matter? ¡°So it means someone sent this news to all of them at the same time?¡± Chu Liuyue thought to herself. ¡°There might be this possibility, but¡­ It should be like this.¡± Elder Wen Xi hesitated for a moment before expressing his agreement. ¡°The letters to all these aristocratic families seemed to have been sent at the same time. If the rumors were spread amongst themselves one by one, their reactions wouldn¡¯t be so unified and fast. However¡ª¡± Who could it be? Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°The God Residence Realm is extremely large. All the aristocratic families have their own territories and are very far away from each other, so it isn¡¯t easy for the culprits to tell all of them the news at the same time¡­¡± Her black gem-like eyes had few hints of mockery. In order to defeat her, the other party has spent all their efforts. ¡°Chu Yue, you¡­¡± When Elder Meng heard this, his expression turned grave, and his wrinkles were all creased together. ¡°Who exactly did you offend?¡± Why would the other party spend so much effort going against him? Chu Liuyue touched her chin, spread her hands, and smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve offended too many people. I can¡¯t figure out who it is in such a short amount of time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elder Wen Xi and Elder Meng exchanged glances and had nothing to say to this. According to Chu Yue¡¯s personality, he could do such a thing¡­ But why can this kid still smile now?! Does he know how severe these allegations are? Whichever one is verified¡­ Even if he is accused, he will never make a comeback! If everyone from those aristocratic families steps on Chu Yue once, it can cause him to stay in the 18 layers of hell and never make a comeback! Even if Ling Xiao Academy and Rong Xiu protect him with their all, it is no use! Chu Liuyue bowed respectfully to Elder Meng. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me during this period of time, Elder Meng. I¡¯m very grateful.¡± Elder Meng knew that she had made up her mind. He looked at her with a complicated expression. ¡°You¡­ be careful.¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. She nodded and looked at Elder Wen Xi. ¡°Elder, let¡¯s go.¡± Why wouldn¡¯t Elder Wen Xi feel terrible? But he had no other choice now, and they could only take it one step at a time. He acknowledged and bade Elder Meng farewell before he left with Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu followed them. Elder Wen Xi glanced at him and didn¡¯t object to it. Instead, he felt more secure. It seems like Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t plan on just sitting by the side. With the Sky-Cloud Empire supporting her, their situation will be much better. It will make those people fearful to some extent. Those few people left quickly. The door slowly closed and separated everything from the outside world. There was dead silence in the area. After a while, Elder Meng sighed and turned to go upstairs. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu followed Elder Wen Xi directly to Dong Huang Clock Tower. This wasn¡¯t Chu Liuyue¡¯s first time here. During the few months she had been enrolled in the academy, she had come here more than most of the other students. Of course, there was never something good. It was like this every time, and it was even¡­ worse than before. The Chi Xiao Sword incident was at least considered an internal affair in the academy. The elders took into consideration the fact that she was an academy student and didn¡¯t harshly pursue responsibility. Besides, she had even ¡®saved¡¯ Rong Xiu back then. She used her merits to pay for her wrongdoings, and this matter just passed. But this time¡­ All those aristocratic families pressured her from the outside. How could it be settled so easily? When she entered the hall, it was totally solemn. Elder Bo Yan sat at the front, and many important elders sat on both sides of him. Elder Wan Zheng was naturally one of them. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± said Elder Wen Xi as he was at the front and continued walking in. The crowd looked over. Chu Liuyue instantly felt that the gazes were materialized, and they suppressed her body heavily. At that moment, even the surrounding air became sticky and cold. Chu Liuyue still looked calm on the surface. As she walked to the middle, she bowed to the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Yue. Greetings, Elders.¡± Rong Xiu stood beside her and was just half an arm¡¯s length away. Seeing that he followed over, Elder Bo Yan found it strange. Previously, I told someone to invite Rong Xiu over, but why did he come with Chu Yue and Wen Xi? As if seeing through his doubts, Elder Wen Xi coughed and explained, ¡°When I went to Fengmin Mountain, Rong Xiu was coincidentally there.¡± The crowd then understood. There was nothing weird about it. Others couldn¡¯t go to Fengmin Mountain, but Rong Xiu could. Elder Bo Yan nodded at Rong Xiu and pointed toward an empty seat that was specifically left behind. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here too. Rong Xiu, take a seat.¡± That position was very close to Elder Bo Yan, which showed how highly he thought of him. Clearly, they didn¡¯t treat Rong Xiu as a student. Today, Rong Xiu¡¯s identity was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace! Rong Xiu didn¡¯t decline it. He acknowledged it, stretched his long legs, and walked over to sit down directly. Elder Wen Xi glanced at Chu Liuyue worriedly before sitting on his own seat. The door was closed. Inside the spacious and elegant hall, it was so silent that one could hear a pin drop. A layer of barrier was slightly shaking on the wall, which sealed the inside. All the sounds and commotions here wouldn¡¯t spread outside. ¡°Chu Yue, did Wen Xi tell you about the current situation earlier?¡± Elder Bo Yan straightened his body. His pair of deep and experienced eyes stared straight at Chu Liuyue as he asked this with a deep voice. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°I roughly know about it.¡± ¡°Then, what do you have to say now?¡± Elder Bo Yan held the chair¡¯s handle tightly with one hand. ¡°Do you have any relationship with Black Demon Hole? And did you participate in the Flood-Desert Northern Region matters? Additionally¡­ Is the Heavenly Square Cauldron with you?!¡± Straightforward and brief, yet sharp questioning! At that moment, the originally silent hall became even colder. Countless pairs of eyes landed on Chu Liuyue as they all awaited her answer. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°I have nothing to do with Black Demon Hole, and I was also a victim in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. As for the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­ Do you think I can still safely be alive if I have one of the top ten holy weapons?¡± Chapter 1443 - Ill Indulge Her The young man¡¯s voice was clear, and he had a genuine expression. His pair of dark eyes were as deep as black gems that sank into the river, and a faint crystal light covered them. When others looked at him, they would be unwittingly convinced. The crowd was dazed, and they faltered a little. Yeah! If Chu Yue really had a treasure and other people knew about it, how could his life be so peaceful for such a long time? Anyone who has brains would take advantage of the situation that not many people know about it and snatch it first, right? After all, Chu Yue is only a stage-nine warrior now. If the other party really wanted to snatch his treasure, they had many chances, and Chu Yue wouldn¡¯t be their match at all. But now, this news has spread far and wide. Everyone is tempted, and everyone wants a share of the loot. The person who spread this news behind the scenes has clearly targeted Chu Yue! One Chu Yue can use a Heavenly Square Cauldron to lure people? This is clearly going for Chu Yue, right? Elder Bo Yan secretly heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. As long as Chu Yue¡¯s circumstances aren¡¯t like they¡¯ve said in the rumors, everything is much easier. If not, I really don¡¯t know how to handle this mess. ¡°Rumors are flying outside, and most aristocratic families believe it, so the situation is very disadvantageous toward you.¡± Elder Bo Yan loosened his hands and knocked against the chair handle with his index finger. ¡°You must think of a way to prove your innocence.¡± This didn¡¯t really make sense. Someone clearly accused him on purpose, yet Chu Yue had to prove his innocence. Everyone knew that this wasn¡¯t easy, but they didn¡¯t have a choice. These aristocratic families have lost some of their people in the Flood-Desert Northern Region, yet they can¡¯t find the mastermind. Thus, it is hard to unleash their anger. Now that these rumors are spreading everywhere, they have to choose to stand on the same side and vent their anger on Chu Yue. Hence, all their strife is directed at Chu Yue, and Chu Yue can only withstand it. ¡°I know.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I caused so much trouble for the academy previously, and I haven¡¯t had the chance to officially thank and apologize to you and the elders. I didn¡¯t expect such a commotion to happen so soon. I really feel very bad about it.¡± She spoke very sincerely. Some elders¡ªwho originally planned on scolding her¡ªcould only shut their mouths. At the end of the day, Chu Yue was pretty innocent. He just followed on a trip to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. As his luck was better, he obtained some twist of fate and was targeted! What fault did he have? Let¡¯s not mention that he had helped Elder Hua Feng and the rest quite a bit in between. On the academy¡¯s side, most of them didn¡¯t have much of an opinion against him. This kid is just unlucky¡­ Elder Bo Yan waved his hands. ¡°That incident is over; you don¡¯t have to talk about it again. You¡¯re from our Ling Xiao Academy. Whatever the time, nobody can randomly accuse you!¡± Not to mention others, even if it was in consideration of the academy¡¯s reputation, they couldn¡¯t casually compromise¡ªunless Chu Yue was really problematic. However, that could only be done after a thorough investigation and concrete evidence. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. The corner of her lips curled up, and she said genuinely, ¡°Thank you, Elder Bo Yan.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s something¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s brows couldn¡¯t relax fully. ¡°As a compromise, they request you to give everyone a clear explanation after you come out from Fengmin Mountain.¡± ¡°Regarding the Flood-Desert Northern Region?¡± ¡°I¡¯m now afraid you have to include Black Demon Hole and the Heavenly Square Cauldron.¡± Elder Bo Yan felt his head ache. This commotion became increasingly larger. We haven¡¯t solved the initial trouble, yet so many other things happened afterward. ¡°I understand.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. Since the incident started because of me, I naturally have to come out and solve it. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, could you do me a favor then?¡± ¡°Go ahead and speak.¡± ¡°Since they want an explanation, I¡¯ll give them one.¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, yet her eyes were crystal clear. ¡°Could I trouble you to send out an invitation to invite them over? I¡¯ll go against them face-to-face to explain everything clearly!¡± Once Chu Liuyue said that, the crowd was stunned! ¡°Chu Yue?!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was the first to not hold back. ¡°You can¡¯t be impulsive!¡± What¡¯s going on? Previously, we finally managed to chase those people away with much difficulty. In the blink of an eye, this kid actually wants to take the initiative to invite them over? Does he think this is not chaotic enough? If the incident really blows up¡­ Chu Yue¡¯s circumstances would be extremely dangerous! Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders, smiled, and glanced at him rather helplessly. ¡°Mentor, this is the best option we have now, right?¡± Ling Xiao Academy can help me once, but not every time. As long as this incident isn¡¯t resolved, it will be a hidden danger. Besides¡­ I also want to see who is targeting me secretly! I had to investigate who spread the news regarding Black Demon Hole and the Heavenly Square Cauldron! Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s determined attitude and fearless gaze, Elder Wan Zheng was stumped. How would he not know the advantages and disadvantages involved? But all these years, he only had this one precious disciple, so he was naturally reluctant! After a while, Elder Wan Zheng shook his head. ¡°Forget it¡­ Since you¡¯ve already made up your mind, then¡­ just do it.¡± I can just protect him till the end. No matter what, nobody could harm my disciple, not even a strand of his hair! Chu Liuyue smiled gratefully and glanced at Elder Bo Yan. However, Elder Bo Yan suddenly looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Rong Xiu, you think¡ª¡± Previously, it was all thanks to Rong Xiu that they could stop those people. Now that we were making a decision, he wanted to ask for Rong Xiu¡¯s opinion. Rong Xiu leaned against the couch by the side, and his attitude was relaxed and distinguished. He smiled slightly. ¡°He can do whatever he wants. At most, I¡¯ll just indulge him.¡± Chapter 1444 - : Storm About to Blow Arrogant and preposterous, yet it was so domineering that one couldn¡¯t say anything! During the previous stalemate with the crowd, Elder Bo Yan realized how highly Rong Xiu thought of Chu Yue. Hence, he wasn¡¯t surprised when he said that. However, the others present were all taken aback until they were dizzy. He indulged¡­ He indulged?! The other party isn¡¯t one or two factions, but an entire group of them! Rong Xiu is actually willing to take such a big risk for Chu Yue¡­ These two people indeed have an extraordinary relationship! As these two people hadn¡¯t formally explained it, everyone could only guess on their own. Originally, they didn¡¯t quite believe it. However, it seemed like they were true biological brothers! The crowd gasped in shock and finally had an understanding of the various situations earlier. No wonder¡­ Rong Xiu has taken special care of him ever since he came. Now, he is no longer hiding it. However, this was still a matter between Rong Xiu and Chu Yue, so others couldn¡¯t say much. Besides, with Rong Xiu¡¯s help, the academy could be relieved of some of the pressure. Elder Bo Yan surveyed the surroundings. ¡°Since this is so, we¡¯ll settle it like this! Hua Feng, send the invitations immediately. Three days later¡­¡± Speaking of this, Elder Bo Yan paused and was rather hesitant. It is fine to invite the people over, and three days is definitely enough time. After all, that group of people wants to appear here immediately. However, the key is where the venue should be. If the venue is outside, Ling Xiao Academy will definitely be disadvantaged as it will be the minority against the majority. But if it were the academy¡­ If the incident spreads, it would have a huge influence on Chu Yue¡¯s reputation. How would the people in the academy look at him then? At that time, if some accident happens, Chu Yue will definitely be ostracized and become the target of countless people¡¯s revenge. Chu Liuyue looked up, and her gaze lightly swept across Elder Bo Yan, who had a conflicted expression. She naturally knew what Elder Bo Yan was worried about, so she smiled slightly and said, ¡°Elder, let¡¯s set it at Fangzhou City.¡± That place was near the academy, but it wasn¡¯t considered as actually barging into the academy. They could defend and also attack. It was the most suitable place for the academy. ¡°Are¡­ you sure?¡± Elder Bo Yan was rather hesitant. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°It has been hard on you and the elders. This time, I¡¯ll definitely solve all of these problems!¡± ¡­ The elders went their own ways and started to prepare for the meeting three days later. This incident might be another hard battle. Hence, no matter what, they had to make full preparations and couldn¡¯t be lacking in anything at all. Finally, only a few people were left in the room. Chu Liuyue bowed toward Elder Bo Yan again. ¡°Elder, I¡¯m very grateful that you¡¯re willing to help.¡± The entire academy had to be risked just because of her life or death. She knew that it wasn¡¯t an easy task. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re innocent, so you just have to make things clear then! It¡¯s not good to drag these troubles, so you must take this chance and settle everything!¡± Elder Bo Yan smiled. I¡¯m also sick of these people¡¯s intrusions. This time, we definitely have to give them a few tight slaps! Let¡¯s see if they dare to be this arrogant in the future! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Actually, you still have to thank Rong Xiu for this. If it weren¡¯t for him¡­ the other elders wouldn¡¯t be so easy-going. Of course, your situation will also be much better than expected at that time. As long as they don¡¯t have any evidence, those people wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to you,¡± said Elder Bo Yan with a smile. ¡°And¡­ Among all those aristocratic families, not all of them want to cause trouble for you. Some of them are standing on our side, like the Flying Star Sect.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly realized it, and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. Among them, Shi Rui¡¯er must¡¯ve eased the tension quite a bit. I could be considered to have saved Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s life, but I never expected the other party to return the favor. I didn¡¯t expect Shi Rui¡¯er to mind this matter so much. With the current situation, she must¡¯ve spent a lot of effort convincing Flying Star Sect to stand on our side¡­ This is definitely not an easy matter. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to be too worried either. At that time, just say whatever you have to say!¡± Elder Bo Yan was much more confident. ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares to accuse you!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. Oh yeah. Could they tear me apart and check me bit by bit? I want to see how big this commotion will be! ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s invitations were sent out very quickly. The families that were originally wavering were dazed when they received the news and later excited. Ling Xiao Academy actually did this! They are so daring. How much confidence do they have?! However, all of this doesn¡¯t matter. What is important is that the center of everyone¡¯s attention, Chu Yue, will meet everyone head-on this time! Black Demon Hole, the Flood-Desert Northern Region, and¡­ the Heavenly Square Cauldron! All the mysteries will be solved one by one. In no time, the entire God Residence Realm will be taken by the storm! ¡­ ¡°What? Ling Xiao Academy is gathering all of them at Fangzhou City?¡± Tongshen Palace. Baili Chun looked at the message he had just received in his hands and didn¡¯t dare to believe his eyes. ¡°What exactly is Ling Xiao Academy doing?!¡± All these years, the aristocratic families didn¡¯t have close relations with each other, and they all maintained a peculiar balance. Today, Ling Xiao Academy actually wanted to take the initiative to break this balance! Even if they had a deep foundation, this was too daring! Respected Elder Yu Jing stood below respectfully. ¡°Clan Leader, you might not know, but recently, there have been many rumors about Chu Yue in the God Residence Realm. Ling Xiao Academy must¡¯ve been forced to the corner to do this, right?¡± Baili Chun knitted his brows. ¡°Chu Yue? Who?¡± At the side, Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho was pouring tea¡ªglanced up slightly and felt jealous. The academy expelled me, but it could do so much for Chu Yue the next minute! The difference in treatment is outrageous! She suppressed the jealousy and anger in her heart and lightly said, ¡°Chu Yue is a new student that just came to the academy a few months ago, and he¡¯s quite talented. Also¡­ he seems to be on pretty good terms with Brother Rong Xiu.¡± This sentence immediately attracted Baili Chun¡¯s attention. ¡°Oh? What do you mean by ¡®pretty good?''¡± Hasn¡¯t Rong Xiu always been alone in the academy? Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips. ¡°He¡­ Brother Rong Xiu personally brought him around to cultivate, and they live on Jiuheng Peak together. It¡¯s really¡­ He really takes good care of him. The last time Chu Yue made a mistake, Brother Rong Xiu was the one who put in a good word for him¡ª¡± Slap! Baili Chun slammed the cup down harshly, and it let out a low sound! Chapter 1445 - Center of the Thunderstorm! Jiang Zhiyuan shuddered, and her lips turned pale as she immediately put down the teapot. ¡°Grandpa Chun, I shouldn¡¯t have spoken¡ª¡± ¡°Yuan Yuan, this has nothing to do with you.¡± Baili Chun glanced at her and saw that she was very pitiful. His heart ached, and he immediately used a gentler tone, but his gaze still contained anger that hadn¡¯t subsided! ¡°I just feel that Rong Xiu is too outrageous for doing this!¡± ¡°Back then, you followed him into the academy. Not only did he not take care of you at all, but he even left directly, and you were left all alone in Ling Xiao Academy! He didn¡¯t even consider how much trouble a girl like you would get into in that foreign place!¡± ¡°Originally, I thought that his personality was cold and nonchalant, so it was fine. But what does this count? He even helped other people to train their disciples!¡± He even personally cultivated with him, and they are living at Jiuheng Peak together! Even Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t have such treatment. What right does Chu Yue¡ªwho came out of nowhere¡ªhave?! ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t like you, the difference in treatment shouldn¡¯t be this big! How would¡ª¡± How will the others view Jiang Zhiyuan? Jiang Zhiyuan lowered her head, and her voice was soft. ¡°Brother Rong Xiu must have his own considerations¡­ Don¡¯t blame him¡­¡± When Baili Chun saw this, he felt even more terrible. Jiang Zhiyuan has grown up by my side since she was young. Since when did she suffer so many grievances? Now, she has been expelled from Ling Xiao Academy, yet Chu Yue can convince the entire Ling Xiao Academy to stand up for him¡­ How could she feel good about it? ¡°Yuan Yuan, don¡¯t worry. This time, I will definitely stand up for you!¡± As Baili Chun spoke, he stood up. Jiang Zhiyuan was taken aback and looked up at him strangely. The corner of her eyes still had two teardrops that were about to fall. ¡°Grandpa Chun, what are you doing?¡± Baili Chun snorted coldly. ¡°Going to Ling Xiao Academy!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Even Respected Elder Yu Jing¡ªwho was standing below¡ªwas slightly dazed and thought that he had misheard the clan leader. ¡°Clan Leader, i-is what you said true?¡± 1 Baili Chun walked outside and coldly glanced at him. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking with you?¡± How can this be? T-this isn¡¯t right! Respected Elder Yu Jing broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°B-but Clan Leader, Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t give our Sky-Cloud Empire an invitation. We¡ª¡± Can¡¯t go! Yet, Baili Chun didn¡¯t care at all. He snorted. ¡°What? I was in seclusion for a few years, and I don¡¯t even have the right to go to Ling Xiao Academy now?¡± ¡°No¡ªthat¡¯s not what I meant!¡± All the blood in Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s body was about to freeze as he hurriedly explained, ¡°It¡¯s just that this matter has great implications, and many top-tier aristocratic families will definitely go to Fangzhou City. When everyone is gathered together at that time, who knows what will happen¡­ You just came out of seclusion, and there are many matters in the Sky-Cloud Empire that you have to attend to!¡± One just had to think with their toes to know that that place would become a Shura Arena! At this point in time, why would he go and join in the commotion?! However, Baili Chun didn¡¯t take his objections to heart, and he waved his hands. ¡°These few years, I¡¯ve been in seclusion the entire time and didn¡¯t participate in the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s matters, yet nothing much happened. Now that I want to leave for a few days, how big of an impact will it cause? You don¡¯t have to follow me. I¡¯ll just go there myself!¡± Even though he had come out not too long ago, Baili Chun had already accumulated too much dissatisfaction and vengeance against Rong Xiu. Power! Status! Dignity! Everything that once belonged to him had been stolen by Rong Xiu! Not only did he want to stand up for Jiang Zhiyuan, but he even wanted to directly knock some sense into Rong Xiu! I have to let Rong Xiu understand that I¡ªBaili Chun¡ªam not dead yet! Seeing that he was determined, Respected Elder Yu Jing was stumped and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Grandpa Chun, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± At this point, Jiang Zhiyuan finally recovered her senses and hurriedly followed. Baili Chun glanced at her in disagreement. ¡°That place will be very chaotic. Why would you go there? Besides, your injuries haven¡¯t fully healed. During this period of time time, just stay at the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± On the one hand, he was worried about Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s health and didn¡¯t want her to be tired from the journey. On the other hand, Jiang Zhiyuan had already been expelled from Ling Xiao Academy. Although he could ignore this incident, it didn¡¯t represent that others could. One just had to think to know what kind of situation would arise if Jiang Zhiyuan appeared there again. She would be the center of all sorts of mockery and ridicule! Jiang Zhiyuan sharply captured Baili Chun¡¯s expression. She had been by his side for so many years, and she could guess his intentions the best! Hence, she directly guessed the many thoughts in Baili Chun¡¯s heart at this moment. This instantly caused her to feel uncomfortable. Expelled¡­ I¡¯m no longer part of Ling Xiao Academy, and I was directly chased out in such a humiliating manner! It was very difficult for me to escape from the Liang family¡¯s pursuit and escape from those mocking gazes. Going back now is indeed a very stupid decision. However¡­ I really don¡¯t want to miss this good show! After some thinking, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Then¡­ Grandpa Chun, what if I go with you under another identity?¡± Baili Chun was dazed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not very suitable¡ª¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing knitted his brows. If she is discovered, it is nothing if Jiang Zhiyuan loses face. But if it implicates the entire Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ How should we conclude it? Although Respected Elder Yu Jing had deep ties with Fairy Water Mound, he wasn¡¯t completely brainless. No matter what, the Sky-Cloud Empire was their foundation. If the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s reputation was harmed or an even more severe commotion happened to it¡­ As the venerable, he would be the first to be impacted! But at this moment, Baili Chun spoke. ¡°That can be done, but you have to guarantee that you won¡¯t expose yourself then!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan immediately agreed with elation. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Clan Leader, this¡ª¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing wanted to convince him further, but Baili Chun glared at him. ¡°Then¡­ please be very careful.¡± Baili Chun flicked his sleeves, and his expression was nonchalant, yet he had the arrogance of being high and mighty. ¡°Of course.¡± With my current abilities, it is very easy to protect Jiang Zhiyuan. 1 Jiang Zhiyuan went forward, hugged his arm, and acted cute. ¡°I knew that Grandpa Chun loved me the most!¡± Baili Chun smiled and tapped her forehead. ¡°Go and change quickly!¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll be done right away!¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. All the elders started to busy themselves. The news regarding all the factions gathering in Fangzhou City and going against Chu Yue had also silently spread amongst the students. Perhaps because this matter had great implications, the elders still decided to publicize it after much thinking. After all, even if they didn¡¯t say it now, the students would still know about it when everyone arrived outside Fangzhou City a few days later. The entire academy¡¯s atmosphere became intense and cold. One rarely saw anyone casually going about during schooling hours. As the meeting time got increasingly nearer, everyone seemed to become nervous as well. However, the center of the thunderstorm was still peacefully cultivating at Fengmin Mountain¡¯s pagoda. Chapter 1446 - Young Man Courting Death After discussing the meeting with Elder Bo Yan and the others, Chu Liuyue directly returned to Fengmin Mountain and entered the pagoda again. This time, her reason was very simple¡ªto let her body recuperate. The thousand-year cold jade bed on the second floor had extremely good effects in recuperating one¡¯s body. Seeing her come back, Elder Meng naturally thought that she came for this and directly agreed without much thinking. Originally, Elder Bo Yan and the rest were rather hesitant. But after seeing that Elder Meng had quite a good attitude toward her, they were relieved. They could roughly tell by now that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t being punished by going to Fengmin Mountain. With Elder Meng taking care of her, the rest wasn¡¯t worth a mention. However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t follow her back and went straight to Jiuheng Peak. Nobody knew what he was busy with. ¡­ The surroundings were completely silent. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged on the thousand-year cold jade bed with her eyes tightly shut as she quietly cultivated. She could even clearly hear her own heartbeat. The surrounding force kept entering her body and spread toward her limbs and bones after spinning one round in her water droplet. The force strengthened her bones and muscles bit by bit. The previous injuries she suffered due to her failure in breaking through were recovering gradually. Her body was originally strong, and her recovery power was shocking. If it were someone else, the injuries sustained under such circumstances would only completely recover after at least two or three months. But for her, she was already much better in just a mere few days. Of course, this was also due to Rong Xiu¡¯s help. As Chu Liuyue cultivated, she silently recounted the recent events in her heart. Black Demon Hole and I have no interactions, and the only connection we have is that strange soul. That soul is the one that was in Shangguan Wan¡¯s body. That person was indeed from the Black Demon Hole, but after we faced off outside Fangzhou City, he had also personally admitted that he had left Black Demon Hole. He currently has no relation to Black Demon Hole at all, so where did this rumor come from? The thing that Chu Liuyue cared about most was the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Back then, I obtained the Heavenly Square Cauldron in Country Yao Chen, and not many people knew about this. I knew that this item wasn¡¯t simple, so I was very meticulous all along and didn¡¯t really dare bring it out. Even in the Flood-Desert Northern Region previously, I didn¡¯t present the true Heavenly Square Cauldron. Then¡­ who was the one who spread this matter? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t figure it out. If I can¡¯t figure it out, I won¡¯t think about it anymore. After feeling conflicted for a while, Chu Liuyue swiftly gave up. Anyway, no matter what, everything will be revealed in Fangzhou City a few days later! Now, the most important thing is to strengthen my capabilities quickly! Beginner stage-nine warrior¡­ That¡¯s an easy death in front of those people. In the God Residence Realm, the strong were respected. Every improvement in cultivation realm would allow one¡¯s strength to increase. If she didn¡¯t improve, it would be as easy as ABC for the other party to squash her. However, only less than three days were left. It was indeed¡­ too difficult to make a breakthrough at this point. I have to try even if it is hard! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and was determined. The next moment, she gathered the force in her body and rushed it toward her dantian! ¡­ ¡°Sigh¡­ I¡¯m afraid the girl has forgotten about me¡­¡± On the top floor, Elder Meng leaned against the chair lazily. As he held his head with one hand, the other hand lazily flung the dust. That door still floated in front of him quietly. Ever since he detected that the item inside was wavering and wanted to rush out, Elder Meng started suspecting that the girl was about to come back. But after much waiting, he didn¡¯t hear any news at all. He started to waver slowly. Was I¡­ wrong? And for some reason, that item hasn¡¯t moved much these two days. Elder Meng sighed deeply. In the beginning, I didn¡¯t plan on helping. However, that girl kept wearing me down, and I accepted this hot potato. This item¡­ I¡¯ve spent a lot of effort on it! Elder Meng was immersed in his memory when his gaze suddenly focused, and he swiftly got up! Then, he walked to the stairs and looked down. The layers of stairs overlapped, and one couldn¡¯t clearly see the situation below from here. However, the entire pagoda was in Elder Meng¡¯s control, so he could accurately know what was going on below! ¡°This kid is actually trying to break through again?!¡± muttered Elder Meng in disbelief. Crazy! He¡¯s really crazy! How many days has it been since he failed in his breakthrough? That kid hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, right?! However, he¡¯s trying it again?! Elder Meng¡¯s figure flashed, and he rushed to the second floor. ¡­ The lower he went, the more he could feel the change in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. The force in the space seemed to be guided by something, and it all gathered on the second floor. Without taking a close look, Elder Meng knew that it was where Chu Yue was currently, and all of the Heaven and Earth Force was clearly going toward that kid. Elder Meng stopped at the corner of the stairs on the third floor. From here, he could see Chu Yue cultivating on the second floor. That young man sat quietly, and his shoulders drooped naturally. He had his hands on his knees with his palms facing up. His eyes were closed, and the faint light reflected his clear porcelain-white face in a seemingly dreamy manner. Elder Meng held the stair banister tightly, and his brows furrowed deeply. He felt very conflicted. Chu Yue has clearly entered the stage of preparing to break through now. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he is suddenly interrupted again! I can only wait! Feeling the moving force in the surroundings, Elder Meng grinded his teeth. This kid¡­ is too gutsy! All these years, I have never seen someone trying to break through twice continuously in such a short amount of time and succeed! He is courting death! Chapter 1447 - Start of a Good Show Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know about Elder Meng¡¯s nagging. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t care. At the very least, she had lived two lifetimes and even broke through into the Apotheosis Realm in her previous life to become a legendary warrior. She naturally understood how big of a risk it was for her to do this now. Even if her memories stopped at the time she was a peak stage-nine warrior, she had no better choice now. So many people were going for her. If she had no ability to protect herself, she would just be trampled all over by then. Even if Ling Xiao Academy and Rong Xiu backed her up, it might not truly be flawless. Hence, she had to improve her cultivation level as soon as possible! Additionally, it was because she was stunned by her father¡¯s incident at a crucial moment that her mindset was messed up, and she failed. However, that had no direct relation to her abilities. Hence, she was still quite confident in herself. Time slowly trickled past. After some time, that door finally surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind again. Different from the previous time, she seemed to be sharper in her feelings toward it. She could even see the intricate pattern engraved on that door. Those lines faintly appeared, and she could only see an outline but not the specifics. However, this didn¡¯t have much impact on Chu Liuyue. She opened the door and walked in again. The lines on the four walls started moving and showcased an elegant posture. The tremendous strength surrounded her and entered her body later on. Chu Liuyue felt that she seemed to have submerged herself in a warm and comfortable sauna. Silently, her aura was strengthening. ¡­ Elder Meng watched from upstairs and felt conflicted for quite some time, but he still decided to quietly observe the changes first. If I go over to disturb him at this point, it will only bring about harm and no benefits. I should just wait and see! Perhaps¡­ Elder Meng squinted his deep eyes slightly, but he didn¡¯t quite dare to continue thinking. He was afraid that the more optimistic he thought it would be, the greater the hurt from the fall. The only thing he could do now was watch from here. Once anything happened, he could immediately take action, and perhaps the situation wouldn¡¯t reach the worst. ¡°This kid¡¯s personality and that girl¡¯s is really¡­¡± Very similar. Not only their eyes, but even their character is this bold and outrageous! Yet, one can¡¯t hate them. Elder Meng sighed. What sin have I committed? Why are the kids I meet even more difficult to handle than the previous? When this ends, I¡¯ll never cause so much trouble for myself again! Whoever wants to do it can do it! ¡­ Dong Huang Clock Tower. Elder Bo Yan sat above, and there were a few elders below reporting the various preparations in the academy. ¡°The barrier outside the academy has been completely checked, and there¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°All the students have been informed. In the next half a month, they¡¯re not allowed to leave the academy on their own. We¡¯ve also urgently called back the ones outside and sent the elders to receive them.¡± ¡°We have already contacted a few clans, and they will come to support us at that time.¡± ¡°Oh right, there are also some graduated students who are rushing over from all places. At that time, they will stand on guard outside Fangzhou City. If everything goes smoothly, they will stay in their positions. Once a conflict arises¡­ they will immediately rush into the city.¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy had been established for thousands of years, and it had an extraordinary status in the God Residence Realm. After news of this incident spread, quite a few aristocratic families and clans that had a close relationship with them immediately expressed their willingness to help. Students who had graduated for many years were all rushing back as well. Quite a few of them were already famous strong warriors in the God Residence Realm, and some of them had even become masters in their own right. Hence, although Ling Xiao Academy looked like it was on the losing end on the surface¡­ In actual fact, Ling Xiao Academy wasn¡¯t so easy to be bullied. The other party had many people and much power, but Ling Xiao Academy wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with. Even among the many aristocratic families that were coming to question Chu Yue, quite a few of them had disciples and descendants that were once or currently cultivating in the academy. At that time, they had to give them some face to a certain extent. Now, everyone treated it sternly to prevent the worst scenario from happening. It was best if everything was under control. Elder Bo Yan nodded lightly. ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡± The crowd shook their heads. They all had to help protect the academy. Those people seemed to be targeting Chu Yue, yet many of them had the mindset of testing Ling Xiao Academy. ¡°Actually, this time, it¡¯s a danger for the academy but also an opportunity.¡± An elder said lightly, ¡°All these years, the academy has been discreet and didn¡¯t interfere in many matters. But to some people, it¡¯s a cowardly act. This is especially so after the director went missing a few years ago¡­ Quite a few people have been eyeing us.¡± To the public, the director had left the academy and went outside to train. But in actual fact, only the people in the academy knew that the director was actually missing, and his traces weren¡¯t known even now. For the past few years, Elder Bo Yan and the rest had never given up on their search for the director. That was because the director¡¯s name had never disappeared from the booklet. This meant that the director was still alive. But for some reason, he didn¡¯t come back and didn¡¯t even send a message. A lot of time had passed, and the people outside naturally suspected something. And clearly, a part of the reason they dared to be so outrageous this time was because of this. The director wasn¡¯t around, so they became more arrogant. ¡°If we can take this chance to give them a setback, we¡¯ll be able to spend some of the days ahead peacefully.¡± This time, Ling Xiao Academy had invited so many aristocratic families and clans. To many people, this was courting death. But in actual fact, they had their own considerations. These people clearly don¡¯t care about Ling Xiao Academy, so why should we care so much? If someone really tramples all over us, and we don¡¯t retaliate, won¡¯t we be stomped to death? At that time, everyone will know that Ling Xiao Academy can be easily bullied and that we are weak and useless. That is the scariest thing! Elder Bo Yan nodded, and his expression was grave. ¡°Anyway, Chu Yue doesn¡¯t have much of a problem. They won¡¯t dare to actually try anything. It¡¯ll be for the best if we can solve this matter harmoniously. But if they continue to pursue it relentlessly¡­ we won¡¯t compromise any longer!¡± The few elders¡¯ hearts shook. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ In the blink of an eye, three days passed. Inside Fangzhou City, it was quiet and desolate. The streets and alleyways were empty. Ling Xiao Academy had advised all the irrelevant personnel to leave. Those people also knew that this place would be chaotic soon, so they hurriedly left without hesitation. Even though they were curious, their lives mattered more. They could always watch a show, so they didn¡¯t have to seek death at this time. Any of the people gathered here was someone influential in the God Residence Realm! Additionally, this time was different from the previous. It was at most a threat previously, but those people didn¡¯t really think about taking action. But this time¡­ It might not be the case! ¡­ Dong! Dong! Dong! The distant and low sound of the bells reverberated throughout Ling Xiao Academy! Chapter 1448 - Come Without an Invitation ¡°The time is here.¡± Elder Bo Yan stood in Dong Huang Clock Tower and closed the booklet in his hands. He took a deep breath in, turned around, and walked down. At this point, someone went to find him. ¡°Bo Yan!¡± The incoming person¡¯s steps were hurried, and his brows were tightly furrowed. It was Elder Hua Feng. These two days, Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t really see Hua Feng, so he was rather surprised to see him now. ¡°Hua Feng? Why are you here?¡± Elder Hua Feng walked forward and stared at Elder Bo Yan closely. His heart was beating much faster than usual. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Elder Bo Yan was dazed for a moment. ¡°Now?¡± Dong Huang Clock Tower¡¯s bell had rung, which meant that the outsiders were all gathered in Fangzhou City. The time for the meeting had arrived. As the person currently in control of Ling Xiao Academy, he should go out. What things had to be said now? ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just a few sentences, and it won¡¯t delay much of your time. However, it¡¯s very important.¡± Elder Hua Feng was very insistent. Elder Bo Yan rarely saw such an expression on him and nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows even more tightly and glanced at the surroundings. Elder Bo Yan smiled. ¡°All along, only the few of us can come up here, and there¡¯s nobody else around. If there¡¯s anything you want to say, you can say it without a worry.¡± As he spoke, a few doubts surfaced in his heart. Why is Hua Feng so meticulous? But very quickly, he knew the answer. Elder Hua Feng took a step forward and said carefully, ¡°Bo Yan, do you remember that I previously told you we were trapped by a gigantic and complicated Xuan formation in the Flood-Desert Northern Region and that we managed to escape with much difficulty?¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded. ¡°Back then, you also said that it was all thanks to Chu Yue?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s throat was dry. ¡°Back then, he gave me an incomplete Xuan formation. After repairing it, I managed to open the Xuan formation that trapped us. During the period of time after we came back, I have been studying the Xuan formation. In the end¡­ that Xuan formation is related to the first director!¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s originally calm gaze instantly became overwhelmed! ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Initially, it was just a doubt, and I didn¡¯t dare to confirm it. Additionally, you¡¯ve been quite busy lately, so I didn¡¯t tell you about it. I went to retrieve the Xuan formation left behind by that person back then and did a meticulous observation and comparison¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng paused for a moment and spat out the remaining words with much difficulty. ¡°It¡¯s really exactly the same!¡± Elder Bo Yan felt that his mind was in a whir. ¡°W-which scroll were you looking at?¡± Elder Hua Feng kept quiet for a moment. ¡°The Sky Scroll!¡± Although the first director didn¡¯t have any disciples, he left behind quite a few precious objects. Amongst them, the Xuan formation drawings were split into three scrolls: Sky, Earth, and Human. The academy students could normally read the Human scroll for free. If those with outstanding talent performed well, they would have the chance to look at the Earth Scroll. The Sky Scroll was the highest standard, and it was the most secretive one. Only a few elders in the academy had the right to study it. ¡°The Sky Scroll has always been locked in the academy, and outsiders could never see it! That Chu Yue¡ªhow does he know?¡± muttered Elder Bo Yan in shock. Elder Hua Feng laughed bitterly. ¡°He said he chanced upon it in an abandoned cave.¡± In the beginning, he didn¡¯t quite care about this saying. But when he confirmed that the Xuan formation was part of the Sky Scroll, the doubts in his heart instantly exploded! That was because the Xuan formations in the Sky Scroll would never be left outside! They also wouldn¡¯t be engraved in some cave! It was a mystery as to how exactly Chu Yue knew about this Xuan formation! His immediate explanation was that it was a lie! If it weren¡¯t because this incident was too shocking, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to speak to Elder Bo Yan at this time. Elder Bo Yan rubbed his temple. ¡°C-could it be that Rong Xiu taught him that?¡± Rong Xiu had seen the Sky Scroll before. ¡°The Sky Scroll records hundreds of Xuan formations. When Rong Xiu went in, he would only see a maximum of two or three, right? How did he coincidentally see this one?¡± Elder Hua Feng sighed deeply. How could I not think of such a possibility? However, this guess is too baseless. Chu Yue clearly knew that the Xuan formation was extraordinary. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen such a reason. If it weren¡¯t because Elder Hua Feng had coincidentally seen it before, nobody would¡¯ve discovered this! The duo exchanged glances and fell into deep thought. Chu Yue clearly has a big secret¡­ Deng! Deng! Deng! Hurried footsteps sounded. An elder came to urge: ¡°Bo Yan, it¡¯s time. We should go out!¡± They had been waiting downstairs for some time and didn¡¯t see Elder Bo Yan come down, so they had to come up and ask. His gaze turned, and he saw Elder Hua Feng. ¡°Hua Feng, you¡¯re here too?¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded, and his expression returned to normal. ¡°Coming.¡± As he spoke, he lifted his legs and went down. When he brushed past Elder Hua Feng, the duo exchanged a glance silently. ¡°Hua Feng, come along as well.¡± Elder Hua Feng restrained the emotions in his heart. ¡°En.¡± Even if there really was something, they had no time to verify it now. They could only take it one step at a time! If that really didn¡¯t work, they could only come back and ask Chu Yue properly when the external matters were settled! And¡­ Rong Xiu! ¡­ Fangzhou City. There was a gigantic circular plaza in the middle of the city. The plaza had white and black jade pieces that overlapped each other and a gigantic transportation formation in the middle. The transportation formation was engraved with Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s totem. Without a doubt, this was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s totem, and this transportation formation was specially used by Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s students and elders. But normally, Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s people rarely used this transportation formation. After some time, it gradually became desolate. People rarely even came to this plaza. But today, this large plaza was extraordinarily crowded. Ling Xiao Academy had already separated the plaza into different zones according to the invitations sent out earlier. The respective aristocratic families each occupied a space, and it finally formed a circle. Of course, as they were afraid that a misunderstanding would be caused, not many people came from their respective families. The fewer ones had three or five, and the others only had a maximum of ten or so people. However, there were nearly 20 families and clans here, so it still looked like quite a lot of people overall. Under the guidance of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s students and elders, the crowd took their seats. Elder Wen Xi glanced at the empty main seat, and hesitation and worry flashed across his eyes. What time is it? Why are Bo Yan and the rest not here? Suddenly, a sound pierced through the air. At the same time, low and vigorous laughter resounded throughout the plaza. ¡°Haha! This place is so crowded!¡± The crowd looked up and were taken aback when they saw the incoming person. Why is the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Clan Leader, Baili Chun, here?! Chapter 1449 - Cant Invite Everyone in the God Residence Realm knew that Baili Chun had been in seclusion for a few years and didn¡¯t make much noise. They didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly appear today! Has he come¡­ out of seclusion? However, Ling Xiao Academy doesn¡¯t seem like it has invited him for today¡¯s incident, right? After all, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, Rong Xiu, is right at Ling Xiao Academy! Additionally, Rong Xiu has already expressed that he is standing on the same side as Ling Xiao Academy. Why did Baili Chun suddenly come at this point? Could it be that he¡­ came to speak for Ling Xiao Academy? The crowd had their own thoughts, but they didn¡¯t show it on their faces. They got up and greeted him respectively. Not to mention others, but Baili Chun¡¯s status was indeed quite high. Even though he didn¡¯t have much actual power now¡­ they had to give him face. He was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader after all. Elder Wen Xi also led people to welcome him and had a flattering smile on his face. ¡°So it¡¯s Clan Leader Baili! Why are you here?! We didn¡¯t manage to welcome you properly¡ªit¡¯s our fault.¡± Baili Chun¡¯s movement technique was light, and there were no energy ripples around him at all. The crowd was stunned when they saw him. It clearly seems like he has broken through again! Detecting the changes in the surrounding gazes, Baili Chun¡¯s originally depressed emotions became much better. He knew very clearly in his heart that during the few years he was in seclusion, all the power had shifted to Rong Xiu. The crowd would just think that he was a mere clan leader in name, and they weren¡¯t fearful at all. But luckily, his abilities had strengthened! These people naturally had to look up to him. Even if they thought about all sorts of things, they still had to treat him respectfully on the surface! At any point, a harder fist was much more useful than anything! Baili Chun stroked his beard, smiled, and said, ¡°Elder Wen Xi, you don¡¯t have to be polite. I came here uninvited because I was interested. You can do whatever you want to do! You don¡¯t have to care about me!¡± However, Elder Wen Xi¡¯s heart was filled with ridicule. You speak easily! Originally, everyone¡¯s positions were arranged. Now that Baili Chun has suddenly come, I have to find an additional seat for him. Besides, his status is important, and I can¡¯t really find a random chair for him to sit on at the side! After much thinking, Elder Wen Xi could only extend his long arm. ¡°Then¡­ come up please!¡± There were slightly more seats left on Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s side as some of them were specifically left for the academy elders. But now, they could only free up a seat. Thinking of this, Elder Wen Xi glanced at the young man behind Baili Chun. That young man looked like he was 27 or 28. He had a slim figure and wasn¡¯t considered tall. He was decked in a sky-blue cotton robe and had a white jade belt around his waist. He looked ordinary with distinct features. He didn¡¯t look¡­ special. But to be safe, Elder Wen Xi still asked, ¡°May I know who this is¡ª¡± ¡°This is Xiao Liu; he accompanied me on this trip. You don¡¯t have to care about him; he can just stand behind me.¡± Baili Chun waved his hands as if he were nonchalant. Elder Wen Xi heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. It seems like he is just a companion and not anyone important. ¡°You¡¯re too polite. We have spare chairs here, and we¡¯ll add one for him. It¡¯s nothing big.¡± As he spoke, Elder Wen Xi glanced at his subordinates. There weren¡¯t many important spaces but many ordinary chairs. Everyone else in the other families had places to sit, so how could they let this young man stand on his own? A chair was quickly moved over and placed behind Baili Chun on his left side. Baili Chun laughed, and the wrinkles near the corner of his eyes deepened. ¡°Xiao Liu, are you not going to thank Elder Wen Xi?¡± That young man instantly acknowledged it and gave his thanks respectfully. ¡°Thank you, Elder Wen Xi.¡± That¡¯s weird¡­ I just gave this young man an extra chair. Why does it feel like Baili Chun¡¯s mood and attitude have become much better? Elder Wen Xi muttered in his heart. Probably because¡­ he was treated with importance? After all, this young man is his man. Besides, there are so many people in the Sky-Cloud Empire, but Baili Chun only brought this one over. He clearly liked him more. It won¡¯t be wrong to take better care of him. Elder Wen Xi suppressed his doubts and smiled kindly. ¡°Clan Leader Baili, please sit down¡ªthe both of you! Bo Yan and the rest should be out real soon, and Rong Xiu¡ª¡± Ka! A sound was suddenly heard from the side! The crowd looked up in unison. Not far away, an opening appeared on the gigantic barrier outside of Ling Xiao Academy. A few figures flew out from within¡ªthey were Elder Bo Yan and the rest! Elder Wen Xi and the others heaved a sigh of relief. They¡¯re finally here! After this, the atmosphere became peculiar. The people that didn¡¯t get to sit in time greeted Elder Bo Yan and the others. At this point, everyone was very polite. Elder Bo Yan had a smile on his face as well. No matter what, they had to do the perfunctory work. Elder Wen Xi reminded him, ¡°Clan Leader Baili is also here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Elder Bo Yan was taken aback and looked over in the direction he was pointing. Indeed, he saw Baili Chun. Isn¡¯t this person¡­ in seclusion? Why did he come out today and even come here? An idea popped up in Bo Yan¡¯s mind, and he smiled with even deeper meaning. ¡°Hahaha! Clan Leader Baili, what an important guest! Why did you have time to come over today?¡± I wonder if Rong Xiu knows. Why didn¡¯t he mention it at all? Baili Chun cupped his fists and smiled as well. ¡°I came so suddenly. Elder Bo Yan, you wouldn¡¯t mind, right?¡± ¡°Why would I?! You brought honor to Fangzhou City by coming! Haha, please sit quickly!¡± The two of them exchanged pleasantries. In the square, it looked rather harmonious. Finally, a sudden voice sounded and broke this thin illusion. ¡°Elder Bo Yan, we¡¯re all here, but why don¡¯t we see Chu Yue? Could it be that so many people can¡¯t even get him to come out?!¡± Chapter 1450 - Didnt Delay, Right? There was a momentary silence in the venue. Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and he smiled slightly. ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding. Chu Yue was the one who took the initiative to suggest today¡¯s meeting and wanted to give everyone an explanation. Why wouldn¡¯t he come? He has probably been delayed by some matters in the academy. Wen Xi, go and urge him to come faster.¡± Elder Wen Xi acknowledged it and turned toward the academy. The crowd exchanged glances and was rather surprised. Chu Yue¡­ is the one who initiated this? All along, they thought that this was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s idea. On the one hand, they wanted to clear Chu Yue¡¯s name. On the other hand, they wanted to solve this series of troubles. They didn¡¯t expect that it was actually¡­ Isn¡¯t Chu Yue only 17 years old? Why is he so gutsy? Does he know what kind of people that got invited today are? ¡°Hah, it seems like the student from the academy is the epitome of youth knowing no fear!¡± the man¡ªwho was stumped¡ªlaughed and said weirdly. Elder Bo Yan looked relaxed. ¡°The innocent ones have a clear conscience. What is there to be worried about?¡± The other party¡¯s laughter instantly became more awkward. Isn¡¯t this insinuating that they will clear Chu Yue¡¯s name and accuse us of smearing him? ¡°Besides, although that young man isn¡¯t old, he is responsible. After he heard about the previous incident, he thought that he had implicated the academy and insisted on standing up to explain the misunderstandings one by one. Look, he hasn¡¯t recovered yet, but he dragged his sick body to beg me and wanted to take responsibility for this no matter what.¡± Elder Bo Yan shook his head, sighed, and had a cherishing tone. ¡°I advised him, but he didn¡¯t listen. He¡¯s really stubborn.¡± This time, nobody casually replied to him again. What should they say? Say that these aristocratic families collaborated to threaten a child? Even though this was the truth, it wasn¡¯t nice to say it out loud. ¡°It seems like Elder Bo Yan dotes on that Chu Yue very much,¡± said Baili Chun suddenly. Elder Bo Yan looked up, and his old face revealed a faint smile. ¡°Clan Leader Baili, Chu Yue is our academy¡¯s student. Shouldn¡¯t we protect him and care for him? Even if it¡¯s not Chu Yue and any other student from the academy, we will still stand on the same ground.¡± Even though this reply was politically correct and polite, they really couldn¡¯t pick on it. Besides, Ling Xiao Academy indeed protected their members and was quite nice to their students. But when Baili Chun heard this, he felt even more uncomfortable. The same toward other students? Then, why did they expel Jiang Zhiyuan, chase her out of the academy, and cause her to be humiliated? If Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t do things so harshly, she wouldn¡¯t have to change her appearance just to make a trip here. Baili Chun felt aggrieved for Jiang Zhiyua, but his mind was still clear. He didn¡¯t question the matter of Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expulsion in person. If it had some complications and the matter was blown up, wouldn¡¯t it be hard to handle? This could be talked about in private. Baili Chun didn¡¯t ask further. ¡­ ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire actually dares to come!¡± On the other end, Liang Xiaoxiao¡ªwho was sitting on her own seat¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but curse softly. ¡°They still have the cheek!¡± Liang Yiye glanced at her, and his face was grave. ¡°Baili Chun is the clan leader. Why wouldn¡¯t he dare to come?¡± If it were someone else, he might be able to reason with them. Yet, it was Baili Chun! ¡°Don¡¯t you know how highly he thinks of Jiang Zhiyuan? Perhaps he¡¯s the one who instructed the Sky-Cloud Empire to help Jiang Zhiyuan.¡± Previously, they still found it weird. But now that they saw Baili Chun, all their doubts were dispelled. Baili Chun brought Jiang Zhiyuan up like his own granddaughter and doted on her very much. This was something that many people knew, and this was also the reason why Liang Xiaoxiao was willing to be closer to Jiang Zhiyuan after she entered the academy. If not, with her identity as the Liang family¡¯s eldest daughter, why would she be willing to get close to Jiang Zhiyuan? However, she didn¡¯t expect Jiang Zhiyuan to be so useless. Not only was she expelled from Ling Xiao Academy, but she even had some connection to her Third Brother¡¯s death! Now, Liang Xiaoxiao hated her to the core. ¡°I really don¡¯t know if this Clan Leader Baili still thinks so highly of that b*tch after all of this.¡± Liang Yiye didn¡¯t doubt it. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Quieten down.¡± There were so many people here. Some words couldn¡¯t be said. If someone heard them, it would spell trouble. Liang Xiaoxiao could only clench her teeth and hold it in. When Chu Yue comes out, I must ask him properly! ¡­ Outside Fengmin Mountain, Elder Wan Zheng and Rong Xiu were waiting for Chu Yue to come out. They had been waiting since morning. Dong Huang Clock Tower¡¯s bell had sounded, but there was still no noise in the pagoda. Logically speaking, even if people were inside, they could still hear the bell. Elder Wan Zheng glanced at the sky. ¡°A long time has passed, but Chu Yue hasn¡¯t come out yet. Is he delayed by something?¡± He felt rather uneasy. Even though Chu Yue is playful, he is always mature in the face of large events. Why is he late for no reason today¡­ On the other hand, Rong Xiu slightly squinted his phoenix eyes as faint light flashed across them. ¡°Wan Zheng, where¡¯s Chu Yue?¡± Elder Wen Xi rushed over, and his heart became uneasy when he saw the duo waiting. ¡°He¡¯s still inside?¡± Elder Wan Zheng nodded. ¡°For some reason, there¡¯s no noise.¡± ¡°This¡­ But the people outside are all here!¡± Elder Wen Xi wiped the sweat on his forehead. It¡¯s fine if it is other people, but none of those people are to be trifled with. How can we let them wait the whole time? Besides, Bo Yan has already gone out. It won¡¯t look good if a junior student like Chu Yue¡ªwho is even the focus of the crowd¡¯s argument¡ªfails to show up. If he goes too late, those people might even talk about this. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask Elder Meng?¡± Elder Meng had been standing guard inside the whole time and should know Chu Yue¡¯s current situation the best. Elder Wan Zheng knitted his brows. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± As Elder Wen Xi spoke, he wanted to go forward because this couldn¡¯t be dragged on. ¡°Elder Meng always knows what he¡¯s doing. He should know the importance of today¡¯s matters, but even now, he hasn¡¯t released Chu Yue. Therefore, he should have his own reasons.¡± At the side, Rong Xiu nonchalantly spoke. His voice was low and melodious, as calm and composed as always. Elder Wen Xi stopped in his tracks and felt conflicted. Rong Xiu is right. If there really is something wrong, there is no use urging him. However¡­ Do we just watch on like this? Those people will cause a scene in no time, right?! Time seemed especially torturous when waiting. When Elder Wen Xi finally couldn¡¯t hold himself back and was about to rush forward, ripples suddenly appeared on the barrier outside Fengmin Mountain. A thin and tall figure came out from behind the pagoda door¡ªit was Chu Liuyue! ¡°He¡¯s out!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was elated and hurriedly waved toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked up and quickly flashed across when she saw those people. Whoosh! In no time, her figure instantly appeared before them like a bolt of lightning! Elder Wen Xi heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯re finally out! If you didn¡¯t come out, I would¡¯ve directly barged in!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and smiled. ¡°Sorry, I spent a little more time breaking through. I didn¡¯t delay too much, right?¡± Chapter 1451 - Accompany Once this was said, the venue fell silent for a moment. Elder Wen Xi sized Chu Liuyue up in shock and realized that her surrounding aura was indeed much stronger than before! ¡°You¡­ broke through?!¡± he muttered in disbelief. Didn¡¯t this kid say that he wasn¡¯t feeling well a few days ago? At that time, Elder Meng also looked very worried, which caused me to feel uneasy for a few days. But not only did his injuries recover, he even broke through in the blink of an eye! As Chu Liuyue had the Yuan instrument given by Dugu Mobao that specifically hid one¡¯s aura, Elder Wen Xi and the rest couldn¡¯t detect her current cultivation level even when standing near her. Chu Liuyue said rather embarrassedly, ¡°I just broke through to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior.¡± Actually, she could continue breaking through. In the pagoda, she seemed to have entered a mysterious and peculiar state. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force kept entering her body, and it merged with her veins and bones at an extraordinary speed. The entire process was natural and smooth. Chu Liuyue was determined and didn¡¯t allow any accidents to happen this time. She smoothly broke through to an intermediate stage-nine warrior. After that, her body didn¡¯t stop absorbing that force. Chu Liuyue knew very clearly that if she continued cultivating, she could basically successfully break through to become a peak stage-nine warrior. On the one hand, she already had a Tianjing Yuan meridian now and had outstanding talent. On the other hand, she originally had memories and experience in this aspect, so she could directly break through on her own without any guidance from others. But after some thought, she still decided to pause. Any cultivator had the wish to become stronger, and Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t an exception. However, she had always been very meticulous in this aspect. She felt that her recent speed of breaking through was a little too fast. Even if it was mainly because she encountered some unexpected events in between, she was still very careful. ¡°But¡­¡± The corner of Elder Wen Xi¡¯s lips twitched. Is this phrasing really suitable?! But looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s genuine appearance, he couldn¡¯t say anything to retort her. This kid¡­ This kid is essentially a maniac! Didn¡¯t I already know it since the first day he entered the academy?! On the other hand, Elder Wan Zheng quickly accepted this fact. ¡°Hahaha! You are indeed my¡ªWan Zheng¡¯s disciple!¡± Very outstanding! Elder Wen Xi glanced at him deeply. Can you not be so quick to accept it? Even if stranger things happen to your disciple, you will feel that it¡¯s normal, right!? The calmest one was Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue had stayed at Fengmin Mountain these few days, so he knew that she wanted to try to break through again. This wasn¡¯t a difficult task for her, but what surprised him was that she didn¡¯t even break through to become a peak stage-nine warrior and even¡­ She probably didn¡¯t have enough time¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Forget it, forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about this first. It¡¯s getting late, and those people are already waiting outside. Let¡¯s quickly go over!¡± Elder Wen Xi reacted and hurriedly urged them. Chu Liuyue slightly nodded, and the corner of her lips curled up. ¡°Okay.¡± Her eyes dazzled like the stars, and she looked relaxed and leisurely as if she didn¡¯t realize what kind of trouble was waiting for her. Elder Wen Xi sighed in his heart. No matter what, we have to protect this kid! ¡­ ¡°Chu Yue!¡± Just when the few people were rushing toward the outside of the academy, a familiar voice sounded. Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and looked over. Those few people were rushing over from the opposite mountain. Luo Shishi, Luo Yanming, and Zhuo Sheng were all familiar people. The most important thing was that there was a face she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and the corner of her lips curled up. ¡°Hongyu, why are you here?¡± Even though she did come out a few days ago, she went directly to Dong Huang Clock Tower. After discussing with Elder Bo Yan and the others, she directly returned to Fengmin Mountain, so nobody told her about Mu Hongyu coming to the academy. Now that Chu Liuyue suddenly saw her, she was very surprised. Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond-like eyes lit up, and she hurriedly rushed over. She originally wanted to go over and give Chu Liuyue a huge hug, but when she reached the latter, she suddenly recalled that Chu Liuyue had come here with another identity. Hence, she hurriedly stopped in her tracks. However, her happily dancing manner was clearly seen by the surrounding crowd. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a few days! However, you¡¯ve been staying at Fengmin Mountain the whole time, so we didn¡¯t meet.¡± Mu Hongyu spoke emotionally as she sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°How have you been these few months in the academy?¡± She had mostly heard about those incidents and couldn¡¯t help but be worried. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but lightly knock against her forehead. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m not okay?¡± Anyone could tell that these two people were very close. Luo Shishi pressed her lips together and felt an ache in her heart. I have never seen Chu Yue this comfortable and casual with any woman. Is Mu Hongyu¡­ indeed different? Such a Chu Yue is quite different from the polite and well-mannered one I know. Luo Yanming glanced at his own relative from the corner of his eyes and sighed in his heart. However, he also heaved a sigh of relief. Outsiders can see it the clearest. Chu Yue clearly doesn¡¯t like Luo Shishi and only treats her as a friend. Now that things haven¡¯t gone south, it is best for her to give up. Seeing that Chu Liuyue could still joke, Mu Hongyu felt much more secure. ¡°I knew you could definitely do it!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her and suddenly asked strangely, ¡°You broke through to become a stage-nine warrior?¡± ¡°Yeah! Before I came here, I broke through at the Red¡ªhome.¡± Mu Hongyu stuck her tongue out. ¡°Mentor and the rest sent me here.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. It seems like Diwu Zhangze and the rest helped her. While she was surprised, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but sigh emotionally. With such a physique and talent, others can¡¯t be envious of Mu Hongyu. I managed to break through to become a peak stage-nine warrior in such a short time because of all sorts of fateful twists. However, Mu Hongyu just cultivated with Diwu Zhangze and the rest at the Red Moon Desert for a few months to successfully break through and become a stage-nine warrior. If word got out, many people would be envious. ¡°Chu Yue, Hongyu, if you want to catch up, why don¡¯t you do it later?¡± Elder Wen Xi couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°The time¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. Although she wasn¡¯t worried that she would be late, she didn¡¯t want to put Elder Wen Xi in a difficult spot. ¡°You¡¯re right. Hongyu, I¡¯ll go first then. You can wait for me in the academy.¡± However, Mu Hongyu suddenly took a step forward. ¡°Chu Yue, I want¡­ to go with you!¡± She faintly knew what was going on outside and was very worried. At this point, she didn¡¯t want to let Liuyue face it alone. It was fine even if she just stood beside her. Elder Wen Xi knitted his brows. ¡°This isn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly and agreed to Mu Hongyu¡¯s request. Chapter 1452 - Forget Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply was unexpected. The people present were all dazed for a moment and almost thought that they had misheard. One just has to think to know how dangerous it is at such a place! He still wants to bring someone along? However, Mu Hongyu was elated and hurriedly nodded. No matter what, I definitely can¡¯t watch Liuyue get bullied! Seeing that Chu Liuyue had a determined attitude, Elder Wen Xi thought for a while and didn¡¯t object to it. It is just one more student after all, and it doesn¡¯t affect much. ¡°You can go if you want. But Hongyu, you can¡¯t randomly talk when you get there. Do you understand?¡± Mu Hongyu covered her mouth and hurriedly nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Once Elder Wen Xi said this, he heard Luo Shishi¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°Mentor, I want to go too!¡± ¡°Shishi?¡± Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng looked at her strangely. Previously, Fourth Brother had already instructed us to stay in the academy and try not to interfere in this matter because the Luo family wasn¡¯t on the invitation list. Now, Luo Shishi actually wants to follow them? Is she joking? However, Luo Shsihi was very insistent. She looked at Elder Wen Xi in a begging manner. ¡°Mentor, I guarantee you that I¡¯ll be obedient when I¡¯m there, and I won¡¯t utter a single word.¡± Why do all of them want to go?! Elder Wen Xi felt his head ache. If we continue arguing, we really won¡¯t get there in time! He made up his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡­ Inside Fangzhou City, it was peaceful on the wide and straight square. The crowd sat together in groups. In the beginning, everyone could still exchange pleasantries. But as time passed, the atmosphere slowly became colder and stiffer. From time to time, some people looked toward Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s people. Some even revealed frustrated expressions. If it weren¡¯t for Elder Bo Yan and the others there, they wouldn¡¯t have held themselves back. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, but this Chu Yue is such a diva.¡± A voice that was neither loud nor soft sounded in the crowd with a few hints of mockery. ¡°The only person who could obtain a fateful encounter in the Flood-Desert Northern Region is naturally different.¡± Someone chuckled, but the laughter was piercing. Elder Bo Yan pretended that he didn¡¯t hear it. Didn¡¯t they just say some mean words? What was there to care about it? As long as these people didn¡¯t truly fight, everything could be discussed. At the side, Jin Di stroked his stubble and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°I heard that Chu Yue is just a stage-nine warrior, but he already thinks so highly of himself. If he breaks through and reaches the Apotheosis Realm in the future, won¡¯t he be even more amazing? At that time, it¡¯ll be hard if we want to meet him once! Hah!¡± Quite a few of their faces started turning ugly. He is just a junior, but he actually caused so many of us to wait here and didn¡¯t show his face at all. He is indeed arrogant! ¡°Senior Jin Di, that¡¯s not quite right.¡± A clear voice¡ªwhich was like the spring water in the mountains that flowed down¡ªbroke the stiff atmosphere. Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately looked toward Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s side. A few figures were slowly flying out from within¡ªthe person talking was indeed Chu Yue! They were very fast, and they reached the square in no time. Countless gazes swept across them one by one. When they looked at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue later, their gazes stopped there longer. They had an unknown meaning. Only Elder Bo Yan and the others were stunned when they saw Mu Hongyu and others following behind. But in front of so many people, they couldn¡¯t ask in detail. They were just a few students and didn¡¯t affect the big picture. Chu Liuyue still smiled and said, ¡°Compared to everyone, my status is low, and I really don¡¯t dare to be unruly. However, I was indeed delayed by some matters earlier, so I was late. I, Chu Yue, will apologize to everyone here.¡± As she spoke, she really bent slightly and bowed toward them. Then, she smiled and looked at Jin Di. ¡°With what you said just now, you might¡¯ve¡­ underestimated everyone¡¯s statuses too much, right?¡± Is he saying that I purposely looked down on the people present?! Jin Di¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°I know that all the seniors came a long way here because some matters caused a misunderstanding and that you would like me to give an explanation for it.¡± The topic changed, and Chu Liuyue had already passed the previous topic. Jin Di felt stifled, and his anger was stuck in his throat, neither going up nor down. It made him feel very uncomfortable! This Chu Yue¡­ He¡¯s really cunning to the maximum! He scoffed coldly. Escape? Can he escape? Today, I must skin Chu Yue alive! The others had already shifted their attention because Chu Liuyue had changed the topic. ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you¡¯re straightforward, we won¡¯t talk nonsense anymore. Chu Yue, regarding those rumors related to you recently, what do you have to say about them?¡± On the other side, an elder in a black robe stroked his beard and questioned Chu Liuyue with a low voice. He had to give Chu Yue a chance to explain. If not, they would seem to be unreasonable and domineering. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll give everyone a clear and logical explanation.¡± ¡°Chu Yue, come here.¡± Elder Bo Yan suddenly spoke, waved to Chu Liuyue, and pointed at the seat next to him. Even though this meeting was an interrogation targeted at Chu Yue, he didn¡¯t want Chu Yue to seem like he was a criminal and be bullied and ridiculed by the others. Chu Liuyue felt a slight warmth in her heart. Not any ordinary person could sit beside Elder Bo Yan. This represented Elder Bo Yan and the entire Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s support for her! She hesitated for a moment and walked over. On the other side, Baili Chun already looked toward Rong Xiu. His expression was slightly dark. ¡°Your Grace, we haven¡¯t seen each other in a while, yet you forgot to even greet me?¡± Chapter 1453 - Support Rong Xiu smiled slightly, and his thin lips curled up into an extremely faint smile, yet the depths of his phoenix eyes were nonchalant. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader.¡± He lightly nodded, but even though he was greeting, his entire aura wasn¡¯t reduced at all. This made his elegant, distinguished, and peerless manner even more obvious. In front of Baili Chun, he didn¡¯t lose out at all. Baili Chun¡¯s heart sank. After not seeing him for a few years, the current Rong Xiu is even harder to handle than back then. I can even recall Rong Xiu¡¯s youthful appearance when I chose to go into seclusion back then. In the blink of an eye, that young man actually turned into another person and became a huge power holder today! I still underestimated Rong Xiu! ¡°Clan Leader, I didn¡¯t know you came out of seclusion. I didn¡¯t hear the news.¡± Rong Xiu chuckled. ¡°If I knew, I would definitely come forward to welcome you personally.¡± Baili Chun suppressed the overwhelming emotions in his heart. ¡°It just happened two days ago. I originally wanted to send you a message to tell you, but I later heard about the incident here, so I decided to come forward personally. I thought we¡¯d meet eventually, so I didn¡¯t trouble them any longer.¡± ¡°I see. Clan Leader seems to have broken through again after coming out of seclusion this time? I really have to congratulate you.¡± This sentence finally made Baili Chun¡¯s expression loosen up. He grunted and pulled at the corner of his lips. ¡°This can¡¯t compare to the sudden improvements you made the past few years, Your Grace.¡± However, this wasn¡¯t him being polite. After exiting seclusion, he specifically asked Yu Jing and the rest a few questions. Among them included questions about Rong Xiu¡¯s current ability. But in actual fact, Yu Jing and the rest didn¡¯t have much understanding of this. That was because Rong Xiu didn¡¯t spend a lot of time in the Sky-Cloud Empire in the last few years. And every time he came back, it was basically in a hurry. So how would they know? It was just an occasional and rough guess. But even so, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess Rong Xiu¡¯s basic abilities. After being taken aback, although Baili Chun was unhappy, he could only accept it. Rong Xiu was originally a genius that appeared only once in a thousand years, so it was normal for him to have such a cultivation speed. Others couldn¡¯t be envious at all, including him. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze lightly swept past the young man at the side, but it was cold and as harsh as a blade. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart tightened. Without raising her head, she could already feel Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze wrapping her as if he could directly see through her. She guiltily hung her head even lower. My face is disguised. My figure and even my aura were hidden by Baili Chun specifically as well. Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be any loopholes¡­ ¡°Who is this? Why haven¡¯t I seen him before?¡± Rong Xiu spoke up and asked slowly. Baili Chun knitted his brows. ¡°Xiao Liu¡ªI just promoted him from below. I saw that he had quite a lot of potential, so I decided to bring him around. There are so many people in the Sky-Cloud Empire, Your Grace. You might not have seen every single one of them, right?¡± Rong Xiu suddenly laughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s definitely not an ordinary person that can gain your liking. My eyesight is probably bad, and I actually didn¡¯t realize such a person existed in the past.¡± As long as he had seen them before, he recognized every single person in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire¡ªeven if it was a humble servant. And this person¡­ Rong Xiu smiled and retracted his gaze. Without that oppressive gaze, Jiang Zhiyuan instantly heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. A gush of coldness attacked her. Then, she realized that her back was drenched in cold sweat. She secretly gritted her teeth. Rong Xiu just looked at me twice. Why am I so useless¡­ I just hope that he can¡¯t see anything! Originally, Jiang Zhiyuan wanted to take the chance to look at the charming face. After all, they hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time. But at this point, Rong Xiu¡¯s sentences made her feel very guilty, and she naturally didn¡¯t dare to move around casually. She simply looked down, stood at the side, and didn¡¯t dare say another word. Baili Chun smiled in a fake manner. ¡°Your Grace is busy, so you naturally don¡¯t have time to care about this.¡± There were secret ripples between the duo. Quite a few people looked over with complicated gazes, and their minds were active. It seems like¡­ the two people with the most power and status in the Sky-Cloud Empire aren¡¯t on good terms? They heard that back when Rong Xiu was found and returned to the Sky-Cloud Empire, this Clan Leader Baili was very against him entering the clan. He even suggested punishing Rong Xiu in the harshest manner on several occasions. Those punishments would be hard to tolerate even for decent cultivators, let alone Rong Xiu, who was still a child back then. If it weren¡¯t because Rong Xiu took the initiative to summon the Extreme God Sundial and his shocking talent was tested out, he would¡¯ve really died there. This was also the reason why Rong Xiu and Baili Chun¡¯s relationship wasn¡¯t good. This was especially so now, when Rong Xiu held great power, and his one sentence could summon the entire Sky-Cloud Empire. Baili Chun had no more power in his hands and was only a ¡®clan leader¡¯ in name. How could the two of them stand each other? ¡°Please rest first. I¡¯ll go over.¡± Rong Xiu seemed to ignore Baili Chun¡¯s clear and secretive mockery. After politely bowing to him, he turned around to leave. From start to end, he had a distinguished pride that one couldn¡¯t pick out a flaw. Seeing the tall and fit figure leave, Baili Chun was stifled. Thinking back, they wanted to settle Rong Xiu directly. But as he displayed outstanding talent, they still chose to let him stay after much discussion. At that point, he actually didn¡¯t really care about Rong Xiu. Even if his mother was the eldest daughter of the Sky-Cloud Empire, his father¡¯s background was lowly. With this background, he was destined to be unable to raise his head in the Sky-Cloud Empire in his entire life. But later on, things started progressing out of his control. It was only until Rong Xiu fought with his life and ascended the position of His Grace that he shockingly realized that he had completely underestimated this young man! But at that time, everything was too late. Hence, he could only accept the fact that Rong Xiu became His Grace. However, he still misjudged Rong Xiu¡¯s ambitions and capabilities. It was only until he exited seclusion that he realized he had never seen Rong Xiu clearly before. All the previous matters were small tricks from Rong Xiu! Knowing this earlier, I should¡¯ve just killed him back then! But what is the use of regretting now? Baili Chun clenched his teeth and had a harsh expression. ¡­ On the other end, Rong Xiu seemed to be completely unaffected and directly sat beside Chu Liuyue. ¡°Hey, Rong Xiu, your seat is here¡ª¡± Elder Bo Yan glanced at Rong Xiu from the corner of his eyes and pointed at the seat next to him, reminding the latter. Rong Xiu leaned back and smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s the same no matter where I sit.¡± An idea popped up in Elder Bo Yan¡¯s mind, and he didn¡¯t continue insisting. Rong Xiu really¡­ spends a lot of effort on Chu Yue. Chu Liuyue also turned around. Their eyes met. She blinked lightly. Originally, Rong Xiu and I should respectively sit on each side of Elder Bo Yan. But now, it became me sitting in the middle of Elder Bo Yan and him. Invisibly, the two powers surrounded me in the middle. This is¡­ clearly showing their support for me?! Chapter 1454 - Argue The surroundings fell silent. Chu Liuyue curved her eyes, retracted her gaze, and looked at the crowd. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve waited long enough. Whatever you want to ask, do ask. I¡¯ll definitely answer honestly and tell you everything I know.¡± Her straightforward and honest manner caused the crowd to be dazed for a moment. She¡¯s really direct¡­ Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. There are so many questions. Which one should we ask first, and¡­ who should ask? Chu Liuyue was still smiling as if she were very patient. She didn¡¯t plan on wasting her time with these people. The hesitation at this moment was just because they had their own plans. But in actual fact, their targeting and doubts toward her wouldn¡¯t lessen because of this. ¡°Chu Yue, I have something to ask you!¡± The first person to stand up was actually Liang Xiaoxiao. Liang Yiye was also taken aback and hurriedly gave his daughter a look. However, Liang Xiaoxiao seemed to have spoken determinedly, and nobody could stop her. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°Senior Sister Liang, please ask.¡± Liang Xiaoxiao stared at Chu Liuyue closely as if she wanted to dissect her from inside to out. ¡°Let me ask you this¡ªin the Flood-Desert Northern Region, how did my Third Brother die!?¡± ¡°Xiaoxiao!¡± Liang Yiye couldn¡¯t help but yell at her. She could ask such a question privately. Why must you ask it in public? There are people from Ling Xiao Academy present! Isn¡¯t this purposely putting them in a spot? Everyone knows that Ling Xiao Academy has a neutral stance toward such matters. They definitely won¡¯t reveal a single word about this! If the people from Ling Xiao Academy misunderstand¡ª Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders and looked helpless. ¡°Sorry, Senior Sister Liang. You should know the academy¡¯s rules.¡± ¡°Of course, I know them!¡± However, Liang Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t look disappointed as she took half a step forward and continued questioning her fellow schoolmate. ¡°I received news that my Third Brother asked you for help back then. The elders originally planned on helping, but you stopped it! Is this matter¡­ true or false?!¡± Once she said this, the crowd was stunned, and they all looked at Chu Liuyue in unison. If this is true, then¡­ Chu Yue has an undeniable responsibility for Liang Shaokang¡¯s death. Even Liang Yiye had a look of suspicion. This news¡­ Where did Xiaoxiao hear it from? Why didn¡¯t I know about it? But since she has already asked, then¡­ There might be such a possibility! Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho was standing behind Baili Chun¡ªstill hung her head low, but she was very energized. She heard every single word clearly. She pressed her lips against each other and squeezed the corner of her clothes with her hands, twisting them unintentionally. She asked¡­ Liang Xiaoxiao really asked! It seems like it wasn¡¯t useless to ask Father to send a secret message over! I knew that Liang Shaokang and Liang Xiaoxiao had a good relationship. Additionally, Liang Xiaoxiao is impulsive. Once she is agitated, she can do anything. Now, this cannon is finally pointed toward Chu Yue! Chu Liuyue smiled and had a calm expression, with no ripples in her eyes. ¡°Senior Sister Liang, I¡¯m just an ordinary student. What right do you have to command an elder? Isn¡¯t this too much of an overestimation? Besides, I don¡¯t know your Third Brother. Why would I do this?¡± ¡°Ordinary student?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao chuckled in disdain as if she had heard some joke. ¡°You actually have the cheek to say that you¡¯re an ordinary student? After entering the Flood-Desert Northern Region, you were trapped again and again. Didn¡¯t you all manage to escape successfully because you helped to plan and strategize? Back then, even a few elders seemed rather dependent on you, and they listened to your plans, right?¡± Quite a few people looked shocked. Even though they knew that Chu Liuyue received an opportunity in the Flood-Desert Northern Region, they didn¡¯t know anything about what Liang Xiaoxiao said. Now that they suddenly heard it, they were taken aback. The elders¡­ all listened to a teen? This seems ridiculous! However, Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s strong questioning doesn¡¯t seem like she is lying. As if detecting the doubts in the surroundings, Liang Xiaoxiao coldly grunted and said, ¡°Everyone, you might not know, but Jiang Zhiyuan accidentally killed a nine-tailed green crow back then and caused the whole group of nine-tailed green crows to pursue them! In their panic, they had no other choice and no way to escape. Finally, they followed Chu Yue¡¯s escape route. In the end, they successfully reached that gully and thus escaped safely!¡± ¡°And my Third Brother might¡¯ve been killed in that gully!¡± ¡°Under such circumstances back then, Chu Yue, your opinion was definitely important and could even affect the elders¡¯ decision! Do you dare to admit it?!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao was agitated, and her face was red. There seemed to be an angry fire burning intensely in her eyes. However, the crowd was taken aback by her cannonball-like questioning and couldn¡¯t recover their senses for a long time. ¡°Liang Xiaoxiao, you mean¡­ Chu Yue brought them to the gully back then?¡± asked a middle-aged man suddenly. Everyone¡¯s hearts rose. If this is true, does that not mean that¡­ Chu Yue knew the gully¡¯s location from the start?! This involves too many matters! Instantly, countless questioning gazes landed on Chu Liuyue! Elder Hua Feng and the others looked tense. In actual fact, they had been very curious about this. At that time, Chu Yue¡¯s performance did seem like¡­ she was very familiar with the Flood-Desert Northern Region. But as Chu Yue didn¡¯t say much, they didn¡¯t ask further. Who knew that Liang Xiaoxiao would actually bring this up and point the arrow at Chu Yue!? How would she know so much in detail?! Someone must have told her about it! Chu Liuyue was also thinking of this question. Facing Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s furious interrogation, Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction was much calmer. She tilted her head and knitted her brows slightly as if she were in deep thought. Liang Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°What? Are you guilty? You can¡¯t make things up?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and smiled. ¡°No, I was just wondering¡ªweren¡¯t you chasing after Jiang Zhiyuan previously? Why do you believe in her words so much now?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression froze, and she didn¡¯t react in time. Chu Liuyue blinked and smiled as she patiently explained, ¡°Only a few people know about that situation, and even fewer would be willing to tell you about this. Senior Sister Liang, you might not know, but we were following what Jiang Zhiyuan said back at the Flood-Desert Northern Region.¡± ¡°We had just arrived at the Flood-Desert Northern Region back then, but we met trouble again and again. After much struggle, we had nowhere to go. Luckily, we met Jiang Zhiyuan later on. She had coincidentally just escaped from a perilous situation and had run for a very long time, so she knew which way was the safest. Hence, we directly chose to follow the path that she led.¡± As she spoke, Chu Liuyue looked at Shi Rui¡¯er. ¡°Senior Sister Rui¡¯er, what do you think?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though I don¡¯t like Jiang Zhiyuan normally, she was the most experienced one then, so we all chose to listen to her so that we could escape from the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Jiang Zhiyuan was basically the one who led us all the way. I don¡¯t know how¡­ the leader actually became Junior Brother Chu Yue?¡± Chapter 1455 - Scapegoat Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s smile turned slightly cold, and her tone was filled with mockery. ¡°I¡¯m afraid someone is trying their best to push the responsibility to someone else!¡± Even though Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t report the person¡¯s name, who couldn¡¯t tell that they were talking about Jiang Zhiyuan?! Liang Xiaoxiao was also dazed. She coincidentally received this information a few days ago, but she didn¡¯t know who sent it. Originally, she wanted to investigate, but the other party was very discreet. After not being able to find out anything after much work for a few days, she could only set it aside temporarily. However, she believed in this information in her heart. That was because it was too detailed! She knew that it was most likely someone traveling with them that revealed this information. However, she never expected it to be Jiang Zhiyuan! After all, not long ago, she and her father had pursued Jiang Zhiyuan for thousands of miles and caused Jiang Zhiyuan to be like a homeless dog. Jiang Zhiyuan eventually took shelter in the Sky-Cloud Empire and didn¡¯t dare to come out. Jiang Zhiyuan must hate us, so why would she take the initiative to tell us this? But after listening to Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s words, Liang Xiaoxiao then realized that she had thought wrongly! Not only does Jiang Zhiyuan hate us, but she also hates Chu Yue and the academy even more! If she could take this chance to harshly attack her own enemy, why not?! In the end, Jiang Zhiyuan just has to sit aside and enjoy the results! After recovering her senses, Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s face flashed white and green as she couldn¡¯t help but scold angrily, ¡°This b*tch!¡± Most of the people present weren¡¯t related to Jiang Zhiyuan, so they didn¡¯t care when they heard this. As for Rong Xiu, he always treated Jiang Zhiyuan nonchalantly and coldly, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t take it to heart. The only person who would feel upset upon hearing this was Baili Chun. But at this point, Liang Xiaoxiao was about to explode out of anger. How could she still care about Baili Chun? Besides, Jiang Zhiyuan was wrong at first. Even if Baili Chun was unhappy, he had no right to cause a scene! She didn¡¯t know that Jiang Zhiyuan, who was ridiculed by her, was present and heard everything clearly! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart beat crazily, and her blood seemed to want to rush out as her temples throbbed violently. If she didn¡¯t have her last bit of rationality, she wouldn¡¯t have held herself back and would¡¯ve torn Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth! She clenched her fists tightly, and her knuckles turned white. She suppressed her emotions with much difficulty. Just wait for it¡­ All these people, just wait for it! ¡°So this means that my Third Brother¡¯s death back then¡ª¡± Liang Xiaoxiao grinded her teeth. ¡°Is it indeed related to her?!¡± That b*tch was the one who told the elders not to save him?! Right! Didn¡¯t Jiang Zhiyuan personally say that Third Brother had once begged her and that she ignored it?! At that time, Jiang Zhiyuan said that she couldn¡¯t argue against the academy elders, so she was helpless. However, it seems like she was clearly the person who initiated this matter! Chu Liuyue opened her mouth. Before she could speak, Shi Rui¡¯er said, ¡°Actually, you can¡¯t completely blame Jiang Zhiyuan for this. After all, at that time, we couldn¡¯t even protect ourselves, so how would we have the energy to help others?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan almost dug a hole in her palm! Shi Rui¡¯er seemed to be speaking for her, but in actual fact, she harshly pushed her! Shi Rui¡¯er was determined to push Jiang Zhiyuan to death! But even if Jiang Zhiyuan had many things to say in retaliation, she¡ªwho was using another face¡ªcouldn¡¯t speak no matter what. A gust of bloody aura surged up. Jiang Zhiyuan swallowed it whole! Hearing Shi Rui¡¯er say this, quite a few people were convinced. Even though the Flying Star Sect and Ling Xiao Academy were on good terms, they weren¡¯t so close that they would spend so much effort on a student. Although Shi Rui¡¯er was young, she was very experienced in her way of dealing with things and was very charming. Now that she said this, it should be true. Chu Liuyue glanced at Shi Rui¡¯er, and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. The feeling of someone helping¡­ is really not bad¡­ It was worth convincing Zi Chen to release that legendary three-eyed eagle. ¡°That gully is very dangerous, and anyone who goes in might not come out alive. When we went over then, we had suffered quite a bit.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ears, smiled, and said, ¡°I hear that quite a few people present suspect that Chu Yue had a very good understanding of the Flood-Desert Northern Region beforehand, so he could gain a precious twist of fate whilst everyone else survived with much difficulty. However, may I know if anyone has any evidence to say this? We, the Flying Star Sect, including myself, were basically with them the entire journey. If Chu Yue was really problematic, would we not know about it at all?¡± ¡°Everyone¡­ you underestimate my Flying Star Sect too much, am I right?¡± Nearing the end, Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s words had a hint of displeasure and pride. Liang Xiaoxiao¡¯s arrogant anger was suppressed, and her expression became hesitant. Is this¡­ true or fake? Liang Yiye took the chance to pull her. ¡°Quickly sit down! How can you casually talk about something with no evidence?!¡± Liang Xiaoxiao could only clench her teeth and sit back down. After one big round, the person in question is back to Jiang Zhiyuan! If I have the chance to see her, I will definitely show her who¡¯s boss! ¡°I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to conclude this in a short while. I think we should change the topic.¡± A man who seemed to be in his thirties suddenly spoke. He was wearing a purple robe, and his cheeks were slim. His five features were ordinary, and only his pair of eyes seemed to have blades that were especially sharp and deep. Chu Liuyue glanced at him and realized that she didn¡¯t know him. Rong Xiu¡¯s voice coincidentally sounded. ¡°Purple Light Prefecture Lord Yao Bin, more than 50 of them died or had severe injuries in the Flood-Desert Northern Region.¡± He was originally close to Chu Liuyue. This low and deep voice was especially charming. Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears heated up slightly. ¡°Also, they have a deep grudge against Black Demon Hole.¡± Chu Liuyue was immediately alerted as her fingers knocked against the chair armrest. As expected, the other party directly went for the kill the next moment. He asked in a straightforward manner, ¡°Chu Yue, there are rumors outside that you have a close relationship with Black Demon Hole. How do you explain this?¡± Chu Liuyue straightened her body. Compared to her previous nonchalance and calmness, her expression became much more serious and solemn as she said carefully, ¡°I have nothing to do with Black Demon Hole.¡± However, Yao Bin knitted his brows, and his expression became dangerous. ¡°If this is so, then why is there Black Demon Hole¡¯s aura on you?!¡± Chapter 1456 - Cosmic Ring Everyone looked over with intense scrutiny and doubts in their eyes. In comparison to Liang Shaokang¡¯s death, they cared about this more. Black Demon Hole had a bad reputation in the God Residence Realm. Even though they became more discreet these few years, it didn¡¯t change most people¡¯s impression of them. Hence, once they heard that Chu Liuyue was related to Black Demon Hole, the string in their brains instantly became tense. Elder Bo Yan and the others looked over as well. They didn¡¯t know what exactly was going on. If Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t clarify this, she would be surrounded and attacked! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. My body has Black Demon Hole¡¯s aura? I only fought with the other party the previous few times, and I didn¡¯t do anything else. Could that¡­ be the reason why the so-called aura was left behind? It shouldn¡¯t be! I¡¯ve never heard of another party¡¯s aura being left behind when fighting! She lightly said, ¡°Lord Yao, please forgive me for not knowing what you mean. I previously did have some conflict with people from Black Demon Hole, but that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t know what the situation is for anything else.¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s expression changed slightly. He couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°Chu Yue, you once dealt with people from Black Demon Hole?!¡± Those people are all ferocious individuals. If Chu Yue met with them, then¡ªluckily, he is fine! It wasn¡¯t only Elder Wan Zheng. Upon hearing Chu Liuyue say this, quite a few people in the surroundings were curious. ¡°People from Black Demon Hole haven¡¯t come out in recent years. Why did you, of all people, meet them?¡± Yao Bin leaned his body forward, and his eyes were glued to Chu Liuyue with an extremely strong suppression. ¡°Do you have any witnesses or evidence for saying this?!¡± Witness? Evidence? Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Lord Yao, is there a need for me to lie about this?¡± Am I supposed to revive Shangguan Wan? ¡°Besides, them not appearing in public doesn¡¯t mean that they have never taken a single step out of their door, right? From what I know, Black Demon Hole is formidable, and the entire clan is of decent scale. Would they really obediently stay in their territory and not do anything for the past few years?¡± That was impossible! Yao Bin was stumped. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s one thing I have to make clear to everyone¡ªthe person I dealt with is no longer part of Black Demon Hole. As for who he exactly is, I have no idea.¡± No longer from Black Demon Hole? Then, how are we supposed to investigate it?! Yao Bin suddenly said, ¡°Chu Yue, my Purple Light Prefecture has fought with Black Demon Hole for many years, and we¡¯re considered experienced. I can confirm that you do have Black Demon Hole¡¯s aura! If your conscience is really clear, do you dare to let me check?!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Before she could speak, she heard Rong Xiu nonchalantly asking from the side, ¡°Lord Yao, may I know how you plan on checking?¡± Yao Bin glanced at Rong Xiu and knew that he had the intention to stand up for Chu Yue. But if we don¡¯t investigate this matter clearly, I won¡¯t let it rest! Our Purple Light Prefecture won¡¯t easily let go of anyone who has relations to Black Demon Hole! Yao Bin retrieved something from his hand¡ªit was a thumb ring that was entirely carved from purple jade. It was crystal-like and iridescent. When rays of light flowed through it, one could faintly see something slowly flowing inside. An unignorable suppression exuded from it! ¡°This thumb ring can sharply detect Black Demon Hole¡¯s aura. If Chu Yue¡¯s body has anything related to Black Demon Hole, it will definitely be forced out. If he doesn¡¯t have it, then everything will be as per normal.¡± As Yao Bin spoke, he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue, do you dare to do this?¡± Even though accepting such a check in public was rather humiliating, this was, without a doubt, the sharpest and swiftest clarification method. Speaking so much was no better than checking his body and proving it himself. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay!¡± Anyway, my conscience is clear, so what is there to be afraid of? Rong Xiu looked at her. Seeing her determined expression, his thin lips moved slightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything in the end. Yao Bin stood up and walked to the middle. He said to Chu Liuyue, ¡°Please come up.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over. The two of them stood about ten steps apart. Yao Bin¡¯s expression became much more serious. He raised his hand and immediately closed his eyes. That thumb ring flew out from his hand and went straight for Chu Liuyue. Very quickly, it stopped above Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. Whir! A whirring sound was heard! Purple light instantly shone down like a waterfall, enveloping Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was instantly completely covered by the purple light curtain! Instantly, there seemed to be countless sharp and cold blades scraping past her body! Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows slightly. But luckily, this pain wasn¡¯t very strong, so she endured it. Everyone waited with bated breath. Yao Bin stared at her closely without blinking. Time seemed to pass extremely slowly. Suddenly, a strange ripple came from the Cosmic Ring on Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! Wu! That purple jade thumb ring spun rapidly, and the surrounding light seemed to be like water currents, forming a vortex around Chu Liuyue and letting out a sharp whir! Yao Bin¡¯s expression became harsh! There indeed is something wrong! Seeing this scene, the crowd was taken aback. Some already couldn¡¯t hold themselves back and leaned forward, terrified that they would miss something. We wouldn¡¯t know if we didn¡¯t investigate, but once we did¡­ This Chu Yue is indeed problematic! Elder Bo Yan and the rest exchanged a glance and saw the shock and strangeness in each other¡¯s eyes. Didn¡¯t Chu Yue previously say that he had nothing to do with Black Demon Hole? Now this¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down. A ray of white light suddenly flashed across her mind! Right! How did I forget about that wooden plaque? Previously, she had walked around leisurely with Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng in Fangzhou City. At that time, she met a middle-aged man at a ground stall in the city. That man was the soul that pursued her relentlessly! And that incident was when she obtained a wooden plaque from the other party¡ªthat was Black Demon Hole¡¯s wooden plaque! Black Demon Hole¡¯s totem was clearly imprinted on it! After forcing the other party to retreat, she had once thought of destroying that wooden plaque. But after much thinking, she still put it aside. She didn¡¯t expect it to give her such trouble today! Whoosh! Whoosh! The whirring sound became even more shrill! There seemed to be an invisible force digging toward that Cosmic Ring, wanting to force the wooden plaque out! But after some time, there were no signs of breaking open that Cosmic Ring. Yao Bin knitted his brows tightly. Why is this Cosmic Ring¡¯s defense so high?! Chu Liuyue also suddenly thought of this, and her heart skipped a beat. This is Rong Xiu¡¯s Cosmic Ring; it¡¯s also the symbol of His Grace¡¯s status! It is normal that it can defend against Yao Bin¡¯s strength, but to others, it might¡ª Chapter 1457 - Interrogation! Anyone with a brain would guess that this Cosmic Ring was problematic! A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Ever since I left the Sky-Cloud Empire, I¡¯ve used this Cosmic Ring to disguise myself outside. On the surface, it looks like an ordinary, dusty Cosmic Ring. As long as one doesn¡¯t inspect it closely, they won¡¯t think that I¡¯m wearing the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s most distinguished ring. But now, this Cosmic Ring easily blocked Yao Bin¡¯s force¡­ At this point, Yao Bin also detected something amiss as he directed a gaze filled with much suspicion at Chu Liuyue¡­ Chu Yue¡¯s Cosmic Ring doesn¡¯t seem normal¡­ He was furious. Suddenly, he raised his hand and flung out holy force! That holy force was rapidly inserted into the purple jade thumb ring! At the same time, his aura strengthened! The winds howled! Chu Liuyue stood in the center of the vortex. Her clothes flowed with the wind, and she felt as if her entire body was going to be strangled by that violent force! She acted swiftly! Slap! A crisp sound was heard! She silently lowered the Cosmic Ring¡¯s defensive power and released the wooden plaque at the same time. Whoosh! The crowd only saw something fly out suddenly! Chu Liuyue staggered backward and silently escaped that energy vortex. At the same time, she locked the Cosmic Ring again! It contained too many items that couldn¡¯t be publicized¡­ Yao Bin¡¯s figure moved. He rapidly went forward and held the wooden plaque tightly in his hands! Then, he waved his wrist lightly and recollected the purple jade thumb ring. When the suppressive force disappeared, Chu Liuyue finally heaved a sigh of relief. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. To the surrounding spectators, that item was forced out as it couldn¡¯t withstand the purple jade thumb ring¡¯s suppression. Didn¡¯t they see that Chu Yue¡¯s face had become much paler? Nobody doubted it much¡ªexcept for Yao Bin. He glanced at Chu Liuyue doubtfully. At that moment, my feelings shouldn¡¯t be wrong. The thumb ring on Chu Yue¡¯s hand is indeed different¡­ However, that happened only for one moment. Now, it doesn¡¯t really seem like it considering Chu Yue¡¯s current state¡­ Did I really think wrongly? Yao Bin was uncertain. ¡°Lord Yao, what are you holding?¡± A question interrupted Yao Bin¡¯s thoughts. Yao Bin returned to his senses, planning on suppressing these matters first and then asking later. Now, the most important thing was still Black Demon Hole! He glanced at the item in his hand, and his gaze instantly turned sinister and cold. Even if he had already guessed what this was previously¡­ When he saw the disgusting and heartbreaking totem on the wooden plaque, endless vengeance and anger overwhelmed his heart. He clutched the wooden plaque tightly and suddenly looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu Yue, this is Black Demon Hole¡¯s wooden plaque, and it¡¯s of a very high level! If you really have nothing to do with Black Demon Hole, why would you have this with you?!¡± Once he said this, the crowd burst into an uproar! Black Demon Hole¡¯s wooden plaque? That¡¯s something ordinary people can¡¯t get their hands on, right? Doesn¡¯t this prove the previous suspicions we had toward Chu Yue? Everyone looked at Chu Liuyue with a harsher and colder gaze than before. ¡°Only the people from Black Demon Hole have this kind of wooden plaque, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! A few years ago, we once fought with Black Demon Hole and saw their people take out this wooden plaque. It¡¯s definitely correct.¡± ¡°This wooden plaque is made from sea-buckthorn wood, and it has Black Demon Hole¡¯s totem printed on it. I heard that every plaque uses the owner¡¯s own fresh blood as a guide to finish the entire engraving process¡ªothers can¡¯t replicate it at all. And this wooden plaque is very important to them. Normally, it definitely won¡¯t land in the hands of outsiders.¡± ¡­ The crowd partook in heated discussions, and they clearly started suspecting Chu Liuyue. It was as if they had already confirmed Chu Liuyue was in unspeakable cahoots with Black Demon Hole. Elder Bo Yan and the rest were also dazed. Black Demon Hole¡¯s wooden plaque? Why does the kid have such a thing? ¡°This¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan was dazed for a moment and looked at Rong Xiu. Does Rong Xiu know that the two parties have this special relationship? It was a pity that Rong Xiu was as calm and nonchalant as usual, so one couldn¡¯t see anything. As if detecting Elder Bo Yan¡¯s gaze, Rong Xiu looked at him from the corner of his eyes, and his lips curled up undetectably before he gave Elder Bo Yan a reassuring gaze. Elder Bo Yan was a little relieved. Seeing that Rong Xiu was confident, he wasn¡¯t that worried. He didn¡¯t believe that Chu Yue was related to Black Demon Hole in the first place. Who didn¡¯t know that Rong Xiu had deep grudges against Black Demon Hole? If Chu Yue was really related to Black Demon Hole, why would Rong Xiu protect him like this? Speaking of this, Rong Xiu had a part to play in Black Demon Hole¡¯s sudden lack of appearances in the last few years. However, not many people knew about this. Hence, everyone was filled with suspicions about Chu Yue once this wooden plaque appeared. ¡­ Chu Liuyue coughed. Without the external suppression, her face looked much better. However, her lips¡ªwhich were still slightly white¡ªallowed one to realize how much pain she had just suffered. Chu Liuyue looked at that wooden plaque and smiled helplessly. ¡°So you¡¯re talking about this¡­¡± She rubbed her brows. ¡°Did you forget? I previously said that I had dealt with them before. I got this wooden plaque from that time.¡± However, Yao Bin didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Is it that simple? I¡¯m afraid not, right? Every single person from Black Demon Hole has such a wooden plaque. In other words, this is a symbol of their identity. The stronger one is, the higher its level, and the wooden plaque will be even more important to them. For the one in my hands¡­ The owner must be an existence that can hold their name up high in Black Demon Hole. To be more direct, they¡¯d at least be a true god warrior!¡± ¡°For such a person¡­ As long as they still have one last breath, they won¡¯t let this wooden plaque go to someone else, especially their enemies! You said that you obtained this item then¡­ Doesn¡¯t it mean that you killed a true god from the other party?!¡± Yao Bin tugged at the corner of his lips, and the lines on his slim face became cold and stiff. ¡°Who would believe this?¡± Dead silence. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that Chu Yue should¡¯ve gotten this wooden plaque before he went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. That was because he stayed at Ling Xiao Academy the entire time after he came back, and it was impossible for him to obtain this item. And when he entered the Flood-Desert Northern Region, he seemed to be a stage-eight warrior. Killing a true god with such a cultivation level¡­ Wasn¡¯t this daydreaming?! But facing Yao Bin¡¯s repeated questioning, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t panic at all. She laughed, and her tone was still peaceful. ¡°Lord Yao, you seem to have forgotten something. Just now, I said that the person who had a conflict with me has already left Black Demon Hole. Hence, this item¡­ shouldn¡¯t be important to him, right?¡± Yao Bin was dazed, and the remaining words were stuck in his throat. Yes, Chu Yue did say this. However, he didn¡¯t pay attention to it at that time. If that person really was no longer part of Black Demon hole, this wooden plaque naturally became trash and worthless! Chapter 1458 - Trump Card in My Hand, the World is My Oyster! Yao Bin stared at Chu Liuyue closely as if he wanted to see through all the thoughts in her heart. Currently, there are two possibilities. One, Chu Yue has long known about this wooden plaque¡¯s significance to the people in Black Demon Hole, so he purposely said those words previously to pave the way for himself. Two, Chu Yue really doesn¡¯t know all of this. He just coincidentally met someone who left Black Demon Hole and obtained this wooden plaque under some twist of fate. But in such a short time, I can¡¯t ascertain which situation it is. ¡°We can¡¯t believe your words based on you alone. Do you have any evidence, or was there anyone who fought with you then?¡± Chu Liuyue honestly said, ¡°Back then, there were only the two of us and nobody else present.¡± Quite a few people glanced at each other awkwardly. Alone? That¡¯s even more ridiculous! If someone helped, it would be possible for Chu Yue to win this battle. But he has now admitted it himself that he was the only one¡­ It is really hard to convince others! Yao Bin¡¯s expression turned colder, and he clutched the wooden plaque tightly. ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯m afraid we have to investigate this properly!¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke and interrupted his words. The corner of her lips curled up slightly as she smiled slightly and said, ¡°Even though I fought alone back then, I have witnesses for this issue.¡± ¡°Witnesses?¡± Including Yao Bin, everyone present was stunned. He clearly battled alone, so why would there be witnesses? Just when everyone was filled with doubts, Chu Liuyue half-turned her body and waved her hands toward Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng, who were standing behind Elder Wen Xi. ¡°Yanming, Zhuo Sheng, could I trouble you two to be my witnesses?¡± The two that were suddenly called were dazed. Zhuo Sheng directly pointed at himself and asked in much disbelief, ¡°Us?¡± Why didn¡¯t I know that this was related to us? At the side, Luo Yanming stared at that wooden plaque and suddenly thought of something. He made up his mind and walked forward. ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± Zhuo Sheng saw that Luo Yanming went forward and hurriedly chased after the latter. No matter what, if Chu Yue needed their help, they had to go up. They quickly stood beside Chu Liuyue. Countless gazes landed on the duo, causing them to be unwittingly nervous. Even though both of them were disciples brought up by aristocratic families and were considered experienced, they hadn¡¯t experienced being stared at by so many big shots in the God Residence Realm. Those gazes seemed to materialize as they landed on them and caused their bodies to stiffen. Even Zhuo Sheng¡ªwho was usually loud and active¡ªbecame much more obedient. Luo Yanming¡¯s heart beat rather quickly, and he tightly clenched his hands in his sleeves. He then instinctively glanced at Chu Liuyue and saw that the young man at the side was calm and carefree, with a smile on his lips. It was as if he wasn¡¯t affected by this invisible suppression. This kid¡­ has such a strong mentality¡­ Luo Yanming silently thought to himself. He is actually so calm and composed in such a situation! However¡­ I heard that this meeting was originally suggested by him. Someone who can do such a thing naturally has to be very gutsy! ¡°We can testify for Chu Yue,¡± said Luo Yanming carefully after taking a deep breath. He raised his hand and pointed at the wooden plaque in Yao Bin¡¯s hands. ¡°On the day he got this wooden plaque, we were accompanying him, and we know very clearly how he got it. All in all, what he said earlier is true.¡± Once he said this, Zhuo Sheng finally reacted and hurriedly nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! We can testify! This wooden plaque was bought from a businessman when we were leisurely walking in Fangzhou City! We even asked for a 50 percent discount!¡± The corner of Yao Bin¡¯s eyes twitched. Chu Liuyue felt grateful and amused. In such circumstances, anyone standing up for her had to take a huge risk. Yet, they still did it. Seeing that the crowd still seemed confused, Luo Yanming recounted that day¡¯s entire incident. Of course, he directly skipped the part where Chu Liuyue chased the person out of the city to kill them. This was because he and Zhuo Sheng didn¡¯t participate in it. But overall, it did coincide with what Chu Liuyue said previously. At the side, Zhuo Sheng added in from time to time. ¡°¡­That was what happened.¡± Luo Yanming sighed deeply. ¡°Everyone, if you don¡¯t believe us, there are also a few elders and students who followed us to look for Chu Yue. They can testify as well.¡± They were all real events, so it was especially convincing when they talked about them. The crowd was silent. After a while, Yao Bin knitted his brows and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°So that means that guy purposely used this wooden plaque to lure you out of the city. Then, you fought?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°To be honest, I had a grudge against that person previously, and I knew that he was from Black Demon Hole. Hence, after seeing his wooden plaque, I chased after him without hesitation. But after fighting, I found out that he had long left Black Demon Hole.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not accurate to say that I killed him. That¡¯s because he¡¯s only a soul without a physical body. Based on the ones I know, he has already stolen two people¡¯s bodies. That day, I just attacked him until he retreated and didn¡¯t completely kill him. This is also the reason why I kept the wooden plaque as I wanted to investigate him when I had the chance in the future.¡± Yao Bin¡¯s expression changed slightly. This series of explanations is too perfect! He kept quiet for a moment. ¡°Since this is so, I still have one last question. If you can answer it, I¡¯ll believe what you said today and totally dispel all doubts I have toward you.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yao Bin stared at her deeply. ¡°If that person only has a soul, his abilities would be greatly reduced. But even so, if he could steal someone else¡¯s body, he would at least be a demigod. According to what you said, you should¡¯ve been only a stage-eight warrior back then, right? How did you win?¡± Even if the situation didn¡¯t really match what he predicted earlier, there was still a huge difference between a stage-eight warrior and a demigod! Their combat skills were worlds apart, and one couldn¡¯t even close the gap. Chu Yue fought alone and even won. How exactly did he do it?! In actual fact, this was what everyone present was curious about. During this period of time, Chu Yue¡¯s name had spread far and wide in the God Residence Realm. Quite a few of the rumors were guesses about his talent and skills. The one thing they could confirm was that Chu Yue was indeed a genius, and he seemed to be talented as a Xuan Master and a heavenly doctor. But a genius was a genius, and it didn¡¯t mean that he was a strong warrior! That battle was impossible to imagine! Upon hearing this, the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, and she smiled. Her eyes also curved up, and they were like stars. Her appearance¡ªwhich could initially only be considered decent¡ªbecame charming with this smile. She said very seriously and sincerely, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ I have a trump card!¡± Chapter 1459 - Courting Death The crowd was confused. What kind of answer is this?! They had seen arrogant people, but not to this extent! Yao Bin couldn¡¯t help but laugh and was rather nonchalant. ¡°Trump card? May I know what kind of trump card can allow a stage-eight warrior to defeat a demigod?¡± Ever since ancient times, such incidents have been very rare! This Chu Yue actually gave such an answer. Nobody knows what he is thinking. Even if he has a trump card¡­ When the other party is extremely strong, the weak ones won¡¯t even have a chance to retaliate, let alone win! Chu Liuyue crossed her arms, held her chin with one hand, and looked like she was in a difficult spot. Trump card¡­ Back then, I whipped out the Chi Xiao Sword and directly killed the other party. If I say it out loud, the crowd can definitely guess that I have a supreme Yuan instrument! At that time, I would attract another series of troubles again¡­ But if I don¡¯t say it, it¡¯s clear that I won¡¯t be able to solve the current situation. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hesitant look was undoubtedly guilty in the crowd¡¯s eyes. ¡°What trump card! I think he just randomly made up an excuse!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A stage-eight warrior fighting a demigod¡ªisn¡¯t this courting death? It¡¯s already very hard to be able to escape alive. He actually said that he won¡­ He really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him!¡± ¡°I think that either this wooden plaque has an amiss background, or¡­ he used extraordinary methods!¡± ¡°Actually, nobody saw that person from Black Demon Hole. Who knows if they really fought, or¡­¡± All sorts of discussions entered their ears. Zhuo Sheng was anxious when he heard this, and he couldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°What we said just now was all true! When Chu Yue came back that day, he was even injured¡ª¡± ¡°Being injured doesn¡¯t represent anything!¡± Yao Bin glanced at Zhuo Sheng coldly. A tremendous suppression instantly suffocated the latter, causing him to be unable to talk! Zhuo Sheng¡¯s face rapidly flushed red! ¡°Yao Bin!¡± Elder Bo Yan suddenly hollered! Invisible force flew out! Thump! A tiny impact sound was heard again! Zhuo Sheng instantly felt the suppressive force on his body suddenly disappear! He finally could relax, and he breathed heavily. However, his heart kept beating wildly, and he couldn¡¯t appease it for a long time. He knew that as long as the other party wanted, his life would be taken at any time! If it weren¡¯t for Elder Bo Yan intervening¡ª ¡°Yao Bin, don¡¯t be too outrageous!¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s face seemed to be covered in a layer of frost, and the coldness was oppressive. Zhuo Sheng is just standing here as a witness. What right does Yao Bin have to take action? The people from Ling Xiao Academy are still watching here! Yao Bin also felt that he had lost his composure. He knitted his brows, and his voice became much more polite and gentler. ¡°I just feel that he¡¯s a little noisy. After all, I was asking Chu Yue.¡± ¡°I know that Purple Light Prefecture and Black Demon Hole can¡¯t stand each other and that it¡¯s normal for you to lose your composure, Lord Yao. However, all of us are gathered here today to solve problems, not create them. Lord Yao, do watch yourself in the future.¡± Ling Xiao Academy and Purple Light Prefecture had no grudges against each other, and Yao Bin didn¡¯t have many problems as a person. Since the other party had lowered his attitude, Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t plan on being too pressurizing. It was enough if he just warned him slightly. Elder Bo Yan raised his chin toward Luo Yanming and Zhuo Sheng. ¡°Both of you, come back.¡± The duo looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue knew that they were worried for her, and her heart felt slightly warm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± The two people then left. ¡°Lord Yao.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Yao Bin. ¡°If we continue debating on this, I believe everyone won¡¯t completely trust in what I say no matter how much I say. Why don¡¯t we change to another method and settle this as soon as possible?¡± Yao Bin knitted his brows slightly. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and she surveyed her surroundings. ¡°Everyone should be thinking the same thing as Lord Yao, and you think that I¡¯m just making things up. Since this is so¡­ why don¡¯t we have a match?¡± ¡°Every person here is a famous strong warrior in the God Residence Realm. Why don¡¯t we all choose a demigod to fight against me!? We¡¯ll see if I, Chu Yue, can win this match!¡± After a temporary silence, the entire venue broke into an uproar! Does this Chu Yue know what he¡¯s saying?! He¡¯s fighting a demigod in public?! Isn¡¯t this causing trouble for himself?! Chu Liuyue had long expected their reactions, so she didn¡¯t mind this either. She raised her chin slightly and smiled with slightly deeper meaning. ¡°To reenact what happened that day, I will also lower my abilities to that of a peak stage-eight warrior.¡± In this way, even if these people wanted to pick out a flaw after the match, they couldn¡¯t! Yao Bin looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. Crazy! He¡¯s really crazy! If Chu Yue uses his current cultivation level to fight, he might not lose so miserably. Yet, he wants to restrict his cultivation level to that of a stage-eight warrior? He¡¯s tired of living! Elder Bo Yan was anxious and wanted to open his mouth to object to it. But before he could say anything, a low and melodious voice sounded by his ears. ¡°Elder, let her go first.¡± Elder Bo Yan turned his head strangely. ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡ª¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, and he revealed an extremely faint smile. ¡°Since he dares to say so, he must be well-prepared.¡± He understood her too well. She wasn¡¯t someone who liked to be taken advantage of. If someone stepped over her head, how could she just let it slide? Even if the other party wanted to let it go now, she wouldn¡¯t agree to it. Hearing him say this, Elder Bo Yan felt more secure. After some thinking, he could only nod. Oh well! If Chu Yue really can¡¯t win against the other party, it won¡¯t be too late for me to take action! Anyway, he¡¯s from our Ling Xiao Academy, so nobody can bully him! Chu Liuyue had already taken the initiative to say this. How could the others disagree? ¡°Great! I like your courage!¡± Yao Bin took a deep breath in. An average person wouldn¡¯t have such courage! I don¡¯t know if Chu Yue is just a youth that knows no fear, or¡­ whether he really has an ace in the hole! Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you for the compliment. Then, who do you want to send up here?¡± The crowd surveyed the surroundings. There were quite a few true gods here but not many demigods. A slightly hoarse voice suddenly sounded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°¡­Xiao Liu, you¡ª¡± Baili Chun turned around strangely. Her body hasn¡¯t completely recovered yet! However, Jiang Zhiyuan was very determined. There aren¡¯t many chances to beat Chu Yue up in public! Chu Liuyue looked at the young man that stood up and squinted her eyes dangerously. After a moment, she smiled brightly. ¡°Okay! I welcome you!¡± Chapter 1460 - Bullying The crowd looked over in unison and shot Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho had disguised herself meticulously¡ªall sorts of gazes. On the surface, he looked like an ordinary young man, and his aura was indeed that of a demigod. Originally, everyone was still rather hesitant about this candidate choice. Now that they saw someone stand up, they didn¡¯t have to worry about it. Besides, Baili Chun brought this person over, so they had to give him some face to a certain extent. To some people, perhaps Baili Chun wanted to support the young man he had his eyes on. After all, if he could perform well in front of so many mighty figures in the God Residence Realm, it would definitely boost his reputation! Nobody objected to it, so this matter was naturally completed. Jiang Zhiyuan took a deep breath in and walked forward. When she passed by Baili Chun, Baili Chun didn¡¯t forget to remind softly, ¡°Xiao Liu, be¡­ careful.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Clan Leader.¡± As she spoke, she continued walking forward and reached a spot on the square, where she stared into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Yao Bin glanced at the duo. I don¡¯t know the person called Xiao Liu, but since Baili Chun thinks highly of him, he must be rather capable. An idea popped up in his mind, and he said, ¡°This competition is important. I hope you two can do your best and not have any reservations. As long as you don¡¯t harm the other party¡¯s life¡­ you can do anything!¡± Quite a few people were stunned! They all understood that this would be a fierce battle! Baili Chun stared at the square, and there was no expression on his old face. Only his pair of slightly murky yet very intelligent eyes revealed that he wasn¡¯t as nonchalant as he seemed. In actual fact, he had his own plans for agreeing to Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s request. Jiang Zhiyuan was previously expelled by Ling Xiao Academy, and her reputation was tarnished. In the God Residence Realm, she couldn¡¯t even lift her head up again. If she could win this match beautifully, the people present would definitely have another impression of her. At that time, he could naturally reveal her identity as Jiang Zhiyuan. By that time, Elder Bo Yan and the rest would realize it was a pity to give Jiang Zhiyuan up and that it was a grave mistake to fully support Chu Yue! Baili Chun had a very sound plan, so he directly ignored the fact that Jiang Zhiyuan was going against a stage-eight warrior with her demigod cultivation level in this battle. This was originally an unfair competition. Jiang Zhiyuan should win, and it would be normal for her to win! If she lost, she would really lose everything! ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at the young man before her and raised her brows slightly. ¡°Brother, may I know your name?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan lightly said, ¡°I¡¯m just here to fight against you. You don¡¯t have to know my name.¡± Her identity was originally fake. It was fine if they said a vague name, but the more detailed it was, the easier it was for other people to figure out who she was. Rong Xiu was still here. If he wanted to check, she didn¡¯t feel that she could hide from it. Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders and smiled slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I just feel that¡­ you look rather similar to someone I know.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and annoyance appeared on her face. ¡°Time is tight. Let¡¯s quickly end this!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and acknowledged it. ¡°Okay.¡± Before Chu Liuyue could finish, Jiang Zhiyuan had already taken action on the other end! Her feet crossed each other, and her kneecaps sank slightly as she gathered the force around her body! Her aura was ferocious! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. This aura¡­ It is rather different from what I expected. Every cultivator has a special aura. Once they take action, those familiar with the aura would directly be able to guess the person¡¯s identity. Originally, I thought¡ª Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression, Jiang Zhiyuan sneered in her heart. Since I decided to come, I naturally have to make full preparations. Before she came, Baili Chun had already used a Yuan instrument to hide and change her aura. Even if she circulated her force and took action, she needn¡¯t worry that others would detect anything. Besides, with the Yuan instrument helping her, her combat skills were much stronger than before. Anyway, I¡¯m bound to win today¡¯s match! The emerald-green force surged out of her palm and rapidly formed a gigantic wheel in front of her body. Jiang Zhiyuan then flicked her other finger, and a bright pearl flew out! Thump! A crisp sound was heard. The white pearl¡ªthe size of a dragon eye¡ªcoincidentally bumped into the middle of the emerald-green wheel. The sound of the objects hitting each other was very crisp. The next moment, that pearl seemed to be ink that landed in water as it rapidly spread across. Very quickly, that ball of bright light rapidly expanded, almost taking over half of that emerald wheel and forming a small wheel. The emerald green and the bright white intertwined in a shining manner. The suppression was formidable! When the crowd saw this, they were slightly shocked. ¡°Two holy forces?! This Xiao Liu has such terrifying capabilities?¡± ¡°No way! A cultivator can only have one holy force in their body. Didn¡¯t you see that he took out a pearl and threw it out just now? That bright white force should¡¯ve long been hidden inside, right? As long as it¡¯s activated, the holy force can be used on its own!¡± ¡°It¡¯s very convenient to use this pearl, but the production process is very complicated and messy. Many people might not even be able to produce a holy pearl of their own even if they break through to become a legendary warrior. I wonder how this Xiao Liu got it¡­¡± ¡°Are you stupid!? Baili Chun thinks so highly of him. What does this pearl count for?¡± ¡°Hey, now that you¡¯ve said it, Baili Chun¡¯s force seems to be bright white, right? Could this holy pearl be¡ª¡± This was naturally Baili Chun¡¯s holy pearl. This time, he thought long and hard and felt that bringing Jiang Zhiyuan over was very unsafe. Just in case, he gave Jiang Zhiyuan quite a few things to defend herself. In comparison, such a pearl wasn¡¯t worth a mention. However, other people already felt that this was outrageous. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair!¡± Low discussions could be heard from the crowd. ¡°What standard does Baili Chun have? The holy pearl he produced with his own force is much stronger than ordinary legendary warriors! That Xiao Liu took out this kind of thing at the very start. Isn¡¯t he bullying Chu Yue?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This is already a fight between a demigod and a stage-eight warrior. Now, he even used external forces¡­ Hah, is he afraid he can¡¯t win?¡± ¡°Actually, this isn¡¯t as severe as what you mentioned, right¡­ This is a match on its own, and nobody said they couldn¡¯t do this, right?¡± ¡°That is true, but I want my face! Fighting with a stage-eight warrior using his demigod cultivation level isn¡¯t enough, and he even wants more advantages¡­ Hah.¡± Even though the crowd present was here to cause trouble for Chu Liuyue, they all had distinguished statuses. People who were high and mighty wanted their face the most. When they worked together to interrogate a teen, it could be seen as them finding out the truth. But the match in front of their eyes? Wasn¡¯t this bullying? Bits and pieces of conversations entered Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s ears, causing her to feel very irritated. She made up her mind and urged the force in her body at a higher speed! ¡°Green Sky Hot Sun Wheels!¡± Chapter 1461 - Extremely Domineering Chi Xiao Sword! Suddenly, the wheel with green and white colors overlapping each other turned slowly in the opposite direction. In the middle where the pieces connected, a clicking sound was heard. Upon closer hearing, it sounded like the teeth of the wheels closing together. The wheels were joined together in a very intricate manner. As the wheels turned and intertwined, a shocking suppression was formed! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started rapidly gathering on this side! With one at the front and another at the back, it actually formed two energy vortices. ¡°Hiss¡­ It¡¯s rather rare to be able to merge two holy forces in such a perfect manner¡­ It seems like this young man isn¡¯t completely useless¡­¡± ¡°Someone that Baili Chun has his eyes on is indeed extraordinary¡­ However, there still seems to be a gap between the two forces, so it can¡¯t be considered that they¡¯ve merged perfectly.¡± ¡°I think so too. This person looks like he¡¯s in his twenties. If he¡¯s a demigod¡­ he isn¡¯t super talented. Chu Yue opposite him is only 17, right? He¡¯s already a stage-nine warrior¡­¡± ¡°However, isn¡¯t it obvious who will win in this match?¡± This was a match that had nothing to do with their talent but their current combat skills! There seemed to be a ball of fire in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart that kept surging up, and it seemed as if it would explode from her chest in the next moment! I¡¯ve heard enough of such words! So what if he¡¯s more talented? Before he becomes a true warrior, he¡¯s still trash! Today, I will take revenge for the new and old grudges together! ¡°Go!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan hollered! That gigantic wheel immediately started pressing toward Chu Liuyue! It didn¡¯t travel at a fast speed, but it was very normal and stable. It seemed like it was overly leisurely, but wherever the wheel went past, space collapsed as large black holes appeared! It showed how formidable this strength was! Before it reached her, the winds howled crazily! Chu Liuyue¡¯s clothes flew with the wind, and her hair danced around! She squinted her eyes slightly. The closer I am, the more I can feel the shocking strength between the overlapping wheels. Once I¡¯m dragged into it, even my corpse won¡¯t be left behind! However, this is a competition where we have to determine a winner, so why did he execute such a killer move from the very start? The young man that Baili Chun specifically brought over seems to have deep enmity and even murderous intent toward me! Whoosh! Chu Liuyue flicked her wrist, and a bright ray of blue and golden light flashed across! The crowd felt that their vision went blurry as they saw an extra sword in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. That blue-golden light was from the sword sheath. Chu Liuyue held the sword sheath with one hand as she raised her other hand and slowly clutched the thin, ice-cold sword hilt. The surrounding force was urgent like a water current as the feather at the end shook slightly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression slowly darkened, and she held her breath in. Her black, gem-like eyes¡ªwhich seemed as deep as deep water in the sapphire lake¡ªseemed to glow with a cold gleam. Vague murderous intent silently stirred in the dark night. Unknowingly, it wrapped the surroundings! There seemed to be an invisible barrier around her that separated her from the outside world. It was as if no matter what happened outside, she wouldn¡¯t be affected at all. At this point, she still seemed calm and composed! A few people secretly exchanged glances. This Chu Yue doesn¡¯t seem that simple¡­ Meeting that pair of ice-cold eyes, Jiang Zhiyuan instantly felt chills run down her spine! Indescribable terror rose from the bottom of her heart! She clenched her teeth and tried hard to calm down as she suppressed her wildly beating heart. What should I be scared of!? How strong can a stage-eight warrior be?! I¡¯m currently two whole levels higher than the other party! He¡¯s just putting up a front! Thinking like this, Jiang Zhiyuan felt much more at ease. Shing! Chu Liuyue unsheathed her sword! A water-colored ray of light cut through the sky! ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Those with sharp eyes had a change in expression as they immediately sat up straight! They stared at that sword closely. Everyone present was a strong warrior, so what good thing had they not seen before? Their eyes were all very sharp. The moment Chu Liuyue whipped out the Chi Xiao Sword, someone immediately felt that it was amiss. ¡°This is that legendary weapon that Golden Wings Sect and Ling Xiao Academy were fighting for in Ancient Feather Abyss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one! At the Flood-Desert Northern Region previously, Chu Yue also used this sword to slash open the mysterious space¡¯s door! But¡­ the aura of the sword didn¡¯t seem to be so shocking back then!¡± ¡°However, it is indeed the same sword! And didn¡¯t Jin Di previously suspect that it¡¯s actually a¡ª¡± Supreme Yuan instrument! Such aura, such suppression¡­ How can a royal weapon have it?! Even though everyone had heard of this news before, not many people took it to heart. That was because a supreme Yuan instrument hadn¡¯t appeared in the God Residence Realm for way too long. Additionally, they all knew of the background behind this Yuan instrument. In the beginning, the Golden Wings Sect and Ling Xiao Academy fought for it. In the end, something happened, and Jin Lei died. Meanwhile, Chu Yue became the owner of the Yuan instrument due to a freak combination of factors. If it were truly a supreme Yuan instrument, could Ling Xiao Academy actually bear to give it away?! However, they didn¡¯t expect that Ling Xiao Academy was actually willing to do so! With Rong Xiu and the rest putting in a good word, the elders also didn¡¯t really pursue the matter with Chu Liuyue! Hence, she took away a supreme Yuan instrument just like that! Ling Xiao Academy was still not the same as these aristocratic families. Hence, when the crowd saw Chu Liuyue holding the Chi Xiao Sword, they finally realized it and were taken aback. ¡°I said it long ago!¡± Jin Di stared at the Chi Xiao Sword tightly, and his eyes were bloodshot. Although Chu Liuyue had used the Chi Xiao Sword in public before, she just held it casually and didn¡¯t showcase its true power. Additionally, everybody¡¯s attention was elsewhere at the time, so they didn¡¯t really take it seriously. It was only when Chu Liuyue planned on officially taking action that they realized they had made such a huge mistake! However, it was too late to regret it now! They couldn¡¯t publicly snatch the items of Ling Xiao Academy students in their territory, right? However, there were still some people who had active minds. Jiang Zhiyuan also saw it and couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. Baili Chun did give her decent items, and she was very satisfied at the start. However, how could they compare to a supreme Yuan instrument? This Chu Yue has an unknown background and is very arrogant. He is indeed very annoying! I don¡¯t even know what the academy and Rong Xiu see in him. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue threw up her sword sheath. In mid-air, it drew a bright light. The next moment, Chu Liuyue held the sword with both hands and went on her tiptoes! Her figure instantly flew out¡ªshe looked very fit! She jumped up into the air and raised the sword above her head! Huahua¡ª The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force suddenly gathered toward the Chi Xiao Sword crazily! Instantly, heaven and earth lost their color! The entire ground shook! Even the force that was surging toward the Green Sky Hot Sun Wheels was suddenly stopped by the invisible suppression. The force suddenly changed direction and went toward the Chi Xiao Sword at a faster speed! ¡°What?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat! How could the supreme Yuan instrument be so domineering!? 1 Chapter 1462 - See Clearly! But before Jiang Zhiyuan could digest her shock, she saw an even more frightening scene! After forcefully stealing the Heaven and Earth Force from the Green Sky Hot Sun Wheels, the Chi Xiao Sword actually started shaking the force in the wheel! The two wheels¡ªwhich had originally turned and merged perfectly¡ªactually started shaking after meeting the terrifying suppression! Ka¡ª Kada! A section in the middle of the green-white wheel suddenly broke off and let out an ear-piercing sound! The two forces instantly had a difference, and they started attacking each other! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat! The horror buried in the depths of her heart finally rose again at this moment, easily drowning her! How could this be¡­ How is this possible? Before we officially started fighting, the other party just whipped out a sword! Yet, he actually stopped my attack directly! This was a trump card she had learned seriously from Baili Chun. Other than the two of them, nobody else knew about this. On the one hand, she didn¡¯t want to expose her identity. On the other hand, she also wanted to settle Chu Yue directly, so she chose to do this. Who knew¡ª Whoosh! An idea popped up in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind as she rapidly took out the second holy pearl and flung it out! Thump! The holy pearl entered the middle! Terrifying force started spreading out! In the blink of an eye, the bright-white holy force rapidly spread and enveloped the Green Sky Hot Sun Wheels! White was still white, and the green became white. The two wheels¡ªwhich were about to fall into chaos¡ªwere finally controlled. The green holy force was absorbed, and it completely formed one body with the small white wheel. Its aura seemed to be better than before! It started going toward Chu Liuyue! However, quite a few people knitted their brows and continuously shook their heads when they saw this scene. ¡°The balance between the two holy forces was broken by Chu Yue, and Xiao Liu can¡¯t salvage it at all. He could only add another holy pearl and completely cover that green holy force to forcefully control it. But in that case¡­ Won¡¯t it be him not putting in any effort and just flinging out two holy pearls that belong to someone else to handle this competition?¡± ¡°Baili Chun is really nice to him. He could actually take out two pearls casually. I think that Xiao Liu might even be able to take out a few more to support himself later on!¡± ¡°Haha! If this is so, why don¡¯t we directly let Baili Chun fight with Chu Yue? Won¡¯t that be more direct and convenient!?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions, and they were filled with all sorts of mockery and ridicule. They were willing to give Baili Chun face, but it didn¡¯t mean that they were actually afraid of him. See how this competition has turned out! What a joke! ¡°Xiao Liu represents us in this fight; he¡¯s really humiliating in such a manner! If I knew of this earlier, we should¡¯ve sent someone else to go up!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it late to talk about this now? I just hope that he won¡¯t lose after using so many methods! That¡¯s really¡ª¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be sure. Chu Yue hasn¡¯t officially taken action yet!¡± Upon seeing this scene, Baili Chun was also anxious. How would he think that Chu Yue actually had a supreme Yuan instrument? But logically speaking, a mere stage-eight warrior wouldn¡¯t even have the strength to lift a supreme Yuan instrument, so how could one even unleash such suppression and force?! Regardless of the conflicts outside, Chu Liuyue breathed in and focused. Everything happened in one moment. The Chi Xiao Sword absorbed the Heaven and Earth Force very efficiently. Normally, she could wield the sword and take action in the blink of an eye, but she purposely slowed her actions down today. The bright and piercing gigantic wheel was already in front of Chu Liuyue¡ªit was only a few steps away from her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned harsh! The force in her limbs and bones seemed to be summoned and rushed out in unison! Then, she swiftly swung her sword! ¡°Chi Xiao Sword¡ªBreak!¡± Whoosh! The longsword landed! Crack! A soft yet crisp sound suddenly came from the wheel. The smile on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s lips suddenly stiffened as she stared at the tidy crack that appeared in the middle of the wheel in horror! The next moment, the wheel broke! The force dissipated toward the surroundings! Rumble! With this frightening explosion, the wheel¡ªwhich was originally tremendous¡ªinstantly turned into countless sparks and was hurled toward the surroundings! Jiang Zhiyuan was the first to be hit! Her body flew back instantly! Thump! She fell to the ground harshly and traveled quite a distance! A long bloody mark was drawn on the ground. Her back hurt with sharp pain, and her organs seemed to be crushed by something! Shoo! Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! Her wounds hadn¡¯t recovered in the first place. Now that she was even more injured, she was miserable and almost fainted. Baili Chun suddenly stood up! He whipped his sleeves and was about to take action! But at this moment, Rong Xiu suddenly looked over. A hint of a smile appeared on his demonically handsome face, yet his eyes were as deep as the sea and as sharp as a blade! ¡°Clan Leader, you seem to be¡­ very concerned about this person? This competition hasn¡¯t ended yet. It¡¯d be too inappropriate if you take action, right?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Baili Chun was stumped! He was about to explode from anger, but he clenched his teeth tightly and finally sat back down again! ¡°I know!¡± Dead silence. ¡°Lord Yao!¡± Suddenly, Chu Liuyue tilted her head and glanced at Yao Bin at the side. Yao Bin instinctively looked over, and his face still had shock that hadn¡¯t subsided. Clearly, the skills Chu Liuyue showcased had long exceeded his expectations. ¡°Did you see what happened just now?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°This is how I won that day!¡± Following this, she surveyed her surroundings, and her tone was still nonchalant. She smiled harmoniously. ¡°Everyone, if you didn¡¯t see it clearly, I can demonstrate again.¡± Chapter 1463 - You Did Great Demonstrate again? Even if he had the strength to wield the sword, Xiao Liu might not have the life to endure the second sword! ¡°Chu Yue, don¡¯t be such a bully!¡± Before Yao Bin could say anything, Baili Chun scolded her first! Chu Liuyue turned around and blinked when she saw Baili Chun with a grave and angry expression. ¡°Clan Leader Baili, I was just explaining to everyone. How am I being a bully?¡± Suddenly, she revealed a look of realization. ¡°Oh¡­ Are you talking about me injuring this person? But¡­ We were originally competing, and we have to see who is the winner, right? Besides¡­ we just exchanged one move.¡± She looked innocent with some hints of confusion and helplessness. ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± A low chuckle came from the silent crowd, but it was quickly suppressed. However, this laughter seemed to flick some switch. The originally quiet and solemn atmosphere became peculiar, and quite a few people couldn¡¯t help but laugh. They also exchanged secret glances. One move! Isn¡¯t it exactly one move!? From start to end, Chu Yue just slashed one time! He didn¡¯t even do anything else! At the end of the day, it¡¯s just Xiao Liu who is useless! He couldn¡¯t win after relying on Baili Chun¡¯s two holy pearls and was even beaten up in a tragic manner! Not only did Baili Chun find it humiliating, but he even has the cheek to rage here? What a hilarious matter! Originally, everyone thought that the person he brought over definitely had outstanding talent. Now, it seemed like he was clearly a bumpkin that couldn¡¯t survive in important scenes! I really don¡¯t know what Baili Chun is thinking. The crowd didn¡¯t speak, and the venue was very silent. However, everyone¡¯s thoughts were mostly expressed on their faces. How could Baili Chun not see it? At his age, he wouldn¡¯t be unable to see everyone¡¯s mockery and ridicule, and he could definitely feel it! Those people looked at Jiang Zhiyuan on the ground, then at Baili Chun with deep, meaningful gazes. Baili Chun felt as if he were sitting on needles! His face flushed red, and his throat tightened. He didn¡¯t know how to react in such a short time! It was a competition! It was a fight, and it was an extremely crucial one! He couldn¡¯t tell the other party not to take action! Blood surged in Baili Chun¡¯s body as his heart beat rapidly and his temples thumped. He was about to explode out of anger. He glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan in anger and heartache. ¡°Quickly get up!¡± If it weren¡¯t for so many people watching, he would¡¯ve personally gone up to help her up. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s words made him alert, and he didn¡¯t dare to be too outrageous. Jiang Zhiyuan felt aggrieved as well! She didn¡¯t know how terrifying Chu Yue was! Once that supreme Yuan instrument came out, it was an ace out of all the trump cards. How could they talk about losing or winning? In front of so many people, she lost to the other party¡ªwho was a stage-eight warrior¡ªwith her demigod cultivation level. It made her feel even worse than being killed! The extent of her pride and delight at the beginning was equal to how frustrated she was now! She struggled to get up. Tugging at her wounds, it was so painful that her vision turned into patches of black. Seeing the puddles of blood on the ground, she was taken aback and hated that young man before her even more. This Chu Yue¡­ Did he purposely come to jinx me? But at this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly took a step forward. Jiang Zhiyuan was frightened and instinctively took a few steps back. When she didn¡¯t notice, she fell to the ground again. More blood seeped out of her wounds in a messy manner, causing her to look very disheveled. ¡°You! What else do you want?!¡± As she was nervous and scared, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s voice became shrill and loud. Chu Liuyue glanced at her strangely. ¡°I just wanted to ask if you were going to surrender. Why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°I¡­¡±Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression flashed white and red, and she felt that she was utterly humiliated! Baili Chun had also averted his gaze. It couldn¡¯t hurt him if he didn¡¯t know! He hated to see Jiang Zhiyuan being such a useless coward! In the past, Jiang Zhiyuan was confident, magnanimous, and likable. Why did she suddenly become like this? There are so many top elites of the God Residence Realm present, and each of them has quite a high status. After seeing this, they will definitely mock me behind my back! There is also the Sky-Cloud Empire! Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Rong Xiu. However, he saw that man leaning against the chair in a leisurely and relaxed manner. His thin lips curled up slightly as if he were smiling. Smiling? At this point, Rong Xiu can actually smile? Does he not feel that this has damaged the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s reputation?! ¡°Your Grace, say something!¡± Baili Chun couldn¡¯t hold back and spoke with knitted brows. Rong Xiu tilted his head and looked over. His expression was gentle, yet his gaze was cold and harsh as he said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Clan Leader, what else do you want me to say?¡± What should he say? Of course, it¡¯s to help Jiang Zhiyuan put in a good word! Baili Chun was furious. Rong Xiu clearly did it on purpose! ¡°Of course, i-it¡¯s related to this competition!¡± Baili Chun held it in and reminded him. As long as Rong Xiu speaks, it represents the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s stance. I believe that Chu Yue won¡¯t be too out of line! As if understanding his hint, Rong Xiu revealed a look of realization. His gaze turned, and he looked to the arena. ¡°Chu Yue¡ª¡± He spoke lazily, and his voice was low yet magnetic as he silently charmed everyone. The crowd instantly pricked their ears up. Following this, they heard Rong Xiu say with a faint smile, ¡°You did great.¡± 1 ¡­ Dead silence. Baili Chun¡¯s expression instantly collapsed. Jiang Zhiyuan felt as if she were struck by lightning, and her entire person was going to go crazy. Originally, I thought that Rong Xiu would put in a good word for us, b-but¡ª He actually spoke to praise Chu Yue?! ¡°Your Grace!¡± Baili Chun tried his best to suppress his anger, but his eyes seemed to burn with two balls of fire. ¡°Xiao Liu is my Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s person. You¡ª¡± ¡°Clan Leader, you just came out of seclusion, and I¡¯m afraid there are many things you might not know yet.¡± Rong Xiu interrupted him and slowly said with a faint smile, ¡°From start to end, I¡¯ve been standing on Junior Brother Chu Yue¡¯s side like the academy. Now that he has won and even proved his capabilities and innocence, am I¡­ not supposed to praise him?¡± Baili Chun was suddenly stumped. I know that. Of course, I know that. Jiang Zhiyuan had previously told him that Rong Xiu took great care of Chu Yue! After listening to this, he naturally had a bad impression of Chu Yue. He came here this time with the intent of reducing the other party¡¯s suppression. He was filled with thoughts of how to avenge Jiang Zhiyuan and basically forgot about this! It was only now that he realized Rong Xiu had drawn a line between them from the beginning. They were the ones humiliated. What did it have to do with him? Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved up. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Then, she looked at Jiang Zhiyuan and raised her brows slightly. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t want to surrender?¡± As she spoke, she took another step forward. This foot seemed to harshly step on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart. Her breathing stopped, and she yelled almost instinctively, ¡°I surrender!¡± Chapter 1464 - Fight Again! As she was nervous and scared, she yelled this in a hurried and quick manner, even tearing her throat. It seemed like a hurried cry for help¡ªit sounded like someone was strangling her neck. Quite a few people chuckled and had faces filled with mockery. Just this? He really can¡¯t be presented. It seems like Baili Chun is really old and silly. Besides, Rong Xiu¡¯s previous words have deep meaning. Clearly, the two people with the highest status in the Sky-Cloud Empire have a large difference. It isn¡¯t even an exaggeration to say that they are on completely opposite sides! They just haven¡¯t torn at each other¡¯s throat yet. But perhaps that day won¡¯t be too far off¡­ Chu Liuyue nodded in satisfaction and glanced at Yao Bin. ¡°Lord Yao, may I know if you¡¯re satisfied with this competition?¡± Yao Bin stared at the scene before him with a complicated gaze. In a short period of time, the situation changed completely. Originally, he thought Chu Yue said that to give an excuse for himself to get out of the situation, and it was even very ridiculous and outrageous. However¡ª Piak piak! His face was slapped. Meeting that pair of dark and glowing eyes, he felt that his face was fiery. However, he had no choice. Before the results came out, who would believe that Chu Yue would win? But not only did he win, he even won it beautifully! ¡°You¡­¡± Yao Bin clenched his fists and loosened them again. In the end, he could only sigh. ¡°I believe your previous explanation, and I¡¯m willing to uphold my promise. From today onward, I won¡¯t suspect that you have any strange relationship with Black Demon Hole!¡± Yao Bin spent quite some time accepting reality, but he did it swiftly and sharply. Then, he took a step forward and cupped his fists toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Previously, I had many misunderstandings toward you. I¡¯ll apologize to you now.¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Lord Yao, you¡¯re too kind. I know that you did it to investigate the truth. Coincidentally, I also took this chance to prove my innocence, so it can be considered a good thing. You don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡± Previously, Yao Bin kept forcing her because he was certain that Chu Liuyue had something to do with Black Demon Hole. Purple Light Prefecture and Black Demon Hole had deep grudges, so it was normal for him to have such a reaction. The rare thing was that he apologized in public after knowing his mistake. He had completely put down his stance and was rather honest about it. Chu Liuyue had a good impression of him. If I have to deal with Black Demon Hole in the future, I might be able to have an alliance with them¡­ Of course, this is all in the future. This thought just flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind and was quickly suppressed by her. She raised her head slightly and flicked her wrist! Shing! The longsword was sheathed! A bright light flashed across, and the Chi Xiao Sword returned to her hands. Quite a few gazes from the surroundings landed on the Chi Xiao Sword. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, and she snorted in her heart. I whipped out the Chi Xiao Sword today, and this will definitely bring about some trouble. These people are temporarily controlling themselves now because they are giving the academy face. However, it might not be the case in the future. ¡°She¡¯s just relying on the supreme Yuan instrument¡¯s power¡­¡± A low voice that was clearly suppressing something sounded. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan, who had just turned around and was about to leave. She took a step out and blocked the other party¡¯s path. ¡°Hold on.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Chu Liuyue, and panic flashed across her eyes. ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± ¡°I should be asking you that.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°You know the logic of admitting defeat, right? I¡¯m still here. What do you mean by the thing you just said?¡± The crowd looked over again. Jiang Zhiyuan was extremely nervous. The terrifying experience when they exchanged blows had left too big an impact on her. She almost had no courage to go against Chu Liuyue again, but she was still indignant. Avoiding Chu Liuyue¡¯s oppressive gaze, Jiang Zhiyuan lowered her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not very satisfied with the results of the competition?¡± Facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s interrogation, Jiang Zhiyuan collapsed slightly. She had lost and was originally in a bad mood. Everyone was praising Chu Yue and defaming her as if they were worlds apart. However¡­ that isn¡¯t the case! If I had a supreme Yuan instrument as well, how would I lose? Hence, Jiang Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment and still chose to admit it. ¡°I-I was just speaking the truth!¡± She gritted her teeth. ¡°If you don¡¯t use that supreme Yuan instrument, it¡¯s unknown who will win or lose between us!¡± The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Everyone could hear the teasing and challenge in the tone. Baili Chun opened his mouth and wanted to stop her. However, an idea popped up in his mind, and he swallowed those words again. In actual fact, he thought so as well. He could tell that Chu Yue was stronger than the average cultivator of the same level, but he wasn¡¯t so heaven-defying. The key was still that supreme Yuan instrument! Chu Liuyue looked at Jiang Zhiyuan calmly and suddenly curled her lips up into a smile. ¡°Since you want it so much¡­ shall we compete again?¡± Once she said that, the crowd was stunned! Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly looked up at her in disbelief. ¡°W-what did you say?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not convinced, then I¡¯ll change to another method and fight until you are!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, but her words were sharp, and every blade pierced Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart! Coincidentally, it was her nonchalant attitude that caused Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s blood to boil. The other party has a supreme Yuan instrument, so I can¡¯t beat him. But if we exchange blows normally, how could I not win? ¡°But if this is so, I won¡¯t restrict my cultivation level any longer,¡± added Chu Liuyue. Stage-nine warrior? Jiang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t care! As if she was afraid that Chu Liuyue would go back on her words, she immediately said, ¡°Okay! That¡¯s a deal!¡± Chapter 1465 - : Give Her a Good Spin With this situation, the duo set up a new match in a few words. Nobody stopped them. Some wanted to see if Chu Yue really had the skills to beat a demigod without a supreme Yuan instrument. Others wanted to test Chu Yue¡¯s true combat skills from this. And there were also people who purely wanted to watch a scene, and they weren¡¯t afraid of the commotion. Probably only Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s people were a little worried. ¡°This kid¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan originally wanted to stop them, but before he could say anything, those two people had already set it up! And Chu Yue was the one who brought this up himself. If he objected to it, it seemed like they were guilty. ¡°Bo Yan, don¡¯t worry. That kid won¡¯t lose so easily,¡± said Elder Hua Feng softly as he leaned in. Elder Bo Yan turned around and glanced at Hua Feng. Why is he so sure? There is a huge difference between a stage-nine warrior and a demigod! However, Elder Hua Feng chuckled, stroked his chin, and looked at the match. Others don¡¯t know, but I know it clearly. That kid has many trump cards. Even if he doesn¡¯t use the Chi Xiao Sword, he can use other trump cards. It¡¯s a pity that Xiao Liu¡ªwho is covered in wounds¡ªstill thinks he can salvage the situation. Baili Chun is the same. If he had any rationality left, he wouldn¡¯t agree to the second match. Shouldn¡¯t he realize that Chu Yue can¡¯t be compared to an ordinary person the moment he suppressed his cultivation level to that of a stage-eight warrior and still be able to wield the Chi Xiao Sword? Seeing Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression of anticipation, Elder Bo Yan found it rather weird but felt more secure as well. He turned around and planned to see how things would progress. ¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan took out a pill and swallowed it. A gush of warm and gentle force instantly spread to her limbs and bones. This made her feel much better. Dragging a body filled with injuries, her combat ability would definitely be reduced greatly. However, she wanted to win too badly! ¡°What did he eat just now? Why do I smell the Delusional Fragrance Pill?¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s nose twitched, and he knitted his brows slightly. This pill was very precious, and only supreme medical physicians could make it. Its use was also very special¡ªthis pill could cause a cultivator to temporarily forget about their injuries for a short period of time and unleash their greatest force! Sometimes, it could even allow a gravely injured person to showcase capabilities that were above their normal standards! However, the side effects of this Delusional Fragrance Pill were also very severe! That was because it was equivalent to exhausting the cultivator¡¯s strength and energy. After half an hour, the condition of the person who took the pill would rapidly deteriorate! If one wasn¡¯t treated in time, it would leave behind irreversible damage. Hence, one would normally only be willing to use such a thing when on the brink of life and death. This was just a match, yet Jiang Zhiyuan did this. One had to say that she was risking it all. ¡°That¡¯s indeed the Delusional Fragrance Pill,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. ¡°This is just a match, not life-and-death combat. What exactly is he trying to do?!¡± Elder Wan Zheng knitted his brows even tighter. My disciple has a good temper, but it doesn¡¯t mean he should be bullied! Rong Xiu looked at the match. Chu Liuyue¡¯s back was straight like a tree. After seeing Jiang Zhiyuan take the Delusional Fragrance Pill, she raised her brows slightly as if she found it weird. Rong Xiu looked down slightly and hid the smiling intent that flashed across his eyes. Her acting skills are so good. She was clearly waiting for the other party to do so, so why is she still acting shocked? It seems like¡­ she¡¯s determined to handle the other party! ¡­ Chu Liuyue indeed did it on purpose. It wasn¡¯t like she had nothing to do. Just to prove that she was stronger than the other party, she went for a second round and even willingly gave up on her supreme Yuan instrument to deal blows with the other party empty-handed? The other party was brainless, but it didn¡¯t mean that she was as well. She took a step back to make progress. This was simpler than ever. The other party wanted to beat her too badly. At such times, if there was any bit of hope of winning, the other party would clutch it tightly. Chu Liuyue thought to herself, Amitabha, I have always been kind, and I hate to see other people suffer. Seeing that the other party is going crazy and only wants to seek death, how can I bear to watch it? I should be kind and help him do it all the way! 1 ¡°Go ahead!¡± As if hearing the surrounding people talk about the Delusional Fragrance Pill, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly and looked rather nervous. Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her fists. Her wounds didn¡¯t hurt anymore, and force continuously surged throughout her body and gathered in her dantian! This force was rich, and the feeling of improvement in combat skills was one she hadn¡¯t felt in a while! Even though the Delusional Fragrance Pill had side effects, Jiang Zhiyuan felt certain that she could definitely settle the other party in half an hour! And¡­ she might only need one move! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s confidence was greatly boosted as if she had already imagined the scene of her winning. She was filled with agitation and excitement, almost unable to hide the expression on her face. She didn¡¯t want to hide it either. The next moment, she crossed her arms, and force gathered over! The aura around her was greatly boosted! In no time, someone gasped in shock from the crowd. ¡°Why is his aura still strengthening? Is he going to break through to become a true god?!¡± Right after this was said, light appeared on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s brows! A totem was clearly seen, and the suppression on her body officially broke through to become that of a true god at this moment! Relying on the Delusional Fragrance Pill¡¯s force, she temporarily elevated her cultivation level! Quite a few people¡¯s expressions changed, and they couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads when they looked at Chu Liuyue. Even though this behavior is very risky, it is very useful. A true god just needs to use one hand to crush a stage-nine warrior easily, right?! The pain of being shredded came from Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body¡ªit came from forcefully elevating her cultivation level. However, she didn¡¯t care. As long as she could win, what did this count for? ¡°Die!¡± She hurled a punch out simply and directly! At such times, strong force could crush everything! It was better than any showy moves! The shadow of the punch was heavy, and it went straight to Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue did not move. ¡°Why is Chu Yue not moving? Is she stunned?!¡± Quite a few people secretly knitted their brows. Even if he can¡¯t beat Xiao Liu, he should at least run! Why is he there in a daze?! But just as that terrifying force was about to crush and swallow Chu Liuyue, a clear scream reverberated throughout the area! Shoo! Red-golden light exploded from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and glowed! Following this, a gigantic figure appeared in front of Chu Liuyue! Its entire body was bright golden, and its suppression was shocking! ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix?!¡± Everyone was taken aback! Some couldn¡¯t even suppress their urge as they directly stood up! They looked at the ancient legendary fiend that suddenly appeared with their eyes open and mouths agape! W-why¡ª ¡°That¡¯s Chu Yue¡¯s legendary fiend?!¡± someone suddenly yelled at the top of their lungs hoarsely, and his voice trembled. Rumble! Tuan Zi flapped its wings, and the heavy punch shadow suddenly dissipated! Jiang Zhiyuan was also taken aback. Her entire body turned cold, and deep terror overwhelmed her heart! Red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ When did this happen?! ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Give this person a good spin.¡± Shoo! Tuan Zi rushed down and clutched Jiang Zhiyuan tightly! Then, it flew up! Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. Half an hour¡­ It will pass after spinning two rounds. Chapter 1466 - Strongly Protect Wife Tuan Zi¡¯s extremely sharp claws directly pierced through Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s skin and deeply clenched into her blood and muscles! The sharp pain instantly made Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face flush white! It hurts! The red-golden fire burned as if it were about to swallow her! Jiang Zhiyuan was stunned and frightened as she tried her best to struggle. However, her force was nothing in front of the red-gold heavenly phoenix. She did break through to become a true god, but the other party was an ancient legendary fiend! The two parties weren¡¯t even on the same standard. How could they fight? This was a total suppression! Jiang Zhiyuan endured the pain and glanced below. She shockingly realized that she was being brought away! W-where is this beast bringing me to!? If I can¡¯t struggle free after half an hour, then¡­ I¡¯ll be finished! Deep fear overwhelmed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart as she hurriedly circulated all the force in her body and struggled to get out. ¡°Put me down! This beast, let me go¡ª¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s gaze turned cold. You don¡¯t know your own limits. Ka! Tuan Zi flew even faster and used force on its claws as it directly squeezed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s ribs! ¡°Si¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan gasped, and her entire body trembled. She could even vaguely feel that the sharp claws seemed to dig her organs out! Great terror overwhelmed Jiang Zhiyuan as her pale lips trembled. I can¡¯t rely on myself. I can only¡­ ¡°Save me! Clan¡ª¡± Slap! Tuan Zi slapped its wing down and hurriedly hit Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s forehead. A low sound was heard. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s vision turned black, and she directly fainted. Tuan Zi continued with its behavior and flew to an even further place with the stiffened Jiang Zhiyuan in its claws. Master said that I had to spin two rounds. ¡­ In the venue, everyone was taken aback by this sudden scene. Nobody spoke for quite a while. I-it just left? What does that mean?! Seeing that Jiang Zhiyuan was brought away, Baili Chun was the first to react. He suddenly stood up and stared at Chu Liuyue tightly. ¡°Chu Yue, what exactly are you doing?!¡± His stern voice was filled with anger. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and suddenly laughed. ¡°Clan Leader Baili, can¡¯t everyone see very clearly what I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m competing!¡± ¡°What kind of competition is this?! That red-gold heavenly phoenix¡ª¡± ¡°That red-gold heavenly phoenix is my legendary fiend. It doesn¡¯t seem to be inappropriate that I summoned it out to fight, right?¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, but her eyes were filled with cold nonchalance. ¡°I¡¯ve already promised not to use that Yuan instrument. Am I also not allowed to summon my legendary fiend?¡± Baili Chun was suddenly stumped. There naturally wasn¡¯t such a rule in the world. Fiends contracted to cultivators were acknowledged to be one with the owner. Chu Yue¡¯s behavior was undeniable. However, the fiend he summoned was too shocking! Ancient legendary fiend¡­ Probably only a few people present had seen one before, let alone make an agreement with one?! ¡°If you feel that it¡¯s against the rules for me to summon Tuan Zi, then¡­ You should¡¯ve said it in advance, right? Isn¡¯t it a little too late to mention it now?¡± said Chu Liuyue slowly. Baili Chun¡¯s face turned white. Say in advance¡­ How would I know that this seemingly ordinary young man had hidden such a trump card!? If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t even let Jiang Zhiyuan compete! However, it is too late to say anything now. He looked up, and Jiang Zhiyuan was already brought even further. That red-gold heavenly phoenix had no intention of returning! Half an hour will quickly pass. If Jiang Zhiyuan can¡¯t receive timely treatment, then¡ª ¡°Immediately get your red-gold heavenly phoenix to bring Yuan¡ªXiao Liu back! If anything happens to him, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°But¡­ aren¡¯t we competing now?¡± What competition!? Baili Chun was so furious that he was fuming with anger. ¡°I command you to stop the competition immediately!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled politely but also distantly. ¡°Clan Leader Baili, it seems like¡­ you don¡¯t have the right to say that now, right?¡± Baili Chun had been the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader for hundreds of years, and he had always been high and mighty. Since when was he talked back to, and it was even in front of so many people! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sentence instantly ignited the fire he had suppressed in his heart for a long time. ¡°You¡¯re insolent!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he raised his hand, and a wave of force flew out! The force turned into a sword and went for Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest! An air-piercing sound was heard! The crowd¡¯s expressions changed! Nobody expected Baili Chun to suddenly take action! Elder Wan Zheng and Elder Bo Yan took action at the same time! ¡°Chu Yue, be careful!¡± However, one person was faster than them! A golden ray of light cut through the air and instantly turned into a giant net before it surrounded that sword! Then, it quickly wrapped it tight! Thump! A crisp sound was heard¡ªthat sword suddenly broke into pieces! Terrifying force spread in all directions, but it was quickly absorbed and extinguished by that golden net. Then, that golden net rapidly gathered and formed a small butterfly. After stopping on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders for a moment, it silently disappeared. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. From start to end, Baili Chun¡¯s force didn¡¯t even touch Chu Liuyue. Everyone fell silent, and their gazes bounced between Baili Chun and Rong Xiu, each with their own thoughts. The person who took action was¡­ actually Rong Xiu! Even though they could long tell that these two were on bad terms, they always thought that Rong Xiu and Baili Chun wouldn¡¯t go for each other¡¯s throats in consideration of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s various aspects. However, they didn¡¯t expect everything to happen so quickly! Rong Xiu intervening was equivalent to slapping Baili Chun¡¯s face in public! If they caused a scene in front of so many people, there would be no turning back! Rong Xiu was always meticulous and planned far ahead. He definitely knew how the current situation would turn out after making this move. However, he still did it, and¡­ it was without hesitation! Even Elder Wan Zheng and the rest were slower by a step! The atmosphere turned cold, and the air froze. Baili Chun¡¯s expression was extremely ugly! He stared at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Grace, what does this mean?¡± I was just in seclusion for a few years, and the moment I came out, the world changed! Now, Rong Xiu is increasingly insolent and even publicly exchanged blows with me! Where does this put me?! What Baili Chun didn¡¯t know was that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t even care about his face. The reason for him intervening was very simple. ¡°I naturally have to protect my own people.¡± His expression was honest and straightforward, and his voice was low and melodious. He leaned against the chair in a relaxed and calm manner. It was as if he didn¡¯t even care about what just happened. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°The match is still in progress. Clan Leader, you suddenly taking action will cause other people to think that my Sky-Cloud Empire can¡¯t afford to lose.¡± Without waiting for Baili Chun to rage, Rong Xiu spoke first. A smile flashed across his lips as he reminded, ¡°Everyone is still watching.¡± You can be humiliated, but don¡¯t drag the Sky-Cloud Empire down with you! Chapter 1467 - Identity Baili Chun had never felt so embarrassed. Facing Rong Xiu¡¯s strong attitude with reasoning and evidence, he didn¡¯t know how to retort him in such a short period of time. The more shocking thing was that Rong Xiu¡¯s skills seemed to be stronger than he expected! Even though his attack only used about 50% of his force, Rong Xiu still blocked it so easily¡­ This showed many problems on its own! After calming down for a moment, he took a deep breath in and suppressed the vengeance and anger in his heart. This cannot go on. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body can¡¯t last for so long! Thinking of this, Baili Chun took a deep breath in and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯ll represent him and surrender! Now¡­ the competition can finally end, right?!¡± The crowd exchanged glances. Toward that Xiao Liu person, Baili Chun is really¡­ ¡°Since you¡¯ve already said so, there¡¯s naturally no problem.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. Baili Chun grunted coldly and sat back down on his chair. After waiting for a moment, that red-gold heavenly phoenix didn¡¯t bring Jiang Zhiyuan back. Baili Chun knitted his brows again and questioned, ¡°Chu Yue, your red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ Why is it still turning there?¡± There isn¡¯t much time left. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about that? Tuan Zi hasn¡¯t come out to play in a while. Now that it finally got to come out, it has become wild. I think it¡¯ll take a while to come back.¡± Baili Chun instantly felt anxious. Take a while? Then, I willingly compromised for nothing? ¡°Y-you¡ªget it to come back immediately! Xiao Liu is injured. He needs to be treated as soon as possible!¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to be in a difficult spot. ¡°But¡­ Tuan Zi is active and sometimes doesn¡¯t really listen to me. You see¡ª¡± Baili Chun was so angry that he was about to explode! ¡°What nonsense are you saying!? Since it¡¯s your fiend, it naturally listens to you! If you ask it to come back, how will it dare not listen to you?¡± ¡°It dares!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately replied. She blinked and smiled rather apologetically before saying, ¡°Oh, you might not know, but Tuan Zi is an ancient legendary fiend. It has quite the temper. Sometimes, even I can¡¯t deal with it.¡± The crowd heard this, and the corners of their lips twitched. Might not know¡­ Who would know such a thing!? We don¡¯t have ancient legendary fiends! This Chu Yue¡¯s mouth is really vicious. ¡°Clan Leader.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly tilted his head and smiled faintly. ¡°That Xiao Liu should¡¯ve thought of the current ending when he swallowed the Delusional Fragrance Pill previously. We have to take responsibility for our own actions, right?¡± Baili Chun couldn¡¯t say anything, but he felt anxious and regretful. However, he did not dare to say Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s true identity. If he did, she would be totally humiliated! In the future, Jiang Zhiyuan wouldn¡¯t even be able to return to the Sky-Cloud Empire! He could protect her and stand up for her in all sorts of ways. But if it concerned the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s benefits¡­ Not only Rong Xiu, but even 36 Respected Elder Ming and the rest wouldn¡¯t let it go. Hence¡­ he could only resign himself to his fate! Time passed bit by bit. Seeing that half an hour was about to be up, Baili Chun couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Chu Yue, I¡¯ll say it for the last time! If anything happens to Xiao Liu, you won¡¯t get off scot-free!¡± This Chu Yue clearly did it on purpose! He stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself!¡± That red-gold heavenly phoenix hasn¡¯t come back, but I can chase it myself! But just when Baili Chun thought that Chu Liuyue would still delay for a while longer, the latter suddenly smiled brightly. ¡°Clan Leader Baili, why are you so anxious? Look¡­ Isn¡¯t it here?¡± ¡°What?¡± Baili Chun was stumped and followed Chu Liuyue¡¯s line of sight. Indeed, he saw a spark of red-gold quickly flash across the sky. It was the red-gold heavenly phoenix, which had left for quite some time! Chu Liuyue seemed to heave a sigh of relief and waved toward Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, you¡¯re finally back! Don¡¯t you see how panicky Clan Leader Baili is? You¡¯re not allowed to do this in the future!¡± Tuan Zi flung its claws and directly threw Jiang Zhiyuan to the side. Then, it retracted its wings and turned palm-sized as it squatted on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. Chu Liuyue patted its forehead. Mm, you did great. Tuan Zi went forward obediently and happily, wanting to snuggle against her face. Before Tuan Zi touched her, it detected a wave of coldness attacking it. Its body stiffened as it turned around obediently and glanced at Rong Xiu with grievances. She¡¯s clearly my master, yet I¡¯m not allowed to kiss her! Pfft! How unreasonable! I must get Master to avenge me sooner or later! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t detect this secret commotion as she glanced at the motionless Jiang Zhiyuan lying on the ground. At this point, Jiang Zhiyuan was covered in blood and injuries. Her face was also as pale as a ghost. If not for her weak breathing, the crowd would¡¯ve thought that she was dead. Baili Chun moved his feet and wanted to walk over. However, Chu Liuyue walked to Jiang Zhiyuan first. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Baili Chun¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he harshly yelled! Chu Liuyue looked up strangely, and confusion flashed across her eyes. ¡°I just wanted to help check on his injuries. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯m a heavenly doctor too.¡± Besides, even if I really want to do something, I won¡¯t take action in front of so many people. This Clan Leader Baili is overly concerned. Chu Liuyue looked down slightly, and deep thoughts flashed across her mind. If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, this Clan Leader Baili has never married in his life and has no descendants. Besides, his personality is harsh and ruthless. Someone that he really cares about only seems to be¡­ At this thought, Chu Liuyue had an idea. She stretched her hand toward the other party. Chapter 1468 - Down the Eighteen Levels of Hell! Upon seeing this scene, Baili Chun¡¯s heart jumped to his throat. ¡°Stop¡ª¡± Before he could say anything, Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingertips had already touched the other party¡¯s cheeks. But with this touch, Chu Liuyue immediately understood something, and her lips curled up into a smile. It¡¯s really¡­ The person on the ground was motionless. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand touched the other party¡¯s chin. Then, she gently moved her fingertips. As if startled by her actions, that person knitted her brows and struggled to open her eyes forcefully. Jiang Zhiyuan was originally unconscious and had no feeling. At some moment, she suddenly felt that her face was itchy, and it made her very uncomfortable. Her last bit of rationality made her realize the severity of the situation. Who is touching my face?! The moment she opened her eyes, the bright light caused her vision to turn white. After a few seconds, she then saw the looks of the person before her. ¡°Ah!!!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan let out a miserable and horrified scream! Almost instinctively, she raised her hand to push the other party away! But at this point, many bones in her body were broken, and her organs were squeezed together. She should be severely injured. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to raise her arm, not to mention pushing people! Realizing this, vengeance and hatred overwhelmed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart! As if taken aback by this scream, Chu Liuyue moved back slightly, but her hands were still on Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The competition is over. Let me help you wipe the blood¡ª¡± What is he wiping!? ¡°Y-you go away!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan tried her best to move backward. It was a pity that almost her entire body was paralyzed. Such movements only made her seem like a weak worm. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what he said? You don¡¯t have to intervene¡ª¡± Baili Chun hurriedly rushed over. Chu Liuyue seemed rather helpless. ¡°I-I really didn¡¯t do anything¡­ I¡ªhm, what¡¯s this?¡± Her wrist turned as she spoke, and a translucent mask¡ªwhich was as thin as cicada wings¡ªappeared in her hands! Jiang Zhiyuan felt her face burn in pain! ¡°It hurts!¡± In order to make this mask stick even more tightly, she specifically used some tricks to harden it. If one wanted to take it off, they had to be very careful. Chu Liuyue¡¯s sudden tear almost ripped off half her face. How could she not be in pain? But very quickly, the deadly silent atmosphere made her suddenly realize something! She instinctively looked up and surveyed her surroundings! Everyone looked at her with various expressions and strange gazes. My face! Jiang Zhiyuan then recovered her senses, and deep terror overwhelmed her heart. Her entire body turned cold! Baili Chun¡ªwho was a few steps away¡ªsuddenly stopped in his tracks, and his lips trembled slightly. Oh no¡­ ¡­ Elder Bo Yan suddenly stood up, and his expression was grave. ¡°Jiang Zhiyuan?! What are you doing here?!¡± They were very familiar with this face! Facing this questioning, those people that were still uncertain realized something suddenly. ¡°So this is Jiang Zhiyuan? Wasn¡¯t she already expelled from Ling Xiao Academy? Why is she here today?¡± ¡°I heard that she grew up with Baili Chun and that the latter dotes on her very much. She even has a high status in the Sky-Cloud Empire! Didn¡¯t you see? She was expelled, and her reputation was tarnished, but the Sky-Cloud Empire still chose to take her in!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s so good about her¡­ From the previous competition, it seems like her talent is average, and she¡¯s very petty. She really isn¡¯t presentable.¡± ¡°In the past, I think Baili Chun planned on letting her get engaged with Rong Xiu, but Rong Xiu directly chose his own princess consort in the end. He didn¡¯t give her any chance at all! Now, it seems like he had long known what Jiang Zhiyuan was like, so he didn¡¯t like her, right?¡± ¡°Pfft. If I were Jiang Zhiyuan and was expelled by Ling Xiao Academy, I would hide myself! I didn¡¯t expect her to be so thick-skinned. She actually relied on Baili Chun¡¯s love for her and disguised herself to come over? Does she really not know how humiliating this is?¡± ¡°From today onward, she won¡¯t have any reputation left in the God Residence Realm, right?¡± ¡­ All sorts of discussions landed in her ears. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body trembled, and her tears dropped. She looked at Baili Chun with red eyes. Now, only the clan leader can save me¡­ ¡°I was the one who brought her over,¡± boomed Baili Chun carefully as he closed his eyes. At this point, he had to face some situations. Elder Bo Yan sneered. ¡°We can see this point. Clan Leader Baili, you clearly know what I¡¯m asking!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was already expelled from Ling Xiao Academy. According to the rules, she wasn¡¯t allowed to take another step into Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s territory! Yet, Baili Chun directly brought her over today? Who was slapping whom? Baili Chun was rarely questioned by people and was enraged now. ¡°Yuan Yuan is part of the Sky-Cloud Empire. So what if I brought her here?!¡± Speaking of this, he became increasingly infuriated. ¡°Speaking of which, Yuan Yuan has been performing very well in the academy the whole time. Because she made some small mistake, you expelled her. Isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Elder Bo Yan was so angry that he laughed. His gaze was like a sword that swept past Jiang Zhiyuan. Jiang Zhiyuan guiltily lowered her head. ¡°A small mistake? Clan Leader Baili, it seems like you¡¯re not very clear about some things. Didn¡¯t Jiang Zhiyuan tell you why she was expelled?¡± Baili Chun knitted his brows and instinctively felt that something was wrong. This tone sounds like¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± Right at this moment, excruciating pain was felt within Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body! She couldn¡¯t hold it in and let out a miserable shriek. Baili Chun hurriedly rushed over and helped her up. ¡°Yuan Yuan, what¡¯s the matter?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan continuously spat out blood and couldn¡¯t say a single word. The blood had a faint black tint to it. Chu Liuyue glanced at it and kindly reminded, ¡°It seems like¡­ more than half an hour has passed since she used the Delusional Fragrance Pill. Her Yuan meridian has started to break.¡± Chapter 1469 - Shangguan Yue! ¡°H-how did this happen?!¡± Baili Chun wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, but he understood the Delusional Fragrance Pill very well. This was because Jiang Zhiyuan specifically asked him for this pill. When she went to the Sky-Cloud Empire, she was poor and had nothing with her. She didn¡¯t even have some basic items, let alone a precious, high-end pill like the Delusional Fragrance Pill! 1 However, luckily Baili Chun came out of seclusion. As the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader, it was extremely simple for him to get such an item. Of course, he had specifically asked around before this, so he knew that the post-ingestion side effects of the Delusional Fragrance Pill were severe and that one had to be treated in half an hour. If not, it would cause severe damage to the cultivator¡¯s body. However, he didn¡¯t expect it to be so terrifying! Broken Yuan meridian?! Why would this happen out of nowhere? Jiang Zhiyuan cried painfully. Her entire body, from inside to out, felt like it was being bitten by something small. Her blood, muscles, veins, and Yuan meridian! The indescribable numbness and pain intertwined together, causing her to be in so much pain that she wanted to die! ¡°Clan Leader, save me! I¡¯m begging you¡ªsave me!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan said something with much difficulty, and her syllables were all muddled together. Now, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to say a complete sentence. Seeing this, Baili Chun felt terrible and hurriedly yelled, ¡°Someone, quickly help!¡± Nobody answered. Ling Xiao Academy definitely wouldn¡¯t help. As for the other heavenly doctors present¡­ They weren¡¯t stupid. Anyone could tell that Jiang Zhiyuan had been completely abandoned by Ling Xiao Academy. Once they helped, it would be pitting themselves against the academy. If they had brains, they would know that it wasn¡¯t necessary to offend Ling Xiao Academy for such a useless person. As for Baili Chun¡¯s face¡­ Rong Xiu was still here. Even he didn¡¯t take action, so why would the others?! After yelling twice, there was no sound in the surroundings. Baili Chun then detected something amiss and looked up. With just one glance, he understood the crowd¡¯s attitude and couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart turn cold. Chu Liuyue stood at the side. Seeing this situation, the corner of her lips curled up, and she smiled. ¡°Clan Leader Baili, to some extent, Tuan Zi and I did cause the injuries on her body. Why don¡¯t I help¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Baili Chun looked over harshly, and his old eyes seemed to be burning with intense fire. ¡°Haven¡¯t you harmed her enough? What else do you want to do!? I didn¡¯t expect you to be so ruthless at such a young age! Toxic, heartless¡ª¡± Elder Wan Zheng stood up, pointed over, and yelled, ¡°Baili Chun! Watch your words!¡± He is scolding our people on Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s territory. Does this Baili Chun really think he¡¯s a big shot? His abilities are quite good, but the many people here aren¡¯t one to be trifled with! Ling Xiao Academy has been established in the God Residence Realm for thousands of years. How could we allow a brainless and blind Baili Chun to trample all over our heads?! Rong Xiu looked down slightly and hid the murderous intent in his eyes. After being loudly warned, Baili Chun recovered his senses slightly. He almost crushed his metal teeth. Jiang Zhiyuan struggled and whined painfully. Her voice gradually became weaker, and her face slowly turned from pale to greenish-black. Chu Liuyue took a few steps back, crossed her arms, and watched on coldly from the side. Actually, she didn¡¯t really want to save Jiang Zhiyuan. But in Fangzhou City, she was the only one who fought two rounds with Jiang Zhiyuan previously. If she really died, Baili Chun would definitely push all the blame on her. Anyway, with this Delusional Fragrance Pill, Jiang Zhiyuan will be handicapped, if not dead. She probably won¡¯t be able to cultivate in the future, so it would be easier if she dies because everything will end. If she can still survive and experience herself turning into a good-for-nothing from a genius, that would be worth something. However, it seems like Baili Chun would rather Jiang Zhiyuan die than accept my help. It saves trouble! ¡°Pain¡­ hot¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was in so much pain that her head became dizzy, and her vision became blurred. She also started muttering something softly. Chu Liuyue looked up and threw away the mask before she tidied her loose strands of hair. The corner of her lips then curled up. The side effects of the Delusional Fragrance Pill were detrimental, and she had to be treated within half an hour. But in actual fact, the Delusional Fragrance Pill wouldn¡¯t cause such severe damage normally. When Tuan Zi brought Jiang Zhiyuan around, it left fire in her body. Although this fire was small, it was enough to implode the force in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s body and cause her Yuan meridian to break inch by inch. In just one moment, she would totally become a good-for-nothing! Chu Liuyue had long guessed that she was Jiang Zhiyuan. That was because the other party¡¯s enmity and the way she targeted her were way too obvious. After being challenged time and time again, even a person made of mud wouldn¡¯t take it¡ªlet alone Chu Liuyue, who wouldn¡¯t be disadvantaged. Jiang Zhiyuan gripped Chu Liuyue and refused to let her go, but the latter didn¡¯t have so much time and energy to waste on Jiang Zhiyuan. This match today had concluded everything clearly¡ªgetting rid of it from the roots! ¡­ Jiang Zhiyuan felt that her consciousness started to become blurry. As time passed, she even felt numb from the pain. She was like a drowning person, struggling to survive. She wanted to find a straw to clutch at. Originally, she thought that Baili Chun could help her. But after much waiting, the pain in her body didn¡¯t subside at all. Intense hopelessness flowed out from the bottom of her heart, which slowly swallowed her whole. ¡°Yuan Yuan, hang in there! I¡¯ll bring you back right away!¡± Baili Chun knew that there was no use in continuing to waste time here, so he swiftly decided to bring Jiang Zhiyuan away. He moved carefully and wanted to help Jiang Zhiyuan up. However, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s injuries were too severe, and many bones in her body were broken. Her entire body couldn¡¯t even stand up. A slight movement would be equivalent to the pain of ripping her heart and tearing her lungs. Baili Chun could only put her down again and softly comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Grandpa will call someone over right now!¡± As he spoke, he took out a pill and fed it to Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°Dragon Aura Pill. That¡¯s even more precious than the Delusional Fragrance Pill. Baili Chun really dotes on Jiang Zhiyuan¡­¡± ¡°So what if he does? Didn¡¯t you see what color Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face has become? I think her Yuan meridian should be broken. This Dragon Aura Pill is just to save her last breath.¡± ¡°In such a situation, she¡¯s better dead than alive!¡± ¡­ At this moment, all of Baili Chun¡¯s efforts and thoughts were on Jiang Zhiyuan. How could he listen to the conversations in the surroundings? Chu Liuyue watched on and secretly shook her head. She found it quite laughable. Baili Chun really thinks that Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s damage isn¡¯t enough. The Dragon Aura Pill can rejuvenate one¡¯s body and nourish their health, but the condition is that one needs to have a healthy and complete body! Now that Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s Yuan meridian is broken, she can¡¯t even control the force in her body. Is this not adding oil to the fire? She shook her head and was too lazy to watch on. She turned around and left. At this moment, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s weak voice came from behind. ¡°Shang¡­ Shangguan¡­ Yue¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Chapter 1470 - Pretend? Chu Liuyue¡¯s facial expression didn¡¯t change. She also didn¡¯t stop in her tracks and continued moving. It was as if she didn¡¯t hear this and didn¡¯t have a special reaction to this name. Baili Chun looked at Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°Yuan Yuan, what are you saying? Shangguan Yue isn¡¯t here.¡± Is she muddle-headed? Jiang Zhiyuan tried her best to open her eyes and stared at that back in front. Her heart was overwhelmed. For some reason, that woman¡¯s figure suddenly appeared before her just now. The doubts she had forgotten for some time resurfaced again. She still felt that this Chu Yue had a problem. Hence, she suddenly called out, wanting to see the other party¡¯s reaction. However, Chu Yue didn¡¯t look like anything was wrong. ¡°Clan Leader, I¡­¡± A ray of white light flashed across Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind! That¡¯s not right! Since Chu Yue and Rong Xiu are close, there is no reason why he doesn¡¯t know Shangguan Yue, so why didn¡¯t he have a reaction when he heard this? This coincidentally proves that there is a problem! ¡°Chu Yue¡­ i-is¡­¡± She clutched Baili Chun¡¯s sleeves tightly and made a sound with much difficulty. At this point, the young man¡ªwho had walked a distance away¡ªsuddenly turned around. ¡°Clan Leader Baili, although you don¡¯t believe me now, I have to say some words in advance. After one¡¯s Yuan meridian is broken, you must quickly guide the crazy force in the cultivator¡¯s body out. If you forcefully save it, it will cause even greater harm.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart seemed to be blocked. She stared at that young man tightly. From above, the latter¡¯s cold and nonchalant gaze seemed to have some hints of pity and sympathy. ¡°However, Big Missy Jiang has a distinguished background. Even if she can¡¯t cultivate anymore, her future days will still be worry-free.¡± This sentence finally crushed Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s last line of defense. ¡°Ah!!!¡± She yelled at the top of her lungs crazily. Quite a few people knitted her brows slightly. What is she doing? She clearly is incapable, yet she is about to go crazy here. We didn¡¯t come here to see this! ¡°Clan Leader Baili, I think you should bring her away as soon as possible. If this carries on, I¡¯m afraid Jiang Zhiyuan can¡¯t hang on any longer, right?¡± Someone spoke lazily. Their words were filled with unconcealable annoyance. Baili Chun¡¯s expression changed, but he couldn¡¯t throw his temper. This was because he knew that the other people present thought in a similar manner. He took a deep breath in. At this point, somebody clutched his sleeves. He looked down and saw that there were bloody tears in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Help me¡­¡± I don¡¯t want to become a good-for-nothing! In the past, she was like a princess! She was the best¡ªshe was the most outstanding one! She should get whatever she wanted and not be deserted like a dog in such a manner! She had lost completely! Originally, she thought that she would have a chance to make a comeback today. Who would¡¯ve known that after a few rounds, she would be completely stepped on by those people?! If they directly crushed her at this point, she might not feel so terrible. The most heartbreaking thing was that she once thought she had hopes of making a comeback, yet she was harshly sent to hell again! Baili Chun was so anxious that his eyes turned red, and he had a grudge against Chu Liuyue. ¡°Don¡¯t talk first. I will help you. Grandpa won¡¯t let you suffer any grievances!¡± As Baili Chun spoke, he wanted to help Jiang Zhiyuan up after she recovered some of her strength. The ground was already filled with messy bloodstains and couldn¡¯t be seen at all. Chu Liuyue watched on nonchalantly from the side. As if detecting her gaze, Jiang Zhiyuan suddenly looked up. Her face still had clear tear stains, and her bloody eyes were filled with cold craziness. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly, and she vaguely felt that something was amiss. ¡°Yuan Yuan¡ª¡± Baili Chun was about to bring her down when he suddenly realized that she was staring straight at Chu Yue. He couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Probably because she had used that Dragon Aura Pill, but the current Jiang Zhiyuan felt that her entire body had recovered by quite a bit. She spat out a mouthful of bloody water and suddenly smiled. ¡°Clan Leader, you don¡¯t know yet¡­ This Chu Yue is Shangguan Yue!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed! Upon hearing this, the surrounding people were stunned. ¡°Shangguan Yue? Who is that?¡± ¡°This name sounds familiar¡­¡± ¡°Hiss¡ªisn¡¯t it the name of the princess consort that Rong Xiu chose previously?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her?! It can¡¯t be. Is Jiang Zhiyuan foolish? How can she say that Chu Yue is Shangguan Yue?¡± After a temporary silence, the crowd in the surroundings couldn¡¯t help but discuss softly. Baili Chun clutched Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s hands tightly, and his expression was filled with shock. ¡°Yuan Yuan, what are you saying?!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan smiled miserably, and her expression was insane with a crazy hint of wanting to drag everyone down with her. Actually, she wasn¡¯t sure either and just had this doubt in her heart the entire time. Originally, she wanted to find a chance to check out Jishen Palace when she was in the Sky-Cloud Empire. However, a whole series of events happened, and she didn¡¯t even get to see Shangguan Yue, let alone do anything else. In the beginning, she didn¡¯t think of this. But after thinking of whatever happened previously, she found it familiar for some reason. Additionally, she found out that her Yuan meridian was broken and that she had become a good-for-nothing, so she had no consideration at all! Since I¡¯m already in this state, let¡¯s take a bet! Nobody can have a good life! ¡°Chu Yue, do you dare to verify yourself in public!?¡± Countless pairs of eyes landed on Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue smiled, but her eyes had a tinge of coldness. ¡°You¡¯re foolish.¡± Then, she turned around and planned to leave. However, Jiang Zhiyuan was relentless. She used all the force in her body and screamed, ¡°You¡¯re scared! You¡¯re guilty, aren¡¯t you!?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stop in her tracks and said lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t have to care about your baseless accusations.¡± But once she said this, a low and burly voice suddenly came! ¡°Who said there¡¯s no evidence!?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened, and she looked up! In mid-air, a figure rapidly approached¡ªit was Jiang Hetian! Why is he here?! The crowd saw Jiang Hetian and had strange expressions. He came at such an appropriate time¡­ However, Jiang Hetian ignored those gazes. He rapidly arrived at the square. With one hand behind his back, he looked at Chu Liuyue and coldly smiled. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re still putting on an act at this point?!¡± Chapter 1471 - Evidence Chu Liuyue looked at him and suddenly smiled faintly. ¡°Master Jiang, what are you saying?¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t admit it, Jiang Hetian wasn¡¯t anxious. He surveyed his surroundings and cupped his fists toward the crowd. Most of the people sitting here had more distinguished statuses than him. ¡°Everyone, do you know that the Chu Yue standing in front of you now is actually the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort¡ªShangguan Yue!?¡± The crowd went crazy. Guessing was one thing, but personally hearing this was another feeling. It was false if they said they weren¡¯t shocked or confused. After all, they were rather curious about the sudden appearance of the legendary princess consort that came from outside the realm and had successfully gained the position. Now, Jiang Hetian said that this Chu Yue¡ªwho had caused quite a bit of trouble and made the entire God Residence Realm restless¡ªwas actually Shangguan Yue. How could it not be shocking? Jiang Hetian looked at Chu Liuyue with a mocking gaze. ¡°Shangguan Yue, with such a fake identity, you played everyone at your fingertips. That seems¡­ rather inappropriate, right?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. Old ginger is indeed spicier. In a mere few sentences, he pitted me against everyone else. Today, those present are all formidable characters in the God Residence Realm. If they discover that they were lied to and tricked left, right, and center, how could they not be furious? No matter what the reason is, they won¡¯t let me off easily! Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was still calm, but her mind rapidly spun. Jiang Hetian suddenly daring to appear like this clearly means that he came prepared. What does he know, and what evidence does he have? If he didn¡¯t have full confidence, he wouldn¡¯t directly tear at my throat. ¡°Master Jiang, since you said you have evidence, why don¡¯t you show it to everyone first?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and raised her brows. Jiang Hetian chuckled. Let¡¯s see how long you can smile! ¡°Father¡ª¡± When Jiang Zhiyuan saw Jiang Hetian appear, it was as if she saw her last savior. She hurriedly yelled and wanted to go over anxiously. But at this moment, her voice was slightly weak, her face was bruised, and she was covered in bloodstains. She was a disheveled sight. Jiang Hetian¡¯s gaze turned. Upon seeing his daughter in this state, his heart felt a harsh pang! Filled with vengeance, he immediately went over, helped Jiang Zhiyuan up, and felt his heart ache. ¡°Zhiyuan, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let anyone bully you like this again!¡± I must take revenge for this! I¡¯m going to make Shangguan Yue pay a thousand-fold for this! Previously, he had already received news that Jiang Zhiyuan was coming here with Baili Chun. Even though he felt rather uneasy back then¡­ Thinking of how Baili Chun always protected Jiang Zhiyuan to the extreme, she definitely wouldn¡¯t suffer. Who knew¡ª Now wasn¡¯t the time to pursue this, so he could only temporarily set this aside and clear this debt later on. Jiang Hetian endured all sorts of emotions in his heart as he lightly patted Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Zhiyuan, go to the side and rest. Leave the rest to me.¡± Seeing how confident Jiang Hetian was, Jiang Zhiyuan was slightly relieved. Then, she nodded and went down with Baili Chun¡¯s help. Only Jiang Hetian and Chu Liuyue were left facing each other in the middle of the square. ¡°Shangguan Yue, don¡¯t you want evidence? I¡¯ll give you evidence!¡± Jiang Hetian said as he suddenly looked at Shi Rui¡¯er at the side. ¡°I heard that the Flying Star Sect¡¯s Second Missy recently made an agreement with a legendary three-eyed eagle?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er instantly became alert. ¡°So what if I did? That¡¯s a present my father gave me.¡± Jiang Hetian laughed. ¡°Second Missy, don¡¯t misunderstand. I just want to borrow your legendary three-eyed eagle for a while. I¡¯ll return it to you in a moment.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er knitted her brows tightly. Why would he suddenly borrow my legendary three-eyed eagle out of nowhere? She instinctively felt that it wasn¡¯t good and rejected it immediately. ¡°That¡¯s my fiend. How can I lend it to you just because you said so?¡± Jiang Hetian wasn¡¯t surprised that she had such a reaction and continued, ¡°Second Missy, I know Shangguan Yue¡ªoh no, Chu Yue had once saved you at the Flood-Desert Northern Region. It¡¯s normal for you to be biased toward her, but the current matter is important. Second Missy, you¡¯re upright and can see the big picture. I believe you won¡¯t be this petty, right?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er knitted her brows even tighter. Using these people to pressure me? Her expression turned colder. ¡°What if I disagree?¡± Jiang Hetian suddenly laughed. ¡°Second Missy, if you¡¯re really her friend, you should agree to it even more. Won¡¯t it be better if you can take this chance to clarify it?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was rather uncertain. She turned her gaze and looked at Chu Liuyue. Actually, she was still in deep shock. If Chu Yue is really Shangguan Yue, then¡ª Detecting her gaze, Chu Liuyue looked over. Their eyes met. The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she smiled and nodded. ¡°Senior Sister Rui¡¯er, since he has already said so, I¡¯m afraid¡­ I have to trouble you.¡± When Jiang Hetian mentioned the legendary three-eyed eagle, she vaguely guessed what he wanted to do. I have to admit that Jiang Hetian¡¯s move is quite expected. If I don¡¯t take it, the crowd will be doubtful. Hence, I have to pass this round! Shi Rui¡¯er was rather apprehensive, but after thinking for a moment, she still nodded. Hua! Following a crisp and powerful shriek, a fit and large figure suddenly appeared above Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s head! That was Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s legendary three-eyed eagle¡ªa legendary three-eyed eagle! It was totally black with its wings spread, almost covering the entire sky. Its sharp shriek was frightening as if it could easily take one¡¯s life! Its pair of cold and nonchalant eyes were even more like frozen blades, terrifyingly sharp. It spread its wings and quickly flew to the middle of Chu Liuyue and Jiang Hetian. The surroundings fell silent. Everyone wanted to see what Jiang Hetian¡¯s so-called evidence was! Jiang Hetian waved his hands toward that legendary three-eyed eagle. ¡°Please¡­¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle hesitated for a moment and flew over. The human and the fiend were three steps apart. Jiang Hetian had a polite smile on his face. ¡°Thank you¡ª¡± As he spoke, there was a cold gleam of light in his hands! Whoosh! A hurried ear-piercing sound was heard for a short while. The next moment, it was the sound of a sharp weapon cutting into a body, making one¡¯s hair stand on end! A silver flying blade, which was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wings, directly flew into that legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s chest! Screech! The legendary three-eyed eagle let out a sharp and painful shriek! Actually, it had already sharply detected danger, but they were so close. It couldn¡¯t avoid the attack at all! It instinctively flapped its wings, and a terrifying force hurled out! Jiang Hetian felt stifled in his chest as he flew backward! This sudden scene stunned everyone. Shi Rui¡¯er suddenly stood up and had a stern expression. ¡°Jiang Hetian, you¡¯re crazy!¡± He said he wanted to invite my legendary three-eyed eagle over to kill it?! But the next moment, a shocking scene occurred. That dagger suddenly turned into countless pinkie-sized metal ropes that rapidly tied the legendary three-eyed eagle up! The metal ropes had many tiny sharp blades! It seemed as though the legendary three-eyed eagle would be cut into minced meat in the next second! Jiang Hetian wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth. He smiled devilishly and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Seeing its own clan member being tortured, can your legendary three-eyed eagle hold it in?!¡± Chapter 1472 - : Protect You till the End The legendary three-eyed eagle clan had always lived in groups, and they had very close relationships. Once any of them were in danger, they would live and die together. Seeing their own clansmen being tortured, they wouldn¡¯t just stand at the side and watch. Besides, Zi Chen was once the legendary three-eyed eagles¡¯ clan leader! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed. She never expected Jiang Hetian would use such a despicable method! Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s expression changed greatly, and she was about to rush over. However, Jiang Hetian suddenly yelled, ¡°Second Missy, stay there! If you continue coming forward, I can¡¯t guarantee that your legendary three-eyed eagle can continue living!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s chest heaved violently, and her face turned pale. This Jiang Hetian is really crazy! Does he know what he¡¯s doing?! Jiang Hetian naturally knew that doing so would offend the Flying Star Sect. However, he couldn¡¯t care so much. This was the only way he could deal with Shangguan Yue! Hence, even if he had to bear terrifying consequences, he didn¡¯t care! When he saw Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s identity being exposed and that her Yuan meridian was damaged, he knew that his efforts for many years were for naught! Now, he could only drag everyone down! What else was he afraid of? ¡°Shangguan Yue!¡± Jiang Hetian smiled sinisterly. ¡°If you can, just watch on!¡± Once he said this, the metal ropes around the legendary three-eyed eagle tightened again! The sharp blades pierced its body. One slight movement could tear a huge piece of meat! ¡­ ¡°You mustn¡¯t go.¡± Zi Chen¡¯s cold and deep voice came from the bottom of her heart. Chu Liuyue could tell that it was suppressing something with his words. After all, that was someone from the same clan with the same bloodline, and it was its descendant! How could its heart not ache? But at this moment, he still chose Chu Liuyue. However, this didn¡¯t make Chu Liuyue feel good. On the contrary, it made her heart feel even heavier. Every single word was like a heavy sandbag pressing her shoulders, causing her to be unable to breathe. On the opposite side, bloody wounds appeared on that legendary three-eyed eagle. The sticky blood kept flowing down, and it spread into red roses when it met the white and black marble floor. It was miserable and cold. The scene seemed to be frozen. Everyone fell silent and watched this scene quietly. Even if Jiang Hetian¡¯s methods were despicable, they couldn¡¯t deny that they also wanted to know the eventual answer! The venue fell silent. ¡­ ¡°Zi Chen.¡± Chu Liuyue let out a murky breath. ¡°That¡¯s your clansman. I can¡¯t let you watch it die.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Zi Chen was still hesitant. ¡°You can let the red-gold heavenly phoenix go out.¡± Although Tuan Zi had just broken through not long ago, its abilities weren¡¯t much weaker than it. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Zi Chen, I know that only you can save it now.¡± Tuan Zi was fast, but it wasn¡¯t faster than Jiang Hetian. At this point, only Zi Chen¡ªwho was also a legendary three-eyed eagle¡ªcould save that legendary three-eyed eagle. This was one of the reasons why Jiang Hetian was so confident. ¡°I can¡¯t let you be a traitor,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Even if Zi Chen had been locked up for thousands of years and had almost no connections to the legendary three-eyed eagle clan other than the previous time at the Flood-Desert Northern Region, it was still their clan leader. It still bore the responsibility of the entire clan. If word got out, Zi Chen would never be able to return to its clan. That wasn¡¯t what she wanted to see. ¡°Since you have an agreement with me, I must protect you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was light yet heavy. Zi Chen¡¯s heart trembled, and the fiend didn¡¯t speak for a while. Chu Liuyue reminded, ¡°I will divert Jiang Hetian¡¯s attention. Take the chance and save it.¡± This time, Zi Chen finally replied, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ The metal ropes pierced into its body, and that legendary three-eyed eagle fell to the floor, struggling with its life. However, those metal ropes constricted it even more tightly. Slowly, its shrieks became softer, and it didn¡¯t really move. Only the bloodstains on the ground that became thicker and thicker stunned one¡¯s heart. In the almost suffocating silence, a clear and nonchalant voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Master Jiang, you have prepared very long for this day, right?¡± Jiang Hetian shot Chu Liuyue a dark gaze, with hints of excitement of finally taking his revenge. ¡°No. How can it be compared to your ability to hide from everyone?¡± he said with mockery. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care either as she smiled slightly and suddenly said, ¡°Master Jiang, I have always repaid others with confidence. I feel that I have never offended you nor targeted Big Missy Jiang willingly. May I know why you must go after me so relentlessly?¡± Jiang Hetian sneered. ¡°You know it yourself!¡± Why? Of course, it was because she stole the princess consort position that originally belonged to Jiang Zhiyuan! Is this alone not enough? Originally, we had planned everything properly, yet such a person came out of nowhere and disrupted our plans that had been in the making for many years! How could I not feel hatred? Chu Liuyue suddenly took a step forward. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it seems like it¡¯s not important anymore.¡± Jiang Hetian instantly felt alarmed! ¡°What else do you want?!¡± He felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s body had another hint of threat for some reason, which made him uneasy. Chu Liuyue smiled.¡±I don¡¯t want to do anything. I just feel that I have to tell you something in advance.¡± ¡°Tell me what? Just stand there and talk about it!¡± Jiang Hetian yelled sharply! His gaze swept past Tuan Zi on Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders fearfully. The person in front of him wasn¡¯t very scary, but that red-gold heavenly phoenix wasn¡¯t easy to deal with! Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks, and her expression was relaxed. The crowd couldn¡¯t tell which party was being restrained. ¡°I want to say¡­ I hate being threatened the most in my life.¡± She spoke slowly and dragged her last syllable in an ice-cold manner. ¡°Especially¡­ with everything I care about on the line!¡± Every single word and sentence was filled with icicles that pierced into one¡¯s bones! The murderous aura was apparent! Meeting that pair of dark eyes, Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart suddenly trembled. Whoosh! A sword light flashed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. She held the Chi Xiao Sword in her hand. Whoosh¡ª At this moment, a gigantic figure suddenly appeared above her head! It was entirely black and had a shocking aura! It flapped its wings lightly and stirred up a huge wave! That pair of eyes were high and mighty, causing one to bow down to it instinctively! That was¡­ a legendary three-eyed eagle! This was Chu Liuyue¡¯s first time summoning her second legendary fiend in front of these people! Everyone was taken aback. They were filled with disbelief! ¡°Legendary three-eyed eagle! It¡¯s really a legendary three-eyed eagle!¡± ¡°Chu Yue is really Shangguan Yue?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely her! The God Residence Realm has rumors that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort, Shangguan Yue, has two legendary fiends¡ªone being a red-tailed phoenix and the other being a legendary three-eyed eagle! There¡¯s only one such person in the entire world!¡± Chapter 1473 - Not to be Trifled With! This was admitting to her identity in public! Upon seeing this scene, Jiang Hetian was instantly ecstatic. She admitted it! She indeed admitted it! ¡°Shangguan Yue! At this point, what else do you have to say¡ª¡± Before Jiang Hetian could finish his sentence, Zi Chen¡¯s third eye suddenly opened! That eye was purplish-gold in color, and it glowed with golden light in a domineering and distinguished manner! It looked at that legendary three-eyed eagle being tightly constricted by the metal ropes. Instantly, terrifying suppression loomed! The bloodstains on that legendary three-eyed eagle suddenly started burning crazily! A purplish-gold fire instantly wrapped around it! The many metal ropes broke inch by inch! The wounds and the blood on the legendary three-eyed eagle rapidly recovered under this intense fire! Its weak and defeated aura actually started recovering rapidly! ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the clan leader?!¡± Flying Star Sect¡¯s Sect Leader Shi Feng was stunned and suddenly stood up! He looked at the scene before him in disbelief as he harshly rubbed his eyes. Being able to use its own force and suppression to heal its clansman¡¯s injuries¡­ Other than the rumored clan leader, who else could it be?! He had only seen such rumors in the ancient books; he hadn¡¯t seen it in real life. Back then, he unwittingly caught a legendary three-eyed eagle that was alone and was elated for a long time, so he studied it for quite some time after he came back. The distinguished bloodline power in the clan leader¡¯s body was the root of the legendary three-eyed eagle clan! With one command, it could cause thousands of legendary three-eyed eagles to follow it with its life! Over thousands of years, even ordinary legendary three-eyed eagles were hard to be seen, let alone a rumored strong existence like the clan leader! ¡°W-what?¡± Hearing Shi Feng say this, the crowd was stunned. This Chu Yue ¡ªno, it¡¯s Shangguan Yue! It isn¡¯t enough that she has made an agreement with a legendary three-eyed eagle, but it is even a clan leader?! That is an existence that can be on par with us, yet it actually became Shangguan Yue¡¯s legendary fiend?! ¡°What background does this Shangguan Yue have? Not only does she have a red-gold heavenly phoenix, she even has the legendary three-eyed eagles¡¯ clan leader¡­¡± In the deadly silence, someone muttered softly in a daze. Normal people hadn¡¯t even seen a top legendary fiend before, yet she easily had two! ¡°How is this possible!?¡± Someone recovered their senses and was still in disbelief. ¡°The red-gold heavenly phoenix is an ancient legendary fiend, and the legendary three-eyed eagle clan leader also has a distinguished status! In terms of preciousness, it would be hard to determine a winner between the two of them! Logically speaking, these two legendary fiends are very arrogant, and it would be hard for them to even make an agreement with a human, let alone serve the same master!¡± Ridiculous! If word got out, nobody would believe it! However¡­ everything unfolded before their eyes genuinely, and it couldn¡¯t be questioned! Shi Rui¡¯er also covered her red lips, and her pretty eyes were filled with shock. No wonder¡­ No wonder! At the Flood-Desert Northern Region, those legendary three-eyed eagles had surrounded and attacked me back then. Later on, Chu Yue went up, and the matter was solved successfully. Almost everyone thought that Chu Yue would be in great danger when she entered the legendary three-eyed eagles¡¯ barrier. But later on, Chu Yue still came out in one piece! At that time, I was solely focused on the legendary three-eyed eagle I had lost but gained back, so I didn¡¯t even think about what was going on behind the scenes. Thinking about it carefully now, other than the clan leader, who else can make so many legendary three-eyed eagles compromise?! ¡­ ¡°This kid even has a clan leader?!¡± The corner of Elder Hua Feng¡¯s eyes twitched. Back then, I thought that Chu Yue relied on the red-gold heavenly phoenix to solve the problem. Now, it seems like I was utterly wrong! He has many trump cards at hand, and he can even choose which one to use! To think I was still so nervous and worried back then! Elder Bo Yan took a deep breath in and slowly reminded them, ¡°It¡¯s girlie.¡± Elder Hua Feng was stumped. ¡°I know!¡± Since she was willing to summon the legendary three-eyed eagle, it had already proved her identity! ¡°I¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng was about to say something when he saw Elder Wan Zheng, who was dazed at the side. Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t seem to react and understand what was going on. He was expressionless and slightly stiff. Elder Hua Feng coughed and used his elbow to nudge him. ¡°Hey, Wan Zheng, are you okay?¡± The feeling of suddenly knowing that one¡¯s disciple became a girl from a guy¡­ ¡°Shangguan Yue?¡± muttered Elder Wan Zheng softly. ¡°She¡¯s Shangguan Yue?¡± Has he gone silly from the shock? Elder Hua Feng glanced at him worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. No matter if she¡¯s a boy or girl, she¡¯s still equally outstanding, right!? No, she¡¯s actually even better than before! Wan Zheng, you¡¯ve earned big this time!¡± Not to mention others, just these two legendary fiends alone could kill the crowd in a second. If one could accept such a cultivator as their disciple, anyone would be elated for a few days and be unable to sleep. With an outstanding disciple, the mentor was also in the limelight, right? But actually, Elder Wan Zheng wasn¡¯t thinking about this now. He turned his neck and looked at Rong Xiu. Ever since Jiang Hetian appeared and announced that Chu Yue was Shangguan Yue, he didn¡¯t move at all and just sat there as if it were unrelated to him. Why is he so calm?! Elder Wan Zheng swallowed a mouthful of saliva and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Rong Xiu, is my disciple really your princess consort?¡± The people from Ling Xiao Academy immediately looked over in unison. We almost forgot! Since this matter is related to Rong Xiu, he naturally has long known about it! Slap! Elder Hua Feng suddenly slapped his forehead, clenched his teeth, and said, ¡°I see! I see!¡± If this wasn¡¯t the case, why would Rong Xiu care so much about Chu Yue the whole time? She was simply his princess consort!! Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu turned around and smiled slightly. ¡°Thank you, Elders, for taking care of her during this period of time.¡± His voice was low with a hint of rare gentleness and love. The few elders instantly felt like they were stabbed. Luo Shishi and the others standing behind were long dumbfounded. Hearing Rong Xiu say this, Luo Shishi recovered her senses. She glanced at Mu Hongyu dazedly and saw that the latter was staring at the venue nervously. Her fists were tightly clenched, and she wanted to rush up to help immediately. Mu Hongyu¡­ has long known about it? ¡°Shishi¡­¡± Luo Yanming looked at her worriedly. Tears welled up in Luo Shishi¡¯s eyes as she smiled and shook her head. Suddenly, she felt that a stone in her heart had been placed down. That¡¯s¡­ good. ¡­ ¡°You are quite capable¡­¡± Jiang Hetian was also stunned by the clan leader incident. He only knew that Shangguan Yue had an agreement with a legendary three-eyed eagle, but he never expected it to be so powerful! However, this is fine. As long as I expose Shangguan Yue¡¯s identity, everything can be talked about! ¡°Shangguan Yue, you lied to everyone and hid your identity. What¡¯s your motive!?¡± Jiang Hetian questioned with a boom! ¡°You can even disguise your identity. Who knows if you¡¯re doing something immoral?!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I only do respectable things.¡± As she spoke, she flicked her wrist, went on her toes, and rushed to Jiang Hetian! Today, I have to let them clearly understand that I am not one to be trifled with! Chapter 1474 - Kill! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sudden movement stunned everyone. Weren¡¯t they talking about her identity? Why are they suddenly fighting? Besides, she isn¡¯t Jiang Hetian¡¯s opponent! Without waiting for the crowd to think clearly, Chu Liuyue had reached Jiang Hetian in the blink of an eye! Jiang Hetian also didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to take action just as she spoke! Whoosh! Tuan Zi¡¯s figure rapidly expanded! Red-golden fire was spat out and instantly wrapped Jiang Hetian up! The surrounding temperature rapidly increased, and Jiang Hetian immediately fell into a sea of fire! The terrifying fire continuously burned around, causing Jiang Hetian to be frightened. I might not be this ancient legendary fiend¡¯s match! ¡°Shangguan Yue, are you crazy?!¡± As Jiang Hetian rapidly moved back to avoid it, he questioned her with a harsh voice! There are so many people watching around us! She actually dared to take action in front of so many people! Chu Liuyue was too lazy to speak as she slashed her sword down! When she was a stage-eight warrior previously, she could only unleash one sword attack. Now that she had broken through to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior, she could basically fling out three sword attacks in a row! She wasn¡¯t as capable as Jiang Hetian, but with Tuan Zi and Zi Chen around, she might have a chance to fight! At this point, Zi Chen spread its wings and flew behind Jiang Hetian in the blink of an eye! Jiang Hetian had no way to retreat! In front of him was the red-gold heavenly phoenix, and behind was the legendary three-eyed eagle¡­ There was also Shangguan Yue with strengthened abilities! He waved his sleeves and set up a barrier around him! At this point, Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s legendary three-eyed eagle was completely free, and it flew back. Shi Rui¡¯er checked it once carefully and nervously, discovering that most of its wounds had already formed a scab. Besides, its aura seemed normal, and it had basically recovered. She looked at the square complicatedly. Clan leader¡­ Shangguan Yue¡­ ¡­ ¡°Father!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan gasped worriedly. Baili Chun hurriedly pressed her shoulders. ¡°Yuan Yuan, don¡¯t be anxious first. Chu¡ªShangguan Yue won¡¯t be your father¡¯s match! Let¡¯s just watch from here!¡± As he spoke, he looked forward with knitted brows. ¡°So this is the princess consort that His Grace chose¡­ Hah!¡± How ridiculous! What a joke! She disguised her identity, muddled into Ling Xiao Academy, and even caused so much trouble¡­ This is Rong Xiu¡¯s taste?! Today, in front of all the masters in the God Residence Realm, she has completely tarnished the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s reputation! It was no wonder those people repeatedly stopped me when I wanted to go to Jishen Palace. It turns out that she wasn¡¯t even there! Baili Chun suppressed his anger. This Shangguan Yue really thinks that she¡¯s a big shot and is very gutsy! She dared to lie to so many people! I want to see how Rong Xiu will settle this mess! Shangguan Yue¡­ must give up her position as the princess consort! Jiang Zhiyuan knew that he was stating facts, but she was still filled with uneasiness for some reason. That Shangguan Yue¡­ really has many tricks! During the few times we¡¯ve exchanged blows, I have always lost terribly. I have to be fearful of Shangguan Yue now. Who knows what other trump cards she has¡­ Besides, no matter the outcome, my Yuan meridian is already broken. From today onward, my entire person will be ruined! Thinking of this, deep hopelessness and vengeance surfaced in Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes. If Father can settle Shangguan Yue, it would be great! This thought flashed across her mind. She instinctively turned around and looked at Rong Xiu. That person was sitting on his seat, and his demonically handsome face was calm. It looks like¡­ he doesn¡¯t care about everything that is happening before him. He¡¯s not going to take action? Jiang Zhiyuan bit her lips, and secret happiness overwhelmed her heart. Of course, Rong Xiu won¡¯t take action. Shangguan Yue is in the wrong now! Is he going to offend everyone present for such a woman?! ¡­ The crowd was actually very curious about Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude. After all, that was his princess consort, and he chose her himself. Even if one thought with their toes, they would know that he definitely liked this princess consort. However, the current situation was rather complicated. If Rong Xiu suddenly took action, it would definitely cause some people to be unhappy. Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. It seems like after Rong Xiu considered the pros and cons, he is still prioritizing his and the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s benefits¡­ As for Shangguan Yue? Even though the reputation of the princess consort is precious, she is still relying on Rong Xiu and the Sky-Cloud Empire at the end of the day. How could Rong Xiu give up on the Sky-Cloud Empire for her? For today¡¯s match, she is probably¡­. ¡­ The elders on Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s side were also filled with doubts. Rong Xiu has always treated that girl very well. We can tell that he really likes her, so how could he just watch from the side? Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t hold himself back and stood up, wanting to help. She was his disciple after all! How could he allow others to bully her?! But before he even took a step out, Rong Xiu looked over. His thin lips curled up slightly with a few hints of smiling intent. ¡°Elder Wan Zheng, please wait for a moment.¡± Elder Wan Zheng knitted his brows. ¡°Still wait? There¡¯s no time!¡± Even if that girl has the help of two legendary fiends, Jiang Hetian is much stronger than her! I don¡¯t dare to take the risk. Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning. ¡°She¡¯s still angry. You have to give her some time to unleash her anger.¡± Elder Wan Zheng was dazed. ¡°You¡ª¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t move just to let¡­ that girl unleash her anger?! Is he so confident that the girl will win? He is too confident¡­ Elder Wan Zheng was hesitant. He glanced at Rong Xiu, hesitated again in his heart, and finally sat back down again. After a temporary pause, he said in an upset manner, ¡°Anyway, if my disciple loses even a strand of hair, you must take responsibility!¡± Rong Xiu nodded and looked pristine, yet he had a high and mighty aura. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue indeed had a stomach full of anger. When I went to the Sky-Cloud Empire, I somehow offended Jiang Hetian and his daughter. Now, even a Baili Chun is involved. She asked herself, and she felt that she didn¡¯t do anything to offend them. She even let them go time and time again, considering that Fairy Water Mound was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s top division. However, they were still relentless! Now that they¡¯ve torn at my throat, I don¡¯t need to give them face any longer! No matter what, I have to win this round! Kacha! The Chi Xiao Sword landed, and the barrier surrounding Jiang Hetian shattered suddenly! The tip of the sword was pointing at Jiang Hetian! Spurt! The sharp sword aura reached over and caused a bloody wound on Jiang Hetian¡¯s brows! Chapter 1475 - Killing Jiang Hetian! This sword was so frightening! Shock flashed across Jiang Hetian¡¯s mind. He came late and didn¡¯t see Chu Liuyue taking action and using one sword to beat Jiang Zhiyuan. Hence, at this point, he didn¡¯t know that Chu Liuyue was holding a legitimate supreme Yuan instrument! Detecting the few drops of blood rolling down his brows, Jiang Hetian was stunned and furious. He was stuck in a difficult spot. No matter what he chose, it would be a tough fight! Clang! He was determined as he moved his feet, and his expression turned grave. Dense force then exploded from his body¡ªthe suppression was shocking! Coldness extended from his body and rapidly spread toward the surroundings! The ground below him formed a thick layer of ice at an observable speed! A thin layer of silver icicles also appeared on his two hands! Sharp! Ice-cold! Under the sun, it reflected rays of cold light! Chu Liuyue sharply discovered that the surrounding space started to become stickier because of this force¡ªit was Jiang Hetian¡¯s God Realm! The circulation of the force in her body started slowing down gradually. Moving forward was much more difficult than before. The Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s surroundings seemed to have countless pairs of hands blocking it! The sword¡ªwhich should¡¯ve landed swiftly and smoothly¡ªbecame slow and hesitant! Heavy suppression pressed on her and oppressed every inch of her body! Chu Liuyue could almost hear her bones being crushed as they creaked! Excruciating pain spread all over her body! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth, and a fishy taste filled her mouth. Jiang Hetian had been a true god warrior for decades. Although he was rather far from breaking through to the next cultivation level, he was still much stronger than an average true god warrior. Chu Liuyue could perhaps forcefully fight a demigod, but against such an experienced and strong true god warrior¡­ It was rather ambiguous. God Realm¡ªthat was the biggest difference between her and the other party! At this point, Jiang Hetian suddenly moved! His figure disappeared from the spot. The sound of shattering ice could be heard. The next moment, he actually appeared behind Chu Liuyue! The two of them were three steps apart! Jiang Hetian¡¯s gaze was harsh as he raised his hand and hurled it over! ¡°Ice-Breaker Claw!¡± The moment he raised his hand, the surrounding force seemed to be strongly summoned and rapidly gathered here! The winds were blowing, and a cold wind attacked her! Chu Liuyue felt the back of her head turn cold! At that moment, the string in her mind suddenly became tight! Jiang Hetian moved quickly. Chu Liuyue turned around to attack, but it was already too late! She had to take this claw! ¡°Shangguan Yue is still too young¡­ Even if she¡¯s currently an intermediate stage-nine warrior, how could she fight a true god warrior?¡± ¡°Yeah! Look¡ªas long as Jiang Hetian executes his God Realm, he can easily control it and attack her! That Ice-Breaker Claw is Fairy Water Mound¡¯s trump card. With this move alone¡­ Shangguan Yue will be defeated.¡± ¡°Although those two legendary fiends are amazing, it¡¯s still the battle between two cultivators. They can only help to a certain extent¡­¡± As the crowd discussed softly, they clearly didn¡¯t think highly of Chu Liuyue¡¯s current situation. Elder Wan Zheng and the others couldn¡¯t really hold themselves back. They were about to take action when they saw the calm and composed Rong Xiu. With that, they had to forcefully suppress their uneasiness and continue to wait. ¡­ The sharp icy nails went straight for the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s head! It was directly about to pierce through her chest! But at this moment, Chu Liuyue was covered in a golden light! ¡°Pure gold armor!¡± At that moment, the pure gold armor covered her perfectly! Tsing! A piercing sound was heard! The moment the icy nails touched that layer of armor, Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet moved, and her thin waist quickly turned. Whoosh¡ª More than half of the icy nails¡¯ force was reduced by Chu Liuyue, and it only left a faint white line on the armor before it quickly made way! Chu Liuyue used this force to pounce forward and roll on the ground! She rapidly escaped from Jiang Hetian! Then, she used the ground as leverage and sent out a sword! A water-colored ray of light cut through the sky! Just when Jiang Hetian was shocked to discover that Chu Liuyue actually had such powerful armor, he felt his vision blur the next moment as the Chi Xiao Sword closed in on him once again! He scoffed coldly and nonchalantly. This sword is amazing, but it¡¯s a pity that its owner is just a stage-nine warrior! The surrounding space is my God Realm. Everything here is under his control. Why would I be afraid¡ª Crack! The sound of something breaking suddenly sounded. Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he turned around to look at the source of the sound. With this look, he was almost frightened until his organs broke! The red-golden fire burned at the edges of his God Realm, causing a black crack! Red-gold heavenly phoenix! Jiang Hetian suddenly recalled something. As an ancient legendary fiend, the red-gold heavenly phoenix can also unleash its God Realm! That red-golden fire is its God Realm! At this point, the two God Realms overlapped, and he clearly was on the losing end! How did I forget about this! I have to handle it as soon as possible! Jiang Hetian was swift and harshly stepped on the ground! Hong long long! An earth-shattering sound was heard! The thick layer of ice on the ground rapidly cracked! Rays of white light, with hints of sharp and crushing coldness, went straight for Chu Liuyue! Without waiting for a moment, that coldness had already completely wrapped around Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body stiffened! She turned around, and an idea popped up in her mind as the old and ancient black shield appeared before her! Tsing! The shield stood still, blocking Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure completely! When Jiang Hetian saw that black shield, he didn¡¯t take it to heart and even revealed a mocking cold smile. At this time, she¡¯s too naive to think that she can use such a damaged shield to block my attack! But before his smile could fully extend, another frightening shattering sound was heard! He hurriedly turned to look in another direction and indeed saw that a purplish-golden light had formed a spear that broke open a second opening on the other side of his God Realm! Very quickly, Jiang Hetian¡¯s God Realm was sandwiched between Tuan Zi and Zi Chen¡¯s! It broke inch by inch! Large patches of black space appeared in mid-air! The winds howled crazily as the space became distorted and frightening! Without that layer of obstacle, the Chi Xiao Sword immediately changed its direction and increased its speed! It went straight for Jiang Hetian¡¯s head! Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why is this sword so relentless?! What he didn¡¯t know was that the supreme Yuan instrument had its own weapon soul and was very spiritual. That weapon soul was tightly interconnected with Chu Liuyue and knew what she wanted. As long as an idea popped up in her mind, she could command it as she willed. Seeing the Chi Xiao Sword rapidly approaching, Jiang Hetian instinctively wanted to retreat. But when he moved, he shockingly realized that he was trapped in the intersection of the three God Realms! He couldn¡¯t even move! At this moment, he was just a complete target for the Chi Xiao Sword! Whoosh! The sword broke in¡ªit pierced through his chest! Blood spurted everywhere! Chapter 1476 - Superior Wants Subordinate to Die! Everything happened rapidly. The red-golden fire and purplish-golden light intertwined, dazzling one¡¯s eyes. Before the crowd could even see what happened clearly, the fight had already ended! Thump! Jiang Hetian¡¯s legs went soft, and he kneeled on the ground. His eyes widened greatly, and his eyeballs were protruding as blood seeped out from the corner of his mouth. A bowl-sized hole appeared in his chest, and blood was gushing out of it. The blood was fresh red and even exuded some heat. It landed on the layer of ice that hadn¡¯t melted, and it rapidly froze. This scene was indeed horrifying. Everyone fell silent and looked at the scene in disbelief. Jiang Hetian was¡­ a true god warrior, yet Shangguan Yue¡¯s sword actually pierced right through his heart! She clearly wanted his life! ¡°Father¡ª¡± A miserable and hopeless scream broke this silence. Jiang Zhiyuan stared at everything before her in disbelief. Her face flushed white, and her body trembled. Shangguan Yue¡­ It¡¯s all Shangguan Yue¡¯s fault! She almost rushed forward uncontrollably. But the moment she took a step out, her legs went soft, and she fell to the ground. If it weren¡¯t for Baili Chun supporting her from the side, she would¡¯ve directly collapsed onto the ground. She was originally injured, and her heart was filled with sorrow, pain, vengeance, and hatred. At this point, the pain attacked her heart. In her anxiousness, she suddenly spat out a few mouthfuls of blood and almost fainted. ¡°Yuan Yuan!¡± Baili Chun felt worried, and his heart ached. This child had followed him for so many years and never suffered or got tired. However, she was tortured in all kinds of ways during this period! He helped Jiang Zhiyuan up and glared at Chu Liuyue harshly. ¡°Shangguan Yue, how dare you!¡± As he was enraged, his holler was like thunder that shocked everyone¡¯s ears until they turned numb. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even give him an extra gaze. She slowly stood up, and her black and cold eyes were filled with frightening murderous intent! Whoosh! The Chi Xiao Sword flew back to her hands. The silver and sharp sword body didn¡¯t have any bloodstains at all. She glanced at it in satisfaction before she gazed at Jiang Hetian. Thump! Jiang Hetian¡¯s God Realm suddenly disappeared! This caused his expression to be filled with loss. ¡°You¡­¡± He opened his mouth and even more blood flowed out. Those arrogant eyes originally filled with contempt were currently filled with shock and vengeance. Very quickly, his head fell onto the ground. Countless rays of light flew out from his body and formed a translucent figure in mid-air. That was Jiang Hetian¡¯s soul. Upon seeing this scene, quite a few people¡¯s expressions moved slightly. ¡°Jiang Hetian doesn¡¯t have a Holy Body?!¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t he been a true god warrior for many years? Logically speaking, he should¡¯ve formed his Holy Body. In the past, he always seemed so arrogant, so I thought he had long formed it. Who knew¡­ he was just acting!¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t he always been like this? All these years, he has always been arrogant outside by relying on the Sky-Cloud Empire. Those who didn¡¯t know would think that he¡¯s in charge of the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± ¡°Pftf. Even if he doesn¡¯t have a Holy Body, as a true god, he was beaten like this by a stage-nine warrior. It¡¯s really¡­ humiliating! If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t have the face to step out of the house for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°Haha, he has dominated this area for many years by relying on his face. We naturally can¡¯t compare to that!¡± Quite a few people chuckled softly. Jiang Hetian¡¯s identity in the Sky-Cloud Empire might be distinguished, and many people addressed him as ¡®Master Jiang.¡¯ But outside, in front of these lords of the God Residence Realm, he really didn¡¯t count for much. In the past, they mostly gave Rong Xiu face and was polite toward Jiang Hetian. Now, Rong Xiu clearly favored Shangguan Yue. Then, why should they give Jiang Hetian any face? It was a pity that Jiang Hetian was about to become insane from anger, and he couldn¡¯t care about such things. He only knew that Shangguan Yue had ruined his physical body! A cultivator like him had to spend a lot of effort to form his physical body again! Jiang Hetian¡¯s voice was filled with anger and vengeance. ¡°Shangguan Yue, Fairy Water Mound is the head of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s 28 divisions! I¡¯m the master of Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang family! How dare you treat me¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed. ¡°Master Jiang, you seemed to have forgotten my identity.¡± Jiang Hetian was suddenly stumped. Chu Liuyue took a step forward and straightened her back like a tree! Resilient! Mighty! Distinguished! She raised her chin slightly and tore off the mask on her face. A breathtaking appearance appeared in front of everyone! The surroundings suddenly fell into silence. She was as bright as the moon and as dazzling as the sun. Her brows were like that distant mountain, her nose was sharp, and her red lips curled up slightly at a perfect angle. Her pair of watery, black gem-like eyes had fireworks in them and dazzled brightly. At this moment, the aura on her body underwent a huge change! The elegant and gentle young man had disappeared, replaced by a stunning and peerless young woman! She clearly didn¡¯t do anything, but the elegance in her body caused one to look up to her unwittingly. She smiled and reminded slowly, ¡°I, Shangguan Yue, am the princess consort of the Sky-Cloud Empire! I¡¯m the lord, and you¡¯re the subordinate! Not to mention teaching you a lesson, you can¡¯t grumble even if I kill you completely!¡± If the superior wanted the subordinate to die, they had to die! There was no right or wrong here, only the difference in status! ¡°You betrayed your master and even tried to take my life¡­ Jiang Hetian! Even if you have ten lives, you can¡¯t pay back for the sins you¡¯ve committed today!¡± Every single word was like tough metal, causing Jiang Hetian to be speechless. At this point, Elder Hua Feng and the others also saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s true appearance. Their expressions changed greatly. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie!¡± Chapter 1477 - Rong Xiu Takes Action Upon hearing this voice, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she turned around to look. The few elders instantly saw her appearance even more clearly. But after momentary shock and elation, the few of them seemed uncertain. This face¡­ It is indeed rather similar to the young woman in our memory¡ªespecially her appearance and behavior seem to have come from the same mold. However, her age doesn¡¯t seem right! A few years have passed, and that girl should be in her twenties now. However, the Shangguan Yue standing in the square clearly seems to be only 17 or 18 years old. ¡°Something seems to be off¡­¡± muttered Elder Hua Feng. ¡°S-she¡¯s not Yue¡¯er Girlie¡­ right?¡± Actually, he couldn¡¯t be sure either. During the past few months, he became acquainted with her. There were indeed a few times when he saw a familiar figure from her. However, those thoughts were quickly dispelled by him. Appearance, age, aura¡ªeverything is different! Besides, if it really is her, how did none of us discover it for such a long time? Was it her acting that was too good, or¡­ are they two completely different people? Elder Bo Yan was rather uncertain as well. He knitted his brows and clutched the chair handle tightly. After thinking for a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°She¡¯s not. She went up the Qing Yun Ranking previously.¡± If things were really like they guessed, then her ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ name wouldn¡¯t have successfully appeared on the Qing Yun Ranking! Elder Hua Feng paused for a moment. ¡°But¡­ they¡¯re too similar!¡± Not only their appearance, but more importantly, their attitude and temper! Ling Xiao Academy had been established for so many years, and there were only these two students who could cause so much trouble. One couldn¡¯t help but be doubtful. ¡°Wan Zheng, what do you think?¡± asked Elder Bo Yan softly. As her mentor, he should know better than us, right? However, Elder Wan Zheng didn¡¯t speak for a long time and stared at Chu Liuyue in the square. Countless thoughts flashed across his mind, and it became chaotic. But when he wanted to think about it carefully, his mind was blank. Too many things had happened today, and his entire person was dazed. ¡°Wan Zheng?¡± Elder Bo Yan called him rather uneasily. Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s lips moved, and he finally said with much difficulty, ¡°If she really is¡­ is she still considered as my disciple?¡± Back then, Yue¡¯er Girlie had acknowledged the director as her mentor! Elder Bo Yan and the rest didn¡¯t expect him to be thinking of this at this moment, and they were instantly stumped. After a moment, Elder Hua Feng patted his shoulders. ¡°Listen to fate then!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue faintly heard them talking, and she felt helpless and amused at the same time. She knew what they were looking at and what they were guessing¡­ Seeing this face that is extremely similar to the one before, it would be inevitable. I should just explain it to them after everything ends¡­ Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue looked at Jiang Hetian again. At this point, Jiang Hetian was so angry that he left furiously. Initially, he came here today to expose Shangguan Yue in public and trample on her feet. It would¡¯ve been great if he could take the chance to pull her down from her position as the princess consort. Disguising herself and lying to the crowd! How many people would she offend? However, he never expected that this Shangguan Yue wasn¡¯t weak! Not only did she not feel guilty or awkward from being exposed, but she became even more daring and directly fought with him! She even said that she wanted my life! Where did she get this confidence from?! Jiang Hetian was so angry that he laughed and turned to look at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Grace, you¡¯ve seen the current situation. Do you have nothing to say?¡± I don¡¯t believe that Rong Xiu will sacrifice the entire Fairy Water Mound for a Shangguan Yue! Rong Xiu stroked his chin. After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°He should be executed for scheming against the princess consort and having ill intentions!¡± His voice was low and nonchalant like the wind strumming the harp¡ªelegant and smooth. However, every single word he said was like the sharpest blade¡ªcold and terrifying! Harsh murderous intent spread around uncontrollably! The surrounding air froze inch by inch. All the messy noises instantly disappeared. The scene seemed as though it was frozen. Everyone looked at Rong Xiu incredulously in shock. Execute¡­ Did Rong Xiu say this word just now?! Jiang Hetian was also dazed. He originally wanted to use Fairy Water Mound to threaten Rong Xiu to appear. However, he didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to stand on Shangguan Yue¡¯s side without hesitation! Rong Xiu even directly said that he wants to kill me! He is the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace! Every single sentence and word he says is the law, and it can¡¯t be defied! He said¡­ to kill me?! ¡°Your Grace!¡± Jiang Hetian suddenly raised his voice. It was sharp and rather piercing. ¡°You¡­ really want to give up on Fairy Water Mound?!¡± Fairy Water Mound was the head of the 28 divisions. If Rong Xiu wanted to pit himself against Jiang Hetian, Fairy Water Mound would definitely be in chaos! In the end, the Sky-Cloud Empire would still be harmed! How could Rong Xiu not understand this?! But upon hearing this, the corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he raised his brows as he looked at Jiang Hetian. ¡°Master Jiang, I should be the one asking you this. Ever since you colluded with the enemies and schemed to harm the princess consort¡ªeven trying to control the Sky-Cloud Empire¡ªyou should¡¯ve thought of today!¡± Jiang Hetian felt as if he had dropped into an ice hole! ¡°W-what did you say¡­¡± He instantly felt guilty; even his voice was wavering. Rong Xiu stood up. His figure was big and tall. Once he stood up, his elegance was pressurizing, and his aura oppressive. He instantly produced an extremely strong suppression! ¡°Yue¡¯er, come over.¡± He waved toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue walked toward him. Rong Xiu carefully wiped away a drop of blood that accidentally stained her face. His fingertips were warm, and his actions were restrained yet gentle, with indescribable dominance and elegance. The crowd was stunned. Who had seen the harsh and decisive Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace treat someone so gently? Then, Rong Xiu shot Jiang Zhiyuan an extremely faint gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll give you and your father 15 minutes to do the last goodbye and¡­ decide who should die first.¡± 2 Chapter 1478 - Evidence This was a short and sweet sentence, yet it decided these two people¡¯s deaths! Dead silence. After a moment, Jiang Zhiyuan softly asked in disbelief, ¡°Your Highness, what did you say?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyes slightly, and the depths of them were filled with harsh murderous intent. ¡°What, are your ears not working now?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face flushed white, and her body trembled. Her knees then went soft, and she almost fainted directly. Baili Chun immediately said, ¡°Your Grace, your decision is too impulsive! Even if you don¡¯t care about their lives, you should think about Fairy Water Mound, right? They¡ª¡± ¡°Jiang Hetian doesn¡¯t care about them himself. Why should I care?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was nonchalant as he interrupted Baili Chun¡¯s words. Baili Chun was stumped, and as he thought about Rong Xiu¡¯s sentence, he felt increasingly uneasy. What exactly does that mean?! ¡°Clan Leader, you just came out of seclusion, so there are some things you might not know. Let me explain them to you now so that they can also die in the know.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he smiled slightly and gazed at Jiang Hetian. An invisible suppression crushed down! When Jiang Hetian met that pair of eyes that seemed like bottomless pits, his entire person felt naked, and he felt as though he was seen through! ¡°Jiang Hetian, as Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Master Jiang, you should be loyal to the Sky-Cloud Empire. However, you had ill intentions and colluded with outsiders. You wanted to harm the princess consort, and the evidence is clear! In the past, I took into consideration the fact that Fairy Water Mound has followed the Sky-Cloud Empire for many years, so I was very kind toward you and even gave you many special privileges. But now, you¡¯ve committed too many sins. The Sky-Cloud Empire definitely doesn¡¯t allow any people who commit treason!¡± Jiang Hetian was guilty, but he didn¡¯t give up. Rong Xiu has long wanted to remove us! His current words are just legitimate excuses! He clenched his teeth. ¡°Your Highness, since you said that the evidence is clear, do show it to us! I, Jiang Hetian, have never done anything to betray the Sky-Cloud Empire! I¡ª¡± Just as Jiang Hetian was about to argue, he saw Rong Xiu take out a letter suddenly. When Jiang Hetian saw that familiar letter, his heart skipped a beat, and his voice trailed off. Rong Xiu picked that letter up and was seemingly smiling. ¡°Jiang Hetian, do you recognize this letter?¡± Jiang Hetian averted his gaze. ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯ve never seen this letter!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even opened it to look at its content. How do you know that you haven¡¯t seen it?¡± Shua! Jiang Hetian¡¯s forehead broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°I-I just feel that this letter is very foreign, s-so I haven¡¯t seen it before¡­¡± The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. He opened that envelope and took out the letter within. It was a thin piece of paper that was slightly yellow and rough. When the sun shone on it, it reflected golden light. The black handwriting on it was like flowing water¡ªvery charming. ¡°If you don¡¯t recognize the envelope, you should recognize Fairy Water Mound¡¯s special mesona Xuan paper, right?¡± Mesona Xuan paper was a type of paper made from burning mesona. As its quality was superior, it could be preserved for a thousand years, and this mesona could only be found in very few areas. Fairy Water Mound was one of the places where mesona grew. This was also a huge advantage for them. Normally speaking, ordinary people had no right to use mesona Xuan paper. Even if it were Fairy Water Mound, only the eldest descendants of Fairy Water Mound could use it. Jiang Hetian was naturally one of these few people. ¡°¡­Mesona Xuan paper is given as gifts every year, and we¡¯ve given much of it away. This paper doesn¡¯t prove much¡­¡± Jiang Hetian was still defending himself, but his voice had become guilty, and his face had turned pale. Anyone could tell that there was a problem. Rong Xiu smiled faintly.¡±Yeah, just the mesona Xuan paper naturally can¡¯t prove anything. The key is¡­ the words on it are Master Jiang¡¯s personal handwriting!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Jiang Hetian suddenly looked like his Achilles heel was hit, and he started to protest violently! ¡°That¡¯s definitely impossible!¡± Actually, when he saw the letter, he recognized it as the one he had replied to Dantai Chen with. However, why would this item be with Rong Xiu? At this point, Jiang Hetian¡¯s first reaction was to deny it upon hearing Rong Xiu say this. I was very careful when I replied and purposely put quite a bit of effort into it. The handwriting on the mesona Xuan paper should¡¯ve immediately disappeared after being read. Even if someone took this letter, its contents wouldn¡¯t be discovered. Yet, Rong Xiu said that there was handwriting on it¡­ It is most likely fake! As if guessing what he thought, Rong Xiu flicked his wrist, and that piece of paper then flew to Jiang Hetian. ¡°Look closely. Which word isn¡¯t written by you!?¡± Jiang Hetian initially didn¡¯t believe it, but when he saw the undamaged and original letter, he immediately felt like he had fallen into an ice hole. Every line¡ªevery word was written clearly! This was indeed the letter he replied to Dantai Chen with, and it was undamaged! ¡°In this letter, you said that the Sky-Cloud Empire left you in the lurch and that your relationship with us has ended, so there¡¯s nothing to hesitate about. You said that you would personally cover during today¡¯s meeting and pull Yue¡¯er down from her position as princess consort! You would even kill her if you had the chance!¡± ¡°Besides, you also said that if Yue¡¯er didn¡¯t admit her identity, you would invite the other party to be your witness¡­ You really spent so much effort preparing it.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t speak fast, and his voice was calm and nonchalant as if he were curtly sharing a story. However, his every word was like a heavy hammer that slammed on Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart bit by bit. This caused Jiang Hetian to collapse! He became a mess, and his entire brain was muddled. He wasn¡¯t sure why such a thing happened. This letter should be with Dantai Chen! And after he read it, the handwriting should¡¯ve long disappeared without a trace. Why was it preserved in such a complete manner?! The key is that Rong Xiu produced this letter! What exactly went wrong? Suddenly, Jiang Hetian¡¯s heart sank. If this letter is with Rong Xiu, then Dantai Chen¡­ ¡°If you don¡¯t admit it, I can also invite this person over to prove it in front of you,¡± said Rong Xiu as he raised his brows and smiled faintly. ¡°However, I¡¯m not too sure if he has the life to last until then.¡± His every single word was nonchalant yet as sharp as a blade¡ªicy and cold! Jiang Hetian had no doubts about the authenticity of Rong Xiu¡¯s sentence. He says that the person is with him, so he definitely is! If not, this letter wouldn¡¯t have landed in his hands! ¡°I am one with my wife. You intentionally schemed against her, which is treason! You and your daughter colluded together, and you should¡¯ve been executed long ago. What more can you say to defend yourself?¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he put away that letter. Then, he raised his hand, and a golden fire jumped on his long and white fingertip. ¡°Fifteen minutes are up. Since you can¡¯t come to a conclusion, I will decide for you!¡± Whoosh! The golden fire flew out! It instantly turned into a cage and trapped Jiang Hetian! The fire burned intensely, and Jiang Hetian¡¯s translucent body instantly became distorted! Chapter 1479 - Cant Kill ¡°Ah!!!¡± Jiang Hetian let out a miserable scream. Rong Xiu had two holy bodies and was much stronger than Jiang Hetian. Now that the other party was already a handicapped Jiang Hetian, it was as easy as ABC. Intense pain came over¡ªa soul being burned was even more painful than the physical body being destroyed! Jiang Hetian struggled crazily and wanted to escape! But no matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t struggle out of Rong Xiu¡¯s control. In the end, he could only let the latter do whatever he wanted! His soul was in this golden fire cage, and it gradually became weak and transparent. His originally arrogant and wilful face was left with pain and hopelessness. It hurts! It hurts too much! He had lived for so many years and had never experienced this kind of terrifying pain and torture! Seeing his distorted appearance and figure, including his aura that gradually weakened, Jiang Zhiyuan panicked so much that she spat out a few mouthfuls of blood. As she cried, she kneeled toward Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m begging you! Please let my father off! T-there must be a misunderstanding here! All these years, Fairy Water Mound has been very loyal to you and the Sky-Cloud Empire. Why would my father do such a thing?! There must¡¯ve been a mistake!¡± She cried while yelling, and she kept kowtowing. If it weren¡¯t for Baili Chun holding her back in time, she would have directly fainted. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Are you doubting me?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart trembled harshly! ¡°N-no¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just¡ª¡± ¡°The evidence is right here, and the witness is with me. Originally, I wanted to give Jiang Hetian one last chance if he didn¡¯t appear today. It¡¯s a pity¡­¡± Who can be blamed if he has a death wish? ¡°If you have time, you should cry for yourself,¡± said Rong Xiu faintly. This sentence completely pierced Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart. The last bit of blood on her face disappeared, and her lips trembled intensely. Gradually, her entire body started trembling uncontrollably. She kept thinking that her father was about to die, and she forgot that she was coming right after! Her tears seemed to have dried up. ¡°¡­Your Highness, we were childhood sweethearts. Do you really not care about me at all?¡± She kneeled on the floor and stared at Rong Xiu helplessly. Her tears fell, and it caused two streams of bloody water to form on her messy face. It looked especially contorted. There had never been a moment where she so clearly realized that Rong Xiu really didn¡¯t have her in his heart and that he hated her to the maximum! In her blurred vision, that man¡¯s figure was so precise yet faint. He was tall and big, with a demonically handsome appearance as if he was a demon and a deity. If he loved someone, he would give her the entire world just to see her smile. He wasn¡¯t scared of the rain or water, nor the soil or dust. If he didn¡¯t love someone, he wouldn¡¯t even give her another gaze. He was cold, harsh, and ruthless. She had loved and chased after this man for so many years, but it became a joke in the end. What favor! What bias! Now, he doesn¡¯t even hesitate now that he wants to kill my father and me! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart seemed to be burned. After the scorching pain, it gradually shriveled up. All the blood in her body gradually turned cold. Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke. He tilted his head, paused for a moment, and then asked, ¡°You did stay in the God Residence Realm for quite a few years, but I¡¯ve not seen you more than ten times. Does this count as being childhood sweethearts?¡± This light sentence was like two tight slaps to Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face! She opened her mouth, and her eyes rolled up as she directly fainted. ¡°Yuan Yuan!¡± Baili Chun was extremely anxious. Previously, he was still cursing in his heart why the heavenly doctor he called for hadn¡¯t arrived. But at this moment, he couldn¡¯t care about this. Rong Xiu actually wants her life! ¡°Your Grace, have you thought about the consequences of doing this?!¡± said Baili Chun anxiously. ¡°If Fairy Water Mound knows that Jiang Hetian is dead, they won¡¯t take this lying down! You¡ª¡± ¡°Clan Leader, you don¡¯t have to worry about this,¡± interrupted Rong Xiu. The corner of his lips curled up slightly in a nonchalant manner. ¡°The people from Fairy Water Mound should now be busy preparing the ceremony for the new master and have no time to care about this. However, I¡¯ve already informed them previously to come and collect the body after this ends.¡± ¡°He is part of the Jiang family after all; they won¡¯t just stand aside. However¡­ Jiang Hetian¡¯s behavior let down his ancestors, so he can¡¯t be buried with them.¡± They would just bring him back and randomly bury him. Baili Chun was stunned from hearing this. Rong Xiu¡­ has long prepared for this?! He supported someone else from the Jiang family to take the seat?! At that moment, countless incidents connected together and finally formed a complete chain! Baili Chun instantly understood! Rong Xiu clearly knew that Jiang Hetian was in cahoots with outsiders and found ways to intercept the most recent letter. On the surface, it seemed like he was in the academy the whole time and didn¡¯t care about anything, but in actual fact, he was waiting to reel in the net! Yet, Jiang Hetian had no knowledge of this and ran over excitedly! In the end, not only was he unable to drag Shangguan Yue down, he even caused himself to embark on a road of no return! The Jiang family seemed to be controlled solely by Jiang Hetian on the surface, but this wasn¡¯t the case in reality. All these years, there had been people in the Jiang family who were tempted to replace him. But as Jiang Hetian was still too strong, they didn¡¯t dare to move hastily. Now, they actually found Rong Xiu! Rong Xiu legitimately handled Jiang Hetian first. Then, they could cause a scene in the Jiang family and directly take away the position of family head. Due to various reasons, these people would definitely be loyal to Rong Xiu! This way, Rong Xiu could completely make Fairy Water Mound his obedient power without spending too much effort. To him, Jiang Hetian was like a tumor that was very dangerous. But starting from today, this problem would cease to exist! Baili Chun was taken aback and was stunned on the spot for quite some time. Rong Xiu¡­ How harsh! How meticulous! At this point, Jiang Hetian¡ªwho had his last bit of strength¡ªalso heard this. This became the last straw to break him completely. His mentality had collapsed, and he had no more will to fight. Very quickly, he was completely swallowed by that golden fire! He hated! He was vengeful! In the end, he could only die with hatred! His struggling voice finally dissipated in the end. The golden fire took everything away! ¡­ Jiang Hetian died just like that. Dead silence. The crowd had complicated expressions and didn¡¯t know what to say. Actually, they more or less knew about the conflicts between the Sky-Cloud Empire and Fairy Water Mound. Depending on Fairy Water Mound¡¯s capabilities, Jiang Hetian was very arrogant and did what he pleased. He was even famous within the God Residence Realm. Sometimes, everyone would give the Sky-Cloud Empire face and would be polite toward him. They knew that according to Rong Xiu¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t take this lying down. After all, Rong Xiu had personally executed everyone in the family that previously tried to rebel. However, the current circumstances were still out of their expectations. Jiang Hetian is dead. The next should be Jiang Zhiyuan, right? Countless pairs of eyes landed on Jiang Zhiyuan, including Rong Xiu¡¯s. Baili Chun protected Jiang Zhiyuan behind him and yelled, ¡°Your Grace, you can¡¯t kill her!¡± Chapter 1480 - Scandal Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. What exactly is this Baili Chun thinking? Just now, Rong Xiu clearly said that he wants to send this father-daughter duo off. Yet, he jumped out to stop him? Is it worth pitting himself against Rong Xiu just for Jiang Zhiyuan? Anyway, Jiang Hetian is already dead. Why should he save Jiang Zhiyuan? However, Rong Xiu seemed to have expected this scene. He wasn¡¯t shocked or angry as he calmly questioned Baili Chun. ¡°Clan Leader, you¡¯ve seen everything that happened just now. Jiang Zhiyuan is guilty! Besides, as the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, can¡¯t I kill a criminal?¡± Baili Chun¡¯s lips moved. ¡°Jiang Hetian was the one who made a mistake! Jiang Hetian was also the one who wanted to kill Shangguan Yue! Yuan Yuan just fought with her twice altogether! Besides, Shangguan Yue isn¡¯t really injured! On the other hand, Yuan Yuan was defeated and severely injured. Her life is also in danger!¡± ¡°Anyway, Jiang Hetian is already dead. According to what you said, the Jiang family has a new master. If so, Yuan Yuan¡¯s identity as the Jiang family¡¯s Big Missy won¡¯t be like before!¡± ¡°Her Yuan meridian is broken. She has also painfully lost her father, and she¡¯s already in a perilous situation! Even so, you¡¯re not willing to let her off?¡± The more Baili Chun talked, the angrier he got. At the end, his tone was a strict interrogation! On the other hand, Rong Xiu looked normal. After waiting for Baili Chun to finish talking, he then smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s what you want to say?¡± Baili Chun was stumped and whipped his sleeves harshly. Rong Xiu lightly nodded. ¡°If you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll say a thing or two. Jiang Zhiyuan knew everything Jiang Hetian did, so she¡¯s not considered innocent. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have initiated the two previous battles and used her trump card the moment she took action. She lost to Yue¡¯er because she¡¯s not good enough and is weak. Why did it suddenly become her reason to be let off scot-free?¡± ¡°As for her identity as the Jiang family¡¯s Big Missy Jiang¡­ She should¡¯ve realized that she would have such a day when she wanted to attack Yue¡¯er. Besides¡­ she has always treated herself as the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Big Missy Jiang, right? As for the identity of a mere Jiang family¡¯s Big Missy, she didn¡¯t think much of it. Even if she¡¯s not, she wouldn¡¯t feel bad.¡± ¡°She should be punished for doing something wrong! You want me to pity her, but why didn¡¯t you think about how much Yue¡¯er had to suffer alone when she was surrounded and attacked by all of you?¡± He wants me to let Jiang Zhiyuan go, but who will let my Yue¡¯er go? Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was nonchalant, yet it had a stern murderous intent to it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be hit by something as a sweet feeling spread from her aching spot. She tilted her head and looked at Rong Xiu. His side profile was smooth and perfect. At this point, his jade-like chin was slightly tense, and the depths of his phoenix-like eyes were filled with tumbling anger. He was angry for her. He felt unjust for her. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. At that moment, it seemed like all the anger and hatred had silently disappeared. No matter what, this man will always be by my side, sheltering me from the storm and protecting my all. This is already sufficient. She took a step forward, walked to Rong Xiu, and held his hand. The moment their fingertips touched, Rong Xiu instantly held her hand. His fingers went through the gaps between hers, and after a small touch, they held each other¡¯s hands tightly. His hand was dry and warm, and the temperature seemed to have warmed the bottom of her heart. Chu Liuyue instantly felt much more secure. ¡­ Baili Chun was stumped to the point he couldn¡¯t say anything. Seeing their intimate behavior and their interlocked fingers, he finally realized how important this woman was to Rong Xiu! Rong Xiu loved this woman! It was even to the extent where she was more important than him! Not to mention Jiang Zhiyuan¡­ Even if any other woman in the world came down, they wouldn¡¯t be able to fight for this princess consort position! If it were in the past, Baili Chun might be able to use some forceful methods to pressure Rong Xiu into obeying him. However, there was clearly no such chance now. Rong Xiu killed Jiang Hetian in front of him on purpose! This was his warning! Baili Chun couldn¡¯t hold it in. I was in seclusion for a few years, and the entire world has changed! Rong Xiu has long left my control! Now, the only thing I can do is protect Jiang Zhiyuan! ¡°Yuan Yuan did something wrong. You can punish her, but you can¡¯t kill her! I will never agree to that!¡± Baili Chun¡¯s attitude was very persistent. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes, and doubt flashed across her heart. Baili Chun cares about Jiang Zhiyuan too much, right? He even pitted himself against Rong Xiu because of her? Rong Xiu has already clearly stated the reason for wanting to kill Jiang Zhiyuan, yet he¡¯s behaving like this¡­ Even if he did bring Jiang Zhiyuan up, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a fight about such things, right? Unless¡­ he has a reason as to why he can¡¯t give up on Jiang Zhiyuan! As the Sky Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader, he has experienced all sorts of thunderstorms. Something that could make him act in this manner¡­ A faint guess appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she knitted her brows. Rong Xiu already said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to kill her, you have to give me a reason, right?¡± Baili Chun¡¯s face turned white. ¡°There¡¯s no reason! No means no! I¡¯m the clan leader. Do I not even have the right to preserve one¡¯s life?!¡± This was rather unreasonable and illogical. Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t anxious, and his thin lips curled up slightly. He turned around and looked at Chu Liuyue as he smiled gently and said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, did you know that in the Sky Cloud Empire, there are two ways one can be saved from the death penalty if they¡¯ve committed such a crime?¡± Chu Liuyue cooperatively revealed a curious look. ¡°What two methods?¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°The first method: this person has made huge contributions to the Sky-Cloud Empire and used his results to make up for his sins! Another¡­¡± He paused. ¡°Would require that person to have the bloodline of the Sky Cloud¡¯s Empire eldest descendant. She can be saved then!¡± Chapter 1481 - Inside Story Rong Xiu looked at Baili Chun and smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Clan Leader, even if you have a distinguished status, these Sky-Cloud Empire rules are set by the ancestors. We can¡¯t just disobey them, right? If Jiang Zhiyuan can satisfy any of these criteria, I can spare her from dying.¡± The crowd¡¯s gazes became strange. Of course, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t say this randomly. How old was Jiang Zhiyuan? At most, she was a spoiled big missy. She might¡¯ve had talent, but now, she naturally didn¡¯t have it any longer. Such a person would definitely not be someone who had contributed greatly to the Sky-Cloud Empire, right? Then¡­ there was only the second option left. But although Fairy Water Mound was one of the 28 divisions in the Sky-Cloud Empire, they had no blood relations! How could Jiang Zhiyuan, the Jiang family¡¯s Big Missy have the bloodline of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s eldest descendant? Baili Chun was shocked and enraged. He stared at Rong Xiu closely, wanting to figure out something. Does he already know something? He shouldn¡¯t! That incident has been buried for so many years, and all the people who knew of it aren¡¯t alive anymore. How does Rong Xiu¡ª However, Baili Chun didn¡¯t dare to be sure. According to Rong Xiu¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t say this out of nowhere if he didn¡¯t have concrete evidence! But¡­ how can I just admit to it?! There seemed to be something stuck in Baili Chun¡¯s throat, causing him to be unable to breathe. ¡°So this means that Big Missy Jiang doesn¡¯t fulfill any of the criteria?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke lightly and glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan¡ªwho had fainted¡ªas if regretful. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Big Missy Jiang is only 22 or 23 years old and that she used to be treated very preciously. It¡¯s such a shame for her to meet her demise¡­¡± Baili Chun was so angry that his face flushed red. Hypocrites! Earlier, these people wanted Jiang Zhiyuan to die! Previously, they forced her in all sorts of ways, yet they are putting on a show now. How disgusting! Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°Her mother died when she was young. Now that Jiang Hetian is also dead, she¡¯s left alone. Besides, her Yuan meridian is broken, and her reputation is tarnished¡­¡± In such situations, death was the only relief for Jiang Zhiyuan. However, such words were like a prick that stabbed Baili Chun¡¯s heart. Rong Xiu said, ¡°Clan Leader, I know that you¡¯ve always doted on Jiang Zhiyuan. Why don¡¯t¡­ you move back first?¡± Then, he suddenly took a step forward. This step was as if trampling on Baili Chun¡¯s pain. The last string in his mind suddenly broke! ¡°Yuan Yuan is my biological granddaughter. Nobody should touch her!¡± Complete silence then ensued. Even though quite a few people had already guessed this beforehand, they were still astonished when they heard Baili Chun admitting it himself. Everybody knew that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Clan Leader Baili was obsessed with cultivation in his entire life and had never married nor had descendants. The fight between the various parties in the Sky-Cloud Empire was very intense, and he used this point to defeat the others and become the clan leader. At that time, he said that he didn¡¯t have any family, so he would be more impartial as the clan leader. Now, he suddenly said that Jiang Zhiyuan was his biological granddaughter?! The crowd was as though struck by lightning. Rong Xiu paused in his tracks. His thin lips curled up at an extremely faint angle. ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve never been married your whole life, so why would you have a granddaughter? Clan Leader, even if you can¡¯t bear to leave Jiang Zhiyuan, you can¡¯t just smear yourself to save her, right?¡± If you tarnish your reputation, you can¡¯t save it anymore! Baili Chun¡¯s temples throbbed, and the blood in his body coursed around crazily, almost about to explode! Rong Xiu¡¯s sentence directly pierced one¡¯s heart! Baili Chun took a deep breath in and controlled his emotions with much difficulty. He then said harshly and coldly, ¡°Every word I said just now is true! Jiang Hetian¡¯s wife, who is Yuan Yuan¡¯s birth mother, is my only daughter!¡± Baili Chun said every single word with much difficulty. He deeply knew that this action was undoubtedly ripping off his mask and letting people step on it! However, he had no other choice. He only had this method to save Jiang Zhiyuan! ¡°Grandpa Chun¡­ w-what did you say¡­¡± At this point, Jiang Zhiyuan, who was unconscious for some time, slowly woke up. In her daze, she heard Baili Chun¡¯s words and was stunned. Baili Chun turned over and carefully helped her up. ¡°Yuan Yuan, don¡¯t be scared. You¡¯re my only granddaughter. I won¡¯t let you feel aggrieved.¡± G-grandfather? Jiang Zhiyuan really did not know about this. After realizing what this sentence meant, she widened her eyes slowly and didn¡¯t recover her senses for a long time. ¡°You have the bloodline of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s eldest descendant. Nobody can kill you!¡± Baili Chun comforted her. This was actually a long story. Back then, he went outside for training for a period of time and met a woman. The two of them decided to spend the rest of their lives together and naturally talked about marriage. Later on, the training ended. Originally, he planned on returning to the Sky-Cloud Empire first before bringing this woman back. However, the Sky-Cloud Empire was in chaos back then, so he couldn¡¯t care about it. Additionally, as he had no wife or descendants, he became the most powerful contestant. After much thinking, he didn¡¯t bring this up to anyone any longer. By the time the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s side stabilized, it was already around a year later. He silently went back and realized that the woman had already given birth to a daughter for him. After seeing him again, that woman seemed to be filled with vengeance and committed suicide. Then, the lone daughter was left. He naturally couldn¡¯t bring this daughter back to the Sky-Cloud Empire. Hence, he turned a few times and sent her back to a family. For the next few years, he looked after her in secret. As he knew that this was his only descendant in his entire life, he doted on his daughter very much. Later on, he racked his brains and tried to arrange for her to marry into the Jiang family. Afterward, she gave birth to Jiang Zhiyuan. It was a pity that she lost too much blood during childbirth and passed away not long later. How could Baili Chun not dote on his granddaughter? Hence, at that point, he was finally determined to ignore all the gossip from the crowd and brought Jiang Zhiyuan back to the Sky-Cloud Empire, allowing her to grow up next to him. Everything she ate, used, and wore was as though she was the eldest missy of the Sky-Cloud Empire. In the beginning, everyone felt that it was rather inappropriate. But seeing his persistent attitude, they didn¡¯t say much. They just felt that he didn¡¯t have descendants and felt rather lonely. Perhaps he had fate with Jiang Zhiyuan, so he was so insistent. After some time, everyone got used to it, and they didn¡¯t speak about it any further. When Jiang Zhiyuan heard this, she was a little dazed. However, she quickly captured the main point. I¡¯m Baili Chun¡¯s biological granddaughter! I¡¯m the true eldest missy of the Sky-Cloud Empire! I don¡¯t need to die! I can even live well in the future! This identity is much more distinguished than before, right?! Jiang Zhiyuan cried emotionally and clutched Baili Chun¡¯s sleeves tightly. ¡°Grandfather¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rong Xiu stood at the side and smiled slightly. ¡°Since this is so, let¡¯s begin the test.¡± 1 Chapter 1482 - Whos Illegitimate Child Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s tears suddenly stopped, and she stared at Rong Xiu strangely in shock. Test? What test? ¡°Your Grace, are you still doubting Yuan Yuan¡¯s identity?¡± Baili Chun also knitted his brows as if very displeased. I¡¯ve already admitted it personally and said clearly that Jiang Zhiyuan is my biological granddaughter! Saying this in front of so many people has already humiliated me. If it weren¡¯t true, why would I do this? Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Clan Leader, don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just doing it by the book. After all, it concerns the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s legitimate bloodline, so we naturally must be more careful. After all, we can only allow her to openly go back to her ancestors after we¡¯ve confirmed her bloodline, right?¡± Jiang Zhiyuan not only had to face his questioning but also the entire Sky-Cloud Empire! Just a few sentences naturally couldn¡¯t convince others. Baili Chun¡¯s anger was reduced a little. After some thinking, he finally nodded. ¡°Yuan Yuan is severely injured, and her body is very weak now. Be careful when you¡¯re doing it.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a bloodline test; it¡¯s very simple. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Baili Chun didn¡¯t reply and gazed at Jiang Zhiyuan instead, patting her hands lightly. ¡°Yuan Yuan, hold it in for a while. We¡¯ll go back later.¡± In the past, he cared about his face and could only bury this incident at the bottom of his heart. But now, to protect Jiang Zhiyuan, he could only do this. Regardless of what others said, he didn¡¯t care anymore. I never expected myself to have such a huge secret! The eldest missy of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ Even if I can¡¯t be the princess consort, I won¡¯t be bullied with this identity! Jiang Zhiyuan was touched. ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯re so good to me!¡± Baili Chun was satisfied when he heard this. He smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re my only family member. If I¡¯m not nice to you, who should I be nice to?¡± Chu Liuyue watched from the side, and the corners of her lips curled up. This grandfather-granddaughter duo acknowledged each other really fast, especially Jiang Zhiyuan, whose mental strength is really quite decent. She just watched her own father die; then, she passionately called Baili Chun her grandfather. It seems like she is really ecstatic to be able to smile so brightly, and this is before her father¡¯s corpse has turned cold. It is also just a short distance away. But after some thinking, it is understandable. It is a bright future again after a perilous situation. Anyone else would be happy as well, right? ¡°Clan Leader, please make way,¡± said Rong Xiu. Baili Chun then took a few steps back. Jiang Zhiyuan mustered her courage and looked at Rong Xiu. However, her gaze no longer had the previous fear and cowardice. So what if I¡¯m not the Jiang family¡¯s Big Missy?! From now onward, I¡¯m the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s eldest descendant! Jiang Zhiyuan was much more confident, and it seemed as though her bodily pain was also reduced. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Rong Xiu closed his eyes and raised his hand. Golden rays of light shot out from his palm and gathered in mid-air. Then, a circular, grayish-white stone¡ªabout the size of a palm¡ªappeared in front of him! A golden fire burned across and formed an intricate needle in the middle! Chu Liuyue watched on from the side and was rather surprised. Such a small stone looks extremely similar to the Extreme God Sundial I saw that day. There are 12 numbers on it and one needle. Perhaps this is an item to test the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s bloodline? As if detecting her gaze, Rong Xiu slowly opened his eyes, smiled, and glanced at her. He patiently explained, ¡°This is the Extreme God Sundial¡¯s child sundial. It¡¯s specially used to test the intensity of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s bloodline. The higher the number, the purer the bloodline.¡± The purer the bloodline, the higher one¡¯s status in the clan. Chu Liuyue nodded. It was indeed related to the Extreme God Sundial, but the latter could test everyone¡¯s bloodline power, while this one could only test the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s. Rong Xiu pushed his palm forward, and the sundial slowly flew forward, stopping before Jiang Zhiyuan. ¡°You just have to place your hand on it.¡± This item didn¡¯t require one to circulate their force. As long as one placed some blood on it, they could rapidly get the results. Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s hand was covered with blood, and she could just place it on top, which saved quite a bit of trouble. Jiang Zhiyuan stared at that child sundial and was nervous and excited. She had seen this child sundial before, but she never expected herself to have such a day! She held her breath in and carefully placed her hand on it. Whir! The moment it touched, the child sundial let out a whir! Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s heart seemed to be tightly clutched, and she stared at it without blinking. The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s disciples normally had a result of ¡®six¡¯ or ¡®seven.¡¯ The slightly more outstanding ones could be an ¡®eight.¡¯ If one could hit ¡®nine,¡¯ they would have extraordinary status and treatment in the clan! I wonder how high she can be tested¡­ Baili Chun was also watching. Even though the woman I was with back then was average, my bloodline power is high. Hence, she shouldn¡¯t be greatly affected. Besides, from Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s previously outstanding talent, she should at least be an ¡®eight.¡¯ Yet¡­ Time slowly trickled past, but the golden needle on the child sundial didn¡¯t have any movement. Jiang Zhiyuan was confused. She looked at Baili Chun and felt uneasy. Baili Chun said, ¡°Yuan Yuan, try with your other hand.¡± Jiang Zhiyuan followed, but this time, the needle on the sundial still stopped at its initial location. How did this happen? Baili Chun was about to walk forward. ¡°This thing is spoiled¡ª¡± Jiang Zhiyuan clenched her teeth and decisively placed both her hands on it. I don¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t move this sundial! Thump! The moment Jiang Zhiyuan stretched her hands over, the sundial suddenly moved back! That golden needle broke with the sound! A ray of light then flashed across, and the sundial returned to Rong Xiu! Rong Xiu looked at the side and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°The sundial¡¯s needle automatically broke, which means that it has touched an external clan¡¯s bloodline. Clan Leader, Jiang Zhiyuan¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to have our Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s bloodline! I¡¯m afraid¡­ you got it wrong, right?¡± Who knew whose illegitimate child Jiang Zhiyuan was!? Baili Chun¡¯s expression changed drastically! Chapter 1483 - Joke ¡°Impossible! There must be a problem here!¡± As he was agitated, Baili Chun¡¯s voice became shrill and sharp. His old face was filled with shock and anger. ¡°Test again!¡± Rong Xiu smiled, but his gaze was filled with cold nonchalance and harshness. ¡°Clan Leader, you clearly know that the sundial won¡¯t be wrong, so why do this again? Jiang Zhiyuan doesn¡¯t have a drop of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s blood.¡± Every single word was like a sharp knife that harshly pierced Baili Chun¡¯s heart! His footsteps were shaky. Patches of black appeared before him, and his entire body turned cold. How could it be¡­ How is that possible?! When Jiang Zhiyuan was born, I had specifically sent someone to guard her so that her identity wouldn¡¯t be wrong. Then¡­ there¡¯s something wrong with my daughter? Back then, I had personally carried that child back! I also counted the time back then, so it should be my child! Could it be¡­ A terrifying and ridiculous guess surfaced in Baili Chun¡¯s mind, causing his heart to beat wildly. His blood also coursed around violently and almost exploded! 1 He breathed loudly and clutched his chest tightly with one hand. The thoughts in his brain were messy! The surroundings were silent. Quite a few people recovered their senses and secretly exchanged glances. Their expressions were strange as though they were holding something in. What a huge cuckold! What a good show! The ¡®biological granddaughter¡¯ Jiang Zhiyuan, who Baili Chun kept thinking about and taking care of, has no relation to him at all! All these years, he raised someone else¡¯s child and didn¡¯t know it himself! What a joke! Originally, he thought that exposing Jiang Zhiyuan being his own granddaughter would be the most shocking news of the day. He never expected such a reversal to happen! It even happened in front of so many people¡ªit directly slapped his face! It was incredible! From today onward, Baili Chun would be the entire God Residence Realm¡¯s laughingstock! Nobody spoke, but those gazes landed on Baili Chun; they were ambiguous and conflicted. Amongst them, the mockery and ridicule were plain obvious! The air seemed to be frozen. Baili Chun just felt that there were invisible forces in the surrounding that pressed on him, almost sealing him in this enclosed room! His face was on fire, but the surroundings were icy cold. Jiang Zhiyuan was dazed when she heard Rong Xiu¡¯s words. I¡¯m not the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s descendant? But didn¡¯t the clan leader say that I¡¯m his biological granddaughter? What exactly happened? Detecting something amiss, Jiang Zhiyuan felt a strong sense of uneasiness. She opened her mouth and looked at Baili Chun to ask for help. ¡°Grandfather¡­¡± This word instantly triggered Baili Chun¡¯s sensitive mentality! He suddenly turned around and hollered, ¡°Don¡¯t call me!¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was taken aback. Her body trembled, and she cried unwittingly. ¡°¡­C-clan leader, I¡­¡± In her impression, the clan leader had never used such a frightening tone or expression to talk to her. But what did I do wrong? He said he was my grandfather, and he said he wanted to protect me, not let me suffer any grievances. Now, everything has changed in the blink of an eye! I don¡¯t want such a test result either! Why am I blamed for everything in the end?! In just a few moments, Jiang Zhiyuan fell from heaven to hell and was even harshly stepped on. No matter how foolish she was, she knew what was awaiting her. Her face turned pale, and her cracked lips trembled intensely. ¡°Clan Leader, since this is a misunderstanding¡­ you won¡¯t have any objections to executing Jiang Zhiyuan, right?¡± Rong Xiu asked very politely and courteously. Some people turned their heads and laughed secretly. Isn¡¯t Rong Xiu doing this on purpose!? It was already humiliating for Baili Chun when it was proven that Jiang Zhiyuan wasn¡¯t his granddaughter in front of so many people. By asking again, isn¡¯t he reminding Baili Chun how glaring his identity as a cuckold is?! Baili Chun was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. He had never felt so humiliated and embarrassed in his entire life! He flung his robe and turned around to leave! I can¡¯t stay in this place for another moment! ¡°Clan Leader!¡± Seeing that he was about to leave, Jiang Zhiyuan was anxious. If he leaves just like that, what am I supposed to do? ¡°Clan Leader, this sundial is wrong! It must be wrong!¡± Why wouldn¡¯t I be the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s bloodline? I must be¡ªI have to be! Baili Chun¡¯s head hurt, and he turned around and berated, ¡°Shut up!¡± That child sundial was left behind by the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s ancestors. Even after such a long time, it has never been wrong. Previously, he was too stunned, so he lost his composure and said such doubtful words. But in his heart, he knew that the sundial was fine! Even he had no ability to tamper with the sundial, let alone Rong Xiu! Jiang Zhiyuan was insane to say that! ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyuan was so frightened that her entire body trembled. However, she just hesitated for a moment before she cried even more intensely. She looked at Baili Chun with watery eyes. ¡°¡­Grandpa Chun, no matter what, I grew up beside you. Do you really have no feelings toward me at all? Even if I¡¯m not your biological granddaughter, I¡¯ve really treated you as my own grandfather all these years!¡± It was fine if she didn¡¯t talk about this, but once she did, the hatred and anger in Baili Chun¡¯s heart crazily surged up! Treat her well? Brought her up beside me since young? Wasn¡¯t all of that because I thought she was my descendant!? But now that the truth was out, he realized that he was lied to for his entire life¡ªtricked for his entire life! He had also become a complete joke! There were many outstanding disciples in the Sky-Cloud Empire, even those that were better than her. The reason why he doted on her alone was still¡ªmany years of feelings? All these years, the extent of how well he treated Jiang Zhiyuan and how much he cared about her showed how much pain he was in now¡ªand how embarrassed he was! Seeing that Baili Chun¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t right, Jiang Zhiyuan was rather scared. However, she was even more afraid of dying. Hence, she hesitated for a moment and still reached her hand out toward Baili Chun. ¡°Grandpa Chun, help me¡ª¡± At this point, she was severely injured and didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up on her own. Baili Chun was quite a few steps away from her. Even if she stretched her hand out, she wouldn¡¯t have reached him. However, this movement was extremely infuriating to Baili Chun! His eyelids twitched harshly, and he almost instinctively waved his hand. ¡°Get lost!¡± What kind of wild thing has lied to me for so many years? It actually has the cheek to ask for help now?! Thump! His move was filled with anger and strength! With one shot, he hit Jiang Zhiyuan until she flew backward and landed on the ground harshly. Shoo! Jiang Zhiyuan spat out a mouthful of blood, and her breathing was weak. She tried to stand up with much difficulty, but it was to no avail. She could only lie on the floor miserably like an ant. She stared at Baili Chun as layers of hopelessness covered her eyes. Finally, the corner of her lips curled up in an extremely sarcastic yet miserable and self-ridiculing manner. My entire life was just a joke¡­ The next moment, before her smile could completely extend, she tilted her head and hit the floor. She stopped breathing. Chapter 1484 - Interrogation Jiang Zhiyuan was already injured when she came out from the Flood-Desert Northern Region. Even though she had been recuperating at the Sky-Cloud Empire during this period, she hadn¡¯t fully recovered. To come here this time and fight with Chu Liuyue, she even took the Delusional Fragrance Pill without regard for the consequences, causing her Yuan meridian to break and her body to be severely damaged. She was originally hanging onto her last breath, and Baili Chun¡¯s final strike was the last straw that crushed the camel¡¯s back. Baili Chun didn¡¯t intend to actually kill her, but his strike was too strong, and Jiang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t resist it. The crowd fell silent. They were all speechless when they saw this scene. Jiang Zhiyuan lay on the floor, and a large pool of blood appeared below her body. Her head looked up at a strange angle¡ªher body could no longer move, so she could only forcefully look at Baili Chun in this manner. Her eyes protruded out, but her gaze dissipated, and her face was filled with bloodstains and injuries. One could even see the veins on her forehead and neck. Even if she was dead, one could still see how hopeless and desperate she was before she died. But at that time, she had no strength to do any useless retaliation or struggle. She didn¡¯t die in peace. After a temporary silence, soft discussions silently spread across. ¡°Tsk, he struck really harshly¡­ he directly took Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s life away! No matter what, he personally raised her beside him for a few years. He really had no feelings for her at all¡­¡± ¡°This was an illegitimate child that came from god knows where. Why would he be merciful? I think that Baili Chun clearly did it on purpose!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t have any face to come out!¡± ¡°It¡¯s even humiliating enough to have a child out of wedlock. In the end, it wasn¡¯t even his¡­ This is enough for me to laugh at him for a year! Haha!¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet! Baili Chun has heard it. Didn¡¯t you see how his expression changed?¡± ¡°So what? If he could do such a thing, why can¡¯t others talk about it? Could he come over and shut all our mouths? Besides, in a few days, this matter will spread across the God Residence Realm. There are so many people and so many mouths¡ªhow could he stop them all?¡± ¡­ The people present had extraordinary statuses. Even though they were rather polite to Baili Chun, it didn¡¯t mean that they were really afraid of him. This was especially so because the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s power was in Rong Xiu¡¯s hands, and it didn¡¯t have much to do with Baili Chun. Couldn¡¯t they see that he could not even call a heavenly doctor after such a long time? This already stated too many problems. Besides, the show of Jiang Zhiyuan using her blood to acknowledge her kin had completely tarnished Baili Chun¡¯s reputation. Baili Chun clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. The veins on his forehead also throbbed, and his wrinkles trembled slightly. It was enough to see that he was on the verge of explosion. He glanced at Jiang Zhiyuan, then turned around to leave without any hesitation. If I see Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s face again, I will only recall those humiliating matters! Upon seeing this, Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Clan Leader, are you leaving?¡± Baili Chun stopped in his tracks. ¡°I have something on. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± His voice was hoarse as if he were suppressing something. Rong Xiu raised his chin. ¡°Then, Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s corpse¡­¡± ¡°Settle it with her father!¡± Baili Chun¡¯s tone suddenly became frustrated as he hastened his steps and quickly left. It seemed like mentioning Jiang Zhiyuan¡¯s name would dirty his mouth. Rong Xiu seemed calm and nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay. Have a safe journey.¡± Baili Chun didn¡¯t even respond as his figure flashed, and he disappeared on the spot! ¡­ Baili Chun left, and the Jiang family¡¯s father and daughter were dead. However, the crowd could ruminate about today¡¯s incident for a long time. For a Jiang Zhiyuan, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Clan Leader Baili would risk pitting himself against Rong Xiu and admit in public that he had an illegitimate daughter! This was a lifelong stain for someone from a top-tier aristocratic family! Baili Chun risked it all for his only descendant. But after much trouble, he realized that she wasn¡¯t even his descendant! Wasn¡¯t this too laughable?! After being in seclusion for a few years, he finally came out. In the end, before he could even throw his weight around, his reputation was completely tarnished! Rong Xiu turned around and looked at the people from Ling Xiao Academy. ¡°Sorry, I dirtied the academy¡¯s floor.¡± Elder Bo Yan smiled and turned to say to the people behind him, ¡°The few of you, go and clean it up.¡± Two elders stepped forward and quickly brought Jiang Zhiyuan and Jiang Hetian¡¯s bodies to the side before rapidly cleaning the floor. Rong Xiu glanced at the sky. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed the Jiang family. In a while, they will come over.¡± The crowd smacked their lips. The Jiang family is very far from here. How could they rush over in such a short time, unless¡­ Rong Xiu had long given this command! He had clearly made preparations to take these two people¡¯s lives before today! Originally, everyone came for Chu Yue, but who would¡¯ve thought Rong Xiu successfully used this chance to clean his household!? This man was still extremely young, but he was very meticulous and unfathomable. It was as if everything was in his control! The crowd had already feared him when he took the ¡®Your Grace¡¯ position, and he was known to be ruthless. But it was only today that they realized they still underestimated Rong Xiu! His thinking, his talent¡­ He was an elite in all aspects! Such a person really couldn¡¯t be underestimated! ¡­ Chu Liuyue turned around, took a deep breath in, and bowed to Elder Bo Yan and the rest. Elder Hua Feng hurriedly said, ¡°Hey, k¡ªgirlie, what are you doing?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for using a fake identity to come into the academy and lying to the elders and my schoolmates.¡± Elder Hua Feng rubbed his hands. ¡°Aiya, what does this count for?! Actually, not everybody uses their real identities in the academy! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why should you apologize?¡± There were too many people who wanted to study at Ling Xiao Academy. People came from all walks of life and had various identities. There were quite a few that changed their names and identities. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s incident was just blown up a little bigger. Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t a major mistake. Elder Bo Yan stroked his beard, nodded, and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as you don¡¯t do anything against the principles, the academy won¡¯t pursue such matters. Besides, you¡¯ve also contributed greatly to the academy during this period.¡± She also got into countless troubles, but this naturally couldn¡¯t be said now. ¡°No matter if you¡¯re Chu Yue or Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re still the academy¡¯s student. The academy¡­ will protect you.¡± As he spoke, Elder Bo Yan surveyed the surroundings. His hint was very obvious¡ªtheir Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t care that Chu Liuyue hid her identity, so other people shouldn¡¯t utter a word! Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief and felt grateful. But at this point, a rather sudden voice sounded, ¡°You¡¯ve clarified the Black Demon Hole incident. We can also pass over the issue of you hiding your identity, but there¡¯s one thing you haven¡¯t said clearly. Shangguan Yue, is the Heavenly Square Cauldron with you?!¡± Chapter 1485 - Summon! Chu Liuyue turned around. The person talking was Jin Di. His expression was cold and stern, and his gaze was cunning like a poisonous snake that sent chills down one¡¯s heart. Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. Is this Jin Di bent on going after me? In front of so many people, they can¡¯t directly snatch the Chi Xiao Sword, so they plan on taking other things? Upon hearing this, quite a few people were energized. Heavenly Square Cauldron¡ªthis was indeed one of the things they wanted to make clear the most during this journey! The Chi Xiao Sword was a supreme Yuan instrument, and it was indeed precious, but it already had an owner. This was the case unless Shangguan Yue¡¯s soul was burned and extinguished. Otherwise, even if others had this treasure, they couldn¡¯t use it. It would have no meaning. However, the Heavenly Square Cauldron was different¡ªit was one of the top ten holy weapons in the God Residence Realm! With such a precious item around, the entire aristocratic family¡¯s status would move up another level! Those clans with holy weapons could talk more confidently than the rest. Hence, in comparison, they were more interested in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Would you believe whatever I say?¡± All these people weren¡¯t nice to deal with. It was impossible to try to solve this matter in two sentences. Jin Di smiled in a contorted manner and cunningly. ¡°You¡¯re indeed the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s new princess consort. Your thinking is indeed clear. The Heavenly Square Cauldron is related to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, and it has great meaning. Not only me¡ªI believe everyone present wants to know about this more, right?¡± Some people nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. Actually, everyone came over today to understand this matter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯ll be great if everyone can peacefully settle this matter. If you prove that you have nothing to do with this, we¡¯ll naturally apologize.¡± As if seeing that Rong Xiu treated this princess consort specially, everyone was more polite when they spoke. Their attitudes weren¡¯t as oppressive as before. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly, and she didn¡¯t really take this to heart. In the beginning, she was just a young man with not much background. With such an identity, they naturally wouldn¡¯t care about her. This was very normal in the God Residence Realm, and there was nothing much to be concerned about. However, the key was how they should solve this Heavenly Square Cauldron incident, She laughed lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m already very grateful that everyone is so kind and not holding the previous incidents against me. Regarding the Heavenly Square Cauldron, I will naturally cooperate with the investigation. Senior Jin Di, may I know how you want to do this?¡± Jin Di slowly straightened his body. ¡°To be honest, my Golden Wings Sect has a Heavenly Square Cauldron replica that we have been hiding for hundreds of years. Rumors have it that when the real product appeared in the world, there were two other exact replicas.¡± ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron is very precious, so it¡¯s spiritual. Every time it¡¯s presented to the world, it will divide a part of its force and form several replicas to mess with people¡¯s vision and hearing. Only those people who really have fate can obtain the precious item!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we, the Golden Wings Sect, don¡¯t have this luck and can only get the replica after a twist of fate. But although this is fake, it luckily has a portion of the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s aura. If it meets the real item, it can arouse a strong reaction.¡± said Jin Di as he stretched his hand out and faced his palm upward. A very tiny transparent square cauldron suddenly appeared in his hands! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. That item is indeed exactly the same as the Heavenly Square Cauldron! ¡°Shangguan Yue, if you really have a clear conscience, you can just hold this item in your hand. If it has no reaction, it will prove that you don¡¯t have the Heavenly Square Cauldron! On the other hand¡ª¡± Jin Di snorted and laughed. His meaning was understood without being stated. Nobody expected Jin Di to have such a move! At that moment, everybody looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay!¡± This move is indeed smart, and I have to accept it! However¡­ there are some things that have to be asked clearly first. ¡°The Golden Wings Sect indeed has a huge foundation and deep background to have such a treasure.¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to be praising him sincerely and genuinely. ¡°Even though it¡¯s not a true Heavenly Square Cauldron, such an item is indeed considered a rare product.¡± Jin Di¡¯s gaze was delightful. ¡°However¡­ Why didn¡¯t you take this item out previously at the Flood-Desert Northern Region?¡± Chu Liuyue changed the topic! ¡°If you were willing to produce it then and directly identify that fake Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­ quite a bit of trouble would be saved, right? Perhaps it could¡¯ve even reduced quite a few injuries and deaths. What do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke as she knitted her brows slightly and shook her head as if filled with regret. Jin Di was stumped. ¡°You¡ª¡± Isn¡¯t this scolding the Golden Wings Sect for standing at the side and doing nothing?! ¡°T-this item wasn¡¯t with me back then!¡± He avoided Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, and his gaze was dodgy. ¡°After all, it¡¯s a precious item, and it has been kept in the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s ancestral hall. How can I bring it along with me so casually?¡± This was rather laughable. This item is indeed precious, but when everyone went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, they indeed went for the Heavenly Square Cauldron. When their people went, how could they not bring this item along to identify its authenticity? He most likely only got this item recently. Motive¡­ The motive is naturally to go for me! However, I don¡¯t know where the Golden Wings Sect got the item from¡­ Chu Liuyue thought to herself. There are really many people who want to go for me. They have all gathered openly and secretly. Chu Liuyue stared at Jin Di for some time. Jin Di was stared at until his humiliation turned into anger. Then, he furiously stood up. ¡°What? Are you guilty and don¡¯t want to be investigated?!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Senior Jin Di, why are you anxious? Previously, I said that I would definitely cooperate with this investigation and questioning. However, this matter implicates my reputation, so I naturally have to be more careful.¡± Jin Di kept quiet and sat back down in a similarly rough manner. ¡°We will test and know what¡¯s the truth!¡± This meant that he wanted to push everything to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Jin Di was elated and immediately flung his hands! That small, transparent square cauldron immediately flew toward Chu Liuyue. Force gushed out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm and quickly caught that item. The squarish cauldron silently stood on Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. It was entirely transparent and crystallized in a clear and pure manner. Chu Liuyue judged it detailedly. She found it very similar when she saw it from afar, but when she took a closer look at it, she could still notice the differences. The average person couldn¡¯t tell, but she was most familiar with the Heavenly Square Cauldron and could identify it easily. At this point, a ball of transparent fire suddenly formed in the tiny transparent square cauldron. Chu Liuyue was stunned! Whir! The Heavenly Square Cauldron in her body suddenly exploded with a sound! Chapter 1486 - My Man Crack! A crisp sound was heard! The transparent square cauldron in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand was filled with tiny cracks! Her heart sank, and she immediately suppressed the Heavenly Square Cauldron in her body! However, this connection was intimate, and there seemed to be countless lines surrounding it. It couldn¡¯t be blocked completely! The next moment, the small cauldron suddenly shattered! Thump! The shards flew everywhere¡ªthey turned into multiple sparks and flew in all directions! Jin Di immediately stood up and pointed at Chu Liuyue angrily. ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron is in your body!¡± Once he said that, the crowd was stunned! At that moment, everyone¡¯s attention was gathered on Chu Liuyue with varying expressions! It was deadly silent! Jin Di suppressed his shock, raised his voice, and berated, ¡°Everyone saw it personally just now, right?! That replica suddenly exploded in Shangguan Yue¡¯s hand! If she doesn¡¯t have the real Heavenly Square Cauldron with her, such a big reaction would definitely not occur!¡± Under the crowd¡¯s watch, the evidence was concrete! ¡°Shangguan Yue, how can you still deny it this time?!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. I see¡­ She hadn¡¯t seen this so-called replica beforehand. Although she knew there might be a reaction, she didn¡¯t expect it to be so sudden. She didn¡¯t have any time to prepare before everything happened! Additionally, so many people had seen it. Even if she wanted to explain herself, it would be hard! Countless gazes landed on Chu Liuyue like a physical one. The Heavenly Square Cauldron is related to her. Doesn¡¯t it prove that she might¡¯ve long known about what happened in the Flood-Desert Northern Region? On Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s side, Elder Bo Yan and the rest were dazed. Didn¡¯t she previously say that the Heavenly Square Cauldron was one of the ten holy weapons and that it had nothing to do with her? What is going on now?! Jin Di was relentless and sneered. ¡°What, you don¡¯t dare to talk anymore? Weren¡¯t you very righteous just now? Now¡ªpfft!¡± Before he could finish speaking delightfully, his voice trailed off as if someone suddenly strangled his neck. Then, he let out an urgent, short, and painful gasp. The crowd turned around and saw that Jin Di¡¯s face had turned the color of a pig¡¯s lung. His hands were weakly holding his neck as if he were struggling to hold onto something. Upon closer look, they could faintly see that a golden line had flown to Jin Di at some point and tightly strangled his neck! He wanted to struggle free from this. Golden line¡­ Quite a few people looked at Rong Xiu in shock. ¡°Noisy.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was clear and cold. His expression was nonchalant, and it sent a chill down one¡¯s spine for some reason. This man had a natural distinguished nature in his bones. Just by standing there casually¡­ He didn¡¯t do anything, but he was still noble, and others could only look up to him. Some people present could clearly sit side by side with him, and in terms of seniority and experience, they were much better than him. However, Rong Xiu never lost out when it came to aura. Even Jin Di¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he met those cold and deep phoenix-like eyes as he swallowed the curses that were about to leave his mouth. This Rong Xiu¡­ could even humiliate my own clan leader in public and even silently change the owner of the biggest Fairy Water Mound under him! He isn¡¯t someone to be trifled with! In this world¡­ there is probably nothing he wouldn¡¯t do! Jin Di swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva with much difficulty, and he stammered, ¡°I-I just want to help everyone check clearly¡­¡± Perhaps he was threatened by Rong Xiu¡¯s formidable aura, but his voice became much softer. ¡°Rong Xiu, what he said is right. Everyone came for this today, and now that we¡¯ve found some clues, won¡¯t it be too inappropriate if we just leave it as that?¡± Someone spoke. This wasn¡¯t to help Jin Di but to help themselves. Now that the Heavenly Square Cauldron was proven to be with Shangguan Yue, they wouldn¡¯t let this be no matter what! ¡°Yeah! Jin Di is more agitated, but this matter has to be solved, right?¡± ¡°Rong Xiu, the Sky-Cloud Empire previously didn¡¯t openly participate in the Flood-Desert Northern Region, but you were there as well. This matter has something to do with you too. Besides, Shangguan Yue is your princess consort. If you keep protecting her, it doesn¡¯t seem rather appropriate, right?¡± ¡°Everyone, calm down. We can talk about this properly!¡± Someone eased the situation. ¡°Shangguan Yue hasn¡¯t said anything yet, okay! Everyone, let¡¯s just listen first!¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up at an extremely faint angle. This sounded neutral and justified, but it was still forcing her to ¡®give an explanation¡¯ in actual fact. Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly, and his surrounding aura suddenly froze! He hated other people threatening him the most! Right at this point, a gentle and warm hand suddenly stretched over. Rong Xiu looked back and met Chu Liuyue¡¯s bright smile. She lightly scratched his thick and powerful palm as her eyes curved. ¡°Let me explain this matter.¡± This move seemed to be scratching Rong Xiu¡¯s heart in an itchy and numbing manner. His brows moved slightly as he silently held her dishonest hand back. After staring into her stubborn and determined eyes for a while, he then lightly nodded. ¡°If you want to say it, then do it. If you don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s fine.¡± He said lightly and clearly, ¡°Why can¡¯t my Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort want a holy weapon?¡± That was unreasonable, arrogant, and domineering! Quite a few people¡¯s expressions changed slightly. Rong Xiu¡¯s words have a threat to them, and it seems like he is bent on protecting Shangguan Yue to the end! Chu Liuyue blinked. This man¡­ Her red lips curled up. Her appearance was breathtakingly beautiful. It seemed like an entire galaxy was contained within her eyes. With just one look, one would instinctively be charmed and immersed in it. She leaned in closer and gestured for Rong Xiu to lower his head. Rong Xiu lowered his body and leaned his ear close to her lips. She smiled and lowered her voice. ¡°My man is so good. I¡¯ll naturally be obedient and not cause trouble for him.¡± As she spoke, her lips opened and closed as a moist and sweet warmth spread to his earlobes. Half of Rong Xiu¡¯s body seemed to warm up as the anger suppressed in his heart disappeared without a trace instantly. His entire mind and eyes only had this person beside him. His hand tightened comfortably and was quickly loosened, turning into a slight caress against the back of her hand. Then, he straightened his back. The crowd was stunned. Wasn¡¯t he filled with anger previously? Why did he change into another person after two sentences from Shangguan Yue? What did Shangguan Yue say? However, they could see one point¡ªRong Xiu¡¯s change in emotions was indeed closely linked to this woman! The crowd became even more fearful. Chu Liuyue coughed lightly, looked around carefully, and said, ¡°The Heavenly Square Cauldron is indeed with me, but different from everyone¡¯s guesses, I didn¡¯t get this item from the Flood-Desert Northern Region. In actual fact, it had already acknowledged me as its owner a few years ago!¡± Chapter 1487 - Who Dares to Bully Her? Recognize her as its owner?! Hearing those few words, almost everyone present wasn¡¯t calm. ¡°What did you say? The Heavenly Square Cauldron has already acknowledged you as its owner?¡± A man, who looked like he was in his thirties, couldn¡¯t hold it in and asked immediately. Chu Liuyue nodded rightfully. ¡°Won¡¯t the Heavenly Square Cauldron recognize an owner every time it appears in the world?¡± An extreme treasure like the Heavenly Square Cauldron normally found its own owner. If one could receive its recognition, that person could naturally become its owner. If they couldn¡¯t, then no matter how hard one tried, it would be to no avail. The crowd was dumbfounded. They only wanted to find the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s whereabouts, but they forgot about this! Recognize an owner¡­ It already has an owner! Then, what were we so busy for?! ¡°Wait! You said that you obtained this Heavenly Square Cauldron a few years ago. What evidence do you have?¡± another person asked doubtfully. ¡°Who knows if you found this treasure in that mysterious gully?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Why should I lie about such things? To be honest, this Heavenly Square Cauldron played a huge part in me having two legendary fiends! If you don¡¯t believe me¡­ I can¡¯t do anything either.¡± The crowd was dazed. Oh right, we almost forgot that Shangguan Yue indeed has two legendary fiends¡ªone red-gold heavenly phoenix and one legendary three-eyed eagle. The latter is even the clan leader! In the beginning, they also found it weird. Logically speaking, these two legendary fiends couldn¡¯t serve the same master at the same time. If there was the Heavenly Square Cauldron, it could explain a thing or two¡­ It was a holy weapon after all! ¡°T-then¡­¡± Quite a few people exchanged glances, not knowing where to start asking in such a short amount of time. At this point, Jin Di finally recovered his senses. As he exhaled loudly, he asked, ¡°Since the Heavenly Square Cauldron has long been with you, you must¡¯ve known that the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡¯s news was fake from the start, right?¡± The crowd was stunned in unison. Chu Liuyue looked straightforward and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Once he said this, even the academy elders couldn¡¯t sit still. This girl actually long knew about it?! Then, she¡ª ¡°Thus, I planned to follow the academy crowd and see what exactly was going on.¡± At this point, there were many things she didn¡¯t have to hide anymore. Chu Liuyue swiftly chose to lay out her cards. ¡°It was a pity that I fell ill and stayed in the academy, so I couldn¡¯t go with them.¡± ¡°Luckily, some problems happened in the Flood-Desert Northern Region, so I had a second chance to go there. And that time, I did go over. The few elders that went with me from the academy can testify to this.¡± Elder Hua Feng hurriedly nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! I initially didn¡¯t agree back then, but this girl was very insistent, so I brought her along!¡± At that time, he just felt that she was young, ambitious, and filled with curiosity. He never expected there to be so many twists and turns! Chu Liuyue smiled at Elder Hua Feng gratefully. Elder Hua Feng¡¯s daze flickered as he hurriedly turned around and clutched the armrest at the side tightly. This¡­ This is really too similar! He rubbed his brows and continuously warned himself, Two people! They¡¯re two people! At this moment, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t detect the conflict in Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart. She honestly looked at the crowd. ¡°Back then, I wanted to investigate properly after going to the Flood-Desert Northern Region before I made a decision. However, I didn¡¯t expect the later incidents to happen as well.¡± That man in his thirties¡ªwho spoke impulsively in the beginning¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°You didn¡¯t expect it? You¡¯re planning to brush us away with such a sentence? Shangguan Yue, did you know that if you had spoken earlier, so many people wouldn¡¯t have died?!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was slightly cold, and her gaze was like a blade. ¡°So you mean that you want me to be responsible for the deaths of those people?¡± ¡°You have to take at least half the responsibility, right?!¡± The other party was clearly more agitated. ¡°If you said it earlier, why would we end up like this!?¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed. ¡°Forgive me for not agreeing with what you said.¡± Her gaze swept past the crowd like a frozen sharp blade! It pierced straight to the bottom of one¡¯s heart! ¡°You went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region just to snatch treasures. That has nothing to do with me, right?¡± What do I have to do with their life and death? ¡°Besides, even if I said it back then, would you have believed it?¡± Her light rhetorical questioning caused those people to be dumbfounded. They indeed wouldn¡¯t believe an ordinary student from Ling Xiao Academy. Besides, it was even related to the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Such a treasure with a teen¡­ Anyone would think that it was a fairytale, right?! Who would listen? Chu Liuyue tucked her loose strands of hair behind her ear, shrugged her shoulders, and smiled slightly. ¡°I believe you know the logic of alerting your enemies better than I do, right?¡± Was I supposed to put myself in danger for a bunch of unrelated people? Even they wouldn¡¯t do it! ¡°From start to end, the only people I wanted to save were those from Ling Xiao Academy. Everyone else¡¯s life and death have nothing to do with me!¡± Her one sentence was loud and righteous. She sounded harsh, but one couldn¡¯t deny it. The crowd was dumbfounded. Suddenly, someone said in a cold voice, ¡°You said that you have nothing to do with Black Demon Hole and that the Heavenly Square Cauldron had already recognized you as its owner a few years ago. Then, how could it be so coincidental that you¡¯re the only one who successfully went into the mysterious region in the gully?! Shangguan Yue, do you really have an undiscoverable secret?!¡± Chu Liuyue followed the voice and looked over. That man, who looked like he was in his forties, had an average appearance and cold gaze. Chu Liuyue was about to speak when she suddenly heard laughter that was as loud as thunder exploding far away. ¡°She¡¯s from my Shangguan family. Of course, only she can enter my territory!¡± This voice was tremendous and was very clear when people heard it. The crowd was taken aback, and all turned around to take a look. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart also skipped a beat. She followed the direction of the voice and looked over. A tall and burly figure rapidly descended from the skies! He was wearing a dark-green robe as he traveled a thousand miles in a step to walk across the skies! ¡°At this point, I want to see who dares to bully her!¡± The suppression was immense¡ªit shocked everybody! 1 Chapter 1488 - Ancestor Protects! ¡°Legendary warrior!¡± Elder Bo Yan suddenly stood up and looked at the incoming person doubtfully. The other party had a formidable and oppressive aura. He was definitely an elite amongst the warriors! His gaze turned, and he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu¡ªGirlie, who is that?¡± That man said ¡®Shangguan clan¡¯s descendant.¡¯ Is that not Shangguan Yue?! Didn¡¯t they say that this girl was from outside the realm? Why does she have such a formidable helper? Quite a few people pricked their ears up. Chu Liuyue looked at the middle-aged man that came from the horizon. Her heart beat intensely. Bang bang! Bang bang! ¡°A-Ancestor!¡± she softly muttered, and her eyes were filled with disbelief and unconcealable happiness! Detecting her change in emotions, Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned, and a smile flashed across his eyes. I didn¡¯t expect this person to come so quickly¡­ In the blink of an eye, Shangguan Jing had already appeared before her. His clothes blew with the wind. He wasn¡¯t angry, but he had his own aura. He walked toward Chu Liuyue step by step as he looked at her and smiled. Chu Liuyue stared at him in a daze, not daring to believe what she saw at that moment. There weren¡¯t many changes to Shangguan Jing¡¯s appearance and figure, but he was a translucent soul in the past. Now, he had a real, physical body! His facial expression was so intimate and familiar. Shangguan Jing lowered his head slightly, stared straight at Chu Liuyue, smiled, and said, ¡°What? Girlie, you haven¡¯t seen me for such a short while and can¡¯t recognize me anymore?¡± Chu Liuyue was still a little dazed. ¡°¡­Ancestor?¡± She really did not expect her ancestor to appear! Back at the Flood-Desert Northern Region, she had faintly guessed that her ancestor had once gone there. Later on, she knew that it should be her ancestor¡¯s tomb. At that place, she did think that her ancestor might be able to live. However¡­ she never expected it to be true! Besides¡­ her ancestor¡¯s capabilities seemed¡­ extremely strong! Seeing that she was so confused and dazed for once, Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, reach out, and ruffle Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair. ¡°Hahaha! Are you silly, Girlie? Are you not happy that Ancestor is here?¡± Everyone was stunned. Ancestor?! This man is Shangguan Yue¡¯s ancestor?! However, we haven¡¯t seemed to have heard of warriors with the last name Shangguan¡­ If there were, it was impossible that we didn¡¯t know it! Quite a few people exchanged glances, but they clearly didn¡¯t understand this middle-aged man that appeared. However, his appearance made the crowd fearful. Not only did Shangguan Yue have Ling Xiao Academy and the Sky-Cloud Empire backing her up, she even had this legendary warrior that came from nowhere! And judging from his aura, he could suppress the majority present! If this person was really Shangguan Yue¡¯s ancestor¡­ With their blood ties, he would definitely protect her till the end! That would be even trickier¡­ Shangguan Jing lightly patted her head and said properly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With me around, nobody can bully you!¡± Seeing her ancestor¡¯s kind and doting smile, tears suddenly welled up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. She had always been resilient and did not give up easily. Even if she was surrounded and oppressed by so many people today, she didn¡¯t reveal any weakness! That was because she knew that she could not! If she revealed a bit of her weakness at this time, these people would become even worse! Hence, she had to be stronger! However, Shangguan Jing¡¯s light sentence easily broke through her wall. At that moment, grievances, pain, reminiscence, happiness¡­ Countless complicated emotions overwhelmed her. Shangguan Jing saw that her eyes went red, and his heart hurt. ¡°Okay, okay. It¡¯s all my fault for coming too late! I caused you to be aggrieved, right?¡± He wanted to help Chu Liuyue wipe the tears brewing in her eyes, but he didn¡¯t know how and was clearly helpless. He had experienced countless thunderstorms and was best at fighting and killing, but when his own descendant cried, he really didn¡¯t know what to do. He could only stand there anxiously. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh and reach out to pull his sleeves. ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. I was just too happy to see you.¡± Seeing that she smiled, SHangguan Jing¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he felt relieved. Chu Liuyue sized him up and was slightly dazed. ¡°How¡­ did you come out?¡± She asked this rather tactfully. In actual fact, Shangguan Jing was just a soul back then and wasn¡¯t complete. All along, Chu Liuyue thought that as long as she helped her ancestor reform his physical body and find his remaining soul, he could live again. But now¡­ Shangguan Jing knocked her forehead, smiled, and said, ¡°Girlie, did you forget that that¡¯s our territory?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Our territory¡­ Is he referring to¡­ the comb? Suddenly, a ray of white light flashed across her mind. With Ancestor appearing like this, doesn¡¯t it prove that his remaining soul had been buried in the tomb and¡ª Her gaze suddenly landed on Shangguan Jing. Her ancestor¡¯s face and hands had light scars; they seemed like old injuries. If he had reformed his physical body, he naturally wouldn¡¯t have such wounds. This is¡­ Ancestor¡¯s original body?! Could the thing sealed in the tomb be Ancestor thousands of years ago¡ª As if seeing through her thoughts, Shangguan Jing blinked. Chu Liuyue instantly understood and swallowed the words in her throat. However, the ripples in her heart couldn¡¯t be appeased for a long while. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this in detail when we go back. I¡¯ll settle this trouble for you first,¡± said Shangguan Jing with a smile. Then, he turned around and looked at the crowd. Finally, his gaze landed on the man in his forties that was questioning Chu Liuyue. The smile on his face had faded by quite a bit, and his gaze was like a blade that scraped past the other party as if he wanted to directly skin the other party! Detecting the vague pain, that man¡¯s heart turned numb, and his gaze unwittingly became dodgy. Shangguan Jing suddenly asked, ¡°You were the one pressuring my Yue¡¯er just now?¡± His voice didn¡¯t have the gentleness when he spoke to Chu Liuyue, and it was now as cold as ice. Every single word seemed to weigh a ton as it suppressed him! That man¡¯s heart shuddered. Ever since this person appeared, he knew that the other party wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with. ¡°I-I was just asking about some things and had no intention of pressuring her. Everyone was present, and they can testify for me!¡± Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jing tugged at the corner of his mouth without much smiling intent. ¡°Oh? Really?¡± That man broke out into a cold sweat. I¡¯ve seen quite a few scenes before. If it weren¡¯t because the other party is too strong, why would I¡ª ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! I asked in that manner so that she could have a chance to clarify! I¡ª¡± Thump! Before he could finish his sentence, Shangguan Jing suddenly raised his hand! A blue-black force suddenly flew out! That man¡¯s figure instantly flew backward and landed on the ground harshly! Shangguan Jing snorted. ¡°What are you!? How dare you interrogate Yue¡¯er!¡± Chapter 1489 - Stand Up for Yueer! The surroundings instantly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop! Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene. H-he took action?! He directly took action. This is too direct, right?! The questioning man was also born in a top-tier aristocratic family. Even though it was rather deserted and couldn¡¯t be compared to the Flying Star Sect, he still had the reputation of a top-tier aristocratic family, and everyone gave him face. Who knew that this man¡ªwho suddenly appeared¡ªwould fight without speaking?! ¡°You!¡± The man being hit was clearly dazed. He coughed a few times and spat out a few broken teeth that were mixed into the fresh red blood. He looked very miserable and disheveled. ¡°Master!¡± When the few people following that man saw this scene, they hurriedly rushed over and anxiously helped him up. ¡°Master, are you okay?!¡± Ye Lingran wanted to kick these few insensible ones to death! Do I look okay?! But without these people supporting him at the side, he might not even stand stably now. The earlier move came too suddenly and caught him off-guard! And Shangguan Jing¡¯s force was huge¡ªhe took action ruthlessly! Half of Ye Lingran¡¯s face was still numb now, and every part of his body seemed to be harshly crushed by something! He was in so much pain! Every time he breathed, there was pain in his chest. Perhaps his bones were broken, and his organs were also damaged! His hand trembled as he pointed at Shangguan Jing. Meeting that pair of cold and nonchalant eyes, his heart unwittingly trembled. His finger shuddered, and he retracted it. However, the anger on his face didn¡¯t subside. ¡°You snuck an attack on me once we had a disagreement. That¡¯s too much!¡± Shangguan Jing directly laughed out loud. ¡°What? Sneak an attack?¡± ¡°Of course, it was a sneak attack!¡± That man breathed intensely, his face flashing white and red. ¡°Everyone was talking nicely, yet you suddenly attacked. Of course, that¡¯s considered a sneak attack! Even if Shangguan Yue is your clansman and you¡¯re anxious to protect her, you can¡¯t do whatever you want. That¡¯s too much of a bully!¡± Shangguan Jing squinted his eyes and grunted. ¡°All these people seem to have seen clearly when I took action, and¡­ I seem to be standing in front of you. If you couldn¡¯t even see this, are you blind?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Ye Lingran never expected that not only was this person strong, but his skin was also as thick as a wall! He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his heart was filled with vengeance. I¡¯ve been totally humiliated being beaten into this state in front of so many people! ¡°There are so many people here, and we¡¯ve been talking nicely since the start! Nobody casually took action, yet you¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem. What does that have to do with me?¡± Shangguan Jing interrupted him in frustration. Then, he raised his brows and surveyed his surroundings. His gaze was as cold and stiff as a blade! ¡°You didn¡¯t directly take action on Yue¡¯er, but which of you didn¡¯t bully her? All of you are from aristocratic families, and you are reputable people. In the end, all of you joined hands to interrogate a girl in her teens. Even if you don¡¯t feel ashamed, I feel humiliated for you!¡± This sentence successfully caused quite a few people¡¯s expressions to change. However, they couldn¡¯t say anything in retaliation. Shangguan Jing glanced at Ye Lingran coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t have that ability, don¡¯t yell around! Humiliating!¡± Ye Lingran felt stifled. His vision had patches of black, and he directly fainted on the floor. ¡°Y-you¡­ What kind of a person are you to holler around here!?¡± He said it by putting on a strong front. No matter what status the other person had, his skills were apparent. If he took action again just because he was upset¡­ Shangguan Jing lightly snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to ask me that question yet!¡± Ye Lingran swallowed a mouthful of blood as his face flashed white, and his entire body trembled. However, Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t care as he turned around and looked in another direction. ¡°You¡¯re from the Golden Wings Sect?¡± He was naturally asking Jin Di. Suddenly being pointed out, Jin Di¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat! He opened his mouth and was rather guilty. ¡°¡­T-that¡¯s right!¡± Earlier, Ye Lingran was beaten into this state in one shot and couldn¡¯t even retaliate at all. He is indeed frightening! Now that person is targeting me¡­ It was impossible if he said he wasn¡¯t nervous. ¡°What do you want to do?!¡± Jin Di clenched his fists tightly. Shangguan Jing tilted his head. After thinking for a moment, he turned around and asked Chu Liuyue, ¡°At the Flood-Desert Northern Region previously, it was this thing that kept targeting you and putting you in a difficult spot, right?¡± He was still in deep sleep back then, but he could faintly feel everything that happened inside and outside the gully. Hence, he remembered Jin Di and¡­ had quite a deep impression of him. Once he heard Shangguan Jing say this, Jin Di immediately felt that something was bad. Did this person catch onto me since the Flood-Desert Northern Region? So¡ª ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded softly, and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. ¡°Senior Jin Di has been very concerned about my matters.¡± ¡°Shangguan Yue, what nonsense are you talking about?!¡± Jin Di was taken aback! Isn¡¯t this purposely causing trouble for me!? ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t speak nonsense.¡± Chu Liuyue looked innocent. ¡°From the Chi Xiao Sword to the Heavenly Square Cauldron, you¡­ or should I say the Golden Wings Sect¡ªhave been ¡®participating¡¯ rather enthusiastically, right?¡± Participating? They were just causing trouble! Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, and he glanced at her. This girl became gutsy after seeing her ancestor. She is getting better at setting traps for people¡­ ¡°I-I¡­ I was just¡­¡± ¡°Come over here.¡± Originally, Jin Di wanted to defend himself. Before he said anything clearly, he heard that man calling him to go over. He gulped with difficulty. ¡°If you have anything to say, just do it.¡± I won¡¯t go over! Wouldn¡¯t that be courting death?! With what happened to Ye Lingran earlier¡­ Even if all the people who came from the Golden Wings Sect are added together, we won¡¯t be his match! Then, why should I go forward and make myself uncomfortable?! Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression turned lighter, and his voice became colder. ¡°I told you to come over. Did you not hear me?!¡± His every single word was filled with oppression. They were like heavy hammers smashing onto one¡¯s heart, causing Jin Di to feel suffocated and uncomfortable. Jin Di clenched his teeth. ¡°Actually, everyone just doesn¡¯t want to cause any misunderstanding. Didn¡¯t we solve all those misunderstandings earlier? We¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing was too annoyed to hear him talk nonsense. He suddenly raised his hand and pressed his fingers! Whoosh! Jin Di felt a huge force coming over. The next moment, his body flew forward uncontrollably! The harsh winds were like blades that scraped past his face! Before waiting for him to react, his neck suddenly turned cold! Then, he relaxed and tightened! ¡°Argh¡­¡± Jin Di let out a short and painful moan before falling quiet. Shangguan Jing strangled his neck and coldly asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m as stupid as you?¡± Jin Di wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t even spit out a single word. His face rapidly flushed red, and his veins popped out on his forehead. Only his body was struggling. It was a pity that Shangguan Jing was very stable like a mountain, and he was just wasting his efforts. Shangguan Jing strangled him and surveyed the surroundings at the same time. ¡°All of you, listen up. All the inheritance in the gully within the Flood-Desert Northern Region belongs to my Shangguan clan! If anybody wants to fight with Yue¡¯er¡­ you will end up like him!¡± Ka! Chapter 1490 - Who Cant Offend Whom? The crisp sound of bones shattering was heard. Shangguan Jin casually threw Jin Di, and the latter¡¯s body fell to the floor softly. His eyes protruded out, and his face and head were bruised. His head was also tilted to one side in a strange manner. There were a few wounds on his neck, and the fresh red blood seemed to want to explode directly from underneath his skin! His gaze had dissipated, and his expression was dazed. He had no aura at all¡ªhe was clearly dead. In the giant square, the air was as though frozen. Everyone was taken aback! W-what¡­ just happened? This man actually directly killed Jin Di?! When the remaining few people from the Golden Wings Sect saw this scene, they panicked. ¡°Second Master!¡± They wanted to rush over, but the body was next to Shangguan Jing. They were filled with fear, so they didn¡¯t dare to go near. Hence, they could only stand afar and watch on anxiously and fearfully. One of them finally mustered the courage and yelled, ¡°Do you know who this is? This is our Golden Wings Sect leader¡¯s only younger brother! Our sect leader will definitely not take this lying down!¡± ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Shangguan Jing patted his hands lightly as if he felt that they were stained with something dirty. He then smiled faintly and said, ¡°Coincidentally, I also think that killing him alone is not enough for revenge.¡± The crowd was speechless. Listen! Are these human words? It is fine if he kills one, but he even feels that it isn¡¯t enough? Does he want to exterminate the Golden Wings Sect? Once he said this, those few people¡¯s faces flushed white. Shangguan Jing took another glance at them and laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t kill you. After all, someone needs to go back and report the loss.¡± Besides, he felt that it was beneath him to directly handle these few people. The crowd was speechless. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a lot of respect for her ancestor as she stuck up her thumb in her heart. Rong Xiu leaned over and lowered his voice. ¡°So your temper was inherited from your clan.¡± 1 The ability to anger someone to death really couldn¡¯t be learned by any ordinary person. His voice was low and melodious, and it even had a few hints of happiness now. Mixed together with the hot atmosphere, it landed on her thin neck, causing her to feel ticklish. She turned around and glared at him angrily. However, she was overjoyed from seeing her ancestor, so her glance was also especially bright. Her eyes were watery and charming. Rong Xiu glanced at her red and soft earlobes as he chuckled softly. ¡°Yet, I like it.¡± Then, he watched in satisfaction as the spread of red extended toward her porcelain-white neck. This man then retreated in content. His appearance was decent, and his gaze was watery. He looked gentlemanly and peerless; it was as if he didn¡¯t say those words previously. Chu Liuyue grunted lightly. With Ancestor around, we¡¯ll see how outrageous he can be. She retracted her gaze, and it swept past Jin Di¡¯s corpse. The people from the Golden Wings Sect were such bullies, and they had recently offended her quite a bit. However, she didn¡¯t expect that before she could retaliate, her ancestor had already taken action¡ªand it was so simple and violent! She had to admit¡­ It felt good! ¡°It seems like you have all the courage in the world. With such behavior, you¡¯re planning on completely falling out with the Golden Wings Sect?¡± A voice suddenly sounded from the crowd. The person speaking was the man in his thirties that had also questioned Chu Liuyue previously. Compared to the other old foxes present, he was clearly much more impulsive and¡­ rather fearless? At this point, his brows were tightly furrowed, and he had cold mockery in his eyes. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t think Shangguan Jing could challenge the entire Golden Wings Sect alone. Shangguan Jing glanced at him and suddenly laughed. ¡°You should ask the Golden Wings Sect this! Their ancestor doesn¡¯t even dare to go against me, yet they¡¯re so eager and enthusiastic to do so!¡± Chapter 1491 - Who Said She has No Background? The crowd instantly fell silent. This sentence contained too much information, and ordinary people really couldn¡¯t react in such a short time. Even Chu Liuyue was taken aback as she glanced at her ancestor in shock. Hearing what Ancestor said¡­ In the past, he had interactions with the Golden Wings Sect, and the other party even treated him carefully with respect? This¡­ Is this real or fake? If he could even get the Golden Wings Sect¡¯s ancestor to be so fearful, how strong was Ancestor back then? Originally, she was rather doubtful. But when she thought of the nine gullies in the Flood-Desert Northern Region and the few dragon skeletons, she felt that there might be this possibility. Those people on the opposite side were clearly frightened by Shangguan Jing¡¯s words. That man who spoke was originally rather confident, but once he saw Shangguan Jing acting in this manner, he immediately wavered. ¡°Wh-who are you?!¡± There¡¯s no such person in the God Residence Realm, right? Even if we push a little forward, there doesn¡¯t seem to be such a person! The other party had capabilities. If he didn¡¯t have any background or status, he wouldn¡¯t dare to say such words in front of so many people. Shangguan Jing stood with one hand behind his back and said calmly, ¡°My actual name is¡­ Shangguan Jing! However, you might be more familiar with my other name¡ªMu Tianjing!¡± ¡°Mu Tianjing¡­ I seem to have heard of this name before¡­¡± someone in the crowd mumbled. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of this name too¡­ I just can¡¯t remember in such a short time!¡± ¡°Mu Tianjing¡­ Mu Tianjing¡­¡± Quite a few people recalled as they knitted their brows. Chu Liuyue turned around and glanced at Rong Xiu. She hadn¡¯t heard of her ancestor¡¯s name before, but she didn¡¯t know if Rong Xiu had some understanding of it. As if seeing through her thoughts, Rong Xiu smiled slightly and nodded. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and was even more curious. Ancestor is¡ª ¡°Mu Tianjing¡­. Venerable Mu?!¡± Yao Bin muttered as a ray of white light flashed across his mind. Then, he gazed at Shangguan Jing doubtfully. ¡°You¡¯re Venerable Mu?! You¡¯re¡­ still alive?!¡± He asked this very meticulously and carefully. Quite a few people looked over strangely. Venerable Mu? What does that mean? ¡°Wait! Rumors have it that there was a supreme Armory Refinement Master who was very formidable and challenged seven supreme Armory Refinement Masters without failing! Could it be¡ª¡± Shi Rui¡¯er seemed to have suddenly recalled something as she widened her eyes in shock and stared at Shangguan Jing in disbelief. After a temporary silence, the people in the square broke into an uproar! So it¡¯s that person! So that¡¯s him?! They had more or less heard of this person. That was because this person¡¯s experience was too legendary! Back then, he had no background and went around the God Residence Realm alone. He was extremely arrogant! However, this person indeed had abilities. Supreme Armory Refinement Masters were very rare existences in the God Residence Realm, yet he only found those people. To put it nicely, he ¡®dueled¡¯ with them. To be it harshly, he tortured them. They heard that the seven supreme Armory Refinement Masters were deeply agitated when they lost to him. Some went into seclusion for hundreds of years and crazily cultivated. Others respected and admired him very much. They didn¡¯t even want their aristocratic families and wanted to follow him no matter what. The last one was the worst. As he was deeply affected, he directly became a monk. The reason was simple¡ªhe realized that after cultivating hundreds of years, he was still not as outstanding as one that had cultivated for ten years. He suffered too great a setback. And back then, these seven competitions happened consecutively in three months. They were almost considered back-to-back. Right after the first match was the second. That supreme Armory Refinement Master was the seventh one. He originally thought that after Mu Tianjing became tired from the previous six matches, he would definitely not be his match. He never expected to lose completely in the end. He couldn¡¯t get past it, so he gave up on cultivation ever since and turned to the gods. It was also because of this incident that a few top-tier aristocratic families had grudges against Mu Tianjing. It was a pity that Mu Tianjing had already become famous back then. There were many more people that wanted his help to refine weapons than those who wanted his life. Hence, those people could only let it go. Who knew that after some time, Mu Tianjing suddenly disappeared? Many people tried all sorts of ways to find him, but they couldn¡¯t find his whereabouts. Some said that he passed on, while others said that he changed his name. All in all, there were all sorts of guesses. As time passed, everyone gradually forgot about this incident. After a thousand years, everything changed. If it weren¡¯t because this person¡¯s feats were too shocking back then, probably nobody would remember him if they talked about him now. Shangguan Jing stroked his beard. ¡°What, are you very disappointed that I didn¡¯t die?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! I wouldn¡¯t dare! We definitely don¡¯t mean this!¡± Yao Bin was the first to react and immediately denied it. ¡°Back then, my Yao family¡¯s ancestor had once received guidance from you, and we¡¯ve been very grateful. However, we were troubled that we couldn¡¯t repay the favor and felt very guilty. I never expected to be able to see you today¡­¡± Yao Bin wiped the sweat on his forehead and was sincerely anxious. This wasn¡¯t fake. The reason why he could recall Shangguan Jing¡¯s identity so quickly was indeed due to his Yao family having interactions with the latter. Back then, Shangguan Jing had offended quite a few aristocratic families. However, his ability in armory refinement had helped many people. The Yao family was one of them. Shangguan Jing glanced at him, squinted his eyes, and thought for a while. Then, he said, ¡°You¡¯re Yao Qingxin¡¯s descendant?¡± Yao Bin hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Junior Yao Bin. Greetings, Venerable Mu!¡± Then, he politely cupped his fists toward Chu Liuyue and was filled with apology. ¡°Ms. Shangguan, I offended you beforehand, and I¡¯m really sorry about that!¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and reminded, ¡°Yue¡¯er is now the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort. Master Yao, you can directly call her ¡®Princess Consort.''¡± Chapter 1492 - Grievances Suffered to be Paid One by One Shangguan Jing suddenly turned around, squinted his eyes, and glanced at Rong Xiu with deep meaning. The two men stared at each other. At that moment, there seemed to be sparks flying! ¡°Yue¡¯er, come over.¡± Chu Liuyue coughed and walked over. Shangguan Jing placed one hand on her shoulders. ¡°My granddaughter and I are really from the same family, but we don¡¯t like to go around with our real names. Since we¡¯re here coincidentally, I¡¯ll formally introduce her to everyone.¡± He surveyed his surroundings as the corner of his lips curled up in a proud manner. ¡°This is my Shangguan Jing¡¯s descendant¡ªShangguan Yue! She¡¯s also the most outstanding genius in my Shangguan family! She¡¯s the apple of my eye!¡± Everyone heard it clearly! She was part of their Shangguan family. Chu Liuyue smiled rather helplessly. Ancestor has followed me for such a long time and clearly knows how Rong Xiu treats me, yet he still did this¡­ However, she didn¡¯t know that her ancestor didn¡¯t really say this in the past because he was just half a soul. He couldn¡¯t help in many ways. Other than staying beside her and protecting her, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else. However, it was different now. His Holy Body had awakened, and he had basically recovered his past skills and memories. Yue¡¯er was no longer a person from outside the realm and with a humble background. She was Shangguan Jing¡¯s most liked and important bloodline! All these people relied on their decent background and ordered Yue¡¯er around, pressuring her! My Yue¡¯er is so good! How could they bully her as they wish!? Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice was low and powerful. ¡°From today onward, anyone who wants to question my Yue¡¯er has to ask for my permission!¡± Every single word was like an iron fist with overwhelming suppression! Quite a few people were stunned! This Shangguan Jing¡­ isn¡¯t someone that is easy to deal with! Even though he is alone, he is a supreme Armory Refinement Master. He is a maniacal existence that once beat seven supreme Armory Refinement Masters in a row! Such a person would be the target of flattery in the current God Residence Realm! Who would be rude to him? Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. Ancestor is backing me up! She could clearly feel that the surrounding people were looking at her with different gazes than before. Ling Xiao Academy and Rong Xiu indeed helped her the whole way, but it was different when Shangguan Jing took action. No matter if it were Ling Xiao Academy or Rong Xiu, she seemed to be relying on them to some extent. However, SHangguan Jingwas her closest relative. In the God Residence Realm, if one didn¡¯t have any background or status, one would still be a level below others. But now that her ancestor was around, she was no longer alone! Such a top warrior was her strongest and sturdiest backer! ¡°Now, do you have anything else you want to continue asking Yue¡¯er?¡± asked Shangguan Jing slowly. Quite a few people¡¯s expressions changed slightly. What¡¯s there to ask!? You took action so unreasonably. What can anyone else say? We don¡¯t want to end up like Jin Di! Ye Lingran quietly moved back, trying his best to hide his figure. At this point, he then realized that the other party had pulled his punches! If not, his head and his body would be in different places! This Shangguan Jing and Shangguan Yue aren¡¯t people to be trifled with! I was crazy to have rushed forward previously! Shangguan Jing glanced at him lightly before retracting his gaze. It was important to kill a chicken to warn the monkeys, but a good chicken had to be picked. Those of too low level would dirty his hands. After a moment, Shangguan Jing nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It seems like nobody has anything to ask. All these ¡®misunderstandings¡¯ have been cleared up. Then¡­ Starting from now, you shall apologize to my Yue¡¯er one by one!¡± He raised his chin. Ye Lingran¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Let¡¯s start from you!¡± Chapter 1493 - Youre Too Polite The crowd was taken aback. They originally thought that the matter had ended, so they didn¡¯t expect this to happen! Not continuing with their interrogation is already considered taking a step back and making a compromise. Why is this Shangguan Jing so relentless? It was rather inappropriate for them to work together to target Shangguan Yue, but everyone did so to explain matters. Nobody really planned on taking it out on the child. Besides, these people had quite high statuses. How could they line up one by one to apologize to a girl? Even though this ¡®girl¡¯ was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort now and also Shangguan Jing¡¯s most doted descendant, they could just do it symbolically. How could they actually do it!? Shangguan Jing had long expected that they wouldn¡¯t agree to it. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you say just now that when this matter was investigated, you¡¯d apologize to my Yue¡¯er? Are you¡­ going back on your words now?!¡± The crowd exchanged glances. We just spoke casually. How could it be taken seriously? This Shangguan Jing clearly doesn¡¯t understand it, and he is bent on serving justice to his precious one. However, we really can¡¯t do such a thing. What should we do if word gets out?! Our reputations would be tarnished! After a temporary silence, Yao Bin took the initiative to step forward and speak. ¡°Mu¡­ Senior Shangguan, it is indeed our fault for this incident. I also have a part to play in what happened previously. Why don¡¯t I represent everyone to apologize to¡­ M¡ªShangguan?¡± Perhaps he had just recalled Rong Xiu¡¯s reminder, but he didn¡¯t say out the few words ¡®Missy Shangguan.¡¯ After finishing this sentence, Yao Bin¡¯s back was filled with cold sweat. The light breeze blew over coldly. This¡­ On the one hand, it was Shangguan Jing. On the other hand, it was the Sky-Cloud Empire. Both sides couldn¡¯t be offended! Shangguan Jing glanced at him lightly. ¡°You¡­¡± But before he could finish his sentence, Chu Liuyue suddenly pulled his sleeves. ¡°Ancestor.¡± Hearing this, Shangguan Jing hurriedly turned around, and his originally stern and cold expression instantly broke into a bright smile. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yue¡¯er?¡± Seeing how fast his face changed, the corners of the crowd¡¯s lips twitched. You can have double standards, but this is too much, right?! After turning his head, he has two completely different faces! Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Ancestor, I feel that Master Yao¡¯s suggestion isn¡¯t bad.¡± Yao Bin instantly felt that he had been saved, and he looked at Chu Liuyue gratefully. He didn¡¯t do this completely for himself. He mainly didn¡¯t want the situation to become too awkward. It would be for the best if they could solve today¡¯s matter peacefully. If Shangguan Yue was willing to step up and mediate the situation, giving both parties an out, it would save quite some trouble for everyone. Shangguan Jing squinted his eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er, is that what you really think?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Yeah. Actually, what Master Yao said is right. Everyone is gathered here today just to clarify some matters. As for me¡­ I did cause quite a few people to misunderstand, so it¡¯s not bad¡­ that I have this chance today to clarify in front of everyone.¡± Shangguan Jing had a doting gaze. ¡°But you suffered so many grievances this time¡ª¡± He felt upset that he wasn¡¯t able to help vent her anger. In the past, Yue¡¯er had suffered a lot. She finally managed to return to Tianling and take back everything that belonged to her. In the blink of an eye, she came to the God Residence Realm and was surrounded and bullied by so many people again. If it were someone else, their mentality would¡¯ve long crashed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm as tears welled up in her eyes. She smiled very brightly. ¡°Don¡¯t I have you?¡± And Rong Xiu and the academy. Actually, all these people were standing on her side and helped her the whole time! ¡°Ancestor, I¡¯m already elated that you could come back. I don¡¯t feel wronged for anything else.¡± Rather than wasting time calculating it against these people, it would be better to chat with Ancestor. Shangguan Jing looked at her, and his heart ached. But in the end, he still lightly ruffled her hair. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you for everything!¡± Ye Lingran suddenly heaved a sigh of relief. He felt his knees go weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground. The servants at the side hurriedly helped him up. Shangguan Jing saw him from the corner of his eye and snorted. It¡¯s frustrating to even take another look at him! The other people¡¯s tense emotions relaxed quite a bit. Luckily¡ªluckily, the matter didn¡¯t develop to its worst¡­ Yao Bin took a deep breath in, walked a few steps forward, and cupped his fists. ¡°Shangguan Yue, we believed in rumors previously and randomly guessed, so we misunderstood you and even caused you so much trouble. I¡¯m really sorry for that. Here, I¡ªYao Bin¡ªwill represent everyone and solemnly tell you: we¡¯re sorry!¡± His tone was very sincere. On the one hand, he did feel that he had misunderstood Chu Liuyue. On the other hand, he wanted to try his best to repair their relationship with Shangguan Jing. Hence, he took out his utmost sincerity. Others might feel that it was beneath them, but Yao Bin felt that an apology wasn¡¯t worth much. It would be best if Shangguan Jing could forget about this incident. Even if he couldn¡¯t do so for now, it would be good to have a start. Chu Liuyue smiled and bowed in return. ¡°Master Yao, you¡¯re too kind.¡± There was clearly someone secretly planning these matters. Who she really wanted to target was the mastermind, not these bunch of executors. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply, Yao Bin felt much more relaxed. Suddenly, Shangguan Jing¡ªwho stood at the side¡ªraised his brows. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Yao Bin shuddered and hurriedly looked at Shangguan Jing. At the very least, he was still Purple Light Prefecture¡¯s master and had been in the God Residence Realm for so many years. Thus, he did have pretty good eyesight. He immediately understood what Shangguan JIng meant. ¡°Oh¡­ right, right! A-and¡­ That¡­ No matter how you put it, we were in the wrong first! Just this apology isn¡¯t enough to repair the damage we¡¯ve caused you.¡± As Yao Bin spoke, he produced a sandalwood box from his purple thumb ring. That box was palm-sized, but it was very intricate, and its engravings were detailed. On the outside, it even glowed with a faint layer of light, clearly not ordinary. As he passed the box to Chu Liuyue, he explained, ¡°This is the blood-cloud spiritual ginseng that I previously obtained. It¡¯s a small gift¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. Blood-cloud spiritual ginseng! Rumors said that it could make a dead man¡¯s corpse come alive. Its medicinal effects were very strong yet gentle, so it didn¡¯t have many side effects. This item was extremely precious, and even Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Medicinal Valley didn¡¯t have it. If Jiang Zhiyuan had such an item just now, half her life might¡¯ve been saved. Chu Liuyue glanced at her ancestor rather hesitantly. ¡°This¡­ Master Yao, you¡¯re too kind¡­¡± Yao Bin pushed it forward. ¡°What does this count for? It¡¯s just a small item¡ªquickly accept it! If not, it means that you don¡¯t accept my apology! We won¡¯t feel good either, right?¡± Shangguan Jing nodded. ¡°It¡¯s their kind intentions after all. Just accept it.¡± Chu Liuyue could only accept it with ¡®much difficulty.¡¯ ¡°T-this is really too much¡­¡± Shangguan Jing looked up at the other spectators and suddenly laughed. Chapter 1494 - Abduct After 15 minutes, Chu Liuyue was satisfied when touching her Cosmic Ring, which was much more filled. The feeling of accepting gifts for nothing¡­ It couldn¡¯t be better! Not only did she not have to give a return gift, but she even took them without feeling burdensome at all! ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re too generous. I feel really bad.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. The crowd secretly clenched their teeth. Feel bad? You can take something else! Anyone who has eyes can tell that you were elated when accepting the gifts! It was a pity that such words couldn¡¯t be said. Using ¡®presents¡¯ to substitute for apologies was the solution they found most acceptable currently. Seeing that Chu Liuyue was happy, Shangguan Jing felt better as well and couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Yue¡¯er, all those present are from top-tier aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm, and they all have deep foundations! Your small amount of items doesn¡¯t matter much to them! Don¡¯t be so superfluous. Those who don¡¯t know would think that we¡¯re tricking them!¡± The crowd spat out blood. How is this not tricking us? Our foundations are deep, but we gave out precious items! This is directly cutting our meat! But what else could they do?! Not mentioning Shangguan Yue, but Shangguan Jing had fiery eyesight! He could take one glance to recognize if the item was good or bad, expensive or trash! At this time, who would dare to risk offending him again? Hence, no matter how reluctant they were, they had to give out the treasure! Just give it¡ªas long as it can settle today¡¯s matters! After some struggle, someone finally bade farewell. Anyway, those doubts they had about Chu Liuyue had basically been explained or resolved today. There wasn¡¯t much meaning if they continued staying here. Amongst them, there were some people¡ªincluding Yao Bin¡ªwho tried to flatter Shangguan Jing. He was a live supreme Armory Refinement Master! If they could be related to him, the benefits were unimaginable. However, it was clear that Shangguan Jing wasn¡¯t interested in this as he chased them away with a few words. He was only concerned about Chu Liuyue now. How could he care about others? Yao Bin and the rest saw that their hopes were bleak today and felt disappointed. They could only leave regretfully. Shangguan Jing clearly hadn¡¯t appeased his anger toward them completely, so it was normal for him to ignore them. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be too late to think of a solution some time later¡­ ¡­ Very quickly, the people gathered in the large black and white square left respectively. The surroundings gradually became cold and much more peaceful and calm. Looking at the empty square once again, Chu Liuyue sighed lightly. It¡¯s finally over¡­ Too many things had happened today. Previously, she was all tense and didn¡¯t feel it. Now that she suddenly relaxed, the intense lethargy overwhelmed her. She wasn¡¯t a god, so she naturally would get tired. As she handled so many people with extraordinary statuses at once, she naturally had to be more careful and meticulous. This required effort and strength. Luckily, everything was considered resolved successfully, and she even gained such a deal in the end. This made her much happier. ¡°Ancestor¡ª¡± The moment Chu Liuyue spoke, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Senior Shangguan.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Elder Bo Yan.¡± At this moment, the academy crowd had gathered together with Elder Bo Yan at the front. Elder Bo Yan smiled with cupped fists and bowed toward Shangguan Jing. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of your name. I never expected to have a chance to meet you in this life. It¡¯s indeed my honor!¡± From the surface, Shangguan Jing looked like he was in his thirties or forties, younger than Elder Bo Yan and the others. However, he had the highest seniority here¡ªeven Elder Bo Yan had to cleanly call him ¡®senior.¡¯ Shangguan Jing smiled. ¡°I slept for a long time, and the world outside has completely changed. During this period of time, I have to thank everyone for taking care of Yue¡¯er.¡± Previously, he had stayed in Ling Xiao Academy with Chu Liuyue for a period of time and knew that these people treated Chu Liuyue genuinely. Hence, his attitude was much better compared to when he treated those people. Seeing him like this, Elder Bo Yan and the others heaved a sigh of relief. Judging from the previous situation, they originally thought that this god-like person was very hard to interact with. ¡°You¡¯re too polite. Chu¡­ Shangguan Yue is my Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s student, so we naturally have to protect her. And¡­ this incident is actually because we couldn¡¯t protect her well, so she was aggrieved.¡± Elder Bo Yan sighed. Shangguan Jing¡¯s brows moved slightly, and the displeasure in his heart then dissipated. His Yue¡¯er might not blame the academy, but he was different. Yue¡¯er was wronged, and it was hard for him not to feel that Ling Xiao Academy hadn¡¯t fulfilled its responsibility. The reason why he didn¡¯t pursue the matter was that he knew Ling Xiao Academy had already done its best for an ordinary student. Besides, Yue¡¯er always had a decent relationship with the academy, so he didn¡¯t want to ruin this because of that. It was quite good that Elder Bo Yan was willing to admit his mistakes. The gaze in his eyes became much warmer. ¡°I know that there¡¯s a mastermind behind this. Elder Bo Yan, you don¡¯t have to blame yourself.¡± ¡°Oh? Then, do you know who it is¡ª¡± Elder Bo Yan and the rest perked up. Shangguan Jing thought for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°I only have some clues, and I haven¡¯t checked it properly.¡± The crowd was rather disappointed. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s good if you have some clues! As long as you investigate, you can definitely find out what¡¯s going on!¡± Elder Hua Feng laughed and eased the situation. ¡°Senior Shangguan, Bo Yan, since the matter has been resolved, let¡¯s go back to the academy?¡± At the side, Elder Wen Xi reminded them. It wasn¡¯t very suitable to just stand here. ¡°Right, right! Let¡¯s go back first! Too many things have happened today; I believe Yue¡¯er must be tired.¡± When he said the words ¡®Yue¡¯er,¡¯ Elder Bo Yan paused for a moment, and something strange flashed across his eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. She roughly knew what Elder Bo Yan was thinking of. ¡°Elder Bo Yan is right. Ancestor, let¡¯s go back first.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. Shangguan Jing nodded and rubbed her head. ¡­ The grand scene ended just like this. When the crowd returned to the academy and thought of what happened today, they were still in awe. Originally, Elder Bo Yan and the rest wanted to ask Chu Liuyue about some matters, but they were tactfully rejected because Shangguan Jing said she had to rest. Everyone could only let it slide and allow Chu Liuyue to go back to rest. Shangguan Jing naturally followed Chu Liuyue back to Jiuheng Peak. Rong Xiu followed the duo to the door. Just as he was about to enter, Shangguan Jing turned around and gave him a meaningful gaze. ¡°Rong Xiu, I have something to say to my granddaughter.¡± He wanted to chase Rong Xiu out. Ever since he became His Grace, Rong Xiu had never been rejected at the door. However, the distinguished His Grace seemed to have expected this as he immediately stopped in his tracks and smiled slightly. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb you and Yue¡¯er anymore. If you have any instructions, just let me know.¡± Then, he actually turned around. However, his gaze turned slightly, and his deep phoenix-like eyes landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face for a moment. Shangguan Jing sighed in his heart. It¡¯s not so easy to abduct my Yue¡¯er! Chapter 1495 - Grudges Chu Liuyue followed her ancestor into the house. The door was closed. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly, and faint smiling intent flashed across his thin lips. Previously, I only vaguely guessed this person¡¯s identity. But compared to my expectations, it seems like he is even more¡­ protective of Yue¡¯er. However, this is fine. With Shangguan Jing around, she should be more assured. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± Outside the barrier, Elder Wen Xi suddenly appeared and waved toward him. ¡°Bo Yan is looking for you to go over.¡± Rong Xiu turned around to glance at the tightly shut door before nodding slightly. Then, he raised his feet and followed Elder Wen Xi to leave. ¡­ Dong Huang Clock Tower, hall. When Rong Xiu walked in, he saw the few elders present today. Mu Hongyu was also around. It seems like they want to ask about Yue¡¯er. Rong Xiu¡¯s thoughts changed, yet his expression didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Elders, may I know why you looked for me?¡± Elder Bo Yan looked at him and snorted lightly. ¡°She¡¯s your own princess consort. You don¡¯t know?¡± A few pairs of eyes looked over in unison. The atmosphere froze for a moment. Rong Xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°Originally, I thought you planned to ask after Yue¡¯er came over.¡± ¡°We want to, but Shangguan Jing doesn¡¯t want to let her go!¡± Elder Hua Feng rubbed his brows with a headache. ¡°Didn¡¯t he chase you out too?¡± Rong Xiu paused and slowly said, ¡°Yue¡¯er naturally has a lot of things to talk about with her ancestor. We have many days ahead, so we don¡¯t have to fight for this bit of time.¡± The crowd was speechless. Fighting with her ancestor?! It is really hopeless. ¡°Sit down and talk.¡± Elder Bo Yan raised his hand. ¡°It¡¯s the same if you say some things clearly first. When that girl comes over, we can pick some and ask in detail.¡± One had to know their enemy to win every battle. It was only until today that they realized they knew nothing about that girl! Of course, they were so anxious mainly because they wanted to confirm a few things immediately. Rong Xiu slightly nodded. ¡°Okay. Elders, you can ask whatever you want to know.¡± With him saying that, the few people present didn¡¯t know how to speak. After keeping silent for a moment, Elder Wan Zheng was the first to speak. ¡°Rong Xiu, Shangguan Yue¡­ Other than this name, does she have any other identities?¡± Once he said this, the crowd instantly tensed up! Countless pairs of eyes landed on Rong Xiu! Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± The atmosphere within the hall instantly changed! ¡°Really?¡± Elder Bo Yan leaned his body forward and asked rather anxiously, ¡°What kind of identity?!¡± Rong Xiu paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­¡± ¡°Talk about it slowly! Say it bit by bit!¡± The few elders were clearly very concerned about this. At the side, Mu Hongyu widened her eyes slightly, and her brain was filled with confusion. Ever since she was called over, she felt that something was amiss. The elders¡­ don¡¯t seem to care for Liuyue ordinarily. Every one of them here has important statuses. It seems rather inappropriate for me to be here. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start talking from the beginning. If I leave out anything in between¡­ Mu Hongyu, please add on later,¡± said Rong Xiu calmly. ¡°Huh? Oh! Oh, okay!¡± After being called out suddenly, Mu Hongyu was taken aback and instinctively nodded. The few elders¡¯ gazes scanned Mu Hongyu¡¯s body. They also called her over because they could tell that she had an extraordinary relationship with Shangguan Yue. Anything they could ask was information. The crowd calmed down and waited patiently. Rong Xiu thought for a moment. ¡°Yue¡¯er has another name¡ªChu Liuyue.¡± ¡­ Jiuheng Peak. Chu Liuyue sat opposite her ancestor. Shangguan Jing sized her up in detail and said with heartache, ¡°Look, my Yue¡¯er has been so tired recently that she became slim. Was it especially hard on you during this period of time?¡± The words were heartwarming. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm, and she shook her head. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Ancestor. It hasn¡¯t been hard on me.¡± Shangguan Jing had a face filled with disagreement. ¡°All those people had bullied you all the way to Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s entrance. You still say that it wasn¡¯t hard on you? If it were someone else, I¡¯m afraid¡ªonly my Yue¡¯er is so outstanding to be able to handle them.¡± Guts, bravery, intelligence, capabilities! She didn¡¯t lack any of them! ¡°Ancestor, I actually asked the academy for their help to invite them over. During this period of time, there had been many rumors about me, so I thought of doing so to settle all the trouble at once.¡± Chu Liuyue narrated the entire incident to her ancestor briefly. After hearing it, Shangguan Jing sighed deeply. After some time, he then said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for coming so late.¡± If I could come earlier, Yue¡¯er wouldn¡¯t suffer so much. She was alone, yet she had to think of how to handle these people. None of them were easy to deal with. Chu Liuyue shook her head, and her eyes shone. ¡°No, Ancestor. You being able to come was the biggest surprise for me. You haven¡¯t mentioned it. How exactly¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing knew that she wanted to ask about this the whole time and didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°What you guessed previously was right. That place is indeed a tomb I prepared for myself.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Prepared¡­ for yourself? This¡­ ¡°I left the Tianling Dynasty back then and came to the God Residence Realm. In the Flood-Desert Northern Region, I unwittingly received some strong warrior¡¯s legacy and broke through to become a supreme Armory Refinement Master.¡± ¡°At that time, I was still arrogant. After breaking through, I decided to go around and challenge quite a few supreme Armory Refinement Masters. I beat all of them without failing.¡± Speaking of his glorious days, Shangguan Jing¡¯s tone was very calm. His pair of old eyes were calm and experienced as if they could contain many things. However, Chu Liuyue was secretly shocked. What kind of strong ability does that need? ¡°At that time, I was considered to be basking in the limelight, so I was naturally more proud until¡­¡± Shangguan Jing paused. ¡°Until I met the great phoenix dragon later on.¡± ¡°Great phoenix dragon?¡± Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed. ¡°I heard some rumors previously. They said that you¡­ fought with the dragon clan below the great phoenix dragon¡­¡± However, they didn¡¯t say that her ancestor directly went against the great phoenix dragons! Shangguan Jing snorted coldly. ¡°That bunch of old fogies loves their reputation so much! If everyone knows that they lost to me, won¡¯t they be humiliated?!¡± Such a short sentence contained too much information. Chu Liuyue was so shocked that she was at a loss for words. It turned out that the great phoenix dragons fought with Ancestor back then, and the key point is that the party who lost was the great phoenix dragons?! ¡°Before the battle, I knew that it wouldn¡¯t be good, so I prepared my tomb in advance. Later on, it was proven that my decision was very accurate. I used this method to preserve my Holy Body.¡± Speaking of this, Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but smile delightfully. ¡°Actually, that rumor is half-true. Those who came to surround me were indeed nine red and white azure dragons. But other than them, there was also a great phoenix dragon!¡± However, they hid the existence of the great phoenix dragon. ¡°After a tough battle, I swiftly decided to die with the nine dragons and suppress them! They can¡¯t escape in a thousand years! Only that great phoenix dragon escaped in the chaos!¡± Chu Liuyue was overwhelmed from listening to this, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ancestor, why would they treat you like this?¡± They were ancient legendary fiends after all, so why would they do such a thing where they bullied the minority? Shangguan Jing coughed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s just that¡­ they discovered that I planned to use some great phoenix dragon bones to refine a weapon¡­¡± 1 Chapter 1496 - Testing the Rank! Chu Liuyue was speechless. It seems like Rong Xiu is right¡ªsome things really are inherited. Chu Liuyue felt that she was quite a troublemaker, but, compared to her ancestor, she really paled in comparison and wasn¡¯t worth a mention! Using a great phoenix dragon¡¯s bones to refine a weapon¡­ What exactly was Ancestor thinking?! As if he felt rather embarrassed by Chu Liuyue looking at him, Shangguan Jing hurriedly waved his hands and explained, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Back then, I just felt that the bones weren¡¯t bad and that it might be some legendary fiend¡¯s. However, I didn¡¯t expect it to belong to a great phoenix dragon! If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have done it either, right?¡± After all, the great phoenix dragon clan was one of the two ancient legendary fiend clans. No matter how arrogant he was, he wouldn¡¯t seek death like that, right!? Chu Liuyue glanced at him deeply. Shangguan Jing averted his gaze guiltily. ¡°Actually, i-it¡¯s the¡­ skeleton that you obtained in the Tianling God Realm back then¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°You¡¯d rather fight with them to your death and not return it?¡± It was another person¡¯s corpse after all. This didn¡¯t seem very appropriate¡­ especially now that she had agreements with Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. She now had some form of understanding of this. These legendary fiends thought very highly of their own corpses, and they were never allowed to be left outside. What her ancestor did¡­ ¡°No! Actually, when I found out that it was a great phoenix dragon¡¯s corpse, I planned to return it. However, they didn¡¯t listen and wanted to take my life no matter what. What could I do?¡± I could only fight with it! Chu Liuyue felt her head ache. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t have a choice either. After much thinking, I decided to split my soul into three. One portion was hidden in the jade pendant, while another was in the God Realm that I silently sent back to Tianling. The last portion was left in my holy body to fight.¡± He also didn¡¯t know if he could survive back then, so he chose such a method. That was also the reason why his soul disappeared and why his God Realm was incomplete. Chu Liuyue sighed deeply. ¡°Ancestor, you¡¯re¡­ really extraordinarily lucky.¡± Facing such a situation, he could actually live. The most important thing was that he could gather his soul parts, awaken his Holy Body, and live again! This was really heaven-defying! Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression was emotional. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s all because of you. If you didn¡¯t enter the Tianling God Realm, bring my soul to the God Residence Realm, and also find the jade pendant before arriving in the Flood-Desert Northern Region¡­ Even if I had slept for another 10,000 years, there would be no meaning.¡± Their bloodlines were connected. He could finally awaken because of the strength of this blood-related relative. Back then, he had no other choice and could only risk himself and bet with his life! Luckily, after a thousand years, he won the bet! ¡°I¡¯ve always been lucky.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. No matter what, it¡¯s great that Ancestor can live again. Shangguan Jing smiled and nodded. ¡°Our Yue¡¯er is naturally the best! Don¡¯t worry. With me around, nobody will dare to bully you in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded seriously and felt appeased and secure. ¡°Oh right.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something, and hesitation surfaced on her face. ¡°Ancestor, after you fought with the great phoenix dragon back then, is your grudge considered settled? Now that you¡¯ve woken up, do they¡­ know?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s smile suddenly stiffened. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank, and she instantly felt uneasy. ¡°Hehe.¡± Shangguan Jing smiled curtly. ¡°Although those nine dragons are dead, the dragon clan has an extremely strong sensitivity toward this. Now that I¡¯m awake, the great phoenix dragon clan¡­ should know about it, right? Oh right, you¡¯ve hidden the corpse, and nobody discovered it, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°P-possibly¡­¡± ¡­ Tens of thousands of kilometers away. Godly Dragon Realm. Above the depths of the blue ocean, a gigantic, semi-circular golden barrier silently floated and had shocking suppression. Inside the barrier, there were many intricate islands. The islands had many mountains and lush greenery. Sometimes, dragons would soar past the mid-air. As the sunlight shone down, their scales flickered. Suddenly, a dragon roar came from the centermost island! Roar! The noise was earth-shattering, and the aura was tremendous! At that moment, the groups of dragons felt respectful and fearful! They all looked down respectively! Then, a purplish-golden light suddenly flew out from the island¡ªit rushed to the skies! ¡°It¡¯s been a thousand years, and he¡¯s actually still alive!¡± This time, we definitely can¡¯t let him off again! ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy, Dong Huang Clock Tower. ¡°¡­Just this?¡± asked Elder Bo Yan with knitted brows. Rong Xiu nodded and glanced at Mu Hongyu. Mu Hongyu immediately said, ¡°Nothing. That¡¯s all I know.¡± The room sank into silence again. Elder Bo Yan thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Hongyu, there¡¯s nothing for you to do here. Go back and rest first.¡± Mu Hongyu knew that they had more to discuss, so she sensibly acknowledged it immediately and turned around to leave. After she left, the atmosphere in the room became even weirder. The few of them looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°So this means that Shangguan Yue and Yue¡¯er girlie aren¡¯t related to each other?¡± Elder Hua Feng stared at Rong Xiu as if he wanted to see through him. ¡°But how do you explain her executing the heavenly scroll Xuan formation that the first director left behind?¡± Rong Xiu looked down slightly. ¡°I taught her that.¡± ¡°Is it really such a coincidence?¡± Elder Hua Feng was filled with doubts. Inside the room, it was silent again. Elder Wan Zheng suddenly said, ¡°Since this is so, I have a method. Let Shangguan Yue enter the Qing Yun Ranking again¡ªall four boards this time!¡± Chapter 1497 - Tempting ¡°This method can work.¡± Elder Bo Yan also expressed his agreement. Previously, Shangguan Yue only entered the heavenly doctor board. Even though they knew that she was talented in other areas, she had never tested it before. ¡°Coincidentally, she hasn¡¯t been going to the monthly tests for a long time. With this method, we can see how her skills are now.¡± A few months ago, she had just come to the academy, and her skills in all aspects were rather normal. But after training during this period of time, her cultivation had been elevated by quite a bit, and it was time to test again. Rong Xiu thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Jiuheng Peak. When Chu Liuyue walked out of the room, she saw Elder Wen Xi waiting for her. ¡°Elder Wen Xi, why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue was quite shocked and walked over. Elder Wen Xi glanced into the room. Chu Liuyue understood, smiled, and said, ¡°Ancestor is resting now. Are you looking for him?¡± Elder Wen Xi hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No, no. I came to look for you.¡± He waved toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Come out and talk first.¡± Chu Liuyue turned back and glanced hesitantly before she nodded, opened the barrier, and flew out. ¡°Elder Wen Xi, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Wen Xi rubbed his hands together and felt rather embarrassed. ¡°Actually¡­ It¡¯s nothing important. It¡¯s just that we all feel that you¡¯ve improved greatly during this period of time. If it¡¯s convenient for you, can¡­ you try to enter the Qing Yun Ranking?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand! We just want to see what standard you are at now. Additionally, we can also get the other students to treat you as a role model and improve diligently,¡± Elder Wen Xi hurriedly explained. Chu Liuyue stared at him for a while, and her thoughts flashed really quickly. She thought that she roughly knew what Elder Wen Xi was thinking when he came over. After a slight pause, she smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go over now.¡± ¡°Now?¡± Elder Wen Xi found it strange and glanced inside again. ¡°Then Senior Shangguan¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just getting a ranking; it¡¯s nothing big. Ancestor came from miles away and is quite tired. We can take this time to let him rest. Coincidentally¡­ I also want to see what kind of ranking I can have on the board.¡± Elder Wen Xi then felt relieved. ¡°Then¡­ follow me.¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue reached Qing Ming Square, she saw that Elder Bo Yan and the rest were already here. Rong Xiu¡ªwho was called over previously¡ªwas here as well. However, they had specifically instructed in advance, and there was no additional person here. Chu Liuyue walked forward normally and greeted the few elders. Elder Bo Yan laughed. ¡°Girlie, you¡¯re here. We didn¡¯t disturb you and Senior Shangguan, right?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, Ancestor is resting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded and explained, ¡°Actually this isn¡¯t very urgent. After all, you just experienced many things¡­¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°It¡¯s not troublesome to test my ranking. Besides, I¡¯m rather curious as well, so I came.¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s mature and honest attitude, the few elders were rather hesitant. Could it¡­ Did we really think wrongly? ¡°Let¡¯s not speak nonsense then. We¡¯ll start directly!¡± Elder Bo Yan thought for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re already an intermediate stage-nine warrior now, and it¡¯s considered the aspect you¡¯ve improved the most in. Why don¡¯t we test the warrior aspect first?¡± First? Chu Liuyue sharply captured this word. An idea popped up in her mind, and she immediately understood. So I have to test on more than one aspect¡­ She smiled and smoothly walked to the warrior ranking. The few elders looked over. Even though their expressions were normal, the ripples in their eyes revealed that they weren¡¯t as calm in their hearts. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and placed it on the black, stone wall. With the accompaniment of the black and dark stone wall, her hand seemed especially thin and white. With the two extreme colors intersecting, it seemed to form a scene. Chu Liuyue held her breath in. The few elders became nervous unwittingly. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue noticed a gaze that landed on her. She tilted her head and met Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. His deep phoenix-like eyes couldn¡¯t be seen through. With just one glance, it seemed like one was about to sink into them, forgetting everything and choosing to drown. ¡°It¡¯s just a test. You don¡¯t have to be nervous; just do your best,¡± said Rong Xiu gently as an extremely faint smile flashed across his lips. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she nodded. Then, she retracted her gaze and looked at the stone wall in front of her. The next moment, she circulated her force, and it rushed out! Whir! With a whir, the Qing Yun Ranking appeared with the command! Countless rays of light flashed across the black wall and rapidly formed names! The warrior ranking appeared! Almost at the same time, the dark region at the top¡ªwhich was purposely hidden¡ªsuddenly moved. Ka! This movement was extremely small as if something was trying to break free from within. But from the outside, one couldn¡¯t see anything amiss. Hence, Elder Bo Yan and the rest couldn¡¯t detect this slight movement. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm was on the Qing Yun Ranking. She could immediately detect any slight changes! She almost instinctively wanted to raise her head and look over. However, this impulse just flashed across her mind. She silently hid these emotions, and her force still rushed out continuously. Kaka! The sounds became more frequent and seemed louder than before. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to beat intensely with this sound! The few elders exchanged glances and saw the confusion and doubts in the other party¡¯s eyes. It has been so long. Why has Shangguan Yue¡¯s name not appeared here?! Amongst Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s students, an intermediate stage-nine warrior wasn¡¯t considered a high feat. After all, their admission requirement was to be a stage-nine warrior. Normally, intermediate stage-nine warriors might not even be at the end of the warrior ranking. However, Shangguan Yue was different. Her combat skills were clearly much stronger than that of other cultivators at the same level. As long as she tried her best to test, she could definitely get onto the ranking! But now¡­ why was there no sound at all? Elder Wan Zheng looked at the top and furrowed his brows tightly. Over there was once a name that shone brighter than ever. However, only darkness was left behind. If¡­ The other elders also followed his gaze and looked over, and their expressions and gazes became complicated. Only Rong Xiu looked nonchalant, calm, and composed. It was as if¡­ he had no worries in his heart at all. Kakaka! Chu Liuyue clearly felt that something was trying to rush out from beneath the seal, and she was extremely familiar with that force! Her heart seemed to be tightly clutched by something. If this continues, I¡¯m afraid¡ª Boom! A loud sound was suddenly heard far away! This sound was earth-shattering, and it shocked everyone that they immediately turned around to take a look. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t an exception. The next moment, she widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Million Wine Mountain is in trouble!¡± Chapter 1498 - Million Wine Mountain Eruption! The person who shouted this was Elder Bo Yan. His figure flashed, and he rapidly flew to the sky. He looked toward Million Wine Mountain, and his expression became one of shock. The other elders immediately reacted and hurriedly followed. It was no wonder they had such a huge reaction¡ªit was because Million Wine Mountain¡¯s side indeed had an abnormal situation! In the skies, the layers of dark clouds surged over and finally gathered above Million Wine Mountain, covering the sky. The winds howled crazily, and thunder flashed. That loud sound was the thunder coming from the clouds. The sounds were tremendously loud, and they stunned one¡¯s heart. Seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but knit her brows slightly. Wha-what¡¯s going on? Around every mountain in the academy, they had basically set up a barrier. In addition, Million Wine Mountain was especially unique. Ever since Chu Liuyue had caused two incidents there, Elder Bo Yan and the rest specifically strengthened the barrier around the mountain. In comparison to other peaks, Million Wine Mountain¡¯s barrier was definitely the top. This was also the reason why any commotion within Million Wine Mountain would be isolated by the barrier. From the outside, the crowd wouldn¡¯t be able to see what was going on at all. If this wasn¡¯t the case, the incident of Chu Liuyue transferring the Long Yuan Sword¡¯s weapon soul to the Chi Xiao Sword at Million Wine Mountain would¡¯ve spread far and wide in the academy, causing a huge commotion. However, the current weather phenomenon had directly gone past that barrier! The scale and aura of the phenomenon were much greater than what she had seen before! Countless thoughts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but she still couldn¡¯t guess the exact reason. W-what exactly is going on?! ¡­ This shocking commotion quickly attracted the entire academy¡¯s attention. Countless figures flew out from the mountain peaks. Everyone looked in the direction of the terrifying aura. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± ¡°Is someone breaking through¡­? Look in that direction¡ªit seems like it¡¯s Million Wine Mountain, right? Could it be an elder refining a weapon?¡± ¡°This won¡¯t happen even if they¡¯re refining a weapon¡­ Because they were worried that weapon refinement would disturb everyone, the elders set up multiple barriers around the mountain peak. Normally, this would never happen. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening this time¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s indeed Million Wine Mountain, right? Did something happen to Million Wine Mountain again?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Not long ago, they already felt that something was amiss when Million Wine Mountain was forcefully closed. They didn¡¯t expect an even bigger commotion to occur today. Elder Bo Yan stared at Million Wine Mountain, and his gaze was dark. Why did this suddenly happen? We clearly checked multiple times before, and there was no problem! Calculating the time, it shouldn¡¯t be now! His gaze was sharp as he boomed, ¡°Wen Xi, immediately summon the academy elders and gather the students at Qing Ming Square!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Hua Feng, Wan Zheng, follow me!¡± The two elders clearly realized the severity of the incident, and they respectfully fell silent and nodded. Elder Bo Yan took a step out and turned around to look. ¡°Rong Xiu, take good care of her!¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Elders, be careful.¡± Elder Bo Yan and the rest rushed toward Million Wine Mountain. The entire academy burst into an uproar. Chu Liuyue put down her hands. The glow on the warrior ranking list rapidly dissipated, returning to silence. The frightening ¡®kaka¡¯ didn¡¯t sound again. However, that familiar feeling wrapped her heart and didn¡¯t go away. Chu Liuyue stared at the black stone board and finally looked up. The covered name was still dark, and one couldn¡¯t see it. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and felt conflicted. A dry and warm hand suddenly stretched over and held hers. Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± asked Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. She could tell that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t want to let the elders know of her identity. ¡°Million Wine Mountain¡­ Is it related to you?¡± Her voice was extremely low as if it would float away with the wind. Rong Xiu shook his head and intertwined his fingers with her ten fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± He did have the skills to hide from everyone, but before he could use them, something happened at Million Wine Mountain. He looked up slightly, and his brows rapidly furrowed when he saw the continuously strengthening suppression and aura. Then, he held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand tightly, and his voice was low. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m around.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed, and a ray of white light flashed across her mind. Hang on! The thing that happened at Million Wine Mountain¡­ Could it be related to me?! Tuan Zi¡¯s breakthrough to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix was largely dependent on the fountain at Million Wine Mountain. I originally felt rather worried, but after Tuan Zi broke through, Million Wine Mountain was as peaceful as normal, and everything was as per usual. Hence, I didn¡¯t take this incident to heart. Upon seeing the strange movements in Million Wine Mountain, she suddenly recalled this. At that moment, countless thoughts flashed across her mind. Million Wine Mountain¡¯s status in Ling Xiao Academy was special. Even though the students regularly went there to play, they didn¡¯t dare to cause trouble. This was also the reason why the elders allowed them to go up. But after she came, she caused trouble there twice. It was clear that the academy elders had gathered lightning in the fountain. Even though she didn¡¯t know its uses, the elders clearly wouldn¡¯t do something for nothing. And now, most of those lightning bolts had been absorbed by Tuan Zi. Isn¡¯t it¡ª She took a step forward and wanted to go up. Rong Xiu held her back and silently glanced at her as he shook his head slightly. ¡°Hold on first.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but after some hesitation, she still chose to wait at her spot. If something really happens¡­ I have to take responsibility for it! Chapter 1499 - : Filled with Dangers Students and elders kept gathering at Qing Ming Square. Many people clearly had not realized what was going on, and their expressions were dazed. After seeing Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, quite a few people were so shocked that their jaws dropped. We know Rong Xiu, but who is the woman next to him?! She seems like she is 17 or 18, and her clothes are plain, but it doesn¡¯t hide her elegance. Her appearance was breathtaking, and her aura was exquisite. As long as she stood there, she seemed to gather all the light. Everything in the surroundings seemed to have dimmed¡­ other than Rong Xiu! Seeing the duo¡¯s intertwined hands and their intimate behavior, almost everyone was taken aback. This is¡­ Since when was Rong Xiu ever so close to a woman, and why does this woman seem familiar for some reason? Chu Liuyue and the rest had just returned not long ago, and the elders were debating over her identity, so they didn¡¯t care about the academy. The incident in Fangzhou City hadn¡¯t spread around yet, so everyone naturally did not know. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Not long after Mu Hongyu left Dong Huang Clock Tower, the elders gathered them again. She saw Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue standing in the middle at first glance. There was no choice as they were like cranes standing among a group of chickens. They were too obvious. Chu Liuyue was pulled back from her thoughts by this crisp sound. She looked up, saw Mu Hongyu, and waved at her. The surrounding people instantly made way. Nothing was obstructing Mu Hongyu, so she walked over quickly. Mu Hongyu hadn¡¯t seen Chu Liuyue¡¯s familiar face in a long while. Additionally, she couldn¡¯t properly talk to the latter in Fangzhou City, so she couldn¡¯t help but be emotional when she saw her now. Originally, Mu Hongyu wanted to jump into her friend¡¯s arms. But before she moved, she felt a slightly cold gaze swipe past her body. Mu Hongyu coughed and stood beside Chu Liuyue obediently and politely, not daring to take action. ¡°Liuyue, why did you come over without resting properly?¡± She didn¡¯t even have the time to change her clothes. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Something happened here, so I came over.¡± Mu Hongyu thought that she was talking about the loud sound, so she nodded and glanced at Million Wine Mountain. ¡°Us too. I wonder why the elders asked us to rush over?¡± She had just come to the academy not long ago, so she naturally wasn¡¯t clear about many situations. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Let¡¯s wait here first. The elders should be able to handle it.¡± Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t doubt anything else and nodded. On the other side, Luo Shishi, Luo Yanlin, and the others walked over. Upon seeing Chu Liuyue, Luo Yanlin¡¯s face instantly darkened. Different from the others, he had already heard Luo Yanming and the rest talk about what happened outside, so he naturally knew that the so-called Chu Yue was actually Shangguan Yue¡ªthe Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s rumored princess consort! That was Rong Xiu¡¯s woman! After hearing about this, Luo Yanlin¡¯s entire person became upset. And now that he had seen Chu Liuyue in person, it was even harder to describe his complicated feelings. My own younger sister actually liked a woman¡­ Originally, he had made up his mind and decided that if his sister really insisted, he wanted to ask ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ what he thought. Luckily, he hadn¡¯t done so! If not, he would be humiliated! Luo Yanlin was angry, but upon deeper thought, it was all his younger sister¡¯s one-sided thoughts. ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ had always been restrained and well-mannered, and one couldn¡¯t fault her at all. At the end of the day, he couldn¡¯t blame her. Luo Yanlin could only silently swallow this anger. My own sister wanted to fight with Rong Xiu for a person¡­ It¡¯s agonizing just thinking about it! He took a deep breath in and glanced at Luo Shishi. Luckily, Luo Shishi was already calm, and this was the only thing that comforted him. On the other hand, Zhuo Sheng was being dragged by many people. They asked what exactly happened in Fangzhou City and who exactly that beautiful woman was. Zhuo Sheng was dazed from the questioning and loudly scratched his head. ¡°She? She¡¯s Chu Yue!¡± The crowd went crazy. Chu Liuyue clearly felt that the surrounding gazes were burning. Luckily, her mental tolerance had always been strong, so she didn¡¯t take this to heart. She stared at Million Wine Mountain. If Rong Xiu didn¡¯t pull her back, she would¡¯ve rushed over without restraining herself. Besides, the surrounding people clearly didn¡¯t notice the severity of the situation at Million Wine Mountain. Zhuo Sheng kept being questioned, and he was beyond frustrated, so he narrated the entire incident. Of course, he picked the ¡®exciting points.¡¯ The crowd listened until they kept exclaiming and were shocked. Almost everyone¡¯s attention was gathered on Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Chu Yue to be Shangguan Yue! So she¡¯s the princess consort that Senior Brother Rong Xiu personally picked!¡± ¡°No wonder Senior Brother Rong Xiu treats her so well¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that she¡¯s from outside the realm? Her talent is too shocking¡ªand t-that supreme Armory Refinement Master is actually her ancestor! With such a background, who would dare say that she¡¯s not worthy?¡± ¡°¡­Am I the only one who has noticed that she broke through to become an intermediate stage-nine warrior from a beginner stage-eight warrior in just a few months¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m numb.¡± ¡­ There was no choice. Any one of these traits could cause people to be green with envy. It happened too many times, and they just had to get used to it. However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t care about this now. ¡°Tuan Zi, did you leave any evidence behind in that fountain at Million Wine Mountain?¡± she asked in her heart. Tuan Zi was dazed for a moment, and its expression was hesitant. ¡°This¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. But right at this moment, a ripple suddenly came from the barrier outside the academy! At the same time, a low and tremendous dragon roar reverberated throughout the area! ¡°Shangguan Jing¡ªget out!¡± 2 Chapter 1500 - Steal This angry holler contained a thunderous aura that erupted throughout the place, clearly landing in the ears of everyone in the academy! The crowd¡¯s expressions changed instantly, and they all looked at Chu Liuyue. Shangguan Jing¡ªisn¡¯t that Shangguan Yue¡¯s ancestor? Isn¡¯t that the legendary and amazing supreme Armory Refinement Master? Who has such courage to holler outside Ling Xiao Academy like this?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly sank. That dragon roar¡ª ¡°Everyone, calm down!¡± An energetic boom sounded formidably. The originally restless Qing Ming Square instantly quietened down. Chu Liuyue looked toward the source of the voice¡ªthe one speaking was Elder Dan Qing. She hadn¡¯t seen him for a while, and Elder Dan Qing looked like he was much frailer. His hair had become white, as though it was covered in a layer of ice. He was about to fly toward the academy entrance when he suddenly stopped and glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Chu¡ªShangguan Yue, please invite Senior Shangguan over and see what¡¯s going on.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Elder Dan Qing looked at her with a complicated gaze. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he still left silently in the end. Chu Liuyue turned and glanced at him. ¡°Although Elder Dan Qing had broken his mentor-disciple ties with Jiang Zhiyuan, he did genuinely bring her up for a few years. Now that she¡¯s gone, it is inevitable that he will be sad.¡± Rong Xiu lightly said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. Although Elder Dan Qing was biased toward her in the past, he won¡¯t unreasonably push the blame on us.¡± He won¡¯t have a grudge against us. At most, he would just feel complicated. After all, a person dying is like a candle extinguishing. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡°I know.¡± If Elder Dan Qing really couldn¡¯t let it go, he would¡¯ve directly looked for her. ¡°Actually, what I¡¯m worried about now is¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, the incoming person is very likely¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you back to Jiuheng Peak.¡± Rong Xiu squeezed her hands. Rong Xiu nodded and immediately left with Rong Xiu. ¡­ On the way there, the duo met Shangguan Jing, who coincidentally came out. ¡°Ancestor!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately greeted him. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you okay?¡± Shangguan Jing pulled her to size her up. After confirming that she was fine, he heaved a sigh of relief. Chu Liuyue¡¯s uneasiness became increasingly stronger as she clutched her ancestor¡¯s sleeves tightly. ¡°Ancestor, outside there seems to be¡ª¡± ¡°They¡¯re from the great phoenix dragon clan.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression turned grave, and he said carefully, ¡°They took action rather quickly.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched tightly. Ancestor and the great phoenix dragon clan have huge grudges between them. Ancestor just woke up not long ago, and they directly rushed over to Ling Xiao Academy. It seems like they are serious. If this isn¡¯t handled well, then¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yue¡¯er. This is my own matter. I definitely won¡¯t implicate you and Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Shangguan Jing patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s head, and his voice was gentle. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°I¡¯m the Shangguan family¡¯s descendant, so I will be with you regardless.¡± Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jing was dazed and had countless emotions overflowing in his eyes. In the end, the thousands of words only turned into a sentence: ¡°Good Yue¡¯er!¡± My Shangguan family is never afraid of any danger! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When I chose to wake up this time, I knew that I had to face all of this,¡± said Shangguan Jing with a laugh. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you just have to care about peacefully waiting in the academy. I will naturally settle all these problems!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to go with them, but a thought suddenly popped up in her mind. She also felt that she might be a burden if she went with him, so she swallowed her remaining words. ¡°You must be careful.¡± Shangguan Jing nodded and glanced at Rong Xiu meaningfully. Rong Xiu nonchalantly nodded. Shangguan Jing then felt relieved. His figure flashed, and he disappeared from the spot! Chu Liuyue looked up slightly in the direction of the academy entrance. She knew that the great phoenix dragons were waiting sternly for her ancestor at this moment! I wonder if Ancestor can successfully solve all these troubles¡­ Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hands. The reason she was so worried was partly due to her ancestor and the great phoenix dragon clan having a long-term grudge. On the other hand¡­ Back when she helped Zi Chen to reform his physical body, she used the two wings of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s corpse! Even though the remaining corpse had been sealed in the Heavenly Square Cauldron the whole time¡­ A great phoenix dragon clan member was outside the academy barrier, and she felt that it would be a huge trouble. It was like a bomb that would suddenly explode at some point! Boom! Another loud sound was heard¡ªit was the commotion from Million Wine Mountain! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and turned her head over. In the skies above Million Wine Mountain, the dark clouds gathered and formed a giant vortex. The sky was gloomy, and the storm brewed; it was as if it would swallow the entire Million Wine Mountain! The sounds of thunder came from the clouds. The silver snake-like lightning bolts swam around and lit up the sky from time to time, yet they made everything here more strange and terrifying. The turbulent winds preceded the storms. From here, one could still see the figures of Elder Bo Yan and the rest rushing toward Million Wine Mountain. In the dark skies, their figures were actually so small. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hand tightly. ¡­ Million Wine Mountain. When Elder Bo Yan and the rest rushed over, they realized that the barrier outside the mountain had shattered. This was also one of the reasons why the crowd saw the commotion so clearly. However, this wasn¡¯t the most worrying thing for the elders. That was because the fountain above the mountain had already stopped flowing! It was still daytime now! ¡°The fountain seems like it¡¯s going to freeze!¡± Elder Wan Zheng hollered, and rare panic flashed across his eyes. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Elder Hua Feng gasped. ¡°There are so many lightning bolts gathered in it. Logically speaking, at this time, it¡¯s impossible¡ª¡± Elder Bo Yan was swift and decisive. ¡°Immediately guide the lightning into the fountain!¡± At this point, they didn¡¯t have time to think about why such a thing happened. The most urgent thing now was to solve the problem! Elder Wan Zheng and Elder Hua Feng nodded with stern expressions. With Elder Bo Yan in the lead, their figures flashed as they rushed toward that fountain! Boom! A lightning bolt suddenly struck¡ªit landed in front of Elder Bo Yan! Fire sparks flew everywhere! The terrifying strength seemed to want to rip everything apart! Elder Bo Yan was stunned and immediately set up a barrier around him! At the same time, he retreated! However, his chest still felt stifled by the remaining shock! ¡°Bo Yan!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you okay?¡± The two elders immediately went forward and stopped him. Elder Bo Yan shook his head, yet his expression was ugly. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but this fountain¡ª¡± Coincidentally, an ear-piercing sound was heard at this moment. The few of them looked up, and it was Elder Ouyang! His expression was anxious as he rushed over. When he saw that the sides of the fountain were frozen, he couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback and scolded, ¡°Who the hell stole the lightning strength inside here?!¡± 1 Chapter 1501 - Related to You? This caused Elder Bo Yan and the rest to be taken aback. ¡°Ouyang, what did you say?¡± The lightning strength has been stolen? How is that possible?! Elder Ouyang¡¯s figure flashed. He flew to the few of them and looked anxious and enraged as he pointed at that fountain. ¡°If the lightning strength that had been gathered here for so many years wasn¡¯t stolen, how would it suddenly explode?!¡± I regularly went around the area and didn¡¯t even realize this! Now that this has suddenly happened, it will be hard to deal with it again! ¡°T-then, what should we do?¡± Elder Hua Feng was dazed. This Million Wine Mountain had a special status. Normally speaking, in the academy, it was mainly Elder Ouyang and the other Armory Refinement Masters who were in charge of this. The other elders at most played a supplementary role only. Even though they knew that Million Wine Mountain was very important and that the fountain was precious and couldn¡¯t be touched casually, most of them weren¡¯t sure of what exactly was going on. Now that this suddenly happened, they could only panic, but they didn¡¯t know what to do. Elder Ouyang rubbed his face in frustration. ¡°What to do¡­ What to do¡­ The fountain is frozen, which means that the lightning strength has been stolen. Even if all the Armory Refinement Masters in the academy produce weapons at the same time and guide the lightning, it would be too late!¡± One had to know that they had spent a lot of effort these few years to control this fountain diligently! Now that something had happened to it, how could they save it in time overnight? The few of them realized the severity of the situation. They fell silently respectively, and their expressions were grave. At this point, another figure rapidly approached the few of them. The few of them looked up and saw that it was Shang Yulin. Shang Yulin knitted his brows and looked at the few of them. ¡°The fountain is about to freeze. Why are you all still here in a daze?¡± ¡°Shang Yulin, why are you still in the academy?¡± Elder Hua Feng asked strangely. According to the past rules, he wouldn¡¯t stay in the academy past a month. However, he had been back for quite a while this time and hadn¡¯t left yet. Shang Yulin couldn¡¯t control his urge to roll his eyes. ¡°Hua Feng, why do you still have the time to care about this now?¡± Actually, he just wanted to stay in the academy for a while longer to investigate the Chi Xiao Sword with Chu Yue. He didn¡¯t expect so many things to happen recently, and the matter had been continuously delayed. Today, it was even more outrageous¡ªthe boy became a girl! ¡°Where¡¯s Senior Shangguan?¡± Shang Yulin was straightforward. ¡°He¡¯s a supreme Armory Refinement Master. If he can help, there might be some hope.¡± Elder Ouyang slapped his forehead. ¡°Why did I forget about this!?¡± Even though this matter was troublesome, they had an actual master to help them now! But when Elder Bo Yan and the others heard this, their expressions changed slightly. On their way over, they also heard the dragon roar that was filled with threat and warning. ¡°It seems like the dragon clan has come to cause trouble for him. He shouldn¡¯t be in the academy now,¡± said Elder Bo Yan with a boom. Elder Ouyang and Shang Yulin exchanged a glance and were both dazed. ¡°Dragon clan? What¡¯s happening again?¡± ¡°Dan Qing went to handle it. I don¡¯t know what exactly happened, but¡­ That person suppressed nine dragons in the Flood-Desert Northern Region. If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, he should have quite a big grudge with the dragon clan,¡± guessed Elder Bo Yan with some uncertainty. If it weren¡¯t because something happened at Million Wine Mountain, they would¡¯ve followed him over now. ¡°What is going on¡­¡± Elder Ouyang crossed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a small matter for the dragon clan to find him at the door so openly. Oh right, do you know which division the dragon clan member came from?¡± The few of them shook their heads. We didn¡¯t go over to check it out, so how would we know? ¡°The other party seems oppressive. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re not easy to handle.¡± ¡°If this is so, I¡¯m afraid that¡­ he won¡¯t be able to come back in a short amount of time.¡± Shang Yulin looked at the fountain, and a layer of frost started appearing by the sides¡ªabout a quarter of it was frozen. According to the current speed, the fountain would be completely frozen in no time! At that time, it would probably be¡ª ¡°During this period of time, we¡¯ve been taking care of it continuously. Nothing strange happened to the fountain. Why would so much lightning strength be stolen out of nowhere?!¡± Elder Ouyang and the rest really couldn¡¯t figure it out. Normally speaking, they would definitely notice something in such a circumstance! Elder Bo Yan suddenly recalled something, and his expression changed. ¡°Hua Feng, Chu Yue¡ªwhen did Shangguan Yue¡¯s red-tailed phoenix become a red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Elder Hua Feng thought for a moment and widened his eyes slightly. ¡°Are you suspecting¡ª¡± ¡°For the red-tailed phoenix to break through to the ultimate stage and become an ancient legendary fiend, it needs a huge amount of strength. The lightning strength gathered within the fountain is clearly more than enough.¡± ¡°However, this doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s related to her, right¡­ If it was really her red-tailed phoenix that did it, how did we not notice it?¡± The few of them fell silent at the same time. This was something that they couldn¡¯t understand at all. All these years, they had spent countless efforts on Million Wine Mountain. They basically knew everything that happened to the fountain. However, they didn¡¯t know at all about such a huge matter¡ªthe lightning strength being stolen! ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s call her over and ask her,¡± instructed Elder Bo Yan. Elder Hua Feng could only agree. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ The moment Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu returned to Qing Ming Square, they saw Elder Hua Feng returning. When she saw Elder Hua Feng running toward her, Chu Liuyue knew that it wasn¡¯t good. Elder Hua Feng waved toward her. ¡°Bo Yan is looking for you to go over.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask further as she took a deep breath and followed. Seeing that Rong Xiu seemed to want to go over, Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t stop him. After some thinking, he let it go and brought the two of them toward Million Wine Mountain. The crowd that was left behind in Qing Ming Square had faces filled with confusion. ¡­ Before she arrived at Million Wine Mountain, Chu Liuyue saw from the corner of her eyes that a layer of frost had formed on the fountain. Judging from the elders¡¯ extremely stern expressions, she knew that she was in huge trouble. Elder Bo Yan¡¯s gaze was sharp as he pointed at the fountain and asked directly, ¡°Girlie, is this matter related to you?¡± ¡­ At the same time, the two parties outside the barrier were in a stalemate. On one side, it was Shangguan Jing and the other academy elders. On the other side, there was a tall man in his fifties and a few younger descendants behind him. The man standing at the front wore a gray robe, and his hair was white. His eyes were purplish-golden. Upon a closer look, his neck and his hands had many nail-sized, purplish-golden scales. Under the light, they reflected a crystallized light. He stared at Shangguan Jing sharply and snorted. ¡°Shangguan Jing, how dare you! If you give me my clan member¡¯s corpse, I¡¯ll let you die with a full body!¡± Chapter 1502 - Search Body Hearing this, the few elders standing outside the barrier had a slight change in expression. Who exactly is this person that can speak with such dominance!? Shangguan Jing is a top supreme Armory Refinement Master in the God Residence Realm, yet they were so rude to him? The moment Elder Dan Qing rushed over, he met such a scene and couldn¡¯t help but knit his brows. ¡°Senior Senior.¡± He flew to Shangguan Jing, quickly sized up the few people outside the barrier, and was secretly shocked. They do look like the dragon clan, but why does the color of the scales look different? He cupped his fists. ¡°I¡¯m Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Elder Dan Qing. May I know what you are here for?¡± However, that elder on the opposite end just glanced at him and rapidly retracted his gaze. That gaze was cold and nonchalant as if he were looking at an ant. He clearly disregarded Elder Dan Qing. Anger surged up Elder Dan Qing¡¯s heart. Although his status in the academy wasn¡¯t as good as Elder Bo Yan, it wasn¡¯t considered low. Even the people from top-tier aristocratic families were courteous when they saw him. I have never seen such a disrespectful person! I know that the dragon clan has always been arrogant, but this is too much! ¡°Everyone, you didn¡¯t inform us in advance and just barged over here, making such a scene in front of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s entrance. Isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Elder Dan Qing¡¯s face darkened. That elder finally glanced at Elder Dan Qing again. His nonchalant face had a hint of frustration. ¡°Who are you? How dare you question me like this?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Dan Qing was about to retort when Shangguan Jing stopped him. The latter then smiled and said, ¡°This is between the two of us. Why implicate others?¡± Once Elder Dan Qing heard this, he instinctively felt that it wasn¡¯t good. Who was Shangguan Jing? In Fangzhou City previously, there were so many people around, and he didn¡¯t even treat them nicely. But the incoming person was so arrogant now, yet there was no anger on his face at all. His tone was even polite. This¡­ The other party¡¯s identity was probably more shocking than expected! ¡°Shangguan Jing, don¡¯t say all those useless things! Even if you hide in Ling Xiao Academy this time, I will still take your life easily! If you have the guts, immediately come out. If you hide inside, I will feel embarrassed for you even if you don¡¯t find it cowardly!¡± The incoming person had a fiery temper and spoke directly. His words were filled with anger. However, Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t seem to be angry as he laughed out loud. ¡°Miao Yao, it has been so many years, but your tone is as cocky as before!¡± Leave me with my full corpse? He has to have the ability to kill me, Shangguan Jing, first! Hearing this name, Elder Dan Qing was dazed for a moment. Miao Yao¡­ Why is this name so familiar¡­ Suddenly, he was taken aback! He suddenly widened his eyes and looked at that man outside the barrier! Miao Yao?! Isn¡¯t that the one with the name in the great phoenix dragon clan? Rumors had it that a thousand years ago, an aristocratic family obtained a great phoenix dragon¡¯s dragon egg by chance. They secretly brought this dragon egg back, wanting to forcefully make an agreement with it. It was a pity that before they could take action, they were discovered by the great phoenix dragon clan. That time, the great phoenix dragons only sent out three people. Miao Yao was one of them! Even though it was just a second-tier aristocratic family, it was quite capable back then. The family even had two legendary warriors around, so it was even stronger than some desolated top-tier aristocratic families. If they could make an agreement with that great phoenix dragon¡¯s dragon egg, they might be able to elevate themselves. It was a pity that they had lost this chance forever. Miao Yao¡¯s group of three only used one day and one night to completely exterminate their entire family! The news spread around and stunned the entire God Residence Realm. Great phoenix dragons were one of the top two ancient legendary fiends, and they were always mysterious to the crowd. Many people might not even have the chance to meet a great phoenix dragon in their lives. That was also the reason why the names of Miao Yao¡¯s group of three became representative of the entire great phoenix dragon clan ever since then. Elder Dan Qing had never thought that he could meet this legendary character personally! He never expected to be in such a circumstance! Why did Miao Yao suddenly come over and want to kill Shangguan Jing?! It seems like they have had grudges against each other for such a long time. What is going on? Miao Yao sneered. ¡°You¡¯re cunning and ruthless! Back then, you tricked everyone and escaped an ordeal. Today¡­ you won¡¯t have the chance!¡± I definitely won¡¯t make the same mistake again! Shangguan Jing spread his hands. ¡°I know you want that corpse, but¡­ It¡¯s not in my hands now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Miao Yao didn¡¯t believe his words at all. ¡°Back then, you spent all your effort hiding the corpse. If it¡¯s not with you, where can it be!?¡± ¡°A thousand years have passed!¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly raised his voice. ¡°Everything has changed! You know how the Flood-Desert Northern Region is now, right? For the past thousand years, I¡¯ve been hibernating. How can I control what happened and what I lost?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can search my body!¡± Shangguan Jing spoke and was about to directly raise his leg and walk forward! ¡°Senior Shangguan!¡± Elder Dan Qing hurriedly walked forward and blocked his path. ¡°This matter is important. You must think it through!¡± The great phoenix dragon clan came over so fiercely. Who knows if they will directly take action if Shangguan Jing goes out? This person is still in our Ling Xiao Academy now. How could something happen to him? Miao Yao stared closely at Shangguan Jing as if he wanted to see something from his face. However, the two of them were old foxes, and one had deeper thoughts than the other. Nobody could guess anyone. ¡°Shangguan Jing, if your conscience is clear, you can come out directly! I have my own methods to check if the skeleton is with you! If that item is really not with you, we¡¯ll let this incident go! However, if we find out something¡­ Don¡¯t blame us for being ruthless!¡± Miao Yao was too lazy to speak nonsense. He had already given Ling Xiao Academy face by not directly rushing forward, breaking the barrier, and dragging Shangguan Jing out. Nobody knew how enraged he was when he found out that Shangguan Jing was still alive! The next moment, he heard Shangguan Jing say swiftly, ¡°Okay!¡± The people present were taken aback. Elder Dan Qing wanted to stop him again. ¡°Senior Shangguan, this¡ª¡± ¡°They came here for me. It has nothing to do with Ling Xiao Academy and you guys. You don¡¯t have to be involved in this,¡± said Shangguan Jing with a smile. ¡°Besides, my conscience is clear. What is there to fear?¡± As he spoke, he looked at the elder in charge of the barrier. The two elders exchanged a glance and finally hesitated as they opened the barrier. Shangguan Jing stepped out! ¡­ The two parties fell into a stalemate. Shangguan Jing spread open his arms. ¡°You can check if you want!¡± Miao Yao coldly snorted. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can be this stubborn!¡± As he spoke, he closed his eyes and crossed his hands before him. Then, a purplish-golden light blossomed in his palms. A purplish-golden translucent scale floated up! Chapter 1503 - Expose That scale flew around Shangguan Jing¡¯s body as if it were checking something bit by bit. Shangguan Jing could feel a strange energy scanning his body, but his expression was normal. He stood with one hand behind his back, raised his chin slightly, and looked open. That corpse was indeed not with him, so he naturally couldn¡¯t discover anything. Miao Yao looked at the scale that didn¡¯t have a reaction and slowly furrowed his brows. Could it be¡­ he really doesn¡¯t have it? But back then, Shangguan Jing had a grudge against us because of that corpse. How could he bear to give it up just like that?! Finally, that scale flew around Shangguan Jing and still couldn¡¯t find anything. Shangguan Jing laughed. ¡°Well? Do you believe me now?¡± Miao Yao¡¯s brows were still tightly knitted. His face was covered in a layer of frost that was chilling to the bone. ¡°Who knows what method you used to hide it!?¡± This Shangguan Jing could even trick us about his death. Isn¡¯t hiding a corpse just a small matter!? Shangguan Jing¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Miao Yao, it was my fault first back then, but I have also apologized to you sincerely. You guys were relentless and wanted to take my life no matter what. I was driven to a corner, so I chose to leave.¡± ¡°As for me faking my death to hide from you¡­ Who in this world doesn¡¯t want to live properly?! I feel that my sin doesn¡¯t amount to a death sentence, so I naturally won¡¯t allow myself to be bullied to death by you! Besides, during this thousand-year period, I¡¯ve been hibernating and had no senses at all. There¡¯s no difference between that and being dead. Even if it¡¯s to atone for my sins, it¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Today, you directly rushed up to the entrance and attacked me without finding out what exactly happened. I endured it and even agreed to let you search my body! All this can express my sincerity, right? What else do you want?¡± Previously, his attitude had been good. Now that he suddenly became more resilient, he turned into another person. The few elders outside the barrier felt their hearts shudder when they heard this. At this point, Shangguan Jing was still outside the barrier and only a short distance away from Miao Yao and the rest! If they wanted to take action, Shangguan Jing might not be able to escape successfully! At this point, his words were sharp and even piercing. It caused the few elders to even sweat for him. Miao Yao¡¯s expression changed, and he stared at Shangguan Jing for quite some time. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± Shangguan Jing laughed out loud. ¡°Believe me if you want. I¡¯ve already finished what I wanted to say.¡± After saying this, he actually turned around directly and walked back. ¡°Hey, you¡ª¡±¡® The few young people that followed behind Miao Yao were indignant when they saw this. They wanted to say something more but were stopped by Miao Yao with a raise of his hand. They had to give Ling Xiao Academy some face as they were in their territory. It wasn¡¯t suitable to attack them directly. He previously said so on purpose to test Shangguan Jing. He could kill him whenever, but it was more important to find the corpse. If the corpse isn¡¯t with him, did someone take it by some twist of fate? Miao Yao knitted his brows, and countless guesses flashed across his mind. A thought surfaced in his mind, and that scale flew toward him. But just as that scale was about to return to his palm, it suddenly changed its direction and flew toward Ling Xiao Academy! Whoosh! An air-piercing sound was heard. The scale drew a straight purplish-golden line in mid-air! One of Shangguan Jing¡¯s feet had already stepped into the barrier. Hearing the commotion, all the muscles in his body instantly tensed up. A strong sense of danger overwhelmed his heart! Without thinking, he hastened his steps and entered! ¡°Seal the barrier!¡± he hollered. The two elders in charge of the barrier were taken aback when they heard this, but they instinctively took action. They were fast, but the scale was faster! In the blink of an eye, it had already flown in! Shangguan Jing immediately turned around and saw a spark of purplish-golden flash across his eyes. The next moment, that item brushed past his cheeks and flew straight to the academy! Its speed was frighteningly fast, causing a tiny yet clear scraping sensation on Shangguan Jing¡¯s face! He looked in the direction the scale was flying, and his heart skipped a beat! It was actually flying toward Million Wine Mountain! ¡°Senior Shangguan, this¡ª¡± Elder Dan Qing was also stunned. ¡°Strengthen the academy barrier! Don¡¯t let them in!¡± As Shangguan Jing spoke, his person had already disappeared from the spot and chased after that scale! Behind him and outside the barrier, Miao Yao had already recovered his senses and clenched his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s indeed inside! Shangguan Jing¡­ just you wait!¡± ¡­ Million Wine Mountain. Facing Elder Bo Yan¡¯s questioning, the hand in Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeves silently tightened. Previously, the elders had suspected her and even summoned her to Million Wine Mountain to question her in detail. She had denied it the entire way. As they had no evidence, and it didn¡¯t cause too much of a problem, the matter just ended. However, this time was different. Even if she didn¡¯t know what secret that fountain hid, she could roughly guess that this matter wasn¡¯t simple. ¡°Even though the red-tailed phoenix has the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s bloodline, only one in a million can successfully break through. And yours completed the transformation in just a few months after you entered the academy. Is this¡­ related to the fountain?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s words were asked very directly. Chu Liuyue faltered. ¡°I¡­¡± Whoosh! The moment she spoke, a gush of cold wind attacked her from behind! Danger! Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately dodged to the side! At the same time, Rong Xiu had already taken action! A golden barrier rapidly appeared around Chu Liuyue! But the next moment, a crack appeared in the barrier! Chu Liuyue turned around in shock and saw that a translucent, purplish-golden scale had already sharply pierced through the barrier Rong Xiu had set up. That scale was half the size of an adult¡¯s palm, and its edges were very thin and sharp! It contained a ferocious aura! Chu Liuyue knew that aura very clearly. That is a great phoenix dragon¡¯s scale! Ka! The barrier cracked! That scale rushed toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian! Chapter 1504 - Interrogation Without thinking, Chu Liuyue immediately retreated! However, that scale did not disappear and kept approaching her! It was extremely fast, and one couldn¡¯t even see its traces. They heard a few ear-piercing sounds in the air, and black cracks appeared in mid-air! It showed its formidability! Chu Liuyue moved her legs and retreated again! At the same time, her body glowed with a golden light, and the pure gold armor quickly wrapped her body! She was curvy and tall. Even though she was wearing a man¡¯s disguise¡­ After her figure was exposed, she didn¡¯t intentionally cover her figure. The previous her might seem youthful, but today, she seemed to have fully grown up as her every move and action was charming and elegant. Whoosh! That scale flew over directly. Chu Liuyue bent her waist and her body instantly folded at an unimaginable angle. Whoosh! The scale brushed past one inch away from her body, scarcely making through! Chu Liuyue could even feel the terrifying aura on her face, and it hurt! The next moment, she straightened her body, turned around, and raised her bare hand. A red-golden fire suddenly rose from her palm, which quickly formed a fire wall around her! The fire burned intensely, and the surrounding temperature instantly increased! It seemed like the air was burning as well! At the same time, a clear shriek spread across the area! Shoo! A gigantic figure clad in red and gold¡ªwhich contained an intense fire¡ªappeared in front of Chu Liuyue! It was Tuan Zi! It was as if the tremendous suppression that came from a space and time far away almost crushed this space! Tuan Zi¡¯s appearance finally caused the scale to stop in its actions as it just floated in midair quietly, not willing to move back at all. It seemed to have fallen into a stalemate with Tuan Zi. Seeing this scene, the crowd in the academy was stunned. ¡°T-that¡¯s the rumored ancient legendary fiend¡ªred-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± ¡°Those rumors are actually true¡­ Shangguan Yue really made an agreement with a red-gold heavenly phoenix! An average person wouldn¡¯t even be able to personally see a red-gold heavenly phoenix in their lives, yet Shangguan Yue could make an agreement with one¡­ I can¡¯t even be jealous of her¡­¡± ¡°Her red-gold heavenly phoenix seems to have broken through from a red-tailed phoenix, right? Nobody has such luck! Doesn¡¯t Liu Yintong have a red-tailed phoenix too? However, it really can¡¯t be compared to Shangguan Yue¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that scale? It appeared so suddenly and ferociously!¡± ¡­ They heard the crowd in the academy discussing softly. The faces of Elder Bo Yan and the others in midair were filled with shock, and they took a while to react. The scale that suddenly appeared was definitely extraordinary! It just easily broke through Rong Xiu¡¯s barrier! ¡°A scale of this color¡­ Could it be¡ª¡± Elder Bo Yan suddenly thought of something and gasped! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes focused and stared tightly at the scale. Red-gold heavenly phoenixes and great phoenix dragons were the top two ancient legendary fiends. From the past till now, these two clans had completely opposing stances, and their competition was very intense. Of course, other clans didn¡¯t even have the right to participate in this fight. Hence, only after Tuan Zi appeared did the arrogant and domineering great phoenix dragon scale pause for a moment. It was fearful of Tuan Zi. And Tuan Zi¡ª Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Even if she was standing behind Tuan Zi and couldn¡¯t see its current expression, their hearts were connected. Without any additional words or actions, they knew what each other was thinking. She had never seen Tuan Zi this meticulous and careful. Its personality was playful, and after it broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix, it was even more carefree. Its distinguished bloodline could almost allow it to crush all the other fiends easily except¡­ the great phoenix dragons! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Just as this place was falling into a stalemate, Shangguan Jing¡¯s body flashed and returned. He glanced at that scale floating quietly before Chu Liuyue, and his heart sank. This item was extremely sensitive, and it could actually detect that the corpse was with Yue¡¯er! This time, it would be hard to explain it¡ª Roar! Just as the crowd descended into chaos, an earth-shattering dragon roar suddenly sounded from above their heads. Everyone was stunned and hurriedly looked up. In the sky not far away, a few figures floated in midair. Blocked by the academy¡¯s barrier, they couldn¡¯t enter, but they could see the situation within the academy clearly. ¡°Who is in charge of the barrier?! Who allowed them to go up!¡± Elder Bo Yan berated angrily. Outside Ling Xiao Academy was a gigantic barrier. Normally, everyone came in from the main entrance at the side. And the area above was extremely sensitive¡ªnobody could casually approach it. The defensive powers here were basically the strongest. But now¡­ Elder Hua Feng¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. ¡°Bo Yan, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not our people who didn¡¯t fulfill their duties, but¡­ They¡¯re too strong! The man at the front is¡­ a great phoenix dragon!¡± Originally, Elder Bo Yan did not discover it. Through this reminder, he immediately looked over. With this look, his heart instantly sank. Purplish-golden scale¡­ Dragon roar¡­ If it isn¡¯t a great phoenix dragon, what else could it be?! Then¡­ He suddenly turned around. That scale should be the great phoenix dragon¡¯s? But why did they target Shangguan Yue? Coincidentally, Elder Dan Qing also anxiously rushed over at this moment. His face flashed white. ¡°Bo Yan, our people couldn¡¯t stop them! The great phoenix dragon clan is indeed too strong, especially the person at the front, who is the famous Miao Yao!¡± Actually, many people didn¡¯t know this name. After all, it happened a thousand years ago. If one didn¡¯t specifically go to find out about it, an average person wouldn¡¯t know so much. However, they knew the few words ¡®great phoenix dragon!¡¯ At this time, the crowd in Qing Ming Square was stunned beyond words. Great phoenix dragon¡­ It hasn¡¯t appeared in a long, long time, right? Why did it suddenly appear today?! And once it did, it rushed straight for Ling Xiao Academy! Thinking of the series of events that happened earlier, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the great phoenix dragon¡¯s true goal this time was Shangguan Jing and Shangguan Yue. Didn¡¯t they just settle the aristocratic families¡¯ problems in Fangzhou City? A day hasn¡¯t passed yet. How did they offend this great phoenix dragon!? Elder Bo Yan¡¯s thoughts whirred, and he knitted his brows tightly. This great phoenix dragon came at the wrong time! His figure flashed as he moved forward and cupped his fists toward Miao Yao and the rest in a very polite manner. ¡°So it¡¯s Senior Miao Yao that came a long way here. We¡¯ve been bad hosts¡ªplease forgive us.¡± Miao Yao just glanced at him lightly before looking at Chu Liuyue. A cold smile crept onto the corner of his lips. ¡°That item is with you?¡± Chapter 1505 - So What If I Used It? He didn¡¯t explicitly say what it was, but Chu Liuyue instantly understood it. Other than that corpse, what could get the great phoenix dragon clan to chase after something so effortfully and intensely?! Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. However, Miao Yao didn¡¯t seem interested in her answer. That scale¡¯s reaction was enough to say everything! He sized Chu Liuyue up and glanced at Shangguan Yue, who was standing not far away. His gaze then became increasingly sharp. ¡°So she¡¯s your bloodline descendant from the same clan¡­ Shangguan Jing, you¡¯re indeed generous toward your own descendants! You¡¯re actually willing to give such a thing!¡± 1 Upon deeper thought, this was actually normal. The great phoenix dragon¡¯s corpse would cause some trouble if it went out. Only his own people were the most reliable. To think thatIe almost believed Shangguan Jing¡¯s extremely ridiculous lie! From start to end, he had no thoughts of returning it! Shangguan Yue¡¯s expression turned cold and sharp. He flew to Chu Liuyue and blocked her behind him. ¡°Miao Yao, just target me. Don¡¯t implicate others!¡± 1 ¡°Others? She¡¯s your descendant, so how is she considered others? Besides¡­ the item is with her!¡± Miao Yao raised his hand and pointed at Chu Liuyue. The scales on the back of his hand shone with a crystallized light and with a cold and sharp gleam. ¡°Hah, no wonder you have so much courage. So you rely on the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­¡± The moment Miao Yao saw Tuan Zi, disgust flashed across his eyes. ¡°As an ancient legendary fiend, you lowered yourself to making an agreement with the humans. You¡¯re really selling yourself cheap!¡± Rumble! The fire around Tuan Zi instantly rose as ferocious anger overwhelmed its eyes! He can talk about me, but he definitely cannot humiliate her! ¡°Tsk, look at you. Do you really think that you¡¯re the human¡¯s dog? I really don¡¯t know what the old fogies in the red-gold heavenly phoenix are doing, and they actually allowed you to do such a thing! You don¡¯t find it humiliating, but I¡¯m embarrassed for you!¡± Fiends had enmity toward humans, let alone ancient legendary fiends. Their distinguished bloodlines made them imperious and used to disregarding everyone. In addition to Shangguan Jing¡¯s incident, Miao Yao had deep and biased hatred against humans. When he spoke now, he sounded extremely harsh. Tuan Zi let out a sharp shriek! Its wings flapped, almost wanting to rush out directly and fight with the other party! ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice sounded extremely calm and composed. Tuan Zi was indignant, but it could only hold it in. Chu Liuyue gently caressed its wings. Tuan Zi¡¯s emotions gradually calmed. Then, Chu Liuyue stepped forward. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡ª¡± said Shangguan Jing rather worriedly. Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just want to tell this person something.¡± Seeing her calm eyes without any ripples, Shangguan Jing felt slightly more at ease. After slight hesitation, he finally nodded. Chu Liuyue took another step forward and looked at Miao Yao. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, I heard that you have an extremely high status in the great phoenix dragon clan. However, I didn¡¯t know that you started to control the matters in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan?¡± ¡°Tuan Zi has followed me for years. From a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant, it broke through all the way to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix today. Your one sentence has just ignored our feelings and relationship over the many years. Isn¡¯t that¡­ too much?¡± Miao Yao was stunned, and his gaze darted between Tuan Zi and Chu Liuyue doubtfully. This red-gold heavenly phoenix actually broke through from a nine-colored heavenly pheasant?! If it were really so, other people have no right to stand up and scold them. His skin was tense. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s a red-gold heavenly phoenix now, so it naturally has to follow their rules! You know that it should return to the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan and acknowledge its ancestors after it broke through, right?!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed and looked at Tuan Zi. She really didn¡¯t know about this. Tuan Zi lowered its head and gently rubbed against its shoulders. Actually, it knew about this after its bloodline power was completely awakened. But because Chu Liuyue had continuous trouble, it didn¡¯t bring it up at all. Originally, it wanted to find a chance to talk to her about it after all these messy troubles ended. However, Tuan Zi did not expect¡ª Chu Liuyue had a telepathic connection with Tuan Zi, so she naturally understood the latter¡¯s thoughts. Her heart felt warm, and she smiled slightly before looking at Miao Yao. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, may I know if you¡¯ve heard of the phrase: the person involved is calm and collected, but observers are very worried? We¡¯re not even anxious to do this, yet as a great phoenix dragon, you¡¯re much more anxious.¡± Miao Yao¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You¡¯re insolent!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was nonchalant. ¡°This is the first time you¡¯ve met me, so you might not be used to it. After some time, you will know that I¡¯m very insolent and that I never like to bow down to anyone, especially¡­ those who are rude to me from the start.¡± They came to kill her. Was she supposed to welcome them with a smile? She was still a person! ¡°You!¡± Miao Yao was so angry that his face flushed red. This grandfather and granddaughter are masters of driving one to their death. The old one is like this, but the younger one is even worse! Arrogant¡ªtoo arrogant! He took a deep breath in and glanced at Elder Bo Yan. ¡°You¡¯re Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director?¡± Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows. ¡°The director went on a trip, and he¡¯s not in. I¡¯m Bo Yan; I¡¯m temporarily in charge of everything in Ling Xiao Academy. Senior Miao Yao, is there a misunderstanding here? How about everyone calming down and talking about this carefully¡­¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Miao Yao sneered. ¡°You should ask the grandfather and granddaughter what good things they¡¯ve done!¡± Elder Bo Yan felt slightly uneasy. The great phoenix dragon clan had a distinguished status and rarely interfered with human affairs. This time, they directly rushed over. Something might¡¯ve happened. ¡°In consideration of Ling Xiao Academy, I¡¯ll give you a chance! Immediately hand this grandfather and granddaughter over! If not, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Miao Yao¡¯s attitude was persistent. Seeing this formation, if one didn¡¯t act according to what he said, he might really do anything! Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression was solemn as he looked at Shangguan Jing. ¡°Senior Shangguan, what exactly is going on?¡± Shangguan Jing furrowed his brows tightly as if he were thinking of how to handle the current situation. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that big of a matter,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Everyone looked over curiously. The great phoenix dragons were forced to come here. How could it be a small matter? Chu Liuyue pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ear. Her expression was calm as she lightly said, ¡°A thousand years ago, my ancestor unwittingly obtained a great phoenix dragon corpse. Ancestor planned to return it, but Senior Miao Yao wanted to take his life no matter what. Helpless, Ancestor could only choose to leave, and he didn¡¯t have a chance to return that corpse. It was only until a thousand years later, when Ancestor woke up, that Senior Miao Yao and the rest came to find him again.¡± Elder Bo Yan listened until his heart shuddered. ¡°T-then, why don¡¯t we talk peace in consideration of the academy? Senior Shangguan, you can return the corpse, and Senior Miao Yao can just let this incident go¡­ How does that sound?¡± ¡°Not very good.¡± Chu Liuyue directly rejected this suggestion and lightly said, ¡°I¡¯ve already used that corpse¡¯s wing bones.¡± Chapter 1506 - Fight! Dead silence. The moment Chu Liuyue said it, the surrounding air seemed to be frozen. The corner of Elder Bo Yan¡¯s eyes twitched, and he almost instinctively asked, ¡°U-used it?! What does that mean?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly smiled, and her eyes curved up. ¡°I used it when I helped the legendary three-eyed eagle to reform its physical body.¡± Originally, she was rather hesitant about being honest about this issue. After much thinking, she finally chose to say the truth directly. On the one hand, that scale¡¯s reaction had already pointed the arrow to her, and the great phoenix dragon clan would definitely get to the bottom of this. Additionally, she had made an agreement with Zi Chen. When she journeyed in the God Residence Realm in the future, she had to summon it from time to time. With two great phoenix dragon wings in its body, how could they not detect it? This matter couldn¡¯t be covered up at all, and they would know about it sooner or later. Instead of hiding sheepishly, she should just face it directly! So what if I used it!? ¡­ When Miao Yao heard Chu Liuyue say that, his vision turned black, and he almost fainted. This Shangguan Yue actually used our distinguished corpse to reform the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s physical body?! Humiliation¡ªthis was utter humiliation! Before he came, he had imagined countless scenarios. This was the only one he didn¡¯t think about! Although the legendary three-eyed eagles are also legendary fiends, they are clearly much lower in status compared to us. Shangguan Yue actually dared to do this! ¡°Y-you¡ª¡± Something seemed to be crazily tumbling in Miao Yao¡¯s chest. Before he could even finish his sentence, he pointed at Chu Liuyue as his entire body trembled slightly. The surrounding crowd was shocked. What kind of behavior is this? Using the great phoenix dragon¡¯s corpse to reform the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s physical body? Even though the effects aren¡¯t bad, but¡­ That is the great phoenix dragon! Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression was dazed. At that moment, the first thought that flashed across his mind was: It¡¯s no wonder that legendary three-eyed eagle has such strong combat skills! It doesn¡¯t lose out at all when compared to the red-gold heavenly phoenix! ¡°Yue¡¯er, the matter is serious! You can¡¯t be impulsive and talk nonsense!¡± Elder Wan Zheng suddenly hollered. Chu Liuyue followed the voice and looked over. Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s expression was cold and stern, but his eyes were filled with intense uneasiness and nervousness. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She knew that Elder Wan Zheng had purposely said that because he didn¡¯t want her to be in danger. However¡­ I did do it, so I should rightly be responsible for it. She raised her chin slightly. ¡°I did this on my own; it has nothing to do with Ancestor and the academy! If you want to pursue responsibility, just come for me.¡± ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Shangguan Jing went forward. He held her arm and looked anxious. Does she know how much trouble she will face? The great phoenix dragon could pursue me for a thousand years for that corpse. Today, she occupied it and had even touched their Achilles¡¯ heel! Even if it is me, I might not be able to save her! The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Then, she pulled her ancestor¡¯s hand away. ¡°Ancestor, a person should be responsible for their own actions. This has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I dared to do this then, so I knew this day would come.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue suddenly went on her toes! Her figure rapidly flew toward the sky! Finally, she stopped when she reached a position where she could meet Miao Yao and the rest at eye level. ¡°Yue¡ª¡± Without thinking, Elder Wan Zheng wanted to go over, but Elder Hua Feng stopped him. ¡°Wait first! Let¡¯s see what that girl plans to do!¡± Elder Wan Zheng was anxious. ¡°Look at what¡¯s happening? If we¡¯re late, we might¡ª¡± Her life might be lost. Elder Hua Feng clenched his teeth. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Rong Xiu hasn¡¯t moved!? Maybe they still have another method.¡± Elder Wan Zheng turned around and saw that Rong Xiu was still in the same spot. Rong Xiu lifted his gaze slightly and stared at the two parties in a stalemate. He had no expression, and one couldn¡¯t see through him. Elder Wan Zheng and the rest hesitated. They knew how much Rong Xiu cared about Shangguan Yue, but even now, he was still calm. Did he really have another way? Actually, Rong Xiu had already ignored the surrounding chaotic noises at this point. He had one hand behind his back as he cracked his knuckles bit by bit¡ªit was as if he were calculating the time and waiting for something. The depths of his phoenix-like eyes seemed to be calm, but there were actually secret ripples in them! ¡­ Boom! Another lightning bolt struck. It was complete debris on the peak of Million Wine Mountain. Since the last incident that happened there, Elder Bo Yan spent quite a lot of effort restoring it with much difficulty. Now, these lightning bolts struck down and turned everything into dust. Trees fell, and rocks collapsed. The scorch marks were frightening to see. Only the fountain in the middle seemed to be sealed by an invisible barrier. Those lightning bolts landed in the surroundings and didn¡¯t land within. Half of the fountain was frozen. In the depths of it, there seemed to be something brewing as if it would explode at any time. ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re young, but you¡¯re really gutsy.¡± Miao Yao stared at Chu Liuyue deadly and was so angered that he laughed. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve already thought of how you¡¯re going to die?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Not really. I died once before, so I especially cherish life. I came here to discuss with you and see what¡¯s the better solution for this.¡± Miao Yao almost thought that he had misheard her. ¡°You used my great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s corpse, yet you want to live? Dream on!¡± The moment he said this, he raised his hand! Whoosh! That scale suddenly broke into a sharp gleam! Then, it formed a gigantic dragon and rushed straight for Chu Liuyue! Shangguan Jing was stunned. ¡°Oh no! That¡¯s Miao Yao¡¯s real body!¡± Chapter 1507 - Two Conditions They originally thought that with the barrier as an obstacle, she would still be protected. Who knew that Miao Yao actually used such a method and used his true body to form a scale? Not only did he barge into Ling Xiao Academy, but he even took action against Chu Liuyue without speaking! How could Ling Xiao Academy not have any reaction? A large and muscular figure appeared in midair. The dragon was covered in purplish-gold scales, its claws were sharp, and its suppression was shocking. Its two eyes were rich black, and one could faintly see a hint of purple that had a sense of mysteriousness. Cold, imperious, nonchalant! The dragon was fast. In the blink of an eye, it had already approached Chu Liuyue! At the same time, it let out a low and suppressive dragon roar! ¡°Roar!¡± At that moment, the terrifying strength surged over from all directions. Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding space instantly shrunk forcefully. Her chest felt stifled, and she instantly felt that her inner force had become slow. The next moment, an indescribable force crushed her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure instantly flew outward! ¡°Yue¡¯er, be careful!¡± Shangguan Jing screamed in shock. Chu Liuyue felt that her eyes turned blurry, and her body retreated uncontrollably. However, such a situation didn¡¯t persist for long before a gentle and strong strength rapidly held her waist and hurriedly removed that shocking pressure. Following this, she fell into a spacious and warm embrace. The familiar cold fragrance made her feel at ease. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Rong Xiu looking in front coldly as murderous intent overwhelmed him! ¡°Senior Miao Yao, have you thought of it clearly before you took action!? Yue¡¯er is now my Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort. If you dare to hurt her or kill her, you will be pitting yourself against the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was low and powerful as every word struck down like thunder! The surroundings fell quiet. Everyone clearly didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to be so harsh and directly gamble with the entire Sky-Cloud Empire! Shock flashed across the dragon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sky-Cloud Empire? Princess Consort?¡± After Miao Yao detected that Shangguan Jing was still alive, he directly brought people over to kill him, so he had no chance to understand anything else. Hence, he didn¡¯t know that Chu Liuyue had such an identity. The Sky-Cloud Empire was an elite, top-tier aristocratic family in the God Residence Realm. Even if the great phoenix dragon clan was strong, they still had to fear them to some extent. It was fine if she had an ordinary status, but the key was¡­ this woman was the princess consort! This matter was tricky! Miao Yao¡¯s eyes still burned with anger. ¡°Even so, she is responsible and should be punished for using my great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s corpse! I can¡¯t let this matter slide!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never planned on evading responsibility either!¡± Shangguan Jing saw that Rong Xiu took action in time to save Chu Liuyue, and he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. His figure then flashed and appeared in front of Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue, going against Miao Yao. ¡°Miao Yao, we did you wrong in this matter. We¡¯ve also expressed our sincerity in discussing how to solve this matter. But if your attitude is still so persistent, we have nothing to talk about!¡± At this point, Elder Bo Yan had also recovered his senses, rapidly went forward, and boomed, ¡°Senior Miao Yao, we respect your distinguished identity, but it doesn¡¯t mean that we will tolerate you doing whatever you want on our Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s territory! If you take action on your own will again, we will definitely not sit and watch!¡± Miao Yao was so angry that he breathed heavily. Is everyone in this Shangguan family nuts!? They clearly did something wrong, but why do they sound like the master in their tone? However, this matter was really hard to settle. On the one hand, the Sky-Cloud Empire clearly showed that they were going to support her. On the other hand, they were currently in Ling Xiao Academy, and it would be wrong of them to suddenly take action. The two parties entered a stalemate. The many students spectating from below all watched with bated breath, and they were extremely nervous. Before this, who would¡¯ve expected them to personally witness such a crazy scene in Ling Xiao Academy!? In the silence, Chu Liuyue lightly patted Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. Rong Xiu glanced at her, and his sharp brows were raised slightly. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head, giving him a reassuring gaze. Rong Xiu then let go of her hand reluctantly. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and moved half a step forward. ¡°Ancestor, Elder Bo Yan, I previously said that since I started this, I should take responsibility and solve it.¡± Shangguan Jing and Elder Bo Yan exchanged glances and were hesitant in their words. How could this matter be so simple? However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care about the duo¡¯s reactions as she stared at Miao Yao calmly. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, I¡¯m afraid it would be difficult if you want me to pay with my life. Why don¡¯t¡­ we change to another method? As long as I can do it, I will definitely make it up to you.¡± She spoke sincerely and genuinely, but it sounded like a joke to Miao Yao. ¡°Make up? Based on you?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Just by myself.¡± Miao Yao originally wanted to laugh out loud, but seeing the dark and composed eyes, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t laugh. At that moment, countless thoughts flashed across his heart. Actually, there is something that Shangguan Yue said that is right. With the Sky-Cloud Empire and Ling Xiao Academy protecting her, it wouldn¡¯t be very possible to take her life. Then¡­ We can only find another way to make up for it! ¡°Okay! Since you¡¯ve said so, I have two requests! As long as you can do it, I¡¯ll let this matter slide!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Please say it.¡± Miao Yao stared at her. ¡°Firstly, remove the bones that you used from the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s body! Return them and the remaining corpse in one piece! Secondly, I can spare your life, but as punishment, you must endure three moves from me! As long as you can survive, all these grievances will end!¡± Before Chu Liuyue could speak, Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t hold himself back. ¡°Miao Yao, don¡¯t be overboard! What¡¯s your cultivation level, and what is Yue¡¯er¡¯s? You wanting Yue¡¯er to take three moves from you is akin to openly taking her life! If you want to discuss it, do it properly! If not, don¡¯t talk so much nonsense! You¡¯re wasting everybody¡¯s time!¡± Shangguan Jing was enraged. Miao Yao was an important existence in the great phoenix dragon clan. His status was distinguished, and he was very strong. However, Yue¡¯er was just an intermediate stage-nine warrior! Not to mention three moves, with just one move, she might just¡ª Miao Yao sneered. ¡°What, you can¡¯t take it? Don¡¯t forget that she said that the person who made the mistake would take full responsibility. Didn¡¯t she act so noble and upright just now? Why did you suddenly become so cowardly? I¡¯ll also be upfront. If you truly want to make peace with us, then agree to my conditions! If you don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Everything I said previously still counts, and I do genuinely want to make peace.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly spoke and interrupted Miao Yao, ¡°But out of your two conditions, I can only accept the second one. Zi Chen is my fiend. Since I helped it reform its physical body, I will never allow anyone else to destroy it. I can¡¯t do it, and I¡¯ll never allow anyone else to do it either!¡± Chapter 1508 - First Move! After Chu Liuyue said this, the surroundings instantly fell silent. Even Miao Yao¡¯s eyes were dazed for a moment. ¡°You rejected the first of the two conditions, but you accepted the second? Are you sure?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°This is my bottomline; I will not compromise. If you feel that it¡¯s inappropriate, then¡­ I don¡¯t have a choice either.¡± Miao Yao stared at Chu Liuyue with a strange expression. Actually, he randomly suggested the two conditions. That was because he thought that Chu Liuyue definitely wouldn¡¯t accept the second one because how was that different from having a death wish? However, he didn¡¯t expect her to reject the first one. A ripple suddenly came from the dantian. Zi Chen¡¯s voice was much lower and harsher than usual as if it were suppressing something. ¡°If he wants this pair of wing bones, I¡¯ll return it to him! Why must you pay with your life!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fool around,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. ¡°I spent a lot of effort to reform your physical body back then. How can you not want it so casually? Besides, the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bones aren¡¯t that easy to find. If you miss such a chance once, you can¡¯t get it again in the future.¡± She couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°But¡­ With your current abilities, you can¡¯t endure three moves from him!¡± Zi Chen¡¯s voice had a hint of panic. It was a legendary fiend, and it had merged two great phoenix dragon wing bones. It knew too clearly how strong this clan was! Yes, Chu Liuyue was much stronger than cultivators of the same level, and she could even challenge warriors stronger than her. Even though she was an intermediate stage-nine warrior, she had the skills to even fight with a demigod or even a true god warrior! But Miao Yao¡­ Even a legendary warrior might not be his match! If Chu Liuyue agreed, she would be gambling with her life! ¡°I¡¯m not fighting with him alone,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. ¡°Others might not know, but don¡¯t you understand? I have a few trump cards, so I might be able to endure three moves.¡± Anyway, she just had to endure it. When all the grievances were settled, everything would be fine. ¡°But it¡¯s still too dangerous! If he exerts his full force, you might not even have the chance or time to use your trump card!¡± Zi Chen still objected to it intensely. ¡°I¡¯m just a stupid soul that is on the brink of death. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see the light of day again. You¡¯ve already helped me too much. I can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Zi Chen, do you think that he really just wants that corpse back?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly asked softly. Zi Chen was stumped. ¡°A thousand years ago, Ancestor didn¡¯t do anything to the corpse and even expressed that he would return it. However, they said that they wanted his life no matter what. If it were me, it would be the same. Even if I sacrifice you and return the corpse to them, this matter won¡¯t end.¡± ¡°They want the great phoenix dragons to forever be high and mighty, and everyone else should just be small in front of them. At this point, there¡¯s no use in whatever we say or do. We can only exchange blows with them to have a chance of surviving!¡± She was willing to agree to Miao Yao¡¯s unreasonable request because he personally said it in front of so many people. No matter the outcome, he would have to admit it! This was her only chance of making a comeback! Zi Chen was silent for a long time. ¡°I will live and die with my master!¡± Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. Something suddenly came over to her cheeks. Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled as she touched Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead. ¡°With me around, you will only live and not die this time!¡± Perhaps the smile on her face had triggered Miao Yao. His head heated up as he clenched his teeth and allowed it. ¡°Okay! If you can really endure my three moves, we won¡¯t pursue the matter of the corpse. The new and old grudges will just end here!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°That¡¯s a deal.¡± ¡­ Crazy! She is insane! After Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice landed, almost everyone widened their eyes in shock and couldn¡¯t believe their ears. Accepting three moves from a great phoenix dragon as punishment as an intermediate stage-nine warrior¡­ Is she determined to kill herself, or does she think too highly of herself? Everyone found out quite a bit about the incidents in Fangzhou City, so they knew that she was indeed quite strong. However, she had to see who she was competing with! She was facing a great phoenix dragon¡­ the famous Miao Yao no less! Wouldn¡¯t that be courting death?! ¡­ Elder Wan Zheng and the others¡¯ faces flushed white slightly. They wanted to stop her, but seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s persistent expression, they thought that she had made up her mind. With that, they did not know what to say. This matter¡­ was too ridiculous! ¡­ Chu Liuyue disregarded the crowd¡¯s objections. She glanced left and right, moved her body, and chose a rather spacious area. ¡°Please don¡¯t harm the others when you take action later.¡± Miao Yao was so furious that he wanted to laugh. ¡°You should take care of yourself first!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± Miao Yao was stumped. He could finally tell that this Shangguan Yue had to be taught a lesson! At this moment, her tongue is extremely sharp. I want to see if she can still be this carefree later on! His figure moved, and he flew to Chu Liuyue. A human and a dragon faced each other. Chu Liuyue cupped her fists. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Arrogant! Miao Yao sneered in his heart. The next moment, his dragon tail flung straight toward Chu Liuyue! Wherever the purplish-golden dragon tail passed, the air shattered inch by inch! Whoosh! Chu Liuyue held the Chi Xiao Sword with one hand and summoned the black shield at the same time to block herself! Chapter 1509 - Chu Liuyues Trump Card! Compared to that gigantic dragon tail, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was clearly much smaller. The purplish-golden dragon tail had scales that flickered with a cold gleam and contained a harsh aura! Following this, countless rays of light flew out and surrounded Chu Liuyue! From afar, Chu Liuyue seemed like she was trapped in translucent purplish-golden light. At that moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding space seemed to freeze rapidly as if it were controlled by this force. Even the force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body almost stopped flowing! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This great phoenix dragon¡¯s God Realm is so domineering! When Chu Liuyue met with the God Realms unleashed by other legendary fiends or cultivators, she could still move a little. However, it was just wishful thinking in front of the great phoenix dragon! It was extremely hard to move even a step. Chu Liuyue crazily urged the force in her body, but it seemed to be to no avail after spending a lot of effort. At this moment, the force in her body seemed like a lake surface that was completely frozen, and there were no ripples at all. Gradually, her forehead was covered in tiny droplets of sweat, and her face turned slightly pale. Miao Yao looked at her and sneered to himself. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± Why does she think the great phoenix dragon clan are ancient legendary fiends?! When she agreed to the second condition, she should¡¯ve already been prepared to die! This has just started, and she already has no way of retaliating. There is no use in talking about what happens later. Whoosh! In front of their eyes, that gigantic dragon tail had already been flung at Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue could even feel the strong and harsh winds that were rushing toward her! It almost shredded her! Suddenly, a barrier composed of red-golden fire appeared in front of Chu Liuyue! The burning temperature almost caused half the sky to heat up. A burning smell spread around, causing people to be anxious. Shoo! With this clear sound, Tuan Zi spread open its wings and blocked Chu Liuyue, protecting her behind it! Its eyes didn¡¯t have the usual nonchalance and were filled with endless combat intent! Its wings burned with a red-golden fire¡ªit was a crushing sense of pressure! When Miao Yao saw Tuan Zi appear, fear flashed across his eyes instantly, but he later sneered. ¡°On account of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you move away immediately, I¡¯ll spare your life!¡± Tuan Zi didn¡¯t speak as it flapped its wings and rapidly charged toward Miao Yao! ¡°Stupid thing!¡± berated Miao Yao coldly. The relationship between the red-gold heavenly phoenixes and the great phoenix dragons had always been very peculiar. Under most circumstances, the two parties would stay in their own lanes, and it looked very calm. But in actual fact, the secret battles had never stopped. Miao Yao was originally displeased with Tuan Zi, but he didn¡¯t want to cause a conflict between the two clans, so he gave it a chance to compromise. It was a pity that the other party didn¡¯t care for it. Then, he had nothing better to say! What can a mere, young red-gold heavenly phoenix do? But right at this moment, a gigantic black figure suddenly appeared in mid-air! The harsh cold air spread around the world! ¡°The legendary three-eyed eagle!¡± When Miao Yao saw Zi Chen appear, deep hatred overwhelmed his eyes. That was because he could detect a familiar aura from it! This legendary three-eyed eagle does have the great phoenix dragon¡¯s corpse! Tuan Zi and Zi Chen worked together and took action at the same time! A red-golden fire whip was flung out and wrapped around Miao Yao¡¯s dragon tail. Miao Yao flung it angrily and directly got rid of it! ¡°What a small trick, yet you dare to use it to shame yourself.¡± He saw that the dragon tail was about to hit Tuan Zi! Zi Chen immediately went forward and went past the dragon tail! Whoosh¡ª The extremely sharp claws harshly scraped past Miao Yao¡¯s body, letting out a sharp sound! ¡°Impudent!¡± Miao Yao raged as he turned around. He originally wanted to catch Zi Chen, but Zi Chen was too fast, and it caught nothing. Miao Yao looked down and saw a white mark on the dragon tail. To the crowd, Zi Chen¡¯s attack didn¡¯t cause Miao Yao to bleed, and it was simply like tickling him. The difference in their skills could be seen easily. However, this wasn¡¯t what Miao Yao thought. The great phoenix dragon¡¯s cultivation level was originally much higher than that of the legendary three-eyed eagle, and his ability was far above it. Now that he was scratched, Miao Yao felt that it was utter humiliation! He raged in his heart as he swiftly turned around. Its figure then flashed before the dragon tail fell onto Zi Chen harshly! Slap! With a low sound, Zi Chen¡¯s body instantly flew out. Thump! Zi Chen harshly slammed into Million Wine Mountain! Mountain rocks instantly flew everywhere as black feathers flew up, and there were many bloodstains. Zi Chen struggled to get up, but it realized that it had broken quite a few bones. In some areas, its blood and muscles overlapped, and one could even see the broken white bone jutting out. It was extremely frightening! ¡­ The crowd watched on fearfully. In their impression, the legendary three-eyed eagle was already considered a very powerful legendary fiend. This was especially the case with Chu Liuyue, who made an agreement with the legendary clan leader. Zi Chen was a top legendary three-eyed eagle! However, such a legendary fiend couldn¡¯t even take one move in front of a great phoenix dragon, let alone Chu Liuyue! Elder Wan Zheng and the rest watched on at the side as they wiped their sweat. ¡­ After flinging Zi Chen away, Miao Yao placed his attention back on Chu Liuyue. At this point, Chu Liuyue was still struggling to circulate her force. Bits of force flowed out of her dantian and headed toward the shield and the Chi Xiao Sword! ¡°Even if they help you, it¡¯s just a waste of their efforts.¡± As Miao Yao spoke, the dragon tail was flung out again! This time, it was much faster than before! Before the crowd could even see it clearly, they faintly saw a purplish-golden glow flash across the air! The next moment, that terrifying force was closing in on Chu Liuyue! The red-golden fire surrounding Chu Liuyue was shattered by this strong wind! Her figure was completely exposed to Miao Yao! At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision went blurry. Thump! Tuan Zi blocked Chu Liuyue and took this blow! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue yelled. Tuan Zi¡¯s body was similarly flung away. Even though red-gold heavenly phoenixes and great phoenix dragons were ancient legendary fiends of the same level, Tuan Zi had broken through not long ago. No matter its force or experience, it couldn¡¯t be compared to Miao Yao. Before Chu Liuyue could check on Tuan Zi¡¯s injuries, she suddenly felt a gush of cold wind attacking her from the front! She looked up and saw that the dragon tail was close to her head! She reacted swiftly and raised her black shield, completely covering her own figure! Rumble! The dragon tail hit the shield harshly! Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire arm instantly turned numb! The blood in her body overturned as she suddenly vomited blood. The warm and fresh red blood landed on the black shield before disappearing without a trace. Chapter 1510 - Killer Dragon Scale! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see this scene. Miao Yao¡¯s move was too ferocious, causing her vision to turn black, and she almost couldn¡¯t see anything. Her organs seemed to be squeezed together by an invisible force¡ªit was as if they would suddenly explode at some point! It hurts! It hurts too much! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth, and her ears whirred. At one moment, her mind was a mess. However, her last bit of rationality made her hold onto that black shield tightly! She knew that it was her saving grace! The surroundings seemed to be silenced for a moment. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t care so much. After she recovered slightly, she quickly looked at her left arm. A few cracks appeared on the golden armor. A few tiny wounds opened on her arm, and fresh blood flowed out. This was caused by the overly terrifying force she had to endure just now. The pure gold armor had already taken away most of the force, but the remaining force still wasn¡¯t something Chu Liuyue¡¯s physical body could handle. Her bones seemed to be broken as well. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and rapidly took out a pill from her Cosmic Ring to consume. At the same time, she changed to her other arm and took the Chi Xiao Sword over. If it happened again, she might not be able to keep her arm. A thick bloody aura overwhelmed her mouth, causing Chu Liuyue to be disgusted and nauseous. She spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva as she looked up and said carefully, ¡°I¡¯ve endured the first move! Senior Miao Yao, please!¡± ¡­ Miao Yao looked at her doubtfully. To be more accurate, he was looking at the black shield in front of her. Nobody knew clearer than him how strong the previous force was! The legendary three-eyed eagle and the red-gold heavenly phoenix were flung away continuously without any form of retaliation. Even if a portion of the strength had been exhausted at the front, killing Shangguan Yue was as easy as ABC! She was just an intermediate stage-nine warrior, but not only did she not die, she even had the strength to continue standing there! She even asked for the second move! Miao Yao first found it ridiculous, but he then felt deep shock and doubt. That black shield was clearly problematic! At first glance, it was just an ordinary, old shield that was totally black and dark. There were no special patterns or lines on it and only messy bloodstains. They looked like they were left behind after intense fights. It seemed rather old, but Miao Yao couldn¡¯t tell the specifics after looking at it for a while. This made him slightly uneasy. Even though he wasn¡¯t an armory refinement master, he had seen countless precious treasures in the past thousand years. Hence, he could definitely be said to have sharp eyes. However, he couldn¡¯t tell where this black shield came from. ¡­ The surrounding crowd broke into an uproar after a temporary silence. ¡°Did I see wrongly? Shangguan Yue actually endured the great phoenix dragon¡¯s first move!¡± ¡°Even though she¡¯s injured, she¡¯s perfectly conscious and can talk properly. She definitely endured it!¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­ Isn¡¯t she an intermediate stage-nine warrior? Why is she so amazing?¡± ¡°¡­I think she¡¯s not amazing, but her trump cards are amazing! That legendary three-eyed eagle and the red-gold heavenly phoenix blocked quite a bit of force earlier, and not much seemed to have landed on her, right¡­¡± ¡°Tsk! How sour! Who do you think is the one attacking? Miao Yao, a formidable existence in the great phoenix dragon clan! With his one move¡­ If it were you or me, our souls would¡¯ve long dissipated!¡± ¡°I-I was just saying¡­ Besides, what I said isn¡¯t wrong! Those two legendary fiends did help Shangguan Yue to endure that attack to a great extent, and her black shield didn¡¯t even break. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing ordinary¡­¡± ¡°No matter what, she did endure this attack. The key is what she is going to do for the remaining two moves!¡± Anyone with eyes could tell that those two legendary fiends were severely injured and couldn¡¯t battle again. Without their help, Shangguan Yue was probably¡­ ¡­ ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that you had such a precious item. No wonder you have so much confidence,¡± Miao Yao boomed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re just an intermediate stage-nine warrior. Without holy force and with your original force being restricted by my God Realm, you can only unleash less than 20% of the legendary weapon in your hands.¡± Miao Yao felt that Chu Liuyue¡¯s black shield wasn¡¯t to be underestimated, but this didn¡¯t influence the eventual outcome much. Even if the black shield could withstand Miao Yao¡¯s attack, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was holding the shield¡ªhad no strength on her own. Hence, she couldn¡¯t even endure the impact of the remaining force. She couldn¡¯t be attacked at all! ¡°Without anyone helping, let¡¯s see how you can be arrogant this time!¡± Then, Miao Yao¡¯s body suddenly exploded with a glaring light! ¡°Killer Dragon Scale!¡± Shua shua shua! Countless scales flew out in unison! They drew rays of light in midair and went straight for Chu Liuyue! They overwhelmed the entire area and instantly covered her body! At first glance, the purplish-golden stars in the skies were charming. However, the murderous intent hidden within made one falter and fearful. Wherever the scales passed, the air broke! Their suppression was aggressive! If one was hit by one of those sharp scales, a piece of one¡¯s meat would be scraped off, let alone so many! It was akin to being bullied! The crowd watched on in shock. This time, Miao Yao is serious! Previously, Miao Yao disregarded Chu Liuyue, so he casually took action. Who knew that she would withstand it? Miao Yao was humiliated, so he used his thoughts and methods in the second attack. ¡°It¡¯s time for this to end!¡± Following Miao Yao¡¯s roar, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was completely covered by the overwhelming scales! Chapter 1511 - Ive Waited Very Long for This Day! The black shield could block an attack from one side, but it couldn¡¯t completely cover her. Hence, Miao Yao directly flung out this move to take her life! The first time, he was careless and didn¡¯t settle her. For the second time, the same thing couldn¡¯t happen again! A low dragon roar came from Miao Yao¡¯s throat. A pair of dragon eyes stared closely at the ball of light surrounding the many purplish-golden scales. He couldn¡¯t wait to see the ending! ¡­ The scales flew everywhere and intertwined with each other, piercing through at shocking speeds! The crowd watched on with anxious hearts. With this attack, it will be hard for Shangguan Yue to survive. ¡°Miao Yao is determined this time and wants to take Shangguan Yue¡¯s life no matter what. I think she can¡¯t withstand the second move¡­¡± ¡°Her two legendary fiends can¡¯t even protect themselves, so they can¡¯t help her. What else can she do?¡± ¡°At the end of the day, she can¡¯t blame anyone else for this. Using the great phoenix dragon¡¯s corpse to reform her own fiend¡¯s physical body¡­ How gutsy must she be to do such a thing? The key was that she did it and even admitted to it so openly! How could everyone let her off so easily?¡± ¡°If not, what could she do? This matter would be exposed sooner or later. The longer she hid it, the more dangerous it would be! She should just directly say it!¡± ¡°I think this Shangguan Yue is talented and broke through quickly, but she thinks too highly of herself. She thinks that she can go against the great phoenix dragon with her bit of talent? Think about it. How much trouble has she brought Ling Xiao Academy during this period of time? She¡¯s young and arrogant; she¡¯s bound to fail.¡± Everyone partook in heated discussions in Qing Ming Square. Mu Hongyu was so angry that her face flushed red, and her chest heaved heavily. ¡°What do you know?! She¡¯s not such a person!¡± This furious holler caused the surroundings to quieten down instantly. Quite a few people looked toward Mu Hongyu with various expressions. Finally, someone said, ¡°If she isn¡¯t like that, how can she do such things? Besides, there doesn¡¯t seem to be much use talking about this now, right? It¡¯s questionable if she can even survive!¡± Mu Hongyu clenched her fists tightly. T-these people¡ª ¡°Of course, she can survive.¡± A calm and nonchalant voice suddenly sounded. Mu Hongyu was dazed, and the surrounding people also looked toward the source of the voice. The person talking was a thin and tall young man. He was dressed in a light-green robe, and he had handsome features and a scholarly and cool aura. ¡°Lin Zhifei? You¡¯re speaking up for Shangguan Yue too?¡± someone asked. Lin Zhifei smiled slightly. ¡°I was just¡­ speaking the truth.¡± Not to mention that Rong Xiu and the rest were here, so they definitely wouldn¡¯t watch her get harmed. Even she herself wouldn¡¯t do anything she wasn¡¯t confident about. ¡°Tsk, what do you mean by telling the truth? In no time, I think that Shangguan Yue would-¡± ¡°Quickly look!¡± Before that person could finish his sarcastic remarks, he was suddenly interrupted. The crowd instinctively looked over. The next moment, they were collectively taken aback. They saw in the sky that a crack appeared within the light ball formed by the purplish-golden scales. A transparent fire suddenly surged out from within! At that moment, the transparent fire spread over and swallowed those scales! Following this, the crowd saw the scales¡ªwhich originally was a ferocious attack¡ªhad an observable decrease in their suppression. And their sparkling light rapidly dimmed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan and the rest were also stunned by this scene. Elder Wan Zheng suddenly thought of something and lost his voice in shock. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Crack! A crisp sound was heard! Then, the crowd saw the purplish-golden scales break with a sound! After they were trapped by the transparent fire, the force in the scales was rapidly absorbed and later became very weak. They would shatter with just a light touch. All the chaotic noises had totally disappeared at this moment. It was dead quiet between heaven and earth. Miao Yao suddenly widened his eyes, and his nonchalant, ice-cold eyes were filled with disbelief. H-how could this¡ª Rumble! Following the large explosion, the transparent fire flowed in all directions! The scales that were intertwined together were as fragile as glass at this moment! As if the floodgates had opened, everything started progressing in an unpredictable direction. Everyone looked to the sky with wide eyes and mouths agape. There, a tall and straight figure stood straight in the crazily surging transparent fire! Her clothes blew up with the wind, and her black hair flew everywhere¡ªit was Chu Liuyue! Her face and body were stained with patches of blood, and the golden armor was in pieces. Her face was as pale as snow, but only her black gem-like eyes were as deep as the cold lake and were filled with shocking battle intent. She clearly looked disheveled, but one couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked and fearful. Some people were still peerless even if they were covered in injuries. A small transparent square cauldron floated quietly in front of her. That terrifying transparent fire clearly came out from within! ¡°Heavenly Square Cauldron!¡± Miao Yao lost his voice in shock. He didn¡¯t know anything about what had happened in Fangzhou City earlier. Hence, he was naturally very stunned to see it so suddenly. The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips suddenly curled up into an arrogant smile. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, to be honest, I¡¯ve waited for this day for too long! Finally¡ª¡± I can use this trump card openly! Chapter 1512 - : Bloodline Power Miao Yao didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to have such a holy item. The Heavenly Square Cauldron has been missing in the God Residence Realm for thousands of years. All these years, many people have looked everywhere for it, but they didn¡¯t know its whereabouts. I didn¡¯t expect it to be with her?! Although Miao Yao didn¡¯t know much about these things outside the realm, he knew Shangguan Jing very well. Even though Shangguan Jing was capable, he was from outside the realm and had a lowly background. Besides, when he had just made a name for himself in the God Residence Realm, such a shocking battle happened between them, so he was left in the Flood-Desert Northern Region ever since. Even if Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t really die in the past thousand years, he had been trapped there and had no consciousness, so there wasn¡¯t much difference between that and being dead. Then, it was even more impossible for him to do anything for Shangguan Yue. This also meant that Shangguan Yue came from outside the realm! This young lady was in her teens and had an ordinary background. Although she was quite talented, her skills weren¡¯t elite. At the very least, she definitely couldn¡¯t have her way around the God Residence Realm. This was also the reason why Miao Yao did not really care about her. It was only until he saw the black shield and the Heavenly Square Cauldron that Miao Yao understood that he had really underestimated Shangguan Yue! ¡­ When Elder Bo Yan and the others saw this scene, they were also taken aback and couldn¡¯t recover their senses for a long time. Although they already knew that the Heavenly Square Cauldron was with Chu Liuyue, this was also their first time seeing it officially. One of the legendary top ten holy weapons that countless cultivators had pursued like a treasure indeed lived up to its name! It actually helped Chu Liuyue endure this attack! ¡­ An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. The surrounding transparent fire that was crazily burning went back to the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Those scales were also dragged in. Miao Yao panicked. ¡°Shangguan Yue, what do you want to do!?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed lightly, wiped away the blood at the corner of her mouth, and slowly said, ¡°You¡¯re so smart. Don¡¯t you know what I want to do? Of course¡­ I want to keep all these scales.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Miao Yao was so angry that his eyes turned red. These scales were left behind when he evolved, so they had extraordinary meaning to him. If Chu Liuyue put them into the Heavenly Square Cauldron, he knew without thinking that they would be destroyed! Chu Liuyue paused in her actions. Although her face was as pale as snow, the corner of her lips still curled up into a smile. ¡°You previously said that the past matters wouldn¡¯t count if I could take your three moves, but you didn¡¯t say I can¡¯t take them, right? Besides¡­ this shouldn¡¯t be counted as a retaliation.¡± I just kept all the scales. What¡¯s so urgent about that? ¡°Cunning!¡± Miao Yao hollered furiously. ¡°You¡¯re indeed as scheming as Shangguan Jing!¡± ¡°Roar!¡± He suddenly roared toward the sky. A distant and low dragon roar reverberated throughout the area! At that moment, the winds howled. Chu Liuyue felt stuffy. The feeling of being crushed by invisible suppression attacked her again! Her heart skipped a beat! Danger! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sharp sixth sense rang in her mind, and she moved back without hesitation! At the same time, the Heavenly Square Cauldron in front of her started spinning quickly. ¡­ ¡°Oh no! Miao Yao is about to use his bloodline power!¡± Seeing this scene, Shangguan Jing panicked. Elder Bo Yan and the others actually detected that something was amiss as they immediately looked over after hearing this. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Shangguan Jing furrowed his brows tightly and hurriedly explained, ¡°The great phoenix dragons are ancient legendary fiends! They contain tremendous bloodline power, and once it is activated, they can easily absorb the surrounding Heaven and Earth force and control it! As long as they can keep taking in the Heaven and Earth force, they can keep using it!¡± Normally, cultivators or fiends that wanted to become stronger had to guide Heaven and Earth Force into their bodies before slowly turning it into their strength. The stronger one¡¯s body was, the more efficient the transfer, and the greater the quantity. This way, one could use it to the maximum when one fought. However, the great phoenix dragons were ancient legendary fiends. Before the world started, they were already around. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that they lived with the earth. Hence, their bloodline power was heaven-defying. Without any process, they could directly circulate all the strength in the surroundings! In this world, the strongest cultivator that could contain the most force couldn¡¯t compare to such existences. ¡°However, using their bloodline power will eat up a large portion of their force. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t do it.¡± But at this point, Miao Yao was clearly enraged by Chu Liuyue, so he did such a thing on impulse! Originally, everyone thought that he could take Chu Liuyue¡¯s life away with one move. However, things didn¡¯t go as planned. Not only did Chu Liuyue not die, but she even retaliated after taking two moves. Miao Yao was used to being arrogant. To him, this matter was humiliating. Hence, he would take action so ruthlessly! He had made up his mind to kill Chu Liuyue! ¡°No, I must stop it!¡± Shangguan Jing spoke as he raised his foot and wanted to go over. But before he could take a few steps forward, an invisible force caused him to rebound. This space was already controlled by Miao Yao, and others couldn¡¯t barge in! Everyone panicked in their hearts, but any effort now seemed weak and useless. ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Elder Wan Zheng clenched his teeth and looked at Rong Xiu. Yet, the latter stood with one hand behind his back and stared in front closely. His face was stern and cold, but he didn¡¯t look like he was going to take action. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Elder Wan Zheng panicked. He still wants to continue watching at this point? I¡¯m afraid there really will be no time! Boom! A lightning bolt suddenly struck! The few elders turned and saw that Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain was completely covered in frost. Elder Bo Yan gasped. On the one hand, it is Chu Liuyue. On the other hand, it is the fountain. This¡ª Without waiting for him to choose, Miao Yao had already taken action! ¡°My bloodline will be executed with the sun and moon¡ªbreak!¡± A low dragon moan seemed to transcend through time and space as it shocked everyone and caused one to unwittingly feel fear and respect. Chu Liuyue¡¯s force started rapidly dissipating at a terrifying speed! At the same time, a heavy suppression rushed toward her dantian as if it wanted to completely crush it! Chapter 1513 - Pushing to Death Chu Liuyue felt that her bones and veins were being crushed inch by inch at this moment! An indescribable pain overwhelmed her body, causing her vision to turn black! She clenched her teeth and tried her best to circulate her force to resist this sudden and terrifying attack. However, she was completely in the other party¡¯s control and was restricted. She couldn¡¯t circulate the force in her body at all, and she had already exhausted all her strength to endure the two previous moves. At this point, her force was depleted, and she couldn¡¯t use any more strength to deal with the current situation! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body started trembling slightly. At one moment, she almost had no strength to hold the Chi Xiao Sword and the black shield. She relied on her last bit of perseverance to stubbornly resist. At this point, a purplish-golden blood pearl suddenly flew out from Miao Yao¡¯s brows. That blood pearl danced in front of him and quickly formed a strange pattern¡ªit was the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s totem! The totem was bright and energetic, decked in a holy light. Chu Liuyue took one look and felt that her eyes were burning. That shocking suppression seemed to form a strong knife that was extremely sharp. Chu Liuyue tilted her head slightly and averted her gaze. Increasingly more wounds opened on her body as blood kept flowing out, staining her clothes. Heaven and earth were quiet, but this silent and suppressive atmosphere made one go crazy. In no time, Chu Liuyue had already become a blood person. At some moment, she felt that her face was itchy and forcefully used the back of her palm to clean it. It was sticky¡ªit was blood. The back of her palm was filled with blood. The fresh red blood was pricking to the eye as it caused Chu Liuyue¡¯s temples to beat crazily. In her dantian, the force kept flowing away. Only her water droplet seemed to float quietly as if it were frozen. This cannot go on¡­ Chu Liuyue quietly thought in her heart. The next moment, she looked up at Miao Yao again. They weren¡¯t very near, but Miao Yao still instantly felt Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze. He looked over. Originally, he thought he would see desperation and hopelessness in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, but what disappointed him was that Chu Liuyue looked as calm as ever. She didn¡¯t try to wipe the blood on her face, even if it made her look especially disheveled and miserable. In the pool of frightening blood, only her pair of eyes were as black as the night sky. But in the deepest parts of the night, a galaxy that shone as bright as ever was hidden. For some reason, Miao Yao¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. On the brink of death, why would someone in danger have such a gaze? An uneasy feeling overwhelmed his heart. I have to handle it as soon as possible! This thought rapidly flashed across Miao Yao¡¯s mind! The next moment, he raised his dragon head and roared toward the sky! ¡°Roar!¡± The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force seemed to be controlled by an invisible hand as it rapidly formed a long, transparent whip, glowing with a purplish-golden light, and flung it toward Chu Liuyue! Slap! An air-piercing sound was heard! The Heavenly Square Cauldron was directly flung away by this whip! Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest vibrated as she spat out a mouthful of blood, and her aura rapidly became weak. Not much strength was left within her body, so she could only forcefully maintain her connection with the Heavenly Square Cauldron. However, it was as hard as ascending the skies if she wanted to circulate the force in her body. ¡°Oh no! Her force has been depleted, and the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force is being used by Miao Yao! If this goes on, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression was tense, and his heart seemed to be tightly clenched. Even breathing became difficult. If he could, he would rather represent Chu Liuyue and suffer all of this torture. However, his Holy Body was just awakened, and he had rushed to Ling Xiao Academy previously, so he wasn¡¯t in the best condition. On the other hand, Miao Yao had rested for many years. With this, he was naturally much stronger. Not to mention that Miao Yao had already used his bloodline power, so it would be extremely hard for others to intervene! The surrounding crowd fell into silence. Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes turned red. Lin Zhifei gradually clenched his fists. Luo Shishi turned around, and her expression was miserable. There were also some people that unwittingly looked at Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue is in a perilous situation. Why has he not taken action? ¡­ Rong Xiu closed his eyes. Elder Wan Zheng¡ªwho was standing at the side¡ªbecame increasingly anxious, but just as he planned to speak, he suddenly saw a flash of gold on Rong Xiu¡¯s brows! A strange totem rapidly formed. Rong Xiu flowed without the wind. An indescribable aura suddenly spread from his body! Elder Wan Zheng was shocked as he instinctively took two steps back. The current Rong Xiu seems¡­ different, and he seems to be faintly dangerous! Rong Xiu raised his hands. His hands were white, and the knuckles were distinct. Whoosh! A golden spark suddenly appeared on his fingertips, and they were lively and active! A speck of black quickly flashed across it! At this moment, the long whip had already crossed half the sky and harshly hit Chu Liuyue¡¯s black shield! Rumble! Chu Liuyue suffered a terrifying impact! The pure gold armor instantly broke open! It formed countless golden shards that flew in all directions! She clutched the black shield tightly and felt numb instantly. The next moment, her entire person flew backward from this terrifying force! She fell right down! Thump! Putong¡ª Chu Liuyue dropped head-first into the frozen fountain! The fountain water spread everywhere and instantly swallowed her! She disappeared without a trace! Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene. After a temporary silence, dark clouds tumbled in the sky and formed countless lightning bolts! The sky and ground rumbled! ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows tightly and looked at the sky doubtfully. Rumble! A loud sound suddenly came from another direction! Elder Hua Feng suddenly turned around and muttered in shock, ¡°Fengmin Mountain¡­ exploded?!¡± Chapter 1514 - Golden Lightning! At the same time, Fengmin Mountain. On the top floor of the pagoda, Elder Meng¡ªwho was sitting cross-legged¡ªsuddenly widened his eyes and stared at the floating door in shock! A mysterious yet powerful strength was currently gathering as faint yet bright light outlined the strange pattern bit by bit. The starry sparks gradually covered the entire door. Dong! Dong! Dong! Inside the door, there seemed to be something crazily smashing around, almost about to break through the door! A tremendous and harsh aura instantly overwhelmed him! Elder Meng suddenly stood up! ¡°Girlie is back?!¡± Other than that girl, who else can cause such a commotion? He rapidly turned around, ran to the window, and looked outside. This look caused him to be immediately taken aback. He saw that the sky was gloomy above the many mountains. The dark clouds tumbled, and the fierce winds howled. Rays of silver snake-like lightning rapidly gathered in the clouds and almost burst out! Those lightning bolts intertwined and swam around, almost illuminating the entire night sky! ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Million Wine Mountain?¡± Elder Meng gasped. The strength of Fengmin Mountain¡¯s barrier was comparable to the one outside the academy. Additionally, as the door had been faltering lately, he spent more time and effort guarding it. These were also the reasons why he didn¡¯t notice whatever had happened outside previously. Now that he suddenly saw it, he was extremely stunned. Million Wine Mountain is in trouble! But wasn¡¯t it fine before? Why did it suddenly¡ª Suddenly, his gaze focused, and he saw the large purplish-golden figure in midair. Great phoenix dragon?! At this point, shock could no longer describe what Elder Meng was feeling. I only spent a little more time on the door during the past two days, and so many things have happened outside?! Dong dong! The knocks behind him became increasingly intense. Elder Meng turned around and furrowed his brows tightly. If that girl really has come back, I should open the door. However, I don¡¯t even see her figure, and I feel very uneasy. According to the agreement made with the girl when she left, she would personally come to the pagoda and take away the item that belonged to her. But now¡­ A unique pattern gradually formed in the middle of the large door. ¡­ As they were rather far away, Fengmin Mountain¡¯s commotion didn¡¯t attract the attention of the students in Qing Ming Square. However, Elder Hua Feng and the rest were panicking. Only very few people know what Fengmin Mountain contains. Normally, it is fine. Why did all the problems appear together? Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s figure flashed and went straight for the fountain. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her out!¡± That fountain is extremely dangerous! If she stays there the whole time, I¡¯m afraid¡ª Boom! A lightning bolt struck down! It landed right in front of Elder Wan Zheng! Elder Wan Zheng was shocked and hurriedly retreated! He simultaneously set up a barrier before him! Violent thunder spread in all directions! Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s barrier shook intensely. Then, in the blink of an eye, a crisp sound was heard¡ªthe barrier shattered! Elder Wan Zheng retreated again and barely avoided it. But even so, his sleeves were still ripped apart by the aftershocks of the terrifying force! Upon seeing this scene, quite a few people were secretly shocked. ¡°This lightning strength is so formidable?!¡± ¡°Elder Wan Zheng is a true god warrior. If it¡¯s hard for him to even defend against that lightning bolt, it just shows how strong it is! I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s different from the lightning we trigger when we produce or refine our own Yuan instruments.¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed different. Haven¡¯t you realized? The color of the lightning bolts in the sky seems to be different from ordinary ones!¡± Someone said this, which immediately caused the crowd to look up. This included Elder Bo Yan and the rest, and this look caused them to be taken aback. ¡°Wait a minute! The lightning is actually¡­ golden?¡± It was clearly daytime, but the dark clouds gathered as thunder brewed, causing the entire area to be in a mess. In the sky above Million Wine Mountain, there was a vortex caused by clouds gathering. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force kept being dragged in, and lightning bolts appeared continuously in the depths of that vortex, even forming a sea of lightning! A sea of bright silver almost caused them to be unable to open their eyes. If one took a closer look, they could see a bright spark of gold flashing across the depths of the lightning sea from time to time! However, this spark of golden wasn¡¯t very obvious inside. If one didn¡¯t take a close look, they wouldn¡¯t notice it. ¡°The rumored golden lightning¡­ Who summoned the Heavenly Tribulation?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s gaze was rather dazed. When cultivators tried to break through¡­ If their cultivation level was high enough, they would trigger a weather phenomenon and summon lightning bolts. The more lightning bolts there were, the stronger the cultivator was, which proved that the cultivator was very talented and had a bright future. However, not every breakthrough could trigger such a huge commotion. Normally speaking, this would only happen when one was preparing to break through as a stage-seven warrior and a legendary warrior. ¡°She¡¯s an intermediate stage-nine warrior, so she naturally can¡¯t summon the God Foreseeing Tribulation¡­¡± muttered Elder Hua Feng softly. Then, he suddenly widened his eyes. ¡°Is she breaking through to reach the God Realm?!¡± However, there were two levels in between an intermediate stage-nine warrior and a true legendary warrior¡ªpeak stage-nine and demigod! One had to know that when one broke through to become a demigod, such a weather phenomenon wouldn¡¯t be triggered! Just as he said this, countless lightning bolts flew down in unison from the sea of lightning! Their target was Chu Liuyue, who was in the fountain! Chapter 1515 - Her Tribulation! At this point, Chu Liuyue felt the cold attacking her bones. This coldness was too strong, causing her to ignore her bodily pain at one moment. The ice-cold fountain water covered her from all directions, swallowing her whole. She could clearly feel that every inch of her skin was covered by that fountain water. Vaguely, there seemed to be many sharp and tiny needles stabbing at her body crazily. The piercing pain caused her to widen her eyes. What entered her eyes was a patch of clear blue. Am I¡­ in the fountain? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue instinctively raised her hand. A shaky water ripple flowed across her body. She looked up. The fountain water was clear, so she could very clearly see the scene in the skies outside even though she was inside. The dark clouds gathered together, and the lightning bolts flashed. But¡­ I¡¯m clearly in the fountain water, so why do I not feel any sense of discomfort? At this point, her entire person had sunken into the water, but she didn¡¯t feel any different from being outside. Only when the water current flowed past her body was she reminded that she was in the fountain. But very quickly, Chu Liuyue understood why. That was because the water in the fountain wasn¡¯t true fountain water! It was actually liquid formed from extremely pure force! Chu Liuyue was rather shocked. I¡¯ve been to Million Wine Mountain quite a few times before and have come into close contact with it. However, I never discovered such a secret hidden here! From outside, she couldn¡¯t tell that there was anything wrong, and the thing that flowed did seem like true water. However, it was only when she was here that she discovered such a mystery within the fountain! Chu Liuyue looked down and was suddenly dazed. The fountain was very shallow. From here, she could actually see the bottom. The surrounding mountain rocks accumulated, and its structure was weird. Upon closer look, there seemed to be traces that were left behind by something sharp. Those should be¡­ because of those lightning bolts? When this thought just surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, a spark of silver lightning flashed across her eyes. That lightning bolt was very short and small, only palm-sized. From the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, it seemed like a silver fish that quickly swam across. That lightning bolt quickly disappeared above a stone wall and left behind a faint mark. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly as she reached out and gently touched the uneven stone wall. There are so many traces. How much¡­ lightning strength did it endure? Very quickly, the second one and the third one appeared. These lightning bolts seemed much restrained in the fountain water and weren¡¯t so strong in their attacks. And for some reason, they seemed to have eyes as they would instantly avoid Chu Liuyue when they passed by her. Originally, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t realize it. She only detected something was amiss when the lightning bolt suddenly changed its course when she unintentionally stretched out her hand. Previously, Tuan Zi absorbed all those lightning bolts and completed its bloodline power awakening here? Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and realized that the number of lightning bolts here indeed seemed much fewer than before. But¡­ the bottommost rock seemed rather intact. Chu Liuyue focused on it and felt that there was something wrong. Logically speaking, the lightning bolts swim around here, and there is no reason for them to intentionally avoid the bottommost rock, right¡­ Why is that one different? However, this thought just flashed across her mind before she quickly forgot about it. This was because she discovered that her wounds were healing rapidly! Immersed in this warm and forgiving force, her originally disheveled body¡ªwhich was covered in wounds¡ªtook a turn for the better. Those wounds were recovering rapidly at a shocking speed. In no time, Chu Liuyue saw the tiny wounds on her arms forming scabs and turning light pink. There was also a portion of force that had already entered her body and slowly rejuvenated her limbs. Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura recovered by quite a bit. A faint ripple came from her dantian. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It¡¯s the black pyramid! At this point, her surrounding water suddenly shook intensely! She felt something and looked up. Many lightning bolts were flying down toward her from the skies! ¡­ ¡°Why is she suddenly breaking through to reach the God Realm?!¡± Upon seeing this scene, Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t help but holler softly. Not to mention that it was as hard as ascending the skies to break through to become a true god from an intermediate stage-nine warrior¡­ Even if Shangguan Yue really had this ability, it would be too risky for her with her current condition! She had just received three moves from Miao Yao, her force had almost dissipated completely, and she was covered in injuries. In the blink of an eye, she had to meet this sudden tribulation¡­ If it were him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take it! He couldn¡¯t help but look at Elder Wan Zheng. ¡°Wan Zheng, she¡¯s your disciple! Why didn¡¯t you know about this earlier at all?!¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s expression was difficult. He was also very worried. After all, that was the disciple he doted on the most! He hadn¡¯t walked out of the shock of his male disciple being a girl, and those few incidents happened in the blink of an eye. Who could he find reason with? ¡°How am I supposed to know such a thing in advance?!¡± yelled Elder Wan Zheng as he clenched his teeth. ¡°Normally, she only cultivates as a heavenly doctor with me. Who knew she¡ª¡± ¡°Enough! Stop arguing!¡± Elder Hua Feng almost spurted out vulgarities. ¡°What time is it now!? It¡¯s imperative to think of how to save that girl¡¯s life first!¡± Once he said this, the crowd all fell silent. Of course, none of them hoped that something would happen to her. Even if they had basically confirmed that the eruption of the fountain was related to her, the incidents were separate. Ever since this kid stepped into the academy, she had been well-liked and admired by all of them. Even if she had caused some troubles in between, they didn¡¯t really harshly punish her. Of course, it was mainly because those harsh punishments didn¡¯t seem to work on her. Even if they wanted to punish her now, they had to wait for her to come back in one piece! ¡°How to save¡­¡± Shangguan Jing stood at the side alone. There was no expression on his face as his eyes were glued to the fountain. Previously, Miao Yao activated his bloodline power. Now, Yue¡¯er herself summoned the tribulation¡­ In these two situations, outsiders can¡¯t intervene. It would be as hard as ascending the skies to even take a step closer. If it was the lightning triggered when she produced Yuan instruments, I might be able to go forward and help her block one or two. However¡­ this is the tribulation triggered when a cultivator breaks through to reach the God Realm! Nobody can help her. Her life and death depend on herself! Shangguan Jing clenched his fists tightly and slowly exhaled. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you must be¡­ okay¡­¡± Boom! The first lightning bolt had already fallen from the skies and struck the fountain precisely! Chapter 1516 - Fighting with the Skies! ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± Miao Yao circled them in midair and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. He was shocked and did feel strange. He risked activating his bloodline power to kill Shangguan Yue, but he did not expect her to actually summon the tribulation the moment he took action! Looking at the terrifying commotion in the skies, coldness flashed across Miao Yao¡¯s eyes. No matter how powerful he was, he was still inferior to the heavens. Now that the Heavenly Tribulation had descended, he couldn¡¯t fight against it and could only stand at the side and watch. Even the Heaven and Earth Force he was supposed to control had already broken free from the restraints and gathered toward the lightning. However, this was nothing urgent. The horrifying suppression from the tribulation was only stronger and not weaker compared to him! Shangguan Yue is on the brink of death. She can¡¯t even endure the first lightning bolt, not to mention the golden tribulation. Thinking of this, Miao Yao felt much better. After admiring Shangguan Jing and the others¡¯ expressions, he started waiting for the delighted ending. Even though he only executed the third move halfway, as long as the ending was what he wanted, nothing else mattered. The only thing that caused him to feel strange was Rong Xiu. Since just now, the others were all worried about Shangguan Yue, and Shangguan Jing even wanted to go up personally and endure everything for her. Only Rong Xiu was still standing rooted to the spot. At this point, his eyes were closed as golden fire danced on his fingertips in a bright manner. It didn¡¯t seem different from before. The faint light shone on Rong Xiu¡¯s face in a half-dark and half-light manner. The demonically handsome face was calm. Miao Yao looked for quite a while but really couldn¡¯t figure it out. Hence, he swiftly retracted his gaze. Rong Xiu stood quietly in midair as if he was frozen. The winds howled in the surroundings, blowing his sleeves and making windy sounds. A black ray of light faintly appeared in the fire on his fingertips! ¡­ Rumble! The first bolt of lightning, which had a shocking aura, harshly struck the fountain! At that moment, the fountain water sprayed everywhere. It was suddenly silent in the earth and sky. Almost everyone¡¯s gazes were gathered here. In Qing Ming Square, there were gradually all sorts of discussions. ¡°Sky¡­ Once this lightning bolt strikes down, she¡¯ll be handicapped, if not dead, right? Previously, she suffered so many injuries and was hanging onto her last breath. How can she possibly endure this attack?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s hard as well!¡± ¡°What a pity. She¡¯s so talented, and she even has two legendary fiends! If there weren¡¯t these accidents today, she would definitely have a bright future! Sigh¡ª¡± ¡°But why did she suddenly summon the tribulation out of nowhere? Does she want to take a gamble? After all, if she could break through to become a legendary warrior, she might be able to completely endure Miao Yao¡¯s third move¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s just an intermediate stage-nine warrior! It is more understandable if she¡¯s a peak stage-nine warrior. How can she directly cross such a big gap and become a true god? Even a three-year-old kid knows that it¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much use even if she¡¯s a peak stage-nine warrior. When a great phoenix dragon activates its bloodline power, the Heaven and Earth force is completely in its control. Unless one can successfully break through and become a true legendary warrior, it would be to no avail.¡± ¡°I think she was really driven to a corner¡­¡± Everyone had different attitudes but had the same outlook about the ending¡ªShangguan Yue is really finished this time! ¡­ The lightning bolt struck the fountain. After an intense impact, it gradually recovered its calmness. Seeing the unaffected water surface once again, Elder Bo Yan and the rest exchanged glances. This¡­ Where is she? No matter if she¡¯s injured or¡­ Why is there no reaction at all? At first glance, it seemed like that bolt of lightning was directly absorbed by the fountain. Elder Wan Zheng hurriedly took out his jade plaque and took a look at it. Back then, he had once left an aura in Chu Liuyue¡¯s jade plaque. Originally, it was used for communication, but now, it was his only way of confirming her life or death. Detecting that the aura was still around, Elder Wan Zheng forcefully suppressed his uneasiness and continued waiting. However, such leisurely time didn¡¯t last for long. That was because the second bolt of lightning struck right down! Then, it was the third! Fourth! ¡­ Many lightning bolts struck at the same time! From afar, people almost doubted how such a small fountain received so many lightning bolts but showed no signs of breakage! The stones at the edge of the fountain had many scars, but they didn¡¯t break at all. On the other hand, the surrounding ground seemed to be unable to endure the explosion of the terrifying force as cracks appeared. Like spiderwebs, it was frightening to watch. Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart ached unbearably. At one moment, he couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore and looked up. The sea of lightning in the skies was still dazzling. The number of lightning bolts inside didn¡¯t decrease at all. So many had clearly struck just now! Shangguan Jing faintly tasted the metallic taste in his mouth. If it were normal times when Chu Liuyue tried to break through to become a true god as a demigod and had summoned such a terrifying tribulation, he definitely would be over the moon. That was because it represented her limitless potential in cultivation, especially¡­ when there was the golden tribulation! He had journeyed the world for so many years and had only heard of such an existence in rumors. All those who could summon the golden tribulation were top elites, but now¡­ Shangguan Yue was only an intermediate stage-nine warrior! ¡­ As time passed, the chaotic discussions slowly disappeared. Countless lightning bolts struck down, but the fountain didn¡¯t move at all. It was without a question what this meant! Miao Yao snorted. ¡°Shangguan Jing, it seems like you have to send off your descendant today¡ª¡± Plop! He hadn¡¯t finished his sentence when a figure suddenly rushed out from the fountain! Chapter 1517 - The Last Tribulation That figure was thin and long, and the torn and tattered clothes flowed with the wind, wrapping her curvy figure. Numerous strands of hair danced with the wind, looking like a butterfly. More than half of the sky was covered by the dark clouds in a gloomy manner. Everything below seemed to be wrapped by the gray mesh. One could only faintly see an outline but not its true appearance. However, she flew upward and met the dazzling sea of lightning. The light shone on her face and body, and she brightly glowed as if her entire person was shining. Her clothes were damaged, and there were spots of bloodstains. However, this couldn¡¯t disguise the peerless and distinguished nature in her bones. That pair of black and jade-like eyes were determined, stubborn, and mighty! From afar, they made everything in the surroundings seem more dazzling! She held a shield with one hand, while the other hand held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly as if she were the god of war that killed her way out of the bloody ocean! She journeyed toward the light and rushed down to where the lightning was striking! ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Shangguan Yue?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s actually still alive!¡± ¡°No! Shouldn¡¯t the main point be¡ªnot only is she alive, but her combat skills even seem much stronger than before!¡± After Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure appeared, everyone was taken aback. The crowd partook in heated discussions in shock, confusion, and agitation¡­ Their emotions were varied, and their reactions were different. Previously, they clearly saw that Shangguan Yue was beaten by Miao Yao in one move and fell into Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain! Afterward, they also personally witnessed the countless lightning bolts gathering and striking the fountain! Logically speaking, Shangguan Yue wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on. Why did she suddenly rush out in the blink of an eye?! Besides, with the same strong stance, she returned to the crowd¡¯s gaze again! ¡°That speed is definitely not something a stage-nine warrior can execute!¡± Elder Wan Zheng¡¯s heart beat rapidly as if it was about to jump out of his throat! He knew Chu Liuyue was still alive the whole time, so he was still hoping that she could come out. But upon seeing this scene, he was still deeply shocked. Originally, he thought that the best situation was for Chu Liuyue to survive forcefully under the attack of such terrifying forces. She might be severely injured, and her cultivation might decrease, but as long as she was alive, everything else didn¡¯t matter. After all, this was the God Tribulation! However, Elder Wan Zheng really never expected Chu Liuyue to reappear in such a state! ¡°She almost broke through to become a peak stage-nine warrior!¡± Elder Wan Zheng tried hard to control his internal emotions. However, his flushed face and tightly clenched hands showed that his current emotions weren¡¯t as calm as they looked on the surface! ¡°Peak stage-nine? How is that possible?!¡± When Elder Bo Yan heard this, his first reaction was disbelief. That girl clearly fell down with severe injuries earlier. Why did she suddenly break through in such a short time? As he was still a distance away from Chu Liuyue now, and she had a Yuan instrument that hid her aura, they weren¡¯t too sure if she had broken through at this point. But that speed¡­ She seemed much faster than before. ¡°She absorbed the force in the fountain!¡± Elder Hua Feng glanced below. The clear fountain water was completely transparent. A layer of frost formed at a shocking speed! It seemed like the earlier leftover force was occupied by Chu Liuyue. The corner of Elder Bo Yan¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he took a deep breath in. Calm! You must be calm! The situation hasn¡¯t reached a state where it can¡¯t be salvaged. After all, quite a few lightning bolts struck the fountain, and I think that it can probably last for a long while¡­ The most important thing is to save that girl¡¯s life! Hong hong hong! Chu Liuyue directly clashed with those lightning bolts! Her figure was instantly covered by the blinding lights! ¡­ Almost nobody saw that when the lightning bolts struck, Chu Liuyue put away the black shield and the Chi Xiao Sword in front of her at the same time. She knew that she summoned the tribulation, so she had to face it! Any other external support was meaningless. The silver snake-like lightning struck her body as if it were about to shred her skin and muscles apart! Ferocious force crushed every inch of her body! Her wounds¡ªwhich had just healed¡ªopened again, but at the same time, the water droplet in her body started spinning slowly. Force flowed out from within and injected into her limbs. The two forces seemed to use Chu Liuyue¡¯s body as an arena, and an intense battle was staged! Chu Liuyue was in so much pain that she felt numb, but the more it was so, the stronger her combative intent! Blood continuously flowed out from the corner of her mouth, but during this entire process, she absorbed a large portion of force when the lightning bolts swam around her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was like a bottomless pit. Even she didn¡¯t realize that she was crazily absorbing the surrounding force! And as this force passed through her and her water droplet, it rapidly turned into her force. Her aura started strengthening at a shocking speed! ¡­ Detecting this strange commotion, Miao Yao finally couldn¡¯t sit still. He gazed at the sky in disbelief, almost thinking that he had felt it wrongly. Under the attack of so many lightning bolts, Shangguan Yue¡¯s aura didn¡¯t weaken and instead strengthened? How exactly did she do it!? Faint uneasiness surged up Miao Yao¡¯s heart and caused him to be uneasy. But at this moment, when the Heavenly Tribulation was descending, even he couldn¡¯t be overboard and could only wait obediently. He quickly glanced to the side and realized that Shangguan Jing and the rest were also dazed and shocked. It seems like they don¡¯t know¡­ But if it weren¡¯t for these people helping, how could a mere Shangguan Yue have such confidence and methods? One had to know that even under such circumstances, even a supreme Yuan instrument couldn¡¯t help much. That was because the tribulation targeted one¡¯s body itself! ¡­ For some reason, the lightning accumulated in the skies gradually depleted and dimmed bit by bit. The crowd could then see Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure clearly. She floated in midair, and her clothes floated with the wind. She was the only luminous pearl in the sky! She was clearly disheveled, but when she stood there with her back straight, she looked as proud as a strong tree! It was silent. Everyone had their mouths open and eyes widened. She actually¡­ endured so many lightning bolts?! Elder Bo Yan softly muttered, ¡°There¡¯s still the last tribulation. She will only truly succeed after she survives that!¡± The crowd unwittingly held their breaths in. Miao Yao grinded his teeth and snorted. Without the God Realm, she definitely can¡¯t last through this golden tribulation! Chapter 1518 - God Realm Returns! The winds howled, and the cold air was harsh. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and slowly wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth¡ªit was bright red. Actually, the current her was covered in bloodstains. No matter how she wiped, she couldn¡¯t wipe herself clean. However, she didn¡¯t care. She took a deep breath in. When the bone-etching pain gradually turned numb, she then looked up. The black clouds oppressed the city. The sky was dark as if someone had spilled ink all over the clouds, and it spread across bit by bit. It was suffocating. Now, only a bright golden glow was left inside that absorbed all the light. That bolt of lightning was also her Heavenly Tribulation. Its size and structure were no different from the lightning bolts Chu Liuyue saw that day, but its color was golden and¡­ The aura and suppression were the strongest she had ever seen in her life¡ªnot one of the strongest! Chu Liuyue stared at the golden tribulation and squinted her eyes. In fact, like the others, she also didn¡¯t know how this tribulation appeared. She only knew that after she fell into the fountain, the weather phenomenon and this tribulation appeared shortly after. She was covered in wounds back then, and the only thought in her head was to survive! How could she spare the effort to break through, not to mention summoning the tribulation!? She knew very clearly that only cultivators trying to break through and become a true god would summon this tribulation. She also knew her own capabilities, so how could she cause such a huge trouble for herself? However, this tribulation still appeared! Then, there was only one possibility. Chu Liuyue tilted her head. Noticing her actions, the crowd was dazed. ¡°What¡¯s that girl looking at?¡± asked Elder Bo Yan nervously. Elder Hua Feng followed her line of sight, turned around, and muttered with uncertainty, ¡°I-it seems like¡­ Dong Huang Clock Tower?!¡± She is currently facing a life and death situation. Why is she looking at Dong Huang Clock Tower? Nobody knew. Very quickly, Chu Liuyue retracted her vision. The next moment, she suddenly closed her eyes. ¡­ Seeing Chu Liuyue do this, quite a few people exchanged glances. Wasn¡¯t she quite courageous earlier, and she has already survived those lightning bolts, right? Now, only the last golden tribulation is left in the skies. Why did she suddenly not move? She can¡¯t be¡­ planning to give up, right? ¡°In the past ten thousand years of the God Residence Realm, we can count the number of cultivators who have summoned the golden tribulation! This girl¡¯s talent is probably higher than what we thought! However, she¡¯s not even a demigod now, so how is she supposed to get past this stage?¡± Even now, Elder Bo Yan still didn¡¯t understand how this tribulation appeared! Elder Hua Feng¡¯s head ached, and he could only sigh deeply. ¡°Everything is her own doing. It¡¯s up to her if it¡¯s a problem or a blessing!¡± Elder Wan Zheng did not speak. He stared at Chu Liuyue for a while, and his gaze was complicated. Perhaps it was because her face had bloodstains, but he felt that Chu Liuyue seemed increasingly similar to the face in his memory when he gazed at her. The messy wounds and bloodstains wiped away the last bit of youthfulness on her face, and it added an aura of indescribable harshness and sharpness. And that pair of eyes was even¡­ Elder Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t help but turn around. Then, he clenched his fists and loosened them as his heart palpitated. Looking over from Chu Liuyue¡¯s angle¡­ At first glance, she is looking at Dong Huang Clock Tower. And looking carefully, she is gazing at the distant Fengmin Mountain! What exactly is she looking at?! ¡­ Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, and her vision turned black. However, her godly consciousness spread across, and she could still clearly ¡®see¡¯ the surroundings. The broken stones, the frozen fountain, the fallen trees¡­ This was Million Wine Mountain. Further from it were the continuous mountain peaks, which had lush greenery. There was also Dong Huang Clock Tower, which was situated in the spacious Qing Ming Square! When she ¡®saw¡¯ Dong Huang Clock Tower, that sense of familiarity surged into her heart. And this time, it was even stronger than before! Even if she was in the middle and was such a long distance away¡­ In her consciousness, Dong Huang Clock Tower seemed like it was within reach. No, I don¡¯t want Dong Huang Clock Tower. Chu Liuyue shook her head slightly. There seems to be something faintly guiding me to continue going forward. She ignored all the surrounding noises and stubbornly allowed her consciousness to rush in a certain direction. Fengmin Mountain. Fengmin Mountain! At that moment, Chu Liuyue heard a crisp sound in her ears as if something had shattered. The next moment, she suddenly noticed that this sound was coming from her dantian! The black pyramid broke! Following this sound, the black seal rapidly dissolved! Rays of brilliant light exuded from within! At that moment, it seemed like a river bank had collapsed, and the water flowed out! Countless scenes and voices fought to squeeze into Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind! All the blood in her body seemed to course about at this moment! Her heart jumped intensely again and again, and her temples throbbed as her mind pricked faintly! That was the pain caused by receiving too much information at once! At this point, the golden tribulation finally landed! At that moment, golden light shone everywhere! Completely silent across the heavens¡ªit was as if a shocking suppression, coupled with frost, had come from ancient times! Elder Bo Yan and the others¡¯ expressions changed. ¡°Go back!¡± Even we might not be able to endure such suppression! Even Miao Yao was taken aback and immediately retreated! A faint golden light exuded from the skies. Everywhere it passed, the air collapsed. The few elders and Shangguan Jing¡ªwho were originally in midair¡ªwere affected! Even if they had retreated at full speed, they still flew backward because of the ripples! The elders standing guard below were stunned as they hurriedly yelled, ¡°Activate the square¡¯s formation!¡± But without waiting for them to take action, the force had overwhelmed the entire area! The faces of everyone in Qing Ming Square changed! Those who were weaker spat out blood directly! The countless elders struggled to activate the formation. A silver barrier quickly formed and protected everyone within! The stronger students also helped to support the formation. Countless people looked at the sky in shock. We are so far away, yet we are already in such states. Then¡­ What about Shangguan Yue?! That golden tribulation went straight for her! ¡­ When the golden ripple touched Chu Liuyue, she suddenly opened her eyes! That pair of eyes was black and nonchalant. It was like the night sky that didn¡¯t disappear in a thousand years and didn¡¯t change throughout eternity. Even if the cold winds attacked her, she still didn¡¯t move! Her eyes reflected a dazzling golden color. The next moment, Chu Liuyue raised her hand and grabbed the air. ¡°God Realm¡­ return!¡± A low command reverberated throughout the grounds like a royal edict! As if being summoned, the winds spun around Fengmin Mountain! That door on the top floor was suddenly activated! Chapter 1519 - I Am the Master! A water current with silver and red combined suddenly surged out of Fengmin Mountain! That was the most precise color as if it had gathered all the dazzling holy light in the world, and it also seemed like it was the same color as the purest blood in the world. The silver was icy cold, and the red was thriving! They clearly were vastly different, yet they merged with some indescribable harmony. It was as if they were born to be like this. That water current seemed to flow down from the distant mountains, and it seemed to be able to cover thousands of miles in an instant. It drew a perfect curve in midair as it rushed toward Chu Liuyue with the winds! ¡­ Elder Meng stood at the top of the pagoda and held the wooden window frame tightly with one hand. His body was tense, and his eyes widened. Inside the room, the originally tightly shut door was already open. The rays of light that slowly gathered on it were all taken away by that shocking aura! Elder Meng stood there and personally saw the light on it dim gradually. The strange pattern on it also started disappearing at an observable speed. The originally uneven pattern was gradually smoothened, and that door started to recover its initial appearance bit by bit. At first glance, it didn¡¯t seem any different from the six doors on the first floor. This door once had a secret. Now that the secret had returned, it naturally didn¡¯t need to be special. Elder Meng dazedly stared at that door for a while before he suddenly turned around and looked outside the window. When he saw the silver and red colors intertwining in the light in the skies, looking like river water rushing toward the young woman floating in midair, his heart stopped for that one moment. Shangguan Yue¡­ Shangguan Yue! As if he suddenly thought of something, deep shock instantly flashed across his old eyes! Could it¡­ ¡­ There were no ifs and accidents. The current, formed by rays of light, cut through the sky and silently pierced space. It brushed past the crowd¡¯s heads, and it scraped past the sides of Dong Huang Clock Tower, flowing between the mountains. The winds attacked Chu Liuyue in a ferocious manner! The scene seemed to be frozen. All the sounds seemed to disappear at this moment. It was dead quiet between heaven and earth. The dark clouds stopped moving, and the wild winds stopped howling. Even those people seemed to be frozen in the scene as they stood stunned on the ground. It was a type of indescribable suppression and aura. Without additional words, it caused others to respect, fear, and submit to it the moment it arrived! Almost everyone¡¯s gazes seemed to be stuck to it and moved with it. Then, they saw the frightening current with a tremendous aura about to reach Chu Liuyue. Suddenly, all the gleam and threat were hidden. From afar, it seemed like a river current that passed through the skies. Then, it stopped before Chu Liuyue. Like tired birds returning to their nests, it was filled with deep reminiscence. ¡­ Chu Liuyue saw the dazzling light with silver and red intertwined. A ripple finally appeared in her calm and nonchalant eyes. I¡¯ve not felt this aura¡­ for too long! Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached forward. It was a light point. Clang! The sound of the water current rushed up! Millions of light rays instantly formed colorful lines that circled Chu Liuyue. These lines intertwined and overlapped. It seemed to be without a pattern at first glance, but in actual fact, it contained a strange rhythm. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but curl her red lips slightly and smile. No wonder¡­ It was no wonder I would always choose the same door when I went to the pagoda! And after I entered that door, I completely immersed myself within rapidly, and my cultivation speed was greatly enhanced. It was because¡­ it was my own God Realm! Any cultivator would be the most comfortable and carefree in their own God Realm. In this world, what place could cause her to feel so comfortable and secure and have that warm, thick force naturally enter her body without much thought about cultivation? It could also nourish her bloodline, improve her physical strength, and elevate her skills. Only her own God Realm! Chu Liuyue raised her hand. The few rays of light encircled her palm in a lively fashion. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. In a blink of an eye, the injuries on her body started to recover at a shocking speed. Inside her God Realm, she was the master! The next moment, Chu Liuyue looked up! That golden tribulation was about to land! ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a God Realm?!¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s gaze was dazed, and he couldn¡¯t believe what was happening before his eyes. He wasn¡¯t so shocked because a God Realm was suppressed in Fengmin Mountain, but¡­ because he had seen this God Realm before! No, to be more accurate, it was too familiar! In actual fact, which elders in Ling Xiao Academy wouldn¡¯t recognize this God Realm?! Elder Hua Feng stared at the thin and straight figure wrapped by the God Realm, and his heart was overwhelmed. Shangguan Yue actually summoned this God Realm. What does this mean? ¡°S-she¡¯s really¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan finally spoke but stammered for once. After such a long time, he still didn¡¯t say those words. It was quite incredible for Elder Bo Yan¡ªwho was very experienced and didn¡¯t show his emotions on his face¡ªto actually have such a reaction. He stared at Chu Liuyue as if he wanted to see something from that face. At the same time, he reached out and tugged Elder Hua Feng¡¯s arm. ¡®Hua Feng, s-she¡¯s¡­ her?¡± His ending syllables even trembled ever so slightly. It¡¯s so obvious! Who can¡¯t tell!? Elder Hua Feng was beyond annoyed. ¡°Who can it be if it¡¯s not her?!¡± Elder Bo Yan seemed to realize that his behavior was inappropriate, so he coughed awkwardly. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I just thought that you understood the girl more and that you had more experience, so you could confirm it better¡­¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s face darkened. What experience? Experience of being lied to?! When speaking so sincerely, did you consider my feelings? Clearly, Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t really care about this. Originally, Elder Hua Feng wanted to refute him. But after racking his brain and thinking about it, he hopelessly realized that he couldn¡¯t defend himself. He rubbed his face harshly and allowed his consciousness to return before he looked over. But this time, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on his face as he watched on. These eyes and this temper are indeed the exact same as before, especially her ability to get into trouble and arrogant personality¡­ I should¡¯ve guessed it! Who else can be like her in this world? She is truly unique and peerless! ¡­ Chu Liuyue closed her fingers. The dazzling current in the sky rapidly gathered! In the blink of an eye, it formed a silver and red ball on her palm. From the corner of her eyes, she glanced at Miao Yao. ¡°Senior Miao Yao.¡± Miao Yao was stunned and looked over in a daze. Then, he saw that woman smile brightly. ¡°You¡¯ll know very quickly if I can endure this tribulation.¡± Once Chu Liuyue said this, she moved back and flicked her fingers! Countless stars instantly dissipated¡ªit covered the entire sky! Chapter 1520 - Ambush The silver and red sparks faltered lightly and silently covered half the sky! It was like a galaxy of stars that wrapped around Chu Liuyue. She stood in midair with a straight back. Her loose strands of hair flew with the wind, and she looked noble and honest. She looked up at the golden tribulation. The golden glow suddenly shone down! It instantly shot its way into the silver and red galaxy! The two forces clashed with each other and started an intense battle! Silently, it made everyone feel much more pressured. It was like a golden curved knife that tried to slash open the sea! That golden curved knife was as sharp as ever, with a heavy aura. However, the waters were tremendous as they silently absorbed and extinguished the sharp aura! Gradually, that golden curved knife sank into the water and was refined until sparks came out. Those sparks unwittingly went toward Chu Liuyue. The moment they landed on her, they instantly hid themselves. The heavy and tremendous strength entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s body bit by bit. Under the nourishment of such pure strength, her bones and veins underwent a huge change, and her aura started strengthening at a terrifying speed! When she was previously in Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain, she used the force within to break through directly and become a peak stage-nine warrior. And with the tribulation nearing now, she had to absorb the tribulation strength to completely elevate her cultivation to the true god stage! That golden tribulation wasn¡¯t an obstacle but her stepping stone to becoming better! ¡­ When Miao Yao saw the golden tribulation gradually being extinguished, his heart suddenly sank! Originally, he hoped that this golden tribulation could directly end Shangguan Yue¡¯s life. After all, her physical body couldn¡¯t withstand such force. However, he never expected that she had a God Realm, and this God Realm was extremely strong! It destroyed everything in its path! Even the Heaven and Earth Force surrounding the golden tribulation were taken by her! One had to know that even he couldn¡¯t do this! Countless thoughts flashed across Miao Yao¡¯s mind messily. Didn¡¯t they say that Shangguan Yue is just a stage-nine warrior? Where did this God Realm come from? In this world, only real true gods can have a complete God Realm! This God Realm is hers. Doesn¡¯t this mean that she is a legendary warrior?! But when we fought previously, Shangguan Yue¡¯s skills did seem to only be a stage-nine warrior. And this time, she was clearly preparing to break through. There is nothing to hide about such things. She clearly has no reason¡ª Miao Yao¡¯s eyes were icy cold, but his heart didn¡¯t seem as calm as it was on the surface. Now, he finally knew where the uneasiness came from. As an ordinary stage-nine warrior, Shangguan Yue has too many precious items and capabilities that a warrior of her skill level shouldn¡¯t have! Why is there such a thing in this world? She had a God Realm before she tried to break through to become a true god?! Miao Yao couldn¡¯t help but turn around. However, he suddenly saw a figure rushing toward him! He instantly became alert! The incoming person is extremely strong! But after strengthening Fengmin Mountain¡¯s barrier, Elder Meng¡ªwho rushed over¡ªhad no time to care about Miao Yao. ¡°Elder Meng, why are you here?¡± Detecting the commotion, Elder Bo Yan and the rest finally retracted their gazes. Elder Meng waved his hands and stared straight at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I came here to see Yue¡¯er Girlie!¡± The others looked at one another. Elder Meng¡¯s words confirmed their guesses! Even if they had already thought of this, they were still touched when they heard Elder Meng¡¯s definitive tone. ¡°Elder Meng, that¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng lowered his voice and glanced toward Miao Yao. There¡¯s still some trouble here! It¡¯s fine if it were an ordinary person, but the other party has a distinguished status. We can¡¯t make the situation too stiff. Elder Meng then glanced at Miao Yao from the corner of his eyes and smiled. ¡°This is Yue¡¯er Girlie¡¯s opponent, so she naturally has to deal with it herself.¡± He meant that they didn¡¯t need to trouble themselves to handle it. ¡°Meng Xian!¡± Miao Yao suddenly raised his voice in an exasperated manner. Elder Meng was at ease and didn¡¯t care. Actually, he had once fought with Miao Yao a thousand years ago. They both had neutral impressions of each other, and because of their statuses, they had neutral stances. But now, Elder Meng was still Elder Meng. Yet, Miao Yao had become someone that came to Ling Xiao Academy to fight with a student in her teens. Elder Meng naturally looked down on him, even though this student was a little abnormal. Thinking of this, Elder Meng chuckled and stroked his beard. These few years, I didn¡¯t dare to leave Fengmin Mountain to guard this God Realm. Now, that girl is finally back! As Elder Meng watched, he silently shook his head. I was really careless. There were so many hints previously, yet I didn¡¯t notice it at all! Other than herself, who else could enter her God Realm?! ¡­ The entire world was silent. Almost everyone thought that there would be a huge commotion when this golden tribulation struck Chu Liuyue¡¯s God Realm. However, expectations were different from reality. The two forces intertwined and silently killed each other. The scene seemed to be delayed, and the crowd could easily capture every moment. They could see the golden tribulation starting to dissolve bit by bit. They could also see the silver and red galaxy that flowed with the wind. They could even more clearly see the sparks circle around Chu Liuyue as they strengthened her bit by bit. Ka! At some moment, Chu Liuyue clearly heard a crisp sound from her body. Demigod! At this moment, the God Realm seemed to detect the change in her aura as it turned around ferociously. The tremendous waves completely swallowed that golden tribulation! Chu Liuyue slowly closed her eyes, and her body glowed. Even in the dazzling galaxy, she was as bright and eye-catching as ever. The tribulation¡¯s force kept entering her body. Every part of her body was being ripped apart, yet they healed at an even faster rate. During this continuous process, her body was evolving! Her aura kept strengthening! ¡­ Miao Yao finally panicked! If Shangguan Yue really breaks through to become a true god, then I will definitely lose this gamble! At that time, I¡¯ll be humiliated! How can I go back to face my clansmen then? Not only did I not bring the corpse back, but I even lost to a teenage girl? This teenage girl is trying to break through to become a true god! Miao Yao clenched his teeth. Suddenly, he moved toward Chu Liuyue! I have to stop her! Detecting Miao Yao¡¯s movements, Elder Meng and the rest had a change in expression. ¡°Miao Yao, how dare you!¡± That girl is at a crucial point in her breakthrough. Once she is disturbed, she will¡ª Slap! The purplish-golden tail flung around! The violent force instantly turned into a sharp icicle that went for the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s head! Chapter 1521 - Give You Fire Trees and Silver Flowers! Miao Yao¡¯s sudden movement took everyone by surprise! They never expected him to be so shameless and ruthless in achieving his goals! Elder Meng¡¯s face sank, and he was about to go forward! ¡°Miao Yao!¡± However, Miao Yao suddenly snorted. ¡°Meng Xian, if you intervene, Shangguan Yue will automatically lose this gamble!¡± We previously said clearly that Shangguan Yue had to endure these three moves! Previously, I only executed my third move halfway. If I want to take action now, other people can¡¯t stop him! ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Meng was stumped, and he was so angry that his face turned pale. However, he still hesitated in his actions. He naturally didn¡¯t want Miao Yao to disturb Yue¡¯er like that. However¡­ he knew how much effort she had put in to win this battle. If he took action now, all the torture she experienced earlier would be for nothing! ¡°Elder Meng.¡± A calm and clear voice suddenly came from behind. Elder Meng turned around. He saw that Chu Liuyue had opened her eyes at some point. Her eyes were dark and unaffected. It was as if they contained everything in the world¡ªspacious yet peaceful. Elder Meng¡¯s terrified heart suddenly seemed to be comforted. ¡°This is between Senior Miao Yao and I. I¡¯ll handle everything.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, the corner of her lips curled up, and she smiled. ¡°Okay!¡± Elder Meng was hesitant in his words, but he finally nodded. Since she has said so, it proves that she has her own plans. He moved his feet and retreated. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned. An icicle was right before her! Her expression was nonchalant and calm as if she didn¡¯t detect the danger! Or perhaps, this attack wasn¡¯t worth a mention in her eyes! Chu Liuyue suddenly raised her hands. The silver and red galaxy moved. The next moment, the sparks in front of her started forming rapidly! The lights became tight, and the surrounding space became sticky. Once that icicle went close, its speed started decreasing at an observable speed. Finally, it seemed to have sunk into mud and couldn¡¯t move! At this point, it was only a few steps away from Chu Liuyue. However, this small distance became a wide gap that it couldn¡¯t cross no matter what! Shock flashed across Miao Yao¡¯s eyes. ¡°How¡­¡± Previously, he had already guessed that Shangguan Yue¡¯s God Realm couldn¡¯t be underestimated and that it might be better than his God Realm. However, he didn¡¯t expect it to be a crushing defeat! The two God Realms clashed, and he was the losing one! The icicle was filled with rich force, yet it couldn¡¯t even barge into the other party¡¯s God Realm! Miao Yao was humiliated, and he hated it so much that his teeth felt itchy. Right at this moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze brushed past Miao Yao through the icicle. Miao Yao never thought that he would be sized up with such a nonchalant gaze! ¡°Senior Miao Yao.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly spoke in a very sincere and genuine manner. ¡°You¡¯re delaying my breakthrough.¡± A breeze blew past her and curled up the corner of her sleeves. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly. Her originally white and pretty face was covered in bloodstains, but the corner of her lips was still smiling, like the break of dawn and fresh flowers that bloomed naturally. For some reason, Miao Yao¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He was clearly much stronger than the other party. Even if Shangguan Yue successfully broke through to become a true god, she might not be his match. The one that could fight with him had to be a legendary warrior at the very least, but at this point, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s slight smile. It was cold to the bones! Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingertips swiped across lightly. The remaining half of the golden tribulation suddenly landed in her hands! Chu Liuyue held it tightly! ¡°I hate this type of thing.¡± She tilted her head and said every word carefully. Every word seemed to come out of ice-cold water¡ªit was freezing to the bones! Miao Yao was alarmed. ¡°What do you want to do?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything. But you¡ªdidn¡¯t you want to end this as soon as possible?¡± Chu Liuyue was slow. Her white fingers held the golden tribulation tightly! One could even see sparks flying around at its edges. The crowd was frightened and dumbfounded. Crazy! Shangguan Yue actually held the tribulation in her hands?! Does she care about that tribulation at all? Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up and hollered, ¡°I¡¯ll grant your wish!¡± Then, Chu Liuyue used force in her hands. Peng! The golden tribulation actually dissipated in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands! Countless golden sparks spread around. The next moment, they seemed to be summoned by something as they rushed toward Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! A ray of light quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows before it instantly faded! But at this point, her body was covered in the blinding light. Others could only see her figure forcefully but not the slight movement. At one moment, Chu Liuyue felt that a fire burned across her face with scorching heat. But the moment this feeling appeared, it went away. At this point, she was busy absorbing the force in the golden tribulation and converting it into her own strength so that she could prepare for her breakthrough. Hence, she didn¡¯t take this incident to heart. The God Realm seemed to feel the changes in her body, and it started to falter. Crack! With a crisp sound, Miao Yao¡¯s icicle was strangled by the surrounding force after being trapped by Chu Liuyue¡¯s God Realm! From start to end, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even take action at all! Miao Yao¡¯s expression changed. Half of my aura was reduced! The icicle had gathered his strength. Now that it was suddenly destroyed, he naturally felt the repulsion. The uneasiness in Miao Yao¡¯s heart overwhelmed him! At that moment, he even wanted to retreat. However, he quickly dismissed this idea. If I retreat now, I will be humiliated! The great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s reputation would be destroyed! Miao Yao made up his mind as he rapidly appeased the chaotic force in his body and stared at Chu Liuyue. I don¡¯t believe she can really cause trouble with her skills! With this hard scale around my body, she can¡¯t attack me at all! At this point, the last golden spark merged with Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Ka! A slight and crisp sound came from her body! The water droplet in her dantian suddenly stopped turning, and the nine bright lines instantly disappeared! A bright color spread across the water droplet rapidly! Finally, it formed a familiar totem in the center of the water droplet. Almost at the same time, Chu Liuyue raised her hands¡ªher God Realm gathered in the skies! The scene froze for a moment. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, I can¡¯t express my immense gratitude for you today! Therefore, I¡¯ll send you fire trees and silver flowers!¡± Then, she flicked her wrist, and the God Realm in the sky crazily rushed toward Miao Yao! Bang! Bang! Bang! At that moment, those sparks suddenly exploded and became fire! They burned everywhere! Chapter 1522 - : Retaliation! Miao Yao was in the middle and was instantly swallowed by the overwhelming fire! Detecting the scorching burn, Miao Yao felt that something was amiss and flung his dragon tail, wanting to extinguish these fires. However, this was fire formed from the cracking of Chu Liuyue¡¯s God Realm, so what was burning wasn¡¯t fire but shocking strength! Besides, the sparks scattered all around in a tight yet isolated manner, so Miao Yao couldn¡¯t even avoid it! A spark landed on his scales and rapidly left a burn mark! Miao Yao was frustrated and enraged. Why is this God Realm so special!? It can even burn my scale! But very quickly, Miao Yao had no time to think about this. That was because he discovered that his entire body was already covered in that fire! He couldn¡¯t retreat! ¡­ As the fire jumped about, the crowd could forcefully see the scene within¡ªMiao Yao crazily struggled as if he wanted to escape from within. It was a pity that the surroundings were sealed, and he was too late to escape. And as time passed, the fire closed up bit by bit. It wanted to directly tie Miao Yao within¡ªhe couldn¡¯t escape! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and revealed a satisfied smile. She hadn¡¯t used her God Realm in a long while and was afraid that she would be rusty. However, it seemed like she didn¡¯t need to worry about it. Additionally, she just crushed the golden tribulation and broke through to become a true god. Currently, her internal and external wounds were healing at a shocking speed. She felt even better. After taking a walk on the brink of death¡­ The sufferings were inhumane, but luckily, light was at the end of the tunnel. Everything that belonged to her¡­ had come back! ¡­ The crowd looked at this scene in a daze and hadn¡¯t recovered their senses. Shangguan Yue¡­ made a comeback from her losses?! Not only did she receive Miao Yao¡¯s third move, but she even retaliated! Looking at the giant figure painfully struggling in the fire, quite a few people¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly. They recalled that this person still wanted to take Shangguan Yue¡¯s life in a domineering manner earlier. But in the blink of an eye, Miao Yao ended up in this state¡­ It was laughable just thinking about it! At first, almost everyone thought that it was Shangguan Yue¡¯s doomsday! But now, she was still there just fine, and¡­ she even crazily broke through to become a true god warrior from an intermediate stage-nine one! All in all, this entire incident was intriguing. Even if they saw it personally, quite a few people were still shocked and hadn¡¯t recovered their senses. Even Mu Hongyu, Lin Zhifei, and the others were dazed. Clearly. things had progressed beyond their expectations. In the dead silence, someone muttered softly, ¡°¡­Why does Shangguan Yue¡¯s God Realm seem rather familiar?¡± Luo Shishi turned around strangely. ¡°Fourth Brother, what did you say?¡± Luo Yanlin stared at the sea of silver and red fire in the sky and furrowed his brows tightly. Suddenly, he seemed to have recalled something and asked, ¡°Shishi, she said her name is Shangguan Yue?¡± Luo Shishi nodded. ¡°Yeah! At that time, she personally admitted it in front of everyone at Fangzhou City. I heard that she¡¯s a descendant that Senior Shangguan dotes on very much. And back at Flood-Desert Northern Region, she was¡ª¡± ¡°Which ¡®Yue¡¯ is it?¡± asked Luo Yanlin again. Luo Shishi found it strange but still shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t know that.¡± She only said that it was her name, but the outsiders didn¡¯t know which character it was. ¡°Fourth Brother, is this very important?¡± Luo Shishi paused and asked hesitantly. Luo Yanlin didn¡¯t speak. He just turned around and looked up. The black wall of Dong Huang Tower was dark. He stared at the position at the top for quite a while before he retracted his gaze. ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down. Force was sent out of her palms. Tuan Zi and Zi Chen¡ªwho were previously beaten and couldn¡¯t stand up¡ªwere influenced by Chu Liuyue¡¯s breakthrough in her cultivation level, and their injuries were rapidly healing. Then, with Chu Liuyue¡¯s help, the two of them directly flew up and reached Chu Liuyue one after the other. Tuan Zi looked up and flapped its wings, wanting to go over. But when it raised its wings halfway, it fell again. Chu Liuyue then saw that half of Tuan Zi¡¯s wing was broken. A long scar spread across it. It was badly mangled and frightening to see. The red-gold heavenly phoenix was an ancient legendary fiend, and its physical strength was extremely good. Other than a great phoenix dragon of the same cultivation level, others couldn¡¯t even think of hurting it. Coldness flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. She raised her hand and gently covered Tuan Zi¡¯s wound. Warm and tremendous strength entered Tuan Zi¡¯s body. It tilted its head and forcefully rubbed against the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands as its eyes shone. Even if it were severely injured, it had always been lively. At this point, it saw that Chu Liuyue had directly broken through to become a legendary warrior and was over the moon. Tuan Zi completely threw away its messy thoughts and didn¡¯t care about its own injuries. Seeing that Tuan Zi was still active and hyper even though its movements were restricted, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. After taking care of Tuan Zi¡¯s wounds, Chu Liuyue looked at Zi Chen at the side. Its wounds were more severe than Tuan Zi. Even though its current abilities were around the same as Tuan Zi, as it had the two great phoenix dragon wing bones in its body, Miao Yao used harsher methods when he dealt with Zi Chen. Besides, Zi Chen¡¯s bloodline was weaker compared to an ancient legendary fiend, so it was at a disadvantage. Its two wings were broken, and there were many wounds on the other parts of its body. It looked defeated and was hanging onto its last breath. If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue breaking through, it might not have lasted for long. Chu Liuyue thought to herself silently, Luckily, the two great phoenix dragon wing bones in its body weren¡¯t broken. If not, it would be troublesome to find another pair. After using the great phoenix dragon bones, others weren¡¯t up to her liking. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. Then, she treated Zi Chen¡¯s wounds before similarly summoning it back. With her strength as nourishment, the two of them recovered more quickly than before. After taking care of them, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned in a certain direction. Whoosh! The Heavenly Square Cauldron drew a perfect angle in the sky and rapidly came back! Chu Liuyue sized the item in her hand up before finally choosing to put it away. After doing this, she looked up at the sky. At this point, Miao Yao was covered in wounds and was tortured beyond words. The crowd could hear painful dragon moans from time to time. Outside the barrier, the younger generation of the great phoenix dragon clan saw this scene and finally recovered their senses. Shock, panic, and exasperation! ¡°Shangguan Yue! Do you really want to go against my great phoenix dragon clan?!¡± Chapter 1523 - Why Talk about being Reluctant? As they spoke, these few people seemed like they wanted to barge in directly. However, the elders had already strengthened the academy barriers, and they couldn¡¯t break it. After a few failed attempts, they finally realized that the matter had spiraled out of their control! Chu Liuyue looked up lazily and glanced at them. ¡°Me going against you and you chasing after me relentlessly is different, right?¡± Not only did Miao Yao directly force the person to Ling Xiao Academy, he even used extraordinary methods to barge in! I haven¡¯t even taken into account what Miao Yao did to me! ¡°The bet hasn¡¯t ended yet. If you want me to stop now, it will count as him automatically surrendering,¡± Chu Liuyue said slowly. Her lips had hints of a smile as if she were saying an interesting joke. The few people in the skies were instantly stumped. Actually, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they let the situation continue, nobody could tell what the final ending would be. Hearing Miao Yao¡¯s voice, he seemed to be tortured. But if we surrender now¡­ what should we do if Miao Yao blames us? Also¡­ we don¡¯t know how it to explain to our clansmen! ¡°Shangguan Yue!¡± Miao Yao also heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice, and he raged even more. ¡°I¡¯m here. Senior, if you have something to say, just say it directly,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Miao Yao was about to be angered to death. Originally, he thought that Shangguan Jing was already shameless, but he didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Yue to be even more shameless than her ancestor. At this time, she can still say such words nonchalantly! Miao Yao held it in again and again and finally hollered, ¡°The bet has ended!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly as if she found it strange. ¡°It has ended?¡± ¡°Immediately! Right away!¡± ¡°Then.. Did I win this round?¡± asked Chu Liuyue leisurely. Miao Yao was stumped. After a temporary silence, he finally answered, ¡°Just consider that you¡¯ve won!¡± Chu Liuyue revealed a genuine and delightful smile. She then raised her hands, and the sea of silver and red fire rapidly extinguished, forming light rays that flew back to her. Finally, they silently entered her body. The entire process was as smooth as water. Before the crowd could react, they saw the fire¡ªwhich had been intensely burning¡ªimmediately dissipate. Miao Yao, who was trapped within, finally revealed himself. ¡°Pfft!¡± Low laughter could be heard from the quiet Qing Ming Square. Once this laughter sounded, it was suppressed quickly. However, all sorts of suppressed laughter could be heard everywhere from the crowd. The crowd tried their best to hold it in, but the pairs of eyes looking at the skies looked like they were laughing at something, revealing their true inner thoughts. Miao Yao was originally in a situation that caused him to suffer painful and unbearable torture. Suddenly, a ray of light flashed across his eyes, and the fire disappeared! He was dazed and then realized that he had escaped from the fire. Following this, he heard laughter coming from below. Almost instinctively, Miao Yao rapidly glanced below. With this look, he met countless pairs of eyes staring at him with varying expressions. He clearly saw the ridicule and mockery! Detecting Miao Yao looking over, quite a few people averted their gazes. However, how could Miao Yao not understand their expressions and reactions? They are clearly laughing at me! Miao Yao¡¯s eyes turned red, and he was enraged! Without looking, he knew how disheveled he looked at this moment! The fire had left countless scars on him! Patches of black were burned on his originally iridescent and beautiful scales, and some more severe parts had curled up. The great phoenix dragon clan thought highly of their corpses and their scales as well. He grew these dragon scales with much difficulty. Now¡­ they were completely ruined by Shangguan Yue! Miao Yao suddenly turned around and shot Chu Liuyue a deadly gaze. ¡°Shangguan Yue! You¡­ are good!¡± However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to hear the threat in his voice as she nonchalantly asked, ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Senior Miao Yao. Since the bet has ended, and I¡¯ve won, all the previous incidents¡­ We can let bygones be bygones, right?¡± It was fine if she didn¡¯t mention this, but once she did, Miao Yao was so angry that his entire body trembled. She actually has the cheek to ask such a question! She injured me into this state but haS no sense of remorse or guilt at all! ¡°With today¡¯s bet, the grudge between Shangguan Jing and my great phoenix dragon clan is cleared! And¡­ I will let you off for using the corpse!¡± Miao Yao said every single word harshly. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from the cracks of his mouth with deep hatred and anger! ¡°These matters have ended, but my dragon scales are burned and ruined. This won¡¯t be so easily settled! Shangguan Yue, you better think of how to solve this! If not¡ª¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be considered my fault, right?¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted Miao Yao. She smiled, but her eyes were filled with nonchalance and frost that didn¡¯t seem to melt in a thousand years. ¡°Everything earlier should be considered within the bet. When we made the bet earlier, you only said that I had to receive three moves from you in order to win. But you didn¡¯t say that¡­ I couldn¡¯t retaliate, right?¡± Miao Yao was stumped. He didn¡¯t say this, but that was because he never thought that she would have the chance to retaliate! Miao Yao stared at her closely and suddenly sneered. ¡°I¡¯ll take it as you being capable. You can even make up a God Realm¡­¡± He suddenly turned around and glanced at Elder Meng. ¡°Meng Xian, you¡¯re really good to her. You can even bear to give her a God Realm!¡± Elder Meng laughed out loud. ¡°This is originally her God Realm! Why can¡¯t I bear to do it?¡± Chapter 1524 - Ill Take Responsibility for the Trouble She Caused Miao Yao¡¯s contorted expression instantly froze. Upon hearing this, the crowd in Qing Ming Square widened their eyes in unison and was dazed. In the beginning, they were just shocked about everything that happened suddenly. However, they didn¡¯t get to think clearly about what exactly happened. Now that everything was settled, they finally realized that something was amiss. That God Realm flew out from Fengmin Mountain. How did it become Shangguan Yue¡¯s? ¡°Impossible!¡± Miao Yao instinctively retorted. In this world, how could there be someone who has a God Realm before they broke through to become a true god? There must be a problem! ¡°What¡¯s so impossible? If this God Realm isn¡¯t hers, how can it be so obedient toward her?¡± Elder Meng glanced at Miao Yao as if he were looking at an idiot. ¡°Miao Yao, even if you¡¯re not a human, you should know this clearly, right? Do you still need me to explain it to you in detail?¡± Miao Yao¡¯s eyes turned red, and he was so angry that he couldn¡¯t say anything for a long while. Then, he suddenly turned his head to look at Chu Liuyue! That sharp and cold gaze, with suspicion and vengeance, scraped past Chu Liuyue¡¯s body like a knife! Chu Liuyue completely ignored him. Anyway, she had won, so everything else didn¡¯t matter. She smiled slightly, and her eyes curved up. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, if you have objections to this, then¡­ I can demonstrate to you, so you can judge if this God Realm is mine.¡± 1 A chill ran down Miao Yao¡¯s spine. Demonstrate again? How to demonstrate? The wounds on his body started to faintly hurt again! ¡°No need!¡± Miao Yao replied almost in panic. He didn¡¯t want the previous incident to happen again! Actually, according to his abilities, he shouldn¡¯t have any problems going against a true god warrior. Even if Shangguan Yue broke through continuously to become a true god warrior from an intermediate stage-nine one, it wouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat to him. However, the strangest thing was that God Realm! Even if that¡¯s her God Realm¡­ Its strength has long exceeded that of a normal true god warrior¡¯s God Realm! This God Realm can easily absorb the golden tribulation and resist my bloodline power. It is incredulous! ¡°Who knows what methods you used¡­¡± Miao Yao was naturally indignant in his heart and had some vengeance. His reputation was considered completely destroyed during today¡¯s battle. The same went for their entire great phoenix dragon clan¡­ Miao Yao didn¡¯t know how to go back and explain! He had really suffered a double loss this time! Chu Liuyue was rather open-minded about it as she smiled and said, ¡°Of course, I used my own methods. You saw the previous scenario¡ªnobody came up to help, right? As for this God Realm¡­ If you didn¡¯t ¡®help¡¯ me today, I probably could only summon it back after some time. This time, I really have to thank you, Senior Miao Yao.¡± Miao Yao didn¡¯t understand the mechanism in between, but he vaguely guessed something. When he heard the second half of Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, he was overwhelmed with anger. I came to teach Shangguan Yue and Shangguan Jing a lesson, not to help her break through! What exactly is going on now!? Miao Yao stared at her for quite a while. Suddenly, he sneered and gazed at Elder Bo Yan. ¡°Great¡­ great! Bo Yan, so your Ling Xiao Academy teaches your students like this!¡± Arrogant! Ill-disciplined! Rude! No matter what, I have an important status in the great phoenix dragon clan. Yet, I was offended by Shangguan Yue left, right, center when I came here today! Now, she has injured me to this state and has no sense of remorse at all! It is really overboard! At this point, Elder Bo Yan was staring at Chu Liuyue elatedly. He was happy no matter how he saw her and felt that he didn¡¯t wait in vain for the past few years. After suddenly being called out, he was also stunned. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, why do you say this? You were the one who brought up the bet today, right? Yue¡¯er Girlie just followed your words. What mistake did she make? If she didn¡¯t agree to it, you wouldn¡¯t have let this slide, right?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Besides, you barged into Ling Xiao Academy forcefully today. We haven¡¯t settled this debt with you yet.¡± Ling Xiao Academy didn¡¯t like to cause trouble, but it didn¡¯t mean that they were scared. The great phoenix dragon clan were ancient legendary fiends, and they were amazing. However, Ling Xiao Academy had been established in the God Residence Realm for millions of years, and they weren¡¯t to be trifled with. If they talked about it in detail, Miao Yao was at fault first, and Yue¡¯er was forced to retaliate. One was an ancient legendary fiend with an important status, and the other was a young academy junior¡­ Wasn¡¯t it clear who was bullying the weak? Even if this incident went out, the crowd could instantly tell who was in the wrong! Miao Yao was originally in the wrong. Now that he had lost the bet, he had lost his ground. He felt extremely cowardly! ¡°You are so biased toward her, and you¡¯re teaching her to be so arrogant. One day, she will cause a huge trouble for you!¡± ¡°Senior Miao Yao, you don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± A low and clear voice suddenly came. It seemed to be an icy shard that was dipped in snow, and it had a sense of high and mightiness. Miao Yao turned around and saw Rong Xiu, who was silent for very long, finally speaking up. Rong Xiu floated in midair with one hand behind his back. The fingertips on his other hand had a golden fire burning quietly. He flicked his finger, and the fire instantly extinguished. Then, he looked up slightly and stared at Miao Yao. In his bottomless phoenix-like eyes, there were ripples. The next moment, the corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°She¡¯s my princess consort. If she gets into trouble, I will take responsibility for it.¡± His light sentence was domineering and irrefutable! Chapter 1525 - Qing Yun Ranks Seal! Such legitimate protection. Such clear doting! Rong Xiu seemed to say it politely, but when it was translated, it meant: She is mine. I will take responsibility if she gets into trouble. It¡¯s not other people¡¯s place to talk! An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She tilted her head and glanced at Rong Xiu. As if she thought of something, she raised her brows slightly, and the corner of her lips curled up. Seemingly detecting her gaze, Rong Xiu suddenly looked over. The four eyes met, and it felt like a million years. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be harshly hit by something. Something seemed to surge out of the bottom of her heart in a sour yet sweet manner, easily swallowing her whole. Even her breathing became more relaxed. It seemed as if everything was a dream. With a slight move, it would crush. They were clearly together the whole time within such a short distance, but she felt that a long, long time had passed since she had seen him. Only this feeling of being protected and doted on had existed the entire time. Since a very, very long time ago, it was the same from start to end. Rong Xiu suddenly waved toward her. ¡°Yue¡¯er, come over.¡± His voice was low and melodious, and it contained warmth that others had never seen before. Chu Liuyue moved her steps and walked toward Rong Xiu. But the moment she moved her feet, a strange crisp sound came from below. Chu Liuyue instinctively looked down, and her eyes instantly narrowed! At the top of Million Wine Mountain, the fountain was completely frozen! A very thick layer of crystallized frost covered the entire fountain. At first glance, it reflected a bright light that was chilling to the bones. As if detecting her strange expression, Rong Xiu faltered and looked down. A harsh aura suddenly swept across the bottom of his eyes. Crack! On the surface of the frozen fountain water, a very long crack appeared abruptly! Hearing this commotion, Elder Bo Yan and the others immediately looked over. When they saw that the fountain was completely frozen, their expressions changed in unison! ¡°Quickly¡ªtrigger the lightning!¡± Elder Bo Yan yelled anxiously! We placed all our attention on Yue¡¯er previously, and we actually forgot about this incident temporarily! ¡°It¡¯s too late!¡± Elder Ouyang stared at that fountain dazedly, and his face was slightly pale. ¡°Using ordinary weapons to trigger the lightning is useless for this.¡± Besides, who has the patience and mindset to trigger lightning at this moment!? Actually, this fountain should¡¯ve long been frozen. However, Yue¡¯er broke through in the middle and triggered the tribulation, which delayed it with much difficulty. But now, the tribulation is over, and this fountain¡­ Nobody can stop it again! Crack! Right on the heels of the first crack was the second. This crack didn¡¯t appear on the frozen surface but the part below. When layers of ice broke, the cracks normally weren¡¯t regular. However, the two cracks that appeared now were of the same length and were straight. They called them cracks, but it seemed like an invisible knife had carved them out bit by bit. Very quickly, the third crack appeared. This one was slightly curved and presented a perfect angle. This was clearly not an accident¡ªan external force was controlling it! Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly and immediately took action! A spark of golden fire rapidly flew out! At this point, without the previous lightning bolts continuously descending, the fountain didn¡¯t seem to have the invisible transparent barrier that blocked the lightning. The golden fire directly flew to the layer of ice, but no matter how the fire burned, the layer of ice didn¡¯t seem affected! Increasingly more cracks appeared on the ice as if it were gradually forming some kind of pattern. The burning golden fire was quickly extinguished silently. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart sank, and he glanced at Chu Liuyue. At this point, the latter was staring at the fountain with a deep gaze as if she had fallen into deep thought. Rong Xiu secretly felt that something was amiss, and his figure flashed as he immediately flew toward Chu Liuyue! He was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, he had already reached Chu Liuyue. He held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, looked up, and glanced at him. ¡°¡­Rong Xiu.¡± Her voice was very light but determined. ¡°I have to go down.¡± Rong Xiu abruptly tightened his hold. She knows how dangerous it is down there! Even though she has summoned her God Realm and become a true god again, her life will still be in danger if she suddenly goes over! ¡°I¡¯ll go for you!¡± boomed Rong Xiu. However, Chu Liuyue laughed and locked his hands with hers. ¡°Since I started this incident, I should be responsible for it.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Tuan Zi absorbing the lightning strength, things wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this state. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she gazed at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu held her hands tightly, and darkness flashed across his phoenix-like eyes! ¡°That¡¯s what you said the last time!¡± But after that, they were separated by life and death. He used all sorts of means to go down to the underworld and finally managed to find her back. Now¡­ Before he could even hug her properly, she was going back again! I will never agree! ¡°Even without you, the fountain exploding is just a matter of time!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was cold and harsh for once. All these years, he spent so much effort and even forcefully sealed a part of her soul and memory just to prevent the same thing from happening. However¡­ Her recovery speed had long exceeded his expectations. This resulted in her awakening again before he even settled the fountain¡¯s issue. ¡°But at the end of the day, I¡¯m still the one that caused the trouble.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and smiled. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart sank bit by bit. Crack! Increasingly more cracks appeared on the frozen surface. Elder Bo Yan stared at the gradually forming pattern closely and found it familiar, but he couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen it. His mind rapidly spun as he tried his best to recall what it was, but it was to no avail. Sinister coldness slowly started spreading from that fountain. On the mountaintop, a thin layer of ice silently formed around the fountain. It was like the white frost that landed in the morning during the start of winter. Very quickly, the mountain rocks froze, and the trees withered. The frost seemed to take away the vitality of Million Wine Mountain easily. Everything started becoming dull and dead at an observable speed. In no time, frost had spread from the top of the mountain to the middle. Then, it reached the bottom of the mountain. It was silent yet horrifying! When Elder Bo Yan and the others saw this scene, their faces turned pale. Chu Liuyue suddenly took a step forward. She and Rong Xiu were originally standing very close together, and they were even pressed against each other. She clutched the clothes before Rong Xiu¡¯s chest and pulled them down. Then, she went on her toes, looked up slightly, and kissed his lips. Soft and cold. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± Her lips moved slightly, and the syllables were slurred in between her teeth. ¡°Remove the seal on the Qing Yun Ranking.¡± Chapter 1526 - Her Name! Rong Xiu tightly held her slim waist as if wanting to completely rub her into his arms and merge her with his bones. He kissed her back as if he were struggling to suppress something. It was only until he smelled the metallic taste that he finally let her go. His gaze was dark and thick like the sea. There seemed to be a layer of invisible force that wrapped around her. After a while, he closed his eyes and hid all the emotion in them. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Once he said this, the thick cold aura around his body seemed to spread around. A harsh and tremendous strength suddenly rushed out of his body! Whir! A whir was heard! Upon hearing this, the crowd looked in unison. This sound¡­ actually came from Dong Huang Clock Tower! Rays of light silently appeared on the dark stone wall. ¡°This is¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan watched this scene in shock. Why did Rong Xiu suddenly summon the Qing Yun Ranking out of nowhere? In the entire Ling Xiao Academy, other than the directors and special elders, only the top seeds on the Qing Yun Ranking could do such a thing. Rong Xiu had been at the top of the rankings for a few years, so this was naturally not a huge matter for him. However¡­ Why did he suddenly do it now¡ª Rays of light danced around and overlapped each other. As the light shone, the names appeared slowly. This sudden scene caused many students in Qing Ming Square to fall into confusion. ¡°Why did Senior Brother Rong Xiu summon the Qing Yun Ranking?¡± ¡°Wait! Other than the warrior list and the Armory Refinement list, why did the remaining two lists appear?!¡± ¡°Out of the four rankings, he occupies first place on two of them. Logically speaking, he can only summon those two. Why did the remaining two appear together?¡± ¡°What exactly does he want to do?¡± Everyone was confused. ¡°Bo Yan, what¡¯s going on?¡± Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows tightly and felt that something was amiss. With Rong Xiu¡¯s current abilities, it is reasonable for him to summon the four rankings. However, the point is: Why now? Elder Bo Yan kept quiet and didn¡¯t speak in a while. He actually had a guess in his heart, but that thought was too ridiculous, so he instinctively denied it. If¡­ If that is true¡ª ¡­ The four rankings appeared on the four black walls of Dong Huang Clock Tower! The names appeared tidily, and the few darkened positions at the top were especially obvious. Two first-place positions and two second-place positions¡ªthey were all the same name, the name that was purposely erased. Actually, the crowd had already found it normal. After all, the Qing Yun Ranking had always been like this for the past few years. Normally, nobody would even take another look at it. Just when they looked up in confusion at the Qing Yun Ranking, a ray of golden light suddenly appeared! It was like a ray of light that suddenly pierced through the darkness and shone brightly! ¡°Look quickly! The name at the top of the heavenly doctor list looks like it¡¯s going to appear!¡± Someone gasped in shock. Actually, it wasn¡¯t just the heavenly doctor list. The black seals on the other three lists were gradually dissolving. It seemed like thick black clouds were gradually dissipating, revealing the true scenery hidden behind. It seemed like something hidden at the bottom of the dark ocean surfaced bit by bit and became increasingly clear. Everyone instinctively held their breaths and gazed at this scene without blinking. That name had been sealed for a few years. Not many people in the current Ling Xiao Academy had seen it back then. To most of the students, it was just a rumor. They were once curious and tried to find out, but they all silently gave up in the end. It was just a name. It wasn¡¯t that important whether they knew it or not. But when they had the chance to see the name at this moment, their gazes and attention were all gathered on the Qing Yun Ranking in unison. Who is the person that can stand side-by-side with Rong Xiu and hold a candle to him? It was dead quiet between heaven and earth! As the golden ray of light shone across, a name gradually appeared¡ªit was as bright as day! Yue! ¡­ No last name, just a single word: ¡®Yue.¡¯ This name¡ªwhich had once been intentionally erased¡ªappeared in unison on all four lists! Seeing this scene, quite a few people were dazed. ¡°Yue? With no last name?!¡± ¡°This name¡­ Why would someone only use one word as their own name?¡± It was no wonder everyone felt it was strange. In Ling Xiao Academy, the students had various identities. Some had inconveniences and would regularly choose to use a disguised name. It was like Chu Liuyue coming here and using ¡®Chu Yue¡¯ as an alias. Whatever name they wrote down during the admission test would be the name on the Qing Yun Ranking. But no matter if it were a real name or a fake one, everyone had a first and last name. There had never been a person with a single word as their name. In the crowd, Luo Shishi stared at that ¡®Yue¡¯ word with overwhelming emotions. She turned around to look at Luo Yanlin and lightly asked, ¡°Fourth Brother, is Shangguan Yue¡¯s name also this ¡®Yue?''¡± Luo Yanlin glanced at her and had a grave expression. Then, he nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± If he said that he wasn¡¯t certain in the beginning, everything was placed clearly in front of him now. Shangguan Yue¡­ is her! Luo Shishi was stunned. Actually, she had faintly guessed it. Now that she had received an affirmative reply, she wasn¡¯t surprised. However¡­ ¡°Is that her real name? She had no last name?¡± Luo Yanlin shook his head. ¡°When she was in the academy, she used this name from start to end.¡± Nobody knew what her last name was. ¡­ In the sky, Chu Liuyue slowly let go of Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. The burning feeling appeared between her brows again! She took a deep breath, and a rainbow flashed across the sky! The Chi Xiao Sword was already in her hands! The next moment, she held the sword hilt tightly and raised it up high! The sword landed! The ground shook! Chapter 1527 - Did Not Send Over a hundred silver strands of sword aura suddenly flew out! The entire Million Wine Mountain was instantly covered! Knock knock! The sword aura flew out and harshly pierced into the ground! The white frost rapidly spread around and suddenly stopped moving forward. The countless strands of sword aura around Million Wine Mountain formed a gigantic cage, completely sealing that strange, harsh, and cold air! Other than the sword aura, everything was normal. Inside the sword aura, the liveliness was extinguished. In the blink of an eye, the trees and plants on Million Wine Mountain had already withered, and some even became burned and crinkled. At first glance, it seemed like the last bit of vitality was sucked away. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure moved, and she went straight for the fountain! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Intense uneasiness suddenly surfaced in Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart! The instinct from his bloodline immediately made him gasp in shock! However, he was currently quite far from Chu Liuyue and couldn¡¯t stop her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was like a red sword that pierced right into the fountain! Once her feet landed on the mountain covered in frost, Chu Liuyue immediately detected a gush of cold air surging up from the bottom of her feet. It instantly covered her entire body! Chu Liuyue lightly exhaled, and it instantly formed a ball of mist in the cold air. As there was a special barrier, Million Wine Mountain was normally warm like spring throughout the year. In her impression, it had never been this cold before. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and finally looked at the fountain in the middle. At this point, the strange pattern on the fountain was three-quarters completed. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Then, she held the Chi Xiao Sword in her hands tightly. On the sword body, a ball of fire rapidly spread across! Half of it was red-golden, and the other half was transparent! The scorching heat and the cold gleam intertwined! It reflected the sinister sword light! Now, she had already broken through to become a true god. She held the supreme Yuan instrument tightly and could naturally unleash even greater power. The sword aura that was just unleashed could only be maintained for a very short period of time. If one really wanted to solve the problem, it had to be done from the roots. It would naturally be this fountain! Tsing! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword harshly pierced the middle of the fountain! Crack! A crack finally appeared on the thick ice! The two fires intertwined and crazily rushed down from that opening! Then, Chu Liuyue held the sword hilt tightly and used her force to spin it! Ka! Tiny cracks instantly appeared by the edges of the opening! The pattern¡ªwhich was about to be completed below the ice¡ªwas suddenly slashed in the middle, and it was crushed. A terrifying coldness emerged on the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s body! The burning fire slowly started to extinguish, and white frost quickly appeared on the sword tip! Of these two fires, one was the fire from the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s bloodline, and the other was the karmic fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. No matter which it was, it would definitely be a top strength in the world. But they were rapidly on the losing side when they clashed with the coldness in the fountain! This showed how formidable it was! As Chu Liuyue pushed the force in her body, she held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly and pierced it in deeper. Finally, an opening appeared on the ice layer. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body jumped up! Her figure immediately disappeared beneath the ice layer! ¡­ Everything happened too quickly. When Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure entered the fountain again, the crowd then recovered their senses. ¡°What is Shangguan Yue doing? She actually went in?!¡± ¡°That fountain is very strange. I¡¯m afraid it would be dangerous for her to go over¡­¡± ¡°I currently have just one thought¡ªso she¡¯s the one with her name erased on the Qing Yun Ranking! It¡¯s no wonder¡­ It¡¯s no wonder!¡± ¡°But this isn¡¯t right! Didn¡¯t they say that Shangguan Yue is only seventeen years old this year? A few years ago, she should still be a young girl. How could she be the legendary one?¡± ¡°But the name on the Qing Yun Ranking has already appeared, and she even summoned that God Realm. Who else could it be if not her?¡± ¡­ The crowd was confused and filled with doubts. Too many things had happened today, and every single one of them had a huge impact. One couldn¡¯t accept it, and now, they had become numb. ¡­ Miao Yao looked at the fountain below in shock. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had already been swallowed by the icy water, and it disappeared without a trace. On the edges of the broken opening, there was red-golden fire and transparent fire quietly burning. From outside, one could only see the silent water surface below the opening. Perhaps it was because the sky was too dark, or there was another reason, but it was black below the water surface. One couldn¡¯t see it clearly. Shangguan Yue¡­ just went down like that?! Miao Yao had also made contact with the previous coldness, and he could clearly feel that the strength it contained was shocking. Even though Shangguan Yue is a true god, she will be as good as dead if this goes on. Even if she has that strange God Realm, she can¡¯t retaliate! With this thought, Miao Yao¡¯s accumulated vengeance was released by quite a bit. ¡°Since this matter has ended, I¡¯ll bid farewell,¡± Miao Yao said. Actually, he wanted to stay here and watch the commotion. After all, he had suffered so much from Shangguan Yue previously. He could only feel relieved if he personally watched her being tortured. It was a pity that his current appearance was too disheveled. He didn¡¯t want to stay here for another minute. Elder Bo Yan and the others were focused on Chu Liuyue now, so how could they care about him? ¡°Senior Miao Yao, stay safe on your way. You¡¯ve walked this road before, so we¡¯re not going to send you off.¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s tone couldn¡¯t be considered polite. Miao Yao¡¯s expression changed slightly, but he still held it in. His body glowed. The next moment, he transformed into a purplish-golden scale. The academy elder opened the barrier and was excited to send this plague away. The moment that scale left the academy, the barrier closed again! Chapter 1528 - Record of the Million Gods That scale flew back again. Miao Yao, who was standing outside the barrier, suddenly recovered his senses. His figure flashed, and he coughed twice. The other descendants hurriedly leaned over and asked after him worriedly. However, these words only made Miao Yao recall his previous disheveled look. They saw everything! Miao Yao was very frustrated, and his expression was naturally no better. Very quickly, those few people noticed that he was in a bad mood, so they quietened down fearfully and didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. The atmosphere was silent as if it were frozen. The few of them privately exchanged glances, and they saw the regret in each other¡¯s eyes. If I had known it, I wouldn¡¯t have made this trip! Originally, they thought that they could impress Miao Yao, but who knew it would end up like this in the end!? Miao Yao loved face the most. They saw the few things that happened today, and he was most likely going to hate them as well! In the future¡­ they would probably be ¡®taken care of¡¯ in some way. How could Miao Yao not feel remorse as well? After knowing that Shangguan Jing was still alive, he was enraged and wanted to take revenge. He brought those people along purely just to put up a formation. In terms of capabilities, the few of them added together weren¡¯t as good as him! In the end, they were humiliated! Not only did they not help, but my ridiculously disheveled appearance was seen by the few of them! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t make this extra move! Miao Yao took a deep breath in. As his real body was injured, his current aura was much weaker than in the beginning. ¡°Go!¡± Miao Yao commanded before turning around to leave. The few people behind him didn¡¯t dare to have any objections as they lowered their heads and followed carefully. The few of them rapidly disappeared outside the barrier. But at this point, nobody cared about them. Everyone¡¯s attention was all on Million Wine Mountain. No matter how dumb one was, they would realize that Million Wine Mountain was amiss. ¡°Other than those in charge of guarding the academy barriers, summon the rest of the elders,¡± Elder Bo Yan instructed Elder Hua Feng. Elder Hua Feng nodded solemnly, and his figure quickly disappeared from the spot. Elder Bo Yan thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Oh, right. Ouyang, go invite the few of them to come over as well.¡± Elder Ouyang was stunned and rather hesitant. ¡°Really?¡± Those few people didn¡¯t come out easily. If he wanted to invite them, it¡­ meant that the matter was so severe that it couldn¡¯t be resolved. It was fine for the elders, but if the students saw it, they would be uneasy and worried. At that time, if they weren¡¯t mentally strong enough¡­ Elder Bo Yan still nodded. ¡°I have to be quick.¡± He naturally knew what Elder Ouyang was worried about. If I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t want to do this either. Now, it is really¡­ ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie is below. No matter what, we have to let her come out safe and sound.¡± Elder Bo Yan sighed lightly but was very determined. Hearing this, Elder Ouyang seemed to be affected as he immediately agreed. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll go now!¡± The elders quickly moved on their own. Looking at the figures rapidly gathering, Elder Wan Zheng still couldn¡¯t dispel his uneasiness. He clenched his fists tightly and knitted his brows. ¡°¡­If only the director was still around¡­¡± If he was around, they would definitely be more confident. After all, he was the one personally taking care of this fountain. Now that something had happened, he was the best person to intervene. Elder Bo Yan closed his eyes and sighed lightly. How could I not think the same way? However, the director left back then, and we completely lost contact with him. Yue¡¯er Girlie is even back now, but there is no news of him at all. If it weren¡¯t because I have a way to ascertain that the director is still alive.. But I can¡¯t just continue waiting. If this fountain completely explodes¡ª Messy thoughts kept flashing across his mind, causing Elder Bo Yan to be flustered. Suddenly, a figure flew across his eyes. His heart was immediately raised. ¡°Rong Xiu! What are you doing?!¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t reply. He stood on the top of Million Wine Mountain. The wind blew his clothes and outlined the man¡¯s thick and tall figure. The clothes rustled with the wind, and the surroundings were quiet. He looked down slightly and glanced below. The sharp sword aura had already covered Million Wine Mountain surroundings, but the cold air was oppressive as some places were already being covered by thick layers of snow on the mountaintop. And it started spreading toward the surroundings at a slow and determined speed. That sword aura might not be able to last for long¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was cold, and his demonically handsome face looked high and mighty. In the depths of his phoenix-like eyes¡­ One of them burned with a golden fire, while the other was overwhelmed with endless darkness. It was just one moment, and he closed his eyes¡ªhe hid everything in them! The next moment, a tremendous force suddenly exploded from his body! Instantly, countless golden sparks landed from the skies! In no time, Million Wine Mountain was completely covered! The view inside was blocked securely, and outsiders couldn¡¯t see anything at all! A golden barrier surrounded Rong Xiu. His figure was hidden. The golden light flashed, and one couldn¡¯t even see the outline of his figure clearly. Rong Xiu opened his eyes and raised his hands. The air before him suddenly cracked silently. An item rapidly flew out from within! Bang. Rong Xiu held the object in his hands¡ªit was a scroll. 1 His wrist flicked slightly, and the scroll was opened. On it, five large words burning with gold were clear¡ªRecord of the Million Gods! And at this point, a name could be vaguely seen on the scroll! Chapter 1529 - Secret That name seemed to be once forcefully erased, yet today, it gradually appeared in its original manner. The ¡®Yue¡¯ word almost seemed to jump out of the paper and fly out! Chu Liuyue had already returned to being a true god and summoned her God Realm. Thus, her name would once again appear on this Record of the Million Gods. However, it was still a blurred mess near the position of her surname. Rong Xiu raised his hand, and a spark of golden fire suddenly ignited on his fingertips! If one went closer, they would see that the flame was bright and that it would illuminate the name on the paper. If one was even closer, the name would be erased again. He hesitated for a moment and finally stopped in his movements. Putting away the scroll, he then looked at Million Wine Mountain with a dark gaze. Yue¡¯er, you must stick true to your word now. I will never want and will never allow the same thing to happen the second time! ¡­ Time trickled by bit by bit. In the blink of an eye, it was already nighttime. The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the darkest night was quiet. The night sky¡ªwhich was as clear as water¡ªcovered everything with a blurred light as if a layer of coldness had been added to it. From afar, only the outside of Million Wine Mountain was as bright as day! However, everyone was well-aware that the bright light hid great danger! Outside Million Wine Mountain, the ground to midair was heavily surrounded by academy elders in a stern formation. Seeing this formation, even if most of the students didn¡¯t know what was going on, they knew that the danger this time wasn¡¯t low. The giant Qing Ming Square was completely quiet. The cold atmosphere seemed to be frozen. Elder Bo Yan looked down once again. With the golden barrier that Rong Xiu set up, it was very hard for them to see what was going on inside clearly from the outside. But from start to end, even an energy ripple didn¡¯t come out from inside. This made the elders even more worried. ¡°Let the students go back first,¡± said Elder Hua Feng softly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take for Yue¡¯er to come out this time. We can¡¯t let everyone continue waiting here.¡± Not to mention that they couldn¡¯t help, it was very easy for people to feel uneasy with so many people gathered together. Elder Bo Yan thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Then, let them go back to their own residences first. Also, deploy more elders to guard in secret.¡± At this time, not a single mistake could be made. Elder Hua Feng acknowledged the order and quickly went to do it. In no time, the students respectively went back under the many elders¡¯ guidance. Even if some of them wanted to continue staying here, they couldn¡¯t fight with the academy, so they still listened to the elders and went back. ¡°Elder Bo Yan.¡± A low voice filled with worry came from the side. Elder Bo Yan turned around to look. ¡°Senior Shangguan.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with¡­ t-this Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain?¡± Shangguan Jing had wanted to ask this question for a very long time. When he was previously still a soul saved in the sword, he had followed Chu Liuyue to Million Wine Mountain several times. He knew that Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain contained secrets, and it had large implications. If not, Elder Bo Yan and the others wouldn¡¯t be so worried. After seeing the frost quickly spreading around in the day, he confirmed his guesses. Yue¡¯er had now been inside for quite some time, yet she didn¡¯t make any movements. Every time he thought of the scene of the frost freezing and the vitality of Million Wine Mountain being extinguished, a chill was sent down his spine. ¡°This¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan was hesitant in his words. A sentence or two couldn¡¯t explain this situation clearly. Besides, there were a lot of internal matters that they weren¡¯t completely sure of. He really didn¡¯t know how to explain it to Shangguan Jing, but seeing Shangguan Jing, Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t bear it. After thinking for a while, he picked a portion and simply explained the matter. ¡°¡­There aren¡¯t many outsiders here now, and you¡¯re Yue¡¯er¡¯s senior, so we won¡¯t hide some things from you. Actually, this Million Wine Mountain already existed when the academy was first established. And starting from then, Million Wine Mountain was a special existence in the academy. The directors and the Armory Refinement elders would take special care of it.¡± ¡°Needless to say, the director would strengthen the Million Wine Mountain barrier every year. As for the elders, when they refine weapons, as long as the situation allows for it, they would try to guide the lightning to enter the fountain.¡± Shangguan Jing knitted his brows tightly. ¡°It has always been like this even after so many years?¡± Elder Bo Yan nodded. ¡°Quite a few people know about this in the academy.¡± Shangguan Jing found it even more strange and didn¡¯t talk for a while. He was also an Armory Refinement Master, so he naturally knew how much energy was contained within the lightning triggered by Armory Refinement and how big a commotion it would cause. Ordinary beginner, intermediate, or even advanced Yuan instruments wouldn¡¯t trigger that much lightning when they were being made. But as it accumulated over tens of thousands of years, how many Yuan instruments would these many Armory Refinement Masters produce? The lightning bolts triggered would be more than they could count, and they actually all landed in that small fountain on Million Wine Mountain! This wasn¡¯t even mentioning that an academy of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s status hid experts. If supreme Armory Refinement Masters or even royal Armory Refinement Masters took action, it would be even scarier! It was really abnormal that Million Wine Mountain hadn¡¯t been reduced to flat ground by now. How much lightning strength has been accumulated in that fountain, and how did it contain so much terrifying force!? Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t dare to think about it. As if seeing through Shangguan Jing¡¯s thoughts, Elder Bo Yan comforted him. ¡°Actually, all these years, nothing much had happened to the fountain. Besides, everyone, including Rong Xiu, is around, so Yue¡¯er girlie would definitely be able to come back safely.¡± Shangguan Jing knew that he was just comforting himself. In actual fact, he had also seen how Elder Bo Yan and the others panicked and were shocked when the incident happened. They didn¡¯t want to see such an incident happen. Besides, at the end of the day, that girlie insisted on going down, so I can¡¯t blame the others. Shangguan Jing sighed in his heart. The only thing I can do now is wait patiently. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s one thing¡­¡± Shangguan Jing kept silent for a moment as if he were hesitating about whether he should speak. ¡°Senior Shangguan, if you have something to say, just say it,¡± said Elder Bo Yan. After a temporary pause, Shangguan Jing then took a deep breath in and stared at him determinedly. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡­ used to be a student in Ling Xiao Academy?¡± Elder Bo Yan was stunned. ¡°You don¡¯t know about this?¡± Shangguan Jing laughed bitterly. ¡°I just woke up from the Flood-Desert Northern Region. How would I know about these things?¡± Elder Bo Yan thought about it and agreed. Previously, I still thought that¡­ Yue¡¯er dared to be so unreasonable the whole time because she had Shangguan Jing as her backer. Now, it seems like I¡¯ve guessed wrongly? He paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Actually, we¡¯re not very sure of this either. When she came to the academy a few years ago, she was also about 17 or 18 years old. Although her appearance was very similar to what she looks like now, it was still a little different in the details.¡± Chapter 1530 - Search All in all, they were definitely two people from the outside. If not, they wouldn¡¯t fail to recognize her after such a long time. Even after seeing her true appearance in Fangzhou City, they were highly suspicious but didn¡¯t dare to confirm this guess. Perhaps one¡¯s appearance could change, but how could one fake their age? When the students tested to enter the academy, they would carry out the same assessments on all of them. The age that was tested then was definitely true. ¡°If she didn¡¯t summon her God Realm previously, we wouldn¡¯t dare to confirm that she¡¯s really back,¡± said Elder Bo Yan as he pointed toward Dong Huang Clock Tower. At this point, the names on the Qing Yun Ranking had already been covered. Dong Huang Clock Tower recovered its usual black, solemn, and stern appearance. ¡°I believe you also saw that the name which was purposely erased on the Qing Yun Ranking is hers.¡± Of course, Shangguan Jing saw it. At that time, the commotion was so huge that it was hard not to notice it. Shangguan Jing fell into deep thought. In the past, he had already noticed that Yue¡¯er seemed to have come to the God Residence Realm before, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention that time. It was only later that Chu Liuyue confirmed she had lost a portion of her memory did he realize that the situation was even more complicated than he thought. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to be¡­ Hearing what Elder Bo Yan said, the child was already a true god warrior when she came here a few years ago! ¡°She didn¡¯t stay in the academy for long. Later on, she said that she was going home. Then, she didn¡¯t come back for some reason. Until this time¡ª¡± Elder Bo Yan sighed. Even though Yue¡¯er was playful, most of the elders in the academy liked her very much, and it could even be said that they doted on her. She was talented and witty. Even if she committed bigger mistakes, the elders were reluctant to really punish her severely. If not, someone like Elder Meng wouldn¡¯t be willing to help her guard the God Realm for so many years. Who knew that after so much waiting, she would come back with another identity? If not for Miao Yao bringing the rest to cause trouble, they didn¡¯t know when they would find out about this. ¡°And at that time, she and Rong Xiu were already talking about marriage¡­¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s voice became much lighter. Thinking of this, he looked up at Rong Xiu. They all thought that they would hear the news of the duo getting married in no time. Who knew¡ª If they talked about pain and sorrow, nobody would be worse than Rong Xiu. Shangguan Jing kept quiet. He could basically confirm that after Yue¡¯er returned from Ling Xiao Academy, she met with Shangguan Wan and Jiang Yucheng¡¯s betrayal and died before her rebirth. But at that time, how did she deteriorate and become a stage-nine warrior from a true god, and she had lost all her memories of the God Residence Realm? ¡°No matter what, we¡¯re all very happy now that she has come back. If the director knows¡ª¡± ¡°If the director knows that she has caused such a huge trouble for the academy, he would break his mentor-disciple ties with her!¡± Before Elder Bo Yan could finish his sentence, a ruthless and sinister voice sounded by his ears! The crowd was taken aback, and all turned around to take a look. They saw two figures quickly approaching in the distant sky! In the blink of an eye, they had already reached the barrier outside the academy. The person in front was an elder wearing a gray robe. His hair was white, and his body was slightly curved. He had a pair of triangular eyes that gleamed with a cold light. They looked formidable without being angry, causing one to look into them and feel fear. Behind him was a young man. He looked like he was in his twenties as he wore a light-green robe. His sleeves were embroidered with a golden pattern, and he looked elegant. Under the moonlight, his sleeves flowed slightly. From afar, it was as elegant as a watercolor painting. The light wind in the night blew his long hair. The tip of his hair was demonic red, an especially intense and bright color. Like a sharp knife, it was about to tear this peaceful and elegant painting! ¡°Yi Wenzhuo?! Why did he suddenly come back!¡± When Elder Bo Yan saw the duo¡¯s faces clearly, he was shocked. Shangguan Jing asked strangely, ¡°Who is Yi Wenzhuo?¡± Elder Bo Yan pressed his lips against each other. ¡°Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s vice-director!¡± Shangguan Jing was a little confused. Ling Xiao Academy was reputable in the God Residence Realm. When he was training in the God Residence Realm back then¡­ Although he didn¡¯t officially interact with them, he had some understanding of them. Since Ling Xiao Academy started tens of thousands of years ago, there will only be one director every time. I have never heard of any vice-directors. What¡¯s¡­ going on? But when Shangguan Jing¡¯s gaze turned and saw the young man behind, his expression changed slightly. That was because the young man was Jun Jiuqing! ¡­ Yi Wenzhuo flung his sleeves, and the academy barrier rapidly opened. Then, he entered with Jun Jiuqing in a flash. His first gaze landed on Million Wine Mountain. His originally cold and harsh expression became even more gloomy. Jun Jiuqing, who was standing behind him, knitted his brows undetectably. When his gaze swiped past Rong Xiu¡ªwho was surrounded by the golden light¡ªmurderous intent surfaced in his eyes. However, he quickly restrained such emotions. ¡°Bo Yan, the director and I just left for a while, and this is how you take care of the academy?!¡± Yi Wenzhuo stood still, stared straight at Elder Bo Yan, and instantly reprimanded him! ¡°Will you only be happy if you see the academy be ruined?!¡± His expression was harsh, and he didn¡¯t leave any face for Elder Bo Yan. The surroundings immediately fell silent. The elders exchanged glances. This is¡­ He just came back and is going to cause trouble? Chapter 1531 - Director No matter what, Elder Bo Yan was also an important existence in the academy. When the director wasn¡¯t around these few years, he was always the one handling the matters in the academy, no matter big or small. Even if he didn¡¯t have any credit, his hard work should still be considered. Besides, before this, he had always fulfilled his responsibilities. It was really overboard for Yi Wenzhuo to harshly reprimand him without asking anything. As though he had long expected this scene, Elder Bo Yan looked calm. He politely bowed and said calmly, ¡°We¡¯re all happy that the vice-director is back. I¡¯m useless and can¡¯t do this properly. I¡¯ve disappointed you.¡± Even though he said this, his expression wasn¡¯t humble at all as if he didn¡¯t panic or wasn¡¯t anxious because of Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s scolding. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve already stabilized the situation, and we¡¯re trying our best to solve the matter. We definitely won¡¯t allow the matter to blow up.¡± Yi Wenzhuo hated this expression of Bo Yan¡¯s the most. He is just an extremely normal elder in the academy, yet he looks as if his status is even more distinguished than mine¡ªthe vice-director. ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done.¡± Yi Wenzhuo coldly snorted. ¡°All these years, Million Wine Mountain has never been like this. Why did this suddenly happen now?!¡± With a cold expression, he took a step forward and went close to Elder Bo Yan. ¡°It would be fine if it¡¯s other people. Bo Yan, you should know how serious this matter is, right?!¡± Elder Bo Yan looked down slightly, and his attitude was the same. ¡°I naturally know, so I didn¡¯t dare to take this lightly or shirk my responsibility. After this matter ends, you can punish me as you wish.¡± The meaning behind Bo Yan¡¯s words was that everyone was busy solving the problem and that it wasn¡¯t the time to point fingers. Yi Wenzhuo was upset by his rebuttal. ¡°What else do you have to say? The coldness in the fountain has leaked outside. The situation is urgent, and we must immediately activate the ¡®Heaven-Locking Formation!¡¯ Seal up Million Wine Mountain!¡± Everyone was shocked when he said this. Shock even flashed across Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes. ¡°You mustn¡¯t do this!¡± Hearing this, Elder Bo Yan finally had a change in expression. ¡°Yue¡¯er is still in the fountain. Once the formation is activated, she will definitely be suppressed within!¡± The Heaven-Locking formation was a top Xuan formation, and it had a very strong ability to kill or harm people! By then, she wouldn¡¯t be able to come out! ¡°What time is it now? How can we care about this?!¡± Yi Wenzhuo seemed very frustrated. ¡°Bo Yan, be clear! Is a student more important, or the entire Ling Xiao Academy!¡± ¡°Before I came, I already understood everything that happened in Ling Xiao Academy. Shangguan Yue is the girl from back then¡­ She still knows how to cause trouble as usual! She caused so much trouble in the past, but the director protected her, and we couldn¡¯t do anything about it. However¡­ she has made a huge mistake this time!¡± As Yi Wenzhuo spoke, he pointed at Million Wine Mountain. ¡°Without me saying, you should also know how her red-tailed phoenix broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix, right?! She has now gone in out of guilt. Why are you still hesitating? If she has made a mistake, she should accept the punishment!¡± Elder Bo Yan clenched his teeth and tried his best to calm himself down. ¡°Vice-director, we¡¯re not sure if Yue¡¯er¡¯s red-gold heavenly phoenix really has something to do with the fountain. How can you come to this conclusion so casually? Besides, even if it¡¯s really so, there are still other solutions! After all, she¡¯s a student in the academy, Senior Shangguan¡¯s descendant, and the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort. How can you treat her life so lightly?!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been in the academy these few years and don¡¯t understand many things¡ª¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything else, but if the director was here, he would definitely agree with me!¡± Yi Wenzhuo suddenly sneered. ¡°Bo Yan, who do you think caused the director to disappear?¡± Chapter 1532 - At Most Reincarnate Elder Bo Yan was stumped, and struggle flashed across his eyes. Quite a few elders knitted their brows and looked over doubtfully. What? Hearing what Yi Wenzhuo said, was the director¡¯s departure back then really related to Girlie? ¡°Vice-director, this matter doesn¡¯t have a conclusion, and everything is just a conjecture. You don¡¯t have evidence, yet you concluded this so casually. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate, right?¡± Elder Bo Yan clenched his hands slowly in his sleeves. ¡°Not only will Yue¡¯er¡¯s reputation be damaged once word gets out, even the director¡¯s name will also be implicated. So¡­ you must be careful with your words!¡± ¡°Evidence?¡± Yi Wenzhuo squinted his eyes and suddenly smiled, clearly disregarding his words. ¡°It¡¯s such an obvious matter. What evidence do I need?¡± ¡°Before the girl came back, the academy was peaceful. But ever since she came, the academy erupted into chaos. It¡¯s a total mess! How much has the director done to clean up her mess? Even until she wanted to leave, the troubles didn¡¯t stop!¡± ¡°If this matter really has nothing to do with her, then how do you explain the director¡¯s disappearance after she left the academy? These few years, there was no news of her or the director! They didn¡¯t even send a letter back in between! He thinks very highly of the academy. If it¡¯s not because of something or someone he cared more about, how could he just leave and not come back once in the past few years?¡± And that Shangguan Yue was the disciple he doted on the most! As Yi Wenzhuo spoke, he suddenly lowered his body slightly and leaned over. He stared at Elder Bo Yan closely and lowered his voice. ¡°Besides, when he handed the academy to you, did he really not tell you anything?¡± Yi Wenzhuo said this with gritted teeth. That was because he was also in the academy back then, but the director passed the power of the academy to Elder Bo Yan, directly passing over the vice-director! This was akin to publicly slapping him! This was also the incident that greatly agitated Yi Wenzhuo, causing him to directly leave the academy. During the few years after that, he didn¡¯t care or ask about what happened to the academy. Anyway, he had no power to control the academy, so why should he be worried? If it weren¡¯t because he heard that Ling Xiao Academy got into trouble again and again, in addition to Jun Jiuqing inviting him back, he wouldn¡¯t be willing to come back either. The veins on the back of Elder Bo Yan¡¯s hands popped up, but he still looked calm. Then, he lightly said, ¡°The director just told me to take good care of the academy. He didn¡¯t say anything else other than that.¡± Yi Wenzhuo felt disdain and didn¡¯t believe him either as he looked up, took two steps back, and widened the distance between him and Elder Bo Yan. He then flicked his clothes as if he wanted to flick away something dirty. Elder Bo Yan acted as if he didn¡¯t see it at all. ¡°Since he said so, you should do it. If you don¡¯t activate the Heaven-Locking Formation, do you¡­ have other ways to completely solve the problem in Million Wine Mountain?¡± Yi Wenzhuo sneered, and his eyes were filled with mockery. Not to mention Bo Yan¡­ Even if all the elders in the academy work together, they couldn¡¯t possibly handle the current situation! If the director comes back, we might have a tinge of hope. However, who knows where he is now? ¡°Since this matter happened when we were taking care of the academy, we should take full responsibility for this. If something happens, I will be responsible.¡± Elder Bo Yan had always been soft-tempered and calm, but only people who knew him knew that his bones were tough. If not so, the director wouldn¡¯t be able to rest assured in passing the entire academy to him. ¡°You¡ª¡± Yi Wenzhuo didn¡¯t expect Elder Bo Yan to go against him at this time. ¡°Then, we have to see if you can bear the responsibility!¡± ¡°If he can¡¯t bear it alone, then¡­ What if I¡¯m included?¡± At the side, Elder Meng suddenly spoke lightly. Yi Wenzhuo was shocked. ¡°Elder Meng? You¡­¡± Elder Meng¡¯s seniority was high, and he had an extraordinary status in the academy. Even he had to respectfully call him ¡®Elder Meng.¡¯ Hence, although Yi Wenzhuo was frustrated at this point, he didn¡¯t dare to go against Elder Meng directly. ¡°Elder Meng, you also want to let them do whatever they want ridiculously? Just because of a girl¡ª¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Elder Meng didn¡¯t seem to have the patience to hear Yi Wenzhuo talk and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I even helped the girl guard her God Realm for a few years. Because of this, I didn¡¯t leave Fengmin Mountain the entire time. Wenzhuo, according to what you said, I¡¯m being even more ridiculous?¡± Yi Wenzhuo was stumped. He could scold Elder Bo Yan, but he couldn¡¯t talk back to Elder Meng. ¡°Anyway, you haven¡¯t paid much attention to the academy matters for the past few years. Now that you¡¯ve let go of it, just let them handle it.¡± Although Elder Meng was smiling, his words were very rude. Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s face darkened, but he could only suppress his anger. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Just spoil those people! When things develop to a state they can¡¯t handle, I¡¯ll see if they can be so righteous! ¡­ The surroundings fell silent again. The originally nervous atmosphere became even colder and stiffer because of Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s return. Jun Jiuqing glanced at Million Wine Mountain, and coldness flashed across his eyes. Then, he looked up slightly at Rong Xiu in mid-air. At this point, the golden barrier around Rong Xiu had already faded away. His expression was calm and nonchalant. Jun Jiuqing used his will to speak. A mosquito-like voice gently floated into Rong Xiu¡¯s ears. ¡°That¡¯s how you protect her?¡± Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu finally retracted his gaze and looked over. The two men exchanged glances. At that moment, it seemed like sparks flew, and the murderous intent was everywhere! Rong Xiu squinted His eyes slightly. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s thin lips curled up into a cold smile. ¡°From the beginning till now, you indeed haven¡¯t made any improvements at all. Originally, I thought that with the previous experiment, you would definitely learn your lesson. But now, it seems like I¡¯ve overestimated you.¡± Even I knew to think of all sorts of methods to stop her from coming back. As a result, I even specifically took Chu Ning away and placed him somewhere that was miles away from Ling Xiao Academy. I did all of that because I didn¡¯t want her to come back again. What a pity¡­ Not only did she come back¡­ but she has even recalled all the matters from before! The return of her God Realm is the best evidence! As Jun Jiuqing spoke, he coldly glanced below. Million Wine Mountain was about to explode¡­ The golden barrier couldn¡¯t even last for long! Chu Liuyue, who was within, would be the first to be hit! If something still happens to her this time, I don¡¯t believe that Rong Xiu has the ability to help her reincarnate again! These words were critical. Jun Jiuqing thought that Rong Xiu would rage, but it didn¡¯t happen. The latter just paused for a moment as if he was thinking deeply about his words. Then, he smiled slightly. A clear and low voice clearly entered Jun Jiuqing¡¯s ears. ¡°She¡¯s my woman. Whatever she wants to do, I¡¯ll just accompany her.¡± At most, she¡¯ll reincarnate. Chapter 1533 - Struggle If she wanted to murder someone, he would pass her the knife. If she wanted to take revenge, he would let her plan it. She wanted to come back, and he once thought of stopping her, but he couldn¡¯t win against her slight smile. He finally compromised and agreed. During the entire way, she had experienced too much. He saw all of it, and his heart ached. Back then, he risked half his life just for her to come back safely. If she was stubborn and was going to make the same choice, then he would do the same. Anyway, he still had half his life left to give her. Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was nonchalant and righteous. Jun Jiuqing furrowed his brows tightly. These words that were filled with the intent of declaring his sovereignty made him very uncomfortable. However, what was even more unacceptable was how calm and confident Rong Xiu looked even when he made the same choice. He¡¯s only doing this because she loves him! No matter if it were in the past or present, he was always one step late. Being late by a step, he regretted it his entire life. That was because he knew her too well. Once she settled on someone, she would never regret it or change her decision. Even starting over again, she still made the same choices¡ªshe still chose Rong Xiu. She still chose to enter the fountain in Million Wine Mountain. ¡°Jiuqing, Jiuqing?¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s voice pulled Jun Jiuqing back from his thoughts, and he recovered his senses. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°What are you thinking about in a daze?¡± Yi Wenzhuo looked at him strangely. During this period of time, Jun Jiuqing goes into a daze from time to time as if he were reminiscing about something. I¡¯ve asked him a few times, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Jun Jiuqing lowered his head and had a respectful attitude. ¡°Nothing much. I was just thinking that this type of situation has never happened in Million Wine Mountain before. Now that it suddenly exploded, it won¡¯t be that simple to suppress it.¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s expression recovered a little. ¡°I think so too. You need to know that the more you drag, the more dangerous it is! It¡¯s a pity¡ª¡± It¡¯s a pity that I no longer have too much say in the academy now. Elder Bo Yan and the others seemed to respect him, but they didn¡¯t care about him at all. Elder Meng need not be mentioned as he was clearly on the opposite side. In this sort of situation, the minority couldn¡¯t find the crowd, so they could only look on from the side. Elder Bo Yan and the rest stared at Million Wine Mountain with much focus as if they didn¡¯t care about the conversation between the mentor and disciple. Anger surged up Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s chest. He took a few deep breaths and suppressed it with much difficulty. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch on! Coincidentally, you¡¯ve just broken through to become a true god and have your own God Realm. I¡¯ve taught you many times not to be proud and arrogant.¡± He knitted his brows and said with much meaning, ¡°You mustn¡¯t be like some people who think that they¡¯re invincible after having some slight results. In the end, you will suffer greatly.¡± Jun Jiuqing nodded lightly, lowered his eyes, and hid the emotions in them. ¡­ Below Million Wine Mountain, Chu Liuyue was holding the Chi Xiao Sword as she chipped away at the rock at the fountain¡¯s bottom. Compared to the first time she was here, many changes had taken place. The fountain water became cold from warm, and it was chilling to the bones. Even Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had broken through to become a true god¡ªfound it hard to handle. After staying here for some time, even her four limbs started to become numb and cold, and her movements were stiffer. The scariest thing was that the coldness seemed to gradually freeze her bodily force. Chu Liuyue already couldn¡¯t quite remember how long she had stayed here, but she could clearly feel the circulation speed of the force in her limbs decreasing bit by bit. Tsing! Tsing! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and urged her force to circulate, trying her best to warm her body as she wielded the Chi Xiao Sword. It was a pity that the rock at the bottom of the fountain was very hard. She tried countless times and only left a few faint marks on it. Actually, this was already very shocking. After all, many lightning bolts had landed on it, but it was still smooth and clean. The Chi Xiao Sword was a supreme Yuan instrument. Additionally, Chu Liuyue¡¯s current capabilities weren¡¯t like before, so she could forcefully leave a few marks on it. If not, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to leave a mark at all. ¡°Hu¡­¡± At some point, Chu Liuyue finally stopped and rubbed her aching shoulders. It was really rare for her to reach this step, given her current abilities. That piece of rock still didn¡¯t move. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. This item is indeed strange. It is nearly impossible to carve a sealing Xuan formation on its surface. I¡­ probably have to think of another way. Chu Liuyue looked up at the frozen layer of water. Probably because of the fire blocking it, the middle of the ice layer¡ªwhich was the opening Chu Liuyue had made¡ªstill hadn¡¯t frozen over. However, the pattern on it could still be clearly seen. Even though it couldn¡¯t be completed, one could see a rough outline. Suddenly, the surrounding water ripples came over. A small vortex appeared on the above water surface. There were a few shards of ice left behind when Chu Liuyue opened up the ice layer, and they all silently gathered over. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. Following this, she saw the lines carved on the thick ice flowing with the motion! They dropped off from the ice layer and gathered at a position below the ice layer. One line, two lines. Very quickly, those lines intertwined again! It seemed like they were forming that strange pattern! Dong dong! Low knocks suddenly sounded from her feet. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart turned cold slightly, and she immediately looked down. She saw the very thick rock at the bottom vibrating suddenly with this sound! It was as if something was about to shoot out from within! Chapter 1534 - Frozen Chu Liuyue stared at it closely, and her entire heart beat intensely! Dong dong! The knocking sound was urgent and powerful, and it seemed like it contained a strange and peculiar rhythm. Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears seemed to be whirring with the blood, and gradually, they even started to hurt. There seemed to be someone holding an ax and crazily knocking it against her forehead, wanting to struggle free from it! Her blood circulated, and the pain became increasingly intense! ¡°Caw!¡± Suddenly, a clear shriek was heard! Chu Liuyue was shocked and finally recovered her senses! Her body trembled slightly. She belatedly discovered the scene that flashed across her mind because she actually got intoxicated by the strange knocks. Just a little more¡ª Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly and had lingering fears. Her mentality had always been very strong, and she would rarely be lured by such methods. However, she almost fell into the trap in such a short amount of time. This showed how strong the other party was! If Tuan Zi didn¡¯t wake me up in time, I really can¡¯t guess what the consequences would¡¯ve been. Chu Liuyue held her breath in and calmed down her wildly beating heart. Dong dong! When she listened again, that sound was no different from ordinary knocks. Chu Liuyue no longer had the panic. Ka! Suddenly, a soft shatter was heard. Chu Liuyue felt that it wasn¡¯t good! She looked over and indeed saw a crack on the bottom rock! That crack was about an inch long, and it was very faint and small, but this caused Chu Liuyue to be taken aback when she saw it! A sinisterly cold aura rapidly spread around! The coldness immediately wrapped around Chu Liuyue. A chill unwittingly ran down her spine, and she immediately urged the force in her body. A red-golden fire then rapidly spread from her palm, instantly covering her entire body. When the fire was separated by the terrifying coldness, Chu Liuyue then looked down. A thin layer of frost had formed on the crack, but that frost was bloody! It seemed like broken shards of a brilliant red ruby and, at the same time, frozen blood droplets. They were iridescent yet strange. Very quickly, a second crack appeared at the side. Its surface was also similarly covered in bloody frost. An intense bloody smell spread across the area. As the water in the fountain wasn¡¯t real water but liquid composed of Heaven and Earth Force, Chu Liuyue could breathe normally here. That bloody smell wafted toward the tip of her nose. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat! I mustn¡¯t let this item break! This thought rapidly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She clenched her teeth, wielded the sword, and suddenly hacked at the rock! Instantly, the bloody frost flew everywhere! But the next moment, those cubical pieces of blood droplets quickly returned to their original spot and gathered again. Whoosh¡ª A sharp sound was heard. The Chi Xiao Sword scratched a long mark on the rock. However, this mark was much lighter and smaller than the cracks inside the rock. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. If I want to prevent the item from coming out, I have to rely on strong force to suppress it from the outside. This is also the reason why the elders have continuously guided lightning bolts here for so many years. It¡¯s a pity that Tuan Zi has absorbed quite a bit of the lightning bolts from the fountain, which resulted in the current situation. If I want to salvage the situation now, the only way is to carve a Xuan formation to suppress the force! However, it was indeed very difficult for her to execute the Xuan formations with her current abilities. Hence, she wanted to use the Chi Xiao Sword to forcefully carve the Xuan formation on the surface. It was a pity that a treasure as distinguished as the Chi Xiao Sword also paled in comparison to the rock. Before a quarter of the Xuan formation was carved out, the rock cracked from the inside! At this point, time seemed to pass extremely slowly. The cracks on the rock became increasingly numerous. Every crack was covered in the strange, bloody frost. Gradually, they formed a familiar pattern¡ªexactly the same as the one on the ice surface! Chu Liuyue already couldn¡¯t remember how many times she had swung the sword. Every single time, she tried her best. Tsing! Finally, the tip of the sword hit the rock. It rebounded, and the sword body shook. The blade silently broke and cracked! The fresh red blood flowed out and froze before it even landed. In no time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands were covered in a thin layer of frost. The coldness rapidly entered her body from her wound and started infiltrating her limbs! Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and instinctively wanted to retreat! However, it was too late! Invisibly, there seemed to be a sharp claw that forcefully barged into her body with terrifying speed and sensitivity. Additionally, it started to furiously claw at her every Yuan meridian! The excruciating pain spread all over her body! In her surroundings, that red-golden fire also started to extinguish at an observable speed! Very quickly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was completely immersed in the chilling fountain water! The bloody frost on her hand started spreading in all directions. In no time, frost wrapped her arms, shoulders, and even her neck. Chu Liuyue forcefully raised her hands, wanting to wield the Chi Xiao Sword. But at this point, her hands seemed to have lost control and became stiffer than ever. At some moment, she weakly loosened her grip. The Chi Xiao Sword fell silently and drew light ripples on the fountain water. Finally, it landed on the bottom rock. The coldness surged up, and the bloody frost completely froze the Chi Xiao Sword. Chu Liuyue felt that her face was already cold. She knew that the coldness had already spread to her face. That familiar yet strange aura caused her heart to tremble slightly. It was a pity that this force was too strong. Any struggle or resistance seemed weak. Intense bloody water gradually spread across the clear and deep fountain water. It wasn¡¯t the bloody water that spread around but the bloody frost that gathered from the most extreme depths. Chu Liuyue¡¯s consciousness gradually became blurred. The coldness spread all around and wrapped around her heavily. Her eyelids started to become very heavy. Cold, lethargic¡­ The surroundings were silent in this fountain. It seemed like all the sounds had been absorbed, and it was scarily quiet. Ripples moved in the water. Chu Liuyue¡¯s surroundings had been completely covered by the bloody frost. At first glance, she seemed like an intricately carved sculpture composed of crystal-clear blood jade. Ka. The last crack finally appeared! A complete pattern appeared on the rock! The next moment, the terrifying coldness instantly surged up like the floodgates were opened and instantly exploded! Rumble! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1535 - Willing to Live and Die with Her Boom! This sound was earth-shattering! The entire Million Wine Mountain shook violently! At that moment, the mountain rocks rolled down as the winds howled crazily! The countless strands of sword aura that originally surrounded Million Wine Mountain dissipated instantly! Bang! Bang! Bang! Even the golden barrier outside had shattered! It instantly turned into countless golden sparks and disappeared into the night. The violent strength spread toward the surroundings! The terrifying commotion immediately caused the crowd waiting outside Million Wine Mountain to have a change in expression! ¡°Oh no! That item can¡¯t be suppressed anymore!¡± Elder Bo Yan was so shocked that he lost his voice. The next moment, the crowd saw the red current abruptly rush out from the top of Million Wine Mountain, coloring the night sky an extremely intense color as it went straight for the horizon! From afar, it seemed like a volcano exploding! But what was different was that a volcano contained heat while this fountain water was cold and chilling to the bones! The fountain water spat out and rushed toward all directions! Wherever it passed, large parts of bloody frost immediately appeared! The entire Million Wine Mountain was instantly covered in a shocking bright red! The more terrifying thing was that it kept spreading outward! The closer mountain peaks were already affected! ¡­ ¡°Bo Yan, is this what you want to see?!¡± Yi Wenzhuo suddenly asked the difficult question harshly. Elder Bo Yan clenched his teeth tightly. ¡°Everyone, listen¡ªimmediately seal Million Wine Mountain together!¡± Once he said this, the few elders took action in unison. Holy force of multiple colors gathered from the surroundings and headed toward the sky above Million Wine Mountain! But before the holy force could gather, the ferocious coldness stopped it. The crowd was stunned. The people who could stand here were minimally true gods, and they were quite powerful. But facing this coldness, they immediately fell into the lower hand! Very quickly, the giant Million Wine Mountain was almost covered in the bloody frost. Additionally, the tall mountains at the side were also affected. Wherever it passed, the blood spread as frost covered it, eliminating all signs of vitality. Some trees and plants were originally lush, but they wilted and froze in the blink of an eye. Yi Wenzhuo coldly snorted. ¡°Previously, I said that you must activate the Heaven-Locking Formation, yet you didn¡¯t listen! What should we do now?¡± Anyone could tell that if they let this sinister coldness spread everywhere, the entire academy would be swallowed in no time! ¡°Bo Yan, if Ling Xiao Academy is really ruined in your hands¡­ Even if you die a hundred times, it won¡¯t be enough to make up for it! That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying. You can think of what we should do.¡± Anyway, I¡¯m not the director, and the management power isn¡¯t in my hands. No matter if Ling Xiao Academy survives or not, it has nothing to do with me in the end! Elder Bo Yan stared at Million Wine Mountain¡ªwhich was covered in frost¡ªand felt like a mess. He originally still had a tinge of hope, but now¡­ Things had already ended up in this state. If he didn¡¯t take action in time, he would really implicate the entire academy, just like Yi Wenzhuo had said. The key was that this thing was way more formidable than he had previously thought! In actual fact, although Elder Bo Yan and the others knew that a gigantic and dangerous secret was hidden under this fountain, they weren¡¯t clear about what exactly it was. Over the past millions of years, the directors and elders in the academy took care of Million Wine Mountain gingerly and meticulously. This had already become a tradition and an unspoken rule. Because it had never displayed any abnormalities, they didn¡¯t think further and only treated this as part of their duties. However, they never expected such a horrifying strength to be hidden underneath! If we don¡¯t activate the Heaven-Locking Formation, we really won¡¯t be able to deal with the current situation. However¡­ Yue¡¯er is still inside! Feeling very conflicted, Elder Bo Yan clenched his fists tightly, and his veins popped up. The next moment, he suddenly turned around and gazed at Elder Meng with the last hint of hope. ¡°Elder Meng, do you have any way¡ª¡± Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t finish his question. When he saw the equally solemn and stern expression on Elder Meng¡¯s face, he already knew that they had no other way. The surroundings instantly fell silent. Only the sounds of the frozen trees that kept falling below and the frozen rocks that kept cracking came repeatedly. Even if they didn¡¯t look over, it wasn¡¯t hard to hear how chaotic the current Million Wine Mountain and the other mountains were. ¡°Bo Yan, we have to quickly make a decision!¡± Not far away, an elder couldn¡¯t help but urge with a face filled with worry. ¡°We still need some time to activate the Heaven-Locking Formation!¡± If this is delayed, the situation will be even more uncontrollable! Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows tightly, clenching his fists so tight that they cracked. Elder Meng suddenly closed his eyes. ¡°Bo Yan, activate the Heaven-Locking Formation!¡± ¡°Elder Meng?¡± Elder Bo Yan opened his mouth and wanted to say something more. But after seeing Elder Meng¡¯s face that had instantly turned much older, his remaining words got stuck in his throat. With that, he couldn¡¯t say anything. It was even harder for Elder Meng to make such a decision. In order to help her guard the God Realm, he would rather not take a single step out of Fengmin Mountain. Based on this alone, it was enough to see how much Elder Meng doted on the girl. If something really happened to her, how could Elder Meng feel good? But between the academy and her, he would definitely choose to protect the school. Elder Bo Yan held his breath in, raised his arm, and immediately swung it down heavily! ¡°Activate the Heaven-Locking Formation!¡± The moment the crowd heard this, their vision blurred as two figures went straight for Million Wine Mountain! ¡°Senior Shangguan!¡± ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± When the crowd saw the two figures, they were taken aback. Previously, they had already learned how terrifying the coldness was. It was just the coldness spreading outside, yet it was already so terrifying. The source¡ªthe fountain ¡ªwould be even more dangerous! If they go down now, won¡¯t they be seeking death?! However, those two figures still rushed down without hesitation! Shangguan Jing was extremely fast. The coldness was so harsh that it almost scratched his face! But at this point, he couldn¡¯t care about it anymore. The deeper down they went, the greater the resistance! His speed gradually decreased, and even his force gradually flowed slower! This caused Shangguan Jing to be even more shocked. I¡¯m a legendary warrior, and it is already hard for me to resist this force, let alone Yue¡¯er! Suddenly, a golden light flashed across his eyes. A figure rushed toward the fountain at even greater speeds than him! ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and a thought quickly flashed across his mind. Rong Xiu is a true god warrior. How is he even faster than me? Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1536 - Cracked Million Wine Mountain! But before Shangguan Jing could think about this question clearly, he saw Rong Xiu whip his sleeves! The next moment, a ball of golden fire suddenly rushed up! Feeling the impact of the force, Shangguan Jing¡¯s body instantly retreated! At this moment, many silver lines suddenly appeared in the surroundings of Million Wine Mountain. These lines intersected, overlapped, and shone with extremely bright light in the night sky. Whoosh! At this moment, a thumb-sized line suddenly flew across Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes! His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively raised his hand to stop it! The sharp aura flashed across, and the silver lines silently cut his sleeves! When Shangguan Jing saw the damaged sleeve drop down and then countless silver lines pierce through it before crushing it, a chill suddenly ran down his spine! That was so close! If Rong Xiu didn¡¯t help in time, I would be the one pierced by these lines! ¡°Senior Shangguan, the Heaven-Locking Formation is extremely dangerous. Once it is activated, countless attacks will be executed! You should come back as quickly as possible!¡± yelled Elder Hua Feng anxiously. The moment they activated the Heaven-Locking Formation, they saw Shangguan Jing and Rong Xiu rush down together. These two people were really too fast, so much so that they couldn¡¯t even say a word to stop them! Once the Heaven-Locking Formation was completely activated, the people inside would be on the verge of death! When Shangguan Jing heard this shout, he instantly understood. Below, increasingly more silver lines rapidly appeared around Million Wine Mountain. Looking down from above, they all intersected with a shocking aura! He didn¡¯t doubt Elder Hua Feng¡¯s words at all. He also instantly understood why Elder Bo Yan refused to activate this Heaven-Locking Formation earlier¡ªonce such a terrifying top Xuan formation was activated, its power couldn¡¯t be controlled at all! His gaze was deep as he gazed at the fountain. Countless silver lines intersected and almost completely covered that fountain. They couldn¡¯t see Rong Xiu, or Yue¡¯er. They could only forcefully see the ¡®fountain water¡¯ spouting out forcefully. Under the dark night sky, it was hard to see the color of the fountain clearly. But under the light of the countless silver lines, one could faintly see the vague, cold, blood-red light in the fountain. Whoosh! Another silver line closely flew across his surroundings! Shangguan Jing clenched his teeth. His figure flashed, and he rapidly retreated! ¡­ ¡°If you had long known of this, why did you do that earlier? You wasted so much time for no reason.¡± Seeing the gigantic Heaven-Locking Formation that slowly formed, Yi Wenzhuo stood with his hands behind his back and had a cold smile on his face. ¡°You have to know that after dragging it for so long, even the surrounding mountains have been implicated.¡± Nobody spoke. Almost all the elders were trying their best to work with Elder Bo Yan and urge the Heaven-Locking Formation. This large formation was crafted and left behind by the academy¡¯s first director and the many elders. Hence, it needed many strong warriors to activate it. At this point, even Elder Meng had inserted his force. Seeing that nobody cared about him, Yi Wenzhuo felt upset. But thinking that they were all activating the Heaven-Locking Formation now and had no time to care about anything else, he thought that it was normal and suppressed his anger again. Standing behind him, Jun Jiuqing looked down intensely. His gaze was dark and complicated, causing one to be unable to guess what happened. ¡­ This night was a sleepless one for all the students and elders in Ling Xiao Academy, even if all the students had already listened to the elders¡¯ instructions and returned to their own residence. However, how could they not notice such a huge commotion in Million Wine Mountain? Detecting the terrifying energy vortex, the students started to gather on the respective mountains. Their gazes all turned toward Million Wine Mountain. Below the ink-black night, only Million Wine Mountain was bright. The countless silver lines intersected in the surroundings, and they quickly enveloped Million Wine Mountain. Even if that light wasn¡¯t considered bright, it was extremely eye-catching on this dark night and illuminated half the sky. At the same time, it allowed the crowd to forcefully see that Million Wine Mountain and the surrounding peaks were covered by a layer of bloody frost. The many elders in the academy gathered together in mid-air and took action! One had to know that to be a Ling Xiao Academy elder, they had to be strong and reputable warriors in the entire God Residence Realm. Any one of them was an expert, and at this time, they actually worked together to activate a large formation that dealt with Million Wine Mountain¡¯s danger! ¡°I wonder what secret is hidden below Million Wine Mountain. It¡¯s actually so dangerous¡­¡± ¡°No wonder the academy elders have always cared about Million Wine Mountain. It turns out¡­ Si¡­ We actually frequently went to Million Wine Mountain in the past¡­¡± ¡°The Xuan formation is so powerful. It should be able to solve the trouble on Million Wine Mountain, right? But¡­ is Shangguan Yue still inside?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think I saw her come out! Um¡­ With such a formation, who could come out in one piece from the inside? This time, Shangguan Yue would probably meet her demise! ¡­ Time seemed to pass extremely slowly. About 15 minutes later, the Heaven-Locking Formation was finally activated completely! The gigantic and complicated Xuan formation wrapped the entire Million Wine Mountain! Strong! Holy! Stern! Murderous! After a temporary silence, the Heaven-Locking Formation silently turned around. A silver line flew past! Following this, the crowd saw that Million Wine Mountain suddenly split open from the middle! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1537 - Flashing Red with Anger! The bald Million Wine Mountain was split open! From afar, the silver line was considered rather thin and soft. But when it floated over so lightly, it became the sharpest weapon in the world! It easily shaved off half the mountain! The people standing close could see the tidy mark on the mid-mountain! Almost everyone was stunned, rooted to the ground as they were shocked by the scene before them. It was to the point that their eyes were wide open and mouths agape. This even included the elders that were trying their best to activate the Heaven-Locking Formation. ¡°T-this¡­ is the Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s power?¡± After a while, Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly as his eyes were filled with shock. They couldn¡¯t be blamed for being so shocked. Ever since this Heaven-Locking Formation was crafted and left behind back then, it had never been activated. Every year, the director would personally bring along some elders to undergo some maintenance, but they hadn¡¯t seen the true abilities of this Heaven-Locking Formation¡ªuntil now¡­ One had to know that for normal true gods¡­ Even though they couldn¡¯t move mountains and fill the seas, they could still destroy a few mountain peaks. The reason why they were so shocked that the Heaven-Locking Formation split Million Wine Mountain was that it was different from ordinary mountains! That was because this mountain was sculpted personally by the first director and his people with precious volcanic stones a million years ago. During the few hundred years when the academy was first established, Million Wine Mountain had always been bald, and nobody was allowed to go near it. It was only when time passed that Million Wine Mountain finally became its current state through generations of repair and nurture. On the surface, it was the same as the other mountains, but its rocks were much tougher! If not, with so many lightning bolts striking in the past tens of thousands of years, an average mountain peak would¡¯ve been leveled to the ground. How could it still maintain its original appearance so easily? Yet at this point, this mountain was actually easily split open by that Heaven-Locking Formation! How could one not be surprised? However, the more shocking thing was at the back. With the middle of the mountain as the boundary, the entire Million Wine Mountain was split into two. The upper portion was cut into layers by the Heaven-Locking Formation. Every layer it went up, it would be a certain distance away from the bottom. The heights of these levels that were cut out were completely different! Very quickly, the upper portion of the Million Wine Mountain showed a unique spiral shape! The mountain body shown on the outside was light-gray in color. When the light shone on it, one could see light being reflected in a scale-like form. The pieces were tight and tidy. At one glance, they seemed like the scales of a fiend. These volcanic rocks were very precious, and one rock was usually the size of a fist. In the God Residence Realm, it could be sold for a decent price. The entire Million Wine Mountain was made from this! This showed that the academy had spent a lot of money on it! The more Elder Bo Yan and the rest saw, the more stunned they were. Million Wine Mountain was costly to make. During the past tens of thousands of years, the academy elders and directors had poured in a lot of their hard work and effort. But the more this was so, the more it proved how shocking the item being suppressed was! Looking at the flickering Heaven-Locking Formation and feeling the terrifying suppression on the surface, even the elders present were secretly shocked. In such a situation, even if they were the ones who went down, they might not come back alive. The only thing that comforted them was that after the Heaven-Locking Formation was activated, the strange coldness that surged out of the fountain didn¡¯t continue spreading toward the surroundings. Additionally, as Million Wine Mountain was cut into such a state, the bloody frost that originally covered it had broken and caused many cracks. It seemed like signs of it being re-sealed. However¡­ Rong Xiu and Yue¡¯er were still downstairs! Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes were overwhelmed with shock. He stood with his hands behind his back. He gradually tightened his fists as his bodily aura became colder and more dangerous. Even he didn¡¯t dare to forcefully barge into this Heaven-Locking Formation. Hence, the only thing he could do now was wait! Wait for Yue¡¯er and Rong Xiu to come back! Shangguan Jing took a deep breath in and tried his best to calm himself down. Other than this, there is no other possibility! ¡­ Plop! Rong Xiu charged into the fountain without hesitation. The fountain water kept spouting out¡ªit instantly swallowed his figure. The golden light surrounding him shone faintly. The fountain wasn¡¯t deep, so he quickly saw a familiar figure. Chu Liuyue was quietly floating in the water and seemed very close to the bottom of the fountain. Detecting the intense coldness on her, Rong Xiu was shocked and rapidly approached her. At this point, he then saw that a layer of thick bloody frost had formed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! The horrifying coldness kept oozing out of the crack on the rock at the bottom. Most of it gathered in the fountain and spouted out next. A small part flowed toward Chu Liuyue. In a short amount of time, the frost on her body seemed to increase in thickness. Rong Xiu reached out to hug her, but before his hand could touch her body, there seemed to be countless sharp flying daggers approaching him rapidly! He knitted his brows. Bang! A ball of golden light was instantly illuminated on his fingertip! The scorching temperature caused the surrounding water current to make ¡®zz zz¡¯ sounds. Then, he walked forward determinedly and meticulously held her hands. It was cold to the touch, and the coldness seemed to directly travel to his heart from his palms! Harsh murderous intent flashed across the bottom of Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes! The golden fire in his hands suddenly exploded again, but his movements were still very careful. He was terrified that if he used too much force, he would harm Chu Liuyue, who was in front of him. Her entire body was frozen now, and she almost became a giant popsicle. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t dare to be at ease or take it lightly. The golden fire quickly followed Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and spread toward the surroundings. The thick blood-red frost started to show signs of melting. Finally, after a while, half her hand was free from that ice layer. Rong Xiu went forward and held her thin fingers. His palm was burning hot, which increasingly showed how icy her entire body was. Rong Xiu leaned in more closely. At this point, the two of them were facing each other, and he finally saw her appearance clearly. Below the ice layer, her eyes were tightly shut, her lips were pale, and her brows were tightly knitted. She always held her emotions in. For her to make such an expression, it showed that she had suffered quite a bit of torture when she was frozen by this frost. Rong Xiu carefully felt for her hand. Suddenly, his movements stopped, and he looked over. With this look, he then saw that the wound on her hand was already open, and it looked badly mangled. The sinister coldness seemed to have entered her body from here. At this point, the frozen frost had melted a little. Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist was revealed. Rong Xiu put his fingers on it, split out a portion of force, and checked her inner condition. The force froze. In the Yuan meridian, it was blocked by the coldness. In comparison, half her body was already damaged! Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned sharp. The ultimate black color filled his eyes in a sinister and harsh manner. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1538 - Perilous Situation! At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand suddenly trembled. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze flickered as he returned to his senses and looked at her. At that moment, the darkness in his eyes had completely dissipated. The usual gentleness and quietness, which only appeared in front of her, filled his eyes again. She didn¡¯t open her eyes, and it seemed like she hadn¡¯t woken up yet. However, Rong Xiu was very confident that her consciousness should be gradually recovering. But at this point, she was in this helpless state¡ªshe was frozen and couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Rong Xiu held her hands tightly and interlocked her fingers, digging into her palm, bit by bit. It seemed as if this could warm her up. His voice was low and melodious with a hint of undetectable hoarseness. It was as if he were trying his best to suppress something. ¡°Yue¡¯er, wake up.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t remember how long she had been in a coma. Ever since the coldness entered her body and gradually froze it, her consciousness also seemed to blur. She seemed to be floating in a pure white space with no borders, and she had no direction either. It seemed like no matter where she went, she couldn¡¯t leave this place. She felt that something was amiss and wanted to leave this strange state as soon as possible. However, there vaguely seemed to be countless pairs of invisible hands continuously holding her back and dragging her back to the spot time and time again. Just when she was exhausted and wanted to give up, a familiar voice suddenly floated over from a distant time and space. Rong Xiu! Chu Liuyue woke up almost immediately! She started to try again, attempting to allow her consciousness to be rid of this restraint. But her eyelids were very heavy, and her entire body was enveloped in an indescribable, sourish coldness. She never knew that she would be stumped by an extremely simple action of opening her eyes one day. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s calls kept entering her ears from time to time, causing her to wake up and be clear. After some time, she finally saw a golden spark in the pure white space. ¡­ The golden spark had spread to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, and it burned brightly. The bloody frost continuously melted. Her hands finally seemed to have a bit of warmth. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned and landed on the golden fire. Then, he knitted his brows tightly. The powers of this coldness¡­ had long exceeded his previous predictions. Although this golden fire could cause the bloody frost to melt, it took a lot of effort. During this short period of time, quite a bit of his inner body force had been used up, but he had only saved one of her hands. If he wanted to get rid of all the frost in her entire body, he would probably have to use all of his force. However, the cold kept surging upward, and it would take the upper hand sooner or later. But with this torture, he didn¡¯t know how much time they had to spend here. If the coldness stays in her body for too long, it will cause severe damage to her body. She has just broken through to become a true god and summoned her God Realm. If her physical body is damaged now, then her future Holy Body¡­ Thinking of this, coldness flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. Finally, he moved his long arm and hugged her! At the same time, a black fire exuded from his other hand! The two black and golden fires intertwined tightly, and his aura strengthened instantly! A totem faintly appeared between Rong Xu¡¯s brows! ¡­ Crack! A crisp shatter was suddenly heard! Rong Xiu looked over to the source of the sound and suddenly realized that a long crack had appeared on the rock at the side! The strange thing was that this crack looked like someone had used an extremely sharp blade to cut right across it! Clean-cut and straight! Then, a faint silver light flowed out from within. Finally, that cracked form a silver line. An indescribable suppression exuded from within! Rong Xiu knitted his brows. This is¡­ the Heaven-Locking Formation! As if wanting to confirm Rong Xiu¡¯s guess, a second crack and a third crack quickly appeared on the rocks at the side! In no time, this small space was completely surrounded by the lines of the Xuan formation! These lines looked the same as they did outside¡ªthey had clean cuts and were very regular, yet they were filled with murderous energy! When the lightning bolts landed, they just made faint marks on this rock! But the moment this Heaven-Locking Formation was activated, the rock was cut silently! Rong Xiu surveyed his surroundings. These lines started to approach the two of them. Clearly, in order to suppress the item below, the Heaven-Locking Formation was going to directly destroy the entire Million Wine Mountain¡ªincluding everything inside! Suddenly, his chest tightened. His heart faltered slightly as he gazed at the person in his arms. More than half of her body was still frozen, but at this point, the frost had half-melted from her shoulders, and her arms were finally free. She raised her hands and almost instinctively approached Rong Xiu. One of her hands was tightly held by Rong Xiu while she raised the other one with much difficulty and tightly grabbed the clothes on her chest, dragging them down. Almost instantly, Rong Xiu understood what she meant. He looked down slightly. The Chi Xiao Sword quietly lay on the rock. Rong Xiu raised his hand, and a ray of golden light flew across. The Chi Xiao Sword instantly flew up! Rong Xiu held the Chi Xiao Sword in his hands. At this point, a silver line on the rock suddenly moved and went for the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s head! Following this, all the lines in the surroundings followed closely and cut across the middle! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1539 - Face Under the watch of countless pairs of eyes outside of Million Wine Mountain, the Heaven-Locking Formation covered the large Million Wine Mountain. The silver lines floated lightly. Silently, they cut the entire Million Wine Mountain! The bloody frost that covered the mountain peak started to melt silently and seeped into the ground slowly. The crowd watched on quietly and stared at the fountain on the peak. The water rippled, but it didn¡¯t make any other movements. However, the two figures they wanted to see didn¡¯t appear again. Time seemed to pass especially slowly. ¡­ A ray of morning light shone down through the thick clouds. Everything was like uncovered black mesh, revealing its original appearance. Elder Bo Yan looked up in a daze. The sky lit up. The night was very long. ¡°Bo Yan, the frost on the surrounding mountain peaks has fully melted.¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s voice was a little bitter. Elder Bo Yan followed his gaze and indeed saw that under the tremendous pressure of the Heaven-Locking Formation, the bloody frost that spread toward the surroundings had completely disappeared. There were only spots of frost still left on Million Wine Mountain. There were more near the fountain on the mountain peak, but it seemed like they wouldn¡¯t last for long. The Heaven-Locking Formation seemed smaller than before as it started to gather all the surrounding force to the middle and focused on handling the remaining frost. At this point, basically only those silver lines were covering Million Wine Mountain. But at this moment, Million Wine Mountain was filled with holes, and its appearance had completely changed. It was no longer a mountain and instead looked like a giant rock statue. Its structure was contorted and strange. The more shocking thing was that even now, the intersecting rocks were still turning around with the Heaven-Locking Formation. Every single line looked extremely bright, but it had murderous intent! They knew very clearly how terrifying the Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s force was! Once it was contacted, it would undeniably crush everything, including all the living things inside! It was a patch of black at the places the bloody frost was melting, and it still looked pretty dead. One could see that it would take a lot of time and effort to restore all of these things to their original state. ¡°What exactly¡­ is that?¡± Elder Bo Yan stared at the fountain and couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly. Because the Heaven-Locking Formation was seemingly suppressing it, the fountain no longer had water coming out of it and recovered its usual appearance. There were no ripples, and a ball of frost formed by the edges. However, the water was dark, and one couldn¡¯t see the inner situation clearly. The gray rocks in the surroundings were crushed by the Heaven-Locking Formation into tiny pieces. This scene caused the crowd¡¯s hearts to be heavy because the rocks around that fountain were very special. With lightning bolts striking the rocks for so many years, it was inevitable that some marks would be left on them, but they were never damaged. Now, they didn¡¯t even put up a fight in front of the Heaven-Locking Formation. The scene is already in this state, so the two people in the fountain are probably¡­ Elder Bo Yan rubbed his brows and felt lethargic. These two people are important, not to mention that these two kids have a good relationship with the director and the elders! If it really¡ª He didn¡¯t dare to think much. After a temporary silence, he looked at the other elders. ¡°Hua Feng, Wan Zheng, Ouyang, and¡­¡± He called a few names. ¡°The few of you can stay behind. The rest of you can go back and rest.¡± After experiencing this torture, everyone was exhausted. Even Wan Zheng and the rest were relying on their willpower. ¡°Once the Heaven-Locking Formation is activated, it will continue to be active for a month. During this month, there must be someone guarding here every day. Hence, we must not let down our guard during this one month. You must be very careful, okay?¡± In other words, this was a long-term fight. If all of them were overly exhausted the next day, their efforts would be to no avail. Hearing Elder Bo Yan say this, the elders nodded in agreement because they also knew the pros and cons. ¡°Also, do comfort the students after you go back.¡± Elder Bo Yan sighed in his heart. Even though the commotion in Million Wine Mountain didn¡¯t cause many injuries or deaths, the students will inevitably be worried. During this period of time, the countless troubles in Ling Xiao Academy have been worrying enough. In addition to this time¡­ ¡°During this one month, nobody is allowed to come and go out of the academy as they wish! You must report to me about everything, and I will verify it personally!¡± The elders were shocked, but upon deeper thinking, this was a special period of time, and it was understandable that he did this. After acknowledging his order, most elders went back respectively. Only Elder Wan Zheng and the others were left behind to stand guard here. ¡°Senior Shangguan, why don¡¯t you go back and rest too?¡± Elder Hua Feng hesitated for a moment and asked tentatively. ¡°We¡¯re standing guard here. Once¡­ Once the two of them come out, we¡¯ll definitely tell you instantly.¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait here. I won¡¯t get in your way; you don¡¯t have to care about me.¡± His eyes were bloodshot, and there was a faint green color below them. He looked extremely frail. Although he was a legendary warrior, his Holy Body had been hibernating for thousands of years, and parts of his soul had also been separated. Once he woke up, he hurriedly rushed over to Ling Xiao Academy from the Flood-Desert Northern Region. He didn¡¯t even get to properly recuperate his body, and his skills couldn¡¯t be compared to him at his peak. That was also the reason why Elder Hua Feng was so worried about him. Seeing that Shangguan Jing was insistent, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s lips moved before he swallowed his remaining words. ¡°Okay. If you have any requests, just let me know.¡± He clenched his fists tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll wait with you.¡± Shangguan Jing nodded, his voice low and slightly hoarse as he said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Dream on.¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s cold mockery came from the side. ¡°The Heaven-Locking Formation has already been activated. Even a legendary warrior can¡¯t escape from the inside, let alone the two of them!¡± He naturally knew that Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue were top talents in the younger generation. To be able to break through and become true gods at such an age, they were definitely extremely rare existences in the God Residence Realm. But so what? True gods were just true gods! ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng was so agitated by this sentence that his expression changed. ¡°We won¡¯t trouble you to worry about this.¡± Shangguan Jing pulled Elder Hua Feng back and gazed at Yi Wenzhuo coldly. ¡°Since you¡¯re not a director, the academy¡¯s power is also not in your hands. You also have no relation to Rong Xiu and Yue¡¯er. If we haven¡¯t even said anything about them, who are you to guide us and comment on them?¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Previously, I took Ling Xiao Academy into consideration and gave you face. Don¡¯t go overboard!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1540 - Save Shangguan Jing¡¯s words were harsh and didn¡¯t give Yi Wenzhuo face at all. He even did it in front of Elder Bo Yan and the rest, which was akin to directly slapping his face! Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s face turned green. He rolled up his sleeves and wanted to take action directly. ¡°Senior Shangguan is a supreme Armory Refinement Master and had already commanded the God Residence Realm a thousand years ago. His status is distinguished. Wenzhuo, what do you think you¡¯re doing? Are you going to take action?¡± At the side, Elder Meng suddenly spoke. His tone was light and had a hint of coldness and harshness. Yi Wenzhuo was instantly stumped. His identity as the academy¡¯s vice-director wasn¡¯t considered much in front of a supreme Armory Refinement Master! One had to know that even in the entire God Residence Realm, supreme Armory Refinement Masters were definitely top existences that could rule the area! Compared to legendary warriors and even supreme Physicians of the same level, they had more speaking rights! Yi Wenzhuo clenched his fists tightly and swallowed this mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. ¡°Mentor, didn¡¯t you previously say that you came back this time to go to Dong Huang Clock Tower to find something?¡± Jun Jiuqing suddenly spoke and broke the cold atmosphere. ¡°The situation in Million Wine Mountain has basically stabilized. With Elder Meng and the rest around, you don¡¯t have to be too worried.¡± This sentence gave Yi Wenzhuo an out. It explained all his coldness and overboard behavior to be because of his worry for the academy. Yi Wenzhuo finally stopped himself when he saw that the going was good and grunted coldly. ¡°I hope that this Heaven-Locking Formation can completely solve the problem!¡± Then, he whipped his sleeves and rapidly left, rushing toward Dong Huang Clock Tower. Jun Jiuqing hesitated for a moment and turned around to glance at Million Wine Mountain. Finally, he still caught up. The duo¡¯s figures quickly went far away. Yi Wenzhuo was the vice-director. Even though the right to manage the academy was in Elder Bo Yan¡¯s hands, he still had the right to go to Dong Huang Clock Tower. ¡°It seems like he accumulated quite a bit of vengeance during the past few years.¡± Elder Meng stared at their backs and knitted his brows. Elder Hua Feng snorted coldly. ¡°Hasn¡¯t he always been like this?¡± Thinking about it back then, Yi Wenzhuo was bent on getting the director¡¯s position. After confirming that the director position was given to his junior brother, he didn¡¯t accept it for a very long time. From that point on, he already had vengeance in his heart. He hated the previous director¡ªwho was also his mentor¡ªand his junior brother, the current academy director. After the director left and passed the power to Bo Yan a few years ago, his dissatisfaction reached its peak. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have left the academy so harshly and not come back for a few years. During this period of time, he didn¡¯t even ask about the academy. Yi Wenzhuo felt that the whole world betrayed him, but he didn¡¯t know how to reflect on himself. He never thought about why he wasn¡¯t the director and why everyone hated him so much. ¡°The academy is in so much trouble, and the first person he thought of was himself. Ever since he came back, what has he done for the academy or the students?¡± Elder Hua Feng had been displeased with him for quite a long time and held it in. However, Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s attitude during this incident was indeed very disgusting. ¡°People who don¡¯t know might even think that he came back to watch us be laughingstocks.¡± ¡°Enough. These aren¡¯t important now.¡± Elder Bo Yan seemed to be very open-minded about this. ¡°In the next month, the most important thing is to guard the Heaven-Locking Formation.¡± The crowd nodded and didn¡¯t ask about other things. ¡°Elder Meng.¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly spoke. ¡°As for the things Yue¡¯er did in the academy before¡­ Could you possibly tell me about it?¡± Actually, he could tell that quite a few elders in the academy treated Yue¡¯er well. But considering that Elder Meng had the highest status here and even helped Yue¡¯er guard her God Realm for a few years, it would be most appropriate to ask him about it. Elder Meng hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°You¡¯re too polite; you can just call me Meng Xian. As for that girl¡­ It¡¯s really a long story¡­¡± He squinted his eyes as if he were recalling something. ¡°It¡¯s actually a coincidence that Girlie came to Ling Xiao Academy at the start¡­¡± ¡­ Million Wine Mountain was covered by the Heaven-Locking Formation. It was very tight and almost impermeable. From outside, one could only see the mid-mountain that was cut up and the many silver lines floating inside. In mid-air, there were elders strictly standing guard on all sides. That terrifying coldness had been completely sealed, and the same terrifying commotion didn¡¯t happen again. However, the students all knew that the Heaven-Locking Formation had to be guarded for another month or so. Hence, they didn¡¯t dare to let their guards down. All the students obediently stayed at their own territories; they either rested or cultivated. Not many people even went to Qing Ming Square. Everything that happened on Million Wine Mountain that day was like a heavy rock that weighed people¡¯s hearts down. As long as the Heaven-Locking Formation didn¡¯t completely suppress it, they couldn¡¯t feel completely secure. Of course, there were also some people who were more worried about Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue inside. ¡­ ¡°It has already been three days. The Heaven-Locking Formation is working, and the frost on Million Wine Mountain is decreasing. I don¡¯t know when they can come out.¡± On a mountain peak, the few people from the Luo family gathered together. The person talking was Luo Yanming. Originally, they planned on cultivating and dueling together, but they didn¡¯t have the mood to do it. Thus, they set it aside. At this point, all their attention was still on Million Wine Mountain. Zhuo Sheng couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head. ¡°This¡­ Rong Xiu and Chu¡ªShangguan Yue are true gods, and Rong Xiu even has a Holy Body! T-they should be able to come out, right? Besides, doesn¡¯t Shangguan Yue have a few trump cards?¡± Even though he said this, his tone was filled with uneasiness, and his eyes had unconcealable worry. The two of them were indeed very strong and had powerful trump cards, but Million Wine Mountain was in big trouble this time, and¡­ It was probably not so easy to deal with it! ¡°A month later, Million Wine Mountain should be leveled to the ground, right?¡± Luo Shishi muttered in a daze. Everyone fell into silence. If the two of them hadn¡¯t come out at that time¡­ The Heaven-Locking Formation was so scary, and even Shangguan Jing and Elder Meng couldn¡¯t deal with it. What could they do? ¡°Hm? What are those two people doing?¡± Suddenly, Zhuo Sheng¡¯s gaze focused, and he pointed at a certain distraction. The few of them looked over and saw two people discussing something in the middle of the mountain, and they even gestured from time to time. They seemed to be discussing something. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­. Lin Zhifei and Mu Hongyu?¡± Luo Shishi found it strange. ¡°How did the two of them get to know each other?¡± ¡°I heard that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort had once saved Lin Zhifei¡ªI think that should be Shangguan Yue. And Mu Hongyu is also her good friend. However, these two people don¡¯t know each other, right?¡± In comparison, those two people should be part of the group of people most worried about Million Wine Mountain¡¯s situation. However, they didn¡¯t know what they were doing. ¡­ In the middle of the opposite mountain, Lin Zhifei looked at Mu Hongyu. ¡°Are you sure this can save them?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1541 - Price Mu Hongyu sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that it will definitely be useful, but this is the only method I can think of for now.¡± Lin Zhifei thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you.¡± He raised his hand. ¡°Please follow me.¡± Then, he was the first to walk toward the cave at the side. Mu Hongyu followed him closely. ¡­ The cave was a little dark and very quiet. But very quickly, Mu Hongyu realized this was different from other caves. Lin Zhifei walked in front. After walking for a distance, a bright light suddenly appeared on the ground before him. The light illuminated the entire cave. As there was some distance from the cave entrance, the outside world wouldn¡¯t notice it. Mu Hongyu looked down curiously and realized that they were tiny Xuan formations. ¡°I specifically set up these Xuan formations to prevent outsiders from barging in,¡± explained Lin Zhifei as he walked. ¡°Follow my steps, and you mustn¡¯t step wrongly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mu Hongyu acknowledged as she carefully followed Lin Zhifei¡¯s steps. After walking for another while, Lin Zhifei finally stopped. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Mu Hongyu stopped with him and looked forward. The scene before her caused her to widen her eyes in shock¡ªthis was an extremely spacious cave. From the marks on the surrounding rocks, it seemed like it was expanded not long ago. ¡°The cave was previously a little small, so I expanded it a little,¡± Lin Zhifei said lightly and pointed to the ground in front. ¡°Finally, it is forcefully sufficient.¡± Mu Hongyu held her breath in. There was nothing else on the ground but a gigantic and complicated Xuan formation! No, to be more accurate, it was a transportation formation! ¡°This transportation formation hasn¡¯t actually been used before, so I don¡¯t dare to confirm that it can send you out of the God Residence Realm.¡± Lin Zhifei knitted his brows. Actually, he had prepared this in secret for a very long time. But no matter how talented he was, it was still very difficult for him to craft such a transportation formation on his own. He really never expected an accident to happen so quickly. ¡°It¡¯s fine; I have the Faint Yuan Body. Even if something happens to the transportation formation, I can directly escape.¡± Mu Hongyu waved her hands and didn¡¯t look worried at all. Ever since she experienced the inhumane torture in the Red Moon Desert, her tolerance level was greatly increased. For average cultivators, if something happened to the transportation formation halfway, they would be on the verge of dying. However, she never had such a consideration. As she spoke, she had already stood on the transportation formation! Lin Zhifei glanced at her calmly. ¡°Be careful.¡± Then, she directly activated the transportation formation! As the light flickered, Mu Hongyu¡¯s figure disappeared from the spot the next moment! ¡­ The days slowly passed. The elders outside Million Wine Mountain took turns standing guard routinely. However, Shangguan Jing, Elder Bo Yan, and Elder Meng were always around. In the blink of an eye, half a month passed swiftly. The blood frost on Million Wine Mountain had almost completely melted, leaving the last piece near the fountain. It was a pity that even now, the fountain was still very calm, and one couldn¡¯t see any ripples. The crowd¡¯s worries increased by the day. ¡­ Under the clear and ice-cold fountain water, the duo¡¯s figures were close to each other. The black and golden fire quietly burned around Chu Liuyue. The frost on her body had almost completely melted, but her eyes were still tightly shut and weren¡¯t opened at all. Many wounds had already appeared on Rong Xiu¡¯s body, and he was covered in bloodstains! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1542 - Break Wounds kept appearing on Rong Xiu¡¯s body, yet these wounds recovered at a shocking speed. It was as if he had falen into a strange cycle, but this process was clearly long-term torture for him. He glanced at the person in his arms. Even though she hadn¡¯t completely awakened, wounds didn¡¯t appear on her body, and the coldness was leaving her body bit by bit. He heaved a sigh of relief in his heart as he held her thin waist and pulled her in even more tightly. Such a long time had passed, and her body¡¯s warmth had recovered gradually. Rong Xiu urged the force in his body as he held her hands tightly and removed the last bit of coldness. The surroundings were quiet as if all the sounds in the outside world were blocked. Looking up, there were dark ripples. Looking below, there were shattered rocks. In the middle, there were many silver rays of light swimming around. That was the strength of the Heaven-Locking Formation! Perhaps because of this strength¡­ Although the bottom rocks had cracks, they had temporarily stopped widening. Besides, the surrounding frost had mostly disappeared. Only a thin layer stubbornly stayed on that rock. ¡­ In the middle of the mountain, Luo Yanming and Luo Yanlin were sitting opposite each other. There was a chessboard in between them. Luo Yanming knitted his brows tightly, and there were tiny beads of sweat on his forehead. He stared at the chessboard for a total of 15 minutes, but he hadn¡¯t placed any pieces down. ¡°Being too meticulous is being indecisive,¡± Luo Yanlin said slowly opposite him. Luo Yanming was even more nervous as he held the chess piece in his hands for some time. Then, he placed it down hesitantly. Luo Yanlin placed a piece down almost instantly. Piak! ¡°You lost.¡± Luo Yanming¡¯s aura weakened suddenly, and he looked embarrassed. ¡°Fourth Brother, I¡¯m too useless.¡± Actually, he knew that his Fourth Brother was intentionally letting him win. It was a pity that he wasn¡¯t talented enough, so he still couldn¡¯t be compared to his Fourth Brother. ¡°You¡¯ve been stable and diligent since young. Based on this point alone, you¡¯re better than most people. If not, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to get into Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Luo Yanlin laughed and was very kind to him. He raised his chin. ¡°You can go and study this scenario.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Luo Yanming acknowledged the order obediently, but he still looked rather lonely. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Detecting that his emotions were amiss, Luo Yanlin asked a few more questions. Luo Yanming kept quiet for a while before looking up and asking, ¡°Fourth Brother, I know that with my talent, I will never be able to exceed your results in this area no matter how hardworking or diligent I am. There are so many people in the academy that are more talented than me. Do you think¡­ there¡¯s still a meaning in me doing this every day?¡± What caused Luo Yanming to feel strange was that Luo Yanlin wasn¡¯t as angry as he predicted, and he even laughed instead. ¡°So this is what you were thinking of when you were so distracted lately?¡± Luo Yanming nodded uneasily. In fact, such emotions had already troubled him for quite some time. He had been in Ling Xiao Academy for a few months. In the beginning, he was still rather confident. However, he gradually realized that he wasn¡¯t that outstanding. Even though his personality was stable, he was used to keeping things to himself, so he couldn¡¯t think past it. ¡°Actually, this is very normal. All the top talents in the entire God Residence Realm are gathered here. However, there¡¯s only one number one, and you have to compete to see who is better. Your talent is definitely among the top. As long as you persevere and cultivate, you will make it in life one day.¡± Luo Yanming hesitated for a moment. It wasn¡¯t that he did not understand this logic, but it required a strong mentality to actually digest it. Luo Yanlin raised his brows. ¡°Actually, I feel that you¡¯re quite lucky. In your batch, the most talented one should be Lin Zhifei.¡± Luo Yanming nodded. ¡°If I go against him, I should only have¡­ a 30% chance of winning.¡± Speaking of this, his gaze darkened slightly. He originally thought that the two of them could be on par, but he later discovered that Lin Zhifei was much more talented than him. If Lin Zhifei had the same background as him, he would¡¯ve long¡ª ¡°Thirty percent¡­ is high enough!¡± Luo Yanlin suddenly laughed. He stood up and walked over to pat his shoulders. ¡°Back when I came to the academy, my opponents were Shangguan Yue and Rong Xiu¡ªthe two freaks! You should be lucky that Shangguan Yue had previously hidden her identity and only followed Elder Wan Zheng to cultivate as a heavenly doctor. If not¡­¡± Luo Yanming asked curiously, ¡°Fourth Brother, you knew her in the past. How strong is she as a Xuan Master?¡± They knew very clearly that Shangguan Yue was very talented as a heavenly doctor and warrior. However, she hadn¡¯t truly shown the crowd her skills as a Xuan Master. Luo Yanlin¡¯s expression was extremely complicated and even faintly bitter. Finally, he took a deep breath in and asked, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one thing. Do you know why Fangzhou City has no main gate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she damaged it thrice in one month! She even left a mark beside the entrance and caused the barrier to be broken, so the elders could only make a new one!¡± The elders were beyond angry, so they decided to remove that gate directly. ¡°Also, do you really think that Rong Xiu taught her how to break the academy¡¯s barrier?¡± Luo Yanming¡¯s eyes widened, and his mouth was agape. ¡°Kid, there are many talents in the world. Instead of doubting yourself, why don¡¯t you strengthen your skills!?¡± Luo Yanming thought for a long while and then nodded solemnly. After that, he unwittingly looked toward Million Wine Mountain.¡±Then¡­ Fourth Brother, since they¡¯re both so capable, this time¡­¡± Luo Yanlin squinted his eyes. ¡°Rong Xiu never does something he¡¯s not confident in, and Shangguan Yue¡­ She has already died once, so she will cherish her life even more.¡± He didn¡¯t think that the two went to seek death. Luo Yanming thought for a moment and still felt rather uneasy. ¡°But¡­ tomorrow is the end of the one-month deadline. By then, the Heaven-Locking Formation will completely destroy Million Wine Mountain. If they still can¡¯t come out¡ª¡± Luo Yanlin¡¯s gaze suddenly turned. ¡°During this period of time, Lin Zhifei and Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t come out, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, right.¡± Luo Yanming followed his gaze. Ever since they saw Lin Zhifei and Mu Hongyu entering the cave that day, they didn¡¯t hear anything about the two of them. Besides, the academy was filled with troubles, and everyone felt very uneasy, so they didn¡¯t pay much attention to this. A thought surfaced in Luo Yanlin¡¯s heart. In the end, he still said, ¡°It¡¯s already very late today. Go back first¡ª¡± Boom! Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a loud sound coming from Million Wine Mountain! The two of them were stunned as they immediately looked over! At this point, it was already evening, and the sunlight shone down with a warm orange color, illuminating half the sky. Million Wine Mountain suddenly collapsed from the middle! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1543 - Reversal Million Wine Mountain was originally cut into layers by the Heaven-Locking Formation, and the layers overlapped each other in a perilous manner. Now that the Heaven-Locking Formation suddenly moved, the layers¡ªwhich had been stacked on top of each other¡ªsuddenly lost balance and started to crumble! Hong long long! Countless rocks fell and made a huge sound! Even the surrounding ground started shaking as well! ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Isn¡¯t the Heaven-Locking Formation ending tomorrow?¡± Luo Yanming was shocked. ¡°Why did it start earlier?¡± Luo Yanlin knitted his brows and stared at Million Wine Mountain closely. To be more accurate, he was looking at the countless silver lines floating around¡ªthe giant Heaven-Locking Formation! ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡± He suddenly noticed something and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Someone urged the Heaven-Locking Formation!¡± ¡­ Such a huge commotion caused the initially dead and dark Ling Xiao Academy to burst into an uproar! Million Wine Mountain had been quiet for almost a month, and everyone slowly put this matter down. However, this sudden scene immediately awakened the crowd¡¯s previous memory! Many students rushed over and looked at Million Wine Mountain nervously. ¡°What has happened to Million Wine Mountain again? Why was there such a loud sound?¡± ¡°It seems like the Heaven-Locking Formation has started¡­ However, isn¡¯t tomorrow the last day?¡± ¡°Hiss¡­ this situation is really strange! The elders have been meticulously standing guard for a month, terrified that something would go wrong. There¡¯s no reason that this would suddenly happen!¡± Even if they didn¡¯t know how strong the Heaven-Locking Formation was and what was hidden underneath Million Wine Mountain, anyone with common sense would know that such a top Xuan formation was intricate in every aspect. Once a slight error was made, unfathomable consequences might arise! And now¡­ something still went wrong with the Heaven-Locking Formation under the eyes of the elders! Seeing the scene of rocks collapsing and flying around, the people were terror-stricken. This aura¡­ seemed like the world was about to end! ¡­ ¡°Wh-what exactly is going on?!¡± Everything happened too quickly, causing Elder Bo Yan and the others standing guard at the side to be stunned! ¡°Who urged the Heaven-Locking Formation?!¡± Elder Hua Feng, who heard the commotion, rushed over and questioned everyone anxiously. The crowd had very ugly expressions. ¡°Nobody,¡± said Elder Bo Yan with much difficulty. During this period of time, every single one of them had been very meticulous and didn¡¯t dare to make any errors. Even during the previous second, they were still properly in their places. Who knew that this would suddenly happen!? ¡°The Heaven-Locking Formation suddenly increased its speed itself. Besides¡­ who here can urge the Heaven-Locking Formation on their own?¡± The elders who rushed over one after another fell silent when they heard this. Yeah! When the Heaven-Locking Formation was activated, many of them had to work together for it to succeed. During this period of time, the Heaven-Locking Formation had been functioning normally, and nothing happened to it. Unless it was affected by some external force, a Xuan formation of this level wouldn¡¯t act like this! ¡°If it¡¯s not us¡­ Could it be from inside?¡± muttered Elder Hua Feng as he suddenly looked shocked. ¡°What?¡± Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t understand this in a short amount of time. Inside? Which inside? Million Wine Mountain or the fountain? Suddenly, his expression turned harsh. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! The Heaven-Locking Formation clearly suppressed it!¡± Tomorrow is the last day! The frost on Million Wine Mountain has completely melted away, and even the frozen cubes on the fountain have disappeared without a trace. Looking from above, it rippled in the light and was no different from before! We clearly thought that the strange coldness had been removed by the Heaven-Locking Formation. Then, everything would end when the Heaven-Locking Formation destroys Million Wine Mountain tomorrow! Why did this suddenly happen now? But after saying this, Elder Bo Yan felt uneasy. ¡°Look quickly! There seems to be something wrong with the Heaven-Locking Formation!¡± an elder yelled in shock. Elder Bo Yan and the others¡¯ hearts skipped a beat as they instinctively looked over. They saw that the countless intersecting lines on Million Wine Mountain had suddenly disappeared¡ªthey retreated from the centermost position of the fountain! There seemed to be an invisible hand that slowly removed the force on the Heaven-Locking Formation! Everyone present had their mouths agape and eyes widened upon seeing this, unable to return to their senses. ¡°Every single line was operating on its own trajectory in the Heaven-Locking Formation. Now, it was forcefully changed by an external force¡­¡± Shangguan Jing gasped. ¡°Who exactly has such strength?!¡± Nobody knew; they didn¡¯t even know how all of this happened. When they noticed that something was amiss, they couldn¡¯t salvage the situation. ¡°Everyone, immediately get to your positions! Restore the Heaven-Locking Formation to its original state!¡± yelled Elder Bo Yan at the top of his lungs as his figure moved. However, his face was still very pale because he knew too clearly that it was probably too late even if everyone worked together! Activating the Heaven-Locking Formation was already very hard for them, let alone deal with this current situation! However, he had to react¡ªthere were still so many people in the academy! The many elders went to their own positions and surrounded Million Wine Mountain once again. At this point, a strange sound suddenly came from within Million Wine Mountain. No, to be more accurate, it came from below the fountain! Dong dong! Dong dong! There seemed to be someone forcefully knocking something again and again! It was as if something was about to rush out from within the next moment! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1544 - Something Happened Million Wine Mountain was still continuously collapsing. Only in the middle of the fountain was an invisible barrier surrounding it, and it was still peaceful. Only the repeated knocks that kept sounding from inside were strange and mysterious, causing one¡¯s hair to stand on end. ¡°The Heaven-Locking Formation has already started to lose control. We¡¯re just afraid¡ª¡± Elder Hua Feng¡¯s face was pale. He was a Xuan Master, and he naturally knew how dangerous the current situation was. It was fine if it were the other formations in the academy; they might have a chance of winning if they tried their best. However, this Heaven-Locking Formation was completely different from those! Elder Bo Yan knitted his brows tightly. Suddenly, a ray of white light quickly flashed across his mind! ¡°The Heaven Scrolls!¡± He quickly turned his head to look at Elder Hua Feng. ¡°The Heaven-Locking Formation was left behind by the first director back then. Perhaps the Heaven Scrolls have a solution!¡± Almost at that moment, Elder Hua Feng understood what Elder Bo Yan meant. ¡°You¡¯re talking about¡­ the Xuan formation that person left behind back then?¡± His eyes first lit up. Then, that spark of light quickly disappeared. ¡°However¡­ There are at least a hundred Heaven Scrolls with Xuan formations, and every single one of them is very complicated! In such a short time, how can we understand all of them and solve the problem before us?¡± This was literally an impossible task! All these years, those items left behind by the first director were meticulously treasured by the academy, and they wouldn¡¯t be easily produced for other people to see. On the one hand, those items were indeed precious. On the other hand, there weren¡¯t many people who could understand items of such level. To put it crudely, a Great King Xuan Master like Elder Hua Feng only had the right to go in and look when he made a huge contribution to the academy. And in a year or so, he might not even be able to understand even one of the scrolls, let alone other people! Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression instantly darkened. It is indeed too late to think about that now. However¡­ Can we really just watch everything happen? Hong long long! As they spoke, Million Wine Mountain continued collapsing. The lines on the Heaven-Locking Formation were moved by an invisible force and had started to become messy. The rays of light swam around, and the energy exploded! The mountain broke into pieces. The hard rocks turned into powder. Between heaven and earth, dust flew everywhere. The night became increasingly dark, like a giant fiend that was about to swallow everything! ¡­ Red Moon Desert. A red moon hung high in the sky. The moonlight shone down and covered the desert with a layer of light color. It was sinisterly cold. In the depths of the desert, there was a quiet and peaceful lake. When the blood moon reached the peak of its ascent, a faint red color shone on the lake. Suddenly, a crack appeared in the middle of the lake. The crack grew bigger and slowly formed a path. A small figure slowly walked out from within. He was wearing cotton clothes, and he had snow-white skin and purple eyes. His thick and long lashes cast a faint shadow below his eyes, causing his entire person to be more distant. When the night wind blew and rippled, it curled up his purple hair. It was Dugu Mobao! He stood above the lake and looked up at the sky as darkness flashed across his eyes. For so many years, they could only temporarily attain freedom and break free from that cage when it was the night of the blood moon. But after such a long time, they had long hated such days. Now, he had to risk his life and reform his Holy Body to get a few days of rest. But after exiting this desert, he still couldn¡¯t casually use his holy force. If not, it would spell grave danger! ¡°It has already been so long, and they haven¡¯t come over. I think they haven¡¯t discovered it yet.¡± A translucent figure flew out from the lake¡ªit was Diwu Zhangze. Dugu Mobao retracted his gaze and shook his head. ¡°Not exactly.¡± After all, he did take action in the God Residence Realm. Even if he had used all sorts of methods to cover it¡­ those people weren¡¯t naive. Even if they didn¡¯t take action now, they might just be observing in the dark. Or perhaps they had other considerations. Diwu Zhangze knitted his brows. ¡°During this period of time, you even forced your Holy Body to hibernate to hide your aura. Even if they have all the skills in the world, they might not be able to produce any evidence.¡± Without evidence, they couldn¡¯t do anything. Even though they were trapped in this cage back then, they did leave some contingencies behind. At the very least, if those people casually barged into the Red Moon Desert, they could retaliate unconditionally. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Lan Xiao for leaving such a method behind during the negotiations back then. If not¡­ we really would¡¯ve been touched in every way.¡± Diwu Zhangze sighed. Dugu Mobao nodded, turned back, and then asked, ¡°How is he recovering now?¡± After he tried his best to help Lan Xiao, he fell into a deep sleep and just woke up today. Diwu Zhangze smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With such a stupid face, he can¡¯t bear to die just like that. He has pretty much been healing for the past two days. Calculating the time, he should be waking up soon.¡± ¡°Who has a stupid face?¡± A floaty and lazy voice sounded. The two of them turned around and saw Lan Xiao walk out of the lake. His figure looked much more solid, and his surrounding aura seemed to return to his previous standard. As for his face¡­ Without a surprise, he had changed to another one. He looked handsome and cool. He smiled and glanced at Dugu Mobao, teasing, ¡°You normally don¡¯t really care about me, but at crucial moments, you¡¯re still pretty concerned about me!¡± The corner of Diwu Zhangze¡¯s lips twitched. He just survived, and now, he¡¯s courting death again. Indeed, it is hard for a leopard to change its spots. Dugu Mobao gazed at him expressionlessly and reminded coldly, ¡°Your current face is your Twelfth Junior Brother¡¯s.¡± Lan Xiao¡¯s expression changed! Then, he hurriedly looked down and cried. A handsome face was reflected on the water. It is no wonder I felt that this face was rather familiar¡ªso it was that beast¡¯s! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier!?¡± Before Lan Xiao could even finish his sentence, his figure disappeared below the lake again. He was gone, but he didn¡¯t forget to grumble, ¡°It has been more than 10,000 years, yet you still remember it so clearly! You pervert!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s face was nonchalant. ¡°Your brain is just too forgetful.¡± Lan Xiao didn¡¯t reply again. He was probably busy tearing that face off. Diwu Zhangze stuck his thumb up. ¡°You¡¯re indeed the best.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s brows moved slightly. ¡°How long have I slept for?¡± It should be time to return to the academy. Diwu Zhangze thought for a moment before answering, ¡°Actually, not for long. About¡ª¡± Sha sha! Before he could finish his sentence, a sound came from afar! The two of them immediately became alert! Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression turned slightly cold, and he was about to take action! Diwu Zhangze looked afar and hurriedly said, ¡°Wait! It¡¯s Little Hongyu!¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows even more tightly. I just sent Mu Hongyu to Ling Xiao Academy not long ago. Why did she come back now? Suddenly, his expression changed. Something happened! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1545 - My Disciple, Ill Spoil Her! The air vibrated. Mu Hongyu took a step out and fell onto the ground! ¡°Si¡ª¡± She rubbed her head. It hurts! Lin Zhifei really didn¡¯t lie to me; this transportation formation is really unreliable! Only she¡ªwho had the Faint Yuan Body¡ªcould forcefully survive. If it were someone else, they would¡¯ve been crushed many times! ¡°Little Hongyu?!¡± A familiar voice sounded. Mu Hongyu looked up in surprise. ¡°Senior¡­ Diwu?¡± She dazedly gazed at the elder that suddenly appeared in front of her as her almond-like eyes widened. Even though she had cultivated under Diwu Zhangze for a very long time in the Red Moon Desert, she hadn¡¯t truly seen the other party¡¯s face. But why¡­ does it seem like he¡¯s only a soul?! Diwu Zhangze¡¯s heart sank when he saw the disheveled Mu Hongyu covered in wounds. ¡°Little Hongyu, why did you suddenly come back? And your injuries¡ª¡± Once she heard this, Mu Hongyu couldn¡¯t care about her shock as she hurriedly got up and said, ¡°Senior Diwu, something happened to Liuyue. Quickly go over and see!¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± The person talking wasn¡¯t Diwu Zhangze. Mu Hongyu was dazed before she saw that Dugu Mobao was also at the side. Even if the other party looked like a small child and was very adorable, Mu Hongyu¡ªwho had seen his true abilities¡ªwouldn¡¯t really treat him like a child. Even when she saw him now, she still felt quite anxious. She took a deep breath in and hurriedly explained, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to the academy¡¯s Million Wine Mountain, but there¡¯s an energy vortex! Liuyue directly barged in; Rong Xiu as well! To save Liuyue, he also went in! But before the two of them came out, the academy had already activated the Heaven-Locking Formation to suppress Million Wine Mountain!¡± Dugu Mobao was taken aback and immediately looked at Dugu Mobao. ¡°That item is about to come out, and the Heaven-Locking Formation was activated, yet you don¡¯t know about it?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s face was as though covered in a layer of frost. During this period of time, he had been busy saving Lan Xiao and forced his Holy Body to hibernate, so he naturally didn¡¯t know of this. Diwu Zhangze immediately thought of this and felt a little regretful. ¡°How long has the Heaven-Locking Formation been activated?¡± asked Dugu Mobao with a boom. Mu Hongyu was dazed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either¡­ I used Lin Zhifei¡¯s transportation formation to sneak out secretly and got into trouble quite a few times in the middle, so I¡¯m also not sure about how long it has been¡­¡± She looked very guilty. Dugu Mobao closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened his eyes. His clear and bright eyes were now covered in darkness and coldness. The next moment, he raised his wrist slightly, and a purple scale suddenly flew out! Whir! A gigantic transportation formation suddenly appeared in front of the few of them! Even if she had already witnessed it before, Mu Hongyu was still stunned by this scene. He can casually craft a transportation formation and go in and out of the God Residence Realm¡­ Just exactly how strong is he?! Dugu Mobao stepped onto the transportation formation. Mu Hongyu hurriedly followed him. Diwu Zhangze knitted his brows, and his lips moved, still choosing to speak. ¡°Big Baby, when you go back this time, you¡ª¡± You mustn¡¯t use your holy force again! He was lucky last time, avoiding it and hiding a thing or two. But if it happens again, and in Ling Xiao Academy this time, then¡ª A bright light suddenly shone on the transportation formation! The light shone on his face, but it looked like snow had just fallen. He didn¡¯t speak. The light flashed, and the duo¡¯s figures disappeared instantly! In the desert, only Diwu Zhangze was left alone. He looked at where the two people had vanished. After a long while, he sighed deeply. There is no use advising him. If something happens to Yue¡¯er Girlie, how could he just ignore her? The previous time, he forcefully reformed his Holy Body because of her. Even if he can only meet people with a child¡¯s face forever, he doesn¡¯t care, let alone other things. ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. The night sky fell, yet more than half of the academy was illuminated by the Heaven-Locking Formation. As time passed, the strength of the Heaven-Locking Formation became increasingly chaotic as rays of light flew around very dangerously. The entire Million Wine Mountain seemed to have collapsed. Only the fountain in the middle didn¡¯t budge. All the elders in the academy were gathered here at this moment. They all knew that this was a great danger for the academy! ¡°If something really happens to the academy today, then the culprit will be Shangguan Yue?!¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡ªwho heard the commotion and walked over¡ªwas shocked for a long time after he saw the scene before him. This was the first sentence he said. Some people looked over. Suppressing the anger in his heart, Elder Bo Yan boomed, ¡°Vice-director, it doesn¡¯t seem to be the time to say such words, right?!¡± Yi Wenzhuo sneered. ¡°Did I say something wrong? If it weren¡¯t for her wanting to let her fiend break through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix, this wouldn¡¯t happen to Million Wine Mountain!¡± ¡°Million Wine Mountain¡¯s danger had been buried for tens of thousands of years. You can¡¯t blame today¡¯s incident entirely on her! Besides, she had already rushed down when the incident happened, not to mention Rong Xiu following her!¡± Elder Bo Yan was now overwhelmed with anger. I¡¯m already very worried about the current situation, yet Yi Wenzhuo is still mocking us at the side. He is really too much of a bully! Yi Wenzhuo turned around. ¡°So what?! Can their lives be compared to Ling Xiao Academy?! In my opinion, the director was too nice to her back then and spoiled her!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Bo Yan was enraged. Suddenly, a low and burly sound voice from afar! ¡°She¡¯s my disciple. So what if I¡¯m nice to her and dote on her?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1546 - Nan Suhuai This voice seemed to have come from very far away, but it sounded very clear as if the source was right in front. The crowd was taken aback, and all turned around to take a look. They saw that a figure came over with large steps in the night sky! Elder Bo Yan and the rest were shocked and surprised. ¡°Director!¡± However, Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s expression changed. Why did he come back at this time?! When the many students in the academy heard this, they looked up curiously. The majority of them had only heard of this director through rumors and hadn¡¯t seen him personally. In the God Residence Realm, who didn¡¯t know that Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director, Nan Suhuai, was a top warrior in the world!? He had reached the top standards as a heavenly doctor, warrior, and Xuan Master! Many people who entered Ling Xiao Academy wanted to have him as their mentor. However, he was extremely picky and only accepted one disciple in so many years. He doted on this disciple to the extreme, even to a rather infuriating stage. Yet, this mentor-disciple duo was the top amongst the elites¡ªthe strongest amongst the strong. They caused others to be green with envy, yet they didn¡¯t know who to target. Many people wanted to be Nan Suhuai¡¯s disciple, but at the same time, countless people wanted to be Chu Liuyue¡¯s mentor! Hence, at this point, most people were looking up at the person in the sky curiously and with admiration. ¡­ That was an elder dressed in a white robe with a green jade plaque by his waist. Other than this, there were no other accessories on him. He looked very energetic and wise. As the night wind blew over, his sleeves floated upward. At first glance, he looked like a deity. In the blink of an eye, he already flew to them from the horizon! Quite a few people were dazed. The legendary director¡­ indeed lives up to his name! ¡°Director, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Elder Bo Yan immediately went forward. Elder Hua Feng and the others followed closely behind and were very emotional. They couldn¡¯t be blamed for this because they really didn¡¯t expect the director to rush over at this time! For the past few years, the director had been outside and didn¡¯t send much news back. To the outside world, they said that the director went on a journey, but only they themselves knew that the truth was not so. If not for Elder Bo Yan having a way to confirm that the director was still safe, they would¡¯ve long misunderstood that something had happened to the latter. Troubles kept arising in the academy during this period of time, and even the Heaven-Locking Formation was spoiled now. Now that they saw the director return, they were naturally over the moon. Nan Suhuai patted Elder Bo Yan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Bo Yan, it¡¯s been hard on you during this period of time.¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s heart ached as he immediately suppressed it and shook his head. ¡°You placed the academy in my care. This is what I should do! However¡­ I was useless and caused today¡¯s scenario.¡± Nan Suhuai laughed. ¡°Yue¡¯er got into trouble again. How can I blame this on you? Don¡¯t worry. When she comes out, I¡¯ll definitely teach her a good lesson!¡± Elder Hua Feng and the others¡¯ eyes lit up when they heard this. ¡°Director, you can save the two of them?!¡± Actually, they didn¡¯t dare to harbor much hope in the current situation. But since the director had already said it, it proved that¡ª Yi Wenzhuo clenched his teeth. ¡°Junior Brother, the Heaven-Locking Formation has already started to collapse. How can you deal with it?¡± Nan Suhuai glanced at him lightly and smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t trouble you with that.¡± Then, his gaze turned and looked at Million Wine Mountain. ¡°Rong Xiu went in too?¡± Elder Bo Yan and the rest nodded in unison. Nan Suhuai sighed. His Highness has such a big heart. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1547 - Work From Inside and Out If he can¡¯t rush back in time, then¡­ ¡°All the Xuan Masters stay behind. The rest, move back first,¡± commanded Nan Suhuai. Once he said this, the crowd had no objections and immediately complied. Perhaps because their core was back, everyone felt much more at ease. Seeing that all the elders acted according to Nan Suhuai¡¯s instructions, Yi Wenzhuo felt indignant. He knew that these people actually believed in Nan Suhuai and respected him genuinely. That was also the reason why many people chose to stay in Ling Xiao Academy as they took him into consideration. 1 This could be seen by how peaceful the academy was when Nan Suhuai wasn¡¯t around the past few years. However, these people¡¯s attitudes were greatly different toward him, the vice-director. Yi Wenzhuo knew that everyone respectfully called him ¡®vice-director¡¯ on the surface, but in actual fact, not many of them actually cared about him. This was also one of the reasons why he was filled with so much vengeance. 1 He was Nan Suhuai¡¯s senior brother. In terms of skills and status, he was better in both. But at the end of the day, all the good reputation and benefits were left for Nan Suhuai alone! Everyone knew that Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director Nan Suhuai was extremely talented and outstanding. However, how many people remembered him? Yi Wenzhuo took a deep breath in and turned around to look at Million Wine Mountain. There isn¡¯t much meaning in thinking about this now. I want to see how Nan Suhuai and the rest plan on surviving this ordeal! The Heaven-Locking Formation collapsing¡­ It isn¡¯t that easy to repair it! ¡­ Whoosh! After all the Xuan Masters went to their places around Million Wine Mountain, Nan Suhuai¡¯s figure moved and rushed toward the center. His movement techniques were agile, and his movements were light. In the blink of an eye, he was already standing in the sky. His feet were pointing to the fountain on the peak of Million Wine Mountain! Nan Suhuai looked down. At this point, the Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s strength had already gradually left the surroundings of the fountain. The surroundings were brilliant. Only this middle position was still gray and dark. The night sky was dark, and there were no stars or moon. From here, one could see light flickering on the fountain in a dark and mysterious manner. Those two people¡¯s auras seemed to be isolated, and they couldn¡¯t investigate it. Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression turned solemn, and he raised both his hands. They were a pair of extremely white and smooth hands that glowed with a faint light, like intricately engraved, superior, and clear jade. His feet moved slightly, and his palms moved. Countless rays of light rapidly formed before him as his fingers moved! Very quickly, an outline of a Xuan formation was formed! As time passed, increasingly more rays of light gathered from all directions and continuously filled that Xuan formation, causing it to be more complicated and perfect! Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression was nonchalant, and his actions were light. It was as if he casually took a small portion of Heaven and Earth force and easily converted it into his own strength, forming the Xuan formation in the end! ¡°Grandmaster!¡± When the surrounding elders saw this scene, they were taken aback. To be able to merge the Heaven and Earth Force so perfectly and circulate the other forces to form such a complicated Xuan formation¡­ This could only be done by a Grandmaster! ¡°Could it be that the director had been busy breaking through for the past few years outside?¡± Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t help but mutter as shock flashed across his eyes. Above a King Xuan Master were Great King Xuan Masters. Above that would be the Grandmasters. On the surface, it seemed like it was just a level of difference between a Great King Xuan Master and a Grandmaster Xuan Master. But in actual fact, it was extremely, extremely difficult to take this step. In Ling Xiao Academy, nobody had broken through to become a Grandmaster for the past hundreds of years. Even someone extremely talented like Nan Suhuai was stuck as a Great King Xuan Master for an extremely long time! ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± At the side, Elder Ouyang and the others were elated. ¡°The director is now a Grandmaster. He should be more confident in handling this Heaven-Locking Formation!¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd nodded respectively and felt much safer. Yi Wenzhuo stood with one hand behind his back, stared at Nan Suhuai in mid-air tightly, and clenched his fists. His veins popped up. Nan Suhuai actually¡­ beat me again! During this period of time, he faintly felt that he was going to break through to become a Grandmaster. But after much waiting and many attempts, he was still off by a little. Originally, he didn¡¯t care much about it because he was confident that he would break through sooner or later. But seeing that Nan Suhuai had beat him to it, he instantly felt extremely indignant! However, such matters couldn¡¯t be rushed. He could only hold it in temporarily. I¡¯ll see if Nan Suhuai and the rest can save Ling Xiao Academy now! If they can¡¯t¡­ Nan Suhuai will be a sinner for years to come! It won¡¯t be too late for me to take action then! ¡­ In no time, a gigantic Xuan formation appeared in front of Nan Suhuai. Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression was solemn as he pushed both his hands forward. ¡°Jingshou formation!¡± Such a large Xuan formation started to descend upon Million Wine Mountain slowly! There seemed to be the faint sound of tidal waves. The distance between the two Xuan formations kept decreasing! The two parties¡¯ forces started hitting each other and overlapping! Light shone everywhere! Even the surrounding space was crushed by the violent forces and collapsed inch by inch. ¡°Everyone, listen! Gather!¡± Nan Suhuai suddenly yelled! The crowd was long prepared. When they heard this, they took action without hesitation! Light shone brightly on the Jingshou formation! From afar, the two Xuan formations looked like gigantic wheels that overlapped each other. The Heaven-Locking Formation was urged by that strange force and hastened its speed. Yet, the Jingshou formation¡¯s appearance was to slow it down again! Even though the Jingshou formation¡¯s level wasn¡¯t as high as the Heaven-Locking Formation, it could fight against the latter after gathering the elders¡¯ forces! Slowly, the Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s speed indeed slowed down. The silver lines which had left their original positions started to be affected by this force and returned to their original places. Everything seemed orderly. When the elders saw this, they all heaved a sigh of relief but still didn¡¯t dare to relax. Nothing much had happened for the past twenty-odd days, yet something happened on the last day, and it even occurred under their tight supervision! The force suppressed under the fountain was clearly beyond their expectations. Hence, they could never truly relax until the last minute! ¡­ Everyone¡¯s force was depleting crazily. Some of the elders¡¯ faces started turning pale. They were all relying on their willpower. But seeing that the situation on Million Wine Mountain was getting better, the stress in their hearts was relieved quite a bit. ¡°Listen! The knocks seem to have disappeared!¡± someone suddenly yelled in the silence. The crowd recovered their senses and instinctively went to listen. The knocks had indeed disappeared! At this point, Nan Suhuai was confident! He looked at Million Wine Mountain and suddenly crushed the green jade plaque around his waist! Bang! The next moment, a figure suddenly rushed out from the middle of the fountain! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1548 - Hand of the Holy Body It was Rong Xiu! Under the night sky, the winds howled as dark clouds gathered. He, who was decked in snow-white clothes, had a few wounds opened with messy bloodstains. However, his surrounding shocking aura caused one¡¯s heart to tremble! When he flew to mid-air, the crowd then saw that he was still carrying a woman in his arms! Other than Shangguan Yue¡ªwho had first flown over¡ªwho could it be? But she was lying in Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace at this moment, and her head was tilted slightly, so the crowd couldn¡¯t see her appearance. From afar, one could only see her hair drooping down. ¡°It¡¯s Rong Xiu and Yue¡¯er Girlie!¡± Elder Bo Yan and the rest were elated. Even though they are injured, it seems like they aren¡¯t in fatal danger. I really don¡¯t know how they survived under the attack of the Heaven-Locking Formation during the past month¡­ These thoughts just flashed across their mind and didn¡¯t stay for long. As long as they were alive, nothing else mattered! Shangguan Jing was worried for a whole month. Now that he saw the two of them¡­ Although his uneasy heart didn¡¯t completely relax, he still felt much more at ease. Luckily¡­ Luckily! I don¡¯t dare to think what would happen if something happened to Yue¡¯er¡ª Shangguan Jing restrained the urge to rush forward and waited patiently. As long as everything goes smoothly following this, the two of them can come back safely! ¡­ Rong Xiu hugged Chu Liuyue tightly in his arms. At this point, the Heaven-Locking Formation¡ªwhich hadn¡¯t completely recovered¡ªwas below their feet. Above their heads was the Jingshou formation that had just descended. The two Xuan formations overlapped and intersected. The distance in the middle was still continuously shrinking. They had to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible! Upon seeing the duo¡¯s current state, Nan Suhuai couldn¡¯t help furrowing his brows tightly. He could tell that the two of them had suffered quite a bit in the fountain during this period of time. However, it was lucky that they had already escaped from within. As long as they rapidly struggled free from the constraints of the Xuan formations, they could escape! A silver line suddenly floated over. It contained a faint coldness that pricked one¡¯s bones. Faintly, it glowed with blood. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes became sharp. Rumble! He raised his wrist, and a ball of fire began to burn! Zz zz! A prickling sound of burning was heard. That item quickly disappeared in front of Rong Xiu¡¯s figure! Rong Xiu¡¯s feet moved, and he was about to leave. But at this moment, a strange sound suddenly came from the Heaven-Locking Formation beneath their feet. Ka! Rong Xiu instinctively looked down, and coldness flashed across his eyes. The Heaven-Locking Formation actually stopped moving! It was suddenly silent in the earth and sky. Everyone felt that something was amiss, and their hearts turned cold. Even Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression changed slightly. The next moment, he hollered without thinking, ¡°Quick!¡± Rong Xiu went on his toes and forcefully tore space! But just when the air vibrated and the space gap was about to appear, Million Wine Mountain suddenly erupted! Thump! A gigantic black hand suddenly emerged from the fountain! That hand was really strange and abnormally large, yet the joints were very distinct. One could still see the slightly protruding red blood vessels on the back of the palm. There were even long nails on the fingertips. At first glance, it really looked extremely similar to a real hand and appeared not to be an illusion! After that hand appeared, it directly grabbed the Heaven-Locking Formation and harshly pulled it! Boom! With the loud sound, the Heaven-Locking Formation actually seemed to be affected by the force of this extremely strange hand as it started spinning again at a shocking speed! But at this point, its middle area had already started to dissolve, so the shocking force encompassed in it gradually exploded! The next moment, that hand directly grabbed at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue! Rong Xiu carried her and rapidly dodged! That hand grabbed the air, but the next moment, it swiftly went for the Jingshou formation! The same situation happened again. In front of that hand, the Xuan formation seemed to be made of paper and was extremely fragile! Everyone was taken aback! Ever since something happened to Million Wine Mountain, they had once thought of countless possibilities. However, the only thing they didn¡¯t expect was that the thing being suppressed was actually a hand! But what was even more unexpected was that the hand was actually so strong! Not to mention the Jingshou formation¡­ The Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s level was higher, and it required the cooperation of all the academy elders to activate it, but at this moment, it was so easily destroyed by that hand! ¡°What¡¯s¡­ that?¡± Elder Bo Yan was stunned. They were considered rather experienced, but they still couldn¡¯t conceal their shock at this moment! Shangguan Jing stared at that hand tightly. He didn¡¯t know what exactly was going on and what kind of secrets and grudges were buried beneath Million Wine Mountain. However, he could tell that this hand¡­ clearly came from some cultivator¡¯s Holy Body! Holy Bodies had a special aura, and he wouldn¡¯t be mistaken! This wasn¡¯t the most shocking thing. That was because¡­ there didn¡¯t seem to be a complete Holy Body below this hand! In other words, there was only this one hand suppressed underneath Million Wine Mountain! As if to confirm his thoughts, that hand suddenly rushed out of Million Wine Mountain! They said it was Million Wine Mountain, but it was actually a pile of debris at this moment. That was indeed a hand with a forearm. It looked as if it were directly cut from someone¡¯s arm area. At the wound area, one could even see the mark of a sharp knife slashing right through it! But even the blood, muscles, and meat inside this arm were totally black. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a Holy Body!¡± Shangguan Jing gasped. In the world, almost all the cultivators could only have one Holy Body in their life. The Holy Body could leave the physical body, but it couldn¡¯t exist on its own. Back then, he buried his Holy Body in the tomb. His physical body was damaged, but his soul was still around, so he could reawaken a thousand years later. However, he had never heard that an arm cut off from someone¡¯s Holy Body would have such terrifying force! After destroying the two huge Xuan formations, that hand rushed toward Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue! That hand was huge, big enough to crush the two people forcefully! The harsh, cold air kept approaching. Rong Xiu turned around and saw that the hand was very close to him! A blood-colored totem faintly appeared in his palm! A tremendous aura came over! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1549 - Fragile Whoosh! A figure rapidly blocked Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡ªit was Nan Suhuai! ¡°I¡¯ll handle this place. Rong Xiu, bring Yue¡¯er back!¡± Nan Suhuai boomed. Just when the two of them came out, he saw that Yue¡¯er was already unconscious in Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace. He didn¡¯t know her exact condition, so he naturally didn¡¯t dare to let the two of them take the risk. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t hesitate. Upon hearing this, he went on his toes and retreated! A dark-blue light flashed across! A sharp, longsword suddenly appeared in Nan Suhuai¡¯s hand! That longsword was entirely translucent and dark blue. It was about three fingers wide, and a strange pattern was engraved on the sword body. As it waved around, it gleamed coldly. Nan Suhuai held the sword with both hands, stood up straight, and his aura moved! The next moment, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force seemed to be summoned as it crazily surged up his sword! As the sword accumulated more and more force, its color became increasingly deep and pure! At first glance, it seemed to be formed with sapphire! Huahua¡ª The rich Heaven and Earth Force almost formed a gigantic vortex around Nan Suhuai. The suppression was intense! At this moment, that black hand had already approached Nan Suhuai! Whoosh! Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression turned harsh as he raised the sword with both hands and swung it down harshly! Dark-blue sword light suddenly flew out! Huala! Following this tiny sound, a large gap in space was directly slashed right open in front of him! A boundless black current flowed around! At the same time, Shangguan Jing and Elder Meng moved! Shangguan Jing held the longsword and slashed forward. Elder Meng stood with his hands crossed as he hurled out force that instantly formed an extremely sharp triangular awl! The three of them each took one side and trapped the black hand in the middle! The forces erupted between heaven and earth as they intersected and fell into a chaotic battle! ¡­ Rong Xiu carried Chu Liuyue and rapidly retreated. At this point, they were still under the control of that black hand, so the surrounding force moved around crazily. The many sharp strands of aura scraped past them like sharp blades! Whoosh! An extremely soft air-piercing sound was heard. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned sharp as held the person in his arms even tighter and dodged! At the same time, a golden spark suddenly exploded before the two of them, forming a wall of fire! It blocked all the crazy force outside! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair was silently cut and floated in midair. Murderous intent overwhelmed Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes! A speck of intense black quickly flashed across his eyes! ¡°Cough, cough cough¡ª¡± At this point, Chu Liuyue suddenly coughed. Rong Xiu immediately lowered his head and saw that her pale face was wrinkled together and that her brows were tightly furrowed. Her thick and long lashes trembled slightly. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Rong Xiu called out and tightened his hold on her waist. Chu Liuyue finally woke up slowly and opened her eyes. Seeing Rong Xiu, there was still momentary confusion in her eyes as if she hadn¡¯t understood what exactly was going on. However, Rong Xiu heaved a sigh of relief as he leaned down and gently kissed her brows. He did it in an extremely controlled and cherishing manner. I really don¡¯t want to see the same scene happen again. Now that I can still see her wake up, it is for the best. The slightly cold and soft lips gently pressed a kiss on her brows. She leaned against his hard, wide, and warm chest, hearing his powerful heart beat again and again. Chu Liuyue then recalled what happened. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± she muttered and instinctively looked at her surroundings. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ out?¡± Actually, she had always been in a semi-conscious state. She wanted to wake up, but she couldn¡¯t open her eyes no matter what. In her impression, she had run in that boundless white space for a very long time. It was only until she reached the fiery field that she finally broke free of that invisible restraint. At this point, it was late at night. The sky was dark, and clouds had gathered, but she couldn¡¯t see the moon or stars. But not far away, an intense battle was taking place. When she saw that gigantic black hand, Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and suddenly understood something. That¡¯s the item suppressed under Million Wine Mountain! That aura would definitely not be wrong! However¡­ how could a hand contain such terrifying force? Once that thought flashed across her mind, Chu Liuyue saw a considerable amount of force harshly rushing toward that hand! The dark-blue sword light had already rushed to that hand! Tsing! A loud impact was heard again! The sword aura attacked that hand, but it was like a sword that landed on extremely hard metal! Nan Suhuai was shocked. The next moment, he saw that the dark-blue sword light broke with the sound! Countless rays of light scattered everywhere! Nan Suhuai¡¯s chest vibrated, and blood seeped out from the corner of his mouth. Shangguan Jing and Elder Meng exchanged a glance and saw the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. This hand¡¯s¡­ suppression seems much scarier than we had expected! Nan Suhuai had used his full force in this attack! However, the effortful sword attack of a legendary warrior was worth nothing in front of this hand! That hand continued forward. Nan Suhuai raised his sword, but the black hand grabbed the blade! The extremely sharp blade didn¡¯t even leave a scar behind on that hand! Nan Suhuai knew that something was amiss and immediately wanted to retreat! However, it was too late! That black hand harshly slashed down! Ka! Nan Suhuai¡¯s sword was cut into two! At the same time, Nan Suhuai was impacted by a huge force, and his body flew backward! ¡°Mentor!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. Almost at the same time, Shangguan Jing and Elder Meng¡¯s forces were crushed easily by that hand! Their attacks couldn¡¯t stop it at all! ¡­ Everything that happened in midair caused all the spectators in the academy to be taken aback. Besides the students, even many experienced elders were shocked. No wonder¡­ It¡¯s no wonder Ling Xiao Academy has guarded Million Wine Mountain meticulously and didn¡¯t allow for any mistakes. It turns out that something so terrifying was hidden underneath! That hand turned and grabbed the air, going for Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. From the duo¡¯s angle, they could see the blood circulating in the totem in the middle of that palm! Rong Xiu was alerted and retreated again! But at this moment, force suddenly came from that hand! Instantly, it felt like a thunderstorm was approaching! Tremendous horrifying suppression came over! The water droplet in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body suddenly spun rapidly. Faintly, it was about to be forcefully taken by that hand! Rong Xiu held her even more tightly, and his clothes blew with the wind. But at this point, his cultivation level was only that of a true god. How could he fight with that hand? Countless wounds rapidly appeared on him. Fresh red blood silently spread across his white robe! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1550 - He Came! Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°Give me the Chi Xiao Sword.¡± Rong Xiu knitted his brows and looked at the person in his arms. He naturally knew what she wanted to do, but how could he agree in such a dangerous situation? Chu Liuyue gently shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s looking for me.¡± Besides, I can be considered as the one who caused this trouble in the first place. I naturally have to settle it. Her voice was very light, but her gaze was strangely stubborn and determined. The two of them exchanged glances for a moment, and there seemed to be something surging in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. It felt as if a long time had passed, yet only a brief moment was over. An extremely nonchalant and unreasonable smile appeared on Rong Xiu¡¯s demonically handsome face. His thin lips curled up slightly in an extremely charming and alluring manner that couldn¡¯t be described. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment. This man had always been cold and distinguished, but this smile made him seem like a deity and a demon, which was hard to capture. Whoosh! A cold glint flashed across as he passed the Chi Xiao Sword to Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to come back. If you don¡¯t come back, I¡¯ll go look for you.¡± His voice was cold and low. Chu Liuyue held the sword. ¡°Wait for me.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue turned around. Her glabella felt warm. She instinctively touched it, and it was wet. The burning feeling rapidly disappeared. She knitted her brows slightly, but she didn¡¯t think too much as she held the Chi Xiao Sword and stared at the black palm in front of her! The water droplet in her dantian was about to be forcefully stolen! Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and circulated her force, inserting it into the Chi Xiao Sword. The next moment, she raised the sword with both hands and slashed down harshly! Tsing! That hand lightly blocked the Chi Xiao Sword! Then, it went for Chu Liuyue! Her figure was originally slim. At this point, she seemed even tinier before the gigantic black hand. It was as if that hand could easily crush her body! ¡­ ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie!¡± When Shangguan Jing and the others saw this scene, their organs almost exploded! The few of them wanted to go forward, but they were all blocked by the terrifying suppression! That black palm was too strong, causing them to be unable to take another step closer! Elder Bo Yan and the others¡¯ faces turned pale. Even the three of them couldn¡¯t do it when they worked together, let alone others. On all the mountain peaks in the academy, there were many students crowding around to look at the situation, and they all fell silent. The situation seemed to be settled. No matter how strong Shangguan Yue and Rong Xiu were, they couldn¡¯t compete with the director and the rest. Which three of them didn¡¯t especially dote on Shangguan Yue? If they had a method, they wouldn¡¯t just watch this matter unfold. They could see the results with one glance. On some mountain, Luo Shishi¡¯s gaze flickered as her eyes turned red. Seeing her in this state, Luo Yanlin¡¯s finger moved. He originally wanted to cover her eyes, but after some hesitation, that hand still landed on her head as he lightly patted her. Luo Shishi cried in a daze. ¡­ That black hand went for Chu Liuyue, but the next moment, a red-golden and transparent fire suddenly rushed out from the sword body crazily! In the blink of an eye, it had already covered more than half of the sword! The fire burned, and it made piercing sounds! Thick and pungent black fumes spread from that hand! Whoosh! Whoosh! In a daze, there seemed to be miserable whimpers coming from that hand! Chu Liuyue stood opposite that hand and looked up. From there, she could see countless bones floating! The sinister and suppressive aura crazily spread in all directions! Chu Liuyue¡¯s surroundings turned cold! ¡­ Beside Million Wine Mountain, on a mountain a distance away, the cave in the middle of the mountain glowed with a bright light. Lin Zhifei stood beside the gigantic transportation formation. His face turned pale as beads of sweat kept flowing down his forehead. To support this transportation formation, he almost exhausted his force! As he was weak, his body started trembling continuously. However, his eyes were still glued to the transportation formation. This transportation formation had met with a few problems in between, and he had already tried his best to fix it. Now, the only thing I can do is try my best to maintain it. I wonder what Mu Hongyu¡¯s condition is like¡­ His vision had patches of black. At some moment, he finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore as his legs went soft, and he fell toward the ground. Bang! His body fell onto the floor harshly and made a loud sound! After a temporary pause, he still clenched his teeth and supported his body. But this small movement was extremely difficult for Lin Zhifei at this moment. Seeing that the transportation formation was shaking and looked like it was about to break down the next moment, harshness flashed across Lin Zhifei¡¯s eyes. He took out a dagger and cut his palm! Fresh red blood instantly flowed out! He raised his hand and was about to put his bloody palm on the Xuan formation. Depending on this, perhaps I can¡ª Whir! The empty air shook! The transportation formation suddenly glowed! Lin Zhifei stopped his actions. The next moment, he saw a figure walk out from within! It was Mu Hongyu! Lin Zhifei was first elated. But when he saw that Mu Hongyu was disheveled and covered in messy bloodstains, he became uneasy again. ¡°Mu Hongyu?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s ears whirred, and she hadn¡¯t recovered her senses from the turbulence in space. Hearing this voice, she instinctively looked up. ¡°Mu Hongyu, how are you feeling?¡± Lin Zhifei walked forward and planned to help Mu Hongyu up. But the moment he took two steps forward, he staggered backward. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Upon seeing this, Mu Hongyu hurriedly rushed over to help him up. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just have some superficial injuries. As for you¡­¡± While they talked, she sized Lin Zhifei up and unwittingly knitted her brows. With Lin Zhifei¡¯s current age, it was already very difficult to form a transportation formation of such a level, not to mention it even lasted for so long. Lin Zhifei waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± As he spoke, he took a pill. Mu Hongyu knew that his situation was definitely terrible now, so she couldn¡¯t ask further. She glanced outside. ¡°Oh right, how long have I been gone?¡± On this journey, she was worried that she wouldn¡¯t arrive in time. Lin Zhifei swallowed a mouthful of blood. ¡°Tomorrow is the last day of the one-month deadline. However, something happened to Million Wine Mountain just now¡­¡± He had been staying here the entire time, so he didn¡¯t know what was going on outside. However, he could guess that it wasn¡¯t something good from the chaotic commotion. Upon hearing this, Mu Hongyu was instantly more worried. ¡°Something happened again? Then¡ª¡± Lin Zhifei looked at her. ¡°The person you talked about¡­ Did he come?¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly nodded. ¡°He did! Originally, we were together. But not long after reaching the God Residence Realm, he told me to come over alone. Calculating the time, he should already be here, but¡­¡± But she didn¡¯t know if he could solve the crisis at Million Wine Mountain. ¡­ In mid-air, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body flew forward uncontrollably! The terrifying suppression overwhelmed her and crushed her bones! The water droplet in the dantian almost seemed to burst right out! Everyone¡¯s eyes were covered in a layer of hopelessness. But just when that black hand was about to restrain Chu Liuyue, a purple scale suddenly flew from the sky! It floated around spiritually and encompassed great strength! It turned instantly! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1551 - Supplementary Formation That purple scale was palm-sized, and it seemed extremely unassuming under this ink-black sky. It seemed even more negligible when compared to that gigantic black hand. However, this small scale flew to Chu Liuyue and directly scraped the black hand! Whoosh! With a sharp shrill, more than half of the thumb on the black palm was shaven! The suffocating and sinister aura covering Chu Liuyue was instantly cut! Chu Liuyue loosened up. Then, she took a deep breath in. The fresh air that entered her lungs finally allowed her to recover her senses. At that moment, I almost thought I¡ª She immediately looked forward! When she saw the purple scale floating in front of her, she widened her eyes slightly. After a moment, she suddenly recalled something. This is¡­ Big Baby?! She almost instinctively turned around, but she could not see Big Baby¡¯s figure. However, this scale¡­ is indeed his. We¡¯ve been interacting every day and night, and I definitely wouldn¡¯t be mistaken! ¡­ The sudden change caused everyone to be stunned. They looked at the purple scale that suddenly appeared in a confused and dazed manner, and they couldn¡¯t recover their senses for a time. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ that?¡± ¡°It seems rather similar to the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s scale, but it¡¯s also different upon closer inspection¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? Once it appeared, a piece of meat was shaved off that black hand! You need to know that when the director and the rest worked together, they couldn¡¯t even harm that hand! What exactly¡­ is that thing? It¡¯s too powerful!¡± ¡°Anyway, I think it¡¯s to help Shangguan Yue. Perhaps today¡¯s situation¡­ can be salvaged!¡± The crowd discussed softly, and they were clearly filled with curiosity about this item. When Nan Suhuai saw the purple scale, he was shocked, and confusion flashed across his eyes quickly. Why¡­ Did that person come back? Similar to Chu Liuyue, he also surveyed his surroundings and looked far away as he continuously searched for something. But different from Chu Liuyue, his actions were very meticulous and not that big. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t notice that he was searching for someone. Other than them, there was also someone who was shocked after seeing the purple scale¡ªElder Bo Yan. He knitted his brows and looked confused. When he first saw that item, he thought that he was hallucinating. Hence, he instinctively looked at Nan Suhuai. When he saw Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression, his heart seemed to be heavily suppressed as he increasingly confirmed his guess. At that moment, he felt overwhelmed and conflicted. Doubt, surprise, expectation, horror¡­ He still clearly remembered the faint purple scale glowing on the top of the academy booklet. Only the directors could touch this booklet, but his situation was rather special the past few years, so he temporarily guarded it. Hence, he knew a thing or two about it. However, he didn¡¯t expect to have the chance to see this scale when he was alive! Doesn¡¯t this mean that person¡ª ¡°Bo Yan? Bo Yan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± From the corner of his eyes, Elder Hua Feng saw that Elder Bo Yan¡¯s expression was rather strange, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask softly. He knitted his brows suspiciously. ¡°You know that thing?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he shook his head reflexively. ¡°I-I don¡¯t! I-I was just wondering where that thing came from, and it¡¯s actually so¡­ strong.¡± Elder Hua Feng didn¡¯t doubt him. That was because he was also thinking about this problem at this point. ¡°It¡¯s just a tiny scale, but it has such power. You can tell how extraordinary it is.¡± Elder Hua Feng squinted his eyes and stared at it for quite a while. ¡°Did a master appear?¡± Elder Bo Yan¡¯s lips moved, but he didn¡¯t speak further. If that person can just be described with the word ¡®master,¡¯ but¡­ Tens of thousands of years have passed. Could he still be alive in this world? Besides, if he really has come back, why¡­ did we not see him? ¡­ After the purple scale appeared, that black hand suddenly stopped in its actions. It seemed to be fearful. The two of them fell into a stalemate. Chu Liuyue took out a red pill and ingested it. The pill melted in her mouth, and warm energy spread across all her limbs. The originally cold body recovered quite a bit. Chu Liuyue exhaled deeply. She tried to produce this fire spirit pill when she was free and flipped through the Physician Medicinal Guide Elder Wan Zheng gave her. Originally, she planned to show him this pill when she had the time, to let him know that she had already broken through to become a Physician. Yet, she took the pill at this moment to nourish and rejuvenate her body. She had stayed in the fountain for too long previously, and her entire body was cold. Thus, her blood and force was frozen. Although she had Rong Xiu¡¯s help later on and most of the frost on her had melted, she still had a hint of coldness in her body. The longer this coldness stayed in her body, the worse her situation would be. Now, she finally had the time to dispel it and settle one of her worries. She closed her eyes. The water droplet in her dantian seemed to have broken free from the black hand¡¯s control and recovered its normal circulation. Force kept spreading from within and healed her injuries. Perhaps because she had become a true god again, but her recovery speed was much higher. In no time, her wounds had already formed scabs. However, she still stared at the front closely and didn¡¯t dare to let her guard down. She suddenly recalled that when Big Baby accompanied her to the God Residence Realm, he didn¡¯t seem to like taking action. It was as if something was holding him back, but she didn¡¯t know the reason¡ªeven when she had recovered her memories. In actual fact, she did know Big Baby and the rest in the Red Moon Desert. Before that, they had never left the Red Moon Desert. Thus, she naturally didn¡¯t know Big Baby had such troubles. However, she didn¡¯t know how Big Baby planned to deal with the current situation¡­ Whoosh! Suddenly, countless rays of purple light flew out from the scale! In the blink of an eye, they pounced forward! Chu Liuyue immediately looked over. Countless rays of light intersected and flew down. Then, the Heaven-Locking Formation¡ªwhich the black hand had forcefully torn open¡ªreformed again. The broken places were reconnected again by the purple light, and the contorted places were fixed bit by bit. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. Big Baby is actually¡­ repairing the Heaven-Locking Formation?! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1552 - My Life and Death Today is Completely in Your Hands! It was hard to imagine how much manpower and resources were needed to rebuild a Heaven-Locking Formation. Even if it were back then, the crowd had to work together to build Ling Xiao Academy. Now, it was even harder to rebuild it efficiently and quickly with only Big Baby¡¯s strength. Besides, he was holding himself back and couldn¡¯t casually take action. Repairing the Heaven-Locking Formation was undoubtedly the best choice. Very quickly, the broken Heaven-Locking Formation started recovering its initial appearance. The purple light and silver light intertwined brightly. That black hand reacted and immediately took action again, wanting to destroy the Heaven-Locking Formation! But before it could get near, a layer of invisible suppression blocked it outside¡ªit was the shocking strength that came from the purple scale! The black hand tried several times, but it couldn¡¯t do anything. Its aura started becoming agitated. The Heaven-Locking Formation had suppressed it for thousands of years, and it had finally found an opportunity to break free! How could it possibly go back again? However, things had started developing in an uncontrollable direction. It never expected that the Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s original owner would come back! In the past, the Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s strength alone couldn¡¯t completely suppress it. Hence, Ling Xiao Academy insisted on guiding lightning to the fountain all these years so as to increase the strength of the Heaven-Locking Formation. The black hand finally waited until most of the lightning strength was depleted, and it finally got a chance to struggle free. It didn¡¯t expect that he would come back again! The most important thing was that he seemed much stronger than he was back then! Thus, even if he didn¡¯t appear and unleash his full strength, he could still easily repair the Heaven-Locking Formation and make it become even stronger! Whoosh! Whoosh! The blood totem on the black hand overturned, accompanied by shrill and miserable whimpers, causing one¡¯s heart to tremble. Seeing that it couldn¡¯t stop the Heaven-Locking Formation, the black hand swiftly changed direction and targeted Chu Liuyue! It went forward without hesitation and grabbed Chu Liuyue! But at this moment, a ray of purple light flew over and grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist. With a light pull, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure floated with the wind and landed in the middle of the Heaven-Locking Formation in the blink of an eye! ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down. The giant Heaven-Locking Formation was now underneath her feet. The rays of light intersected, slowly recovering its initial appearance. Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t seen the Heaven-Locking Formation before. She only recalled that she had once suffered many attacks from the Heaven-Locking Formation when she was below it. Rong Xiu was also injured as a result. However, she didn¡¯t expect to stand in the middle of the Heaven-Locking Formation not long later. Her two feet felt like they were standing on real ground, feeling secure. The more reassuring thing was that this Heaven-Locking Formation vaguely had Big Baby¡¯s aura. She knew that he would never harm her. After landing on the Heaven-Locking Formation, that black hand finally couldn¡¯t approach Chu Liuyue. Right at this point, a familiar voice landed in her ears. ¡°Yue¡¯er, look at the formation!¡± Even though he had tried his best to sound harsh and cold, Dugu Mobao still couldn¡¯t hide his soft and milky aura. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Big Baby! Her lips moved slightly, and she almost screamed directly! However, she still held it in. Big Baby clearly has his own considerations for not appearing. The academy is in great danger, and he should be the one that is most worried. But even in such circumstances, he still hasn¡¯t come out personally, which shows that there is another matter hidden within. Chu Liuyue suppressed her tumultuous emotions and silently nodded. Then, she looked down and stared at the Heaven-Locking Formation beneath her feet closely. ¡­ ¡°The Heaven-Locking Formation has such a high level. It¡¯s not convenient for me to appear, so I can¡¯t help you much. If you want to completely repair the Heaven-Locking Formation, you need to do it yourself.¡± Big Baby had always been a man of few words, but every time he talked, it was filled with power. It was even more so this time. The simple sentence seemed to explode in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind like lightning! ¡°What?! Me?¡± Chu Liuyue almost thought that she had misheard him at one moment. I just recalled my God Realm and broke through to become a true god. Besides, I was even injured in the earlier ordeals. In such a situation, how can I repair the Heaven-Locking Formation?! ¡°Since you¡¯ve already become a true god again, you should¡¯ve recovered your previous memories. You didn¡¯t forget whatever I taught you before, right?¡± Big Baby¡¯s voice was extremely calm as if he didn¡¯t find anything wrong with it. Chu Liuyue was stumped. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°The Heaven Scroll.¡± Big Baby was succinct. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to memorize all of it back then?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision turned black. She felt her head ache when he mentioned it. Back then, she was still in the Red Moon Desert. Not long after she got to know Big Baby, he threw a bunch of Xuan formations for her to memorize. At that time, she just felt that each Xuan formation was more complicated than the other. With her photographic memory, she still had to study them for some time before she could forcefully memorize them. Who knew that those were actually his prized possessions?! It was only later that she entered Ling Xiao Academy and found out what they were when she chanced upon the elders carefully treasuring the precious scrolls. Those kept in the library weren¡¯t even as numerous as those she memorized in the Red Moon Desert! After all, Big Baby was the true owner of those Xuan formations. No matter how many the library had, how could it be compared to himself?! ¡°Even though the Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s level has exceeded your current abilities, it has the same mechanisms as quite a few Xuan formations in the Heaven Scroll. You can do it as long as you divide the Heaven-Locking Formation into small portions and treat them as individual Heaven Scrolls.¡± This is asking me to break through them individually?! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows hesitantly. ¡°Can this¡­ really do?¡± ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t do it alone. Every single force circulation in the Heaven-Locking Formation is extremely precise, and you can¡¯t make a single mistake. Even if you solve them one by one, you have to merge them. I naturally will teach you this later.¡± ¡°The fate of yourself and the entire Ling Xiao Academy is in your hands today!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. She looked up, glanced at that black hand, and clenched her teeth harshly. ¡°Okay!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1553 - Heaven-Defying Outside the Heaven-Locking Formation, there was an invisible suppression that blocked all the threats. Big Baby did this to give Chu Liuyue sufficient time. He could not appear and publicly take action, but Chu Liuyue and Ling Xiao Academy were in trouble. He couldn¡¯t just sit and watch, so on the way here, he thought of this method. As for whether it would work, it all depended on Chu Liuyue! ¡­ To the spectating crowd, the current Chu Liuyue was rather weird. She was standing in the center of the Heaven-Locking Formation and had her head lowered while in deep thought. Her expression was serious, and her attitude was solemn. It was as if¡­ she were looking at the Heaven-Locking Formation. But what was so nice to see about the Heaven-Locking Formation? Not to mention others, even the low-level Xuan Masters didn¡¯t dare to stare at the Heaven-Locking Formation. The suppression was too heavy. If they looked at it for extended periods of time, not only would they not understand it, it might even affect their consciousness and recognition. Only Elder Hua Feng and the rest could forcefully stare at it for a while, but not for long. However, the crowd quickly realized that something was amiss. That was because Chu Liuyue had been staring at the Heaven-Locking Formation for a rather long time! ¡°What exactly is Yue¡¯er doing?¡± Elder Bo Yan couldn¡¯t help but ask softly. Ever since he knew that it was quite possible that that person returned, he felt much more secure. However, he didn¡¯t look too different from the others on the surface. Elder Hua Feng knitted his brows. ¡°She¡¯s looking at the Heaven-Locking Formation, but¡­ I recall that she was a King Xuan Master when she left the academy back then, right? Did she improve again?¡± If not, how could she inspect the Heaven-Locking Formation for so long without any abnormalities? King Xuan Masters were comparable to true gods amongst warriors. In the talented Ling Xiao Academy, this wasn¡¯t considered top. The reason why Chu Liuyue could get a good ranking on the Xuan Master ranking list was just that she knew many Xuan formations and had strong combat power, so she was stably better than the other Xuan Masters in the same level. But even so, her level was right there. There was quite a bit of distance from a Great King Xuan Master. ¡°She has just come back. After summoning her God Realm, she broke through to become a true god. As for the other aspects¡­ She doesn¡¯t seem to have broken through and is the same as before,¡± said Elder Bo Yan with some uncertainty. Elder Hua Feng was dazed. ¡°T-then, how can she¡­¡± Before he finished his sentence, Elder Hua Feng¡¯s expression suddenly changed! Seeing his expression, Elder Bo Yan looked over strangely. With this look, he was also stunned. That was because Chu Liuyue, who was standing in the middle of the Heaven-Locking Formation, suddenly took action! A bright ray of light flew out from her thin fingers and floated in the wind. The next moment, that ray of light actually connected two broken lines in the Heaven-Locking Formation! It merged perfectly! This scene was taken in by the surrounding elders. The surroundings were completely silent! Even if many of them weren¡¯t Xuan Masters, they had some understanding of Xuan formations. What level is the Heaven-Locking Formation, and what standard is she as a Xuan Master? What is she doing now? She¡¯s using her own strength to repair the Heaven-Locking Formation?! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice the surrounding people¡¯s reactions. This matter was extremely hard to complete for her, so she had to gather all her focus and couldn¡¯t be careless. When she saw that force successfully merging into the Heaven-Locking Formation, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. Even though it had been a few years, she luckily still remembered the Xuan formation drawings in the heavenly scroll. Following this, the second ray of light flew out from her fingers. Elder Hua Feng finally gasped in shock. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ using her own force to repair the Heaven-Locking Formation?!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1554 - Can Do It Even though Chu Liuyue was injured, her energy wasn¡¯t affected. Hence, it wasn¡¯t too hard for her to gather her force at this point and repair the Heaven-Locking Formation bit by bit. In her mind, she had already divided the large Heaven-Locking Formation into many small Xuan formations. This Heaven-Locking Formation and those Xuan formations in the Heaven Scrolls were all created by Big Baby, so they naturally had the same mechanisms. This point alone made it convenient for Chu Liuyue. While she recalled the Heaven Scroll she had memorized, she carefully sent out force to repair the incomplete Heaven-Locking Formation bit by bit! ¡­ The crowd had their eyes open and mouths agape. W-what situation is this? Fifteen minutes ago, Chu Liuyue was still on the brink of death. She was like a piece of meat on the chopping board, letting anyone butcher her. In such a short time, how did the whole situation overturn? She stood on the Heaven-Locking Formation, and the black hand could no longer easily approach her. It would be hard if it even wanted to pluck out another strand of her hair, let alone kill her! The key was that Chu Liuyue herself started repairing the Heaven-Locking Formation without saying anything¡­ Elder Hua Feng couldn¡¯t hold himself back and rubbed his eyes. ¡°How exactly¡­ did Yue¡¯er do it¡­.?¡± After a temporary shock, Elder Hua Feng was even more confused and curious. He was also a Xuan Master. Amongst all the elders in Ling Xiao Academy, he was considered one of the top. However, even he didn¡¯t dare to guarantee that he had the skills to repair the Heaven-Locking Formation. But not only did Chu Liuyue do it¡­ she even did it stably! Elder Bo Yan didn¡¯t speak. He faintly guessed something in his heart, but he wasn¡¯t certain. The other elders fell silent gradually. ¡­ Shangguan Jing wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth as he stared at Chu Liuyue on the gigantic broken Xuan formation with furrowed brows. He wasn¡¯t a Xuan Master but an armory refinement master. He knew a little about how difficult it was to repair the Heaven-Locking Formation, but this scene looked too strange. ¡°Senior Shangguan, how are you?¡± A voice came from the side. Shangguan Jing turned around to take a look. ¡°Director Nan, you¡¯re too kind. I¡¯m fine.¡± Nan Suhuai heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Not to mention others, but Shangguan Jing¡¯s seniority was higher than everyone here. Additionally, he was Chu Liuyue¡¯s ancestor, so he naturally had to be more polite. ¡°But Yue¡¯er¡­¡± Shangguan Jing was hesitant in his words. How could Nan Suhuai not know what he was worried about? He immediately comforted, ¡°Senior Shangguan, don¡¯t worry. Yue¡¯er has always known what she¡¯s doing. Since she has chosen to do this, let¡¯s quietly observe the changes. Perhaps¡­ she can really solve the problem?¡± When Shangguan Jing heard this, his expression changed slightly as he paused on Nan Suhuai¡¯s face for a while longer. Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression was sincere, and he allowed him to size him up. Compared to him being filled with worry and nervousness previously, he was¡­ indeed different. A thought popped up in Shangguan Jing¡¯s mind. He suppressed his uneasiness and nodded. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡­ Not long after talking to Nan Suhuai, his figure moved and went toward Rong Xiu. At this point, Rong Xiu was looking at Chu Liuyue solemnly. His eyes were deep, and one couldn¡¯t understand him. Detecting Nan Suhuai¡¯s arrival, Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze moved slightly, and he looked at the director. ¡°Greetings, Director.¡± Nan Suhuai raised his hand, indicating that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t have to stand on ceremony. ¡°How¡­ are you?¡± As he spoke, Nan Suhuai had already quickly sized Rong Xiu up. He had always worn pure white robes. At this point, they were already torn, tattered, and covered with bloodstains. Anybody who saw it would know that he had previously experienced a tough battle. Nan Suhuai sighed silently in his heart again. Truly only Yue¡¯er can cause him to be in this state¡­ ¡°Director, don¡¯t worry. I am fine,¡± Rong Xiu lightly said. Nan Suhuai nodded. He knew that his thoughts were all on Chu Liuyue, so he didn¡¯t ask further. ¡°Yue¡¯er can definitely turn the situation around. As for you, your injuries aren¡¯t minor¡­¡± Rong Xiu paused and then nodded lightly. ¡°Thank you, Director. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Some people in the surroundings had already started looking over. Nan Suhuai¡¯s lips moved as he turned to look at Chu Liuyue. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. That black hand gradually became restless. In the middle, it had tried to attack Chu Liuyue several times, but it was of no use. Even if there were some small energy ripples, Chu Liuyue ignored them totally. At this point, all her focus was on repairing the Heaven-Locking Formation. She was originally quite familiar with the Xuan formations within the Heaven Scrolls, so the Heaven-Locking Formation wasn¡¯t considered too hard for her. And with Big Baby¡¯s help, everything progressed even more smoothly. In the beginning, the crowd was still worried that Chu Liuyue¡¯s force couldn¡¯t persist for long. But very quickly, they realized that this was unnecessary. Even after a long time had passed, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t really change. She just had to raise her hand to have unconditional strength. Of course, this was mainly because she was absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force at an even faster speed. The water droplet in Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian originally hid tremendous force. As it turned into her own strength at an extreme efficiency and speed, Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t have to worry about exhausting her force. With Big Baby¡¯s help, the black hand¡¯s strange force was now blocked outside. The feeling of the water droplet being stolen didn¡¯t appear again. Chu Liuyue entered her optimum state as she slowly and precisely repaired the Heaven-Locking Formation. ¡­ A white horizon appeared in the skies. The sun rose and shone brightly. A new day came just like this. Quite a few people looked at the slowly rising sun and were filled with emotions. On this night, nobody in Ling Xiao Academy had a good sleep. Everyone was awake as they waited and suffered. Even at this point, they still persisted and didn¡¯t dare to take it easy. Million Wine Mountain had already become a barren piece of land. In midair, a gigantic Xuan formation floated quietly. The purple light and silver light intersected and glowed brightly¡ªit was the Heaven-Locking Formation! A night had passed. The originally incomplete Heaven-Locking Formation had already been restored by more than half. The crowd gradually accepted it from their initial shock. Even if this incident seemed too incredulous¡­ the truth was right in front of them! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and her face was pale. If one stood nearby, they could see her slightly trembling body. However, her gaze was very determined and solemn. In actual fact, she had long exhausted all her energy and force. Now, she was just forcefully holding on through her water droplet. Only a small damaged part of the Heaven-Locking Formation had to be fixed now. Once it was complete, it could suppress that hand again! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, clenched her teeth, and whipped out the last ray of light! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1555 - Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed That black hand felt that something was amiss, and it suddenly tore the space and wanted to escape! Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression turned harsh as he abruptly whipped his sleeves! The torn space was sealed up again! Nan Suhuai¡¯s abilities weren¡¯t comparable to the other party, but this was Ling Xiao Academy, and it had always been heavily guarded in the past thousands of years. Other than the barrier outside the academy, there were also quite a few safeguards in the academy for emergencies. It wasn¡¯t that simple for one to leave or enter Ling Xiao Academy casually. Right at this moment, a loud sound suddenly reverberated! The crowd looked over in unison. They saw that the purple-silver Heaven-Locking Formation had already completed its repair in midair! There were many intersections that glowed with a faint red-golden light. One could tell that this Xuan formation had quite a bit of Chu Liuyue¡¯s force. Compared to the previous Heaven-Locking Formation, the aura of this one was clearly better! Chu Liuyue held her breath in, and her ears were silent. She could only hear the sound of her own heart beating wildly. Bang bang! Bang bang! Her heart was about to jump out of her chest! At this point, she was already exhausted. But looking at the Heaven-Locking Formation that had completed its repair beneath her feet, the immense happiness and excitement caused her to feel much better. Her eyes were bloodshot but abnormally bright like the sun. Not to mention others, even she was filled with uneasiness and anxiety before this. However, everything was still completed successfully in the end. To others, this might be an extremely incredulous matter. However, only Chu Liuyue herself knew that doing this didn¡¯t mean that she had broken through as a Xuan Master or that her abilities had strengthened. Everything was all because fate allowed for it. Other than Big Baby, nobody else in the world was more familiar with the Xuan formations in the Heaven Scrolls than her. Additionally, her body had that heaven-defying water droplet! Furthermore, with Big Baby¡¯s guidance¡­ It was too much of a coincidence! ¡°Girlie, it hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡± Big Baby¡¯s voice landed in her ears. The soft milky voice had a hint of hoarseness. Although Big Baby didn¡¯t appear this time, he was clearly quite worried. The most tortured person during this night wasn¡¯t Chu Liuyue but him. ¡°I know.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded determinedly, and her eyes became more serious. She had just repaired those broken portions. However, she would only know if the Heaven-Locking Formation could function as normal after trying it. ¡°You¡¯ve already exhausted the force in your body, so you can¡¯t activate the Heaven-Locking Formation again. You have to think of another way.¡± Big Baby¡¯s words worried Chu Liuyue. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Produce the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed and then summoned the Heavenly Square Cauldron. A tiny transparent square cauldron quietly landed in her palms. On the surface, it was crystallized and transparent as a colorless karmic fire burned inside. However, only Chu Liuyue knew what was hidden inside. ¡°Remember, you can only take one out.¡± Chu Liuyue followed his instructions. A thought popped up in her mind, and a nail-sized Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed floated out of it. That item was like a bullet with two sharp ends and a tiny circular belly in the middle. At first glance, it was extremely ordinary. As if detecting that this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was being summoned, the other one in the cauldron became uneasy as it moved around in agitation. Chu Liuyue directly put away her Heavenly Square Cauldron as she held the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in her hands. Chu Liuyue¡¯s slight movement was completely seen by the surrounding audience. The crowd exchanged glances and was filled with confusion. ¡°What did she take out from the Heavenly Square Cauldron?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t see it clearly. I think it¡¯s something small.¡± ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s no ordinary object if it can be hidden in the Heavenly Square Cauldron, right? Perhaps it¡¯s some rare treasure?¡± ¡°That makes sense. Sigh, speaking of which¡­ If this is true, Shangguan Yue has too many trump cards, right?¡± ¡°Hmph, she has even repaired the Heaven-Locking Formation. What¡¯s so weird about having many treasures in her hand? Don¡¯t forget that she¡¯s not Chu Yue now, but Shangguan Yue! The director¡¯s disciple, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort, Shangguan Jing¡¯s descendant¡­ Any identity is highly enviable!¡± The large gap caused people to feel too tired to be jealous. The chaotic discussions in the surroundings were all ignored by Chu Liuyue. She held the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed tightly and looked at that black hand calmly. The next moment, she inserted her last bit of force into it! Whoosh! The hand suddenly felt sharp pain! Chu Liuyue spread her hands. One side of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had scratched her hand. Blood spread everywhere. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed quickly absorbed the blood and totally turned red, looking like a translucent ruby. Suddenly, that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed started trembling lightly. Chu Liuyue felt something, and her lips curled up slightly. In the past, she had only heard her ancestor mention this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and knew that it was an extremely precious object. However, she wasn¡¯t clear about the specifics. With a rough calculation, she had obtained this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed for quite some time. But since the start, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was suppressed within the Heavenly Square Cauldron and didn¡¯t make much noise. If it were not for Big Baby¡¯s reminder, Chu Liuyue would¡¯ve forgotten she had such a thing with her. Peng! A small opening broke open on the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. A soft green leaf slowly grew from it. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was extremely small, so the leaf was naturally even tinier. It looked the size of a yellow bean, but its color was light, green, and extremely full, with tiny lines on it. It looked lively. Chu Liuyue looked at it curiously. So¡­ the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed can still grow? She couldn¡¯t help but reach out toward that leaf. At this moment, the tiny intricate leaf swayed lightly. Whoosh¡ª Chu Liuyue suddenly heard a voice sounding in her ears. She turned around, and shock flashed across her eyes! She saw that a wave suddenly appeared in the clear skies behind her! It was like the waves caused by the giant ocean. The waves were white in color as they moved and rolled over! This is¡­ It was a tidal wave formed by Heaven and Earth Force! Normally speaking, Heaven and Earth Force would only become white mist when it was pure to a certain extent. If one wanted to form a water-like state, the requirements were even stricter and weren¡¯t easy to achieve. However, this tidal wave appeared so easily?! Suddenly, a ridiculous yet bold thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She instinctively turned around, looked down, and stared at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in her hands. Could it be¡­ The crystallized and soft leaf swayed lightly. Huala! The tidal wave composed of Heaven and Earth Force started rushing over at high speed! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1556 - I Wont Lie to You Again The white wave crashed in the sky! Upon seeing this commotion, the entire spectating crowd in Ling Xiao Academy had their eyes wide open in shock. That¡¯s¡­ ¡°Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed?!¡± Nan Suhuai first reacted and then looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. From here, they could forcefully see that it was a tiny object. At this point, a small plant had sprouted, looking cute and small. However, it was this seemingly cute and harmless item that easily gathered the Heaven and Earth Force to form a tidal wave that overwhelmed the sky! Huala! Following this, that white wave directly drowned the gigantic Heaven-Locking Formation! Chu Liuyue took a step out and wanted to retreat. Suddenly, she saw the terrifying force attacking her side and splitting into two again. The white waves passed by her side. They were clearly extremely strong with a harsh aura, but it felt like a light wind had brushed past her legs without any sense of ferociousness. Chu Liuyue paused in her actions and blinked. She instinctively looked at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in her hands. It indeed caused the tidal waves of force! At that moment, the Heaven-Locking Formation had a rich amount of force seeping in! The white tidal waves formed by the Heaven and Earth Force rapidly collapsed in the Heaven-Locking Formation! At that moment, the Heaven-Locking Formation glowed brightly! Ka! With a tiny sound spreading, the Heaven-Locking Formation actually spun slowly! Chu Liuyue gasped. I-it¡¯s activated just like that? Even though she hadn¡¯t seen the previous scene, she could roughly guess that quite a few elders had worked together to activate the Heaven-Locking Formation. The crowd had to work together to summon the Heaven-Locking Formation and activate it. However, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed just waved its small leaf, and it¡­ It wasn¡¯t just Chu Liuyue¡ªthe people present were all taken back and shocked speechless by the scene before them. It wasn¡¯t that they hadn¡¯t heard of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed before. As a rumored precious item, Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds were very mysterious. Very few people had seen one. Normally, an average person would only hear some relevant rumors and know very little. They never expected that not only did they see it, but they even witnessed its power! The Heaven-Locking Formation spun and glowed brightly! Whoosh! Whoosh! A sharp cry came from that black hand again! Chu Liuyue looked up, and her eyes shrunk slightly. The bloody veins on that hand protruded in a contorted and terrifying manner, as if¡­ it wanted to escape! Suddenly, that black hand harshly slapped at Chu Liuyue! This time, the suppression and strength were scarier than all the previous times! ¡°Girlie! Retreat!¡± Big Baby immediately hollered. Chu Liuyue was long prepared. She went on her toes and rapidly retreated. The sharp nails on the black fingers scarcely swiped across her face! Sharp pain came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s face as wounds instantly appeared! However, she had no time to care about this as she tried her best to unleash her greatest speed and continuously moved back! Pilihuala! She heard a crisp shatter, and the Heaven-Locking Formation collapsed in the air! The invisible barrier of suppression that protected Chu Liuyue shattered as well! Then, that black hand landed on the Heaven-Locking Formation heavily! The two forces crazily collided with each other and caused the ground to shake! After a temporary silence, the terrifying forces hurled toward the surroundings! Chu Liuyue was the first to take the hit! Her chest vibrated, and her body seemed to be harshly hit by something as she flew backward uncontrollably! Suddenly, a warm force held her waist. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart relaxed as she let herself fall back into the familiar embrace. A familiar cold fragrance attacked her and instantly comforted her intense heartbeat. Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression became sharp. ¡°Everyone, listen to my orders! Form a barrier!¡± Once he said this, his figure moved as he ran over first! At the same time, thick and vigorous force rapidly surged out of his palm! The elders were the first to react as they took action one after another! The many forces intertwined. In the blink of an eye, it formed a gigantic barrier in midair! Hong hong hong! The two forces fought intensely, and the ripples spread, harshly hitting the surrounding barrier! The barrier immediately started shaking violently, and even a few nearby mountains were implicated. At that moment, the mountain bodies shook, and rocks fell. Shangguan Jing and Elder Meng took action quickly! The forces inside barged everywhere as they kept swallowing each other and caused repulsions. But with the elders¡¯ help, the barrier¡ªwhich was about to break¡ªwas finally stabilized forcefully. Right at this moment, the Heaven-Locking Formation started spinning at greater speeds. Countless rays of light shot to the sky as they restricted that black hand tightly! Then, they crazily attacked it! The hand also started struggling violently, but it still couldn¡¯t break free. Scars appeared on that hand. Slowly, bright red blood flowed out. The sharp and miserable cries almost pierced one¡¯s eardrums! This time, even the many students spectating from far away heard this strange sound. The expression on the crowd¡¯s faces changed. This item was indeed extremely weird! But luckily, the Heaven-Locking Formation was much stronger this time. Not only did it survive, but it even took the upper hand slowly and started to retaliate! At this moment, every second became harder to endure than ever. After some time¡ª Peng! A loud sound was heard! That black hand was finally crushed! The purple light and silver light of the Heaven-Locking Formation wrapped around it. Following this, the crowd saw that the gigantic black hand had split into many parts! The strange thing was that no fresh red blood spurted out. The black pieces of meat rapidly burned and finally turned into black fumes that disappeared! Only a fishy scent spread throughout the air and didn¡¯t go away for a long time. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at Rong Xiu. She was disheveled at this point, and there was even a wound on her face, looking very fragile. However, her eyes¡ªwhich were as dark as black gems¡ªwere bright like the stars. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± Her pale lips curled up slightly at a faint angle. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart tingled as he gazed at her deeply. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you this time. I came back in one piece.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s hand suddenly tightened, but he restrained himself, terrified that he would touch her wound. She reached out, hugged his thin waist, and leaned against his chest. In her ears, she could clearly hear his heart beating. Only a few layers of clothes were in between the two of them. His warmth quickly transferred to her body. Her ice-cold body seemed to warm up. After one moment, a low voice sounded above her head. ¡°Yue¡¯er, be good. In the future¡­ stay beside me forever.¡± She closed her eyes lightly, and the corner of her lips curled up. ¡°Okay.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1557 - Storm about to Blow It was permission and also a promise. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue said this, she fainted in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms. She was already exhausted and was just forcefully relying on her last bit of willpower to support herself. Seeing that the Heaven-Locking Formation trouble was settled, Chu Liuyue relaxed. Finally, she couldn¡¯t hold on and fainted. This sleep lasted for a month. ¡­ Jiuheng Peak. In the room, the few of them sat on both sides. ¡°Yue¡¯er has been in a coma for so long. Why hasn¡¯t she woken up?¡± Nan Suhuai couldn¡¯t help but sigh with eyes filled with worry. Shangguan Jing paused and said, ¡°Too many things have happened recently, so she has used up all her energy both mentally and physically. Now that she can finally rest, it¡¯s normal that she¡¯s asleep for a little longer.¡± Among all these people present, he knew the clearest about how much she had suffered. Perhaps others would think that Chu Liuyue had heaven-defying luck to be able to break through from an intermediate stage-eight warrior continuously to become a legendary warrior. However, who knew what exactly she had gone through in between?! Especially when she summoned her God Realm and forcefully became a true god¡­ Normal people might not even be able to do this in decades, yet she completed all of it in a mere few months. How could she not be tired? Let¡¯s not mention that she even repaired the Heaven-Locking Formation at the end and used up all her force. it used up everything she had. Upon hearing this, Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression became warmer. ¡°That¡¯s true. These few years¡­ that girl must¡¯ve suffered quite a bit. Anyway, they can deal with all the matters in the academy, so we can just let Yue¡¯er rest.¡± However, it was rather worrying that she didn¡¯t wake up. During this month, they would come over and sit for a while every day. However, they had used many pills and tried all sorts of methods, yet she still showed no signs of waking up. They didn¡¯t know how long she would sleep, which caused them to be uneasy. Elder Bo Yan stood at the side, looked at Shangguan Jing and Nan Suhuai, and silently sighed. Actually, he wanted to ask about too many things, yet Yue¡¯er had been in a coma during this period of time. These big bosses had also placed all their focus on her, so he couldn¡¯t ask further. And these people clearly had an unspoken mutual understanding and didn¡¯t talk much about that girl. For example, the reason for her leaving her God Realm in Fengmin Mountain and the reason she suddenly left and disappeared without a trace. 1 When she appeared again, she had a completely different identity, and she was even missing a part of her memory. After the eruption in Million Wine Mountain, she said she wanted to go down no matter what. Was it really just because she wanted to make up for her mistake of the red-gold heavenly phoenix swallowing the lightning force? Besides, the director¡¯s whereabouts in the past few years¡­ Where exactly did he go? How did he come back at such a crucial time? Finally, the most worrying thing for Elder Bo Yan was: Did that person come back that day? Ever since the incident ended, there were no additional people in the academy. The many mysteries caused one to be uneasy and filled with doubts. However, he could only temporarily suppress these curiosities and confusions. Familiar footsteps sounded from outside the door. The few of them looked up. The person who came in wasn¡¯t anyone else but Rong Xiu, who had been taking close care of Chu Liuyue during this period of time. Nan Suhuai stood up first. ¡°Rong Xiu, how¡¯s Yue¡¯er?¡± Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°She hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± Upon hearing this, the few of them looked disappointed. Even though they had already guessed it, they couldn¡¯t help but feel empty when they heard this. ¡°However, her injuries have basically healed.¡± Even though her wounds were severe, she had become a true god again, so her recovery speed was much better than before. The reason she was in a coma for such a long time was really like Shangguan Jing had said¡ªshe was too tired previously and had to rest. ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± The few of them exchanged glances and heaved sighs of relief. Even though she hadn¡¯t woken up, this was considered good news to them. ¡°Since this is so, we can rest assured. Continue taking good care of her; we¡¯ll leave first.¡± With Rong Xiu around, there was basically nothing much to worry about. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll send you off.¡± The few of them stood up and walked outside. ¡­ The moment they walked to the door, they heard a ripple coming from outside. Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved slightly as he raised his arm. Jiuheng Peak¡¯s barrier silently opened. A familiar figure quickly flew in. ¡°Director!¡± The incoming person was in a hurry and looked rather worried¡ªit was actually Elder Wen Xi. ¡°Wen Xi, why are you here?¡± Nan Suhuai walked out and found it strange when he saw him. Calculating the time, Elder Wen Xi should still be cleaning up the mess in the academy. Elder Wen Xi quickly walked forward and passed over a palm-sized red-golden feather with furrowed brows. ¡°Director, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan sent a letter.¡± ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Nan Suhuai took the feather. It was totally red and gold, and it was as hard as metal. It was covered in a layer of faint suppression. It was indeed a letter from the red-gold heavenly phoenixes. ¡°Yes, and it states that only you can open the letter,¡± added Elder Wen Xi. ¡°They barely have any interactions with humans. Why did they suddenly think of writing us a letter?¡± muttered Elder Bo Yan strangely. However, Nan Suhuai suddenly thought of something as his expression turned solemn. He used slight force in his fingertips, and the feather glowed brightly. Then, a few lines of words floated in space. Nan Suhuai looked over. When he read it halfway, he knitted his brows. When those few lines of words completely disappeared, his expression totally turned harsh and was covered in a layer of coldness. Not long later, those few lines of words slowly disappeared. The red-golden feather silently turned into powder and went with the wind. ¡°Director, what did they say?¡± asked Elder Bo Yan rather worriedly. They stood at the side, so they couldn¡¯t see its content. Nan Suhuai paused for a moment. ¡°This is written personally by the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s clan leader.¡± The few of them were shocked. ¡°Clan leader? Hasn¡¯t that person not come out in a few hundred years? Rumors have it that his temper is very arrogant, and he hardly ever interacts with humans.¡± As an ancient legendary fiend, the red-gold heavenly phoenixes had pride in their bones, especially this clan leader. They heard that a legendary warrior was once injured and needed a herb that only the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan had in order to treat himself, so he went forward to ask for it. In the end, he waited outside the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan for three days and nights, yet the other party refused to see him. In the end, this legendary warrior could only leave in disappointment. Later on, his injury became permanent, and he couldn¡¯t improve his skills for the rest of his life. Upon hearing this, the crowd sighed. They didn¡¯t even give face to the legendary warrior, which showed how proud the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was! Therefore, why did this person suddenly send a letter now? Nan Suhuai coldly said, ¡°It wants Yue¡¯er to break her agreement with that red-gold heavenly phoenix and apologize in person!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1558 - Agree ¡°Dissolve the agreement?! Go up and apologize?!¡± The few of them were stunned. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan had always been arrogant. It was normal for them not to accept Yue¡¯er making an agreement with a red-gold heavenly phoenix. However, such a request was too overboard! ¡°Is this a joke? Yue¡¯er¡¯s fiend has followed her for many years and broke through all the way from a nine-colored heavenly pheasant to the red-gold heavenly phoenix it is today. Now, they have to dissolve the agreement just because they said so?! That¡¯s too unreasonable!¡± Elder Bo Yan, who had always been gentle, couldn¡¯t help but knit his brows. One could just imagine how much the girl and Tuan Zi had been through to get to where they were today. Now, the red-gold heavenly phoenixes just randomly sent a letter and wanted them to dissolve their agreement. How could there be such logic in the world?! Elder Wen Xi sighed secretly in his heart. After knowing who sent the letter, he was rather worried and felt that it should be related to Yue¡¯er. However, he also didn¡¯t expect the other party to be so rude and domineering. ¡°They should know about what happened in the academy earlier on. Even though Tuan Zi was born as a nine-colored heavenly pheasant, it¡¯s a true red-gold heavenly phoenix now. Therefore, they naturally have to care about it,¡± said Nan Suhuai. There were no secrets in the world, let alone the academy having such a huge commotion. Even when they had already tried their best to suppress the news, the entire God Residence Realm probably already knew about it. ¡°They don¡¯t have to have such a stiff attitude, right?¡± Elder Wen Xi couldn¡¯t help but ask. This letter was directly written to the director, but the other party clearly didn¡¯t give any face at all. It was no wonder the director¡¯s face turned cold once he read the letter. ¡°Miao Yao previously suffered greatly on our side, so this might be related to him,¡± guessed Elder Bo Yan. He couldn¡¯t be blamed for this scheming. Miao Yao had always been arrogant and petty, so it was impossible for him to let the previous incident go. Nan Suhuai nodded. ¡°The great phoenix dragons and the red-gold heavenly phoenixes are the two ancient legendary fiend clans, and they have always had a strange relationship. Even though they don¡¯t fight on the surface, they have many secret battles. To them, their bloodline having an agreement with humans definitely isn¡¯t anything honorable and could even be seen as a flaw.¡± ¡°The news of Yue¡¯er making an agreement with a red-gold heavenly phoenix must¡¯ve spread all around by now. The key is that other than the red-gold heavenly phoenix, she even has a legendary three-eyed eagle.¡± When the average person heard this, their first thought would definitely be shock and curiosity. After all, it was indeed rare to make agreements with two legendary fiends at the same time. But when the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan heard this, they would definitely be upset. ¡°The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan might be mocked by the great phoenix dragon clan over this.¡± That was why their attitudes were so stiff. The few of them fell silent. Nan Suhuai¡¯s words made sense. ¡°Not to mention Yue¡¯er, even I won¡¯t agree to this matter,¡± said Shangguan Jing suddenly. His tone was calm, but his expression was determined. The other party doesn¡¯t care about Yue¡¯er at all! This is pure humiliation! ¡°Senior Shangguan, don¡¯t worry. Yue¡¯er is my disciple. I have the same stance as you in regards to this issue.¡± Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression returned to normal. ¡°I¡¯ll reply to them now and talk it out with them! This matter has no room for negotiation!¡± Yue¡¯er was currently unconscious, and the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan just sent this letter over. They were too much of a bully! ¡°I¡¯ll just go.¡± A slightly hoarse voice suddenly came from the side. The few of them were shocked. Turning around, they saw that the door was open as a slim figure walked out, standing at the door frame. It was Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze flickered as he walked over first. His steps were calm, but he moved extremely quickly. In the blink of an eye, he already walked to the door. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Rong Xiu stretched out his hand and placed it on the back of her forehead. The palm was thick and warm. That warmth seemed to spread from her forehead and reached her entire body. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± At this point, she was bare-faced. Perhaps it was because she had slept for too long and just woke up, but her face was slightly rosy. Her bright black eyes were clear and clean, sparkling like stars. Her hair had messily fallen, and she wore a thin white layer of clothes. Rong Xiu quickly surveyed her surroundings, and his gaze deepened slightly. Her waist¡­ seems to be slimmer. Rong Xiu lightly acknowledged it as he took out a black cloak and placed it on her. Suddenly feeling that her body became heavier, Chu Liuyue blinked. I¡¯m not cold. However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stop and even helped her to button it up carefully. After tidying her, he took half a step back and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s cold. Don¡¯t freeze.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. It¡¯s currently in the middle of the day, and the sun is shining right in. With this huge cloak, it would definitely be hot. Why would it be cold? But facing his deep and nonchalant phoenix-like gaze, Chu Liuyue still nodded obediently as her lips moved. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Shangguan Jing and the rest walked over, sizing her up happily. Seeing that she was rather energetic and most of her wounds had healed, the few of them were relieved. ¡°Originally, we thought that we would have to wait for a while longer for you to wake up. How¡¯s your body?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Ancestor, Mentor. I¡¯m much better.¡± Actually, she had already recovered consciousness a few days ago. However, her physical body was too exhausted, and she couldn¡¯t wake up. She had pretty much recuperated now, so she could get up. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Nan Suhuai sighed lightly and looked at her dotingly. ¡°It has really been hard on you during this time.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm as she shook her head. ¡°Actually, I implicated the academy¡­¡± Nan Suhuai¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Stupid girl, what are you talking about?!¡± I will never agree if anyone dares to say that this is because my¡ªNan Suhuai¡¯s precious disciple made a mistake! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Knowing that she could not refute this in front of her mentor, she swallowed her remaining words. Knowing her thoughts, Rong Xiu said lightly, ¡°Everything in the academy is back on track. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Chu Liuyue was then really relieved. She had really tried her best to obtain today¡¯s results, so it could be considered that she had no regrets. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and glanced at Nan Suhuai again. ¡°Mentor, did that letter state the time?¡± Nan Suhuai was dazed for a moment before realizing what she was asking. He couldn¡¯t help furrowing his brows tightly. Originally, he wanted to reject it directly. But seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression, he hesitated again. ¡°¡­You really want to go?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Tuan Zi is my fiend, but it¡¯s also part of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. I have to make this trip.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1559 - See Him Shangguan Jing had a look of disapproval and said curtly, ¡°Yue¡¯er, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan has always been arrogant. Now that they¡¯ve sent this letter, they should have malicious intentions. If you go, you will suffer.¡± In actual fact, judging from the other party¡¯s personality and working style¡­ If Chu Liuyue really did what the letter said and went over personally, unimaginable humiliation was probably awaiting her. He naturally couldn¡¯t bear to let her go and suffer this. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Ancestor, although Tuan Zi successfully broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix later on, according to the rules, it has to make a trip back and acknowledge its ancestors since it has inherited this bloodline. We previously had no time, but Tuan Zi and I had already decided to make a trip back when we were free. Since their clan leader has already sent a letter to chase us, we should take this chance to go over.¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. Tuan Zi is my fiend, and I naturally won¡¯t agree to the other party¡¯s request to dissolve our agreement. This trip is to tell them this clearly and legitimately. If I don¡¯t go this time, they definitely won¡¯t let this slide. Things will only become increasingly troublesome. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words made the few of them fall silent. Actually, they knew that Chu Liuyue was stating facts. As long as Tuan Zi was still a red-gold heavenly phoenix and followed Chu Liuyue, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan wouldn¡¯t let this slide. From this letter personally written by the clan leader, they could tell that they minded this matter way more than expected. Nan Suhuai knitted his brows. ¡°But if you go this time, it will definitely be perilous. Why don¡¯t¡­ I reply to them and ask them to meet somewhere else.¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Mentor, how is that considered ¡®going up and apologizing?''¡± However, Nan Suhuai didn¡¯t care as he coldly snorted. ¡°The ancient legendary fiends do have a distinguished status, but our Ling Xiao Academy isn¡¯t one to be trifled with. How can we allow them to trample all over us!?¡± Previously, Miao Yao had directly barged into the academy and caused a huge commotion. If not for Chu Liuyue retaliating later on and handling everything, Nan Suhuai wouldn¡¯t have let this slide. Even now, he still had a grudge against the great phoenix dragon. Now, it was the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s turn! It was really never-ending! It became increasingly worse! ¡°You can just stay in the academy. I don¡¯t believe they will destroy the entire academy!¡± Chu Liuyue knew that Nan Suhuai was thinking about her. However, she really didn¡¯t want to give the academy more trouble at this time. ¡°Mentor.¡± Chu Liuyue paused and then said, ¡°The academy has just experienced quite a big ordeal, and it¡¯s a critical moment now. There¡¯s really no reason to push the academy to the limelight because of these things.¡± During this period of time, she had been in an unconscious state and didn¡¯t know much about the outside world. But as long as she thought about it, she could roughly guess it. Million Wine Mountain was destroyed, and quite a few elders in the academy were injured. At this point in time, Ling Xiao Academy couldn¡¯t suffer another ordeal. Shangguan Jing thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± In this way, he could be assured to some extent. Chu Liuyue nodded. The other party clearly stated that they wanted to see her, but Shangguan Jing had a special identity. Even if he followed her over, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan couldn¡¯t say much. This also wouldn¡¯t implicate the academy. Nan Suhuai wanted to convince her further, but seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s persistent attitude, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Mentor, did they state the date and time?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan had always been mysterious. People only knew that they stayed on Godly Phoenix Mountain, but nobody knew the exact location. Nan Suhuai boomed, ¡°They gave you a month. As for the location¡­ Tuan Zi has the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s bloodline, so it naturally can find it.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a slight sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Time was rather sufficient. She paused, and her expression turned solemn. ¡°I wonder¡­ Where is Jun Jiuqing now? I want to see him.¡± ¡­ ¡°That Shangguan Yue really has nine lives,¡± said Yi Wenzhuo coldly as he played with the ashes in the incense pot. A faint bitter fragrance spread throughout the air. ¡°Under such circumstances, she could actually survive it.¡± Originally, he thought that she wouldn¡¯t survive this. ¡°She has quite a few trump cards. That Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed helped greatly in her survival.¡± Jun Jiuqing stood behind Yi Wenzhuo. He didn¡¯t have much of an expression and said lightly, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Yi Wenzhuo paused and suddenly sneered. ¡°Chi Xiao Sword, Heavenly Square Cauldron, two legendary fiends¡­ Any one of them would cause people to be filled with envy. She alone occupied all of them. Such luck is indeed heaven-defying; it¡¯s no wonder she can summon her God Realm again and directly break through to become a true god a few years later.¡± As he spoke, he turned to glance at Jun Jiuqing. ¡°As for you¡­. Back then, you originally could break through to become a true god, but you were suddenly delayed for a few years in between and can¡¯t succeed to this day. Those people in the clan don¡¯t mock you any less in private because of this.¡± He would never hide these things from Jun Jiuqing. He wanted to let Jun Jiuqing know how cruel the world was! If you don¡¯t become stronger, you will only be slaughtered! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve made you worried these few years.¡± ¡°Luckily, you¡¯ve already successfully broken through, so those people can¡¯t talk much anymore.¡± Yi Wenzhuo placed the items in his hands down. ¡°That Shangguan Yue does have quite a few treasures, but you have some as well. You must carefully study the legendary weapons and techniques I gave you earlier.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Wenzhuo stared at him. ¡°Back then, I was the senior brother and was more experienced and capable than Nan Suhuai. However, he eventually became the director! Now, all my hopes are pinned on you! You must beat Shangguan Yue! I¡¯ve already lost once, and I don¡¯t wish to lose again. Do you understand?¡± Jun Jiuqing looked up, and his expression was nonchalant. ¡°I understand.¡± Yi Wenzhuo gazed deeply at him for quite a while. ¡°Let me warn you¡ªRong Xiu is already ruined because of Shangguan Yue. You¡­¡± Knock knock! Before Yi Wenzhuo could finish his sentence, he suddenly heard knocks from outside. At the same time, a cold voice sounded. ¡°Vice-director, Shangguan Yue is here to visit.¡± ¡°Why did she come here?!¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s expression turned cold. When I was still in the academy a few years ago, Shangguan Yue rarely came over. Now that she has suddenly come, there must be a problem! However, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze flickered. She¡­ woke up? Yi Wenzhuo squinted his eyes, stood up, and walked outside. I want to see what this Shangguan Yue plans on doing! Creak¡­ The door opened, and Yi Wenzhuo saw Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing in the courtyard¡ªinstantly. The strange thing was that there was nobody else around her. She actually came alone. Yi Wenzhuo sized her up and looked annoyed. ¡°Shangguan Yue? Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly, and her gaze landed on the figure behind him. ¡°Vice-director, I came today to find Jun Jiuqing.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1560 - Unknown Yi Wenzhuo turned around and glanced at her with a doubtful gaze. Shangguan Yue should¡¯ve woken up not long ago. Logically speaking, Nan Suhuai that bunch of people should be carefully doting on her. Why would they allow her to come over alone? Besides, she is looking for Jun Jiuqing. ¡°We previously had some conflicts that we couldn¡¯t solve, so I specifically came over, wanting to explain everything that happened.¡± Chu Liuyue was straightforward as the corner of her lips curled up slightly. ¡°This is your place. You won¡¯t be worried that I¡¯ll do anything here, right?¡± Who is this targeting? Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s expression turned colder. ¡°You can go ahead and talk to him.¡± Then, he glanced at Jun Jiuqing with deep meaning. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long and come back to cultivate.¡± Jun Jiuqing nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ In the room, Chu Liuyue sat opposite Jun Jiuqing. The door was open, but there was a barrier inside the room, so the two of them weren¡¯t afraid of being overheard. The atmosphere was cold, and the air was stiff. Chu Liuyue was straightforward. ¡°Jun Jiuqing, if you return my father unharmed and in one piece, all the grudges between us can be canceled.¡± Jun Jiuqing knew that she came for this matter. When he heard this, his brows quickly furrowed before returning to normal. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. She straightened her body, and her shoulders were upright. Her black gem-like eyes stared straight at Jun Jiuqing. Then, her lips curled up in a cold smile. ¡°It seems like you have no plans to talk to me.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± Jun Jiuqing leaned against the chair as the depths of his narrow and nonchalant eyes were filled with incomprehensible ripples. ¡°Back then, I brought him away because I didn¡¯t want you to come back. Since you¡¯re already back and have recovered your memories, he is of no more use to me. I don¡¯t have to hide these things from you.¡± When Chu Liuyue saw Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression, her heart sank. ¡°In the beginning, I commanded people to bring him to the God-Killing Tumulus¡ª¡± ¡°Jun Jiuqing!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression changed drastically. God-Killing Tumulus¡ªthat is one of the most dangerous places in the God Residence Realm! With Chu Ning¡¯s cultivation level, he will definitely die there! Jun Jiuqing raised his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just at the borders, and it won¡¯t be fatal to him. Besides, I¡¯ve been sending someone to follow him in secret. Why would I want his life?¡± Chu Liuyue suppressed her overwhelming rage. Even though she never liked to interact with Jun Jiuqing, she had to admit that he made sense. From the beginning, he only wanted to use Chu Ning to threaten her. The more he did this, the more he would focus on protecting Chu Ning¡¯s life. ¡°Since you sent someone to bring him to the God-Killing Tumulus, why do you say that you don¡¯t know?¡± questioned Chu Liuyue carefully. Jun Jiuqing suddenly laughed. ¡°You should ask Chu Ning this, or yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Jun Jiuqing continued, ¡°After my people sent him to the God-Killing Tumulus, everything was fine. But a month ago, all my men met their demise overnight, and Chu Ning disappeared. That was also the day you summoned your God Realm and recovered your memories.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. ¡°Really?¡± Jun Jiuqing knocked against the handle in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°I can tell you honestly that among the people I sent over, there¡¯s a true god and three demigods. They¡¯re all strong warriors under me. This time, I¡¯ve also suffered a great loss, but I don¡¯t even know who did it.¡± ¡°Not to mention one Chu Ning¡­ Even if it¡¯s ten of him, it¡¯s not worth me paying such a huge price.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words sounded horrible, but they were direct. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. She knew that Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t have a top status in the clan. Now that he had lost four strong warriors, he must¡¯ve received some pressure. He really had no need to do this. ¡°When I received the news, you had already fainted. Rong Xiu has also been standing guard at Jiuheng Peak. Even if I wanted to tell you about it, I didn¡¯t have the chance.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s brows slightly rose as his lazy and hoarse voice had a few hints of unconcealable mockery. Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. If it is really so, where is Chu Ning now? ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to contact Chu Ning now. Unless you can find him, nobody will know what exactly happened that day. Of course, perhaps you should ask yourself how many people you¡¯ve offended in total. There should be many people who want to take advantage of this opportunity, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was cold as she looked at Jun Jiuqing. After a moment, she then stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll believe your words for now. If I discover that all you said were lies another day, I definitely will return this to you a hundredfold!¡± Then, she walked outside. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s men are all dead, and he probably won¡¯t have many clues. There is no point in continuing to ask. When she walked to the door, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from behind. ¡°If you didn¡¯t insist on coming back and stayed with me in Beiming, none of this would¡¯ve happened.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and looked over. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression was nonchalant. Even though he was smiling, his expression was extremely cold. Forgetting the past might be a tragedy for others, but it is undoubtedly a relief for her. It is a pity she is too stubborn, and Rong Xiu¡­ He is too lax with her. The two of them stared at each other. After a moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly asked, ¡°Not many people know about why I left the academy, and even Rong Xiu only found out later on. How¡­ do you know?¡± Inside the room, the coldness overwhelmed, and the atmosphere was stiff. Jun Jiuqing smiled curtly, and he looked demonic. ¡°I naturally have my own ways.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that she wouldn¡¯t get an answer if she continued asking, so she turned around to leave. It was only until her figure disappeared behind the door that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. He closed his eyes, staying in his seat for a while as his surrounding pressure became extremely low. After a moment, he stood up and walked to Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s room. ¡­ Chu Liuyue was rather flustered. Originally, she thought that she could get Jun Jiuqing to return her father after meeting him. She didn¡¯t expect something to happen again. The previous time, all her connections with her father had already been broken. Now, she couldn¡¯t get any news at all. Even if he was still in the God-Killing Tumulus, that place was spacious and wide. Finding a person was undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack. After returning to Jiuheng Peak¡­ Chu Liuyue originally wanted to discuss things with Rong Xiu, but she realized that he wasn¡¯t around. He should be at Dong Huang Clock Tower¡­ Chu Liuyue thought in this manner and returned to her room. It was already evening. The evening sunlight shone in from the window, and the room was bright. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and thought for a long while but still had no idea, so she could only temporarily suppress this matter. She breathed in and closed her eyes. Inside her dantian, a brilliant water droplet floated quietly. With a thought, that water droplet changed shape and instantly became a broken page. It was translucent, crystallized, and iridescent! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1561 - Rong Xius Danger ¡°I wonder where the remaining pages are¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. In order to hide it back then, she risked suppressing her God Realm, going back to Tianling, and even sacrificing her life. Now that she had come back, she had to continue finding the remaining ones. If she could gather them, many problems could be solved. Right at this moment, knocks were suddenly heard outside. Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts, stood up, and opened the door. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± The person outside the door was indeed Rong Xiu. It seemed like he had just returned, but his expression didn¡¯t seem right. Chu Liuyue asked strangely, ¡°What¡­ happened to you?¡± Rong Xiu held her hand and returned to the room. After standing in the room, he looked at Chu Liuyue and said in a low voice, ¡°The clan leader is unconscious.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and then realized who he was talking about after reacting. ¡°¡­Clan Leader Baili?¡± Rong Xiu lightly nodded. ¡°Yu Mo personally came and delivered the news earlier.¡± No wonder he wasn¡¯t around just now¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°When did that happen? Why would he suddenly faint out of nowhere?¡± More than a month ago, he was clearly fine in Fangzhou City. How long has it been? Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°Yu Mo said that ever since he returned to the Sky-Cloud Empire, he has stayed in his room the whole time and didn¡¯t come out. In the beginning, the subordinates didn¡¯t notice anything amiss. Later on, Respected Elder Yu Jing had something urgent to report and kept knocking on the door, but it went unanswered. He became doubtful and forcefully barged in, and that¡¯s when he realized.¡± ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing then immediately told Yu Mo and asked him to come over personally.¡± The matter was serious, so someone had to come and report to Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. ¡°That means that nobody knows when Clan Leader Baili became unconscious. And the reason¡­ is also unknown?¡± Rong Xiu paused, and his voice became colder. ¡°This news wasn¡¯t suppressed. Now, all the higher-ups in the Sky-Cloud Empire know about this, including the family heads of the 28 divisions.¡± Chu Liuyue almost instantly understood. ¡°Someone suspects you?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°Other than me, there doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s someone else who wants to do this even more?¡± Even though he was smiling, the corner of his lips and his eyes were cold. ¡°All the elders are now waiting for me to go back to the Sky-Cloud Empire, and they plan to investigate this matter properly.¡± They said it was to investigate and find out the truth, but they clearly targeted him. Everyone knew that Baili Chun and Rong Xiu had never been on good terms. Previously, they still hid it a little, but after what happened at Fangzhou City the other day, the two parties had completely fallen apart. Now that Baili Chun got into trouble once he went back, everyone would naturally suspect Rong Xiu. Even if Baili Chun was previously humiliated, he was still the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader. If something really happened to him, it definitely couldn¡¯t be covered easily¡ªnot to mention that someone might want to take the chance and cause some trouble. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. ¡°Then now, you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a trip back.¡± Rong Xiu hugged her, and his chin lightly touched her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll quickly settle the matters there and come back.¡± Originally, he also planned on following her to Godly Phoenix Mountain. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in as the faint cold fragrance slowly spread in her chest. Her heart instantly felt more secure. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can handle my own matters myself. As for the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s side¡­ Clan Leader Baili¡¯s status is distinguished after all. If he didn¡¯t set this trap himself, it means that someone else wants to frame you.¡± This was largely different from Rong Xiu usurping the throne and forcefully taking power. If it was confirmed that Rong Xiu harmed the clan leader, this would become a flaw that could never be erased. Rong Xiu could have no cares about the clan leader, and he could rid the latter of his power, but he couldn¡¯t be tainted with the sin of killing the clan leader! Rong Xiu nodded. He indeed had great power in the Sky-Cloud Empire, but some people still had malicious intentions. ¡°Some things have to be cleaned sooner or later.¡± Rong Xiu bent down and kissed her forehead. Chu Liuyue hugged his waist. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we make an agreement? Whoever settles their trouble first will go find the other person.¡± Rong Xiu raised her face and kissed her lips. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stay for too long and quickly left with Yu Mo. After some simple tidying, Chu Liuyue directly left with Shangguan Jing and headed for Godly Phoenix Mountain the next day. Originally, Nan Suhuai also wanted to follow them. But considering that Ling Xiao Academy had indeed been in a lot of trouble recently, Nan Suhuai had to take charge of the situation. Chu Liuyue also didn¡¯t want to implicate the academy further, so she still rejected him tactfully. After a month of recuperation, Tuan Zi¡¯s injuries were basically healed. Under its guidance, Chu Liuyue and the rest left the academy for Godly Phoenix Mountain. ¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain had always been very mysterious to the people in the God Residence Realm. In recent years, they had been increasingly discreet, so everyone was naturally more curious. Rumors had it that when the big bang happened many years ago, the great phoenix dragons and the red-gold heavenly phoenixes were born at the same time¡ªone ice and one fire that went against each other. Over many years, the two ancient legendary fiends¡¯ bloodlines gradually separated and gave birth to the many legendary fiends beneath them. But no matter if it was bloodline or status, these two were still the highest. This was precisely the reason why these two clans were extremely arrogant. Without their permission, humans couldn¡¯t easily step into their territory. Chu Liuyue never thought that she would go to Godly Phoenix Mountain to apologize one day. Of course, this was just a tactful way of putting it. She knew more clearly than anyone else what awaited her on this journey. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1562 - Godly Phoenix Mountain Godly Phoenix Mountain didn¡¯t have a transportation formation that connected to the outside world, so Chu Liuyue and the rest directly followed Tuan Zi and walked over. The journey was far. After being in a coma in the academy for a month, Chu Liuyue¡¯s injuries had become much better, and she had basically recovered fully. Additionally, she had broken through to become a true god, and all her abilities were strengthened. Therefore, her speed was naturally much higher than before. But even so, they walked for nearly ten days, and only half the journey was over. The more they walked, the more deserted the surroundings. In the beginning, they could still meet a few people from time to time. But later on, there was basically nobody else. After another eight days of such arduous journeying, they finally reached their destination. ¡­ Looking at the vast and borderless sea before them, Chu Liuyue and Shangguan Jing were stunned. ¡°This is¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain?¡± said Chu Liuyue with some uncertainty. Behind them was a piece of deserted land, and in front of them were overwhelming waves. It was noon at this point. The bright sun shone on the sea surface, and it rippled. At first glance, it was light blue. However, there was no need to talk about any mountain as there wasn¡¯t even an island. It was empty, quiet, and cold. They could only hear the sea breeze rustling in the surroundings. Other than this, they couldn¡¯t hear anything at all. The more important thing was that there didn¡¯t seem to be any vitality here. Tuan Zi squatted on her shoulders and forcefully nodded. Even though it hadn¡¯t come here before, after it broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix, the memory and strength from its bloodline allowed it to find this place naturally. This was indeed Godly Phoenix Mountain. Tuan Zi blinked, spread its wings, and flew up. Screech! A clear scream spread far and wide! ¡°Quickly look!¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly gasped in shock. Chu Liuyue immediately looked forward. She saw the surface of the ocean rapidly gathering in front of her! In the blink of an eye, it formed an ice bridge! This so-called ice bridge was actually very narrow and only allowed one person to walk across it. The transparent ice layer continued to spread on the water surface. The surrounding seawater kept surging, but it couldn¡¯t affect this icy bridge at all. As the sun shone down, the surface seemed to be sparkling in a red-golden color. At first glance, it seemed like the bright blue sky was filled with flickering stars. It seemed as intricate and pretty as glass. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart immediately hung up high! That was because she clearly felt the strong suppression coming from the icy bridge! Her sixth sense had always been sharp. Hence, her first thought when she saw the icy bridge wasn¡¯t how beautiful it was, but¡­ danger! ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Shangguan Jing clearly noticed this and spoke before walking forward. His figure moved, and he flew up! He went straight for that icy bridge! But just as he was about to land, a red-golden fire suddenly came out from the icy bridge! That fire was just the size of a fist, but it burned very intensely! Shangguan Jing secretly felt that it was amiss, so he immediately set up a barrier and rapidly avoided it! However, the next scene caused his expression to change drastically. When the fire was about to land on the barrier, it didn¡¯t stop for a moment and burned the barrier entirely! Instantly, the fire spread with the wind! The terrifyingly hot temperature attacked them as sparks landed and caused quite a few scars on his hand! Excruciating pain was felt! Shangguan Jing clenched his teeth, and even more shock filled his heart. He was a supreme Armory Refinement Master and had extremely high physical strength. This fire could actually burn him, which showed that it couldn¡¯t be underestimated! Right at this moment, a second spark suddenly zoomed in from the side! It instantly attacked Shangguan Jing from the front and back! Helpless, Shangguan Jing could only turn around and return to the shore. The moment he left, the fire rapidly stopped and silently returned to the icy bridge. If it weren¡¯t because Shangguan Jing¡¯s hand still had a few fresh burns, it really seemed like nothing had happened. Chu Liuyue immediately walked over. ¡°Ancestor, are you okay?¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just some superficial injuries. However¡­¡± He knitted his brows and looked forward. Even I can¡¯t pass this bridge, let alone Chu Liuyue. At this point, an old and nonchalant voice sounded from afar. ¡°Other than Shangguan Yue, nobody else is allowed into Godly Phoenix Mountain!¡± That voice seemed to have traveled through time and space as it braved the weather! Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest became stuffy as her forehead and ears throbbed! All the blood in her body seemed to be overwhelmed at this moment, wanting to burn her alive! She was shocked, but she hurriedly calmed herself down and bit the tip of her tongue! The bloody taste spread across her mouth, and the strong pain finally woke her up. She took a deep breath in and looked forward intensely! This is¡­ the voice of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s clan leader! Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression also changed. We just came, and the other party did an opening gambit. It was clearly on purpose! Tuan Zi spread its wings and blocked Chu Liuyue. Its black eyes were filled with anger and combat intent. Screech! The clear shriek had unconcealable enmity! No matter who it is, if they want to make things difficult for her, I won¡¯t let them off! ¡°Someone who broke through halfway indeed lacks teaching!¡± That voice suddenly vibrated angrily. ¡°You want to go against your bloodline power because of this mere human?¡± Once the clan leader said this, heaven and earth changed, and the winds howled! Above the water surface, gigantic waves were instantly triggered and came crashing down! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1563 - Kill! Hula! An air-piercing sound came, and Tuan Zi¡¯s body glowed. Instantly, it turned from its petite appearance to a large figure! Its wings flapped, and the winds howled! It directly rushed forward! A red-golden fire suddenly burned around it! The next moment, that fire rushed out crazily and formed a wall of fire that blocked the overwhelming waves! The fire and the seawater intertwined, letting out an ear-piercing sound! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened. This clearly isn¡¯t ordinary seawater as it contains tremendous suppression. Tuan Zi¡¯s injuries have just healed. It is clearly not easy for it to deal with this situation. Suddenly, Tuan Zi changed direction and rushed toward the wave! The red-golden figure forcefully barged through the middle! An opening was suddenly ripped apart in the wave. With that area as the center, the fire started burning even more crazily! The seawater started evaporating quickly. Not long later, the waves subsided, and the water surface gradually calmed down. Tuan Zi flew back to Chu Liuyue as it reliably blocked her behind it. ¡°Your bloodline power isn¡¯t bad.¡± That voice sounded again as if it were judging Tuan Zi. Its words had a hint of shock that was hard to detect. ¡°You¡¯re not born as a red-gold heavenly phoenix, so your bloodline skills and powers are naturally weaker. Besides, you started as a nine-colored heavenly pheasant. You have immense luck to be able to break through to your current cultivation level. However, you can¡¯t return to the clan just because you broke through.¡± This tone was still high and mighty. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She then understood that the previous formation was an opening gambit and the other party¡¯s evaluation test for Tuan Zi. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan emphasized bloodline power strictly. If one wasn¡¯t born a red-gold heavenly phoenix and broke through the pinnacle as other legendary fiends, they would actually be discriminated against here. This was especially so for Tuan Zi, who wasn¡¯t even a legendary fiend in the beginning. In their eyes, this was naturally despised. But clearly, the skills Tuan Zi executed caused the other party to be slightly surprised. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really care about these things. Chu Liuyue sharply saw that Tuan ZI¡¯s body had two wounds and that blood was slowly seeping out of them. She knitted her brows slightly, and coldness flashed across her eyes. We haven¡¯t even officially stepped into Godly Phoenix Mountain, and Tuan Zi is already injured. I don¡¯t know what it will be like when we are inside. This journey¡­ will probably be more arduous than expected. ¡°Shangguan Yue, are you just going to hide behind in such a cowardly manner?¡± That voice had a few hints of unconcealable mockery. ¡°If you have the guts, come over yourself!¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, come over.¡± Tuan Zi did not move. ¡°Listen to me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone became more serious. Tuan Zi then turned around and moved back reluctantly. She took a step forward, and her hand lightly rubbed Tuan Zi¡¯s body. ¡°Senior is right. Since you¡¯re my fiend, I should be responsible for everything.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s gaze flickered as it lowered its head and rubbed its head against her palm. Chu Liuyue looked forward. ¡°Senior, since I have brought Tuan Zi over today, it means that I¡¯m bent on clearing up this matter.¡± The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Then, that voice boomed, ¡°You are pretty confident.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. She knew that since the other party wanted her to come over, they definitely didn¡¯t want to show her a simple opening gambit only. ¡°If you want to clear this matter, it¡¯s very easy. You just have to cross this ice bridge and come to me personally. I¡¯ll naturally give you a chance to speak.¡± Shangguan Jing knitted his brows. This sounds rather uncomfortable. What does it mean by ¡®give you a chance to speak?¡¯ Does it mean that if we don¡¯t go over, we won¡¯t even have the right to speak to them? However, Chu Liuyue agreed immediately. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Yue¡¯er¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing said worriedly. ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that he was worried, so she smiled at him kindly. ¡°You also know that I don¡¯t think about anything that I¡¯m not confident of.¡± Since she dared to come, she had already done all the preparations! Shangguan Jing gazed at her calmly and felt very conflicted. After some time, he then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here for you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, calmed herself down, straightened her back, and walked forward. Tuan Zi followed closely behind. ¡­ Chu Liuyue stepped onto the ice bridge with one leg and already felt a scorching heat wave coming from below! She looked down and took a glance. Below the clear and transparent ice layer, red-golden sparks kept exploding into fires! The terrifyingly high temperature came from here! She paused in her tracks, and red-golden fire burned around her¡ªthis was naturally Tuan Zi¡¯s fire. With this layer of fire as protection, the scorching feeling beneath her feet was blocked outside. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she continued walking forward. She didn¡¯t walk quickly, but her steps were very stable. Every single step was like carrying tons of weight, landing on the ice bridge. Determined and stubborn, she walked forward! ¡­ Godly Phoenix Palace. It was solemn within the magnificent hall. An elder stood in the middle of the hall with his hands behind his back. A gigantic light ball floated before him. An apparition appeared in the light ball. On the vast and borderless sea, a woman slowly walked over. Behind her, a red-gold heavenly phoenix followed closely. ¡°As an ancient legendary fiend, it actually bent down and obeyed the human¡¯s every command. How humiliating! Clan Leader, that¡¯s just a nine-colored heavenly pheasant that broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix. Even if it has our clan¡¯s bloodline power, it should be mediocre. Why did you spend so much effort in luring them over?¡± Behind him, a few elders from the clan stood with faces of disapproval. ¡°Such behavior is akin to betraying the clan. I think we should just kill the person and the fiend together!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1564 - Kneel Yi Zhao kept quiet for a moment and then lightly said, ¡°Whoever has the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s bloodline must acknowledge our ancestors. These are the rules set and left behind by our ancestors. Nobody can go against them.¡± Once he said this, the elders behind him exchanged glances. ¡°Besides, in recent years, our clan numbers have gradually decreased. Even though this one broke through from a nine-colored heavenly pheasant, it still has the bloodline power. As long as its bloodline power is pure enough, there are more benefits than losses if we acknowledge it.¡± The hall fell silent for a moment. ¡°Clan Leader, you¡¯re right.¡± Elder Yi Shang nodded in approval. ¡°Even though its background is mediocre, it¡¯s considered rare for it to be able to successfully break through from a nine-colored heavenly pheasant. Judging from the skills it just executed, its bloodline power isn¡¯t as weak as we expected. As long as it¡¯s decent, we can ignore the past.¡± The person that initially objected, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s First Elder Yi Gong, couldn¡¯t help but snort coldly. ¡°My red-gold heavenly phoenix clan has a distinguished status. Why would we make an agreement with humans!? No matter what, its actions are a grave mistake!¡± Elder Yi Shang smiled, and his expression was nonchalant. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. I heard that it followed Shangguan Yue beforehand and coincidentally met with a miracle in Ling Xiao Academy, thus breaking through. When it made an agreement with Shangguan Yue initially, it shouldn¡¯t have expected that it could break through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix. Strictly speaking, we can¡¯t say that it¡¯s completely its fault.¡± These simple sentences seemed like blades gleaming, and there were secret waves of conflict. The remaining three elders exchanged glances and became increasingly silent. At such times, it was better for them to keep quiet. In the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, the person with the highest status was the clan leader, Yi Zhao. The five ¡®Gong Shang Jiao Wei Yu¡¯ elders under him held power in the clan respectively. However, the people with the most authority were still Yi Shang and Yi Gong. In the clan, the people had been secretly divided into two factions and fought openly and secretly for a long time. Now, they had a conflict again. Actually, the three elders already had their own teams. But in front of the clan leader, they had to be more restrained. Hence, this fight just became a lone argument between the two of them. The atmosphere in the hall became cold. After a moment, Yi Zhao lightly said, ¡°That human¡¯s life is unimportant. Let¡¯s see the child¡¯s potential first.¡± As the clan leader with the highest status in the clan, he had the most speaking right. Since he had already expressed his attitude so directly, the others naturally could not say anything more. The few of them continued looking at the light ball. ¡­ At the same time, outside Godly Phoenix Hall, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan had long gathered and waited curiously. They already knew that a red-gold heavenly phoenix who had an agreement with a human would come. Such a thing hadn¡¯t happened in hundreds of years, and it was inevitable that they would be curious. Even though they couldn¡¯t enter Godly Phoenix Hall and see the rough situation, they could still instantly receive the news by waiting outside. As the crowd waited, they discussed something softly. ¡°Hey, did you hear? I heard that the red-gold heavenly phoenix broke through from a nine-colored heavenly pheasant!¡± ¡°Really?! That¡¯s really rare¡­ A nine-colored heavenly pheasant seems to be a ninth-grade fiend, right? Even such a person can directly break through to become an ancient legendary fiend¡­ Tsk.¡± ¡°I wonder what skills it has? If I have the chance, I want to see if it¡¯s any different from us.¡± Suddenly, a cold voice came over. ¡°It just got lucky. What¡¯s there to be curious about a lowly existence that luckily crossed the barrier?¡± The surroundings quietened down silently, and they all looked toward the person that talked. It was a man, who seemed like he was 28 or 29 years old. He was tall and strong, and he had cold and stern features. After a moment, someone laughed. ¡°Yi Ran, you seem to look down on the incoming person?¡± Yi Ran slightly knitted his brows and seemed dissatisfied with this. ¡°It hasn¡¯t acknowledged the clan yet, so how is it ¡®incoming?¡¯ Perhaps it and its lowly owner can¡¯t even cross the Skyless Sea.¡± It was too much of an overestimation to think of dueling with the other party now. ¡°If you have the time, why don¡¯t you go back, cultivate properly, and enhance your skills?¡± Another laugh sounded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back then? You¡¯re just wasting your time here.¡± Yi Ran tugged at the corner of his lips. In his words, he had the arrogance of looking down at everyone from above. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the First Elder here.¡± This time, nobody else spoke again. Everyone knew that Yi Ran was First Elder Yi Gong¡¯s top disciple, and Yi Gong liked him very much. This was especially so when the ancestral ceremony¡ªwhich happened once in a hundred years¡ªwas about to begin in no time. The most important thing in the ancestral ceremony was to choose the young master. Yi Ran was an elite amongst the younger generation, and he was definitely a popular candidate this time. They heard that Yi Gong had been giving him special training recently, and his skills had also improved greatly. He was determined to be the young master. Such a Yi Ran naturally wouldn¡¯t care about anything or anyone else. Some people secretly exchanged glances and had various expressions. ¡®He¡¯s not the young master yet, and he¡¯s already so domineering. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be worse in the future.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s too strong, and the First Elder is specifically nurturing him. You can¡¯t envy him!¡¯ ¡®Hmph, perhaps he won¡¯t even be the young master in the end. I want to see how he¡¯ll react when he¡¯s completely humiliated.¡¯ ¡®Ahem. Even though I don¡¯t really like him, I have to admit that among those of the same generation as him, I don¡¯t think anybody can fight with him, right? I heard that Yi Xuan has been cultivating with the Second Elder recently, but he¡¯s still young, and his cultivation time isn¡¯t as long as Yi Ran. I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t fight with him.¡¯ ¡®Just let him be arrogant. In the future, there will definitely be someone who will teach him a lesson and show him who¡¯s boss! Besides, there¡¯s still some time until the ancestral ceremony. I¡¯m still more interested in the new person now. Sigh, I wonder what kind of person its owner is. How can it follow the person so devotedly and wholeheartedly?¡¯ Even if it followed this owner when it wasn¡¯t a red-gold heavenly phoenix, it would know that this was a major taboo after it broke through. However, not only did it not cause a commotion, but it was even so protective of its owner¡­ It really made one curious. ¡­ Skyless Sea. The ice bridge was straight and spread toward the front. It seemed like there was no end. Chu Liuyue walked across it step by step, and her force was crazily depleting. Even with Tuan Zi¡¯s help and even if she could endure the burning fire below the ice layer¡­ The further she advanced, the stronger the invisible suppression. She endured the terrifying suppression in her surroundings. Her every bone and muscle seemed to be harshly crushed by something heavy. Gradually, her legs started to tremble slightly, and every step became more excruciating than ever! The waves tumbled as white water came over. At one moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s knees finally went weak as she kneeled on the ice surface! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1565 - Tuan Zi! Tsing! There was a cold glow in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands as the Chi Xiao Sword stuck to the icy floor! A crack quickly spread across. Tuan Zi followed over worriedly, wanting to help. Chu Liuyue lightly shook her head as she held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly and used it to support herself up slowly. The other party was Tuan Zi, as well as her. If she wanted to sit side-by-side with the other party and talk to them, this was something she had to overcome. If not, the other party wouldn¡¯t even take a look at her, let alone anything else. She took a deep breath in and looked forward. The sea had no sides or borders, and nobody knew where this ice bridge led and how much further they had to walk. Chu Liuyue pulled the Chi Xiao Sword out and continued walking forward. With the Chi Xiao Sword as her walking stick, a crack appeared on the ice bridge with every step she took. But no matter how chaotic the surrounding waves were, this ice bridge was still as calm and steady as the beginning. Tuan Zi was right behind her and followed her closely. The human and fiend walked forward slowly with much difficulty. ¡­ ¡°That Shangguan Yue knows a thing or two. If I didn¡¯t see wrongly, the sword in her hand should be the supreme Yuan instrument they were talking about earlier, right?¡± Inside Godly Phoenix Hall, Elder Yi Shang couldn¡¯t help but speak when he saw the petite figure walking forward continuously in the light ball. ¡°I heard that she has quite a few treasures with her, and even the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡ªone of the top ten holy weapons¡ªhas long recognized her as its owner. Not to mention other things, but she does have a number of assets.¡± Although the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan rarely interacted with the outside world, this didn¡¯t mean that they were isolated from the news. On the contrary, they were usually the first few to know about many pieces of news in the God Residence Realm. Elder Yi Shang stroked his chin. ¡°It seems like the great phoenix dragon¡¯s corpse was hidden with her, so it wasn¡¯t found by that bunch of old fogies, right?¡± Elder Yi Yu couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s so funny when I hear it! To help her own legendary three-eyed eagle reform its physical body, Shangguan Yue directly used that corpse¡¯s two wing bones. Even now, that corpse should still be incomplete, right?!¡± The two ancient legendary fiend clans had always had a competitive relationship. When they heard this news, they naturally couldn¡¯t help but gloat. ¡°Hmph! Not only does it have an agreement with a human, but it even shares the same owner as a mere legendary three-eyed eagle. How humiliating! What¡¯s so funny about this?¡± Elder Yi Gong¡¯s face was cold as he scolded. Elder Yi Yu¡¯s laughter suddenly stopped, and he looked sheepish. ¡°That legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s identity isn¡¯t ordinary; I think it¡¯s the clan leader. Speaking of which, its status shouldn¡¯t be considered too low. Besides, in this world, I¡¯m afraid only this one would dare to use the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bones to reform its own physical body, right?¡± Elder Yi Shang looked nonchalant. As he spoke, he even glanced at Elder Yi Yu. Even though the five elders had similar statuses on the surface, their age difference was actually quite significant. Yi Gong was the Fifth Elder and the youngest one. Compared to First Elder Yi Gong, he was younger than him by nearly 700 years. In addition to his active personality, he was sometimes too direct when speaking. Elder Yi Yu shrunk his neck. Actually, what I said was the truth¡­ I don¡¯t believe that these people won¡¯t secretly laugh about it when they hear it! Based on this point alone, it was humiliating enough if word got out. After all, even their red-gold heavenly phoenix clan wouldn¡¯t do this. Suddenly, he looked at the gigantic light ball, and his gaze focused. His eyes were filled with unconcealable shock. ¡°She seems to be coming over!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked every step very slowly. However, she had never stopped in her tracks. After some time, she gradually felt that the surrounding waves had calmed down. The heavy suppression also seemed to have suddenly disappeared at that moment. A bright golden light suddenly shone toward her from the front. The light was rather bright. Chu Liuyue instinctively tilted her head and covered her eyes. After a brief moment, she then adjusted to the light and looked forward. A completely red-golden, transparent barrier surged out from below the water surface at some point. At this moment, it loomed over the water surface and was a few steps away from her. That barrier was semicircular in shape. At first glance, it seemed like a giant curved top that loomed over the sea. Even though it was transparent, one couldn¡¯t see a single thing inside. She could only see the heavy dark figures that seemed to be overlapping and intersecting. Countless rays of light flashed before her on the barrier, forming a fire pattern. Chu Liuyue was stunned. That¡¯s¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain?! ¡°Come in directly.¡± That old and distant voice finally sounded again. Compared to before, this voice sounded much closer as if it was right next to her ear. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. It is clearly not that easy to go through that barrier, but since the other party has requested it, I can only do it. Chu Liuyue stared at the barrier calmly. At first glance, there was nothing special, and even the suppressive force silently disappeared. It was as if¡­ she could easily step right in. But just as she was about to go forward, Tuan Zi suddenly rushed over, directly blocking Chu Liuyue as it stared at the barrier alertly! It was as if there was something scary on it that was about to attack them. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Tuan Zi only shows such a state when it is extremely dangerous. ¡°Tuan Zi?¡± Chu Liuyue called out to it. Tuan Zi turned around and crazily shook its head, clearly not wanting her to take the risk. She smiled and lightly patted Tuan Zi¡¯s wings. ¡°Then, shall we go in together?¡± They had already come here, so they could not just turn back. Tuan Zi was conflicted for a moment before it moved half a step back hesitantly. Chu Liuyue looked at that barrier again. The next moment, her expression became slightly solemn as she stretched her hand in. The moment her thin fingers touched that barrier, Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears whirred! Following this, there seemed to be an extremely sharp blade that scraped her fingertips! Her heart abruptly skipped a beat! She almost instinctively wanted to retract her hand, but the moment her wrist moved, she thought of Tuan Zi next to her. I have to go in! Chu Liuyue gathered her thoughts, clenched her teeth, and continued forward. Excruciating pain spread from her palms rapidly! On the surface, it looked like nothing happened when she extended her hand into the red-golden transparent barrier. But in actual fact, she was currently experiencing indescribably terrifying pain! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand started trembling uncontrollably. She almost suspected that she would turn into powder by the time she passed through this barrier! But at this moment, half of Tuan Zi¡¯s body had entered. Detecting that something was amiss with Chu Liuyue, it turned around and saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze which looked like she was enduring the pain. It was shocked and furious as it directly flapped its wings on the barrier! The next moment, that barrier actually opened silently like water! Tuan Zi took the chance to bite onto Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeves and pulled her back! At the same time, the faces of the few people in Godly Phoenix Hall changed! ¡°It opened the barrier?!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1566 - Youre Amazing! The person that yelled this out was Elder Yi Gong. Even though the other elders didn¡¯t speak, they were clearly stunned. Even Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze suddenly became deep and mysterious. They couldn¡¯t be blamed for having such a huge reaction because this scene¡­ was indeed too shocking! One had to know that this barrier had always existed after the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was born. Only people with the clan¡¯s bloodline power could safely cross through that barrier. If outsiders wanted to come in without their permission, they had to suffer the bitter torture of their skin being ripped off. It was extremely hard, and it was why Chu Liuyue found it so painful to come in previously. This was originally the ordeal they purposely set for them! This move wouldn¡¯t take her life or even leave any scars on her body. However, the painful feeling was especially genuine, and normal people wouldn¡¯t even be able to endure it. This was also torture in another form. However, they didn¡¯t expect that the moment Chu Liuyue stuck half her hand in, Tuan Zi directly opened the barrier and forcefully dragged her in! In the clan, only the clan leader and the five elders could open the barrier! Now, Tuan Zi had opened the barrier without hesitation. How could they not be shocked?! After some time, Yi Zhao slowly spoke. ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenixes with the purest bloodline power can also open the barrier.¡± His voice was extremely calm, but for the few people at the side¡­ It sounded like thunder exploding beside their ears! ¡°¡­The purest bloodline power? A red-gold heavenly phoenix that came from a nine-colored heavenly pheasant breaking through? H-how is that possible?!¡± Even Elder Yi Yu, who had a good impression of Chu Liuyue earlier on, was dazed. He knew that this girl wasn¡¯t simple. Being able to hide the great phoenix dragon¡¯s corpse, use its wings to reform her own fiend¡¯s physical body, and even escape from Miao Yao¡¯s attacks¡­ How could someone who did all of this be ordinary? And the red-gold heavenly phoenix that had been following her the whole time should have decent potential. However, he also never expected that this red-gold heavenly phoenix could directly open the barrier! The entire Godly Phoenix Hall fell into deadly silence. That was because other than this explanation, they couldn¡¯t find a second possibility. After some time, Elder Yi Shang then spoke solemnly. ¡°Someone with the purest bloodline power hasn¡¯t appeared in the clan for a thousand years. If this one really has it, then¡­ it¡¯s our clan¡¯s luck.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± A sharp retort came. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. He knew too well what the purest bloodline power entailed! ¡°It was born as a nine-colored heavenly pheasant only. It¡¯s already extremely lucky to be able to break through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix. How can it have the purest bloodline power?!¡± There were so many talents in the clan, but even the most outstanding Yi Ran in the recent few years hadn¡¯t reached such a level. How could it be possible for a lowly existence from outside?! That was utterly ridiculous! Yi Zhao squinted his eyes slightly. They were deep, and one couldn¡¯t understand what he was thinking. ¡°We¡¯ll know if it is or not when it comes.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue felt a golden ray of light shine across, and it was white. After some time, she slowly looked at the scene in front of her closely. A furry head welcomed her. There was also a pair of circular and big eyes. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Tuan Zi?¡± She suddenly thought of something and turned around! A red-golden barrier was quietly shining behind them! This is¡­ I came in?! Chu Liuyue opened her mouth. ¡°Tuan Zi, you¡­ were the one who dragged me in just now?¡± Tuan Zi nodded excitedly. Chu Liuyue lifted her hands stiffly and muttered almost in disbelief, ¡°You¡­ opened this barrier?¡± Tuan Zi blinked. Of course, it¡¯s me! Who else could it be?! Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to believe it, Tuan Zi raised its wings and waved lightly. Whoosh! An extremely soft sound was heard. The next moment, Chu Liuyue saw an opening in the golden barrier. Looking out from that crack, she could see the shiny ice bridge and the bright blue sea. Chu Liuyue¡¯s breathing stopped, and her mind was blank for a moment. Although she had always been intelligent, she was also dazed when she saw this scene. Could it be¡­ that this barrier can be controlled by any red-gold heavenly phoenix at will? But this seems too casual¡­ Whoosh! Tuan Zi¡¯s wings flapped again. That barrier quickly returned to its initial state. It shone with a golden light and was very clear¡ªit was exactly the same as its initial appearance. Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi doubtfully. Tuan Zi tilted its head to look at her. Is this fun? This thing doesn¡¯t seem as scary as I thought! Chu Liuyue thought for a moment. ¡°Try it again. Can you still open it?¡± Whoosh! Upon hearing this, Tuan Zi immediately did it. Its wings flapped slightly, and an opening immediately appeared on that barrier. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes turned, and the barrier recovered its initial appearance. Following this, it moved again, and a second opening was made. Following its movement, the barrier closed and opened as the light rays shone brightly. Tuan Zi looked at Chu Liuyue in a flattering manner as it stretched its head out. Is it pretty? Please pat me! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, stiffly stretched out her hand, and patted Tuan Zi lightly. After some thinking, she sincerely praised, ¡°Tuan Zi, you¡¯re amazing.¡± Tuan Zi squinted its eyes in satisfaction. At the same time, the few people¡¯s faces had turned green in Godly Phoenix Hall. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1567 - Clan Leader! The first time Tuan Zi opened the barrier, they could still say that it was a coincidence. But now, the few people in the hall couldn¡¯t say this at all when they saw this scene. If this isn¡¯t even considered the purest bloodline power¡­ ¡°Si¡ª¡± Elder Yi Yu tried hard to calm himself down, but it was to no avail after suppressing himself a few times. He gasped. ¡°This bloodline power should be the best out of the entire younger generation, right?¡± His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but the others could hear it clearly, and they had complicated expressions when they heard this. How is it only the younger generation? Even the few of us might not be able to control the barrier so easily at will! This red-gold heavenly phoenix is clearly young, yet it has such skills. Other than ¡®talented,¡¯ they couldn¡¯t think of any other word to describe it. ¡°T-this is¡­ ridiculous! What does it think of the clan¡¯s barrier? It actually played with it like that¡ªhow disrespectful!¡± Elder Yi Gong hesitated for half a day and finally found words to scold it. The others looked at one another. Others? They must have the ability to do so first! They want to do it, but they don¡¯t have the talent, right?! The so-called disrespect¡­ That red-gold heavenly phoenix probably didn¡¯t even know what that barrier meant and just treated it as an interesting toy! How could it be disrespectful? After Elder Yi Gong said that, he felt regret as well. It was fine if it were other people, but everyone standing in the hall had the most distinguished statuses in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Nobody knew better than them what the scene represented. It was rather laughable that he said those words. However, he was too anxious. The ancestral ceremony was imminent, and he had already prepared everything for Yi Ran. When the time came, the latter could ascend the position successfully. But at this time, an extremely talented phoenix suddenly came out of nowhere, and there were too many variables! How could he not be worried? It was fine if it was some ordinary talent, but this one clearly had the purest bloodline power that appeared once in a thousand years! That was absolute suppression! If something happened, all his hard work in the past few years would be wasted! Elder Yi Shang suddenly looked up, glanced at him, and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Luckily, we didn¡¯t directly kill them in the beginning. The purest bloodline is extremely precious. If we hurt it, it would be a major loss for our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan.¡± Elder Yi Gong¡¯s expression turned even uglier. It was a pity that all of these were facts, and he couldn¡¯t even refute them. ¡°It seems like quite a decent talent,¡± said Yi Zhao after the long silence in the hall. He stood at the front, and his back was facing the few of them. Nobody could see his expression. From his voice and intonation alone, they also couldn¡¯t discern anything. ¡°Even though it has made an agreement with a human, this bloodline power is rare. When it properly dissolves its agreement with the human, we can teach it properly again.¡± Then, he waved his sleeves. The gigantic light ball silently turned into rays of light and disappeared. ¡­ Tuan Zi stood beside the barrier and played happily. Before Tuan Zi came in, it instinctively felt that the barrier was dangerous, so it didn¡¯t want Chu Liuyue to take the risk. However, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t expect to come in so easily. After it came in, the barrier seemed to have undergone an incredulous change. The feeling of danger disappeared and was replaced with an indescribable intimacy. Not only was it not worried, but it even got addicted to playing with it. As Chu Liuyue watched, she rubbed her brows. Even though I don¡¯t know the exact situation, a barrier for Godly Phoenix Mountain clearly can¡¯t be casually opened or closed. This time, the other party told me to come over with the intent of scolding me and testing me, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t treat this as a joke. Then¡­ there is only one possibility left¡ªTuan Zi is indeed different. She really hadn¡¯t thought of this before. After all, in the very beginning, she also didn¡¯t expect Tuan Zi to truly break through all the way to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix from a nine-colored heavenly pheasant. Now that she saw this scene, she was instantly more confident. She looked up. This was a gigantic space under the red-golden barrier. At first glance, it had no edges or borders. The many mountains overlapped with lush greenery. The thick, ancient forest stood upright, and every tree seemed to have a long history, needing a few people to wrap around it. It covered the skies, and the greenery was lush. The Heaven and Earth Force was rich As long as one took a deep breath in, they would be rejuvenated. The scene was filled with vitality. Only on the peak of the highest mountain was there no hint of trees or flowers, and it was entirely black. It must¡¯ve been burned by a fire. At first glance, Chu Liuyue immediately felt that the mountain peak was their true destination for the journey. She squinted her eyes slightly and looked at the top. A magnificent hall stood upright. From such a far distance away, she could still feel its solemn aura. The moment she looked over, there seemed to be a gaze that came from the distant hall and landed on her precisely! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart shook! She instinctively became alert, and all her muscles tensed up. As if detecting something, Tuan Zi leaned close to her and looked up. The next moment, the ground below Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet shook! She lowered her head to take a look. Before she could react, she felt that her world was spinning! Then, her entire body seemed to be harshly dragged by some force! Her surroundings instantly plunged into darkness! ¡­ Luckily, such a feeling didn¡¯t last for too long. In no time, Chu Liuyue felt that her feet had landed on actual ground. The darkness before her had rapidly disappeared. She squinted her eyes. Before she could see her surroundings clearly, her body was wrapped in coldness. She calmed herself down and immediately surveyed the surroundings. This was a hall¡ªit was magnificent, traditional, and solemn. The ground beneath her feet had tidy and smooth black gems that clearly reflected her figure. The red-golden sparks on it seemed like a galaxy filled with stars as they dazzled. She was dazed for a moment and looked up. A giant, circular top was there. It was a clear white gem that had been engraved, there were numerous sparks on it that shone brightly. The sparks on the floor actually reflected the scene in the circular ceiling. Standing here, it was really easy for one to feel enchanted. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think much about it. She quickly retracted her gaze and looked forward. Inside the hall were six people on the stairs, looking down at her from above. The person at the front was an elder in a white robe. He had a straight face, and although he wasn¡¯t angry, he looked formidable. The most noticeable feature was that his hair was entirely red and gold. Almost at that instant, Chu Liuyue reacted. That person must be the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1568 - Decide When Chu Liuyue looked at Yi Zhao, the latter was also sizing her up. His gaze was extremely nonchalant and seemed to have the power to pierce through everything. With just a slight glance, Chu Liuyue felt that her entire body was about to be seen through! However, Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t stop on her for long. After a few glances, he turned to Tuan Zi at the side. It was only at this point that his bottomless gaze flickered slightly. There was nothing to care about for a human. This red-gold heavenly phoenix was the most important one to them! ¡°You haven¡¯t turned into your human form?¡± he asked with a boom. His voice was as low as a clock with a few hints of experience and distance. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. He is indeed the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s clan leader. I haven¡¯t seen such suppression in my life! Even Miao Yao, who I saw previously, can¡¯t be compared to him! Tuan Zi knew that he was asking it, but it didn¡¯t want to answer. The expression he had when he looked at Chu Liuyue was as if he was looking at some object, which enraged it. Tuan Zi ignored him as it turned around, lowered its head, and rubbed against Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. It showed that it wasn¡¯t willing to speak. The atmosphere was cold. ¡°The clan leader is talking to you. What kind of attitude is this?!¡± Elder Yi Gong was enraged again as he directly asked coldly. Tuan Zi glanced at him and retracted its gaze as if it were very uncooperative. Actually, after it broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix, it automatically had some relevant memories. Since then, it knew that it should come back. However, there were many troubles in between, so it didn¡¯t free the time to come over. Yet, it hadn¡¯t forgotten about this. Tuan Zi was even filled with hope and expectation for a long period of time before this. It was a pity that the other party¡¯s recent series of actions had directly caused it to lose its good impression of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Everything that puts Master in a difficult spot isn¡¯t good! It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t return to such a place! Chu Liuyue lightly rubbed Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead as she comforted its emotions. Then, she stepped forward and respectfully greeted them. ¡°I am Shanggguan Yue. Greetings, Elders.¡± It wasn¡¯t important that the other party didn¡¯t care about her. She mainly came over to solve Tuan Zi¡¯s problem, so she naturally had to be more sincere toward them. Anyway, this wasn¡¯t the first time she had been despised, so it was nothing new. ¡°Tuan Zi only broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix a few months ago, so it doesn¡¯t have its human form yet.¡± Chu Liuyue had once specifically asked Tuan Zi about this before. One¡¯s skills and age had to reach a certain limit before one could turn into human form. As for now, it could only appear in its original form. Yi Gong knitted his brows and looked at Chu Liuyue. His gaze was like a knife. ¡°Did I ask you? This is Godly Phoenix Hall. You don¡¯t have a right to interrupt!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up as if she disregarded the other party¡¯s words. However, her black gem-like eyes were clean and clear as they shone with determination and stubbornness. ¡°Tuan Zi is my legendary fiend in agreement. We have telepathy. Since it doesn¡¯t want to speak, why can¡¯t I speak for it?¡± To the few people on the opposite end, this sounded like plain arrogance! Legendary fiend in agreement! She isn¡¯t worthy of it! Elder Yi Gong was about to say something more when he saw Yi Zhao raise his hand, so he swallowed his remaining words. However, his gaze toward Chu Liuyue was still very unkind. Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze was nonchalant, and his voice was calm, but it had an irrefutable distinguished aura. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear such words again.¡± ¡°Godly Phoenix Mountain is my clan¡¯s area, and we¡¯ve never allowed humans to casually come in and out. We let you in today, firstly to hear your apology, and secondly for you to dissolve your agreement with it.¡± Yi Zhao raised his chin slightly. ¡°Originally, you were supposed to leave half your life here, but¡­ Considering that it has followed you for so many years, we¡¯ll ignore your sins. As long as you complete these two things, you can leave safely.¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, she raised her brows slightly. On the other hand, Tuan Zi suddenly became agitated as it glared at Yi Zhao angrily. I don¡¯t want to dissolve my agreement! I will never do it! I finally became stronger with much difficulty and could protect her by her side. How could I just leave?! Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze finally became serious as he glanced at Tuan Zi sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a red-gold heavenly phoenix! Do you really want to go against your clansmen because of her?!¡± What does it look like to flatter a human and listen to her every command!? Rumble! Tuan Zi¡¯s body suddenly burned with a red-golden fire! So what if I¡¯m a red-gold heavenly phoenix? These so-called clansmen have nothing to do with me at all. Why must I dissolve my agreement with Master because of them? When I was injured, Chu Liuyue was the one who treated my wounds. When I was on the brink of death, Chu Liuyue was the one who blocked the Heavenly Tribulation. She gave me my life, and I¡¯m willing to follow her even if I die! I will never betray her! ¡°Rebel! It¡¯s a rebellion!¡± Elder Yi Gong sneered and pointed at Tuan Zi. ¡°Clan Leader, you can see it. It now wants to go against our entire clan because of a human! We can¡¯t keep such a rebellious bloodline!¡± If we keep it, won¡¯t it be akin to burying a bomb next to us? ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue patted its wings gently. ¡°That¡¯s your clan leader and elder. You can¡¯t be this rude.¡± Tuan Zi widened its eyes and stared at her. Is she standing on the same side as them? Does she not want me anymore? Detecting Tuan Zi¡¯s thoughts, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Her voice was gentle but especially determined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I brought you here, so I¡¯ll definitely bring you back.¡± Then, she looked at Yi Zhao and said carefully, ¡°Actually, I came here because I have two things to do. Firstly, it¡¯s to apologize. Previously, Tuan Zi had indeed suffered quite a bit by following me. I¡¯m guilty, so I naturally have to come here to apologize.¡± ¡°Secondly, Tuan Zi should return to its clan and have the status it deserves. Then¡­ it will follow me home.¡± ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t dissolve my agreement with Tuan Zi. Even if you personally object to it, I, Shangguan Yue, will not change my decision!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1569 - Who is Threatening Whom? Once Chu Liuyue said this, Godly Phoenix Hall fell dead silent temporarily. Including Yi Zhao, all of them looked at her with a gaze that underwent a strange change. They never expected a slim woman who hadn¡¯t reached her twenties to have such courage! ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± After a temporary pause, Yi Zhao squinted and nonchalantly spoke. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Of course. This time, I came over filled with sincerity. I know that the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan never makes an agreement with humans, but when Tuan Zi and I made an agreement, it was still a nine-colored heavenly pheasant. Thus, this isn¡¯t considered as breaking the clan rules¡ª¡± ¡°But since it¡¯s a red-gold heavenly phoenix now, it must abide by the rules here.¡± Yi Zhao interrupted Chu Liuyue with a cold and harsh appearance, having secret ripples in his eyes. ¡°Shangguan Yue, I originally thought that you were a smart person.¡± Once he said this, heavy suppression fell in the hall. Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders became heavy as she instantly felt that a mountain was suppressing her. She straightened her back and raised her chin slightly, as if she didn¡¯t hear the threat into the other party¡¯s voice. Or perhaps she heard it, but she didn¡¯t want to care about it. ¡°Tuan Zi and I have deep relations. If we break our agreement just like this, it¡¯ll harm it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you should care about.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s patience was running out. Letting Shangguan Yue enter Godly Phoenix Mountain and sparing her life was the biggest compromise he could give. But now, she actually dared to think of continuing this agreement legitimately. To him, this was akin to daydreaming. Tuan Zi had rare bloodline power, so the effects of dissolving the agreement could be considered negligible to it. With such talent and potential, they didn¡¯t have to worry about such problems. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Take back all the words you said before.¡± This was giving Tuan Zi face. If it were someone else, he would¡¯ve directly taken action and chased her out! Not only was Chu Liuyue not scared or frightened, but she even took a step forward determinedly. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, I¡¯ve already stated clearly my motive for coming here earlier. I know that this is an issue that¡¯s hard for you and the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan to accept. However, this agreement is ultimately between Tuan Zi and I, right?¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze instantly turned cold. I really didn¡¯t expect a mere human true god would dare to be so arrogant in front of him! Rumble! His deep and experienced eyes suddenly burned with a red-golden light. Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding space suddenly closed in on her and twisted crazily! Her chest vibrated as a thick, bloody taste spread throughout her mouth! Instantly, there seemed to be countless ropes trapping her tightly and forcefully strangling her! Every inch of her blood and muscle seemed to be shredded apart. She clenched her fists tightly and wanted to break free, but she discovered that her body couldn¡¯t move at all. At this very moment, she was like meat on a chopping board, allowing people to butcher her. Yi Zhao was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader, and he didn¡¯t even care about the human¡¯s legendary warriors. Dealing with Chu Liuyue was just a small matter. He didn¡¯t even have to take action. Just one glance was enough to directly take Chu Liuyue¡¯s life! Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression quickly turned pale, and blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth. A terrifying force kept forcing her to kneel down. Her legs trembled, and her entire body started shaking uncontrollably. Tuan Zi suddenly rushed over and flapped its wings! A red-golden fire suddenly swiped across the air! Chu Liuyue faintly heard some soft shattering noises. The next moment, she suddenly felt that the surrounding force had loosened up. She looked up and saw that Tuan Zi was standing in front of her as its fire burned, and it looked at Yi Zhao with combat intent. Its pair of clear and pure eyes gradually became bloodshot! Yi Zhao was shocked. Tuan Zi can actually break my attack? Even though it couldn¡¯t block it completely, it is already very rare to reach this stage. One had to know that it just broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix a few months ago¡­ The expressions of the few elders behind him all changed slightly. Even though they had already confirmed that Tuan Zi had the purest bloodline power earlier, every time it executed its talent or skills, they would secretly be shocked. The purest bloodline power hadn¡¯t appeared in the clan for way too long, and they hadn¡¯t ever seen it personally. They just heard a thing or two about it from the clan¡¯s history. Now, it seemed like the purest bloodline was more shocking than they had predicted¡­ At this moment, Chu Liuyue finally spoke. ¡°Tuan Zi, come back.¡± Tuan Zi didn¡¯t move. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Detecting her reaction, Tuan Zi then turned around reluctantly and indignantly. Almost instantly, the ferocious combat intent in its eyes rapidly dissipated, being replaced with overwhelming grievances. They bullied you! So what if I took action?! At most, we can just leave! Tuan Zi felt very wronged and remorseful. If it were not for me, why would she have to suffer here and be humiliated?! The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she patted her shoulders. I brought Tuan Zi over to get it to acknowledge its ancestors, not to cause it to fall out with them. She could tell that although the other party wasn¡¯t polite to her, they thought really highly of Tuan Zi. If not, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to enter the hall. She didn¡¯t care how they looked at it, and she didn¡¯t want Tuan Zi to be isolated. She knew that it had the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s bloodline, so its bones would want to come back. ¡°Be good,¡± urged Chu Liuyue again. After slight hesitation, Tuan Zi became a small bird and flew to her neck, burying itself in her shoulders. Chu Liuyue rubbed its head and looked up at Yi Zhao and the rest again. As expected, those few people¡¯s expressions were incredible. ¡°Tuan Zi has been spoiled by me since young, and its temper is very bad. Seniors, I hope you won¡¯t hold this against it.¡± Chu Liuyue said this very naturally, but Yi Zhao and the rest were stunned. It is clearly part of our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan bloodline, but when she talks about it, why does it seem like we are the outsiders? In contrast, she, Shangguan Yue, is the most intimate with it? Of course, judging from Tuan Zi¡¯s series of reactions, it is indeed so¡­ ¡°Actually, I really didn¡¯t come here with other intentions, but it¡¯s a pity that the seniors don¡¯t really trust me.¡± Chu Liuyue looked regretful. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, I believe you can also tell that Tuan Zi and I have depended on each other for many years and that we can¡¯t be separated. If you really insist on us dissolving the agreement, then¡­ you can just kill me.¡± She smiled and took a step forward. ¡°If you want to kill or punish me, do as you please.¡± Yi Zhao coldly scolded, ¡°You dare to threaten me?!¡± If they killed her, as her legendary fiend in agreement, Tuan Zi would not live as well! Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded, playfulness filling her eyes. ¡°Yeah.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1570 - Hooligan Yes, I¡¯m threatening you, so what? The reason she dared to come alone and negotiate with them about Tuan Zi¡¯s return was that she had the biggest trump card¡ªTuan Zi was her legendary fiend in agreement! If her body and soul were destroyed, Tuan Zi would also meet its demise! The opponent was strong and aloof. She had only herself to rely on. For this, she was willing to risk her own life directly! ¡°To be honest, Tuan Zi and I have known each other for a while. We have gone through life and death many times and have long been like family. If it can¡¯t continue to be with me in the future, then I¡¯ll definitely feel very sad about it.¡± Chu Liuyue caressed Tuan Zi with a sad expression. ¡°At that time, I might be so sad that I¡¯ll die right away.¡± Upon hearing this, Tuan Zi immediately raised its head and frantically rubbed her face. If she is dead, I don¡¯t want to live anymore either! ¡°You! You!¡± Yi Zhao finally erupted out of anger and pointed his trembling finger at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You¡¯re insolent!¡± How dare she threaten me with death! Isn¡¯t she behaving like a hooligan!? This woman is so shameless! Having lived for thousands of years, Yi Zhao¡¯s joy and anger had always been indistinguishable. But at this moment, he was about to be driven mad by Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue bowed slightly and said humbly, ¡°You¡¯re being too polite.¡± No matter what, my motive for coming here today is to let Tuan Zi continue to follow me openly. If he disagrees? Then, I can only show my trump card and fight to the death. I wanted to talk about it at first, but the other party didn¡¯t give me a chance at all. Since that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t have to give them face anymore. He who is down needs fear no fall. Since I only have this life as a bargaining chip, I am going all in! In fact, there was another important reason why Chu Liuyue dared to do this¡ªshe was sure that the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan valued Tuan Zi very much and would never let it fall. After receiving the letter from the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, she felt something was wrong. Her arrival here helped her to finally understand where that weird feeling came from. With the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s strength, she wouldn¡¯t be taken seriously at all. In their opinion, a red-gold heavenly phoenix who had already contracted with the human race should also be stained. They didn¡¯t care even if she was from the same race and were even full of disgust for her. However, they actually wrote a letter to Nan Suhuai, asking her to come personally to apologize and cancel the contract with Tuan Zi. Although the letter seemed to be lofty, Chu Liuyue knew what they meant if they were willing to write this letter¡ªthe red-gold heavenly phoenix clan wanted Tuan Zi to return to them! Having reached this point and after seeing Tuan Zi open the barrier of Godly Phoenix Mountain so easily, she felt even more confident. She had already said all the unpleasant things, but they still had yet to kill her directly. Wasn¡¯t it all for Tuan Zi? Therefore, even if they hated her to the core, they would never kill her! ¡°Shangguan Yue! You¡¯re going overboard!¡± Elder Yi Gong couldn¡¯t help but cry out! I have never seen anyone dare to be so arrogant in front of us! Chu Liuyue raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve already said everything I have to say. Instead of scolding me here, you might as well seriously consider my proposal.¡± What¡¯s done is done. Why should I be afraid of being scolded? Yi Gong choked, and his face turned red and white. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to him. She turned her gaze slightly and looked at Yi Zhao again. Yi Zhao was the one who had the most right to speak. Smiling gently, she added, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, if you don¡¯t remember what I just said, I can repeat it for you again. I¡ª¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s eyelids twitched fiercely. ¡°Enough! I¡¯ve never been dizzy to such a point yet!¡± Chu Liuyue obediently kept quiet. She supported Tuan Zi¡¯s butt and patted it appeasingly. Tsk, they are scaring Tuan Zi. Cold silence ensued in the hall. The two parties entered a stalemate. After a while, Chu Liuyue pinned her stray hair behind her ears, and her red lips slightly parted. ¡°Clan leader Yi Zhao, can we renegotiate now?¡± ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. Everyone who gathered together outside Godly Phoenix Hall gradually became restless at this time. ¡°Shangguan Yue has been inside for a long time, right? Why hasn¡¯t there been any movement until now?¡± Although they were outside and couldn¡¯t see the situation inside¡­ When Chu Liuyue crossed over and was brought directly into Godly Phoenix Hall, the Heaven and Earth Force within Godly Phoenix Hall¡¯s radius fluctuated. So although they didn¡¯t see anyone, nor did they see the red-gold heavenly phoenixes, they knew they were already here. ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t they just ask the woman to come over to apologize and then terminate the contract? This shouldn¡¯t take long, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Who knows how long it will take to terminate the contract? We don¡¯t have much experience, do we?¡± ¡°With the clan leader and several elders here, it stands to reason that it won¡¯t be too difficult, right? Could there be something else, or¡­ Is it that Shangguan Yue disagrees?¡± ¡°Tsk, so what if she disagrees? What else can she do?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve heard that Shangguan Yue is quite capable. Miao Yao of the great phoenix dragon clan had chased her down at Ling Xiao Academy before, but he still returned disappointedly in the end! I¡¯m thinking that this woman really has a few tricks up her sleeves¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, Miao Yao was too arrogant and only suffered a loss because he didn¡¯t check properly. How can the clan leader and the elders be like him? Besides, Shangguan Yue is now in the territory of our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan!¡± How could the noble Godly Phoenix Mountain allow her to misbehave as a mere human god?! ¡°Sigh, but I just heard that the new red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s bloodline power seems to be good? Otherwise, the clan leader wouldn¡¯t be willing to spend so much effort to summon her back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The ancestral ceremony is about to take place, and the clan leader summoned her at this time¡­ Does it really have a deeper meaning?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit early to say that, right? It hasn¡¯t officially tested its talent yet, has it? Anyway, the ancestral ceremony will clear everything up.¡± ¡­ Yi Ran on the side frowned upon hearing their conversation. He raised his gaze slightly and looked at Godly Phoenix Hall. It is just a lowly existence that suddenly broke through from a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. How could it be worth the trouble of the clan leader and the elders? Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1571 - Opportunity Inside Godly Phoenix Hall, the atmosphere became colder and stagnant. Yi Zhao stared at Chu Liuyue coldly and smiled angrily. ¡°The human race is really treacherous and cunning.¡± For thousands of years, the nature of the human race has never changed! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about this kind of thing at all. If I didn¡¯t scheme, I would¡¯ve already been stepped all over. How could I be standing here and talking? Therefore, I have the right to assume that the other party is praising my intelligence. She said with a smile, ¡°You flatter me. In fact, I did this so that I could continue to let Tuan Zi be with me. I know this matter is very difficult for you and the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan to accept. Therefore, as long as you¡¯re willing not to terminate the contract and let Tuan Zi recognize its ancestors and return to its sect, I¡¯m willing to go through fire and water to do whatever you want.¡± Chu Liuyue was very sincere. This was originally the main purpose of her trip. Yi Zhao stared at her for a while, then sneered. ¡°If you really want to do good for it, you should automatically terminate the contract. It¡¯s a red-gold heavenly phoenix, a noble and powerful ancient legendary fiend! Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ll only drag it down?!¡± The strength of a legendary fiend in agreement was closely related to the owner. If the owner was a good-for-nothing, then even if the fiend was an ancient legendary fiend, its combat effectiveness would be greatly limited. ¡°The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan generally has a lifespan of thousands of years. If the bloodline power is strong and pure, it is even more unpredictable. However, the human race¡­ Even a god can only live for a few hundred years. When you die, do you want it to fall with you?¡± The look in Yi Zhao¡¯s eyes when he gazed at Chu Liuyue was unabashedly sarcastic. ¡°You say that it is for its good, but in fact, it is just for your own selfish desires!¡± Every word and sentence was like a heavy stone falling! It was overwhelming and made people breathless! After listening to him, the smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face gradually dissipated. She narrowed her eyes slightly, then raised her head and asked, ¡°How can you be sure that I¡¯ll only be a burden to Tuan Zi?¡± Above the woman¡¯s beautiful and refined face was a thin layer of frost, exuding an awe-inspiring cold air. ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t know me very well, so I¡¯m here to formally introduce myself to you. I¡ªShangguan Yue¡ªam a disciple of Nan Suhuai, who is the dean of Ling Xiao Academy. I am also the descendant of Shangguan Jing¡ªa supreme Armory Refinement Master¡ªand the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort! Of course, I know that none of these identities can enter your eyes, but you won¡¯t know what it means to have these backgrounds.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows were stained with a bit of coldness and pride. It was the pride in her bones, and it was also based on the confidence of her own strength! ¡°I¡¯ve just broken through to become a true god. At the same time, I¡¯m already a King Xuan Master and a Physician. Oh, other than that, I¡¯m also an Armory Refinement Master. The Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s sword soul was even refined by me personally.¡± Her tone was calm, and her voice was as clear as jade hitting each other. Speaking of this, she suddenly smiled. ¡°Most importantly, I¡¯m only 17 years old. Do you really think that I¡¯ll only be where I am now for the rest of my life?¡± Yi Zhao was dumbfounded for a while, but he didn¡¯t know how to refute her. With the words Shangguan Yue just said¡­ Even if he didn¡¯t look up to the human race, he knew that she was definitely already the best among the human race! After a while, he finally spoke with a deep voice. ¡°Fine! Since you¡¯re so confident in yourself, then¡­ I¡¯ll give you a chance!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1572 - Negotiation Yi Zhao raised his hand and pointed to Tuan Zi. ¡°As long as you can successfully help it turn into human form within a month, then our clan will no longer pursue this matter! From then on, it can vow to follow you to death, and the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan will never ask again!¡± His deep and thick voice echoed throughout Godly Phoenix Hall! Several elders were all taken aback and looked at Yi Zhao in disbelief. Is the clan leader mad? He actually really agreed to Shangguan Yue¡¯s request and made such a bet with her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled, and she smiled. ¡°Okay! It¡¯s a deal!¡± ¡­ Creek! The doors of Godly Phoenix Hall slowly opened. Countless people who were waiting outside came to their senses one after another and looked up. They watched as a tall and burly figure slowly walked out of the hall. His expression was solemn and majestic but not angry¡ªit was the clan leader, Yi Zhao! Behind him, the five elders also walked out one after another. There was no expression on their faces, and they were indifferent. This disappointed those who wanted to get an inkling of what had happened from their expressions. Even Elder Yi Yu¡ªwho had always been jolly¡ªwas frowning slightly at this time. The emotions in his eyes were complicated and unpredictable. Yi Zhao stood still in the square in front of the main hall and looked down. His eyes were as majestic as thunder and lightning, making people unconsciously in awe. The originally noisy crowd suddenly quieted down, and then they all saluted. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± Yi Zhao nodded, then looked behind him. ¡°Come out.¡± Hearing this, everyone was confused and looked at each other. The five elders are all here. Who is the clan leader calling? Suddenly, someone reacted sensitively and couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes slightly. ¡°Shangguan Yue?! Or the red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± ¡°It should be the newcomer, right? As for Shangguan Yue, the clan leader has always hated dealing with humans the most. He¡¯s already giving her face by not chasing her out directly. How could he let her appear here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? It¡¯s said that the contract was terminated, but why isn¡¯t there any movement inside? Although that person broke through halfway, it¡¯s considered a pure red-gold heavenly phoenix now. Logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t be so calm, right?¡± ¡°With the clan leader and several elders present¡­ Even if there is a big movement, they can press it down. What¡¯s so strange about this?¡± Low voices of discussion spread in the crowd. Countless pairs of eyes looked at the doors of Godly Phoenix Hall with curiosity and inquiry. Others were already unable to restrain their probes and looked around vigorously, for fear of missing something. ¡­ A slender and exquisite figure slowly walked out from behind the heavy and solemn doors. It was evening. A brilliant afterglow reflected on a body, pulling the figure very long as if to get rid of the cold air that came out of the hall. The figure belonged to a woman. She was wearing a simple and neat red skirt with a black jade belt buttoned around her waist, which easily outlined her graceful curves. The lines of her whole body were straight and restrained, a perfect fit for her aura. Her hair was tied up simply, held in place by a black wooden peach blossom hairpin. Under the sunlight, the lifelike peach blossoms were crystal clear. Instantly, the noisy voices from before disappeared. The air seemed to have solidified, and the scene was frozen in place. Everyone¡¯s expressions stagnated for a moment as if they hadn¡¯t reacted yet. As if perceiving these sights, the woman raised her head. Her neck was exceptionally slender and fair, and at this time, all her hair was curled up, revealing a beautiful and outstanding shoulder and neckline. Her skin was clear and white, like a good piece of suet jade. At this time, the sun was setting, reflecting faint golden light on the fine hairs on her cheeks. Her facial features were perfect, and her beauty was shocking. Her red lips were slightly hooked, and her cold eyebrows seemed to be stained with a warm smile. Everyone looked a little dumbfounded for a while. It took a while before a voice murmured: ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a human? Wait! She¡¯s Shangguan Yue?!¡± Although they also looked like human beings on the outside, this was just a transformation, and their own aura was still undoubtedly that of a red-gold heavenly phoenix. However, this woman who had just come out of Godly Phoenix Hall was obviously a human! ¡°Someone actually came out of there alive?!¡± someone couldn¡¯t help exclaiming. They couldn¡¯t be blamed for being so shocked. Over the years, there had only been a handful of humans in Godly Phoenix Mountain. There were almost none who were eligible to enter Godly Phoenix Hall. Not only did Shangguan Yue go in, but she also came out intact. How could it not be shocking? After all, many people in the clan previously thought that after the contract was terminated¡­ Even if the clan leader didn¡¯t take her life on the spot, she should not live long. The contract with a red-gold heavenly phoenix was a great shame for them! ¡°I heard that Shangguan Yue¡¯s status in the human race isn¡¯t low. The clan leader kept her alive to prevent the other humans from causing trouble, right?¡± Everyone was speculating in their hearts, and at the same time, they were still looking Chu Liuyue up and down. Chu Liuyue chose to ignore them all. She walked out magnanimously. Tuan Zi was squatting on her shoulders with its head buried under its wings. It wanted to express its dissatisfaction with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t hold her laughter and said in a low voice, ¡°Tuan Zi, they¡¯re all looking at you. If you keep doing this, they might think you¡¯re too cowardly.¡± Whoosh! Tuan Zi suddenly became energetic and immediately raised its head. Its eyes were black and bright, and it turned its head with a grunt. Who! Who dares to look down on me?! After looking around, Tuan Zi restrained itself and raised its wings. But this time, it didn¡¯t shrink its head and looked around from time to time instead. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. She and Tuan Zi had a telepathic connection, so how could she not know what it was thinking? Tuan Zi wanted to come back and have a look, and it also wanted to know what kind of life its own people were living. In any case, they all had the same blood flowing in their bodies. This power from the bloodline, naturally, would make it curious and nostalgic for this place. For her sake, it pretended not to care about all this and even prepared to sever ties with everything here forever. However, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t willing to let it be like this. At this time, some people finally laid eyes on Tuan Zi¡¯s body. ¡°That¡­ Is it the legendary red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± ¡°It looks mediocre and doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that it¡¯s still squatting on the shoulders of that human? Isn¡¯t this special?¡± Yi Ran put one hand behind him and looked over. With just one glance, he frowned, and a look of disgust quickly flashed across his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not decent!¡± At this moment, Yi Zhao suddenly looked over. ¡°Yi Ran, you will take Shangguan Yue and the others to Phoenix Valley.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1573 - Stay It was a simple sentence, but the amount of information it revealed stunned everyone present. Take them to Phoenix Valley? Phoenix Valley is where all the red-gold heavenly phoenix rest. It is normal for the new red-gold heavenly phoenix to go there. However¡­ how can Shangguan Yue go?! Yi Ran thought that he had heard wrongly and asked hesitantly, ¡°Them?¡± Yi Zhao nodded, his expression indifferent. He didn¡¯t seem to realize that his sentence had set off a huge wave. ¡°Shangguan Yue will also stay there for the month.¡± He paused. ¡°Just arrange a place for them for the time being.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t wait to send Shangguan Yue away immediately, and his eyes hurt when he saw how close she was with Tuan Zi, he naturally couldn¡¯t go back on his words now that he had made an agreement. As far as that matter was concerned, it was obviously the most appropriate for them to live together. There was dead silence around Godly Phoenix Hall. They never expected to hear such words from the clan leader¡¯s mouth! Some people subconsciously looked at the people next to them and found that everyone was equally stunned. Wasn¡¯t¡­ Shangguan Yue supposed to terminate the contract? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be taught a good lesson? Wasn¡¯t the clan leader most disgusted with the human race? What is happening now?! Shangguan Yue safely came out of Godly Phoenix Hall and is even going to stay at Phoenix Valley? Is the clan leader mad?! Of course, nobody dared to ask this sentence. Everyone could only respond with a long silence. ¡°Yi Ran, what are you doing in a daze?¡± Elder Yi Yu was the first to speak, breaking the almost suffocating atmosphere. ¡°You can¡¯t be more familiar with Phoenix Valley. It¡¯s better to arrange a quiet place for them, understand?¡± Yi Ran choked on his words and subconsciously looked at Elder Yi Gong next to him. Elder Yi Gong frowned slightly inexplicably, but soon, his face returned to normal. ¡°Whatever the clan leader asks you to do, just do it well.¡± Yi Ran opened his mouth and hesitated. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He finally suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, tried to keep himself calm, and looked at Chu Liuyue for the first time. What happened in the Godly Phoenix Hall just now? Elder Yi Gong had mentioned this to me before, and at that time, it was clear that the clan leader planned on making them terminate the contract directly and give them some suffering respectively. But now¡­ Why has the situation suddenly changed? However, he couldn¡¯t ask in front of everyone. Yi Zhao glanced at Chu Liuyue indifferently. ¡°Yi Ran is an outstanding figure among the younger generation of the clan and handles many things. During this period of time, just look for him if you have any problems.¡± Yi Ran frowned. Elder Yi Gong had already taken the lead in refusing. ¡°Clan leader, Yi Ran is only just breaking through. I¡¯m afraid he might not be able to deal with these things in time¡­¡± Several elders had various expressions. What could happen in a month? Besides, during this period of time, Shangguan Yue will be busy thinking up methods to make Tuan Zi break through. How could she have the leisure to stir up trouble? In the past, when he was helping Yi Ran take over, he didn¡¯t say that. Now, it was troublesome¡­ On the surface, it sounded nice. But in fact, he just didn¡¯t want to waste time and energy on these things. Yi Zhao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Elder Yi Yu tentatively said, ¡°The ancestral ceremony is about to take place, and Yi Ran is busy cultivating. If he¡¯s delayed by other things, it¡¯s indeed not very good. It just so happens that I have nothing to do during this time, so it¡¯s better¡­ if I¡¯m responsible for their stay?¡± Although he was one of the five elders, all important matters had been divided up by Yi Shang and Yi Gong, leaving some trivial matters for him to deal with. He was very free. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Clan leader, Yi Ran and I didn¡¯t mean ¡ª¡± Yi Zhao ignored him and only glanced at Elder Yi Yu before nodding. ¡°Then, you can take them there.¡± Elder Yi Gong wanted to say something, but he still tactfully kept quiet in the end. Chu Liuyue turned around and bowed to Elder Yi Yu with a smile. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to trouble Elder Yi Yu.¡± Elder Yi Yu actually did not have any ill feelings toward her. In his opinion, she was indeed capable to have brought a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant all the way to this day. Moreover, from what had happened before, she was really good to Tuan Zi. That was actually quite good. Elder Yi Yu raised his chin at her. ¡°Follow me!¡± With that, his figure moved, and he quickly flew in a certain direction! Just as Chu Liuyue was about to move, Tuan Zi suddenly flew in front of her. Laughing, she pulled it back. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t go over myself. Just stay here.¡± How funny. Wouldn¡¯t I be courting death by stepping on Tuan Zi¡¯s back and flying in front of so many red-gold heavenly phoenixes? When Tuan Zi heard this, it obediently went back again. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and immediately followed Elder Yi Yu. Under the watch of countless eyes, they finally disappeared behind the rolling mountains. It was only when their shadows were really gone that everyone who stayed behind came back to their senses slowly. Shangguan Yue is staying here just like that?! Moreover, it is with the red-gold heavenly phoenix! They haven¡¯t terminated the contract at all, right?! Yi Zhao looked around and said in a low voice. ¡°What are you all still looking at? The ancestral ceremony is coming up soon. Are you all ready?¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd instantly dispersed! The elders also bade farewell to Yi Zhao and prepared to return to continue preparing for the ancestral ceremony. Yi Zhao did not say anything else. He turned around and returned to Godly Phoenix Hall alone. The lively scene quickly quietened down. Yi Ran couldn¡¯t help running toward Elder Yi Gong. ¡°Master, what¡¯s going on?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1574 - Arrangements Elder Yi Gong had a cold expression. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡­ The two went all the way back to Elder Yi Gong¡¯s residence. After entering the forests and determining that there were no other people around, Elder Yi Gong gradually slowed down and finally stopped by a lake. Yi Ran followed closely behind. ¡°Mentor¡ª¡± Elder Yi Gong turned around and interrupted him. ¡°How has your practice been recently, and when will you break through?¡± Yi Ran was taken aback for a moment, taken aback that the first thing his mentor asked was this question. After thinking for a moment, he replied, ¡°It should be successful in¡­ half a month.¡± ¡°Should?¡± Elder Yi Gong narrowed his eyes coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t want ¡®should.¡¯ I want ¡®definitely!¡¯ The ancestral ceremony is about to begin, and before that, you must break through as soon as possible!¡± Yi Ran was even more puzzled. His talent had always been at the top of the younger generation, and he had always been the best. As his master, Elder Yi Gong had always been very partial to him; he had never spoken to him in such a stern tone. Yi Ran thought for a moment. Master was clearly fine yesterday, but today, he only went to Godly Phoenix Hall. When he came out, his attitude changed. Could it be that¡­ something had really happened inside? ¡°Yes, please rest assured, Master. I¡¯ll definitely break through before the ancestral ceremony and will never let you down.¡± Yi Ran lowered his head and responded respectfully. Elder Yi Gong put his hands behind his back and stared at him solemnly. ¡°Yi Ran, I¡¯m not worried that I¡¯ll be disappointed. Instead¡­ This ancestral ceremony is of great importance to you! If you can¡¯t take the lead by then, the position of young master will not be yours! Then, his voice softened. ¡°For this day, you¡¯ve been cultivating diligently all these years and don¡¯t dare to relax at all. I¡¯ve seen all of this. It¡¯s also because of this that I can¡¯t let anyone threaten you!¡± ¡°Threaten¡­?¡± Yi Ran frowned slightly. Currently, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan isn¡¯t considered prosperous. I¡¯m already the top genius of the younger generation and am basically a shoo-in for that position. Who else would be a threat to me? Suddenly, his expression changed, and he realized something. ¡°Master, are you talking about ¡ª¡± ¡°That newly arrived red-gold heavenly phoenix will most likely be your rival!¡± Elder Yi Gong said firmly. Seeing his affirmative expression, Yi Ran felt that something was wrong.¡±B-but it¡¯s just an unpresentable thing that broke through from a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant¡­ On what basis?¡± What right does it have to compete with me? Elder Yi Gong¡¯s expression was ugly, and he snorted coldly. ¡°Its origin is indeed not very good, but it¡¯s a pity that its luck is too good, and its bloodline power is extremely pure! If not, do you think that Shangguan Yue can walk out of Godly Phoenix Hall unharmed like that?!¡± Wasn¡¯t it all because of that red-gold heavenly phoenix?! Yi Ran held his breath. He wasn¡¯t stupid. He couldn¡¯t be clearer about the weight of Elder Yi Gong¡¯s words! To be able to make the clan leader relent and keep her¡­ ¡°Its talent¡­ Is it really that powerful?¡± Yi Ran couldn¡¯t help murmuring to himself. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s lips moved, but he still didn¡¯t tell the truth. Before coming out, the clan leader had repeatedly told him that the news must not be revealed before the ancestral ceremony. Thus, he could only endure it. ¡°¡­In short, its bloodline is definitely not inferior to yours. Although it¡¯s young now, it can¡¯t be underestimated. You just have to remember not to let your guard down!¡± As he spoke, he paused for a moment and comforted Yi Ran. ¡°Of course, from the looks of it, it has a fatal flaw: its contract with Shangguan Yue has yet to be broken¡ª¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yi Ran looked up in surprise. The clan leader is a man of his word. But this time¡­ ¡°Things are more complicated here. It¡¯s useless for you to know so much now.¡± Elder Yi Gong was unwilling to say anything. He patted Yi Ran¡¯s shoulder and said earnestly, ¡°As long as you can break through as soon as possible and obtain first place in the ancestral ceremony, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything else. Leave everything to Master.¡± Yi Ran was filled with questions, but seeing that his master didn¡¯t have the intention to say anything, he suppressed his emotions and nodded seriously. ¡°Yes!¡± Elder Yi Gong looked satisfied. ¡°Very good. Have you comprehended everything I taught you recently?¡± Yi Ran said, ¡°I have some doubts.¡± ¡°Start talking.¡± ¡­ The news that Shangguan Yue was going to stay in Phoenix Valley for a month soon spread throughout Godly Phoenix Mountain. For a moment, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was almost in an uproar! All kinds of rumors about this matter quickly spread. Many people began to ask around about who Shangguan Yue was. In just half a day, the name ¡®Shangguan Yue¡¯ had already become famous in Godly Phoenix Mountain. However, she did not care about this at this moment. She was bringing Tuan Zi to the legendary Phoenix Valley with Elder Yi Yu. ¡­ ¡°Here, this is your residence for the time being.¡± Elder Yi Yu stood still in midair and pointed ahead with a smile. ¡°The location here is a bit remote, but when other people come back, most of them won¡¯t pass by here. Quietness is the value of this place.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the faint red-gold ball of light ten steps ahead and nodded with a smile to thank him. ¡°Thank you so much. Tuan Zi and I like this place very much.¡± She didn¡¯t like noisy places. Besides, this was someone else¡¯s territory. She still hoped to be as undisturbed as possible in the month that she was here. Elder Yi Yu seemed to be not bad. She had a good impression of him, so her smile naturally became more genuine. Elder Yi Yu looked at her, then at Tuan Zi, and smiled too. Even if he didn¡¯t consider Shangguan Yue, just for Tuan Zi, he had to find a good place for them to stay. Purest bloodline¡­ How many years has it been since it appeared in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan? He had to treasure this. He took a few steps forward and gently covered the ball of light. Whir! A faint vibration sounded. Then, he retracted his hand and smiled at Chu Liuyue. ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it. Then¡­ I won¡¯t disturb you guys anymore. There¡¯s already a trace of my aura left on it. If there¡¯s any problem, just place your hand on it. I¡¯ll definitely rush over as soon as possible.¡± Chu Liuyue thanked him again and watched him leave. It wasn¡¯t until his figure completely disappeared that she retracted her gaze and turned to look at the ball of light. The volume of this sphere of light was actually not large. From the outside, it could only accommodate more than ten people at most. However, Chu Liuyue knew that there should be another space inside. She raised her eyes. The peaks and mountains on both sides overlapped, forming a canyon in the middle¡ªit was Phoenix Valley! And inside, there were several similar light balls floating! Those must be the resting places of the other red-gold heavenly phoenixes. Sensing some secretly spying gazes, her lips curled up slightly as she gently patted Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, let¡¯s go.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1575 - Go With the Flow Inside the light ball, there was a small space. The mountains rose and fell as the stream sparkling with a red-golden light passed through the woods. There was lush greenery, and the scene was filled with vitality. The thick Heaven and Earth Force was encompassed within and rejuvenated one¡¯s mind. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°It¡¯s indeed the ancient legendary fiend clan with deep foundations. Just this cultivation environment is much stronger than the outside.¡± Even Ling Xiao Academy and the Sky-Cloud Empire were weaker compared to this place. Tuan Zi blinked curiously and looked around. Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°This will be your territory from now on. You can look at it however you want.¡± Tuan Zi turned around and sweetly rubbed against her face. ¡°Now, the most important thing is tohelp you gain your human form quickly.¡± When Tuan Zi heard this, its body stiffened slightly. Chu Liuyue picked it up. ¡°Oh right, I haven¡¯t asked you previously. When the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan wants to have its human form, what age must it be normally?¡± Tuan Zi looked conflicted. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°Hm?¡± After quite a long pause, Tuan Zi¡¯s voice sounded in her heart hesitantly. ¡°¡­A hundred years.¡± The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face suddenly froze. The surroundings fell into dead silence. After some time, Chu Liuyue asked with difficulty, ¡°¡­How old?¡± Tuan Zi cried and weakly lowered its small head. Aiya! I disagreed with it at first! Yet, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even give me a chance to interrupt and directly agreed to Yi Zhao¡¯s request. Now¡­ it¡¯s hard to settle this problem! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. It¡¯s no wonder Yi Zhao suddenly allowed it. It turned out¡­ She knew that this matter would be harder, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be a huge trench like a bottomless pit. After a temporary pause, Chu Liuyue then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier?¡± Tuan Zi waved its wings. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask¡­¡± When it saw how confident she was back then, it thought that she definitely knew about it and was confident that she could do it. Who knew¡ª Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows and felt her head ache. Tuan Zi looked up at her meticulously. The human and the fiend stared at each other. ¡°Other than this, is there any other way?¡± Chu Liuyue thought carefully. Other than this age restriction, the more important factor should be the skill level. As expected, Tuan Zi nodded obediently upon hearing this. ¡°As long as I can successfully open my third meridian, I can also turn into human form.¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. ¡°Open the third meridian?¡± Tuan Zi explained, ¡°Even though everyone¡¯s a red-gold heavenly phoenix, our skills were different. Normally speaking, every breakthrough is opening a meridian.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding and sized Tuan Zi up. ¡°Then now¡­¡± ¡°One meridian,¡± replied Tuan Zi honestly. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t surprised at this outcome either. After all, Tuan Zi had just broken through a few months ago, and it was normal for it to have only its starting meridian open. From opening one meridian to three¡­ It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult¡­ right? Chu Liuyue asked curiously, ¡°Then, do you know how many meridians your clan leader has open?¡± Tuan Zi thought for a while before answering, ¡°I think the clan leader has opened his seventh meridian.¡± ¡°He¡¯s indeed incredible¡­¡± Chu Liuyue secretly sighed in astonishment. Tuan Zi nodded in approval. ¡°Oh right, other than the clan leader who has seven meridians open, the others only have six.¡± ¡°The others?¡± Chu Liuyue reacted. ¡°You¡¯re talking about¡­ those five elders?¡± Tuan Zi flapped its wings and nonchalantly said, ¡°Yeah! Other than them, the remaining ones have lower levels, and there are very few who have five meridians open.¡± Without thinking, she knew that it was referring to the ones surrounding the outside of Godly Phoenix Hall back then. A white light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Then, she leaned toward Tuan Zi and looked into its eyes seriously. Tuan Zi didn¡¯t understand why. Chu Liuyue held her breath in, relaxed her voice, and asked, ¡°Tuan Zi, how do you know their cultivation level?¡± Tuan Zi was dazed for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡­ knew at first glance!¡± Isn¡¯t it very simple? However, Chu Liuyue was overwhelmed with emotions. For human cultivators, people with lower cultivation levels couldn¡¯t see the specific level of those stronger than them. Tuan Zi only has one meridian open. Logically speaking, Tuan Zi is the weakest existence in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. How could it discern so much? Or¡­ is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan and the humans different? As they have the same bloodline, can they feel such things? Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was filled with suspicions. It was fine if it were others, but Yi Zhao was the clan leader. Being high, imperious, and able to look down on almost everyone¡¯s status, how could it let someone else see through his abilities? This didn¡¯t make sense. She stared at Tuan Zi calmly. It blinked and looked at her in a very innocent manner. Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts ran wild. After some thinking, she said, ¡°Tuan Zi, we¡¯ll basically be here during this period of time. But if we go out later on, you mustn¡¯t bring this up in front of the others.¡± Tuan Zi knew what she was thinking and acknowledged her obediently. Chu Liuyue looked up and surveyed her surroundings. ¡°Let me think of how to open your remaining two meridians in the next month¡­¡± ¡­ The night sky fell, and a gigantic curtain covered the land. Yet, it was bright within Godly Phoenix Hall. Faint light escaped from the windows in a holy and distinguished manner. It was silent within the hall. A figure stood upright¡ªit was Yi Zhao. From evening till now, he had maintained his posture for a long time. He stared at the wall opposite him. A large watercolor painting was drawn on it. In the middle of the chaotic times, a red-golden figure spread its wings and flew up, through the clouds and sea. Its feathers were realistic and seemed real. Just by looking at this, one could feel the strong aura almost breaking out from that wall! This was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s ancestor! It was a pity that its eyes were black as if something was dug out. Without eyes, it seemed to have lost its soul as it was helplessly restrained in the icy cold walls. ¡°¡­Ancestor, the purest bloodline appeared again. I wonder if this time, it will¡­¡± Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door just then. ¡°Eldest Young Master, Lord Xiahou is here!¡± ¡°Clan Leader, Yi Yu wishes to see you.¡± Yi Zhao recovered his senses. ¡°Come in.¡± As he spoke, he turned around and looked at the incoming person. At this point, his expression had recovered its usual calmness and nonchalance. Elder Yi Yu walked over. His gaze instinctively passed the gigantic mural, and he sighed in his heart. ¡°Clan Leader, you¡¯re looking at Ancestor again? It¡¯s mentally taxing if you keep doing this¡­¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s expression was light. ¡°The ancestral ceremony is near, and a new bloodline has come back. I have to come here.¡± Elder Yi Yu knew that there was no use in convincing him, so he didn¡¯t spend much time conflicting on this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already arranged Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi¡¯s side.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1576 - Shes Peerless in the World Yi Zhao nodded. ¡°I¡¯m naturally assured regarding the things you do.¡± Yi Yu smiled. ¡°Actually, I thought you¡¯d directly pass them to me today. I didn¡¯t expect you to call on Yi Ran first.¡± Yi Zhao lightly said, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do it anyway. Passing this to you from there will arouse less suspicion.¡± Yi Gong had always been suspicious. If he did this directly, he would definitely be suspicious. This time, he and Yi Ran rejected it themselves, so it was fine. ¡°Yi Ran has always been smart. It¡¯s a pity that he got played in his own game.¡± Elder Yi Yu¡¯s smile turned lighter, and he shook his head. At this point, how would he still be as impulsive and happy as usual? He clearly was also an old fox that thought too much! ¡°A certain mentor would naturally have a similar disciple.¡± Yi Zhao had long known what kind of people they were, so he naturally knew what methods were the most effective to deal with them. Elder Yi Yu lowered his head slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve always let nature take its course. Actually, everything today was under your control.¡± Yi Zhao raised his hand. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t think of leaving that Shangguan Yue behind at the very start.¡± That was because he really didn¡¯t expect this woman to be so gangster-ish! ¡°Additionally, Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline¡­ is much better than what I expected.¡± When Yi Zhao spoke of this, satisfaction surfaced on his face. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t waste your efforts.¡± When he initially learned that a red-gold heavenly phoenix appeared in Ling Xiao Academy, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But when he knew that it had made an agreement with a human, he wanted to call it back as soon as possible. But after hearing about these things, he faintly figured that this red-gold heavenly phoenix was rather different. As expected today! Elder Yi Yu smiled. ¡°Right? The purest bloodline hasn¡¯t appeared in our clan for a very long time. It really came in time for us¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s still too young.¡± Yi Zhao shook his head. ¡°If it can¡¯t take human form, it can¡¯t join the ancestral ceremony.¡± Elder Yi Yu was shocked, and he raised his head suddenly. ¡°You want it to participate in this ancestral ceremony?¡± With Tuan Zi¡¯s age, I thought that the clan leader would wait for the next time¡­ Suddenly, something flashed across his mind. ¡°T-this is the reason why you agreed to Shangguan Yue?¡± Yi Zhao turned around and gazed at the mural. ¡°Since she has the guts to accept this bet, I want to see if she has the ability!¡± ¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire. Over many nights, Rong Xiu swiftly rushed back to the Sky-Cloud Empire without stopping. The moment he stepped into the barrier, Yan Qing and the rest were waiting for him. Seeing Rong Xiu, Yan Qing immediately brought them over and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness!¡± Rong Xiu raised his hand, gesturing for them to be at ease. As he rushed toward Suming Peak, he asked, ¡°How has the Sky-Cloud Empire been recently?¡± Yan Qing looked solemn and followed. ¡°Master, all the venerables and the 13 heads of the 28 divisions have now gathered in Tongshen Palace. 36 Respected Elder Ming is controlling the place, but¡­ the situation is not optimistic.¡± Rong Xiu squinted his phoenix-like eyes, and his thin lips curled up at an ice-cold angle. He seemed to be smiling, but the smile didn¡¯t reach the corner of his eyes. ¡°They came rather quickly. The last time the Sky-Cloud Empire was this crowded, it was on the day of my ascension.¡± That happened quite a few years ago. And this time, Baili Chun was unconscious, so these people really couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. The moment he received the news at Ling Xiao Academy, he immediately rushed back. And these people actually acted faster than him. ¡°How¡¯s the clan leader now?¡± asked Rong Xiu. Yan Qing¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°Jishen Palace.¡± After it happened, he knew that something was amiss. Hence, he swiftly brought people to Jishen Palace and set up many guards to strictly control it. He was afraid that someone would play a trick. Rong Xiu lightly nodded. ¡°You did well.¡± As long as the person was still in their hands, the matter would be much easier to solve. Then, Rong Xiu¡¯s figure flashed and rushed to Suming Peak at even greater speeds. ¡­ Within the magnificent and solemn Tongshen Palace, the atmosphere was cold. The venerables of the Sky-Cloud Empire sat on both sides. The family heads of the 28 divisions sat in slightly lower positions. These dozens of people could be considered to be the ones with the highest status in the Sky-Cloud Empire. At this point, they had almost all gathered here, and they clearly came for Baili Chun. Respected Elder Yu Jing finally couldn¡¯t hold himself back in this silent atmosphere and broke the silence first. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, and His Grace hasn¡¯t come back yet. Did something delay him on the way?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming sipped on a mouthful of tea and lightly said, ¡°Ling Xiao Academy is originally far from the Sky-Cloud Empire, so he naturally can¡¯t be like everyone and rush over in the blink of an eye once you get the news.¡± Some people¡¯s expressions changed slightly. Respected Elder Yu Jing laughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. The journey is far to come back from there. Besides, Ling Xiao Academy has suffered a series of troubles recently. It¡¯s normal for His Grace to be delayed, especially¡­ when our new princess consort is also there!¡± This sentence sounded fine, but everyone present was smart. How could they not hear the mockery? ¡°Speaking of the princess consort, she¡¯s amazing. We all thought that she was still in Jishen Palace the entire time. Who knew that she would secretly change her appearance and go to Ling Xiao Academy? Her reputation has been pretty loud recently!¡± At the side, Respected Elder Tong Chuan laughed and lightly said, ¡°This princess consort is very capable. No wonder His Grace likes her.¡± At this point, a cold and low voice suddenly came from outside the hall. ¡°Of course, my princess consort is peerless.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1577 - Questioning When everyone in Tongshen Palace heard the sound, they were all taken aback and turned to look. A towering figure advanced in the backlight. He was dressed in a black brocade robe, his demonically handsome face half-lit and half-dark. As he walked, the wind rolled up the corners of his clothes, bringing a touch of unattainable cold and noble aura. A pair of deep phoenix eyes like the cold pool of an ancient well looked calm and collected on the surface, but in fact, a dark tide was surging inside, making him seem unpredictable. When he stepped into the hall, a faint bloody aura spread silently. Everyone felt a jolt in their hearts! This man would only have such an aura after he has just killed someone, or before he is about to kill! 36 Respected Elder Ming heaved a sigh of relief and took the lead in getting up to greet him. ¡°Welcome back, Your Grace!¡± Of all the people present, he had the highest status. Seeing him saluting respectfully, everyone finally returned to their senses and followed the salute one after another. Rong Xiu walked straight forward. In the quiet hall, only his footsteps were particularly clear. Step by step, it seemed to step on everyone¡¯s heart. He clearly didn¡¯t say anything, just walked in front of the crowd, and naturally brought an indescribable heavy pressure. Rong Xiu walked to the top position, lifted his clothes, and took a seat. He looked around the hall. The surroundings grew even quieter. Without his permission, nobody dared to get up without authorization, so they had to maintain the awkward posture of saluting. After a while, Rong Xiu said, ¡°At ease.¡± Only then did everyone sit down again. It was just that the atmosphere in the hall was very different from before. 36 Respected Elder Ming leaned leisurely on the back of the chair, raised his eyelids, and sneered in his heart. They were so arrogant and actually dared to mock His Grace and the princess consort, making me think that they were going to rebel. But when Rong Xiu came¡­ Before he even said anything, these people started to withdraw from the hall by themselves, and they didn¡¯t even dare to make a single noise. I really overestimated them. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze finally fell on Respected Elder Tong Chuan and Respected Elder Yu Jing. Their thin crimson lips were slightly raised, and they were seemingly smiling. ¡°Several respected elders have always had a high vision, but today they are so generous in complimenting Yue¡¯er. Therefore, they must be very satisfied with her.¡± The faces of Respected Elder Tong Chuan and the other elders suddenly became very ugly. Since when did we compliment her? It was clearly mockery¡ªWe were ridiculing her! But this couldn¡¯t be said in front of Rong Xiu. After a short stalemate, Respected Elder Tong Chuan looked over and said without any emotions, ¡°The princess consort was personally selected by His Grace with great pains, so she¡¯s naturally different.¡± Rong Xiu righteously nodded and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s rare for Respected Elder Tong Chuan to share the same opinions as I do.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan choked and didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. 36 Respected Elder Ming looked outside the door for a while and asked suspiciously, ¡°Your Highness, the princess consort didn¡¯t come back with you?¡± Rong Xiu nodded his head, his expression indifferent. ¡°The clan leader of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan personally wrote a letter asking her to go to Godly Phoenix Mountain, so she did not return with me.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone gasped uncontrollably. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was very noble, and its clan leader is even more notoriously arrogant. He doesn¡¯t even respect the legendary warriors. Why is he writing to Shangguan Yue personally now? Right! She seems to have contracted a red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ Respected Elder Tong Chuan suddenly laughed coldly. ¡°The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan has never communicated with the human race and regards a contract with the human race as a major stain. Your Highness, aren¡¯t you worried at all about Princess Consort?¡± This didn¡¯t seem like a good thing. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°I¡¯m aware of your meaning, Respected Elder Tong Chuan. However, you¡¯re thinking too much. If the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan really wanted to find trouble with Yue¡¯er, they could just come to our door as Miao Yao did. Isn¡¯t it unnecessary to write a letter to invite her over?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan was taken aback. He felt that something was amiss, but he couldn¡¯t say anything to refute it. Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. Actually, what His Grace said made sense. According to the usual temper of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, if they really wanted to trouble Shangguan Yue, they would never do such unnecessary things. Could it be that¡­ Shangguan Yue is really there as a guest? ¡°The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan is rarely involved in the affairs of the God Residence Realm. This time, they took the initiative to invite Princess Consort over. Maybe they can still form a good relationship,¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming stroked his beard and remarked slowly. Everyone was suspicious when they heard it, but they didn¡¯t dare to ask more. If it had been before, they would definitely think this was all fake. However, it was different now. During this period of time, the affairs of Ling Xiao Academy were in an uproar. The name ¡®Shangguan Yue¡¯ had also spread almost throughout the God Residence Realm. Not only was she an all-rounder, but she was also young and had already broken through to become a true god! In addition, her true origin was finally presented to everyone¡ªnot only was she the descendant of Shangguan Jing, a supreme Armory Refinement Master, but she was also an apprentice of Nan Suhuai, the dean of Ling Xiao Academy! A few months ago, everyone was still looking down on her. Now, they only felt their faces hurt. Who knew what other trump cards and formidable skills Shangguan Yue had? The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan might really be sucking up to her! It was hard to say! ¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze stayed on the dozen or so heads of the family for a moment, and he said unhurriedly, ¡°Yue¡¯er can handle her own matters herself. On the other hand¡­ After I received the news, I rushed back immediately, but I didn¡¯t expect everyone to come earlier than me.¡± Some people had already begun to break out in sweat. Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s eyes flashed, and he tried to explain. ¡°They were also worried about the clan leader, so they hurried here.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Leaning back, Rong Xiu¡¯s knuckled fingers tapped lightly on the armrest twice before he smiled faintly. ¡°I thought that you were all waiting for me to come back and give an explanation.¡± The crowd was stumped. In fact, they originally planned this! However, Rong Xiu¡¯s preemptive attack rendered them unable to say this aloud. After a while, Respected Elder Tong Chuan spoke up. ¡°How dare I wait for Your Highness to be held accountable? It¡¯s just that the clan leader has been unconscious since he returned from Ling Xiao Academy, and the only person who knows more about the events at that time is Your Highness. Therefore, we just hoped that Your Highness could come back to preside over the overall situation and thoroughly investigate what¡¯s going on.¡± He said this tactfully, but he actually pushed the blame onto Rong Xiu quietly. Unfortunately, Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t someone who could be manipulated. He seemed to nod in agreement. ¡°What Respected Elder Tong Chuan said is reasonable, and I also rushed back so quickly for this reason. In fact, I have already been to Jishen Palace and visited the clan leader just now. Having seen the clan leader, I did find a little problem.¡± Rong Xiu paused, and his eyes fell on Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s body. ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing, why does the clan leader¡¯s body have your scent?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1578 - What Are You Doing?! Respected Elder Yu Jing was taken aback and suddenly raised his head. I had clearly erased all traces. How could it have been discovered? Meeting Rong Xiu¡¯s cold dagger-like eyes, his back suddenly shuddered as indescribable fear quickly gushed from the depths of his heart! ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing, are you saying that I¡¯ve wronged you?¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing forced himself to be calm. ¡°No, no¡­ Maybe Your Highness mistook it¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the first day I met you. Is it possible that I¡¯d mistake it?¡± Rong Xiu interrupted him and asked in a low voice. Respected Elder Yu Jing choked and couldn¡¯t speak anymore. In the hall, nobody spoke, and the air stagnated. Rong Xiu asked slowly, ¡°Before I came back, the news I received was that the clan leader had come back from Fangzhou City and had gone directly back to his place without seeing anyone. So, where did this breath on his body come from?¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s face gradually paled. ¡°I came back to investigate this matter. Therefore, let¡¯s start with you, Respected Elder Yu Jing!¡± ¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain. Beside the golden stream, Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi sat facing each other. A breeze blew the branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground. ¡°Tuan Zi, you really don¡¯t feel the signs of your second meridian opening?¡± Chu Liuyue stared closely at Tuan Zi and asked cautiously. Tuan Zi shook its head. ¡°Sigh! I knew it!¡± Chu Liuyue gave a long sigh, looking very worriedly at Tuan Zi. Three days had passed. During this period, she tried all kinds of methods, but Tuan Zi had no intention of continuing to break through. It didn¡¯t even feel anything. Chu Liuyue asked it countless times, but all she got was the same answer. Thump! Chu Liuyue laid back in a daze. Fluffy leaves flew up. ¡°I should¡¯ve realized it a long time ago. It¡¯s not that simple¡­¡± It had only been a few months since Tuan Zi broke through from a red-tailed phoenix to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix. It was unrealistic to ask it to break through again in a blink of an eye. According to Tuan Zi, the average red-gold heavenly phoenix will only have the opportunity to open the third meridian at the age of 100. How old is it now? It is impossible to open three meridians. Tuan Zi lowered its head, its expression sad. Sure enough. Is it because I¡¯m too useless¡­ If I could directly open the third meridian, she wouldn¡¯t need to have such a headache. She also wouldn¡¯t have to be locked up here with it, unable to go out. The more Tuan Zi thought about this, the more it blamed itself, and its head was almost buried in the feathers on its chest. Perceiving its mood, Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. She sat up again and pulled Tuan Zi over. ¡°It¡¯s not your problem. I was too impulsive before.¡± I should¡¯ve understood it before agreeing¡­ Suddenly, her eyes lit up. ¡°Tuan Zi, would triggering lightning help you to break through?¡± On Million Wine Mountain previously, it was because Tuan Zi swallowed the power of the lightning bolts that its bloodline was stimulated, and it broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix. She wondered if this move was still useful. Tuan Zi tilted its head, confused. In fact, it also wasn¡¯t very clear¡­ Chu Liuyue came to a decision. I have to try to know! She looked up at the sky. This was a special space within the sphere of light, so the sky was also faintly crimson. Only at the edge of the four fields was there a bright golden light. The Heaven and Earth Force is so rich. I should be able to trigger the lightning smoothly, right? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue flew up and reached the top of the mountain. There were many ways to trigger lightning, but the most convenient and fastest of them was naturally to refine things. It just so happened that after she regained her memory, she had yet to test her current level. She could take this opportunity to take a look. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes and looked at her wrist. With a thought in her heart, a light-pink peach blossom mark slowly appeared. This thing was originally given to her by 36 Respected Elder Ming, and it could teleport silently without causing any energy fluctuations. Now that she had returned to being a true god, this thing seemed a little useless. But if she could improve it and make it teleport farther, it was just right. She would do exactly that. Chu Liuyue took out the star stone, jumped on it, and sat cross-legged. Tuan Zi squatted next to her, staring blankly. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and gathered her focus. The next moment, her wrist turned gently. The light flashed in an instant! A bracelet slowly emerged from her wrist. It was a bracelet woven from thick black rattan, with a small light pink peach blossom blooming on it. The bracelet faded automatically and floated quietly in front of her. There was a faint luster on it, quiet and restrained. And that peach blossom seemed to be swaying in the wind, vibrant and moving. I wonder if I can succeed this time¡­ Chu Liuyue thought so in her heart and, at the same time, began to mobilize the vitality in her body! ¡­ Time passed bit by bit. But above the mountain peak, it was still calm. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and glanced up. The sky was clear and cloudless. There was no movement at all. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help frowning. It really doesn¡¯t work well here¡­ Within this sphere of light was a special realm in Phoenix Valley, and the Heaven and Earth force was very abundant. With just her power alone, it was almost impossible to mobilize the power of this space and trigger lightning¡ªeven if she was already a true god. Compared with ancient legendary fiends like a red-gold heavenly phoenix, it was still not enough. Chu Liuyue rested her head in one hand and fell into contemplation again. Should I go out? It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate. In the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, I don¡¯t know how many pairs of eyes are staring at Tuan Zi and me, waiting to make a joke out of us. Once I leave here, nobody knows what will happen outside. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re on my side, but if I continue to stay here, what can I do to mobilize the Heaven and Earth Force¡­ Suddenly, her eyebrows moved. Tuan Zi looked blankly at her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was a little strange. She seemed a little excited, a little hesitant, and very tangled. After a while, as if she had made up her mind, Chu Liuyue shook her fist violently. ¡°Alright!¡± Before Tuan Zi could react, it saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm, and suddenly something appeared. It was a seed the size of a thumb. Its whole body was crimson and crystal clear. At this time, a small leaf had already appeared on it, tender and cute. However, Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes widened suddenly, and it stepped back hurriedly! What! Why did she take this thing out?! At this moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind moved. The tender leaf shook gently¡ª Huala! The Heaven and Earth Force swept in instantly! At the same moment, winds suddenly rose in Phoenix Valley! In Phoenix Valley, Elder Yi Yu¡ªwho was resting¡ªrushed out with a shocked expression on his face and saw the tide of Heaven and Earth Force surging in the sky, messy in the wind. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1579 - Then Go Ahead Other people in Phoenix Valley noticed this movement and rushed out one after another. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, what¡¯s the matter? Why did the Heaven and Earth Force suddenly riot?!¡± Everyone looked confused and finally looked at the sky together. They were all taken aback when they saw the surging tide of energy. Although the sky and ground were full of energy in Phoenix Valley, it had always been calm, and this had never happened before. Now this¡ª ¡°Wait, the energy seems to be heading that way!¡± Suddenly, someone exclaimed in a low voice. Everyone looked in the direction he pointed out. ¡°Could it be that something happened over there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Isn¡¯t it always remote over there? Why did this happen all of a sudden?¡± But after seeing the direction the energy tide was surging in, Elder Yi Yu was taken aback. Over there¡ªisn¡¯t that where Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi are?! For various reasons, I deliberately arranged them in a more remote place at the beginning. Over there¡­ There is almost nobody else except them! ¡°Everyone, stay where you are! Don¡¯t move!¡± Elder Yi Yu gave an order and then quickly ran over there! Although the rest were full of curiosity, they didn¡¯t dare to disobey his orders, so they had to wait obediently. Elder Yi Yu¡¯s figure quickly disappeared. Only then did everyone gradually start talking again. And the movement in the sky, instead of showing signs of disappearing, became more intense. The Heaven and Earth Force seemed to be easily manipulated by an invisible hand, rushing from all directions! Even if they stood below, they could still feel the amazing coercion. At this moment, another person walked out of the ball of light. His face was very ugly, and his eyes seemed to be burning with angry flames¡ªit was Yi Ran. He suppressed the anger in his heart, glanced up, and then asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The person beside him saw that his expression was off and didn¡¯t dare to ask further. He only explained, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. Something seems to have happened over there. Elder Yi Yu has already gone over.¡± As he spoke, he raised his finger and pointed. Yi Ran looked in that direction and immediately sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that Shangguan Yue is very good at causing trouble. When she was in Ling Xiao Academy previously, she was very presumptuous and caused a lot of trouble. I didn¡¯t expect her to still be so stubborn!¡± After he reminded them, everyone remembered that it wasn¡¯t anybody else there but Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi, who had been here for several days. ¡°If there¡¯s any accident, that red-gold heavenly phoenix is also to blame!¡± Yi Ran¡¯s heart was on fire. Originally, he was cultivating with peace of mind, and after some guidance from his master, he had finally touched the threshold to break through. But at this moment, there was sudden turmoil in Phoenix Valley, which directly interrupted his cultivation. How could he not be annoyed?! It isn¡¯t long before the ancestral ceremony. I must seize all the time to break through! With such a fuss today, my previous efforts are in vain again! Seeing that he was in a bad mood, everyone didn¡¯t dare to inquire carefully and only nodded in agreement. ¡­ Elder Yi Yu came to the ball of light where Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi were. As soon as he got closer, he noticed an amazing coercion! His pupils shrank slightly. Didn¡¯t Shangguan Yue just break through to a true god? It stands to reason that such strength is impossible to cause such terrifying movements, right? He was about to raise his hand, but the sky suddenly darkened! He paused and looked up. In the originally clear and cloudless sky, dark clouds gathered as the wind howled. A silver bolt of lightning was slithering through the clouds like a silver snake! Heavenly lightning?! Elder Yi Yu suddenly realized something, and his eyes widened slightly. Realizing the seriousness of the matter, he didn¡¯t hesitate in directly pressing one hand on the ball of light, then raising his foot and stepping in! ¡­ As soon as he entered, Elder Yi Yu was almost blown away by the incoming wind. He quickly stabilized his figure and looked forward hurriedly. Then, he saw Shangguan Yue sitting cross-legged on the mountaintop at a glance. The little Tuan Zi was squatting beside her. At this time, an energy vortex had already formed above their heads, directly connected to the golden ball of light! The movements outside were really caused by them! ¡°Shangguan¡ª¡± Elder Yi Yu spoke subconsciously, but he was quickly silenced by the sight of the bracelet hanging in front of Chu Liuyue. Is she¡­ refining weapons? Although he was a red-gold heavenly phoenix, he still knew some things about the human race quite well. When refining Yuan instruments, the surrounding environment was extremely demanding, and the refiner couldn¡¯t be disturbed. But at this moment, the woman suddenly raised her head and looked over. Seeing that it was Elder Yi Yu, a bright smile quickly bloomed on her face. ¡°Elder Yi Yu!¡± Elder Yi Yu was a little confused. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re not refining Yuan instruments?¡± ¡°I am, but it¡¯s still in the preparation stage!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡°It¡¯ll probably take a while.¡± Although the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed could easily mobilize the Heaven and Earth Force, it would indeed take more time to attract enough lightning. As she spoke, she smiled at Elder Yi Yu. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The corners of Elder Yi Yu¡¯s eyes twitched. Why am I here¡­ She actually asked me why I¡¯m here?! Seeing that she was asking sincerely, Elder Yi Yu calmed himself down and said, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve caused quite a commotion. The natural energy outside is starting to riot.¡± ¡°I know!¡± She nodded. Isn¡¯t this why I¡¯ve worked so hard?! For a moment, Elder Yi Yu didn¡¯t know how to respond and fell into a long silence. Chu Liuyue blinked and finally understood why he was here. ¡°This¡­ Did it affect everyone? I just wanted to trigger lightning. It shouldn¡¯t¡­ affect others, right?¡± Elder Yi Yu was even more speechless. Because upon careful thought, although all of this had happened suddenly, it didn¡¯t seem to have affected them much. At most, it had shocked everyone. To say that the damage had hindered anyone¡­ It didn¡¯t seem to have happened. In that case, it would be even more difficult for him to reprimand her. ¡°However, this commotion is indeed not small¡­¡± Elder Yi Yu thought for a moment and said hesitantly, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing especially important, then¡ª¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not actually doing this to refine Yuan instruments. I¡¯m doing this to help Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged and smiled helplessly. ¡°As you know, we only have a month.¡± Elder Yi Yu instantly understood and glanced at Tuan Zi. I see. They want to summon lightning to try to make Tuan Zi break through?! This isn¡¯t a bad idea¡­ If it were anyone else, he would definitely think that this was wishful thinking. However, Tuan Zi was of the purest bloodline. Perhaps¡­ Elder Yi Yu opened his mouth. ¡°Then¡­ Go ahead then¡­¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1580 - Movement When Elder Yi Yu came out of the ball of light, he immediately sensed countless gazes on him. ¡°Elder Yi Yu.¡± Yi Ran was the first to welcome him. He sized up Yi Yu¡¯s expression, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t see any hints. ¡°Did Shangguan Yue cause trouble again?¡± Although the surrounding people did not say anything, they clearly wanted to ask this. Elder Yi Yu frowned. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a small misunderstanding. Everyone, go back and rest in peace.¡± Yi Ran was stunned. A small misunderstanding? The sky above Phoenix Valley is still gloomy, with wind and lightning! This is called a small misunderstanding?! Yi Ran couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice slightly. ¡°Elder, this has never happened in Phoenix Valley, so everyone is naturally very worried. Aren¡¯t you¡­ worried at all?¡± Elder Yi Yu suddenly laughed. ¡°Yi Ran, are you questioning me?¡± Yi Ran was shocked and hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°Shangguan Yue is refining Yuan instruments inside, which caused this commotion. Everyone, don¡¯t worry.¡± Elder Yi Yu looked around. ¡°When did our red-gold heavenly phoenix become so timid?¡± Although he was smiling, his words instantly changed the expressions of the surrounding people. These words were simply pointing at their noses and cursing them. After a moment, someone argued, ¡°Elder, you¡¯ve misunderstood. We¡¯re not afraid. We¡¯re just¡­ a little surprised by this sudden commotion.¡± As soon as he said that, everyone agreed. ¡°Yes, yes. I just didn¡¯t expect it.¡± ¡°No human has been here before, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! To be honest, other than the loud noise, it doesn¡¯t affect us much¡­¡± Only then did Elder Yi Yu nod. ¡°Just don¡¯t ruin our reputation. Don¡¯t forget¡ªwhen you look at her, she¡¯s also looking at you.¡± If they lost face in front of the humans, that would be really¡ª Everyone nodded in agreement. Only Yi Ran was filled with grievances. No impact? Of course, there is! This time, I will have to spend a lot of effort to find that threshold again! However, he couldn¡¯t say these words in public and could only endure it silently. ¡°Alright, disperse!¡± Elder Yi Yu waved his hand. The crowd quickly dispersed. Yi Ran had just turned around when he turned back unwillingly. ¡°Elder, you still have to be careful of Shangguan Yue. I¡¯ve heard that she caused a lot of trouble in the past. If she does anything out of line again¡­ The ancestral ceremony is about to begin; it won¡¯t be good.¡± Elder Yi Yu glanced at him with a faint smile. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he, Yi Ran, was the elder. Yi Ran felt a little guilty under his gaze, and his voice gradually softened. Only then did Elder Yi Yu say indifferently, ¡°The clan leader and the elders will be in charge of these things. You don¡¯t have to worry so much. Just cultivate in peace.¡± Yi Ran knew that he had misspoken. His heart raced, and his face alternated between green and white. He hurriedly agreed and turned to leave. Elder Yi Yu stared at his back for a while and shook his head. He was originally a good seedling, but unfortunately, he is narrow-minded and ambitious. Being too shrewd isn¡¯t a good thing. Elder Yi Yu turned around and stared at the ball of light. He retreated a little and began to guard it. It was important and involved Tuan Zi, so they naturally had to be careful. ¡­ The energy tide in Phoenix Valley surged for seven days. Everyone went from being shocked and surprised at first to gradually learning to accept it. In the end, they were almost used to it. Just as Elder Yi Yu had said at the beginning, although this commotion wasn¡¯t small, it did not cause them much trouble. After each of them reinforced a light ball barrier, there would basically be no trouble. Over the past few days, Elder Yi Yu had also pushed away all other matters and had been patiently watching from the side. Apart from the continuously surging tide, everything seemed to have returned to normal. But for some people, that wasn¡¯t the case. Thump! Yi Ran punched the stone wall in front of him! A crack spread from under his fist. Pain shot through his hand. However, the current Yi Ran was in no mood to care about this. He looked up in frustration. The barrier, which had been glowing with a reddish-gold light, seemed to be covered in a layer of shadows. One could vaguely hear the whistling of the wind. The commotion outside continued. It has been so many days, yet it still hasn¡¯t stopped! There is simply no end to it! It was because of this that he had been unable to calm down for the past few days, and his cultivation progress had also been delayed. He was filled with frustration, and he wished he could rush out and order Shangguan Yue and the red-gold heavenly phoenix to get out! But he couldn¡¯t. The longer he delayed, the more anxious he became, and the less he was in the mood to cultivate. He fell into a vicious cycle. Actually, that commotion was basically negligible. In particular, Yi Ran¡¯s status in the clan wasn¡¯t low. His ball of light was also of a higher level than many people his age. In fact, the most important reason why he was like this was still himself. Cultivation could not be rushed, but he was anxious for quick success and urgently hoped that he would break through immediately. However, this was not good. Even if he cultivated in a completely sealed and quiet space, this would still be the outcome. Unfortunately, he could not understand these principles and subconsciously blamed others. Yi Ran closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The words his master had previously told him kept appearing in his mind. That red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ Could it really be a threat to me? Boom! At this moment, a roar suddenly sounded! Yi Ran was shocked and immediately stepped out of the light ball barrier! ¡­ Inside Phoenix Valley, the wind was still howling, and dark clouds were surging. A bright and dazzling light suddenly flashed and descended from the sky! It was the lightning that had been summoned previously! After seven days of preparation, more than a hundred lightning bolts had accumulated in the sky! At this moment, they finally slashed down! The target was the ball of light deep in Phoenix Valley! Apart from Yi Ran, some others walked out when they heard the commotion. At this moment, they were all watching this scene in curiosity and shock. Coincidentally, a crack suddenly appeared at the top of the ball of light! Several bolts of lightning struck down! Hong hong hong! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1581 - Interference Countless lightning bolts descended and landed in the ball of light one after another, quickly disappearing! Everyone looked over from afar and could only see the dazzling light, almost blinding them. Amidst the commotion, someone couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°What level of Yuan instrument is Shangguan Yue refining to actually summon so much lightning!?¡± No one knew. Elder Yi Yu was guarding the pavilion at the side. Nobody could approach, so they naturally didn¡¯t know the exact situation inside. Therefore, everyone could only watch from afar as the ball of light gradually bathed in a sea of lightning. Elder Yi Yu quickly attacked! A scarlet-gold flame surged out of his sleeve. In the blink of an eye, it formed a huge barrier that enveloped the space within a radius of dozens of kilometers! Countless bolts of lightning splattered and shook violently. It looked like it would break at any moment. Elder Yi Yu frowned with a solemn expression. It is naturally very difficult to cause such a commotion with just Shangguan Yue. There is a high chance that she has even used a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Some time ago, what happened in Ling Xiao Academy had spread throughout the entire God Residence Realm. Among them, the most talked about was Shangguan Yue¡¯s true identity and her many trump cards! There was no need to mention the Heavenly Square Cauldron and the supreme Yuan instrument. The most shocking thing was that she actually had a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! Under normal circumstances, only legendary warriors could control a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. However, Shangguan Yue broke this custom. In fact, too many similar things had already happened, so much so that everyone was starting to become numb. In the end, there was only one result¡ªShangguan Yue couldn¡¯t be measured by normal standards at all! It was obviously the same this time. ¡°How did a true god activate the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡­¡± Elder Yi Yu muttered, his heart filled with doubts. At this moment, a sound tore through the air in the distance. Sensing something, he quickly glanced over his shoulder¡ªit was none other than Yi Gong. Before he arrived, when he saw the lightning swimming in the sky and the rumbling Phoenix Mountain, his expression was already extremely ugly. ¡°Is this going against the heavens!?¡± ¡­ In the past ten days, Elder Yi Gong had been busy preparing for the ancestral ceremony, so he had never known the situation here. Today¡¯s phenomenon and the violent lightning alarmed him. He rushed over and didn¡¯t expect to see such a scene. ¡°Yi Yu! What exactly is going on?!¡± Elder Yi Gong suppressed his intense anger. ¡°First Elder, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just that Shangguan Yue is refining Yuan instruments and has triggered lightning.¡± Elder Yi Yu greeted him with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter.¡± ¡°A small matter?¡± Elder Yi Gong immediately raised his eyebrows, then sneered and pointed ahead. ¡°Yi Yu, Phoenix Valley is already in such a mess, and you still say it¡¯s a small matter?! It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never seen humans refine Yuan instruments. It¡¯s impossible for them to cause such a huge commotion. There¡¯s clearly something fishy going on! Where¡¯s Shangguan Yue? Tell her to come out!¡± Elder Yi Yu was still smiling, and he seemed to be in a difficult position. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t too appropriate, right? She¡¯s refining Yuan instruments and is at a critical moment. If we force her out now, wouldn¡¯t that be¡ª¡± ¡°Yi Yu, if something really happens, can you take responsibility?¡± Elder Yi Gong glanced at him coldly. The threat in his voice was self-evident. He could tell that Yi Yu seemed to have a good attitude toward Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be so protective of them at this moment. Elder Yi Yu paused, then took a step back and made way. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s do as First Elder says.¡± Elder Yi Gong glanced meaningfully at him before stepping forward. Although these lightning bolts were extremely powerful, they weren¡¯t fatal to him, who had already opened the sixth meridian. Elder Yi Gong stared at the silver ball of light with killing intent flashing in his eyes. I didn¡¯t know how to stop them, but I didn¡¯t expect them to cause trouble first. Making such a commotion in Phoenix Mountain is equivalent to taking their lives. It isn¡¯t appropriate for others to say anything! Shangguan Yue was refining Yuan instruments and needed to be careful the most. Once she was disturbed and her mind was in chaos, she might lose the entire game! At that time, as the fiend she had an agreement with, Tuan Zi would naturally be greatly affected! Perhaps¡­ he could take this opportunity to end everything! Elder Yi Gong suddenly raised his hand. Flames surged in his palm, and he was about to take action! ¡°Hold on!¡± A voice suddenly sounded! When Elder Yi Gong heard this, he immediately felt annoyed. Yi Shang! It is him again! It was obvious why Yi Shang had come over. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s gaze darkened, and he decided to ignore it. As long as I resolve Shangguan Yue, the rest is nothing to worry about! He flipped his wrist and immediately attacked! An arrow suddenly tore through the air, drawing a straight black line in the air as it headed straight for the ball of light! When Elder Yi Shang saw this, his eyes darkened! At the same time, he waved his sleeve! Whoosh! Wind blew and blocked the arrow! The next moment, he was holding the arrow tightly in his hand! ¡°Yi Shang!¡± After the attack failed, Elder Yi Gong immediately frowned. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°I should be the one asking that.¡± Elder Yi Shang¡¯s expression was calm, but there was a hint of coldness between his eyebrows. ¡°Yi Yu has already sealed the surroundings, so this power won¡¯t affect the outside for the time being. Why is First Elder so anxious to attack now?¡± Elder Yi Gong narrowed his eyes. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m doing this for the sake of Phoenix Valley. If anything happens¡ª¡± ¡°What huge trouble can a mere true god cause? On the other hand¡­ If we rashly attack now, it¡¯s fine to hurt Shangguan Yue, but¡­ If this affects the others, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult to explain to the clan leader, right?¡± After mentioning the clan leader, Elder Yi Gong naturally could not say anything else. He ground his teeth and snorted. ¡°Alright! In that case, if anything happens, you¡¯ll take responsibility alone!¡± Elder Yi Shang smiled and returned the arrow in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s only right.¡± Elder Yi Gong suppressed the anger in his heart and snatched the arrow back! ¡°Master¡ª¡± Yi Gong turned at the sound. ¡°Yi Ran? Why aren¡¯t you cultivating? Are you here to join in the fun?¡± Yi Ran hurriedly said, ¡°I just heard the commotion and came out. I¡¯m not¡ª¡± Elder Yi Gong sized him up with a bad expression. It had been ten days since my last guidance. Why hasn¡¯t he broken through yet?! But before he could ask, the lightning in the sky suddenly struck at even greater speeds! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1582 - Glutton Tuan Zi Seeing this commotion, everyone in Phoenix Valley focused their gazes with different expressions. What level of Yuan instrument is Shangguan Yue refining? Isn¡¯t the speed at which it consumes heavenly lightning too fast? Can she really take it? ¡­ ¡°Tuan Zi, how do you feel now?¡± Inside the ball of light, on the mountain peak, Chu Liuyue was sitting cross-legged and looking at Tuan Zi above her head. The triggered lightning didn¡¯t land on the bracelet. Instead, it was all intercepted by Tuan Zi! Its small body was covered by a dazzling light, making it almost impossible to see. She could only roughly guess its current situation through their contract. Tuan Zi didn¡¯t say anything. After a while, the lightning subsided, and the fiend gradually revealed itself. At that moment, it suddenly cut off a bolt of lightning and devoured it without hesitation! A few silver lights seemed to flash across its body before quickly hiding under its feathers. The entire process was smooth without a pause. ¡°Burp¡­¡± Tuan Zi burped and devoured another fine bolt of lightning. Chu Liuyue sneered at it. ¡°Why are you eating in such a hurry? Anyway, these are all yours.¡± Tuan Zi lowered its head and looked at her. It blinked aggrievedly, as if embarrassed. Actually, it didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It was just that after seeing these lightning bolts, it suddenly felt hungry. For some reason, it became hungrier the more it ate. It accidentally ate too quickly and burped. It hadn¡¯t felt that way at first, but somehow¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. In fact, she wasn¡¯t as calm as she looked. She wanted to attract lightning to help Tuan Zi break through, so she asked Tuan Zi to intercept those lightning bolts halfway. But gradually, she realized that things were gradually derailing. Tuan Zi¡¯s tolerance and devouring power for the lightning far exceeded her expectations. Seeing that Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t injured by the lightning and had even become more energetic, she felt completely relieved. Perhaps¡­ it is Tuan Zi¡¯s previous experience in Million Wine Mountain that makes it so different? The answer was unknown, but she knew that attracting lightning would indeed help Tuan Zi break through. The aura on its body was rapidly becoming stronger as it devoured more lightning! As long as I continue to persevere, I might really be able to help Tuan Zi open its meridians in the remaining time! Soon, lightning descended again! Tuan Zi looked up, its eyes bright and restless. ¡­ The wait always seemed especially difficult. Everyone on Phoenix Mountain was already a little anxious from waiting. They looked up again and again and were disappointed. This was because the sky was still dark, and in the clouds, heavenly lightning gathered endlessly. Nobody knew how long this situation would last. Elder Yi Yu yawned lazily. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been watching here recently and haven¡¯t even closed my eyes. I really can¡¯t hold on anymore; I¡¯ll go rest first.¡± With that, he turned and left in a carefree manner. He wasn¡¯t worried. With Yi Gong and Yi Shang here, definitely nothing would happen! Besides, he was indeed tired. From the looks of it, it won¡¯t stop anytime soon. I might as well go back and take a nap. Elder Yi Gong looked very unhappy. Is he directly pushing the responsibility to us? But I still have a lot of things to do! How can I keep standing guard here? Who knows how long we will have to wait? However, he was unwilling to leave just like that. At the side, Elder Yi Shang seemed to be calm and waiting patiently. Elder Yi Gong thought for a moment and turned to look at Yi Ran. ¡°Go back and cultivate in peace.¡± Yi Ran actually didn¡¯t want to waste any more time here, but he was worried that he would still not be able to calm down after returning, so he hesitated and said, ¡°Master, this commotion is indeed a little big¡­¡± Elder Yi Gong had been his master for many years, so he naturally guessed his thoughts. He couldn¡¯t help but frown and go over to pat his shoulder. Yi Ran felt a warm power instantly surge into his body! His heart skipped a beat. ¡°As long as you¡¯re focused enough, none of this will affect you, understand?¡± Yi Ran hurriedly responded. ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Master.¡± ¡°Go back!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yi Ran didn¡¯t continue to hesitate and quickly left. Elder Yi Shang¡¯s gaze lingered on Yi Ran for a moment longer before he quickly retracted it as if nothing had happened. After Yi Ran left, many people began to return one after another. However, whether they could completely withdraw their thoughts was another matter. ¡­ A day passed quickly. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s face was as black as the bottom of a pot. His faintly throbbing forehead showed his anger, which was on the verge of erupting. ¡°What exactly is Shangguan Yue planning to do?!¡± After so long, Phoenix Valley still can¡¯t calm down! Heavenly lightning gathered and fell one after another. He couldn¡¯t even count how many lightning bolts had entered the ball of light! Elder Yi Shang smiled faintly. ¡°Refinement is very troublesome to begin with. I¡¯ve heard that some refiners spend months or even years to refine a Yuan instrument. Although Shangguan Yue¡¯s level isn¡¯t that high, her ancestor is a supreme Armory Refinement Master. Her talent and strength in this aspect shouldn¡¯t be weak, so a day or two¡­ is naturally not enough.¡± Elder Yi Gong choked. His lips moved, but in the end, he swallowed the rest of his words. Elder Yi Shang glanced at him and smiled. What he didn¡¯t say was that when those people refined Yuan instruments, heavenly lightning was usually summoned all at once or every once in a while to temper repeatedly. It wasn¡¯t like Shangguan Yue, where the lightning seemed to be endless. Usually, only refiners knew these things the best. He had only understood them because he had accidentally seen them in the past. However, there was clearly no need to tell Yi Gong about this. He folded his arms and looked ahead. How did Shangguan Yue do this? Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1583 - Delay Another few days passed. In Phoenix Valley, everything was the same. After looking up countless times and discovering that the number of lightning bolts still didn¡¯t decrease, Elder Yi Gong finally could not help but leave angrily. He wanted to see something happen to Shangguan Yue and also wanted to see the red-gold heavenly phoenix suffer. It would be best if they could completely disappear together! Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have that much time to continue waiting here. The ancestral ceremony was about to begin, and there were still more things waiting for him to arrange. Not long after Elder Yi Gong left, Elder Yi Yu slowly arrived. He smiled at Elder Yi Shang. ¡°I¡¯ll watch over this. You should go busy yourself with the ancestral ceremony!¡± Elder Yi Shang didn¡¯t decline and nodded. ¡°Take more care.¡± Elder Yi Yu laughed. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡­ Other than Phoenix Valley, the other places on Phoenix Mountain were already bustling with activity. Of course, there was more solemnity, nervousness, and seriousness in this commotion. They would prepare very grandly for every ancestral ceremony, and this year was naturally no exception. Many people were busy checking everywhere, afraid that there would be mistakes. However, Godly Phoenix Hall was still silent. ¡­ In the hall, Yi Zhao took one last look at the huge mural and bowed deeply. ¡°Ancestor, please protect our clan.¡± He maintained this posture for a long time before finally turning around and leaving the hall. After walking out, there was a huge square in front of the hall. Clear white jade stones were neatly laid out, clearly reflecting every figure. In the middle was the totem of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. At this moment, there were already several people guarding the entire square. This was the place where the ancestral ceremony was held. Seeing Yi Zhao come out, they bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± Yi Zhao raised his hand and looked around before asking faintly, ¡°Where¡¯s Yi Gong?¡± The crowd exchanged glances. The person in front lowered his head. ¡°Clan Leader, the First Elder should still be in Phoenix Valley.¡± Yi Zhao frowned. ¡°What¡¯s he doing there? Has he finished the preparations on this side of the hall?¡± Hearing the dissatisfaction in his tone, the people below naturally did not dare to answer. Yi Zhao raised his eyes slightly and looked in the direction of the Phoenix Valley. From here, he could vaguely see dark clouds gathering and lightning striking. Of course, he knew what had happened there. ¡°Yi Yu has always been in charge of Phoenix Valley. As a First Elder, why did he run over to join in the fun for so long?¡± ¡°Clan Leader, please forgive me!¡± Suddenly, a hurried voice sounded. It was Yi Gong who had just returned. When he saw Yi Zhao standing there, he knew that something was wrong, but he could only brace himself and go over. Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze was as sharp as a knife as it slowly swept across Yi Gong¡¯s body, as if he wanted to skin the latter alive! Cold sweat broke out on Elder Yi Gong¡¯s forehead. But in the end, Yi Zhao didn¡¯t reprimand him. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s talk about this later. Prepare the hall first.¡± Elder Yi Gong secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Yi Zhao glanced at the sky and frowned. ¡°I think you still have a lot to do. If you don¡¯t complete it within the remaining time¡­¡± Elder Yi Gong was about to defend himself when he heard Yi Zhao continue, ¡°We¡¯ll postpone the ancestral ceremony.¡± Yi Gong¡¯s heart skipped a beat! ¡°Clan Leader!?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1584 - Bold The ancestral ceremony was held only once every 100 years and was one of the most important events of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. How could he dare to postpone the ancestral ceremony because of him? ¡°Clan Leader, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already made most of the necessary preparations. I won¡¯t delay the ceremony¡­¡± As Elder Yi Gong spoke, his voice trembled. Although he had extremely high status in the family and held great power, there were some things that were the bottom line that even he wouldn¡¯t dare to touch easily. Yi Zhao glanced at him indifferently. ¡°You also know that there can¡¯t be any mistakes during the ancestral ceremony. You have to be extremely careful. You seem to have been staying at Phoenix Mountain for the past few days, right? In that case, it¡¯s inevitable that you¡¯ll have some thoughts¡­¡± ¡°A delay is better than some slip-up when the time comes.¡± Many eyes were on them. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s face turned green and white, and he was very embarrassed. Yi Zhao¡¯s words make sense, but in front of so many people, he really didn¡¯t give me any face. Besides, this Isn¡¯t the first time I have prepared for the ancestral ceremony in so many years as the First Elder. Nothing has ever happened in the past. Why would I suddenly die this time just because I stayed in Phoenix Valley for two more days? His mind raced. Then, he glanced at Yi Zhao and suddenly felt suspicious. Why does it feel like the clan leader wants to delay the ancestral ceremony? Elder Yi Gong retracted his gaze and calmed himself down. ¡°Clan Leader, there¡¯s no need to worry. I¡¯ll definitely personally supervise the rest of the time to ensure that nothing goes wrong. If anything really happens, I¡¯m willing to bear all the responsibility.¡± This meant that he had made a military pledge. Yi Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Since you say so¡­ I¡¯ll believe you this time.¡± Elder Yi Gong was stunned. Why¡­ did he agree directly instead of stalling for time? He looked up quickly, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t tell anything from Yi Zhao¡¯s face. He could only suppress his doubts. ¡°Alright. Go down and prepare.¡± Yi Zhao waved his hand. Elder Yi Gong lowered his head and responded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire. Silence filled Tongshen Palace. Rong Xiu¡¯s question made Respected Elder Yu Jing panic. After a while, his back was drenched in sweat. His clothes were sticky, cold, and uncomfortable. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s because¡­¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing hesitated, but he couldn¡¯t come up with a reason. He felt Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze fall on him, as sharp and cold as an ice blade! Right at this moment, a low and deep voice suddenly sounded. ¡°When something happened to the clan leader, the first person to enter was Yu Jing. Isn¡¯t it normal for the clan leader to have his scent?¡± It was Respected Elder Tong Chuan who spoke. Hearing this, Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s thoughts suddenly broadened! He sat bolt upright. ¡°Yes! Yes! At that time, I had something to discuss with the clan leader, but after knocking on the door for a long time, there was no response. I was worried, so I forced the door open. After entering, I saw that the clan leader was already unconscious, so I took his pulse and transferred some force into him¡­ That¡¯s all.¡± He looked away. ¡°I forgot about this just now¡­¡± Nobody knew if he had really forgotten. It was up to Rong Xiu whether he believed it or not. ¡°Really?¡± Rong Xiu sat at the head of the hall, tapping the armrest with one hand. His eyes were deep and unreadable, and nobody could tell what he was thinking. Respected Elder Tong Chuan raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing has always been close to the clan leader. When he saw that something had happened to the clan leader, he was too worried to do anything else. Actually, I have some thoughts about the clan leader¡¯s sudden coma.¡± Rong Xiu looked up. Respected Elder Tong Chuan suddenly looked worried and let out a long sigh. ¡°Actually¡­ I thought that the clan leader had suffered a blow in Fangzhou and was depressed. That¡¯s why he locked himself in his residence after he returned and refused to see anyone.¡± ¡°Since Your Highness has already checked the clan leader¡¯s physical condition, you should know that he¡¯s not injured inside or outside. Perhaps¡­ his sudden coma has something to do with his mood.¡± It was silent. The incident in Fangzhou City that day had already spread like wildfire. Now, almost the entire God Residence Realm knew about it. The clan leader of the Sky-Cloud Empire, Baili Chun, had brought Jiang Zhiyuan up since she was young. Clan Leader Baili looked after her carefully and doted on her. Unexpectedly, in the end, she wasn¡¯t his biological granddaughter. This matter had already become a laughing matter for everyone. Nobody could accept it, let alone Baili Chun, who had always cared about his reputation. Respected Elder Tong Chuan looked up at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, family scandals can¡¯t be made public. You were really a little impulsive that day.¡± After the commotion in Fangzhou City, Baili Chun had almost lost all his face. It would probably be difficult for him to appear in front of the God Residence Realm¡¯s people in the future. If they could come back and talk about it in private, perhaps the clan leader wouldn¡¯t be like this. Rong Xiu smiled lazily. ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, do you mean¡­ that everything is my fault?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan said, ¡°I just feel that there should¡¯ve been a better way to deal with what happened that day¡­¡± ¡°The clan leader knew that there were many troubles at Ling Xiao Academy, but he still brought Jiang Zhiyuan there. Moreover, after the many crimes Jiang Zhiyuan committed were exposed, he was still very biased toward her. I didn¡¯t want to get involved in all of this at that time. However, the clan leader only helped Jiang Zhiyuan, and I couldn¡¯t persuade him no matter what. In the end, things developed to that extent, and I didn¡¯t want to see it happen.¡± Rong Xiu interrupted Tong Chuan and smiled at him again, but there was coldness in his eyes. ¡°Do you think I wanted to embarrass myself in front of the God Residence Realm¡¯s experts?!¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan choked. Of course, I can¡¯t admit that. But¡­ If it wasn¡¯t premeditated, why would Rong Xiu have arranged for someone to replace Jiang Hetian and completely take the Jiang family under his command? He had clearly planned everything! Respected Elder Tong Chuan even felt that Rong Xiu had long known about the matter between Baili Chun and Jiang Zhiyuan. As for losing face¡­ At most, Rong Xiu would lose face, but the one who was really humiliated was still Baili Chun! Rong Xiu looked around. ¡°Everyone, are you here with the same thoughts?¡± His voice was soft and faint, but it was like a heavy stone that weighed down everyone¡¯s hearts. Respected Elder Tong Chuan hurriedly explained, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood¡­ I just think that that matter might have dealt a huge blow to the clan leader, so¡­ Of course, there might be other possibilities¡ª¡± ¡°Of course, there are other possibilities.¡± Rong Xiu said calmly, ¡°The clan leader has just left seclusion, and his strength has increased greatly. Even if he¡¯s depressed, it shouldn¡¯t be like this. Instead of investigating, you¡¯re all here waiting to question me¡­¡± His thin scarlet lips curved slightly. ¡°You guys are getting bolder.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1585 - Time is Up ¡°It seems like this Shangguan Yue is not only gutsy, but she does have some skills¡­¡± Phoenix Valley. When Elder Yi Yu saw the ball of bright light afar, he couldn¡¯t help but snort. It had already been a total of 13 days since she triggered the lightning bolts. All the commotion was as usual, and it didn¡¯t look like it was stopping. Every day, every night, every single moment, Phoenix Valley would have the same scene. He was going to be frustrated by watching it. Initially, he was prepared with much interest to count how many lightning bolts she had triggered. However, he quickly gave up because he realized he couldn¡¯t count it properly. The lightning bolts kept striking one after another, as if it did not need money. The lightning flashed, and it was dazzling. How could one count it clearly? ¡°It has already been so long. Why hasn¡¯t there been any movement¡­¡± Elder Yi Yu knew that Shangguan Yue triggered so many lightning bolts not to nourish a Yuan instrument, but to help Tuan Zi break through. It was a pity that not many signs could be seen until now. However, time is almost up¡­ Elder Yi Yu squinted his eyes and suddenly turned around to glance at the distant Godly Phoenix Hall. It was getting increasingly closer to the ancestral ceremony, and the whole red-gold heavenly phoenix clan became busy nervously. I wonder if it can make it in time¡­ ¡­ Chu Liuyue was also very dazed. She sat cross-legged on the star stone, raised her head slightly, and looked at the busy Tuan Zi in midair with conflicted feelings. Logically speaking, it should end¡­ Such a long time had passed. Not only did Tuan Zi show zero signs of breaking through and opening its meridian, but it even seemed increasingly angry. The only change was that there were more flashing lightning bolts on its body that swam within its feathers from time to time. Besides, its aura kept strengthening at the start, but it stopped three days ago. Seeing Tuan Zi eat all those lightning bolts in one shot again, Chu Liuyue turned around and glanced at the bracelet in midair. Mm¡­ With Tuan Zi around, it seems pretty hard to nourish it¡­ Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. Tuan Zi had absorbed quite a bit of lightning strength in Million Wine Mountain¡¯s fountain that time. However, that was to activate the bloodline in its body, to break through from a red-tailed phoenix to an ancient legendary fiend, a red-gold heavenly phoenix. That was reasonable. But what¡¯s happening now? Its small body seemed to turn into a bottomless pit. All the lightning bolts landed with no return! After some thinking, Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Tuan Zi, when are you planning to break through?¡± Tuan Zi was dazed as it looked down and glanced at her. Just as it was about to say something, a loud sound spread in the air! A few bolts of lightning flew down again! Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes lit up. Disregarding what Chu Liuyue said, it rushed forward. Pilihuala! Crisp sounds were heard. Seeing Tuan Zi swallowing the lightning bolts habitually, the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched as she resigned herself to her fate and swallowed her remaining words. Nice. There Is really no need to ask about some things. ¡­ Beside the vast ocean, Shangguan Jing stood with his hands behind his back as he stared in front with a heavy expression. It has already been so long, but Yue¡¯er hasn¡¯t returned. I wonder how the situation inside is. The more he waited, the more uneasy he was. Right at this point, a red-golden light suddenly shot out from the water surface and rushed toward the skies! Thump! That ball of intense fire drew a bright line in midair and suddenly exploded! Countless sparks bloomed! It was ten in the morning. The sky was bright, and the sun shone down, but the sparks were still dazzling. In the end, they actually formed a pattern of a gigantic red-gold heavenly phoenix spreading its wings in midair. Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart tightened. This¡­ Suddenly, he seemed to have recalled something as shock flashed across his eyes. This formation. Could it be¡­ that the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s ancestral ceremony is about to begin?! He had never gone to Godly Phoenix Mountain. Even when he dominated the God Residence Realm a thousand years ago, he had never interacted with the red-gold heavenly phoenixes. To the world, the two ancient legendary fiend clans were extremely mysterious. However, there were quite a few rumors regarding their ancestral ceremony. Rumors had it that the ancestral ceremony was held once every hundred years. It was very solemn and held great meaning. Shangguan Jing looked over. In the air, the red-gold heavenly phoenix pattern that formed from the blooming fire didn¡¯t dissipate. On the other hand, it seemed frozen as every spark burned intensely and exuded a bright light. It was indeed vibrant and eye-catching. Shangguan Jing unwittingly became even more uneasy. The ancestral ceremony is very important. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan has always hated humans. Logically speaking, it is impossible for them to let Yue¡¯er continue staying there. Why hasn¡¯t she come out until now? At this point, a relaxed and loud shriek sounded from afar. It instantly spread across the waters! Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart shook, and he almost could not stand still. Following this, he saw a layer of ice quickly extend on the seawater before him. Transparent ice cubes covered the ocean. With one glance, a red-golden light could faintly be seen. It was exactly the same as the ice bridge that day, but this time, the ice layer had already spread across the entire sea surface from that narrow bridge. In no time, more than half of the ocean in front of Shangguan Jing was already frozen. At first glance, it was icy cold. However, there was a red-golden fire burning silently. It was magnificent, holy, and quiet. ¡­ In the square before Godly Phoenix Hall, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan split into two sides as they nervously and expectantly waited for the ancestral ceremony to begin. At this point, the clan leader and the five elders were still in Godly Phoenix Hall and hadn¡¯t come out. Thus, the crowd wasn¡¯t so nervous as they discussed something softly. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for so long, and the time has finally come! Hehe, this is my first time attending the ancestral ceremony!¡± ¡°Me too! We need to undergo a talent test during the ceremony. I wonder if I¡¯ll get a decent result¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not worried about the talent test. After all, everyone roughly knows their own standards. However¡­ you have to compete after testing. This¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s difficult to win beautifully!¡± ¡°Yi Ran should be the most confident, right? I heard that he¡¯s aiming for the position of young master¡­¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t he always been at the top alone amongst the younger generation? However, he does have the ability, so we¡¯re not in the position to say anything.¡± ¡°Hm, why hasn¡¯t he come yet?¡± Upon hearing this, quite a few people surveyed their surroundings and indeed didn¡¯t see Yi Ran¡¯s figure. ¡°That¡¯s strange. He has always been the most enthusiastic one about such a scene. Why did he come so late today?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him. Time is about to be up, but the clan leader and the rest haven¡¯t come out yet!¡± Within Godly Phoenix Hall, Yi Zhao and the five elders stood still. Elder Yi Gong looked up. ¡°Clan Leader, it¡¯s time. We should¡­ head out.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1586 - Ancestral Ceremony Yi Zhao nodded and first turned around to walk outside. The black-golden door was automatically activated. Bright sunlight shone in. Yi Zhao raised his chin slightly and looked outside. From here to the square, one had to walk down nine flights of stairs. Hence, he could easily look down on the entire square from here. When the door opened and the few figures appeared, the originally crowded square instantly fell silent. Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered here. Then, the crowd bowed in unison. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± The many figures that were split to two sides nodded at the same time. Even though there weren¡¯t many people, those who could come here today were the most outstanding ones in the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Standing on the sides, they invisibly exuded an extremely strong suppression. Yi Zhao silently looked in the direction of Phoenix Valley. Dark clouds gathered, and thunder brewed. Clearly, the commotion there hadn¡¯t ended. He didn¡¯t know if it would end within a short period of time. Yi Zhao quickly retracted his gaze and waved his hand. A tremendous aura rapidly spread across. ¡°All rise.¡± The crowd then stood up. Yi Zhao surveyed his surroundings. When he saw the younger generation, he paused for a moment. Detecting the clan leader looking over, the young children all couldn¡¯t help but be nervous. Amongst them, it was quite a few people¡¯s first time attending the ancestral ceremony and their first time at the square in front of Godly Phoenix Hall. It was rather normal for them to be nervous and uptight. Luckily, Yi Zhao quickly retracted his gaze, reducing the invisible suppression on them. Yi Zhao¡¯s low and distant voice spread far as it clearly landed in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Today¡¯s ancestral ceremony is a grand event held once every hundred years for our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! This time, other than paying respects to our ancestors and testing the young blood, we have another very important matter¡ªchoosing the clan¡¯s young master!¡± ¡°I have inherited the clan leader position for more than a thousand years. It¡¯s now time to choose the young master, who is the choice for the next clan leader!¡± Once he said this, quite a few people seemed agitated. Actually, they had known about this previously. But when they heard it personally, they couldn¡¯t help but be overwhelmed. This matter was of great meaning to the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Even if the majority knew that they didn¡¯t have the right to compete, they were still filled with curiosity and excitement. Being able to personally witness the selection of the young master was also a lucky event! ¡°The first matter of the ancestral hall: testing the bloodline talent!¡± Yi Zhao raised his hand and was about to point at Yi Ran. But after some time, he still didn¡¯t see that familiar figure, so he couldn¡¯t help but knit his brows. Previously, he took a rough glance and thought that Yi Ran was at the back. It was only now that he realized that Yi Ran was not here at all. This momentary pause immediately attracted the attention of the crowd present. Quite a few people glanced at each other awkwardly. According to the rules, the first to be tested in the ancestral ceremony was usually the most outstanding one amongst the young generation. This was also considered as having a good start. For their batch, Yi Ran should be the one to go up first. However, he still hadn¡¯t arrived. Upon seeing this, Elder Yi Gong hurriedly stepped forward and softly explained, ¡°Clan Leader, Yi Ran told me a few days ago that he had understood quite a bit and had faint signs of breaking through. During this period of time, he has been in seclusion, so he probably hasn¡¯t come out yet.¡± It wasn¡¯t a small mistake to be late for the ancestral ceremony, but if it were for cultivation¡­ It could be understood. Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze became slightly warmer. ¡°Yi Ran always knows what he¡¯s doing. If there wasn¡¯t a special reason, I believe he wouldn¡¯t do this. It seems like he has hopes of breaking through.¡± Elder Yi Gong hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you for your blessing, Clan Leader. However, he hasn¡¯t broken through successfully yet, so I don¡¯t dare to say much as his mentor.¡± Yi Zhao laughed. ¡°He¡¯s very talented; I believe it¡¯ll be done successfully. Besides, he¡¯s already outstanding on his own. If he can successfully break through this time, he will be even better.¡± Elder Yi Gong humbly lowered his head. ¡°He¡¯s young and ambitious. There¡¯s much for him to learn.¡± He seemed humble, but the arrogance in his eyes caused everyone in the know to see it clearly. Yi Zhao didn¡¯t mind it either. During the recent few years, Yi Ran did perform quite well, so it was no wonder Yi Gong would be proud of him. Besides, Yi Ran had already opened three meridians. If he could really successfully break through this time, he would open his fourth one. Amongst the younger generation, there hadn¡¯t been anyone who reached such a level. Yi Zhao raised his hand and pointed at a young man at the side. ¡°Yi Xin, we¡¯ll start with you then!¡± The young man, who was called on, was shocked. However, he quickly reacted. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Then, he walked directly over and stopped when he was in the middle of the square. This place was carved with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s totem. They had to rely on this totem to undergo the test. Yi Xin stood on the totem, looked down, and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was also considered extremely outstanding in the clan. Other than Yi Ran, he was the top out of the remaining ones. Yi Ran and Yi Xin were of similar age, but in comparison, he was normally much more stable and discreet. Other than cultivation, he rarely intervened in the clan¡¯s matters. This was the complete opposite of Yi Ran. The surrounding gazes all looked over. Even though Yi Ran didn¡¯t get the ball rolling, Yi Xin¡¯s talent and skills were considered decent. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Yi Zhao commanded. Yi Xin nodded and closed his eyes. A red-golden fire emerged from his body the next moment! The fire instantly surrounded him, and the scorching heat caused the surrounding air to rise in temperature! Whir! His feet suddenly had a strange whirring sound! Following this, that totem seemed to light up as it gradually became brighter! A warm light slowly surfaced under the totem! Everyone watched on with much focus, and some didn¡¯t even dare to blink, terrified that they would miss something. The shape of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s totem was extremely special. It seemed like a ball of fire and also a phoenix that was about to spread its wings. Its tail had nine lines, which seemed like fire sparks that were separated and also the tails of phoenixes. At this point, as Yi Xin¡¯s fire burned, the nine lines were gradually lit up. The first line. The second. The third! When the three fires lit up, the crowd instantly held their breaths in. Lighting three lines meant that he had opened three meridians. It wasn¡¯t surprising to open three meridians, but the point was whether he could continue! What shocked everyone was that the fire on Yi Xin didn¡¯t immediately extinguish! The fourth line finally appeared with sparks of red-golden! ¡°Si¡­ Is he lighting up the fourth line?¡± ¡°Is he for real? He can only do that if he has opened the fourth meridian, right? I didn¡¯t hear about Yi Xin breaking through¡­¡± ¡°He has always been discreet, focused on cultivation, and very humble. Perhaps he can really light up the fourth one¡ª¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1587 - Losing Face The expressions of Yi Zhao and the others also changed slightly, and their eyes were clearly much more serious than before. Only Elder Yi Gong frowned quickly. Yi Xin has broken through? Why don¡¯t I know? No matter how low-key he is, he couldn¡¯t hide such a thing, right? If this is true, then¡­ the competition for the position of young master will probably be much more intense¡­ Shoo! A small flame suddenly exploded and then annihilated. The fourth totem did not light up in the end. The surroundings instantly fell silent, and everyone had different expressions. Yi Zhao and the others looked disappointed, but Elder Yi Gong secretly heaved a sigh of relief. On the other hand, Yi Xin¡¯s expression was as usual. There was only a hint of regret on his young face, but it quickly dissipated. It seemed like he had expected this. He looked up. ¡°Yi Xin is useless and has disappointed the clan leader and the elders.¡± Yi Zhao had always been serious, but at this moment, he revealed a rare smile. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. Although you haven¡¯t successfully opened your fourth meridian, it should be soon, right?¡± Yi Xin nodded as if embarrassed. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been stuck for a long time. Recently, I¡¯ve finally touched on something, but my talent is limited, and I haven¡¯t completely comprehended and broken through.¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s already very rare.¡± As Yi Zhao spoke, he glanced at Elder Yi Shang beside him. ¡°Yi Shang, Yi Xin is your disciple. Why didn¡¯t you give him some pointers?¡± Elder Yi Shang smiled. ¡°I can help him for a while, but I can¡¯t help him for a lifetime. He¡¯s only opened his fourth meridian now. If he can¡¯t even comprehend these things on his own, won¡¯t it be even harder in the future? Cultivation ultimately depends on himself.¡± As soon as he said this, many people subconsciously looked at Elder Yi Gong. Sure enough, they saw his face darken. Everyone knew that Yi Ran had been cultivating with Elder Yi Gong recently and had probably received a lot of guidance. Wasn¡¯t Elder Yi Shang secretly slapping their faces?! ¡°Besides, Yi Xin has a steady personality and is patient. I believe that in time, he will definitely succeed.¡± Yi Zhao nodded in agreement. He could tell that Yi Xin was indeed only a step away from opening the fourth meridian. If the ancestral ceremony was delayed for a while longer¡­ It might even cause Yi Ran a lot of trouble. ¡°Go back and cultivate well.¡± Yi Zhao gave Yi Xin a few more instructions before letting him go back. ¡°Next!¡± Seeing that Yi Xin had only opened the third meridian, the people behind heaved a sigh of relief. Although they couldn¡¯t compare to the top few, they did not want to be left too far behind. Fortunately, Yi Xin¡¯s results didn¡¯t make them feel too uncomfortable. The tests went on one after another. Elder Yi Gong watched from above. Seeing that nobody had opened the fourth meridian, his mood improved. Those who opened the third meridian naturally had varying levels of talent and strength. But no matter what, it was still much inferior to those who had opened the fourth meridian. Now, he only hoped that Yi Ran could successfully break through¡­ ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. In the square, everyone carried out the test in an orderly manner. Everything went smoothly and calmly. Those who could come up here had already transformed into human forms. In other words, they had at least opened their third meridian. But because the tested red-gold heavenly phoenixes were very young, most of them had yet to open the fourth meridian. He had already tested more than 20 of them, but as expected, none of them had opened the fourth meridian. Yi Zhao couldn¡¯t help but look up in the direction of Phoenix Valley, his eyes deep. ¡­ Elder Yi Gong gradually became anxious. This was because more than half of the test had passed, but Yi Ran had yet to come. In fact, there was no movement at all. Previously, I had repeatedly instructed that he must not miss the ancestral ceremony. If he doesn¡¯t make it in time, it will be useless even if he has successfully opened the fourth meridian. It is already time for Yi Ran to come¡­ Elder Yi Gong frowned. Could it be that he encountered some trouble during his breakthrough? ¡°First Elder, the children are almost done testing. Is Yi Ran coming or not?¡± Elder Yi Yu asked curiously. ¡°If he¡¯s any later, he won¡¯t be able to make it!¡± Elder Yi Gong¡¯s frustration worsened when he heard this. ¡°Of course, he¡¯ll come.¡± Elder Yi Yu¡¯s eyes darted around, and he smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­ you go take a look yourself? No matter what, it¡¯s always more reassuring to take another look, right? Yi Ran has always been hard-working. We don¡¯t want to see him affecting his future just because he¡¯s late. What do you think?¡± Although Elder Yi Gong didn¡¯t like Yi Yu very much, he was a little tempted when he heard this. This was a serious matter, and it was always better to be careful. He looked at Yi Zhao hesitantly. Yi Zhao nodded. Elder Yi Gong heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Clan Leader. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± With that, he moved in the direction of Phoenix Valley. But at this moment, rumbling suddenly sounded from afar! Elder Yi Gong was shocked and immediately looked over. Everyone in the square turned around. In the distance, a figure suddenly rushed out of the mountains! His body burned with scarlet-gold flames with a shocking aura! The surrounding natural energy also began to surge toward him quickly! Elder Yi Gong was delighted. Yi Ran! It seems that he is finally going to break through! As if to verify his guess, the flames on Yi Ran¡¯s body quickly gathered and finally condensed into the shape of a long feather in front of him. The feather moved slowly. At this moment, there were already three golden patterns between Yi Ran¡¯s eyebrows that were dazzling. As the feather moved, the fourth line slowly formed! Elder Yi Gong was overjoyed. But just as the line was about to be completed, another loud bang suddenly sounded from the depths of Phoenix Valley! For a moment, golden flames splattered in all directions, and the world shook! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1588 - Opened Meridian! The feathers in front of Yi Ran seemed to be affected and began to sway. The remaining half of the line was delayed. This made Yi Ran anxious, but at this critical moment, he didn¡¯t dare to move. He could only stare at the feather in front of him and pray. Nothing must happen! Everything must go smoothly! No matter what happens over there, I have to open my fourth meridian! His body trembled slightly from nervousness. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as planned. Before he could think further, he suddenly felt a terrifying violent energy surge from behind him! At the same time, an indescribably powerful pressure descended! The feathers in front of Yi Ran swayed even more! Hong hong hong! In an instant, the remaining lightning bolts in the sky finally struck down! All of them landed in the depths of Phoenix Valley! At this moment, the world changed color as if the end of the world had arrived! Yi Ran¡¯s eyes widened. The feather in front of him suddenly changed direction and flew over! ¡°No¡ª¡± Before Yi Ran could finish his sentence, his body suddenly trembled as he spat out a mouthful of blood! ¡°Yi Ran!¡± The expression of Elder Yi Gong¡ªwho had been watching the situation¡ªchanged, and he immediately rushed over! He was very fast. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Phoenix Valley. But when he arrived here, he realized that the entire Phoenix Valley was already covered by that terrifying power. It was very difficult for outsiders to enter. His speed decreased drastically, almost as if he was in a swamp, moving forward with difficulty. Fortunately, Yi Ran¡¯s location wasn¡¯t far from the exit of Phoenix Valley. Elder Yi Gong didn¡¯t spend much time before arriving in front of him. Seeing Yi Ran¡¯s current situation, Elder Yi Gong¡¯s heart suddenly sank! Yi Ran¡¯s face and body were covered in blood. His face was exceptionally pale, and his eyes were dull. The aura on his body seemed to have withered a lot. It was obvious how much that blow had affected him. Actually, this was normal. Yi Ran was already at the breakthrough stage and could not be disturbed. However, such an accident had forcefully interrupted his breakthrough. He was unprepared and was naturally shocked. What worried Elder Yi Gong even more was that there were only three lines left between Yi Ran¡¯s brows! The fourth stroke that he had painstakingly drawn just now was only halfway completed when it suddenly stopped. Yi Ran suffered a backlash from the power. At this moment, the half-drawn line had already quickly dissipated. The sudden loss of the support of that feather was too much of a blow for him. At this moment, he was filled with anger and resentment. The situation was naturally worse. ¡°¡­Master¡­¡± Yi Ran¡¯s mouth was filled with blood. When he saw Elder Yi Gong, he spoke with difficulty, but his voice was very weak. Under the continuous loud sounds in the Phoenix Valley, he looked especially pale. Elder Yi Gong couldn¡¯t care less and quickly brought Yi Ran out! Yi Ran turned around indignantly. In Phoenix Valley, mountains rose and fell. The ball of fire was burning fiercely in midair. Countless lightning bolts descended and struck it fiercely. Vaguely, there seemed to be a figure among them. At this moment, the red-gold feather had already flown over. It hung in midair, swaying gently in front of the burning ball of red-gold flame. Yi Ran¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, and they were bloodshot! It was it! It was the red-gold heavenly phoenix that had returned from outside¡ªit had snatched my opportunity to open my meridians! That red-gold feather was left behind by the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan back then and was the only one in the world. All red-gold heavenly phoenixes needed this feather to open their meridians. Everything was fine on his side, and his fourth meridian was about to open! Unexpectedly, someone suddenly appeared halfway, interrupted his breakthrough without a word, and even forcefully took away that feather! Yi Ran was filled with anger! Looking at the fluttering feathers in the distance and the flames that kept flickering with blinding light, his eyes almost popped out. He struggled to get back. Elder Yi Gong sensed his actions and frowned even more. ¡°Yi Ran! What are you doing?!¡± Yi Ran was still staring fixedly in that direction. His voice was hoarse and filled with deep resentment. ¡°Master! It¡­ it¡¯s going too far!¡± Seeing that his expression wasn¡¯t right, Elder Yi Gong turned around. However, what he saw made his expression change. Apart from shock and anger, there was also disbelief. He had been the First Elder for many years and had seen all kinds of storms, but the situation in front of him was really too strange! The figure in the flames was clearly the red-gold heavenly phoenix that had just returned. It had actually snatched Yi Ran¡¯s opportunity to open his meridian! In fact, because there was only one ancestral feather that could open meridians, it was inevitable that there would be competition among the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Under normal circumstances, the stronger ones had a higher chance of success. This was normal. However, the situation in front of him¡­ That red-gold heavenly phoenix has yet to transform into human form! How could it directly defeat Yi Ran?! While Elder Yi Gong was in a daze, a strong wind suddenly swept over from the Phoenix Valley! He was caught off-guard and was ruthlessly shaken off by this terrifying force! Yi Ran¡¯s body was also sent flying uncontrollably! At this moment, the feather finally made a light cut. It was smooth and natural! Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. That red-gold heavenly phoenix has opened its meridians! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1589 - Continuous Meridian Unlocker! ¡°How¡­ how could this be¡­¡± Elder Yi Gong widened his eyes in disbelief. Didn¡¯t that red-gold heavenly phoenix just break through not long ago? Why is it opening its meridians again now?! Moreover, the commotion is so huge! Seeing that stroke, Yi Ran suddenly seemed to have lost all his strength. His legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground. Elder Yi Gong was shocked and hurriedly pulled him back. However, Yi Ran¡¯s eyes were already dim. He stared at the flames and couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself. To think that I had worked so hard for so long to summon the feather and open my meridians. Who knew¡­ I was actually intercepted halfway?! He knew very well that after today¡¯s failure, it would only be harder for him to open his meridians than before! ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯ve disappointed you¡­¡± Yi Ran muttered and spat out another mouthful of blood. He was filled with anger and had nowhere to vent it. His chest was about to explode from holding it in! There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°You¡­ you must help me¡­¡± Before Yi Ran could finish speaking, his eyes rolled back as he fainted. ¡°Yi Ran!¡± Seeing this, Elder Yi Gong immediately became even more anxious and resentful. The violent energy in Phoenix Valley was still sweeping over! They couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. Elder Yi Gong looked back deeply before gritting his teeth and leaving! ¡­ Elder Yi Gong brought the unconscious Yi Ran back to the square in front of Godly Phoenix Hall. Seeing them return, everyone fell silent, but their gazes landed on Yi Ran. Yi Ran¡¯s face was pale, the corners of his mouth and chest were stained with a lot of blood, and his breath was sluggish. He looked like he had never been in such a sorry state. Many people looked at each other with complicated expressions. Who would¡¯ve thought that this would happen? ¡°Clan Leader! Please be sure to seek justice for Yi Ran!¡± As soon as Elder Yi Gong arrived, he spoke angrily. ¡°Shangguan Yue and that red-gold heavenly phoenix have gone too overboard! They¡¯ve made up their minds to take Yi Ran¡¯s life!¡± Yi Zhao walked over with a frown. He first leaned over to check on Yi Ran¡¯s condition before heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He has only suffered a backlash from a portion of the power. At the same time, his anger attacked his heart, causing him to faint. His life is not in danger.¡± As he spoke, he reached out and placed his broad palm on Yi Ran¡¯s forehead. A bright light seemed to surge out of his palm and quickly enter Yi Ran¡¯s body. Yi Ran¡¯s originally pale face began to recover visibly. A moment later, Yi Zhao withdrew his hand. Yi Ran¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He then slowly woke up, his eyes still filled with confusion. ¡°¡­Mentor?¡± His voice was weak and hoarse, but he was finally awake. Yi Zhao said, ¡°Fortunately, there¡¯s no major problem. He¡¯ll recover after resting for a few days.¡± Elder Yi Gong was still stunned. I didn¡¯t expect Yi Zhao to help Yi Ran so decisively. Moreover¡­ Yi Ran actually woke up just like that. ¡°T-This¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± Yi Zhao glanced at him and said indifferently, ¡°The Ancestral Golden Feather is a sacred object of our clan. No matter what, it won¡¯t take the lives of our clansmen. Yi Gong, as the First Elder, don¡¯t you know this best? Why did you say those words just now to make everyone nervous?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Elder Yi Gong was speechless for a moment before gritting his teeth. ¡°Clan Leader, I¡¯m not saying that there¡¯s something wrong with the Ancestral Golden Feather, but Shangguan Yue! Yi Ran was at the critical moment of breaking through and couldn¡¯t be disturbed the most. However, they just had to snatch the Ancestral Golden Feather away at this time! It was clearly on purpose!¡± He pointed at the burning flame deep in Phoenix Valley and said angrily, ¡°If they hadn¡¯t used some despicable method, how could the Ancestral Golden Feather have been forcefully snatched away while opening Yi Ran¡¯s meridians?!¡± Even if Yi Ran¡¯s current injuries weren¡¯t fatal, the key was that this caused him to fail to open his meridians! Today was the ancestral ceremony! Without opening the fourth meridian, what was the difference between him and the others? What would he rely on to fight for the position of young master? Not to mention that he was still injured! This was the greatest loss! The moment Elder Yi Gong thought about how his years of hard work had been ruined, he was almost driven mad! ¡°Clan Leader, they have ulterior motives and should be killed!¡± Because of his agitation, Elder Yi Gong¡¯s voice was very sharp. Everyone in the square heard him clearly. Yi Zhao¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. Elder Yi Yu was the first to speak. ¡°First Elder, aren¡¯t you being biased? I think this matter is just a coincidence. Yi Ran wanted to open his meridians and summoned the Ancestral Golden Feather. But at this moment, Tuan Zi was also going to open its meridians¡­ It was purely an accident!¡± Elder Yi Gong sneered. ¡°Accident? Yi Yu, you¡¯ve been in the clan for many years, so it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never seen someone open their meridians at the same time, right? But when have you seen someone forcefully snatch away the Ancestral Golden Feather?¡± Under normal circumstances, this matter was based on a ¡®first come, first served¡¯ basis. Now that the other party had already snatched it from them, they still had to swallow their anger?! Impossible! ¡°This¡­ First Elder, do you mean that Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi have already reached the point where they can control the Ancestral Golden Feather at will?¡± Elder Yi Yu blinked. Elder Yi Gong suddenly choked. His expression froze for a moment before he said anxiously, ¡°W-What nonsense are you talking about?! When did I say such a thing?!¡± The Ancestral Golden Feather was considered a supreme existence in the clan. How could he dare to speak rudely about it? ¡°But what you said just now¡­ Isn¡¯t that what it means?¡± Elder Yi Yu raised his chin. ¡°Here, everyone saw it just now. The Ancestral Golden Feather went to Tuan Zi. Moreover, it did open Tuan Zi¡¯s meridians just now.¡± When the line was drawn, everyone had seen it clearly! Flames seemed to be surging crazily in the chest of Elder Yi Gong, almost driving him crazy! ¡°Even if it wants to open a meridian, it has to wait until Yi Ran has finished! How can they explain what has happened?!¡± Their intentions are obvious! They are too arrogant! Elder Yi Yu also smiled. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not easy to say anything about this¡­ Under normal circumstances, it¡¯s indeed according to the order of meridian opening. However¡­ First Elder seems to have forgotten that there¡¯s another premise: the strong are respected. They¡¯re both opening their meridians, so the higher-level one naturally has the advantage.¡± Elder Yi Gong was stunned for a moment. A moment later, he finally reacted and almost laughed in anger. ¡°Yi Yu, your words are too ridiculous. You have to know that Yi Ran was going to open the fourth meridian! And that red-gold heavenly phoenix is only opening the second meridian! Isn¡¯t it obvious at a glance who¡¯s stronger?! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too ridiculous to say that it can snatch away the Ancestral Golden Feather from Yi Ran?!¡± Elder Yi Yu stroked his chin and didn¡¯t seem to care much about his words. ¡°That¡¯s right. What do you think is the reason a person who¡¯s opening the second meridian can snatch it away from a person who¡¯s opening the fourth meridian?¡± The expression on Elder Yi Gong¡¯s face suddenly froze. Yi Zhao said lightly, ¡°Those who continuously open their meridians can snatch the Ancestral Golden Feather!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1590 - Which is More Important? There was a sudden silence. Elder Yi Gong opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Continuous meridian opening¡­ To many people in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, this was just a legend. After the creation of the world, two ancient legendary fiends were born in the chaos. They had a history of tens of thousands of years. Over the long years, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan continued to multiply, and the number was by no means small. However, there were fewer than five people who could open their meridians consecutively. One had to know that a red-gold heavenly phoenix was born with one opened meridian. In the next hundred years, they could open their second meridian. After another hundred years, they could try to open the third meridian and transform into a human. However, it might not succeed. Some of the more talented ones could do it naturally at a little more than 100 years of age. However, there were also those with ordinary aptitude who wasted 200 to 300 years and still lingered outside the gates of the third meridian. After opening the third meridian, it was even harder to go higher. This was basically the time to rely completely on talent. Those with outstanding talent and strength could successfully break through. Those who opened the sixth meridian were directly promoted to elders. Those who could open the seventh meridian were basically stable in the position of clan leader. This was also why they had to choose the most talented one when choosing the young master. Only with strength would one have the right to speak. If they couldn¡¯t even control the situation below, what else was there to say? ¡°Continuous¡­ meridian opening?¡± In the dead silence, Yi Ran was actually the first to react. He looked up in panic and gazed at Phoenix Valley again. The ball of fire was still burning, and the figure inside couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. However, that Ancestral Golden Feather had indeed not dissipated! It was still hanging quietly in the air as if it were waiting to draw a second line at any moment! ¡°This¡­ this¡­ how is this possible¡­¡± Yi Ran muttered, his eyes filled with disbelief. However, his heart had already completely sunk. He was in a fit of anger just now, so he didn¡¯t have time to think too much. But after he calmed down, he realized that things might really be as Yi Zhao and the others had said! That red-gold heavenly phoenix really wants to open its meridians continuously! Otherwise, how could it have easily snatched the Ancestral Golden Feather from me? After a meridian is opened, the Ancestral Golden Feather will automatically disappear and wait for the next summon. But now, it is still there. If this isn¡¯t to continue opening meridians, what is it? Yi Ran found it unacceptable. His heart seemed to be weighed down by something, and he could not breathe. Ridiculous! How laughable! That red-gold heavenly phoenix had only broken through a few months ago. Now that it has just returned to the clan, it is actually going to open its meridians consecutively?! Yi Ran suddenly recalled what his master had said to him previously. At that time, Yi Gong had said that this red-gold heavenly phoenix might become a threat to him. He hadn¡¯t taken it to heart, but now, he finally knew why his master had such a solemn expression. At this moment, Elder Yi Shang raised his chin and said softly, ¡°Look, the Ancestral Golden Feather is moving!¡± When everyone heard this, they subconsciously looked over and saw that the red-gold feather was slowly drawing a second line! The square was silent. Shock, nervousness, doubt, exclamation, envy¡­ Everyone had different expressions, and their mood at this time was obviously very complicated. Actually, if it were anyone else in the clan, they might not have reacted so strongly. However, it was the red-gold heavenly phoenix that had just returned from outside. Didn¡¯t they say that it had only broken through a few months ago? Didn¡¯t they say that it was only a lowly Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant in the past? More importantly, it has yet to terminate its contract with that human! They had always looked down on humans and rarely interacted with them. They even regarded contracts with humans as a stain. However, who knew that such a red-gold heavenly phoenix¡ªwho they secretly looked down on¡ªwould actually defeat all of them!? It had to be known that even Clan Leader Yi Zhao had never opened his meridians consecutively! How could they not be shocked by this situation? ¡­ ¡°Clan Leader, it seems that you¡¯re going to lose your bet this time!¡± Elder Yi Yu shrugged, but there was a smile in his eyes. ¡°This is the first time you¡¯ve lost in so many years, right?¡± He even lost to a human. Yi Zhao put his hands behind his back and looked into the distance solemnly, waves surging in his eyes. He said nothing, but there was no anger on his face as if in tacit agreement. Actually, although he looked calm and indifferent as usual, he was shocked. He had actually not thought much about the bet back then. In his opinion, the possibility that Shangguan Yue could help Tuan Zi transform into a human form in a month was almost zero. As long as she failed, the contract had to be broken. This saved the two sides from continuing to argue. It was undeniable that because of Tuan Zi¡¯s pure bloodline, he actually had a little extravagant hope in his heart. However, he hadn¡¯t expected this to actually work. Only at this moment, when he saw the Ancestral Golden Feather draw another line, did he believe that all of this had really happened! ¡°Tuan Zi is still very young, and it¡¯s really not easy to open meridians continuously. During this period of time, Shangguan Yue triggered lightning and caused such a huge commotion. It should be because of this, right?¡± Elder Yi Shang smiled. ¡°On the other hand, we misunderstood her previously. Fortunately, Yi Yu has been guarding her recently, and nobody has rashly disturbed her. If Tuan Zi fails to open its meridians because of this, we¡¯ll suffer a huge loss.¡± No matter what, Tuan Zi was of their red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s bloodline. Opening its meridians consecutively and breaking through was a joyous matter for their entire clan. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s face turned pale. Of course, he could tell that these words were mocking him! After enduring for a while, he couldn¡¯t help but walk up to Yi Zhao. Yi Zhao narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw his angry expression. ¡°Yi Gong, what are you doing?¡± Elder Yi Gong gritted his teeth. ¡°Clan Leader, I don¡¯t want to do anything. I just want to seek justice for Yi Ran!¡± He suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Phoenix Valley. ¡°I know! It can continuously open veins¡ªthat¡¯s its ability! However, you can¡¯t just be biased toward it because of this!¡± ¡°It has now opened the third meridian, but what about Yi Ran?! He could¡¯ve opened the fourth meridian! Don¡¯t you know how much he has sacrificed for this day?! Could it be that, just because that red-gold heavenly phoenix wants to open its meridians continuously, it can do whatever it wants and hurt others?!¡± ¡°Besides, although it has opened its third meridian today, it¡¯s still unknown if it¡¯s good or bad to rush the seedlings like this! Nobody can guarantee that it can continue to open its meridians in the future! However, Yi Ran¡ªhe really lost the chance to open his fourth meridian! Clan Leader, do you know which is more important?!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com 1 Chapter 1591 - High and Low Elder Yi Gong¡¯s voice was cold and stern, and every word was powerful. Quite a few people glanced at each other awkwardly. Actually¡­ what he said made sense. It was indeed powerful that the red-gold heavenly phoenix could open its meridians continuously, but it was also a fact that it had interrupted Yi Ran¡¯s opening of his meridians. Yi Ran had always been very talented and was number one among the younger generation. The damage to him this time was really not small, and this was undoubtedly the loss of their entire race. Moreover, the red-gold heavenly phoenix was still young. If it forcefully opened the third meridian like this, it might indeed have the opposite effect¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that be worse? One was a genius who hadn¡¯t yet grown up, and the other was a seedling who was already quite powerful. It was indeed a difficult problem to decide. Yi Zhao glanced at the dejected Yi Ran and frowned. ¡°As I said just now, Yi Ran¡¯s injuries inside and outside his body aren¡¯t serious. And just now, I personally took action to help him recover. As long as you go back and rest for a few days, you can heal. The matter isn¡¯t as serious as you said. Yi Gong, why are you so aggressive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m aggressive, but Shangguan Yue¡¯s behavior is really too bad!¡± Elder Yi Gong immediately refuted. ¡°Clan Leader, Yi Ran¡¯s flesh injuries can indeed recover quickly. However, what if this matter leaves a mental barrier for him?! That will severely affect his future cultivation!¡± That would be an even greater hidden danger! Elder Yi Shang frowned. ¡°First Elder, are you questioning the clan leader?¡± Elder Yi Gong¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he felt a little uneasy. But after thinking about it, he did not retreat. I can¡¯t retreat! Today, Yi Ran failed to open his meridians. There is probably no hope of him becoming the young master. I have to obtain the greatest benefits! ¡°Clan Leader, I just want an explanation!¡± The atmosphere was cold. The cold atmosphere frightened everyone, and they didn¡¯t dare to say anything. However, just as everyone thought that Yi Zhao would be angry, he suddenly laughed. The smile was very short and didn¡¯t spread to the corners of the eyes and eyebrows. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s heart turned cold. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡ªYi Ran is too useless.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s voice was indifferent with a trace of cold dignity that could not be disobeyed. ¡°Such a weak person has no right to continue competing for the position of young master.¡± ¡­ Elder Yi Gong was stunned for a moment. He never expected Yi Zhao to say such a thing! ¡°¡­Clan Leader!? What do you mean¡­¡± His lips trembled slightly, and there was urgency and worry in his voice. Yi Zhao¡¯s smile faded, and he said indifferently, ¡°There¡¯s no hidden meaning to it.¡± His answer was cold and heartless, instantly causing Elder Yi Gong and Yi Ran to feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave! ¡°I-I¡¯m not¡­¡± Only then did Elder Yi Gong realize what a stupid mistake he had made! I said that Yi Ran¡¯s future cultivation might be affected. Isn¡¯t this pushing him away from the position of young master? Not to mention us, no clan in this world would allow an incompetent person to take over! Elder Yi Gong regretted it. Of all the things I could¡¯ve said, why did I have to leave such a handle for others?! Yi Ran was also stunned, and his face turned pale. At this moment, it was as if a string that had been tense in his mind had snapped! He opened his mouth and couldn¡¯t help but defend himself. ¡°Clan Leader, am I inferior to that b*stard who came back from outside?!¡± There was a sudden silence. Some people couldn¡¯t help but cover their mouths. Yi Ran is really crazy! It¡¯s fine if he said some things in private, but how could he say it in public?! Even Elder Yi Gong glared at him in shock and anger. ¡°Yi Ran! Shut up!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth!¡± Yi Ran had indeed lost his mind. Nobody knew how long he had waited for this day and how much he had sacrificed. He had always thought that the position of young master was his and could not be changed! But today, he had been forcefully robbed of the Ancestral Golden Feather and failed to open his meridian. It was obvious that he had suffered a loss, but the clan leader and the others had always been biased toward that b*stard! Now, the clan leader said that he wasn¡¯t qualified to compete for the position of young master? How could he tolerate this?! ¡°No matter how powerful it is, it has only opened the third meridian now. I was opening my fourth meridian when I was interrupted by it, but you don¡¯t care at all?! How can there be such a reason in the world?!¡± Yi Ran was filled with anger. He refused to accept it! He was indignant! ¡°Sigh¡ªYi Ran, watch your words. Tuan Zi is already of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s bloodline. Regardless of whether it has continuously opened its meridians, it can¡¯t be humiliated like this,¡± Elder Yi Yu reminded. There was no longer his usual smile on his face. It was obvious that he was very dissatisfied with Yi Ran¡¯s words. Yi Ran was used to being arrogant and had never taken others seriously. However, he would more or less restrain himself and would never be so impudent. ¡°Clan Leader, Yi Ran is confused from anger. I¡¯ll bring him back now! I¡ª¡± Elder Yi Gong hurriedly tried to save Yi Ran. However, Yi Zhao raised his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need. What you said isn¡¯t unreasonable. We should give Yi Ran an explanation.¡± Elder Yi Gong¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. For some reason, he didn¡¯t feel happy at all when he heard this. Instead, he felt uneasy! Yi Ran clenched his fists with a furious expression. Yi Zhao sized him up and suddenly asked, ¡°Are you unconvinced that a junior who has opened the third meridian has snatched your chance to break through? Do you think you¡¯re superior to it?¡± Yi Ran didn¡¯t say anything, but it was obvious that he had tacitly agreed. Yi Zhao suddenly raised his eyebrows. ¡°Then¡­ what if it also opens the fourth meridian?¡± Yi Ran was suddenly stunned. Yi Zhao raised his chin. Yi Ran turned around and abruptly widened his eyes. The Ancestral Golden Feather had yet to disappear! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1592 - Let Me Help You At this moment, dark clouds were thick in the sky above Phoenix Valley, surging with the wind. All the lightning had already fallen. At this moment, it was clean, leaving only darkness. Only the ball of golden flames in midair was still burning silently. Vaguely, a blurry outline of the Ancestral Golden Feather could be seen. The Ancestral Golden Feather hung on the opposite side as if waiting for something. This¡­ The meridians are continuing to open?! In the square in front of Godly Phoenix Hall, everyone¡¯s faces were filled with shock again. It¡¯s fine if it opens its meridians consecutively, but it actually wants to directly break through to the fourth meridian¡­ Isn¡¯t this too abnormal?! It was rare for Elder Yi Gong to be in a daze. Looking at the scene in the distance, his mind was completely in chaos. ¡°This¡­ this¡­ Didn¡¯t it just break through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix?!¡± Logically speaking, it would take at least a hundred years to open the third meridian. As for the fourth meridian, there was no need to mention it! But now, all these things actually happened together?! And this happened when it had an agreement with a mere true god! How did it do it!? Not only him, but even Elder Yi Shang and the others couldn¡¯t help but gasp. They had long thought that Tuan Zi should be quite talented and should be stronger than many people in the family. However, they did not expect the outcome to be so shocking! Continuous opening of meridians was already extremely rare, let alone directly opening the fourth meridian from the first meridian! It was almost unheard of! Yi Ran gritted his teeth as if something was surging crazily in his heart. ¡°¡­It¡¯s still unknown if it will work! If we force it, it might be in vain in the end!¡± In the past, there had been cases of people forcefully opening their meridians, but without exception, none of them had a good ending. It wasn¡¯t that simple to open meridians. Without accumulation or preparation, this was considering acting rashly¡­ How could it be that easy?! Hearing this, Elder Yi Yu glanced at him and could not help but laugh. Some people really don¡¯t give up until it is over. Yi Gong¡¯s face was already ashen, and only Yi Ran was still holding onto his last hope. Regardless of whether Tuan Zi could continue to open its meridians, it had already displayed talent that exceeded everyone in the younger generation. Elder Yi Yu shook his head. If Yi Ran became the young master of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡­ that would be the clan¡¯s misfortune. He quickly looked away and set his gaze back on Phoenix Valley. ¡­ Time passed slowly, and it seemed to be exceptionally long. Countless pairs of eyes were looking in the same direction. They were all waiting for the Ancestral Golden Feather to move. But after a while, the Ancestral Golden Feather still hung quietly in the air, motionless. Yi Ran sneered in his heart. I knew it¡ªthe fourth meridian won¡¯t open so easily! If there is still no reaction from the Ancestral Golden Feather after a while, it will definitely lose this time! Sure enough, not long after, everyone saw the Ancestor Golden Feather begin to tremble slightly. Some people secretly looked at each other and heaved a sigh of relief. If the red-gold heavenly phoenix really opened the fourth meridian, we would really lose all face. To think that we looked down on them previously. In the blink of an eye, the other party has stepped on us all. Even if it couldn¡¯t open the fourth meridian, such age and talent¡­ were already beyond their reach. Yi Zhao frowned imperceptibly and felt a faint sense of disappointment. Initially, he didn¡¯t have much hope, but Tuan Zi¡¯s performance just now surprised him. Naturally, he thought that it could continue to break through and open the fourth meridian. However, it did seem a little difficult now. Everyone was like that. There was no hope, no disappointment. However, everything had exceeded his previous expectations. After a short period of depression, he regained his composure. Even if Tuan Zi has only opened its third meridian, it is still very competitive in today¡¯s ancestral ceremony¡ª Thump! Right at this moment, another strange cracking sound came from the depths of Phoenix Valley! Then, a slender and exquisite figure leaped out of the rolling mountains! Yi Zhao and the others were shocked. ¡°Shangguan Yue!?¡± They had been so focused on looking at Tuan Zi that they had forgotten that Shangguan Yue was also there. The wind howled, sweeping up the corners of her fluttering clothes and making them flutter. Her black hair danced in the wind, valiant and chic. Her figure moved, and she actually ran directly to the ball of golden flames. Hence, it became the scene of the Ancestral Golden Feather floating in front of Tuan Zi, and her after Tuan Zi. ¡°Why did she go over!?¡± Elder Yi Shang¡¯s expression tightened. Tuan Zi is at the critical moment of opening its meridians and can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes. If she goes over now, it is hard to guarantee that she won¡¯t disturb it¡­ ¡°Should we ask her to come over?¡± Elder Yi Shang turned to look at Yi Zhao. As the clan leader, Yi Zhao¡¯s authority and ability were undoubtedly the greatest here. If he was willing to help, he could bring Shangguan Yue back without disturbing Tuan Zi. Yi Zhao thought for a moment when he heard this, but he shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± Elder Yi Shang was a little surprised. Why does the clan leader¡­ seem to be quite at ease with Shangguan Yue? Elder Yi Yu elbowed him and lowered his voice. ¡°Aiya, in my opinion, Tuan Zi is still Shangguan Yue¡¯s contracted legendary fiend at the moment. She won¡¯t do anything harmful to Tuan Zi! Don¡¯t worry!¡± Hearing this, Elder Yi Shang nodded hesitantly. From what had happened previously, Shangguan Yue is indeed good to Tuan Zi. But¡­ Does the clan leader think so too? When did he¡­ trust Shangguan Yue so much? ¡­ ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Strong winds swept around, and violent energy surged everywhere. Chu Liuyue barely stabilized herself and looked at the flames burning in front of her with a solemn gaze. ¡°Tuan Zi, let me help you!¡± Earlier, she had been waiting and watching from below. Seeing that Tuan Zi had successfully opened its third meridian, she was naturally very happy. She thought that this would be the end of the matter. Unexpectedly, Tuan Zi still wanted to try to open the fourth meridian! It had never discussed this with her before! But now wasn¡¯t the time to talk about this. Sensing that Tuan Zi¡¯s strength seemed to be a little overwhelmed, she rushed up without thinking. Tuan Zi did not respond. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. Rumble! A reddish-gold flame surged out of her palm! She had a contract with Tuan Zi, so she could naturally transform the force in her body into the flames of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Then, she raised her hand, and the flame quickly flew out and fused into the ball of fire! The power in her body began to deplete crazily, and the red-gold feather¡ªwhich had been trembling but couldn¡¯t move¡ªfinally moved! Slowly but firmly, it drew the third line! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1593 - Tuan Zi! This time, the red-gold feather moved very slowly. It was completely different from the previous two smooth movements, but it still moved in the end! Seeing it gently paddle in midair, the square in front of Godly Phoenix Hall fell into a short silence. Then, all kinds of noisy discussions erupted! ¡°The Ancestral Golden Feather actually moved! Shangguan Yue really helped!?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I think it was only after she made a move that the Ancestral Golden Feather officially began to open that red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s meridians again¡­ Just now, I thought that this fourth meridian wouldn¡¯t open!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that she¡¯s only a true god now? Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t be that capable, right?¡± ¡°This¡­ Who knows! Most importantly, a human helped open its meridians. What¡¯s going on?¡± Everyone discussed animatedly, clearly stunned by this scene. No matter how they thought about it, they didn¡¯t expect that the Ancestral Golden Feather would actually continue to open Tuan Zi¡¯s meridians with the help of a human! No one would believe it! Yi Ran was stunned on the spot with a dazed expression. The mocking smile on his face had yet to dissipate, and he looked very awkward and strange. What was happening was beyond his expectations. A moment ago, he was still waiting to see Shangguan Yue and that b*stard make a fool of themselves. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the situation changed! He naturally couldn¡¯t accept it, and he wasn¡¯t willing to. Hence, he could only stand stiffly in place as if his soul had been taken away. Elder Yi Gong was no better than him. At this moment, there was only one thought in his mind: It¡¯s over! Only Yi Zhao stared fixedly in that direction, his eyes seeming to glitter. ¡­ It was indeed much more difficult to open the fourth meridian than before. The energy in her body was being expended crazily, but there was still no movement from Tuan Zi. If not for the fact that Chu Liuyue could sense its aura, she would¡¯ve thought that something had happened to it. Her eyes burned as she stared at the fire. Red-gold light splattered. Only a vague outline could be seen, but it was impossible to see the exact shape. It must be waiting for an opportunity to change into its human form¡­ she thought to herself. Actually, she was also very curious. Tuan Zi had been with her for many years and was already like family. But before this, she had indeed never thought about what Tuan Zi would look like in human form. After continuously opening its meridians, it was about to transform into a human. In a single month, Tuan Zi had done almost everything others needed hundreds of years to do. It naturally consumed more time and energy. Suddenly, a faint sound came from the flames. A thought flashed through her mind, but she suddenly felt a gentle force coming from it and pushing her away. This was Tuan Zi¡¯s aura! Chu Liuyue only hesitated for a moment before obediently retreating with the force. It wasn¡¯t until she was a distance away that she finally stopped. She retracted her strength and looked up at Tuan Zi. Right then, the red-gold feather finally finished drawing the complete line! The fourth meridian was opened! ¡­ At this moment, everyone in front of Godly Phoenix Hall fell silent. Yi Ran¡¯s legs went weak, and he fell to the ground, his face pale. Elder Yi Gong swayed, and his vision darkened. Elder Yi Yu couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps forward. His face was filled with excitement as he punched his palm. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Although Yi Zhao didn¡¯t move or speak, the expression in his eyes had changed greatly. The usual indifference and disdain had disappeared. At this moment, it was replaced by unconcealed joy and excitement! Elder Yi Shang was stunned for a moment before he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile. ¡°It actually¡­ It really did it¡­ The purest bloodline is indeed extraordinary.¡± He didn¡¯t deliberately lower his voice, so many people around heard him. For a moment, countless pairs of eyes looked over in disbelief. Did we hear wrongly?! Yi Ran also seemed to have been struck by lightning. He raised his neck stiffly and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°¡­Purest¡­ bloodline?¡± Elder Yi Shang smiled and glanced at him in surprise. ¡°What, didn¡¯t your master tell you before? The day Tuan Zi returned, we already knew that it had the purest bloodline.¡± Yi Ran¡¯s ears rang, and his vision turned white. It was as if a sharp hammer was repeatedly hammering his head, causing him immense pain and dizziness. He glanced at Elder Yi Gong. Elder Yi Gong no longer had any expression on his face and only slowly closed his eyes. This was the last straw. Yi Ran lowered his head and was silent for a long time. Then, he actually laughed softly. He was laughing at himself! Ridiculous! Hilarious! Embarrassing! I thought that I would sit firmly in the position of young master. It turned out that they already had another candidate! Purest bloodline¡­ What could I use to fight the other party? My only advantage has already been overtaken at this moment! As he smiled, blood seeped from the corner of his mouth rapidly, quickly staining the front of his shirt. But at this moment, nobody cared about him. Everyone¡¯s attention was on Tuan Zi. Purest bloodline¡ªthat is an existence that only exists in legends! They did not expect it to appear today! No wonder it could open its meridians consecutively. No wonder it could open its fourth meridian! After this, who can compete with it?! ¡­ The burning flames were gradually engulfed by the ball. Tuan Zi¡¯s figure gradually appeared. Chu Liuyue subconsciously clenched her fists in her sleeves and didn¡¯t even blink, afraid that she would miss something. Tuan Zi¡­ what will it look like? At this moment, a chubby and tender hand suddenly stretched out from the flames! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com 2 Chapter 1594 - Pampered Immediately after, a small figure broke free from the flames! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. It was a doll that looked to be three or four years old. Her skin was snow-white, and her eyes were as black as black grapes. Her eyelashes were long and thick, and her lips were as red as the most delicate rose petals. 1 She was extremely cute. She had two round buns on her head, tied with scarlet hair ties with two golden bells each. As she shook her head, there was a crisp ringing sound. And she was wearing an exquisitely tailored lotus leaf dress. The entire lotus leaf dress showed a gradual change in color. It was scarlet below and gradually turned golden above. The colors were strong and bright. There were even sparkles of starlight in the sunlight. From afar, it looked like a burning flame. ¡°Ha¡ª¡± She raised her chubby little hand to rub her eyes and yawned as if she had just woken up. It was dead quiet between heaven and earth. Chu Liuyue was also stunned. A girl!? The key is that she is so small! As if sensing Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, Tuan Zi lowered her hand and looked in her direction. When she saw the latter¡¯s face clearly, a big smile bloomed on her round, snow-white face. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Her eyes were bright, her voice was clear, and her eyes seemed to be filled with stars. Then, she opened her arms and ran over quickly. Her little feet were bare, and she looked clean and cute. However, she was extremely fast and arrived in front of Chu Liuyue in the blink of an eye. She threw herself into the latter¡¯s arms. Before Chu Liuyue could react, she subconsciously reached out, and a meaty little thing appeared in her arms. ¡°A¡¯Yue~¡± Tuan Zi dragged out her name, sounding coquettish. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart instantly softened. She looked down into her arms and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Tuan Zi has always been tough, so I had always thought¡­ I didn¡¯t expect Tuan Zi to be such a beautiful and cute little girl! ¡°Tuan Zi?¡± She tried to call out, but her voice was unconsciously much gentler than before. It was clearly the same name, but seeing this small one, it felt completely different. Hearing her voice, Tuan Zi looked up and blinked. ¡°Ang?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but hold Tuan Zi¡¯s face and kiss it. Instantly, she felt comfortable. She is so soft! 1 She smells so good! So cute! Tuan Zi blushed, and she was so overjoyed that she almost jumped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms happily. She stretched out her two short arms and tried her best to wrap them around Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. Then, she quickly kissed the latter¡¯s cheek and buried her head in her shoulders even faster. ¡°Tuan Zi likes A¡¯Yue the most!¡± She arched her head and rubbed her face against her master. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Although her appearance has changed drastically, her habit of nesting on my shoulder is exactly the same as before. Changing her position, she hugged Tuan Zi more comfortably and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Girls are indeed different from boys. If this was Big Baby¡­ Tsk. ¡°Shall we go back and see the clan leader?¡± As Chu Liuyue asked this, she glanced in the direction of Godly Phoenix Hall. Although they were still some distance away, it was obvious that those people were definitely looking over. Tuan Zi had finally transformed into human form and opened her fourth meridian. Logically speaking, she had to go. Tuan Zi hugged her and nodded vigorously. ¡°I¡¯ll go with A¡¯Yue!¡± ¡­ The dark clouds in the sky gradually dissipated, and the wind subsided. After a month of rioting, peace finally returned to Phoenix Valley. It was naturally better to ignore the mess. Looking at the charred mountain wall that had been struck by lightning and the scattered light balls that had been swept away by the violent energy, Chu Liuyue coughed guiltily. It is my fault. I¡¯ve smashed the place where others sleep. I hope they¡¯ll let this matter go on account of me helping Tuan Zi. She hugged Tuan Zi even tighter and ran straight to Godly Phoenix Hall. ¡­ Seeing the person¡ªno, the adult and the child¡ªarrive, the countless people waiting in the square seemed like they had yet to react. When Chu Liuyue landed with Tuan Zi in her arms, she didn¡¯t care about the surrounding gazes and greeted Yi Zhao with a smile. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao.¡± Yi Zhao stared intently at Tuan Zi, his emotions surging. Because she was still young, Tuan Zi was also like a doll when she transformed into human form. Almost the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan transformed into human form after the age of 100 and looked at least ten years old. Tuan Zi was the first to transform into human form at such a young age. It was no wonder that everyone was so shocked. ¡°¡­Tuan Zi?¡± Yi Zhao spoke carefully. His voice was rare and gentle as if he were afraid of scaring Tuan Zi. Hearing this, Tuan Zi looked up from Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder and glanced back. She tilted her head, her big black grape-like eyes blinking. An indescribable feeling immediately surged in Yi Zhao¡¯s heart. He waved her over, his expression even gentler and almost imperceptible. ¡°Tuan Zi, come over.¡± Tuan Zi snorted and turned around to hug Chu Liuyue. I don¡¯t want to go over! I only want to be with A¡¯Yue! Being rejected by Tuan Zi in public, Yi Zhao was embarrassed. However, there was no anger on his face. He only rubbed his hands helplessly, as if he didn¡¯t know how to deal with this situation. Chu Liuyue laughed inwardly and gently patted Tuan Zi¡¯s back. ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± No matter what, he¡¯s the clan leader of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Aren¡¯t you being too disrespectful? Tuan Zi glanced at her and pouted, but she couldn¡¯t dissuade Chu Liuyue. She could only jump down from the latter¡¯s arms and take a few steps forward. As she moved, the bells on her two round buns tinkled. The hem of her lotus leaf skirt swayed, and her fair, chubby feet were faintly discernible, looking incredibly cute. She walked to Yi Zhao and stood still, but she couldn¡¯t help but turn back to look at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. Only then did Tuan Zi cross her hands in front and bow obediently. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader.¡± She was very small and round, making her look even more silly when she bowed so seriously. Yi Zhao hurriedly took a step forward and reached out to help her. ¡°Yes! Yes! Good! Get up¡ª¡± Before his hand could reach her, Tuan Zi quickly straightened up when she heard him. Her movements were smooth and natural. Yi Zhao¡¯s hand froze in midair. He smiled sheepishly and withdrew his hand. ¡°That¡­ Tuan Zi, you¡­¡± He paused hesitantly, as if he didn¡¯t know what to say. There was an awkward silence. Upon seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue slowly raised her eyebrows. Clan Leader Yi Zhao is actually¡­ a little afraid that Tuan Zi will lose her temper? Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1595 - The Best Candidate This was really strange. One had to know that the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader was very unyielding and arrogant. Not to mention humans, even the surrounding elders and juniors were as obedient as quails in front of him. She had dealt with the other party before. To put it nicely, he was a man of his word and was extremely proud. To put it bluntly, he was self-important and cared a lot about his reputation. But at this moment, such a person is actually¡­ not angry after being disrespected by Tuan Zi? Not only is he not angry, but he also seems to be thinking about how to make Tuan Zi happy? Chu Liuyue quietly sized up Yi Zhao and almost laughed out loud when she saw his nervous clenched hands and tense smile. ¡°Then¡­¡± Yi Zhao held it in for a long time before finally speaking. But just as he said a word, Tuan Zi said crisply, ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back first?¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s remaining words were stuck in his throat. Everyone held their breaths. Tuan Zi is too arrogant! The last person who dared to be so rude to the clan leader has long died. She¡­ will probably be punished! But just as everyone was waiting to see how Yi Zhao would punish her, he coughed and said slowly, ¡°Then¡­ Go then¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Clan Leader!¡± Tuan Zi thanked him and hurriedly turned around before running back to Chu Liuyue. Everyone was stunned. He just¡­ just let it go?! The clan leader actually has no intention of punishing her at all? Yi Zhao was thinking about something else. When Tuan Zi faced him just now, her face was cold. But as soon as she turned around, a big smile bloomed on her lips. It was obvious that her smile was only for Shangguan Yue. Looking at the bouncing little figure, Yi Zhao actually felt very upset. Logically speaking, now that Tuan Zi has transformed into a human and has already opened its fourth meridian, its feelings for the clan should¡¯ve deepened. But¡­ From the look on her face just now, it¡¯s obvious that she is still brooding over what has happened. At this moment, he was more or less regretful. My attitude and methods toward Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi back then seemed to be too unyielding¡­ If we had sat down and talked nicely from the beginning, Tuan Zi wouldn¡¯t be so resistant to us now. However, it is too late to understand this now. ¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi ran back and grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Chu Liuyue held her chubby and soft hand, but her eyes were still on Yi Zhao as she smiled. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, consider the bet¡­ my win, right?¡± Yi Zhao came back to his senses and looked at her with a complicated gaze. Even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he knew it was the truth. The woman in front of her had indeed helped Tuan Zi transform into human form in a month. She even opened the fourth meridian for Tuan Zi. Under everyone¡¯s watch, it was absolutely true. He had to admit to what she had done no matter what. Seeing Tuan Zi leaning against her dependently, Yi Zhao could not help but sigh. ¡°You win. I¡­ admit defeat. There¡¯s no need to break the contract between you and Tuan Zi. If Tuan Zi wants to follow you in the future, then¡­ let her be.¡± Yi Zhao spoke word by word, his voice seemingly deeper than usual. These words were like thunder that exploded in everyone¡¯s ears! Almost instantly, everyone widened their eyes in shock and gazed at Yi Zhao in disbelief. Apart from Yi Zhao and the five elders, the rest of the people didn¡¯t know about this bet. Therefore, when they heard this, their reactions were naturally huge. Hasn¡¯t the clan leader always hated the human race? Now, he actually agreed to let Tuan Zi follow Shangguan Yue in the future without breaking the contract?! This¡­ Only Elder Yi Gong seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Clan Leader¡ª¡± When Elder Yi Shang heard this, he finally couldn¡¯t help but speak. He frowned slightly with worry. How can this matter be settled?! Tuan Zi has the purest bloodline, and she directly opened her fourth meridian today! With such talent, she is destined to be the best choice as the young mistress! If she still maintains the contract with Shangguan Yue, how can she sit in the position of young mistress? When they set up the bet previously¡­ On the one hand, they didn¡¯t expect the purest bloodline to be so powerful. On the other hand, they didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Yue to really do it! Now¡­ Tuan Zi had successfully transformed into a human and opened her fourth meridian. It could be said that nobody in the younger generation could compare to her. However, she wanted to continue following Shangguan Yue! To them, the losses were too great! Yi Zhao frowned slightly, his eyes dark. ¡°My clan honors their promises. We will never go back on our words.¡± ¡°Clan Leader is right.¡± Elder Yi Gong, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke. ¡°Back then, the clan leader personally proposed this bet. If we forget it now because the other party won, wouldn¡¯t it be¡­ too embarrassing? If word gets out, where will our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan put our face?¡± Elder Yi Shang glanced at him coldly. Does he see hope, which is why he comes out to make trouble again? As expected, he did not give up! Elder Yi Gong did not care about his disdain. He was in a very good mood now! Originally, when he saw that Tuan Zi had successfully opened the fourth meridian, he also thought that the position of young mistress would definitely be hers. But when Shangguan Yue mentioned the bet, he remembered that it was precisely because Tuan Zi had succeeded that she wasn¡¯t qualified to take over! My previous worries and despair were really a waste of feelings! It is impossible for the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan to accept a bloodline that has contracted with the human race as the young mistress! Thinking of this, Yi Gong¡¯s gaze turned slightly, and he glanced at Yi Ran. Disappointment and disdain flashed across his eyes. There is no turning back. To think that I had spent so many years nurturing him. In the end, he was actually useless. From now on, Yi Ran is basically useless. It seems that I have to find another person¡­ However, the most important thing now is to delay the selection of the young master. ¡°Clan Leader, too many things have happened today. I think¡­ we won¡¯t choose the young master for the time being, right? Why don¡¯t we wait for a while and everyone to calm down? Then, we can prepare to come back in the future. Or, we might as well wait for the next ancestral ceremony before¡ª¡± Elder Yi Shang said in a low voice, ¡°The ancestral ceremony happens once a hundred years. Moreover, everyone in the clan has put in a lot of effort for today¡¯s young master selection. How can we postpone it just like that?¡± Elder Yi Gong smiled indifferently. ¡°What else? In this situation, Yi Shang, do you think we can continue?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to continue.¡± Yi Zhao suddenly spoke, interrupting their argument. The corners of Elder Yi Gong¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Clan Leader is wise.¡± However, Yi Zhao¡¯s next words froze his proud expression. ¡°Because I already have the best candidate.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1596 - Stalemate Yi Zhao looked up slightly at Tuan Zi calmly. Detecting his gaze, everyone was stunned. Elder Yi Gong¡¯s heart oozed with stronger uneasiness. ¡°Clan Leader¡ª¡± Yi Zhao ignored him and continued, ¡°Although Tuan Zi is young, she has the purest bloodline power. Also, she already has her human form and opened the fourth meridian. She deserves to be the young mistress!¡± Once he said this, the entire square fell into deadly silence. Even Chu Liuyue raised her head in unconcealable shock and stared at Yi Zhao. He actually appointed Tuan Zi as the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress?! This¡­ really isn¡¯t a joke, right?! Actually, it wasn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue did not think of this. To be fair, the bloodline power and talent Tuan Zi showed could definitely crush all the competitors present. But even if others didn¡¯t mention it, Chu Liuyue herself knew that because Tuan Zi had an agreement with her, the young master position was just an illusion. Thinking from another perspective, if she were the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader, she would also directly kick Tuan Zi out of the candidate list. She didn¡¯t expect Yi Zhao to make such a shocking decision! Is he¡­ not worried that the people will mock and ridicule him and that I might instigate Tuan Zi to do something against the clan? And many, many more¡­ His actions brought about way more problems! However, his expression was nonchalant and calm as if¡­ there was no hesitation at all. Tuan Zi grabbed her hands and blinked as if she didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on. Seeing that the atmosphere was rather strange, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t care either as she touched her hair in boredom. I¡¯m not interested in the young or old mistress thing. I just want to be with A¡¯Yue. When exactly can I leave¡­ When Chu Liuyue detected Tuan Zi¡¯s thoughts, her eyelids twitched. Leave? I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to leave today! ¡­ ¡°Clan Leader, you must think twice about the young master selection!¡± Elder Yi Gong took a deep breath in and calmed his feelings down with much difficulty. However, his anxious expression and tone revealed that he wasn¡¯t as calm as he seemed on the surface. ¡°Tuan Zi is talented, but don¡¯t forget that she has made an agreement with a human! How can she take on the huge responsibility of being the young mistress?!¡± Isn¡¯t that akin to our entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan being that Shangguan Yue¡¯s slave?! I will never agree! Even Elder Yi Shang¡ªwho usually went against Elder Yi Gong¡ªhad his brows tightly furrowed. After thinking for a long while, he said, ¡°First Elder is right. Clan Leader, this matter is of importance. Why don¡¯t you consider it further?¡± However, Yi Zhao¡¯s attitude was very persistent. He glanced at the duo. ¡°The so-called young master means choosing the most outstanding one out of the younger generation. Is there a candidate more suitable for this than Tuan Zi? If you can find someone that¡¯s more capable than her today, I¡¯ll change my mind.¡± The crowd was instantly stumped. What are we supposed to do?! Even Yi Ran couldn¡¯t fight against Tuan Zi. The remaining ones had no hope at all. The purest bloodline¡­ That only appears once in many years. How are we supposed to compete?! ¡°But Clan Leader, as the young mistress, she has to bear great responsibility. Tuan Zi¡­ can casually come in and out of the clan and do whatever she wants. When she opens her sixth meridian, she can directly be promoted to an elder. However, she¡¯s really not suitable to be the young mistress!¡± Elder Yi Shang advised with deep considerations. Of course, he liked Tuan Zi too. After so many years, it was his first time seeing the purest bloodline. In such a short month, the skills and talent Tuan Zi exhibited far surpassed their initial expectations. It was indeed lucky to have the purest bloodline in the clan. However, she had an agreement with Shangguan Yue! If she really became the young mistress and the clan leader later on, with Shangguan Yue still next to her¡­ What did that count for?! Elder Yi Gong took a step forward and argued, ¡°Clan Leader, there are many outstanding juniors in the clan. Perhaps they can¡¯t compete with her now, but it doesn¡¯t mean that they can¡¯t do it in the future! It¡¯s too impulsive to select her as the young mistress directly!¡± Anyway, he was already humiliated and had offended the clan leader several times. Then, this one more time didn¡¯t matter. No matter what, he could not see the position of the young master being stolen! Yi Zhao squinted his eyes. The remaining two elders couldn¡¯t help but advise against him. Everyone basically said similar things about having objections. Only Elder Yi Yu stood at the side with his arms crossed as if he were thinking about something. Even though the other people in the square didn¡¯t say anything, their faces showed it clearly. Of course, they weren¡¯t willing to agree. Even if they chose one that wasn¡¯t so amazing, they didn¡¯t want a young mistress that had an agreement with a human! The large square fell into a stalemate. ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down and glanced at Tuan Zi. Detecting her gaze, Tuan Zi looked up as well. ¡°Tuan Zi, do you want to be the young master?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in her heart. Tuan Zi stopped in her movements of brushing her hair and looked at her dazedly. ¡°If I¡¯m the young master, can I still be with A¡¯Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. Looking into Tuan Zi¡¯s clean berry-like eyes, she didn¡¯t know how to answer. However, an idea popped up in Tuan Zi¡¯s mind. She had faintly understood a little. As I have an agreement with A¡¯Yue, these people refuse to let me be the young mistress. If I want to be the young mistress, I should have to break the agreement. Then why should I do it? Tuan Zi shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. ¡°Then¡­ you still have to participate in the ancestral ceremony according to the rules. I saw that they¡¯ve all gone to test. Why don¡¯t you go too? When the matters have ended here, we can then leave, okay?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1597 - Complete Formalities! She insisted on bringing Tuan Zi back because she wanted her to acknowledge her ancestors and have a family in the future. Even though it seemed like it was unknown if this place could still be considered ¡®home,¡¯ Tuan Zi had to acknowledge her ancestors. If not, they would¡¯ve made a wasted trip. ¡°Huh? Oh, okay, okay!¡± Hearing that she could leave, Tuan Zi instantly became elated. There¡¯s nothing much about completing formalities! It¡¯s best if we can leave in the end! Chu Liuyue stroked her head and looked at the few people in a stalemate. ¡°Clan Leader, thank you for your kind praise. But Tuan Zi is still young now, and¡­ she should be following me for a very long time in the future. I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t bear the responsibility of being the young mistress. Please¡­ take back your order.¡± Countless gazes landed on her with complicated feelings. Actually, other than Tuan Zi, the biggest beneficiary of this matter was Shangguan Yue. She was Tuan Zi¡¯s master. If Tuan Zi really became the young mistress, her status would naturally rise¡ªnot to mention when Tuan Zi became the clan leader in the future. At that time, she could throw her weight around in Godly Phoenix Mountain! Everyone listened to Tuan Zi, and she was extremely loyal to Shangguan Yue. That was akin to having the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix as her strongest backer! Shangguan Yue would definitely understand this, yet she still swiftly and directly rejected it¡­ Yi Zhao knitted his brows slightly and looked at her. His impression of her changed silently. This Shangguan Yue is indeed quite different from the other humans. With such a huge temptation before her, how many people in this world can resist it? According to how intimate and dependent Tuan Zi is on her, as long as she wants Tuan Zi to fight for it, Tuan Zi would definitely agree without a question. However, she didn¡¯t do it and rejected it for Tuan Zi. In the depths of her black gem-like eyes, it was clear. It was crystal clear without any hints of fakeness or reluctance. She really looked like she didn¡¯t care about these things. Yi Zhao eased his tone. ¡°Does Tuan Zi think that way too?¡± Chu Liuyue looked down and glanced at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi looked up and said crisply, ¡°What¡¯s so good about being the young mistress? I want to follow A¡¯Yue!¡± Her expression was pure and carefree, and every single word was genuine. Chu Liuyue was touched and lightly heaved a sigh of relief. Tuan Zi seemed young, but it had actually followed her for many years. There were many things that she knew very clearly. However, she still made such a choice without hesitation. How could she not be touched? Luckily, the matters here should be solved quickly, and I can directly leave with Tuan Zi then. In the future, we can be relaxed. Upon hearing this, the crowd had varying expressions. Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. Some people found it a pity, others despised her, some mocked her, and the rest were nonchalant. Without a doubt, in their eyes, Tuan Zi was extremely stupid for willingly giving up on being the young mistress in order to continue staying with Shangguan Yue. Something that many people begged and could not have was thrown away by her so easily. She¡­ can¡¯t be saved! ¡­ Elder Yi Gong suddenly heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°Clan Leader, Tuan Zi has already said so herself. Do you still want to insist?¡± However, Elder Yi Shang glanced at Chu Liuyue deeply. I wonder what kind of skills this woman has to make Tuan Zi follow her so willingly and even¡­ sacrifice such a precious opportunity¡­ It¡¯s a pity that the purest bloodline can¡¯t be the young master. Yi Zhao was silent for a long time and finally said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to, so be it.¡± This was naturally said to Tuan Zi. Quite a few people heard it and felt conflicted. Clan Leader really likes this Tuan Zi¡­ He even said such words. He wanted to present her with the position of young master, but Tuan Zi just said no, not giving him any face at all. Yet, he isn¡¯t angry and only retracted his thoughts regretfully. If it were someone else present, could they receive such treatment? However, they could understand¡ªthe purest bloodline was indeed different. They originally really couldn¡¯t compare with Tuan Zi, so it was normal for the clan leader to be biased. In the past, weren¡¯t they especially kind toward Yi Ran as well? It was just that Tuan Zi had an agreement with a human. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, you know the best as to why I brought Tuan Zi over. Since the bet is already complete, then¡­ I hope Tuan Zi can successfully participate in the ancestral ceremony and return to the clan.¡± Chu Liuyue swiftly summarized her own requests. Yi Zhao did not object to it. Even though Tuan Zi can¡¯t be the young mistress, Tuan Zi is a rare purest bloodline that occurs once in every thousand years in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. No matter what, she should come back. ¡°I think so too.¡± Yi Zhao hid his regret and pointed toward the totem in the middle of the square. ¡°Tuan Zi, everyone in front has finished their testing. You can directly go over.¡± Actually, everyone had already previously seen Tuan Zi opening her fourth meridian. This test was indeed just to complete the formalities. Seeing that the clan leader planned to give up on this, quite a few people secretly heaved a sigh of relief. The atmosphere finally became less tense. Tuan Zi didn¡¯t care about these things as she walked over in small steps. Her white feet directly stepped onto the totem. However, she lowered her head and glanced at it. Yi Zhao reminded, ¡°Just directly insert the fire in your body in it.¡± It seemed like he wanted to go up directly and guide her personally. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but lower her head and almost laughed out loud. A month ago, I would¡¯ve never thought that this seemingly cold clan leader with a cold heart could actually be so¡­ How should I put it¡­ He clearly treats Tuan Zi as a big baby. It feels like he is afraid of dropping her if he holds her in his hand and afraid that she would melt if he kept her in his mouth. Thinking of how stern he was when she and Tuan Zi first came, it really became a stark contrast to what happened now. Luckily, Tuan Zi is about to leave with me after the ancestral ceremony. If she really stays here the whole time, how would Clan Leader Yi Zhao spoil her? Chu Liuyue felt mentally tired for the crowd when she thought about it. Tuan Zi was very smart and understood immediately. She raised her chubby hand. Rumble! A ball of red-golden fire instantly appeared! The surrounding temperature also rose at this moment. Quite a few people looked shocked. It seems like the purest bloodline fire is even purer and hotter than ours¡­ Whoosh! Hearing a tiny sound, the first line on the totem quickly lit up! Elder Yi Shang¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but change slightly. ¡°So quickly?¡± The totem¡¯s reaction seems much more sensitive than those tested previously. Once he said this, the second one was continuously lit up! Then, it was the third! The surrounding noises gradually disappeared. Everyone¡¯s gazes were unwittingly sucked over. When Chu Liuyue looked up, she saw that the fourth fire was burning with a sound! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1598 - Chose Her?! Chu Liuyue was also shocked. She thought the test would take a while, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be so fast. I only lowered my head to stifle a laugh, and it is already over? Looking at the four burning flames, she fell into deep thought. Did I take this too seriously just now? Hmm¡­ To Tuan Zi, it seems to be a piece of cake¡­ Tuan Zi seemed to be a little surprised as well. She lowered her head and stared at the flames ignited on the totem, then stretched out her small hand and counted seriously. ¡°One, two, three, four¡ª¡± 1 After counting, she retracted her hand. It seems to be over? She looked up at Yi Zhao. ¡°Clan Leader, can I leave now?¡± Yi Zhao was stunned. ¡°What? Oh, oh, you¡­ The test is over. You can be considered to have officially returned to the clan. If you want to leave, there¡¯s no problem.¡± Although he was reluctant, he had already said those words. Of course, he couldn¡¯t go back on his word. Only then did Tuan Zi smile in satisfaction. With a thought, the flames burning on her little hand quickly dissipated. She turned around and ran toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡ª¡± Thump! Before Tuan Zi could take two steps, she suddenly bumped into a transparent barrier that had suddenly appeared. Caught off-guard, she ran straight into it. ¡°Aiyo!¡± Tuan Zi fell on her butt and sat on the ground. She frowned and instinctively rubbed her nose. ¡°Ouch ¡ª it hurts!¡± ¡°Tuan Zi?!¡± Shocked, Chu Liuyue hurriedly went forward to bring Tuan Zi back. But when she took a closer look, she saw that Tuan Zi was already enveloped by a transparent hemispherical barrier and was trapped inside. The sudden scene stunned the others present. Seeing Tuan Zi sitting on the ground pitifully, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached, and she immediately wanted to go over. But ten steps away from the barrier, she had already sensed an indescribably powerful pressure descending on her! Her heart skipped a beat. It¡¯s coming from the barrier! With my current strength, it would probably be difficult to go over. She frowned and glanced at Yi Zhao. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, what¡¯s going on?¡± However, Yi Zhao¡¯s expression was very strange. He didn¡¯t answer her question and only stared at the transparent barrier that suddenly appeared in shock and disbelief. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized that something was wrong. To make Yi Zhao show such an expression¡­ This matter is probably not simple. She subconsciously looked at the elders beside her and saw that their expressions were almost identical to Yi Zhao¡¯s. It was as if they had seen an unbelievable scene. Besides shock, there was also indescribable excitement on their faces. Excitement? Agitation? What is there to¡ª Whir! Before she could think clearly, she heard buzzing come from above the barrier. She immediately turned to look. A scarlet-gold stream of light suddenly flew out from the top of the transparent barrier. The stream of light scattered and quickly outlined a strange painting on the barrier. The surrounding voices disappeared at this moment. An indescribably heavy pressure surged out from above again! Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a buzzing in her ears as if some strange sound was coming from afar. She couldn¡¯t help but frown as she circulated the force in her body to block out the sound. However, she quickly realized that it was useless. The voice came faintly, as if someone was chanting softly. It was light and heavy, loud and low. It made people subconsciously submit to it. Chu Liuyue unintentionally glanced to the side and was suddenly stunned. The reason for this was that the people in the square were all looking at the transparent spirit formation with grave and respectful expressions. Their eyes were filled with undisguised deep admiration! Then, she heard Yi Zhao¡¯s voice. ¡°Welcome, Ancestral Soul!¡± His voice, usually low and powerful, was now filled with reverence and even a slight tremble. Chu Liuyue also glanced over. Yi Zhao actually placed a hand on his chest and bowed respectfully. The five elders beside him actually kneeled down! ¡°Welcome, Ancestral Soul!¡± Following their movements, other than Yi Zhao and Chu Liuyue, the rest of the people in the huge square kneeled down as well. ¡°Welcome, Ancestral Soul!¡± Their voices were uniform, and their excitement couldn¡¯t be hidden. Chu Liuyue gasped. What¡­ are they doing?! As ancient legendary fiends, the red-gold heavenly phoenixes have always been extremely arrogant. When they usually speak, almost all of them have their chins raised. At this moment, they actually kneeled down in unison¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly looked at the transparent barrier again. This time, she finally saw the scarlet-gold stream of light above clearly¡ªit had clearly formed a huge totem of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! The stream of light was dazzling! She opened her mouth, but she did not know what to say. She vaguely guessed something, but she wasn¡¯t too sure. ¡°Hm?¡± Tuan Zi¡ªwho was trapped in the barrier¡ªfinally sensed that something was wrong. She stopped rubbing her nose and looked up. She tilted her head slightly, her big black grape-like eyes full of doubt. Isn¡¯t it just a test? The test is already over, so why am I not allowed to leave? However, this aura is very familiar and close¡­ Tuan Zi wrinkled her nose and pushed herself up. She bit her finger and stared at the totem above her head for a long time. Then, the totem floated down from the barrier. The closer it got, the smaller it became. Finally, it landed between Tuan Zi¡¯s eyebrows. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1599 - Conditions A fingernail-sized, red-gold totem instantly appeared on Tuan Zi¡¯s smooth and fair forehead. The golden light was dazzling. It made her chubby and fair face look even more exquisite and cute. Although Tuan Zi was round and smooth from head to toe, she was actually very good-looking, especially her facial features. When she grew a little older, she would definitely be a cute little person with picturesque features. Now that there was a golden patch between her eyebrows, it added to her noble aura. When everyone saw Tuan Zi previously, their first reaction was that she was cute and likable; they wanted to walk over and rub her face. But now that they saw her again, they would definitely not have such thoughts again. Of course, they still liked her. However, she had gained a hint of nobility, making people subconsciously revere her. Tuan Zi raised her hand and touched her glabella. It was hot and a little scorching, but¡­ Her entire body felt as if she was soaking in a hot spring, and it was very comfortable. She thought for a moment, then reached out and tapped forward. The transparent barrier¡ªwhich was previously filled with shocking pressure¡ªimmediately dissipated silently and transformed into specks of light. They drew an arc in the air and finally surged into Tuan Zi¡¯s body. Her lotus leaf dress seemed to shine even brighter. Tuan Zi smiled happily and ran toward Chu Liuyue. This time, there was no barrier to stop her, and she quickly rushed in front of the latter. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± She threw herself onto Chu Liuyue¡¯s lap, looked up, and excitedly said, ¡°A¡¯Yue, look! My dress seems to have become prettier!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± The crowd was speechless. You summoned the Ancestral Soul and fused with the clan¡¯s totem, but this is the first thing you thought of?! Chu Liuyue resisted the urge to rub her temples and bent down to look at Tuan Zi. The two of them stared at each other. ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue reached out and pointed between her fiend¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± Tuan Zi shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It flew over on its own.¡± Then she touched it again. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get rid of it.¡± The crowd was speechless. Too much¡ªthis is too much! What kind of glory is this? If it were anyone else, they would¡¯ve been grateful. Only you¡ªyou actually want to get rid of it?! Some people began to roll their eyes in agitation. Some gritted their teeth, hating themselves for not having such luck. In short, the atmosphere became very strange. ¡°That¡¯s the Ancestral Soul.¡± Yi Zhao took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and finally spoke in a low voice. Chu Liuyue looked up at him in confusion. Ancestral Soul? That¡¯s¡­ ¡°Back when our ancestor died and left for the heavens, he left a soul behind. It was our family¡¯s ultimate treasure. All these years, it will only be summoned when the successive clan leaders take over.¡± Yi Zhao looked at Tuan Zi with a complicated gaze. ¡°But¡­ this has never happened before.¡± Not only did the Ancestral Soul appear this time, but it also landed between Tuan Zi¡¯s eyebrows and became her totem. What did this mean? It was obvious! Chu Liuyue was also shocked. In that case, the red-gold totem that suddenly appeared is actually more powerful than I expected. Yi Zhao said that it would only be summoned when every clan leader took over. Then, Tuan Zi¡ª The key is that this thing is still stuck to Tuan Zi. What should I do?! Even someone as mentally strong as her was a little stunned. This should¡¯ve¡­ already exceeded the scope of discussion for the position of young master¡­ Yi Zhao paused and finally said, ¡°This is important. Come with me.¡± ¡­ The ancestral ceremony was forcefully interrupted halfway. In the square outside Godly Phoenix Hall, everyone gathered in groups of three to five to discuss something. Without exception, their gazes were all directed at the Godly Phoenix Hall ahead. The front door was closed, and the atmosphere was solemn. ¡°It¡¯s been 15 minutes. I wonder what¡¯s going on inside¡­¡± ¡°What else? She has the purest bloodline and opened her meridians consecutively¡­ Now, even the Ancestral Soul has been summoned by her. What else can be said? Anyway, I¡¯m convinced.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why things are troublesome! If the Ancestral Soul hadn¡¯t come out, they could just leave if they wanted to. Things are different now. Even if they want to leave, the clan leader and the elders won¡¯t agree, right?¡± ¡°Hmph, how can the clan leader and the elder speak this time? The Ancestral Soul has been summoned and even directly fused into Tuan Zi¡¯s body. This can only prove that this is the ancestral will! How can the clan leader and the others dare to disobey?¡± Many people fell silent. No matter what they thought, it was the truth. The Ancestral Soul symbolized the highest status of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. After today, Tuan Zi¡¯s identity became sensitive. This was almost equivalent to being appointed by their ancestors. Who would dare to say no? However, the most troublesome thing was that there was still a contract between her and Shangguan Yue. Everyone wondered what the outcome would be after today. ¡­ Godly Phoenix Hall was silent and solemn. Same place, same people. For a moment, the scene of her first time entering with Tuan Zi quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. At that time, they had been like fish on a chopping board, almost at the mercy of others. If she wanted to talk to the other party as an equal, she had to threaten him with her life. But in just a month, the situation had completely reversed! Now, it was her and Tuan Zi who had the upper hand. Yi Zhao and the others were silent for a long time as if they didn¡¯t know what to say. Chu Liuyue did not say anything and just waited quietly. Anyway, she wasn¡¯t the one who was anxious. Tuan Zi was the most relaxed. After the totem landed between her eyebrows, it quickly hid, so she didn¡¯t care anymore. She just obediently nestled in Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms, hugged her neck, and leaned against her intimately, rubbing her face from time to time. After another long while, Tuan Zi finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°A¡¯Yue, I¡¯m so sleepy¡ª¡± She rubbed her eyes and mumbled coquettishly. ¡°When are we leaving?¡± As she spoke, she even snuggled deeper into Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go home!¡± When Yi Zhao and the others saw this scene, their expressions changed quickly to incredulous ones! At the thought that the Ancestral Soul was now in Tuan Zi¡¯s body and that she was still acting cute in the arms of a human, the few big shots¡ªwho had lived for a thousand years and seen countless storms¡ªsuddenly felt their hearts turn bad. Yi Zhao suppressed the countless emotions in his heart and took a deep breath before looking at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Name your condition.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Yi Zhao said, ¡°Since Tuan Zi has already been appointed by our ancestor, she will be our clan¡¯s young mistress from today onward. When she becomes an adult, she will automatically inherit the position of clan leader. In the future, you will also be an esteemed guest of our family. We will try our best to satisfy any requests. However, please break the contract with Tuan Zi.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1600 - Compromise Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, do you mean that the bet from before doesn¡¯t count?¡± Yi Zhao closed his eyes. If not for this accident, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan to have the reputation of not keeping their word. However, there was no solution to this matter. ¡°That¡¯s not what we originally wanted.¡± Yi Zhao said, ¡°Now that Tuan Zi has inherited the Ancestral Soul, it¡¯s bound to become our clan¡¯s young mistress. It¡¯s only right for it to inherit the position of clan leader in the future. Under such circumstances¡­ it¡¯s indeed very inappropriate for her to continue maintaining the contract with you.¡± Actually, the key to this matter was still the Ancestral Soul. Initially, it was Yi Zhao who took the initiative to let Tuan Zi become the young mistress. At that time, he didn¡¯t force Chu Liuyue to break the contract with Tuan Zi. However, the Ancestral Soul appeared and fused into Tuan Zi¡¯s body. This whole matter changed then. If Tuan Zi continued the contract, wouldn¡¯t that be equivalent to the ancestor¡ª This was something they could not accept no matter what. Yi Zhao looked at her steadily and said, ¡°Actually, even if you break the contract, it won¡¯t affect your relationship with Tuan Zi, right? Moreover, other than her, our entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan will become your helper from now on. You definitely won¡¯t lose out.¡± Chu Liuyue did not say a word. Yi Zhao¡¯s words made sense. No matter how one looked at it, the compensation they gave had already shown enough sincerity. After all, according to their usual temperament, they didn¡¯t even want to speak to the human race. It was indeed rare for them to be willing to make such a concession. Using Tuan Zi¡¯s contract to exchange for the help of the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡­ It had to be said that this condition was indeed quite tempting. However, this was not the most important thing to Chu Liuyue. She still cared about Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi has obtained the Ancestral Soul¡ªit is both an honor and a responsibility. If I really want to be stubborn and only let Tuan Zi follow me as a contractual legendary fiend¡­ Is that really the best choice for Tuan Zi? The hall was silent. Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. Yi Zhao and the others waited silently for her choice. Suddenly, a soft hand waved in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡­¡± Tuan Zi looked at her nervously, her eyes filled with worry and unease. ¡°Don¡¯t you want Tuan Zi anymore?¡± When Chu Liuyue saw Tuan Zi¡¯s aggrieved and frightened expression, her heart suddenly softened. She chuckled and patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head. ¡°How could that be?¡± Tuan Zi pounced on Chu Liuyue and wrapped her arms around the latter¡¯s neck, burying her face in her shoulders. The originally clear and pleasant voice sounded muffled now. ¡°¡­A¡¯Yue, don¡¯t leave Tuan Zi behind¡­ Tuan Zi will definitely be obedient¡­¡± Worry, fear, and grievances seemed to surge in that moment. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched by something. She was about to say something when she felt a wetness on her shoulder. She suddenly paused, and the words got stuck in her throat. She couldn¡¯t say them no matter what. There was an imperceptible sob in Tuan Zi¡¯s voice. ¡°A¡¯Yue has already abandoned Tuan Zi once. Don¡¯t do it again.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart instantly ached. Yeah, how could I forget? Back in the Tianling royal family¡¯s ancestral hall, I chose to abandon Tuan Zi and die alone. Later, I finally found her in the Mystic Forest. Now, I¡¯m faced with such a choice. Perhaps to her, the situation and the original intention were completely different. But to Tuan Zi, she was the one who was abandoned. Tears welled up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. She took a deep breath, hugged the little girl tightly, and kissed her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A¡¯Yue will always like Tuan Zi and will always be with you.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s small body trembled before she looked up. Her small face was covered in tears, and there were two crystal-clear teardrops on her thick and long eyelashes. Her nose and eyes were red, making her look very pitiful. ¡°Really?¡± she asked aggrievedly, as if she was not sure. Chu Liuyue smiled and wiped the tears off her face. ¡°Of course.¡± As she spoke, she looked up at Yi Zhao and the others and said word by word, ¡°Seniors, please forgive me. I¡¯m afraid¡­ I can¡¯t agree to this request.¡± ¡­ The negotiations were once again deadlocked. Yi Zhao and the others saw Tuan Zi¡¯s reaction clearly¡ªit wasn¡¯t Shangguan Yue who was unwilling to break the contract, but Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi had followed Shangguan Yue for many years and had a deep relationship with her. It was indeed quite difficult for Tuan Zi to be suddenly separated from the latter. Elder Yi Yu¡¯s eyes darted around, and he smiled. ¡°Clan Leader, Tuan Zi is still young and doesn¡¯t understand many things. If we force it, I¡¯m afraid it will only make her sad and create a rift between us. I think¡­ it¡¯s better to take it slow.¡± ¡°Slow? This concerns the position of the future clan leader. How can we take it slow?¡± Elder Yi Gong immediately retorted. ¡°Moreover, you said to take it slow. How long will we have to wait?¡± Elder Yi Yu raised his eyebrows. ¡°First Elder, what¡¯s the hurry? I¡¯m also thinking for Tuan Zi and the entire clan. For now, isn¡¯t this the best solution? Since both of us have difficulties, why don¡¯t we take a step back and compromise with each other? When Tuan Zi is a little older, we¡¯ll let her make her own decisions. Being able to inherit the Ancestral Soul means that she has received the approval of the ancestor. I think Tuan Zi definitely won¡¯t disappoint us in the future. Clan Leader, what do you think?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Yi Gong was speechless. The other party had mentioned the Ancestral Soul, so he really could not continue to argue. ¡°Hmph!¡± He snorted coldly and flicked his sleeve heavily. ¡°In short, if this matter isn¡¯t handled well, our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan will be completely embarrassed! Let¡¯s ask the clan leader to consider it carefully before making a decision!¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s face was expressionless. In fact, at this moment, he was also very conflicted. What Yi Yu and Yi Gong said makes sense. This matter¡­ He opened his mouth and instinctively glanced at Tuan Zi. Shangguan Yue was carefully wiping the tears from her eyes. Yi Zhao¡¯s heart seemed to have been smashed by something. The words that were on the tip of his tongue suddenly fell silent. After a while, he finally held his breath. As if he had made up his mind, he said in a low voice, ¡°Yi Yu¡¯s suggestion is not bad. It¡¯s not good to keep things in a deadlock. Therefore, let¡¯s each take a step back.¡± ¡°From today onward, Tuan Zi will be the young mistress of our clan. Shangguan Yue, you can continue to maintain your contract with Tuan Zi, but if there¡¯s a need for Tuan Zi in the clan, you have to let her return. After she becomes an adult, let her make a second choice herself. Just in case, Tuan Zi needs to leave some aura so that our clan can know her situation at any time.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1601 - Young Master! Chu Liuyue agreed without hesitation because she knew very well that this was the greatest concession the other party could give. Although she had only obtained the time before Tuan Zi matured, as an ancient legendary fiend that had inherited the Ancestral Soul, it was clearly very rare. She wasn¡¯t someone who would push her luck, so she naturally agreed coolly. ¡°Seniors, don¡¯t worry. Tuan Zi has followed me for many years; we¡¯re already as close as family. No matter what, I¡¯ll protect her.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke seriously. Only then did Yi Zhao¡¯s expression ease a little. Shangguan Yue is quite smart. There are some things I didn¡¯t say in detail in front of Tuan Zi, but fortunately, Shangguan Yue understood them. It is indeed extraordinary to be able to reach this stage at such a young age. At the side, Yi Gong was instantly shocked. ¡°Clan Leader¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡± Yi Zhao ignored him and walked out of the hall. ¡°Come with me, Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue roughly guessed something and put Tuan Zi down. Tuan Zi was a little reluctant at first, but after being repeatedly persuaded to follow him, she finally relaxed and followed Yi Zhao. Elder Yi Shang was stunned for a moment. In the end, he could only smile helplessly and follow her out. The elders followed. Chu Liuyue walked at the back. Creak¡ª The heavy and dignified door opened! The brilliant afterglow instantly surged in, illuminating most of Godly Phoenix Hall! ¡­ As the door suddenly opened, the originally noisy square fell silent. Everyone looked up at Godly Phoenix Hall! Curiosity, excitement, agitation, concern¡­ All kinds of emotions surged in everyone¡¯s hearts. They all knew very well that since the door of Godly Phoenix Hall had opened, it meant that today¡¯s matter had finally come to an end! Countless eyes landed on Yi Zhao, who was the first to walk out. His face was as serious and cold as ever. It was impossible to discern anything. The atmosphere was cold, and many people¡¯s hearts pounded. Then, five elders walked out. The expressions of these people were also very complicated, especially Elder Yi Gong. His expression was so gloomy that water could drip from it. Some people looked at each other. From the looks of it, could it be that¡­ the matter hasn¡¯t been resolved successfully? At this moment, another small figure walked out from the depths of the hall. The bells rang, and her skirt swayed. Everyone¡¯s hearts tightened. She¡¯s here! Then, they saw Tuan Zi walk to the clan leader¡¯s side and stand still. Against Yi Zhao¡¯s tall figure, Tuan Zi looked especially petite and exquisite. However, she stood there calmly and sincerely. There was also an indescribable noble aura. Compared to the dignified Yi Zhao beside him, she actually didn¡¯t lose out much. Quite a few people sighed. As expected of someone who has fused with the Ancestral Soul. How could a child have such an aura? Yi Zhao looked around, his deep gaze sweeping across everyone. Unknowingly, an invisible pressure enveloped him. The crowd grew quieter, and the huge square was so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Yi Zhao said in a low voice, ¡°Tuan Zi is born with the purest bloodline and has already transformed into human form. Moreover, she has consecutively opened up to the fourth meridian and is indeed a role model among the younger generation today! Coupled with the fact that she was chosen by the ancestor and fused with the Ancestral Soul, she¡¯s the best choice as the young mistress!¡± ¡°Therefore, from today onward, Tuan Zi will become the young mistress of our family! When she becomes an adult, she will inherit the position of clan Leader!¡± He paused. ¡°Because she¡¯s still young, she will continue to cultivate with Shangguan Yue for a period of time until she reaches adulthood.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned for a moment. Then, gasps sounded one after another! What does the clan leader mean?! Tuan Zi will become the next young mistress. Moreover, after she reaches adulthood, she will directly become the clan leader! But more importantly, she has to continue following Shangguan Yue until she reaches adulthood? Doesn¡¯t that mean that they have yet to break the contract?! How¡ªhow could this be?! After a short silence, the square was in an uproar! ¡°Clan Leader, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t appropriate, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. No matter what, we can¡¯t let a bloodline that has contracted with the human race bear this heavy responsibility, right?¡± ¡°Tuan Zi is very talented, but shouldn¡¯t we choose another more suitable person as the young master¡­¡± Yi Zhao looked up. ¡°Are you so against it because there¡¯s a better candidate, or¡­ do you want to violate the ancestral order?¡± These calm words successfully shut everyone up. The ancestor had already made his choice. Even the clan leader wasn¡¯t qualified to say anything, let alone them. ¡°The Ancestral Soul has already fused into Tuan Zi¡¯s body. She will breathe the same breath as our race and share our fate. She will naturally fulfill the heavy responsibility of revitalizing our race seriously.¡± Yi Zhao frowned as he spoke. ¡°Why are you all still standing there?¡± Someone was the first to react and hurriedly said, ¡°Greetings, Young Mistress!¡± This instantly reminded the rest of them. Everyone bowed. ¡°Greetings, Young Mistress!¡± No matter what they thought, the matter was already set in stone and could not be changed. In that case, the only thing they could do was obey. Behind the crowd, Yi Ran looked at the small figure standing beside Yi Zhao from afar, and his ears buzzed. He finally couldn¡¯t hold on and collapsed. Yi Zhao glanced in that direction. He was the clan leader. Everything that happened in the square was under his control. He knew what was happening there, of course, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Clan Leader, someone seems to have fainted over there,¡± Tuan Zi suddenly said. After hearing Yi Zhao¡¯s words and confirming that she could continue following Chu Liuyue in the future, Tuan Zi finally felt relieved and felt much better. Although her eyes were still red, a brilliant smile bloomed on her small face, and her voice was clear. When everyone heard this, they subconsciously turned around and saw that Yi Ran had fallen to the ground unconscious. Many people secretly exchanged glances and saw the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. We¡¯re so close, but we didn¡¯t even notice. How did Tuan Zi know? Yi Zhao knew that Tuan Zi had fused with the Ancestral Soul and was different from ordinary people, so he wasn¡¯t too surprised. He only turned to look at Yi Gong. ¡°Yi Gong, bring him back to rest well. Perhaps he can recover early.¡± Elder Yi Gong could only agree. ¡°Yes¡­¡± But just as he took a step, he heard Tuan Zi¡¯s voice again. ¡°He won¡¯t recover.¡± Elder Yi Gong suddenly turned around and frowned. ¡°You¡ªYoung Mistress, Yi Ran is at least a little older than you. How can you curse him like this?¡± Tuan Zi blinked. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. His third meridian is broken and can¡¯t be mended. If you don¡¯t believe me, go take a look yourself!¡± Elder Yi Gong originally didn¡¯t think much of it, but when he heard the last sentence, his heart skipped a beat. He turned at once and hurried over. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1602 - Ancestral Worship Everyone hurriedly made way. Elder Yi Gong walked to Yi Ran¡¯s side, squatted down, and grabbed the latter¡¯s wrist. A moment later, his expression changed drastically! He suddenly turned around to look at Tuan Zi! ¡°You¡ª¡± His face was filled with shock and disbelief. Yi Ran¡¯s third meridian was indeed broken. He had been forcefully interrupted when he was opening the fourth meridian, and the backlash of power had affected his body to a certain extent. However, it wasn¡¯t as if there had never been instances of failure and backlash in the past. He was not the first person whose third meridian had been broken¡­ Elder Yi Gong only thought about it carefully and guessed the general situation. After Yi Ran failed to open his meridians, he was clearly excited, and his blood essence rioted, so¡­ In that situation, he should¡¯ve calmed down and sorted out the chaotic power in his body as soon as possible, not continue to argue and resist like that. It¡¯s a pity¡­ In the end, Yi Ran can only blame himself for this. Elder Yi Gong gritted his teeth. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his temples throbbed. He was really furious and aggrieved! All these years, he had spent so much effort to nurture Yi Ran! In the end, it was all in vain! With the third meridian broken, Yi Ran would basically become trash in the future! However, he did not even have the right or reason to blame others! ¡­ Seeing this scene, what did everyone not understand? It seemed that Yi Ran really couldn¡¯t take it anymore¡­ Many people sighed inwardly. Back then, Yi Ran was so arrogant that he did not take any of his peers seriously. In the end, not only did he fail to sit in the position of young master, but he even became trash. In the future, it would probably be difficult for the entire race to have a place for him! Yi Zhao lowered his head curiously and asked, ¡°Tuan Zi, how¡­ did you know this?¡± Many people pricked up their ears. Tuan Zi pouted. ¡°Of course, I can tell!¡± The crowd was speechless. Yi Zhao¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. ¡°You¡­ you could tell directly?¡± One had to know that even he couldn¡¯t determine these things out of thin air! Tuan Zi¡ª ¡°Yeah.¡± Tuan Zi nodded disapprovingly. It was so obvious with one glance. After receiving her affirmative answer, everyone fell silent. The purest bloodline and the Ancestral Soul are actually¡­ so heaven-defying!? Some people who were previously dissatisfied with Tuan Zi shrank back. The clan leader is right. We are indeed inferior to Tuan Zi¡­ Yi Zhao took a deep breath and didn¡¯t continue on this matter, changing the topic. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already become the young mistress of our clan, you should follow me to Godly Phoenix Hall to pay respects to our ancestors officially.¡± Tuan Zi nodded, not understanding. Yi Zhao turned around and brought Tuan Zi into Godly Phoenix Hall again. When he crossed the door, he brushed past Yi Shang and the others waiting at the door. They bowed in unison but did not follow them in. After entering the hall, Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue immediately understood what he meant and straightened her back. ¡°Tuan Zi, follow the clan leader obediently. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Tuan Zi nodded obediently. Chu Liuyue quickly walked out. The door slowly closed. Tuan Zi quickly disappeared. ¡°Miss Shangguan, there are chairs over there. Please wait there. It will probably take a while for the young mistress to worship her ancestors.¡± It was Elder Yi Shang who spoke. His expression and tone were very polite. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll just stand here.¡± This place was closer to Tuan Zi. Although she knew that there should still be layers of barriers inside Godly Phoenix Hall, there was actually no point in such a short distance. It was better for her to be here. When Tuan Zi came out, she could see her directly. Seeing her determined attitude, Elder Yi Shang didn¡¯t say anything else. He nodded and took a few steps back, waiting patiently at the side. The people in the square did not return, and all returned to their original positions. It seemed like they were going to wait together. After all, Tuan Zi was the young mistress of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan that was selected only once every thousand years. They naturally had to wait here for all the processes to end. Elder Yi Yu smiled at Elder Yi Gong. ¡°First Elder, we¡¯re here, so don¡¯t worry. Bring Yi Ran back first. His body probably won¡¯t last long.¡± Elder Yi Gong gritted his teeth in hatred. Unfortunately, he had already been completely defeated and was really unable to counterattack. He could only grit his teeth and endure it! He helped Yi Ran up and left quickly! Chu Liuyue only turned around to take a look before quickly retracting her gaze. The other party isn¡¯t on the same level, so there is nothing to care about. On the other hand, Tuan Zi¡­ Since she has already fused with the Ancestral Soul, the ancestral worship should be quite fast, right? ¡­ Tuan Zi followed Yi Zhao into Godly Phoenix Hall and headed toward the innermost area. It was very quiet. Tuan Zi looked around as she walked. The interior was actually not much different from the main hall outside, but the deeper she went, the more she could sense the vast pressure. Finally, the two of them reached the innermost area of Godly Phoenix Hall. Looking at the much smaller but more awe-inspiring door in front of her, Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes flashed. Yi Zhao stood in front of the door. ¡°According to the rules of the clan, I can¡¯t enter with you next. You can only go in by yourself.¡± Tuan Zi nodded and reached out to push the door open. She lifted her foot and quickly disappeared behind the door. The door closed again. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1603 - Personally The square outside Godly Phoenix Hall was silent. Time slowly trickled past. The sun descended, and the starry sky arrived. The candles in Godly Phoenix Hall automatically lit up. The bright light caused the entire hall to be illuminated and bright. The light that kept shining through the window cast a long shadow of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked up. In the dark night sky, only a few stars shone peacefully and quietly. Tuan Zi had been inside for roughly six whole hours, and she still hadn¡¯t come out. At this point, Chu Liuyue faintly understood what Elder Yi Shang had said earlier. This time, it seems like Tuan Zi will need quite some time to pay respects to her ancestors. But upon deeper thinking, this is normal. Tuan Zi has the purest bloodline and has merged with the ancestral soul, so the situation is special. It is expected that she will take more time. Chu Liuyue silently surveyed the square and quietly retracted her gaze. She could clearly feel that some people were still looking at her with varying expressions. However, they were much more restrained compared to the start. They were more curious than anything. Chu Liuyue did not care about this either. She always treated everyone how they did her tenfold. As long as they didn¡¯t take the initiative to cause trouble for her, she was happy to interact with them peacefully. No matter what, Tuan Zi was also the young mistress now. After she became an adult, she had more right to directly become the clan leader. Such a status would even be higher than the five elders. And she, as Tuan Zi¡¯s owner in agreement, naturally had an increase in status. Thinking about how Mentor and the others had all sorts of worries about us coming over more than a month ago¡­ At that time, who could think of today¡¯s ending? Oh, right. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze suddenly moved. Tuan Zi and I have been here for so long, and Ancestor is still waiting outside. He still shouldn¡¯t know about everything that has happened in Godly Phoenix Mountain. He must be very worried now¡­ ¡°Elder Yi Yu.¡± Chu Liuyue walked toward the side and softly spoke. Elder Yi Yu was considered the one she was most familiar with here. She also trusted him very much, so it was most appropriate to ask him for help. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Yi Yu originally had his arms crossed and leaned against the pillar as if he were thinking about something. Seeing Chu Liuyue come over, he found it a little strange. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Elder Yi Yu, I wonder if I could trouble you with something. When Tuan Zi and I came, we were with my ancestor. But when we entered Godly Phoenix Mountain, Ancestor was left there¡­¡± ¡°You want to invite him over?¡± Elder Yi Yu stroked his chin. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this will be a little hard¡­¡± Shangguan Yue¡¯s entry was still thanks to Tuan Zi in the end. As for the others, they definitely could not be easily let in. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up. ¡°I¡¯d just like you to help me send a message to him. As long as Ancestor knows that Tuan Zi and I are fine now, it¡¯ll be enough.¡± Actually, Shangguan Jing and Shangguan Yue had a way of sensing each other through telepathy. However, he only knew the gist of what was going on and not the specifics. If he can send a message out and let Ancestor clearly know that we are safe here, I can rest assured as well. ¡°The main point is that we don¡¯t know when Tuan Zi¡¯s matter will end, so¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about this? It¡¯s simple!¡± Once Elder Yi Yu heard it, he was instantly elated. ¡°I thought it was a big matter! Don¡¯t worry¡ªleave this to me!¡± Then, he suddenly raised his hand. A red-golden feather appeared in his hands with a flash. He passed the feather to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Just directly write down whatever you want to say. Oh right, when you¡¯re writing, you need to be careful. It¡¯s written with fire.¡± Normal humans naturally couldn¡¯t use such a thing, but Chu Liuyue had an agreement with Tuan Zi, so she was naturally an exception. Chu Liuyue thanked him and held the feather with two hands. This was rather similar to the Ancestral Golden Feather that previously appeared, but its size and color clearly couldn¡¯t compare to it. This should be Elder Yi Yu¡¯s own feather. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment, and a red-golden fire rose in her palm! Then, she held the feather and wrote a few words in the air. As the feather moved, fire seeped out of its tip and quickly disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± After Chu Liuyue wrote the message, she handed the feather back. Elder Yi Yu smiled and took it. His wrist then moved slightly, and the feather flew up and afar! In no time, it disappeared in the dark night sky. ¡°He should be able to receive your letter very soon.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curved up. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire. ¡°When the clan leader came back, he directly came here and didn¡¯t leave until he was discovered.¡± The crowd stood before a hall. Respected Elder Yu Jing was at the front, while Respected Elder Yu Jing stood one step in front of him and carefully explained, ¡°After we discovered that the clan leader was unconscious, we tried all sorts of methods. However, we couldn¡¯t wake him up, so we informed the other venerables. Then¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming was the first to rush over and brought the clan leader to Jishen Palace.¡± As Respected Elder Yu Jing spoke, he clenched his fists in his sleeves tightly. Actually, he informed Respected Elder Tong Chuan first back then. It was a pity 36 Respected Elder Ming reacted very quickly for some reason and arrived before everyone else. 36 Respected Elder Ming directly suggested bringing Baili Chun to Jishen Palace, so the crowd naturally couldn¡¯t object to it and agreed. ¡°Afterward, we tightened our defenses in this area and commanded people to strictly watch over it. We didn¡¯t dare to let our guard down at all.¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing lowered his head as if he were very respectful and careful. After the previous encounter, he didn¡¯t quite dare to talk to Rong Xiu directly. In front of Rong Xiu, he had a feeling that¡­ he was seen right through. It was as if he just had to think slightly to expose any trickery. This feeling wasn¡¯t really good, so he could only abide by the ¡®doing less means fewer mistakes¡¯ policy. Other than saying what was necessary, he tried hard to make himself invisible at other times. Rong Xiu looked at the tightly shut door and squinted his eyes dangerously. ¡°Other than yourself and 36 Respected Elder Ming, who else has been here before?¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing¡¯s gaze floated around. Respected Elder Tong Chuan said, ¡°Your Highness, after 36 Respected Elder Ming left with the clan leader, I¡¯ve also meticulously checked this area. It¡¯s a pity we didn¡¯t find any clues.¡± Rong Xiu shot a look at him. ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan went in alone?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan hesitated for a moment. ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing came with me as well.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. They are all his people. It isn¡¯t that important if they went in together or not. His gaze turned. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, did you notice anything strange back then?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming knitted his brows and shook his head. I did check carefully back then, but¡­ Rong Xiu nodded in understanding. He then whipped his clothes and walked forward. ¡°Then, I shall go in and take a look personally.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1604 - Explicitly State ¡°The few venerables can come in together.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, his sleeves moved, and the door opened with a sound. When Rong Xiu walked to the door, he stopped in his tracks and turned around in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°If anyone has suspicions, you can come along as well.¡± The crowd behind exchanged glances, and the atmosphere was rather awkward. At Tongshen Palace previously, the crowd was dumbfounded by Rong Xiu¡¯s continuous questioning and interrogation. Then, Rong Xiu suggested that he come over to check himself. At this point, he clearly said this to target them. Suspicion? Isn¡¯t this clearly mocking us for suspecting and questioning him? 36 Respected Elder Ming went over first and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s better if everyone comes in and watches! We have strength in numbers! Perhaps we really missed something out previously, and we can rely on everyone¡¯s help to find some clues.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face darkened, and he immediately went over. Then, it was Respected Elder Yu Jing and the others. All the family heads hesitated for a moment. Seeing that Rong Xiu and the others¡¯ figures were about to disappear gradually, they felt uneasy as well. In the end, they clenched their teeth and followed in. ¡­ Baili Chun was the clan leader. His residence was naturally lavish and extravagant. Rong Xiu walked all the way into Baili Chun¡¯s bedroom. Actually, at Baili Chun¡¯s cultivation level, staying awake for a month wouldn¡¯t have much of an impact on him. Hence, even though this was known as his bedroom, he spent most of his time cultivating here. Rong Xiu walked in and first sized up the surroundings. The outside was already very extravagant, but the inside was on another level. When the few family heads entered, they couldn¡¯t help gasping. Other than Baili Chun, usually nobody else had the right to enter this place. This was their first time seeing this scene, and they couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Respected Elder Tong Chuan turned around and stared at the few of them in dissatisfaction, causing the few of them to fall silent and not dare to let out another sound. But at this point, Rong Xiu suddenly laughed. ¡°Clan Leader¡¯s room is very big, and there are two side rooms as well. Everyone, let¡¯s split up and search around. You must search carefully, and you don¡¯t have to restrain yourself because this is the clan leader¡¯s bedroom. You have to know that finding clues and revealing the truth is the most important for the clan leader.¡± The crowd didn¡¯t dare to ignore him and nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s lips moved. However, he did not say anything and just looked at Respected Yu Jing. Rong Xiu stood rooted to the ground for a while before walking forward. Just when the crowd thought that he was going to start searching for clues, they suddenly saw him sitting next to a chair by the window. The crowd stopped in their actions. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°You can do your own things.¡± The crowd did not dare to speak further and continued searching around. Rong Xiu just sat there motionless like a mountain, and there seemed to be leisurely intent in his eyes. Then, he looked up slightly at Respected Elder Yu Jing and Respected Elder Tong Chuan. His thin lips curled up. ¡°Venerables, why aren¡¯t you searching?¡± This stumped the two of them. His tone was too high and mighty, and he simply treated them as slaves! It made them displeased! Respected Elder Tong Chuan paused and asked, ¡°Your Grace, are you not going to look around yourself?¡± Rong Xiu acknowledged this, and the smile on his face deepened slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been handling quite a few matters lately, so I¡¯m quite tired and plan to rest. Besides, the venerables and the family heads are here, so I¡¯m very assured.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan felt that his blood was about to rush up his head! Rong Xiu has really become addicted to commanding us! He clenched his teeth and quickly acknowledged it before walking in another direction. Respected Elder Yu Jing didn¡¯t dare to speak further and went in another direction. Hence, in the entire space, only Rong Xiu was sitting down and resting while the others were searching effortfully. After about an hour or so, the crowd stopped. ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t find anything.¡± ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s nothing on our side as well.¡± ¡°It seems like there¡¯s nothing strange¡­¡± Everyone present had distinguished statuses in the Sky-Cloud Empire. After they cooperated and searched around, they still couldn¡¯t find anything, and it seemed like there was no evidence. Rong Xiu looked down slightly and didn¡¯t speak as if in deep thought. Respected Elder Tong Chuan walked over and cupped his fists. ¡°Your Highness, we have tried our best to search, but we really didn¡¯t find anything.¡± His tone went back to his usual nonchalance and arrogance. Only his eyes had a hint of mockery that was hard to discover. Search? Of course, there¡¯s nothing to find here. Rong Xiu brought so many people over, but he wasted everyone¡¯s time. Does he really think that he can successfully do whatever he wants because he is His Grace? With this commotion, those people below will be even more dissatisfied with him. On the surface, it seems like Rong Xiu already holds great power in the Sky-Cloud Empire. But in actual fact, he only controls the group of soldiers he brought up himself. These divisions seemed like they respected him greatly on the surface, but in actual fact¡­ Rong Xiu was young when he ascended the throne. When he came of age, he suddenly left for a few years. During this period of time, the booklets in the Sky-Cloud Empire were approved by me, Tong Chuan. This time, Rong Xiu came back and snatched this power back less than a year ago. It¡¯s a huge question as to how much power he has! Rong Xiu still didn¡¯t speak. Respected Elder Tong Chuan knitted his brows in annoyance. ¡°His Highness?¡± Roar! A roar suddenly came from afar! Then, a totally snow-white, fit figure jumped in from the windows¡ªit was Xue Xue! The crowd was stunned by this sudden scene. When they saw Xue Xue¡¯s current appearance, they were taken aback. Xue Xue¡¯s body had pockets of bloodstains, and its face had been scraped by something. Its muscles were exposed, and a bloody smell permeated the air. They all knew that Rong Xiu¡¯s legendary fiend was extremely strong and rarely failed, let alone end up in such a miserable state. I wonder what it has experienced¡ª Besides, it seems to be biting on something in its mouth. Rong Xiu stood up and stroked Xue Xue¡¯s forehead. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you.¡± Xue Xue shook its head and spat out the item in its mouth. Clang! A wooden token fell to the floor. Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s expression changed drastically! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1605 - Interrogation That was a wooden token stained with blood. It lay on the ground quietly and glowed with a cold gleam. Faintly, one could see a certain pattern carved on it. The crowd looked over in a daze. Why did Xue Xue suddenly bring this item back? Among the crowd, only Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face was pale and extremely ugly. The hands in his sleeves moved. His feet seemed to be nailed to the ground and couldn¡¯t move. ¡°This is¡­¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming took a step forward and glanced at it. Then, his expression shockingly changed! ¡°This is Black Demon Hole¡¯s wooden token?! Wait a minute! The level of this wooden token doesn¡¯t seem low¡ª¡± ¡°Venerable, you have good eyesight.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°This wooden token is only owned by the eight hall leaders of Black Demon Hole.¡± In Black Demon Hole, the hall leader position was just below their demon master, and it could be considered a strong existence. Upon hearing this, the crowd seemed shocked. ¡°Hall leader? Hasn¡¯t Black Demon Hole gone into hiding for many years? Why did they suddenly appear now?¡± ¡°In Black Demon Hole, those with higher statuses take greater care of their wooden token. A wooden token of such level is extremely hard to find. I wonder where it came from?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming knitted his brows. ¡°Could it be that Xue Xue fought with a hall leader from Black Demon Hole?¡± It looks like it was difficult to obtain this wooden token¡ªeven Xue Xue was injured. Xue Xue snorted and glanced at Respected Elder Tong Chuan. Its ice-blue eyes were as sharp as a knife, as if it wanted to skin him alive! Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s heart suddenly sank! The moment he saw Xue Xue bring that wooden token back, he felt that something bad would happen. However, he harbored one last hint of hope and prayed that they didn¡¯t discover it. However, it seemed like¡­ it was impossible! Detecting Xue Xue¡¯s gaze, the crowd was first confused before their expressions became incredulous. Xue Xue¡¯s attitude toward Respected Elder Tong Chuan was amiss, and Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s reaction was even more abnormal! Rong Xiu raised his chin, and his voice was nonchalant. ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, are you going to claim this item?¡± Once he said this, the originally quiet room became deadly silent. Even though they had already guessed that something was amiss, quite a few people widened their eyes in shock upon hearing the meaning behind Rong Xiu¡¯s words. I-isn¡¯t this the wooden token of Black Demon Hole¡¯s hall leader? Why did His Grace get Respected Elder Tong Chuan to ¡®claim¡¯ it?! ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what you mean, Your Highness.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan clenched his fists tightly, trying hard to make his voice sound as calm as normal. However, his heart beat wildly, and his blood was overwhelmed as if it was about to explode the next minute. ¡°Previously, I felt that the Sky-Cloud Empire seemed rather dirty. After leaving, I asked Xue Xue to secretly guard the place itself. After such a long time, it finally found something,¡± said Rong Xiu slowly. He dragged his ending syllable in a rather nonchalant manner. However, Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s brain tensed up! If anything happened, he would directly collapse! ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, Xue Xue did snatch this wooden token back from someone. And now, that person is already dead. However, this wooden token still has aura in it. It proves that the person who died isn¡¯t the true owner of this wooden token.¡± ¡°The most important thing is that I found the aura inside familiar. Respected Elder Tong Chuan, why don¡¯t you personally come over and see¡­ if you recognize this aura?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s body stiffened, and coldness surged up his body from the bottom of his feet. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up as if he were smiling. However, his pair of dark phoenix eyes were like the coldest and sharpest sword that pierced through one¡¯s heart. ¡°If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, this aura seems extremely similar to yours, Respected Elder Tong Chuan.¡± Once Rong Xiu said this, the temperature in the room dropped drastically! It was as if it was frozen! At this moment, even the air was about to freeze! ¡°I wonder how you intend to explain this, Respected Elder Tong Chuan?¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t look angry. Instead, his demonically handsome face was calm. His eyes had their usual coldness and nonchalance. His brows were raised slightly, and his lips curled up, showing that he was relaxed. Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s lips moved, but he felt his throat tighten. When he spoke, his voice became much hoarser for some reason. ¡°¡­I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something I almost forgot.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly interrupted him and smiled. ¡°I previously said that I hadn¡¯t found out the reason behind the clan leader¡¯s coma. But upon seeing this wooden token, I suddenly recalled something.¡± ¡°The strong warriors in Black Demon Hole can execute some sort of seal and cause one to be unconscious. Such a seal is extremely poisonous and cruel. Other than the victim being unconscious, nothing will happen to the victim¡¯s body. But as time passes, the victim¡¯s force will gradually disappear, and their soul will completely break down after the torture.¡± ¡°It takes as long as a year and as short as three months before the victim¡¯s soul is silently destroyed. Then, the victim dies.¡± ¡°Thinking about it now, the clan leader must be¡­ under this seal. Respected Elder Tong Chuan, what do you think?¡± ¡®Ugly¡¯ could no longer be used to describe Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face. He stared dazedly at Rong Xiu in shock and as if he didn¡¯t expect him to say such words. ¡°How would I know¡ªno! I don¡¯t understand what you just said, Your Highness!¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan tried his best to deny it, but at this point, his words all seemed especially weak. ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, you want to ask how I know about the top and most secretive technique in Black Demon Hole?¡± Rong Xiu chuckled. ¡°A few years ago, someone tried to use this seal on me, but it was a pity it didn¡¯t succeed. However¡­ that was how I learned of such things.¡± ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, do you want to know who that person is?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1606 - Rejoicing The last trace of color on Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s face completely faded! Everyone looked shocked as 36 Respected Elder Ming frowned and took a step forward. ¡°Your Highness, you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Rong Xiu smiled faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about these tricks.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming pursed his lips, his eyes still tainted with self-blame and guilt. ¡°I¡¯m useless and actually failed to sense Your Highness¡¯s danger¡­¡± Although Rong Xiu said it casually, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine how powerful the seal was from his description just now! Rong Xiu can brush it off with a few words now, but as long as one thinks about it, they¡¯ll know that Rong Xiu must¡¯ve experienced all kinds of difficulties and danger at that time! And I actually didn¡¯t know all of this before! Ever since Rong Xiu returned to the Sky-Cloud Empire back then, 36 Respected Elder Ming had taken good care of him and almost treated him as half a son. However, he didn¡¯t expect such a major mistake to still happen! As if guessing his thoughts, Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes softened as he said, ¡°Speaking of which, this happened a few years ago when I first left the Sky-Cloud Empire. Therefore, it¡¯s normal for you not to know.¡± Only then did 36 Respected Elder Ming understand. I see! At that time, Rong Xiu had just taken over not long ago. On the surface, it looked calm, but in reality, there were hidden troubles. I stayed behind and didn¡¯t go out with Rong Xiu. For a period of time after that, Rong Xiu kept in touch with me, so I stayed at the Sky-Cloud Empire in peace and didn¡¯t think too much about it. Unexpectedly¡­ there was actually such a thing. Rong Xiu looked at Respected Elder Tong Chuan again and raised his eyebrows. His substantive gaze landed on Respected Elder Tong Chuan with deterrence! Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. ¡°Your Highness, are you suspecting that I was the one who attacked you?¡± He suddenly sneered. ¡°Your Highness, I was born in the Sky-Cloud Empire and have been loyal for hundreds of years! Countless people in the Sky-Cloud Empire can testify to this! You can say that I¡¯m arrogant and have a bad temper, but this¡ªthis is impossible!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, and you¡¯re also the person with the best bloodline talent in the Sky-Cloud Empire in the past thousand years! Why would I secretly kill you?! Or did I use the method of Black Demon Hole!?¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan looked furious as if he had suffered great humiliation and grievances. ¡°You¡¯ve slandered me today. If you can¡¯t produce evidence, I definitely won¡¯t just let it be!¡± His angry, agitated voice echoed through the room. The expressions of many people around them wavered. To be honest, Respected Elder Tong Chuan might not have that much respect for His Grace and might even have wanted to seize power. However, he still didn¡¯t say anything to the Sky-Cloud Empire. He couldn¡¯t be related to the people of Black Demon Hole, right? Besides, does Rong Xiu mean that Respected Elder Tong Chuan is one of the eight hall leaders of Black Demon Hole? That sounds even more ridiculous. Rong Xiu glanced at him and nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure.¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan was stunned for a moment before he realized what Rong Xiu meant. Does he really have evidence? Then, he saw Rong Xiu raise his chin at Xue Xue and say very gently, ¡°The sea-buckthorn wood token of Black Demon Hole¡¯s hall leader is extremely precious. It must be extremely effective to grind the teeth.¡± Roar! Xue Xue let out a low roar and pounced forward again, holding the wooden token in its mouth! Its sharp white teeth clenched on the black wooden token, glinting coldly. Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat at first. Then, he forced himself to calm down. It is just a legendary fiend. If it wants to destroy this wooden token, it is still¡ª Ka! Xue Xue bit down hard, and a crack instantly appeared on the wooden token! Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. How¡ªhow is this possible?! When did that beast have such combat strength?! Before he could think clearly, a second crisp sound landed! Crack! The sound of the wooden token cracking was no different from a death warrant in Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s ears! Without thinking, he immediately attacked and wanted to snatch the thing back from Xue Xue¡¯s mouth! Whoosh! Just as he moved, Rong Xiu appeared in front of him in a flash and quietly stopped him. ¡°Respected Elder Tong Chuan, what are you doing? Since that wooden token is one of the eight hall leaders¡¯ items, as long as it¡¯s destroyed, the owner of the token will suffer extremely heavy backlash even if he isn¡¯t here. However¡­ why are you so anxious?¡± Tong Chuan¡¯s face was pale, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He looked up and saw Rong Xiu looking at him with a faint smile. Oh no! Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s heart sank! No matter how much I said before, this attack is equivalent to admitting all of Rong Xiu¡¯s previous evidence! Respected Elder Tong Chuan gritted his teeth. Then, a black fog suddenly surged out from the depths of his ancient eyes! A cold and sinister aura instantly spread from his body! Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes, and the smile on his face seemed to be covered in a layer of frost! Whoosh! Suddenly, the aura around Respected Elder Tong Chuan surged! He abruptly raised his arm, and a black saber suddenly appeared in his hand! The next moment, he stabbed at Rong Xiu without hesitation! The two of them were extremely close to each other, and Respected Elder Tong Chuan attacked very suddenly this time. The sharp blade was about to land on Rong Xiu¡¯s shoulder! ¡°Be careful, Your Highness!¡± Everyone was shocked! Nobody expected Respected Elder Tong Chuan to attack just like that, and he was extremely ruthless! 36 Respected Elder Ming waved his sleeve, and a stream of force flew out, heading straight for Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s back! But at this moment, a layer of black fog suddenly appeared around Rong Xiu and Respected Elder Tong Chuan. It instantly condensed into a barrier that sealed them inside! Clang! 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s force struck the barrier, emitting a dull sound! The barrier swayed and rippled, but it didn¡¯t shatter! The expression of 36 Respected Elder Ming changed. His strength was slightly higher than Respected Elder Tong Chuan, but from the situation of this barrier, the latter seemed capable of fighting him on equal ground! At this moment, Respected Elder Tong Chuan had already slashed down ruthlessly! Everyone subconsciously held their breaths! However, Rong Xiu barely avoided the attack with a slight step! A hole was torn in the space beside him by the black saber! A cluster of golden flames suddenly appeared in Rong Xiu¡¯s palm! After missing, Respected Elder Tong Chuan did not continue fighting. He actually turned around and slashed at Xue Xue! The most important thing now is to retrieve the wooden token! Xue Xue leaped and quickly dodged! Respected Elder Tong Chuan was shocked and almost in disbelief. The speed of this legendary fiend¡­ has clearly far exceeded the normal standard! Xue Xue bit the wooden token. For the first time, it was glad that it had been sent to the Red Moon Desert by its master. It turned around and jumped out of the window! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1607 - Conflict Respected Elder Tong Chuan immediately wanted to catch up, but before he could move, a golden light flashed in front of him! The next moment, a barrier formed by golden flames blocked him! ¡°Get lost!¡± A hoarse roar erupted from Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s old voice! At this moment, his eyes were completely enveloped by black fog. Cold, mournful, cold¡­ It made one shudder! He raised his hand and slashed down! Now he couldn¡¯t care less. The most important thing was to chase after the black wooden token! With a slash, the golden flame barrier was split in the middle! Just as Respected Elder Tong Chuan was about to pass through, he saw that the flames had actually divided into two ropes that surrounded him! He subconsciously dodged and waved the black saber in his hand crazily, trying to isolate it. This was because he knew too well how terrifying Rong Xiu¡¯s flames were! Once entangled¡ª Shoo! A golden spark suddenly exploded in his ear! Respected Elder Tong Chuan turned his head stiffly and realized that there was already a small golden flame behind him! At this moment, golden flames bloomed and turned into countless dazzling lights that floated in the air. Respected Elder Tong Chuan was shocked! He glanced up automatically. Outside the window, Xue Xue had disappeared. However, intense pain began to spread through his body! The wooden token was beginning to be destroyed! ¡°You! You!¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan became even more panicked. Whir! A strange sound suddenly entered his ears. Respected Elder Tong Chuan came back to his senses and immediately widened his eyes in shock! At some point, those stars danced in all directions, drawing streams of light that interweaved and overlapped. They actually formed an extremely complicated and profound formation! This profound formation wasn¡¯t big, but it firmly bound him inside! He felt uneasy and wanted to break free even more. But at this moment, he suddenly realized that he couldn¡¯t mobilize the force in his body! ¡°I¡¯ve been studying this Divine Sealing Array for a long time. I only have a chance to experiment today, but it looks pretty good.¡± Rong Xiu spoke slowly with a smile on his face as if he were quite satisfied with the effects of this Xuan formation. Respected Elder Tong Chuan was shocked. How is that even possible? Rong Xiu is only a true god now. Even if he has two divine bodies and two God Realms, he is still only a true god! Meanwhile, I¡¯m a legendary warrior! How did Rong Xiu¡¯s Xuan formation achieve such power?! Although legendary warriors were above true gods, the difference between the two was like a chasm. In the God Residence Realm, there were countless true gods. However, legendary warriors were extremely precious! They all knew that Rong Xiu¡¯s combat strength was higher than cultivators of the same level. However, they didn¡¯t expect that he was actually already able to resist a legendary warrior now! Not to mention Respected Elder Tong Chuan, even the onlookers were stunned in their spots. The reason why Respected Elder Tong Chuan previously had such high status in the Sky-Cloud Empire was that he was strong enough! But when fighting with His Grace now, Rong Xiu, he was actually¡­ at a disadvantage?! Rong Xiu did not give Respected Elder Tong Chuan much time to react. He raised his hand, and his long, well-defined fingers then closed gently. Whir! The Divine Sealing Array shone brightly! In an instant, Respected Elder Tong Chuan felt as if his entire body had been ruthlessly crushed by something! Intense pain came from all over his body¡ªit almost drove him crazy! ¡°Ah!!!¡± Respected Elder Tong Chuan finally couldn¡¯t hold back and let out a shrill moan of pain. Surrounded by the light, nobody could see his current appearance. They could only roughly see the outline of his body and the blood dripping onto the ground. The strange thing was that the color of the blood was actually black and red, and it carried a strong stench! The carefully laid jade bricks on the ground seemed to have been corroded by the blood, emitting sizzling sounds and black fog. This voice and this scene made everyone¡¯s hair stand on end! If they still couldn¡¯t tell that Respected Elder Tong Chuan was from Black Demon Hole, they wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in the God Residence Realm! Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s voice gradually softened. He seemed to slowly stop struggling as well. Only the blood on the floor increased. At a certain moment, the black fog barrier set up by Respected Elder Tong Chuan suddenly shattered! Thump! The black fog quickly dispersed and gathered in Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s body. However, this bit of strength was already a drop in the bucket for the current him. The light on the Divine Sealing array faded. Only then did Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s figure appear in front of everyone again. Someone couldn¡¯t help but gasp, then quickly fell silent. Silence filled the room. However, there was still shock and shock in their eyes. At this moment, the person who reappeared in front of them could barely be considered a human. Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s entire body seemed to have been sucked dry by something¡ªit became shriveled and withered. His cheeks were deeply sunken, and there was no color on his face. He only stared with a pair of completely black eyes¡­ Terrified, miserable, and resentful. It looked really unsettling. At some point, a totem had appeared between his eyebrows! That wasn¡¯t the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem, but¡­ Black Demon Hole! Suddenly, Respected Elder Tong Chuan opened his mouth. A completely different hoarse, low, and cold laugh came from afar. ¡°Rong Xiu, I¡¯ve really underestimated you.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1608 - I Really Didnt Know As soon as he finished speaking, Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s body suddenly burned! Thick black fog emitted from it, carrying a nauseating stench like rotting corpses. Everyone¡¯s expressions changed slightly. 36 Respected Elder Ming frowned. ¡°Your Highness, be careful!¡± Thump! An explosion suddenly sounded! Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s body suddenly exploded! Rong Xiu¡¯s expression turned sharp, and the Xuan formation immediately spun! The splattered flesh and black fog were devoured by a powerful force. In the end, they all disappeared in the light. After about a quarter of an hour, the light dissipated, leaving only dried dark-red blood on the ground. Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. Roar! With this roar, Xue Xue appeared outside the window again. It flew in front of Rong Xiu and spat out the wooden token in its mouth. The black wooden token had already shattered into several pieces. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was indifferent as he raised his finger. A golden flame flew out and landed on the wooden token, burning quietly. In a moment, the wooden token had completely turned to ashes. ¡­ So many things had happened in a short period of time that everyone present was shocked speechless. Everyone looked at the ashes and the remaining blood for a long time. 36 Respected Elder Ming finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Tong Chuan to be the hall leader of Black Demon Hole¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the real Respected Elder Tong Chuan,¡± Rong Xiu suddenly said. 36 Respected Elder Ming was shocked. ¡°Your Highness, you mean¡­¡± Rong Xiu said concisely, ¡°His body was stolen.¡± Everyone fell silent. After a long while, 36 Respected Elder Ming sighed in realization. ¡°I see¡­¡± If that was the case, it wasn¡¯t difficult to explain why Respected Elder Tong Chuan managed to stay in the Sky-Cloud Empire all these years without being discovered. It turned out that he had been replaced halfway. ¡°Then, the real Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡­¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming stopped mid-sentence. Actually, there was no need to ask this question anymore. Since his body had been stolen, the real Respected Elder Tong Chuan was naturally no longer alive. Rong Xiu pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°It should¡¯ve been a few years ago. When I first left the Sky-Cloud Empire, his body had already been stolen.¡± Actually, he had been suspicious since that time, but because he had other things to do at that time, he did not investigate personally. After that, Respected Elder Tong Chuan didn¡¯t show any abnormalities, let alone leave any evidence. It became even harder for him to check again¡ªuntil something happened to Baili Chun this time. ¡°But hasn¡¯t Black Demon Hole been in seclusion for the past few years? Why did they have to go through so much trouble to send a hall leader to sneak into our Sky-Cloud Empire secretly?¡± The other elders looked puzzled and glanced at Rong Xiu without batting an eyelid. Moreover, the other party¡¯s goal seems to be¡­ His Grace? Even when he attacked the clan leader, Baili Chun, the other party seemed to be targeting Rong Xiu in the end. ¡°Only by living in seclusion will there be time and energy to do other things,¡± Rong Xiu lightly said. Actually, the voice just now didn¡¯t belong to this possessed hall leader, but¡­ In order to deal with him, the other party had used all kinds of methods and was even willing to sacrifice a hall leader for this. 36 Respected Elder Ming asked in a low voice, ¡°Your Highness, what do we do next? Do you have any plans?¡± The other party had bullied them, so there was no way this matter would end just like that. Moreover, Respected Elder Tong Chuan had always held a high position in the Sky-Cloud Empire and had stolen countless secrets. This account was probably even more shocking. ¡°Their target is me.¡± Rong Xiu seemed to have guessed what he was thinking and said calmly, ¡°Respected Elders, don¡¯t worry. Although Respected Elder Tong Chuan has held great power in the past few years, but¡­ what he knows is what I let him know. I just didn¡¯t expect him to actually wait until today to make his move. However, Yu Mo and the others should¡¯ve already cleaned up most of the nonsense outside.¡± This meant that when he attacked Respected Elder Tong Chuan, the people outside had already surrounded his subordinates! Hearing this, everyone had complicated expressions. Shock, surprise, exclamation¡­ At this moment, they finally understood that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t call them over to investigate the reason why Baili Chun was unconscious. He had just made up his mind to attack Respected Elder Tong Chuan today! It was just a trap! When 36 Respected Elder Ming heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Your Highness has always been scheming. I¡¯m really ashamed.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°For the sake of convenience, I didn¡¯t tell you some things. I hope you can forgive me.¡± At this point, what else did 36 Respected Elder Ming not understand? Rong Xiu seemed to have left the Sky-Cloud Empire in the past few years and had never bothered about the matters here. Instead, he handed everything over to 36 Respected Elder Ming. But in reality, he had already secretly set up another huge net! 36 Respected Elder Ming wasn¡¯t angry. On the contrary, he was very relieved and happy. He had watched Rong Xiu grow up. He knew how outstanding Rong Xiu was and had seen his growth along the way, but it was only today that he could finally rest assured. Rong Xiu¡¯s thoughts and methods are definitely enough to support him in stabilizing his position as His Grace! Killing Tong Chuan today to eradicate the scourge is also a warning to those who are restless. Even someone like Respected Elder Tong Chuan didn¡¯t end up well in Rong Xiu¡¯s hands, let alone them. 36 Respected Elder Ming glanced around and nodded in satisfaction when he saw their expressions. From today onward, all the troubles in the Sky-Cloud Empire should¡¯ve been resolved. One of them had a particularly interesting expression. 36 Respected Elder Ming raised his eyebrows. ¡°Respected Elder Yu Jing, you and Respected Elder Tong Chuan have always been close. These things¡ª¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know!¡± Before he could finish asking, Respected Elder Yu Jing hurriedly denied it. He looked at Rong Xiu nervously, his face pale. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re wise! I really don¡¯t know anything about this! Although I have a good relationship with him, it¡¯s actually only because his status is higher that I have no choice but to obey. However, I didn¡¯t participate in this matter¡ªthis is absolutely true!¡± His voice sounded sharp with anxiety and worry. After saying this, he was already covered in cold sweat. Respected Elder Yu Jing wasn¡¯t stupid. Respected Elder Tong Chuan was from Black Demon Hole and had attacked His Grace. If he had anything to do with him now, he would probably be doomed! He had to get himself out! Rong Xiu lowered his eyes and glanced at Xue Xue. ¡°Go and clean up at the fountain. You¡¯re too dirty.¡± The fountain was a hot spring on Suming Peak. Usually, only a few people were qualified to go there. Most importantly, the spring water had the effect of healing injuries. Xue Xue¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t light this time. Hearing this, Xue Xue agreed happily and quickly turned around to leave. Only then did Rong Xiu look up at Respected Elder Yu Jing. His eyebrows rose in a half-smile. ¡°Do you really not know anything?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1609 - The Wedding Respected Elder Yu Jing choked, and a moment of hesitation flashed in his eyes. However, this was only for a moment. Soon, his expression returned to normal, and he swore firmly, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened, but there was a hint of cold sarcasm. ¡°After the clan leader fainted, you were the first to discover it. Then, you called Respected Elder Tong Chuan over. Now, the reason for the clan leader¡¯s fainting is clear¡ªit¡¯s because of Respected Elder Tong Chuan. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something wrong with the timeline?¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing was immediately speechless. After hesitating for a moment, he explained, ¡°This, this¡ªhe must¡¯ve attacked the clan leader first! Then, he pretended that nothing had happened and pushed all the responsibility away! That must be it!¡± ¡°There¡¯s one thing you might not know. After the seal is placed, the clan leader¡¯s body can no longer accept the outside world¡¯s origin power. This naturally includes the origin power in the human body.¡± Respected Elder Yu Jing suddenly realized something, and the rest of his words were stuck in his throat. He looked up at Rong Xiu in shock, but he only saw that the man seemed to have seen through everything. ¡°¡­Your¡­ Your Highness¡­¡± His lips moved as if he wanted to say something more, but no sound came out. Rong Xiu¡¯s words were very clear. The gazes of the surrounding people landed on Yu Jing, but at this moment, they were like knives on his back. His mind was blank except for a voice that kept lingering. It¡¯s over¡­ It¡¯s really over¡­ Plop! Respected Elder Yu Jing abruptly kneeled down, and his knees landed heavily on the jade bricks with a sickening thud. He put his head to the ground and begged, ¡°Your Highness, I admit that I listened to Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s orders and went in first to attack the clan leader! B-but I really didn¡¯t know¡ª¡± After Baili Chun came out of seclusion this time, his strength increased greatly. Although he had suffered a blow because of Jiang Zhiyuan, his combat strength could not be underestimated. At that time, the two of them had entered together. He had attacked first, and then Respected Elder Tong Chuan had attacked again. At that time, Respected Elder Tong Chuan only said that it was to push all of the blame onto Rong Xiu and pull him down from the position of His Grace. Respected Elder Yu Jing didn¡¯t want to do this at first, but after thinking about it, he finally agreed under Respected Elder Tong Chuan¡¯s persuasion. However, he only thought that Respected Elder Tong Chuan was doing this for the sake of the clan leader and the position of His Grace. Who would¡¯ve thought that he was actually from Black Demon Hole?! In the end, he was also wronged! Rong Xiu had already turned his gaze to 36 Respected Elder Ming. ¡°I still have to go and see the clan leader. I¡¯ll leave these things to you to deal with.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness.¡± With that, Rong Xiu walked out. Respected Elder Yu Jing wanted to beg again, but he was deterred by a glance from 36 Respected Elder Ming and shut his mouth. Silence filled the room. Everyone¡¯s gazes still subconsciously followed Rong Xiu. At the door, Rong Xiu suddenly stopped and half-turned. Then, he raised his eyebrows and chuckled. ¡°From today onward, you don¡¯t have to worry about the clan leader.¡± Many people¡¯s faces alternated between red and white. In the end, they all responded and bowed respectfully. ¡°Yes.¡± After Rong Xiu left, the room was still silent for a long time. Today¡¯s battle was too thrilling. Thinking about it carefully, many people felt sad. With Rong Xiu¡¯s thoughts and methods, it would be easy for him to deal with us. To think that we were so naive to think that we could fight him¡­ It seems that the best choice in the future is to listen to all his orders obediently¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming looked around and laughed. ¡°Everyone, should we settle this score today?¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu walked out of the hall. Yan Qing, who was waiting outside, hurriedly welcomed him. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s news from Yu Mo that everything is almost settled.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°He¡¯s fast.¡± ¡°Your Highness, everything had already been set up in advance, so things were naturally finished quickly.¡± Rong Xiu glanced at him and smiled. ¡°Your acting skills have improved.¡± A rare look of embarrassment appeared on Yan Qing¡¯s cold face. ¡°Your Highness, you flatter me. These things are all that I should do.¡± Rong Xiu let him go and did not continue teasing him. Instead, he moved in the direction of Suming Peak. ¡°Is the clan leader awake?¡± ¡°Your Highness, he isn¡¯t.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was indifferent. It¡¯s indeed a little troublesome to deal with the seal.¡± Although he had escaped death back then, it didn¡¯t mean that he could easily break through it. This seal was one of Black Demon Hole¡¯s top secret techniques, and very few people knew about it. If he wanted to resolve it completely, he would probably¡­ have to spend some effort. ¡°Your Highness, the princess consort¡­¡± Yan Qing spoke hesitantly. ¡°Since the trouble here has been resolved, we should be able to invite the princess consort back, right?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s dark red lips curled up slightly, and his eyes softened. ¡°After this matter is over, I¡¯ll personally go to Godly Phoenix Mountain to pick her up.¡± Previously, he pretended to be in a hurry to return to the Sky-Cloud Empire and didn¡¯t tell her the truth. In fact, he wanted to bring her back after settling these matters. She had already spent enough effort on the red-gold heavenly phoenix. Yan Qing was stunned, but he quickly returned to normal and responded respectfully. As they spoke, the two of them had already arrived at the top of Suming Peak. Rong Xiu flew down and landed on the black jade. The soldiers in charge of guarding bowed in unison. ¡°Greetings, Your Grace!¡± Perhaps it was an illusion, but the iron-blooded aura on their bodies seemed to be stronger than before. Rong Xiu nodded slightly and walked toward Jishen Palace. Yan Qing followed closely behind. Wherever they passed, the soldiers kneeled on one knee to welcome them. They all knew that the seemingly calm Sky-Cloud Empire was about to have another storm of blood! Rong Xiu walked to the door of Jishen Palace and suddenly stopped. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the preparation for the wedding?¡± Yan Qing immediately said respectfully, ¡°Your Highness, everything is basically ready.¡± They had started preparing a few years ago and had used a lot of manpower and resources. How could they not have prepared well? Rong Xiu nodded, and there seemed to be a glint in his phoenix eyes. ¡°When I bring her back, we can choose a good day to get married.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1610 - Come The sun rose, and the dark sky gradually brightened. The last light of Godly Phoenix Hall quietly went out. A breeze blew, and the white mountain mist dissipated bit by bit, revealing the figures of the people sitting quietly in the square. Chu Liuyue slowly exhaled and opened her eyes. The natural energy here was very abundant and pure. Cultivating here was almost twice as good as outside. Therefore, while she waited for Tuan Zi outside the door, she didn¡¯t waste any time and diverted a portion of her attention to cultivate. After breaking through to a true god, her efficiency in absorbing force had increased greatly, and her cultivation speed had naturally increased. There were a total of three stages, namely the early stage, the middle stage, and the peak stage. And the difference between these three stages wasn¡¯t small. Now that she was still at the early stage¡­ If she wanted to continue breaking through, she could only cultivate diligently. After being tempered by pure force, her spirit had recovered a lot, and her black jade-like eyes were bright. She glanced toward the doors of Godly Phoenix Hall. Tuan Zi had been in there for three days, but there was still no sign of her coming out. Yi Zhao was accompanying her inside, so naturally, he did not come out. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before looking to the side. Elder Yi Yu had left yesterday. It seemed that the people below had discovered that the damage to Phoenix Valley was a little serious and invited him back to take a look. It made sense. She could barely remember how many bolts of lightning she had triggered in the previous month. Although these lightning bolts had been devoured by Tuan Zi, energy surged and affected Phoenix Valley during the process. It was rare for Chu Liuyue to feel guilty, and she originally wanted to follow him. However, Elder Yi Yu waved his hand and told her to continue waiting for Tuan Zi here. As for the rest, she should leave it to them. This was originally their base, so Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know as much as them about how to repair it. Facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s apology, Elder Yi Yu¡¯s attitude became even more carefree. ¡°You¡¯ve already opened the fourth meridian for Tuan Zi. What¡¯s this small matter?¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s significance to their entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was immeasurable. Even if Phoenix Valley was really destroyed, they would have nothing to say. Phoenix Valley could be rebuilt, but there might not be a second Tuan Zi. Since the other party said so, Chu Liuyue did not insist. After the first day, Elder Yi Gong never appeared again. Thus, at this moment, there were only three elders waiting outside the hall. Chu Liuyue looked at Elder Yi Shang, who was closest to her. ¡°Elder Yi Shang, may I ask if this ancestral worship¡­ Will it always take so long?¡± Elder Yi Shang looked back and smiled gently. ¡°Under normal circumstances, it¡¯ll only take a day for the young master to worship their ancestors. But Tuan Zi is special, so it¡¯s normal for it to take longer.¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. She naturally knew this very well, but three days had passed, and there was no movement at all. It really made one¡¯s heart pound. ¡°Then¡­ do you know how long it will take?¡± Elder Yi Shang shook his head. ¡°That¡­ is still up to her.¡± In the past, although the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan had also had the purest bloodline, nobody had summoned the Ancestral Soul. This was the first time Tuan Zi had done this. They didn¡¯t have much experience, so it was not appropriate for them to say anything. She nodded in understanding and could only continue waiting patiently. Fortunately, there is a connection between Tuan Zi and me. It feels like there is no question¡ª Suddenly, a subtle fluctuation came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian. Her expression froze. A moment later, the fluctuation came again, and this time, it was clearly louder than the first time. It came from that water droplet! Somehow, something seemed to be calling. Chu Liuyue looked up in the direction of the summoning and instantly held her breath. This power seems to come from Godly Phoenix Hall! She looked around. Everyone looked the same. This power seems to have only summoned me? This¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows twitched. She could sense that the power of this summoning was extremely vast and powerful, carrying an astonishing pressure that couldn¡¯t be disobeyed! Even Yi Zhao from before could not be compared to it! However, this power was very gentle to her, so although it landed on her, it didn¡¯t make her feel uncomfortable. A ridiculous and bold guess instantly flashed across her mind. Who else can have such summoning power other than the ancestor in Godly Phoenix Hall, who has been worshiped by the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan for generations? But I¡¯m the only human here, and the only connection I have with the red-gold heavenly phoenixes is Tuan Zi. How could¡ª Suddenly, Chu Liuyue calmed down. Could it be¡­ because of Tuan Zi? Gradually, the fluctuation became stronger and stronger, so much so that she could not ignore it. Finally, before Chu Liuyue could take the initiative to speak, the doors of Godly Phoenix Hall suddenly opened. Creak¡ª The long, weathered voice was especially clear in the quiet square. Everyone looked up in the direction of the doors. Yi Shang and the others also had solemn expressions. From the looks of it, the clan leader and Tuan Zi were about to come out? As expected, Yi Zhao¡¯s figure quickly appeared behind the doors. He stepped out the doors, and everyone bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± Many people heaved a sigh of relief. It seems that the ancestral worship inside is finally over. However, some more meticulous people quickly realized that Tuan Zi did not follow the clan leader out. Logically speaking, the two of them should¡¯ve come out together¡­ Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. The two of them stared at each other. Chu Liuyue could clearly see the complicated emotions in Yi Zhao¡¯s eyes. Then, Yi Zhao said, ¡°Shangguan Yue, go in.¡± Those few simple words stunned everyone on the spot. Some even rubbed their ears, thinking they were hearing things. Some of them looked at each other and confirmed what the clan leader said from their shocked gazes. Yi Shang and the others were also stunned. Although Shangguan Yue had entered Godly Phoenix Hall twice before, it was both under special circumstances. However, it was different now! Tuan Zi was worshiping her ancestors inside. Why did they suddenly let Shangguan Yue go over?! But seeing Yi Zhao¡¯s serious expression, they did not dare to ask further and only subconsciously looked at her. Sure enough. After calming herself down, Chu Liuyue nodded slightly and walked straight to the main hall. Everyone¡¯s gazes subconsciously followed her. When she brushed past Yi Zhao, she could clearly sense that he was sizing her up. His gaze was different from before. Although he looked calm on the surface, it was obvious that the waves in his heart had yet to subside. She paused for a moment before continuing to enter Godly Phoenix Hall without looking sideways. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1611 - Polite The door slowly closed, completely covering Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure and blocking all the gazes outside¡ªincluding Yi Zhao¡¯s. After being stunned for a while, Yi Shang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Clan Leader, are you¡­ not going in together?¡± Yi Zhao nodded expressionlessly. This reaction was really unpredictable. Elder Yi Shang frowned. This is clearly not the clan leader¡¯s intention. No matter how much he dotes on Tuan Zi, he wouldn¡¯t summon Shangguan Yue to Godly Phoenix Hall at this time. Unless¡­ This is the ancestor¡¯s intention! Apart from that, nobody in the entire clan can override the clan leader. ¡°This¡­¡± Elder Yi Shang was speechless and did not know how to react. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s ancestor had died tens of thousands of years ago, and only a trace of his consciousness remained in Godly Phoenix Hall. Over the years, this consciousness had basically been sleeping. This consciousness would only wake up when every clan leader ascended to worship their ancestors. However, they would often continue to fall asleep after the ancestral worship. But now, when Tuan Zi was worshiping the ancestor, this consciousness actually woke up. Moreover¡­ he even let Shangguan Yue in! How could this not be shocking!? Elder Yi Jiao asked worriedly, ¡°Then¡­ Clan Leader, is Tuan Zi doing well?¡± Could something have happened¡­ Yi Zhao nodded. ¡°Everything is normal inside. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Since the ancestor¡¯s consciousness had awakened, there was naturally a reason. At first, he was also shocked when he realized what his ancestor meant, but now, he had chosen to accept it. Perhaps it¡¯s just because she still has a contract with Tuan Zi¡­ Yi Zhao stopped talking and just stood outside the door with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly. Nobody dared to ask further and could only continue to wait. A question floated in the hearts of countless people. Shangguan Yue, a human, has entered Godly Phoenix Hall during the ancestral worship. How¡­ should she be considered? ¡­ Hearing the door close, Chu Liuyue turned around. Yi Zhao didn¡¯t follow her in, but the summoning fluctuation she felt in her dantian became stronger. The fluctuation drove her forward. Although she had been here twice before, she had come and gone in a hurry both times. She had never been able to take a good look at the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s most sacred and solemn place. Her figure was clearly reflected in the black jade slabs and the specks of starlight on the dome. Although the sky was already bright, it still didn¡¯t hide the brilliance. Walking here would often give one the illusion of strolling in the night sky filled with stars. As she passed through the hall and crossed the threshold, she could clearly feel the fluctuations in her body becoming stronger. The summoning power seemed to be nearby. She composed herself and continued inside. This place was clearly no longer open to ordinary people. As she walked, she thought to herself, Among the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, only a handful can enter. And I actually came in at this moment¡­ The deeper she went, the stronger the fluctuation in her dantian, and the faster her heart beat. But miraculously, she wasn¡¯t worried at all in such an unknown situation. She didn¡¯t know if it was because the power that had summoned her was too gentle, or if it was because she knew that Tuan Zi was also here, but she felt at ease. After walking for about 15 minutes, she arrived at another door. She stood in front of the door and steadily looked at it as an extremely clear thought flashed through her mind. This is it! She took a deep breath and raised her arm. Just as she was about to push open the door, it opened automatically again. She pursed her lips slightly and stepped in. ¡­ There was a universe inside the hall. When she walked in, the first thing she saw was Tuan Zi standing in the middle of the hall. Hearing the sound, Tuan Zi turned around and saw that it was her. She immediately ran over happily, opened her round arms, and pounced into her arms. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Hearing her clear and happy voice, Chu Liuyue was immediately relieved. She smiled and bent down to pick her up. Tuan Zi was so soft. ¡°A¡¯Yue, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Tuan Zi wrapped her arms around Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck and rubbed happily against her cheek. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched slightly. ¡°You¡­ knew I was coming?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Our ancestor just said he wanted to see you. I was waiting for you to come!¡± Only then did Chu Liuyue look up. The hall was a little empty, and there was no sound in the surroundings. The ground was still paved with black jade, but the dome above was no longer filled with specks of light. Instead, it had become balls of blooming red-gold flames. In the deepest part, on the wall directly in front of her, was a huge painting. In the intense flames, a pure-gold phoenix spread its wings and soared into the sky with a shocking aura! This painting was very realistic. The feathers on the golden phoenix¡¯s body were almost completely visible, and it seemed as if it would rush out of the painting the next moment! Only the eyes were empty, and it looked like something was missing. But with just a glance, she felt that the force in her body was about to boil, and the water droplet in her dantian actually started to spin slowly! Chu Liuyue was secretly shocked. This¡­ must be the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! She was about to control the water droplet to stop moving when a distant voice suddenly sounded in her ear. ¡°You¡­ are the contract master of Tuan Zi?¡± The voice came from the mural and sounded as if it had been through 10,000 years. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She put down Tuan Zi, cupped her fists, and bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Senior.¡± ¡°No need to stand on ceremony.¡± There seemed to be gentle smiling intent in that voice. ¡°Tuan Zi has already told me everything about the two of you. You¡¯ve indeed treated her extremely well.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in relief. From her tone, the other party seems to like Tuan Zi very much and even treats her much better. ¡°I let you in today because I want to see what kind of person can make Tuan Zi so dependent on them and even willing to give up the position of clan leader.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she asked warily, ¡°Senior also wants me to break the contract with Tuan Zi?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The other party smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. Since I gave that soul to Tuan Zi previously, I won¡¯t care about this. No matter what, the position of clan leader will be hers in the future.¡± Only then did Chu Liuyue feel at ease and say in embarrassment, ¡°I misunderstood. Please don¡¯t mind me, Senior.¡± ¡°Yi Zhao and the others were quite rude to you previously, so it¡¯s normal for you to be like this. On the other hand¡­ if you have any grievances, I hope you can let them go.¡± Upon hearing this, a very subtle feeling surged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. This ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡­ seems to be too polite to me? Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1612 - You Didnt Find the Rest? As ancient legendary beasts, the red-gold heavenly phoenixes had always been very arrogant. This was especially true when in front of humans. And this was the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! Speaking of which, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to call the ancestor a supreme being! Although this was only a remnant consciousness, the other party¡¯s identity was still filled with oppression. Even if I have a contract with Tuan Zi, there¡¯s no need for the ancestor to give me face, right? Countless thoughts flashed through Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but her expression remained calm as she smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re too polite. Tuan Zi has followed me for many years and has gone through life and death with me countless times. We¡¯re already as close as family. I know that clan leader Yi Zhao and the others did those things for Tuan Zi¡¯s own good, so I¡¯m overjoyed and gratified.¡± This was the truth. Chu Liuyue admitted that she had a bad temper. If it were the past her, she would definitely not tolerate the many things the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan had done this time. However, she knew that in the end, they were doing this for Tuan Zi. With that in mind, she could ignore all of it. To her, none of those things were as important as Tuan Zi. As soon as she finished speaking, she felt her legs go weak. She looked down and saw Tuan Zi hugging her thigh and looking at her eagerly. Her black grape-like eyes were glistening with tears. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡ª¡± Tuan Zi called her name coquettishly and intimately, filled with longing and dependence. I knew that A¡¯Yue treated me the best! Chu Liuyue smiled and stroked her head. ¡°I have a question for you.¡± The voice sounded again. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Senior, please speak.¡± The other party paused for a moment before saying word by word, ¡°Where did you get that thing in you?¡± ¡­ The hall fell silent. The moment Chu Liuyue heard that sentence, she understood that it was referring to the water droplet in her dantian. She paused, knowing that there was no need for her to play dumb at this point. She said frankly, ¡°I accidentally obtained it a few years ago.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The other party seemed surprised. ¡°Then, you haven¡¯t searched for the rest in the past few years?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up. ¡­ Tens of thousands of kilometers away. The islands were scattered, and the mountains were continuous. This was the territory of the great phoenix dragons. The highest mountain in the center was even more dignified. Suddenly, an angry dragon roar came from a cave halfway up the mountain. Roar! The commotion was earth-shattering, causing many great phoenix dragons to look over in shock. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°From the sound of it, it seems to be Elder Miao Yao?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ It seems that Elder Miao Yao has finally recovered¡­¡± There was a hint of mockery in one person¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s really hard on you to raise him for so long this time.¡± ¡°Shh! Lower your voice! If anyone hears you and tells Elder Miao Yao, you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences! Don¡¯t forget what happened to the few people who followed him to Ling Xiao Academy!¡± ¡°Pfft, is that necessary? I didn¡¯t say anything, right? At most, I was concerned about Elder Miao Yao¡¯s health! Besides, it¡¯s not just us. Many elders in the clan are criticizing Elder Miao Yao now!¡± That was putting it mildly. Ever since Miao Yao brought people to Ling Xiao Academy to find trouble with Shangguan Yue and Shangguan Jing and returned in a sorry state, the attitude of the great phoenix dragons toward Miao Yao had changed drastically. As an elder with a noble status and extraordinary strength, he had originally gone to settle scores with them and bring back their clan¡¯s corpse. But in the end? Not only had he returned with injuries all over his body, but he had also allowed them to legitimately take the corpse for themselves! The entire great phoenix dragon clan was humiliated! How could they not have any resentment? But because of Miao Yao¡¯s status as an elder and the fact that he was injured when he first returned, the clan leader never punished him. In private, however, everyone in the clan was already very dissatisfied with Miao Yao. Even hearing his voice was extremely annoying. ¡°Let¡¯s talk less! Even if we really have to punish him, it¡¯s the clan leader and the other elders¡¯ business. How can we have a say?¡± ¡°Hmph, I want to see how Elder Miao Yao plans to make up for this matter.¡± ¡­ ¡°Alright, it¡¯s useless to be angry now. You¡¯ve just recovered, so don¡¯t be so irritable.¡± In the cave, a tall and burly figure stood with his hands behind his back. He looked to be about 50 years old. His appearance was ordinary, but he was energetic. His hair was purple-gold, and his deep eyes seemed all-encompassing, as deep as a cold pool. This person was the clan leader of the great phoenix dragon clan, Miao Yang. In front of him was a huge great phoenix dragon. It was obvious that it had been injured previously. Although its wounds had basically recovered, the new scales were still especially dazzling. Miao Yao¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. These were all regrown after he pulled out all his damaged scales! Nobody else knew the pain he had experienced! ¡°In that case, Shangguan Yue actually survived that calamity unscathed?!¡± Miao Yang said, ¡°Not exactly unscathed. I heard that she had to lie down for nearly a month.¡± ¡°Then, she still survived!¡± Miao Yao shouted angrily, ¡°She¡¯s really lucky!¡± Something so big happened in Ling Xiao Academy. Shangguan Yue actually risked her life and forcefully survived! Miao Yang narrowed his eyes in disagreement. ¡°I think this Shangguan Yue doesn¡¯t just rely on luck. You have to know that she personally repaired Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Heaven-Locking Formation.¡± How could ordinary people do this? ¡°Either she still has a trump card, or¡­ or someone helped her. But either way, it proves that she¡¯s not simple.¡± From the looks of it, it was reasonable for her to beat Miao Yao in that bet. ¡°You were too careless before,¡± Miao Yang said bluntly. Miao Yao was speechless. Actually, he had long realized this, but he had been unwilling to admit it. So what if he admitted it? The outcome was set! Slap! With a flick of its tail, the hard dragon scales scraped across the mountain wall! ¡°Next time, I won¡¯t let her have it easy!¡± Miao Yang suddenly growled. ¡°Do you still remember that about a month ago, Yi Zhao personally wrote to Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director¡ªNan Suhuai¡ªto let Shangguan Yue go to Godly Phoenix Mountain?¡± ¡°Of course, I remember!¡± Miao Yao gritted his teeth. He had deliberately sent out the news that Shangguan Yue had made a contract with a red-gold heavenly phoenix. In the end, Yi Zhao and the others acted quickly. ¡°Why? Is there a result now?¡± Miao Yang paused. ¡°Not really. However¡­ Shangguan Yue hasn¡¯t come out of Godly Phoenix Mountain until now. The ancestral ceremony of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan is being held during this period.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1613 - Your Mission How could the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan allow a human to stay at Godly Phoenix Mountain on such an important occasion? Something is obviously wrong. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± Miao Yao was delighted at first, but then he hesitated. ¡°But that¡¯s impossible¡­ Shangguan Yue¡¯s status in the human race isn¡¯t low. If the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan really goes overboard with her, then¡­ I¡¯m afraid the human race won¡¯t agree either.¡± Miao Yang nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I find strange.¡± According to his speculation, Yi Zhao and the others probably would directly ask Shangguan Yue to cancel the contract with the red-gold heavenly phoenix. Out of various considerations, they probably wouldn¡¯t really take Shangguan Yue¡¯s life. It wasn¡¯t difficult to resolve this matter, and it really shouldn¡¯t take more than a month. One had to know that their ancestral ceremony was still in progress. Shangguan Yue was still there. Could it be that she had also participated in the ancestral ceremony? It was too ridiculous! ¡°Shangguan Jing has been waiting outside Godly Phoenix Mountain and didn¡¯t follow her in.¡± Miao Yang lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment. ¡°Our people can¡¯t get too close, so that¡¯s all we can find out.¡± The two ancient legendary fiend races had always had a subtle rivalry and paid special attention to each other¡¯s every move. However, they also had an unspoken rule between them: They would never casually step into each other¡¯s territory. Moreover, this was the period when the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was holding the ancestral ceremony, so their people were naturally more careful. Hence, this was all the information they could find. ¡°If Shangguan Jing is still waiting, it means that nothing has happened to Shangguan Yue¡­¡± Miao Yao was frustrated. ¡°What are Yi Zhao and the others doing?!¡± ¡°No matter what they plan, the dignity of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan cannot be provoked. This time, Shangguan Yue will definitely break the contract with that red-gold heavenly phoenix, and that three-eyed legendary eagle¡­ I wonder how they will deal with it.¡± At the mention of this, Miao Yao¡¯s expression changed slightly before he sneered. ¡°If you didn¡¯t mention it, I would¡¯ve almost forgotten about this. How proud is Yi Zhao? His clansmen contracted with the human race and even worked with a three-eyed legendary eagle. It¡¯s simply a great humiliation! In my opinion, he will definitely kill that three-eyed legendary eagle too!¡± Miao Yang nodded thoughtfully. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it can¡¯t be better. In the future, our clan can also find an opportunity to bring back that corpse.¡± Only then could he pick up the face they had lost previously. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± Miao Yang shook his head. As long as nothing unexpected happens, things will basically go according to our expectations. ¡°Rest well.¡± With that, Miao Yang turned around and planned to leave. ¡°Clan Leader!¡± Miao Yao quickly called out to him. Miao Yang stopped and turned around. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seeing his reaction, Miao Yao felt a little awkward. ¡°My¡­ my body has almost recovered. I can deal with the Thousand Summit now¡­¡± The so-called Thousand Summit was one of the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s grandest events. It was mainly to test the clan¡¯s younger generation and choose a portion to enter the ancestral holy land for cultivation. Depending on their results, they would also obtain different cultivation resources. Those who could stand out from the crowd had the hope of inheriting the position of elder or even clan leader. Miao Yao had always been in charge of this aspect. Miao Yang¡¯s expression was a little subtle. He smiled. ¡°Miao Zhi and the others are handling the Thousand Summit, and the preparations are basically done. You don¡¯t have to worry; just rest and recuperate.¡± Miao Yao¡¯s heart sank, but he saw that Miao Yang had already turned around and left. Is this¡­ seizing my power? Mad anger suddenly erupted in his eyes! He was filled with deep hatred! If not for Shangguan Yue, how could all of this have happened?! Miao Yang walked out of the cave and looked back. It was completely silent. With Miao Yao¡¯s temper, it is rare for him to be so forbearing. Miao Yang¡¯s expression was indifferent, and he didn¡¯t stay for long. His figure moved, and he instantly disappeared! ¡­ Godly Phoenix Palace. There was dead silence in the hall. Chu Liuyue could clearly hear her heart beating. She raised her head slightly against the shocking pressure and stared fixedly at the mural in front of her. There seemed to be ripples in her black eyes. In fact, the other party¡¯s words had already set off a storm in her heart! Tuan Zi sensed that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right and hugged her leg nervously. This made Chu Liuyue come back to her senses. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and paused for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡­ know about this?¡± For some reason, her throat felt dry, and her voice sounded hoarse. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. I¡¯m not fighting with you for this.¡± The other party laughed with a hint of exclamation. ¡°With your status and strength, it¡¯s quite rare for you to hide it until today.¡± Its voice and tone were very sincere, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was still in her throat, and she didn¡¯t dare to let go easily. She pursed her lips and gave a short answer. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Senior. I¡¯m flattered.¡± She paused for a moment before answering his earlier question. ¡°I¡¯m not capable enough, so it¡¯s already very difficult for me to keep this. I don¡¯t dare to hope to find other¡ª¡± ¡°This is your luck to begin with. What hope is there? Besides, you¡¯re willing to exchange two lives for it. You¡¯re¡­ quite bold.¡± Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her fists and tensed up! She was only standing there, but the other party had already seen through her completely! Any lie or cover-up seemed especially weak at this moment. ¡°Since it recognizes you as its master, it¡¯s naturally your mission to find the rest.¡± As soon as it finished speaking, a ball of red-gold flames suddenly flew out of the mural and headed straight for her. Whoosh! The sound of air being torn apart came! A golden light flashed in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. At this moment, she almost subconsciously wanted to retreat! But at the same time, an ethereal voice sounded in her mind. She couldn¡¯t hear what the voice was saying, but she knew what it meant. Thus, she held her breath and ordered herself to stand still! The ball of flames instantly flew in front of her¡ªit was only one fist away! The heat almost burned the hair on her forehead. Her face was burning, and the bright fire reflected in her eyes! Suddenly, an invisible hand seemed to pull Tuan Zi to the side. Tuan Zi struggled and refused to let go. Unfortunately, this bit of strength was nothing in front of her ancestor. Rumble! With an explosion, the ball of flames suddenly blew up and turned into countless sparks that landed around Chu Liuyue. In the blink of an eye, the flames passed through her clothes and entered her body! An intense burning sensation instantly swept through her entire body! ¡°Wu!¡± Chu Liuyue groaned and almost fainted from the intense and terrifying pain. But at the same time, a stream of light suddenly flashed between her eyebrows! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1614 - Transforming into Feathers The moment the light flashed, the scorching temperature made her raise her hand subconsciously to wipe it away. The area between her eyebrows was smooth and flat, but the burning sensation lingered. Her entire body was engulfed by the crazy pain, but it was inferior to the spot between her eyebrows. All her attention was now on her brows. Thump! Her legs gave way, and she dropped to one knee. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi shouted worriedly as tears streamed down her face. She waved her small hands and struggled desperately to rush over. However, the power of her ancestor was too great, trapping her in place so that she could only watch from afar. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice was already choked. She hated to see A¡¯Yue suffer, especially¡­ being surrounded by this flame! Looking at the burning flames, the scene from back then kept flashing in her mind. Back at the Tianling royal family¡¯s ancestral hall, there was also a huge fire that took A¡¯Yue¡¯s life and separated them from then on! When a similar scene played out again, it was naturally extremely stimulating for Tuan Zi. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Looking at Tuan Zi¡¯s teary and sad eyes, the ancestor couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°If I kill her now, won¡¯t I be killing you?¡± It had waited for Tuan Zi for a long time, so it naturally could not bear to do that. Tuan Zi looked over in a daze. ¡°Really?¡± But A¡¯Yue looks so pained¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Why would I lie to you?¡± The ancestor knew that Tuan Zi was still young and only had Shangguan Yue in her heart at this moment. It was useless to say anything else, so it could only persuade her. Only then did Tuan Zi wipe her tears. She pursed her lips and held back her tears. ¡°If anything happens to A¡¯Yue, I don¡¯t want to be the young mistress or clan leader anymore!¡± Anyway, whether she lived or died, she had to follow A¡¯Yue! ¡­ About half an hour later, all the burning stars entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Her muscles, bones, and flesh seemed to be wrapped in the scorching heat! ¡°Draw the power of these flames into your dantian.¡± The ancient voice sounded again. Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand up. Her movements were slow. Every time she moved, the pain in her body seemed to stack. When she finally sat down cross-legged, her vision was already black, and she could barely see anything. Then, she took a deep breath, put her hands on her knees, and struggled to circulate the force in her body. The flames were like a torrent, surging wildly in her body and crashing around. The pressure contained in the flames was too strong for her to control. She could only grit her teeth and try her best to guide it into her dantian bit by bit. Sizzle¡ª A small flame landed on her Yuan meridian, and she clearly heard an ear-piercing burning sound. This bone-deep pain was indescribable, and her face instantly turned pale. She closed her eyes and frowned, holding on with sheer willpower. She didn¡¯t say a word; only her trembling body showed the pain she was going through. As the first flame fell, a second one quickly arrived and landed not far away. Her body suddenly trembled, and the smell of rust filled her mouth. Then, the flames scattered freely on her Yuan meridian. The space between her eyebrows became hotter and hotter! This was actually not the first time she had sensed this feeling. When she previously rushed out of Million Wine Mountain¡¯s spring and summoned the God Realm back, her glabella had also hurt. But at that time, the situation was critical, so she did not pay attention to it. After the great tribulation, she fell unconscious for a month. When she woke up again, she had completely forgotten about it. Until now¡ª The pain was difficult to describe. It was like an extremely sharp knife with a burning temperature carving between her eyebrows! Her physical strength had always been outstanding, and her tolerance for pain was extraordinary. One could imagine how painful and difficult the process was to torture her to this extent. Tuan Zi watched from afar and shed another string of tears. Shoo! A faint explosion sounded. A small hole suddenly exploded on the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. At a glance, it looked like it had been quickly cut out by an extremely sharp blade. No blood dripped, but it was still scarlet under the wound. Soon, more holes appeared in her body. Her originally fair skin began to turn shocking at a visible speed. Tuan Zi¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched by something, and her eyes were red. She was almost afraid to look again, but she refused to look away. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡­¡± ¡­ Time passed bit by bit. In the blink of an eye, it was evening again. The brilliant afterglow sprinkled down, making the entire Godly Phoenix Hall look like it was plated with a layer of bright light. ¡°It¡¯s been a day. Why isn¡¯t Shangguan Yue out yet?¡± Elder Yi Shang had looked at the door countless times, but he still didn¡¯t see any signs of it opening. He walked to Yi Zhao¡¯s side worriedly. ¡°Clan Leader¡ª¡± Yi Zhao shook his head. ¡°Nothing can be detected in the temple. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either.¡± How could he not want to know what was going on inside? Unfortunately, his ancestor had directly asked him to come out at that time, so he didn¡¯t dare to disobey. Elder Yi Shang¡¯s lips moved. He originally wanted to say something, but in the end, he gave up. Even the clan leader has said so. I probably have no other choice but to continue waiting. It was shocking enough to let Shangguan Yue in, but now, she had stayed inside for so long. The longer it dragged on, the more unrest it brought upon the others. When Elder Yi Yu returned, he noticed the strange silence in the square. He slowed unconsciously. ¡°Clan Leader.¡± He already knew about what had happened previously. He only had time to return after dealing with the matters at Phoenix Valley. Yi Zhao glanced at him. ¡°Has everything been arranged over there?¡± Elder Yi Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°We spent a little more time on the nearby mountains that were seriously damaged, but other than that, the rest are small problems. After the ancestral ceremony, it won¡¯t affect everyone¡¯s rest.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± Only then did Elder Yi Zhao¡¯s expression ease a little. Elder Yi Yu glanced in the direction of the hall. Seeing their solemn expressions, he smiled and said, ¡°Clan Leader, I don¡¯t think you have to worry. Shangguan Yue is quite capable and has a contract with Tuan Zi. There shouldn¡¯t be any accidents, and she¡¯ll probably be out soon.¡± Yi Zhao knew that he was comforting him out of goodwill, so he nodded. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡­ In the hall, Chu Liuyue sat quietly. At this moment, there were many small wounds on her body. She was bloodstained and looked miserable. And the last spark in her body finally landed on her Yuan meridian! There was a short silence. Peng! Accompanied by this subtle sound, those sparks slowly transformed into the shape of reddish-gold feathers on her Yuan meridian. Piece by piece, layer by layer¡ªthey completely covered the meridian in her! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1615 - Her Totem! A terrifying pressure emitted from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. At the same time, the injuries on her body began to recover at a visible speed! In a short while, her skin was as smooth as ever. It was as if those wounds had never appeared. A faint reddish-gold light enveloped her body, making her look powerful and holy! Sensing the change in her, Tuan Zi was suddenly stunned. She couldn¡¯t be bothered crying anymore and only widened her grape-like eyes to look at Chu Liuyue without blinking. Crystal-clear tears hung pitifully on her eyelashes. She had a contract with Chu Liuyue and could feel the latter¡¯s pain and the changes in her body immediately. This¡­ Her aura seems to have become stronger? No! To be precise, her Yuan meridian has become stronger! That layer of power covered her Yuan meridian as if it had added armor! Most importantly, this power came from the red-gold heavenly phoenixes¡¯ ancestor! Even the current Tuan Zi, who had a pure bloodline, could not be compared to it in strength! Then, Tuan Zi felt the power holding her down disappear suddenly. ¡°Now, do you believe what I just said?¡± The ancestor¡¯s voice sounded with smiling intent. Tuan Zi was stunned for a while before slowly coming back to her senses. A bright smile bloomed on her chubby face. ¡°Ancestor is so kind!¡± As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t wait to run toward Chu Liuyue! Soon, she rushed in front of Chu Liuyue. She finally stopped three steps away from the latter. As Chu Liuyue was still meditating, she did not open her eyes. Although Tuan Zi wanted to rush into her arms immediately, she knew that this was a special time. Hence, she obediently stood on the spot and waited. She blinked her big eyes and almost looked Chu Liuyue up and down several times. The more she looked at her, the happier she became. The aura in A¡¯Yue¡¯s body is indeed much stronger than before! Moreover, this isn¡¯t just a simple increase in strength. More importantly, it contains a shocking pressure! Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. The next moment, she slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were like stars, dazzling. A reddish-gold flame flashed across her eyes! ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi steadily, and there seemed to be thousands of stars flickering in her eyes. She raised her hand. The lotus leaf dress on Tuan Zi suddenly moved without wind. Chu Liuyue¡¯s fair and delicate finger tapped lightly. Something surged out of her body and quickly gathered in her palm¡ªit was a fist-sized transparent ball of light! A cluster of red-gold flames burned inside. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Inside is¡­ the Heavenly Dao that appeared when I contracted with A¡¯Yue? However, isn¡¯t the Heavenly Dao¡¯s power illusory and invisible? Why did it suddenly transform into the appearance of flames? Could it be because my ancestor helped us? Tuan Zi looked confused. However, Chu Liuyue suddenly spoke. ¡°Tuan Zi, come over.¡± Her voice was soft and pleasant, but there was a hint of pressure that made people subconsciously submit. When Tuan Zi heard this, she quickly took two steps forward. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡ª¡± With a slight movement of Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm, the ball of light flew up lightly and floated quietly between the two of them. Then, Chu Liuyue looked up at the mural. ¡°Senior, thank you.¡± Tuan Zi was about to turn around when she saw a stream of light suddenly flash above the ball of light! In the blink of an eye, it condensed into a familiar pattern¡ªit was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s totem! Tuan Zi blinked. She vaguely felt that her body seemed to have changed, but she didn¡¯t know why. Then, she saw Chu Liuyue cross her hands in front of her and close her eyes again. The aura around her surged. Suddenly, a silver-red dot appeared in front of her. Gradually, more and more light spots surrounded her like a sea of stars. ¡ªChu Liuyue had summoned her God Realm! The atmosphere in the entire hall began to become stranger. The surrounding force also gradually surged toward Chu Liuyue. There seemed to be the faint sound of tidal waves. Although Tuan Zi did not know what Chu Liuyue wanted to do, she could vaguely sense the latter¡¯s seriousness. Hence, even she became nervous. She clenched her chubby hands tightly and stared at Chu Liuyue without blinking, afraid that she would miss something. At this moment, she suddenly saw a stream of light flash between Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows. Then, a second stream of light appeared, connected to the first before it. After that was the third. Tuan Zi opened her mouth in surprise, and her mouth formed a round ¡®O¡¯ shape. This was because she suddenly realized that these streams of light seemed to be¡­ forming a pattern? As the number of light streams between Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows increased, the pressure on her body also rapidly increased. Gradually, even Tuan Zi felt a little breathless. The surrounding space seemed to be frozen by this invisible force! Tuan Zi looked at Chu Liuyue in bewilderment and wanted to ask, but she was afraid of affecting the latter. Thus, she swallowed her questions in the end. After an unknown period of time, the last stream of light between her brows finally landed. In an instant, a dazzling light shone! An incomparable divine pressure suddenly descended! Whoosh! Chu Liuyue opened her eyes. It was clearly still that pair of dark and bright eyes, but at this moment, it seemed to contain countless stars! It reflected thousands of cycles of reincarnation!! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1616 - Entwined Fate Contract Chu Liuyue raised her hand. Her plain white palm waved gently, and a stream of light flashed on the ball of light. Soon, a totem identical to the one between her eyebrows appeared on the transparent ball of light! At this point, the two totems each occupied one side! Tuan Zi seemed to be attracted by something and subconsciously stared at the ball of light. Somehow, something seemed to be pulling at the power in her body. Before Tuan Zi could figure it out, she saw the two totems fuse into the flames in the ball of light! In an instant, the sound of something shattering seemed to come from the depths of her mind! Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes widened. My connection with A¡¯Yue is broken! But just as she panicked and wanted to get up, the ball of light suddenly split in the middle. It was as if an invisible knife had evenly cut through it from the middle. The cut was neat and smooth, and the red-gold flames inside were also divided into two. Then, the two hemispheres flew toward them. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and caught one hemisphere of light. The flames quickly drilled into her palm and into her body! ¡°Tuan Zi,¡± Chu Liuyue reminded. Only then did Tuan Zi come back to her senses. She looked at the hemisphere of light that flew in front of her and quickly reached out to hold it. In the blink of an eye, the flames in the ball of light quickly disappeared into her chubby hand. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡ª¡± Tuan Zi was about to say something when she was suddenly stunned. Because at this moment, she clearly felt that the subtle connection between them had been established again! She could feel A¡¯Yue¡¯s aura and emotions again! Everything happened too quickly, causing her mind to be hazy. Previously, she was nervous and terrified. Now that she had regained it, she was naturally happy. In just a few breaths, there was ice and fire. At this moment, the totem between their eyebrows flickered especially brightly before quickly hiding. It was only when the burning temperature between her eyebrows completely disappeared that Chu Liuyue finally exhaled heavily. ¡°Hu¡­¡± The huge sense of oppression in her heart was relieved at this moment. Finally¡­ Everything went smoothly! Looking at Tuan Zi¡ªwho was still in a daze as if she had yet to react¡ªher heart ached. A smile appeared on her face as she waved at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, come¡ª¡± Thump! Before Chu Liuyue could finish her sentence, her vision blurred as Tuan Zi threw herself into her arms! The impact was huge. Caught off-guard, the two of them fell back. Fortunately, a gentle force supported her waist at this moment and forced her to stabilize herself. ¡°Tuan¡ª¡± ¡°Boohoo!¡± Before Chu Liuyue could speak, Tuan Zi suddenly cried loudly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders quickly became wet. Her heart ached even more. She hugged Tuan Zi and patted her back gently. ¡°Alright, alright. Isn¡¯t everything fine now? Hmm?¡± Tuan Zi was out of breath from crying, and her voice was choked as she said intermittently, ¡°¡­Boohoo¡­ I¡­ I thought¡­ A¡¯Yue didn¡¯t want me anymore¡­¡± Knowing that this matter had frightened her, Chu Liuyue felt very guilty. However, she had just awakened the totem at that time and really didn¡¯t have the time to explain it in detail to Tuan Zi. ¡°No, no. Did you forget what I said before?¡± She had said that no matter what, she wouldn¡¯t leave Tuan Zi alone again. Since she had said so, she would naturally not go against her words. Tuan Zi hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck tightly and wrapped her short legs tightly around the latter. It was as if she was afraid that Chu Liuyue would leave again. Fortunately, her cries gradually subsided under Chu Liuyue¡¯s comfort, leaving her small body still twitching. ¡°B-but just now¡­¡± ¡°I was helping you change the contract, not break it.¡± The ancient voice sounded again. At this moment, Tuan Zi¡¯s emotions had eased a lot. Hearing this, she couldn¡¯t help but pause. She turned her head and looked back. ¡°Ancestor¡­ Hiccup¡­ What do you mean¡­ Hiccup¡­¡± As she spoke, she hiccuped. At this moment, she was in a very sorry state. Her big, clear, and beautiful eyes were red, and so was her small and perky nose. Her chubby face was covered in tears. The ancestor sighed helplessly. Just now, the contract had only been broken for a moment, but Tuan Zi was already in a crying fit. If the contract between her and Shangguan Yue really gets terminated completely, who knows what Tuan Zi would do¡­ Fortunately, Yi Zhao and the others didn¡¯t do anything rash previously. Otherwise¡ª ¡°You and Shangguan Yue signed a master-servant contract previously.¡± Hearing this, Tuan Zi¡¯s face was filled with confusion. That¡¯s right. What else could it be? Isn¡¯t there only that kind of contract between fiends and humans? Why did they suddenly say that it is a ¡®master-servant contract?¡¯ As if reading her doubts, the ancestor continued to explain. ¡°Actually, there are two kinds of contracts in this world. One is a master-servant contract, which is also a common contract on the continent today. The other is an entwined fate contract. Unlike a master-servant contract, the relationship between the human and fiend is equal in this contract.¡± ¡°Once a master-servant contract is signed, the life of a fiend is closely related to its master. If its master dies, the fiend will definitely die. However, there¡¯s no such restriction with the entwined fate contract.¡± ¡°This is not the most important characteristic of an entwined fate contract. After signing the entwined fate contract, the human and fiend will have the same breath and share the same fate. If either party dies¡­ As long as the other party is still alive, they can preserve the last trace of life for the other party. If there¡¯s a chance, they can even directly revive them!¡± The ancestor¡¯s voice echoed through the entire hall. ¡°Entwined¡­ Entwined fate contract?¡± Tuan Zi was already stunned. Although I¡¯ve never heard of it before, from what the ancestor said, it seems¡­ very powerful? ¡°Just now, I forcefully changed your master-servant contract to the entwined fate contract. Although there¡¯s still a contract between the two of you, it won¡¯t be like before. From now on, your life and death won¡¯t be hanging on Shangguan Yue. In this way, Yi Zhao and the others can¡¯t do anything to the two of you.¡± The ancestor paused. ¡°More importantly, this way, the two of you can be considered to have an extra half-life in the future!¡± This was the most important thing! Status, strength, and talent all had a basic prerequisite¡ªto be alive! Tuan Zi covered her mouth in shock, her eyes wide. So¡­ So that¡¯s the case! The moment I lost contact with A¡¯Yue was only because my ancestor was doing us a favor? Happiness came too quickly, and Tuan Zi was still a little dizzy. She couldn¡¯t help but turn around and ask in a daze, ¡°Then¡­ A¡¯Yue, why didn¡¯t we make this contract directly in the past?¡± Before Chu Liuyue could speak, the ancestor snorted. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t know how to. However, this is very normal. You have to know that in this world, there are less than three people who can use the entwined fate contract.¡± One of them was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s ancestor! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1617 - Questioning Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes widened. So¡­ the ancestor is really that powerful? In that case, not only can A¡¯Yue and I still be together in the future, but we also won¡¯t have to listen to the clan leader and the elders nag about it!? Moreover, even if A¡¯Yue and I encounter any more danger, the two of us can still survive as long as one of us can escape! This couldn¡¯t be better! Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue felt emotional. The entwined fate contract is indeed extraordinary. Originally, she didn¡¯t know about this. But when the ancestor¡¯s power fused into her body and transformed into feathers, covering her Yuan meridian with an extremely tough armor, she vaguely sensed something. Unknowingly, there seemed to be chanting sounding from afar, driving the ball of light to split into two and fuse. Although the process was quite difficult, it was finally worth it. She stood up with Tuan Zi in her arms and bowed deeply to the red-gold heavenly phoenix on the mural. ¡°Senior, I will never forget your kindness.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s watery eyes darted around, and she hurriedly shouted, ¡°Thank you, Ancestor! I knew you treated me the best!¡± Although her voice was still a little hoarse, it was soft, cute, and still very loveable. The ancestor snorted. ¡°You¡¯re quite sweet now. Not angry anymore? Not making a fuss?¡± Tuan Zi blushed and smiled widely. ¡°Ancestor is magnanimous and broad-minded. Why would he argue with a child like me? Besides, you dote on me the most, right?¡± Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to summon the Ancestral Soul or become the young mistress and enter this place, right? The ancestor couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°You know how to talk. I wonder who you learned it from.¡± There was no anger in its voice, only affection. Of course, it doted on Tuan Zi. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be willing to spend so much effort to help her change the contract. ¡°Shangguan Yue, I still have a few words to tell you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression froze. ¡°Senior, if you have any instructions, please tell me.¡± The hall fell silent. After a while, the ancestor said, ¡°Tuan Zi is our clan¡¯s young mistress and the future clan leader. She¡¯s still young now, so I¡¯ll be troubling you to take care of her in many places.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Even if the other party didn¡¯t say this, she would definitely not let Tuan Zi suffer any grievances. ¡°Seeing how you were willing to step into our territory for Tuan Zi, I naturally trust you.¡± The voice hesitated for a moment. ¡°If you go and find the remaining ones in the future, I¡¯m afraid¡­ it¡¯ll be filled with danger. Today, I¡¯ve changed the contract between the two of you. Consider it the last thing I can help you with.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she nodded solemnly. ¡°I understand your intentions, Senior.¡± The voice laughed and sighed. ¡°That thing¡¯s willingness to acknowledge you as its master has actually proved too much. Go ahead; I¡¯m a little tired and want to rest.¡± At the end of the sentence, there was indeed a hint of fatigue in the ancestor¡¯s voice, which gradually faded. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips and put Tuan Zi down. She then bowed respectfully. ¡°Take care, Senior.¡± Tuan Zi also bent down and said crisply, ¡°Goodbye, Ancestor! Tuan Zi will miss you every day!¡± A low, distant laugh sounded, then gradually faded. After a while, Chu Liuyue held Tuan Zi¡¯s hand. ¡°Tuan Zi, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ Creak¡ª The doors of Godly Phoenix Hall finally opened! Everyone waiting outside the hall perked up and looked in the direction of the doors! As the heavy and solemn doors slowly opened, two figures¡ªone tall, one short¡ªappeared in front of everyone. It was Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi, who had been inside for a few days! They are finally out! Countless people had this thought. Yi Zhao took the lead and walked forward. His gaze first landed on Tuan Zi. When Yi Zhao saw that Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes were red and there were still tears on her fair and round face, his heart tightened. ¡°Tuan Zi, what¡¯s wrong?¡± What happened to make her cry? He almost immediately frowned and glanced at Chu Liuyue for an explanation. Sensing his stern scrutiny, Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. After we bade farewell to the ancestor, we directly came out. Tuan Zi has just finished crying and looks extremely pitiful, so it¡¯s no wonder Yi Zhao suspects me when he sees this. ¡°Clan Leader, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Tuan Zi held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand tightly and hurriedly explained, knowing that the clan leader had misunderstood. Yi Zhao was still skeptical. ¡°Tuan Zi, this is Godly Phoenix Hall, and you¡¯re the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress. If you¡¯re really bullied, you must say it, understand?¡± ¡°Aiya! I¡¯m really fine!¡± Tuan Zi muttered. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s not easy for me to talk to my ancestor. I was too happy, so I cried!¡± Before coming out, she had already discussed with A¡¯Yue that she wouldn¡¯t tell anyone else about them changing the contract for the time being. If Yi Zhao and the others knew this now, they would definitely not have any scruples about her anymore. They might even ask Tuan Zi to stay at Godly Phoenix Mountain. After signing the entwined fate contract, the human and fiend no longer had to stay together all the time. At the same time, the fiend no longer had to worry about dying because of the death of the human. Yi Zhao and the others had always wanted Tuan Zi to stay. If they knew this, the reason would undoubtedly become more adequate. Anyway, they had already agreed not to get involved until Tuan Zi was of age. It might be more appropriate to say it later. Yi Zhao sized up Tuan Zi again and was relieved to confirm that she was really not injured. Then, he said to Chu Liuyue, ¡°Miss Shangguan, please forgive us if we offended you just now. After all, Tuan Zi is our clan¡¯s young mistress, so we¡¯re naturally more concerned about her.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. What a rare sight¡ªClan Leader Yi Zhao is actually so polite to me. Could it be because¡­ I entered Godly Phoenix Hall? ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, you¡¯re overthinking. I know you¡¯re all doing this for Tuan Zi¡¯s sake.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s principle had always been: if someone respected her, she would return the favor. No matter what, Yi Zhao was the incomparably noble clan leader of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. She was already very gratified to be able to hear him speak to her so calmly. It was much better than at the beginning. Seeing that she was smiling and that her eyes were curved as if she really didn¡¯t take these things to heart, Yi Zhao¡¯s impression of her improved. Shangguan Yue looks young, but she knows her limits. She knows when to fight and when to give way. No wonder she is so famous among the humans¡­ Yi Zhao paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Did everything go smoothly when you¡­ paid respect to the ancestor?¡± Everyone pricked up their ears. This was actually what they wanted to know the most! It¡¯s normal for Tuan Zi to worship her ancestor. The key is¡ªwhy did Shangguan Yue go in? What exactly happened inside!? In the silence, Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°Of course. Senior is very kind, and I feel especially close to him.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1618 - Return The huge square suddenly became even quieter. At this moment, it was as if even the wind had stopped flowing. Everyone¡¯s expressions instantly became especially interesting. What did Shangguan Yue just say? The ancestor was very kind to her!? So she really has come into contact with the ancestor? Moreover, it sounds like the ancestor was really good to her! She¡¯s a human! After a short silence, there was finally an uproar in the square! ¡°This, this, this¡ªshe really saw the ancestor! I¡¯ve participated in the ancestral ceremony twice, but I haven¡¯t seen the ancestor yet! I¡¯m jealous!¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯ve participated five times, but why haven¡¯t I seen the ancestor before? Other than the clan leader and the elders, no matter how many times the others come, the treatment is the same! If you want to talk to the ancestor¡­ you have to become an elder first! Oh right, the young masters can do it too. The prerequisite is that you have the ability.¡± Obviously, nobody present had the ability. After all, the position of young master already belonged to Tuan Zi. ¡°Damn¡­ The position of young master has been empty for hundreds of years. Just as we were about to choose, it was snatched away by a child who broke through halfway. She has the purest bloodline, so I won¡¯t say anything else and can¡¯t be envious. It¡¯s only right for her to go in and worship the ancestor. However, who can tell me what¡¯s going on with Shangguan Yue?!¡± She has a contract with Tuan Zi! Even for Tuan Zi¡¯s sake, it shouldn¡¯t be to this extent, right? What was the ancestor thinking? Yi Zhao and the others, who had seen the world, had very interesting expressions. The remnant consciousness of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s ancestor was usually asleep. The ancestor would only wake up during the ancestral ceremony, and only the newly chosen young master or clan leader could talk to him. Even the five elders would at most follow them to meet the ancestor and had never had the honor of receiving guidance from their ancestor. Now, things were great! A human was doing better than them! Even though they found it unbelievable, Yi Zhao and the rest didn¡¯t think that Chu Liuyue was lying. There was really no need to lie about such things because it was easy to verify or refute. In other words¡­ the ancestor really treated her¡­ ¡°¡­May I know if Miss Shangguan can tell me what instructions the ancestor has?¡± Yi Zhao took a deep breath and asked very politely. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The ancestor said that Tuan Zi is still young and asked me to take care of her.¡± She said this casually, but to everyone, it was like a thunderclap! Isn¡¯t it obvious that the ancestor wants her to take care of Tuan Zi? If even our ancestor has said so, then¡­ What right do the others have to object? ¡­ Actually, Yi Zhao had already vaguely guessed something, but he didn¡¯t dare to believe it. It was only now that he had no choice but to accept reality. Although he didn¡¯t know why his ancestor had made this choice, there had to be a reason since he had done so. And all they could do was obey. ¡°¡­I see,¡± Yi Zhao said dryly and fell silent. He was a man of few words to begin with. Now that he was in this situation, he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, I wonder if this ancestral ceremony has ended?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly asked softly. Yi Zhao was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± In fact, the most important thing in this ancestral ceremony was to evaluate the younger generation and choose the young master. Tuan Zi was originally not within this range, but her talent and strength were really heaven-defying. She had summoned the Ancestral Soul and obtained his favor. Hence, the young mistress was none other than her. As for the others, they had already been tested on the first day. Yi Ran was originally the most hopeful, so even if he was late, Yi Zhao didn¡¯t pursue the matter. Unexpectedly, in the end¡ª It could only be said that everything was predestined. What comforted Yi Zhao was that he had high hopes for Tuan Zi to begin with. He did not expect Tuan Zi to perform even better than he had expected. Although I couldn¡¯t break the contract between Shangguan Yue and her¡­ Since our ancestor has agreed, what else can we say? ¡°In that case¡­ I think it¡¯s time to take my leave,¡± said Chu Liuyue frankly. Although it isn¡¯t appropriate to directly propose to leave at this time, Tuan Zi and I have indeed been here for too long. Ancestor is still waiting outside. In the academy, Master and the other elders are also secretly worried. And Rong Xiu¡ª I came here to solve Tuan Zi¡¯s problem. Now that everything has been completed smoothly, it is time for us to leave. Yi Zhao frowned and glanced at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi was still holding tightly to Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and standing closely beside her. Anyone with eyes could see her dependency and intimacy with Chu Liuyue. Yi Zhao¡¯s lips moved. In fact, he was very reluctant in his heart, but¡­ he would naturally not say these words. After thinking for a moment, he finally nodded. ¡°In your spare time, you can come more often.¡± His words came out of nowhere, but Chu Liuyue understood it. This was considered approval for her to freely enter and exit Godly Phoenix Mountain in the future. Her red lips rose, and she showed a bright smile. ¡°Thank you, Clan Leader, for your understanding. This is the home of Tuan Zi, and she will always belong here.¡± After hearing this, the last trace of awkwardness in Yi Zhao¡¯s heart was finally relieved. He glanced at Chu Liuyue deeply. ¡°If you ever need help, just let me know.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡­ The sun set in the west. A brilliant and warm afterglow was reflected on the clouds, plating it with a layer of golden light. Above the vast expanse of the sea, the frozen ice reflected a faint glow. Shangguan Jing stood on the shore and looked far away. Seeing this scene that hadn¡¯t changed in any way compared to before, he couldn¡¯t help sighing. Another day has passed, and Yue¡¯er has yet to come out. It has been more than a month¡­ I have no idea what is going on inside. Recalling the previous letter, Shangguan Jing frowned slightly. It was beyond his expectations that Yue¡¯er would be able to ask the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s elders to help deliver the news. He could continue to wait patiently until now because of this. Yue¡¯er has clearly said that she would be back soon, but I still can¡¯t see her figure after such a long time¡­ Ka! In the distance, a crisp cracking suddenly sounded, interrupting Shangguan Jing¡¯s thoughts. He looked far in the direction of the sound but saw that the frozen ice on the wide sea seemed to have suddenly cracked! His heart lurched, and he hurriedly took two steps forward to take a good look. Soon, accompanied by a crackling sound, the ice was instantly covered with cobweb-like cracks Under Shangguan Jing¡¯s nervous gaze, finally¡ª Peng! All the ice completely broke! At the same time, the pattern composed of red-gold flames in the sky began to gradually subside! ¡°Ancestor!¡± A familiar clear voice sounded! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1619 - Face! Shangguan Jing suddenly raised his eyes and looked over! A slender and exquisite figure suddenly appeared at some point! She was light in posture, stepping on the waves! The shattered ice floes reflected a brilliant glow that fell on her body, as if a layer of holy light was shrouded around her. She looked so powerful and noble that it was almost unbelievable! Shangguan Jing was surprised and delighted. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± But immediately, he saw a small figure by Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. It was a girl who looked no more than three or four years old, with delicate eyebrows and a cute appearance. Two buns were tied with red ropes on her head. On the ends of the ropes were golden bells, swinging and clanging in the wind. The wind blew, rolling up her shiny, red-gold gradient lotus leaf skirt, swaying it in a very moving manner. Shangguan Jing was a little confused. This¡­ She is indeed good-looking and cute, but why did Yue¡¯er bring back a child? Just when he was full of doubts, Chu Liuyue had already pulled Tuan Zi, crossed the waves, and landed a few steps in front of Shangguan Jing. Shangguan Jing recovered and hurriedly stepped forward. ¡°Yue¡¯er, how are you? Why has it been so long? You¡¯re not hurt, are you? Have you been bullied over there?¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Ancestor, which question do you want me to answer first?¡± Only then did Shangguan Jing realize his gaffe and coughed quickly. ¡°Tell me slowly, tell me slowly¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue knew that he was just being anxious over her, so her heart warmed, and she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not injured. Aren¡¯t I standing here in one piece? Moreover, I didn¡¯t suffer any grievances inside, and they were still very polite to me.¡± Of course, it was after she blackmailed them with death. It was just that there was no need to tell her ancestor all of this in detail. In short, the other party¡¯s attitude toward her was still good for most of the time in Godly Phoenix Mountain. Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t believe it very much. He took her wrist and looked carefully up and down to make sure that she really had no injuries before he was willing to believe it. But at the same time, it also made him even more puzzled. The letter from the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was very rude at the beginning, and it was clear that it was aimed at Yue¡¯er. Did they really not bully her? Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. All the troubles and problems have been successfully resolved. From now on, you don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shangguan Jing found it unbelievable, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t look like she was lying. What¡­ What has happened in the past month? He was speechless for a moment, not knowing where to start. He turned and saw the little girl beside his descendant. At this moment, the little girl was holding Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand tightly. She looked up at him with her round, fair face and big black grape-like eyes. Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why does this girl¡­ feel a little familiar? ¡°Tuan Zi, where are your manners?¡± Chu Liuyue said gently as she stroked Tuan Zi¡¯s head. Tuan Zi obediently took a step forward. A big smile bloomed on her face as she called out crisply, ¡°Hello, Great-Ancestor!¡± ¡°This, this, this is¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing was shocked and stared at her in shock. Tuan Zi! Isn¡¯t Tuan Zi the red-gold heavenly phoenix that Yue¡¯er has contracted? ¡°You guessed right. Tuan Zi has transformed into a human,¡± Chu Liuyue explained with a smile. ¡°Besides, she¡¯s already the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress.¡± Shangguan Jing gasped. What on earth did this girl do on Godly Phoenix Mountain?! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1620 - Ive Waited Too Long Then, Chu Liuyue briefly explained what had happened in Godly Phoenix Mountain. She didn¡¯t elaborate on some of the details, nor did she mention the change in the contract with Tuan Zi. She had already tried her best to keep a low profile, but the information she spoke about still shocked Shangguan Jing on the spot, and he couldn¡¯t come back to his senses for a long time. Tuan Zi has the purest bloodline of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan? Yue¡¯er opened the fourth meridian for Tuan Zi? At the ancestral ceremony, Tuan Zi was appointed as the young mistress? Even the arrogant clan leader, Yi Zhao, agreed to let Tuan Zi live with Yue¡¯er and maintain the contract until she reached adulthood? Any piece of news would shock the world! Now, all of this has happened to the same person? ¡°¡­Their ancestral ceremony has ended, so I brought Tuan Zi back.¡± As she spoke, she saw her ancestor¡¯s stunned expression. She couldn¡¯t help but reach out and wave her hand in front of him. ¡°Ancestor, Ancestor?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes focused, and he looked at her, then at Tuan Zi. ¡°Huh? No, nothing¡­ I just¡­ I was just a little surprised¡­¡± Then, he closed his eyes and pinched his eyebrows hard. Chu Liuyue looked at her ancestor with understanding. It¡¯s no wonder Ancestor has such a reaction. For the past month or so, his mind has probably been filled with images of how I¡¯ve been bullied and suppressed. In the end, when I came out, he realized that his previous thoughts were completely wrong. Hence, it¡¯s normal for him to have a huge psychological impact. After a while, Shangguan Jing finally recovered. He opened his eyes and looked at Tuan Zi with a complicated gaze. ¡°So¡­ you brought the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress with you just like that?¡± Tuan Zi tugged at Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and looked at her uneasily. Could it be that Shangguan Jing finds it too troublesome for A¡¯Yue to bring me along? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. After all, a lot has really happened on Godly Phoenix Mountain¡­ If not for me, A¡¯Yue wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all that¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and tap Tuan Zi¡¯s little head. How is Ancestor unhappy? He clearly doesn¡¯t dare to believe it. Contracting a red-gold heavenly phoenix is already extremely rare, let alone a young mistress with a special identity like Tuan Zi. ¡°That¡¯s right. Tuan Zi has been following me for so many years. Although she has become the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, she¡¯s still a child at the end of the day. Clan Leader Yi Zhao and the others also think that it¡¯s better to let Tuan Zi follow me.¡± Shangguan Jing had a strange expression. ¡°They¡­ are willing?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. I don¡¯t know about others, but Clan Leader Yi Zhao could not bear to part with Tuan Zi. But so what? ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao dotes on Tuan Zi very much. It¡¯s also because of this that he¡¯s willing to respect Tuan Zi¡¯s choice. Of course, he also said that he hopes that I can bring Tuan Zi back to visit more often when I have time.¡± Shangguan Jing understood every word, but when he put them together, he was a little confused. Did¡­ Did Yi Zhao really say this himself? He has always been extremely proud and disdains the human race. When Shangguan Jing was waiting here, he had suspected more than once that Yi Zhao might even attack Yue¡¯er directly. In the end¡­ Why did things turn out differently from what he had imagined? But now that she was standing right in front of him, he had no choice but to believe her. ¡°That¡­ that¡­ is quite good¡­¡± Shangguan Jing coughed and looked past her shoulder at the sea behind her. The shattered floating ice was rapidly melting. As the waves surged, one could vaguely see balls of scattered flames burning quietly. It was as if everything was starting to return to normal. In an instant, he even felt that this month was like a dream. Following his gaze, Chu Liuyue half-turned around and looked into the distance. There was no longer any trace of Godly Phoenix Mountain here. The pressure had also gradually dissipated. But compared to when they came, their mental states had changed greatly. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Ancestor, we¡¯ll¡ª¡± Suddenly, she paused and looked back as if she had sensed something. It was evening, and the sun was gradually sinking into the sea. A familiar fluctuation came from the warm golden sky. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Sensing her expression, Shangguan Jing felt that it was a little strange and looked back. Waves suddenly rose in the sky! Then, a tall figure stepped out! It was a young man in a snow-white robe with golden cloud patterns embroidered on his cuffs and clothes. Under the final afterglow, these patterns flickered with a faint light. He had a devilish appearance, but his aura was indescribably noble. Just by standing there, he seemed to have the disdain and nobility to look down on all living beings. It was Rong Xiu! A question instantly flashed through Shangguan Jing¡¯s mind. Why is he here? Godly Phoenix Mountain is extremely hidden, and even we had to be led here by Tuan Zi. Why did Rong Xiu appear directly? As their thoughts raced, Rong Xiu moved and headed over. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of them. His gaze landed on Chu Liuyue first. The two of them met each other¡¯s eyes. At that moment, it was more than a thousand words. Then, he bowed to Shangguan Jing. ¡°Greetings, Senior Shangguan.¡± Shangguan Jing helped him down and asked, ¡°Rong Xiu, why are you suddenly here?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s dark red lips curled up slightly, and the surrounding scenery instantly paled. ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you and Yue¡¯er back to the Sky-Cloud Empire.¡± Shangguan Jing paused. ¡°No, no, I mean¡­ You¡ªhave been here before?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Rong Xiu was smart enough to guess Shangguan Jing¡¯s doubts, so he explained, ¡°I can come over because of the Cosmic Ring on Yue¡¯er¡¯s hand.¡± Shangguan Jing finally understood. Right! That is the supreme treasure of the Sky-Cloud Empire. As His Grace, Rong Xiu can naturally sense its aura and find this place. Thinking about it, there had indeed been a few times when Rong Xiu always appeared in time when Yue¡¯er was in danger. However, this place had changed to Godly Phoenix Mountain. ¡°How¡¯s Clan Leader Baili?¡± Chu Liuyue took a step forward and asked. Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything is basically resolved. It¡¯s just that it¡¯ll take some time for the clan leader to wake up.¡± Chu Liuyue finally felt relieved, but then she was a little surprised. ¡°Are we¡­ not returning to the academy?¡± Master and the others should still be waiting¡­ As if he knew what she was thinking, Rong Xiu nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent a message to the academy to tell them that I¡¯d personally come and pick you up to return to Sky-Cloud Empire.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. There is nothing wrong with returning to Sky-Cloud Empire, but¡­ ¡°Why are you suddenly in such a hurry?¡± Rong Xiu paused, and there seemed to be a glint in his deep phoenix eyes. ¡°Because I¡¯ve waited too long.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1621 - Going Back These words were clear and faint, but they blew past like the wind, wrinkling a pool of spring water. Chu Liuyue looked into his deep eyes, and her heart raced as she suddenly sensed something. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been engaged for too long.¡± Rong Xiu looked at her with a focused and gentle expression. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to have been hit by something hard, and it was indescribably sweet and soft. Thinking about it, I have indeed made him wait too long. All these years¡­ I didn¡¯t even have time to ask what he had experienced after I left and before we reunited. Rong Xiu looked into her eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to¡ª¡± wait anymore. Thump! Before Rong Xiu could finish his sentence, a strange sound suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue frowned and looked at the Cosmic Ring on her hand. The sound of impact came from inside just now. Her heart skipped a beat. A black wooden token appeared in front of the two of them! It was the sea-buckthorn wood token that she had snatched in Fangzhou City. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned cold! The totem on the black wooden token suddenly seemed to come to life; every line twisted strangely, making one¡¯s heart turn cold. Then, the lines spread out and condensed into a line of dark-red words that looked like blood. ¡°If you want to save Chu Ning, see you in ten days!¡± 1 Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. The line of words quickly dissipated and condensed back into the appearance of the totem. The pressure on it also quickly disappeared, and it fell to the ground with a clang. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Shangguan Jing stood at the side and didn¡¯t see the words clearly. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips tightly and exuded a shocking coldness. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what happened to you?¡± Shangguan Jing was a little worried. What did she just see to have such a huge reaction? ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± At this moment, Rong Xiu suddenly spoke. He raised his finger slightly, and the black wooden token flew into his hand. He looked down and handed it to Chu Liuyue. She looked up at him. ¡°Rong Xiu¡ª¡± She knew what his unfinished words were. Even though the two of them hadn¡¯t even had a chance to talk properly since she regained her memories¡­ she knew what he was thinking. She also wanted to go back with him and fulfill the promise they had made years ago, but it just had to be at this moment¡ª ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time they¡¯ve done such a thing.¡± Rong Xiu chuckled. Whether it was for her or him, those people had never given up. ¡°It¡¯s just that this time, the timing was more precise.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was calm, but the coldness between his eyebrows showed his current mood. ¡°Actually, this is good too. Lord Chu Ning is in danger, and you can¡¯t be at ease.¡± Rong Xiu held her hand. ¡°We haven¡¯t had time to inform Tianling yet; I think it¡¯s a little rushed.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him and lowered her gaze. Rong Xiu has always been obedient. He has even informed the academy, so how could he forget Father Emperor and the others? He is just saying this to make me feel less uncomfortable. She held her breath and put the wooden token back into the Cosmic Ring before looking up again. Rong Xiu¡¯s rough fingers caressed the back of her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± His voice was as low and gentle as ever. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips moved slightly, but she still nodded in the end. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Shangguan Jing, who was standing at the side, was a little stunned. From the looks of it, these two people¡­ don¡¯t intend to return to the Sky-Cloud Empire? Moreover, the atmosphere seems to be very wrong¡­ Tuan Zi stood by Chu Liuyue¡¯s leg and clearly sensed the change in her mood. She waited quietly and obediently. ¡°Ancestor.¡± After calming herself down, Chu Liuyue turned to look at her ancestor. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shangguan Jing gazed at her worriedly. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°That person took Father hostage. We plan to go to the God-Killing Tumulus now.¡± Shangguan Jing paused for a moment before understanding what she meant. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. The person who could play such a dirty trick was naturally the owner of this black wooden token. Many thoughts quickly flashed through Shangguan Jing¡¯s mind, and then he nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the God-Killing Tumulus before. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± That place was extremely dangerous, and the other party had come prepared, so he initially didn¡¯t want her to go. However, Chu Ning was extremely important to her. Even if she knew it was dangerous, she would definitely go. Instead of dissuading them, it was better to follow. Now that Yue¡¯er¡¯s strength had increased a lot, and with him and Rong Xiu around, she should be much safer. ¡°You¡¯ve been to that place? Why haven¡¯t I heard you mention it before?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. Even when I heard that Jun Jiuqing had exiled Chu Ning to the God-Killing Tumulus, Ancestor didn¡¯t mention this. Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression was a little subtle. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s go first!¡± Upon hearing her ancestor¡¯s words, Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble you again along the way.¡± Just like that, they left Godly Phoenix Mountain and headed toward the God-Killing Tumulus. ¡­ Godly Dragon Island. When Miao Yang heard the news from his subordinate, a rare look of shock appeared on his usually expressionless face. ¡°Shangguan Yue brought a girl out of Godly Phoenix Mountain? Did you see if she was injured?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Miao Yang frowned. The subordinate paused and continued, ¡°Besides, not long after they came out, Rong Xiu also came. Then, they left together. But judging from the direction, they don¡¯t seem to be heading for the Sky-Cloud Empire or Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1622 - Departure ¡°Where else can they go after leaving Godly Phoenix Mountain?¡± Miao Yang was puzzled. Although Shangguan Yue is Shangguan Jing¡¯s descendant, Shangguan Jing fought alone in the God Residence Realm back then and hadn¡¯t established his own faction. Shangguan Jing is probably most familiar with the Flood-Desert Northern Region, but they are clearly unlikely to go over there now. ¡°Rong Xiu and Shangguan Jing were extremely vigilant, and our people didn¡¯t dare to get too close. Later on, we¡­ lost them.¡± The subordinate wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke carefully. ¡°It¡¯s all our fault for being incompetent. Clan Leader, please punish us.¡± Miao Yang shook his head. ¡°If we lose them, let¡¯s get our men to retreat first. When it¡¯s a little later, we¡¯ll go outside and ask around to see where they went. In addition, the most important thing is to investigate what exactly happened to Shangguan Yue in Godly Phoenix Mountain for more than a month.¡± According to his understanding of Yi Zhao, it was unlikely that the other party would let a human who had contracted with a red-gold heavenly phoenix leave safely. Moreover, they had held the ancestral ceremony. At such a critical moment, Shangguan Yue could actually retreat unscathed. He couldn¡¯t help but suspect that something was wrong. ¡°Also, find out the identity of that young lady.¡± Miao Yang frowned. When Shangguan Yue entered, she was clearly alone, and even Shangguan Jing was rejected. Why is there suddenly a three or four-year-old girl beside her when she comes out? That little girl is clearly not human. It¡¯s very likely that she is a red-gold heavenly phoenix! The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was the same as them and did not have children. Those in human form were at least in their teens. This little girl¡¯s appearance was really strange. ¡°Yes!¡± The subordinate hurriedly responded respectfully and bowed to leave. He had only taken two steps when Miao Yang stopped him again. ¡°Remember, you must keep a low profile and be careful when doing these things. The Thousand Summit is imminent. No accidents are allowed.¡± His subordinate looked even more nervous. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. In a hall of Dong Huang Clock Tower, the dean¡ªNan Suhuai¡ªand a few elders were gathered. ¡°¡­Million Wine Mountain has basically been tidied up, but it will take a long time to repair it completely. The few mountains beside it that were affected can continue to be opened now.¡± Elder Hua Feng sat below, leaned back in his chair lazily, and heaved a sigh of relief. God knew that during this period of time, they had been so busy dealing with the aftermath that they didn¡¯t even have time to breathe. Fortunately, he had finally completed most of the work and could slowly take care of the rest. Nan Suhuai said, ¡°Thank you for your hard work, everyone.¡± Elder Hua Feng waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s what we should be doing. Why talk about hard work? However¡­ that mountain is a little bald.¡± As soon as he said this, the originally tense atmosphere in the hall immediately relaxed. Nan Suhuai could not help but smile and shake his head. Ling Xiao Academy had existed in the God Residence Realm for 10,000 years, and the undulating mountains were basically filled with ancient trees. Although Million Wine Mountain was special, the trees there were so thick that they were the width of two people. After the shocking battle last time, Million Wine Mountain was completely destroyed, and everything on it was naturally obliterated. ¡°By the way, Director, hasn¡¯t there been any news from the Sky-Cloud Empire? Didn¡¯t Rong Xiu previously send back news that he would inform us when he personally fetched Yue¡¯er and the others back to the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± Elder Bo Yan leaned forward and asked curiously. Hearing this, the remaining elders also looked at Nan Suhuai. It was obvious that they were still a little nervous. That girl had gone to Godly Phoenix Mountain, so they had no choice but to worry. It had been more than a month, and they wondered how the situation was. Nan Suhuai nodded. ¡°It should be soon. Just wait a little longer¡ª¡± Suddenly, he paused and looked up at the window beside him. Everyone followed his gaze. Nan Suhuai narrowed his eyes and raised his hand. Whir! A transparent barrier rippled. Then, something flew from outside the window and quickly passed through the barrier before landing in Nan Suhuai¡¯s hand! Nan Suhuai opened his hand and saw a bronze sparrow. ¡°Rong Xiu sent a letter?¡± When the elders saw this scene, they revealed looks of joy. Nan Suhuai tightened his fingers slightly. The bronze sparrow opened its mouth and spat out a golden fog of light. The fog quickly condensed into two lines of words in midair. After Nan Suhuai saw it clearly, the smile on his lips froze. As soon as he finished reading, the handwriting disappeared. The elders sitting below didn¡¯t see the words clearly, but they saw Nan Suhuai¡¯s strange expression. ¡°Director?¡± Elder Bo Yan called out tentatively. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± From the looks of it, something seems to be wrong¡­ Nan Suhuai came back to his senses and frowned quickly. Only then did he look up at them and say in a low voice, ¡°Yue¡¯er has already come out of Godly Phoenix Mountain safely.¡± Everyone was delighted and relieved at first, but then they realized that Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression was still tense. They couldn¡¯t help but feel even stranger. ¡°Director, Yue¡¯er has come out safely. Why are you still so worried?¡± Elder Bo Yan asked. Suddenly, he was shocked. ¡°Could it be that Yue¡¯er was still bullied by them? She and Tuan Zi¡ª¡± ¡°Tuan Zi came out with her.¡± Nan Suhuai shook his head. ¡°The matter with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan has been successfully resolved. It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s just that Rong Xiu originally planned to bring them back to the Sky-Cloud Empire, but in the middle, Yue¡¯er received news about her father, Chu Ning. Now, they¡¯re already on the way to the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± ¡°God-Killing Tumulus!?¡± The elders were shocked. That place is extremely dangerous. They actually went there directly?! No wonder the director¡¯s expression was so solemn! ¡°Just the few of them?¡± Nan Suhuai nodded. This was exactly what he was worried about. The God-Killing Tumulus was vast and boundless, and there were difficulties and dangers everywhere. Moreover, this time, the enemy had taken the initiative to invite them. It was obvious that the other party had definitely set up an inescapable net and was only waiting to attack them! However, Chu Ning was Yue¡¯er¡¯s father, so she had no choice but to go. Nan Suhuai stood up after a moment. ¡°Bo Yan, I¡¯ll leave everything in the academy to you for the time being. I¡¯ll personally make a trip to the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± The elders were shocked. Then, they expressed that they wanted to go together. However, they were all rejected by Nan Suhuai. ¡°The academy can¡¯t do without people. All of you, stay behind. I¡¯ve been to the God-Killing Tumulus before, and it¡¯s more convenient for me to move alone.¡± With that, before anyone could refute, his figure instantly disappeared from the spot! ¡­ At the same time, on a certain mountain in Ling Xiao Academy. Yi Wenzhuo suddenly opened his eyes and looked in the direction of Dong Huang Clock Tower! ¡°He actually¡­ left at this time?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1623 - What Are You Doing! Ling Xiao Academy has just experienced a huge ordeal, so it is illogical for Nan Suhuai to leave suddenly at this time¡­ Something must¡¯ve happened, but I don¡¯t know if it is something good or bad¡­ Yi Wenzhuo slightly squinted his eyes. After a moment, he stood up and walked to the side hall. ¡°Jiuqing.¡± Yi Wenzhuo directly pushed the door open and entered. Hearing the noise, Jun Jiuqing¡ªwho was originally looking at something¡ªimmediately put his things down and stood up. ¡°Mentor.¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s gaze quickly swept across the desk, and he immediately knitted his brows. ¡°You¡¯re reading the Beiming Dynasty¡¯s letters again?¡± Jun Jiuqing nodded. ¡°Father said¡ª¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re in the God Residence Realm, you have to put more of your mind here,¡± interrupted Yi Wenzhuo. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to care much about the Beiming Dynasty side. Don¡¯t forget whose blood is running in your bones.¡± When Yi Wenzhuo said the second half of the sentence, his eyes stared straight at Jun Jiuqing with indescribably strong suppression! Jun Jiuqing paused for a moment, and the corner of his lips seemed to curl up. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mentor. I will definitely obey your guidance seriously.¡± Yi Wenzhuo then nodded in satisfaction. He brought Jun Jiuqing up with much difficulty. He didn¡¯t want him to waste his time and energy on irrelevant matters. Yi Wenzhuo pressed one hand on the table and knocked against it. ¡°Just now, Nan Suhuai left the academy.¡± Strangeness surfaced in Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes. ¡°At this time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what he went to do, but I can roughly guess it.¡± Yi Wenzhuo sneered. ¡°Something that can make him put Ling Xiao Academy down and leave at this point proves that it¡¯s more important to him. It¡¯s very likely¡­ to be related to Shangguan Yue.¡± A dark glint flashed across Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes and disappeared. ¡°She should still be in Godly Phoenix Mountain. If the director goes over now¡­ It proves that she has already left Godly Phoenix Mountain!¡± Yi Wenzhuo suddenly paused in his actions, and countless guesses flashed across his mind. He muttered softly, ¡°Did something happen to Shangguan Yue?¡± Jun Jiuqing looked down. After a moment, he asked, ¡°The director has left. Mentor, what do you plan to do next?¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s heart was still filled with anxiety. This time, I finally waited for Nan Suhuai to come back. In the end, he disappeared before I could even see him in person! After thinking for a moment, his expression finally became calm. ¡°I¡¯ll chase after him. You can just wait in the academy!¡± Jun Jiuqing raised his brows slightly. His originally demonic-like appearance looked even more sinister. ¡°Are¡­ you sure? We don¡¯t know where the director went and what he¡¯s going to do. If you suddenly follow him¡­¡± That is exactly the reason why I have to follow him and control his traces! Yi Wenzhuo raised his hand and gestured for him not to say anything more. ¡°You just have to stay here and look after the academy. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± Jun Jiuqing then lowered his head. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll listen to your command, Mentor.¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s figure flashed, and he directly disappeared on the spot! The room became quiet and empty again. Jun Jiuqing looked up, and his expression became much more restrained. He then looked down, glanced at the letter on the desk, and sat back down again. After handling those matters, he slowly put away the letter, leaned against the chair, and closed his eyes. A while later, his eyelashes trembled lightly, and he opened his eyes again. But at this point, his pair of eyes were filled with harsh murderous intent! ¡°The entire troop died again? What are you doing?!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1624 - Armor ¡°Send again!¡± Jun Jiuqing hollered lowly! The room fell silent again. After a moment, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze swept across the letter on the table. Then, he held it and walked outside. Before he reached the door, the empty air before him suddenly moved. The next second, he waved his hand, and a black crack appeared in space. His expression was cold and dark as he stepped in. The wind rolled up the corner of his clothes, and he disappeared without a trace. ¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain was far from the God-Killing Tumulus, and the two places weren¡¯t directly connected by a transportation formation. Luckily, Chu Liuyue and the rest were quite strong. When they traveled at full speed, they were not too slow. Additionally, Shangguan Jing had gone to the God-Killing Tumulus before, so they avoided a lot of unnecessary twists and turns on the road. After traveling for a day and night, the few people arrived at a mountain and finally decided to rest temporarily. The night sky fell, and the round moon hung high in the sky. The mountain peak was dark at night and only had a curve outlined. The few people searched for a flatter area to rest at the foot of the mountain. The fire jumped up again and dragged their figures. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged and placed both hands on her knees as she gathered her focus to absorb the Heaven and Earth Force. Even though she was already a true god warrior¡­ After traveling at full speed for a full day and night, she had exhausted quite a bit of her bodily force and had to cultivate it properly. Tuan Zi lay down beside her and fell asleep. Originally, Chu Liuyue wanted Tuan Zi to return to her body so that it would be more convenient. However, Tuan Zi had just taken human form and was very curious about everything in the outside world. Chu Liuyue just let her be. Hence, Tuan Zi¡¯s small body really couldn¡¯t hold on any longer as she plopped on the ground and slept. In comparison, Rong Xiu and Shangguan Jing were in much better condition. The two people discussed. Shangguan Jing stood guard for half the night, and Rong Xiu had the second shift. However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t rest as he took out a circular fist-sized stone to smoothen it. That stone looked intensely black on the surface. Under the reflection of the light, it had no glow at all, as if it had silently swallowed all the surrounding light. However, it vaguely revealed some hints of sharp and harsh aura. As Rong Xiu continued smoothening it, the black layer on the rock surface gradually faded, and a golden light could faintly be seen. Originally, Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t pay much attention to this as he had long known that Rong Xiu was also an Armory Refinement Master and was quite skilled and talented in this aspect. Smoothening a rock was normal for him. But when a hint of golden light was exposed from that rock, it finally attracted Shangguan Jing¡¯s attention! His gaze focused, and he stared at that rock for quite some time before he asked with uncertainty, ¡°This is¡­ the Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone?¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stop and lightly nodded. ¡°Senior Shangguan, you have sharp eyes.¡± Shangguan Jing was secretly astonished. As a supreme Armory Refinement Master, he naturally knew how precious this Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone was. It was extremely hard and could naturally nourish force. Yuan instruments made with this Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone were all high level. One had to know that a Yuan instrument¡¯s level was not only dependent on the Armory Refinement Master¡¯s standards. It was also intricately related to the strength of the materials. Some items could only be made into advanced Yuan instruments because they couldn¡¯t tolerate the lightning strength guided by royal Yuan instruments. Some had strong refinement potential and could even be a supreme Yuan instrument or a royal one! The reason why the Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone was so precious was that it could contain the lightning strength of supreme Yuan instruments. In other words, if one used it to make supreme Yuan instruments, their success rate would be higher. Hence, such an item was very famous amongst Armory Refinement Masters. However, Ink-Gold Spiritual Stones were extremely low in production and very hard to find. Thus, it was a rare item out of the precious ones. Even a famous supreme Armory Refinement Master like Shangguan Jing had only heard of such an item in rumors, and he had never seen it before. The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s background was indeed deep to be able to casually produce such an item. ¡­ Shangguan Jing swiftly watched Rong Xiu refining a Yuan instrument. The more he saw, the more shocked he was. That was because he discovered that Rong Xiu¡¯s talent in Armory Refinement had long exceeded his previous expectation! Simply looking at how Rong Xiu refined the Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone in such a familiar manner, he could be considered as elite. Even when he was compared to Shangguan Jing, he would also be on par. Shangguan Jing stroked his chin. His eyelids lifted up slightly, and he glanced at Rong Xiu. The young man had a demonically handsome appearance. Under the reflection of the fire, his face was as clear as jade, and he looked elegant. Speaking of which, I only knew that Rong Xiu was the top Armory Refinement Master in Ling Xiao Academy, but I had never seen him making weapons personally¡­ Now that I¡¯m seeing it today, I am indeed surprised. Refining the Ink-Golden Spiritual stone seemed simple, but it had extremely strict requirements. Only having experience wasn¡¯t sufficient to reach Rong Xiu¡¯s current standards; he had to rely on talent even more. Shangguan Jing had always been very proud in this aspect, but after seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s series of actions, he faintly felt that¡­ Rong Xiu was even more talented than him. At the very least, when he was Rong Xiu¡¯s age back then, he definitely could not do this. Shangguan Jing had never been convinced by anyone in terms of Armory Refinement. If not, he wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve his clean record when he challenged so many supreme Armory Refinement Masters. But when he saw Rong Xiu at this point, he sincerely praised him. He is indeed a rare Armory Refinement talent, but the strange thing is that most people call him harsh, decisive, and cunning in the God Residence Realm. In Ling Xiao Academy, he occupies the top position on two Qing Yun Ranking lists. Even though the crowd knows that he is extremely talented and strong, it doesn¡¯t seem like an exaggeration¡­ Logically speaking, with the talent Rong Xiu has, he is definitely much better than many Armory Refinement Masters with repute. However, I¡¯ve never heard anyone specifically mention him¡­ Shangguan Jing knitted his brows. Could it be that¡­ Rong Xiu hid it on purpose¡ª Tsing! A crisp impact was suddenly heard and interrupted Shangguan Jing¡¯s thoughts. Shangguan Jing focused and saw that at some point, Rong Xiu had finished refining that Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone. The originally black circular stone became shiny golden. The layer of black on the surface had directly been refined clean, revealing this layer of gold that was crystal-like yet seemed extremely resilient. Upon closer look, one could even see black patterns in it. Those patterns moved and formed strange patterns from time to time with an indescribably special charm. Rong Xiu produced a sharp silver knife and started carving its surface. Shangguan Jing could not help but ask, ¡°Rong Xiu, what kind of Yuan instrument are you making?¡± Rong Xiu paused in his actions, and his lips curled up slightly. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡¯s previous pure gold armor is broken, so I thought of making another one for her.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1625 - Going to Wake Up Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°A-armor?! How much Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone would you need to use?¡± Rong Xiu paused for a moment before replying, ¡°That¡¯s not the problem, but it¡¯ll be quite time-consuming. It¡¯ll be the best if I can finish it before we go to the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± Shangguan Jing was so shocked that he could not speak. That¡¯s. Not. The. Problem?! That small piece is an extremely rare treasure in the world! Originally, I thought that Rong Xiu wanted to make a dagger or something else, but I never expected it to be a set of armor for Yue¡¯er! When Chu Liuyue previously experienced the ordeals in Million Wine Mountain, her pure gold armor was indeed completely ruined. Shangguan Jing had once thought of this problem, but it was a pity that he didn¡¯t have the chance. When he waited outside Godly Phoenix Mountain, he was filled with worry and couldn¡¯t calm himself down to refine a Yuan instrument. He didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to make the first move, and¡­ the latter even used such a precious Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone! Shangguan Jing instantly felt that his stock couldn¡¯t be presented. Compared to the Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone in Rong Xiu¡¯s hand, it indeed paled in comparison. Shangguan Jing calmed himself down. Anyway, it¡¯s for Yue¡¯er. It¡¯s a good thing¡ªgood thing! ¡°You¡¯re meticulous.¡± Shangguan Jing coughed. ¡°But won¡¯t it be a little too late for that?¡± Their journey was originally very rushed, and Rong Xiu had very little time to refine the Yuan instrument. If he wanted to use the Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone to craft a perfect armor, it had to be a royal Yuan instrument. At that point, it would be another series of struggles. It was indeed¡­ too hard to finish it before entering the God-Killing Tumulus. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Shangguan Jing opened his mouth. His gaze swept across the dazzling Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone, and he finally nodded. Originally, he wanted to help out. Then, he thought that Rong Xiu had already finished smoothening it, so it was rather inappropriate for him to intervene now. He just hoped that Rong Xiu¡¯s refinement would be successful in the end. Rong Xiu looked down and continued with his actions. He was extremely focused. He saw his defined hand holding the carving knife, carving the material stroke by stroke. Silently, the Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone had already changed its appearance. As Shangguan Jing watched from the side, an idea suddenly popped up in his mind. Why does Rong Xiu¡¯s current appearance look a little familiar? As if I had seen him somewhere before¡­ However, this thought just lingered in Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart for a while and was quickly suppressed by him. Perhaps I¡¯m thinking too much. ¡­ Night was over in the blink of an eye. When the first ray of sunshine shone in, Rong Xiu stopped his actions. He looked up slightly, glanced at Chu Liuyue, and put away the item in her hands. At this point, Chu Liuyue finally opened her eyes and slowly breathed out. With the rejuvenation overnight, her physical and mental strength had basically recovered. All her exhaustion had left her body, and her eyes became brighter. She stretched, and her body made cracking noises. When Tuan Zi heard it from the side, she flipped over, rubbed her eyes, and subconsciously leaned against Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡ª¡± she muttered as if she was still dreaming. She stretched open her hands and wanted to hug Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. But just as she was about to pounce into Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms, she felt her nape turn cold. Tuan Zi¡¯s body stiffened as she instinctively turned her neck and looked to the side. The distinguished His Grace was smiling radiantly. Tuan Zi suddenly woke up! She stiffly stopped in her tracks and rapidly retracted her arm. Chu Liuyue was waiting to hug Tuan Zi and suddenly saw that the latter stopped and retracted her hands. ¡°Tuan Zi?¡± Chu Liuyue found it weird. This kid seems amiss¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue, I¡¯m so tired. Can I go back today?!¡± Tuan Zi yelled out a bunch of words like a cannonball. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Of course! You¡ª¡± Before she could even finish her sentence, Tuan Zi¡¯s figure flashed and disappeared from the spot. The next moment, she returned to Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Tuan Zi sighed deeply. How close! Chu Liuyue was speechless. She¡¯s in such a hurry. Is she too exhausted from yesterday? ¡°Do you feel better?¡± asked Rong Xiu gently as he stepped forward. Chu Liuyue looked up, smiled, and nodded. Perhaps it was because she knew that her ancestor and Rong Xiu were around, so she slept the entire night peacefully and rested well. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, let¡¯s continue!¡± Shangguan Jing buried the fire and yelled. Chu Liuyue nodded. The group of them continued on their way toward the God-Killing Tumulus. ¡­ Red Moon Desert. The strong sun hung high in the sky, and the heat waves roared. At first glance, the air even seemed distorted. Only the lake in the middle of the desert was slightly cold. A light breeze came over and blew up circles of ripples. A figure suddenly appeared at the side of the lake. Purple hair, purple eyes, and a long robe¡ªit was Dugu Mobao! He stood still beside the lake and first glanced at the sky. After detecting that there weren¡¯t many changes, he retracted his gaze. Looking at the calm lake, he squinted his eyes and whipped his sleeves. The water in the lake automatically separated into two halves. Dugu Mobao¡¯s figure flashed, and he quickly disappeared below the lake. In no time, the lake recovered its usual calm appearance as if nothing had happened. ¡­ Dugu Mobao walked to the cage below the lake. In the dark and narrow space, there was still a faint bloody smell lingering around. A few black chains wrapped around and locked two figures¡ªthey were Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao. When the two of them suddenly saw Dugo Mobao appear, they were elated. Diwu Zhangze smiled. ¡°Big Baby, you¡¯re finally back!¡± But very quickly, his smile froze. ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s face was nonchalant. ¡°Just some minor injuries.¡± At the side, Lan Xiao stared at him for a while and suddenly chuckled. ¡°Tsk. Big Baby, do you really think that you can hide some things from us because only you have a Holy Body?¡± Dugu Mobao was about to speak when blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth, and his body suddenly fell backward! Thump! He landed on the floor heavily! ¡°Big Baby!¡± Diwu Zhangze gasped in shock, and Lan Xiao¡¯s expression changed. The chains made loud noises as the two of them pulled on them. Luckily, Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t faint and stood up. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­ ¡°How is this fine?¡± The usually gentle Diwu Zhangze¡¯s tone also became harsh. Dugu Mobao wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his face was much paler than before. He closed his eyes and said carefully, ¡°That person¡­ is going to wake up soon.¡± 1 The surroundings suddenly fell silent. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1626 - Miles Away ¡°As expected¡­¡± Lan Xiao¡¯s lips curled up, and his pretty face had a mocking smile. ¡°If it weren¡¯t so, there wouldn¡¯t be such a huge commotion in Ling Xiao Academy¡­¡± When they previously learned that something had happened there, they had faintly guessed this possibility. In the end, it was really¡ª ¡°You dealt hands with him?¡± asked Diwu Zhangze anxiously. Dugu Mobao paused. ¡°Not really. After the Heaven-Locking Formation was damaged, it was Yue¡¯er who repaired it. And afterward, I immediately came back.¡± This wound was left behind after the other party retaliated, and he had no way of defending. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t fatal. Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao were both taken aback. ¡°The Heaven-Locking Formation? You asked that girl to repair it? You¡ª¡± Lan Xiao was talking when he suddenly recalled something, and he widened his eyes slightly. ¡°That was your goal in asking Yue¡¯er to memorize those Xuan formations tirelessly in the past?!¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at him expressionlessly with an expression that said: ¡®you know it.¡¯ Lan Xiao was greatly taken aback. ¡°You! You! You! How old was the girl then, and you thought of these things? Dugu Mobao, you¡¯re so old, yet you¡¯re still playing like this? Think about how much the girl suffered when she memorized those things back then! Tsk, you really have the cheek!¡± Although she was talented back then, her cultivation level wasn¡¯t high enough, and the Xuan formations that Dugu Mobao left for her were mostly too complicated. In order to digest those Xuan formations, she had spent a lot of effort. ¡°If not for that, she wouldn¡¯t have handled Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s ordeal.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°The academy is hers sooner or later. It¡¯s her responsibility to protect Ling Xiao.¡± Even though it seemed early now, this incident was long in Dugu Mobao¡¯s plan. Seeing his righteous behavior, Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao were speechless. After all, what he said made sense. Even though the journey was tiring, his intentions and the result were good. It seemed like they couldn¡¯t say that Dugu Mobao was wrong, but they could only say that he was¡­ too stern. ¡°Maniac. Only that girl can tolerate you.¡± Lan Xiao pouted. But hearing Dugu Mobao say this, they became less worried. ¡°Only one of his hands is buried under Million Wine Mountain. There should be some time before he actually awakens.¡± Dugu Mobao paused for a moment and glanced at the two of them. ¡°During this period of time, the two of you need to quickly form your Holy Bodies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy to say!¡± Lan Xiao lazily leaned against a metal chain. He stretched out his hand and lightly knocked against the heavy chain. ¡°We¡¯ve been stuck here for so long, and only you succeeded. Besides, you even paid quite a big price¡­¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression sank. Lan Xiao pretended like he didn¡¯t see it as he shook his head, and his voice was nonchalant. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that I failed the previous time? I spent such a long time fixing my face¡­ I can¡¯t try again so soon.¡± As he spoke, he looked up and glanced at Diwu Zhangze in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Diwu, why don¡¯t you try?¡± Diwu Zhangze took half a step back in contempt. ¡°Talk properly!¡± Lan Xiao is really problematic. He becomes out of hand when few benefits are in sight. After confirming that Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t expose his identity in the God Residence Realm, he acted up again. ¡°Pfft.¡± Lan Xiao closed his eyes and waved his hands. ¡°Anyway, you can think of what to do for this.¡± If he failed again, it was fine if he sacrificed his life. However, the key was he might drag the two of them down. It was really not worth it. Diwu Zhangze helplessly shook his head and gazed at Dugu Mobao. ¡°It¡¯s naturally great that you didn¡¯t expose your identity this time, but there are no secrets in this world. This incident will still leave some clues behind. Things can¡¯t go more than three. You must be careful when you go to the God Residence Realm again.¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows slightly and nodded. They had tolerated it in the Red Moon Desert for tens of thousands of years. If all their efforts went to waste, it was really too much of a loss. The previous two times were special situations, and he especially couldn¡¯t take action at Ling Xiao Academy. That was also the reason why he immediately came back after the matter ended. ¡°Oh right, how is Yue¡¯er now?¡± Actually, Diwu Zhangze wanted to ask this earlier. The Heaven-Locking Formation had a high level. Although she had Dugu Mobao¡¯s help, it was still a great challenge for her. Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression turned warmer. ¡°She summoned her God Realm and recovered her memory.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s sentence directly woke Lan Xiao¡ªwho was planning to rest¡ªup. ¡°Did Yue¡¯er recall the previous things?¡± A ray of light flashed across Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes, and he nodded. Actually, he also didn¡¯t expect that she would do it under such circumstances. However, it was a pity that the girl directly fainted after the matter ended. Additionally, he had to rush back to the Red Moon Desert, so he didn¡¯t get to speak much with her. ¡°She¡¯s injured, but Nan Suhuai and Rong Xiu were around, so it shouldn¡¯t be too big of a problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!¡± Diwu Zhangze was overjoyed, and there were hints of happiness in Lan Xiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°This means that she broke through to become a true god?¡± Dugu Mobao nodded. This was what he was happier with. Back then, that girl had spent a lot of effort to cross that barrier. Then, she was reborn overnight, and everything went to dust. She had to start from the beginning. Not everyone had such courage and perseverance. Luckily¡­ she stood at this position again. Dugu Mobao¡¯s lips moved, and he said, ¡°But¡­ she willingly left her God Realm to Meng Xian for him to take care of it. It seems like she had long planned for her memory loss¡­¡± Once he said this, Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao were stunned. This sentence contained too much information, and they couldn¡¯t react in such a short amount of time. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying that she did it on purpose back then?¡± asked Diwu Zhangze dryly. Dugu Mobao squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°I can basically confirm it, and¡­ Rong Xiu should know these things too.¡± Hence, when they asked him, he refused to speak directly. ¡°Why is that so?¡± Dugu Mobao did not speak. Perhaps only she knows the true reason. ¡°Forget it. That girl always has her own thoughts. She definitely has her own reasons for doing so!¡± Lan Xiao thought past it and smiled with raised brows. ¡°When we see her next time, won¡¯t we be clear after we ask her ourselves?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Diwu Zhangze suddenly knitted his brows, and his expression became solemn. His reaction immediately attracted the other two people¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Dugu Mobao. Diwu Zhangze rarely revealed such an expression. Seriousness, suspicion, confusion, worry¡­. Diwu Zhangze looked up at the two of them and carefully said, ¡°It seems like the people from Black Demon Hole have entered the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1627 - Red Soul Woods ¡°Why are they going there?¡± Lan Xiao knitted his brows. ¡°Haven¡¯t they already stopped these few years? Why did they come out again?¡± The God-Killing Tumulus was extremely dangerous. Normally, people wouldn¡¯t go there for no reason. Even those who wanted to train or find treasures would not pick the God-Killing Tumulus. Other than millions of corpses, the place had nothing else. Besides, the God-Killing Tumulus was wide. Once one went in, it would be hard to come out again. How bored must the people from Black Demon Hole be to go there? Dugu Mobao¡¯s brows moved slightly. ¡°Can you check and see how many people have gone there?¡± Diwu Zhangze closed his eyes. A strange totem faintly appeared on his brows. After a moment, he opened his eyes and shook his head. ¡°They hid their auras very well. I can only temporarily deduce that Black Demon Hole¡¯s people went to the God-Killing Tumulus. However, I can¡¯t guess anything else. If I were in the God Residence Realm, I might be able to ¡®see¡¯ better.¡± It was a pity that he had been trapped here for more than 10,000 years and couldn¡¯t form his Holy Body, so he naturally had no way of going there. ¡°They won¡¯t have any good intentions.¡± As Lan Xiao spoke, he suddenly laughed. ¡°However, it has been so many years, yet you can instantly detect their aura. How amazing!¡± Diwu Zhangze lightly snorted. ¡°No matter what, they had to kneel down and greet me when they saw me back then. Although I¡¯ve already stopped interacting with them now¡­ it¡¯s not a loss if I know them and myself well.¡± Dugu Mobao was quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°This matter is pending, so let¡¯s not do anything about it first and see what they plan to do.¡± Diwu Zhangze nodded in approval. ¡°During this period of time, you and Lan Xiao should heal your injuries. You can leave everything else to me for now.¡± ¡­ Seven days passed by in a flash. Chu Liuyue and the rest got increasingly closer to the God-Killing Tumulus. Around evening, they came to a thick forest. The weird thing was that the trees in the forest all had black trunks with minimal red leaves. The leaves were palm-sized, and they were super thin with toothed edges. At first glance, they seemed like red flying daggers. Shangguan Jing looked forward solemnly and boomed, ¡°This is the Red Soul Woods. Through this place, it will be the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± Hearing his stern tone, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart turned harsh slightly. This place¡­ We have to be careful here. She looked forward. As the sky gradually darkened, the trees in Red Soul Woods seemed like bloody hands that waved with the wind. A faint smell permeated from the middle. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help frowning. It¡¯s poisonous! ¡°From evening to midnight, there will be poisonous gas exuding from here. Therefore, the best time to pass through this place is noon. Let¡¯s find a place to rest and start on our trip tomorrow,¡± explained Shangguan Jing. Chu Liuyue nodded and met Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze. Then, they moved some distance back with Shangguan Jing. Outside the Red Soul Woods, there were many rocks. They chose a flatter area and sat down with a few rocks surrounding them. After Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged, she quickly closed her eyes and continued cultivating. After these few days of training, she wouldn¡¯t be as exhausted as the first day, even if she journeyed the entire day. Hence, other than recovering her physical strength, she spent most of her time studying Xuan formations and medicinal formulas. For Xuan formations, she had already borrowed Big Baby¡¯s strength and personally tried to repair the Heaven-Locking Formation. Now, she could basically merge and understand the Xuan formations she learned from him. In the past, those Xuan formations were extremely difficult for her. Even if she memorized them, she might not be able to understand them completely. It was even harder to unleash them. But after repairing the Heaven-Locking Formation, she found it much easier to look at them now. Other than this, she had repeatedly studied the Physician Medicinal Guide that Elder Wan Zheng had left behind for her. Additionally, she recalled those medicinal formulas and had a lot to understand. When Chu Liuyue was completely immersed in her own cultivation, Rong Xiu took out a new Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone and started smoothening it. In actual fact, this was the eighth Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone Rong Xiu had taken out. Every day, he would smoothen a piece; he started at night and ended in the morning. He could always perfectly smoothen that Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone during this period of time. In the beginning, Shangguan Jing would still be secretly astonished, but he gradually got used to it. During these few days, he understood two things. Firstly, Rong Xiu was very wealthy. Secondly, Rong Xiu¡¯s talent and skills in Armory Refinement had long exceeded his previous expectations. After being conflicted for a period of time, Shangguan Jing thought it through. Indeed, only such a man is worthy of our Yue¡¯er! After watching for a while, Shangguan Jing suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Rong Xiu, we¡¯re going to go through the Red Soul Woods tomorrow. Is your armor¡­ not going to come in time?¡± Rong Xiu paused in his actions and looked over. Shangguan Jing hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand; I¡¯m not urging you. I know that you¡¯re already very efficient, but you haven¡¯t been resting these few days. I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll exhaust too much of your mental strength¡­ The Red Soul Woods and the God-Killing Tumulus are very dangerous places. You have to energize yourself to handle it. If not, why don¡¯t we just rest for today?¡± He had come to this place before and knew how hard it was to handle it. He was really worried that it would be more dangerous for Rong Xiu to enter in his current state. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. He smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Senior Shangguan. I¡¯m doing fine. Besides, this armor is going to be done real soon. I¡¯ll just finish it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to complete it?¡± Shangguan Jing was shocked. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°When this piece is smoothened, it¡¯s basically complete.¡± Shangguan Jing was dazed for a while. Rong Xiu previously said that he wanted to craft a set of armor stronger than the pure gold armor. Then, it had to be a royal Yuan instrument at the very least, right? However, why does it sound so easy for Rong Xiu? ¡°It¡¯ll be a little late. I might have to trouble you to take care of Yue¡¯er first.¡± Rong Xiu lifted his chin. ¡°I¡¯ll go to that side and finish the final part.¡± Triggering the lightning would definitely cause a huge commotion. He did not want to disturb her. Shangguan Jing nodded hesitantly. Rong Xiu really looked too calm, such that he couldn¡¯t even state his worries. This man always seemed calm and collected. No matter what situation he was in, he could handle it easily. After about four hours, the moon hung in the middle of the sky. Rong Xiu picked up his smoothened Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone and stood up. He was about to walk forward when he heard a young woman¡¯s voice. ¡°This is the Red Soul Woods? It seems¡­ like nothing much!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1628 - Heard That woman¡¯s voice was very youthful, with a hint of unconcealable pride and willfulness. It seemed like she really didn¡¯t care about this Red Soul Woods. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned, and he nonchalantly looked toward the sound of the voice. About a hundred feet away from them, a group of people seemed to have just reached this place. The person talking was wearing a goose-yellow dress, and she looked like she was in her twenties. She was petite, and her hair was so long that it dropped to her shins. As the wind blew, she looked a little like a fairy. Of course, one had to ignore her voice and the nonchalant and disdainful gaze she used to look at the Red Soul Woods. A muscular man stood beside her. He looked like he was about 27 or 28, with sharp brows and eyes. He was handsome. He was much taller than that woman. When the two of them stood together, the contrast was stark. Behind them were two elders, one wearing black and the other wearing white. They both had white hair and looked old. However, their aura was hidden yet strong, causing one to be unable to underestimate them. ¡°There are so many places to train in the God Residence Realm. Why did Father specifically choose here? This forest looks really gross.¡± That woman stretched out her slim white hand and covered her nose, her thin brows furrowed slightly. They had spent a lot of effort to come to this devilish place. Originally, she did not harbor much hope. But when she was right in front of it, she realized that it was¡­ much more annoying than she had imagined. Behind, the elder in a white robe smiled and said, ¡°Second Missy, we came a little late. There¡¯s currently poisonous mist being spread in the Red Soul Woods now. If we see it again in the day, the Red Soul Woods has a decent view. Besides, Master asked you to come because he had good intentions, and not¡­¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to come!¡± That woman interrupted the elder in white and crossed her arms. ¡°Are we not here because of that thing? But it doesn¡¯t require both Big Brother and I to come personally, right? There are so many people idling at home. Can¡¯t we just send a few of them over?¡± Originally, she was having comfortable days at home. Who knew that her father would suddenly send her over and not even give her a chance to retort? The elder in the white robe smiled curtly. At the side, the elder in the black robe had a cold and stern appearance. When he saw this, he spoke. ¡°Second Missy, that item is very important to you. Master said that he hopes you can find it yourself and bring it back. This way, the others will be convinced by you.¡± His tone was much sterner and deeper than the previous elder in white. When the woman heard this, she unwittingly put her arms down, but she still felt uncomfortable. Then, she raised her voice slightly and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m the second missy. Even if I don¡¯t come myself. Who would dare to do anything to me?¡± The elder in the black robe knitted his brows. At this point, the tall young man finally said, ¡°Yiyi, you can¡¯t casually say such words.¡± His voice was extremely deep and low. It sounded like thunder beside one¡¯s ears. His tone had a domineering aura and sternness from being in a high position for a long time. The woman called ¡®Yiyi¡¯ then restrained her temper and stomped her feet. ¡°¡­I got it!¡± She dared to throw her tantrum in front of everyone but was only afraid of her Big Brother. This was also the reason why her father sent him with her. With him around, she had to restrain her temper. That young man patted her head lightly, and a doting smile appeared on his face. ¡°Be good. If you perform well, I have a reward¡ª¡± Before he finished his sentence, his gaze suddenly focused, and his voice trailed off. Seeing his weird reaction, that woman could not help but ask, ¡°Big Brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± As she asked, she looked toward where her Big Brother was looking. With this look, she was stunned. Not far away, a man in a white robe stood with his hands behind his back. The moonlight seemed like water as it landed behind him in a seemingly gentle manner. Even if the sky was dark and everything in the surroundings was mostly covered by the black shadows, it couldn¡¯t conceal the amazing temperament of this man. As such, one didn¡¯t need to see that man¡¯s aura. One just had to look at his surrounding aura, and it was better than many lavish items. Nan Yiyi widened her eyes slightly. At one moment, she felt that her heart was harshly hit by something. That man glanced over extremely lightly and retracted his gaze before he turned around to leave. Nan Yiyi instinctively opened her mouth, but she could not say anything at that moment. She couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Sir, please stay!¡± However, Nan Yuxing had already spoken loudly at the side. Rong Xiu stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at them. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± His voice was as cold as gems hitting against each other, with coldness and nonchalance. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t very interested in continuing their conversation, and he did not want to interact with them. Nan Yuxing slowly clenched his fists behind him. ¡°May I know if you heard anything just now?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression turned even lighter. ¡°I heard it all.¡± The two parties weren¡¯t far apart, and he was strong as well. How could he not hear it? Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression changed slightly because he didn¡¯t expect the other party¡¯s attitude to be so firm. But thinking in another way, everyone had their own skills, and it was more appropriate to lay all their cards on the table. He cupped his fists. ¡°My sister was just casually talking. Sir, I hope you¡ª¡± ¡°I have no interest in knowing these things.¡± Without hearing him finish, Rong Xiu interrupted him nonchalantly. He wasn¡¯t interested in these people¡¯s background and statuses. He completely did not want to know what they were looking for when they entered the God-Killing Tumulus. ¡°I still have something on. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± He had to rush to craft the armor for Yue¡¯er. He didn¡¯t want to waste any time on anyone irrelevant. ¡°You¡ª¡± Nan Yuxing did not expect the other party to be so rude, and he couldn¡¯t maintain his expression. He was born distinguished and had never experienced such things before! ¡°Hah, how arrogant.¡± He sneered. ¡°Eldest Young Master, do you think we have to¡ª¡± The elder in white tried to ask. Even though they didn¡¯t say the most crucial point, that man had heard quite a bit. It was originally strange for this man to appear outside of the Red Soul Woods in the middle of the night. They had to ask him properly. Nan Yiyi reluctantly retracted her gaze when she could not see that figure. Coincidentally hearing the white elder¡¯s words, her expression changed instantly. ¡°Elder Bai Tong, what do you mean?! He was just passing by, and I didn¡¯t say anything important. Why are you overreacting?¡± Elder Bai Tong was confused by this sudden lecture. Why is Second Missy suddenly so hot-tempered? ¡°T-this is naturally because our mission is important, so outsiders can¡¯t easily know about it! What if¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s clearly us who didn¡¯t realize that there¡¯s someone around. Why did we blame it on him in the end?¡± Nan Yiyi said with knitted brows, ¡°Anyway, you can¡¯t cause trouble for him!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1629 - Causing Trouble Elder Bai Tong was speechless and closed his mouth in embarrassment. Nan Yuxing¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he looked at Nan Yiyi. ¡°Yiyi, why are you speaking up for that person?¡± His sister had been pampered since she was young. Usually, even the family might not have the right to hear a good word from her. Moreover, the young man was just a stranger, so it was unbelievable that she would say such a thing. Nan Yiyi¡¯s face heated up slightly from his gaze. She looked away and said guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m not speaking up for him; I¡¯m just telling the truth! Big Brother, have you forgotten that before we went out, Father reminded us repeatedly not to cause trouble outside?¡± Nan Yuxing looked at her speechlessly. It¡¯s hard for her to remember this. Unfortunately, she seems to have forgotten that Father had specially said these words to her. ¡°He didn¡¯t take the initiative to provoke us in the first place. Why must we find trouble with him?¡± Nan Yiyi pursed her lips. When the man looked over, his eyes were extremely indifferent, and he didn¡¯t even look at her. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I want to rest.¡± Hearing what Nan Yiyi said, Nan Yuxing could only shake his head helplessly. ¡°Alright, alright. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we don¡¯t pursue the matter? You¡¯re right. We¡¯ve already arrived at the Red Soul Woods; we can enter the God-Killing Tumulus tomorrow morning. It¡¯s indeed better to avoid trouble.¡± He looked around and raised his hand to point in a certain direction. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and rest first.¡± Then, they walked over. As they walked, Nan Yiyi even turned around to look two or three times. Unfortunately, the night was dark, and she could no longer see the elegant figure in white. She retracted her gaze in disappointment and sat down behind a large rock with Nan Yuxing. Nan Yuxing glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his eyes slightly dark. How could Nan Yiyi¡¯s thoughts escape his eyes? She isn¡¯t being kind. She has most likely taken a fancy to that man just now! Nan Yuxing frowned. Actually, Nan Yiyi was already at the age of marriage, but she was very playful and didn¡¯t even take a look at the men that her family had deliberately introduced. Once, her father had planned to help her get engaged, but she had still ruined it. Later on, her father simply let go and stopped caring about these things. He just waited for her to want to settle down. I didn¡¯t expect her to¡­ actually take a fancy to a man whose identity and name we don¡¯t even know outside the Red Soul Woods? Of course, I won¡¯t agree to it. Nan Yuxing sat cross-legged and tapped his fingers on his knees. If she is only slightly tempted, it¡¯ll be fine. If she really does something¡­ I will have to consider it differently. ¡°Elders, did you see that person¡¯s strength just now?¡± Nan Yuxing thought for a moment before asking. The two elders opposite looked at each other and shook their heads. ¡°His aura is hidden very deeply. He must¡¯ve deliberately used some Yuan instrument to hide it.¡± Nan Yuxing paused. The two elders have excellent eyesight, and even they couldn¡¯t tell the other party¡¯s aura. It seems that he is indeed capable. Besides¡­ The two of us were so close just now, but we actually didn¡¯t notice that man¡¯s existence! If I hadn¡¯t happened to look up¡­ In short, that man can¡¯t be underestimated! ¡°Be careful when you¡¯re outside,¡± Nan Yuxing said. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re entering the God-Killing Tumulus tomorrow. There can¡¯t be any mistakes.¡± The two elders¡¯ expressions turned solemn. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Also¡­ Since he¡¯s here, it¡¯s very likely that he¡¯s here for the God-Killing Tumulus. Tomorrow, we must act separately from him.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Nan Yiyi immediately pouted in dissatisfaction. ¡°Big Brother, why!?¡± Nan Yuxing glanced at her. ¡°What do you think? We¡¯re not here to have fun.¡± He had to help her find that thing as soon as possible and go home. Nan Yiyi instantly deflated. No matter how arrogant and presumptuous she was, she knew how important this matter was, and she couldn¡¯t be careless. Every time her brother spoke in such a tone, she knew that she couldn¡¯t continue causing trouble. ¡°¡­Got it.¡± She lowered her eyes and pursed her lips. It doesn¡¯t matter if we don¡¯t see each other. Anyway, I have already memorized that person¡¯s appearance. Although his appearance couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, such a powerful person must be very famous. As long as I ask around, I won¡¯t have to worry about not knowing the other party¡¯s identity. Thinking of this, she suppressed her restless heart. Seeing that she was finally willing to listen, Nan Yuxing nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s very late today. Everyone, hurry up and take a break¡ª¡± Boom! In the sky, a huge roar suddenly sounded! The few of them immediately looked up in unison! Dark clouds gathered quickly in the night sky, and the bright moon was quickly covered. Then, a bright silver snake-like bolt of lightning appeared behind the clouds! This instant of light was like a knife that ruthlessly tore through the dark night! Elder Bai Tong suddenly said, ¡°Look! That person seems to be preparing to refine a Yuan instrument!?¡± The few of them focused their gazes and saw that the white-robed man they had just met had actually walked to a relatively empty and flat spot in the distance. Above his head was where the lightning appeared! There were rocks piled up here, and the night was dark, so they couldn¡¯t see him just now. Nan Yiyi was first delighted, but then she looked at the black-robed elder and asked in confusion, ¡°Elder Wu Peng, is he really going to refine Yuan instruments?¡± As an Armory Refinement Master, Elder Wu Peng naturally had more say in these matters. As expected, although Elder Wu Peng¡¯s expression was still cold, he still nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be an Armory Refinement Master¡­ Elder Wu Peng, can you tell what level he is?¡± Nan Yiyi asked curiously. Elder Wu Peng looked up at the sky and pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not completely sure yet¡­ However, this person attracted the lightning extremely quickly. He should be quite powerful.¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes lit up. Hong long long! Soon, the lightning in the sky quickly gathered! After a while, countless lightning bolts appeared in the sky, almost forming a sea of lightning! ¡°¡­This is at least an advanced Yuan instrument, right?¡± Nan Yiyi asked curiously. Although she wasn¡¯t an Armory Refinement Master, she had seen many refinement scenes since she was young, so she was quite experienced. Elder Wu Peng nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just refining an advanced Yuan instrument. What¡¯s there to see?¡± Nan Yuxing was very unhappy with Nan Yiyi¡¯s reaction and immediately pulled a long face. Nan Yiyi snorted. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see, but he¡¯s an Armory Refinement Master after all! Just this point alone makes him much stronger than me!¡± He didn¡¯t look old either. An advanced Armoy Refinement master in his twenties was considered not bad in their family. At this moment, Elder Wu Peng suddenly took a step forward with a bewildered expression. Nan Yiyi asked curiously, ¡°Elder Wu Peng, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1630 - This Man She looked back as she spoke. The man in white was taking out a few faintly golden stones. The stones were exactly the same shape and size, lined up in a row. Upon closer look, one could see black patterns inside. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± When Nan Yuxing saw it clearly, he was also shocked. ¡°Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone?!¡± Elder Wu Peng nodded. The remaining few people exchanged glances. This thing is extremely precious, but why did this man take out so much at once? Moreover, it is used to refine Yuan instruments. ¡°There are so many Ink-Gold Spiritual Stones. What Yuan instrument is he trying to refine?¡± Nan Yuxing frowned slightly. Previously, he was only suspicious, but now, he was basically certain that the man¡¯s identity was definitely extraordinary. Elder Wu Peng didn¡¯t speak. His eyes were fixed on that spot. Perhaps infected by the atmosphere, the few of them fell silent at the same time. ¡­ After arranging the eight Ink-Gold Spiritual Stones, Rong Xiu looked up at the sky. Lightning gathered and swam crazily. The next moment, he gently closed his eyes. There was a short silence. Immediately after, countless bolts of lightning covered the sky! Hong hong hong! Bolts of lightning descended crazily and struck the Ink-Gold Spiritual Stones! Sparks flew! His figure was almost completely engulfed by the dazzling light! ¡­ ¡°He¡¯s not refining an advanced Yuan instrument.¡± Seeing this, Elder Wu Peng finally spoke in a low voice with a firm tone. ¡°He¡¯s going to refine a royal Yuan instrument!¡± The remaining people said nothing. Actually, even if he hadn¡¯t spoken, they would¡¯ve seen it. Why would there be such a commotion when refining an advanced Yuan instrument? Even they rarely saw such a young royal Armory Refinement Master. ¡°He really has some ability¡­¡± Nan Yuxing narrowed his eyes. ¡°But why does he have to refine Yuan instruments here?¡± Refining a royal Yuan instrument required a lot of time and energy. Even a royal Armory Refinement Master couldn¡¯t guarantee that every refinement would succeed. Under normal circumstances, they would choose a quiet and safe place in advance and find someone to protect them to ensure that they wouldn¡¯t be disturbed before officially starting to refine Yuan instruments. It had to be known that once the refinement process was interfered with by external factors, the refinement failure was a small matter. If it caused a backlash to the refiner, it would be terrifying. However, this man actually refined Yuan instruments outside the Red Soul Woods just like that¡­ Was he too ambitious, or did he have full confidence in himself? Arrogant. Nan Yuxing gave the other party a judgment in his heart. He had lived for so many years, and with his special status, he had seen many arrogant people. Even he himself was one of them. However¡­ The man opposite him was still more arrogant than most people he had seen. Even though the other party hadn¡¯t said much to them from beginning to end, he could feel the arrogance in the man¡¯s bones. This made him very unhappy. ¡°A royal Armory Refinement Master at this age should be quite famous in the God Residence Realm. Why don¡¯t I remember him at all?¡± Nan Yuxing searched his mind for a long time, but he still couldn¡¯t find the right person. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, can you guess this person¡¯s identity?¡± Elder Wu Peng shook his head. ¡°Either the other party disguised his appearance, or¡­ he has just broken through to become a royal Armory Refinement Master.¡± He paused, feeling more hesitation. In fact, neither scenario seemed likely to him. What kind of person could pretend to be so talented? Most people would basically go in a low-key direction if they wanted to disguise themselves. Who would do the opposite? Looking like this, nobody who had seen him would forget him. Then, what was he after? As for the second guess¡­ it was even more ridiculous to a certain extent. He was an Armory Refinement Master himself, so he could naturally tell that the other party was skilled and relaxed. This was definitely not the strength and condition of someone who had just broken through to become a royal Armory Refinement Master. ¡°¡­There¡¯s another possibility¡ªhe used to hide his true strength.¡± This was the only way to explain many things that did not make sense. ¡°This¡­ Is that why he deliberately refined Yuan instruments here?¡± Nan Yiyi came to a realization. ¡°There¡¯s basically nobody here, so he specially chose this place! It¡¯s just that he definitely didn¡¯t expect to meet us¡ª¡± What a coincidence. The Red Soul Woods actually surrounded the God-Killing Tumulus, but they met in the same place. If this wasn¡¯t a coincidence, what was? Hearing this, Nan Yuxing was relieved. It seems that the man in white had indeed come here to find a convenient place to refine Yuan instruments. He doesn¡¯t want to blow his cover, and we don¡¯t want to deal with him. It¡¯s not bad for both sides to mind their own business. More importantly, it usually takes a long time to refine a royal Yuan instrument. It can be as short as a month or as long as half a year. He had even heard of someone spending a full three years just to refine a royal Yuan instrument. It could be seen how troublesome this matter was. If that¡¯s the case, this man should still be here when we pass through the Red Soul Woods and enter the God-Killing Tumulus tomorrow. Then, there is no need to bother to separate from him. At this moment, another loud bang sounded in the sky! Several more bolts of lightning appeared! Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression changed slightly. Isn¡¯t¡­ Isn¡¯t this person attracting the lightning a little too fast? ¡­ Amidst the light, Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were still closed, and his expression remained unchanged. He raised his arm slightly and clenched his slender and fair fingers in the air. The eight Ink-Gold Spiritual Stones began to fuse rapidly under the bombardment of countless lightning bolts! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1631 - Success The extremely hard Ink-Gold Spiritual Stone seemed to become especially soft in his hand, allowing him to mold it into the shape he wanted. When these Ink-Gold Spiritual Stones fused together, the faint black patterns inside also began to connect with each other gradually. A majestic aura vaguely emitted! ¡­ ¡°How can his refining be so fast!?¡± Elder Bai Tong also realized that something was wrong and hurriedly looked at Elder Wu Peng. It wasn¡¯t that they had never seen the scene of refining a royal Yuan instrument, but the current situation¡­ was really beyond their expectations. Elder Wu Peng frowned. Actually, he had already sensed the anomaly just now, but he was still a little uncertain. After all, even he himself might not be able to do it so quickly. But now that the truth was in front of them, they had to believe it. After a long silence, he said in a low voice, ¡°Even if it¡¯s an Armory Refinement Master of the same level, there¡¯ll be a difference in strength because of their different talent and experience. Perhaps he has already tried many times before, which is why he can do it so easily today.¡± A trace of doubt appeared on Elder Bai Tong¡¯s face. ¡°This¡­ is unlikely, right? What kind of background does he have for him to take out so many Ink-Gold Spiritual Stones to practice?¡± One had to know that if the refinement failed, those materials would become a pile of trash. Elder Wu Peng pursed his lips. I certainly know that, but other than that, I really can¡¯t think of a better reason. I¡¯ve seen many Armory Refinement Master geniuses, but¡­ They would definitely not be able to do this. ¡°This person is not simple.¡± Nan Yuxing pondered for a long time and gave a vague answer. At first, he didn¡¯t take the other party seriously, but now that he looked at the latter again, he had to admit that this person was indeed capable. He just didn¡¯t know this person¡¯s identity. Nan Yiyi glanced at him and excitedly asked, ¡°Big Brother, why don¡¯t we ask after he finishes refining? It¡¯s rare to see such a young royal Armory Refinement Master¡­ If we can befriend him, it¡¯ll be beneficial to us, right?¡± How could Nan Yuxing not know what she was thinking? He only glanced at her indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about these things. The only thing you have to do now is to find that thing after entering the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± Nan Yiyi pursed her lips. I¡¯ve heard this so many times that my ears are about to grow calluses! She snorted softly and looked over again. Although I don¡¯t know the other party¡¯s identity yet, the family faction behind him definitely won¡¯t be weak if he can grow into a royal Armory Refinement Master. Moreover, he is so outstanding. As long as we put in a little effort to find out, we¡¯ll definitely be able to obtain a lot of information. My father has always said that I¡¯m too picky, but there is indeed such a perfect person in this world! Nan Yiyi placed a hand on her chest and gently exhaled, trying to calm her emotions. However, her heart was beating uncontrollably as if it would jump out at any moment. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. The sound of the lightning gradually subsided. In front of Rong Xiu, the eight Ink-Gold Spiritual Stones had completely fused and were preliminarily forged into armor. Only the protective plate in the middle of the chest caved in slightly. Rong Xiu opened his eyes. With a thought, the force transformed into a sharp flying dagger. Pfft. He held the flying dagger and gently cut his palm! Dark-red blood instantly gushed out and dripped onto the protective heart plate. In a moment, the sunken spot was filled with his blood. Rong Xiu put away the flying knife, and golden flames danced in his palm! The remaining blood on his hand quickly dissipated, and even the wound quickly healed. In this short period of time, the blood contained in the protective plate gradually seeped into the entire armor! A faint red color spread through the golden armor, fusing with the black patterns and gradually covering it. From the outside, it looked like there was a faint trace of blood in the crystal-clear golden jade. An indescribable nobility exuded from it. When the last drop of blood spread into it, the smell of blood completely dissipated. The crimson lines became strange patterns engraved in the armor. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips turned pale. However, his deep phoenix eyes became more focused. The light flickered and shone in his eyes, dazzling. ¡­ ¡°Is this going to end?¡± Elder Bai Tong looked up and asked curiously. There was no more lightning in the sky. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Maybe it failed,¡± Nan Yuxing said. It wasn¡¯t like this hadn¡¯t happened before. He was used to it. He had been so anxious to trigger the lightning just now. Now, it should be¡ª Boom! Before he could finish his sentence, he heard another loud bang in the sky! This sound was even louder than before! Immediately after, several more bolts of lightning appeared behind the thick clouds! Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression was a little ugly. The next moment, the lightning struck again! Sparks flew¡ªthey could barely see the outline of the figure. Elder Wu Peng¡¯s eyes were dark. ¡°¡­He might succeed before dawn.¡± When the remaining three heard this, their eyes were filled with surprise. But even Elder Wu Peng has said so. Then¡­ Nan Yuxing slowly clenched his fists. Could it be that¡­ the other party is also planning to enter the God-Killing Tumulus tomorrow? ¡­ Rong Xiu began to forge and carve the armor in greater detail. Every inch of him used 120% of his concentration to be perfect. The night gradually faded. When the sky turned bright, he finally stopped what he was doing! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1632 - Holding Me Up From Seeing My Wife The lightning fell, and the dark clouds dispersed! The flames around him dissipated bit by bit. Only the armor in front of him was shining! Outside the armor was a halo that outsiders couldn¡¯t see clearly, but that vast and powerful aura was impossible to ignore! Elder Wu Peng and the others fell into a dead silence. They all knew very well that it was indeed a royal Yuan instrument! This man actually¡­ He really only took a day¡ªno, one night to refine a royal Yuan instrument! Even though they were mentally prepared, the shock in their hearts upon personally witnessing all of this was still indescribable. Rong Xiu waved his wrist gently, and the ball of light landed in his hand and disappeared. The sky was about to brighten, and there was a faint mist around. He was dressed in white and stood in the ethereal fog, looking even more like an immortal. Nan Yiyi was stunned. At this moment, Rong Xiu suddenly turned around and walked over. His footsteps were light and calm, but every step seemed to be stepping on Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart. Nan Yiyi subconsciously held her breath as her entire body tensed up. Her heart pounded, and her face seemed to be on fire. She had never thought that a man¡ªwho she hadn¡¯t even clearly seen the face of¡ªcould control her emotions so easily. The distance between them closed. Nan Yuxing looked at Nan Yiyi and saw her staring blankly ahead. He wanted to say something, but the words were suddenly stuck in his throat. He had never seen his sister show such an expression to anyone. Although he was usually a little strict with her, he still doted on her deep down. If she really likes him, as long as the other party¡¯s background is passable¡­ With such looks and charm, coupled with his talent as an Armory Refinement Master, it isn¡¯t impossible to consider him. Thinking of this, he took a step forward and cupped his hands politely. ¡°Please wait.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stop walking, as if he did not hear him at all. Nan Yuxing frowned. This man indeed has the right to be arrogant, but it isn¡¯t good if he goes overboard. He took a few more steps forward and blocked Rong Xiu¡¯s path. Rong Xiu stopped and looked up at him. Nan Yuxing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The man¡¯s eyes were deep like an endless cold lake, and this glance was extremely indifferent and cold. It was as if the person standing in front of him wasn¡¯t a living person but an unimportant object. This gaze made Nan Yuxing very uncomfortable, but he was no longer a fledgling young man and could still control this emotion. With an unwavering smile, he said, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t misunderstand. We don¡¯t have any ill intentions. I¡¯m Nan Yuxing. Seeing that you¡¯re already a royal Armory Refinement Master at such a young age, I¡¯m very impressed. I wonder if we can be friends? In the future¡ª¡± ¡°No need.¡± Before he could finish, Rong Xiu gave a straightforward answer. With that, Rong Xiu took a step and circled Nan Yuxing before continuing forward. Nan Yuxing was still stunned on the spot. It¡¯s rare for me to take the initiative to build a relationship with someone, but I was actually rejected? Usually, countless people wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to talk to me and build a relationship with me! This man actually¡ª He was so angry that he laughed and turned around. ¡°You¡¯re so arrogant.¡± Although he was smiling, the sarcasm in his words couldn¡¯t be clearer. Rong Xiu did not even stop in his tracks. Nan Yuxing finally could not hold back his expression. Before he could flare up, Nan Yiyi had already rushed forward. ¡°You! Wait!¡± She jogged over and quickly rushed to Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s indifferent expression finally fluctuated. He frowned slightly, impatience appearing between his eyebrows. Nan Yiyi looked up and saw his face. For a moment, her mind was almost blank. Previously, she hadn¡¯t been able to take a closer look at the other party¡¯s appearance. At this moment, they were only a few steps apart. When she looked up, she could see him clearly. His eyebrows were sharp, and his phoenix eyes were as deep as the sea. His nose was high, and his scarlet lips were the first color of spring. His face was clearly cold and distant, but it also had a hint of spring in it. In an instant, he was as cold as an immortal. In the blink of an eye, he was as bewitching as a demon. He could really be considered a peerless beauty. Suddenly, the words that Nan Yiyi had prepared got stuck in her throat, and she couldn¡¯t say them. His handsome face shocked her so much that she did not notice the impatience between Rong Xiu¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Move.¡± Rong Xiu spoke, his voice as cold as ice and filled with irrefutable nobility. Almost subconsciously, Nan Yiyi took a step to the side. Seeing this, Nan Yuxing was furious. My sister has always been fearless. Our entire family dotes on her, afraid that she would suffer if we bumped into her. In the end, not only did this man not give her a good attitude, but he even directly ordered her to move aside? Nan Yuxing¡¯s figure flashed! In an instant, he appeared beside Nan Yiyi. He pulled Nan Yiyi behind him and took a step forward. ¡°Is a royal Armory Refinement Master really that impressive? We kindly befriended you. Why are you so high and mighty?¡± I only gave him some face because Yiyi liked him. Unfortunately, the other party didn¡¯t seem to appreciate it. Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Rong Xiu had no patience for outsiders, let alone these people who had once wanted to find trouble with him. He finally looked straight at Nan Yuxing. At this moment, Nan Yuxing suddenly felt a chill run down his spine! Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was lazy, and his voice was extremely faint. ¡°You¡¯re holding me up from seeing my wife.¡± 1 Every word was cold! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1633 - Who Are You? A chill surged from the bottom of his heart, making Nan Yuxing shiver. However, Nan Yiyi¡¯s attention was on a certain word. Wife? He is already married? Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart instantly turned cold as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± At this moment, a clear female voice came from behind. Nan Yuxing and Nan Yiyi watched as the man¡ªwho had just spoken coldly to them¡ªlook to the other side. Instantly, the frost in his eyes melted. In its place was unconcealable clarity and gentleness. His thin scarlet lips curved slightly, and there seemed to be a glint in his deep phoenix eyes. The aura around him also became completely different. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re awake?¡± As he spoke, he walked past the siblings. A faint cold fragrance swept across their noses. Nan Yiyi turned around in a daze and looked in the direction he was going. Not far away, a woman was standing behind a few rocks. The woman was wearing a red dress and looked to be no more than 17 or 18 years old. Her skin was as fair as snow. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were as bright as stars. She was only wearing a simple red dress, and her black hair was tied up simply. She didn¡¯t have any additional accessories on her body. Standing there, she seemed to surpass thousands of scenes. There was a smile on the corners of her lips, but her whole body was shrouded in a noble and unparalleled spiritual aura, revealing the nobility in her bones. In this ethereal white fog, she looked especially beautiful. The moment she saw the other party¡¯s face, Nan Yiyi was stunned for a moment. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sour and jealous. She had always prided herself on her beauty, but this was the first time she knew what it meant to be inferior in front of another woman. Even if she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she knew very well that the other party¡¯s appearance was indeed much better than hers. Nan Yiyi couldn¡¯t help but lower her head and size herself up. Her clothes were luxurious, and she was particular about everything. But at this moment, compared to the other party, she began to feel that her outfit was very cumbersome. Even when she lowered her head, the jingling and swaying of the hair on her head annoyed her. Her dressing was so exquisite, but it wasn¡¯t as moving as the other party¡¯s bare face. No woman would feel comfortable under such circumstances. Rong Xiu had already walked over and tucked the stray hair behind the woman¡¯s ear. His movements were familiar and natural. He looked at the person in front of him and spoke in a low and pleasant voice. ¡°Did you rest well? Did I disturb you?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and smiled. ¡°No. Actually, I woke up when you were refining just now.¡± Rong Xiu frowned and glanced at Shangguan Jing behind him. Shangguan Jing shrugged helplessly. ¡°Even a barrier can¡¯t stop such a big commotion.¡± Before Rong Xiu prepared to refine the Yuan instrument, he was worried that he would disturb her rest, so he specially set up a barrier. However, it now seemed that it was useless. She has always been sensitive to these things, so it¡¯s impossible for her not to notice. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled. Then, he took out a ball of light and handed it over. ¡°Take a look.¡± Shock flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as she took it. She knew that Rong Xiu was extremely talented in Yuan instrument refinement. The two of them had competed in this aspect in the past, but basically, she lost. Moreover, she had never tested Rong Xiu¡¯s true strength. This was the first time she had seen Rong Xiu¡¯s royal Yuan instrument with her own eyes. Others might not be able to see it clearly, but now that it was in her hands, she could see it clearly¡ªit was a set of armor. It was a faint golden color, but the texture looked more like jade, and it was extremely light in her hand. ¡°You can directly drip blood on it to be recognized as its master,¡± Rong Xiu said, Chu Liuyue nodded slightly, took out a dagger, and cut her palm. Dark-red blood immediately gushed out and dripped onto the armor! The armor shimmered. The blood was then quickly engulfed and absorbed, disappearing from the surface. Thin blood-colored patterns appeared inside. In an instant, she sensed that there seemed to be an additional connection between her and the armor. Then, with a flash of light, the armor quickly disappeared! Chu Liuyue blinked. The cut on her hand quickly recovered, leaving only a faint pink scar. A faint golden light enveloped her body before quickly disappearing. However, she knew very well that the armor had already recognized her as its master. Then, as if sensing something, she widened her eyes and stared at Rong Xiu. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± Rong Xiu asked with a smile. The words in Chu Liuyue¡¯s throat suddenly got stuck. After a moment, she nodded seriously. ¡°I like everything you give me.¡± ¡­ The two of them chatted and laughed as if nobody was around, deeply stimulating Nan Yiyi. She couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward. ¡°You gave her the royal Yuan instrument you worked so hard to refine just like that?!¡± A cold glint flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. However, Chu Liuyue blinked and sized Nan Yiyi up for the first time. In truth, she had seen and heard the scene of the siblings stopping Rong Xiu. It¡¯s obvious that this woman has taken a fancy to Rong Xiu. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so persistent. ¡°And you! Do you know how much effort he spent to refine this? You actually accepted it with a clear conscience?¡± As if sensing her gaze, Nan Yiyi aimed her cannon at Chu Liuyue. No matter what, it is a royal Yuan instrument! He gave it away so easily?! Looking at Nan Yiyi¡¯s agitated and angry expression, Chu Liuyue found it funny. She raised her eyebrows slightly and was about to speak when Rong Xiu had already half-turned around. ¡°First of all, this is a Yuan instrument I refined. It¡¯s my business how I want to deal with it. When is it your turn to comment?¡± Nan Yiyi shivered under his cold gaze, and her voice softened. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Secondly, this is a gift I specially prepared for my wife. If I don¡¯t give it to her, should I give it to you?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s face seemed to be covered in a layer of frost. Under his intimidating gaze, Nan Yiyi finally sensed a trace of danger. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Nan Yuxing was angry and heartbroken. He immediately stepped forward and stared at his sister warningly before pulling her behind him. My sister is used to being arrogant and speaks as she pleases. Even though I feel embarrassed by those two sentences, this is still my sister. When we¡¯re outside, how can I let others bully her? 1 Nan Yuxing took a deep breath and said, ¡°That¡¯s not what my sister meant. You¡ª¡± Rong Xiu did not have much patience with the siblings and interrupted him. He stared coldly at Nan Yiyi. ¡°Thirdly, who do you think you are to dare criticize my wife?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1634 - Mysterious Background The last sentence successfully caused the siblings¡¯ faces to change. Nan Yuxing¡¯s face had shock mixed with anger. He was shocked because he didn¡¯t expect the other party to be so unruly! He was angry because that man actually said such words filled with insults and humiliation to his younger sister! On the other hand, Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She had been doted on since she was young. Not to mention being insulted, she hadn¡¯t even heard something harsh. Now that she was suddenly scolded in her face without any form of concealment, she took a long time to recover her senses. After reacting, her face rapidly flushed red, and there seemed to be something crazily swarming in her chest, about to break free! ¡°Y-you¡­¡± She wanted to retort, but even her voice trembled. That was because she felt very complicated. It was the first time she liked someone, but she didn¡¯t expect that before she could even state her thoughts, the other party directly said such words. This impact was too huge, causing her not to have the time to even be angry. She was just stunned. Nan Yuxing hurriedly turned back to glance at her. Seeing such an expression, his heart ached. Since when did my precious sister suffer such humiliation?! ¡°Sir, you¡¯re being too overboard with your words!¡± Nan Yuxing raised his voice, and his surrounding aura started moving! ¡°Yiyi just casually said something, yet you were so harsh with your words! Is bullying a woman what a gentleman does?!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°She should suffer it after saying such words. Rather than scolding other people here, why don¡¯t you go back and properly reflect on how you should change your precious sister¡¯s habit of being so uncourteous.¡± The other party offended him time and time again, and he was long annoyed by them. If it weren¡¯t because he had to produce this armor, he would¡¯ve been rude to them the day before. ¡°You¡ª¡± Nan Yuxing was so enraged that smoke was emitting from his ears. I haven¡¯t seen such an unruly and ill-disciplined character in a very, very long time! Yes, such a young royal armory refinement master was indeed outstanding! However, this doesn¡¯t mean that we are afraid of him! ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not planning to apologize?¡± he asked with a boom. As he spoke, unconcealable murderous intent swirled. Upon seeing this, Nan Yiyi hurriedly went forward and pulled his arm. ¡°Big Brother! What are you doing?!¡± Nan Yuxing frowned. ¡°He insulted you. Of course, I want to teach him a lesson and avenge you!¡± ¡°I, b-but I¡­¡± Of course, Nan Yiyi knew what he meant. In the past, she had also often sought his help. However, this time was different! I-if Big Brother hits him, t-then won¡¯t the other party really treat me as his enemy? She was angry, aggrieved, and frustrated. However, she didn¡¯t want to be completely on bad terms with the other party because of this. Big Brother has always been ruthless in his actions. If he kills him or makes him handicapped¡­ ¡°This isn¡¯t his fault either. Why are you hitting him?!¡± Nan Yiyi bit her lips and glanced at Chu Liuyue vengefully. That gaze was very easy to understand¡ªIf one has to be blamed, she is the one to be blamed! If not to protect her, he would definitely not act in such a manner. Chu Liuyue was confused. I didn¡¯t even speak from start to end. Why did I suddenly get dragged into the fight? How could Nan Yuxing not know what his younger sister was thinking? She is just reluctant! Nan Yuxing expected better from her. I¡¯ve already said it in such a harsh manner, and my attitude is explicit, yet she is still stubborn! At this point, she is actually still speaking for him? What nonsense! Originally, he wanted to let Nan Yiyi move behind and take action himself. However, Nan Yiyi grabbed his arm tightly and refused to let go no matter what. Nan Yuxing was angry and annoyed. In the end, he could only clench his teeth and harshly knock against Nan Yiyi¡¯s head. ¡°You, you!¡± In the past, he just felt that she was a little spoiled and wilful, but he didn¡¯t know she could do so much for a man! This disappointed him greatly! The atmosphere between the two siblings instantly fell into a deadlock. ¡°Eldest Young Master, Second Missy, the sun is up. The poisonous gas in the Red Soul Woods has dissipated. It¡¯s time to go in,¡± said Elder Wu Peng at an appropriate time, breaking the stalemate. Elder Bai Tong hurriedly added in to be a mediator: ¡°Yeah, yeah. We only have a very short amount of time to pass through this Red Soul Woods. Young Master, Missy, we had better hurry.¡± With this, it was considered as giving them an out. Nan Yuxing clutched Nan Yiyi¡¯s wrist and dragged her toward the Red Soul Woods. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± We came here to do important things! As for that unbecoming man¡­ I¡¯ll think of another way to deal with him when this ends! Nan Yiyi¡¯s wrist hurt from being clutched, and she tightly knitted her brows. However, she knew that her big brother was enraged, so she didn¡¯t dare to say anything more and could only follow him. The two elders followed, with one at the front and the other at the back. When the two parties brushed shoulders, Elder Wu Peng looked at Rong Xiu with deep meaning. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was nonchalant and calm as if he had never cared about them. Chu Liuyue blinked and looked at their back views. Rong Xiu¡¯s reputation is considered to have been spread far and wide in the God Residence Realm, and many big shots have seen him before. These two people look like they have quite high statuses, but they don¡¯t seem to recognize Rong Xiu. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice came over. Chu Liuyue looked back in deep thought. ¡°Nothing much. I just feel that¡­ their background doesn¡¯t seem simple.¡± The four people hid their auras very well, but she instinctively felt that they weren¡¯t weak. The more important thing was that they didn¡¯t seem¡­ very shocked when they personally saw Rong Xiu producing a royal Yuan instrument. One had to know that those few aristocratic families had risked being enemies with Ling Xiao Academy just to snatch the Chi Xiao Sword in Ancient Feather Abyss. At that time, they still thought that the Chi Xiao Sword was a royal Yuan instrument. It showed just how distinguished a royal Yuan instrument was to these people, such that they could risk paying such a big price. But to these people¡­ From start to end, they didn¡¯t seem to be envious of the royal Yuan instrument at all. In such a situation, they either knew that they couldn¡¯t fight against them, so they wouldn¡¯t even have such thoughts, or¡­ such an item wasn¡¯t that precious to them. Judging from their arrogant attitudes, it shouldn¡¯t be the first option. But if it is the latter¡­ that would be interesting. Chu Liuyue had stayed in the God Residence Realm for quite some time. She knew that royal Yuan instruments were extremely precious to quite a few aristocratic families and even top-tier ones. What status do these people exactly have to behave in such a¡­ ¡°That elder in black should be a supreme Armory Refinement Master,¡± Shangguan Jing retracted his gaze and boomed. Previously, he had been staying behind the rocks. Additionally, the people involved in the conflict were Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, so the few of them didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. ¡°A supreme Armory Refinement Master, yet he¡¯s the accompaniment of those two people?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. Interesting. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1635 - Husband She stretched out her fingers and lightly tapped Rong Xiu¡¯s chest, smiling in a playful way. ¡°Rong Xiu, perhaps that person is really some family¡¯s missy and has quite an outstanding background. Such a lady also fell in love with you at first sight. It shows that you¡¯re really as good as you were back then.¡± Back then, Rong Xiu was a young man, and his eyes were filled with youthfulness. At that time, he was already the man of countless young women¡¯s dreams. On the first day he entered Ling Xiao Academy, he almost attracted more than half of the women in the academy to look at him. Now that a few years had passed, he had already grown up from a teenager to a man. He had a devilishly handsome appearance with an elegant aura. Even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. This man¡¯s every move and action was more elegant and charming than before. Rong Xiu glanced at her lightly as he held her hand and suddenly leaned in. The two of them breathed each other¡¯s breaths and could almost feel the heat exuding from the other party. A few hints of cold fragrance, with a few hints of charm. The two of them clearly didn¡¯t have more intimate actions, but when Chu Liuyue was looked at by Rong Xiu¡¯s deep and bottomless eyes and was wrapped by his aura, she felt that her face was warm for some reason. His movements were extremely controlled and well-mannered. Only she knew how possessive and invasive his gaze was at this point. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. His gaze felt like something real as it almost forced her to instinctively look away. ¡°Did you smell something?¡± asked Rong Xiu suddenly. His voice had always been low and melodious. At this point, the two of them were very close, so he purposely lowered his voice and whispered into her ears. Chu Liuyue felt even hotter. ¡°What smell?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°A very sour smell.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly recovered her senses and glared at him angrily. Then, she pushed him away. Someone is really becoming more and more arrogant. After being pushed away, Rong Xiu was not angry and laughed lowly. Chu Liuyue instantly walked even faster. Rong Xiu then lifted his legs and followed her at a normal pace. ¡°Yue¡¯er, did you really not smell it?¡± Chu Liuyue completely ignored him. Shangguan Jing looked up at the sky speechlessly. He smelled the smelliness of romance. ¡­ Nan Yuxing and the rest quickly arrived at the Red Soul Woods. When they were about to go in, they heard footsteps behind them. Nan Yuxing turned around to take a look and immediately knitted his brows. Why did they come here as well? He felt even more annoyed and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°You were still so arrogant just now. Why did you come chasing after us while wagging your tails? I¡¯m making this clear in advance. I¡¯ll give my sister face and not pursue the previous incident for the time being. But if you continue being so relentless, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. ¡°Um¡­ This young master, are you misunderstanding something? We also want to pass through the Red Soul Woods to enter the God-Killing Tumulus. We don¡¯t have any intentions of haggling with you.¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression instantly turned ugly. That man¡¯s words were extremely awful, but I didn¡¯t expect this woman to be of the same type! They have sharp tongues and don¡¯t know what¡¯s best for them. He clenched his fists, and his voice was colder. ¡°You are going in too? The God-Killing Tumulus is extremely dangerous and is filled with traps. Why would you go there for no reason?¡± Originally, he still thought that they had specifically come to this quiet place to craft a royal Yuan instrument. But now, it seemed like it clearly wasn¡¯t the case. Chu Liuyue almost burst out laughing. ¡°Could it be that the Red Soul Woods and the God-Killing Tumulus are all your territory, and only you can enter and others can¡¯t? That¡¯s too¡­ too¡­ unreasonable, right?¡± Nan Yuxing was instantly stumped. I indeed have no right to intervene in their matters. However¡­ Nan Yiyi suddenly crossed her arms and coldly laughed, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because you¡¯re suspicious. We first wanted to pass through the Red Soul Woods and enter the God-Killing Tumulus; then, you followed right after. Besides, the God-Killing Tumulus is extremely spacious, and there are countless ways you can enter from the sides. Why did we meet you here? This is too much of a coincidence right?¡± If it were not to go against Rong Xiu, her combat skills were not weak. Besides, she had already regarded Chu Liuyue as her enemy in her heart. When she spoke to Chu Liuyue, she was naturally harsh! ¡°Oh¡­ I see. It does make sense¡­¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to nod in approval. Then, she changed the topic. ¡°But it seems like we came here first. If someone has a problem, it should be¡­ you guys, right?¡± Nan Yiyi was instantly dazed. ¡°You¡ª¡± She wanted to say something, but she suddenly recalled that the other party was indeed here before them. The feeling of being in the right and suddenly being in the wrong was not too great. Nan Yuxing also knitted his brows. Does this mean¡­ it was really a coincidence? ¡°Even so, we¡¯re going in from here now. You guys¡­ go somewhere else. Don¡¯t follow us.¡± His tone was very firm as if he was commanding someone. Chu Liuyue felt that it was even more interesting. This pair of siblings seems to be missing some screws. Perhaps they¡¯ve been in a high position for too long and are used to commanding other people, such that every single word that comes out of their mouths can successfully disgust me. ¡°Do you usually control everyone like this normally?¡± asked Chu Liuyue sincerely, unable to hold back her curiosity. Nan Yuxing and the rest instantly felt awkward. ¡°So this means that you¡¯re not willing to do it?¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s voice seemed to have a hint of threat. Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved up. She stretched out her hand, pointed at Nan Yiyi, and said extremely genuinely, ¡°Speaking of pestering¡­ Wasn¡¯t your precious younger sister the one who kept pestering my husband? I think you guys should be the one who leaves first, right?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1636 - Youre Too Brilliant There was a smile in her eyes, and her voice was clear. Her tone was gentle as if she were saying that the weather was good, but this extremely simple sentence immediately changed the atmosphere! Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression darkened. Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes widened in anger and shame. The two elders standing behind the two of them also frowned, revealing fierce fighting intent. Only the noble His Grace raised his eyebrows and smiled. Comfortable¡ªit was extremely comfortable. The anger that had arisen from the other party¡¯s unreasonable behavior dissipated after hearing those words. He walked over and wrapped his long arm around Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist. Chu Liuyue was still concerned about the ¡®sour scent¡¯ just now. She turned around and glanced at him, wanting to break free from his embrace. ¡°My wife is right.¡± Her waist was very thin and could be held in one hand. Rong Xiu¡¯s hand easily grabbed it tightly. He gave her a ¡®be cooperative¡¯ look and half-smile. Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth. This man really knows how to find an opportunity! She snorted in her heart, but she didn¡¯t move anymore and allowed Rong Xiu¡¯s arm to hold her. His Grace was satisfied and even found the people opposite him a little more pleasing to the eye. ¡°What, did you not hear what my wife said just now?¡± He was talking to all of them when he said this. However, Nan Yiyi felt that his words were specially meant for her. To protect that woman, he is actually so ruthless¡­ Nan Yiyi found it difficult to accept. The tip of her nose turned red, and her eyes instantly reddened. Ever since she turned of age, countless people wanted to propose marriage to her! She had never been so defeated in front of a man! She gritted her teeth and finally took a step forward. ¡°As long as you answer me a question, I¡¯ll leave!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were filled with impatience. He really couldn¡¯t be bothered to say another word to this woman. Unfortunately, all of Nan Yiyi¡¯s attention was on her. Before Rong Xiu could answer, she had already spoken. ¡°How am I inferior to her!?¡± She raised her hand and pointed at Chu Liuyue. Even if she is his wife, she can still be abandoned! However, the other party clearly didn¡¯t have that intention. The impatience and disgust in his eyes when he looked at her were clear. It was completely different from how he looked at Chu Liuyue. Nan Yiyi did not understand. Am I really that unlikable to him? Chu Liuyue, who was targeted again, was speechless. This tone¡­ Why does it sound like the main wife accusing a mistress? This woman called ¡®Yiyi¡¯ really seems to be crazy. As long as she wants it, it¡¯s as if everything in the world should be hers? I¡¯m still standing there and have clearly stated the word ¡®husband.¡¯ So the other party didn¡¯t hear a word of what I said? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t even be bothered to be angry. If she argued with an idiot, she would become the same person. When Rong Xiu heard this, he did not seem angry. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said calmly, ¡°Because you¡¯re ugly.¡± ¡­ Because you¡¯re ugly. You¡¯re ugly. Ugly. As soon as Rong Xiu finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent. Nan Yiyi widened her eyes slightly, and her expression froze for a moment as if she suspected that she had heard wrongly. But that sentence kept echoing in her mind, making it impossible for her to pretend that she had heard wrongly! What could hurt a woman who had just fallen in love more than this sentence? Standing in front of her was an immortal-like man who had shaken her heart, but he had said something like that to her. The most hateful thing was that she couldn¡¯t refute this! Although she was beautiful, she was indeed inferior to the woman in red standing beside him. The word ¡®ugly¡¯ was like a resounding slap to her face. His indifferent but smooth tone was more like an incomparably sharp steel knife that ruthlessly slashed at Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart! Nan Yiyi felt a chill run down her spine. Her face was pale, and her body swayed, almost falling to the ground. ¡°Yiyi!¡± Nan Yuxing hurried forward to support her. Seeing her sad and pitiful appearance, he was instantly furious. This is too much! ¡°You! You!¡± ¡°She insisted on an answer. I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± Rong Xiu frowned slightly. ¡°Why can¡¯t she take it after hearing the truth? Isn¡¯t she too fragile? Are you really not planning to bring her home to recuperate?¡± Chu Liuyue silently gave His Grace a thumbs up. This man has always been cold-hearted and quiet. It¡¯s rare for him to be willing to say so much at once, but every word is vicious. Tsk, I even feel some sympathy for Nan Yiyi. When ordinary women saw Rong Xiu, they basically only dared to look at him from afar because of the subconscious pressure around him. However, Nan Yiyi was different. She might¡¯ve thought too highly of herself, so she was stubborn and bumped into him. Of course, with such a brain, she would definitely cause other troubles in the future if Rong Xiu didn¡¯t teach her a lesson today. Shangguan Jing stood at the side and nodded in satisfaction. That¡¯s right. This kid has a way with words. He really liked her! ¡­ Nan Yuxing¡¯s face was ashen, and the veins on his forehead bulged. For a moment, he simply wanted to tear the other party into pieces! However, Nan Yiyi¡¯s actions just now could only be described as reaping what she sowed. He wanted to stop her, but he didn¡¯t and instead thought better of it. He could let her hear the explanation so that she wouldn¡¯t keep thinking about it in the future. Who knew that this man would be so ruthless!? Nan Yuxing was angry at Nan Yiyi for being disappointing, but at the same time, he hated the other party for going too far. It was as if flames were surging in his heart! ¡°That¡¯s all. Now, can you leave?¡± Rong Xiu seemed to think that it was not enough and stabbed her again. Nan Yiyi¡¯s face was pale, and tears kept flowing. Then, she suddenly broke free from Nan Yuxing, turned around, and ran away. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she could not stay here anymore. ¡°Yiyi!¡± Nan Yuxing was shocked and hurriedly chased after her. After taking two steps, he turned back and gritted his teeth. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll remember today¡¯s score! You¡¯d better hope that you don¡¯t meet us in the God-Killing Tumulus! Otherwise¡ª¡± There was no need to say the rest. Everyone knew what he meant. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Goodbye.¡± With such a sister as a burden, they should be the ones in real danger when entering the God-Killing Tumulus. Nan Yuxing choked and looked deeply at Rong Xiu with killing intent. Then, he turned around and left, continuing to chase after Nan Yiyi. The two elders quickly followed. The few of them quickly left. ¡­ It was finally quiet. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°Am I only better than her in terms of looks?¡± Rong Xiu laughed softly. ¡°No. You¡¯re too brilliant; I just want to look at you alone.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1637 - The Past She had too many merits and was as dazzling as a pearl. He just wanted to hold her in his hands and monopolize her himself. Of course, he knew that this was just wishful thinking because she deserved a wider world and more prosperous scenery. So if he could only choose one, wasn¡¯t it obvious? As long as she stood here, she would win. Why waste any more effort? Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered. She had to admit that it was always easier for this man to move her heart when he said such things. ¡°Cough!¡± Shangguan Jing, who had been ignored, coughed hard. He vaguely began to feel that he had made a mistake in coming along. The two of them had clearly not done anything. They only looked at each other a few times and talked to each other. Him putting his arm around her waist was even the most intimate action between the two of them in a while. He was really restrained and polite. However, Shangguan Jing still felt that among them, he was very, very unnecessary. What a miscalculation! 1 Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue looked over. At the same time, Rong Xiu¡¯s fingertips gently rubbed her lower back twice before he tactfully retracted his hand. Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± She gave Rong Xiu a warning look. ¡°Control yourself!¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows. Haven¡¯t I restrained myself enough? Chu Liuyue was speechless. Shangguan Jing looked up at the sky. ¡°Ah, cough. I think it¡¯s about time. We can prepare to enter the Red Soul Woods, right?¡± ¡­ The weather was clear and cloudless. The Red Soul Woods¡ªwhich had seemed especially sinister and strange in the darkness last night¡ªlooked much more normal now. There were black trees everywhere, and occasionally, thick roots that were completely black would appear. The red leaves swayed in the wind, like the end of autumn. However, the strange thing was that there were no fallen leaves on the ground in the forest¡ªnot a single one. A normal forest would have thick layers of fallen leaves, but this place was flat and clean. It was inevitable that people would find it strange. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With that, Shangguan Jing took the lead and entered. Chu Liuyue glanced at the swaying red leaves and narrowed her eyes slightly before walking in. Shangguan Jing led the way, followed closely by Rong Xiu, who was one step behind Chu Liuyue. The soil on the ground was reddish-brown and very soft. When they stepped on the ground, it basically made no sound. The forest was very quiet. Apart from the rustling of leaves, there were no other sounds. They could even hear each other breathing. ¡°In the Red Soul Woods, you can¡¯t use force or fly. You can only walk forward step by step.¡± As Shangguan Jing walked, he patiently talked about some things they needed to pay attention to. ¡°It¡¯s a lot slower, but it¡¯s safer. It¡¯ll take about four hours to cross the Red Soul Woods on foot. We can basically get out of here before the poisonous gas spreads again.¡± Listening from behind, Chu Liuyue nodded obediently and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ancestor, you¡¯ve been to the God-Killing Tumulus before. Why¡­ have I never heard you mention it?¡± Crucially, it seems like he knows this place better than normal. What has he experienced here in the past? Shangguan Jing pondered for a while before speaking again. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t say. It¡¯s just that the last time I was here, the memories I left here weren¡¯t very good, so I didn¡¯t mention it to you.¡± Nobody was willing to take the initiative to recall and mention those unhappy memories. If Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t been forced here by the other party, he wouldn¡¯t have said this. Chu Liuyue tightly furrowed her brows. I have almost never seen Ancestor like this. It should be¡­ What happened here is indeed difficult for him to let go. ¡°Ancestor, if you don¡¯t want to say it, actually¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing waved his hand and suddenly laughed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s been so many years¡­¡± He paused before continuing, ¡°Before I went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region back then, the last place I stayed was the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked. Doesn¡¯t this mean that Ancestor went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region from here? However, these two places are famous dangerous places in the God Residence Realm. Why did he¡ª ¡°Back when I entered the God Residence Realm, I came from no sect but was arrogant. After challenging seven supreme Armory Refinement Masters in a row, I was even more famous. I attracted many people to follow me and also attracted much resentment.¡± ¡°Since I had already established Tianling, I naturally couldn¡¯t be bothered to establish a sect here. I wanted to be alone, so I rejected all the people who followed me. I only met a friend in the middle whom I could chat happily with.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not an Armory Refinement Master, just an ordinary true god warrior with ordinary aptitude. He had stayed in the God Residence Realm for many years but still hadn¡¯t broken through. However, I admire his open-mindedness. I heard that he was also from outside the God Residence Realm. He came here alone, so we cherished each other, and I treated him as a confidant.¡± ¡°Later, he heard that there was a supreme treasure at the God-Killing Tumulus that could help him break through, so he was a little eager to try. I heard that this place was dangerous, so I decided to go with him. If I could help him break through, it could be considered resolving a knot in his heart.¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue vaguely guessed something. As expected, Shangguan Jing sighed. ¡°I treated him like a close friend. Unfortunately¡­ he was just using me. After we came here, we experienced many difficulties and obstacles before finally finding that thing. However, he¡ª¡± Whoosh! Suddenly, the wind blew! A miserable whimper sounded from the Red Soul Woods! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1638 - Call for Help! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened as she looked up at the forest, but she realized that the sound seemed to be coming from all directions. Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Those are just vengeful spirits in the Red Soul Woods.¡± ¡°Vengeful spirit??¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The so-called vengeful spirits are the souls of the warriors who once wanted to pass through the Red Soul Woods and enter the God-Killing Tumulus. They¡¯re filled with resentment because they were trapped here and died. However, these souls don¡¯t have their own will and divine sense. As long as you don¡¯t use origin power, you won¡¯t be discovered by them and can pass through safely.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I see¡­¡± The whimper was miserable as if it were beside her. When that voice clearly fell into their ears, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill in their hearts. It wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine how miserable and pitiful these people were when they died in the Red Soul Woods. Fortunately, the three of them were mentally strong and weren¡¯t disturbed by the whimpers as they continued forward. But after being disturbed by this voice, Shangguan Jing did not continue his story. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask further. Her ancestor had always been carefree. She could tell that the incident back then had indeed affected him deeply. Even now, a thousand years later, he was still unwilling to mention it. He has probably not completely let go¡­ Actually, upon careful thought, it is understandable. At that time, Ancestor had wandered the God Residence Realm alone and regarded only this person as a friend. He could almost trust him with his life, but the other party betrayed him for a treasure¡­ Nobody would feel good about this. However, Chu Liuyue still had a small question in her heart. At that time, Ancestor was already a supreme Armory Refinement Master. His status is much higher than that of a legendary warrior and a supreme Physician at the same level. Then, why did that person choose to betray Ancestor and kill him just for a treasure that could help a true god break through to a legendary warrior? On the one hand, Ancestor wasn¡¯t interested in this thing. On the other hand, even if he obtained this treasure and successfully broke through to become a legendary warrior, he was still slightly inferior to Ancestor. Why did he have to be so determined? However, Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t continue talking, so she didn¡¯t ask. For Ancestor, every time he mentions it, it should be the process of tearing open the scar again. She pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. She suppressed the doubts and emotions in her heart and followed her ancestor forward. There were a few times when her ears hurt from the whimpers. She even felt that someone was standing beside her, ready to kill her at any moment. However, she got herself under control in the end, ignored it, and bent her head forward. After walking for an unknown period of time, the shrill whimpers beside her finally subsided. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief. The sound was endless and lingered for a long time. It was unknown how many people had died here, let alone how many bones were buried under this seemingly flat and clean ground. The leaves rustled as the wind blew. Chu Liuyue looked up. On the black trees, countless red leaves swayed in the wind. As she got closer, she could clearly see the veins on a leaf. It wasn¡¯t the veins of a normal leaf, but¡­ the shape of a human bone! A cold air surged from the bottom of her feet! She calmly retracted her gaze, but the scene of these leaves swaying in the wind like blood-colored palms last night appeared in her mind. So¡­ The Red Soul Woods isn¡¯t even within the range of the God-Killing Tumulus, but it is already so terrifyingly dangerous. I wonder what danger awaits us after we enter the God-Killing Tumulus¡­ ¡°We¡¯re almost out.¡± At this moment, Shangguan Jing¡¯s words interrupted her train of thought. Chu Liuyue looked in the direction of the voice and indeed saw the edge of the forest ahead. They should be able to leave successfully in about half an hour. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t dare to let down her guard and followed behind her ancestor even more cautiously. As long as¡ª ¡°Ah!¡± A scream suddenly broke the silence in the forest! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This isn¡¯t the voice of a vengeful spirit but a human, and it sounds¡­ familiar! The few of them turned around and looked in the direction of the voice. Indeed, they saw a few familiar figures. It was Nan Yuxing¡¯s group! They seemed to have encountered some danger and were running quickly in their direction. As they ran, they looked back from time to time as if afraid that something would catch up. Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but curse. At this moment, we are about to successfully leave this place, but another problem came looking for us! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Shangguan Jing immediately shouted, grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist, and quickly headed out of the forest. Rong Xiu quickly followed behind the two of them. ¡°Wait! You guys!¡± Nan Yuxing and the others were originally in a terrible fix when they suddenly saw someone in front of them. They couldn¡¯t care less and immediately shouted. ¡°Help us! We¡¯ll definitely reward you!¡± As the two sides weren¡¯t too close and were covered by the trees in the forest, they didn¡¯t see clearly that the people in front were Rong Xiu¡¯s trio. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Hearing Nan Yuxing¡¯s anxious voice and the scream from Nan Yiyi just now, it wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce that they were in trouble. But because her ancestor reacted quickly, she didn¡¯t see the exact situation over there. However, it was precisely because her ancestor¡¯s reaction was fast and strong that she was even more certain that this was definitely not a good thing. Thinking about how arrogant those people were before they came in¡­ Now that even they were forced to this extent, it could be seen that they had met with a lot of trouble! They were about to get out safely, and if they were dragged down by someone now, she wasn¡¯t sure if she would want to kill them. But because they couldn¡¯t use force in the forest, their speed didn¡¯t increase very much. On the other hand, Nan Yuxing and the others were already forced into a life-and-death situation. How could they care so much? They only knew to use their full speed to attack! The distance between the two sides quickly narrowed. Chu Liuyue could even hear the strange rustling sound behind her. She couldn¡¯t help but glance over her shoulder. What she saw made her pupils constrict immediately! In the forest, Nan Yuxing and the others were fleeing in a sorry state. Nan Yiyi looked panicked, and her face was covered in tears. There was an additional wound on her left shoulder. Although it had been barely bandaged with gauze, it was still dark red. The two old men were guarding them from behind, but they didn¡¯t look in a good state either. Behind them, several scarlet leaves were rapidly approaching! Wherever the leaves passed, black spatial cracks appeared! It was as if it would devour them at any moment! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1639 - Youre So Annoying The situation had really exceeded the expectations of Nan Yuxing and the others. At that time, Nan Yiyi had been ruthlessly provoked by Rong Xiu¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore and ran away crying. After Nan Yuxing caught up, he saw that his sister had unknowingly run to the edge of the Red Soul Woods. Worried, he immediately went over to bring her back. Although the Red Soul Woods wasn¡¯t a difficult and dangerous pass for them, it was definitely dangerous for Nan Yiyi to enter alone in her current state! Nan Yuxing originally wanted to persuade her to come back so that they could enter with the two elders. However, Nan Yiyi was agitated. Without thinking, she plunged into the Red Soul Woods. Nan Yuxing quickly caught up, but the key to the matter was that when Nan Yiyi barged into the Red Soul Woods, the origin power in her body was surging violently. This could be considered trouble. When Elder Bai Tong and Elder Wu Peng caught up, the surroundings had already begun to feel strange. Not long after, the leaves fell and began to attack Nan Yiyi! That was when she suffered the injury to her shoulder. After that, the few of them could only deal with the danger as they ran out desperately. Fortunately, these two elders and Nan Yuxing weren¡¯t weak, so they barely lasted until now. When they finally saw someone, they wanted to ask for help. They didn¡¯t expect the other party to run away upon hearing their cries for help! Nan Yuxing¡¯s resentment finally reached its peak after seeing the faces of those people. ¡°Why are you guys here!?¡± His expression changed drastically, and he even slowed down. Chu Liuyue found it ridiculous. They were the ones who had run over and even brought danger here. How dare they ask such a question? ¡°Ignore them!¡± Shangguan Jing turned around and saw the red leaves that were strangling crazily. He frowned and turned around to leave at an even faster speed. Seeing the few of them escape without a word, Nan Yuxing felt even more resentful. If they hadn¡¯t bullied Yiyi, we wouldn¡¯t have fallen into such a state! Everything had been well prepared, but now, there is endless trouble! They knew how difficult the Red Soul Woods was! Nan Yuxing gritted his teeth. Since things have already come to this, I might as well drag them down with us! If we can¡¯t get out on this trip, then¡­ the other party has to stay! Thinking of this, Nan Yuxing suddenly sped up! This time, the force aura on his body became even stronger! Even the leaves on the surrounding trees began to fall and rush toward him! Sensing the commotion behind him, Rong Xiu looked back with cold killing intent in his eyes. His palm moved slightly, but he was suddenly stopped by Shangguan Jing. ¡°Rong Xiu, you must not use force!¡± We¡¯re about to go out. If we attack now, all our efforts will be in vain! Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes dangerously and finally suppressed his urge to attack. At this moment, Nan Yuxing had already rushed in front of them. Whoosh! There were already many wounds on his body from the leaves, and blood was flowing. However, he didn¡¯t care. With a cold flash, a longsword suddenly appeared in his hand and headed straight for Rong Xiu! But just as the sword was about to stab Rong Xiu, Nan Yuxing suddenly tilted his wrist and changed directions to attack Chu Liuyue! He was here for Chu Liuyue! In an instant, there seemed to be turbulent waves in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes! But just as he was about to move, a reddish-gold light suddenly flashed in front of Chu Liuyue. Nan Yuxing felt his vision blur. A girl who looked no more than three or four years old suddenly appeared in front of him. The girl was petite and wore a scarlet-gold lotus leaf dress. She was barefoot and had two buns tied with a red string and golden bells. She was born beautiful and adorable. Her big black grape-like eyes looked even more innocent. Nan Yuxing subconsciously frowned. Why did such a little girl suddenly appear? Could it be their child? But if that¡¯s the case, how had they hidden the child before¡ª ¡°You¡¯re so annoying.¡± Before he could think it through, he heard the little girl suddenly speak. She fiddled with the bell on her head. Her expression was innocent, but there was also a hint of lazy indifference. Nan Yuxing was stunned for a moment before a fierce expression flashed across his face. Who cares who she is!? Since she is following those people, I will kill them all! He did not stop. The sharp blade stabbed straight ahead! When this sword landed, it would definitely pierce through this little girl¡¯s heart! Tuan Zi finally stopped fiddling with the bell and looked ahead. The tip of the sword had already reached the distance between her eyebrows! Her hair was blowing in the cold wind, and the corners of her skirt swayed. A cold smile appeared on Nan Yuxing¡¯s lips, but the next moment, his expression suddenly froze because his sword suddenly stopped! The other end of the sharp blade was grabbed by a small, meaty hand. Nan Yuxing didn¡¯t react for a moment. This¡ªthis little girl actually blocked my attack with her bare hands!? How could this be possible? Although I didn¡¯t use my full strength this time, I¡¯ve definitely used 70 to 80% of my strength! How could such a child¡ª Crack! A crisp crack sounded. Nan Yuxing watched helplessly as his sword was broken by the other party¡¯s small hand! The next moment, before he could react, the small figure in front of him abruptly approached quickly! How fast! Nan Yuxing was shocked. I didn¡¯t sense any force fluctuations from the other party at all! How could she have such a fast movement technique? But he had no time to think about that. Thump! A low sound was heard. An intense pain quickly spread from his lower abdomen! Tuan Zi approached and punched Nan Yuxing! Nan Yuxing subconsciously let go, and the sword fell to the ground with a clang. At the same time, his body was quickly sent flying and fell heavily to the ground! ¡°Big brother!¡± ¡°Young Master!¡± Nan Yiyi and the others were also shocked when they saw this scene. Because of the pain, Nan Yuxing¡¯s body bent into a shrimp shape. He felt that several of his ribs must be broken, and his internal organs were bunched up in pain. He wondered if they had ruptured. His face was pale, and he was covered in cold sweat, having almost fainted. In his daze, there was only one thought left in his mind: Who exactly is that little girl? She actually¡­ actually has such high combat strength?! Whoosh¡ª There was a rustling sound. Nan Yuxing opened his eyes with difficulty and was horrified to see countless red leaves sweeping toward him! ¡°Ah!!!¡± Miserable screams resounded through the forest. Tuan Zi spread her hands and shrugged helplessly. ¡°I told you you were annoying.¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1640 - A Book Tuan Zi was a red-gold heavenly phoenix and had already opened her fourth meridian. Although she looked like a fair and tender ball, in fact, her physical strength was extremely powerful. She wouldn¡¯t care if a hundred of them attacked at the same time, let alone one sword. There was no need to use force. A soft punch was enough to kill the other party! Nan Yuxing was already injured and looked down on Tuan Zi. If he wasn¡¯t dealt with, who would be? Seeing Nan Yuxing¡¯s figure being devoured by the red leaves, Nan Yiyi and the others panicked. They could not care less about the danger and hurriedly rushed over. At this moment, they did not even have the time and energy to flare up. All they could think of was to quickly save Nan Yuxing! If it was too late, then¡ª ¡°Tuan Zi, let¡¯s go.¡± Chu Liuyue waved at Tuan Zi. ¡°Okay!¡± Tuan Zi agreed happily and immediately turned around happily to run toward her. She wanted to throw herself into her arms, but when she saw the corner of the white shirt from the corner of her eye, she restrained herself. ¡°You did well.¡± A cold voice came from above. Tuan Zi widened her eyes in surprise and looked at Rong Xiu in disbelief. His expression was calm, but there was rare admiration in his eyes. This, this, this¡ª Was he praising her?! Tuan Zi blinked and saw that Rong Xiu had already looked away. Her eyes darted around as she tried to reach out and pull Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeve. Chu Liuyue grabbed her hand. Tuan Zi hurriedly glanced at Rong Xiu and saw him raise his eyebrows slightly, but he did not say anything. Did he¡­ agree?! Ahhhhhhh! Tuan Zi was overjoyed! She could finally be with A¡¯Yue openly! She hurriedly grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand tightly and followed closely behind, not forgetting to ask, ¡°A¡¯Yue! Did I do well just now?¡± Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. After so many years, Tuan Zi had broken through from a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant to her current appearance. Her strength and bloodline had increased by countless times, but her personality was still the same as before. Every time she did something, she would always come over excitedly to claim credit. Chu Liuyue pinched her nose. ¡°You did great!¡± A big smile bloomed on Tuan Zi¡¯s face. Hehe! If she had known that the reward this time would be so good, she would have punched him a few more times! If he knew what Tuan Zi was thinking, Nan Yuxing would probably vomit blood. Just to hold hands with her master and talk to her, she would directly beat him to death? The key was that she could really fight! In the Red Soul Woods, no cultivator dared to use force without permission. Once they did, they would be risking their lives! However, there was one person who could defeat everyone with just her physical strength! Where was the justice in this world?! Of course, they were not interested in knowing the situation of Nan Yuxing and the others. After walking for a short distance, the sky finally lit up! Shangguan Jing finally said, ¡°We¡¯re out!¡± ¡­ Hearing her ancestor¡¯s voice, Chu Liuyue took a step forward. At this moment, she clearly felt that everything around her seemed to have changed subtly. Without the cover of the forest, the sunlight poured down wantonly. She narrowed her eyes slightly and only looked ahead when she got used to the light. It was the wilderness¡ªit was endless. Countless broken tombstones were scattered everywhere. Starting from noon, it had taken them about four hours to exit the Red Soul Woods. It was still afternoon when the sun was still bright, but with just one glance, the scene in front made one shiver. ¡°So this is the God-Killing Tumulus¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. The God-Killing Tumulus was indeed worthy of its name; it was a graveyard. There seemed to be an invisible barrier in the sky. The warm and brilliant sunlight was blocked outside. No matter how good the weather was, it was still cold here. A gloomy aura loomed. ¡°This is only the edge of the God-Killing Tumulus. Those who die here are all true gods,¡± explained Shangguan Jing. Chu Liuyue held her breath. At a glance, there are at least a hundred tombstones, and these are all true gods?! Most importantly, with their strength, they can only be at the edge of the God-Killing Tumulus? Then, further inside¡ª ¡°After passing through here and entering the hinterland of the God-Killing Tumulus, it will be the tombs of the legendary warriors.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice was very calm. But in Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, every word was like thunder! A group of¡­ tombs for legendary warriors? How many have died for it to be called a ¡®mass grave?¡¯ Previously, she only knew that the God-Killing Tumulus was a dangerous place that buried many experts, but she didn¡¯t know that the truth was actually so shocking! One had to know that there were less than five legendary warriors in the entire Ling Xiao Academy! There were actually so many buried here¡­ ¡°Tens of thousands of years ago, a bloody battle broke out here. I heard that it lasted for 81 days. Countless top experts died in battle and were finally buried here. That¡¯s how the God-Killing Tumulus came about.¡± Shangguan Jing patiently explained it as if he had seen through her doubts. ¡°It¡¯s said that at the time, the God Residence Realm was filled with origin power. Although there weren¡¯t as many legendary warriors as there are hairs on an ox, there were definitely not a few of them. Therefore, that bloody battle implicated so many peerless experts, and they died here together.¡± ¡°As a result, the battle was exceptionally tragic. Almost all the participants¡¯ souls were destroyed, and even the countless treasures and spells they carried were all destroyed. Therefore, over the years, the God-Killing Tumulus has become a famous and ferocious place.¡± Shangguan Jing sighed as if it were a pity. ¡°It¡¯s also because of this battle that countless inheritances were broken.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Then, why did such a fierce and tragic battle erupt at that time?¡± It sounded like it wasn¡¯t just a few factions that were in conflict, but many people were involved. Shangguan Jing pondered for a moment. ¡°Tens of thousands of years have passed. How will the descendants know? But when I came here back then, I¡­ accidentally learned a clue. They seem to have been fighting over a book.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°A book? What kind of book?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1641 - Targeting Her? ¡°I don¡¯t know this part.¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head. That battle back then was mysterious to the descendants. It was already extremely rare to be able to unintentionally obtain some clues. It was even harder for him to want to find out a thing or two after that. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. The people in the world don¡¯t know about it, let alone someone like Ancestor, who comes from outside the realm. Besides, when he came here back then, it was to accompany his friend to look for something. It was accidental that he found out such things. ¡°¡­Since those treasures are mostly damaged, then¡­ those that can be left behind aren¡¯t ordinary, right?¡± Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Ancestor, the item you were looking for back then really helps true gods to break through to become a legendary warrior?¡± Shangguan Jing was dazed and knitted his brows. He really hadn¡¯t thought about all of this. Every time he thought of the God-Killing Tumulus, he would recall the pain of being betrayed. Hence, all these years, he tried his best not to think about everything related to it. He hadn¡¯t carefully considered many of the incidents within, but hearing Chu Liuyue say this now, he then realized that something was indeed amiss. In the God Residence Realm, there were many cultivators who were stuck as true gods and couldn¡¯t improve at all. When they cultivated to this step, it was time to compete with their talents. No matter how hardworking one was, they wouldn¡¯t be able to break through successfully without talent and sensibility. Hence, when he heard of such a treasure back then, he followed that person without hesitation. Back then, he just felt that that person wanted this thing and didn¡¯t doubt him at all. But thinking about it now, there were indeed many things wrong with it. He didn¡¯t need that thing and wouldn¡¯t fight with him, so why would the other party drive him to his death? If he was dead, the other party would lose a top supreme Armory Refinement Master! This could only prove¡­ that the item was worth much more than this supreme Armory Refinement Master to him! And such an item was very rare in this world! Shangguan Jing suddenly felt that his previous memory was covered by a veil, and it became unclear. Perhaps what I think is the truth has other stories? Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart beat wildly. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and appeased his emotions. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He paused and didn¡¯t continue talking about it, changing the topic. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s talk about these in the future.¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°That person told you to come to the God-Killing Tumulus. Did they state where they would want to meet?¡± Chu Liuyue looked forward. ¡°He didn¡¯t state it explicitly, but¡­ we should be able to reach it through the guidance of the sea-buckthorn wood.¡± The other party racked his brains to purposely lure her over, so he definitely would see her. ¡°We¡¯re meeting tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. ¡°Perhaps, he will only appear tomorrow.¡± Shangguan Jing thought about it and felt that it made sense. ¡°Then, should we carry on waiting here, or¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go inside to take a look.¡± Chu Liuyue pointed to the front and slowly clenched her fists in her sleeves. She had a feeling in her heart. The other party definitely has hidden intentions for agreeing to meet me here. Then¡­ what exactly is it for? 1 ¡­ The few of them officially entered the God-Killing Tumulus. The broken tombstones were everywhere, but one didn¡¯t see bones. After experiencing tumultuous weather in the past millions of years, everything had been smoothened. Chu Liuyue passed through it, and her gaze lightly swept across the tombstones. One could tell that there were once engraved words on it, but the handwriting had been invaded by the years and became blurred. Most of them were left with faint marks. After walking for a distance, Chu Liuyue felt that all the warmth in her body had been silently absorbed. The surrounding sinister coldness silently overwhelmed her. If there weren¡¯t these tombstones, nobody would know that countless true gods¡¯ white bones were buried underneath this cold land. Their feelings seemed to be affected by this atmosphere as well. They walked forward quietly. Even Tuan Zi¡ªwho had always been happy and active¡ªalso felt something at this point. She grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands, pressed her lips against each other, and walked forward quietly. After walking for a distance, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows increasingly tighter. She fell into deep thought for a long while before she asked, ¡°Ancestor, do you know who set these tombstones?¡± If it were their descendants, why were these tombstones crushed? Shangguan Jing paused, and his voice became much lower. ¡°These should be made by the strong warriors who participated in the battle back then.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. They hadn¡¯t dealt hands, but they had already made a tombstone! They went forth with the determination to risk their lives! It¡¯s no wonder that the battle back then was so intense and pitiful. So many legendary warriors were all destroyed! What kind of book could cause them to behave in such a manner? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t understand it at all. Perhaps only those people back then will know the answer¡­ Kada. Something hit her leg. Chu Liuyue lowered her head and saw a fist-sized rock that seemed to roll over from the side. She had been thinking deeply, so she didn¡¯t notice it before. However, this stone was very ordinary. It did not hurt when it rolled to her feet, and it just stopped. Hence, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take it to heart. She continued walking forward. In no time, another rock rolled over. This time, Chu Liuyue saw it in advance. She raised her brows slightly. That was because this rock came for her. She didn¡¯t move and just took a step to the side when the rock was about to rush over. That rock directly rolled across the previous position she was at and quickly stopped. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. She saw clearly that the rock wasn¡¯t obstructed. It stopped by itself! ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Shangguan Jing detected that something was amiss and turned around to ask. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak as she surveyed her surroundings. Even though there are many pieces of tombstones here, it is¡­ flat and spacious. Why would rocks suddenly roll to me out of nowhere, and it wasn¡¯t just one. Just as this thought flashed across her mind, Chu Liuyue heard tiny sounds from behind. She turned around. Expectedly, another rock rolled toward her! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1642 - Hold Me Tight! Following this, it was the second and the third! The surrounding rocks seemed to be guided by some force as they started to become uneasy and rolled toward Chu Liuyue! ¡°T-this is¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing was also stunned. When I came here previously, I didn¡¯t encounter such a situation! And the more important thing was that this commotion clearly came for Chu Liuyue! What is going on?! Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly and held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. ¡°We have to leave as soon as possible. These rocks are all shards of the true god tombstones.¡± The damaged tombstones were already nerve-racking, not to mention that they belonged to true gods. Besides, some of these rocks might contain some force. Nobody could say for sure. Hence, Rong Xiu swiftly decided to bring Chu Liuyue away from this place immediately. Chu Liuyue met his gaze and lightly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest started going toward the God-Killing Tumulus. Later on, increasingly more rocks started rolling over. It was fine if it were only a rock or two, but as time passed, those rocks seemed to have gathered into a water current that went for Chu Liuyue! This scene was indeed too strange. However, what Chu Liuyue found weird was that she never felt murderous intent from these rocks. They seemed to be controlled by something and kept gathering around her. But specifically¡­ they didn¡¯t seem to be planning on doing anything. Of course, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t dare to let her guard down and allow her ¡®gut feeling¡¯ to determine if it was dangerous. After all, this was the God-Killing Tumulus. Luckily, her ancestor had come here before and was considered experienced, so he could rapidly find a safe route. On the way, they had shocks but no danger. But after walking for a long time, the surrounding scenery didn¡¯t really change. Previously, Ancestor had said that as long as we walked to the legendary warriors¡¯ tombstones, these strange rocks would definitely stop. But after such a long time, we still seem really far away. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ancestor, when can we leave this place?¡± Shangguan Jing glanced at the sky and said with uncertainty, ¡°I think¡­ another four to six hours¡­¡± In actual fact, he still gave a lower estimate. Back then, he had walked here for a total of three days and three nights. Even if it were his first time here, and he didn¡¯t know how to walk, it was enough to prove how spacious this place was and that it wasn¡¯t easy to leave. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. She understood her ancestor too well. This means that¡­ we will stay here for an even longer period of time. Now that they were moving forward at full speed, the rocks behind couldn¡¯t catch up and were still a distance. However, their strength kept depleting, and those rocks kept gathering. As their numbers increased, Chu Liuyue clearly discovered that their auras and strength were much stronger than before. As this went on, nobody could guarantee that they could make it out in one piece. Chu Liuyue felt her head ache. Could it be that I have something strange in my body that caused this commotion? But¡­ there seems to be nothing at all. Wasn¡¯t it fine in the past? Why did it suddenly become so strange? The key was that¡­ all cultivators couldn¡¯t travel through the air here. This caused their situation to be even more difficult. At this point, a rock suddenly rolled to Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. Her heart skipped a beat as her body fell sideways uncontrollably! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Rong Xiu was standing right beside her and immediately encircled her thin waist, embracing her! Chu Liuyue just felt that she had fallen into a firm and big chest as the cold fragrance instantly wrapped around her. Just as she supported Rong Xiu, she heard Shangguan Jing¡¯s shocking gasp from behind! Chu Liuyue secretly felt that something was wrong, so she immediately turned around and saw her ancestor tripping over the stones and falling backward. The key was that when Shangguan Jing fell halfway, the space behind him suddenly rippled! Half of his body was swallowed by the empty space! ¡°Ancestor!¡± Before Chu Liuyue could finish her sentence, Shangguan Jing¡¯s figure had already completely disappeared. Silently, they watched him disappear before their eyes. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and was about to go forward when Rong Xiu held her tightly. ¡°There¡¯s turbulence in the space!¡± Following this, Chu Liuyue indeed saw the rocks that rolled to the side of the ripples turning into powder instantly! Her heart suddenly trembled! ¡°Senior Shangguan is a legendary warrior. He can definitely protect himself,¡± boomed Rong Xiu. She was still a true god and naturally couldn¡¯t go over. Chu Liuyue clenched her silver teeth. Rong Xiu is right. Ancestor is strong and has come here before, so nothing much will happen to him. Now, I have to protect myself! Gradually, the ripples calmed down. Everything seemed to return to normal as if nothing had happened. ¡°We¡ª¡± The moment Chu Liuyue spoke, she suddenly felt a strong suction force beside her! She hurriedly turned around and saw that the rocks showed a strange pattern on the ground. The strong force exploded from the middle¡ªit was as if it was going to swallow her directly! The winds were blowing! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair flew around! Rong Xiu hugged her tightly and pressed her head against his chest. ¡°Hold me tight.¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively hugged his thin waist forcefully. Rong Xiu looked up. In his eyes, black and gold¡ªtwo extremely intense colors¡ªsuddenly appeared! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1643 - God Realm A strong and formidable aura suddenly exploded around Rong Xiu! The next moment, golden and black fire suddenly appeared in the air before him. They intertwined and formed a long whip that harshly slashed forward. Slap! A crisp and loud ear-piercing sound was heard! On the ground, the formation of the rocks was directly damaged by this terrifying force all of a sudden! Peng! Peng! Peng! The rocks exploded one after another! They instantly turned into powder! That strange force was instantly crushed! Rumble! The two forces smashed against each other as violent ripples started spreading in all directions. Chu Liuyue felt that the surrounding space was harshly crushed by some force, causing one to suffocate. She instinctively wanted to look up, but she felt a thick and strong hand gently and determinedly press her back into his arms. The next moment, the suffocating feeling quickly disappeared as if it had never appeared. ¡°It¡¯s just a small trouble.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was especially low as he hugged Chu Liuyue tightly in his arms. When he spoke, she could clearly feel the vibrations in his chest. It was warm and firm. It was as if he could block all the sun and rain for her when he was around. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. At this moment, the formation made by the rocks on the ground suddenly started collapsing! Crack! A crack rapidly spread to the two of them! Following this, Chu Liuyue felt that she had no footing! The duo¡¯s bodies fell forward suddenly! ¡­ It was pitch black before them, and she couldn¡¯t see anything. Chu Liuyue could only hear the wind howling by her ears, Rong Xiu¡¯s beating heart, and his breathing. Chu Liuyue was about to speak when she realized that there was heavy suppression in her surroundings, causing her to be unable to speak! She couldn¡¯t help but be secretly shocked. I¡¯m already a true god warrior, and my combat skills are much stronger than most cultivators of the same level. Something that can restrain me to such a state¡­ It shows just how shocking the force here is! Suddenly, a faint golden light appeared and covered the two of them. The surrounding terrifying suppression instantly became much lighter. After some time, the two of them finally stood on solid ground. When her feet touched the ground, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief and looked up from Rong Xiu¡¯s arms toward the surroundings. Other than the barrier set up by Rong Xiu, she still couldn¡¯t see anything here. ¡°What kind of place¡­ is this?!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and couldn¡¯t help but mutter. What entered her eyes was clearly a patch of black, but faintly, there seemed to be a vague light. But that light disappeared very quickly, and it was very dim, causing Chu Liuyue to suspect that she was hallucinating. ¡°This is the light produced when God Realms intertwine and the forces hit against each other,¡± explained Rong Xiu. ¡°All those¡­ They all are?!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly widened her eyes in shock. I¡¯ve seen at least four or five rays of light. If it really is like Rong Xiu has said, doesn¡¯t it mean that there are at least four or five God Realms here together?! ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. ¡°How could there be God Realms here?¡± If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, we¡¯ve fallen underground. But no matter if this is underground or aboveground, this area has many true god tombstones¡ªthis is without a doubt. Ancestor said that all the cultivators had died back then, and their souls were destroyed! If so, why would the God Realms of legendary warriors be left behind here? Rong Xiu looked at his surroundings. The black and gold in his eyes had long disappeared silently, and Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see it. He raised his hand and produced a fist-sized pearl. The surroundings became much brighter, but other than the black ground beneath their feet, the duo did not see anything else. The darkness in the surrounding space seemed unable to split away. Even if the light of the bright pearl could drive away a portion of the darkness, it could only illuminate a ten-step radius. The further places were still a patch of darkness as if all the light had been swallowed. Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly and retracted the barrier around the two of them. The suppression here was much lighter than above. Even without the barrier protecting them, it wouldn¡¯t have much effect on them. At this point, Chu Liuyue felt the ripples in the surroundings more clearly. In the dark, it was extremely obvious that a few forces were silently intertwining. Chu Liuyue was very familiar with this feeling. She held her breath in and raised her wrist slightly. Countless silver-red lights suddenly appeared in her palm. In the blink of an eye, they surrounded her. Very quickly, a glowing light appeared in her surroundings and quickly disappeared. However, Chu Liuyue saw it clearly this time! That was indeed the energy ripple that was produced after the God Realm at the side intertwined with her own God Realm! However, the force in that God Realm was weak. After a slight touch, it moved backward. Thus, it was also why Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t detect the existence of this God Realm previously. ¡°This¡­¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her own God Realm, furrowed her brows, and fell into deep thought. God Realms can¡¯t exist independently outside of a cultivator. Even for me, who has once experienced life and death, my soul wasn¡¯t truly destroyed. Hence, my God Realm could be preserved safely in one piece at Fengmin Mountain. However, this is the God-Killing Tumulus. The tombstones everywhere are sufficient to state the problem! ¡°Could it be that a small portion of the people back then left behind their souls?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with uncertainty. At this point, a rock suddenly rolled to Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. Chu Liuyue looked down, and she tensed up! Where did this stone come from?! Why does it seem like it¡¯s pestering me? Just as Chu Liuyue was about to take action, Rong Xiu held her back. ¡°Hold on.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. Rong Xiu lifted his chin. Chu Liuyue followed his gaze and held her breath in. She suddenly saw a ray of light in the darkness before her. This light didn¡¯t disappear right after flashing like the previous ones and seemed to be approaching them continuously. This¡­ This God Realm is coming toward us? Just as this guess flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, the God Realm had already gotten close to the duo. At this point, using the glow from the pearl, Chu Liuyue finally saw that the God Realm was a faint-blue color. The color was very faint, as if it would disappear with the wind. Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body stiffened! This God Realm¡ª Huala! Without waiting for her to think clearly, she saw the God Realm suddenly crash down like a waterfall! It entered the rock beside Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1644 - Battle Intent Present! In just half an hour, the sea of God Realms all entered that rock. When the last speck of blue disappeared, everything in the surroundings rapidly returned to calmness. It was as if nothing had happened. Chu Liuyue was dazed. What¡­ just happened? Rong Xiu had already bent down and picked that rock up. After taking a few glances at it, he raised his brows slightly and looked rather amused. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As Chu Liuyue asked, she leaned over curiously. Rong Xiu passed the rock to her. Chu Liuyue took a closer look. This rock was the size of a fist, and its shape was irregular. It seemed like it was also from the crushed tombstones as it was totally grayish-white and didn¡¯t look too different from the ordinary rocks. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused when she saw a nail-sized blue ink mark on that rock. That blue ink mark seemed like it was painted on with colored materials and was very bright. One just had to think to understand that it was the mark left behind when the God Realm entered this rock. But when they held the rock in their hands at this moment, they couldn¡¯t feel the existence of the God Realm, and it was the same as ordinary rocks. If she didn¡¯t see it for herself, Chu Liuyue would also find it hard to believe that a God Realm would automatically enter the rock for no reason. ¡°Take a closer look at the blue mark,¡± reminded Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue leaned in closer. Suddenly, she was stunned, and she met Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze. ¡°T-this is a¡­ totem?¡± Chu Liuyue said the last word very lightly. That was because the blue ink mark was only the size of a pinkie fingernail. With a glance, it was an entire piece. One had to take a closer look to clearly see the complicated intertwining lines on it. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°It seems like this God Realm originally belonged to the owner of the crushed tombstone.¡± If not, the God Realm wouldn¡¯t randomly enter a rock. Chu Liuyue thought about it and felt that Rong Xiu¡¯s suggestion was very possible. But¡­ ¡°The owner of the tombstone should be long dead, right? Why has the God Realm not dissipated, and¡­ it even hid itself in such a place?¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she surveyed her surroundings again. Recalling the previous scene, a ridiculous thought suddenly surfaced in her mind. ¡°Wait! Could it be¡­ those God Realms are all¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Chu Liuyue felt something hit against her feet. Without even taking a close look, she knew that it was a rock again! She lowered her head rather stiffly and took a glance. As expected¡ªthe shape was different, but it was indeed a rock as well. A tiny sound came by her ears as if something were approaching her. Chu Liuyue turned around. A God Realm glowing with green floated over. When it arrived before the two of them, the same scene happened again! Huala! That green God Realm entered the second rock and also left behind a small totem on it! As the mark was too small, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t determine if the two totems were the same. However, what she cared about the most now wasn¡¯t this. It was¡­ What exactly is this place, and how do we explain everything that just happened?! ¡°These rocks fell in together with us previously.¡± Rong Xiu paused for a moment and gazed at Chu Liuyue thoughtfully. ¡°It seems like¡­ their sudden attack previously was just to drag you down.¡± ¡°Drag me down?¡± Chu Liuyue reached out and pointed at her nose in shock. ¡°But why is that so?¡± This is my first time at the God-Killing Tumulus, and I¡¯ve been very well-behaved on the journey. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, right? Why did these rocks pester me for no reason? A dark glint flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes before it disappeared. Then, he glanced at the intense darkness at the side. After a slight pause, he said, ¡°Perhaps¡­ you have something that they want.¡± Chu Liuyue did not understand it. Could I be a well-loved item here? ¡°If that¡¯s so, doesn¡¯t it mean¡­ these God Realms and the rocks all have a certain amount of consciousness?¡± And these two items can only contain their owner¡¯s willpower! ¡°Could it be that the people back then have not died?¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. ¡°No, they did die,¡± said Rong Xiu calmly. Chu Liuyue was dazed and looked at him doubtfully. ¡°How¡­. do you know?¡± Rong Xiu paused. ¡°That¡¯s because these God Realms don¡¯t have an owner.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have an owner?¡± ¡°Normally, when the owner¡¯s physical body is destroyed, the God Realm naturally can¡¯t survive. However, this place is different. During the battle at the God-Killing Tumulus back then, countless strong warriors died, and the explosion of forces directly destroyed the place. This caused nothing to be able to grow here for the next thousands of years.¡± ¡°The harshness everywhere and the countless damaged heroic souls intertwined, causing the forces here to be distorted. Hence, all the forces gathered and formed a strange pattern.¡± ¡°These cultivators were dead, but their battle intent back then was preserved in some way, living in the respective tombstones and God Realms.¡± ¡°All in all, although the cultivator is dead, their battle intent is still here.¡± After Rong Xiu finished speaking, Chu Liuyue fell into deep shock and silence. What kind of shocking battle could cause the battle intent to still exist after thousands of years? What kind of stubbornness would cause one to be preserved in the world and not disappear after they are destroyed? ¡°Battle intent¡­¡± Chu Liuyue subconsciously held the rock in her hands tightly and furrowed her brows. ¡°Rong Xiu, how do you know all of this?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1645 - A Little Troublesome There was a sudden silence. Rong Xiu looked at her with a glint in his deep eyes. His thin lips curved slightly as he said indifferently, ¡°There are still quite a lot of books in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Although the world knows very little about the battle back then, there are actually some related rumors that have been recorded and passed down. It¡¯s not difficult to find out.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. That¡¯s true. The Sky-Cloud Empire has stood in the God Residence Realm for tens of thousands of years and has a deep foundation. It¡¯s normal for them to know something about this. Shangguan Jing knew very little about this place, mostly because he was an outsider. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t compare to Rong Xiu¡¯s background. ¡°Besides, although these God Realms are still around, their power is basically very thin after tens of thousands of years of depletion. Otherwise, it would be impossible for so many God Realms to exist at the same time in such a small space.¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue picked up the second stone. She looked carefully at the two stones in her hand and pursed her lips. Rong Xiu¡¯s words make sense. When I made contact with the God Realm just now, I indeed felt that nobody seemed to control it. Battle intent¡­ In that case, what exists here is battle intent!? However, why are these stones inexplicably sticking to me? She could clearly feel that these two stones didn¡¯t have any ill intentions toward her. On the contrary, there seemed to be¡­ a hint of dependence and closeness. This feeling was very subtle. Earlier, she had been in a nervous state and didn¡¯t feel much. But at this moment, she knew that they were just the battle intent left behind after the war back then. She heaved a sigh of relief and realized that something was¡­ wrong. Just as she was thinking this, the third stone rolled to her feet. Soon, another God Realm entered. From the initial shock and surprise, she was basically used to it now. The only thing she wanted to know now was if she had any role in this. ¡°Can we still get out from above?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. Rong Xiu paused for a while before saying, ¡°When we came down just now, we also triggered a space vortex. Even if we go up now, it shouldn¡¯t be the same place as before.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait first. In about two hours, the turbulent space will calm down again. At that time, it will be much more convenient for us to go out.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. For now, this was indeed the best solution. Rong Xiu took out a few more pearls and hung them quietly around the two of them. Then, he took out a black cloak and spread it on the ground. ¡°Have a seat first.¡± During this period of time, they had been traveling. Although they had rested a few times in between, in order not to slow the two of them down, Chu Liuyue had been traveling at full speed and had consumed a lot of energy. After entering the Red Soul Woods, they rushed all the way. It was always good to rest and adjust their condition for a while. She held his hand. ¡°You should rest too.¡± She knew that Rong Xiu hadn¡¯t rested much recently. He traveled during the day and refined Yuan instruments at night. He was the one who consumed more energy. Sensing the warm and soft touch in his palm, Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°It seems that my wife still cares about me.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. After so many years, this man¡¯s skin has really become thicker. ¡­ The two of them began a long wait. Two hours wasn¡¯t a long time, but the surroundings were silent and dark. Other than the small area around them, they couldn¡¯t see anything else, and it really made them feel vaguely uneasy. Moreover, Chu Liuyue was still worried about her ancestor¡¯s safety, so this time was even more difficult to endure. After waiting for a while, she simply closed her eyes and planned to immerse herself in cultivation. However, she quickly discovered that the idea was impossible to achieve. That was because¡­ the surrounding stones were still rolling toward her! One piece after another. Within moments, a neat row had piled up at her feet. At first, she wanted to resist, but she gave up later. These stones and the God Realms didn¡¯t have any ill intention toward her. They only bumped into her slightly, and she didn¡¯t lose anything. Moreover, as the surrounding God Realms entered these rocks one after another, she clearly felt that the inexplicable pressure had decreased a lot. It was probably because these God Realms had piled up and squeezed each other that it was uncomfortable. In that case¡­ so be it! Chu Liuyue looked down. Anyway, most of the stones have piled up around me. When all the stones are filled, it should be over. However, reality proved that she was still too naive. When the last gap around her was occupied by a stone, she thought that was the end of it. But the next moment, she saw that the rocks from before began to retreat suddenly from her side! New stones appeared from nowhere and rolled over again! Like a relay race, the stones took turns rolling to her side. When the God Realm poured in and left a mark, they obediently left and changed to the next batch. Seeing how orderly they were, the experienced her couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes in confusion. T-this¡­ What am I being taken as?! She gritted her teeth and moved to the side. The stones rolled to the side. After trying two or three times, she gave up struggling again. Actually, she had already discovered the problem¡ªthese stones had to touch her to accommodate those God Realms. It was also because of this that they were so obsessed with her. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. Thinking about it, after being chased by those stones for so long outside¡­ This is the only goal? Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. I¡¯ve finally seen how powerful and strange this God-Killing Tumulus was¡­ For now, anything that happens here seems particularly strange. I wonder why these stones have decided on me¡­ Unable to figure it out, she decided not to think about it and continued studying the Xuan formations. Ever since she repaired the Heaven-Locking Formation with Big Baby last time, she had made very obvious progress as a Xuan Master. Unfortunately, Big Baby didn¡¯t see her after that and left directly. She still had some questions that she did not have time to ask. She could only wait for the next time they met to spar with him. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. Chu Liuyue held her breath and focused, trying to draw those Xuan formations in her mind. With her current strength, it was absolutely impossible for her to draw the Heaven-Locking Formation alone. Hence, she recalled and studied the scattered Xuan formations according to her previous memories. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± A low and gentle voice suddenly sounded in her ear. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Should we go?¡± Rong Xiu nodded, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°It might be¡­ a little troublesome¡­¡± ¡°Why¡ª¡± Her voice abruptly stopped when she accidentally glanced over. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1646 - Follow Stones. Large batches of stones. A mountain of stones! The empty space in front of her had unknowingly been occupied by countless piled-up rocks! The path was almost completely blocked! ¡°Why are there so many?!¡± Chu Liuyue blurted out in shock. I had thought it would only be a few dozen stones at most! Rong Xiu raised his chin subtly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly thought of something. She then stiffly turned her neck and looked back. Stones¡ªbehind her were still stones! Surrounding the two of them were stones that had almost piled up into a barrier! Upon closer look, those stones were clearly shining with totems! Different God Realms had already entered these rocks! Chu Liuyue gasped. I had only closed my eyes to rest for a while and traced a few Xuan formations. Why did the world become like this the moment I opened my eyes?! The only consolation was that the last bit of pressure around them had completely dissipated. Standing here now was basically no different from the outside. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. If¡­ I don¡¯t think about the fact that those God Realms have already been scattered among these stones, I might feel better. ¡°Are we¡­ still¡­ going out?¡± Chu Liuyue asked Rong Xiu with difficulty. He raised his eyebrows and chuckled. ¡°These God Realms have already hidden themselves, and the turbulence above has already calmed down. We can naturally get out.¡± As he spoke, he had already held her hand. Their fingers intertwined. Chu Liuyue calmed down a little and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± I have a feeling that something will happen if I continue to stay here¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he was about to bring her up. ¡°Wait.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped him, turned around, and took a step forward. Clang! The rocks piled up in front of them suddenly rolled to the sides, quickly clearing a wide path in the middle! Chu Liuyue¡¯s movements froze in midair. I just¡­ I just wanted to pick up Rong Xiu¡¯s cloak!!! What the hell are these stones doing!!! Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth and picked up the cloak on the ground. It was stained with some dust, so she turned her wrist and shook it gently. Clang! The stones gathered again and lined up neatly in front of her. Chu Liuyue was confused. ¡°They seem to listen to you.¡± Rong Xiu held back his laughter and took the cloak. At the same time, he leaned close to her ear and said this teasingly. His warm breath landed on her neck and behind her ear, making her feel a little itchy. She shrunk her neck and turned around to glare at Rong Xiu angrily. ¡°Nonsense¡ª¡± Shua shua shua! Several stones suddenly flew up and headed straight for Rong Xiu! They were extremely fast and had a cold aura! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned sharp as she immediately took a step forward with force surging around her. Sensing her movements, the stones actually stopped! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes. The stones floated for a while. Sensing her aura, they hurriedly turned back. It was unknown if they were afraid of being reprimanded or something, but they actually specially hid behind the other stones and waited obediently. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Rong Xiu couldn¡¯t help chuckling. ¡°I told you so, but you didn¡¯t believe me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s temples throbbed. ¡­ ¡°Two steps to the left.¡± ¡°Take two steps to the right.¡± ¡°Forward¡ªforget it, forget it. Three steps back!¡± ¡°Who rushed out and planned to attack just now? Come out, all of you. Yes, I¡¯m talking about the few of you. Hurry up! Dance again for me to see.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Go back, go back!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue rubbed her face. After a period of inspection, she finally realized that Rong Xiu was right. For some reason, these stones suddenly became obedient to her! If she said to go left, they were afraid to go right. If she said to take two steps, they would never take three. She chose a few stones to jump, and they actually did as she said! Looking at the rocks piled up in front of her, she felt a headache. What is wrong? What went wrong in the middle? ¡°Is it because they touched me just now that they¡¯re so obedient now?¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and rested her chin on one hand as she fell into deep thought. ¡°Originally, these stones were separated from these God Realms. It¡¯s precisely because of you that they can fuse with each other. This might allow the battle intent in them to last longer¡­ That¡¯s why they treat you like this,¡± explained Rong Xiu. ¡°Battle intent?¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples. How could there be any battle intent with such a soft and harmless appearance?! What happened to being extremely ferocious? Where is the imposing aura? Why does the battle intent completely change when it comes to me? She could not figure it out. After a moment¡¯s thought, there was no answer. She sighed. ¡°Forget it; we¡¯ll discuss these questions later. Let¡¯s go out first.¡± As she spoke, she waved at the stones in front of her. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Clang! The piled stones immediately made way. The two of them walked forward and flew up together! Without that terrifying pressure, their movements became much smoother. But after a while, Chu Liuyue heard a strange fluctuation from below. Her heart skipped a beat; then, she slowly looked down. A ¡®river¡¯ formed by stones was surging from the bottom up! Unlike the previous time outside, the stones were very restrained, polite, and obedient this time. They were orderly and neat! Apart from the sound of rushing wind, there was almost no sound of collision between them. If Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t sensed something and looked down, she might not have noticed this abnormality. She felt like she was going crazy. Why are these stones so difficult to deal with? I¡¯ve offended many people in the past and have never seen anyone as persistent as these stones. ¡°Are they going to keep chasing us like this?¡± she asked in disbelief. Rong Xiu paused and suddenly smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that they¡¯re not chasing after you but¡­ following you?¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1647 - Tomb Burial Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed. Of course, I understand what Rong Xiu means, but¡­ is that possible? These stones looked ordinary and even had a cold aura because they were shattered tombstones. However, she had personally seen many God Realms surge into these rocks! Admittedly, the power of those God Realms had already become very weak. Some even seemed to be able to be shattered with a little strength. However¡­ They were God Realms after all! Moreover, there were so many of them here! Once this power gathered¡­ it would undoubtedly be an extremely powerful force! ¡°This¡­¡± Chu Liuyue had never thought of this before. This was because not long after they entered the God-Killing Tumulus, the shattered stones began to chase after them aggressively. In the middle, Shangguan Jing even lost contact with them. She and Rong Xiu were also pulled down because of this. These experiences made it difficult for her to take the initiative to think that these things were actually¡­ But on careful thought, Rong Xiu¡¯s words seemed possible. Otherwise, why were they so obedient to her? Both of them stopped. The stones also stopped. In the darkness, countless colorful totems shone with a faint light. And the stones just quietly stood there as if waiting for orders. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she raised her wrist slightly. A stone flew over and fluttered into her palm. With a thought, she placed the stone into her Cosmic Ring. They waited for a moment. Nothing unusual happened. It seemed like¡­ she had just put an ordinary stone in. On the other hand, the stones that were still in place were faintly restless. They were eager and envious. Chu Liuyue suddenly froze. How can I sense the ¡¯emotions¡¯ of these stones? Could it be that¡­ I have established some kind of connection with them because of that touch? Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. ¡°Come over.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the stones flew toward her. She didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but she felt that they all seemed to be excited and emotional. As some stones were too excited, they rubbed against the stones beside them. After Chu Liuyue glanced at them lightly, they became obedient. One by one, they lined up and entered the Cosmic Ring. At first, she was still counting, but she soon gave up. It was really¡­ too many! When the last stone was finally put into her Cosmic Ring, she finally heaved a sigh of relief. I¡¯m so tired. Rong Xiu watched with interest. She doesn¡¯t seem to realize what kind of trump card she has. ¡°Alright, now that everything is settled, let¡¯s go.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he pulled Chu Liuyue into his arms and flew up. ¡­ This time, it went very smoothly. It took the two of them about half an hour to return to the ground successfully. It was already night. The sky was dark and moonless. As far as the eye could see, it was still a wilderness with broken tombstones scattered everywhere. Chu Liuyue took a look and said, ¡°This is indeed not the place we went down previously.¡± Rong Xiu glanced at her. ¡°How can you be so sure? The scenery here doesn¡¯t seem to have changed much.¡± Moreover, the sky was dark, and it was basically impossible to see clearly, making it even harder to distinguish. However, she sounded very certain. ¡°Because¡ª¡± Just as she spoke, she suddenly paused. Oh yeah, how can I be so sure? I have clearly never been here before¡­ Suddenly, she looked at the Cosmic Ring on her hand. ¡°It seems to be¡­ because of those¡­¡± she whispered with uncertainty. After I came out just now, I actually didn¡¯t think much of it. I just instinctively knew that this was another place. This ¡®intuition¡¯ must¡¯ve come from those stones? That¡¯s true. They¡¯ve been in the God-Killing Tumulus for tens of thousands of years and are extremely familiar with everything here. Now, there is a subtle connection between them and me. Due to this, I am naturally more familiar with this place. She closed her eyes and held her breath. As expected, she seemed to be able to vaguely sense everything within a radius of dozens of kilometers! Although it wasn¡¯t very clear, it was undoubtedly a great help to those who had come to the God-Killing Tumulus for the first time! In that case, it would obviously be much easier and safer for them here! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly when he saw her expression. ¡°Can you sense the auras of Senior Shangguan and Lord Chu Ning?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head, but her eyes were still as bright as stars. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be here, but¡­ it should be much easier to find them later.¡± It seems that taking in that pile of stones was quite beneficial! This made her feel much more at ease. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Rong Xiu looked up at the sky. ¡°Tomorrow will be the agreed time.¡± Now that she had another trump card, she naturally had more confidence. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. Suddenly, she seemed to sense something and turned around. It was dusk, and the wilderness at night was dark. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ did you feel anything?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Something is happening?¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly as her heart raced. She spoke with difficulty, enunciating each word. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this¡­ is the tombstone area of legendary warriors!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1648 - A Wall on the Horizon The scenery here wasn¡¯t much different from what they had seen when they came. Even the surrounding aura was equally cold and lonely. However¡­ Chu Liuyue indeed felt that this place was different from the previous tombs. Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. Rong Xiu looked around, his expression still calm and composed. He then raised his eyebrows and chuckled. ¡°Even if this is really the tombstone area of legendary warriors, there doesn¡¯t seem to be much movement now. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± As he spoke, he found a flatter spot beside him. ¡°In a few hours, it will be the agreed time. He wants to see us soon, so we¡¯ll just wait here.¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips with worry on her face. She knew that Rong Xiu was right. The other party was here for the water droplet in her body and had even taken her father hostage. Before the two sides fought head-on, he would definitely not do anything to her father. However¡­ she was still worried. In Country Yao Chen, her father could be considered a top genius and an absolute powerhouse. However, that cultivation level and strength weren¡¯t enough outside of Country Yao Chen, not to mention that they were still in a place like the God Residence Realm! It had been too long since her father had been abducted. She knew that he was still alive, but¡­ she didn¡¯t dare to imagine how much pain and torture he had suffered in the process. Now that she had finally recovered her strength, she could fight the other party completely! But the closer she got, the more she missed him. And Shangguan Jing¡­ Who knew where he had been carried by the space turbulence? Rong Xiu walked over and gently rubbed her head, kissing her between her eyebrows. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, I¡¯ll play chess with you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. In the past, when she was in a bad mood or her emotions were in a mess, she could basically calm down as long as she played chess with Rong Xiu. Ever since she regained her memories, the two of them had indeed not sparred. She paused and nodded slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Hua! The two of them stood facing each other, ten steps apart. Rong Xiu waved his sleeve, and a stream of light instantly flew out of his palm! In an instant, the stream of light dispersed into several silver lines. In mid-air, they intertwined and condensed into a huge chessboard! ¡°Yue¡¯er, you go first.¡± Rong Xiu placed one hand behind his back and smiled. This was the unspoken rule between the two of them. Most of the time, if she did not specially make a request, she would be the first to make a move. Even so, she still lost more than she won. Besides¡­ even she couldn¡¯t figure out how lenient Rong Xiu was being. The faint light from the chessboard shone on her face, making her look incomparably beautiful. Her clear black jade-like eyes were even more dazzling. She raised her hand, and a red chess piece instantly landed on the chessboard. Slap! With this subtle sound, the energy around the chessboard fluctuated. Rong Xiu did not hesitate and placed a piece! Slap! The energy fluctuation this time actually offset the fluctuation produced by her chess piece. The huge chessboard quickly regained its calm. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly. Using force as chess pieces to compete with each other was a chess game the two of them often played. This was even more troublesome than playing chess on an ordinary chessboard. Not only did it consume a lot of force to condense each piece, but it also consumed even more energy to maintain the stability of the chessboard after each piece was placed. Now that she had returned to being a true god, she could barely use this method to fight Rong Xiu. As for winning or losing¡­ it was unknown. After all, even if she had made considerable progress in the past few years, Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. Time passed slowly, and the huge chessboard shone brighter! ¡­ On the other side, after Shangguan Jing was swept into the turbulent space, his surroundings fell into darkness. He could not see anything clearly. The only thing he could feel was that something seemed to have crushed him! For a moment, Shangguan Jing even felt that all the muscles, bones, and flesh in his body had been completely crushed! Fortunately, this feeling did not last long. After a period of struggle, a crack appeared in the darkness in front of him. Only then did he take the opportunity to rush out of the space vortex. Thump! The sky was bright in front of Shangguan Jing, and the dazzling light made him close his eyes unconsciously. Then, his body suddenly landed on air, and he fell to the ground. Thump! The dull sound was even clearer in the quiet atmosphere. Shangguan Jing endured the pain in his body and slowly got up to look around. It was night, and everything was gray and gloomy. But under the black dome, on the distant horizon, a wall stood so clearly. The wall was completely black, very tall, and extremely long. As far as the eye could see, it was impossible to see either end. Seeing that wall, Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat! He had seen this wall before! When he first came to the God Residence Realm a thousand years ago, he had seen this wall by chance. At that time, he only felt that it was strange that there was such an endless wall in the God-Killing Tumulus. After all, everyone knew that the bloody battle tens of thousands of years ago was tragic. Countless legendary warriors had died together, almost causing the world to lose its color. And here, there was actually such a wall¡ªit was indeed very strange. Unfortunately, he had just been betrayed at the time and wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about anything else. Therefore, after taking a look from afar, he quickly left in another direction. Unexpectedly, when he came here a thousand years later, he actually¡­ saw the same scene again! There was nobody around. It was so quiet he could hear his heart beating. Shangguan Jing took a deep breath and walked forward! The God-Killing Tumulus is vast. If I¡¯m not wrong, this place is far from the place I had come from. It is probably not that simple to meet up with Yue¡¯er and the others again¡­ And in this wilderness, the wall is the only obvious landmark. If they can see it too, perhaps¡­ we can meet there! As Shangguan Jing walked forward, he kept trying to search for their auras. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t encounter much trouble on the way. Although he had not sensed their auras, Shangguan Jing wasn¡¯t too discouraged. On the one hand, Chu Liuyue had many trump cards and was extremely strong. On the other hand, Rong Xiu would definitely protect her. If it were before, Shangguan Jing might¡¯ve been a little worried about this. But after seeing with his own eyes that Rong Xiu had only used less than ten days to refine a royal Yuan instrument, he knew that he had far underestimated the other party in the past. Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1649 - Kill Them! Time always passed particularly quickly when one was focused on something. She and Rong Xiu sparred and played chess. After four hours, they were only halfway done. On the shimmering chessboard, the golden chess pieces and the red chess pieces fought each other. Each occupied half of the space, and the battle was intense. However, Chu Liuyue did calm down during this process. Moreover, her long-awaited battle with Rong Xiu had given her a lot of insight. When the sky was slightly bright, this chess game had finally reached the last moment! Slap! Chu Liuyue put down a piece with her eyes sparkling brightly. Not only did she not look dispirited after a sleepless night, but she also seemed to be in high spirits. Her eyes were fixed on the chessboard, but her mind was spinning crazily. In this short period of time, she had already gone through countless possibilities! Rong Xiu looked up at her. Seeing her shining eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It has been so long, but nothing has changed. Slap! Rong Xiu waved his wrist gently, and a golden chess piece condensed from force suddenly flew out of his slender and fair fingers and landed on the chessboard! In an instant, the situation on the chessboard changed drastically! It was as if two dragons of similar strength were fighting fiercely. They were originally evenly matched, but at this moment, a sword suddenly tore through the air and cut off the dragon head on her side. One move¡ªthe outcome was decided! Chu Liuyue suddenly froze and widened her eyes. Rong Xiu¡¯s move was actually not within all my previous rehearsals! Without batting an eyelid, he killed me! She stared intently at the chessboard. At this moment, she realized that Rong Xiu had already set up a trap and was just waiting to lure her into it step by step. She had mistakenly thought that their combat strength was equal, but in fact, she was already under his control. Thump! The chessboard shattered with a bang and turned into countless light spots that quickly dissipated! However, Chu Liuyue was still stunned on the spot as if she had yet to recover. Rong Xiu was about to step forward when she suddenly said, ¡°Rong Xiu, guard me first. I¡¯m thinking of something.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. Since my wife has given the order, I naturally have to agree. ¡°Okay.¡± He didn¡¯t step forward again and just stood there with his hands behind his back, waiting patiently. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged with her hands on her knees, closed her eyes, and held her breath. A complicated Xuan formation quietly appeared in her mind. Then, a second and a third¡­ More and more Xuan formations appeared. At a certain moment, she finally tried to connect these Xuan formations. These were the Xuan formations she had learned from Big Baby in the past. Strictly speaking, they were more or less similar to the Heaven-Locking Formation. Previously, she had always wanted to gradually figure out the Heaven-Locking Formation¡¯s mysteries by establishing the connection between these Xuan formations, but she had never succeeded. But after this game of chess with Rong Xiu tonight, she instantly understood something. Vaguely, she seemed to have touched an invisible barrier. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. That is¡­ the threshold of a Great King Xuan Master! Even someone as arrogant as her was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect that she could actually touch the opportunity to break through to become Great King Xuan Master in such a short period of time! She had successfully broken through to become a King Xuan Master some time ago. However, there was a huge difference between a King Xuan Master and a Great King Xuan Master. Even Elder Hua Feng had been a King Xuan Master for decades before he could finally break through that threshold and officially become a Great King Xuan Master! And she had only reached this realm for a few months¡­ It was too exaggerated! Perhaps it was because she had already memorized countless high-level Xuan formations in the early years, or perhaps it was because she had forcefully repaired the Heaven-Locking Formation. Maybe it was because of her competition with Rong Xiu that she suddenly understood¡­ In short, the surprise came too quickly! Since an opportunity had descended from the sky, she naturally had to grasp it tightly! At this point, a bright white light flashed across the sky! Rong Xiu looked up slightly, and there seemed to be waves in his eyes that disappeared in the blink of an eye. ¡­ At the same time, in another place in the God-Killing Tumulus, a few people were slowly moving forward. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, let¡¯s rest for a while?¡± Nan Yiyi looked at her brother beside her. Seeing his pale face, her heart ached. Elder Wu Peng frowned slightly, but before he could speak, Nan Yuxing shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Let¡¯s go over directly.¡± Nan Yiyi had cried all the way, so at this moment, her eyes were as red as walnuts and bloodshot. ¡°B-But Big Brother, your body¡ª¡± In the Red Soul Woods, Nan Yuxing had been surrounded by those red leaves, and they had spent a lot of effort to finally escape. The two elders and Nan Yiyi were both injured, let alone Nan Yuxing. He had almost lost his life. His entire body was covered in injuries, and there wasn¡¯t a single good place. Those red leaves were even poisonous. If the two elders hadn¡¯t brought him out in time and used extremely precious medicinal pills, Nan Yuxing would probably still be unconscious. Along the way, it was Elder Bai Tong and Elder Wu Peng who supported Nan Yuxing forward. Elder Bai Tong hesitated for a moment and advised, ¡°Young Master, that thing is in the God-Killing Tumulus anyway. We¡¯ve already entered, so there¡¯s no hurry. Right now, your health is more important!¡± Nan Yuxing gritted his teeth. He knew that they were all doing this for his own good, but the more this was the case, the easier it was for him to remember how sorry he looked at this moment! He had always been proud and had never been in such a sorry state! ¡°No, there¡¯s no need¡ª¡± He struggled forward, but his legs suddenly gave way, and he fell to the ground! ¡°Young Master!¡± ¡°Big brother!¡± Elder Bai Tong and Nan Yiyi¡¯s faces were filled with worry as they hurriedly supported him. Elder Wu Peng clenched his fists in his sleeves and finally spoke. ¡°Eldest Young Master, you should stop and rest for a while. There¡¯s still poison in your body that hasn¡¯t been expelled. It¡¯s probably not good to advance rashly now.¡± When Elder Bai Tong heard this, he hurriedly echoed the same thing. Helpless, Nan Yuxing could only nod. Just as they were about to stop and rest, Elder Bai Tong suddenly saw a familiar tall figure in the distance. At this moment, the sky was about to brighten. He stood in the morning light, looking like an immortal. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s him!?¡± Not far from him, a woman in a red dress was sitting cross-legged as if she were cultivating. It was the two people from before! Elder Bai Tong¡¯s voice attracted the attention of the other three. Nan Yuxing looked up. When he saw the two figures clearly, endless anger and resentment suddenly surged in his heart! If not for them, how would I have fallen into this state? ¡°Kill them¡­ Kill them!¡± Thank you for reading on novelhall.com 1 Chapter 1650 - Doll in Disguise He was agitated, and his blood rushed up to his head. The moment he said this, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! ¡°Big Brother!¡± Nan Yiyi retracted her gaze. Seeing her brother¡¯s increasingly pale face and the fresh red blood by the corner of his lips, her heart was a mess. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡ªall my fault!¡± As Nan Yiyi spoke, her tears welled up again. She bit her lips tightly, and a metallic taste filled her mouth. If I wasn¡¯t so stubborn, Big Brother wouldn¡¯t¡ª ¡°Eldest Young Master, your body is still very weak now. You don¡¯t have to rush the revenge. When you¡¯ve healed, it¡¯s not too late for us to pursue them and kill them.¡± Elder Wu Peng still didn¡¯t have any expression, but his voice was colder with thick murderous intent. Nan Yuxing slowly wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth. Staring at the two figures for a long time, he said with vengeance, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll let them live a little longer!¡± Anyway, we¡¯re already at the God-Killing Tumulus. No matter what, those two people can¡¯t escape from our control! Elder Bai Tong and Nan Yiyi helped him to the side to rest. Then, Elder Bai Tong took out a pill again and gave it to Nan Yuxing. ¡°This is the last Yu Qing Pill. After you eat it, Wu Peng and I will join forces to help you clear the remaining poison. Your body can approximately recover by 50% to 60%.¡± As Elder Bai Tong spoke, an orange fire emerged in his palm! Thump! He hit the back of Nan Yuxing¡¯s head! The hot warmth immediately spread throughout his body! Nan Yuxing grunted. His originally colorless face instantly flushed red! At the same time, Elder Wu Peng walked to his side and took out another two silver needles. ¡°Eldest Young Master, bear with it for a little.¡± As he spoke, he had already rapidly and swiftly stuck the two silver needles into Nan Yuxing¡¯s index finger. Very quickly, black-red blood flowed out from Nan Yuxing¡¯s hands and dripped down along the silver needles. Nan Yuxing closed his eyes tightly. His body was icy for a moment and burning hot the other, torturing him to the point he kept shivering. Nan Yiyi watched from the side and whimpered softly. Seeing her big brother being tortured, she couldn¡¯t help but turn around, her bloodshot eyes filled with vengeance! I have¡­ to take revenge! ¡­ Rong Xiu was originally watching Chu Liuyue cultivate when he suddenly heard noises by his ear. His gaze turned slightly, and he glanced over nonchalantly. Oh, so it¡¯s them¡­ They really never go away. Murderous intent flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes before it instantly disappeared. Then, he retracted his gaze and gazed at Chu Liuyue again. He whipped his sleeves, and a golden string swam across the ground! That golden string was extremely thin, and it buried itself in the ground. Without taking a closer look, it wasn¡¯t easy to detect it. ¡­ After about an hour, the blood dripping down Nan Yuxing¡¯s hands finally turned from black to red. On the other hand, those two silver needles had turned completely black. Elder Wu Peng took the two silver needles out, and force turned in his palms. The hard silver needles directly turned into powder. Elder Bai Tong finally removed his hands from the back of Nan Yuxing¡¯s head and heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, the poison in Eldest Young Master¡¯s poison can be considered to be totally removed. As long as we carefully treat it, he can recover in ten days.¡± At this point, Nan Yuxing was totally drenched because of the pain, and he looked especially disheveled. ¡°Ten days¡­¡± Hearing Elder Bai Tong¡¯s words, Nan Yuxing lowered his head and muttered, clenching his fists slowly. Ever since I broke through to become a true god, I have never suffered such a serious injury! And this time, I was tricked by two people that I don¡¯t even know the names or statuses of! How can I take this lying down?! Elder Bai Tong had followed him for so many years, so how could he not know what Nan Yuxing was thinking now? His lips moved as he said, ¡°Actually, the leaves in Red Soul Woods are very poisonous. Luckily, Eldest Young Master, you always take medicinal baths, so you can last till now. If it were an average person, I¡¯m afraid it would be hard for them to handle it.¡± Hearing this, Nan Yuxing did not feel comforted. To him, he felt that he would¡¯ve long left the Red Soul Woods successfully if not for Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. Why would he suffer such an injury?! He completely forgot that they caused trouble for them first. Nan Yuxing took a deep breath in and suppressed his tumultuous emotions. Then, he stood up and looked forward. Suddenly, he knitted his brows. ¡°Why are there only the two of them there? Wasn¡¯t there also a man with them previously? Oh yes, there¡¯s still that little girl¡­¡± He said the last sentence with gritted teeth. As he said that, Elder Bai Tong and the rest also noticed that something was amiss. ¡°Yeah. Did they hide?¡± Elder Wu Peng looked over and shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s indeed only the two of them nearby.¡± ¡°Did they go missing? Or¡­¡± Countless guesses surfaced in Nan Yuxing¡¯s mind. Then, he sneered. ¡°No matter what, they deserve it!¡± The minority can¡¯t fight against the majority. In such situations, it will be even easier to handle the two of them! The God-Killing Tumulus is dangerous everywhere. It¡¯s very normal for an accident to happen or for someone to go missing. These people don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them, so who can they blame? Just as he was about to go forward, Elder Wu Peng stopped him. ¡°Eldest Young Master, let¡¯s wait a while first.¡± Nan Yuxing knitted his brows. ¡°What else are we waiting for?¡± The two of them are just in front. It would be easy to just directly go over and kill them! What is there to hesitate or wait about? Elder Wu Peng glanced at him. ¡°Have you forgotten where this place is?¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression changed slightly. Oh right, this is where the legendary warrior tombstones are located. It¡¯s extremely hard for an ordinary person to enter this place. Even a legendary warrior might not be able to reach this place in such a short amount of time, let alone the two of them. The more important thing is that the two of them don¡¯t seem injured. ¡°Could it be¡­ that they also have a way to come to this place directly? They indeed came for that thing!¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression changed. Elder Wu Peng paused for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t confirm this now, but¡­ the only thing we can confirm is that they indeed have some skills, or they have some extraordinary treasure.¡± If not, it was impossible for them to reach this place safely. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t have a clue about that little girl¡¯s identity.¡± Speaking of this, Elder Wu Peng furrowed his brows tightly. This problem has bothered him for a long time, but I still can¡¯t find an answer. That little girl looked like she was three or four, but her combat skills were shocking. Without circulating force, she used one punch to make Eldest Young Master fly back. And the most important thing was that the little girl had never revealed her face before then. Yet, when Eldest Young Master wanted to kill that woman, she suddenly appeared! It¡¯s really too strange. Nan Yuxing clenched her teeth. ¡°That little girl¡­ definitely disguised herself!¡± I still remember the taste of that punch to this day! Thank you for reading on novelhall.com Chapter 1651 - On Account of Your Father ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Elder Wu Peng. ¡°Of course!¡± Nan Yuxing replied firmly. If it weren¡¯t a disguise, it is impossible to explain why a three or four-year-old girl could have such horrifying physical strength! It¡¯s not that I have never seen an innately talented cultivator, but I haven¡¯t seen one with such heaven-defying skills! She must be a strong warrior that purposely disguised herself! ¡°As for how she suddenly appeared, she must¡¯ve instantly transported over!¡± If not, how else could they explain it? Upon hearing this, Elder Wu Peng glanced at Elder Bai Tong and saw the disapproval in the other party¡¯s eyes. ¡°But when that girl appeared, there were no force ripples in the space¡­¡± Even a legendary warrior couldn¡¯t do such a thing when they instantly teleported. Nan Yuxing was stumped, and his expression turned uglier. ¡°If that¡¯s so¡­ t-then isn¡¯t that little girl¡¯s appearance too strange?¡± Elder Bai Tong suddenly said, ¡°Actually, I think that the girl appeared like a¡­ fiend.¡± Only when one summoned their own fiend could someone appear in such a sudden and silent manner. Besides, a fiend¡¯s physical strength was naturally greater than cultivators. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Nan Yuxing felt that this guess was ridiculous. ¡°Only the two ancient legendary fiend clans can take human form in this world. Even so, they are at least in their teens when they appear. Why would one appear as a little girl?¡± The two elders didn¡¯t speak further. This was also the part they couldn¡¯t figure out. Other than this, everything else about that girl was indeed like¡­ Nan Yiyi suddenly took a step forward. ¡°Big Brother, now is indeed a good time for us to strike.¡± Nan Yuxing glanced at her strangely. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Nan Yiyi raised her chin. ¡°Look at what that woman is doing.¡± Upon hearing this, the few of them looked over. After a moment, Nan Yuxing¡¯s gaze changed slightly. ¡°Is she preparing to break through?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides¡­ If I haven¡¯t seen it wrongly, she¡¯s a Xuan Master,¡± said Nan Yiyi with clenched teeth. Even though the two parties were quite far away, Nan Yiyi was a Xuan Master herself, so she was extremely sensitive about such things. She guessed that the other party must be breaking through as a Xuan Master. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what level she is preparing to break through into.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important about that? Anyway, after today, everything will be for naught!¡± Nan Yuxing sneered. It¡¯s great that she¡¯s breaking through! At this time, she¡¯s undoubtedly the weakest. Although the man at the side is a royal armory refinement master, he is still alone. He definitely won¡¯t be our match! There is no better time to act than now. Nan Yuxing glanced at the two elders at the side. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, Elder Bai Tong, you won¡¯t stop us again this time, right?¡± The two elders exchanged glances and nodded. ¡°Since this is so, we should settle them as early as possible.¡± ¡­ The few of them started walking toward Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. This place had flat and wide ground, and the shattered tombstones everywhere weren¡¯t enough to cover their figures. However, they didn¡¯t think of these things and directly went over. The opponent was nothing to be worried about, and they could just kill them directly. Thus, why should they waste their time and energy on something else? Rong Xiu had naturally heard them coming over, but he didn¡¯t take it to heart. He stood in front of Chu Liuyue and waited quietly and patiently. It was definitely not that easy for her to break through to become a Great King Xuan Master from a King Xuan Master. Hence, he would help her clear all the disturbances before she broke through. ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Nan Yuxing said coldly as his gaze shifted between Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, not hiding his murderous intent at all. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect us to meet here again.¡± Rong Xiu ignored him and didn¡¯t even give him an additional glance. Such nonchalance infuriated Nan Yuxing even more than mockery. The smile on his face quickly faded away and was replaced by a layer of coldness. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Didn¡¯t you hear me?!¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly before he glanced at Nan Yuxing lazily. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb others when they¡¯re busy. Don¡¯t you know such simple logic?¡± ¡°You! How dare you!?¡± Nan Yuxing long knew that the other party was arrogant and domineering, but he didn¡¯t expect the latter to still be so daring under such circumstances! Is he too confident, or does he not realize what kind of danger he is facing? ¡°You must have some skills to be able to reach this stage¡­ It¡¯s a pity that¡¯s all you have.¡± Nan Yuxing took a deep breath in and revealed a rather contorted smile. ¡°If you kneel down and beg me for mercy now, I¡¯ll leave you with a whole body.¡± Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu raised his brows. I haven¡¯t heard someone talk to me in this manner for a very, very long time. ¡°What if I say no?¡± Nan Yuxing was so angry that he laughed instead. ¡°You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you¡­ When you want to beg for mercy later, you won¡¯t have such a chance again!¡± Rong Xiu suddenly looked up and glanced at the sky. Then, he looked at the few of them in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°You can¡¯t afford to cause trouble for me. I¡¯m not interested in your lives either. Considering Nan Yifan¡¯s status, I¡¯ll let you off temporarily. However¡­ my patience is limited. If this happens again, I won¡¯t be polite anymore.¡± When Nan Yuxing and the others heard this, their faces changed collectively! That was because Nan Yifan was Nan Yiyi and Nan Yuxing¡¯s father, who was also their master! The few of them exchanged glances and saw the shock and doubt in each other¡¯s eyes. This man¡­ seems like he has long known about our statuses like the back of his hand! And hearing this tone, it seems like¡­ his status is extraordinary! If not, he definitely wouldn¡¯t directly call Nan Yifan¡¯s name. ¡°Who exactly are you?!¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. Originally, he thought that the other party was a fearless nobody. However, it now seemed like it was clearly not the case. Elder Bai Tong suddenly thought of something. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ Rong Xiu¡­ Wait!¡± He suddenly looked up and stared at Rong Xiu in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s¡­ Rong Xiu?!¡± Previously, they had heard that woman address him like this, but they didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. On the one hand, they were not familiar with the Sky-Cloud Empire and Rong Xiu. They never saw him before, so they didn¡¯t think of it. On the other hand, there were countless people in this world with the same name. They couldn¡¯t randomly ascertain one¡¯s identity just because they shared the same name, right? It was only when Rong Xiu willingly mentioned Nan Yifan¡¯s name that they instinctively realized something was amiss. Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression changed, and he finally looked harsh. ¡°Hah, so what if you¡¯re the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Your Grace? Since you know our identity, you should¡¯ve kneeled down and begged for mercy earlier on!¡± In the God Residence Realm, the other aristocratic families or clans might be fearful of the Sky-Cloud Empire, but we aren¡¯t. This Rong Xiu knows our identities, but he is still so arrogant. If he doesn¡¯t die, who will? Rong Xiu pinched his nose bridge. I now pity Nan Yifan a little as he actually gave birth to such brainless descendants. 2 He looked up at the few of them and lightly asked, ¡°So you¡¯re not willing to leave?¡± Chapter 1652 - Dont Disturb My Wife He spoke slowly, and his expression was calm, even gentle. However, these words made them feel inexplicably cold. Meeting those deep phoenix eyes, an inexplicable fear suddenly surged in Nan Yuxing¡¯s heart. However, he quickly suppressed the emotion. I¡¯m the Nan family¡¯s eldest young master. Why would I be afraid of someone from the Sky-Cloud Empire? ¡°Rong Xiu, I know that in the past few years, you¡¯ve become famous in the God Residence Realm. I admit that you¡¯re indeed powerful, or you wouldn¡¯t have reached your current position. Unfortunately¡­ there¡¯s one thing you still don¡¯t know: There are some people you can¡¯t afford to offend!¡± As Nan Yuxing spoke, he shouted at the two elders, ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly!¡± As long as I kill these two people quickly, nobody will know that we were the ones who did it. I will bury this news forever! Elder Wu Peng frowned slightly. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t appropriate¡­¡± Although he didn¡¯t know much about Rong Xiu, he had heard some rumors about the latter. His methods are vicious and decisive, making him a ruthless character. Most importantly, what he just said¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be pretentious. To be able to say the family head¡¯s name is already extraordinary, and he even looks so casual¡­ Could it be that Rong Xiu really knows the family head? Nan Yuxing was immediately dissatisfied. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, you¡¯ve always been decisive. Why are you so hesitant today?¡± The other party has already bullied us to this extent, but we still haven¡¯t counterattacked. If word gets out, we will probably be laughed at! It is just killing two people. What other trouble could it cause? Elder Wu Peng¡¯s lips moved. He wanted to persuade Nan Yuxing further, but Elder Bai Tong hurriedly shot him a look. What is there to argue about? Second Missy has been humiliated by them, and Eldest Young Master has lost half his life. Even if the family head is here, he would definitely choose to attack directly! Besides, if we kill them and clean up their corpses, nobody will know. If we don¡¯t say a word, nobody else in the world will know. Why worry so much? Elder Wu Peng¡¯s expression turned cold. In the end, he swallowed the rest of his words. Whoosh! A green-black sickle appeared in Elder Wu Peng¡¯s hand! The cold light was extremely sharp! ¡°Eldest Young Master and Second Missy, please step back,¡± Elder Wu Peng said in a low voice. Elder Bai Tong took a step forward at the same time, force surging around his body! It seemed like he was determined to fight to the death. Rong Xiu glanced at them indifferently and retracted his gaze as if he didn¡¯t care about this situation. This attitude finally successfully angered the two elders. ¡°Go forward!¡± Elder Wu Peng roared and rushed forward first! Rumble! Elder Bai Tong flicked his sleeve! An orange flame condensed into a long whip that headed straight for Chu Liuyue! But at this moment, Elder Bai Tong suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg! He immediately looked down, and his pupils constricted! At some point, his ankle was entangled by a golden thread! The thread was as thin as a strand of hair, and it silently appeared without any energy fluctuations. That was why he didn¡¯t notice and didn¡¯t even know that he was entangled! Another ball of fire appeared in his hand, wanting to burn the thread off. But to Elder Bai Tong¡¯s shock, the golden thread was incomparably tenacious. His flames were actually useless against it! In fact, as the flames burned, the power in them was inexplicably devoured by the golden thread gradually! The golden thread tightened! A sharp pain came as dark-red blood gradually seeped through his clothes! Elder Bai Tong was even more shocked. How could this golden thread be so powerful!? Although he specialized as a heavenly doctor, he was also a true god in the warrior cultivation path. Moreover, with the help of medicinal pills, his physical strength was greater than that of ordinary cultivators at the same level. Why was he directly injured by this golden thread now?! Sensing danger, Elder Bai Tong flicked his wrist and retracted the fire whip. He began to deal with the golden thread on his ankle with all his might, but things didn¡¯t go as planned. The golden thread began to spread and coil upward at an even more shocking speed! In a short while, his entire calf was tightly wrapped in the golden thread! Moreover, the golden thread was still tightening during this process! More and more blood appeared on Elder Bai Tong¡¯s body. He finally panicked. What the hell is this!? Whoosh! A green-black light sickle flashed! It was Elder Wu Peng who sensed the danger on his side and changed direction halfway. The sharp sickle slashed down fiercely! The golden thread broke silently! Elder Bai Tong finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Wu Peng, thank you¡ªbe careful!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Elder Bai Tong¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he exclaimed! Elder Wu Peng focused his gaze and saw that the broken golden thread had split into two and wrapped toward the two of them! In the blink of an eye, the golden thread enveloped Elder Wu Peng¡¯s sickle! Moreover, it was still spreading toward Elder Wu Peng! Just as Elder Wu Peng was about to swing his sickle, he realized that under the entanglement of the golden thread, his sickle seemed to have increased in weight and was difficult to swing. Every movement became extremely difficult! Nan Yuxing and Nan Yiyi, who were watching from behind, were also stunned when they saw this scene. How could Rong Xiu be so strong?! At this moment, Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°I told you not to disturb my wife¡¯s cultivation.¡± He raised his wrist and pulled! Chapter 1653 - Deal! The extremely flexible golden thread instantly tightened! Then, it directly dragged the green-black sickle out of Elder Wu Peng¡¯s hand! Elder Wu Peng was caught off-guard, and his Yuan instrument was easily taken away by Rong Xiu! Then, under everyone¡¯s gaze, the sickle flew in front of Rong Xiu! Rong Xiu raised his hand and took the sickle. ¡°Sky-Breaking Sickle¡­ If I remember correctly, this should be the first royal Yuan instrument refined by Elder Wu Peng, right? It was also because of this that Elder Wu Peng finally succeeded in becoming a royal Armory Refinement Master. Therefore, even though Elder Wu Peng is already a supreme Armory Refinement Master, he still values this Yuan instrument very much.¡± Elder Wu Peng¡¯s half-frozen face turned even colder. How does Rong Xiu¡­ know about this?! Whoosh! A dagger suddenly appeared in Rong Xiu¡¯s other hand. The dagger was no more than the length of a hand. The handle was dark and heavy, but the blade was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing, almost transparent. It shone faintly in the sunlight. Elder Wu Peng¡¯s heart skipped a beat! ¡°You¡ª¡± Crack! There was a crisp crack. It was Elder Wu Peng¡¯s sickle that had been cut in the middle by Rong Xiu¡¯s dagger! The cut surface was neat and smooth. Rong Xiu seemed to have destroyed Elder Wu Peng¡¯s most beloved royal Yuan instrument without any effort! He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked up with a faint smile. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, it seems that your royal Yuan instrument isn¡¯t that impressive.¡± Elder Wu Peng¡¯s expression instantly darkened! ¡°Rong Xiu! How dare you!?¡± In his life, the number of royal Yuan instruments he had refined was no less than five. But among them, what he valued the most was this Sky-Breaking Sickle. Even though he was now a supreme Armory Refinement Master, he still favored this item. Back then, he had been trapped as an advanced Armory Refinement master for several years, and he had never been able to break through the royal Armory Refinement Master threshold. Over time, this had almost become his mental demon. Later on, by chance, he finally refined this royal Yuan instrument successfully. Not only did he successfully break through the threshold, but he also broke through his own predicament. From then on, his cultivation journey was unimpeded. It was precisely because of this that he valued this Sky-Breaking Sickle very much. Now that Rong Xiu had destroyed it in front of him, how could he not be angry? How could he take this lying down?! But other than anger, he was also deeply shocked. The dagger in Rong Xiu¡¯s hand is small and smart, looking not much different from an ordinary dagger. However, it had easily broken a royal Yuan instrument just now! In other words, this dagger is either an extremely outstanding royal Yuan instrument or¡ª ¡°Ah!¡± A miserable scream suddenly came from the side. Elder Wu Peng was shocked and hurriedly turned around. He saw that Elder Bai Tong¡¯s calf was already tightly wrapped by the golden thread again, and it looked even worse than last time! Elder Bai Tong¡¯s clothes were covered in messy blood. One could vaguely see the shocking wound on his flesh. Elder Bai Tong¡¯s face was pale, and he almost fainted from the pain. The golden thread wasn¡¯t ordinary. Not only could it easily cut through the body, but the edges of the wound also burned with extreme pain. The golden thread tightened, and it was as if red-hot iron rods were scraping past his body! Sizzle¡ª A scalp-numbing burning sound came. Elder Bai Tong lowered his head to take a look with trembling hands. For a moment, his mind went blank. Burns actually appeared on his legs! His skin, flesh, and blood were even terrifyingly charred! Elder Bai Tong began to struggle with all his might, trying to break free with all his might. But no matter what he did, the golden threads lingered. Every time they broke, they would become stronger! A thread suddenly tightened. The cold pain instantly spread throughout his body! Half of Elder Bai Tong¡¯s calf was silently severed! The incision on the wound was very neat, and even white bones could be seen! This scene deeply agitated Elder Bai Tong, causing him to be shocked and furious. Deep in his heart, dense fear spread! Many emotions surged, and finally, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. His chest trembled violently, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood before falling heavily to the ground! Thump! With a dull thud, dust rose from the ground where he made contact. ¡°Elder Bai Tong!¡± Nan Yuxing and Nan Yiyi finally came back to their senses and couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. The two elders attacked together, yet they are actually¡­ losing? How exactly did Rong Xiu do it? Elder Wu Peng stared intently at the wounds on Elder Bai Tong¡¯s body and gradually clenched his fists. Bai Tong is a heavenly doctor and can transform his force into flames to refine pills. Therefore, ordinary flames can¡¯t hurt him at all. But at this moment, he was burned by a golden thread, and half of his leg was cut off! This Rong Xiu¡­ is clearly more terrifying than the rumors state! What realm has his strength reached?! ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Wu Peng was about to speak when Rong Xiu abruptly raised his finger. ¡°Shh.¡± There was a clear light in his deep eyes, but his expression was distant and indifferent. Elder Wu Peng suddenly seemed to be strangled by something. The rest of his words were silently crushed in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t say them again. ¡­ In Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, several Xuan formations were arranged in an orderly manner. Every Xuan formation shone brightly and emitted a mighty pressure. However, they were all very far from each other. A stream of light flew out from a Xuan formation in the middle and quickly connected to a Xuan formation beside it. Then came the second and third. Her heart subconsciously tensed up. She wanted to connect the Xuan formations into one piece, but it wouldn¡¯t be easy. She couldn¡¯t remember how many times she had tried, and it had exhausted her stamina and energy. The only gratification was that she did better each time than the last. It was also this that supported her to grit her teeth and persevere. More and more Xuan formations were connected to each other. The pressure on her also began to stack! Finally, there was only one Xuan formation left. Chu Liuyue subconsciously held her breath and tensed up. She knew too well what it would mean if she succeeded this time! If she hadn¡¯t experienced it personally, even she wouldn¡¯t believe that someone could try to break through from a King Xuan Master to become a Great King Xuan Master in just a few months. Bang bang! Bang bang! Her heart was beating rapidly, almost jumping out of her chest. But thinking about it carefully, this is actually reasonable because I was already a King Xuan Master a few years ago. Countless Xuan formations are also recorded in my mind. I have to thank Big Baby for this. If not for him, I would never have gotten to this point so quickly. With a thought, the last stream of light flew out lightly and was tightly connected to the last Xuan formation! Chapter 1654 - Kindly Help Ka! Unknowingly, a distant but real shatter sounded. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open! In an instant, there seemed to be stars flickering in her eyes¡ªextremely dazzling! An indescribable pressure spread from her body! Great King Xuan Master! ¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. I knew she would succeed. This matter might be as difficult as ascending to the sky for ordinary people, but it is much easier for her since she repaired the Heaven-Locking Formation before. However, this scene stunned the people not far away. ¡°This¡­ this aura is¡­¡± Nan Yiyi was a Xuan Master and had good talent, so she was especially sensitive to this. Her eyes widened slightly in disbelief. That woman looks to be only 17 or 18 years old. How could she have directly broken through to become a Great King Xuan Master?! Even I, who is already 24 years old, have never seen the threshold of a Great King Xuan Master! She couldn¡¯t help but grab her brother¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Big Brother, did I sense the aura wrongly?¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. Although he wasn¡¯t a Xuan Master, he had seen many Xuan Masters. That woman has indeed broken through to become a Great King Xuan Master! If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, even I wouldn¡¯t believe that such a young Great King Xuan Master existed in this world! Moreover, it seems that she broke through in less than a day! ¡°¡­She must have used some method!¡± Nan Yuxing gritted his teeth. When Nan Yiyi heard this, she dispelled the last hope in her heart. Method¡­ How is that possible? A warrior might still be able to use some method to forcefully increase their strength and realm for a certain period of time. However, it is definitely impossible for a Xuan Master! If she has broken through, it is based on her own talent! Nan Yiyi¡¯s body swayed, and she almost fell to the ground. Everything in front of her was too much of a blow. First, Elder Bai Tong and Elder Wu Peng were suppressed by Rong Xiu one after another. Then, that woman directly broke through to become a Great King Xuan Master¡­ Previously, she had a certain amount of pride in this aspect and thought that she was better than the other party, but now, all of this was shattered! Elder Wu Peng had just helped deal with Elder Bai Tong¡¯s injuries. Sensing this commotion, he also looked up with a deep gaze. At this point, if they still looked down on the two of them, they would be extremely stupid! Nan Yuxing couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, we have to leave!¡± Elder Wu Peng frowned with complicated emotions in his eyes. He naturally knew that if he let the two of them leave, there would be endless troubles. But¡­ Nan Yuxing and Bai Tong were seriously injured, and Nan Yiyi was clearly weaker than them. Even if he tried his best, he might not be able to deal with the two of them before they sent out the message. If word got out, they would still be in trouble. At that time, the situation would only get worse. More importantly, they had come to the God-Killing Tumulus to find that thing. Now that they had yet to find it, they were already heavily injured. If they were delayed because of this, then¡­ the gains wouldn¡¯t make up for the losses! Elder Wu Peng lowered his gaze and glanced at Elder Bai Tong. ¡°Bai Tong, what do you think?¡± Elder Bai Tong¡¯s face was pale and filled with hatred. Nobody would choose to accept their calf being cut off so easily, let alone someone like Elder Bai Tong. Never would he have thought that after being all-powerful for so long, he would actually suffer at the hands of such a young man! He wanted revenge more than anyone, but¡­ He knew what Elder Wu Peng was thinking. After hesitating for a while, Elder Bai Tong finally gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first¡­¡± ¡°Elder Bai Tong!?¡± Nan Yuxing suddenly interrupted him, almost thinking that he had heard wrongly. He has lost a leg! Now, he is actually planning to let it go? Elder Bai Tong closed his eyes. How could I not want revenge? But in the current situation, leaving first is the best choice! When we find that thing and complete the mission given by the family head, won¡¯t we have plenty of time and opportunities to look for these two people? Nan Yuxing gradually clenched his fists. At first, he only wanted to cause trouble for the two because they had humiliated his sister. He planned to teach them a lesson. But now¡­ the few of them had suffered and were humiliated by the other party! Nan Yuxing, who was used to being high and mighty, could not accept this. He slowly looked up. ¡­ At this moment, Chu Liuyue had completely woken up from her breakthrough. She had just stood up when Rong Xiu walked over. ¡°Congratulations, Yue¡¯er.¡± The cold frost between his eyebrows melted at this moment, replaced by a gentle smile. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes also curved into crescents as she smiled. ¡°Thanks to your guidance.¡± If she hadn¡¯t played that game of chess with Rong Xiu, she didn¡¯t know when she would be able to comprehend it and break through. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and lowered his head slightly. He looked into her eyes seriously and asked with a low smile, ¡°Then¡­ is there a reward?¡± The two of them were extremely close. When he spoke, his warm breath and faint cold fragrance silently enveloped her. Chu Liuyue stretched out her finger and gently tapped his chest, then leaned back slightly and smiled. ¡°There are people here. Your Highness, you should restrain yourself.¡± As she spoke, she half-turned and looked at the other people, her eyes crinkling in greeting. ¡°What a coincidence. We¡¯ve met again.¡± ¡­ Coincidence? Coincidence my ass! Seeing the smile on her face, the suppressed anger in Nan Yuxing and the rest burned. This woman definitely did it on purpose! Just because she has broken through to become a Great King Xuan Master, she doesn¡¯t care about others! ¡°You!¡± Nan Yuxing was furious. ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked in surprise as if she had yet to realize what had happened. ¡°May I know what this young master¡­¡± ¡°Nan Yuxing,¡± Rong Xiu reminded. There was no need to be polite with such a person. Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°What do you mean, Young Master Nan?¡± Playing dumb! Nan Yuxing was so angry that he laughed instead. ¡°You really don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what the man beside you did!¡± Moreover, the little girl in the Red Soul Woods was summoned by this woman! Both of them still owe us! Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu and stroked her chin as if she were thinking about something. ¡°Hasn¡¯t my husband¡­ been helping the few of you?¡± Nan Yuxing and the others couldn¡¯t believe that she could say such a thing. The few of us are in an extremely sorry state and are covered in injuries. Wasn¡¯t it all caused by Rong Xiu?! She actually has the cheek to lie through her teeth! ¡°Heh! Good! Good! I finally understand now. There¡¯s¡­ nothing to say to the two of you!¡± A string in Nan Yuxing¡¯s mind suddenly snapped. He flicked his sleeve, and something quickly flew toward Chu Liuyue! Chapter 1655 - Hold On His attack was too sudden and extremely fast! By the time everyone reacted, the thing had already flown in front of Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue looked over. It was a completely white jade toad! The jade toad was carved very carefully. Under its white skin, one could even vaguely see faint red bones and blood vessels. Those dark eyes seemed to be even colder, making one¡¯s heart subconsciously turn cold. At a glance, it was very realistic, almost no different from real! Her eyes turned cold. It seems that Nan Yuxing really wants my life. He actually took out this thing! This jade toad was made with extremely rare thousand-year-old cold jade. Its entire body was enshrouded in extremely dense poisonous gas and was extremely lethal! If the power of this jade toad was to be maximized, it needed to be put into a cultivator¡¯s body and nourished with essence energy and blood energy. The longer it was nourished, the stronger the jade toad became. But during this process, cultivators had to suffer immense pain. And the longer it was nourished, the more terrifying the torture became. From the appearance of the jade toad, Nan Yuxing must¡¯ve spent a lot of effort on it. Now that he had taken out this item the moment he attacked, it could be seen that he indeed wanted her life! Rong Xiu was about to attack when he suddenly raised his eyebrows and stopped. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes, and a cluster of golden flames suddenly appeared in her palm! The jade toad was about to fly over! At this moment, a black blade of light suddenly appeared out of thin air! Tsing! The two collided with a crisp sound! Then, the jade toad was instantly sent flying and landed on the ground! A crack was clearly visible on its back! The smile on Nan Yuxing¡¯s face froze before it could fully spread. This jade toad was refined after a year of bitter cultivation! It was extremely precious, and he rarely took it out to use. He didn¡¯t expect it to be directly destroyed! It had to be known that once a crack appeared on it, it would be irreparable! It was equivalent to a year of hard work being wasted! He stared at the two of them in shock and anger as his blood surged. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Young Master Nan, did you see clearly that it wasn¡¯t the two of us who attacked just now?¡± Before he could say anything, Chu Liuyue spoke first. Nan Yuxing was so angry that he felt dizzy. ¡°If it¡¯s not you guys, who else could it be?! Ghosts!¡± Elder Wu Peng frowned. He had clearly seen that the two of them had indeed not moved just now. The black blade of light did seem to have appeared out of thin air. He looked at the black blade of light. After knocking the jade toad down, it floated quietly in the air. The rich black color seemed like it wanted to devour everything around it. Elder Wu Peng suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease. ¡°Young Master¡ª¡± He took a step back and was about to say something. A low, hoarse voice suddenly came from the black blade of light. ¡°How can others covet someone I want to kill?¡± It sounded indifferent, disdainful, and sinister! It was filled with intense killing intent¡ªit was almost chilling! As soon as the voice finished speaking, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended! Nan Yuxing had yet to recover from his serious injuries, but at this moment, he was furious. After being forcefully suppressed by this pressure, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! ¡°Big Brother!¡± Nan Yiyi hurriedly supported Nan Yuxing with an anxious expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Who, who¡¯s talking?¡± She looked in the direction of the voice. She was shocked and furious, but more than that, she was deeply afraid. Although she was usually spoiled and willful, she was still very talented in cultivation. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been so favored. She could clearly feel that the owner of the voice was terrifyingly strong! ¡°Who¡ªwho the hell are you!?¡± The black light blade gradually changed, condensing into a tall figure in the thick black fog. The man was dressed in a black robe. The hood hung over his face, making it impossible to see. A strong murderous aura spread from his body! Nan Yiyi¡¯s remaining words suddenly stuck in her throat. She subconsciously covered her mouth and took a step back in fear. This person¡­ This person¡­ This person is too dangerous! The man glanced at Nan Yuxing. ¡°Were you the one who attacked just now?¡± His words were spoken slowly, but every word seemed to be bone-chilling. The pressure around Nan Yuxing increased again! He couldn¡¯t take it for a moment and kneeled on the ground! Thump! Elder Wu Peng immediately stood in front of Nan Yuxing and said in a low voice, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s better to discuss with words!¡± His mind raced as he replayed everything that had just happened. Then, a ridiculous guess appeared in his heart. Sensing the danger in the other man, he swallowed hard, his throat tight. ¡°W-we definitely don¡¯t have the intention to go against you! It¡¯s just that we have some grudges against these two people. Eldest Young Master was so angry that he attacked, b-but we really don¡¯t have any other intentions!¡± The ¡®man in black¡¯ looked at Chu Liuyue and let out a strange laugh, but nobody could detect any joy in his laugh. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re as good at causing trouble as ever. I only came a little later, and you¡¯ve already provoked another enemy. It looks like¡­ there are really many people who want to kill you.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°Thank you for the compliment. I actually don¡¯t like to cause trouble. Often, trouble comes knocking on my door. They¡¯re like that, but aren¡¯t you the same?¡± Hearing this, Elder Wu Peng and the others were secretly shocked. It looks like¡­ Shangguan Yue really knows this mysterious black-robed man? Moreover¡­ she seems to have expected the other party¡¯s appearance!? The black-robed man suddenly sneered. ¡°You¡¯re still as bold as ever.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°How am I bold? You asked me to die, so I came.¡± The two of them spoke only a few words, but there was an undercurrent! Nan Yuxing and the others were also completely stunned. From the sound of it¡­ they seem to have agreed to fight to the death here? So¡ª As if sensing their gazes, Chu Liuyue looked back and smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that my husband was kind enough to help you just now. Unfortunately, you don¡¯t appreciate it¡­ Then, you can continue to stay here with us. However, whether you live or die depends on your own abilities.¡± At this moment, Elder Wu Peng had already realized the seriousness of the matter. Even though he didn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s identity, he knew that with the other party¡¯s strength, it would definitely be easy for him to keep them here! They were here to find something, not die! ¡°Sir, what happened today was purely a misunderstanding. We definitely have no intention of fighting with you. We¡¯ll leave now to save your face.¡± As Elder Wu Peng spoke, he took another step back and prepared to turn around and leave with the others. ¡°Hold on.¡± Chapter 1656 - Father! ¡°Did I let you go?¡± The black-robed man spoke slowly. Every word was like a huge mountain that weighed down on the hearts of Nan Yuxing and the others. Elder Wu Peng turned around and cupped his hands. ¡°We indeed have no intention of disturbing you and have already apologized. I wonder if you have any other dissatisfaction?¡± Is there something wrong with this person? Since he wants to kill Shangguan Yue, he can just kill her. What does it have to do with us? Even if Nan Yuxing had attacked just now, he hadn¡¯t hit her! Didn¡¯t the black-robed man stop him? Was that not enough? As a supreme Armory Refinement Master with a noble status, when had Elder Wu Peng ever spoken to someone so humbly? If not for the fact that Nan Yuxing and Elder Bai Tong were both injured today and that they still had something important to do, he would definitely not be so polite to this person! ¡°Pfft.¡± The man sneered as if he had heard a joke. ¡°You casually barged into my territory, and you want to leave after being presumptuous and arrogant¡­ How can there be such a good thing in this world?¡± Elder Wu Peng was shocked. ¡°You¡­ You said this is your territory?!¡± Nan Yiyi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that countless experts are buried here and that this place is an ownerless land? Now, you¡¯re saying that this is your territory¡­ Do you really think we¡¯re so easy to fool?¡± Although she was a little afraid of the black-robed man, she couldn¡¯t help but retort. Why did he say that this is his territory? This was the tombstone area of legendary warriors! The black-robed man abruptly raised his hand and clenched it in the air. ¡°Ugh!¡± Nan Yiyi suddenly felt as if her neck was being strangled by an invisible hand! Her entire body was lifted up! Because it was difficult to breathe, her face quickly turned red! No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn¡¯t break free. ¡°Yiyi!¡± ¡°Second Missy!¡± Nan Yuxing and the others panicked when they saw this scene. They didn¡¯t expect the black-robed man to attack without hesitation! Elder Wu Peng wanted to counterattack, but on careful thought, since the other party had appeared here¡­ Regardless of whether this was his place or not, it must be beneficial to him. It would not be good if he attacked rashly. ¡°Sir, we are from the Nan family of Myriad Sacred Sect. Before you make a move, I hope you will reconsider. Do you really want to go against the Myriad Sacred Sect?¡± The black-robed man laughed. ¡°So you¡¯re from the Nan family¡­ No wonder you¡¯re so arrogant. Unfortunately, you don¡¯t seem to have any brains.¡± Nan Yuxing couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward. ¡°You¡ª¡± Elder Bai Tong hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°Eldest Young Master, Second Missy is still in his hands!¡± Nan Yuxing gritted his teeth and could only endure it. Elder Wu Peng¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look any better. They had suffered more humiliation and torture today than in the past few years combined! Unfortunately, now that Nan Yiyi was in his hands, they didn¡¯t dare to do anything. Nan Yiyi¡¯s struggling gradually weakened, leaving only blurry words that were unclearly spat out of her mouth. ¡°You¡­ Didn¡¯t you¡­ want to kill¡­ her¡­¡± Since this man¡¯s target is Shangguan Yue, why didn¡¯t he attack directly? Instead, he came to torture me? What she didn¡¯t know was that their actions had angered the other party. Because of the lack of oxygen, her vision began to blacken, and her consciousness blurred. Just as Nan Yiyi thought that she was really going to die here, the black-robed man finally let go. Thump! Nan Yiyi¡¯s body was thrown heavily to the ground! The rough ground scratched her body. The clothes on her back were scraped, revealing bright red wounds. ¡°Ah!¡± Nan Yiyi was angry and embarrassed, but she didn¡¯t even have the strength to get up. Elder Wu Peng hurriedly went over, took out a coat, and draped it over her. He then helped her up. Seeing Nan Yiyi¡¯s miserable appearance, it was impossible for Nan Yuxing and the others not to be angry. However, it was good enough that she was now back. They didn¡¯t dare to ask for anything else. ¡°Killing you will dirty my hands,¡± the black-robed man said casually. Nan Yiyi¡¯s face turned red and white, but she did not dare to say another word. Her body was trembling violently. ¡­ Crossing her arms, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. It¡¯s a pity that the good show is over. However, I never thought of using this man to deal with the people opposite me. This man is here for me to begin with. He is naturally not interested in anyone else. It¡¯s already a pleasant surprise to see them suffer. She exhaled softly and looked at the black-robed man with a faint smile. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point quickly. It¡¯s not good to continue pestering others and delay their search for treasures.¡± The expressions of Nan Yuxing and the others changed! Could it be that Shangguan Yue already knew the purpose of our trip? But from her expression, it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­ ¡°Treasure?¡± The black-robed man was stunned for a moment. Then, he seemed to have realized something and laughed mysteriously. Nan Yuxing and the others became even more nervous. But just as they thought that the black-robed man was still planning to make things difficult for them, they suddenly heard him say, ¡°Get lost!¡± Elder Wu Peng made a prompt decision and hurriedly turned around to leave with the three of them! The few of them were more or less injured, but they were surprisingly fast. In a short while, they were already far away. It was as if they were afraid that the black-robed man would go back on his words. ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m here to keep the appointment. Where¡¯s my father?¡± The people in the way had already left, so Chu Liuyue went straight to the point. The smile on her face faded a lot, and her aura turned cold. The black-robed man waved his sleeve. The void beside him trembled! Then, a black cage quietly appeared! A familiar figure was trapped in chains¡ªit was Chu Ning, who Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t seen for a long time! At this moment, he looked disheveled, thin, and haggard. His clothes were tattered and stained with dirty blood. His hair was disheveled and scattered, almost covering most of his face. Chu Liuyue could only see his unusually pale and cracked lips, but with just one look, she still recognized that it was Chu Ning! ¡°Father!¡± Endless sorrow suddenly surged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. The black-robed man suddenly chuckled. ¡°Speaking of which, Chu Ning was only fated to be with you for a short period of time. I didn¡¯t expect you to really come to save him.¡± Suppressing her emotions, Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know when you laid hands on him?¡± She had been reborn as the daughter of Chu Ning. Although they hadn¡¯t been together for long, Chu Ning had always treated her as his biological daughter. He had given his all and could even risk his life for her. In her heart, she had long treated him as her father. She was Shangguan Yue and also Chu Liuyue! Therefore, even though she knew that this trip was dangerous, she still came! ¡°You racked your brains to get me to come here. Now that I¡¯m here, you should keep your promise and release my father!¡± Chapter 1657 - : Im Here to Take You Home ¡°If you want me to release him, it¡¯s very simple.¡± The man in black stretched out his hand. ¡°You just have to pass me that thing.¡± Below the sleeves was a translucent palm. One could tell that he appeared as a soul this time and didn¡¯t steal anyone else¡¯s body. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. This man¡¯s abilities seem stronger than before, but¡­ perhaps it is because the previous ones were just a copy of him. The one in front of me is the true him! This time, he had arranged the meeting to be at the God-Killing Tumulus. Chu Liuyue guessed that he had his own plans. As expected, this should be the only place he can unleash his strongest skills. Even if we haven¡¯t officially dealt hands, judging from the previous attack, he is undoubtedly a legendary warrior. An idea popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and she knitted her brows slightly. I had once investigated this person¡¯s identity in secret. He used to be from Black Demon Hole and had quite a high status. However, he was later chased out of the clan¡­ Logically speaking, such a person should be very easy to find, but I can¡¯t find any relevant news. Black Demon Hole seems to have sealed off this news, and there is nothing spreading in the outside world. Hence, I¡¯m still not clear about the other party¡¯s identity. ¡°What, we haven¡¯t seen each other in too long, and you forgot what I want?¡± The man in black¡¯s tone had a hint of annoyance. Chu Liuyue looked up, and her lips tugged without smiling intent. ¡°Of course not.¡± For that water droplet, this man has set me up countless times. How could I forget? She walked forward. ¡°Yue¡¯er,¡± said Rong Xiu suddenly. Chu Liuyue turned around. The two of them stared at each other. ¡°Be careful.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly nodded. Then, she turned around and continued walking forward. Rong Xiu stood on the ground with one hand behind his back as he raised his phoenix-like eyes slightly. The man in black sensed something and laughed. Rong Xiu can protect her, but in this place, even Rong Xiu isn¡¯t my match! Luckily, Rong Xiu is a smart person and doesn¡¯t seem to have any plans to take action. At this point, Chu Liuyue was only ten steps away from the man in black. She stood still. ¡°Let¡¯s exchange the items at the same point.¡± Without hesitation, the man whipped his sleeves, and the cage flew directly to Chu Liuyue. ¡°As long as you give me the item obediently, the cage will automatically disappear. But if you¡¯re thinking of playing tricks¡­ Trust me, he will only die faster.¡± The man¡¯s voice was hoarse and dark. At this point, it had a hint of threat and sounded even more uncomfortable. Chu Liuyue ignored him and looked at Chu Ning in the cage. Previously, she was quite far away and only took a hurried look, so she didn¡¯t see many details. At this point, the two people were only a step away from each other. She could see every wound on Chu Ning¡¯s body clearly. He should¡¯ve fainted. The two parties said so much, but he didn¡¯t wake up. His injuries should be very serious¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be gripped by something tight, and she found it hard to breathe. It¡¯s been such a long time. I wonder how much Father has suffered¡­ And all of this is because of me. Without me, he might still be in Country Yao Chen, living his peaceful life. He wouldn¡¯t be in such a disheveled and tortured state. Tears welled up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, and the hot tears fell silently. ¡°Father¡­¡± Chu Ning¡¯s brows moved suddenly. In his daze, he seemed to have heard a familiar voice. That¡¯s¡­ Yue¡¯er?! Strong and intense willpower of wanting to meet her surged in his heart! Then, Chu Ning¡¯s lashes trembled, and he actually opened his eyes slowly. Chu Liuyue had been staring at him the whole time, so she naturally noticed his actions at first instance and was surprised and elated. ¡°Father! You¡¯re awake?!¡± Chu Ning was unconscious for too long. Now that he suddenly opened his eyes, he felt that the surrounding lights were too bright, causing his eyes to hurt. However, he didn¡¯t dare to close his eyes as he stared at the person before him in a daze. His vision became increasingly clear. The face that he had missed for so many days had finally appeared before him again! Her sharp features and her star-like eyes. Chu Ning¡¯s heart quickly beat as all the blood in his body seemed to course about! ¡°¡­Y-Yue¡¯er¡­¡± His voice was very light. As he hadn¡¯t spoken in a long time, his voice was unbelievably hoarse. However, Chu Liuyue still heard him clearly. She quickly wiped away her tears and smiled brightly. ¡°Father! It¡¯s me!¡± The familiar voice landed in his ears and knocked against them; even his heart seemed to be hit by something hard. Chu Ning was dazed. The bright sun caused his eyes to tear silently. These familiar eyes¡­ This familiar voice¡­ It¡¯s Yue¡¯er¡ªit really is her! The corner of Chu Ning¡¯s lips moved as he suddenly raised his hand, wanting to touch Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. However, he only raised his hand halfway before it fell back weakly. His body was too frail, and he couldn¡¯t even complete a simple action like this. Chu Ning laughed bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being so useless. I can¡¯t even¡­ hug my own Yue¡¯er¡­¡± Even he didn¡¯t know how he survived such long days. He just thought that he couldn¡¯t abandon Yue¡¯er. Just like this, the days passed one by one as if there were no end to the darkness. But today, finally¡ª Chu Liuyue¡¯s tears dropped again, and the smile on her face was even brighter. She said lightly, ¡°Father, Yue¡¯er is here to take you home.¡± Chapter 1658 - Exchange Pak. Pak. Pak. The man in black clapped and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°What a touching scene. Shangguan Yue, you can immediately bring him back as long as you pass me that item. It¡¯ll be a reunion with your father. That¡¯s very happy, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hearing this voice, Chu Ning suddenly recovered his senses. He turned around, looked at that man in black, and furrowed his brows tightly. This man¡­ He previously took me away from the desert and trapped me in this cage, just to threaten Yue¡¯er?! ¡°Yue¡¯er, what does he want you to hand over?¡± asked Chu Ning worriedly as he gripped the poles of the cage tightly. Even though his physical body and mental state were on the verge of breaking down, he was still clear about Yue¡¯er. This man is stronger than I had expected. What does such a person not have? An item that can make him spend so much effort planning¡­ One can imagine that the item he wants is nothing ordinary, and it is very likely to be an extremely important item to Yue¡¯er. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what exactly is he going to do?¡± Chu Ning stared straight at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to make such a big sacrifice for me. You¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue smiled in comfort. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. Since I¡¯m already here, I¡¯ve already made up my mind. To me, nothing else is more important than you.¡± Chu Ning¡¯s heart ached, and he was touched. He was smart. From Chu Liuyue¡¯s reply, he could confirm that the other party wanted her to make the exchange with a rare treasure, and it was even something very important to her! Chu Ning shook his head and said firmly and slowly, ¡°No¡­ Yue¡¯er, I¡¯m already on the brink of death. The only reason why I can survive to this day is that I was thinking about seeing you one more time. Now that I¡¯ve seen you, I have no more regrets¡­¡± Even though he didn¡¯t know what kind of agreement Yue¡¯er and that man in black had, he could confirm that Yue¡¯er had compromised. ¡°¡­I never¡­ allowed you to suffer a single bit in the past. It¡¯s¡­ still the same now¡­¡± Chu Ning stared at Chu Liuyue deeply, and his voice became increasingly weak. It¡¯s just life and death. I don¡¯t want Yue¡¯er to suffer more stress and pain that she doesn¡¯t deserve because of me. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t do much for you¡­ Cough, cough¡­ the only thing I can do is not burden you¡­ cough, cough¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Father, we¡¯re father and daughter, and we¡¯re connected by bloodline. How can it be considered as burdening me? Saving you is what I ought to do¡ª¡± She did not finish her sentence. Chu Ning looked at her deeply and suddenly smiled. This gaze, this smile, had exceeded all sorts of words. He said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, it has been hard on you during the past few years.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly seemed to be hit harshly. She pressed her lips against each other tightly. Actually¡­ I should¡¯ve long expected it. Ever since I left Country Yao Chen, returned to Tianling, and then went to the God Residence Realm¡­ So many things have happened in such a long time. How could he not know anything? She could boldly admit her identity as Shangguan Yue in front of everyone. However, she still instinctively became Chu Liuyue in front of Chu Ning. ¡°¡­Yue¡¯er has always been cowardly and fearful since young. Why would her personality suddenly change and become another person? Even if your appearance and figure are completely the same, and there¡¯s no mistake in your memories¡­¡± A father knows his daughter the best. Chu Ning closed his eyes lightly. Of course, I knew it early on. Even if every aspect matches, I could still feel some things. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly. Actually, Chu Ning had long suspected her identity. She thought that she had hidden it very well and that he had believed her. She didn¡¯t expect¡­ ¡°Ever since you became my daughter, I couldn¡¯t do much for you. As for you, you did so much¡­¡± Chu Ning revealed a hint of guilt. She was very outstanding. He was proud of her. ¡°Yue¡¯er is gone, but the heavens pitied me and brought you here. If it¡¯s possible, I hope that you can be my daughter for the rest of my life, but¡­ I¡¯m too greedy.¡± At this point, he didn¡¯t wish to burden her any longer. ¡°You have a bright future ahead of you. You¡¯ve earned every single item that you have today painstakingly. There¡¯s no need to compromise because of me.¡± Chu Ning opened his eyes, and they were lethargic and bloodshot. He hoped that he could lead his life like this forever, but¡­ ¡°If there¡¯s a chance in my next life¡­¡± ¡°Father.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke and interrupted his words. Her voice was very light, but her gaze was especially genuine. She gazed at Chu Ning as if she wanted to see the bottom of his heart. ¡°Father, Yue¡¯er is your daughter. I was in the past, I am now, and I will be in the future!¡± Hence, I have to save this person today! Then, she straightened her back and looked at the man in black. After that, she closed her eyes and gathered her focus. ¡°Yue¡ª¡± Chu Ning had just reacted to her sentence when he suddenly saw her stretch her hand out. After a temporary silence, a strange pattern suddenly appeared in her palm! Then, that totem gradually floated and formed an eye-sized water droplet at an observable speed! That water droplet was totally iridescent. That totem was engraved on its surface and could be seen clearly. From afar, it seemed like a precious gem that was carved from a colorful stone. The lights shone on it brightly. Chu Ning¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched by something harshly. Even though he didn¡¯t know what exactly it was, he could feel that the item was extraordinary, and it seemed especially important to Yue¡¯er! When that water droplet appeared, her face seemed much paler. After seeing that water droplet, the man in black¡¯s surrounding aura changed significantly. Chu Liuyue looked in front and flung her wrist! ¡°Since you want to take it¡­ do it!¡± Whoosh! The man in black flung his sleeves, and almost anxiously snatched the water droplet. A ball of intense black fog emerged from his palm and quickly wrapped around the water droplet. At first glance, the originally bright and lavish water droplet seemed to be covered in shadows and became much darker. The suppression and aura it contained seemed to be restricted instantly! Very quickly, the item landed in the man¡¯s palm. He greedily looked at the water droplet in his hands. As he was too agitated, even the surrounding space started to move! ¡°Finally¡­¡± In order to find this item, I have spent a lot of time and experienced countless tortures! Now, the item is finally in my hands! Chu Liuyue sneered, ¡°Can you release my father now?¡± The man in black then reluctantly shifted his gaze away from the water droplet and toward Chu Liuyue. ¡°Hah. You are obedient¡­¡± Originally, I thought that she would play some tricks, but it now seems like I was overthinking. For just one Chu Ning, she can sacrifice her treasure¡­ Only she would do such a stupid thing, right?! He laughed delightfully and sinisterly. ¡°Sure.¡± Chapter 1659 - Fight! As he spoke, he waved his other hand lightly. That black cage instantly turned into countless black sparks and spread in all directions! Chu Ning¡¯s body lost the restraining cage, and it suddenly turned loose as his body fell to the side uncontrollably. Right at this point, a gentle force flew over and lightly held his body. Then, Chu Ning felt that his entire person was surrounded by this force before it pushed him to the side. He instinctively wanted to struggle free, but he coincidentally saw Rong Xiu standing at the side. At that moment, he suddenly understood that Rong Xiu had taken action! As expected, with the support of this force, he quickly went to Rong Xiu¡¯s side. ¡°Lord Chu Ning.¡± Rong Xiu stretched out his hand and helped him up. Chu Ning saw this familiar face. ¡°Prince Li¡ªno, Your Highness¡¯s current status should be¡­ Your Grace?¡± He didn¡¯t know much about Rong Xiu, but he had heard a little. Rong Xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°Yue¡¯er and I have a marriage agreement. You can directly call me Rong Xiu.¡± Hearing ¡®Yue¡¯er,¡¯ Chu Ning immediately reacted and clutched Rong Xiu¡¯s wrist. ¡°Right! Yue¡¯er¡ªguickly go and help Yue¡¯er!¡± If that thing is really taken away by the man in black, then¡ª Whoosh! A sharp ear-piercing sound was suddenly heard! Chu Ning was shocked and hurriedly turned around. When he saw the scene before him, shock and worry flashed across his eyes rapidly! That was because the countless black sparks suddenly turned into black pillars that rushed to Chu Liuyue! In the blink of an eye, they formed a very firm cage that completely locked Chu Liuyue! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Ning was shocked and enraged as he glared at the man in black. ¡°You¡­ Despicable!¡± However, the man in black chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the item¡¯s owner. How can I not bring you along?¡± He wanted the item to belong to him totally. Thus, he had to handle Shangguan Yue as well! Chu Liuyue stared at him tightly, and her red lips curled up at a cold angle. ¡°That means you¡¯re bent on not letting me leave, right?¡± ¡°The item has already recognized you as its owner. Even if I directly bring it away, what can I do if it doesn¡¯t listen to me?¡± The black-robed man suddenly raised his hand and clenched it in the air. The black pillars around Chu Liuyue suddenly exuded a shocking suppression! The surrounding space started squeezing toward her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest felt stifled, and blood oozed out from the corner of her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a pity I only know of one way to solve this problem, and that is¡­ to kill you! Of course, if you know other methods, you can tell me. I¡¯ll consider it. Perhaps¡­ I can spare your life?¡± The man¡¯s tone was high and mighty as if he could decide Chu Liuyue¡¯s life or death with his will. Chu Ning was overwhelmed and went forward without a care! Rong Xiu held his arm. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Chu Ning looked around anxiously. He was about to say something when he met Rong Xiu¡¯s calm and composed eyes. He was suddenly dazed. I know how Rong Xiu feels about Yue¡¯er. In such a situation, he seems¡­ not worried at all? Does he have other trump cards, or does Yue¡¯er have other plans? Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°Yue¡¯er will definitely come back unscathed. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Once he said this, he heard that man in black laugh out loud in mockery. ¡°Hahaha, what a joke! Shangguan Yue, this item is akin to your pearl of essence. Now that it has left you, you¡¯re essentially a good-for-nothing with no combat skills! How are you going to fight with me?!¡± These few people are too naive! But hearing his words, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t look panicked at all and revealed a smile. She raised her hand and slowly wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth. Murderous intent burned in her eyes as she said, ¡°You¡¯re right. This pearl of essence is very important to any cultivator, but it¡¯s a pity you forgot something¡­¡± Whoosh! A bright light flashed across! The Chi Xiao Sword suddenly appeared in her hands! The blade gleamed coldly! ¡°I¡¯m¡­ currently still its owner!¡± Rumble! A tremendous force suddenly crazily emerged from that water droplet! The layer of black mist surrounding it dissipated immediately at that moment! The tremendous suppression suddenly rushed down like the opening of floodgates! The man felt that something was amiss. His heart sank, and he wanted to seal it again. But once he moved, the force came over harshly! His body was instantly flung backward! ¡°How is that possible!?¡± He controlled his body with much difficulty. Then, he immediately looked at that water droplet in disbelief. That item is incomplete. How can it have such shocking strength?! ¡°What is impossible?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. This item has followed me for many years and absorbs force day and night. With all the accumulation, it has reached a terrifying state. Even if this man is a legendary warrior, it¡¯s as hard as ascending the skies if he wants to control it! I experienced life and death before I could finally keep that item. Now, a person suddenly emerges and wants to take it away without saying anything? How could I possibly agree? Chu Liuyue clenched the Chi Xiao Sword tightly, and her surrounding force instantly became harsh! She said carefully, ¡°I hate people stealing my things the most.¡± Whoosh! The water droplet rapidly flew back and went into Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura exploded! The next moment, she went on her toes and jumped up! She raised the Chi Xiao Sword high up! The heaven and earth force shook intensely and crazily gathered! ¡°Chi Xiao Sword!¡± The icy cold light shredded space and attacked the man! Her series of actions was too fast, causing the man to be unable to react in time. In his panic, he could only raise his hand to block it! Tsing! The Chi Xiao Sword landed on his sleeves, and it was as if it chopped black metal, letting out a crisp impact sound! Whoosh¡ª The Chi Xiao Sword harshly scraped across his sleeves and left a pale mark! At the same time, that man used his force to move backward rapidly! He looked down at his sleeves and smiled sinisterly. ¡°This Chi Xiao Sword is indeed amazing. My last split part had suffered in front of this, but¡­ do you think I¡¯ll let you win the second time?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes dangerously. No wonder this man wanted me to come here. Even though he doesn¡¯t have a physical body, his black robe isn¡¯t ordinary! Not many things can handle the Chi Xiao Sword, but it only left a scar on his black robe. ¡°Since you want to fight with me, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Once he said this, the man crossed his arms! Boom! Instantly, the skies changed! Chapter 1660 - Quick! Chu Liuyue looked up. The dark clouds gathered quickly in the skies. The shriek came from within the thick clouds, and it was tremendous! A sharp gaze flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Without any pause, this man took action, which caused the skies to change and the force to vibrate! It showed how strong he was! ¡°Since it has recognized you as its owner, you do have some skills, but¡­ A mere true god thinking that you can directly go against me. I don¡¯t know if I should say that you¡¯re naive or stupid!¡± The man¡¯s voice contained shocking anger. Black mist rapidly gathered in his palms! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force crazily surged over! After a slight moment, that black ball of mist gathered into a black palm. This palm was exactly the same size as his. It was just totally black, but its surface had dark-red veins and looked very terrifying. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. This hand¡­ seems especially similar to the one suppressed under Million Wine Mountain! However, the one before me is much smaller than the previous one, and its suppressive aura can¡¯t be compared. Could it¡­ Are they people from the same clan, or do they practice the same cultivation technique? Countless guesses flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. ¡°Silent Fire Palm!¡± the man hollered lowly. That palm stated flying toward Chu Liuyue. It wasn¡¯t fast, but wherever it passed, the surrounding space collapsed silently. The key was that as it approached Chu Liuyue, it started absorbing the surrounding force continuously. Its suppression became increasingly stronger! At the same time, that man whipped his sleeves, and countless black sparks covered the whole sky! Chu Liuyue instantly felt that her body became heavy and that something had sunk on her. Her every action seemed much harder and slower than before. God Realm! A legendary warrior¡¯s god realm was indeed something a true god could not compare with! Chu Liuyue just stood there and felt that her body was about to explode! She wanted to wield the Chi Xiao Sword, but she realized that she couldn¡¯t even raise her own sword in the other party¡¯s god realm. ¡°A supreme Yuan instrument is a decent treasure, but it¡¯s a pity that your cultivation level is so much weaker than mine.¡± In front of absolute strength, any support was meaningless! Chu Liuyue was trapped on the ground. That black palm came increasingly nearer! Blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth again. Every part of her body seemed to be crushed by something harshly! The intense pain caused her face to turn pale rapidly. Her body wavered as if she would collapse at any time. She held the sword with both hands and started to tremble. Chu Ning, who was standing afar, almost had his heart stop beating when he saw this scene. If not for Rong Xiu taking care of him from the side, he would¡¯ve lost it. Chu Ning suddenly thought of something and looked at Rong Xiu. At this point, is Rong Xiu still not going to take action? Rong Xiu was also staring at the battle with much focus. There didn¡¯t seem to be shock or anxiety in his eyes. It was as if¡­ he was waiting for something. ¡­ That black palm had already reached Chu Liuyue and was about to land on her! At this moment, the Chi Xiao Sword in her hands finally moved! A boundless amount of force emerged from the water droplet and spread throughout her limbs! Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding aura strengthened again! She whipped out her sword! Whoosh! The sharp and bright sword blade harshly slashed down the middle of the black palm! The hand was instantly split into two parts! But seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue felt uneasy suddenly. As expected, the two halves of the palm reformed on their own the next moment and became two hands that were exactly similar! The scariest thing was that the strength and aura on them weren¡¯t reduced at all! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank harshly. Then, the two hands surrounded Chu Liuyue from the front and back! The feeling of being restrained came again! ¡°This Silent Fire Palm can absorb all the attacking forces. Unless you¡¯re also a legendary warrior and can destroy it¡­ your retaliation will only cause it to become stronger.¡± That man smiled sinisterly. ¡°In this case, do you still want to continue?¡± The more she resisted, the worse the outcome! Chu Liuyue stared at the two hands before her tightly, and countless thoughts flashed across her mind. She did not doubt the authenticity of the other party¡¯s words. His cultivation level and skills were indeed much better than hers. With her cultivation level as a true god going against a legendary warrior, she was fighting a losing battle. It seems like I must think of another way¡­ As this thought surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, she directly inserted the Chi Xiao Sword to the ground! Since I can¡¯t win¡­ I¡¯ll just not fight. Her sudden actions caused the man in black to be dazed. Is she surrendering? But it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­ Tsing! Chu Liuyue held the black shield and placed it before herself! That black shield seemed broken and insignificant, but the moment the man saw that black shield, he clenched his fists! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice this. After she placed the shield before her, she swiftly sat down with crossed legs. She looked at the man in black opposite her deeply and closed her eyes slowly. Then, she raised her hands, and countless rays of light instantly appeared! ¡°Xuan formation?¡± At this point, the man in black finally realized what Chu Liuyue was doing. She can¡¯t fight against me with her warrior skills, so she is changing to Xuan formations? ¡°Pfft.¡± After figuring out Chu Liuyue¡¯s plan, the man¡¯s first reaction was to laugh. Does she think that she can confidently turn the tides? A Xuan Master can unleash skills that are higher than their cultivation level, but that is limited. Besides, if one wants to execute such standards, they have to craft an extremely complicated Xuan formation. At this point, how would Chu Liuyue have the time¡ª ¡°What?!¡± Once this thought flashed across his mind, he saw a palm-sized Xuan formation before Chu Liuyue. Although the Xuan formation was small, its suppression wasn¡¯t to be underestimated! Once it was executed, it would be formidable! Shock flashed across the man¡¯s heart. Why is she so fast?! Chapter 1661 - Her Stone At this moment, his two black palms were already close to her, and he was about to succeed. But when his palms were one step away from her, they suddenly stopped in unison and couldn¡¯t move closer. It was as if there was something terrifying ahead that made them afraid. The black shield stood silently in front of Chu Liuyue. At a glance, there was nothing special about it. However, the two black palms finally stopped and refused to step forward. The black-robed man seemed to have expected this. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°¡­I actually forgot that you still have this trump card¡­¡± His voice was cold and vicious. Chu Liuyue was still constructing the Xuan formation with her eyes closed as if she didn¡¯t hear him. That or she didn¡¯t care despite hearing him. Ever since she experienced the battle at Million Wine Mountain, she knew that compared to the Chi Xiao Sword, this black shield was her true trump card! Back when she faced such a terrifying attack, she had relied on this black shield to survive, let alone now. The black-robed man was strong, but he wasn¡¯t powerful enough to be invincible! Even if she couldn¡¯t win, it wasn¡¯t so difficult for her to survive! ¡­ Under the black shield¡¯s protection, this originally suspenseful battle was paused. The scene seemed to freeze, letting time pass slowly. Only the Xuan formation in front of her was expanding and becoming more and more complicated. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can hide!¡± She can hide behind the black shield for the time being and buy herself some time, but she can¡¯t be like this forever! As for the Xuan formation¡­ I don¡¯t think that she has the ability to do so! The two parties entered a stalemate. Chu Ning¡¯s gaze swept across the few of them, his brows furrowed. He could roughly see the current situation, but he still felt that there were many strange things. Why does the black-robed man want to snatch Yue¡¯er¡¯s pearl of essence? It¡¯s unknown if Yue¡¯er can fight the other party with a Xuan formation. Moreover¡­ the black-robed man didn¡¯t look in our direction from beginning to end. He didn¡¯t attack Rong Xiu, and Rong Xiu has been watching from the side without doing anything. What¡­ is going on with them? Unable to figure it out, Chu Ning simply gave up. He clenched his hands and prayed over and over in his heart. Yue¡¯er, you must come back safe and sound¡­ ¡­ Nan Yuxing and the others¡ªwho had already left for a long time¡ªfinally slowed down after confirming that nobody was chasing after them. There were a total of four of them. Nan Yuxing and Elder Bai Tong were seriously injured, and Nan Yiyi was slightly injured. Only Elder Wu Peng¡¯s situation was slightly better, but the loss of a royal Yuan instrument that he had personally refined had dealt him a considerable blow. The few of them found a place to rest before carefully treating their injuries. Nan Yuxing was fine and hadn¡¯t fought head-on. He was just angry, and his internal injuries were a little more serious, but they were still manageable. Elder Bai Tong¡¯s situation was the worst¡ªa section of his calf was broken. Even though he was a heavenly doctor, all he could do now was barely stop the bleeding and heal his wound. This calf section had been completely minced, and he didn¡¯t even have a chance to mend it. This had a huge impact on any cultivator. They were all silent. The atmosphere was cold and oppressive. After a while, Nan Yiyi finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who is that man? When did such a person appear in the God-Killing Tumulus?¡± His strength was unbelievable, and he actually said that it was his territory. At first, they thought he was just saying it, but what happened after that made them suspicious. ¡°He indeed doesn¡¯t look like he came from the outside¡­ But in the battle tens of thousands of years ago, all the legendary warriors have already died. Moreover, the energy here is wild, and ordinary people can¡¯t stay here for more than a year. Otherwise, it¡¯s very easy for them to die from being unable to withstand the violent energy here¡­¡± Nan Yuxing frowned and muttered. Elder Wu Peng suddenly said, ¡°He¡¯s not normal. He¡¯s just a soul.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more suspicious that he¡¯s so strong, right?¡± Nan Yuxing rubbed his eyebrows. Ordinary cultivators without a physical body would have their strength greatly reduced. However, that black-robed man was different¡­ ¡°And that Rong Xiu. I¡¯ve heard some rumors about him before, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. Now that I¡¯ve seen him today, I know that his strength has actually reached this stage¡­¡± At the mention of this, Nan Yuxing couldn¡¯t help but clench his teeth again. Resentment, jealousy, unwillingness¡­ He had always prided himself on being outstanding, but in front of that man today, he was bleak. How could he feel comfortable? Elder Wu Peng said in a low voice, ¡°Rong Xiu is hiding his strength. When we return, we¡¯ll definitely investigate him carefully. Also¡­ on the family head¡¯s side¡­¡± Rong Xiu recognized us directly; it is obvious that he knows us quite well. He even called out Nan Yifan¡¯s name in such a casual tone¡­ This was another layer of worry in Elder Wu Peng¡¯s heart. They were all quiet for a moment. If Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t bluffing, then¡­ ¡°Look! Something¡¯s wrong over there.¡± Nan Yiyi turned around and suddenly exclaimed. They all looked over. At some point, the sky in the distance had become gloomy. There seemed to be lightning flashing faintly. ¡°Are they¡­ fighting?¡± Nan Yuxing suddenly realized something and sneered. ¡°No matter how powerful they are, they¡¯re definitely not that man¡¯s match. This time¡­ I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll all die in that man¡¯s hands!¡± ¡­ The wind and clouds rumbled. Natural energy surged continuously. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair fluttered in the wind. The pressure around her seemed to have become even stronger¡­ She frowned slightly. Although the black shield could help her block most of the attacks, it couldn¡¯t completely isolate all the power. The black-robed man¡¯s God Realm is indeed too terrifying¡­ If this continues, I¡¯m afraid that before I can finish the Xuan formation, I will¡ª Da! A stone suddenly fell out of her Cosmic Ring. The black-robed man was stunned when he saw this. Why did a stone suddenly appear? Da! Immediately after, the second stone fell. Then, more and more! Chapter 1662 - She Must Have Suffered A Lot Soon, stones scattered around Chu Liuyue. It was messy and casual, looking unruly. The black-robed man was even more confused. Why did so many stones suddenly appear? Could it be that Shangguan Yue needs to borrow the power of these stones to cast the Xuan formation? But what is so good about these ugly stones? But for some reason, they look strangely familiar¡­ Clang! A faint sound of waves suddenly came. The sound was low. If one didn¡¯t listen carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it clearly. But the surroundings were very quiet at this moment, and the black-robed man¡¯s attention was on her, so he happened to catch this sound. Just as he was feeling puzzled, a blue stream of light suddenly surged out of a stone. The originally high pressure¡ªwhich was almost suffocating¡ªseemed to have suddenly been torn apart by this blue stream of light. The black-robed man finally realized something. ¡°This is¡­ a God Realm?!¡± There was a note of disbelief in his voice. It was not only because of the God Realm that suddenly flowed out of the stone but also because¡­ he finally remembered why these stones looked familiar! Aren¡¯t these the shattered tombstones on the side of the tombs? Why did these things suddenly come to Shangguan Yue? The black-robed man had a bad feeling and vaguely felt that he had overlooked something important. While he was hesitating in shock, more and more God Realms surged out of the rocks. Although these God Realms were scattered and almost every one of them was small and weak, every little piece added up. There were at least a hundred stones around Chu Liuyue. Together, there were more than a hundred God Realms! Most importantly, these God Realms seemed to have some tacit understanding with each other. They surrounded Chu Liuyue and silently surged, tearing holes in the invisible pressure. Without a sound, she was already completely surrounded and protected by these God Realms. The pressure around her suddenly lessened, causing her to open her eyes in shock. When Chu Liuyue saw the stones around her and the God Realms, she was also shocked. This was because she had just been thinking about how to complete the Xuan formation as soon as possible to resist the black-robed man¡¯s attack. Unexpectedly, these stones actually ran out of the Cosmic Ring by themselves. And¡­ they are taking the initiative to protect me? She blinked and thought for a moment. She had yet to even summon her God Realm when¡ª She looked up at the black-robed man again. Even though his face couldn¡¯t be seen, Chu Liuyue could keenly sense that the other party¡¯s aura had become even more ferocious and dangerous. Seeing this scene, he is probably not in a good mood¡­ Thinking of this, a smile appeared on her lips. With this huge boost, my chances of winning are even higher. ¡°You actually¡­ took all of this for yourself?!¡± The black-robed man suddenly raised his hand and pointed at her. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re really impudent!¡± His voice became a little shrill with emotion, but he quickly suppressed it as if he had some scruples. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Thank you for the compliment. You¡¯ve known me for a long time. Do you only know who I am now?¡± Actually, I didn¡¯t take the initiative to take these stones. Instead, they insisted on following me. I really had no choice but to put them all into my Cosmic Ring. At first, I didn¡¯t pay much attention, but now that I look at it¡­ These stones seem to be quite useful? The black-robed man was furious, and the hand he pointed at her trembled slightly. ¡°You!¡± But after holding it in for a long time, he couldn¡¯t think of anything to refute. Of course, he knew what these stones were. That was why he was so shocked! Didn¡¯t they all stay well in their places previously? Tens of thousands of years have passed like this. Even if wind and rain come, and even if the world changes, they are still indifferent. They only maintained that state and never changed. Why did they suddenly change after meeting Shangguan Yue? He could not figure it out. At the same time, he felt a sense of worry for the first time. Such a shocking change is definitely not a small matter. Moreover, with their help, it won¡¯t be so easy to kill Shangguan Yue again! He began to increase the pressure of his God Realm and tried to attack her again. However, more than a hundred God Realms intertwined and formed an extremely powerful protective net that guarded Chu Liuyue tightly. If I want to deal with her again, I obviously have to think of other ways¡­ Looking at the countless God Realms floating, the black-robed man fell into a long silence. ¡­ ¡°Those¡­ are God Realms?¡± Chu Ning frowned and asked in a low voice. Rong Xiu lightly nodded. ¡°We accidentally bumped into them yesterday; they seem to be quite fated with Yue¡¯er. Yue¡¯er couldn¡¯t resist, so she brought them all along. I didn¡¯t expect them to be of such use at such a critical moment.¡± Chu Ning said nothing. Rong Xiu shifted his gaze slightly and saw that Chu Ning was still staring intently at the God Realms. He frowned and thought that the latter was still worried about her, so he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although these God Realms aren¡¯t extremely strong, they can play a huge role when gathered together. Moreover, Yue¡¯er has her own God Realm, so¡ª¡± ¡°She also has¡­ this¡­ God Realm?¡± ¡°Yes. Some time ago, Yue¡¯er happened to break through to become a true god.¡± The current situation was rather special, so Rong Xiu didn¡¯t explain it in detail. Her God Realm didn¡¯t appear at that time. Instead, it had existed a few years ago. But during this period of time, she suppressed her God Realm at Fengmin Mountain. ¡°¡­So this is a God Realm¡­¡± Chu Ning seemed to understand something and looked enlightened. He lowered his eyes and glanced at his hands. They were bloodstained and battered, but his eyes seemed to be looking at something else through his hands. Sensing his silence, Rong Xiu felt a little strange. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Ning looked away and shook his head. ¡°Nothing¡­ I just feel that Yue¡¯er has really changed a lot after this farewell¡­¡± What realm was she the last time we parted? Now, she has actually grown to her current level. Rong Xiu was about to speak when he heard Chu Ning¡¯s voice suddenly lower. ¡°She must have suffered a lot, right?¡± he asked carefully but with unconcealed sadness and affection. Rong Xiu suddenly choked on his words. Then, he stared at Chu Ning with dark eyes. Everyone can see her radiance. Only those who truly love her can see her hardships. After a while, Rong Xiu slowly tightened his fists in his sleeves and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m around, I¡¯ll protect her.¡± Chapter 1663 - Ignore The Xuan formation in front of Chu Liuyue was gradually perfected. A shocking pressure began to spread from above. At the same time, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and wind and lightning howled! The uneasiness in the black-robed man¡¯s heart intensified. When he attacked just now, he directly triggered the phenomenon. But after Chu Liuyue¡¯s Xuan formation was formed, he shockingly realized that her summoning of Heaven and Earth force seemed to be slightly better than his! This made his already anxious heart even more uncomfortable. This cannot go on¡­ It took me an unknown amount of effort to finally lure Shangguan Yue here. If I can¡¯t take her down today, it will be difficult to find such an opportunity in the future! Moreover, this woman¡¯s strength has always increased beyond imagination! At first, he didn¡¯t take her seriously at all. In the end, as the days passed, she could actually make him feel threatened! If I delay any longer, perhaps Shangguan Yue will surpass me one day! At that time, won¡¯t my years of planning all be in vain? Thinking of this, he finally made up his mind and raised his hand! He had no physical body, and inside the black robe was a translucent soul. At this moment, he extended his hands and brought out black fog! The strange black fog lingered on his hands before quietly dissipating, but the hands that appeared again were a little different from before. They were even thinner and even looked like bones with an undisguised sinister aura! Whoosh! A dark light flashed across his palm, and a black wooden stick suddenly appeared! The wooden stick was about the thickness of an adult¡¯s arm. Its color was dark and heavy, and its surface was a little rough with many scratches. In addition, the top of the wooden stick was very round and seemed to be engraved with red patterns. The pattern color was extremely dim, making them even less conspicuous against the black color. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t notice them. Furthermore, the texture of this black wooden stick was very good, and it looked heavy. The black-robed man slowly clenched his fists. The surrounding natural energy suddenly began to surge over quickly! Then, it poured into the wooden stick! For a moment, dust flew everywhere! Sensing this commotion, Chu Liuyue quickly looked up. Her eyes lingered on the black stick for an instant longer. With just one glance, her heart skipped a beat! This thing is probably not simple! She held her breath and focused, speeding up the outline of the Xuan formation in front of her! A strange blood-colored rune suddenly appeared on the black wooden stick. The appearance of the rune seemed to have opened a layer of restrictions, causing the aura on the black wooden stick to intensify again! ¡°First level of the Glowing Sky Staff¡ªWave Breaker!¡± The black-robed man gripped the black wooden stick tightly with both hands, raised it high, and slammed it down! Rumble! The black wooden stick landed heavily on the ground with a shocking bang! Crack! A gully instantly appeared on the ground. At the same time, a powerful and violent force swept out! The gully also began to spread toward her at an astonishing speed. Wherever it passed, space collapsed silently because it couldn¡¯t withstand this sudden and terrifying force! In the blink of an eye, it was already close to Chu Liuyue! Clang! The natural energy around her was greatly affected by this attack and actually began to spread crazily to the side. The countless God Realms around her were also surging up and down like waves! The black-robed man stared intently at the scene in front of him. The Glowing Sky Staff was his trump card and was extremely powerful! But because it would consume a lot of his energy and would take him at least three months to recover every time he used it, he rarely used it. He hadn¡¯t wanted to use it today. After all, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to deal with Shangguan Yue. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to have so many trump cards! Furthermore, she had even taken all the stones that contained God Realms for her own use! Helpless, he had no choice. As long as I can end the battle quickly, everything else¡­ can be put aside for the time being! The Glowing Sky Staff has a total of three power levels. Each level is stronger than the previous, but in contrast, the impact on me is greater. However, even the first level is enough to deal with her! Clang! The sound of the waves became clearer! Chu Liuyue even saw that the God Realms surrounding her seemed to be greatly affected and were on the verge of collapse. It was as if they would be broken through by that terrifying power at any moment! The surroundings were unstable, and even she couldn¡¯t continue to focus on creating the Xuan formation. But¡­ Just a little more! She frowned slightly and suddenly thought of something. Hualala¡ª Countless stones rolled out of the Cosmic Ring and covered her body in a short while. Several God Realms rushed out of these stones and fused with each other. Soon, the God Realm that was on the verge of collapse calmed down again. The force was finally blocked completely outside and couldn¡¯t advance at all! ¡°How is that possible?¡± The black-robed man was stunned by the scene in front of him. Just now, I had made up my mind to deal with Shangguan Yue directly and didn¡¯t hold back at all. How could she be so strong? No, that¡¯s not right! To be precise, she has too many stones on her! Did she¡­ empty the tombs?! A smile appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. ¡°It looks like this move of yours is only so-so.¡± Wave Breaker¡­ If it is a shocking wave, it won¡¯t be so easy for him to break it! Rumble! The two forces collided fiercely, but there were no more fluctuations in Chu Liuyue¡¯s God Realm! On the other hand, the power accumulated by the black-robed man¡¯s strike quickly collapsed! ¡­ Looking at everything that was happening in front of him, the black-robed man was first shocked. Then, he trembled with anger. She actually¡­ She actually withstood this attack! In fact, from beginning to end, she didn¡¯t officially attack. She only threw some rocks! ¡°Are you crazy!?¡± In a moment of desperation, the black-robed man finally couldn¡¯t help but shout angrily at the stones. ¡°You¡¯re actually helping her like this?! Have you all forgotten your identities?!¡± This shout was clearly directed at the stones. Even though this scene looked very strange, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had interacted with these stones before¡ªknew that they could indeed understand human language. But no matter how angry the black-robed man was or how hoarsely he shouted, the stones were indifferent and didn¡¯t react at all. ¡°Are you guys trying to rebel?!¡± The black-robed man was furious. No matter what, these stones came from the tombs of true gods. However, this is the tombstone area of legendary warriors, and I¡¯m indeed a legendary warrior! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°It looks like they don¡¯t want to bother with you.¡± Chapter 1664 - Berserk Tuan Zi! This cannot go on¡­ the black-robed man thought to himself. I can already sense that Shangguan Yue¡¯s Xuan formation doesn¡¯t seem to be simple. Coupled with the help of these stones¡­ Without any hesitation, he made a prompt decision and gripped the Glowing Sky Staff tightly. The surrounding energy surged again, and this time, the commotion was clearly greater than last time! Immediately after, a second strange rune appeared on the black wooden stick! The blood-colored totem at the top of the wooden stick seemed to have become clearer! ¡°Second level of the Glowing Sky Staff¡ªMountain Sealing!¡± The black-robed man¡¯s sleeves fluttered, and the aura around him surged crazily! The second strike landed heavily! Rumble! A black stream of light suddenly flew out of the wooden stick and quickly transformed into several thumb-thick black vines. These vines intertwined with each other and condensed into a huge semicircular dome in the blink of an eye, trapping her inside. The God Realm around her was shaken again by this force. Her chest tightened, and the strong taste of blood filled her mouth. She forced herself to swallow it and gritted her teeth as she continued to outline the last few strokes on the Xuan formation! The fluctuation of power in the God Realm became even more intense as if it was on the verge of collapse! The black-robed man sneered. With the help of these God Realms, Shangguan Yue has indeed become difficult to deal with. However, both she and these God Realms are only true gods! To beat me¡­ It¡¯s still early! ¡°Die!¡± the black-robed man shouted. Countless vines instantly tightened! Some of Chu Liuyue¡¯s God Realms couldn¡¯t withstand the corrosion of this power and began to shatter! But at this moment, a reddish-gold light suddenly flashed! Immediately after, a little girl¡ªwho looked to be no more than three or four years old¡ªappeared in front of Chu Liuyue. She looked cute wearing a red-gold lotus leaf dress. She also had two buns tied with red string and golden bells on her head. Those black grape-like eyes were moist, clear, clean, and pure. But at this moment, those eyes were burning with anger. She pointed at the black-robed man with a furious expression. ¡°You want to bully A¡¯Yue? You¡¯re courting death!¡± The sudden appearance of Tuan Zi made the atmosphere strange. The black-robed man looked at the little girl who had suddenly appeared and almost laughed. ¡°What? Shangguan Yue, you can¡¯t beat me, so you even called out a child to fight? Isn¡¯t this too¡ª¡± Suddenly, his laughter paused. That¡¯s not right! The space around Chu Liuyue has been locked down by my Glowing Sky Staff. The people outside can¡¯t enter, and the people inside can¡¯t go out. How did this little girl suddenly appear there? Moreover, when she appeared, there didn¡¯t seem to be any energy fluctuations around her! How could such a child do all this? He stared intently at Tuan Zi and was suddenly stunned. Hang on! There seemed to be a flash of pure gold when she appeared. Could it be¡­ ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix?!¡± He almost shouted the words in disbelief. He knew that Shangguan Yue had a contracted legendary fiend, the red-gold heavenly phoenix. When he suddenly saw this little girl just now, he didn¡¯t think of it. However, everything in front of him was constantly proving his guess! Before he could react, Tuan Zi had already moved toward the interwoven black vines around it! Whoosh! With a wave of her small hand, golden flames instantly flew out! They landed on the black vines and began to burn violently! The black-robed man¡¯s heart sank. She is indeed a red-gold heavenly phoenix! But if a red-gold heavenly phoenix is to transform into a human, they usually look like an adolescent at least. However, this little girl looks to be only three or four years old. How did she do it? Moreover, why haven¡¯t I heard any news about this before? Countless questions flashed across his mind, but he didn¡¯t have much time left. That was because¡­ Under the burning of the golden flames, the layer of black vines was gradually burned away. Moreover, the fire was actually spreading! ¡°How¡­ how is that possible?¡± The black-robed man was shocked to see this. The Glowing Sky Staff is my trump card and is extremely powerful. Ordinary flames can¡¯t withstand it at all, and even a red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s flames can barely resist it. How could there be such a one-sided situation? However, he didn¡¯t know that Tuan Zi¡¯s flames were different from ordinary red-gold heavenly phoenixes. She had the purest bloodline and had inherited the power of her ancestors. Back then, that ancestor was born when heaven and earth mixed and was a supreme existence in the world. How could it be a problem to deal with him? While he was in a daze, Tuan Zi pushed off with her toes and ran directly in front of the black vines. Her small face was filled with anger. She actually stretched out her chubby hand and grabbed the black vine! ¡°How arrogant!¡± Seeing this, the black-robed man laughed in anger and mockery. This red-gold heavenly phoenix is indeed capable. Unfortunately, it is too impulsive and brainless! The black vines are covered in sharp thorns. Even if a true god tries to grab them forcefully, they will only end up being stabbed! Not to mention that there is poison on them¡ª ¡°What!¡± His smug smile froze on his face before it could fully spread. Huala! Tuan Zi grabbed the vine in front of her and pulled! The huge vine was actually pulled down by her! This time, even the entire cage woven from black vines became shaky! At the same time, flames surged in Tuan Zi¡¯s palm and burned it away! She didn¡¯t even give the black-robed man any time to react! By the time he realized what had happened, most of the semicircular cage woven with black vines had been destroyed by Tuan Zi! On the other hand, there wasn¡¯t even a scratch on Tuan Zi¡¯s chubby hands. Huala! Tuan Zi kept pulling and venting all her anger on the black vines! The originally incomparably strong cage was torn apart by her just like that! Ignoring the others¡¯ gazes, Tuan Zi gritted her teeth and quickly urged the black vines together. Then, a ball of flames appeared with a wave of her hand! Rumble! Flames soared into the sky and burned completely! Chapter 1665 - Attack! Dead silence. As for the crackling sound of the vines burning, it was especially clear. The black-robed man took a step back with unsteady footsteps. He held the Glowing Sky Staff in one hand and planted it on the ground. Then, he covered his heart with the other hand and bent down slightly as if he were also experiencing some pain. In order to use this attack, he had mobilized almost all his strength! Now that he had been burned by Tuan Zi, the backlash he suffered was also extremely shocking! How could he stand it?! After this matter ended, he would definitely not recover without half a year of recuperation! ¡°Okay¡­ okay!¡± The black-robed man gritted his teeth. His voice seemed to be forced through gritted teeth, filled with undisguised deep resentment and anger! ¡°Shangguan Yue, I really underestimated you!¡± I thought that by asking her to come here, I would be able to use all my strength and easily deal with her. However, I never expected Shangguan Yue to be such an iron plate! Not only has her strength increased since we last met, but she also has more trump cards! Such luck can really be said to be heaven-defying! If this drags on¡­ it is really unknown who will win! Chu Liuyue ignored him and only stared intently at the Xuan formation in front of her. Tuan Zi stood in front of Chu Liuyue and put her hands on her hips. ¡°You¡¯ve schemed against our A¡¯Yue a few times, right? This time, you even took Grandpa Chu hostage to force her here. Pfft! What legendary warrior? I think you¡¯re just a despicable and shameless coward!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done so much crap, but you don¡¯t even dare to show your face. Oh right, I almost forgot¡ªyou don¡¯t have a face at all!¡± ¡°You want to bully our A¡¯Yue¡­ Have you asked me?!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s mouth was like a cannon as she scolded the other party for a while without repeating herself. When the black-robed man heard these words, he felt his blood boil. He wished he could kill her immediately and shut her up forever! ¡°You!¡± ¡°What ¡®you!?¡¯ You can¡¯t even defeat me and still want to deal with A¡¯Yue. Pfft, look at yourself!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Unconvinced? Let me do it again!¡± The black-robed man was so angry that he couldn¡¯t say a word. He had lived for so long, but he had never been scolded by a young girl like this! Chu Ning was dumbfounded. ¡°This¡­ This young lady is¡­¡± Rong Xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°This is Yue¡¯er¡¯s contracted legendary fiend, the red-gold heavenly phoenix. It¡¯s the one that used to follow her; just call her Tuan Zi.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That one in the past didn¡¯t seem to look like this¡­ Moreover, why has this contracted legendary fiend become so powerful now? Chu Ning felt that everything he had experienced today was too unreal. Even though he had seen it with his own eyes, he still found it unbelievable. He had seen how powerful the black-robed man was, but Tuan Zi¡­ actually resolved his attack so easily? Moreover, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t look old, but she was very eloquent. ¡°This¡­ Tuan Zi is very smart and powerful¡­¡± Chu Ning thought for a long time. He could only use these words to express himself tactfully. Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened slightly. ¡°She was brought up by Yue¡¯er, so she¡¯s naturally different.¡± The black-robed man was already furious. After two consecutive attacks, I didn¡¯t even touch Shangguan Yue! If word gets out, countless people will laugh their heads off! ¡°Alright! Since you¡¯re so arrogant, come and try my third move!¡± He suddenly let go of the Glowing Sky Staff and folded his hands in front of him. ¡°Third level of the Glowing Sky Staff¡ªReturn to Heaven!¡± A third rune slowly appeared on the black wooden stick! Chapter 1666 - His Origin The sky suddenly darkened. More and more dark clouds gathered and piled up gloomily, blocking any light from shining in. It was clearly noon, but darkness fell like twilight. A heavy shadow fell over everything around them. The wind stopped. The wilderness became increasingly quiet. However, the silence was inexplicably unsettling. The black-robed man suddenly gripped the Glowing Sky Staff tightly with both hands and pointed it at the sky! ¡°Go!¡± The sound was far and vast, and it spread mightily between heaven and earth! Suddenly, the third rune on the Glowing Sky Staff erupted with a blood-colored pillar of light and soared into the sky! Whoosh! The empty air shook! The surrounding natural energy was affected and began to tremble crazily! The blood-colored pillar of light shot into the sky and tore a hole in the deep clouds! Like a stone falling into a calm lake, ripples instantly appeared! In the sky, dark clouds surged and stacked! A bloody hole appeared in the black clouds. The blood-colored light on the Glowing Sky Staff also spread silently in the surroundings! Soon, half of the sky was dyed a shocking blood color! The two extreme colors of black and red intertwined. Thick killing intent gradually spread and crushed toward the ground, almost suffocating! ¡­ Time seemed to pass especially slowly at this moment. A blood-colored pillar of light surged out of the Glowing Sky Staff and connected to the sky. In the dark world, this blood color was especially eye-catching. The power above kept surging, causing the blood in the sky to gradually spread. Unknowingly, it had already covered a large area of the sky. Chu Liuyue and her party were quietly included in the scope covered by this blood color. Rong Xiu looked up and narrowed his deep phoenix eyes dangerously. It seems that this time, he really plans on taking that thing away from Yue¡¯er at all costs¡­ Using this move is almost risking his life. There seemed to be waves in his eyes as a rich black-gold color flashed past. He closed his eyes gently. When he opened them again, they were calm again. Chu Ning stood beside Rong Xiu, his heart in his throat. His fists were clenched, and he felt almost nothing as his wounds opened. His eyes were fixed on Chu Liuyue. You must¡­ be safe¡­ ¡­ This commotion was huge and could be seen clearly for a hundred miles. Nan Yuxing and the others were naturally no exception. They had always been very concerned about the situation over there. At this moment, when they saw the blood-colored pillar of light that soared into the sky, they couldn¡¯t hide their excitement. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Nan Yiyi frowned, her face filled with curiosity and nervousness. Even from such a distance, she could still sense the terrifying pressure and murderous aura on the blood-colored pillar of light! She pressed a hand to her heart. ¡°The full-strength attack of a legendary warrior¡­ is indeed not to be underestimated.¡± ¡°It seems that the black-robed man has completely taken action.¡± Nan Yuxing narrowed his eyes, feeling both afraid and happy. He had lingering fear because that black-robed man was indeed extremely strong. Even if the few of them weren¡¯t injured, they might not be his match if they joined forces! He was delighted because Rong Xiu and the others were undoubtedly the first to bear the brunt! ¡°He¡¯s already made up his mind to take their lives. Of course, he won¡¯t show mercy.¡± Elder Wu Peng¡¯s voice was low, and his brows were slightly furrowed as if he was thinking about something. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Just what?¡± Nan Yuxing asked subconsciously. Elder Wu Peng paused. ¡°It¡¯s just that even now, I haven¡¯t figured it out. He said that place is his territory¡­ What does that mean?¡± Nan Yuxing was stunned for a moment. Isn¡¯t this sentence¡­ literal? Could there be any other understanding? Elder Wu Peng fell silent. Nan Yuxing and the others were still young and didn¡¯t know much about the God-Killing Tumulus, but he had heard many rumors related to this place. Ever since the shocking battle tens of thousands of years ago, countless legendary warriors had fallen in the God-Killing Tumulus. In the years that followed, this place was filled with a strong killing intent that never dissipated. Even powerful cultivators had to be very careful to enter this place. However, he had never heard of anyone daring to say that the God-Killing Tumulus was their territory¡ªeven if it was only a small area. It had to be known that there were top warriors buried here. In particular, where they were just now was the tombstone area of legendary warriors. With a step, they might be able to step on the former skeleton of a legendary warrior! And that black-robed man¡­ did not seem to be lying¡­ ¡°I¡­ I think¡­ the aura on that person is a little familiar¡­¡± Elder Bai Tong¡ªwho had been silent for a long time¡ªfinally recovered some strength and spoke. The few of them looked at him. Elder Wu Peng frowned. ¡°Familiar? You recognized him?¡± Elder Bai Tong shook his head. Because of his broken calf, he could only rely on a walking stick to support his body. His face was pale, his lips were bloodless, and he looked very haggard. Even his voice sounded much weaker. He paused and glanced at Elder Wu Peng with a complicated expression. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think that the aura around that man is a little similar to the people from Black Demon Hole?¡± ¡°Black Demon Hole?¡± Elder Wu Peng and the others were stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t they go into seclusion a few years ago?¡± Nan Yuxing frowned. Their Nan family had never interacted with Black Demon Hole, let alone after Black Demon Hole secluded itself. If not for Elder Bai Tong¡¯s sudden mention, Nan Yuxing probably wouldn¡¯t have thought of this name again. ¡°They¡¯ve always been arrogant and unrestrained. Moreover, I heard that everyone in the sect is ruthless. Although I haven¡¯t heard much about them in the past few years¡­ those people from Black Demon Hole aren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡± Elder Wu Peng was experienced and had seen many storms. Although he had never fought Black Demon Hole head-on, he had heard a lot of rumors about it a few years ago. For some reason, they had suddenly disappeared from the God Residence Realm in the past few years. ¡°That¡¯s not important now. What¡¯s important is that the man indeed seems¡­ to be from Black Demon Hole.¡± Elder Wu Peng fell into deep thought. ¡°Then, why is he here¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what his identity is, as long as we can completely deal with those people!¡± Nan Yuxing waved his hand impatiently. They had suffered at the hands of Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue, so they naturally wanted to get back at them. Although it was a pity that he couldn¡¯t do it himself now, it was good to be able to deal with them directly. Nan Yiyi pursed her lips as if she wanted to say something. Nan Yuxing¡¯s gaze shifted slightly. Seeing her expression, how could he not guess what she was thinking? His expression turned colder. ¡°Yiyi, are you still thinking about Rong Xiu?!¡± Chapter 1667 - Direction Nan Yiyi came back to her senses, and her body trembled slightly. Then, she suddenly raised her head and looked at her brother. Under the scrutiny of those stern eyes, she subconsciously looked away. ¡°How could that be?! They injured us to this extent, so how could I still be thinking about this?! Big Brother, although I¡¯m usually naughty, I¡¯m not such an ungrateful person!¡± Nan Yuxing stared at her for a long time. His gaze was like a sharp blade as if he wanted to cut her open and see her completely! It was only when Nan Yiyi was about to collapse that he withdrew his oppressive gaze. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know. He¡¯s already the enemy of the Nan family. If you still have designs on him¡­¡± Nan Yiyi clenched her fists tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Only then did Nan Yuxing relax. ¡°That¡¯s good. After today, I believe they won¡¯t be able to walk out of the God-Killing Tumulus alive. Why are you thinking about that? The most important thing now is to help you find that thing as soon as possible.¡± At the mention of this, their expressions changed slightly. Ever since they arrived at the God-Killing Tumulus, so many things had happened that they had almost forgotten about this most important mission. ¡°Young Master is right. No matter what¡¯s going on on their side, it actually has nothing to do with us anymore. Just find that thing quickly.¡± As Elder Wu Peng spoke, he took out a palm-sized, bronze octagonal compass. On it, a transparent needle trembled slightly. ¡°Wu Peng, are we going to use the geomantic compass now?¡± Elder Bai Tong was shocked and looked hesitant. This thing was extremely precious and could quickly determine the location of that thing, but every time it was used, the holder would lose three months of their lifespan. Before they came, they had said that they would try not to use it if they could. But now, Elder Wu Peng actually took it out directly¡­ Elder Wu Peng shook his head. ¡°The God-Killing Tumulus is extremely dangerous and full of variables. From the looks of it, we should end the battle quickly and find that thing to leave this place as soon as possible.¡± All four of them were injured. Two of them were still seriously injured and almost couldn¡¯t fight anymore. If he didn¡¯t use it now, when would he use it? ¡°That¡¯s right. This place is very strange and dangerous. If we continue to stay here, we don¡¯t know what kind of trouble we¡¯ll encounter!¡± When Nan Yiyi heard this, her eyes immediately lit up. ¡°We can leave now? That¡¯s great!¡± From the beginning, she didn¡¯t want to come to the God-Killing Tumulus. However, her father insisted that she come and even asked her eldest brother and the two elders to accompany her. Unable to dissuade him, she agreed. She thought that she was just here to go through the motions, but who knew that it was really so dangerous!? She had suffered more in the past two days than she had in the past ten years! Now that she could finally leave quickly, she was naturally happy. Elder Wu Peng reminded, ¡°Second Missy, we still have to find that thing before we leave.¡± Nan Yiyi hurriedly nodded. ¡°I know! But as long as we use the geomantic compass, won¡¯t we be able to find it quickly?¡± From the looks of it, she didn¡¯t realize that doing this would waste Elder Wu Peng¡¯s lifespan. Of course, it was also possible that she didn¡¯t care at all. Nan Yuxing frowned and did not say anything, but his expression clearly showed that he agreed with Nan Yiyi. They really didn¡¯t want to stay here anymore. Elder Bai Tong opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he fell silent and only nodded. Elder Wu Peng closed his eyes. A sparkling light slowly surged out of the geomantic compass and finally poured into the transparent needle. In an instant, the needle seemed to have come alive; it became even clearer and trembled slightly. Then, the needle finally began to spin! In just a moment, the needle stopped and pointed in a certain direction! ¡°So quickly?¡± Elder Wu Peng opened his eyes in shock. Although the geomantic compass could sense the existence of that thing, it was actually not that accurate. Under normal circumstances, it would take at least ten minutes to completely confirm the direction. But this time, it was actually¡­ so fast? ¡°It looks like that thing is nearby!¡± Elder Wu Peng had always been expressionless. At this moment, he was actually faintly excited. He had previously used the geomantic compass to check the direction three times, but it would consume a lot of energy each time. And this time, he felt that the geomantic compass had given him the answer as soon as he activated it. This only proved that what they were looking for wasn¡¯t far from them! Elder Wu Peng took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement in his heart. He looked in the direction of the needle on the geomantic compass. However, what he saw stunned him because the transparent needle was pointing in the direction they had just escaped! Could it be that the thing¡­ is over there?! Elder Wu Peng¡¯s expression changed, and the people beside him had even more interesting expressions. They knew very well what this result meant! ¡°¡­This¡­ How is this possible!?¡± Nan Yuxing subconsciously wanted to refute. ¡°There must be a problem with the geomantic compass! Elder Wu Peng, test again!¡± Elder Bai Tong frowned. ¡°Young Master, the geomantic compass has never made a mistake. Moreover, it can¡¯t undergo a second test within a month. Most importantly, Wu Peng will lose a certain amount of lifespan every time it is activated¡­¡± Everyone fell into silence. After a moment, Nan Yiyi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Then¡­ doesn¡¯t this mean that we¡¯re going back?¡± We have just escaped death over there! Besides, anyone can tell that the situation over there is extremely dangerous. If we go now, won¡¯t we be courting death? Elder Wu Peng took a deep breath, put away the geomantic compass, and took the lead to walk forward! Chapter 1668 - You Should Die! Even if it is dangerous, we still have to go over since that thing is over there! ¡°Elder Wu Peng¡ª¡± Nan Yuxing shouted hesitantly. ¡°That place is the most dangerous now. Why don¡¯t we go over later?¡± Elder Wu Peng stopped in his tracks and glanced back at him, his face expressionless. ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re not the only ones looking for that thing. If we¡¯re late and miss a good opportunity¡­ our trip will be in vain. Don¡¯t worry. With Bai Tong and me around, we¡¯ll definitely ensure your safety.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± That wasn¡¯t what I meant. Nan Yuxing stopped mid-sentence because even he felt guilty upon hearing that. Who were Elder Wu Peng and Elder Bai Tong? How could they not see through these thoughts? Nan Yuxing felt a little embarrassed. Actually, he was usually very bold and had never been afraid of anything. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to accompany Nan Yiyi to the God-Killing Tumulus. However, he didn¡¯t expect this place to be even more dangerous than he had imagined. He had suffered a lot of accidents and torture in the past two days. Every time he thought of it, he felt that every part of his body seemed to hurt even more. Seeing that Elder Wu Peng¡¯s attitude was firm and that he was looking for that thing, this reason was really irrefutable. Nan Yuxing hesitated for a while before gritting his teeth and agreeing. ¡°You¡¯re right. In the current situation, we better find that thing and leave as soon as possible!¡± Although Nan Yiyi was very afraid, since everyone had said that they would go, she naturally couldn¡¯t say no. Besides, it was her job to find that thing. She followed as if to persuade Nan Yuxing or reassure herself. ¡°Actually, I think that when we go over, the battle over there might have ended¡­ Anyway, the black-robed man¡¯s target is not us. After this matter is done, he probably won¡¯t deliberately find trouble with us¡­¡± Elder Wu Peng looked ahead and frowned. A trace of worry flashed across his eyes. If that is the case, it will naturally be for the best. However¡­ The man said that it was his territory. If the thing is really there, then it won¡¯t be so simple for us to take it away¡­ ¡­ Half of the sky was already dyed red. An invisible pressure and murderous aura surged crazily between heaven and earth, almost suffocating! Rong Xiu waved his sleeve and set up a barrier around Chu Ning. Tuan Zi looked up. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± That cold and sinister aura really made her uncomfortable. She waved her small hand and instantly threw out a red-gold fire whip! Slap! A loud sound tore through the air! In an instant, the fire whip had already flown in front of the blood-colored pillar of light! But as soon as the fire whip wrapped around it, there was a strange sizzling sound. At the same time, black fog drifted out. Accompanying it was an unbearable stench! The fire whip began to erode at a visible speed. In a short while, the red-gold fire whip broke in the middle! Moreover, the parts wrapped around the pillar were completely corroded! Tuan Zi was shocked. Her eyes widened, and she could hardly believe what she was seeing. Ever since she opened her fourth meridian and inherited the power of her ancestor, she had almost always been successful. This was the first time she had suffered a loss. It could be seen how much stronger the other party was than before! The black-robed man suddenly sneered. ¡°Since you¡¯re so arrogant, try the power of the third level first!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, wind suddenly blew in the sky! A thick blood color quickly condensed, then turned into an icicle that stabbed down! Whoosh! A sharp sound tore through the air, making one¡¯s scalp tingle! It went straight for Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi looked up. The icicle was very long, about the height of a person. It was completely blood-red, sharp at the top, and had a cold luster. Falling from the sky, its speed increased! Before it hit, Tuan Zi could already sense that extremely dangerous aura! The wind blew, the golden bells above her head tinkled, and her skirt billowed! From afar, she looked like a cluster of burning golden flames! She snorted softly and tapped her toes. Then, her small figure instantly flew up! ¡ªShe actually chose to face it head-on! In the blink of an eye, the two sides collided fiercely! A hole was instantly cut in Tuan Zi¡¯s fist by the sharp thorns! An intense pain instantly came! Tuan Zi frowned. Ever since she transformed into her human form, she had never suffered physical injuries! She snorted coldly, and her fist was suddenly covered in a layer of reddish-gold flames! The flames surged out in clusters and overlapped with each other. At a glance, they looked like layers of complicated feathers! The blood-colored icicle finally stopped! Blood kept dripping from Tuan Zi¡¯s hand, but the ice couldn¡¯t take another step. Both sides were in a stalemate! At this moment, the scene seemed to have stopped. But in reality, the power of both sides was still strangling each other crazily! Tuan Zi¡¯s arms began to tremble slightly. She gritted her teeth and activated all the power in her body! If he wants to touch A¡¯Yue, he has to get past me first! But as time passed, the power of the icicle increased instead of decreasing! ¡°Hmph! You overestimate yourself!¡± The black-robed man sneered disdainfully. How can she deal with the third level of the Glowing Sky Staff so easily? As long as the Glowing Sky Staff is still around, this blood-colored pillar of light can continuously devour the surrounding natural energy and convert it before pouring it into the ice. In other words, this red-gold heavenly phoenix seemed to be fighting an icicle on the surface, but in fact, she was fighting against the Glowing Sky Staff that had erupted with its full strength! If the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader were here, he might barely be able to fight. And this little thing¡­ She is too young! ¡°Break!¡± the black-robed man suddenly shouted coldly. The blood color in the sky swayed even more and continuously injected power into the ice! Pfft. The icicle had already pierced into Tuan Zi¡¯s palm! Instantly, blood began to gush out at an even more shocking speed. Half of Tuan Zi¡¯s arm was stained with blood. Her round and cute face gradually turned pale, not to mention her small body that was trembling even more violently. No¡­ No way¡­ A¡¯Yue is below. Once I fail, A¡¯Yue will definitely be in danger! Tuan Zi gritted her teeth. The flames on her body were already completely burning, almost covering her entire body! However, her body finally took half a step back uncontrollably. At the same time, her entire hand was almost pierced by the ice! ¡°Die!¡± The black-robed man raised his hand and suddenly pressed down! The icicle seemed to be urged by this force and continued to stab down! Right at this moment, an extremely cold voice suddenly sounded. ¡°I think the one to die is you!¡± Chapter 1669 - Counterattack! The black-robed man was shocked. He turned around and saw that Chu Liuyue had unknowingly completed the Xuan formation in front of her. A vast pressure slowly spread from above! This aura made his heart tremble unconsciously. ¡°Great¡­ Great King Xuan Master?!¡± he blurted out in disbelief. When did she break through to this level? I actually had no idea!? Besides, how old is she now? How could she have broken through to become a Great King Xuan Master so easily?! Chu Liuyue looked up slightly, her eyes clear and cold. Then, her pale lips curved into an unreadable smile. Even if she couldn¡¯t see the black-robed man¡¯s face, it was not difficult for her to imagine his shock and panic. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± asked Chu Liuyue softly. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a coincidence that I broke through just before you came. Moreover, it happened here! What, isn¡¯t this your territory? Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were like a bolt of lightning that suddenly exploded in the black-robed man¡¯s ears! It shocked him! ¡°How could this be possible?¡± If that was the case, I would definitely know immediately. How could it be only now¡ª Suddenly, he paused as if he had remembered something. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Perhaps it was an illusion, but Chu Liuyue actually heard a hint of fear in his tone. Fear? This person is arrogant and presumptuous, looking down on almost everybody. From the moment we arrived, he put on a look that said he wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. Why is he suddenly terrified now? Is it my words that reminded him of something? Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. She looked up at Tuan Zi, who was confronting the icicle. When she saw Tuan Zi¡¯s bloody hand, the last smile on her face quickly faded, replaced by undisguised strong killing intent! ¡°Little Heaven-Locking Formation! Go¡ª¡± With a clear shout, Chu Liuyue pushed the Xuan formation in front of her forward. The huge silver Xuan formation slowly floated up. The surrounding God Realms seemed to have sensed something and nimbly dodged. Soon, the huge silver Xuan formation floated in mid-air. It swept past Tuan Zi, then floated to the top of her head and collided with the ice! With the help of this Xuan formation, Tuan Zi immediately felt relieved. At the same time, several streams of light lingered on the Xuan formation, binding the ice. Then, it suddenly tightened! Crack! An extremely crisp shatter sounded! The ice shattered! Tuan Zi finally broke free and fell down! Chu Liuyue quickly went forward and hugged Tuan Zi! Feeling the familiar warm embrace, Tuan Zi¡¯s suspended heart finally calmed down. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached as she patted her back. ¡°Tuan Zi, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡± She glanced at Tuan Zi¡¯s hand. The latter¡¯s chubby little hand had almost been pierced through, and her flesh was curled and dripping with blood. She took a deep breath. Coldness swept through her lungs, but it also felt like a fire. ¡°It hurts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was softer, but her movements were faster. She quickly took out the pill and fed it to Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi nestled obediently in her arms and shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt! It¡¯s good that A¡¯Yue is fine!¡± Chu Liuyue carefully put her down, took out the medicine and gauze, and carefully bandaged Tuan Zi¡¯s wound. Afraid that she would be worried, Tuan Zi retracted her hand slightly and said crisply, ¡°A¡¯Yue, I¡¯m fine! These are all superficial injuries. I¡¯ll be fine soon!¡± Red-gold heavenly phoenixes were ancient legendary fiends, and her recovery ability in this aspect was indeed extraordinary. But at this moment, her wound looked shocking. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes slightly, and her movements became even gentler. Ever since Tuan Zi took human form, my heart aches for her even more. Now that she is injured, and this was to protect me¡­ How could I not care? Moreover, the icicle is sinister and strange. I suspect there is something dirty, and I have to personally confirm that it has been dealt with. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak and frowned. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡­ I¡¯m really fine¡­¡± Chu Liuyue finally stopped and looked up at Tuan Zi. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before¡ªI¡¯ll definitely take good care of you in the future and never let you suffer. I¡¯ll definitely keep my word.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes reddened, and her mouth flattened. Chu Liuyue held her hand. ¡°Now, does it still hurt?¡± Tuan Zi nodded aggrievedly. ¡°It hurts.¡± Chu Liuyue hugged her again. ¡°If it hurts, I¡¯ll take revenge for you!¡± She raised her head slightly and looked at the silver Xuan formation. At this moment, it was hanging in mid-air and slowly spinning. It silently shattered the icicle and blocked all of its threat! What was even more shocking was that the Xuan formation was also crazily devouring the surrounding natural energy and growing stronger! As the aura on it quickly strengthened, the Xuan formation also began to expand! They were getting closer and closer to the blood-colored pillar of light! This was¡­ taking the initiative to attack! ¡­ The black-robed man was completely stunned. He only felt that before he could react, her Xuan formation had already begun to counter-attack! The most shocking thing was that it seemed to really have the power to resist the Glowing Sky Staff! This¡­ Even a Great King Xuan Master might not be able to do this, right? Besides, she has just broken through. He suddenly looked up and stared at the slowly spinning silver Xuan formation that was still expanding. He didn¡¯t know this Xuan formation, but he vaguely remembered that she had mentioned it before. It seems to be¡­ the Little Heaven-Locking Formation?! A cold smile appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. Ordinary Xuan formations naturally can¡¯t contend with legendary warriors, but this Little Heaven-Locking Formation is different. This is because it¡¯s a new Xuan formation created by simplifying the foundation of the Heaven-Locking Formation! Although its overall power wasn¡¯t as good as the real Heaven-Locking Formation, she had learned a lot of its essence. Therefore, the power it could exert was definitely outstanding! The reason she could cast this Xuan formation that was clearly greater than her current strength was largely thanks to Big Baby. If he hadn¡¯t asked her to memorize those Xuan formations by heart, and if he hadn¡¯t helped her try to repair the Heaven-Locking Formation¡­ She would never be able to do all this. This Little Heaven-Locking Formation had almost exhausted all her strength. Victory or defeat depended on this! Hong long long! The Glowing Sky Staff seemed to have sensed the threat. The blood-colored pillar of light produced by it began to shake chaotically under the impact of the energy. The power spreading in the sky also surged violently! The black-robed man slapped the Glowing Sky Staff! ¡°Thousand Summit!¡± In an instant, countless blood-colored icicles quickly condensed and fell crazily! Chapter 1670 - A Life-and-Death Battle! Almost at the same time, the Little Heaven-Locking Formation shone brightly! The two sides fought fiercely! Soon, the icicles were all swallowed by the silver light! After that, there was a series of cracking sounds! The icicles were all quickly and completely shattered by the power of the Little Heaven-Locking Formation! The black-robed man swayed and almost fell to the ground. After this blow, almost all the blood in the sky dissipated. Only the towering blood-colored pillar of light was left, on the verge of collapse. The Little Heaven-Locking Formation continued to approach! Finally, the edge collided with the blood-colored pillar of light! The two incomparably powerful forces devoured each other without any sound. Only the collapsing space around them showed how intense the battle was! ¡­ Nan Yuxing and the others were walking forward. Perhaps it was because they knew that the road ahead was dangerous, but the atmosphere was tense. Suddenly, Elder Wu Peng stopped. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± When the people behind heard this, they immediately stopped. Seeing that there was something wrong with his expression, Elder Bai Tong followed his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± It seems like¡­ nothing is wrong? Elder Wu Peng said in a low voice, ¡°Look at the sky over there. Just now, it was covered in blood, but it has suddenly dissipated now.¡± There were only layers of dark clouds left, terrifyingly dark. After his reminder, the few of them suddenly understood. ¡°What¡­ what does this mean?¡± Nan Yuxing frowned. Elder Wu Peng paused, his voice even deeper and colder. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the blood that filled the sky must¡¯ve been caused by the black-robed man. However, it has suddenly dissipated¡­ It¡¯s really strange¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s over?¡± Nan Yuxing asked. What is there to worry about? Since we are coming this way, we have already decided to take the risk, right? At this moment, he suddenly felt worried. Isn¡¯t it a little late? However, Elder Bai Tong suddenly thought of something, and his expression froze. ¡°You mean¡­ Rong Xiu and the others successfully counter-attacked and caused this situation?¡± Elder Wu Peng shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡± Without seeing it with his own eyes, everything was just speculation. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Hearing this, Nan Yuxing immediately retorted. We¡¯ve seen the strength of the black-robed man. Even if the two of them join forces, it is impossible for them to win! ¡°Elder Wu Peng, I think you¡¯re overthinking. Could it be that a dignified legendary warrior is so easy to defeat?¡± Elder Wu Peng frowned and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m probably thinking too much¡­ Let¡¯s continue! But the further we go, the more dangerous it will be. We should be more careful; it¡¯s never wrong.¡± With that, they continued forward. ¡­ The battle between the Little Heaven-Locking Formation and the blood-colored pillar of light was still continuing! There was silence, and the air seemed to freeze. Everyone¡¯s gazes were focused on that place. They all understood that this was an all-out attack by both sides. Whether they won or lost depended on this match! Suddenly, a faint cracking sound sounded. A hole suddenly appeared in the Little Heaven-Locking Formation! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly. It was as if a crack had appeared on the riverbank. Even though it was small, it couldn¡¯t be ignored. A thousand-mile dam was destroyed by an ant nest! The surrounding energy was still surging, attacking the hole again and again! Gradually, the hole began to expand! The power of the entire Little Heaven-Locking Formation rapidly decreased! Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that in this battle, the blood-colored pillar of light still had the upper hand! At this point, the black-robed man¡¯s heart finally calmed down again. He clenched his hands and laughed coldly. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re indeed powerful. If you were given a few more years, I¡¯m afraid you would really be able to fight me head-on! Unfortunately, the current you is still a little lacking!¡± I am definitely going to win this round! As he spoke, a long crack had already appeared on the Little Heaven-Locking Formation. Moreover, the speed of its rotation gradually slowed down. In the end, it almost stopped completely. The blood-colored pillar of light continued to corrode the huge silver Xuan formation. As the black fog dissipated, a strong stench spread toward the surroundings. It was nauseating. Even though most of the blood-colored pillar of light¡¯s strength had been reduced in this battle, it was the one with the relative upper hand. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Seeing this, Chu Ning couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward as he became even more anxious. If not for Rong Xiu¡¯s barrier, he would¡¯ve rushed forward. He didn¡¯t notice that the blood on his palm was fading quickly. Moreover, a warm breath suddenly surged in his dantian and quickly spread to his limbs and bones. It was only when the slightly hot temperature reached his hands that he finally sensed that something was wrong and quickly looked down. What he saw made his pupils constrict. This was because most of the injuries on his hands had already recovered! 1 This¡­ Chu Ning frowned, but there was no shock in the depths of his eyes. This wasn¡¯t the first time such a situation had happened, but he had been in a daze most of the time previously. In addition, he had been thinking about Yue¡¯er, so he didn¡¯t take this matter to heart. Unexpectedly, it was happening again¡­ Right at this moment, a loud bang suddenly came from ahead! Chu Ning immediately looked up! The huge silver Xuan formation completely collapsed! A boundless amount of violent energy spread in all directions! The blood-colored pillar of light suddenly slashed down from the sky! Like a blood sword, it slashed straight at Chu Liuyue. She suddenly looked up! Chapter 1671 - Help Countless God Realms gathered, forming a huge barrier around her! However, the blood-colored pillar of light was extremely sharp and carried shocking killing intent as it tore through space! Even these God Realms shook violently before dissipating! The black-robed man sneered. ¡°It¡¯s indeed your ability to ask them for help! But no matter what¡­ these are only the God Realms of true gods!¡± It is impossible to compete with a legendary warrior! The blood-colored pillar of light was getting closer and closer! Chu Liuyue¡¯s black hair was swept up by the strong wind, and her clothes were burning. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡ª¡± Tuan Zi called out to her nervously and subconsciously wanted to step forward. Chu Liuyue turned around and shielded her. Tuan Zi grabbed her sleeve and refused to let go. Is A¡¯Yue going to stand in front of me in defense? However, the Xuan formation just now has exhausted almost all of A¡¯Yue¡¯s strength. How can she withstand this attack now? I¡¯m different. I¡¯m a red-gold heavenly phoenix, and my physical strength was great to begin with. Moreover, I have inherited the power of my ancestor. It definitely wouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to deal with this! But before Tuan Zi could say anything, Chu Liuyue took the lead. ¡°Stay behind me.¡± This wasn¡¯t a question or a compromise but an unquestionable order! Tuan Zi looked up and wanted to say something else. Chu Liuyue had already turned around, took a step forward, and picked up the black shield from the ground. Then, she crossed her legs slightly and held the black shield in front of her. Ever since those stones appeared, the people present had practically forgotten the existence of the black shield. Seeing her pick it up again, the black-robed man was first stunned before he snorted in disdain. If it were before, I might¡¯ve been a little afraid of the black shield. However¡­ I have already used the third level of the Glowing Sky Staff. This isn¡¯t enough! At the same time, the blood-colored pillar of light had already slashed down! Holding the shield in her hand, Chu Liuyue raised it high and blocked herself and Tuan Zi. Rumble! An incomparably powerful force smashed heavily onto the black shield! Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm instantly went numb, and her body trembled violently as she spat out a mouthful of blood. Even the ground under her feet caved in deeply, and several cracks appeared around her! It could be seen how terrifying the power contained in this strike was! And yet¡­ There was only a faint mark on the black shield, but it didn¡¯t crack! After swallowing the remaining blood, Chu Liuyue actually held on completely! The black-robed man suddenly took a step forward! How did this happen? Even if several true gods join forces, they wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the blow of the Glowing Sky Staff. Why is Shangguan Yue¡ª ¡°It looks like you¡¯re disappointed that I¡¯m not dead?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up, an arrogant and impudent smile slowly appearing on her bloody lips. Battle intent surged in her clear eyes! Seeing her smile, the black-robed man suddenly felt uneasy. ¡°No¡­¡± He gripped the Glowing Sky Staff tightly in his hand, but his arms trembled uncontrollably. ¡°You were the one who attacked previously. It should be my turn now, right?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke slowly. As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes lit up! Hualala¡ª The stones scattered around her seemed to have been abruptly summoned and rolled restlessly. Whoosh! The Chi Xiao Sword suddenly appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, gleaming with cold light! The black-robed man heaved a sigh of relief when he saw her take out the Chi Xiao Sword. Although it is a supreme Yuan instrument, she can¡¯t unleash its greatest power due to her current realm. There is nothing to fear. But as soon as this thought flashed through his mind, he realized that something was wrong. This was because he discovered that those God Realms suddenly began to surge toward the Chi Xiao Sword. They turned into streams of light and condensed on the snow-white and sharp Chi Xiao Sword. Soon, the Chi Xiao Sword was covered in an extremely dazzling light! From afar, it was colorful! At the same time, a shocking pressure surged from it! Sensing that terrifying aura, the black-robed man subconsciously took half a step back. She actually¡­ She has actually integrated the battle intent contained in these God Realms into the Chi Xiao Sword¡¯s sword intent! Although it isn¡¯t a complete fusion, it does greatly increase the power of the Chi Xiao Sword! Even though these God Realms aren¡¯t very strong, the battle intent surging in them was left behind from the shocking battle tens of thousands of years ago. It is extremely terrifying! Once condensed, it will be extremely terrifying! How¡­ did Shangguan Yue think of this?! ¡­ Actually, Chu Liuyue did this purely because she had an idea. She knew very well that she was definitely not the black-robed man¡¯s match with her own strength. Therefore, she would have to rely on external forces. With that, she thought of these stones. Rong Xiu previously said that these rocks contained shocking battle intent. Chu Liuyue thought that she might be able to borrow strength to fight. In the end, things went more smoothly than expected¡ªthese stones seemed especially obedient. She had only moved her thoughts, but they were extremely cooperative. Therefore, even if it was the first time she tried to attack in this way, the effect was surprisingly good. Sensing the surging battle intent on the Chi Xiao Sword, Chu Liuyue felt even more confident. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly with one hand. When the last bit of sword intent had completely fused, she finally raised her sword¡ª She struck hard! There were no tricks in this strike. It was extremely simple and neat! Whoosh! Sword light flickered. The blood-colored pillar of light was actually cut apart and completely collapsed! The sword aura didn¡¯t stop. Instead, it approached at an even more shocking speed! It headed straight for the black-robed man! The black-robed man knew that something was wrong. He tapped his toes and immediately retreated! But although he was fast, the sword aura was even faster! In the blink of an eye, it was already close to him! Helpless, he could only raise the Glowing Sky Staff and block in front of him! Tsing! Crack¡ª Almost at the same time as the sword aura landed, a crisp crack suddenly sounded! A crack appeared on the Glowing Sky Staff! The strong sword aura wrapped around the black-robed man, and his black robe fluttered crazily! He began to mobilize his strength crazily, but the three attacks with the Glowing Sky Staff had already exhausted his stamina. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t attack no matter what. In desperation, he began to look around as if waiting for something. However, there was nothing. His anxiety grew. It shouldn¡¯t be like this! This is the tombstone area of legendary warriors. I have already fallen into such a situation, so why is there still no movement? Whoosh¡ª His robe was finally torn apart! Sensing this change, he immediately panicked. In a battle between experts, a small mistake was enough to determine the outcome! Hence, his defense completely collapsed the next moment, and his body flew out uncontrollably! Chapter 1672 - The Truth At the same time, the hood on his head finally tore apart, revealing his true appearance! When he fell to the ground, his first reaction was to cover his face with his sleeve! However, everyone present had extremely good eyesight. It was clearly useless for him to hide now. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. It was the face of a man who looked to be in his thirties. He had ordinary looks and ordinary facial features that were inconspicuous in the crowd, but¡­ His eyes were pure black. At a glance, they were dark and empty. It was really strange. Perhaps because he had suffered several huge blows in succession, his body had become much more illusory, and his aura was dispirited. The Glowing Sky Staff had broken in half. Half of it had fallen to the ground, and the other half was still clenched in his palm. The cut was smooth and neat. It could be seen how powerful that strike was! Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that Chu Liuyue was stronger than the other party. It could only be said that the battle intent in those stones was too strong! As a result, it cut the staff! Chu Liuyue walked forward. The black-robed man subconsciously trembled and wanted to retreat, but he realized that his body seemed to be nailed to the ground, and he couldn¡¯t move! He was shocked and looked around in panic again. The vast wilderness was empty and silent. Only broken tombstones stood in disarray, motionless. No response. Just as before, this tombstone area had actually severed its connection with him and completely abandoned him! How could this be¡­ How could this be!? I can¡¯t figure it out. It has clearly been fine for the past few years; I could borrow the power here and use it for myself. That was why I dared to say that this was my territory. But now¡ªeverything is unreal! ¡­ A pair of boots appeared in his peripheral vision. He froze and suddenly stopped all movement. The air seemed to freeze. A gorgeous sword light tore through the void and stabbed straight over! Whoosh! The tip of the sword was pointed at his glabella¡ªit was only an inch away! As long as Chu Liuyue was willing, she could directly take his life! However, she didn¡¯t attack immediately. This man has too many secrets. It would be a pity to kill him just like this. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head and asked indifferently. She could clearly see that since just now, this man had been looking around as if he were looking for something or¡­ waiting for something. The black-robed man glanced at the broken Glowing Sky Staff in his hand and suddenly sneered. Then, he casually threw away the remaining half. ¡°You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m looking for?¡± There was sarcasm in his words. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. Before she could say anything, the man closed his eyes. ¡°Since I have lost to you today, then¡­ it¡¯s up to you to kill me!¡± He had never thought of begging for mercy because he understood better than anyone that at times like this, living was more painful than dying. It can only be said that I have made a huge mistake. I underestimated Shangguan Yue in the end. Seeing that he was determined to die, Chu Liuyue found it even more interesting. Her pale lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve attacked me repeatedly. Now that you want to die, how can there be such a good thing?¡± The black-robed man¡¯s heart sank, and he suddenly opened his eyes! ¡°What do you want!?¡± I know her quite well. This woman isn¡¯t an easy person to deal with. If I really fall into her hands, she will definitely have ways to make me wish I were dead! Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything, but I¡¯ve always advocated reciprocity. You must¡¯ve spent a lot of effort to give me those ¡®gifts¡¯ previously. Of course, I have to return the favor seriously.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a few questions. If your answers satisfy me, I¡¯ll end you quickly. How about that?¡± The black-robed man took a deep breath, but flames still surged in his heart. He laughed coldly. ¡°What if you¡¯re still not satisfied after asking?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°Then, you can only blame your bad luck.¡± Shameless! The black-robed man had long expected her to do this, so he had no intention of agreeing to it from the beginning. He closed his eyes again as if he had made up his mind not to give her any answers. Chu Liuyue put down the black shield and took out a black wooden token. She weighed it in her hand and asked with interest, ¡°This thing is very important to the people of Black Demon Hole. But since you¡¯ve already betrayed them, this thing should be useless to you, right?¡± The black-robed man refused to answer, his attitude unyielding. She glanced at him and handed the black wooden token to Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, deal with this annoying thing.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tuan Zi agreed crisply and took the wooden token. Her other hand wasn¡¯t injured. She exerted strength, and the wooden sign turned to dust! The black-robed man did not even bat an eyelid. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°It seems that you indeed have no more contact with Black Demon Hole. Moreover¡­ you¡¯ve already found another way to store this soul. If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be this black robe?¡± Hearing this, the man suddenly opened his eyes! ¡°You¡ª¡± When he saw the confirmation on her face, he came back to his senses and gritted his teeth. ¡°You tricked me!?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°I was just guessing. Who knew you would admit it so quickly?¡± Without a physical body, this soul requires something to be stored in to survive successfully for a long time. Just like Ancestor, a few soul parts were separated back then and stored in the Long Yuan Sword and the jade pendant. And this man dared to leave this black wooden token with me as bait, which proves that he no longer cared about it. The higher the level of the people from Black Demon Hole, the closer they were to this wooden token. Based on this man¡¯s strength, it is impossible for him to break free of this restraint casually. He must¡¯ve used some method to forcefully escape¡­ Otherwise, he would not have such confidence. She sized him up for a while. The black-robed man looked away. After that, no matter what she said, he refused to speak. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. At this moment, Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°Mo Shiqian still doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re hiding here, right?¡± Chapter 1673 - Rong Xius Interrogation! This sentence finally made the man react! He suddenly looked at Rong Xiu with a bewildered gaze. ¡°What do you know!?¡± There was panic and fear in his voice. Obviously, he was afraid and in awe of the person Rong Xiu was talking about. Seeing his reaction, Chu Liuyue asked curiously, ¡°Mo Shiqian¡­ Why does this name sound familiar?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Black Demon Hole¡¯s Sect Master and also his former master.¡± Realization dawned on Chu Liuyue. No wonder! I have indeed heard this name before! But after a few years, she had lost that memory for a long time, so she didn¡¯t remember it immediately. Only when Rong Xiu said this did she remember. The black-robed man¡¯s expression turned even uglier. He stared fixedly at Rong Xiu, afraid that he would say something shocking again. But after Rong Xiu asked this, he ignored him, walked up to Chu Liuyue, and held her hand. A gentle power quickly surged into her body, sorting out the violent and unbridled force in her body bit by bit while nourishing her injuries. ¡°I¡¯m here. There¡¯s no need to force yourself.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was low and gentle. Chu Liuyue instantly heaved a sigh of relief. Previously, she was indeed barely holding on. After such a fierce battle, her strength had been exhausted. Even with the help of external forces, her body still suffered considerable pain. However, she had been tense and didn¡¯t dare to reveal anything. It was only at this moment that she finally relaxed upon hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s whisper and felt the endless strength and heat in his palm. ¡°Did you have a good time fighting?¡± Rong Xiu looked down at her and asked. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly and met his eyes. There were many things that needed no words, and a glance was enough. A slow smile curved her lips as she nodded, her eyes curving into crescents. ¡°Yes!¡± I have finally returned everything I suffered previously! I endured this anger for several years before I could finally let it out. It feels great! Seeing that she was happy, Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°That¡¯s good. You can finally leave the rest to me, right?¡± Her face turned slightly red, but a warm current surged in her heart, warming her limbs and bones. Others might wonder why Rong Xiu had not taken action from the beginning to the end. Only she knew that Rong Xiu did this on purpose. She had been pestered by this man for many years, and now, she could finally settle all her grudges. After all, it was best to take revenge personally! Rong Xiu was watching everything from the side. It must¡¯ve been¡­ very difficult to wait, right? Chu Liuyue nodded slightly and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Leave his life to me.¡± Rong Xiu held his forehead helplessly, and the smile on his lips deepened. ¡°I know.¡± Apart from helping her kill someone when they first met and making her unhappy, he had never made the same ¡®mistake¡¯ again. This was also the reason why he didn¡¯t attack even though he had a few chances to kill someone in the middle. Chu Ning also followed. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you alright?¡± Even though the outcome had been decided, he still felt lingering fear when he thought of what had just happened. Seeing her pale face, his heart still ached. Rong Xiu let go of her hand. ¡°Go and accompany Lord Chu Ning. I¡¯ll interrogate him.¡± It isn¡¯t easy for this father and daughter to meet, so they need more time to get along. Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu. This man¡­ can always guess what I¡¯m thinking and take good care of my feelings. She nodded and looked at Chu Ning. ¡°Father!¡± This shout made Chu Ning¡¯s nose sting. He sized Chu Liuyue up carefully. She was right in front of him, and he clearly had a thousand words to say. But when he really saw the face he had been thinking about day and night, he suddenly couldn¡¯t say anything. After a while, Chu Ning said, ¡°Good, good! Yue¡¯er¡­ Yue¡¯er has grown up¡­¡± This face was still as familiar as he remembered, but it had changed drastically. The inexperience between her eyebrows had quietly dissipated. In its place was a commanding heroic spirit. Moreover, she exuded an indescribable noble aura. It was an aura that came from her bones. Just by standing there, she made people subconsciously submit to her. Chu Ning looked at her without blinking. She was clearly very familiar, but¡­ she was clearly different from the person in his memory. Seeing how agitated he was but didn¡¯t dare to go forward, her eyes suddenly turned red. ¡°Father, Yue¡¯er has made you suffer.¡± Seeing the tears in her eyes, all the messy thoughts in Chu Ning¡¯s heart instantly flew away, leaving only heartache. He quickly reached out to wipe her tears. ¡°No, no, our Yue¡¯er is the best! Don¡¯t cry, Yue¡¯er. Don¡¯t cry. Daddy¡¯s heart aches.¡± Actually, Chu Liuyue rarely cried. Although her eyes were red, she had been enduring it. But when she heard this, she suddenly couldn¡¯t help but cry. She quickly held back the rest of her tears. It was already a blessing in life to be able to see her again. He was overjoyed, let alone anything else. This time, the last invisible barrier between the father and daughter was shattered. Tuan Zi grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s clothes with one hand and looked up at her, then at Chu Ning. She grinned. On the other side, Rong Xiu stood in front of the black-robed man from above. The black-robed man became even more nervous. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and said with a faint smile, ¡°If he knew that you were snatching things from him, what do you think his reaction would be?¡± Chapter 1674 - Back Then The black-robed man subconsciously clenched his fists. Even though he had left Black Demon Hole for several years, every time he heard that person¡¯s name, it still shocked him. It was still the same today. ¡°I-I¡­¡± He opened his mouth to defend himself, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was like a sharp blade that pierced straight into his heart. It was as if all lies were jokes in front of him! ¡°How, how do you know all this!?¡± Not many people know that Mo Shiqian is also looking for the water droplet. In fact, I¡¯m the one who is more high-profile. Mo Shiqian has always been cautious, especially in the past few years. This time, I specially lured Shangguan Yue here to avoid the eyes of Black Demon Hole. Unexpectedly, Rong Xiu actually¡ª ¡°He¡¯s already found me. How do you think I know?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°If not for the fact that he can¡¯t leave Black Demon Hole now, do you think you would still be alive today?¡± The black-robed man gritted his teeth. His silence was almost suffocating. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue blinked in surprise. ¡°Did Mo Shiqian look for you?¡± Rong Xiu looked back with a faint smile. ¡°To be precise, you¡¯ve seen him too. What appeared in the Flood-Desert Northern Region was his apparition.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. So that person is Mo Shiqian! She knew that there had always been other people who wanted to attack her besides the black-robed man, but she didn¡¯t expect this. Although I had met the other party before, the other party had never revealed his true appearance. Hence, I don¡¯t know much about him. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Rong Xiu glanced at the black-robed man and said calmly, ¡°A few years ago, there was a capable subordinate under Mo Shiqian¡ªShan Chen. This person was talented and trusted by Mo Shiqian. In just a few years, he grew from a nobody to Mo Shiqian¡¯s right-hand man.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rumored that Mo Shiqian originally planned to leave the position of head of the eight hall leaders to him. Unfortunately, this person disappeared for no reason before the celebration, and there has been no news of him since. Moreover, all information about this person in Black Demon Hole was sealed and eliminated overnight. It was as if this person had never appeared.¡± ¡°Many people thought that person was already dead, but who would¡¯ve thought that the figure who once ruled Black Demon Hole was actually hiding in the God-Killing Tumulus for several years?¡± Rong Xiu spoke slowly, but every word he said was like a steel knife that scraped past the black-robed man! His expression changed from shock, suspicion, and disbelief to deep despair and fear. Initially, he wanted to deny it, but Rong Xiu had said it so clearly. With just a few words, he had exposed all his secrets! What else was there to refute? When Chu Liuyue heard this, she understood something and glanced at the black-robed man with a frown. ¡°Did you betray Black Demon Hole back then to snatch my things?¡± The black-robed man suddenly sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? Why are you asking me?¡± His attitude was arrogant and surly. It was obvious that he did not intend to cooperate. Rong Xiu was not in a hurry. ¡°If you talk nicely, I¡¯ll give you a quick death. If you¡¯re still like this¡­ I think Mo Shiqian will be happy to receive you as a big gift.¡± These words finally swayed the black-robed man. He would rather die at the hands of these two people than go back and face Mo Shiqian! What he had done all these years was definitely enough to make him wish he was dead countless times! He was silent for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Will you keep your word? What if you go back on your word in the end?¡± Rong Xiu chuckled. ¡°Is it your turn to bargain now?¡± The man fell silent. No matter what he chose, he would die. The only difference was whether there was more or less pain before death. After a while, he finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know!¡± ¡­ ¡°Actually, Black Demon Hole has been looking for that thing for many years. A few years ago, Master¡ªMo Shiqian received news by chance that the thing might be about to be born, so he personally led a few people there. I was one of them. At that time, although we knew that he was looking for something, we didn¡¯t know the details. We only knew that it was very important to him.¡± ¡°Later, we finally found traces of that thing. We searched for a long time without sleeping. In the middle, we experienced countless difficulties and dangers. In the end, when we finally saw that thing, only he and I were still alive. I thought that once the thing was found, it would be over. But as it turns out, that was just me thinking too much.¡± The black-robed man suddenly laughed at himself. ¡°That thing has intelligence and refused to submit, so it fought us. It was also because of that battle that my body was destroyed, and Mo Shiqian was severely injured, so he can¡¯t leave Black Demon Hole to this day.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. I indeed don¡¯t know these things. I remember that when I first obtained this water droplet, it was actually an extremely coincidental situation. Besides, at that time, I hadn¡¯t even seen what it was before it had forced its way into my body. Spiritual intelligence¡­ It does have that, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have resisted or fought much. Why did he say that¡­ it was very hard and dangerous? There was a hint of hatred in the black-robed man¡¯s voice. ¡°In order to snatch that thing at the time, he wanted to extract my soul and use it as a catalyst to subdue it. Unfortunately, I sensed it and escaped with my life. Later, I accidentally barged into the God-Killing Tumulus and obtained an opportunity here. I stayed here and severed all ties with Black Demon Hole.¡± It turned out that Mo Shiqian had once wanted to kill him. No wonder¡­ ¡°Your connection to the black wooden token was severed from then, right?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. The black-robed man closed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. He wanted to refine my soul, so he removed the restriction, giving me a chance to escape. It¡¯s also because of this that the people of Black Demon Hole have never found any traces of me all these years.¡± It was unknown if it was a blessing or misfortune. ¡°From then on, I knew that the thing was a treasure in the world. If I wanted to take revenge, I would definitely have to snatch it away. Unfortunately, both he and I were one step too late.¡± The black-robed man stared at her with a deep gaze and suddenly sneered. ¡°Actually, to be precise, that thing chose you. No matter how much others try, it¡¯s still useless.¡± He didn¡¯t believe it in the past, but now, he had to believe it. What they had been through life and death to obtain, she had easily taken. Sometimes, the difference between people was so great. ¡°After knowing that it followed you, we targeted you separately.¡± Chapter 1675 - Disappointed ¡°But all these years, I¡¯ve been operating in secret and never let him discover any clues. Unfortunately¡ª¡± He was very cautious in doing this because he knew too well what methods Mo Shiqian would use to deal with him once he knew that he was still alive and was fighting with him for this thing. Every time he took action, he would choose the right time and make all the preparations before taking action. It wasn¡¯t until this time that he finally used Chu Ning to lure Chu Ning over. He had thought that it would be foolproof and that he would definitely get it. Unfortunately, fate had decided otherwise. In the end, he still suffered a crushing defeat. ¡°At this point, I¡¯ve said everything I need to say.¡± The black-robed man closed his eyes as he spoke, looking like they could kill him if they wanted to. There was silence. Only the wind in the wasteland blew past his ears, bringing with it a hint of coolness. Chu Liuyue looked at him steadily for a while before finally digesting what he had said previously. A moment later, she took a step forward. The black-robed man thought that she was about to attack, and he actually felt relieved. Unexpectedly, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t intend to kill him. ¡°I still have two questions. If you answer me truthfully, I¡¯ll personally send you on your way.¡± The black-robed man opened his eyes and frowned. I have already said everything clearly. What else does she want to ask? But seeing that her expression did not seem to be fake, he patiently asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°First, you were determined to take revenge back then and decided to fight with him for this item. Therefore, do you know what it is? Secondly, when you were fighting me just now, what were you waiting for?¡± She asked these two questions calmly. However, the black-robed man¡¯s expression changed instantly. He subconsciously looked away and frowned. After a while, he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t know what it is, how will others know? Besides, just now¡­ You¡¯re mistaken; I didn¡¯t wait for anything.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°It seems like you want to return to Black Demon Hole to take a look.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± The black-robed man was furious. Unfortunately, he was at the mercy of others. No matter how aggrieved he was, there was nothing he could do. The two parties entered a stalemate. It took him a while to speak. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Huala! There was a tearing sound! The black robe on his body suddenly seemed to have been slashed apart by an invisible knife! Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes darkened, and he immediately attacked! However, it was too late. The black robe shattered faster and turned to dust! The man¡¯s soul completely dissipated! ¡­ In just a few breaths, the black-robed man had disappeared. Not a trace was left. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. ¡°That was¡ª¡± ¡°That black robe was the reason he could survive for so long. Perhaps for some reason, the black robe automatically annihilated and killed him completely.¡± A sharp glint flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve already asked all the questions we should. As for the last two questions¡­ Actually, I just wanted to confirm his attitude. In the end, he¡¯s just a puppet.¡± Rong Xiu looked at her. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she looked around and said meaningfully, ¡°This God-Killing Tumulus¡­ really hides countless secrets, right?¡± At first, I wasn¡¯t sure. However, the black-robed man¡¯s reaction just now confirmed my guess. But after I came here, I didn¡¯t feel any threat. Especially after these stones stuck to me, I seem to feel more at ease walking in the God-Killing Tumulus. Besides, I have finally resolved a problem that has been bothering me for years. It is a worthwhile trip. ¡°Let¡¯s find Ancestor first. After we meet up, we¡¯ll leave this place,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu nodded and was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed, and he turned his head. Following his gaze, Chu Liuyue saw a few familiar figures. Her lips curved slightly, but there was no humor in her eyes. ¡°These people are really¡­ lingering¡­¡± ¡­ Almost at the same time, Elder Wu Peng stopped in his tracks. Nan Yuxing and the others behind him also stopped. At this point, they could finally see the scene ahead. But what they saw stunned them all. ¡°Why¡­ why are they still alive!?¡± Nan Yuxing was shocked and muttered in disbelief. He almost suspected that he had seen wrongly. He rubbed his eyes and looked over carefully, only to discover that the two of them were still in his line of sight¡ªoh no, four people! Apart from Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue, the little girl from before had also appeared! Beside her was a middle-aged man covered in blood, and he was in a sorry state. From the way they interacted, they seemed to be very familiar with each other. But other than the four of them, the black-robed man from before was nowhere to be seen! Elder Wu Peng¡¯s eyes quickly swept across everything in front of him, and his heart slowly sank. The ground is a mess; it can be seen how intense the battle was. However, Rong Xiu and the others are all standing here perfectly fine while the black-robed man is gone¡­ ¡°It seems that the black-robed man has lost¡­¡± Elder Wu Peng lowered his voice. ¡°How is that possible!?¡± Nan Yuxing subconsciously retorted. ¡°He¡¯s so strong. Even if Rong Xiu and the others join forces, it¡¯s impossible for them to defeat him!¡± That is true. Even Elder Wu Peng himself felt that this guess was ridiculous. But is there any other explanation than this? ¡°¡­Then could it be that the black-robed man suddenly showed kindness and let them go?¡± Nan Yuxing choked. They fell silent. They had seen the black-robed man¡¯s attitude clearly. It was impossible for him to reconcile with Rong Xiu and the others. So now¡­ ¡°I just feel that something is wrong¡­¡± Elder Wu Peng clenched his fists. On the way here, we saw from afar that the blood color that filled the sky was quickly fading. Moreover, the blood-colored pillar of light had also fallen straight down, causing quite a commotion. At that time, I thought that I was thinking too much. Unexpectedly¡ª Elder Bai Tong couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I think there¡¯s something strange about Rong Xiu and the others. Why don¡¯t we leave first and¡ª¡± ¡°What a coincidence. Guys, we meet again.¡± Before Elder Bai Tong could finish, Chu Liuyue greeted them with a smile. ¡°I remember that you guys had already left earlier and said that you were going to find something. Why did you¡­ turn back halfway? Could it be that you still want to come back to take a look at the situation on our side?¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she helplessly spread her hands. ¡°What a pity. I seem to have disappointed you.¡±v Chapter 1676 - Take Pulse Chapter 1676: Take Pulse With her few sentences, it undoubtedly confirmed the guess in Elder Wu Peng and the rest¡¯s hearts. They exchanged glances, and their faces weren¡¯t pretty. Even though they came on this journey with another motive, they didn¡¯t feel much better when Rong Xiu and the rest were standing here in one piece. Other than shock, they were even more confused. That man in the black robe was a legendary warrior! Isn¡¯t it a piece of cake to deal with them? What exactly happened in between that led to this result? Can¡¯t figure it out. We really can¡¯t figure it out! ¡°You¡ª¡± Nan Yiyi was annoyed once she saw Chu Liuyue. Now that she heard this, she was even more furious. But before she could say anything, Elder Wu Peng stopped her. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. We don¡¯t have much interest in your matters. The reason we came here is that we have something else to settle.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked as she surveyed her surroundings. ¡°Oh? Could it be that the item you¡¯re finding is here?¡± Once she said this, the few people opposite had their expressions change. This shocked Chu Liuyue. Originally I was just teasing them and casually said it. Who knew that it seems to be true? This time, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°It seems like I was spot on?¡± ¡°Our matters have nothing to do with you.¡± The mysterious disappearance of the man in black caused Elder Wu Peng to secretly fear Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. Nobody knew what trump cards they had. At this point, it was best not to mess with them. This was also why he was more polite in his words. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Originally, I really wasn¡¯t interested in their matters. But seeing that they are so nervous, I feel curious. These people have formidable backgrounds and have quite high standards. Something that can attract their attention¡­ should be an incredible treasure, right? However, I¡¯m just curious. I¡¯m currently in no mood to care about them. Finding Ancestor is the most important matter. Hence, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t continue arguing with them. The corner of her lips curled up slightly. ¡°It¡¯ll be the best if we stay in our own lanes. We have no interest in your business, and we hope you know what¡¯s good for you.¡± Then, the trio really turned around and planned to leave. Elder Wu Peng and the rest still couldn¡¯t quite believe it. But seeing that they really looked like they were leaving, they couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. Does Rong Xiu and the rest¡­ really not know anything? Nan Yuxing clenched his fists secretly. Seeing their backs, intense murderous intent flashed across his eyes. It¡¯s a pity that we¡¯re all injured, and Rong Xiu¡¯s abilities are hard to guess. If not¡­ we should really make them stay here forever! I won¡¯t just let this matter slide! After leaving the God-Killing Tumulus and returning home, I have to¡ª ¡°Oh right.¡± Rong Xiu paused in his tracks, turned around, and looked over. His deep and clear gaze landed directly on Nan Yuxing. Nan Yuxing¡¯s thoughts were instantly interrupted as he instinctively felt that he was covered in cold intent. A chill ran down his spine. ¡°Wh-what do you want?!¡± he asked sharply. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°Remember to go back and help me say hi to Nan Yifan.¡± Then, he turned around and continued walking forward. The remaining Elder Wu Peng and the rest were dazed and fell into a long silence. It was only until Rong Xiu and the others¡¯ figures gradually departed that Elder Bai Tong whispered, breaking the silence. ¡°¡­Could it be that Rong Xiu really knows the family head?¡± However, this isn¡¯t the most important thing. The most important thing is that Rong Xiu is too casual when he talks about Master. It seems like¡­ he doesn¡¯t really care about him. His behavior really doesn¡¯t seem like it as an act. At this point, what is the meaning of adding this sentence? Unless¡­ he is really fearless¡ªhe dares to go against Master! Nan Yuxing wanted to deny it initially, but he was not brainless. One just has to think about it casually to know that Rong Xiu definitely has reasons for daring to do this! However, I didn¡¯t really hear Father talk about it in the past¡­ ¡°¡­Forget it, forget it! We¡¯ll talk about these things after we go back! Let¡¯s just find the item first and leave the place!¡± Nan Yuxing spoke in frustration. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s leaving sentence kept echoing in his mind, causing him to be uneasy. ¡­ After walking for a distance, Chu Ning turned around to glance and asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, who are they?¡± They seem like they have great enmity toward Rong Xiu and Yue¡¯er¡­ Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯re just irrelevant people. You don¡¯t have to care about them.¡± Seeing that she seemed relaxed and really didn¡¯t take those people to heart, Chu Ning heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he lightly patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± His palm was very wide, and his palm had calluses. It was slightly rough but especially warm. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue was dazed and lowered her head to take a look. ¡°Father?¡± Chu Ning did not understand what was going on. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue grabbed his hand and flipped it around. She looked at it for quite some time before she strangely asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t there quite a few wounds on your hand previously? Why are they¡­ all gone?¡± I clearly remember that there were many new and old wounds, and two of them were especially serious. Even if he ate herbs and recuperated properly, according to his physique, he still needs a few more months to recover fully. However, not a long time has passed. Why¡­ have these wounds disappeared? Chu Ning knew that she was asking about this and instantly became hesitant. Actually, I know that Yue¡¯er has always been meticulous and that I couldn¡¯t hide it from her for long. However¡­ I really don¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Father?¡± Seeing his reaction, Chu Liuyue found it even more strange and became worried. This isn¡¯t normal at all. Could it be that Father¡ª Seeing that she was worried, Chu Ning hurriedly said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. A-actually, this situation has happened a few times¡­ I¡¯m already used to it¡­¡± ¡°A few times?¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue was even more shocked. ¡°Yeah¡­ So every time I¡¯m injured, the wounds will heal on their own after a while. I-I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sized him up and shockingly realized that it wasn¡¯t just his hand¡ªthe other parts of his body had also recovered! This¡­ Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°Lord Chu Ning, could you let me take your pulse?¡± Chapter 1677 - Heaven-Defying Father Chapter 1677: Heaven-Defying Father Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning exchanged glances. As Chu Liuyue let go, she asked, ¡°You know what¡¯s going on?¡± Rong Xiu paused for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t be sure yet.¡± As he spoke, Chu Ning had already stretched his hand over. Rong Xiu¡¯s intricate fingers were placed on his wrist. It was quiet all around. Rong Xiu separated some force and injected it into Chu Ning¡¯s body. This force was like a rock that entered a well as it quickly searched around the latter¡¯s body. Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved slightly as he looked up at Chu Ning. ¡°Lord Chu Ning, your current warrior cultivation level is¡­¡± Chu Ning¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°I kept getting severely injured previously, so my pearl of essence is almost ruined. My cultivation level as a warrior has dropped back to stage-one again¡­ Now, I¡¯m no different from a good-for-nothing.¡± Ever since he was brought away from Country Yao Chen, he had met countless warriors. From that day onward, he knew that his bit of skills were nothing outside. Under such circumstances, he still got severely injured by accident and became a stage-one warrior. He also felt embarrassed talking about it. Yue¡¯er is so outstanding now, yet I am¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Back to stage-one¡­ Father must¡¯ve been in grave danger beforehand. Could it be that something happened at that time and caused his body to be in this state? He can recover so fast. He doesn¡¯t seem¡­ like an ordinary stage-one warrior¡­ Rong Xiu let go of Chu Ning¡¯s hands, paused for a moment, and then asked, ¡°Can you unleash your God Realm now?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked in her heart as she widened her eyes slightly. Why did Rong Xiu suddenly ask that? Father has become a stage-one warrior again. How could he possibly have a God Realm? However, Chu Ning didn¡¯t deny it immediately. Conversely, he knitted his brows slightly and asked with uncertainty, ¡°Like¡­ the ones Yue¡¯er previously summoned?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± After a momentary silence, Chu Ning nodded. ¡°I think¡­ twice. But at that time, I didn¡¯t know what it was, and it quickly disappeared.¡± As he spoke, he raised his hand hesitantly. A light blue ray of light slowly flew out! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. This is actually a God Realm! Even though she had experienced a lot of ordeals, she was still shocked upon seeing this scene and stood rooted to the ground, unable to recover her senses in a long time. She was clearly still immersed in the sorrowful atmosphere because her father had become a stage-one warrior again. In the blink of an eye, she actually saw him summon a God Realm¡­ Who could handle this difference? Chu Liuyue closed her eyes harshly. When she opened them and looked over, the God Realm was still around Chu Ning and had no signs of disappearing. Her throat tightened, and she asked with much difficulty, ¡°Father, t-this is your God Realm?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was floating when she said these few words. Chu Ning nodded. ¡°Previously, I didn¡¯t know what this was either. I only knew that it was called a God Realm after seeing you go against that person today¡­¡± Chu Ning really ignored all of this in the past. When his skills were at their peak, he was just a mere stage-five warrior in Country Yao Chen. This cultivation level was definitely considered elite in the entire Country Yao Chen, but a God Realm could only be obtained after one broke through as a stage-nine warrior and successfully became a legendary warrior. How would he have the chance to know these things? At most, he would¡¯ve seen this term a few times in a historical notebook. To him, it was something very far away. He never expected that he would have his own God Realm one day, especially when his current cultivation level was just a stage-one warrior. If he didn¡¯t see it personally, he would not have imagined it for himself. Seeing Chu Ning¡¯s confused appearance, Chu Liuyue was speechless. I suddenly feel that I¡¯m too inadequate in front of my father. So what if I can fight with people above my cultivation level? So what if I have an agreement with a legendary fiend? Father became a stage-one warrior and has a God Realm! What kind of play is this? Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t understand. In the past, only others would call her a maniac. Now, she felt that she wasn¡¯t good enough for this title when compared to her father. ¡­ Detecting the few people¡¯s strange gazes, Chu Ning also felt awkward. ¡°This¡­ Actually, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. After being injured that time, I became like this when I woke up¡­.¡± At that time, he was still dejected for a long time because his cultivation level fell, so he didn¡¯t think about this. ¡°As expected.¡± Rong Xiu revealed a look of understanding as his thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°I need to congratulate you, Lord Chu Ning, for obtaining such a twist of fate.¡± ¡°Twist of fate?¡± asked Chu Liuyue and Chu Ning in unison. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°If I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, Lord Chu Ning should¡¯ve obtained an Indestructible Holy Body under a twist of fate.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Indestructible holy body¡ªI¡¯ve heard of it before. After she broke through to become a legendary warrior at Ling Xiao Academy, she had been thinking about forming a holy body. However, this matter was very complicated. Many cultivators couldn¡¯t form their own holy body their entire lives even if they crossed the legendary warrior barrier. At that time, she didn¡¯t know what holy body was the most suitable for her, so she flipped through Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s library. I recall that this holy body was recorded in an ancient book. The so-called Indestructible Holy Body was an extremely special holy body. Normally, a cultivator¡¯s original body and holy body are separate, but cultivators with the Indestructible Holy Body directly use their own body and change it to become a holy body. This also means that such cultivators will only have one body from start to end. This is indeed considered as a disadvantage compared to cultivators who can separate their holy bodies. However, the Indestructible Holy Body has an advantage that nobody can compete with¡ªsuch a holy body has extremely stubborn vitality! As long as they have one last breath, they can rapidly recover! Chu Liuyue looked at Chu Ning. Previously, he had many terrifying wounds that could be considered serious. Yet, in such a short amount of time, those wounds have completely recovered, and it¡¯s hard to find even a scar. Isn¡¯t this¡­ the Indestructible Holy Body? ¡°¡­But I¡¯m just a stage-one warrior now. How¡ª¡± Rong Xiu smiled and explained, ¡°Lord Chu Ning, you didn¡¯t have a breakthrough in your own cultivation; you obtained this Indestructible Holy Body through a twist of fate unintentionally. Your original cultivation level doesn¡¯t match this, so I think that when you obtained the Indestructible Holy Body, it automatically reduced you to a stage-one warrior. This is to make it more convenient for you to recultivate.¡± ¡°Besides, Lord Chu Ning¡¯s Yuan meridian level has also changed to a Tianjing Yuan meridian.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he raised his chin. ¡°You can personally take his pulse and check it out.¡± Actually, Chu Liuyue already believed his words, but she still couldn¡¯t help going forward and taking Chu Ning¡¯s pulse. After a moment, she let go of his hands in shock. Her gaze toward Chu Ning was largely different from before. ¡°¡­ He r-really¡­ has a Tianjing Yuan meridian¡­¡± Chapter 1678 - Search Chapter 1678: Search Chu Ning was dazed for a moment before he asked with uncertainty, ¡°D-does this mean that I can continue cultivating?¡± Chu Liuyue was instantly caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Father, not only can you continue cultivating, but you¡¯ve also completely gone against the heavens and changed your fate!¡± One had to know that even she hadn¡¯t forged her own holy body! She didn¡¯t expect her father to do it before her, and¡­ it was even such a rare holy body! What does a stage-one warrior cultivation level count for now? With the Tianjing Yuan meridian, he doesn¡¯t need to worry about cultivating. After a huge round, it turned out to be a happy event! Seeing her happy, Chu Ning smiled as well. ¡°This means that I can continue helping Yue¡¯er in the future?¡± He was still worried that he would become Yue¡¯er¡¯s burden. He didn¡¯t expect to have a way out! Chu Liuyue was excited and emotional. After knowing that he has an Indestructible Holy Body, Father¡¯s first thought is still about me. She took a deep breath in and said, ¡°I just want you to be fine, Father. Everything else doesn¡¯t matter.¡± During the time when he went missing, it was very torturous for her. She was worried day and night, thinking about how to save him as soon as possible. Once she thought that he would be tortured, she was very anxious. Chu Ning patted her head with heartache. ¡°Silly Yue¡¯er.¡± Now that she has already become so amazing¡­ If I can only be her burden by staying by her side, it would be better if I just ended things. Now, I can finally let go of this worry. After confirming this, the atmosphere instantly became much more relaxed. Chu Ning¡¯s face had a smile that came back after a long while. The few of them continued walking forward. As they walked, Chu Liuyue kept asking some relevant questions. She really wanted to know what exactly her father experienced to have such a twist of fate. It was a pity that Chu Ning was not very clear himself. After being dragged along for a long period of time, he kept changing places and didn¡¯t know where he was. Additionally, he was continuously tortured and spent most of his days in a daze. He couldn¡¯t remember many things clearly. Even though he was on the brink of death a few times in the middle, he never cared. The only thought in his brain was to survive and meet Yue¡¯er. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have much understanding of many things. Even if they happened to him, he didn¡¯t know. For example, his Yuan meridian and his God Realm. Talking toward the end, Chu Liuyue vaguely guessed that her father obtained his Indestructible Holy Body unwittingly in the God-Killing Tumulus. And¡­ it happened when all of Jun Jiuqing¡¯s men were destroyed and lost contact with Chu Ning. Chu Liuyue felt emotional. It is really hard to predict things. At that time, how would I have imagined that my father would have such a strange encounter? ¡°This Indestructible Holy Body might be related to a strong warrior that was destroyed in the God-Killing Tumulus,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and felt that this was the most likely scenario. But¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that all the strong warriors were destroyed, including their souls, during the battle back then and that nothing was left behind?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°Those are just rumors at the end of the day. Other than the people themselves, nobody knows exactly what happened back then.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. In the past, there were many strong warriors who fell in Dahuang Swamp. Later on, in order to inherit their assets, people rushed forward continuously. There is no reason that there is really nothing in the God-Killing Tumulus. Not to mention other people¡­ Just me alone¡ªdidn¡¯t I obtain a bunch of stones? Of course, they are very useful stones. And my father has obtained an Indestructible Holy Body¡­ If a person says that this place really has nothing, I wouldn¡¯t believe it now. ¡°Perhaps¡­ someone doesn¡¯t want other people to come in and snatch the treasures, so they started these rumors?¡± guessed Chu Liuyue. ¡°Didn¡¯t the previous few people say they want to come in and find something?¡± Other than finding treasures, what else can they do? Rong Xiu glanced at her in admiration. There were some things he didn¡¯t need to say because she would understand it with a hint. ¡°The God-Killing Tumulus is very dangerous, and the murderous aura didn¡¯t dissipate. Most of the people who come in can¡¯t go out. Even if they know that there are treasures here, they won¡¯t dare to act casually. Those who don¡¯t know would naturally not come over, so this place is this quiet and isolated.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Even though treasures were good, they had to have the life to take it. But even if they temporarily couldn¡¯t obtain the treasures, by spreading the rumors, it could reduce other people¡¯s curiosity and interest toward this place to a minimum. That wasn¡¯t a bad idea. These people are really¡­ Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°But I feel that this place is¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment and did not finish her sentence. She changed the topic. ¡°When we find Ancestor, let¡¯s leave this place.¡± Originally, they came here to save her father. When the matter was over, it was best if they could leave safely. Chu Ning paused and asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, is this ancestor¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. During the whole way, I only cared about asking about Father and didn¡¯t have the time to tell him about my matters. ¡°Let me slowly tell you about it¡­¡± ¡­ In this period, Chu Liuyue recounted her entire life experience and background to Chu Ning. On the other hand, Nan Yuxing and the rest didn¡¯t feel so good. The atmosphere was cold and stiff. Nan Yuxing knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, was what you said just now true? The item is not here anymore?¡± Elder Wu Peng¡¯s appearance was stern and cold. He looked at Nan Yiyi and boomed, ¡°Second Missy, you also have a certain telepathic connection to that thing. What do you think?¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°It¡¯s really not here. That¡¯s strange¡­ I clearly already felt it earlier¡­ Why did it suddenly disappear?¡± Elder Bai Tong couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ the item moved on its own?¡± Chapter 1679 - Guess Chapter 1679: Guess ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Nan Yiyi knitted her brows, and her tone was rather uncertain. ¡°Father didn¡¯t talk about this before¡­¡± Originally, she thought that she just had to make a trip here and casually take the item away. After all, not many people could detect that item¡¯s whereabouts were left. Who knew it would be so troublesome? They had been on this journey for so long, but they didn¡¯t even see a trace of it. ¡°But that item isn¡¯t an ordinary item after all. Perhaps it really changed its location.¡± As Elder Wu Peng spoke, he glanced at Nan Yiyi. ¡°Second Missy, could you check it in detail and see if you can find any clues?¡± Originally, he should do such things, but he had activated the geomantic compass not long ago. In such a short period of time, he couldn¡¯t use it twice. Hence, he could only pin his hopes on Nan Yiyi. Nan Yiyi pressed her lips against each other. ¡°Let me try.¡± The reason her father insisted on her coming over was that she had a certain talent in this aspect. Now, she indeed became useful. But after she used this talent, it would take a huge toll on her strength and mental health. For a very long time afterward, she would be uncomfortable. Hence, she didn¡¯t really like doing this normally. However, they didn¡¯t have any other choice now. Nan Yiyi closed her eyes and made a strange gesture with her hands. Then, a totem faintly appeared between her brows! After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes and pointed in a direction. ¡°Over there!¡± Nan Yuxing instantly looked satisfied. ¡°Yiyi is indeed amazing!¡± Upon hearing this, Nan Yiyi couldn¡¯t hide the pride on her face. ¡°Of course!¡± Even though she was a little stubborn, she was capable. If not, she wouldn¡¯t be in favor for so many years. After all, this was a world where the strong were respected. ¡°Since we¡¯ve confirmed the direction, let¡¯s go!¡± As Nan Yuxing spoke, he wanted to move forward excitedly. He really wanted to find the item immediately and leave the place! However, Elder Wu Peng and Elder Bai Tong did not move. Furthermore, the duo¡¯s expressions were a little strange. Nan Yuxing couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. ¡°Elders, why are you not moving?¡± The two of them exchanged glances and saw the complicated gaze in each other¡¯s eyes. Elder Bai Tong slowly said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, didn¡¯t you realize that there¡¯s something amiss?¡± Nan Yuxing was confused. Amiss? What¡¯s amiss? Didn¡¯t Yiyi already detect it? It proves that the item is nearby! Elder Wu Peng said in a low voice, ¡°The direction Second Missy pointed in¡­ was the direction Rong Xiu and the rest left.¡± Nan Yiyi was suddenly stumped. Afterward, his first reaction was to look at Nan Yiyi with a doubtful gaze. ¡°Yiyi?¡± Even if he didn¡¯t ask anything, his gaze represented everything. Nan Yiyi instantly felt aggrieved. ¡°Brother, what do you mean? You¡¯re doubting me? I spent a lot of effort detecting that weak aura!¡± Seeing her annoyance, Nan Yuxing instantly dispelled his doubts. ¡°No, no, I just feel that¡­ it¡¯s too coincidental¡­¡± Even though my younger sister is wilful and stubborn, she doesn¡¯t have the guts to be unruly about such an issue. If she didn¡¯t do it on purpose, it means that¡­ the item has really teleported there? Once he thought of Rong Xiu and the rest at the front, Nan Yuxing felt especially awkward. It could go anywhere else, but why that place? Elder Wu Peng did not doubt Nan Yiyi¡¯s judgment, but this matter alerted him. ¡°Eldest Young Master, Second Missy, don¡¯t you find that the series of matters was all too coincidental after we came here? Previously, I used the geomantic compass to detect, and it led us here. Back then, Rong Xiu and the rest were here. Now that they¡¯ve left, Second Missy detected that the item was in the direction they left¡­¡± ¡°Wu Peng, you¡¯re saying that¡­ the item has been following Rong Xiu and the rest?¡± Elder Bai Tong¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Or are you saying that the item is actually¡­ with them?!¡± Once he said this, the few of them fell silent. Without a doubt, this was the outcome they were most unwilling to see. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, right?¡± Nan Yiyi also panicked. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t there be any commotion if they wanted to take that item? Besides, they came in for such a short time. How could they do it¡­¡± Before they came, her father was worried that she couldn¡¯t handle it alone, so he got her brother and two elders to follow her. Additionally, he repeatedly instructed that she had to persist and bring the item back undamaged even if she would suffer a little in the process. However¡­ What¡¯s going on now? Elder Wu Peng thought deeply for a moment and finally said, ¡°No matter what, we have to follow them now. If everything is a misunderstanding, it¡¯ll be fine. But if it¡¯s really them¡­¡± He didn¡¯t need to say his remaining words, but the other people were well-aware¡ªat that time, it would be a harsh battle. ¡°I think they¡¯re quite alert. We have to be careful in our matters. Unless we have to, let¡¯s not go against them.¡± Elder Bai Tong thought for a moment and said this. Seeing that Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression became increasingly ugly, he hurriedly added, ¡°After all, our main objective of this trip is to find that item. Everything else can be set aside for now¡­¡± Nan Yuxing clenched his fists. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue told Chu Ning about her true identity and whatever happened afterward honestly. Even if she had made it very brief, Chu Ning was still stunned when he heard it. Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Eldest Princess¡­ The final disciple of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director¡­ A true god warrior that isn¡¯t even twenty¡­ Everything came out nonchalantly from Chu Liuyue¡¯s mouth, but Chu Ning knew that these seemingly calm words hid countless shocks. He had long guessed that her identity was extraordinary, but when he heard it himself, he was still deeply shocked. Rong Xiu¡¯s true identity caused his mood to be unable to calm down for a long time. Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace¡­ An absolute talent that is only stronger and not weaker than Yue¡¯er¡­ The most shocking thing is that he already had feelings for Yue¡¯er a few years ago. It¡¯s no wonder he took care of Yue¡¯er greatly from the beginning. After Chu Liuyue finished talking, Chu Ning took a long time to digest all the information. ¡°¡­So this means that the person we¡¯re finding is your real ancestor?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°Ancestor has always taken great care of me. This time, he insisted on following us because he was worried about me. But not long after we entered, we got lost and went separate ways.¡± Hearing that it was someone who was nice to Yue¡¯er, Chu Ning immediately became worried. ¡°This is very dangerous. Do you have a way to contact him?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ancestor has come here before, so there shouldn¡¯t be a¡ª¡± Boom! A loud sound suddenly spread from the distant horizon! Chapter 1680 - Night Wall Chapter 1680: Night Wall Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice suddenly trailed off as she rapidly looked up! It was evening, and the sun was setting. The last speck of glow was slowly hiding behind the thick clouds. The warm orange color spread across the sky as if it had painted the entire sky with a layer of golden. In the God-Killing Tumulus, it was really rare to have such bright and pretty scenery. But below the place where heaven and earth connected, it was covered with a faint shadow. Even the remaining glow of the light couldn¡¯t shine into it. From afar, it seemed like a patch of black that had been dark for a long time and had a certain cold aura. Gradually, Chu Liuyue realized that the black color seemed to be continuously expanding. The previous loud sound seemed to have come from there. If one said it was the thunder, it didn¡¯t seem like it. With such a long distance between them, it faintly sounded unreal. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ that?¡± Chu Liuyue tightly knitted her brows. This aura¡­ really seems amiss. Chu Ning suddenly said, ¡°That¡¯s a wall.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed and turned around. ¡°Wall?¡± Chu Ning nodded, his eyes staring at that patch of black solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve previously seen this wall twice. This is the third time.¡± As he spoke, Chu Ning raised his hand and pointed at the left and right sides of the patch of black. ¡°The wall will start from this end and spread to the other end. After 15 minutes, it will occupy the entire horizon that we can see.¡± Chu Liuyue looked in the direction he was pointing and realized that the patch of black was indeed quickly spreading to the two sides. At this point, she could indeed see that it was vaguely a wall. It was entirely black, and it looked stern, solemn, and hard to climb. Before Chu Liuyue approached it, she could seemingly already feel the murderous aura from it! She secretly knitted her brows. Such an intense aura¡­ definitely didn¡¯t come from nowhere. ¡°Father, how often does this wall appear? Did it suddenly appear the previous two times?¡± Chu Ning shook his head. ¡°Its appearance timing isn¡¯t fixed. To this day, I¡¯ve only seen it thrice. Besides, my body and mental state weren¡¯t great previously, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. I only know that every time, it will appear when the sun sets and disappear when the sun is up. It will never appear during daytime.¡± He paused and added, ¡°The first time I saw this wall, I was just brought here not too long ago. At that time, I thought that I could leave this place if I climbed over this wall, so I tried my best to walk over. But before I could reach it, it directly disappeared when the sun came up.¡± ¡°Later on, I realized that it had nothing to do with whether I could go out, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. It looked near but was actually far away¡ªeven though that wall didn¡¯t seem especially far from here. But if one really wanted to go to it, they probably had to spend quite a bit of effort. However, why would a wall suddenly emerge in this place? This God-Killing Tumulus was really strange in too many places¡­ Just as she planned to observe the changes silently, a stone suddenly jumped out from the Cosmic Ring and landed beside Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue lowered her head. That stone rolled further to the front. Chu Liuyue raised her high brows, but her feet didn¡¯t move. Very quickly, the second rock jumped out, hit her leg, and rolled forward. This time, it rolled a further distance from the first, yet the direction was the same¡ªtoward the wall near the horizon! When the third rock also jumped out, Chu Liuyue finally said, ¡°You want me to go over?¡± The rocks couldn¡¯t speak, but their series of actions was very obvious. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. She knew that they wouldn¡¯t harm her. Since they desperately wanted to urge her to go over, there must be a reason. Seeing this scene from the side, shock flashed across Chu Ning¡¯s eyes. Actually, he had previously heard Chu Liuyue briefly explain the whereabouts of these rocks. Besides, when Chu Liuyue went against the man in black, he had also clearly seen the shocking strength within the rock. But now that he saw it again, he could not help but be amazed. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he said, ¡°It seems like they really want you to go over.¡± Chu Liuyue spread her arms and smiled helplessly. ¡°I can tell that too, but that is indeed far. I can¡¯t detect anything now.¡± In these kinds of places, the unknown usually spelled danger. ¡°If it¡¯s really dangerous, we can just retreat then. Since we can see this wall, Senior Shangguan should be able to see it too. Perhaps¡­ he will appear there and wait to gather with us.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s words made Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes light up. Oh right, I had almost forgotten about that! In the vast desert that had no boundaries, all the scenery was the same at first glance. If one didn¡¯t have experience, it would be hard to differentiate the direction, let alone find a person. That was indeed akin to finding a needle in a haystack. If Ancestor is safe now, he will very likely do that. Chu Liuyue came to a decision. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡± It will naturally be best if we can reach before daybreak and find Ancestor. If we can¡¯t not¡­ we can just think of another method. Actually, Chu Liuyue did not dare to harbor much hope. That was because the wall by the horizon continuously extended on both sides! The more it did, the more ground it covered. With that, the chances of successfully meeting Shangguan Jing would become slimmer. But even if it was just a hint of hope, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to give up. She put away her rocks and walked forward. ¡­ At the same time, Shangguan Jing walked toward the wall. He had already walked for very, very long. After exhausting most of his strength, he only shortened a small distance. He clearly felt that the wall was before him, but he couldn¡¯t touch it no matter what. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t his first time here, nor his first time encountering such a situation. Hence, he had always been very stable and just continuously went forward. Calculating the time, Yue¡¯er and the rest should¡¯ve also seen this wall¡­ However, I don¡¯t know if they are on my side or the opposite side. It¡¯s fine if we¡¯re on the same side, but if they¡¯re on the opposite¡­ It will be even harder to meet them. Shangguan Jing paused in his tracks, took a deep breath in, and calmed himself down before he continued walking forward. ¡­ The last speck of glow gradually dissipated. The evening curtain finally fell. In the dark, one¡¯s vision would naturally become weaker, especially on a night with no moon or stars. However, the strange thing was that Chu Liuyue could clearly see the black wall. It was a different type of black¡ªintense, solemn, stern, yet unreachable. It silently stood between heaven and earth as if it had existed for more than a million years. Chapter 1681 - Trouble Chapter 1681: Trouble It was a very strange feeling that couldn¡¯t be described in words, but as long as one looked up and saw the intense black, they would unwittingly feel this way. Gradually, Chu Liuyue¡¯s originally worried heart calmed down and became at peace. Faintly, there was an invisible strength that caused her to feel safe. Detecting this, Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. That¡¯s weird¡­ This type of feeling is indeed strange. Originally, I didn¡¯t like that wall and felt uneasy, but the nearer I go now, the calmer I become. I even had a faint sense of familiarity. I also don¡¯t know where this feeling is coming from, but I don¡¯t hate it. Could it be¡­ because of the stones I collected earlier? After all, they have existed here for thousands of years and should be very familiar with everything here. However¡­ Chu Liuyue felt that something was amiss. She felt that she had neglected something important, yet she couldn¡¯t recall it. These messy thoughts kept flashing across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t stop in her tracks. At some moment, Chu Liuyue finally realized that the air before her had changed slightly. She paused in her tracks and reached out. Many ripples extended toward the surroundings, with her fingers in the middle. ¡°This is a barrier,¡± said Chu Liuyue affirmatively. Additionally, its suppression doesn¡¯t seem weak. As it was transparent and nighttime, it was hard to detect. She only realized that something was wrong when she reached it. But¡­ this barrier doesn¡¯t seem like it has any threat? Rong Xiu pulled her hand. At the same time, he whipped his sleeves, and the barrier instantly disappeared. He walked to the front, raised his brows slightly, and nonchalantly smiled as he said, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s an accidental barrier that was formed due to turbulence and the intersection of the many forces left behind in the God-Killing Tumulus. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in acknowledgment. Wasn¡¯t Ancestor previously taken away by the turbulence? In this place, all sorts of intertwining forces have accumulated for countless years, so it¡¯s normal for such a situation to happen. Besides, I really didn¡¯t detect much threat from that barrier. She very quickly forgot about this incident and continued walking forward. ¡­ After they left, about an hour later, a few figures appeared here¡ªit was Nan Yuxing¡¯s group. Their faces weren¡¯t great, especially Elder Bai Tong, whose face was especially pale. His shin was cut short, and he could only rely on one leg to walk. During this entire journey, he was undoubtedly the one who suffered the most. Even if he had used superior pills, his injury was too serious. Besides, he couldn¡¯t grow another shin in such a short amount of time. It was inevitable that he would suffer. Elder Wu Peng glanced at him and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we rest for a while?¡± ¡°No!¡± Elder Bai Tong hurriedly rejected this suggestion and looked guilty. ¡°They¡¯re not slow in walking, and we¡¯ve already lagged behind by quite a bit because of me. If we rest again, we¡¯ll be delayed even more.¡± Elder Wu Peng knitted his brows, but he couldn¡¯t deny that it was the truth. ¡°What are they planning to do? Are they not resting at night and walking all the way?¡± Nan Yuxing was also dissatisfied. Even though his injury was lighter than Elder Bai Tong, with so much walking, he couldn¡¯t handle it either. Originally, they were worried that Rong Xiu and the rest would discover them if they were too close. However, they later realized that they were thinking too much. That was because it was already very forceful if they didn¡¯t lose them with their current speed! How could they care about anything else? The more hateful thing was that those few people didn¡¯t even stop at such a time! If this continued, who could tolerate it? Elder Wu Peng looked at Nan Yiyi. ¡°Second Missy, what are the results of your checks?¡± Nan Yiyi pressed her lips against each other tightly. ¡°That item¡­ has indeed been walking with them.¡± At this stage, she could almost ascertain that the item was with them! Even though it sounded incredulous¡­ Nan Yiyi had followed them for a distance and wouldn¡¯t be mistaken. This also meant that they had to follow Rong Xiu and the rest to find a chance to get the item back! If it were them in their prime, perhaps it might not be too much of a problem. But now¡­ Even if they worked together, they probably wouldn¡¯t be their match¡­ Nan Yiyi stomped her feet in frustration. ¡°If we knew this earlier, we should¡¯ve asked Father to bring more people over¡­ Ah!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt a weight on her body as if a ton of items were pressing down on her shoulders! Her groan instantly alerted the other people. ¡°Yiyi!¡± ¡°Second Missy!¡± Nan Yiyi clenched her teeth and forcefully tried to stand up as she anxiously looked at her surroundings. The countless ripples moved as if it formed a gigantic cage that trapped her¡ªno, not only her! Elder Wu Peng and the rest were also in the region! ¡°This is¡ª¡± ¡°Barrier!¡± Elder Wu Peng hollered. At the same time, he whipped his sleeves, wanting to bring Nan Yiyi out. However, the surrounding space became heavy and stiff, and every action was much harder than before. The moment he moved, there seemed to be countless pairs of hands in the surroundings crazily pulling and trapping him to the spot. Elder Wu Peng felt amiss as he hurriedly circulated his force. However, it was to no avail. Nan Yuxing and Elder Bai Tong also quickly sank into it. The few of them were restrained by the strange barrier! Every step they took was much more agonizing than before. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Nan Yuxing was in a panic and anxious. Previously, Rong Xiu and the rest walked through this place normally, and this situation didn¡¯t happen at all! Elder Wu Peng clenched his teeth and said, ¡°The nearby Heaven and Earth Force is in a mess, so this situation happened. It would be hard to get rid of it in a short amount of time.¡± Even he can¡¯t do it? Nan Yuxing¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Then, why did it seem like nothing happened to Rong Xiu and the rest?¡± We watched the few of them walk across this area! Elder Wu Peng¡¯s face was stern, and he knitted his brows tightly. He also wanted to know the reason. During the entire journey, he had been walking at the front and saw the clearest. But from start to end, he didn¡¯t notice anything amiss. Who knew that there was such trouble here? He looked up and secretly clenched his teeth. ¡°This situation won¡¯t be dangerous, but it will greatly slow our progress. This time¡­ I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to catch up with them.¡± ¡°How can this do?¡± Nan Yuxing was instantly anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the item is very likely with them!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1682 - Music Chapter 1682: Music Nan Yiyi suddenly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we invite Uncle Luo Yan over?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, everyone fell silent. Nan Yuxing said hesitantly, ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate, right? Uncle Luo Yan has always been focused on cultivation and has never interfered in the family¡¯s matters. Besides, Father¡¯s intention this time is to train you more. Only when you personally take that thing back can you obtain the recognition of the family. If you invite Uncle Luo Yan¡­ When we go back, there will definitely be some people secretly muttering¡­¡± ¡°Then, do we have any other ideas now?¡± Nan Yiyi was also filled with anger, and her attitude became increasingly impatient. I didn¡¯t want to come on this trip in the first place. Now, I have suffered so much! Actually, it¡¯s just a matter that my father can resolve by sending a few more people over. Why did he have to go through so much trouble? ¡°Do we have to wait for something to happen before we stop?¡± ¡°Second Missy, these words are inauspicious! You can¡¯t say them casually.¡± Elder Bai Tong hurriedly said, ¡°Everything will definitely go smoothly with you and the Eldest Young Master.¡± Nan Yiyi turned her face away and sneered in her heart. Now that things have come to this, how could he say that it has gone smoothly? Whether we can return safely is a big problem! Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression was tense as he hesitated for a long time. Actually, he also knew that the current situation was almost a dead end. If they didn¡¯t find someone, they would probably not be able to complete the mission and return. However, inviting Uncle Luo Yan over¡­ was a little inappropriate¡­ ¡°Big Brother, Uncle Luo Yan has always doted on me the most. I¡¯m inviting him to save me, not to help find that thing. Can¡¯t I do that?¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s words finally made Nan Yuxing relax. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ It was already late at night. In the wilderness, it was dark and terrifyingly quiet. Only the wind kept blowing past her ears, bringing a hint of coolness. Chu Liuyue finally stopped. She glanced back first. It was quiet and uninhabited. Those annoying shadows were finally gone. I don¡¯t know what Nan Yuxing and the others are thinking. They seem to be stuck to us along the way. At first, Chu Liuyue thought she was imagining things. Then, she realized that the quartet was indeed tailing them. Even though they were already very careful, with so many stones on her, Chu Liuyue could sense her surroundings very well. How could she not notice? However, she wanted to find her ancestor first, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered with them. Fortunately, the time and place were right. With some tricks, she successfully shook them off. Finally, there is peace in my ears. She gently exhaled, retracted her gaze, and looked ahead. At this moment, they were only a thousand feet away from the wall. Standing here, she could already see the rough appearance of the wall¡ªit was serious, dignified, ancient, and bloody! After taking a look, these words instantly appeared in her mind. Huge black stone bricks were piled up neatly. Although the wall had been eroded by time and was mottled, it was still not difficult to see the grandeur of the past. The wall was so high that Chu Liuyue could barely see the top when she looked up. At a glance, she almost had the illusion that it was connected to the sky. Moreover, the wall spread left and right¡ªit was also a long road with no end in sight. Standing there, Chu Liuyue was as insignificant as an ant. ¡°Why is there such a wall in this God-Killing Tumulus?¡± Chu Liuyue muttered softly and frowned. ¡°Besides, this place is filled with such a rich murderous aura¡­¡± It was almost the most terrifying place since she entered the God-Killing Tumulus! Standing so far away, she could feel the shocking murderous aura coming at her, almost cutting her apart! ¡°This wall was left behind during that shocking battle back then.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly spoke. His voice was cold and calm as if he were telling a distant story from a yellowed ancient book, with a hint of emptiness. Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°You mean¡­ this wall has existed since then?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. Seeing that her eyes were filled with curiosity, a faint smile appeared on his thin lips. ¡°It¡¯s rumored that back then, both sides didn¡¯t want to fight to the death, so they agreed to use this as a boundary to divide and rule. Unfortunately, a battle still broke out later on. The location of this wall became an extremely famous place for fighting to the death back then.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. No wonder this wall looks so imposing and is filled with an extremely strong murderous aura. So it really is related to the battle back then. Speaking of this, she was even more curious. ¡°To be able to attract so many experts to gather here and die consecutively¡­ Is it really because of a book?¡± Rong Xiu looked down slightly. ¡°It¡¯s normal for humans to die for money and birds to die for food.¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. ¡°Then, who won in the end? Who got the book?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°I heard that during the event, both sides suffered shocking casualties, but it became an eternal secret who obtained that thing in the end.¡± Chu Liuyue felt a little regretful. However, this happened tens of thousands of years ago after all. It is indeed impossible for future generations to know. She gathered her thoughts and flipped her wrist to take out the Long Yuan Sword. Although she no longer used the Long Yuan Sword much, her ancestor¡¯s soul had been stored here for a thousand years and had long left his aura. Now, it was convenient for her to use it for tracking. She held her breath and focused as she carefully observed her surroundings. Nothing. She was not discouraged. As she walked forward, she kept trying to find traces of Shangguan Jing. The God-Killing Tumulus was so big that it was indeed not easy to find someone. Even if Shangguan Jing had seen this wall and was walking over, he might not be able to rush to the same place at the same time as them. A moment later, Chu Liuyue released the stones from her Cosmic Ring. The stones rolled around. They were, after all, things that had existed here for tens of thousands of years. With them, she could undoubtedly expand her perception range again. After a while, a low string sound suddenly entered his ears! Shocked, she instinctively looked up. This sound seems to be coming from that wall! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1683 - The Music of the Zither! Chapter 1683: The Music of the Zither! Chu Liuyue took a few steps forward, but the voice was still very distant as if it were coming from extremely far away. Like a feather, it brushed gently across her heart, tickling her. She walked forward again and stared intently at the black wall. Seeing her actions and expression, Chu Ning suddenly asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, what are you doing?¡± Stunned, Chu Liuyue came back to her senses. Meeting her father¡¯s expression, she suddenly realized something. ¡°Father, didn¡¯t you hear anything?¡± Chu Ning looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°Come closer and listen carefully.¡± Chu Ning walked over and stood beside her, listening intently. After a moment, he still shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± He didn¡¯t hear anything. A subtle feeling surged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Could it be that my father can¡¯t hear it because he is only a stage-one warrior, and his hearing isn¡¯t as good as mine? She glanced at Rong Xiu. The two of them stared at each other. Rong Xiu asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, what did you hear?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly. ¡°You can¡¯t hear it either?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips tightly. It would¡¯ve been fine if Father alone couldn¡¯t hear it, but now, even the stronger Rong Xiu didn¡¯t hear it. This¡­ Could I really be the only one who can hear this sound? She closed her eyes, making sure she wasn¡¯t hearing things. Although the voice was low and indistinct, it was real. She paused before saying, ¡°¡­It sounds like someone is playing the zither.¡± The sound was pleasant and moving. The rhythm was light, but it was very gripping. ¡°That sound came from inside the wall.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she walked forward again. The closer she got to the wall, the more terrifying, the more intense, and the crazier the murderous aura became. But perhaps because of the rocks, she didn¡¯t feel too uncomfortable. She quickly adapted to the environment. Chu Ning and Rong Xiu followed. Rong Xiu was fine, but Chu Ning¡¯s face quickly turned pale. Although he now had the Indestructible Holy Body, he indeed still only had stage-one warrior cultivation¡ªthis was irrefutable. Apart from having an advantage in terms of Holy Body, he was still far from ordinary true gods in other aspects. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Father, you don¡¯t have to come over. I¡¯ll go back after I figure out what¡¯s going on with this thing. Tuan Zi, go accompany them first.¡± Tuan Zi nodded obediently and skipped to Chu Ning¡¯s side, pulling his hand. ¡°Grandpa Chu, I¡¯m here!¡± Chu Ning already knew Tuan Zi¡¯s true identity, but every time he saw her cute appearance, he forgot about this matter. All that was left was love and doting. He said quickly, ¡°Yes, good! Good! Tuan Zi is the most obedient!¡± He patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head gently, loving it. But upon second thought, he said, ¡°Grandpa Chu is fine. Tuan Zi, you should go to Yue¡¯er¡ª¡± He had a feeling that the closer he got to the wall, the more dangerous it was. Moreover, now that Yue¡¯er said that she had heard something¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. Tuan Zi grinned brightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine! A¡¯Yue has His Highness!¡± Rong Xiu stopped in his tracks, and a satisfied smile appeared on his thin lips. She is worth teaching. When Chu Ning heard this, he felt that it made sense. He nodded and held Tuan Zi¡¯s hand as they waited. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue reached the wall, she finally stood still. Standing close, all the marks on the wall could be seen clearly. Countless sword marks had gradually blurred over the years, leaving only deep and shallow marks that were mottled and intertwined. She could even smell a faint scent of blood. Mixed with the wind, frost, and dust, there was an inexplicable sense of desolation and tragedy. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. She stared ahead in a daze as if countless emotions were surging in her heart, but the details could not be said. She could only let these complicated emotions surge in her chest. She reached out and slowly placed her hand on the wall. It was cold to the touch, rough, and heavy. And the sound of the zither suddenly became clear. One note after another fell into her ears and smashed into her heart. Unknowingly, Chu Liuyue seemed to see a figure standing alone in the lonely and cold wilderness. She couldn¡¯t see that person¡¯s figure and appearance clearly; she didn¡¯t even know if it was a man or a woman. She only saw the person holding the zither in their arms, plucking the strings. The sound of the zither flew out from under that person¡¯s hand. The sound of the zither, which should¡¯ve been light and happy, sounded strangely desolate. The world darkened, and the wind blew. In the emptiness, there was only one person accompanying the zither. Time slowly trickled past. That person¡¯s hand gradually plucked the strings faster. The originally distant music was suddenly tainted with a hint of killing intent! The sound of the zither rang out! In an instant, it was as if the world had changed color! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be gripped tightly by something! The sound of the zither became more and more hurried! In an instant, it was as if saber lights and sword shadows could be seen as blood splattered everywhere! A sweet yet fishy taste suddenly surged into her mouth! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s clear and low voice suddenly echoed in her ears! Chu Liuyue abruptly came back to her senses! Rong Xiu had already grabbed her hand and retreated from the wall! Shing! The sound of the zither stopped! Everything disappeared without a trace! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body trembled, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1684 - So Near, Yet So Far Chapter 1684: So Near, Yet So Far ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Chu Ning and Tuan Zi were shocked. Previously, she didn¡¯t look any different, and nobody expected her to vomit blood suddenly. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Rong Xiu took out a snow-white handkerchief and wiped the blood from her lips bit by bit. At the same time, he injected his force into her body to help her sort out the violent power. It was only when her breathing gradually calmed down that Rong Xiu withdrew his strength, but he didn¡¯t let go of her hand. Chu Liuyue held his hand and gave him a reassuring look. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. It¡¯s just that I wasn¡¯t paying attention just now, so I was taken advantage of, causing the origin power in my body to riot¡­¡± Fortunately, Rong Xiu made a move in time. Before the commotion could start, it was forcefully stopped. Although she had vomited blood, her body was fortunately not too affected. Rong Xiu had personally checked her condition and knew that she was telling the truth. He heaved a sigh of relief, but there was still a hint of coldness in those deep phoenix eyes. ¡°What¡­ happened just now?¡± This was what Chu Ning and Tuan Zi wanted to know the most. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. Although she felt that the encounter just now was a little strange and illusory, she ultimately decided to tell the truth. ¡°¡­I heard someone playing the zither just now.¡± Then, she told them everything she had just felt. Chu Ning¡¯s brows knitted tightly. Tuan Zi¡¯s face was full of worry. Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°¡­The sound of the zither seems to have magical power, making people involuntarily sink into it. Moreover, as time passed, the sound of the zither became more and more urgent, and killing intent gradually rose. I was careless just now, so¡ª¡± At this point, Chu Liuyue suddenly paused. ¡°Father, Rong Xiu, did you really not hear anything?¡± Rong Xiu looked up slightly and said firmly, ¡°Nothing.¡± At this moment, a figure flashed in her peripheral vision. It was Chu Ning, who was quickly walking over. The murderous aura here was thick, and it was very difficult for him to walk. After a few steps, his forehead was covered in sweat, and his lips gradually turned pale. ¡°Father?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised and was about to stop him when Chu Ning gritted his teeth and walked to her side. He let out a long breath, then reached out without hesitation toward the wall. ¡°Father¡ª¡± Shocked, Chu Liuyue immediately reached out to stop him. Chu Ning shook his head. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. Daddy is just here to see what¡¯s strange about this.¡± He felt uneasy just watching from the side, especially when he saw that she was injured. ¡°In any case, I have a Holy Body now. I¡¯m not afraid of getting injured.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart warmed, and she did not say anything else. Chu Ning placed his hand on the black wall. After a long while, he let go, disappointment in his eyes. Clearly, he still hadn¡¯t heard anything. Chu Liuyue was actually not surprised by this result. She was puzzled as to why she was the only one present who could hear the sound of the zither. Moreover, when she placed her hand on the wall, the sound of the zither immediately became clear as if it were echoing in her ears. When she stopped making contact, the feeling faded quickly. Holding her breath and focusing, she could still hear the faint sound in her ear. However, the tune became soothing and low again, no longer showing any killing intent. If not for the lingering smell of blood between her teeth, she would¡¯ve thought that everything had just been an illusion. ¡°Yue¡¯er, this wall is very strange. Let¡¯s be careful.¡± Chu Ning frowned. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved, but seeing his worried expression, she nodded in the end. ¡°I know. When we find Ancestor, we¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± ¡­ The few of them began to wait where they were. Chu Liuyue sent out all the stones. If there was any movement within a radius of dozens of kilometers, she would immediately sense it. The night was thick and silent. Rong Xiu set up a barrier around them to block the terrifying murderous aura. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and began to regulate her breathing. Chu Ning sat beside her and also began to focus on cultivation. Tuan Zi opened her big eyes and crossed her arms. She glared angrily at the wall as if she wanted to pierce it with her eyes. What the hell is this? It actually made A¡¯Yue vomit blood! If A¡¯Yue hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would¡¯ve gone up and smashed this wall! Time slowly trickled past. In the dark night, this wall stood between heaven and earth in silence. ¡­ However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t completely calm down because she could still hear the sound of the zither. It was illusory and indistinct. She tried to shut off her hearing for a while, but it was useless. The sound of the zither lingered in her mind, refusing to go away. Suddenly, a stone rolled to her feet. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she opened her eyes and looked ahead. A familiar aura is gradually approaching! That is¡­ Ancestor?! Shocked and delighted, she immediately stood up. Sensing her movements, the rest of the group looked over. Suppressing her excitement, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Ancestor should be nearby!¡± Chu Ning stood up and asked happily, ¡°Really? Then, we might be able to find the exact location?¡± Knowing that she was very concerned about this matter, Chu Ning was very happy to see that there was progress. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°I only sensed Ancestor¡¯s aura, so I have to investigate more. However, it shouldn¡¯t be far.¡± As she spoke, she closed her eyes gently and waved her hands in front of her. Whoosh¡ª The scattered stones around her began to gather toward her quickly! Their movements also brought about subtle flows and changes in the surrounding spatial power. Chu Liuyue¡¯s divine sense began to spread into the distance. Even with her eyes closed, she could still clearly ¡®see¡¯ her surroundings. Shangguan Jing¡¯s aura was also getting closer! At some point, she finally got a bearing and opened her eyes again. But at this moment, her expression became much more complicated. Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes as if he had guessed something. Chu Ning was still puzzled. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡­ what¡¯s wrong? Did you find anything?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and frowned slightly. Why does she look so worried now that she has found him? Chu Ning was even more confused. ¡°Then¡­ where is Senior Shangguan now? Shall we go over directly?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. After a while, she let out a soft breath. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ it¡¯s a little difficult.¡± She raised her hand and said word by word, ¡°Ancestor¡­ seems to be behind that wall.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1685 - : Dawn Chapter 1685: Dawn This was going to be difficult¡ªit didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that getting over the wall would be too difficult. On the one hand, this wall was too high, and cultivators couldn¡¯t fly here. Moreover, even if they could fly with the help of Yuan instruments, they might not succeed. She didn¡¯t forget that Rong Xiu had already mentioned that this wall was here to separate them. How could a wall that could last for tens of thousands of years be so easily crossed? On the other hand, the wall stretched on and on. There was no end to it on both sides, making it impossible for anyone to even think of going around it. Even if they were really only one wall away from Shangguan Jing, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy for them to meet. ¡°Then, this¡­¡± Chu Ning instantly understood her concerns and frowned. ¡°What this means is that we have to find a way to get there?¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°If Ancestor can come over, it¡¯ll be the same. The key is¡ª¡± Most importantly, this is easy to say but difficult to do. Even if Ancestor is a legendary warrior, I can¡¯t guarantee that he can deal with this wall. The land under our feet once buried countless legendary warriors and true gods. In that shocking battle, the gods had fallen, but this wall has endured tens of thousands of years of hardship. This alone reveals too many problems. We¡¯re probably just as insignificant as ants here. Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows painfully. How did that void turbulence bring Ancestor to the other side¡­ ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s contact Ancestor first.¡± As she spoke, Chu Liuyue walked to the wall again. ¡°Ancestor?¡± She called out twice but received no response. She could actually clearly sense that the distance between them was still shrinking. If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, Ancestor should be advancing toward this wall now. However, I don¡¯t know if Ancestor can hear me through this wall. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and raised her voice again. ¡°Ancestor?¡± After shouting this time, she took out the Long Yuan Sword and knocked on the wall rhythmically with the hilt. Just as she thought that this method wouldn¡¯t work, a familiar voice finally sounded from the other end. ¡°Yue¡¯er?¡± It is Ancestor! Her eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Ancestor! It¡¯s me!¡± I can hear you! We can actually hear each other! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Shangguan Jing put one hand on the wall. Even though he was exhausted from the journey, and even his legs were trembling slightly, he couldn¡¯t suppress his joy. Yue¡¯er is really here! Initially, I had only held onto a trace of hope. I didn¡¯t expect¡ª ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you alright?¡± Shangguan Jing hurriedly asked. They hadn¡¯t been separated for long, but the God-Killing Tumulus was filled with danger. If they weren¡¯t careful, they would fall into a predicament. All this time, he had been on tenterhooks, afraid that something had happened to them. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Rong Xiu has always been with me. Moreover, I¡¯ve already found Father and brought him back safely.¡± Knowing that he was worried, Chu Liuyue immediately summarized everything. ¡°Also, that person has already been dealt with by us.¡± Although the process was a little complicated, the outcome was still good. Only then did Shangguan Jing heave a sigh of relief. He leaned against the wall and slowly sat down. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ that¡¯s good¡­¡± At this moment, Chu Liuyue could tell that his voice was tired and weak as if¡­ he wasn¡¯t in good condition. She frowned. ¡°Ancestor, how are you?¡± Shangguan Jing exhaled silently and perked up. ¡°I¡¯m fine; I¡¯ve just walked for a while. I¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while.¡± Chu Liuyue was still very worried. Ever since Ancestor woke up, he has never been in such a weak state. In addition, I can¡¯t see him with my own eyes now, which makes me even more worried. ¡°Ancestor, do you know any way to cross this wall?¡± As long as they could successfully meet up, they could leave this place first and slowly recuperate when they returned. Shangguan Jing paused for a moment before smiling bitterly. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know either¡­¡± Although he had been here before and seen this wall, he really didn¡¯t know how to deal with it. Along the way, he was worried that he would be separated from them, but in the end¡ª Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank when she heard the helplessness in his voice. If even Ancestor can¡¯t do anything¡­ things will be even more troublesome. ¡°¡­Rest well first; we¡¯ll accompany you here. As for the method¡­ there will definitely be one.¡± Chu Liuyue comforted him. Shangguan Jing¡¯s lips moved, but he ultimately swallowed his words. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡­ A wall separated people on both sides. They fell into a cold silence. Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and started thinking hard. I have a feeling that there should be a way to resolve this problem¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve seen this wall from afar before. It always appears in the evening and disappears at dawn.¡± Chu Ning suddenly spoke. ¡°Perhaps we don¡¯t have to do anything but wait here for dawn?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Yeah! How had I forgotten about this? Father has indeed said this before, but at that time, I didn¡¯t take it to heart. Now that I think about it, if this wall really disappears after dawn, won¡¯t we successfully meet up with Ancestor without any effort? She glanced up at the sky. The night was dark. However, there didn¡¯t seem to be much time left until dawn. She nodded. ¡°Then, let¡¯s wait and see.¡± When Rong Xiu heard this, his eyes flickered as he stared meaningfully at the wall. However, he quickly looked away as if nothing had happened. Since Chu Liuyue had already confirmed that her ancestor was opposite her, it was obvious that she couldn¡¯t rest. The few of them began to wait in silence. ¡­ Waiting time was always especially torturous. This was especially so for Chu Liuyue because she realized that as time passed, the sound of the zither¡ªwhich kept echoing in her ears¡ªseemed to become clearer gradually. Even though all her attention was on Shangguan Jing, she still couldn¡¯t make the sound of the zither disappear from her ears. Fortunately, that biting cold killing intent did not appear again. Afraid that Chu Ning and Rong Xiu would be worried, she did not mention this matter again and waited for dawn with them as usual. Finally, the thick, dark sky gradually faded from that thick layer of black to a deep blue. A streak of white appeared on the horizon. After that, the bright light of the morning sun dyed half the sky a different warm color. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her fists and looked at the wall again. The morning light shone down, emitting a heavy and ancient aura. Her heart gradually sank to the bottom. It didn¡¯t disappear. It didn¡¯t move. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1686 - If I Say No Chapter 1686: If I Say No A chill suddenly ran from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head! Cold air enveloped her, and her entire body turned cold. The mottled black walls became clearer under the sunlight. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Chu Ning was also stunned. It¡¯s obvious that this wall disappears after dawn, but today¡ª ¡°It looks like we have to think of another way.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and finally chose to accept reality. Although she didn¡¯t know why the wall had not disappeared, she vaguely felt that it had something to do with the sound of the zither she had heard. But now that she didn¡¯t have any evidence, it was naturally hard to say. Chu Liuyue stepped forward. ¡°Ancestor, are you alright?¡± Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t sleep the entire night, but after a night¡¯s rest, his body had mostly recovered, and his voice sounded much stronger. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t worry.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Ancestor, what if we go out separately and meet outside the God-Killing Tumulus?¡± Shangguan Jing sighed. How could he not know what Chu Liuyuehe meant? It was too difficult to go over this wall. It would be good if they could successfully meet up outside. But the key was¡­ ¡°Yue¡¯er, there are countless entrances to the God-Killing Tumulus and countless exits at the same time. Moreover, there are countless instances of spatial turbulence in the middle. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll lose your way. Back then, I went straight to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. If we go out separately and want to meet again, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± It would take a lot of effort. Chu Liuyue¡¯s head hurt even more. What Shangguan Jing said was what she was most worried about. The God-Killing Tumulus was too big, and it was impossible to fly in the vast wilderness. Once they were separated, it would take a lot of time and effort to find each other again. The sound of the zither in her mind seemed to get closer and lingered, making her even more anxious. Thump! Gritting her teeth, she slammed her fist into the wall. What the hell¡ª Whir! A subtle fluctuation suddenly came from her dantian! Stunned, Chu Liuyue immediately perked up! This commotion is¡­ that water droplet! Sensing the change in her expression, Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head gently and tried to punch the wall again. Whir! Another wave of commotion came over. The most subtle thing was that she used a little more strength this time, and the commotion caused by the water droplet seemed to be stronger than the first time. This¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at the wall curiously, and her gaze was completely different from before. She finally knew where that faint sense of familiarity came from! Isn¡¯t that solemn, dignified, and high-and-mighty aura extremely similar to the water droplet in my dantian?! But after I broke through to become a true god, the water droplet has kept a much lower profile and is staying quietly in my body. That is why I didn¡¯t think of it for a moment, but thinking back¡­ I have been picked on by that water droplet a lot! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were filled with suspicion. Could it be that¡­ the water droplet in my body could still be related to this wall? If that is the case, does that mean I can find a way to cross this wall and successfully meet up with Ancestor? Just as this thought flashed through her mind, a harsh voice suddenly came from behind her. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan, it¡¯s them!¡± ¡­ She is really persistent¡­ Rubbing her brows, Chu Liuyue slowly turned around and saw a few familiar faces. The person who had spoken just now was Nan Yiyi. Unlike her previous timid and aggrieved appearance, the current Nan Yiyi had arrogant eyes and an arrogant expression. From top to bottom, there was no fear. At this moment, she was standing beside a middle-aged man and pointing at Chu Liuyue. ¡°It¡¯s her¡ªshe caused us to fall to this state! Uncle Luo Yan, you must avenge Yiyi!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and smiled. It¡¯s no wonder she has suddenly become so impudent; she has invited reinforcements. She turned her gaze and looked at the man whom Nan Yiyi called ¡®Uncle Luo Yan.¡¯ The man looked to be in his thirties and was quite handsome. He was tall and burly, and he had wheat-colored skin, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes. However, what attracted more attention was his shocking aura! Although the other party had yet to attack, Chu Liuyue had already quickly determined his realm¡ªhe was definitely a legendary warrior! Moreover¡­ it was the kind with extremely high combat strength! She could actually count on one hand the number of legendary warriors she had seen in her life, but she had a deep impression of every one of them. This kind of person had a completely different aura than that of a supreme Armory Refinement Master or a supreme Physician. As long as he stood there and did nothing, he was enough of a deterrent! No wonder Nan Yiyi is suddenly so confident¡­ As Chu Liuyue sized up Luo Yan, the latter was also doing the same. After looking up and down, surprise flashed across his eyes because¡ªhe was actually unable to detect this woman¡¯s true realm. The other party¡¯s strength is obviously inferior to mine. I¡¯m a legendary warrior and am famous for my good eyesight. Generally speaking, I can easily figure out the other party¡¯s cultivation realm with just a glance. But this woman¡­ I can¡¯t figure her out. The only explanation is that she carries an extraordinary Yuan instrument that is specially used to hide her aura¡­ Even I can¡¯t see through it. It seems that I can¡¯t underestimate them¡­ Luo Yan¡¯s mind raced, but his expression was very calm. He put one hand behind his back and took a step forward. ¡°Did you cause Yiyi¡¯s injuries?¡± His tone was calm, but he wasn¡¯t angry, and he carried a sense of superiority. It was a simple question coming from him. Before Chu Liuyue could speak, Rong Xiu had already walked up to her. ¡°You haven¡¯t even introduced yourself, and you¡¯re questioning me like this. Is this the rule of the Nan family?¡± Luo Yan frowned.¡±You¡¯re the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, Rong Xiu?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°Before we came, they should¡¯ve said a lot about us. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unnecessary to ask this question now?¡± Luo Yan slowly clenched his fists. On the way here, I have indeed heard them roughly tell me what happened. At first, I thought that it was an exaggeration. Now, it seems that Rong Xiu is indeed as arrogant as they said! He clearly knows that I¡¯m here to take revenge, but he is still so self-righteous and even going tit-for-tat! Luo Yan smiled, but it was obvious that he did not take Rong Xiu seriously. ¡°Rong Xiu, I can understand that you¡¯re young and frivolous, but being too arrogant isn¡¯t a good thing. Today, I¡¯m here to seek an explanation for Yiyi. This matter has nothing to do with you. I advise you to move aside.¡± What he meant was that he was here to find trouble with Chu Liuyue! Rong Xiu also smiled, but there was a layer of frost between his eyebrows! ¡°What if I say no?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1687 - Apologize Chapter 1687: Apologize As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere froze! The smile on Luo Yan¡¯s face faded. ¡°Rong Xiu, I know that you¡¯ve been quite famous in the God Residence Realm all these years, but there¡¯s always someone better, right? I¡¯m giving you face because you¡¯re indeed someone. Don¡¯t go overboard.¡± Rong Xiu seemed to have heard a joke, and the smile on his lips deepened. ¡°You want to touch my consort and even ask me not to interfere¡­ Luo Yan, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous?¡± These words made the last trace of a smile on Luo Yan¡¯s face completely disappear. His expression turned cold and solemn, and a heavy pressure spread from his body. ¡°Do you really want to be my enemy?¡± Rong Xiu smiled without saying anything, as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer this question. This attitude was undoubtedly the most direct provocation to Luo Yan! ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Uncle Luo Yan!¡± Seeing that he was about to fly into a rage, Nan Yiyi hurriedly grabbed his arm. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan, aren¡¯t you here to avenge me? Don¡¯t target the wrong person!¡± Didn¡¯t we already say that all the conflicts and questions were caused by Shangguan Yue? Luo Yan gazed at her thoughtfully. Nan Yiyi looked away guiltily. Nan Yuxing and the others¡ªwho were standing at the back¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but look at each other with complicated expressions. Actually, Rong Xiu was clearly the one who should be punished. But after Nan Yiyi invited Luo Yan over, she pushed most of the blame to Shangguan Yue. At this point, how could they not understand Nan Yiyi¡¯s thoughts? However, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to say anything. Luo Yan had always doted on Nan Yiyi and believed almost everything she said. Wouldn¡¯t they be causing trouble if they went up and said this now? Hence, they could only choose to remain silent. Seeing their reaction, Luo Yan could guess what was going on. Although he doted on Nan Yiyi, it did not mean that he had lost his brain. Even though he was a little surprised, he had never seen Nan Yiyi so protective of anyone. Her thoughts were obvious. Luo Yan frowned. Nan Yiyi has long reached the age of marriage, but she has never been interested in these things. It is rare for her to like someone, but the other party is Rong Xiu. This identity is fine, but¡­ Who in the God Residence Realm doesn¡¯t know that Rong Xiu has personally chosen a consort and set up an engagement? If word gets out, her reputation¡­ Luo Yan originally wanted to reprimand her, but when he saw Nan Yiyi¡¯s guilty expression, his heart ached. The words that were about to come out of his mouth were stuck in his throat. No matter what, the child has grown up, and I have to save some face outside. These words¡­ It won¡¯t be too late to say them when we return! But now, I have to solve the problem at hand. Thinking of this, his gaze darkened as he stared at Chu Liuyue. ¡­ Danger! The moment his gaze swept over, Chu Liuyue immediately became alert and tensed up! Even if the other party didn¡¯t say anything, she could still keenly sense his killing intent! This was an extremely sensitive sixth sense that she had trained after experiencing countless life-and-death situations! Countless guesses and thoughts flashed across her mind. Luo Yan¡­ seems to be very against her? Just because I had ¡®bullied¡¯ Nan Yiyi? I heard his words clearly. He seems to have come only for Nan Yiyi and doesn¡¯t care about the others. From beginning to end, he seems to only have Nan Yiyi in his eyes and heart. That¡¯s weird¡­ There is no need to mention the two elders, but isn¡¯t Nan Yuxing the Nan family¡¯s eldest young master, Nan Yiyi¡¯s biological brother? His injuries are even worse than Nan Yiyi¡¯s. Why does it seem like Luo Yan doesn¡¯t care at all? Isn¡¯t such favoritism¡­ a little too much? Actually, she didn¡¯t know that Luo Yan was famous for doting on Nan Yiyi. Everyone in the Nan family knew that offending Nan Yiyi was equivalent to offending Luo Yan. Although Nan Yifan also doted on her very much, there were still times when he was strict. However, this wasn¡¯t the case for Luo Yan. Since Nan Yiyi was young, Luo Yan would try to satisfy any request of Nan Yiyi as long as she asked. Even though Nan Yiyi was arrogant, willful, and had caused many troubles, he had never said anything harsh to her. However, Luo Yan was powerful and had a very noble status in the Nan family. Most people couldn¡¯t do anything to him. Speaking of which, a large part of the reason why Nan Yiyi developed her current personality was because of Luo Yan. However, Luo Yan never felt that it was inappropriate and still agreed to Nan Yiyi¡¯s requests. Even though Nan Yifan had already told him in advance that he couldn¡¯t come to help privately this time¡­ After receiving the news from Nan Yiyi, he immediately rushed over. But considering that he had to give Nan Yifan some face, Luo Yan indeed only planned to help Nan Yiyi vent her anger. It was better to leave the rest to them. ¡­ ¡°Yiyi¡¯s request is very simple. As long as you come out, experience all the pain she went through previously, and apologize to her, this matter will be over,¡± Luo Yan said indifferently. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue almost thought that she had heard wrongly. She blinked and laughed out loud. ¡°What?¡± Luo Yan¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°Since you heard me, do as I say. My time is limited.¡± Chu Liuyue had always felt that she was quite arrogant, but today, she had learned something new. Along the way, it was clearly these people who kept pestering us and taking the initiative to find trouble with us. At this point, they actually seem to feel quite aggrieved? She was already impatient with them to begin with. Coupled with her ancestor¡¯s situation, she was still uneasy. Hearing this now was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire. But the angrier she was, the more rational she became. She took a step forward and walked to Rong Xiu¡¯s side. Then, she reached out and hugged his arm. Rong Xiu immediately held her hand and intertwined his fingers. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she said, ¡°I admit that some of her injuries are indeed related to me. However¡­ are you not curious as to why I would do this to her?¡± Luo Yan frowned. Chu Liuyue blinked and said slowly, ¡°She snatched my man in front of me. She can even do such a shameless thing, so why can¡¯t I hit her?¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s face instantly turned pale and red. ¡°Shangguan Yue¡ªyou!¡± I really didn¡¯t expect her words to be so straightforward and unpleasant! I have never been humiliated like this in my life! Luo Yan¡¯s expression also changed. Nan Yiyi hurriedly glanced at him and swiftly explained, ¡°Uncle Luo Yan, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense! She¡¯s slandering me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for me to apologize. But before that, please apologize to me first, Second Missy Nan. How about that?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1688 - Dream On! Chapter 1688: Dream On! Nan Yiyi¡¯s face turned red and white. ¡°You! What nonsense are you talking about!?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Did I say something wrong? Didn¡¯t you say that as long as my husband divorced me, you would¡ªcould it be that I heard wrongly?¡± ¡°You! You!¡± Nan Yiyi was so angry that she almost fainted. How can I let Uncle Luo Yan know about this? In front of him, she had always been obedient. Even though she liked to be willful and coquettish sometimes, she had never said anything inappropriate in front of him, let alone done anything overboard. She knew that although her uncle looked young, he was actually old-fashioned. He was very conservative about many things. Now that Shangguan Yue has exposed this matter in front of him, what should I do in the future?! Sure enough, Luo Yan looked at her with a much colder gaze. ¡°Yiyi, did you really say such a thing?¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart trembled. She rarely heard Uncle Luo Yan speak to her in such a tone. For a moment, she was worried and afraid, and her heart was really a mess. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t!¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes turned red, and she looked aggrieved. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan, you watched me grow up. How could I say such things and do such a thing? Do you want to believe in an outsider instead of me?¡± Luo Yan¡¯s eyes wavered. What Nan Yiyi said isn¡¯t unreasonable. If the other party really said that on purpose to slander her¡­ He glanced at the people opposite him. Nan Yuxing hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Uncle Luo Yan, Yiyi was really wronged! Although she¡¯s usually a little willful, she¡¯s still very principled in many things! She didn¡¯t say those words at all. It¡¯s all fabricated by Shangguan Yue!¡± Luo Yan looked at Elder Wu Peng and the other elder. From their attitude, it seemed that they had tacitly agreed. The anger in Luo Yan¡¯s heart subsided a little. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Nan Yiyi¡¯s red eyes and nose. His heart ached, and his tone finally softened. ¡°Alright, how can Uncle not believe you? Don¡¯t cry.¡± Nan Yiyi immediately heaved a sigh of relief, but she still looked aggrieved. ¡°Mother has taught me these principles in the past. Why would I do that? Uncle Luo Yan, you¡¯ve really wronged me.¡± When Luo Yan heard Nan Yiyi mention her mother, his expression darkened, and he looked at her with more pity. He rubbed Nan Yiyi¡¯s head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve wronged you. I¡¯ll definitely stand up for you this time and not let you suffer, okay?¡± Only then did Nan Yiyi smile through her tears. ¡°I knew Uncle treated me the best!¡± After saying that, she glanced at Chu Liuyue in a mocking manner. Uncle Luo Yan has doted on her for so many years. How could he side with someone else? Today, I must make Shangguan Yue pay ten times or a hundred times the price! ¡­ Stunned, Chu Liuyue almost couldn¡¯t help but applaud. I have never seen anyone dote on a child to this extent. It¡¯s no wonder I keep feeling that Nan Yiyi¡¯s brain is abnormal¡ªthe entire Nan family is the same. She instantly lost interest in arguing with them. They are clearly here to cause trouble for me. Whatever the truth is, they obviously don¡¯t care. Sure enough, Luo Yan then said, ¡°Shangguan Yue, no matter what you say now, you can¡¯t change the outcome. If you don¡¯t agree to my suggestion, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± Is this a direct change of threat? Force surged in Rong Xiu¡¯s palm, and the temperature around him quickly turned cold! Chu Liuyue gently scratched his palm. This isn¡¯t a good time to make a move. Although I¡¯m not afraid, Ancestor is still on the other side of the wall. We still have to focus on more important things. Rong Xiu glanced at her. Chu Liuyue shot him a look. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered, but in the end, he lowered his eyes to hide the waves in them. ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for me to agree to this suggestion, but I have my conditions. If you¡¯re willing to agree, everything on my side can be discussed.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled as she spoke. Luo Yan had thought that she would explode in anger, but he didn¡¯t expect the latter to say such a thing. Shangguan Yue¡­ seems to be different from what I had expected¡­ Luo Yan¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Do you think you have the right to say this now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know best if I¡¯m qualified?¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled and swept her gaze across Nan Yuxing and the others. It seems that they haven¡¯t told Luo Yan about me killing the black-robed man. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words made the few of them feel inexplicably guilty. Although they didn¡¯t want to admit it, they had to admit that Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue seemed to really have extraordinary trump cards. If the two sides really fought¡­ the outcome was really unknown, especially since the little girl was behind her. Elder Wu Peng paused and finally took the initiative to speak. ¡°What is your condition?¡± Luo Yan was even more surprised. Elder Wu Peng has always been arrogant. At this moment, he is actually willing to accept Shangguan Yue¡¯s suggestion? What the hell is¡ª ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled sincerely. ¡°As long as you find the thing you¡¯re looking for and hand it to me, I can agree to your request. Everyone will be fair¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re dreaming!¡± Before she could finish, Nan Yiyi suddenly interrupted her. She really dares to think of asking us to exchange that thing! The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face did not change, but her voice turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ll return the same words to you. You want to force me to apologize and beg for mercy¡ªI think you¡¯re dreaming too!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1689 - Attack! Chapter 1689: Attack! Dead silence. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words stunned the people opposite her, including Luo Yan. None of them expected Chu Liuyue to really have the guts to say such things! Her attitude was too unyielding, and her eyes were cold and piercing. Although her lips were curled up slightly, they were like sharp blades with a sharp killing intent that seemed to be able to cut through everything! Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart suddenly trembled! An indescribable fear quickly surged from the depths of her heart! This wasn¡¯t the first time she had felt such fear when facing Shangguan Yue. However, it had never been so clear and intense before. Looking into those eyes, a clear thought flashed through her mind: If I anger Shangguan Yue, she will really kill me! Nan Yiyi originally wanted to mock and retaliate, but at this moment, she lost all words. Her legs were a little weak. If not for Luo Yan standing beside her, she would¡¯ve retreated uncontrollably. Luo Yan watched all of this and frowned even more. ¡°How does she know about this?¡± These words were clearly questioning Nan Yiyi and the others. Not many people know that we have come to find that thing. Why does even Shangguan Yue, who has nothing to do with it¡ªno, it should be said that she is an enemy¡ªknow now!? Nan Yuxing immediately broke out in cold sweat. He said quickly, ¡°Uncle Luo Yan, this¡­ We didn¡¯t deliberately reveal it. They overheard us discussing this matter in private¡­¡± Luo Yan¡¯s gaze turned even colder. This mistake is even more ridiculous! They were overheard? Then, they were too careless! This is a serious matter, but they weren¡¯t vigilant at all?! Elder Bai Tong came out to smooth things over. ¡°Luo Yan, actually¡­ Actually, this isn¡¯t the fault of Eldest Young Master and Second Missy. It¡¯s all my and Wu Peng¡¯s negligence¡­¡± There was really no way to say this. They had actually been very vigilant, but when Rong Xiu appeared not far from them that day, there was no fluctuation at all! They really couldn¡¯t be completely blamed for this, but it was too embarrassing to say. Besides, what was the point of saying this now? Elder Wu Peng stared at Chu Liuyue intently. ¡°You do know what we¡¯re looking for.¡± Previously, it was only a guess, but it is definitely confirmed now. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. I was just trying to trick them because I could see that what they were looking for meant a lot to them. However, I don¡¯t know what it is. I¡¯m too busy with my own matters to care about them. Hearing this, Nan Yiyi instantly perked up and suddenly raised her hand to point at Chu Liuyue. ¡°More than that, that thing is on her!¡± Her voice was sharp and made one¡¯s ears hurt. This sentence made the atmosphere even tenser! Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that the auras of the few people opposite her had changed drastically at this moment! An extremely dangerous aura enveloped them! ¡­ ¡°Believe it or not, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking for. As for what you say, it¡¯s even more nonsensical that I have it.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed and pointed at the rocks scattered around her. ¡°To be honest, after I came to this God-Killing Tumulus, the only thing I¡¯ve obtained from here are these stones. Could these be what you¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°How dare you argue!?¡± At this moment, Nan Yiyi was full of confidence, and her voice rose a few degrees. ¡°I can¡¯t be wrong about the aura of that thing! It¡¯s on you! At this point, you still refuse to admit it!? I was wondering why it was so coincidental that I kept bumping into you along the way. It turns out¡­ you¡¯ve been determined to snatch this thing from the beginning!¡± The more Chu Liuyue listened, the more frustrated she became. I don¡¯t look for trouble, but trouble always comes knocking on my door time and time again. It is really annoying! However, Nan Yiyi didn¡¯t notice the change in Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura and continued to talk to herself. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan, not only did she hurt me, but she also snatched my things! This time, you must help me. You can¡¯t let her off easily¡ª¡± Shing! A zither sound filled with killing intent suddenly came from the black wall! The scattered stones on the ground also became restless! The surrounding natural energy began to circulate rapidly! Everyone was shocked. Nan Yiyi¡¯s voice also stopped abruptly. She looked at everything that had suddenly happened in front of her in shock! Chu Liuyue looked up slightly, her eyes cold like ice that hadn¡¯t melted for a thousand years! She said word by word, ¡°Have you said enough?¡± When Nan Yiyi met her gaze, her throat suddenly felt as if it was being strangled by an invisible hand! At this moment, it seemed to be difficult to even breathe! The blood in her body also froze! She had never felt the threat of death so clearly! Luo Yan pulled Nan Yiyi behind him and took a step forward, force surging around him! Something is off! Something is wrong with Shangguan Yue, and the black wall behind her¡ªsomething is wrong too! Why is there suddenly a strange zither sound coming from inside?! Chu Ning and Rong Xiu immediately looked at each other. Is this the sound of the zither she had mentioned earlier? ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Rong Xiu held her hand tightly. A cold and low voice echoed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, instantly snapping her back to her senses. The coldness in her eyes quietly dissipated. When she looked up again, it was back to normal. She hid all these emotional changes perfectly. Only Rong Xiu, who was beside her, saw it clearly. At the same time, the sound of the zither quietly stopped, and the surrounding stones returned to calm. Even the surge of surrounding energy gradually subsided. It was as if the commotion just now was just everyone¡¯s imagination. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression changed. Just as he was about to speak, a majestic pressure suddenly descended! At the same time, a whistling sound tore through the air! Rong Xiu looked up, but Luo Yan took the opportunity to attack! His eyes turned cold! With a wave of his sleeve, a golden flame quickly flew out and set up a barrier in front of the two of them! However, Luo Yan was a legendary warrior and had extremely rich combat experience! He had expected Rong Xiu to make a move. Therefore, he had not held back from the beginning! Whoosh! Luo Yan¡¯s force transformed into an arrow that pierced through Rong Xiu¡¯s barrier! Then, it headed straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella! The killing intent was biting cold! At this moment, Rong Xiu directly took action and grabbed the arrow tightly! But before they could heave a sigh of relief, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt something wrap around her ankle. She looked down. A transparent thumb-thick rope had appeared at her feet and bound her ankles tightly! Her heart sank. Luo Yan had already pulled! Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was immediately dragged out uncontrollably! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1690 - Victory Chapter 1690: Victory ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± The sudden change shocked Chu Ning and Tuan Zi, and they got prepared to go forward. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction was extremely fast! A cold light quickly flashed across her hand! ¡°Chi Xiao Sword!¡± She flipped her wrist and slashed at the transparent rope! Clang! The crisp sound of jade hitting each other could be heard! Sparks flew! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. The Chi Xiao Sword is a supreme Yuan instrument; it has always cut iron like mud and is extremely sharp. The transparent rope looks clear and soft, but it is actually extremely flexible and hard! The sword only left a faint white mark on it! Luo Yan snorted. Shangguan Yue is indeed capable; she can even use a supreme Yuan instrument so smoothly. Unfortunately, a true god is still a true god. This bit of strength is really not enough in front of me. Thinking of this, he tightened his grip on the other end of the rope and tugged again! ¡°Endless Binding Vine¡ªRetract!¡± The transparent rope instantly tightened, leaving a bright red wound on Chu Liuyue¡¯s ankle! Her body was pulled by this force, and she lost her balance again! Rong Xiu moved and was about to attack when a black shadow suddenly flashed past his eyes¡ªit was Elder Wu Peng! ¡°Rong Xiu, we¡¯re just going to seek justice for Second Missy from Shangguan Yue today. After this matter is over, we¡¯ll naturally let her go. Why do you have to do this and make things worse?¡± Rong Xiu seemed to have heard a joke, and his thin lips curled up coldly. ¡°That¡¯s my princess consort. Do you want me to pretend not to see you doing this in front of me? It seems that you ignored what I said to you previously.¡± His voice was as cold as ice! Elder Wu Peng paused and suddenly recalled Rong Xiu¡¯s disapproving and half-smile when he mentioned the family head. This was actually what he had been secretly worried about. But at this point, it was obvious that they couldn¡¯t back down. ¡°We don¡¯t want to be enemies with the Sky-Cloud Empire; this won¡¯t do anyone any good. As long as Shangguan Yue is willing to apologize, this matter can be resolved. You¡ª¡± Before Elder Wu Peng could finish her sentence, Rong Xiu had already raised his hand! A cluster of golden flames surged from his eyes! ¡°You¡¯re wrong about one thing.¡± Force surged in Rong Xiu¡¯s body, and the terrifying pressure kept rising! ¡°From the moment you touched her, you were the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s mortal enemy!¡± Rumble! A powerful force headed straight for Elder Wu Peng¡¯s face! ¡°Rong Xiu! You¡ª¡± Elder Wu Peng didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to really attack. He was caught off-guard and barely avoided it, but there was still a long burn mark on his shoulder! The scorching pain made Elder Wu Peng furious. Does Rong Xiu know what it means by doing this? Does he really want to go against us for Shangguan Yue? We don¡¯t want Shangguan Yue¡¯s life! Countless thoughts flashed through Elder Wu Peng¡¯s mind, but he didn¡¯t dare to slack off anymore. He hurriedly mobilized the force in his body and braced himself to fight Rong Xiu! But soon, he sensed that something was wrong. Why does Rong Xiu¡¯s combat strength seem to be greater than before?! The two of them had only exchanged a few moves, but Elder Wu Peng already felt that he couldn¡¯t withstand it. Could Rong Xiu have hidden his true strength previously? This aura is clearly much stronger than ordinary true gods! Most importantly, Rong Xiu is ruthless, and every move is fatal. He doesn¡¯t do anything unnecessary and doesn¡¯t leave any leeway for me. This is the battle intent and blood energy that can only be obtained after experiencing countless life-and-death battles! Elder Wu Peng had seen many storms and wasn¡¯t weak, but he had spent most of his time and energy on weapon refinement. Due to this, he hadn¡¯t focused much on warrior cultivation. Therefore, at this moment, he quickly fell into a disadvantage when facing Rong Xiu. On the other side, Chu Ning couldn¡¯t help but rush forward! ¡°Stage-one warrior?¡± When Elder Bai Tong saw this, he could not help but sneer. Am I seeing things?! An existence worse than an ant actually has such guts? He is really tired of living. Elder Bai Tong waved his sleeve! A ball of fire suddenly appeared in his palm! Then, it quickly flew out! Bang! Bang! Bang! When the ball of flames was only a step away from Chu Ning, it suddenly exploded! It turned into countless fine sparks! ¡°You overestimate yourself¡­ It¡¯s your honor to die in my hands¡ªwhat!¡± Elder Bai Tong¡¯s words stopped abruptly! His eyes widened in shock, and he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Countless burning sparks suddenly scattered as if pushed by a force! As for Chu Ning¡ªwho should have been dead¡ªhe stood in place unharmed! A blue stream of light was gently surging around him. That¡¯s¡­ ¡°God Realm?!¡± Due to shock, Elder Bai Tong¡¯s voice became sharp. Nan Yuxing and the others sensed the commotion, and their expressions changed slightly. ¡°How can a stage-one warrior have a God Realm!?¡± Nan Yuxing was originally happy to watch the commotion and planned to take this opportunity to vent his anger. Unexpectedly, things began to develop in an unexpected direction. They had actually expected Rong Xiu to be able to compete with Elder Wu Peng. After all, he was the one who had caused Elder Bai Tong¡¯s injuries. However, this middle-aged man was dressed in rags and was covered in blood. He clearly looked ordinary. How could he unleash a God Realm?! The aura on his body¡ªhe is indeed a stage-one warrior! ¡°This is¡­ the Indestructible Holy Body!?¡± Luo Yan¡¯s eyes darted around, and he observed Chu Ning meaningfully. Then, he quickly had a guess. In this world, only this unique Holy Body can unleash a God Realm with a stage-one warrior cultivation realm. Although there is nothing to fear, the few of them are indeed capable. No wonder they can last until now in the God-Killing Tumulus and make Wu Peng and the others suffer so much. Clang! Another violent crash sounded. Luo Yan retracted his gaze and saw that Chu Liuyue was still trying to cut off the Endless Binding Vine with the Chi Xiao Sword. He laughed carelessly and looked at her with undisguised contempt and indifference. ¡°Childish.¡± To him, Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions were clearly useless struggles. With a wave of his wrist, the Endless Binding Vine quickly retracted and spread upwards! Half of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, including her sword-wielding hand, was locked by the transparent Endless Binding Vine. Chu Liuyue¡¯s frown deepened. This thing is indeed extraordinary. At this moment, she almost felt that the force around her seemed to be trapped by the Endless Binding Vine! Luo Yan raised his hand and clenched it in the air. The vine tightened around Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1691 - : Who Dares to Hurt Her! Chapter 1691: Who Dares to Hurt Her! Her body was forced to float in the air as if an iron hand was holding her neck tightly! The terrifying pressure made it difficult for her to even breathe. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face quickly turned red! Luo Yan¡¯s gaze was arrogant. ¡°Now, are you willing to apologize?¡± Nan Yiyi stood beside him. When she saw this scene, the corners of her lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up smugly. There was also undisguised cold mockery in her gaze. Shangguan Yue¡­ is indeed capable. If it were a one-on-one battle, I¡¯m certain that I¡¯m definitely not her match, but so what? Even if I can¡¯t beat her, I can ask Uncle Luo Yan for help! In the end, Shangguan Yue will still be stepped on by me! The sound of the zither seemed to get closer and clearer. A smile curved her lips, but there was coldness in her dark jade eyes. ¡°D-dream on¡­¡± ¡°Ignorant fool.¡± Luo Yan gripped the Endless Binding Vine tightly and was about to move when he suddenly felt a cold wind coming from the side! He frowned and quickly turned to look. A small figure had unknowingly appeared around him¡ªshe was only three steps away! He was shocked! When did this little girl come? Why didn¡¯t I sense any energy or spatial fluctuations? Tuan Zi¡¯s small face was filled with anger, and her eyes were red with anger. The lotus leaf skirt on her body fluttered even though there was no wind. At a glance, she was like a raging flame burning crazily, wanting to devour everything! ¡°How dare you bully A¡¯Yue? You¡¯re courting death!¡± Tuan Zi shouted. At the same time, she threw a punch! Her small hands were fair and tender. When she clenched them into fists, they looked like soft cotton candy. However, Luo Yan¡¯s expression suddenly changed because Tuan Zi¡¯s punch was too fast! Moreover, when her fist attacked, the surrounding void began to collapse because it couldn¡¯t withstand it! It could be seen how shockingly powerful this punch was! Luo Yan¡¯s eyes darkened, and he threw a punch at the same time! Thump! The fists collided with a muffled sound! Luo Yan felt as if his fist had hit a steel plate! After a short silence, an indescribable numbness spread! Luo Yan¡¯s eyelids twitched violently! If not for the fact that he had long mastered his Holy Body, his bones probably would¡¯ve shattered! On the other hand, the little girl¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as if she could not feel any pain at all! What a hard fist! What a powerful body! Countless guesses flashed through Luo Yan¡¯s mind. Such terrifying physical combat ability is definitely not something ordinary humans can possess! Moreover, there was clearly no force fluctuation on this little girl¡¯s body. This punch was a real physical punch! Could it be a legendary fiend? However, only the two ancient legendary fiend races can transform into human form. I have never heard of them changing into this form before¡­ Before he could figure it out, Tuan Zi¡¯s second punch had already arrived! I can¡¯t fight her head-on anymore! Luo Yan frowned. Then, he tapped his toes and quickly retreated! Slap! Seeing that he was about to retreat, Tuan Zi stepped hard on the Endless Binding Vine! Just as the transparent rope was about to wrap around her, Tuan Zi narrowed her eyes, and her body suddenly burned with golden flames! At the same time, she bent down, grabbed the Endless Binding Vine in her hand, and pulled hard! The Endless Binding Vine immediately tightened! Luo Yan¡¯s other hand was still holding the Endless Binding Vine tightly. This time, it directly grabbed him, preventing him from continuing to retreat! But at this moment, he couldn¡¯t care less about being shocked by Tuan Zi¡¯s strength. This was because he had finally identified Tuan Zi. ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix?!¡± This flame, this aura¡­ It is definitely a red-gold heavenly phoenix! He accelerated the mobilization of his strength and entered a stalemate with Tuan Zi. At the same time, his gaze kept lingering on Tuan Zi and Chu Liuyue. A ridiculous guess appeared in his mind. Could it be¡­ This red-gold heavenly phoenix is Shangguan Yue¡¯s contracted legendary fiend?! Luo Yan was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe it, but there seemed to be no better answer. If not for the contract, why would this red-gold heavenly phoenix be so angry that Shangguan Yue was injured? She even ignored everything and rushed up to hit me! However¡­ the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan is so arrogant that they usually can¡¯t even be bothered to interact with the human race, let alone form a contract. Such a red-gold heavenly phoenix has wandered outside and become a contractual legendary fiend of the human race, but there is actually no reaction from the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan? Luo Yan found it unbelievable, but now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on this! After hesitating for a moment, he simply let go of the Endless Binding Vine! Tuan Zi was caught off-guard. Out of habit, her body fell back uncontrollably. Just as Chu Liuyue managed to catch her breath and was about to help Tuan Zi, another force suddenly attacked her! Oh no! Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly dodged! At this moment, Luo Yan seized the opportunity and pounced on her again! This time, he was even faster! Chu Liuyue¡¯s intuition told her that it was dangerous, and she was forced to retreat repeatedly. In the blink of an eye, the two of them retreated quite a distance from Tuan Zi. Chu Liuyue frowned. Luo Yan clearly wants to avoid Tuan Zi attacking him. Although Tuan Zi¡¯s combat strength isn¡¯t bad, Luo Yan is a legendary warrior after all. It might not be a problem to stop them for the time being, but it is impossible for us to really defeat Luo Yan. She held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly in her hand, but because Luo Yan¡¯s suppression was too strong, she couldn¡¯t attack for a long time! Soon, Luo Yan approached her again! Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t slow, and she was definitely one of the best among cultivators of the same level. But compared to Luo Yan, she was still far inferior. Luo Yan caught up to her without much effort. This time, he was very direct and was about to hit Chu Liuyue! An indescribable pressure crushed over! Chu Liuyue held her breath! She initially wanted to try to receive this attack, but the other party¡¯s pressure was too strong, and she couldn¡¯t circulate the power in her body at all! The difference in strength between the two sides was so great that she didn¡¯t even have a chance to attack! Luo Yan gazed indifferently at her as if he were looking at a struggling ant. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you should know that there are some people you can¡¯t afford to provoke!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the powerful palm wind had already enveloped Chu Liuyue! At this moment, her body seemed to be nailed to the ground, unable to move! She could only watch as the shocking power approached her! A strong smell of blood spread between her teeth! The sound of the zither suddenly became clear again. Her temples were throbbing as if something was about to break out of her heart, but at this moment, a low and deep voice exploded in the sky like thunder! ¡°Who dares to hurt my disciple!?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1692 - Killed By Me Chapter 1692: Killed By Me Master! Delighted, Chu Liuyue immediately looked up! The void trembled, and waves rose. A figure in a white robe stepped out! It was the director of Ling Xiao Academy, her master¡ªNan Suhuai! With a wave of his sleeve, a stream of vigorous origin power flew out and headed straight for Luo Yan! Danger! Luo Yan was shocked and had no choice but to stop and retreat immediately! However, the force of Nan Suhuai¡¯s attack was shocking. It still forced his chest to tighten, and he staggered! Almost at the same time, Elder Wu Peng was no match for Rong Xiu and suffered a heavy blow. He flew backward and landed heavily on the ground! Elder Bai Tong had been entangled with Chu Ning. Sensing this commotion, he was also shocked and immediately retreated. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan! Elder Wu Peng!¡± Seeing that her people were being forced back one after another, Nan Yiyi finally couldn¡¯t maintain the smile on her face and hurriedly rushed over. Nan Yuxing opened his mouth but didn¡¯t say anything. However, a strong sense of unease suddenly surged in his heart. Nan Suhuai¡¯s figure flashed and stood in front of Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu bent his leg slightly and supported her. Nan Suhuai turned around first and scanned her nervously. ¡°Yue¡¯er, how are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I¡¯m fine.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. It¡¯s just a flesh wound, not a big deal. Before Luo Yan could really be ruthless, Master arrived. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was cold as he reached out to touch her neck. ¡°Si¡ª¡± The sudden pain made Chu Liuyue shrink back. Sensing the increasingly cold aura around Rong Xiu, she hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury. It¡¯s fine.¡± It was the dark-red strangulation marks on her neck from the confrontation. In her panic, she had forgotten about this. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t speak and simply stared at the wound with deep eyes. Chu Ning and Tuan Zi quickly followed. Although she was fine, they could all see the situation clearly. Luo Yan was indeed ruthless! If Nan Suhuai hadn¡¯t arrived in time, nobody knew what would¡¯ve happened to Chu Liuyue now. ¡­ Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression turned cold. He turned to look at Luo Yan and sneered. ¡°Luo Yan, it¡¯s been many years since we last met. You¡¯ve really become more capable¡ªyou actually bullied my disciple!¡± His voice was as deep as thunder, and every word carried a shocking pressure that landed heavily in the ears of Luo Yan and the others! Nan Yuxing and Nan Yiyi¡ªwho had slightly lower cultivation levels¡ªtrembled at the same time and spat out blood! Elder Bai Tong was already severely injured and couldn¡¯t dodge in time. After suddenly enduring this terrifying pressure, his face immediately turned pale. Not to mention Elder Wu Peng¡ªhe had already been beaten up by Rong Xiu until he was covered in injuries. At this moment, he didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up. Although Luo Yan was better than them, his expression darkened when he saw the situation on his side. Nan Suhuai is actually here¡­ Everyone in the God Residence Realm knows that Nan Suhuai is a rare all-rounder talent. Moreover, his cultivation in all aspects is extremely outstanding! He had broken through to become a legendary warrior decades ago! Although Nan Suhuai has been much more low-key in recent years and rarely appears in the God Residence Realm, I don¡¯t dare to underestimate him. Who knows what realm his strength has reached now? From that strike just now, it is definitely not below my standard! This is going to be difficult¡­ Although the number of people on both sides was about the same, there was almost nobody on their side who could continue fighting. On the other hand, the few people opposite him still had the strength to fight. If they really chose to continue fighting head-on¡­ they would definitely be the ones at a disadvantage! Luo Yan took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart. He then cupped his hands at Nan Suhuai. ¡°So it¡¯s Director Nan. Apologies for not recognizing you earlier. I think Director Nan has misunderstood what happened just now. Actually, I don¡¯t mean anything else; it¡¯s just that there was a conflict between these juniors previously, so I want them to talk things out.¡± Nan Suhuai was of higher seniority than him and had broken through to become a legendary warrior before him. Therefore, in front of Nan Suhuai, he could only lower himself. Unfortunately, Nan Suhuai scoffed at his words. ¡°Luo Yan, do you really think I¡¯m old and can¡¯t see well? I saw clearly how you bullied Yue¡¯er just now! Misunderstanding¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous?¡± The moment Nan Suhuai spoke, he held a gun and a club. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t intend to give Luo Yan any face. Luo Yan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Director Nan, I¡¯ve explained it to you nicely, but you don¡¯t appreciate it at all. Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s me who¡¯s talking nonsense or you who¡¯s bullying others, it¡¯s still hard to say, right?¡± Nan Suhuai sneered. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re still a dignified legendary warrior. How dare you be so ruthless to a junior? If this news gets out, Luo Yan, I wonder if you¡¯ll still want your face?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Luo Yan¡¯s face turned red and white, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything to refute. He hadn¡¯t thought too much about it and only wanted to help Nan Yiyi vent her anger. Unexpectedly, Shangguan Yue¡¯s attitude was so tough and stubborn that he had no choice but to attack. In the end, Nan Suhuai happened to see it! Nan Suhuai had been in charge of the God Residence Realm for many years and was also the director of Ling Xiao Academy. He had seen countless geniuses, but he had only taken in one disciple. One could imagine how picky he was. Moreover, he was famous for being protective of his disciple. Even they¡ªwho never had much contact with Ling Xiao Academy¡ªhad heard of it. Now that he saw this scene, Nan Suhuai clearly wouldn¡¯t let the matter rest! ¡°Director Nan, since you¡¯re here, that¡¯s good. Let¡¯s settle the previous matters together!¡± Luo Yan raised his hand and pointed at Nan Yiyi and the others. ¡°Your precious disciple has injured our people to this extent, but so far, she¡¯s not even willing to apologize! I wonder what Director Nan thinks?¡± Nan Suhuai¡¯s gaze swept across those people before he narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Yue¡¯er, did you do this?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was calm as she said, ¡°About half of it.¡± Nan Suhuai was stunned. ¡°What do you mean ¡®half?''¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said slowly, ¡°Half of it was caused by them taking the initiative to provoke us. The other half¡­ was their bad luck to provoke another legendary warrior.¡± When Luo Yan heard this, his expression changed first. He immediately looked at Nan Yiyi. ¡°You met a legendary warrior previously? Why didn¡¯t you say so?¡± He knew how difficult it was to deal with a legendary warrior. Although Elder Wu Peng and Elder Bai Tong¡¯s identities and realms weren¡¯t low, one was an Armory Refinement Master, and the other was a heavenly doctor. If they really fought, they might not be a match for a legendary warrior. Nan Yiyi looked hesitant as if she were in a dilemma. ¡°Do you know where that warrior came from?¡± No matter what, I can¡¯t let this matter rest! ¡°Pfft.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve already killed that warrior. You won¡¯t be able to find him even if you search again, so forget it.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1693 - Confrontation Chapter 1693: Confrontation There was dead silence. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she smiled. ¡°Oh right, in that case, I¡¯ve done you a favor. Not only did you not thank me, but you even found trouble with me one after another¡­ How interesting.¡± The atmosphere became even stranger. For a moment, Luo Yan didn¡¯t know what expression to show. His expression was awkward and stiff. He quickly glanced at Nan Yiyi and the others, and his heart sank. He knew Nan Yiyi and the others too well. Since Shangguan Yue had said so, and although their expressions were ugly, they weren¡¯t shocked¡­ This meant that this was most likely true! Nan Yiyi finally couldn¡¯t help but refute. ¡°Who knows if you dealt with that person? If you used any methods¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s my ability to use tricks, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and interrupted her. The process isn¡¯t important. The outcome is the most important! Nan Yiyi choked. Luo Yan took a deep breath. A true god¡­ killed a legendary warrior?! How could this be possible? I have almost never heard of such a thing in the entire God Residence Realm! Nan Suhuai was also stunned and hurriedly asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, is what you said true?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Master, when have I ever lied to you? Rong Xiu, Father, and Tuan Zi can testify for me.¡± Nan Suhuai thought to himself, You¡¯ve lied to me many times¡­? However, I obviously can¡¯t say this now. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°What Yue¡¯er said is true. We¡¯re here this time because that person used Lord Chu Ning¡¯s life to threaten Yue¡¯er. He originally wanted to kill Yue¡¯er, but he was just killed by her instead.¡± Just killed by her instead?! Even Nan Suhuai couldn¡¯t help but wince. Listen! Is this human language!? A true god killed a legendary warrior¡­ Only you can say such things so calmly! But although he was shocked, Nan Suhuai quickly accepted this. Ever since he accepted Yue¡¯er as his disciple, he knew that as long as he was with her, nothing was impossible in this world. This girl has even repaired the academy¡¯s Heaven-Locking Formation. What is so strange about killing a legendary warrior?! At this moment, Nan Suhuai actually felt that this was nothing unusual. He only had one thought left: Sometimes, my disciple is too hard working. It¡¯s really a test of my heart. He was silent for a moment before giving her a thumbs-up and saying seriously, ¡°Yue¡¯er, well done¡ªas expected of my disciple! You have to tell Master what¡¯s going on later!¡± Chu Liuyue agreed readily. ¡°Sure.¡± Seeing the happy expressions of the master and disciple, Luo Yan felt as if a string had suddenly tightened in his mind! They are actually directly discussing this matter now? These people¡­ are really too much! All of them don¡¯t take us seriously at all! ¡°Everything is just your one-sided story! How can we believe it!?¡± Luo Yan finally couldn¡¯t help but scold coldly. This voice finally reminded Nan Suhuai of their existence. He smiled. ¡°Then, isn¡¯t what you said just now one-sided? Why should we believe you?¡± These words finally brought the two sides into a stalemate again. ¡­ Nan Yiyi bit her lip. I never expected things to develop to this extent. Isn¡¯t it just dealing with Shangguan Yue? Why is it so difficult? Even now, I have yet to take revenge and have even completely implicated Uncle Luo Yan. She wasn¡¯t stupid. This old man who suddenly appeared made Uncle Luo Yan very afraid. Otherwise, the latter wouldn¡¯t have suppressed his anger and spoken so politely just now. Unfortunately, the two sides still couldn¡¯t come to an agreement. Nan Yiyi secretly and quickly glanced at Luo Yan. Based on my past experience, this matter definitely can¡¯t go as I had thought¡­ However, I¡¯m indignant! Nan Yiyi reached out and grabbed Luo Yan¡¯s sleeve, her voice extremely low. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan¡­ That thing is on her¡­¡± Luo Yan was shocked and looked at her steadily. ¡°Really?¡± Nan Yiyi pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°How would I dare to joke about such a thing? Previously, Elder Wu Peng used the geomantic compass to investigate; the result was the same. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have returned after leaving¡­¡± Luo Yan¡¯s gaze changed rapidly before he finally looked at Chu Liuyue. Initially, I wanted to make peace with the other party. After all, they¡¯re not people to be trifled with. But if it is really as Nan Yiyi says¡­ I¡¯m afraid that I will have to consider this matter further¡­ ¡­ Although Nan Yiyi¡¯s voice was very low, nobody present was an ordinary person. Everyone heard her clearly. Even if they aren¡¯t annoyed, I am. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were filled with fatigue and impatience. ¡°For the last time, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking for, and that thing isn¡¯t with me. Now, either you apologize or continue fighting. Just choose one!¡± With Nan Suhuai around, their chances of winning were extremely high. Of course, they weren¡¯t afraid of fighting them. Nan Suhuai frowned. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what are they talking about?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. If I knew, there would be no need to play riddles with them here. After a moment, Luo Yan took a step forward. ¡°I have a suggestion. Shangguan Yue, if you¡¯re willing to accept my investigation and confirm that the thing is indeed not with you, we can immediately apologize to you and prepare a generous gift to express our apology. If you¡¯re unwilling, then¡­ I¡¯m afraid today¡¯s matter will drag on for a long time.¡± The words were half-negotiating, half-threatening. Chu Liuyue frowned in displeasure. Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Luo Yan¡ª¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly said. She mulled over the suggestion and decided she wasn¡¯t losing out. Although they had a chance of winning with her master around, the other party¡¯s identity and background weren¡¯t simple. If they really fell out completely, it would probably not be easy to deal with in the end. It would be best if this matter could be resolved easily. She took a step forward. ¡°Go ahead¡ª¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1694 - Sneak Attack Chapter 1694: Sneak Attack Luo Yan looked at her deeply, then raised his hand and made a small arc in front of him. With a flash of light, a palm-sized compass appeared out of thin air. At the same time, a totem appeared between his eyebrows. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°By the way, don¡¯t forget the conditions you mentioned previously.¡± Luo Yan said indifferently, ¡°Of course.¡± As he spoke, his hands gently brushed across the compass. A moment later, the needle on the compass suddenly shook violently! Upon seeing this, Chu Liuyue frowned slightly and felt inexplicably uneasy. The reaction of this thing seems really abnormal¡­ Finally, the needle stopped and pointed straight at Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank! Luo Yan suddenly raised his head, his gaze as sharp as a knife. ¡°Shangguan Yue, what else do you have to say?!¡± The evidence is conclusive! It is obvious¡ªthat thing is indeed on her! ¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly clenched her fists in her sleeves! In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind! How did this happen? What exactly are they looking for? Why are they so certain that it is on me? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think that Luo Yan had tampered with the compass and deliberately made the needle point at her. At this moment, Luo Yan should want to resolve these matters more successfully than us. After all, they don¡¯t have any advantage. If they continue to pester us, it will only be more disadvantageous for them. There is no need for him to do this at all, which means¡­ Do I really have the object they are looking for? ¡°Director Nan, please excuse me! Shangguan Yue must hand over the item today!¡± Luo Yan shouted and disappeared from the spot. A strong wind suddenly attacked quickly! Chu Liuyue¡¯s alarm in her heart rang loudly! ¡°Luo Yan, how dare you!?¡± Seeing this, Nan Suhuai immediately attacked! Rong Xiu grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist and quickly retreated with her. But at this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly felt a chill run down her spine! She turned quickly, only to see a familiar face. It was Luo Yan! ¡°This is his Holy Body!¡± Rong Xiu reacted extremely quickly and attacked without hesitation! However, Luo Yan was a legendary warrior. Now that he had summoned his Holy Body, he was determined to take her down! He quickly dodged Rong Xiu¡¯s attack. With a wave of his sleeve, several cold silver needles quickly flew out! Those silver needles were all one inch long and sharp. In the blink of an eye, they surrounded Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue raised her sword to block it. Clang! Clang! Clang! Sharp collisions sounded one after another! Although those silver needles were small, they contained extremely great strength. After such a fierce attack, her hands that were holding the sword were numb. Even the skin between her thumb and index finger was slightly cracked and bleeding. Rong Xiu was about to come over, but he was stopped by Luo Yan¡¯s Holy Body! Just as Chu Liuyue thought that everything was over, the blocked silver needles actually changed directions and attacked her again! Moreover, their speed and strength seemed to be greater than before! Shocked, Chu Liuyue fought again. The continuous attacks forced her to keep dodging back. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine, but she had nowhere to retreat. She bumped into the black wall! The wall was rough and stung when she was pressed tightly against it. With a thought, the black shield was already in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! All the silver needles were blocked! They didn¡¯t even leave a trace on it. Luo Yan¡¯s expression changed. That black shield¡ª Taking advantage of his distraction, Rong Xiu quickly attacked! A cluster of golden flames transformed into a whip that tightly bound Luo Yan¡¯s Holy Body! Luo Yan did not think much of it and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re merely a true god, but you dare to¡ª¡± Suddenly, his voice stopped. This was because he realized that his Holy Body couldn¡¯t break free from Rong Xiu¡¯s fire whip! The more he struggled, the more intense the burning pain on his body became! ¡°You!¡± Luo Yan glared at Rong Xiu in shock and anger. When he looked into those bottomless eyes, his heart suddenly turned cold. It was also because of this moment of shock that he didn¡¯t see the dense black color that surged silently in the golden flames that locked him tightly! But just as the situation gradually became clear, he caught a glimpse of it from the corner of her eye and instantly tensed up. Nan Yuxing abruptly ran toward Chu Ning! His expression was gloomy, and he carried terrifying killing intent! At the same time, a saber appeared in his hand! The blade was wide, but there was a strange blue light on the tip! Poison! ¡°Father, be careful!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately planned to move and run over. But in front of her, a figure approached rapidly again¡ªit was none other than Nan Yiyi! At this moment, her expression was ferocious, and her eyes were filled with killing intent! However, the most shocking thing was that the pressure on her body was suddenly much stronger than before! This isn¡¯t her aura! Almost instantly, Chu Liuyue understood that this power definitely didn¡¯t belong to Nan Yiyi! In a flash, Nan Yiyi clenched the triangular awl in her hand and stabbed it at Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body instantly tensed up. The power of a legendary warrior! ¡°Go to hell!¡± Nan Yiyi gritted her teeth and whispered. Every word seemed to be squeezed out of her teeth with deep hatred and resentment! Without hesitation, Chu Liuyue raised the black shield and held it in front of her. Whoosh¡ª A sharp and ear-piercing scratching sounded, almost making one¡¯s scalp tingle! A powerful force surged over, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s body slammed into the wall behind her again. As if she had hit a sharp spot, a wound appeared on the back of her shoulder! Chu Liuyue felt a sharp pain and gritted her teeth as the blood in her body churned. Nan Yiyi seemed a little dissatisfied. Her father had specially given her this triangular awl for self-defense before she left home. Previously, she had never been willing to use it. It was only when she saw that Chu Liuyue was alone that she had an idea and planned to take this opportunity to attack the latter! However, she originally thought that this strike would kill Shangguan Yue. Nan Yiyi gritted her teeth and waved the triangular awl again unwillingly! Even if I can¡¯t pierce through this strange shield, the power left behind by my father is enough for Shangguan Yue to withstand! But just as the triangular awl was about to land on the black shield again, a zither suddenly sounded from afar! The sound of the zither seemed to come from afar, but when it landed in her ears, it was extremely clear. The most shocking thing was that the sound of the zither carried undisguised strong killing intent! It shook Nan Yiyi until her mind was in chaos, and her entire body went numb! Although it was only a single sound, she seemed to smell a strong scent of blood! She subconsciously stopped what she was doing and looked up! That sound came from here! Light suddenly flowed on the black wall behind Chu Liuyue! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1695 - Severed Chapter 1695: Severed W-what is going on? For some reason, indescribable fear abruptly surged in Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart when she looked at the flowing lights! Even if she didn¡¯t know what it was yet, she could still acutely sense that terrifying danger! Without thinking, she immediately retreated! At the same time, Chu Liuyue also heard the sound of the zither. She looked up and happened to see Nan Yiyi staring at the wall behind her in horror. Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. It was as if she had seen something extremely terrifying. When Nan Yiyi started to retreat, Chu Liuyue finally turned around and took a look. What she saw stunned her for a moment. This was because she suddenly sensed that these streams of light were constantly gathering as if¡­ they were forming some kind of totem, and somehow it looked familiar to her. Chu Liuyue frowned and stepped back, trying to see what the huge totem looked like. But just as she raised her foot, a powerful suction force suddenly came from the wall! Her body immediately rushed forward uncontrollably! The next moment, she completely disappeared behind the wall! Before anyone could react, they saw a white figure quickly hide behind the wall¡ªit was Rong Xiu! In addition, there was a small figure only half a step behind Rong Xiu. She raised her feet and rushed over! That was Tuan Zi! Everything happened in the blink of an eye! Under everyone¡¯s gazes, the three of them quickly disappeared! This scene shocked everyone present. Isn¡¯t that just a wall? Why did it suddenly devour the three of them? We didn¡¯t even have time to react! Nan Suhuai frowned and looked over. Only then did he see that several streams of light had appeared on the black wall. They intertwined as if outlining a pattern. The power on it was shocking¡ªeven the void around the wall trembled! Nan Suhuai stopped fighting and was about to rush in. Halfway there, he suddenly heard a figure. ¡°Director Nan!¡± Nan Suhuai looked back. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Yue¡¯er¡¯s father, Chu Ning?¡± Chu Ning immediately nodded and said worriedly, ¡°Is Director Nan going in too? I wonder if I can go with you?¡± He was really worried about Yue¡¯er. Although Rong Xiu and Tuan Zi had already followed his daughter in, he was still worried because this matter had happened too strangely. If they could act together, they should be able to reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble. Nan Suhuai nodded almost without hesitation. ¡°Let¡¯s go together then!¡± With that, the two of them really stepped forward and entered the black wall! ¡­ The originally chaotic and noisy scene quickly fell silent. Luo Yan recalled his Holy Body and frowned at the black wall. Actually, he had noticed the wall at first glance when he arrived, but all his attention had been on Nan Yiyi and Shangguan Yue. Hence, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to this. However, from the looks of it, there was indeed something fishy about this wall! ¡°What¡­ what happened just now?¡± Nan Yuxing couldn¡¯t help but mutter in shock, his eyes still filled with shock. She was clearly fine a moment ago. Why did she suddenly disappear? Luo Yan took a step forward, seemingly planning to go in too. Nan Yiyi hurriedly grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan, you can¡¯t go over!¡± Luo Yan saw her panicked expression and thought that she was frightened by the sudden scene. He patted her shoulder and said, ¡°The thing is still with Shangguan Yue. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll retrieve it and come back immediately.¡± Nan Yiyi still refused to let go and shook her head nervously. ¡°No, you can¡¯t go! You really can¡¯t go! Uncle Luo Yan, it¡¯s too dangerous inside!¡± At this moment, Luo Yan realized that Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes were filled with fear, and her entire body was trembling slightly. It was as if she was really afraid. Could it be¡­ that she saw something just now? Luo Yan frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± Nan Yiyi shook her head. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know either, but¡­ but I just feel that something¡¯s wrong inside! Uncle Luo Yan, why don¡¯t we wait outside? Anyway, they¡¯ll come out sooner or later, right? It¡¯s the same if we wait for them!¡± Luo Yan¡¯s frown deepened. Nobody can guarantee when Shangguan Yue and the others will come out. Besides, what if they don¡¯t come out? At that time, it won¡¯t be so easy to find them to take back that item. However, it was rare for Nan Yiyi to be so afraid. It made him feel uneasy. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, his heart still ached for Nan Yiyi. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not go in then. We¡¯ll wait here¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, another terrifying suction force swept over from the wall! Their figures were quickly devoured! After a while, all the figures disappeared. The wilderness returned to its usual silence. ¡­ Darkness. An endless darkness! Chu Liuyue could only feel her body falling continuously. In all directions, it was pitch black. Silence, except for the wind whistling past her ears. Fortunately, this situation didn¡¯t last long. She felt her body fall to the ground. The ground was soft, and the fall wasn¡¯t heavy. Chu Liuyue stood up and was about to take out a pearl to illuminate when a faint light suddenly leaked from above her head. She looked up. Above her head, there seemed to be a blue-black firmament like the sky in the middle of the night. However, there was a hole in the middle. Light seeped down and landed on Chu Liuyue. It was also this light that allowed her to barely see her surroundings. There was no view. All she could see was black soil. There was nothing else. She could only see within a hundred paces. Everything beyond was still hidden in that blackness, difficult to approach and grasp. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Chu Liuyue called out softly. Before I entered, I vaguely saw Rong Xiu following me closely. But now, it seems that we aren¡¯t in the same place. Chu Liuyue called out twice more, but there was still no response. This is expected. She pursed her lips and did not pay much attention to it. But¡­ where Is Tuan Zi? ¡°Tuan Zi? Tuan Zi?¡± Chu Liuyue called Tuan Zi a few more times, but there was no response. The surroundings were silent. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hands. Tuan Zi is my contracted legendary fiend, and we are connected to each other. Even from a distance, we can still sense each other. But now, I can¡¯t even sense Tuan Zi¡¯s breathing. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1696 - 1696 My Music Score 1696 My Music Score Are we too far away to sense each other, or is something forcefully cutting off our connection? Chu Liuyue had no idea. She put away the black shield, but the Chi Xiao Sword was still clenched in her hand. After resting on the spot for a while and adjusting her aura, Chu Liuyue walked forward. She chose a random direction. After all, in this place, she couldn¡¯t tell any direction at all. Instead of staying where she was and relying on a trace of hope to wait for Rong Xiu and the others to come, it was better for her to find them herself. Even if she couldn¡¯t find them for a while, it would be good to know more about this place. Hence, Chu Liuyue set off alone. ¡­ Along the way, the faint smell of blood lingered in the air. If not for Chu Liuyue being too sensitive to this smell, she might not have noticed it. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t tell where the smell came from. It was as if¡­ the air here was already filled with this scent. The surroundings were silent. Chu Liuyue could only hear her footsteps and heartbeat. At some point, she suddenly stopped and looked ahead. At this moment, the hole above her head was more open than before. More light shone in, allowing her to see further. Above her head was still a vast expanse. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly beat faster. This was because¡­ the zither sounds that had been lingering in her ears disappeared suddenly at this moment! She subconsciously tightened her grip on the Chi Xiao Sword, and the blood in her body seemed to be flowing faster. She opened her mouth and realized that her throat was dry and tight. Da. Da. Da. Unfamiliar footsteps suddenly sounded from the darkness. The footsteps were light and calm as if taking a stroll. However, every step seemed to be stepping on Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. She seemed to sense something and tensed up. Finally, a figure appeared in her line of sight! At the same time, a casual voice with a smile fell into her ears. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± ¡­ On the other side, after Rong Xiu followed Chu Liuyue in, his surroundings fell into darkness. But soon, a white light flashed past his eyes. His heart skipped a beat as he focused. The white light actually quickly dissipated not far in front of him! Then, the light quickly condensed into a huge mirror! In all directions, there was a rich black color. The appearance of this mirror instantly cut through the black color. Faint light emanated from the mirror. This mirror was wide and huge¡ªat a glance, he couldn¡¯t see the edge. It seemed like it was completely embedded in the black, blending into the surrounding darkness. It stood quietly in front of Rong Xiu. The surroundings were silent as if even the wind had stopped. Rong Xiu looked up slightly. A figure appeared in the mirror. His cheeks were smooth, and his appearance was exquisite. His eyebrows slanted toward his temples, his nose was high, and his thin lips were red. There was nothing that wasn¡¯t carefully carved by the heavens. In comparison, even everything in the world seemed dim. The figure reflected was Rong Xiu, but it was different from the current Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu was dressed in white, and his eyes were clear and gentle. However, the person in the mirror was dressed in a black robe. His phoenix eyes were deep, thick, dignified, and filled with murderous aura! They clearly had the same appearance and figure, but they looked like two completely different people! Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly, but there was no shock on his face. It was as if¡­ he had expected it. He raised his hand, and a golden flame surged out of his palm, dancing happily. Almost at the same time, the person in the mirror raised his hand, and a cluster of flames appeared at his fingertips. However, the flames were a rich black! Rong Xiu frowned slightly, but he quickly relaxed. Then, his thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°¡­So fast¡­¡± The man in the mirror looked at him. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, you should¡¯ve known that there would be such a scene. Besides, you¡¯ve already delayed for too long.¡± He paused and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you going to break through this time or continue to suppress yourself as a true god like before?¡± Rong Xiu closed his eyes. When they opened again, golden and black flames had already risen in them! His smile deepened. ¡°Break.¡± ¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue! A¡¯Yue!¡± In a dark space, Tuan Zi shouted anxiously as she walked. But no matter how she shouted, there was no response. Instead, there was a terrifying silence. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes were red and filled with tears. She quickly wiped her eyes and clenched her fists to cheer herself up. It isn¡¯t that A¡¯Yue doesn¡¯t want me anymore, but she has been swallowed into this strange wall! As long as I continue to search, I will definitely find A¡¯Yue! Besides, perhaps A¡¯Yue is also looking for me? At the thought of this, Tuan Zi became motivated again and quickened her pace. ¡­ Nan Suhuai and Chu Ning came in together, so they were still together. But at this moment, they were also trapped in a space and didn¡¯t encounter anyone else. Therefore, they could only try to contact the others as they searched for an exit. ¡­ Chu Liuyue stared intently at the figure in front of her. Almost at first glance, she was certain that this person was the person she had ¡®seen¡¯ playing the zither! But although they were a little closer, the other party¡¯s figure was still shrouded in that black shadow. It was hazy and impossible to see clearly. In fact, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t even tell if the other party was a man or a woman. This was because that voice was as ethereal as the zither sound as if it came from an extremely far place. Its tone was clearly very faint, and its voice was beautiful and dreamy. It only made one feel relaxed and comfortable, but it was unpredictable. Chu Liuyue felt that this scene was really strange. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s face or figure, and even its voice sounded like a dream. However, the other party had spoken to her. It was as if¡­ it had known her for a long time and had been waiting for her. Chu Liuyue probed, ¡°You¡­ know me?¡± The person seemed to smile and answered leisurely, ¡°You¡¯re holding my music score, so I naturally recognize it.¡± Music score? Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡ª¡± Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something, and shock flashed across her eyes. The only thing I have to do with the sound of the zither is probably¡­ that water droplet!? Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she sensed a strange fluctuation in her dantian. The person opposite her raised their palm slightly. The water droplet instantly rushed out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1697 - 1697 Treasure! 1697 Treasure! Shocked, Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils constricted, and her heart was in her throat! However, the water droplet did not go far. It just floated quietly in front of her. Although the surrounding light was dim, the water droplet was still dazzling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that it has acknowledged you as its master, I naturally won¡¯t take it back.¡± The person on the other end of the line sounded teasing. Chu Liuyue relaxed and calmed herself down. Then, she cupped her fists and bowed respectfully to the person opposite her. ¡°I lost my composure for a moment. Please forgive me, Senior.¡± She was now certain that this person was indeed this water droplet¡¯s previous owner! Nobody had ever been able to summon this water droplet away so easily! This was really her senior! The other party laughed again. ¡°It¡¯s your opportunity to obtain this thing. I¡¯m no longer its master; it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve not seen it for too long and miss it.¡± As the figure spoke, Chu Liuyue saw the water droplet shake gently. Then, it gradually turned into a transparent page! No, it was no longer transparent at this moment. On it, several colorful streams of light were flowing slowly and brightly. Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed. This thing¡­ So it was a music score? For the past few years, I had no idea at all. As if reading her mind, the person opposite her smiled and said, ¡°This is only one of the pages. There¡¯s only a small section of incomplete music score on it that can¡¯t be played, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t recognize it.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding, but she was still rather surprised. As early as she had obtained this thing, she could tell that it seemed to be a page forcefully torn from a book. She had many guesses about its origin, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be¡­ a music score! ¡°I thought you would¡¯ve come long ago. I didn¡¯t expect it to take so long.¡± As that person spoke, their fingertips twitched. A transparent book suddenly appeared out of thin air¡ªit was overflowing with light! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes hurt from the light, and she subconsciously turned her face away and narrowed her eyes. However, she didn¡¯t raise her hand to shade her eyes. She would rather endure the pain and stare at the book, for fear of missing anything. She did not need to think to know that this book must be the music score that the other party had mentioned previously! That broken page must belong to this book! ¡°I¡¯ve stored this music score with me for many years. Now, I can finally find a new master for it.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! All this time, she had wanted to find the rest of the pages, but she had never had the chance. She didn¡¯t expect all of this to be placed in front of her now! ¡°However, this book is actually not complete.¡± The other party¡¯s sudden change of topic made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sink slightly. ¡°Back then, everyone was trying to snatch it, so I tore this good music score into three parts. Other than the two pages here, even I don¡¯t know where the remaining one is now.¡± The figure shook their head in apparent regret. When Chu Liuyue heard this, she inexplicably felt that something was wrong. Back then? Tried to snatch it? This music score¡­ Hang on! A white light suddenly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind! Ancestor previously said that tens of thousands of years ago, the shocking battle in which legendary warriors fell seemed to be¡­ for a book! Could it be this is it?! ¡°This is it.¡± The person smiled faintly. Chu Liuyue was shocked. I clearly didn¡¯t say anything just now, and my expression was controlled to be very calm, so why does the other party seem to know everything about me? ¡°This is my place, so I can naturally pry into some of your thoughts. However, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. I can only sense a portion of it, and it¡¯s basically related to my music score. As for the other thoughts you¡¯ve hidden deep¡­ It¡¯s difficult for me to know. Of course, I¡¯m not interested in those.¡± Only then did Chu Liuyue heave a sigh of relief. She had no doubt about that. With the other party¡¯s strength, it wouldn¡¯t take much effort to deal with her. There was no need to beat around the bush. ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of you, Senior.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude was very proper as she bowed politely. She knew very well that it was useless to play any tricks in front of someone of this level. It was better to be frank. But this time, the waves in her heart did not stop for a long time. It could be seen how precious this music score was to attract so many true gods and even legendary warriors to fight for it! Previously, she was still sighing with emotion, but she never expected that the treasure¡ªwhich had once caused chaos in the world¡ªwas actually on her! Although it was only an incomplete part, there were many cultivators in the world who wanted this incomplete page but couldn¡¯t find it! At the thought of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart raced, and her blood seemed to be boiling! She had long known that this thing wasn¡¯t ordinary, but after knowing the truth, she was still shocked! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction seemed to satisfy the other party. ¡°Although this music score was divided into three back then, there¡¯s still a connection between them. Since the one in your hand was the first to awaken and let you be its master, the remaining two will naturally obey you and respect you.¡± ¡°The third page has been lost for a long time. We probably won¡¯t be able to find it for a while. Let¡¯s not talk about it for now; just take my share first.¡± Actually, Chu Liuyue had already guessed the other party¡¯s plan, but she was still a little surprised when she heard this. Such a treasure was actually¡­ handed to me so easily? ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel burdened. Although I¡¯m its old master, I¡¯m only a remnant consciousness stored in this music score now. Even if this music score is complete, there¡¯s no meaning in leaving it with me. The reason I¡¯ve endured until now is that I¡¯m waiting for its new master to appear.¡± The other party paused. Chu Liuyue immediately sensed a gaze on her, and she immediately tensed. ¡°Which means¡ªyou!¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly. ¡°So¡­ you were the one who kept luring me here with the sound of the zither?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Unfortunately, those people have been pestering you and wasting a lot of time. It¡¯s really annoying.¡± Chu Liuyue could hear a hint of impatience in the other party¡¯s voice. ¡°But I¡¯ve already chased them all elsewhere. At the very least, they won¡¯t disturb you again until you¡¯ve fused these two music scores.¡± At this point, Chu Liuyue finally understood. The only thing I have to do now is integrate these two music scores like the other party has said! They¡¯re just two portions, so it shouldn¡¯t be¡­ difficult, right? As Chu Liuyue thought about it, she immediately cupped her fists and bowed to the other party. ¡°Thank you for your generous gift, Senior¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too early.¡± The other party interrupted her with a smile. ¡°It won¡¯t be too late to thank me when you really do it.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1698 - 1698 Hundred Years 1698 Hundred Years For some reason, Chu Liuyue actually heard some form of teasing from this sentence and a hint of expectation of wanting to see a good show. This¡­ She swallowed her remaining words. ¡°Yes. I will definitely do my best.¡± Whoosh! The moment she said it, the person opposite her whipped their sleeves. The originally transparent book rapidly flew to Chu Liuyue. With the torn page on the left and the book on the right, they just floated in front of her quietly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze gently swept past them. Even though one was a thick book and the other was a thin piece of paper, their auras didn¡¯t differ much. Additionally, upon closer inspection, she could indeed detect a familiar feeling from that book. It was no surprise since they had the same origins and source. Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled something as she looked up and asked, ¡°May I know how to address you, Senior?¡± I¡¯ve been here for so long, and the item is theirs. I can¡¯t just go without knowing the other party¡¯s name. The person on the opposite end fell silent for a moment as if they were deep in thought. After some time, they then said, ¡°It has been so long, and there are many things I can¡¯t recall properly. You¡­ can just call me Ah Jing!¡± Ah Jing¡­ This name is very vague, and I can¡¯t differentiate if the person is male or female¡­ Just as Chu Liuyue was thinking in her heart, she heard the person opposite directly saying, ¡°I¡¯m a man.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. I almost forgot that he could read my many thoughts! Chu Liuyue instantly felt embarrassed. ¡°Yes, Senior Ah Jing.¡± Luckily, the other party didn¡¯t seem to mind the issue as he whipped his sleeves and sat on the ground. A zither suddenly appeared on his knees. Following this, Chu Liuyue saw him lightly place his hands on the zither. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly, and a bad feeling overwhelmed her heart. ¡°Senior Ah Jing, are you going to¡­ play the zither?¡± Ah Jing glanced at her strangely. ¡°Of course. Since we want to merge the music scores, we need the help of the zither. If we don¡¯t even know the tune, how are you going to merge it perfectly?¡± Chu Liuyue understood what he meant. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I have to understand this tune before I can¡ª¡± Ah Jing nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re not so stupid. If that¡¯s the case, you should be able to learn it pretty quickly.¡± Even though this sounded like praise, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t feel happy or elated. Instead, she was uneasy. I clearly recall that I was almost shocked to the point I vomited blood when I previously heard the tune. The person is now before me, and so is the zither! One just has to think to know that the suppression will be much stronger than before! But at this point, she could only endure it. ¡°Thank you, Senior¡­¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Oh right, Senior Ah Jing, may I know how long it will take to merge the two music scores?¡± Rong Xiu and the rest followed me in. If it takes too long, I¡¯m worried that they will be anxious. Ah Jing paused in his movements, tilted his head, and sized her up. Even though she couldn¡¯t see his appearance and expression clearly, Chu Liuyue felt that his gaze was as sharp as a metal knife! With this look, she felt that she was totally being seen through! ¡°A true god, Physician, and an advanced Armory Refinement Master all in one body; you also just broke through to become a Great King Xuan Master¡­ Your talent and sensitivity are decent. No wonder it will recognize you as its master.¡± He spoke slowly, but it overwhelmed Chu Liuyue. This person just glanced at me from afar, and he already knows me so well! At that moment, Chu Liuyue felt that she didn¡¯t have any secrets in front of the other party! ¡°Even though it¡¯s not surprising for you to have the Tianjing Yuan meridian, with the bloodline power of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡­ it is rare.¡± Ah Jing¡¯s voice had a hint of satisfaction. However, Chu Liuyue gasped in her heart. The Tianjing Yuan meridian is the best Yuan meridian, yet it seems normal and common in front of him like it isn¡¯t surprising. Besides, he even said it in such a nonchalant and calm tone¡­ Chu Liuyue became increasingly curious about the other party¡¯s identity. However, this thought just flashed across her mind before she quickly suppressed it. No matter what, the most important thing now is to merge the two music scores. ¡°If everything is successful, it can end in about 80 or 100 years. But if something happens in between, the time might double.¡± Ah Jing used a very relaxed tone to say this. ¡°Hence, you mustn¡¯t let your guard down in the middle!¡± The calm expression that Chu Liuyue tried her best to maintain finally cracked after she heard these two sentences. ¡°What?!¡± If it is successful, 80 to 100 years?! If it isn¡¯t successful, the duration will be doubled?! Then, won¡¯t I have to wait until the cows come home!? Ah Jing looked at her strangely. ¡°What, do you think¡­ there¡¯s a problem with the time?¡± Chu Liuyue was stifled. It isn¡¯t just a problem¡ªit is a huge problem! How old am I now? How could I invest a hundred years here? Then, what are Rong Xiu, Tuan Zi, Father, and Mentor going to do? Not to mention a hundred years¡­ Even after ten years, the outside will look completely different! ¡°Senior Ah Jing, can you¡­ shorten the time needed?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke with difficulty. Ah Jing laughed lightly. ¡°The timing is already short enough. Without my help, you might not even complete it in 500 years. Besides, this isn¡¯t an ordinary music score.¡± Chu Liuyue naturally knew that it wasn¡¯t an ordinary music score, but a hundred years¡­ ¡°If you insist on shortening the time taken, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± As if detecting Chu Liuyue¡¯s difficulties, Ah Jing paused and finally relented. Chu Liuyue raised her eyes. Ah Jing said, ¡°I can help you quicken the flow of time here, but correspondingly, the stress and torture you have to endure will be multiplied. Are you still going to insist like this?¡± ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Senior.¡± Chu Liuyue gathered her focus and nodded seriously. Even if I have to experience even more pain, and even if the process is harder, I have to do it. After all, I¡¯m no longer alone. There are many people, who love me, waiting for me. I have to go out as soon as possible! As if expecting her choice, Ah Jing laughed lightly and shook his head. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret it¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were as clear as day. ¡°I¡¯ve never regretted anything in my life.¡± It will also be the same this time! ¡°Okay!¡± Ah Jing suddenly laughed out loud. ¡°Since you have the guts, then¡­ I¡¯m going to see if you have the skills!¡± Not to mention others, this girl¡¯s courage suits my taste. The key is whether she can do it! Shing! He swept his fingertips, and a zither sound pierced through the air! Chu Liuyue¡¯s surroundings turned cold, and she instantly felt the sudden change in the surrounding atmosphere. The note sounded cold, and it was solemn and murderous in the surroundings! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1699 - 1699 One in a Million 1699 One in a Million Chu Liuyue was shocked and immediately became alert! She knew how terrifying the zither sound was. At that time, she was outside the wall and directly vomited blood, let alone now. The two of them were so close. The only thing she could do was to endure it! Besides, according to what Senior Ah Jing said, I have to understand the tune if I want to merge the two music scores. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then, as the zither sound was heard, she raised her hand and reached toward the book. But the moment her fingertips touched the sides of the transparent pages, the book suddenly flew up! Hula! Chu Liuyue instinctively looked over, and she saw countless transparent pages falling everywhere! That book actually fell apart like that! At that moment, all she could see were iridescent and transparent pages! They landed at every corner of the space in a messy and causal manner, almost filling up the whole area. Chu Liuyue looked over, and the rays of light shone brightly everywhere! However, this scene caused her to be extremely uneasy. ¡°Actually, that music score has only three pieces. Other than one of them being real, the remaining pages in the booklet are all fake. If you want to merge the two torn pieces of music scores, the first step is to find the true one in this pile of at least 10,000 pages.¡± Ah Jing¡¯s voice was nonchalant and relaxed, yet it was akin to thunder beside Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears! It exploded and caused her heart to shake! Out of the thousands of pages, only one was real?! How long do I have to search? The key was that she didn¡¯t even know how to differentiate between the true and fake ones. ¡°Oh, you actually don¡¯t have to worry about this. The first music score is with you and has already recognized you as its owner. It¡¯ll be much simpler if you¡¯re looking for the second piece. However, the difference between the music scores is very small, so you must take a good look at every piece.¡± ¡°Most of these music scores are fake, but looking at each one requires a large amount of force and energy. With your current skills¡­ you probably can read a piece in three days¡­¡± This was also the reason why he said that she needed a hundred years to complete the task. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. One piece in three days¡­ There were at least 10,000 here! Who knows when I have to read them till? Not to mention that this is just ¡®the first step.¡¯ Facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s silence, Ah Jing thought for a while and comforted, ¡°It¡¯s okay. After looking at it for a long time, you¡¯ll get used to it. Your reading speed will then become faster.¡± With his identity, status, and personality, it was rare for him to comfort someone. If it weren¡¯t because Chu Liuyue was the only owner of these music scores, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be so patient and harmonious. However, this sentence clearly didn¡¯t comfort Chu Liuyue much. She closed her eyes, rubbed her temples, and fell silent for a while before she accepted reality. Since I have already reached this step, it is impossible to turn around. Then¡­ I just hope that I can finish this as soon as possible! An idea popped up in her mind as she recalled the torn piece of paper. Probably because it felt the existence of the second music score, it didn¡¯t turn into a water droplet again. Instead, it maintained the state of torn paper and quietly floated in her dantian. The rays of light glowed, and the energy flowed! Chu Liuyue lightly spat out and reached her hand in. A nearby transparent piece of paper floated to her hands¡ªthe first piece! At this time, the zither sound clearly landed in her ears! The killing intent was biting cold! ¡­ Some mountain miles away, there was lush greenery with other hills surrounding it. The intense Heaven and Earth Force caused it to be more fairy-like. The tallest mountain peak was sharp and beautiful. At first glance, it really looked like a paradise. On the mountain, there were many stairs that led to the top. A pile of rocks gathered and formed a door on the mountaintop, and a piece of wood was hung on said door: Wugou Peak! This was the most distinguished existence out of the 18 mountain peaks in the Nan family! Almost all the distinguished people of the Nan family were gathered here. Normal people didn¡¯t even have the right to come near to this place, let alone go up the mountain. On Wugou Peak, many intricate yards had people of distinguished statuses in the Nan family. At the top was a magnificent building. At this point, a tall and burly figure stood before the door and looked afar. That person was the Nan family¡¯s master¡ªNan Yifan! He looked like he was in his forties. Even though time had left traces on his face, one could still see his handsome appearance in his youth. His purple robe and his entire aura made him look even more high and mighty. He stood there and looked afar as if he were waiting for something. ¡°Master, Eldest Young Master and Second Missy haven¡¯t sent a message back. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t happen today. Why don¡¯t you go back and rest first?¡± advised an elder, who looked like a slave, behind Nan Yifan. ¡°I know.¡± Nan Yifan nodded. ¡°But they did go on this trip for quite some time. I do miss Yiyi a little.¡± Thinking about it, Yiyi had never left his side for so long. ¡°I wonder¡­ if it¡¯s successful.¡± After all, it wasn¡¯t a small matter. It was impossible for him not to be worried. The old slave smiled, and his old eyes squinted. ¡°With Eldest Young Master and the two elders around, Master, you don¡¯t have to be worried. Besides, Second Missy has always been smart and agile. Isn¡¯t the mission as easy as ABC to Second Missy? You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Hearing him say this, Nan Yifan¡¯s face revealed a delighted and doting smile. He only had this one daughter who was born pretty and talented, so he naturally doted on her. This time, it was one of the rare times he was hard on Nan Yiyi. But at the end of the day, it was still for her own good. Even though this child was still very upset with him because of this, when she was more mature in a few years, she should be able to understand his intentions. ¡°I hope so.¡± As Nan Yifan spoke, he retracted his gaze and planned to turn around to enter the house. But the moment he took a step out, he suddenly felt something, and his expression changed drastically! At the side, the old slave immediately detected that something was amiss and concernedly asked, ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He had followed Nan Yifan for many years and rarely saw him show such an expression. Nan Yifan clenched his fists, and there seemed to be waves crashing in his eyes. ¡°Yiyi¡¯s aura suddenly disappeared! Once he said this, the old slave¡¯s expression instantly changed. ¡°How can this be?¡± Nan Yifan rapidly opened the door to enter. That elder immediately followed and locked the door behind him. After entering, Nan Yifan took out a piece of jade pendant. On it, four sparks floated lightly. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1700 - 1700 Requesting Help 1700 Requesting Help Seeing this, Nan Yifan finally heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately¡­ Inside were the auras of Nan Yiyi and the others. If anything happened to either of them, the jade pendant would immediately react. From the looks of things, all four of them should still be alive. However, why have they suddenly broken off contact? Nan Yifan only had this son and daughter, and he doted on them very much. Therefore, he had specially made a lot of preparations to be able to contact them at any time. But now, that connection had suddenly been severed! How could he not be anxious? ¡°Uncle Dan, something must have happened to them!¡± Nan Yifan said firmly. The old man called Uncle Dan also frowned. ¡°What about the Eldest Young Master? You¡ª¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°He can¡¯t be reached either.¡± If not for that, he wouldn¡¯t be so nervous. Uncle Dan didn¡¯t expect the matter to be so serious and hurriedly advised, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Look, they¡¯re actually still fine, right? As for why we can¡¯t contact them, there must be a reason. I¡¯ll investigate immediately!¡± With that, he turned around and planned to walk out. Nan Yifan put away the jade pendant and gritted his teeth. ¡°There¡¯s no need to investigate. Something must¡¯ve happened in the God-Killing Tumulus!¡± He couldn¡¯t think of any other reason! He thought for a moment, then walked out almost without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll personally make a trip to the God-Killing Tumulus!¡± Uncle Dan was shocked. ¡°Clan Leader, aren¡¯t you going in a hurry? The clan¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time.¡± Nan Yifan stopped in his tracks, but his expression turned even uglier. ¡°Even if they had encountered trouble, this never happened in the past. This time, they must¡¯ve encountered great danger! What kind of place is the God-Killing Tumulus? If we don¡¯t get there in time, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be too late!¡± Uncle Dan wanted to say something but hesitated. I¡¯m actually very worried about their situation, but many people in the clan don¡¯t know about their trip this time. If the family head goes over, the news will definitely spread like wildfire. At that time, I¡¯m afraid¡ª ¡°Uncle Dan, now isn¡¯t the time to be calculative! If something really happens to Yuxing and Yiyi¡ª¡± Nan Yifan didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but his expression said it all. No matter what the consequences are, nothing else matters as long as they are fine. But if they are dead¡­ then everything will be gone! At that time, there will be no chance to remedy it or regret it! Uncle Dan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately lowered his head. ¡°Clan Leader is right. I was confused!¡± Nan Yifan waved his hand. ¡°I know you¡¯re also thinking about the overall situation, but this matter involves the God-Killing Tumulus. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t care less.¡± He frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°Invite Luo Yan and the others to go with you.¡± Uncle Dan was stunned for a moment before he immediately bowed and responded respectfully. ¡°Yes.¡± With Elder Wu Peng and Elder Bai Tong accompanying them, something still happened. The situation there is probably more complicated than expected. It is safer for a few more people to go. Uncle Dan opened the door and went out. His figure quickly disappeared from sight. Nan Yifan paced back and forth, waiting anxiously. This happened too suddenly. They didn¡¯t even have time to send out any distress messages before¡ª What exactly happened? Nan Yifan didn¡¯t dare to think too much about it. There had always been all kinds of rumors about the God-Killing Tumulus. However, the two times he had been there in the past hadn¡¯t been dangerous, so he had always felt that the God-Killing Tumulus wasn¡¯t as terrifying as the rumors said. Until this time¡ª He began to regret it secretly. It was still a little risky to send only Elder Wu Peng and Elder Bai Tong! If I had known¡­ But how could there be a cure for regret in this world? The only thing he could do now was silently pray that those people would be safe before they arrived at the God-Killing Tumulus. Soon, Uncle Dan rushed over with a few people. Nan Yifan quickly scanned the area and was stunned. ¡°Where¡¯s Luo Yan?¡± In the entire Nan family, Luo Yan¡¯s combat strength could be ranked in the top five. Moreover, he had always doted on Nan Yiyi, so this time, Nan Yifan had made up his mind to bring Luo Yan along from the beginning. Uncle Dan¡¯s expression was a little subtle. ¡°Luo Yan isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here? He¡¯s usually obsessed with cultivation and rarely goes out. Why is he suddenly gone now? He¡ª¡± Suddenly, Nan Yifan paused. There is only one reason why Luo Yan would leave so quietly. Could it be¡ª Seeing that he seemed to have guessed it, Uncle Dan nodded helplessly. ¡°He seems to have already left for the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± As expected! For a moment, Nan Yifan¡¯s mood became even more complicated. Logically speaking, Yiyi and the others should¡¯ve gained a strong helper since Luo Yan has gone. Therefore, why did something still happen? And judging from the time, they seem to have met with an accident after Luo Yan arrived! This made Nan Yifan even more worried. He suppressed the surging emotions in his chest and abdomen. Without hesitation, he then moved! ¡°Uncle Dan, stay behind and deal with the clan¡¯s matters. The others, follow me!¡± No matter what, I have to bring Yiyi and the others back safely! ¡­ Godly Phoenix Hall. In the hall, Yi Zhao sat at the head of the table with the elders on both sides. Only four of the five elders had come today. Elder Yi Gong did not appear here. Yi Zhao glanced at the empty spot. ¡°Yi Gong still hasn¡¯t come today?¡± Elder Yi Jiao looked a little embarrassed and replied in a low voice, ¡°Yes. Ever since Yi Ran¡¯s accident, First Elder has been sad and hasn¡¯t adjusted his emotions.¡± The people present had different expressions. How is he sad for Yi Ran? He is clearly sad that his years of hard work have been wasted! All these years, he has spent a lot of effort nurturing Yi Ran. How could he accept this outcome? Yi Zhao couldn¡¯t be bothered to expose him, so he nodded indifferently. ¡°Then, let him rest well.¡± Anyway, it wouldn¡¯t matter much if he didn¡¯t come. After that, the few of them reported and summarized some things in the clan as usual. Yi Zhao made a decision. In fact, ever since the ancestral ceremony ended, there had been nothing major happening at Godly Phoenix Mountain. ¡°Recently, the children of the clan seem to be much more diligent in their cultivation than before.¡± Elder Yi Shang smiled. ¡°They must¡¯ve been stimulated by Tuan Zi during the ancestral ceremony.¡± At the mention of Tuan Zi, a smile appeared on Yi Zhao¡¯s ice-cold face. ¡°Tuan Zi is younger than them, but she¡¯s much stronger. Of course, it¡¯s impossible for them not to feel anything. It¡¯s not bad to have the heart to chase after Tuan Zi.¡± Unfortunately, nobody knows when Tuan Zi will return. Yi Zhao thought regretfully. Suddenly, a reddish-gold feather floated over from the hall. Yi Zhao¡¯s expression changed, and he abruptly stood up! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1701 - 1701 Torment 1701 Torment The feather gently wrote a line of words in the air: ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, come and save A¡¯Yue and me!¡± After seeing the line of words clearly, Yi Zhao¡¯s pupils constricted! The line of words soon transformed into golden flames in midair and quietly disappeared, and the feather was annihilated. The people in the hall were all shocked. ¡°Is¡­ Tuan Zi asking for help?¡± Elder Yi Shang asked with uncertainty. Yi Zhao¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Who else could send a request for help from so far away other than Tuan Zi? ¡°It looks like something happened to them.¡± If she hadn¡¯t been forced into a desperate situation, Tuan Zi would never have taken the initiative to ask them for help. Elder Yi Yu stood up, adjusted his collar, and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s rare for Tuan Zi to take the initiative to invite us for help. We naturally have to support her. Clan Leader, how about I make a trip?¡± Tuan Zi had already opened her fourth meridian. As one of the five elders, it was still very easy for him to find Tuan Zi. Yi Zhao nodded. ¡°After they left Godly Phoenix Mountain, they seemed to have gone straight to the God-Killing Tumulus. Go over there and take a look.¡± Elder Yi Yu nodded. He had just taken a step when he suddenly stopped. ¡°Clan Leader, Young Mistress asked for help. Shouldn¡¯t we send a few more people over?¡± The God-Killing Tumulus was very strange and dangerous. He couldn¡¯t guarantee that he could bring them out safely. Yi Zhao¡¯s lips moved, but he didn¡¯t say anything. It was as though he wanted to say something but hesitated. The remaining elders looked at each other. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything to hesitate about. What is the clan leader thinking? Elder Yi Shang also stood up and said, ¡°Yi Yu, you still have to deal with Phoenix Valley. Let me go this time.¡± He was the Second Elder and was even stronger than Elder Yi Yu, the Fifth Elder. ¡°Besides that, I¡¯ll find another¡ª¡± ¡°Second Elder, don¡¯t!¡± Elder Yi Yu stroked his chin and sighed. ¡°Actually, most of the matters in Phoenix Valley have been settled. Even if I leave now, it won¡¯t affect me much. Besides, this kind of opportunity to improve my relationship with Tuan Zi is rare! If I miss this chance, who knows how long I will have to wait for the next time? Don¡¯t tell me you want to snatch it from me.¡± He was the youngest of the five elders and had always been straightforward. As time passed, everyone became used to it. Elder Yi Shang couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake his head helplessly. ¡°But how can you do it alone? Or¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Yi Zhao interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯ll go with him.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent. The elders looked at each other. Clearly, they didn¡¯t expect him to plan to go personally. Elder Yi Shang was stunned for a moment and asked hesitantly, ¡°Clan Leader, are you really going personally?¡± Under normal circumstances, Yi Zhao rarely left Godly Phoenix Mountain unless something serious happened. After all, he was the clan leader. His every word and action had a huge impact. Yi Zhao nodded expressionlessly. ¡°This matter is serious. It¡¯s safer for me to go with Yi Yu.¡± He was a man of his word. At this moment, his attitude and tone were clearly very firm, so the elders in the hall didn¡¯t continue to stop him. After all, Tuan Zi was the young mistress and was personally appointed by their ancestor. They had to protect her no matter what. It was understandable for Yi Zhao to go personally. After they decided, Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu didn¡¯t hesitate to set off for the God-Killing Tumulus! ¡­ At this moment, Chu Liuyue was naturally unaware of what was happening outside. In the dim space, a shaft of daylight poured down from above. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged with a transparent piece of paper in her hand. On the paper, brilliant flowing light flickered¡ªbeautiful and moving. However, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to admire it at this moment. Her eyes were fixed on the paper, studying the trajectory and pattern of the flowing light, afraid of missing something. This was actually a very mentally draining matter, and she couldn¡¯t relax at all. At the same time, the force around her was rapidly depleting. She frowned slightly. Her lips were pale, and she looked rather haggard, but she still gripped the paper tightly in her hand, afraid to close her eyes and rest. Pieces of paper were scattered on the ground around her. Although they were also transparent, there was no gorgeous light on them, and every one of them had shattered as if they were already invalid. Those pieces of paper were what Chu Liuyue had already examined before. They were fake¡ªthey were all fake. Of the tens of thousands of pieces of paper, only one was real. Now that she had only read a hundred or so, how could she find the real one so easily? Here, she was so focused on studying each score that she could barely feel the passage of time. Only the pressure and pain that was still increasing on her body reminded her that time was passing quickly! The only thing to be happy about was that she was indeed reading a little faster than before. One every three days before, and now¡­ One every two and a half days. However, this joy didn¡¯t last long. This was because other than fighting to the death with these fake scores, Chu Liuyue also had to endure the test of the zither music! Ever since Ah Jing started playing the zither, Chu Liuyue had been enveloped by that terrifying killing intent! There was almost no room for hesitation in this tune. From the beginning to the end, it was filled with fighting spirit and killing intent! In a daze, Chu Liuyue felt like she was in a vast world. The sky was dark, dark clouds were surging, and the wind was roaring! In the endless wilderness, countless people were fighting! The shout shook the sky with a shocking momentum! As far as the eye could see, there were messy bloodstains, cold corpses, and a ghastly coldness. It was like hell on earth! She could even smell the strong, terrifying stench of blood. It was almost nauseating. It wasn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue had never seen battles and killing scenes; she had even fought on the battlefield herself. In the blink of an eye, she had killed countless people, and she had seen corpses everywhere more than once. However, those scenes paled in comparison to the images that kept appearing in her mind. She tried to shake the images out of her mind, but it was futile because these were part of that tune! Hence, she could only choose to accept it and keep forcing herself to focus on listening to every note of the song! This was undoubtedly an exceptionally cruel torture for Chu Liuyue. She seemed cut in half. Half of her was focused on the score in their hands, and the other half was constantly experiencing that bloody and terrifying scene. Finally, a trickle of dark red blood trickled slowly from the corner of her lips. It dripped onto the back of her hand. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1702 - 1702 End of Line 1702 End of Line Chu Liuyue nonchalantly stretched out her other hand and quickly wiped away the drop of blood. Her eyes, from beginning to end, never left the sheets of music. Although it was painful and difficult, she knew that this was the path she had chosen for herself from the beginning. She had to walk down by herself no matter what! She finally finished reading the piece of paper in her hand. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. It still isn¡¯t the right one. However, there was no disappointment on her face. She rubbed the piece of paper a few times and casually threw it to the ground. The moment she finished reading, the light on it had already disappeared. At this moment, it was lying there quietly, no different from a piece of waste paper. She raised her hand without hesitation, picked up another one, and continued reading. In fact, she was prepared to go through all the scores here. Her only hope was that time would flow faster. She didn¡¯t want decades to have passed outside by the time she was done. This thought only flashed through her mind before she quickly suppressed it. Shing! The sound of the zither didn¡¯t stop! Cultivation was endless! ¡­ ¡°Big Brother? Uncle Luo Yan? Elder Wu Peng? Elder Bai Tong?¡± In the dark and cramped space, Nan Yiyi¡¯s legs went weak. She slowly squatted down and hugged herself. Deep despair rose from the bottom of her heart and gradually drowned her. No response¡ªstill no response! She couldn¡¯t remember how long she had been walking here, but she could not find an exit. She didn¡¯t know how many times she shouted until her throat was hoarse, but she still didn¡¯t get any answer. It was as if there was nobody else here but her. It was terrifyingly quiet. She could even hear her breath and beating heart. This made her even more afraid. What if¡­ I¡¯m trapped here for the rest of my life? I don¡¯t want to die yet! Nan Yiyi finally couldn¡¯t help but sob softly. Deep down, her hatred for Chu Liuyue deepened. If not for that woman, how would I have ended up in this state? Everything had been fine, but ever since I met them, I¡¯ve been plagued by bad luck. Now, it is even more likely that I will lose my life! I wonder what the hell this place is. Ever since I was devoured here, I¡¯ve lost contact with everyone else. More importantly, I can¡¯t even send out a request for help! My only hope now is probably Father, but even I¡¯m not sure if I can hold on until then! After crying for a while, Nan Yiyi was tired and sat on the ground. But as soon as she sat down, she felt something under her. Shocked, she screamed and jumped up! ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A sharp scream echoed in the silent space, making it seem especially shrill and terrifying. Nan Yiyi hurriedly covered her mouth and looked at the ground in panic. When she saw what it was, she gasped, and her eyes widened. It was actually¡ªhalf a bone! As most of the bone was buried underground and the exposed part seemed to be broken from the middle, Nan Yiyi couldn¡¯t recognize what bone it was. The only thing she was certain of was that it should belong to a human cultivator. Besides¡­ the white bones were lustrous. At a glance, it was obvious that its owner¡¯s realm wasn¡¯t low when he was alive. But how could the current Nan Yiyi care about this? She stared at the half of the bone, her mind almost a panicked mess. Why is there such a bone here? I actually didn¡¯t notice it at all before! I don¡¯t know who it belongs to. I previously walked in the God-Killing Tumulus for so long but never saw even half a bone. Why is one now¡ª Hang on! At the thought of this, Nan Yiyi¡¯s mind finally cleared up. That¡¯s not right! There must be a problem! I previously traveled day and night with my eldest brother and the others in the God-Killing Tumulus. After walking so far, there was nothing but shattered tombstones everywhere. This is the first bone I have seen in the God-Killing Tumulus, but¡­ why is it here? She stared at the bone for a long time. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help but take two steps forward. Suddenly, a weak and hoarse voice entered her ears. ¡°Let me out, and I can take you out.¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart skipped a beat! She took two steps back and stared at the bone as if she had seen a ghost. She was certain that the voice had come from below! ¡°Wh-who¡ªare you!?¡± Her voice shook violently with fear. After a pause, the voice came again. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that. You just need to know that I can help you leave this place. Are you going to accept this deal or not?¡± His tone was terrifyingly calm, but it also had a power that made people unconsciously believe him. Nan Yiyi tried her best to calm herself down. ¡°I-If I help you, will you promise not to hurt me after we get out?¡± The voice seemed to laugh. ¡°You¡¯re not worth my time.¡± From his words, it was as if he didn¡¯t take Nan Yiyi seriously at all. Nan Yiyi was furious, but she didn¡¯t dare to flare up. On second thought, this person might really not be an ordinary person. ¡°Since you don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy, why do you need my help?¡± The other party was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because¡­ you can help me. You can take that thing out and use it now.¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously touched the chain around her neck. Only Father and Eldest Brother knew about this. He actually saw through it so directly? As if sensing her hesitation, the other party continued, ¡°You have to know that without my help¡­ Even if you¡¯re trapped here for a hundred years, you definitely won¡¯t be able to get out.¡± These words finally made Nan Yiyi make up her mind. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you! However, you must keep your promise!¡± As she spoke, she finally removed the chain from her neck. It was an ordinary-looking silver chain, very thin, with a fingernail-sized ruby. The color was dark red, and the texture was pure. Even if ordinary people saw it, they would only think that it was just an ordinary ruby pendant. Nan Yiyi held the ruby in her hand and closed her eyes. Soon, a totem appeared between her eyebrows! A short sword suddenly flew out of the ruby! It was snow-white and extremely sharp! Nan Yiyi grabbed the short sword and slashed at the ground! A deep mark quickly appeared on the ground! Nan Yiyi didn¡¯t stop. After a while, the ground around the bone completely loosened. Whoosh! The white bone suddenly darted out! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1703 - 1703 Sucking Up to Someone Else 1703 Sucking Up to Someone Else Before Nan Yiyi could react, she suddenly felt a strong force attacking her! Immediately after, her body fell forward uncontrollably! At this moment, the darkness in front of her was suddenly cut by a white light! Instinctively, she closed her eyes. Then, her body suddenly fell! ¡­ Outside the Red Soul Woods. A few ripples suddenly spread in the void. Immediately after, a few figures walked out one after another! The person in front was wearing a dark-purple robe with a cold and solemn expression¡ªit was the head of the Nan family, Nan Yifan! Behind him were four elders of the clan. As soon as they arrived, Nan Yifan quickly glanced around and frowned. He sensed the auras of Nan Yiyi and the others. After doing so for a while, he walked toward a certain spot in the Red Soul Woods. ¡°They should¡¯ve entered the Red Soul Woods from here.¡± The elders behind him hurriedly followed. Because they knew that this matter involved Nan Yuxing and Nan Yiyi, they didn¡¯t dare to say anything in front of Nan Yifan. Whatever he said, they followed. The few of them quickly rushed over. But just as Nan Yifan and the others were about to enter, there was suddenly a fluctuation behind them! They immediately turned around and were on high alert. Who else would come to the God-Killing Tumulus at this time? Moreover, they chose the same position as us! A black spatial rift was suddenly torn open! Then, two figures walked out one after another! When he saw the person¡¯s face clearly, Nan Yifan was stunned. This¡­ Isn¡¯t this the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s Clan Leader Yi Zhao and one of the five elders, Elder Yi Yu? The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan almost never interacted with humans. The reason why Nan Yifan could recognize them at a glance was that he had seen them by chance in the past. Although he had only met them once, he had always remembered them clearly. So now that he saw these two familiar faces, he immediately remembered. Nan Yifan¡¯s suspended heart relaxed a little, but at the same time, more questions arose. Why are they suddenly here? Not to mention Elder Yi Yu, Yi Zhao rarely leaves Godly Phoenix Mountain. Today, they actually¡­ appeared in the Red Soul Woods outside the God-Killing Tumulus together. It really makes people think too much. But no matter what he thought, he had to do something. Nan Yifan quickly adjusted his expression and took a step forward. Then, he cupped his hands politely and smiled. ¡°Haha, isn¡¯t this Clan Leader Yi Zhao? What wind blew you here?¡± Compared to his ¡®passion,¡¯ Yi Zhao¡¯s attitude was much colder. Yi Zhao only glanced indifferently at Nan Yifan before quickly retracting his gaze as if he didn¡¯t see this person at all. He then turned his head and said to Elder Yi Yu, ¡°They should¡¯ve entered from here.¡± Elder Yi Yu nodded. Of course, we won¡¯t mistake Tuan Zi¡¯s aura. But¡­ why did we meet someone from the Nan family here? He glanced over from the corner of his eye, but he didn¡¯t answer Nan Yifan. What a joke. The clan leader has always been impolite to the human race. Now that something has happened to Tuan Zi, time is of the essence. How could he still be in the mood to chat with Nan Yifan and the others? Their attitude made Nan Yifan very embarrassed. The smile on his face froze for an instant, but then his expression returned to normal. In fact, he had expected such a reaction. It had been so many years. Which of the two ancient legendary fiend clans wasn¡¯t arrogant? Although he was unconvinced, he had no choice but to admit that the other party had the confidence. Nan Yifan had a noble status and was also strong. Over the years, it had almost always been others who had to abide by him. There weren¡¯t many scenes where he was fawning over others and was looked down upon. If it were anyone else, they might already be lying on the ground. However, the other party was Yi Zhao. They really couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. Nan Yifan swallowed his anger and pretended that nothing had happened. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, are you also here to look for someone?¡± These words attracted Elder Yi Yu¡¯s attention, and he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Also?¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s heart tightened. He felt that he had made a mistake by subconsciously saying the word ¡®also.¡¯ But thinking of the other party¡¯s identity, there seems to be nothing to be afraid of. So what if they know? Could it be that Yi Zhao will interfere in matters of the human race? After thinking for a moment, Nan Yifan said frankly, ¡°That¡¯s right. My daughter came to this God-Killing Tumulus some time ago, but there was suddenly no news today. I was worried, so I came over to take a look personally.¡± He only mentioned Nan Yiyi but didn¡¯t mention Nan Yuxing and the others. This matter was serious. If the news of Nan Yuxing¡¯s actions spread, the Nan family would probably fall into chaos. In any case, everyone knew that he had always doted on Nan Yiyi. It was normal for him to make a special trip here for her. A look of understanding flashed across Elder Yi Yu¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t answer. Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°May I know who you¡¯re here to look for? The God-Killing Tumulus is vast and dangerous. If we join forces, we might be able to find them faster.¡± That¡¯s right¡ªhe wanted to join forces with Yi Zhao. Although the other party had few people, they were powerful! Moreover, if he could take this opportunity to get closer to the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, it would be even better. He was dreaming, but Yi Zhao was not interested at all. Yi Zhao didn¡¯t even look at him. His calm and authoritative face was cold and stern as he walked toward the Red Soul Woods. Nan Yifan was rejected and felt a little embarrassed. However, Yi Zhao was famous for his bad temper and arrogance. Even if he was angry, he didn¡¯t dare to really do anything to him. Besides, the most important thing now was to find Nan Yiyi and the others. Behind him, the elders secretly exchanged glances, not even daring to breathe. Nan Yifan clenched his fists and took a deep breath. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hurry up!¡± With that, he started advancing. As they walked, they all sensed that something was wrong. Nan Yifan¡¯s expression became even stranger, and his footsteps became hesitant. Why is this direction¡­ the same as Yi Zhao and the others? Almost at the same time, Elder Yi Yu turned around and glanced at Nan Yifan with a faint smile. ¡°Clan Leader Nan, if you want to find someone, just go ahead. Why must you come with us?¡± Nan Yifan immediately felt embarrassed and braced himself to explain, ¡°Elder Yi Yu, it¡¯s really a misunderstanding! We didn¡¯t mean to follow you, but¡­ my daughter and the others seem to have entered the God-Killing Tumulus from here, so¡ª¡± Seeing that his expression didn¡¯t seem to be fake, Elder Yi Yu glanced at Yi Zhao hesitantly. The Red Soul Woods is so big, but he is entering from here? Isn¡¯t this¡­ too much of a coincidence? Seeing this reaction, Nan Yifan immediately realized something. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, perhaps the person you¡¯re looking for entered with Yiyi and the others?¡± There was a faint excitement in his expression. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s more convenient for us to act together. What do you think?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1704 - 1704 Traces 1704 Traces Yi Zhao frowned slightly. A moment later, he continued forward but said nothing. Elder Yi Yu was best at guessing his thoughts and understood that this was tacit agreement. Although they didn¡¯t interact much with the humans, the situation this time was a little special. Nan Yifan¡¯s words weren¡¯t unreasonable. It wasn¡¯t so easy to find Tuan Zi and the others quickly in this huge God-Killing Tumulus. If the people both sides were looking for really entered the God-Killing Tumulus together, it might indeed be faster. Elder Yi Yu smiled. ¡°In that case, Clan Leader Nan¡ªplease go ahead.¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s eyes lit up. He agreed?! I was only trying, but I didn¡¯t expect them to really agree! This immediately comforted Nan Yifan¡¯s originally anxious heart. The Nan family was indeed powerful, but compared to the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, it was still a head shorter. Now that they could move together with Yi Zhao and the others, it could be considered that they had a relationship. Even in the entire God Residence Realm, how many people could do it? ¡°Okay! Okay!¡± Nan Yifan hurriedly agreed and followed. Initially, he wanted to lean over and talk to Yi Zhao. However, Elder Yi Yu was in the middle, making it really difficult to communicate. Moreover, Yi Zhao¡¯s pressure was heavy¡ªordinary people couldn¡¯t even get close. Nan Yifan saw that Yi Zhao¡¯s expression was cold and that he didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood. After thinking about it, he tactfully didn¡¯t disturb him and only followed quietly a few steps behind. Force wasn¡¯t allowed in the Red Soul Woods, so they naturally walked forward obediently. As they walked, Nan Yifan kept thinking. Who are Yi Zhao and the others looking for? Although they hid it very well, Nan Yifan still saw the worry in their eyes. They are definitely not here to seek revenge. It looks more like they are looking for someone important¡­ Nan Yifan was even more puzzled. There are only a few people in the world who can alarm Yi Zhao, right? Whoever it is, they are probably an important figure in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡­ Nan Yifan was nervous and uneasy. Apart from that, there was also a hint of anticipation. Perhaps Yiyi and the others have really encountered the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan? If they really encountered some trouble together, their relationship might be able to go further. Thinking of this, Nan Yifan immediately felt relieved. He had never thought about whether Nan Yiyi and the others would offend them. What a joke. Even if she couldn¡¯t recognize them, Elder Wu Peng and the others would definitely be able to tell their identities immediately. They couldn¡¯t wait to please him. How could they go against the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan? But things were often unpredictable. At this moment, Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of cruel reality would greet him later. ¡­ Suddenly, Yi Zhao stopped and stared ahead. Nan Yifan could only stop and turn to follow his gaze. What he saw made him frown. In the forest not far ahead was a mess. It seemed that there had been a fierce battle here. But this is the Red Soul Woods. Wouldn¡¯t they be courting death if they fight here? Suddenly, an elder beside him exclaimed, ¡°Clan Leader, th-that looks like Eldest Young Master¡¯s clothes!¡± Nan Yifan was shocked. He hurriedly took a few steps forward and looked over. When Nan Yifan saw the tattered clothes on the ground and the messy blood, his mind buzzed! It is re-really Yuxing¡¯s clothes! Did he make a move here? However, he clearly knows that he can¡¯t use force in the Red Soul Woods. How could he have caused himself such trouble?! The few scarlet leaves scattered beside him dispelled Nan Yifan¡¯s last trace of hope. There are no fallen leaves in the entire Red Soul Woods¡ªonly here! Something must¡¯ve happened! ¡°Clan Leader, don¡¯t be anxious. Perhaps this blood doesn¡¯t belong to Eldest Young Master. Eldest Young Master is powerful. Moreover, he has Elder Wu Peng and the others by his side. He will definitely be fine!¡± Nan Yifan clenched his fists. Nan Yuxing and the others are indeed not in danger, but from the looks of it, they are definitely injured. I just don¡¯t know what happened to cause such a situation¡­ Elder Yi Yu stroked his chin. ¡°Clan Leader, there¡¯s no aura of Tuan Zi in this blood.¡± Yi Zhao nodded. The Red Soul Woods might be very dangerous for humans, but it isn¡¯t a threat to Tuan Zi. It would be strange if she was injured here. There is a high chance that she encountered trouble after entering the God-Killing Tumulus. Yi Zhao glanced expressionlessly at the mess before continuing forward. He naturally wouldn¡¯t care too much about irrelevant people and matters. Nan Yifan clenched his fists. Finally, he looked away and followed. Since they aren¡¯t here, the most important thing now is to enter the God-Killing Tumulus and find their traces! The place where the blood was found was actually already the edge of the Red Soul Woods. As long as they walked a little further, they could get out. Unfortunately, something still happened to Nan Yuxing and the others¡­ Nan Yifan felt suffocated, and his expression darkened. After a while, everyone finally walked out of the Red Soul Woods in silence. Their field of vision suddenly widened! The sky was gray and thick with clouds. Looking out, there was an endless field. A cold aura instantly assaulted their face, and they could vaguely smell the desolate smell of blood. Nan Yifan¡¯s heart trembled. Behind him, an elder couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice, ¡°Clan Leader, don¡¯t you think the God-Killing Tumulus seems a little different?¡± Nan Yifan nodded. It is indeed different. I have been here before, but I have never felt the sinister coldness of the world so strongly. It almost makes one tremble from the bottom of their heart. I can¡¯t tell the difference, but it has changed. Elder Yi Yu walked to Yi Zhao¡¯s side. The smile on his face gradually faded, and there was a hint of coldness and seriousness between his brows. ¡°The murderous aura here is even stronger,¡± Elder Yi Yu said seriously. Yi Zhao nodded. This isn¡¯t a good sign. We have just entered the God-Killing Tumulus, yet we already feel such a shocking murderous aura. If we continue deeper¡­ No wonder Tuan Zi chose to ask for help. Yi Zhao looked around and vaguely confirmed a direction. Seeing this, Nan Yifan gritted his teeth and chose to follow closely behind. At this point, he could no longer sense their auras. However, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was different; they had astonishing talent and sensing power in this area. The God-Killing Tumulus was so big, and Nan Yuxing and the others had completely cut off their connection with him. The best way was to follow Yi Zhao and the others. At this moment, Yi Zhao was focused on Tuan Zi and ignored Nan Yifan. Just like that, the group headed deeper into the God-Killing Tumulus. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1705 - 1705 Trapped 1705 Trapped Time passed silently. Chu Liuyue gripped a transparent zither score tightly in her hand. The dazzling light above almost blinded her. From when she started until now, she had barely stopped and kept reading them one by one. The force in her body was also rapidly depleting during this process, but every time the force ran out, more power would surge out of the transparent page in her dantian and pour into her limbs and bones. This was all the strength she had accumulated over the years! With the support of this force, Chu Liuyue could last until now. And when this power flowed through her body, it often surged like a river, constantly washing through her flesh, bones, and tendons. Subtly, her body became stronger with each tempering! In other words, her overall strength had actually been increasing. However, this process was too painful and torturous. Every time her energy ran out, she felt like a dying fish struggling desperately. After receiving the support of the new force, this pain would slowly ease. However, this wouldn¡¯t last long because this force would still be quickly consumed. Thereafter, a new cycle began again¡ªtime and time again. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t even remember how many times she had experienced such an extreme process, and it was all still going on with no intention of stopping. Not to mention, the murderous zither music kept lingering in her ears! This was extremely torturous for anyone. Those who weren¡¯t firm enough might have been defeated long ago. Chu Liuyue could only rely on her last bit of willpower to grit her teeth and persevere. On the surface, she didn¡¯t seem to be any different from before. She was still fine from top to bottom, and there were stars of blood at the corner of her mouth. But in reality, her body had already been turned upside down! In her mind, she was also experiencing a terrifying storm! The sound of the zither kept echoing in her ears. It was as if corpses could be seen everywhere, and blood energy was visible! The blood in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body seemed to boil! Her body began to tremble slightly, and the score fell from her hand. Shing! The zither suddenly stopped sounding! Ah Jing looked at her and asked calmly, ¡°Do you want to rest for a while?¡± She has really reached her limit. Chu Liuyue said slowly and firmly, ¡°No¡­ No need¡­¡± Her voice was very faint, but there was determination in it. Then, she picked up the score that had fallen to the ground. Although her hands were shaking, she gripped them so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Ah Jing gently pressed his hand on the strings and smiled. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to force yourself like this. It¡¯s not a big deal to rest for a while. Besides, you¡¯re already reading very quickly.¡± She had made great progress and performed even better than he had expected. ¡°Or maybe I can help you adjust the flow of time? That way, you can relax a lot.¡± Now that time was flowing too quickly, the pressure on her was multiplied. If she slowed down, her situation would be much better. ¡°¡­Thank you, Senior Ah Jing. You¡­ you don¡¯t have to worry about me¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head again and rejected his suggestion. Now, she only hoped to fuse these music scores as quickly as possible and go out to meet Rong Xiu and the others to prevent them from worrying too much. Although the process was torturous, she could still take it. ¡°How¡­ stubborn¡­¡± Ah Jing stared at her for a while and smiled helplessly. Putting everything else aside, just this temperament alone was extremely rare. Such a person will do their best in everything. How could they not succeed? His fingertips moved, and the sound of the zither rose again! In an instant, the bloody scene appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind again! Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: These images seem¡­ not to be illusory! ¡­ In the dark and lonely space, Rong Xiu stood quietly. His eyes were closed, shading those mesmerizing eyes. Then, the golden flame in his palm quickly spread toward his body! In a short while, he was completely enveloped by the flames! That peerlessly noble face shone like jade against the brilliant fire. A totem gradually appeared between his eyebrows¡ªpure, noble, and unattainable! At the same time, the figure in the huge mirror¡ªwhich had no edge¡ªin front of him was already enveloped by black flames! Powerful, domineering, and awe-inspiring! A totem gradually appeared between his eyebrows, but that totem was completely different from the totem between Rong Xiu¡¯s eyebrows outside the mirror! However, the totem only flashed for a moment before it was enveloped by the surrounding black flames! Then, Rong Xiu reached out to touch the mirror¡ª ¡­ Nan Yiyi felt her body falling. She could hear nothing but the wind howling in her ears. After an unknown period of time, she finally fell to the ground! Thump! A low sound was heard. The ground was hard, and she almost fractured her bones when she fell. ¡°Si¡ª¡± She gasped in pain. But before she could finish drawing her breath, a crimson corner of her shirt caught her eye. She was suddenly shocked and looked up quickly. Not far in front of her, a section of white bone was lying quietly on the ground. It was slender and smooth, stained with black and red blood. It looked like a human forearm bone, but the real reason for Nan Yiyi¡¯s shock wasn¡¯t this, but¡ª On the white bone stood a translucent figure¡ªit was a man who looked to be in his 40s! He was thin and had an ordinary face. It was the kind of existence that wouldn¡¯t be remembered after a glance. But when his gaze swept over, Nan Yiyi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine! An indescribable cold fear abruptly rose from the bottom of her heart! With just one look, she was certain that this man was definitely not to be trifled with! ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re the person who just spoke to me!?¡± Nan Yiyi said nervously. The middle-aged man didn¡¯t answer the meaningless question. He only looked her up and down before saying indifferently, ¡°Name.¡± Nan Yiyi was stunned for a moment before she realized that he was asking her name. Seeing that the other party had no intention of attacking her, she replied hesitantly, ¡°Nan¡­ Nan Yiyi¡­¡± ¡°The Nan family?¡± The man looked enlightened. ¡°No wonder you have such a treasure on you.¡± Upon hearing that the other party knew her background, Nan Yiyi immediately heaved a sigh of relief. In that case, he probably has some scruples and won¡¯t attack casually, right? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since I promised to take you out, I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1706 - 1706 Right There! 1706 Right There! After all, Nan Yiyi was still young and had little experience. All her thoughts were on her face. Her thoughts were easily seen through by the other party. Nan Yiyi pressed her lips against each other. Although she didn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s identity, his words and actions were quite magnanimous. This was especially so when he spoke. His expression was calm, but it inexplicably made people feel like they were bathing in a spring breeze. It was very comfortable. She instinctively let her guard down and nodded. ¡°T-thank you then, Senior! Oh right, may I know how to address you?¡± That man lightly said, ¡°I¡¯ve been trapped here for a thousand years. My name doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± Nan Yiyi was shocked again. Trapped for a thousand years? The duration is too long. She raised her eyes. Actually, she wanted to ask the other party many questions about his background, his experience, the reason why he was trapped here, and why he was hidden in a white bone¡­ However, she didn¡¯t need to speak. Seeing the other party¡¯s gaze, she knew that he would definitely not say it. ¡°Then¡­ Senior, how did you know that I can help you come out?¡± Actually, this sentence was her asking why he knew that she had a dagger with her. She was too curious about this question because that dagger was the most precious item on her. The necklace she had looked like an ordinary ruby accessory, but it was actually a Cosmic Ring her father specifically crafted for the dagger. There was only this one item inside. Her father had previously mentioned that she couldn¡¯t use it unless she was on the brink of death. Hence, all these years, she had never taken it out. However, this man directly saw through it¡­ How could Nan Yiyi not be doubtful? She asked meticulously, but that man didn¡¯t seem to care about it. He seemed to laugh and say nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen many legendary Yuan instruments in my life. Why wouldn¡¯t I recognize yours?¡± This meant that he didn¡¯t feel that Nan Yiyi¡¯s dagger was precious. Nan Yiyi felt stifled, felt frustrated, and wronged. My Nan family is one of the top existences in the God Residence Realm; even some aristocratic families have to act based on us. All things we think are treasures are naturally true treasures. That man¡¯s tone is so arrogant, but he is most likely bluffing. However, she naturally didn¡¯t dare to express this dissatisfaction and could only acknowledge it. It seems like I can¡¯t get any information out of this man¡­ She silently thought in her heart. ¡°Walk here.¡± That man suddenly spoke and caused Nan Yiyi to be taken aback. She looked in the direction of the man¡¯s gestures and realized that there seemed to be faint light seeping through. Previously, she was just thinking about this man and didn¡¯t notice this. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°That¡¯s the exit?¡± The man laughed at the side. ¡°If it¡¯s really so easy to go out, how would I be trapped here for a thousand years without an exit?¡± She is too naive. Nan Yiyi heard the mockery in his words, and her face flushed slightly, feeling very awkward. ¡°Simply speaking, this is a gigantic maze. Countless paths cut this into many spaces, but you can only go out with one path.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t come in alone, right?¡± He glanced at Nan Yiyi. Her status isn¡¯t low, and her talent is decent. It¡¯s a pity that it isn¡¯t enough here. The Nan family wouldn¡¯t let her come alone. Nan Yiyi nodded. Then, she suddenly looked up at the other party expectantly. ¡°Senior, my big brother and the rest are here. Can you help me find¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Without Nan Yiyi finishing her sentence, that man nonchalantly interrupted her and confidently gave an affirmative answer. Nan Yiyi choked. ¡°¡­W-why? I can give you a huge reward! As long as you¡¯re willing to help, we¡¯ll definitely repay you greatly after we go out!¡± That man glanced at her with unconcealable mockery and imperiousness. ¡°Do you know how many spaces there are here? Even if they came in with you, they weren¡¯t separated into the same place as you, right? Do you think it¡¯s that easy to find someone here? You need to know that even if they¡¯re next to you and only a wall between the two of you, it¡¯s very difficult for you to see them!¡± ¡°I promised to bring you out, but I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d help the others.¡± The other party¡¯s tone was determined and cold. Nan Yiyi¡¯s originally hopeful heart gradually sank. ¡°If you still want to go out, follow quietly behind me later.¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s nails dug into her palms, and she looked down. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡­ Yi Zhao and the rest were still walking in the wasteland. As Yi Zhao and Yi Yu were worried about Tuan Zi and Chu Liuyue, they were moving quite fast. This made the few people behind suffer. Nan Yifan was still fine, but the elders behind him clearly couldn¡¯t catch up. Their faces gradually turned pale, and their foreheads were covered in sweat. Seeing this scene, Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows and look at Yi Zhao and Yi Yu. They¡¯re indeed red-gold heavenly phoenixes. Such skills are the best! The few people on their side weren¡¯t actually weak, but they were not worth a mention in front of Yi Zhao and Yi Yu. The duo¡¯s expressions didn¡¯t even have a slight change and looked very relaxed. Compared to them¡­ the comparison was tragic. Nan Yifan¡¯s mood became complicated. Red-gold heavenly phoenixes are one of the two ancient legendary fiends, and they have always been arrogant. As the clan leader, Yi Zhao is even more so and has rarely interacted with the human clan for the past few years. When Nan Yifan first saw Yi Zhao and Yi Yu, he looked respectful and polite but was pretty indignant. But now, he finally understood that the other party had the right to be arrogant! It seems like I have to be more careful when dealing with Yi Zhao and the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡­ ¡­ Elder Yi Yu detected the changes in Nan Yifan and the rest, but his lips just curled up playfully, and he didn¡¯t take it to heart. He could already guess the standard of these people at first glance. Now that they were incapable and couldn¡¯t catch up, it was normal. In the human clan, including Nan Yifan and the rest, perhaps they were the top existences in terms of talent and skills. However, this wasn¡¯t enough for them. Red-gold heavenly phoenixes were ancient legendary fiends, and they were born in the chaos. Their bloodline power was invincible, so how could they compare to humans? So what if they were legendary warriors? They couldn¡¯t even get past Godly Phoenix Mountain¡¯s entrance! All these years, only Shangguan Yue could cause them to have another impression. Yi Zhao suddenly stopped. Elder Yi Yu retracted his thoughts. ¡°Clan Leader?¡± Yi Zhao raised his hand. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ there!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1707 - 1707 Not a Single One 1707 Not a Single One Elder Yi Yu squinted his eyes, looked in the direction he pointed, and was slightly stunned. Far away, there were many messy tombstones in the vast wasteland. Even if they were a distance away, they could clearly feel the aura of intense sinister suppression. Oppressive! Heavy! Stern! A cold and intense blood aura permeated through the air, causing them to be shocked. ¡°This is¡­ the burial area for the true gods?¡± muttered Elder Yi Yu. ¡°Clan Leader, you mean¡ª¡± Yi Zhao raised his chin. ¡°No, look again.¡± Elder Yi Yu was dazed. When he looked further, he saw that there was an extraordinary black color connecting heaven and earth. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a wall?!¡± Elder Yi Yu widened his eyes slightly. Hearing his words, Nan Yifan and the rest immediately looked over. However, their eyesight wasn¡¯t as good as Elder Yi Yu, let alone Yi Zhao. Hence, they could only forcefully see a black line. However, Nan Yifan still looked shocked. There was indeed a wall in the God-Killing Tumulus. Rumors had it that it appeared during the stunning battle countless strong warriors participated in. They heard that the wall contained a boundless amount of strength and separated heaven and earth. Most of the cultivators met their demise when they participated in the battle back then, and countless treasures were destroyed. Only this wall was rigid and hard, lasting until now. Before this, Nan Yifan had only heard of the wall in rumors, but he hadn¡¯t seen it before. Hence, when he saw it from afar, he couldn¡¯t conceal his agitation. However, Yi Zhao¡¯s following statement caused his heart to turn cold. ¡°They should be inside.¡± Once he said this, the surroundings instantly turned silent. Inside? What inside? The few of them looked at each other in confusion and saw the doubt, disbelief, and daze in each other¡¯s eyes. Even though Elder Yi Yu wasn¡¯t as shocked as Nan Yifan and the rest, he also furrowed his brows for once. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ they¡¯re in the wall?¡± Yi Zhao nodded. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Nan Yifan finally couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, you¡¯re saying that¡­ they¡¯re behind the wall¡­ right?¡± How could this wall contain anyone? Besides, this wall is so famous because it is extraordinarily firm. Not only did it survive the bloody battle back then, it even still stands stubbornly after so many thunderstorms over thousands of years. Normal people might not even be able to leave a hole in the wall, let alone others. Isn¡¯t this too strange? Yi Zhao didn¡¯t even give Nan Yifan an additional gaze as if he didn¡¯t hear his question and went straight for the wall. Elder Yi Yu immediately followed. However, his face no longer had his previous smile and was replaced by a rare sternness and solemnity. Without getting a reply, Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t care to be aggrieved. That was because he could tell that Yi Zhao and Yi Yu looked nervous. Things will be troublesome¡­ Nan Yifan¡¯s heart hung high. If the person Yi Zhao and Yi Yu is looking for is trapped behind the wall, then¡­ Are Yiyi and the rest¡ª This thought immediately caused him to be uneasy. He took a deep breath in and waved to the few of them. ¡°Keep up!¡± ¡­ The true god tombstones were silent. Yi Zhao and the rest walked through this silently. This process was long and torturous, and the closer they were, the more they could feel the shocking suppression and harshness from it! ¡°The legendary warrior tombstones should be in front,¡± whispered Elder Yi Yu. That wall was within the legendary warrior tombstone area. The further they went in, the closer they were to the wall. With that, they naturally could see it more clearly. Nan Yifan clenched his teeth and walked as he stared at the increasingly clearer black wall before him. That wall was extremely high as it stood there quietly, and one could not see its end. I wonder how long this wall is¡­ Why didn¡¯t I see it when I came here before? Plop! A deep sound was heard from the back. Nan Yifan turned around and glanced over. One elder that came with him fell to the ground with a pale face. ¡°M-master¡­ I¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his chest vibrated, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. It was bright red, which caused his face to be even more frail and disheveled in comparison. Nan Yifan¡¯s face darkened. At the side, an elder couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Master, the harshness from the wall is too scary. Elder Jin Ming probably can¡¯t hold on any longer. And¡­ the remaining of us¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t cursing anybody, but the truth was there! They knew each other¡¯s abilities the best. They had reached this step, and nobody wanted to stop. If they had a choice, why would they¡ª Nan Yifan closed his eyes and said, ¡°You and Elder Jin Ming can stay here to wait. You don¡¯t have to go further anymore.¡± The path in front of them was dangerous, and he couldn¡¯t risk his elders¡¯ lives. The two elders originally seemed hesitant, but they finally chose to nod in agreement. They themselves understood that they had reached the end of their wits. If they forcefully followed him, they would become his burden. ¡°Master, you must be careful.¡± Nan Yifan didn¡¯t delay for very long and turned around to leave after instructing them twice. Then, he continued walking toward Yi Zhao and Yi Yu. The few of them walked for a distance and finally reached the wall. Yi Zhao stopped in his tracks, stared at the front, and had a deep gaze. Elder Yi Yu knitted his brows tightly. This situation is even worse than expected¡­ When Nan Yifan caught up with them, he immediately felt the low aura around the duo. His heart sank with them. After a moment, seeing that Yi Zhao and Yi Yu had no intentions of speaking or taking action, Nan Yifan finally hesitated in asking, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, are you sure that the person you¡¯re looking for is inside?¡± Elder Yi Yu stood with his hands behind his back and lightly said, ¡°Master Nan, your precious daughter and the few of them should be inside.¡± Nan Yifan was shocked. ¡°T-this¡­ How did you¡ª¡± ¡°This wall hides all the aura. Anyone who enters will lose contact with the outside world.¡± Shock flashed across Nan Yifan¡¯s eyes. I really didn¡¯t know this! He stared at the black wall solemnly again. Tall, thick, suppressive! After weathering thunderstorms, the harsh aura kept exuding from within, causing it to be intolerable! They were outside, and it was already so torturous for them. If they really went in, wouldn¡¯t it be more dangerous? ¡°Then, we should swiftly leave with them!¡± said Nan Yifan nervously. Elder Yi Yu suddenly laughed, but he had no smiling intent on his face. Then, he tilted his head and glanced at Nan Yifan. ¡°Master Nan, do you know how many people trapped here have successfully come out?¡± Nan Yifan looked at him, and a strong sense of uneasiness surged up his heart. Elder Yi Yu lightly said, ¡°None at all.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1708 - 1708 Far, Ancient Totem 1708 Far, Ancient Totem None at all? Nan Yifan suddenly widened his eyes. Doesn¡¯t that mean that everyone who enters is on a path to death and has no chance of survival?! Then, Yuxing and Yiyi¡ª ¡°Elder Yi Yu, i-is what you said true?¡± Nan Yifan had experienced countless thunderstorms in his life and was always calm and as stable as a mountain. But when he heard this, he instantly became anxious. His only two bloodline descendants were likely inside! If they really did not come out, then¡ª Nan Yifan didn¡¯t dare to continue thinking. He took a step forward and anxiously asked, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, you must have a way, right?!¡± The person Yi Zhao wants to find is inside, so he will definitely think of a way to get the person out. Perhaps I can conveniently bring Yuxing and Yiyi out together¡ª ¡°Take a step back,¡± said Yi Zhao suddenly. Upon hearing this, Nan Yifan immediately followed the instruction and gazed at Yi Zhao expectantly. Elder Yi Yu was hesitant in his words, but he eventually didn¡¯t say anything and took a few steps back. Yi Zhao looked up at the front. Whoosh! A red-golden fire suddenly appeared in his palm, and a terrifying suppression instantly descended! The surrounding temperature rapidly rose with the fire¡¯s appearance! Nan Yifan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved, and his throat was dry, but his eyes didn¡¯t blink, terrified that something would happen. At the same time, he was secretly shocked. Yi Zhao¡¯s moves are indeed extraordinary! His true cultivation level and skills are clearly more shocking than rumored! This caused Nan Yifan to be more at ease. Yi Zhao is so amazing. Perhaps he can create a miracle¡­ Whir! The moment Yi Zhao took action, the black wall before him immediately had a reaction! With a whir, a gigantic strange totem gradually formed on the wall and appeared before Yi Zhao and the rest! ¡°Whose totem¡­ is this? Why haven¡¯t I seen it before?¡± An elder behind Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t help but mutter curiously and softly. A totem that could appear here was naturally special. However, they knew all the totems of reputable families in the God Residence Realm, and none of them matched this one. Another elder paused for a moment and guessed with uncertainty, ¡°Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s the totem of a clan that participated in the shocking battle thousands of years ago?¡± This was the likeliest possibility. Ever since that battle, countless strong warriors met their demise, causing their aristocratic families to disappear over the years. Not many powers survived back then. Thus, something like a totem was even more blurred. Nan Yifan didn¡¯t care much about the totem. All his attention now was on Yi Zhao. At this point, he had really pinned all his hopes on Yi Zhao. As long as Yiyi and Yuxing can come out safely, nothing else matters! Ka! A tiny sound came from the wall. Nan Yifan and the rest perked up. It¡¯s going to open? But before their hopeful expressions could extend fully, it froze on their faces. The gigantic totem on the black wall suddenly spun slowly¡ªthe previous sound came from here! Almost at the same time, the fire on Yi Zhao¡¯s palm suddenly extinguished! Then, a strong gust of wind swept across! Yi Zhao was stunned. His surrounding aura rapidly exploded! Instantly, the crazy winds howled as dust flew up! The terrifying strength hurled over crazily! Yi Zhao was still Yi Zhao and eventually stabilized himself in this terrifying tornado. However, the ground beneath his feet had cracked! His legs sunk in! Elder Yi Yu stood behind and was more or less affected, but he stood still with much difficulty. The situation of Nan Yifan and the rest wasn¡¯t that great. They were originally weaker than Elder Yi Yu, and when the accident happened, they weren¡¯t fully prepared. Hence, they were sent flying! But in the end, they were still strong warriors with rich combat experience. After suffering initially, they reacted in time and tried their best to stabilize themselves. At this point, they were quite a distance away from the black wall, but this wasn¡¯t the most worrying thing. That was because Yi Zhao¡¯s situation did not seem optimistic. Even though he was forcefully standing on the ground and refused to retreat¡­ As the totem on the black wall slowly spun, the strength being emitted became increasingly terrifying! Crack! The cracks below Yi Zhao¡¯s feet started spreading further! Half of Nan Yifan¡¯s heart was cold. Yi Zhao is the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s clan leader! If even he can¡¯t do it, then¡­ can the people trapped inside not be saved? ¡­ Nan Yiyi walked in the dark and distorted space. A translucent figure slowly walked about five steps before her. The surroundings were silent, and she could only hear her footsteps. The man in front didn¡¯t speak, and she didn¡¯t dare to ask much as she followed behind carefully. Luckily, this man really seemed like he knew how to go out. For the whole way, their journey was very smooth. Not only did they meet with zero danger, but the faint light before them also seemed increasingly clearer. This made Nan Yiyi harbor hope. Perhaps I can really escape by following this man! Even though she was also very worried about her big brother and the rest, she could only care about herself now. After much thinking, she finally decided to go out and think of another way. Uncle Luo Yan disappeared here, and my connection with Father was forcefully disrupted, so I can¡¯t even get someone to help me. Just as Nan Yiyi was thinking, she suddenly realized that the man had stopped. She thought that he wanted to confirm the direction, so she obediently stopped and waited. But after a while, the person in front still didn¡¯t move. Nan Yiyi opened her mouth, wanting to ask. A footstep suddenly entered her ears. There¡¯s a person! Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat as she hurriedly looked over. From the side, a figure slowly walked out from the dark. Even though the surroundings were dim, she could still see the specific features when the person walked close. As the person kept approaching, she clearly felt the surrounding atmosphere rapidly turn stiff and cold. Every inch of the air seemed to be frozen! A heavy and oppressive aura rapidly spread across! When she saw the person¡¯s face clearly, Nan Yiyi covered her mouth with one hand and widened her eyes in shock. Why is it¡ª Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1709 - 1709 Help 1709 Help ¡°What a coincidence.¡± The person standing rooted to the ground lightly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that I could still meet you here.¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart seemed to be clutched by something. She was about to speak when she heard the man in front laugh and say, ¡°It is very coincidental. You actually came in here in the end.¡± Nan Yiyi was suddenly stunned and realized that the other party¡¯s previous words weren¡¯t meant for her. She then furrowed her brows, and her gaze darted between the two of them doubtfully in confusion. They¡­ know each other?! It shouldn¡¯t be! I know that man in front. He came with Shangguan Yue, and he seems to be Shangguan Yue¡¯s relative. Nan Yiyi wasn¡¯t shocked that he would appear here. Back then, everyone was sucked into this place, so it was accidental and coincidental that we met. However¡­ Why would he know the man I¡¯m with? The man has been trapped here for a thousand years! The man in front of her continued, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m even more surprised that you¡¯re still alive.¡± His voice sounded calm, but upon deeper thought, one would realize that he was suppressing something. Nan Yiyi couldn¡¯t state this feeling. Shangguan Jing also smiled. ¡°I should be saying this to you. You truly have a long life. You have been trapped here for so long, yet you¡¯re still hanging onto your last breath.¡± Once he said this, Nan Yiyi suddenly felt a gush of intense murderous intent! However, this murderous intent just flashed past. When Nan Yiyi reacted, the sinister and cold feeling had already silently disappeared. It seemed like everything was just an illusion. Shangguan Jing¡¯s gaze swept past Nan Yiyi¡¯s body, and his pair of eyes seemed to have seen through everything. ¡°It seems like you helped him¡­ Nan Yiyi, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know what kind of person you helped, right?¡± Nan Yiyi felt guilty and nervous for some reason. She unwittingly glanced at the man before her. Why does this sound weird? Could it be that this man has a special status, or¡­ some other trickery? ¡°Shangguan Jing, our grudges ended back then. Let¡¯s just stay in our own lanes now. You can do whatever you want, but just don¡¯t stop me from going out. If not¡­ I won¡¯t be nice!¡± This was the first time Nan Yiyi heard such threatening words from the man before her. It was cold and sinister! As if hearing a joke, Shangguan Jing laughed out loud. After a while, he said, ¡°Yu Hongshan, how can you be impolite to me? You don¡¯t even have a physical body, and you¡¯re just a soul!¡± How laughable! Back then, Yu Hongshan wasn¡¯t as strong as me and used all sorts of tricks to tie with me forcefully. After that intense battle, Shangguan Jing went to the Flood-Desert Northern Region with injuries, and Yu Hongshan was swallowed into this space in the black wall, not able to come out for a thousand years. Actually, the two of them never expected the other party to live till this day, let alone meet here! Yu Hongshan¡¯s aura moved, clearly angry. His voice was sinisterly cold. ¡°Shangguan Jing, do you think I¡¯m still the same me back then?¡± Once he said this, a tremendous aura suddenly exploded from his body! Shangguan Jing squinted his eyes and laughed. ¡°I was wondering why you were so arrogant. It turns out you broke through and became a legendary warrior¡­¡± This was indeed rare because it was almost impossible for someone to break through from a true god to become a legendary warrior without a physical body. It¡¯s no wonder he is so arrogant. It can be seen that Yu Hongshan has put in a lot of effort in the past thousand years. Perhaps he has met with some twist of fate here. However, Shangguan Jing did not care. He moved his feet lightly, and his aura rapidly became dangerous! ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Seeing that Shangguan Jing was really going to take action here, Yu Hongshan¡¯s face contorted for a moment. He said those words just to threaten Shangguan Jing; he didn¡¯t really want to exchange blows with him. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of Shangguan Jing, but¡­ the thing he wanted to do the most was get out of here! It wasn¡¯t too late to battle after they were out! However, Shangguan Jing did not seem to have this plan. Yu Hongshan suppressed his anger and coldly said, ¡°Shangguan Jing, you should¡¯ve been here for a while and noticed the danger here. If you really want to fight, sure! Let¡¯s do it when we¡¯re out! You can die here if you want, but don¡¯t drag other people down with you!¡± Shangguan Jing squinted his eyes slightly. Even though he didn¡¯t quite believe Yu Hongshan, he did realize that this area was strange during the journey. Yue¡¯er and the rest also should¡¯ve been forcefully swallowed into this place. It¡¯s a pity I searched for a really long time and didn¡¯t see their figures. Suddenly, his expression changed slightly, and he glanced at Yu Hongshan. ¡°You know how to go out?¡± Yu Hongshan did not speak. He had been trapped here for a thousand years. Even though he couldn¡¯t leave this place, he had quite a bit of understanding toward this place. Of course, he knew how to go out. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have racked his brains and got Nan Yiyi to help him. He was silent for quite a while and said, ¡°You have to promise that you won¡¯t take action after you go out. Then, I can bring you out with us.¡± ¡°Senior, how can this be done?¡± Nan Yiyi was shocked. This Shangguan Jing was with Shangguan Yue and the rest. I want him to stay here forever and die here. How could he bring him out? Yu Hongshan half-turned around and glanced at her extremely coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, shut up!¡± Nan Yiyi was dazed from the scolding, but due to the other party¡¯s suppression, she didn¡¯t dare to cause a scene. She just clenched her teeth and swallowed her remaining words. I still have to go out. After I leave this place, I won¡¯t be threatened by these people again! Yu Hongshan glanced at Shangguan Jing, waiting for his reply. Shangguan Jing crossed his arms and knitted his brows slightly, seemingly in deep thought. However, Yu Hongshan was not anxious at all. As long as Shangguan Jing¡¯s brain is working, he will definitely agree to this suggestion. After a moment, Shangguan Jing finally said, ¡°Since you know how to go out¡­¡± Yu Hongshan waited patiently. ¡°Then, you definitely know how to find the rest?¡± Once he said this, Yu Hongshan¡¯s expression froze! He boomed, ¡°Shangguan Jing, what do you mean?!¡± Shangguan Jing laughed. ¡°Nothing much. I just hope that you can help me find Yue¡¯er and the rest. Then, we can go out together. At the very least, we¡¯re considered acquaintances. You won¡¯t be reluctant to do me this small favor, right?¡± ¡°Shangguan Jing!¡± Yu Hongshan suddenly raised his voice. Shangguan Jing¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change as he raised his hand. ¡°Please¡ª¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue was still focused on the music scores. She didn¡¯t remember how many she had read, but the music scores floating around her had clearly decreased in number. Besides, she read through them at increasing speeds during this process. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1710 - 1710 So Noisy 1710 So Noisy Chu Liuyue had heard that song many times. She was extremely intelligent and could remember almost everything she had seen and heard, but this wasn¡¯t an ordinary music score. Even though she had heard it many times, she still couldn¡¯t memorize it completely. Every syllable seemed to dance wonderfully with her. The sound of the zither brushed past her ears and passed through her mind, but it only left an extremely faint mark. Hence, she could only memorize it bit by bit and match it with the music score in her hand to differentiate between real and fake. Perhaps it was because she was used to it, but she gradually became numb to the pain around her. This allowed her to devote more attention to the music scores. ¡­ Ah Jing paused and tilted his head slightly. All he could see was a rich black. ¡°How noisy¡­¡± he muttered softly, a hint of impatience in his tone. He had never been a patient person, but most of the time, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with people. He usually turned a blind eye and let it pass, but not this time. He had waited for so long before someone finally came. It wasn¡¯t easy for his cultivation to get on track. How could he be disturbed? His well-defined fingers moved gently, and a light blade instantly flew out! He did all of this silently, so she¡ªwho was focused on reading the music scores¡ªdidn¡¯t notice. ¡­ Rumble! With a violent sound, a ball of fire suddenly exploded in front of Yi Zhao! He tapped his toes and quickly retreated! Berserk energy swept toward the surroundings, and traces of burning appeared on the ground. Nan Yifan and the others retreated again. After a while, the power finally calmed down. Smoke and dust filled the air. There was still the smell of something burning. It was hot and burning. Nan Yifan let go, her palm already sweaty. Just now¡­ was really too terrifying! Yi Zhao fought head-on with the power sweeping over from the black wall. Both sides fought crazily! Just by standing there, they felt that the terrifying heat would surge toward them the next second! If it were them, they probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to last a third of the time. ¡°Clan Leader, how are you?¡± Elder Yi Yu quickly rushed to Yi Zhao¡¯s side with a rare nervous expression. Yi Zhao shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but¡­ this wall has already been completely sealed by an extremely ferocious force. It¡¯s probably difficult to forcefully barge in from the outside.¡± Elder Yi Yu had actually expected this outcome, but when he saw Yi Zhao¡¯s solemn expression, his heart still subconsciously sank. If even the clan leader says so¡­ Then, there is really nothing I can do about this. However, Tuan Zi and the others are still inside! We can¡¯t just leave it like this, can we? Yi Zhao was silent for a moment before looking up at the black wall. There seemed to be waves in his eyes. After a while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± Elder Yi Yu¡¯s lips moved. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Nan Yifan and the others also heard this and couldn¡¯t help but look at each other. If even Yi Zhao and Yi Yu can¡¯t do anything, then¡­ won¡¯t we have even less hope? Nan Yifan clenched his fists and frowned. He was really worried and nervous. After all, Nan Yuxing and Nan Yiyi were both inside! If something really happens¡­ ¡°Clan Leader, why don¡¯t we wait first?¡± an elder beside him advised in a low voice. Given the current situation, it was definitely impossible to force it. Yi Zhao and Yi Yu had both decided to wait first, so they seemed to have no better solution. Nan Yifan took out a jade pendant. The four spots of light were still wandering gently on it, but one of them had clearly dimmed a lot. That was Elder Bai Tong¡­ Nan Yifan put away the jade pendant and stared at the black wall in front of him. ¡°Wait!¡± He waved at the two of them. ¡°You guys should rest for a while and adjust.¡± They were all exhausted from the journey, and this was with no trouble¡­ If they encountered any danger again, it would probably be difficult for them to survive. The two elders nodded and did as they were told. Nan Yifan closed his eyes and muttered softly, ¡°The murderous aura in this God-Killing Tumulus seems to be getting stronger and stronger¡­¡± I have never encountered such a situation before. I don¡¯t know what is going on¡­ Just as he half-turned around and was about to adjust his breathing, a strange fluctuation suddenly came from the black wall! Whir! The people present quickly looked up! Light spun on the wall, and the huge totem shone even brighter! Then, a figure suddenly fell out! Nan Yifan looked over and was immediately pleasantly surprised. ¡°Yiyi!¡± Then, who else could it be but his precious daughter, Nan Yiyi?! Nan Yiyi was still in a daze. When she heard this voice, she was instantly shocked. She subconsciously raised her head and looked over. ¡°Father?!¡± Nan Yiyi widened her eyes in disbelief. Nan Yifan had already rushed over. ¡°Yiyi! How are you?¡± As he asked, he went to pull Nan Yiyi away. ¡°Father¡ªHiss!¡± Nan Yiyi cried out in pain. Nan Yifan hurriedly let go, and only then did he see a long scratch on his daughter¡¯s arm. Blood had already stained half of her sleeve. His heart suddenly tightened, and he hurriedly sized up Nan Yiyi¡¯s entire body. Only then did he realize that there were countless similar wounds of various sizes on her body! It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that she was covered in injuries! What frightened Nan Yifan even more was that Nan Yiyi¡¯s breathing was very weak, and her face was extremely pale. She was clearly severely injured! Nan Yifan¡¯s heart ached, and for a moment, he didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°Yiyi, how did you become like this?¡± What exactly has happened?! The two elders behind him had already rushed over. They were calmer than Nan Yifan. ¡°Clan Leader, let¡¯s treat Second Missy first!¡± one of the elders reminded. Only then did Nan Yifan come to a realization. He hurriedly took out a green jade bottle, poured out a medicinal pill, and carefully fed it to Nan Yiyi. ¡°This is the Golden Core. Yiyi, quickly take it.¡± From the sound in the jade bottle, there should be a few more inside. The Golden Core was a top-notch medicinal pill that could only be refined by a supreme Physician. It was miraculously effective in stopping bleeding and healing the body. This thing was very precious even for many first-rate families, but Nan Yifan easily had a bottle. It could be seen that they were rich. Nan Yiyi swallowed the Golden Core and felt a warm energy surge through her body. A flush also appeared on her pale face. Only then did Nan Yifan carefully help her up. ¡°Yiyi, what exactly is going on?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1711 - 1711 That B*tch 1711 That B*tch Nan Yifan asked anxiously. Nan Yiyi caught her breath, but she didn¡¯t immediately answer his question. Instead, she took the lead and turned around. After her, there was no one. Am¡­ I the only one who came out? ¡°Yiyi?¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t answer, Nan Yifan was a little anxious. Only then did Nan Yiyi retract her gaze. Everything that had just happened went through her mind quickly. After Shangguan Jing finished speaking, Yu Hongshan was furious. As if knowing that there was no need to continue the discussion, Yu Hongshan finally chose to take action. The two of them started fighting. Even though Nan Yiyi had tried her best to avoid them, the space there was narrow, and the two of them were both powerful. In the intense battle, she was inevitably affected¡ªthat was when some of the injuries on her appeared. However, this wasn¡¯t fatal to begin with. After all, she was still a true god and had treasures to protect herself. But not long after, the surrounding space began to distort. At the same time, countless light blades flew over from all directions! Her little strength wasn¡¯t enough at this moment! She felt as if her body had been crushed by an invisible force, and her bones and tendons were almost shattered! Those light blades also scraped past her body one after another, leaving countless shocking wounds! Originally, she thought she was going to die. Unexpectedly, she still came out alive! Unfortunately, her mind was so muddled in the end that she couldn¡¯t remember anything. She even forgot how she got out. As for Yu Hongshan and Shangguan Jing¡­ She seemed to have lost contact with them halfway, so she naturally had no idea where they were. Nan Yiyi sorted out everything in her mind before suppressing her tears and saying, ¡°Father, I thought I would never see you again!¡± The Nan family followed the rules, and when there were others around, she usually called Nan Yifan ¡®Father¡¯ or ¡®Clan Leader.¡¯ At this moment, she was calling him ¡®father¡¯ with red eyes; it was obvious that she had suffered a great shock and grievance. Nan Yifan¡¯s heart skipped a beat as it ached even more. ¡°Yiyi, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re already safe now. With Father around, I definitely won¡¯t let you fall into danger again! Father and the elders will definitely protect you well!¡± Nan Yiyi sobbed for a while before she gradually calmed down under Nan Yifan¡¯s comfort. Seeing that she had finally stopped crying and seemed to be getting better, Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Yiyi, you¡¯re out. Where¡¯s your Big Brother and the rest?¡± Nan Yiyi wiped her tears and said hoarsely, ¡°Previously, Big Brother, the two elders, and I were swept into the black wall. But after entering, we were split up. I searched for them for a long time but couldn¡¯t find them¡­¡± As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears again, making Nan Yifan¡¯s heart ache even more. ¡°¡­It¡¯s all Yiyi¡¯s fault for being incompetent; it¡¯s all my fault! If it weren¡¯t for the sake of accompanying me, Big Brother and the others wouldn¡¯t have encountered this danger!¡± As Nan Yiyi spoke, she raised her hand to hit herself. Seeing this, Nan Yifan hurriedly stopped her. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! How can you be blamed?! If anyone is to blame, it¡¯s Father!¡± In the end, if he hadn¡¯t insisted on them coming over, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. He had long regretted it. Hearing Nan Yiyi¡¯s words, it was like ten thousand arrows piercing through his heart. Fortunately, she is lucky to have survived. If something really happened¡­ Nan Yifan didn¡¯t dare to think about how he would face all of this. ¡°Alright, alright. Yiyi, don¡¯t worry. Look, you¡¯ve already come out. Perhaps Yuxing and the others will come out safely later!¡± Nan Yifan really held onto this hope. Previously, Elder Yi Yu said that nobody had ever been able to come out of this black wall. But now, isn¡¯t Yiyi here for no reason? Although she is severely injured, she still managed to survive! Nan Yifan was actually still happy. However, Nan Yiyi¡¯s expression was not so relaxed. She bit her lip. She knew what was going on inside. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that it was dangerous! Nan Yifan was very optimistic, but she didn¡¯t dare to think about it. Wanting to come out of that alive¡­ was purely a matter of luck! After all, weren¡¯t Yu Hongshan and Shangguan Jing gone?! She reached out and grabbed Nan Yifan¡¯s sleeve tightly. ¡°Father, all of this is actually related to Shangguan Yue!¡± Nan Yifan was stunned. ¡°Shangguan Yue? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°But this name sounds familiar¡­¡± He paused, frowning. I should¡¯ve heard this name before, but I suddenly can¡¯t remember. Nan Yiyi¡¯s knuckles turned white. ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Where is she now?¡± A cold and indifferent voice filled with pressure suddenly interrupted her! When Nan Yiyi heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Only then did she look in the direction of the voice. Two men were standing not far from them. It was the burly and imposing one in front who spoke. Now, his deep eyes were fixed on her. Nan Yiyi instantly became nervous and subconsciously glanced at her father. ¡°Father, they¡¯re¡ª¡± Nan Yifan hurriedly said, ¡°By the way, I almost forgot to introduce you. This is Clan Leader Yi Zhao of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Standing behind him is Elder Yi Yu. Yiyi, why aren¡¯t you bowing?¡± When Nan Yiyi heard the words ¡®red-gold heavenly phoenix,¡¯ she was already filled with shock. When she found out the true identities of the two people in front of her, she opened her mouth in shock and was unable to come back to her senses for a long time. Clan¡­ Leader?! This is a top-notch big shot that only exists in rumors! It¡¯s said that when legendary warriors went to see them, they were rejected. Arrogant, domineering, and overbearing¡ªthis was the impression most cultivators in the God Residence Realm had of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. As the clan leader, Yi Zhao was even more so. Nan Yiyi never expected to meet such a person here! No wonder even Father was so polite¡­ Nan Yiyi hurriedly bowed. ¡°Junior Nan Yiyi greets¡ª¡± ¡°Let me ask you: where is the person you just mentioned?¡± Yi Zhao couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to her about superficial things and went straight to the point. Nan Yiyi was stunned for a moment before she quickly glanced at Yi Zhao. This expression¡­ doesn¡¯t look good, but he clearly knows Shangguan Yue. Right! Shangguan Yue has contracted a pure red-gold heavenly phoenix. As the clan leader, how could Yi Zhao not know? He is most likely here to find trouble with Shangguan Yue! Contracting with the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ She really thinks that she has lived too long! Even their clan leader was alarmed! Thinking of this, Nan Yiyi¡¯s thoughts raced as she asked, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, are you also looking for that b*tch?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1712 - 1712 Reversing the Truth 1712 Reversing the Truth As soon as these words were spoken, Elder Yi Yu¡¯s eyes turned cold. This young lady looks soft and weak, but I didn¡¯t expect her words to be dirty. He actually called Shangguan Yue a ¡®b*tch?¡¯ Just as Yi Yu was about to reprimand her, Yi Zhao suddenly glanced at him calmly and stopped him. Elder Yi Yu choked, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed a few times. In the end, he swallowed his words. The undercurrents between the two of them were very hidden, so Nan Yiyi didn¡¯t notice them. However, Nan Yifan saw this scene. Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t understand the expressions of Yi Zhao and the other man, but when he thought of their previous reactions, he couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. Didn¡¯t they come here to find their people? Why are they suddenly talking about looking for Shangguan Yue now? It is unknown what relationship Shangguan Yue has with them, but it is indeed a little rash for Nan Yiyi to speak like this. ¡°Yiyi.¡± Nan Yifan emphasized his words slightly, hinting at a reminder. Nan Yiyi glanced at her father, but she didn¡¯t take his warning to heart. It seems that my father still doesn¡¯t know that Shangguan Yue has contracted a red-gold heavenly phoenix, right? ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I know my limits.¡± She comforted him carelessly and turned away again. Nan Yifan wanted to say something, but seeing the subtle atmosphere, he finally shut his mouth. Yi Zhao glanced at Nan Yiyi from head to toe. His gaze was almost tangible, carrying a heavy pressure. Nan Yiyi subconsciously felt timid. Just as she was about to collapse, Yi Zhao finally looked away. Only then did Nan Yiyi feel relieved. ¡°Yeah.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s face was still expressionless and unpredictable. ¡°I¡¯m indeed looking for her.¡± Hearing his affirmative answer, Nan Yiyi instantly believed her previous guess even more. He must know about the contracted legendary fiend, which is why he has traveled thousands of miles to find this place! For a moment, Nan Yiyi felt both smug and regretful. She was happy that Shangguan Yue had offended the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Shangguan Yue is definitely dead! Unfortunately, she still seems to be trapped in the black wall, her fate unknown. If Shangguan Yue has already died inside, won¡¯t I be unable to see her suffer? It¡¯s a pity just thinking about it. She sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. The only thing I can be sure of now is that she¡¯s still there. But as for whether she¡¯s alive or dead and whether she can come out in the end, I don¡¯t know.¡± Yi Zhao frowned quickly. Actually, this outcome was within his expectations. ¡°Previously, you said that all of this is Shangguan Yue¡¯s fault? What¡¯s going on? Tell me in detail.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s tone was calm and indifferent, but it was noble and arrogant, causing one to feel reverence and submissiveness unconsciously. Nan Yiyi loosened and tightened her grip. ¡°I have to start from a few days ago¡­¡± ¡­ After that, Nan Yiyi recounted what had happened in the past few days, selectively leaving out her few provocations and her initiative to find trouble with the other party. She emphasized Shangguan Yue¡¯s rude words and strong attacks on them. Most importantly, Shangguan Yue tried to kill her, but in the end, everyone was swallowed into the black wall. In her description, everything seemed to have been caused by Shangguan Yue alone. From beginning to end, she didn¡¯t even mention Rong Xiu¡¯s name. To outsiders, they would naturally think that Shangguan Yue was an arrogant, unreasonable, selfish, and ruthless person. It was also her who had put everyone in a life-and-death situation. Elder Yi Yu could not stand it anymore. It isn¡¯t like I haven¡¯t dealt with that girl before. What Nan Yiyi said is clearly not trustworthy. I don¡¯t know how Shangguan Yue has offended her to make her spend so much effort to smear her reputation; it¡¯s as if she wants to put her to death forever. Could it be¡­ just because they had all been swallowed into the black wall? ¡­ ¡°¡­That¡¯s all.¡± After saying that, Nan Yiyi carefully glanced at Yi Zhao. Unfortunately, Yi Zhao¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Nan Yiyi couldn¡¯t guess what he was thinking. On the other hand, Nan Yifan and the others were stunned by her words. ¡°Yiyi, you¡¯re saying¡­ that Shangguan Yue contracted a red-gold heavenly phoenix?!¡± Nan Yiyi nodded. ¡°I wonder what method Shangguan Yue used. Moreover¡­ that red-gold heavenly phoenix listens to her very much.¡± Nan Yifan frowned. ¡°Since it¡¯s a contractual legendary fiend, it¡¯s normal for this to happen.¡± It¡¯s no wonder Nan Yiyi dared to say so earlier¡ªit turns out that there is such a shocking secret! Red-gold heavenly phoenixes are ancient legendary fiends and have always been extremely arrogant. They don¡¯t even bother to interact with humans, let alone form a contract. This is undoubtedly a stain on their entire race! No wonder Yi Zhao has personally taken action. He must¡¯ve been so nervous previously because he was looking for the contracted red-gold heavenly phoenix. ¡°But¡­¡± Nan Yiyi suddenly thought of something and spoke hesitantly. ¡°There seems to be something wrong with that red-gold heavenly phoenix. She can already transform into a human, but she looks only three or four years old.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t help but reveal a shocked expression. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan can only transform into human form after they reach adulthood, right? How could this happen? ¡°In that case, Shangguan Yue used some special method?¡± He was puzzled and looked at Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu inquisitively. Unfortunately, the other party was deeper and more unpredictable than him. Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t tell what they were thinking. ¡°How did you get out?¡± Yi Zhao suddenly asked. Nan Yiyi had already thought of an answer, but there was still a hint of panic and fear on her face. ¡°At that time, I was walking inside when I suddenly felt the surrounding space begin to compress crazily. After an unknown period of time, a huge force attacked! When I opened my eyes again, I realized that I was already out¡­¡± In other words, she didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡°By yourself?¡± Elder Yi Yu, who had been silent, spoke. Nan Yiyi hesitated. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Elder Yi Yu smiled meaningfully. ¡°Second Miss Nan is really impressive. With the strength of a true god, you can actually walk freely inside? As far as I know, it seems to be quite dangerous inside, right? If Second Miss Nan encountered that situation, the others should be the same then. But now, only Second Miss Nan is out. You¡¯re really¡­ impressive.¡± Nan Yiyi immediately felt that something was wrong. She couldn¡¯t say what was wrong, so she could only smile awkwardly. ¡°Actually, I was just lucky¡ª¡± Whir! A boom sounded from the black wall again! Everyone looked up in unison and saw another figure fall out! Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart instantly rose to her throat! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1713 - 1713 Cripple 1713 Cripple The man looked up. A bloody face came into view. However, Nan Yiyi¡¯s worried heart instantly calmed down. ¡°Yuxing!¡± Nan Yifan was the first to react. He shouted and immediately ran over to help him up. Not only was Nan Yuxing¡¯s face covered in blood, but his clothes were also dyed red. Moreover, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was weak. He had clearly fainted. The thick smell of blood enveloped the area! Nan Yifan was extremely anxious. ¡°Yuxing! Yuxing, wake up!¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s eyelids seemed to move, but he still couldn¡¯t open them. Nan Yiyi and the two elders also rushed over. ¡°Clan Leader, please allow me to take Eldest Young Master¡¯s pulse first,¡± one of the elders said respectfully. Only then did Nan Yifan wake up and hurriedly make way. ¡°Yes, yes! Jin He, you do it!¡± Elder Jin He took a step forward and placed his finger on Nan Yuxing¡¯s wrist. A moment later, his expression suddenly changed. ¡°This¡ª¡± Nan Yifan suddenly felt a strong sense of unease. ¡°Jin He, how is it?¡± Elder Jin He seemed to be in disbelief and took Nan Yuxing¡¯s pulse again. But this time, the result was the same. He was silent for a long moment before he withdrew his hand. With a long sigh, he then cupped his hands at Nan Yifan. ¡°Clan Leader, Eldest Young Master¡­ His pearl of essence has shattered.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s mind went blank, and he staggered. ¡°Father!¡± Nan Yiyi hurriedly went forward to support him, but she couldn¡¯t help but look at Elder Jin He. ¡°Big Brother is extremely strong. How did he shatter his pearl of essence? Elder Jin He, are you mistaken?!¡± Elder Jin He said helplessly, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can come and investigate personally. I won¡¯t dare to say anything.¡± Everyone knew that Nan Yuxing was the next clan leader of the Nan family. The shattering of his pearl of essence meant that he would become a cripple from now on. Then, the position of family head was definitely not fated in this life. If not for the repeated confirmations, Elder Jin He wouldn¡¯t have dared to say this. Nan Yiyi was speechless. Her chest seemed to be blocked by something, and she felt suffocated. She turned her neck stiffly and gazed at her brother. At this moment, Nan Yuxing finally woke up. ¡°Big Brother!¡± Nan Yiyi pounced over. Nan Yuxing¡¯s vision was still blurry, but he no longer cared. He ignored Nan Yiyi and stared at Elder Jin He with a dazed expression. ¡°¡­Is what you said just now¡­ true?¡± In fact, he was already awake. He just couldn¡¯t open his eyes, but he heard everything around him clearly. Naturally, this included Elder Jin He¡¯s words. Elder Jin He looked away and sighed. ¡°Eldest Young Master¡­ don¡¯t you know best whether it¡¯s true or not?¡± That was his pearl of essence¡ªit was the origin of his cultivation! Now that the pearl of essence had shattered, all the force in his body was quickly dissipating outside his body. How could he not feel it? Nan Yuxing¡¯s face was expressionless. After a long moment, he forced a smile. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± In fact, he had indeed sensed it long ago, but he still couldn¡¯t believe it. Ever since he was born, he had been favored by the heavens. He had never expected that one day, his pearl of essence would actually shatter, and he would become a cripple! This was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for him, as well as for Nan Yifan and Nan Yiyi. ¡°Big Brother¡ª¡± Nan Yiyi hugged him and started crying. However, Nan Yuxing did not react. After staring blankly into the void for a while, he closed his eyes. He thought he would die in there, but when he came out, it was even worse than death. Nan Yifan clenched her fists tightly. Her knuckles were green and white, and the veins on her forehead were bulging. ¡°Jin He, help him treat his injuries first.¡± Nan Yifan seemed calm and composed, but his voice was already hoarse. He had high hopes for Nan Yuxing, and this was undoubtedly a blow to the head now! But in front of so many people, he couldn¡¯t break down or even show too much abnormality. Elder Jin He responded and began to heal Nan Yuxing. His situation was much worse than Nan Yiyi¡¯s. Apart from external injuries, internal injuries were even more difficult to deal with. The pearl of essence had shattered, but it was a blessing in disguise to be able to survive. Of course, Nan Yuxing clearly did not want this ¡®luck.¡¯ His eyes were closed, and his face was ashen. He clearly had no more motivation to live. Elder Jin He was a little anxious and whispered to Nan Yiyi, ¡°Second Missy, Eldest Young Master has no intention of survival. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be good if this continues¡­¡± Nan Yiyi wiped her tears. Actually, if I were Big Brother, I probably wouldn¡¯t want to live anymore. However, I can¡¯t just watch my brother die! She took a deep breath and leaned closer. ¡°Big Brother, we haven¡¯t taken revenge yet! You have to persevere! Don¡¯t you want to see what will happen to that b*tch who caused us to fall to this state?¡± Nan Yiyi gritted her teeth. Every word was filled with deep hatred and resentment! She blamed all of this on that person. At the same time, she aimed all the blame at that person! And this sentence finally convinced Nan Yuxing. He slowly opened his eyes with difficulty. Deep hatred gradually burst out of his originally dull and despairing eyes! Right, all of this is Shangguan Yue¡¯s fault! If it weren¡¯t for her, we wouldn¡¯t have been involved, and I wouldn¡¯t have become like this! My life has been ruined by the other party! ¡°Where¡­ where is she¡­!?¡± Nan Yuxing gritted his teeth and spat out a few slurred syllables as if he would immediately suck Shangguan Yue¡¯s blood and eat her flesh as long as she appeared in front of him now. As Nan Yiyi cooperated with Elder Jin He to treat Nan Yuxing¡¯s injuries, she comforted him. ¡°Big Brother, she hasn¡¯t come out yet. But since we¡¯re all out, she¡¯ll definitely come out too! At that time, we¡¯ll settle this score with her!¡± Nan Yuxing held his breath. ¡°¡­You¡¯re¡­ right¡­¡± I have to live. I want to see them suffer with my own eyes! With the support of this thought, Nan Yuxing actually endured it. Everyone fell silent and began to wait. Who else would come out next?! Elder Yi Yu glanced at Nan Yuxing with a serious expression. I¡¯m not worried about Nan Yuxing, but¡­ Judging from his injuries, the situation inside is probably not optimistic. Moreover, two people from the Nan family have come out, but there is still no sign of Tuan Zi and the others. He looked at Yi Zhao and realized that the latter was staring at the black wall with a subtle expression. Just as he was about to ask something, he suddenly heard Yi Zhao shout, ¡°Go back!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1714 - 1714 Why Are You Here? 1714 Why Are You Here? Without thinking, Elder Yi Zhao immediately tapped his toes and flashed back! Immediately after, a wave suddenly rose from the black wall! Clang! Like a surging river, waves surged! The surrounding natural energy seemed to have been affected by this power and began to surge! The huge totem on the wall suddenly accelerated, and a violent and majestic aura surged out! Nan Yifan and the others bore the brunt! Before they could even set up a barrier, they were enveloped by that terrifying power! Under the impact of this power, the few of them were instantly sent flying uncontrollably! In a hurry, Nan Yifan hurriedly went to pull Nan Yuxing away. But before he could pull his son over, they barely separated! Thump! They fell to the ground one after another! Nan Yuxing¡¯s chest trembled, and he spat out another mouthful of blood! ¡°Yuxing!¡± ¡°Big Brother!¡± Nan Yifan and the others struggled to get up. When they saw this scene, they were almost scared out of their wits! But at this moment, a few figures actually rushed out of the black wall one after another! Nan Yifan could see the two people in front clearly. Elder Wu Peng! Elder Bai Tong! Nan Yifan had just helped his son up and was about to go over when he suddenly heard a crisp sound. Ka. Something seemed to have shattered. Nan Yifan suddenly thought of something, and his eyes widened! Then, he quickly took out the jade token! The four light spots inside had actually become three! Among them, the one that belonged to Elder Bai Tong had already shattered! Elder Bai Tong is dead! He gasped. The remaining two elders hurriedly rushed over. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, how are you?¡± Although Elder Wu Peng was still conscious, his face and body were covered in blood, and his breathing was weak. It was obvious that he was severely injured. Elder Jin He immediately healed him. When the other elder arrived beside Elder Bai Tong, he realized that the latter was no longer breathing. He looked at Nan Yifan in panic. ¡°Clan Leader, Elder Bai Tong¡­¡± Nan Yifan closed her eyes and waved. The elder immediately understood what he meant. With a heavy heart, he moved Elder Bai Tong¡¯s corpse to the side and prepared to bring it back for burial. Nan Yifan glanced from the corner of his eye and saw that a section of Elder Bai Tong¡¯s calf had actually been severed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Elder Bai Tong¡¯s leg?¡± He frowned. This doesn¡¯t look like a recent injury¡­ Nan Yiyi hesitated for a moment. She only said that Elder Bai Tong was injured in the battle with Shangguan Yue and the others, but she didn¡¯t mention that his calf had been cut off by Rong Xiu. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Before she could explain, another figure fell out of the black wall! Nan Yiyi subconsciously looked over, and her eyes lit up. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan!¡± That man fell to the ground and supported himself with one hand. Who else could it be but Luo Yan? Hearing this voice, Luo Yan looked up. He first saw Nan Yiyi and immediately heaved a sigh of relief. Then, his gaze turned slightly, and he saw Nan Yifan and the others beside him. So they were already on their way¡­ Luo Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and was about to walk toward them when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine! He was instantly alert, and his entire body tensed up! At this moment, he realized that there were two men standing not far from Nan Yifan and the others. One was burly and had an unfamiliar face, but he was extremely powerful! When he saw the man standing in front of him clearly, Luo Yan suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed slightly. This person is¡­ ¡°Luo Yan.¡± Nan Yifan walked over and sized him up. After confirming that Luo Yan was only slightly injured, he heaved a sigh of relief. At this point, our people have all come out. Apart from Elder Bai Tong dying, Elder Wu Peng and Nan Yuxing are both severely injured. Nan Yiyi and Luo Yan¡¯s situation is slightly better, but they clearly need a long time to recuperate. I wonder if there will be any aftereffects¡­ Nan Yifan¡¯s emotions were very complicated. On the one hand, he was glad that these people¡ªexcept for Elder Bai Tong¡ªhad come out alive. On the other hand, the battle was tragic, and the injuries were serious. This was especially so for Nan Yuxing. Becoming a cripple was really more painful than letting him die. Similarly, it also made Nan Yifan¡¯s heart ache and feel troubled. Luo Yan nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Clan Leader. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He quickly scanned the area and basically determined what was going on. He had long known that it was extremely dangerous inside, so it was normal for this to happen. Now, he focused more on the two strange men. ¡°Those two are¡ª¡± Nan Yifan came back to his senses and said, ¡°Oh, I almost forgot to introduce them to you. These two are Clan Leader Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan.¡± Luo Yan was shocked. I had already guessed that these two might be important figures in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, but I didn¡¯t expect Yi Zhao, the clan leader, to come too! Suddenly, he had an idea. Perhaps he is here for Shangguan Yue¡¯s contracted red-gold heavenly phoenix? Luo Yan suppressed the many thoughts in his heart and bowed politely. Yi Zhao frowned slightly. These people have already come out, but why are there no movements from Tuan Zi and the others? Seeing that Yi Zhao was ignoring him, Luo Yan wasn¡¯t angry. The other party is famous for his arrogance, so it¡¯s normal for him to have such an attitude. Besides, looking at him, he should still be waiting for the red-gold heavenly phoenix to come out, right? In fact, everyone present had the same doubts. Since both parties entered together, why is it that only Nan Yiyi and the others have come out? In contrast, not a single person from the other party has come out. It made one wonder. Nan Yifan thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Yiyi, do you think Shangguan Yue and the others will come out again?¡± He hated the other party to the core now and wished he could end their lives with his own hands! Nan Yiyi paused and sneered. ¡°Who knows? Perhaps they¡¯ve already died inside¡­¡± Whoosh! Two figures appeared almost at the same time! Nan Yiyi looked over, and her heart sank! These two people were actually Nan Suhuai and Chu Ning! What was even more shocking was that other than a few sporadic wounds, the two of them were actually fine! From their expressions and states, they were clearly not injured! Nan Yifan originally wanted to surround them immediately, but when he saw Nan Suhuai, he was stunned. Why is the Director of Ling Xiao Academy here?! At the same time, Nan Suhuai also sensed the strange atmosphere around him and looked up. Nan Yifan? He has actually brought people over? No, the key is that Nan Yiyi and the others seem to have come out before us!? Looking around, Nan Suhuai didn¡¯t see anyone he wanted to see. He could not help but feel disappointed and worried. Suddenly, he looked shocked. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao? Why are you here?!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1715 - 1715 I Will Confront You! 1715 I Will Confront You! He actually has the cheek to ask this question? Nan Yiyi suddenly chuckled. ¡°Director Nan, do you not know what your precious disciple did?¡± She made an agreement with a red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ She must be tired of living! Upon hearing this, Nan Suhuai was dazed. He guessed what Nan Yiyi implied, but¡­ Didn¡¯t they already settle this matter? Rong Xiu clearly sent a letter saying that Yue¡¯er had safely brought Tuan Zi out of Godly Phoenix Mountain! I thought that this matter had ended on a good note. Am I¡­ wrong? Yi Zhao said lightly, ¡°I did come to look for Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi.¡± Nan Suhuai¡¯s heart sank slightly. What exactly happened? If the two parties didn¡¯t reach an agreeable result, Yi Zhao would definitely not let them go. He wouldn¡¯t even allow her to bring Tuan Zi along with her. Why is it suddenly¡ª Nan Suhuai glanced at the other party. Yi Zhao¡¯s expression¡­ was calm, and he could not see anything. At the same time, he was also nervous. If Yi Zhao really came to cause trouble for us, then¡ª ¡°Hm?¡± Elder Yi Yu¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Ning, and he was a little shocked. Nan Suhuai frowned. The corner of Elder Yi Yu¡¯s lips curled up as he averted his gaze. This man must be the person Shangguan Yue came to the God-Killing Tumulus to look for. Hearing what Nan Yiyi said earlier, and Shangguan Yue addressed him as ¡®father,¡¯ they must be father and daughter. He is just a stage-one warrior, yet he has a God Realm¡­ If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, he most likely has an Indestructible Holy Body. Shangguan Yue herself is amazing enough. I didn¡¯t expect her father to be equally extraordinary. This whole family is indeed¡­ Seeing that Elder Yi Yu averted his gaze and had no intention of causing trouble for them, Nan Suhuai heaved a sigh of relief. His gaze then turned as he looked toward Chu Ning at the side. However, he realized that the latter was calm as if he didn¡¯t take this incident to heart. Nan Suhuai couldn¡¯t help but lean in and softly ask, ¡°Chu Ning, are you really not worried at all?¡± Chu Ning was dazed for a moment. ¡°Worried? Worried for what?¡± Nan Suhuai snorted and shifted his gaze. ¡°¡­Those two are the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s clan leader and Fifth Elder!¡± Chu Ning nodded. ¡°I know, and so?¡± So? He still asked ¡®and so!¡¯ Nan Suhuai almost could not breathe. Does Chu Ning know how much trouble Yue¡¯er is in because she made an agreement with a red-gold heavenly phoenix? ¡°T-Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Ning blinked. Seeing Nan Suhuai¡¯s nervous look, he suddenly understood something. ¡°Director Nan, is there something you still don¡¯t know¡ª¡± Rumble! Before he could finish his sentence, an intense energy smashing sound suddenly came. The crowd turned back in unison and saw two figures rush out of the black wall one after another! However, one person¡¯s figure was shallow and half-translucent¡ªit was only a soul. The person behind was tall, and his appearance was harsh with murderous intent! It was Shangguan Jing! It seemed like the two of them were fighting. Besides, Shangguan Jing clearly had the upper hand. That soul¡¯s aura was messy, and it obviously couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. This scene shocked everyone present. Why did another soul suddenly appear?! ¡°Senior?¡± Nan Yiyi widened her eyes and couldn¡¯t help but say. Nan Yifan instantly glanced at her. ¡°You know him?¡± Nan Yiyi was at a loss for words. In the beginning, she thought that only she had made it out, so she left out the part where she met Yu Hongshan. Who knew that these two people were still alive and fought from inside to out!? At this point, the disheveled Yu Hongshan saw Nan Yiyi. ¡°Help me!¡± Without thinking, he shouted this. Shangguan Jing was indeed capable. Even though I have been bitterly training in the past thousand years, I still pale in comparison when we really fight! If this continues, I will definitely die in Shangguan Jing¡¯s hands! Nan Yiyi clenched her teeth. ¡°Father, this senior helped me previously. Can we help him now?¡± If he can conveniently settle Shangguan Jing, that would be for the best! Upon hearing this, Nan Yifan nodded almost without hesitation. But the moment he took a step out, a figure suddenly appeared before him¡ªit was Nan Suhuai! He said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Master Nan, are you making a move on Senior Shangguan Jing?¡± Nan Yifan coldly snorted. ¡°Why? Director Nan, are you planning on intervening?¡± ¡°Senior Shangguan Jing is our Yue¡¯er¡¯s ancestor and also an important guest of our Ling Xiao Academy. If he¡¯s in danger, I definitely won¡¯t sit still and watch.¡± Even though Nan Suhuai was smiling, his gaze was determined. Nan Yifan slowly clenched his fists. ¡°Director Nan, you really want to go against us because of Shangguan Jing?¡± Nan Suhuai spread his arms and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t your people previously already do that? Isn¡¯t it laughable now that you asked me this?¡± His gaze landed on Nan Yiyi meaningfully. ¡°If not for your precious daughter messing with us continuously and causing trouble for us, things wouldn¡¯t have developed to this stage. We haven¡¯t blamed you, yet you¡¯re planning to take action against us?¡± Shangguan Jing was Yue¡¯er¡¯s ancestor, so they naturally had to protect him. Hearing this, Nan Yifan instantly sneered. ¡°It¡¯s clearly Shangguan Yue¡¯s fault, yet you want to smear us out of nowhere, Director Nan? You want to push all the responsibility to my daughter?¡± Nan Suhuai raised his brows and roughly knew how Nan Yiyi explained it to these people after she came out. ¡°Oh?¡± Nan Suhuai asked in return with much interest, ¡°Nan Yiyi said that it¡¯s all my Yue¡¯er¡¯s fault?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to say it. Anyone with eyes can see what¡¯s going on!¡± There seemed to be lava turning in Nan Yifan¡¯s chest as if it would rush out the next minute! Nan Yuxing is handicapped, Elder Bai Tong is dead, and Nan Yiyi and Elder Wu Peng are severely injured! We suffered great losses on this trip! Nan Yifan suppressed his anger and didn¡¯t know where to unleash it! However, Nan Suhuai seemed to disregard his intense emotions as he smiled. Of course, Nan Yiyi would beautify all the matters and describe the happenings in a way beneficial for her. Besides, Nan Yifan has always doted on her and deeply believes in her. If we have no concrete evidence, it is useless no matter what others say. Seeing that Nan Suhuai didn¡¯t speak, Nan Yifan thought that he was guilty and sneered, ¡°What, Director Nan, can¡¯t you continue talking anymore? If you really have the confidence, why don¡¯t we confront each other?¡± Nan Suhuai squinted his eyes slightly. Confront? I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s just trying to mess things up! Nan Yifan increasingly confirmed his guess as he lifted his chin slightly and coldly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t dare to confront us, Director Nan, please move away immediately!¡± Once he said this, a cold voice that sounded like gems clashing suddenly sounded. ¡°I will confront you.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1716 - 1716 Princess Consort 1716 Princess Consort His voice was cold and calm, yet it had a strong, irrefutable suppression! Everyone present instinctively looked in the direction of the voice. The surrounding force around the gigantic totem on the black wall suddenly moved! The air moved! Then, a tall and muscular figure walked out from within! The incoming person was handsome and charming. He was decked in snow-white clothes and looked dashing. At that moment, everything in the surroundings seemed to have lost its color as all the spiritual items in the world gathered in this one person alone. The elders fell silent for a moment. That man looked up slightly. His pair of eyes that were as deep as the ocean silently looked toward the crowd. It was clearly an extremely nonchalant glance, yet it encompassed tremendous suppression, causing one to be unable to look at him directly. When he just appeared, the crowd felt that he was floating like a deity. But when they saw this pair of eyes, they shockingly realized¡ª Illusion! Everything previously was an illusion! What deity that flew down from the nine heavens? He was clearly a demon that walked out of the fire in hell! However, such emotions disappeared in a flash. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze moved slightly. That layer of intensely harsh bloody intent silently disappeared! When they looked over again, that pair of phoenix-like eyes had recovered their usual gentleness and distinguished, yet distant and nonchalant aura. ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Seeing the incoming person, Nan Suhuai and Chu Ning were the first to react, revealing their happiness. Previously, they were still worried about whether he could come out safely. Now that they saw him come out in one piece and was even untouched by a speck of dust, their tense emotions instantly relaxed. He lightly nodded toward Nan Suhuai and Chu Ning and asked to leave. Then, he looked up slightly at Shangguan Jing and Yu Hongshan. Ever since he came out, these two people stopped their brawl. Detecting Rong Xiu¡¯s cold gaze landing on him, Yu Hongshan¡¯s heart instantly skipped a beat! Danger! Even Shangguan Jing can¡¯t cause me to have such a strong sense of threat! A thought popped up in Yu Hongshan¡¯s mind. This man called Rong Xiu looks like he is in the beginning of his twenties, but his skills were untestable! Even I can¡¯t test it! The more important thing is that so many people have come out from the inside, but only Rong Xiu is unscathed! Yu Hongshan couldn¡¯t help but feel guarded. ¡°Senior Shangguan, this person is the one you mentioned that betrayed you back then?¡± asked Rong Xiu lightly. Shangguan Jing recovered his senses and nodded. He faintly felt that Rong Xiu seemed different, but he didn¡¯t know how to pinpoint it. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Then, go ahead.¡± I didn¡¯t expect this person to still be alive, but that is good as Shangguan Jing can personally teach him a lesson and avenge himself for the past matters. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nobody will interrupt you. You can punish them however you like it,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart moved slightly. He finally knew what was wrong! When Rong Xiu spoke, he was using a narrative tone, and it was too righteous as if he didn¡¯t care that the other party would object to it. To be more direct, Rong Xiu¡¯s words were actually for everyone present! This was a command! Shangguan Jing was secretly shocked. He knew that Rong Xiu¡¯s status was distinguished, and he had always been peerless, high and mighty. But other than him, there was also the Nan family¡¯s head here! The Nan family¡¯s status is akin to the Sky-Cloud Empire! When he said this, Nan Yifan¡ªShangguan Jing instinctively looked at Nan Yifan and was suddenly dazed. Why does Nan Yifan¡¯s reaction seem a bit weird? ¡­ Nan Yiyi also discovered this. After seeing Rong Xiu come out, her mood was rather complicated. Although the previous ordeals had already helped slowly rid her liking toward Rong Xiu, it was very hard for her to go against Rong Xiu completely. However, Rong Xiu clearly disregarded her and even wanted to confront her when she came back. It was a lie if Nan Yiyi didn¡¯t feel upset. At the same time, she was also annoyed. Hence, she finally decided to ask her own father, Nan Yifan, for help. Rong Xiu and the rest were extremely rude toward me previously. Now that her father is here, how could he still be arrogant? However, Nan Yiyi called twice, but Nan Yifan didn¡¯t give any reactions. ¡°Father? Father?¡± She knitted her brows strangely and pulled Nan Yifan¡¯s sleeves. Nan Yifan then recovered his senses and looked at her stiffly. ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Nan Yiyi knitted her brows even more tightly. What? Isn¡¯t this situation obvious? ¡°Father, are you okay?¡± asked Nan Yiyi rather nervously. He had always been over the top of his head, so she rarely saw him reveal such an expression. ¡°I¡­ Yiyi, why didn¡¯t you previously mention¡ª¡± Before Nan Yifan could finish his sentence, Nan Yiyi had already known what to do. Are you talking about Rong Xiu? Nan Yiyi was about to explain, but her mind suddenly recalled what Rong Xiu said previously and the ball play. Hang on! It seems like my father and Rong Xiu really know each other?! ¡°Master Nan, long time no see.¡± Rong Xiu shot Nan Yifan an extremely faint gaze. Nan Yifan¡¯s expression instantly turned strange! His chin was tense, and his face squeezed out an extremely cold and rigid smile. ¡°L-long time no see¡­ Your Grace.¡± When he said this, the surrounding atmosphere immediately became stranger. Almost everyone looked at Nan Yifan strangely, especially the Nan family people. When they heard Nan Yifan politely call ¡®Your Grace,¡¯ it was akin to seeing a ghost. He was the Nan family¡¯s master! No matter if it is his status, background, or skills, it is all better than Rong Xiu. Why does this seem like I should be the nervous and anxious mum? Nan Yiyi widened her eyes. ¡°Father!?¡± She understood her father too well. For no rhyme or reason, he would definitely not be so polite. And she could even faintly feel the fear and respect for this path. Even though Nan Yifan had concealed his emotions well, Nan Yiyi¡ªwho sat beside him¡ªsaw everything. Nan Yifan glanced at her strictly. Why did this girl leave out such an important matter! If I knew that Rong Xiu would intervene¡ª Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart turned cold when she saw the massage. No wonder¡­ It was no wonder how Rong Xiu directly guessed my identity in a sudden and quiet manner. We originally thought that he only looked at girls, but now, it seems like¡­ probably not. However, he is just the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace. Father can be so polite? A gigantic ripple overwhelmed Nan Yiyi. When she thought of whatever happened earlier, her entire body went downhill. However, Nan Yifan disregarded her and forced a smile at Rong Xiu, wanting him to get his members on the deconflict sheet. ¡°No wonder His Grace is also here. What a coincidence. Hehe¡ª¡± ¡°Not a coincidence.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was cold and sharp as he spoke with a nonchalant tone. ¡°You previously said that you wanted to settle Shangguan Yue, but this person is the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Master¡ªHis Highness¡¯s Princess Consort! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1717 - 1717 Just With This Slap? 1717 Just With This Slap? Nan Yifan¡¯s mind buzzed! It was as if an invisible hammer had smashed into his head, stunning him on the spot! The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort¡­ Right! I finally remember why I previously felt that the name ¡®Shangguan Yue¡¯ was familiar. Isn¡¯t that the princess consort Rong Xiu has chosen?! This matter had spread like wildfire among the many aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm, but the Nan family had never cared about these things. The people below wouldn¡¯t mention this in front of him at all, and it was only after he asked around in private that he learned something. However, this matter had been going on for a long time, and almost nobody around him mentioned it much. Over time, he had forgotten about it. This was why he didn¡¯t think of this when he heard the name ¡®Shangguan Yue!¡¯ Miscalculated¡ªwhat a miscalculation! At this moment, Nan Yifan regretted it so much that his intestines turned green! That is Rong Xiu¡¯s woman! What is wrong with me to threaten and cause trouble for her? I even brought so many people from the Nan family to fall out with them?! Look at these people! Among them are Shangguan Yue¡¯s father, her master, and her ancestor! Offending them is undoubtedly offending Shangguan Yue¡ªdoesn¡¯t that mean offending Rong Xiu?! Nan Yifan finally couldn¡¯t smile anymore. This time, even the stiff fake smile became very forced. He swallowed hard before he could force out the words. ¡°Misunderstanding¡­ It¡¯s all a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°Eh, didn¡¯t Second Miss Nan just say that they are in such miserable states because of that ¡®b*tch¡¯ Shangguan Yue?¡± In the cold and almost suffocating silence, Elder Yi Yu suddenly spoke. He blinked. ¡°Just now, Master Nan seemed to have said that he wanted to take revenge on them. Why has it suddenly become a misunderstanding now?¡± Yi Zhao glanced at Yi Yu. After so many years, his habit of watching the commotion hasn¡¯t changed. But¡­ This time, I¡¯m happy to watch the show. As soon as Elder Yi Yu spoke, Nan Yifan had a bad feeling. After hearing this, he gritted his teeth in hatred! Why did Yi Yu have to come out at this time to cause trouble? If he didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I would¡¯ve seen a ghost! But at this moment, Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t be bothered to question Elder Yi Yu. Instead, he looked up at Rong Xiu immediately. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that! It¡ª¡± Meeting Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze, Nan Yifan¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. He felt as if his throat was being strangled by an invisible hand! The rest of his defense was stuck in his throat, unable to come out. That deep and cold gaze landed on him, bone-chilling! ¡°Oh?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was soft and indifferent as he glanced at Nan Yiyi. ¡°Is what Elder Yi Yu said true?¡± Nan Yiyi felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave! She had never felt so clearly that she was only a step away from death! A terrifying pressure instantly enveloped her¡ªit almost suffocated her! Nan Yifan hurriedly took a step forward and stood in front of Nan Yiyi. ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s not like that! Yiyi didn¡¯t say those words!¡± ¡°In that case, Elder Yi Yu lied to me in public?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s question made Nan Yifan speechless. Elder Yi Yu crossed his arms and raised his chin. ¡°Master Nan, aren¡¯t you being too rude? To think that I¡¯ve been speaking up for you before¡­ Is this how you repay me?¡± Nan Yifan wanted to tear Yi Yu¡¯s mouth apart! Who is the one being rude?! He was the first to cause trouble! He even said that he is speaking up for me in Yi Zhao¡¯s place? I didn¡¯t hear any of this. I only heard him exposing Yiyi in public and putting all of us in danger! Nan Yifan took a deep breath and forced himself to ignore Elder Yi Yu. ¡°¡­There are indeed many misunderstandings about what happened today. I can personally explain from the beginning¡­¡± ¡°Father, he¡¯s just the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace! Why are you so polite?!¡± A voice filled with unwillingness and anger suddenly sounded. It was Nan Yuxing who spoke. Everything was originally fine, but ever since Rong Xiu appeared, everything seems to have suddenly changed. I really don¡¯t understand why Father is so polite to Rong Xiu. In fact¡­ it isn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he is in awe and fearful! Normally, Nan Yuxing would never ask this question. Anyone with a brain could tell that there was clearly something wrong with Nan Yifan¡¯s attitude toward Rong Xiu, but Nan Yuxing was already in a daze. He was severely injured, and his mind was already a little muddled. Seeing this scene again, he was immediately furious and burned the last string of rationality in his heart! Hence, he shouted this sentence suddenly and crazily. ¡°Yuxing!¡± Nan Yifan was also stunned. Then, endless anger surged in his heart! Does this unfilial son know what he is talking about? This situation already made things difficult for me, and Nan Yuxing has interfered now, making things even worse! Nan Yifan suddenly raised his hand and shouted sternly, ¡°You¡ªcome over and apologize to His Grace immediately!¡± These words didn¡¯t serve as any warning to Nan Yuxing. Instead, they agitated him even more. When he previously faced Rong Xiu, his attitude had always been high and mighty. Even if he wasn¡¯t the other party¡¯s match, he had never taken Rong Xiu seriously. How could the Sky-Cloud Empire be compared to the Nan family? But now, Father is actually asking me to bow down to Rong Xiu? I will never agree! ¡°He¡¯s not worthy!¡± Nan Yuxing straightened his neck and shouted! ¡°He¡ª¡± Slap! A loud slap suddenly sounded¡ªit was Nan Yifan who slapped him ruthlessly from afar! Nan Yuxing¡¯s voice instantly disappeared. His cheek was slapped to the side and quickly swelled. Nan Yifan¡¯s chest heaved violently, and his palms were still trembling slightly. ¡°Eldest Young Master!¡± The elder standing at the side was also stunned when he saw this. It wasn¡¯t until he saw blood seeping from the corner of Nan Yuxing¡¯s mouth that he suddenly came back to his senses. Just as they were about to go over and help Nan Yuxing, they heard Nan Yifan shout, ¡°Nobody is allowed to care about him!¡± His voice and expression were stern, and the two elders did not dare to disobey. They could only stand rooted to the ground in embarrassment, allowing Nan Yuxing¡¯s body to sway and fall to the ground. Nan Yuxing was already seriously injured, and Nan Yifan had used too much strength. It was not something he could withstand. Almost nobody understood why Nan Yifan¡¯s attitude had taken a 180-degree turn, but they weren¡¯t stupid. They knew that there must be an unknown reason, so they all tactfully shut their mouths. Nan Yifan closed her eyes and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Grace, my son has offended you just now. Please forgive him.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°With this slap?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1718 - 1718 Begging 1718 Begging The meaning could not be clearer: It wasn¡¯t enough! Nan Yifan clenched his fists. He had known that Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t to be trifled with and that this stage would definitely not be so easy to pass, so he had deliberately slapped Nan Yuxing hard. Unexpectedly, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t appreciate it. Nan Yifan gritted his teeth and walked straight to his son¡¯s side without another word. Then, he dragged the latter up and slapped him again! This was a slap in the face. Crisp! The slap resounded! Before Nan Yuxing could react, his mind buzzed, and he felt a sharp pain! Thump! He fell heavily to the ground again and spat out a mouthful of blood! This hit made Nan Yuxing dizzy, and he almost fainted. Nan Yifan paused. Behind him, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t speak. He took a deep breath and slapped Nan Yuxing a few more times. Nan Yuxing really couldn¡¯t say a word this time. After spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood, his eyes finally rolled back, and he fainted completely. Nan Yifan closed his eyes. How could he not feel heartache? But at this moment, he really couldn¡¯t think of any other way to resolve his current predicament. At this point, Rong Xiu finally spoke and said calmly, ¡°Clan Leader Nan, why do you have to do this? I¡¯m not such a narrow-minded person. Why would I argue with him?¡± Nan Yifan felt like vomiting blood. Why would he argue with him? Then, what was all that just now? It wasn¡¯t until Nan Yuxing was knocked unconscious that he spoke!? However, these words clearly could not be said directly. Nan Yifan threw his son to the ground! ¡°He spoke rudely to Your Grace, so he deserves to be taught a lesson. Speaking of which, it¡¯s actually because I didn¡¯t teach my son well, so¡­ I¡¯m really ashamed.¡± When he said this, there was still a hint of anger on Nan Yifan¡¯s face. It was as if he wished he could go up and kick his son a few more times before he was satisfied. Rong Xiu glanced at Nan Yuxing, who was lying on the ground, and his dark red lips curled up slightly. ¡°No matter what, Nan Yuxing is still the only son of the Nan family¡¯s master. Now that his pearl of essence has shattered and he¡¯s crippled, how can he withstand the Nan family master¡¯s lesson?¡± Then, he raised his chin. ¡°Elders, please treat him as soon as possible.¡± Every word was like a steel knife that stabbed fiercely into Nan Yifan¡¯s heart! His face paled, but he finally waved his hand. The two elders standing at the side hurriedly stepped forward. It wasn¡¯t easy for Nan Yuxing¡¯s situation to improve. After a few slaps, all their previous efforts were in vain. It was even worse than at the beginning. Nan Yifan turned around and looked at Rong Xiu, his expression extremely restrained. ¡°Your Grace, there were many misunderstandings previously, but now that I¡¯ve taught them a lesson¡­ Do you think this matter can be forgotten?¡± Anyone could tell that Nan Yifan had given in and begged for mercy. Elder Yi Yu couldn¡¯t help but laugh and whisper, ¡°How interesting¡­¡± Although the Sky-Cloud Empire is a top aristocratic family, it is still slightly inferior to the Nan family. Logically speaking, Rong Xiu should be the one at a disadvantage when facing Nan Yifan, but the opposite is true instead. I really don¡¯t know what Nan Yifan is afraid of, or have we underestimated Rong Xiu previously? Yi Zhao placed one hand behind his back. His eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this, but he didn¡¯t say anything. In fact, he was thinking about this too. Perhaps¡­ our understanding of Rong Xiu is really far from enough! ¡­ Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows as if he had heard something funny. Then, he said slowly, ¡°Clan Leader Nan, are you thinking about something wrong? From beginning to end, I¡¯ve been holding Nan Yiyi accountable. It¡¯s none other than her.¡± He said the last few words extremely slowly, enunciating each word clearly! Nan Yifan¡¯s expression changed. Rong Xiu was playing me! But before he could explode, Rong Xiu continued, ¡°You¡¯ve provoked me a few times, but Yue¡¯er has been magnanimous and hasn¡¯t bickered with you. Unfortunately, you don¡¯t know what it means to quit while you¡¯re ahead. Not only do you not have the slightest intention of repenting, but you¡¯re even slandering and humiliating her in public now¡­¡± Rong Xiu spoke very slowly, and his voice was light, but it was also cold. Nan Yiyi felt as if these words were like a sharp and cold knife pressed against her neck! He was waiting for the most suitable time to slash down! Nan Yiyi was trembling, and her legs felt weak. She subconsciously looked at her father. ¡°Father¡­ Father!¡± Rong Xiu wants to kill me! He is determined to kill me! How could Nan Yifan be happy? Just now, he had already gone all out and almost lost half of Nan Yuxing¡¯s life. He didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to still not give up! After hesitating for a long time, Nan Yifan said with difficulty, ¡°What exactly does Your Grace want?¡± Rong Xiu must¡¯ve seen through my methods at a glance. It¡¯s obvious that Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t care about that. He will only stop if he is truly satisfied. Hence, Nan Yifan chose to ask directly. Rong Xiu laughed. ¡°Clan Leader Nan is straightforward enough. I won¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± He raised his chin slightly and swept his cold and disdainful gaze across Nan Yiyi. ¡°I want her tongue.¡± His voice was low, and his tone was extremely faint, but he couldn¡¯t be disobeyed! This wasn¡¯t a compromise or a discussion but an order! ¡­ Nan Yifan felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on his chest. I know that Rong Xiu has always been ruthless, and today, our people have offended him. He will definitely get back at us, but¡­ This request is too much! He only had one daughter and had always treated her as the apple of his eye. Usually, he would coax her for a long time with a fierce word and dote on her. Now that Rong Xiu ordered him to cut her tongue, Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t accept it no matter what! Nan Yiyi grabbed her father¡¯s sleeve tightly. Her eyes were red, and bean-sized tears kept falling. ¡°Father, Yiyi can¡¯t accept it!¡± She had seen her big brother¡¯s tragic state clearly. At this moment, she completely understood that her father was indeed extremely afraid of Rong Xiu. If Father really agrees to this request¡­ Hot tears fell on the back of Nan Yifan¡¯s hand. He closed his eyes and held his daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with this condition.¡± He could accept other punishments, but he was definitely unwilling to sacrifice his bloodline! Just now, he seemed to have been extremely ruthless to Nan Yuxing, but in fact, he had been controlling his strength and technique and didn¡¯t cause any fatal injuries. But if he handed Nan Yiyi over to Rong Xiu to deal with, the consequences would be¡ªhe didn¡¯t even dare to think about it! Rong Xiu didn¡¯t look surprised as if he had expected this. His lips seemed to curve into a smile as he said lightly, ¡°Clan Leader Nan, I¡¯ve already given you face.¡± Unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t want it. Nan Yifan immediately tensed up! Sensing his nervousness, Nan Yiyi had a bad feeling. Suddenly, she had an idea and shouted at Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, Shangguan Yue privately contracted a red-gold heavenly phoenix. It¡¯s already a heinous crime! It¡¯s also wrong for Rong Xiu to think of ways to protect her! Are you really planning to sit back and do nothing?!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1719 - 1719 Nonsense! 1719 Nonsense! When Elder Yi Yu heard this, he almost laughed out loud. Nan Yiyi is really crazy. She still dares to say such words when she is about to die? She is afraid that she won¡¯t die completely! In the current situation, the Nan family is already at a complete disadvantage. Nan Yiyi has undoubtedly treated us as her last hope and is still hoping that we will help. She hasn¡¯t thought about it. Even if we are really here to cause trouble for Shangguan Yue, what does it have to do with her? We can¡¯t be bothered with Rong Xiu cutting off her tongue. Yi Zhao frowned slightly and finally revealed an impatient and frustrated expression. Nan Yiyi thought that she had persuaded the other party. Just as a hint of joy rose in her heart, she heard Rong Xiu laugh and ask, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, are you going to help them?¡± Yi Zhao spat out coldly, ¡°What do their life and death have to do with me?¡± The reason why he was impatient was purely that he felt it too noisy to listen to Nan Yiyi talk about this matter over and over again. Rong Xiu nodded with a smile. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Clan Leader Yi Zhao.¡± The two of them had only exchanged two or three sentences before the outcome was decided. One couldn¡¯t be bothered, and the other was determined to kill! Nan Yiyi felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave! She never expected the other party to really be so indifferent! Being forced into a desperate situation, Nan Yiyi almost went crazy. She shouted at the top of her voice, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, do you really not mind at all that Shangguan Yue secretly contracted the red-gold heavenly phoenix? Even if the bloodline of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan is tainted from now on, do you not care at all?!¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s eyes turned cold. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly sensed something and looked up! Splash¡ª There was the sound of tidal waves. Everyone looked over in unison and realized that the natural energy around the black wall was surging rapidly into the huge and mysterious totem! It was daytime, and the clear sky quickly darkened. Dark clouds gathered and overlapped each other. The sky was covered by thick clouds. Everything between heaven and earth seemed to be covered in a shadow. Only the totem on the black wall became brighter and brighter! Then, with the totem as the center, the black on the wall suddenly began to fade toward the surroundings gradually! The originally thick and mottled stones became transparent bit by bit, suffused with a crystalline light. At this moment, the totem finally began to show its original gorgeous color! Everyone was deeply shocked by this scene. For a moment, they were shocked and didn¡¯t know how to react. This wall still stood proudly after tens of thousands of years in the God-Killing Tumulus. It was always deep and heavy. Every stone piled on it was deeply engraved with everything that had happened here; it was solemn, ancient, and untouchable. But at this moment, their appearance had completely changed! Everyone could even see the mottled marks left on the stones, but the rich black color was gone! Gradually, a slender and straight figure appeared behind the totem¡ª ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Ning¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, and he subconsciously took a step forward. Who else can that girl in red be but Yue¡¯er?! At this moment, she sat cross-legged quietly and focused on a transparent page in her hand. Her black hair fell, and her side profile was beautiful and quiet. Her body seemed to be enveloped in an indescribable unique aura, easily isolating all the commotion around her. From everyone¡¯s point of view, it was as if she was trapped in a huge transparent space. They could see her every move, but there was another wall between them, too far to reach. The crowd was silent. Suddenly, she tilted her head slightly and looked over. Her eyes were calm, but they seemed to contain thousands of stars. They were clear and bright. Immediately, she frowned and said indifferently, ¡°So noisy.¡± Almost at the same time, a childish voice sounded. ¡°So noisy!¡± Everyone was shocked when they saw a young lady not far away from her. She had her hands on her waist and was looking over angrily. She looked to be no more than three or four years old. She was wearing a red-gold lotus leaf dress and had two buns tied with red string and golden bells on her head. Her chubby, fair, and tender face was cute. It was Tuan Zi! At this moment, her big black grape-like eyes were burning with anger. Warm and anxious¡­ That was real fire! ¡°So noisy!¡± Tuan Zi was really angry. Ever since she had been devoured into this inexplicable space, she had been searching for traces of A¡¯Yue. After searching back and forth for a long time, she finally saw A¡¯Yue not long ago. As soon as she saw A¡¯Yue, she wanted to pounce on her. However, she quickly realized that A¡¯Yue seemed to be busy with something, so she waited obediently beside him. But not long after, the originally dark space gradually lit up, and then¡ªshe heard a lot of noise, especially that sharp and ear-piercing female voice, which annoyed Tuan Zi to death. This is disturbing A¡¯Yue now! I will never tolerate it again! ¡°I¡¯ve said it before¡ª¡± She raised her hand and pointed at Nan Yiyi. ¡°You¡¯re really, really, annoying!¡± ¡­ Seeing Tuan Zi appear and directly criticize her, Nan Yiyi also panicked for a moment. However, she quickly calmed down. What is there to worry about? The more this red-gold heavenly phoenix defends Shangguan Yue, the angrier Clan Leader Yi Zhao and the others will be! How can the incomparably noble red-gold heavenly phoenix tolerate their own kind contracting with the human race? Moreover, she looks so loyal and sincere! This time, I don¡¯t believe that Yi Zhao and the others can still tolerate it! She sneered and turned away. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, did you see that? Not only has Shangguan Yue contracted with your clansman, but she also orders her around and completely treats her as her slave! Can you really take this lying down?¡± She thought that Yi Zhao would definitely fly into a rage when he saw this scene and heard these words. However, the latter¡¯s reaction was completely beyond Nan Yiyi¡¯s expectations. Yi Zhao stared intently at Tuan Zi inside the wall. After confirming that she was safe and sound, he let out a long sigh of relief. Then, he turned to look at Nan Yiyi. Meeting those cold and dignified eyes, Nan Yiyi suddenly felt uneasy. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly as he said calmly and authoritatively, ¡°Tuan Zi is Shangguan Yue¡¯s contracted legendary fiend to begin with. Isn¡¯t it normal to speak up for her?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1720 - 1720 Fainted? 1720 Fainted? Nan Yiyi widened her eyes in disbelief. Nan Yifan and the others also quickly turned around and looked at Yi Zhao, almost suspecting that they were hallucinating. What did Yi Zhao just say? Very normal¡ªhe actually feels that this is very normal! Is he crazy?! In an instant, Nan Yiyi almost felt that the world was in chaos! Yi Zhao¡ªa famous figure in the God Residence Realm! Almost everyone knew how disgusted and indifferent he was to humans, but now that his own race had contracted with the human race, he was actually so indifferent? All the words Nan Yiyi had prepared got stuck in her throat suddenly, and she could no longer say them. She pinched herself hard, relying on the sting to make sure she wasn¡¯t dreaming and that those words had indeed come from Yi Zhao¡¯s mouth! ¡°What¡­ what¡­ do you mean?!¡± Nan Yiyi stammered. At this moment, she had already sensed that things seemed to be different from what she had expected. She wanted to try to salvage the situation, but everything seemed to be sliding in an uncontrollable direction! Yi Zhao lightly said, ¡°There¡¯s no hidden meaning to it.¡± He really didn¡¯t care about this at all! Nan Yiyi felt as if her heart was clenched tightly by something! Even breathing became difficult! ¡°B-but in that case, isn¡¯t¡­ Isn¡¯t that red-gold heavenly phoenix equivalent to betraying the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan?! Could it be that you also¡ª¡± ¡°Second Miss Nan, what kind of joke is this?¡± Elder Yi Yu interrupted her with a smile. ¡°Tuan Zi is the young mistress chosen by our ancestor, and she is also the next clan leader of our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Anyone might betray our clan, but only she¡ªit¡¯s impossible!¡± Yi Yu¡¯s clear and indifferent words were no different from a heavy hammer that ruthlessly smashed into Nan Yiyi¡¯s heart! Her mind buzzed and went blank. Young Mistress¡­ That red-gold heavenly phoenix is actually the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress?! Moreover, she was chosen by their ancestor!? So after all I just said¡­ In their eyes, wasn¡¯t it all a joke? Nan Yiyi¡¯s vision darkened, and she fell to the ground. ¡°Second Missy!¡± An elder was standing at the side. Seeing this, he hurriedly went forward and supported Nan Yiyi. ¡°Second Missy, are you alright?¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s legs went weak, and she almost lost her balance. Her entire body was cold, and her mind was in chaos. At this moment, she really hoped that she would faint! Everything that had happened just now kept replaying in her mind, making her extremely embarrassed. She wished she could find a hole to hide in and never appear in front of these people again! I had thought that after saying so much, I could stir up the conflict between Yi Zhao and Shangguan Yue and use her to resolve Shangguan Yue completely. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Yi Zhao and the others to actually be on the same side as Shangguan Yue and the others from the beginning! From beginning to end, I¡¯m the only one¡ªa clown! What a joke! Nan Yiyi¡¯s entire body was trembling, and her face was pale. She looked miserable. Where was the slightest dignity and disdain from Second Miss Nan? Nan Yifan was also stunned by this sudden development. He stood rooted to the ground for a long time without moving. He didn¡¯t know what to say or do. When Nan Yiyi said those words, he had a nonchalant attitude. Although he didn¡¯t show his emotions like Nan Yiyi, he also had the same thoughts as her. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to help Nan Yiyi because he was also panicking. Young Mistress¡­ The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress! He couldn¡¯t help but look back. If we hadn¡¯t heard it with our own ears, who would believe that such a little girl is actually the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress? Countless thoughts flashed through Nan Yifan¡¯s mind. Previously, there had been no news of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress in the God Residence Realm. Then, it is very likely that this happened recently. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan seem to have indeed held an ancestral ceremony some time ago. If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be at that time¡ª However, this red-gold heavenly phoenix is Shangguan Yue¡¯s contracted legendary fiend! How did she become the young mistress?! Logically speaking, such an identity is a stain on the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. It is already good enough that she didn¡¯t become a sinner. Why did she ascend to become the young mistress? Nan Yifan was extremely shocked and puzzled, but he didn¡¯t even have the right or the courage to ask. Just now, Elder Yi Yu had clearly said that the position of young mistress was chosen by their ancestor! He could not even afford to offend Yi Zhao, so how could he dare to question the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan?! No wonder¡­ No wonder even the clan leader, Yi Zhao, has personally taken action. How could he not be worried that something had happened to their young mistress? Previously, I had felt that Yi Zhao and the other man were very concerned about the person they were looking for. However, I never expected that the little girl¡¯s true identity would be so shocking! Everything has become a dead end! Yi Zhao stared at Nan Yiyi coldly. ¡°I forgot to mention that Tuan Zi is a rare genius in our clan in a thousand years. She has the most noble bloodline of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡ªthe purest bloodline!¡± She said that Tuan Zi had tainted the bloodline of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡­ Is there anything more ridiculous than this? Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she finally fainted. The elder at the side looked at Nan Yifan with a troubled expression. ¡°Clan Leader, this¡ª¡± Nan Yifan clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth! He was no longer in the mood to care about Nan Yiyi¡¯s situation. Today, we have completely offended Rong Xiu and the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. It is unknown what kind of storm the entire Nan family will suffer! ¡°She fainted?¡± Rong Xiu asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± With a wave of his sleeve, a black figure suddenly appeared in front of everyone! It was a puppet made of black iron. It was tall and wore armor, tough and iron-blooded! Golden flames burned in the originally empty eyes! Everyone present was shocked! The combat strength of this puppet is probably extremely high! Although there were no force fluctuations, the terrifying pressure was extremely terrifying! Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was indifferent. ¡°Sky Demon, open her mouth!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1721 - 1721 Take This Grievance! 1721 Take This Grievance! Hearing this order, the puppet immediately bowed respectfully. Then, with a tap of its toes, it headed straight for Nan Yiyi! It was extremely strong, and with just a strong step, a few cracks appeared on the ground! Its figure had already flown away like an arrow! In the blink of an eye, it was already not far from Nan Yiyi! The elder supporting Nan Yiyi was shocked. He immediately set up a barrier in front of him and retreated at the same time! However, this defense was unable to withstand a single blow from the puppet! Rumble! The puppet punched out, and the barrier instantly shattered! Violent energy surged in all directions! Some of it crashed into the Sky Demon, but they didn¡¯t leave even a mark! ¡°Divine Puppet!¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s expression changed. He immediately rushed forward and tried to stop the Sky Demon, but the Sky Demon was no slower than him! Its movements were even more agile! In a flash, the puppet bypassed him and rushed in front of Nan Yiyi! Force surged around the elder, but before he could attack, the Sky Demon had already kicked his wrist! Crack! The sound of bones breaking was especially crisp! ¡°Ah!¡± The elder cried out in pain and subconsciously loosened his grip. Nan Yiyi was instantly taken away by the Sky Demon! Nan Yifan¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Yiyi!¡± The Sky Demon ignored her and used its elbow to clamp down on Nan Yiyi¡¯s neck. Its other hand gripped her chin tightly! The intense pain woke Nan Yiyi up again. When she came back to her senses, she realized that she was already in a tight grip! Her jaw seemed to have been dislocated, and the Sky Demon was so strong that it¡¯d shattered half her jaw. She was forced to open her mouth. Cold air kept pouring into her lungs, making her entire body cold! She had a bad feeling and began to struggle frantically, but the Sky Demon was extremely powerful. Even in her prime, she would have been no match for the Sky Demon, let alone now. Then, something quickly flew over¡ªit was sharp! Hot! Nan Yiyi felt her vision blur! Then, she heard something fall out and hit the ground. Only then did the Sky Demon release her and flash back to Rong Xiu¡¯s side. Nan Yiyi¡¯s body suddenly relaxed, and she fell to the ground. Her man seemed to be holding something down. She turned stiffly to look. A piece of tongue meat, stained with dark-red blood, was lying quietly on the ground. It was still warm. Nan Yiyi was shocked. Then, an indescribably terrifying pain came from her mouth! The strong smell of blood instantly filled her mouth! Nan Yiyi widened her eyes in shock! My tongue¡ªit is my tongue! Rong Xiu had really cut off her tongue just now! A miserable cry came from Nan Yiyi¡¯s throat. She wanted to say something, but all that came out of her mouth was a whimper. She could not say another word! Nan Yifan¡¯s face turned pale, and his body swayed, almost falling. Nan Yiyi had never been in pain since she was young. How could he stand watching her tongue being cut off? Blood kept flowing from the corner of Nan Yiyi¡¯s mouth, and blood and tears flowed down her face. She looked really miserable. There was dead silence. There was no other sound but her whimpering wails. Everyone was shocked by Rong Xiu¡¯s straightforward move. Nobody expected Rong Xiu to do as he said. Even if Nan Yifan and the others stopped him, he would do as he said! The shrill voice made Rong Xiu a little frustrated. He narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°If you continue to argue, I have ways to shut you up forever.¡± Nan Yiyi¡¯s voice stopped abruptly! Her blood surged, and her chest and abdomen churned. More blood seeped from the corners of her mouth, but after being swept by Rong Xiu¡¯s deep and cold eyes, she did not dare to make a sound. She had no doubt that Rong Xiu would definitely do such a thing! ¡°Yiyi!¡± Luo Yan walked over quickly. Nan Yiyi gazed at him without saying a word, tears falling incessantly. Seeing this, Luo Yan¡¯s heart ached. However, Nan Yiyi¡¯s mouth was filled with blood, and it was extremely painful. She couldn¡¯t swallow the pill no matter what. Veins popped on Luo Yan¡¯s forehead, but in the end, he could only endure it. He wanted to take revenge on Rong Xiu, but this matter wasn¡¯t so easy. Not to mention that Rong Xiu had become much stronger and still had many trump cards that he had yet to reveal, making it really difficult to do anything to him, just the family head¡¯s attitude was worth thinking about! Nan Yiyi was his only daughter, and he had doted on her for so many years! How could his heart not ache? But even now¡­ Nan Yifan hadn¡¯t attacked Rong Xiu! Coupled with his abnormal attitude toward Rong Xiu previously, it really made people think too much! Nan Yifan would never be so polite to a person for no reason. It isn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he would swallow his anger. He seems to be rather afraid of Rong Xiu. What is he afraid of?! Luo Yan didn¡¯t know, but he knew that the things involved had definitely exceeded their expectations! As a result, Nan Yifan could swallow this anger! Besides¡­ Even if they fell out with Rong Xiu at all costs, then¡­ What should they do about the red-gold heavenly phoenixes? They were also on Shangguan Yue¡¯s side! In other words, all the grievances and pain today¡­ Even if she didn¡¯t want to bear the responsibility, she had to! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1722 - 1722 Leave or Stay 1722 Leave or Stay Rumble! When the scene entered a stalemate, an intense energy-clashing sound was suddenly heard! Shangguan Jing and Yu Hongshan fought again! Yu Hongshan was originally at a disadvantage. After seeing the Nan family suffering continuously and becoming the public enemy, he knew he couldn¡¯t rely on them anymore and couldn¡¯t help being angry and anxious! Originally, he thought that he could win some face by relying on Nan Yiyi and the Nan family. Who knew that the remaining two parties couldn¡¯t be trifled with? He didn¡¯t know what was so amazing about Rong Xiu. However, Nan Yifan¡¯s attitude proved too much! Besides, there was also Yi Zhao! The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was clearly standing on Shangguan Yue¡¯s side. Shangguan Jing was Shangguan Yue¡¯s ancestor, so they naturally would help him! Now, he was at a point of no return. As his mental defense broke, Yu Hongshan¡¯s combat skills rapidly dropped, and he was about to break down! Shangguan Jing chased after him and kept hitting him! He unleashed all the grievances accumulated in the past thousand years! Not long later, Yu Hongshan made a grave mistake. Shangguan Jing took the chance and gave him a fatal blow! Peng!! Yu Hongshan¡¯s translucent figure completely exploded with this sound! Smoke went everywhere! The soul was destroyed! ¡­ ¡°Hu¡­¡± Shangguan Jing exhaled loudly. He never expected that Yu Hongshan managed to survive in the black wall for a thousand years. But luckily, everything still ended now! The hint of indignance and anger suppressed at the bottom of his heart finally dissipated silently, alongside Yu Hongshan¡¯s complete disappearance. At this time, he still secretly felt lucky that he had followed Yue¡¯er over. If not, how would he have the chance to settle the old grudges? Shangguan Jing looked up at Chu Liuyue. Now, I just hope that Yue¡¯er can come out safely. ¡­ Only the Nan family was tortured amongst everyone present. Nan Yifan closed his eyes. The current situation isn¡¯t beneficial for us. If we do it forcefully, we have no chance of winning. The only thing we can do is tolerate everything! He walked to Nan Yiyi. Seeing Nan Yiyi¡¯s current appearance, his heart seemed to be tightly clutched, and it hurt. However, even he couldn¡¯t help but admit that Nan Yiyi¡¯s situation was largely caused by herself. She could offend anyone, but it had to be Rong Xiu. If she only offended Rong Xiu, I could¡¯ve still fought for her. However¡­ her words completely offended the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! Nan Yifan felt extreme regret. If I had long known this, I would definitely not send her over! However, it is too late to say anything now. ¡°Yiyi, let¡¯s go home.¡± His voice was low and hoarse. Nan Yiyi looked at him and his empty eyes. Disappointed? No, it is hopelessness. I thought that Father would protect me, but no. Everything in the past seems like a joke now. I was treated in this manner, yet he doesn¡¯t want to stand up for me at all. How would Nan Yifan not know what his daughter was thinking? However, he had his difficulties. He couldn¡¯t let the entire Nan family go against Rong Xiu and the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan for her, right? Besides, she was clearly in the wrong for this incident. Even if word went out, they weren¡¯t in the right. How could he do anything in such a scenario?! Nan Yifan clenched his fists tightly and firmed his voice. ¡°Luo Yan, bring her back!¡± Luo Yan closed his eyes and could only agree. But just as he planned to take Nan Yiyi to leave, Nan Yiyi suddenly shook her head crazily! Her face was filled with refusal! ¡°Wuwu!¡± She couldn¡¯t talk anymore. This sound was like a heavy hammer that smashed on the hearts of the crowd from the Nan family. I¡¯m not leaving¡ªI¡¯m definitely not leaving! I want to stay here and see what kind of tricks that Shangguan Yue has up her sleeve! Anyway, I¡¯m already in this state. Is there any difference if I stay or leave?! Detecting her heart filled with vengeance, Luo Yan hesitated for a moment before turning back to glance at Nan Yifan. ¡°Master, if you want to go, you can directly leave. I¡¯ll accompany Yiyi here.¡± Nan Yifan was so angry that his chest felt tight. Is Luo Yan also throwing his temper on me? Am I feeling good?! Nan Yuxing¡¯s pearl of essence is broken, and he completely became a good-for-nothing. Nan Yiyi¡¯s tongue has been cut off, and she is now a mute! As their father, am I not the most heartbroken one? He suppressed his anger. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll wait here together then! When she wants to leave, we¡¯ll go!¡± At the side, the elder wanted to advise him, but the atmosphere was too cold and stiff. In the end, they chose to keep silent. ¡­ Nobody really cared if they left or stayed. At this point, the attention of Rong Xiu, Yi Zhao, and the rest were all on Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi. Everyone came out, only leaving the two of them trapped inside. Besides, this black wall became transparent at some point, causing them to be uneasy. After a period of time, a large portion of black had disappeared from the black wall before them. That strange pattern had already revealed its original appearance¡ªit was mysterious. The rays of light were bright with a heavy suppression! Chu Liuyue¡¯s current position was incredulous. Looking from the outside, she was coincidentally situated in the middle of the totem. She glanced at Nan Yiyi and calmly retracted her gaze as if Nan Yiyi¡¯s life or death couldn¡¯t affect her at all. She threw away the paper in her hands. Her slender and long finger then extended, and a transparent page flew over! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1723 - 1723 Last Three Pages! 1723 Last Three Pages! ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Elder Yi Yu couldn¡¯t help but ask softly. In actual fact, it wasn¡¯t only him¡ªeveryone present was curious about this. Even though they could see Chu Liuyue, they couldn¡¯t see where the thrown paper went to and where the new paper came from. The only thing they could tell was that¡­ Chu Liuyue seemed very focused on studying these items. As for what was written on the transparent paper, nobody knew. Yi Zhao didn¡¯t reply to Elder Yi Yu¡¯s question as his gaze changed slightly and glanced at Tuan Zi. Detecting his gaze, Tuan Zi broke out into a smile and smiled brightly. ¡°Thank you, Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Originally, she just felt that this place was very strange. As she was terrified that A¡¯Yue would be in danger and couldn¡¯t handle it, she tried to send out a message for help. She didn¡¯t expect them to actually come! Even though Tuan Zi looked young, she had been with Chu Liuyue for so many years, and her mentality was mature. She knew what it meant by Clan Leader Grandpa personally taking action. Hence, she was very moved and grateful. With that, she revealed her big smile generously. Seeing Tuan Zi¡¯s adorable face and the bright smile, Yi Zhao¡¯s heart seemed to be harshly hit by something as it felt soft and loving. His expression didn¡¯t change much, and he was still very stern. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you previously that you can just tell me if you¡¯re in trouble? You¡¯re the young mistress. The clan will naturally help you.¡± Elder Yi Yu stood at the side and lightly glanced at him. Tsk, he clearly wants to take the chance to get closer to Tuan Zi, yet he said so much¡­ Even if Tuan Zi isn¡¯t the Young Mistress, he still has to come personally! Of course, he definitely couldn¡¯t say such words to him. He had to leave the clan leader with some face and dignity, right? Hence, Elder Yi Yu smiled, took a step forward, and said, ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry! I will wait for you here!¡± Tuan Zi nodded forcefully and clenched her small fists! ¡°Ow! Fifth Elder Grandpa is waiting for me!¡± Looking at the smile on that small face and the crisp address, Elder Yi Yu was content. It¡¯s worth it! This trip is really worth it! Elder Yi Yu couldn¡¯t help but lean toward Yi Zhao as he chuckled and asked without concealing his delight, ¡°Clan Leader, Tuan Zi looks especially happy. Do you think I can directly hug her when she comes out?¡± Once he said this, he suddenly felt his nape turn cold. Yi Zhao glanced at him coldly. ¡°Why are you daydreaming?¡± I haven¡¯t hugged her yet. How could it be his turn?! Elder Yi Yu was speechless. If you want to hug her, say so yourself! If you don¡¯t say it, who would know? You¡¯re embarrassed to say it, yet you don¡¯t let other people think about it?! Domineering! Unreasonable! Elder Yi Yu grunted and said angrily, ¡°That might not be a dream¡­ Clan Leader, you always have such a black face. You¡¯re too stern! Which kid would like you when they see you?¡± As he said this, he retreated to the side. ¡°If I stand beside you, perhaps Tuan Zi won¡¯t even come over when she planned to do so originally!¡± Yi Zhao glanced at him again. ¡°Yi Yu, if you don¡¯t speak, nobody will treat you as a mute.¡± Elder Yi Yu trembled and stiffened his neck. Who is scared of whom? As long as Tuan Zi is happy, why does it matter if Clan Leader is upset? ¡­ Inside the wall, Chu Liuyue threw the paper in her hands again. The zither sound rang beside her ear! She looked up. There were still¡­ three pieces left! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1724 - 1724 Finish Reading 1724 Finish Reading She had already forcefully memorized half of the entire song. Additionally, after she heard it so many times, the initial harsh and painful torture was unwittingly reduced. The current Chu Liuyue could basically be said to be listening peacefully to the zither song as she flipped the music score before her. From more than 10,000 pieces of paper to the current last three¡­ Other than her, nobody knew what kind of torture and pain she had suffered in between. But luckily¡­ Everything was finally going to end! The three transparent pieces of paper floated before her quietly. Chu Liuyue gathered her focus and looked at them calmly. Then, she chose the one in the middle. The moment she held it, the rays of light on the transparent paper turned. However, Chu Liuyue seemed to be used to it, as she read calmly. ¡­ She was overly focused, causing the spectating crowd to unwittingly quieten down as if they were afraid that they would disturb something. Nan Yifan stared at her for a while. His examining and doubtful gaze darted back and forth between her and the transparent paper in her hands. He seemed to be doubting something, but he didn¡¯t dare to confirm it. After much thinking, he felt his head ache, and he couldn¡¯t help but rub his temples. ¡°Master.¡± A rather weak voice sounded. Nan Yifan turned around. Elder Wu Peng had silently walked behind him at some point. When Nan Yifan saw that it was him, his expression became softer. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Elder Wu Peng glanced at Nan Yiyi at the side and softly said, ¡°Master, Second Missy didn¡¯t purposely cause things to end up in this state¡­¡± He had followed Nan Yifan for many years and could naturally tell that the latter¡¯s heart ached for Nan Yiyi, but he also blamed her a little. The original training ended up in this state. Nobody wanted to see this. Nan Yifan thought that Wu Peng wanted to stand up for Nan Yiyi, so he knitted his brows. ¡°Elder Wu Peng, at this point, there really is no need to say some things¡ª¡± ¡°Master, do you know why Second Missy kept chasing after them relentlessly?¡± Elder Wu Peng sighed. ¡°If it¡¯s really because of a personal grudge¡­ Not only you, but even I and Eldest Young Master would never agree.¡± This caused Nan Yifan¡¯s expression to change slightly. He knew Elder Wu Peng¡¯s character clearly¡ªthe latter really wouldn¡¯t allow Nan Yiyi to be willful. As for Nan Yuxing? Even though his performance today was disappointing, anyone with their pearl of essence broken wouldn¡¯t be able to calm down in such a short amount of time. Does that mean¡­ there is another reason behind this? Nan Yifan¡¯s expression became much more stern. ¡°If she has any troubles, Elder Wu Peng, do tell me.¡± Elder Wu Peng paused. ¡°The item you told Second Missy to find¡­ seems to be with Shangguan Yue.¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s expression instantly changed. He first glanced at his surroundings. After confirming that those people¡¯s attention was all on Shangguan Yue, he then carefully asked, ¡°Really?¡± Elder Wu Peng nodded lightly. ¡°I used my geomantic compass to calculate it, and Second Missy has also detected that item was aura on her, so it shouldn¡¯t be wrong.¡± Nan Yifan knitted his brows tightly and fell silent. If that is really so, it is understandable why Nan Yiyi keeps going after Shangguan Yue¡­ ¡°Why would that item be with her?¡± Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I recall that you seem to have entered the God-Killing Tumulus together?¡± Elder Wu Peng nodded and repeated the previous incident once. Nan Yifan felt conflicted after hearing it. Previously, Nan Yiyi only said that the two parties had a conflict in the God-Killing Tumulus, but she didn¡¯t explain the beginning and the end properly. Now that Elder Wu Peng said it, he finally understood many things. Even though Nan Yiyi did willingly provoke them at first and caused trouble for the other party, they did follow Shangguan Yue and the rest to find that item in the end. That was also the reason why they were dragged into the black wall. The dead were dead, and the injured were injured. In that case, he really couldn¡¯t completely blame Nan Yiyi. ¡°This means that they found the item before you?¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s expression was cold. Elder Wu Peng thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°Actually¡­ I think that they didn¡¯t have much time to find the item after they entered the God-Killing Tumulus. Besides, from start to end, Shangguan Yue didn¡¯t seem to know what exactly we were looking for¡­¡± The words she said when she fought with Nan Yiyi in the end didn¡¯t seem to be a lie. Nan Yifan frowned. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Elder Wu Peng did not speak for a moment and looked up. In the transparent wall, the figure behind the totem sat quietly and stubbornly¡ªit was as if she were meditating. No matter how chaotic the outside world was, she wouldn¡¯t be affected at all. At this very moment, her heart and eyes only had the few transparent pieces of paper. ¡°¡­Perhaps, that item was originally with her!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at the music score in her hands. Rays of light turned on it and formed into music symbols that kept overlapping with the zither sounds in her mind. But in the middle, it finally got stuck again. Chu Liuyue lightly sighed as if she had already predicted this outcome. She didn¡¯t look disappointed as she nonchalantly threw the paper in her hands away. There were two pieces of paper remaining. She didn¡¯t even look at them as she directly took the one on the right. Suddenly, she paused in her actions and looked up. In the space that she was in¡­ With her as the center, it was perfectly split into two parts. The left side was thick black. The right side was filled with light. The waiting crowd was actually on that side. Hence, they could see her, and she could also see them. In the darkness that wouldn¡¯t go away hid a person and a zither. ¡°Senior Ah Jing.¡± Chu Liuyue turned her face slightly and looked toward that side. Even if all she saw was pitch black, she could still see a blurred figure at the end of the darkness. The sound of the zither stopped. ¡°Hm?¡± A lazy and nonchalant voice sounded, and it sounded like it was even more flirtatious than the zither sound. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°It has really been hard on you. You¡¯ve spent a lot of effort.¡± Ah Jing smiled and said, ¡°Oh? Why do you say that?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand and held the other piece of paper. ¡°If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, no matter which piece I read first, the ending will be the same, right?¡± Her lips curled up into a faint smile. ¡°The so-called authenticity of the music score is actually controlled by your thoughts, right? It isn¡¯t important which piece of paper I leave behind because the true music score will definitely be the last one!¡± He wanted her to finish reading all the music scores! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1725 - 1725 Repair 1725 Repair Chu Liuyue heard her own echo. Her gaze turned. Then, she saw that her surroundings seemed to have a transparent and invisible barrier that blocked all sounds. Every time she spoke, she would see that the surrounding barrier would have faint ripples. Her heart tingled. She guessed that Senior Ah Jing didn¡¯t want the people outside to hear their conversation, so he set this up. After listening to this, Ah Jing fell silent for a moment and lowly chuckled. ¡°With your intelligence, you should¡¯ve guessed it long ago. Why did you only ask about it now?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°You naturally have your own reasons for wanting me to finish reading them.¡± Then, she would do it. Now that she asked this, she just wanted an answer. Ah Jing chuckled, and it gradually turned into laughing out loud. ¡°Hahaha, I indeed didn¡¯t find the wrong person! in this world, there is nobody more suited to be the music score¡¯s new owner than you!¡± Over the past thousands of years, the music score was split into three and were at different places. Other than this one that had always been with him, the other two parts had disappeared without a trace. He had always been waiting for the music score to choose its new owner. However, he didn¡¯t expect this wait to be so long! The years were long. He thought that it wouldn¡¯t happen anymore, but in the end¡­ he wasn¡¯t disappointed! Shing! Ah Jing¡¯s hand strummed the string lightly, and the zither sound was heard! ¡°Since this is so, I¡¯ll help you for the last stretch!¡± Chu Liuyue knew that he was going to help her merge the music score, so she immediately restrained her expression and nodded seriously and respectfully. ¡°Thank you, Senior Ah Jing.¡± The zither sound entered her ears. Chu Liuyue looked down at the transparent paper in her hands again. She first looked at the one on the right. With the solemn and murderous zither notes sounding, Chu Liuyue quickly finished reading it. She then calmly threw it away and looked at the last piece of paper! The transparent paper shone brilliantly. Chu Liuyue stared at it closely and took a deep breath in. This piece is the true music score! She gathered all her focus and examined it carefully! The strange thing was that there was clearly no writing on this piece of paper and only a rainbow hue. But as she looked at it, she unknowingly started merging it with the zither notes in her brain! Slowly, Chu Liuyue realized that every part of the tune started to carve in her heart clearly! This caused her to be surprised. Previously, she had heard this tune countless times. However, she still couldn¡¯t memorize it fully. Yet without her purposely thinking about it, this tune now automatically appeared in her mind! The more important thing was that she faintly heard that the tune had countless small changes as if it extended into countless possibilities, but she still accepted them smoothly and freely! Everything became smooth! Finally, at one moment, the tune stopped! Chu Liuyue finally finished reading the last music score! Whir! A strange ripple suddenly came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian! This ripple coincidentally came from the quietly floating transparent page! Following this, the music score in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand turned into a ray of light and flew into her body! The missing portion on the page was restored bit by bit! The two transparent pieces of paper started merging. Chu Liuyue quickly discovered that the two of them had a strange connection. This feeling was hard to describe in words¡ªtremendous and magnificent, yet lively and closely connected. Faintly, there seemed to be a distant zither sound that reverberated in her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s force instantly started flowing quickly! Following this, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started surging crazily toward her body! Chu Liuyue was taken aback and instinctively asked Ah Jing. ¡°Senior Ah Jing, this is¡ª¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Ah Jing raised his finger and placed it at his lips. In the dark, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see his appearance and gaze clearly, but this sound was loud. Low and relaxed, with a hint of tiredness. ¡°When you merge the two music scores, there is a tiny crack that needs to be repaired with Heaven and Earth Force. You have to do it yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. A tiny crack does exist, but¡­ how do I use the Heaven and Earth Force to repair it? Besides, the required strength is too shocking! She suddenly recalled that when the first piece of paper was in her body and transformed into a water droplet to be her pearl of essence, its ability to absorb energy was top-notch. Now that these two music scores were merged¡­ it would be even more astonishing! Chu Liuyue held her breath. In the past, she didn¡¯t even try to test out how much energy this item could absorb. It would be even harder now! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and observed it internally with a close look. The two transparent pages were connected, and in the middle where it was torn, it was being repaired bit by bit. However¡­ the speed was too slow! At this point, her body was absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force at the highest speed! The two pieces of thin transparent paper seemed to be a bottomless pit that kept continuously receiving the external energy, and one couldn¡¯t see the end of it. Time slowly trickled past, and Chu Liuyue became increasingly shocked! This music score has a shocking ability to absorb force, yet the torn area has only been restored a little. The surrounding light seemed to become brighter. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. On her left, the patch of intense black started to subside at a shocking speed! The bright light gradually shone on it. Faintly, there seemed to be an invisible hand that broke the unobservable barrier that truly existed in the middle! The light started to seep through on both sides of her as the energy merged! ¡­ Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com The wind was suddenly heard! All the Heaven and Earth Force started hurling toward Chu Liuyue! When the spectating crowd saw this scene, they didn¡¯t find anything amiss at first. But as time passed, they slowly discovered shockingly that Chu Liuyue¡¯s body seemed to be a bottomless pit, easily containing all this force. For ordinary true god warriors, their bodies might even explode, and they might die from absorbing this rich and even terrifying force. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. Nan Yiyi¡¯s expression became increasingly ugly as her nails dug into her palms. How could this be¡­ How could this be!? Even though I don¡¯t know what exactly Shangguan Yue is doing, I know that a normal cultivator can never accept so much force! Even if Shangguan Yue wants to break through, the amount of force she has absorbed has long been sufficient! However, why hasn¡¯t Shangguan Yue stopped after such a long time?! ¡­ Chapter 1726 - 1726 Hold On 1726 Hold On Chu Ning was a little worried and frowned. ¡°Is Yue¡¯er really fine like this¡­¡± Just by standing there, he could already feel the powerful and majestic power surging over, producing a shocking pressure! It was as if something was pressing heavily against his chest, making even breathing difficult. How would Yue¡¯er, who was at the center of the energy vortex and constantly devouring this power, feel? Compared to Chu Ning¡¯s worry, Shangguan Jing and Nan Suhuai were much calmer. ¡°Yue¡¯er has always known her limits. She definitely won¡¯t do anything that will endanger her life; you can rest assured about that,¡± Nan Suhuai comforted him kindly. But in fact, he was also very puzzled. ¡°This¡­ Could it be that she plans to continue breaking through? It¡ªit doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­¡± Although there was a huge gap between true gods and legendary warriors, there was no more detailed classification. This was because apart from the difference in holy force, there were also differences in their Holy Bodies. Therefore, there was a huge gap between true gods. However, Shangguan Yue had just recalled her God Realm and broke through to become a true god not long ago. How could she still try to break through to become a legendary warrior in such a short period of time? Even if she had the strength now, she probably wouldn¡¯t do this. She had always been smart and knew that breaking through rashly would do more harm than good. Moreover, she had yet to even condense her Holy Body. How could she break through to become a legendary warrior? Shangguan Jing watched without saying anything. I¡¯ve watched her grow up. No matter what she does, she must have her own plans. There is really no need to worry about others. When Nan Suhuai glanced at Rong Xiu and realized that his expression was as calm as usual, his worried heart relaxed again. He then said to Chu Ning, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yue¡¯er will definitely come out safe and sound.¡± ¡­ On the huge wall, with the totem as the center, the surrounding black had almost completely subsided, and it still showed signs of developing to both sides. Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged, placed her hands on her knees, and closed her eyes. Her thick, long lashes cast faint shadows on the eyelids. Her side profile was clear and quiet, but there was also a hint of nobility. Even from afar, it still made people involuntarily revere and submit, not daring to have any other thoughts. The energy between heaven and earth surged and finally gathered in her body! The incomplete area finally recovered! Shing! The sound of the zither sounded in her mind. The two music scores finally fused perfectly and became a complete piece! Of course, there were still some incomplete marks on one end¡ªwhat was missing there was obviously the third and last portion of the musical score! However, two-thirds of the score had already gathered with her and acknowledged her as their master. Even she was amazed by the power contained in this supreme treasure! Soon, this much more complete music score transformed into a transparent water droplet again! Compared to before, the water droplet was clearly bigger. Moreover, the water droplet¡ªwhich was filled with gorgeous light¡ªwas bright but not dazzling. It was very beautiful and moving. Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella suddenly burned! Then, the huge totem on the wall suddenly turned into a stream of light and flew into her glabella. In an instant, the totem shone brightly! An indescribably powerful pressure spread from her body. ¡­ ¡°Senior Shangguan, is that totem¡­ the bloodline inheritance of the Shangguan family?¡± Nan Suhuai suddenly asked. Shangguan Jing shook his head. If one wanted to possess a totem, one had to have an ancestor who had once reached the peak. Only such a person would possess bloodline power and be inherited by the younger generation. However, Shangguan Jing was the ancestor of the Shangguan family. Before him, there had never been an expert like him. As for why this totem appeared between Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows, he really didn¡¯t know. ¡°Could it be because she obtained some inheritance here?¡± Nan Suhuai stroked his beard with uncertainty. I will probably have to ask that girl personally about this. ¡­ Nan Yifan slowly clenched his hands in his sleeves and gritted his teeth. If I still can¡¯t guess what has happened by this point, I would¡¯ve lived all these years in vain! Whether it was obtained previously or found this time¡­ In short, that thing is indeed on Shangguan Yue now! Moreover, it has definitely become her possession! The fading wall speaks volumes! Nan Yifan was furious and wished he could rush forward immediately to take back the thing! However, there were so many people eyeing him covetously. If he made a move now¡­ Not only would he not be able to snatch anything, but he might not even be able to escape! Thus¡­ he had to endure it! The taste of iron quickly spread between Nan Yifan¡¯s teeth. Then, he stumbled and almost fell. Beside him, Elder Wu Peng hurriedly supported him. ¡°Clan Leader, you¡ª¡± Nan Yifan waved his hand, indicating that he was fine. Elder Wu Peng looked at his pale and haggard expression that couldn¡¯t hide his resentment. His lips moved, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything and only sighed silently in his heart. Actually, after witnessing this series of events, he already understood that it was clearly impossible for them to want that thing again. As the family head, Nan Yifan had suffered a series of blows today. Elder Wu Peng was actually very surprised that he could survive until now. Nan Yuxing¡¯s pearl of essence had shattered, and he became a cripple. Nan Yiyi had her tongue cut out in public and was humiliated. Apart from that, Elder Bai Tong was dead¡­ Anyone wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand so much trouble. Not to mention that Nan Yifan was still holding back even now. He was probably going to suffer internal injuries from holding it in. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t afford to provoke the others present. Other than swallowing his anger, silently gritting his teeth, and swallowing his blood, there was nothing he could do! Luo Yan looked at Nan Yiyi with red eyes, and his heart ached. ¡°Yiyi, now that we¡¯re done watching, let¡¯s go too?¡± The end is already determined. If we continue to watch, we will only make ourselves sadder. ¡°Besides, you still have to go back and treat your injuries¡­¡± A mocking sneer quickly flashed across Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes. Treatment? In my current situation, there is no possibility of remedy! I will be a mute for the rest of her life! But look at Shangguan Yue¡ªher aura is shocking, and she is in high spirits! There isn¡¯t even a trace of blood on her body! The two of them formed a stark contrast! How could Nan Yiyi stand it? Endless resentment surged in her eyes as she let out an unwilling whimper. ¡°Wu!¡± It was mournful and tragic, making one¡¯s heart tremble. Luo Yan frowned. Given Nan Yiyi¡¯s current state, it is probably useless to persuade her. It is better to leave this place first! He stretched out his hand, planning to forcefully bring Nan Yiyi away. A cold and pleasant voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°Wait.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1727 - 1727 Come and See! 1727 Come and See! Although he didn¡¯t name them, Luo Yan immediately sensed that this voice was calling them! He paused and looked back, a hint of wariness and impatience appearing on his face. ¡°What else do you want? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve harmed Yiyi enough?!¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows as if she had heard a joke and laughed softly. ¡°Senior Luo Yan, why do you say that? When did I harm Nan Yiyi? From beginning to end¡­ weren¡¯t you the ones who chased after us relentlessly and wanted to kill us?¡± We only fought back, so why is the other party still unwilling to give up? ¡°Are only you allowed to beat and bully others? Is it a sin for others to resist and defend themselves?¡± Luo Yan was speechless. He had come over halfway and was unclear about the cause and effect, but after hearing Nan Yiyi¡¯s words, he was certain that everything was the other party¡¯s fault. However, he finally learned the truth from Elder Wu Peng and the others. He naturally knew that Nan Yiyi herself had to bear a large portion of the responsibility for this matter. However, he had always doted on Nan Yiyi and would subconsciously speak up for her in his heart. In addition, Nan Yiyi¡¯s current situation was too miserable. He really couldn¡¯t control himself, so he blamed all this resentment and anger on others. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze landed on Nan Yiyi. Nan Yiyi seemed to have sensed something and looked in her direction. The two of them stared at each other. Chu Liuyue asked with a faint smile, ¡°Second Miss Nan, have you cried enough?¡± Nan Yiyi suddenly felt a chill in her heart! She felt as if she had fallen into a bone-chilling cave! At this moment, a thought suddenly appeared in her mind. Shangguan Yue is really terrifying! Her hysterical cries instantly stopped. Facing such a gaze, she couldn¡¯t even cry! Shangguan Yue nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve cried enough.¡± Nan Yiyi is really strange. Rong Xiu has already cut off her tongue because she tried to sow discord and distort the truth. I didn¡¯t expect her to still be unrepentant and actually dare to cry in front of so many people. She must be trying to throw away her life¡­ Finally, there was silence. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look. It was empty. All the surrounding darkness had gradually faded when she devoured the Heaven and Earth Force to repair the zither music score. When she repaired the music score, the last of the darkness was illuminated by a brilliant light. As for Senior Ah Jing, he also disappeared. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. I¡¯m in a special space in the wall. The walls have become transparent, so the people outside can see me clearly, and I can also see everything outside. But¡­ From their reactions, they probably didn¡¯t see Senior Ah Jing, let alone know of his existence. Chu Liuyue felt a little regretful. She knew that Senior Ah Jing had helped her a lot. In the end, they had already separated before she could even say thank you¡­ What a pity. She was silent for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and turned to look at Tuan Zi. Then, she waved. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue had finally completed everything successfully, Tuan Zi heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she excitedly rushed toward Chu Liuyue and pounced into her arms. Tuan Zi hugged the latter¡¯s neck tightly with both arms and curled up in her arms, rubbing her cheek affectionately. ¡°A¡¯Yue! A¡¯Yue! Tuan Zi missed you so much!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart warmed as she hugged Tuan Zi tighter. ¡°¡­I missed you too.¡± For Tuan Zi, perhaps only a few days had passed. But for her, it had been decades. Senior Ah Jing had previously said that she read faster than expected, so it didn¡¯t take her 100 years. Still, it took decades. She didn¡¯t feel it before, but now that she was hugging Tuan Zi¡¯s soft body and hearing her soft and coquettish voice, she felt a longing¡ªwhich she hadn¡¯t felt for a long time¡ªsurge into her heart. She weighed Tuan Zi in her arms and stepped out! ¡­ The moment Chu Liuyue walked out of the wall, a breeze blew over and swept up the corner of her shirt. There seemed to be a fluctuation behind her. A thought struck her, and she glanced over her shoulder. The black color that spread to the edges instantly sprinkled like thick ink! The stones¡ªwhich had become crystal clear not long ago¡ªwere quickly dyed black. In less than half an hour, the wall returned to its original heavy and solemn appearance. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, nobody would believe everything that had happened here before. She stared at the black stone for a long time and said to herself, ¡°Thank you, Senior Ah Jing.¡± Although nobody answered, she still felt that Senior Ah Jing should be able to hear her. Everything around them finally calmed down. Chu Liuyue turned around and walked forward. Nan Yiyi instantly tensed up. She is here! What is she going to do?! Even when I¡¯m in such a sorry state, is she still unwilling to give up? Countless chaotic thoughts flashed through Nan Yiyi¡¯s mind, making her panic and nervous. Chu Liuyue walked over step by step. The distance between them closed. Nan Yiyi subconsciously grabbed Luo Yan tightly, her face pale. Luo Yan gently patted her hand, then took half a step forward and blocked Nan Yiyi¡¯s path with a cold and solemn expression. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stop in her tracks as if she didn¡¯t hear his warning. Luo Yan¡¯s expression turned even colder. ¡°If you dare to do anything to Yiyi again, I won¡¯t be polite! You¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Chu Liuyue walked in front of the two of them and continued walking forward without stopping. They brushed past each other. She did not even look at Luo Yan and Nan Yiyi. The rest of Luo Yan¡¯s words suddenly got stuck in his throat. He couldn¡¯t move up or down, and he felt suffocated. After walking for a while, Chu Liuyue put Tuan Zi down and bowed solemnly to thank Yi Zhao and the other elder. ¡°Thank you, Clan leader Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu, for coming to save us.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Since Tuan Zi asked for help, we naturally have to come. There¡¯s no need to thank us. Besides, we didn¡¯t do anything this time.¡± Chu Liuyue straightened her body and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, seniors.¡± If not for them, the Nan family would definitely not let the matter rest so easily. On the other hand, she had led Tuan Zi through a false alarm that had worried them for a long time. She patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head gently and urged softly, ¡°Tuan Zi, aren¡¯t you going to thank the two of them?¡± Tuan Zi nodded vigorously and bowed to the two of them. ¡°Thank you, Clan Leader Grandpa! Thank you, Fifth Elder Grandpa!¡± Looking at her cute face, Yi Zhao¡¯s fingers moved. What is going on? Unfortunately, he was used to being serious and didn¡¯t know what to do for a moment. He really couldn¡¯t bring himself to do this. At this moment, Elder Yi Yu¡¯s legs were already slightly bent. He spread his arms open and chuckled at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, come and let Fifth Elder Grandpa take a good look! Are you injured?¡± Compared to Yi Zhao and the other elders, Elder Yi Yu¡¯s attitude toward them was already very good from the beginning. In addition, he had helped them a lot, both openly and secretly, so Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi were naturally closer to him. Hearing Elder Yi Yu¡¯s words, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t think too much about it and ran over. In the blink of an eye, she arrived in front of Elder Yi Yu. She tilted her face up and turned from side to side with a big smile. ¡°Fifth Elder Grandpa, look! I¡¯m fine!¡± Tuan Zi was also grateful for their arrival, so she wasn¡¯t stingy with her smile and enthusiasm. Elder Yi Yu¡¯s heart almost melted. Ah! She is so cute! The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan had never seen an existence that could transform into human form at such a young age. Under normal circumstances, the juniors they saw were at least ten years old. But now that Tuan Zi looked to be only three or four years old, this feeling was really different! Even though Yi Yu knew that Tuan Zi had the purest bloodline, had already opened the fourth meridian, and was definitely one of the best in the younger generation, seeing her soft and petite appearance made one subconsciously pity her. He wished he could hold her in his hands and give her the best things in the world! Elder Yi Yu finally couldn¡¯t help but extend his hand and pat her bun tentatively. ¡°Tuan Zi is really amazing!¡± Tuan Zi chuckled and rushed forward to hug Elder Yi Yu¡¯s thigh. ¡°Fifth Elder Grandpa is also impressive!¡± Just now, she had seen that the arrogant people of the Nan family were very respectful in front of Fifth Elder Grandpa and the others! Elder Yi Yu: ¡°!!!¡± Yi Zhao was speechless. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1728 - 1728 Tuan Zi Is Really Amazing! 1728 Tuan Zi Is Really Amazing! Elder Yi Yu felt a soft little thing pounce over. He stiffened, not realizing for a moment what had happened. The next moment, a string of fireworks suddenly bloomed in Elder Yi Yu¡¯s heart! Ahhh, it was actually Tuan Zi who took the initiative to hug me! Elder Yi Yu was overjoyed and hurriedly bent down to pick Tuan Zi up. Right at this moment, a death stare suddenly landed on him. Elder Yi Yu¡¯s heart instantly skipped a beat! How could I have forgotten that the clan leader was standing beside me? Although Yi Yu didn¡¯t turn around, he could still clearly feel that those eyes seemed to contain countless sharp knives that flew past the back of his head! Elder Yi Yu shuddered. Then, he gritted his teeth and resolutely chose to ignore it! Against the huge pressure, Elder Yi Yu bent down and picked up the little girl. ¡°Since Tuan Zi has spoken, Fifth Elder Grandpa naturally has to come! Look, our Tuan Zi has become prettier after not being seen for a few days!¡± Tuan Zi giggled. There was no girl who didn¡¯t like hearing that¡ªeven Tuan Zi was no exception. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched as she quickly glanced at Yi Zhao beside her. It is really a thousand miles of ice and snow. She restrained her aura and minimized her presence, hoping not to be implicated by the guilty. ¡°Yi Yu.¡± Yi Zhao spoke, his voice as cold as ice. ¡°Tuan Zi is the young mistress. How can you do this!?¡± Only then did Elder Yi Yu finally brace himself and look up at Yi Zhao. Facing Yi Zhao¡¯s murderous gaze, Elder Yi Yu smiled widely. ¡°Clan Leader, we¡¯re not in Godly Phoenix Hall. There¡¯s no need to be so particular, right? Besides, Tuan Zi has just experienced a storm. Shouldn¡¯t we comfort her? Look at you; you¡¯re scaring her.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s gaze shifted, and he realized that Tuan Zi was looking at him with her big black grape-like eyes and her mouth slightly open. It seemed that she was indeed stunned. Elder Yi Zhao frowned and couldn¡¯t help but regret it. I actually forgot about this¡­ After all, Tuan Zi is still young. This time, it will probably leave a shadow in her heart. I should¡¯ve told Yi Yu this in private¡­ But when I saw Elder Yi Yu hugging Tuan Zi in his arms just now, I really couldn¡¯t suppress the anger in his heart. I really couldn¡¯t help it at that moment. When Yi Zhao thought of this, his mood worsened. He took a deep breath and turned away, not wanting Tuan Zi to see his overly fierce expression. But halfway through, he heard Tuan Zi shout crisply, ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Yi Zhao turned around and saw Tuan Zi tilt her head and ask, ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, aren¡¯t you happy that Tuan Zi is out?¡± Yi Zhao was about to shake his head when he saw Tuan Zi reach out and shout in a childish voice, ¡°Hug!¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s heart seemed to have been smashed by something. In an instant, the jealousy and dissatisfaction in his heart dissipated, leaving only indescribable joy! ¡°You¡­¡± Elder Yi Yu blinked. ¡°Clan Leader? Tuan Zi wants you to carry her!¡± These words finally woke Yi Zhao up. He quickly reached out to hug Tuan Zi. His movements were careful and very stiff. There was still a hint of helplessness in his eyes. It couldn¡¯t be helped¡ªthe noble clan leader had indeed never carried such a small doll. She was soft and smelled like milk. Tuan Zi reached out and touched his forehead. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, don¡¯t be unhappy!¡± Her hands were meaty and warm to the touch. Yi Zhao felt as if this small hand had also gently stroked his heart, easily wiping away all his previous bad emotions. He hugged Tuan Zi and didn¡¯t dare to move, afraid that he would make her feel uncomfortable. Hearing Tuan Zi¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but nod repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m happy! Happy!¡± Whatever Tuan Zi says! Elder Yi Yu crossed his arms and snorted. Tsk tsk, the clan leader probably can¡¯t see his own silly smile at this moment, right? If the clansmen saw this, their jaws would probably drop! He had long known that the clan leader wanted to get close to Tuan Zi. Unfortunately, Yi Zhao was used to being serious and couldn¡¯t do those things. Now that Tuan Zi had taken the initiative to hug him, it was just right. Elder Yi Yu felt sad and emotional. In all my years with the clan leader, I have never seen him smile so kindly and gently at me. On the other hand¡­ Tuan Zi was originally in my arms! It will probably be difficult to have a chance to hug her in the future! Elder Yi Yu looked at the sky. For a moment, I really don¡¯t know who to envy¡­ ¡­ Seeing this, Chu Liuyue secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Tuan Zi is indeed extraordinary! Tuan Zi is probably the only person in the world who can soften Clan leader Yi Zhao. Her lips curved into a smile. She was overjoyed that Tuan Zi had so many people to dote on her. Then, she turned around and looked at Luo Yan and Nan Yiyi with a faint smile. ¡°Sorry, I was busy with something important just now. By the way, what did you say just now?¡± Luo Yan¡¯s face darkened. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. ¡°Senior Luo Yan, do you still not understand the current situation?¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, her gaze turned slightly, and she glanced at Nan Yiyi. Nan Yiyi shrank her neck and felt even more timid. For some reason, she didn¡¯t dare to meet Shangguan Yue¡¯s eyes. It was as if everything about her had been seen clearly. Moreover, the other party did not care about this at all! She could clearly feel that Shangguan Yue¡­ didn¡¯t take her seriously at all! Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and lazily said, ¡°Not to mention that I¡¯m not interested in Second Miss Nan now, even if I really want to kill her¡­ How can you be rude to me?¡± Luo Yan¡¯s face turned green and white. It was very interesting to see! These words were really insulting, but he couldn¡¯t refute them! The current Shangguan Yue indeed had the right to say this! Nan Yifan finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said coldly, ¡°Miss Shangguan, even if there was a misunderstanding in the past, Yiyi has already paid the price for offending you. If you continue to be so aggressive, won¡¯t it be meaningless?¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s interesting. I hate people snatching things from me the most in my life. If she wants to snatch my husband, I¡¯ll kill her 10,000 times! Now, I¡¯ve just cut off her tongue. I¡¯m already magnanimous and merciful.¡± ¡°Clan Leader Nan, I think you should teach your daughter well. It¡¯s better to restrain your temper in the future. Otherwise, you¡¯ll want to snatch everything you see outside. It won¡¯t end well if you offend someone you can¡¯t offend.¡± Even without them, Nan Yiyi would sooner or later cause trouble with her personality. Nan Yifan¡¯s chest tightened, and his face turned ashen. Just as he was about to retort, he suddenly saw a tall figure slowly walking to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. His footsteps were calm, and his expression was indifferent¡ªit was Rong Xiu! The rest of Nan Yifan¡¯s words instantly got stuck in his throat. Rong Xiu first examined Chu Liuyue carefully and heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that she was indeed fine. Then, his thin lips slightly curled up as he glanced at Nan Yifan and reminded, ¡°Clan Leader Nan, you¡¯re addressing her wrongly. Yue¡¯er is already my princess consort. It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate for you to call her ¡®Miss Shangguan,¡¯ right?¡± Nan Yifan gritted his teeth in hatred. At this point, this is actually what Rong Xiu cares about? However, it is also due to this that I can tell that Rong Xiu is indeed very concerned about Shangguan Yue! This made Nan Yifan even more afraid. The consequences of offending Shangguan Yue might be even more terrifying than offending Rong Xiu! He gritted his teeth before saying, ¡°Your Grace, nobody expected what happened today. Yuxing and Yiyi have already paid a painful price, and even Elder Bai Tong¡¯s life has been lost. Isn¡¯t this¡­ enough?¡± Moreover, Shangguan Yue and the others are clearly not injured. From beginning to end, we are the ones who have suffered! If not for the fact that the person in front of him was Rong Xiu and that Yi Zhao was vigilant of him¡­ With Nan Yifan¡¯s personality, how could he swallow his anger?! Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°It¡¯s still not enough. Clan Leader Nan has his own decision, so why ask me again?¡± Nan Yifan took a deep breath and cupped his fists. ¡°Since this matter is over, we won¡¯t delay you anymore. I¡¯ll take my leave now!¡± Rong Xiu smiled noncommittally. ¡°Please go ahead, Clan Leader Nan.¡± Nan Yifan suppressed his anger and turned to leave. ¡°Go!¡± This time, Nan Yiyi didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She only followed behind Luo Yan with her head lowered. Their figures quickly left. Nan Suhuai and Chu Ning hurriedly walked over. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what happened to you?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curved up. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± Boom! Before she could finish, a loud bang suddenly sounded in the sky! Immediately after, the space around everyone began to collapse inch by inch! Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression changed drastically! The next moment, her figure instantly fell into the collapsed void! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1729 - 1729 Chasing You 1729 Chasing You Rong Xiu¡¯s expression turned cold as he quickly grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! The two of them disappeared together! The collapsed void was quickly covered by a dense black color, completely hiding their traces! ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie!¡± ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Everyone present was shocked by this sudden scene and exclaimed, but it happened too quickly. Before they could react, she had already disappeared! Nan Suhuai frowned and was about to forcefully tear open space again to follow! Shangguan Jing reached out and stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s useless. The void here trembles, and every spatial rift leads in different directions. Even if we tear space in the same place, we won¡¯t be able to reach the same place as them.¡± Shangguan Jing had been here before and was considered the most familiar with the God-Killing Tumulus among everyone present. If even he said so, it meant that this method really wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°What then?¡± Nan Suhuai looked anxious. Yue¡¯er had just come out of the strange wall. Before I could say anything, she fell into the void again and went somewhere. The world is huge. How am I going to find her? Shangguan Jing also frowned and fell into deep thought. ¡°Actually, this isn¡¯t the first time something like this has happened¡­¡± ¡°A thousand years ago, I came here with Yu Hongshan, the one who fought me just now. Back then, we also had a conflict here. Through various coincidences, he was swept into the black wall and was never able to leave. As for me, I was devoured by the void. When I went out, I was already in the Flood-Desert Northern Region.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that Yue¡¯er shouldn¡¯t be in any fatal danger. Besides, Rong Xiu is with her. However¡­ it will probably be difficult to find them immediately.¡± Everyone fell silent. Flood-Desert Northern Region! How dangerous was that place? It was thousands of miles away! But that wasn¡¯t the point. To them, even if it was the Flood-Desert Northern Region or a more dangerous place, it wasn¡¯t impossible for them to go. The most important problem was that they had to confirm Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡¯s location first! The God Residence Realm was vast and boundless. Who knew where they had been sent this time? In the almost suffocating silence, a loud cry suddenly sounded. ¡°Wuah! A¡¯Yue is gone! Wuwuwu! A¡¯Yue!¡± The person crying was Tuan Zi. Shangguan Jing and the others looked at each other. Everything had happened too suddenly. Only Rong Xiu reacted the fastest and followed. As Tuan Zi happened to be nestled in Yi Zhao¡¯s arms, she couldn¡¯t follow immediately and was left behind. Seeing that Tuan Zi was crying, Yi Zhao panicked and hurriedly raised his hand to carefully wipe her tears. His palms were broad and rough, bigger than Tuan Zi¡¯s face. This action seemed especially clumsy. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Yi Zhao was also extremely anxious. When had he ever done such a thing? Usually, the clansmen were respectful to him. As long as anyone did anything wrong, Yi Zhao¡¯s reprimand was enough to put them under immense pressure. In short, nobody dared to be impudent in front of Yi Zhao. However, Tuan Zi was different. On the one hand, she didn¡¯t grow up at Godly Phoenix Mountain and had basically never seen Yi Zhao¡¯s dignity and power. On the other hand¡­ After being with Chu Liuyue for a long time, her personality had also become casual, and she wasn¡¯t afraid of Yi Zhao being angry at all. If she was afraid, she wouldn¡¯t have fought them head-on in Godly Phoenix Hall. Hence, Tuan Zi cried sadly. Yi Zhao had a headache. Not only did he have to carry the young girl now, but he also had to coax her. Tuan Zi cried so hard that he felt terrible, but he didn¡¯t know how to persuade her. Therefore, he glared at Elder Yi Yu angrily. What are you looking at?! Come over and think of a way to coax her! Elder Yi Yu, who inexplicably had anger directed at him, was dumbfounded. You are the one hugging Tuan Zi, but you¡¯re looking to me to coax her? However, he couldn¡¯t afford to offend either of them. Besides, he felt terrible watching Tuan Zi cry. Elder Yi Yu could only swallow these words. Then, he thought for a moment and coaxed, ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t cry first. Let¡¯s see if we can sense where they are now. If we can find clues, we¡¯ll go straight to them.¡± After all, they had a contract. Upon hearing this, Tuan Zi indeed stopped crying. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded, sobbing. ¡°I¡¯ll try then!¡± Everyone, including Shangguan Jing, looked over. Clearly, all hope was on Tuan Zi now. Tuan Zi closed her red eyes, held her breath, and focused on searching for Chu Liuyue. Fortunately, they were no longer inside the black wall, so her connection with Chu Liuyue remained. However, this connection¡­ was really a little illusory and unpredictable. After a while, Tuan Zi opened her eyes and frowned. Seeing her expression, everyone already had an answer, but Elder Yi Yu still asked, ¡°Tuan Zi, how is it? Did you discover anything?¡± Tuan Zi shook her head. ¡°A¡¯Yue seems to still be in the turbulent void. I can¡¯t accurately determine her direction and location.¡± The crowd exchanged glances. That¡¯s true. If they are really sent from here to somewhere thousands of miles away, it will probably take a long time. ¡°I¡¯ll continue searching. I¡¯ll definitely find A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi clenched her fists. As long as A¡¯Yue reaches a certain place, I¡¯ll be able to find her quickly. Facing Tuan Zi¡¯s decision, nobody had any objections. Yi Zhao put Tuan Zi down so that she could focus on finding Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura. Tuan Zi sat cross-legged and closed her eyes again. The others present subconsciously held their breaths and quietened down, patiently waiting for Tuan Zi¡¯s answer. ¡­ On the other side, just as Chu Liuyue felt the ground under her feet and her body falling back uncontrollably, she immediately felt a broad and warm hand holding her wrist tightly. The surroundings instantly fell into darkness, and she was pulled back forcefully by this hand and fell into a familiar embrace. The faint cold fragrance instantly filled her nose, making her relax a lot. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Rong Xiu responded to her in a low voice. His voice was especially low as he wrapped his arm around her slender waist and hugged her tightly. Chu Liuyue was shocked for a moment. Rong Xiu¡¯s movements seem to be much faster than before¡­ And the aura on his body¡­ She didn¡¯t have the time to look at him carefully just now. Now that she was close, she realized that he seemed to have changed. She raised her head slightly and asked with uncertainty, ¡°How¡­ did you catch up? You¡­ broke through?¡± Rong Xiu lowered his head, gently grabbed her waist, and pushed her up. Then, he easily found her soft and sweet lips in the darkness. The faint syllables of amusement disappeared between her lips. ¡°¡­Chasing you is what I¡¯m best at and most passionate about.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1730 - 1730 What His Grace Is Thinking 1730 What His Grace Is Thinking Rong Xiu only wanted to kiss her for a while, but her lips were too soft, and her breathing was too sweet, making him almost forget to stop. After a few rounds, he stopped when he heard her panting slightly. He tilted his head slightly and rested his chin on her shoulder. His hot breath landed on her slender neck, causing a faint tremble. His grip on her slender waist seemed to be much tighter than before. He half-leaned against her, his body tense. After a long moment, he let out a long breath and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°You really reap what you sow¡­¡± The self-control he had always been so proud of collapsed in front of her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s cheeks heated up slightly. ¡°Your Grace, you¡¯re really magnanimous. You¡¯re still thinking about this at this time?¡± Rong Xiu turned his head and brushed his lips across her cheek. His warm breath landed on her ear, and Chu Liuyue could even hear the subtle turbulence of the surrounding airflow. Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was extremely low, deep, and seductive.¡±¡­It¡¯s been so long since you went to Godly Phoenix Mountain¡­ I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t want to.¡± His voice was a little hoarse, mixed with his hot breath. It was especially easy to make one blush and make one¡¯s heart beat faster. However, his tone was so frank and honest with a hint of compromise, making her not know how to respond. Chu Liuyue reached out and tapped his broad, leathery chest, changing the subject. ¡°This place is dangerous. Your Highness, it¡¯s better to be careful.¡± Rong Xiu laughed and straightened up, holding her hand as he looked around. It was dark all around, but there was a faint golden barrier around the two of them. Rong Xiu had set it up when the two of them fell here. The violent turbulence around them was isolated, and the two of them were almost peaceful inside the barrier. But the most unsettling thing was that at this moment, they didn¡¯t know where they were going. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Ancestor previously said that a thousand years ago, he was directly sent to the Flood-Desert Northern Region. I wonder¡­ where we will be sent this time.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. The faint light shone on his face, only reflecting his calmness and nobility. ¡°It¡¯s just somewhere in the God Residence Realm.¡± His tone was relaxed and casual. It was as if he didn¡¯t take this matter to heart. Hearing his tone, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at him. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I forgot to ask you.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Just ask away.¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips slightly. ¡°The Nan family¡¯s status in the God Residence Realm should be higher than the Sky-Cloud Empire, right? But when Nan Yifan saw you, why was he so¡­¡± She paused for a moment and thought about it for a long time. She didn¡¯t know what to say to describe it. ¡°Do you want to ask why Nan Yifan is so afraid of me?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and continued her sentence. Chu Liuyue nodded. Afraid¡­ The word sounds too blunt, but it is certainly accurate. Nan Yifan¡¯s attitude toward Rong Xiu was indeed too strange. After Nan Yiyi and the others found out about Rong Xiu¡¯s identity, they didn¡¯t take it to heart. From beginning to end, they had been acting high and mighty. It was obvious that they were relying on the Nan family¡¯s honor. But as the head of the Nan family, Nan Yifan¡¯s expression immediately changed when he saw Rong Xiu. After that, not only did he swallow his anger and lower his head to apologize, but he even forcibly endured Rong Xiu cutting off Nan Yiyi¡¯s tongue in public. Is he afraid of Rong Xiu? But why¡­? Rong Xiu is the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, and he has power and a noble status. But in the God Residence Realm, the Sky-Cloud Empire isn¡¯t the only power. I have never heard of the Nan family before, but they are clearly more powerful than the Sky-Cloud Empire. Then, there must be other more powerful clans and sects that I don¡¯t know about yet. To be able to make Nan Yifan like this, Rong Xiu definitely has other trump cards! ¡°Actually, the reason is very simple¡ªI¡¯ve dealt with him before. He has suffered from me, and I have something on him, so¡­ When he sees me, he naturally has to take the initiative to avoid me.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was very calm as if he was just saying something very ordinary. However, Chu Liuyue was secretly shocked. Who was Nan Yifan? His mental methods and strength were top-notch! He had actually suffered at Rong Xiu¡¯s hands, and Rong Xiu even had something on him. Then¡­ It could only mean that Rong Xiu was too heaven-defying! She had always felt that she was good at tricking people, but it was still unknown who was stronger between her and Rong Xiu. Seeing that Rong Xiu seemed too lazy to talk about the past, she didn¡¯t ask further. She could tell that Rong Xiu really did not take this matter to heart, or rather¡ªhe did not take Nan Yifan seriously at all! A very subtle feeling rose in her heart. She had long known that Rong Xiu was powerful, even unfathomable; she had realized this long ago, when they first met. But now, she felt that she had still underestimated him¡­ Suddenly, the barrier beside the two of them shook violently! Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts were interrupted. Rong Xiu looked up and ahead. ¡°It¡¯s time to go out.¡± Following his gaze, Chu Liuyue indeed saw that the stagnant darkness suddenly fluctuated. Then, a bright white light seeped out! The surrounding turbulence collided even more violently! Rong Xiu¡¯s barrier began to tremble even more! Chu Liuyue felt the power around her begin to squeeze toward her crazily. Rong Xiu pulled her into his arms! The next moment, her vision turned bright. The two of them instantly flew out! ¡­ Thump! Just as Rong Xiu landed with her in his arms, he heard the sound of something shattering. The dazzling sunlight made it difficult for Chu Liuyue to adapt for a moment. She subconsciously narrowed her eyes and looked down in the direction of the sound. Under Rong Xiu¡¯s feet, a jade disk had shattered. It seemed that when they came out just now, Rong Xiu had stepped on it, causing it to end up like this. Fortunately, Rong Xiu¡¯s boots were of excellent quality and weren¡¯t damaged. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. But before she could finish exhaling, she acutely sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere around her. It was too quiet. The air seemed to have frozen, but there was also a strong killing intent that silently covered the sky! Chu Liuyue raised her head stiffly and looked around. When she saw her surroundings clearly, she immediately gasped in shock, and her pupils constricted! This¡­ Almost at the same time, Tuan Zi¡ªwho was far away in the God-Killing Tumulus¡ªsuddenly sensed something and opened her eyes! Her eyes lit up as she raised her hand excitedly and pointed in a certain direction. ¡°A¡¯Yue is over there!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1731 - 1731 Dangerous Terrain! 1731 Dangerous Terrain! The crowd waiting at the side became excited as well. Shangguan Jing immediately asked, ¡°Tuan Zi, are you sure?¡± Tuan Zi nodded seriously. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s there!¡± She had an agreement with A¡¯Yue, and they were very close, so she wouldn¡¯t be wrong! ¡°But¡­ A¡¯Yue ¡®s current position seems to be very far from here¡­¡± Tuan Zi knitted her brows in regret and frustration. Nan Suhuai asked, ¡°So this means that she and Rong Xiu are no longer in the God-Killing Tumulus?¡± Tuan Zi bit her finger and gave an affirmative answer. ¡°Mm!¡± Shangguan Jing calmed down. ¡°This is normal. Although the God Residence Realm is wide, the void is destructive, and there¡¯s turbulence. They could be sent possibly anywhere. Luckily, we have Tuan Zi with us. As long as we follow according to Tuan Zi¡¯s telepathy, we should be able to find Yue¡¯er and the rest in no time.¡± Nan Suhuai and Chu Ning nodded as the rock in their hearts was put down. Nan Suhuai said, ¡°Without further ado, let¡¯s go over immediately.¡± Tuan Zi naturally agreed. She wanted to see A¡¯Yue too much at this moment! However, Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu were in a difficult spot. Tuan Zi could naturally follow Nan Suhuai and the rest to find Chu Liuyue, but the key was¡­ should they follow? Originally, they rushed over here to help Tuan Zi. Now that Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t in danger, they should go back. However, Yi Zhao and Yi Yu were rather reluctant, especially Yi Zhao. He finally had the chance to hug Tuan Zi. In the end, he had to leave before he could properly experience it. With the separation this time, he didn¡¯t know when they would meet again. Elder Yi Yu took a few looks at Yi Zhao. He had followed Yi Zhao for hundreds of years and knew his thoughts the best, so he knew clearly what the latter was currently thinking. That was because he had the same thoughts. Just when they were conflicted, Nan Suhuai asked, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, Elder Yi Yu, may I know what you two plan to do?¡± This was asking if they were leaving or staying. Elder Yi Yu felt regretful. According to the clan leader¡¯s usual style, he definitely won¡¯t continue going with them. Even if he is giving Tuan Zi face and has gradually dispelled his stigma against these few people, as the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s clan leader, his every move will be watched by countless eyes in the God Residence Realm. Once he leaves with these people today, nobody knows how the outside world will talk about them in the future. Elder Yi Yu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll safely send Tuan Zi to her destination until she meets Shangguan Yue,¡± said Yi Zhao suddenly. His voice was low and stern, but the words he said caused Elder Yi Yu to widen his eyes in shock instantly! He looked at Yi Zhao in disbelief and thought that he had misheard the latter! What did Clan Leader say? Protect Tuan Zi all the way? Does he mean that he plans on staying with Shangguan Jing and the rest? Nan Suhuai and the rest were also surprised. According to their understanding of Yi Zhao, he completely didn¡¯t seem like someone who would be willing to journey with them. Besides, he had a special status. If word went out, it would definitely cause quite an uproar in the entire God Residence Realm. Without asking, this was definitely because of Tuan Zi¡­ Nan Suhuai and Shangguan Jing exchanged glances and looked at Tuan Zi. After all, the treatment of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress was indeed different. Besides, they could tell that Yi Zhao doted on Tuan Zi differently. He was even willing to compromise for her. Nan Suhuai nodded. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, please¡ª¡± However, Yi Zhao looked at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi excitedly pointed at the front. ¡°It¡¯s there!¡± ¡­ Dead silence. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze rapidly surveyed the surroundings. At this point, she and Rong Xiu were in a gigantic square¡ªright in the middle of it! There were people seated neatly on both sides. At first glance, they were all unfamiliar faces. The key was that these people¡¯s auras were extremely strong! Just by standing there, Chu Liuyue had slight difficulty enduring the suppression. Those countless pairs of eyes filled with inspection, doubt, and enmity were like blades on her back. These people¡­ They aren¡¯t people! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. She could confirm that the people present were not humans! Their auras are rather familiar. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hands. An answer was right in her mind! Great phoenix dragons! ¡°It¡¯s actually you?!¡± a familiar voice suddenly sounded. Cold, deep, and sinister with a hint of unconcealable indignance and anger! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and looked up. A dark appearance entered her eyes in the crowd¡ªit was Miao Yao! He was sitting at a rather unassuming location in the second row and wasn¡¯t very obvious. Additionally, he had become much frailer and weaker during this period of time, and he had lost his initial arrogant appearance. Hence Chu Liuyue could not recognize him. But when she heard this voice and met that gaze, Chu Liuyue immediately confirmed his identity! At that moment, countless thoughts flashed across her mind. Miao Yao is here, and the surrounding people seem to be great phoenix dragons. Then, this place is¡­ ¡°Godly Dragon Island.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s low and composed voice sounded by her ears. He laughed as if he felt that this was rather interesting. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect us to actually come here.¡± Hearing that he was in the mood to laugh, the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Godly Dragon Island¡­ Isn¡¯t that the great phoenix dragons¡¯ habitat?! We really entered a dangerous place! The great phoenix dragons were also ancient legendary fiends, and they were arrogant. Although their attitude toward humans was slightly politer than the red-gold heavenly phoenixes, they had never allowed humans to step foot in their territory! For the past few years, there seemed to be no news of anyone barging into Godly Dragon Island. Chu Liuyue carefully surveyed her surroundings again. This solemn atmosphere¡­ The bunch of people gathered¡­ Every single thing showed that not only did the two of them come to Godly Dragon Island, but they had even arrived at a very inopportune time! ¡°Senior Miao Yao, how have you been?¡± The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up as he calmly greeted him. It was as if the previous fights and battles did not exist at all! Originally, Miao Yao was overwhelmed with anger when he saw the two. But when he saw Rong Xiu¡¯s smile, he did not know how to unleash his anger! Great, these two people are very daring! It¡¯s fine that they treated me in that manner previously, yet they directly barged into Godly Dragon Island now! The crowd stared at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu and were very curious. Someone asked, ¡°Elder Miao Yao, do you know the two of them?¡± Miao Yao was so angry that he laughed and sneered, ¡°Of course! Of course, I know them! These two people are the famous Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1732 - 1732 Take Full Responsibility 1732 Take Full Responsibility A tone rippled thousands of waves! The crowd¡¯s expressions changed in unison! Most of them had heard of Rong Xiu¡¯s name before, but the key was that the woman next to him was actually Shangguan Yue?! Recently, at Godly Dragon Island, this name was heard much more frequently than Rong Xiu¡¯s. ¡°Shangguan Yue? Isn¡¯t that the person in Ling Xiao Academy previously?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her! I heard that Shangguan Jing is her ancestor. After our clan¡¯s corpse was taken away by Shangguan Jing back then, it landed in her hands! She was the one who severely injured Elder Miao Yao previously!¡± ¡°Um¡­ she seems like she¡¯s only a true god? Elder Miao Yao is so strong. Why would he suffer so much in her hands?¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet! Can¡¯t you see how ugly Elder Miao Yao¡¯s face is?!¡± ¡°¡­But what I said is the truth. I¡¯m just curious as to what¡¯s so amazing about this Shangguan Yue,¡± ¡°What¡¯s amazing about her¡­ Hah, she directly came to Godly Dragon Island today. A normal person wouldn¡¯t have her courage, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! But I¡¯m afraid Elder Miao Yao wouldn¡¯t let her off so easily this time, right?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Even if they had lowered their voices, the strong warriors present all had incredible senses, so how could they not hear it? Miao Yao clenched his fists tightly, and his veins popped up on his forehead. These people¡¯s words are too horrible! If it were in the past, even if they thought so in their hearts, they would definitely not dare to say it directly in front of him. However, things were different now. During this Thousand Summit, he was directly absolved of his responsibilities, and his power was rapidly taken away by the other elders. Additionally, he had yet to fully recover after being injured previously. Now, his status in the clan wasn¡¯t like before. The clansmen treated him much more lightly. Miao Yao was enraged. In the end, he still pushed all the responsibility to the woman not far away! If it weren¡¯t for her, how would I end up in this state!? Shangguan Yue should suffer all the torture a hundred-fold! Seeing the unconcealable hatred and vengeance in Miao Yao¡¯s eyes, Chu Liuyue¡¯s originally nervous mood became much more relaxed. Anyway, I have already thoroughly offended the great phoenix dragon clan. What is the use of being nervous now? Why don¡¯t I face them boldly and see what they can do? With this thought, Chu Liuyue¡¯s pressure became much lighter. Her red lips curled up, and she smiled at Miao Yao. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, long time no see. I didn¡¯t expect you to still remember me.¡± Miao Yao was so angry that he almost choked. What does this count for?! She has caused me to end up in this state. Not only is she completely unrepentant, but she actually said such words! He coldly smiled and clenched his teeth. Every single word seemed to be squeezed out of the cracks of his teeth with deep vengeance and hatred. ¡°Not only do I remember you, but I still remember clearly what you did!¡± In other words, he hadn¡¯t forgotten a single grudge between them! Chu Liuyue smiled with slightly deeper meaning as if she did not understand the implications of his words. ¡°Sorry for troubling you to remember me then.¡± ¡°You!¡± Miao Yao¡¯s face turned green. Finally, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back and suddenly stood up! ¡°Shangguan Yue, how dare you!¡± Before Chu Liuyue could say anything, a calm and solemn voice came from the side. ¡°Miao Yao.¡± When Miao Yao heard this voice, his expression changed. In the end, he still clenched his teeth and sat back down. However, his pair of eyes were glued to Chu Liuyue. If a gaze could turn into a knife, Chu Liuyue would be shredded into pieces by him. Chu Liuyue turned her head to look strangely. The person talking was a middle-aged man. His appearance looked normal. At first glance, there was nothing special about him at all. However, he stood high and mighty, and he clearly had an extraordinary status. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. This man¡­ Just when she was hesitant, Rong Xiu took a step forward, cupped his fists, and politely greeted, ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, I have long heard of your name. Now that I¡¯ve seen you today, you do live up to it.¡± It¡¯s really him! Chu Liuyue knew this name. Ever since Tuan Zi broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix, she had always paid attention to the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan and had read quite a few pieces of relevant information regarding them. During this process, she had also conveniently understood quite a bit about the great phoenix dragon clan. Amongst them, it naturally included the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s current clan leader¡ªMiao Yang! Speaking of which, this Miao Yang was a legendary character. Rumors had it that his original talent wasn¡¯t outstanding, and he was just a very normal existence in the great phoenix dragon clan. Suddenly, his bloodline power greatly increased for some reason, and he jumped to become a top elite in the entire great phoenix dragon clan. Ever since that day, with his talent and his hard-working nature, he became increasingly outstanding. In the end, he successfully became the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s clan leader. The time he ascended to the position was only a few decades away from Yi Zhao. To them, this timespan was extremely short. Almost everyone, including himself, viewed the other party as their opponent. The relationship between the two ancient legendary fiend clans was originally peculiar. There would naturally be all sorts of comparisons between the two clan leaders. It was a pity that Yi Zhao and Miao Yang hadn¡¯t truly dealt hands, and the number of times they met could be counted on one hand. It was hard for the crowd to guess who exactly was the stronger one. After meeting Yi Zhao and now meeting Miao Yang, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but secretly compare the two. They were indeed different. Yi Zhao was stern and cold, and he had a natural pride in his bones. As for Miao Yang¡­ He had a gentle expression and looked much friendlier than Yi Zhao. Hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s words, he smiled and said, ¡°I heard that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace Rong Xiu has outstanding talent and results. Now that I¡¯ve seen you, you are amazing.¡± His words were polite, and his attitude was harmonious. However, Chu Liuyue secretly knitted her brows. Even though she couldn¡¯t specify which detail, she felt that this Miao Yang was amiss. After all, as the great phoenix dragon clan leader, his status was distinguished, high, and mighty. Therefore, why should he be polite to them? Besides, this politeness was different from the fear and respect Nan Yifan had toward Rong Xiu. It seemed like it was indeed the first time Rong Xiu and Miao Yang met. Then, his attitude seemed even weirder. ¡°This person is¡­ Shangguan Yue?¡± Miao Yang¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. His gaze was sharp and firm as if it could see through everything, but¡­ it did not cause one to feel an offending discomfort. Chu Liuyue became alert. This Miao Yang¡­ isn¡¯t simple! He definitely isn¡¯t as gentle as he seems on the surface! However, these thoughts just rapidly flashed across her mind. She didn¡¯t show anything on her face. ¡°Junior Shangguan Yue greets Clan Leader Miao Yang.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1733 - 1733 Take Full Responsibility! 1733 Take Full Responsibility! Chu Liuyue politely bowed. Miao Yang¡¯s gaze stopped on her for a moment, and he quickly retracted it. ¡°May I know¡­ what your sudden visit today means?¡± Miao Yang asked this curtly. Everyone present clearly saw that the air above the square suddenly shook, and the space broke open. Then, the two people appeared. One had to know that Godly Dragon Island was surrounded by layers of barriers. Even their own clansmen couldn¡¯t casually enter, let alone the human clan. However, these two people completely neglected those barriers and directly broke through the void to come here! This¡­ This could easily arouse suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Rong Xiu smiled, and he still looked calm and composed. Then, he briefly explained the entire incident. Of course, he directly left out many details in between. After he finished talking, the crowd present kept quiet, and their faces had varying expressions. However, the majority of them clearly had doubtful attitudes. Even Miao Yang looked shocked. ¡°¡­That means you mysteriously came here from the God-Killing Tumulus?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Yue¡¯er and I had no intentions of coming here. If we have offended you, Clan Leader Miao Yang, do forgive us.¡± Seeing his genuine expression, Miao Yang was at a loss for words. He had thought of many possibilities, but not this one. This sounded too strange! If they didn¡¯t personally experience it, why would they come up with such a reason? Besides, with the duo¡¯s capabilities, they definitely couldn¡¯t silently break through their defenses and directly enter. This also meant that¡­ whatever Rong Xiu said was true? Of course, Miao Yang wouldn¡¯t completely believe him, but he did feel that a portion of Rong Xiu¡¯s words should be true. Miao Yang fell silent. Outsiders could not verify such matters; the authenticity was decided by their words. Rong Xiu¡¯s status isn¡¯t low, and we clearly can¡¯t casually take his life. But now that they suddenly came here, they have to accept the relevant punishment. After a while, Miao Yang said, ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t mean to purposely put you two in a difficult spot, but¡­ you interrupted our Thousand Summit and stepped on the jade disc used for testing. I¡¯m afraid we have to clear this matter up.¡± Thousand Summit? Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and suddenly realized what was happening. No wonder! I was wondering why there were so many people around. It¡¯s because the great phoenix dragon clan is holding a Thousand Summit! The so-called Thousand Summit was actually similar to the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s ancestral ceremony. Every hundred years, the great phoenix dragon clan would organize a Thousand Summit to test the younger generation¡¯s bloodline talent. This could be considered the grandest event in their clan, and it was very important to them. Now that she and Rong Xiu interrupted it halfway, it was no wonder they would be angry. This Miao Yang is very cultured, which is why he can actually say such words calmly. If it were Yi Zhao¡ª Suddenly, Chu Liuyue focused on something, and uneasiness overwhelmed her heart. Since this Thousand Summit is similar to the ancestral ceremony, then¡­ it should prohibit outsiders from casually appearing here! Rong Xiu and I are in great trouble! The great phoenix dragon clan will definitely not let this incident go! And that jade disc¡­ Chu Liuyue looked down and glanced at it. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, this jade disc¡­¡± Miao Yang lightly said, ¡°Actually, this jade disc isn¡¯t considered a top treasure, but I only have this one piece now. After it¡¯s damaged, it¡¯s very hard to replicate another one.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s breathing stopped. Although Miao Yang¡¯s tone was calm, she could tell how precious the item was! Unique, and it was a treasure that was specifically used during Thousand Summits! They crushed it just like that! If they didn¡¯t compensate them properly, even she wouldn¡¯t feel good about it. ¡°However, the two of you didn¡¯t do it on purpose just now. This¡­¡± ¡°Clan Leader, why must you be so polite to them? In my opinion, they clearly did it on purpose!¡± Miao Yao tolerated it, but couldn¡¯t hold back in the end. Then, he stood up again and looked agitated. He raised his hand and pointed at Chu Liuyue as he said every word with clenched teeth. ¡°Especially this Shangguan Yue¡ªshe¡¯s very cunning and ruthless! How can there be such a coincidence in the world? They came from the God-Killing Tumulus miles away and directly arrived at our Godly Dragon Island in one shot?! Additionally, they even crushed the jade disc coincidentally?!¡± The crowd nodded in agreement. Even though Miao Yao is very agitated, his words make sense. This series of matters is too coincidental! It¡¯s hard for people to believe it! Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up at an ice-cold angle as she turned around to look at Miao Yao. ¡°Senior Miao Yao, you need to have evidence when you speak. It¡¯s too overboard for you to smear us directly without proof, right? If you insist on what you said just now, then¡­ Do I have reason to suspect that you¡¯re using official means to avenge your personal grudges? Just because I won that bet and caused you to be severely injured, you bear this vengeance and want to take this chance to frame us?¡± Miao Yang¡¯s face flashed green and white. ¡°You!¡± What a sharp tongue! When I dealt with this Shangguan Yue in the beginning, I had already witnessed how amazing she was. However, it was at Ling Xiao Academy back then! Now that she is at Godly Dragon Island¡ªin our territory, she is still as arrogant as ever! How ridiculous! What a joke! Miao Yao¡¯s chest intensely heaved up and down as his finger pointed at Chu Liuyue trembled slightly. Then, he whipped his sleeves harshly. ¡°Explain properly then! What exactly is going on? If you can explain it clearly and produce evidence, we¡¯ll believe you! If not¡­ you did it on purpose!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes and was frustrated. I never expected to end up at Godly Dragon Island directly. Did I come here willingly?! I would love to never have any interactions with the great phoenix dragon clan, but now, it all seems like a vain hope. ¡°Miao Yao¡¯s words make sense.¡± Miao Yang spoke again in the silence. He seemed as gentle as normal and didn¡¯t look weird at all. However, his words gradually became sharp. ¡°The Thousand Summit is the grandest event in our clan. For this event, our entire clan has been busying ourselves to ensure its success. But now¡­ everything has turned into nothingness. Even if the two of you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, you can¡¯t be fully absolved of the responsibility, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Rong Xiu openly. He raised his chin slightly, and his line was smooth. The corner of his lips curled up in a smile, yet his eyes were calm. He just stood like that, and his entire body revealed an indescribable elegance that caused one to bow down instinctively to him. ¡°If we were in the wrong, we¡¯ll definitely take full responsibility and not shirk from it.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1734 - 1734 Head On! 1734 Head On! Once he said this, Miao Yao sneered. ¡°Take full responsibility? With yourselves? How daring! Not to mention others, just that jade disc alone¡ªcan you produce an exact one now?! How should you bear the responsibility of delaying the Thousand Summit?¡± Rong Xiu glanced at him, and the smiling intent on the corner of his lips faded slightly. ¡°I, Rong Xiu, always do as I say. Other people don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± Miao Yao was stifled and became even more furious. This Rong Xiu isn¡¯t one to be messed with! The two of them together can simply anger one to death! Miao Yang glanced at Miao Yao. ¡°Miao Yao, don¡¯t be agitated first. Perhaps they really have a way.¡± Miao Yao didn¡¯t dare to refute his clan leader¡¯s words. He just grunted coldly and swallowed his remaining words. Miao Yang looked at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue as his gaze ambiguously darted between the two of them. ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t wish to blow the matter up either. After all, that is not beneficial to both parties. Why don¡¯t we do this? If you have a way to repair the jade disc in an hour, we¡¯ll let this matter slide.¡± Once he said this, the giant square became even quieter. Countless gazes landed on the duo in the middle. Curiosity, doubt, mockery¡­ The crowd had varying expressions, but at the bottom, they all held an attitude of watching a joke. That was because they clearly knew that nobody in the world could complete this task in an hour! Even the best Armory Refinement Master amongst the humans could not do it, let alone these two people. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, is what you said true?¡± Rong Xiu seemed not to notice the surrounding gazes as he lightly asked this. Miao Yang nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± In front of all these people, he seriously considered everything before saying every word. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Okay. Since this is so, then¡­ you and the rest have to wait for an hour.¡± Hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances. What does Rong Xiu mean? Can he really repair the jade disc within an hour? Where did he get this confidence from?! Chu Liuyue took a step forward and held his hand. Rong Xiu turned around and glanced at her with a smile. The two of them stared at each other. Chu Liuyue instantly felt much more secure. Rong Xiu can do it. Even if everyone doesn¡¯t believe him, I do. Rong Xiu¡­ does have such capabilities! Then, Rong Xiu walked to the side and picked up the broken disc. ¡°Yue¡¯er, lend me something.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Rong Xiu said, ¡°The great phoenix dragon¡¯s skeleton.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. What does Rong Xiu need that for?! Her gaze unwittingly landed on the broken shards of he jade disc. A strong uneasiness overwhelmed her heart. This is Godly Dragon Island! It¡¯s fine if we suddenly appeared here, but if we take out that skeleton in front of so many people, isn¡¯t it causing trouble for ourselves? But seeing how calm and composed Rong Xiu was, the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s mouth just moved, and she still nodded. Her wrist moved, and a ray of light flashed across. Following this, a long skeleton appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! Those bones were entirely clear as they glowed with a crystal light and looked like jade. But the moment this item appeared, the entire square broke into an uproar! They were all great phoenix dragons, and they were naturally very familiar with this skeleton¡¯s aura! ¡°Shangguan Yue, how dare you!?¡± Miao Yao was so furious that he widened his eyes and angrily berated her! Even Miao Yang, whose expression was usually gentle, had a cold expression. ¡°Shangguan Yue, Rong Xiu, what¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± His voice was much lower and sterner as every single word sounded like thunder by one¡¯s ears. Chu Liuyue was shocked and started circulating the force in her body! Rong Xiu held her hand. A warm and tremendous aura entered her body and rapidly comforted the force inside her body. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. Even though her capabilities had strengthened, she was still a true god and naturally wasn¡¯t the match of a top warrior like Miao Yang. Rong Xiu held the skeleton in his hand before he looked up at Miao Yang. His demonically handsome face had a few hints of laughter, and his expression was nonchalant and calm. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, why are you so nervous? I¡¯m just using this skeleton to repair the jade disc.¡± He said it nonchalantly, yet it sounded treacherous to Miao Yang and the rest. They naturally knew that Shangguan Yue had a skeleton that belonged to their clansman. Besides, she had even used this skeleton to help reform her legendary fiend¡¯s physical body! If not for this, Miao Yao wouldn¡¯t have barged into Ling Xiao Academy and interrogated her. It was a pity that this incident didn¡¯t end well. Miao Yao lost the bet, and thereafter lost the right to pursue the matter of this skeleton. A big part of the reason the entire great phoenix dragon clan had a change in attitude toward Miao Yao was because of this. It was fine if they didn¡¯t take the skeleton out as they could still act perfunctory. However, now that the skeleton was right before them, how could they endure it?! Seeing that Rong Xiu easily dissolved his own suppression, Miao Yang was secretly taken aback. Previously, he didn¡¯t unleash his full strength and just wanted to pressure them, but he did put in half his effort. An average true god warrior definitely couldn¡¯t endure it. However, this did not cause much trouble for Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s skills¡­ seemed even stronger than the rumors. Miao Yang coldly said, ¡°But this is my clansman¡¯s skeleton. How can you casually use it!¡± This was akin to slapping their great phoenix dragons! Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yao, even though this skeleton is indeed from a senior in the great phoenix dragon clan, but¡­ it¡¯s already mine now. I believe others can¡¯t casually instruct how I want to deal with it, right? Back then, I had talked to Elder Miao Yao about this clearly. Elder Miao Yao, do you agree?¡± Miao Yao, who was originally enraged, had his heart harshly skip a beat when he heard this! At this moment, he clearly felt countless reprimanding and vengeful gazes land on him! Miao Yao stammered, and his expression was guilty. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Since when did we say this in our agreement back then?!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°It seems like your memory isn¡¯t very good. At that time, we clearly said that if I won the bet, the skeleton would belong to me, and the great phoenix dragon clan wouldn¡¯t pursue this matter. This naturally means that you no longer have any right to intervene with the matters of this skeleton. There were quite a few witnesses back then. Elder Miao Yao, do you want me to invite some of them over?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1735 - 1735 Thirteen Hills 1735 Thirteen Hills Miao Yao was at a loss for words! Even though Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were harsh, they were the truth! Since she had won the bet that day, this skeleton belonged to her. Thus, she naturally could decide how she wanted to deal with it. Even if it was their great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s skeleton, they still had no right to intervene. At the end of the day, he was still responsible for this! Whispers could be heard from the surroundings. ¡°Elder Miao Yao still has the cheek to stand up and talk¡­ If he wasn¡¯t too useless that day and lost the bet, why would we be getting angry at Shangguan Yue for nothing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Because of his own mistake, he caused our clan¡¯s skeleton to land in someone else¡¯s hands, and we can¡¯t get it back¡­ This is a major mistake, but Elder Miao Yao hasn¡¯t received much punishment until now. I really don¡¯t know what the clan leader is thinking¡­¡± ¡°How is there no punishment? Didn¡¯t you see that the clan leader didn¡¯t allow Elder Miao Yao to participate in this Thousand Summit? You need to know that Elder Miao Yao played quite a significant role in the past few Thousand Summits¡­¡± ¡°How is this enough? All these years, our clan¡¯s skeletons have never been left outside, and we were left with no right to pursue the matter. If it weren¡¯t for Elder Miao Yao¡¯s negligence this time, we wouldn¡¯t be so wronged¡­¡± ¡°If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t have the cheek to come to this Thousand Summit!¡± ¡­ All sorts of discussions kept entering Miao Yao¡¯s ears, causing his face to flush green. He felt humiliated, and he wanted to dig a hole and hide inside! He had long known that this incident would affect him quite a bit, but everyone wouldn¡¯t directly say it to his face. Even Clan Leader Miao Yang did not harshly reprimand him and just silently gave away the power in his hands. Even though Miao Yao was aggrieved, he knew that this was the last bit of dignity Miao Yang had left for him. As time passed, the matter would gradually fade away. However, he didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Yue and Rong Xiu to come! They even directly produced the skeleton in front of them! Wasn¡¯t that tearing off his skin in public?! When the clansmen saw the skeleton, they clearly didn¡¯t plan to tolerate it anymore. Without thinking, Miao Yao knew that he would have terrible days ahead in the clan! And if Rong Xiu did anything to the skeleton¡­ Miao Yao felt that he would become the entire clan¡¯s sinner! He couldn¡¯t catch his breath as his body shook, and his face was extremely pale. Chu Liuyue asked concernedly, ¡°Elder Miao Yao, your face doesn¡¯t look too good. Have you not fully recovered from the previous time?¡± As she spoke, she raised her brows slightly and looked confused. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be¡­ I was quite restrained when I took action¡­¡± Miao Yao was stifled and almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Restrained? What does she mean?! Did she even spare me mercy that time?! What will the crowd think when they hear this?! ¡°Y-you!¡± Miao Yao was stifled. This Shangguan Yue clearly did it on purpose! Chu Liuyue smiled genuinely and warmly. ¡°Do you want to rest first? I see that Clan Leader Miao Yang and the rest are still here. Even if you leave for a while, it won¡¯t have much of an impact.¡± Miao Yao¡¯s eyesight turned dark as his entire body trembled! Miao Yang knitted his brows. Miao Yao¡¯s behavior is too humiliating. If it weren¡¯t because he is experienced and has contributed quite a bit to the clan, this skeleton incident alone is enough to punish him harshly. Originally, I thought that Miao Yao would be more restrained after this ordeal. I didn¡¯t expect him not to improve and instead become worse and have less tolerance. Miao Yang looked down and covered the cold gleam in his eyes. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just using this skeleton to repair the jade disc. I have no intention of breaking it.¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly. This was Godly Dragon Island. He wouldn¡¯t completely offend the entire great phoenix dragon clan here. When Miao Yang heard this, his tense face relaxed slightly. He stared at Rong Xiu for a while before he finally nodded. ¡°Go ahead!¡± ¡­ In the God-Killing Tumulus, the originally tense and gloomy suppression seemed to be relieved by quite a bit. Tuan Zi and the rest journeyed to the outside very quickly. Even the weakest Chu Ning could forcefully follow the crowd after borrowing Shangguan Jing¡¯s Yuan instrument. Not long later, they came to the edge of the God-Killing Tumulus and stood before the Red Soul Woods. With the previous experience and without any outsiders disturbing them, they passed through it very smoothly. In the evening, their group of people walked out of the Red Soul Woods and completely left the God-Killing Tumulus! When he took the last step out, Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but turn back to take a look. It was already evening. The sun shone in and cast a light golden glow in the entire Red Soul Woods. The black trees stood upright, and the bright-red leaves swayed with the winds. I never thought that I would come here again and completely resolve my grudge against Yu Hongshan. I wonder where Yue¡¯er is and if she is safe. Thinking of this, he retracted his gaze and looked at Tuan Zi. Not only him, the others present were also waiting for Tuan Zi. Out of all of them, only she could bring them to find Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. Tuan Zi crossed her arms, held her chin, and sank into deep thought. After a moment, she raised her chubby hand and pointed in a direction. ¡°Over there!¡± ¡­ The group of them immediately rushed in the direction Tuan Zi pointed without hesitation. Time slowly trickled past, and it seemed especially excruciating. But luckily, Tuan Zi and Chu Liuyue always had a telepathic connection. This also proved that Chu Liuyue should be safe at least for the time being. The closer she was, the stronger Tuan Zi¡¯s telepathic connection. The two party¡¯s distance was clearly shortening, and this made everyone more relieved. But gradually, Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu discovered something amiss. Elder Yi Yu lowered his head. At this point, they were passing by a barren land. This land structure was special as there was a deep trench that cut across the yellow barren land. Looking down from above, this deep or slightly shallow trench spread across the barren land in a magnificent manner. This place¡­ Elder Yi Yu couldn¡¯t hold back, leaning toward Yi Zhao¡¯s side and softly asking, ¡°Clan Leader, do you think this place¡­ seems a little amiss?¡± A normal barren piece of land wouldn¡¯t be this picturesque. In his impression, there seemed to be only one place that looked like this. Yi Zhao seemed to have guessed his inner thoughts as he nodded affirmatively and said, ¡°What you¡¯re thinking is right. This place is indeed the Thirteen Hills.¡± Even though Elder Yi Yu had expected it earlier, he was still taken aback when he heard the affirmative answer. The so-called Thirteen Hills referred to this barren land. Rumor had it that 10,000 years ago, 13 great phoenix dragon clan ancestors had ascended here. After they died, the Heaven and Earth Force here shook and caused this place to end up in its current state. Hence, the descendants called it the ¡®Thirteen Hills.¡¯ But the key was¡ªthis place was the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s territory! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1736 - 1736 Rong Xius Background 1736 Rong Xiu¡¯s Background ¡°How did we get here?¡± Elder Yi Yu¡¯s expression froze, and he felt a little worried. The relationship between the two ancient legendary fiend races had always been very subtle. They were on opposite sides but were never really fighting. They were polite, but nobody was willing to surrender. They had fought for many years, both openly and secretly, but both sides had an unwritten rule: They would never cause trouble in each other¡¯s territory! This was the bottom line for both sides. Once someone broke it, it would definitely cause a huge commotion. If those old great phoenix dragons knew that they were here, there would be trouble! This was also one of the reasons why Elder Yi Yu was uneasy. He looked up at Tuan Zi in front of him. She seemed oblivious and still looked excited. ¡°If we go any further, we¡¯ll probably reach Godly Dragon Island!¡± Elder Yi Yu was worried. He had never been to Godly Dragon Island, but they were already at the Thirteen Hills. It was obvious that the nest of the great phoenix dragon was definitely ahead! Yi Zhao¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°The Thirteen Hills are only considered the periphery of Godly Dragon Island. It¡¯s not a breach of contract for us to come here, but we really can¡¯t go any further.¡± Especially since I have come with Yi Yu! If the great phoenix dragons and the others know about this, they might fabricate rumors about us. ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± Yi Zhao suddenly raised his voice and called out to Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi stopped and turned around, only to see Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu standing rooted to the ground. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tuan Zi asked curiously. When Shangguan Jing and the others heard this commotion, they stopped and turned around. Yi Zhao stared at Tuan Zi for a while and asked, ¡°Tuan Zi, are you sure that Shangguan Yue is in front?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Tuan Zi nodded in confusion. Hasn¡¯t everyone followed me all the way? Why is Clan Leader Grandpa suddenly asking about this? Yi Zhao paused. Shangguan Jing saw that there was something wrong with his expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, is there something wrong?¡± Yi Zhao shook his head. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that Yi Yu and I can¡¯t continue forward; we can only send Tuan Zi here.¡± Shangguan Jing and the others were shocked. Tuan Zi also widened her eyes and asked in confusion, ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, why?¡± Yi Zhao raised his hand and pointed down. ¡°This area is the Thirteen Hills, which is already considered the great phoenix dragons¡¯ territory. If we pass through here, it¡¯s very likely that Godly Dragon Island is ahead. Yi Yu and I have special identities, so we naturally can¡¯t go in.¡± When he said that, everyone looked at each other. If that is the case, there is really no choice. Tuan Zi pursed her lips in disappointment and reluctance. Although she hadn¡¯t spent much time with Clan Leader Grandpa and Fifth Elder Grandpa, she could feel that they were sincere to her. Now that they were suddenly going to separate, she naturally felt a little uncomfortable. She tied her hair in a bun. ¡°Then, when Tuan Zi finds A¡¯Yue, I¡¯ll go back and see you and Fifth Elder Grandpa!¡± Yi Zhao looked at her sincere and clean eyes and her confident expression, and his heart warmed. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll wait for you to go back then.¡± Elder Yi Yu was so touched that his eyes were filled with tears. ¡°There¡¯s still me, there¡¯s still me! Fifth Elder Grandpa will definitely wait for you! I-if you want to see Fifth Elder Grandpa, just send me a message. No matter where you are, I will definitely be on call!¡± His words finally made Tuan Zi happy, and a bright smile bloomed on her face. ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± After that, Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu coaxed Tuan Zi for a while longer before really saying goodbye and watching them leave. Looking at Tuan Zi¡¯s gradually departing figure, Elder Yi Yu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Clan Leader, can you really rest assured? Tuan Zi is the young mistress after all. Once she enters Godly Dragon Island, her aura will definitely be sensed. What if those people on Godly Dragon Island make things difficult for Tuan Zi?¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t relax, we have to. If we really follow, things will only become more troublesome.¡± Therefore, they could only make this choice. ¡°As long as Tuan Zi goes over, they will definitely make things difficult for her. Fortunately, Tuan Zi is still young and has a contractual relationship with Shangguan Yue. It¡¯s an extremely legitimate reason to look for Shangguan Yue. Even if they want to do something to Tuan Zi, they have to think of a suitable reason to do so.¡± They had originally been brooding over the contract between Tuan Zi and Shangguan Yue, but today, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t without benefits. Only then did Elder Yi Yu feel more at ease. ¡°Now, I just hope that everything will go smoothly for Tuan Zi and the others¡­¡± Yi Zhao was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°That Rong Xiu¡­ Do you know his identity and background?¡± Elder Yi Yu did not expect him to suddenly mention this. After being stunned for a moment, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that? He¡¯s the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace!¡± Yi Zhao shook his head. ¡°What I mean is¡­ his other identities.¡± Elder Yi Yu suddenly recalled something. ¡°Do you suspect Rong Xiu because of Nan Yifan¡¯s previous reaction?¡± Yi Zhao nodded. There was nothing to deny. He indeed felt that Nan Yifan¡¯s attitude towards Rong Xiu was very strange. The Nan family¡¯s power was only stronger than the Sky-Cloud Empire. As the family head, Nan Yifan had no reason to be so afraid of Rong Xiu. ¡°This¡­ I really don¡¯t know. Rong Xiu has been famous in the Sky-Cloud Empire for the past few years, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of him having any other background other than being the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace¡­ Why don¡¯t I go back and check?¡± Elder Yi Yu probed. Yi Zhao was about to nod when he suddenly paused as if he were hesitating about something. After thinking for a long time, he waved his hand. ¡°Forget it. Since he didn¡¯t say anything, there¡¯s no need for us to ask around deliberately. We¡¯ll naturally know about these things when it¡¯s time.¡± He took one last look in the direction Tuan Zi and the others had left. The figures had completely disappeared from sight. A wind blew, stirring the corners of their clothes. Yi Zhao lowered his eyes to hide the emotions in them and turned around. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to go back.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1737 - 1737 Didn’t Disappoint 1737 Didn¡¯t Disappoint Godly Dragon Island. The square in front of the Great Void Temple was silent. Countless eyes landed on the two figures standing in the middle. Suspicion, doubt, indifference¡­ Even without looking up, Chu Liuyue could clearly sense the hostility in the surrounding people¡¯s gazes. She looked up at Rong Xiu. He sat cross-legged, his expression calm. It was as if the gazes of the people around him couldn¡¯t affect him at all. In front of him was the shattered jade plate, and in his hand was the skeleton. With a flick of his wrist, the skeleton flew up lightly and floated quietly in front of him. Then, a cluster of golden flames suddenly surged out of Rong Xiu¡¯s hand! Rumble! The flames were hot and bright, dancing happily like fairies. With a thought, the ball of fire flew out of his hand and landed on one end of the skeleton! ¡°This¡ª¡± Seeing this, the crowd couldn¡¯t help but stir. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched violently. Burning the bones of their clansmen in front of the great phoenix dragons¡­ Only Rong Xiu would do such a thing! Miao Yang¡¯s dignified eyes quickly swept around. The restless voices quickly subsided again. However, those surging eyes indicated that their hearts were far from as calm as they looked. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched slightly as she quickly glanced at Miao Yang, who was sitting at the most important position. I have long heard that Miao Yang has extremely high prestige in the clan. Now that I see him today, he indeed lives up to his reputation. Although he looks kind and polite¡­ if he didn¡¯t have such lightning methods, it would clearly be impossible for him to sit firmly in his current position as the clan leader. The moment Chu Liuyue looked over, Miao Yang acutely sensed this and looked up. Their eyes met. In the silence, there seemed to be a hidden tide. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly into a polite smile before she retracted her gaze frankly. A moment later, the feeling of danger quickly disappeared. She heaved a sigh of relief and glanced at Rong Xiu. The golden flame burned from one end of the skeleton and gradually spread to the other. Wherever it passed, the skeleton seemed to become even more sparkling and translucent. Vaguely, she could see a small amount of transparent liquid flowing slowly inside. A majestic pressure spread from the skeleton! Shock flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. When I helped Zi Chen reconstruct his body previously, although I only used two wing bones, I had basically extracted the bloodline power in this entire skeleton. I thought that the purest strength contained in it had been refined by me, but it now seems that some of it is still there. More importantly, Rong Xiu has actually dug out the power hidden in every inch of bone so easily! Even I myself can¡¯t do this! She steadily watched the burning golden flames. I have always known that Rong Xiu¡¯s golden flames were extraordinary, but I have never carefully thought about them before. However, I am now suddenly curious. This was because she realized that the power of this flame didn¡¯t seem to be inferior to hers. One had to know that she could summon two flames. One was the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s red-gold fire, and the other was the transparent karmic fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. These two flames were extraordinarily powerful, not to mention that they were enhanced by the power within the transparent water droplet in her body¡ªno, it should be the music score. After experiencing the events in the God-Killing Tumulus, she realized how precious the thing she was carrying was. The golden flames on Rong Xiu¡¯s body were actually not inferior to it¡­ Just as she was thinking about these questions, the golden flames had already burned to the other end of the skeleton! Rong Xiu raised his hand, and the flames silently left the skeleton. At the same time, the transparent liquid in the skeleton slowly seeped out and condensed into a longan-sized ball! This ball was surrounded and roasted by golden flames. Gradually, a shadow seemed to appear! As she stood closer, Chu Liuyue could see more clearly than the others. The shadow was only a blur in the beginning, but as time passed and the golden flames condensed, the shadow gradually became clearer! Finally, at a certain moment, the shadow revealed its true appearance! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. It is actually¡ª A dragon! A great phoenix dragon! Although the shadow was very small, she was certain that it was indeed a great phoenix dragon the moment she saw it. Roar! A deep dragon roar resounded through the world! The pressure was deep and overwhelming! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped! The surrounding crowd was also shocked. They didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to be able to refine the remaining bit of bloodline power! Then, Rong Xiu flicked his finger! The golden flames wrapped around it and quickly pounced on the shattered jade disk! The fire was bright and hot¡ªit instantly surrounded the jade disk! Almost at the same time, the great phoenix dragon shadow in the liquid ball began to wander at an even more shocking speed! Then¡­ Thump! A faint explosion sounded! The liquid ball turned into countless tiny droplets that splattered on the jade disk! It was as if an invisible thread had begun to string the pieces together, perfectly matching them! Under the intense and shocking dragon might, the cracks on the jade disk actually began to repair at a visible speed! The golden flames burned even more fiercely. Chu Liuyue could vaguely see that the cracks on the jade disk were disappearing! Not long after, Rong Xiu¡¯s well-defined fingers tapped gently, and the golden flames instantly flew back! A jade disk floated quietly in the air. The cracks on it were all gone¡ªit was as smooth as a new and perfect one! Rong Xiu stood up and put the jade disk in his hand. Only then did he look up at Miao Yang with a smile on his face. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, it wasn¡¯t disappointing.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1738 - 1738 Can We Leave? 1738 Can We Leave? There was dead silence! Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the stiff and cold atmosphere. ¡°Impossible! There must be something fishy going on!¡± Rong Xiu glanced sideways with a calm gaze. ¡°Elder Miao Yao, you¡¯re not in good health, so don¡¯t be so agitated, alright? If you accidentally faint, whose fault will it be?¡± Miao Yao was furious. He could tell that these two people were both sharp-tongued! If he spoke to them more, he might die of anger! Miao Yao took a deep breath and finally realized something¡ªhe was no match against the two of them in a verbal battle! Hence, he stopped pestering Rong Xiu and turned to look at Miao Yang. ¡°Clan Leader, others might not know, but you know best! That jade disk is a treasure of our clan. Once it shatters, it¡¯s impossible to repair it in an hour! Rong Xiu must¡¯ve used some trick to restore it to its original state on the surface! You must not be fooled by him!¡± In a seemingly smiling manner, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Oh? Elder Miao Yao, you mean¡­ Clan Leader Miao Yang is deliberately making things difficult for us by raising this condition?¡± Miao Yao was speechless. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Miao Yang stood up, his voice finally tinged with anger. He frowned and glanced at Miao Yao. ¡°I¡¯ll personally check if it¡¯s real or fake. There¡¯s no need for you to worry, Elder Miao Yao.¡± I really don¡¯t know what is wrong with Miao Yao! Ever since he returned in defeat because of Shangguan Yue last time, he seems to have become impulsive and angry. He is incompetent and spoils everything! Miao Yao also felt as if he had been possessed. As long as the two of them were involved, it seemed like he would become irrational and even make mistakes one after another. My situation in the clan is already difficult enough. If this continues¡­ I doubt if I can continue to stay in the clan! His face was pale, and he swallowed the rest of his words with an embarrassed expression. ¡­ Miao Yang glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°May I take a look at it?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± He casually tossed it over. The jade disk flew toward Miao Yang. Miao Yang received the item and glanced at Rong Xiu. The young man was dressed in a snowy robe. His figure was as straight as a pine tree, and his expression was calm. He looks very confident¡­ Miao Yang frowned. Then, he looked down at the jade disk in his hand and examined it carefully. This was a treasure of their clan. As the clan leader, he was naturally most familiar with it. The scene fell silent again. Everyone was focused on Miao Yang, waiting for his conclusion. Actually, most people didn¡¯t believe it. They were about the same as Miao Yao; they all felt that Rong Xiu must¡¯ve used some special method to make it look exactly the same as before. Rong Xiu did not seem to care about this. He handed the skeleton to Chu Liuyue and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue took it and smiled, her eyes flickering with a fine, bright light. Actually, other than providing this skeleton, I haven¡¯t helped him much. At the end of the day, Rong Xiu is still powerful enough. If it were someone else, it would probably be difficult to do this. After a while, Miao Yang looked up at Rong Xiu with a complicated gaze. Everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. ¡°The clan leader doesn¡¯t look too good. I think there¡¯s most likely something wrong with that thing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all within expectations. From beginning to end, Rong Xiu only used half the time! It¡¯s impossible to completely repair that jade disk in such a short period of time!¡± ¡°I want to see if they can still be so calm later¡­¡± Low murmurs rose from both sides. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to hear this. He smiled at Miao Yang and asked, ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, how is it?¡± His voice was low and pleasant, with its own quiet power. Miao Yang was silent for a long moment before saying, ¡°This jade disk¡­ has indeed returned to its original state.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was shocked! The huge square instantly fell silent! Almost everyone¡¯s expressions froze on their faces, not knowing how to react for a moment. The clan leader said that¡­ it has indeed returned to its original state!? Doesn¡¯t that mean that Rong Xiu only used half the time to complete our request?! That¡¯s not right! How exactly did he do it?! Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened slightly. ¡°It¡¯s indeed not easy to do this. Fortunately, Yue¡¯er has the skeleton of a great phoenix dragon. With the help of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline power, repairing the jade disk naturally became much easier.¡± This jade disk belonged to them to begin with. What else was more suitable for repairing this than their bloodline power? ¡°In short, I¡¯ve only transferred the bloodline power in this skeleton to the jade disk. This shouldn¡¯t be considered an offense to you, right?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. He had said from the beginning that he wouldn¡¯t damage the skeleton at all. Now, it could be said that he meant what he said. His words silenced everyone because these words¡­ didn¡¯t sound wrong. Initially, they thought that if Rong Xiu did something wrong, they could use this against him. However, what he had done this time was indeed benevolent, and they had no place to attack him! Nobody could find a reason to scold him! ¡­ Miao Yang was also actually filled with anger. Although this jade disk has been perfectly repaired, I originally wanted to take this opportunity to make things difficult for the two of them! Who knew that Rong Xiu could actually repair it?! Miao Yang felt as if he had punched cotton and was extremely aggrieved, but he had excellent self-restraint. Even though his emotions were surging, his face remained calm. He sighed softly. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace¡­ is indeed as powerful as the rumors say. No¡ªit should be said that the outside world still underestimates you.¡± Although this child is young, he is meticulous. They have been here for so long, but I can¡¯t guess Rong Xiu¡¯s thoughts at all. Moreover, I vaguely feel that Rong Xiu should have other trump cards. This person¡­ is probably not easy to deal with! Rong Xiu happily accepted Miao Yang¡¯s insincere praise. ¡°You flatter me. Actually, I just want to reduce today¡¯s matter to a small matter. We damaged this jade disk, so it¡¯s only right to repair it and compensate for it.¡± He paused. ¡°Since this jade disk has been repaired, and we¡¯ve already apologized previously, then¡­ Yue¡¯er and I can leave now, right?¡± Miao Yang narrowed his eyes. The two of them stared at each other. In an instant, lightning flashed! The two sides exchanged blows silently! Miao Yang handed the jade disk to an elder beside him and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s a little difficult.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly, and the smile on his lips was covered in a layer of frost. ¡°Oh?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1739 - 1739 Girl 1739 Girl ¡°What do you mean, Clan Leader Miao Yang?¡± Rong Xiu asked faintly. Miao Yang placed one hand behind his back, his expression still calm and gentle. But in Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, his face turned stiff and cold. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. We definitely don¡¯t have the intention to cause trouble for you. We¡¯re all very happy and gratified that this jade disk has been repaired, but¡­ things aren¡¯t over yet. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t let the two of you leave for the time being.¡± He raised his chin slightly, and a note of authority arose in his voice. ¡°Other than this jade disk, it¡¯s also a fact that the two of you appeared rashly and interrupted our Thousand Summit. More importantly, no human has taken a step into Godly Dragon Island in the past 10,000 years. Not only did the two of you come today, but you have even barged straight into the holy hall. I¡¯m afraid we still have to settle this score¡­¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Miao Yang¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Shangguan Yue, what are you laughing at?¡± He was interrupted mid-sentence. He hadn¡¯t had such an experience in years, so he felt very unhappy when he saw Chu Liuyue laugh. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°No, I was just thinking that since you didn¡¯t want to let us leave so easily from the beginning, there¡¯s actually no need to say these complicated and long pleasantries, right?¡± Regardless of whether Rong Xiu succeeded or failed, they wouldn¡¯t let the matter rest. After all, they had never expected Rong Xiu to succeed from the beginning. Unfortunately, they had underestimated Rong Xiu. Therefore, at this moment, they could only use such words to forcefully stop them. Miao Yang didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Yue to be so straightforward, and he finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He stared at her for a while before suddenly laughing, but there was no smile on his face. ¡°You were in the wrong in this matter to begin with. Why don¡¯t we even have the right to hold you accountable now?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile remained unchanged, and her eyes curved. ¡°Of course! What I mean is: if you have any other conditions, just raise them together! Our time is very precious, so let¡¯s be frank!¡± Miao Yang¡¯s hands tightened in his sleeves. He finally realized that Shangguan Yue did not play by the rules at all! Those things were indeed useless to her! Rong Xiu is clearly on her side. These two people¡­ are really not easy to deal with¡­ After figuring this out, Miao Yang was much more straightforward. He thought for a moment before saying, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s not beat around the bush. If you want to leave this place, it¡¯s very simple¡ªerase all memories related to this place!¡± Everything about Godly Dragon Island must not be brought out by them! Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. A cold smile appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. I knew that this matter wouldn¡¯t pass so easily, but¡­ clearing my memory? ¡°What do you mean, Clan Leader Miao Yang?¡± Chu Liuyue raised an eyebrow. ¡°This memory belongs to us. How else do you want to erase it?¡± Miao Yang¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°We have our ways. You just have to do as you¡¯re told.¡± Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. That¡¯s easy to say! Isn¡¯t this equivalent to putting my life in their hands? Only a fool would agree! Rong Xiu said, ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, we cannot agree to your request.¡± Miao Yang had expected this answer. His expression did not change, and his determination was obvious. ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t want this either, but¡­ we really have no choice. If you don¡¯t agree, it¡¯s fine. When you think it through and are willing to agree to this condition, we¡¯ll naturally let you leave.¡± The aura around Rong Xiu instantly became dangerous! ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, you mean that if we don¡¯t agree¡­ we¡¯ll be trapped here forever?¡± Miao Yang seemed to laugh. ¡°Although the great phoenix dragon clan rarely interacts with the humans now, this isn¡¯t difficult for us.¡± His words didn¡¯t hide his arrogance at all! This was the confidence of an ancient legendary fiend! Godly Dragon Island was their territory to begin with. Wasn¡¯t it a small matter to deal with two humans? If not for the duo¡¯s extraordinary status in the God Residence Realm, they wouldn¡¯t have wasted their time and energy like this and would¡¯ve ended them long ago. Therefore, to Miao Yang and the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s people, their actions were already quite restrained and polite. The two parties entered a stalemate. The air was cold and silent. At this moment, a person walked over quickly with a nervous expression. ¡°Clan Leader! Outside Godly Dragon Island, a few humans are approaching!¡± Miao Yang frowned slightly. ¡°You can just deal with this matter according to the usual rules. Why do you have to ask again?¡± Under normal circumstances, very few humans would come here. On the one hand, they did not dare to. On the other hand¡­ very few people knew the location of Godly Dragon Island. Occasionally, when some people accidentally came here, the guards below would basically expel them. If they were bold, they would be killed. Logically speaking, such a matter would never alarm the clan leader, Miao Yang. The guard who came to report broke out in a cold sweat. How could he not know these rules? But the key was¡­ the people who came this time weren¡¯t ordinary! Furthermore¡ª ¡°Clan Leader, among those people, there seems to be a red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­¡± Miao Yang¡¯s expression turned sharp. ¡°What did you say!?¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she turned around. This description really sounds like¡ª The people in the square looked at each other and became restless. ¡°No way? A red-gold heavenly phoenix actually has the guts to barge into Godly Dragon Island? Do they have a death wish?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t interact much with them, and we definitely won¡¯t step into their territory easily. What¡¯s going on today?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan? Or¡­ are they deliberately looking for trouble?¡± Everyone discussed. Clearly, the arrival of the red-gold heavenly phoenix had caused quite a stir in their hearts. It wasn¡¯t fear but vigilance and suspicion. The two races had always maintained a delicate balance. Whoever wanted to break it would pay a huge price! Miao Yang said in a low voice, ¡°What exactly happened? Tell me in detail.¡± The man hurriedly bowed and told him everything. The expressions of Miao Yang and everyone present changed. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the red-gold heavenly phoenix is a little girl?¡± The guard¡¯s head hung even lower, and he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°We¡¯re not sure either, but the aura on that girl¡¯s body is indeed that of a red-gold heavenly phoenix!¡± How is that possible?! If the two ancient legendary fiend clans¡¯ members want to transform into human form, they have to become adults¡ª Suddenly, Miao Yang thought of something and turned to look at Chu Liuyue. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1740 - 1740 Let Us Go 1740 Let Us Go He remembered that he had previously indeed heard some news that when Shangguan Yue left Godly Phoenix Mountain, she had brought a three or four-year-old girl out with her. He had thought about it for a long time then, but he had never gotten an answer. But looking at it now¡­ A ridiculous and bold guess appeared in Miao Yang¡¯s mind! A look of deep shock flashed across his eyes! Could it be¡ª ¡°It looks like Tuan Zi is here.¡± Chu Liuyue curved her lips slightly. The people who came with Tuan Zi should be Ancestor, Master, and Father. They are really fast. Chu Liuyue¡¯s originally anxious heart relaxed. She had been worried about them. Now that she heard they were here, she was naturally relieved. On second thought, she speculated that Yi Zhao and Elder Yi Yu shouldn¡¯t have come together. Otherwise, Godly Dragon Island would¡¯ve been in chaos! After all, the two of them had special identities, so this was the most suitable choice. When Miao Yang heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, his heart sank. As expected! That so-called three or four-year-old girl is definitely the red-gold heavenly phoenix contracted by Shangguan Yue! Not only did they not receive any punishment after their trip to Godly Phoenix Mountain, but they even helped the red-gold heavenly phoenix transform into a human?! Miao Yang¡¯s mind raced, and his expression darkened. All these years, I have never heard of a young ancient legendary fiend successfully transforming into a human. How did that little girl do it? The greatest possibility is that her bloodline power is extremely pure! However, even Miao Yang wasn¡¯t sure how outstanding she was. After all, such a thing had never happened in the great phoenix dragon clan. This caused him to be bewildered and aggrieved. At the same time, it puzzled him even more. Shangguan Yue is here, but the red-gold heavenly phoenix has found her with the other humans in such a short period of time¡­ It is very likely that they are still contracted, but how can that be? Yi Zhao would never agree! Yi Zhao is usually filled with prejudice against the human race and despises even saying one more word to them. How could he allow his clansmen to maintain a contract with Shangguan Yue?! Miao Yang suppressed the many emotions in his heart, but his expression remained calm. ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s only that red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± If someone secretly followed¡­ The man nodded and said cautiously, ¡°I¡¯ve already checked carefully. There are no traces or auras of other red-gold heavenly phoenixes near Godly Dragon Island. She¡¯s indeed the only one that came.¡± Moreover, she has transformed into a little girl! The appearance of the red-gold heavenly phoenix was enough to shock them. Seeing that she was only three or four years old, his jaw almost dropped. Only then did he return in a panic to report. Miao Yang fell silent. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, Tuan Zi and the others have personally come to fetch us back. Are you still not planning to let us go?¡± Miao Yang gave her a deep look. Ever since Miao Yao suffered at the hands of this woman last time, I knew that she wasn¡¯t a simple person. When I heard that she had left Godly Phoenix Mountain unscathed, I became even more determined at that time. However, I now realize that I had underestimated her. Shangguan Yue looks very young. Her eyes are clear and clean, and she is always smiling, but in fact, she is very thoughtful and hides many secrets. She can¡¯t be underestimated¡­ As Miao Yang thought this, he said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s their business if they come. As for whether I¡¯ll let you go¡­ I already made it very clear just now. Think about it yourself.¡± Although his voice was calm, his attitude was firm. It was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t change his previous suggestion! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Miao Yang looked at the person who had reported the news. ¡°Go back and tell them that the clan is holding a Thousand Summit. We¡¯re busy, and it¡¯s not appropriate to entertain them.¡± If it were anyone else from the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan who came here rashly, he would definitely not be so polite. But that young doll was Shangguan Yue¡¯s contracted legendary fiend, and she seemed to be still young. If he directly used forceful methods, outsiders would probably say that he was bullying a child. Therefore, after thinking about it, Miao Yang decided to just reject them. ¡°Yes!¡± Upon receiving the order, the man left quickly. However, everyone present still had different expressions. Miao Yang couldn¡¯t figure out the reason, let alone them. In fact, they really wanted to find out what was going on. Miao Yang raised his hand. ¡°Men, please go to Seven Lotus Peak to rest first. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to suffer for the time being. When you¡¯ve thought it through, we¡¯ll continue to talk.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, two tall men walked forward. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He is going to put us under house arrest! Just as she was about to say something, Rong Xiu¡¯s finger suddenly brushed across her palm. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she turned around to take a look. Rong Xiu¡¯s calm and deep phoenix eyes were clear without any clues. She swallowed the rest of her words. Rong Xiu gazed at Miao Yang and smiled faintly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to trouble you during this period.¡± Miao Yang felt a lump in his chest. From the looks of it, Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t seem to care about my threats. He even plans to be a guest here and enjoy himself! Miao Yang felt a little disgusted. Both Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue gave him an uncontrollable feeling. This made him very unhappy. He scoffed coldly. ¡°I hope the two of you can figure it out sooner. After all, there are still people waiting for you outside!¡± ¡­ Outside Godly Dragon Island. Tuan Zi and the others finally found the place. At this moment, they were standing on a long coast that seemed endless. In front of them was an endless dark-blue sea! There was a huge barrier where the world met; the pressure was heavy! It was obvious that it was Godly Dragon Island! Tuan Zi looked over from time to time, but Shangguan Jing and the others had solemn expressions. It was obvious how difficult it would be to retrieve someone from Godly Dragon Island! At this moment, a figure flew out of the barrier! The few of them perked up and immediately became nervous! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1741 - 1741 Method 1741 Method When they first reached this place, it was this man that stopped them. After Nan Suhuai stated his identity and purpose in coming, this man turned around to return to Godly Dragon Island, saying that he had to ask for permission. They didn¡¯t expect him to come back so quickly. Tuan Zi glanced behind that man and was greatly disappointed when she didn¡¯t see Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure. Uneasiness swarmed up Nan Suhuai and the others¡¯ hearts. That man stopped in the air above the middle of the sea as he sternly looked at the few people. Then, he related Miao Yang¡¯s words explicitly. Once he finished, Tuan Zi was enraged. ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re not allowing us to enter and see A¡¯Yue?!¡± That man glanced at Tuan Zi with deep meaning and sized her up for quite a while before saying, ¡°Even though you¡¯re young, you¡¯re still the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s bloodline after all. Why do you not know any rules?¡± It was already quite overboard that they suddenly appeared here, let alone let them go in. If it weren¡¯t because the clan is holding the Thousand Summit, and this girl is youthful and is Shangguan Yue¡¯s fiend, how would the clan leader let them off so easily? ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last piece of advice. This isn¡¯t somewhere you can go; you should leave quickly! If not¡­ don¡¯t blame us for being harsh!¡± The fire in Tuan Zi¡¯s heart burned even more. ¡°What did you say?!¡± I found this place with much difficulty, and I¡¯m about to see A¡¯Yue, yet these people don¡¯t want to let us in? I will never agree! ¡°You¡ª¡± Tuan Zi wanted to say something when Nan Suhuai suddenly advised, ¡°Tuan Zi, we¡¯re here to find Yue¡¯er, not to cause trouble.¡± No matter how much they wanted to see them both, the great phoenix dragon clan had already stated their stance. If they took them head-on, they would lose out. Even with the few of them combined, it was impossible for them to cause a scene in Godly Dragon Island. Hearing this, Tuan Zi finally restrained herself. She wasn¡¯t afraid of anything else, but she really didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for A¡¯Yue. She angrily stomped her feet and turned her face furiously. Nan Suhuai took a step forward and blocked Tuan Zi¡¯s body as he cupped his fists politely to the other party. ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t have any other purpose in coming here today. Since it¡¯s inconvenient for us to enter now, then¡­ Could you reveal if they¡¯re safe now? As long as we know this, we can leave peacefully.¡± Nan Suhuai was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director and had a distinguished status. At this point, he spoke politely with manners. The person opposite really did not want to offend him, so his expression became warmer. ¡°They¡¯re naturally fine and just have to stay in my clan for a while to deal with some matters. When the matters are over, they can leave.¡± Of course, he couldn¡¯t state the true reason. Nan Suhuai quickly knitted his brows. When this person urged us to leave, I already felt that something was amiss. Now, it does seem to be the case¡ªRong Xiu and Shangguan Yue can¡¯t leave Godly Dragon Island for the time being! One just has to think to know that the great phoenix dragon clan won¡¯t let them off for suddenly barging over. They are most likely trapped here¡­ Shangguan Jing suddenly said, ¡°Since this is so, let¡¯s go first.¡± Tuan Zi wanted to say ¡®no¡¯ when Shangguan Jing lightly patted her buns. ¡°Tuan Zi, listen.¡± Tuan Zi was extremely intelligent; she had already detected that the atmosphere was amiss. After some thinking, she still pouted and nodded. Then, the few of them bade farewell and really turned around to leave. However, the great phoenix dragon clan didn¡¯t seem to trust them as they stared at the group closely. After walking for quite a distance, the feeling of being spied on finally disappeared. But at this point, they had basically left Godly Dragon Island. Nan Suhuai turned around to take a look and had a solemn expression. ¡°It seems like the two¡¯s situation is not optimistic.¡± All these years, no humans had ever stepped foot on Godly Dragon Island. Now that the two of them suddenly barged in and ran into that so-called Thousand Summit, they would be in trouble. Tuan Zi was anxious and worried. ¡°Then, what should we do? Will A¡¯Yue and Rong Xiu be in danger? I saw that the previous person looked quite fierce. The other clansmen are definitely not any better!¡± Nan Suhuai comforted her kindly. ¡°Tuan Zi, you don¡¯t have to worry about this for now. Rong Xiu and Yue¡¯er aren¡¯t ordinary people. Even the high and mighty great phoenix dragons won¡¯t dare to mess with them.¡± Besides, Rong Xiu is around. Nan Suhuai wasn¡¯t worried that their lives would be in danger, but he just felt that this matter was very tricky. Hearing his calm and determined tone, Tuan Zi unwittingly felt more at ease as she nodded in a seemingly understanding way. Then, she hesitantly glanced at Godly Dragon Island. ¡°T-then¡­ are we really just going to leave like that?¡± I don¡¯t want to leave. I want to stay, go to Godly Dragon Island, and find A¡¯Yue! Nan Suhuai laughed. ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t leave just like that, but we have to find another way. Godly Dragon Island originally has great defenses. Now that they¡¯re holding the Thousand Summit¡­ It¡¯s a special time, and they will only be stricter with their defenses.¡± It was as hard as ascending the skies to go in legitimately. Shangguan Jing knitted his brows. ¡°That¡¯s right. After this time, they will only be more guarded toward us. If it were another place, we could try, but¡­ We really can¡¯t do so at Godly Dragon Island.¡± He and Nan Suhuai were both top elite warriors in the entire God Residence Realm, and even though Chu Ning¡¯s cultivation level was low, he had the extremely rare Indestructible Holy Body! Then there was Tuan Zi, who was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress. With the few of them together, their capabilities were definitely top-notch. An average person wasn¡¯t their match. No matter how treacherous or dangerous the area was, they could still go. Originally, Shangguan Jing thought that with Tuan Zi leading them, they could definitely find Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu smoothly. When he was sent to the Flood-Desert Northern Region, he also survived in the beginning. However, he never expected the two of them to be directly sent to Godly Dragon Island! This caused them to be in a very difficult spot. Unless the great phoenix dragon clan willingly let them go¡­ Tuan Zi looked up at the few of them. Even if she was fearless, she also knew that this matter was trickly. She pulled Nan Suhuai¡¯s clothes. ¡°Director Grandpa, you must have a way, right?¡± Even though everyone was very worried about this, she felt that Director Grandpa was especially calm and stable. Nan Suhuai kept quiet for a moment. ¡°The entire great phoenix dragon clan is definitely most alert now, so it¡¯s hard for us to take action. Let¡¯s wait here for a while and observe the changes.¡± At the moment, this was the most appropriate way. Tuan Zi nodded. Shangguan Jing furrowed his brows even more tightly. ¡°Yue¡¯er has bad blood with them because of the great phoenix dragon skeleton. This time, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t let her off¡­¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1742 - 1742 Seven Lotus Peak 1742 Seven Lotus Peak The great phoenix dragons were naturally still hung up about this issue, especially Miao Yang. He was the clan leader, and this incident was akin to a tight slap to the entire clan, causing his face to drop. He naturally had deep enmity toward Chu Liuyue, but he had always disguised himself as a kind person. Even if he wanted to kill someone, he rarely revealed harsh looks; he always took the person¡¯s life while smiling and talking. It was naturally the same now when he talked to Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. After commanding the people below to send them away, the Thousand Summit continued. However, many people¡¯s thoughts had flown far away. Two additional people suddenly appeared on Godly Dragon Island out of nowhere. How could they be nonchalant about it? Even though this Thousand Summit was solemnly held, there was no shocking highlight, so it was hard to regather the crowd¡¯s focus. Even Miao Yang¡ªwho was sitting at the front¡ªfound it boring to watch the descendants that came up to test their skills and abilities one by one. Actually, they roughly knew how good these people were. The testing at the Thousand Summit was just a chance for them to compete openly. Miao Yang leaned against the chair, and the previous scenes played in his head again. ¡°¡­Clan Leader. Clan Leader?¡± After some time, an elder¡¯s voice caused Miao Yang to recover his senses. ¡°The tests are basically done. Do you think¡­ we should prepare to activate the holy hall?¡± Miao Yang knocked against the chair, and his gaze swept below him. The younger generation members that participated in the test were split into two sides. However, their expressions were vastly different. One side was energetic, and they looked very excited and happy. Those were the better ones, and they had reached the standard to enter the holy hall. The other side looked more dejected and defeated. They were clearly the ones who were eliminated. Seeing the faces of the younger generation, Miao Yang suddenly became frustrated. He thought about the red-gold heavenly phoenix that took human form at a young age. Even the most outstanding few out of those in front of him only took human form after they became adults. This was lacking when compared to that red-gold heavenly phoenix. Originally, Miao Yang was quite satisfied with them. But thinking that the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan suddenly had such a talent, he instantly became upset. It was infuriating to compare. This was even more apt when placed between the two ancient legendary fiend clans. They have such a talent, but the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan didn¡¯t leak any news at all. They really did something big quietly! But thinking that the red-gold heavenly phoenix still had an agreement with Shangguan Yue, Miao Yang felt slightly better. This matter is taboo for them, so it is definitely considered a major flaw. If Shangguan Yue dies, then the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ Miao Yang lowered his eyes and hid his emotions. When he looked up again, his gaze was as calm as usual. He nodded. ¡°We can begin preparing.¡± ¡­ On the other end, Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were brought to Seven Lotus Peak. Godly Dragon Island was really a lone island, but it was huge. There were many mountains and a lot of lush greenery on the island. This Seven Lotus Peak was one such mountain. Compared to all these pretty and sharp peaks, this Seven Lotus Peak was ordinary and not eye-catching. But once she leaned close, Chu Liuyue realized that the barrier covering Seven Lotus Peak seemed to be stronger than the neighboring barriers. ¡°Seven Lotus Peak is very quiet. During this period of time, you will have to make do with this area.¡± The two great phoenix dragons in charge of escorting them opened the barrier coldly and gestured for them to enter. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up as he smoothly held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and brought her in. The moment the two entered, the barrier closed behind them again. ¡°The clan leader has instructed that you can directly speak when you have thought it through. We¡¯ll be here waiting for you at any time.¡± This meant that they were strictly guarding them. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, but he didn¡¯t care much about it as he directly brought Chu Liuyue to the middle of the mountain. There was a cave there. Almost nobody came to Godly Dragon Island. Other than the holy hall, the rooms were pitifully few. Most of the great phoenix dragons preferred to stay in caves, and this peak was not an exception. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings, and her gaze landed on the cave entrance. This cave entrance wasn¡¯t considered huge, but it looked pitch black from here. This caused one¡¯s heart to be cold for some reason. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°It seems like nobody has been to this cave for a long time.¡± Weeds grew everywhere, and it exuded a deserted aura. Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not only this cave. I think nobody has stepped foot on the entire Seven Lotus Peak for a long time.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Previously, she had already noticed that the entire Seven Lotus Peak was quiet, without any sense of vitality. It was so quiet that she could hear her own heart beating. It seemed like there was no other hint of life other than the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­¡± She turned around and took a look. ¡°This place is not far from the holy hall. Why would it be so deserted?¡± They could even see the solemn and magnificent holy hall from here. Miao Yang and the rest were currently holding the Thousand Summit there. Rong Xiu smiled and brought her in. ¡°It¡¯s good that it¡¯s quiet. Nobody will come to disturb us.¡± Once he said this, he whipped his sleeves, and a ball of golden fire flew out and burned in front of the cave. Pilihuala! The surrounding weeds quickly burned and turned into ashes. Chu Liuyue saw greenish-black smoke coming from the flames. She then furrowed her brows. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Just something filthy. You don¡¯t have to care about it.¡± Rong Xiu chuckled before dismissing the fire. Chu Liuyue clearly felt that the cave entrance was different from before. She walked in, and this feeling became increasingly stronger. Rong Xiu lifted his long legs and walked to the cave. The duo had their fingers tightly interlocked. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and went in as well. The moment she entered, Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and suddenly saw something. She stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes. There were deep lines on the cave wall; they seemed to be scratched out by something sharp! But when Chu Liuyue saw it, she couldn¡¯t think of any sharp object that would leave such marks. That was until she saw bloodstains by the side. They were dark green, dry, and completely immersed in the cave walls. At that moment, a white light flashed across her heart! ¡°Rumors have it that there was an ancestor in the great phoenix dragon clan who went crazy while cultivating. Overnight, he killed a total of seven clansmen. Later on, he was imprisoned. After hundreds of days of torture, he was finally killed and thus eliminated.¡± Rong Xiu slightly raised his brows. ¡°It seems like this Seven Lotus Peak was the cave that imprisoned him.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1743 - 1743 Dragon Moan! 1743 Dragon Moan! Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Such a thing happened in the great phoenix dragon clan? Why haven¡¯t I heard about it before?¡± When she was previously checking content relevant to the red-gold heavenly phoenix, she conveniently studied some information about the great phoenix dragon clan and had some form of understanding toward them. However, she had never heard of such an incident. Rong Xiu smiled and glanced at her. ¡°Why would they be willing to let other people know about this gossip?¡± After that event happened, the great phoenix dragons spent a lot of effort to seal the news. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Killing seven clansmen overnight¡­ This is definitely a huge issue in any clan, let alone the high and mighty great phoenix dragon clan. Chu Liuyue paused and didn¡¯t ask why Rong Xiu knew these things. He even had ways of knowing about the shocking battle in the God Residence Realm, let alone such matters. Rong Xiu had wide connections and knew many things¡ªshe had long recognized this and did not find it weird. She looked up again and carefully examined the marks on the walls. The rocks in Godly Dragon Island were much harder than the ones outside. Since that ancestor was able to leave such marks here, it showed what kind of strength they used. These marks were messy and irregular. It wasn¡¯t hard to see how maniacally the person inside had struggled back then. When Chu Liuyue looked at the dark-red stains, she found it shocking. ¡°This matter happened many years ago. You don¡¯t have to care about it.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s slightly rough fingers rubbed against her hand slightly, with a gentle and strong comfort. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I just feel¡­ slightly confused. Logically speaking, such a place should be a forbidden land in the great phoenix dragon clan. Why would they directly let us in?¡± Any other place in the entire Godly Dragon Island would be more appropriate than this. It¡¯s no wonder this place is so quiet and deserted. If not for any special reasons, the entire great phoenix dragon clan wouldn¡¯t want to step foot inside here. Rong Xiu looked at the marks on the walls. A harsh gleam then flashed across his eyes before it disappeared. ¡°They naturally have their own reasons.¡± He laughed lightly. Following that, he took out a bright pearl. The light instantly illuminated the duo¡¯s surroundings. Chu Liuyue looked inward. The pathway from the cave entrance was twisty. Hence, she could only see pitch black from here and nothing else. With this bright pearl, it was naturally much better. Rong Xiu glanced at her from the side, smiled, and asked, ¡°Do you want to go in and take a look?¡± Chu Liuyue understood very well that the further she went into such a place, the more dangerous it was. However, she still nodded without hesitation. ¡°Look!¡± Miao Yang clearly has other motives for locking us here. Rather than waiting passively, we should just take the initiative to strike! Rong Xiu held her hand tightly. The two of them walked in. ¡­ In front of the holy hall. After the last person went up, the test finally ended. Miao Yang sighed in his heart. There isn¡¯t a particularly outstanding one. Now, I just hope that they can have some twist of fate after they enter the holy hall¡­ Miao Yao stood up, and his usual gentle smile was plastered on his face. Even the elder sitting closest to him didn¡¯t detect his thoughts. The crowd stood up. Miao Yang looked at the victorious bunch and said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s tests have now ended! If you can stand here, it proves that you¡¯re elites!¡± When he spoke, he spoke with gusto and an encouraging smile, which easily made these young children excited. ¡°However, this is just the beginning. The next obstacle is the true challenge you have to face in this Thousand Summit!¡± Miao Yang paused, and his voice sounded sterner. ¡°Later on, the holy hall will be activated! You will go in one by one. Inside the hall, there are many heirlooms and treasures from the ancestors. This will affect whether you can obtain a twist of fate and improve by leaps and bounds!¡± The square was silent, but the younger generation members had eyes filled with unconcealable excitement and impulse. They all knew very clearly how important this competition was for them! If they could really obtain an ancestor¡¯s liking and excel, their future would be bright! Miao Yang surveyed his surroundings and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You should all know that the people in the clan basically only have this one chance. If you miss this, you won¡¯t be able to try again in the future. Therefore¡­ you must cherish this opportunity. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The many young women and men answered in unison and could not hide their emotions. Miao Yang raised his hand and suddenly waved it. ¡°Activate the holy hall!¡± Hong long long! A loud boom sounded from the holy hall behind him! The elders exerted their power in unison! Countless rays of light danced around, surrounding the entire holy hall! Following this, a dragon moan¡ªwhich seemed to transcend time¡ªreverberated throughout the area! Creak¡ª The holy hall¡¯s door finally opened slowly! ¡°Go!¡± The younger generation members¡ªwho had long been unable to hold themselves back¡ªentered the holy hall with a flash! Their figures quickly disappeared behind the door! ¡­ At the same time, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡ªwho were feeling their way around in the Seven Lotus Peak cave¡ªalso heard the shocking dragon moan. The two of them stopped in their tracks almost in unison. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but turn around. At this point, they were already in the depths of the cave. Even if they turned around, they couldn¡¯t see anything. However, the dragon moan was too shocking, and it caused one¡¯s blood to gush around. We are clearly¡­ still a distance away¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. The owner of this dragon moan is definitely stronger than Miao Yang! Great phoenix dragons were still ancient legendary fiends that were born in the chaos, and they were on par with red-gold heavenly phoenixes. No matter what, they couldn¡¯t be easily underestimated. The dragon moan gradually disappeared, but Chu Liuyue could still feel it lingering by her ear. Suddenly, a slight ripple came from her body. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Zi Chen?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1744 - 1744 Illusion 1744 Illusion Speaking of which, Zi Chen had been silent for a long time. Even when she was at the God-Killing Tumulus and met with such a huge matter, Zi Chen didn¡¯t really respond. He was usually a man with few words, and he wouldn¡¯t come out unless it was crucial. Chu Liuyue was long used to it, but she didn¡¯t expect hin to have some movements now. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Zi Chen after detecting her shock. His voice was as low and hoarse as usual, but this wasn¡¯t Chu Liuyue¡¯s first day of knowing him. Besides, they had an agreement, so Zi Chen¡¯s every thought could not be hidden from Chu Liuyue. ¡°¡­Is it because of that dragon moan?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. Zi Chen was silent for a moment before answering, ¡°En.¡± His answer was brief and direct, but it made Chu Liuyue furrow her brows. She then thought for a moment and suddenly recalled something. ¡°Your wings!¡± Zi Chen¡¯s body has two great phoenix dragon wing bones! Could it be because of this that¡­ ¡°That dragon moan came from the great phoenix dragon¡¯s first ancestor, so it has such strong summoning power,¡± explained Zi Chen. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned strange. Actually, the moment Zi Chen spoke, she guessed the reason behind this entire incident. Zi Chen has two wing bones in his body and has even merged with that corpse¡¯s purest strength. When he heard the ancestor¡¯s summoning, the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline power hidden in Zi Chen¡¯s body was affected as well. It is very simple and can be thought of very easily, but the key is¡­ What exactly is happening?! Zi Chen is a legendary three-eyed eagle! If he is to be related to an ancient legendary fiend, it should be the red-gold heavenly phoenixes! He has nothing to do with the great phoenix dragons, yet he could sense the great phoenix dragon ancestor¡¯s summons because he has merged with that bloodline power. T-this is totally¡ª Detecting that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was amiss, Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. After some thinking, she still chose to tell Rong Xiu about this. Even though it sounded very strange, they had to be even more careful in other people¡¯s territory. When Rong Xiu heard it, he was dazed for a moment. Then, a faint light flashed across those deep phoenix-like eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s head ached terribly. She massaged her temples and didn¡¯t notice his slight change in expression. ¡°It¡¯s just two wing bones and some bloodline power. I don¡¯t think it has much of an impact,¡± comforted Rong Xiu with a smile. ¡°In this world, there are quite a few legendary fiends with similar bloodline powers, but they¡¯re still different.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. She was most worried that the incident would develop toward an unpredictable outcome. The merging of the two wing bones with Zi Chen¡¯s body, including the bloodline power, was akin to hiding a landmine. Chu Liuyue was terrified that he would explode. Of course, this was only her guess. Just like Rong Xiu had said, Zi Chen had only merged this bloodline power. But in the end, he was still a legendary three-eyed eagle. There shouldn¡¯t be¡­ much of an impact, Chu Liuyue thought to herself silently. ¡°Zi Chen, are you really okay?¡± Chu Liuyue was worried and asked again. Zi Chen said he was fine. Chu Liuyue then gradually let her guard down. She had spent a lot of effort to help Zi Chen reform his physical body. She definitely didn¡¯t want Zi Chen to be implicated because of those two wing bones. After confirming that Zi Chen was normal, Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts and continued to delve deeper into the cave with Rong Xiu. ¡­ The depths of this cave had long exceeded Chu Liuyue¡¯s initial estimation. Originally, she thought that it was an ordinary twisty cave, but as she walked, she realized that she was too naive. This cave was really very deep! No, perhaps she should say that it was filled with twists and turns! Walking inside, the path was either spacious or narrow, and there would be a curve every few steps. After some time, it was easy to confuse someone, and they might not even be able to orientate themselves. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have such problems; she had always been outstanding in this aspect, so such a path wasn¡¯t difficult for her. Hence, she quickly realized that they seemed to be turning around in this piece of land. The bright light shone in as Chu Liuyue looked at her surroundings. This place was already very far from the cave. However, there seemed to be more scratches on the walls. In actual fact, during their journey over, there seemed to be such marks on the surrounding caves. From time to time, there would also be old and dried bloodstains. Chu Liuyue looked calm, but she became increasingly shocked. Back then, the great phoenix dragon locked in here must¡¯ve suffered a painful torment before it died! Even after so many years, the strong vengeance and mania that came from the bottom of its heart causes one to be taken aback. Chu Liuyue¡¯s mood became unwittingly heavy. During this process, Zi Chen¡¯s body didn¡¯t have the previous commotion in the dantian again. The two of them silently walked forward. After about an hour, they stopped. ¡°We were just here,¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and said lightly. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°It seems like the person back then was also stuck here and couldn¡¯t go out.¡± Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings. They had been walking for a long time here, but they seemed to be going in circles. ¡°This is actually an illusion¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. When she came in, she didn¡¯t notice it at all! This illusion was too real, causing people to be unable to differentiate between what was real and fake! Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look. The path was deep and silent. They seemed to be¡­ unable to get out! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1745 - 1745 Leisure 1745 Leisure Outside the holy hall, Miao Yang and the other elders in the clan waited quietly. Their gazes were all on the holy hall. The bright sunlight landed on the roof and reflected an elegant and brilliant light¡ªsolemn, stern, and holy! ¡°I wonder how many of them will have a twist of fate this time¡­¡± ¡°Miao Shen is considered the most outstanding one amongst the younger generation, right? I don¡¯t dare to talk about the others, but Miao Shen¡­ will definitely succeed!¡± ¡°Hah, how can fate be definite? In the past, there were also average ones that obtained extremely incredible twists of fate, right? I think that before they come out, the results can¡¯t be confirmed!¡± The crowd debated softly. At the side, an elder looked at Miao Yang, smiled, and asked, ¡°Clan Leader, is there anyone you think highly of?¡± Miao Yang smiled faintly. ¡°They¡¯re right. Nobody could be certain of what¡¯s happening until the last minute.¡± At such times, his attitude was always more conservative. The crowd was long used to it and disregarded it. Miao Yang watched for a while and suddenly leaned his head to ask, ¡°Oh right, have the few people outside Godly Dragon Island left?¡± That elder hurriedly said, ¡°The people below previously reported that they had left. As you were busy activating the holy hall, we didn¡¯t have the time to tell you.¡± Miao Yang moved his brows slightly. ¡°That red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ also left?¡± That elder nodded in affirmation. ¡°They personally witnessed those people leaving. Besides, I¡¯ve already instructed them to tighten their patrols and defenses. They won¡¯t allow anyone to come near the Godly Dragon Island again. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Miao Yang nodded, but he still had some doubts. Since that red-gold heavenly phoenix is Shangguan Yue¡¯s legendary fiend, how could she really just leave? According to what Rong Xiu said earlier, the red-gold heavenly phoenix and the rest should¡¯ve also followed them from the God-Killing Tumulus. The journey was long and arduous, yet they were sent off with this one sentence? He paused and then ordered, ¡°Send more people to watch it closely. Before the Thousand Summit ends, there shouldn¡¯t be any more mishaps.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Miao Yang¡¯s lips moved. Originally, he wanted to send some people to investigate that red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s background and find out what exactly happened during the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s ancestral ceremony. But upon deeper thought, he still suppressed these thoughts. It was now the most important time of the Thousand Summit, and he really couldn¡¯t spare any time to care about these things. Besides, one just had to casually think to know that Yi Zhao definitely had his own plans since he had sealed the news so tightly. If he didn¡¯t want to let others know about it, nobody could find out. At such a time, there was no need to go head-on against Yi Zhao. At this point, he saw a figure quickly coming over from the corner of his eyes. That was one of the guards who went to escort Shangguan Yue and Rong Xiu. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± That person directly walked to Miao Yang and respectfully greeted the latter. Miao Yang nodded. ¡°You may rise. How are the two of them? Are there any abnormal reactions?¡± The guard looked down and answered, ¡°Nope.¡± Miao Yang¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Really?¡± The guard nodded. ¡°After reaching Seven Lotus Peak, we went to open the barrier, and the two of them directly went in. They didn¡¯t say much, and it looked¡­ very normal.¡± Miao Yang was silent for a moment. Seven Lotus Peak was a very special area in Godly Dragon Island. The two of them must¡¯ve detected something amiss when they went over. However, why don¡¯t they have any reaction at all? Countless thoughts flashed across Miao Yang¡¯s mind, but his expression was as calm and gentle as normal. ¡°Just continue watching then. If there¡¯s anything amiss, report to me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ A day passed quickly. The crowd outside the holy hall was still waiting quietly. Suddenly, a ripple came from the holy hall! The crowd looked up in unison. Then, they saw the door slam wide open, and a figure flew out from within! Thump! That person fell onto the floor heavily and looked pained. Following this, the door slammed shut. The entire process was as smooth as water. Quite a few people looked disappointed. The elder in the white robe standing before the door boomed, ¡°Miao Shang, eliminated!¡± Hearing this, that young man revealed looks of indignation and humiliation. I was actually the first one to be eliminated¡­ Countless gazes from the surroundings landed on him, causing him to feel daggers on his back. He clenched his teeth, endured the pain, and stood up. Then, he bowed at the holy hall before retreating in defeat. Everyone in the clan only had one chance in their lives to enter the holy hall and look for a twist of fate. He ended up with nothing this time, and in the future, he would probably be¡­ The fiercely burning hope was suddenly doused with cold water. Nobody would feel good about it. Besides, he was young and ambitious. The square was very quiet. After glancing at that young man, some people nonchalantly retracted their gazes. This matter was too common for them. Normally, this last stage usually took the longest time. During this process, those who didn¡¯t receive any heirlooms or twists of fate would be gradually eliminated. This was just the beginning; it took about a month from the day it started till it truly ended. Only a day had passed, and there was much waiting to do. Miao Yang looked gentle. ¡°Go back and cultivate properly. You might still have a chance to succeed.¡± That young man looked better, and he bowed toward Miao Yang gratefully. Even though the clan leader had a distinguished status, he was always kind to them. Even toward those people who weren¡¯t adequate, he never despised them. This caused many people in the clan to be more respectful toward him. Of course, there were also a minority of elders who had once raised objections and felt that the great phoenix dragons¡ªancient legendary fiends¡ªshould use bloodline power and true capabilities to decide one¡¯s status. However, Miao Yang was the clan leader after all; they didn¡¯t dare to be overboard. After some advice and seeing that Miao Yang was still in this state, they swiftly decided not to bring it up again. Miao Yang looked in the direction of Seven Lotus Peak. A day has passed, but the duo has no commotion. I wonder what¡¯s going on now¡­ Can they really be so calm after being locked in there? Miao Yang knitted his brows but quickly returned to normal. He then retracted his gaze and refocused on the holy hall. Anyway¡­ there will be a day when they can no longer endure it. ¡­ Seven Lotus Peak. Inside the cave. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu sat opposite each other. In the middle was a chessboard outlined with bright lines. On the chessboard, the two parties went at each other¡¯s throats! After these people realized that this place was an illusion, they didn¡¯t think about going out and directly played chess here! Chu Liuyue held her chin with one hand, and her thin and slender fingers lightly knocked against her chin as she stared at the chessboard closely. After a moment, her eyes lit up, and she made a move! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1746 - 1746 You Havent Tried 1746 You Haven¡¯t Tried The two people played chess happily and leisurely. When one was immersed in a matter, time always passed especially quickly. During this period of time, Chu Liuyue had always been very busy running from Godly Phoenix Mountain to the God-Killing Tumulus. The two of them almost didn¡¯t have any alone time, and it was hard for them to even talk properly. Now, they finally had the time to sit down and rest; they could even play chess and talk. The key was that nobody disturbed them, and they weren¡¯t worried that their lives would be in danger. Chu Liuyue felt very relaxed. His Grace also felt very pleased. ¡°I won!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up, and they were filled with unconcealable elation. Rong Xiu smiled as well and had a hint of nonchalance and laziness. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you seemed to have improved.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Of course.¡± Rong Xiu smiled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m saying that after you came out of the God-Killing Tumulus, your improvement¡­ seems especially obvious.¡± When she plays chess now, her playing style is different from before. She seems¡­ to understand it better. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and considered it seriously. ¡°I think there is a little¡­¡± In the beginning, she hadn¡¯t thought so. Now that Rong Xiu said it, she then realized that when she played chess with him, her thoughts seemed to be clearer, and her reaction was faster. It was like¡­ she faintly and naturally knew how to make a move already. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue was stunned. Could it be because¡­ I read thousands of music scores at the God-Killing Tumulus? After overcoming the music scores one by one with much difficulty, she felt much more relaxed when she saw these things. Rong Xiu smiled and looked at her. ¡°I lost. Princess Consort, do you have any rewards?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and glanced at him from the side. ¡°Your Highness, can you be less thick-skinned? It¡¯s fine if you beat me. Now that you lost, you still want a reward?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and readily followed good advice. ¡°There are no rewards, but there should be comfort, right?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­No.¡± As she spoke, she waved her palm, and the chess pieces on the chessboard disappeared in unison. ¡°Again.¡± Now, she desperately wanted to verify her guess. However, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t want to continue. The corner of his lips curled up, and he said, ¡°I¡¯m very tired. I can¡¯t continue.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. How long has it been? He actually said he¡¯s tired and that he can¡¯t continue? Even though this method of playing chess indeed exhausts one¡¯s force and energy, there is no trustability when it comes from Rong Xiu¡¯s mouth. He is clearly asking for ¡®comfort!¡¯ After a moment, she laughed as well. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that after a few years, His Highness¡¯s stamina actually dropped to¡ª¡± Once she said this, Chu Liuyue felt that the surrounding temperature had suddenly turned cold. Rong Xiu raised his brows and abruptly stood up; then, he walked over. Once he stepped out, the chessboard between the two of them disappeared like water ripples as it formed sparks and flew away. The distance between the two of them was originally short. In the blink of an eye, he had already reached Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue was sitting down, and he was standing up with a very suppressive feeling. Then, he lowered his body. The demonically handsome face suddenly closed in, and a warm aura landed on her face. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly tightened. At this moment, she sharply detected a sense of danger. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Rong Xiu was very close to her. When he spoke, their breaths intertwined. He seemed to be smiling, and his voice was especially low and seductive. He reached out his hand, squeezed her chin, and didn¡¯t let her escape. His slightly rough fingers then gently caressed her red and soft lips. His breathing suddenly became heavier. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Rong Xiu leaned in even more closely. He leaned to the side slightly, went close to her soft and slightly translucent earlobe, and softly said, ¡°You haven¡¯t tried. How do you know?¡± Half of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body turned numb. Rong Xiu watched her white and petite ears quickly flush red in satisfaction! This red hue quickly extended to her thin neck. Her hair was like a waterfall with it down, and it caused her skin to be even more intricate. With this speck of red, it seemed to have added a fire in Rong Xiu¡¯s heart. He suddenly bit her soft earlobes. Chu Liuyue was shocked and instinctively shrunk her neck as soft sounds came from her throat. Sweet and soft. It was so addictive that his entire body turned red. His syllables were blurred, yet every word hit her heart. ¡°Since Yue¡¯er is unwilling to give it to me, I¡¯ll take it myself.¡± ¡­ The barrier outside Seven Lotus Peak was guarded strictly. A guard couldn¡¯t help but turn around to take a look. Quiet and cold. Other than the cave being burned by Rong Xiu on the first day, there were no other movements. ¡°It has already been a few days, but why don¡¯t they have any reaction at all? The clan leader¡¯s side has already asked twice specifically.¡± Another guard turned around to look and knitted his brows. ¡°Exactly. This isn¡¯t any other place¡ªthis is Seven Lotus Peak! Even when the clansmen are locked up in there, they can only stay for a maximum of three days, let alone these two humans¡­¡± Ever since Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue were locked up here, they had been tense and didn¡¯t dare to let their guard down, preparing for them to come out and surrender with hung heads at any time. According to their past experience, it wouldn¡¯t drag for too long. However, who knew that everything was still normal after so many days? ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ Could it be that the two of them have already fainted inside, so¡ª¡± ¡°Impossible. If that¡¯s really the case, they would directly be sent out, and it wouldn¡¯t be like this¡­ There is no noise at all.¡± The two of them fell silent. Judging from the current situation, they could only continue waiting. ¡°¡­I think half of the people in the holy hall have been eliminated.¡± A guard changed the topic. The other one disregarded it. ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal? There are only a few capable ones. To those people, the Thousand Summit is a good chance to excel. However, most other people are just accompanying them on the run.¡± The competition in the clan was intense, and such a matter was very normal. ¡°True.¡± The other guard acknowledged it and didn¡¯t speak further. ¡­ Outside Godly Dragon Island. On some deserted peak, Tuan Zi gazed at Nan Suhuai, blinked, and couldn¡¯t conceal her excitement. ¡°Director Grandpa, will this plan really work?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1747 - 1747 Trump Card 1747 Trump Card Nan Suhuai shook his head. ¡°Actually, I can¡¯t guarantee that it¡¯ll definitely succeed either.¡± Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s black grape-like eyes. However, she quickly picked herself up, clenched her small fists, and seriously said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a hint of hope, I would like to try!¡± Nan Suhuai touched her hair. ¡°Okay!¡± Then, Nan Suhuai looked up at Shangguan Jing. ¡°Senior Shangguan, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to guard me.¡± Shangguan Jing nodded. In actual fact, he was also very curious about what plan Nan Suhuai had to break through Godly Dragon Island¡¯s heavy defenses and contact Yue¡¯er and Rong Xiu. Shangguan Jing raised his hand, and a green, palm-sized ring appeared in his palm. This metal ring looked like it had some history as the edges had signs of rusting. One could faintly see that the complicated patterns engraved on it had some ancient aura. ¡°This is a Yuan instrument I made earlier on, and it can hide one¡¯s aura and form an extremely strong barrier. It should be the most appropriate way to guard someone.¡± Then, he held his breath and injected a wave of force into it! Whir! The green metal ring suddenly whirred. Cracks of light seeped through those patterns! Shangguan Jing flung his wrist, and that green metal ring instantly flew above the crowd¡¯s heads! It quickly spun out a bright white light, and a thin mesh floated down and formed a semi-circular barrier, wrapping everyone inside! Nan Suhuai felt more at ease as he moved his legs and raised his arms. Rays of light flew out from his fingertips and rapidly gathered in midair, forming a circular Xuan formation. The surrounding space seemed to be affected by the force and produced slight movements. Faintly, one could see bits of black cracks in space. The few of them were shocked. This isn¡¯t a Xuan formation but a transportation formation! Even if these two were normally executed by Xuan Masters, they had very big differences. Wanting to craft a transportation formation was much harder than outlining a Xuan formation. Not only did the Xuan Master need a sufficient understanding of Xuan formations, but they also needed to have a certain amount of control over space. If one wasn¡¯t careful, severe consequences could arise. Of course, the few people present weren¡¯t shocked that Nan Suhuai was crafting a transportation formation. After all, he was undoubtedly a top Xuan Master, and this shouldn¡¯t be difficult for him. The key was: why did he suddenly take action at this point? After about an hour, the transportation formation was finally complete! Looking at the sparkling transportation formation, Tuan Zi was confused. ¡°Director Grandpa, didn¡¯t you say that you were thinking of a way to contact A¡¯Yue? Then, this transportation formation is¡ª¡± Nan Suhuai patiently explained, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m crafting a transportation formation to enter Godly Dragon Island!¡± Shangguan Jing and Chu Ning both glanced at Nan Suhuai in unison, and they couldn¡¯t conceal their shock. So that was what he was thinking! Even Tuan Zi felt that this matter was amiss as she tilted her head and curiously asked, ¡°But¡­ But didn¡¯t the person previously not let us enter? And their defenses are so tight. Based on what I can see alone, there are two layers of barriers! How will this transportation formation bypass that?¡± I still thought that Director Grandpa meant that we would wait for A¡¯Yue and Rong Xiu to come out. Nan Suhuai laughed. ¡°If we use this transportation formation to go in, can¡¯t we contact them already? And we can very possibly see them directly.¡± This was better. Chu Ning couldn¡¯t help but knit his brows and ask worriedly, ¡°Director Nan, can your transportation formation really avoid the great phoenix dragons¡¯ checks and directly find Yue¡¯er and Rong Xiu?¡± Nan Suhuai laughed out loud. ¡°Of course!¡± He sighed deeply, gazed at that transportation formation, and said, ¡°This transportation formation is crafted by my Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s first director. Rumors have it that if one can fully understand it, even the God Residence Realm¡¯s barrier can¡¯t stop it! However, only the directors have the right to learn this transportation formation. I have tried to comprehend it for years and only know a portion of it now. Even though I can¡¯t casually come in and out of the God Residence Realm, going into Godly Dragon Island shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Shangguan Jing and Chu Ning exchanged a glance and saw the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. He can disregard barriers and casually walk around the God Residence Realm! This transportation formation is indeed amazing! Shangguan Jing sighed. ¡°Rumors have it that the academy¡¯s first director is an absolute elite and has holy powers. Now it seems like he really lives up to the rumors.¡± Nan Suhuai laughed. This was without a doubt. In the God Residence Realm, there had always been many rumors related to that person, but that person¡¯s true abilities weren¡¯t only a couple of times stronger than rumored. However, only the academy directors knew this. ¡°But there¡¯s one point.¡± Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression suddenly turned stern. ¡°Once the transportation formation is activated, I need to guard it and maintain it the entire time, just in case of mishaps. This also means that I have to stay here. Other than this, I have to trouble Senior Shangguan to guard me. Hence, only Chu Ning and Tuan Zi can really go in.¡± Everyone paused. Chu Ning thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just a stage-one warrior now. Even if I really go in¡­ Not only am I unable to help, but I might even be a burden. I think it¡¯s better if I stay here.¡± He knew his abilities very well. Even though he had the rare Indestructible Holy Body, could withstand attacks, and unleash his God Realm, they were secretly trespassing into Godly Dragon Island to find someone this time. In such a scenario, he really couldn¡¯t offer any help, and it would be better if he stayed behind. Tuan Zi was more agile and light on her own. Besides, she had an agreement with Yue¡¯er and was the best candidate to find her. Nan Suhuai nodded. In actual fact, he thought so as well. However, this meant that only Tuan Zi could go in by herself. He was quite worried in his heart. ¡°Tuan Zi, can you do it yourself?¡± Actually, Tuan Zi was quite surprised. Originally, she thought everyone could go in together! Hearing Nan Suhuai ask this, she widened her eyes, and her gaze darted back and forth between the few of them. Finally, she nodded strongly. ¡°Yes!¡± Nan Suhuai relaxed and could not help but laugh bitterly. ¡°If Clan Leader Yi Zhao and the rest find out about this, I don¡¯t know how to explain to them.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s identity was indeed too special. It was fine if she was just an ordinary legendary fiend, but she just had to be the great phoenix dragon¡¯s nemesis¡ªa red-gold heavenly phoenix! The more important thing was that she was the young mistress! If those great phoenix dragons discovered her¡­ a big uproar would definitely be caused without thinking! Tuan Zi knew what he was worried about, so she pressed her lips against each other and seriously said, ¡°Director Grandpa, don¡¯t worry! After I go in, I¡¯ll be very careful! Once I find A¡¯Yue, I¡¯ll bring them back!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1748 - 1748 Comfort 1748 Comfort Then, Tuan Zi jumped up lightly onto the transportation formation. Nan Suhuai lightly nodded. ¡°Be careful about everything.¡± Then, he circulated the force in his palm. Instantly, a bright light shone! The transportation formation gradually spun. Very quickly, Tuan Zi¡¯s figure was about to be swallowed by that light and completely disappeared! ¡­ The crowd was still waiting at the square in front of the holy hall. Many days passed, and most of the people who went in were eliminated. Five people still remained inside. Miao Yang looked calm and did not speak. The surrounding atmosphere was somewhat tense¡ªit was silent. Everyone was quiet as if they were terrified that they would disturb something. Actually, there was a reason for this. None of these eliminated people had received a twist of fate in the holy hall! This had never happened in the previous Thousand Summits. Even though most of the people eliminated early on didn¡¯t receive anything, sometimes, those who were luckier would have their own findings. Even if their heirlooms weren¡¯t the best, it was still a good thing after all. But this time¡­ Those people in front came back empty-handed! Hence, even though Miao Yang didn¡¯t have much change in expression and was still as calm as usual, the crowd still became nervous unwittingly. In such a situation, unless the last five people could obtain decent heirlooms or at least one of them could gain a top heirloom, the crowd would be uneasy. Some people kept secretly glancing at Miao Yang from time to time, wanting to see something from his face. It was a pity that Miao Yang¡¯s thoughts were deeply hidden, and nobody could guess them. Suddenly, Miao Yang¡¯s brows moved slightly, and he turned around to look. This extremely simple movement immediately caused quite a few people in the surroundings to be nervous. ¡°Clan Leader, what¡¯s the matter?¡± an elder bowed and asked. Miao Yang stared at the empty, distant air for some time before asking, ¡°During this period of time, has there been anything weird happening outside Godly Dragon Island?¡± Just now, he faintly felt that the external barrier seemed to have some ripples. However, this movement quickly disappeared as if it were his illusion. That elder was dazed and hurriedly answered, ¡°Clan Leader, everything is normal. Ever since you instructed us to guard it more strictly, the clan has deployed more manpower to guard the barrier. We won¡¯t let anyone casually enter or leave.¡± Miao Yang nodded. Even if I didn¡¯t say it, the elders in the clan will also be especially alert about this. But¡­ What was with the previous ripples? Could it really just be my imagination? Miao Yang thought for a moment and swiftly stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll personally take a look.¡± The surrounding crowd was taken aback. The Thousand Summit is still ongoing! How could the Clan Leader leave at this point? What they didn¡¯t know was that Miao Yang¡¯s patience had basically been shaved. He had been the clan leader for so many years and experienced the Thousand Summit many times. His experience in this area could be considered sufficient, so he knew that even if the remaining five people received heirlooms, it would be hard to compare them to the doll in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. However, he couldn¡¯t say such words in public. Miao Yang raised his leg and walked to the side. The people behind exchanged glances. He was the clan leader, so who dared to stop him? Besides, he was going to check on the Godly Dragon Island¡¯s defenses. They had no reason to stop him in regards to this. The few elders exchanged glances, and one of them followed him. Anyway, it is just to take a look, and it won¡¯t waste too much time or energy¡ª Thump! The doors of the holy hall flung open once again! A figure came out from inside. Different from the people who were flung out disheveled, this young man was very calm when he came out. He moved his leg, and his body turned in midair before he landed stably. His body was stained with blood, but it basically didn¡¯t harm the strong aura around him. The more important thing was that the great phoenix dragon totem between his eyebrows was sparkling faintly! This was the sign of receiving an heirloom, and judging from his reaction, it was quite a decent one! The square¡ªwhich had been silent for a long time¡ªfinally became lively because of this young man¡¯s appearance. Miao Yang saw this scene and revealed a smile. After a slight hesitation, he dispelled the decision to personally check on the barrier. This is the first descendent that came out after receiving an heirloom. How can the clan leader not be around? ¡°Go and take a look at it. You must guard every single area of Godly Dragon Island properly,¡± said Miao Yang softly. The elder at the side hurriedly acknowledged it. ¡°Yes.¡± Miao Yang nodded and walked toward that young man. At this point, an admiring and satisfied smile appeared on his face. ¡°You did well.¡± That young man couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement as well. Even if his heirloom wasn¡¯t considered elite, it was already not bad! ¡°Thank you, Clan Leader!¡± Miao Yang nodded and asked a few more sentences, which the young man respectfully answered one by one. Miao Yang then sat back down on his chair and started waiting for the remaining four people. The slight ripples were quickly put aside. ¡­ Seven Lotus Peak. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu were still playing chess. Of course, this was already a new round. On the chessboard, the duo went at each other¡¯s throats mercilessly, and Chu Liuyue faintly had the upper hand. She stared at the chessboard and did not move for some time. Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t anxious either, and he just watched quietly. Finally, Chu Liuyue put her hand down and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not playing anymore.¡± After repeated checks, she could confirm that her skills in this aspect were indeed much stronger than before. When she played chess with Rong Xiu in the past, she always lost more and won less. Every time, she also had to use a large amount of brain power and energy. But now, this feeling had been reduced by quite a bit. After looking at the thousands of fake music scores, her talent as a Xuan Master had shockingly increased! One had to know that talent existed when one was born and basically couldn¡¯t be changed. Warriors could perhaps use some special methods to strengthen the grade of their Yuan meridians, but Xuan Masters and heavenly doctors really had no way. But now, Chu Liuyue believed that her talent in this aspect had indeed changed! Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly, and his eyes had a hint of flirtatious aura. He lazily and directly said, ¡°Comfort.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1749 - 1749 Owe Favor 1749 Owe Favor s Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue glared at him angrily. Her eyes were sparkling, and her face was dyed with hints of red, causing her to look even more charming. This glare wasn¡¯t threatening at all and even gently scratched Rong Xiu¡¯s heart. Soft, sweet, and even ticklish. He wanted to pick her up, just like that time¡­ Thinking of this, Rong Xiu calmly retracted his thoughts with restraint. I can¡¯t continue thinking. In front of her, he never had any willpower. Previously, he pressed her down and wanted ¡®comfort.¡¯ Then, he really bullied her quite badly. After that, Yue¡¯er didn¡¯t even let him touch her hand. He had to coax her for a few consecutive days. Rong Xiu held it in and chuckled as he rubbed his brows. ¡°Forget it. Anyway, the person who suffers the most is always me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned slightly warm, and the corner of her lips curled up. ¡°Your Highness is the epitome of making life difficult for yourself.¡± Rong Xiu stuck his finger up and shook it as he looked at her in a seemingly laughing manner. ¡°I don¡¯t feel that it¡¯s ¡®difficult.¡¯ Yue¡¯er is worth it.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Hence, thick-skinned and vengeful men are the hardest to deal with! Chu Liuyue swiftly gave up fighting against him. She never seemed to win in this area. She stood up. After some thinking, she added, ¡°Your Highness, continue suffering then. Anyway, you won¡¯t get rewards or comfort!¡± Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning. ¡°No need to hurry. After we get married, I¡¯ll take it all back.¡± Chu Liuyue grunted lightly and changed the topic. ¡°We have to leave this place first.¡± She surveyed her surroundings. Rong Xiu¡¯s bright purple illuminated the area around the two of them, and it was empty. No matter if it were slightly further or behind, it was all pitch black. Only the crazily miserable marks on the surrounding walls and the old bloodstains were especially eye-catching. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for quite some time already.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she glanced at Rong Xiu again. ¡°When do you think it¡¯s best to leave?¡± She directly asked about the time, not whether they could leave. That was because after she entered, she realized that Rong Xiu¡¯s reaction was calm and composed. For some reason, she was sure that Rong Xiu knew how to break out of this illusion! Rong Xiu smiled and walked over. In the entire world, only she understands me the most and can guess my thoughts! Even if I don¡¯t say anything, a glance can beat everything! ¡°The Thousand Summit hasn¡¯t ended yet. Let¡¯s wait a while longer.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Rong Xiu is indeed waiting, but why must he wait for the Thousand Summit to end? Just when she wanted to continue asking, a familiar ripple suddenly came over. Chu Liuyue abruptly turned her head. All of a sudden, a bright light flashed in the dark! The light rapidly split into countless rays, intertwining and overlapping. After a moment, they formed a transportation formation! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I recognize this transportation formation! Following this, a familiar tiny figure appeared in the bright light! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. If it¡¯s not Tuan Zi, who else can the little doll dressed in a red-golden lotus dress with two round hair buns be?! ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice, Tuan Zi¡ªwho was originally dizzy¡ªimmediately looked over. After seeing the appearance she kept thinking of, Tuan Zi¡¯s cheeks immediately flushed red with emotions as she rushed over excitedly. ¡°A¡¯Yue! I finally found you!¡± As she spoke, she had already jumped right into Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms. Chu Liuyue lowered her body to receive her. The big and small ones were tightly hugging each other. At the side, Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. Tuan Zi hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck tightly. ¡°A¡¯Yue! I had such a hard time finding you!¡± Ever since she returned to A¡¯Yue¡¯s side, she hadn¡¯t been separated from her for so long! Hearing her slightly choked voice, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart also ached as she lightly patted Tuan Zi¡¯s back. ¡°Okay, okay, am I not fine? Oh right, weren¡¯t you previously stopped outside? How did you come in?¡± Chu Liuyue let go of Tuan Zi and sized the latter up. She then nervously asked, ¡°Were you discovered? Are you injured?¡± Tuan Zi hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No, no! I was very careful when I came, and they didn¡¯t discover me! Besides, I¡¯m not injured! With Director Grandpa around, how can I be injured?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood something. ¡°Mentor specifically sent you over?¡± The moment she saw that transportation formation, Chu Liuyue recognized that her mentor had done it. However, she didn¡¯t expect Tuan Zi to come! ¡°Where¡¯s Ancestor and Father? Outside?¡± Tuan Zi nodded. ¡°Yeah! They¡¯re all with Director Grandpa!¡± Following this, she briefly recounted what happened once. ¡°¡­So in the end, Director Grandpa told me to come look for you guys myself.¡± Originally, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t dare to harbor much hope and was prepared to search for Chu Liuyue bitterly. Luckily, Nan Suhuai was extremely strong and directly sent her over. After all, Chu Liuyue was his disciple, and there was a certain telepathic connection between the mentor and the disciple. To be able to find her directly, he had skills and also luck. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart rose. ¡°Tuan Zi, were you really not discovered?¡± Tuan Zi is a red-gold heavenly phoenix after all. The great phoenix dragons should be very sensitive to her aura. After all, this was Godly Dragon Island. If they weren¡¯t careful, they would cause huge trouble for themselves. Hence, Chu Liuyue was very careful. ¡°Those people shouldn¡¯t have realized it. If not, they would¡¯ve rushed over,¡± said Rong Xiu. Thinking about it, Chu Liuyue felt that it made sense. For now, there didn¡¯t seem to be any noise outside. ¡°A¡¯Yue, let¡¯s go now!¡± Tuan Zi pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, her eyes lighting up. As long as we leave quietly, nobody can do anything about it! Chu Liuyue paused, but she didn¡¯t agree immediately. Rong Xiu and I were locked here by Miao Yang. Miao Yang said that unless we are willing to wipe out all of our memories regarding Godly Dragon Island, they definitely won¡¯t let us leave. His attitude was very firm. Even if we leave now, the great phoenix dragon clan won¡¯t take this lying. This matter might even be blown up more. During this period of time, she was also thinking of the best solution but couldn¡¯t come up with an answer. Just as she was hesitating, Rong Xiu said, ¡°We can¡¯t leave for now.¡± Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi turned around to look at him. Tuan Zi looked confused. ¡°Why?¡± I found this place with so much difficulty. Can¡¯t we just directly leave through the transportation formation?¡± However, Chu Liuyue increasingly confirmed her thoughts. She directly asked, ¡°What do you plan to do after the Thousand Summit?¡± The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°If we quietly leave now¡­ Although we can temporarily get off scot-free, there will be a lot of repercussions waiting for us. The great phoenix dragon clan has always been vengeful. If we don¡¯t solve the problem entirely, we will meet with countless troubles. We should just get them to owe us a favor and willingly let us leave.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1750 - 1750 Incident Back Then 1750 Incident Back Then Of course, Chu Liuyue knew that the great phoenix dragon clan wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. She could see this from her ancestor. For that corpse, they pursued Shangguan Jing for a thousand years and refused to give up. If they hadn¡¯t caused a commotion at the academy, they might still be hassling about it. Of course, this grudge didn¡¯t disappear but shifted to her. When Miao Yao looked at her, she saw his gaze filled with anger. Even the other people in the great phoenix dragon clan were also filled with enmity toward her. If she could, she naturally didn¡¯t want to keep getting involved with them. It was best to solve all of these problems in one go. ¡°Owe us a favor? How?¡± They were now in someone else¡¯s territory. If they really wanted to do something, it was clearly inconvenient, not to mention getting the great phoenix dragon clan to owe them a favor. Rong Xiu raised his hand and pointed upward. ¡°They sent the chance over, so there¡¯s no reason why we should reject it.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly thought of something. ¡°You mean¡­ their ancestor that went maniac while cultivating?¡± Rong Xiu nodded, smiled, and said, ¡°Although that great phoenix dragon was a sinner in their clan and had a miserable outcome, he was an extremely elite talent before he died. The great phoenix dragon clan had basically acknowledged that he was the next clan leader¡ªeven Miao Yang couldn¡¯t be compared to him. If those messy things didn¡¯t happen back then, how could Miao Yang be the clan leader?¡± ¡°You mean¡­ that person was of the same generation as Miao Yang?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. All along, I thought that the person was someone from a very long time ago. ¡°Miao Yang has been the clan leader for 800 years. Calculating the time, that incident should¡¯ve happened a thousand years ago,¡± Rong Xiu remarked. A thousand years was not short. ¡°The more important thing is that the great phoenix dragon had once received an extremely strong heirloom.¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed. ¡°Heirloom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. For all the capable ancestors in the great phoenix dragon clan, after they pass on, their bones will be prayed to at the holy hall. These bones hide their pure bloodline power and their many thoughts. If one can receive recognition and obtain strength, they will have obtained an heirloom.¡± ¡°Those that can be prayed to at the holy hall and leave their heirlooms behind are clearly amazing. But when those two are paired together, there will be inevitable comparisons between the two heirlooms. I heard that the mad great phoenix dragon obtained one of the top three heirlooms.¡± Rong Xiu paused. ¡°You need to know that only two people have obtained the top three heirlooms in the thousands of years. He¡­ was the only one!¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively held her breath. This makes it not hard to understand how strong the heirloom is. The great phoenix dragon was clearly extraordinary to obtain it. ¡°They were such an amazing character, but why did they¡­¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her voice and muttered in confusion. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°There¡¯s usually only one step between being an elite and a maniac. After such a long time, nobody could recount the incident from back then clearly. But the key was¡ªafter it died, that heirloom disappeared as well. The great phoenix dragon clan spent a lot of effort searching for it, but it was to no avail. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something, and shock flashed across her eyes. ¡°Could it be that¡­ you want to search for the heirloom?¡± Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in turmoil. This item is very important to the great phoenix dragon clan. If one uses this as a rainy weather plan, those matters will be solved by themselves! However¡­ It is easy to talk about it. Doing it is as hard as ascending the skies! ¡°Even the great phoenix dragon clan had no idea. How can we find it?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned and landed on the rock wall. Long hours and days had floated past, but the maniacal scars could still be seen. He gently raised his hand, and a dragon eye-sized pearl suddenly appeared in the middle of his hand. A tiny great phoenix dragon clan totem floated on it. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes suddenly! This¡­ ¡°When I nourished that weapon, I left behind half of my bloodline power,¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said. As expected! Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something and secretly felt emotional and astonished. I actually didn¡¯t notice when Rong Xiu did this. Perhaps Miao Yang and the rest don¡¯t know about it either. If not, they wouldn¡¯t have easily let us go. The beautiful sky and ocean beneath the other party¡¯s eyes. Only Rong Xiu can do such a thing! Rong Xiu¡¯s fingertips moved slightly, and the ball of light flew to the dark-red bloodstains before merging with them and disappearing! The surroundings were quiet. After this, Chu Liuyue shockingly saw that the bloodstains were turning bright red! Then, the bloodstains started to condense rapidly, finally turning into a blood pearl that floated in midair. Whoosh! A golden fire rose up from Rong Xiu¡¯s palm. The fire rapidly strengthened and wrapped around the bloody pearl, forming a red-gold pearl. Rong Xiu walked to the side. That pearl followed him everywhere he went before quickly going to the other side with dark bloodstains. As if being influenced by the blood pearl¡¯s guidance, the bloodstains would quickly turn bright red. Finally, they would form a blood pearl and merge with the other. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°You want to gather all the bloodstains together?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°Only that person¡¯s.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood something. ¡°You¡¯re saying that other than its bloodstains, there¡¯s also blood from other great phoenix dragons?¡± ¡°Miao Yang.¡± Zi Chen¡¯s voice sounded with a boom. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°There are only two great phoenix dragons¡¯ blood here. Some must be that person¡¯s, and the remaining¡­ is Miao Yang¡¯s.¡± Zi Chen also had a portion of the great phoenix dragon bloodline in him, so he was much sharper in this aspect. Since he said it was Miao Yang, that would be definite. But the key was¡­ How could they merge with only Miao Yang¡¯s bloodstains? Didn¡¯t they say that the person went maniacal back then and was dealt with after being locked here for a year? Miao Yang is also related to this incident? Chu Liuyue faintly felt that this seemed to hide a shocking secret! They were only one step away from it. Tuan Zi originally wanted to bring them away in a hurry. But after hearing them say this, she also found it logical and waited at the side obediently. There was nothing but silence in the cave. As time passed, the blood pearl in Rong Xiu¡¯s hand became increasingly richer. All in all, there was still a faint suppression! Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be relieved. It is just some bloodstains, and they aren¡¯t very scary. How strong was the person back then?! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1751 - 1751 Exposure 1751 Exposure Rong Xiu spent about two hours collecting all the blood in the cave. Of course, he only collected the blood of the one who had been locked up here back then. As for the rest, he ignored it. A fist-sized drop of blood floated quietly in front of the two of them. An indescribably powerful pressure gradually emitted from above¡ªit was very shocking! The faint light of the pearl shone on it, emitting a strange and beautiful light. Chu Liuyue asked softly, ¡°What do we do next?¡± Could it be that the heirloom was left in this blood bead? It doesn¡¯t seem likely either¡­ At this moment, a fluctuation came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian. She was stunned. This commotion was caused by Zi Chen. With a flash of black light, a huge black figure appeared in the cave! ¡°Zi Chen?¡± Zi Chen rarely took the initiative to come out, so Chu Liuyue was very surprised. However, Zi Chen stared intently at the ball of blood with a solemn expression. ¡°¡­You noticed something?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Zi Chen nodded. ¡°The aura of the great phoenix dragon ancestor is hidden in this blood pearl!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk, and Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. Zi Chen immediately explained, ¡°Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean that the blood pearl belongs to that ancestor. It only means that there should be the power of that ancestor in the blood pearl.¡± Zi Chen paused before saying, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong¡­ what this person obtained back then should be the heirloom of their ancestor!¡± As soon as Zi Chen finished speaking, the entire cave fell silent. When Chu Liuyue heard Zi Chen¡¯s first sentence, she vaguely felt that something was wrong. Now that she heard his explanation, she was even more shocked! Rong Xiu was silent for a moment before a playful smile appeared on his face. ¡°It¡¯s only rumored that it obtained an extremely powerful and precious heirloom. I only thought that it was a powerful ancestor. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ it to be their first ancestor¡­¡± Zi Chen nodded. There was no mistake since he had the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline power in his body. This aura was exactly the same as the pressure brought about by the dragon roar they had heard after entering! ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be even more interesting.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and there seemed to be ripples in his deep phoenix eyes. ¡°The great phoenix dragon that obtained his first ancestor¡¯s heirloom is the heir chosen by their ancestor. Its bloodline strength is the purest, so how can it go crazy?¡± Chu Liuyue subconsciously glanced at the ball of blood. Exactly! These two ancient legendary fiend clans are most particular about bloodline power and are extremely protective of their ancestors. For example, although Tuan Zi came from an ordinary background¡­ After obtaining the approval of her ancestor, the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s attitude toward Chu Liuyue immediately changed greatly¡ªfrom disgust to respect. However, it was because Tuan Zi¡¯s ancestor had personally chosen Tuan Zi. And how could someone with such pure bloodline power and their ancestor¡¯s heirloom do such a crazy thing to harm their own clan? ¡°It seems that there¡¯s something else behind what happened back then¡­ It obtained the inheritance of its ancestor, but nobody actually knows about such an important matter?¡± Rong Xiu laughed faintly. ¡°It might not be that nobody knows. It¡¯s just that¡­ those who know about this have buried this secret forever.¡± ¡°Miao Yang!¡± A thought flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. It had to be him! In that case, it isn¡¯t difficult to explain why only his blood is left in the cave! More importantly, the person who became the clan leader after that crazy great phoenix dragon was killed was Miao Yang! As the biggest beneficiary of this matter, how could he have nothing to do with it? This secret has probably been completely hidden from the entire great phoenix dragon clan! ¡°But after so many years, why haven¡¯t the people of the great phoenix dragon clan discovered anything fishy?¡± This Seven Lotus Peak, this cave, and these bloodstains! Since Zi Chen can sense this, their clansmen should be able to as well. Rong Xiu seemed to have guessed her thoughts and explained, ¡°It¡¯s naturally because everything here has been tampered with. Do you still remember that before we came in, I burned the cave entrance?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°There are some things left behind by Miao Yang there. It should be because of this that nobody has discovered the secret here all these years.¡± This was indeed the most reasonable explanation! As the clan leader, Miao Yang naturally did whatever he wanted and let whoever he wanted in. If he didn¡¯t want these people to discover these things, how could anyone? Who would dare to touch the power he had left behind? But Rong Xiu was different. As soon as he arrived, he attacked mercilessly. Coupled with Zi Chen, this secret was naturally exposed. Miao Yang probably never would¡¯ve thought they would dig up such an old secret when he locked them up here to threaten them! If this matter is exposed, Miao Yang will probably not be able to continue being the clan leader! Compared to their first ancestor, what is the clan leader? The entire great phoenix dragon clan will probably suppress him! At this moment, Zi Chen suddenly took a step forward. ¡°Stand back.¡± Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu glanced at each other and took a step back. Hula! Zi Chen¡¯s wings suddenly spread! Immediately after, Chu Liuyue saw a faint glow suddenly appear on his wings. It was the skeleton and power of the great phoenix dragon! Then, the ball of blood slowly floated toward Zi Chen. In the end, it split into two and melted into his wings! Boom! The ground under their feet suddenly trembled violently! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1752 - 1752 Holy Hall 1752 Holy Hall However, this tremor only lasted for an instant. The next moment, the sound of something shattering could be heard! Chu Liuyue quickly looked up¡ªthe surrounding space was rapidly collapsing! This illusion was about to break! Rong Xiu immediately rushed over and hugged her waist! Rumble! The void completely shattered! The few of them immediately disappeared from the spot! At the same time, the teleportation array flickering in the cave quietly dissipated! ¡­ Outside Godly Dragon Island, Nan Suhuai suddenly felt something, and a trace of shock flashed across his eyes! Immediately after, half of the teleportation array in front of him suddenly dimmed! Shangguan Jing and Chu Ning were shocked to see this. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± Shangguan Jing asked anxiously. Nan Suhuai didn¡¯t answer his question immediately. He only gritted his teeth and circulated his origin power into the teleportation array. However, the dimmed half never lit up again. Cold sweat broke out on his back! Seeing his expression, Shangguan Jing and Chu Ning felt even more uneasy. Chu Ning asked again, ¡°Director, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Why did half of the teleportation array suddenly darken?! Nan Suhuai closed his eyes before saying in a low voice, ¡°Half of this teleportation array¡­ has been destroyed.¡± ¡°Half of it was destroyed?! This is¡­¡± Chu Ning frowned, but his eyes were filled with confusion. He had never heard such a statement. However, Shangguan Jing seemed to have thought of something. His expression darkened with deep worry. Nan Suhuai explained, ¡°Ordinary teleportation arrays will collapse completely once they are affected by external forces. However, our teleportation array is different. If half of it is destroyed, it means¡­ the other end of the teleportation array has been destroyed.¡± Chu Ning reacted. ¡°Then¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean that they can¡¯t come back?¡± Nan Suhuai shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. This teleportation array is very different from ordinary teleportation arrays. Half of it is destroyed, but the other half is still fine. If they can find a way to repair the teleportation array on that end, they can still return smoothly.¡± These words didn¡¯t relax Chu Ning. It is easy to say so, but how can it be easy to do? Nan Suhuai previously said that other than the dean, nobody else is qualified to learn this teleportation array. Then, how are they going to repair it and return? Nan Suhuai knew what Chu Ning was worried about and comforted him. ¡°Chu Ning, Yue¡¯er has learned this teleportation array. Although she can¡¯t unleash it with her current strength, she still has Rong Xiu by her side. If the two of them join forces, there might be hope.¡± Hearing this, Chu Ning finally calmed down. ¡°Really?¡± Nan Suhuai smiled helplessly. ¡°Yue¡¯er is my only disciple. She¡¯s extremely talented, and I¡¯ve always treated her as my successor and taught her everything. Although I haven¡¯t officially taught her this teleportation array, I previously let her learn a portion of the relevant content. If she can master it and reconstruct that half of the teleportation array, she can leave Godly Dragon Island!¡± Hearing Nan Suhuai¡¯s words, Chu Ning let out a long breath. Although this matter still sounds uncertain, it is better than nothing. Yue¡¯er is smart. Coupled with Rong Xiu, she might really succeed¡­ Shangguan Jing was thinking about something else. ¡°This teleportation array was fine all along. Why was half of it suddenly destroyed?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Nan Suhuai and Chu Ning were silent for a moment. It was obvious that something had happened inside. ¡°¡­Could it be that Tuan Zi has been discovered? Or¡­ have they encountered other trouble?¡± Shangguan Jing frowned. If that is the case, they will be in big trouble. Nan Suhuai suddenly turned around and looked in the direction of Godly Dragon Island. After a moment, he said in a low voice, ¡°I think there doesn¡¯t seem to be much movement on Godly Dragon Island for the time being. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± If something really happens, the great phoenix dragon will definitely send people to surround us. In any case, it is better to observe the situation first before making a decision. After Shangguan Jing and Chu Ning thought about it seriously, they nodded in agreement. Chu Ning sighed softly. ¡°Now, I just hope they¡¯re safe and sound¡­¡± ¡­ The commotion at Seven Lotus Peak also attracted the attention of the guards outside. The two guards turned in unison, unable to hide their surprise and excitement. ¡°They¡¯re finally coming out!?¡± Only the heavens knew how boring it was standing guard here day and night, waiting until the flowers had withered. However, the two people inside had special identities, and the two guards were personally instructed by the clan leader to guard them strictly. They didn¡¯t dare to relax at all and were very tired. If the two of them could come out, they would be liberated. However, nobody came out of the cave on Seven Lotus Peak. Moreover, the fluctuations which attracted their attention had completely dissipated. Everything seemed to have returned to normal as if nothing had happened. The two of them looked at each other. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Could it be that we were hallucinating together? That is impossible! ¡°Do you want to go in and take a look?¡± one of the guards asked. The other glanced at him. ¡°The clan leader only asked us to guard Seven Lotus Peak. He didn¡¯t say that we could enter!¡± This place was almost an unspoken forbidden area for the entire great phoenix dragon clan. Even if they obtained permission, not many great phoenix dragons wanted to enter. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ Then, what should we do?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s probably because they can¡¯t take it anymore that they caused such a commotion. They¡¯ll probably have to lower their heads and admit defeat in a day or two!¡± ¡°Then, you mean¡­ we should continue to wait?¡± ¡°Just wait! Seven Lotus Peak¡¯s barrier is extremely strong. They won¡¯t be able to escape even if they have wings, so what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± They were confident in the barrier of Seven Lotus Peak and definitely didn¡¯t believe that any human could resist them. Besides, this was their territory. At this moment, they didn¡¯t know that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡ªwho they thought were being tortured¡ªhad already left Seven Lotus Peak. ¡­ After being swept into the void and experiencing a long period of darkness, they finally stepped onto solid ground again. A faint light surged from all directions. After staying in the dim cave for so long, Chu Liuyue was still not used to it. She narrowed her eyes, then looked around. What she saw shocked her on the spot. At this moment, they were in a wide and ancient hall! Black jade stones were neatly laid on the ground. In the middle of the hall was a white jade pillar as thick as ten people hugging each other. Cloud patterns were carved on it, as well as¡­ a lifelike great phoenix dragon! It was a coiling dragon pillar! A powerful pressure emitted from the carved great phoenix dragon, shocking everyone! At this moment, it was looking down at them with a dignified and solemn expression! In an instant, Chu Liuyue understood something. ¡°This is¡­ the holy hall!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1753 - 1753 Deep in the Forest 1753 Deep in the Forest Apart from them, the hall was empty. It was so quiet that Chu Liuyue could hear her own heartbeat. Chu Liuyue held her breath. I really didn¡¯t expect us to come to this place! Just like the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, the holy hall was the great phoenix dragon¡¯s most sacred and solemn place. Nobody was allowed to enter easily. Even the people of the great phoenix dragon clan had to pass several tests to enter, let alone them. At this moment, a very strange feeling suddenly surged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. I seem to be¡­ quite fated with the two ancient legendary fiend clans recently? In this short period of time, we first went to Godly Phoenix Mountain and spoke to the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s ancestor in Godly Phoenix Hall. Now that we are on Godly Dragon Island¡­ We were originally imprisoned, but we unexpectedly arrived at the holy hall in the blink of an eye¡­ Chu Liuyue turned around and fell silent for a moment. It¡¯s fine if Rong Xiu and I come, but we even brought Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. One of them is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, and the other has reconstructed his body with the bones of a great phoenix dragon¡­ What a sin! Chu Liuyue held her forehead and felt a headache coming on. Looking at the closed door, she began to think seriously about how it would be more convenient to leave. ¡°Miao Yang and the others are outside the door.¡± Rong Xiu chuckled. Chu Liuyue instantly deflated. It was obviously impossible to get out through the door, or even through the window. It was obvious that there must be guards outside the huge holy hall! Unless they returned the way they came, they would really be trapped here! Tuan Zi suddenly tugged at Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°A¡¯Yue, look¡ªthere¡¯s something in that pillar!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and looked over. There were indeed four purple spots of light in the coiling dragon pillar. ¡°Those should be the great phoenix dragons that entered to search for heirlooms,¡± explained Rong Xiu. He knew the Thousand Summit quite well and could roughly guess. Chu Liuyue was in deep thought. ¡°In that case¡­ there¡¯s actually another world in this coiling dragon pillar?¡± ¡°Do you see the scales on it?¡± Zi Chen suddenly spoke. ¡°Every scale contains an heirloom. Those that are still flickering are the heirlooms that haven¡¯t been taken away.¡± Realization dawned on Chu Liuyue. She had already heard from Rong Xiu and Zi Chen that the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s heirlooms were passed down from generation to generation. Those who obtained an heirloom would return it to the holy hall after they died. Those great phoenix dragons had clearly entered the coiling dragon pillar to find an heirloom. At this moment, a glint suddenly flashed in the eyes of the dragon carved on the white jade pillar! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately became vigilant. But soon, she realized that these eyes weren¡¯t looking at her but¡­ Zi Chen! Right, Zi Chen¡¯s body has fused with that person¡¯s remaining blood! Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she felt a huge force suddenly wrap around her! The few of them instantly disappeared! A moment later, a few more spots of light appeared on the coiling dragon pillar! They floated gently and shone! ¡­ Outside the holy hall. Everyone was still waiting. Ever since the last young man obtained a good heirloom, everyone had relaxed a lot. The wait didn¡¯t seem so hard anymore. Miao Yang sat in his chair. The holy hall in front of him was still peaceful. He thought for a moment and asked an elder beside him, ¡°How¡¯s the situation at Seven Lotus Peak?¡± It has been quite a while. Logically speaking, the two of them should¡¯ve ¡®thought it through.¡¯ But even now, there is still no news. That elder hurriedly answered, ¡°Clan Leader, everything is as usual.¡± Actually, the people in charge of guarding came to report every day. Under such circumstances, Miao Yang still took the initiative to ask. It could be seen how important this matter was to him. Of course, this was the first time a human had rashly barged into Godly Dragon Island. It wasn¡¯t only Miao Yang; the entire clan was also paying attention to this matter. Everyone was waiting for a result. Of course, there was only one outcome in their hearts¡ªRong Xiu and Shangguan Yue compromised and admitted defeat. Nobody had thought of any other possibility, including Miao Yang. He frowned quickly at the answer. Something is really wrong¡­ They can stay at Seven Lotus Peak for a day or two, but after so long, they still haven¡¯t bowed their heads. How stubborn! ¡°Let¡¯s continue waiting then!¡± Miao Yang¡¯s eyes turned colder. Until they figure it out themselves! ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ On the other side, the few of them entered the coiling dragon pillar. Chu Liuyue only felt that the scene in front of her kept changing, making it almost impossible to see clearly. In the end, their bodies felt heavy, and their feet landed on solid ground. In front of them was a lush forest. The sound of running water came from nearby. Chu Liuyue looked over. There seemed to be a lake deep in the forest. A faint white mist enveloped it, making it look quiet and peaceful. However, alarm bells rang in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart! Almost instinctively, her entire body tensed up, and she went on full alert! Rong Xiu held her hand and took a step forward to protect her. Tuan Zi also grabbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeve tightly and widened her black grape-like eyes as she looked straight ahead! Only Zi Chen¡¯s eyes flashed with suspicion. ¡°Has someone finally found this place¡­¡± A hoarse and rough voice sounded from the lake! His tone was clearly extremely calm, but Chu Liuyue felt that every word was like a clap of thunder, shocking her! ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s really a human?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1754 - 1754 Miao Zhen 1754 Miao Zhen Then, Chu Liuyue felt a pair of eyes sweep past her. That gaze was clear and sharp. She had the illusion that her entire being had been seen through. ¡°There are two humans, but there¡¯s actually a red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Shock entered the voice. Clearly, it was too strange for them to appear here. A moment later, the voice laughed. ¡°I was wondering which talented junior had found this place, but it turns out¡­ it¡¯s a three-eyed legendary eagle that has fused with the bones of a great phoenix dragon.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened. The other party has actually recognized all of us so easily! She was about to speak when Rong Xiu spoke first. ¡°We unintentionally barged into this place and disturbed you, Senior. Please forgive us.¡± After a short silence, the white mist on the lake suddenly gathered. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into the appearance of a middle-aged man. ¡°Come forward.¡± His voice was filled with irrefutable dignity! Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu glanced at each other. Zi Chen had already walked forward. Rong Xiu lightly nodded. The two of them then followed closely. Tuan Zi grabbed the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s shirt and followed behind. There was no sun here, but the sky was green and very bright. The woods were lush and leafy. The thick leaves made crackling sounds when stepped on. The breeze blew, bringing with it the faint fragrance of plants. Everything looked no different from an ordinary forest. They quickly made their way through the trees to the lake. It wasn¡¯t a big lake, but the still water was deep, and there was a faint phosphorescence on the surface. If one didn¡¯t look at the apparition hanging above the lake, this place would really be quiet and leisurely. It was a good place to rest. Unfortunately, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t relax no matter what. She knew very well that the person in front of her was from the great phoenix dragon clan! As they stood closer, they could see more clearly. The man looked to be in his 30s or 40s. He wore a long robe, and he had an ordinary face and a long beard. At a glance, he seemed very ordinary and nothing special. However, the cold and shocking aura around him clearly indicated that this man was definitely not simple! Chu Liuyue even felt that this person wasn¡¯t inferior to Miao Yang! ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t enter here unintentionally.¡± The man laughed. ¡°Godly Dragon Island never lets humans in. It¡¯s definitely not an accident that you can appear here.¡± Chu Liuyue found it strange. After the other great phoenix dragons saw Rong Xiu and me break into Godly Dragon Island, they were filled with righteous indignation. However, the man in front of us is clearly a great phoenix dragon, but he doesn¡¯t seem to care about this matter. One has to know that other than the two of us, there is also Tuan Zi! How could this be tolerated? ¡°There¡¯s no need to doubt me. I don¡¯t have the intention to welcome you; it¡¯s just that¡­ this legendary three-eyed eagle is quite fated with me. For its sake, I won¡¯t pursue the matter.¡± Several pairs of eyes turned to Zi Chen. The man sighed and laughed helplessly. ¡°I originally thought that some smart junior had come. Who knew¡­ However, it doesn¡¯t matter. The bloodline power of the great phoenix dragon clan flows in your body. You can be considered half a member of my clan.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. This person¡­ is really casual¡­ As ancient legendary fiends, the great phoenix dragon clan values their bloodline the most. In their opinion, people like Zi Chen are just anomalies who have tainted their bloodline. However, why does the person in front of us not seem to think so? ¡°Of course, it shouldn¡¯t have been considered like this, but¡­ Since you¡¯ve fused with my blood, I¡¯ll naturally treat you as one of us.¡± This sentence was instantly like a handful of water poured into a pot of oil. In an instant, flames flew everywhere! Chu Liuyue looked up in shock and stared at the man in front of her in disbelief. Her heart was already in turmoil! He said¡­ Zi Chen has fused with his blood?! Then, his identity is obvious! ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re the one who was locked up at Seven Lotus Peak?¡± Hearing the words ¡®Seven Lotus Peak,¡¯ a dark expression flashed across the man¡¯s face. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered before he cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°So it¡¯s Senior Miao Zhen. My apologies.¡± Miao Zhen gave him a surprised look. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Senior Miao Zhen is a rare genius of the great phoenix dragon clan and is very famous, so we¡¯ve naturally heard of you.¡± Chu Liuyue silently gave His Grace a thumbs up. This praise is really professional. As expected, Miao Zhen¡¯s expression improved a lot. However, his eyes soon darkened again, and he laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°The glory of the past has long dissipated. Now, I¡¯m just a ghost. Hiding here and not seeing the light of day for a thousand years¡ªwhat¡¯s the difference between this and death?¡± Chu Liuyue held her breath. Miao Zhen! He is actually still alive! Rumor had it that the legendary figure who killed seven people in a row overnight was finally executed by the great phoenix dragons. However, he was actually hiding in the coiling dragon pillar in the holy hall! Miao Yang and the others never would¡¯ve thought that he would actually hide here! Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, and the inheritance of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s ancestor is still with you. Your identity is naturally different.¡± Just as he finished speaking, Chu Liuyue felt a cold killing intent suddenly attack her! Her heart skipped a beat, but Rong Xiu was calm and composed. Hence, she didn¡¯t move. Just as the sharp aura was about to cut through their bodies, it finally stopped! ¡°Junior, how bold!¡± Miao Zhen gazed at Rong Xiu coldly. How dare he say such a thing in front of me?! There are less than three people in the world who know about the heirloom on me! This kid is so bold! Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he said calmly, ¡°Since we followed Zi Chen here, it¡¯s not difficult to guess this. What¡¯s the point of pretending in front of you?¡± That would only make Miao Zhen feel that they were hypocritical and unreliable. Hence, he decided to be frank. Miao Zhen stared at Rong Xiu for a while, and the coldness on his face gradually faded. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1755 - 755 You Want to Give It, But I Dont Want It 755 You Want to Give It, But I Don¡¯t Want It ¡°That¡¯s right. I did leave a clue in the cave of Seven Lotus Peak, hoping that a junior would find this place. But after so long, there¡¯s still no progress. Originally, I didn¡¯t have much hope, but I didn¡¯t expect¡ª¡± Miao Zhen looked at Zi Chen with a deep gaze. I really didn¡¯t expect a three-eyed legendary eagle to appear¡­ Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, ever since you left, almost nobody from the great phoenix dragon clan has entered Seven Lotus Peak. It¡¯s also a coincidence that we were locked up there this time.¡± Then, she explained briefly what had happened. Of course, she only said that they came from the God-Killing Tumulus. She did not mention what had happened there. Miao Zhen sneered. ¡°Miao Yang hates me to the core. Of course, he won¡¯t casually allow the other clansmen to go to Seven Lotus Peak again.¡± It is also because of this that I have waited here bitterly for more than a thousand years! ¡°Could it be that your accident back then had something to do with Clan Leader Miao Yang?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Miao Zhen snorted. ¡°Since you¡¯ve found this place and probably guessed it, there¡¯s no need for me to hide it from you.¡± He took a deep breath as if suppressing the surging emotions in his heart. ¡°That¡¯s right. Back then, I was indeed framed by him and ended up in this state. He was the one who killed those seven people and framed me. It was also him who trapped me on Seven Lotus Peak and tried to take my bloodline power! Unfortunately, he was one step behind, and I escaped in the end!¡± Even if he had paid an extremely painful price for it, he had survived in the end! Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu looked at each other. Even though they had already guessed correctly, it was still shocking to hear the person involved admit it. This was definitely the greatest secret of the entire great phoenix dragon clan! ¡°Then¡­ he actually doesn¡¯t know that you aren¡¯t dead?¡± This was something Chu Liuyue was very curious about. Since Miao Yang was willing to put in so much effort to deal with Miao Zhen, he must want to kill him. Does he really not suspect anything all these years? Miao Zhen suddenly laughed as if he had heard a joke. His voice was low and rough, and his laughter was like thunder that struck her eardrums heavily, almost shocking her! ¡°Hahaha! Girl, aren¡¯t you overestimating Miao Yang and underestimating me? If not for the fact that I was at the critical moment of breaking through back then, that despicable person wouldn¡¯t have been my match!¡± His words didn¡¯t hide his boldness and pride. It was based on absolute strength! Compared to Miao Yang, who was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing and whose emotions couldn¡¯t be seen through no matter what, she admired the person in front of her more. He dared to laugh, curse, be impudent, and be frank! After being harmed to this extent, he still has such an imposing aura. It¡¯s difficult to imagine what kind of figure Miao Zhen would be now if those things hadn¡¯t happened back then! What a pity¡­ Seeing her expression, Miao Yang raised his eyebrows and continued, ¡°After our ancestor died, his body changed into this world. The heirloom of the clan is hidden here. Every time the Thousand Summit happens, the younger generation will enter this place to find a suitable heirloom.¡± ¡°This is the most sacred place in the entire great phoenix dragon clan. Even if Miao Yang becomes the clan leader, he won¡¯t be able to spy on this place at all! It¡¯s also because of this that Miao Yang hasn¡¯t noticed me even after I¡¯ve stayed here for a thousand years.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly asked, ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, the great phoenix dragon clan seems to only have one chance in their lives to enter this place, right? You¡ª¡± Miao Zhen laughed. ¡°I have the heirloom of my ancestor on me, so I can naturally enter and leave this place at will! Back then, Miao Yang only thought that I was dead and that my soul had perished. He bitterly searched for the heirloom of my ancestor but couldn¡¯t obtain it. Who would¡¯ve thought that I would be here!¡± So that was it! I wonder what Miao Yang¡¯s expression will be when he finds out about this. I¡¯m afraid that the usual calm and fake smile on his face can no longer be faked, right? Zi Chen suddenly inquired, ¡°Then, why did you lure me here?¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s expression gradually restrained. He stared steadily at Zi Chen. ¡°Of course¡­ it¡¯s to find a suitable descendant to inherit the legacy of our ancestor!¡± ¡­ There was silence in the woods. The air seemed to freeze. It took Chu Liuyue a while to come back to her senses and realize what Miao Zhen meant. Is he going to let Zi Chen obtain the heirloom of the great phoenix dragons¡¯ ancestor?! Isn¡¯t this a joke? Zi Chen is a three-eyed legendary eagle! However, Zi Chen seemed to have expected him to say this. After a short silence, Zi Chen said indifferently, ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not appropriate. I¡¯m the clan leader of the three-eyed legendary eagle clan. It doesn¡¯t make sense for me to inherit the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s heirloom.¡± If anyone else was here and heard Zi Chen¡¯s words, they would probably not be able to help but scold him for not thinking straight. This was the heirloom of an ancient legendary fiend clan¡¯s ancestor! How precious! How many legendary fiends in the world could not ask for more? Now that it was in front of him, Zi Chen rejected it! But Zi Chen really didn¡¯t want it. Although he had used the great phoenix dragon¡¯s wing bones to reconstruct his body and fused with its bloodline power for his own use, he had always remembered his identity. He didn¡¯t belong to the great phoenix dragon clan, not in the past, not now, and not in the future! Miao Zhen didn¡¯t seem to expect such an answer from Zi Chen and subconsciously frowned. ¡°Are you sure? Only one person in the world can obtain such an opportunity.¡± Miao Yang hates me and has risked everything to snatch this heirloom, but he has still found nothing. However, this three-eyed legendary eagle¡­ said no? Zi Chen nodded. ¡°I can return your power.¡± He had only swallowed the blood pearl because he felt that something was summoning him, not because he wanted to obtain something. Miao Zhen¡¯s expression was a little cold. When he saw that it was a three-eyed legendary eagle, he was disappointed. However, he quickly chose to accept this fact and was prepared to pass the heirloom. But now, he still doesn¡¯t want it?! He really¡­ doesn¡¯t know what is good for him! Zi Chen¡¯s answer was so unexpected that it took Miao Zhen a while to digest it completely. He snorted and shouted in a deep voice, ¡°I don¡¯t have a physical body now. What¡¯s the use of this inheritance?!¡± Waves gradually rose on the lake, and the leaves around them rustled. The world seemed to be agitated by Miao Zhen¡¯s anger, but Zi Chen was unmoved, and his eyes were indifferent. ¡°There¡¯s something you might not know yet. Not only am I the clan leader of the legendary three-eyed eagle clan, but I¡¯m also her contracted legendary fiend. Senior Miao Zhen, do you really not mind?¡± Miao Zhen was shocked and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°And me! And me! I¡¯m also A¡¯Yue¡¯s contracted legendary fiend!¡± Tuan Zi waved with a proud expression and tried to make her presence known. Miao Zhen¡¯s eyes widened even more. ¡°What did you say!?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1756 - 1756 Resigned 1756 Resigned At this moment, Miao Zhen was in a mess. Countless thoughts raced through his mind. Although the bloodline of the legendary three-eyed eagle clan isn¡¯t comparable to that of the two ancient legendary fiend clans, it is still quite noble. The eagle in front of me was actually willing to contract with a human? And the little girl beside her¡ªshe is a real red-gold heavenly phoenix! She was actually willing to give her face? This isn¡¯t the most terrifying thing. The most terrifying thing is that not only have these two legendary fiends contracted with a human, but it is also with the same person! Didn¡¯t I just stay here for a while? Why is the outside world like this? Besides, a thousand years is nothing compared to the tens of thousands of years of the red-gold heavenly phoenix and the legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s existence, right? How did¡ª Miao Zhen¡¯s expression was blank. He looked at Tuan Zi and then at Zi Chen with slightly trembling fingers. ¡°You¡­ you guys¡­¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes lit up as she bragged, ¡°I¡¯ve followed A¡¯Yue longer than Zi Chen!¡± Zi Chen looked back at her. Tuan Zi made a face, her chubby face full of smugness. Zi Chen¡¯s eyes flickered, and he calmly looked away. Miao Zhen pointed at Tuan Zi and almost lost his breath. ¡°You¡ªthis!¡± What is there to brag about!? Get this straight¡ªyou¡¯re an incomparably noble ancient legendary fiend, a red-gold heavenly phoenix! Do your clansmen know you¡¯re happy here? Even though the relationship between the great phoenix dragon clan and the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was very subtle, and they were used to not liking each other, Miao Zhen couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken for the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. How did such a weirdo appear?! Not only has she contracted with the human race, but she also serves the same master as the legendary three-eyed eagle. Most importantly, she is so happy!? Miao Zhen did not understand; he really didn¡¯t understand. When he saw Tuan Zi previously, he had his doubts. Firstly, he felt that it was quite strange that she had already transformed into a human at such a young age. Secondly, she had been holding the corner of the human woman¡¯s clothes tightly and looked very intimate. However, he had been thinking about dealing with his ancestor¡¯s heirloom just now, so he didn¡¯t have the time to think too much about it. Who knew that this would happen!? Chu Liuyue gently rubbed Tuan Zi¡¯s head and smiled at Miao Zhen. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, I¡¯m sorry. Tuan Zi is still young and innocent by nature. Children¡¯s words carry no harm; don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s lips twitched. Children¡¯s words carry no harm¡­ I have lived for so many years, but I never expected that these words could actually be used for red-gold heavenly phoenixes! Miao Zhen took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then, he held his forehead in pain. Even though he didn¡¯t have a physical body now, he still felt an incomparable headache! What is this group of people!? At this moment, footsteps suddenly sounded from the distant forest. It was as if someone was coming this way. Miao Zhen¡¯s expression darkened, and he glanced over. Chu Liuyue exchanged glances with Rong Xiu. The newcomer should be one of the four people who has participated in the Thousand Summit and are still here. But after a while, the footsteps gradually faded away. It seemed like¡­ that person had left. Soon, the footsteps disappeared completely. The person had already left. Chu Liuyue subconsciously looked at Miao Zhen. If that person had come just now, he might¡¯ve been able to obtain their ancestor¡¯s heirloom from Miao Zhen. After all, compared to outsiders like Zi Chen, his own juniors are more suitable candidates. However, Miao Zhen¡¯s expression was calm as if¡­ he were already used to it. ¡°Actually, over the years, the Thousand Summit has been held quite a few times. Every time, many good juniors come in. A few of them have found this area like the one just now.¡± Miao Zhen suddenly spoke, his tone much calmer. ¡°But nobody has walked through the woods and really come here.¡± Chu Liuyue actually saw a trace of desolation on his face. Actually, thinking about it carefully, it is understandable. After all, Miao Zhen is a great phoenix dragon. If possible, he should want to leave this heirloom to the most outstanding junior. As he has said, he no longer has a physical body. There is no point in leaving this heirloom with him. Unless there is really no other way, why would he choose Zi Chen? After experiencing disappointment too many times, his passion will eventually cool down. ¡°In the battle back then, my body was destroyed, and my strength was exhausted. Although I¡¯m surviving here, I¡¯m also attached to this lake and can¡¯t leave. In addition, opportunities are the most unpredictable and the strongest. Those children aren¡¯t fated with the ancestor and me.¡± Miao Zhen had actually thought things through long ago. Although it was inevitable that he would feel regretful, life didn¡¯t go as intended even for him. He looked at Zi Chen, and there seemed to be waves in his eyes. ¡°These clan juniors have entered this place one after another, but they haven¡¯t discovered my existence. And you¡­ are not a member of my clan. It can even be said that you have nothing to do with the great phoenix dragon clan, but you still came here¡­¡± Perhaps this is really the will of the heavens! Miao Zhen suddenly paused mid-sentence. Actually, there was no point in saying these words. Zi Chen was unwilling to accept this heirloom and had already contracted with Chu Liuyue. These two points were enough to make Miao Zhen give up his initial idea. You can lead a horse to water, but you can¡¯t make it drink. The only pity is that after today, I still don¡¯t know how long I will have to wait to find a suitable successor¡­ Rong Xiu suddenly asked, ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, are you really willing to be trapped here forever?¡± Miao Zhen was stunned. Of course, I¡¯m indignant! I have yet to take revenge on Miao Yang! I have yet to get back what I have lost! But now that I have almost nothing and have finally found an heir, it is unsuitable. What else can I do? He looked at Rong Xiu in surprise. ¡°What¡­ do you mean?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Nothing. To be honest, Clan Leader Miao Yang was very rude to Yue¡¯er and me previously and made things difficult for us. He said bluntly at the Thousand Summit that if Yue¡¯er and I don¡¯t erase our memories of coming here, we¡¯ll be imprisoned on Godly Dragon Island forever.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the heir to the heirloom of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s ancestor. Be it talent or anything else, you¡¯re better than Miao Yang. As long as the truth is clarified back then, the position of clan leader will definitely change hands! At that time, you can take back what originally belonged to you, and we can leave Godly Dragon Island openly. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone. Why not?¡± Miao Zhen narrowed his eyes. ¡°You want to form an alliance with me?¡± Rong Xiu smiled frankly. ¡°It would be our honor to be on good terms with you.¡± Miao Zhen closed his eyes. Countless images surged from the depths of his mind. After a long while, he said in a low voice, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have a physical body. If I leave this place, my soul will dissipate.¡± Rong Xiu said, ¡°What if we can help you reconstruct your body?¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1757 - 1757 Your Way 1757 Your Way Outside the holy hall, everyone was still waiting. More than 20 days had passed now, and there was still one person inside who hadn¡¯t come out. Miao Yang sat in his chair with a faint smile on his face. The atmosphere in the square was also very lively. This was because the three people that came out not long ago had also obtained very good heirlooms. Including the first one, four of the last five people had already achieved good results. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. As long as nothing went wrong and the heirlooms were successfully passed down, the Thousand Summit would end smoothly. Although it wasn¡¯t as good as the previous Thousand Summits, it was already much better than everyone¡¯s initial worry that they would obtain nothing. Most of the people in the square looked relaxed and happy. They were talking to each other in groups of three to five. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, but Miao Su hasn¡¯t come out yet. He must¡¯ve obtained a top-notch heirloom!¡± ¡°I think so too! In the past, the last person to come out of the Thousand Summit was basically the most outstanding! Miao Su will definitely be no exception this time! In comparison, Miao Shang¡ªwho was the first to obtain an heirloom¡ªisn¡¯t that outstanding¡­¡± Someone suddenly snorted sarcastically. ¡°That might not be the case!¡± The crowd fell silent. The person who spoke was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance and an unhappy expression. ¡°Whether or not you can obtain a good heirloom in the holy hall will indeed affect a person¡¯s future to a large extent. However, that¡¯s not absolute! Some people are destined to become experts. Even if they don¡¯t perform well once, they will definitely become stronger in the future! There are also some people who, although they will have a moment of glory, the final outcome might not be certain!¡± Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. They were all from the same clan, so they were naturally familiar with each other. This man was Miao Shang¡¯s biological father. After Miao Shang received the inheritance, he had always been very happy and smug. Now that he heard these words, he naturally found them very jarring. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that our clan leader wasn¡¯t the last to come out back then, but now¡ª¡± He snorted a laugh but didn¡¯t go on. However, everyone understood the meaning behind his words. Some people¡¯s expressions changed slightly, and they subconsciously looked at Miao Yang. Actually, there was nothing wrong with the first few words, but the key was¡­ Back then, Clan Leader Miao Yang participated in the same Thousand Summit with that person and also entered the holy hall together! Most importantly, the last person to come out of that Thousand Summit was that person¡ªMiao Zhen! This name had already become taboo in the great phoenix dragon clan. Everyone subconsciously ignored this name as if that person had never existed. Even some things related to him were especially sensitive and wouldn¡¯t be mentioned. Now that the clan leader heard this¡­ As if sensing that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right, the person who spoke was suddenly shocked. Then, he looked at Miao Yang uneasily. Miao Yang looked over and smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Until the end, nobody knows who will win. Those who can laugh in the end are the true experts.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. Nobody was more qualified to say this than Miao Yang. Back then, Miao Zhen was extremely talented and was undoubtedly the number one among the younger generation of the great phoenix dragon clan! At that time, all his peers were enveloped by his halo¡ªeven Miao Yang was the same. But who would¡¯ve thought that so much would happen later¡­ This small commotion quickly subsided, and everyone quickly chatted about other topics. Miao Yang leaned back in his chair and looked away with lowered eyes. Miao Zhen¡­ Even though that person had been dead for more than a thousand years, when he thought of this name, he couldn¡¯t help but feel disgust and jealousy! He remembered living in Miao Zhen¡¯s shadow for many years. Speaking of geniuses, heirs, and the future, the first person the entire clan mentions will definitely be Miao Zhen! As for me, Miao Yang, nobody even remembers my name. I have lived like this for too long, and I have had enough! Fortunately, Miao Zhen died in the end, and the position of clan leader became mine. Everyone gradually forgot about that person and now regards me as the best. Everything has gone according to my plan except for one thing¡ªI have yet to find the ancestral heirloom! He had been brooding over this. Actually, the heirloom he had obtained back then wasn¡¯t bad. Unfortunately, it was worlds apart from what Miao Zhen had obtained. After all, in the entire great phoenix dragon clan, only Miao Zhen had obtained that ancestor¡¯s heirloom in tens of thousands of years! Of course, Miao Yang was very jealous. He had used almost all kinds of methods to obtain this thing. It was a pity¡­ Miao Yang put away his thoughts and looked up at the holy hall in front of him. Perhaps after the Thousand Summit ends, I should personally make a trip to Seven Lotus Peak. ¡­ ¡°Great phoenix dragons are ancient legendary fiends. Once their body is destroyed, it can¡¯t be restored. Even the great phoenix dragon clan can¡¯t resolve this. As a human, where did you get the courage to say that you can help me reconstruct my body?¡± After Rong Xiu finished speaking, there was silence. Miao Zhen was silent for a moment before retorting. He clearly didn¡¯t believe that Rong Xiu had the ability. Rong Xiu had actually expected this reaction. He took a step forward, his expression calm and indifferent. ¡°Just because the great phoenix dragon clan can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t.¡± At this moment, a thought flashed through Miao Zhen¡¯s mind: Preposterous! Instead, he laughed and said, ¡°Oh? Tell me then¡ªwhat ability and confidence do you have to make me believe what you¡¯re saying?¡± Rong Xiu raised his hands. A cluster of golden flames surged out of his palm! The surrounding temperature instantly increased significantly! Miao Zhen¡¯s expression froze as he stared intently at the flames! ¡°You probably don¡¯t know yet, but the first to condense the remaining blood traces you left in the cave at Seven Lotus Peak wasn¡¯t Zi Chen but¡­ me.¡± Of course, Zi Chen could also do this, but he was one step ahead. When Miao Zhen heard this, his expression finally changed. Rong Xiu continued, ¡°In addition, when Yue¡¯er and I came, we accidentally stepped on the jade disk used for testing during the Thousand Summit. But don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ve already completely repaired it.¡± At this point, a smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Everything I said just now is true. I wonder if this is enough to convince you?¡± Of course, Miao Zhen didn¡¯t doubt the authenticity of Rong Xiu¡¯s words. Those who could do these two things weren¡¯t ordinary people. Moreover, the truth would be revealed once he investigated, so there was really no need to lie. Then¡­ Does he really have the ability? Miao Zhen was silent for a long time before saying, ¡°Even if I believe you, what do you plan to do? You have to know that there¡¯s no fiend skeleton in this world that can replace the great phoenix dragon¡¯s and help them reconstruct their body!¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1758 - 1758 Deal 1758 Deal For someone like Zi Chen, he might be able to use the great phoenix dragon¡¯s wing bones to reconstruct his body and even increase his own strength. However, it was different for a great phoenix dragon. The great phoenix dragons were ancient legendary fiends, and they possessed the most noble bloodline power in the world. If he used the bones of other magical beasts, they would probably shatter before he could do anything. The only race that could fight with it, red-gold heavenly phoenixes, was even more impossible because of their completely different bones and bloodline. It was also because he knew this that Miao Zhen didn¡¯t have much hope for this matter. However, Rong Xiu said, ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten something¡ªonly the two wing bones have been fused into Zi Chen¡¯s body. The remaining parts of that skeleton are still in Yue¡¯er¡¯s hands.¡± Miao Zhen was shocked and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You actually have a complete great phoenix dragon skeleton on you?!¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. Even though she had won it openly back then, Miao Zhen was still a great phoenix dragon. She still felt a little strange saying this in front of him. But in the end, she braced herself and told Miao Zhen what had happened back then. Unexpectedly, Miao Zhen didn¡¯t seem to be furious after hearing this. Instead, he sized her up in surprise. ¡°No wonder the red-gold heavenly phoenix and the legendary three-eyed eagle contracted with you¡­ It seems that you really have some ability.¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. I didn¡¯t expect Miao Zhen to be focused on this after what I¡¯ve said. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not angry?¡± Miao Zhen waved his hand. ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about? If anything, I should be angry at Miao Yao!¡± Anyone who was reasonable would know that this matter was all Miao Yao¡¯s fault. If he hadn¡¯t been too negligent, it would¡¯ve been impossible for Chu Liuyue to be his match back then, let alone defeat him. He had been tricked because he was too arrogant. No matter what, he was already old and an elder of the clan, but he was actually so brainless! Miao Zhen¡¯s attitude made Chu Liuyue secretly heave a sigh of relief. No matter what, Miao Zhen is much more reasonable and easier to communicate with than Miao Yao and Miao Yang. ¡°You want me to use that skeleton?¡± When Miao Zhen heard this, he had already guessed Rong Xiu¡¯s plan. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Although two wing bones are missing, the entire skeleton is still there. The bloodline power in it has almost been emptied, but you have retained a portion of bloodline power in the mountain wall of Seven Lotus Peak that can be used. In this way, the major problem has basically been resolved. Of course, the level of this skeleton is definitely inferior to the original you. After reconstructing your body, your strength will probably decrease greatly.¡± Rong Xiu rationally and objectively analyzed the pros and cons of this matter and told Miao Zhen clearly. All in all, there were pros and cons. However, this had already shocked Miao Zhen! He said that he had never thought of reconstructing his body, but how could he not have thought of it at all? He didn¡¯t even know how he had survived the long years he had been trapped here! Loneliness, boringness, emptiness¡­ He wanted to leave this place! He wanted to take revenge on Miao Yang! He wanted to take back everything that belonged to him! He was as proud as he had been in the past, and his desire to get out was as strong! However, he knew better than anyone how slim the hope was. As a result, his heart gradually turned cold, and he suppressed these thoughts in the depths of his heart. Most of the time, he felt that he was just a wisp of a lonely soul that had run out of fuel at some point. If he died, it would be over. However¡­ he was still unwilling! Therefore, when he heard Rong Xiu say this, a storm brewed in his heart! Endless joy surged and almost drowned him! Even if his level was lower and his strength decreased, what did it matter? As long as he could reconstruct his body, he could leave this place completely! Everything he had ever wanted would be obtained! What could be better than this!? Miao Zhen took a deep breath and said word by word, ¡°If you can really help me reconstruct my body¡­ In the future, as long as you need me, I¡ªMiao Zhen¡ªwill definitely do my best as long as you ask!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin scarlet lips curved into a perfect smile. ¡°Deal.¡± ¡­ They quickly got to work. Chu Liuyue took out the skeleton. The bloodline power inside had almost been completely extracted, so even the bones had become a little dim. Zi Chen stepped forward and spread his wings. Whoosh¡ª A fist-sized blood ball appeared in front of him! Rong Xiu stood in front of the skeleton and waved his hand. A golden flame flew out and gently wrapped around the blood ball. Under the control of the flames, the blood ball flew in front of him, directly in front of the dragon skull. Then, Rong Xiu held his breath and pointed! Peng! With a cracking sound, the blood ball instantly split open and turned into countless stars that flew toward the skeleton! Sparks burned and quickly enveloped the entire skeleton! At the same time, blood gradually fused into the skeleton! As time passed, the bloodline strength contained in the blood began to fuse with the bones! The originally dim skeleton began to emit a sparkling light again! A faint pressure spread out from it! Just as Chu Liuyue was secretly shocked by the strength Rong Xiu had displayed, she suddenly sensed that something was wrong. She turned to look at Zi Chen and saw specks of starlight flickering on his wings. More importantly, his aura began to rise at an astonishing speed! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1759 - 1759 Win or Lose 1759 Win or Lose Chu Liuyue was stunned. What¡­ is going on? Zi Chen seemed to be very surprised as well. A hint of surprise flashed in the depths of his usually deep and indifferent eyes. Miao Zhen glanced over. He was stunned for a moment, then laughed. ¡°I almost forgot about that¡­ The two wing bones of this skeleton have fused into your body. Although they¡¯ve been separated, they¡¯re still connected to each other. Therefore, when the power on this skeleton began to increase, even the aura with your wing bones increased.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. I seem to understand¡­ ¡°In that case, if the power contained in the skeleton continues to increase, Zi Chen¡¯s strength will also rise?¡± Miao Zhen nodded. ¡°In theory, that¡¯s indeed the case. However, these wing bones no longer belong to this skeleton after all. The increase in strength should be limited.¡± Chu Liuyue gasped. I actually guessed correctly! If that is the case, Zi Chen can be said to have picked up a huge bargain! So what if the increase is limited? It will still increase in the end! Besides, this skeleton will be Miao Zhen¡¯s in the future. He is a great phoenix dragon, the kind with top talent and strength! Being able to bask in the glory was something that many people couldn¡¯t ask for. Now, Zi Chen had actually encountered it just like that! How could this not be exciting!? Chu Liuyue glanced at Zi Chen and saw a ripple in his eyes. Zi Chen naturally knew how rich and shocking a pleasant surprise this was for him! Previously, he had rejected Miao Zhen¡¯s proposal because he had his own persistence and principles. However, even he had to admit that it was indeed a huge loss for him to reject it. Although he didn¡¯t regret his decision, he still wondered how it would have been. Unexpectedly, he was connected to Miao Zhen again because of these wing bones! According to Miao Zhen, not only did he maintain his identity and bloodline, but he also had another shortcut to become stronger! As long as Miao Zhen became stronger, he would be affected, and his strength would increase! Was there anything more satisfying than this in the world? ¡°I¡¯ll say that you and I are fated¡­¡± Miao Zhen sighed. There is probably no other such thing in the world. Even if you don¡¯t want the opportunity bestowed by the heavens, it will still fall into your hands through various methods in the end! Shocked, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Suddenly, Tuan Zi tugged at her sleeve. Chu Liuyue looked down at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tuan Zi?¡± Tuan Zi bit her hand in a dilemma and gazed at Zi Chen before looking at Chu Liuyue. ¡°A¡¯Yue, is what you said just now true?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile and gently pinch her chubby face. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen said it himself. It¡¯s naturally true.¡± Moreover, Zi Chen was her contracted legendary fiend. She was the one who could sense the changes in Zi Chen the most. This matter was a foregone conclusion! Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t help but frown with a worried expression. After a long while, she said, ¡°Then¡­ Then¡­ Then, won¡¯t Zi Chen be stronger than me in the future?¡± She screwed up her little face and looked genuinely worried. Chu Liuyue almost couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter. ¡°So that¡¯s what you were thinking about just now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Tuan Zi pouted. In the past, she couldn¡¯t defeat Zi Chen. It wasn¡¯t until she broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix that she finally managed to turn the tables. Be it bloodline or strength, they were higher than Zi Chen. But now, Zi Chen¡¯s body had fused with the great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline power, and he had even joined forces with Miao Zhen because of this! In the future, with Miao Zhen¡¯s support, it was obvious that Zi Chen¡¯s strength would definitely advance by leaps and bounds! Wouldn¡¯t she have no advantage at all? Looking at her angry expression, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I had almost forgotten that the relationship between Tuan Zi and Zi Chen has indeed never been good. Apart from the critical moment of fighting the enemy together, the two of them basically don¡¯t communicate much. Of course, it is usually Tuan Zi who chatters and clamors for a fight, while Zi Chen ignores her. If he was really annoyed by Tuan Zi¡¯s argument, he would make a clean move. But that isn¡¯t often. Now, Tuan Zi and Zi Chen are almost evenly matched. If they really fight, it is really hard to say who will win. ¡°Actually, this question is very simple. If Zi Chen becomes stronger, won¡¯t you also increase your strength?¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re so talented. It should be easy for you to do all this, right?¡± When Tuan Zi heard this, she immediately felt that it made sense! That¡¯s right! If Zi Chen becomes stronger, I just have to become stronger too! No matter what, I have to be the one A¡¯Yue likes most! ¡°Yes! I can definitely win!¡± Hearing this, Zi Chen glanced over. Sensing his gaze, Tuan Zi clenched her fists and raised her face, looking like she was waiting to fight at any moment. Zi Chen¡¯s eyes flickered. Then, without saying anything, he turned his head away and closed his eyes. His aura rose again! Tuan Zi gritted her teeth in anger. Become stronger? Who doesn¡¯t know how to do it? When I get out of here, I will definitely find Zi Chen and fight him! ¡­ Time passed silently. The flames on the skeleton gradually subsided. Wherever the flames dissipated, it had already become as clear and moist as jade. Faintly, transparent liquid could be seen flowing slowly inside. That was Miao Zhen¡¯s bloodline power hidden in the blood pearl! When the last cluster of golden flames disappeared, Rong Xiu looked up. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, please¡ª¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 1760 - 1760 End of the Thousand Summit! 1760 End of the Thousand Summit! Miao Zhen took a deep breath and took a step forward! His illusory body condensed from white mist left the lake and walked above the skeleton lying quietly by the lake. He entered the skeleton almost without hesitation! White mist then spread and quickly enveloped the skeleton! Rong Xiu moved at the same time. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately understood and took out many herbs from her Cosmic Ring. Rumble! She threw out a ball of golden flames and quickly placed the herbs into it! In just a moment, more than a hundred sets of medicinal herbs had been thrown in! Most people would be dazzled and find it difficult to distinguish, but her movements were smooth and decisive! After a while, the herbs were refined one after another, and a rich and slightly bitter medicinal fragrance spread. Helping Miao Zhen reconstruct his body was an extremely long process. During this process, many medicinal herbs needed to be added periodically. In order to ensure that the process was foolproof, Rong Xiu was in charge of the bone quenching, and the dealing of the herbs was handed over to her. Rong Xiu had already told her about the herbs she needed. Fortunately, she had them all, so it was much more convenient. ¡°Purple Whisker Vine, Mingjue, Five Nether Fruit.¡± When it was about time, Rong Xiu gestured for her to put the herbs in. With a wave of her fair hand, the three herbs¡ªwhich had long been refined in the flames¡ªlanded lightly and quickly into the golden flames. ¡°Ultimate Spirit Grass.¡± ¡°Wu Herb.¡± ¡°Tianser Mountain Armor.¡± ¡­ Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner. They had always had a tacit understanding, so their cooperation could be said to be perfect. There was no need for Rong Xiu to explain in detail. She knew how much those different herbs needed to be refined, and she could always throw the herbs in at the most suitable time. As for Rong Xiu, he had been staring intently at the skeleton in front of him from the beginning and didn¡¯t even look up. He knew that nobody could do it better than her. ¡­ Although the entire process was complicated and consumed a lot of strength and spirit, the two of them shared a lot of the burden with each other. It was also because of this that things progressed more smoothly than expected. The aura on the skeleton was growing stronger. At the same time, the flowing light on Zi Chen¡¯s wings flickered even brighter! Zi Chen had closed his eyes. For some reason, every part of his body began to ache. It wasn¡¯t obvious at first, but as time passed, the pain became more obvious. Zi Chen knew very well that this pain wasn¡¯t because he had encountered some danger, nor was it a so-called bad sign. He had a guess, but he felt that it was too ridiculous. Hence, he stood in place and allowed the pain in his body to gradually increase until even his body trembled slightly! Tuan Zi quickly saw this. She had been thinking about how to not be overtaken by Zi Chen and focused most of her attention on him, so she quickly realized that something was wrong with the latter. Shocked, she hurried over. ¡°You, you, you¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Although she had always treated Zi Chen as her opponent and really wanted to defeat him, she couldn¡¯t help but worry when she saw him like this. Zi Chen opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes widened as she sized him up. Fine? He doesn¡¯t look fine at all! Although the aura on Zi Chen¡¯s body is indeed still strengthening, he looks like he is in pain¡­ ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡± Seeing that Tuan Zi was still standing in front of him, Zi Chen repeated himself. This time, he strengthened his tone. After all, Zi Chen had lived more than a thousand years longer than Tuan Zi. He knew very well what to emphasize at this moment to make Tuan Zi calm down. Sure enough, Tuan Zi shrank back when she heard this. ¡°Then¡­ Then, I¡¯ll watch you here¡­¡± Tuan Zi turned to look at Chu Liuyue. A¡¯Yue is at a critical juncture and can¡¯t be distracted. If anything happens to Zi Chen, it will definitely affect her. Therefore, for A¡¯Yue¡¯s sake, I have to ensure that Zi Chen is fine! Zi Chen glanced at Tuan Zi. She has always liked to go against me. Today is a rare moment. Tuan Zi was a little puzzled by his gaze. She puffed out her chest and looked up. ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯m still waiting for you to be my lackey!¡± Zi Chen closed his eyes again. I really shouldn¡¯t have any hopes about some people. Meanwhile, the pain in his body was still increasing. But this time, Zi Chen¡¯s body did not tremble again. He swallowed all the pain and torture. On the surface, it seemed much better than before. Seeing this scene, Tuan Zi was relieved and began to wait patiently at the side. ¡­ Thump! The door opened, and a figure flew out! In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of everyone! Everyone who had been waiting in the square for a long time was excited! ¡°Look! The last one is finally out!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been almost a month. To be able to stay inside for so long, he must¡¯ve obtained a top-notch heirloom, right?¡± ¡°I think so! First place in the Thousand Summit¡­ How enviable!¡± ¡­ Everyone discussed animatedly, and it was obvious that they all had high hopes for the last young man to come out. Miao Yang stood up and took a few steps forward. ¡°Miao Su.¡± Hearing the voice, Miao Su immediately cupped his hands and bowed respectfully to Miao Yang. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± Miao Yang said with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. You were the last to come out of this Thousand Summit; you did well.¡± Miao Su straightened at that, his face full of undisguised high spirits. ¡°Thank you for your praise!¡± Seeing his reaction, everyone knew that their previous guess was confirmed. He must¡¯ve obtained a very good heirloom! Miao Yang walked up to Miao Su. Standing here, he could clearly sense that Miao Su¡¯s aura had indeed increased greatly! He nodded in satisfaction and patted Miao Su¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not bad!¡± He didn¡¯t ask Miao Su which ancestor¡¯s heirloom he had obtained. This was the rule of the Thousand Summit. Everyone would be able to guess their rankings from the change in their auras, and that was enough. Unless one was willing to take the initiative to say it, others could not ask. Therefore, although everyone was curious about what heirloom Miao Su had obtained, nobody was tactless enough to ask. Miao Yang praised him a few more times before saying, ¡°Since everyone has come out, the Thousand Summit will be considered to have ended successfully!¡± The crowd cheered in unison. Miao Yang smiled at the elders beside him. ¡°Please close the holy hall with me.¡± Chapter 1761 - 1761 Exposed 1761 Exposed The elders followed Miao Yang forward. Miao Yang stood in front of the door, holding his breath with his arms raised. The power around him began to surge, and a dazzling stream of light flew out of his fingertips. The other elders also moved! Soon, several streams of light gathered! They formed a strange pattern in midair¡ªit was the totem of the great phoenix dragon clan! ¡°Seal!¡± Miao Yang shouted in a low voice and pushed the totem out! The huge and bright totem began to fly toward the door slowly! Soon, the totem landed on the door! Whir! A solemn and holy buzzing sound came from the holy hall! Everyone in the square bowed in unison. But at this moment, Miao Yang suddenly realized that something was wrong¡ªthe totem hadn¡¯t fused with the door! He frowned and secretly exerted strength. However, the totem still floated an inch in front of the door, unwilling to take another step. It was as if an invisible barrier had blocked the totem outside the door. Miao Yang felt a trace of unease. This has never happened before! Soon, the elders beside him also sensed this strange scene and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? The door of the holy hall can¡¯t be sealed?¡± ¡°In the past, we worked together to seal the door. It¡¯s never been like this. What happened this time?¡± ¡°¡­Could it be¡­ that someone hasn¡¯t come out yet?¡± The words of an elder with white hair attracted everyone¡¯s attention and made Miao Yang¡¯s heart skip a beat. He turned to look at the elder. ¡°Elder Fushan, what do you mean?¡± Elder Miao Fushan was an old man in the clan. His seniority was much higher than Miao Yang, and he was a very respected person in the entire clan. ¡°There¡¯s basically only one possibility for the holy hall¡¯s door to refuse to be sealed, and it¡¯s that someone is still inside. In the past, there was also such a situation where the door couldn¡¯t be closed no matter what. After investigating later, we found out that there was still someone inside. It was only a few days later, when that person walked out, that the sealing was successfully completed.¡± Miao Fushan stroked his beard. ¡°In my opinion, why don¡¯t we investigate further?¡± Miao Yang heaved a sigh of relief and turned around to give instructions. ¡°Check the people who came out earlier.¡± The people below quickly responded. ¡°Yes!¡± One of the other elders was still frowning because he clearly remembered that everyone had already come out. Miao Su from before was indeed the last. Logically speaking, there should be nobody in the holy hall! After a while, those who had previously entered the holy hall were all summoned and counted by the two elders. But after checking, they realized that the number of people was indeed right! The elder in charge of the headcount braced himself and said, ¡°¡­Clan Leader, everyone who has entered the holy hall is already here in this Thousand Summit. Nobody has been missed.¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions changed. Even Miao Yang¡¯s heart sank! He suddenly looked up at the holy hall again! There are still people inside, but I have no idea who! ¡­ By the lake. The forest was dark and silent. Chu Liuyue raised her wrist and gave him the last herb. A handful of red sand landed lightly in the burning golden flames at the side! Rumble! The flames burned even more fiercely! Vaguely, one could already see muscles, bones, and flesh gradually growing on the bones! Even though she had helped Zi Chen reconstruct his body previously, she was still shocked to see Rong Xiu take action. At that time, Zi Chen had only used the great phoenix dragon¡¯s wing bones, and it almost exhausted all her strength. What Rong Xiu wanted to reconstruct now was a real great phoenix dragon! Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was calm, and the golden flames were reflected in his eyes. The effects of all the herbs had gradually seeped into the skeleton. The rich and slightly bitter medicinal fragrance was mixed with a faint smell of blood. After an unknown period of time, a purple-gold phosphorescence flashed through the flames! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Those are the scales of a great phoenix dragon! Have we finally reached the final stage? Almost at the same time, she heard a hiss behind her. Rong¡ª Chu Liuyue had already thought of it and immediately looked back. To her shock, a purple-gold light tore through Zi Chen¡¯s wings and broke out of his body! Then, it enveloped his entire body! ¡°Zi Chen!¡± Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows slightly. She could feel that Zi Chen was enduring immense pain, but she couldn¡¯t stop it! Tuan Zi was also stunned by this scene and widened her eyes in a daze. W-what¡­ just happened? Zi Chen¡¯s wings¡ª She subconsciously looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°A¡¯Yue! Zi Chen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chu Liuyue pulled Tuan Zi over and patted her head comfortingly. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine in a while.¡± Hearing her firm tone, Tuan Zi¡¯s beating heart calmed down. When she saw that scene just now, she was really shocked. Chu Liuyue touched her face and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to still care about Zi Chen.¡± Tuan Zi then remembered her position and immediately said, ¡°Of course! If something happens to it, won¡¯t A¡¯Yue be very sad? Besides, I¡¯m still waiting to be his boss!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. Tuan Zi is lively and pure. Although she likes to put on a brave front, she is always very good to her own people. She usually likes to find trouble with Zi Chen, but at critical moments, she still cares for Zi Chen. However¡­ it will probably be a little difficult for her to be Zi Chen¡¯s eldest sister¡­ Her gaze shifted slightly, and she looked at Zi Chen, who was enveloped by the purple-gold light again. Although the process is painful¡­ As long as he survives this, Zi Chen¡ª Boom! A loud bang actually sounded from the sky! An extremely dangerous aura rapidly approached! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked up. A low and fierce voice came from afar. ¡°Who dares to trespass into my holy hall? Come out!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Miao Yang! Chapter 1762 - 1762 Crossing the Sea 1762 Crossing the Sea Miao Yang did not appear. Chu Liuyue clearly remembered that Miao Zhen had once said that the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s people usually only had one chance to enter this place in their lives. Miao Yang obviously can¡¯t come in, but even if this is the case, the current Miao Yang should already be waiting outside the holy hall with his people. He wants to force us out! Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look. Everything has already reached the final stage and is at the most critical moment. Rong Xiu can¡¯t be distracted. We have to continue staying here until Miao Zhen¡¯s body is officially tempered! Rumble! Another sound rang out, causing everyone to go numb. It was as if someone was hammering from the outside with a huge hammer! ¡°Do you really think you can hide here for the rest of your lives?! Come out!¡± Miao Yang¡¯s voice was no longer as gentle as usual. Instead, it was filled with ferocity and madness. Looking at the sky, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and sneered. Someone has quietly barged into the holy hall and even entered the coiling dragon pillar. This is no different from a ruthless slap to the clan leader, Miao Yang. It¡¯s expected that he¡¯d be so exasperated. Of course, we will go out. Just¡­ not now! Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and countless silver-red stars flew out like a bright galaxy. Soon, the few people within a radius, including the lake, were enveloped in her God realm. The commotion outside was instantly cut off. Chu Liuyue calmly continued waiting. ¡­ The door of the holy hall was locked. There was dead silence in the hall. A few people stood in front of the coiling dragon pillar. At the front was Miao Yang, whose expression was extremely ugly. Behind him were the elders of the clan. Apart from the few elders who stayed outside to comfort everyone and didn¡¯t come in, the remaining elders participating in the Thousand Summit had all arrived. There was a lot at stake. They had to come. Everyone looked at the few light spots floating lightly on the coiling dragon pillar and fell into a dead silence. The air seemed to freeze. Miao Yang clenched his fists tightly, almost exploding with anger! It turns out that more than one person has sneaked in! This is simply tearing my face and dignity to pieces and still trampling on the ground! ¡°How did you guard the holy hall? When did someone enter?!¡± He turned around and shouted sternly at the elders. The elders looked at each other and broke out into a cold sweat. Miao Yang rarely lost his temper. Even when Miao Yao made such a huge mistake last time, causing the bones of his ancestor to be unable to return to the clan, Miao Yang didn¡¯t do anything to him. This time, it was obvious that he was really angry. Amidst the silence, Miao Fushan spoke. ¡°Clan Leader, we haven¡¯t found out how this happened yet. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate to convict people casually now.¡± Miao Yang closed his eyes and tried his best to control the anger in his heart. ¡°Elder Fushan, I know what you mean. However, the holy hall is the most sacred and important place in our race. Now that such a thing has happened¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it happened in the holy hall that the clan leader has to calm down,¡± Miao Fushan patiently advised. ¡°The holy hall has always been extremely strictly guarded. After the Thousand Summit began, everyone was even more vigilant and did n¡¯t dare to relax at all. Besides, all of us have been in the square from beginning to end, yet nobody discovered this. It can be seen that the other party came prepared and moved extremely secretly, tricking all of us.¡± Miao Yang was also there, yet he didn¡¯t find anything either. If not for the fact that they couldn¡¯t seal the door in the end, they didn¡¯t know when they would know about this. Therefore, the elders could not be blamed for this. Miao Yang took a deep breath. Miao Fushan is right. Besides, he is a senior, so I naturally have to be more polite. If I order Miao Fushan around like this, I would really be crazy. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was impulsive.¡± Miao Fushan shook his head. ¡°Clan Leader, you were also worried about our clansmen.¡± Miao Yang looked at the coiling dragon pillar again with a frown. ¡°Who are these people? Where did they come from?¡± After realizing that something was wrong, they quickly entered and checked almost the entire holy hall. There was nothing amiss. Everything was exactly the same as it had been at the beginning. ¡°Clan Leader, could it be that someone tore through space and came in?¡± Miao Fushan pondered for a moment and asked. Miao Yang nodded thoughtfully. That is the most likely scenario. ¡°Besides, I have a feeling that the person who entered shouldn¡¯t be from the clan.¡± Miao Fushan raised his hand and pointed at the stars on the coiling dragon pillar. ¡°Look, this color¡­ It¡¯s not right.¡± When the members of the great phoenix dragon clan entered the coiling dragon pillar, the colors they revealed were the same. However, these people were of different colors and were completely different from the great phoenix dragons. Miao Yang¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. If they aren¡¯t from the clan, then¡­ they are outsiders?! However, Godly Dragon Island is heavily guarded and never allows anyone to enter easily. How could¡ª That¡¯s not right! Miao Yang suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed. Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue are still on Godly Dragon Island! He immediately said, ¡°Quick! Go and take a look at Seven Lotus Peak! See if those two are still there!¡± The elders glanced at each other in surprise and quickly understood. Does the clan leader mean that he suspects the two of them? ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go now!¡± an elder responded and turned to leave. However, he had only taken two steps when Miao Yang followed him with a dark expression. ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll go personally!¡± He was really worried about letting others go to Seven Lotus Peak. ¡°Elder Fushan, I¡¯ll leave this place to you for the time being.¡± Miao Fushan nodded. In this situation, it should probably really be those two people. It will be good for the clan leader to make a trip personally. Miao Yang strode away and quickly disappeared. ¡­ Seven Lotus Peak. It was quiet and normal. A guard craned his neck and looked in the direction of the holy hall. ¡°Didn¡¯t the last one come out just now? Why isn¡¯t there any movement now?¡± Logically speaking, everyone would leave one after another after the Thousand Summit ended. But after a while, it was actually quiet. Another guard said, ¡°Perhaps there are other things that haven¡¯t been settled? After all, the Thousand Summit has only been held once in so many years¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the two of them saw a figure rapidly flying over from afar! It was imposing and oppressive! It was actually¡­ ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± When they saw the person¡¯s face, the two guards were shocked and hurriedly bowed. Miao Yang¡¯s face seemed to be covered in a layer of ice. ¡°Where are Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue?!¡± The two of them were stunned. ¡°They¡ªthey¡¯re still inside¡­¡± Miao Yang knew that there was no point in asking further. He waved his sleeve and opened the barrier with all his might, entering in a flash! Chapter 1763 - 1763 Extermination 1763 Extermination He was so fast that he disappeared from the two guards¡¯ sight in the blink of an eye. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± The two people left behind looked confused. One of the guards said, ¡°Why did the clan leader suddenly come? Moreover¡­ his expression doesn¡¯t look good.¡± He had never seen the clan leader so angry! ¡°Could it be that they feel impatient after waiting for so long?¡± The other man frowned, then suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh no! Something must¡¯ve happened on Seven Lotus Peak!¡± At that moment, he couldn¡¯t care less. He moved his feet and chased after Miao Yang! The remaining guard quickly followed. ¡°Hey¡ªwhat¡¯s going on? Wait for me!¡± ¡­ Miao Yang arrived at Seven Lotus Peak and headed straight for the cave halfway up the mountain! As soon as he reached the cave entrance and saw the burn marks at the edge, his eyes twitched violently. He quickly walked inside! By the time the two guards arrived, Miao Yang had disappeared into the cave. The two of them looked at each other, but they didn¡¯t dare to step inside. They could only wait outside. The guard, who had been confused, now vaguely realized that something very serious had happened. His face was pale, and his voice trembled. ¡°What could¡¯ve happened? During this period of time, we¡¯ve been standing guard here conscientiously, day and night¡­ If there¡¯s really an accident, we should¡¯ve noticed something!¡± The other guard said nothing, but there was panic and fear in his eyes too. The clan leader¡¯s reaction was too telling. As guards, they would definitely bear the brunt of anything! At this moment, time seemed to pass slowly. After an unknown period of time, Miao Yang finally walked out of the cave. When the two guards saw his current expression, their hearts sank. Miao Yang placed one hand behind his back. His cold gaze landed on the two of them, and he asked, ¡°Where are they?¡± Both of them were stunned. What does he mean? Where are they? Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue¡­ escaped?! Miao Yang finally couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°I¡¯m asking you¡ªwhere are they!?¡± The sound finally brought them back to their senses. Plop! Both of them kneeled down. ¡°Clan Leader, we¡ªwe really don¡¯t know what has happened!¡± As long as we sensed something, how could we not report it?! Miao Yang gritted his teeth. Of course, he knew that these two people definitely didn¡¯t know anything, but that was what angered him the most! They are definitely the ones who have secretly broken into the holy hall! These two people have actually played their entire clan in the palm of their hands! The two guards were trembling. It was obvious that after making such a big mistake, they would suffer even if they didn¡¯t die this time! ¡°Have you really not noticed anything wrong during this period of time?¡± Miao Yang asked, unwilling to give up. One of the guards suddenly thought of something. ¡°A few days ago, there seemed to be a faint fluctuation in Seven Lotus Peak. But because the commotion was very small and disappeared very quickly, we only thought that it was caused by those two people and didn¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡± His voice trailed off as deep despair washed over him. At this moment, even they realized that this was indeed their major mistake! Just because of a moment of carelessness, the two of them had escaped¡ªthis was irrefutable! Miao Yang laughed angrily. From the looks of it, that might really be the commotion caused by those two people! It¡¯s very likely that they should¡¯ve already escaped from Seven Lotus Peak and gone to the holy hall then! Miao Yang glared at the two of them coldly. There seemed to be flames burning in his chest, almost driving him crazy! The two men also sensed danger and were about to speak. ¡°Clan¡ª¡± Whoosh! Miao Yang raised his hand, and a light blade flew out! It pierced through one person¡¯s chest! Shoo! Bright-red blood quickly gushed out from the guard¡¯s chest! As for the guard, his eyes were bulging with deep fear. He was clearly dead! When the other person saw this scene, he was shocked! The great phoenix dragon clan isn¡¯t allowed to casually kill our own kind! Even if we have made a huge mistake and need to be executed, we have to be judged by the elders. Why did the clan leader attack directly? He looked at Miao Yang and suddenly realized that the clan leader¡¯s usually gentle face had become crazy and ferocious! He knew that something was wrong and turned to run, but just as he took a step forward, the light blade quickly attacked from behind! It directly cut him in half! His footsteps instantly stopped. After a short moment, his body fell heavily to the ground, and he stopped breathing. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and the two of them were killed by Miao Yang. Miao Yang¡¯s expression was cold. With a flick of his sleeve, the two corpses quickly burned! In the blink of an eye, the two corpses turned to dust and scattered with the wind. Even the blood on the ground was burned away. Miao Yang glanced over his shoulder, a shadow crossing his eyes. Randomly, he took a step and instantly disappeared. ¡­ The holy hall. In the hall, everyone was waiting in silence. After some time, the door opened, and Miao Yang walked in again. He walked in a hurry. His face was cold and dark, and his entire body was covered in frost. Seeing his expression, everyone¡¯s hearts sank. Miao Fushan frowned and took a step forward. ¡°Clan Leader, how¡¯s the situation?¡± Miao Yang stood in front of the coiling dragon pillar with a cold smile. ¡°The two have already quietly escaped from Seven Lotus Peak. The ones inside¡­ must be them!¡± The atmosphere in the hall became even more solemn. ¡°Seven Lotus Peak is heavily guarded. How did they¡­ How did the people in charge of guarding not notice?¡± Miao Yang¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°They¡¯ve killed themselves to repent.¡± The elders revealed shocked expressions. Great phoenix dragons were all very proud. To them, committing suicide was very unpresentable. Therefore, almost nobody would choose to end their lives this way. Miao Fushan was also stunned. ¡°Then¡­ what about their corpses?¡± Miao Yang sighed. ¡°They burned themselves to death without leaving any bones.¡± The elders gasped. Miao Fushan¡¯s old face trembled. In the end, he sighed. ¡°What a pity¡­ Although this matter is serious, it shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­¡± Without even leaving a skeleton, their names will be erased from the family tree. There is nothing to commemorate them in the future. This is definitely the most tragic punishment. Miao Yang lowered his eyes. ¡°At that time, I was thinking about Rong Xiu and the others and didn¡¯t notice it for a moment, so¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. Now that things have come to this, it¡¯s useless to say anything else.¡± Miao Fushan half-turned and looked at the coiling dragon pillar. ¡°The most important thing now is to get them out of there!¡± Miao Yang nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Chapter 1764 - 1764 Demon Slaying Formation! 1764 Demon Slaying Formation! As he spoke, he walked to the coiling dragon pillar again and raised his right hand. Purple-gold scales quickly emerged and covered the back of his hand; those scales were sharp and reflected a cold color. Then, he clenched his fists and threw a punch! Rumble! A powerful force slammed into the coiling dragon pillar! ¡­ Boom! Another loud bang came from the sky! Chu Liuyue looked up. The commotion had stopped for a while. Thinking about it, Miao Yang and the others must¡¯ve discovered something. Sure enough, Miao Yang¡¯s voice came next. ¡°Rong Xiu! Shangguan Yue! How dare you!¡± Chu Liuyue curved her lips slightly. I knew that this matter wouldn¡¯t be hidden for long. Miao Yang isn¡¯t stupid; he will understand everything if he thinks about it and goes to Seven Lotus Peak. However, we can¡¯t go out yet. Her gaze shifted slightly. Miao Zhen¡¯s body has already been restored by more than half. At a rough estimate, it will take some time to complete. Before that, I have to ensure that Rong Xiu won¡¯t be affected by the outside world. Otherwise, it will be a huge loss. Chu Liuyue held her breath and focused, strengthening the surrounding God Realm again. ¡­ In the holy hall, Miao Yang looked at the unresponsive coiling dragon pillar in front of him. The anger in his heart almost rushed out of his chest! His eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Clan Leader, it seems that they¡¯re determined to stay inside forever,¡± Miao Fushan shook his head and said. ¡°We¡¯re outside, but they¡¯re inside. Unless they come out themselves, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be very difficult for us to force them out.¡± The coiling dragon pillar contained the power of their ancestors. It was noble, holy, and immovable. Even if all of them joined forces, they would be helpless. In the current situation, they could only wait. Miao Yang said nothing. Another elder whispered, ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ The two of them are humans. Logically speaking, they shouldn¡¯t even be able to enter this hall. How did they quietly enter the coiling dragon pillar?¡± His question immediately attracted the attention of the others. ¡°That¡¯s right! Aren¡¯t only our clansmen allowed to enter here?¡± ¡°Not to mention the humans, it¡¯s very difficult for our own clansmen to successfully enter this coiling dragon pillar. How did they do it?¡± ¡°¡­Not to mention anything else, but these two people are really scheming¡­¡± Miao Yang suddenly sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? Don¡¯t forget that Shangguan Yue still has the bones of an ancestor!¡± As for the legendary three-eyed eagle, it has used those bones to reconstruct its body! With this, what is so strange about them being able to enter the coiling dragon pillar? Everyone was silent. They had all underestimated the strength of those two people and thought that everything would be fine as long as they were locked up. Who would¡¯ve thought that they actually had such abilities? Miao Fushan asked, ¡°What are your next plans then, Clan Leader?¡± If we really wait like this, it will be too aggrieving. Who knows when they will come out? Miao Yang closed his eyes. ¡°Activate the Demon Slaying Formation!¡± Miao Fushan and the others¡¯ expressions changed. The Demon Slaying Formation was a top-notch formation of the great phoenix dragon clan and required more than ten elders to work together. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn¡¯t easily activate the Demon Slaying Formation. Miao Fushan said hesitantly, ¡°Clan Leader, the Demon Slaying Formation consumes a lot of strength. The clan has just finished the Thousand Summit. If we activate the Demon Slaying Formation now, won¡¯t it be a little inappropriate?¡± Miao Yang asked, ¡°Does Elder Fushan have a better way then? Now that they¡¯ve already entered the coiling dragon pillar, nobody knows what they¡¯ll do. If things blow up¡ª¡± Miao Fushan fell into deep thought. Miao Yang has a point. Such a thing has never happened in the clan, so we indeed have to be on full alert. One can never be too careful. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Miao Fushan nodded. The elders spread out and formed a circle with the coiling dragon pillar in the center. ¡°Condense!¡± Miao Yang was the first to make a move. Purple-gold light flew out of his palm! At the same time, a totem quickly appeared between his eyebrows! The other elders present followed closely behind! In an instant, several lights flew up and landed on the coiling dragon pillar! A rich purple-gold color quickly dyed the white jade dragon pillar! The dragon body carved on it gradually lit up, and a vast pressure gradually spread! Miao Yang shouted, ¡°Demon Slaying Formation¡ªactivate!¡± ¡­ After a few sounds in the sky, it stopped again. This time, even Miao Yang¡¯s voice stopped. Chu Liuyue raised her hand slightly and gazed at the sky with a frown. Did Miao Yang stop? Definitely not. This time, we have stepped on Miao Yang¡¯s bottom line; it is equivalent to giving him a heavy slap. How could he let it go so easily? Perhaps it is because they can¡¯t enter, so they are simply waiting outside? Miao Yang and the others will only make a move when we get out of here¡­ Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she suddenly sensed that something was wrong. A strange sound came from behind. She turned around. The sound seemed to come from deep in the woods. However, the lush forest obscured her vision, so she couldn¡¯t see what was happening. But the voice was getting closer. Gradually, Chu Liuyue could tell that it seemed to be¡­ the sound of trees falling! At this moment, she finally saw a shadow spreading toward them from afar. Under the heavy shadow, the thick and lush towering trees collapsed! Thump! A tree crashed down! Fallen leaves flew, and the ground shook! Her heart skipped a beat. This power is¡ª Hong hong hong! The same sound came from her right. Chu Liuyue quickly looked around and instantly gasped. That shadow was coming from all directions, surrounding them! Biting cold pressure and killing intent filled the air! Chu Liuyue instantly understood something. Miao Yang and the others have still taken action in the end! Even if they can¡¯t enter this place, they still have other methods to deal with us! Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu. Chapter 1765 - 1765 Puppet 1765 Puppet Chu Liuyue made a prompt decision and looked at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi had a connection with her, and she immediately nodded with a firm expression. Then she stepped forward and waved a small hand. Red-gold flames instantly rose and surrounded everyone! The trees were still collapsing. The black shadow continued to advance, destroying everything! Only then did Chu Liuyue see that it was actually a purple-black fog with faint golden stars. An indescribable pressure filled the air! Soon, the purple-black fog collided fiercely with the red-gold flames! Rumble! The two forces collided and intertwined fiercely! In an instant, sparks flew! Tuan Zi¡¯s face turned pale. This Demon Slaying Formation condensed the power of the great phoenix dragon elders. Tuan Zi was naturally not its match. Chu Liuyue mobilized the force in her body and injected force into it, causing the flames to surge. The speed of the purple-black fog finally stopped, and the two sides fell into a stalemate. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in her mouth. Tuan Zi and I are probably not a match for this thing. We might be able to hold on for a while, but it is impossible for us to last longer. I wonder if we can last until Miao Zhen¡¯s physical body is reconstructed¡­ Right at this moment, the purple-black fog seemed to have sensed the obstruction ahead and quickly gathered! Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and saw that the fog had actually formed Miao Yang¡¯s appearance! His appearance and figure were exactly the same as the real Miao Yang! However, his eyes were empty like those of stiff puppets. He opened his mouth, and it was also Miao Yang¡¯s threatening voice that sounded. ¡°Rong Xiu, Shangguan Yue, do you really want to go against my great phoenix dragon clan to the end?!¡± The voice was very gloomy, completely different from the reaction he had when he first saw them. It could be seen that Miao Yang had completely lost his patience and had a strong killing intent toward them! Chu Liuyue actually didn¡¯t care about this. Miao Yang had never thought of talking to them properly from the beginning; he had always been high and mighty and had never taken them seriously. From that moment, Chu Liuyue knew that Miao Yang was deeply hostile to them. Now, he just couldn¡¯t pretend anymore. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Clan Leader Miao Yang, we were just bored staying at Seven Lotus Peak and came out to take a look. Why are you in such a hurry? We¡¯ll naturally go out after we¡¯ve seen and played enough.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice clearly came from the coiling dragon pillar and echoed in the entire hall. Miao Yang¡¯s expression darkened. They were bored and came out to take a look? What kind of place do they think this is that they can enter and leave freely?! Shangguan Yue is indeed as Miao Yao said¡ªarrogant to the extreme! Miao Yang laughed angrily. ¡°Alright! Since you want to play, I¡¯ll accompany you to the end!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly sat on the ground and closed his eyes. The totem between his eyebrows flickered! At the same time, the puppet in the coiling dragon pillar¡ªwhich looked exactly like Miao Yang¡ªalso had the same totem flash between its eyebrows! An extremely dangerous aura emitted from the puppet¡¯s body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Following this, the puppet stomped heavily on the ground and headed straight for them! Without hesitation, Chu Liuyue quickly flew out and chose to fight it. Whoosh! A sharp sound tore through the air. The snow-white and sharp Chi Xiao Sword had already appeared in her palm! The next moment, she rushed out of the barrier formed by the golden flames and the silver-red God Realm! ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi shouted worriedly, her small face full of worry. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t turn around and only shouted, ¡°Tuan Zi, watch the barrier!¡± Leave the rest to me! Although Tuan Zi was worried, she still nodded involuntarily. The flames in her eyes burned even more fiercely! On the other side, Chu Liuyue and the puppet were already engaged in close combat. ¡°Chi Xiao Sword!¡± The sword moved as she held it with both hands and quickly slashed down. The puppet raised its arm. Purple-gold dragon scales gradually grew on it, hard and gorgeous! Clang! The blade landed on the scale armor with a crisp sound! Crack! A thin crack bloomed on the scale armor, but the puppet¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. The next moment, the purple-black fog covered the crack, returning the puppet to normal in the blink of an eye. Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils dilated. The repair ability of this puppet¡¯s body is actually so heaven-defying! Miao Yang¡¯s voice came from the puppet¡¯s mouth. It was dark, cold, and filled with undisguised mockery. ¡°A mere true god can mobilize a supreme Yuan instrument. It¡¯s indeed extraordinary, but¡­ that¡¯s all you can do!¡± Even a true legendary warrior wasn¡¯t his match, let alone Shangguan Yue, who was of a lower level. Immediately after, the puppet bent its elbow and swung out! The sharp and tough scales drew a cold and short arc in the air. Chu Liuyue blocked it with her sword! Whir! A force as heavy as a mountain smashed over! Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest tightened, and the strong taste of blood instantly filled her mouth! The cultivation method of great phoenix dragons was very different from that of the human race. Most of the energy they devoured would fuse with their bones, tendons, and bloodline, causing their physical strength to often be extremely great. Human puppets might lose a lot of combat strength because they couldn¡¯t mobilize their force. However, great phoenix dragons didn¡¯t have such concerns. For example, although this puppet wasn¡¯t as strong as the real Miao Yang, it was not much weaker. This was especially so since this puppet had gathered the power of the elders! His power was naturally greater! Chu Liuyue¡¯s close combat ability could be considered top-notch among cultivators who were also true gods. But at this moment, the other party¡¯s attack could still easily injure her. She swallowed the bloody taste in her mouth and passed the Chi Xiao Sword to her right hand. A black shield then appeared in her left hand! Just as she summoned the black shield, the puppet¡¯s second punch had already landed! Whir! The impact was dull! Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist instantly went numb, but fortunately, she still blocked the force of the punch. Her feet were already deep in the ground. ¡°You still have a lot of trump cards. Unfortunately, you¡¯re not strong enough. These tricks are meaningless!¡± The puppet approached Chu Liuyue and threw another punch! The black shield removed a lot of the shocking force, but some of it still landed on Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body flew backward uncontrollably! She flipped her palm and stabbed her sword into the ground! Whoosh¡ª The Chi Xiao Sword drew a deep ravine in the ground! Relying on this resistance, Chu Liuyue finally stabilized herself. But before she could catch her breath, the puppet had already attacked again! Whoosh! Several scales flew out of the puppet¡¯s body and instantly surrounded Chu Liuyue! The sharp whistling sound was ear-piercing! Chapter 1766 - 1766 The Sound of the Zither Begins 1766 The Sound of the Zither Begins Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up and was almost mesmerized by the scene in front of her. Without hesitation, she immediately used the black shield in front of her to cover her figure completely! Clang clang clang! An intense and ear-piercing collision sounded, and dark-red blood slowly seeped out of the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s mouth. This cannot go on¡­ Chu Liuyue thought to herself. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re not my match. If you come out immediately, kneel down, and beg for mercy, my great phoenix dragon clan might still leave your corpse intact!¡± Miao Yang shouted coldly. A bloodthirsty and mocking smile appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. He hasn¡¯t even won yet! He is too arrogant! She closed her eyes, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind as she held the hilt of the Chi Xiao Sword tightly in her hand. The lines on it were almost engraved in her palm. This can¡¯t go on. She licked her lips, the sticky, bloody taste even more pungent than before. Although the other party is only a puppet, it is Miao Yang¡¯s puppet. If I want to win, my previous methods probably won¡¯t work. I have to think of other methods¡­ Miao Yang was furious and disdainful that Chu Liuyue stayed behind the black shield. Shangguan Yue¡¯s thing is indeed extraordinary, but while she can hide for a period, how long can she sustain it?! A puppet born from the Demon Slaying Formation and condensed by the power of the elders has super high combat strength. Even if it is damaged, it won¡¯t feel any pain and can quickly repair itself! I¡¯m already invincible! Shangguan Yue¡ªwhat can she use to fight me?! In the hall, the totem between Miao Yang¡¯s eyebrows shone brighter and brighter. The aura lingering around him was very shocking! Seeing this, the elders secretly exchanged glances. They all understood that the clan leader was really angry this time. He is determined to kill those two people! ¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you.¡± The puppet spat out these words coldly. The puppet¡¯s face was expressionless, and its eyes were empty, but Chu Liuyue could still hear endless sarcasm and contempt in Miao Yang¡¯s tone. The puppet walked forward, its entire body filled with killing intent! To Miao Yang, the current Chu Liuyue was just an ant; he could easily kill her with one finger. Hence, he didn¡¯t take her seriously at all. ¡°If you had agreed to erase your memories at the beginning, how could this have happened?¡± Miao Yang had always thought that humans were stupid¡ªRong Xiu and Chu Liuyue even more so. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. ¡°I know your identity is extraordinary¡ªthe Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort and the personal disciple of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director¡­ In the entire God Residence Realm, there are very few people who dare to provoke you. Unfortunately, you came to the wrong place this time and offended someone you can¡¯t afford to offend!¡± The two ancient legendary fiend clans had always been noble and proud. They dared to do what others didn¡¯t dare to do and were fearless! Moreover, Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue made a mistake this time. Even if the Sky-Cloud Empire and Ling Xiao Academy wanted to find trouble with them in the future, they wouldn¡¯t have a legitimate reason! Therefore, in these few days, he had to kill these two people! As the puppet walked forward step by step, cracks appeared on the ground! A purple-black fog spread. Tuan Zi looked over nervously, her heart clenched tightly by something. She wanted to come forward, but recalling Chu Liuyue¡¯s previous instructions, she could only stay where she was and support the surrounding barrier. Finally, the puppet stood three steps in front of Chu Liuyue. It then reached out and grasped at the air! The black shield was instantly sent flying! Just like that, Chu Liuyue was completely exposed to the other party¡¯s gaze. At this moment, she didn¡¯t escape. Instead, she sat cross-legged with her eyes closed. The blood at the corner of her mouth was dark and mournful, making her face even paler. It didn¡¯t look good. The puppet was expressionless as it flipped its wrist. A purple-gold whip suddenly appeared in its hand! The shape of the whip was very strange, and it was formed by layers of scales. At a glance, it looked like the tail of a great phoenix dragon. ¡°Die!¡± Miao Yang shouted and swung his whip fiercely, heading straight for Chu Liuyue! Wherever the whip passed, the space shook violently, almost about to collapse! The hair on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead fluttered with the strong wind. However, she remained motionless as if she were completely unaware of the impending danger. In the blink of an eye, the whip had already arrived in front of her and was about to land on her! If this whip landed, she would either die or be crippled! ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes widened, and she almost rushed over! Rong Xiu¡¯s palm moved slightly, and black flames burned in his eyes! But at this moment, a zither suddenly sounded! The sound of the zither was bleak and clanging! Just this sound instantly made people feel as if they were in a sea of blood. It was as if overwhelming killing intent from an ancient time and space enveloped the entire world! Tuan Zi retracted her steps and widened her grape-like eyes as she stared at Chu Liuyue in shock. The thin woman was sitting cross-legged with a straight back. Her black hair fell, making her look even thinner. Her face was very pale as if she would collapse at any moment. However, those eyes that suddenly opened were clear; they were filled with fighting spirit! An invincible and vast aura quickly spread from her body! At this moment, Chu Liuyue raised her hands in the air, palms down. Her green fingertips gently moved in the air, and the zither sounded again! A scarlet-gold, inch-long blade of light flew out from under her hand! Whoosh! The purple-gold whip was instantly severed from the middle! Chapter 1767 - 1767 Force as the String! 1767 Force as the String! In the holy hall, Miao Yang¡¯s body trembled, and he suddenly opened his eyes, which were filled with shock and surprise. ¡°How is that possible?!¡± At the same time, the other elders in the hall also suffered the backlash of this power to varying degrees. Their expressions changed as they looked at the coiling dragon pillar in disbelief. Just now¡­ Shangguan Yue blocked an attack from the Demon Slaying Formation?! Isn¡¯t she a true god?! Wasn¡¯t she about to lose just now?! What is going on now? Miao Fushan frowned. ¡°Did you hear anything just now?¡± Everyone was silent for a moment. Then, someone said with uncertainty, ¡°It seems¡­ to be the sound of a zither!?¡± Miao Fushan nodded solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªit¡¯s indeed the sound of the zither! That sound contains an extremely shocking power. It¡¯s definitely not something a true god like Shangguan Yue can possess! I wonder what method she used to actually find such help¡­¡± Even if it isn¡¯t her strength, she can still resist us when she uses it! ¡°To be able to resist the Demon Slaying Formation¡­ Even a legendary warrior can¡¯t do it! She¡ª¡± Everyone was shocked. ¡°At such a young age, she¡¯s sinister and cunning. She has many tricks up her sleeve!¡± Miao Yang gritted his teeth. I really underestimated Shangguan Yue! No wonder she was so arrogant previously; it turned out that she still had such a trump card! ¡°Clan Leader, what do you think we should do next?¡± A trace of worry appeared in Miao Fushan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Although the Demon Slaying Formation is extremely lethal, it¡¯s still being used in the coiling dragon pillar after all. With the natural suppression of the ancestor¡¯s might, the power of this Demon Slaying Formation can¡¯t be completely unleashed. If Shangguan Yue can always rely on this power, it¡¯ll probably be difficult for us to kill her.¡± Although the words were harsh, they were the truth. Miao Yang was furious. He hated himself for not killing the two of them immediately! If these two troubles had been resolved at that time, there wouldn¡¯t have been so much trouble! But now, it is useless to say anything. There are only two options facing us. First, use stronger methods to force the two of them out. Second, wait patiently here. They won¡¯t stay inside for the rest of their lives. When they come out, we will make our move. But Miao Yang didn¡¯t want to choose the second option. The dignified great phoenix dragon clan was actually played by two humans and even acted arrogantly in the holy hall! If word gets out, our entire clan will lose face! I, Miao Yang, would definitely become the laughingstock of the entire God Residence Realm in the future! ¡°Carry on!¡± There was already a hint of madness in Miao Yang¡¯s eyes. A light flashed in his hand, and a sharp scale instantly appeared. Immediately after, he cut his palm with the scale without hesitation! Dark-red blood instantly surged out! ¡°Clan Leader!?¡± The elders present were all shocked. Is the clan leader going to offer a blood sacrifice? Just to force the two humans out of the coiling dragon pillar? Although this could stimulate the Demon Slaying Formation¡¯s greater power, it would also cause great damage to Miao Yang¡¯s body. Ever since he became the clan leader, he had never officially used the blood sacrifice in the past hundreds of years. Today¡­ However, Miao Yang was already determined. With a thought, the blood in his palm quickly condensed into a blood pearl that headed toward the coiling dragon pillar! Then, under everyone¡¯s gazes, the blood pearled quickly disappeared into the coiling dragon pillar. A faint layer of blood gradually spread! ¡­ Looking at the broken whip, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up like stars. It¡¯s done! Initially, I only wanted to give it a try. Unexpectedly, I really did it! ¡°A¡¯Yue is amazing!¡± Tuan Zi came back to her senses and couldn¡¯t help but shout. Her originally pale face was stained red with excitement. The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she heaved a sigh of relief. When she was hiding behind the black shield earlier, she had actually thought a lot. She knew very well that hiding wasn¡¯t an option, so she had to think of a way to stop the other party¡¯s attack, thinking that it could buy Rong Xiu and the others more time. As a true god, her strength was limited. It was obviously unrealistic for her to win by relying on her own strength. Hence, she chose to borrow strength¡ªborrow the power of the water droplet in her dantian! Ever since she fused the two incomplete music scores, it had returned to its previous round and clear water droplet form and quietly floated in her dantian. She recalled that back at the God-Killing Tumulus, Senior Ah Jing had relied on that song to unleash extremely great strength. Since she already had two-thirds of the music score and was quite familiar with that song, why couldn¡¯t she give it a try?! To the others, she just sat there with closed eyes as if giving up. In fact, at that time, she was only thinking back to that tune. She didn¡¯t have a zither in her hand, but when the thought occurred to her, the water droplet in her dantian immediately reacted. Vigorous force surged out, then spread through her limbs and finally flowed out of her palm. Somehow, she felt as if she already had a zither under her hand. The sound of the zither kept echoing in her mind. Almost subconsciously, she tapped her fingers, and the zither sounded! At this moment, she suddenly understood¡ªit didn¡¯t matter if she had a zither or not! This was because to play this score, one had to use force as the strings! She looked down. A few strings that were glowing brightly but were extremely clear had already appeared in front of her! The zither¡¯s appearance was vaguely similar to the one in Senior Ah Jing¡¯s hand, but it was extremely incomplete. It was probably¡­ because the score in her body was still incomplete. However, this was enough for her! Chapter 1768 - 1768 Kill! 1768 Kill! Chu Liuyue raised her eyes. Not far in front of her, the puppet also stood rooted to the ground. Its face was expressionless, and its eyes were empty. Miao Yang had clearly suffered a loss and was shocked. Suddenly, blood quickly dyed the puppet¡¯s dark and empty eyes! Its aura also changed drastically! Alarm bells rang in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart! Immediately after, scales appeared on the puppet! Dark-red blood flowed everywhere, almost dyeing the puppet¡¯s body completely red! What happened next made Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils constrict. This was because the puppet in front of her had gradually evolved into the true form of the great phoenix dragon! Its pressure was almost no different from the real Miao Yang! The thick smell of blood filled the air! The sky quickly darkened, and a strong wind instantly howled! Chu Liuyue pursed her lips and stared at the puppet. After this puppet transformed into its true form, its strength is clearly greater than before! Those scarlet eyes were cold, bloodthirsty, and cruel! The puppet stared at Chu Liuyue intently as if it were looking at prey that it was determined to get. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched tightly by something. The blood in her limbs and bones seemed to have frozen, and her entire body turned cold! Without hesitation, she plucked the strings again! Shing! Although the tune was incomplete, she had heard it countless times after being trapped in the black wall for a long time. Therefore, at this moment, she quickly swept her fair hand across the strings almost instinctively! For a moment, the sound of the zither was overflowing with killing intent! Roar! In mid-air, the great phoenix dragon roared into the sky, almost shaking the world! Chu Liuyue felt that the force in her body seemed to be boiling at this moment! She forced herself to calm down, and the sound of the zither became even more urgent! Countless golden blades of light flew out from her hands! Whoosh! These light blades landed on the great phoenix dragon¡¯s body and instantly left several wounds! But at this moment, the recovery ability of the great phoenix dragon seemed to be stronger. In just a few breaths, the wounds had completely recovered! In fact, not even a trace was left behind! Whoosh! The great phoenix dragon¡¯s huge tail swung out heavily! A strong wind swept over, messing up her hair and almost cutting her skin! A dangerous purple-gold color reflected in her eyes. A burning pain suddenly came from between her eyebrows, and a strange totem gradually appeared between her eyebrows! An indescribable vast pressure came from it! The great phoenix dragon seemed to have sensed something and suddenly paused. With this moment of hesitation, Chu Liuyue quickly made a move! She used almost all her strength to strum the strings! Her fingertips stung¡ªher fingers were actually cut by the strings! Blood dripped onto the strings and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The sound of the zither paused for a moment. Then, two light blades¡ªone pure gold and the other transparent¡ªflew out from under her hand! The two light blades flew out at the same time and pierced into the great phoenix dragon¡¯s body! One entered its head! The other entered its tail! Roar! This painful blow finally made the great phoenix dragon let out a miserable cry! Because of the pain, its body jumped and swung crazily in midair. However, the two light blades seemed to be much stronger than the previous ones. At this moment, they nailed it to the ground one by one. No matter how it struggled, it could not break free! ¡­ At the same time, Miao Yang¡ªwho was in the holy hall¡ªsuddenly trembled, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth! ¡°Clan Leader!¡± When the elders saw this scene, they were all alarmed and shocked. Isn¡¯t the blood sacrifice already done? Logically speaking, Shangguan Yue shouldn¡¯t be able to last long. Why has she hurt the clan leader now? Miao Yang supported himself with one hand on the coiling dragon pillar and gritted his teeth. His heart was filled with hatred! What is going on with Shangguan Yue?! Every time I think she is at the end of her rope, she can always turn the tables! Nobody knows how many trump cards she has! This is too infuriating! ¡°That zither sound¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but shout in a low voice. The crowd exchanged glances. Actually, they also wanted to know the answer. They had all heard the zither clearly when it had sounded. The sound of the zither contained too shocking a power¡ªeven they felt their hearts tremble. What kind of zither sound can withstand the Demon Slaying Formation? Even the blood sacrifice of the clan leader can¡¯t take her life!? ¡°Don¡¯t you think something¡¯s wrong? From the beginning to now, it has always been Shangguan Yue fighting us. Rong Xiu hasn¡¯t moved at all. I wonder what¡¯s going on,¡± an elder commented nervously. Outside, they wouldn¡¯t know the situation inside the coiling dragon pillar. Even if they activated the Demon Slaying Formation, they could only roughly guess what was going on inside. ¡°Besides¡­ There are a total of four light spots here. Other than Shangguan Yue and Rong Xiu, there are two other unidentified people¡­¡± There was too much uncertainty about those two! Miao Yang¡¯s face darkened. Of course, he had thought of all this, but the two of them had been hiding inside. The people outside didn¡¯t know what was going on inside. The Demon Slaying Formation had a puppet of him, but at most, he could only know the situation of the battle between this puppet and his opponent. From the beginning until now, it had always been Shangguan Yue who came out to fight. As for Rong Xiu, he never appeared. Therefore, he didn¡¯t know what Rong Xiu was doing. This made Miao Yang even more frustrated. What is Rong Xiu¡¯s relationship with Shangguan Yue? Logically speaking, under such circumstances, he will never let Shangguan Yue come out alone to deal with it. Unless¡­ Rong Xiu has more important things to deal with! However, what did they encounter in the coiling dragon pillar that is worth him doing this? Miao Yang felt a strong sense of unease. For some reason, something bad seemed like it was about to happen. However, he didn¡¯t know at all! Miao Yang fiercely wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Then, he placed his palm on the coiling dragon pillar again and urged the power in his body even more crazily! ¡°Carry on! I want to see how long that Shangguan Yue can last!¡± I don¡¯t believe that a human can be lawless in our territory! When the elders heard this, they could only return to their original positions and attack again! ¡­ Roar! A shrill and crazy dragon roar resounded through the world! A purple-gold light flashed, and blood splattered! The great phoenix dragon puppet actually cut off its tail that had been nailed to the ground! Its arm was bloody! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart raced. The dragon had already swung its broken tail and charged at her again. Chapter 1769 - 1769 Trash! 1769 Trash! But at this moment, a powerful pressure suddenly spread out from behind Chu Liuyue! She was shocked and suddenly realized something. A pair of iron arms suddenly wrapped around her waist. The cold fragrance, mixed with the faint bitter medicinal fragrance, enveloped her silently. Chu Liuyue¡¯s tense mind instantly relaxed. She turned around and saw that Rong Xiu had already arrived behind her. She looked up at Rong Xiu steadily and was slightly taken aback. There was no sign of exhaustion on that handsome and devilish face. His phoenix eyes were deep and his eyebrows relaxed. ¡°You¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was at a loss for words and didn¡¯t know what to say. It is extremely difficult to help a great phoenix dragon reconstruct its body. However, Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t seem to be affected at all. For a moment, a thought even appeared in her mind. To Rong Xiu, this seems to be a small matter. Seeing that she was in a daze, Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. He then lowered his head slightly and kissed her between her eyebrows, his eyes filled with love. ¡°Thank you, Yue¡¯er.¡± Although he had been busy there, he knew everything that had happened here. Chu Liuyue subconsciously shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re my man. Of course, it¡¯s up to me to protect you.¡± When Rong Xiu heard this, a faint light flashed across his eyes, and the smile on his lips deepened. Then, he hugged her slender waist tightly, almost wanting to rub her into his bones. Thump! A loud crash came from behind. It was the great phoenix dragon that swung its broken tail fiercely, but it collided with a reddish-gold barrier! On the barrier, light flowed, and the pressure was illustrious! It easily blocked the broken tail outside without even causing a ripple! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked over Rong Xiu¡¯s shoulder. A tall and burly figure had appeared beside the lake. It was a man who looked to be in his 40s. He wore a black brocade robe and had a square face. His eyes were deep and unfathomable. An indescribably powerful aura exuded from his body! The only shortcoming was that the positions of the two arms were empty. That was because the two wing bones on this skeleton had already fused into Zi Chen¡¯s body. But even though he was only standing there, his pressure didn¡¯t decrease at all! Some people were destined to be the most noble and powerful existences. Miao Zhen was such a person! Just this aura alone was more imposing than Miao Yang¡¯s! At this moment, she suddenly understood why Miao Yang had such deep hatred for Miao Zhen back then. He had used all kinds of methods to get rid of him at all costs. With such a person around, there would never be a day when he would stand out! Unfortunately, Miao Yang was still one step behind. He never would¡¯ve thought that Miao Zhen¡ªwhom he thought had been resolved long ago¡ªwas actually still alive! At this moment, after being stopped by the barrier, the great phoenix dragon also looked over unwillingly! But after seeing the figure standing there, the great phoenix dragon suddenly stopped! Miao Zhen laughed and shouted energetically, ¡°Miao Yang, it¡¯s been a long time! How have you been?¡± ¡­ Miao Yang was shocked and took a few steps back uncontrollably. He widened his eyes and stared at the coiling dragon pillar in front of him in disbelief! As soon as he fell into chaos, the other elders couldn¡¯t help but be affected. The entire Demon Slaying Formation swayed unsteadily. The elders also heard that voice. Looking at Miao Yang¡¯s extremely strange reaction, they were filled with doubts. ¡°Who¡­ Who¡¯s talking? It doesn¡¯t sound like Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue.¡± More importantly, that person had directly called out the name of the clan leader, Miao Yang, and said: How have you been? Is it someone the clan leader used to know then? Moreover, Miao Yang seemed to know the other party¡¯s identity the moment he heard that voice. Just as everyone was confused, Miao Fushan¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°This voice¡ªcould it be¡­ Miao Zhen!?¡± He spoke the last two words very softly, but in the quiet hall, it was like a thunderclap that exploded in everyone¡¯s hearts! Miao Zhen¡ªit had been too many years since anyone had mentioned that name. That was the humiliation of the great phoenix dragon clan and their taboo. They had almost forgotten this person existed. Now that Miao Fushan suddenly mentioned him, they suddenly remembered the person who was once extremely talented and finally ferocious and crazy. Almost one-third of the people present had never seen Miao Zhen. However, they were also familiar with that name. At this moment, as soon as this name sounded, everyone fell into an even colder silence. In fact, the entire great phoenix dragon clan had never forgotten this name¡ªthis person! After a long while, an elder asked in a trembling voice, ¡°¡­How¡­ is that possible!?¡± Isn¡¯t Miao Zhen already dead, and he died a thousand years ago!? Why did he suddenly appear again and in the coiling dragon pillar?! Nobody spoke. They all knew in their hearts that no matter how impossible this sounded, Miao Fushan and Miao Yang¡¯s reactions had already surpassed thousands of words! The person talking inside was definitely Miao Zhen! Miao Yang¡¯s mind went blank. His ears buzzed, and his entire body turned cold. Miao Zhen¡­ The moment he heard that voice, he knew the other party¡¯s identity! How is he still alive¡­ How is he still alive!? Miao Yang suddenly came back to his senses and abruptly raised his head. He stared at the coiling dragon pillar with a stubborn and crazy expression. At this moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Could it be that Miao Zhen has been hiding here for the past thousand years¡ª Rumble! The coiling dragon pillar suddenly shone! The dragon carved on it seemed to have come to life, and its scales flickered with light! At a glance, it was lifelike as if it would fly up from the coiling dragon pillar at any moment! Miao Yang¡¯s heart sank! He opened his mouth and was about to order everyone to gather again when an incomparably powerful pressure erupted from the dragon¡¯s body! Then, a terrifying power rushed over! Miao Yang knew that something was wrong. He was about to retreat, but it was too late! Thump! The door of the holy hall suddenly broke open! A strong wind blew and overturned Miao Yang! His body instantly flew out uncontrollably and fell outside the door! ¡°Shoo!¡± As if something had ruthlessly crushed his body, his chest trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood uncontrollably! Almost at the same time, a purple-gold light rushed out of the coiling dragon pillar! A tall and burly figure stood not far from Miao Yang and laughed. ¡°Miao Yang, it¡¯s been a thousand years! I thought you had made some progress, but it turns out that you¡¯re still as useless as before!¡± Everyone waiting in the square was stunned when they saw this scene. This¡­ What is going on?! Chapter 1770 - 1770 Showdown 1770 Showdown Miao Yang is the clan leader! How could he be chased out of the holy hall in such a sorry state?! Also, who is that man? Countless gazes gathered. The man looked to be in his 40s. He had a square face, a burly figure, and an astonishing aura. It was actually a great phoenix dragon! Only his two sleeves were empty as if he was missing two arms¡­ However, this didn¡¯t affect his dignity at all. Just by standing there, he could already make people subconsciously look up to him and submit! There was dead silence on the square. Everyone watched this scene in a daze. After a moment, an older person finally reacted. ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± His lips trembled, but for a long time, he did not say the name. At this moment, Miao Yang finally stood up and stared at the person in front of him with bloodshot eyes. He clenched his fists so tightly that he almost crushed his bones! ¡°Miao Zhen, it¡¯s really you!¡± He spat out each word as if it were squeezed from between his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re actually¡­ still alive!¡± There was undisguised hatred in his eyes! When the surrounding people heard this, they were all dumbfounded. Miao Zhen? Could it be that Miao Zhen from a thousand years ago?! Miao Zhen laughed. ¡°You¡¯re not dead yet, Miao Yang, so how could I be dead? I still have to live well and settle all the debts from back then with you!¡± Miao Yang¡¯s heart seemed to tighten, and his eyes flickered. However, he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person after all. To be able to fight his way out of the encirclement under the circumstances back then, the position of clan leader was enough to show how powerful he was. Therefore, the guilt only lasted for a moment before he controlled his expression. He laughed and slowly wiped the blood from his mouth. ¡°The debts from back then? Miao Zhen, although I remember our relationship back then, you were the one who did something to let the entire clan down. Now that I¡¯m the clan leader, I really can¡¯t help you intercede, let alone stand on your side.¡± ¡°All these years, everyone thought that you had died, but they didn¡¯t expect you to actually hide secretly. You even hid in the coiling dragon pillar of the holy hall! Staying there day and night, don¡¯t you feel any guilt toward your ancestors and clansmen!?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was in an uproar! ¡°I see¡­ I see! Not only did Miao Zhen not die back then, but he even hid in the holy hall!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be Miao Zhen¡­ He¡¯s so arrogant and insolent; it¡¯s exactly the same as the rumors¡­ Oh right, didn¡¯t they say that he had already died and that his soul was destroyed back then? Why did he¡­ Also, the people in the clan can only enter the coiling dragon pillar once in their lives. Didn¡¯t he go there in the past? How did he hide there for a thousand years?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! Besides, we¡¯ve held many Thousand Summits in the past thousand years. Why haven¡¯t we sensed his existence?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a sinner of the clan. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to survive and live to this day. How could he casually expose himself?¡± ¡­ In the square, many people were discussing something in low voices. It could be seen that their attitude toward Miao Zhen was filled with disgust and anger. Those who killed their own clansmen and betrayed them deserved to die! Miao Zhen heard those words clearly. He also saw their gazes clearly, but there was no anger on his face. Instead, he smiled. This scene was too familiar. A thousand years ago, it was also here that those people convicted him, sentenced him, and sent him to hell. He actually couldn¡¯t remember many details from that time, but he still remembered deeply and clearly the anger and unwillingness at that time, as well as the huge sense of betrayal and injustice. After a long time, he was no longer affected in the face of such a situation again. Miao Yang saw the smile on Miao Zhen¡¯s face and immediately found it blinding. What is he laughing at? Can¡¯t he tell how these people are treating him? Even if he is still alive and has returned, the entire great phoenix dragon clan will no longer accept him! He can actually smile in such a situation? Miao Yang couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Miao Zhen, don¡¯t you have anything to say to everyone?¡± With the support of these people, Miao Yang suddenly felt much more confident. He knew that Miao Zhen wanted to settle scores with him, but after his initial shock and panic, he thought about it carefully and did not panic. What am I afraid of? Everything that happened back then was flawless. Miao Zhen definitely doesn¡¯t have any evidence. If he did, why would he wait until now to take it out? Besides, after so many years, everything was settled and buried by the dust of time. Miao Zhen¡­ How could he still have a chance to turn things around?! Thinking of this, Miao Yang straightened his back. Even the way he looked at Miao Zhen became aggressive! Everyone gradually fell silent, waiting for Miao Zhen to answer. But in the face of Miao Yang¡¯s question, Miao Zhen didn¡¯t seem to care about any of this. He snorted a laugh as if he had heard a joke. Then, he suddenly turned around and looked at the holy hall. ¡°You guys come over too!¡± These words were full of energy, and each word was like a hammer that smashed into everyone¡¯s hearts. Everyone¡¯s gazes followed. Who is he calling? The door to the holy hall was still open. The elders who had been inside had already walked out one after another when Miao Zhen beat Miao Yang out. Logically speaking, there should be no one in the hall at this moment. Suddenly, Miao Yang seemed to have thought of something, and his expression changed. Hang on! There are indeed people who have yet to come out! Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Miao Zhen saw two figures walking out of the holy hall side by side! When he saw the two of them clearly, Miao Yang suddenly clenched his fists! Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue¡ªit really is them! Almost instantly, Miao Yang connected the dots. No wonder Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue could enter the coiling dragon pillar silently! No wonder Miao Zhen, who had already died back then, has a physical body again! They are clearly working together! After figuring this out, Miao Yang almost threw his head back and laughed. Miao Zhen is really crazy! In order to reconstruct his body and return for revenge, he actually hooked up with the human race! Not to mention him, even the entire great phoenix dragon clan won¡¯t let this matter rest easily! This is simply another crime that confirms the shame of the race! I don¡¯t believe that the great phoenix dragon clan, which has been arrogant for tens of thousands of years, will accept such a thing! But just as he was about to sneer and mock them, he saw a small figure behind them. It looked like a three or four-year-old girl. She was cute and wore a pure-gold lotus leaf dress. She wore her hair in two buns. When she walked, the bells on her head would tinkle crisply and pleasantly. At this moment, she was hugging a purple-gold ball of light and following behind. Miao Yang was stunned for a moment before he gasped! Chapter 1771 - 1771 Calculating Debt! 1771 Calculating Debt! ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± I definitely won¡¯t mistake that girl¡¯s aura. She is the red-gold heavenly phoenix without a doubt! Very quickly, the people in the entire square felt Tuan Zi¡¯s presence and gasped in shock. ¡°That¡¯s a red-gold heavenly phoenix!¡± ¡°How did a red-gold heavenly phoenix appear in Godly Dragon Island?!¡± ¡°No! She looks pretty young¡­ How did she turn into human form?!¡± ¡­ The entire square was silent. However, Miao Yang suddenly recalled something and narrowed his eyes slightly. That¡¯s Shangguan Yue¡¯s legendary fiend! However, wasn¡¯t this red-gold heavenly phoenix stopped outside Godly Dragon Island? How did it appear here again?! Countless thoughts flashed across his mind messily. Miao Yang gradually realized that many matters had already spiraled out of his control! Everything¡­ is developing toward an unpredictable danger! He immediately took a step forward, pointed at Miao Zhen, and sharply yelled, ¡°Miao Zhen, you¡¯re too overboard! Not only did you collude with the humans and casually allow them to enter the coiling dragon pillar, but you even allowed a red-gold heavenly phoenix in there! What exactly were you thinking? Ask your conscience¡ªcan you face our ancestors? Face our entire great phoenix dragon clan?!¡± At this point, Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue had already walked to Miao Zhen¡¯s side. Tuan Zi followed them, still holding the purplish-golden ball of light in her arms¡ªit was Zi Chen. This ball of light was larger than her body, but luckily, she wasn¡¯t an ordinary human child but a red-gold heavenly phoenix. Hence, it wasn¡¯t considered tiring for her to hold this ball of light. Walking to the place, Tuan Zi placed the ball of light down again and sighed deeply. For some reason, Zi Chen hasn¡¯t come out of that place until now. The purplish-golden light had already covered Zi Chen¡¯s entire figure. Even Tuan Zi, who was standing so near, couldn¡¯t see the inside situation clearly. Chu Liuyue smiled and stroked her head. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you, Tuan Zi.¡± Originally, I planned to bring Zi Chen over personally. But before I could do it, Tuan Zi took action before me. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all! I should take care of my little brother!¡± Tuan Zi broke out into a wide smile. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly, and her gaze swept past that ball of light again. At this point, Zi Chen¡¯s figure couldn¡¯t be seen, and the aura rumbling on that ball of light had calmed down. She smiled and did not speak. Miao Zhen asked, ¡°How are you?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°With Senior Miao Zhen around, we¡¯re naturally safe and sound.¡± Miao Zhen then relaxed. He now saw that Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue¡¯s attitudes were greatly different from before. Even though he had been busy merging with that physical body, he knew what was happening in the surroundings. These two people were indeed more amazing than he predicted. Actually, him being able to come out from the inside was all thanks to the two of them. Hence, he had long treated them as his own family. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m around, nobody will dare to touch you in Godly Dragon Island!¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s voice was low and domineering! Upon hearing this, the other people exchanged glances and couldn¡¯t conceal their shock. What exactly is Miao Zhen doing? The great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s attitude toward humans has always been cold and with a hint of contempt, not to mention toward these two! However, Miao Zhen is so arrogant and wants to publicly protect them?! Miao Yang almost laughed out loud. Miao Zhen doing this is undoubtedly cutting off his own path. The clan definitely wouldn¡¯t accept such a person again. Death is still waiting for him! He snorted. ¡°Miao Zhen, it seems like you¡¯re bent on rebelling?¡± Miao Zhen then turned around and laughed out loud. ¡°Miao Yang, I should be asking you these questions instead! Are you not guilty for saying such words in front of the ancestor and the clansmen?!¡± Miao Yang¡¯s heart sank. Just as he was about to speak, Miao Zhen interrupted him again. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re best at? You could do these things back then, and you naturally can do it again now!¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s words confused everyone. Miao Yang had a cold face and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! Miao Zhen, you luckily managed to evade the severe sins you committed back then, and you¡¯re doing it again! This time, no matter what, we have to punish you to console the souls of our ancestors in the heavens! Someone, take all of them down! Their lives or deaths don¡¯t matter!¡± The square fell silent for a moment. Miao Fushan knitted his brows and said, ¡°Clan Leader, their identities are all extraordinary, especially with the red-gold heavenly phoenix. If we really directly kill them, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be in endless trouble¡­ Besides, there are many things that haven¡¯t been investigated properly¡­¡± Miao Yang glanced at him. ¡°Elder Fushan, I know that you doted on Miao Zhen a lot previously, but I hope you can see clearly the things he has done! We¡¯re already being kind by directly killing him! Do you want to let him stay and harm the clan again?! As for those two people and the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ they trespassed into our Godly Dragon Island and even used some means to barge into our holy hall. They should die!¡± Nobody has the right or stance to beg mercy for them! Miao Fushan knitted his brows even tighter. I did admire Miao Zhen quite a bit back then, but I know what I should and shouldn¡¯t do for major matters. Now, I just want to investigate some matters. For example, how did Miao Zhen step into the holy hall again and stay in the coiling dragon pillar for a thousand years? Also, what is with his physical body? In addition, what relationship do Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue have with Miao Zhen and this entire matter¡­ Many doubts don¡¯t have answers, but Miao Yang doesn¡¯t seem like he wants to check. I don¡¯t know if it is my illusion, but Miao Yang seems to want to kill Miao Zhen¡¯s group immediately and can even be said to be anxious. I have just advised him a little, yet Miao Yang¡¯s reaction was intense. It is indeed strange. Miao Zhen is in the wrong, but as the clan leader, it is inappropriate for Miao Yang to be doing that¡­ Seeing that Miao Yang treated Miao Fushan angrily¡­ Although the others felt that something was amiss, they all fell silent. Miao Yang coldly surveyed his surroundings. ¡°Why are you still standing around?!¡± Shua! The surrounding elders rushed forward! They prepared to join hands to take these people down! Miao Zhen grunted. ¡°Miao Yang, I haven¡¯t settled my grudge against you yet. Why are you so anxious? Coincidentally, everyone is here today. Let¡¯s talk about it clearly!¡± Chapter 1772 - 1772 Evidence 1772 Evidence Once Miao Zhen spoke, he had a strong suppression that caused the surrounding crowd to stop in their tracks unwittingly. ¡°Back then, you cruelly murdered seven clansmen. That¡¯s your first crime! Then, you attacked me when I was at an important stage of breaking through, pushing the deaths of those seven clansmen to me. Finally, you took advantage of me being locked up at Seven Lotus Peak to steal my bloodline power and strengthen your own talent¡ªthat¡¯s your third crime!¡± ¡°Miao Yang, which of these things did you not do? Every single incident concerns the lives of many clansmen, yet you have to cheek to question me?!¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s appearance was cold, and his gaze was like a knife that stared deep into Miao Yang, not hiding his mockery at all. ¡°I want to ask you: After so many years, how stable has it been after you ascended the clan leader position by riding on your clansman¡¯s bones and blood?!¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s voice spread around the square, landing in everyone¡¯s ears clearly! It was dead silent! Everyone instinctively looked at Miao Yang. This¡­ Wasn¡¯t Miao Zhen the one who did all of this back then? What does it have to do with Miao Yang? Detecting those gazes, Miao Yang almost crushed his teeth. In the end, I couldn¡¯t stop Miao Zhen and allowed him to say such words. But luckily, he was already sufficiently prepared earlier on, so he perfectly controlled his expression and reaction. As if hearing an incredulous joke, he coldly laughed. ¡°Miao Zhen, what nonsense are you saying? Those seven clansmen did die in your hands, and there was concrete evidence back then. You can¡¯t deny it at all! This matter will be concluded sooner or later, yet you say that I killed them? That¡¯s too laughable!¡± ¡°Besides, what reasons do I have to spend so much effort to scheme against you?¡± Miao Zhen raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the reason most clearly? Back then, you were just mediocre. Even without me, there were still others who were stronger than you in the clan. However, you became the clan leader now?!¡± Once he said this, quite a few people had a change in expressions. Actually, some of them had been very curious about this. At that time, Miao Yang wasn¡¯t the top existence in the clan. His talent tested in the Thousand Summit was better than average at best, but after the Thousand Summit, his talent and skills improved greatly. Everyone thought that it was because Miao Yang had received a good heirloom after entering the holy hall during the Thousand Summit. In the past, there were also some exceptions in the clan, but his change was the most obvious one. He started exceeding his peers in the clan. Additionally, Miao Zhen met his demise then, so he undoubtedly became the most outstanding one in the clan! Later on, the position of clan leader naturally fell to his hands. Now, Miao Zhen said that Miao Yang stole his bloodline power back then¡­ Upon deeper thought, that seems to be¡­ possible?! Miao Yang sharply detected the change in the atmosphere. He panicked in his heart, but he still looked strong as he coldly smiled and said, ¡°You said that I stole your bloodline power? Then, how did you live to this day?!¡± Without the support of bloodline power, he should be long dead! Miao Zhen laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s naturally because¡­ I split my bloodline power into a few parts! You thought that you had stolen all of my bloodline power, but you didn¡¯t know that it was just a small portion of it! It¡¯s such a small portion, yet you treated it like a treasure¡­ Miao Yang, your bloodline power is too cheap. Thus, your worldview is ridiculously narrow!¡± Miao Yang¡¯s face instantly stiffened, and there seemed to be fire burning in his chest! Actually, he had long discovered something amiss. After receiving Miao Zhen¡¯s bloodline power, his increase in talent wasn¡¯t as strong as he had predicted. However, he faintly felt that it was decent. On the one hand, his talent and skills had indeed improved by quite a bit. At the very least, he could crush the other clansmen. On the other hand, he wouldn¡¯t arouse too much suspicion in this way. If someone asked, he would say that he received quite a decent heirloom. As long as he could rely on these things to get what he wanted, there was nothing to mind or calculate. Hence, all these years, he didn¡¯t spend much time thinking about this¡ªthat was until he heard Miao Zhen say this! The reason why he was so furious and maniacal wasn¡¯t because of what Miao Zhen said but because of Miao Zhen¡¯s forever high and mighty tone! It was as if he would always keep others beneath his feet and not let them make a comeback! He hated this feeling the most! In the past, Miao Zhen was the pride and the brightest existence in the entire clan. However, he is now just a sinner that has betrayed the entire clan! Relying on Shangguan Yue¡¯s broken skeleton, he forcefully reformed his body and doesn¡¯t even have wings! Yet, he is still so arrogant and prideful¡­ How ridiculous! This world has long changed! ¡°What nonsense! Miao Zhen, I think you¡¯re insane!¡± As Miao Yang spoke, he looked at the surrounding crowd and sharply berated, ¡°Why are you still standing around? Did you not hear my previous command?!¡± Miao Yang rarely threw his temper in front of the crowd, but at this point, he seemed to have become an entire other person as he revealed a chilling aura that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. Some people secretly exchanged glances and knitted their brows. At this point, it wasn¡¯t only Miao Fushan; even they could also feel that Miao Yang was a little anxious. He was anxious to settle Miao Zhen as if he could¡¯t wait any minute longer. Just as the surrounding people planned to take action, Miao Fushan suddenly said, ¡°Hold on!¡± He was highly respected in the clan. Thus, those people stopped when he said this. Miao Yang had a cold face and asked, ¡°What? Elder Fushan, are you really intending to speak for him?¡± Miao Fushan stroked his beard and slowly said, ¡°Clan Leader, you¡¯ve misunderstood. This is for your own good! Miao Zhen has insulted you like this and ruined your reputation severely. If you directly kill him now, it will make you look guilty and prove his accusations toward you. In my opinion, why don¡¯t we thoroughly investigate this matter so that it will be the best for you and the entire clan. What do you think?¡± Even though Miao Fushan used an inquisitive tone, his expression was stubborn. He clearly planned on doing it. Miao Yang was so angry that his teeth became itchy. This Miao Fushan is also troublesome! If he stood at the side obediently, the matter would be resolved! Yet, he had to jump out and insist on checking this incident! He took a deep breath in and forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart. ¡°Okay! Since Elder Fushan wants to investigate, then¡­ go ahead!¡± I don¡¯t believe that Miao Zhen can really defend himself and make a comeback. Chapter 1773 - 1773 Snatch Back! 1773 Snatch Back! Miao Fushan nodded, took a step forward, and looked at Miao Zhen. In the depths of his old eyes, there seemed to be something tumbling, and he had a conflicted expression. Back then, I did think highly of Miao Zhen and admired him very much. It was to the point where he couldn¡¯t believe it when he heard that Miao Zhen had killed seven clansmen. He had even begged for mercy and hoped that the clan leader and the others could thoroughly investigate this matter back then. However, it was a pity that when the truth came out, everything proved Miao Zhen¡¯s wrongdoing. He was upset about this for a long time. Not only for Miao Zhen but also for the entire great phoenix dragon clan. That was because Miao Zhen was publicly-acknowledged as a genius, and they had high hopes for him. They wished that he could bring the entire great phoenix dragon clan to a higher level. What a pity¡­ Everything turned into bubbles of illusion. Who would¡¯ve expected that he would see Miao Zhen again a thousand years later? ¡°Miao Zhen, do you have evidence for what you said earlier?¡± Miao Fushan asked in a deep voice. Miao Zhen smiled and honestly said, ¡°No.¡± The crowd fell silent for a moment and quickly burst into an uproar. No? He doesn¡¯t have any evidence, yet he¡¯s still so righteous?! Is he kidding us?! Miao Fushan¡¯s expression became much colder. ¡°Miao Zhen, everything needs to be proven with evidence. If you don¡¯t have proof, it means that whatever you previously said are just baseless accusations.¡± Mockery and ridicule quickly flashed across Miao Yang¡¯s eyes. Even without me saying much, Miao Zhen¡¯s method has now infuriated quite a few people. He really can¡¯t be saved for setting himself up! However, Miao Zhen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and he still looked bold. Back then, Miao Yang had already destroyed all the evidence to push me to my death. At that time, I couldn¡¯t even find any clues, let alone now. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not an accusation,¡± said Miao Zhen. ¡°What I said was the truth.¡± Miao Yang chuckled. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have any evidence, how should everyone believe you? It can¡¯t possibly be that it¡¯s the truth just because you said it is, right?¡± How could there be such a good thing in the world? At this point, the crowd gradually reacted. ¡°Yeah! Without evidence, how should one be convinced?¡± ¡°I saw how confident he was previously, and I even thought that he had sufficient evidence! Who knew he was just talking about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t just take his word for it!¡± ¡°The person who could do such crazy acts back then isn¡¯t trustable at all! I think the clan leader should directly kill him! If we continue asking, we¡¯re just wasting our time and energy!¡± ¡­ The crowd partook in heated discussions, but their attitudes were shockingly uniform. When Chu Liuyue heard it, she raised her brows slightly. Everyone in the great phoenix dragon clan really hates Miao Zhen to the extreme. It might not be that easy to turn the tables around. As if detecting her thoughts, Rong Xiu held her hand and caressed the back of it. He then softly said, ¡°A thousand years has been too long. It¡¯s originally not easy to change a thought that¡¯s already entrenched in their minds.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. Actually, there weren¡¯t many people today who were related to the incident back then. Most of the people at the square were descendants. Ever since they were young, they had been influenced by their surroundings. When someone mentioned the name ¡®Miao Zhen,¡¯ they would instinctively link it to ¡®betrayal¡¯ and ¡®mania.¡¯ When they saw Miao Zhen, they would naturally have prejudice against him. Based on his two sentences, it wasn¡¯t very possible to get all of them to change their views and thoughts¡ªunless Miao Zhen could really produce concrete evidence. However, Miao Zhen had already said himself that he had no evidence for those matters back then. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly and stared at Miao Zhen for a while. The current situation doesn¡¯t seem to affect him; he is still calm and composed. When he looks at Miao Yang, his eyes even have hints of a mocking smile. Chu Liuyue suddenly made up her mind. Miao Zhen must have other trump cards! ¡­ Miao Fushan shook his head and couldn¡¯t conceal the disappointment on his face. Originally, I thought¡­ ¡°Miao Zhen, since you don¡¯t have any proof, then¡­ there¡¯s no need to continue talking.¡± Miao Fushan took a step back and raised his hand. The surrounding elders immediately went forward! The corner of Miao Yang¡¯s lips curled up into a cold smile, but he quickly looked down and hid his delight. Today, Miao Zhen has to die! But at this moment, Miao Zhen suddenly laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t have evidence, but everything I said just now was the truth! If you don¡¯t believe me, I can¡¯t be bothered. That¡¯s because my most important agenda in coming here is just to take back what belongs to me.¡± As he spoke, he gazed at Miao Yang. Miao Yang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. An extremely dangerous aura suddenly attacked him! He instinctively looked up! He saw Miao Zhen staring at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Miao Yang, you stole my bloodline power back then and have used it for so many years. It¡¯s time to return it!¡± Once Miao Zhen said this, a ball of purplish-golden light suddenly appeared on his body. At the same time, the sounds of something exploding came from Miao Yang¡¯s back! Peng! Peng! Two bloody holes appeared on his shoulder blades! Blood splattered everywhere. Following this, fire suddenly started burning at his wounds! The scorching fire caused the entire square¡¯s temperature to increase rapidly! The crowd was stunned. Miao Zhen¡¯s bloodline power is indeed as intense and rich as before! Miao Yang also panicked. He could clearly feel his body¡¯s strength quickly leaving! ¡°Miao Zhen! You¡ª¡± Whoosh! Before he could say it, the two balls of fire suddenly turned into knives that harshly cut Miao Yang¡¯s two arms! Then, they rushed straight to Miao Zhen! Chapter 1774 - 1774 Who Exactly is the Lunatic 1774 Who Exactly is the Lunatic ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Miao Yang cried as his body harshly fell to the floor. Excruciating pain came from his shoulder blades, hurting so much that his entire body trembled! His two arms fell not far away from him. From the corner of his eye, he saw his two bloody arms lying around. Miao Yang¡¯s eyes shrunk, and his body trembled even more harshly! Indescribable horror crazily surged up from the bottom of his heart! The crowd in the square was also taken aback by this scene. Everything happened too quickly. Before they could even react and realize what was going on, they saw Miao Yang¡¯s two arms being cut! On the other side, Miao Zhen was miles apart from Miao Yang. When the two balls of fire flew to him, they gently landed on his shoulders and rapidly formed the appearance of two arms! In the sea of dazzling lights, one could faintly see streaks of blood. The faint smell of blood spread across. Chu Liuyue was shocked and instinctively looked at Rong Xiu. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he nodded in affirmation. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. Miao Zhen actually directly snatched his own bloodline power back and completed the recovery of his physical body! It is rare to see such power and charm! Due to the pain, Miao Zhen¡¯s veins popped up on his neck and forehead. There was a hint of mania in his eyes. Forceful regeneration of the arms and inviting Rong Xiu to help reform his body were different. With a certain meaning, he had to endure even more danger and torture. After all, one started from zero, and the other destroyed something and reforged it! The latter was clearly more difficult. However, Miao Zhen still did it without hesitation! As the two arms gradually took shape, Miao Zhen¡¯s aura strengthened again! As the few elders in front couldn¡¯t handle this pressure, they moved a few steps back continuously and were shocked. Even if Miao Zhen really didn¡¯t die back then, his physical body was indeed destroyed! They could tell that he must¡¯ve asked Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue for help to reform his physical body. However, that skeleton¡¯s cultivation level wasn¡¯t especially high. If not, Miao Yao would not be forgiven so easily for making such a huge mistake. Logically speaking, Miao Zhen shouldn¡¯t be at such a high cultivation level. However, not only did he easily defeat Miao Yang¡­ but his own cultivation level also kept improving! However, Miao Fushan¡¯s expression was very complicated. Miao Zhen¡­ is indeed that Miao Zhen from back then! At that time, he was the most outstanding genius in the entire clan. Most of the descendants have only heard of how he cruelly killed his clansmen and then died from his mania. They don¡¯t know a lot about his talent and capabilities. In actual fact¡­ He was shockingly brilliant, and this kind of person will only appear once in a million years. Such a description is definitely not an exaggeration¡ªeven after so many years, nobody can compare to him, not even Miao Yang! ¡­ Everyone stared at Miao Zhen with their eyes open and mouths agape, deeply stunned by the scene before them. They didn¡¯t even care about Miao Yang, who had collapsed to the floor. In actual fact, nobody dared to go forward at this point. Miao Zhen could easily break Miao Yang¡¯s arms and forcefully steal the two strong balls of fire from his body. This was enough to state the problem¡ªthat strength must¡¯ve belonged to Miao Zhen in the first place! If he wanted to snatch his own bloodline power back, who could stop him?! This also meant that out of what he previously said, at least this part was the truth! Quite a few people were suspicious and confused. If this is true, then¡­ what about the rest? Who exactly killed the seven clansmen back then?! ¡­ Miao Yang spat out a mouthful of blood and felt extreme hatred. He wanted to stand up, but losing two arms made this action very difficult. After trying a few times, he finally succeeded. However, his body was covered with dirty bloodstains, and he looked extremely disheveled. He no longer had the past glory and elegance of being the clan leader. He stared straight at Miao Zhen, and his eyes were dyed red. No wonder Miao Zhen was so bold¡ªso he still had this move! Saying that he had no evidence¡­ was all rubbish! Miao Zhen was clearly waiting for me! Miao Yang¡¯s hatred toward Miao Zhen had reached its peak. He knew very clearly that no matter the result today, his reputation, his status, and everything that belonged to him were in a dangerous position. He spat out a mouthful of blood and harshly said, ¡°Everyone, listen to my command! Miao Zhen has ill intent. Immediately execute him!¡± But once he said this, nobody in the square moved. Miao Yang looked toward his surroundings crazily. ¡°What, do all of you plan on rebelling?! You¡¯re even ignoring my command!¡± Miao Fushan looked at him and lightly said, ¡°Clan Leader, the truth is gradually being exposed. How can we take action? As for you, you haven¡¯t explained clearly why Miao Zhen¡¯s bloodline power is with you.¡± Originally, I thought that Miao Yang improved greatly after receiving an amazing heirloom. However, it now seems like¡­ there might be a huge secret hidden here! Miao Fushan¡¯s interrogation rendered Miao Yang speechless. His throat moved, and his lips trembled, but nothing came out. How should I explain it? I can¡¯t explain it at all! Everyone is from the same clan and understands bloodline power. It is impossible for me to just brush it off. Seeing his reaction, Miao Fushan had already mostly verified his guess. He closed his eyes and sighed lightly. ¡°Why must you¡­¡± Miao Yang¡¯s heart turned icy cold from his look. ¡°Elder Fushan, you would rather listen to a lunatic and not believe me?!¡± Miao Fushan paused. ¡°Clan Leader, who exactly is the lunatic?¡± Chapter 1775 - 1775 Favorite Person 1775 Favorite Person Miao Yang was suddenly speechless. Miao Fushan stared into his eyes. His gaze was as sharp as a knife as if he wanted to cut Miao Yang open and see him completely! At this moment, Miao Yang suddenly realized that Miao Fushan no longer trusted him. He subconsciously avoided Miao Fushan¡¯s gaze. However, the gazes from all directions were vaguely gathered at this moment, making him feel uneasy. The feeling of unease grew. Miao Yang¡¯s breathing became rapid, and his heart pounded so hard that he couldn¡¯t even care less about the pain in his body. ¡­ Miao Fushan looked away and at Miao Zhen, but he had already made up his mind. He was very familiar with Miao Zhen and Miao Yang. The current Miao Zhen looked as arrogant as ever, but his eyes were firm and reserved from beginning to end. He didn¡¯t look crazy at all. On the other hand, it was Miao Yang who looked crazy. Ever since he found out that Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue had quietly left the Seven Lotus Peak and entered the coiling dragon pillar in the holy hall, his entire condition had been very strange. Compared to before, not only had he become irritable, but he was also much more impulsive and anxious. This state reached its peak after seeing Miao Zhen appear. If Miao Yang was really innocent back then, why didn¡¯t he let Miao Zhen finish saying those words? Why didn¡¯t he agree to let them find out the truth? The answer was obvious! ¡­ The pain in his body gradually subsided. Miao Zhen slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his arms. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ a long time¡­¡± He clenched his fists gently and sighed as he felt the surging power in his body. Back then, Miao Yang had deliberately chosen to attack when his body was at its weakest to succeed. He had also defended himself. Unfortunately, no one believed him at that time. Even if he wanted revenge, he was already an arrow at the end of its flight and was powerless to reverse the situation. In the end, he could only choose to lie low in the coiling dragon pillar. This wait lasted for more than a thousand years! He thought for a period of time that there was no hope of him coming out. Fortunately, the heavens had taken pity on him and given him another chance! Almost at the same time, the purple-gold ball of light beside Tuan Zi suddenly moved! The void trembled and rippled. Chu Liuyue turned around, and her eyes flickered. Following this, a slender hand stretched out from the ball of light. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes suddenly widened! A hand!? A human hand!? This, this, this¡ª Under her shocked gaze, a tall and slender figure walked out of the purple-gold ball of light. It was a young man who looked to be in his late 20s. His cheeks were thin, and his facial features were deep and handsome. A vertical purple-gold pattern was engraved between his eyebrows, adding to his demonic aura. He was very tall and wore a black robe that accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and tall figure. His eyes were cold and sharp, and his lips were extremely thin. When he pursed his lips slightly, they naturally carried a hint of coldness and might. Tuan Zi¡¯s black grape-like eyes were round with shock. She pointed her chubby little hand at the other party and stuttered for once. ¡°You, you, you¡ªyou¡¯re Zi Chen!?¡± Zi Chen looked over at the sound, his expression indifferent. ¡°Thank you for earlier.¡± He was thanking Tuan Zi for all the help she had given him. Zi Chen had always been cold and taciturn; it wasn¡¯t easy for him to say this. However, Tuan Zi was already stunned. She stared at him blankly, and there was only one thought left in her mind: It¡¯s over! My wish to be the big sister is probably going to be blown away! Thinking of this, Tuan Zi finally couldn¡¯t help but pout. She was very aggrieved and disappointed. It turns out that all my efforts have been in vain! I¡¯m not even at his level! I have lost in terms of aura! The key was that Zi Chen¡¯s aura was really not inferior to hers! Yeah, Miao Zhen¡¯s strength had increased, so Zi Chen¡¯s strength had naturally increased! ¡°Hmph!¡± Tuan Zi turned around angrily and folded her small arms, causing the bells above her head to ring. How infuriating! I was never able to defeat him in the past, and after breaking through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix, I finally had a higher chance of winning. However, it has only been a few days! Tuan Zi felt sad and pitiful. Zi Chen looked at her small back with a hint of surprise, but he soon understood. His thin lips pursed, and a faint look of resignation flashed in his eyes. What a child¡¯s temper¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at Zi Chen in surprise. I had already guessed that something must¡¯ve happened to Zi Chen for him not to come out for so long. However, I only thought that he was about to break through. I never expected him to directly transform into human form! One had to know that only the two ancient legendary fiend races could do this in the world! Apart from red-gold heavenly phoenixes and great phoenix dragons, no matter how outstanding the other fiends were, they couldn¡¯t do this. It was most likely because Zi Chen had the two wing bones of a great phoenix dragon and had fused with a portion of its bloodline power. Of course, the most important reason was Miao Zhen! If Miao Zhen hadn¡¯t reconstructed his body with that skeleton and led Zi Chen, such a thing wouldn¡¯t have happened. But no matter what, this was a good thing! Sensing her gaze, Zi Chen also looked over. He walked forward and stopped three steps in front of her. Then, he nodded and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Master.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Zi Chen, congratulations!¡± Suddenly, something soft pounced on him. Tuan Zi hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s leg tightly and looked up at her. ¡°A¡¯Yue! A¡¯Yue likes me the most, right?!¡± I have to be the one A¡¯Yue likes the most! Zi Chen listened with a calm expression. He didn¡¯t care about such things. Ever since Chu Liuyue helped him reconstruct his body and revived him, he had already determined that she was his only master. There was no need to say anything else; he would naturally be loyal to her forever. As for Tuan Zi¡­ She had followed Chu Liuyue since she was young and had a pure and innocent personality. It was inevitable that she would be calculative about this. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Chu Liuyue gently pinched Tuan Zi¡¯s face and coaxed her. ¡°Of course! Tuan Zi is so cute. Of course, Tuan Zi is my favorite!¡± As soon as Chu Liuyue finished speaking, the temperature beside her dropped. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly. ¡°Oh?¡± Chapter 1776 - 1776 Ancestors Might! 1776 Ancestor¡¯s Might! Chu Liuyue¡¯s back stiffened, and she subconsciously looked at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. Even if he didn¡¯t say anything, Chu Liuyue knew what he meant. It was just because of the ¡®favorite¡¯ sentence just now. Chu Liuyue felt her head ache. Tuan Zi is a red-gold heavenly phoenix, my contracted legendary fiend! What is there to argue about? Now that the situation is so complicated, they¡¯re actually fighting over this¡­ Chu Liuyue felt very tired. She finally knew that children were difficult to coax and that men were also difficult to coax! She coughed. ¡°You¡¯re all my favorites, ahem! All my favorites!¡± As she spoke, she reached out and held Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. Her fingertips then gently rubbed against his palm twice. It itches a little, Rong Xiu thought. But I¡¯m very happy. His lips curved, and he gripped her hand tightly in return. Tuan Zi didn¡¯t notice this and only hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s thigh, pressing her face against the latter and rubbing against her intimately. I don¡¯t care! Anyway, A¡¯Yue has said that I¡¯m her favorite! She raised her face proudly and raised her eyebrows provocatively at Zi Chen. When I grow taller, I will definitely take him in as my underling! Zi Chen¡¯s eyes flickered before he looked away. ¡­ There was a moment of dead silence in the square because of Zi Chen¡¯s appearance. But soon, they were noisy again. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a legendary three-eyed eagle?! Why did he change into human form?!¡± ¡°How strange¡­ Do you think he has the aura of our great phoenix dragon clan on him?¡± ¡°Hmph, isn¡¯t this very normal? Don¡¯t forget that Shangguan Yue took the wing bones from our ancestor¡¯s skeleton and helped him reconstruct his body!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ That¡¯s true! In that case¡­ the legendary three-eyed eagle and Miao Zhen actually used the same skeleton?¡± ¡°Definitely. After Miao Zhen¡¯s strength increased just now, the aura of the legendary three-eyed eagle also intensified significantly!¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, then¡­ Wouldn¡¯t Miao Zhen be equivalent to being connected to the legendary three-eyed eagle?¡± ¡­ All kinds of discussions came from all directions. Many people¡¯s expressions changed slightly when they realized the special relationship between Miao Zhen and Zi Chen. The legendary three-eyed eagle was considered to be of a higher level among legendary fiends, but it was still inferior to them. Now that this had happened¡­ it was indeed very strange. It was uncomfortable to think about it. Miao Yang laughed angrily. ¡°Elder Fushan, is this the person you chose to believe? Such actions are no different from betraying the clan!¡± Even if I¡ªMiao Yan¡ªcan¡¯t become the clan leader, it definitely won¡¯t be Miao Zhen¡¯s turn! Miao Fushan¡¯s expression was grave, but he said nothing. Actually, he could roughly guess why Miao Zhen would do this¡ªthere was nothing else he could do. If a great phoenix dragon wanted to reconstruct their body, they had to use the bones of their own kind. Otherwise, it would definitely not succeed. Other than asking Shangguan Yue for help, what other chance did he have? As it turned out, it did work. Unfortunately, there was also the trouble of the legendary three-eyed eagle. It was almost impossible for the clan to accept this. ¡°Miao Zhen, what else do you have to say?¡± Miao Fushan asked. Miao Zhen smiled and glanced at Miao Yang. ¡°I just said that I came back this time to take back what belongs to me¡ªmy bloodline power and the position of clan leader!¡± Once he said that, the crowd was stunned! Miao Zhen is too presumptuous! He actually said that he wants to snatch the position of clan leader? Miao Yang is still here! Miao Yang had expected him to say that. He couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Miao Zhen, this is your true goal, right? The position of clan leader¡­ Why don¡¯t you take a look and see if you¡¯re worthy?!¡± Even if Miao Zhen proves that I¡¯m the one who had snatched a portion of his bloodline power back then, so what? Miao Zhen can¡¯t explain the deaths of those seven clansmen no matter what! If he can¡¯t produce the strongest evidence, this matter will at most become a headless case! Miao Zhen can pull me down from the position of clan leader, but he can¡¯t sit on it himself! ¡°Miao Zhen, your request is indeed excessive.¡± Miao Fushan also shook his head. Back then, Miao Zhen was indeed publicly acknowledged as the next clan leader, but many things happened later. In the end, it was Miao Yang who became the clan leader. Now, Miao Yang won¡¯t be able to keep his position as clan leader. If Miao Zhen can clear all the misunderstandings and prove his innocence, he might be able to replace Miao Yang. However, the key point is that he can¡¯t explain everything now. More importantly, he has an extremely special relationship with the legendary three-eyed eagle. With just this, it is impossible for the elders to agree to let him become the clan leader. There were a total of nine elders in the great phoenix dragon clan who had the right to decide many things in the race. If Miao Zhen wanted to become the clan leader, he had to obtain the unanimous approval of the nine elders. It was impossible for Miao Zhen to pass this level alone. Miao Zhen laughed. ¡°Elder Fushan, even now you have yet to ask why Miao Yang attacked me back then.¡± Miao Fushan was stunned. What had just happened was too shocking for him to ask. He gave Miao Yang a suspicious look. Miao Yang and Miao Zhen seem to have never had a public conflict in the past. I had always thought that Miao Yang was being ruthless because Miao Zhen was too outstanding. Could there be another reason?! Miao Yang¡¯s entire body tensed up, but his heart gradually sank! Miao Zhen dared to say that. Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ that thing is still with him?! But how is that possible? Back then, Miao Zhen¡¯s physical body had been destroyed. Even if his soul wasn¡¯t destroyed, it should be impossible for him to keep that thing. But now, Miao Zhen seems to be quite confident¡­ Miao Yang¡¯s mind raced. Could it be that Miao Zhen was tricking him?! Miao Fushan asked, ¡°Miao Yang, do you have anything to say about this?¡± This time, he didn¡¯t call Miao Yang ¡®clan leader¡¯ anymore. Instead, he called Miao Yang by his name! Many people quickly exchanged glances. From the looks of it, Elder Fushan no longer plans to acknowledge Miao Yang as the clan leader! The corners of Miao Yang¡¯s eyes twitched when he heard this. He suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and sneered sarcastically. ¡°If you want to accuse me, why don¡¯t you say so? Elder Fushan, since you don¡¯t believe me anymore, why ask? I think you might as well ask Miao Zhen directly! Let¡¯s see what answer he can give!¡± Miao Zhen laughed. ¡°Miao Yang, since you don¡¯t want to say it, I¡¯ll do it!¡± He took a step forward, and the aura around him suddenly fluctuated violently! Immediately after, a totem appeared between his eyebrows! At the same time, a purple-gold stream of light surged out of the totem. Then, it transformed into a huge great phoenix dragon behind him! Roar! An indescribable pressure that seemed to come from ancient times descended silently! Miao Fushan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°The ancestor¡¯s might!¡± Chapter 1777 - 1777 Return 1777 Return For a moment, the pressure was overwhelming, and the world shook! The expressions of the great phoenix dragons standing in the square changed, and they kneeled down. ¡°Welcome, Ancestor!¡± In the blink of an eye, a large number of people kneeled in the square! Even Miao Fushan and the others kneeled down respectfully! Only Miao Yang stared at the huge apparition that suddenly appeared with shock, his mind going blank. Ancestor¡­ This is really the ancestor¡¯s might! The ancestor of the great phoenix dragon clan was naturally long gone, but back then, that person had specially left some aura behind in the holy hall to protect the entire clan. When the clansmen entered the holy hall, they would sense this faint aura and pressure. Therefore, they were very familiar with it. It was precisely because of this that as soon as the apparition appeared and the vast aura spread out, everyone present immediately submitted! Miao Yang¡¯s legs trembled, and waves of powerlessness surged around him. He was on the verge of collapse as if he would fall to the ground at any moment. He knew too well what this scene meant. The legacy of our ancestor is indeed still with Miao Zhen! Moreover, from the looks of it, Miao Zhen might¡¯ve completely comprehended it! How could it be¡­ How did this happen? Miao Zhen raised his eyebrows at Miao Yang and snorted. ¡°Miao Yang, why aren¡¯t you kneeling when you see Ancestor?!¡± Miao Yang suddenly came back to his senses, and his face turned pale. Before he could react, the great phoenix dragon apparition in the air suddenly roared at the sky! Roar! An incomparably heavy force pressed down fiercely on Miao Yang¡¯s shoulders! Plop! His body swayed, and he kneeled on the ground heavily with a muffled sound! At the same time, there was the sound of bones cracking. The force was extremely great. This time, it actually smashed Miao Yang¡¯s knees into the ground, and the surrounding cracks spread. Miao Yang¡¯s trembling intensified, and his face turned even paler. The ancestor¡¯s might could not be underestimated. In just this moment, the bones in his knees were broken! Everyone looked over when they heard the sound. When they saw Miao Yang¡¯s sorry state, their expressions were different. Who would¡¯ve thought that the usually glorious and noble clan leader, Miao Yang, would actually be in such a sorry state one day? The ancestor¡¯s might descended and directly punished Miao Yang. This time, everyone didn¡¯t dare to approach him or speak up for him. Although the clan leader¡¯s status in the family was extremely high, the current situation was special. Miao Yang had clearly used disgraceful methods to obtain a portion of Miao Zhen¡¯s bloodline power and become the clan leader. Just this alone was enough for the nine elders to join forces and remove him from the position of clan leader, not to mention that the ancestor¡¯s might had descended! Of course, they were led by their ancestors! ¡­ Miao Zhen looked at Miao Fushan and the others. ¡°Elders, please stand up first. We still need you to be present to bear witness.¡± Hearing his words, the elders¡ªincluding Miao Fushan¡ªfirst looked at each other before standing up uneasily. It wasn¡¯t that they were too timid, but too many things had happened today, and it was too shocking! Nobody would believe it! Finally, they focused on Miao Fushan. He was the most experienced existence here and had the most say; it was naturally appropriate for him to step forward. Although Miao Fushan looked calm, his emotions were actually surging. After some thought, he took a step forward and cupped his hands at Miao Zhen. Of course, this bow was for the ancestral apparition above Miao Zhen¡¯s head. After bowing seriously and respectfully, Miao Fushan glanced at Miao Zhen again. He had actually guessed something, but he wasn¡¯t sure yet. ¡°Miao Zhen, how¡­ did you summon the ancestor¡¯s might?¡± Miao Fushan spoke slowly, clearly, and cautiously. Everyone pricked up their ears because this was also what they were most curious about. After all, nobody had done this in tens of thousands of years! Now that Miao Zhen had done it, how could they not be shocked? Miao Zhen laughed and said loudly, ¡°Elder Fushan, this is the question I asked you previously! The most important reason why Miao Yang tried his best to kill me at all costs back then was that I obtained the ancestor¡¯s heirloom during the Thousand Summit!¡± Countless people gasped. The ancestor¡¯s heirloom! Over the years, nobody from the great phoenix dragon clan has obtained it. Unexpectedly, Miao Zhen had already¡ª Miao Fushan was also shocked and subconsciously asked, ¡°What did you say? Back then, you obtained the ancestor¡¯s heirloom during the Thousand Summit?!¡± Miao Zhen smiled but said nothing. However, this was already equivalent to a silent acknowledgment. In fact, even if he didn¡¯t say it, everyone knew that it must be true. In an instant, countless images appeared in Miao Fushan¡¯s mind. It was as if a thread had finally strung those fragments together! No wonder¡­ No wonder Miao Yang wanted to attack him! No wonder Miao Zhen could still escape when he was in a desperate situation back then and hide in the coiling dragon pillar for a thousand years! No wonder he could survive a thousand years without dying even though he only had a soul! All of this now has an explanation¡ªhe had the ancestor¡¯s heirloom! Miao Zhen¡­ He is the heir chosen by the ancestor! ¡°B-but why don¡¯t we know about this? Why does only Miao Yang know?¡± Miao Fushan was puzzled. Under normal circumstances, nobody would mention what heirloom they had obtained from the coiling dragon pillar, and nobody would ask carefully. But Miao Zhen¡¯s situation¡­ He should¡¯ve said it directly! If he had directly announced it back then, the position of clan leader would¡¯ve fallen into his hands. How could he have given Miao Yang a chance and caused so much trouble? Miao Zhen laughed at himself. ¡°This is really my fault. At that time, I was too arrogant and didn¡¯t have enough vigilance. After suffering such a huge loss, I can only say that I deserved it.¡± At that time, he was the pride of the clan and was extremely proud. After obtaining the ancestor¡¯s heirloom, his pride turned into conceit. He didn¡¯t immediately reveal this news. He only wanted to announce it after he comprehended the ancestor¡¯s heirloom. But before he could wait for that day, Miao Yang¡¯s series of schemes came. At that time, he wasn¡¯t prepared. By the time he realized that something was wrong and wanted to counterattack, it was too late! This delay lasted for a thousand years. Miao Zhen gazed at Miao Yang. The latter had already fallen to his knees, his face ashen. This is the best evidence! I am really¡­ done for this time! Miao Zhen stepped forward and stood in front of Miao Yang, looking down at him. ¡°Miao Yang, you¡¯ve snatched my bloodline power and the position of clan leader for many years. It¡¯s time for you to return them, right?¡± Chapter 1778 - 1778 This is Just the Beginning 1778 This is Just the Beginning Miao Yang instinctively struggled to get up, but that heavy and terrifying pressure suppressed him tightly, making him unable to move. Deep despair and fear surged in his heart. The intense emotions surged in his chest, finally causing his chest to tremble. He then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! Miao Zhen waved his sleeve, and a purple-gold stream of light set up a barrier in front of him. Miao Yang¡¯s blood splattered on it and quickly burned away. ¡°Don¡¯t dirty my clothes.¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s expression was indifferent, and his voice was cold. Miao Yang felt even more indignant and humiliated. His lips trembled, but he didn¡¯t say a word and spat out a few more mouthfuls of blood. After all this, his face was as pale as a ghost, and he was on the verge of death. Miao Zhen glanced at Miao Fushan and the elders standing beside him. ¡°Since I¡¯ve inherited the ancestor¡¯s heirloom, I should naturally replace Miao Yang and become the clan leader. I wonder if any of the elders have an objection?¡± After a short silence, Miao Fushan was the first to speak. ¡°Since the ancestor has already made a decision, we will naturally comply.¡± The other elders nodded in agreement. ¡°We have no objections!¡± This wasn¡¯t showing their submission to Miao Zhen¡¯s pressure but their sincerity. In the past, they had misunderstood Miao Zhen. However, everything now in front of them was enough to prove Miao Zhen¡¯s innocence. Even if he didn¡¯t obtain the ancestor¡¯s heirloom, he was definitely qualified. All these years, nobody had really surpassed Miao Zhen. He was also the number one genius and expert in the clan. It was only right for him to be the clan leader. After a moment of silence, everyone kneeling in the square bowed and shouted, ¡°Congratulations, Clan Leader!¡± The shouts shook the sky and were magnificent! Most of them looked rather excited. The initial shock and confusion had completely dissipated; all that was left was joy and excitement. How could they not be happy? Miao Yang was ruthless. Back then, he had used sinister methods to snatch the position of clan leader; it was simply the shame of the entire clan! It was reasonable for him to be defeated now. As for Miao Zhen, not only did he clarify the truth back then, but he was also a figure who had inherited the ancestor¡¯s heirloom! It was naturally different for such a person to be the clan leader! Even if his relationship with the legendary three-eyed eagle was a little special, it was nothing compared to the approval of the ancestor. It was obvious why Miao Zhen could hide in the coiling dragon pillar for so many years. Wasn¡¯t it all because of the ancestor¡¯s favor? There was no dispute about this at all! ¡­ When Miao Yang heard the almost boiling cheers and celebrations, his eyes rolled back as he fainted. Miao Zhen pressed his hand down, and the voices in the square quickly quietened down. Chu Liuyue was secretly shocked. That was all he said. Miao Zhen has just returned, but he has already received everyone¡¯s support. He is indeed extraordinary. She blinked at Rong Xiu. This time, we have really helped the right person. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he held her hand even tighter. This trip to Godly Dragon Island was indeed unexpected. Fortunately, it was a close call, and we benefited in the end. To be on good terms with Miao Zhen is definitely beneficial to us. Not only would they be able to leave successfully this time, but they would also have contact with the great phoenix dragon clan in the future. With this relationship, it would undoubtedly be much more convenient to deal with many things in the future. ¡­ Miao Zhen said to an elder beside him, ¡°Wake him up.¡± The elder responded and quickly walked forward. He then grabbed Miao Yang¡¯s collar and gave the latter two extremely loud slaps without saying a word. Miao Yang¡¯s face quickly turned red and swollen. At the same time, he was woken up by the pain. He opened his eyes angrily and saw Miao Zhen and the elder who was about to slap him a third time. He immediately understood. I¡¯m still here! Instantly, his anger turned to panic and fear. He instinctively shrank back, but unfortunately, his collar was clenched so tightly that he couldn¡¯t move. At this moment, he had lost his arms and was unable to resist. Miao Zhen smiled, but in Miao Yang¡¯s opinion, this smile was no different from that of a demon! ¡°Miao Yang, I know you want to die a simple death, but how can there be so many satisfying deaths in this world?¡± Miao Yang immediately had an ominous feeling, and he asked in a panic, ¡°You! What do you want to do?!¡± Miao Zhen raised his hand. A purple-gold scale abruptly appeared in his palm. Immediately after, a dazzling light suddenly flew out from between his eyebrows and enveloped Miao Yang! The elder immediately let go and took a few steps back. Miao Yang¡¯s body began to roll on the ground as if he were enduring immense pain. Soon, his figure began to change! After a while, he actually returned to his true form! Roar! Miao Yang¡¯s roar was filled with deep panic and fear. Miao Zhen said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t take your life directly. I just¡­ want to seek justice for those seven clansmen!¡± With that, the scale in his palm instantly flew out! Chu! Chu! Chu! An ear-piercing sound suddenly sounded! Miao Yang¡¯s body began to flip even more crazily! Soon, bloody scales fell to the ground. Some scales still had flesh attached to them, making them look very bloody and terrifying. Miao Zhen was going to skin him alive! ¡­ Such methods couldn¡¯t be said to be ruthless, but thinking about what Miao Yang had done made people feel that this was what he deserved! Such a person deserved to be cut into pieces, not to mention how much he had framed Miao Zhen. This was even considered light punishment for him. Miao Yang¡¯s roars gradually subsided as if he no longer had the strength to churn. He was barely breathing. It wasn¡¯t until the last dragon scale on his body was scraped off that Miao Zhen said, ¡°Send him to Seven Lotus Peak and give him the last of the medicine. Make sure he recovers as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Miao Yang was shocked. Could it be that Miao Zhen still plans to torture me like this repeatedly?! As if to confirm his guess, Miao Zhen glanced at him and smiled without much humor. ¡°Miao Yang, what¡¯s the hurry? This is just the beginning.¡± Chapter 1779 - 1779 Wedding Day 1779 Wedding Day Miao Yang¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, his scarlet eyes filled with hatred and madness. ¡°Miao Zhen, if you want to kill me, kill me! Aren¡¯t you afraid of unnecessary trouble?!¡± Miao Zhen gave him a strange look. ¡°You think too highly of yourself.¡± Miao Yang felt a lump in his chest and almost couldn¡¯t breathe. However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Not only is Miao Zhen extremely powerful, but his eloquence is also impressive. What Miao Yang hates the most is that he is weaker than Miao Zhen. In his life, he has treated Miao Zhen as a strong opponent, but the other party looks down on him. There is nothing like indifference to represent a person¡¯s contempt. There is nothing that can deal a greater blow to Miao Yang than this sentence. As expected, Miao Yang became agitated as if he still wanted to cause trouble. But at this moment, he was no different from trash. He couldn¡¯t cause trouble even if he wanted to. In the end, he could only fall to the ground dejectedly and lay there covered in blood. Miao Zhen waved his hand. The people below quickly stepped forward and led Miao Yang away. Even after he was dragged away, the square was still filled with the thick smell of blood. Looking at the mess on the ground, everyone subconsciously fell silent with complicated expressions. Too many things had happened today. The clan was undergoing a drastic change and was almost turned upside down! Miao Fushan looked at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue and sighed inwardly. Who would¡¯ve thought that all of this¡­ was just because of these two people¡¯s arrival? If they hadn¡¯t suddenly barged into Godly Dragon Island, Miao Yang wouldn¡¯t have specially imprisoned them at Seven Lotus Peak. They wouldn¡¯t have found an opportunity to enter the coiling dragon pillar in the holy hall and help Miao Zhen reconstruct his body. All of this actually¡­ originated from these two people! After hesitating for a moment, he still spoke. ¡°Clan Leader, since everything has come to an end, then¡­ What are your arrangements?¡± Since Miao Zhen had become the clan leader, their attitude toward these people was naturally different from before. They were much more polite and gentle. Miao Zhen also sensed his gaze and laughed. ¡°Naturally, we have to send them off!¡± He still remembered his exchange with Rong Xiu. Now that he had taken back everything which belonged to him, he naturally had to fulfill what Rong Xiu had asked. Miao Fushan and the others were a little surprised. Just¡­ just like that? We thought that Rong Xiu and the others would definitely take this opportunity to make many requests¡­ In the end, they just want to leave this place properly? Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Congratulations, Senior Miao Zhen. Logically speaking, we should celebrate, but we¡¯ve been delayed here for too long. It¡¯s really time to go back.¡± Miao Zhen walked over and smiled. ¡°What are you talking about?! I should be the one thanking you! If not for your help, I would still be in the coiling dragon pillar!¡± He was truly grateful. The thousand years hadn¡¯t been easy for him. In the past, like his clansmen, he couldn¡¯t stand the humans and thought that they were all treacherous. But after this time, he had a profound change in perspective. At the very least, he valued and respected Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue very much. He glanced at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi immediately put her hands on her waist and looked up. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Although the red-gold heavenly phoenixes and the great phoenix dragons had always been at odds, she wasn¡¯t afraid at all! Chu Liuyue did not know whether to laugh or cry as she pulled Tuan Zi back. She could sense that Miao Zhen didn¡¯t have any ill intentions. Miao Zhen was not angry. Instead, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re young, but you have a temper! Don¡¯t worry! Your master helped me this time, and the entire great phoenix dragon clan won¡¯t do anything to you!¡± Tuan Zi blinked a few times. After confirming that the other party¡¯s tone was sincere, she heaved a sigh of relief and patted her chest. ¡°Phew¡ªthat¡¯s more like it!¡± I¡¯m with A¡¯Yue! Miao Zhen¡¯s smile deepened, and his liking for Tuan Zi increased a little. ¡°Yi Zhao is really lucky!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s talent is clearly very outstanding, and her soft and cute appearance is especially lovable. The great phoenix dragon clan doesn¡¯t have such luck! Hearing him praise her, Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t help but grin happily. ¡°Of course!¡± Clan Leader Grandpa and the others dote on me very much! Miao Zhen looked at her round, fair face and wanted to go forward and pinch it, but he held back. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll send you out myself!¡± ¡­ Outside Godly Dragon Island. Time passed especially slowly. Every minute and second was getting harder and harder for Shangguan Jing and the others who were waiting. Nan Suhuai stared at the transportation formation with a solemn expression and a frown. ¡°Nothing yet?¡± Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but ask. Nan Suhuai shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°But¡­ so much time has passed¡­¡± Shangguan Jing pinched the bridge of his nose, looking a little haggard. All this time, they had been waiting patiently, not daring to relax for fear of missing anything. However, the transportation formation remained calm. They gradually became anxious. Chu Ning comforted him. ¡°Although there¡¯s no reaction from the transportation formation, nobody from Godly Dragon Island has sent anyone over. They should still be safe.¡± If the great phoenix dragon clan discovered that something was wrong, they would definitely not sit back and do nothing. Nan Suhuai nodded. ¡°No news is good news. Let¡¯s wait a little longer!¡± Shangguan Jing and Chu Ning could only nod in agreement. ¡­ At the exit of Godly Dragon Island¡¯s barrier. Miao Zhen personally sent Rong Xiu and the others here. ¡°I¡¯ll send you off here.¡± Miao Zhen smiled. ¡°There are still some things to deal with in the clan. At this moment, I really can¡¯t leave for too long.¡± Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. The Thousand Summit had just ended, and Miao Zhen had just taken the position of clan leader. There were indeed still many things to do. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen is too polite. It¡¯s already beyond our expectations that you can send us off personally.¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said. Now that Miao Zhen was the clan leader, his status was very different. He was willing to see them off personally to show his attitude. This way, even if some people in the great phoenix dragon clan were still dissatisfied with them, they would restrain themselves greatly in the future. To them, it was undoubtedly extremely beneficial. Miao Zhen shook his head and sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me a lot, and this small matter is really not considered repayment. If you encounter any trouble in the future, just let me know! I, Miao Zhen, will definitely do my best!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. This is a serious promise! This is equivalent to us having the great phoenix dragon clan as a major backer in the future! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved slightly. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I really want to trouble you with.¡± Miao Zhen waved his hand. ¡°Just say it!¡± Rong Xiu suddenly took out a gilded invitation and handed it over with a smile. ¡°In half a month, it will be my wedding with Yue¡¯er. At that time, I hope Senior Miao Zhen will come.¡± Chapter 1780 - 1780 Meeting 1780 Meeting Chu Liuyue was confused. Marriage in half a month? Why don¡¯t I know? And this invitation card¡ªwhen did he prepare it? He actually took it out casually?! Chu Liuyue was dazed. Miao Zhen took the invitation. As soon as he touched it, surprise flashed in his eyes. The invitation card was actually made of ink brocade paper. Ink brocade paper was extremely precious rice paper. It was famous for its rare materials, complicated craftsmanship, and extremely low production. It was also because of these reasons that ink brocade paper was extremely expensive. But even so, ink brocade paper was still extremely popular, causing everyone to flock to it. This was because ink brocade paper was very tenacious, although it was extremely thin. The sharp tip of a blade couldn¡¯t cut it, nor could the icy water or flames destroy it. As long as it was kept well, it could last more than 10,000 years. Not to mention ordinary people, even these first-rate families in the God Residence Realm might not have so much. However, such precious ink brocade paper was actually used by Rong Xiu to make a wedding invitation¡­ Miao Zhen really didn¡¯t know if he should say that Rong Xiu was too extravagant or that he valued this wedding too much. Perhaps he values the person who is about to marry him. Miao Zhen carefully read the invitation and then smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely prepare generous gifts and personally congratulate you two!¡± Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Then, Yue¡¯er and I will wait for your arrival.¡± ¡­ Just as the two of them walked out of the barrier, Chu Liuyue grabbed Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s with the invitation?! The wedding is in half a month. Why didn¡¯t I know about it before?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and let her hold his wrist. His voice was low and gentle. ¡°I decided on the wedding day just now. In fact, it has been delayed several times. This time, I don¡¯t want to delay it anymore. In half a month, we¡¯ll return to the Sky-Cloud Empire and get married immediately.¡± Although his voice was as gentle and soft as usual, his tone was firm. Clearly, he had made up his mind on this matter. Looking into his deep and calm phoenix eyes, Chu Liuyue suddenly froze, and the rest of the questions suddenly fell silent. Yes, Rong Xiu has said this too many times. However, we never seemed to have the right time and opportunity. It has been too long. ¡°My father¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already sent someone to invite him over; he should be arriving at the Sky-Cloud Empire soon. In addition, your friends and subordinates will also go to the Sky-Cloud Empire together.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he patiently explained, ¡°Mu Hongyu and the others will come. In addition, once Cen Yi receives the news, he should also directly inform the Thirteen Yue Guard.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and it took her a while to say, ¡°You¡­ prepared all of this before you went to Godly Phoenix Mountain?¡± From then on, Rong Xiu had been traveling with her. She thought that he should¡¯ve done these things before that. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and did not deny it. He originally planned to get married after bringing her back from Godly Phoenix Mountain and when everything was ready. It was just that too many accidents had happened later that it had dragged on until now. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you blaming me for not discussing it with you before?¡± Rong Xiu lowered his voice. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to wait anymore.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly felt as if it had been hit hard by something. Tears welled in her eyes as she smiled and nodded. ¡°Me too. Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡­ ¡°Look! Someone¡¯s coming!¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly sensed something and looked up. Suddenly, his gaze focused. The two figures in front¡­ Why do they look familiar? ¡°That¡¯s Rong Xiu and Yue¡¯er!¡± Nan Suhuai followed his gaze and was instantly pleasantly surprised. Although Chu Ning¡¯s cultivation realm was low, he had the Indestructible Holy Body. Thus, his eyesight wasn¡¯t bad. He also looked over and immediately became excited. ¡°It¡¯s indeed Yue¡¯er and the others!¡± Shangguan Jing had already rushed forward. Nan Suhuai looked back at the Xuan formation. With a wave of his sleeve, the stream of light dissipated. Then, he followed with Chu Ning. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Shangguan Jing was the fastest and quickly shortened the distance between the two sides. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue also sensed the few of them and immediately sped up. ¡°Ancestor! Father! Master!¡± Previously, the people from Godly Dragon Island had rejected them. Coupled with what Tuan Zi had said, Chu Liuyue guessed that they should still be waiting outside. As expected! Hearing her voice, they were overjoyed. Shangguan Jing stepped forward, unable to hide his excitement. He first sized her up from head to toe. ¡°Yue¡¯er, how are you? Were you injured on Godly Dragon Island? They didn¡¯t do anything to you, right?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart warmed as she smiled. ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m fine?¡± As she spoke, she deliberately turned half a circle around so that they could see clearly. Actually, she had indeed suffered a small injury on the Godly Dragon Island, but that wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. In addition, her recovery ability was extremely strong. At this moment, there were almost no injuries on her body. Moreover, her internal condition was good too. Shangguan Jing was relieved to see that she was indeed looking good. ¡°That¡¯s great; that¡¯s great¡­¡± Nan Suhuai and Chu Ning also rushed over. Nan Suhuai first looked at her, then at Rong Xiu. ¡°Are you¡­ doing well?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. Only then did Nan Suhuai¡¯s worried heart calm down. With him around, there is indeed no need to worry¡­ ¡°Yue¡¯er, how¡­ did you get out?¡± Chu Ning asked. Chapter 1781 - 1781 Befriend 1781 Befriend ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s return to the Sky-Cloud Empire first and talk on the way,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Seeing that she and Rong Xiu seemed to be in good condition, Shangguan Jing and the others nodded in agreement. The group started on their way back to the Sky-Cloud Empire. ¡­ On the way, Chu Liuyue briefly explained what had happened during this period of time to them. ¡°¡­That¡¯s what happened.¡± As she spoke, she tried her best to be calm and omitted many things. But after her explanation, Shangguan Jing and the other two were still deeply shocked. After a short silence, the three of them asked questions in unison. ¡°You saw the genius from a thousand years ago, Miao Zhen, and even helped him reconstruct his body?¡± ¡°Not only was the great phoenix dragon clan leader, Miao Yang, stripped of his position as the clan leader, but he also became disabled?¡± ¡°You guys have a relationship with the new great phoenix dragon clan leader, and he even personally sent you off?¡± ¡­ It was no wonder that the three of them had so many questions¡ªit was just that these things were too shocking. No matter what, the three of them had seen many big scenes. For them to react so strongly, it was obvious how terrifying the impact of these things was. But in fact, their reaction was very normal. Any of the things she talked about just now would cause a huge commotion in the God Residence Realm! But when she and Rong Xiu talked about this, their expressions were too calm and indifferent. This almost made people think that they didn¡¯t take those things to heart at all. Facing their questions, Chu Liuyue did not know whether to laugh or cry, but she patiently explained it one by one. ¡°¡­What I said just now is indeed true. Otherwise, how could we have left Godly Dragon Island safely?¡± Speechless, they looked at each other. That¡¯s true. No matter how strong the two of them are, it is impossible for them to pass through the layers of barriers on Godly Dragon Island without anyone noticing. After a moment of silence, Nan Suhuai couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile. ¡°I see! You had long thought of a way to leave, which is why you didn¡¯t return using the transportation formation.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯ve made you worry, Master.¡± Nan Suhuai laughed, his face full of pride. ¡°What are you talking about?! I¡¯m so happy for you! Our Yue¡¯er is indeed outstanding!¡± Is this something an ordinary person can do? Only the two of them can cooperate perfectly! If this matter were to spread, who knows how many people would be shocked? How many people will secretly envy them and exclaim!? Nan Suhuai was really happy. After so many years, Yue¡¯er has also become stronger! ¡°Since the dust has settled on the great phoenix dragon, and you guys have a relationship with Miao Zhen, you basically don¡¯t have to worry about the great phoenix dragon clan in the future. In that case¡­ it can be considered a blessing in disguise!¡± Shangguan Jing looked at the two of them with emotion. This was definitely not an exaggeration but the absolute truth. It had to be known that there were countless clans and sects in the world that wanted to cling to the great phoenix dragon clan. Their strength was even greater than those aristocratic families! However, the great phoenix dragons were ancient legendary fiends. Like the red-gold heavenly phoenixes, they had always been extremely proud. They never took the humans seriously and didn¡¯t have any dealings with them. Over the years, the situation with the great phoenix dragon clan had been slightly better, but those were obviously surface-level friendships. There was nobody who really had close contact with these two clans! Now, it was obvious that Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu had successfully established a relationship with Miao Zhen. Moreover, it was because the other party was willing to help! How could this not shock and delight people? Chu Liuyue nodded with a smile. Actually, she thought so too. Originally, because of Tuan Zi, she had always been biased against the great phoenix dragon clan. Chu Liuyue never thought that she could coexist peacefully with the great phoenix dragon clan. In fact, the other party was even the clan leader! It was already very difficult for ordinary people to have any relationship with one of the two. Now, she miraculously maintained a good relationship with both clans. Moreover, the two legendary fiends she contracted also had an extremely close relationship with these two clans. This indeed could not be explained by the word ¡®luck.¡¯ After the three of them calmed down a little, she said, ¡°By the way, there¡¯s another important matter when we return to the Sky-Cloud Empire.¡± Then, she paused. Shangguan Jing and the other two looked over. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her face. Rong Xiu held her hand and smiled. ¡°Yue¡¯er and I have decided to get married directly when we return this time.¡± ¡­ At the Nan residence. The entire mountain and courtyard were deserted. The atmosphere was cold and stagnant, almost suffocating. This feeling became stronger, especially when they were close to the inner courtyard The servants were careful, even breathing carefully. This situation had lasted for a month. It had been like this since the last time the master brought the eldest young master and the second mistress back. Although the higher-ups had already blocked the news, many people in the entire family still vaguely guessed something. The eldest young master and the second mistress seemed to have returned after suffering extremely serious injuries outside! On the first day they arrived back at the Nan family, they called the entire family¡¯s heavenly doctors over. Several heavenly doctors stayed in the room for two days and two nights. It wasn¡¯t until the morning of the third day that the elders walked out one after another. However, their expressions weren¡¯t very good. Some people secretly speculated that the situation of the two was clearly not optimistic this time! ¡­ Chapter 1782 - 1782 Revenge 1782 Revenge Inside the room, Nan Yiyi leaned against the head of the bed with a pale face. Her body was covered by a thick brocade blanket, and her eyes were blank as she stared ahead. She looked as if she had lost her soul. Countless images flashed through her mind, but it seemed to be just a blank. Nothing was left but a blur. A maidservant pushed the door open and carefully handed over the small white bone porcelain bowl. ¡°Second Missy, it¡¯s time to drink medicine¡ªAh!¡± Before she could finish speaking, Nan Yiyi suddenly pulled out a whip from under the bed and whipped the maidservant¡¯s head! The maidservant couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was hit squarely. A long scar spread from her scalp to the corner of her mouth, easily cutting through her delicate and young face. Flesh and blood rolled, bloody and terrifying! The maid screamed in pain. The small bowl in her hand fell to the ground and shattered. She fell to the ground just as a few more pieces of debris pierced her palm, causing her to bleed and the pain to worsen. The maidservant looked up in panic and fear and saw that Nan Yiyi had already looked over. Her eyes were scarlet and terrifying, as sinister as a ghost! It was as if she wanted to cut her into pieces! The maidservant trembled violently and immediately stopped crying. She kneeled on the ground, cried, and begged. ¡°Second Missy, I know my mistake! I know my mistake!¡± Actually, she really didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong to anger the second missy, but it was her fault that the second missy was angry. During this period of time, there had been rumors in the family that the second missy¡¯s personality had changed drastically after she returned. In the past, she had only been spoiled and willful. Now, she had become unpredictable, irritable, and easily fatal. In the month since she returned, three servants had died at her hands. As for the injured, there were countless of them. The maidservant was afraid that she would also be killed, so she ignored the pain in her body and desperately apologized and begged for mercy. However, the maidservant didn¡¯t know that the more she acted like this, the worse Nan Yiyi¡¯s mood became. The blood in Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes quickly gathered, and she almost went crazy! So noisy¡­ You deserve to die! Nan Yiyi tightened her grip on the whip and was about to strike again when the front door was pushed open. ¡°Yiyi!¡± A figure hurried toward them¡ªit was Nan Yifan. Nan Yiyi stopped what she was doing. Nan Yifan quickly sized up the situation in the room and frowned. When he was walking outside just now, he heard a scream from inside the house. He immediately guessed that Nan Yiyi must¡¯ve caused trouble again. As expected. He waved at the maidservant to dismiss her. ¡°You can leave first. Rest well during this period of time. There¡¯s no need to serve the second missy anymore.¡± The maidservant immediately left as if she had been pardoned. The room quickly fell silent again, leaving only a mess on the ground. ¡­ Anger surged in Nan Yifan¡¯s chest as he said in a low voice, ¡°Yiyi, how long are you planning to continue causing trouble?!¡± It¡¯s fine if it were just a day or two, but it has been a month! Yet, it still hasn¡¯t stopped! The entire Nan family is discussing this matter. From their words, they are already very dissatisfied with Nan Yiyi! Although Nan Yiyi is the Nan family¡¯s second missy, this doesn¡¯t mean that she could be lawless in the Nan family! One had to know that the Nan family wasn¡¯t Nan Yifan¡¯s alone! The elders were usually very polite to him, but if he did anything wrong, he would also be punished! Not to mention Nan Yiyi! If this continues, how will I answer those people from the Nan family?! Hearing the faint reprimand in his words, Nan Yiyi¡¯s eyes turned red, and tears fell. Instead of arguing, she just lowered her head and let the big tears fall onto the brocade blanket. Seeing her like this, Nan Yifan¡¯s heart softened again. After all, she was the apple of his eye that he had doted on for many years. How could his heart not ache for her? She had been so proud in the past, so it was normal for her to find it difficult to accept the current situation. Nan Yifan sighed and walked over to sit by the bed. ¡°Yiyi, listen to me. Give me the whip.¡± Nan Yiyi paused for a moment before she slowly handed the whip over. Previously, Nan Yifan only wanted to leave this thing for her to protect herself. But now, he would rather send more people outside than leave the whip with Nan Yiyi. Taking the whip, Nan Yifan gently patted her hand again and said earnestly, ¡°Yiyi, I know you feel aggrieved and uncomfortable. However, it¡¯s not a solution to continue like this, right? Those servants didn¡¯t do anything wrong to begin with. Not only will your anger not help your condition at all, but it will also cause the people in the family to criticize you.¡± He paused, his face tinged with bitterness. ¡°You also know your brother¡¯s situation. Unless there¡¯s a miracle, he¡¯ll be crippled for the rest of his life. Other than a heavenly doctor I trust, nobody else in the family knows about this.¡± How could he dare to reveal it?! He had spent so much effort and time nurturing Nan Yuxing for so many years. In the end, he was crippled just like that! Moreover, he only had this one son! This also meant that the position of family head had to be given to others in the future! The Nan family was huge and had a total of three branches. The position of family head was usually fought for by people from these three branches. All these years, he had worked so hard to nurture Nan Yuxing because he hoped that he could become extremely outstanding. This way, he could naturally pass the position to Nan Yuxing. If his lineage failed, there would be people who wanted to replace him! Countless people were secretly coveting the position of family head! Of course, this wasn¡¯t what Nan Yifan wanted to see. When Nan Yiyi heard this, her tears stopped. She then wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked up at Nan Yifan. She looked angry and indignant. Of course, the position of family head can only be ours! But soon, her face was covered in gray defeat again. So what if I¡¯m angry? So what if I¡¯m unconvinced? The news that my eldest brother¡¯s Yuan meridian has been crippled and that he has become a cripple can be hidden for a while, but not forever. The family will find out sooner or later! And the fact that I¡¯m mute¡­ Everyone thinks that I¡¯m in a bad mood and am unwilling to speak, but as time passes, they will definitely find out! At that time, the outcome will probably be even worse. The culprit behind all of this is still living a carefree life! Thinking of this, Nan Yiyi held her father¡¯s hand and looked at him anxiously. Nan Yifan immediately understood what she meant. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Yiyi, don¡¯t think about this for now. You should recover from your injuries¡­¡± Nan Yiyi shook off his hand and revealed a desperate and strange smile. I had long guessed that my father didn¡¯t intend to help us take revenge! He wants us to swallow all the pain and torture! Chapter 1783 - 1783 Dilemma 1783 Dilemma Nan Yifan felt a sharp pain in his heart from her gaze. I don¡¯t want this either! My children are crippled and disabled. How could I not feel sorry for them and not want to avenge them?! However¡­ my opponent is Rong Xiu! If we were in the right, I could still take a gamble. But the truth is that most of the blame is on ourselves! If Yiyi hadn¡¯t thought of snatching Rong Xiu from Shangguan Yue back then¡­ If Yuxing hadn¡¯t provoked the other party several times in the God-Killing Tumulus¡­ If they immediately stopped when they sensed that something was wrong and distanced themselves from Rong Xiu and the others¡­ Things would never have come to this! But now, it is too late. The air in the room seemed to freeze. Nan Yiyi turned her head away and closed her eyes in despair. Obviously, she was no longer willing to continue talking to her father. This resistance made Nan Yifan feel very uncomfortable. He originally wanted to comfort her, but he didn¡¯t expect that in the end¡­ they would still part on bad terms. Nan Yifan knew that it was useless to say anything else. After looking at his daughter for a while, he stood up. He pulled the blanket closer and wanted to cover Nan Yiyi up, but she snatched it away. Her movements were crisp and filled with resistance. Nan Yifan¡¯s hand hung awkwardly in midair. He glanced at Nan Yiyi and sighed in his heart. Then, his fingers curled up. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to send another bowl of soup over. If you don¡¯t like these servants, I¡¯ll replace them. Don¡¯t do this again in the future.¡± With that, he turned and left. At the door, Nan Yifan paused. He put a hand on the door. Without turning around, he said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t care about the Sky-Cloud Empire, but Rong Xiu is indeed someone you can¡¯t provoke. There are some things¡­ you¡¯ll understand in the future.¡± With that, he pushed open the door and left. After a while, Nan Yiyi opened her eyes. The silence in the room was almost nerve-racking. She looked back at the front door, frowning tightly. I have never seen Father so afraid of anyone. Could it be that Rong Xiu still has some secrets? But isn¡¯t he just the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace¡­ Nan Yiyi was silent for a long time as a hint of struggle flashed across her eyes. In the end, she took out a green jade whistle. She put the jade whistle to her lips and blew hard! An extremely subtle sharp cry sounded, but it disappeared very quickly! Almost nobody heard it except herself. Even Nan Yifan, who had just left, didn¡¯t notice. Nan Yifan put away the jade whistle and folded her hands in front of her. She then closed her eyes as if waiting for something. About 15 minutes later, someone came to deliver the medicine. Knock, knock. ¡°Second Missy, your medicine is ready. I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± A low man¡¯s voice interrupted the pageboy, and the man took the medicine. The pageboy was nervous and was immediately delighted to see the person. ¡°Greetings, Elder Luo Yan! Then, this medicine¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll naturally urge Yiyi to drink it. You can leave first.¡± ¡°Aye! Yes! Yes!¡± Luo Yan had a high status, so the servant naturally didn¡¯t dare to disobey his words. Originally, he did not want to come. Everyone knew that most of the people who had come to serve the second missy had met with trouble recently. Now that he had someone to help him, it was naturally for the best. After the pageboy bowed, he left in a hurry. Luo Yan pushed the door open and entered. When Nan Yiyi saw him, a look of grievance appeared on her face, and tears fell again. Luo Yan¡¯s heart ached when he saw her like this. ¡°Yiyi, why are you still so haggard? Is the effect of this medicine not good?¡± Because he was worried that it would arouse suspicion about her health, he had only come here to visit Nan Yiyi once. This was the second time. I originally thought that Nan Yiyi¡¯s body should be much better, but I didn¡¯t expect that after such a long time, there is still no improvement. Nan Yiyi shook her head. Luo Yan¡¯s frown deepened. He walked over and carefully sized up Nan Yiyi. Actually, Nan Yiyi¡¯s injuries in the God-Killing Tumulus weren¡¯t fatal. Logically speaking, as long as she came back and adjusted well, she should be able to recover. But after dragging it out for so long¡­ Luo Yan looked at her swollen eyes and immediately understood something. It is probably¡­ a mental illness that can¡¯t be cured. Nan Yiyi used to be very lively. Now that she couldn¡¯t speak, it was normal for her to be unable to let go for a long time. He delivered the medicine. ¡°No matter what, taking care of your body is the most important thing.¡± Nan Yiyi nodded obediently and took the medicine. The medicine was bitter, but her heart was even more bitter. Luo Yan¡¯s heart ached even more when he saw her obedient and silent appearance. ¡°Yiyi, do you have anything to say by asking me to come over, or¡­¡± He had specially left the jade whistle for Nan Yiyi. As long as Nan Yiyi blew it, he could immediately sense it, and nobody else could hear it. In the month since she returned, this was the first time Nan Yiyi had blown the whistle. Nan Yiyi nodded. She took out a pen and paper and wrote a few lines before handing it to Luo Yan. Luo Yan took the piece of paper and read it carefully. Then, he revealed a shocked expression and frowned at Nan Yiyi. ¡°Yiyi, you¡­ No, I can¡¯t agree!¡± As he spoke, Luo Yan stood up and planned to leave. ¡°You have to recuperate here during this period of time. You can¡¯t go anywhere!¡± Nan Yiyi tugged at his sleeve and let out a whimper, her eyes filled with pleading. Luo Yan stopped in his tracks. He turned around and gazed into Nan Yiyi¡¯s tear-filled eyes. In the past, she had often asked him for help like this. Every time he saw these eyes that were very similar to her mother¡¯s, his heart would soften. Even if she occasionally made a mistake, as long as she showed such an expression, he couldn¡¯t bear to blame her. But this time¡­ Luo Yan sighed. ¡°Yiyi, that definitely won¡¯t do. Your injuries haven¡¯t fully recovered. I can¡¯t agree to these things.¡± Nan Yiyi slowly let go and suddenly smiled. Desolation and despair. Luo Yan¡¯s heart seemed to have been smashed by something. After a long pause, he finally said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll agree to it.¡± Nan Yiyi immediately looked up at him in surprise. In a moment of excitement, she pounced over and hugged Luo Yan¡¯s neck. She knew that at this time, the only person she could rely on was Uncle Luo Yan! Luo Yan¡¯s hand froze, but he quickly returned to normal and patted her back gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you well.¡± ¡­ Nan Yifan naturally didn¡¯t know the situation here. After leaving Nan Yiyi¡¯s place, he originally wanted to return to the study to calm down. But halfway there, he still turned around and went to Nan Yuxing¡¯s place. The place where Nan Yuxing lived was one of the most respected courtyards in the entire Nan family. In the past, this place had always been bustling with people. But now, the entire journey was deserted. Apart from the guards in charge, there was almost nobody else there. Of course, this was because Nan Yifan had specially ordered that nobody was allowed to approach this place easily and disturb Nan Yuxing¡¯s rest. He walked to the door of the courtyard. The two guards immediately bowed. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader!¡± Nan Yifan nodded. ¡°How¡¯s the eldest young master?¡± Chapter 1784 - 1784 Determination 1784 Determination The two guards looked at each other. ¡°Clan Leader, everything is as usual.¡± Nan Yifan asked again, ¡°Has anyone come in the past two days?¡± Both guards shook their heads. ¡°Other than Elder Nan Ye, nobody else has come.¡± Elder Nan Ye was the heavenly doctor that Nan Yifan trusted the most. He was also the only person other than the group from the God-Killing Tumulus who knew about Nan Yuxing¡¯s physical condition. After they returned, Nan Yifan handed Nan Yuxing to him. However, a month had passed. Although the external injuries on Nan Yuxing¡¯s body had mostly healed, there still didn¡¯t seem to be any improvement. Damage to the Yuan meridian was difficult to repair. Nan Yifan walked inside. ¡­ It was noon, and the sun was shining brightly. Nan Yifan pushed the door open and entered without knocking. As soon as he entered, the strong bitter smell of medicine rushed to his nose, almost choking him. Nan Yifan frowned and looked around. The windows were locked, and the room looked gloomy. The faint smell of blood mixed with the bitter smell of medicine was very uncomfortable. Sunlight poured in through the door, tearing through the dead gloom, but it did not dispel the dead aura. Nan Yifan walked inside. Walking around the screen, he saw Nan Yuxing lying on the bed. Nan Yuxing¡¯s situation was even worse than Nan Yiyi¡¯s. At this moment, he was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. His face was pale and haggard. His face was unshaven, and his lips were chapped. One could vaguely see traces of blood. His originally handsome face was now green, and his cheeks were deeply sunken. His aura was weak, like an old man on the verge of death. Where was the arrogance of the Nan family¡¯s former eldest young master? When Nan Yuxing heard Nan Yifan enter, his eyes moved, but he didn¡¯t open them. Nan Yifan walked over and stood by the bed. He stared at him for a long time before saying, ¡°Are you going to keep doing this?¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, and he finally opened his eyes slowly and with difficulty. However, he didn¡¯t look at his father and just stared at the ceiling blankly. His eyes were dead, filled with despair and mockery. After a while, he spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°¡­What else can I do?¡± I¡¯m already crippled. My originally promising life has turned into a bottomless abyss. What is the point of living? There was nothing in the world that could destroy a person¡¯s will more than letting them fall from the clouds and into the mud. Nan Yuxing was one such example. He had been favored by the heavens since he was young. He was chased by everyone and enjoyed all the glory. Overnight, he had become useless¡ªeverything in the past had passed. How could he tolerate it? Nan Yifan paused. ¡°Elder Nan Ye has been looking for a way to help you heal your Yuan meridian¡­¡± Nan Yuxing suddenly laughed, and his voice was extremely soft and sarcastic. ¡°Father, if Elder Nan Ye really had a way, why would he wait until now?¡± Nobody knows my physical condition better than I do. My Yuan meridian is completely broken and can¡¯t be repaired. Most of these words are just to comfort me. In reality, my heart is already dead. Nan Yifan was speechless. He could tell that this matter had indeed dealt a huge blow to Nan Yuxing. If there was no real practical method, Nan Yuxing would really not be able to recover. The room was silent. Nan Yuxing suddenly asked, ¡°Father, in a while, the entire Nan family will know that I¡¯ve become a cripple, right?¡± Nan Yifan frowned. Every word of this sentence made him extremely uncomfortable. ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯m useless¡­ I¡¯ve wasted so many years of your hard work.¡± Nan Yuxing laughed at himself. He was silent for a moment, then finally turned to look at Nan Yifan. ¡°Father, I want to ask you a favor.¡± Nan Yifan stepped forward and nodded slightly. ¡°If you say so.¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression became a little strange. ¡°Instead of living like this and becoming a cripple, being mocked and laughed at, it¡¯s better to die directly!¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s pupils contracted! Nan Yuxing did not seem to notice the change in his expression and continued, ¡°Those people are unreliable. Why don¡¯t¡­ you do it yourself? Today, today¡ªto the public, you can just say that I died of serious injuries or any other reason. Anyway, as long as you don¡¯t say that I¡¯m crippled¡­¡± The more Nan Yuxing spoke, the brighter his eyes became as if he felt that this method was very good. That excited and even expectant expression made Nan Yifan¡¯s heart turn cold. ¡°Yuxing! What nonsense are you talking about!¡± Nan Yifan shouted sternly. However, Nan Yifan paid no attention to his anger; he even chuckled softly. ¡°You know that too, don¡¯t you? Living like this, I¡¯ll only become a pitiful and ridiculous piece of trash! What¡¯s the point?¡± I might as well die now! When people mention me, they can even say, ¡°Unfortunately, he died young!¡± Nan Yuxing really regretted it. Back in the God-Killing Tumulus, I should¡¯ve killed myself! Why come back and suffer all this? Looking at his son¡¯s fervent and crazy face, Nan Yifan suddenly couldn¡¯t bring himself to reprimand him. It was as if something was stuck in his chest, making him feel terrible. There was a long silence. Then, he said suddenly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll think of something for you.¡± With that, he turned and left. Nan Yuxing watched his father disappear out the door. The smile on his face gradually faded, and his eyes were filled with defeat and self-deprecation. At this point, what else can be done? ¡­ The two guards guarding the courtyard door heard footsteps and looked back. When they saw Nan Yuxing come out so quickly, the two of them were surprised. How long has the family head been in there? It hasn¡¯t even been 15 minutes, right? He came out just like that? When Nan Yifan walked closer, they realized that his expression was rather ugly. The two of them glanced at each other and quickly looked away, waiting respectfully. Nan Yifan walked over and stopped when he passed the two of them. ¡°During this period of time, you must keep a close eye on the eldest young master. If anything happens to him, you will all die with him!¡± The two of them were shocked and quickly responded. ¡°Yes!¡± Only then did Nan Yifan leave. ¡­ Nan Yifan returned to the study with a heavy heart and sat quietly for a long time. There is indeed a top figure in the God Residence Realm who might be able to help Nan Yuxing repair his Yuan meridian. However¡­ that person isn¡¯t easy to deal with. Moreover, his temper is very strange. Even if I personally take action, I might not be able to invite him over. If not for the fact that I have no choice, I really don¡¯t want to have anything to do with the other party. However¡­ At the thought of Nan Yuxing begging him to end his life, Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t show less care. After hesitating for a long time¡­ When dusk fell, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window. Determination flashed in his eyes as he finally stood up. Chapter 1785 - 1785 Waiting 1785 Waiting ¡°Invite Elder Nan Ye and Elder Wu Peng over,¡± Nan Yifan instructed the people outside. ¡­ The two elders rushed over and entered the study one after another. Nan Yifan was writing something in front of the table. ¡°Master.¡± The two elders bowed together. Nan Yifan nodded without stopping. The two elders tactfully waited quietly. After about half an hour, Nan Yifan finally stopped writing. He picked up the paper and read it carefully before looking at the two people in front of him. ¡°I invited the two elders here today to discuss something.¡± Nan Yifan went straight to the point. ¡°I plan to go out for a while; it will probably take about ten days. During this period, I¡¯ll leave everything in the clan to the two of you.¡± Both elders looked surprised. Elder Nan Ye asked, ¡°Where is Master going? It actually takes so long?¡± Nan Yifan was extremely strong and fast. Under normal circumstances, even if he wanted to come out to do something, it wouldn¡¯t take ten days. Moreover, the Nan family was at an extremely sensitive and critical moment. If he left now, and something happened¡ª ¡°Yuxing¡¯s condition can¡¯t be delayed any longer. I know someone who might have a method, and I plan to ask him personally. If he can cure Yuxing¡¯s illness, it¡¯ll naturally be best. If not¡­ I won¡¯t have any regrets.¡± Elder Nan Ye was even more surprised. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a person in the world?¡± He was a supreme Physician and was already an extremely powerful existence among heavenly doctors. However, he was still helpless in front of Nan Yuxing¡¯s ailment. The person who can cure Nan Yuxing¡­ Aren¡¯t they even more outstanding than me? That is almost someone who only exists in rumors. ¡°If you can really ask this person to treat the eldest young master¡¯s illness, that would be great!¡± Elder Wu Peng wasn¡¯t so optimistic. He sized up Nan Yifan and saw that the latter didn¡¯t look relaxed. After thinking for a moment, he asked, ¡°Master, is this person¡­ very difficult to invite?¡± Nan Yifan nodded with a bitter smile. They are more than difficult to hire; there are many other troubles¡­ This was also why he didn¡¯t choose this path when Nan Yuxing was first crippled. If he hadn¡¯t heard what Nan Yuxing had said today, he would not have done this no matter what. Now, there was really no other way. ¡°Yuxing and Yiyi¡¯s situation isn¡¯t very good now. Many people in the clan are watching them, so you have to pay more attention. Before I return, you must not reveal their situation. In addition, my whereabouts are confidential this time. If outsiders ask, tell them that I¡¯m cultivating in seclusion.¡± The two elders acknowledged it and bowed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master!¡± Only then did Nan Yifan relax. He handed the paper he had written on to Elder Wu Peng. ¡°If anyone discovers that something is wrong and that I haven¡¯t returned in time, Wu Peng, you¡¯ll take over the responsibility of family head. Leave this handwritten letter as a keepsake.¡± Elder Wu Peng¡¯s expression froze. At this moment, he already had a faint premonition that Nan Yifan¡¯s trip would definitely be very dangerous. He took the letter with both hands and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Master, since this trip is dangerous, then¡­ Should we add more people¡ª¡± ¡°No need.¡± Nan Yifan waved his palm gently. In the middle of the study, a bright transportation formation suddenly appeared! He walked over. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself. You just have to stay here and guard everything.¡± Seeing that he had made up his mind, the two elders did not persuade him anymore. ¡°Goodbye, Master!¡± Nan Yifan nodded. The next moment, light flickered, and the transportation formation gradually spun. Nan Yifan¡¯s figure quickly disappeared! ¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire. Everyone had already received news in advance that His Grace would return with the princess consort today. Therefore, early in the morning, the elders had already gathered in Tongshen Palace and were waiting. Everyone looked out of the hall from time to time. ¡°Previously, His Highness said that he was going to Godly Phoenix Mountain to fetch the princess consort back. Why did he take so long to return?¡± ¡°Speaking of which, hasn¡¯t the princess consort always been in t Ling Xiao Academy? Why did she suddenly go to Godly Phoenix Mountain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s naturally because¡­ there¡¯s quite a conflict between the princess consort and the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! Don¡¯t you know that the princess consort has contracted a red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± ¡°What¡ªreally? Isn¡¯t it rumored that ancient legendary fiends never contract with humans? Then, the princess consort¡¯s red-gold heavenly phoenix is¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I really don¡¯t know if the princess consort is too lucky or too unlucky. Her red-gold heavenly phoenix was actually her previous red-tailed phoenix that transformed! There are so many red-tailed phoenixes in the world, but there are very few who can advance further.¡± ¡°It has to be said that this is an opportunity that ordinary people can¡¯t envy. However¡­ this is where the trouble lies. If it¡¯s to break through to become another legendary fiend, there naturally won¡¯t be a problem. However, what kind of existence is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan? After so many years, they almost never interact with the human race. How can they let go of this matter so easily?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ It seems that this time, it was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader, Yi Zhao, who personally wrote to Ling Xiao Academy and asked the princess consort to visit personally¡­ His Grace has been gone for so long before returning. He probably spent a lot of effort¡­¡± In other words, His Grace must¡¯ve paid a high price in order to help Shangguan Yue. The crowd partook in heated discussions. They were mostly in agreement on this matter. After all, the pride and arrogance of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan were famous. This was especially so for Yi Zhao, who was very difficult to deal with. It wasn¡¯t surprising that they would think so. 36 Respected Elder Ming sat in his seat and leaned back in his chair, listening to everyone¡¯s various discussions with a relaxed expression. ¡°Since His Grace has brought the princess consort back, it means that the matter has been successfully resolved. What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± The hall fell silent for a moment. That¡¯s true, but who knows the inside story? Someone asked, ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, aren¡¯t you worried at all? The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan isn¡¯t to be trifled with¡­¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming laughed out loud. ¡°So what? Don¡¯t forget that the princess consort¡¯s red-gold heavenly phoenix has been following her since a few years ago. It¡¯s just that it happened to break through now. Even if the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan wants to do something, they have to be reasonable, right? Besides, His Grace and the princess consort aren¡¯t ordinary people. How can they let themselves be bullied?¡± These words were really irrefutable. The person who asked the question wanted to say more, but he was stopped by the person beside him. ¡°Don¡¯t ask. 36 Respected Elder Ming is famous for protecting our princess consort. Even if they really cause any trouble because of this, he won¡¯t say anything bad about the princess consort.¡± The man swallowed the rest of his words. At this moment, someone hurried over from outside. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, Shangguan You is here!¡± Chapter 1786 - 1786 Position 1786 Position The hall instantly fell silent. Many people looked surprised. Shangguan You? Who is this? It sounds¡­ like someone from the princess consort¡¯s side? 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s eyes lit up, and he stood up. ¡°Hurry up and bring him in!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The guard respectfully withdrew. Everyone in the hall looked at each other. Elder Jing Chen probed, ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming, who is this Shangguan You?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s the princess consort¡¯s father.¡± Everyone looked enlightened. It is indeed that person from the Tianling Dynasty, but¡­ Why is he here all of a sudden? Suddenly, someone seemed to have thought of something. ¡°Could it be that¡­ His Grace is planning to hold a wedding?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming smiled and stroked his beard¡ªthis was a tacit agreement! Many people were stunned on the spot and couldn¡¯t react for a while. Actually, it was indeed time for His Grace to hold the wedding ceremony. After all, it had been a long time since the day of the princess consort election. In the middle, His Grace had also mentioned a few times that he wanted to get married, but he was delayed by such things. Hence, everyone gradually ignored this matter. Now that they suddenly heard it, they couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡°No wonder¡­¡± No wonder the princess consort¡¯s father has been invited. When a daughter gets married, her parents naturally have to come. ¡­ Soon, an unfamiliar figure appeared outside the hall. The guard¡¯s announcement sounded. Everyone looked over. Most of them were also very curious about the princess consort¡¯s family. Shangguan You came to the front of the hall and looked up. Tongshen Palace¡ªit was solemn and dignified! Before he entered, he could already feel a heavy pressure approaching silently! Shangguan You recalled what he had seen and heard on the way and still felt like he was in a dream. This is¡­ where Yue¡¯er is now? Shangguan You had heard of the God Residence Realm and later learned a lot about it, including the Sky-Cloud Empire. He knew that any clan or sect in the God Residence Realm was stronger than the Tianling Dynasty. Among them, the Sky-Cloud Empire was one of the top existences! But when he really arrived here, he realized that everything was even more than he expected¡­ For a moment, Shangguan You didn¡¯t know what words to use to describe his feelings. He felt something surge in his chest. ¡°Lord Shangguan, the elders are waiting inside. Please¡ª¡± Yu Mo had a fervent smile on his face as he politely invited Shangguan You in. Although Shangguan You was the former Tianling Emperor, they were in the God Residence Realm now. Hence, it was naturally not appropriate to address him that way. After thinking about it, Shangguan You took the initiative to ask Yu Mo to call him that. Anyway, it was just a title. What was really important was to see Yue¡¯er. Shangguan You nodded and walked into the hall. ¡­ The moment Shangguan You entered, countless gazes landed on him! He looked to be in his 40s and was dressed in a navy-blue brocade robe. Although there were already traces of time on his face, it still didn¡¯t hide his handsomeness and elegance as a young man. Shangguan Yue¡¯s appearance was indeed 30 to 40% similar to his. Most importantly, he had an extraordinary bearing. Even though he was from outside the God Residence Realm and had come to Tongshen Palace where experts gathered, his expression and footsteps were still very calm. Some people thought to themselves, Everyone in the Shangguan family seems to have such¡­ strength? Be it Shangguan Yue back then or the current Shangguan You, they never seem to know what fear is. People outside the God Residence Realm, even if they were born as emperors, will often show some cowardice and cower when facing us. However, Shangguan You didn¡¯t. ¡°Lord Shangguan, you¡¯re finally here!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming stood up and walked over with a smile. Shangguan You quickly judged the situation in the hall and determined that the old man in front of him should have the highest status here. Sensing the other party¡¯s kindness and welcome, Shangguan You relaxed a little. Then, he immediately smiled and bowed. ¡°Greetings, 36 Respected Elder Ming!¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was a little surprised. ¡°You recognize me?¡± He did not remember meeting Shangguan You. Shangguan You smiled and nodded. ¡°Yu Mo mentioned you on the way. I saw that you have an extraordinary bearing, so I thought it should be you.¡± Everyone present could tell that he was trying to be friendly. But so what? 36 Respected Elder Ming had noble status. Even the people from the Sky-Cloud Empire had to be respectful and polite, let alone Shangguan You, who came from outside the God Residence Realm. Besides, 36 Respected Elder Ming was extremely picky. He didn¡¯t like ordinary people who tried to please him. ¡°Hahaha! Lord Shangguan is too polite!¡± When 36 Respected Elder Ming heard this, he immediately laughed heartily. Obviously, he enjoyed Shangguan You¡¯s words. This meant that his attitude towards Shangguan You was very friendly. Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. It seems that 36 Respected Elder Ming really values the princess consort. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have given Shangguan You face like this. ¡°His Grace and the princess consort are rushing back from outside. They should be back today. Lord Shangguan, do you want to wait together?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming knew that Shangguan You must miss his daughter very much, so he took the initiative to explain. Only then did Shangguan You understand. No wonder I haven¡¯t seen Yue¡¯er after arriving for so long. So it was because she hadn¡¯t returned yet? He nodded. ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming laughed out loud. ¡°What trouble is there? Lord Shangguan, just follow me.¡± As he spoke, he actually brought Shangguan You to the innermost part of the hall and pointed at the first position on the right. ¡°Lord Shangguan, please sit down!¡± Shangguan You hesitated for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ that¡¯s not appropriate, right?¡± In the hall, chairs were on both sides. 36 Respected Elder Ming was always sitting in the first seat on the left. If he sat Shangguan You on the first seat on the right¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming said, ¡°You¡¯re the princess consort¡¯s father and have a noble status. Of course, you can sit in this seat!¡± Chapter 1787 - 1787 Looking Down 1787 Looking Down When Shangguan You heard this, he thought for a moment and finally sat down. He had some understanding of Rong Xiu¡¯s background previously. Although Rong Xiu was now His Grace of the Sky-Cloud Empire, he no longer had his parents. Only 36 Respected Elder Ming was considered his elder and relative. Nobody was more qualified to sit in this position than 36 Respected Elder Ming. As for himself¡­ It was because of Yue¡¯er. Yu Mo stood behind Shangguan You and introduced the people in the hall to him. Shangguan You greeted them one by one. On the way here, Yu Mo specially told him a lot about the Sky-Cloud Empire, including the temperament of the respected elders, their likes and dislikes, and so on. Therefore, although it was Shangguan You¡¯s first time here, he was considerate in every aspect, and nobody could find any fault with him. Some people originally wanted to find out something from Shangguan You, but they were all resolved by Shangguan You. Only then did everyone realize that although Shangguan You was born outside the God Residence Realm, his intelligence and methods weren¡¯t inferior to those present. After a while, everyone gradually stopped. Everyone began to wait for Rong Xiu and the others to return. ¡­ At the foot of the mountain, a few young men and women were coming down. Each of them was carrying a green-black wine jar. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming is really particular. Tongshen Palace clearly has wine that has been stored for a long time, but they still want us to go to the sake spring to get it. The sake spring¡¯s wine is extraordinary. It has to be carried in this specially made wine jar and can¡¯t be placed in Cosmic Rings; it has to be carried on our shoulders. These trips have consumed a lot of origin power.¡± A tall, thin young man wiped the sweat from his forehead. This was already his second trip of the day to get the wine. A round-faced woman beside him snorted. ¡°To be able to let us go is because the elder values us! Otherwise, with our status, it would be difficult for us to enter Tongshen Palace! I heard that this will be quite beneficial to our cultivation!¡± ¡°What benefits!? They¡¯re just coaxing you!¡± The tall, thin man interrupted her impatiently, his face disapproving. ¡°If they were really thinking for us, why don¡¯t they just give us some good medicinal pills or Yuan instruments?! Which one isn¡¯t better than this?¡± In his opinion, this was just a hard job serving others. The round-faced woman was a little unconvinced, but she couldn¡¯t argue with him. After all, this was her first time doing this. She didn¡¯t know if it was really beneficial to her cultivation. She paused before saying, ¡°Even if¡ªeven if there¡¯s no benefit, this is what we should do! His Grace and the princess consort are coming back today, and there¡¯s also an esteemed guest. Of course, this wine has to be top-notch¡ª¡± ¡°Esteemed guest? Could it be that you¡¯re talking about that Shangguan You?¡± The tall and thin man laughed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that he¡¯s just a true god? He¡¯s not even a true legendary warrior. If not for his good luck and the princess consort¡¯s blessing, how could such a person become an esteemed guest of our Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± The disdain in his voice was obvious. The round-faced woman didn¡¯t expect him to be so direct and unpleasant. She was stunned for a moment. After a while, she stammered, ¡°But¡­ but he¡¯s the princess consort¡¯s father after all. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not appropriate for you to say that, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate? Am I not telling the truth?¡± The tall and thin man picked up the wine jar in his hand and sneered. ¡°In the God Residence Realm, the strong are respected! If he doesn¡¯t have strength, nobody will take a fancy to him in the end. Do you think the elders in Tongshen Palace respect him very much? Hmph, I dare to say that most of them don¡¯t take Shangguan You seriously at all!¡± The round-faced woman was speechless. Although these words were unpleasant, the logic was right. The reason why they were so polite now was actually¡­ because of His Grace and the princess consort. However, there were probably not many people who truly recognized and welcomed him. The other woman, who had been silent, smiled faintly. ¡°That person is the princess consort¡¯s father after all. No matter how strong he is, his status in our Sky-Cloud Empire won¡¯t be low in the future. Besides¡­ His Grace married Miss Shangguan. No matter what, Miss Shangguan is still extremely outstanding in all aspects.¡± She was beautiful and spoke gently. When the tall and thin man heard her say this, his expression softened. ¡°You have a point. Actually, I just think¡­ His Grace marrying the princess consort is a little¡­¡± He paused. ¡°In the God Residence Realm, countless noble ladies admire His Grace. If he can marry them, the situation will probably be very different.¡± The woman¡¯s smile did not waver as she said, ¡°Isn¡¯t our princess consort also very outstanding? Senior Shangguan Jing is a supreme Armory Refinement Master.¡± ¡°A supreme Armory Refinement Master is indeed very powerful, but compared to those clans and sects with deep foundations¡­¡± The tall, thin man shook his head. He didn¡¯t finish the rest, but the meaning of his words was obvious. The round-faced woman looked at the two of them and whispered hesitantly, ¡°However, I heard from the revered elders just now that¡­ Apart from Shangguan You, many of the princess consort¡¯s friends have been invited to His Grace¡¯s wedding this time! His Grace indeed values the princess consort very much¡ª¡± The tall, thin man disagreed. ¡°The princess consort has no roots in the God Residence Realm, so she naturally has to invite more people to be more lively.¡± Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t the scene be unbearable? The beautiful woman smiled. ¡°Alright, these aren¡¯t things we can discuss. It¡¯s fine if we talk about it in private, but don¡¯t let others hear it. Let¡¯s go. If we¡¯re late, we won¡¯t be able to get the wine.¡± With that, she led the way forward. Without another word, the remaining two left after her. After their figures gradually left, the void fluctuated, and a figure walked out. Garbed in a red dress, her figure was slender and exquisite. Her black hair fell, making her face look even more beautiful. It was Chu Liuyue! She looked in the direction the people had left and raised her eyebrows slightly, revealing an ambiguous smile. It seems that¡­ many people in the Sky-Cloud Empire have such thoughts? Chapter 1788 - 1788 Meeting 1788 Meeting Initially, she had returned with Rong Xiu and the others, but after hearing that her father had already arrived, she decided to go back to change her clothes and wash up before meeting her father. She had been busy running around recently. Although there were no injuries on her body, she still looked a little travel-worn. This was the first time she met her father in the God Residence Realm. Naturally, she wanted to show her best face to reassure her father. Unexpectedly, just as she arrived, she heard those people mention her and her father. She might as well set up a barrier and hide. Just like that, she listened to their conversation. ¡°A¡¯Yue.¡± Tuan Zi asked in her heart, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry that they said that about you!?¡± When she heard those words, she almost couldn¡¯t help but rush out! Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about? They were telling the truth too.¡± She knew very well what kind of place the God Residence Realm was. Here, the strong preyed on the weak. She wasn¡¯t from an aristocratic family to begin with, so there was nothing to refute. Even if there was Shangguan Jing now, Shangguan Jing had always fought alone back then. Although he had made a name for himself, it was difficult for two fists to fight against four hands. Just relying on him alone couldn¡¯t support the Shangguan family. The sects and families that could establish themselves in the God Residence Realm were all top-notch legendary warriors who had been born to their ancestors and passed down their bloodline strength generation after generation. They had deep accumulation and foundation. They¡­ were indeed incomparable to them. Hearing this, Tuan Zi snorted angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t care! They have to be punished for saying that about you! I¡¯ve already memorized the voices of those people! The next time I see them, I¡¯ll definitely teach them a lesson!¡± I¡¯m not even afraid of Clan Leader Grandpa, so why would I be afraid of these people?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. I really like the fact that Tuan Zi holds a grudge. Still¡ª ¡°Tuan Zi, I know you can beat one, two, and even three of them, but can you beat more?¡± Tuan Zi was stunned. ¡°There must be many people in the Sky-Cloud Empire who think this way. Even if we deal with a few of them, we still won¡¯t be able to change their minds.¡± Tuan Zi was conflicted. ¡°Then, what should we do?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her head slightly and looked at the mountain. Looking up from here, she could already see the solemn and ancient Tongshen Palace. It was obvious that almost all the important figures in the Sky-Cloud Empire were gathered there. Her eyes flickered as if thousands of galaxies had sprinkled down, scattering light. ¡°The only way to make them acknowledge your status is to become stronger than them!¡± At this moment, a familiar voice sounded. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Rong Xiu behind her. He had also changed into snow-white clothes even though his previous set was also very clean. ¡°Have you waited long?¡± Previously, they had agreed to meet here. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, I just arrived.¡± Rong Xiu walked closer. Standing here, he could even smell the faint fragrance of her body after the shower. Looking down slightly, he could see her beautiful face. Under her smooth and full forehead were thick and long eyelashes that were like fans. Her nose was high, and one could vaguely see her cherry lips. After this period of running around, she seemed to have lost some weight, and she seemed to have become even slimmer, tall, and exquisite. The young girl¡¯s inexperience had unknowingly dissipated. She was like a gradually blooming flower, slowly revealing her beauty and brilliance. Just a glance was enough to shake one¡¯s heart. She is becoming more and more similar to her old self¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu, Yue¡¯er.¡± Shangguan Jing and the other two rushed over. Rong Xiu had specially arranged a place for them to tidy up. Therefore, at this moment, the three of them were no longer as haggard as before and had become much cleaner. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Since everyone is here, let¡¯s go to Tongshen Palace together.¡± ¡­ ¡°His Grace has arrived! The princess consort has arrived!¡± The sound transmission spread far and wide, shocking everyone waiting in Tongshen Palace. Everyone looked at the door. Two figures were entering side by side! The man on the left was dressed in white. He was tall and handsome, but he exuded an indescribable elegance that made people subconsciously look up to him. The woman standing beside him was dressed in a red dress that fluttered. She was slender, tall, and beautiful. She clearly had an extremely bright and exquisite appearance, but her eyes were clear and penetrating. There was a faint hint of coldness and heroic spirit that was especially eye-catching. The two of them came side by side against the light and appeared in everyone¡¯s line of sight together, their bodies enveloped in a faint light. At a glance, it was as if immortals had come hand in hand. What a beautiful couple! At this moment, everyone in the hall couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotion. Putting everything else aside, the two of them were indeed the most compatible in terms of looks and temperament. Even just looking at them was pleasing to the eye. 36 Respected Elder Ming was the first to react. He stood up with a smile and bowed. ¡°Welcome back, Your Highness, Princess Consort!¡± When he moved, everyone immediately reacted and bent down. ¡°Welcome back, Your Highness, Princess Consort!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze skipped past these people and landed on the figure in the deepest part of the hall. That figure and appearance were all too familiar to her! Shangguan You stood up and wanted to walk over, but he realized that his heart was pounding and that his legs were stiff. He couldn¡¯t move, and his eyes were fixed on the face he had been thinking about day and night. His lips trembled. Finally, he shouted, ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chapter 1789 - 1789 Father Emperor and Father 1789 Father Emperor and Father Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes stung as she quickly walked over. ¡°Father Emperor!¡± Seeing her move, Shangguan You hurried over. When the father and daughter met, they actually looked at each other in silence. Shangguan You looked her up and down, something seemingly stirring in his eyes. After a while, he said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯ve lost weight.¡± A thousand words gathered in his chest, but his throat was extremely dry. In the end, he only said such a short sentence. His voice also sounded a little shaky. Chu Liuyue blinked, retracted the tears in her eyes, and smiled brightly. ¡°Long time no see. How have you been, Father Emperor?¡± Shangguan You hurriedly replied, ¡°Good! Good! Everything is fine on my side, and so is the Tianling Dynasty! It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just that I miss you¡­¡± How could he not? After their last farewell, he had thought that she would only be going to the God Residence Realm for a short while and would return home soon. Unexpectedly, so much time had passed in the blink of an eye. She didn¡¯t go back, but he came here. ¡°Is it too tiring for Yue¡¯er to be here?¡± Shangguan You¡¯s heart ached when he saw that her face had clearly lost some weight. Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°Father, you¡¯re overthinking! Look at me¡ªmy strength has increased a lot!¡± Only then did Shangguan You notice that her aura had indeed intensified a lot compared to when they separated. ¡°This¡­ Yue¡¯er, you¡¯ve broken through to a true god?!¡± Shangguan You asked in shock. Chu Liuyue nodded and held his hand again. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll explain it to you in detail when I¡¯m free later!¡± Her father knew almost nothing about what had happened to her in the God Residence Realm, including the fact that she had already broken through to become a true god a few years ago when she came to the God Residence Realm, as well as the many things that had happened before and after she regained her memories. She hadn¡¯t told her father in the past because she was afraid that he would worry. But now, it was indeed time to tell him all of that. Shangguan You nodded vigorously. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you! As long as you¡¯re willing to tell me, I¡¯m willing to listen!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm. At this moment, Rong Xiu also walked forward and greeted Shangguan You. ¡°I haven¡¯t formally introduced myself to you before. I¡¯m Rong Xiu, His Grace of the Sky-Cloud Empire. Greetings, Lord Shangguan.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude was very respectful. Shangguan You looked at him with emotion. Actually, he already knew that Rong Xiu¡¯s identity was unusual, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be even more shocking than he had expected! The ruler of an aristocratic family, the famous god of war in the God Residence Realm! In the past, Shangguan You only thought that Rong Xiu was gentle, polite, and had an extraordinary bearing. No matter what happened, he would always be calm. Now that they saw each other again, Shangguan You finally realized that Rong Xiu¡¯s calm aura was because he had the confidence to be powerful! How could an ordinary person have such an aura? ¡°¡­I had to trouble you to take care of Yue¡¯e,¡± Shangguan You said. Rong Xiu chuckled. ¡°This is just my responsibility.¡± I will naturally protect my woman. Shangguan You heaved a sigh of relief. I was initially a little worried that the difference in status between the two of them was a bit big, but from Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude, there is no need to worry about this. Yue¡¯er hasn¡¯t chosen the wrong person. At this moment, another announcement sounded. Everyone in the hall turned around and saw three figures walking over. Many people knew the one at the front¡ªit was the famous Shangguan Jing! The old man beside him was white-haired and sage-like, and his aura couldn¡¯t be underestimated. It was the director of Ling Xiao Academy, Nan Suhuai! Nan Suhuai was very famous, but not many people had seen him. After all, the number of people who had been to Ling Xiao Academy in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire could be counted on one hand. In the past few years, Nan Suhuai had disappeared without a trace and had never appeared much. Thus, there were even fewer people who recognized him. Many people looked surprised. As the director of Ling Xiao Academy, Nan Suhuai has always maintained a neutral attitude and rarely goes to other aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm. Now, he has come directly to the Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ Is he here for Shangguan Yue? Some people looked at the woman in red standing in the hall. Previously, we had heard that Shangguan Yue was actually Nan Suhuai¡¯s personal disciple. Moreover, Nan Suhuai seemingly values her very much and dotes on her very much. Now, it seems that she lives up to this reputation! Nan Suhuai actually came to the Sky-Cloud Empire without a word for her! His appearance with Shangguan Jing is enough to show his stand¡ªhe is here to support Shangguan Yue! Everyone in the hall chatted with Shangguan Jing and Nan Suhuai, but when they saw the third person, they were surprised and confused. Who¡­ who is this person? Sensing those gazes sizing him up, Chu Ning frowned slightly but quickly returned to normal. It was true that he came from the worst background here. If it weren¡¯t for Yue¡¯er, he wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to go to the Tianling Dynasty, let alone come to the God Residence Realm and be in the same room as an aristocratic family like the Sky-Cloud Empire. If it were the old him, he might really be a little nervous and uneasy facing this scene, but not anymore. He had been through too much recently. The boundless pain and torture hadn¡¯t made him lower his head. Now, all of this was a small matter. It had to be said that although those nightmarish days had caused him deep pain, they had indeed changed him greatly from the inside out. That was something he had never thought of before, but it now seemed¡­ so-so. It was also because of this that Chu Ning¡¯s attitude was especially open and natural. Standing beside Shangguan Jing¡­ Although his aura couldn¡¯t be compared to theirs, his calm attitude wasn¡¯t inferior at all. Someone couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Strange¡­ He¡¯s just a stage-one warrior. Why does he have such an aura?¡± A stage-one warrior was inferior to many children in the Sky-Cloud Empire. However, his expression was calm and natural as if he didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all. Many people heard this. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Perhaps he is afraid since Rong Xiu and the others are here, but the person who spoke was actually quite polite. However, it¡¯s hard to say what he is thinking. Chu Liuyue was calm and composed. She knew what these people were really thinking, and she understood why they would react like this. However, there was nothing to care about. Chu Ning had the Indestructible Holy Body. As long as he cultivated well, he would definitely advance by leaps and bounds. At that time, many of the people here would probably lose to him. ¡°Father, let me introduce you.¡± Chu Liuyue pulled Shangguan You over. ¡°Ancestor¡ªyou know him, so I won¡¯t say anything else. This is the director of Ling Xiao Academy and my master. And this is my father when I was in Yaochen.¡± That sounded awkward. Shangguan You looked enlightened. ¡°You¡­ are Chu Ning?¡± Chu Ning had already understood the person¡¯s identity when he heard her address him. His heart tightened. ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 1790 - 1790 The Invitation List 1790 The Invitation List Previously, Chu Ning had been calm in the face of so many scrutinizing and questioning gazes. Facing Shangguan You now, he suddenly became nervous. He was nervous mainly because the other party¡¯s identity was too special¡ªhe was Yue¡¯er¡¯s Father Emperor! After knowing Yue¡¯er¡¯s true identity, he had thought about this. Now that they met, he realized that it was even more awkward than he had expected. Chu Ning didn¡¯t know what identity he should use to face Shangguan You, but when Shangguan You heard this, he suddenly took half a step back and bowed deeply to Chu Ning. Chu Ning was shocked and hurriedly said, ¡°No!¡± Shangguan You¡¯s status is higher than mine, and he is Yue¡¯er¡¯s real father. I really don¡¯t dare to accept this bow. However, Shangguan You was very insistent. After bowing completely, he stood up and said sincerely, ¡°Chu Ning, thank you for taking care of Yue¡¯er previously.¡± He knew that many things had happened when Yue¡¯er was in Country Yao Chen. If not for Chu Ning¡¯s protection, Yue¡¯er would probably have suffered countless hardships. When he was lying unconscious in the Tianling Imperial Palace, it was Chu Ning who gave Yue¡¯er a home. He was endlessly grateful to Chu Ning. When Chu Ning heard these words, his emotions surged. I didn¡¯t expect Shangguan You to think so. I thought¡­ ¡°Chu Ning, it¡¯s Yue¡¯er¡¯s blessing to have a father like you,¡± Shangguan You said sincerely. Chu Ning was shocked and suddenly looked up at Shangguan You. What he meant is¡ª Upon seeing Chu Ning¡¯s expression, something seemed to surge in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart and almost drowned her. She held Chu Ning¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯ve already told Father Emperor that no matter who I am, I¡¯ll still be your daughter.¡± She took over the real Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and even obtained the fatherly love that should¡¯ve belonged to that girl. Of course, she was Chu Ning¡¯s daughter. It didn¡¯t matter if she was Chu Liuyue or Shangguan Yue. The porridge that he had cooked for her, the endless worry for her, the courage and determination to protect her time and time again¡­ These were enough. She was her Father Emperor¡¯s daughter and her Father¡¯s Yue¡¯er. Chu Ning¡¯s heart seemed to be choked by something. He looked at her and then at Shangguan You. Their expressions were so sincere that he almost thought he was in a dream. I had thought that I would lose Yue¡¯er. Unexpectedly, in the end¡ª ¡°Father, don¡¯t you want Yue¡¯er anymore?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and asked. ¡°How could that be!?¡± Chu Ning quickly denied it. ¡°As long as you want to, Father will always be by your side!¡± After saying this, the burden in Chu Ning¡¯s chest suddenly dissipated. In an instant, it was as if his entire body was smooth and comfortable. This is how it should be! No matter what, I will still dote on Yue¡¯er as much as ever in the future! Seeing that Chu Ning was really relieved, Chu Liuyue felt much more at ease. It was her luck and fortune to be able to obtain two sets of fatherly love. ¡­ Rong Xiu watched from the side, and a smile appeared on his handsome face. If she is happy, so am I. Despite the twists and turns, everything is finally complete now. He could tell that she was genuinely happy. After they exchanged a few more pleasantries, Rong Xiu said, ¡°Now that the dust has settled and all the elders are here, let¡¯s start preparing for the wedding!¡± The elders had long guessed his plan, so when they heard this, they weren¡¯t too surprised and agreed. In fact, Rong Xiu had already sent people to prepare for this a long time ago. Therefore, even if the notice was rather sudden, the Sky-Cloud Empire could still arrange everything in an extremely short period of time. Rong Xiu gave them a few more instructions, almost in detail. 36 Respected Elder Ming asked, ¡°Your Highness, the guests you want to invite to the wedding¡­¡± Rong Xiu handed over a list. ¡°The list of invitees is here. Just follow this and invite them accordingly. The invitation cards are with Yan Qing; get him to send them later.¡± The corners of 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s mouth twitched imperceptibly. Logically speaking, the invitation list is discussed and decided by the elders of the clan, but His Highness had actually directly written it himself. He is really unwilling to wait any longer¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming thought as he opened the list. After taking a few glances, his eyes suddenly widened, and he looked at Rong Xiu in shock. ¡°Your Highness, this¡ª¡± Everyone looked over curiously. What is so special about the list that can make the usually calm 36 Respected Elder Ming react so violently? Sensing those gazes, 36 Respected Elder Ming swallowed and tried to ask tactfully, ¡°Your Highness, isn¡¯t this¡­ a little too many guests?¡± Is His Highness really not messing with this list? It¡¯s fine if it is the clans and sects that are on good terms with the Sky-Cloud Empire, but there are also some who don¡¯t have a good relationship with us and have even caused trouble with us! His Highness plans to invite all the important figures in the entire God Residence Realm. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Too much? I don¡¯t think so. Weddings should be lively, right?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was speechless. What His Highness said¡­ There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with that, but the key is that some people on this list might not come. If they do, it might be even more troublesome¡ª As if reading his mind, Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up, and he said lightly, ¡°I¡¯ll only hold one wedding in my life. I naturally have to organize it well and announce it to the world.¡± He wanted everyone in the God Residence Realm to know¡ªYue¡¯er was his! Chapter 1791 - 1791 Trouble 1791 Trouble The entire Sky-Cloud Empire became busy. His Grace¡¯s wedding was a major event for the entire clan. Everyone naturally mobilized and didn¡¯t dare to slack off at all. During this period, Chu Liuyue became the most relaxed person. As the wedding was imminent, she didn¡¯t stay in Jishen Palace with Rong Xiu. Instead, she stayed at Changyi Mountain beside Suming Peak. There were many courtyards on Changyi Mountain, and most of them were scattered, so Shangguan You and the others lived here. In the beginning, Chu Liuyue even specially chose a suitable time to tell Shangguan You everything. Of course, she had meticulously picked out what to say. As for the more troublesome parts, she mostly skipped them. Anyway, those things were in the past, and there was no point in talking about it. It would only make Father Emperor sad. But even after hearing this, Shangguan You¡¯s heart still ached. This made Chu Liuyue even more glad about not revealing everything. On the other side, Chu Ning had been staying in his room ever since he came to Changyi Mountain. On the one hand, he wanted her to catch up with Shangguan You. On the other hand, he wanted to focus on cultivating. After arriving at the Sky-Cloud Empire, he realized more clearly that the strong were indeed respected here! If he continued to stay a stage-one warrior¡­ Not only would he be looked down on, but he would also implicate Yue¡¯er. Therefore, he focused almost all his attention and energy on this. Fortunately, he already had the Indestructible Holy Body, and his talent had already taken a qualitative leap. Coupled with the abundant natural energy in the Sky-Cloud Empire, it was very beneficial to cultivation. When Chu Ning cultivated, his speed could almost be said to be a thousand miles a day! The next day, he directly broke through to become a stage-two warrior. On the fifth day, he jumped to stage-three. On the eighth day, he even leaped to become a stage-four warrior! His physical body was his Holy Body. When he cultivated, his ability to devour and digest the surrounding energy was no different from a true god! In this way, it would naturally be a piece of cake for him to increase his level. As his strength increased rapidly, Chu Ning¡¯s mood became better and better. At this rate, he wouldn¡¯t have to wait long to complete the breakthrough and become a true god! Although true gods weren¡¯t top-notch cultivators in the God Residence Realm, it was a huge improvement for Chu Ning. Back when he was in Country Yao Chen, he never thought that he would really be able to reach the legendary realm one day, and all of this was because he had met Yue¡¯er! As long as he could become stronger, he could protect Yue¡¯er well in the future! ¡­ Chu Liuyue also focused on cultivating in her residence. Rong Xiu had already arranged the wedding ceremony. There was almost no need for her to interfere. After asking a few questions and realizing that she had worried for nothing, she decisively and wisely gave up on caring about this. Instead, she focused on her cultivation. Although many accidents had happened, and she had encountered many dangers along the way, it was also very obvious that she had improved in all aspects. This was especially so in the God-Killing Tumulus, where she had definitely benefited greatly. In the courtyard, she sat quietly on a stone bench. She toyed with a stone in her hand, and there were a dozen pieces scattered at her feet. These stones were the ones she had brought out of the God-Killing Tumulus. They seemed to be placed messily on the ground, but in fact, she could clearly feel the power contained in every stone. And¡­ the God Realms that were restless and wanted to be used! Dong! A stone rolled at her feet. She looked down and raised her eyebrows. ¡°No.¡± Although there was a barrier outside Changyi Mountain, and outsiders weren¡¯t allowed to enter and leave at will, it was always good to be cautious. Each of these stones contained a God Realm. If she used it now, it would definitely cause a commotion. How was she going to explain herself when she attracted a crowd? Actually, these stones weren¡¯t rare at all. They were just some broken tombstone shards picked up from the God-Killing Tumulus! Thinking of that scene, Chu Liuyue subconsciously shivered and moved her feet away. ¡°The Heaven and Earth Force here is rich enough for you to replenish your energy. Don¡¯t cause trouble.¡± She had already discovered that these rocks could devour the surrounding natural energy and transform it into their own strength, making their God Realms stronger. However, it was a little slow. In fact, the efficiency of these stones in absorbing energy was already very high. They were almost comparable to cultivators with Dijing Yuan meridians. The reason she felt that it was slow was that she was too fast! At her words, the stones finally fell silent again. After watching for a while, Chu Liuyue threw out another portion. Some tumbled straight into the distant grass or down the steps. As long as one didn¡¯t look carefully, nobody would notice anything wrong with these stones. A subtle fluctuation came from the distance. She put down the stone in her hand and looked up. It was Yu Mo. He quickly walked over and stood in front of her. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Chu Liuyue turned and glanced at him. ¡°Yu Mo, why are you so happy?¡± The smile on his face couldn¡¯t be concealed. Yu Mo chuckled. ¡°Princess Consort, Ms. Hongyu is here!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. Immediately after, she heard a familiar clear voice. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up slightly and indeed saw a figure rushing over. Her almond-shaped eyes were bright, and her eyebrows were raised. Who else could it be but Mu Hongyu?! Chu Liuyue stood up and went forward to welcome her. ¡°Hongyu, why are you only here now?¡± Her Father Emperor was far away at Tianling and had already been here for a few days. Mu Hongyu was in Ling Xiao Academy, so logically speaking, she should¡¯ve arrived faster. For some reason, it had dragged on until now. Mu Hongyu cupped her hands pitifully. ¡°I was delayed by something at the last minute. You won¡¯t blame me, will you?¡± Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°Tell me what delayed you first?¡± At the mention of this, Mu Hongyu¡¯s face fell. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯ve just been busy breaking through recently¡­¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Is that your reason?¡± Mu Hongyu coughed. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not entirely true. It¡¯s just that something has happened in the academy recently¡­¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and instinctively felt that something was wrong. Mu Hongyu has always been passionate and enthusiastic about cultivation. Her aura has indeed improved, and she must¡¯ve succeeded. If that is the case, why does she have such an expression? ¡°What happened at the academy?¡± She had been very busy recently and didn¡¯t know much about the situation at the academy. Mu Hongyu hesitated for a moment before standing up anxiously. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s actually not a big deal! It¡¯s just that¡­ Jian Fengchi is also here!¡± Chapter 1792 - 1792 A Persons Like 1792 A Person¡¯s Like Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± ¡°Jian Fengchi!¡± Mu Hongyu rubbed her temples with a headache. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but he got to Fangzhou City and then entered the academy just a few days ago!¡± Only then did Chu Liuyue come back to her senses. She was actually quite shocked by this matter. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ a heavenly doctor?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Jian Fengchi is indeed extremely talented in this aspect. Even compared to me, he isn¡¯t much inferior. It is normal for him to be able to enter Ling Xiao Academy. ¡°This is a good thing!¡± Jian Fengchi had helped me a lot back then. Now that he has entered Ling Xiao Academy to cultivate, his future will definitely be even brighter. No matter how I think about it, this is something to be happy about. However, why does Mu Hongyu look a little annoyed? Mu Hongyu rubbed her face in confusion. ¡°This is a good thing for him, but for me¡­ I¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu wanted to say something but hesitated. Chu Liuyue asked again, ¡°Did Jian Fengchi make things difficult for you?¡± It doesn¡¯t seem likely. Back then, Jian Fengchi had treated us quite well¡­ ¡°No, but he¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu blushed. Chu Liuyue quickly guessed something. ¡°If I remember correctly, his hand¡­ seems to still have your indenture back then?¡± Seeing that she had guessed correctly, Mu Hongyu no longer hesitated and said bluntly, ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s been causing trouble for me with this matter!¡± Trouble? Stunned for a moment, Chu Liuyue quickly understood, and her expression turned strange. Mu Hongyu was even more embarrassed by her gaze. ¡°Liuyue, help me think of a way!¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°So what exactly did he say and do?¡± Mu Hongyu choked. ¡°He just¡­ just said he was unhappy¡­ because I ran away¡­ and he even said¡­¡± She bit her lip. Chu Liuyue had roughly guessed it and couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and smile helplessly. Mu Hongyu paused. ¡°Liuyue, what are you laughing at?¡± Chu Liuyue tapped her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m laughing at you for being too stupid! I¡¯m also laughing at Jian Fengchi for being too pitiful! Hongyu, Jian Fengchi likes you. Did you only know now?¡± Mu Hongyu looked stunned, but her face turned even redder. After a while, she said in a panic, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Seeing her reaction, Chu Liuyue silently cried for Jian Fengchi. Mu Hongyu is straightforward and smart, but she is clearly ignorant about love. If Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t have feelings for her, he wouldn¡¯t have spent a lot of money to redeem her back then, let alone help her repeatedly. Chu Liuyue did not notice it at first, but now that she thought about it, she immediately sensed something. Even she could tell that Mu Hongyu was extremely muddle-headed. Not only does she not understand the other party¡¯s feelings at all, but she also said that he was looking for trouble with her. Tsk, I really don¡¯t know what Jian Fengchi had experienced. ¡°Where is he now?¡± she asked. Mu Hongyu replied, ¡°At the academy¡­¡± ¡°He should¡¯ve followed you here. Why is he still at the academy?¡± Mu Hongyu shrank back. Her voice suddenly softened, revealing a guilty conscience. ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s injured¡­¡± Chu Liuyue held her forehead. There is no need to ask. It must have something to do with Mu Hongyu. ¡°Hongyu, you know better than anyone how Jian Fengchi treats you. Don¡¯t you like him?¡± Mu Hongyu was stunned. Then, she lowered her eyes and looked confused. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± She had never thought of this before. Hence, when Jian Fengchi told her bluntly, she was stunned. Only when Chu Liuyue asked her this question did she think about it. What¡­ was she thinking? Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and decided to let them handle it themselves. After all, nobody could say for sure when it came to relationships. ¡°Stay at the Sky-Cloud Empire for the time being. Calm down and think about what happened between the two of you. It won¡¯t be too late for you to go back after my wedding.¡± Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t invite Jian Fengchi over. Mu Hongyu nodded and quickly diverted her attention. ¡°By the way, A¡¯Yue, isn¡¯t your wedding with His Highness very grand this time? When I came just now, I saw that many places had already been decorated! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± No, beautiful is too superficial a word. It should be said that¡­ it is magnificent and shocking! Even though she had only taken a quick look when she passed, Mu Hongyu still felt her heart tremble. Such a large scale wedding¡­ was simply shocking! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Actually, she had only taken a few glances at the beginning and hadn¡¯t seen it since. She knew very well that Rong Xiu had been planning this for a few years, so it was definitely extraordinary. But from the looks of it, it seemed to be even more extraordinary than she had expected. ¡°Your Highness¡¯s handiwork is indeed extraordinary¡­¡± Mu Hongyu muttered. Then, as if she had suddenly discovered something, she stared at Chu Liuyue in surprise. ¡°Liuyue, after not seeing you for a while, your strength has increased again!?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Although she had a Yuan instrument that concealed her aura, outsiders could still sense it a little. ¡°I¡¯ve encountered some things recently¡­¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she changed the topic. ¡°By the way, Big Baby¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, another figure flew over. It was Yan Qing. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Yan Qing bowed respectfully, but his expression was a little off. ¡°Princess Consort, something happened over there. I¡¯m afraid I have to invite you over.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yan Qing looked at her. ¡°The Thirteen Yue Guard is blocked outside the barrier.¡± Chapter 1793 - 1793 A Demon-Like Woman 1793 A Demon-Like Woman ¡°The Thirteen Yue Guard is here too?¡± Chu Liuyue was first surprised and later knitted her brows. ¡°How were they stopped? Do you know the reason?¡± Yan Qing said, ¡°Princess Consort, only six of the Thirteen Yue Guard actually came. As one of them had suspected dangerous objects, it caused the barrier to ripple. They refused to hand the item over, so they were stopped outside the barrier.¡± When Yan Qing found out about this, he was also very surprised and immediately came over to report to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind quickly spun as she walked forward. ¡°Bring me to take a look.¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly followed him. ¡°Liuyue, I¡¯ll come too!¡± ¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire was huge, and the barrier it used to defend against enemies was also large. Correspondingly, they also guarded the barrier especially strictly. When Chu Liuyue and the rest went to the barrier, it attracted quite a bit of attention. Not many people could come and go in the God Residence Realm as they pleased, and Chu Liuyue was especially eye-catching. Many people just had to glance at her from afar to know who she was. ¡°What is the princess consort doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seems like she¡¯s going to the barrier?¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t the princess consort been at Changyi Mountain the whole time? Why did she suddenly rush to the barrier?¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you hear? The princess consort¡¯s former subordinates were stopped outside the barrier for some reason, and the two parties are in a stalemate! Princess Consort is most likely going to solve this problem!¡± ¡°I see¡­ But it¡¯s just a few subordinates, so why did they come?¡± ¡°Of course, they came because of His Grace¡¯s invitation. What is there to guess about it?¡± ¡°No, what I mean is that it¡¯s normal for them to invite the princess consort¡¯s elders and friends to her wedding with His Grace, but she even invited her subordinates. It¡¯s a little¡­¡± It made one feel strange. Besides, these so-called subordinates got into trouble once they came, so they really didn¡¯t look like they were easy to deal with. Someone laughed. ¡°Princess Consort wasn¡¯t born in the God Residence Realm. Now that she¡¯s holding her wedding, it¡¯s normal for His Grace to want to invite more people for her so that it¡¯ll be more lively.¡± As he spoke, there was a faint mockery. To put it nicely, it was for liveliness. But to put it rudely¡­ it was just to increase her courage! ¡°The wedding is around the corner. If those so-called subordinates really cause some trouble, then¡­ it¡¯s not our fault!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about such things. She rushed forward quickly and reached the place soon after. From afar, she saw Cen Yi and the rest. At this point, they were standing outside the barrier, and the few Sky-Cloud Empire guards were blocking them. The two parties seemed to have entered a stalemate. ¡°Since you¡¯re the princess consort¡¯s subordinates, we don¡¯t want to purposely put you in a spot. As long as you¡¯re willing to hand the item over, we¡¯ll immediately let you in.¡± A guard knitted his brows slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a waste of time if we continue like this.¡± Cen Yi glanced at the woman behind him. ¡°Xiao Ba?¡± That woman looked like she was 17 or 18, and her appearance was beautiful with intricate features. Her pair of demonic-like eyes seemed especially alluring and charming and could be considered brilliant. She was wearing an extremely characteristic colorful dress, which revealed her thin and white shoulders. Her legs were also very eye-catching. Her wrist and ankle had a colorful string tied around them with little pieces of crushed jade on them. Every time she moved, it would make a sound. Her long hair draped down as one colorful thread simply tied it up and extended to her ankles. No matter her appearance or her outfit, she would be very eye-catching wherever she went. She was Xiao Ba, one of the Thirteen Yue Guards. She had no name, and that was how everyone addressed her. Upon hearing this, Xiao Ba curled her red lips up in dissatisfaction. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m planning to take out that item after we see Master. If I take it out now, it¡¯ll be wasted.¡± Cen Yi squinted his cold eyes slightly and did not say much. He knew Xiao Ba very well. Nobody could force her to do something she did not want to do. Additionally, she must have her reasons for insisting like this. After thinking for a moment, Cen Yi said, ¡°Since you¡¯re worried, why don¡¯t you directly send someone to follow us then? If something happens, we¡¯ll definitely take full responsibility for it.¡± However, the few guards¡¯ expressions turned even colder. ¡°Impossible!¡± The barrier had such a huge reaction. How could we let them in so easily? If something really happens, we wouldn¡¯t be let off! Cen Yi slowly clenched his hands tightly in his sleeves. At this moment, he detected Chu Liuyue¡¯s movements. His eyes turned, and he looked over. ¡°Master is here,¡± said Cen Yi lightly. The remaining few recovered their senses and hurriedly followed his gaze. Xiao Ba also widened her pretty eyes and kept looking around. ¡°Where? Where?¡± Very quickly, she saw Chu Liuyue. There was a smile plastered on her beautiful face, which instantly caused the surroundings to lose their color. At this moment, the scenery in the surroundings seemed to lose its color, and she was the only one that was beautiful and peerless. ¡°Master!¡± Xiao Ba waved toward Chu Liuyue and shook her body. Her pair of beautiful eyes seemed to be able to suck one¡¯s soul. Her smile was indeed alluring. The few guards¡ªwho still had cold and harsh expressions previously¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but be dazed. However, Xiao Ba ignored them and only cared about her master. ¡°Master, I haven¡¯t seen you in so long! I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± Chu Liuyue held her forehead. I knew that this was the one who caused the trouble¡­ ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort!¡± The few guards recovered their senses and immediately greeted her. Chu Liuyue gestured for them to be at ease. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± As she spoke, she looked at Xiao Ba. ¡°Tell me. What did you bring for me?¡± She even got into trouble because of this. Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled up slightly, and she revealed a delighted smile. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a treasure! Master, you¡¯ll definitely like it!¡± As she spoke, she clasped her hands and waved slightly. The crushed jade rang near her wrists with a crisp and melodious sound. Then, a wooden box suddenly appeared! Chapter 1794 - 1794 Burden 1794 Burden That wooden box was approximately the size of a palm, and it was entirely black. Only the edges had faint hints of silver. The eight corners were especially embroidered with a special flower-vein pattern. At first glance, it was intricate and elegant. Xiao Ba passed the wooden box over, and her eyes lit up. ¡°Master, quickly open it! There¡¯s really something good inside!¡± Chu Liuyue opened the wooden box curiously. Xiao Ba is very talented as a heavenly doctor and especially likes to research strange formulas. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to help Qi Han produce the pill that changed his aura. For her to pass it over so carefully, it should be an extraordinary object. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused, and she saw that the flower pattern on the wooden box was changing incredulously. The lines of the petals silently rose up as if they were blown by the wind. During this process, the more shocking thing was that the wooden box started melting bit by bit! It seemed like ice that gradually melted under the scorching burn of the sun. After Xiao Ba took out the wooden box, it rapidly became smaller at an observable speed, but water didn¡¯t seem to drip down from the surface. It was as if¡­ it mysteriously disappeared into thin air. Chu Liuyue glanced at Xiao Ba suspiciously. Xiao Ba hurriedly said, ¡°Oh my god! I said that you couldn¡¯t take it out casually! If the box is gone, the item inside will be spoiled!¡± As she spoke, she urged Chu Liuyue to open it. The wooden box wasn¡¯t locked. Chu Liuyue¡¯s finger moved, and she opened it. A dragon-eye-sized red pill was lying quietly inside. This pill had a pure color and a faint herbal fragrance to it. However, the pill didn¡¯t have any patterns that represented its quality, only the pattern of a small veined petal. It was exactly the same as the one on the box. Chu Liuyue was first dazed. Later on, she suddenly realized something and looked at Xiao Ba in shock. ¡°This is¡ª¡± ¡°Master, I produced this with much difficulty! It was so hard for me to bring it from so far away!¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue recognized its significance at one glance, Xiao Ba blinked as she placed her soft hand on her master¡¯s shoulder and leaned in closely. She then asked gently, ¡°Master, how do you plan to reward me?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. Xiao Ba was naturally sly, and her eyes were filled with flirtatiousness. No matter where she went, she was the most eye-catching existence. All these years, quite a few men went crazy over her, but she never took another look at them. But every time she met Chu Liuyue, she would be gentle and flirty. Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t seen Xiao Ba for a few years. Now that the latter suddenly did this, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t handle it. ¡°Ahem.¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°I¡¯ll let you use the medicinal garden in Ling Xiao Academy for a month.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, and she was overjoyed. ¡°I knew Master treated me the best!¡± I have been thinking about that medicinal garden for ages! However, it¡¯s a pity that Master thinks very highly of the medicinal garden and is reluctant to let me use it. Now, I have finally succeeded! Seeing how Xiao Ba leaned against Chu Liuyue and whined to her, Yan Qing unwittingly knitted his brows. Why is this woman so¡­ Chu Liuyue directly took out that pill and prepared to take it. Yan Qing advised, ¡°Princess Consort, this pill¡ª¡± What if there¡¯s a problem with it? Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Xiao Ba is my person. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Xiao Ba glared at Yan Qing. ¡°I specifically produced this pill to help Master nourish her holy body! You don¡¯t know anything, so why are you causing trouble?¡± Yan Qing glanced at Xiao Ba nonchalantly and didn¡¯t have much of an expression on his face, as if he didn¡¯t care about what she said. Since Princess Consort said she is trustable, then it should be fine. It isn¡¯t appropriate for me to say anything further. However¡­ Princess Consort¡¯s subordinates are indeed special. Yan Qing silently scanned Yan Qing and the rest and quickly retracted his gaze. Seeing that Yan Qing actually disregarded her, Xiao Ba instantly became furious. ¡°You¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her hand. She knew that Yan Qing was always like this and didn¡¯t target Xiao Ba. Xiao Ba could only suppress her anger and grunted. ¡°What do you people know?! After using my pill, Master will be able to form her own holy body in less than a year!¡± Once she said this, the few guards secretly exchanged glances and revealed their unspoken smiles. This woman talks really big, but it¡¯s a pity that her brain doesn¡¯t work properly. In the God Residence Realm, there were many true gods, many strong warriors, and many pills that helped one to break through. However, they never heard that there was a pill in this world that could guarantee one to form their holy body within a year! This woman is blowing her own horn¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze quickly swept past the few of them, and she easily guessed their current thoughts. The corner of her lips curled up, and she smiled slightly as she turned her gaze. At this point, the wooden box in her hands had completely disappeared. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already verified the item and have used it, you can let the few of them in, right?¡± The few guards hurriedly bowed. ¡°Yes! Princess Consort, please! Everyone, go ahead!¡± No matter what, they had to respect the princess consort. Chu Liuyue nodded at Xiao Ba and the rest. This time, the few of them walked in, and the barrier didn¡¯t have any strange ripples again. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept across the few of them as she smiled and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, follow me to Changyi Mountain. I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time, so let¡¯s talk.¡± Then, she turned around and went toward Changyi Mountain. The others followed closely behind. When their figures gradually went further, the few guards relaxed. ¡°Pfft, that so-called Xiao Ba just now is so arrogant, and she¡¯s filled with nonsense. How can there be such a pill in this world? Why didn¡¯t she do her homework in advance before she let her mouth run wild? When she said such things, it made one laugh for no reason!¡± ¡°I heard that they¡¯re also from the Tianling Dynasty, like the princess consort. Perhaps they thought that we were as ignorant as their average commoners. Hah!¡± ¡°So they were born outside the God Residence Realm¡­ No wonder. I really don¡¯t know how the princess consort chose her people and actually accepted such a person as her subordinate¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that the youngest one looked like he was 13 or 14? He¡¯s just a small kid! What can he do? I think the princess consort was playing around when she chose these people¡­¡± ¡°Hah, I hope that they don¡¯t cause any trouble! However, this seems quite tough.¡± Before even coming in, they have already caused an uproar. Who knows what these people will do later on? The few guards shook their heads in disapproval. ¡°Princess Consort is very outstanding, and this cannot be refuted. However, it¡¯s a pity that she has many burdens pulling her back!¡± Chapter 1795 - 1795 Doing Well 1795 Doing Well Yan Qing brought Chu Liuyue and the rest to Changyi Mountain before he directly bade farewell and left with Yu Mo. The princess consort definitely had a lot of things to say to her subordinates when they met, so it was naturally inconvenient for outsiders to be here. When Xiao Ba saw Yan Qing and Yu Mo leave, her red lips frowned. ¡°At least he ran fast!¡± If not for Master, I would¡¯ve taken action just now! As Chu Liuyue brought the few of them to her own courtyard, she smiled and said, ¡°Yan Qing and Yu Mo are quite nice. He said that just now in consideration for my safety. Xiao Ba, don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± ¡°Who would care about that icy face?¡± Xiao Ba rolled her eyes and looked annoyed. Pretending to be serious. I hate this type of person the most! Chu Liuyue glanced at Xiao Ba and knew that she was still upset with Yan Qing. She chuckled softly and didn¡¯t continue advising her. Although Xiao Ba¡¯s temper was strange, she was very smart. This was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s territory, and she wouldn¡¯t really fight with the other party. Chu Liuyue pushed open the door to enter, and Mu Hongyu stopped at the door. ¡°Liuyue, why don¡¯t you talk first? I won¡¯t disturb you!¡± She could tell that these people only followed Liuyue. They rushed over from miles away and definitely had quite a bit to say to their master. Chu Liuyue thought about it and didn¡¯t continue to let her stay as she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± In the end, Mu Hongyu curiously sized the few of them up before she silently closed the door and left on her own. ¡­ In the room, Chu Liuyue, Cen Yi, and the others were left. ¡°Greetings, Master!¡± The few of them bowed together. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time. You must¡¯ve had a hard time coming here, so let¡¯s not stand on ceremony.¡± Xiao Ba flirtatiously walked over. ¡°Only Master dotes on us¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and glanced at her. ¡°There are no outsiders here. Stand properly.¡± Xiao Ba instantly pouted and stomped her feet while whining. ¡°Master is going to get married, so you don¡¯t care about me anymore¡­¡± Chu Liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. I really can¡¯t do anything about Xiao Ba¡­ Cen Yi glanced at Xiao Ba lightly. Xiao Ba was instantly warned as she grunted lightly and stood obediently. In this world, only Cen Yi could stop her. It wasn¡¯t because of anything else but¡­ Cen Yi was much stronger than her and would take action once he decided to. He wouldn¡¯t show mercy at all. Even Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be soft-hearted in front of such a charming and petite face, but Cen Yi wouldn¡¯t do so. When he said he would deal with Xiao Ba¡¯s left shoulder, the dislocated one would definitely not be her right. Hence, Xiao Ba still feared Cen Yi a little. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings. This time, including Cen Yi and Xiao Ba, there were a total of six people. Other than the two of them, Wu Yao [1. ¡®Wu¡¯ refers to five in Chinese.], Yu Jiu [2. ¡®Jiu¡¯ refers to nine in Chinese.], and Shi [3. ¡®Shi¡¯ refers to ten in Chinese.] Fang were all here. There was Little Thirteen as well. Chu Liuyue smiled happily at Little Thirteen and waved her hands. ¡°Thirteen, come over. Let me see if you¡¯ve grown taller recently.¡± Little Thirteen had been obediently behind everyone the whole time. Now that he heard Chu Liuyue call him, he was immediately elated. The young man¡¯s eyes were bright, and he had a clean appearance. His slim body looked a little thin. There were still hints of youthfulness in his eyes, yet he had a sense of calmness that he never had before. That was the sign of gradually maturing. Chu Liuyue stood up. When Little Thirteen walked over, she realized that he was a little taller than her. She was dazed for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Thirteen has really grown up.¡± Thirteen¡¯s ears turned red slightly, but he was over the moon. In the past, everyone treated him like a child. But now, he could clearly feel that the crowd¡¯s attitude toward him had an obvious change. Anyway¡­ he was very happy. Now that I¡¯m older and stronger, it means that I can help Master do things! Chu Liuyue lightly patted Thirteen¡¯s shoulders and looked at the crowd. Other than Cen Yi, she really hadn¡¯t seen these people in a long time. ¡°How have you been recently?¡± The few of them nodded. Cen Yi: ¡°I¡¯ve been reading books recently. I¡¯m doing well.¡± Wu Yao: ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing my punches recently. I¡¯m doing well.¡± Yu Jiu: ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing my sword recently. I¡¯m doing well.¡± ¡°Shi Fang: ¡°I¡¯ve been planting things recently. I¡¯m doing well.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Seeing her speechless appearance, Thirteen hurriedly raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been running recently. I¡¯m doing well!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him in comfort. ¡°You should run more when you¡¯re young to train your body.¡± Receiving the praise, Thirteen was elated as a shy and bright smile bloomed on his young face. ¡°Master, you haven¡¯t praised Thirteen in a long while. Last time, you said that Thirteen was doing well and even praised me for eating a lot.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Oh, really?¡± After not seeing each other for so long, these few people have been busy with their own tasks as usual¡­ She coughed. ¡°What about the others?¡± Cen Yi said, ¡°Previously, His Grace sent a message back to Tianling. After knowing that you were going to marry His Grace, I immediately informed the Thirteen Yue Guard. However, the time was a little tight, so only the few of us rushed over. The others are slightly further, so they can¡¯t come together. Also, Si Jing and the rest are stationed at Tianling.¡± They had to leave some people over there. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°I¡¯m already very surprised that the few of you could come.¡± Ever since she was in trouble back then, the Thirteen Yue Guard left Tianling and went their own ways. After such a long time, she didn¡¯t have much of a chance to gather all of them back together. Now that six of them could come, it was already great. Cen Yi looked at her and asked, ¡°Master, have you recovered your memories?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Since she had broken through to become a true god again and summoned her God Realm, she naturally had found her memories. Cen Yi nodded. In actual fact, they had already guessed this previously. However, this was a serious matter, so they had to verify it again before they could truly relax. Chu Liuyue asked them some questions again, and the crowd answered one by one. She also briefly told them about the things that happened to her recently. Wu Yao looked guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have suffered so much here, Master! It¡¯s all our fault for coming too late!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing in disguise. Even though there were some obstacles in between, everything luckily went by. Besides, I¡¯ve gained much more than what I have lost.¡± All in all, it was actually a good thing. Thirteen clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Master, after this, we won¡¯t go back anymore! We¡¯ll stay here with you at the God Residence Realm! We¡¯ll protect you!¡± When Cen Yi heard this, his expression changed slightly as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Master, what are your plans from now on?¡± Chu Liuyue knew what he was asking. She paused but didn¡¯t answer this question immediately. The corner of her lips just curled up. ¡°I have a friend that has been researching the building of transportation formations. If you have the time, go and teach him.¡± Cen Yi nodded in understanding. ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 1796 - 1796 Did Not Mean It 1796 Did Not Mean It Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t ask who he was and just agreed?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Since he¡¯s your friend, there won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Not many people could be acknowledged as her friend. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head helplessly. Cen Yi was too smart, and sometimes, it was a little boring. The friend she was talking about naturally referred to Lin Zhifei. He didn¡¯t come this time, but she previously asked Mu Hongyu and knew that Lin Zhifei was still the same as before during this period¡ªbusy with his transportation formations in the academy. Hearing what Mu Hongyu said, Lin Zhifei¡¯s skills had greatly improved recently, and the transportation formation he built was taking good shape. Some of the elders in the academy knew about it and were filled with praise for him. However, they all thought that Lin Zhifei was interested in transportation formations, which is why he studied it so diligently. However, in actual fact¡­ Everything was because of an agreement he had with Chu Liuyue. It seemed like things were progressing decently¡­ ¡°There are only a few days left till the wedding. During this period, you can stay at Changyi Mountain first. I¡¯ve already told people to tidy the place up for you. If you need anything, just look for me directly.¡± Xiao Ba blinked her peerless and charming eyes as she leaned toward Chu Liuyue, smiled, and said, ¡°Master, I¡¯ve only heard of the Sky-Cloud Empire beforehand, and I¡¯ve never been here before. May I know¡ª¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t cause trouble, you can walk wherever you want.¡± Chu Liuyue guessed what she was thinking about instantly and directly gave her an answer. Xiao Ba smiled even more brightly. ¡°I knew you¡¯re the best, Master!¡± ¡­ ¡°Did you hear? Princess Consort¡¯s subordinates from outside the God Residence Realm have come here as well! They seem to have started a fight at the barrier just now!¡± ¡°This news has spread across the entire Sky-Cloud Empire. Who doesn¡¯t know about it? Didn¡¯t they say that one of the women had something with her, which caused an abnormal reaction in the barrier and was stopped?¡± ¡°Hah, that¡¯s what I want to talk about! Do you know what exactly is the item that the woman refused to hand over?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A pill! She even said that as long as the princess consort used the pill, she would definitely be able to develop a holy body within a year!¡± ¡°What? There¡¯s such a pill in this world? Why don¡¯t we know about it?¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s most likely to put on a show, and she¡¯s just putting up a front! After all, she came from outside the God Residence Realm¡­¡± On a mountain peak not far away from Suming Peak, the few of them walked and talked. Even though the Sky-Cloud Empire was spacious, news spread rather quickly between people in the clan. That matter had just happened, but a lot of people knew about it. They naturally had nothing to say about Chu Liuyue. She had outstanding talent, was very strong, and her appearance was one in a million, breathtakingly beautiful. Her only shortcoming was her background. ¡°Actually¡­ I feel that the princess consort does have backers. Senior Shangguan Jing¡¯s reputation spread far and wide back then! Even now, supreme Armory Refinement Masters are very rare and precious in the entire God Residence Realm! Besides, the princess consort is still the personal disciple of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director¡­ This is all pretty amazing.¡± Some people held different views and argued softly. ¡°That is true, but think about it carefully. Senior Shangguan Jing is one person after all, and Director Nan¡­ His every word and action represent the entire Ling Xiao Academy! He definitely won¡¯t disregard the entire academy for the princess consort alone. All in all, if she¡¯s in serious trouble, the princess consort has to deal with it herself!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°The family members, friends, and subordinates of the princess consort that came today are all not very skillful. Let¡¯s not talk about Mu Hongyu from Ling Xiao Academy. Although her skills are decent, she doesn¡¯t have much background. As for the princess consort¡¯s father, he¡¯s just a stage-one warrior! How can he be counted on?¡± Even though the words were harsh, they were the truth! How would it be so easy to have a footing in the God Residence Realm? At this point, a snow-white and fit figure suddenly flew out of the bushes by the side and pounced at the few of them! ¡°Ah!¡± The man who was talking and standing at the front was taken aback, and he hurriedly moved back. He was fast, but the other party was quicker! He felt that his vision became blurry as a white figure flashed across. Following this, his body flew backward uncontrollably! Thump! A low sound was heard. A few sharp claw wounds appeared on his chest and caused his wound to be badly mangled. The excruciating pain caused his face to turn pale! The remaining people were stunned and planned to take action, but they were dazed the moment they saw the other party. It was a white lion. Its fur was entirely snow-white, and its pair of icy blue eyes were nonchalant and cold. At this point, it was staring at the few people tightly and lowered its body slightly as if it were prepared to attack at any time. Intense murderous intent spread from its body! The remaining few people¡¯s faces turned white as well. This is actually His Grace¡¯s fiend! How can we take action? Besides, we might not even be its match! The sinisterly cold gaze landed on the man with injuries on the ground, sending a chill down his spine. He swallowed his remaining words and didn¡¯t even dare to utter a sound. The air seemed to have stopped moving as it froze inch by inch. The few of them were tense. After a while, one of them forcefully said, ¡°S-sir Xue Xue, w-we didn¡¯t mean the words we said just now¡­¡± Xue Xue squinted its eyes. Didn¡¯t mean it? Do you think I¡¯m a fool? Roar! Xue Xue let out a low growl from his throat and suddenly raised its claws. Since they don¡¯t mean it, then¡­ I don¡¯t mean to do this! Chapter 1797 - 1797 Chaos 1797 Chaos It wasn¡¯t difficult for Xue Xue to deal with these people. After the white shadow flew away, the few people present were all injured to varying degrees. Seeing that Xue Xue was about to continue, one of them hurriedly shouted,¡±Sir Xuexue, His Grace and the princess consort¡¯s wedding is imminent! It¡¯s really not appropriate for someone to die now!¡± Only then did Xue Xue stop. It tilted its head and thought for a moment as if considering this person¡¯s words. The few of them were so nervous that they didn¡¯t dare to move or even say a word. Every second Xue Xue spent thinking was torture for them. Finally, Xue Xue turned around and left. It is indeed not appropriate to delay Master¡¯s wedding for these few people. Seeing that the fiend had finally decided to leave, the few of them revealed relieved expressions. However, Xue Xue took a few steps and looked back. Its cold and indifferent gaze swept across their faces as if it wanted to remember them clearly! Everyone read the meaning in its eyes¡ªit was waiting to settle scores! After taking a look, Xue Xue flashed away. The snow-white figure flashed past and quickly disappeared. However, the hearts of the few people who stayed behind sank. After offending Xue Xue, our outcomes won¡¯t be good! If we had known that Sir Xue Xue was so protective of the princess consort and happened to be here, we wouldn¡¯t have said that! The few of them covered their injuries and regretted it. ¡°Sir Xue Xue is a vengeful person. This time¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s over for us!¡± one of them said in frustration. The others turned pale. As for the man attacked at the beginning, when he thought of his future outcome, he was so angry that he fainted. However, there was no medicine for regret in this world. Everyone had to pay the price for their words and actions. ¡­ Chu Liuyue was cultivating in her room. Suddenly, a fluctuation spread. She opened her eyes and looked at the window. A large furry head poked through the window. Because it was too big and the window was too small, it was stuck. Its big icy-blue eyes looked at her innocently and pitifully. ¡°Ow!¡± Chu Liuyue immediately stood up and walked over, feeling helpless and amused. ¡°Xue Xue, why do you have to come in through the window every time? This small window can¡¯t accommodate your big body!¡± As she spoke, she walked to the window and opened it wider. Only then did she finally let Xue Xue in. ¡°Okay, you¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Xue Xue, who had been liberated, immediately pounced at her! Xue Xue had grown a lot taller and heavier after not seeing it for a while. Chu Liuyue almost failed to catch it. Fortunately, her strength had increased significantly, so she could barely scoop Xue Xue up. It was a furry ball in her arms. Chu Liuyue let out a long breath. ¡°Huff¡ªXue Xue, why are you so much heavier than before? Did you eat and sleep well at the Sky-Cloud Empire recently and fatten yourself up?¡± Chu Liuyue was originally teasing it, but after saying that, she realized that Xue Xue seemed to be in a bad state. It didn¡¯t say anything, just leaned against her leg. ¡°Xue Xue?¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her head and saw that Xue Xue didn¡¯t look very happy. Sensing her gaze, Xue Xue looked up. There was a faint light in its ice-blue eyes, and it actually looked very aggrieved. Chu Liuyue was slightly stunned. Strange¡­ Every time Xue Xue sees me, it is happy. This has never happened before. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xue Xue? Who bullied you? Huh?¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed Xuexue¡¯s head. This is the Sky-Cloud Empire. It seems more likely for Xue Xue to be bullying others, right? Why is Xue Xue still so aggrieved? Chu Liuyue bent down and smelled an extremely faint smell of blood. Her expression changed slightly as she grabbed Xue Xue¡¯s claws. Only then did she see fresh blood on its sharp nails! ¡°Did you fight with someone?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. Someone who can make Xue Xue choose to attack in the Sky-Cloud Empire¡­ Just as she was filled with worry, Xue Xue suddenly leaned over. Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°Xue Xue?¡± Without saying a word, Xue Xue clumsily rubbed its big head against the curve of her shoulder. ¡°Woo¡ª¡± It seemed¡­ to be comforting her? ¡°It¡¯s angry.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her heart. ¡°It heard someone bad-mouthing you just now, so it fought with them.¡± Chu Liuyue came to a realization. Her heart seemed to have been hit by something soft. Xue Xue was¡­ defending me¡­ She smiled and wrapped her arms around Xue Xue¡¯s head. ¡°Xue Xue, why lower yourself to those people¡¯s level?¡± Xue Xue made a low growl in its throat. Of course, I¡¯m angry! Those people actually dared to say that about her! If not for the fact that I don¡¯t want to delay the wedding, I wouldn¡¯t have let them off so easily! I will definitely take revenge in the future! Chu Liuyue rubbed Xue Xue¡¯s head and lowered her eyes, but she was thinking about something. Tuan Zi said, ¡°A¡¯Yue, look¡ªI told you. Those people don¡¯t know how to restrain themselves at all! They only behave when they¡¯re beaten up!¡± A¡¯Yue is right, but when will she be willing to take action? My hands are really itching now! Chu Liuyue was silent for a moment; then, she suddenly laughed. ¡°There are still five to six days before the wedding. Let them cause trouble one last time.¡± Chapter 1798 - 1798 Online Enrollment 1798 Online Enrollment After comforting Xue Xue for a while, Chu Liuyue carefully wiped the blood off its claws and repeatedly promised that she would definitely take revenge later. Only then did Xue Xue become happy again and run around her. It had indeed been cultivating in the Sky-Cloud Empire recently. If it didn¡¯t meet its master¡¯s requirements, it was not allowed to come out. Hence, it was finally free after Chu Liuyue had been here for a while. After putting all those messy things behind her, Xue Xue became lively again. Chu Liuyue simply brought it to the courtyard to play. This courtyard wasn¡¯t big, but for Xue Xue, it would be interesting as long as Chu Liuyue was with it. Seeing that there were many stones in the courtyard, Xue Xue rushed over curiously and fiddled with them with its claws. Thunk. A stone beside it rolled down to its hind legs. Xue Xue looked back with a blank expression. I didn¡¯t touch this piece. Why did it move on its own? It used its back foot to push the stone away again. In the end, the third stone rolled over. This time, the force seemed to have increased a little. Xue Xue was getting impatient. With a wave of its claws, it kicked the stone away. But the next moment, the stone actually returned! It headed straight for Xue Xue¡¯s face at an even greater speed! The sound of air being torn apart was sharp! Xue Xue was shocked and immediately turned around. Only then did it see that when the stone flew over, it had directly cut through the surrounding space, revealing a black spatial rift! Danger! Xue Xue immediately became vigilant. Suddenly, a clear and gentle voice sounded. ¡°Don¡¯t fool around.¡± It was Chu Liuyue! Then, Xue Xue watched helplessly as the originally aggressive stone suddenly hid all its aura and fell to the ground with a clang. It looked no different from ordinary stones. Just looking at it like this was unimaginable. A second ago, it was still filled with killing intent; the pressure around it made Xue Xue almost tremble in fear! Xue Xue shook its head and took another look in disbelief. The stones stopped. Everything just now seemed to be an illusion, but Xue Xue wouldn¡¯t really think it was all fake. Chu Liuyue walked over and scratched Xue Xue¡¯s ear. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people here. As soon as you appeared, they inevitably became a little lively.¡± Xue Xue looked confused. They? Who are ¡®they?¡¯ Suddenly, its gaze focused. Wait¡ªthere seems to be¡­ more than just these few stones around? Xue Xue turned its neck stiffly, and shock flashed in its eyes. There seemed to be stones scattered everywhere in the entire courtyard! Moreover, they were basically very similar to the one that wanted to attack it previously! Xue Xue instantly understood something and suddenly looked up at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Xue Xue was smart, so she had no intention of hiding it. ¡°If you¡¯re bored, you can find Tuan Zi to spar with you,¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and said. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Tuan Zi immediately objected. Recently, she vaguely felt that her body seemed to have changed a little, so she spent most of her time sorting out the veins in her body. Besides, what is the point of fighting with Xue Xue? My number one enemy now is Zi Chen! I can already clearly sense that Zi Chen¡¯s strength has vaguely surpassed mine. I have to open the fifth meridian to have a chance of winning! Thinking of this, Tuan Zi continued to cultivate enthusiastically. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. Actually, Tuan Zi¡¯s talent and strength were already considered top-notch among the top. After all, she was the only one in the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan who had directly opened the fourth meridian at such a young age. Originally, she would definitely win against Zi Chen. However, Zi Chen¡¯s luck was also heaven-defying; he was connected to Miao Zhen and could really be considered to have a cheat! Even if he didn¡¯t cultivate himself, as Miao Zhen¡¯s strength increased, his combat strength would also increase! Even Chu Liuyue was rather envious of such luck. If Tuan Zi wanted to beat him, it was almost equivalent to beating Miao Zhen. No wonder she had been cultivating so diligently recently. ¡°By the way, have you told Clan Leader Yi Zhao and the others what happened on Godly Dragon Island?¡± Tuan Zi replied, ¡°Yes!¡± She had the inheritance of her ancestor and could easily contact Yi Zhao and the others. As soon as they came out of Godly Dragon Island, Chu Liuyue reminded her to explain the matter to Clan Leader Yi Zhao and the others. Tuan Zi was a red-gold heavenly phoenix and the clan¡¯s young mistress. It was indeed a big deal to go to Godly Dragon Island directly. Instead of letting Clan Leader Yi Zhao and the others hear some chaotic rumors from other places, it was better for Chu Liuyue to take the initiative to tell them. It would at least reassure them. ¡°I hope Clan Leader Yi Zhao and the others won¡¯t be angry¡­¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. Tuan Zi raised her voice and giggled. ¡°A¡¯Yue, don¡¯t worry! Aren¡¯t we all fine? Why would Clan Leader Grandpa be angry?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed and recalled the doting gazes that Yi Zhao and the others had previously directed at Tuan Zi, making her feel even more guilty. She had always promised to take good care of Tuan Zi, but after leaving Godly Phoenix Mountain, there had been endless trouble. First, it was the God-Killing Tumulus, then Godly Dragon Island¡­ Fortunately, Tuan Zi was fine! Otherwise, Chu Liuyue really didn¡¯t know how she would face Clan Leader Yi Zhao and the others in the future. ¡°When the wedding is over, I¡¯ll bring you back to Godly Phoenix Mountain to take a look.¡± Although they hadn¡¯t been out for long, a lot had happened in between. Logically speaking, she still had to go back and greet them to comfort them. Fortunately, the great phoenix dragon clan leader was Miao Zhen, who wouldn¡¯t argue much with Tuan Zi. Otherwise, the problem would be even more difficult to resolve. ¡°Okay!¡± Tuan Zi didn¡¯t think too much about it. When she heard that she could still go back, she was immediately happy. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± A familiar voice sounded. Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡°Mentor, why are you here?¡± She walked over as she asked the question. Nan Suhuai waved his hand. ¡°I had nothing better to do, so I came to see you.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Oh?¡± She knew her mentor the best. Since he was here, there must be a reason. Nan Suhuai felt guilty under her gaze. He coughed a few times and finally admitted defeat. ¡°Alright, alright! Actually, I did come here this time to ask you something.¡± Chu Liuyue invited Nan Suhuai to sit down on the stone bench in the courtyard before smiling and asking unhurriedly, ¡°What do you want to ask, Mentor?¡± Nan Suhuai hesitated. After a while, he raised his chin in a certain direction. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are those people¡­ all your subordinates?¡± Knowing that he was asking about Cen Yi and the others, Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why? Did they cause trouble?¡± Nan Suhuai quickly waved his hand. ¡°Of course not! They don¡¯t know how to cause trouble like you¡ªno, what I mean is¡­ Those children don¡¯t look old, but they seem to be quite talented, especially the youngest. His condition seems to be quite good. Do you have any intention of letting him go to the academy?¡± Chapter 1799 - 1799 Im Not Going 1799 I¡¯m Not Going Stunned, Chu Liuyue put down the tea she had just brought to her lips. I didn¡¯t expect Mentor to take a fancy to Little Thirteen. Her mentor was famous for being picky. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been the only disciple he had taken in all these years. Being able to catch his eye was enough to prove that Little Thirteen was indeed outstanding. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment but did not agree immediately. ¡°Mentor, why did you suddenly think of this? Have you checked Little Thirteen¡¯s aptitude?¡± Nan Suhuai shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s just that over the past few days, this child has been running all over the mountains. I think he¡¯s not old, and his realm is only that of a stage-six warrior, but his speed is already comparable to a stage-nine warrior¡­ Thinking about it, this child should have good muscles and bones. Originally, I did want to call him over to take a look, but he¡¯s your man after all, so I wanted to ask you first.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°It¡¯s Thirteen¡¯s blessing to be favored by Mentor. If he can really enter the academy to cultivate, it¡¯ll be a rare good thing for him. Wait a moment; I¡¯ll call him over.¡± She stood up and was about to call for him when she suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°If Thirteen¡¯s conditions are good, do you plan to take him in as your disciple personally?¡± But Nan Suhuai shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. It¡¯s fine as long as I have you as my disciple. Moreover, if he¡¯s really as I think, there¡¯s someone more suitable to be his mentor in the academy.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°Thirteen!¡± she raised her voice slightly and shouted into the distance. Nan Suhuai was a little surprised. ¡°That child seems to be halfway up the mountain now. He can hear us from so far away¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a thin young man approached quickly from afar. He ran very quickly, and his movements were light and nimble. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Chu Liuyue. As he ran in a hurry, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and the tip of his nose. He had a pair of pure and sincere eyes that shone with youth and vitality. Chu Liuyue was stunned. In the past few years, Thirteen had really grown up. In her memory, he was still a child. ¡°Master, you were looking for me?¡± Chu Liuyue came back to her senses and nodded with a smile. ¡°Come over.¡± With that, she walked back to Nan Suhuai. ¡°Mentor thinks you¡¯re talented and wants to see your aptitude. If you pass, you can go to Ling Xiao Academy to cultivate in the future,¡± Chu Liuyue said concisely. Thirteen was stunned. He looked at Nan Suhuai and then at Chu Liuyue. This means¡­ He had been here for days, so he naturally knew who the ¡®mentor¡¯ his master was talking about was. He had also heard of the other party¡¯s identity. He just didn¡¯t expect it to be related to him. Seeing that he was stunned, Chu Liuyue thought that she had shocked the child and smiled. ¡°Thirteen, what are you waiting for? Stretch out your hand¡ª¡± Thirteen obediently extended his hand. Nan Suhuai closed his fingers and placed them on Thirteen¡¯s wrist. Then, he sent a strand of force into Thirteen¡¯s Yuan meridian. A moment later, surprise flashed in his eyes. Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Mentor, how is it?¡± Nan Suhuai didn¡¯t answer this question immediately. He just retracted his hand, stood up, walked to Thirteen¡¯s side, and pinched his shoulder. Thirteen looked at Chu Liuyue helplessly. Chu Liuyue gave him a reassuring look. Only then did Thirteen continue to stay put quietly and let Nan Suhuai pinch the bones in his shoulders, arms, and other places. After a while, Nan Suhuai stopped. At this moment, the way he looked at Thirteen was very different from before. ¡°Mentor, how is it?¡± Seeing his reaction, Chu Liuyue felt a little nervous. ¡°Can Thirteen enter the academy to cultivate?¡± Of course, she hoped for only the best for Thirteen. Nan Suhuai paused for a long time before turning to look at her. His expression was serious, but his eyes were already smiling. ¡°If he can¡¯t even enter the academy like this, not many people in the world will be able to do it!¡± This was a pass! Chu Liuyue¡¯s tense heart suddenly relaxed, and her lips curled up into a bright smile. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be more real! Would Mentor lie to you?¡± Nan Suhuai also smiled. He stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a good seedling hidden by your side! He has the Tianjing Yuan meridian! Moreover, his physique is special¡ªhe¡¯s a natural warrior!¡± Nan Suhuai¡¯s words stunned Chu Liuyue. She had never known that Thirteen had such top-notch talent! Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at Thirteen. Thirteen blinked. His expression was pure and innocent, and there was a hint of confusion in his eyes. He seemed to be at a loss for what to do about the situation. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°Thirteen, why¡­ didn¡¯t you say anything before?¡± Thirteen hesitated. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this either¡­¡± Nan Suhuai asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re so talented in cultivation, but you¡¯ve never done any relevant tests before?¡± Thirteen shook his head. Only then did Chu Liuyue remember that Thirteen had indeed not checked these. When she picked up Thirteen years ago, he was still very young. The capital was covered in snow and was bone-chilling. He was only wearing a thin shirt and was curled up around a corner, dirty. At that time, she had only instructed her subordinates to send him some food and clothes before leaving. But after walking a long distance, she realized that the child had been following her from a distance. At that time, she only felt very surprised. This was because her carriage was very fast. Even a true cultivator might not be able to keep up, let alone a child. However, the child was thin and weak, but he was very fast and caught up easily. Most importantly, he followed quietly like an invisible person. If she hadn¡¯t sensed that something was wrong and discovered him later, nobody would¡¯ve noticed his existence. Thinking that this child was very interesting, Chu Liuyue brought him back. Originally, she wanted to see what his talent and aptitude were, but a lot happened at that time. She was busy dealing with those things, so she didn¡¯t have time to take care of him. Instead, she threw him to Cen Yi to help take care of him. Later, when she was free, she thought of Thirteen and asked Cen Yi about the situation. Cen Yi said that Thirteen was quite talented and suggested that they take him in and nurture him well. She agreed without hesitation. From then on, Thirteen became the youngest of the Thirteen Yue Guard. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. Cen Yi should know about Thirteen¡¯s situation. Why didn¡¯t he say anything¡­ Nan Suhuai stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°Even if this child goes to Ling Xiao Academy, he¡¯s definitely one of the best among that group of geniuses!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and was about to speak when Thirteen took the initiative to say, ¡°Master, can I not go to the academy?¡± Chapter 1800 - 1800 Reject 1800 Reject The entire courtyard fell silent for a moment. Chu Liuyue was dazed for quite a while before she understood what Thirteen said. He said¡­ he doesn¡¯t want to go to Ling Xiao Academy? Nan Suhuai was also a little confused. He had never met such a situation before. Inside the God Residence Realm, many talents bitterly cultivate in hopes of entering Ling Xiao Academy to train. Many even think of this as a glory for their entire family clan and life. Without exaggeration, Ling Xiao Academy is indeed the top academy that many geniuses pursue diligently. We have always been the one picking others and have never been rejected in this way before. ¡°Thirteen, you came to the God Residence Realm not long ago, and I don¡¯t think you know what Ling Xiao Academy means.¡± Chu Liuyue tidied her thoughts and felt that Thirteen was still young and hadn¡¯t considered things thoroughly, which is why he said such words. She looked at Thirteen and seriously said, ¡°Thirteen, this is an extremely rare chance. Many people want to enter the academy, but they don¡¯t have the right.¡± She really didn¡¯t want Thirteen to miss such a great opportunity. Yet, Thirteen shook his head. ¡°Master, I know all of this.¡± Before we came, Big Brother already told me many things about the God Residence Realm. Ling Xiao Academy is the school that Master is in, so we naturally have to understand it. However, I really don¡¯t want to go. ¡°I know that it¡¯s my honor to be able to receive the director¡¯s praise, but¡­ I¡¯m used to following Big Brother and the rest, and I feel that this is good.¡± Thirteen paused and took a deep breath in as if mustering his courage. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave Big Brother and the rest, and I don¡¯t want to leave you.¡± ¡­ In another courtyard on Changyi Mountain. Wu Yao was practicing his punches. Xiao Ba was practicing her pill refining. Yu Jiu was waving his wooden sword. Shi Fang was¡­ digging the ground. When he came a few days ago, he directly started gardening. Now, fresh sprouts had grown all over the ground. ¡°I still feel the most assured when eating the vegetables I plant myself!¡± Shi Fang straightened his back and said emotionally. He had a habit where he only ate the vegetables he planted himself. During this period of time, he had been busy running around, so he didn¡¯t have the time to do it. He had already finished the ones he brought from home. He still had to wait a month or so for these newly-planted ones to grow fully. Shi Fang could only spend his days grudgingly. However, he still felt much better when he saw these fresh sprouts. ¡°You¡¯re really pickier than me.¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him. According to Shi Fang¡¯s current cultivation level, it¡¯s fine even if he eats once a month. Yet, this person is so stubborn and has to eat every day! Besides, if it isn¡¯t something he planted himself, he would rather die than eat it. He is spoiled! Shi Fang did not mind it either. Wiping his forehead sweat, he smiled and said, ¡°Eighth Sister, every time I cook, you eat as well.¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him. ¡°If you speak less, nobody will think that you¡¯re a mute!¡± Just as Wu Yao finished his practice, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°When you¡¯re together, can¡¯t you just stop for even a day? You fight every day. Even if you¡¯re not annoyed, my ears are going to rot!¡± The two of them ignored him. Yu Jiu interrupted, ¡°Fifth Brother, since you can¡¯t convince anyone, why must you do this every time?¡± Wu Yao¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°Practice your sword!¡± Yu Jiu didn¡¯t mind it as he directly put away his sword and chuckled. ¡°What a coincidence¡ªI¡¯m done!¡± Wu Yao was too lazy to bother with him. Yu Jiu walked to the chair at the side and immersed himself in it. ¡°Not to mention other aspects, the Heaven and Earth Force here is rich, and it¡¯s suitable for cultivating¡­ Oh, right!¡± He suddenly recalled something and straightened his body. ¡°Why did Master call Thirteen over just now?¡± At that time, he was focused on practicing his sword and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. Xiao Ba changed her nails. ¡°Oh, I think he caught the eye of Master¡¯s mentor. This kid has only cared about being happy these few days and kept jumping around, not restraining himself at all. See, someone saw him.¡± Yu Jiu nodded and was rather worried. ¡°Does that mean¡­ Could it be that he wants to take Thirteen as his disciple? But he¡¯s Master¡¯s mentor. That¡¯s not very appropriate, right?¡± ¡°Not really. However, he will most likely get Thirteen to go to Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Wu Yao walked over as well. ¡°Let¡¯s see what that kid says.¡± Xiao Ba snorted. ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? Thirteen is very smart. How can he agree to go to Ling Xiao Academy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Shi Fang agreed with Xiao Ba for once and nodded. ¡°If he agrees, then we have taught a fool.¡± At this point, Cen Yi walked out from the room. The few of them instantly became disciplined. ¡°Big Brother.¡± Cen Yi stood with his hands behind his back and nonchalantly looked at the few of them. He said lightly, ¡°Thirteen has his own views, and he can decide what he wants to do. As for you guys, don¡¯t forget what place this is. You need to be alert about what you can say and cannot say.¡± Their expressions became stern. ¡°Yes!¡± Cen Yi then nodded. Actually, he wasn¡¯t worried about the few of them. Ever since that happened to the Master, they were much more alert in every aspect. ¡°Also, if you hear unfavorable words these few days, ignore all of them. We can talk about it after Master¡¯s wedding.¡± When Cen Yi spoke of this, he meaningfully stared at Xiao Ba. Xiao Ba could only raise her hand helplessly. ¡°Got it. Haven¡¯t you seen that I didn¡¯t go out for the past few days?¡± There were a few times she almost directly took action when she heard some people whispering. Later on, she decided to just stay on Changyi Mountain. What she did not see could not hurt her! Cen Yi then nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You can carry on with your matters.¡± Then, Cen Yi glanced afar and retracted his gaze before turning into the house. ¡­ After Thirteen said that sentence, the entire courtyard fell silent again. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what to say at all. She could tell that Thirteen genuinely meant it. To others, Ling Xiao Academy might be filled with temptations and was a holy ground that they wanted to go to. However, it was clearly not the case for Thirteen. She paused and wanted to convince him further. ¡°Thirteen, have you made up your mind? You going to Ling Xiao Academy is just for cultivation, and it doesn¡¯t mean that you will be drifting away from us from now on. After all, I¡¯m also a student of the academy, right?¡± Once one missed such a chance, they wouldn¡¯t have it again. However, Thirteen¡¯s expression slowly became determined. He calmly gazed at Chu Liuyue and shook his head. Chu Liuyue instantly felt her head ache. If it were Xiao Ba and the rest, I could directly command them. However, Thirteen is still a child. Nan Suhuai sighed and smiled in relief. ¡°Forget it. It seems like this child has no fate with Ling Xiao Academy, and there¡¯s no point in forcing it. Besides¡­ his talent doesn¡¯t seem to be wasted, and his cultivation progress is decent. He should have quite a good mentor.¡± Chu Liuyue knocked her fingers against the stone table lightly. Thirteen naturally did not have a mentor. He was always brought up by Cen Yi and the rest. Chapter 1801 - 1801 Not Late 1801 Not Late Nan Suhuai left with slight regret. Before he left, he specifically instructed Chu Liuyue that she had to properly nurture Thirteen since he was a good talent. Actually, Nan Suhuai said this in consideration of Chu Liuyue. After all, Thirteen was her person. If he developed well, it would be the most advantageous toward her. Now, Thirteen was still young, and they couldn¡¯t really tell. But once he grew up, he would definitely not be underestimated. Chu Liuyue brought Thirteen along and personally sent Nan Suhuai out. Until Nan Suhuai¡¯s figure gradually left and even disappeared, Chu Liuyue turned around and gazed at Thirteen quietly. Thirteen felt nervous from her gaze and unwittingly lowered his head, asking hesitantly, ¡°¡­Master, did I do something wrong just now?¡± Chu Liuyue stared at him. ¡°Follow me in.¡± Then, she turned around and walked into the room. ¡°Xue Xue, go back first.¡± Xue Xue, who planned to follow them, looked disappointed. It scratched its head and reluctantly watched their backs for quite some time. ¡°Ow!¡± I will come back later! Thirteen hesitated for a moment and followed her. ¡­ Inside the room, Chu Liuyue sat down leisurely. Thirteen stood not far away from her and clasped his hands rather nervously. His head was slightly lowered, and he looked up at Chu Liuyue from time to time. ¡°Thirteen, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± After being quiet for quite some time, Chu Liuyue spoke. However, this did not make Thirteen relax. In his memory, Master had never used such a tone and expression to talk to him before. He knew what rejecting Nan Suhuai¡¯s suggestion meant, so he still felt very uneasy. ¡°Even though many people want to go to Ling Xiao Academy, it doesn¡¯t mean that it is the same for everyone. You have your own reasons for being unwilling to go. I¡¯ve never forced anything on you before, and I naturally won¡¯t now. However¡­¡± She paused, and her gaze was as sharp as a knife as it swept across Thirteen. ¡°I¡¯m rather shocked that your talent is so outstanding.¡± This made Thirteen increasingly uneasy. ¡°This is also my fault. I should¡¯ve paid more attention to this back then, yet I only found out now.¡± Looking at it from a certain perspective, I have also neglected Thirteen. Thirteen hurriedly said, ¡°No! This isn¡¯t your fault at all, Master! I should have taken the initiative and told you earlier¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s not much point talking about it now. The most important thing is that your talent wasn¡¯t wasted.¡± Regarding this, she had the same view as her mentor. To become a strong warrior, a cultivator had many conditions. Talent was unquestionably one condition, but this didn¡¯t mean that one would definitely grow with talent. If one didn¡¯t have a good mentor to guide them with sufficient patience and perseverance, even the best talent would be wasted. Luckily, Thirteen was not delayed. Hearing her say this, Thirteen finally felt more at ease. ¡°How does Cen Yi normally teach you?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly changed the topic and asked. ¡°Hm?¡± Thirteen was dazed for a moment. ¡°Big Brother¡­ just gave me a few books for me to understand. Then¡­ he told me to run. Big Brother said that when I could run faster than him, I would be able to help you.¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Cen Yi really told you that?¡± Thirteen nodded honestly. Chu Liuyue silently cursed to herself. Cen Yi is indeed as cunning as before! He actually lied to a child! What cultivation level is he, and what level is Thirteen? Thirteen has to use so much effort and time to catch up to him! I told him to properly bring Thirteen up, yet he drew such a big cookie for the child? Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. Thirteen continued, ¡°And during the few years in the middle, Big Brother wasn¡¯t around¡­ I¡¯ve been following Fifth Brother and Tenth Brother¡­¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled that Cen Yi and Si Jing had stayed in the Dahuang Swamp for quite some time to help her guard her Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Thinking of this, Thirteen has suffered quite a bit. In such a chaotic situation, it is really rare that he can still develop to his current state. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Regarding your talent, who else knows about it?¡± Thirteen hesitated for a moment and then softly answered, ¡°Other than Big Brother and the rest, nobody else¡­¡± This also means that all the other Thirteen Yue Guards knew about this, and only I, the master, knew nothing? Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, closed her eyes, and waved her hands. ¡°Go back and call Cen Yi over.¡± ¡­ Cen Yi quickly came over. After pushing the door to enter, Chu Liuyue glanced behind him. Thirteen didn¡¯t follow him. Cen Yi said, ¡°Thirteen hasn¡¯t finished his journey for today, so I let him go first.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. She had already asked everything she wanted to. The remaining questions were for Cen Yi. ¡°You long knew about his talent, so why didn¡¯t you say it?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in a straightforward manner. Cen Yi looked calm. ¡°I did want to tell you at the very beginning, but I hadn¡¯t found the time to do it. Besides, his body wasn¡¯t very good at the time, so I thought of telling you after his condition stabilized. I didn¡¯t expect so many things to happen later on, and so we dragged on until now.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Cen Yi¡¯s words do make sense. ¡°But¡­ you should¡¯ve told me about such urgent matters earlier. If I had known about this earlier¡­.¡± ¡°Master, you actually don¡¯t have to worry. Thirteen¡¯s cultivation has always been very successful these few years. Even though I didn¡¯t tell you in time¡­ it¡¯s not too late that you know now, right?¡± Chapter 1802 - 1802 Memory 1802 Memory Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what to say¡­ She leaned against the back of her chair, looked down slightly, and fell into deep thought. After a while, she smiled helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She had never doubted Cen Yi¡¯s loyalty toward her. Even if Cen Yi sometimes didn¡¯t completely do things according to her instructions, she would basically not be angry or worried. Cen Yi was always very intelligent. Many times, it was indeed because of his presence that Chu Liuyue avoided a lot of trouble. He¡¯s right. No matter when I find out about this, it doesn¡¯t have much of an impact. Under their care, Thirteen still grew up well. The current him is outstanding enough that my picky mentor was filled with praises for him. This is enough. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly at Cen Yi. Cen Yi stood quietly, and his expression was honest when he looked at her. In his eyes, it was nonchalant and calm. ¡°Take good care of Thirteen in the future.¡± Cen Yi smiled, nodded, and bowed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Time quickly passed to the day before the wedding. According to the rules, the two people who were about to marry could not meet. 36 Respected Elder Ming was the first to come over. ¡°This was finally done after a total of three months. His Grace commanded many embroidery masters to rush this overnight.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming placed the intricate agarwood box down as he glanced at Chu Liuyue kindly. ¡°Princess Consort, do you want to open it?¡± There seemed to be something tingling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest. Her hands lightly brushed across the wooden box, and she then shook her head. ¡°The things that Rong Xiu gives are naturally the best.¡± This item was too precious, so she didn¡¯t even dare open the box to take a closer look. Logically speaking, the dowry should be given by the bride¡¯s mother. However, her mother had long passed on and naturally could not do this. Rong Xiu directly did all of this for her and didn¡¯t put her in a difficult spot. Since they settled on their romance, so much time had passed in the blink of an eye. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt unlimited emotions. The outside had already become lively as everywhere was decorated in a blissful mood. The entire Sky-Cloud Empire seemed to have immersed itself in a joyous sea. Such a grand event was prepared for her by him. 36 Respected Elder Ming looked at Chu Liuyue kindly and suddenly said, ¡°Actually, I have something to say to you, Princess Consort. Princess Consort, may I know if it¡¯s convenient?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, and her red lips curled up. ¡°Venerable, it¡¯s too much to call me that. You can directly call me ¡®Yue¡¯er!''¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s gaze became even softer. ¡°Okay! In the future, I will address you like that in private.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue agreed, he waved his hands and dismissed his subordinates. Soon, it was just the two of them left. Chu Liuyue knew that he was going to say something related to Rong Xiu, so she said, ¡°Do sit down. You can just say whatever you want; I will listen to it.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming nodded, walked to the seat by the window, and sat down. ¡°Yue¡¯er, sit down too.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over readily and sat opposite 36 Respected Elder Ming. ¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming scrutinized the girl before her. Breathtakingly beautiful. Her pair of eyes contained a galaxy of stars in a pure and genuine manner, with a rare calmness. Such a woman was rightfully the most suitable one for him. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t really like you in the beginning.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming smiled and directly threw out such words. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was silent. She knew that 36 Respected Elder Ming had much more to say. Seeing how calm she was, 36 Respected Elder Ming blinked. ¡°Why do you not seem worried at all?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°You mentioned that it was in the beginning. If you still disliked me now, you wouldn¡¯t be telling me these things here, right?¡± ¡°Girl, you¡¯re too smart, and it¡¯s hard to trick you¡­¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming instantly felt defeated. One is even harder to handle than the other! However, he quickly organized his emotions and squinted his eyes as if he were recalling something. ¡°You should know a little about His Highness¡¯s background.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Back then, his mother went out to train and unwittingly met that man, becoming very devoted to him. She knew that the people in the clan would definitely object to her finding that man with the weak background, so she privately gave her life to the man. She thought that she had found true love, but she didn¡¯t know that the man was Country Yao Chen¡¯s emperor and long had a harem filled with people.¡± ¡°Since then, she had lost all hope, and her body was getting worse and worse. In the end, on her deathbed, she used all her strength to hide His Highness¡¯s identity. She thought that she had done it flawlessly, but she didn¡¯t expect that the clan had never given up searching for her traces. Though she was gone, they quickly found His Highness.¡± ¡°At that time, the entire Sky-Cloud Empire hated this issue greatly and even was ashamed of His Highness¡¯s presence. They planned to execute His Highness, but luckily His Highness summoned the Extreme God Sundial and showed the best bloodline power in the Sky-Cloud Empire for the past thousands of years! Ever since then, nobody brought up killing His Highness.¡± Speaking of this, 36 Respected Elder Ming looked comforted, but this expression was quickly replaced by pain. ¡°But this was just the beginning. His Highness¡¯s background is special, and he had no foundation. For a very long time, he was bullied in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Even though I could help him, I couldn¡¯t be too overboard. If not, it would garner others¡¯ jealousy and hatred.¡± ¡°Time passed day by day, and he slowly grew up. At some point, he became cold, maniacal, and cunning! His nickname ¡®Grim Reaper¡¯ came from there.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming sighed deeply. ¡°Although he became stronger day by day, his personality seemed to be increasingly cold. Sometimes, people even wondered if he had cut off all his emotions and became a numb killing puppet.¡± Chu Liuyue was also slightly shocked in her heart. Even though she had some understanding of these issues earlier on, this was the first time she had heard someone say it in full. After so many years, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t even mind it when he brought it up himself. When she heard it, she still felt pain. Speaking till here, 36 Respected Elder Ming looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°But luckily, His Highness met you later on.¡± Chu Liuyue pointed toward herself. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming seemed to have immersed in a distant memory. ¡°I remember that it was a few years ago when His Highness went out to train alone and didn¡¯t come back for a long while. When I heard news from His Highness again, he was already a student of Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Chapter 1803 - 1803 Marry Rong Xiu 1803 Marry Rong Xiu Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. She and Rong Xiu indeed knew each other before they went to Ling Xiao Academy. At that time, she had just ended her training at Dahuang Swamp and came to the God Residence Realm due to a twist of fate. In the end, she directly met Rong Xiu. At that time, the two of them were being pursued respectively. Out of desperation, they chose to make an alliance. With this, they got to know each other. Then, she said she wanted to go to Ling Xiao Academy to cultivate. Without hesitation, Rong Xiu also agreed. Chu Liuyue subconsciously thought that Rong Xiu was also going for Ling Xiao Academy, like her. After all, although she wasn¡¯t familiar with the God Residence Realm then, she had stayed in Dahuang Swamp for quite some time and had heard quite a bit of such news. Ling Xiao Academy was the top academy in the entire God Residence Realm. Who didn¡¯t want to go there? ¡°Actually, the people in the Sky-Cloud Empire didn¡¯t know about your existence at that time and thought that His Highness just wanted to go to the academy to cultivate. It was only until later on, when His Highness said that he wanted to go back to Country Yao Chen, that I realized something was amiss.¡± When 36 Respected Elder Ming spoke of this, he paused for a moment. ¡°You should know that His Highness doesn¡¯t care about Country Yao Chen at all. Unless there¡¯s a special reason, he would definitely not go there.¡± Before that, Rong Xiu had always claimed that he was sick and cultivated at Mingyue Tianshan. In actual fact, he only stayed at Mingyue Tianshan for a very short amount of time. Most of the time, he still stayed at God Residence Realm. ¡°And His Highness didn¡¯t return for a long while when he went. Later on¡­ I met you.¡± In the beginning, 36 Respected Elder Ming thought that His Highness was falling head over heels for a woman and was displeased. However, he later discovered that this woman caused His Highness to start becoming a normal person with feelings and emotions. At that time, 36 Respected Elder Ming felt that this woman had to be different. Later on, he found a chance and finally met Chu Liuyue. At first glance, he liked this girl¡ªsmart, sharp, and genuine. He had met many people in his lifetime, and he had very keen insight about people. After he met Chu Liuyue, he really liked her, so he sent her many greeting gifts. ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve never seen His Highness spend any effort on anyone except for you.¡± All his emotions probably came because of her. ¡°His Highness had suffered quite a bit before and isn¡¯t close to anyone. Now that he has met someone he loves, it¡¯s really rare. In the future¡­ I hope the two of you can grow old together,¡± said 36 Respected Elder Ming solemnly, and he lightly patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Tears welled up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes as her lips curled up in a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ After 36 Respected Elder Ming left, Chu Liuyue sat in her room silently for a long time. When she recovered her senses, she saw the agarwood box from the corner of her eyes. Her heart tingled. She stood up and walked over. The box wasn¡¯t locked, but there was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem on it. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and placed her Cosmic Ring on it. The totem disappeared. She reached out to open the box, and she saw a sea of fire-like red, looking like the red clouds in the evening sky that were intricately embroidered. It was soft and light to touch, and it faintly had rays of golden light flashing across. Magnificent, solemn, charming. The phoenix coronet¡¯s workmanship was complicated and intricate. It had a golden phoenix with its wings spread wide open, holding a red pearl in its mouth. It was crystal clear, and its quality was top notch. Its sides had tassels and looked even more extravagant. Chu Liuyue gently brushed her hand against the phoenix coronet, and a thought suddenly popped up in her mind. I¡¯m really going to marry Rong Xiu. Chapter 1804 - 1804 I Came to Marry You 1804 I Came to Marry You That night, Chu Liuyue slept very well. She even had a very long dream. In the dream, it was mostly scenes of her getting to know Rong Xiu and falling in love. Those scenes kept flashing across her mind, and every single one of them looked fresh as if it had just happened the day before. At this point, Chu Liuyue then recalled that she and him were once more than miles apart. Yet, they still ended up together in the end. Those who were meant to be together would end up holding each other¡¯s hands no matter what. ¡­ In the morning, knocks were heard from outside. ¡°Liuyue! Liuyue!¡± Actually, Chu Liuyue was already awake. When she heard this, she knew that Mu Hongyu was here. She walked over to open the door. Mu Hongyu walked in excitedly and saw that Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair was still loose. She widened her eyes slightly. ¡°Liuyue, why haven¡¯t you started getting ready?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled rather helplessly. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± That was because she and Rong Xiu were both at the Sky-Cloud Empire, and Changyi Mountain wasn¡¯t far from Suming Peak. Hence, they saved on quite a bit of complicated and miscellaneous procedures. Besides, the wedding¡¯s official ceremony was held in the afternoon, which was quite a few hours away. Mu Hongyu thought about it and agreed, but it was probably because it was her first time going to her good friend¡¯s wedding, so she had been very emotional. Her heart kept beating, and she could not calm down. ¡°You still have to prepare early! Bathing, putting on makeup, changing your clothes¡­ All of this requires quite a bit of time!¡± As Mu Hongyu nagged, she forcefully dragged Chu Liuyue to the makeup desk and pressed her onto the chair. ¡°Today is your wedding, Liuyue! Of course, you have to look good! You need to become the prettiest bride!¡± Mu Hongyu looked at Chu Liuyue¡¯s soft hair that lay down with flushed cheeks and bright eyes. ¡°Let me help you!¡± Then, she began to take action. But very quickly, Mu Hongyu discovered a crucial problem¡ªshe didn¡¯t know how to brush one¡¯s hair. Normally, she simply tied up her hair. However, it clearly would not do for such a formal ceremony. ¡°Sigh¡­ I previously researched this for some time¡­¡± During this period, Mu Hongyu spent quite a lot of time on this. But when it was really the time, she realized that she wasn¡¯t very well-versed in it. If it doesn¡¯t turn out well¡ª ¡°Pfft.¡± Petite laughter came in with the crisp sound of jade hitting each other. ¡°Let me do this type of thing¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu turned around to see Xiao Ba walking over with a smile. Xiao Ba naturally took the wooden comb from Mu Hongyu¡¯s hands. Her voice was soft and flirtatious, almost able to charm one¡¯s bones. ¡°Little sister, take a closer look.¡± Mu Hongyu paused. The other party didn¡¯t look much older than her, but when compared to her flirtatious appearance, they really did seem worlds apart. Mu Hongyu instinctively nodded and obediently acknowledged it. Xiao Ba smiled and glanced at her before she stretched out her hand to pinch Mu Hongyu¡¯s cheeks. ¡°How obedient!¡± Mu Hongyu was never teased by a woman like this, and she instantly blushed. Chu Liuyue glanced at Xiao Ba speechlessly. She really eats both men and women. Xiao Ba retracted her gaze and calmly glanced at Chu Liuyue in the mirror. Then, her lips curled up in a smile. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. Nobody will be prettier than you today.¡± Then, she started to help Chu Liuyue brush her hair. The soft hair seemed especially obedient in Xiao Ba¡¯s hands. They didn¡¯t see clearly how she took action as her white and thin fingers flew around. Then, a beautiful and elegant hairstyle was formed. ¡°Little sister, bring the phoenix coronet over,¡± said Xiao Ba softly. Mu Hongyu reacted and hurriedly agreed. Chu Liuyue pointed at the seat. Mu Hongyu walked over and opened the wooden box. Then, she gasped. ¡°Liuyue, this phoenix coronet¡­ is too pretty!¡± She had seen quite a lot of precious accessories, but nothing could be compared to this phoenix coronet. She couldn¡¯t use words to describe it. The moment one saw it, the first feeling people got was¡ªbeautiful! It even had a hint of shock to it! The Sky-Cloud Empire is still an aristocratic family after all, so their spendings are incredible¡­ Just as Mu Hongyu sighed, she carefully took the phoenix coronet out and brought it to Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Xiao Ba glanced at it, and a satisfied smile was revealed on her face. This is the only thing that can be worthy of Master. She did not hurry to help Chu Liuyue put it on, instead helping the latter change to her bridal dress. This time, Mu Hongyu still helped her take out the bridal clothes meticulously. After seeing the phoenix coronet earlier, Mu Hongyu¡¯s tolerance became much stronger. After helping Chu Liuyue change, she just covered her mouth and tried her best not to scream again. However, her pair of surprised eyes revealed her current emotions. Xiao Ba raised her brows delightfully and helped Chu Liuyue with her makeup. Her hand was very agile, and such a matter was simply a piece of cake to her. Besides, Chu Liuyue was born as a natural beauty. After busying herself, Xiao Ba then scrutinized Chu Liuyue¡¯s face in satisfaction. ¡°This is right!¡± On her wedding day, she has to be the prettiest! Then, Xiao Ba took the phoenix coronet and seriously helped Chu Liuyue put it on. Mu Hongyu could not help but say, ¡°Liuyue, I¡¯ve never seen a person prettier than you.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at herself in the mirror. She raised her brows lightly, and her eyes sparkled with her red lips. Decked in the red bridal gown, she seemed like the hues in the sky¡ªcharming and elegant. At one moment, she was also dazed. Indeed, even she hadn¡¯t seen herself in such a state¡­ At this point, a low and melodious voice came from outside. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I came to fetch you.¡± Chapter 1805 - 1805 Come With Me 1805 Come With Me That was a voice she was ever so familiar with. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and turned around to look. The door was currently tightly shut, but the outside had already become lively. The melodious music floated in and became an earworm. She heard many people¡¯s laughter. However, only his voice was clearest amidst the hustle and bustle of the mortal world. He said he came to fetch her. Chu Liuyue stood up and walked to the door. She placed her hand against the door. It was cold to the touch, yet her palm was burning hot. She took a deep breath in and gently pushed open the room door¡ª The bright light instantly poured in! She squinted her eyes slightly and saw a very familiar face. She was slightly dazed. The current Rong Xiu was decked in a red robe for once. A black jade belt circled his waist, which easily outlined it, clearly showing that his shoulders were broad and his waist was narrow with a tall figure. The usual deity-like appearance seemed to be tainted with some mortal fire, lightening his usual distance. The elders fell silent for a moment. Burning passion also flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. The woman decked in red bridal clothes walked out from behind the door. She was extremely beautiful and charming. Breathtakingly beautiful¡ªthese words were probably used to describe such a beauty, right? Actually, many people present had seen Chu Liuyue before. She originally had an extremely pretty and peerless appearance, but she usually faced the crowd with her bare face. Now that she was decked in her phoenix coronet and was meticulously dolled up, it instantly made one feel that she had become another person. There was actually such a woman in this world. When she appeared, it seemed as if everything in the surroundings had darkened. She was the only one who was lively, bright, and dazzling! The so-called troublemaker was just like this. Perhaps a deity with such an appearance shouldn¡¯t even be in the mortal world. The entire hall was silent. Everyone held their breaths in as if they were afraid that speaking would disturb someone. Chu Liuyue blinked. Instantly, there seemed to be thousands of stars circling in them. ¡°Rong Xiu,¡± she softly called out. Rong Xiu stared at her closely, as if he wanted to engrave her appearance in the bottom of his heart. The scorching temperature almost caused Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body to burn. After a moment, he finally stretched out his hand. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at his hand. It was thick and powerful, and his palm was covered with a thin layer of calluses. Only she knew how warm that hand was. She passed her hand over. Almost immediately, Rong Xiu held her hand tightly. It was as if he were terrified that the person would immediately disappear when he blinked. He only felt relieved when he confirmed the petite and soft temperature in his hands. He suddenly leaned over and softly whispered in her ear, ¡°Yue¡¯er is really¡­ very beautiful.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face blushed slightly, yet her hand had an indescribable stability and warmth. I¡¯ve finally¡­ walked to his side. Rong Xiu held her hand tightly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, come with me.¡± ¡­ The wedding was held at Tongshen Palace. At this point, Tongshen Palace was filled. Everyone from the respective aristocratic clans in the God Residence Realm had gathered here. They were all waiting for the wedding¡¯s main characters to come over. At the innermost positions were Shangguan Jing, Shangguan You, Chu Ning, as well as 36 Respected Elder Ming. When the crowd saw them, they couldn¡¯t help but partake in heated discussions. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t those few positions be left for His Grace and the princess consort¡¯s parents? Why is 36 Respected Elder Ming sitting there? I don¡¯t even know the ones at the side.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Ever since the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader caused that scene, he fainted a few days later and hasn¡¯t woken up yet! All of us know what kind of background His Grace has. Since the clan leader is unconscious, the only person worthy of sitting here is really only 36 Respected Elder Ming! After all, all these years, he treats His Grace like he is his mentor and father¡­¡± ¡°Your words do make sense. However, what¡¯s the background for the three people at the side? Could they be¡­ the princess consort¡¯s family?¡± ¡°That¡­ Hah, that¡¯s a long story! Do you see the person in the middle? That¡¯s the famous Shangguan Jing, a true supreme Armory Refinement Master! I heard he¡¯s the princess consort¡¯s ancestor. The other two people seem to be the princess consort¡¯s fathers?¡± ¡°I heard that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort was born in the Tianling Dynasty outside of the God Residence Realm. But after a few struggles, she managed to come to the God Residence Realm with much difficulty¡­ Since these two are her fathers, it¡¯s normal for them to be able to sit there.¡± ¡°Normal? The one on the left is fine as he¡¯s a demigod, but the one on the right is only a stage-four warrior! Hmph, it¡¯s hard for us to even see such a person normally, yet they¡¯re sitting in front of us and are more distinguished¡­ This princess consort is really amazing!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Did you see the elder at the side? That¡¯s Nan Suhuai¡ªLing Xiao Academy¡¯s director! However, he¡¯s the princess consort¡¯s mentor. I heard that he dotes on the princess consort a lot and even spoils her. Be careful of him hearing you! You will be in trouble!¡± Some people were nonchalant about it. ¡°So what? Most of the people are here to give the Sky-Cloud Empire face! Besides, even if they really hear it, can they really cause a scene here?¡± For a Shangguan Yue? It really isn¡¯t worth it. Nan Suhuai slowly clenched his fists in his sleeves and glanced at the people talking. Shangguan Jing looked up slightly and then quickly looked away. At this point, the announcement clearly sounded with the accompanying music¡ª ¡°His Grace has arrived! The princess consort has arrived!¡± Chapter 1806 - 1806 Its My Blessing to Marry You 1806 It¡¯s My Blessing to Marry You Tongshen Palace quickly fell silent. Everyone looked up at the entrance of the hall. A beautiful couple was coming hand in hand! In an instant, all the light seemed to gather on the two dazzling people! They held each other¡¯s hand tightly and walked side by side toward the main hall. There seemed to be an inexplicable aura that enveloped the two of them, forming a small world that isolated them from the others. That small world could only accommodate the two of them and nobody else. Shangguan Jing and the others perked up and subconsciously straightened their backs. 36 Respected Elder Ming was also filled with emotions. His Grace has been thinking about this for too long. Now, his wish has finally been fulfilled. I have almost never seen such an expression on His Highness¡¯s face. Joy, happiness, pride, gentleness¡­ and the deep love in his eyes that he didn¡¯t hide. All eyes followed them, but there was only one person in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. This scene was so beautiful that it was almost unbearable to disturb. Many people gathered in the hall had complicated expressions when they saw this. Nobody would¡¯ve thought that the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace would really marry such a princess consort. Of course, many of them had interacted with her before, so they didn¡¯t dare to underestimate her now. All kinds of gazes landed on the two of them. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t care, nor did she. Their hands were clenched as if they would never part. Finally, the two of them stood in the middle of the hall. ¡°Bow to the heavens and earth!¡± The ceremonial officer¡¯s voice was high, and it echoed clearly in the hall! Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue turned around and bowed. Originally, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe in heaven or fate. However, she would rather believe that the heavens had taken pity on her when she met Rong Xiu in this life. Even though they were thousands of miles apart, he still came to her. The difference in status was huge, but he had chosen her firmly from the beginning. Her hand lightly brushed against his palm. Rong Xiu held her hand even tighter. ¡°Second bow!¡± They turned around and bowed again. Chu Liuyue could clearly see her ancestor¡¯s clenched fists and both her fathers¡¯ slightly red eyes. In an instant, countless images flashed before her eyes. Her father emperor¡¯s indulgent smile and proud praise. She remembered the fire in Tianling and the bone-chilling pain. When she woke up again and returned to the Chu family with blood all over her body, her father¡ªwho had rushed over first¡ªgreeted her nervously. He had been through many hardships for her. Even though he was dressed in rags and covered in wounds, he insisted on seeing her again. Those nervous and uneasy eyes after knowing her identity. Hearing her call him ¡®Father,¡¯ he could give up everything. Also, along the way, her ancestor had protected her countless times¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes warmed, and her nose stung. Actually, she had always been loved and protected. No matter how much pain she had experienced, she still had family. They would become her warm arms. ¡°Husband and wife, bow to each other!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at Rong Xiu and into his deep and thick phoenix eyes. She saw herself reflected clearly inside. She saw the gentleness and love surging in his eyes. Her red lips curved slightly as she smiled. ¡°I have no regrets marrying Your Highness in this life.¡± Rong Xiu looked at her and smiled. He said word by word, ¡°No, it should be said that it¡¯s my blessing to be able to marry you, Yue¡¯er.¡± Chapter 1807 - 1807 Ancestor Takes Action, Explosion! 1807 Ancestor Takes Action, Explosion! The two of them bowed. ¡°The ceremony is over!¡± As the ceremonial officer¡¯s clear voice spread through the hall, fireworks erupted on the many mountains outside Suming Peak! Bright patterns bloomed in the sky. Even during the day, one could still see the flickering light. 36 Respected Elder Ming stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire hasn¡¯t been so lively in a long time¡­¡± Now that His Highness has finally gotten what he wanted, I am relieved. Rong Xiu held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand tightly, and the two of them walked side by side into the innermost part of the hall. There was a distinguished bench. It was clearly reserved for His Grace and the princess consort. The red train of her dress, as thin as gauze, streaked silently across the black jade floor. As they walked, the tassels on the phoenix crown swayed gently. The woman¡¯s skin was smooth, and her eyebrows were like a painting. What was even rarer was that her entire body exuded an indescribable spiritual aura. Just by standing there, she had already surpassed the thousands of sceneries in this world. Her thick and long eyelashes fluttered slightly. Her eyes moved like a gust of wind, gently stirring the thousands of stars in the night sky. Rong Xiu looked at her with deep eyes. At that moment, he knew all eyes were on her. In the past, he would definitely not like it. But today was different¡ªthis was his wedding with her. From now on, she was his consort. She was so radiant and magnificent. She was his. He finally held the most moving treasure in the world in his palm. ¡­ The two sat down. Only then did Rong Xiu reluctantly retract his gaze from her and look at the people in the hall. After the ceremony, it was time for the banquet. But before this banquet began, there was an extremely important process to go through¡ªgifts from all families. After all, the Sky-Cloud Empire was a first-rate family in the God Residence Realm. It was famous and had a noble status. Now that it was the wedding of the powerful His Grace, Rong Xiu, every family naturally had to prepare generous gifts to celebrate. The richness of the congratulatory gifts was very important. On the one hand, this reflected the wealth and foundation of the person who gave the gift. On the other hand, it also showed that they were close to the Sky-Cloud Empire. ¡°Today is my wedding. I welcome everyone. If there¡¯s any neglect, please forgive me.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he raised his glass in invitation. Everyone raised their glasses. The hall was very lively. Sitting beside Rong Xiu, Chu Liuyue picked up the wine glass in her hand and realized that it had been replaced with clear tea. Her lips pursed, and she took a small sip to hide the smile in her eyes. Then, she put down her glass. Rong Xiu tilted his head. ¡°Delicious?¡± His gaze dropped to her moist, full lips, and his eyes suddenly darkened. Chu Liuyue blinked and nodded. It was rare for her to be so obedient and naive. It was like a cat putting away its sharp claws and turning into a soft ball, making people want to hug and tease it. Rong Xiu rubbed his fingers gently on the wine glass and glanced at the bright and warm sunlight outside. It¡¯s only noon¡­ He downed the rest of his wine. For the first time, time seemed to pass so slowly. ¡°Tianji Sect Leader has given you two 1,000-year-old Flying Frost Immortal Pearls!¡± ¡°The sect master of Purple Phoenix Sect has given you a pair of Night Sea Coral Screens!¡± ¡°The owner of Snow Breeze Pavilion has given you a green-colored Great Essence Pill!¡± The ceremonial officer¡¯s voice continued sounding. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s status in the God Residence Realm is indeed extremely high. Almost all the gifts from various families are rare treasures. Ordinary aristocratic families have probably never seen such treasures, let alone given them away. Only true aristocratic families can have such confidence and foundation. Rong Xiu listened from the side with a faint smile and relaxed eyes. Everyone watched from below and sighed again. It turns out that this Grim Reaper can actually smile like this, and all of this is clearly because of the woman beside him. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. There was a low murmur of voices in the hall. ¡°The people who presented the gifts earlier were all first-rate families in the God Residence Realm. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re here for the sake of His Grace, but why hasn¡¯t anyone from Princess Consort¡¯s side appeared to present the gifts yet?¡± someone asked curiously. ¡°You don¡¯t know? The princess consort that His Grace married came from outside the God Residence Realm! For the sake of the wedding ceremony, he specially invited the princess consort¡¯s father and friends. But with that background¡­ what kind of good things can her family bring out?¡± Someone laughed mockingly. ¡°After the families and sects in the God Residence Realm finish their gifts, it should be their turn, right? However, I think¡­ there¡¯s nothing to see!¡± ¡°Why not? I¡¯m looking forward to what this consort¡¯s family and friends will bring! After all, she has won the favor of His Grace, who insists on marrying her. If the gifts are all unpresentable, wouldn¡¯t that scene be exciting? Haha!¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, you¡¯re really sinister! I like it! Just thinking about that scene makes me feel so good! When the time comes, I¡¯m afraid Rong Xiu won¡¯t be able to maintain his expression anymore!¡± Everyone laughed secretly. In the past few years, Rong Xiu had been famous in the God Residence Realm. Some people were envious and respectful, and naturally, some were jealous and resentful. There were also some who had wanted to marry into the Sky-Cloud Empire but were rejected by Rong Xiu. Which aspect of the women in their family was not stronger than this lowly Shangguan Yue? Although everyone present was chatting and laughing, many of them had their own plans. There were more than one or two people who wanted to watch a joke. If this Princess Consort loses face today, it will be equivalent to losing His Grace¡ªRong Xiu¡¯s face! Although many people lowered their voices, Tongshen Palace was only so big, and most of the people present were top experts. Who could not hear them? This was deliberately said. On the one hand, many of the families present were also first-rate families, not much inferior to the Sky-Cloud Empire. On the other hand, they felt that they were telling the truth. If the truth was unpleasant, would they not let others say it? 36 Respected Elder Ming frowned and glanced at Rong Xiu, only to see that the latter¡¯s expression was normal as if he didn¡¯t care about these words. His gaze shifted slightly, and he glanced at Chu Liuyue again. There was still a smile on this person¡¯s face. 36 Respected Elder Ming sighed in his heart. I really can¡¯t see through them¡­ At this moment, Shangguan Jing suddenly spoke. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± The deep, rich voice immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention. The hall fell silent. Chu Liuyue looked over. ¡°Ancestor?¡± Shangguan Jing smiled and said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, you and Rong Xiu have finally come to fruition today. I¡¯m so happy! I¡¯m used to being carefree alone and haven¡¯t saved up much for you all these years, so I don¡¯t have anything else to give you. Take this.¡± As he spoke, he took a bronze Cosmic Ring from his hand. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile bloomed like a flower. ¡°Ancestor gave it to me, so it¡¯s naturally the best!¡± Shangguan Jing waved his hand and casually said, ¡°It¡¯s just six supreme Yuan instruments. What¡¯s so good about them? In the future, I will personally forge a few more for you. At the very least, I have to make ten perfect ones!¡± Chapter 1808 - 1808 Master, the Icing on the Cake! 1808 Master, the Icing on the Cake! Gasps instantly sounded in Tongshen Palace. Six Supreme Yuan instruments?! Is he joking?! It had to be known that for many people present, obtaining a royal Yuan instrument was already a great thing! Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been so many families that directly fell out with Ling Xiao Academy in order to fight for the Chi Xiao Sword! They had long known that Shangguan Jing was a supreme Armory Refinement Master and would give the two a supreme Yuan instrument. However, they never expected that Shangguan Jing would actually give them six! He actually promised to make up for a few more later and gather ten pieces! Are supreme Yuan instruments as common as cabbages these days?! Everyone was in a mess. What they didn¡¯t know was that although Shangguan Jing had always fought alone and was carefree, he had almost never lost when competing with an Armory Refinement Master of the same level. Not only would he refine a supreme Yuan instrument every time, but he would also often win the treasures that the other party had painstakingly refined. Even if it was slightly inferior to his, it was still a true supreme Yuan instrument. Therefore, in terms of Yuan instruments, he indeed had a rich background! Moreover, it was the kind that everyone present couldn¡¯t compare to! Seeing Shangguan Jing¡¯s casual expression, many people felt as if they had been slapped hard in the face. Earlier, they were mocking the princess consort¡¯s family for not being able to give her anything impressive. Now, Shangguan Jing was the first to attack. Just these six supreme Yuan instruments alone had almost surpassed most of the previous ones! Chu Liuyue was also a little surprised. She knew that her ancestor should have some treasures in his hands, but she didn¡¯t know that he would actually take out six supreme Yuan instruments at once this time. After a short daze, she took the Cosmic Ring with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± Shangguan Jing laughed. ¡°As long as Yue¡¯er likes it! Put it on quickly!¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment. Since I have the Holy Ring that Rong Xiu gave me on my right hand, I¡¯ll wear the Cosmic Ring on the left. After trying it out, only the thumb was suitable. It looked like a thumb ring. Everyone watched from below, their faces pale. At this moment, there were six supreme Yuan instruments hidden in a ring on Shangguan Yue¡¯s left hand! There is also the Holy Ring on her right hand that symbolizes the supreme status of the Sky-Cloud Empire! Just this alone was enough to make many people present to look up to her! At this moment, Nan Suhuai laughed. ¡°Senior Shangguan gave such a big gift as soon as he made a move. It¡¯s really difficult!¡± Everyone looked over. What is the dean of Ling Xiao Academy planning to give? Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up. ¡°Master has already given me many things. No matter what Master gives me, I like it.¡± ¡°You little girl!¡± Nan Suhuai snorted with laughter. This was the truth. When Yue¡¯er was still in the academy previously, he had indeed helped open many back doors. But now that it was her wedding, he naturally had to prepare a generous gift. Nan Suhuai took out two green jade tokens. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and a hint of shock flashed across her eyes as if she had thought of something. Could it be¡ª ¡°This green jade token is the status symbol of a Ling Xiao Academy elder. Those who hold this token can enter and leave Ling Xiao Academy at will and enjoy the treatment of an elder.¡± As Nan Suhuai spoke, he flicked his wrist. Two green jade tokens flew in front of them. The two of them reached out to take one each. Chu Liuyue took a closer look and saw that her name was even engraved at the bottom of the green jade token¡ªYue. Her gaze shifted slightly. Rong Xiu¡¯s green jade token also had a ¡®Xiu¡¯ engraved on it. ¡°You can activate it by injecting your force,¡± Nan Suhuai said with a smile. Chu Liuyue nodded, held her breath, and focused on injecting force into it. Whir! The green jade token immediately flickered! A number gradually appeared. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes suddenly! What is¡ª Seeing her expression, Nan Suhuai smiled even more smugly. ¡°I¡¯ve already saved points inside. This is enough for the two of you to use for a while, right?¡± There is such a gift?! It is simply a surprise among surprises! It can probably be used for more than a while? Chu Liuyue felt that even if she were to make use of it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to spend it all in ten years! Outsiders might not know what this number represents, but I know! With these points, can¡¯t I casually pick the medicinal herbs in the academy? Can¡¯t I just casually flip through the Xuan formations and medical skills in the library?! Master has really given me a big gift! Her eyes lit up as she looked up. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± She immediately felt that her master was even more amiable! However, Nan Suhuai raised his finger and shook it. ¡°Actually, this isn¡¯t the most important thing. Yue¡¯er, do you know what the most important meaning of this green jade token is?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. The green jade tokens are unique to the elders in the academy. Master doesn¡¯t mean for Rong Xiu and me to be academy elders but to give us these green jade tokens. Then¡­ is there another meaning? Nan Suhuai put his hands behind his back and raised his chin slightly. There was still a smile on his face, but there was an irrefutable dignity between his eyebrows! ¡°Those who hold the green jade token will receive the highest protection from our Ling Xiao Academy! If anyone is harmed, Ling Xiao Academy will definitely avenge them at all costs!¡± Every word was sonorous and powerful! It was like a thunderclap that exploded in everyone¡¯s ears in the hall! Everyone looked at each other, suddenly understanding something. Nan Suhuai is protecting Shangguan Yue to the end! What does this mean? If someone commits a crime in the future, Ling Xiao Academy will definitely not stand by and do nothing! Rong Xiu is His Grace of the Sky-Cloud Empire, so he basically doesn¡¯t need this. Obviously, this was specially prepared for Shangguan Yue! In the past, Nan Suhuai had always backed Shangguan Yue as her master and stood up for her. In the future, the entire Ling Xiao Academy would become her backing and trump card! As long as one was afraid of Ling Xiao Academy, they would have the same reverence for Shangguan Yue in the future! How was this a gift? It was clearly power giving! Chapter 1809 - 1809 Staff! 1809 Staff! In Tongshen Palace, everyone was first shocked before falling into a long silence. How could this be¡­ How did this happen? As the director, shouldn¡¯t Nan Suhuai do things impartially? He sent the entire Ling Xiao Academy out so openly just to support Shangguan Yue?! Will the other elders and students of Ling Xiao Academy not object?! ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for Nan Suhuai to do this, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if Shangguan Yue is his disciple, he shouldn¡¯t dote on her like this! What will the others in the academy think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard long ago that Nan Suhuai dotes on this disciple very much. Now that I see it, the rumors really live up to their reputation¡­¡± ¡°Heh, he¡¯s the director after all. His spending is indeed extraordinary. I wonder if Ling Xiao Academy will still be as calm as before in the future¡­¡± All kinds of discussions surged like a tide. Although some people didn¡¯t say anything, it was obvious that they weren¡¯t optimistic about this matter. Ling Xiao Academy was not a place dominated by Nan Suhuai¡¯s family. Hearing this, Nan Suhuai raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± He half-turned. Although he was smiling, his eyes were as sharp as knives as they swept over the rude people. These people fell silent for a moment. Nan Suhuai¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Previously, my Ling Xiao Academy was in great danger. It¡¯s all thanks to Yue¡¯er¡¯s actions that the entire academy was saved from danger. In the past, this green jade token has never been given to anyone who isn¡¯t an elder. Now, I¡¯ve made an exception and given it to the couple. It was approved by several elders of the entire academy. What? None of us have any objections, but you seem to be quite dissatisfied?¡± Who are you dissatisfied with? Does anyone even care?! We have already decided. It¡¯s not your turn to give your opinions, and it¡¯s none of your business! Although he didn¡¯t say these words, Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression had already conveyed his meaning very vividly. Many people felt embarrassed and looked away. However, Nan Suhuai did not seem to be satisfied. He sneered and said, ¡°There¡¯s another point. Let me remind everyone: I¡¯ve only taken in this one disciple in my life!¡± Everyone seemed to have suddenly thought of something and was shocked. Then, they looked at Nan Suhuai in disbelief! What does this mean?! Is he planning to pass the position of director to Shangguan Yue?! Right! If not for this plan, why would he be so protective of Shangguan Yue and even give her such a big gift? The other elders in the entire Ling Xiao Academy agreed so much with the giving of these green jade tokens. Could it be that they have already decided¡ª Many people began to feel uneasy. If Shangguan Yue really becomes the director of Ling Xiao Academy, the situation will be very different! Even if she has no roots in the God Residence Realm, Ling Xiao Academy is definitely a colossus! If she really becomes the director, her status in the entire God Residence Realm will rise greatly in the future! It was true that some first-rate families were rich in resources and had gathered experts, and they could nurture outstanding juniors themselves. They didn¡¯t need to send their children to Ling Xiao Academy, nor did they have to worry about having a bad relationship with it. However, this was only a very small portion! Most aristocratic families still hoped that their young descendants could enter Ling Xiao Academy to cultivate and become experts. Therefore¡­ didn¡¯t this mean that they had to treat Shangguan Yue carefully and respectfully in the future? After figuring this out, many people had complicated expressions. Actually, many of them had indeed looked down on Shangguan Yue previously. Even though she was talented and powerful, she still looked too weak without the support of her family. It seemed as if she would collapse if the wind blew. Now, things were great! In front of her was the Sky-Cloud Empire, and behind her was Ling Xiao Academy! If these two forces joined forces, how could others play? The atmosphere in the hall became very subtle. Many of the previously restless people had given up. A satisfied expression appeared on Nan Suhuai¡¯s face. This is the effect I want! Want to bully Yue¡¯er? Dream on! ¡°The two seniors have given such big gifts. Our gift is a little embarrassing.¡± Shangguan You smiled. Although he said that, his expression was magnanimous, and his bearing was natural. It was like a spring breeze. Just this temperament alone surpassed many so-called noble people present. Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Father-in-law is the closest person to Yue¡¯er. Coming all the way here is already the best gift for us.¡± He had addressed them both as ¡®Father-in-law.¡¯ Shangguan You and Chu Ning! Some people pondered again. Putting everything else aside, just from His Grace Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude toward these two people, it can be seen how much he values the princess consort. It¡¯s said that he has even invited the princess consort¡¯s friends and subordinates¡­ Such efforts are really rare. Shangguan You took out a wooden box. The wooden box was rectangular and dark, with a faint layer of pressure. It was obvious that there was a Xuan formation seal on the outside. Sensing a very familiar fluctuation, Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Father Emperor, this is¡ª¡± ¡°Open it up and take a look,¡± Shangguan You urged with a smile. Chu Liuyue took the wooden box. The moment she held it in her hand, the seal on it automatically lifted! The aura surged even more! Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. Kada. The wooden box opened. A dragon-headed scepter lay quietly inside. Her heart skipped a beat. As expected¡ªit is the Tianling Power Staff! ¡°Before I came this time, the Tianling Power Staff automatically flew out of Lang Kun Hall, so I brought it along,¡± Shangguan You explained. ¡°It belongs to you after all.¡± Suppressing her excitement, Chu Liuyue reached out and held the Tianling Power Staff. Whir! In an instant, the eyes of the dragon head on the staff suddenly shone brightly! Almost instinctively, she held the staff and swung it down. Whoosh! The sound of air being torn apart rang out! At the same time, an incomparably powerful pressure suddenly descended upon the entire Tongshen Palace! ¡°A supreme Yuan instrument?!¡± Everyone was in chaos again. How could this be a supreme Yuan instrument?! Could it be that this is common among the Shangguan family?! Shangguan Jing laughed loudly. ¡°This little thing still likes to stick to you!¡± Chu Liuyue also clearly sensed that the aura on the Tianling Power Staff seemed to be even stronger than before. I had never realized that this was actually a supreme Yuan instrument?! As if reading her mind, Shangguan Jing explained, ¡°This Tianling Power Staff is indeed a supreme Yuan instrument I refined a long time ago, but it¡¯s a little different from ordinary supreme Yuan instruments. The stronger the holder is, the greater the power it can stimulate. In the past, your realm wasn¡¯t high, so the power you could sense and exert was limited. Now that your strength has increased a lot, it¡¯s naturally different when you hold it in your hand.¡± Chapter 1810 - 1810 How Fortunate 1810 How Fortunate Chu Liuyue exclaimed in her heart, No wonder! It turns out that I had already seen a supreme Yuan instrument, but I didn¡¯t know it! Shoo! Someone below suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell over. The person beside him immediately frowned and said, ¡°Princess Consort, we¡¯re here today to congratulate you! Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to target us like this?¡± That person couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure of the Tianling Power Staff and vomited blood. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Eh? I just took out the Tianling Power Staff, and you can¡¯t take it anymore? I thought that everyone present today is a top expert of the God Residence Realm. So I misunderstood? I¡¯m really sorry!¡± As she spoke, she immediately took out a jade bottle and asked Yan Qing to hand it over. ¡°This is a Recovery Pill. Please take it!¡± Yan Qing respectfully took the bottle with both hands and handed it over. Not only were people vomiting blood this time, but even the person who spoke almost choked. Are you not embarrassed? How are you not embarrassed? That attack just now was clearly on purpose! Just as that person was about to say something, Rong Xiu put down the wine glass in his hand. Clang. The sound was neither loud nor soft, but it was suddenly like a huge rock pressing down on everyone¡¯s hearts! Rong Xiu looked up and glanced over, his eyes extremely indifferent. ¡°Today is a joyous day for Yue¡¯er and me. We can¡¯t see blood. Yan Qing, send them out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yan Qing looked at the person who had vomited blood. ¡°Please¡ª¡± Being stared at by Yan Qing, that person subconsciously trembled. At that moment, he couldn¡¯t say a word. He forcefully swallowed the blood in his mouth, stood up, and left dejectedly. When he left, his footsteps were unsteady as if he had yet to recover. Everyone was silent for a moment. This couple¡­ really has a tacit understanding! The audience thought that it would be fine if the couple heard what they said previously and that the couple wouldn¡¯t really cause trouble here today. Unexpectedly, Shangguan Yue was a vengeful person; she directly attacked in front of so many people! However, Rong Xiu actually let it go! It could only be said that the person who was beaten was really unlucky. However, this warning made everyone present wary. These two people¡­ They are really not to be trifled with! Chu Liuyue raised her brows and put away the Tianling Power Staff, her lips curling into a faint smile. Yes, it is quite useful. ¡°Yue¡¯er, we were in a hurry, so I don¡¯t have much to give you. A few days ago, I asked Senior Shangguan to help refine a pendant. I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± Chu Ning broke the silence in the hall and handed over a palm-sized jade box. Chu Ning had brought this jade box with him. When she was in Country Yao Chen in the past, this jade box was considered extremely good. But in the eyes of these people today, it was very ordinary and even a little rough. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, a normal person came! This is the level of gifts they should have given! However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about this. She took the jade box with both hands and opened it. A small green jade gourd was strung with a red string. There was a faint redness in the jade gourd. She picked up the small jade gourd. Countless gazes landed on it. Someone couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. What is this? It¡¯s fine if the material of the jade box is a little inferior. After all, it is only a container for gifts. However, the quality of this jade gourd isn¡¯t good! The color is still mottled, and it is really ugly. How could he take out such a thing? Doesn¡¯t Shangguan Yue feel embarrassed? Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression froze as she stared at the jade gourd for a while before saying, ¡°Father, inside this is¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s Chu Ning¡¯s blood.¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly spoke. Everyone didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Blood!? So that Chu Ning had asked Shangguan Jing for help to place his blood in the jade gourd?! This is too old-fashioned! What¡¯s the point!? ¡°Oh my god, even if there¡¯s nothing else to give, he shouldn¡¯t be so poor, right? Giving them blood? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Even if he borrows a gift, it¡¯s better than this, right?¡± ¡°If I were Shangguan Yue, I really wouldn¡¯t be able to take this thing¡­¡± Discussions in the hall gradually arose. Chu Ning tightened his grip. This is indeed the best gift I¡­ wanted to give. Shangguan Jing glanced around and suddenly laughed. ¡°I wonder when the divine blood of the Indestructible Holy Body became so worthless?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the hall suddenly fell silent! Some people still had disdainful smiles on their faces, but their eyes were filled with shock, looking very strange and ridiculous. Some people quickly looked at Chu Ning! Indestructible Holy Body?! Chu Ning has the Indestructible Holy Body?! That is one of the rarest Holy Bodies in the world! He is only a stage-four warrior. How could he¡ª No, no! It¡¯s rumored that when he came to the Sky-Cloud Empire half a month ago, he was a stage-one warrior! In such a short period of time, he actually broke through three cultivation levels in a row! ¡°The Indestructible Holy Body has extremely strong vitality. As long as you¡¯re still breathing, you can recover quickly and have higher combat strength. Chu Ning refined the divine blood and fused it into this jade gourd. Wear it on you, and you can contact him at any time. If you encounter any trouble, just call him. If it¡¯s really dangerous, break the jade gourd. This divine blood will help you recover.¡± Although it could only be used once, it was equivalent to having half a life! ¡°Chu Ning¡¯s current realm isn¡¯t high, and the power of the divine blood is relatively thin. During this period of time, he has suffered a lot to refine this drop of blood.¡± Chu Ning quickly shook his head. ¡°No, no, Senior Shangguan is exaggerating. I don¡¯t have anything to give you; I just hope you remain safe.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s nose stung, but a smile bloomed on her lips. ¡°Thank you, Father!¡± He doesn¡¯t have any rare treasures, only love and passion. I am so lucky. ¡°Father, your gift is not inferior to anyone else¡¯s!¡± Everyone was silent. Needless to say! The divine blood of the Indestructible Holy Body¡­ We have never even thought about it, but Shangguan Yue directly has it! Who doesn¡¯t want to have half a life on hand? They felt as though they had seen a ghost. Even a seemingly lowly existence like Chu Ning could give away such a heaven-defying treasure! What kind of luck does Shangguan Yue have?! At this moment, a voice came from outside. ¡°The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader, Yi Zhao, has arrived¡ª¡± Everyone turned around in shock! Yi Zhao? The clan leader of the red-gold heavenly phoenixes? Why is he here?! Under everyone¡¯s gaze, a tall and burly figure appeared outside the door! As soon as he appeared, a powerful and vast pressure emitted from his body! It was almost suffocating! Everyone subconsciously held their breaths. Yi Zhao¡­ To them, he was also a legendary figure! Someone muttered softly, ¡°Yi Zhao is actually here! Could it be that he¡¯s here to cause trouble for Shangguan Yue?¡± Chapter 1811 - 1811 Did You Miss Me? 1811 Did You Miss Me? ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that Shangguan Yue contracted a red-gold heavenly phoenix. Some time ago, she seemed to have been ¡®invited¡¯ to Godly Phoenix Mountain. Later, she came out for some reason. Could it be that Yi Zhao really appeared because of that matter?¡± ¡°Most likely! The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan is so noble and arrogant. Yi Zhao has never interacted with the human race, so it¡¯s definitely not simple if he¡¯s personally taking action today!¡± ¡°This¡­ If the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan really wants to touch Shangguan Yue, the Sky-Cloud Empire won¡¯t be able to stop them, right?¡± Not to mention the Sky-Cloud Empire, but nobody present could compare to the combat strength of the ancient legendary fiend clans! Many people in the hall stood up. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, nice to meet you!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve heard a lot about you and didn¡¯t expect to see you today!¡± ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao¡­¡± Many people¡ªwho had been rather proud just now¡ªhad put on eager and polite smiles. It wasn¡¯t difficult to hear the flattery in their voices. Although doing this would change too quickly and look a little awkward¡­ Who wouldn¡¯t do the same!? Come on! The person in front was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader! He was a top expert in the world who could reject a legendary warrior without hesitation! Who could compare to him? Usually, countless people wanted to build a relationship with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t have any connections. Now that the living Yi Zhao had appeared in front of them, how could they not seize the opportunity? In this world, the strong preyed on the weak. Everyone had a strong desire to be strong. If they could really build a relationship with Yi Zhao, so what if they were said to be fawning, solicitous, and clingy? But in the face of these people¡¯s greetings, Yi Zhao acted as if he didn¡¯t see them at all. His expression was cold and solemn as he strode forward. His steps were hurried, and he was still wrapped in the cold aura. Wherever he passed, his aura crushed! Many people felt a little embarrassed that they were ignored. However, this awkwardness was quickly resolved by them. Wasn¡¯t Yi Zhao always like this? It would be a miracle if he could smile and greet anyone! ¡°This person is indeed as the rumors say. He has a cold face and a cold heart¡­¡± ¡°More than that. I heard that his strength is extraordinary, and his methods are ruthless. All these years, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan has almost been his word! Not to mention us, even his own clansmen don¡¯t dare to disobey him at all!¡± ¡°Can you sense it? The murderous and cold aura on his body¡­ He hasn¡¯t even attacked, but his pressure is already so terrifying! If he really wants to attack, I¡¯m afraid nobody present is his match!¡± ¡°From the looks of it, Shangguan Yue is in trouble! She dares to contract the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ How can Yi Zhao not find trouble with her?¡± Under everyone¡¯s gazes, Yi Zhao walked into the hall. Rong Xiu stood up first with a smile. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Everyone was stunned. Rong Xiu actually knows Yi Zhao? And from his tone, it seems like¡­ they are quite close? Could he be pretending¡­ Rong Xiu is indeed powerful and has been famous in the Sky-Cloud Empire all these years, but we have never heard of him having any dealings with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Just as everyone was guessing, Yi Zhao nodded and said indifferently, ¡°Everything is as usual.¡± Many people looked at each other secretly. Do they really know each other?! Yi Zhao turned to look at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Shangguan Yue.¡± His voice was low and cold. Everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. Here it comes! It¡¯s about to begin! This time, even if the Sky-Cloud Empire and Ling Xiao Academy join forces, they won¡¯t be able to protect her¡ª ¡°Congratulations on your wedding. I came a little late when I received the news, but I didn¡¯t disrupt the celebration, did I?¡± Yi Zhao asked. Almost everyone¡¯s expressions froze at this moment. What¡­ did Yi Zhao say?! Not only did he not reprimand Shangguan Yue, but he even¡­ blessed the two of them for their wedding?! The air in the hall seemed to stop flowing. All the noise suddenly disappeared, leaving an almost suffocating silence. Chu Liuyue stood up and smiled. ¡°How could that be? You came at the right time! Why didn¡¯t I hear you say you were coming earlier? We didn¡¯t make any preparations; we¡¯re really neglectful.¡± Rong Xiu had already ordered someone to prepare a seat for him. It was naturally the seat closest to the two of them. Admittedly, this was a VIP among VIPs. Even if he sat at the top, nobody would object. Just as everyone was dumbfounded, they saw a little girl suddenly appear in front of Chu Liuyue. The little girl looked to be no more than three or four years old. She was wearing a red-gold lotus leaf dress and had two round buns on her head with golden bells. Her face was fair and cute, making one want to reach out and knead it. Chu Liuyue gently pushed her from behind. ¡°Tuan Zi, go and greet clan leader Yi Zhao.¡± Tuan Zi was also very surprised and rushed over barefooted. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Her laughter was as clear as silver bells, causing Yi Zhao¡¯s heart to soften. Almost instinctively, he leaned down and extended his arms to catch Tuan Zi firmly. Then, he picked her up. She was soft and small, and she still smelled faintly of milk. Her smile was bright, and her big black grape-like eyes flickered. A doting smile finally appeared on Yi Zhao¡¯s usually cold face. ¡°Tuan Zi, did you miss me?¡± Tuan Zi nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes! I missed you! Why didn¡¯t you say you were coming before?¡± Before Yi Zhao could say anything, a happy voice came from outside the door. ¡°Of course, I want to give you a surprise!¡± At the same time, a figure floated in. Tuan Zi looked up and smiled even wider. ¡°Grandpa Yi Yu!¡± Everyone present was struck by lightning again. Yi Yu! One of the five elders of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡ªYi Yu!? It wasn¡¯t enough for Yi Zhao to come, and Yi Yu is actually here? What¡­ is he doing?! Yi Yu walked over with a smile and reached out to pinch Tuan Zi¡¯s nose. ¡°Did you miss me, Tuan Zi?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Tuan Zi giggled. Elder Yi Yu was satisfied. Yi Zhao glanced over coldly. Elder Yi Yu was fearless. ¡°Tuan Zi, you don¡¯t know, but Clan Leader Grandpa misses you. He abandoned me on the way here just now! Hehe!¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Some people really look like they will tear down the roof if they don¡¯t hit the roof for three days. ¡°You¡¯re too useless.¡± The wedding ceremony was about to end! Elder Yi Yu coughed and rubbed his nose. It had been a long time since he had been criticized like this, but¡­ the other party was the clan leader! Could he win? He couldn¡¯t win, so he could only endure it! ¡°So Clan Leader Grandpa misses me so much!¡± Tuan Zi came to a realization. Then, she grabbed Yi Zhao¡¯s beard and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. ¡°Tuan Zi also missed Clan Leader Grandpa very much!¡± Chapter 1812 - 1812 Backing 1812 Backing Yi Zhao¡¯s body stiffened, and his hands trembled in excitement. What hadn¡¯t he seen in his life? Even in the face of death, his heart wouldn¡¯t beat so fast. However, this feeling¡­ was wonderful. His entire body felt as if he was soaking in a hot spring. It was warm, relaxed, and smooth. In short, it was comfortable! At this moment, he even felt that if Tuan Zi wanted the stars in the sky, he would find a way to pluck them and give them to her. As long as she was happy! Elder Yi Yu watched from the side and was petrified. I seem to have helped Yi Zhao? I¡¯m jealous! But at this moment, everyone in the hall was more than jealous. They were going crazy! Everything that had happened in this short period of time contained too much information! What did that little girl call Yi Zhao? Clan Leader Grandpa? Then, wouldn¡¯t she be the red-gold heavenly phoenix that has contracted with Shangguan Yue?! No, what happened to looking for trouble? What happened to the noble bloodline of the ancient legendary fiends that can¡¯t be tainted? What happened to not interacting with the humans and drawing a line? What is going on now? That little girl clearly still has a contract with Shangguan Yue. Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to suddenly appear beside Shangguan Yue just now. Does Yi Zhao not care? And he is so intimate and doting! Besides, don¡¯t red-gold heavenly phoenixes have to become an adult to transform into a human? This little girl clearly looks very young! Someone braced himself and asked, ¡°¡­May I ask¡­ Clan Leader Yi Zhao, this is¡­¡± This time, Yi Zhao finally turned around and gave him a look. ¡°I forgot to introduce you. This is Tuan Zi, also the young mistress of my red-gold heavenly phoenix clan!¡± ¡­ Dead silence. This short sentence was no different from a thunderclap that exploded in Tongshen Palace! Everyone was stunned, and all of them had very interesting expressions. Young Mistress¡­ This little girl is actually the young mistress of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! No, that isn¡¯t the most important thing. Most importantly, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress is Shangguan Yue¡¯s contracted legendary fiend! What does this mean? Nobody knew what that meant because this had never happened before! A moment ago, they were still thinking that because of the contract with the red-gold heavenly phoenix, Shangguan Yue might be targeted by Yi Zhao. The next second, Yi Zhao threw out such a bomb! How could anyone accept this? No, where did such a person come from? It¡¯s fine if you have contracted a legendary fiend, but it had to be an ancient legendary fiend. Even if it is an ancient legendary fiend, it was actually the young mistress? Normal people wouldn¡¯t even dare to dream of this! Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, Elder Yi Yu, please sit!¡± Then, she looked at everyone in the hall and smiled even more warmly. ¡°What are you waiting for? Sit down too! Today is my wedding with His Highness. We¡¯re very grateful that you¡¯ve made time to come. Please feel free to treat this as your own home!¡± Treat this as our own home?! We don¡¯t have such a relationship with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! For a moment, countless people complained in their hearts. But with Yi Zhao and Yi Yu here, they didn¡¯t dare to say anything. It wasn¡¯t until Yi Zhao sat down with Tuan Zi in his arms that everyone sat down again. However, they couldn¡¯t sit still. There was only one thought left in most people¡¯s minds. Offending Shangguan Yue is equivalent to offending Tuan Zi. Offending Tuan Zi is equivalent to offending the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. If we are blind and kill Shangguan Yue, it would be equivalent to killing the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress! According to Yi Zhao¡¯s personality, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to wipe out the entire family ten times! ¡°Damn! Shangguan Yue actually has such a background? Why didn¡¯t I hear any news before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Everyone thought that she offended the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. Who knew that she actually contracted their young mistress? This is really good. Who can afford to offend such a strong backer?¡± ¡°But why would Yi Zhao agree to this? This doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± ¡°You want to know? Go ask him yourself! Anyway, I don¡¯t want to know. What¡¯s the use of knowing? Let¡¯s think about whether we offended her just now!¡± ¡°Who the f*ck told me that Shangguan Yue came from a lowly background and had nobody to rely on? I¡¯ll definitely kill them when I go back! If this is called not having a backer, we can forget about living!¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s appearance and attitude made everyone¡¯s attitude change 180 degrees. There was no choice. Hard fists were the hardest truth. At this moment, nobody cared why Yi Zhao¡¯s attitude toward Shangguan Yue¡¯s contract was so open. He already said that she was the young mistress and even came personally to congratulate their wedding. Wasn¡¯t that enough!? Tuan Zi nestled in Yi Zhao¡¯s arms and beamed with joy. Seeing that she was fine, Yi Zhao and Yi Yu were relieved. In fact, a large part of the reason they decided to come this time was that Tuan Zi had gone to Godly Dragon Island. Even though Tuan Zi said that she was fine, they were still worried. After thinking about it, they still came. In addition, it would be much less troublesome for Shangguan Yue and Tuan Zi to travel in the God Residence Realm in the future. There was no harm in killing two birds with one stone. Yi Zhao said, ¡°By the way, for your wedding this time, my red-gold heavenly phoenix clan also brought some small gifts as a token of our appreciation.¡± As he spoke, he nodded at Elder Yi Yu. Elder Yi Yu smiled and walked forward, handing over a jade bottle. ¡°This is the spring water condensed in the ice cave at Godly Phoenix Mountain. There¡¯s only one bottle in a hundred years; it¡¯s extremely beneficial to cultivation. This is our small gift.¡± Shock flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. She knew about this thing. Back then, that legendary warrior had gone to Godly Phoenix Mountain for this thing. Moreover, at that time, it seemed that he had only asked for a few drops. In the end, he couldn¡¯t even enter Godly Phoenix Mountain, let alone obtain the spring water of the ice cave. She didn¡¯t expect Yi Zhao and the others to not only come personally but also give her such a generous gift! She took it with both hands and thanked him solemnly. Everyone in the hall looked envious. Some people are really so lucky that they can¡¯t be understood. After today¡¯s incident, even if we want to do something in the future, we¡¯ll have to consider our weight! Suddenly, another low and heroic laugh sounded from afar. ¡°Hahaha, this place is so lively! Am I late?¡± Chapter 1813 - 1813 More And More Backers 1813 More And More Backers Someone else is coming!? When everyone heard this voice, they looked out of the door. Why does the wedding seem to be getting more and more lively? ¡°It¡¯s already so late. Who will come?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Most of the people who have dealings with the Sky-Cloud Empire in the God Residence Realm are here, right?¡± Many people were speculating. Soon, the figure arrived from the horizon and appeared in front of the hall! He was so fast that the person in charge of announcing his arrival outside didn¡¯t have time to make a sound. The hall fell silent. All eyes were on the newcomer. He was a man who looked to be in his 40s. He was tall and burly, his face angular. At this moment, he was walking in with a fervent smile. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him¡­ but he looks imposing. He doesn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary person¡­¡± ¡°When did such a person appear in the God Residence Realm?¡± ¡­ Yi Zhao sat up straight and stared at the newcomer. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue stood up together. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, you¡¯re finally here.¡± Everyone was stunned when Rong Xiu called the new arrival ¡®Miao Zhen.¡¯ A moment later, someone seemed to have thought of something and gasped. Miao Zhen?! Could it be¡­ Miao Zhen laughed. ¡°You also know that there have been too many things on Godly Dragon Island recently, so I¡¯m a little late. But don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t forget to bring the wedding gift!¡± His voice was strong, echoing clearly through the entire hall and into everyone¡¯s ears. When they heard ¡®Godly Dragon Island,¡¯ almost everyone¡¯s expressions changed! Isn¡¯t that the territory of the great phoenix dragon clan? Thinking back to how Rong Xiu had called him Senior Miao Zhen¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that the genius from a thousand years ago in the great phoenix dragon clan?¡± ¡°Miao Zhen¡­ Miao Zhen! How could it be him? Rumor has it that he went crazy¡ª¡± The man didn¡¯t dare to say the rest because Miao Zhen had already looked over. Miao Zhen was still smiling, but when his eyes swept over the speaker, they were so powerful that they made the latter¡¯s heart tremble. ¡°It seems that everyone is still not well-informed.¡± Miao Zhen looked around and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Since everyone is here today, I might as well take the chance to introduce myself. I¡¯m Miao Zhen, the new great phoenix dragon clan leader! When we meet again in the future, don¡¯t mistake me for someone else.¡± Clan leader? Someone couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t Miao Yang the great phoenix dragon clan leader?¡± Miao Zhen waved his hand indifferently. ¡°Oh, Miao Yang? He killed and framed his own race. He¡¯s a sinner of our great phoenix dragon clan. Now, his dragon scales have been peeled off, and he¡¯s imprisoned. What, do you want to meet him?¡± The person who asked the question turned pale. ¡°No, no¡­ I was just¡­ just asking casually¡­¡± The reaction of the others present wasn¡¯t much better than this person¡¯s. It was simply a thunderclap! Miao Zhen, who was rumored to have died long ago, suddenly appeared and directly became the clan leader. On the other hand, Miao Yang¡ªthe existence who has been the clan leader for hundreds of years¡ªactually became a sinner overnight and was even sentenced to capital punishment? Actually, it was not their fault for being insufficient in information. It was too difficult to ask about the great phoenix dragon clan. Godly Dragon Island¡¯s geographical location was special, and ordinary people didn¡¯t know where it was at all. In addition, the great phoenix dragon race had always been rather arrogant. Without any tricks, the humans couldn¡¯t know anything about them. Most importantly, Miao Zhen had indeed been busy purging the clan recently and blocked the news deliberately. Outsiders had no way of knowing. But since he had appeared today, he naturally had to make things clear. As Miao Zhen spoke, he retracted his gaze and waved his sleeve. A purple-gold stream of light then flew out! Rong Xiu raised his hand, and the purple-gold stream of light landed in his palm, transforming into a palm-sized dragon scale. However, this dragon scale was different from ordinary dragon scales. A totem was drawn on it with bright patterns. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes sparkled. Chu Liuyue also sensed the shocking aura contained in the dragon scale and couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, this is¡ª¡± ¡°Haha, I previously hadn¡¯t thought of what to give you. After all, there are many treasures in the Sky-Cloud Empire. After thinking about it, I plan to give you this Crimson Heart Dragon Scale! In the future, with this thing, you will be my Godly Dragon Island¡¯s esteemed guests and can enter and leave at will. If there¡¯s any danger, use the dragon scale, and my people will definitely spare no effort to help!¡± At this point, he paused and looked at Chu Liuyue in admiration. ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful. Rong Xiu, you¡¯re very lucky!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened, and the corners of his eyes seemed to relax a little. It is indeed my greatest blessing to be able to marry her. Miao Zhen¡¯s low and powerful voice knocked heavily on everyone¡¯s hearts. Some people were already in a daze. This¡­ Even the great phoenix dragon clan has come to support Shangguan Yue? When did they meet? They seem to be especially close? If not for their strong friendship, Miao Zhen wouldn¡¯t have such an attitude! Not only did he personally come to congratulate her, but he also gave her the Crimson Heart Dragon Scale! ¡°Thank you, Senior Miao Zhen. Please take a seat,¡± Chu Liuyue said with a smile. Miao Zhen¡¯s position had been arranged long ago. He happened to be sitting opposite Yi Zhao. The two leaders of the ancient legendary fiend clans looked at each other. In an instant, sparks seemed to fly! At this moment, everyone in the hall clearly sensed that the air seemed to have frozen! Who didn¡¯t know that the relationship between the great phoenix dragons and the red-gold heavenly phoenixes had always been rather subtle? Both sides never casually stepped into each other¡¯s territory, but both openly and secretly, they had been secretly competing. Now that Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen had seen each other, they really felt a little tense! Will these two fight on the spot¡­ Just as everyone was filled with worry, Miao Zhen was the first to laugh. ¡°Brother Yi Zhao, how have you been!?¡± His smile broke the stalemate. Yi Zhao¡¯s face was expressionless as usual. ¡°I haven¡¯t congratulated Brother Miao Zhen for clearing your name and returning to your peak.¡± Miao Zhen glanced at Tuan Zi, his face filled with emotion. ¡°With Tuan Zi, Brother Yi Zhao is really enviable!¡± These words pleased Yi Zhao. It was useless to praise him, but as long as he praised Tuan Zi, his attitude would be much gentler. ¡°Not at all. Thank you for your care, Brother Miao Zhen.¡± Miao Zhen laughed. ¡°How am I taking care of her? Tuan Zi has been following A¡¯Yue. From beginning to end, she has been the one taking care of Tuan Zi.¡± When Yi Zhao heard this, he was slightly moved. He looked at Chu Liuyue and nodded slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly rejected it and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I promised you I would take good care of Tuan Zi, and that¡¯s all I have to do.¡± The atmosphere gradually became harmonious, leaving everyone in the hall dumbfounded. Why are they talking about old times? Chapter 1814 - 1814 Chase Out 1814 Chase Out This scene was too stimulating. Before we can even enter Godly Phoenix Mountain, Shangguan Yue has already contracted the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress. Before we even knew that the clan leader of Godly Dragon Island had changed, Shangguan Yue was already chatting happily with the new clan leader. What is even stranger is that the two clans can share a room so calmly and even talk happily. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell that they are giving Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue face! It was already uncomfortable enough that Yi Zhao had come, but now, there was Miao Zhen! It was simply suffocating for everyone else! ¡°No backing¡­ no background¡­ What the f*ck is going on then!?¡± Some people were already going crazy. ¡°I was mocking Shangguan Yue just now! She must¡¯ve heard everything!¡± Regret! Deep regret! Many people in the hall had ugly expressions and were restless in their seats. They wished they could just leave. Staying here¡­ for another second was torture! Chu Liuyue calmly raised her glass, which was filled with tea that Rong Xiu had just changed. Her thick and long eyelashes lowered slightly, hiding the ripples in her eyes. Actually, how could there be so much nonsense and inflammatory emotions? It was just what they thought. These people from aristocratic families have been in their positions for a long time and can only see the land in front of them. In addition, their perceptions are often biased. Just because I¡¯m from outside the God Residence Realm, they look down on me. Even if I¡¯m outstanding enough, it still can¡¯t offset the deepest obsession in their hearts. At this point, persuasion is useless. The most effective way is to slap them a few more times to help them wake up! That¡¯s right. I indeed don¡¯t have my own power in the God Residence Realm, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m easy to bully. Be it the Sky-Cloud Empire, Ling Xiao Academy, or the two ancient legendary fiend clans¡­ They have all become my backing. From today onward, I want these people to understand that I¡¯m definitely not someone to be bullied! ¡­ The banquet continued, but for many people present, it was already tasteless. They had come here today to watch a joke, but in the end, they had been slapped in the face. However, they had to endure this slap. Be it the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan or the great phoenix dragon clan, they weren¡¯t factions they could afford to provoke! Hence, some were even happier, and some were more depressed. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about this. Anyway, the goal had been achieved. Nothing else mattered. If they were sincere in their congratulations, they would be welcomed. If they came with other thoughts, they couldn¡¯t blame anyone for their misfortune. Suddenly, a figure rushed in outside the hall. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, we have two guests.¡± Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. Everyone has already arrived. Who else would appear? And from the looks of it¡­ the other party¡¯s identity is a little unusual. ¡°Who is this person?¡± Rong Xiu asked faintly. The man answered quickly, ¡°They said¡­ they¡¯re from the Nan family.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, many people subconsciously stopped what they were doing with bewildered expressions. The Nan family? Is it that Nan family we¡¯re thinking of? Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze lightened. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly and put down the wine glass. Then, a mysterious smile appeared on her lips. It looks like it hasn¡¯t stopped¡­ Haven¡¯t they suffered enough? Rong Xiu leaned back, his eyes cold. ¡°Chase them out.¡± Chapter 1815 - 1815 Ambush 1815 Ambush The man hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Your Highness, the two of them said that they heard about the wedding today and specially came to send a congratulatory gift¡ª¡± Rong Xiu glanced at him indifferently. The silent pressure immediately made the man¡¯s heart tremble, and he consciously swallowed the rest of his words. ¡°¡­Yes!¡± With that, the man quickly retreated. Many people in Tongshen Palace looked at each other. ¡°Nan family¡­ Why are their people here?¡± ¡°I remember that the Sky-Cloud Empire has never interacted with them, right? Why are there suddenly people here to celebrate? However, it seems that the Sky-Cloud Empire doesn¡¯t welcome them¡­¡± ¡°The Nan family has always been arrogant. What¡¯s the meaning of this now? However, the Sky-Cloud Empire seems to be disdainful¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, the Sky-Cloud Empire now has the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan and the great phoenix dragon clan as their backers. They¡¯re very confident. Who else can catch their eye?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± In the God Residence Realm, there were many clans and sects. All forces were entangled and restrained each other. It was common for the weak to rely on the strong. Without a doubt, the two ancient legendary fiend clans were the two thickest thighs to hug. Now, they were all in Shangguan Yue¡¯s arms! What else was there to say? This small episode was quickly ignored by everyone. ¡­ Outside the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s barrier. Luo Yan¡¯s face was a little cold. Nan Yiyi stood behind him and shook his arm with an aggrieved expression. I really want to go in¡­ Luo Yan turned around and patted her hand comfortingly. Then, he looked at the soldier in charge of guarding again. ¡°We¡¯re really here to congratulate the couple.¡± The soldier in black armor had a cold expression. ¡°His Highness¡¯s meaning is obvious¡ªthe Sky-Cloud Empire doesn¡¯t welcome you. Please leave quickly! If you continue to pester us, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± Anger surged in Luo Yan¡¯s chest. All these years, I have never suffered such things. However, I have suffered repeated setbacks because of Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue! Unfortunately, this is the other party¡¯s territory after all. If we really cause trouble, it won¡¯t do us any good. Luo Yan took a deep breath and pulled Nan Yiyi away. ¡°Yiyi, let¡¯s go.¡± Nan Yiyi wanted to struggle a little more, but when she looked up and saw Luo Yan¡¯s angry face, she knew that he was really angry. She didn¡¯t dare to do anything else and could only follow obediently. The duo¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly. ¡­ About an hour later, Luo Yan brought Nan Yiyi to a mountain peak. The forest on the mountain was lush. The sun was shining brightly, casting mottled shadows in the forest. The sound of flowing water came from afar. Everything was calm and peaceful. However, Nan Yiyi¡¯s mood was not comforted by this scenery. Along the way, she followed behind Luo Yan with her head lowered silently. Luo Yan only stopped when they reached a relatively flat place. ¡°Yiyi¡ª¡± As soon as he turned around, Nan Yiyi looked up. Only then did he see the tears on her face. Luo Yan¡¯s heart seemed to have been stabbed by something, and his voice softened. ¡°Yiyi, I told you before that this method won¡¯t work. We¡¯ve already caused such a ruckus with them previously, so why would they still interact with us? Besides, today is their wedding day¡­¡± If it were him, he would definitely make the same choice. Nan Yiyi has always been very smart. I don¡¯t know why she is so persistent this time. She knows that there is a southern wall in front of her, but she still wants to bang her head against it. Nan Yiyi pursed her lips as tears streamed down her face. Ever since she became unable to speak, she had been unwilling to make any more sounds, including cries. That would only make her feel tormented and miserable. Luo Yan patted her shoulder gently and sighed. ¡°Yiyi, I know you hate me in your heart, but you haven¡¯t recovered from your injuries yet. Even if you want to take revenge, you don¡¯t have the ability at all, alright? Moreover¡­ For some reason, the family head is clearly very afraid of Rong Xiu. If we act rashly, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll also¡­¡± Nan Yiyi turned her head. I don¡¯t want to care about this! All I know is that my tongue has been cut out and that I can no longer speak! Nobody else can understand my pain, so how could they be in the position to comfort me?! Seeing her like this, Luo Yan knew that there was no point in persuading her, so he stopped talking. I¡¯ve already brought her over as she requested. I can¡¯t do anything more than that. In the end, she still needs to slowly digest this matter herself¡­ Nan Yiyi suddenly walked toward the middle of the mountain. Luo Yan frowned and immediately followed. ¡°Yiyi, where are you going?¡± Nan Yiyi didn¡¯t stop and just walked forward with her head lowered. Luo Yan wanted to hold her hand, but seeing that she seemed to be still angry, he knew that the only thing he could do now was to follow her. Thus, he could only follow her. The two of them moved forward in silence. After about 15 minutes, a black shadow suddenly flew past! A dangerous and cold aura quickly approached! Luo Yan immediately went to pull Nan Yiyi away.¡±Yiyi! Back off!¡± But it was late! The black shadow quickly approached and transformed into a black fog that swallowed Nan Yiyi! Luo Yan was shocked and immediately mobilized the force in his body to attack! But at this moment, he was shocked to discover that his body seemed to be frozen by something, and he couldn¡¯t move! Then, the black fog quickly spread and strangled Luo Yan¡¯s neck! It was like a poisonous snake slithering slowly on his neck¡ªcold and sinister! Luo Yan urged the power in his body even harder, but he was still helpless. One had to know that he was a legendary warrior. Ordinary cultivators weren¡¯t his match at all. Even if a warrior of the same level fought him, it was impossible for them to crush him like this! This, this¡ª Just as countless thoughts flashed through Luo Yan¡¯s mind, the black fog had already begun to spread around him and devour him bit by bit. Perhaps it was because he was much stronger than Nan Yiyi, but the speed at which the black fog devoured him was clearly much slower. However, this can¡¯t go on. If I can¡¯t think of a way to escape, I¡¯m afraid that¡ª Rumble! A powerful force suddenly erupted from Luo Yan¡¯s body! The violent power spread out, scattering the black fog. Luo Yan could finally catch his breath. Without hesitation, he immediately turned around and fled! He moved at the highest speed in his life! But even though he was fast, the black fog was not slow. Not long after, Luo Yan felt a strong force pulling his ankle. He looked down, and his heart skipped a beat. It was the black fog that had wrapped over again! This time, the power contained in the black fog seemed to have become stronger, causing Luo Yan to become slower and slower! Strong fear gripped his heart. Luo Yan suddenly turned around. The black fog was already like a monster. It opened its bloody mouth and swallowed him! A strange blood-colored totem suddenly flashed in front of his eyes! Then, Luo Yan blacked out and lost consciousness. Chapter 1816 - 1816 Choice 1816 Choice Nan Yiyi and Luo Yan disappeared from the forest. After devouring the two of them, the dense and strange black fog gradually dissipated and disappeared. The forest was quiet. A breeze blew, stirring the mottled shadows of the trees. The stream gurgled, and the rings tinkled. Everything returned to its original state. It was as if nothing had happened. ¡­ A black swamp spread out endlessly. There were gray-white reeds swaying in the wind. At a glance, the world was vast. Nan Yifan stood at the edge of the swamp. If he went any further, he would step into this dark and terrifying swamp. A cold and gloomy aura came from all directions, including him. There was also a faint smell of blood and something rotten that was nauseating. Nan Yifan frowned and suppressed the turbulence in his chest. If not for Yuxing, I wouldn¡¯t have come to this place¡­ But now, there is really no other way. ¡°Nan Yifan, the Nan family head, requests to see the sect master.¡± He cupped his hands respectfully. A cool breeze blew, and the reeds fluttered, but no sound responded to him. Nan Yifan continued, ¡°The Nan family head, Nan Yifan, requests to see the sect master.¡± The surroundings fell silent. Nan Yifan hesitated for a moment before lifting his clothes and kneeling on the ground! ¡°Nan Yifan, the Nan family head, requests to see the sect master!¡± In this empty region that seemed to have been abandoned by the world, Nan Yifan¡¯s voice sounded especially lonely and helpless. However, he seemed to have expected this situation. He gritted his teeth and begged again and again! From day to night. From night to day. He kneeled at the edge of that swamp and begged for one day and one night. When his voice became hoarse, and he could barely speak, the reeds in front of him finally swayed violently! Pieces of white catkin flew up and landed in the black swamp. They were quickly swallowed by the surging mud. White bones could be vaguely seen. Nan Yifan pretended not to see it. He only looked up, his bloodshot eyes staring straight ahead! The surroundings seemed to have become quieter. Nan Yifan¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched tightly by something, and the blood in his body stopped flowing at this moment. His throat burned, and he stiffened, his mind blank. But at this moment, he couldn¡¯t care less. Finally, a low and hoarse voice spoke. ¡°Nan Yifan? What are you doing here?¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s pupils contracted! Although the other party didn¡¯t reveal himself, hearing this voice was enough to make him excited. He immediately said, ¡°Sect Master, please save my son!¡± The voice seemed to laugh. ¡°Nan Yuxing¡¯s Yuan meridian has been severed, and he has already become a cripple. Even if it is forcefully repaired, he will at most recover 30% of his previous talent. You don¡¯t have to spend so much effort.¡± Nan Yifan instantly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. ¡°How¡ªhow can he only recover 30%? Sect Master¡¯s methods and divine powers¡­¡± ¡°If it were an ordinary person, it would naturally not be a problem. However, the key is that the person who attacked this time was Rong Xiu¡­ He wanted your son to suffer a fate worse than death, so he specially used some methods. Even I will have to spend a lot of effort to completely resolve it¡­¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s eyes lit up as if he had grabbed onto the last straw of hope. The sect master still has a way! But before he could continue, the other party continued, ¡°But do you think that Nan Yuxing¡­ is worthy of me helping him with my full strength?¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s heart turned completely cold. Helping him with his full strength¡­ Not to mention Nan Yuxing, even I am probably not worthy! But¡­ in that case, won¡¯t Yuxing really be finished? Yuxing wants to die. Even if he recovers 30% of his talent, he will probably not be able to accept it. How can a person who has been very proud since he was young accept that he has become a cripple? He can¡¯t even accept that he has become an ordinary person. Both situations are equally painful for such people. ¡°So¡­ it still won¡¯t work¡­¡± Nan Yifan looked dejected, his face ashen. He had abandoned all dignity and pride to come here for help, but it still wouldn¡¯t work! His heart trembled at the thought of Nan Yuxing begging him to attack. There was probably no parent in the world who could accept this. ¡°Rong Xiu¡­ Even I won¡¯t fight him easily. Your children are really bold. They actually provoked him consecutively? They¡¯re really courting death.¡± There was a hint of mockery in the voice. ¡°They can only blame themselves for this.¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s face was pale, and his cracked lips were trembling violently. Of course, I know all of this! Except¡­ How could I have expected that Yuxing, Yiyi, and the others would encounter Rong Xiu at the God-Killing Tumulus?! They even quarreled with them for various reasons! Although he had tried his best to make up for it after knowing about this, it was obviously useless. ¡°Could it be that¡­ there¡¯s really no other way¡­¡± Nan Yifan muttered in despair. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s a convenient method. It just depends on whether you¡¯re willing,¡± the voice said slowly. Nan Yifan suddenly looked up. ¡°Sect Master, please guide me!¡± The other party seemed to laugh again, but he didn¡¯t answer the question directly. Instead, he changed the topic and asked him a question. ¡°If I remember correctly, your daughter¡¯s talent¡­ seems to be not bad?¡± Nan Yifan nodded blankly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Yiyi¡¯s talent is also very outstanding. Initially, I had high hopes for her. Unfortunately, her tongue¡­¡± Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, and his eyes widened. Hang on! Does the sect master mean¡ª This time, the other party¡¯s laughter sounded pleasant. ¡°You¡¯re very smart. They¡¯re related by blood, so it¡¯s much more convenient. If you transfer your daughter¡¯s talent to your son, your son will naturally be able to recover. However, your daughter will become a complete cripple in the future.¡± ¡°The choice is up to you. Think about it carefully.¡± These light words were like a heavy stone pressing down on Nan Yifan¡¯s chest. One was Yuxing, and the other was Yiyi. Both were his flesh and blood; how could he choose?! Nan Yifan kneeled there, his hands on the ground. Because of the force, his fingers were green and white. ¡°I don¡¯t have much patience,¡± the voice urged lazily. Finally, Nan Yifan closed his eyes. ¡°Do it!¡± Yiyi, Father has let you down. But your big brother¡­ really can¡¯t be crippled just like that! Nan Yifan¡¯s heart ached, and he was almost numb. The voice suddenly laughed. ¡°Forget it; you don¡¯t have to do this here. You¡¯ve invested more energy and hope in Nan Yuxing. If he can¡¯t make it, your position as the family head will fall into the hands of others sooner or later. Therefore, you have to save Nan Yuxing. This choice is so simple. What¡¯s there to be troubled about?¡± Chapter 1817 - 1817 Say It 1817 Say It These words were like an extremely sharp knife that pierced through the last of Nan Yifan¡¯s concealment! It peeled off his flesh, revealing his bloody insides! He swayed, but his face turned even paler. However, even he had to admit that the other party was right. Over the years, he seemed to dote on Nan Yiyi more on the surface. But in reality, he had always placed his hopes on Nan Yuxing to inherit the heavy responsibility. If Nan Yuxing died, all his hard work in the past few decades would be in vain! So now, he finally made this extremely difficult decision. Nan Yifan fell to the ground as if all the strength in his body had been sucked out of him. Soon, his entire body was enveloped in a gray aura of despair. ¡°You made a wise decision,¡± the other party praised. Nan Yifan panted and said weakly, ¡°I¡­ I want to go back and talk to Yiyi¡­¡± ¡°Why go through so much trouble?¡± The other party interrupted him. ¡°I know you¡¯re a smart person, so¡­ I¡¯ve already brought Nan Yiyi over.¡± Nan Yifan suddenly raised his head! A gust of wind shook the reeds. In the depths of the black swamp, a person wrapped in black fog was flying over! Nan Yifan recognized at a glance that the person inside was his daughter¡ªNan Yiyi! ¡°Sect Master! This¡ª¡± After the shock, Nan Yifan could not help but feel furious. Did he already have designs on Yiyi? ¡°Calm down. Your precious daughter is very scheming. When I found her, she wasn¡¯t in the Nan family but on a mountain peak not far away from the Sky-Cloud Empire. At this point, she still thinks she can take revenge with her own abilities.¡± Nan Yifan pursed his lips tightly and said nothing. This is indeed something Nan Yiyi could do. When she was arrogant and willful in the past, I would at most criticize her a little and never really take it seriously. It was probably because of this that she is so naive and even foolish. He looked at Nan Yiyi, who was trapped in the black fog. At this moment, her eyes were closed as if she was still unconscious. Her eyebrows knitted together as if she had sensed something. Then, her lashes fluttered. She was about to wake up. ¡°Do you want to talk to her?¡± the voice asked. Nan Yifan clenched his fists, his bones creaking. Finally, he loosened his hands dejectedly. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± These few words seemed to take all his strength to say it. The next second, the black fog quickly entered Nan Yiyi¡¯s body! Whoosh! Instantly, blood splattered everywhere! Nan Yifan blacked out. ¡­ The Sky-Cloud Empire. That small setback didn¡¯t attract everyone¡¯s attention. The appearance of Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen had greatly changed the atmosphere in Tongshen Palace. Most people became more reserved. Actually, there were many people here who wanted to take the opportunity to get close to Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen and even build a relationship with them. After all, they didn¡¯t even have the chance to see these two usually. Now that the two were here, these people naturally didn¡¯t want to waste the opportunity. However, this matter was easy to say but extremely difficult to do. There were too many people in Tongshen Palace. Those who could appear here were basically all famous figures in the God Residence Realm. They all knew very well who would be the first to step forward. Besides, even if someone dared to risk it and go forward to say a few words in front of everyone, they would still face a very serious problem. Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen sat facing each other. Who should they look for first? Although the atmosphere between the two sides looked very harmonious at this moment, everyone present was smart. They wouldn¡¯t really think that the great phoenix dragon clan and the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan would be as close as family from now on! If they tried to please one party first, they would inevitably offend the other. Both sides were evenly matched, and neither of them was someone they could afford to provoke! Hence, everyone fell into a dilemma. In the end, nobody moved. Many people looked at Chu Liuyue eagerly. They wondered what method she had used to build a good relationship with both clans at the same time! ¡­ In a slightly remote corner of the hall, Cen Yi and the others sat together. They were also invited to this banquet. Originally, Chu Liuyue planned to arrange for them to be seated at the front. After all, there weren¡¯t many people here to begin with. Moreover, Cen Yi and the others had followed her through life and death for many years. In her heart, the Thirteen Yue Guard was no less important than her family. No, it should be said that she had long treated them as her family. She wanted to give them the best. However, this suggestion was rejected by Cen Yi. When Chu Liuyue asked for the reason, Cen Yi only replied indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t like noise.¡± Chu Liuyue knew the few of them very well and knew that they didn¡¯t like to attract too much attention. If they stayed at the back, they would probably be more at ease. After thinking for a moment, she agreed. ¡°Sigh, when will my vegetables grow¡­¡± Shi Fang stared at the various delicacies in front of him, but he had no appetite at all and even had a bitter expression. Wu Yao and Yu Jiu ignored him and ate happily at the side. Xiao Ba stopped eating after eating a little. Shi Fang was very touched. ¡°Eighth Sister, you also think my cooking is the best, don¡¯t you?¡± Xiao Ba rested her chin on one hand and said lazily, ¡°No. I¡¯m on a diet.¡± Shi Fang: ¡°¡­¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression was always indifferent and distant. He never cared much about these small matters. Thirteen took a bite of the snack and couldn¡¯t help but lean closer. ¡°Big Brother, when do you plan to tell Master about that?¡± Chapter 1818 - 1818 Drinking 1818 Drinking Cen Yi glanced at him. ¡°Eat your food.¡± Thirteen shrank his neck and said obediently, ¡°Yes.¡± It seems that Big Brother doesn¡¯t intend to say anything for the time being¡­ However, Big Brother has always been a strategist and definitely has his own plans. It¡¯s not my place to worry. Thirteen¡¯s gaze fell on the wine glass beside him. Inside was clear wine that glowed. He licked his lips, his eyes tinged with curiosity. ¡°Big Brother, can I drink?¡± Cen Yi didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°No.¡± Thirteen had expected this outcome, but he still hesitated for a moment. ¡°Then¡­ just one sip?¡± Cen Yi glanced at him. ¡°If you can beat me, I¡¯ll let you drink.¡± Thirteen was instantly discouraged. Big Brother always says that! In the past, Thirteen had no experience. Every time he felt that he had improved, he would think that he could win and excitedly run to compete with his big brother. However, he always faced a crushing defeat without exception. If I want to outrun Big Brother¡­ Who knows how long it will take!? Seeing his rather disappointed expression, Shi Fang immediately couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this. ¡°Big Brother, Little Thirteen is still a child! It¡¯s fine to let him take a sip! There are so many of us here!¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s beautiful eyes flickered as she gave Shi Fang a thumbs-up. A real warrior. Not only did he dare to raise his opinion with Big Brother, but he also dared to raise his opinion about letting Little Thirteen drink. Shi Fang¡¯s heart skipped a beat when Xiao Ba looked at him like that. Only then did he remember some tragic past and hurriedly said, ¡°No, no. What I mean is¡ªif Big Brother thinks it¡¯s not suitable, then forget it! Forget it! Thirteen, if you really want to drink, how about I make you rice wine?¡± Thirteen revealed a rare speechless expression. Xiao Ba rolled her eyes again. Wu Yao finally stopped eating. Yu Jiu poked him. ¡°Thirteen is in a daze. Shi Fang is also confused?¡± Could it be that Shi Fang has become stupid from farming? How could he say that? Wu Yao swallowed the last mouthful of meat and sighed. ¡°This is delicious.¡± Unfortunately, I won¡¯t be able to eat it again today. ¡°Shi Fang,¡± Cen Yi suddenly called. Shi Fang shuddered. ¡°Yes, Big Brother?¡± ¡°No food for a month.¡± Shi Fang¡¯s face instantly fell. ¡°No, Big Brother, I really didn¡¯t mean that! Please just listen casually and don¡¯t take it to heart! The vegetables I planted over there will be ready to eat in a few days!¡± I have been hungry for a long time! How am I going to survive another month? However, Cen Yi didn¡¯t care if he lived or died. ¡°Tenth Brother, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Thirteen looked guilty. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was speaking up for me, Tenth Brother wouldn¡¯t have been punished like this. Thirteen felt aggrieved and guilty. I just wanted to give it a try¡­ ¡°Master doesn¡¯t like you to drink,¡± Cen Yi suddenly said indifferently. Stunned, Thirteen looked up at him in surprise. ¡°Really?¡± I have never heard Master mention it before. Cen Yi frowned. ¡°The last time you accidentally drank, Master was worried for days.¡± Cen Yi blushed. Although this had happened several years ago, and he couldn¡¯t quite remember what had happened at that time, if it made his master worry¡­ It was better not to drink. ¡°Big Brother, I know my mistake.¡± Thirteen lowered his head and admitted his mistake obediently. Cen Yi nodded in satisfaction. This matter was finally over. The remaining people looked at each other. Tsk, Little Thirteen is too pitiful. Master won¡¯t even know if he drank, let alone dislike it. In terms of scheming, who can be a match for Big Brother? Poor baby. Cen Yi looked up at Chu Liuyue. Chapter 1819 - 1819 Married 1819 Married She was wearing a red wedding dress and a phoenix crown. Her eyebrows were like a painting, and her skin was like ice and jade. All the light around seemed to fall on her, making her look charming and mesmerizing. Cen Yi smiled and looked away. ¡­ This wedding banquet lasted for a long time. After Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen sat for a while, they left one after another. They had never interacted much with the human race. It was already very rare for them to come once for Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue. Yi Zhao didn¡¯t like such a crowded and lively scene. Seeing that Tuan Zi was indeed fine, he was relieved and bade farewell alongside Elder Yi Yu. Miao Zhen was better. He had been trapped in the coiling dragon pillar for a thousand years and had been very lonely. Coupled with the fact that he had been busy dealing with many problems left behind by Miao Yang on Godly Dragon Island recently¡­ He had a rare moment of leisure, so he stayed here for a while longer. He didn¡¯t leave until late afternoon. After the two of them left, the atmosphere in Tongshen Palace returned to normal. Many people heaved a sigh of relief, but they were also regretful. It was rare to see these two, but they couldn¡¯t even say a word, let alone build a relationship. Obviously, they were here to support the two newlyweds. In the face of such a situation, what else could they do but be envious? Later, everyone bade farewell one after another. It was about evening when all the guests left. There was also a grand fireworks display at night. Everyone gathered in the square in front of Tongshen Palace. In the black night sky, countless dazzling fireworks bloomed. The entire Sky-Cloud Empire was brightly lit and immersed in the enthusiastic atmosphere of cheers. Chu Liuyue looked up at this scene. Rong Xiu glanced sideways at her. The fireworks illuminated her face, which was as bright as jade, making her dark jade-like eyes look like thousands of stars were inside. He gripped her hand tightly and interlaced his fingers with hers. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what are you thinking about?¡± Chu Liuyue looked back at him. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of you.¡± Her red lips curled into a smile, and her eyes curved upward. ¡°Husband, I¡¯m thinking of you.¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s heart stopped for a moment. There was nothing more touching than her words. A moment later, his eyes flickered, and he leaned closer. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly but refused to say anything. She just looked at him with a smile. Rong Xiu¡¯s slightly rough fingers caressed her hand gently as he coaxed, ¡°Yue¡¯er, say it again. Your husband didn¡¯t hear you clearly just now.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile was even deeper. If he hadn¡¯t heard me, would he call himself my ¡®husband?¡¯ Seeing that she was unwilling, Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes darkened. Immediately, a meaningful smile appeared on his handsome and devilish face. He took her hand and turned to leave. Yan Qing, who was standing at the side, saw this and immediately went forward to ask, ¡°Your Highness?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m drunk, so I¡¯ll go back and rest first.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face instantly turned red. How is he drunk!? Yes, Rong Xiu had drunk a lot previously, but he was still talking to me with clear eyes just now. Who would believe him if he said that he was drunk in the blink of an eye? Yan Qing wanted to ask more, but Yu Mo suddenly pulled him back. He turned around and saw the latter frantically giving him a look. What are you doing? Can¡¯t you tell what¡¯s going on!? Yan Qing immediately came back to his senses. A rare hint of embarrassment appeared on his ice-cold face. I really forgot¡­ ¡°Pfft.¡± A woman¡¯s coquettish laugh suddenly sounded from the side. ¡°So there are times when Lord Yan Qing¡¯s brain doesn¡¯t turn.¡± Yan Qing turned around. The person who spoke was a woman in a colorful dress. He remembered that this woman was one of the princess consort¡¯s subordinates. Hearing the other party¡¯s mockery, he thought nothing of it and quickly looked away. His ice-cold face returned. Xiao Ba snorted in her heart. Then, she simply walked forward and waved her hand in front of his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you!¡± As she approached, a fragrant wind blew. Her arms, as skinny as jade lotus roots, swayed in front of his eyes, and the colorful string bells on her slender wrists tinkled. Yan Qing frowned and took half a step back. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, the mountain wind is cold at night. Remember to put on more clothes.¡± Xiao Ba was furious. Is he insulting my outfit? I have always dressed like this, and I look beautiful. What is wrong?! When ordinary men see me like this, their eyes will widen, and they will be seduced. However, not only did Yan Qing directly ignore my question, but he also ignored my figure! ¡°I¡¯m fine! You don¡¯t have to worry about me!¡± When Xiao Ba was angry, she was still beautiful and enchanting. Even when she glared, she still had a hint of seductiveness. Therefore, this gaze didn¡¯t harm Yan Qing at all. He nodded. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave first. Miss Xiao Ba, have fun.¡± With that, he really turned around and left. Xiao Ba was left alone in the wind. ¡°Eighth Sister, this is the first time a man has ignored you, right?¡± Shi Fang leaned over and looked at Yan Qing from afar with admiration. ¡°As expected of His Highness¡¯s trusted aide. He¡¯s clear-headed and strong-willed. Sigh, Eighth Sister¡ª¡± Thump! Xiao Ba backhanded Shi Fang¡¯s face. Shi Fang groaned and almost died. ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, nobody will think you¡¯re mute!¡± After saying this, Xiao Ba floated away like a colorful cloud. Shi Fang¡¯s eyes stung. Tears welled up in his eyes from the beating, and he sounded very aggrieved. ¡°Eighth Sister¡­¡± I was just saying it casually¡­ Yu Jiu patted his shoulder sympathetically. ¡°Shi Fang, let¡¯s go back and farm properly. Eat more vegetables and talk less. Oh right, I forgot that you can¡¯t eat for a month.¡± Tsk, how pitiful. Cen Yi walked past slowly, his green clothes fluttering in the wind. ¡°If you¡¯re done playing, go back and cultivate.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu brought Chu Liuyue back to Jishen Palace. The mountain breeze blew on her face and finally blew away some of the heat. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was still beating rapidly. Fortunately, not long after the fireworks started, Ancestor and the others went back separately. Otherwise, this scene¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu¡ª¡± Because of the wedding, Jishen Palace was decorated luxuriously and exquisitely. Glazed palace lamps hung from the ceiling. Faint light scattered down, reflecting a brilliant light. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness, Princess Consort!¡± The black-armored guards bowed. Chu Liuyue swallowed the rest of her words and obediently followed Rong Xiu to the main hall of Jishen Palace. This was Rong Xiu¡¯s residence. She had also stayed here for a while before, so she was quite familiar with this place. Except¡­ she wasn¡¯t familiar with this side of Rong Xiu. The room had long been redecorated. On the bed were long-prepared dragon and phoenix blankets with gauze curtains hanging down. The red candles burned brightly as light and shadows intertwined. Everything seemed to be shrouded in an indescribable ambiguity. Chu Liuyue was dazed. Kada. The door was unlocked. Chapter 1820 - 1820 A Sleepless Night 1820 A Sleepless Night Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat along with the candle flame. Footsteps approached from behind as if stepping on her heart, until a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Rong Xiu pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder as he sighed. Their breaths met. He did indeed smell of intoxication and alcohol. When mixed with that faint cold fragrance, it seemed to create an irresistible fatal attraction. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt at ease. She reached out and folded her hand with Rong Xiu¡¯s. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was low and pleasant, even a little hoarse. ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± He was gentle, firm, and domineering. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be filled with something. She smiled warmly and said, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m yours, and you¡¯re mine.¡± They had each other. They belonged to each other. ¡°I¡¯ve waited a long time for this day. A long time¡­¡± Rong Xiu whispered. He spoke very slowly as if he were really drunk or thinking back to something, enshrouded in distant longing. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly softened. ¡°Call me that again.¡± Rong Xiu was almost whispering into her ear. Thus, every syllable and every breath fell clearly in her ears and in her heart. Heat landed on her ears and neck, making her feel slightly itchy. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shrink her neck. ¡°Husband? Husband? Anyway, from now on, there will be plenty of opportunities to call you that. You¡ª¡± Rong Xiu suddenly bit her delicate earlobe. The tip of his tongue curled slightly, and there was a scorching heat. Her voice suddenly stopped and turned into a small murmur. Rong Xiu hugged her tighter, his voice hoarse. Faint syllables scattered. ¡°But I really want to hear it tonight¡­¡± ¡­ A sleepless night. ¡­ Ling Xiao Academy. It was already late at night, and a bright moon was hanging high in the sky. It flowed quietly like water. In the room, a person stood alone by the window. The moonlight lengthened his figure. His figure was upright. His face was hidden behind the shadow of the carved window, making it unclear. Deep in his eyes, there was a thick coldness that couldn¡¯t be dispelled. Suddenly, the void behind him began to fluctuate! Then, a figure appeared in the room¡ªit was Yi Wenzhuo. ¡°Hateful!¡± As soon as Yi Wenzhuo came out of the void, he could not help but curse. The indifference on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s face quickly faded. His eyebrows rose slightly as he turned and bowed. ¡°Master, you¡¯re back.¡± His usual expression had returned to his devilish and flirtatious face. Yi Wenzhuo did not notice this as he slammed the table hatefully. ¡°This master and disciple are really extremely cunning!¡± Previously, he had sensed Nan Suhuai¡¯s departure and secretly followed him out. But not long after, Nan Suhuai seemed to have sensed his presence and used some tricks to shake him off. After that, he searched for a long time but could not find Nan Suhuai. In the end, he heard that Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue were getting married! As her master, Nan Suhuai had personally gone to congratulate her! What was even more hateful was that the clan leaders of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan and the great phoenix dragon clan had actually gone too! From now on, the entire God Residence Realm would know that they had these two backers! It would be even more difficult to deal with them! ¡°I don¡¯t know what method Shangguan Yue used¡­ However, not only did she make Yi Zhao agree to her contract with that red-gold heavenly phoenix, but she also made Yi Zhao choose it as the young mistress!¡± Yi Wenzhuo knew very well that the red-gold heavenly phoenix had broken through from the red-tailed phoenix, so the position of young mistress must have been added later. What were Yi Zhao and the elders of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan thinking?! They actually chose a red-gold heavenly phoenix that has already contracted with the human race to be the young mistress! Jun Jiuqing said indifferently, ¡°Her luck has always been good.¡± Yi Wenzhuo still could not accept this. With this relationship, it will be even harder for them to do anything to Shangguan Yue in the future. ¡°Did you know that Nan Suhuai personally gave away two green jade tokens at their wedding? Moreover, he said that she was his only disciple!¡± Yi Wenzhuo gritted his teeth. ¡°He¡¯s clearly trying to pass the position of director to her!¡± Jun Jiuqing was silent for a moment. Actually, they should¡¯ve realized this long ago. Back then, Nan Suhuai did not hide his admiration and love for Chu Liuyue. Now that she had returned again, her talent and strength were even greater than before. Of course, Nan Suhuai valued her even more, not to mention that she had several backers now. Not to mention Yi Wenzhuo, even the various aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm would probably not dare to do anything to her in the future. The room fell silent. Yi Wenzhuo took a few deep breaths and tried his best to calm down. Then, he suddenly thought of something and looked up at Jun Jiuqing. His eyes were sizing the latter up and probing. ¡°You knew about their wedding today, right?¡± Jun Jiuqing nodded his head and seemed to laugh. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire sent out invitations widely. Other than those who have completely fallen out with them, they invited all the other famous figures. Now, who wouldn¡¯t know about it?¡± Yi Wenzhuo looked at him suspiciously. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t have any thoughts?¡± Although he had always reminded Jun Jiuqing not to care about that woman, the latter was still his disciple after all. He could still guess what he was thinking. Jun Jiuqing raised his eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to forget Master¡¯s teachings. Besides, they¡¯re already married, so there¡¯s nothing else to say.¡± Yi Wenzhuo stared at him for a long time before nodding in relief. ¡°It¡¯s not bad for you to think that way. There are many women in the world. Jiuqing, as long as you can rise to the top, you can have any woman you want.¡± Jun Jiuqing smiled and lowered his eyes to hide the emotions in them. Yi Wenzhuo asked again, ¡°Your aura seems to have strengthened a lot. Did you break through again?¡± Jun Jiuqing nodded. Yi Wenzhuo knocked on the table. ¡°That¡¯s good. Anyways, there¡¯s no need to stay in the academy. We¡¯ll go back tomorrow. You should snatch back what originally belongs to you!¡± A dark glint flashed across Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes as he nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Jishen Palace. It was still morning. White mountain mist surged back and forth, making the entire Jishen Palace seem like an illusion. Amidst the mist, a muscular and agile huge white figure leaped toward Jishen Palace¡ªit was Xue Xue. As usual, it headed for the window, only to find it locked and protected by a barrier. There was no other way in. Xue Xue¡¯s face fell, and it had no choice but to lie down under the window. It clasped its claws in boredom as it waited for the person inside to come out. In the room, under the big red brocade blanket, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair was sprawled messily on the bed. She opened her eyes in a daze. ¡°Who¡­¡± Her voice was very hoarse, and because she was still sleepy, it was especially soft. Rong Xiu kissed her between her eyebrows and coaxed her in a low voice, ¡°No one. You didn¡¯t sleep well at night; get some sleep first.¡± Chapter 1821 - 1821 Serve 1821 Serve Chu Liuyue originally wanted to catch the culprit behind her sleepless night and beat him up, but her entire body was sore, and she really didn¡¯t have the strength. She muttered a few words and quickly fell asleep again. After coaxing her to sleep, Rong Xiu stood up. He was casually wearing a loose, snow-white undershirt, revealing a large chest that was as tough as marble. He had clearly not slept the entire night, but he was in good spirits. There was even more spirit in his noble eyes. Obviously, His Highness was in a good mood. He took a long step and quickly walked to the window. Sensing his arrival, Xue Xue immediately stood up happily. Is he going to open the window? Is he going to let me in? Rong Xiu¡¯s cold voice sounded. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re very free. Go to the Red Moon Desert.¡± Xue Xue felt as if it had been struck by lightning and completely fell into a bad mood. Red Moon Desert! Again!? No! It threw itself against the wall and howled softly, hoping to awaken the last of its master¡¯s conscience. Finally, Rong Xiu¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Double.¡± Ow! Xue Xue¡¯s eyes widened in horror. Then, it turned around and ran! No, not double! I can just go now! The panicked lion drew a white line in the air and quickly disappeared. In the distance, Yu Mo nudged Yan Qing. ¡°Tsk, did you see that? If you had followed yesterday, you would¡¯ve ended up the same way!¡± Yan Qing¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I know.¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue woke up again, it was already noon. Just as she moved, Rong Xiu walked over. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± She nodded and stretched out from under the blanket. Her slender, jade-like arms were especially eye-catching under the red brocade blanket. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes darkened, but he restrained himself and took new clothes from the side. Leaning over slightly, he carefully and gently scooped her out of the blankets and helped her put on her clothes. Although her black hair fell, almost covering a large portion of her skin, a few red marks could still be vaguely seen. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned slightly red. She originally wanted to wear the clothes herself, but being half-carried in someone¡¯s arms and being sleepy, she gave up after struggling for a while. She allowed him to serve her from head to toe. After putting on his clothes, Rong Xiu poured more tea and brought it to her mouth. ¡°To moisten your throat.¡± Yesterday had really tired her out. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and she couldn¡¯t help but look up at him. These words sound¡­ Why do they sound so wrong? Upon closer inspection, she felt indignant. Why is Rong Xiu so energetic when I am half-dead?! ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Rong Xiu seemed to know what she was thinking. He raised his eyebrows slightly and handed her the teacup. The rising white mist wet his noble eyebrows. She was really thirsty, so she took small sips from his hand. The temperature of the tea was just right. It was warm and moist. Chu Liuyue instantly felt much better. ¡°Good girl.¡± Rong Xiu put the teacup back and asked, ¡°Do you still want to sleep?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. Then, she glanced outside. ¡°I¡¯ve already slept until now.¡± She was a little embarrassed. Rong Xiu smiled and comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nobody in the Sky-Cloud Empire needs you to bow early in the morning. From now on, you¡¯re the princess consort, so you¡¯re naturally the most respected.¡± Logically speaking, after the wedding, they would have to visit the clan leader together. However, the clan leader had been unconscious and had yet to wake up. Naturally, this process was omitted. Only then did Chu Liuyue feel more at ease. Rong Xiu looked at her and couldn¡¯t help but kiss her lips again. However, his movements were very restrained, and he didn¡¯t take things further. ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡± Hearing his suggestion, she was surprised for a moment. But on second thought, she didn¡¯t seem to have taken a closer look at the Sky-Cloud Empire before. Most of the time, she stayed at Suming Peak. She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Changyi Mountain. Cen Yi was reading. Wu Yao was still boxing. Xiao Ba was thinking about how to teach Yan Qing a lesson. Yu Jiu was still practicing her sword. Shi Fang¡­ was watering the vegetable garden. Thirteen had run away early in the morning. Crack! A crisp crack sounded. Yu Jiu looked at the wooden sword in his hand gloomily. This was already the second time he had changed swords in the past month. He looked at Cen Yi. ¡°Big Brother, can I change my sword? This wooden sword is too boring!¡± Cen Yi didn¡¯t look up. ¡°No.¡± As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, and something flew out! Whoosh! Yu Jiu hurriedly caught it. Only then did he realize that it was another wooden sword. However, this wooden sword seemed to be stronger than before. Yu Jiu turned it over and over for a while before he finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Big Brother, how many wooden swords did you prepare?¡± Cen Yi turned a page. ¡°Enough for you.¡± Nice, there is no end to this. Yu Jiu resigned himself to fate and started over. Xiao Ba suddenly stood up and hurried outside. Shi Fang looked up and asked, ¡°Eighth Sister, where are you going?¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him. Shi Fang immediately felt a faint pain in his nose and hurriedly said, ¡°Goodbye, Eighth Sister! I wish you a triumphant return!¡± Only then did Xiao Ba smile and leave seductively. Wu Yao finished punching and wiped the sweat from his face. ¡°Big Brother, about what Thirteen asked yesterday¡­ Have you made a decision?¡± Cen Yi looked up. Wu Yao coughed. ¡°I mean¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem right to delay¡­¡± Cen Yi nodded and put the book away. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Master. Stay here yourself.¡± With that, he started for the door. Chapter 1822 - 1822 Peach Blossom Dock 1822 Peach Blossom Dock The Sky-Cloud Empire was wider than expected. Apart from the main island where Suming Peak was located, there were also many small islands scattered around, forming a circle of stars. In the Sky-Cloud Empire, all the important figures basically lived on the main island. The others with lower strength and cultivation levels were scattered on those small islands. At the same time, these islands were also the key to connecting with the 28 divisions of the Sky-Cloud Empire. The people of the 28 divisions often had to reach these small islands first before they could enter the main island. In short, the defense of the Sky-Cloud Empire was extremely strict. If one wanted to enter, they had to pass through layers of checkpoints. If there was nobody to receive them, it would be difficult for outsiders to arrive here successfully. ¡°The clan leader is also at Suming Peak now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°The side hall behind Jishen Palace is guarded by special guards.¡± ¡°Then¡­ did you find out how he fainted?¡± Such a top expert couldn¡¯t have fainted without any reason. She only remembered that Yan Qing had come to the academy to invite Rong Xiu back, saying that the clan leader was unconscious and that the situation was urgent. When she later saw Rong Xiu again, she never had the time to ask about this. It was only when Rong Xiu mentioned it that she remembered this. At that moment, Rong Xiu briefly explained the ins and outs of this matter and the situation that day. ¡°¡­That¡¯s about it. Although we know who did it, we can¡¯t reveal it for now.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°So Black Demon Hole had already begun to deal with you a few years ago?¡± Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have gone through so much trouble to plant spies. Rong Xiu smiled in tacit agreement. ¡°¡­Does it have anything to do with me?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. She knew that Black Demon Hole had always been targeting her. As for the reason¡­ it was naturally the music score. However, they didn¡¯t seem to have a reason to target Rong Xiu like this. The likeliest possibility was that it still had something to do with her. Rong Xiu pinched her ear. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that after you left, I personally visited Black Demon Hole.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. That doesn¡¯t sound¡­ like a good thing. ¡°¡­Is this the reason why Black Demon Hole has been hiding from the world in recent years?¡± Rong Xiu pondered for a moment. ¡°Half of it. At that time, I only seriously injured Mo Shiqian and took the lives of some subordinates of his, but that was all. With their foundation, there was no need for them to do this at all. Now, it seems that this is a choice they¡¯ve already made.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips quivered. He had severely injured their sect master and even killed a few of their trusted subordinates¡­ That is Black Demon Hole; it is an existence not inferior to other first-rate families! Rong Xiu actually said such shocking things so easily and didn¡¯t even think much of it. It is really¡­ ¡°No wonder¡ª¡± No wonder the people from Black Demon Hole hated the two of us now. This can be considered a deep hatred. Nobody would easily let go of it. ¡°But¡­ A few years ago, I remember that you were only a true god back then. How did you win?¡± This was actually what confused her even more. To be precise, she had never known Rong Xiu¡¯s true strength. He seemed to¡­ always be able to erupt with combat strength that was higher than his own realm. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression changed slightly. He then raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Actually, it was also a coincidence at that time. When I went, they seemed to be busy preparing for something. Both Mo Shiqian and his subordinates¡¯ strength were limited to a certain extent, and they couldn¡¯t fully exert themselves. Therefore¡ª¡± He paused. ¡°You should¡¯ve heard that the cultivation technique they cultivate is very strange. Although it can quickly increase their realm and strength, it often brings many problems.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. She had indeed heard about this long ago. It was also because of this that Black Demon Hole had always been disliked by many aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm. They thought that their cultivation methods were evil and against the laws of heaven. However, there were countless cultivators in this world who wanted to take shortcuts. Therefore, over the years, there had been people continuously joining Black Demon Hole. This also resulted in their faction being very stable and unable to be easily destroyed. In addition, Black Demon Hole had taken the initiative to hide from the world in the past few years. Everything was calm, so everyone gradually ignored it. However, Chu Liuyue had to be vigilant. Black Demon Hole wanted her music score. It was like this back then, but now¡­ They were probably even more scheming. According to Senior Ah Jing, his music score was divided into three parts back then. Now, two parts are with me, and I¡¯m only missing the last part to complete it. Of course, the people from Black Demon Hole won¡¯t let the matter rest. ¡°Do you know where they are now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. For some reason, she felt that Rong Xiu should know a little. ¡°I can only roughly determine their location. As for the exact location, I really don¡¯t know.¡± Rong Xiu spread his hands and smiled honestly. ¡°However, one of them has a close relationship with them. If he can do it himself¡­ it won¡¯t be difficult to find them.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Chu Liuyue was rather curious. Rong Xiu looked at her steadily. ¡°Senior Diwu.¡± ¡­ Senior Diwu was naturally Diwu Zhangze. Chu Liuyue was very surprised. She had thought of many possibilities, but she had not expected this. ¡°How could this be¡­ Senior Diwu and the others have been trapped in the Red Moon Desert. Other than Big Baby, he and Senior Lan Xiao can¡¯t even leave Dahuang Swamp. How could this be¡­¡± The reason why Big Baby could leave was that he had reconstructed his divine body. Rong Xiu paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Senior Diwu is indeed related to Black Demon Hole.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for quite a while. I have indeed never heard them mention this before¡­ ¡°Master.¡± At this moment, a familiar voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Cen Yi, why are you here?¡± Cen Yi cupped his hands and bowed to the two of them before saying, ¡°I have something to report to you.¡± Chu Liuyue found it weird. At this hour? What does Cen Yi want to say to me? If it is something important, he would¡¯ve said it before. If it is nothing¡­ He wouldn¡¯t have come to report it at all. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Then, you guys chat first. I¡¯ll go see the clan leader.¡± He had always treated Chu Liuyue with absolute respect. Cen Yi was her person. Even if they were at the Sky-Cloud Empire now, he wouldn¡¯t interfere in her matters without permission. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart warmed as she nodded. Rong Xiu moved and left quickly. Only Chu Liuyue and Cen Yi were left here. Chu Liuyue went straight to the point and asked, ¡°Cen Yi, what happened?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression was calm, and an extremely faint light flashed across his narrow and indifferent eyes. ¡°Master, San San sent a message back some time ago that he wants to invite you back to Peach Blossom Dock.¡± Chapter 1823 - 1823 A Windfall From the Sky 1823 A Windfall From the Sky Peach Blossom Dock was the place where she first met Rong Xiu. It was an extremely special place. Although that place also belonged to the God Residence Realm, the realm barrier was weak, and the space was extremely unstable. From time to time, it would be destroyed by spatial turbulence. If one wasn¡¯t careful, they would die inside. It was extremely dangerous. Therefore, there had never been any aristocratic families guarding that place. After all, staying alive was the most important thing. If they had to face life and death danger all the time and couldn¡¯t obtain any benefits from going to a place, then what was the point of going? Peach Blossom Dock was such a place. There were no natural treasures or peerless opportunities there. There were only rolling mountains and large peach blossom forests. For some reason, the peach blossoms at Peach Blossom Dock didn¡¯t bloom and wither according to season. Moreover, the flowering period was very long. Sometimes, they would be in full bloom for several years. Because of this, the world gave it an extremely beautiful name¡ªPeach Blossom Dock. However, Peach Blossom Dock wasn¡¯t deserted. On the contrary, there were a lot of people there. This was because many people from outside the God Residence Realm would choose to go to Peach Blossom Dock when there was no other way to pass through the barrier. Compared to other places, Peach Blossom Dock had almost no threshold and was very easy to enter. Of course, if they made this decision, it didn¡¯t mean that cultivators could really enter the God Residence Realm smoothly. Peach Blossom Dock was dangerous everywhere. From the moment someone entered to the moment they successfully walked out and officially became a person in the God Residence Realm, there was less than a 1% chance. But even so, there were still people trying. In addition, for the people in the God Residence Realm, Peach Blossom Dock was an absolute area without any jurisdiction. It was very suitable for those who had nowhere to go. There was abundant natural energy there; logically speaking, it was very suitable for cultivation. But because of the unstable space and the fact that nobody could figure out a way to solve this problem, Peach Blossom Dock was gradually abandoned. In the God Residence Realm, all the aristocratic families that could develop needed a stable and powerful place to cultivate. Peach Blossom Dock clearly didn¡¯t meet this condition. In short, Peach Blossom Dock was very chaotic and dangerous. It was definitely a place where good and bad people mixed together. Ever since they left that place, they had never returned. ¡°How did San San get there?¡± Chu Liuyue was very shocked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention this before?¡± Cen Yi smiled faintly. ¡°This is his own choice. I¡¯ve advised him once, but you know his personality. In the past few years, he¡¯s spent most of his time in Peach Blossom Dock and will send a letter back from time to time. Overall, he¡¯s doing quite well, so I let him be. I didn¡¯t mention it to you earlier because I happened to be in time for your wedding, so I wanted to tell you after your wedding. It¡¯s the same. In addition, this matter is actually not that important. As for the details¡­ You¡¯ll know after reading the letter.¡± He took out a letter from his pocket and handed it over. It was a very thick letter. Taking it, Chu Liuyue opened the letter and shook out a few pieces of paper. At a glance, they were filled with dense small words. The sight of it gave her a headache. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It¡¯s been so many years. Why hasn¡¯t he changed his habit of nagging?¡± She and the Thirteen Yue Guard had a unique way of contacting each other. Generally speaking, they didn¡¯t write much. Even if they really wanted to write, a few sentences were usually enough. Only San San liked to write letters. He had to write down all the big and small matters. His letters were never less than five pieces of paper each time. Cen Yi smiled. ¡°He always has been like this, you know.¡± Chu Liuyue tidied up the letter and read it carefully. This was indeed San San¡¯s handwriting. As she read, her expression changed and gradually became serious. When she saw the last one, she finally gasped. ¡°What¡ªwhat did San San do at Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Cen Yi raised his chin and smiled. ¡°Master, you personally taught San San how to settle scores. Can¡¯t you tell what he¡¯s doing?¡± Of course, Chu Liuyue could tell! The first part of this letter was still very normal. It explained what he had eaten and drunk for the past month and how much he missed his master and the Thirteen Yue Guard. But toward the end, there were strings of numbers. Chu Liuyue looked at it a second time in disbelief and realized that it was an account book! San San had actually opened a shop in Peach Blossom Dock, and this letter recorded the profits of the shop! Looking at the final surplus¡ªthe almost jaw-dropping number¡ªher mind went blank for a moment. ¡°Did he open a shop or rob someone?¡± One had to know that Chu Liuyue was considered rich now. She first obtained a lot of money from her ancestor, and later, Rong Xiu sent her a Cosmic Ring. Her current wealth was considered not bad in the entire God Residence Realm. For her to be so shocked, it was obvious how terrifying the number on the letter was. The most infuriating thing was that San San seemed to know that Cen Yi and the others were coming to the Sky-Cloud Empire to attend her wedding ceremony. He also knew that Cen Yi would show her this letter later, so she specially wrote a message to Chu Liuyue in the end. The general meaning was that Peach Blossom Dock was too far away from the Sky-Cloud Empire. He really couldn¡¯t come over in such a short period of time. In addition, business in the shop hadn¡¯t been good recently. He felt very guilty about making little money this month and planned to work hard during this period to increase his profits. Finally, Chu Liuyue was invited to visit to show his determination to work hard. Looking at the last few sentences, the corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. That is considered little money¡­ That is considered bad business¡­ What has San San experienced in the past few years at Peach Blossom Dock?! ¡°San San said that now that you¡¯ve decided to stay in the God Residence Realm, it¡¯s time to buy some businesses. He¡¯s already chosen a few places for you to pick. Of course, if you have anything else you like, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Cen Yi lowered his head slightly, his attitude respectful. Chu Liuyue held her forehead and did not speak for a while. She had to take her time. She felt a little dizzy from the impact of money. Chapter 1824 - 1824 Chasing After His Wife 1824 Chasing After His Wife San San was very talented in martial arts, but he didn¡¯t care much about cultivation. Even if one was whipping behind him, he was unwilling to sit there and cultivate. He liked doing business. To be precise, he liked to earn money and save money. When the others in the Thirteen Yue Guard went to cultivate, he was the only one who wandered around the streets of the capital with an abacus. At first, Chu Liuyue wanted to save him and bring him back to the right path, but seeing that it was really useless, she gave up. Moreover, she also handed over many of the businesses under her name to San San to manage. But that was a few years ago in Tianling. San San was smart, tactful, and had his own philosophy. No matter who he followed, he could become friends. Hence, when the Thirteen Yue Guard scattered in all directions, she was rather worried about the others but felt very at ease with San San. Even in a desperate situation, he could always find a way to avert danger. It was precisely because of this that after she calmed down a little, she didn¡¯t ask about the situation in detail. Unexpectedly, San San gave me such a big surprise. Looking at the letter in her hand, Chu Liuyue fell into deep thought. She knew very well what Cen Yi and the others were thinking. The so-called acquisition of an industry was just a tactful excuse. The real goal was to establish a force that they could call their own in the God Residence Realm! This was also what Chu Liuyue had been thinking about. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have roped in Lin Zhifei so early. It was naturally good to marry Rong Xiu and become the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort. However, such prosperity and stability were built on other people¡¯s territory. Let¡¯s ask the simplest question: She could stay at the Sky-Cloud Empire, but what about the others? Shangguan Jing, Shangguan You, Chu Ning, the Thirteen Yue Guard¡­ These people were the closest to her. They could stay by her side all the time, but they seemed to have no reason to stay at the Sky-Cloud Empire. If she really wanted to gain a foothold in the God Residence Realm and have her own power, this was absolutely necessary! She still clearly remembered the conversation she had overheard at the foot of Suming Peak. Actually, those people weren¡¯t the only ones who thought so. After the wedding, those discussions disappeared. However, that was because she had Rong Xiu, her master, and more importantly, Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen to support her. It wasn¡¯t because of her. Admittedly, she was more talented and stronger than most cultivators now. She had a bright future. But in the God Residence Realm, a person¡¯s strength was limited unless she could become the one standing at the top. However, there were thousands of cultivators in the world. Who dared to say that they were definitely the chosen one? How glorious was Shangguan Jing a thousand years ago? However, he was still inferior to those aristocratic families in terms of fighting alone. Since she planned to stay here, then¡­ she had to occupy a place for herself! Cen Yi stood with his hands at his sides, waiting quietly. After a while, Chu Liuyue put away the letter. ¡°Inform the Thirteen Yue Guard that we¡¯ll go to Peach Blossom Dock together in three days.¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue returned to the temple, Rong Xiu was already waiting in the room. It was already evening, and the light of the setting sun poured in through the window. Rong Xiu was reclining on a rattan chair, a book in hand. The warm orange glowed gold as it fell brilliantly on his snow-white brocade robe. He looked up at the sound of footsteps, and his thin lips curved. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Chu Liuyue held the door frame and looked at him. A very strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart. She had never felt like this before. When she stepped across the threshold, someone was already waiting in the house. When they saw her, they would smile and say, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± It was as if countless storms and snow outside were easily isolated by this sentence. For the first time, she realized clearly that she was already married to Rong Xiu. From now on, they had one thing in common¡ªhome. Seeing that she didn¡¯t move, Rong Xiu put down the book in his hand and walked over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you so lost in thought?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and walked over to hold his hand, her lips curling up slightly. ¡°I was thinking that it would be good if I married you earlier.¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows, clearly delighted by this sentence. As Chu Liuyue walked in, she asked, ¡°How¡¯s the clan leader?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still the same. He has no signs of waking up and has been relying on medicinal pills to extend his life.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s tone was calm. This was what he had expected. Chu Liuyue nodded. Rong Xiu and Baili Chun didn¡¯t have a good relationship, so there wasn¡¯t much need to care about him. In addition, judging from what had happened to Baili Chun previously, it might not be a bad thing for him to be unconscious. Sometimes, living soberly was very painful. She walked to the rattan chair and sat down. The rattan chair was very wide and could accommodate two people. Hence, Rong Xiu lay down beside her. The two of them stayed together in silence without a need to speak. They could already feel each other. Chu Liuyue snuggled into his arms and looked up at him. ¡°Rong Xiu, I want to go to Peach Blossom Dock in a few days.¡± Rong Xiu brushed the hair off her forehead and kissed her forehead. ¡°Oh? Why did you suddenly think of this?¡± Chu Liuyue then told him about San San and her plans. ¡°Although the situation at Peach Blossom Dock is complicated, San San should be prepared since he wrote a letter.¡± Generally speaking, if one person in a marriage proposed to go out and establish their own power right after their wedding, it would definitely cause the other party to be dissatisfied. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have this worry. She had nothing to hide from Rong Xiu. She trusted Rong Xiu and believed that he would understand her thoughts. Sure enough, Rong Xiu nodded after hearing this. ¡°Sure. Shall I go with you?¡± Chu Liuyue leaned closer and smiled slyly. ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ll establish myself?¡± Rong Xiu suddenly chuckled, his chest trembling. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips. His voice was lazy and relaxed. ¡°If you establish yourself, I¡¯ll take the initiative to marry into your family. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± He wasn¡¯t afraid of death, let alone anything else. Chapter 1825 - 1825 Hand in Hand 1825 Hand in Hand Three days passed in a flash. Everyone was very surprised to know that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were planning to leave the Sky-Cloud Empire and go to Peach Blossom Dock. Regarding this, Rong Xiu only said that it was the place where they found their love. Now that they were getting married, he wanted to go back and take a look. This explanation made sense, so nobody continued to ask. Except¡­ ¡°Why is Yan Qing going too?!¡± Crack! Xiao Ba broke the hairpin in her hand with a murderous look. Yu Jiu silently put away her wooden sword, afraid that she would break it out of anger. It had only been used for a few days. ¡°Eighth Sister, since His Highness is going with our master, he naturally has to bring someone along. Isn¡¯t it normal for Yan Qing to be his trusted aide?¡± Besides, Peach Blossom Dock is a place full of dangers. It¡¯s also convenient to bring more people! ¡°That¡¯s right. Compared to the number of people Master is bringing with her, His Grace only brought Yan Qing. That¡¯s already very few. Besides, I heard that Yan Qing¡¯s strength isn¡¯t bad. He might be able to help at critical moments.¡± Wu Yao asked as he packed his luggage, ¡°By the way, Xiao Ba, didn¡¯t you go and spar with him previously? How was it?¡± It was fine if they didn¡¯t talk about this, but at the mention of this, Xiao Ba was furious. Her beautiful eyes were burning with anger! ¡°That Yan Qing isn¡¯t a man at all!¡± Shi Fang¡ªwho was carefully putting away the vegetables he had planted¡ªfinally looked up and asked hesitantly, ¡°Eighth Sister¡­ have you¡­ tried?¡± Whoosh! Xiao Ba threw out the broken hairpin in her hand! The sound of air being torn apart came. Shi Fang hurriedly dodged, picked up his vegetables, and ran. Xiao Ba let out a long breath and snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t even fight with him that day!¡± Originally, she had gone to argue with the other party; of course, her ethos was basically to do it. But when she saw Yan Qing, he was unwilling to help no matter what she said. From beginning to end, he had no intention of fighting her. He didn¡¯t even bother to talk to her. In Yan Qing¡¯s eyes, Xiao Ba was just a willful little girl. He had always been cold-hearted. He naturally wouldn¡¯t argue with her about this, nor was he willing to waste time on such things. Unfortunately, in Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes, this was blatant contempt for her! Hence, this grudge was completely formed. Wu Yao was not surprised and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re Master¡¯s man. If he hits you, what if you complain to Master later? I think this Yan Qing is quite smart.¡± Women were the worst to provoke. Xiao Ba narrowed her eyes dangerously, then suddenly revealed an enchanting and charming smile. ¡°Anyway, there are plenty of opportunities on the way. How can I be afraid of him?!¡± Cen Yi pushed open the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Beach Blossom Dock was thousands of miles away from the Sky-Cloud Empire. In the middle, there were several transportation formations. Even if everything went smoothly on the journey, it would take at least ten days. On the way, they weren¡¯t slow. In the beginning, Chu Liuyue was still a little worried about the Thirteen Yue Guard. After all, running around like this consumed a lot of energy. But very quickly, she realized that she was overthinking it. Even Little Thirteen, who had the lowest cultivation level, had never fallen behind. She was a little surprised by this, but on second thought, the Thirteen Yue Guard had probably trained themselves to run outside in the past few years. Although their cultivation levels had increased compared to before, the increase was not obvious. But for some reason, she still felt that they seemed to have become much stronger in all aspects. As she had been traveling, she did not ask carefully. About 13 days later, the group finally arrived at Peach Blossom Dock. ¡­ As they came out of the transportation formation, they could see a desolate wasteland. In the wasteland, the ground was cracked, and ravines crisscrossed. Directly in front of them, a huge transparent curtain of light fell from the sky. On the other side of the light curtain was a completely different scenery from here. In the rolling mountains, large pink peach blossoms spread. It was a lively scene, but looking at it like this, it was difficult to believe that it was actually a dangerous place. At this moment, there were actually more people than just Rong Xiu and the others at the transportation formation. The transportation formation was huge. Although it was old and had traces of time, it was still operating quite well. There were all kinds of people around the teleportation array. At a rough glance, there were at least a hundred people. When they appeared, they immediately attracted the attention of these people. Rong Xiu only brought Yan Qing along this time, but there were already nine of them. Their sudden appearance here was quite eye-catching. More importantly, the aura of their group was too extraordinary. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they came from noble backgrounds and were definitely not mortals. Only a top-notch aristocratic family could nurture such bearing. When those people¡¯s gazes landed on her with scrutiny and suspicion, Chu Liuyue quietly sized up her surroundings. Among them, a few obscure and powerful auras caught her attention. A chill suddenly rose from the bottom of her feet! But when she wanted to take a closer look, the sense of danger disappeared again. Those gazes dissipated almost at the same time, leaving no place to check. She quietly surveyed her surroundings. However, the people around them quickly looked away. Actually, those who chose to come to Peach Blossom Dock were basically not simple people. All kinds of people arrived here every day. There were down-and-out young masters and vicious fugitives. There were beautiful girls and old men. Hence, although their appearance attracted some attention, it was very short-lived. The first reason everyone came here was to enter Peach Blossom Dock and survive! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rong Xiu raised his chin, held her hand, and walked forward. The group followed. The transportation formation was not far from the curtain of light, so they didn¡¯t spend too much time arriving in front of it. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. I didn¡¯t expect to come here again in my lifetime. Chapter 1826 - 1826 Amazing 1826 Amazing The light curtain at Peach Blossom Dock was naturally formed and covered everything. On the other side was the barrier to the God Residence Realm. There was nobody in charge of guarding this place. When one stood closer, they could see the ripples moving on the light curtain. When the light breeze blew over, one could even smell the faint peach blossom scent in the air. This scent was indeed too familiar. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, exchanged a glance with Rong Xiu,, and held his hand to enter. ¡­ Once he stepped in, Thirteen couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in shock, ¡°The Heaven and Earth Force here is really rich!¡± Then, perhaps he realized that he was freaking out over nothing, Thirteen instantly covered his mouth and looked embarrassed. Chu Liuyue smiled and glanced at him. ¡°You¡¯re right. The force here is indeed shockingly rich.¡± It didn¡¯t even pale in comparison compared to the Sky-Cloud Empire. This was also the reason why many people wanted to take this place as their own in the very beginning. Peach Blossom Dock was indeed a cultivation haven¡ªif one ignored the spatial turbulence. This was also why Peach Blossom Dock hadn¡¯t been truly taken down by any force, and nobody had much of a plan for it. This proved more clearly how dangerous this place was! They could only say that it was a pity. ¡°But this place is filled with dangers. You must follow us and not be left alone.¡± The few of them readily acknowledged it. Chu Liuyue looked forward. This was a very spacious street. There were all sorts of stalls at the sides of the street. Quite a few people walked to and fro the street, and it was very crowded. A look of surprise flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Peach Blossom Dock¡­ seems rather different from before. In the past, the scene was far from harmonious when I came here. What¡¯s¡­ going on today? Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu and saw the same doubts in his eyes. However, the two of them didn¡¯t say much as they swallowed these doubts in unison. ¡°Cen Yi, do you know where San San¡¯s store is?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and asked. Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°He has never talked about this before.¡± Besides, they couldn¡¯t tell San San about their trip here in time. He guessed that San San still didn¡¯t know about it. Chu Liuyue was in a difficult spot. ¡°It will be a little troublesome then.¡± Peach Blossom Dock was huge, and it would take quite a bit of effort to find such a person. Cen Yi said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you and His Highness find a place to sit? When we find him, we¡¯ll come and report to you.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while. ¡°Okay, bring Wu Yao along then.¡± She looked around. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting in the herbal shop there.¡± Perhaps I can even conveniently learn about some matters. ¡°Yes.¡± Cen Yi and Wu Yao acknowledged it before quickly leaving. Chu Liuyue and the rest turned to enter the herbal shop. ¡­ After entering, Chu Liuyue then realized that this shop was much bigger than they had expected. This place had a small front and was very unassuming on the outside, but when they walked in, they realized that there was something else hidden inside. However, it seemed like this shop had been here for some time. All the shelves in the room were filled with quite a number of herbs and pills. ¡°Sir, what do you want to look at?¡± A servant quickly welcomed them. Seeing that their clothing wasn¡¯t common, he became even more diligent. Rong Xiu said, ¡°It¡¯s our first time here, so we¡¯re randomly looking around.¡± ¡°Oh! Then, take your time to browse around!¡± Rong Xiu had a naturally distinguished aura. The pageboy knew that he probably couldn¡¯t offend the other party, so he obediently waited by the side. Chu Liuyue looked toward the cupboard, and her gaze focused slightly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, but you do have quite a lot of good things here,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Hearing this, a proud smile instantly appeared on the pageboy¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s right! Look, there is not one shop that can be compared to us in the entire Peach Blossom Dock!¡± He spoke quite arrogantly. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Oh? Beach Blossom Dock is so big, yet a small shop like yours dares to claim that you¡¯re the top?¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t believe him, the pageboy hurriedly explained, ¡°Madam, you might not know, but this store of ours is from the past! The new storefront is still being renovated! We¡¯ll be moving over in a few days. Besides, we have more than one shop in Peach Blossom Dock.¡± This made Chu Liuyue rather curious. ¡°Since when was there such a herbal shop in Peach Blossom Dock?¡± One had to know that there were many fights and battles occurring in Peach Blossom Dock every day. Hence, the business of herbs and pills had always been great. However, this was also the reason why the competition between the herbal shops was very intense. Some small shops were directly evicted. Those that could stay had their capabilities. But even so, Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t heard that a few herbal shops had opened in Peach Blossom Dock. At the very least, there weren¡¯t these shops when she came in the past. When that pageboy heard her, he laughed. ¡°Madam, you should¡¯ve come to Peach Blossom Dock in the past, but you haven¡¯t returned for a long while in between, right?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Our shop was only opened in recent years, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know this!¡± Chu Liuyue found it even more strange. Her gaze swept past the herbs and pills on display, and a thought popped up in her mind. There are quite a few rare treasures placed here. Additionally, the grades of those pills aren¡¯t low. ¡°Did you find all of these things yourself?¡± The pageboy smiled and said, ¡°Yeah! Our boss will send the stock to the few shops regularly, and they¡¯re all of good quality!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in deep thought. ¡°Your boss¡­ is quite amazing.¡± Chapter 1827 - 1827 Well-Versed 1827 Well-Versed The pageboy¡¯s brows danced around. ¡°Of course! In the entire Peach Blossom Dock, you won¡¯t find more complete and stronger herbs and pills than ours!¡± Chu Liuyue believed his words a little. When she came to this place a few years ago, she had indeed been to a few herbal shops. However, they couldn¡¯t compare to this one. I wonder who is the boss behind the scenes who can have such great power. Over here at Peach Blossom Dock, although the Heaven and Earth Force was rich, there weren¡¯t many precious treasures. There was a large market for good herbs and pills here, but it was hard to do it. On the one hand, one required the connections to obtain such things. On the other hand, one needed sufficient capabilities to ensure that these items could be delivered safely and sold successfully. In the past, there were many bandits in Peach Blossom Dock, and robberies always happened. Unless one¡¯s fist was strong enough, they wouldn¡¯t be able to establish a foothold here. Chu Liuyue was rather curious about this boss. ¡°Are all these herbs produced in Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Rong Xiu suddenly asked from the side. The pageboy nodded. ¡°Yeah! Besides, they¡¯re all treasures from Clear Water Cliff! They¡¯re the best here!¡± ¡°Clear Water Cliff?¡± Chu Liuyue found it strange. I know of this place, but it¡¯s just an ordinary cliff and is unassuming in Peach Blossom Dock. Why does it seem like a treasure cove? Noticing that she was confused, the pageboy explained, ¡°You might not know, but there was a lightning tribulation here in Peach Blossom Dock two years ago, and it coincidentally struck Clear Water Cliff. Clear Water Cliff was split into two, and everyone then realized that there was a small space inside! Countless treasures grow there, and now, Clear Water Cliff has become a hot spot in the entire Peach Blossom Dock!¡± Speaking of this, he chuckled. ¡°However, we went there early and gained some benefits, so our store managed to rise!¡± There is still a small space in Clear Water Cliff? It contains countless treasures? Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu looked at each other. That is rather surprising. ¡°We haven¡¯t been here in a few years, and we don¡¯t know much about these matters. However, why isn¡¯t there news outside about such a huge matter?¡± Chu Liuyue asked in a calculated manner. The pageboy revealed a mysterious expression. ¡°Madam, since you¡¯ve come here before, you should know what kind of place Peach Blossom Dock is, right? Those treasures aren¡¯t even enough for those in Peach Blossom Dock, so who would be willing to tell outsiders?¡± Only those who entered Peach Blossom Dock would know about these things. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. The people in Peach Blossom Dock would want to seal this news forever and not let outsiders find out. If not, it would arouse even more temptations and fights, which would have no benefits to them. In the past, there weren¡¯t many treasures in Peach Blossom Dock, so many aristocratic families weren¡¯t willing to come over. But if word got out¡­ it would definitely attract certain people. At this point, some people walked in. They were decked in black robes, and their large hats covered half their faces. One could only see their especially pale faces, red lips, and sinister-looking gazes. There was a strange pattern embroidered above their left chest¡ªtwo longswords intersected and reflected a blood moon. The murderous intent was apparent, with an unknown strangeness to it. A total of four people came, and they were dressed in the exact same clothes. When the pageboy saw these few people coming in, shock first flashed across his eyes before he put on a passionate smile and hurriedly welcomed them. ¡°Young Masters, why did you have the time to come over today? I failed to welcome you. Do forgive me!¡± The man at the front coldly glanced at him. ¡°Of course, I came here to take my things!¡± The pageboy seemed to be in a difficult spot. ¡°Sir, this¡­ There are still three days to our agreed deadline. We haven¡¯t prepared the items yet. Why don¡¯t you wait¡ª¡± Whoosh! Without hesitation, the man in black directly whipped out the saber by his waist and pointed it at the pageboy¡¯s shoulder! The pageboy was stunned and hurriedly dodged, but his thigh was still hit. Fresh blood then flowed straight out. ¡°This is something that my master wants, and you can¡¯t delay it! Can you prepare it now?¡± That man in black¡¯s voice was stern and cold. The few people behind looked like they were about to take action. The pageboy covered his injuries, and his face paled, but he still said, ¡°¡­You can take it now, but¡­ It¡¯s missing the Merge Spirit Herb¡­ You also know that this item has always been low in stock. It¡¯s not only our shop; the other stalls won¡¯t have it either¡­¡± The man in black raised his chin. ¡°Then, bring the other things over first! Get your boss to personally deliver that Merge Spirit Herb three days later!¡± The pageboy¡¯s face became even paler. ¡°Y-yes!¡± Then, the pageboy turned around to the desk and used his unharmed arm to open the door. He took out a Cosmic Ring and respectfully passed it over. ¡°Sirs, i-it¡¯s all here¡­¡± The man at the front immediately went forward and snatched the Cosmic Ring over. Taking a closer look and confirming that only the Merge Spirit Herb was missing, he put away the Cosmic Ring and glanced at the pageboy warningly. ¡°I¡¯ll let this slide this time. If the same thing happens next month¡­ Be careful of your life!¡± Then, the few of them turned to leave. When they walked out the door, the man at the front specifically glanced toward Chu Liuyue and the rest. Chu Liuyue clearly felt that the other party¡¯s gaze paused for a few more seconds on herself and Rong Xiu. Her expression was calm, and she pretended that she didn¡¯t notice the murderous intent emanating from the other party. Rong Xiu took half a step forward and hugged her waist to block that person¡¯s gaze. ¡°Yue¡¯er, see if there¡¯s anything you want to buy here.¡± There was a temporary silence. The few of them then left. ¡­ When their figures finally disappeared, the harsh murderous intent became much lighter. The injured pageboy forced a smile at them. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that¡­¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Thirteen, and the latter went forward to help the pageboy bandage his wound. The pageboy was stunned and hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you, Young Master. My injury is small; it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Then, he took out a pill to consume from the drawer and some bandages. It was a pity that his arm was injured, so he couldn¡¯t handle it with one hand. ¡°Let me help you,¡± said Thirteen. This time, that pageboy couldn¡¯t refuse and softly thanked him. Thirteen¡¯s technique was very well-practiced. In no time, the pageboy¡¯s wound was handled. Then, Thirteen instinctively returned to his position and stood obediently. Chu Liuyue glanced at him in admiration and praised, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at this, Thirteen.¡± Xiao Ba combed her hair and smiled playfully. ¡°He just learned it over many practices.¡± Chapter 1828 - 1828 Pair Made in Heaven 1828 Pair Made in Heaven Thirteen was trained by Cen Yi every day and was injured countless times. Besides, if the others were injured and couldn¡¯t deal with it themselves, they would basically look for Thirteen. As time went by, he naturally became well-versed in it. Chu Liuyue was speechless. However, Thirteen was still very happy to be praised as his eyes sparkled. ¡°Thank you all.¡± The pageboy walked over and solemnly bowed in apology. Chu Liuyue shook her head and recalled that this pageboy was very well-practiced in his actions; he had even directly placed medicine and bandages in the cashier drawer. Such a thing shouldn¡¯t have happened for the first time. ¡°What identity do those people have to be this domineering?¡± Upon hearing this, the pageboy instantly looked nervous. He surveyed his surroundings and heaved a slight sigh of relief when he confirmed that nobody else was listening. Then, he bitterly said, ¡°Madam, you mustn¡¯t say such words in Peach Blossom Dock in the future!¡± What words? I can¡¯t say that they¡¯re domineering? Chu Liuyue laughed instead. It seems like they are indeed domineering, such that they don¡¯t even want to hear other people say that they¡¯re domineering. ¡°If the people from the Black Sword Sect hear it, the consequences will be unimaginable.¡± ¡°Black Sword Sect?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of them before?¡± The pageboy sighed deeply. ¡°This is a long story. Actually, this Black Sword Sect only came just over a year ago. At that time, they only had a dozen or so people, but they were all very strong and soon became a resounding presence in Peach Blossom Dock. Later on, they decided to stay here and continuously attracted more people to join them. Within a short year, they became the top faction in Peach Blossom Dock.¡± ¡°I believe you have also seen the way they do things. Our shop has to send some top pills and herbs to them every month punctually. If the items aren¡¯t good enough or we don¡¯t prepare them in time, we¡¯ll be punished¡­¡± The pageboy lowered his voice as much as he could. When he spoke, he still instinctively surveyed the surroundings, and his eyes were filled with horror and fear. It showed that the so-called Black Sword Sect had caused quite huge trauma to him. Chu Liuyue understood. Since it was ¡®give,¡¯ it was naturally free. Even though Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what treasures were in the Cosmic Ring, the things this shop sent out had to be top items. Just that Merge Spirit Herb alone¡­ Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Medicinal Valley only produced a small quantity of it every year. Yet, these people wanted it every month. If they didn¡¯t prepare it on time, their boss even had to deliver it personally. It¡¯s really¡­ ¡°Who is the person in charge of this Black Sword Sect?¡± asked Rong Xiu suddenly. The pageboy seemed confused and shook his head. ¡°Um¡­ we don¡¯t know this either. Normally, we only see these people, but their master¡­ We¡¯ve never seen him before, and we don¡¯t know that person¡¯s identity. He has never left the Black Sword Sect¡¯s door. We don¡¯t even know for sure if he¡¯s really inside.¡± Speaking of this, the pageboy felt that he had said too much as he nervously covered his mouth, as if terrified that the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people would suddenly return. Chu Liuyue tilted her head, looked at Rong Xiu, and smiled with deep thoughts. She then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a big change to happen here in Peach Blossom Dock within the few years that I didn¡¯t come.¡± This Black Sword Sect isn¡¯t simple. All these years, countless aristocratic families wanted to establish themselves here, but they all failed. However, this unknown Black Sword Sect actually managed to become the underground boss here in a mere year. ¡°Does this mean that the entire Peach Blossom Dock is under them?¡± The pageboy hesitantly said, ¡°You can¡¯t completely say that either¡­¡± After all, there were still quite a few people in Peach Blossom Dock who couldn¡¯t stand the Black Sword Sect¡¯s actions. However, the resisting factions were rather weak. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. It was clearly not easy for the Black Sword Sect to swallow Peach Blossom Dock completely. However, they had already done what most aristocratic families couldn¡¯t. If they had more time¡­ the results were not definite. The pageboy thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Important guests, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here at Peach Blossom Dock, but if it¡¯s nothing urgent, you should just leave as soon as possible! I saw that those people in the Black Sword Sect seem to have enmity against you¡­ This place is indeed dangerous.¡± It was fine if they didn¡¯t meet the people from the Black Sword Sect, or if they had ordinary statuses because they wouldn¡¯t attract their attention and would thus be relatively safer. However, those who were not blind could tell that these few people had backgrounds. The people from the Black Sword Sect would definitely cause trouble for them. Chu Liuyue smiled and knew that the pageboy was saying this out of goodwill. However, they had just come here, so how could they just return¡ª ¡°Master!¡± A very agitated voice suddenly sounded from the back! Chu Liuyue raised her brows, and the corner of her lips curled up in a smile. She turned around and saw a chubby fatty decked in an elegant robe running over. Even though he was plump and round, his actions were very agile. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of all of them. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°San San, long time no see. Why have you become much rounder?¡± Hearing this, the fatty immediately pounced over emotionally. ¡°Master, you¡¯re finally back! I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± Rong Xiu scanned him from the corner of his eye. San San suddenly felt a gust of cold air squirming up the bottom of his heart. His strong will to live immediately made him stop in his tracks as he paused about three steps before Chu Liuyue. In the blink of an eye, he was smiling from ear to ear as he said to Rong Xiu in flattery, ¡°Master, this is your husband¡ªHis Grace, right? He¡¯s really peerless, and you two are a match made in heaven!¡± Chapter 1829 - 1829 Steal My Things? 1829 Steal My Things? Normal people could hear that this was flattery, but when these words came out from his mouth, it sounded especially genuine. He first solemnly bowed to the two of them. Then, he straightened his body and exclaimed toward Chu Liuyue, ¡°Master, I still thought that there wouldn¡¯t be a man worthy of you in this world. I didn¡¯t expect to be so wrong!¡± The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. This San San indeed lives up to his name. Even though I know his intent, his tone makes one feel elated as if they can really feel his sincerity and unwittingly believe him. He does know how to speak. It¡¯s no wonder he can flourish in a place like Peach Blossom Dock. Hearing San San¡¯s words, the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched slightly. I haven¡¯t seen him in a few years, but his abilities have really improved. She sized San San up. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re really doing quite well here. Look, your third chin is about to come out.¡± San San chuckled. His sparkling eyes squinted together, and his entire person looked white and fluffy, harmonious and likable. He really hadn¡¯t seen Chu Liuyue in a long time and really missed her very much. Now that he heard her familiar teasing, he was elated. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I know that Master and His Highness are getting married, so I was happy and ate more rice?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard someone say that they are greedy so righteously. Shi Fang seriously nodded and said, ¡°Master, Third Brother is not picky. Every time he¡¯s in a good mood, he can eat quite a few bowls of rice for every meal.¡± Not like him, who was too picky and regularly could not eat. San San¡¯s eyelids twitched. He had always been thick-skinned and wouldn¡¯t take what other people said to heart. However, someone that could always stab him in the heart when they opened their mouth would definitely be Shi Fang. He shot Shi Fang a deep gaze. ¡°Shi Fang, there are many times when you don¡¯t need to speak.¡± Pretending to be mute is much better than saying the wrong words! Shi Fang shrunk his neck and felt danger as he obediently acknowledged it. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Boss?¡± The pageboy was long confused at the side as he called to San San in a daze. ¡°You¡ª¡± His gaze darted back and forth between Chu Liuyue and San San. My boss is actually calling this madam¡­ Master?! Chu Liuyue and the rest also noticed that the matter seemed amiss. She widened her eyes slightly. ¡°San San, this shop¡­ is yours?¡± San San nodded in a straightforward manner. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± It turned out that San San was the boss! Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and was caught between laughter and tears. I really did not expect¡­ ¡°Xiao Zhao, aren¡¯t you going to greet Master?¡± Since Chu Liuyue was his master, and he was these people¡¯s boss, Chu Liuyue was naturally the master of these people. The pageboy hadn¡¯t recovered his senses from the previous shock. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly replied, ¡°Huh? Oh, okay! Greetings, Master!¡± As he spoke, he even wanted to kneel down and bow to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue raised her hand. ¡°You¡¯re injured. You don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony.¡± San San then noticed that the bandage on Xiao Zhao¡¯s arm had already revealed a patch of red. His face became solemn. ¡°The people from the Black Sword Sect came again?¡± The pageboy nodded bitterly. Currently, there was only that one faction that dared to take action against them so fearlessly. ¡°They even asked you to personally bring the Merge Spirit Herb to their door three days later¡­¡± San San¡¯s skin trembled. However, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and was so angry that she laughed. ¡°So this means that¡­ those people snatched my things right in front of my face?¡± Chapter 1830 - 1830 Exaggerated Thirteen Yue Guard 1830 Exaggerated Thirteen Yue Guard Sensing the killing intent coming from his master, San San trembled. Having followed his master for so long, he knew that what she hated the most was others snatching her things. Now, this matter was still happening in front of her¡­ ¡°Ahem. Master, don¡¯t be anxious. Calm down! I¡¯ll explain this to you in detail later.¡± San San chuckled as he spoke. ¡°You said that you came all the way here. I shouldn¡¯t have gone out to welcome you! This place is too simple. Why don¡¯t you and His Highness go to my place to rest first?¡± He had prepared the place long ago. After all, all his money earned was for his master. He just didn¡¯t expect them to arrive so quickly. Chu Liuyue nodded. The situation at Peach Blossom Dock was more complicated than expected. She had to calm down and carefully understand the situation before making a decision. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look at your territory!¡± After taking a few steps, she glanced at the pageboy beside her again. ¡°He¡¯s injured. Let him go home and rest for a few days.¡± San San quickly said, ¡°Ah! Alright!¡± He waved at the pageboy. ¡°Xiao Zhao, it¡¯s your blessing that Master asked for it personally! Go back and recuperate well in the next few days. You¡¯ll be paid accordingly!¡± The pageboy was delighted and quickly thanked him. San San was nervous and happy. As he led the way, he rubbed his hands and asked expectantly, ¡°Master, you and His Highness have only been married for half a month. Why are you here already? Is it¡­ is it¡­¡± He had wanted to ask if his master missed him a lot. But before he could finish asking, he saw Rong Xiu¡¯s smiling and cold eyes from the corner of his eyes. San San swallowed hard and tactfully swallowed the rest of his words. ¡°Ahem! Master, Your Highness, this way please¡ª¡± After the group went out, the pageboy stood at the door and stared at them for a long time. The boss has mentioned that master many times. Unexpectedly, it was such a young woman. But judging from her magnificence, she is indeed not an ordinary person¡­ The boss¡¯s master is indeed extraordinary. Thinking of the scene with the people from Black Sword Sect coming here to ask for something, the pageboy felt a little uneasy. This master doesn¡¯t look like someone to be trifled with¡­ I wonder if there will be a fight with Black Sword Sect this time? ¡­ The group walked into the city. San San followed at the side and kept chatting. Most of it was about his experiences in the past few years and some trivial matters that had recently happened. Chu Liuyue was already used to him being like this, so she listened quietly. Right. San San not only liked to write letters but also liked to talk. However, San San knew what to say and what not to say. Just like now, he understood that this was the first time she and Rong Xiu had returned to Peach Blossom Dock after a few years. He rambled on about some changes in Peach Blossom Dock. It sounded like he was just chatting, but in fact, the rules were clear, and the focus was very clear. As Chu Liuyue listened, she nodded from time to time. When they were in the shop previously, although the servant had also said a lot, he had talked about it intermittently. Now that they heard San San¡¯s explanation, they finally connected the dots. ¡­ They stood still in front of the door and looked ahead. The stone lions at the door were pure gold, and the steps were covered with a red velvet carpet. The servants in the residence seemed to have gathered together at this moment and respectfully lined up on both sides. ¡°Welcome back, Master!¡± It was grand and imposing. The words ¡®Yue Manor¡¯ were indeed written on the pure gold plaque. The corners of her lips twitched again as Chu Liuyue sized up this luxurious mansion that was even too flashy. Why is it that San San can always exaggerate beyond my imagination¡­ ¡°How is it!? Master, do you like it?¡± San San smiled until his eyes narrowed, leaving only a crack. ¡°Time is tight, and they haven¡¯t had time to rehearse! Please forgive them!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. For a moment, she really had the urge to break into a run. Seeing her reaction, San San was a little uncertain. Could it be that Master doesn¡¯t like it? However, I spent a lot of effort to repair this mansion and also carefully designed this welcome ceremony. How imposing is this door!? How enthusiastic is this welcome!? Why doesn¡¯t Master like it? San San¡¯s eyes darted around, and he leaned closer to Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, what do you think?¡± He silently glanced at Rong Xiu. Where did this inexplicable sense of humiliation come from? His Highness was bright and gentle like jade. He was dressed in white and looked like an immortal. Rong Xiu nodded slightly upon hearing this, his jade-like chin drawing a perfect arc. ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems that you really care about your master.¡± San San immediately beamed. ¡°Your Highness is really amazing! As long as the two of you like it!¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Rong Xiu cast a side glance at her and smiled, his smile almost reaching the corners of his eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er, it seems that the Thirteen Yue Guard treat you extremely well.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he had already held her hand and walked inside. San San followed happily. Xiao Ba glared at the two pure gold lions fiercely. ¡°Big Brother, can I not go in?¡± This place is so ugly! It is so ugly! Cen Yi¡¯s expression was indifferent. He lifted his clothes and followed Chu Liuyue. ¡°Sure. There are still a few courtyards; you can go and take a look.¡± They are all at this level anyway. At the thought that her eyes would have to suffer a few more times, Xiao Ba immediately felt that there was no hope in life. ¡°If I really sleep in such a place, my dress will be dull!¡± With that, she turned to leave. I¡¯ll go stay in an inn! Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, she saw a strong and muscular figure. Caught off-guard, she ran straight into it. ¡°Ow¡ª¡± Just as she was about to collide with the other party¡¯s arms, the figure in front of her suddenly took a step to the side and dodged. He dodged¡­ He dodged!? Xiao Ba¡¯s body fell to the ground uncontrollably. Her eyes widened. Is there something wrong with this person?! If I fall to the ground, my reputation will be ruined! Just as she was thinking about how to fall more beautifully, a strong force suddenly came from the side. A large, thick hand took her slender, smooth arm and pulled her back. With this force, Xiao Ba finally managed to stabilize herself. The string of broken jade beads on her wrist and ankle rattled. She turned back, still in shock. Yan Qing had already let go. Xiao Ba¡¯s charming eyes widened. ¡°You! Why did you dodge just now?!¡± It was as if he was afraid that I would do something! Yan Qing frowned. The other party is a girl after all. If we bumped into each other, it would be inappropriate with so many people watching. Was it wrong for me to take the initiative to step aside? Besides, I didn¡¯t let her fall. Chapter 1831 - 1831 Slope 1831 Slope But seeing the woman opposite him widen her eyes in anger and frown, her face¡ªwhich was already as beautiful as a rose¡ªturned a little red from excitement and anger. She was indeed beautiful. She seems really angry. Yan Qing pondered. ¡°Then¡­ I won¡¯t dodge next time.¡± Standing directly opposite, I can also help her get back on her feet in time. Xiao Ba was stunned for a moment before staring intently at Yan Qing to confirm that he was not teasing her. He was really saying this seriously. She gasped in disbelief. Why is there such a man in this world?! He is straight, wooden, and unbelievably stupid! Why does he sound as if I can¡¯t wait to pounce on him again? Yan Qing was confused. Why does she seem angrier? Didn¡¯t I just say what she wants? He knew that this girl seemed to be quite hostile to him, so he had already tolerated her several times along the way to avoid conflict. But every time, the other party didn¡¯t seem to appreciate it, and¡­ the conflict became more and more intense. ¡°You! Just you wait!¡± Xiao Ba turned around and left angrily. Her bright skirt fluttered in the wind, and she floated away like a lithe and enchanting butterfly. However¡­ she had floated into the dazzling ¡®Yue Manor.¡¯ Shi Fang opened his mouth to remind her, but his nose hurt, so he let it go. Wu Yao coughed. ¡°Eighth Sister is used to being straightforward. Lord Yan Qing, don¡¯t mind her.¡± Yan Qing shook his head. Although I don¡¯t understand why the other party is angry¡­ If I have offended the other party, I will just give in. If it really doesn¡¯t work, I can avoid it. What is there to argue about with a little girl? ¡­ When Chu Liuyue stepped into the residence, she wasn¡¯t surprised to see festive red silk hanging everywhere. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that something big was going to happen here. This time, even Rong Xiu¡¯s footsteps paused for a moment. Chu Liuyue suffocated for a moment before waving her hand. ¡°San San, this decoration is too ostentatious. Have you forgotten what I told you in the past? You have to be humble when doing things. You have to¡ª¡± ¡°Keep a low profile.¡± San San followed the advice. This time, he finally understood what she meant. He immediately nodded in agreement. ¡°Master is wise! Look, I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re here that I was confused!¡± He patted his head and waved at the people beside him. ¡°Men, remove these quickly! In the future, the entire Yue Manor will listen to Master and His Highness!¡± Everyone responded in unison. ¡°Yes!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, they moved quickly. The efficiency was shocking. Chu Liuyue raised an eyebrow. I thought that these servants were ordinary people, but at this moment, I realize that they seem to be quite strong? Although they aren¡¯t top-notch, their movements are agile, and their steps are light. Even if it can¡¯t be compared to the people at the Sky-Cloud Empire, they are already organized and have rules. If there were more people and if their overall standards were higher, they might not be inferior to some third-rate families. San San led them into the hall. When he heard Chu Liuyue ask about their backgrounds, he chuckled and said, ¡°Master is right; they were indeed carefully selected by me. All of them have some talent and strength. Moreover, you can rest assured that before recruiting them, I had already investigated them in detail. They¡¯re all clean and won¡¯t cause trouble.¡± Speaking of how he could find so many¡­ It was naturally because people came to Peach Blossom Dock every day. There were basically no weaklings who could enter this place. It was already not bad to be chosen by him. Chu Liuyue looked him up and down. ¡°I think a few of them seem to be slightly stronger than you. How did you alone¡­ make them so obedient to you?¡± San San chuckled. Knowing that she was saying that he wasn¡¯t cultivating properly, he didn¡¯t mind and explained, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not enough with my strength alone. However, you¡¯ve forgotten one thing: I opened a pharmacy! In Peach Blossom Dock, any better natural treasures and medicinal pills are very expensive. Not everyone can afford them. If they stay here and become members of Yue Manor, they can obtain these things at an extremely low price. This is an opportunity that many people want!¡± I see. There are all kinds of people in Peach Blossom Dock. Countless people want to make a name for themselves here and become experts, but only if they are alive. If they are alive, everything is fine. If they¡¯re dead¡­ then there will be nothing left. No wonder San San could accumulate a large amount of wealth in such a short time. Isn¡¯t it profitable to do this business at Peach Blossom Dock? ¡°Then, what¡¯s going on with Black Sword Sect?¡± If others wanted to get some good medicinal herbs from San San, they would either have to pay with themselves or a large amount of money. However, the people from Black Sword Sect directly asked the store to send it to their door every month. If the medicine wasn¡¯t prepared in advance, they would draw their sword and injure someone. It was simply unbelievable that they were so arrogant. At the mention of this, San San¡¯s expression turned bitter. He glanced at Cen Yi, who was standing beside him, and frowned. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve mentioned this to Big Brother before. Originally, my medicine shop was running well, but ever since the appearance of Black Sword Sect, they directly asked me to send things to them. Originally, I was unwilling, but those people¡­¡± A hint of wariness flashed in his eyes. ¡°Those people are quite capable and are really not easy to deal with. Helpless, I could only agree.¡± Chu Liuyue leaned back in her chair and fell into deep thought. San San values money very much. It¡¯s very difficult to deduct a single cent from him, let alone take away so many expensive herbs. This is blatant bloodletting, but in this situation, even San San has endured it. It can be seen how domineering the other party is. If he hadn¡¯t been forced, I believe that San San wouldn¡¯t have agreed to do this. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and asked casually, ¡°Since they¡¯re so interested in your pharmacy, why didn¡¯t they just take it? Instead, they kept you as a middleman?¡± Isn¡¯t this too troublesome? Chapter 1832 - 1832 Trump Card 1832 Trump Card This was also something Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t figure out. Looking at the actions of the people from Black Sword Sect, they didn¡¯t seem to be kind. The truth was that although San San gave them a large sum of valuable treasures every month and would be bullied by them from time to time, Sansan was indeed living well and earning a lot of money. This didn¡¯t make sense. At the mention of this, San San¡¯s expression became a little subtle. For once, he looked conflicted as if he didn¡¯t know how to start. ¡°This¡­ This is a long story¡­¡± He glanced outside. After making sure there were no outsiders, he said, ¡°Master, Your Highness, you know Clear Water Cliff, right?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Previously, Xiao Zhao said that Clear Water Cliff was split open by lightning. There¡¯s another small space inside with countless natural treasures?¡± San San sighed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all because of Clear Water Cliff.¡± ¡°When I first came here, I had been thinking about opening up a small business, but I never thought of it. Later on, I was frustrated and wanted to go to Clear Water Cliff to relax. In the end, I encountered the lightning.¡± ¡°Fortunately, I reacted quickly and ran in time, so the lightning didn¡¯t strike me. However, the lightning was so powerful that it stirred up the surrounding natural energy. I couldn¡¯t get out at all, so I could only find a slightly safer place to hide.¡± ¡°The lightning struck for half the night and finally stopped when it was almost midnight. Originally, I had finally avoided a calamity and planned to leave quickly. In the end, I accidentally took a glance and realized that Clear Water Cliff had been forcefully split into two by the lightning! For some reason, a lake appeared in the middle. I was curious and thought that since the lightning had passed, there shouldn¡¯t be any danger. Thus, I went over.¡± At this point, San San rubbed his face. ¡°Sigh, who knew that there was really another world in that place!? I thought it was a lake, but in fact, it¡¯s a unique space. Countless natural treasures are gathered there!¡± This was really a windfall. He would usually pick up a copper coin on the way, let alone see such a scene. ¡°I was so excited that I went over without thinking. As soon as I reached out, the barrier suddenly fluctuated and cut my palm¡­ Then, I really went in. And¡­ and¡­¡± San San sounded hesitant. However, Chu Liuyue understood something. ¡°You¡¯ve also become the owner of that small space?¡± San San scratched his head and replied embarrassedly. He looked up at Chu Liuyue. ¡°If I had known this would happen, I would¡¯ve left that small space for Master no matter what!¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Alright, this is your opportunity. It should belong to you. Why are you still dilly-dallying?¡± How could she not know what kind of person San San was? He was probably overjoyed to have obtained such a small space by chance. He was saying this now to show his loyalty. She knew his thoughts and methods like the back of her hand, so there was no need to guess. San San immediately smiled and rubbed his hands. ¡°Hehe¡­ Master knows me best¡­¡± He did want to leave this thing to his master, but opportunities were indeed unpredictable. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry! Since this small space is mine, it¡¯ll naturally be yours in the future!¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin and smiled. ¡°In other words, that small space is now under your control completely?¡± San San shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. It¡¯s just that compared to others, I can enter and leave at will and bring a few people with me. I personally bring people to pick those herbs every time.¡± That was enough. That small space was equivalent to a treasure vault, and San San was the only person who held the key! San San lowered his voice. ¡°Actually¡­ I later discovered that the stronger I am, the more people I can bring over.¡± His current strength was limited, so he could only bring a few. But if his strength soared in the future, he might be able to bring dozens or hundreds of people with him! ¡°However, the people of Black Sword Sect don¡¯t know this. They only know that if I die, the small space will be sealed off again and even collapse. Therefore, they haven¡¯t dared to really do anything to me.¡± This was also San San¡¯s confidence. Only then did Chu Liuyue understand. No wonder¡­ If that¡¯s the case, it isn¡¯t difficult to understand why the relationship between San San and Black Sword Sect was so strange. The people of Black Sword Sect use San San to obtain these natural treasures. As for San San, he is also borrowing the power of Black Sword Sect to gain a foothold here. Chu Liuyue stared at him. ¡°San San, this is asking a tiger for its skin.¡± San San coughed and looked aggrieved. ¡°Master, I have no choice¡­¡± As he spoke, he hurriedly winked at Cen Yi. Please speak up for me! Cen Yi had barely spoken since he came in. Seeing that San San was anxious for help, he slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for him to do this, but it¡¯s a win-win situation. In any case, it¡¯s better than being at the mercy of others.¡± After all, San San still had a trump card that could save his life. Wu Yao said, ¡°Big Brother is right.¡± Yu Jiu said, ¡°Big Brother is right.¡± Thirteen said, ¡°Big Brother is right.¡± Shi Wan said, ¡°Big Brother is right. Master, Third Brother is equivalent to a hen that knows how to lay eggs. If the people from Black Sword Sect have any brains, they won¡¯t kill the chicken to get the eggs!¡± The corners of San San¡¯s mouth twitched violently as he stared at Shi Fang resentfully. After the circle of people finished speaking, the room fell silent again. Chu Liuyue glanced at Xiao Ba. At this moment, the latter was leaning back in her chair with her chin in her hand, looking very listless. Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Xiao Ba, what do you think?¡± Xiao Ba said nothing. ¡°Xiao Ba?¡± Chu Liuyue called again. Only then did Xiao Ba come back to her senses and look up at her. ¡°What? Ah, right¡ªBig Brother is right!¡± Xiao Ba wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, she glanced at San San. ¡°Nothing. I was just shocked by Third Brother¡¯s aesthetic taste.¡± Chapter 1833 - 1833 The Best Choice 1833 The Best Choice Chu Liuyue looked at Xiao Ba thoughtfully. ¡°Did you quarrel with Yan Qing again?¡± ¡°When did I!?¡± Xiao Ba immediately retorted, her voice rising. Chu Liuyue understood. Ah, there was indeed another argument. For some reason, the two of them always have conflicts when they are together. Xiao Ba is usually enchanting and charming. Other than the Thirteen Yue Guard, she basically speaks softly to men. Now that she is facing Yan Qing, I don¡¯t know what is wrong with her. She is always very easily irritable. Logically speaking, a big ice cube like Yan Qing can freeze someone to death. If I don¡¯t deal with it, he might keep going against Xiao Ba¡­ I really don¡¯t know how Yan Qing offended her. She took a sip of tea. ¡°Xiao Ba, women who are often angry age quickly.¡± Xiao Ba was dumbfounded and quickly touched her face. Oh no, oh no! I have been angry for no reason recently. Did I get wrinkles? ¡°I¡¯ll go back and rest first!¡± After saying that, Xiao Ba hurried out. What is a man? Beauty is more important! Chu Liuyue put down her teacup. Mm. It seems that even as time passes, some people¡¯s fatal weaknesses are still hit in one strike. ¡°What do you know about the Black Sword Sect?¡± Rong Xiu looked at San San. ¡°Have you seen the master they¡¯re talking about?¡± San San became much more serious and shook his head. ¡°The Black Sword Sect has a mansion here, but the guards are extremely strict. Even when I go there every time, I have to undergo heavy inspection. Moreover, their master is very mysterious. It¡¯s been so long, but I haven¡¯t seen him once. Every time I meet him, it¡¯s the same middle-aged man¡ªMo Yun. Mo Yun is the deputy sect master of the Black Sword Sect. His status in the Black Sword Sect is also very high; he¡¯s basically in charge of all the big and small matters inside.¡± Mo Yun¡­ Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly as a dark glint flashed across them. ¡°What did you think of?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu paused and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just a guess, and nothing can be confirmed yet. It¡¯s not too late to talk about it when we know more.¡± Knowing that he had never fought a battle he wasn¡¯t confident in and would never make rash decisions about things that he still had doubts about, Chu Liuyue did not continue asking. What she wanted to know the most now was what the Black Sword Sect wanted to do after spending so much effort at Peach Blossom Dock. Take this place for themselves? But even if there is Clear Water Cliff here, it isn¡¯t theirs. What can they gain by wasting time here? Just for those herbs and pills? It isn¡¯t worth it. For the abundant natural energy here? It isn¡¯t worth it. In order to absorb more cultivators and increase their strength? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°After the people from Black Sword Sect came, did the number of people increase much?¡± San San thought for a moment before answering. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not much. Anyone who wants to enter the Black Sword Sect has to go through a month of assessment. Only those who pass the assessment can stay. Those who can¡¯t pass will be eliminated. As far as I know, the elimination rate is still very shocking. But even so, there are still people who want to go.¡± This was expected. After all, the Black Sword Sect was the largest force in Peach Blossom Deck. If one could become one of them, their safety would undoubtedly be greatly guaranteed, and they could naturally stay in Peach Blossom Dock. Those who came from outside the God Residence Realm tried their best to enter this circle. Those desperadoes who had come here for various reasons naturally wanted to seize this opportunity. ¡°Actually, not everyone wants to join the Black Sword Sect; many people even have a grudge against them. But to this time, no faction can resist the Black Sword Sect,¡± San San explained. This was also why he was still interacting with the other party until now. He was really¡­ forced by life! Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. After hearing what San San said, she basically had a rough understanding of the current situation at Peach Blossom Dock, including the Black Sword Sect. But the more she knew, the trickier it became. She had originally wanted to come over to see how San San was doing and also prepare to establish her own faction. But now, because of the small space at Clear Water Cliff, San San was being watched by Black Sword Sect¡¯s people. It was really not reassuring. Cen Yi looked at San San calmly. ¡°San San, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ve already chosen a few places for Master to pick?¡± ¡°Oh! Yes, yes! I almost forgot about that!¡± Cen Yi¡¯s words reminded San San. He quickly took out a few pieces of paper and handed them over. ¡°Master, the few places I mentioned earlier are listed here. I¡¯ve already noted the pros and cons. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t know, just ask me.¡± Chu Liuyue took the pieces of paper and looked through them carefully. Most of the locations were places with abundant natural energy in the God Residence Realm. Some had no master, while some had an owner. The places without owners were more dangerous. In contrast, one needed to spend more money to buy those owned places from those aristocratic families. In short, they did have their advantages and disadvantages. After reading it, Chu Liuyue handed it to Rong Xiu. ¡°Take a look.¡± Rong Xiu read it very quickly and finished flipping through it in a short while. He then looked up at her and smiled. ¡°Which one do you have your eye on?¡± A moment of hesitation flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s face. Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened. With a twist of his wrist, he returned the papers to San San. San San quickly caught the stack and looked at the two of them. ¡°Master, Your Highness, which one do you like the most?¡± There was a moment of silence. Rong Xiu knocked his hand on the table with a faint smile. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like any of them.¡± ¡°None?¡± San San was shocked. These were all carefully chosen by me. Why doesn¡¯t Master like any of them? Chu Liuyue deliberated over her words. ¡°San San, it¡¯s not that the places you chose are bad, but¡­ they aren¡¯t suitable. If it¡¯s just a place to live, it¡¯s naturally not a problem. However, it¡¯s not enough to use it for other things.¡± She had her own plans, and these places were obviously not enough to meet her requirements. ¡°But¡­ With my current financial resources, I can only choose these¡­¡± San San was rarely embarrassed. Of course, he knew that these weren¡¯t the best choices. However, he really had no choice. Chu Liuyue smiled and comforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t mean to blame you. After all, this is a big deal. We have to consider it carefully and can¡¯t rush it. We¡¯ll see later; there might be better ones.¡± San San could only nod. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re going to visit personally to deliver the Merge Spirit Herb in three days. What are you going to do?¡± San San looked even more troubled. ¡°The production of the Merge Spirit Herb is very low. In three days, I¡¯m afraid I can only take out half of what they need.¡± Chapter 1834 - 1834 Treasure Land 1834 Treasure Land This thing wasn¡¯t an ordinary herb that could be obtained just like that. Even if he picked them regularly, he needed to have them! ¡°What will happen if you don¡¯t meet their requirements?¡± San San shrugged. ¡°So be it. They¡¯ll punish me at most, but they won¡¯t go overboard.¡± After all, they still had to rely on him to bring people into Clear Water Cliff to obtain those natural treasures. Chu Liuyue thought for a while. ¡°I do have some. Take them and use them first.¡± Although San San had said so, she still felt uneasy when she thought of the Black Sword Sect¡¯s ruthlessness. It was good to let San San suffer less. San San was stunned for a moment. He was surprised and nervous. ¡°This¡­ This is too inappropriate, Master¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. These are on loan to you. Write it into the accounts first; you can pay them back later when you have them.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and comforted him. Anyway, San San already has that small space; he can have any herbs he wants. As long as he waits a little longer, he will be able to repay the debt with interest. San San¡¯s expression collapsed. ¡°Yes.¡± He knew that with his master here, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take any advantage. Chu Liuyue stood up. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for today. Everyone has been running around for a long time. Go back and rest first. If there¡¯s anything, we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± ¡­ The Yue Manor occupied a large area, and after removing those fancy things, it immediately looked much more elegant. The pavilions were decorated with carved beams and buildings, making them look rather noble. According to San San, he had specially bought them previously. When they bought it, the mansion was relatively intact. Hence, he basically didn¡¯t make a big move. He wanted to renovate it according to Chu Liuyue¡¯s preferences after she came over. However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her time and said, ¡°Pretty good,¡± and decided to continue living like this. San San felt sad when he heard that. ¡°Our master was so noble in the past. Her food and clothes were all the best. Now, she¡¯s actually not even picky about these¡­¡± Cen Yi glanced at him indifferently. ¡°Master has experienced life and death. She has long been indifferent to these things. It might not be a bad thing, but¡­ If I had known that you had chosen those places, I wouldn¡¯t have urged Master to come over.¡± In other words, he despised it too. San San was instantly embarrassed and thought about it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Big Brother. I¡¯ll definitely work hard to earn money in the future! I¡¯ll strive to let Master buy whatever she wants!¡± Cen Yi nodded and left. It¡¯s fine as long as he has this realization. With San San¡¯s ability, it might not be impossible. ¡­ The group stayed in Yue Manor. Their arrival didn¡¯t cause any waves in Peach Blossom Dock. There was almost nobody else who knew that she was the master other than the people in Yue Manor and the few pharmaceutical shops. In addition, most of the people in Peach Blossom Dock were busy with their own matters and rarely paid attention to others, so they naturally did not care about this matter. This was good too. ¡­ The night was as cold as water. There were no stars or moon. A lamp swayed gently in the wind. The surroundings were so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Standing by the window, Chu Liuyue could still smell the faint fragrance of peach blossoms in the air. For a moment, she almost thought it was years ago. It was as if¡­ nothing had changed. Rong Xiu walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin gently on her shoulder. There was silence, but there was tacit understanding. Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s amazing? When we first met at Peach Blossom Dock, I really didn¡¯t expect that we would be together one day and become husband and wife. Moreover, we returned here again.¡± The scenery here hadn¡¯t changed and seemed to be the same as before. However, many things had indeed changed. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curved slightly. ¡°No, I had decided on you from then.¡± From the first time I saw you, it was enough for me to spend my life chasing you. No matter how high the mountain is, how vast the sea is, and no matter how vast the world is. Something seemed to surge in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, making her feel warm. I wonder how many lifetimes of luck it will take to meet someone who¡¯s compatible with my soul, someone who dotes on me like pearls and jade. In comparison, the torture and suffering I¡¯ve experienced seem much lighter. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for a few years. Peach Blossom Dock has changed quite a bit,¡± Chu Liuyue muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the ordinary Clear Water Cliff to actually hide such a secret¡­ San San is really lucky.¡± The mountains on Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s side were continuous, and countless mountains stood. Only Clear Water Cliff was struck by lightning, and San San happened to catch up. Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was lazy and low as he smiled faintly. ¡°If we go to those mountains to take a look now, we might encounter some opportunities.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°How can it be that easy? After so many years, isn¡¯t there only one Clear Water Cliff in Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Although she also wanted such an opportunity, how could such a thing be obtained just like that? Rong Xiu hugged her slender waist. It was unbelievably soft. He said slowly, ¡°But it¡¯s not a coincidence that there¡¯s Clear Water Cliff.¡± Chu Liuyue paused and turned to look at Rong Xiu. The two of them were very close. The moment she moved, her soft lips brushed lightly across his cheek. It was as if a spark had been lit. Rong Xiu¡¯s breathing changed slightly, but he restrained himself and only kissed her lightly on the lips. She was exhausted from the long journey. She really couldn¡¯t withstand any more torture. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face turned slightly red, but she quickly retracted her thoughts. She pulled back a little to put some distance between them. This way, she could clearly see Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. Those phoenix eyes were clear and deep as if they could accommodate everything, or as if they could only accommodate her. ¡°You mean there¡¯s more than one treasure land in Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°What do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. Rong Xiu¡¯s words make sense. If such an opportunity appeared at Clear Water Cliff, it doesn¡¯t mean that it won¡¯t appear elsewhere. These mountains are connected to each other. Perhaps there are really other opportunities¡­ ¡°But other than Clear Water Cliff, there hasn¡¯t been any big commotion in Peach Blossom Dock for so many years, let alone any shocking treasures¡­¡± If this Peach Blossom Dock really has potential to be unearthed, why have so many aristocratic families given up on this place? People die because of fortune, and birds die because of food. They haven¡¯t come, so either there is nothing here or¡­ There is something, but it isn¡¯t tempting enough for them. Of course, there is another possibility: they have no idea what is here! Rong Xiu kissed his wife between the eyes. His voice was low and carried a hint of a smile. ¡°Have you forgotten that you obtained your black shield from Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Chapter 1835 - 1835 Coincidence 1835 Coincidence Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed! I had really forgotten about this! Rong Xiu was right; she had indeed picked up that black shield from a place in Peach Blossom Dock. At that time, she only felt that this thing was very strong and convenient to use. But then she gradually realized that it seemed a little more useful than she had expected. No, it was more than a little more. Up until now, Chu Liuyue still didn¡¯t know the bottom line of this black shield. She had experienced so many twists and turns and troubles, many of which were life-threatening. But as long as she took out this black shield, she would never fail. She was injured, mainly because her body was too weak to withstand it. Even though the black shield had reduced most of the attacks¡¯ strength, some of it would still pass to her. However, this didn¡¯t prove that the black shield wasn¡¯t good. This was because from beginning to end, it had never really been shattered. Even the most serious damage was just a few scratches. Shattered? It wouldn¡¯t happen. Chu Liuyue had once asked her ancestor about this black shield, but the knowledgeable Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t explain it. Gradually, she put this matter aside. She had almost forgotten that the black shield was from Peach Blossom Dock! ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ Peach Blossom Dock is definitely not as ordinary as it looks¡­¡± Chu Liuyue thought to herself, Be it the black shield or Clear Water Cliff, these aren¡¯t opportunities that could be found in ordinary places. Could it be¡­ A white light suddenly flashed across her mind. She grabbed Rong Xiu¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Could it be that the people of Black Sword Sect are staying here because they have already discovered something?¡± Rong Xiu paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± After all, they hadn¡¯t fought the other party head-on yet and couldn¡¯t be sure of the exact situation. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when San San comes back from the Black Sword Sect.¡± ¡­ Three days passed in a flash. Early this morning, San San brought the Merge Spirit Herb and headed to the Black Sword Sect alone. The Black Sword Sect was heavily guarded and never allowed outsiders to enter or leave at will. Therefore, every time he went to deliver something, he would go himself. He was never allowed to bring anyone with him. Fortunately, this wasn¡¯t the first time he had done this. In addition, his master had already helped him replenish the Merge Spirit Herb, so everyone wasn¡¯t too worried and was busy with their own matters in the residence. When Cen Yi came to look for Chu Liuyue, she was reading through prescriptions. ¡°Master, I plan to bring Thirteen out.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up from the book. ¡°Today? What¡¯s the matter?¡± A faint smile appeared on Cen Yi¡¯s face. ¡°No, Thirteen is preparing to break through. I was afraid that the courtyard would be damaged, so I wanted to bring him out and find a spacious place.¡± Realization dawned on Chu Liuyue. Little Thirteen is about to break through to become a stage-seven warrior. With his talent, this God Foreseeing Tribulation will probably cause quite a commotion. Although the courtyard is huge, it can¡¯t withstand the lightning. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Coincidentally, I also want to see how talented and strong Thirteen is. Cen Yi didn¡¯t seem surprised by her decision and nodded slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ The last thing Peach Blossom Dock lacked was mountain peaks. Chu Liuyue and Cen Yi brought Thirteen to a remote and quiet mountain. Rong Xiu and Yan Qing seemed to be discussing something, so they didn¡¯t follow. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. She had never been here before. Although she and Rong Xiu had wandered in Peach Blossom Dock for a long time, the place was too big, and they couldn¡¯t go to every place. Therefore, it still felt very different to her this time. ¡°Master, Big Brother, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯re all here.¡± Her calm and gentle gaze made Thirteen feel relieved. A smile appeared on his lips before he turned and went to the top of the mountain. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue and Cen Yi stood in the air and stayed around the mountain peak. Thirteen landed lightly on the top of the mountain. The young man who was smoking was slender and slightly thin. The mountain wind blew, sweeping up the corner of his shirt. He took a deep breath and sat cross-legged. He then closed his eyes and focused, beginning to absorb the surrounding natural energy. Soon, rich energy began to surge toward him. Dark clouds gathered in the sky! The faint sound of wind and thunder could be heard! Chu Liuyue looked over. Silver lightning was already beginning to appear behind the piled clouds. Thirteen also has a Tianjing Yuan meridian. I wonder how many he can summon this time¡­ The number of lightning bolts attracted during the God Foreseeing Tribulation largely indicated the level of strength that cultivators could reach later. Therefore, all cultivators attached special importance to this round. They didn¡¯t wait long. Boom! A bolt of lightning struck! Energy surged around the mountain! Chu Liuyue waved her hand and set up a barrier in front of her, silently blocking the violent energy outside. Now, this bit of lightning power was no longer a threat to her. Thirteen¡¯s figure was enveloped by the dazzling white light and could barely be seen. However, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t worried. ¡°Cen Yi, with Thirteen¡¯s talent, how many heavenly lightning bolts do you think he can summon?¡± Cen Yi was considered half a master to Thirteen. He should know this the best. Cen Yi pondered for a moment. ¡°Probably¡ª¡± Boom! Right at this moment, a loud bang sounded in the sky on the other side! Chu Liuyue and Cen Yi both turned around. At some point, that side had actually been covered by thick black clouds! Moreover, from the looks of it, lightning was about to descend! ¡°There are still people cultivating here?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. Isn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence? It was morning. Moreover, in order to let Thirteen focus on breaking through, they specially ran a long distance and confirmed that this place was remote and quiet enough before choosing to stay here. They could actually meet someone like this? Moreover, they were also breaking through? Soon, Chu Liuyue realized that the other party¡¯s formation was even grander than theirs. ¡°It seems that a high-level cultivator is breaking through¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue. Boom! Silver snake-like lightning descended from the sky! However, the lightning didn¡¯t land on the peaks of the mountains below. Instead, it seemed to have landed in the canyons of those mountains. Boom! Then, there was a second one! Chu Liuyue was slightly shocked. The speed at which the lightning strikes seems to be abnormally fast. Cen Yi stared at the sky not far away and frowned slightly. Seeing his expression, she asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Cen Yi nodded and pointed over. ¡°Master, take a closer look. The places where the two lightning bolts landed are different.¡± Chapter 1836 - 1836 Snatch 1836 Snatch Upon hearing his words, Chu Liuyue looked over again. This time, she indeed discovered something fishy. ¡°You¡¯re right. Although the two lightning bolts fell toward the canyon between those mountains, the exact location is indeed different.¡± Because they weren¡¯t far away and their eyesight was amazing, they could see very clearly. Everything seemed normal at a glance, but upon closer inspection, it was easy to see the problem. ¡°The distance between the two lightning bolts doesn¡¯t seem to be far¡­¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°It¡¯s like¡ª¡± Boom! Before she could finish, the third bolt of lightning descended! Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and laughed. ¡°How interesting¡­¡± The three bolts of lightning seemed to be striking in the same place, but they each landed in different places. If a normal cultivator was making a breakthrough or a Armory Refinement Master was triggering heavenly lightning to refine a Yuan instrument, these heavenly lightning bolts should¡¯ve landed in the same place. How could they split up like this? It was really strange. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that for now.¡± Chu Liuyue withdrew her gaze and looked at Thirteen again. At this moment, he had already survived the first bolt of lightning. The second bolt of lightning was surging through the clouds. Judging from his condition, he should be fine. No matter what the situation is over there, I won¡¯t allow it to disturb Thirteen. The two sides are really too close, and they are both attracting lightning¡­ I only hope that the person over there can do their own things steadily. Soon, the second bolt of lightning belonging to Thirteen¡¯s God Foreseeing Tribulation landed! This time, the power contained in the lightning was clearly much greater than the first! The edge of the mountain had turned black. Fortunately, Thirteen¡¯s condition had always been good. He was as stable as a rock. Chu Liuyue felt more at ease. All these years, Thirteen had been following Cen Yi and the others. Although he hadn¡¯t officially become their disciple, he hadn¡¯t been delayed. Cen Yi was extremely smart; he knew how to guide them to be their best. This was also why although the Thirteen Yue Guard were together all year round, their interests and specialties were different. Even their personalities were also different. Chu Liuyue was very assured of Cen Yi. Looking at Thirteen¡¯s situation now, she was even more certain of this. ¡°The commotion over there seems to be spreading,¡± Cen Yi suddenly said. Chu Liuyue looked sideways and frowned. In just a short while, a lot of lightning had gathered there. At a rough glance, there were at least four or five lightning bolts, slithering through the clouds like silver snakes. Moreover, they slashed down almost without hesitation! Chu Liuyue stared at it for a while and felt even more confused. This was because the lightning bolts were still the same as before. She had almost never seen anything like it, but what worried her the most was that the dark clouds over there were surging even more violently and had even begun to spread around. If they came here again, it would definitely affect Thirteen! Just as she was thinking about how to resolve this problem, a black figure suddenly flew out of the canyon and quickly headed in their direction. Upon seeing the other party¡¯s clothes, her pupils constricted. He was dressed in a black robe with a huge hood that almost covered most of his face. There was an embroidered pattern on his left chest of two intersected swords that reflected the bloody moon! He was from the Black Sword Sect! Sensing the cold killing intent from the other party, her entire body instantly tensed up. He isn¡¯t coming with good intentions! Cen Yi narrowed his eyes and quietly clenched his fists in his sleeves. In the blink of an eye, the man in black arrived in front of them. Swoosh! He drew his saber from his waist. ¡°Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Black Sword Sect¡¯s mountain area!? You¡¯re really courting death!¡± Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. Black Sword Sect¡¯s mountain area? ¡°This is the territory of the Black Sword Sect?¡± Why don¡¯t I know? This place can almost be considered a wilderness. How did it suddenly become their place? If it really was theirs, why isn¡¯t there even a barrier or a sign? In fact, I didn¡¯t even see a guard on the way here. ¡°We¡¯ve been here so long. If this really was your place, you should¡¯ve stopped us from the beginning, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Chu Liuyue asked. The other party clearly didn¡¯t expect her to be so bold as to retort so arrogantly after hearing the name of the Black Sword Sect. He was speechless for a moment. This was indeed not their territory. However, he suddenly sensed that someone was here, so he came over and wanted to chase them away. His gaze became even more sinister as his eyes swept past them like a blade. ¡°Are you¡­ new here?¡± Anyone who had stayed at Peach Blossom Docke for a while wouldn¡¯t dare speak to him with such an attitude. Only newcomers who knew nothing would be so tactless. The look in Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes was cold. The other party¡¯s gaze and tone annoyed her. ¡°What? Don¡¯t newcomers have the right to stay here?¡± Her red lips curled up coldly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good for us to mind our own business and live in peace? Why do you have to be so ruthless? As you can see, our child is breaking through. At such a time, we can¡¯t disturb him.¡± I won¡¯t let anyone who dares interrupt Thirteen¡¯s cultivation off easily! Upon hearing her words, the aura on the black-robed man opposite her instantly turned cold! The surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped several degrees, making one¡¯s heart unconsciously turn cold. Chu Liuyue also began to mobilize the force in her body. But then, the black-robed man¡¯s gaze landed on Thirteen. ¡°The God Foreseeing Tribulation¡­¡± he muttered softly. ¡°Looks like his talent isn¡¯t bad¡­¡± For some reason, his whisper made Chu Liuyue feel very uneasy! That look in his eyes¡­ She knitted her brows. Just as she was about to ask him to leave, the man suddenly pointed the tip of his sword at Thirteen. There was a hint of excitement and bloodlust in his cold voice. ¡°Hand him over, and I¡¯ll let you off today!¡± Chapter 1837 - 1837 Fight 1837 Fight It took Chu Liuyue a moment to understand what he was saying. Then, she almost laughed out loud. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t catch what you just said. Can you repeat it, please?¡± The black-robed man glanced at her coldly and said word by word, ¡°I said, hand him over to my Black Sword Sect!¡± This wasn¡¯t a question or a discussion but an order! The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips were still smiling, but her eyes were much colder. How interesting. In just three days at Peach Blossom Dock, I have encountered the Black Sword Sect twice. The first time, they snatched my things. This time, they actually want to snatch my person¡­ ¡°Thirteen is my person; he grew up with me. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t agree to this request,¡± she said coldly. The black-robed man looked at her in surprise, as if very shocked that she would say such a thing. ¡°Do you know how glorious it is to be able to enter my Black Sword Sect? In Peach Blossom Dock, countless people have tried their best but couldn¡¯t step into my Black Sword Sect. Now that we¡¯ve taken the initiative to ask for him, it¡¯s his and your supreme glory! Don¡¯t be muddle-headed!¡± This warning sounded like a joke to Chu Liuyue. Don¡¯t they want Thirteen because they like his talent? Just now, he was still full of aggressive killing intent and looked like he wanted to execute us on the spot. After seeing Thirteen, he changed the topic and ordered me to hand Thirteen to him. He even said that it was our fortune for Thirteen to be able to enter the Black Sword Sect¡­ Pfft! How shameless! Chu Liuyue hid her thoughts and smiled very politely. ¡°Sorry, I still refuse.¡± The atmosphere instantly froze! The space seemed to have frozen. It was bone-chilling. The black-robed man laughed angrily. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said it twice. Haven¡¯t you heard me?¡± There was a smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips, but there was already a hint of impatience in her eyes. I have yet to settle the debt of them snatching my things, and now, he is here to snatch my person. This is too much! ¡°You!¡± It had probably been a long time since the black-robed man had met someone with such a firm attitude who dared to speak to him like this. For a moment, he was so angry that he couldn¡¯t say a word. Hong long long! Almost at the same time, the lightning from both sides fell from the sky! Moreover, as the commotion on both sides became larger and larger, the distance between the two dark clouds was rapidly shrinking! It wouldn¡¯t be long before the forces of the two sides came into contact with each other and became entangled! This was definitely not a good thing. Cultivation, especially when summoning heavenly lightning, required absolute focus during the breakthrough. At this time, any external influence might lead to the failure of the breakthrough. This was also what Chu Liuyue had been worried about from the beginning. She glanced up, her eyes darkening. The black-robed man didn¡¯t seem worried when he saw this scene. Instead, he sneered. ¡°How can the heavenly lightning summoned by the God Foreseeing Tribulation be compared to the heavenly lightning I triggered? If you really choose to fight me head-on, you will only suffer in the end!¡± Be it the number of lightning bolts or the strength, Thirteen¡¯s side was indeed inferior to the other side. If they really collided, it would be no different from throwing an egg at a rock. The other party might not be affected by anything big, but for Thirteen, it was very likely to cause his breakthrough to fail. Upon hearing this, a smile suddenly appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips. ¡°Oh really?¡± Chapter 1838 - 1838 Boundless Sword Aura! 1838 Boundless Sword Aura! I originally didn¡¯t want to get entangled with the other party. After all, I still don¡¯t know what kind of background the Black Sword Sect has. But if they go too far, I can¡¯t be blamed for fighting them. ¡°I won¡¯t hand him over to you. As for this lightning¡ª¡± ¡°Third Brother!¡± At this moment, a rough man¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue focused her gaze and saw another person flying out of the canyon. ¡°What are you doing here? Why haven¡¯t you gone back yet?¡± The man didn¡¯t come over and only shouted from afar. From his tone, he seemed to have a higher status than the man in front of them. The man called ¡®Third Brother¡¯ hurriedly explained, ¡°Second Brother, someone is breaking through here! They¡¯ve summoned the God Foreseeing Tribulation¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a stage-six warrior. Why hasn¡¯t he been resolved after so long?¡± That second brother seemed to be very dissatisfied with this. ¡°This¡ª¡± ¡®Third Brother¡¯ wanted to explain that he had wasted some time because he had taken a fancy to the young man who was preparing to break through. ¡°Alright! We can¡¯t care less now! Come back immediately! There¡¯s not enough manpower here!¡± What time is it now!? How could he care about that? ¡®Third Brother¡¯ could only agree. ¡°Yes!¡± Just as he was about to move, he turned around and looked at Chu Liuyue deeply. ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling¡­ wait to collect that kid¡¯s corpse later!¡± When all the lightning on their side is triggered, how can that kid have any room to break through? At that time, there will only be death! That kid is indeed a good seedling. If she had handed him over, I might have obtained a lot of rewards¡­ What a pity. A trace of unwillingness and resentment flashed across Third Brother¡¯s eyes before he flashed away! After a while, he disappeared behind the mountains. The lightning was still falling, but he didn¡¯t hesitate at all. In fact, he was in a hurry. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he was in a hurry to do some mission¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart lit up. ¡°Cen Yi, did that man just say that they don¡¯t have enough manpower?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± This is even stranger. Over there¡­ What is going on? How could he make someone say, ¡®we don¡¯t have enough manpower¡¯ in the face of so much lightning? She frowned and fell into deep thought. At this moment, the two dark clouds in the sky had already begun to touch each other at the edge. The commotion on Thirteen¡¯s side was clearly inferior to the other party¡¯s. At a glance, it was almost one-tenth the other cloud¡¯s size. Under such circumstances, the power of the lightning summoned by Thirteen was very likely to be devoured by the other cloud. This was also why the man had warned her before he left. This was originally a battle without suspense. Chu Liuyue looked at Thirteen. He was already enduring the tempering of the fourth bolt of lightning. From the flickering light, one could vaguely see that his clothes were tattered and stained with blood. Clearly, this was already a difficult process for him. If he was affected by external forces again¡­ Boom! The distant heavenly lightning descended at an even more terrifying scale. Thick dark clouds surged wildly, covering the sky. The natural energy gradually began to riot. Above Thirteen¡¯s head, although the fifth lightning bolt in the clouds had already appeared, it had yet to descend. Under the influence of that terrifying external force, the lightning actually showed signs of being absorbed. This can¡¯t go on. Chu Liuyue confirmed it in her heart. It will be too late when the other party¡¯s cloud covers and swallows Thirteen¡¯s lightning! Cen Yi took a step forward. ¡°Master, why don¡¯t I¡ª¡± ¡°Keep a close eye on Thirteen.¡± Chu Liuyue had a calm expression, and there seemed to be a cold glint in her pitch-black eyes. Swoosh! A snow-white sword appeared in her hand! The next moment, she tapped her toes, and her slender figure instantly shot into the sky like an arrow! Her movements were light, causing her skirt to flutter and her long hair to dance in the wind. In this dark world, she was like a burning green bird that pounced into the surging black clouds without hesitation! In the blink of an eye, she disappeared! Cen Yi frowned slightly, but he quickly relaxed and didn¡¯t move. There was a short silence. Immediately after, a sword light suddenly split the thick clouds! ¡°Chi Xiao Sword¡ªBreak!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure appeared again. The clouds¡ªwhich had already begun to fuse with each other¡ªwere actually forcefully split apart by her! Then, the dark clouds surged to both sides with her as the center! Sword aura overflowed and surged! Cen Yi raised his head and narrowed his eyes at the red figure hovering in the sky. Her figure was slightly thin. There were dark clouds behind her and boundless sword light in front of her! She had become the only color in the world! Cen Yi slowly let go of his clenched hands as a faint and long smile appeared in his usually calm eyes. Master¡­ is indeed Master. ¡­ The commotion caused by Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword also attracted the attention of the people from the Black Sword Sect. ¡°What¡¯s going on over there now?¡± Second Brother glanced up, his thick eyebrows furrowed tightly. ¡°That woman actually split the clouds apart?¡± When he saw the scene clearly, there was finally a hint of disbelief in his voice. At the side, Third Brother¡ªwho had just returned¡ªwas also stunned. That¡¯s not right! This isn¡¯t what I expected! I attracted so much lightning. Logically speaking, it¡¯s impossible for the other party to fight the lightning head-on. But now, that woman¡ª ¡°Where did that woman come from?¡± Second Brother was still staring over and asked anxiously. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Sensing that his aura had become cold, Third Brother¡¯s heart trembled, and he subconsciously felt much more guilty. Slap! A loud slap sounded. Third Brother was slapped so hard that he staggered. A rich, bloody aura instantly spread between his lips and teeth. However, he didn¡¯t dare to dodge or even cry out in pain. ¡°Second Brother, calm down!¡± Second Brother sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Then, what did you spend so much time doing over there just now?!¡± Third Brother¡¯s face turned red, and he was speechless. He didn¡¯t take the other party seriously at all, so he didn¡¯t even ask for their names and origins. From beginning to end, he was only concerned with wrangling with them. He thought that they were dead for sure this time. Who knew that that woman was actually so powerful? Second Brother looked over again. The clouds in the sky were now completely separated. There were painful roars and moans coming from the canyon below. Second Brother glanced over indifferently and suppressed the urge to take a look. ¡°Carry on!¡± The most important thing now is still this¡­ As for the woman¡¯s identity, I will investigate it when I return! Third Brother was overjoyed to have escaped death and hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 1839 - 1839 Apology 1839 Apology Sword aura swept through, splitting the clouds in the sky in two. An invisible force then surged, blocking all the external forces. Chu Liuyue retracted her sword nimbly and landed lightly. Cen Yi bowed slightly. ¡°Master personally took action. Master is indeed extraordinary.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and glanced at him. ¡°I know that if you attack, you might not be inferior to me. In that case, there¡¯s no need to say things like that.¡± Cen Yi insisted. ¡°What I said is the truth.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. Cen Yi had followed her for many years and usually didn¡¯t talk much. It was rare for him to praise her like this, so she enjoyed it very much. She hefted the Chi Xiao Sword in her hand. As her strength continued to increase, she became more and more proficient in using it. She glanced up. In the sky, the sword energy she left behind had already formed a huge barrier. This should be enough to last for a while. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. This feeling of gradually becoming stronger¡­ It is really refreshing! Finally, the fifth bolt of lightning fell without the influence of other forces! ¡­ At the Black Sword Sect. San San came out of the side door. Beside him was a middle-aged man. San San stood still and cupped his hands respectfully. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, it¡¯s already my greatest honor that you¡¯re here to send me off personally. Please stay here!¡± Mo Yun was burly and looked dignified just by standing there. He laughed at that. ¡°Boss San, you¡¯re being too polite! I know that things have been urgent recently, and I¡¯ve put you in a difficult position. Especially this Merge Spirit Herb¡ªit¡¯s not easy to get. Please don¡¯t mind the people below who offended you earlier!¡± San San quickly said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare! It¡¯s all thanks to the Black Sword Sect that I¡¯m where I am today. Originally, it was also because the servants below didn¡¯t know the rules that we caused a commotion¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to alarm you¡­¡± Mo Yun patted San San on the shoulder and laughed loudly. ¡°Boss San, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re an esteemed guest of our Black Sword Sect. How can I not punish them for hurting your people?¡± He turned his head slightly as he spoke. ¡°Someone! Hand over the apology gift to Boss San!¡± The servant following from a distance went forward hurriedly and carried a wooden box that had been prepared. San San glanced at it. In fact, he had noticed this thing earlier. However, he didn¡¯t expect this to be an apology gift to him. He was about to push it away when he felt the hand on his shoulder suddenly tighten. ¡°Boss San, this represents the Black Sword Sect¡¯s willingness and sincerity to continue to cooperate with you. You¡ªyou must accept it! San San¡¯s round face trembled slightly; then, he narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°This is my honor! In that case, it would be impolite for me to decline!¡± With that, he took the wooden box. Mo Yun was clearly satisfied with his answer and withdrew his hand. ¡°Boss San is a straightforward person. Coincidentally, there¡¯s something I need to discuss with you. Recently, the Black Sword Sect has recruited more disciples and consumed a lot of medicinal herbs, so¡­ From next month onward, this number will double. Boss San, it¡¯ll be no problem, right?¡± San San¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. I knew something was wrong! Mo Yun has always been extremely arrogant to me. When had he ever spoken to me in such a tone? Moreover, his Black Sword Sect has hurt the people in my pharmacy several times in the past, but they had never expressed anything, let alone apologized solemnly. So¡­ he was waiting to rip me off again! Double the amount¡­ How much must that be!? San San¡¯s heart was throbbing in pain. He said with some difficulty, ¡°Deputy Sect Master, this¡­ It¡¯s my honor to be able to contribute my meager strength to the Black Sword Sect, but this amount¡­ I really can¡¯t provide that much! This¡ª¡± Mo Yun¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Boss San, is it a little difficult?¡± San San choked and began to curse in his heart. It is more than a little difficult! It is simply too difficult! This time, I borrowed some of the Merge Spirit Herbs from Master to provide enough for them! If they want double the amount next time¡­ Where am I going to get it!? However, he naturally didn¡¯t dare to say these words. His smile became even more humble. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, don¡¯t misunderstand! I¡¯m really on your side, but twice the amount is really a little too much. Even if you empty my assets, I really don¡¯t have it! Look, if it was really so easy to take it out, I wouldn¡¯t have made such a fuss two days ago¡­¡± Mo Yun stared at San San until he was sweating profusely. Only then did he let go. ¡°Then¡­ increase it by half! Will this do?¡± San San¡¯s heart was still bleeding, but he knew that there was no room for negotiation. He could only agree with a smile. ¡°Alright! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely go through fire and water in the future!¡± Only then did Mo Yun¡¯s expression look better. He gave San San a few more instructions and finally let him go. ¡­ San San carried the wooden box and returned to Yue Manor alone. ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re back?¡± As soon as he entered, Yu Jiu welcomed him. ¡°How is it? Are you alright?¡± When San San returned to his place and saw his own people, his worried heart finally calmed down a lot. ¡°Yu Jiu, why are you here? Are you waiting for me?¡± Yu Jiu nodded. ¡°Master and Big Brother went out and told me to wait for you here. If there¡¯s any news, I have to inform them in time.¡± San San smacked his lips. ¡°Master and Big Brother treat me the best!¡± It had been a long time since someone cared about him. He put down the wooden box, sat down, and picked up the teacup beside him to drink tea. Every time he came out of the Black Sword Sect, he felt that he had walked on the line between life and death. He was so nervous that his throat was dry, and he felt uncomfortable. After drinking three cups of tea in a row, he finally caught his breath and gritted his teeth. ¡°How is it fine? Those people from the Black Sword Sect are really too much!¡± Yu Jiu walked over, and his expression changed. ¡°What happened?¡± San San immediately told him what had happened. ¡°¡­They already asked for a lot, but they¡¯re asking for more now! They¡¯re really trying to exploit me completely!¡± Yu Jiu looked at him sympathetically. For Third Brother, this is indeed more heartbreaking than cutting off his flesh. ¡°We have no choice but to lower our heads. Third Brother, you better endure it first! When Master comes back later, we¡¯ll think of a way to get it back!¡± Yu Jiu persuaded him and pointed at the wooden box. ¡°Didn¡¯t they return the favor?¡± San San snorted. ¡°It won¡¯t be anything good anyway!¡± Yu Jiu chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing, right? Let me take a look for you¡ª¡± As he spoke, he walked over and slashed with the wooden sword in his hand. The lock made of fine iron was silently cut in a smooth and neat manner. Then, with a slight twist of his wrist, Yu Jiu picked open the wooden box. ¡°Ho!¡± Yu Jiu immediately stepped back! Inside the wooden box were a few human heads! Chapter 1840 - 1840 Crisis! 1840 Crisis! San San immediately stood up, his expression changing several times. Yu Jiu turned around to look at him. ¡°Third Brother, what¡ªwhat¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t they say they wanted to apologize to you? What¡¯s this?¡± San San stared at the heads with a solemn expression. ¡°These should be the few people who caused trouble in the pharmacy previously¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the apology Mo Yun mentioned to be their lives¡­¡± Yu Jiu immediately remembered. ¡°So it¡¯s them!¡± He was also there that day, but the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people were all wearing black robes, and their faces were mostly covered by wide hoods. He didn¡¯t look carefully and didn¡¯t recognize them at first glance. Looking at it again, it was indeed those people. ¡°Third Brother, what does the Black Sword Sect mean¡­ Are they all so ruthless to their own people?¡± Yu Jiu frowned in disgust and closed the wooden box. However, the air was still filled with the faint smell of blood and decay. San San sneered. ¡°Yu Jiu, you¡¯ve just arrived, so you still don¡¯t know what kind of people these people are¡­ They can kill anyone, including their own people! These smelly fish and prawns are nothing in Mo Yun¡¯s eyes.¡± Mo Yun did this firstly to give him an explanation for what happened that day, and secondly to give him a warning. Of course, he knew that asking for more things from San San would definitely arouse his dissatisfaction. That was why he had sent this ¡®gift.¡¯ The meaning was clear: If you want to live well, be obedient. Although they wouldn¡¯t kill San San now, it didn¡¯t mean that they wouldn¡¯t threaten him or even expect to control him completely. In the past two years, the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people had used many methods as hints to him to join them, but they had all been avoided in a roundabout manner. Gradually, they stopped talking about it. However, this desire to control him had clearly never changed. San San walked over, and a ball of blue flames surged out of his palm! Rumble! The wooden box, along with the few heads inside, was quickly engulfed by flames. In a moment, it was burned to ashes. Yu Jiu looked at him in surprise and excitement. ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re really something! When did you get such a skill?¡± San San was talented, but he was only limited to warrior cultivation. Only a heavenly doctor could turn force into flames. At the mention of this, San San¡¯s face lit up, and he rubbed his chubby palms. ¡°This is naturally an opportunity from Clear Water Cliff.¡± Back then, he realized that he had formed a subtle connection with the small space. After he could enter and leave at will, he quickly discovered that there was an additional fire in his body. With this fire, he would also become a heavenly doctor. Although his level wasn¡¯t high yet, he more or less understood things. It was also because of this that he was more sensitive to those natural treasures and medicinal pills that his business prospered. This was his little trump card. Yu Jiu clicked his tongue in praise. ¡°It looks like Peach Blossom Dock is really a treasure land for you, Third Brother! No wonder you¡¯re doing so well here!¡± San San smiled and thought of what had just happened. Then, a faint haze covered his eyes. ¡°Unfortunately, as long as the Black Sword Sect stands above me, my life won¡¯t be easy¡­ By the way, where did Master and Big Brother go?¡± Yu Jiu put away the wooden sword in his hand and roughly told him the location. San San was about to sit down when he heard this and jumped up again. ¡°Where?!¡± Yu Jiu looked up in surprise. ¡°I¡­ I just said that they went southwest, but I don¡¯t know the exact location. Little Thirteen is about to break through, and it¡¯s time to trigger the God Foreseeing Tribulation. Master and the others were worried that it would cause too much commotion, so they said to go to a remote place at the edge to take a look¡ª¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± Cold sweat broke out on San San¡¯s forehead again. He hurriedly ran out. Yu Jiu pulled him back. ¡°Third Brother, why are you in such a hurry? Is there something wrong over there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain! I¡¯ll go over and take a look first. We¡¯ll talk when I get back!¡± San San walked in a hurry. After taking two steps, he turned around and said to Yu Jiu, ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow. Just keep guard here!¡± Yu Jiu hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Be careful then, Third Brother!¡± San San waved and left without looking back. How could I not be anxious? On this day every month, people can¡¯t go there! I had actually forgotten to tell Master about such an important matter! Damn it! While feeling guilty, San San used his full speed and headed in the direction Yu Jiu had mentioned! ¡­ Time passed especially slowly. Chu Liuyue and Cen Yi stood in midair and waited for Thirteen to pass the God Foreseeing Tribulation together. He had already summoned the seventh lightning bolt. Of course, he had paid a huge price to withstand the lightning bolts. On the mountain peak, Thirteen was half-kneeling on the ground, his hands gripping the rough ground tightly. His fingertips were already stained with blood. His thin body was trembling. It was obvious that he was enduring great pain. Chu Liuyue glanced at the sky. Behind the clouds, the eighth bolt of lightning loomed. If Thirteen can¡¯t survive the seventh bolt, the eighth bolt will naturally disappear. Thirteen has spent too much time on this level. Worry arose in her heart. ¡°Cen Yi, can Thirteen survive?¡± Cen Yi nodded calmly. ¡°Of course.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Cen Yi, who looked as calm and indifferent as usual. ¡°You¡¯re so sure?¡± Cen Yi seemed to smile. ¡°You should believe in Thirteen¡¯s talent and potential. After all, he managed to catch the eye of Director Nan Suhuai, Master.¡± All these years of hard work hadn¡¯t been in vain. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue felt much more at ease. Cen Yi has spent more time with Thirteen and must know him better. Since he is so certain, there should be no problem. Except¡­ As a bystander, her heart ached to watch from here. In her heart, she had always treated Thirteen as a child. Back when she was transcending the God Foreseeing Tribulation, she had many trump cards. But Thirteen¡­ This was a head-on collision! Suddenly, Thirteen¡ªwho was kneeling on the ground¡ªmoved! He let out a low growl mixed with a million complicated emotions. Pain, torture, persistence, and determination¡­ When he stood up, the silver light surrounding him instantly shattered into countless stars! The seventh bolt of lightning¡ªbroke! Chu Liuyue was delighted. Immediately after, the eighth bolt of lightning struck down! Boom! A loud sound was heard! Thirteen¡¯s figure was engulfed by the light again! However, Chu Liuyue frowned. This sound¡­ is too loud¡­ That¡¯s not right! This came from the large pile of dark clouds behind us! She turned around and instantly widened her eyes in shock. It was as if energy had suddenly exploded in the dark clouds! At this moment, the black clouds scattered in all directions, wrapped in silver lightning! Affected by the powerful impact, a large portion of lightning actually headed straight for them! Chapter 1841 - 1841 Get Lost! 1841 Get Lost! What is going on!? Chu Liuyue frowned and looked over in shock. It had been fine earlier, so why did it suddenly¡­ explode?! Whether it is cultivation or Yuan instrument refinement, I have never encountered such a situation. However, there is no time to think about this now! There are at least a dozen bolts of lightning heading our way. If they are allowed to come over, Thirteen will probably¡ª It wasn¡¯t easy for me to wait until now. How can I allow all my previous efforts to go down the drain?! The force barrier formed by the sword aura began to shake violently from the impact of this violent power! It would probably not be long before it was breached¡ª Chu Liuyue clenched the Chi Xiao Sword in her hand tightly. Right at this moment, a few figures suddenly rushed out of the canyon behind the mountain peak and fled in a sorry state! She focused her gaze and took a closer look. The ¡®Third Brother¡¯ was among them. The initial arrogance had completely disappeared at this moment, replaced by endless panic and fear! There were also a few people who looked like they were from the Black Sword Sect. It seemed that they were all injured, and one of them even had a broken arm. Well¡­ Was it because of the commotion just now? Just as this thought flashed through her mind, the lightning bolts had already rushed in front of them! A green figure flashed past. Cen Yi waved his sleeve, and a faint green barrier covered Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword energy barrier. With the overlapping of the two barriers, their strength increased greatly. The barrier that was originally shaking calmed down a lot. Chu Liuyue glanced at Cen Yi. After not seeing him for so long, his strength has indeed improved a lot. Just this move was enough for her to determine that Cen Yi¡¯s strength was definitely not inferior to hers. This made Chu Liuyue¡¯s tense heart relax a little. Hong hong hong! The lightning bolts arrived one after another and slammed into the barrier! The intense energy collision made a huge sound! The silver power of heavenly lightning scattered. It was especially eye-catching under the dark sky. When San San arrived, he saw this scene. When he saw the heavenly lightning that filled the sky, his eyes widened in shock, and the flesh on his cheeks trembled. As expected! Those people from the Black Sword Sect are here! He hurriedly looked around for Chu Liuyue and Cen Yi. The sky was full of thunder and lightning, and the light was too dazzling, causing him to be unable to see many things clearly. Fortunately, he recognized the faint green barrier. Seeing the familiar barrier, San San quickly rubbed his eyes. When he saw that Chu Liuyue was standing behind Cen Yi with a longsword in her hand and her black hair fluttering, he heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, thank goodness¡­ Master and Big Brother seem to be fine¡­ Seeing that the lightning bolts behind were still moving crazily, San San shivered, but he still gritted his teeth and headed straight for them without hesitation. Berserk energy wrapped around his body as if it wanted to tear him apart. From time to time, some lightning would strike! Fortunately, although San San had a round figure, his movements were very agile. He passed through without any mishaps. ¡°Master! Big Brother!¡± San San barely dodged the attack and ran to the two of them. ¡°Are you guys alright?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s fingers moved slightly. A crack appeared in the barrier, and then a strong force wrapped around San San¡¯s waist and pulled him over. San San¡¯s facial features twisted. ¡°Big Brother, can¡¯t you make a little more space!? It¡¯s uncomfortable squeezing here!¡± It hurts! Cen Yi ignored him. With a thought, the barrier returned to its original state and continued to block the terrifying energy. ¡°We¡¯re fine. On the other hand, why are you suddenly here?¡± asked Chu Liuyue strangely. Didn¡¯t he go to the Black Sword Sect to deliver the things today? San San took a deep breath and explained, ¡°I-I heard that you, Big Brother, and Thirteen came here. I was afraid that something bad would happen¡­ Aiya, it¡¯s all my fault! I didn¡¯t make things clear to you earlier!¡± When Chu Liuyue saw San San¡¯s vexed expression, her heart skipped a beat. Then, she raised her chin. ¡°You know that the people from the Black Sword Sect are here?¡± San San followed her gaze. The few people who had fled in a sorry state had already disappeared. When San San came, he was only thinking about Chu Liuyue and Cen Yi. Coupled with the dark sky and the crazy energy everywhere, he didn¡¯t pay attention to the situation there, let alone see those people. But even if he didn¡¯t see it, he knew that it must be people from the Black Sword Sect. He scratched his head. ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s a long story! I¡¯ll explain it to you when we get back, okay? Fortunately, they¡¯ve already left¡­¡± If they stayed here and the two sides collided head-on, it would probably not be good. ¡°How¡¯s Thirteen?¡± San San turned around and took a look. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°He¡¯s undergoing the tempering of the eighth bolt of lightning now. He was almost disturbed by them just now. Fortunately, it was a close call.¡± San San patted his chest. If anything really happened to Thirteen, I would feel guilty. Suddenly, a dazzling white light whistled over from the side. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that the heavenly lightning seemed to be getting stronger as they flew over together! It was unknown if it was because of the methods of the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people or if they saw that the lightning in front of them had been easily blocked by the barrier, but the remaining ones sensed an unusual aura and surged over again. Ka! A crack finally appeared on the barrier! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes instantly turned cold. I¡¯m just here to watch Little Thirteen break through. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ to encounter waves of trouble! There is really no end to it! ¡°Cen Yi, move aside.¡± Chu Liuyue stepped forward. Cen Yi wanted to continue. Although the situation in front of him was a little troublesome, it wasn¡¯t fatal. But when he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice, his expression changed slightly. Then, he respectfully stepped back and made way. San San looked at her and approached Cen Yi nervously. ¡°Big Brother, why do I feel¡­ a little cold¡­¡± Cen Yi glanced at him. Seeing San San¡¯s lips¡ªwhich were slightly pale from rushing over¡ªCen Yi felt sympathy for him. ¡°You should retreat again.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± San San was stunned, but his reaction was extremely fast. He immediately took two steps back. Ka! The barrier was covered in cracks¡ªit was already on the verge of collapse! Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura surged as she stared ahead. The few lightning bolts charging at the front seemed to have sensed the danger and immediately lowered their speed. They even showed signs of retreating. However, it was too late! Chu Liuyue clenched the Chi Xiao Sword in her hand tightly, raised it high, and then slammed it down. ¡°Get lost!¡± Rumble! A terrifying pressure and sword aura surged out! In an instant, the clouds scattered, and thousands of lights exploded in the sky! Chapter 1842 - 1842 Secret 1842 Secret The heavenly lightning¡ªwhich had been preparing to rush over aggressively just now¡ªretreated in panic! The lightning bolts at the front had already been minced by the sword aura! Looking at the flowing and flickering light spots that filled the sky, San San subconsciously took two steps back again, his hair standing on end.Master¡¯s might is really terrifying! Terrifying! At this moment, a shocking aura finally erupted from Thirteen¡¯s side! Chu Liuyue turned around. The aura around Thirteen circulated, and countless silver streams of light quickly disappeared under his skin! Then, he abruptly opened his eyes! A snow-white light quickly flashed across his eyes! Sharp! Cold! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Thirteen¡ªhe has broken through! The dark clouds in the sky began to dissipate quickly. It was a mess all around. As for the mountain peak under Thirteen¡¯s feet, it had been charred black by the lightning. Chu Liuyue glanced around and was secretly glad that she didn¡¯t stay in Yue Manor to let Thirteen break through. ¡°Master!¡± Thirteen clenched his fists excitedly and quickly ran to Chu Liuyue. The young man¡¯s delicate face was covered in blood, and he looked rather miserable. However, those eyes were shockingly bright and filled with unconcealed joy. ¡°Master! I¡¯ve broken through!¡± Moreover, I can clearly feel that my strength has taken a huge leap! I have never felt this way before! After passing the God Foreseeing Tribulation, it is indeed different! Chu Liuyue was also very happy. Thirteen has survived eight lightning bolts and is definitely one of the best. In the future, his potential will be limitless. Most importantly, he is only 15 years old. Such talent¡­ No wonder my master took a fancy to him at first glance. ¡°Not bad!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved into a smile. There was no trace of the fierce aura that had just struck the lightning. San San sighed in his heart. Among us, only Thirteen can enjoy such treatment. He coughed and said, ¡°Master, since Thirteen has successfully broken through, let¡¯s go back now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and looked back in the direction of the mountains. ¡°There are still some things I haven¡¯t figured out.¡± As she spoke, she tightened her grip on the Chi Xiao Sword and was about to go over. ¡°Hey¡ªMaster, wait!¡± Seeing this, San San hurriedly went forward to stop her. ¡°Master, over there¡­ Let¡¯s not go?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Why?¡± San San looked troubled and scratched his head. ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You know that that¡¯s the territory of the Black Sword Sect?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°Not really.¡± When San San heard her say this, he knew that she had misunderstood and quickly explained. ¡°As you know, Peach Blossom Dock is vast and has continuous mountains. Although the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people have always wanted to take it for themselves, they haven¡¯t been able to extend their reach yet. But on this day every month, they will choose a place to carry out the final assessment for those cultivators who want to enter the sect.¡± ¡°Although the place they choose is different every time, it¡¯s basically not far from each other. They conducted it nearby last month, so I guessed that they should be here this time. When I heard Yu Jiu say that you were here, I hurried over because I was afraid that you would bump into them¡ª¡± In the end, they bumped into each other. Moreover, there was a conflict between the two sides. Although they didn¡¯t attack directly, this grudge was clearly formed. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°Assessment? What kind of assessment actually has to cause such a huge commotion?¡± San San¡¯s expression instantly became mysterious as he lowered his voice. ¡°Master, you¡¯ve seen it with your own eyes. There¡¯s indeed something wrong with the Black Sword Sect¡¯s assessment. Actually, many people know about this, but¡­ If the Black Sword Sect didn¡¯t mention it, nobody else would dare to ask. I¡¯ve only heard that every time after the final assessment, those cultivators¡­ will suffer heavy casualties¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. Just from the array of lightning earlier, I know how dangerous it is. How could ordinary cultivators withstand it? Even the people from the Black Sword Sect have fled in a sorry state, let alone others. ¡°In that case, all the more reason to take a look.¡± San San wanted to say something but hesitated. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They came to ask for Thirteen just now, but I rejected them. Even if we avoid them now and take the initiative to apologize, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°What?¡± San San was stunned and glanced at Thirteen. Only then did he know where his master¡¯s anger and targeting toward the Black Sword Sect came from. ¡°These people actually targeted Thirteen and even spoke rudely to you? Then, there¡¯s no need to give in to them!¡± San San thought of the heads from before and felt his stomach churn. ¡°We¡¯ll listen to Master!¡± Anyway, now that Master is here, I don¡¯t have to endure it! With Master¡¯s current family background¡­ If we really fight, who will be at a disadvantage?! Chu Liuyue moved and flew forward! The people behind her quickly followed. ¡­ The assessment venue chosen by the Black Sword Sect wasn¡¯t far from them. After a while, they arrived at the mountains. Looking down, they saw a long canyon. When Chu Liuyue saw the situation below, her pupils constricted. Cen Yi narrowed his eyes. Thirteen gasped. ¡°This is¡­¡± In the canyon, several corpses lay strewn with blood. Apart from that, there were traces of lightning strikes everywhere. It was also because of the terrifying power of the lightning that these corpses were almost incomplete¡­ It was shocking and comparable to purgatory on earth! Even though they had seen many bloody and cruel scenes, they were shocked and didn¡¯t speak for a while when they saw this scene. Only San San reacted calmly. Although this was the first time he had seen this scene, he had some understanding of the Black Sword Sect. Therefore, before he came, he had already guessed it. ¡°These people¡­ are all those so-called cultivators who want to participate in the assessment?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. San San nodded. ¡°It should be all of them.¡± A rare solemn expression appeared on his face. ¡°Previously, the Black Sword Sect had always announced to the public that most of the people eliminated by them had left Peach Blossom Dock. But it now seems¡­ it should be¡­¡± They had all died at their hands. Thirteen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time they¡¯ve done this, and it¡¯s such a big commotion. Didn¡¯t anyone notice that something was wrong?¡± San San smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no such thing as an impenetrable wall in the world. There are indeed many people who are suspicious in the dark, but even so, they still can¡¯t stop those people who want to enter the Black Sword Sect¡­ Most of them have no way back to begin with. Since there¡¯s only one life-saving straw in front of them, the Black Sword Sect, they will naturally choose to take a gamble.¡± For many people, if they couldn¡¯t become strong, it would be more painful than death. Cen Yi suddenly looked ahead and said warily, ¡°Someone¡¯s coming!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a light flashed in his hand, and a huge transparent barrier had already hidden them! Chapter 1843 - 1843 Breaking Through 1843 Breaking Through Chu Liuyue looked over and saw that the people from the Black Sword Sect had returned. Behind them was an unfamiliar man; he was burly and cold-faced. Most importantly, his aura was very shocking. Seeing how the few people beside him were very respectful to him, this man was obviously the leader. San San suddenly gave Chu Liuyue a look and spat out two words silently. ¡°Mo Yun¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. So he is Mo Yun! However¡­ why is he here? It¡¯s too fast! Mo Yun didn¡¯t notice that Chu Liuyue¡¯s group had already hidden themselves. Coincidentally, both sides were standing on opposite sides of the canyon, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s group could clearly see their faces and expressions. Of course, they could also hear what they were saying. Mo Yun glanced into the canyon and frowned with obvious dissatisfaction. ¡°Is this the result of your assessment this month?¡± His voice was very cold, with a solemn and cold pressure. The people around him were still injured, but they didn¡¯t dare to make a sound in front of him. Hearing this question, the few of them looked even more terrified. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, there are indeed no good seedlings in this batch of people¡­¡± She saw the man who had been called ¡®Second Brother¡¯ bending down in fear. His face was white with fear. Finally, there was no need to mention the people beside him. Mo Yun¡¯s expression turned even colder. ¡°Even if it¡¯s the same, you should clean up this place! If anyone sees this¡­¡± There was no need to finish the threat. The people below naturally understood. Second Brother, Third Brother, and the others looked at each other. They originally wanted to explain what had happened previously, but looking at the situation, they couldn¡¯t say it no matter what. They met outsiders during the assessment and had a conflict with them. In the end, they even lost¡­ Fortunately, those people were no longer around. Otherwise, they would all be dead! The few of them had a tacit understanding and swallowed their words. ¡°You¡¯re right! It¡¯s all because we¡¯re too useless¡­ That¡¯s why¡­¡± Mo Yun waved his hand impatiently. A ball of black fog surged out of his hand and quickly spread into the canyon! In just a few breaths, the black fog had already covered the bloody scene below! Sizzle¡ª A scalp-numbing sound echoed. As Chu Liuyue listened, she subconsciously held her breath, but her eyes were still fixed on the ground. After a while, the black fog faded. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened. Those corpses are all gone! Even the bloodstains on the ground have disappeared completely! At a glance, other than some scorch marks left by the lightning, there were almost no clues. Nobody would¡¯ve guessed what a terrifying and bloody scene this place was not long ago! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you off for now. There won¡¯t be a next time!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After making sure that the traces in the canyon had been cleaned up, Mo Yun turned around and left. Second Brother, Third Brother, and the others hurriedly followed. From beginning to end, they didn¡¯t notice Chu Liuyue and the others hiding opposite them. After those people completely disappeared, she took one last look at the canyon. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first.¡± ¡­ At Yue Manor. There was silence in the study. Sitting behind the table, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was calm, and her long eyelashes were slightly lowered as if she were thinking about something. Cen Yi and the other two stood in front of her and waited quietly. After a while, she said, ¡°They¡¯re looking for talented cultivators.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question but an affirmative statement. Because judging from what they had seen earlier, that was the truth. ¡°No wonder they wanted to take Thirteen away previously¡­¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes. And it was still so urgent and tyrannical. It can be seen that a genius like Thirteen is extremely attractive to them. From their proficiency, it¡¯s obvious that they have been doing this for a long time. San San said, ¡°Fortunately, Big Brother made a move in time today, so they didn¡¯t discover us. Otherwise, we would¡¯ve been in trouble.¡± Even though he couldn¡¯t stand the Black Sword Sect and wanted to cut ties with them as soon as possible, he still didn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s background. If he rashly made a fuss, it would only make the situation worse. Chu Liuyue nodded, collected her thoughts, and gazed at Cen Yi. ¡°Cen Yi, I haven¡¯t seen you for a while. You¡¯ve improved a lot in this aspect.¡± Cen Yi nodded slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just some small things for self-defense. Sorry for embarrassing you, Master.¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a half-smile. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Mo Yun should be a legendary warrior, and the remaining few are basically all true gods. To be able to avoid their detection¡­ Cen Yi, you¡¯re usually good at everything, but there¡¯s one thing: you¡¯re too humble.¡± Cen Yi relaxed his eyebrows and cut off his usual indifference. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to protect my master.¡± This was what I should¡¯ve done. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. Anyway, I can never out-talk him. Sometimes, even I am amazed by Cen Yi¡¯s ability. ¡°Master, those people probably won¡¯t say anything about today for the sake of their lives. You can rest assured about this for the time being,¡± San San rubbed his hands and said. Chu Liuyue nodded. San San knows their people quite well. Since he has said so, he should be right. Besides, I think so myself. Although it¡¯s still very likely that this matter will be discovered later, it is better for them to hide it for a while. This is because the people from the Black Sword Sect clearly don¡¯t want any outsiders to know about this. ¡°Keep this matter a secret for the time being. Don¡¯t let anyone know, but if you find anything wrong, report it immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± They all agreed. After thinking about it, Chu Liuyue changed the topic and asked about San San¡¯s visit to the Black Sword Sect to deliver the Merge Spirit Herb today. It was fine if she didn¡¯t mention this, but when she did, San San felt as if a knife was twisting in his heart. He immediately told her everything; he was filled with grief and tears. ¡°¡­Master, those are all your things! Aren¡¯t they going to empty your treasures?!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and glanced at him. ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to remind me about this. I¡¯ll get back at them in the future.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, she said, ¡°When¡¯s the next time you go to Clear Water Cliff?¡± Chapter 1844 - 1844 Back Then 1844 Back Then San San said, ¡°There¡¯s no specific rule about that. I go there several times a month.¡± After all, he had to do business to earn money and support his ¡®masters¡¯¡ªthe Black Sword Sect. If he didn¡¯t work hard, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to afford a full meal. Chu Liuyue stopped him from crying. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow.¡± San San was shocked and widened his eyes. There was great confusion in his small eyes. ¡°Master, where are you going?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°What, can¡¯t I go?¡± ¡°No, no! I¡¯m just a little surprised¡­¡± San San coughed. Weren¡¯t we talking about the Black Sword Sect just now? Why did she mention Clear Water Cliff in the blink of an eye? Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and smiled. ¡°When I came here in the past, Clear Water Cliff was just an ordinary place. Now that it has become a treasure land, I naturally have to take a look. In addition, didn¡¯t you say that there are many precious herbs inside?¡± San San nodded. His master was a heavenly doctor and had always been very interested in natural treasures. It was naturally normal for her to want to go to Clear Water Cliff. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll arrange it tomorrow!¡± ¡­ After Cen Yi and the rest left, Chu Liuyue sat quietly alone for a while. Creak¡ª Someone pushed the door open and entered. Chu Liuyue looked up. His snow-white clothes fluttered. It was Rong Xiu. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve gained a lot today.¡± Rong Xiu smiled casually as he walked over. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. Not only did we gain something from today¡¯s trip, but we¡¯re also pleasantly surprised.¡± She had only brought Thirteen to break through, but she had accidentally exposed the big secret of the Black Sword Sect. Her luck was really too good. She pondered for a moment and told Rong Xiu what she had seen today. Rong Xiu listened calmly from beginning to end. He then smiled at the end. ¡°To dare do this here, it seems that the Black Sword Sect¡¯s ambition isn¡¯t small.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. ¡°You¡­ Why do you seem to have guessed it long ago?¡± Rong Xiu had always been calm, but this reaction¡­ was really too calm. He tilted his head, half-smiling. ¡°When you went out today, I asked Yan Qing to check some news.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. ¡°So you did know?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and shook his head. ¡°Half of it. Yan Qing only found out that many of the people who participated in the Black Sword Sect¡¯s monthly assessments disappeared for no reason. However, he didn¡¯t know that the Black Sword Sect dealt with them using such methods.¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. How is that different from knowing? I know so well because I have seen it with my own eyes. However, Yan Qing has only been out for half a day and has already found out about this. He is indeed more impressive. ¡°How did he find out?¡± Chu Liuyue was rather curious. Rong Xiu poured himself a cup of tea. White mist curled up, blurring his eyes. ¡°We were here for a while back then, weren¡¯t we?¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± Rong Xiu took a sip of tea. Any action by him seemed exceptionally elegant and noble. The faint fragrance of tea filled the air, and it was an extremely familiar scent. He looked up slightly and met her eyes. His thin lips curved slightly, and there was a hint of a smile in his eyes. He was clearly as noble as an immortal, but this glance was deep and quiet, wanting to devour her. He nodded, smiling. ¡°I left a couple of guys here.¡± Chapter 1845 - 1845 Discover 1845 Discover Rong Xiu said this calmly. However, Chu Liuyue understood what these words meant. This Peach Blossom Dock¡­ has Rong Xiu¡¯s subordinates! Chu Liuyue was first shocked and then found it normal. With Rong Xiu¡¯s personality, it would be weird if he didn¡¯t have a backup plan. When she reacted, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you mention it before?¡± Rong Xiu pondered for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that I would actually use them today. However, the Black Sword Sect does things very discreetly, and that¡¯s all they found out. Originally, I wanted to tell you about it, but I didn¡¯t expect you to meet.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. It was already very hard for them to be able to find out about such things. After all, even San San¡ªwho always interacted with the Black Sword Sect¡ªonly knew half of these things. If normal people asked around too much, it would inevitably arouse the Black Sword Sect¡¯s suspicions. ¡°I plan to go to Clear Water Cliff tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Perhaps we can find some clues regarding Peach Blossom Dock there.¡± Rong Xiu knew that she wanted to verify her previous guess, so he smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± I wasn¡¯t by her side for one day, and this happened. Luckily, it was just a scare. However, I now can¡¯t relax no matter what. This Peach Blossom Dock was filled with dangers. I naturally have to protect my person personally. ¡­ A dreamless night. The next morning, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu did some light disguising and discreetly followed San San to Clear Water Cliff. The streets were bustling. San San brought them to an isolated alley and went straight to the destination. The three of them were very fast and reached their destination in an hour. ¡°Master, Your Highness, that is the current Clear Water Cliff.¡± San San stood still and pointed across. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu looked over. Not far away, there were many mountains overlapping with lush greenery. In the centermost position, a mountain was split into two. It was half the height of the tall peaks next to it. Besides, the rocks were burnt, and there were a lot of weeds, looking very deserted. But upon closer look, there was a small path that winded inward. At the end of it, one could faintly see a faint light. It seemed like that was San San¡¯s space. This path should be the one he usually took. San San walked forward first. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu followed closely behind. After walking for a while, Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings. ¡°There are¡­ quite a lot of people here.¡± She had already seen quite a few waves of people walking over. However, these people seemed to have purposely avoided this path and thus Clear Water Cliff. San San turned around and chuckled to explain, ¡°Master, you don¡¯t know. Ever since I met with that big fortune at Clear Water Cliff, the people in Peach Blossom Dock love coming over here to join in the fun, in hopes of meeting the same twist of fate! But in the past one or two years, nobody received any benefits, so there are fewer people coming over. The ones you see now aren¡¯t considered many. You need to know that at the beginning, the mountains were filled with people coming to search for treasures!¡± ¡°As for why they want to avoid Clear Water Cliff¡­ It¡¯s naturally because they know that this is already my territory!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him and raised her brows as she heartlessly exposed him. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because they know that this place has been targeted by the Black Sword Sect?¡± San San¡¯s smile froze, and he couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°You can just know this in your heart. Why must you expose me in my face¡­¡± I¡¯ve already suffered enough, yet Master stabbed me again. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head as she looked into the distance. It isn¡¯t hard to guess what these people are thinking. Even Rong Xiu and I came because we have the same thoughts, but¡­ I don¡¯t know if we can find any clues. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu followed San San into the Chu Liuyue, quite a few people noticed them. But as the two of them were disguised, outsiders just thought that San San brought his subordinates and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. ¡°Boss San went to Clear Water Cliff again?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so weird about that? Clear Water Cliff is originally his. Doesn¡¯t he come quite a few times every month?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t recall wrongly, yesterday was the day he sends monthly gifts to the Black Sword Sect. He didn¡¯t rest today, and he brought people over early in the morning?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s strange¡­ This Boss San won¡¯t wake up unless there are benefits. Could he be urgently taking some herbs?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that when the Black Sword Sect went to his shop to collect the items a few days ago, his pageboy was even injured as they weren¡¯t fully prepared? Not only did he send the items over yesterday, but he even apologized! I think Boss San is rushing over probably because the Black Sword Sect is chasing him!¡± ¡°I think so too¡­ That¡¯s really unlucky. He managed to gain such a twist of fate with much difficulty, yet he has to share it with other people for free¡­ Nobody would be able to take it, right?¡± ¡°So what? Not to mention him, who in the entire Peach Blossom Dock dares to go against the Black Sword Sect? Forget it, forget it! Be careful of getting into trouble for your words! Let¡¯s just think for ourselves!¡± Boss San at least had Clear Water Cliff. What about them? ¡­ The messy discussions entered her ear. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she looked at San San at the front. If this happened to others, they might not have been able to take it. However, San San is different. His ability to handle things in this area is top-notch. Judging from the letters he previously wrote, they didn¡¯t make one sense any displeasure. Clearly, even though the Black Sword Sect¡¯s doings make his heart ache, it doesn¡¯t actually affect him. He is a rather open-minded person. To put it more simply, he is generous. Luckily, he is here¡­ ¡°Master. Master?¡± San San stood still and turned around to look at Chu Liuyue, but he realized that his master seemed to be in a daze. Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced at him. San San covered his heart. ¡°Master, what do you mean¡­ by looking at me like this?¡± Chu Liuyue snickered. ¡°I was just thinking that you¡¯re rather blessed.¡± Once he heard this, San San was instantly elated. He loved other people praising him in this manner. ¡°Of course! Look¡­ This is the small space I told you about previously!¡± Chu Liuyue looked over to where he was pointing at. Not far away, there was a small lake. A faintly glowing barrier covered the lake. This was also the faint light that they had seen from the outside. When they looked up, a ray of light shone down from the skies, onto Clear Water Cliff that was split into two. San San took a step forward, and a dark-blue fire appeared in his palm. Whoosh! The fire tumbled, and the barrier instantly opened! San San raised his foot to enter. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu exchanged glances and followed him. The barrier closed, and the trio¡¯s figures completely disappeared. Chapter 1846 - 1846 Surprise 1846 Surprise A ray of white light flashed across, causing Chu Liuyue to squint her eyes slightly. Before she could see the scene before her clearly, an intense herbal fragrance had entered her nose. It was rejuvenating and comfortable. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly as she looked forward. Even if she had already imagined how the small space looked, she still couldn¡¯t help but gasp when she really saw it. This place¡­. was huge! The mountains were high, and there were waterfalls with clean streams. The intense Heaven and Earth Force formed a white mist and drifted everywhere. Countless treasures grew everywhere, and one couldn¡¯t see the end of it. It looked like a paradise. Even if it were Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Medicinal Valley, it also paled in comparison to this place. Even just by standing there, they could deeply feel the vitality almost oozing out! ¡°Here¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was stumped for once and was so shocked by everything before her that she couldn¡¯t speak. San San revealed a flattering smile. ¡°Hehe, Master, how is it? Do you like it?¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. Not only do I like it¡­ but it is also breathtaking! One had to know that Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Medicinal Valley only had its current flourishing situation due to the elders¡¯ meticulous care over a million years. However, the things in front¡­ could easily crush it! Rong Xiu looked at the scene before him and raised his brows slightly, seemingly rather shocked. However, he quickly retracted his gaze and turned to look at Chu Liuyue. When he saw the happiness in her eyes, there seemed to be a glint of dark light flashing across his eyes as his thin lips curled up in a smile. It seems like she¡¯s really happy. At this point, Chu Liuyue was still in deep shock, and she didn¡¯t notice his gaze. She turned around to look at San San, squinting her black gem-like eyes. ¡°San San, look at what¡¯s that.¡± ¡°Huh? Where?¡± San San strangely followed to look in the same direction as her. Chu Liuyue smiled and leaned in. ¡°Look at the big patch of grass by the stream. Does it look like Merge Spirit Herb?¡± A chill immediately went down San San¡¯s spine as he realized what she had said. He hurriedly raised both his hands to beg for mercy. ¡°Master, Master, I really didn¡¯t mean to lie to you on purpose! Aren¡¯t I¡­ aren¡¯t I¡­ The people from the Black Sword Sect always take advantage of me, so I just wanted to put up a small fight!¡± ¡°So you lied to them that you didn¡¯t have enough stock and really couldn¡¯t produce it?¡± He almost tricked me too. Chu Liuyue knew San San very well. She naturally wouldn¡¯t really think that San San did not have any inventory left at all, but she didn¡¯t expect¡­ it to be so much! This mountain was filled with treasures that couldn¡¯t be found outside! He actually had the cheek to cry that he was poor! Seeing that she wasn¡¯t really angry, San San heaved a sigh of relief as he complained with grievances. ¡°Master, am I not thinking of you!? Look, all these are yours originally. Now, they took so much away for nothing. My heart aches for you! I wanted to delay it and have them restrain themselves, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± I didn¡¯t expect that not only did they not reduce their standards, but they even increased the volume! It is really overboard! Chu Liuyue glanced at him and was caught between laughter and tears. Previously, I didn¡¯t know about the situation here, and he was the only one whose heart ached. But according to San San¡¯s personality, this was indeed enough for his heart to bleed. ¡°Three times.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were brief. San San immediately expressed his loyalty. ¡°Master, you¡¯re seeing me as an outsider by saying this! Since these are mine, it¡¯s equivalent to being yours! You can just take as much as you want!¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. I haven¡¯t seen him for a few years, but San San has become better and better at talking. However, I¡¯m currently in a good mood, so I won¡¯t hold it against him. She calmed down and seriously sized this small space up. It is really¡­ Compared to these things, what do the numbers on San San¡¯s account books count for? ¡°Do the people that previously followed you know about this situation?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. San San revealed a cunning smile. ¡°Master, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. Even though quite a few people have come in with me, they haven¡¯t seen what this truly looks like. Every time they come over, I just separate a small space for them.¡± As he spoke, he gestured with his hand. Just a tiny bit. Anyway, everything here was under his control, and he could naturally do whatever he wanted. Chu Liuyue glanced at him in admiration. San San is always reassuring in terms of money. ¡°How can there be a small space like this here¡­¡± After confirming that the others did not know about the real situation here, Chu Liuyue became more relaxed. Upon deeper thought, she was even more confused. ¡°There should be a reason for such a grotto-heaven to exist, right¡­¡± Without exaggerating, Chu Liuyue felt that this place could be compared to Ling Xiao Academy and the Sky-Cloud Empire. The most important thing was that almost nobody had infiltrated this area. Everything, no matter the Heaven and Earth Force or the treasures¡­ were the richest and most plentiful. San San scratched his head. ¡°I¡­ really don¡¯t know about this¡­¡± After all, he barged in here by chance. In the one to two years of being here, he had thought of this problem countless times, yet he didn¡¯t receive a reliable answer in the end. After some time, he didn¡¯t think about it anymore. Anyway, he was already satisfied to have this small space. Chu Liuyue looked over. The upper half was a patch of light green. Other than not having any sun, moon, or clouds, it was almost the same as the sky outside. The light breeze blew over with a thick herbal fragrance. ¡°Logically speaking, such small spaces are man-made. But¡­ what kind of person would have such powers?¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. She looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Rong Xiu, do you think that other than this, there will be¡ª¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Rong Xiu nodded affirmatively. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± Rong Xiu chuckled and lightly knocked her forehead. ¡°There are so many treasures here. You can guess without me telling you how much energy it needs. If this small space is really totally sealed, how can there be such scenery here?¡± His brows were raised slightly in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Perhaps¡­ there are even bigger surprises waiting for you.¡± Chapter 1847 - 1847 Shedding 1847 Shedding A bigger surprise¡­ Chu Liuyue could hardly imagine what a surprise that was even more shocking than everything in front of her would be like. ¡°San San, since you¡¯re the owner of this small space, you should know this place best.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at San San. ¡°Did you notice anything unusual around here?¡± San San shook his head. ¡°No¡­¡± Every time he came here, he basically picked herbs. As for the rest, it wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t checked, but he found nothing. ¡°Master, Your Highness, since you¡¯re here this time, why don¡¯t I show you around? Maybe you¡¯ll find something?¡± Since they were already here, they naturally had to take a good look. It just so happens that I¡¯m quite curious about this place. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see how many treasures you have in this small space!¡± ¡­ In the small space, there was abundant natural energy. As Chu Liuyue walked, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It would be good to cultivate here too.¡± San San chuckled upon hearing this. ¡°Master, you¡¯re right. Even if I¡¯ve been fishing for three days and basking in the nets for two days, after I run here a few times a month, I feel that my speed of practice has improved a lot compared to before! This wasn¡¯t an exaggeration but the truth. As soon as they came to Peach Blossom Dock, Chu Liuyue could tell that San San¡¯s strength had improved greatly compared to before. At first, she didn¡¯t take it to heart, but she then thought: he¡¯s busy doing business all day long. Where can he have time to concentrate on his cultivation? Not to mention that he didn¡¯t care enough about cultivating, and when he got busy, he probably didn¡¯t care about anything. Even so, his realm had still improved a lot. Now that she thought about it, it was the credit of this small space. ¡­ They walked inside. Only then did Chu Liuyue realize that this place was bigger than she had previously expected. The mountains were endless, the forests were lush, and the streams were gurgling. Precious medicinal materials that were rare in the outside world could be seen everywhere here. If the scene here was known to outsiders, it might cause great chaos¡­ The trio wasn¡¯t slow, but it still took a long time to barely patrol the area once. ¡°This place is almost half the size of Ling Xiao Academy,¡± Chu Liuyue exclaimed. Ling Xiao Academy was the top academy in the entire God Residence Realm. In terms of scale and other aspects, it was by no means inferior to those first-class families and sects. However, this place was just a small space in San San¡¯s hands¡­ More importantly, the sky and ground here were full of extremely precious heavenly treasures and materials. Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Medicinal Valley was only one-tenth of the entire academy¡¯s area at most. In that case, the small space in front of them had an area and medicinal material storage capacity several times greater than that of Medicinal Valley. It was simply jaw-dropping. ¡°If you can use this place for long-term cultivation¡­¡± Chu Liuyue murmured in a low voice. San San hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid this won¡¯t work.¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu both look over, San San sighed and explained helplessly. ¡°Do you remember me previously telling you that I can bring a few people in and out of here at a time?¡± Chu Liuyue tapped her chin. ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t you also say that the number of people is determined by your strength?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than that. The length of time outsiders stay here is also closely related to this. In short, the stronger I am, the more people I can bring in, and I can let them stay here longer. If there are too many people or if they have been here for too long, then I¡­ Basically, it¡¯s difficult for me to support them.¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. The corners of Rong Xiu¡¯s lip were slightly raised. ¡°There are quite a lot of rules in this small space.¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. If that¡¯s the case, my idea is really impossible to come true. ¡°So you don¡¯t have complete control over this small space.¡± To a large extent, San San was actually being restrained by this small space. San San nodded calmly. ¡°Yeah!¡± He had also thought about cultivating hard to better control this small space but later found it too difficult. It was too difficult to cultivate. Chu Liuyue glanced at him, speechless. I knew I couldn¡¯t count on you at times like this. She dispelled this thought in her heart but still felt a little regret. The site selection list which San San provided me isn¡¯t as good as this place. It¡¯s a pity¡­ ¡°Rong Xiu, did you discover anything just now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and he shook his head. ¡°This small space is self-contained, and it has already recognized its owner, so it¡¯s not easy to spy.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. In fact, this was already in her expectation because she didn¡¯t discover anything herself. Rong Xiu¡¯s strength is higher than mine. If even he says that, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult¡­ Our greatest hopes are probably still San San? Chu Liuyue glanced at San San again. San San¡¯s entire body shuddered. Every time Master looks at me like that, nothing good happens¡­ Whir! A subtle buzzing sound suddenly came from the body! Chu Liuyue raised her foot to leave, but when she noticed this movement, she was suddenly stunned. This fluctuation¡­ It¡¯s the black shield from my body! Seeing the change in Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression, San San asked curiously, ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Isn¡¯t Master planning to leave? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. Black light flashed, and that black shield suddenly appeared in her hands! Seeing her behavior, a dark light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Master?¡± San San was about to ask again, but he suddenly saw a stream of light overflowing on the black shield in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! The shallow light was sacred and flawless. An almost suffocating coercion gradually rushed from the black shield! Standing nearby, San San¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but change immediately, and he took two steps back in a hurry! At that moment, he just looked at the light on it, and he had the urge to kneel down! Its power was too terrifying! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were fixed on the black shield in her hand. The luminous light flowed silently, like a river spreading on black earth. Vaguely, they seemed to form a wonderful pattern, and they seemed to wash away the patina on the shield. Kacha! A slight cracking sound came. Immediately afterward, a nail cap-sized piece of rust fell off. The bright light quickly covered it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly beat quickly. This¡­ I¡¯ve had this black shield for several years, but I¡¯ve never seen such a situation! The shield¡ªwhich was once extremely hard and could easily resist countless powerful attacks¡ªtook the initiative to peel off a layer of rust at this time! At the same time, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force suddenly rushed toward this side! A vortex of energy came from the sky and landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! To be precise, it landed above the black shield in her hand! Crack! Another piece of rust fell! Chapter 1848 - 1848 Does it Hurt? 1848 Does it Hurt? As this piece of rust peeled off, the black shield began to devour the surrounding energy at an even more shocking speed! Chu Liuyue¡¯s aura surged and curled up the corner of her skirt. A few strands of hair fell from her forehead, but she didn¡¯t even blink. She was still staring intently at the black shield! This time, she seemed to have seen the extremely brilliant light inside after the rust fell! It was as if the dark sky had been torn apart by the sunlight¡ªit was bright and dazzling! It was almost impossible to look straight at! Unfortunately, all of this happened in just a flash. Before Chu Liuyue could take a closer look, the faint light flowing on the shield had already covered it again. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but she suddenly felt that the black shield had become much heavier. Unknowingly, pressure seemed to fall on her, but this didn¡¯t make her feel any discomfort. Instead, the force in her body seemed to be attracted by some force and began to flow quickly! Rumble! A strange explosion sounded. San San subconsciously looked up, and his eyes widened in shock. Right above them, the barrier in the sky suddenly burned! At a glance, it was almost as if a hole had been opened in the sky! The strangest thing was that the lames were actually hanging upside down! The tips of the flames were clearly aimed in their direction and seemed to be spreading! The burning blue flames were reflected in San San¡¯s eyes, jumping happily like elves. His eyelids twitched violently. What the hell is going on?! Why did the barrier suddenly break, and it is burning!? ¡°Master!¡± he shouted anxiously at Chu Liuyue. If this commotion really continues, what if everything here is burned down?! ¡°Boss San!¡± At this moment, a low and deep voice suddenly sounded from outside. San San was shocked. ¡°Someone¡¯s here!?¡± Under normal circumstances, nobody would come to Clear Water Cliff. It was obvious who would come looking for him at this time! Looking up again, the ghostly blue flames that had opened the barrier seemed to be burning even more fiercely¡­ Unfortunately, Chu Liuyue seemed to be focused on the black shield and couldn¡¯t hear him at all. San San shouted and looked at Rong Xiu for help. ¡°Your Highness, you have to help! If others see this situation, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± ¡°Boss San? Are you there?¡± When there was no response, the person outside spoke again. Rong Xiu looked at Chu Liuyue. At this moment, her situation was clearly different. Although her eyes were fixed on the black shield, if one looked carefully, they would notice that her vision was illusory and that she wasn¡¯t looking at anything. It was like she was deep in thought, or perhaps¡­ she was looking at something through the black shield! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Rong Xiu reached out and pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist. Her eyes turned cold as if she had been disturbed. Almost at the same time¡ª The sparkling light on the black shield suddenly floated up and landed in Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. Huala! A burn mark suddenly appeared on his fair and slender fingers! ¡°Master! Your Highness!¡± Shocked, San San almost stepped forward. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He didn¡¯t stop and held her wrist even more firmly. The warmth of his palm spread from her skin to her heart. Chu Liuyue looked up in realization and came back to her senses! The ray of light quickly flew back to the black shield and disappeared swiftly. In the blink of an eye, the entire shield dimmed again. The ball of blue flames hanging upside down in the sky extinguished almost at the same time and disappeared completely! Everything happened in one moment. Dong! Chu Liuyue loosened her grip and stabbed the black shield into the ground. ¡°Rong Xiu, I just saw¡ª¡± Just as she was about to say something, she saw Rong Xiu¡¯s injured finger from the corner of her eye. Was this¡­ caused by me? Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. For some reason, I seemed to have fallen into a very subtle state. Everything around me seemed ethereal except for the black shield in front of me¡ª When Rong Xiu went to pull her, she actually knew it was him and had no intention of attacking him. However, she didn¡¯t expect that with just a thought, the black shield would give such a terrifying attack¡­ This was just an accident. If I had the intention to fight¡ª ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury. It¡¯s fine.¡± Rong Xiu held her hand tightly and raised his chin. ¡°There¡¯s someone outside.¡± Chu Liuyue insisted on grabbing his hand and checking it. After confirming that it was only red, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Boss San isn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°He should be here. Didn¡¯t many people see him bring people in previously? It¡¯s not even noon; they shouldn¡¯t have come out yet.¡± ¡°Shout again.¡± When San San saw that both Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were fine, his heart finally relaxed but was still beating wildly. Almost¡­ San San stared at Chu Liuyue and the black shield in front of her with lingering fear and reminded, ¡°Master, this thing¡­ Why don¡¯t you put it away first?¡± It feels quite scary outside. Chu Liuyue felt helpless and amused, but she still picked it up. When she put it away, she took a closer look. The place that had peeled off the rust returned to its dark appearance. Other than a shallow depression, there was nothing special about it. She pursed her lips and put it away. Only then did San San turn around and walk out. Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu and saw the red mark on his finger. Feeling guilty, she held his hand and blew on it. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Although this burn wasn¡¯t serious for Rong Xiu, she still felt her heart ache. Besides, this was caused by her carelessness. Rong Xiu held her hand tightly as he walked forward. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± he replied distractedly. He wasn¡¯t thinking about pain. Chapter 1849 - 1849 Tension 1849 Tension San San walked to the edge of the barrier and looked back at the two of them. Chu Liuyue nodded calmly at him. Only then did San San extend his hand. A cluster of dark blue flames suddenly surged out and covered the barrier! Perhaps because of the deep impression of what he had just seen, San San¡¯s heart was still in his throat when he attacked. When he saw that the flames were burning as usual and had successfully opened the barrier, he heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately¡­ It seems that Master¡¯s attack hasn¡¯t affected the entire small space much. Otherwise, it would probably be difficult for us to go out today. Then, I wouldn¡¯t know how to explain to the people outside. San San composed himself and walked out of the gap in the barrier! The two of them followed closely behind. After the three of them disappeared, the barrier closed again. Peace returned to the small space. ¡­ As soon as San San came out, he saw a few people waiting outside. They were dressed in black robes, with two swords emblazoned on their left chest. These people were from the Black Sword Sect. Moreover, he knew the leader of the group. ¡°Lord Mo Lin, why are you here?¡± When he looked up, San San had already put on an earnest and enthusiastic smile and walked over quickly. Mo Lin¡¯s status in the Black Sword Sect wasn¡¯t low either; he was Mo Yun¡¯s right-hand man. Many things were handled by him on behalf of Mo Yun. Therefore, when San San saw him, his attitude was also very enthusiastic. Mo Lin and the others were waiting impatiently. When they saw San San come out, their expressions softened. ¡°Boss San.¡± Mo Lin stepped forward. He looked to be in his 30s. He was tall and thin, with ordinary facial features. Only his eyes were sharp and cold, exuding shrewdness and ruthlessness. ¡°I called you a couple of times just now, but you didn¡¯t respond. We thought you weren¡¯t inside anymore.¡± His lips curved as he spoke, but his eyes were still cold. San San didn¡¯t dare to underestimate him at all. He hurriedly smiled and explained, ¡°Lord Mo Lin, I¡¯m really sorry. I was busy handling some herbs inside and didn¡¯t hear you for a moment. After hearing you, I quickly came out. Please forgive me!¡± Mo Lin sized him up. San San¡¯s round face was red, and there were beads of sweat on his forehead. He was panting slightly and looked like he had indeed rushed out. However, he didn¡¯t know that San San was only like this because he had been shocked by his master just now. Seeing San San like this, the dissatisfaction in Mo Lin¡¯s heart dissipated a lot, and the coldness in his eyes gradually faded. ¡°Hehe, Boss San, don¡¯t be nervous. We came too suddenly this time. I¡¯m really sorry to disturb you.¡± San San smiled eagerly, but he had already cursed the other party¡¯s ancestors in his heart. Sorry? I can¡¯t see that the other party is sorry at all! If he really didn¡¯t want to disturb me, he shouldn¡¯t have appeared at Clear Water Cliff at this time! He shouldn¡¯t have kept calling my name endlessly! He has already done what he shouldn¡¯t have done. Saying ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ at this time is simply taking off his pants and farting¡ªit¡¯s unnecessary! ¡°Lord Mo Lin is busy every day. Why are you free to come here today? Is there something important?¡± San San still had to survive, so he was still very polite. Mo Lin said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just that our people realized¡ª¡± Before he could finish, his gaze focused on Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue, who had just come out from behind San San. ¡°These two are¡­¡± A look of suspicion came into his eyes. San San immediately laughed. ¡°These two are my pharmacy¡¯s servants. It¡¯s normal for Lord Mo Lin not to know them.¡± When they came out today, the two of them had specially dressed up. At the very least, they looked ordinary. Mo Lin frowned. San San did bring his followers over usually, so there was nothing strange about it. But for some reason, he felt that these two servants looked¡­ unusual. He couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong. He stared suspiciously at them again. San San took a step forward and deliberately blocked Mo Lin¡¯s line of sight. Then, he smiled and rubbed his hands. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Lord Mo Lin. My two servants are new and don¡¯t know the rules. If they¡¯ve offended you, I hope you can forgive them! Haha!¡± Seeing that there was indeed nothing suspicious about the two of them, Mo Lin looked away. They¡¯re just two servants and aren¡¯t worth me wasting time and energy for nothing. We have other motives for coming today. ¡°Boss San, we actually came here this time to ask you for a favor.¡± San San was stunned. ¡°Lord Mo Lin, please speak.¡± Mo Lin raised his hand and pointed at a mountain not far away. ¡°A few of us are trapped at Blue Peak and can¡¯t come out for a while. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to trouble Boss San to go and help.¡± As soon as Mo Lin said this, San San¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Me?¡± San San raised his hand and pointed at his nose. If their people are trapped in Blue Peak, they could¡¯ve saved them themselves. Why did they come looking for me? Has Mo Lin¡¯s brain been kicked by a donkey? Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu stood silently at the side and tacitly reduced their presence. However, they naturally heard these words clearly. Hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. There are countless people in the Black Sword Sect who are stronger than San San. There are only two possibilities for them to look for San San. First, they are just finding an excuse to lure San San to Blue Peak. However, this excuse is too lousy. The people from the Black Sword Sect don¡¯t seem to be like this. Secondly, they are really here to ask for San San¡¯s help, and only San San can help. If that¡¯s the case, things will be very subtle¡­ San San thought quickly and reacted. ¡°No problem! Since Lord Mo Lin has personally asked, I¡¯ll naturally not refuse. How can I refuse? Blue Peak, right? Let¡¯s go now!¡± Mo Lin suddenly raised his hand to stop him. ¡°Wait.¡± San San¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mo Lin raised his chin. ¡°Boss San can just follow us alone. As for these two¡­¡± It meant that they had to stay. San San was in a difficult position; he was really in a difficult position. With the small space as a bargaining chip, he wasn¡¯t afraid of what the other party would do to him. But could he really go over alone and leave Master and His Highness here? What if something happened? ¡°Lord Mo Lin, these¡­ These two servants are my men. I¡¯m really worried if I leave them here alone! Why don¡¯t we bring them along? I guarantee that they won¡¯t cause you any trouble!¡± Mo Lin suddenly narrowed his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re just two servants. Why are you so nervous?¡± Chapter 1850 - 1850 Snaking Flames 1850 Snaking Flames s San San sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Lord Mo Lin, in your opinion, they¡¯re indeed just two insignificant servants, but to me¡­ They¡¯re extremely important! You also know that it¡¯s really not easy for me to run the medicine stores. These servants were carefully selected by me before I personally taught them how to identify the herbs. This took me a lot of effort¡­ If something happens to them, it¡¯ll be my loss¡ª¡± San San sighed. ¡°Back when I first came to Peach Blossom Dock, it was so difficult¡­¡± Seeing that San San was really going to complain from the beginning, the corners of Mo Lin¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Alright, alright! Since Boss San has said so, just bring the two of them along!¡± It¡¯ll be fine if they are obedient, but if something happens¡­ Anyway, we have ways to deal with these two quietly. He had interacted with Boss San for a long time. The most unbearable thing was his nagging. Now that the situation was urgent, there was really no need to waste time on such a small matter. San San was overjoyed and grateful. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Lord Mo Lin!¡± Mo Lin was a little impatient. If Deputy Sect Master hadn¡¯t specially instructed me to be more polite to Boss San, I wouldn¡¯t have been so patient. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He didn¡¯t look at the two people behind him anymore. He just turned around and headed straight for Blue Peak. San San coughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go too!¡± ¡­ The group was very fast. In about 15 minutes, they arrived at Blue Peak. Mo Lin stood in the air and pointed ahead. ¡°Boss San, they¡¯re trapped there.¡± San San looked over and indeed saw a few figures halfway up the mountain. However, the dense forest blocked most of his vision. He could only see rough outlines; he couldn¡¯t clearly see what was going on. ¡°This Blue Peak¡­ Why are those people trapped?¡± San San asked in confusion. He looked at the men, who didn¡¯t seem to be injured. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just go down the mountainside? Mo Lin frowned. ¡°Boss San, take a closer look.¡± Seeing his serious expression, San San felt that something was wrong, so he took two steps forward and looked at it from a different angle. This time, he finally saw what was happening halfway up the mountain. A look of confusion crossed his face at first. Then, he looked at Mo Lin in disbelief as if he had guessed something. ¡°Lord Mo Lin, that¡¯s¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. She and Rong Xiu were located at the back and couldn¡¯t see the situation there clearly. But from the position beside San San, she could still spy on some things. She looked up. This Blue Peak is an extremely ordinary mountain; there is nothing special about it at a glance. Those people are staying in a relatively flat spot halfway up the mountain. For some reason, they keep walking back and forth but don¡¯t go anywhere else. It looks like they were really trapped in that area¡­ However, there are no barriers or anything like that around¡­ ¡°Look at their feet.¡± A cold and low voice suddenly entered her ears. Rong Xiu used his force to transform his voice and said it to her alone. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked in the direction he was pointing. And when she did, she realized there was something fishy going on. There seemed to be a blue light flickering on the ground in front of them, but because they were quite far away, and their vision was blocked, they couldn¡¯t see clearly for a moment. However, that color¡­ looked familiar¡­ ¡°This morning, the few of them came to Blue Peak to train. Originally, everything was fine. For some reason, such a situation suddenly occurred on the mountain and trapped the few of them in place, unable to come out. After receiving the news that they had asked for help, we rushed over,¡± Mo Lin explained concisely. ¡°We¡¯ve already approached to take a closer look. That thing¡­ seems to be indeed related to Boss San. Therefore, we specially invited you over to see if you can help.¡± Although Mo Lin¡¯s tone was very calm, San San¡¯s hands were already sweating, and he was extremely nervous after hearing this. Although it was only a glance, he could clearly see that the blue light that trapped them halfway up the mountain was actually a line of fire! Moreover, it was indeed identical to the dark-blue flames in his body! ¡°Boss San?¡± Seeing that San San didn¡¯t move for a long time, Mo Lin urged. San San came back to his senses and wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Lord Mo Lin, no matter what, I have to explain to you first¡ªI really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on at Blue Peak! We¡¯ve been staying in that small space previously. How could we have the time and energy to come here¡­¡± Mo Lin raised his hand, indicating that there was no need for San San to say anything else. ¡°We all believe Boss San on this point. Previously, they said that the situation suddenly occurred and should indeed have nothing to do with Boss San. Therefore, Boss San, don¡¯t worry. We definitely won¡¯t blame you for this for no reason. Besides, we still need your help.¡± Mo Lin¡¯s face was expressionless, and nobody could tell if his words were true or false. San San gritted his teeth. These things can¡¯t be explained in a few words. It seems that I will only have a chance to clarify after I bring those people out¡­ ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go take a look first.¡± As San San spoke, he walked over. After taking two steps, he hurriedly stood still and turned around. ¡°Everyone, please come over together. With me around, I can at least ensure your safety. If you¡¯re closer, you might be able to find some clues.¡± Mo Lin had no intention of standing here and watching. He nodded and followed. The other people from the Black Sword Sect also followed. San San¡¯s gaze landed on Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue as he casually urged, ¡°Don¡¯t fall behind either.¡± With that, he took a deep breath and turned toward Blue Peak. ¡­ The closer they got, the clearer the scene became. When Chu Liuyue finally saw the scene in front of her after crossing the dense forest, she was still shocked, even though she had expected it. The dark-blue flames were actually buried under the thin layer of rocks and were burning silently! Chapter 1851 - 1851 Flames 1851 Flames This scene was very strange. The flames spread like a river across the flat land, forming an arc that trapped the few of them. However, these flames were only as thick as an adult¡¯s arm, and they were sealed under the mountain rock. Perhaps it was because the layer of rocks was very thin and had a special texture, but after being roasted by the dark-blue flames, it was almost transparent. Everyone could clearly see the dancing flames below. At a glance, it looked like a small ditch burning with flames, covered and suppressed by transparent jade slabs. ¡°Lord Mo Lin!¡± Seeing their arrival, the few people trapped in the fire revealed excited expressions. Only then did Chu Liuyue realize that their faces were abnormally red and that something was wrong. Moreover, there was a faint hint of pain between their eyebrows. It was as if they were suffering pain. Her eyes swept down again. There was nothing unusual on the ground, but their appearance was clearly related to this circle of fire. Mo Lin looked at San San. ¡°Boss San, do you have a way?¡± San San stood at the front with his hands folded. His eyes were fixed on the ghostly blue flames burning under the transparent rocks as his thoughts raced. At this moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind! He was indeed very familiar with this aura¡ªthese flames came from the same source as him. However¡­ this wasn¡¯t the power of that small space! After thinking about it, San San decided to tell the truth first. ¡°Lord Mo Lin, to be honest, I¡¯m not completely confident in this either.¡± When Mo Lin heard this, his expression turned three times colder. San San had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue. ¡°Although these flames are the same as mine, they don¡¯t belong to my small space. Therefore¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can control them to deal with the situation.¡± Mo Lin stared at him suspiciously for a long moment. ¡°Since it¡¯s the same flame, you can naturally control it. Why can¡¯t you resolve it?¡± San San didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°¡­Lord Mo Lin, let me tell you this. The power in that small space is indeed under my control, but with my current strength, I can only control a very small portion of it. And these flames have exceeded the range of that small space, so I naturally can¡¯t control them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but¡­¡± Mo Lin¡¯s expression changed several times. He looked at the few people who were in pain and frowned. ¡°Forget it! Just try your best first! If you really can¡¯t save them, think of another way!¡± San San swallowed hard. ¡°Then¡­ Then¡­ Even if I fail¡­¡± Mo Lin shouted angrily, ¡°No matter what the outcome is, we won¡¯t do anything to you! Just do it!¡± Boss San is really troublesome! San San heaved a sigh of relief. Although these people from the Black Sword Sect always went back on their word and never followed any rules, he still had to fight for this promise. Wouldn¡¯t it be more guaranteed? He took a deep breath, composed himself, and took a few more steps forward. At this moment, he was only a step away from the circle of fire. Immediately, he spread his feet and raised his arms gently. A cluster of blue flames quickly surged out of his palm! Almost at the same time, a crisp cracking sound suddenly came from the ground! Crack! A crack appeared on the transparent mountain rock! The flames below seemed to have sensed something and were restless as if they would rush out the next moment! Chapter 1852 - 1852 Leaving Him in the Lurch 1852 Leaving Him in the Lurch There was no wind around. Everyone was waiting quietly. Crack! The cracking sounds came one after another, and the cracks on the ground quickly expanded like a spider web. The flames below danced even more violently. Like a trapped beast that had been restrained for too long, it finally smelled freedom and began to fret. San San¡¯s expression was solemn, and cold sweat quickly broke out on his forehead. This was because he realized that the situation seemed to be worse than he had expected. His force was being consumed at an alarming rate, but the flames below still hadn¡¯t come out. What worried him even more was that he could vaguely sense that the aura and pressure of the dark-blue flames suppressed below seemed to be superior to his! Even if he barely managed to save the people inside, he would probably have to pay a considerable price! Thinking of that scene, San San¡¯s heart ached again. Wasn¡¯t I just lucky enough to obtain a small space? Do these people have to torture me like this? It¡¯s fine if they ask me for so many natural treasures, but now, they even handed such a matter to me¡­ I just want to open a small business and earn some money! Unfortunately, Mo Lin and the others were staring at him from the side. Moreover, his master and His Highness were also there, giving him no chance to escape. San San sighed in his heart. I have to settle this matter today no matter what. Otherwise¡­ Master and the others will probably be implicated by me! Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and circulated the force in his body even more crazily! The flames in his palm burned even more fiercely. Shoo! With a flip of his wrist, the flames in his hand flew out and transformed into a fire whip in midair. Immediately after, the fire whip swung down! It hit the transparent mountain rock! Rumble! In an instant, the stone shattered! The flames suppressed inside began to sweep out crazily! They quickly twisted into a ball with the fire whip that San San used! Whoosh! Sparks flew everywhere! The two sides fought fiercely! ¡­ Everyone present was shocked. They were clearly identical flames, but they were mutually incompatible! At this moment, Mo Lin finally believed what San had said. It seems that the flames buried in the mountain really have nothing to do with him, and they are indeed not something he can control. Slap! San San gritted his teeth and threw out another fire whip, pressing down again! The strength of both sides was barely equal at this moment! ¡°Quick!¡± he shouted anxiously. The few people trapped in the circle of fire were already stunned by what they saw. Hearing this, they finally reacted and rushed out. But just as they were about to step out, a dark-blue flame suddenly broke through the seal of power and burned fiercely! Hong! The flame burned rapidly and instantly reached the height of a person! ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The young man at the front was caught off-guard and was hit by the heat wave of the flames. He screamed and took a few steps back, covering his face as he fell to the ground. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. Most of the young man¡¯s body was already tainted by the dark-blue flames. The intense burning pain swept over him, almost consuming him. He beat frantically at the flames around him, trying to get out of the pain. However, this flame wasn¡¯t ordinary. How could it be extinguished so easily? The people beside him quickly retreated. Seeing this, they seemed to hesitate and wanted to step forward, but nobody really moved. Clearly, they were also afraid of being implicated. It was too late to dodge, so why would they go forward and die? Mo Lin frowned and tightened his grip on the sword at his waist, but when he saw the young man¡¯s miserable state from the burn, a hint of hesitation flashed across his eyes. In the end, he pressed down. There was no point in saving him now that things had come to this. The young man¡¯s heart-wrenching cry of pain was almost enough to make one¡¯s heart tremble. However, the people from the Black Sword Sect actually chose to ignore him, be it inside or outside the circle of fire. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes to hide the mockery in them. The Black Sword Sect is really like San San said. They are all unreasonable, cruel, and bloody people. Just because they were worried that it would affect them, they all chose to stand by without hesitation. It is really¡­ After a while, the young man¡¯s voice gradually softened. His entire body was already frozen in place, easily engulfed by the blue flames. This was what it meant to be burned alive! Chu Liuyue frowned and suddenly had a question. Mo Lin and the others don¡¯t seem to care about the lives of these people. Then, why did they spend so much effort to invite San San over? They even said that he had to save these people? Her gaze landed on the flames that emerged from under the rocks again. Their real goal has probably never been humans¡­ ¡­ San San gritted his teeth and circulated the remaining force in his body again. He waved a ball of fire, wanting to suppress the cluster of flames that suddenly appeared. However, his strength was limited. After entangling for a while, his flames were devoured by the other party. His heart turned cold. I¡¯m really no match for this flame! Seeing this scene, the remaining people didn¡¯t dare to step forward rashly. The previous one had already died miserably! They didn¡¯t want to follow in his footsteps! The scene fell into a stalemate. San San was angry and anxious. I really can¡¯t save these people! They missed such a good opportunity just now, and now, they are even more timid and didn¡¯t dare to come out. How can I easily bring them out with my own strength?! However, he didn¡¯t dare to rush Mo Lin either. Anyway, these are their people. As long as they see that I have done my best, it will be fine. As for whether it will work¡­ Mo Lin didn¡¯t even make a move just now. As an outsider, what is there to care about?! Thinking of this, San San hurriedly took out a pill and consumed it to replenish his force. Then, he tried to suppress the flames again! ¡­ The result was, of course, failure. Not only did the aura and pressure of the flames that emerged from the rocks not decrease as time passed, but they seemed to have become stronger! San San was only barely on par with the other party to begin with. Now that the enemy was stronger than him, the scales of victory naturally began to tilt. Waves of exhaustion came from his body. San San finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Lord Mo Lin, I¡¯m afraid¡­ I can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡± Mo Lin¡¯s expression turned even colder. I thought that bringing him over would successfully resolve the matter, but I didn¡¯t expect it to still not work¡­ Shoo! Another cluster of flames rushed out! San San¡¯s defense line gradually collapsed. As the flames burned crazily, the few people trapped inside suffered. Finally, one of them seemed unable to take it anymore. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground. The next moment, a cluster of flames suddenly exploded from his body! Chapter 1853 - 1853 Wildfire 1853 Wildfire Upon seeing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils constricted as she instantly understood something. No wonder their states looked very strange just now¡ªit turned out that the power of the flames had already invaded their bodies. The internal fire burns and not only consumes their force crazily, but it will also burn and devour their bones, tendons, and bloodline inch by inch. A normal person would probably not be able to endure such pain. At this moment, the power of the flames rose again and broke through the limit that person could withstand. He naturally exploded and died. With this one dead, the remaining few¡­ are obviously not far away. Sure enough, just as this thought flashed through her mind, an explosion sounded again! Another one died. This time, there wasn¡¯t even the slightest time to react. Swoosh! Mo Lin drew his sword from his waist. The people behind him were originally in deep shock. Seeing his actions, they hurriedly drew their swords. However, their movements were a little weak, and their eyes were filled with panic and confusion. Obviously, everything that happened had exceeded their expectations, and they were all stunned. Wary, Chu Liuyue was about to take action when Rong Xiu suddenly pinched her hand gently. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± These people¡¯s goal isn¡¯t the humans. Instead, it is this strange flame! His movements were very light. Moreover, Mo Lin and the others were focused there, so they didn¡¯t notice the exchange between the two of them. Chu Liuyue quietly retracted her aura. She looked at the ground again and suddenly thought of a problem. Where did this flame¡­ come from? On the surface, the flames seem to be coming from the rocks, but¡­ what about below? This is halfway up the mountain. If this flame was really suppressed below, then¡­ Why did it suddenly come out now? For some reason, she suddenly recalled the scene in the small space. The black shield¡¯s rust peeled off, and a ghostly blue flaming grotto-heaven came burning upside-down. Rumble! A loud sound suddenly echoed! Shocked, she looked over and saw that the blue flames had suddenly erupted! It almost formed a huge wall of fire! ¡°Quickly retreat!¡± San San shouted anxiously. At the same time, he quickly turned around and headed straight for them. His round hands quickly waved in midair, swiftly condensing a barrier! It protected the three of them! A violent force swept over! The next moment, it slammed into the barrier set up by San San! San San¡¯s face turned pale, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes darkened, and she immediately went forward. However, Rong Xiu was faster than her. With a wave of his sleeve, a gentle force supported San San¡¯s body. With help, San San was able to catch his breath. He turned around and coughed up a few more mouthfuls of blood. Chu Liuyue quickly went forward and handed over a pill. ¡°Boss, are you alright?¡± She grabbed San San¡¯s wrist. A gentle and powerful force surged into his body and quickly suppressed the chaotic energy in his body. San San looked up, flattered. Just as he was about to thank them, he remembered their identities and quickly swallowed the rest of his words. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine!¡± He coughed and silently opened his mouth at her with his back facing Mo Lin and the others. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. Although San San looked disheveled and pale, his eyes were clear, and his breathing was relatively stable. Presumably, his internal force wasn¡¯t injured. Only then did she let go and take half a step back. What she didn¡¯t know was that the reason why San San wasn¡¯t injured was that when the power of the flames collided crazily, it seemed to be¡­ especially lenient to him. Even though the flames had been fighting him previously, they didn¡¯t have any killing intent toward him. This feeling was very subtle. He hadn¡¯t noticed at first. He only realized it later when he saw how easily the flames had ended the lives of those people. San San thought about it carefully and guessed that the reason why the flames were like this was precisely because he was related to that small space and had a flame of the same origin in his body. He was secretly glad, but he also knew that this couldn¡¯t be seen through by Mo Lin and the others. Otherwise, it would really be hard to explain himself. Hence, San San took a deep breath and looked at Mo Lin and the others nervously. ¡°Lord Mo Lin! Are you alright?¡± Mo Lin and the others¡¯ current situation was much worse than him. They all had seemingly serious injuries. As the strongest among them, Mo Lin¡¯s situation was slightly better, but blood was also flowing from the corner of his mouth. The hot flames had been so close to¡ª Hearing San San¡¯s voice, he immediately looked up! His eyes were filled with undisguised anger! When San San fled just now, he didn¡¯t care about us at all! San San trembled under his gaze, but he cursed in his heart. What are you looking at? It¡¯s only natural for me to protect my master! Do I have to risk my life to save you? Who do you think you are!? ¡°Lord Mo Lin¡­ I was too anxious just now. I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± As San San spoke, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked miserable. Mo Lin¡¯s breath immediately choked in his chest. Although he was angry, San San wasn¡¯t one of them. When they were in danger, he naturally had no obligation to help them. There was nothing to say about that, and he was in no position to even reprimand him. ¡°Hmph!¡± Mo Lin sneered and ignored San San. He just turned to look at the mountainside. Just now, they had been overturned by the terrifying heat wave and retreated quite a distance. However, the few people trapped there earlier had already been engulfed by the flames and completely disappeared. The blue flames were slightly restrained now. They surged out of the rocks and burned silently, about half the height of a person. Cracks could be seen clearly on the ground! Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank because on the ground not far away, a piece of rock suddenly became transparent. Below, another flame rose! The flames were spreading! Chapter 1854 - 1854 Entering the Tigers Den 1854 Entering the Tiger¡¯s Den ¡°Could it be that these flames really came from Blue Peak?¡± Mo Lin stared coldly at the spreading flames and muttered softly. ¡°My lord, what should we do now?¡± The people behind him looked worried and nervous. Originally, they were here to save their people. Not only did they fail to do so, but they even made things worse¡­ Previously, the higher-ups had repeatedly reminded them that they had to be careful about all matters regarding Blue Peak. In the end¡­ Now that the mountain fire had started, it would definitely attract the attention of many people. In the end, they would probably have to bear the blame. Mo Lin gritted his teeth. I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this. It doesn¡¯t matter if those people die, but if the flames continue to burn like this¡­ Even I will have to bear the consequences! ¡°Return immediately!¡± Mo Lin made a prompt decision. They had all experienced the power of the dark-blue flames just now. Even if all of them joined forces, they wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with it. Since that was the case, it was better to return immediately and ask for instructions. Even if they would be punished, it was better than making a scene. The remaining people looked at each other secretly and saw the fear in each other¡¯s eyes. Mo Lin was fine; after all, his status was there. Even if he did something wrong, the deputy sect master wouldn¡¯t do anything to him. However, they were different¡ªit was obvious what awaited them when they returned. But they didn¡¯t dare to disobey Mo Lin¡¯s orders and could only agree. ¡°Okay.¡± Mo Lin¡¯s gaze turned and landed on San San and the others. ¡°Boss San, please come with us.¡± San San was more than half-involved in this matter. Of course, he had to follow them back to explain. San San was extremely annoyed, but he knew that he had to go on this trip. He didn¡¯t hesitate and nodded. ¡°Of course, of course. It¡¯s all because I¡¯m not strong enough, so¡­¡± He blamed himself and coughed as he spoke. To others, he looked pale and haggard. He had really tried his best just now. Mo Lin frowned. ¡°Boss San, are you alright?¡± San San quickly shook his head. ¡°Cough¡ªcough¡ªcough¡ªI¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just¡ªcough¡ªit¡¯s just that my aura and blood aren¡¯t smooth. I¡¯ll be fine after I go back and recuperate for a while.¡± As he spoke, he had reached Mo Lin¡¯s side. ¡°Lord Mo Lin, then¡­ Then, let¡¯s go now?¡± However, Mo Lin didn¡¯t move. He looked to the side at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue, who weren¡¯t far away. San San¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Then, as if he suddenly thought of something, he turned around and shouted at the two of them, ¡°This is none of your business! Go back first¡ª¡± ¡°Boss San.¡± Mo Lin interrupted him coldly. His tone was calm, but there was no room for rejection. ¡°Since the two of them are also here, they naturally have to return with us to give the deputy sect master and the others an explanation.¡± San San¡¯s expression froze. Just as he was in a difficult position, Chu Liuyue had already taken a step forward and nodded slightly. ¡°Boss, since Lord Mo Lin has said so, let¡¯s go together.¡± San San¡¯s hands tightened and relaxed, and his heart seemed to be clenched tightly by something. Sigh! Master still doesn¡¯t know the personalities of these Black Sword Sect people! It¡¯s easy to enter the Black Sword Sect, but it will be difficult to come out again! However, Mo Lin¡¯s attitude is firm now. It¡¯s obvious that he won¡¯t let them go back easily. He took a deep breath and pretended to be serious. ¡°The Black Sword Sect isn¡¯t a place you can go casually! Today, Lord Mo Lin gave you face! After we arrive, you must follow me closely and be careful with your words and actions! Don¡¯t mess around! Don¡¯t offend the lords! Do you understand?!¡± With that, he looked at Mo Lin. ¡°My lord, let¡¯s go now? I think the fire is spreading quite quickly. We have to go back as soon as possible and report the situation!¡± This sentence finally hit Mo Lin¡¯s heart. He nodded and moved quickly in the direction of the Black Sword Sect. San San turned around and gave the two of them a look. The three of them followed at a moderate pace. ¡­ At Yue Manor. The courtyard was silent. Wu Yao was boxing. Yu Jiu was swinging his sword. Shi Fang went to the backyard to dig the ground. Xiao Ba ran to the storeroom to look for herbs. As for Thirteen, after breaking through, he had been cultivating in his room for the past few days. At this moment, he wasn¡¯t around either. Swoosh! Yu Jiu stabbed out and frowned. Then, he casually twirled his sword, put it away, and glanced in the direction of the door. ¡°Fifth Brother, why aren¡¯t Master and the others back yet?¡± Wu Yao stopped and let out a long breath. ¡°Didn¡¯t Third Brother say that he brought Master and His Highness to Clear Water Cliff today? I heard that the small space is very big, so it¡¯ll probably take a while to explore it. They won¡¯t be back so soon, right?¡± Yu Jiu shook his head. ¡°Even so, there shouldn¡¯t be zero movements until now¡­ For some reason, I feel a little panicked.¡± Wu Yao laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time Master and His Highness have come to Peach Blossom Dock. With San San around, what are you worried about?¡± Yu Jiu pursed his lips. Of course, I know this too. Except¡­ I feel uneasy as if something is about to happen. ¡°Fifth Brother, why don¡¯t I go take a look?¡± Wu Yao hesitated. ¡°Do you know how to get to Clear Water Cliff?¡± Yu Jiu was instantly speechless. Peach Blossom Dock was so big that even if one knew the general direction, the mountains were endless and would indeed waste a lot of time and energy. ¡°Anyway, Master and the others are here. I should be able to find them soon¡ª¡± As Yu Jiu spoke, he saw Cen Yi walking out of the house from the corner of his eye and hurriedly bowed. ¡°Big Brother.¡± Wu Yao also turned around. ¡°Big Brother, why are you out?¡± Cen Yi didn¡¯t answer the two of them. He just stood under the porch and raised his head slightly to look at the distant sky. His narrow, indifferent eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were thinking about something. That commotion just now¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t have to go,¡± Cen Yi suddenly said. Yu Jiu was stunned for a moment before he realized that Cen Yi was talking about him. ¡°Big Brother, are Master and the others coming back?¡± Cen Yi pondered for a moment. ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to return for a while.¡± This time, Wu Yao¡¯s expression changed. What does he mean? Could it be that Master and the others are in trouble? Cen Yi shook his head at the two. ¡°All of you stay here for the time being. Everything will be fine. If anyone comes to investigate, as long as they don¡¯t come in, don¡¯t attack easily. I¡¯ll go out for a while.¡± With that, he disappeared without waiting for the two of them to ask any more questions! Yu Jiu and Wu Yao looked at each other. ¡°From Big Brother¡¯s reaction¡­ I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s really going to be trouble!¡± Wu Yao was silent for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Master won¡¯t suffer a loss. Let¡¯s just wait here in peace!¡± ¡­ At the Black Sword Sect. Chu Liuyue looked up at the three words on the plaque. The strokes were powerful and filled with killing intent! Chapter 1855 - 1855 Speculation 1855 Speculation ¡°Welcome, Lord Mo Lin!¡± The guard standing at the door bowed respectfully. Mo Lin didn¡¯t stay long. He only nodded coldly and strode inside. The three of them followed behind. Perhaps because of Mo Lin, although the guards were a little surprised, they quickly restrained their expressions and looked down. San San swallowed nervously. Although he had always interacted with the Black Sword Sect in the past year or two, he rarely entered through the main entrance. He didn¡¯t know what kind of storm he would face this time, nor did he know when he would come out¡­ Thinking that his master was still behind him, his racing heart finally calmed down a lot. Taking a deep breath, he followed. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu looked at each other and quietly walked forward. ¡­ The moment she crossed the threshold, Chu Liuyue immediately sensed a subtle energy fluctuation brush past her. Her heart tightened. There is actually a transparent barrier here! Most importantly, I didn¡¯t notice anything before I came over! The person who set up this barrier must be extremely powerful! She became even more vigilant of the Black Sword Sect. These thoughts flashed through her mind quickly, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face. Along the way, she kept her head slightly bowed, like a servant who had really not seen much of the world. She followed San San nervously and silently. Rong Xiu was beside her, and she could still smell the faint cold fragrance on him. This made her feel much more at ease. It was purely an accident that they came today, but it was indeed a rare opportunity to investigate the Black Sword Sect! Thinking of the scene she had seen that day¡ªthe surging dark clouds in the sky and the countless lightning bolts that flashed down¡ªshe felt that something was wrong with the Black Sword Sect. ¡°Where¡¯s the deputy sect master? I have something to report.¡± As soon as Mo Lin walked through the door, someone welcomed him. Hearing Mo Lin¡¯s words and looking at his expression, the person knew that something had really happened and hurriedly said, ¡°The deputy sect master is practicing his sword in the backyard now. I¡¯ll go ask for instructions¡ª¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go myself!¡± Mo Lin waved his hand and headed straight for the backyard. Things were urgent, so there was no time. ¡°Lord Mo Lin, these few?¡± Seeing that he couldn¡¯t stop them, the person didn¡¯t say anything else. But when he glanced at the three of them, he looked very hesitant. Of course, I know Boss San, but hadn¡¯t he just been here yesterday? Moreover¡­ When he came here in the past, he had always been alone and had never brought anyone along. Why did he bring two attendants today? Lord Mo Lin should know the rules. In that case, there is a reason why he had no choice but to bring these two people over¡­ Mo Lin paused. ¡°Let them come together!¡± The man hesitated, then nodded in agreement. San San broke out into a cold sweat. Even I have never been to the backyard of the Black Sword Sect! If we really go over, it will be fine on my side. However, the two of them¡ª San San gritted his teeth and looked at Mo Lin¡¯s back, cursing the other party¡¯s ancestors again. Mo Lin is clearly determined to find trouble with us! ¡­ Compared to San San¡¯s nervousness, Chu Liuyue¡¯s mentality was much better. As early as when Mo Lin said he wanted them to come over too, she knew that she was in big trouble today. But at this point, they had no other choice. The group walked towards the backyard. The residence of the Black Sword Sect was larger and more imposing than Yue Manor. However, there were much fewer people here than she had expected. The entire mansion seemed a little empty. At the very least, this was the case for the places they had passed. Chu Liuyue thought to herself, It¡¯s said that the Black Sword Sect has been expanding its recruitment. In the past year or two, the power of the gang has been increasing. Logically speaking, there should be a lot of people here. But from what I¡¯ve seen, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. But the deeper they went, the tenser the atmosphere became. Even Mo Lin¡¯s expression became much more solemn. Finally, after a long walk, they finally arrived at the gate to the backyard. Mo Lin was about to step forward when someone walked out. At this moment, Chu Liuyue clearly felt that the surrounding space seemed to have frozen! Mo Lin was already the first to bow. ¡°Greetings, Deputy Sect Master!¡± The people behind him hurriedly kneeled down as well. San San didn¡¯t kneel. His status here was special, so there was no need for him to do this. But when he saw who it was, his attitude immediately became eager. Chu Liuyue took a quick glance and quickly lowered her eyes. She only had time to see a black figure, but she didn¡¯t look at his appearance. She knew very well that this person was the second-in-command of the Black Sword Sect, Mo Yun! In front of such a powerhouse, any small action could expose her identity. Thus, she was very cautious. Rong Xiu was naturally the same. The two of them stood at the back, almost invisible. Chu Liuyue bowed and stared at her toes. She heard a voice say, ¡°Mo Lin? Why did you come over so rashly?¡± He was dignified without anger. Even when facing his confidant, his voice still carried a faint coldness. Mo Lin kneeled down and asked for forgiveness. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, Mo Lin is guilty! Please punish me!¡± Mo Yun¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Did you¡­ just return from Blue Peak?¡± Chu Liuyue was suddenly surprised. From what they said, Mo Yun didn¡¯t know about this. Now that Mo Lin has yet to speak, how did he guess that it had something to do with Blue Peak? Chapter 1856 - 1856 Contention 1856 Contention Mo Lin lowered his head even more and immediately explained in detail what had happened at Blue Peak. With every word he said, Mo Yun¡¯s expression turned colder. After hearing this, Mo Yun¡¯s expression could no longer be described as ugly. ¡°¡­Deputy Sect Master, it¡¯s all our fault for being useless¡ª¡± Slap! Before Mo Lin could finish speaking, he was ruthlessly interrupted by Mo Yun! The loud slap made the atmosphere even colder. The other Black Sword Sect people kneeling at the side were shocked when they saw this situation. Mo Lin was Mo Yun¡¯s trusted aide and was usually valued. Mo Yun had never been so angry at him, let alone slap Mo Lin in public. It was obvious that he was really angry. Mo Lin knew he was guilty and didn¡¯t dare to beg for mercy. He only grunted in pain and kneeled back down. ¡°What did I tell you previously?! It seems that you¡¯ve forgotten it all!¡± Mo Yun¡¯s face was ashen. He wished he could kill all these people in front of him! How many times have I said to be careful¡ªbe careful! In the end, you still caused such a huge trouble! Blood trickled from Mo Lin¡¯s mouth. Mo Yun was still angry. He stepped forward and kicked Mo Lin¡¯s chest again. ¡°You did a good job!¡± This time, he used all his strength. Mo Lin¡¯s body flew out uncontrollably and landed heavily on the ground! Shoo! Mo Lin spat out another mouthful of blood, his face as pale as a ghost. Seeing how angry Mo Yun was, the remaining people were also worried. The deputy sect master is so angry that it¡¯s impossible for him to punish Mo Lin alone. I¡¯m afraid that all of us¡ª ¡°Everyone who went to Blue Peak with you is here?¡± Mo Yun suddenly turned around and looked at them coldly. Mo Lin struggled to his feet and answered weakly, ¡°¡­Deputy Sect Master, they¡¯re all here¡­¡± Whoosh! Before he could finish his sentence, Mo Yun had already attacked! A cold sword light flashed! Those people were actually decapitated! Blood splattered everywhere. The men were killed before they could even beg for mercy. A head rolled to Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. A few drops of warm, sticky blood splashed onto her boots. That person¡¯s eyes bulged, and there was still deep shock and fear on his face. His face was terrifying. The corners of her eyes twitched. Now, other than Mo Yun and Mo Lin, there were only the three of them in front of the backyard door. ¡­ Seeing this scene, San San¡¯s heart almost jumped out! Oh my god! Mo Yun is trying to silence us! Except for Mo Lin, he dealt with the rest without even blinking. Mo Yun didn¡¯t even let his own people off, let alone others. San San said shakily, ¡°Deputy Sect Leader¡ª¡± ¡°Boss San, on account of our past friendship, I¡¯ll give you face. You can deal with your people yourself.¡± Mo Yun¡¯s words were concise, but he asked San San to kill Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu personally! Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her fists in her sleeves. When San San heard this, his mind went blank for a moment. ¡°This, this¡ª¡± He swallowed hard. His throat was dry, and his body was tense. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, my two servants are just following me to pick herbs today. They don¡¯t know anything else! You also know that it¡¯s not easy for me to nurture these people¡­¡± Mo Yun glanced at San San with cold eyes. ¡°So Boss San is unwilling to cooperate?¡± San San gritted his teeth. What kind of cooperation is killing my own men? It¡¯s fine if he usually takes my natural treasures, but now, it is even worse! He coughed and looked troubled. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, you¡­ Let me do something else, no problem. But this matter¡­ I really can¡¯t do it!¡± Mo Yun frowned. Usually, San San is very easy to talk to. It is rare for him to disobey my orders. ¡°It¡¯s just two servants. What¡¯s so important? If Boss San feels sorry, I¡¯ll send a few more useful ones to you.¡± In any case, the entire Black Sword Sect doesn¡¯t lack people. San San complained endlessly. Then, he took a deep breath. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, I¡¯ve always respected you very much. I also know that I¡¯m able to get to where I am today because of you. Today, if you want anything else, I¡¯ll definitely give it to you without hesitation! However, if you want their lives now¡­ Forgive me for not agreeing!¡± He didn¡¯t seem to notice the sudden cold aura on Mo Yun and said in a low voice, ¡°I just brought my own people to open up a small business at Peach Blossom Dock. If I kill them personally today to protect myself, how many people in my Yue Manor will be disappointed if word gets out in the future?¡± Mo Yun said proudly, ¡°What happened in the Black Sword Sect will never be spread to anyone.¡± ¡°But I know.¡± San San¡¯s attitude was rarely firm as he said word by word, ¡°Even if others don¡¯t know, the heavens and the earth know. I probably won¡¯t be able to sleep well every day and night in the future!¡± Swoosh! Mo Yun swung the sword in his hand, and the cold and sharp sword tip pressed against San San¡¯s neck! ¡°Boss San, it seems like you want to do this the hard way.¡± A stab of pain ran down his neck. A faint smell of blood filled the air. San San¡¯s face was very pale, but his expression was exceptionally firm. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, I know what you¡¯re worried about. However, I can swear on my life that I won¡¯t let anyone else know about what happened today!¡± Mo Yun stared at him suspiciously. Actually, I didn¡¯t expect this matter to cause such a huge reaction. They are just two servants¡­ Seeing the anger and unwillingness in San San¡¯s eyes, Mo Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. As the saying goes, ¡®a rabbit will bite when it is desperate.¡¯ It seems that we have really pushed him too far. Perhaps it was because he had been asked to double the herbs yesterday that he was already quite dissatisfied. Now that this happened again today, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally exploded. Mo Yun naturally had a brain to be able to become the deputy sect master. After a slight turn, he thought of a reason for San San¡¯s abnormal behavior. Actually, he was right. After this series of events, San San¡¯s tolerance for them had indeed reached its limit. However, the real reason why he exploded was actually that these two people were his master and his master¡¯s man! Could he not make a scene? Even if he had to offend the other party to death today, he had to do this! But Mo Yun knew nothing about it. After thinking about it repeatedly, Mo Yun finally put away the sword, and his expression softened. ¡°Boss San, why are you in such a hurry? You¡¯re an honored guest of my Black Sword Sect. Since you want to keep them, just keep them.¡± San San looked at Mo Yun to make sure that he wasn¡¯t joking. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. ¡°I was in a hurry just now. I hope you don¡¯t mind¡ª¡± Mo Yun shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s all a small matter. It¡¯s just that I trust Boss San, but I don¡¯t trust the two of them. If Boss San wants to bring them away safely, it¡¯s fine¡ªas long as they take the Essence Dissipating Pill.¡± Chapter 1857 - 1857 Stare At 1857 Stare At San San¡¯s expression changed. The so-called Essence Dissipating Pill was an extremely poisonous pill. After taking this pill, it wouldn¡¯t hurt the person¡¯s life, but it would cause the cultivator to be unable to continue cultivating, and they could only be trapped at their current cultivation level. For cultivators, this was even more painful than death. Besides, this Essence Dissipating Pill would be activated once every month. When the poison spread, the person¡¯s entire body would be in immense pain, and they were better off dead. Only by taking the antidote regularly would the person be relieved of the pain. However, this so-called antidote couldn¡¯t completely rid the poison. This also meant that once one took the Essence Dissipating Pill, their life was basically over. Even though it didn¡¯t claim their lives, it used an even longer and more painful method to torture and threaten them. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t suitable, right? The Essence Dissipating Pill¡ª¡± Before he finished, Mo Yun¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Boss San, I gave you face, but don¡¯t be too overboard. You should know where you stand.¡± A chill ran down San San¡¯s spine. Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m willing to take the Essence Dissipating Pill.¡± San San hurriedly glanced at his Master. ¡°A-are you sure?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. It¡¯s just an¡­ Essence Dissipating Pill. What¡¯s there to worry about? Seeing how calm she was, San San then relaxed. Mo Yun took out a jade bottle and threw it over. San San hurriedly caught it, opened it, and saw that there were indeed two Essence Dissipating Pills inside. He hesitated for a moment before passing the bottle to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue poured the pills out without hesitation and took one for herself as she passed the other to Rong Xiu. Seeing the slim and white hand that was suddenly outstretched before him and the green Essence Dissipating Pill quietly lying on it, Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. I wonder if my wife is really magnanimous or if she¡¯s too confident in me. She just gave me such a drug with no hesitation¡­ The corner of his lips undetectably curled up as he ate that pill. Seeing that the two of them had already taken the Essence Dissipating Pill, San San turned around to look at Mo Yun. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, can¡­ this do?¡± Mo Yun then nodded. San San can¡¯t be killed. Since he wants to protect the two of them, I will temporarily leave them alive. I believe that they won¡¯t dare to leak this incident casually. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it for today. Mo Lin, follow me.¡± As Mo Yun spoke, he planned to go to Blue Peak personally again. Seeing that they didn¡¯t plan to ask him to follow again, San San hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Since this incident has ended, then¡­ we¡¯ll bid farewell first and not disturb any longer¡­¡± Mo Yun lightly said, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Boss San, you got injured this time partially because you had to help us. Why don¡¯t you just recuperate for two days and go back when you¡¯re better? Coincidentally, these two people are here, and they can take care of you.¡± San San¡¯s heart sank. He wanted to say something else, but Mo Yun didn¡¯t care and directly left. Mo Lin stood up, wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, and hurriedly followed. ¡°This¡ª¡± Seeing the insistent backs, San San swallowed his remaining words. This time, we probably have to stay here for a period of time until the problem at Blue Peak is really solved¡­ However, it was easy to say this but hard to do! Given the previous scenario¡­ Even if Mo Yun Goes there personally, he won¡¯t be able to settle it himself. People quickly walked over from the side. ¡°Boss San, go ahead¡ª¡± San San was helpless and could only follow. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ San San was arranged to stay in a courtyard not far away from Mo Yun¡¯s. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu were naturally trapped here as well. The courtyard wasn¡¯t big, but there were people outside guarding this area, and they would patrol the path from time to time. They strictly treated them as criminals. Inside the room, San San heard the noise outside and sighed again. ¡°They directly grounded us here¡­¡± As he spoke, he looked up at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. ¡°Master, Your Highness, what should we do now?¡± When he came in, he had already set up the barrier. After confirming that nobody outside could hear his voice, he then spoke. However, Chu Liuyue looked relaxed as she sized up the room. ¡°Why are you afraid? Didn¡¯t they ask us to rest here properly? I think this place is pretty decent, and it is even more elegant than my Yue Manor. Don¡¯t you like it, San San?¡± San San had a bitter expression on his face. ¡°Master, stop teasing me! How could I be in the mood now!?¡± It was precisely because Yue Manor couldn¡¯t compare to this place that he didn¡¯t have the guts. The Black Sword Sect held great power here. No matter how stupid he was, he knew when to be discreet. Besides, even if a mountain of gold was placed before him, he couldn¡¯t be happy¡ªhis life was hanging by a thin thread! ¡°Are you okay after eating the Essence Dissipating Pill just now? And His Highness¡ª¡± San San reproached himself. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being too useless¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Chu Liuyue nonchalantly shook her head as the corner of her lips curled up slightly. I have eaten things even more poisonous than the Essence Dissipating Pill, so it isn¡¯t something to be worried about. As for Rong Xiu¡­ His skills and trump cards are only stronger and not weaker than mine, so there is nothing to worry about. Noticing her expression, Rong Xiu couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re really not worried about me at all¡­¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t even have this bit of confidence, it¡¯ll be overboard.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. Of course, I understand my own man the best. Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu thought deeply and felt that it made sense. He then raised his brows slightly and leaned against the chair in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to make Yue¡¯er worry for me.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s sometimes very frustrating that my husband is too amazing.¡± San San, who was ignored, was speechless. What kind of situation are we in? The two of you are still in the mood to flirt?! Could I trouble you to think about this passer-by who is very worried and nervous about you!? Seeing San San¡¯s aggrieved gaze, Chu Liuyue finally comforted him kindly, ¡°Why are you so nervous? You¡¯re the Black Sword Sect¡¯s key to treasures. They won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± San San said upsettingly, ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, Master!¡± Chu Liuyue turned and glanced at him. ¡°Worried about us? San San, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s rather unnecessary?¡± San San almost could not catch his breath. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When we were playing around here, the Black Sword Sect¡¯s shadow hadn¡¯t even appeared. Why would we be scared by their formation?¡± Hearing her say this, San San finally relaxed a little but still felt faintly apprehensive. ¡°But Master¡­ it¡¯s no longer a few years ago¡­ This is the Black Sword Sect¡¯s residence. Our every single move is right before their eyes¡ª¡± ¡°At the same time, isn¡¯t their every action right in front of us too?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows, laughed lightly, and interrupted him. San San was dazed. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else. It¡¯s not too late to wait for them to come back from Blue Peak.¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. ¡°They had long set their eyes on Blue Peak?¡± Chapter 1858 - 1858 Make a Commotion 1858 Make a Commotion San San fell into deep thought. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear them talk about it before. But judging from today¡¯s situation, it should be the case.¡± When they spoke of Blue Peak, Mo Yun and the rest had very different expressions. It seemed like they were long prepared. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re planning and what they want to do to Blue Peak¡­¡± Chu Liuyue recalled what she saw today and raised her brows slightly. ¡°Perhaps they already knew that Blue Peak suppressed that dark blue fame. However, they didn¡¯t expect that fire to be more powerful than expected, so they were shocked.¡± The few people who died at Blue Peak had quite high statuses in the Black Sword Sect. If not for something that happened later on, they wouldn¡¯t beg Mo Lin and the rest and even shock Mo Yun. Mo Yun clearly cared about Blue Peak¡¯s situation very much, but he only sent them over. It was either because he didn¡¯t estimate accurately at the start, or he wanted to handle it discreetly to avoid everyone¡¯s attention. But no matter what, the clear point was that the Black Sword Sect didn¡¯t set their eyes on Blue Peak just today. San San suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Blue Peak isn¡¯t very far from Clear Water Cliff. Could it be that they did this because¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°How can people not be envious of you obtaining such a twist of fate at Clear Water Cliff? The Black Sword Sect is naturally not an exception. If we haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, they should¡¯ve discovered something at Blue Peak previously and planned to take it slowly. However, it was a pity that the fire directly exploded today.¡± Hence, Mo Yun was so infuriated. San San nodded in agreement continuously. ¡°Master, you¡¯re right! Recently, there have been many people coming to find treasures. I¡¯m sure quite a few people have seen the incident that happened on Blue Peak. In less than a day, this news will spread far and wide in the entire Peach Blossom Dock.¡± Even if Mo Yun killed them all, it was impossible to completely seal the news. ¡°What exactly¡­ is going on with that fire¡­¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and squinted her eyes slightly as she fell into deep thought. There are indeed all sorts of strange fires in the world, but I have never seen such a dark-blue fire. Besides, that fire is clearly the same as the one in San San¡¯s body, but it wasn¡¯t controlled by him. ¡°Master¡­ when we fought that fire, I actually felt¡­ that it purposely went easy on me¡­¡± San San hesitantly voiced the doubts in his heart. Chu Liuyue nodded. Actually, she had previously guessed this. With San San¡¯s abilities, it was very hard for him to contain the full attack of that fire. In the end, after he set up the barrier, he actually managed to block it forcefully. This clearly had some issues. If Mo Lin and the others had seen it carefully enough or had personally gone over to check San San¡¯s wounds, they would discover that his injuries were far from serious compared to theirs. ¡°This also means that this fire might still be related to your small space?¡± muttered Chu Liuyue. San San had a face of confusion. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not too sure about this either¡­¡± After all, he hadn¡¯t fully understood his small space. ¡°There is indeed a force suppressed under Blue Peak.¡± A clear and melodious voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around and was rather surprised. ¡°What did you feel?¡± Rong Xiu nodded and thought for a moment before the corner of his lips curled up into a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s very likely what the Black Sword Sect wants.¡± ¡­ On the other end, Mo Yun quickly brought Mo Lin to Blue Peak. The two of them were extremely fast. Mo Lin wasn¡¯t as strong as Mo Yun. As he was previously injured, he really unleashed his full strength to catch up with Mo Yun at this moment. His inner aura was chaotic, and his face became increasingly pale, but Mo Yun¡¯s surrounding aura became cold and stiff. He didn¡¯t dare say much and could only grit his teeth to endure it. The two of them quietly came to Blue Peak the entire way. From afar, Mo Yun could see the dark-blue fire burning brightly by the middle of the mountain! The more important thing was that quite a few people were already surrounding Blue Peak. Their attention was clearly placed on Blue Peak. ¡°Why would this ball of fire suddenly emerge on Blue Peak for no reason? Is a treasure about to descend?¡± ¡°It might be¡­ Anyway, this fire is very strong. Someone wanted to go over just now, and they were almost burned to death. Don¡¯t you see that everyone is just gathered here, but nobody dares to go forward again?¡± ¡°I see¡­ I think this fire came from within the mountain. Perhaps¡­ there¡¯s something hidden in Blue Peak?¡± ¡°Even if there¡¯s really something contained inside, it might not be our turn! This fire is burning more and more intensely. I don¡¯t know when it will be extinguished¡­¡± ¡°True gods might not be able to do it, but there are still legendary warriors, right? Oh right, why did I hear that there were also people from the Black Sword Sect here. Could this be their territory?¡± ¡°Pfft, if there¡¯s really a treasure descending, only the fateful one can obtain it. That Black Sword Sect is amazing, but I¡¯m afraid they can¡¯t forcefully occupy it, right?¡± ¡­ The crowd partook in heated discussions. The veins on Mo Yun¡¯s forehead twitched harshly. The scene I didn¡¯t want to see the most still happened! Now that so many people are gathered here, I can¡¯t even kill all of them! He turned around to Mo Lin, and his eyes were surging with murderous intent. ¡°Such a major thing happened, yet you left so directly?¡± They didn¡¯t hide it at all! It was as if they weren¡¯t afraid that many people would know about it! The terrifying suppression descended, and it was as if a small hill was heavily pressing onto Mo Lin¡¯s shoulders. He swallowed the blood in his throat and said with difficulty, ¡°¡­Deputy Sect Master, it¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t want to do it. We wanted to do it but couldn¡¯t. This fire¡ª¡± This fire¡¯s suppression had already exceeded the upper limit of their tolerance! Of course, he knew how severe the consequences would be if word got around. However, the situation back then had already spiraled out of their control. The only thing he could do was rush back as soon as possible and report to Mo Yun. However, he also didn¡¯t expect these people to come faster than he had expected. Mo Yun closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, barely managing to suppress his tumultuous murderous intent. This place was near Clear Water Cliff, and there were indeed many people patrolling this area every day in hopes of receiving the same fortune as San San. It was normal that a sudden fire at Blue Peak would attract their attention. ¡°If this incident can¡¯t be salvaged, you won¡¯t even be able to pay back for it even if you die a thousand times!¡± Mo Yun lowered his voice, and every single word seemed to be squeezed out of the gaps between his teeth. Mo Lin¡¯s heart turned cold, but he could only hang his head. He knew that he was over. Mo Yun turned around and rushed to Blue Peak at a higher speed. The most important thing now is to deal with that fire first! Very quickly, someone within the crowd surrounding Blue Peak detected his figure. ¡°Mo Yun is here!¡± Chapter 1859 - 1859 Not Fighting 1859 Not Fighting Once he said this, those messy noises instantly disappeared. Almost everyone turned around and looked nervously. Different degrees of respect and fear filled their eyes. Mo Yun¡¯s name was famous in the entire Peach Blossom Dock. Even those who hated the Black Sword Sect would be terrified when they saw Mo Yun. After all, he was really strong. Seeing Mo Yun, quite a few of them prepared themselves. That was because Mo Yun rarely showed himself in public even though he was usually in charge of all the Black Sword Sect¡¯s matters. Everyone knew without saying why he suddenly came over. Dead silence. The situation was tense. Mo Yun went forward with a cold face. He first glanced at Blue Peak¡¯s situation. A line of fire spiraled in the middle of the mountain. The dark-blue fire surged down from the cracked mountain rocks and leaped around happily. The surrounding air¡¯s temperature seemed to have increased by quite a bit. Mo Yun¡¯s heart tightened. The situation is indeed more severe than I had predicted. Besides¡­ the fire is still continuously spreading toward the surroundings! Even if it isn¡¯t fast, the consequences will be unimaginable if one doesn¡¯t suppress it. He breathed in and closed his eyes. The next moment, a strong force surged out of his body! Mo Yun¡¯s surrounding aura exploded! When the surrounding crowd saw this, they knew that he was planning to take action, and all moved back alertly. At the same time, Mo Yun¡¯s actions had confirmed their previous guesses: The fire on Blue Peak was indeed related to the Black Sword Sect! If there really was a treasure hidden underneath¡­ the Black Sword Sect probably would¡¯ve made up its mind to take it for themselves! This caused quite a few people to be upset. ¡°The Black Sword Sect is really unreasonable. They just came over, and without saying anything, they directly took action¡­ It seems like they really think that this is their Black Sword Sect¡¯s territory!¡± ¡°Shh, lower your voice! Trouble comes out from your mouth!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with talking about it? So many people are here today and can see it clearly! Can they still blind all of our eyes and shut all our mouths?¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s the use of saying all of this? Isn¡¯t the current Peach Blossom Dock under the Black Sword Sect¡­ However, let¡¯s see if Mo Yun can suppress this fire¡­¡± ¡­ The next moment, Mo Yun suddenly whipped out the dagger by his waist and inserted thick force into it. Following this, the sword whirred! The sound reverberated throughout the area! Whoosh! A ray of sword light slashed down harshly! A long black crack in space was drawn in midair! A terrifying force surged around! The winds howled! The trees on Blue Peak were scattered all around by the sword aura, and all collapsed! In the blink of an eye, the terrifying and sharp force cut half the mountain! The blue fire¡ªwhich was burning intensely¡ªseemed to detect the danger as it suddenly grew with the wind! Rumble! A ball of hot fire harshly slammed into that sword aura! In no time, sparks flew everywhere! The burning and terrifying forces hurled toward the surroundings! The fire covered the forest in the middle of the mountain! Mo Yun¡¯s heart sank harshly! My force can¡¯t control this fire at all! Upon seeing this, the surrounding crowd had varied expressions. Even Mo Yun isn¡¯t this fire¡¯s match?! If this fire continues to spread¡­ it will spell danger! ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. The room was silent. Just as Chu Liuyue closed her eyes to rest, Rong Xiu was reading his book. They both looked peaceful. They were as relaxed as they were in their homes. On the other hand, San San had been very uneasy as he clasped his hands together and kept pacing back and forth in the room. From time to time, he kept looking outside. Of course, the windows and doors here were tightly shut. They couldn¡¯t see anything from the inside. At the very most, they only heard some sounds from outside. However, the night sky gradually turned dark. It had been a long time since they entered, and there was no commotion outside at all. ¡°San San, you¡¯ve walked for so long. Aren¡¯t you tired? You don¡¯t want to sit down and rest?¡± After concluding a Heavenly Cycle, Chu Liuyue finally opened her eyes. San San looked worried. ¡°Master, my feet aren¡¯t tired, but my heart is! Look, they¡¯ve been gone for so long. Logically speaking, they should be back. Why haven¡¯t we heard any noises yet?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him, speechless. ¡°Even if they did come back, we might not be able to hear anything from here. Why are you panicking?¡± ¡°No, I mean after Mo Yun goes to Blue Peak and comes back, he would have some reaction toward us, right? Like ask us about some stuff¡­¡± San San didn¡¯t dare to think about being directly released. But now that there was no reaction at all, he felt very uneasy and thought that something was about to happen. ¡°Do you think they would have solved the problem at Blue Peak?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°If it¡¯s solved, but they don¡¯t want to announce the matter, it¡¯s normal for them to lock us up for a few more days. If it¡¯s not solved¡­ they naturally can¡¯t care about us.¡± San San rubbed his face. Master¡¯s words are as if she didn¡¯t speak. ¡°There¡¯s no use if you keep worrying about this now. If you have the time, why don¡¯t you properly cultivate?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°If you were strong enough, you might¡¯ve been able to solve that fire today.¡± It was fine if she didn¡¯t mention this, but once she did, it made San San uncomfortable. He kept feeling that this wasn¡¯t his ambition and that it was fine if he was adequately strong. Why waste the effort to cultivate? However, today¡¯s incident was really a slap to his face. I couldn¡¯t even protect my own master. I should reflect! ¡°Master, you¡¯re right.¡± San San nodded shyly. Chu Liuyue nodded in comfort. San San¡¯s talent was originally quite good. If he is willing to put in the effort, he won¡¯t be worse than the others in the Thirteen Yue Guard. She glanced outside. The sky had already darkened. If we haven¡¯t gone back by now, the people in Yue Manor will be worried¡­ Just as Chu Liuyue was thinking about how to send the news back, the air suddenly rippled! Following this, a green figure walked out from inside! Chapter 1860 - 1860 The Secret to the Shield 1860 The Secret to the Shield The incoming person was Cen Yi! ¡°Greetings, Master.¡± Cen Yi nodded and bowed. Chu Liuyue looked at him in shock. ¡°Cen Yi? H-how did you come in?¡± The Black Sword Sect was guarded strictly and had many guards. It was as hard as ascending the heavens to be able to come in silently. What Chu Liuyue feared the most was the transparent barrier that covered the entire Black Sword Sect. Even she couldn¡¯t confirm that she could come in without making any commotion, yet Cen Yi suddenly appeared! ¡°I used some methods,¡± said Cen Yi lightly. After realizing that something happened, he rushed straight to the Black Sword Sect. However, it was indeed hard to enter the Black Sword Sect. He had always been careful and was even more so in such situations, so he tried all sorts of methods. After wasting much time and effort, he came in. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re indeed yourself!¡± San San stuck up his thumb in shock. I have stayed in Peach Blossom Dock for such a long time and have come in and out of Black Sword Sect quite a few times. Even I don¡¯t dare to barge into this place, yet Big Brother can come in as he pleases! Sometimes, the difference between people was indeed that huge. Cen Yi turned around and bowed toward Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s nonchalant gaze landed on him. His thin lips curled up slightly as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Your subordinate is indeed amazing.¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. I also didn¡¯t know that Cen Yi had such skills¡­ However, now isn¡¯t the time to talk about this. ¡°Cen Yi, it¡¯s really too dangerous for you to suddenly barge in like this.¡± Nobody knows what kind of danger lies in the Black Sword Sect. Once Cen Yi is discovered¡­ ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I just came to confirm your and Your Highness¡¯s safety and report to you the news outside. I won¡¯t stay here for long.¡± He had also spent quite a lot of effort to come in. If he stayed for too long, even he didn¡¯t dare to guarantee that he would be safe. Seeing that he had his own arrangements, Chu Liuyue relaxed. ¡°We¡¯re all fine, but we¡¯re temporarily locked up here by Mo Yun. He won¡¯t do anything to us for now.¡± However, it was quite hard if they wanted to go out. ¡°Big Brother, you mentioned the situation outside? What¡¯s wrong outside?¡± San San quickly grasped the main point and anxiously asked. Cen Yi paused. ¡°The fire on Blue Peak has completely burned.¡± ¡­ Once this was said, the venue fell silent for a moment. San San had a face of confusion. ¡°Completely burned? Big Brother, what does that mean?¡± Cen Yi explained, ¡°During the day, a spark suddenly emerged on Blue Peak and attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. There were people who wanted to go up and investigate to see if there were any treasures descending, but they were swallowed by the fire and lost their lives. After a few people died, almost nobody dared to go over. It was until Mo Yun personally came¡ª¡± Speaking of this, he paused for a moment. ¡°However, Mo Yun couldn¡¯t suppress the fire and was injured. Afterward, the fire spread, and almost the entire Blue Peak was surrounded by it. Even in the city, one can also see the dark-blue fire shooting up toward the sky from afar.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°The Black Sword Sect didn¡¯t send more people?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°After Mo Yun failed, he called quite a few people from the Black Sword Sect to work together. However, they still failed in the end and were severely injured. Mo Yun is now leading people to guard the Black Sword Sect, but they didn¡¯t take further action.¡± If he wasn¡¯t driven to a corner, Mo Yun would definitely not do this. However, the current situation was urgent. ¡°Did the fire spread to the other mountains?¡± asked Rong Xiu suddenly. Cen Yi thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not very sure about this either, but seeing the fire¡¯s position, I don¡¯t think it has for now.¡± A look of understanding flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s face as if he wasn¡¯t surprised. If it were an average mountain fire, it would¡¯ve long spread and burned the entire place. However, the one on Blue Peak wasn¡¯t an ordinary fire, so the situation was naturally different. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°Since this is so, you can go back first and quietly observe the changes. If there¡¯s any news, you can come and report.¡± They still couldn¡¯t leave the Black Sword Sect for now. If they did, it would cause even greater trouble. Cen Yi nodded.¡±Yes. Master, Your Highness, take care. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Then, his figure rapidly disappeared! ¡°Hey! Big Brother¡ª¡± called San San hurriedly, but the person had already disappeared without a trace. ¡°¡­Help me look after the shop¡­¡± San San muttered his remaining words. With this struggle, I most probably can¡¯t make much money these few days! Big Brother only has eyes for Master and His Highness, but not me¡­ How hurtful! ¡°Hey, Master, there should be quite a few people injured in Peach Blossom Dock, right? How much will the demand for medicine grow¡­¡± Should I increase my prices¡­ Chu Liuyue glanced at him and kindly reminded, ¡°Yeah. I think the Black Sword Sect would request for even more, right?¡± It was hard for San San to be excited, and now, he was defeated again. ¡°Master, can¡¯t you just let me be happy?¡± It was already very miserable to be at this point. Chu Liuyue seriously thought for a while. ¡°The thing you¡¯re happiest about now is probably¡­ that the fire won¡¯t burn your small space.¡± Even though Blue Peak wasn¡¯t far from Clear Water Cliff, judging from the current situation, the sudden fire was rather polite toward San San. It would probably give him face. The corner of San San¡¯s lips twitched as he instinctively said, ¡°That fire won¡¯t burn it, but you might!¡± Chapter 1861 - 1861 Report to Sect Master 1861 Report to Sect Master Even now, when he thought of the small space and the scene of the sky opening up with fire burning, his heart trembled unwittingly. For some reason, he felt that his master really could do it! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Okay, if you have the time to think of these things, why don¡¯t you cultivate properly?! When something really happens to your space, and you don¡¯t even have the ability to handle it, it will be too late for your heart to ache!¡± San San agreed with grievances. Cen Yi¡¯s arrival finally made him calm down and cultivate. Chu Liuyue walked to the chair at the side and sat down with one hand holding her chin. Originally, she also wanted to continue cultivating. However, San San¡¯s previous words triggered her thoughts. She wasn¡¯t worried about that small space¡¯s safety. She was just wondering if there really was a relation between that small space and her black shield. If not, why would that kind of situation happen at that time? Chu Liuyue held her breath in, looked down, and fell into deep thought. In the beginning, she found that black shield unintentionally in a cave at Peach Blossom Dock. However, the position of that mountain was too isolated, and it didn¡¯t even have a name. Besides, countless battles erupted there later on, and the whole piece of land had almost been destroyed. It ceases to exist. I wonder if I can find any clues if I go over now¡­ Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue summoned that black shield again. The ancient black shield was deep and restrained. There were countless marks on it, showing that it had once experienced countless battles and bloodshed. She stretched her hand out and slowly brushed it. She left faint marks on the rusting area. If one didn¡¯t examine it closely, it was hard to tell it apart. Chu Liuyue tried to summon the force within, but the black shield still did not respond. It was as if the previous scene was just an illusion. However, that scene clearly was not an illusion. Rong Xiu¡¯s finger was even directly burned. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly, and she glanced at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu seemed to have sensed something as he looked up. The two of them stared at each other. Chu Liuyue walked over. As she wasn¡¯t paying attention, the black shield in her hand suddenly dropped! Chu Liuyue was shocked and hurriedly retrieved it to hold it stably. Why does this shield feel even heavier than before?! Chu Liuyue stared doubtfully at the item in her hands. When I summoned it previously, I directly held it in front of me, and it wasn¡¯t obvious when I held it with both hands. But when I stood up this time, I habitually used my usual force. I almost lost my balance and fell onto the floor. It isn¡¯t an illusion. This item¡­ really became heavier after the incident in that small space! Strange¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Ever since I obtained this black shield, it has been very convenient to use, and I have never had such a feeling. One had to know that her skills back then couldn¡¯t be compared to her current skills. Her physical strength was definitely considered to be at the top among the strong warriors. If even she felt that it was heavy¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seeing the situation here, Rong Xiu stood up and walked over. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Nothing. I just feel that this item¡­ seems different¡­¡± As she spoke, she put away the black shield and held Rong Xiu¡¯s hand again. The red mark of being burned had already disappeared from his thin and white finger. Rong Xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°I said that there¡¯s no need to worry about that small injury.¡± However, Chu Liuyue still had some doubts in her heart. She looked up and stared into Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re already a legendary warrior now. Logically speaking¡­ you can¡¯t be casually hurt. That ray of light back then, what exactly¡ª¡± Speaking of this, she suddenly paused. That was because even she didn¡¯t know the answer. Rong Xiu¡¯s deep phoenix-like eyes shone slightly as if there were ripples in them, but they quickly disappeared. ¡°If you¡¯re still suspicious, let¡¯s return to that small space after we leave this area and see what exactly is going on, okay?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. That is perhaps the best solution for now. ¡­ This night, many people in Peach Blossom Dock couldn¡¯t sleep. That was because the Blue Peak was still burning. The originally tall mountain peak was disheveled. Large patches of thick forest collapsed, and there were scorch marks everywhere. When morning came again, many people started to panic when they saw that the fire had no signs of stopping. This fire is burning even more intensely. When exactly is it going to stop? ¡­ ¡°Deputy Sect Master, the batch that just went¡­. yet again¡­¡± A soldier came to report with a face filled with despair. Mo Yun stared at Blue Peak tightly with clenched fists and a green face. Including this batch, three batches of people sent by the Black Sword Sect were completely wiped out. The key was that quite a few of them were important people in the Black Sword Sect. They had suffered greatly this time. Even Mo Yun himself was not any better. He was very disheveled, with patches of bloodstains on his left shoulder. The corners of his clothes were also burned. He was injured when he previously tried to suppress that fire. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t send any more people over¡­ If this goes on, they will just go without returning. It doesn¡¯t have much meaning to us!¡± At the side, Mo Lin still braced himself and advised him. He knew that the deputy sect master wanted to solve this problem as soon as possible, but the key was that the current situation had long exceeded their previous expectations! If they just blindly sent people over, what use would there be other than even more people dying? Hence, even if he knew that this would upset Mo Yun, Mo Lin still said it. The person reporting quickly agreed. ¡°Yeah! Deputy Sect Master, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re afraid and don¡¯t dare to go up, but this matter¡­ We really can¡¯t do it head-on¡­ Why don¡¯t we change to another method¡ª¡± Mo Yun¡¯s gaze coldly swept across. ¡°Another method? So that means you have better advice?¡± That person¡¯s face flushed white. ¡°No, no! I definitely don¡¯t mean to offend you! I just f-feel that¡­¡± His voice slowly became softer. That was because he also didn¡¯t know what to do. Mo Yun took a deep breath in and forcefully suppressed his anger. How could I not know about what they said? However, Blue Peak is too important. He was agitated when he saw the fire shooting up to the sky and really couldn¡¯t calm down. The cramps from Mo Yun¡¯s body reminded him that he really could not take this head-on. ¡°Send my command down! Everyone to retreat!¡± Mo Yun¡¯s voice was cold and deep. Now, the only thing we can do is perhaps observe the changes silently¡­ Mo Lin and the other person then finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes!¡± The person reporting rushed over. Mo Lin turned around to look at Mo Yun hesitantly. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, why don¡¯t¡­ we report to the Sect master about this?¡± Mo Yun turned around instantly, and his gaze was cold and deep. Chapter 1862 - 1862 Men are All the Same 1862 Men are All the Same Mo Lin¡¯s heart trembled, and his entire body froze! I can¡¯t say my remaining words no matter what. He immediately kneeled down without hesitation. ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong! Deputy Sect Master, please spare my life!¡± Drops of cold sweat trickled down his forehead and back. The light breeze blew over and caused him to feel like he had sunk into an ice hole! At that moment just now, he was sure that he saw deep murderous intent in Mo Yun¡¯s eyes! He would really take action! Mo Yun just stared at him. The surrounding air was clearly already burned by that fire, but at this point, Mo Lin felt that everything in the surroundings seemed to have frozen. It was cold to the bones! ¡°Mo Lin, you¡¯ve been by my side for quite a number of years, yet you¡¯re living increasingly backward?¡± Mo Yun spoke without a hint of warmth to his voice. Mo Lin trembled like a vine. ¡°D-deputy Sect Master¡­ I was just¡­¡± I just spoke casually! I really didn¡¯t have any other meaning! Yeah, I¡¯ve followed Mo Yun for so long. Why would I say such a thing? I clearly know that Mo Yun is usually very careful with his words because he doesn¡¯t want bad news to travel to the sect master. Now that such a major thing has happened, Mo Yun definitely wants to use all his methods to solve this problem before the sect master finds out. Yet, I actually took the initiative to report the matter to the sect master¡­ Isn¡¯t this pouring salt over Mo Yun¡¯s wound!? But at this point, Mo Yun clearly didn¡¯t want to hear Mo Lin¡¯s explanation. He stuck his thumb up and gestured for the latter to stop speaking. He was already frustrated enough and did not want to waste more time and energy on this matter. However, Mo Lin¡¯s heart was completely cold. Mo Yun¡¯s reaction has clearly stated his attitude. This time, I¡¯m afraid¡­ Mo Lin was overwhelmed with emotions and felt extreme regret. If I had solved the matter right from the start, why would we end up in this situation? I-it was all San San¡¯s fault for being too useless! The current Mo Lin couldn¡¯t wait to push all the responsibility to somebody else. However, it was a pity that Mo Yun was no longer willing to hear another word from him. ¡­ Yue Manor. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu didn¡¯t return the entire night, and the people in the manor could not rest well. Early in the morning, Thirteen came to the front yard and kept glancing toward the main entrance from time to time. Yu Jiu walked over with his sword. ¡°Thirteen, what are you doing early in the morning?¡± Thirteen turned around. ¡°I want to wait for Master and the rest to come back.¡± Yu Jiu brandished his sword and said, ¡°Last night, didn¡¯t Big Brother say that Master and the rest are fine and that they would come back in a while? How long must you wait here?¡± Thirteen felt rather embarrassed. ¡°I know, but I just feel¡­ uneasy¡­ Thus, I was thinking of waiting here to see¡ªHm, Ninth Brother, why are you here too?¡± Isn¡¯t he always practicing his sword in the backyard? Yu Jiu looked nonchalant. ¡°The backyard is a little small, and I can¡¯t execute my moves fully, so I came here to try.¡± Thirteen was speechless. The backyard is clearly a few times larger than this place. They can directly say it if they want to wait for Master. Why must they find such long-winded reasons¡­ At this point, Wu Yao also arrived. He was dazed for a moment when he saw Thirteen and Yu Jiu. Thirteen asked deeply, ¡°Fifth Brother, did you come here to¡­ practice your punches?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Awkwardness flashed across Wu Yao¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah! Isn¡¯t it because the backyard is too small!? Originally, I wanted to leave it for Yu Jiu¡­¡± This kid actually ran over here faster than I did! Yu Jiu delightfully turned the wooden sword in his hands. Sometimes, it is really better to strike first! ¡°Hm? You¡¯re all here?¡± Shi Fang¡¯s shocked voice came over. He was still holding a wooden bucket in his hand, with a hoe on his shoulders. Thirteen¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Tenth Brother, why did you hold all of these things and come here?¡± Shi Fang had long prepared his excuse. ¡°I saw that the front yard looks kind of empty, so I came here to plant some things¡ª¡± Wu Yao was speechless, and so was Yu Jiu. Thirteen was speechless. Who would plant in their front yard?! However, Shi Fang ignored the trio¡¯s gazes as he really walked under the tree and started plowing the land. He looked very relaxed and carefree. Wu Yao squinted his eyes. ¡°Amazing.¡± Yu Jiu put up his thumb. ¡°I admire you.¡± Thirteen was speechless. What am I learning from them every day? At this point, footsteps suddenly sounded from the main entrance. The few of them stopped their actions at the same time and looked over. Following this, a curvy figure entered their view. The two parties exchanged glances for a moment. Xiao Ba hurriedly took a few steps back and looked at them in horror. ¡°W-what are you guys doing here?!¡± A bunch of people messing around in the morning is very scary, okay! However, the few of them stared at her with an inspecting gaze. Wu Yao asked, ¡°Xiao Ba, why did you come back from outside?¡± Xiao Ba lightly patted her chest. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I was worried about Master, so¡­ I went out to look for her!¡± Their expressions changed in unison. We¡¯re still here bitterly waiting for Master to come back, yet Xiao Ba has already seen her?! ¡°Didn¡¯t Big Brother ask us to wait here patiently?¡± Wu Yao knitted his brows. Xiao Ba moved and smiled brightly. ¡°Fifth Brother, I¡¯m naturally different from you! Big Brother told all of you that but not me!¡± Even though Cen Yi was also strict with her normally, he was still rather relaxed compared to when it was the rest. ¡°Besides, Big Brother knows that I went out last night. Big Brother, am I right?¡± As she spoke, Xiao Ba waved to the few people at the back. The few of them turned around and saw that Cen Yi was standing there at some point. Hearing Xiao Ba¡¯s words, he lightly nodded in agreement. Shi Fang asked curiously, ¡°Eighth Sister, did Big Brother ask you to go out for a mission?¡± Xiao Ba blinked and answered quickly, ¡°It was just to find out some news. That Black Sword Sect is indeed like a metal wall, but the people in charge of guarding it are all men. Men¡­ they¡¯re all the same. Big Brother, I¡¯m not talking about you!¡± As she spoke, she directly ignored the remaining few men as she walked inside and lazily said, ¡°This night really exhausted me¡ªah!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she saw a tall and bulky figure from the corner of her eye as she made a turn and nearly knocked into it. She was so shocked that she hurriedly stood up. Seeing that it was that familiar icy face, Xiao Ba heaved a sigh of relief and glared at him with some lingering shock. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, what¡¯s wrong with you!? Is there a point in eavesdropping on other people¡¯s conversation by the wall?¡± Yan Qing nonchalantly said, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for about 15 minutes or so, and I came earlier than all of you, so I didn¡¯t purposely eavesdrop.¡± Xiao Ba couldn¡¯t be bothered with him as she stretched and squinted her eyes. ¡°Enough, enough. I¡¯m exhausted today, so I won¡¯t hold it against you. Dealing with those men is really tiring¡ª¡± Yan Qing¡¯s expression became incredulous as his thin lips moved, and he was hesitant in speaking. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the thin waist she revealed, which was glaringly white. He immediately averted his gaze. A whiff of fragrance came by. He hesitated for a moment and still turned around to pull her wrist. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba.¡± Chapter 1863 - 1863 Misunderstanding 1863 Misunderstanding It was warm and smooth to the touch. Her wrist was very thin, as if a slight touch could easily break it. It also seemed like mutton fat jade that was smooth, thin, and extremely precious. If one wasn¡¯t careful, it would break. Xiao Ba turned around in shock. As she was stunned, she even forgot to fling her hands. However, Yan Qing was awakened by her sudden gaze and immediately let go of her hands. His actions were rather hurried, so he accidentally touched the pearls around her wrist, revealing a crisp sound. ¡°Lord¡­ Yan Qing?¡± Xiao Ba recovered her senses and looked rather interested. This Lord Yan Qing has always been very cold toward me and tries to avoid me to no end. Things like taking the initiative to talk to me and even pulling my hand¡­ This is still the first time. Xiao Ba¡¯s pretty eyes dazzled as she fearlessly sized Yan Qing up. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, do you have something to say?¡± Yan Qing paused in his actions for a moment but still nodded lightly. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, may I know if it¡¯s convenient for you to step aside and talk to me?¡± Xiao Ba didn¡¯t really sleep the entire night, and the thing she wanted to do the most was to return to her bed immediately and have a good night¡¯s rest. Didn¡¯t he see that she didn¡¯t even care much about her big brother? According to her usual character, even the most important thing in the world had to wait until she was well-rested. However, Yan Qing¡¯s rare reaction made her very curious. Hence, she decided to stay awake and find out what Yan Qing was planning to talk to her about. She walked to the side for a distance before she stopped and turned to look at Yan Qing. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, can you speak now?¡± Yan Qing followed over, but he didn¡¯t get close to her like before, still maintaining a distance of three steps between them. Meeting Xiao Ba¡¯s bright and curious gaze, he looked down slightly. After a moment, he seemed to have made up his mind and said, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, His Highness accompanied Princess Consort out yesterday.¡± Xiao Ba nodded. I know! Doesn¡¯t everyone know about this? ¡°His Highness is very strong and loves and protects the princess consort to the maximum. No matter what, he will never let her be in danger. Therefore¡­ even if they haven¡¯t come back yet, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Xiao Ba knitted her good-looking brows. We didn¡¯t say anything bad about that person, right? Why did Yan Qing suddenly run over to talk about this? ¡°Lord Yan Qing, my time is very precious. If you have anything to say, directly say it and don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± As Xiao Ba spoke, she yawned. I¡¯m really tired¡­ Yan Qing looked up. The lady in front was beautiful, like a flower that always bloomed passionately¡ªdangerous yet fragile. He paused and sincerely said, ¡°With His Highness¡¯s abilities, he definitely can ensure the princess consort¡¯s safety, so I hope you won¡¯t be too worried. Also¡­ Miss Xiao Ba, you really don¡¯t have to sacrifice yourself so much¡­¡± Hearing this, Xiao Ba was dazed. Detecting that her expression was amiss, Yan Qing swallowed his remaining words and silently reproached himself. She is still a young lady after all, and it is indeed very awkward to be talked about in this manner to her face¡­ However, I can¡¯t just¡ª ¡°W-what did you say just now?!¡± Xiao Ba clenched her teeth, and every word seemed to be squeezed out between her teeth. Yan Qing cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°If I have offended you, I hope¡ª¡± Xiao Ba was so angry that her entire body trembled. ¡°You! You!¡± Is there something wrong with this Yan Qing¡¯s brain?! What exactly does he mean? I have many ways to get information and need not resort to whatever he is thinking of! Seeing how furious Xiao Ba was, Yan Qing was dazed for a moment before finally realizing he might have thought wrongly. Actually, he couldn¡¯t be blamed for this. Xiao Ba¡¯s previous words really had too much of an alternative meaning. Cen Yi and the rest disregarded it as they were used to hearing it. However, Yan Qing didn¡¯t understand her at all, and it was hard for him not to misunderstand. Yan Qing instantly reacted and realized how rude his previous words were to Xiao Ba in her face. He finally looked embarrassed for once as his icy and handsome eyes were awkward and helpless. His ears also turned slightly red. Well¡­ This is really a misunderstanding! Yan Qing hurriedly explained, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, sorry for offending you. I was just worried¡ª¡± Xiao Ba sneered, ¡°What are you worried about? Could it be that you¡¯re worried I¡¯ll be taken advantage of?¡± Yan Qing was stumped by her question. This misunderstanding was very overboard to any lady. It was right for the other party to be angry. Xiao Ba glared, and her chest seemed to have a ball of fire burning. Her original lethargy had completely disappeared at this moment. She only wanted to cut open his head and see what was contained inside. ¡°Yan Qing! I¡¯m not afraid to tell you that when I came out to the world, you weren¡¯t even here! You¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Yan Qing suddenly spoke and spat out a word. Xiao Ba instantly stopped and knitted her brows tightly. Yes? What is ¡®yes?¡¯ ¡°The Black Sword Sect is evil. I was indeed worried that you would be taken advantage of, Miss Xiao Ba.¡±Yan Qing took a deep breath in. His eyes were clear as he carefully explained himself. Xiao Ba looked at him in a daze, and her throat suddenly tightened. Her remaining words just got stuck in her throat and couldn¡¯t go up or down. The Thirteen Yue Guard each had their own capabilities; She was not an exception. Everyone had been together for many years, so they knew each other¡¯s backgrounds very well. To Cen Yi and the rest, all the men who met Xiao Ba would be doing great if they weren¡¯t tortured to death, so they were basically not worried about her. Hence, it was the first time she heard such words. Knowing that Xiao Ba was safe and well, Yan Qing could relax. If something really happened, I really wouldn¡¯t be able to give an answer to His Highness. Luckily, it was just a scare. Yan Qing solemnly apologized again. ¡°It was a misunderstanding just now. Miss Xiao Ba, please forgive me.¡± Xiao Ba took a step back and anxiously threw a sentence out. ¡°What¡¯s there to be worried about me!?¡± Then, she hurriedly turned around to leave. Chapter 1864 - 1864 Heart Ache 1864 Heart Ache Yan Qing looked up and could only see that brilliant color¡ªwhich was like a butterfly¡ªrapidly disappearing into the courtyard. Did I¡­ anger her and chase her away? Yan Qing knitted his brows and reproached himself. No matter what, it isn¡¯t good to misunderstand a young lady like this. It seems like I can only find an opportunity to apologize to her later. ¡­ Xiao Ba hurriedly returned to her own room. She fell head-first onto her soft bed and prepared to sleep, but the moment she closed her eyes, the previous scene kept replaying in her mind. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°¡­ I was indeed worried that Miss Xiao Ba was taken advantage of.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yan Qing had always been a man of few words. Normally, even after she teased him on purpose repeatedly, she would rarely receive his reply. In most circumstances, he always replied with silence or chased her away with a few words. Today was the day when he talked to her the most. Besides, it didn¡¯t sound like anything good. Xiao Ba lifted her blanket in frustration and covered her head. The surroundings were pitch black, and it was so silent that she could only hear her own breathing. But for some reason, she thought of that icy face that revealed embarrassment and that pair of usually nonchalant and calm, yet especially clear and genuine eyes today¡­ ¡°How annoying!¡± Xiao Ba suddenly lifted her blanket and sat up. This Yan Qing actually misunderstood me¡ª Creak¡ª The door was pushed open. Xiao Ba was taken aback and hurriedly looked over. When she saw that it was Cen Yi, she relaxed and angrily said, ¡°Big Brother, why didn¡¯t you knock when you came in?! You scared me!¡± Cen Yi knocked on the door. ¡°Your door wasn¡¯t locked.¡± Xiao Ba glanced at it and realized that she had entered in too much of a hurry and had only closed it. ¡°¡­But I want to sleep! I didn¡¯t sleep the entire night!¡± Cen Yi walked over and raised his brows slightly upon hearing this. ¡°I came over because I thought you couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± Xiao Ba was stifled. She really couldn¡¯t say anything against her conscience to her big brother. At this point, she really had no hint of lethargy at all. She helplessly leaned against the head of the bed. ¡°But I wanted to catch up on my sleep¡­¡± Cen Yi knocked against the desk. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to sleep after you explain what happened.¡± Originally, he wasn¡¯t so anxious, but he saw Xiao Ba¡¯s situation and knew that she couldn¡¯t sleep in a short while. Hence, he came over early to solve the matter. Xiao Ba glanced at him with grievances. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re really not letting go of any chance to pressure me¡ª¡± Cen Yi leaned against the chair, and his expression was nonchalant as the corner of his lips curled up. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not like Lord Yan Qing, who will have his heart ache for you.¡± ¡°Big Brother!¡± Xiao Ba instantly felt like a cat whose tail was stepped on as she jumped down from the bed. ¡°You heard all of it?!¡± We had clearly walked to the side at that time! That¡¯s not right¡ªthat isn¡¯t the main point! The important thing is: what nonsense is Big Brother saying?! ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t hear what you said.¡± Cen Yi looked relaxed. ¡°Thirteen and the rest didn¡¯t hear it either.¡± Xiao Ba glared at him warningly. ¡°Yan Qing came to me himself and apologized.¡± The corner of Xiao Ba¡¯s lips twitched as she collapsed onto the bed hopelessly. I knew it¡­ Cen Yi sized her up. In his impression, Xiao Ba had always been charming and flirtatious, and he had never seen her so frustrated. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Let¡¯s talk about yesterday¡¯s situation.¡± Cen Yi changed the topic back. Xiao Ba spent a long time accepting the information contained in his few sentences. It seems like some people are really born stupid. He can¡¯t be saved at all! She sat up with much difficulty, and her entire person was not well. After sitting quietly for a while, she energized herself with much difficulty. ¡°¡­After you came back yesterday, I went to the Black Sword Sect¡­¡± Of course, she didn¡¯t use the main entrance but the side one. The guards at the side entrance were more relaxed and easier to target. At the very beginning, those two guards were still very alert when they saw her. However, Xiao Ba was really pretty, and with her flirtatiousness, she just had to reveal a slightly aggrieved expression to easily make those people let their guards down. In actual fact, it wasn¡¯t the first time they had seen such a scene. The Black Sword Sect was on the crest of a wave in Peach Blossom Dock. Even though they had many haters, there were also many people who wanted to join them and be a part of the Black Sword Sect. Even if one couldn¡¯t enter, it was good if one could be related to the people in the Black Sword Sect. Hence, even though these guards didn¡¯t have high status in the Black Sword Sect, many people still yearned to be them. Quite a few people exhausted all means just to make them happy. Among them, there were also many beautiful women that weren¡¯t talented enough and took the initiative to find them. When they saw Xiao Ba, they naturally thought that she was such a person and weren¡¯t very guarded. One just had to think to know the ending. Xiao Ba curled her fingers slightly and used some herbs to charm those men to say everything. ¡°From yesterday onward, the Black Sword Sect sent many people to Blue Peak, but they couldn¡¯t return in the end. All died. Later on, Mo Yun seemed to realize that this was wrong and didn¡¯t send any more people over. However, he didn¡¯t return and is still guarding Blue Peak.¡± Xiao Ba held her chin. ¡°With such a huge matter, everyone in the Black Sword Sect is quite panicked, and nobody cares about Master and the rest.¡± Although she didn¡¯t go in, she also found out quite a bit of relevant information. After all, it was the first time Black Sword Sect allowed San San to bring people in and even grounded them in the residence. Additionally, the matter was chaotic. The news spread quite quickly in private, and one could easily know about it. ¡°I think that at the very least, Master and the rest won¡¯t be in much danger for now,¡± said Xiao Ba definitely. Cen Yi nodded. This was about the same as they had predicted. The only thing they didn¡¯t expect was that Blue Peak¡¯s fire was even harder to deal with than expected, and it troubled Mo Yun for so long. ¡°That¡¯s great. Now that the Black Sword Sect can¡¯t take care of themselves, and Master and the others are there, we¡¯ve saved on quite a bit of trouble.¡± Cen Yi pondered for a moment and muttered, ¡°Blue Peak¡¯s fire will probably cause Mo Yun¡¯s head to ache¡­¡± Xiao Ba strangely asked, ¡°Oh, right. Speaking of this, Big Brother, do you know what¡¯s with the fire? I heard that quite a few people in Peach Blossom Dock went over. Why don¡¯t we¡ª¡± Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°There are already enough people crowding there. Let¡¯s just silently observe the changes.¡± After all, that fire was extremely similar to the one in San San¡¯s body, and San San and the others were trapped in the Black Sword Sect because of that. At this point, they had to steer clear of all relations with Blue Peak. Xiao Ba was slightly disappointed but felt that he made sense after deeper thought. ¡°Okay then.¡± Cen Yi stood up. ¡°Okay, you should rest first. You don¡¯t have to care about the remaining matters.¡± Chapter 1865 - 1865 His Confidant 1865 His Confidant After talking about these things, Xiao Ba¡¯s lethargy rolled in again. She lazily waved her hand. ¡°Big Brother, leave slowly. I won¡¯t send you. Oh right, Big Brother, could I trouble you to help me lock the door?¡± As she spoke, she closed her eyes and really prepared to rest. Cen Yi acknowledged it and walked outside. There was one thing that was very good about Xiao Ba¡ªmagnanimous. She seemed like she would never have anything that troubled her, and she didn¡¯t know how to be worried or anxious. Every time something happened, Wu Yao and the rest would panic, but she would not. After doing what she wanted to do, she could always sleep at the highest speed. When she woke up again, she would be fully energized. She was a rare type of carefree. She seemed like a butterfly that never knew what exhaustion was as she was forever relaxed, free, and happy. That was good too. Cen Yi thought of something. He walked to the door and suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°As for Yan Qing¡ª¡± Xiao Ba covered her ears in frustration and turned over to have her back facing him. I¡¯m not listening! Cen Yi smiled. ¡°It was an honest mistake on Yan Qing¡¯s part. Besies, he genuinely apologized, so you don¡¯t have to be hung up about this. After all, you also caused him quite a bit of trouble previously, and he didn¡¯t do anything to you¡ª¡± ¡°What can he do to me?!¡± Hearing this, Xiao Ba was upset as she instantly sat up and glared at Cen Yi angrily. Her pair of beautiful eyes became increasingly charming and brilliant because of anger. Cen Yi reminded, ¡°He¡¯s stronger than you. Even when compared to me, he is probably on par.¡± Xiao Ba was instantly stunned. Actually, she didn¡¯t know very clearly how strong her big brother was. However, she knew that if her big brother took action, he could definitely end her in three moves. Now, Big Brother actually personally said that Yan Qing¡¯s abilities are on par with his¡­ ¡°¡­How is that possible?¡± Xiao Ba knitted her brows and was very doubtful. It isn¡¯t that I have never interacted with Yan Qing before, but the other party¡¯s cultivation level and abilities don¡¯t seem as strong as what Big Brother said¡­ ¡°How can a simple character stay beside Rong Xiu?¡± Cen Yi raised his brows slightly. Xiao Ba¡¯s thoughts ran wild. Big Brother has no need to lie to me about this. Could it be¡­ Yan Qing is indeed so strong? ¡°He didn¡¯t hold it against you, and you should let him off too.¡± Xiao Ba grinded her teeth and didn¡¯t speak. Let this matter go as it is? I can¡¯t do it! ¡°He owes me!¡± Cen Yi didn¡¯t seem surprised at her answer as the corner of his lips curled up. Without saying anything, he walked out. He even closed the door on his way out. Xiao Ba glared at the door grumpily and slept after some time. When I have the chance¡­ I have to get my face back! ¡­ Cen Yi left Xiao Ba¡¯s room and walked forward. After leaving the courtyard and turning in the corridor, there was someone waiting¡ªit was Yan Qing. ¡°Brother Cen,¡± he greeted politely. Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve said all that I could, but¡­ Xiao Ba has always been very stubborn.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s heart tightened. Originally, he thought that the situation would be slightly better with Cen Yi putting in a good word for him. However, it now seemed rather hard¡­ ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s normal that Miss Xiao Ba can¡¯t dispel her anger in such a short amount of time. Thank you for today, Brother Cen. I will personally apologize to Miss Xiao Ba later.¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°I still have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Yan Qing didn¡¯t stay longer. Your Highness was trapped in the Black Sword Sect, and he did have other matters to handle. Cen Yi smiled. ¡°Please¡­¡± Yan Qing turned around to leave, and his figure quickly disappeared. Cen Yi looked in the direction he left and changed his tracks. With that person around, I really didn¡¯t have to worry about Master¡¯s safety¡­ ¡­ Three days passed in a flash. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡ªwho were trapped in the Black Sword Sect¡ªpeacefully passed the three days. With her supervision, San San spent most of his time and energy on cultivation, and it became much quieter. It was only until the fourth evening that they finally heard some messy and hurried footsteps from outside. Chu Liuyue was originally playing chess with Rong Xiu. Hearing the commotion, they looked up in unison and exchanged a glance. Rong Xiu whipped his sleeves, and the chessboard and chess pieces instantly disappeared. San San was also rudely awakened as he opened his eyes in a daze. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chu Liuyue had already stood up. Just in case, she and Rong Xiu were still wearing their previous servant disguise these few days. ¡°It¡¯s probably because¡­ trouble is here.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly, and the corner of her lips curled up. San San¡¯s heart sank as the meat on his cheeks trembled harshly. Master! Is this something good?! How could you still laugh? However, San San couldn¡¯t say these things in time as he could already tell that people were rapidly approaching them from outside. He immediately stood up, tidied his appearance, and pinched his waist with much heart ache. These three days, I didn¡¯t sleep or eat well and had to cultivate diligently. I have become much thinner¡ª ¡°Where are they?¡± Mo Yun¡¯s cold voice came from outside. The servant standing guard said hurriedly, ¡°Deputy Sect Master, they¡¯re inside!¡± ¡°Open the door!¡± commanded Mo Yun. ¡°Yes!¡± Seeing that the situation was amiss, the few guards didn¡¯t ask further and hurriedly opened the door when they heard this. In the end, before they could even rush in, the door was opened from the inside. San San¡¯s round and smooth face appeared in front of everyone. ¡°Deputy Sect Master? You¡¯re finally here!¡± San San was elated as if he had seen his own relative. However, his expression suddenly changed. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ injured?¡± Mo Yun stared at him closely and ignored his words. The atmosphere was cold and stiff. The uneasiness in San San¡¯s heart became increasingly stronger. Mo Yun raised his chin slightly. ¡°Boss San, I can¡¯t let you leave this time.¡± Chapter 1866 - 1866 Together with You 1866 Together with You Actually, when he saw Mo Yun coming over in such a formation, San San knew that they couldn¡¯t leave. But hearing this, he still acted shocked. ¡°Why? Deputy Sect Master, didn¡¯t we previously agree that you¡¯d let us off after you settle the matters at Blue Peak?¡± Mo Yun¡¯s expression was cold and nonchalant. His one sentence decided whether they left or stayed. Originally, he left the few of them here because he was worried that they would spread the news of Blue Peak. Later on, he then realized that his worry was unnecessary. That was because the situation¡¯s development had long exceeded their predictions! Just a few days had passed, but everyone in the entire Peach Blossom Dock already knew that a fire suddenly started on Blue Peak. There wasn¡¯t much meaning if they hid it further. Realizing this, he did think of letting them go. But before he could do so, something else happened. This was also the matter that caused him to return to this place and personally find them. ¡°Boss San, follow me first. You¡¯ll naturally understand when we reach Blue Peak.¡± San San was shocked. Go to Blue Peak again? Weren¡¯t Mo Yun and the rest very fearful of this before? Now, why did they¡­ Seeing that Mo Yun had already turned around to leave, San San didn¡¯t dare delay as he glanced at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. Then, he hurriedly followed him. At this point, Mo Yun didn¡¯t seem to care that San San had brought his two servants. He just looked cold and stern, with a sinisterly cold aura around him. The intense bloody aura spread from his body, and it made one¡¯s heart tremble. San San knew that the situation was bad and didn¡¯t dare ask further as he stood behind obediently and quietly, terrified that any word would cause this person to rage. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu tried to lower their presence to the maximum at the back. As she walked, Chu Liuyue secretly thought to herself. It seems like Mo Yun specifically came back to look for San San? What exactly happened that caused him to make such a trip? ¡­ They were quiet the entire way, and the atmosphere was suppressing. When they were still a distance away from Blue Peak, Chu Liuyue saw the fire rushing toward the sky from afar. That was the dark-blue fire burning on Blue Peak. She knitted her brows slightly. It has only been a few days. However, not only is the fire on Blue Peak not controlled at all, but it even became worse and burned so terribly. It was currently evening, and the sky was darkening. The light from the fire shone on the layers of clouds with a strange light. One could faintly see that there were a few people around Blue Peak. Among them were people from the Black Sword Sect, but most of them rushed over from all parts of Peach Blossom Dock. With such a major event, those who could come all came. The group of them walked forward. When they finally arrived in front of Blue Peak and saw everything before them clearly, Chu Liuyue then realized why Mo Yun wanted to specifically invite San San over. At this point, the trees had collapsed, and the rocks on Blue Peak were broken. It was filled with debris. The more important thing was that the dark-blue fire had already formed a circle in the middle of the mountain and completely surrounded Blue Peak. Standing here and looking over, everyone could see a crack in the mountain rocks on that mountain clearly. That fire rushed out from within. At first glance, it seemed like a dark-blue water current as it surrounded the middle of the mountain and flowed across. However, that wasn¡¯t the main thing. The most important thing was that as the fire burned, the upper side had even formed a translucent barrier that covered the large Blue Peak! It was almost exactly the same as San San¡¯s small space! But judging from the current situation, half of the mountain was within the barrier, and it started from the blazing fire in the middle of the mountain to form a semicircle. From the outside, it was bizarre and brilliant. When San San saw this, he was also stunned. ¡°H-how did it become like this?¡± When we were previously here, wasn¡¯t it just a line of blazing fire? It actually became like this in a few days? Mo Yun pointed toward the front. ¡°Boss San, I will have to trouble you to make a trip there and see what¡¯s going on.¡± It wasn¡¯t a discussion or a question. It was an irrefutable command. The corner of San San¡¯s lips twitched. I knew that calling me over meant nothing good! He knew very clearly why Mo Yun only called him. Wasn¡¯t it because he was the owner of that small space? Seeing that the fire on Blue Peak was gradually becoming similar to the small space, other than him, who had the most confidence to go over and see what was going on? Quite a few people looked over from the surroundings. Surprise, doubt, excitement¡­ Clearly, they also wanted to see if the famous Boss San could handle the current situation. San San was on the brink of tears. He knew that he had no way to do it, but he had no reasons to reject him. He could only accept it. ¡°Then¡­ Since you said so, I¡¯ll go over to take a look¡­¡± San San took a deep breath in and clasped his two hands tightly together. Mo Yun was very satisfied with his sensibility. ¡°Boss San, you don¡¯t need to feel that you¡¯re in a difficult spot. Once you feel danger, you can just retreat.¡± San San couldn¡¯t die just yet. The Black Sword Sect still needed the herbs and pills he provided. San San nodded. Of course, I know this! I am now Master¡¯s little bank! I can¡¯t sacrifice myself in such a place! After making sufficient mental preparations, he finally raised his foot¡ª ¡°Boss, let us go with you,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Chapter 1867 - 1867 Sudden Change 1867 Sudden Change San San turned around in shock. Just as he was about to reject him, he suddenly recalled the scene in that small space. Master just had a thought and triggered a gigantic energy vortex, which directly caused that barrier to burn¡­ Perhaps Master has an even stronger trump card? Besides, I¡¯ve heard that His Grace is quite capable as well. It will be safer if the two of them follow, and perhaps we can discover some things¡­ San San asked Mo Yun, ¡°Deputy Sect Master, you think¡ª¡± Mo Yun nonchalantly replied, ¡°Up to you.¡± It is just two servants; it doesn¡¯t matter if they follow or not. If this Boss San feels that this will make him feel safer, I don¡¯t care if he brings them along. Anyway, the key is still him alone. After the torture from these few days, Mo Yun¡¯s current mentality had changed greatly. He just wanted to quickly understand what exactly was going on! What method did he have to use to solve the problem completely!? He was fine with anything else! San San was instantly elated, but he didn¡¯t show it on the surface. He just coughed and said to Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, ¡°Let¡¯s go then! You must follow me closely later! If something wrong happens, immediately retreat!¡± Then, his figure flashed, and he flew forward first. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu followed closely behind him. ¡­ Countless gazes landed on them. Without a doubt, they were everyone¡¯s focal point now. ¡®It seems like quite a few people are curious about Blue Peak,¡± said Chu Liuyue softly. Rong Xiu softly laughed. ¡°If there¡¯s a weather phenomenon, there would likely be treasures descending. Hence, they¡¯re naturally very interested in this.¡± In this world, who didn¡¯t want to become stronger, obtain a twist of fate, and shoot up the ranks? Smelling the intense bloody aura in the air, the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, but there wasn¡¯t much smiling intent in her eyes. ¡°It seems like quite a lot of people died previously, so they¡¯re restraining themselves.¡± If they didn¡¯t know how dangerous Blue Peak was, they would¡¯ve swarmed up and wouldn¡¯t call San San over. Only in this situation when they needed someone to sacrifice themselves, and the person could only be San San did Mo Yun think of San San and bring him over. With this thought, San San spent his days with much hardship. The people in the Black Sword Sect only used him from head to toe. Since when have they really cared about San San? When Chu Liuyue thought of this, her gaze turned cold. ¡­ Very quickly, the three of them reached the middle of the mountain, and they were about ten steps away from the burning fire. San San stopped first. Standing here, he could already feel the scorching heat, the terrifying strength, and suppression from the fire. San San turned around to look at the two of them with shock in his eyes. ¡°Why do I feel that this fire seems to be much stronger compared to a few days ago¡­¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion, but it is so.¡± She felt it too. Besides, the increase in strength didn¡¯t seem like it was purely because the fire was spreading. San San swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty as he glanced at the fire again and the translucent barrier that appeared at some point. Actually, he was very familiar with the aura on it. That was because this was almost exactly the same as his space! Thinking of it, it was reasonable. They were originally the same fire, and the barrier was made by its force, so it should be the same. San San was nervous to the end. He walked a few steps forward. The closer he was, the more he felt that his entire person was about to burn. He reached out, and a fire appeared in his palm. The moment that fire appeared, it slightly reduced the scorching feeling from the fire opposite him. San San clenched his teeth and slowly stretched his hand forward. At this point, he was worried that he could not go in and also anxious that he could. If he couldn¡¯t go in, what if he was hurt by this fire again? If he could go in¡­ it spelled bigger trouble! If he smoothly entered this barrier in front of so many people and under so many stares, what would these people think?! He was very anxious as the fire in his palm finally touched the translucent barrier! Huala! Fire sparks flew everywhere! The two parties¡¯ forces harshly slammed against each other! A strong force hurled over, and San San was the first to get hit. His body flew forward uncontrollably! Soft gasps were heard from the crowd. ¡°Si¡­ It seems like Boss San can¡¯t do it either!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, right? I think that the fire is clearly the same. Why can¡¯t Boss San deal with it?¡± ¡°That fire looks the same, but who knows about the internal situation? I heard that Boss San had come over with Mo Lin and the rest a few days ago, and he couldn¡¯t solve the fire problem then. After that, he was brought to the Black Sword Sect¡­ If not for such a mysterious barrier appearing today, I¡¯m afraid the people from the Black Sword Sect wouldn¡¯t let him come over either.¡± ¡°I was just saying that I didn¡¯t see him for the past few days. So this happened¡­ Even he can¡¯t do it, so I¡¯m afraid the remaining few of us won¡¯t have a chance, right?¡± ¡°¡­That might not be the case. Given the situation on Blue Peak, there¡¯s most likely a treasure descending. If not, why would the Black Sword Sect spend so much time and effort on this? It¡¯s not easy to confirm a twist of fate. Perhaps¡­ either one of us will be lucky enough!¡± ¡°Hah, if this twist of fate is given to you, do you really dare to take it? It¡¯s been so long. Can¡¯t you tell that the people from Black Sword Sect are determined to take the treasure in Blue Peak? If you want it¡­ you must have the life to enjoy it!¡± This sentence caused quite a few people¡¯s expressions to change as they fell silently simultaneously. How could they not understand this? The Black Sword Sect literally had the entire Peach Blossom Dock in its palm. It would be as hard as ascending the skies to be able to take something away right in front of their eyes! ¡­ San San forcefully stabilized himself, and his face became much paler. However, he was much more relaxed. That¡¯s great! Now that I am rejected and blocked outside in front of everybody, even Mo Yun can¡¯t force me to enter the barrier. Won¡¯t this incident end? His eyes rolled, and he made a plan. Mm, I still have to try and put on a complete show! As long as those people believe that I have done my best and still can¡¯t enter, I can escape successfully! Thinking of this, San San held his breath and focused. He circulated the force in his body as he reached his hand in with stronger force. This time, the fire on his palm burned even more intensely! Rumble! The two fires clashed! San San was elated¡ªit succeeded! But just as he turned on his feet and planned to retreat, he shockingly saw that the fire surging out of the mountain rocks spread over to this area suddenly and grabbed onto his wrist tightly! Then, it pulled harshly! Chapter 1868 - 1868 Take for Ones Own 1868 Take for One¡¯s Own A strange change happened! As everything happened too suddenly, San San wasn¡¯t prepared at all. When he reacted, that fire had already turned into a fire whip that clutched onto his wrist tightly. Following this, a great amount of force pulled him toward the barrier! He couldn¡¯t even gasp in shock as his entire person was rapidly dragged into that translucent barrier! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed. Without thinking, she immediately went forward! Almost at the same time, Rong Xiu followed her! Coincidentally, two fires spiraled over at the same time! The two fires clutched the duo¡¯s bodies and later dragged them in as well! The duo¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly. Ripples appeared on the barrier, and it rapidly returned to normal. It was as if nothing had happened. All the spectators were stunned. W-what just happened?! The strange fire actually dragged those three people into the barrier forcefully? Mo Yun immediately knitted his brows. He moved his feet and was about to go forward! At the side, someone hurriedly advised, ¡°Deputy Sect Master, do consider it again! That fire and barrier are very dangerous. You mustn¡¯t go over hastily!¡± It wasn¡¯t like something similar did not happen previously. Some people tried to enter the barrier, but they were taken by the fire and were directly burned to death. This was also why so many people were watching, but nobody dared to go forward casually. The previous bloody lesson happened right in front of the crowd¡¯s eyes! The only difference was that these people were outside the barrier and were already burned to death by the fire, yet San San and the rest were brought into the barrier and disappeared without a trace. Mo Yun stopped in his tracks, and conflict flashed across his eyes. He instinctively felt that something was amiss but wasn¡¯t very certain of it, so he was rather hesitant. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, no matter what, Boss San is the owner of that small space. Since this fire came from the same source, perhaps¡­ he has another way to protect his life inside!¡± Seeing that he seemed to have faltered, the people below hurriedly advised him again. Mo Yun thought for a moment and looked up again. With this look, he realized that something was wrong. The barrier was clearly translucent previously, but after San San and the rest were dragged in, they couldn¡¯t see their figures at all! Even the scene inside had completely disappeared! One had to know that they could previously see the peak of Blue Peak that was trapped inside! At this point, the translucent barrier seemed to be covered by a faint layer of mist, covering everything inside! Mo Yun¡¯s face turned completely cold. ¡°Continue waiting!¡± ¡­ It wasn¡¯t only the people from the Black Sword Sect waiting. The surrounding crowd had also started their long and torturous wait. As they couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside, time passed in a very boring and torturous fashion. If they personally saw San San and the rest dead, they wouldn¡¯t have to continue thinking. However, the current situation was different. After those people entered the barrier, the entire barrier changed significantly. One couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. Mo Yun stared closely at it as low discussions sounded from the surroundings. ¡°¡­This fire is too strange, right?! It actually became like this?¡± ¡°I think it seems amiss as well¡­ Could it be that Boss San did something to it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, right? I saw that he was also attacked by the fire previously, and when he was dragged in, he was shocked. It did not seem fake.¡± ¡°Yeah! Didn¡¯t they say that he had always been in the Black Sword Sect previously? In such a short amount of time, he can¡¯t do anything either, right?¡± Mo Yun stood with one hand behind his back as he gradually clenched his fist. ¡­ Chu Liuyue just felt that the burning fire trapped her tightly, and a squeezing force suddenly attacked her as if something was pressing on her. Then, the heavy force disappeared. The tightness disappeared, and that fire flung her forward. She rapidly reacted. Just as she was about to take action, an iron arm had already clutched her waist. She felt secure. The next moment, Rong Xiu had already landed smoothly on the ground while holding her. Chu Liuyue looked up at her surroundings. This was still Blue Peak, but¡­ it seemed rather different from before. ¡°Master! Your Highness! Are you okay?!¡± San San couldn¡¯t react in time and fell into the mud. However, he only suffered some abrasions and no major injuries. Seeing that Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu had followed over, he hurriedly stood up and limped over. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. That fire has no intentions of harming anyone.¡± Upon seeing that they were indeed fine, San San then relaxed. ¡°Yeah! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either¡­¡± He loosened his wrist, and a faint red mark from the burn appeared on it. To outsiders, the previous scene was shocking and dangerous. But in actual fact, the fire was controlled extremely well and didn¡¯t actually hurt them. San San was grateful and doubtful. He turned around to look. ¡°How did you come in?¡± Upon deeper thought, that fire seemed to have done it on purpose¡­ Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s still because of you and your space¡­¡± Before she finished her sentence, she suddenly paused as she knitted her brows and looked up. The originally translucent barrier now presented itself in a pale white color. This color¡­ seemed extremely similar to the one in the space¡­ ¡°This fire is absorbing Heaven and Earth Force.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s sentence caused Chu Liuyue and San San to be taken aback. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue was filled with curiosity when she saw Rong Xiu staring at the burning fire not far away from the barrier. There was a faint yet unignorable aura moving in the surroundings. The invisible air currents seemed to surge toward that burning fire. Following that, the fire¡¯s aura seemed to strengthen at an observable speed! Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils narrowed. That fire is indeed absorbing Heaven and Earth Force and turning it into its own strength! ¡°How¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was very shocked. How did this happen? I can understand if it were cultivators or fiends swallowing the Heaven and Earth Force. Other than this, some precious herbs also need nourishment from the force to grow, so this is normal. But¡­ I have never heard that there is a type of fire in this world that can absorb Heaven and Earth Force to use on its own! Chapter 1869 - 1869 Trust 1869 Trust It¡¯s no wonder this fire could spread to this extent in a few short days¡­ Chu Liuyue glanced at San San. ¡°San San, your space¡ª¡± San San knew what she was asking and shook his head. ¡°My space shouldn¡¯t be like this. This place is indeed different.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded but had even more doubts. The fire on Blue Peak indeed has a very abnormal aura¡­ Right at this point, a familiar ripple came from her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened. It is still that black shield! She didn¡¯t immediately take action and surveyed her surroundings first. ¡°This barrier has already been hidden, and we can¡¯t see the outside, so the people outside shouldn¡¯t be able to see us either.¡± Seeming to have guessed her thoughts, Rong Xiu spoke calmly and in affirmation. Only then did Chu Liuyue feel more at ease. After hesitating for a moment, she summoned the black shield again. San San instinctively took a step back, his eyes containing nervousness. He was scared by the previous incident! It was to the point that when he saw the black shield again, he would instinctively avoid it. His throat went dry as his heart beat rapidly. He pointed at the black shield and asked while trembling, ¡°Master, a-are you planning to let the same thing happen again?¡± As he spoke, he looked up with lingering fear, terrified that the barrier would suddenly explode and that a fire would start burning. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. She was still very uncertain about this now. The black shield¡¯s ripple kept spreading. Whir! Whir! Whir! The ripple was even stronger than the previous time, and the force it contained became increasingly shocking! Finally, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force gathered again and surged toward this black shield! A crystallized light surfaced on the shield. Even if it was very weak, it couldn¡¯t be ignored. The three people present knew clearly how terrifying that light was! San San pointed at the black shield as his small hand kept trembling, and his entire person was unwell. ¡°Master, i-i-it really started again!¡± Chu Liuyue stared at it. In actual fact, she also wanted to see what this black shield was up to! The winds howled. The surrounding force started surging toward this end like tidal waves. All the force entered the black shield continuously. The tremendous amount of force seemed to have poured into a bottomless pit, and it didn¡¯t cause a ripple at all. The only change Chu Liuyue could see was that the more force poured in, the brighter the light on the black shield. Finally, at some moment, crisp breaking sounds were heard! Ka! A rusty corner flicked up at the edge of the shield. It seemed like it was about to be peeled. ¡°This seems smaller than the one in the small space last time,¡± analyzed Chu Liuyue calmly. Rong Xiu looked around his surroundings. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s probably because the Heaven and Earth Force here isn¡¯t as rich as in the small space.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Indeed. In comparison, this place can¡¯t be compared to that small space. But¡­ The fire emerged from below the rocks on Blue Peak and later formed this gigantic barrier. Is their true target me? Or perhaps it is this black shield. Chu Liuyue was very uncertain. From the side, San San gazed at Chu Liuyue and then at Rong Xiu. Following that, he sighed deeply and didn¡¯t want to speak. He could finally tell that these two people would always be this calm and nonchalant no matter what situation they were in. Even if the fire was burning their brows, they wouldn¡¯t panic at all. Only he would be nervous and anxious. Seeing how composed his master was, San San suddenly felt much more at ease. He took a deep breath in and clenched his fists tightly. What¡¯s there to worry about? Anyway, it has already happened, so the best choice is to accept it! Also, if a treasure is really hidden under Blue Peak¡­ Given the current situation, it is most likely Master¡¯s! This is naturally a good thing! As for the Black Sword Sect outside¡­ We¡¯ll just have to trick them again when we go out! Thinking in this manner, San San¡¯s entire person became much more relaxed. Anyway, Big Brother and the rest are here. Can we really be bullied by the Black Sword Sect? ¡°Master, your shield seems to be able to control the fire?¡± After clearing those messy thoughts, San San quickly discovered the crux of the matter. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up, and she was in deep thought. ¡°I think so¡­¡± Previously, she didn¡¯t think about this. With San San¡¯s reminder, she then realized it was the case. She looked behind. An expanding crack appeared on the ground. The dark-blue fire emerged from within! ¡­ The night sky was dark, yet all the candles were lit in Yue Manor¡¯s living room. Cen Yi and the rest were all gathered here. The atmosphere was stiff. ¡°Big Brother, the people from the Black Sword Sect brought Master and the rest to Blue Peak, and they probably don¡¯t have good intentions. Should we go over?¡± Wu Yao spoke first and broke the silence. Other than Cen Yi, he was the highest in ranking here. Once something happened on the Black Sword Sect¡¯s side, they received the news. But for some reason, Cen Yi hadn¡¯t taken action. The few of them couldn¡¯t hold themselves back and came over. ¡°Yeah! Big Brother, quite a few people in Peach Blossom Dock have gone over to Blue Peak! Even if we go over now, we won¡¯t attract much attention,¡± added Yu Jiu hurriedly. ¡°Besides, perhaps the people from the Black Sword Sect will be even more suspicious of us if we don¡¯t go!¡± Previously, they didn¡¯t act recklessly because the news of San San and the rest being locked up in the Black Sword Sect was sealed. But now, almost everyone knew about it, so they shouldn¡¯t have many considerations. Cen Yi kept quiet for a moment and didn¡¯t immediately reply. Instead, he looked at Yan Qing. ¡°Brother Yan, what do you think?¡± The remaining few pairs of eyes all looked over. Cen Yi called Yan Qing over. When they noticed Yan Qing¡¯s arrival, Wu Yao and the rest were actually a little confused, but they didn¡¯t ask further. Hearing that Cen Yi actually took the initiative to ask for his opinion now, the few of them were even more confused. What¡¯s going on with Big Brother? Does he plan to have an alliance with Yan Qing? Yan Qing nodded. ¡°His Highness and the rest should be fine for now, so we don¡¯t have to take action. However¡­ If everyone is really worried, there¡¯s nothing wrong with making a trip over. Wu Yao is right. Blue Peak¡¯s incident has spread far and wide. It seems inappropriate if we still don¡¯t take action.¡± The others looked at one another. Yan Qing really doesn¡¯t seem worried at all¡­ Could it be that he really has some confidence? Upon hearing this, Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Since this is so, then¡­ I¡¯ll personally make a trip over.¡± As he spoke, he stood up. ¡°Big Brother¡ª¡± The remaining few of them spoke in unison, clearly wanting to go over as well. ¡°You guys stay here.¡± Cen Yi didn¡¯t even give them a chance to speak as he glanced at Yan Qing. ¡°Yue Manor will be temporarily handed over to Brother Yan.¡± Chapter 1870 - 1870 Secret Words! 1870 Secret Words! The moment he said it, the few people present were shocked. What does Big Brother mean? Pass the entire Yue Manor¡¯s safety to Yan Qing? He trusts Yan Qing too much, right?! Hearing this, confusion flashed across Yan Qing¡¯s eyes for a moment. Obviously, he was very shocked about this decision. However, he quickly suppressed his emotions and lightly nodded. Cen Yi reminded them a little more before he left. His long green figure quickly disappeared before the crowd. Yan Qing squinted his eyes slightly. This Cen Yi¡­ seems to know quite a bit. The entire room fell silent for a moment, but luckily, they had already interacted for some time previously and were considered familiar with each other. Hence, Wu Yao and the rest quickly accepted their big brother¡¯s decision. After greeting Yan Qing, they left respectively. But from start to end, Xiao Ba¡¯s figure didn¡¯t appear. Perhaps she was too tired from going out previously to gather information, or she knew that Yan Qing was here and purposely did not come. Yan Qing originally wanted to find a few people to ask but thought that this was their personal grudge after all. It was already very troublesome for Cen Yi to intervene. It wasn¡¯t necessary for this to implicate more people. After much thinking, he still did not speak. As for the Black Sword Sect side¡­ He paused for a moment and rapidly left. ¡­ When Cen Yi came to Blue Peak, it was already late at night. Under the dark sky, only Blue Peak was glowing. Many people were already gathered here. Cen Yi¡¯s arrival didn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention. He chose an unassuming spot and gazed at Blue Peak with his hands behind his back. The surrounding people looked over, but they didn¡¯t care about him. Such a big commotion happened here, but people came over the whole time. They were long used to it. ¡°Two hours have already passed. Boss San and the rest haven¡¯t come out yet. Could it be that they¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, right? Clear Water Cliff has always been quiet. If something really happened to him, there would be some noises¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°However, they didn¡¯t come out the whole time, and nobody knows what exactly is happening in there. It¡¯s torturous to wait here for nothing!¡± ¡°Heh, if you¡¯re frustrated by waiting, can¡¯t you just directly leave? You¡¯re still here because you want to see what exactly is hidden underneath Blue Peak and whether Boss San will take it, right?¡± ¡°You¡­ Hmph, I just came to join in the fun, and I¡¯m not delusional like some people who want to think of taking the Black Sword Sect¡¯s things!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± ¡­ Discussions came from the surroundings. Cen Yi quietly listened with a calm expression. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mo Yun and the rest afar. The people from the Black Sword Sect really have their eyes wide open ferociously. When Master and the rest successfully come out¡­ They must be able to deal with this. Cen Yi slowly clenched his fists. ¡­ The people outside waited anxiously. However, the people inside already seemed like they had forgotten the passage of time. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged and placed the black shield before her. There was an energy vortex above the shield. At this point, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force was still continuously surging in. From the initial shock, suspicion, and doubt, Chu Liuyue had already calmed down. Now, she was just waiting, waiting to see when this strange phenomenon would end. The surrounding fire was still burning continuously. Chu Liuyue was curious about where exactly the fire came from and what was hidden underneath Blue Peak. But in such circumstances, she was clearly not allowed to cut the mountain and see what was going on. Hence, she swiftly diverted all her attention to the black shield. Ka. Another sound was heard. Chu Liuyue instantly perked up. The rusted metal that sprang up was finally scraped from the shield completely! Chu Liuyue heaved a long sigh of relief. Back in the small space, those two pieces of rusted metal dropped in the blink of an eye. But in this place, it wasted a lot more time. But luckily, it finally¡ª Whir! Whirs sounded again, but not from this shield. Chu Liuyue was dazed and looked up at the two people. ¡°Did you¡­ hear any sound?¡± San San hurriedly nodded. ¡°I heard it! It sounds like¡­¡± Rong Xiu looked up slightly. ¡°It came from below.¡± Once he said this, Chu Liuyue felt the ground below her shake violently! ¡°Master! Quickly look!¡± San San seemed to have seen something shocking as he hurriedly pointed behind Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue turned around. She saw something flying out from the ball of dark-blue fire, and it formed a brilliant light, which rapidly flew toward them. Chu Liuyue remembered clearly. That position is the place where the fire first exploded and burned on Blue Peak! The thing that flew out from it is¡ª Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to see clearly, that item had already flown to her and landed on that black shield! Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and looked over. She saw that the rusted metal was covered by a layer of dark-blue crystals. The layer of crystals was extremely thin, like dark-blue ice. After it touched that black shield, it rapidly melted and disappeared! The next moment, the uneven area suddenly changed! Chu Liuyue leaned in closer and took a look. Complicated patterns could faintly be seen. Chu Liuyue was dazed. There are secret words engraved on the black shield?! The rusted metal portion faintly revealed the tip of the iceberg. It was like a secret that was buried with the times, and it finally had a page flipped to reveal its true appearance! Chapter 1871 - 1871 Merciful to Your Husband 1871 Merciful to Your Husband Chu Liuyue was slightly stunned. The secret text seemed to contain an indescribable suppression and aura, which caused one to unwittingly feel fear and respect. Ancient, solemn, holy, and ambivalent! At this moment, she seemed to have seen the skies changing and the passage of time in that tiny, complicated secret text. ¡°Yue¡¯er? Yue¡¯er?!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s low and cold voice sounded. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and looked up at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her, and his phoenix-like eyes became slightly deep. ¡°You were¡­ too engrossed in it.¡± Engrossed? Confusion flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. At the side, San San explained, ¡°Yeah! Master, you were staring at that shield for about half an hour! We called you for quite some time!¡± It seemed like she had lost her soul, and it frightened him to no end. Luckily, Rong Xiu was around and finally awakened his master. ¡°¡­Thirty minutes?¡± Chu Liuyue opened her mouth. It was actually so long? I thought that I had just taken a glance at it¡­ ¡°What did you see just now?¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly and asked lightly. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. I seem to have seen many things, but now that I think about it, it seems like I haven¡¯t seen anything. She looked down slightly. That secret text seemed to have been hidden. At first glance, it just looked like a few marks on the surface. If one didn¡¯t look closely, they would not discover anything. However, she knew very clearly in her heart that this black shield definitely contained a huge secret! ¡°¡­Nothing much. I just realized that this item¡­ has more history than I predicted.¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. In the past, she already knew that this black shield was extraordinary. Now, it seemed like it had clearly exceeded her previous predictions. When she thought about the moment she saw the secret text at the corner, the almost suffocating solemn and tremendous pressure caused her heart to beat uncontrollably. It seemed like all her blood was about to rush up! A secret glint flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. San San curiously asked, ¡°Master, what exactly¡­ flew over just now? That thing really came for you, right?¡± Chu Liuyue found it strange. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it just now?¡± Even though that thin, dark-blue crystal flew very quickly, it still stopped on the black shield for a moment after it landed. Logically speaking, he should¡¯ve been able to see it clearly. ¡°No¡­¡± San San was aggrieved. Is Master despising that my abilities are too weak and that my eyesight isn¡¯t good? Seeing his expression, Chu Liuyue could guess what he was thinking and shook her head, caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Okay, I was just casually asking. That item came fast and left fast. It¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t see it¡­¡± As she spoke, she turned her gaze slightly and glanced at Rong Xiu. As if noticing her gaze, Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly, and his thin lips curled up faintly. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to talk about these things in the future. Now, we might¡­ be able to go out.¡± Chu Liuyue came to a conclusion. Rong Xiu indeed saw it, and it seemed like he has guessed something¡­ I knew that nothing could get past this man. A thought popped up in her mind. Seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s reaction, does he have some understanding toward this item as well? Perhaps after we go out, I can pick a time to ask¡­ ¡°We can go out? Really?¡± Hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s words, San San was confused. We were still very nervous just now. Why can we go out in the blink of an eye? The surrounding fire was still burning, and there was no change in the barrier. Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°San San, go and try it.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Since his master had spoken, there was no reason not to listen to her. San San obediently walked to the edge of the barrier. Originally, he was very nervous. But after walking here, he realized that the barrier¡¯s aura seemed to have changed slightly. The previous dangerous feeling has subsided quite a bit¡­ Suddenly, a ray of white light flashed across his mind as he gasped. ¡°Master, this fire has stopped absorbing the Heaven and Earth Force!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. When Rong Xiu said that they could leave, she noticed this. It seemed like that thin crystal was indeed the secret buried in Blue Peak. After noticing that this fire wasn¡¯t as deadly as before, San San became much more confident. He took a deep breath in and raised his hands again. Rumble! A dark-blue fire suddenly surged out of his palm! Then, he slowly stretched his hand forward¡ª Whir! That barrier seemed to have sensed something and suddenly rippled! Following this, the barrier opened! Chu Liuyue had already put away the black shield. Seeing the barrier that was slowly opening, she moved her thin and white fingers lightly. A fire suddenly spiraled in and tightly clutched San San¡¯s waist before forcefully flinging him out! ¡°Damn!¡± San San cried. This thing is too sudden! It gave no signs at all! Even if it was a small while, I could¡¯ve made some preparations! With this cry, his figure was instantly thrown out. Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Let¡¯s go too?¡± Faint smiling intent flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes as he softly said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, you must be merciful to me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face blushed slightly. This man¡­ She turned away. After a moment, she said, ¡°I know.¡± Her voice seemed like it could disappear into the wind at any moment, yet it had an undetectable determination and gentleness to it. If I don¡¯t dote on my own man, who would be expected to dote on him? Even if he didn¡¯t say this, I wouldn¡¯t do anything to him¡­ Chu Liuyue was helpless and found it funny. Sometimes, this man is just too smart¡­ As they spoke, two fires flew toward them. Their figures were instantly wrapped. The next moment, they were hurled out by the fire! ¡­ It was early in the morning, and the break of dawn had just started. A faint light shone down from the clouds and dyed half the sky a faint gold. The people who had waited around Blue Peak torturously for a whole night and day were exhausted. Suddenly, a gasp came from the silent crowd, breaking the cold atmosphere. ¡°Look! That barrier opened!¡± It was like pouring a bowl of cold water into a pot with oil, instantly surging! Everyone perked up and looked toward the barrier outside Blue Peak in unison! As expected, they saw the barrier¡ªwhich was sealed for an entire night¡ªsuddenly open! Almost at the same time, a fire flung out! The dark-blue fire held a round figure, and it quickly rushed out from within! ¡°It¡¯s Boss San!¡± Some people with sharp eyesight recognized San San and gasped in shock. ¡°He didn¡¯t die?!¡± This voice was doubtful and shocked. Even if the clothes were torn and tattered, and his ashen face looked very disheveled, he was indeed still alive in one piece! Everyone was dazed at that moment. They all thought that San San wouldn¡¯t survive after a night¡¯s torture. In the end, he actually came out alive! At this point, another two figures rushed out from inside the barrier continuously! Chapter 1872 - 1872 Advise 1872 Advise ¡°Those¡­ are Boss San¡¯s two servants? They actually came out too?¡± someone muttered in shock. It was no wonder that they were shocked. This matter was¡­ too strange! They could understand if San San did not die. After all, he was the owner of the small space at Clear Water Cliff and had a fire of his own, which seemed like it had the same origin as the one on Blue Peak. The crowd might be shocked that he could protect his life, but upon deeper thought, it was rather normal. However¡­ What was with the two servants? They actually came out in one piece? Of course, these two people didn¡¯t look like they were in good condition, and they seemed injured. But compared to the many people that died under the dark-blue fire, this was¡­ too strange! The moment Mo Yun saw them come out, he squinted his eyes. At this point, he was very suspicious of these few people! He walked forward. ¡­ After being flung out, San San regained his stability with much difficulty. The moment he stood still, he immediately detected the surrounding gazes sharply. This caused his heart to tighten. Without looking, he also knew what feelings these people had when they looked at him! San San looked down, and his eyes turned as he immediately reacted. At this point, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu seemed to have rushed out of that barrier simultaneously. At first glance, the three of them were harshly flung out by the fire that hung onto them. However, San San knew clearly that it wasn¡¯t so simple to get the people present to believe this completely. ¡°Boss San?¡± A familiar and cold voice sounded from behind. San San¡¯s heart trembled as he turned around to look. His face had a few hints of weakness and confusion, as if he hadn¡¯t reacted to what was going on. ¡°¡­Deputy Sect Master?¡± Mo Yun stared at him closely and tugged at the corner of his lips. ¡°Boss San, it seems like you¡¯re really blessed. So many people tried going in previously, but they lost their lives before they could even get close. Not only did you go in¡­ but you even came out in one piece after one night¡­¡± Even though he was smiling, there was no smiling intent in the corner of his eyes. That pair of eyes¡­ Probably because he had stayed here for a few days without sleeping or resting, but his eyes were bloodshot and totally red, looking even more cold and sinister. With this look, San San felt a gust of coldness rush up from the bottom of his feet! His heart trembled. ¡°T-thank you, Deputy Sect Master. I-I was just lucky¡­¡± Mo Yun looked behind him and said carefully, ¡°It is lucky for you to come out alone, Boss San. But now that the three of you have safely escaped, it¡¯s not something the word ¡®lucky¡¯ can explain, right¡­ It seems like Boss San is much more capable than we thought.¡± Even though he found the scene before him very strange, he didn¡¯t connect it to Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. After all, from head to toe, the two of them looked exactly the same as ordinary servants. Mo Yun instinctively attributed the cause of this to San San. Actually, it was normal for him to think this way. After all, San San was the owner of the small space at Clear Water Cliff. With the twist of fate there, it was normal for him to be more confident than an average person. San San laughed awkwardly. ¡°Uh¡­ Deputy Sect Master, to be honest, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on as well¡­¡± Luckily, Mo Yun doesn¡¯t suspect Master and His Highness, but Mo Yun¡¯s attention is clearly on me now. San San knew very clearly that it wasn¡¯t so easy if they wanted to make it past this stage. As expected, Mo Yun didn¡¯t have much of an expression upon hearing San San¡¯s words. He clearly did not believe it. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, the fire seems to be smaller!¡± A voice came from the side. San San glanced over. The person speaking was Mo Lin. Previously, he had been standing at the side quietly and looked defeated as he wasn¡¯t in the spotlight at all. San San guessed that it was probably because he didn¡¯t handle the Blue Peak incident well, so Mo Lin was punished by Mo Yun. However, Mo Lin was clearly indignant, so he rushed over instantly. Following his voice, Mo Yun knitted his brows slightly. The fire¡ªwhich was blazing previously¡ªclearly did not continue spreading. Could it¡­ also be because of San San? Countless guesses flashed across Mo Yun¡¯s heart. ¡°Go over and take a look.¡± Mo Yun thought for a moment and made this decision. Mo Lin was first shocked before he clenched his teeth tightly. ¡°Yes!¡± He knew that this was very dangerous, but this was also his only chance to make a comeback. He had to grab it! Without hesitation, Mo Lin turned around and went toward the barrier on Blue Peak. When he reached that barrier, he rapidly circulated his inner force, whipped out his dagger, and held the hilt tightly as he slashed down! This move gathered all of his strength! A greenish-black sword light sliced through the air and went for the barrier! Huala! The originally hard barrier was suddenly sliced open! The spectating crowd gasped instantly! Wasn¡¯t that barrier previously indestructible, and nobody could open it? Now, it was actually sliced open so easily? One had to know that though Mo Lin was strong, he was previously injured. Thus, the strength he could unleash now was only seventy or eighty percent of his prime. ¡°It¡¯s not that Mo Lin has become stronger, but the barrier¡¯s force has become weaker!¡± Someone noticed something and gasped softly. The people present weren¡¯t silly. When they saw this scene, they just had to work their brains to guess what had happened. However, the key was: when did this barrier suddenly become weak? It wasn¡¯t hard for people to associate this with San San, who had just come out. Mo Yun glanced at San San and said with deep meaning, ¡°Boss San, it seems like you¡¯re really our lucky star. A hard problem that so many people in the Black Sword Sect couldn¡¯t solve was done easily in one night by you. If I knew of this earlier, I should¡¯ve invited you over in the first place.¡± This way, so many people didn¡¯t have to die for nothing. Mo Yun did not feel regret or heartache because of those people. He just felt humiliated. So many people in the Black Sword Sect can¡¯t even be compared to San San! We spent so much effort the previous few days! So many people are watching here, and they will only think that the Black Sword Sect is useless! Hearing this, San San broke out into a cold sweat. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that this was really genuine praise. On the other end, after Mo Lin sliced open the barrier, it rapidly disappeared. In just 15 minutes, only the dark-blue fire was left on Blue Peak. However, the fire seemed to be getting weaker. Under everyone¡¯s stares, the fire slowly returned to the cracks of the mountain and burned slowly as a small fire. Mo Yun¡¯s expression was cold and stiff. ¡°Mo Lin, continue guarding here!¡± Mo Lin knew that this was considered as him using his merits to make up for his wrongdoings. As he escaped an ordeal, he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Yun turned to look at San San. ¡°Boss San, there are some things I wish to seek your guidance in detail. May I know if it¡¯s convenient?¡± Chapter 1873 - 1873 Danger 1873 Danger San San really wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t convenient. However, he didn¡¯t wish to die so quickly, so he still nodded. ¡°Yes, yes! Deputy Sect Master, if you have any instructions, just say it directly. Don¡¯t need to stand on ceremony¡ª¡± Mo Yun laughed. This laughter was very strange as it had emotions and contained sarcasm. ¡°Who is Boss San? How can we offend him? Perhaps in the future, we all have to rely on Boss San. We should be more courteous to you.¡± This rendered San San speechless. Mo Yun is already set that everything is related to me, so how can I argue? Many pairs of eyes were on me. After I went in and out, the barrier¡¯s strength was indeed reduced and could be slashed with one sword! I really can¡¯t clear my name no matter what! However, compared to Master being discovered, it is still slightly better for Mo Yun and the rest to suspect me alone¡­ Thinking of this, San San felt better. He looked down slightly, and his expression was awkward and helpless. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll listen to the Deputy Sect Master¡¯s arrangement for everything.¡± Mo Yun turned around and planned to return to the Black Sword Sect. The moment he walked out, he paused and turned around. ¡°Blue Peak¡¯s matter has already ended. Everyone¡­ go your own way!¡± This voice was low and stern, with high and mighty authority. It seemed as if everyone should listen to him, and they couldn¡¯t refute him. The surrounding spectators had varying expressions. Previously, the Black Sword Sect still tried to hide it. Now that the incident had blown up, they swiftly decided not to care and even directly chased them away. The Black Sword Sect wanted to occupy the entire Blue Peak. But even if the crowd was upset, nobody really dared to stand up and go against Mo Yun. These few days, many people from the Black Sword Sect died or were seriously injured. However, Mo Yun didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid, which showed how much he wanted to get Blue Peak! If anyone planned to go head-on against them, they would have to pay a painful price! After Mo Yun said this, he ignored the crowd¡¯s reaction and turned around to leave. He really didn¡¯t care about these people. At this point, he only wanted to find San San and ask clearly about what exactly happened within that barrier! San San braved himself and went over. ¡°¡­Deputy Sect Master, I-I can just go back with you. However, my two servants were tortured during this period of time. May I know if they can go back first¡­¡± Mo Yun did not turn around and waved his hands. It¡¯s just two irrelevant people; they aren¡¯t important. As long as I bring San San back, the truth will come to light! San San heaved a sigh of relief and said to Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, ¡°Okay, you can go back first and report our safety to the people in the manor. I will naturally go back after a while.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved slightly. She originally wanted to say something, but eventually nodded lightly when she saw San San¡¯s gaze. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ The incident at Blue Peak finally came to an end. Other than those people from the Black Sword Sect who continued guarding the area, the others slowly left. However, this incident didn¡¯t truly end for the crowd in Peach Blossom Dock. After all, Blue Peak¡¯s fire still continued to burn. The secret buried within wasn¡¯t yet revealed. Everyone was watching to see the Black Sword Sect¡¯s next course of action. ¡­ Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue silently returned to Yue Manor. Yan Qing was already waiting at the main entrance. Seeing the two of them return, Yan Qing¡¯s tense expression finally relaxed slightly. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Close the door.¡± Yan Qing acknowledged the order and closed the door. Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Cen Yi.¡± The air moved, and a figure walked out¡ªit was Cen Yi, who previously went to Blue Peak to check on the situation. When he saw Chu Liuyue and the rest coming out of the barrier, he wanted to go forward. However, Mo Yun was staring at them closely. After some thinking, he still decided to wait and quietly observe the changes. As Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu pretended to be servants, it wasn¡¯t convenient for him to go and welcome them, so he swiftly disguised himself and secretly accompanied the duo back. ¡°Master, Your Highness.¡± Cen Yi bowed. Chu Liuyue glanced at the closed door, and her gaze deepened slightly. ¡°It seems like the people from the Black Sword Sect won¡¯t easily leave in such a short amount of time.¡± Other than Cen Yi, there were still quite a few people in the Black Sword Sect who secretly followed them back. During the whole trip back, she and Rong Xiu pretended that they didn¡¯t discover them. But even when they returned, those people didn¡¯t leave and just hid themselves around Yue Manor. Clearly, Mo Yun was still very guarded against them. ¡°They¡¯re just three true gods. Nothing to worry about.¡± Cen Yi said lightly, ¡°I¡¯ve already left markings on them. Once they take action, we¡¯ll know immediately.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. She was always assured in whatever Cen Yi did. Upon hearing this, Yan Qing took another glance at Cen Yi. They¡¯re just three true gods. Nothing to worry about¡­ To be able to say such words, Cen Yi¡¯s skills are probably more shocking than I expected¡­ Rong Xiu said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in first and discuss again.¡± ¡­ Knowing that the two of them had come back, Wu Yao and the rest rushed over. The living room quickly became lively. ¡°Master, you didn¡¯t get injured these few days at the Black Sword Sect, right? What did those people do to you?¡± ¡°Master, Your Highness, you¡¯re back. Did the Blue Peak incident end?¡± ¡°The Black Sword Sect seems to be severely damaged this time. How could they let you off so easily?¡± Once Wu Yao and the rest saw Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, they hurriedly asked questions. Thirteen was the first to realize that something was amiss. ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Third Brother? Master, didn¡¯t he come back with you?¡± Once he said this, Wu Yao and the rest then realized that San San was indeed not around. Chu Liuyue glanced at Thirteen in comfort. Probably only Thirteen can remember San San at this moment. ¡°Mo Yun brought him back to the Black Sword Sect.¡± Everyone was dazed. Then, Chu Liuyue briefly recounted whatever had happened in the past few days to them. She also included how they were dragged to Blue Peak¡¯s barrier on the last night and the incidents that happened thereafter. Of course, she didn¡¯t bring up the incident of the black shield being scraped in the barrier. Hearing this, the few of them were completely stunned. ¡°¡­Then, isn¡¯t Third Brother in grave danger?¡± asked Thirteen rather helplessly. Chapter 1874 - 1874 Interrogation 1874 Interrogation Even though they didn¡¯t personally see the incidents that happened at Blue Peak, given what Chu Liuyue just said, the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people would definitely place all their doubts on San San. ¡°San San is the owner of a small space. The Black Sword Sect still needs the treasures he provides; they won¡¯t take his life for now,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly. ¡°Besides, after this incident, they will only be more curious about San San. Before they obtain a satisfactory answer from San San, they definitely won¡¯t do anything to him.¡± However, ¡®doing something¡¯ meant killing him. As for whether they would use methods to deal with San San, nobody could say this for sure. After all, Mo Yun was¡­ Chu Liuyue recalled that pair of sinister and cold eyes filled with murderous intent, and she furrowed her brows slightly. I¡¯m not worried about San San¡¯s life and death but whether he can endure the torture. The Black Sword Sect is very evil. Nobody knows how they will treat him¡­ ¡°T-then, are we just going to wait like this?¡± Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, Thirteen became slightly more at ease. However, he recalled that the Black Sword Sect took San San away because of the Blue Peak incident, and he still felt uneasy. Even though he was young, he was extremely smart. The incident during the God Foreseeing Tribulation was still fresh in his mind. In his impression, the people from the Black Sword Sect were very dangerous. Now that San San was trapped, it was really hard for one to be completely at ease. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak as she knocked against the chair armrest lightly. Actually, I have been thinking about this problem the entire way. If we just wait without doing anything, it is too passive. However, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything suitable in such a short time¡­ Mo Yun is determined to get an answer out of San San. He will never let San San go so easily. ¡°Master!¡± At this point, a melodious voice sounded. Following this, a charming and curvy figure suddenly floated in from the door. ¡°Master, you¡¯re finally back! I miss you to death!¡± As Xiao Ba spoke, she twisted toward Chu Liuyue and was about to pounce straight into her arms. The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. Rong Xiu looked up slightly. Xiao Ba¡¯s nape felt cold, and she instinctively stopped her actions. Hiss¡­ Why did I forget that he¡¯s here too!? However, Xiao Ba returned to normal very quickly. She turned around and curtly kept her legs. A rainbow thread flew, and the crisp jade bumped into each other. Revealing an eye-catching white waist, she swiftly came to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. ¡°Master, I missed you so much¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her and kindly reminded, ¡°Xiao Ba, there are two marks on the side of your face that you were sleeping on.¡± Even though it was very light, it was too obvious on that mesmerizing face. ¡°Ah!¡± Xiao Ba was stunned and instantly widened her eyes as she covered her cheeks. ¡°Really?!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Ask Yan Qing.¡± Yan Qing was currently standing opposite and could see it once he looked up. Actually, Chu Liuyue said this with some motive. After all, from a certain perspective, Xiao Ba and Yan Qing were already considered ¡®mortal enemies.¡¯ Xiao Ba could disregard her image in front of the Thirteen Yue Guard, but she could never be embarrassed¡ªeven a little¡ªin front of her own ¡®enemy.¡¯ As expected, when Xiao Ba heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, her gaze became even more horrified as she instinctively looked up at Yan Qing. Yan Qing was scanned by this gaze and detected the dangerous warning within. He thought for a moment and then said gently for once, ¡°The wooden pillow has a gentle texture, and it¡¯s useful for having a good sleep. Miss Xiao Ba, if you¡¯re worried that there will be a mark left behind if you sleep for too long, you can use cotton to cover it. Cotton is very intricate. I believe¡ª¡± It won¡¯t harm your skin, Miss Xiao Ba. Yan Qing couldn¡¯t say the remaining half of the sentence. That was because Xiao Ba seemed to be greatly agitated as she held her heart with one hand and kept moving backward. ¡°I¡­ You win!¡± Xiao Ba threw this sentence behind in disbelief and quickly turned around to run away. Before the crowd could even say anything, she flew away like a butterfly, disappearing without a trace. She couldn¡¯t stay in this place for another moment! It was totally silent in the room. Yan Qing¡¯s lips moved slightly, and his handsome and cold brows rose slightly. I said my words rather politely. Why do I seem to have offended her again? Chu Liuyue glanced at Yan Qing in sympathy and admiration. It¡¯s also my first time meeting a man that can anger Xiao Ba until she runs away. It is amazing. Wu Yao and the others looked over with admiration. Xiao Ba was always the one bullying them, and they had never seen Xiao Ba being stumped time and time again. Lord Yan Qing is indeed His Grace¡¯s confidant. His skills, his intelligence¡­ is indeed extraordinary! Chu Liuyue shot Rong Xiu a look. Your Highness, you¡¯ve always been amazing at courting your wife, but why did you bring up such a foolish and ignorant man? Rong Xiu was calm and composed. I¡¯m not only good at courting my wife. However, Yan Qing has always been a block of wood in this area. You shouldn¡¯t have harbored any hopes for him. Chu Liuyue was speechless. Sometimes, people have to be more humble. Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and was rather suspicious. Am I not humble enough? Perhaps I can help you recall it, Yue¡¯er? Chu Liuyue choked and retreated in failure. I really can¡¯t beat some people. I should¡¯ve long known that I couldn¡¯t compare to Rong Xiu in this aspect¡­ She coughed and sensibly changed the topic. ¡°The Black Sword Sect sent a few people to secretly observe us from outside Yue Manor. These few days, everyone should wait patiently in the manor. As for San San¡­ we¡¯ll react to the situation.¡± The few of them exchanged glances. Judging from the current situation, this does seem like the best option. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ At the Black Sword Sect. Inside the study, Mo Yun sat behind the desk, leaned against the chair, and closed his eyes. He seemed like he was resting. However, there was someone in front of him saying something respectfully with a single knee on the floor. After a while, Mo Yun finally opened his eyes. ¡°Just this?¡± That person immediately said, ¡°Deputy Sect Master, just this. There¡¯s a barrier outside Yue Manor, so our men can¡¯t go close just in case we alert them.¡± Mo Yun nodded, and his expression became even colder. After coming back this morning, he asked San San quite a few questions. However, San San¡¯s answers made him very unsatisfied. As long as he asked what exactly happened inside the barrier, San San¡¯s descriptions were very vague. No matter how Mo Yun asked, San San insisted that he didn¡¯t know and said that he didn¡¯t do anything from start to end. He was just dragged in for some reason and later flung out. As for the reason behind the changes that happened later, he didn¡¯t know a single thing. San San clearly was not telling the truth. Mo Yun wanted to find out about the situation from Yue Manor. However, it sounded like Yue Manor was normal, and there was nothing wrong. ¡°You can go down first. Also, continue watching them. If there¡¯s anything strange, report it to me immediately.¡± Mo Yun waved his hand. That person acknowledged it. Then, he suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Oh right, Deputy Sect Master, the few people that arrived at Peach Blossom Dock a few days ago seem to have an unusual relationship with Boss San.¡± Chapter 1875 - 1875 Overwhelming 1875 Overwhelming ¡°Oh? How is it different?¡± Mo Yun immediately became interested and asked in a low voice. That person thought for a moment before saying, ¡°When those few people came to Peach Blossom Dock a few days ago, it seemed like Boss San personally went to fetch them. At that time, Yue Manor even held a welcome ceremony. Quite a few people already know about this, and¡­ Boss San seemed to especially respect the two of them.¡± Mo Yun spent most of his time in the Black Sword Sect normally and didn¡¯t really pay attention to other matters. Or perhaps, he didn¡¯t even take those people seriously¡ªincluding Yue Manor. Even though he thought highly of San San, it was mainly because of that small space. As for Yue Manor¡­ Mo Yun previously felt that it was for San San¡¯s self-entertainment. As long as it didn¡¯t affect the Black Sword Sect, he would not care. When San San did all of this that day, he didn¡¯t hide it on purpose. Hence, some people in the Peach Blossom Dock knew of this. As long as one went to ask around, they could know briefly what happened. ¡°Say it. What exactly is going on?¡± Mo Yun was slightly suspicious and continued asking. Even though he didn¡¯t really know about Yue Manor, he knew that it was San San¡¯s personal residence. Other than those that San San especially trusted, others were rarely invited into Yue Manor. Now, he actually welcomed those few people in such a lavish manner. It showed that they were really different. If it were in the past, he couldn¡¯t be bothered with this. But since he wanted to find answers from San San, he naturally couldn¡¯t let go of any clues. That person hung his head even lower. ¡°Um¡­ Yue Manor is guarded very strictly, and Boss San seems especially protective of those people. After they went in, they didn¡¯t come out again. As for their specific identities, we couldn¡¯t find out.¡± They basically heard whatever he just reported from other people. Mo Yun sneered and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask personally!¡± ¡­ San San was locked into the previous room again. Compared to the uneasiness during the previous time, he felt more relaxed and open-minded. As long as Master and the rest are safe, I can temporarily put down the rock in my heart. As for myself¡­ With the small space as his trump card, he knew that Mo Yun would definitely not kill him. Besides, in these one or two years, he and Mo Yun had interacted numerous times. Thus, he knew how he could argue for the best benefits for himself. Hence, after Mo Yun left when he failed to find out about anything, San San briefly packed up and directly went to sleep. I¡¯m exhausted these few days! In the end, he didn¡¯t expect that Mo Yun actually came back again not long after he slept! Mo Yun directly pushed open the door to enter. Seeing that San San was sleeping, he was speechless for once. ¡°Boss San, you¡¯re really leisurely. In such a crude place, you can actually sleep?¡± San San¡ªwho was woken up¡ªwas filled with grumpiness, but he didn¡¯t dare to throw his temper as he rapidly stood up and bowed with a smile. ¡°U-um¡­ Deputy Sect Master, you¡¯re too humble. If this is considered crude, won¡¯t my place be considered a grass house? I was really tired, s-so I slept¡­¡± Mo Yun ignored his words as he sharply stared at San San and kept thinking in his heart. San San could actually sleep in this place. Is he too confident, or is his conscience clear? ¡°Boss San, why are you so humble? I heard that your Yue Manor is also very extravagant. Oh right, I heard that a few of your friends came a few days ago? Why didn¡¯t I hear you mention them?¡± San San¡¯s heart sank. So Mo Yun came for this! He has clearly started to suspect Master and the others¡¯ identities. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have asked such a question. San San¡¯s thoughts whirred, but his expression was still very natural as he smiled and said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about my Big Brother and the rest? Yeah, I specifically invited them over this time! Didn¡¯t I manage to build up a small business with your help after coming to Peach Blossom Dock? I thought of inviting them over to take a look and let them know that I¡¯m doing quite well here¡­¡± These words were basically the truth. Hence, San San said it very sincerely¡ªeven Mo Yun couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong. It was originally normal to invite one¡¯s family and friends to come over and gather after they made it big in life. Mo Yun thought for a moment. ¡°Those few people are all your siblings?¡± San San smiled widely. ¡°We are sworn¡ªsworn! However, we¡¯re on very good terms!¡± Mo Yun squinted his eyes and suddenly laughed. ¡°But why did I also hear that two of them have extraordinary statuses and that even Boss San has to be respectful toward them?¡± ¡­ Yue Manor. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu returned to their rooms. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and still chose to summon the black shield. Unexpectedly, the shield had become much heavier. Chu Liuyue could almost confirm that when the rust completely peeled off and the engraved secret text was fully revealed, the item would show its true appearance! Now that a few pieces of rust had dropped off, it had already become much heavier. It was hard to imagine how it would feel to hold it when all the rust had disappeared. Chu Liuyue even suspected that if she was still at her current cultivation level, she might not¡­ be able to lift it! ¡°Rong Xiu, do you recognize the secret text on it?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and asked. Rong Xiu walked over. His deep phoenix-like eyes stared at the light dents for a moment, and he shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t really tell.¡± Chu Liuyue was quite disappointed, but this was also within her expectations. ¡°Why? Is there¡­ something wrong with this shield?¡± Seeing her deep gaze and the light worry in her eyes, Rong Xiu reached out and gently smoothened the creases at her brows. Chu Liuyue was quiet for a moment and then seriously noded. She pointed at the black shield with a headache. ¡°I feel that¡­ I have to flip the entire Peach Blossom Dock upside down.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Literally?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded with difficulty. ¡°Literally.¡± Chapter 1876 - 1876 All Here 1876 All Here Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to flip over the entire Peach Blossom Dock, trouble had already knocked on their door. That was because the people from the Black Sword Sect arrived. Besides, it was Mo Yun who personally came to the door. San San was also with him. Originally, Mo Yun wanted to find out about things from San San, but the latter was very sharp-tongued and could really talk. After beating around the bush, he didn¡¯t even know whether what San San said was true. In the end, Mo Yun swiftly decided to make a trip himself. His decision was very sudden. When he brought San San to Yue Manor, even the Black Sword Sect subordinates secretly watching the manor were stunned. But at this point, Mo Yun couldn¡¯t be bothered with these things. Seeing San San return, the entire Yue Manor was very surprised. The news quickly reached Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. The duo immediately understood: the incoming person is an enemy! ¡°It seems like Mo Yun didn¡¯t receive a satisfactory answer from San San,¡± muttered Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°He should be coming for us this time.¡± ¡°Us?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. When Rong Xiu and I previously acted as servants next to San San, we shouldn¡¯t have revealed any traces. Mo Yun came now¡­ Could it be that he suddenly knows something? ¡°It seems like we don¡¯t have to spend any effort in disguising ourselves.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. Mo Yun wants to see the real us! ¡­ The moment Mo Yun stepped into Yue Manor, he found that this place was weird. There weren¡¯t many people serving in the residence, but there was an indescribable suppressive aura everywhere. Walking here, he kept feeling that he was secretly stared at. This made him very uncomfortable, and it even confirmed his previous guess. San San¡¯s Yue Manor¡­ indeed contains quite a few secrets! The two of them came to the living room. San San was drenched in cold sweat. ¡°I-invite Big Brother and the rest over¡ª¡± Before he finished his sentence, a long and tall green figure slowly walked in. ¡°It is really our Yue Manor¡¯s honor to have such esteemed guests coming.¡± His voice was light and calm, with a reassuring aura. It was Cen Yi! San San looked up. When he saw that familiar face, his wildly beating heart became stable immediately. ¡°Big Brother!¡± He hurriedly stood up and walked toward Cen Yi. Actually, he had a lot of things to say, but Mo Yun was behind him currently, so he could only swallow those words first. ¡°Big Brother, this is the Black Sword Sect¡¯s Deputy Sect Master¡ªLord Mo Yun! Deputy Sect Master Mo, this is my Big Brother!¡± San San stood in the middle and briefly introduced the two of them to each other. Cen Yi lightly nodded toward Mo Yun. ¡°I¡¯m Cen Yi. Greetings, Deputy Sect Master Mo.¡± Mo Yun sized up the man in front of him. He seemed like he was 28 or 29, and he was dressed in green and looked very honest. His pair of narrow eyes were nonchalant with a few hints of distance. This aura¡­ is indeed something that an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t have. It¡¯s no wonder he can make the scheming San San convinced. ¡°Boss San, didn¡¯t quite a few people come to your Yue Manor a few days ago? Why is only one person here now?¡± Mo Yun flicked his clothes and had a faint hint of arrogance on his face. ¡°I personally came over to visit you. Are the few of them not even going to give me this face?¡± Just as San San was in a tight spot, Cen Yi lightly spoke. ¡°Wu Yao and the rest are in the backyard. I¡¯ve already informed them to come over. Deputy Sect Master Mo, kindly wait for a while.¡± Just as he spoke, someone came from outside. ¡°Big Brother! There¡¯s an esteemed guest?¡± The person talking was Wu Yao. He looked like he had just finished training, and his forehead still had sweat. Yu Jiu was also with him. He was holding a wooden sword. Cen Yi glanced at him. Perhaps he was more diligent these few days, but there was obvious damage on Yu Jiu¡¯s wooden sword. It seems like I have to change it for him later¡­ Cen Yi thought to himself. ¡°This is the authoritative Black Sword Sect¡¯s Deputy Sect Master Mo.¡± He raised his hand. Wu Yao and Yu Jiu immediately understood and greeted him politely. ¡°So it¡¯s Deputy Sect Master Mo! My bad, my bad! We¡¯ve long heard of your name and didn¡¯t expect you to personally come today!¡± Not to mention others, but Wu Yao and the rest still knew very clearly what to do at certain times. Their current identities were just San San¡¯s friends, so they naturally had to be more respectful in front of Mo Yun. Mo Yun¡¯s gaze swept past the two of them, and he felt nonchalant. Compared to the initial Cen Yi, these two weren¡¯t very good. Not long later, Shi Fang came as well. Mo Yun finally couldn¡¯t help but knit his brows. Why does this person¡¯s pants have soil stains on it? Shi Fang¡ªwho had just tidied the garden and was suddenly despised¡ªhad a face of innocence. I just want to eat the vegetables I planted myself. Why must this Deputy Sect Master reveal such an expression of contempt? However, the other party had a distinguished status, so he could only temporarily suppress his indignation. He glanced at Cen Yi. ¡°Big Brother, Eighth Sister is cultivating in seclusion and won¡¯t be able to come on such short notice.¡± Cen Yi nodded in understanding. When the few people present heard this, they revealed understanding expressions. They had known Xiao Ba for so long, but they had never heard of her going into seclusion for cultivating. It was most likely because she was angered by Yan Qing and went to soak herself in a bath before sleeping in spite. The Thirteen Yue Guard knew her temper very clearly and did not find it weird. Mo Yun originally wanted to ask, but his expression changed suddenly. ¡°This is¡ª¡± The person coming in was Thirteen. San San quickly said, ¡°Thirteen, aren¡¯t you going to greet Deputy Sect Master Mo?¡± Thirteen obediently greeted Mo Yun and then stood behind Shi Fang. Mo Yun¡¯s expression paused on him for quite some time. ¡°Boss San, your Thirteenth Brother seems quite talented¡­ If he can enter the Black Sword Sect to cultivate, he will definitely achieve great things in life.¡± San San¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He knew that Thirteen was almost snatched away by the people in the Black Sword Sect when he broke through. Why does Mo Yun also seem very interested in Thirteen? Thirteen is quite talented, but what does this have to do with them? ¡°¡­Hehe, thank you for the praise, Deputy Sect Master. It¡¯s his honor to receive your admiration, but Thirteen is still young and has always been following Big Brother the whole time. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t get used to it if he goes over.¡± San San tactfully rejected Mo Yun¡¯s suggestion. Mo Yun squinted his eyes slightly. San San is a smart person. I have already made it very obvious. Anyone with brains would go with the flow and send him to the Black Sword Sect. So many people in Peach Blossom Dock want to enter the Black Sword Sect but fail. Now that I¡¯ve personally spoken, San San actually rejected me? San San¡¯s back was already drenched in cold sweat. However, he didn¡¯t dare and didn¡¯t want to send Thirteen out. Even if he detected Mo Yun¡¯s gaze filled with warning, he still braved himself and chose to reject. Mo Yun paused and didn¡¯t continue arguing about this matter. He surveyed the surroundings. ¡°Other than Miss Xiao Ba, is everyone here, Boss San?¡± Chapter 1877 - 1877 Identity 1877 Identity San San was stumped. Of course, not all of them came. He also knew that Mo Yun came for Master and the rest. However¡­ ¡°Deputy Sect Master Mo, you came all the way here, and we couldn¡¯t host you properly. Do forgive us.¡± At this point, a clear voice with laughter sounded. Mo Yun seemed to feel something as he looked up. Two figures held hands and walked in from outside. The person talking was a woman in a red dress; it outlined her thin and petite figure. Her hair was also simply tied up in a clean manner. Her appearance was clear and breathtaking. The most mesmerizing part was her pair of black gem-like eyes that were calm and nonchalant. Her eyes sparkled as if millions of stars landed in them and shone brightly. At this point, her red lips curled up slightly with a faint smile. The moment she walked in, it caused everything in the surroundings to lose its color¡ªother than the man next to her. He was decked in a snow-white robe. He stood tall like a tree and faintly looked like a deity. His appearance was demonically handsome, and there was elegance in his bones. Just by standing there, people could only look up to him. These two people were top characters after all. Just by standing there, they easily stole everyone¡¯s gazes. Mo Yun stared at those two people and slowly clenched his fists. With this look, he knew that his previous guess was right! These two¡­ are definitely the two that my subordinate mentioned, whom San San respects very much! When I previously saw Cen Yi, I already felt that he couldn¡¯t be underestimated. Now that I see the two of them, this feeling has become even more intense! But for some reason, I have a strange feeling in my heart. I seem to have¡­ seen these two people before¡­ ¡°You are¡ª¡± Just as he was about to speak, a figure suddenly appeared outside and rushed over. Hearing the hurried footsteps, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu looked over in unison. It was Yan Qing. At this point, his usually icy and nonchalant face had a frown on it, with a hint of anxiety and nervousness. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt uneasy. Yan Qing has always been stable and rarely reveals such an expression. Did something happen? ¡°Your Highness, someone is here,¡± boomed Yan Qing as he stood forward. Everyone present had a strange expression. Who would come to Yue Manor at this point? Besides, it seems like¡­ the situation isn¡¯t optimistic. Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°Who?¡± Yan Qing cupped his fists. ¡°The Nan family.¡± ¡­ At this point, Nan Yuxing just brought people into Peach Blossom Dock. With him, there were also eight elders from the Nan family and¡­ Luo Yan. Even though there were quite a few elders in the Nan family, there weren¡¯t many situations where they would send eight at once. Besides, it was even to the distant Peach Blossom Dock! ¡°So this is the so-called Peach Blossom Dock¡­¡± As Nan Yuxing walked forward, he surveyed the surroundings. His expression was extremely cold, and he had a few hints of blood color in his eyes. When he looked at someone, it made them feel uneasy. However, the more horrifying thing was the aura on his body. In this short month, not only did he recover, but he even directly broke through to become a legendary warrior! Even though the people on the streets didn¡¯t really know them, they also noticed that this group of people couldn¡¯t be messed with. Thus, they all avoided them. Recently, too many things had happened in Peach Blossom Dock, and average people really did not dare to intervene. ¡°They really know how to choose places.¡± Nan Yuxing sneered with hints of mockery. At the side, Luo Yan followed him silently. He looked down slightly, and one couldn¡¯t see his emotions. Only the patch of black under his eyes showed that he hadn¡¯t been having an easy time lately. The remaining eight elders followed him without saying a word. The atmosphere was tense with heavy murderous intent. Anyone could tell that they were here to cause trouble! Quite a few people on the streets avoided them and muttered secretly. These people are very strong and have murderous intent. I wonder who actually offended them¡­ The crowd quickly knew the answer. That was because Nan Yuxing and the rest directly went to Yue Manor. This caused quite a few of the spectators to be taken aback. Boss San has been too unlucky recently. Firstly, the Black Sword Sect keeps messing with him, and he was trapped for so long. Now, his enemies came to look for him¡­ This formation will probably spell a long battle! Nan Yuxing and the rest stood before the door. ¡°Get your Master to come out and die!¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue and the rest came out, they saw such a scene. Nan Yuxing brought his people and blocked the entrance. His formation was harsh, and his murderous intent was sinister. The people in Yue Manor had gathered over and formed a defense line, but compared to the people opposite them, their auras were clearly weaker. The other party had ten people, and six of them were legendary warriors! This even included Nan Yuxing! Chu Liuyue slightly furrowed her sharp brows as her gaze doubtfully scanned Nan Yuxing. Then, she relaxed her brows, smiled, and said, ¡°I was wondering who it was. So it¡¯s Eldest Young Master Nan. It seems like you¡¯re already much better?¡± Her words directly spilled salt on Nan Yuxing¡¯s wound. His face contorted for a moment. Then, he was so angry that he laughed. ¡°What, are you very disappointed that I didn¡¯t die?¡± Chu Liuyue sincerely shook her head. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just curious. If you don¡¯t wish to say it, you don¡¯t have to.¡± She did want to know how Nan Yuxing successfully recovered in such a short amount of time and even successfully broke through after breaking his Yuan meridian. Even she might not be able to do such a thing. Nan Yuxing sneered. ¡°Shangguan Yue, Rong Xiu! You killed my younger sister, yet you dare to laugh?¡± Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu looked at each other. Nan Yiyi? When did we kill her? Behind, Mo Yun¡ªwho only planned to come up to take a look¡ªhad a change in expression when he heard those words! Those two people¡ª Chapter 1878 - 1878 Smear 1878 Smear ¡°Nan Yuxing, you can eat the wrong food, but you can¡¯t say the wrong words. Ever since we bade farewell at the God-Killing Tumulus, we didn¡¯t see Nan Yiyi again. How could we kill her?¡± Realizing that the misunderstanding was huge, Chu Liuyue¡¯s face immediately turned cold as she clarified the matter. Even though she wasn¡¯t afraid of other people causing trouble for her, she did not want to be falsely accused at all. However, Nan Yuxing seemed to have heard a joke as he abruptly raised his hands and sharply scolded, ¡°Her corpse was found in a forest not far away from the Sky-Cloud Empire, and she died not long after your wedding! Do you dare to say that this has nothing to do with you at all?!¡± Nan Yuxing was extremely infuriated. Due to his health previously, he didn¡¯t really care about other things, so he didn¡¯t even know that Nan Yiyi went to the Sky-Cloud Empire when Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were getting married. If he knew it back then, he would definitely stop her! When he thought of asking about Nan Yiyi¡¯s condition, he received the news of her death instead! The time, location, and all the clues pointed to the Sky-Cloud Empire! He determined in his heart that Nan Yiyi¡¯s sudden visit had angered Rong Xiu and the rest. Not only did they reject her at the door, but they even chose to kill her in the end! As her brother, how could he not avenge her death?! Seeing that Nan Yuxing was so furious that he was out of his mind, Chu Liuyue almost burst out laughing. Ridiculous¡ªa joke! This was what she felt after hearing it. It seems that although Nan Yuxing¡¯s body has recovered, his brain isn¡¯t working anymore. ¡°Nan Yuxing, you said it yourself. She died outside the Sky-Cloud Empire, and it happened after our wedding. Then, I would like to ask: what has this got to do with us? Besides, you need evidence for everything. Since you¡¯re saying it with such gusto, what evidence do you have?¡± Nan Yuxing sneered. I long knew that these people wouldn¡¯t admit it, but that is fine. He looked at Luo Yan at the side. ¡°Uncle Luo Yan, they indeed refused to admit it. May I trouble you?¡± Luo Yan nodded and looked up at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. He was standing half a step behind Nan Yuxing previously, and with his head slightly lowered, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. Now that he raised his head, Chu Liuyue and the rest finally saw his appearance clearly and were taken aback. Different from the arrogant man they previously saw at the God-Killing Tumulus, the current Luo Yan in front of them had completely changed into someone else. His cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were bloodshot. His green beard was messy, and he looked very frail. At first glance, it seemed like he had suffered a huge impact. ¡°That day, I was the one who accompanied Yiyi to the Sky-Cloud Empire,¡± Luo Yan said. His voice was extremely hoarse as if he hadn¡¯t spoken in a while. ¡°After being rejected by the Sky-Cloud Empire at the door, I advised Yiyi to go back. She listened and agreed to return to the Nan family. At that time, she was upset, so we planned to find a random place on a nearby mountain to rest. Who knew that not long after we arrived there, someone sneakily attacked us¡­¡± He paused, and there was something surging in his eyes. ¡°Even though the person hid very discreetly, I saw the totem they summoned when they took action¡ªit was undoubtedly the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem!¡± Nan Yuxing had previously heard Luo Yan say these things. But now that he heard it again, his blood boiled. He glared at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, and there seemed to be fire burning in his eyes. He wanted to shred them into pieces! ¡°You heard that! That¡¯s the evidence you want! What else do you have to say?¡± If it wasn¡¯t done by the people in the Sky-Cloud Empire, who else could it be?! Compared to Nan Yuxing¡¯s anger and mania, Rong Xiu looked calmer and more composed. He nodded. ¡°Other than this, what else do you have?¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s lungs were about to explode. ¡°Rong Xiu, what do you mean?! Do you think that this concrete evidence is still not enough?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a one-sided statement. How can it be considered as concrete evidence?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Luo Yan, let me ask you. Other than you and Nan Yiyi, who else was there that day?¡± Rong Xiu ignored Nan Yuxing as he directly looked at Luo Yan and interrogated him. Luo Yan slowly clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Nobody. However, what I said just now was the truth!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. ¡°Why are your words the truth and other people¡¯s words a lie? Senior Luo Yan, I know that we had grudges between us at the God-Killing Tumulus and that you¡¯re upset with us, but¡­ You don¡¯t have to harm us like this, right? You said that our people did something to you¡­ What¡¯s the reason for that?¡± As she spoke, she meaningfully glanced at Nan Yuxing. ¡°I think you are the ones with the true murderous intent, right?¡± I have never seen someone who is so hung up about an issue. Is there such a need? ¡°You!¡± Luo Yan was exasperated. However, Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡¯s rebuttal made sense. His words alone weren¡¯t enough to convince the crowd. Rong Xiu asked again, ¡°Luo Yan, you said that the person who took action that day is from the Sky-Cloud Empire. If this is true, then¡­ they would¡¯ve killed the both of you. Since Nan Yiyi is already dead, then¡­ how did you appear here?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s words rendered Luo Yan even more speechless. ¡°I-I fainted back then¡­ When I woke up again, a long time had passed¡­ Yiyi was already¡­¡± ¡°Was it still on the mountain outside the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Luo Yan¡¯s forehead broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°¡­Y-yes it¡¯s there¡­¡± Speaking of this, he finally realized something was amiss. If it were the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s people that took action, they definitely wouldn¡¯t kill Nan Yiyi alone and leave him alive. Also, why would it still be at that place? They should change to somewhere else¡­ Could the people who assassinated Nan Yiyi just want to settle her there? After Luo Yan woke up, he saw Nan Yiyi¡¯s miserable death state that didn¡¯t even make her look human. At that time, he was overwhelmed with anger and was fixated on taking revenge against the Sky-Cloud Empire, so he rapidly returned to the Nan family. Then, he came with Nan Yuxing¡ªwhose body had just recovered¡ªto discuss their revenge. After asking around, they found out that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue had come to Peach Blossom Dock. Without a second word, they directly brought the elders over. But upon hearing the other party¡¯s questions at this point, Luo Yan finally realized that things weren¡¯t as simple as he thought. However, it seemed to be a little late to say this now¡­ ¡°Uncle Luo Yan!¡± Nan Yuxing hollered and woke Luo Yan.¡±Don¡¯t listen to these people arguing! Other than them, who else would be so harsh to Yiyi?!¡± Swoosh! The blade glistened coldly. Nan Yuxing held the sword with both hands and pointed it straight at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. ¡°It must be you!¡± Chapter 1879 - 1879 Sneak Attack 1879 Sneak Attack Nan Yuxing was already crazy. He had experienced too much during this period of time, and it had long exceeded his tolerance. When his Yuan meridian was broken, he felt defeated and wanted to die. Later on, his father managed to find an expert with much difficulty to help heal his Yuan meridian. He even took this chance to successfully break through and become a legendary warrior. He was elated. But just as he planned to share these things with Nan Yiyi, he heard that she died tragically. As her corpse was seriously damaged, Nan Yifan chose to bury her on the spot. Nan Yuxing didn¡¯t even get to see her for the last time. Nan Yiyi was his only younger sister and his most beloved existence. Now that she suddenly was gone, how could he accept it? Hence, his entire mind was thinking about revenge. He had to kill Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue to resolve his hatred! As for Luo Yan¡¯s momentary hesitation, he didn¡¯t care about it at all. He had already decided that Nan Yiyi died in their hands. No matter who advised him, it couldn¡¯t change his mind. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Nan Yuxing, who do you think you¡¯re pointing the sword at?¡± His voice was usually cold and low, but now that one heard it, it had a hint of irrefutable suppression! Nan Yuxing instinctively looked at Rong Xiu. After meeting that pair of cold and deep phoenix-like eyes, his heart suddenly shuddered. Intense uneasiness and horror surged out of the bottom of his heart almost uncontrollably! That was instinctive danger! However, he quickly suppressed such an emotion. Fear? What is there to fear? Today, I have brought many elders over with only one motive¡ªto kill Rong Xiu and Chu and avenge Yiyi! Thinking of this, he sneered. ¡°Rong Xiu, don¡¯t act like you¡¯re still His Grace here. This is Peach Blossom Dock, not your Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± Before he came, he had already asked around and knew that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue came here discreetly. Rong Xiu only brought a confidant with him, and although Chu Liuyue had more people, they were all her past subordinates and didn¡¯t pose a threat. Rong Xiu was amazing, and Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t to be underestimated, but two fists were hard to go against four hands. Now that the two parties were going against each other, they had a higher chance of winning! ¡°This really isn¡¯t the Sky-Cloud Empire, but¡­ this is Yue Manor! You can¡¯t do whatever you want!¡± Without waiting for Rong Xiu to say anything, Chu Liuyue spoke first. Whoosh! The sharp blade cut through the sky! She already held the Chi Xiao Sword! Seeing Nan Yuxing¡¯s behavior, there is no use in talking further. The only way is to use the sword to settle it! Seeing Chu Liuyue whip out the sword, many scenes of the God-Killing Tumulus suddenly appeared in Nan Yuxing¡¯s mind. This woman is much stronger than she looks¡­ Nan Yuxing flung his head, knitted his brows tightly, and threw away his messy thoughts. There¡¯s nothing to worry about! No matter how strong she is¡­ she¡¯s just a true god! How could she do anything to us legendary warriors!? Thinking of these things, Nan Yuxing became more confident. ¡°Pay with your life! I must avenge Yiyi today!¡± Before he finished his sentence, Nan Yuxing already took action! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started gathering toward him at the highest speed and later surged into the knife in his hands. His surrounding aura intensified, and his force almost exploded! The sky quickly turned dark. The attack of a legendary warrior could not be underestimated! ¡°Soul-breaking knife!¡± With Nan Yuxing¡¯s holler, his sword slashed down harshly. With the sharp whir, a blood-colored light flew out! Wherever it went, space collapsed inch by inch! A deep trench had appeared on the ground! The floor cracked! Rong Xiu raised his wrist slightly. Just as he was about to take action, Luo Yan took a step first and went for him. At this point, the eight elders behind them slowly took action! They moved, and in the blink of an eye, they floated in the air and surrounded Chu Liuyue and the rest in the middle! Nan Yuxing¡¯s group had a total of ten people. Even though they weren¡¯t more than the people in Yue Manor, they won in the number of legendary warriors! Everyone in Yue Manor was alert and formed a human wall. But compared to the countless legendary warriors opposite them, they still paled in comparison. The blades hit each other! The terrifying wind, coupled with harsh murderous intent, attacked them! The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s clothes was blown by the wind. Her eyes were slightly dark as she moved her legs slightly. Then, she bent her knees slightly and jumped up! She went straight for Nan Yuxing¡¯s blade! ¡°Chi Xiao Sword!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword slashed down. The two forces slammed against each other harshly. Rumble! The terrifying turbulence dissipated into the surroundings! ¡°Master!¡± Thirteen yelled nervously and instinctively took half a step forward. Cen Yi glanced at him. Thirteen seemed to have felt something as he stopped and woke up. I can¡¯t go over! With my current abilities, I won¡¯t help by going up and will only cause more trouble. The only thing I can do is to wait patiently and not cause trouble for Master. He looked at Cen Yi anxiously. ¡°Big Brother¡ª¡± I¡¯m afraid only Big Brother can help¡­ Whoosh! A gust of cold wind suddenly attacked the few of them from the back! Cen Yi¡¯s eyes turned cold, and he immediately turned around! He whipped his sleeves, and a strong aura blocked the force of the sneak attack! San San widened his eyes and was in lingering fear. ¡°Deputy Sect Master Mo, what are you doing?!¡± He actually took action when we weren¡¯t paying attention! However, Mo Yun sneered. ¡°I was wondering who it was! Rong Xiu, Shangguan Yue¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to willingly send yourselves to me!¡± Chapter 1880 - 1880 Escape! 1880 Escape! If I can kill the two of them on the spot¡­ Not only can I use the good work to make up for the Blue Peak incident, but Sect Master will also think of me highly. Then, I can ascend the ladder! My status can¡¯t rise, but I can have many chances and resources in other areas! Mo Yun previously only heard of these two people¡¯s names. He never expected them to willingly find him at his door! When San San heard Mo Yun¡¯s words, his heart sank. Mo Yun seems like he has wanted to kill Master and His Highness for a long time?! However, they have no grudges with the Black Sword Sect. How would they¡ª Without waiting for him to think about it clearly, Mo Yun suddenly flew up! At the same time, a bamboo container appeared in his hands. He pulled it harshly without hesitation! Whoosh! A sharp ear-piercing sound was suddenly heard! Peng! A firework suddenly exploded in the skies! The firework bloomed, and it was actually the special totem of the Black Sword Sect¡ªtwo swords holding the moon! San San widened his eyes and shouted, ¡°Oh no!¡± He is gathering the people from the entire Black Sword Sect! Everything happened in the blink of an eye. In a few moments, Yue Manor was already the target of the crowd! Even if it was daylight, the firework was still very bright and eye-catching, and it didn¡¯t disappear from the sky for a long time. San San saw it and cursed his mother in his heart. At this time, why would the Black Sword Sect come and join in!? ¡°Mo Yun, we have never offended your Black Sword Sect! Why are you hitting our Yue Manor when we are suffering?!¡± questioned San San harshly. Mo Yun looked down at him from above. To be accurate, he was looking down at the entire group of them. ¡°Boss San, you can¡¯t blame me for this. For the past one or two years, you¡¯ve contributed quite a bit to my Black Sword Sect. If you abandon them and join me, I can spare your life.¡± After all, he was still very reluctant to part with the treasures in that small space. Upon hearing this, San San grinded his teeth. ¡°My ass!¡± This Mo Yun is too shameless! He stole so many of my things, yet he still put on an imperious kind appearance. If not for earning the small bit of money for Master, why would I stay at Peach Blossom Dock and be angered by the Black Sword Sect?! Now, Mo Yun has gone against us and even plans to attack Master¡­ I naturally have no need to continue enduring it! ¡°Mo Yun, you think too highly of yourself! Why don¡¯t you pee, look at yourself in the reflection, and see what you look like now!? I haven¡¯t taken revenge on you for stealing so many of my treasures, yet you want to bully my master. Do you really think I¡¯m dead?!¡± San San normally smiled from ear to ear and rarely got upset at people, let alone spill vulgarities. Now that he suddenly exploded, quite a few people were taken aback. Mo Yun was first stunned. Then, he reacted and realized that San San was scolding him. His expression instantly turned ugly. ¡°San San, it seems like you want to do this the hard way!¡± San San sneered as he held his waist with one hand and pointed at Mo Yun with the other. He scolded, ¡°You don¡¯t even know what my father¡¯s name is! How dare you be arrogant here?! You¡¯re really so full of yourself!¡± Since when was Mo Yun directly scolded? At this moment, he couldn¡¯t think of how to retort, and he was so angry that his entire body trembled. ¡°Y-you!¡± He was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Okay! Since you¡¯ve said so, my Black Sword Sect won¡¯t be merciful to you today!¡± With San San dead, it does mean a huge loss for us. But as long as we can take down Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, nothing else¡­ matters! Shua! Just as the two parties were in a stalemate, many people rushed over from the surroundings! It was the people who were in charge of secretly guarding Yue Manor! Other than this, many figures were rushing over from afar at top speed. They were from the Black Sword Sect! When Mo Yun released the signal earlier, the people from the Black Sword Sect immediately rushed over. Seeing the figures that kept gathering and the tumbling murderous intent in the air, Nan Yuxing was first stunned before he laughed coldly. ¡°Shangguan Yue! Rong Xiu! It seems like your enemies aren¡¯t just my Nan family alone!¡± They can even meet people who want to kill them here¡­ It shows that their usual arrogance has offended countless people! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly and quickly looked up. The people from the Black Sword Sect were indeed rushing over rapidly. Mo Yun was bent on dealing with them! They did not even care about San San! At that moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind whirred. I don¡¯t recall that Rong Xiu or I have offended someone from the Black Sword Sect. We only knew of the Black Sword Sect¡¯s existence after coming to Peach Blossom Dock. During this period of time, the Black Sword Sect kept causing trouble for San San, and we¡¯ve endured it. Who knew that once Mo Yun heard our names, his attitude would completely change? He wants to take our lives no matter what! There was nothing scary about going against Nan Yuxing alone. Even with these few legendary warriors with Nan Yuxing, they might not lose. After all, Yue Manor was San San¡¯s territory. Besides, they had quite a few trump cards in their hands. Once they dealt hands, nobody would know if they would win or lose! But now that the Black Sword Sect has stepped in¡­ things are troublesome! Even if the Black Sword Sect previously suffered a great loss at Blue Peak, their foundation is strong, and they don¡¯t take these losses to heart. The Black Sword Sect is a top existence in Peach Blossom Dock. If they are determined to exterminate them¡­ the situation won¡¯t be optimistic. Although these people in Yue Manor are quite strong, they are definitely not these people¡¯s match! Clang! Chu Liuyue¡¯s wrist moved, and she moved Nan Yuxing¡¯s sword with hers! Nan Yuxing¡¯s hand became numb, and the sword in his hand almost dropped from the vibration. He was shocked and enraged. The woman opposite him is clearly only a true god, but her sword isn¡¯t weaker than mine! Nan Yuxing¡¯s face flashed white and red. If I lose in such a sure-win situation, I will have no face to continue living in this world! Thinking of Nan Yiyi¡¯s death, the anger in his chest overwhelmed him even more crazily! ¡°You all deserve to die!¡± he hollered and went for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered as she had already made a decision in her heart. She moved her legs and avoided this sword. Then, without hesitation, she suddenly mustered her courage, turned over, and rushed in one direction! Her movement technique was very agile, and her speed far exceeded the crowd¡¯s expectations. Originally, the few elders from the Nan family wanted to surround her. But before they could even do it, the slim figure had cut through them! ¡°You want to escape? It¡¯s not that easy!¡± Nan Yuxing was indignant when his sword landed on nothing. Seeing that Chu Liuyue wanted to run, he immediately followed! Rong Xiu¡ªwho was dealing with Luo Yan¡ªwent on his toes and immediately rushed over! Luo Yan had no choice and could only hurry over. In the blink of an eye, the four figures had departed far! They left the crowd behind exchanging glances. W-where are they going? Mo Yun clenched his fists tightly and immediately followed them at full speed! No matter where they escape, I have to take their lives today! Chapter 1881 - 1881 Her Direction 1881 Her Direction Chu Liuyue was extremely quick. However, Nan Yuxing was already a legendary warrior and had unleashed his full speed, so he was still slightly better than her. The distance between the two decreased continuously. ¡°I want to see where you can run to today!¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s expression was icy cold and a little contorted. His desire for revenge almost swallowed him. At this point, he could not hear anything or see any truth. He was filled with hatred, and he just thought of¡­ killing Chu Liuyue! She is Rong Xiu¡¯s princess consort and the person Rong Xiu treasures the most! If I kill her, it will be even more painful than directly killing Rong Xiu! Hence, from the very beginning, Nan Yuxing¡¯s main target was Chu Liuyue! They very quickly left the city and came to the never-ending mountains. Looking across, it was filled with blooming light-pink peach blossoms. The air contained an intense peach blossom fragrance. It was a scenery filled with vitality. Nan Yuxing was nonchalant. Does Chu Liuyue think that by escaping here, she can use the turning mountains to hide from my pursuit? How naive. Before he came to the Peach Blossom Dock, he had already looked up the situation here¡ªmysterious, dangerous, unknown, chaotic. However, he didn¡¯t quite take it to heart. He just came here to kill two people. How much time and effort could it take? When the thing was settled, he would directly leave. What was there to worry about in Peach Blossom Dock? Besides, now that he saw it, other than the slightly richer Heaven and Earth Force and the prettier scenery, there was nothing special. Nan Yuxing casually sized up the surroundings and quickly retracted his gaze. The distance between him and Chu Liuyue before him kept shortening. According to this situation, in another ten minutes, I can¡ª Hula! A red-golden figure suddenly appeared beside Chu Liuyue! The gigantic wings spread wide, and the scorching fire almost caused the surrounding temperature to rise instantly! Red-gold heavenly phoenix! Chu Liuyue jumped up onto Tuan Zi, and she lightly patted the latter¡¯s head. ¡°Go!¡± Screech! A clear shriek instantly reverberated throughout the area! At that moment, countless fiends kneeled on the ground in the forest below as they looked at the figure flying across with respect and trepidation. The distance between the two parties expanded again! Nan Yuxing watched on with hatred in his heart. I actually forgot that she has such a legendary fiend! With that red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s help, it will be even easier for her to escape! Nan Yuxing didn¡¯t stop as he crazily urged the force in his body! Then, silver-white lightning flashed below his feet. His speed increased at an observable speed! ¡­ Behind Chu Liuyue and Nan Yuxing were Rong Xiu and Luo Yan. In the beginning, Luo Yan was just worried that if Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue joined hands, Nan Yuxing wouldn¡¯t be their match. After all, Rong Xiu was also a legendary warrior! However, he quickly realized that the situation was amiss. Rong Xiu seemed¡­ like he wasn¡¯t using his full speed. It wasn¡¯t obvious at first, but after some time, the distance between Rong Xiu and Nan Yuxing didn¡¯t change. Luo Yan then realized that Rong Xiu¡¯s motive wasn¡¯t to pursue Nan Yuxing. Rong Xiu is a true legendary warrior! If he really wants to chase Nan Yuxing, how could he not have shortened the distance between the two by now? Seeing the large snow-white figure, Luo Yan then realized. Rong Xiu is actually stopping me! Every time he wanted to overtake Rong Xiu, the latter would always appear intentionally or unintentionally to block his path, causing him to be unable to go over. As it happened too many times, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Rong Xiu, it¡¯s just a waste of time for you to stop me! Are you really not worried about your princess consort?¡± She is a true god, while Nan Yuxing is a legendary warrior! If the two fight, she is bound to lose! Besides, considering Nan Yuxing¡¯s current state, he will definitely push Shangguan Yue to death once he catches up with her! Rong Xiu is actually so magnanimous¡­ Luo Yan really found it extremely strange. Didn¡¯t Rong Xiu previously care a lot about her at the God-Killing Tumulus? Why does he not seem to care about her life and death now? ¡°I will naturally protect my own princess consort; I don¡¯t need other people to be concerned about this. Luo Yan, if you have the time, why don¡¯t you think about how you¡¯re going to explain to Nan Yifan about Nan Yuxing¡¯s death today at Peach Blossom Dock.¡± Rong Xiu swiftly stopped in his tracks, turned around, and stared at Luo Yan in a seemingly smiling manner. That pair of deep phoenix-like eyes seemed to have seen through everything. Luo Yan¡¯s heart harshly jumped as he instinctively knitted his brows and averted his gaze. ¡°Master doesn¡¯t know that w-we came here. You don¡¯t have to use him to pressure us!¡± Rong Xiu looked at him and snorted; it was as if he had heard some joke. ¡°Nan Yifan has become increasingly gutsy.¡± Not to mention that he framed Nan Yiyi¡¯s death on the Sky-Cloud Empire, but he even allowed Nan Yuxing and Luo Yan to come and take revenge¡­ He is really not afraid of ending his bloodline. Luo Yan¡¯s heart beat even faster. For some reason, he always felt transparent in front of Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu was clearly much younger than him, but every time they met, Luo Yan felt that he couldn¡¯t see through Rong Xiu. This type of feeling rarely appeared to him. He wouldn¡¯t feel this way even when he met Nan Yifan. Only Rong Xiu! This man¡­ seemed to have too many secrets. Just when the two of them were in a stalemate, Luo Yan heard the howling wind from behind. He turned around. Mo Yun and the rest were also rushing over quickly. Even though I don¡¯t know why Mo Yun wants to kill Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue, we¡¯re considered to be on the same team¡­ Without hesitation, Luo Yan spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Luo Yan from the Nan family. Deputy Sect Master Mo, may I know if you¡¯re interested in joining hands?¡± Mo Yun glanced at him and nodded without hesitation. ¡°Okay!¡± Anyway, our targets are the same. If we can join hands, it will save us some effort. The two of them directly decided on the alliance. Mo Yun instinctively glanced at Rong Xiu but realized that the latter¡¯s expression was calm and composed. It was as if¡­ he didn¡¯t take this to heart. Is he really confident, or is he¡­ acting? Mo Yun didn¡¯t know and could not be bothered to know. He knew the Nan family¡¯s reputation. Not to mention others, but the few legendary warriors that came today weren¡¯t to be underestimated! As long as our two parties join hands¡­ Today, Rong Xiu and the rest¡ª Boom! A loud sound suddenly came from afar! Mo Yun and Luo Yan turned over in unison and saw an icy blue fire rush up to the sky on some mountain! Luo Yan was confused, but Mo Yun suddenly thought of something. Then, his expression suddenly changed! That direction is Blue Peak! Shangguan Yue actually went to Blue Peak?! Chapter 1882 - 1882 Cen Yis Abilities 1882 Cen Yi¡¯s Abilities At this time, she could go anywhere, but why did she go to Blue Peak? She definitely knows that there are quite a few people from the Black Sword Sect standing guard at Blue Peak. In such a situation, she still insisted on going there¡­ A ray of white light suddenly flashed across Mo Yun¡¯s heart! Could it be¡ª ¡°The previous two people were you?!¡± Mo Yun looked at Rong Xiu in disbelief. As he was agitated, his voice became sharp. Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly and did not speak. However, this reaction was akin to acquiesced admission to Mo Yun. It must be them! No wonder¡­ It was no wonder San San¡¯s attitude toward the two servants was extremely strange. No matter what, he insisted on protecting them and bringing them along. In the face of danger, San San¡¯s top consideration was those two people. After the incident happened, the first thing he did was bring up the matter to let the two of them go back¡­ In the beginning, Mo Yun just found it weird and did not really take it to heart. But thinking back about it now, it all showed something! The situation that day kept replaying in his mind. Mo Yun gasped. Perhaps the secret of Blue Peak isn¡¯t hidden with San San, but¡­ Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue! Once this thought surfaced, it was like a seed that was planted in Mo Yun¡¯s heart and caused him to be overwhelmed with shock and anger. He gasped and rushed toward Chu Liuyue without hesitation! The secret is definitely with Shangguan Yue now! At the side, Luo Yan was confused by the sudden situation. Why is this Mo Yun¡­ acting as if something scary has happened? He wanted to ask further, but Mo Yun had already rushed over and didn¡¯t give him the time or chance. It seems like the situation is urgent¡­ As Luo Yan thought in his heart, he rapidly followed Mo Yun. No matter what, it is right to work with Mo Yun. Rong Xiu can stop me alone, but how can he go against two by himself? However, this optimistic view was quickly shattered. That was because¡­ the people behind had caught up! The one at the front was actually Cen Yi! Just as Mo Yun realized that something was amiss and planned to chase after Chu Liuyue, he felt his vision blur as a green, long figure appeared before him. When he saw the other party¡¯s face clearly, Mo Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This Cen Yi actually hid his talents? With his ability to catch up silently¡­ he is definitely a legendary warrior! But when I saw him earlier, I had no idea at all! Luo Yan watched this scene from the side and was also secretly shocked. He had some impression of this person. He seemed like Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinate and the big brother of the bunch of them. However, didn¡¯t they previously say that her subordinates had followed her from the Tianling Dynasty? Born outside the God Residence Realm¡­ They didn¡¯t even take this bunch of people into consideration. According to what crept along the vines, it seemed like quite a few people in the Sky-Cloud Empire looked down on them. However, they forcefully maintained the perfunctory peace to give Chu Liuyue face. Detecting the unignorable legendary warrior aura on Cen Yi, Luo Yan was directly stunned. This is a true legendary warrior! Even in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire, he is extremely rare and deserving of respect! How did those ridiculous pieces of news come out?! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Shangguan Yue to have a legendary warrior as her subordinate¡­¡± Mo Yun clenched his teeth and said every word clearly. He didn¡¯t take action on impulse. That was because he could clearly feel that the opposite Cen Yi did not seem weaker than him. It was already hard to handle the previous Rong Xiu. Now there was a Cen Yi¡­ Just as the two parties fell into a stalemate, an ear-piercing sound was heard! Mo Yun and Luo Yan relaxed. Someone has come! But before the corner of their lips could curl up, the incoming voice caused the duo¡¯s expressions to freeze. ¡°Big Brother, we¡¯re not late, are we?!¡± This voice¡­ They are talking to Cen Yi! Mo Yun and Luo Yan exchanged a glance and saw the other party¡¯s deep shock from the bottom of their eyes. Then, the two of them turned around almost at the same time and saw a few figures coming over at top speed. They were San San and the rest who were surrounded earlier. Now, all the Thirteen Yue Guards in Yue Manor had come. Even Xiao Ba¡ªwho had been sleeping¡ªhad come in a fury. But other than this¡­ there wasn¡¯t a single person from the Nan family or the Black Sword Sect! Luo Yan scanned them and blurted out, ¡°Why are you guys here!?¡± I thought that the person catching up should be¡ª Shouldn¡¯t these people be all settled? ¡°Why can¡¯t it be us?¡± San San chuckled and squinted his eyes. Since they have already come to the door, why should we still hold back? Of course, we should retaliate and slap them harshly! Cen Yi¡¯s gaze scanned them. Other than Thirteen, who didn¡¯t really fight openly, San San and the rest had battle wounds. However, the wounds didn¡¯t seem serious. Detecting his gaze, San San hurriedly said, ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t worry! This is mostly blood from the people in the Nan family and the Black Sword Sect! We¡¯re fine!¡± Mo Yun and Luo Yan¡¯s expressions darkened. What is he saying?! With their abilities, they can fight against so many people?! ¡°So you hid your skills too¡­¡± Mo Yun¡¯s knife-like sharp gaze harshly scraped across San San and the rest as every word seemed to be squeezed out of the cracks of his teeth, with clenching anger and vengeance. Not to mention the other people, but San San had walked in front of me for so long, but I didn¡¯t notice it at all! To think that I believed that San San was completely under my control all along! Now, it seemed like it was all an act! Boom! Another wave of commotion came over. It was a daze between heaven and earth. The crowd turned around. The fire on Blue Peak started burning even more intensely! Luo Yan and Mo Yun exchanged a glance. We have to rush over as soon as possible! Who knows what exactly Chu Liuyue plans to do by going over? We almost couldn¡¯t control the explosion on Blue Peak previously. If it happens again¡­ I¡¯m afraid that the consequences will be even more unimaginable! Mo Yun was overwhelmed with anger as he chose to surround her forcefully! ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡­ At this point, Blue Peak was a sea of chaos. Once Chu Liuyue reached that area, she attracted the attention of the crowd guarding Blue Peak. Mo Lin was currently resting. The incidents in the last few days had tortured him quite a bit. Now that he had finally preserved his life, he naturally had to grab every chance to recuperate. Once he detected that something was amiss, he immediately became alert. Once he saw this, he was slightly dazed. He didn¡¯t recognize the beautiful woman that was rapidly approaching. However, he immediately reacted when he saw the red-golden fiend underneath her. That is¡­ a red-gold heavenly phoenix! ¡°You¡ª¡± Without waiting for him to question, that woman had directly rushed to Blue Peak! Chapter 1883 - 1883 Slashing the Mountain! 1883 Slashing the Mountain! Mo Lin¡¯s first reaction was to move the surrounding crowd immediately to pursue them! ¡°Block her!¡± Ever since the barrier on Blue Peak was shattered, Mo Lin was commanded to stand guard here. Mo Yun had already said before that without his permission, nobody was allowed to enter here casually. Hence, seeing that Chu Liuyue suddenly barged in, Mo Lin was naturally very nervous and infuriated. However, the red-gold heavenly phoenix was indeed too fast! In the blink of an eye, that red-golden figure had already broken through the outer defense and went straight for Blue Peak! Mo Lin was anxious and furious as he unleashed his full speed to chase after them. At the same time, an incident suddenly surfaced in his mind! Red-gold heavenly phoenix! This is a legendary fiend and usually doesn¡¯t interact with humans, but from the current situation, that red-gold heavenly phoenix seems to obey that woman as if it is her legendary fiend by agreement! Hang on! There were previously rumors in the God Residence Realm about a woman who had made an agreement with a red-gold heavenly phoenix! Mo Lin suddenly widened his eyes. That woman is the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s new princess consort¡ªShangguan Yue?! At that moment, Mo Lin felt very complicated as countless doubts flashed across his mind. Didn¡¯t she just have her wedding with the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, Rong Xiu? Why did she suddenly appear here? Besides, since she is here, then¡­ Does it mean that Rong Xiu is here too?! When did they come to Peach Blossom Dock? Why did the Black Sword Sect not receive any news at all? Countless messy thoughts continuously flashed across his mind. Mo Lin was even more flustered. The more uneasy thing is that Chu Liuyue seems to have come with a motive! Without speaking, she came here and directly brought the red-gold heavenly phoenix to Blue Peak. What exactly is she¡ª Rumble! Just as the people from the Black Sword Sect came from all sides, planning to surround Chu Liuyue and trap her, that red-gold heavenly phoenix suddenly rushed toward the middle of the mountain! Then, that woman flicked her wrist, and a dark-blue fire abruptly exploded from below the mountain rock and rushed toward the sky! The exploding fire contained shocking strength and spread throughout the surroundings! Mo Lin and the rest were the first to feel the impact. They were immediately forced to stop and rapidly retreat. But some of the scorching sparks landed on Mo Lin and the rest, and they burned. Seeing the many wounds suddenly appearing on his body, Mo Lin felt a mix of shock and anger, but even more horror and confusion. He hurriedly looked up and saw that the red-gold heavenly phoenix had already rushed straight to the top! A slim figure stood on its back. The wind curled up her hair and the corner of her clothes as the pretty eyes contained harsh battle intent! As if detecting Mo Lin¡¯s gaze, she suddenly turned around. Even if they were a distance apart, Mo Lin still saw that pair of eyes clearly at this moment. As black as gems and shining bright like stars! Mo Lin¡¯s steps had a slight hesitation. An indescribable heavy feeling of danger surged up his heart! He didn¡¯t know where this feeling came from, but it was intense! The other party is clearly also a true god¡­ Logically speaking, there is nothing to be afraid of. Even if she has the red-gold heavenly phoenix, we have so many people¡ª At this point, Chu Liuyue raised her hand again! Rumble! Another loud sound came! On another position in the middle of the mountain, the second fire exploded! Mo Lin¡¯s heart seemed to be harshly hammered. At this point, he suddenly realized that Chu Liuyue seemed to be able to control the fire on e Blue Peak as and when she wished! The fire that previously burned for a few days was extinguished with much difficulty and returned to below the cracked rocks. Now that she suddenly took action, the fire actually appeared again, and its aura seemed to be even more shocking than before! ¡°Lord Mo Lin, this woman can control the fire on Blue Peak. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s not simple!¡± The others in the Black Sword Sect felt amiss when they saw the situation, and they all felt fearful. They might not be clear of this woman¡¯s identity, but¡­ they knew how terrifying Blue Peak¡¯s fire was! So many people had already died previously, and they didn¡¯t want to follow in their footsteps! Once they were fearful, their will to fight was greatly reduced. It was like this for the people in the Black Sword Sect¡ªthis even included Mo Lin. Just from the two balls of fire that suddenly exploded just now, he could tell that Chu Liuyue¡¯s skills far exceeded the rumors! Additionally, she had the help of the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­ It was more impossible for them to be her opponent. ¡°Seal Blue Peak! I want to see what she¡¯s planning to do!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd rapidly acknowledged the order. They didn¡¯t go further up. They chose to stay in their positions and take action together! Countless balls of force flew out in unison! They gathered in the air above Blue Peak! The rich forces clashed harshly! Then, they actually formed a gigantic barrier that tried to trap Chu Liuyue within. Chu Liuyue looked over, and her red lips curled up at a light angle. They want to stop me with this? She straightened her back and held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly with two hands. The rich force surged out of her dantian, and she inserted it into the bright sword body! Coincidentally, I want to flip over this entire Peach Blossom Dock to take a look! Previously, I was still hesitating about how to do this silently. Since the Black Sword Sect and I have already fallen out, then¡­ I will just take this chance to take action directly! Chu Liuyue held her breath and harshly whipped out her sword! However, the sword wasn¡¯t pointing at Blue Peak but¡­ the neighboring mountain peak! Chapter 1884 - 1884 Collapse! 1884 Collapse! The rainbow light shot to the sky! The bright and shining glow from the sword, coupled with the domineering aura, cut through everything! Crack! A crisp cracking was heard! The moment the Black Sword Sect crowd set up the barrier, it immediately cracked! That barrier didn¡¯t stop the Chi Xiao Sword at all as it turned into countless rays of light and went in all directions! Shoo! Mo Lin and the rest felt the aftereffects, and their faces turned white. Following this, under their shocked gazes, that sword light precisely landed on the neighboring mountain peak! Rumble! The sound reverberated throughout the air! A crack suddenly appeared on the tall mountain peak! At the same time, the wind howled crazily as countless pink peach blossom fell. After that, a dark-blue fire suddenly rushed out from the mountain cracks! ¡­ This scene caused everyone present to be taken aback. As they were too shocked, the crowd completely fell into an eerie silence. After a while, someone muttered, ¡°Why¡­ is there also fire emerging from the bottom of that mountain?¡± The people from the Black Sword Sect knew very clearly that Blue Peak had secrets hidden underneath it, so the fire on the mountain was set on purpose. If not, Mo Yun wouldn¡¯t request for them to stay here the whole time and rather sacrifice a lot of them than give up on this place. Almost everyone had a tacit understanding that a twist of fate was hidden under Blue Peak. However, why did the neighboring mountains start to burn? Does this mean that there is also something hidden below those mountains? Mo Lin clenched his teeth silently. ¡°Go back immediately! Report to the deputy sect master about this!¡± At this point, even he didn¡¯t dare to guarantee what would happen in the future. But before they could even move, they saw a person coming. It was Nan Yuxing, who followed Chu Liuyue the entire way! ¡­ The red-gold heavenly phoenix is really fast. Even though Nan Yuxing had already unleashed his full strength, he still could not catch up with her, and the distance between the two parties widened once again. This was also why he only rushed over now after Chu Liuyue had been here for a while. But at this point, Nan Yuxing was confused by the scene before him. Seeing the few balls of fire that suddenly exploded, shock flashed across Nan Yuxing¡¯s face. If I didn¡¯t see wrongly previously, that fire¡­ seems to have been triggered by Chu Liuyue?! She just raised her hand, and this mountain peak suddenly had fires continuously bursting out! This fire is clearly different. How exactly did Chu Liuyue do this? Nan Yuxing came to Peach Blossom Dock today. Hence, he didn¡¯t know what had happened on Blue Peak the past few days. ¡°You are¡­¡± Mo Lin noticed Nan Yuxing and immediately became alert. Legendary warrior! Nan Yuxing glanced at him coldly, and his gaze paused on the embroidered pattern of two swords holding the moon on Mo Lin¡¯s chest for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re from the Black Sword Sect?¡± Mo Lin felt a little uncomfortable. Hearing this person¡¯s high and mighty tone, he seemed like he disregarded the Black Sword Sect. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is our territory. May I know why you came here?¡± Nan Yuxing snorted out laughing. ¡°Your territory? If this is really your territory, how can that Shangguan Yue do whatever she wants?!¡± Mo Lin¡¯s face instantly became uglier. ¡°Besides, can¡¯t you tell what I¡¯m here to do?¡± Nan Yuxing raised his sword and pointed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I came here today to kill her!¡± At this point, Chu Liuyue had already flown to the second peak from Blue Peak with Tuan Zi. She knew that Nan Yuxing had already caught up and that the people from the Black Sword Sect were staring at her. However, she did not care. This was because she had even more important tasks to do. She jumped down from Tuan Zi¡¯s body. At this point, they were standing on the opening that was just sliced open. Standing not far away was an intensely burning fire. Chu Liuyue held her breath in and closed her eyes. Tuan Zi guarded her by the side and surveyed the surroundings alertly. ¡­ Once he heard that Nan Yuxing came to kill Chu Liuyue, Mo Lin¡¯s expression became warmer. Seeing the other party¡¯s formation, it doesn¡¯t seem like he is lying. Mo Lin knitted his brows tightly and thought to himself. Considering the current situation, even if these people join hands, they might not be able to stop that woman. But with this person¡¯s help, it will undoubtedly be easier for us. After all, he is a legendary warrior, and his combat skills aren¡¯t to be underestimated. If I can get them to fight first¡­ ¡°What is she doing?¡± Just as Mo Lin was thinking of how to take advantage of the chaos, he heard a voice filled with shock and doubt by his ears. He instinctively followed the voice and saw that Chu Liuyue had closed her eyes after standing still on the mountain peak. It was as if she were waiting for something¡­ Mo Lin furrowed his brows even more tightly. At this time, what is the point of her doing that? Could it be¡­ still related to the dark-blue fire? He repeatedly thought about it but to no avail. On the other end, Nan Yuxing couldn¡¯t be bothered. The fire is indeed strange, but it isn¡¯t enough to terrify me. Seeing her appearance, she is clearly planning something. If I don¡¯t take action now, when should I? Without hesitation, Nan Yuxing went on his toes and rushed toward Chu Liuyue! ¡°What, are you finally not escaping?!¡± His voice was filled with unconcealable mockery. To him, it seemed like Chu Liuyue spent so much effort to run over and circulate those fires. If she thinks that she can stop me with this, she is too naive! Chu Liuyue¡¯s thick and long lashes trembled slightly, but she did not open her eyes. At this point, all her attention was on that fire. There should be¡­ There should be¡­ Previously, I clearly felt that under this mountain peak¡ª ¡°Go meet your maker!¡± Nan Yuxing had already flown to Chu Liuyue! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force crazily gathered on his longsword! The next moment, he held his sword and harshly flashed out! Everywhere the sword passed, the air started crumbling! The crumbling started spreading toward the sides with the duo in the center! At the same time, a dangerous aura rapidly attacked! Mo Lin and the rest had a change in expression. ¡°Quickly retreat!¡± The air started collapsing toward the surroundings! However, Nan Yuxing didn¡¯t realize what had happened at this point. His eyes were only on Chu Liuyue! He just wanted to settle her on the spot! Tuan Zi flew up, her wings vibrating! Hula! A bright red-golden fire suddenly flew out and rapidly formed a gigantic barrier in front of Chu Liuyue! Rumble! The two forces slammed against each other harshly. Nan Yuxing used his full force this time. After a temporary stalemate, there was actually a crack in the barrier! At the same time, spatial turbulence started appearing in the surroundings and crushed the barrier the moment the collapsed air rushed out! Chapter 1885 - 1885 Again? 1885 Again? This scene finally made Nan Yuxing realize that the situation seemed amiss. He quickly turned his gaze to take a glance. In a short amount of time, black space cracks appeared everywhere. At this point, those cracks started interweaving slowly as strong turbulence kept surging out from within and started an intense battle. The boundless chaotic force hit each other and caused the situation to be even worse. That¡¯s not right¡­ Nan Yuxing frowned. I did not hold myself back when I took action previously, but even if a legendary warrior exerts their full strength, this sort of situation shouldn¡¯t happen¡­ Besides, I¡¯m a legendary warrior who has just broken through. This situation is indeed weird. However, this thought just flashed across his mind before it was quickly drowned by vengeance. Now, he only wanted to kill Chu Liuyue to take revenge for Nan Yiyi! As for the other matters¡­ it wasn¡¯t too late to settle them after the incident was over! ¡­ Nan Yuxing was very proud. Those few matters during that period of time impacted him greatly. Hence, his emotions were still in a very extreme state. If he could calm down now and take a closer look at his surroundings, he would realize that the terrifying danger had silently come. It was a pity that the current him could not see or hear anything. He didn¡¯t even care about Mo Lin and the others¡¯ strange retreat. He just wanted to kill Chu Liuyue! After the barrier that Tuan Zi set up broke, the terrifying sword light went straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s head! The loose strands of hair before her forehead were blown by the wind. Tuan Zi was on guard, and there seemed to be fire burning in her eyes! Just as she planned to take action, she heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice sound from behind. ¡°I found it!¡± Tuan Zi turned around. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open! She lifted her bare hand, and a black shield suddenly appeared before her! Nan Yuxing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I previously saw how powerful Chu Liuyue¡¯s shield was. I wonder if this attack can break the black shield now that I have broken through to become a legendary warrior¡­ Suddenly, his gaze focused, and he saw that the black shield seemed different from before. He took a closer look and realized that the rust had fallen off. The shield¡ªwhich was considered smooth before¡ªimmediately became uneven. It really looked a little shabby. Nan Yuxing almost laughed out loud. ¡°Shangguan Yue, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, and your treasure is actually broken? Don¡¯t you have any other suitable Yuan instruments other than this?¡± Chu Liuyue held the black shield in her hands tightly and looked up. The two of them stared at each other. Nan Yuxing clearly saw the clear, black gem-like eyes shining with a cunning light. This caused his heart to sink suddenly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. ¡°This¡­ is enough to handle you!¡± Once she said this, a ray of light suddenly flew out from the fire before her and went for that black shield! Almost at the same time, a piece of rust fell from the shield. The ray of light rapidly repaired it. Nan Yuxing was standing the closest but couldn¡¯t clearly see what that was. When he reacted, he saw that something seemed to be sparkling on that black shield before it quickly dimmed. That¡¯s¡­ For some reason, he suddenly felt uneasy. However, Chu Liuyue had already flown up and used the black shield to block her! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Hearing the summon, Tuan Zi¡¯s wings shot up, and she flew behind Chu Liuyue. The human and the fiend both hid behind that black shield. Nan Yuxing forced a mocking smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a scrap piece of metal¡ª¡± Boom! Before he could finish his sentence, the two party¡¯s forces harshly slammed against each other! A reverberating sound was heard! Nan Yuxing even felt his ears whir and his heart go numb! However, an even more shocking scene happened the next moment. After that ray of sword light hit the black shield, it suddenly disappeared without a pause! At that moment, sparks flew everywhere! The strong retaliation caused Nan Yuxing¡¯s chest to vibrate, and he directly spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Shoo!¡± His face instantly flushed white as he took half a step back unstably! Even though it was only half a step, it was utter humiliation for Nan Yuxing! I actually¡­ lost? With my cultivation as a legendary warrior, I actually lost to a true god! He looked up, overwhelmed with shock and anger as he looked toward the black shield in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. What kind of Yuan instrument is it that can easily block my attack?! Mo Lin and the rest¡ªwho were currently spectating¡ªall fell into deep shock and couldn¡¯t speak for a long time. Even a legendary warrior like Nan Yuxing has ended up in such a state. If it were us¡­ it would be even worse! ¡°¡­Lord Mo Lin, s-something seemed to have flown out of that fire?¡± After some time, someone finally spoke from behind with a trembling voice. However, Mo Lin immediately perked up. Right! There was indeed something that flew out of that fire and landed on her shield! What was¡­ that?! Without waiting for him to think this through, Chu Liuyue had already turned toward the third peak. Her figure was light and agile as her red skirt flew high. From afar, she looked like a ball of red fire that pranced between the dense mountains and forests. Then, she raised her sword again! Mo Lin suddenly realized something and widened his eyes in shock. She actually wants to continue slicing the mountains?! Chapter 1886 - 1886 As Long As She Wants 1886 As Long As She Wants Chu Liuyue cleaved down again without hesitation. The sword whirred, and the entire place shook! The terrifying sword aura tore through the sky and slashed down! Boom! They heard a loud sound, and the neighboring mountain peak was slashed again! The originally sharp mountain peak had a neat crack sliced right through the top! Rumble! Following this, another ball of dark-blue fire exploded from within and rushed to the skies! ¡­ Nan Yuxing¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he instinctively felt that something was wrong. The distant Mo Lin and the rest were even more traumatized. How could this be¡­ How could this be?! Didn¡¯t they say that only Blue Peak had a shocking twist of fate hidden underneath? However, why are there also fires continuously emerging from the neighboring mountain peaks?! Chu Liuyue just slashed twice, and the two mountains directly exploded, triggering two balls of fire! The sword was very precise! Great horror surged up Mo Lin¡¯s heart. He now faintly realized that Chu Liuyue came prepared! Or she did it on purpose! What is she doing? Slashing all of these mountain rocks and triggering all the fire below?! Thinking about the previous fire and the faint item that flew to her shield, Mo Lin¡¯s head was numb. He stared at the figure closely and felt that she was familiar. Suddenly, he widened his eyes! Could it be¡­ she was the one who followed San San to Blue Peak that day?! If not, how could she easily trigger the fire on Blue Peak again? Even the fires under the other mountains¡ª It must be her¡­ it must be her! At this point, Mo Lin finally realized! From start to end, these fires had a close relationship with Chu Liuyue! If it is like I think, then¡­ the items buried under Blue Peak should¡¯ve long been occupied by Chu Liuyue?! Just as this thought surfaced in his mind, Mo Lin broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°Wait here! I¡¯ll personally invite the deputy sect master over!¡± As he spoke, he turned around and suddenly heard an ear-piercing sound come from afar. The crowd looked over and was instantly stunned. That was because¡­ a huge group of people was coming over! To be more accurate, people from various parties were in a chaotic battle. Mo Yun was also one of them! Mo Lin was about to go forward when he suddenly realized that the people Mo Yun was dealing with were very unfamiliar yet strong! ¡°Boss San is there too!¡± someone exclaimed. Mo Lin looked over and furrowed his brows tightly. Not only is San San there¡­ but he is even standing opposite Mo Lin and fighting him fiercely! It seems like they are stopping Mo Yun and the rest from coming over¡ª On the opposite end, there seemed to be an unfamiliar legendary warrior working with Mo Yun¡ª The scene was extremely chaotic. Mo Lin and the rest were completely stunned. What exactly is going on?! We only stood guard here for two days. Why did so many things happen?! Swoosh! Rong Xiu whipped his sleeves, and a faintly golden barrier blocked Mo Yun and the rest outside! Detecting the shocking suppression coming from it, Mo Yun was shocked and furious. This Rong Xiu¡­ is too hard to handle! And that Cen Yi has completely exceeded my previous imagination! Mo Yun¡¯s gaze turned, looking past Rong Xiu and the others and at Blue Peak behind. With this look, his heart instantly sank! The fire on Blue Peak has started burning! The key is that other than Blue Peak, the neighboring two peaks also haVe blue fires crazily burning in them! It seems like it was triggered from below after someone forcefully sliced the mountain rock! Mo Yun¡¯s gaze finally landed on the thin figure above the mountains. She stood with the wind, holding a shield in her left hand and a sword with her right. Her eyes were tightly closed; nobody knew what she was doing. In front of her, a deep gully stretched on, and the burning fire jumped around like elves! At this moment, countless thoughts flashed across Mo Yun¡¯s heart. But without waiting for him to think clearly, he saw something suddenly fly out of the fire and go for Chu Liuyue! Almost at the same time, Chu Liuyue abruptly opened her eyes and raised her black shield! Whir! That ray of light landed on the shield and shone! However, it was just for a moment, and the ray of light disappeared without a trace! It was seemingly swallowed by that black shield, yet nothing seemed to happen. How could it really be that nothing happened?! Mo Yun¡¯s heart seemed to be harshly clutched at this point! He was extremely intelligent. Just from what I saw, it has stated too many problems! She must be the reason why the barrier on Blue Peak suddenly disappeared that day and the fire gradually extinguished! The item below is probably¡­ However, the news previously stated that only Blue Peak was of interest. Why are the other mountain peaks¡ª With the large amount of incoming information, Mo Yun¡¯s mind was blank. Right at this point, Chu Liuyue looked down at the shield in her hands. Just like she had expected, it became heavier after the rust peeled off. After slashing two mountains, the hidden force summoned out had completely merged with this black shield. The originally smooth shield became uneven. There were complicated and mysterious patterns vaguely seen at the shallow and deep places. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath as she looked up. If I want to peel off the rust on the black shield completely, it will be a very long and arduous process. Additionally, the secret text on it can gradually be seen, and its force and suppression keeps strengthening. I can still move it, but if this continues, even I¡¯m not sure how long I can last¡­ She pressed her lips against each other and went to the next mountain! ¡­ Seeing Chu Liuyue moving the next moment, strong uneasiness surged into Mo Yun¡¯s heart. He could almost predict what Chu Liuyue was planning to do! His stomach filled with anger was about to rush out of his chest! Mo Yun¡¯s palm surged with force before he smacked a palm out! ¡°Lingyun palm!¡± A gigantic green-black palm froze in midair! Then, it rapidly went toward the barrier Rong Xiu set up! The two forces started fighting and absorbing each other silently! Ripples appeared on the barrier, but it didn¡¯t break and had high tenacity! On the other hand, Mo Yun¡¯s palm started reducing in strength due to the crazy struggle. Mo Yun looked on anxiously. If we faced each other head-on, I really don¡¯t have confidence in taking Rong Xiu down! However, time is of the essence! If I continue letting Chu Liuyue do this, the consequences will be unimaginable! ¡°Rong Xiu, do you know what she¡¯s doing?! If she ruins this entire Peach Blossom Dock, you¡ª?!¡± Mo Yun yelled at the top of his lungs as his face flashed green! Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°As long as she wants to do it, I¡¯ll let her. It¡¯s just a Peach Blossom Dock. If it¡¯s ruined, I¡¯ll take responsibility for it!¡± Chapter 1887 - 1887 Blood Tribute 1887 Blood Tribute His clean face was calm and composed as if he didn¡¯t even take this incident to heart. In his eyes, rays of light swirled around, and one could only see his love and doting for that person. It seemed as though he would spoil her even if she ruined everything here. Mo Yun was so angry that he couldn¡¯t speak, and his entire body trembled. These two people¡­ These two people are too presumptuous! ¡°Rong Xiu, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you! This is Peach Blossom Dock! Once she does anything out of line, the entire Peach Blossom Dock will have to go down with her!¡± The surrounding space had already started collapsing rapidly at an uncontrollable speed! It wasn¡¯t that Mo Yun hadn¡¯t seen such a situation before, but he hadn¡¯t experienced such a serious one. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I really couldn¡¯t tell that you care about this, Deputy Sect Master Mo. For the past one or two years, many people seem to have died in your Black Sword Sect¡¯s hands. If you really care about the world and everyone, Deputy Sect Master Mo, why don¡¯t you harm fewer people? I believe that will be more effective.¡± ¡°You!¡± Mo Yun was rendered speechless by Rong Xiu¡¯s words. Of course, he didn¡¯t care about the life and death of Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s people. He was just worried that Chu Liuyue would occupy the item that they had been bitterly searching for so long all for herself! However, he naturally couldn¡¯t say this out loud. Mo Yun could only be anxious here. At the side, Luo Yan had a tense expression, and a thought popped up in his mind. Mo Yun clearly has another reason for being so worried. Could it be¡­ the fires on the mountains? He looked over, and even with the barrier in between, he could see Nan Yuxing¡¯s slightly crouched back. It seems like he Is injured¡­ Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. Nan Yuxing is already a legendary warrior. Why can¡¯t he even beat Chu Liuyue, a true god? Could it be that Chu Liuyue has strengthened herself in such a short period of time? Just as the two parties were in a stalemate, some people rushed over again. These auras were rather familiar. Luo Yan¡¯s heart tingled as he hurriedly turned around. He was instantly elated. The few people that chased over were the Nan family people that came to this place with them! Behind them were a few people from the Black Sword Sect. However, Luo Yan very quickly realized that the number of people wasn¡¯t right. There were originally eight elders, but only four are here. Strong uneasiness crept up Luo Yan¡¯s heart, and he immediately went forward. When he was near, he saw that these few people had messy bloodstains. It seemed like they had experienced a tough battle. ¡°Why is it only the four of you? Where are the remaining people?¡± asked Luo Yan anxiously. The few elders exchanged glances and looked defeated. ¡°Those few people are all¡­¡± Half of Luo Yan¡¯s heart turned cold. The four that are still alive are all legendary warriors. If they couldn¡¯t even save them¡­ He could not help but say, ¡°Why is this so? Judging from their abilities, they¡¯re definitely not your match!¡± The ¡®they¡¯ he was referring to was naturally San San and the rest. When he and Mo Yun previously went in pursuit, Rong Xiu and Cen Yi quickly caught up. The remaining San San and the others only came after a while. At that time, he still thought that they had used some methods to temporarily stop the people from the Black Sword Sect and the Nan family. Who knew¡­ they would take so many people¡¯s lives?! An elder said with difficulty, ¡°Luo Yan, you don¡¯t know, but¡­ those people from Yue Manor have very strong array formations! Individually, these people from Yue Manor were indeed not the match of these legendary warriors. However, who knew that their bunch of people had already thought of a plan since the start? After Rong Xiu and the rest left, they immediately set up a Xuan formation without thinking! That formation was very strange. They and the people from the Black Sword Sect worked together and solved it with much difficulty, but correspondingly, they also made a huge sacrifice. It was also the same for the Black Sword Sect. Additionally, as they didn¡¯t have many legendary warriors, even more people were injured. All in all, it was a bloody battle for them. However, the most infuriating thing was that they were trapped in the array formation, while San San and others¡ªwho set up the formation¡ªpassed the Xuan formation to the subordinates in Yue Manor and directly left! This was also why San San and the rest rushed over so much earlier. In other words, San San and the rest had killed off half of them without much effort! Hearing this, Luo Yan was shocked and angered. At the same time, he had a hint of uncontrollable fear. He could not help but turn around. At this point, San San and the rest were standing beside Cen Yi and looked very obedient. Seeing the people that pursued them later, San San couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Legendary warriors are indeed different. You came over so quickly?¡± That sentence almost drove Luo Yan and the rest to their graves. Quick? How is it quick? With so many people dead so that we could forcefully rush out of the array formation and come over¡­ It is miserable! San San¡¯s words undoubtedly poured salt over their wounds. Luo Yan¡¯s chest heaved heavily, but at the same time, countless thoughts overwhelmed him. Seeing those people¡¯s appearance, they actually don¡¯t care about the legendary warriors. Luo Yan wanted to curse out loud, but the intense bloody smell from the surrounding people caused it to be hard for him to breathe. Didn¡¯t they say that these people came from outside the God Residence Realm? How are they also so strong?! Luo Yan could not figure it out. There is no need to mention Rong Xiu. After all, he is a legendary warrior and comes from the Sky-Cloud Empire. His original blood talent was already famous for being strong. However¡­ What about Chu Liuyue? Isn¡¯t she just a true god?! And her accompaniment¡­ They actually have such skills to cross over their original cultivation level! Why are all the people related to her so abnormal!? On the other side, Mo Yun didn¡¯t have so many considerations. Seeing that the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people had caught up, he commanded without hesitation, ¡°Everyone from the Black Sword Sect, listen! Set up the formation!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With Mo Yun¡¯s command, the crowd didn¡¯t dare to disobey him as they immediately took action. About dozens of people from the Black Sword Sect had rushed over, but it was still not enough for Mo Yun. Chu Liuyue can directly slash the mountains and trigger the dark-blue fire underneath, which proves that her skills are definitely much more shocking than rumored! ¡°Mo Lin!¡± Mo Yun looked up and hollered. Mo Lin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly showed his existence. ¡°Here!¡± Without waiting for Mo Yun¡¯s instructions, he knew what to do. ¡°Everyone, follow us!¡± Mo Lin raised his hand and immediately brought the people behind him to rush toward Mo Yun! Rong Xiu¡¯s barrier blocked them. Seeing the faintly golden barrier, hesitation flashed across Mo Lin¡¯s face before it disappeared. The next moment, he directly whipped out his sword and cut his palm. Whoosh! Fresh blood flew out! Following this, a harsh force¡ªcoupled with blood¡ªrushed out crazily! ¡°Blood Tribute Formation!¡± Almost at the same time, the crowd behind him did the same thing! Chapter 1888 - 1888 Intent to Kill! 1888 Intent to Kill! The intense bloody aura permeated throughout the air! Countless forces gathered! Following this, the sky suddenly darkened. Many clouds gathered from all sides! The sky, which was originally considered clear, instantly became gloomy! The winds howled continuously. Boom! A loud sound exploded in the thick clouds! A silver snake-like lightning bolt appeared vaguely and quickly swam! Rong Xiu looked up and squinted his phoenix-like eyes slightly. Being able to trigger the lightning in such a short period of time shows how formidable it was¡­ However, Thirteen suddenly thought of something and widened his eyes as he turned to look at Cen Yi. ¡°Big Brother, isn¡¯t this¡ª¡± Isn¡¯t this exactly the same aura as the one I experienced when I went through the God Foreseeing Tribulation? Although he was busy breaking through at that time, he still noticed his surroundings. That day, other than him triggering a few lightning bolts, the people from the Black Sword Sect had also triggered many lightning bolts nearby and caused a huge commotion. At that time, he faintly felt that the lightning bolts that the two parties triggered were different, but he didn¡¯t have the time to differentiate it. But seeing this scene again, he immediately recognized that this was the same formation as that day. A glimpse of cold light flashed across Cen Yi¡¯s narrow eyes quickly. He was also present that day. As an outsider, he saw it even more clearly. He glanced at Thirteen and lightly shook his head, indicating to him not to worry. The Black Sword Sect wants to trigger lightning bolts to attack Master. Their killing intent is too strong, causing them not to hide at all and directly take action! ¡­ At this point, Mo Yun really didn¡¯t care that much. In the past two years, Black Sword Sect would have an assessment every month. Every time, they would specifically choose a discreet place and start when they confirmed that nobody was spying on them. Now, in front of so many eyes in broad daylight, they directly executed the Blood Tribute Formation. It would definitely attract quite a few people¡¯s attention. However, they had no choice. Seeing that Chu Liuyue still planned to continue slashing mountains, Mo Yun couldn¡¯t guarantee what would happen if he allowed her to continue. Hence, they could only bet now! As long as we settle Chu Liuyue first, we can slowly deal with the remaining matters! Thinking of this, Mo Yun also cut his own left palm without hesitation! Fresh blood flew out! A terrifying force rushed out! The people from the Black Sword Sect behind him naturally took action! A boundless amount of blood gathered at the two sides of the golden barrier, and it formed a strange pattern¡ªit was the Black Sword Sect totem, two swords holding the moon! From afar, it seemed like Rong Xiu¡¯s barrier had divided this gigantic blood pattern into two! The forces from two sides caused the barrier to shake violently! Boom! Finally, the first bolt of lightning suddenly struck! Almost at the same time, the shaking golden barrier suddenly shattered! Thump! In no time, rays of light went everywhere! The terrifying force rushed to all sides! The blood pattern on both sides started gathering toward the middle! ¡­ At this point, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had reached another mountain¡ªalso detected this commotion. She looked up and furrowed her brows slightly, annoyance flashing across her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re really not stopping¡­¡± The people from the Black Sword Sect have finally reacted and decided to go against me completely? ¡°Shangguan Yue, everyone wants your life now! I want to see how arrogant you can become!¡± Nan Yuxing looked up. When he realized that Black Sword Sect used such a huge formation to kill Chu Liuyue, he felt exhilarated. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°Loser, you still have the mood to be arrogant here? If I were you, I would be humiliated to lose to a cultivator that is one whole level lower than me.¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s face instantly flushed to the color of pig lungs. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Also, your Yuan meridian was previously broken. Logically speaking, it can¡¯t completely heal. However, not only did you fully recover in such a short amount of time, but you even broke through to become a legendary warrior¡­ Nan Yuxing, did you not think about how strange this was?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s questioning sounded like a joke to Nan Yuxing. ¡°Hah! I can recover because I¡¯m blessed! I had some expert to help me! Of course, someone as lowly as you would naturally not have the right to see or even hear of such a character!¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, and she disregarded his mockery. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such an expert before, but as a heavenly doctor¡­ I have heard of a way that can rapidly turn a good-for-nothing into a genius. May I know if you¡¯re interested in hearing it?¡± Originally, Nan Yuxing didn¡¯t want to talk so much nonsense with Chu Liuyue. However, the unknown smile on her face made his heart tremble for some reason. ¡°Who wants to hear your nonsense!?¡± he coldly scolded. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about his attitude as she raised her brows and suddenly said, ¡°Nan Yuxing, to be honest, when you dealt with me just now, I felt that your aura¡­ is very familiar.¡± Nan Yuxing sneered. ¡°We¡¯ve interacted before in the God Residence Realm. Isn¡¯t it very normal for you to find it familiar?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°When I say ¡®familiar,¡¯ I¡¯m naturally not referring to your aura.¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat! Chu Liuyue continued asking, ¡°Nan Yuxing, do you really not feel it at all? Your Yuan meridian¡­ is clearly very different from your previous one. I don¡¯t believe that you can¡¯t detect this at all.¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s legs suddenly turned jelly as he stepped back uncontrollably. His face became miserably pale. ¡°W-what are you saying!? I don¡¯t understand! Stop trying to trick people here! Shangguan Yue, you¡ª¡± ¡°Am I tricking you, or are you refusing to see the truth¡­ I¡¯m afraid nobody knows it better than you, right?¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted Nan Yuxing, and every single word was like a sharp knife that stabbed his heart harshly! ¡°If I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, even though Nan Yiyi¡¯s tongue was cut, the Yuan meridian in her body is still complete¡­ If someone took it out and put it in another person¡¯s body to merge it, it¡¯s not considered a waste¡ª¡± With every word Chu Liuyue said, Nan Yuxing¡¯s face became paler by one shade. His lips trembled, and he kept muttering to deny it. However, countless guesses overwhelmed his heart uncontrollably. He did think of how he recovered his Yuan meridian. However, his father just said that he got an expert to help, and he just believed it without a doubt. In actual fact¡­ Did he really not have any doubts? Of course, he did! However, that guess was too terrifying, so he completely didn¡¯t dare to think in that direction! He was just fixated on taking revenge for Nan Yiyi, as if doing so could ease his uneasy heart a little. At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s words finally revealed the last layer! ¡°Nan Yuxing, are you using your own younger sister¡¯s Yuan meridian well?¡± Chapter 1889 - 1889 Play As You Wish 1889 Play As You Wish Chu Liuyue¡¯s light sentence was like a poisonous sharp arrow that pierced into Nan Yuxing¡¯s heart! He slowly moved a few steps back and almost couldn¡¯t stand stably! ¡°Y-you¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± he shouted harshly unconditionally. ¡°What do you know? You don¡¯t know anything at all! How dare you spout nonsense!?¡± As he was too agitated, his voice was especially hoarse and shrill as he stared straight at Chu Liuyue. There seemed to be fire burning in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to kill Chu Liuyue on the spot, chew her meat, and bite on her bones! The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, yet there was no smiling intent in her eyes and only icy coldness. ¡°I was just asking you, and I didn¡¯t say anything. If it¡¯s fake, why are you so agitated? Nan Yuxing, why don¡¯t you ask yourself or your¡­ good father about who killed your biological sister, Nan Yiyi!¡± Nan Yuxing was about to break down. He wanted to ignore what Chu Liuyue said, but those words seemed maniacal as they kept echoing in his mind. Countless doubts swarmed up his heart. It wasn¡¯t that he was not suspicious¡­ or that he wasn¡¯t doubtful¡­ However, how would he dare to actually ask it? He didn¡¯t even dare to think about how his Yuan meridian recovered! Rumble! Just as Nan Yuxing was in a daze, the dark-blue fire below him suddenly formed a long whip and rushed up, tying him tightly! Nan Yuxing was shocked and instinctively struggled! However, that fire suddenly exploded before him! Hong hong hong! At that moment, countless sparks flew everywhere! The terrifying and scorching force kept attacking Nan Yuxing everywhere! His figure was instantly surrounded by the exploding fire! ¡°Young Master!¡± When Luo Yan and the rest saw this scene, they called out in shock. As they were a distance away, they couldn¡¯t clearly hear what Chu Liuyue and Nan Yuxing were saying. To them, the two of them were just talking when Chu Liuyue took action right after! It was considered a sneak attack! However, Nan Yuxing was a legendary warrior. Logically speaking, he should be able to avoid it! What¡­ just happened? ¡°Quick! Save Eldest Young Master!¡± Luo Yan commanded hurriedly as his figure moved toward Nan Yuxing simultaneously. The four elders behind hurriedly followed. But without waiting for them to reach, a shining bolt of lightning suddenly struck! The target was Chu Liuyue! Feeling the impact from the lightning, Luo Yan and the rest were forced to stop. When they saw where the lightning was landing, Luo Yan instantly widened his eyes in shock. Nan Yuxing isn¡¯t far away from Chu Liuyue. With this lightning attack, Nan Yuxing would definitely be impacted greatly! He suddenly turned around and yelled at Mo Yun, ¡°Deputy Sect Master Mo, my Nan family¡¯s Eldest Young Master is still there. How can you take action impulsively?!¡± It was originally troublesome enough to be swallowed by that fire. If a lightning bolt is added to it¡­ The consequences are unimaginable! Upon hearing this, Mo Yun furrowed his brows coldly. ¡°We want to kill Shangguan Yue! He had to squeeze over there, so who can he blame? Since he knows that he doesn¡¯t have the skills, he should get lost!¡± Previously, Nan Yuxing had pursued Chu Liuyue for so long. In the end, not only did he not stop her, but he even let her slash all of these mountains! Mo Yun was very upset about this! He really looked down on this so-called Nan family¡¯s Eldest Young Master. He seems like a legendary warrior, but his actual combat skills can¡¯t even compare to Chu Liuyue, a true god! Him standing there is just getting into everybody¡¯s way! At this point, Mo Yun was also very sensitive and spoke very rudely. In actual fact, even if Nan Yuxing died here, he wouldn¡¯t care at all. Once he said this, the expressions of the few Nan family elders changed. We agreed on an alliance, yet he said such words! Then, what is the meaning of such an alliance!? Nan Yuxing is the Nan family¡¯s Eldest Young Master and Nan Yifan¡¯s only descendant currently! Previously, he was injured and almost became a good-for-nothing. Nan Yifan put in a lot of effort to let him recover and break through to become a legendary warrior! If he dies here, we won¡¯t be able to explain it when we go back! ¡°Mo Yun, don¡¯t be overboard! We also want to kill that Shangguan Yue, but if you continue this, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± Luo Yan also didn¡¯t want to fight with Mo Yun now, but the other party was stepping all over their heads! Facing Luo Yan¡¯s threat, Mo Yun replied with a cold smile and did not even give him an additional look. In actual fact, when he prepared to activate the Blood Tribute Formation, he was already determined to drag everyone here down! What does a mere Nan Yuxing count for? To San San and the rest, this fight was a joke. ¡°I¡¯ve really learned something today. Just a second ago, they said they wanted to ally, and they turned on each other the next¡­ How exciting!¡± Wu Yao sighed emotionally. Before they could even take action, the Black Sword Sect and Nan family fought each other. What a joke! ¡°That¡¯s normal. You don¡¯t have to care about it.¡± San San waved his hands nonchalantly. These two factions originally didn¡¯t have any good intentions, so such an ending was expected. ¡°Big Brother, should we take action?¡± He looked at Cen Yi. Cen Yi paused for a moment before gazing at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Highness, what do you¡­¡± Rong Xiu looked up and glanced at Chu Liuyue; then, his thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°No hurry. She hasn¡¯t played enough yet.¡± It¡¯s not too late to wait a while and let her play to her heart¡¯s content. Chapter 1890 - 1890 Chu Liuyue 1888: Intercept and Kill Chu Liuyue! 1890 Chu Liuyue 1888: Intercept and Kill Chu Liuyue! Cen Yi nodded. When the remaining people heard this, they exchanged glances and couldn¡¯t help but look at their master. At this point, she raised her hand and waved the sword again. Rumble! Another dark-blue fire emerged from the cracks beneath the mountain rock. The fire jumped around, and more increasingly appeared. In the dark sky, they were like balls of dark, burning ghoul fire that stained the thick, black clouds with a few hints of dark blue. However, the slim figure was very agile as it jumped between the mountains like an elf. Those fires seemed to obey her and danced around! ¡°Master is amazing!¡± Yu Jiu could not help but exclaim. ¡°Just for that Blue Peak, the Black Sword Sect suffered so many injuries and deaths, However, Master doesn¡¯t even care about it¡­ Looking at what she¡¯s doing, she¡¯s really going to flip the entire Peach Blossom Dock over!¡± ¡°When Master takes action, it¡¯s naturally not something someone ordinary can compare to.¡± Wu Yao stroked his chin and looked at the lightning continuously gathering in the sky. Originally, he was still quite worried. But seeing that Big Brother and the others didn¡¯t really seem to care about it¡­ his heart settled down. Shi Fang glanced at the few people and the continuously shattering void. He then rubbed his hands and softly muttered, ¡°I said that Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s void is chaotic. Now, it really seems like that¡¯s the case¡­¡± An intense battle just erupted, but it had already caused the void here to be chaotic. The spatial turbulence crazily spread out¡­ If the situation continued to worsen, it would not be good¡­ From the corner of his eye, Shi Fang saw that Thirteen looked calm. He couldn¡¯t help but use his elbow to nudge the latter and softly ask, ¡°Thirteen, are you not worried?¡± ¡°Worried about what?¡± Thirteen glanced at him strangely. Shi Fang pouted. ¡°This void¡­ is probably going to collapse completely¡­¡± ¡°I know!¡± Thirteen nodded openly. Even though his cultivation level couldn¡¯t be compared to Big Brother and the rest, he had been beside them for many years and had seen and heard many things. Thus, he naturally had broader horizons. He knew very clearly what this meant, but¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t Master, Big Brother, and the rest here?¡± Thirteen¡¯s eyeballs turned, and he coughed. ¡°And¡­ His Highness also seems quite strong¡­¡± With so many people around, he really felt that there was nothing to be worried about. ¡°If she has no confidence, why would Master continue staying here?¡± According to Master¡¯s personality¡­ she wouldn¡¯t stay in an unsafe place for long! Shi Fang was dazed for a moment. Then, he thought about it carefully and found that it made sense. ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± No matter what, Master is experienced and definitely knows that this situation is severe. But in such a situation, she still chose to stay here¡­ This can only prove that the situation is even more important to her! Boom! Another lightning bolt struck. It harshly struck Chu Liuyue! Almost at the same time, Chu Liuyue jumped behind Tuan Zi! Hula! Tuan Zi¡¯s wings flapped as she rapidly flew to the next mountain! The gigantic fire exploded on the mountain behind them! From afar, it looked like a phoenix was reborn! ¡­ ¡°Damn it!¡± Mo Yun was infuriated. We¡¯ve already activated the Blood Tribute Formation without a care, yet we can¡¯t do anything to Chu Liuyue! That red-gold heavenly phoenix is indeed too fast! ¡°Carry on!¡± Mo Yun commanded hoarsely at the top of his lungs. Chu Liuyue tried to escape from his hands time and time again, which angered him! He quickly circulated his inner force and activated the Blood Tribute Formation! The gigantic blood totem was like a bloody sea that crossed half the sky! The thick bloody aura quickly spread throughout the area, causing one to suffocate! The harsh murderous intent overwhelmed them! Hong long long! The low and deep thunder rumbled in the clouds, and it struck the crowd¡¯s ears harshly! This caused one¡¯s heart to shake! The many silver snake-like lightning bolts rapidly gathered in the sky and landed! Hong hong hong! The loud sound reverberated throughout this area! The crazy winds howled angrily, and the void distorted even more crazily! Chu Liuyue quickly looked back. The black ink reflected the shining fire. She lightly patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head. Tuan Zi understood and rapidly stopped. At this point, they stopped at the top of a mountain. The many lightning bolts instantly appeared! The distance between the two parties was rapidly shortened! Chu Liuyue looked up slightly and moved her wrist, but her feet didn¡¯t move as she looked up at the lightning bolt. Her hair was already blown up by the crazy wind, dancing around in the air! Upon seeing this, everyone was taken aback. Mo Lin knitted his brows tightly, and he couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Is she crazy?!¡± At this point, she can¡¯t even escape in time, yet she just stopped?! Is she frightened silly, or does she know that she can¡¯t hide and swiftly gave up? But whichever one it is, this type of behavior is akin to courting death! Mo Yun was first stunned before he coldly said, ¡°It seems like she¡¯s really tired of living¡­¡± Previously, I still thought that Chu Liuyue would try to avoid it more or less. Based on the abilities she showcased previously and with the help of Rong Xiu and the others present, she might be able to last for a while longer. But since she herself doesn¡¯t want to live¡­ she can¡¯t blame anyone else! Thinking of this, Mo Yun glanced at Rong Xiu and the rest. Doubts flashed across his cold, sinister eyes. Chu Liuyue is Rong Xiu¡¯s princess consort. According to the rumors, he dotes on this princess consort a lot. In order to marry her successfully, he didn¡¯t even care about offending the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s venerables and clan leader. Logically speaking, he should be very worried when he sees Chu Liuyue in such a precarious situation. But now that he¡¯s looking up, he doesn¡¯t seem worried at all? And Cen Yi and the others at the side¡­ They actually followed him and did not do anything? are they all foolish? However, such confusion and doubts only flashed across Mo Yun¡¯s mind. The lightning landed loudly and quickly snatched his attention away. He turned around and placed his attention on Chu Liuyue again. A bright and oppressive lightning bolt suddenly struck! It precisely landed on the mountain Chu Liuyue was on. Crack! A large crack appeared on the mountain body! More than half of the mountain shook violently! At the same time, a dark-blue fire quickly surged out! The lightning merged with the fire, and the forces of the two parties struggled intensely! The figure that was as straight as a tree was also swallowed at this moment! The corner of Mo Yun¡¯s lips curled up coldly. The lightning bolts triggered by the Blood Tribute Formation have extremely strong suppression and force! Even a legendary warrior has to face it carefully, let alone a true god like Chu Liuyue. This time¡­ she has to die without a doubt! But the next moment, a figure suddenly rushed out from the fire¡ªit went straight to the skies! Mo Yun¡¯s smile finally froze on his face! Chapter 1891 - 1891 Came at the Right Time 1891 Came at the Right Time That dark-blue fire surrounded Chu Liuyue, but it didn¡¯t harm her at all. It even became a force that blocked the majority of the lightning bolts! She rushed out of the place where the fire intertwined almost unharmed! Following this, she rapidly flew toward Tuan Zi at top speed! The violent force that surged around didn¡¯t slow her down at all. Mo Yun was dazed and looked as if someone had harshly slapped him a few times! His face burned! The light of the fire that rushed up to the sky from the mountaintop pricked one¡¯s eye, and they couldn¡¯t look at it directly. Additionally, Mo Yun was deep in shock and didn¡¯t see a crystallized light flashing across the black shield in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. At this very moment, his mind was almost blank. In the very beginning, it was fine because the lightning didn¡¯t hit Chu Liuyue. However, the previous bolt genuinely struck from the top of her head! Why is Chu Liuyue still safe? It¡¯s that fire¡­ It¡¯s that fire! A wave of realization suddenly struck Mo Yun! He understood everything! Chu Liuyue has indeed controlled the strange dark-blue fire underneath the mountain! The item hidden below¡­ is definitely in her hands! Mo Yun was infuriated! We¡¯ve stayed here for close to two years and finally confirmed that there was something underneath Blue Peak with much difficulty. In the end, before we could take action, Chu Liuyue intercepted us! The more important thing is that when she took action, we then realized that it wasn¡¯t only Blue Peak¡­ All the surrounding mountains are also related to that item! After waiting for so long and suffering so many deaths and injuries, we lost to Chu Liuyue, who had just come to Peach Blossom Dock! How could Mo Yun take this lying down?! He suddenly bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood! The Blood Tribute Formation in the sky suddenly started rumbling intensely! A thick black mist could faintly be seen. However, it just appeared for one moment before it disappeared without a trace. Rong Xiu seemed to have felt something, and he looked up. That black mist had silently disappeared, and one couldn¡¯t see it. However, the cold and sinister aura still caused Rong Xiu to squint slightly. This aura is indeed familiar¡­ He retracted his gaze and looked at Mo Yun again with deep thoughts. Until now, Mo Yun hasn¡¯t truly used his own bloodline power when he attacked. He would rather cause great harm to himself and sacrifice his blood, yet his bloodline totem won¡¯t appear on his forehead. Interesting¡­ ¡°Is the last name of the Black Sword Sect¡¯s Sect Master also Mo?¡± Rong Xiu suddenly asked lightly. His voice was always cold and low, with a hint of irrefutable elegance. When one heard it, it caused them to automatically give the answer without restraint. ¡°Why do you¡ª¡± Mo Yun instinctively said those words before he was suddenly alarmed! Rong Xiu is playing me! He immediately kept quiet and swallowed his remaining words. However, this was an acquiesced admittance to Rong Xiu. As expected¡­ Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, yet coldness filled his eyes. Previously, he had already felt that this Black Sword Sect was amiss, and it seemed related to that side. Now that he took advantage of the mess to test them, he immediately got the answer. Seeing Rong Xiu¡¯s expression, Mo Yun secretly gritted his teeth. This man is very cunning and has many tricks up his sleeves! If he has really guessed something, it is expected. But¡­ For some reason, other than the symbolic blocking, Rong Xiu didn¡¯t do anything else. It¡¯s as if he isn¡¯t worried about Chu Liuyue¡¯s safety and is just silently and calmly observing. Is he too confident in Chu Liuyue, or does he have other preparations? Mo Yun could not tell. After all, Rong Xiu¡¯s reputation outside was not easy to deal with. Now, the most important thing is to kill Chu Liuyue! I definitely can¡¯t let her do whatever she wants here! Thinking of this, Mo Yun forcefully retracted his thoughts and poured all his force into the Blood Tribute Formation! Hong long long! It was even more magnificent than the previous aura, and a stronger bolt of lightning came down! Almost half the sky was illuminated by this glow! The target of those lightning bolts was Chu Liuyue! ¡­ ¡°This Black Sword Sect is rather capable¡­¡± Chu Liuyue stood still on the peak of a mountain as she squinted slightly and looked at the nearby sky. This formation was much bigger than the one they unintentionally bumped into when Thirteen was breaking through. Even many legendary warriors might not be able to do this, let alone the fact that the number of legendary warriors in the Black Sword Sect could be counted. Including Mo Yun, the number of legendary warriors in the Black Sword Sect wasn¡¯t even as many as the Nan family. However, Chu Liuyue was certain that even if all the legendary warriors in the Nan family took action together, they couldn¡¯t trigger a lightning phenomenon of such scale. At the end of the day, the problem was still the so-called Blood Tribute Formation and the Black Sword Sect people. Besides, other than being able to trigger the lightning, they could control where it struck. She purposely escaped left and right to test them. In the end, these lightning bolts could indeed strike at her! Not many people had such skills. Hence, Chu Liuyue muttered. But after realizing this, she wasn¡¯t scared at all as her eyes shone brightly, with a few hints of excitement. ¡°If this is true¡­¡± Then, that¡¯s great! Tuan Zi glanced at her from the side. Seeing her being tempted, Tuan Zi was also excited as she waved her wings, and the red-golden fire burned even more intensely. If Mo Yun and the rest saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s current expression and knew what she was thinking, they would feel that she was crazy. They had never seen someone so excited to be surrounded! She was clearly at the brink of death, yet she didn¡¯t seem to care and was very excited and emotional. Wasn¡¯t that a problem? Looking at the lightning bolt that was approaching, Chu Liuyue held the Chi Xiao Sword in her hands tightly. The next moment, the corner of her lips curled up slightly. ¡°Tuan Zi, let¡¯s go!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Tuan Zi flapped up with her wings. She went to the depths of the forest! ¡°You want to escape? It¡¯s not that easy!¡± Mo Yun clenched his teeth. Every single word was as though it was squeezed out from the gaps of the teeth. Previously, she didn¡¯t think of escaping, but she wants to leave now¡­ It is too late! Then, under many stares, those many bolts of lightning struck continuously as if wanting to nail Chu Liuyue to the mountain peak! The terrifying force formed invisible ripples that spread toward the surroundings! At that moment, trees collapsed, and countless peach blossom flowers and jade-green leaves flew up! The figure that contained the red-golden fire quickly zipped across! She threw all of those lightning bolts behind her! Chapter 1892 - 1892 Tip 1892 Tip Hong hong hong! Many mountain peaks were affected. The mountain bodies shook, and rocks fell! The gigantic cracks intersected across the many mountains! Following this, many fires spurted out from those cracks! The surrounding temperature was immediately elevated! Very quickly, many rays of light flew out from the intensely burning fires! They combined with the countless lightning sparks and went to Chu Liuyue! Bang! Bang! Bang! The black shield blocked them from the front and stopped all the violent force. At the same time, more and more rust started to peel off! Faint crystallized lights rapidly disappeared! The mysterious text on the shield started revealing its original appearance bit by bit! The terrifying impact quickly numbed Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm. The black shield became increasingly heavy, adding onto her burden. Luckily, Tuan Zi was around, and it didn¡¯t reduce her speed by too much. The human and the fiend flew around the forests. In no time, the entire mountain area was hit by the lightning. At first glance, it was a sea of debris. Many dark-blue fires burned on the mountaintops, and they almost illuminated half the sky! A scorching aura came over! Even if they were still a distance away from the large fire, the crowd could still feel their faces burn! It had a faint scorching feeling! When Luo Yan saw this scene, he was shocked and furious as half his heart turned cold. Nan Yuxing is still trapped in that ball of fire and hasn¡¯t come out yet. I don¡¯t know how he is now¡­ He calmed down and was about to walk forward. The few elders behind immediately stopped him. ¡°Luo Yan, what are you doing?!¡± Luo Yan knitted his brows. ¡°Eldest Young Master is still trapped there! If we don¡¯t do anything, it will spell danger for him!¡± The few elders exchanged glances. Actually, how would they not know this? However¡­ ¡°The current situation is too dangerous. If you suddenly go over, not only will you be of no help, but you will even sacrifice yourself! I think we should find other methods¡ª¡± ¡°Other methods? Can you still think of other methods now?¡± questioned Luo Yan in return. The elder that was convincing him kept quiet immediately. The remaining few elders revealed an expression of being in difficult spots. Luo Yan¡¯s gaze nonchalantly swept across the few of them. ¡°You guys wait here. I¡¯ll go over personally!¡± Nan Yuxing is Master¡¯s only descendant. When we came out today, Master had repeatedly instructed in secret to protect him. Now that Nan Yuxing is in danger and on the brink of death, how could I just ignore him? Even if I know that the road in front is dangerous, I have to go! ¡°We¡¯ll go too!¡± Another elder hesitated for a moment before immediately making a decision. At this time, there was really no need to hesitate on this matter. Even if they knew that the area in front was dangerous and that their efforts might be futile, they had to do what they needed to. If not¡­ If something really happened to Nan Yuxing, the consequences they had to face when they returned might not be any better. ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll go together! We might have a higher chance of winning!¡± The remaining few people hurriedly nodded. Luo Yan glanced at the few of them and nodded. Then, he turned around and rushed toward where Nan Yuxing was trapped at! The few elders exchanged glances and had complicated looks. But in the end, the few of them did not say anything and chose to follow. ¡­ At this point, the area where the mountain fire burned had largely expanded. The nearer one Was, the more one could feel the terrifying burn and scorch. The burning dark-blue fire seemed like it wanted to completely burn the entire area as it jumped crazily! Even though he was already a legendary warrior, Luo Yan still felt greatly threatened at this moment. A normal barrier wouldn¡¯t be able to stop this heat wave, and because the surrounding void was gradually collapsing, the violent turbulence was chaotic, causing one to be unable to maintain a barrier for an extended period of time. In no time, Luo Yan swiftly chose to give up on the barrier and went ahead at full speed. He couldn¡¯t help but glance at Chu Liuyue. That woman was standing on the back of the red-gold heavenly phoenix. Her clothes flowed with the wind, and her eyes sparkled. There was no hint of fear on her face, only endless combat intent! Meeting the determined and persistent gaze, Luo Yan¡¯s heart seemed to be heavily smashed. This woman¡­ is really not afraid! Even if the mountain fire is currently blazing and the lightning keeps striking, she is still standing upright fearlessly! How would an average person have such guts and courage¡­ Other than this, Luo Yan also had a doubt. I¡¯m just at the edge now, and I already feel the very uncomfortable burn from the fire. However, Chu Liuyue is in the middle of countless fires. How can she endure it? This thought just flashed across Luo Yan¡¯s mind before he quickly suppressed it. That was because he didn¡¯t have too much time or energy to care about this. Now, he just wanted to save Nan Yuxing as soon as possible! When he was a certain distance away, Luo Yan finally heard a faint and painful cry for help. His heart harshly skipped a beat. This voice is Nan Yuxing¡¯s! ¡°Yuxing? Yuxing?!¡± Luo Yan followed the source of the voice and rushed over. He had a very high status in the Nan family and directly addressed Nan Yiyi and Nan Yuxing by their names in private. Even though he doted on Nan Yiyi the most, he still cared about Nan Yuxing very much. Now that Nan Yiyi was gone, he cared about Nan Yuxing even more. If something really happens to Nan Yuxing¡­ Luo Yan took a deep breath. A long crack appeared on the mountain beneath their feet. The fire was burning intensely. One could faintly see a figure struggling within. Luo Yan¡¯s heart rose. ¡°Yuxing!¡± Originally, he wanted to rush over. However, the fire was burning too intensely, and he couldn¡¯t get close to it. After a moment of hesitation, Luo Yan formed a whip with his force and harshly sent it out! Slap! An ear-piercing sound was heard! The next moment, the long whip flew into the fire and tightly wrapped around Nan Yuxing¡¯s waist! Luo Yan pulled with all his might! A figure wrapped in fire flew out instantly! At this point, Nan Yuxing had burn wounds all over, and his injuries were very serious. He curled up on the floor and intensely trembled as his throat let out soft whimpers and moans. It seemed like he had no more strength to fight. Luo Yan¡¯s heart tightened. With such injuries¡­ Even if he survives, in the future, he is probably¡­ ¡°Young Master!¡± When the other elders saw this scene, their faces all changed. They did think that it was hard for Nan Yuxing to escape this ordeal, but the current situation still exceeded their predictions¡ª Luo Yan calmed down. ¡°Extinguish the fire on Eldest Young Master first¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a bloody wound suddenly broke open on Nan Yuxing¡¯s arm! Chapter 1893 - 1893 Say the Truth! 1893 Say the Truth! That wound was about an inch long, and it was so deep that one could see the white bones. Luo Yan¡¯s movement had a moment of hesitation. Actually, this scene didn¡¯t count for much to him and the other elders, who were used to seeing life and death. The reason why they were so shocked was that this wound appeared too suddenly! The previous moment, there was no outer disturbance, and Nan Yuxing¡¯s own physical body had no problem! Out of nowhere, why would a normal person have such a wound? Then, without waiting for them to react, Nan Yuxing¡¯s other palm also had a similar wound! Perhaps because he was burning in the fire for too long, but a large portion of his hands had already shriveled. However, the wound still appeared suddenly! The contorted skin and muscles seemed to be cut open by something sharp. No fresh red blood dripped out, but it still felt very uneasy to watch. ¡°Luo Yan, this¡­¡± The few elders instinctively looked at Luo Yan. Even though they were all elders, their statuses were lower than Luo Yan¡¯s. Hence, when something happened, they instinctively sought Luo Yan¡¯s opinion. However, Luo Yan¡¯s mind was also in a mess! He stared at the two wounds on Nan Yuxing¡¯s body tightly, and his expression was terrifyingly deep. With just one glance, he realized that these wounds meant that Nan Yuxing¡¯s own body had a problem! It seems like¡­ it is very possible that the force in his body has already gone out of control! A legendary warrior¡¯s body contained a large amount of force. Once they lost control of it, it would go maniacal in the body, and the consequences would be unimaginable! Just as he was in deep thought, a wound appeared on Nan Yuxing¡¯s shoulders! Additionally, the wounds on his hands and arms were expanding at an observable speed! Nan Yuxing curled up on the ground and had lost consciousness, continuously trembling at the same time. ¡°S-save me¡­¡± His face was seriously burned, and he couldn¡¯t open his eyes. Only the voices that kept entering his ears let him know that Luo Yan and the rest were beside him. Nan Yuxing relied on his last bit of willpower to beg for help softly. Luo Yan¡¯s heart was a mess as he knitted his brows tightly. Of course, I want to save Nan Yuxing! If not, I wouldn¡¯t have risked such great danger to come over! However¡­ what should I do in such a situation? Seeing that there were more and more wounds on Nan Yuxing¡¯s body, Luo Yan could only hurriedly extinguish the sparks on his body and planned to bring him back first. But before he could even touch Nan Yuxing¡¯s body, he heard Nan Yuxing mutter, ¡°Yiyi¡­ S-sorry¡­¡± Luo Yan stopped his actions and instinctively gazed at Nan Yuxing¡¯s face. The seriously burned face couldn¡¯t be looked at anymore. However, Luo Yan heard the deep pain and guilt in Nan Yuxing¡¯s tone very clearly. He was dazed for some time and did not move. Sorry? Why did Nan Yuxing suddenly say that? Is he blaming himself for not protecting Nan Yiyi well in the first place? But it doesn¡¯t sound like it¡­ The tone¡­ clearly sounds as if he has done something to wrong Nan Yiyi. ¡°Luo Yan? Luo Yan?¡± Seeing that Luo Yan suddenly stopped and was motionless as if he were in deep thought, the few elders found it weird. This voice caused Luo Yan to recover his senses. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± He hurriedly acknowledged them and wanted to continue when he suddenly felt force seeping out of the wound on Nan Yuxing¡¯s body. This force was very chaotic, but it contained an extremely familiar aura! Luo Yan widened his eyes and stared at Nan Yuxing in shock. This aura¡­ This aura! Almost uncontrollably, he quickly reached out and grabbed Nan Yuxing¡¯s wrist. ¡°Hey¡­ Luo Yan, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Luo Yan¡¯s expression was amiss, which caused the few elders at the side to be worried as well. He was clearly fine just now, so why did he suddenly¡­ But at this point, Luo Yan could no longer hear their voices. He separated out some force and forcefully inserted it into Nan Yuxing¡¯s body. As expected, the force in Nan Yuxing¡¯s body was a complete mess. But the key was¡­ Luo Yan was clearly familiar with this force! And that Yuan meridian¡­ Luo Yan¡¯s hand trembled slightly, and his entire face turned white as the veins on his forehead popped out. Deep anger exuded from his body. The few elders detected the danger as they exchanged glances and did not dare to ask further. Well¡­ Luo Yan rarely revealed such an expression, and they did not know what was wrong with him. Just as they were filled with doubts, they saw Luo Yan let go of Nan Yuxing¡¯s wrist and suddenly grab the latter¡¯s neck! ¡°Luo Yan!¡± ¡°Young Master!¡± This sudden scene caused the remaining elders to be taken aback, and they couldn¡¯t help but speak anxiously. But at this point, Luo Yan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was contorted, looking very horrifying. He stared at Nan Yuxing deadly and asked carefully, ¡°Say it! How exactly did Yiyi die?!¡± Once he said this, all the elders were stunned. W-why did Luo Yan suddenly ask Eldest Young Master this at this point? Could it be that Eldest Young Master has something to do with Nan Yiyi¡¯s death? But how is that possible?! Nan Yuxing was originally in a half-dead, unconscious state. Now that Luo Yan frightened him, he became slightly more awake. Facing Luo Yan¡¯s gaze, intense horror surged up his heart. Nan Yuxing muttered almost reflexively, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Thump! Luo Yan suddenly took action, grabbing Nan Yuxing¡¯s neck and harshly slamming his head against the ground! ¡°Say the truth!¡± Chapter 1894 - 1894 Drag Her Down? 1894 Drag Her Down? Luo Yan was ruthless. This time, he directly smashed until Nan Yuxing¡¯s head broke open and fresh blood spurted everywhere! Nan Yuxing¡¯s mind whirred, and his entire person almost directly fainted. The few elders at the side were completely dazed. Well¡­ Why did Luo Yan suddenly act so harshly? Nan Yuxing is the Eldest Young Master! If something happens to him, how should we explain it when they go back? Luo Yan¡¯s attitude is also very strange. The previous moment, he disregarded his own safety and wanted to save him no matter what. In the end, for some reason, his attitude changed completely all of a sudden! Not only does he plan not to save Nan Yuxing, but he even wants to settle the latter directly?! ¡°Luo Yan, calm down!¡± An elder finally could not watch on any longer and spoke. But he only just started speaking, and before he could finish his sentence, Luo Yan turned back and glanced at him. This look was extremely cold! It was as if it contained deep anger and hatred! That elder¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his words were stuck in his throat. I have never seen Luo Yan in such a state¡­ In the entire Nan family, Luo Yan¡¯s skills were one of the top few. He also had a distinguished status, yet his personality was very nonchalant and calm. He rarely interfered with any decisions in the Nan family and would only take action when it involved Nan Yiyi. This time, he suddenly did this¡­ Could it be that he believes that Nan Yiyi¡¯s death is really related to Nan Yuxing? But¡­ how could that be? Nan Yuxing is Nan Yiyi¡¯s biological older brother! Luo Yan retracted his gaze, grabbed the back of Nan Yuxing¡¯s neck, and forced him to raise his head. ¡°Say it! What exactly is with your Yuan meridian?!¡± Nan Yuxing¡¯s head turned cold. Luo Yan actually asked such a question¡­ It seems like whatever Chu Liuyue said previously was true? Nan Yuxing¡¯s mind was a mess. Additionally, as he was severely injured, he was overwhelmed and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. However, he couldn¡¯t say a single word. After receiving the confirmation, he was also defeated. Seeing his reaction, what else did Luo Yan not understand? He slowly tightened his hand, and deep murderous intent filled his eyes! Everything that happened in the past flashed across his mind messily! He always felt that Nan Yiyi¡¯s death was doubtful. However, as he was too depressed, and there was concrete evidence, he was convinced that the mysterious person he saw before he fainted came from the Sky-Cloud Empire. That was also why he hated Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue to the core! When Nan Yuxing suggested coming to Peach Blossom Dock to take revenge against them, he chose to agree without hesitation! However, he never expected¡­ The true person that killed Nan Yiyi was someone else! The Yuan meridian and force in Nan Yuxing¡¯s body was clearly Nan Yiyi¡¯s! No wonder¡­ No wonder he could return to normal in such a short period of time! He even recovered! It turned out everything was because he took Nan Yiyi¡¯s life! When the truth was in front of him, everything before seemed amiss. Now thinking about it, I should¡¯ve detected that something was wrong earlier on! However, my eyes were clouded by revenge. How could I see these things? Only now¡ªthe truth is finally out! Luo Yan suddenly laughed. He really felt that he was a joke and felt that Nan Yuxing was laughable. We all said they wanted to take revenge for Nan Yiyi, but in actual fact¡­ We found the wrong person! This is especially so for Nan Yuxing, who is the pot calling the kettle black! What a joke! The smiling face kept flashing before Luo Yan¡¯s eyes. His gaze turned cold inch by inch as he slowly tightened his hands. Nan Yuxing detected danger and instinctively wanted to escape. However, his force was crazily surging around, and his organs were severely damaged. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up, let alone do other things. Hence, he could only breathe heavily and tremble to no avail. Luo Yan had no expression on his face. ¡°Luo Yan¡­¡± The few elders also felt that his condition was very strange. Just as they wanted to convince him to stop, they heard a crisp, bone shattering sound. Crack! The few of them were taken aback! Luo Yan directly broke off Nan Yuxing¡¯s neck¡ªhe took the latter¡¯s life! Nan Yuxing¡¯s head tilted to the side, and his body trembled as he quickly lost his breath. Dead silence. Nobody expected Luo Yan to actually be so harsh! He killed Nan Yuxing without hesitation! As they were too shocked, the few elders instinctively held their breaths as deep shock filled their eyes. However, Luo Yan acted as if nothing had happened and stood up. He then raised his arm and flicked his wrist. Nan Yuxing¡¯s corpse was thrown by him into the blazing fire! In the blink of an eye, it was completely swallowed! The entire process was very smooth, and Luo Yan had no hesitation at all! Then, he turned around and looked at the remaining few people. His gaze had a sinister coldness that never appeared before. ¡°Eldest Young Master couldn¡¯t win against Shangguan Yue, and he unfortunately sacrificed himself in the fire.¡± The few elders all understood that this was a command. Luo Yan killed the Eldest Young Master in front of us, yet he openly and calmly said that Shangguan Yue did it?! ¡°Y-yes¡­ We will take revenge for Eldest Young Master!¡± One of the elders reacted first and spoke weakly with a pale face. Luo Yan nodded in satisfaction. ¡°For Eldest Young Master, we will do anything. Today, even if we have to sacrifice our lives, we will do it! What do you guys think?¡± How else can we think? You¡¯ve already made yourself very clear. What else can other people say to retort? The few elders nodded stiffly. Even if they were very experienced, it was their first time going through such an incident¡­ Luo Yan nodded. ¡°Whoever kills Shangguan Yue is an important person in the Nan family.¡± ¡­ From afar, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had just avoided a bolt of lightning¡ªalso detected the situation here as she squinted dangerously. Luo Yan actually killed Nan Yuxing personally, yet he planned to push the blame to me? Her red lips parted slightly and revealed an extremely cold smile. She wasn¡¯t shocked that Luo Yan would kill Nan Yuxing; she could long tell that Luo Yan had a different attitude toward Nan Yiyi. Even though he hid it extremely well, there were some things that a sharp-eyed person could tell at one glance. However¡­ she wasn¡¯t very happy about him wanting to drag her down. Chapter 1895 - 1895 Attempting Something Dangerous 1895 Attempting Something Dangerous As if detecting her gaze, Luo Yan suddenly looked up. The two of them were quite far apart, but at this moment, the two parties¡¯ eyes looked at each other. They could see the overwhelming emotions in the other party¡¯s eyes! Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Luo Yan, Nan Yuxing died in your hands. Everyone saw it clearly. You pushed the blame on me for no reason. It¡¯s¡­ too unreasonable, right?¡± Luo Yan¡¯s gaze turned icy cold. ¡°Yuxing¡¯s injury was caused by you, and he ultimately died in this strange fire. What¡¯s wrong with saying that you killed him?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. When she heard what Luo Yan said previously and knew of his plan, Chu Liuyue understood that this person had become maniacal. There was no point in talking to him further. Nan Yuxing was Nan Yifan¡¯s only son. To save Nan Yuxing, Nan Yifan was even willing to sacrifice his other daughter¡¯s life! This shows how highly he thinks of Nan Yuxing as his only descendant! Now, Nan Yuxing is dead. Whoever killed him will become Nan Yifan¡¯s lifelong enemy! Offending Nan Yifan in this manner is undoubtedly offending the entire Nan family. Nobody wants to bear such serious consequences. Luo Yan dared to do this in broad daylight because he is certain that the few elders won¡¯t dare to spread this matter. Besides, one side is his own people, and the other is an enemy that already has a grudge against him. Who would Nan Yifan believe? The answer is obvious. Boom! Another lightning bolt struck. This bolt of lightning had even stronger suppression! It almost tore the dark clouds gathered in the sky! Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡°You came at the right time!¡± She thought, and Tuan Zi instantly understood as she flapped her wings and flew up. This time, Tuan Zi went for the mountain further away. Chu Liuyue looked down at the black shield in her hand. After the previous battle, dozens of rust pieces had already fallen off. This was much more efficient than before, but it was only one-tenth of the entire shield. She could see the mysterious text gradually showing itself. Even though she could only see the tip of the iceberg, Chu Liuyue had a strong feeling that when the rust completely peeled off, it would be incredible! A faint crystallized light could be seen around the black shield. Suddenly, a sharp sound came from the front! Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up! Not far away, the void started collapsing at an observable speed! The half of the mountain nearby was affected by the impact of the turbulence, and the mountain body started shaking. A few mountain rocks started rolling toward the strange darkness. A terrifying suction force came from within¡ªit was as if it wanted to swallow everything whole! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened! The force of the void in Peach Blossom Dock was chaotic to begin with, and it was easy to collapse. Now that such an intense battle happened, it was normal for such a situation to happen as the terrifying forces were torturous. However, the speed of the collapse still exceeded Chu Liuyue¡¯s previous prediction. She knitted her brows slightly and planned to get Tuan Zi to change her direction. But at this moment, a slight whir suddenly came from the black shield! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped! The black shield¡¯s reaction proved that there was an extremely important force below the mountain there! She had to go over! Tuan Zi turned around and glanced at her. Chu Liuyue squinted slightly; then, she stood up and jumped! She rushed to that mountain alone! Almost at the same time, shocking suction forces surrounded her from all sides! The moment her feet landed on that mountain, her figure dropped! In the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the space that had collapsed! Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze sank. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Chapter 1896 - 1896 Rong Xiu Takes Action 1896 Rong Xiu Takes Action With a thought, his figure disappeared from the spot! ¡°Master!¡± Thirteen and the rest began to be anxious. They wanted to move, but Cen Yi stopped them. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s words were brief. Looking at the terrifying scene, Wu Yao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Big Brother, at this time, are we still not doing anything?¡± Master¡¯s situation seems very dangerous! ¡°Yeah! The void keeps collapsing. In no time, I¡¯m afraid the entire Peach Blossom Dock will¡ª¡± Yu Jiu held the wooden sword in his hand tightly and was very anxious. Cen Yi¡¯s expression was as calm as in the beginning. ¡°If you go over now, you¡¯ll just cause more trouble for Master. It¡¯s better if you just stay here.¡± Wu Yao and the rest were very conflicted. On the one hand, they were worried about their master. On the other hand, they also believed Big Brother. Seeing Cen Yi¡¯s appearance, it seems like¡­ we really don¡¯t need to be worried? ¡°Sigh, just don¡¯t worry! I don¡¯t dare to talk about anything else, but this¡­ Master will be fine!¡± At the side, San San convinced them. I have personally seen the power of Master and that black shield. That day, she almost directly burned my small space! Although the fires near the mountains look scary, if one thinks about it more, weren¡¯t they triggered by Master? San San had already vaguely guessed that his master was looking for something. From the very beginning, she purposely ran over and used the Black Sword Sect¡¯s so-called Blood Tribute Formation to trigger the lightning and directly slash the mountain¡­ Hasn¡¯t everything long been arranged by Master? Rong Xiu¡¯s previous reaction is clearly his cooperation with Master! ¡°The force in Peach Blossom Dock space was chaotic in the first place. Once a problem occurs, such a situation will occur. However, it will normally subside on its own after a short while. Besides, Master has many trump cards. Such a small commotion isn¡¯t enough to hurt her, so don¡¯t worry about it at all!¡± Even though San San spent most of his time and energy doing business, he was still very reliable at key moments. Now, other than Cen Yi, he had the highest status amongst the Thirteen Yue Guard. Hearing him say this, Wu Yao and the rest exchanged glances. Even if they could still see the worry in the other party¡¯s eyes, they didn¡¯t say anything in the end and just agreed. ¡°Look!¡± Thirteen suddenly gasped and attracted their attention. The few pairs of eyes looked over. At this point, Rong Xiu¡¯s figure suddenly appeared above a mountain peak far away. The wind blew up his snow-white sleeves, and he looked like a deity. A golden fire suddenly emerged from his palm and formed countless sparks before they spread around! From afar, it looked like a barrier and a gigantic web. ¡°Join!¡± His low and clear voice echoed throughout this dark area. When he said that, the space that kept collapsing froze suddenly! The black cracks seemed to be covered by a gigantic web formed by those golden sparks, and the void stopped collapsing! At this moment, the scene seemed to be frozen. Time and space seemed to have stopped moving. Everyone present was taken aback when they saw this scene! The collapsing void was caused by the impact of external forces slashing at each other, and it wasn¡¯t something humans could control. If not, Peach Blossom Dock wouldn¡¯t stay unoccupied for so many years. But now that Rong Xiu had taken action, he directly froze the collapsing void and forcefully suppressed the space turbulence. This was totally¡ª ¡°How is that possible!?¡± Mo Yun widened his eyes, which were filled with shock! A moment ago, he was still secretly happy when he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure being swallowed by the void. He had been here for quite some time and had seen similar scenarios quite a few times before. No matter who it was, their outcome would be miserable once they were dragged in. They would most likely be injured, if not dead! It would be best if Chu Liuyue could directly die inside. If she doesn¡¯t and forcefully escapes, she will be on the brink of death. At that time, we can do anything to her. We can decide if we want to kill her or scrape her skin! However, who knew that Rong Xiu¡ªwho had been standing by the side the whole time¡ªwould suddenly take action!? Besides¡­ he was actually so strong! Seeing the tall and straight figure in the air, unknown terror suddenly flashed across Mo Yun¡¯s heart. One had to know that he might not even be able to do that! However, Rong Xiu just raised his hand slightly and did it easily! He didn¡¯t seem to use effort at all! Mo Yun had quite a few rumors about Rong Xiu, so he knew that this man wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. However, he did not expect the latter to be so heaven-defying! Such skills had long exceeded an ordinary legendary warrior! ¡­ On the other end, Luo Yan and the rest¡ªwho planned to pursue¡ªsaw this scene and stopped on the spot with complicated expressions. ¡°Forcefully freezing the collapsing space¡­ How exactly did Rong Xiu do it?¡± an elder said incredulously and almost couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. They were also legendary warriors, but they knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to do this if they took action! ¡°Since he¡¯s so strong, why didn¡¯t he take action the whole time? If we went head-on against him, it would¡¯ve been¡­ a tough battle!¡± The other elder was also very worried. Previously, they placed all their attention on Chu Liuyue and didn¡¯t quite care about the others. But when Rong Xiu took action, they finally realized that something was amiss. Since he was so strong, why did he just watch on? Was it on purpose? Was he too confident in Chu Liuyue, or¡­ was there another reason? They didn¡¯t understand such things, and they felt increasingly anxious. Besides, the skills Rong Xiu just showcased had long exceeded their previous expectations! Luo Yan stared at Rong Xiu¡¯s figure tightly and gradually clenched his fists. If Rong Xiu stops me, then¡­ it would be harder to execute the plan. Now, he faintly realized why Nan Yifan was so fearful of Rong Xiu¡­ Boom! The Blood Tribute Formation hovered in midair, and the blood aura rose to the sky as the crazy force went around. At the same time, the lightning kept striking! Chapter 1897 - 1897 Affect 1897 Affect The next moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure rushed out from the void while covered in sparkling gold! The crowd immediately looked over. That woman decked in red floated with black hair and snow-white skin as her eyes sparkled. Her eyes had intense combat intent. She was unharmed! At that moment, the crowd had varying reactions. The Thirteen Yue Guards naturally heaved a sigh of relief. However, the people from the Black Sword Sect and the Nan family had dark expressions. It¡¯s fine if Rong Xiu is so heaven-defying, but why is Chu Liuyue¡ªa true god¡ªalso so formidable?! Even a legendary warrior might not be able to rush out of the collapsing void unharmed. Why can she¡ª The key is that the place where Chu Liuyue was swallowed and where she rushed out is different! There is a large gully in between! ¡°T-this¡­ Why does it seem like Rong Xiu knew where she would come out from and purposely went there early to wait?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, right? Who can guess such a thing accurately? Who doesn¡¯t know that once somebody enters the void, even the cultivator themselves won¡¯t know where they will be sent to, let alone Rong Xiu?¡± ¡°But this situation¡­ does seem amiss¡­¡± The few elders from the Nan family muttered softly. Luo Yan did not speak, but his expression became increasingly ugly. The more the other party was like this, the more it proved that they were hard to handle¡­ He looked up. The Blood Tribute Formation was still circulating. People from the Black Sword Sect were rushing over and kept joining. This caused the Blood Tribute Formation force to become increasingly stronger. But¡­ The lightning suddenly struck, almost causing the many mountains to be destroyed, but Chu Liuyue was still safe! This couple is really weird! Screech! Tuan Zi shrieked and drew a red-golden ray of light in midair as she flew toward Chu Liuyue. The crowd had mixed feelings. In the beginning, they still thought that Chu Liuyue completely relied on the red-gold heavenly phoenix to be able to avoid so many attacks. However, everything that just happened gave them a harsh slap! Even if Chu Liuyue used her own force, she could still go around with ease! ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Coming out from the chaotic void and struggling out of the darkness, Chu Liuyue finally heaved a sigh of relief. When the familiar, demonically handsome face entered her eyes, she instantly felt much more at ease. Rong Xiu reached out toward her. ¡°Yue¡¯er, come over.¡± Chu Liuyue walked up. Ka! A crisp shatter was suddenly heard! Chu Liuyue was stunned and rapidly looked up! The void that Rong Xiu forcefully froze cracked! Rong Xiu squinted slightly and immediately went forward to hold Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, bringing her into his arms! The next moment, he turned around. The frozen void finally struggled out of the golden web and started collapsing again! Countless golden sparks dispersed! The terrifying force rushed to the surroundings! Rong Xiu moved his feet and shifted Chu Liuyue to another location! Tuan Zi followed closely, and her wings vibrated, leaving behind a fire that blocked the force outside! Even though she couldn¡¯t completely stop the violent force, it eventually gave Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue enough time to leave. The loud sound entered their ears. Chu Liuyue leaned in Rong Xiu¡¯s arms and looked behind them over his shoulders. The void collapsed even more intensely! More and more darkness spread throughout the area! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly tightened. Rong Xiu¡¯s force could only temporarily suppress a small portion. But judging by the current scene, the entire Peach Blossom Dock will be implicated! Chapter 1898 - 1898 The Second Hit! 1898 The Second Hit! ¡°How is it?¡± Rong Xiu softly asked the person in his arms. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. The two of them stared at each other. She nodded lightly. ¡°Everything went smoothly.¡± They had a telepathic connection, so he naturally knew what she was planning to do without any additional words. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly. Even though she isn¡¯t injured, she must be exhausted after multiple rounds of explosion. If she went through so much and didn¡¯t get anything in the end, one would be infuriated. Luckily, she always knows what she is doing. It is the same this time. ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± Rong Xiu asked as he looked down slightly and glanced at the black shield in her hands. Only a small portion of rust was left on it. One could faintly see the light wrapped on it. The mysterious text carved on it was gradually showing its original appearance. Chu Liuyue nodded then knitted her brows slightly. ¡°But there¡¯s no more here. I have to change to another place.¡± The chance was rare, so they naturally had to continue. However, she had already tested this entire place once. There was nothing she needed underneath those remaining mountain peaks. Hence, she had to continue fighting this battle but switch to another place. Rong Xiu nodded. He looked calm, composed, and unsurprised. ¡°Let¡¯s change then.¡± Peach Blossom Dock was big, and this was only a corner of it. When Chu Liuyue previously said that she would flip the entire Peach Blossom Dock once, he had already expected such a situation to happen. Chu Liuyue nodded and looked at the black shield in her hand again. As the rust on it peeled off, the item slowly became heavier. Chu Liuyue found it rather effortful to hold it with one hand. She started urging the force in her body to reduce this suppressive feeling. However, this move exhausted quite a bit of her force. Luckily, she always had rich savings of force in her dantian, so it wasn¡¯t a problem to deal with this for now. However, she wondered what it would be like at the end¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly retracted her thoughts. She walked out of Rong Xiu¡¯s arms. ¡°Let¡¯s do things respectively.¡± Rong Xiu knew that she had other plans and didn¡¯t ask further as he squeezed her hand. ¡°Be careful. I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart warmed, and she held his hand back. The dry and warm hand transmitted a nice warmth that reassured her. Without saying anything, she glanced at Rong Xiu deeply with sparkling eyes. With Rong Xiu around, I can always be at ease. The two of them looked at each other for a moment. Then, Chu Liuyue turned around, went on her toes, and rushed forward! Tuan Zi followed closely behind. The human and the fiend¡¯s figures quickly left. Rong Xiu chose another direction and slowly followed them after moving a distance from them. ¡­ Everyone was stunned. What are these two people doing? Since Rong Xiu has taken her out, why did he let Chu Liuyue leave alone again? The force is chaotic in all directions. Is he not worried at all? The people from the Black Sword Sect and the Nan family were stunned. They couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡¯s motive was in doing this! The Thirteen Yue Guard was first stunned, but they quickly accepted it. It seems like Master willingly chose this. Then, there is nothing much to worry about. Cen Yi¡¯s figure moved. ¡°Keep up.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With his command, San San and the rest immediately acknowledged him and followed. They didn¡¯t care what their master wanted to do. They only knew that they had to follow their master no matter what. ¡­ Everything happened too quickly. When the remaining people reacted, the Thirteen Yue Guard had already followed Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu and left. Seeing their figures departing further and further, Mo Yun and the rest finally recovered their senses. ¡°Deputy Sect Master, they¡¯re going to run away!¡± someone anxiously said. Mo Yun¡¯s face seemed to be covered in a thick layer of ice, and he was icy and stiff. His pair of red eyes seemed to have murderous intent flowing out of it! Of course, I can tell this! However, the key is: where exactly are they heading? No, what I should ask is: what is Chu Liuyue planning to do!? The two of them seemed to have talked earlier, but it¡¯s a pity I was a distance away and couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. But judging from the later reaction, it isn¡¯t hard to guess that¡­ it should be Chu Liuyue¡¯s idea for them to leave respectively. She hasn¡¯t suffered enough here and still wants to go somewhere further? ¡°Activate the second phase of the Blood Tribute Formation!¡± Without hesitation, Mo Yun commanded them with a boom. Anyway, I have to kill this person today! When the people from the Black Sword Sect heard it, they seemed hesitant. Mo Lin hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Deputy Sect Master, the Blood Tribute Formation has great power, and it uses up a shocking amount of everyone¡¯s force. If we activate the second phase, it will definitely cause greater chaos. I¡¯m afraid it would be hard to catch them then¡­¡± Mo Yun glanced at him with a cold smile. ¡°Mo Lin, you¡¯re so gutsy now. You actually dare to disobey my command?¡± Mo Lin¡¯s face flushed white as he hurriedly explained, ¡°Deputy Sect Master, I don¡¯t have such intentions! I just feel that this Blood Tribute Formation¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to have much use on Shangguan Yue¡­¡± The dozens of people that came here from the Black Sword Sect had already taken action. The lightning bolts they summoned were quite scary. If not, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to destroy these mountains to this state in such a short period of time. But what about Chu Liuyue? She was unharmed! She clearly had a very strong trump card that could allow her to face such a terrifying attack easily! If one activated the second phase of the Blood Tribute Formation, they would require an even larger amount of force to sustain it! In that case, they might not be able to do anything to Chu Liuyue, but it would spell danger for the people in the Black Sword Sect. Others might not know it clearly, but Mo Lin was in the Black Sword Sect and knew things! The reason why the Blood Tribute Formation was so strong and could explode in force that was multiple times of everyone¡¯s combined¡­ was that once the formation was activated, it could crazily steal and absorb the energy and blood aura of the people who activated the formation! If it was minor, they would be injured, and their future and longevity would be harmed. If it was serious, they would die! The frozen smile on Mo Yun¡¯s face gradually faded. What replaced it was unconcealable anger and murderous intent! ¡°Then¡­ Do you have a better method?¡± asked Mo Yun extremely coldly. Detecting that his surrounding aura was amiss, all the blood in Mo Lin seemed to have stopped flowing. ¡°No¡­ I-I¡¯m useless¡­¡± Whoosh! Before he even finished his sentence, Mo Yun had already taken action. Force mixed with black and red emerged from his palm! It formed a long whip that went around Mo Lin¡¯s neck tightly! Mo Yun then flung his wrist, and Mo Lin¡¯s body flew to the gigantic Blood Tribute Formation uncontrollably! At that moment, that figure was swallowed by the tumultuous bloody aura! Chapter 1899 - 1899 Shes Going to Destroy the Peach Blossom Dock! 1899 She¡¯s Going to Destroy the Peach Blossom Dock! Mo Lin just let out a hurried and short cry before he rapidly lost his breath. Very quickly, the bloody aura faded and a set of bones was left in the middle of the Blood Tribute Formation! Only red blood was left hanging sparsely on the sinisterly white bones. Everyone¡¯s faces changed drastically. Some of them couldn¡¯t help but turn around to puke. Actually, the people in the Black Sword Sect had seen all sorts of bloody and gory scenes. However, the one before their eyes still caused a huge shock to them especially because¡­ the person that died was Mo Lin! He was Mo Yun¡¯s confidant! When something happened to Blue Peak previously and the matter was blown up because Mo Lin didn¡¯t manage it well, Mo Yun didn¡¯t even take his life and even gave him a chance to make up for it. But now¡­ Mo Yun directly took action and ended Mo Lin¡¯s life in such a terrifying and cruel way! What confidant? What thought highly of? Anybody who dared to refute Mo Yun would face such an ending! Mo Yun was originally such a person! ¡°Who else wants to object?¡± Mo Yun surveyed his surroundings and asked coldly. Nobody spoke. Even those who had strong reactions and were puking were so frightened that their faces flushed white, and they forcefully stopped. Dead silence. It wasn¡¯t the first day they knew that Mo Yun was harsh. But today, Mo Yun¡¯s actions had refreshed their knowledge of him! Mo Lin¡¯s bones were being crushed by the Blood Tribute Formation bit by bit. That sound was horrifying! At such a time, who would dare to stand up and object?! Mo Yun nodded in satisfaction. This is the effect I want. It is difficult to bring up a useful subordinate, but¡­ there isn¡¯t much pity in losing one. At most, I can just choose again in the future. In any case, the entire Black Sword Sect doesn¡¯t lack people. Mo Yun crossed his arms. ¡°Activate¡­ the second phase of the Blood Tribute Formation!¡± ¡­ More and more dark clouds gathered in the sky. The thick bloody aura that almost caused one to puke started permeating in the air. Chu Liuyue turned around to look and furrowed her brows slightly. There seems to be¡­ some changes in the Blood Tribute Formation. Mo Yun is bent on battling and killing her! Actually, she was not scared of the lightning they summoned. However¡­ she still felt slightly uneasy. That was because on the way here, the surrounding space kept collapsing. The terrifying force clashed around and tore many space cracks. Even though she had stayed at Peach Blossom Dock before, such a big commotion had never happened. It seems like it is going to end soon¡­ Chu Liuyue thought to herself silently. As long as I can quickly find the remaining ones and completely peel off the rust on the black shield, this matter will end. At that time, the collapsed void in Peach Blossom Dock can repair itself¡­ A faint ripple came from the distant sky. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she looked at the sky. Where heaven and earth connected¡­ that was where Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier landed. That ripple came from there. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly. This¡­ Even the barrier was affected? I can¡¯t wait any longer. I have to end this now! Just as this thought surfaced in her mind, Chu Liuyue urged her force again and rushed forward at a higher speed! ¡­ The commotion here was too huge, and it quickly alerted many people in Peach Blossom Dock. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on there?!¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t know? The Black Sword Sect is going after the people in Yue Manor!¡± ¡°Yue Manor? Boss San? How is that possible?! Hasn¡¯t Boss San always been on good terms with the Black Sword Sect? Why would the Black Sword Sect suddenly attack the people in Yue Manor?¡± ¡°How can this be false? I personally saw them chasing them out of the city! Other than the Black Sword Sect, there seems to be another group of people involved in this. They are pursuing them too!¡± ¡°The group that came seems to be the Nan family from the God Residence Realm? The leader was the Nan family¡¯s Eldest Young Master¡­ However, their target wasn¡¯t Boss San. Do you remember that a few people came to Yue Manor previously? This time, the people that the Black Sword Sect and the Nan family want to deal with seems to be them¡ª-¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t those Boss San¡¯s friends?¡± ¡°Hmph, what friends? Amongst them, there¡¯s the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace Rong Xiu and his new princess consort¡ªShangguan Yue! The Black Sword Sect and the Nan family is working together to pursue the two of them!¡± Once this was said, quite a few people gasped. Rong Xiu! Shangguan Yue! These two names had spread far and wide to everyone in the God Residence Realm! Even those living in Peach Blossom Dock by the edge had heard of them. There was no choice as the events that happened during their wedding was too shocking. That was also why the crowd was even more confused. ¡°So it¡¯s them! Didn¡¯t the two of them just hold a wedding at the Sky-Cloud Empire previously? Why did they suddenly come to Peach Blossom Dock?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I heard that Boss San seems to be Shangguan Yue¡¯s subordinate¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the main point. The main point is Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue. Don¡¯t they have an extraordinary relationship with the two ancient legendary fiend clans? What exactly did they do to cause the Black Sword Sect and the Nan family to hate them so much that they would rather offend those existences and kill them?¡± This was what a lot of people could not figure out. ¡°Quickly look! They seem to be fighting!¡± Someone within the crowd gasped. The crowd looked over in unison, and their expressions changed. The distant sky was long covered by the layers of dark clouds. Numerous lightning bolts swam within, and the aura was shocking! The terrifying force slammed and caused the air to collapse continuously! But at this moment, a red and petite figure suddenly flew over from midair! Everywhere it passed, silver and red sparks intertwined and rushed out! ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a God Realm?!¡± Someone could not help but mutter, his eyes filled with shock. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Shangguan Yue is only a true god? How could she unleash such a terrifying God Realm?¡± They were still a pretty long distance away from there, but they could still faintly feel the shocking aura and suppression! ¡°Oh no! Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier is about to collapse!¡± someone yelled in shock. ¡°Is she going to destroy Peach Blossom Dock?!¡± Chapter 1900 - 1900 Scheme 1900 Scheme ¡°Quickly look! It doesn¡¯t seem to be because of her but the Black Sword Sect!¡± A shocked gasp came from the crowd. Quite a few people flew up and looked over. At this point, more than half the sky was covered by thick dark clouds, and everywhere was dark. Additionally, those clouds were quickly dispersing toward the city! Lightning bolts swam crazily in the clouds. A gigantic blood totem floated in midair. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Black Sword Sect¡¯s totem!?¡± Someone with sharp eyes recognized the totem pattern and muttered in shock. ¡°These lightning bolts¡­ they clearly triggered them!¡± ¡°It is them!¡± a young man suddenly said affirmatively in the crowd. ¡°This is the Black Sword Sect¡¯s usual method! Actually, they use this method in their so-called assessment every month! As long as a few people work together and execute a similar formation, they can rapidly trigger the lightning! They use these lightning bolts to select the cultivators in the assessment. As long as they¡¯re talented and strong enough, they will pass the test! As for the remaining ones, their lives are taken away!¡± The crowd gasped. The street was deadly silent for a moment and rapidly broke into an uproar! ¡°Is that true? Are all those people dead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Less than ten percent of people can pass the Black Sword Sect¡¯s monthly assessment. If the remaining ones all died, then¡­ they must¡¯ve harmed countless people in these two years?¡± ¡°Brother, I think you should be careful when you say such words¡­ If the people from the Black Sword Sect hear it¡ª¡± That man snorted with laughter. ¡°So what if they hear it? I personally witnessed it, and it¡¯s true! Besides, it¡¯s been so long. Did none of you suspect why those people who couldn¡¯t enter the Black Sword Sect left Peach Blossom Dock and never appeared again?¡± The crowd fell silent. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that nobody doubted this. However, the Black Sword Sect was very powerful in Peach Blossom Dock. Even if someone had suspicions, nobody really dared to verify it. Now that someone suddenly spoke out about these things, it naturally caused people to falter. ¡°Everyone, if you have the time to suspect here, why don¡¯t you think of what to do next!? This time, the Black Sword Sect is clearly bent on killing Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue and are willing to risk everything for it! Even Mo Yun has personally taken action! If Peach Blossom Dock really collapses¡­ it will be hard for everyone to escape!¡± That man¡¯s voice was low and powerful, causing quite a few people¡¯s hearts to tighten. They weren¡¯t silly and knew that this wasn¡¯t a joke. In no time, quite a few people were displeased and had vengeance against the Black Sword Sect. It was fine if they wanted to kill other people or sought death themselves. However, they couldn¡¯t drag so many people from Peach Blossom Dock down with them! After causing such a huge commotion, they clearly wanted everyone in the city to be affected! If Peach Blossom Dock was ruined, none of the people here could escape! ¡°What should we do now?¡± someone hurriedly asked. That man thought deeply for a moment. ¡°From what I know, their formation is very strange. If more people join, it will be stronger. Just now, I saw that Mo Yun had already sent out a signal to gather everyone from the Black Sword Sect. I¡¯m guessing he wants them to support him! I think¡­ Why don¡¯t we stop the people from the Black Sword Sect first!? If fewer people go over, there will be less force to sustain the formation, and it naturally won¡¯t work!¡± Once he said this, quite a few people exchanged glances. ¡°Can¡­ this work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Black Sword Sect! We have so few people¡­ Can we be their match?¡± ¡°Yeah! Besides, if Mo Yun blames us later on¡ª¡± That man raised his brows. ¡°Everyone, if we don¡¯t stop the Black Sword Sect today, we might not even live till tomorrow! Besides, the Black Sword Sect has dominated Peach Blossom Dock for so long. It¡¯s time to teach them a lesson, am I right?!¡± ¡°Anyway, today, I¡ªDuan Qingquan¡ªwill definitely fight with the Black Sword Sect till the end! Everyone, if you wish, follow me! If you don¡¯t dare¡­ we won¡¯t force you! Anyway, we all have our own lives to live!¡± Then, he really went on his toes and went toward the Black Sword Sect! ¡°Brother Duan! We¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go too! That Black Sword Sect killed a few of my brothers. I wanted to take revenge a long time ago!¡± ¡­ On the brink of death, many people clenched their teeth and made the decision, hurriedly following him. Actually, Duan Qingquan was right. Even if it were for themselves, they had to take action this time! The people from the Black Sword Sect had already put Peach Blossom Dock in the center of danger. Why should they be merciful? More and more people went to the Black Sword Sect! Very quickly, they met the crowd that came out of the Black Sword Sect and planned to go to Mo Yun. Seeing this scene, the crowd confirmed their previous guess: The Black Sword Sect is indeed betting on their entire faction¡¯s forces! ¡°Stop them!¡± Duan Qingquan hollered and rushed forward first. When the crowd at the side heard this, they immediately took action! Before the people from the Black Sword Sect could react, a violent battle had exploded! The two parties quickly stood together! Most of the top forces in the Black Sword Sect had already been deployed earlier. Additionally, due to the Blue Peak incident, they had already lost quite a few members. Hence, now that they fought against Duan Qingquan and the rest, they didn¡¯t take the upper hand. The news spread quickly, and quite a few people in Peach Blossom Dock rushed over one after another. They clearly wanted to kill everyone in the Black Sword Sect! Seeing that more and more people were coming, the Black Sword Sect members¡ªwho were nonchalant at first¡ªfinally panicked. What¡¯s going on!? In such a short time, how could so many people rush over?! ¡­ In an isolated corner in the courtyard. A figure hurriedly walked in. In the yard, someone stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°Lord, Qingquan and the rest have already led people to kill the Black Sword Sect. We¡¯ve also deployed all the forces in the city to go forward together. The Black Sword Sect is only strong on the surface. In no time, we should be able to take them down.¡± That person turned around and had a handsome appearance with cold eyes. It was Yan Qing! Chapter 1901 - 1901 Dont Want to Live! 1901 Don¡¯t Want to Live! He nodded lightly. ¡°The people from the Black Sword Sect must all be eliminated and none left behind.¡± His voice was the usual icy nonchalance. ¡°Yes!¡± That person acknowledged the order. We have been waiting in ambush for so long, just for today. We won¡¯t let you down.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s brows moved slightly. ¡°In the beginning, it was His Highness who chose you, so you¡¯re naturally dependable.¡± That person laughed. ¡°Originally, we had to wait for a while longer. We didn¡¯t expect His Highness and the princess consort to come over so quickly. It¡¯s all thanks to Boss San.¡± If San San didn¡¯t start a business here and had taken the initiative to write to Cen Yi and the rest, they probably still had to wait. Yan Qing paused for a moment. ¡°Do the people in Yue Manor know you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We spend most of our time scattered in Peach Blossom Dock. Even when taking action against the Black Sword Sect this time, we are taking action separately. Even the Black Sword Sect people didn¡¯t notice it, so Yue Manor naturally won¡¯t know.¡± That person chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When we came here previously, His Highness had instructed that if the princess consort¡¯s people appeared, we wouldn¡¯t have to be there. In the end, Boss San came and quickly started his business, so we didn¡¯t join in.¡± If it weren¡¯t to settle the Black Sword Sect, they wouldn¡¯t even see Yan Qing. ¡°Originally, we still thought that Boss San came here alone and wouldn¡¯t have support, so we wanted to assist him secretly. We didn¡¯t expect Boss San to be so capable. He didn¡¯t need us at all, and he set up Yue Manor in such a short period of time.¡± He showed a thumbs-up. ¡°He¡¯s indeed the princess consort¡¯s person. Very amazing.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Qing squinted his eyes slightly, and a domineering figure appeared in his mind. He then raised his brows slightly. ¡°The Thirteen Yue Guard¡­ is indeed different.¡± That person didn¡¯t notice the slight change in expression in Yan Qing¡¯s eyes and continued to ask, ¡°Lord, we¡¯ve already controlled most of it on the Black Sword Sect¡¯s side. His Highness and Princess Consort¡¯s side¡­ Do you think we should send someone¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Yan Qing directly denied his suggestion. ¡°Cen Yi and the rest have already gone over, and His Highness and Princess Consort did this on purpose. Therefore, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± That person looked up hesitantly. ¡°But¡­ Lord, look at the commotion there. It¡¯s going to spread to the city¡­¡± Do we really not need to help? Yan Qing looked up slightly at the sky. Dark clouds gathered, and the winds howled. The void collapsed, and large patches of darkness spread across like a huge fiend that was going to swallow everything! Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier trembled intensely as if it would collapse at any point! A bright and sparkling silver-red God Realm surged up like a clear river! A woman straightened her back and floated in midair! She held a shield with her left hand and her sword with her right, looking like a god of war that just descended! Yan Qing¡¯s heart shook slightly, and he softly muttered, ¡°We don¡¯t know who needs help¡­¡± ¡­ Boom! A bright lightning bolt suddenly struck! Chu Liuyue looked up, and there was a cold gleam in her eyes. She had already shifted her position and was rather far from Blue Peak. However, the Black Sword Sect pursued relentlessly, controlling the Blood Tribute Formation and triggering the lightning to land here! The wind howled in one¡¯s ears. The space silently collapsed everywhere. From afar, Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier faltered. Chu Liuyue felt that a boundless amount of force in the surroundings was crazily pulling her. It was as if she were being shredded! A thought appeared in her mind, and the gold armor quickly covered her body! ¡°Are you done playing!?¡± she reprimanded as her gaze turned cold. Even if Mo Yun and the others aren¡¯t annoyed, I have lost my patience! Hearing her voice, Mo Yun was dazed at first. Then, his face turned cold as he snorted, ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to escape anymore?¡± Even if she escaped, she had to waste a large amount of force and energy. Chu Liuyue clearly looked like she wanted to fight with them to the end. She stopped in the blink of an eye and asked such a question; she most likely couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. The two parties were a distance away. However, Chu Liuyue could still hear the arrogance in Mo Yun¡¯s voice. She couldn¡¯t help but sneer in her heart. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to waste time with you anymore.¡± If Peach Blossom Dock completely collapsed, even she didn¡¯t dare to predict what the situation would be. Hence, she could not waste time with these people any longer. Mo Yun loudly said, ¡°It¡¯s too late! Shangguan Yue, Rong Xiu, if you had kneeled down and surrendered from the very beginning, we might be able to leave a whole corpse for you! But now¡­ it¡¯s impossible!¡± In order to pursue these two people, the Black Sword Sect paid a huge price. Even though Mo Yun didn¡¯t care about those people¡¯s survival, he cared about the Black Sword Sect¡¯s reputation. He had to take revenge on the two of them for the grudge of being slapped! The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips suddenly curled up into a smile. Her smile was extremely cold and did not reach her eyes. ¡°Very good. That¡¯s what I was thinking too.¡± As she spoke, she slowly held the Chi Xiao Sword in her hands tightly. Rong Xiu¡ªwho wasn¡¯t far away¡ªsaw her current expression, and his heart tingled. Thirteen asked uneasily. ¡°Big Brother, why do I feel that Master is planning on doing something¡­¡± Yu Jiu nodded and softly said, ¡°I think so too¡­¡± They had followed Chu Liuyue for many years and knew her temperament very well. Master rarely revealed such an expression. Cen Yi suddenly said, ¡°Everyone, prepare yourselves and watch for your safety. If there¡¯s a need, we¡¯ll evacuate immediately.¡± The meat on San San¡¯s cheeks trembled. ¡°Big Brother, you¡­ Are you saying it too seriously?¡± It sounds really scary, okay! Cen Yi glanced at him nonchalantly. ¡°I almost forgot. You can stay here stably. After all, you have that small space. If Master needs anything, you mustn¡¯t drag her down, understand?¡± This was not a question but a command! San San¡¯s face instantly collapsed. I didn¡¯t forget! I remembered it the whole while! ¡°Yes.¡± Thirteen struggled to ask, ¡°Big Brother, you mean¡­ You really want to let Master take action herself? I think that the few people from the Black Sword Sect aren¡¯t easy to deal with¡­¡± Shi Fang patted his shoulders emotionally. ¡°You¡¯re a kid and are still young. Later on, you¡¯ll know that the one who is truly not easy to handle isn¡¯t the Black Sword Sect but our master!¡± When Master wants to unleash her anger, it is without any hesitation or care. If we retreat early, it will ensure our safety. Thirteen nodded in a seemingly understanding manner. Even Tenth Brother has said that, then¡­ Perhaps I can relax? At this point, the lightning had struck heavily! Chu Liuyue squinted slightly and went on her toes, rushing to the lightning! At the same time, a sword aura landed ferociously! ¡°Chi Xiao Sword!¡± The rainbow light was bright and stunning! Luo Yan and the rest¡ªwho were spectating from afar¡ªlooked shocked when they saw this scene. ¡°Is she endangering herself? Even a legendary warrior has to be careful of that lightning. Does she not want to live anymore?¡± Chapter 1902 - 1902 Something Happened 1902 Something Happened The second phase of the Blood Tribute Formation had already been activated. Other than the attacking area that kept expanding, the lightning it activated had also become stronger. This was also why they eventually chose to stay and watch temporarily, even though they wanted to go over. Who knew whether Chu Liuyue and the others would directly settle the lightning or not However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s method had far exceeded their expectations. Luo Yan stood with two hands behind his back and did not speak. He had personally seen the combat skills executed by Chu Liuyue in the God-Killing Tumulus. He knew very clearly that this woman¡­ would never do things she was not confident of. If she dares to do this, it proves that she is confident. But¡­ the Black Sword Sect is bent on killing her this time, so they have used all of their forces with no reservations! Can she really handle it? Also, there is Rong Xiu¡ªLuo Yan¡¯s gaze turned to the white and tall figure beside Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu did not move, and it seems like he plans on letting her do whatever she wants¡­ Luo Yan felt uneasy for some reason. At this point of time, these people still look so calm and collected. Could it be¡­ they have some trump card they didn¡¯t pull out¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± commanded Luo Yan. Upon hearing this, the few elders nodded. Perhaps this battle would end soon¡­ ¡­ Rumble! The shocking thunder sounded! The terrifying sword aura and the lightning force hit each other harshly! Silver force spread toward the surroundings, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had long been swallowed by the sharp light! Mo Yun laughed coldly and spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± He knew that perhaps Chu Liuyue was rather capable, but the second phase of the Blood Tribute Formation was already activated. It was formidable! Even if she had all the abilities in the world, it would be hard for her to escape this! First, I will kill Chu Liuyue. Then, Rong Xiu next! If I can get rid of both of them here¡­ Not only can I redeem myself, but I can even receive a substantial reward from the sect master. This thought made Mo Yun faintly excited. He didn¡¯t control the Blue Peak incident well and caused the entire Peach Blossom Dock to be in chaos. This was undoubtedly a death penalty! Now, only Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue could help him out of the dead end! Hence, he was willing to bet the entire Black Sword Sect! No matter how many died or were injured, nothing else mattered if he could achieve the results he wanted! But just when Mo Yun was waiting for Chu Liuyue¡¯s soul to be destroyed, a figure suddenly flew out from the lightning in the sky! She stood upright with a slim and curvy figure¡ªit was Chu Liuyue! Sword aura rushed to the sky, and it slashed the ball of shining white light from the middle! ¡°H-how is that possible?!¡± Mo Yun widened his eyes, which were filled with shock! Just as his lips curled up in delight, they suddenly stiffened. He looked very awkward, but he couldn¡¯t care so much at this point. There was only one thought left in his mind: Chu Liuyue actually slashed that lightning?! Isn¡¯t she a true god? Why would she have such formidable combat power?! Before he could even think through it, he saw a figure riding on the lightning! It rushed toward the overwhelming dark clouds in the sky! Countless people gasped. Those clouds have many lightning bolts accumulated in them. Isn¡¯t she courting death by going over? To the average person, Chu Liuyue doing this was akin to being tired of living. Who could survive after rushing into the sea of lightning? But when Mo Yun saw the figure going over without hesitation¡­ Not only was he not relieved, but he became even more nervous. Ever since they made up their minds to kill them both, Chu Liuyue¡¯s series of actions exceeded their previous expectations and caused them to have their eyes wide open and mouths agape. Every time they thought that she was bound to die, she could survive peacefully again. This time, will she¡ª As Mo Yun thought, he suddenly felt that something was amiss. Following this, he looked over and saw a lightning bolt suddenly striking. Boom! The loud sound spread far and wide, and it was deafening! Lightning striking wasn¡¯t anything shocking, but the key was: this lightning bolt actually flew toward Mo Yun and the rest! When he first saw it, Mo Yun was still in disbelief. It was only until the lightning bolt approached rapidly and the terrifying suppression crushed the space bit by bit that the Black Sword Sect crowd finally realize the danger. Chu Liuyue used some method to cause these lightning bolts to turn around and attack them! The shock and disbelief in Mo Yun¡¯s heart quickly turned into shock and anger! What the hell! We are clearly the ones who triggered the lightning bolts, so why did they attack us instead? What exactly is Chu Liuyue doing!? ¡°Quick! Urge the Blood Tribute Formation¡¯s defense!¡± urged Mo Yun hurriedly. The lightning was very shocking. There was no need to mention it when he was in his prime, but the key was that the Blood Tribute Formation exhausted one¡¯s force and energy a lot! After the previous series of torture, he could no longer unleash all his strength. The only way was to activate the Blood Tribute Formation! But once he said this, a painful moan came. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± This sound was hurried and brief, appearing for only a moment before disappearing quickly. Mo Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly turned around to look. Beside the Blood Tribute Formation, one of the Black Sword Sect¡¯s guards suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed because he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. But before he even landed, force suddenly gushed out from the Blood Tribute Formation and swallowed him! That person detected something amiss and immediately wanted to escape and break free. But at this point, all the force in his body had been exhausted, and he didn¡¯t even have the strength to lift his arm, so how could he escape from the Blood Tribute Formation? In the blink of an eye, his figure completely disappeared! Everyone fell silent, and they looked panicked. They knew clearly that this person¡¯s outcome had to be the same as Mo Lin! At this point, another slight shattering sound came from the Blood Tribute Formation. Mo Yun immediately looked over and saw a crack in the gigantic Blood Tribute Formation! His heart immediately sank. The Blood Tribute Formation doesn¡¯t have enough force! One had to continuously provide force to maintain the Blood Tribute Formation¡¯s circulation. After this period of stress, the people present had basically exhausted their force, and they were just maintaining it forcefully. Now that someone suddenly died, the entire Blood Tribute Formation was affected ¡°Why haven¡¯t they come yet?¡± Mo Yun couldn¡¯t help but scold angrily. Before I came, I had already sent out a summon. Logically speaking, the people in charge of support in the Black Sword Sect should already be here! However¡­ nobody is here! Mo Yun looked toward the city. It was empty and had no commotion. Suddenly, realization struck him, and he narrowed his eyes. The Black Sword Sect is in trouble! Chapter 1903 - 1903 Dead End 1903 Dead End The Black Sword Sect had always been very strict. After receiving the command, their members wouldn¡¯t disobey it for no rhyme or reason. Such a long time had passed, but nobody came. This could confirm that something must¡¯ve happened in the city. There seemed to be a fire intensely burning in Mo Yun¡¯s chest! He clenched his fists tightly and crushed his metal teeth. One just has to think to know who would take action against the Black Sword Sect at this point! He suddenly turned around and stared at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu! As if detecting his gaze, Rong Xiu¡ªwho was watching Chu Liuyue the whole time¡ªsuddenly turned his gaze and looked over. The two of them stared at each other from afar. From this glance, Mo Yun saw the unconcealable mockery and nonchalance in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. There seemed to be something harshly slamming Mo Yun¡¯s heart! It really is them! At that time, countless thoughts flashed across his mind. There are many people in the Black Sword Sect, and they aren¡¯t weak. Even if a portion of them are injured or died, the combined combat skills of the remaining ones are still optimistic. No matter what, there should be at least one person here! This situation can only prove¡­ that the entire Black Sword Sect is in a dire situation! But¡­ how did Rong Xiu do it? In the entire Peach Blossom Dock, the Black Sword Sect dominates everyone. Even Yue Manor can¡¯t be compared to us at all. There is no reason for the Black Sword Sect to lose! Mo Yun couldn¡¯t understand it at all. All along, he thought that the Black Sword Sect had already controlled more than half of the entire Peach Blossom Dock. However, he didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen at such a crucial juncture! If nobody came to support them in the end, this Blood Tribute Formation wouldn¡¯t last for long! ¡°Ah!¡± Just as Mo Yun was thinking about these things, another guard exhausted his force and was rolled into the Blood Tribute Formation, unable to handle it! In the blink of an eye, he turned into a bag of bones. The Blood Tribute Formation¡¯s force started to become faintly chaotic. Mo Yun also started to worry. If this goes on, we will fail on our own before Chu Liuyue dies! At this point, he had already hated Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue to the core. These two people are indeed very cunning and scheming! Thinking back about the many things beforehand, he realized something was amiss. Chu Liuyue running toward the outside of the city from the very start was also planned! However, it is clearly too late to think of these things now! Boom! Another lightning bolt struck harshly toward the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people! ¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue very odd?¡± When the few Nan family elders saw this scene, their expressions became shocked and solemn. Originally, they thought that Chu Liuyue was bound to die. In the end¡­ Not only was she fine, but she even retaliated?! They had never seen someone who could control the lightning at will! Even a legendary warrior like them could not do it! Luo Yan furrowed his brows tightly. He had long expected that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t surrender easily, but everything before him still caught him by surprise. It wasn¡¯t easy to say who would win or lose the battle with the Black Sword Sect. At this point, a loud whir came from the skies! A large amount of force started surging around crazily, as though they were agitated! ¡°Oh no! Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier is about to collapse!¡± An elder gasped in shock. The barrier glowing with faint light from the skies started shattering! The space started squeezing! Heaven and Earth Force erupted! ¡°Retreat quickly!¡± Luo Yan was decisive. We have many chances to kill Chu Liuyue, but if we die here, we will have none left! Almost at the same time, large patches of black suddenly appeared in the sky¡ªthe black hole that formed due to the collapsing void! The ground shook intensely. Even the many mountains started collapsing! Countless cracks spread, and the gullies crossed each other! At the same time, the ground collapsed like it was the end of the world! Chapter 1904 - 1904 Burning the Sky 1904 Burning the Sky Luo Yan and the rest planned to escape in the chaos, but they had to rush back quickly due to the crazily surging force! Watching the sky that was collapsing inch by inch and the constant shattering noises coming from the ground, Luo Yan felt that his body was being shredded by a huge amount of force! He hurriedly urged his force and set up the barrier around him! However, the terrifying impact from the force was still frightening! They even had to circulate all the force in their body to stand on the ground forcefully and not be blown by all the force. Luo Yan clenched his fists tightly, and his heart beat quickly, almost jumping out of his chest! Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier has completely collapsed, and we have no way of escaping! The Black Sword Sect and Chu Liuyue want to bury us too! ¡­ At the same time, the crowd in the city had also detected that something was amiss, and they looked up. ¡°Oh no! Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier is about to collapse!¡± Once this was said, countless people rushed toward the outside of Peach Blossom Dock in panic. However, the Heaven and Earth Force had already lost control completely! Those who were stronger could still forcefully stand stably. Those who were weak already showed all sorts of reactions. Faces were pale, and breathing was intense. Some of them couldn¡¯t tolerate the squeezing from the rapidly collapsing space and kept vomiting blood. All in all, the situation was very terrible. Corpses were spread all over in the Black Sword Sect¡¯s territory. The crowd that previously gathered in the city all rushed over and surrounded the Black Sword Sect. The two parties battled intensely. Many were dead or injured. An intensely suffocating bloody aura permeated the air. ¡°The Black Sword Sect wants all of us to die!¡± Duan Qingquan reacted first and shouted. The crowd hurriedly reacted. Yeah! If the Black Sword Sect didn¡¯t pursue Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue, if they didn¡¯t unleash the terrifying and strange Xuan formation, if they didn¡¯t trigger the shocking lightning bolts without a care¡­ Why would Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier collapse!? Everyone wouldn¡¯t be in such a dangerous situation! Intense anger and vengeance filled everyone¡¯s hearts! The Black Sword Sect¡¯s people¡ªwho were originally on the brink of death¡ªdetected the nervous and icy cold atmosphere, and they couldn¡¯t help but feel fear. At this point, they had already understood that Mo Yun and the others had no plans of coming back to help them. They didn¡¯t even care about their survival! ¡°The barrier has collapsed, and we¡¯re trapped in here!¡± The people who reacted first and tried to escape from Peach Blossom Dock were all stopped by the intersecting space. There were also some people who were heartlessly swallowed by the collapsing space and did not come out. Hearing the painful moans of those people before they died, the people behind were horrified. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ Peach Blossom Dock is over! We¡¯re all going to die here today!¡± someone muttered with a pale face, his eyes filled with hopelessness. ¡°Even if I die here today, I have to bring someone from the Black Sword Sect with me!¡± someone suddenly yelled this harshly in the dead crowd. This sentence was like a landing meteorite that instantly burned with thick flames! The situation between the two parties became even more intense! The people from the Black Sword Sect were already disadvantaged. Now that the flames were fanned, they were in an even worse situation! ¡­ It wasn¡¯t only the Black Sword Sect. At this point, the entire Peach Blossom Dock had already entered complete chaos. On the streets, countless people ran for their lives. All sorts of stampedes, pushing, killing¡­ happened continuously. When they realized that Peach Blossom Dock was on the brink of destruction, nobody could keep calm. In the beginning, there were still many people who tried to escape from the collapsing barrier. But after the batch that died in the beginning, the people behind didn¡¯t dare to take action impulsively. They escaped to survive, not to die! More people had already hopelessly chosen to give up. ¡­ Inside the Black Sword Sect courtyard, Duan Qingquan slashed his sword. The Black Sword Sect people¡¯s corpses were all lying on the ground. There were many sounds of killing in the surroundings. It was like living hell. ¡°Brother Duan, the barrier is broken. Should we think of a way to retreat?¡± someone asked nervously. Quite a few people heard this and looked over. After this incident, many people had instinctively taken Duan Qingquan as their core. Hence, after this happened, they instinctively asked for Duan Qingquan¡¯s opinion. Duan Qingquan held the sword and killed someone from the Black Sword Sect who wanted to escape. Warm blood spurted on his face. He raised his arm and used his sleeves to wipe the bloodstains. ¡°Retreat? How? To where?¡± His voice was very calm. Those who had stayed in Peach Blossom Dock for long enough would know how terrible the current situation was. Even though he had been at the Black Sword Sect¡¯s side the whole time, he knew a thing or two about the situation outside. Those people who tried to retreat all failed. Quite a few of them were strong warriors. Everything was proving that it would be a dream to escape from this place! ¡°T-then, are we just going to wait for our death here?¡± ¡°Yeah! There can¡¯t be no way at all, right? There¡¯s so many people in Peach Blossom Dock¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we join hands? Perhaps we¡¯ll have some chance?¡± Seeing that Duan Qingquan¡¯s attitude was not optimistic, many people panicked. At this time, the crowd partook in heated discussions. Even though some were already prepared to die, most of them still hoped that they could survive safely. Duan Qingquan suddenly looked up at the sky. ¡°If¡­ someone can repair Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier, perhaps we¡¯ll have a chance of survival.¡± The crowd fell into dead silence. How could they not think of this? But the key was¡­ This was as hard as ascending the skies! Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier wasn¡¯t man-made; it existed naturally! For the past thousands of years, Peach Blossom Dock hadn¡¯t been occupied by anyone because this barrier existed! Now, the barrier collapsed, and the void was ruined. The entire Peach Blossom Dock sunk into chaos. Who could repair the barrier? Everyone was just a fly at this point, and even their struggles were weak. Who could save them? The sky was still collapsing, and the ground was still shaking intensely. The air kept squeezing toward the inside. The crowd inside had mostly felt the suffocating suppression. More and more people could not endure the pressure and fell. Most of the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people were killed, but what use did that have? Peach Blossom Dock was ruined, and all of them had to die here! Duan Qingquan held the longsword tightly and pressed his lips against each other. He looked at the distant sky as if he were waiting for something. ¡­ Rumble! A loud sound was suddenly heard! Following that, a dark-blue fire rushed to the skies! However, a spark of fire suddenly emerged from the collapsing mountains! Mo Yun and the rest had seen such a scene too many times, so they didn¡¯t really take it to heart. But before they could react, countless fires erupted from the mountains with many trudges like cannonballs! Hong hong hong! The sinister and crazy fire overwhelmed the entire area! Chapter 1905 - 1905 Million Fire Summon 1905 Million Fire Summon Everyone was stunned. This fire¡­ is too much! Mountains, forests, gullies¡ªthere was fire rushing out of every corner of the city! The entire Peach Blossom Dock sank into an ocean of fire! The originally dark and gloomy sky was illuminated by endless fire! The dark-blue fire jumped around and burned countless people¡¯s hearts! ¡°Why is it like this¡­ Why is it like this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s actually such a hidden danger under Peach Blossom Dock?¡± ¡°What exactly is this fire?¡± Countless doubts overwhelmed the crowd and made them panic. This fire¡¯s aura was very strong and formidable! Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier had already collapsed, and they couldn¡¯t leave. Once the fire completely spread, they could not even escape! The discussions gradually became quieter. Someone whimpered softly. The crowd from all areas of the city seemed to have sunken into complete desolation. Can we only wait for death now¡­ Whoosh! A ray of light suddenly flew out from the fire. It drew a straight line in midair and went for Chu Liuyue! Quite a few people saw this scene. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I didn¡¯t see it clearly¡­¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be her first time doing this. Previously, there were also things that flew over from the fire that erupted in the many mountains¡­ She seems to be looking for something in the fire?!¡± ¡°I remember! The Black Sword Sect¡¯s people were guarding Blue Peak previously, and they also seemed to be searching for something?¡± The people in Peach Blossom Dock basically knew everything about what happened during this period of time. Hence, when someone reminded them, many people immediately connected the dots. With so many pairs of eyes looking, this guess would basically be verified! But¡­ what exactly is the thing flying out of the fire? Countless pairs of eyes looked toward Chu Liuyue. ¡­ Of course, Chu Liuyue knew what it was. When the ray of light flew down, she held her breath, focused, and held the black shield tightly. Ka! A familiar cracking sound came! Following that, a piece of rust peeled from the shield! The mysterious text at the corner was gradually revealed. Whir! That ray of light reached Chu Liuyue. A dark-blue thin crystal lightly covered the position where the rust peeled. The crystal light gradually covered it. The shield in her hands became increasingly heavier! However, this was only the beginning. Whoosh! Ear-piercing sounds came from all directions! Chu Liuyue stood in midair and looked over. In the large Peach Blossom Dock, countless fires burned! Thin crystals that contained light flew out from within! The black shield seemed to have felt the summoning of a certain force, and it started to tremble slightly! Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand had already become numb. As she used too much force, her knuckles became white. However, she still used all her force to hold the black shield tightly! A crisp cracking sound was heard! Pieces of rust gradually fell. At the same time, a scarily strong and heavy suppression gradually spread from within! Shoo! The blood in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body surged out, and her force was overwhelmed! She suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and her face became paler than ever! Bright red stains appeared at the corner of her lips, making her look increasingly frail. Her slightly trembling body showed that she was undergoing huge amounts of pressure at the moment! However, her dark eyes were cold and gloomy as they turned and shone with composure! Harsh combat intent burned in her eyes! Countless rays of light rushed over from all sides of Peach Blossom Dock! Peng! The golden armor on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body suddenly broke under the impact of the terrifying turbulence! Chapter 1906 - 1906 Flying Cloud Painting 1906 Flying Cloud Painting Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze focused, and cold intent flashed across his eyes! He bent his long legs slightly. Just as he was about to go forward, he saw that Chu Liuyue was covered by the glowing black shield. With that, he stopped in his tracks. Nobody can go over at this point. She can only rely on herself for everything! When the Thirteen Yue Guard saw this situation, they all looked worried. ¡°Master!¡± Cen Yi raised his palm to calm them down. ¡°Big Brother?¡± This time, not only Thirteen and the rest, but even San San was quite hesitant. Master¡¯s situation doesn¡¯t look optimistic¡­ However, Cen Yi looked calm and composed and didn¡¯t let anyone refute him. Although the few of them were anxious, they could only stand obediently. ¡°Si¡ª¡± San San wanted to say something more when he suddenly furrowed his brows. ¡°Third Brother, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Thirteen hurriedly asked. San San waved his hands, and his chubby face scrunched up. ¡°Nothing, nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ that the small space is about to break!¡± Whoosh! Just as he said this, a ray of light flew over from the direction of Clear Water Cliff! The piece of thin dark-blue actually contained scorching fire, and it landed where the rust had just peeled off. Boom! As if detecting the pressure from the surrounding turbulence, Clear Water Cliff also started collapsing! Large pieces of rock fell from the mountain, making loud sounds! San San¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly, and he felt terribly hurt. ¡°M-my treasures!¡± If that small space is ruined, my losses are unimaginable! Just thinking of this, his heart ached profusely! But at this moment, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing in midair¡ªsuddenly raised her hand! A silver and red God Realm flew out, looking like a heavenly river landing! In the blink of an eye, it covered Clear Water Cliff. The shards of light shone quietly. Under this chaos, it was especially eye-catching! San San¡¯s eyes instantly lit up! Master actually took action personally to protect my space! ¡°Master is too good! Wuwuwu!¡± Tears welled up in San San¡¯s eyes. First, it was desperation, then hope. The great changes in emotion are too overwhelming. My heart can¡¯t take it, alright? Cen Yi glanced at him lightly and raised his brows slightly, not speaking. So many mountains were ruined previously, but Master did not do anything at all. Yet, once Clear Water Cliff moved, Master chose to take action without hesitation. This can only prove that Master is very reluctant to part with that small space. But seeing San San¡¯s emotions, Cen Yi was kind for once and did not expose her. ¡°Master¡¯s God Realm¡­ seems stronger than before?¡± Wu Yao stared at the God Realm that looked like a waterfall that was slowly falling and softly muttered. ¡°Fifth Brother, you feel it too?¡± Yu Jiu nodded in agreement. ¡°I think so too¡­¡± Even though they were still a distance away from Chu Liuyue¡­ Standing here, they could still feel the shocking suppression exuding from the God Realm when it landed. It wasn¡¯t their first time seeing their master unleash her God Realm, but this time¡­ its aura and suppression was the strongest! ¡°A God Realm can become stronger?¡± Thirteen had a face of confusion. ¡°I thought a true god¡¯s God Realm can only have a chance of strengthening after they break through to become a legendary warrior?¡± He was still a stage-seven warrior and was far from becoming a true god. Hence, he only heard a lot of his knowledge about true gods from Cen Yi and the rest. ¡°It is so for an average person, but our master is different!¡± Shi Fang sighed, looking aggrieved. ¡°What a pity to my garden¡­ It¡¯s about to be ruined¡­¡± On the first day he came to Peach Blossom Dock, he excitedly planted vegetables in the courtyard. Originally, he thought that everything would be smooth, but who knew such a thing would happen? Great. I can¡¯t eat the vegetables that I grew with much difficulty! Thinking of the happenings recently, Shi Fang¡¯s heart ached. With a rough calculation, I haven¡¯t eaten a proper meal in a long, long while¡­ The few of them looked at him from the corner of their eyes. What time is it? The people of Peach Blossom Dock are fearing for their own lives. Only Shi Fang is thinking about those vegetables¡­ However, those few people quickly retracted their gazes. They were long used to Shi Fang behaving like this. They all looked at Chu Liuyue, wondering if their master could really handle the current situation alone this time¡­ ¡­ ¡°This Shangguan Yue is really problematic!¡± When the few Nan family elders saw the fires burning everywhere, they became more anxious. ¡°If Peach Blossom Dock is completely ruined, does she think that she can survive herself?¡± The Black Sword Sect¡¯s people were already crazy enough, but they didn¡¯t expect her to be worse! They were dragging everyone down with them! Luo Yan had a dark face, and he suddenly took out a red scroll. The red scroll had a faint layer of light covering it. A heavy suppression exuded from it. When the people at the side saw this scroll, they were taken aback. ¡°Flying Cloud Painting?¡± This Flying Cloud Painting was a supreme Yuan instrument and the Nan family¡¯s treasure! Different from other Yuan instruments that were used to kill and attack or had combat power, this treasure only had one use¡ªno matter who held it, they could forcefully force open the void and send the holder somewhere else in an extremely short amount of time! To put it more plainly, this was a convenient transportation formation. Hearing this, most people might think that this item was ordinary and nothing special. However, those who truly understood its power would know how strong this item was! When one normally fought, this Flying Cloud Painting might not be used. However, it could be used to save lives at crucial moments¡ªlike now! The void in Peach Blossom Dock kept collapsing, and the barrier had fallen, causing the Heaven and Earth Force to completely lose control. Luo Yan and the rest had previously tried to leave, but they failed. Now, their only hope was this Flying Cloud Painting! ¡°But at the start, wasn¡¯t this thing with Eldest Young¡­¡± An elder spoke in confusion. When he spoke halfway, he suddenly felt that he had said something wrong as he quickly kept quiet and glanced at Luo Yan nervously. Luo Yan did not have much of an expression. ¡°Before we left, Eldest Young Master specifically gave me this thing to protect it. Originally, we wanted to use it directly to return to the Nan family after we killed Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue¡­¡± The few elders all kept quiet. They knew what was going on. Actually, they didn¡¯t believe Luo Yan¡¯s words. The Flying Cloud Painting had a high status in the Nan family, and the master always kept it. This time, it was probably Master who secretly gave the item to Eldest Young Master, for him to use just in case¡­ Even if he couldn¡¯t win, he could escape! Nan Yuxing would know the importance of the treasure, so why would he suddenly pass it to Luo Yan? He could clearly use it with him, and it could even protect his life! But at this point, these questions had no answers. Swoosh! Luo Yan flicked his wrist, and the Flying Cloud Painting expanded! Chapter 1907 - 1907 Relationship 1907 Relationship A sparkling bright light flew out of the red Flying Cloud Painting. Following that, the ray of light slowly expanded. Everywhere it went, the space froze. The light was like a ripple that silently broke through to the other empty void. From afar, it looked like a door with rays of light in it as it floated quietly. Luo Yan made up his mind and walked forward. As long as we can use the Flying Cloud Painting, everything can be talked about! He was very fast. Once he stepped out, he walked into the shaking ripple. The surrounding turbulence seemed to be separated at this moment. Luo Yan pressed his lips against each other, and he felt more secure. When the few elders standing behind him saw this, they faintly became emotional. The Flying Cloud Painting does live up to its name! It seems like we can really use this item to leave this place! But at that moment, a sword aura suddenly pierced through the sky! Luo Yan felt that something was amiss and dodge it! Half his feet that just stepped into the Flying Cloud Painting was forced to retreat. Swoosh! The sharp and cold aura rapidly flashed across in front of him! Before Luo Yan could even set up a barrier before him, a deep blood wound was cut on his face. Excruciating pain was felt. Luo Yan¡¯s heart beat intensely and almost jumped out of his chest! If I were a moment slower, this sword aura might¡¯ve directly sliced off my forehead! After the shock came overwhelming anger! He looked up in hatred at Chu Liuyue. She can¡¯t even protect herself, yet she still wants to attack us! ¡°Shangguan Yue, if you want to die, nobody is stopping you! Don¡¯t drag everyone down with you!¡± hollered Luo Yan deeply. His low voice spread far and wide in the sky! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up at an extremely cold angle. ¡°Luo Yan, I can¡¯t agree with you on this. From start to end, I never wanted to die. I just¡­ don¡¯t want to see the people who harmed me living properly.¡± ¡°You!¡± Luo Yan was infuriated and was about to retaliate when he heard a strange sound by his ear. He turned around and instantly widened his eyes in shock! At some point, a layer of red-golden fire had covered the Flying Cloud Painting, and it was burning! Being affected by the fire, the light that spread around dimmed gradually. The void that connected to the outside was slowly being sealed! Luo Yan could not catch his breath. This woman¡­ is harsh! She caused the current situation and doesn¡¯t allow anyone to leave! She is insane! But at the same time, a deeper doubt suddenly surfaced in his heart. The Flying Cloud Painting is a true supreme Yuan instrument! Logically speaking, based on Chu Liuyue¡¯s own force, she definitely can¡¯t do any serious damage to it¡­ ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± the elder behind suddenly saw something and said in shock. Luo Yan followed his gaze and saw that the burning red-golden fire had a transparent fire within it! The two suppressions overlapped, and the forces exceeded their imagination! ¡°This¡­ is the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s karmic fire?!¡± Luo Yan was very experienced and quickly recognized the origin of that transparent fire. Thinking of this, his heart harshly sank. The Flying Cloud Painting is actually one of the ten holy weapons! But compared to the Heavenly Square Cauldron, it still pales in comparison. After all, it isn¡¯t used for battle. To be more direct, it was a trump card to escape and save one¡¯s life. However, the Heavenly Square Cauldron was different. At this point, when the two forces fought, the difference could instantly be seen! ¡°What exactly does she want to do?!¡± Luo Yan felt hatred in his heart. ¡­ However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s attention didn¡¯t seem to be here. She put away the Chi Xiao Sword in her hands and changed to hold the black shield tightly. More than half of the rust on it had peeled off, and the heavy suppression suffocated her slightly. Covered by a faint layer of light, the mysterious text carved on it could vaguely be seen. Its weight seemed to increase at an unimaginable speed, such that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t hold it with one hand and had to use two. Vigorous force kept coming out of her dantian and rushed to her limbs, and the force burned crazily. Tiny beads of sweat kept appearing on her full and smooth forehead. Her face became increasingly pale, and only her pair of dark eyes seemed to have fire burning! The sky almost completely collapsed, but the gullies crossed everywhere, and there was fire burning crazily! At first glance, it was like hell. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and focused. The whir of the black shield kept sounding in her ear, causing her force to surge! ¡­ On the opposite side, the Black Sword Sect crowd was in a terrible condition. When Chu Liuyue forcefully circulated the lightning bolts to attack previously, every one of them was lethal. The people from the Black Sword Sect originally had their force and energy exhausted from maintaining the Blood Tribute Formation, so how could they resist such a terrifying attack? After a series of explosions, the Black Sword Sect¡¯s people were half dead or injured. The giant Blood Tribute Formation started to surge intensely! It was breaking inch by inch! Mo Yun had no strength to make a comeback as his body trembled with indignance and hatred. Rumble! Finally, the Blood Tribute Formation cracked! The Black Sword Sect people standing at the edges couldn¡¯t escape in time and were swallowed by the violent blood aura and force. Mo Yun was also affected by the great impact, and his body flew backward. Finally, his pair of eyes was completely bloodshot. Just when the crowd thought that he was also over, they suddenly saw him stabilize himself forcefully. The next moment, he looked at Chu Liuyue! ¡°Shangguan Yue, you forced me this time!¡± His deep voice contained crazily sinister murderous intent. At the same time, a totem suddenly flashed across his brows! Chu Liuyue looked up, and a thick layer of frost covered her eyes. I know that totem too well¡ªBlack Demon Hole! The so-called Black Sword Sect is actually Black Demon Hole, and they have a very intimate relationship! ¡°Black Demon Hole sent you over?!¡± This was just asked. Mo Yun sneered but didn¡¯t reply as he rapidly rushed toward Chu Liuyue! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force suddenly gathered toward him crazily! In a few short breaths, his strength returned to that of a peak legendary warrior! Chapter 1908 - 1908 Dont Delay My Yueer 1908 Don¡¯t Delay My Yue¡¯er After completely letting go of the last bottom line, Mo Yun no longer had any scruples. He crazily devoured the surrounding energy and forcefully increased his strength! The Black Sword Sect is no longer reliable. I can only rely on myself! Even though the sect master has repeatedly instructed me to be careful and not expose my identity unless it is absolutely necessary, I have no other choice now! If this continues, only death awaits me! Today, even if I die, I will definitely drag these people down with me! ¡­ But before he could reach Chu Liuyue, he was stopped. A tall figure tore through the air and stopped him in the blink of an eye¡ªit was Rong Xiu! Seeing that noble and demonic face, Mo Yun¡¯s heart was filled with hatred. At this point, this man¡¯s expression is still so calm! It¡¯s as if nothing in this world will make him nervous and terrified! The more Rong Xiu acted like this, the stronger the emotions in Mo Yun¡¯s heart! How could he?! Why is it that after this battle, our Black Sword Sect is either dead or injured, but these people are almost unaffected? ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡¯re not my match!¡± Mo Yun shouted sternly. At this point, Mo Yun could already tell that Peach Blossom Dock was about to be completely destroyed. Everything that they had spent a lot of manpower and countless resources to prepare in the past two years would be gone in the future! Even the countless cultivators here would have to pay with their lives! Of course, Mo Yun didn¡¯t care about the lives of those people; he cared about himself! At this moment, he had already used a secret technique to forcefully recover and increase his strength. But facing the collapsed void around him and the wild turbulence, he still felt a little powerless. All of this is Chu Liuyue¡¯s fault! If she hadn¡¯t summoned so many flames, if she hadn¡¯t forced control of those lightning bolts, if she hadn¡¯t¡­ At this moment, Mo Yun had forgotten that the first to attack were actually the Nan family and their Black Sword Sect. If they hadn¡¯t insisted on chasing after them and paid a huge price for it, things wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. However, a person like him would never reflect on himself. So now, he still vented all his hatred on Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue! Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Oh? It seems that Black Demon Hole hasn¡¯t had enough?¡± His tone was light and indifferent, and there was even a faint smile on his lips that made him look gentle and elegant. However, Mo Yun looked into those deep eyes and suddenly shivered. He suddenly recalled a rumor from a few years ago. It wasn¡¯t accurate to say that it was a rumor because that incident had really happened. However, he hadn¡¯t personally experienced it and had only heard it from other sources. It was said that a few years ago, Rong Xiu had once gone to Black Demon Hole alone and directly destroyed their nest! In that battle, Black Demon Hole suffered heavy losses. Black Demon Hole even chose to hide from the world not long after this matter. Although Mo Yun knew that the sect master¡¯s choice wasn¡¯t entirely because of Rong Xiu, he had to admit that these things still affected each other. Especially since¡­ Rong Xiu had indeed killed many people from Black Demon Hole at that time! There was no lack of powerful people among them! Mo Yun happened to be out at that time and avoided this fierce battle. Therefore, he had heard many details about that battle from his fellow members. This matter was almost taboo in Black Demon Hole. Many people were still afraid when they mentioned the scene of that man killing his way into Black Demon Hole alone. Mo Yun had never seen Rong Xiu with his own eyes. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have only found out about their identities after the Nan family came to interrogate him. Because he had never experienced it personally, he had always maintained some doubts about these claims. In fact, after knowing Rong Xiu¡¯s identity, his first thought was to kill him! Until now¡ª He faced Rong Xiu and met the man¡¯s cold and indifferent gaze. Only then did he suddenly remember everything he had heard before. Rong Xiu¡­ was really very powerful! Mo Yun¡¯s throat tightened. He wasn¡¯t stupid. On the contrary, in most cases, he was very smart. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for the higher-ups to send him here to establish the Black Sword Sect and be in charge of many matters here. He instinctively felt fatal danger, and this danger¡­ came from Rong Xiu! Swoosh! Rong Xiu raised his wrist slightly, and a cluster of golden flames surged out of his palm! At the same time, the originally wild energy around him actually began to surge obediently into his flames! Even the power that was surging toward Mo Yun was forcefully snatched away halfway! Mo Yun¡¯s face was ashen, but he felt even more uneasy. Just this move alone shows that Rong Xiu¡¯s strength isn¡¯t inferior to mine but even greater! I can¡¯t afford to fight Rong Xiu head-on! Mo Yun made a prompt decision. He took one step, planning to bypass Rong Xiu and attack Chu Liuyue first! However, why would Rong Xiu give him this chance? Swoosh! His slender fingers waved gently. The incomparably dazzling golden flames transformed into a long whip that headed straight for Mo Yun! Before Mo Yun could escape, he felt a golden light flash in front of him! Then, a burning pain came from his ankle! He looked down in panic and saw that one of his calves was already tightly bound by the flames! The hot flames burned violently. In the blink of an eye, his pants had turned to dust! The intense burning pain quickly spread! Mo Yun¡¯s face turned pale! He was a legendary warrior, and ordinary flames couldn¡¯t get close to him at all. But Rong Xiu¡¯s fire was also very powerful! Forget about the flames wrapping around his ankle, what shocked Mo Yun the most was that after the flames wrapped around him, the force in his body seemed to be suppressed and sealed by some other force! He couldn¡¯t mobilize it at all! Without the use of his force, no matter how powerful a cultivator was, they wouldn¡¯t be able to unleash their strength. Mo Yun was shocked and furious. Isn¡¯t Rong Xiu a legendary warrior like me? How could there be such a huge difference in our strengths? In comparison, Rong Xiu crushed me almost effortlessly! Just as Mo Yun was thinking about this question, Rong Xiu had already lashed out with his whip! Slap! Mo Yun¡¯s body flew out uncontrollably and landed heavily on a mountain peak! Thump! Boom! With these two sounds, the mountain collapsed after receiving the powerful impact! Countless boulders rolled down! Mo Yun¡¯s body was quickly buried! Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°Don¡¯t delay my Yue¡¯er. Violators¡ªthis is the outcome!¡± Chapter 1909 - 1909 God-Destroying Tribulation 1909 God-Destroying Tribulation A cold and low voice spread through the world and clearly entered everyone¡¯s ears! The Black Sword Sect¡¯s people were basically all dead, and when the few people from the Nan family heard this, they felt that it was very ear-piercing! These words were clearly meant for them to hear! It was fine if Rong Xiu didn¡¯t attack, but once he did, he directly used his killing move! He was making an example out of them! Luo Yan was filled with anger as he looked at the burning Flying Cloud Painting in front of him. The Flying Cloud Painting was a holy weapon and wouldn¡¯t be easily damaged, so he wasn¡¯t worried that Chu Liuyue¡¯s flames would destroy it. However, he knew very well that they would definitely not be able to use the Flying Cloud Painting to leave this place after being disturbed like this. The space in all directions was compressing crazily toward the middle. If this continued, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the entire Peach Blossom Dock collapsed! ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t get out¡­¡± The elders¡¯ expressions turned very ugly. Before they came, they had never expected things to develop to this extent! Not to mention that Nan Yuxing was dead, even all of them would probably die here! ¡°Even Mo Yun isn¡¯t Rong Xiu¡¯s match, so let¡¯s¡ª¡± This didn¡¯t mean that they weren¡¯t as strong as Mo Yun. But when Mo Yun attacked just now, the strength he displayed was already extremely good. Moreover, he had gone with great determination at that time. It was almost like he was going all-out! But even so, he had only made one move on Rong Xiu! Then, how good could the situation be for the remaining people? ¡°I think Rong Xiu¡¯s strength has clearly long surpassed ordinary legendary warriors!¡± an elder gritted his teeth and said. ¡°¡­But his aura is indeed that of a legendary warrior¡­¡± Another elder spoke hesitantly. ¡°Perhaps¡­ he borrowed some external power?¡± The elders had different opinions. However, they also knew that it was useless to know this at this moment. Luo Yan suddenly looked up at the sky. It collapsed inch by inch, and large black holes spread. It was as if a huge beast had opened its bloody mouth and wanted to devour everything! Countless surging dark clouds had already been swallowed. Only a few bolts of lightning were still swimming around. It was the lightning summoned by the Blood Tribute Formation. Before all of them landed, the Blood Tribute Formation had already collapsed, leaving only these lightning bolts wandering in the sky uncontrollably. At this moment, as if affected by the spatial compression, these lightning bolts actually began to gather in the middle. More amazingly, they seemed to be fusing with each other. Most importantly, they were gathered above Chu Liuyue¡¯s head! Seeing this scene, Luo Yan suddenly muttered, ¡°¡­So what if he¡¯s a legendary warrior? Can he compete with the Heavenly Dao?¡± The elders were stunned. Heavenly Dao? What does that mean? The few of them looked at each other and then subconsciously followed Luo Yan¡¯s gaze. The wind howled, and energy raged. Nothing looked any different.However¡­ the lightning in the sky was gathering and fusing. A gorgeous light suddenly surged out! The elders gasped in unison. That¡¯s¡­ ¡°God-Destroying Tribulation!?¡± ¡­ As the name suggested, the so-called God-Destroying Tribulation was the heavenly tribulation to eliminate legendary warriors. It was rumored that the colorful God-Destroying Tribulation was born from the Heavenly Dao and was infinitely powerful! As long as it descended, it would be a calamity that would destroy the world! However, the God-Destroying Tribulation was extremely rare. In the God Residence Realm, there might not be anyone who could summon it in a thousand years. Therefore, most people had only heard a word or two from rumors, but they didn¡¯t know much about it. In their opinion, this was indeed a phenomenon that only existed in ancient books. Therefore, when this God-Destroying Tribulation appeared, even Luo Yan took a long time to confirm it. This was the legendary God-Destroying Tribulation! Moreover, it was clearly heading for Chu Liuyue! ¡°It¡¯s really the God-Destroying Tribulation!¡± The elders were all stunned. ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s not right! Isn¡¯t the God-Destroying Tribulation only summoned by legendary warriors? Shangguan Yue is only a true god. How¡ª¡± ¡°Could this have been attracted by Rong Xiu?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s Shangguan Yue! Can¡¯t you see that the God-Destroying Tribulation is gathering above her head now?!¡± ¡°Heavens¡­ Is the God-Destroying Tribulation really attracted by her? How can a mere true god¡ª¡± ¡°Could it be because of these fires?¡± ¡­ It wasn¡¯t only the Nan family who were puzzled by this. At this moment, countless cultivators in Peach Blossom Dock who were paying attention to the situation were also stunned! Among them, there was no lack of sharp-eyed people who recognized at a glance that it was the God-Destroying Tribulation! The news quickly spread through the crowd. Everyone stood rooted to the ground. They never expected Chu Liuyue to summon a God-Destroying Tribulation at such a critical moment! This was really adding insult to injury! ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ It¡¯s completely over this time¡­¡± Countless people¡¯s eyes were filled with despair, and they had already given up. ¡­ Mo Yun struggled out of the piled boulders, his body already covered in wounds. He didn¡¯t have time to resent anyone. He looked up at the sky and saw the God-Destroying Tribulation that was gathering and circling! His eyes suddenly widened, and he trembled. Once the God-Destroying Tribulation descends, all of us will probably die! He gritted his teeth, and determination flashed in his eyes. Then, a ball of black fog suddenly spread from his body! The totem between his eyebrows became even more colorful and strange! ¡­ A vast pressure descended from the sky! Chu Liuyue looked over. The gorgeous lightning was still gathering power and could descend at any moment to judge her! She clenched the black shield in her hand. What is this? It actually triggered the God-Destroying Tribulation!? Boom! Just as this thought flashed through her mind, the God-Destroying Tribulation had already descended! The cold aura instantly cut countless wounds on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. But at this moment, a zither note sounded from her body! Chapter 1910 - 1910 Deal! 1910 Deal! She felt that there were two forces crazily intertwining and fighting inside and outside her body, and her body was the battlefield! As the zither sounded, endless turbulent force surged out and quickly poured into her limbs and bones, nourishing her injuries. Those bloody wounds began to recover and scatter at an astonishing speed! But as the pressure of the God-Destroying Tribulation increased, some bloody wounds cracked. One side was destroying, and the other was repairing. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body quickly became covered in blood as she endured these two forces at the same time. She was wearing a red dress. Dark-red blood gushed out of her body as her clothes were quickly obliterated. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, one wouldn¡¯t be able to tell anything. Only her increasingly pale face showed what kind of terrifying torture she was suffering! Her hands were already numb. At this moment, she was only relying on her last bit of willpower to barely hold on. She held the black shield in her hand tightly. The rust on it had almost completely peeled off, and countless blue crystals covered it. A faint light almost enveloped the entire shield. The secret text engraved on it was faintly discernible! ¡­ Sensing this commotion, Rong Xiu looked up. When he saw the gorgeous and brilliant God-Destroying Tribulation appear, he narrowed his eyes in deep thought. It actually¡­ directly summoned the God-Destroying Tribulation¡­ He put one hand behind his back and clenched it gently, but his feet didn¡¯t move. From the looks of it, he was planning to wait and see. ¡°Big Brother, is that the God-Destroying Tribulation?¡± San San widened his eyes in shock and asked in disbelief. Cen Yi nodded. Although this was the first time he had seen it, this appearance and state showed that it was definitely the God-Destroying Tribulation. ¡°Si¡ª¡± Seeing his affirmative nod, San San gasped. ¡°But isn¡¯t Master just a true god now?! How could she trigger the God-Destroying Tribulation?!¡± Wu Yao and the others also looked over nervously. Previously, Big Brother had told us to wait in peace, and we all did as we were told. But now, we really can¡¯t calm down! That is the God-Destroying Tribulation! This is the Heavenly Dao sensing a threat and wanting to kill! It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out how terrifying this is! No matter how powerful Master was, her cultivation realm is obvious. ¡°It¡¯s rumored that only 10 to 20% of the legendary warriors can safely survive a God-Destroying Tribulation! Master is a true god¡­ What should we do?¡± Cen Yi frowned quickly but quickly relaxed. He then paused for a moment before saying, ¡°The God-Destroying Tribulation is indeed dangerous, but those who can pass it will become mighty figures in the world! This is an opportunity that thousands of cultivators can¡¯t obtain in their lives. Master is still a true god, but she summoned the God-Destroying Tribulation. It can be seen how strong her potential is! We should be happy for Master to encounter such an opportunity.¡± The remaining people smiled bitterly. Of course, they understood what Cen Yi was saying. But the key was¡ªwhat if Master couldn¡¯t survive it? One had to know that even the top legendary warriors might not be able to successfully survive the God-Destroying Tribulation, let alone their master. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t believe in their master¡¯s strength, but¡­ This matter was just too ridiculous! Even the Thirteen Yue Guard, who had always thought highly of their master, was panicking. They really didn¡¯t dare to make this bet. Xiao Ba suddenly stretched. ¡°Since Big Brother has said so, let¡¯s not worry about it. Besides, if Master really can¡¯t resist, we can just follow him. What¡¯s there to be conflicted about?¡± Anyway, she was very open-minded. Her life belonged to her master. As long as her master was around, she was around. If anything happened to her master¡­ she would follow her without hesitation. These words were actually not very pleasant to hear and could even be said to be very dejected. But miraculously, after hearing Xiao Ba¡¯s words, the remaining people were instantly less nervous. That makes sense! The worst outcome is nothing more than this. It isn¡¯t like we haven¡¯t experienced it before, right? There is nothing to be afraid of if the same thing happens again. Besides, Master haS many trump cards. Perhaps¡­ she can really survive? ¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what everyone was thinking. At this moment, all her attention was on the black shield in front of her and the God-Destroying Tribulation above. Under the pincer attack of both sides, she felt as if she was being torn apart. Terrifying energy surged back and forth. The pressure of the God-Destroying Tribulation became heavier, and the sound of the zither in her body became more desolate! Her ears were ringing, and she could no longer hear anything from the outside world. A faint light kept flickering in front of her eyes. The weight on her hands was increasing. She could only grit her teeth and stare! Ka! Finally, the last piece of rust on the black shield peeled off! Then, the last blue crystal flew out from below! It gently covered that spot! At this moment, the entire Peach Blossom Dock was in a mess. Countless blue flames burned everywhere in Peach Blossom Dock. The entire city had almost turned into a sea of fire! Standing in midair, Chu Liuyue could even feel the burning aura in the air! When the last piece of crystal flew over and perfectly covered the shield, she clearly heard a chant that seemed to come from ancient times. Her heart skipped a beat! Immediately after, the secret words on the entire black armor finally appeared! At the same time, all the lightning in the sky finished gathering, condensing into an incomparably gorgeous God-Destroying Tribulation! When the lustrous light on the black shield gradually dissipated, the God-Destroying Tribulation also descended! The target was Chu Liuyue! Chapter 1911 - 1911 A Stone 1911 A Stone Red-gold flames instantly ignited around Chu Liuyue, but the God-Destroying Tribulation was extremely fast. In an instant, her figure was instantly devoured. Rumble! Endless dazzling streams of light rushed in all directions! Even the silver-red God Realm Chu Liuyue unleashed at the beginning was affected and instantly scattered. Below, the already messy mountain range began to collapse again at a visible speed! In the blink of an eye, it was razed to the ground! Cen Yi quickly set up a green barrier in front of him and shouted in a low voice, ¡°Get back!¡± Upon hearing his order, the Thirteen Yue Guards subconsciously retreated! But even so, they still suffered a huge impact! The colorful stream of light flew over and collided with the barrier set up by Cen Yi. They silently devoured each other and attacked each other crazily! Cen Yi was the first to bear the brunt. His chest trembled, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth! ¡°Big Brother!¡± San San and the others were shocked. In their impression, Cen Yi was almost invincible and had never been in such a sorry state. However, this was only the aftershock of the God-Destroying Tribulation! It was even more dangerous for Master, who was really attacked by the God-Destroying Tribulation! Cen Yi forcefully swallowed the bloody aura that surged between his teeth. He didn¡¯t stop and continued to retreat with everyone! ¡­ Almost at the same time, Luo Yan and the others on the other side also sensed that something was wrong. ¡°Danger!¡± Luo Yan shouted and immediately retreated. ¡°Flying Cloud Painting!¡± An elder chose to step forward. This is the Nan family¡¯s treasure. If it is lost¡­ But just as his hand touched the burning Flying Cloud Painting, a colorful stream of light suddenly flew behind him! Luo Yan and the others¡¯ expressions changed. ¡°Quickly move away!¡± The elder also sensed a cold wind coming from behind. He knew that something was wrong, so he immediately grabbed the Flying Cloud Painting and fled! However, it was still too late! That stream of light was really too fast! He had just taken a step when the colorful stream of light behind him had already passed through his chest! Swoosh! Blood splattered everywhere! Warm, sweet blood even splattered on the faces and bodies of Luo Yan and the others! The few of them were shocked and stunned. The elder barely threw out the Flying Cloud Painting in his hand and spat out two words with difficulty: ¡°Go¡­ quickly¡­¡± Luo Yan subconsciously used the Flying Cloud Painting! Red-gold and transparent flames intertwined and wrapped around it. It was hot to the touch! Fortunately, the Flying Cloud Painting was also one of the top ten holy weapons. Although this flame could destroy the spatial passageway it opened, it wouldn¡¯t cause fatal damage to it. Moreover, Luo Yan was a legendary warrior himself. With a thought, a layer of silver armor quickly covered his arm! He then held the Flying Cloud Painting tightly in his palm and retreated at full speed! The other elders had no time to say anything and could only follow closely behind. By the time they finally dodged the colorful stream of light, they had already flown a long distance. After confirming that he had dodged the fatal threat, Luo Yan stopped and looked back again. At this moment, he saw an elder of the Nan family explode! Terrifying energy fluctuations crushed over and instantly crushed him into powder! Body and soul were destroyed! He didn¡¯t even have time to cry out in pain! Luo Yan¡¯s heart was beating violently, the blood in his body seemed to be boiling, and even his temples were throbbing. The scene before him had a huge impact on him! If we had also been a step late just now, then¡­ The consequences are unimaginable! Luo Yan had broken through for many years. It had been too long since he had felt such a fatal threat of death! The three elders standing beside him were also stunned. A legendary warrior is gone just like that?! The power of the God-Destroying Tribulation is actually so terrifying! Even the aftershocks that spread out have such terrifying power. Then¡­ wouldn¡¯t the person in the center, who is enduring the most pressure from the God-Destroying Tribulation, definitely die? ¡­ Mo Yun had been hiding among a pile of rocks, planning to take action. However, the arrival of the God-Destroying Tribulation completely shattered all his plans. Rocks swayed, and the ground shook! The thick fog on him had already covered most of his body. However, the power of this God-Destroying Tribulation was too strong! It was difficult for him to even dodge these aftershocks, let alone do other things. If this continues¡­ I will probably die silently here! Mo Yun was indignant! The totem between his eyebrows suddenly became even brighter! Thick blood filled his eyes, and the smell of rotting corpses suddenly came from him. His eyes gradually turned cold and bloodthirsty. But at this moment, a golden flame suddenly flew over! Mo Yun abruptly realized something and looked up. The ball of golden flames had already arrived in front of him! Just as he was about to dodge, the flames actually exploded in front of him! Rumble! For a moment, sparks scattered and enveloped Mo Yun in the blink of an eye! Just as he was about to struggle out, a rich black color suddenly surged out of the golden flames! The cold and fierce aura immediately made Mo Yun¡¯s eyes widen in shock! What is¡ª Swoosh! Before he could speak, the black color had already devoured him! Mo Yun was dead! Golden flames spread over him. From the outside, nobody noticed anything unusual. Soon, the flames dissipated, and a wind blew. It raised a handful of ashes. Nobody would know that the once glorious deputy sect master of the Black Sword Sect, Mo Yun, had actually died quietly in such a way! In fact, nobody cared about him at this moment. Everyone¡¯s attention was on Chu Liuyue! Countless eyes looked at the dazzling and gorgeous ball of fire in the air. Who can survive the God-Destroying Tribulation? The void was still collapsing! The world was dark. They all knew very well that when this ball of light fire dissipated, it would all be over! As for Chu Liuyue¡­ ¡°What a pity! All of us are going to die with her!¡± In Peach Blossom Dock, someone sighed dejectedly. In the crowd, Duan Qingquan frowned and was about to explain when he suddenly saw something and widened his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Everyone subconsciously looked over. Something suddenly flew out of the extremely dazzling light fire. Someone murmured with uncertainty, ¡°It seems to be¡­ a stone?¡± Chapter 1912 - 1912 3,000 God Realms! 1912 3,000 God Realms! It was indeed a stone. It was about the size of a fist and was grayish-white in color. It gently rolled out of the brilliant flames as if someone had accidentally thrown it. Many people were stunned. Under such circumstances, the appearance of this stone is really inappropriate. Why would such a thing appear out of nowhere? But soon, a second stone tumbled out unsteadily. At this moment, the wild power of the God-Destroying Tribulation had already disturbed the surrounding space completely. The crazy spatial turbulence intersected back and forth as if it wanted to tear everything apart! However, the two stones didn¡¯t seem to be affected by this fluctuation at all. They only rolled away. At a glance, it was no different from flat ground. Before anyone could react, a third stone appeared and headed in another direction. ¡­ At this moment, time seemed to flow exceptionally slowly. Countless eyes were fixed on this strange scene in the sky. With the ball of fire as the center, more and more stones tumbled out and scattered. Under the brilliant light, these stones looked ordinary. It was precisely because of this that their appearance was especially strange. ¡°These stones¡­ rushed out underneath the God-Destroying Tribulation¡¯s power. Why aren¡¯t they broken?¡± someone muttered. Many people were stunned. Yeah! The God-Destroying Tribulation has descended, and even the mountains below have collapsed one after another or are even completely destroyed! Why do these small stones¡­ seem to be fine? ¡°No. Aren¡¯t you curious about where these stones came from?¡± Of course, they couldn¡¯t be from the God-Destroying Tribulation. Then, the only explanation was¡­ Chu Liuyue! These stones must be hers! However, this is even more confusing. She is trapped in the God-Destroying Tribulation, and her life and death is unknown. How could she still have the time to throw these stones out? ¡°¡­No! Look, something seems to be coming out of those rocks!¡± The exclamation was like a stone thrown into the originally calm lake, causing ripples. Everyone looked over. The crowd quickly became noisy again. ¡°It really seems to be¡­ What¡¯s that blue area?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s green beside it! Why do these stones seem different?¡± As time passed, various lights surged out of the gray, inconspicuous, and even ugly stones. Although it couldn¡¯t compare to the gorgeous light of the God-Destroying Tribulation, they were scattered and quite eye-catching. The void collapsed, and there were black holes everywhere. The appearance of these streamers lit up the darkness like stars. Suddenly, someone exclaimed in shock, ¡°That seems to be¡­ not an ordinary stone! That flowing light¡­ That flowing light is from a God Realm!¡± Once he said that, the crowd was stunned! They were actually very familiar with the words ¡®God Realm.¡¯ After all, most of the people who could survive in Peach Blossom Dock were legendary warriors. When they sparred with each other, they had more or less seen the various God Realms of other cultivators. But at this moment, it was still far beyond their imagination to connect these stones to God Realms! ¡°God Realm? How is that possible! Only legendary warriors can condense a God Realm. No matter how powerful these rocks are, they¡¯re still dead objects! How can they unleash God Realms?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t tell me you were too afraid and made a mistake?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. However, everyone clearly didn¡¯t believe this. It wasn¡¯t that they had any objections to the person who said this, but in their opinion, this matter was very ridiculous. Therefore, they subconsciously chose to refute. ¡°No, look carefully! They really seem to be God Realms! Why would I lie to you at this time?¡± Seeing that nobody believed him, the person was a little anxious. He raised his hand and pointed at the stones scattered in the sky. ¡°Look for yourselves! If those streams of light aren¡¯t God Realms, what are they?¡± Under his repeated defense, some people looked up in disbelief. At this moment, those stones were basically surrounded by various streams of light. From below, balls of light flickered. The light wasn¡¯t blinding, but it seemed to be faintly wrapped in a vast aura! Some people¡¯s expressions changed. This aura¡­ They are indeed God Realms! ¡°It seems, it really seems to be¡­¡± The person who had just sworn to object was also stunned and stammered. The noisy crowd quickly quietened down because this matter had a huge impact on them! After a while, someone muttered in a daze, ¡°How¡­ is that possible?¡± ¡°Could it be that I¡¯ve seen too little? There¡¯s actually a God Realm without cultivators in this world?¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not your problem¡­ I¡¯m afraid such a situation has never happened in the entire God Residence Realm!¡± ¡°It seems that this Peach Blossom Dock is really over! A true god summoned the God-Destroying Tribulation, and the broken stones also have God Realms¡­ Mad! They¡¯re all crazy!¡± So many unbelievable things had happened that people began to wonder if everything in front of them was real or fake! But while most people were in shock, there were still a few who retained their last bit of rationality. A childish voice suddenly came from the crowd. ¡°¡­Father, these stones are scattered like this. It seems¡­ It seems¡­¡± It was a little girl no more than seven or eight years old who spoke. She looked up with a pure expression and a hint of doubt in her eyes. She kept finding this scene familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember. When Duan Qingquan¡ªwho was standing not far away¡ªheard this, a white light suddenly flashed across his mind. ¡°Xuan formation!¡± After his reminder, the little girl finally revealed a look of realization. ¡°Yes, yes! It¡¯s like a Xuan formation! Father, look, this is very similar to the Xuan formations you showed me in the past!¡± She was seven or eight years old and had already started cultivating, but she still maintained her true views on everything. The moment she saw the scattered stones in the sky, she felt that they were familiar. However, how could the middle-aged man she was pulling care about this? He just thought that his child¡¯s words were harmless. It was already strange enough that those stones had unleashed God Realms. Now, they were even talking about constructing some Xuan formation¡­ It was obvious that it was impossible! He didn¡¯t say anything, but his heart ached as he held his daughter in his arms. The poor child is still so young. This time, I will¡ª However, Duan Qingquan stared fixedly at the sky and said word by word, ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®like a Xuan formation¡­¡¯ It is a Xuan formation!¡± Every word was powerful! Many people, including the middle-aged man, subconsciously looked up. In the sky, countless stones scattered with the God-Destroying Tribulation¡¯s ball of light as the center. At a glance, it was a mess. But if one observed carefully, they would discover that there was indeed a certain pattern to the arrangement of the stones! The horizontal lines intersected with each other, but they fused perfectly! Chapter 1913 - 1913 I Fight With the God Realm! 1913 I Fight With the God Realm! In those rocks were God Realms. As if summoned by some power, these God Realms surged out of the dusty stones at this moment, connecting and fusing with each other! The dots connected. The lines connected to form a face. In the black sky, these seemingly chaotic God Realms began to condense silently! On their own, the individual God Realms of these stones weren¡¯t powerful. In fact, because of the wear and tear of 10,000 years, these powerful God Realms¡ªwhich once belonged to countless powerful cultivators¡ªwere only left with some remnant power. This remnant power might be insignificant, and these God Realms might not be a concern when alone. But when they gathered, layers of power accumulated into a shocking vast pressure! The sky collapsed, and the entire Peach Blossom Dock fell into a long night. However, there were still stars flickering in the night sky, emitting a sparkling light! The God Realms of countless stones were connected to each other, forming a dazzling and flexible huge net. The most dazzling thing was the ball of brilliant light in the center of the huge net! It was as if a wind was blowing, gently lifting the huge net. In an instant, the sound of tidal waves came one after another. Splash¡ª Abundant natural energy surged! Even the huge ball of light seemed to be affected, swaying gently back and forth in the huge rising and falling net. Everyone at Peach Blossom Dock watched this scene in a daze. That is¡­ Someone shook the God-Destroying Tribulation? But at this moment, who else can do this other than Chu Liuyue? A ridiculous and crazy thought surged in countless people¡¯s hearts, but they forcefully suppressed it. Impossible¡­ The terrifying energy of the God-Destroying Tribulation has bombarded the area, and even the God Realms of the Nan family¡¯s legendary warriors were powerless to resist it. Moreover, isn¡¯t Chu Liuyue just a true god? ¡­ Countless people held their breaths. The entire Peach Blossom Dock seemed to fall silent. At this moment, every pair of eyes was gazing at the gorgeous light. It swayed gently, and the power in it seemed to be constantly decreasing. The surrounding God Realms were crazily devouring its power! All kinds of light streams flew and surged quickly in the night sky as if they were knitting a beautiful silk scarf. ¡°She¡¯s crazy¡­ She actually dares to snatch the power of the God-Destroying Tribulation?!¡± Luo Yan finally couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in shock. He, who had always kept his emotions to himself, couldn¡¯t help but look shocked. After they took back the Flying Cloud Painting previously, they retreated far away. But standing here, he could still see the situation on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side clearly. In addition, they were all legendary warriors and were most sensitive to the fluctuations and changes of power. Therefore, after watching for a while, they were shocked to discover that the God-Destroying Tribulation¡¯s power was constantly being dispersed! Chu Liuyue is really crazy to dare to do this! This is simply snatching food from the tiger¡¯s mouth! The elders were also in disbelief. That is the God-Destroying Tribulation! Others can¡¯t dodge in time, but she is actually so bold! Could it be that she still wants to resist the Heavenly Dao with her mortal body?! ¡°How powerful is the God-Destroying Tribulation? How can it allow her to be so impudent¡­¡± Luo Yan gasped. He felt like he had seen all kinds of scenes he had never seen in the first half of his life today! Not long after he finished speaking, the God-Destroying Tribulation suddenly lit up! His heart skipped a beat, and he retreated again! ¡°Run!¡± The remaining three elders also sensed that something was wrong and followed closely behind! Rumble! A shocking bang suddenly came from the sky! An extremely gorgeous firework bloomed in the black night sky! The God-Destroying Tribulation completely exploded! The endless power accumulated inside surged in all directions like a tide¡ªit was overwhelming and grand! The beautiful light was like a torrent that poured down, destroying everything! The vast and deep sky was instantly shrouded by this brilliant color! Cen Yi reinforced the barrier in front of him again, but the God-Destroying Tribulation was too powerful. It destroyed his barrier almost without stopping! In a moment of desperation, San San also hurriedly attacked! A dark-blue flame instantly formed a ball that surrounded them! The ball quickly moved to the side and avoided the attack! The edge brushed past a colorful stream of light, emitting an ear-piercing sound! San San suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! The others hurriedly stepped forward and injected their strength into San San¡¯s body! Only then did San San¡¯s expression improve. But at this moment, he couldn¡¯t care less. He took a deep breath and hurriedly looked up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction. ¡°Master¡ª¡± Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t see anything clearly under the envelopment of thousands of lights! The people in Peach Blossom Dock were also in deep panic. The stream of light quickly surged to the sky above the city wall of Peach Blossom Dock! This gorgeous light was so eye-catching as if the most moving and richest color in the world had gathered, making one¡¯s heart sway. But at this moment, nobody was in the mood to appreciate this beautiful and shocking scene. They knew very well that once this stream of light fell like a waterfall, the entire Peach Blossom Dock would be destroyed, and they would no longer exist! The atmosphere was cold and stagnant! ¡°Father¡­ are we going to die?¡± The little girl¡ªwho had been quite excited about her discovery¡ªfinally sensed that something was wrong and asked timidly. Her father hugged her tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡­ Daddy is here.¡± Duan Qingquan¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched tightly by something, and he couldn¡¯t breathe. Hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from behind. He turned around. It was Yan Qing! ¡°Yan¡ª¡± Duan Qingquan was about to speak when Yan Qing shook his head imperceptibly, and his gaze was fixed on the scene in the sky. Duan Qingquan seemed to sense something and turned around again. A tall and slender white figure had appeared in front of the stream of light! Rong Xiu crossed his hands in front of him, and two balls of flames burned in the depths of his deep phoenix eyes! One was sparkling gold! One was intensely dark! A huge golden barrier appeared! It looked like it had blocked all the streams of light! The torrent didn¡¯t stop and surged over! Just as the two sides were about to collide fiercely, a clear voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Stop!¡± With this voice, the endless colorful light streams¡ªwhich were originally surging over¡ªactually stopped in front of the golden barrier! Everyone was stunned and subconsciously looked in the direction the voice came. An exquisite figure stood in the air! In her hands was a shield held in front of her. Nobody could see her face, only her fluttering black hair! Bright light flickered on the shield. Clang! She suddenly slammed the shield down! Under her feet, the 3,000 God Realms rumbled! It was as if the vast pressure from ancient times surged in all directions! Chapter 1914 - 1914 Holy Body! 1914 Holy Body! The gorgeous light streams that almost covered the entire sky finally began to collapse inch by inch after a short pause! The God-Destroying Tribulation shattered into countless fine stars that fell into the 3,000 God Realms that filled the sky! Like a galaxy splashing down, countless brilliant lights flew up! The wind blew, stirring the woman¡¯s red dress. A myriad of beautiful and brilliant lights flickered around her, but they were still not as dazzling as her! The scene seemed to freeze, but she was a thousand times stronger than the faint ink! Suddenly, it seemed to give people an illusion¡ªthe world had collapsed, and she was the only god! Countless people looked up with stunned expressions, engraving this scene in their hearts forever. No matter how much time passed, someone would remember that there was once a woman who turned the tide alone in such a critical moment! It was she who had sent the falling light streams back. She was the one who made the surging torrent flow backward. It was her who had really relied on her mortal body to resist the God-Destroying Tribulation! ¡­ The strong taste of blood filled her mouth. Her heart was pounding so hard it seemed it might leap out of her chest at any moment. Her brain throbbed with pain as she hung onto the last string. A numb, dull pain came from her arms as sticky dark-red blood seeped from her hands. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and forced herself to swallow. Shing! Somehow, an invisible hand seemed to be plucking the subtle strings in her body. The zither note was bleak and solemn, but it quickly woke her up. She looked up and around. As far as the eye could see, it was brilliant. The God-Destroying Tribulation had dissipated, forming countless gorgeous streams of light that surged back and forth above her. And under her feet were the 3,000 God Realms condensed from those rocks! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart moved as she sighed softly. ¡°The God Realm of the gods¡­ can¡¯t be underestimated¡­¡± In the beginning, she really had no choice. Helpless, she finally chose to try this method. She didn¡¯t dare to hold out much hope. After all, when she brought these stones back from the God-Killing Tumulus, they didn¡¯t look particularly powerful. Although every stone contained a God Realm, it wasn¡¯t considered powerful. At that time, she also felt that they were too clingy and couldn¡¯t be dissuaded, so she chose to bring them away. Although these stones were occasionally mischievous, they were very gentle and obedient most of the time. She never expected that the first time she used them to construct a Xuan formation, it would erupt with such great strength¡­ What surprised her the most was actually the surging battle intent that multiplied after these God Realms fused together! She could even feel an unprecedented and invincible determination! It was madness and persistence she had never felt before! It was a shocking will inherited from the battlefield 10,000 years ago! For a moment, she even felt that¡­ Not to mention the God-Destroying Tribulation, they could even completely overturn the sky! At this moment, a colorful stream of light suddenly flew over. The Thirteen Yue Guards, who had just relaxed, felt their hearts tighten again. ¡°Master, be careful!¡± However, Chu Liuyue shook her head gently, indicating that they didn¡¯t have to worry. She didn¡¯t sense any threat from it. Instead, she sensed a faint stirring. This feeling was very subtle and indescribable, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t hurt her. Soon, the stream of light flew in front of her. As if subconsciously, Chu Liuyue stretched out a hand. When her hand blocked the God-Destroying Tribulation with her shield, it had endured immense pressure. At this moment, it was already a bloody mess. Rong Xiu¡¯s phoenix eyes darkened, and a trace of coldness flashed across them. Immediately after, the stream of light flew to her hand. The moment it touched her body, the stream of light quickly condensed into a translucent and gorgeous piece of soft armor that gently covered the back of her hand. It was only half the size of a palm. Its shape was irregular, but it was extremely exquisite and luxurious. A faint pressure spread from it! Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°This¡­¡± Soon, a second stream of light flew over and clung to the first piece of gorgeous soft armor. At the same time, her injuries in the area covered by the soft armor actually began to heal at an astonishing speed! In the blink of an eye, the shocking wound quickly healed and scabbed over. Soon, even the shallow scar was removed bit by bit. The injured area had returned to its original state¡ªit didn¡¯t look like it had been injured at all! This time, even Chu Liuyue was shocked. She was a heavenly doctor. She knew all too well how difficult it was to restore such injuries to their original state. Besides, it was in such a short period of time! More and more streams of light flew toward her. Just as she was filled with doubts, a fluctuation suddenly came from her dantian. She focused her gaze and was shocked to discover that a small illusory figure had appeared in her body at some point in time. It was under the music score that had transformed into a water droplet! That figure was transparent, but its form and appearance were clearly identical to hers! At this moment, a gorgeous light flickered in the transparent figure¡¯s right hand. It was exactly the same as the soft armor on her body! Stunned, a bold thought suddenly struck her. This is¡­ my Holy Body!? The moment this thought appeared, it immediately caused a huge commotion in her heart. When she came to the God Residence Realm a few years ago, although she was in the limelight at Ling Xiao Academy, she hadn¡¯t formed a Holy Body at that time. After breaking through to the true god, she successfully condensed the God Realm. However, Holy Bodies were different from God Realms. Not every true god could cultivate a Holy Body. There were all kinds of Holy Bodies in the world. At Ling Xiao Academy, she had read countless books about cultivating Holy Bodies. She had tried more than once, but for some reason, she had never succeeded. She had extremely outstanding talent on the path of cultivation; she encountered almost no obstacles along the way. It wasn¡¯t until she began to form her Holy Body that she encountered failure after failure. As Nan Suhuai¡¯s only disciple, the Holy Body cultivation methods she had learned were definitely very outstanding. But no matter which one she tried, she couldn¡¯t succeed. In the end, even Nan Suhuai couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. At that time, he said that since this was the case, it meant that she had a Holy Body belonging to her. Only when the opportunity arrived could she master it. As for other Holy Bodies, they weren¡¯t fated with her, and there was no need to continue trying. Chu Liuyue had always been skeptical of these words and thought that her master was trying to comfort her, so she only nodded. Ever since then, she hadn¡¯t tried to forcefully cultivate any Holy Body. Unexpectedly, her Holy Body had formed on its own! Chapter 1915 - 1915 Thousands of Followers 1915 Thousands of Followers A thought suddenly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. This Holy Body was condensed from the God-Destroying Tribulation¡¯s power! Even she couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the thought of this, her heart beating violently! A Holy Body forged from the God-Destroying Tribulation¡¯s power¡­ It¡¯s obvious how powerful it is! She had imagined countless times what kind of Holy Body she would cultivate. And now that the day had come, she was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t come back to her senses for a long time. She looked down slightly. At this moment, more and more pieces of beautiful soft armor covered her body. The Holy Body in her dantian also condensed, gradually turning from transparent to gorgeous! ¡­ Some of the light streams in the sky flew into the 3,000 God Realms while most transformed into soft armor and embedded themselves around her. She gently closed her eyes and began to cultivate with bated breath. The power around her surged into her body. Her aura also rose continuously! Everyone was stunned. There was dead silence in Peach Blossom Dock. Everything in front of them had changed too quickly for them to react. A moment ago, she was facing a life-and-death crisis. In the blink of an eye, the crisis was resolved? The impact was too great. The little girl in her father¡¯s arms was confused. She reached out and pointed at the sky. ¡°Father, the sky is bright.¡± Hearing this, the middle-aged man was stunned and subconsciously looked up. What he saw stunned him. A light indeed shone from the originally dark sky. Although it was subtle, it¡­ did exist! Moreover, the light seemed to be spreading in all directions. After a moment, he finally realized something, and his eyes widened. ¡°The barrier of Peach Blossom Dock is starting to recover?!¡± There was a clap of thunder. Everyone was shocked when they heard this. Pairs of eyes looked at the sky. ¡°It¡­ It seems like the barrier is really recovering?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the wild spatial turbulence seems to have converged a lot?¡± ¡°Look, those wildfires are also gradually extinguishing!¡± Being among them, they had the clearest sense of the energy changes. The void¡ªwhich had been crazily squeezing and shrinking¡ªseemed to have suddenly stopped the compression process and gradually returned to its initial state. The almost suffocating pressure seemed to be quietly dissipating. Duan Qingquan couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Peach Blossom Dock¡­ is safe?¡± Yan Qing let out a long breath. Princess Consort¡­ is too amazing! Actually, he had been worried before. But since his master had insisted on not attacking, he set up a barrier at most. But before it could be used, the princess consort had already resolved all of this! Some people in the crowd gradually came back to their senses. ¡°¡­This¡­ Is this all Shangguan Yue¡¯s credit¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the noisy street market immediately fell silent again. Everyone had complicated expressions. In reality, they had more or less complained about Chu Liuyue previously. If she hadn¡¯t offended the Black Sword Sect and the Nan family, this crisis might not have happened. But after all this, they knew very well that the reason why so many people in Peach Blossom Dock could survive was indeed because of her. She had resisted the God-Destroying Tribulation alone! It was also her who saved everyone in the city in time! In fact¡­ even the Peach Blossom Dock¡ªwhich was just about to collapse¡ªbegan to return to normal bit by bit. Who could say that she didn¡¯t deserve any of this? Actually, they knew very well that she was also the most innocent one. The ones who truly instigated this dispute were the Black Sword Sect and the Nan family. And now, everyone relied on her to survive¡­ How could they still have the cheek to blame her? ¡°Heh, I don¡¯t care about other things! My life was indeed saved by Shangguan Yue! I owe her a favor, so I¡¯ll naturally repay her!¡± In the crowd, a dark-skinned burly man suddenly spoke energetically. He cupped his fists in Chu Liuyue¡¯s direction. ¡°In the future, if anyone dares to make things difficult for her again, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± After a short silence, various voices sounded. ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll naturally remember the kindness of saving my life! I heard that Boss San of Yue Manor is her man? Hehe, I¡¯ve long wanted to go to Yue Manor to take a look. When this matter is over, I¡¯ll go to Yue Manor to see if I can find any work!¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re dreaming! Even if you¡¯re willing to go, they might not want you! The review of Yue Manor is very strict! I think I¡¯m quite suitable¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re overconfident. I¡¯m different from you. I won¡¯t enter Yue Manor, but if that person needs anything in the future, I¡¯ll definitely go through fire and water!¡± ¡­ Many people expressed their stance, and the atmosphere quickly became lively. Duan Qingquan glanced at Yan Qing in surprise. The two of them quickly exchanged glances. Yan Qing raised his eyebrows. This is indeed not arranged by us. It seems that someone really wants to join Princess Consort and Yue Manor spontaneously¡­ But on second thought, this was normal. The Black Sword Sect had already been wiped out. In the entire Peach Blossom Dock, Yue Manor had become one of the best. Even if there were still some who could compete with it, after this matter, they were basically incomparable. After all, everyone already knew that the real master of Yue Manor was Chu Liuyue! Today¡¯s battle was equivalent to saving the entire Peach Blossom Dock. Everyone here owed her their lives. Who else could have such an advantage? Apart from that, the top-notch ability Chu Liuyue displayed was enough to make countless people admire and follow her. As a true god, she had summoned the God-Destroying Tribulation and even survived! How many people in the world could compare to such talent and combat strength?! In Peach Blossom Dock, the strong were respected! After this battle, Chu Liuyue undoubtedly became the undisputed top expert in the hearts of countless people! ¡­ Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and gathered her focus. The power of the God-Destroying Tribulation was gradually devoured by her. Countless pieces of soft armor covered her entire body; even her neck and face were overturned by the translucent and gorgeous soft armor. The last stream of light finally landed between her eyebrows! The moment it covered her, a scorching temperature suddenly burned between her eyebrows! A totem suddenly appeared! Chapter 1916 - 1916 Vitality 1916 Vitality Chu Liuyue let out a clear cry! Great completion of the Holy Body! The gorgeous soft armor overturned her body, dazzling! Light poured down from the sky and shone on her, reflecting fragments of light. She suddenly opened her eyes, and a vast and majestic aura erupted from her body! Everyone was shocked! Even though she was only a true god now, the pressure of her Holy Body was already comparable to that of a legendary warrior! ¡°Phew¡ª¡± Feeling the powerful energy surging in her body, she let out a long breath. So this is what it feels like to have a Holy Body¡­ She looked down. At this moment, Peach Blossom Dock was a mess. It was fine in the city, but the continuous mountain range outside the city was almost completely destroyed. The ravines were crisscrossed with burn marks, and the strong smell of blood filled the air. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. I¡¯m undoubtedly partly responsible for what has happened to Peach Blossom Dock. She raised her bare hand and put away the shield. Then, she took a step forward. The God Realms under her feet fluctuated lightly before quietly dissipating! The God Realms converged into the rocks, and the rocks returned to their original grayish-white appearance. Chu Liuyue waved her hand, and the stones flew back one after another. The stone in front of her bounced a few times, looking happy and excited to be praised. The row behind also jumped up, fighting to be first. If not for the fact that she had repeatedly taught them to be obedient and that nobody was allowed to cut the queue, it would probably be chaotic now. Looking at the pile of stones bouncing back and forth, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You did great.¡± Hearing the praise, the stones were overjoyed and jumped back into her Cosmic Ring. The audience was dumbfounded. Can¡­ Can this be done? However, Chu Liuyue ignored them. Anyway, they have already seen what they should and shouldn¡¯t have seen. Then, there is nothing to avoid. In addition, I can take this opportunity to make everyone at Peach Blossom Dock owe me a favor. Actually, she didn¡¯t think too much about it at first. But at this point, there were benefits. Most of the power in the God-Destroying Tribulation was devoured by her to condense her Holy Body. The remaining portion fused with these rocks. She could clearly feel that the God Realm above was much stronger than before. This was a pleasant surprise. In the end, she flipped her wrist and took out something. The people below watched from afar, unable to see clearly. ¡°What¡¯s that in her hand?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s too small.¡± ¡°It looks like a sprout?¡± ¡­ Just as everyone was filled with doubts, they saw Chu Liuyue wave her hand gently. A lush green leaf swayed in the wind. Then, the abundant energy between heaven and earth began to surge! Whoosh¡ª Energy surged like a tide! A ray of sunlight shone down. In the distance, the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock began to condense again. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed!?¡± someone muttered in disbelief. Everyone was shocked. That is a rare treasure! Chu Liuyue even has this? How many trump cards does she have? ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s motive for taking out the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was very simple. After the previous struggles, the void of Peach Blossom Dock had collapsed beyond recognition. Energy surged, and the entire space was almost completely destroyed. Even though she had successfully passed the God-Destroying Tribulation, everything here still needed to be sorted out and tidied up. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was naturally suitable for controlling dense natural energy easily. The results were as expected. With a thought, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed began to deal with the chaotic power. The barrier of Peach Blossom Dock quickly condensed. Compared to before, it was slightly different. A faint, gorgeous light appeared on the barrier. From afar, it looked like countless colorful spots of light were scattered on it, emitting a sparkling light. It was the remaining power of the God-Destroying Tribulation. But other than looking different, the biggest difference from before was that this newly condensed barrier had become several times stronger than before! In fact, the entire Peach Blossom Dock had been reborn after experiencing the God-Destroying Tribulation! After all the unstable void collapsed, it relied on the God-Destroying Tribulation¡¯s power to rebuild and become extremely stable! Abundant natural energy surged back and forth. Sensing this huge and subtle change, Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. Destruction followed by establishment. This is the current Peach Blossom Dock! ¡°Congratulations, Yue¡¯er.¡± Rong Xiu moved and arrived in front of her. There was a warm and gentle smile on his handsome face, and there was undisguised doting and pride in his eyes. This was his Yue¡¯er. From beginning to end, he insisted on not interfering. Although his heart ached, he knew that she would definitely be able to do it. As expected! From now on, this huge Peach Blossom Dock would completely become her domain! There was nobody in the world who could be compared to her. She was the brightest pearl. No matter where she was, she could bloom with magnificence! Chu Liuyue looked up into his deep phoenix eyes and smiled. With just one look, they understood each other¡¯s feelings. She knew that Rong Xiu was proud of her and happy for her. ¡°You¡¯ve already thought of this?¡± she asked with interest. Rong Xiu smiled with a deep meaning. ¡°God-Destroying Tribulation¡­ I really didn¡¯t expect it.¡± He didn¡¯t expect it to come so quickly. In the beginning, he didn¡¯t interfere because he knew that she was dissatisfied with the Black Sword Sect and the Nan family. He wanted her to do it herself and fight to her heart¡¯s content to vent her unhappiness. But in the end¡­ It was indeed unexpected. However, she would always be able to surprise him. The sky gradually brightened. The flames everywhere had long been extinguished, and abundant natural energy surged out. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had extremely vigorous vitality. Under such circumstances, it was extremely useful. From the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw something below that was reflecting light. She focused and saw that a lake had appeared between the ruined mountains. The sun shone down, rippling the lake. There were rocks piled up by the lake. Water flowed down and spread into a shallow stream. Fresh green buds grew from the stream by the lake. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. I feel like I¡¯ve seen this lake before¡­ Suddenly, a white light flashed across her heart. Isn¡¯t this the lake from that small space? The barrier above was still there. On the outside, it still looked like a lake; Iit only split into a stream that stretched across the mountains. Wherever it passed, there was a lively scene. A faint medicinal fragrance spread. Chapter 1917 - 1917 Yi Family 1917 Yi Family ¡°Ah, my baby!¡± When San San saw this, his heart ached. Xiao Ba rolled her eyes. ¡°Why are you shouting? Isn¡¯t it just a portion of the power in that small space surging out? This is a good thing for the entire Peach Blossom Dock and our master. Don¡¯t delay it!¡± The flesh on San San¡¯s face twitched, and he looked aggrieved. Although Xiao Ba was young, among the Thirteen Yue Guard, only their eldest brother dared to argue with her. Even as the third brother, he was the same. ¡°¡­I know¡­ I just feel heartbroken!¡± It was obvious that with the nourishment of the power in the small space, the almost completely destroyed Peach Blossom Dock would greatly increase its recovery speed. Moreover, if nothing went wrong, there would be many natural treasures growing along the banks of the stream. This was a huge fortune! As long as Peach Blossom Dock recovered quickly, it would be extremely good for Master! ¡°After today, the entire Peach Blossom Dock will belong to Master¡­¡± Thirteen muttered softly. Shock lingered on his face, which still had a hint of youth. He had always known that his master was powerful, but over the years, he had been following his eldest brother and the others most of the time. There were actually pitifully few times that they followed their master. Coupled with her low age, he had almost never seen Chu Liuyue attack with his own eyes. And this time, it undoubtedly gave him a huge shock! Cen Yi¡¯s eyebrows relaxed, and a smile appeared in his usually indifferent eyes. Master came over this time with this intention. However, I didn¡¯t expect that after these twists and turns, it would be successfully completed in advance. Moreover, she has pacified the entire Peach Blossom Dock! Master didn¡¯t take a fancy to the options given by San San. Now that the last hidden danger of Peach Blossom Dock has been eliminated, Master has directly taken over. There Is no better result. ¡­ At the Nan residence. In the study, Nan Yifan stood silently. It was already night, and the moon was high in the sky. The cool moonlight flowed in through the window and lengthened his figure. He had been in this position from day to night, standing there all day. The night wind was cold and chilly. However, Nan Yifan didn¡¯t notice at all. He hung his head slightly, his face hidden in the darkness. Knock, knock. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Master, you haven¡¯t eaten for a day. Why don¡¯t you eat something?¡± The person who spoke was his trusted aide, an elder of the Nan family. He couldn¡¯t hide the worry in his voice. In fact, for experts of their level, not eating for a day was nothing. The reason why this elder was so worried was that he sensed that Nan Yifan¡¯s condition was very wrong. The last time he did this was the day Nan Yiyi was buried. But at that time, he only stood there for half a day. And this time¡­ Something had clearly happened that was even more terrifying than Nan Yiyi¡¯s death! The elder standing outside the door was burning with anxiety. Nan Yiyi was the apple of Nan Yifan¡¯s eye. What could have hit him harder than her death? This elder knew that Luo Yan and Nan Yuxing had gone to Peach Blossom Dock. Therefore, he was especially frightened at this moment. He wanted to ask for an explanation, but he didn¡¯t dare. ¡°You are dismissed.¡± After a while, Nan Yifan finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse. Outside the door, the elder¡¯s lips moved. The uneasiness in his heart intensified, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. He could only respond with: ¡°Okay.¡± Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he heard Nan Yifan say, ¡°Hold on.¡± Then, he heard the door open. The elder hurriedly turned around and saw Nan Yifan open the door and walk out. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll go to the Yi family.¡± Chapter 1918 - 1918 Join Forces 1918 Join Forces The elder was shocked. ¡°Master, do you mean¡­ now?¡± Nan Yifan nodded. ¡°But¡­¡± It is already nighttime! The elder didn¡¯t say this because Nan Yifan looked up at him. In just a day, Nan Yifan looked like he had aged more than ten years. Under the faint moonlight, the elder could even see the gray hair at his temples. Nan Yifan¡¯s usually high-spirited face was now filled with haggardness. Despite the dim light, the elder could see Nan Yifan¡¯s bloodshot eyes. The moment he met Nan Yifan¡¯s gaze, he was instantly speechless. He couldn¡¯t say the rest. He didn¡¯t know how to describe the feeling¡ªdesolation, vulnerability, regret, and resentment¡­ It was as if all the negative emotions had gathered. A heavy and oppressive aura spread from Nan Yifan. It was almost suffocating. ¡°Immediately.¡± Nan Yifan was determined. The elder¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He instinctively felt that something had happened. I have never seen Master like this¡­ Could it be that Eldest Young Master and the others¡ª He quickly lowered his head and whispered, ¡°Yes! With me around, please rest assured, Master!¡± Nan Yifan nodded and walked past him. A cold killing intent was faintly discernible. The elder¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When he came back to his senses and wanted to turn around to say something, he realized that Nan Yifan had already disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± The elder who was left behind frowned. His heart was beating rapidly, as if it were gripped tightly by something. A growing sense of unease surged through him. When Nan Yiyi died, although Master was very sad, it didn¡¯t reach this state. It¡¯s obvious what has happened! After a long while, he finally sighed. ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid the God Residence Realm¡­ will be in chaos again¡­¡± ¡­ Nan Yifan was very fast. It took him the entire night to reach Meihe County. This was the Yi family¡¯s territory. Unlike the mountainous terrain of the Nan family, Meihe County was a vast plain. On the verdant land, a wide and clear river meandered past. By the river were meandering plum blossoms. Behind the forest stood an imposing and luxurious city. Above the city gate was a golden plaque that read ¡®Meihe County.¡¯ There were guards guarding the city gate. It was just dawn when Nan Yifan arrived. There was almost nobody at the city gate. Therefore, when he appeared, he immediately attracted the attention of the guards. ¡°Who are you?!¡± The guards immediately became vigilant and held their knives in front of them. Meihe County was the Yi family¡¯s territory. Usually, only the Yi family members entered and left. It was indeed suspicious that someone would suddenly come over so early in the morning. Nan Yifan directly revealed his identity. ¡°Go and inform your master that the Nan family¡¯s Nan Yifan is here to visit.¡± ¡­ ¡°Nan Yifan? Why is he here for no reason?¡± In the Yi residence, the head of the Yi family¡ªYi Wentao¡ªlooked up from his book in surprise. ¡°How many men did he bring?¡± ¡°Clan Leader Nan didn¡¯t bring anyone with him; he came alone. Moreover¡­ he¡¯s in a hurry as if he has something important to do.¡± The guard who came to report asked respectfully, ¡°Then¡­ Master, do you want to see him or not?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yi Wentao stood up, closed the book, and put it aside. He was tall and looked to be no more than 36 or 37 years old. His facial features were handsome and elegant. Dressed in a long stone-green robe, he looked even more refined and scholarly. Anyone who saw him would find it difficult to imagine that he was the current head of the Yi family. There were very few rumors about Yi Wentao in the God Residence Realm. In everyone¡¯s imagination, Yi Wentao should be fierce and ruthless. It seemed that this was the only way he could suppress the entire Yi family. But in fact, he was very different from what most people imagined him to be. ¡°Invite Clan Leader Nan to the living room. I¡¯ll come later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The guard received the order and quickly retreated. Yi Wentao watched the guard leave in a hurry and frowned. There isn¡¯t much interaction between the Nan family and the Yi family. Moreover, I know a little about Nan Yifan. This person is proud by nature. Now that he has suddenly come personally, something must¡¯ve happened. Yi Wentao¡¯s heart was pounding. He didn¡¯t know what had happened that made Nan Yifan drop his pride and come personally. He thought for a while, but there was no answer. Finally, he decided to meet Nan Yifan first. ¡°Cultivate here in peace. Nobody will disturb you,¡± he suddenly turned around and instructed. A figure was vaguely reflected behind the eight screens at the base of the rosewood. ¡°Okay.¡± His voice was low and slightly hoarse, but there was also a hint of laziness. Yi Wentao nodded and walked out, locking the door himself. After instructing the servants to guard this place, he turned around and left in relief. ¡­ Not long after Nan Yifan was led into the living room, Yi Wentao arrived. ¡°Haha, Brother Nan, what brings you here today?¡± Yi Wentao walked in with an earnest smile. Nan Yifan looked up. The two of them gazed at each other for a moment, silently exchanging blows. A hint of surprise flashed across Yi Wentao¡¯s eyes. In his impression, Nan Yifan was always high-spirited and proud. But when he saw Nan Yifan this time, the latter was visibly haggard. There were a few traces of white frost on his hair. What has he¡­ experienced? Just as Yi Wentao was guessing, Nan Yifan said, ¡°I¡¯m naturally here to discuss something with you, my brother.¡± With that, he paused for a moment. Yi Wentao quickly reacted. He then waved his hand and dismissed the servants. ¡°All of you can leave first.¡± ¡°Master¡ª¡± His confidant was a little hesitant. Nan Yifan doesn¡¯t look good. What if he goes crazy and does something¡­ ¡°Go.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s voice turned colder. This is the Yi family! Nan Yifan dared to come alone. Do I not even have the guts to talk to him alone? Isn¡¯t this making a fool of myself? Everyone underneath him knew his temper and didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. They quickly retreated. Before they left, they even closed the door carefully. Nobody dared to eavesdrop here. Yi Wentao walked over and sat opposite Nan Yifan. His expression had returned to its usual gentle and calm state. ¡°Brother Nan, if you have something to say, just say it.¡± Nan Yifan stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m here to form an alliance with you.¡± Chapter 1919 - 1919 Have You Seen Her Totem? 1919 Have You Seen Her Totem? ¡°I¡¯m here to form an alliance with you,¡± Nan Yifan said word by word. Every word seemed to carry an indescribably heavy stench and resentment. Yi Wentao was stunned for a moment before he smiled. ¡°Brother Nan, are you joking?¡± One had to know that the Yi family and the Nan family had never been close. At this moment, Nan Yifan suddenly came alone and asked for the alliance¡­ How could Yi Wentao not be surprised? But Nan Yifan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°As long as Brother Yi is willing to agree, feel free to state your conditions.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s smile gradually faded. He stared at Nan Yifan and carefully sized up the latter¡¯s expression, thinking to himself. It¡¯s extremely rare for Nan Yifan to say this. At the same time, it can be seen how determined Nan Yifan is this time. Is he really here to rope in the Yi family? However, the Nan family and the Yi family are of equal status. Why did he do this? After thinking about it, Yi Wentao decided to ask clearly first. ¡°Brother Nan, don¡¯t be anxious. If you really have encountered difficulties, my Yi family will definitely not stand by and do nothing. I wonder¡­ What exactly is it that requires Brother Nan to worry so much?¡± Nan Yifan paused. ¡°My Nan family wants to fight the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s expression finally changed. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire? You want to go against His Grace?¡± Nan Yifan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Brother Nan, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t agree to this.¡± Yi Wentao frowned. Is Nan Yifan crazy?! Why does he want to start a war with Rong Xiu? Nan Yifan wasn¡¯t surprised by Yi Wentao¡¯s response. In fact, he wouldn¡¯t have expected to make such a decision a day ago, but things changed. At this point, he had nowhere to go. The moment Yuxing¡¯s jade pendant shattered, he knew that it was impossible for him to endure any longer! He couldn¡¯t completely blame them for Yiyi¡¯s death, but Yuxing¡­ All his years of hard work had been in vain! ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯ll agree to any of Brother Yi¡¯s conditions,¡± Nan Yifan repeated, his tone much heavier. Yi Wentao frowned even more. Nan Yifan knows how dangerous it is to go against Rong Xiu. Why does he still have to do this? He is even¡­ willing to pay a huge price for it! Yi Wentao shook his head. ¡°Brother Nan, you know very well that this matter isn¡¯t that simple.¡± In the end, he didn¡¯t want to offend Rong Xiu for the Nan family. ¡°Brother Nan, you know how difficult it is to deal with that person. If you choose to oppose the Sky-Cloud Empire, there won¡¯t be a good outcome. Brother Nan, why do you have to do this? If there¡¯s a misunderstanding between you and the Sky-Cloud Empire, I can step forward and make peace. Perhaps¡ª¡± Since Nan Yifan has personally come looking for me, Rong Xiu will definitely know about this. Then, no matter what I say, it is impossible for me to walk out of this quagmire cleanly. Rather than being secretive and arousing suspicion for no reason, it is better to be honest with him. This way, I can also give the Nan family a favor. In Yi Wentao¡¯s opinion, this was the best choice. But Nan Yifan interrupted him. ¡°There¡¯s no possibility of reconciliation between the Sky-Cloud Empire and me.¡± Yi Wentao looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Brother Nan, you mean¡ª¡± Nan Yifan took a deep breath and looked straight at Yi Wentao. ¡°Yiyi and Yuxing both died at their hands.¡± Yi Wentao was shocked at first, but he immediately understood. No wonder! Nan Yifan¡¯s children are his lifeblood, especially Nan Yuxing, who was basically confirmed to be the next head of the Nan family. Because these two people were very outstanding, as the family head, Nan Yifan has always been smug. Now that the two of them are dead¡­ Not to mention that Nan Yifan has no descendants, the position of family head will probably be unstable in the future! Even Yi Wentao knew that there were many people in the Nan family who secretly coveted the position of family head. Nan Yifan is taking revenge for his children and also protecting his position as family head! These two things are what he values the most. No wonder he is here today¡­ In fact, what Yi Wentao didn¡¯t know was that there was another very important reason why Nan Yifan chose to do this. Even if I don¡¯t do this, Rong Xiu won¡¯t let me off! With Rong Xiu¡¯s intelligence and methods¡­ Since he has already killed Nan Yuxing, he will definitely find out that I had secretly instructed him to do those things. How could he let this go? After the matter at Peach Blossom Dock is over, he will definitely take action! At that time, the others and I will be moved! Instead of sitting and waiting for death, it is better to leave first! There might even be a chance of survival! Nan Yifan really had no choice. Wasn¡¯t he filled with reverence for Rong Xiu? If not for the fact that there was no way out, he wouldn¡¯t have burned his bridges! After knowing that Nan Yuxing had died, he stood in the study for a day. He seemed to have done nothing, but he had actually thought a lot. He regretted it. Even he didn¡¯t know how he had tacitly allowed Nan Yuxing and the others to go to Peach Blossom Dock quietly. It was as if she had made that decision! Perhaps¡­ he still felt guilty toward Nan Yiyi and hated Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. He thought that sincethey didn¡¯t bring anyone with them to a place like Peach Blossom Dock, it was really the best time to attack! What if he succeeded? It was this ¡®what if¡¯ and those unfair thoughts which made Nan Yifan make this decision that he would regret for the rest of his life! At this point, it was useless to regret. He could only counterattack! Yi Wentao didn¡¯t know this. But in his opinion, the reasons Nan Yifan gave were enough to support him in making such a choice. He was silent for a long moment, still unwilling to agree. ¡°Brother Nan, others might not know, but you know very well. That person is really not easy to deal with¡­¡± Nan Yifan might really only have this choice, but what did this have to do with the Yi family? Not only would he not gain anything from getting involved in this matter for no reason, but he would also only cause trouble! Yi Wentao never did business at a loss. Seeing his troubled expression, Nan Yifan sneered in his heart but didn¡¯t show it on his face. He then said suddenly, ¡°Brother Yi, do you know that Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue went to the God-Killing Tumulus back then and took something from the black wall?¡± Yi Wentao suddenly looked up! ¡°Oh?¡± He restrained his expression, but Nan Yifan was also sharp-eyed. How could he not see the ripples in Yi Wentao¡¯s eyes? ¡°As for what it is¡­ I think Brother Yi should know without me saying, right?¡± Nan Yifan suddenly laughed. ¡°His Grace¡¯s consort isn¡¯t a simple person either. The Heavenly Square Cauldron and a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡­ are in her hands. In addition, there¡¯s a black shield of unknown origin in her hand. Although it looks ordinary, it¡¯s not inferior to any supreme Yuan instrument!¡± When Nan Yifan said this, he didn¡¯t notice that Yi Wentao quickly frowned when he heard ¡®black shield.¡¯ ¡°¡­It¡¯s strange. I heard that this Shangguan Yue is from outside the God Residence Realm, but she seems to have very pure bloodline power¡­ Brother Nan, have you seen her totem?¡± Chapter 1920 - 1920 Choice 1920 Choice Nan Yifan shook his head. ¡°No.¡± There were many rumors about Chu Liuyue in the God Residence Realm, especially after her wedding with Rong Xiu. The related rumors caused an uproar. In the beginning, everyone thought that she came from a lowly background. However, a series of events later let everyone know that she actually had several backers! Although Nan Yifan had seen Chu Liuyue before, he had never seen her totem. ¡°Brother Yi, why are you suddenly asking this?¡± Nan Yifan felt a little strange. Yi Wentao smiled and lowered his eyes. ¡°Nothing much. I just suddenly thought of this and felt a little curious¡­ I heard that when she tested her bloodline power at the Sky-Cloud Empire, the result was actually the same as His Grace¡­ If she was really from outside the ordinary God Residence Realm, how could she have bloodline power?¡± It had to be known that only when one¡¯s ancestor had broken through the shackles and reached that peak level would his descendants possess bloodline power. It was impossible for people outside the God Residence Realm to do this. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Shangguan Jing was her ancestor?¡± As Nan Yifan spoke, he suddenly stopped. Something is indeed wrong. Although Shangguan Jing is a legendary warrior and had once been in the limelight, he seemed to have established the Tianling Dynasty when he came to the God Residence Realm. Moreover, he encountered trouble in the God Residence Realm later on. His soul flew away, and he slept for a thousand years. It was only when Chu Liuyue came here that he came back to life. No matter how I think about it, the bloodline power in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body doesn¡¯t seem to have been inherited from him¡­ Nan Yifan frowned and glanced at Yi Wentao. ¡°What, Brother Yi seems to be quite interested in this Shangguan Yue?¡± Yi Wentao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious. Since Brother Nan doesn¡¯t know either, then¡­ there¡¯s nothing else to ask.¡± He was always stubborn, causing Nan Yifan to gradually lose his patience. ¡°Brother Yi, put these things aside for the time being. I¡¯ll only ask you one last time: Do you agree to my previous suggestion?¡± Yi Wentao fell into deep thought. There was silence in the room. Time slowly trickled past. Every minute and second was torture for Nan Yifan, but he could only wait. After a while, Yi Wentao finally nodded. ¡°I agree. However, I have one condition.¡± ¡­ Nan Yifan and Yi Wentao talked for a long time in the room. About an hour later, the door opened again. Nan Yifan cupped his hands and bade farewell. ¡°Brother Yi, please wait. I¡¯ll return soon.¡± Yi Wentao knew that it would be uncomfortable for him to stay here, so he didn¡¯t ask Nan Yifan to stay and only nodded. ¡°Brother Nan, be careful.¡± Nan Yifan responded and turned to leave, his figure quickly disappearing into the distance. Yi Wentao only looked away when his figure disappeared. A footstep sounded. Yi Wentao¡¯s expression returned to normal, and he looked up calmly. It was his second brother, Yi Wenzhuo. ¡°Big Brother, that person just now¡­ was Nan Yifan?¡± In front of Yi Wentao, Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s attitude was much more restrained. On the surface, Yi Wenzhuo looked older than Yi Wentao, but in fact, Yi Wentao was ten years older than him. It was just that Yi Wentao was extremely talented, and his cultivation was very smooth, so he looked even younger. He nodded. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Yi Wenzhuo frowned. The Nan family rarely interacted with them. As the family head, it was difficult not to think too much about it when Nan Yifan suddenly came personally. Yi Wentao smiled faintly. ¡°He came here for a reason.¡± Yi Wenzhuo felt a little uncomfortable. Big Brother clearly doesn¡¯t want to say anything. This is nothing much to begin with. After all, the two of them have extraordinary identities. What they are discussing together must be important and can¡¯t be easily revealed. But¡­ I am Big Brother¡¯s biological brother. Do I not have the right to know? The reason Yi Wenzhuo was so concerned about this was that this wasn¡¯t the first time such a situation had happened. The head of the Yi family was Yi Wentao; almost all major matters were decided by him. Here, he had absolute authority! Yi Wenzhuo had never coveted the position of family head, but over the years, his big brother would often not tell him anything. Many times, even though many elders knew, he still knew nothing. Yi Wenzhuo kept feeling that he had been marginalized in the Yi family. How could there be no resentment and dissatisfaction after a long time? But other than that, his big brother treated him well in other aspects. This made Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s thoughts very conflicted. And this time, it was still the same. He swallowed his anger and changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯m here to tell Big Brother something good: Jiuqing has broken through!¡± ¡°So quickly?¡± Yi Wentao raised his eyebrows in surprise. Just now, I had instructed him to cultivate well. It has only been two hours, but he has actually broken through¡­ ¡°As expected of someone you personally taught,¡± Yi Wentao praised in satisfaction. These words finally improved Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s mood. ¡°Not at all. After he returned, he has been cultivating at Big Brother¡¯s place. With Big Brother¡¯s guidance, this child naturally broke through quickly.¡± As he spoke, he paused slightly. ¡°Big Brother, no matter what, half of our Yi family¡¯s blood flows in Jiuqing¡¯s body. Regarding the position of young master¡­¡± This was what he had been thinking about from the beginning! Yi Wentao had no children. In the future, he would definitely choose an heir from this younger generation, and Jun Jiuqing was the most suitable one! Yi Wentao put his hands behind his back and didn¡¯t prevaricate like before. Instead, he thought about it seriously for a long time. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s indeed time to choose a young master¡­ Inform everyone to hold the family meeting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Yi Wenzhuo was a little surprised, but joy surged and washed away these emotions. He nodded immediately, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll go now!¡± ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock, Yue Manor. Chu Liuyue put down the teacup in her hand and looked at Rong Xiu in surprise. ¡°Two major families?¡± Chapter 1921 - 1921 Confession 1921 Confession Rong Xiu nodded and said slowly, ¡°That¡¯s right. Most of the aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm are divided into first, second, and third-rate families, but there are two families that aren¡¯t included. One is the Nan family, and the other is the Yi family.¡± Chu Liuyue found it weird. ¡°Why are these two families so unique?¡± Rong Xiu laughed. ¡°This matter is quite old. Do you still remember that I previously mentioned to you that 10,000 years ago, a shocking battle broke out in the God-Killing Tumulus, and countless experts died?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Of course, she remembered this. ¡°At that time, the battle was intense. I heard that many people almost fought their way out of the God-Killing Tumulus and suffered countless casualties. In such an intense battle, the Heaven and Earth Force had long erupted. It was almost dark and gradually threatened the many ordinary cultivators outside the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. Judging from the many tombstones we saw in the God-Killing Tumulus, the situation at that time might indeed have caused such consequences. With so many experts gathered to fight, it¡¯s obvious what a terrifying scene it was. ¡°Fortunately, someone appeared to stop them later and set up a barrier outside the God-Killing Tumulus. It wasn¡¯t until the fierce battle ended that the barrier finally broke. However, it also protected the people outside the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What kind of person can do this?¡± Not only did this require benevolence, but it also required extraordinary strength! Rong Xiu paused and smiled. ¡°That person¡¯s identity was very mysterious, and nobody knew him. Later, when the matter was over, that person disappeared. It was rumored that the ancestors of the Nan family and the Yi family were all followers of that person.¡± Realization dawned on Chu Liuyue. ¡°After that, the two of them didn¡¯t chase after that person anymore. Instead, they each found a territory in the God Residence Realm and established their own aristocratic families, which are the current Nan family and Yi family.¡± Rong Xiu poured a cup of tea and rubbed his slender fingers gently on the bone porcelain teacup. His voice was faint and ethereal. ¡°Ten thousand years have passed, and these things have long been drowned in time. Very few people know about it. The Nan family and Yi family have always thought highly of themselves and rarely get involved in external matters. The only ones who know about them are those first-rate families with quite the legacy.¡± No wonder¡­ Hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s explanation, Chu Liuyue finally understood why she had never heard of the Nan family before. It wasn¡¯t difficult to understand why Nan Yiyi and the others were so arrogant when she met them outside the God-Killing Tumulus¡­ The Nan family and the Yi family¡­ Their existence exceeds the aristocratic families. ¡°In that case, the Nan family and the Yi family are considered the two most powerful families in the God-Residence Realm? Then, why was Nan Yifan¡­ so afraid of you before?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had asked the question. Previously, Rong Xiu¡¯s answer was always very simple. He only said that he had something on Nan Yifan, which made the other party rather afraid. However, Chu Liuyue felt that something was wrong. Nan Yifan¡¯s attitude¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like he was purely threatened. There vaguely seemed to be some respect and fear for Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu glanced at her with a faint smile. ¡°Afraid? He¡¯s already sent someone over. How is he afraid?¡± Chu Liuyue was stumped. That¡¯s true¡­ Although Nan Yuxing always said that he was here to avenge Nan Yiyi, without Nan Yifan¡¯s tacit approval, how could he have mobilized so many venerable elders? Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue changed the topic. ¡°By the way, I wonder how Luo Yan and the others are doing now¡­¡± It had been three days since the chaotic day at Peach Blossom Dock. In the past three days, they had been staying in Yue Manor to deal with the aftermath. The terrain of the mountains outside Peach Blossom Dock had almost completely changed. Fortunately, there was abundant natural energy here, and with the help of the small space, everything was recovering quickly. Although Peach Blossom Dock had also suffered a lot, most of it had fortunately survived. As for the Black Sword Sect, they were completely wiped out in this chaotic battle. Even their previous residence had been razed to the ground by the angry crowd. On the other hand, Yue Manor had been extremely lively in the past few days. Every day, a lot of people arrived outside the door. Some expressed their gratitude, and some wanted to enter Yue Manor. In short, they all wanted to follow Chu Liuyue. After this incident, the survivors of Peach Blossom Dock were unprecedentedly united. Moreover, they admired and respected her very much and were willing to follow her. Apart from owing her their lives and admiring her talent and strength, there was another important reason why they were like this: The barrier of Peach Blossom Dock was covered in a layer of the God-Destroying Tribulation¡¯s power, and it was completely under her control now. Chu Liuyue had become the true owner of Peach Blossom Dock. The current Peach Blossom Dock had a stable barrier and abundant natural energy. It was the best place to cultivate! Who wouldn¡¯t want to stay here? Before Chu Liuyue came, she had been thinking about finding a place to establish her power. Was there anything more suitable than today¡¯s Peach Blossom Dock? Therefore, she decided to go with the flow and take over the entire Peach Blossom Dock. The barrier was under her control, so she naturally had absolute authority over Peach Blossom Dock! In the past few days, she had already sent San San and the others down to deal with these things. After screening the candidates and forming a guard team¡­ If their identities were suspected, they would be detained. At this moment, most people were loyal to Yue Manor. Even if there were a few problems, they didn¡¯t dare to act rashly. San San had been here for a long time and knew the situation in the city. Therefore, these things were progressing very smoothly. With the help of Cen Yi and the others, it was even more efficient. That was why Chu Liuyue could sit here and drink tea with Rong Xiu now. She asked this question because Luo Yan and the other three Nan family elders had been locked up alone after that day. Yes, even with the Flying Cloud Painting, these people still didn¡¯t escape in the end. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°Yan Qing has been interrogating for three days. There should be news soon.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly, and she was a little hesitant. ¡°But those four people are all legendary warriors after all. It¡¯s probably not that easy to get anything out of them¡­¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she heard familiar footsteps outside. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort.¡± The person walked steadily¡ªit was Yan Qing. Chu Liuyue noticed that Yan Qing had changed his clothes and had a unique refreshing aura from the shower. He had specially tidied himself up before coming. Even so, he still smelled faintly of blood. It could be seen that the interrogation process of the past three days¡­ Yan Qing bowed respectfully and said bluntly, ¡°One of them confessed.¡± This sentence instantly interrupted Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts. She uttered in surprise, ¡°Confessed?¡± Chapter 1922 - 1922 Newlywed 1922 Newlywed ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Qing lowered his head slightly. ¡°Nan Hongyang admits that they came this time with the tacit approval of the Nan family head, Nan Yifan.¡± Chu Liuyue found it unbelievable. This testimony is fatal to the Nan family! Yan Qing has really pried open the Nan family elder¡¯s mouth? She couldn¡¯t help but size Yan Qing up again. His cold face is still as calm as ever. It¡¯s as if this matter is nothing to him¡­ However, that is a legendary warrior! She didn¡¯t think that Nan Hongyang would take the initiative to betray the Nan family. Since Nan Yifan had instructed them to do this, he must¡¯ve chosen people he trusted. So¡­ Nan Hongyang must¡¯ve been forced into a corner. No matter what, he is a legendary warrior! What method did Yan Qing use to actually pry his mouth open? ¡°Did he say anything else besides that?¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem surprised by this and asked faintly. Yan Qing shook his head. ¡°No. He said that the masterminds of this matter were mainly Nan Yuxing and Luo Yan, and the remaining few of them were just following orders and came together. They weren¡¯t clear about the details.¡± That wasn¡¯t impossible since there was a lot at stake. The fewer people who knew, the better. Nan Yifan and the others probably didn¡¯t expect that they would still fail even after sending such powerful combatants. More importantly, they didn¡¯t even have the time to escape. In the end, they were captured and tortured! Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. If Nan Yifan and the others had known that things would develop to this point, they probably wouldn¡¯t have made this decision. But where in the world is there a cure for regret? ¡°What about Luo Yan?¡± Yan Qing paused. ¡°He refuses to answer.¡± Luo Yan was a tough nut to crack. He was still different from Nan Hongyang and the others. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have such a high status in the Nan family. It was within Chu Liuyue¡¯s expectations that he wouldn¡¯t confess. Instead, it was Yan Qing who surprised her by making Nan Hongyang confess. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Nan Hongyang has already admitted it, so it doesn¡¯t matter if he says it or not.¡± Rong Xiu knocked on the table. ¡°Although that¡¯s the case¡­ it¡¯s more convincing if he personally confesses.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in agreement. She thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him myself later.¡± A hint of hesitation flashed across Yan Qing¡¯s face as he subconsciously looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Princess Consort, that place is very dirty. You¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go with Yue¡¯er.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t seem to care. Since she wants to go, she must have her reasons. Chu Liuyue blinked at him. My man is indeed reliable. Rong Xiu suddenly asked, ¡°Is there any movement from the Nan family?¡± Yan Qing immediately replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± Their people had been on full alert, but the Nan family had yet to send anyone over. Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. Nan Yifan should¡¯ve known the moment Nan Yuxing died. Several days have passed, but he still hasn¡¯t moved. This isn¡¯t normal. Chu Liuyue stood up. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we directly ask Luo Yan now?¡± Yan Qing stopped trying to dissuade her and took a step back. Rong Xiu suddenly sighed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him in confusion. Didn¡¯t he say we were going together? Rong Xiu leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead with his slender fingers. His movements were casual and lazy, but there was an indescribable nobility in his bones. The sunlight shone on him, making his white clothes look even whiter than snow. He looked at Chu Liuyue with warm eyes. ¡°We¡¯re newlyweds, but Yue¡¯er only has eyes for others and has no place for me.¡± Chapter 1923 - 1923 Embarrassed 1923 Embarrassed Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears turned red. At this point, he is still in the mood to tease me. She subconsciously glanced at Yan Qing. Yan Qing looked down and pretended to be invisible. His Highness and the Princess Consort are newlyweds. The two of them hadn¡¯t been alone for long before they rushed here. During this period of time, the two of them were busy with everything. Perhaps they didn¡¯t even have the chance to talk properly together. It¡¯s normal for His Highness to be like this. Although Yan Qing didn¡¯t understand love, he understood His Highness. Chu Liuyue knew her man very well. Hence, she could only sigh helplessly. She walked over and held Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. ¡°Hubby, what are you talking about? Haven¡¯t I been accompanying you for the past few days? It¡¯s your turn to accompany me this time, okay?¡± She was deliberately teasing him, so she deliberately softened her voice. Her tone was soft and innocent. Every syllable lingered in his ears like a feather that gently swept across his heart. Rong Xiu smiled and held her hand. Her hands were slender and soft. When she approached, the unique faint fragrance on her body wafted over, refreshing. Rong Xiu looked at her bright and smiling eyes and was tempted. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll follow you wherever you want to go, Madam.¡± As he spoke, he stood up and held her hand tightly. He then rubbed his fingertips gently against the back of her hand. His generous response made Chu Liuyue feel embarrassed. She coughed and gathered her thoughts. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go over now.¡± Luo Yan and the others were locked in the dungeon of Yue Manor. They all knew the place. The two of them walked out hand in hand, with Yan Qing following. The three of them walked in the direction of the dungeon in the backyard. As soon as they walked out of the courtyard, they bumped into Xiao Ba and Shi Fang, who had just returned. Yan Qing looked up and was shocked. The two of them looked as if they had just experienced a calamity; they were covered in dirt. There were also many mud stains on Xiao Ba¡¯s exquisite and gorgeous skirt. She looked like she had just come out of the mud. Shi Fang always liked to mess with the vegetable garden, often looking like this. However, Xiao Ba was famous for being clean and beautiful. Usually, if there were a few more creases on her dress, she would feel uncomfortable for a long time. Now that she suddenly appeared in such an image, it was no wonder that an iceberg like Yan Qing was filled with surprise. But because Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were in front, Xiao Ba and Shi Fang didn¡¯t notice him at first. Seeing the two of them like this, Chu Liuyue was surprised and heartbroken. She hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°Xiao Ba, Shi Fang, what are you¡ª¡± She knew that the two of them had gone out two days ago, but she didn¡¯t expect them to return in such a sorry state. ¡°Master!¡± When Xiao Ba saw Chu Liuyue, she immediately wanted to pounce on the latter. But before she could move, she recalled her current appearance. She sighed dejectedly, spread her hands, and whined aggrievedly. ¡°Master, look¡ªI¡¯m so pitiful!¡± Although she said that she was pitiful, her beautiful eyes were still bright and sparkling. Even her dirty appearance couldn¡¯t hide her enchanting elegance. Chu Liuyue went forward and gently pinched her face. ¡°I knew Xiao Ba was the best!¡± Xiao Ba immediately narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. Although the filth is driving me crazy¡­ It¡¯s worth it to hear this! Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly. Shi Fang leaned forward and waited expectantly for his master¡¯s praise. However, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Fang Shi, how did you take care of your Eighth Sister?¡± Shi Fang: ??? Everyone clearly did the same thing, and I even did more than Eighth Sister. Why is the treatment completely different? Xiao Ba glanced at him smugly. Shi Fang is still too young. It has been so many years, but he still hasn¡¯t recognized his status? ¡°I¡­ I was wrong¡­¡± Shi Fang also felt aggrieved. Chu Liuyue nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Your Eighth Sister usually can¡¯t stand this filth. Look at how much trouble she¡¯s been through. In the future, let her do less dirty work.¡± Shi Fang endured it and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°But only Eighth Sister knows how to take care of those herbs the best¡­¡± How could she not do this personally? Although I know a lot, most of the time, it¡¯s better for Eighth Sister to do it. Xiao Ba pursed her lips, and her eyes sparkled as if water could drip from them. Just as she was hesitating about whether she should continue to lean toward her master, she suddenly heard Rong Xiu say, ¡°Yan Qing, go over and clean up that side first.¡± Hearing this name, Xiao Ba froze. She turned around stiffly and saw in despair that there was a person standing behind the two of them like an ice cube. Yan Qing said, ¡°Yes!¡± With that, as if sensing Xiao Ba¡¯s gaze, he looked over. They stared at each other for an instant. Xiao Ba almost fainted. What do I look like now? What am I like now?! They hadn¡¯t interacted since the last quarrel. Xiao Ba originally thought that she had to find an opportunity to get back at him. Unexpectedly, this opportunity didn¡¯t come but an embarrassing one came instead! Thinking of her unkempt and disheveled appearance, she looked at him again! Xiao Ba was about to break down. She had never felt so embarrassed before! ¡°Master, I suddenly remembered that I still have something to do. I¡¯ll take my leave first!¡± Xiao Ba quickly said this and turned to leave! Her footsteps were hurried, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone. ¡°Hey! Xiao Ba¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue originally wanted to say more, but Xiao Ba left just like that. Her hand grabbed at the air, then withdrew. ¡°She¡¯s in such a hurry¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered strangely. Wasn¡¯t she fine just now? ¡°Shi Fang, has anything happened to Xiao Ba in the past two days?¡± Shi Fang pointed to the sky and swore, ¡°No, I swear. As you know, we all care about Eighth Sister the most. If there¡¯s anything, how can we not know?¡± After experiencing reality, Shi Fang had already recognized everything. Xiao Ba didn¡¯t look like she was in trouble¡­ Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Then, let her be for now. You¡¯ve been tired for a long time; go back and rest well.¡± Her comforting words immediately brought tears to Shi Fang¡¯s eyes. Master still cares about me! He nodded vigorously. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry! Most of the things outside have been dealt with. Third Brother has already sent someone to take over the rest. I believe it will recover quickly.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ll specially reserve a mountain for you as a vegetable garden later.¡± Shi Fang was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± With that, he didn¡¯t stay any longer and quickly left happily. Chu Liuyue gently exhaled and glanced at Yan Qing, who had yet to leave. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go over together.¡± Chapter 1924 - 1924 Interrogation 1924 Interrogation Yan Qing responded, but he felt a little strange. In the beginning, His Highness planned to go together with me. For some reason, he suddenly suggested that I clean up first. If His Highness really had such plans, he would¡¯ve said it long ago and would never suddenly suggest it halfway. Yan Qing quickly glanced at His Highness. His Highness was still handsome and calm, with a faint smile on his lips. ¡°Since Yue¡¯er doesn¡¯t mind, we¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Yan Qing: ¡°¡­¡± What is His Highness doing with this feint? However, His Highness¡¯s thoughts have always been unpredictable¡­ Yan Qing only thought for a moment before quickly putting away his thoughts. He followed the two of them respectfully, but he suddenly recalled the scene just now. I heard that Shi Fang and Xiao Ba had gone outside the city to deal with the plants and herbs. It seems that it was indeed quite difficult¡­ He had chanced upon some news about the Thirteen Yue Guard before and knew that they each specialized in different fields. Shi Fang usually liked to grow vegetables, but he actually knew the geography of mountains and rivers very well. He also knew how to plan and deal with the messy mountain forest. As for Xiao Ba, she liked to refine pills but was different from ordinary heavenly doctors. She preferred to think about those strange herbs and prescriptions. If the two of them worked together, they could help San San solve many problems. Regarding the rebuilding of Peach Blossom Dock, His Highness had made it clear from the beginning that there was no need for their people to take action. At first, Yan Qing was a little worried. But after a few days, he was surprised to discover that the Thirteen Yue Guards were indeed able to handle these matters in an orderly manner. It could even be said to be outstanding. The group of subordinates beside Chu Liuyue looked ordinary, but when they really encountered trouble, they were all very useful. This made Yan Qing look at Chu Liuyue and the Thirteen Yue Guards in a new light and admire them. At this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around and glanced at Yan Qing. Yan Qing was sharp, immediately sensing it, and he looked up. ¡°Princess Consort?¡± Chu Liuyue gazed suspiciously at him as if thinking about something. Yan Qing was confused. Chu Liuyue knew Xiao Ba very well. Xiao Ba has always cared a lot about her image, but when she is doing serious business, she wouldn¡¯t care about this. And this time¡­ At first, she was still very normal. Later, she seemed to have suddenly changed her attitude after hearing Rong Xiu call Yan Qing. ¡°Yan Qing, our Xiao Ba is usually a little impatient, but she¡¯s very kind and a good girl. If she offended you before, I¡¯ll apologize to you on her behalf first.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that Xiao Ba had been looking for trouble with Yan Qing recently. However, Xiao Ba had always known her limits, so she didn¡¯t interfere. Moreover, there had been a lot of things to do recently, so she had forgotten about this for a moment. Now that she saw their reactions, she suddenly remembered. Perhaps they really had a misunderstanding? Yan Qing immediately cupped his hands. ¡°Princess Consort, you¡¯re too kind. Miss Xiao Ba is very good. It¡¯s all my fault¡ª¡± For offending her¡­ Yan Qing thought for a moment but didn¡¯t say these words. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for speaking inappropriately and offending Miss Xiao Ba.¡± He still felt that the fact that he had misunderstood her wasn¡¯t very honorable to say. Therefore, he only mentioned it briefly. Hearing his words, Chu Liuyue instantly felt much more at ease. Yan Qing¡¯s personality has always been to say whatever is on his mind. It seems that there is indeed nothing serious. But for some reason¡­ I still feel that it¡¯s a little strange¡­ ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Rong Xiu held her hand and reminded her. Returning to her senses, Chu Liuyue gathered her chaotic thoughts and looked ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± ¡­ The dungeon of Yue Manor had been there from the beginning. After San San bought Yue Manor, it was renovated, including the dungeon. According to him, everything he prepared for his master had to be the best! And so¡­ The defense of this dungeon was far beyond the imagination of ordinary people. There were as many as six Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask how San San did this. In Peach Blossom Dock, there was no lack of all kinds of capable people. It was his ability to find them and ask them to help. After detaining Luo Yan and the others here, San San sent some more people to stand guard here. Of course, more importantly, Chu Liuyue could rest assured because she had already done something to these people when she locked them up. Although these four people were still at the legendary warrior realm, they couldn¡¯t condense the force in their bodies and were basically no different from cripples. ¡­ The dungeon was very spacious and empty. The three of them passed through layers of checkpoints and arrived at the deepest part of the dungeon. Along the way, clear footsteps echoed back and forth, making the entire dungeon seem even emptier and more eerie. Before Chu Liuyue saw the people, she could already smell a strong sweet scent. After walking for a distance, Yan Qing consciously stopped and was in charge of guarding. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue continued walking inside. The cells here were all made of fine iron and were connected to each other. However, the four people from the Nan family were locked up in different places. Not only could they not see each other, but they couldn¡¯t even hear each other¡¯s voices. This was also convenient to defeat them one by one. Finally, the two of them arrived at the door of a cell. Through the bars and wards, they could clearly see what was happening inside. ¡°He¡¯s Nan Hongyang,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chu Liuyue nodded. At this moment, Nan Hongyang was curled up on the ground, covered in blood. It was obvious that he had suffered a lot of torture. Anyone who saw it would find it difficult to believe that this was actually a legendary warrior. Hearing the voice, Nan Hongyang moved and looked up. Chapter 1925 - 1925 Secret 1925 Secret Under the dim candlelight, Chu Liuyue saw the blood streaks on his face and his shocked and horrified eyes. Nan Hongyang almost instinctively opened his eyes and continued curling up, but it was a pity that his hands and feet were already broken. He couldn¡¯t move at all and could only struggle weakly. It seemed like he was really very disheveled and miserable. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Before she came, she had already thought that Yan Qing must¡¯ve used quite a number of methods to get Nan Hongyang¡¯s mouth to speak. But when she truly saw it, she was still very surprised. It wasn¡¯t that she thought the scene very bloody or cruel; rather, she was shocked that Yan Qing could actually leave so many injuries on Nan Hongyang. A legendary warrior¡¯s physical strength is very good. Even if Nan Hongyang can¡¯t circulate his force now, he should be able to endure the beatings. To be able to cause him to end up in this state, Yan Qing must have¡­ Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. No wonder he is Rong Xiu¡¯s confidant. To be able to reach his current position, Yan Qing naturally has methods of exceeding excellence, and he is definitely not as simple as he seems on the surface. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. We didn¡¯t come for you this time.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly, and her tone was warm. But at this point, her appearance was no different from a demon to Nan Hongyang. ¡°I-it¡¯s you guys?!¡± Nan Hongyang then saw clearly that the incoming person wasn¡¯t Yan Qing but Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue! This didn¡¯t relax his nervous heart and instead made him even more terrified. He clearly remembered that the person who drugged him and caused him not to be able to circulate his force was the woman before him! He was extremely infuriated, but he was currently on the chopping board and was at their disposal. He did not dare to be too overboard. He knew that once he angered these two people, his ending would be a hundred times more miserable! ¡°I-I¡¯ve already said all that I could! What else do you want?!¡± Nan Hongyang¡¯s entire body tensed up, and his throat was hoarse as if it contained endless anger and vengeance. But perhaps he was worried that someone else would hear it, so he lowered his voice when he said this. Chu Liuyue snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We don¡¯t want to do anything. We just came¡­ to thank you.¡± Her eyes curved up and sparkled as the corner of her lips curled up with a very genuine attitude. I really came to thank him. With Nan Hongyang¡¯s statement, when we fight with the Nan family, we won¡¯t lose. Chu Liuyue thought very highly of someone who helped so much. Her words undoubtedly stabbed a knife into Nan Hongyang¡¯s heart harshly. His face instantly turned pale. ¡°Y-you¡­ Since I already said it, y-you should just end me!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. Tsk, I wonder what Yan Qing did to force Nan Hongyang into this state. When someone was better dead than alive, they would beg for death without reservations. It was a pity that Chu Liuyue had no such plans. She shook her head in extreme regret. ¡°You haven¡¯t said those words in front of the Nan family head, so how can you die now? Don¡¯t worry. During this period of time, we will send people to take good care of you.¡± Nan Hongyang¡¯s entire body trembled intensely, and endless horror surged out of his eyes! If that is really so, then I¡­ ¡°No! You¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t give him a chance to rebut as she waved her hands and turned to walk away. She let Nan Hongyang scream and shout all he wanted as both she and Rong Xiu pretended that they didn¡¯t hear anything. And this voice quickly disappeared. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t turn around and passed by the remaining two legendary warriors to reach the innermost room. Luo Yan was inside, sitting with his back facing the door. His situation was rather different from Nan Hongyang. His cell didn¡¯t have many messy bloodstains. He himself did not experience much torture and just sat there in good shape. Chu Liuyue understood that there was not much use in torturing such a person. She had to think of another method. ¡°Luo Yan,¡± Chu Liuyue called out. Hearing her voice, Luo Yan didn¡¯t move and ignored it. Chu Liuyue did not mind that and continued, ¡°That day, you should¡¯ve already known that Nan Yiyi¡¯s death had nothing to do with us, right?¡± Luo Yan still had no reaction. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Actually, since you¡¯ve already personally killed Nan Yuxing¡­ From a certain point of view, you have already avenged the woman you liked, right?¡± This nonchalant sentence caused Luo Yan to turn around. His expression was very complicated. Shock, anger, embarrassment, vengeance¡­ However, these emotions just flashed across his eyes. After a moment, he coldly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± As he didn¡¯t speak in quite a few days, his voice was very hoarse and bitter. Chu Liuyue looked at him, and her eyes were bright and sharp like knives that directly cut through his last layer of disguise! ¡°You should know very clearly how Nan Yuxing healed his Yuan meridian in such a short period of time and broke through to become a legendary warrior, right? Even I can feel that his body has Nan Yiyi¡¯s aura. Luo Yan, how could you not notice it?¡± Luo Yan did not speak and slowly clenched his fists. Chu Liuyue¡¯s every word was like a nail that stabbed into his heart precisely! His arm was bloody! ¡°During this period of time, we didn¡¯t even see the people from the Nan family, let alone attack them. How did Nan Yiyi die, and how did her outstanding Yuan meridian get transplanted into her biological brother¡¯s body¡­ Luo Yan, I don¡¯t think I have to tell you what the truth really is, right?¡± Chu Liuyue bent down slightly, leaned in, and lightly asked, ¡°So this is how you like Nan Yiyi?¡± Luo Yan clenched his fists tightly, and his body trembled slightly. It seemed like a string had tensed up in his mind! Rong Xiu suddenly asked lightly, ¡°Luo Yan, if Nan Yiyi¡¯s biological mother found out that you had such thoughts about Nan Yiyi and still let her die unknowingly, how do you think she will look at you when you meet in the underworld? Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re her biological elder brother.¡± With this sentence, Luo Yan¡¯s expression changed suddenly! Luo Yan stood up and stared at Rong Xiu in shock as he clenched his teeth and asked, ¡°What else do you know?!¡± Chapter 1926 - 1926 Chapter 1924, Baby, You Cant Miss a Single One 1926 Chapter 1924, Baby, You Can¡¯t Miss a Single One Hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s words, Chu Liuyue also turned around and looked at him in shock. What does he mean? Luo Yan is the biological brother of Nan Yiyi¡¯s birth mother? Nan Yiyi and Nan Yuxing¡¯s mother was called Ye Die, and she was the mistress of the Nan family. Not long after Nan Yiyi was born, she passed on. Thus, Nan Yifan especially doted on this daughter. There had always been rumors outside that Luo Yan was Ye Die¡¯s distant relative. As he had no family members or dependence but was very outstandingly talented, he was brought to the Nan family and became half a Nan family member. All these years, Luo Yan indeed didn¡¯t disappoint the crowd as he successfully broke through to become a legendary warrior. And with his relationship with Ye Die, his status in the Nan family was even more prestigious. That was also why he especially took care of Nan Yiyi and Nan Yuxing. However, Chu Liuyue never expected Luo Yan to be Ye Die¡¯s biological brother. And seeing Luo Yan¡¯s reaction, it was clearly true! Understanding this, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but gasp. If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ Luo Yan liked Nan Yiyi¡­ No wonder he refused to admit it previously! If the world finds out about such a thing, his and Nan Yiyi¡¯s reputation will be completely ruined! Even if Nan Yiyi is already dead, Luo Yan is still alive! Once one is tainted with such a reputation, it would be too hard to erase it! Just as Chu Liuyue was shocked on her own, Luo Yan was almost breaking down in the cell. Rong Xiu¡¯s sentence directly broke the last string in his mind! Large amounts of shock and horror surged up his heart! He was indeed Ye Die¡¯s biological brother. To be more accurate, he was her biological brother with the same father but a different mother. He was the illegitimate son of Ye Die¡¯s father. All these years, he had hidden this identity very well. Other than his father and Ye Die, nobody else knew about it. These two people had already passed on for dozens of years, so this secret had basically been buried in the passage of time and wouldn¡¯t see the light of day. Ye Die was very nice to him, but it was a pity that she passed on early. Later on, he wanted to take good care of her two children, especially Nan Yiyi. When Nan Yiyi was born, she looked very similar to Ye Die, so he naturally doted on her more. Even he never expected that as the days passed, his feelings would actually change silently. He did not dare to face it and hid it deeply. He had never hoped for anything. He couldn¡¯t figure out how Rong Xiu knew! Luo Yan¡¯s composure and calmness had completely disappeared at this moment! He stared at Rong Xiu with a crazy expression, as if he couldn¡¯t wait for the latter to die. However, it was a pity that such an attack had no use on Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was normal, his demonically handsome face half-dark under the dim light. From Luo Yan¡¯s point of view, he was akin to the King of Hell who came from hell. ¡°If Nan Yifan knew these things, he wouldn¡¯t¡­ let you stay either, right?¡± Rong Xiu said lightly, raising his brows and laughing. ¡°Oh, that might not be the case. After all, Nan Yiyi died in his hands. No matter what, he¡¯s the one who let down Nan Yiyi the most. What right does he have to reprimand you?¡± The dim and suppressed cell was deadly quiet. Chu Liuyue could only hear hurried breaths. Luo Yan grabbed the wall with one hand as his other hand grabbed his chest. He was bent down slightly, breathing heavily. All the disgusting and almost suffocating smells swarmed up his nose, but he had no feeling. Rong Xiu¡¯s words were like a sharp blade that ripped open the last disguise he used to numb himself. Nan Yifan¡­ It¡¯s really him! Yeah, if it¡¯s not him, who else could it be? He was the duo¡¯s biological father. When Nan Yuxing was recovering, he accompanied him the whole time. If he didn¡¯t do it, he would have long detected something amiss! However, he did not do anything. It was too calm, and he wanted to hide it from everyone! The overwhelming pain attacked Luo Yan, and it was like tidal waves that completely drowned him. ¡­ Chu Liuyue also knitted her brows. She had previously guessed if it would be Nan Yifan¡¯s doing, but she didn¡¯t dare to confirm it till the end. After all, that was his own biological daughter and the apple of his eye that he doted on. She still clearly remembered the face filled with pain and sorrow when Nan Yifan saw Nan Yiyi injured¡ªthat wasn¡¯t a pretense. This was also the reason why it was even more unbelievable when he did this. One was the front of his palm and the other his back. How could he do it? Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. Since Rong Xiu has said this, he should¡¯ve confirmed it. It¡¯s highly likely that he might even know who did it. Stealing one¡¯s Yuan meridian and transplanting it into someone else¡¯s body is very complicated and takes a lot of energy. Nan Yifan isn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, so he definitely didn¡¯t do it personally. In actual fact, in the entire God Residence Realm, not many people have such abilities. After a while, Luo Yan finally straightened his body. Chu Liuyue noticed that because he used his force, his hand on the wall had become badly mangled from the grip. ¡°What do you want to ask, and what do you want me to do?¡± asked Luo Yan slowly. His face looked defeated as if all his energy had been sucked away at that moment. His entire person collapsed, and he looked like the walking dead. At this moment, he knew that he had no strength to do anything. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue exchanged a glance. Chu Liuyue then lightly nodded and took a step forward as she asked, ¡°This time, Nan Yifan is the one who instigated you to come and assassinate us, right?¡± Luo Yan nodded. Previously, he didn¡¯t say it because he harbored one last tinge of hope. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s words completely shattered everything. The Nan family? Nan Yifan? They are the culprits who killed Nan Yiyi! Now that my thoughts¡ªwhich I hid with my life¡ªare already discovered, why do I need to hide it? I don¡¯t want to live anymore, and those people¡­ should all go down with me! A hint of craziness slowly flowed out of Luo Yan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nan Yifan should not have such skills himself. Do you know who he asked?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. Luo Yan closed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Back then, he accompanied Nan Yiyi to the Sky-Cloud Empire. After being rejected at the door, he convinced Nan Yiyi to go back with much difficulty. However, the two of them were attacked on a mountain near the Sky-Cloud Empire. At that time, he also fell into a coma. When he woke up again, he was at the Nan family. It was also at that time that he heard about Nan Yiyi¡¯s death. He also didn¡¯t know what happened in between. Chu Liuyue did not ask further. It seems like Luo Yan really doesn¡¯t know, but since he is willing to admit that Nan Yifan was the one who instigated them this time, it is enough. One just has to think to understand that Nan Yifan wouldn¡¯t easily tell anyone about something so secretive. Chu Liuyue stretched her hand out. ¡°That item doesn¡¯t have much use with you. Why don¡¯t you give it to me?¡± Luo Yan was first dazed and then realized what Chu Liuyue had said. She wants the Flying Cloud Painting! Chapter 1927 - 1927 Madam is Most Important 1927 Madam is Most Important Chu Liuyue was indeed eyeing the Flying Cloud Painting. What a joke! Who wouldn¡¯t want a treasure that was one of the ten holy weapons? Although she was busy dealing with the God-Destroying Tribulation that day, she still noticed this thing. Now that Luo Yan was in their hands, the Flying Cloud Painting naturally had to be handed over. Luo Yan didn¡¯t move for a moment. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°What, can¡¯t bear to?¡± Luo Yan took a deep breath. At this point, how could he bear to part with it? He took out a red scroll and handed it over. A golden-red flame flew out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and transformed into a vine. It crossed the barrier, wrapped around the scroll, and pulled it over. Luo Yan took one last look at the Flying Cloud Painting. Originally, he wanted to find an opportunity to escape. But after hearing their words, he completely gave up on this idea. Whether he went out or stayed, the best outcome for him was to die immediately. Chu Liuyue held the Flying Cloud Painting in her hand and weighed it in her hand. It was very light. One of the ten holy weapons, the Flying Cloud Painting, the treasure of the Nan family¡­ It actually landed in my hands so easily. The corners of her lips slightly curled up as she asked Luo Yan some more questions. Most of them were related to the Nan family. Luo Yan answered most of them, his heart already dead. He hated Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. If he hadn¡¯t met them in the God Residence Realm, Nan Yiyi definitely wouldn¡¯t have taken the path that followed. He also hated Nan Yifan. For the sake of Nan Yuxing and the position of family head, he had actually killed Nan Yiyi! Therefore, he decided to go all out and tell them everything he knew. He wanted both sides to fight to the death! ¡­ About an hour later, they left the dungeon. Luo Yan didn¡¯t beg to die, although he did want to. However, he still wanted to see how these things would develop in the end! So in the end, he sat there in silence, just like before. Yan Qing¡ªwho was standing guard outside¡ªheard the footsteps and immediately came forward. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort.¡± Seeing the smile on the princess consort¡¯s face, Yan Qing instantly understood that everything should be going smoothly. He felt some admiration. Previously, I had used all kinds of methods but failed to get Luo Yan to speak. As soon as His Highness and the Princess Consort went, they found out. After walking out, Chu Liuyue turned around and took a look. ¡°It looks like we have to send more people later.¡± She didn¡¯t want these people to die so quickly. Rong Xiu nodded in agreement, but he didn¡¯t say that he wanted to help. This was Yue Manor, so she was still in charge. Moreover, there were many people in Yue Manor who could be used now, so it really wasn¡¯t his turn. ¡°Do you really want to keep Luo Yan alive?¡± he asked with a smile. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Of course. Although Nan Hongyang can also be a witness, he¡¯s obviously not as convincing as Luo Yan. Besides¡­ Didn¡¯t he say so much just to see us fight with the Nan family? Then, I¡¯ll give him this chance. It¡¯ll fulfill his dream.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was light. She knew exactly what Luo Yan was thinking, but she didn¡¯t care. Nan Yuxing and Nan Yiyi were both dead, and Luo Yan and the others were either dead or injured. Needless to say, the Flying Cloud Painting had also fallen into her hands. This time, the Nan family had suffered heavy losses. They would definitely not let this go. A fierce battle was inevitable. Rong Xiu nodded with a faint smile. ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re still a little excited?¡± ¡°Do I? Is it that obvious?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. I¡¯ve only heard that the Nan family has a lot of treasures¡­ Rong Xiu held her hand. ¡°Since we¡¯re done here, you should give me some time, Yue¡¯er.¡± With that, he pulled her back. Yan Qing suddenly recalled Xiao Ba¡¯s teasing smile and stopped in his tracks. ¡­ Chu Liuyue was indeed relieved and was in a good mood after obtaining the Flying Cloud Painting, so she let Rong Xiu do whatever he wanted. In the end, this commotion lasted until nighttime. Dusk¡ªthe lanterns in Yue Manor had just been lit. In the room, Chu Liuyue leaned into Rong Xiu¡¯s arms with her silky black hair spread out. The candlelight made her look even more picturesque and beautiful. She reached out from under the blanket. Her jade-like arm was very slender, delicate, and fair. The brocade blanket slid down a few degrees, revealing a few red marks on her collarbone. Rong Xiu lowered his eyes to take a look. His breathing was slightly hot as he pulled her into his arms again. Chu Liuyue turned around and glared at him angrily. Unfortunately, this glance wasn¡¯t intimidating at all. Instead, it carried the innocence and passion unique to a young girl, making it especially seductive. Rong Xiu grabbed her hand and was tempted. Just as he was about to turn her over, she immediately said, ¡°No! I still have things to do!¡± Rong Xiu chuckled and pulled her hand to his lips to kiss it gently. His voice was low and hoarse. ¡°What is it?¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her hand and hurriedly found an excuse. ¡°I-I haven¡¯t taken a good look at the Flying Cloud Painting yet!¡± Initially, she was very curious about this thing and planned to come back and take a good look. But before she could do so, Rong Xiu grabbed her. Rong Xiu hummed in a low voice. He seemed to be smiling but also a little nonchalant as he kissed her fingers carefully. It was as if the Flying Cloud Painting, one of the top ten holy weapons, wasn¡¯t as important as kissing her hand. ¡°Go ahead.¡± He wrapped his arm around her and shifted her into a more comfortable position, having her lie in his arms. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered to retract her hand. With a thought, she took out the Flying Cloud Painting from her Cosmic Ring. The furled-up red scroll was about ten feet long. The handles at both ends were carved into the shape of auspicious clouds. It looked like an ordinary painting. She lightly swung her other hand, and the Flying Cloud Painting unfolded! Chapter 1928 - 1928 Thousands of Treasures 1928 Thousands of Treasures The Flying Cloud Painting was about 30 feet long. It was blank and enveloped in a faint red glow. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°There¡¯s actually a restriction.¡± Rong Xiu laughed. ¡°After all, it¡¯s one of the top ten holy weapons. The Nan family values it very much, so it¡¯s normal to have restrictions.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and carefully examined the scroll in front of her. Other than the layer of restrictions on it, there is almost no energy fluctuation. Even if it is released, it should be very difficult for anyone to guess that this is actually a holy weapon. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and then sat up. Rong Xiu was a little reluctant, but he still let go of her and helped put on her coat. His slightly calloused fingers brushed the side of her delicate and smooth shoulder, leaving only a fragrance. After putting on her clothes, Chu Liuyue got off the bed. At the same time, she waved her hand, and the transparent Heavenly Square Cauldron appeared in the room. She grabbed the Flying Cloud Painting and threw it in. Swoosh! The transparent Karmic fire suddenly burned, instantly devouring the red scroll! Rong Xiu leaned against the head of the bed in a lazy posture. One of his long legs was bent, and the blanket slipped off, revealing the large marble-like chest. He tilted his head slightly and watched with interest. Standing beside the Heavenly Square Cauldron, Chu Liuyue stared at it intently. In her bright and resplendent eyes, there was a soaring fire as bright as the galaxy. A moment later, a faint crack sounded. Ka! Immediately after, the layer of light enveloping the red scroll shattered like ice! Chu Liuyue raised her hand. The Flying Cloud Painting flew out again and landed in her hand! Swoosh! She unfolded it again! This time, without the barrier, she could finally see what this thing really looked like. She couldn¡¯t help but be shocked, and her eyes widened slightly. Under the white silk cloth, countless strong and bright colors were spread out and intertwined with each other. It looked like a painting, but it wasn¡¯t. It was as if someone had accidentally broken the paint board and laid out all the colors together. At a glance, it was messy, but there was an indescribable beauty. Chu Liuyue was a little stunned. ¡°The Flying Cloud Painting¡­ So that¡¯s how it is?¡± She subconsciously stretched out her hand. When her fingertips touched it, she realized that the pattern on it was uneven. ¡°No, this is¡­ a Xuan formation?¡± She leaned closer and took a closer look. Only then did she see that the chaotic colors on it were actually small Xuan formations! The entire scroll was divided into countless tiny fingernail-sized areas by transparent threads. In these areas, different Xuan formations were drawn. The patterns were fine, exquisite, dense, and almost indistinguishable. Even with her eyesight, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see clearly when she stood close. After staring at the dazzling Xuan formations for a while, she suddenly extended a finger and pointed at a small area. She injected a stream of force into it. Immediately after, a beam of light flew out from her fingertips! A huge Xuan formation quickly spread out in front of her, and a powerful pressure spread from the Xuan formation! Chu Liuyue held her breath and immediately looked up at the Xuan formation. A distant roar came from inside and lingered in her ears. She gasped in disbelief. ¡°Four Symbols Formation?!¡± This was a Xuan formation that only a Great King Xuan Master could construct! She had once seen the Xuan formation diagram of the Four Symbols Formation in Ling Xiao Academy, but at that time, her realm was insufficient. Thus, she only took a few glances before putting it down. But at that time, she had memorized a portion of the Xuan formation. Therefore, when she saw the Xuan formation in front of her, she recognized it at a glance. And this was just an inconspicuous small pattern on the Flying Cloud Painting¡­ She looked at the Flying Cloud Painting again. A bold guess suddenly appeared in her mind, making her heart beat faster. Holding her breath, she reached out and gently tapped another spot. Swoosh! A faint sound of air breaking could be heard. Another stream of light extended¡ªit was also an incomparably complicated Xuan formation! ¡°Heaven Reversal Formation!¡± Chu Liuyue muttered in shock. The level of this Xuan formation was the same as the Four Symbols Formation! She paused for a moment before pursing her lips and pointing to the third spot. A bright Xuan formation¡ªlarger than the previous two¡ªappeared in front of her! The pressure on it was clearly stronger than the Four Symbols Formation and the Heaven Reversal Formation! ¡°This is¡­¡± She was almost dazzled. ¡°Lightning Pattern Formation.¡± A low, pleasant voice came from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°This is¡­ a Grandmaster-level Xuan formation?¡± Rong Xiu smiled faintly and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue remained silent for a while. A Grandmaster¡­ All these years, she had only seen one Grandmaster-level expert, and that was her master: Nan Suhuai! It was also because of this identity that Nan Suhuai¡¯s status in the God Residence Realm was very high. Xuan Masters were rare to begin with, and people of this level were even rarer! It took an unknown amount of strength and spirit to construct a Grandmaster-level profound formation, but just now, she had only tapped her finger gently and injected a strand of her force. Then¡ª Chu Liuyue heard her heart beating violently. She gazed again at the brilliant, intense color. There were at least a thousand Xuan formations on it, and among them, any one of them was a Xuan formation at the Great King Xuan Master level! Not to mention, there were even higher-level Xuan formations! ¡°The Flying Cloud Painting¡­ So this is the real Flying Cloud Painting!¡± Chapter 1929 - 1929 Purpose 1929 Purpose Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t hide her shock. She had heard of the Flying Cloud Painting. Among the famous holy weapons, the Flying Cloud Painting was actually very inconspicuous. This was because it had almost no combat strength, and it was almost equivalent to a mobile transportation formation. Apart from being able to send people away at critical moments and save lives, it was useless most of the time. And even this might not be completed every time. Didn¡¯t Luo Yan and the others fail previously? Because the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock had collapsed and the Flying Cloud Painting had been disturbed by her, it had forcefully cut them off again. From the looks of it, its title of being one of the top ten holy weapons was really a little weak. The reason why Chu Liuyue took it from Luo Yan was actually because of the principle of not letting go of any treasure. She was also a little curious. Speaking of expectations for this thing¡­ she really didn¡¯t have any. She already had the Heavenly Square Cauldron, and it was the most famous among the ten holy weapons. So when she looked at the others, they were actually just so-so. However, she never expected¡­ It turned out that there was such a secret hidden in the Flying Cloud Painting! What did it mean to have so many high-level Xuan formations densely arranged together? It had to be known that mobilizing these Xuan formations only required one injection of force! A Great King Xuan Master had to work hard and spend a lot of effort to outline a Xuan formation. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t even as good as a light tap on the Flying Cloud Painting! This was simply a fundamental suppression! This was a true treasure! Even Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had seen countless treasures¡ªwas a little stunned. This Flying Cloud Painting had greatly exceeded her imagination! It was rare for Rong Xiu to see her reaction, so he admired it for a while. He liked it very much, so he endured it and restrained himself from pulling her back. ¡°There¡¯s naturally a reason why the Flying Cloud Painting can be included in the top ten holy weapons.¡± A smile appeared on his lips as if it had spread between his eyebrows again, rubbing away some of the ambiguous spring color. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at him. ¡°¡­You knew?¡± Rong Xiu laughed and shook his head. ¡°This is also the first time I¡¯ve seen the Flying Cloud Painting. However, I did know long ago that Nan Yifan valued this thing very much. Now, I finally understand why.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand gently brushed across the Flying Cloud Painting. The three Xuan formations quickly flew back. It looked no different from the beginning. The waves in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time. She was a Xuan Master. She knew too well what shocking combat strength such a treasure had! It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that it was one against 10,000! ¡°That¡¯s right. The Nan family is so arrogant, so how can something that catches their eye be ordinary¡­ That¡¯s true. Only with so many Xuan formations existing together can they have such a great power that can shatter space at any time.¡± Chu Liuyue gently exhaled. ¡°But this Flying Cloud Painting is so powerful. Why didn¡¯t Luo Yan and the others use it before?¡± Rong Xiu paused for a moment. ¡°The Flying Cloud Painting belongs to the Nan family. If I¡¯m not wrong, Nan Yifan should¡¯ve given it to Nan Yuxing in the beginning to use it just in case. But later on, perhaps Luo Yan said or did something to get this Flying Cloud Painting into his hands. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know the true use of this Flying Cloud Painting and wasted an opportunity to escape.¡± If he had been able to use these Xuan formations back then¡­ Even if the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock had collapsed, they wouldn¡¯t have been stopped by Chu Liuyue¡¯s power and would¡¯ve left successfully. Chu Liuyue nodded in acknowledgment. When I took this thing, the restriction on it indeed didn¡¯t have Luo Yan¡¯s aura. ¡°This time, the Nan family has suffered such heavy losses. Nan Yifan shouldn¡¯t have zero reaction.¡± After staring at the Flying Cloud Painting for a while, Chu Liuyue finally put it away. ¡°I wonder what they¡¯re planning to do this time.¡± Nan Yifan must¡¯ve received the news long ago and should know what has happened here. However, they have yet to move. This is really abnormal. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with whatever comes our way.¡± His tone was a little casual, and his eyebrows were relaxed as if he didn¡¯t think this would pose any threat. Chu Liuyue blinked. I¡¯m a little curious about what Rong Xiu has on Nan Yifan¡­ ¡°By the way, why hasn¡¯t there been any news from Black Demon Hole?¡± She suddenly thought of something and asked curiously, That day, she had clearly seen the totem of Black Demon Hole appear between Mo Yun¡¯s eyebrows. The entire Black Sword Sect should be the power of Black Demon Hole. For some reason, they secretly sent some people to build a so-called Black Sword Sect in Peach Blossom Dock. On the one hand, they were constantly absorbing all kinds of cultivation geniuses. On the other hand, they were coveting these treasures at the foot of Peach Blossom Dock. Chu Liuyue could understand the reasoning behind the latter matter. What they wanted to fight for should be those blue crystals, but they didn¡¯t expect that she would intercept them in the end. However, she still didn¡¯t understand the former matter. ¡°Why did Black Demon Hole secretly absorb and rope in so many cultivators? The talented ones stayed behind, and the ordinary ones were directly killed¡­ What are they trying to do?¡± Thinking of the various scenes she had seen previously, she shuddered. In the past few years, Black Demon Hole seemed to have hidden itself from the world. But in fact, there were all kinds of hidden actions! Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°Do you remember when you got that shield?¡± Chapter 1930 - 1930 The Storm Is About to Rise 1930 The Storm Is About to Rise ¡°I remember.¡± She put away the Heavenly Square Cauldron and walked toward Rong Xiu. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Rong Xiu remarked, ¡°A portion of the people we fought at that time were also from Black Demon Hole.¡± Shock flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes before her expression returned to normal. ¡°¡­I should¡¯ve known¡­¡± At that time, there were all kinds of people in Peach Blossom Dock, so nobody knew each other¡¯s identities. Moreover, there were even more people involved in snatching treasures. It was impossible to investigate everyone¡¯s background. At that time, she didn¡¯t know that she had obtained a top-notch legendary weapon, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it after the matter was over. Now that I think about it, the people from Black Demon Hole had come for the black shield from the very beginning? Or perhaps, it was also for the music score in my body¡­ Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Rong Xiu reached out to her, hugged her, and kissed her between the eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter who comes, I¡¯m here.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced at him. ¡°You mean¡­ the people from Black Demon Hole and the Nan family will come here?¡± The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. She is always smart and can always guess what I mean immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re the only ones.¡± Rong Xiu held her waist and intertwined his fingers with hers. A dark look then flashed across his eyes. ¡°Peach Blossom Dock is a treasure land. Over the years, many people have coveted it, but they¡¯ve all suffered from the unstable barrier and haven¡¯t been able to make a move. Now that you¡¯ve taken down Peach Blossom Dock, it will undoubtedly attract the envy of many people.¡± Actually, she had already thought of this. Over the past few days, she had been asking Cen Yi and the others to deal with the various matters at Peach Blossom Dock in order to prepare for these impending crises. However, that might not be enough. ¡°The people from the Sky-Cloud Empire will be here soon. This Peach Blossom Dock is yours. Nobody can snatch it from you.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was light and slow, but it carried a powerful pressure that couldn¡¯t be disobeyed! There seemed to be waves surging in the depths of his eyes. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can keep my own things.¡± ¡­ The news regarding Chu Liuyue¡¯s occupation of Peach Blossom Dock quickly spread in the God Residence Realm. The various families were in an uproar and were shocked! Peach Blossom Dock¡ªthat was a piece of cake that countless people in the God Residence Realm were secretly watching! Abundant natural energy, excellent geographical location, endless resources that had never been developed and used¡­ It was simply an ideal new world! Even though countless people had returned in defeat over the years, there were still many people who held onto that little hope that they could find an opportunity to take Peach Blossom Dock for themselves. Most of the people who had this thought were from first-rate aristocratic families. Although the weaker ones had high hopes, they also knew that they had no chance of success. Countless people had thought of this question: Who would Peach Blossom Dock belong to in the end? All the top-notch aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm had such expectations of themselves. But now, before anyone could react, news had come that Peach Blossom Dock had been taken down. Moreover, the person who did it was Chu Liuyue! Who was she? The princess consort of Rong Xiu, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace! The personal disciple of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director, Nan Suhuai! The descendant of a supreme Armory Refinement Master, Shangguan Jing! This name had recently become famous in the entire God Residence Realm. It wasn¡¯t just due to these identities but also due to her close relationship with the two ancient legendary fiend clans! Who didn¡¯t know that her contracted legendary fiend was the Red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress? Everyone knew that the great phoenix dragon clan leader had specially gone to the Sky-Cloud Empire to send congratulatory gifts to her and Rong Xiu! Even so, it was still unbelievable that she had occupied Peach Blossom Dock. Not to mention it was rumored that she had relied on her own strength to reconstruct the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock! It was simply a fantasy! So many first-rate aristocratic families had once tried their best to take down Peach Blossom Dock, but they had all failed! What right did such a young woman have to do it? Nobody wanted to believe it. However, the subsequent news made them believe that the current Peach Blossom Dock was indeed completely under her control. ¡­ ¡°I heard that her subordinates are already in charge of the entire Peach Blossom Dock. The two entrances to Peach Blossom Dock, one connecting to the gate realm and the other facing the interior, are already guarded by her people. Anyone entering or leaving has to undergo strict scrutiny.¡± At the Yi family. In front of the ancestral hall, a solemn family meeting was being held. All the important figures of the Yi family were already gathered here. Originally, the most important thing for them today was to choose the young master of the Yi family. In the end, the news regarding Peach Blossom Dock came abruptly, causing an uproar. They couldn¡¯t help but shift part of their attention to Peach Blossom Dock. Although the Yi family rarely got involved in these matters in the God Residence Realm, it didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t pay attention. Moreover, the Yi family had actually been eyeing Peach Blossom Dock all these years. Before they could make a move, someone beat him to it. Who could bear it? An old man stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days¡­ This speed is really fast!¡± ¡°Hmph, how can she control Peach Blossom Dock alone? I think the power behind this matter is most likely from the Sky-Cloud Empire!¡± Another old man sneered. Although he said it was the Sky-Cloud Empire, he was actually referring to Rong Xiu. Many people nodded in agreement. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were husband and wife, so how could Rong Xiu not have done this? ¡°I heard that the few subordinates Shangguan Yue brought over followed her outside the God Residence Realm. They probably don¡¯t have much ability and can¡¯t handle the various matters at Peach Blossom Dock well. Behind this¡­ should be the people from the Sky-Cloud Empire helping?¡± someone guessed. Actually, more than one person thought so. Almost everyone had the same thought. The old man who spoke first frowned and said hesitantly, ¡°But¡­ I received news that Shangguan Yue has a subordinate who seems to have been in Peach Blossom Dock a few years ago and is doing very well. He seems to be called Boss San¡­ He¡¯s quite famous.¡± Didn¡¯t this prove that she and her subordinates were actually quite capable? But most people were unimpressed. ¡°Who knows what¡¯s hidden here? Anyway, I think that although Shangguan Yue is presumably in charge of Peach Blossom Dock¡­ In fact, she should¡¯ve relied on the help of many people.¡± Just think about how powerful her supporters were! ¡°What a pity! Such a good place!¡± ¡­ Jun Jiuqing sat in his seat and lowered his eyes slightly, his expression unreadable. Just as everyone was sighing, Yi Wentao walked out of the ancestral hall. Everyone quickly fell silent. ¡°I already have a suitable candidate to be Young Master Yi.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd and finally landed on Jun Jiuqing. Chapter 1931 - 1931 Not to be Missed 1931 Not to be Missed Everyone followed his gaze. ¡°Jiuqing is extremely talented and capable. He¡¯s undoubtedly the best candidate to be the young master!¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s expression was as gentle as usual, but his tone was low and powerful. Every word was clearly heard by everyone present! Everyone was silent, looking at each other with different expressions. In fact, they had already expected this outcome. The competition for the position of the Yi family young master was very intense, but after Jun Jiuqing appeared, he almost easily stood at the top. Even those who couldn¡¯t stand him had to admit that in terms of talent and strength, nobody in the younger generation of the Yi family could compare to Jun Jiuqing. A moment later, an old man said hesitantly, ¡°¡­Master is right. Jiuqing is indeed very outstanding, but his surname is ¡®Jun¡¯ after all¡­¡± The ancestor of the Beiming Dynasty had married a noble daughter of the Yi family a thousand years ago. They had given birth to a child back then, but because the bloodline power in that child¡¯s body was weak, the Yi family felt embarrassed and forcefully ordered the child to be sent back to the Beiming Dynasty. For so many years, the royal family of the Beiming Dynasty had never inherited this bloodline power¡ªuntil Jun Jiuqing appeared. Not only did he have the Yi family¡¯s bloodline power, but it was also very pure! Coupled with Yi Wenzhuo as his master, he was even more confident in the Yi family. But being the young master was another matter. In fact, this was also the main reason why most people objected to him becoming the young master. However, Yi Wentao didn¡¯t seem to care; he only chuckled at those words. ¡°But the bloodline power of the Yi family also flows in Jiuqing¡¯s body, right?¡± Moreover, his bloodline power was very pure and of an extremely high level! It was just a surname; what was so important? The bloodline power determined that he was a member of the Yi family! Hearing Yi Wentao¡¯s words, nobody said anything else. Yi Wentao¡¯s meaning was clear: He had already made up his mind to choose Jun Jiuqing as the young master. In the Yi family, nobody could go against Yi Wentao¡¯s wishes. All they could do was obey. Yi Wenzhuo¡ªwho was sitting beside Jun Jiuqing¡ªfinally heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately¡­ Big Brother made such a choice in the end! He was faintly excited. He had to grip the arm of the chair tightly to barely suppress his excitement. He was Jun Jiuqing¡¯s master. In the future, when Jun Jiuqing became the young master of the Yi family, his status would definitely rise! Although he was Yi Wentao¡¯s younger brother, he rarely interfered in the family¡¯s matters over the years. Most of the time, he didn¡¯t have much say. Now that he had Jun Jiuqing¡¯s relationship¡­ Naturally, it was different! ¡°Jiuqing, come.¡± Yi Wentao waved at Jun Jiuqing. Jun Jiuqing stood up and walked over. A jade thumb ring appeared in Yi Wentao¡¯s hand. The jade thumb ring was light green and clear. The totem of the Yi family was engraved on it. Seeing this thing, many people were envious. This was the status symbol of the Yi family¡¯s young master! All these years, the Yi family hadn¡¯t chosen a young master. Unexpectedly, one of them had finally returned from outside the clan. Everyone naturally had complicated feelings. The surroundings were silent. Yi Wentao handed the jade thumb ring to Jun Jiuqing. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression changed slightly as he took it and put it on. At this moment, the totem on the jade thumb ring suddenly flickered with a bright light! A powerful pressure suddenly descended! Almost at the same time, the same totem appeared between Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyebrows! Boundless power surged out of the jade thumb ring and surged into Jun Jiuqing¡¯s body endlessly! The aura around him continued to strengthen! After about a quarter of an hour, the fluctuations gradually subsided. Yi Wentao looked satisfied. ¡°Jiuqing, you didn¡¯t disappoint me.¡± The reaction of the jade ring meant that it had acknowledged Jun Jiuqing¡¯s position as the young master! From now on, he would be the legitimate young master of the Yi family! Jun Jiuqing laughed, and there was a hint of demonic charm in his eyes. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Master.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re outstanding.¡± Yi Wentao patted his shoulder, his eyes filled with unconcealed admiration. Seeing this, what else did everyone not understand? Yi Wentao was clearly on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s side! From now on, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s status in the Yi family and even the entire God Residence Realm would be different! ¡°Actually, apart from choosing the young master today, there¡¯s something else I have to discuss with you.¡± Yi Wentao looked at everyone again. His smile faded slightly, and he became more serious. Realizing that he was about to say something important, everyone perked up and looked over. The atmosphere became a little cold. ¡°After years of consumption, the natural energy of Meihe County is no longer the same as before. For the sake of the entire Yi family, we have to find another land filled with energy as soon as possible.¡± Yi Wentao went straight to the point. Everyone present was stunned. In fact, they already knew this, but they had never said it explicitly. After all, such words didn¡¯t sound good. If word got out, it would easily make the entire family panic. Nobody expected Yi Wentao to take the initiative to speak so bluntly! Yi Wentao looked around with a calm expression. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. All the aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm will basically face such a problem. Our Yi family isn¡¯t the only one.¡± That was the truth. The God Residence Realm was vast and contained abundant natural energy, but at the same time, there were countless dangers. If any faction wanted to really develop, they had to have a stable cultivation territory. As time passed, the natural energy in the corresponding range was continuously consumed. Over time, it would naturally decrease. When the force density was below a certain level, it wasn¡¯t suitable to stay any longer. After all, this would affect the cultivation of everyone in the entire clan. This was extremely important to any faction. In fact, over the years, many aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm had already begun to find a better place to settle down. Some had succeeded, some had failed. The reason why the Yi family had such a big reaction was that the Yi family¡¯s status was higher than those first-rate families. Be it the superior cultivation environment in Meihe County or anything else, they could easily crush others in almost every aspect. They were used to being high and mighty. Now that Yi Wentao suddenly said publicly that they were also looking for another territory, it was naturally difficult for them to accept it. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, everyone. Although the current Meihe County is slightly inferior than in the beginning, it¡¯s still better than many first-rate families. The reason why we¡¯re doing this now is just to be prepared.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s next sentence finally made everyone¡¯s expressions look better. He paused and then said, ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s rare for an area more suitable for cultivation than Meihe County to appear. We naturally can¡¯t miss it.¡± Chapter 1932 - 1932 Accumulating Power 1932 Accumulating Power Quite a few people glanced at each other awkwardly. Someone asked tentatively, ¡°Do you mean¡­ Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Yi Wentao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Peach Blossom Dock has abundant natural energy. Although there have been people entering and leaving continuously over the years because of the spatial fluctuations and the instability of the barrier, the resources contained in it have actually not been really consumed. Moreover, its location is special. It¡¯s indeed an extremely suitable choice.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s words were straightforward. His tone didn¡¯t hide his determination to obtain Peach Blossom Dock. Someone hesitantly said, ¡°But¡­ Peach Blossom Dock is Shangguan Yue¡¯s territory now. If we go rashly, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Yi Wentao smiled. ¡°She¡¯s the princess consort of Rong Xiu, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace. Why is she occupying Peach Blossom Dock like this?¡± Many people nodded to themselves. What he said makes sense¡­ Besides, the two of them have just gotten married. It¡¯s inevitable that people would think too much about Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. However, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that this is Rong Xiu¡¯s intention. Doesn¡¯t he have any interest in Peach Blossom Dock? Everyone is now saying that Peach Blossom Dock belongs to Chu Liuyue, but perhaps the real master is still him, Rong Xiu! ¡°Besides, in the God Residence Realm, the strong are respected.¡± Although Yi Wentao was still smiling, there was a hint of arrogance in his eyes. Even if Peach Blossom Dock belongs to Shangguan Yue now¡­ She will be considered capable if she can defend it! ¡°Jiuqing, what do you think?¡± He turned his head and glanced at Jun Jiuqing. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°You¡¯re right, Master.¡± Yi Wentao nodded. ¡°In that case, everyone, go back and prepare immediately. We¡¯ll set off tomorrow!¡± ¡­ The Yi family had made up their minds to attack Peach Blossom Dock. However, they weren¡¯t the only ones who had made the same choice. At the Nan residence. It was already night, but the top of the mountain was still brightly lit. In the solemn and spacious room, the Nan family elders were all gathered here. As the family head, Nan Yifan sat at the head of the table. The air seemed to be frozen, and everyone was silent. After a while, Nan Yifan said, ¡°¡­That¡¯s what happened. Yuxing and the others were originally going to Peach Blossom Dock to find Yiyi¡¯s murderer, but in the end, they found Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue. But not long after they sent back the news¡ª¡± His voice was heavy and hoarse. His face was haggard, almost unlike anything anyone had ever seen. It was obvious what a blow this matter had dealt him! The crowd became increasingly silent. If all of this is true, doesn¡¯t it mean that Rong Xiu and the others are the ones who killed Nan Yiyi and Nan Yuxing? ¡°Other than Yuxing, more than half of the eight elders who went with him have also died. If I¡¯m not wrong, there should only be Luo Yan and the other three left now¡­ And they haven¡¯t sent any news back yet. I think¡­ the situation isn¡¯t good.¡± The more Nan Yifan spoke, the uglier everyone¡¯s expressions became. Most people didn¡¯t know that Nan Yuxing and the others had gone to Peach Blossom Dock. When they received the news, they heard that they had already lost five elders! Nan Yuxing, who had the greatest hope of becoming the next family head, was also dead! ¡°Rong Xiu! Shangguan Yue! They¡¯re going too far!¡± An elder finally couldn¡¯t help but say angrily, ¡°Master, we must definitely get back at them for this! Isn¡¯t it just the Sky-Cloud Empire? Could it be that our Nan family is afraid of them?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Since they¡¯re so impudent, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± ¡°Flatten Peach Blossom Dock!¡± Chapter 1933 - 1933 Inscription 1933 Inscription All kinds of voices sounded. It seemed that everyone was angry and resentful about this matter and wished they could go to Peach Blossom Dock immediately to take revenge. However, was that really the case? Nan Yifan lowered his eyes to hide the sneer in them. He knew these people too well. On the surface, they looked like they shared a common enemy, but in fact, some people might already be overjoyed! Nan Yiyi¡¯s death didn¡¯t have a huge impact, but Nan Yuxing was also dead! This time, there was no suitable candidate in Nan Yifan¡¯s lineage who could become the heir of the Nan family! The Nan family seemed to be harmonious, but the competition between the branches was intense. A few years ago, it was only because of Nan Yuxing¡¯s outstanding talent and Nan Yifan¡¯s strength that the situation was stabilized. But it was different now. Nan Yuxing was dead, and Nan Yifan was visibly haggard. His grief was so great that it almost broke him. He couldn¡¯t spare so much attention to other things, but he didn¡¯t want to care anymore. So much had happened recently. One blow after another had almost crushed him. Everyone thought that he was grieving because he had lost two beloved children. Who knew the true torture in his heart? He had paid such a huge price and even personally sent Nan Yiyi to her death in exchange for Nan Yuxing¡¯s life. What happened in the end? Not long after, he died at Peach Blossom Dock! Nan Yifan knew that many of these people below had ulterior motives, but he could no longer be bothered. The only thing he wanted to do now was take revenge! I will definitely make Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue pay with their lives! Anyway, I have nothing to lose. Why should I be so afraid of them? He nodded. ¡°Then, the blood debt and reputation of the Nan family will depend on you this time!¡± ¡­ The meeting quickly ended. Only Nan Yifan was left in the huge room. Nan Hetian walked over and said worriedly, ¡°Master, it¡¯s late. You haven¡¯t closed your eyes for a few days and nights. You should rest first.¡± Previously, Nan Yifan had rushed to the Yi family overnight and asked him to stand guard here. He thought Nan Yifan would stay there for a few days, but the latter returned quickly. Calculating the time, Nan Yifan had only stayed in the Yi family for a few hours. After returning, he didn¡¯t even have time to catch his breath before summoning everyone from his clan to discuss this matter. He had decided to suppress Peach Blossom Dock! Even an iron man couldn¡¯t withstand such continuous torture! Nan Yifan shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± The moment he closed his eyes, Nan Yiyi¡¯s appearance before she died and Nan Yuxing¡¯s face would appear in his mind. These images kept flashing in his mind like sharp blades stabbing into his heart again and again, dripping with blood. How could he sleep? Nan Hetian sighed. He had followed Nan Yifan for many years and knew him the best. Although Nan Yifan hadn¡¯t explicitly mentioned this matter to him, he could more or less guess. Nan Hetian paused for a moment and comforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although that person isn¡¯t to be trifled with, since the Yi family is willing to help this time, our chances of winning are still not small¡­¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s lips suddenly twitched. His expression was stiff but ironic. Yes, we¡¯re not to be trifled with! The Nan family members are either dead or injured this time. The combined efforts of several legendary warriors were actually annihilated. Not a single person has escaped yet. They haven¡¯t even been able to send back any news. One can imagine what kind of situation Luo Yan and the others are in at Peach Blossom Dock! This¡ªthis is Rong Xiu¡¯s warning to me! In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have taken things so hard and fought Rong Xiu head-on. But now, he really had no choice. ¡°At this point, even if we don¡¯t make a move, he won¡¯t let us off.¡± Most people in the Nan family didn¡¯t know that Nan Yifan was actually very afraid of Rong Xiu. In their opinion, although Rong Xiu was somewhat famous, he was only the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace. They had nothing to fear from a first-rate family. Nan Yifan deliberately didn¡¯t say so much because the more they knew, the more they would definitely worry. Nan Hetian¡¯s frown deepened. He was actually very worried, but just as Nan Yifan had said, they had no way out now. ¡°I wonder how Luo Yan and the others are doing¡­¡± Nan Yifan frowned. This was actually what he was worried about. If Luo Yan and the others were instigated to defect and said something they shouldn¡¯t have, it would be very disadvantageous to them. If the Nan family knew the truth¡­ they would definitely not let him off. At that time, his situation would probably be even more difficult. Not only would he not be able to take revenge, but he would also be implicated. Apart from that, he was also worried about the Flying Cloud Painting. Nan Yuxing was dead. That thing was most likely in Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands! Thinking of this, Nan Yifan felt even worse. ¡°You can go down first. I¡¯ll be alone.¡± He waved his hands. Nan Hetian opened his mouth but hesitated. Seeing Nan Yifan¡¯s tired and haggard expression, he finally lowered his head. ¡°Yes.¡± He stepped back and quietly left. Nan Yifan let out a long breath. Now, I can only hope that everything will go smoothly. ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock. At Yue Manor. The cool moonlight flowed in through the window. Chu Liuyue was standing alone in the room. In front of her, the black shield floated quietly. After the previous baptism, the rust on it had completely peeled off, revealing its bright and new appearance. The complicated and mysterious inscriptions on it exuded some ancient aura. It was still dark and dull, but it looked deeper and heavier. It was very hard to describe such a feeling, but she could indeed feel the huge difference. After the blue crystals fused into it, they quickly hid. At this moment, other than the dense and complicated secret text, she couldn¡¯t see anything else. She stared at the secret text for a long time. It was so quiet that she could clearly hear her heart beating. There seemed to be waves surging in the depths of her clear and bright eyes. After a long moment, she reached out and slowly brushed her hand across the black shield. An indescribable throbbing came from it. ¡°Celestial Shield¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. As if sensing something, light flashed under the inscriptions on the black shield in front of her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. That day, after the last blue crystal was perfectly embedded in this shield, this name appeared in her mind. This thing had followed her for years, but only now did she know its real name. She had read countless ancient books, but she had never heard of this name. However, this wasn¡¯t what Chu Liuyue cared about the most. At this moment, what made her feel complicated was the inscription on it because¡­ When she completely saw the inscription, she realized that her previous notebook used the same language! Chapter 1934 - 1934 Came Together? 1934 Came Together? After she regained her identity, Chu Liuyue had kept the notebook with her. Now, it was lying well in her Cosmic Ring. She didn¡¯t need to compare it to know that it was definitely the same language! This made her feel very complicated. It was normal that she had lost her memory and couldn¡¯t understand the contents of the notes. But when she recalled her God Realm in Ling Xiao Academy and regained her memories, she realized that she still couldn¡¯t understand it. At that time, she vaguely felt that something was wrong. But then, all kinds of things happened, so she gradually put this matter aside. Only now, when she saw the secret text on the shield, did the doubts buried in her heart surge again. This Celestial Shield is clearly a very old Yuan instrument, and the secret text on it must¡¯ve been engraved long ago. Then¡­ Why had my notebook used the same language? When I first came to the God Residence Realm, I clearly hadn¡¯t come into contact with similar content. However, it is indeed my handwriting in it! Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples with a headache. I¡¯ve asked Rong Xiu before, and he also said that he didn¡¯t recognize the inscription on it. What exactly is going on? Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but touch her glabella again. When the God-Destroying Tribulation descended, the Celestial Shield was completely awakened. At that moment, I clearly felt a burning sensation between my eyebrows. This wasn¡¯t the first time such a situation had happened; it had been like this the few times she had been in danger. However, it wasn¡¯t as intense as this time. At that moment, she almost thought that there was a flame burning between her eyebrows! In fact, the force in her body seemed to be affected as if it was about to boil! But this feeling lasted only a short time. And because the situation was often urgent every time such a situation happened, she never had time to study the problem. I wonder if there are any secrets hidden here¡­ Just as she was deep in thought, familiar footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. She snapped out of her daze, put away her shield, and looked toward the door. A tall figure walked in¡ªit was Rong Xiu. Seeing her standing alone in the room, Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled. ¡°Waiting for me?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t mind. If she wasn¡¯t waiting for him, could she be waiting for someone else? He walked over and wrapped his long arms around her slender waist. Then, he pulled her into his arms and bent down to kiss her. Chu Liuyue tilted her head and dodged it, looking up at him with bright eyes. ¡°Have you arranged everything in Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Rong Xiu pinched her perky nose. ¡°Of course. Are you still worried about your husband?¡± Of course, she wouldn¡¯t doubt his ability. Last night, he said that the people from the Sky-Cloud Empire would arrive today. In the end, they did come. Moreover, there seemed to be a lot of them. However, she had been staying in Yue Manor and didn¡¯t go out to take a look. Everything was arranged by Rong Xiu. She shook her head, deep in thought. ¡°I was just thinking¡­ It¡¯s not easy for Peach Blossom Dock to calm down for a few days. It¡¯s probably going to be chaotic again.¡± During this period of time, the Thirteen Yue Guard and everyone in the city who had already chosen to follow Yue Manor were working overtime. However, the damage of Peach Blossom Dock was too serious; it could only recover a portion in a short period of time. To truly rebuild Peach Blossom Dock, it still required a lot of time and energy. Unfortunately, those people didn¡¯t intend to give them this chance. ¡°This trouble will come sooner or later. It¡¯s better to be early.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, and a cold smile flashed across his phoenix eyes. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I know.¡± She had occupied Peach Blossom Dock and would definitely attract the envy of many people. Instead of waiting for them to secretly take action in the future, it was better to deal with it quickly now! Setting a precedent! ¡­ The next day came quickly. Sitting cross-legged, Chu Liuyue circulated the force in her body as usual before slowly opening her eyes. There seemed to be a glint in her bright eyes! ¡°After obtaining a Holy Body¡­ It¡¯s indeed very different from before¡­¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fists and sighed. She had the Tianjing Yuan meridian, and her cultivation speed had already surpassed most cultivators. After cultivating the Holy Body, it actually improved greatly! Moreover, after she absorbed the natural energy and turned it into her force, it was purer than before. No wonder everyone wants to form a Holy Body¡­ When Chu Liuyue thought of this, her eyes narrowed. It has been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Big Baby and the others. During the great tribulation of Ling Xiao Academy previously, Big Baby had secretly helped me. However, I didn¡¯t have the time to see him before he quietly left. A long time has passed. There are also the two seniors, Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao¡­ When the matter here is over, I still have to find time to return to the Red Moon Desert. She remembered that those two didn¡¯t have a Holy Body yet. She wondered if she could help them condense their Holy Bodies again, like she had helped Big Baby previously. Now that my strength has increased greatly, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to help them¡­ Suddenly, a faint fluctuation came. Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up and out the window. Knock, knock. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Master, Your Highness, someone is here to visit.¡± It was Cen Yi¡¯s voice. The so-called visit¡­ Needless to say, Chu Liuyue could guess who it was! She stood up and walked over to open the door. ¡°Someone from the Nan family?¡± Cen Yi nodded and immediately said, ¡°And¡­ the Yi family.¡± Frowning, Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at her spouse. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was calm as if he wasn¡¯t surprised. Chu Liuyue held her breath. ¡°They¡­ came together?¡± Chapter 1935 - 1935 Guest 1935 Guest Cen Yi¡¯s expression instantly became subtle. His narrow, indifferent eyes narrowed slightly, and he seemed to smile. ¡°There¡¯s only a quarter of an hour between the two parties¡¯ arrival, so that makes sense.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood what he meant. She frowned and sneered. ¡°So the Yi family also wants to get involved.¡± Rong Xiu also walked over. ¡°The two families aren¡¯t close. In the past few years, their interactions with each other have been rare.¡± Chu Liuyue was even more certain of her guess. It seems that these two families have indeed joined forces¡­ However, the Yi family has no apparent conflict of interest with us. The Nan family must¡¯ve instigated them to do this. ¡°It seems that Nan Yifan isn¡¯t without scruples.¡± At the very least, the Yi family had been dragged in to provide support. In order to rope in this ally, he had probably¡­ made a lot of sacrifices. Chu Liuyue found it ridiculous. It was obvious that the Nan family was in the wrong and had offended us first. Now, they actually had the cheek to come again. They even pulled in allies. ¡°There are 24 people from the Nan family. Among them, including Nan Yifan, there are a total of eight legendary warriors. The Yi family has 18 people, but ten legendary warriors have come¡ªthat¡¯s more than half.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s voice was as calm as ever. ¡°They¡¯re all gathered outside the barrier now to confront our people and ask you and His Highness to appear.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll go now.¡± They are waiting¡­ for us! I want to see who dares to bully me! There were a total of 18 legendary warriors in these two families. One had to know that ordinary first-rate families usually only had five to six legendary warriors, and they had actually respectively sent so many people to suppress Peach Blossom Dock! It could be seen that their family background was indeed extremely strong! Still¡­ This time, it was unknown who would have the last laugh! ¡­ Outside the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock. The Nan family and the Yi family were on both sides. There was a distance between them. The relationship between the two families was indeed subtle, especially at this moment, when they had both come to Peach Blossom Dock. Other than Nan Yifan and Yi Wentao, the others were unaware of the alliance. Therefore, when the two sides met, most people were still extremely vigilant toward each other. Nan Yifan and Yi Wentao greeted each other politely. After saying that their targets this time were both Rong Xiu and her, they began to wait separately. The atmosphere was tense. At the city gate, the team of guards in charge of guarding the city were also 120% focused as they stared at the Nan and Yi families. In the Yi family¡¯s crowd, someone couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°I didn¡¯t believe those rumors previously. But from the current situation, Peach Blossom Dock has probably completely fallen into the hands of Shangguan Yue and the others¡­ In the past, Peach Blossom Dock had always been free to enter and leave. When was there anyone guarding it!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! And did you notice that this barrier seems to be different¡­ Those guards in charge of guarding also seem to be loyal¡­ When has such a scene ever happened in Peach Blossom Dock?¡± ¡°I think that rumor is really trustworthy¡­ I wonder how they did it?¡± The crowd debated softly. They previously didn¡¯t believe it, but now that they had seen it with their own eyes, they couldn¡¯t help but doubt it. These guards looked different from those who had been properly trained. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they were ¡®freelance soldiers.¡¯ However, the auras on these people didn¡¯t seem weak! More importantly, their expressions were surprisingly identical. ¡°If you dare to come in, we¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± They really are guarding Peach Blossom Dock! Yi Wentao and Nan Yifan watched from the side and quietly glanced at each other. They could also see some vigilance in each other¡¯s eyes. Before they came, they all thought that Rong Xiu would directly get his men to do it. These were clearly not his soldiers, but these people were surprisingly united! It was as if guarding Peach Blossom Dock was their greatest responsibility! Moreover, they were very respectful to Chu Liuyue! Who in the entire God Residence Realm didn¡¯t know that there were all kinds of people at Peach Blossom Dock? To be able to lead these people¡­ The methods involved were truly shocking and unsettling! Yi Wentao placed his hands behind his back. He vaguely felt that things seemed to be different from what he had expected. If there are more such people in Peach Blossom Dock¡­ In that case, it won¡¯t be so easy to take down Peach Blossom Dock. ¡­ Nan Yifan didn¡¯t think too much about it. He had come with the intention of burning his bridges! Therefore, even if Peach Blossom Dock was difficult to deal with, he would never turn back! There was no turning back! He glanced up at the sky and grimaced without amusement. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for a long time. Why is it so slow for you to send a message? Or is there someone who¡¯s afraid and doesn¡¯t dare to come out? The dignified His Grace and Princess Consort of the Sky-Cloud Empire are actually so cowardly?¡± A guard took a step forward and said coldly, ¡°Watch your words!¡± These two aren¡¯t people they can offend! At the same time, the people behind him drew their swords! Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t help but frown. These people look like they come from all walks of life, but why do they seem to be very protective of those two? However, this thought only flashed through his mind. He coldly scolded, ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. Is this not enough? Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue harmed my son and the elders of the Nan family! My Nan family must get back at them today!¡± The guards looked at each other solemnly. Nan Yuxing and the others did indeed die at their hands¡­ It¡¯s reasonable that the Nan family would come to collect the debt. A moment later, a guard sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t they ask for it? If not for their various coercion and relentless pursuit, why would Master Yue attack them?! They only have themselves to blame!¡± Nan Yifan, Yi Wentao, and the others were stunned. Princess Yue? Is he talking about¡­ Chu Liuyue? Hearing this, they seem to respect and admire Chu Liuyue more than Rong Xiu? At this moment, a clear and pleasant voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not welcoming you when you¡¯re here.¡± Everyone looked over in unison! From inside the city gates, two people were walking out hand in hand. The person who spoke was indeed Chu Liuyue! Chapter 1936 - 1936 Interrogation 1936 Interrogation Seeing the smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, Nan Yifan was instantly furious! My only son died at Peach Blossom Dock, at the hands of these people, yet she can actually still smile!? What does that mean? Contempt? Provocation? But at that moment, a cold gaze landed on him, making him shudder. Nan Yifan subconsciously looked at Rong Xiu, who was standing at the side, and couldn¡¯t help but shiver. A trace of fear grew from the bottom of his heart! Nan Yifan clenched his fists and forcefully dispersed these chaotic emotions! At this point, he had no choice but to fall out with Rong Xiu and the others! Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze swept across Nan Yifan and Yi Wentao, and his thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°Master Yi, Master Nan, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Nan Yifan was filled with hatred. Don¡¯t they know best that so many people from the Nan family have died in their hands and how many are fine? Now, he actually had the cheek to ask such a question! Yi Wentao placed one hand behind his back and nodded slightly, his expression gentle and polite. ¡°Good day, His Grace.¡± As he spoke, his gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. He was sizing her up. He had heard this woman¡¯s name countless times, but this was the first time he had seen her with his own eyes. She looked to be only 17 or 18 years old, and she had a slender figure and a beautiful face. In particular, her starry eyes were calm and composed, which didn¡¯t match her age. It was as if the things in front of her didn¡¯t affect her at all, even if she knew what all of this meant. Yi Wentao looked at her in a new light. A woman who can catch Rong Xiu¡¯s eye and make him insist on marrying her is indeed extraordinary. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just Yi Wentao. Everyone from the Yi family and Nan family was focused on Chu Liuyue. They were actually filled with curiosity and inquiry about this woman who had risen to fame in the God Residence Realm in a short period of time. Of course, when they looked at her, she was also observing them. In the Nan family¡¯s entourage are eight legendary warriors and 16 true gods. The Yi family has ten legendary warriors and eight true gods. Moreover, the strength of those true gods shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. It seems that both families have really invested a lot to deal with me this time¡­ The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips grew brighter. Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t bear to see her smile. It was blinding! In the strange silence, he was the first to sneer. ¡°What, are you finally willing to come out? I thought you were planning to hide in Peach Blossom Dock for the rest of your lives!¡± His voice was cold, and his eyes were filled with undisguised resentment. As if she didn¡¯t care, Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Master Nan, why are you saying this? Peach Blossom Dock is my territory to begin with. My husband and I have just gotten married, so isn¡¯t it normal for us to come over and stay for a while to nourish our hearts and minds? Besides, we didn¡¯t do anything wrong. How can we talk about hiding?¡± Nan Yifan was so angry that his face turned red, and the veins on his forehead bulged. This girl is always sharp-tongued! ¡°My son, Nan Yuxing, died at Peach Blossom Dock a few days ago! As the culprit, don¡¯t you feel guilty at all?¡± Nan Yifan suddenly raised his hand and pointed at her as he questioned her sternly. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression turned cold, and he took a step forward. A powerful pressure suddenly descended! At the same time, a golden flame quickly flashed in his eyes! ¡°Nan Yifan, if you don¡¯t want your hand anymore, just say it.¡± His tone was low and cold as if it had been mixed with ice. Nan Yifan¡¯s heart trembled, and his fingers curled, but he then realized that he looked too timid. For a moment, Nan Yifan was angry and frustrated. I clearly planned on fighting to the death, but when Rong Xiu spoke, I still subconsciously felt reverence and fear! Nan Yifan was very embarrassed. Chu Liuyue glanced at him from the corner of her eye and raised her eyebrows. Looking at Nan Yifan¡¯s reaction, it is really ridiculous. If he had more confidence, he wouldn¡¯t be like this. She held Rong Xiu¡¯s hand and shook her head gently, indicating that he didn¡¯t have to be angry at such a person. It wasn¡¯t worth it. She gazed at Nan Yifan and said frankly, ¡°Master Nan, it seems that you¡¯ve misunderstood something. Your son, Nan Yuxing, didn¡¯t die at our hands. The person who truly took his life was none other than your Nan family¡¯s elder¡ªLuo Yan!¡± ¡°Shangguan Yue, do you know what nonsense you¡¯re spouting?¡± Nan Yifan laughed angrily. Luo Yan had followed Nan Yuxing here to protect him. How could he kill my son? ¡°Even if you want to frame someone, please don¡¯t make it sound so ridiculous, okay?¡± Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t believe her, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and smiled without much humor. ¡°Countless people in Peach Blossom Dock saw this matter with their own eyes and can testify. If you don¡¯t believe me, Master Nan, you can find someone to ask. You also said that this theory is very ridiculous. Don¡¯t tell me I don¡¯t know. If it¡¯s not true, why would I say this?¡± Nan Yifan wavered for a moment, but such a thought was only a flash. He angrily yelled, ¡°The current Peach Blossom Dock is already under your control! Those people will only listen to you. What truth can they have?!¡± Chu Liuyue agreed. ¡°You don¡¯t even believe the words of outsiders. Then¡­ you should believe the words of your elder, right?¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s expression froze for a moment. ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°Exactly what it means. When Luo Yan personally killed Nan Yuxing, Nan Hongyang and the other elders were all watching.¡± The corners of her lips curled up slightly as she said word by word, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you invite the elders over to confront us?¡± Nan Yifan held his breath! Chu Liuyue is serious! She really dares to confront me! Could it be that everything she¡¯s said is true? Was it actually Luo Yan who killed Nan Yuxing? But¡­ What¡¯s going on?! Nan Yifan¡¯s mind was in a mess. ¡°No, impossible¡­¡± This time, in order to ensure Nan Yuxing¡¯s safety, I had specially chosen the few elders I trusted the most! It¡¯s impossible for Luo Yan to kill Nan Yuxing, and the remaining elders wouldn¡¯t betray me! Nan Yifan clenched his fists and kept convincing himself in his heart, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were like a thorn in his heart, making him extremely uncomfortable! Behind him, the people from the Nan family were also shocked and looked at each other. Their first reaction was naturally disbelief. However, Chu Liuyue was so sure that she could even confront him¡­ ¡°Who knows if you used some despicable methods to force them to lie?!¡± After struggling for a while, Nan Yifan finally thought of something to refute and shouted sternly. ¡°They¡¯ve already fallen into your hands. Aren¡¯t they at your mercy?¡± Chapter 1937 - 1937 Confrontation 1937 Confrontation Upon hearing this, she laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Master Nan to be so pessimistic about his own legendary warriors.¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s face turned pale again. ¡°You!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to remind Master Nan. Apart from Nan Yuxing, there are a total of five legendary warriors among the remaining eight elders.¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°Although there are only four people alive now, they¡¯re all famous legendary warriors. Master Nan said that they¡¯re at my mercy¡­ I wonder if he thinks too highly of me or if you look down on your family?¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s chest heaved violently, and his lungs were about to explode. ¡°Shangguan Yue! Don¡¯t go overboard!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. How am I going overboard?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked in confusion. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say those words yourself, Master Nan? Everyone from the Nan family, you should¡¯ve heard it too, right?¡± The Nan family was silent and embarrassed! They couldn¡¯t understand why they were the ones being questioned in the end. Nan Yifan took a deep breath and finally came back to his senses. ¡°You! You! No matter what, my son¡ªNan Yuxing¡ªand four elders of the Nan family died here! Do you dare to say that these things have nothing to do with you?! Today, you have to give my Nan family an explanation! Otherwise, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± Chu Liuyue asked curiously, ¡°When has Master Nan ever been polite to me?¡± In the past, he was quite respectful and polite to Rong Xiu, but he is no longer like that. Why does he sound like he had been so good to us in the past? Nan Yifan almost couldn¡¯t breathe. He finally saw that Chu Liuyue was indeed sharp-tongued! It wasn¡¯t enough to describe her with a glib tongue! He couldn¡¯t win against her in an argument; he would just make himself angry! ¡°By the way, since Master Nan mentioned it, I¡¯ll say it directly. Actually, even if you didn¡¯t come this time, we planned on finding an opportunity to visit.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°This is because¡­ we also happen to be looking for an explanation from the Nan family.¡± Nan Yifan almost thought that he had heard wrongly. I have never seen such an arrogant person! We are the ones who have come to Peach Blossom Dock to ask for an explanation. However, not only did she not give it to them, but she is even biting back? ¡°What did you say?¡± Nan Yifan asked almost subconsciously. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes. ¡°I say, Master Nan, you took the opportunity when we left the Sky-Cloud Empire and only sent a few people to Peach Blossom Dock to kill us. After failing, you encouraged the Nan family to come and denounce us¡­ How should we settle this score?¡± She deliberately slowed down. Every word was clear! The expressions of everyone present changed! Chu Liuyue¡¯s words contained too much information! Nan Yifan¡¯s heart seemed to have been hammered by something! He immediately shouted reflexively, ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense!¡± ¡°Am I spouting nonsense, or does Master Nan have ulterior motives¡­ Everyone is here today. Won¡¯t we know with a simple investigation?¡± Chu Liuyue gently rubbed her temples with a smile on her lips, but there was mockery and impatience on her face. I have to admit that Nan Yifan¡¯s series of actions have disgusted me. Putting aside the previous matters, just the fact that he chose to kill Nan Yiyi to save Nan Yuxing isn¡¯t something an ordinary person can do! Later, he tacitly allowed Nan Yuxing to bring Luo Yan and the others to kill Rong Xiu and me. He wanted to wash away the guilt in his heart, but after failing, he pushed all the blame to others¡­ Chu Liuyue gasped in amazement. He actually has the cheek to bring so many people from the Nan family to Peach Blossom Dock and say that he wants to seek an explanation from the dead and injured elders of the Nan family for his son? She clapped her hands. ¡°Cen Yi, bring Luo Yan and the others over.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cen Yi bowed and turned to leave. Yi Wentao frowned and became vigilant. Cen Yi had been following them all along, but until he spoke, he just stood there without any sense of existence. He was simply invisible! Even he hadn¡¯t noticed this man¡¯s existence just now! This is¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinate? Sensing his gaze, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze shifted slightly. Yi Wentao had just retracted his gaze. Chu Liuyue sized him up with interest. A person like Nan Yifan is nothing to worry about. In comparison, the Yi family seems to be more difficult to deal with. This Yi Wentao looks gentle and harmless on the surface and is very refined, but how can there be a simple person who can reach his current position? Not to mention that he has chosen to join forces with the Nan family! Her gaze then landed on the two people behind Yi Wentao, and she smiled playfully. There are actually two acquaintances from the Yi family¡ªYi Wenzhuo and Jun Jiuqing! I¡¯ve long known that Yi Wenzhuo came from a good background, but I never knew that it was actually this Yi family. As for Jun Jiuqing¡­ From the looks of it, he is already considered a member of the Yi family? ¡°Vice-Director, I didn¡¯t have the time to greet you the last time we met. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Her words were filled with mockery and sarcasm. They didn¡¯t come with good intentions. Yi Wenzhuo no longer cares about his face and stands directly opposite us! Chapter 1938 - 1938 Threat 1938 Threat Yi Wenzhuo was unmoved. As early as when he decided to come with the Yi family, he had already thought of everything he would face in the future. Chu Liuyue was Nan Suhuai¡¯s beloved disciple. Making things difficult for her was undoubtedly equivalent to offending Nan Suhuai. It was even very likely that he would lose his status as the vice-director, but so what? As the vice-director of Ling Xiao Academy, he felt aggrieved! Even if he lost the position, there was nothing to be sorry about! When she and Rong Xiu got married, Nan Suhuai¡¯s actions were almost equivalent to confirming that the next director of the academy would be her! What else did he have to care about? Therefore, in the end, he still chose to come as a member of the Yi family. ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so ¡®promising¡¯ after not seeing you for a while,¡± Yi Wenzhuo said sarcastically. From the looks of it, Peach Blossom Dock really seems to be controlled by her, and Rong Xiu didn¡¯t interfere much. However, these things are complicated. Until the last moment, nobody can tell what is going on. Chu Liuyue nodded happily. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Vice-Director.¡± It was as if she didn¡¯t hear the irony in his words at all. Yi Wenzhuo choked, then snorted and waved his sleeve fiercely. I want to see how long she can continue laughing! Jun Jiuqing, who was at the side, had no expression from beginning to end. Only when she saw the two of them interlocking their hands did a dark light flash across his eyes. There seemed to be some inexplicable tacit understanding between them. One look at each other, and they could easily understand each other¡¯s feelings. It was as if an invisible barrier surrounded the two of them alone. Nobody was allowed to enter. Now that a powerful enemy had arrived and danger was right in front of her, her expression was still calm. Her beautiful eyebrows relaxed, and her frown and smile seemed to have a unique charm. But compared to before, she was gentler and more naive. Of course, that was a young girl¡¯s expression which only appeared when she looked at the person beside her. Like a dusty pearl, it finally bloomed. Jun Jiuqing looked away and clenched his hands in his sleeves. He lowered his eyes slightly to hide the waves in them. ¡°Master Yi, why have you brought people here today?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze paused on Jun Jiuqing for a moment before he gazed at Yi Wentao. Yi Wentao smiled. ¡°His Grace, don¡¯t misunderstand. We¡¯re actually here today to do business with you.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t know what business I have with the Yi family?¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s expression was as usual as he smiled faintly. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯ve taken a fancy to this Peach Blossom Dock.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella throbbed. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to give up Peach Blossom Dock, you can state your conditions.¡± His attitude was polite, and his expression was gentle. However, this sentence almost made Chu Liuyue laugh in anger. So the Yi family is here for Peach Blossom Dock?! He sounds generous, but he didn¡¯t ask first if I¡¯m willing. Previously, she had even chatted with Rong Xiu and said that after this, those who coveted Peach Blossom Dock would probably take action. However, they didn¡¯t expect that the Yi family would be the first to attack! When Rong Xiu heard this, he smiled faintly. ¡°Peach Blossom Dock belongs to Yue¡¯er. If you want it, she¡¯s the one you should look for.¡± Yi Wentao was stunned. I had always thought that most of the rumors outside were fake and that a mere girl like Chu Liuyue probably didn¡¯t have the ability to take down Peach Blossom Dock. He thought Rong Xiu must¡¯ve taken action later¡ªthat was why he directly told Rong Xiu what he had just said. However, he didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude to be so straightforward and clear. Peach Blossom Dock belonged to Chu Liuyue! The decision on how to deal with Peach Blossom Dock was also in her hands! Yi Wentao¡¯s heart was pounding. I know Rong Xiu a little. If he really had taken over Peach Blossom Dock, he would¡¯ve rejected my suggestion. However, he actually deferred the decision to Chu Liuyue¡­ Is this to lift her up in front of everyone, or¡­ Did she really take down Peach Blossom Dock? Yi Wentao wasn¡¯t sure. In comparison, he was actually more afraid of Rong Xiu. As for Chu Liuyue, he didn¡¯t take her seriously. But if all of this Is really as the rumors say, and the huge Peach Blossom Dock was taken down by her alone, then¡­ I¡¯m going to have to re-evaluate her. However, Yi Wentao wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. After being rejected by Rong Xiu, he smiled at Chu Liuyue. ¡°My apologies. I wonder what the Princess Consort means¡ª¡± ¡°Impossible,¡± Chu Liuyue said decisively before Yi Wentao could finish. Are you kidding me? I¡¯ve spent so much effort and experienced life and death! It hasn¡¯t been easy for me to turn Peach Blossom Dock into my territory. How could I give it up? Yi Wentao paused. Actually, he had already expected her reaction and attitude. If it were anyone else, they would¡¯ve rejected him the same, let alone her. However, he was in no hurry. ¡°Princess Consort, why are you in such a hurry to reject me? Perhaps¡­ our conditions can persuade you?¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°Oh? Then, I want to hear what conditions you plan to give.¡± Peach Blossom Dock was vast and had extremely abundant natural energy. More importantly, this place was directly connected to one of the God Residence Realm¡¯s entrances and allowed people to enter and exit the God Residence Realm freely! Such a treasure land was completely priceless! What else in the world could compare to it? ¡­ On the other side, when the Nan family heard this, their reactions were also different. Oh, right! How could we have forgotten that Peach Blossom Dock is almost a priceless treasure!? Previously, we had only thought of revenge and had forgotten this important point! If we can seize Peach Blossom Dock, then¡­ Some people were restless. Some of them began to look at Nan Yifan frequently to check his intentions. But at this moment, Nan Yifan¡¯s face was as cold as ice. Other than anger and resentment, there was nothing else. He doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in Peach Blossom Dock; all his attention is still on revenge. That¡¯s true. He¡¯s the one who has lost his son and now has no descendants. Naturally, he is also the one who feels terrible. Although the others were also angry, they were still inferior to Nan Yifan. Some people were tempted, but they suppressed it unwillingly. Even if we can defeat Rong Xiu, Chu Liuyue, and the others, how can we compete with the Yi family? The two families were originally on par, but after the previous blow, the current Nan family probably couldn¡¯t fight the Yi family head-on. The other party had brought ten legendary warriors this time! They were determined to get Peach Blossom Dock! Hearing her question, Yi Wentao seemed to smile. ¡°His Grace and Princess Consort, as well as the lives of countless cultivators in Peach Blossom Dock. Is this enough to exchange for Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Chapter 1939 - 1939 Biting Back! 1939 Biting Back! As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere froze! A chill surged out, and the temperature almost dropped to the freezing point! The air seemed to freeze. There was silence, almost suffocating. What he meant was that if Chu Liuyue refused to give up Peach Blossom Dock, the Yi family would kill everyone here! The smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face gradually faded. There seemed to be a layer of frost between her eyebrows that was bone-chilling. ¡°Master Yi, are you threatening me?¡± Yi Wentao shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m very sincere in discussing this business with you, Princess Consort.¡± He sounded so sincere, and his expression was also sincere. Those who didn¡¯t know better would really think that he was full of sincerity! Chu Liuyue sized him up and smiled instead of being angry. ¡°It seems that Master Yi is very confident in himself.¡± Yi Wentao nodded slightly and said tactfully and bluntly, ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything I¡¯m not confident about.¡± The people I brought are the strongest people in the Yi family! Coupled with the cooperation of the Nan family, dealing with Peach Blossom Dock is even less of a problem. He knew that Rong Xiu was powerful and must¡¯ve been prepared beforehand. But since he planned to make a move this time, he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to fail! Otherwise, all of them wouldn¡¯t end well! He gazed steadily at Chu Liuyue. ¡°What do you think of my conditions, Princess Consort?¡± The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. Her red lips parted slightly as she spat out a single word to express her sincerest feelings. ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± ¡­ Dead silence. Nobody expected Chu Liuyue to say that. This was simply tearing off the other party¡¯s face, throwing it to the ground, and stepping on it! She really didn¡¯t give the other party any face! The Nan family was shocked. Why is Chu Liuyue so unreasonable? The Yi family was also shocked. What did she just say?! Even Yi Wentao¡¯s handsome and elegant face twisted for a moment when he heard this. He came from an excellent family and had enjoyed a smooth journey. When had he ever been humiliated like this in front of others? It was extremely unpleasant and humiliating! On the other hand, the guards standing at the side revealed looks of admiration. Master Yue is indeed Master Yue! How domineering! She has to be like this toward such shameless and imperious things! Yi Wentao took a deep breath and finally regained his expression. As he suppressed his anger, he glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m here sincerely to discuss this business. Isn¡¯t the Princess Consort going overboard?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yue¡¯er has always been straightforward. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, and she always likes to tell the truth. Master Yi is magnanimous. I believe you won¡¯t fuss over such a small matter.¡± Yi Wentao was speechless! His face was red and white. Chu Liuyue gave her man a thumbs-up in her heart again. Impressive¡ªhow impressive. What is killing without bloodshed? This is it! Each word was almost like a sharp blade, cutting Yi Wentao¡¯s hypocritical air into pieces! After losing face in front of so many people, it would probably be difficult to salvage it! ¡°You¡ª¡± Yi Wentao held his breath. He had just said one word when he was interrupted. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve brought them here.¡± Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Cen Yi had returned. Behind him were a few guards from Yue Manor, followed by Luo Yan and the other three elders. Ever since Luo Yan confessed, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t make things difficult for them anymore. Instead, she let her subordinates feed them well. The few of them had even changed into clean new clothes. From the outside, apart from their pale faces and dispirited spirits, they seemed no different from ordinary people. However, everyone present was quite strong. Soon, someone saw the problem. ¡°¡­Why are they so weak? Moreover, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any force fluctuations coming from their bodies!¡± asked someone from the Nan family in a low voice. Weak? That was very understandable. Most likely, they had used torture. However, there was no force fluctuation coming from their bodies, which was really strange! Even through the barrier, they weren¡¯t particularly far apart. They should be able to sense the fluctuations! Nan Yifan¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately shouted in a low voice, ¡°Shangguan Yue, what have you done to them?!¡± Chu Liuyue said unhurriedly, ¡°Master Nan, what¡¯s the hurry? I just gave them some medicine so that they could stay here quietly. However, isn¡¯t this person still here?¡± As she spoke, she walked to Luo Yan¡¯s side. ¡°Luo Yan, Master Nan said that we killed Nan Yuxing. Do you have anything to say about this?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Luo Yan! Luo Yan looked up slowly. Nan Yifan met his gaze for a moment, and that cold and dark gaze made him feel intense uneasiness. Luo Yan spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°I killed Nan Yuxing.¡± Nan Yifan clenched his fists. ¡°Luo Yan, were you threatened by them?! Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re here today to seek justice for you! You just have to tell the truth!¡± Luo Yan just stared at him, his eyes cold and strange. ¡°I indeed killed Nan Yuxing. At that time, many people saw it. Nan Yifan, shouldn¡¯t you know best why I killed him?¡± Chapter 1940 - 1940 Exposed 1940 Exposed His voice was cold and mechanical. Only when one looked carefully and saw the surging hatred in his eyes would one understand that his words were indeed sincere! Nan Yifan was stunned. Everyone in the Nan family was stunned. Luo Yan actually admitted that he killed Nan Yuxing? What else did he say? Nan Yifan knew best why he did it? Countless puzzled and suspicious gazes landed on Nan Yifan. A storm brewed in Nan Yifan¡¯s heart! Luo Yan¡¯s words¡­ Could it be that he already knows? Great worry and fear surged through him. He opened his mouth, but his words were stuck in his throat. After admiring the change in Nan Yifan¡¯s expression for a while, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Since everyone is here, it¡¯s better to make things clear. Luo Yan, why don¡¯t you come and tell everyone personally why you¡¯re here at Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched by something, and he shouted sternly, ¡°Luo Yan, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re from the Nan family! No matter how they threaten and bribe you, you can¡¯t betray the Nan family!¡± Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched as if he had heard a joke. ¡°Nan Yifan, are you crazy? My surname is Luo, not Nan.¡± The corners of Nan Yifan¡¯s eyes twitched violently, and his entire body turned cold! Then, he heard Luo Yan continue, ¡°Our purpose in coming this time is very simple¡ªto kill you! After knowing that you came to Peach Blossom Dock and almost didn¡¯t bring any accompanying people, we had this plan and came directly. We originally wanted to deal with you directly, but we didn¡¯t expect¡­ that we would become the losing side.¡± Luo Yan¡¯s expression was indifferent, and every word was cold and clear! The Nan family was already in an uproar! The version we heard wasn¡¯t like this! Between Nan Yifan and Luo Yan, who is telling the truth?! ¡°As for the reason why I want to kill you¡­ it¡¯s naturally because of Yiyi.¡± Not many people knew that Nan Yiyi had offended Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue in the God Residence Realm. However, the Nan family and Yi family were very well-informed. As long as they were willing, it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to find out. Moreover, on the day of Rong Xiu¡¯s wedding, Nan Yiyi had publicly gone to the Sky-Cloud Empire. Although she was rejected, this matter was done too openly. It was difficult not to know! As for Nan Yiyi¡¯s sudden death some time ago, it caused many speculations. ¡°In the beginning, just like Nan Yuxing and the others, I thought that Yiyi had died at your hands. However, I later found out that wasn¡¯t the case.¡± At the mention of Nan Yiyi, Luo Yan¡¯s expression finally changed. Heartache, pity, regret, and resentment! He took a deep breath in. ¡°The person who really killed Yiyi wasn¡¯t anyone else but Nan Yifan!¡± Nan Yifan seemed to have been struck by lightning. He shouted almost reflexively, ¡°Luo Yan, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?!¡± He was unusually agitated. His face was flushed, but his lips were pale and trembling violently. The Nan family was stunned for a moment, not believing it. Anyone could¡¯ve killed Nan Yiyi, but not Nan Yifan! He is Nan Yiyi¡¯s biological father! ¡°Luo Yan, are you confused? The Second Miss was the apple of his eye. He can¡¯t help but feel sorry for her state. Why would he harm her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if you betray the Nan family and stand on their side, at least say something that sounds plausible, ok?¡± ¡°Luo Yan, Luo Yan¡­ Why are you doing this?¡± ¡­ The people from the Nan family clearly felt that Luo Yan¡¯s words were ridiculous and unbelievable. They all criticized him. Luo Yan only sneered and stared at Nan Yifan. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why wouldn¡¯t I want to guess that it was someone else?! Unfortunately, your master didn¡¯t give me this chance! Nan Yifan, why don¡¯t you tell me if it¡¯s true or not? Tell me, how did you kill Yiyi and forcefully plunder her Yuan meridian to help your good son recover?!¡± Luo Yan¡¯s words were filled with hatred! These words finally made the commotion disappear! There was dead silence again. The expressions of the people from the Nan family became subtle. Others might not know, but they knew. Some time ago, there was indeed something wrong with Nan Yuxing¡¯s body. Nan Yifan only said that he was injured and needed to recuperate for a while. However, many people were actually suspicious because the courtyard was very strictly guarded, Nan Yifan only allowed his most trusted heavenly doctor and subordinates to go over. Everyone else was forbidden to enter. Later, Nan Yiyi died. Not long after, Nan Yuxing¡¯s body recovered, and he even broke through! At first, they were just a little surprised, but they didn¡¯t think too much about it. However, Luo Yan¡¯s words instantly lifted that layer of cloth and revealed the truth to them! After understanding the meaning behind this, gasps sounded! Doesn¡¯t this mean that¡­ Nan Yiyi had really died at the hands of Nan Yifan?! ¡°¡­Master doted on Second Miss so much. How is it possible¡­¡± someone muttered in disbelief. Someone else had a meaningful look. ¡°No matter how good the Second Miss was, how could she be more important than the Eldest Young Master? He¡¯s the most suitable heir to the position of family head in this lineage¡­¡± All kinds of chaotic voices sounded. Everyone looked at Nan Yifan with even more doubt! Nan Yifan didn¡¯t turn around, but he also felt a chill down his spine! His limbs seemed to be numb, and he almost felt nothing. Only layers of bone-chilling coldness surged out from the depths of his body and devoured him! ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± He wanted to open his mouth and deny Luo Yan¡¯s words. But as the words left his mouth, he realized that his voice was trembling. Luo Yan hates me! He is going to drag me into hell completely! I will never be able to make a comeback! Yeah, he has always doted on Nan Yiyi. After knowing this, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let the matter rest! In an instant, countless thoughts seemed to flash through Nan Yifan¡¯s mind, but his mind also seemed to be blank. Crisp applause sounded. Everyone came back to their senses and realized that the person clapping was Chu Liuyue. She smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Master Nan, I really couldn¡¯t tell that you still had such temperament and methods. You were clearly the one who harmed your children, but now you have the cheek to bite back. You even asked so many people from the Nan family to accompany you¡­ Impressive, really impressive! However, if Nan Yiyi and Nan Yuxing meet you in the underworld, they would probably resent you. Why would they have a father like you?¡± Shoo! Nan Yifan¡¯s chest trembled, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! Chapter 1941 - 1941 Whoever Wants It, Come and Snatch It! 1941 Whoever Wants It, Come and Snatch It! He was so agitated and furious that he vomited blood! There was silence. The Nan family looked incredulous. Even the way the Yi family looked at Nan Yifan changed. Could it be that what Chu Liuyue said is true? Did Nan Yifan really do those things? If that is the case, then¡­ Nan Yifan¡¯s reputation will be ruined from now on! Not only would he be unable to keep his position as family head, but he would even become a rat on the streets and be hated by everyone! Who would dare to work with someone who could do such a thing to their biological child? Who would be nice to him? Finally, someone from the Nan family stood up and asked, ¡°Master, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were burning as they landed on Nan Yifan. They needed an explanation! Nan Yifan was filled with hatred. When he previously found out that Luo Yan and the others were trapped, although he was a little uneasy, he wasn¡¯t really worried that they would choose to betray him! These people had followed him for many years and were the people he trusted the most! Besides, most of the time, he had been immersed in grief and resentment. He had been tense and focused on revenge, and he didn¡¯t have the extra energy and spirit to care about anything else. Unexpectedly, Luo Yan had actually chosen to betray him! He had revealed everything in front of so many people! There seemed to be a ball of fire burning in Nan Yifan¡¯s chest, burning until his eyes were dyed red! He slowly wiped the blood from his lips and glanced back. His cold and fierce gaze was like a sharp blade as it swept across the people from the Nan family, especially the person who spoke. The man¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously took half a step back. Nan Yifan¡¯s gaze¡­ is too scary. ¡°You¡¯re all important people in the Nan family. Do you still need me to teach you who to trust?!¡± Nan Yifan clenched his fists tightly. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. He suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Luo Yan and the others. ¡°These people have been locked up in Peach Blossom Dock for several days! Who knows what happened during this period of time?! Instead of believing me, you want to believe them?¡± The series of rhetorical questions made the Nan family waver again. Although what Luo Yan said seems to be true, Nan Yifan¡¯s words aren¡¯t unreasonable¡­ Who knows if someone has done something behind the scenes? Nan Yuxing was already dead. Nan Yiyi was also dead. There were various opinions as to what the truth was, and it was impossible to investigate thoroughly. They were also filled with hesitation as to who to trust. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Of course, Nan Yifan wouldn¡¯t admit it. Once these things are confirmed, he will be completely ruined! Therefore, no matter the method used, he will choose to quibble and pin the blame on others. Nan Yifan continued, ¡°If you still recognize yourselves as members of the Nan family¡ªcome with me today!¡± Swoosh! A silver spear suddenly appeared in his hand! The spearhead was extremely sharp, and the patterns on the spear intertwined with each other! ¡°I want to see how long you can defend yourselves!¡± Before Nan Yifan could finish his sentence, his feet moved as he headed straight for her. At his feet, silver-blue lightning swam and crackled! He was a legendary warrior and was already powerful. Now that he used his movement technique, he was naturally faster! In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of the barrier! ¡°Soul-Devouring Silver Dragon Spear!¡± Nan Yifan¡¯s aura surged as a powerful pressure suddenly descended. Chu! Chu! Chu! A large number of barbs suddenly spread out on the silver spear! From afar, they looked like scales! On the ¡®scales¡¯ was a purple-red light that was cold and strange¡ªthey were clearly tempered with poison! In an instant, the spear arrived! Everyone¡¯s hearts tightened. They didn¡¯t expect Nan Yifan to suddenly attack! Just as they were thinking about whether Chu Liuyue could withstand this attack, they were shocked to discover that the latter didn¡¯t move at all! She stood there, shoulders straight as a pine. The breeze blew, swirling the folds of her skirt. Her long hair fluttered as she raised her head slightly and stood there quietly, her expression calm and composed. It was as if¡­ she didn¡¯t take Nan Yifan¡¯s attack seriously at all! Not only them, but Nan Yifan also frowned at her reaction. It¡¯s too strange! The distance between the two of us wasn¡¯t far, and I¡¯m already close to the barrier! Was she scared silly? Nan Yifan thought to himself. But when he met her eyes, he realized that he was wrong. Those bright eyes were like a deep and calm pool of water, as if nothing would cause any waves. In fact, her lips were slightly curled up as if she was smiling. Smiling? What is she smiling at?! Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t understand. There seemed to be countless secrets hidden in her that he couldn¡¯t figure out no matter what. She didn¡¯t seem surprised to see me attack. In fact¡­ she even seems to be watching a joke? Right, it is that feeling! Nan Yifan was instantly furious. Isn¡¯t she waiting to see me make a fool of myself? But what right does she have to do that? I know that her strength far exceeds that of true gods, but she is still a true god after all! I have broken through to become a legendary warrior for several years. Could it be that even I can¡¯t take her down? Back at the God-Killing Tumulus, he was afraid of Rong Xiu, but he now had nothing to be afraid of! Therefore, he didn¡¯t hesitate in this attack! But at this moment, a powerful and flexible force suddenly stopped Nan Yifan! Nan Yifan was stunned. Only then did he realize that what stopped him was none other than the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock! The fragile and chaotic barrier¡ªwhich could be entered and left at will in the past¡ªseemed to have become an iron wall at this moment! It couldn¡¯t be entered at all! Nan Yifan¡¯s fatal strike stabbed out fiercely, but it was silently blocked by this barrier. The two sides began to fight silently and intensely! Because of the energy fluctuation, ripples seemed to spread across the barrier. Under the sunlight, the barrier flickered with small, dazzling lights¡ªbright and colorful. Nan Yifan was stunned! My Soul-Devouring Silver Dragon Spear is a supreme treasure; it¡¯s almost indestructible! But now, it was easily stopped by this barrier? ¡°Everyone, if you want my life, you need to have the ability to break into my Peach Blossom Dock first.¡± Chu Liuyue spoke slowly with a smile on her face, but her eyes were cold and valiant. Her eyes slowly but firmly swept over the crowd. ¡°I know that there are many people in the God Residence Realm who covet Peach Blossom Dock. Therefore, I¡¯ll be honest today. Peach Blossom Dock is here. If anyone wants to snatch it, just come! As long as anyone can split half an inch of the Peach Blossom Dock territory from me, I¡¯ll acknowledge their ability!¡± Chapter 1942 - 1942 Everyone, Please! 1942 Everyone, Please! Her clear voice spread far and wide, landing clearly in everyone¡¯s ears! Many people were shocked. Is Chu Liuyue openly issuing a challenge?! Moreover, she wants to challenge all the aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm! Does she really know what she is saying?! After all, she had just taken down Peach Blossom Dock. Even if the conditions were outstanding in all aspects, it was impossible to prepare everything in a short period of time. There were many people in Peach Blossom Dock, but there were all kinds of people. Even if Chu Liuyue became the master of Peach Blossom Dock, how could she form a powerful combat force that belonged to her in just a few days? Compared to the other aristocratic families that had been passed down for a thousand years, her strength was simply weak! How dare she be so arrogant? ¡­ They quickly understood why Chu Liuyue was so bold because the next moment, she raised her hand. The girl¡¯s hands were slender and fair, weak and boneless. There didn¡¯t seem to be any threat. Then, she waved her hand gently. Just for a moment. Whoosh¡ª The faint and gorgeous barrier around Peach Blossom Dock instantly fluctuated violently! The sound of tidal waves came from within! From this sound, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess how abundant and terrifying the energy contained inside! Nan Yifan¡¯s expression changed slightly. His intuition told him that things weren¡¯t good! His sixth sense, trained from years of combat experience, told him that he needed to evacuate immediately! However, he hesitated for an instant. Isn¡¯t it too embarrassing to retreat in front of so many people? However, it was this moment of hesitation! Rumble! Terrifying energy surged over, and a new round of even crazier strangulation began! Before Nan Yifan could react, he felt a grip on his hand. He immediately focused and realized that a translucent power¡ªsuffused with a faint and gorgeous light¡ªhad already tightly bound his Soul-Devouring Silver Dragon Spear! Nan Yifan knew that something was wrong and immediately wanted to pull back. But at this moment, he realized that he couldn¡¯t pull back at all! Only then did he panic. There is something wrong with this barrier! However, just as he was filled with surprise¡ª Ka! There was the sound of something breaking. His heart fluttered. The next moment, he saw a sharp barbed scale shatter on the spear! Obviously, it had been forcibly shattered by the power of the barrier! Shocking waves instantly rose in Nan Yifan¡¯s heart! The power of this barrier far exceeded my expectations! He finally realized that something was wrong. Seeing that the translucent power was still spreading along the spear and heading straight for his face, Nan Yifan immediately let go and quickly retreated! Ka! Almost the moment he left, cracks began to sound one after another! Outside the barrier, countless eyes saw that shocking scene. A top Yuan instrument, the Soul-Devouring Silver Dragon Spear, was crushed bit by bit by the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock! As the barrier surged, the silver spear broke inch by inch and finally turned to dust! If Nan Yifan was a step later, he would probably be in danger too! ¡°¡­How can the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock be so powerful?!¡± someone in the crowd muttered in shock. However, they didn¡¯t know that Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier had been rebuilt after it was destroyed. The current barrier was covered in the power of the God-Destroying Tribulation, so it was naturally not something ordinary barriers could compare to! Swoosh! Chu Liuyue raised her sword and pointed it forward. ¡°Everyone, go ahead!¡± Chapter 1943 - 1943 End It Quickly 1943 End It Quickly The tip of the sword was sharp and shone coldly under the sunlight! Strong fighting spirit erupted from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. Although there was still a barrier between them, the Yi family and Nan family standing outside couldn¡¯t help but be secretly shocked. Is this aura really something that a true god can possess? Nan Yifan took a few steps back and barely stabilized himself. Although he had dodged in time and wasn¡¯t injured, it was obvious that he had lost in the exchange just now, and in front of so many people! A legendary warrior was actually easily stopped by a true god and even had his weapon snatched away! It was simply a great humiliation! Nan Yifan stood there in a sorry state. He had never suffered such a loss from anyone below his realm! He was shocked and furious; he wished he could rush over and kill her! However, Nan Yifan was the head of the Nan family after all. After being in a high position for so many years, if he really didn¡¯t have a brain, he would¡¯ve been pulled down long ago. How could he have come to this point? He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Previously, he had been agitated by the deaths of Nan Yiyi and Nan Yuxing and had been very unstable. Coupled with his lack of understanding of Chu Liuyue¡¯s strength, it caused him to do so many stupid things on impulse. Now, Chu Liuyue had directly obliterated the Soul-Devouring Silver Dragon Spear and blocked his attack almost effortlessly. It finally woke him up! This is obviously not going to work if this continues. Chu Liuyue¡¯s combat strength clearly far exceeds my previous estimation! In other words, if I want to take down Peach Blossom Dock, I will have to pay a higher price¡­ Nan Yifan¡¯s mind raced as he slowly exhaled. It doesn¡¯t matter. Eight legendary warriors from the Nan family have come this time, plus the ten from the Yi family¡­ Our combat strength is extremely high! Even if Chu Liuyue can stop me alone, can she stop everyone outside? ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so¡­ don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± After Nan Yifan finished speaking, he folded his hands in front of him. Vigorous force surged out of his body endlessly, and a dazzling purple light quickly covered his body! ¡°Purple Cloud Armor!¡± Soon, his entire body was wrapped in purple scales! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. This aura¡­ is inexplicably familiar¡­ Immediately after, Nan Yifan crossed his feet slightly, clenched his right hand into a fist, and punched out fiercely! ¡°Purple Cloud Fist¡ªBreak!¡± Last time, he used 70% of his strength. This time, he used his full strength without hesitation! The fist wrapped in the Purple Cloud Armor tore through the air! The void trembled and collapsed bit by bit. A black spatial rift quickly spread! But in the eyes of the people in Peach Blossom Dock, this scene was ordinary and not interesting. They had already experienced the scene of the sky collapsing and the ground sinking. Why would they be afraid of this? This paled in comparison. The sword in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand suddenly slashed out, a silver light blade quickly flying out! Swoosh! In the blink of an eye, the light blade cut into the barrier! When the surrounding crowd saw this, they were all confused. What is Chu Liuyue thinking? Is she planning to break the barrier herself? However, everything that happened the next moment shocked them on the spot. After the light blade touched the barrier, it didn¡¯t cut it apart. Instead, it quickly melted like water! Then, layers of ripples rippled across the barrier. Shoo! Under everyone¡¯s gazes, the light blade actually rushed out of the barrier again, heading straight for Nan Yifan! It appeared too suddenly! Nobody present expected Chu Liuyue¡¯s attack to be delivered in such a form! Moreover, not only did the aura on the light blade not weaken at all, but it also seemed to have intensified! Nan Yifan was also shocked. He had already sensed the shocking aura contained in it. However, there was no reason to retreat now! He gritted his teeth and crazily urged the power in his body into his fist! Clang! A crisp impact was heard! The light blade slashed accurately at Nan Yifan¡¯s fist! Because of the Purple Cloud Armor¡¯s protection, Nan Yifan wasn¡¯t directly injured by this light blade. However, his situation wasn¡¯t any better¡ªthe impact of the light blade was too strong, directly numbing his entire palm! The two sides began to fight fiercely, devouring each other! At a certain moment, Nan Yifan turned his wrist. Whoosh¡ª There was an ear-piercing scratching sound, and sparks flew! Nan Yifan took a step to the side and quickly circled around this force, continuing forward! He was extremely fast! In almost an instant, he arrived in front of the barrier again! He turned his fist into a claw. The sharp purple scales that covered his fingertips were extremely sharp! He reached out and planned to forcefully tear open the barrier! But at this moment, he suddenly heard a sharp scream! He turned around and saw that the light blade¡ªwhich he had just bypassed¡ªhad also changed direction and was attacking quickly! Nan Yifan was shocked. This can happen?! However, he didn¡¯t know that the Chi Xiao Sword had a sword soul which Chu Liuyue had personally refined. Naturally, it would follow her heart. If one strike failed, it would come again! Nan Yifan had no time to think about tearing the barrier and hurriedly dodged! Although he was very fast, the light blade came too suddenly. He couldn¡¯t completely avoid it. The light blade flashed and instantly left a bloody mark on his left shoulder! Intense pain instantly assaulted him! Nan Yifan subconsciously looked at the wound on his shoulder! An inch-long scar lay across it, and flesh and blood rolled! Blood gushed out and quickly dyed his clothes red. He covered it tightly and finally couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± Only then did the Nan family members wake up from their daze and move out! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Sounds of air being torn apart echoed! The dozen or so warriors of the Nan family stood in the air in succession, facing Chu Liuyue, who was standing at the door. Just as they were about to attack, the light blade had already flown back and silently fused into the barrier. The Nan family missed. Nan Yifan¡¯s expression immediately turned extremely ugly! Chu Liuyue is simply toying with us! ¡­ The Yi family watched from the side. Yi Wentao placed one hand behind his back with a calm expression, as if he had no intention of attacking. Many people in the Yi family looked at each other. None of them were stupid. It was true that the family head had come to Peach Blossom Dock this time, but it was obvious that it was related to the Nan family. Thinking about what the two of them had talked about when Nan Yifan suddenly came to the Yi family, it seems obvious now. However, the Nan family has already taken action. Are we going to just watch? Jun Jiuqing suddenly took half a step forward and said, ¡°Master, I think we should end this quickly.¡± Chapter 1944 - 1944 Wait and See 1944 Wait and See Yi Wentao turned around and glanced at him. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°The current Peach Blossom Dock might not be a cause for concern, but they also have many backers. When the time comes, the situation will only be more difficult to deal with.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s explanation was brief. Yi Wenzhuo couldn¡¯t help but nod and agree. ¡°That¡¯s right! Big Brother, not to mention the Sky-Cloud Empire, just Shangguan Yue alone is difficult to deal with. The legendary fiend she contracted is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress¡­¡± Just Chu Liuyue alone wasn¡¯t that scary, but the key was that she indeed had an extremely powerful backer! Once that time came¡­ Yi Wentao pondered for a moment. He had considered this question. From the moment he agreed to join forces with Nan Yifan, he had already imagined countless possibilities and the situation he would face under various circumstances. It naturally included these scenarios, but since he had made this choice, it proved that he had thought it through. He knew what was more important. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer,¡± he said seriously. Seeing that he was still so calm, Yi Wenzhuo and the others became anxious. Wait? What is there to wait for? Isn¡¯t it the best choice to capture Peach Blossom Dock as soon as possible? But no matter how everyone reacted, Yi Wentao¡¯s expression and attitude remained the same. Seeing him like this, nobody could say anything. In the Yi family, almost nobody disobeyed him. It was naturally the same now. Yi Wenzhuo frowned and wanted to persuade him again, but in the end, he chose to give up. Finally, he sighed helplessly. I can never figure out what Big Brother is thinking. What is there to see when the Nan family fights with them? Jun Jiuqing glanced at Yi Wentao and realized that the latter¡¯s gaze was on her. It seemed¡­ a little focused. He suddenly thought of something and followed Yi Wentao¡¯s gaze. What is he¡­ looking at? Or is he waiting for something? ¡­ Everyone from the Nan family moved out and began to try to break the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock. For a moment, forces of all colors intertwined chaotically! The rumbling continued, but no matter how they tried, the barrier was as stable as ever. Apart from a few ripples caused by the energy impact, not even half a crack appeared on the barrier. Everyone¡¯s expressions gradually turned ugly. Those who initially had some complaints about Nan Yifan finally understood why he had returned in defeat the previous two times. There is really something wrong with this barrier! The Nan family could be considered the top aristocratic family in the God Residence Realm, but even they didn¡¯t dare to say that their barrier was stronger than this one! Moreover, it was obvious that this barrier was controlled by Chu Liuyue alone! She could control this barrier at will! ¡°¡­No wonder it was rumored that this Peach Blossom Dock is now Shangguan Yue¡¯s territory. This barrier belongs to her. Look at her control¡ªisn¡¯t it equivalent to holding the entire Peach Blossom Dock in her hands? Is there anything she can¡¯t do!?¡± ¡°How strange! How did she, a true god, do all this?¡± ¡°I heard that there was a huge commotion at Peach Blossom Dock previously. Ever since then, it has become like this. I wonder what Shangguan Yue did at that time.¡± Everyone was puzzled. They were really curious! ¡°If we can¡¯t open this barrier, are we going to continue wasting time?¡± Then, this is too embarrassing¡­ Right at this moment, the sound of something being torn apart suddenly echoed! Whoosh¡ª Everyone focused their attention and saw that Nan Yifan had already arrived in front of the barrier again! He forcefully tore open the barrier with one hand and reached inside! Chapter 1945 - 1945 Attack 1945 Attack Nan Yifan held a short blade in his hand. The short blade was no longer than an adult¡¯s palm. It was completely purple and had a cold luster, and it was extremely sharp! Almost silently, it cut through the tough barrier! Seeing this, Nan Yifan was also delighted. I originally planned on just giving it a try, but I didn¡¯t expect it to succeed! It¡¯s now or never! Nan Yifan almost immediately mobilized more strength and slashed fiercely! The crack instantly elongated! Without any hesitation, he flashed in! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± When the Nan family saw this, they were also very excited. They hurriedly rushed over, planning to rush in with Nan Yuxing. But just as Nan Yifan entered the barrier, the long crack actually began to recover at an astonishing speed! The barrier closed up again! Waves of light rippled, and it looked no different from the beginning. The Nan family members, who wanted to follow Nan Yifan in, were immediately stopped again. ¡°This, this¡ª¡± The few people in front tried to open the barrier again, but it was still in vain. Nan Yifan heard the commotion and looked back. When he saw the barrier that instantly returned to normal, his eyelids twitched! A strong sense of unease then surged in his heart! ¡°Master Nan is really impressive. You can actually break through the barrier of my Peach Blossom Dock so easily.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smiling voice sounded. Nan Yifan suddenly realized something, and his heart sank! Sh*t! I¡¯ve been tricked! I¡¯ve barged into the barrier alone. It is no different from a sheep entering a tiger¡¯s den! ¡°You! You¡¯re so cunning!¡± Nan Yifan was furious! However, Chu Liuyue was still smiling. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m still much inferior to Master Nan¡¯s temperament and methods.¡± She was mocking him for killing Nan Yiyi for Nan Yuxing. Nan Yifan felt as if his chest had been hammered by something. He was so suppressed that he couldn¡¯t breathe. He stabbed out with his backhand! Waves rippled across the barrier, but it wasn¡¯t cut apart like before. She did indeed do it on purpose! Nan Yifan was filled with hatred. I never expected her to still have such a sinister move at a time like this! Seeing that the barrier couldn¡¯t be opened¡­ Nan Yifan¡¯s mind raced as he quickly made a decision! Since I¡¯m already inside, I might as well fight them to the death! Today, even if I have to sacrifice my life, I definitely won¡¯t let these people have an easy time! Nan Yifan¡¯s eyes slowly swept across Luo Yan and the others, filled with resentment. These four people all betrayed the Nan family! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have let them come with Yuxing back then! In that case, Yuxing might not have died! Nan Yifan was filled with regret and anger. Finally, his gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. She is the main culprit behind all of this! If looks could kill, Chu Liuyue would probably be riddled with holes now. However, she had long trained over the years, so she didn¡¯t take Nan Yifan¡¯s reaction seriously. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you do have some ability! But if you think you can be arrogant just because of this and be number one in the world¡­ you¡¯re too naive!¡± Chu Liuyue explained sincerely, ¡°Master Nan, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I¡¯m not an arrogant person. I just¡ªdon¡¯t take you seriously!¡± What is there to say about enemies? If I don¡¯t kill them, I will be killed by them! I will never hesitate to make such a choice! Nan Yifan gritted his teeth. I knew it! I shouldn¡¯t have said so much to her; otherwise, I might die of anger before anything can happen! ¡°How arrogant!¡± Nan Yifan reprimanded sternly, ¡°If you really have the guts, fight me! If you win, you can kill or torture me! If you lose¡ª¡± ¡°Master Nan, are you too sad and confused after your children passed away one after another?¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted him and asked curiously, ¡°You came to your death yourself, but you want me to fight you alone? Something would have to be wrong with me to agree to your request.¡± In this situation, Nan Yifan was definitely dead meat! That was why he had said those words in a moment of desperation. However, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡°Besides, as a legendary warrior, you¡¯re saying such things to a true god like me¡­ Master Nan, even if you¡¯re not embarrassed, I¡¯m ashamed for you,¡± she said with a faint smile. Nan Yifan¡¯s face was red and white. How embarrassing! He was really in a difficult position now! Could he go back? But the barrier wouldn¡¯t open. Step forward? There were so many people there. Even if he was a legendary warrior, he wasn¡¯t their match! He was sweating and cold with anxiety. Rong Xiu, who had been standing at the side and watching, suddenly spoke. ¡°Master Yi, Master Nan has already fallen into such a state. Aren¡¯t you going to take action?¡± His words were as cold and indifferent as usual, but it instantly silenced everyone outside the barrier! Almost everyone subconsciously looked at Yi Wentao. In fact, by this point, who couldn¡¯t tell why he was here? Now that Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t even protect himself, he still didn¡¯t move. Could it be that he was going to watch Nan Yifan die? When Yi Wentao heard this, his gaze shifted slightly. He and Rong Xiu looked at each other for a moment. Those eyes that were like a deep pool of still water were filled with coldness, making one¡¯s heart turn cold. Yi Wentao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I¡¯m still afraid of Rong Xiu¡­ But at this moment, Nan Yifan abruptly rushed toward Chu Liuyue! He waved his hand, and the short blade instantly flew out! A piercing pain assaulted his face! With a thought, the Celestial Shield appeared in front of Chu Liuyue! Yi Wentao¡¯s pupils constricted! Chapter 1946 - 1946 Unworthy 1946 Unworthy But at this moment, a green figure suddenly appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. At the same time, that person waved his sleeve! A transparent, palm-sized jade bracelet flew out of his hand. The next moment, everyone saw that the short blade which Nan Yifan threw out had inexplicably changed direction and headed toward the transparent jade bracelet! The closer it got, the slower it became. It was as if it had fallen into an invisible swamp. Ding! The short blade struck the inner edge of the transparent jade bracelet, producing a faint crisp sound before stopping completely! Nan Yifan was shocked. When I threw the short blade, I used all my strength! Even if I couldn¡¯t kill Chu Liuyue, logically speaking, I should be able to leave an injury on her. One has to know that this short blade isn¡¯t an ordinary item. Even if Chu Liuyue has some ability, it would be very difficult to stop it. In the end, not only did this thing not hurt her, but it was also easily dealt with by someone else? At the same time, a powerful pressure swept over! Nan Yifan was forced to stop. He immediately looked at the person who had attacked and frowned. Cen Yi¡ªI remember this person. He is Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinate. From beginning to end, he has been following her. Only when he went to escort Luo Yan and the others did he leave for a moment. However, it isn¡¯t difficult to tell from these things that he should be her right-hand man and has a high status here. Except¡­ How could he be so strong? Nan Yifan¡¯s attention had always been on Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. From Beginning to end, he didn¡¯t even look at Cen Yi. It was only at this moment that Cen Yi attacked! How could an ordinary person block my attack so easily? Nan Yifan began to examine Cen Yi carefully. However, Cen Yi didn¡¯t seem to care about this. With a flick of his wrist, he put away the transparent jade bracelet. ¡°Let me see that short blade,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Cen Yi responded and handed over the short blade. Chu Liuyue carefully sized up the purple short blade in her hand and smiled meaningfully. ¡°Master Nan is really capable. You can even polish the dragon scales of the great phoenix dragon into a sharp weapon?¡± No wonder I felt that this thing was inexplicably familiar when Nan Yifan took it out previously. This short blade was originally forged from the dragon scales of the great phoenix dragon race! However, it¡¯s unknown what method Nan Yifan used to actually have this thing. Nan Yifan¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°It has nothing to do with you!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly and played with the short blade. ¡°You intend to use this to harm my life. How is it none of my business? Besides¡ª¡± Besides, these dragon scales aren¡¯t ordinary. What other secrets are hidden here? However, she didn¡¯t say these words out loud. Nan Yifan no longer planned to talk to her. His expression changed, and after a short pause, he attacked again! It seemed like he had decided on killing her. When Cen Yi heard the commotion behind him, he cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do such a small thing yourself, Master.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and nodded slightly. ¡°Alright. I haven¡¯t seen you fight in a long time.¡± At this point, she suddenly turned around. A young man was standing inside the gate of the city wall, staring intently. Chu Liuyue waved her hand. ¡°Thirteen, come here.¡± She had sensed that Thirteen was here just now, but the latter was very sensible and knew that the current situation was complicated. He didn¡¯t step forward and only stood inside to watch. Thirteen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately ran over. He didn¡¯t think about danger or anything. Master and Big Brother are both here. What¡¯s there to worry about? ¡°Master?¡± Thirteen came over, still confused as to why she had asked him to come over. Chu Liuyue raised her chin and gestured for him to stand beside the people in charge of guarding the city gate. ¡°Alright, just stand there.¡± Thirteen obediently walked over and stood still. ¡°It¡¯s rare for your brother to make a move. This is a rare opportunity; you have to watch carefully,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Thirteen was delighted and hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in comfort. He is worth teaching. In addition, I actually want to see how strong Cen Yi is now. On the one hand, she could teach Thirteen. On the other hand, she could resolve the doubts in her heart. In the end, she could even make Nan Yifan suffer¡­ Why not kill three birds with one stone? ¡­ Everyone was confused at first, then shocked. Chu Liuyue still has the time to think about this at a time like this?! Nan Yifan was also about to go crazy. The veins on his forehead throbbed crazily, and he felt extremely humiliated! What does she mean? Is she looking down on me? In fact, she didn¡¯t even take action herself and only sent out one of her subordinates! There seemed to be flames burning crazily between his chest and abdomen! Nan Yifan instantly sped up again! Cen Yi turned and looked at Nan Yifan, who was rapidly approaching. Immediately after, he moved his feet and ran forward! It seemed like he was planning to fight Nan Yifan head-on! Most of the onlookers had complicated expressions. Chu Liuyue is too arrogant, and her subordinates are just like her! Who is Nan Yifan? The head of the Nan family and a top expert who broke through to become a legendary warrior decades ago! Cen Yi looks to be only 28 or 29 years old and is very young. Even if he has some strength, can he be compared to Nan Yifan, who has a lot of combat experience? This is simply courting death! ¡­ Nan Yifan quickly mobilized the power in his body. In fact, after what had happened before, he didn¡¯t dare to let his guard down. Cen Yi could easily withstand his move, which proved that he definitely had some strength! At this moment, he couldn¡¯t slack off at all! The surrounding natural energy began to surge toward Nan Yifan quickly! The aura on his body strengthened again! Cen Yi¡¯s narrow, indifferent eyes narrowed, but compared to Nan Yifan, there was almost no movement on his side. The distance between the two of them was rapidly shrinking! Nan Yifan suddenly stretched out a finger, and a clear cry that seemed to come from hell sounded from afar! ¡°Nine Nether Finger!¡± At some point, his index finger had also turned dark purple. Moreover, mysterious patterns vaguely appeared! At the same time, the Nan family totem between his eyebrows flashed! Cen Yi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he threw a punch! ¡°Flying Wind Fist!¡± His fist was covered in a green light that flowed gently like water. In the sunlight, it even sparkled. His movements were valiant and unrestrained like a gentle breeze, exuding an indescribable charm of freedom. Then, the two of them fought! Rumble! The two forces collided fiercely! The violent energy quickly spread in all directions! A layer of green and purple light exploded, instantly enveloping the two of them! Chapter 1947 - 1947 Backer? 1947 Backer? Almost everyone¡¯s gaze fell on the two of them, eagerly waiting for the outcome. However, there was one person who wasn¡¯t paying attention. This person was Yi Wentao. After seeing Chu Liuyue summon the Celestial Shield, his heart skipped a beat as he waited for her to take action. However, he didn¡¯t expect Cen Yi to suddenly appear and go against Nan Yifan. This made Yi Wentao feel very bad, but there was no trace on his face, and he continued to watch indifferently. ¡°Shangguan Yue¡¯s subordinate is quite extraordinary,¡± he suddenly said. Why did he choose this moment¡­ Moreover, from my previous observations, Cen Yi¡¯s strength shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. Yi Wenzhuo frowned. ¡°I heard that Shangguan Yue brought him from outside the God Residence Realm. I didn¡¯t know that she had such a person by her side¡­¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s eyesight wasn¡¯t weak, so he had seen Cen Yi take Nan Yifan¡¯s move clearly. He was certain that Cen Yi¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t be underestimated, but the more this was the case, the more aggrieved he felt. Chu Liuyue is really too evil! Not only is she always stronger than everyone expects, but even the people she brings along are beyond expectations too. Every time we think we know her well enough, she¡¯ll always be able to do more shocking things and pull out more trump cards! I wonder if this time¡­ Suddenly, a figure flew out of the intertwined flames! Thump! His body fell heavily to the ground with a dull thud! Everyone hurriedly looked over. When they saw the face clearly, they gasped. It was actually Nan Yifan who was beaten to the ground! At this moment, he was lying on the ground, his face pale and spitting blood. And an index finger had actually been broken! At this moment, it was drooping at a strange angle, dripping with blood. It looked like he was in a sorry state. Everyone was stunned and fell into dead silence! They thought that Nan Yifan would definitely win, but who knew that he would lose in just one round? Then, a green figure flew out of the ball of fire. Countless gazes looked over and realized that Cen Yi¡ªwho had also experienced an intense battle¡ªwasn¡¯t stained with blood at all! He stood in the air, his green clothes upright. His eyes were indifferent and cold, but there was an indescribable cold nobility. He looked down at Nan Yifan. ¡°Admit defeat?¡± Nobody expected that the person who said this would be Cen Yi! He is just one of Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinates! If even he is so powerful, then Chu Liuyue¡­ Nan Yifan struggled to stand up, coughing non-stop. He spat out a few more mouthfuls of blood at Cen Yi¡¯s words. How high and mighty were these two words?! It was almost like a few loud slaps to his face! Nan Yifan endured the pain all over his body and looked up. Then, a cold smile suddenly appeared on his face. ¡°Admit defeat? In your dreams!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly bit the tip of his tongue! The short purple blade in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand suddenly cracked! Ka! Chu Liuyue quickly looked down! A dragon¡¯s roar suddenly sounded from within! Almost at the same time, the void beside Nan Yifan shook violently! A figure walked out! ¡°Master Nan, why did you look for me?¡± Nan Yifan swallowed a mouthful of blood and said word by word, ¡°Elder Fushan, you must help me this time!¡± Chapter 1948 - 1948 Half a Family 1948 Half a Family Miao Fushan frowned at Nan Yifan¡¯s sorry state. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master Nan?¡± With his status, he shouldn¡¯t have fallen into such a state¡­ Moreover, to be able to force Nan Yifan to use my dragon scale to summon me, he must¡¯ve really reached a critical moment. Miao Fushan inquired as he quickly looked around. At first glance, he saw Chu Liuyue holding the shattered dragon scales. Then, he was slightly stunned. This situation doesn¡¯t seem right¡­ Nan Yifan¡¯s next words immediately confirmed his guess. ¡°Elder Fushan, it¡¯s like this¡ªShangguan Yue, Rong Xiu, and the others killed my children and several Nan family elders in succession. I originally wanted to lead people here to demand an explanation, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be extremely cunning. They actually bewitched the few Nan family elders who were detained previously and made them pour all the dirty water on me! Elder Fushan, all these years, I haven¡¯t dared to disturb you, but I really have no choice this time¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was amazed. Is this what ¡®distorting the truth¡¯ is? Is this what ¡®having a glib tongue¡¯ is? The evidence is clear, but he could still say such a thing. He is really not an ordinary person. Chu Liuyue began to understand how Nan Yifan had been the head of the Nan family for so long. As Miao Fushan listened, the expression on his face became even more subtle. He nodded only when Nan Yifan finished. Then, he took a few steps forward. Everyone looked over and had various expressions. There was only one Elder Fushan in the entire God Residence Realm¡ªelder of the great phoenix dragon clan, Miao Fushan! This person was a famous figure. It was rumored that he was of extremely high seniority and had a very noble status in the great phoenix dragon clan. Even the family head would respect him. Nan Yifan has indeed found a powerful backer! Even the people from the Nan family were shocked and confused. They had never known that Nan Yifan was actually friends with Miao Fushan! With this one, even if her contracted fiend is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, it should be slightly inferior, right? Thinking of this, many people¡¯s eyes revealed excitement and anticipation. Nan Yifan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Chu Liuyue coldly and smugly. However, Miao Fushan¡¯s next move shocked everyone. He cupped his fists and bowed to Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. ¡°Your Grace, Princess Consort, long time no see. How have you been?¡± His attitude was very polite and even a little familiar. It was as if they were acquaintances! Nan Yifan¡¯s smile froze on his face before it could fully spread. He stared at Miao Fushan in disbelief. I invited Miao Fushan here to deal with Chu Liuyue, but what¡¯s with this reaction? Rong Xiu nodded and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last met. Elder Fushan, you¡¯re even more energetic than before.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up like a crescent moon. ¡°That¡¯s right! It seems that Elder Fushan has been living quite happily recently?¡± Miao Fushan waved his hand and smiled bitterly. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me. Some time ago, I was busy and couldn¡¯t leave, so even when the two of you were newlyweds, I couldn¡¯t personally come to congratulate you. Please forgive me.¡± When Miao Zhen ascended the position of clan leader, he naturally had to clean up Miao Yang¡¯s subordinates in the family. Therefore, during this period of time, the entire great phoenix dragon clan had been rather shaken. Things had just calmed down when he was invited over by Nan Yifan again. Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Elder Fushan, you¡¯re too polite. You¡¯re my elder, so I should¡¯ve brought Yue¡¯er back to Godly Dragon Island. I just didn¡¯t expect to see you here before I could go over.¡± As the three of them spoke, the onlookers were all stunned. Why does it seem like Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue have a better relationship with Miao Fushan? The longer Nan Yifan watched, the more flustered he became. He vaguely felt that he had missed something important. Everyone in the God Residence Realm knew that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue had dealings with the great phoenix dragon clan. After all, on their wedding day, the clan leader¡ªMiao Zhen¡ªhad personally gone to congratulate them. But¡­ Nan Yifan had always thought that they were at most acquaintances and weren¡¯t close. After all, the great phoenix dragon clan had always been arrogant and rarely interacted with the human race. But now, this¡­ ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect Elder Fushan to be familiar with Master Nan?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. Miao Fushan sighed inwardly. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Many years ago, I met Master Nan once. At that time, I was in a dangerous situation, and Master Nan helped me out. Therefore, I left a dragon scale as a token and promised that if he needed any help in the future, he could just break this dragon scale.¡± In other words, there was only one chance. However, once was enough to make many people envious. One had to know that this was Miao Fushan! It was difficult for many people to even meet him, but Nan Yifan could ask him for help. Even if it was thousands of miles away, Miao Fushan would immediately rush over! The distance between them wasn¡¯t small! Nan Yifan knew how precious this opportunity was, so he cherished it all these years and had never used it. It was only this time that he was forced to use this trump card. But from the looks of it, the development of the matter seemed to have¡­ deviated from the direction he had expected? Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and glanced at Rong Xiu. No wonder¡­ Logically speaking, a person like Miao Fushan wouldn¡¯t have any connection with Nan Yifan. So there was such a reason. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect to bump into the two of you this time.¡± Miao Fushan didn¡¯t expect to face such an awkward situation. Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Then¡­ is Elder Fushan planning to help Master Nan?¡± This question asked what everyone was thinking. For a moment, there was silence both inside and outside the field. Everyone was waiting for Miao Fushan¡¯s answer. His choice determined the outcome of today¡¯s matter to a great extent! Miao Fushan laughed helplessly. ¡°Princess Consort, don¡¯t tease me. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s others, but the two of you¡­ I can¡¯t beat you up. If the clan leader finds out, he¡¯ll be angry later.¡± This sentence directly expressed his attitude! Nan Yifan immediately panicked and hurriedly took a few steps forward. ¡°Elder Fushan? What do you mean?¡± I was the one who invited him over first. It was clearly an agreement made many years ago! Why is Miao Fushan still standing with those people in the end?! Miao Fushan stroked his beard helplessly. ¡°Master Nan, you¡¯ve really made things difficult for me this time. If it were anything else, I would naturally not refuse. But this time¡­ I really can¡¯t do anything.¡± Nan Yifan still wanted to explain, but Miao Fushan continued, ¡°The Princess Consort is already half a family member of my great phoenix dragon clan. How can I attack her?¡± Chapter 1949 - 1949 Whose Helper Was It? 1949 Whose Helper Was It? Every word echoed clearly in everyone¡¯s ears! It was like a thunderclap! Everyone was shocked on the spot and couldn¡¯t come back to their senses for a long time. They almost thought they had heard wrongly! Half a family member¡­ Half a family member?! Who exactly is Chu Liuyue, and what ability does she have to make Miao Fushan say such things?! Nan Yifan was completely stunned. He looked at Miao Fushan in shock and opened his mouth, but no matter what, he couldn¡¯t say anything. Miao Fushan said, ¡°I indeed owe you a favor, Master Nan, but¡­ How can there be a reason to hit one¡¯s own family for an outsider? Master Nan, don¡¯t you think so?¡± If Miao Fushan¡¯s previous words were considered tactful, then this sentence had completely cut off the last trace of fantasy in Nan Yifan¡¯s heart! One side was family! The other side was an outsider! It was obvious who was closer! ¡°This time, I¡¯ve let you down. Therefore, if you need any help in the future, just let me know. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to help, but this time¡­ Please forgive me. I really can¡¯t help,¡± Miao Fushan said. ¡°As compensation, I¡¯ll help you two times in the future. What do you think, Master Nan?¡± What do I think? If you¡¯ve already made up your mind, why bother asking me? Nan Yifan sneered in his heart. Would Miao Fushan take back his words if I say no? More importantly, if he doesn¡¯t help, it¡¯ll be a problem if I can survive today! Even if there are two, three, or even more opportunities later, what is the use?! How laughable! At this moment, Nan Yifan¡¯s limbs were cold, and only his chest was burning as if something was crashing back and forth in his lungs, about to break out! A warm, sweet breath suddenly rose in his throat, and he forced himself to swallow it! I have never felt like a clown before! Miao Fushan¡¯s words were like a slap to his face, and it burned! ¡­ At this moment, the people standing outside the barrier didn¡¯t react any better than Nan Yifan. Miao Fushan said that¡­ she was a member of the great phoenix dragon clan?! However, she¡¯s a human! More importantly, her contracted legendary fiend is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress! It might be reasonable to say that she is half a family member of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, but as for the great phoenix dragon clan¡ª Who in the entire God Residence Realm doesn¡¯t know that the relationship between these two ancient legendary fiend clans has always been very subtle? On the surface, everyone seems to mind their own business, but in fact, they are openly and secretly opposing each other. The great phoenix dragon clan actually treated her as family¡­ Did they even consider the existence of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan? Besides, why haven¡¯t we heard anything about such a big matter before?! Even the usually calm Yi Wentao frowned when he heard this. The Yi family had always been secretly paying close attention to these two ancient legendary fiend clams, but they had never heard of any commotion. Why did Chu Liuyue suddenly have such a close and intimate relationship with them? What¡¯s even more troublesome is that Miao Fushan has a noble status. His attitude basically represents the attitude of the entire great phoenix dragon clan. If the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan and the great phoenix dragon clan come to help at the same time, then¡ªat that time, it would probably be difficult! Yi Wentao slowly clenched his fists. ¡­ Actually, Chu Liuyue was also a little surprised that Miao Fushan would say such a thing directly. Thinking about it carefully, he was probably affected by Miao Zhen¡¯s attitude. Because of Zi Chen, I am indeed close to the great phoenix dragon clan. However, it¡¯s still very rare for Miao Fushan to be willing to say it. One could imagine that this sentence would definitely spread throughout the entire God Residence Realm! By publicizing it completely, they were standing behind her and supporting her! To the great phoenix dragon clan, this was indeed an extremely important decision. Chu Liuyue never thought that it was right for others to help her. Therefore, she was actually very grateful that Miao Fushan was willing to do this. ¡°Thank you, Elder Fushan,¡± she said softly. ¡°Actually, there are many lies in what the Nan family¡¯s master said previously.¡± Then, she succinctly recounted what had really happened. Originally, she didn¡¯t want to say anything else, but Miao Fushan¡¯s attitude surprised her and filled her with gratitude. Therefore, she felt that she should tell the truth. As for who Miao Fushan believed, it was up to him. Miao Fushan¡¯s frown deepened as he listened. At the end of the story, his face was ashen. He suddenly turned around and stared at Nan Yifan. ¡°Master Nan, are these all true?!¡± A trace of panic flashed in Nan Yifan¡¯s eyes, but he still said stubbornly, ¡°Since Elder Fushan has already chosen to stand on their side, why are you asking me this?¡± He put on a look of disdain and mockery. But who was Miao Fushan? Nan Yifan¡¯s disguise was useless in front of him. With just a few more glances, Miao Fushan had basically guessed his thoughts. His expression turned cold. Nan Yifan had no problem asking me to help. Nan Yifan was the one in the wrong, so there is no problem. But¡­ I will never tolerate Nan Yifan lying! Nan Yifan felt guilty under Miao Fushan¡¯s gaze and subconsciously looked away. After a while, Miao Fushan said lightly, ¡°Master Nan, on account of you helping me previously, I won¡¯t pursue today¡¯s deception. But from now on, the debt between us will be written off! Master Nan¡­ you¡¯d better pray for yourself!¡± After saying that, he flicked his sleeves fiercely and turned to walk in the direction of Chu Liuyue¡¯s group. Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°Elder Fushan, what are you¡ª¡± ¡°Princess Consort, it¡¯s a joyous occasion that you can take down Peach Blossom Dock. I should congratulate you.¡± A smile appeared on Miao Fushan¡¯s face. This matter had recently spread like wildfire in the God Residence Realm. Naturally, he had heard about it. He had long thought that the other aristocratic families of the human race might take action, but he didn¡¯t expect that these two families would be the first to take action. Moreover, they had happened to summon him. Since it was such a coincidence, he might as well stay here and help. ¡°Since it¡¯s a beautiful thing, I naturally won¡¯t allow others to ruin it. Although I¡¯m old, I can still help with a small favor. I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡± He said that he wouldn¡¯t attack Nan Yifan, but he didn¡¯t say that he would do the same to others! After weighing the pros and cons, he naturally had to help Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue was also rather surprised. ¡°What are you saying, Elder Fushan? We should be the ones thanking you!¡± Although she originally had her own plan, Miao Fushan¡¯s willingness to help undoubtedly increased their chances of winning greatly! Nan Yifan almost fainted when he heard this. Chapter 1950 - 1950 Defeat! 1950 Defeat! After a long time, I didn¡¯t manage to get help. Instead, I have another enemy, and it¡¯s the kind with extremely high combat strength! Nan Yifan felt that everything seemed to go haywire in the face of Chu Liuyue! He had hidden this trump card for many years. Now that he finally took it out, it was ruined by a few words from Chu Liuyue! He couldn¡¯t understand how she could be on good terms with two ancient legendary fiend clans at the same time! Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just an ordinarily good relationship. They were close enough to help each other at any time! Nan Yifan was filled with regret. If I had known earlier, I would never have invited Miao Fushan over! However, it¡¯s too late now! ¡­ Miao Fushan¡¯s appearance and attitude changed the situation greatly. If they still dared to take a gamble before, they were more or less hesitating now. Great phoenix dragons were an ancient legendary fiend race! It was already troublesome enough for Chu Liuyue to contract the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress. Now, with the addition of the great phoenix dragon clan¡­ To Nan Yifan and the others, it was undoubtedly adding insult to injury! Yes, the Yi and Nan families had higher statuses and foundations than those first-rate families. However, it was still inferior to these two legendary fiend clans. Not to mention that when these two races joined forces, they were incomparably powerful! What could they use to continue fighting? ¡°Master, do you think¡­ we should continue?¡± someone from the Yi family asked softly. The current situation¡­ is a little troublesome. Fortunately, we have yet to attack. If we leave now, We might be able to avoid this battle. Yi Wentao turned around and glanced at the person who spoke. His eyebrows moved slightly as he said lightly, ¡°You want to leave?¡± The person who spoke immediately shuddered. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Although the family head¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, there was an inexplicable coldness that made one¡¯s heart turn cold. The surrounding people originally wanted to agree, but when they heard Yi Wentao¡¯s question, they immediately fell silent. ¡°After spending so much effort to come here, if we return quietly, how can our Yi family establish ourselves in the God Residence Realm in the future?¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s voice was calm, but it immediately alerted everyone. Yeah! We have already come this far. How can we leave just like that? Everything that happens here today will quickly spread in the God Residence Realm as if it has wings! At that time, what will those people think of the Yi family? Moreover, we¡¯re here for Peach Blossom Dock. If we miss it, we don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to find such a perfect place in the future. No matter how we look at it, we can only choose to continue! ¡­ Swoosh! A piercing sound suddenly came from behind! Nan Yifan suddenly came back to his senses, but before he could do anything, a cold green light suddenly flashed past his eyes! He knew that it was bad, but there was no time to dodge! A cold sting instantly came from his abdomen! His body stiffened, and he lowered his eyes slowly. A bowl-sized bloody hole appeared on his body, spurting blood. His clothes were already stained with blood, but at this moment, a large amount of blood gushed out and quickly soaked his clothes, making them stick tightly to his body. Moreover, blood kept dripping, making him look even more shocking. The intense pain quickly spread! At the same time, abundant force surged out of his body as if he had lost control! Nan Yifan¡¯s mind went blank for a moment. My pearl of essence¡­ My pearl of essence has shattered! He almost had to force himself to look back! At some point, Cen Yi had arrived behind him. In front of him was a transparent jade bracelet floating quietly¡ªit was the one he had used to block Nan Yifan¡¯s short blade. But at this moment, the jade bracelet was stained with a few drops of blood that were slowly dripping along the arc. It could be seen that Nan Yifan¡¯s injuries were left behind by this thing! Nan Yifan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief and deep resentment. How did this happen? Why didn¡¯t I notice anything when Cen Yi attacked? If I had reacted earlier, my pearl of essence wouldn¡¯t have been shattered so accurately! Cen Yi looked at him coldly, as if he were looking at an ant. He clearly didn¡¯t say anything, but Nan Yifan could feel that Cen Yi looked down on him. Nan Yifan became angrier and angrier, but at the same time, he felt great fear. He had to admit that Cen Yi¡¯s strength was indeed above his! The two of them had only exchanged two moves, but Cen Yi had placed him in such a situation! Even though Nan Yifan wasn¡¯t vigilant enough, if not for Cen Yi being strong enough, it would definitely be impossible for him to succeed! What was even more terrifying was that such a powerful figure was actually Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinate! Why did he willingly follow her and bow down to her? Nan Yifan couldn¡¯t understand, but he was indignant! Finally, his body gave way, and he collapsed. Plop! He dropped to his knees with a thud. This kneel directly smashed into the hearts of the Nan family. For a moment, there was dead silence. At this moment, a face suddenly appeared in Nan Yifan¡¯s peripheral vision. Yi Wentao. Their eyes met for a moment. Yi Wentao narrowed his eyes slightly. However, Nan Yifan suddenly thought of something, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed across his eyes. Rumble! A ball of flames suddenly erupted from his body! Chapter 1951 - 1951 Holy Body 1951 Holy Body The flames were pure white. When they burned, there were silver spots of light flickering in them. This flame drilled out of Nan Yifan¡¯s body and quickly engulfed his entire body! In the blink of an eye, Nan Yifan became a burning man! But unlike other flames, this silver-white flame wasn¡¯t hot. Instead, it carried traces of cold air. On the ground where Nan Yifan was, the sporadically dripping blood gradually froze, covered in a thin layer of frost! Then, Nan Yifan actually stood up again! Through the silver-white flames, one could vaguely tell that Nan Yifan¡¯s body was undergoing some changes. He just stood there and let the flames burn crazily on his body! The surrounding natural energy continued to surge toward him and fuse into the flames! As time passed, Nan Yifan¡¯s originally declining aura actually began to recover gradually! Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. Rong Xiu said, ¡°He¡¯s summoning his Holy Body.¡± Stunned, Chu Liuyue came to a sudden realization. ¡°His Holy Body seems to be a little different from others¡­¡± The Nan family had always been a relatively mysterious existence in the God Residence Realm, so there weren¡¯t many rumors about Nan Yifan himself. Outsiders basically had no way of knowing. As for what Holy Body he had cultivated, they naturally didn¡¯t know. She had seen many Holy Bodies in the ancient books of Ling Xiao Academy, but none of them were the same as Nan Yifan¡¯s. In just a short while, the aura and pressure on Nan Yifan¡¯s body seemed to be comparable to before! More importantly, the aura was still intensifying! After the silver-white flames burned fiercely, they began to return to Nan Yifan¡¯s body gradually. Only then did Chu Liuyue see that most of the injuries on his body had healed! Even the puncture wound on his abdomen¡ªwhich Cen Yi had left behind¡ªhad mostly healed and begun to scab! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Nan Yifan¡¯s injuries were very serious, especially since his pearl of essence had been shattered! Logically speaking, he should¡¯ve lost all his offensive power and can¡¯t fight anymore! Who knew¡­ At this moment, Nan Yifan raised his head and looked straight at her. Only then did she see that his face and neck were covered in a thin layer of frost. From afar, he looked like a frozen man. The thin frost was bone-chilling! His eyes had turned silver! When Chu Liuyue met those eyes, her heart skipped a beat! Cold, bloodthirsty, and crazy! It was as if he wanted to devour everything! A trace of uneasiness suddenly surged in her heart, and she immediately mobilized the force around her! Cen Yi waved his sleeve, and the transparent jade bracelet flew toward Nan Yifan again. But this time, Nan Yifan immediately reacted! He raised his hand and threw a punch! Clang! The incomparably hard fist collided fiercely with the transparent jade bracelet, emitting a crisp sound! The transparent jade bracelet was instantly sent flying! The ground under Nan Yifan¡¯s feet instantly cracked, causing his feet to cave in! However, his fist was unscathed! And he himself didn¡¯t seem to have suffered any substantial damage. One had to know that his pearl of essence had already shattered, and he couldn¡¯t mobilize his force at all. At this moment, he was purely relying on his Holy Body to support himself! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Nan Yifan¡¯s Holy Body is actually so powerful? The transparent jade bracelet flew back. Cen Yi raised his hand and caught it. Sensing the vibration of the lingering power above, his expression turned cold. Nan Yifan has already gone crazy. He gave up his body and used all his strength to fill his Holy Body! In order to strengthen his Holy Body, he even burned his remaining force. Doing so was no different from killing the goose that lays the golden eggs! Most importantly, it would cause him great and irreversible damage. He is going all out! Just as this thought flashed through Cen Yi¡¯s mind, he saw the last flame on Nan Yifan¡¯s body disappear. Then, Nan Yifan tiptoed and headed straight for Chu Liuyue! ¡­ Nan Yifan was extremely fast! Before Chu Liuyue could even see his movements clearly, she felt a cold breeze! Chu Liuyue focused her gaze and looked into Nan Yifan¡¯s already silver eyes. A thought suddenly appeared. Nan Yifan seems to be¡­ targeting me especially? From the beginning to now, I have almost always stood with Rong Xiu and acted together with him. However, Nan Yifan keeps targeting me alone, especially when he attacks. Without exception, he has always been targeting me! Why is that? It can¡¯t be because of the so-called fear of Rong Xiu. After all, from the moment he decided to send Nan Yuxing and the others over, he had already planned the consequences of today. That is¡­ he thinks that I¡¯m weaker than Rong Xiu and easier to control? That doesn¡¯t seem right either. Rong Xiu is beside me and can attack at any time. Moreover, when they barged into the barrier of Peach Blossom Dock just now, they should¡¯ve seen some of my strength. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled. Nan Yifan is¡­ trying to force me to make a move? Thinking of this, she suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Yi Wentao. Almost at the same time, Yi Wentao also looked at her! The two of them fought silently! However, Chu Liuyue instantly confirmed her guess! It must have been some agreement between the two of them that Nan Yifan ignored everything and insisted on facing me head-on! He wants to force me into attacking! What does Yi Wentao want to see? What does he want to know? A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. At this moment, Nan Yifan was almost in front of her! The cold aura was almost suffocating, but at this moment, light suddenly flashed under Nan Yifan¡¯s feet! The light was light green in color and was about the thickness of an adult¡¯s finger. It intersected with each other and formed a huge net that floated up! Nan Yifan took a wrong step and wanted to avoid it. However, the huge net had already begun to close! At the same time, countless silver needles flew out and headed straight for Nan Yifan! They covered the skies and the ground. Nan Yifan¡¯s figure was instantly enveloped! Nan Yifan originally didn¡¯t take these attacks seriously because he was very confident in his Holy Body. Moreover, this time, he had done his best to improve all aspects of his Holy Body to the strongest! But soon, he realized that he was being too optimistic. These silver needles and this huge net couldn¡¯t be underestimated! Soon, his vision was occupied, and he was trapped in place, unable to continue forward! At this moment, Cen Yi stepped forward. He slowly raised his hand and clenched it in the air! Intense pain instantly spread throughout Nan Yifan¡¯s body! ¡°Ah!¡± Chapter 1952 - 1952 Thirteen Yue Guards 1952 Thirteen Yue Guards The scream was extremely shrill and spread far and wide, instantly causing the expressions of everyone outside the barrier to change. This was because they clearly saw the green net suddenly tighten, binding Nan Yifan tightly! At the same time, the countless silver needles on it pierced into his Holy Body! Although those silver needles were very thin, they were very long and extremely tenacious. If they pierced directly, even his bones would be pierced! Not to mention that his entire body had been stabbed by thousands of silver needles at the same time? Such pain wasn¡¯t something a normal person could withstand! Nan Yifan¡¯s Holy Body trembled violently, but the huge green net held him tightly, preventing him from moving. Everyone could only see that almost all the silver needles that flickered with a cold luster had entered his Holy Body, leaving only the equally sharp tips trembling slightly. This time, there was no longer any dark-red blood gushing out of Nan Yifan¡¯s body, staining everywhere. However, everyone still felt a chill in their hearts as they watched. Such pain¡­ was no different from torture! ¡­ ¡°Cen Yi is so ruthless!¡± Yi Wenzhuo couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in shock. They could all tell that there was clearly something fishy about the silver needles. Otherwise, it would be impossible to penetrate Nan Yifan¡¯s Holy Body so easily! His Holy Body was already considered extremely powerful, but at this moment, he was actually still unable to resist Cen Yi¡¯s attack¡­ ¡°But you need to have the strength to do this first,¡± Yi Wentao narrowed his eyes and said. At first, his attention was on Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. It was only later that he realized that this young man in green might not be simple. At this moment, he was finally certain of his previous guess. This Cen Yi¡­ Not only is he a legendary warrior, but he is still the cream of the crop! Although Yi Wentao and Nan Yifan didn¡¯t interact much, they had interacted some. Therefore, he had a basic understanding of Nan Yifan¡¯s strength. Not to mention the Nan family, even in the entire God Residence Realm, there were probably not many people who could defeat Nan Yifan. However, not only did Cen Yi have the upper hand in the battle with him, but it also looked like it was effortless! Even now, Yi Wentao had yet to accurately guess Cen Yi¡¯s true strength. In short, he was stronger than Nan Yifan and not just a little stronger! Why have I not heard of such a person before? Yi Wentao realized that he had come in a hurry. If I had known earlier, I would¡¯ve investigated more¡­ However, it¡¯s clearly too late to say that. ¡°If I remember correctly, that Cen Yi seems to be one of Shangguan Yue¡¯s former subordinates? And some of the others are currently staying at Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Yi Wentao suddenly asked. Yi Wenzhuo was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, Jun Jiuqing replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Only then did he realize that this question was directed at Jun Jiuqing. That¡¯s true. Cen Yi and the others came from outside the God Residence Realm. Jun Jiuqing had stayed in Beiming for so long before, so he should know more. Jun Jiuqing continued, ¡°She has personal guards called the Thirteen Yue Guard. She personally selected these 13 people, and they only listen to her orders. Cen Yi is ranked first among them.¡± Yi Wentao frowned imperceptibly. ¡°Are the other people in the so-called Thirteen Yue Guard as powerful as Cen Yi?¡± There seemed to be ripples in Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes. He smiled. ¡°How could that be?¡± Chapter 1953 - 1953 Attack! 1953 Attack! ¡°There are a total of 13 in the Thirteen Yue Guard. Cen Yi is naturally ranked first because he¡¯s the strongest. Although the remaining ones are also quite outstanding, they¡¯re still slightly inferior to Cen Yi,¡± Jun Jiuqing said slowly. Yi Wentao thought to himself and felt that this explanation made sense. But since these people have been following her since they were still outside the God Residence Realm, Cen Yi must be quite capable to be able to reach his current cultivation level. Either he was a legendary warrior in the past, or he had only broken through to this realm after following her to the God Residence Realm. But no matter how he think about it, these two guesses are unbelievable. How old was Cen Yi now? He is so powerful, but how could he have achieved it so quickly? ¡°By the way, Master, I remember that there were previously rumors that Boss San in Peach Blossom Dock is also Shangguan Yue¡¯s subordinate.¡± Behind them, an elder heard their conversation and suddenly thought of something. ¡°That Boss San came to Peach Blossom Dock a few years ago and did business here. It¡¯s said that he seemed to have a close relationship with the Black Sword Sect here, but now¡­¡± Now, it was obvious that the Black Sword Sect had been destroyed. Not even one escaped. Nobody in the God Residence Realm received any relevant news. The Black Sword Sect seemed to have disappeared silently. If they hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the commotion at Peach Blossom Dock and knew that there had always been a Black Sword Sect here, they would probably think that Chu Liuyue had come here directly to occupy the mountain. ¡°By the way, that Boss San isn¡¯t an ordinary person. The small space with many natural treasures at Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Clear Water Cliff is his!¡± the elder continued. If not for that, the Black Sword Sect wouldn¡¯t have kept him for so long. Yi Wentao came to a realization. ¡°So it¡¯s him?¡± He remembered this person, but when he heard the relevant news back then, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. Most of his attention was on the Black Sword Sect. Later on, after knowing that the Black Sword Sect had a close relationship with Black Demon Hole, he gave up on the idea of attacking. Unexpectedly, when he heard the news about Peach Blossom Dock again, Chu Liuyue had already become the master here! As for the Black Sword Sect, they were completely wiped out! Yi Wentao looked ahead with a complicated gaze. Could it be¡­ that Boss San and the others worked together from the inside to help Chu Liuyue take down Peach Blossom Dock so smoothly? If that¡¯s the case, her subordinates are really not to be underestimated¡­ He paused, half-turned his head, and asked, ¡°Do you know the background of Shangguan Yue¡¯s Thirteen Yue Guards?¡± Jun Jiuqing lowered his eyes and shook his head. ¡°These people have been following her since a long time ago, and she found them herself. As for their specific backgrounds¡­ Other than her, nobody else should know.¡± Yi Wentao was a little disappointed, but he was not surprised to hear this answer. He couldn¡¯t help but glance at Rong Xiu. From the beginning to the end, Rong Xiu has been by her side, but he has almost never attacked. His meaning is clear. Peach Blossom Dock is Chu Liuyue¡¯s territory, so everything here should be resolved by her and her subordinates. To put it bluntly, he is deliberately giving her a chance to establish her might today! It seems like he is really determined to make this Peach Blossom Dock belong to Chu Liuyue¡­ ¡°Master Yi!¡± A nervous and anxious voice suddenly sounded. Yi Wentao turned around. It was an elder of the Nan family, Nan Hetian. This person was also Nan Yifan¡¯s trusted aide. At this moment, he looked very worried and anxious. He cupped his hands at Yi Wenzhuo. ¡°Master Yi, on account of the long history between the two families, please help save Master!¡± At this moment, it was definitely impossible to rely on the Nan family¡¯s strength alone. Only with the Yi family¡¯s help would there be a glimmer of hope. Nan Hetian hadn¡¯t wanted to speak so directly, but he had no choice. He had followed Nan Yifan for many years and had always been loyal. How could he not feel uncomfortable seeing Nan Yifan suffer like this? Moreover, he knew that Nan Yifan had secretly gone to the Yi family. He knew very well that the two sides must have made some agreement, but for some reason, the Yi family had yet to take action at this point! They even looked like they didn¡¯t care and were just watching from the sidelines! Nan Hetian was burning with anxiety and could only ask for help. Everyone from the Nan family looked over. Yi Wentao glanced at these people¡¯s faces and sneered in his heart. In fact, there might be people among these people who can open this barrier. If the eight legendary warriors join forces, there will be some hope. However, they didn¡¯t. It seems that the people inside the barrier aren¡¯t the only ones who want Nan Yifan to die¡­ All these years, the Nan family¡¯s internal conflict had always existed. However, it was suppressed by Nan Yifan and didn¡¯t show much. But at the critical moment, this was fatal. Seeing that Yi Wentao didn¡¯t say anything, Nan Hetian gritted his teeth and continued, ¡°If Master Yi is willing to help, my Nan family will definitely do our best to help you take down Peach Blossom Dock today!¡± As soon as he said this, the expressions of everyone in the Nan family changed. Everyone could tell that Nan Yifan was dying. Such a person was destined to be unable to continue being the family head. Even if he was barely saved, what was the point? Some people had long disliked Nan Yifan, and Luo Yan¡¯s words had shaken many people¡¯s hearts. Nan Hetian was Nan Yifan¡¯s closest confidant. He was naturally willing to do everything he could to save Nan Yifan, but others didn¡¯t think so. Therefore, after he said this, everyone in the Nan family remained silent. However, Nan Hetian was focused on Yi Wentao, so he didn¡¯t notice. Yi Wentao thought for a moment and glanced into the barrier. Nan Yifan was kneeling on the ground. His entire body was tightly bound, and his body was already twisted and deformed. Blood kept seeping from the corner of his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t say another word. He looked extremely miserable. Who would¡¯ve thought that Nan Yifan, the head of the Nan family, would one day fall into such a state? Yi Wentao frowned. Unfortunately, I still overestimated Nan Yifan. They have wasted so much time. It seems that I have to do it myself¡­ ¡°Alright. In that case, I¡¯ll have to trouble everyone to attack together.¡± Yi Wentao raised his hand, and huge battle axe made of bronze appeared in his hand! Some mysterious runes were engraved on the battle axe. When Yi Wentao mobilized the force in his body, a buzzing sound suddenly came from it! The next moment, he waved his arm and slashed down with the battle axe in his hand! Chapter 1954 - 1954 Want It? 1954 Want It? ¡°Great Azure Sun Axe!¡± With Yi Wentao¡¯s shout, the sky quickly darkened. The winds were blowing, and a huge black spatial rift appeared! The ground also began to crack, and gullies spread! Immediately after, the sharp power of the battle axe quickly transformed into a dazzling green ball of light that approached Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier like the sun! The transparent barrier¡ªwhich was glowing with a faint colorful light¡ªbegan to tremble violently! Ripples formed and spread in all directions. Cen Yi quickly turned around and was about to move when he was stopped by Chu Liuyue. ¡°Cen Yi, just watch Nan Yifan first.¡± He immediately retracted his leg that was about to step out and nodded in response. ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he walked in front of Nan Yifan and waved his sleeve. Nan Yifan¡¯s body suddenly flew back. Cen Yi moved and followed. Thump! Nan Yifan finally fell in front of Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s city gates. Nan Yifan was already at the end of the rope. Cen Yi¡¯s attack directly made his body tremble, and he completely fainted. Actually, to be precise, he had landed inside the city gates. When the people in charge of guarding the city gates saw this, not only were they not shocked, but they also had looks of admiration and admiration. They had seen clearly how strong Nan Yifan was just now. But in the end, he still lost to Cen Yi! In fact, from beginning to end, Cen Yi¡¯s body was almost not stained with any blood! Thirteen stood at the side, very close to Nan Yifan. He carefully sized up Nan Yifan, mainly to check his injuries. As he did so, he recalled the move Cen Yi had used previously. Soon, Cen Yi walked over. ¡°Big Brother!¡± Thirteen looked faintly excited. It had been a long time since he had seen his big brother take action personally. Now that he saw it, he was indeed powerful! The guards beside him also hurriedly bowed. ¡°Greetings, Lord Cen Yi.¡± As people who had experienced the chaos at Peach Blossom Dock, they knew that Cen Yi was also very powerful. However, they didn¡¯t know that he was so powerful! As expected of Master Yue¡­ The world admired strength. Once Cen Yi displayed such great strength, it naturally made them even more convinced. Cen Yi nodded slightly and walked over. He then threw a jade bottle to Thirteen. ¡°Feed him the pills inside. Master said to keep him alive.¡± Thirteen hurriedly caught it. ¡°Yes!¡± Although he didn¡¯t know why his master wanted to keep Nan Yifan alive, he would do as his master said! Thirteen walked over, forced Nan Yifan¡¯s mouth open, and fed him the pill. His still youthful face was calm, and his movements were decisive. The surrounding people were terrified. Isn¡¯t this Thirteen¡­ only in his teens? Why does he look so familiar with such things? Besides, although Nan Yifan has fainted, he is still a legendary warrior who intimidated a region. Ordinary people would probably still be a little afraid. However, there is no fear on Thirteen¡¯s face¡­ This courage is really rare. Those who can follow Master Yue are probably¡­ not ordinary people¡­ Cen Yi quickly looked away, a flicker in his eyes. Master seems to¡­ finally be planning to make a move? ¡­ The two sides were fighting fiercely! At a certain moment, a crack finally appeared on the barrier! Chu Liuyue muttered, ¡°The Great Azure Sun Axe¡­ is one of the top ten holy weapons. It¡¯s indeed extraordinary¡­¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He glanced at her and indeed saw a familiar expression in her eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but smile and ask in a low voice, ¡°You want it?¡± Chapter 1955 - 1955 Bringing Some Guests 1955 Bringing Some Guests Chu Liuyue laughed. Of course, I want such a treasure. They have openly come to snatch my Peach Blossom Dock. Can¡¯t I think about a Yuan instrument? However, it¡¯s still unknown who will win in the end. ¡°If you need my help, just let me know.¡± Rong Xiu wasn¡¯t interested in these things, but since she liked them, he naturally had to snatch them. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°No need.¡± I can get what I want by myself. It is dangerous this time, but it is also a rare opportunity. As long as I resolve today¡¯s troubles, I should be able to have some peace and quiet for a long time after that. With that, she quickly circulated the force in her body. A turbulent and vast power surged out of the gorgeous water droplet in her dantian! Almost at the same time, the power of Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier increased again! The crack¡ªwhich had just been split open¡ªwas repaired in the blink of an eye! The dazzling green sun was blocked outside again. The power of both sides fought fiercely, and the surrounding void collapsed continuously! But under such a strong energy impact, the barrier was still very stable! The Yi family watched from behind with complicated expressions. ¡°It seems that this Peach Blossom Dock has really undergone a huge change. I remember that when I came here in the past, the barrier was unstable, and I could enter and leave at will. Moreover, the slightest movement might cause the void to collapse¡­ Who knew that it would actually become like this now¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that even Master can¡¯t directly split open this barrier¡­ How did Shangguan Yue do it?¡± ¡°How strange¡­ Are we going to be trapped outside forever this time? Then¡­¡± That would be too embarrassing! Previously, when the Nan family tried repeatedly but failed, most of the Yi family members were still very disapproving. It was only at this moment, when Yi Wentao encountered an extremely strong obstacle, that they finally understood that this barrier was much stronger than they had expected! The reason why Yi Wentao had such a position in the Yi family was that his fists were strong enough! If even he couldn¡¯t do it¡­ Then, they would probably suffer too. Moreover, from now on, the entire Yi family would lose all face! They would no longer have the face to establish themselves in the God Residence Realm! Yi Wenzhuo reprimanded coldly, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? No matter how powerful Shangguan Yue is, can she still fly?! Just because she can hold on for a while doesn¡¯t mean she can really protect Peach Blossom Dock! I want to see how long she can still be arrogant!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a deep and powerful voice came from the distant sky. ¡°My disciple will naturally be as arrogant as she wants!¡± That voice was like thunder, crashing through the thick clouds and rolling over! Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately turned around! At the same time, many people were also disturbed by this commotion and looked up! An old man in a gray robe was approaching from where the world met! He was extremely fast. In just a few flashes, he appeared in front of everyone! The person who came was none other than the dean of Ling Xiao Academy¡ªNan Suhuai! The crowd exchanged glances. He has indeed come! Nan Suhuai is Chu Liuyue¡¯s master and has always doted on her. If he knew about the situation here, he would definitely rush over. However, how did he get here so quickly!? One had to know that this time, the Nan family and the Yi family came quietly and only completely appeared upon reaching Peach Blossom Dock. Along the way, their whereabouts were hidden. Logically speaking, there was no possibility of being exposed. Even if Chu Liuyue had directly sent out a distress signal after knowing that we were here, this place is thousands of miles away from Ling Xiao Academy. He shouldn¡¯t have arrived at this time, right? Nan Suhuai floated in the air and quickly glanced around. His gaze lingered on Yi Wenzhuo and Jun Jiuqing for a moment before he snorted. ¡°I even said that I haven¡¯t seen your whereabouts recently. I originally thought that you had gone out to train and cultivate alone. Who knew that¡­ you actually bullied a student from your own academy? Yi Wenzhuo, you¡¯re really ¡®dutiful¡¯ as the vice-director!¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s heart trembled unconsciously under Nan Suhuai¡¯s gaze, but he quickly suppressed these emotions. Nan Suhuai is powerful, but now, the Yi family has the advantage in numbers. Could it be that I¡¯m afraid of him? In the past, I had always endured it for various reasons. But now that we¡¯ve fallen out, there is no need to pretend anymore! Yi Wenzhuo smiled coldly. ¡°Nan Suhuai, do you think I really care about this position? Your position as the director should¡¯ve been mine back then! You¡¯ve occupied it for so many years, and now you want to lecture me from above¡­ Are you worthy?!¡± Nan Suhuai¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°I know you¡¯re brooding over what happened back then, but this was Master¡¯s decision! Besides, every injustice has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. If you¡¯re dissatisfied with me, feel free to say it! Why transfer all of this to Yue¡¯er?! Have you thought about the consequences of attacking someone from your academy¡­?!¡± ¡°Consequences?¡± Yi Wenzhuo seemed to have heard a joke. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just the vice-director position of Ling Xiao Academy? Today, I¡¯ll tell you that I¡¯m not going to be the vice-director anymore! From now on, I¡ªYi Wenzhuo¡ªhave nothing to do with Ling Xiao Academy!¡± He had the Yi family behind him. If not for the fact that he wanted to prove that he wasn¡¯t inferior to his eldest brother, he wouldn¡¯t have gone to Ling Xiao Academy. But there was no point in arguing about that now. Nan Suhuai looked down at him and said word by word, ¡°Yi Wenzhuo, this time, it¡¯s not that you took the initiative to resign from your position as vice-director. Instead, you¡¯re expelled from Ling Xiao Academy!¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s face suddenly turned pale! At this moment, several more figures rushed over from behind. ¡°Haha! Yue¡¯er, it¡¯s so lively here! Are we late?¡± Everyone looked over. It was Shangguan Jing, and behind him were several legendary warriors! Everyone was stunned. There are at least 20 of these legendary warriors! Where did Shangguan Jing find so many helpers?! Under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes, Shangguan Jing stroked his beard and chuckled. ¡°I brought some friends over as guests. Yue¡¯er, you¡¯ll welcome me, right?¡± Chapter 1956 - 1956 Deal 1956 Deal Everyone fell into a strange silence. Bringing some guests over¡­ You say it so easily! How could he bring so many legendary warriors with him?! How could they be guests? He is clearly here to fight! Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment before the corners of her lips curled up, and she smiled. ¡°How could that be? You came at the right time!¡± As she spoke, her gaze quickly swept past the people behind Shangguan Jing, and she realized that most of these faces were very unfamiliar. Judging from their auras, they shouldn¡¯t be weak. But at this moment, they were all standing behind Shangguan Jing and looked amiable. Moreover, Chu Liuyue acutely sensed that they seemed to respect Shangguan Jing. Her mind raced, and she roughly guessed the identities of these people. She immediately smiled and bowed politely. ¡°Greetings, seniors.¡± ¡°Haha! Brother Shangguan, I heard that you¡¯re very powerful, but I didn¡¯t believe it. Now that I¡¯ve seen you, you¡¯re indeed extraordinary!¡± A middle-aged man in his 40s chuckled. ¡°For thousands of years, countless aristocratic families have tried to seize Peach Blossom Dock, but without exception, they all returned in defeat. Now, it was easily taken down by a junior like you¡­ Tsk, young people these days really can¡¯t be underestimated!¡± As soon as he spoke, he was immediately echoed by many people around him. ¡°That¡¯s right! The previous incidents have spread like wildfire in the God Residence Realm. I thought that you were secretly helping me to build momentum. Who knew¡­ that we had underestimated you!¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that our group of useless people can¡¯t even compare to half of them! I¡¯m really angry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really envious¡­ Brother Shangguan, what kind of luck did you have?¡± The middle-aged man who spoke first chuckled. ¡°Listen to what you¡¯re saying. Brother Shangguan is a hero to begin with, so his descendants are naturally extraordinary! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to win the love of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace, right?¡± Shangguan Jing raised his eyebrows smugly. ¡°Of course! The children of my Shangguan family are the best!¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, the tips of her ears heated up. Anyone would like to hear nice words, but with so many elders gathered together and teasing her in front of so many people, she inevitably felt a little embarrassed. Rong Xiu suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Senior Zhao Song is right. It¡¯s indeed my blessing to be able to marry Yue¡¯er.¡± Hearing this name, many people present were shocked. Zhao Song? This name was famous in the God Residence Realm! It was rumored that this person came from a lowly background and had lost his family when he was young, so he had been wandering alone. It wasn¡¯t until he was 12 years old that he was accidentally discovered to be talented in cultivation and began to cultivate. Many children in the God Residence Realm started cultivating at the age of three or four. He had only started at the age of 12; it was really too late. However, he just happened to have the Tianjing Yuan meridian, And his comprehension was extremely high! It only took him eight years to successfully break through to become a true god! At that time, he was only 20 years old! Such a genius was rare even in the entire God Residence Realm. From then on, Zhao Song¡¯s reputation rose! But after that, he seemed to have disappeared and never appeared in front of everyone again. In the beginning, the world had many guesses that he might have been in seclusion or been delayed by something else. But after a long time, he still didn¡¯t appear. Gradually, rumors spread that he had had an accident and was dead. Later, everyone gradually forgot this name and stopped mentioning it. And these things had happened a thousand years ago! A thousand years later, who would¡¯ve thought that Zhao Song would suddenly appear here? Moreover, it seemed that he had an extremely good relationship with Shangguan Jing! Generally speaking, people usually wouldn¡¯t have deep memories of the people and things from a thousand years ago. The reason why the Nan family and the Yi family reacted so quickly was partly because they had always thought highly of themselves and paid a lot of attention to such a genius. On the other hand, it was because many of them were actually old, so they had a clear impression of these things. At Rong Xiu¡¯s mention, they quickly remembered. From the looks of it, Zhao Song should¡¯ve been familiar with Shangguan Jing long ago. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have come to support Shangguan Yue! Yi Wenzhuo frowned and asked in a low voice, ¡°Zhao Song, are you really going to go against the Yi family for the sake of the Shangguan family?¡± Zhao Song laughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯m already here! Why are you still asking such an obvious question?¡± Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s expression darkened at the mockery, but at this moment, he couldn¡¯t fight head-on with the other party. He could only endure it for the time being. The other party had brought many legendary warriors. In fact, together with Nan Suhuai and Shangguan Jing, there were almost more legendary warriors than the two families combined! Not to mention that there might be other experts hidden in Peach Blossom Dock! Because of this group of people¡¯s arrival, the situation at the scene changed drastically. If they faced them head-on, they might be the ones at a disadvantage! At this moment, Yi Wentao also turned around. Compared to the others present, his expression and reaction were much calmer. ¡°Zhao Song, I don¡¯t know how Shangguan Jing persuaded you to come, but as long as you¡¯re willing to leave now, my Yi family can offer a higher price.¡± Many of the people who came were actually people Yi Wentao knew. Most of these people were loose cultivators. There weren¡¯t many who had the backing of top aristocratic families, and they had basically not come out much in recent years. It was difficult for Shangguan Jing to invite them all, and the reason why Shangguan Jing could invite so many people was none other than his status as a supreme Armory Refinement Master. However, the Yi family didn¡¯t lack such experts. As for the various treasures and Yuan instruments, the Yi family had a rich foundation and wasn¡¯t something a mere Shangguan Jing could compare to. That was why Yi Wentao was so ¡®rich and overbearing.¡¯ At this point, he wouldn¡¯t let anyone or anything become an obstacle to him! Hearing Yi Wentao¡¯s words, Zhao Song looked interested. ¡°Oh? Really?¡± ¡°I, Yi Wentao, have always kept my word,¡± Yi Wentao said calmly. Zhao Song looked back at the crowd and then at Shangguan Jing, seemingly hesitant. Then, he nodded. ¡°Alright, if you can satisfy my conditions, I¡¯ll agree to leave now. I¡¯ll also bring the people behind me along.¡± Yi Wentao smiled. Shangguan Jing is powerful, but he is still fighting alone. How could he resist the entire Yi family? These people will be useless even if they come¡ª ¡°As long as Master Yi agrees to give each of us five supreme Yuan instruments, we¡¯ll leave immediately!¡± As Zhao Song spoke, he extended his hand and spread his five fingers. The smile on Yi Wentao¡¯s face froze! Chapter 1957 - 1957 Dont Dirty Yueers Territory 1957 Don¡¯t Dirty Yue¡¯er¡¯s Territory ¡°Zhao Song, don¡¯t go overboard!¡± Yi Wenzhuo couldn¡¯t help but curse. Zhao Song looked innocent. ¡°Eh? Didn¡¯t your Master ask me to raise conditions? I did, so why are you still scolding me?¡± Yi Wenzhuo gritted his teeth. ¡°Big Brother said that we can raise the conditions, but he didn¡¯t ask you to ask for too much!¡± This is simply taking advantage of the situation! Or¡­ Zhao Song and the others had no intention of talking to us at all! They are deliberately humiliating us! Zhao Song spread his hands. ¡°So you guys think my price is too high¡­ If you don¡¯t have that diamond, don¡¯t take on the porcelain job! I thought that the Yi family was rich and generous, so I said it. Who knew that you guys weren¡¯t sincere at all¡­¡± His words were filled with disappointment. The Yi family was furious. Zhao Song is clearly too much. In the end, he still said that our Yi family is petty? What a scapegoat! No matter how powerful Shangguan Jing is, it¡¯s impossible for him to have dozens of supreme Yuan instruments, right? He might not even be able to give one to each of them! However, Zhao Song asked for five pieces per person as soon as he opened his mouth¡­ Not to mention that the Yi family might not have so many, even if we did, we would be bankrupt if we take out so many! Nan Suhuai stroked his beard and watched the commotion. He then chuckled and said, ¡°Senior Zhao Song, if we include the Nan family, perhaps they can take so many out?¡± The Nan family¡¯s faces darkened. What does it have to do with us! Yi Wentao said that himself! We¡¯ve already suffered heavy losses. What else do they want? Zhao Song hissed and shook his head regretfully. ¡°The Nan family? They can¡¯t even protect their own family head. What else can they do?¡± ¡°You!¡± Nan Hetian was furious and wanted to step forward on impulse. Zhao Song glanced at him. ¡°Oh? What does that mean? Do you want to fight?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the auras of the legendary warriors beside him soared at the same time! It seemed like they were really planning to fight at any moment! Shangguan Jing lowered his hand and chuckled. ¡°Aiya, everyone, don¡¯t be so angry. I invited everyone here as guests today to be friendly! Yue¡¯er has just taken down Peach Blossom Dock and has probably just tidied up recently. If another battle happens, it will dirty our Yue¡¯er¡¯s territory.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s face finally turned ashen! Shangguan Jing brought these people over! He clearly wants to fight us to the end! Now, he actually has the cheek to say such words? He was the one who dirtied Chu Liuyue¡¯s territory¡­ Who is he scolding!? Yi Wentao had excellent self-restraint. No matter what happened or what his mood was, he could basically maintain his calm on the surface and not let anyone see anything. But at this moment, it was ruined by Shangguan Jing¡¯s words. Actually, it wasn¡¯t because Shangguan Jing¡¯s words were sarcastic. Instead, it was because Yi Wentao understood that the current situation was indeed very disadvantageous to them! Previously, he could maintain his composure because he was 100% confident that he could win today¡¯s match. But now¡­ If the two sides fought, it was obvious that the Yi family would suffer! As for the Nan family¡­ Hah. Actually, he had never taken them seriously from beginning to end. Those people looked amiable on the surface, but they were actually working separately. If not for the fact that Nan Yifan was still alive and was being threatened as a hostage, many people in the Nan family would have completely fallen out with each other. If they really fought, the people from the Nan family would probably not be of much use. Therefore, Yi Wentao became anxious. Thump! At this moment, a loud bang sounded! Everyone looked over and saw that the ball of light¡ªwhich Yi Wentao had used just now¡ªhad exploded! The barrier of Peach Blossom Dock began to tremble even more violently! However, it didn¡¯t shatter! Chu Liuyue still blocked Yi Wentao¡¯s move! Everyone¡¯s mood was complicated. If even Yi Wentao can¡¯t do it¡­ Then, who else would have the ability? The Nan family had come to take revenge, but in the end, they could only watch as the family head was trapped inside and tortured. They also could do nothing to help. The Yi family was here to snatch Peach Blossom Dock, but they couldn¡¯t even break through the outermost barrier! How could they talk about revenge or fighting? What a joke! In addition, Shangguan Jing and the others had rushed over and were eyeing them covetously¡­ Yi Wentao and the others were in a dilemma! With a thought, the barrier flickered and began to devour the remaining violent energy. The barrier of Peach Blossom Dock became extremely strong after being enhanced by the God-Destroying Tribulation¡¯s power. Moreover, under her control, it could convert most energy into its own and use it to repair and improve. Unknowingly, it saved Chu Liuyue a lot of trouble. In a short while, most of the surrounding energy had been devoured. The surroundings gradually calmed down. However, everyone present couldn¡¯t calm down at this moment! This barrier is simply impenetrable! Even without the help of outsiders, she can block most of the attacks with this! Yi Wentao stared at the shimmering barrier and gradually tightened his grip on the Great Azure Sun Axe. It seems that our previous plan won¡¯t work¡­ Right now, I can only think of other methods! After a pause, he suddenly said, ¡°Shangguan Jing is right. If so many people attack at the same time, it will indeed have a huge impact on Peach Blossom Dock. Why don¡¯t we each choose one person to fight!? The winning party will become the owner of Peach Blossom Dock! The losing party will leave now and not pester this place anymore!¡± Chapter 1958 - 1958 Personally Fighting! 1958 Personally Fighting! ¡°Pfft.¡± An undisguised snort suddenly sounded. Nan Suhuai looked at Yi Wentao with a faint smile. ¡°Master Yi, you really have a good plan. When I came just now, you ignored me and said that you wanted to break this barrier no matter what. Why did you suddenly change your mind the moment Senior Shangguan and the others arrived?¡± Anyone could tell that with the change in the situation, even if Yi Wentao joined forces with the Nan family, it would probably be difficult for them to gain any advantage. The legendary warriors invited by Shangguan Jing weren¡¯t just for show. If they really fought, it was obvious who would win! Moreover, after this battle, the Nan family and the Yi family would probably suffer heavy losses. Yi Wentao didn¡¯t want to take such a risk, so he changed his mind at the last minute and raised another suggestion. Yi Wentao was furious at Nan Suhuai¡¯s public mockery and contempt, but he quickly suppressed his anger. These aren¡¯t the most important things now. Only by breaking the stalemate will we have the possibility of turning the tables! And this is also the only big way for me to take down Peach Blossom Dock! He took a deep breath and looked straight at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Shangguan Yue, do you agree?¡± He didn¡¯t care what others thought because it didn¡¯t matter. Since everyone was certain that she was the master of Peach Blossom Dock, she was the only one they had to ask! Whether she agreed or not was up to her! Countless gazes landed on Chu Liuyue. They then saw her red lips curl up slightly, and her eyes moved as she nodded slightly. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ Okay!? Did she¡­ agree? Almost everyone was stunned. Even the people at Peach Blossom Dock were mostly shocked. This suggestion¡ªshe should¡¯ve rejected it. Why did she agree? In this situation, they clearly had the advantage. There was no need to compromise with Yi Wentao at all! ¡°Master¡­ why would you agree?¡± Thirteen muttered in a daze. As he asked, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Cen Yi beside him. The latter was calm as if he wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°Big Brother?¡± Thirteen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What do you think Master is thinking?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression was indifferent. He paused for a moment before explaining, ¡°Nothing. Master indeed doesn¡¯t want to dirty the new territory that has just been cleaned.¡± Thirteen was speechless. ¡°If we can solve the problem in the easiest way, why waste so much effort?¡± Cen Yi continued. Thirteen nodded thoughtfully. I probably understand what Big Brother means. Although there are more legendary warriors on our side, and we have a higher chance of winning¡­ If so many people really fight, it would be earth-shattering. Even if we won in the end, we would pay a considerable price. If they could defeat Yi Wentao one-on-one, it would naturally save time and effort. But the point was¡ª ¡°That Yi Wentao is powerful and is very likely to fight personally. Who will Master choose to be confident of winning?¡± ¡­ Yi Wentao took a step forward and smiled at Chu Liuyue, but his eyes were still cold. ¡°How bold!¡± Initially, he was still a little hesitant and felt that she might not agree. After all, it was too risky. Fortunately, she made this choice in the end. ¡°Since I took the initiative to provoke them this time, the person who will fight should naturally be me.¡± As soon as Yi Wentao finished speaking, there was silence. They had long expected this. Then, they heard Yi Wentao continue, ¡°Similarly¡­ Shangguan Yue, everyone is fighting for Peach Blossom Dock, so the person you choose should be your own person. No outsiders are allowed to interfere. Do you have any objections to this?¡± The crowd was dazed. What Yi Wentao meant was that she couldn¡¯t ask Zhao Song and the others for help. Instead, she could only choose one of the people she trusted the most to fight. Then. the range of options she had narrowed significantly. Yi Wentao clearly said this to restrain Chu Liuyue further. This theory wasn¡¯t wrong, but it was opportunistic. Moreover, it came from someone with Yi Wentao¡¯s status and strength. It was even more degrading and despicable. ¡­ Zhao Song clicked his tongue and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Brother Shangguan, we¡¯ve been away from the world for a long time. I actually didn¡¯t know that the people outside are actually so shameless now.¡± Shangguan Jing was also suppressing his anger as he smiled coldly. ¡°They¡¯ve done things openly and righteously to snatch someone else¡¯s territory. What else can¡¯t they do?¡± Many people in the Yi family had ugly expressions. They had always been high and mighty with a noble status. Even those first-rate families would be very polite and respectful to them, so when had they ever been humiliated like this? Most importantly, they had no way to refute! But compared to these people¡¯s restlessness, Yi Wentao remained calm. It was as if he couldn¡¯t hear these words at all. He just kept staring at Chu Liuyue, waiting for her answer. ¡­ Chu Liuyue raised her brows. As expected of someone who has been in charge of the Yi family for many years. Such a temperament isn¡¯t something that ordinary people can have. She nodded. ¡°What Master Yi said makes sense.¡± Everyone became even quieter. Some people from the Yi family and the Nan family secretly heaved a sigh of relief. On Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s side, many people were worried. This is a losing choice. Even if she didn¡¯t agree, Yi Wentao couldn¡¯t say anything. Therefore, why did she agree? Yi Wentao narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Then¡­ have you chosen the person?¡± The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up as she took a step forward. ¡°I¡¯ve chosen. Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Shangguan Yue¡ªFight!¡± Chapter 1959 - 1959 Probably Crazy 1959 Probably Crazy Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Shangguan Yue¡ªFight! A clear voice spread from afar and landed clearly in everyone¡¯s ears! After a short silence, gasps could be heard! Is Chu Liuyue crazy?! She actually wants to go up personally to fight Yi Wentao? Isn¡¯t this courting death?! Even though she is indeed stronger than many true gods of the same level, she is still only a true god! Yi Wentao is one of the best among the legendary warriors! She has almost no chance of winning against him! Yi Wentao was also stunned. It was rare for him to react slowly. ¡°Are you¡­ sure?¡± His gaze swept across Chu Liuyue suspiciously. Just based on¡­ her? Chu Liuyue raised her brows and smiled. ¡°No regrets. What, does Master Yi think it¡¯s not good?¡± How could it not be good? This is simply great! It wasn¡¯t that Yi Wentao hadn¡¯t thought of this possibility, but he didn¡¯t have much hope. He could tell that she valued this Peach Blossom Dock very much. If she had any rationality, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen to do it personally. Besides Zhao Song and the others, she still had some people to choose from. Wasn¡¯t Cen Yi an excellent candidate? But in the end, she actually chose to do it herself? Apart from being shocked, Yi Wentao couldn¡¯t help but feel a little suspicious. Could Chu Liuyue have some other trump card? At the thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was indifferent, and there was a faint smile on his lips. He seemed to be rather impressed and affirmative of her choice. But more than that, he couldn¡¯t tell. Yi Wentao¡¯s mind raced, but in the end, he suppressed this thought. Even if she really has any tricks up her sleeve, they are useless in front of absolute strength. As long as I defeat her quickly, this matter will be over! It¡¯s now or never. Yi Wentao laughed. ¡°How bold. I admire you. Please enlighten me then, Princess Consort!¡± He paused and looked around. ¡°Where do you want to start, Princess Consort?¡± He was asking about inside or outside the barrier. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°My Peach Blossom Dock has just been tidied up recently, but it can¡¯t withstand any more torment. It¡¯s better to be outside!¡± With that, her figure moved, and she actually flashed out of the barrier! Everyone¡¯s gazes were fixed on her. Shock, curiosity, worry, and confusion¡­ Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to them. In the blink of an eye, she was outside the barrier and facing Yi Wentao! ¡­ She moved so quickly that when she appeared, the expressions on many people¡¯s faces were still there. She smiled and didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Please make room. It¡¯s too crowded here.¡± There seemed to be amusement in her voice. Other than Yi Wentao, the people closest to him were the people from the Nan family and the Yi family. Upon hearing this, they almost subconsciously retreated a distance. But, when they took action, they came back to their senses. We actually subconsciously did as Chu Liuyue said? She isn¡¯t anyone to us. Why do we have to listen to her?! For a moment, many people were extremely embarrassed. But halfway back¡­ ¡°A little further,¡± Chu Liuyue said. ¡°This battle is between me and the Yi family¡¯s head. Swords and knives have no eyes; it won¡¯t be good if we hurt everyone.¡± Her words made everyone speechless, and they could only retreat again! In the end, there was a large empty space in the middle with Chu Liuyue and Yi Wentao as the center. Behind her stood Shangguan Jing, Zhao Song, and the others. Behind Yi Wentao, although the Yi family and the Nan family were standing together, there was still a distance between them. ¡°Can you do it now?¡± Yi Wentao asked indifferently. Chu Liuyue nodded. At this moment, she held a shield in her left hand and a sword in her right. She already looked quite imposing. Yi Wentao¡¯s gaze calmly swept across the shield. The corners of her lips curled up imperceptibly. Previously, I had felt that something was wrong with Yi Wentao as if he were trying his best to force me to take action. Now, it seems that they¡¯re here for the Celestial Shield¡­ ¡°Go ahead,¡± Yi Wentao replied. With that, he staggered slightly, and his aura suddenly soared! At this moment, Rong Xiu flew out of the barrier. However, he didn¡¯t go forward. He only came to the side of Shangguan Jing and the others and stood with them. He greeted Shangguan Jing, Nan Suhuai, and the others in turn. Zhao Song couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we last met. Your Grace is even more glorious than before. The Princess Consort is indeed extraordinary, but¡­ Are you really not worried?¡± Rong Xiu chuckled and said calmly, ¡°Peach Blossom Dock is Yue¡¯er¡¯s territory, so she can do whatever she wants. Since she made this choice, she must have her reasons.¡± All he needed to do was respect and support her decision. Zhao Song and the others looked at each other in surprise. They had long heard that Rong Xiu doted on this princess consort, but they didn¡¯t expect it to be to this extent. On the one hand, Rong Xiu said this because he liked and respected her. On the other hand¡­ he probably has sufficient confidence in her, right? However, a true god versus a legendary warrior¡­ No matter how we think about it, she won¡¯t win! At first, they thought that Chu Liuyue would also talk about some conditions. Unexpectedly, there was nothing, and the battle began directly. If she lost¡­ With Rong Xiu, Shangguan Jing, and the others around, Yi Wentao would definitely not be able to take her life. However, they definitely couldn¡¯t make a move unless it was a critical moment. Wouldn¡¯t Chu Liuyue still lose the entire Peach Blossom Dock? Rong Xiu knew what they were thinking, but he didn¡¯t explain. He just put one hand behind his back and looked ahead. ¡­ After all, Yi Wentao was a legendary warrior. At this moment, he was prepared to attack with all his might, and the aura on his body became stronger! Behind her, many people whispered. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what Shangguan Yue is thinking to actually agree to this. Moreover, she personally accepted the challenge! Isn¡¯t it obvious who will win or lose?¡± ¡°Hmph! She¡¯s still young, but she can¡¯t avoid being young and impetuous! With some strength and reputation, she doesn¡¯t know who she is¡­ There will be times when she cries!¡± ¡°How long do you think it will take for Master to take her down? Three moves? Don¡¯t tell me she won¡¯t admit defeat after losing?¡± ¡°How is that possible? This is in front of so many people! Even if she can¡¯t bear to, she has to admit defeat! It won¡¯t be long before¡­ she regrets it! Unfortunately, there¡¯s no medicine for regret in this world!¡± The group laughed softly. Obviously, in their opinion, Yi Wentao would definitely win. The only question was how long it would take to end this battle. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was indifferent as if she didn¡¯t care. Screech! A ball of golden flames suddenly surged out of her body! Chapter 1960 - 1960 Foreign Aid? 1960 Foreign Aid? A loud and clear phoenix cry sounded from afar! Immediately after, a small figure walked out of the flames! It was a little girl who looked to be no more than three or four years old. She was wearing a red-gold lotus leaf dress and had two round buns on her head. She was barefoot and looked cute. In particular, those big black grape-like eyes flickered and were very lively. When she walked, the golden bells on her head would ring crisply. Many people looked over. When they saw the little girl¡¯s appearance, they were first stunned, then suddenly came back to their senses. ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix?!¡± ¡°This is her contractual legendary fiend?¡± ¡°No! This red-gold heavenly phoenix is so young. Logically speaking, it can¡¯t transform into a human form!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say¡­ that this is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress? It¡¯s probably a little different, right?¡± Although the news of Chu Liuyue contracting Tuan Zi had long spread throughout the entire God Residence Realm, only a handful of people had actually seen the latter. Therefore, when Tuan Zi appeared, it immediately shocked everyone. Tuan Zi was already used to this situation. She stood in front of Chu Liuyue with one hand on her waist and the other pointing at Yi Wentao. She frowned and asked angrily, ¡°It¡¯s you, old thing, who wants to harm our A¡¯Yue?!¡± She was still young, so even when she spoke, she still had a strong childish aura. To everyone, not only was it not intimidating at all, but it also sounded a little funny. Some people couldn¡¯t help but laugh. It¡¯s good that the red-gold heavenly phoenix is an ancient legendary fiend. The person in front is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, and her status is even better. However¡­ she is too young! What combat strength can such a small thing have? Against ordinary cultivators, she might be a little intimidating. But against someone at Yi Wentao¡¯s level¡­ it¡¯s really useless. Yi Wentao looked at Tuan Zi steadily and frowned. She has transformed into a human form at such a young age¡­ No wonder she was chosen as the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress without breaking the contract with Chu Liuyue. Her innate bloodline power should be extremely powerful¡­ Unlike the others, Yi Wentao had always been careful. Therefore, when he saw Tuan Zi now, he didn¡¯t ignore her like the others. ¡°We only agreed to fight this battle to determine the ownership of Peach Blossom Dock,¡± Yi Wentao said calmly. Putting everything else aside, the other party¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. He didn¡¯t want to really summon Yi Zhao and the others. It would only be more troublesome then! Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t be bothered with Yi Wentao¡¯s words. ¡°You want to snatch A¡¯Yue¡¯s things? That¡¯s even more unforgivable!¡± It wasn¡¯t easy for A¡¯Yue to obtain this Peach Blossom Dock! How long has it been? Someone has actually come over to snatch it openly? They still have the cheek to say it? ¡°You¡¯re already so old. How shameless! Pfft!¡± Yi Wentao frowned. Even if he didn¡¯t take these things seriously, it was really embarrassing to be insulted by a little girl in front of so many people. It would be strange if he still wasn¡¯t angry. ¡°Cut the crap. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s stronger!¡± His voice turned colder as he looked at Chu Liuyue. There is no point in being so unreasonable. I have to end the battle quickly and take down Peach Blossom Dock. Then, all my problems will be resolved! However, Chu Liuyue suddenly laughed. ¡°Master Yi, what¡¯s the hurry? I¡¯m not ready yet.¡± Yi Wentao frowned. Not ready yet? Isn¡¯t it just a fight? What is there to prepare? The weapon she uses is already in her hand, and she has also summoned the red-gold heavenly phoenix. What else does she want to do?! Just as Yi Wentao was getting impatient, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Zi Chen, I¡¯ll have to trouble you this time too.¡± There¡¯s more? Yi Wentao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Shangguan Yue, this battle between us is a one-on-one battle. We can¡¯t ask for external help¡ª¡± Suddenly, his voice stopped. The scene in front of him shocked him! A tall figure silently appeared beside Chu Liuyue¡ªit was a young man who looked to be in his 20s. He was extremely tall and wore a black robe. His facial features were handsome, and his expression was cold. He just stood there quietly, and cold air kept spreading from his body. His aura was extremely strong, and his pressure was impressive. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t weak, but most importantly, there was a purple-gold mark between his brows! At a glance, it looked like an eye¡­ Yi Wentao suddenly held his breath. That¡¯s his eye! Yi Wentao had interacted with the three-eyed legendary eagle race before. Therefore, the moment he saw Zi Chen, he acutely sensed that the aura on his body was quite familiar. This is indeed the aura of a three-eyed legendary eagle! Could it be that this young man isn¡¯t human, but¡­ a three-eyed legendary eagle!? As soon as this thought appeared in her mind, Yi Wentao rejected it. How is that possible? Although the three-eyed legendary eagles are of a high level among legendary fiends, only the two ancient legendary fiend races can transform into human form! After so many years, there has never been a three-eyed legendary eagle that can transform into a human form in the God Residence Realm! For a moment, Yi Wentao almost thought that this was just an illusion cast by the other party with a trick. However, he quickly realized that this wasn¡¯t the case! This was indeed the body of a human! Yi Wentao was shocked. Wasn¡¯t everyone else present the same? The originally noisy crowd instantly fell silent. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Master Yi is right. Since the two of us have agreed to fight one-on-one, we naturally can¡¯t ask for any external help. However¡­ Zi Chen isn¡¯t external help because¡­ he¡¯s also my contracted legendary fiend!¡± Chapter 1961 - 1961 Fear 1961 Fear It wasn¡¯t a secret that Chu Liuyue had two contracted legendary fiends. As early as when Rong Xiu was choosing his consort, many people had witnessed her summoning two legendary fiends at the same time. One of them was a red-tailed phoenix, and the other¡­ was a three-eyed legendary eagle! As long as someone asked around, they would know about these things. Before Yi Wentao came, he had specially investigated Chu Liuyue. Seeing Zi Chen, he was stunned for a moment before immediately understanding. There is no need to ask about this little girl¡ªshe is the red-tailed phoenix that had broken through. And the black-robed young man beside her¡­ He is definitely that three-eyed legendary eagle! He has actually transformed into a human¡­ this is simply unheard of! It wasn¡¯t that Yi Wentao had never considered the fact that she had the help of a contracted legendary fiend. But even with the help of the legendary fiend, Chu Liuyue¡¯s cultivation level was limited, so the strength they could unleash wouldn¡¯t be too strong. At the very least, it was incomparable to him. The moment she agreed to fight alone, Yi Wentao already thought that he would definitely win. Unexpectedly, her two contracted legendary fiends had actually transformed into human forms! There was too much information contained in this! To be able to do this¡­ On the one hand, it proved that these two legendary fiends were extremely talented and powerful. On the other hand, Yi Wentao was almost certain that they had definitely encountered a shocking opportunity! Perhaps Chu Liuyue still has some shocking trump card! ¡­ Zi Chen¡¯s appearance also caused the expressions of the surrounding people to change a few times. Everyone present was powerful; they were definitely famous in the entire God Residence Realm. However, they¡ªwho had seen countless things¡ªwere also stunned. ¡°No way? This is the three-eyed legendary eagle that Shangguan Yue contracted? It transformed into a human?¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t they say that only the two ancient legendary fiend races can do this? What¡¯s going on now? I¡¯ve read many ancient books, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything similar¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t you think that the aura on Zi Chen¡¯s body is a little strange? Apart from the aura of the three-eyed legendary eagle, he seems¡­ seems to¡­ also have a faint pressure?¡± ¡°I feel it too, but I just can¡¯t remember¡­¡± Just as everyone was discussing, Jun Jiuqing suddenly thought of something. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Miao Fushan. In an instant, something seemed to flash through his mind, and he blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s the great phoenix dragon!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the group of people beside Jun Jiuqing heard him clearly. The expressions of Yi Wenzhuo and the others changed. ¡°Great phoenix dragon? How can this¡ª¡± Someone subconsciously wanted to refute, but he stopped before he could finish. This was because the faint aura emitting from Zi Chen¡¯s body¡­ was indeed extremely similar to Miao Fushan! It was as if a thread had strung the pieces together. A hint of understanding flashed across Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes. ¡°Could this be¡­ the reason why Miao Zhen went to the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± When Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue got married, Miao Zhen¡ªthe clan leader¡ªpersonally went to congratulate them. The world was extremely shocked, but they were also filled with doubts. They didn¡¯t know when these two people had become friends with the great phoenix dragon clan. Jun Jiuqing had always been very puzzled by this. At this moment, when he saw Zi Chen, he finally understood! Zi Chen definitely has the bloodline power of the great phoenix dragon clan in his body! Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Miao Fushan flew out of the barrier and arrived beside Rong Xiu. He looked at Zi Chen, stroked his beard, and chuckled. ¡°Zi Chen, it¡¯s been a while since we last met. Your strength has increased again!¡± Zi Chen bowed respectfully. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Senior Miao Zhen.¡± Those two simple sentences instantly froze the surrounding atmosphere. What does that mean? Not only is Zi Chen related to the great phoenix dragon race, but¡­ he is also related to Miao Zhen?! Then, this¡ª Miao Zhen is now the great phoenix dragon clan leader! Doesn¡¯t that mean that we can¡¯t even afford to offend Zi Chen? ¡­ ¡°Master Yi is a respected legendary warrior, while I¡¯m just a small true god. The difference in strength is huge. If I don¡¯t make some preparations and go all out, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have any chance of winning,¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly and said. Yi Wentao¡¯s face was ashen. Miao Fushan¡¯s words just now were clearly a clear indication that he wants to support Zi Chen! No wonder they had inexplicably formed a relationship with the great phoenix dragon clan. No wonder Miao Fushan would rather break the contract than not stand on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side! Now, Miao Fushan¡¯s attitude is Miao Zhen¡¯s attitude and the attitude of the entire great phoenix dragon clan! He suppressed the anger in his heart and stared at the three figures in front of him. Chu Liuyue stood in the middle, with Tuan Zi and Zi Chen on both sides. On the surface, the aura and pressure of these three people were much inferior to his, but in fact, the power behind them forced Yi Wentao to be extremely cautious! On one side was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, and on the other was the great phoenix dragon clan¡­ Yi Wentao had never thought that he would one day face such a situation of being surrounded by two ancient legendary fiend races at the same time! ¡°Princess Consort¡­ you¡¯re really capable!¡± Yi Wentao sneered, his eyes cold. Ordinary people can only contract one legendary fiend, but she has contracted two at the same time. They are both legendary fiends too! More importantly, one is a red-gold heavenly phoenix, and the other is a three-eyed legendary eagle that is inextricably related to the great phoenix dragon clan! Who doesn¡¯t know that the relationship between these two ancient legendary fiend races has always been very subtle? Now, they are actually serving the same master! As for Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen, they don¡¯t seem to care about this matter! How did Chu Liuyue do it? And the Celestial Shield in her hand¡­ Looking at those dark and bright eyes that weren¡¯t smiling, Yi Wentao felt inexplicably uneasy. He vaguely felt that he had underestimated Chu Liuyue previously¡­ Swoosh! The Chi Xiao Sword in her hand suddenly rose! A short and sharp sound tore through the air! ¡°Master Yi, please!¡± Just as Chu Liuyue finished speaking, she tapped her toes and jumped up! The surrounding natural energy began to quickly gather toward the Chi Xiao Sword! Yi Wentao¡¯s expression darkened. This girl is really bold! At this moment, not only is she completely unafraid, but she even chose to take the initiative to attack! It seems that she has quite a bit of confidence in herself¡­ Relying on those two legendary fiends? Yi Wentao sneered in his heart. The appearance of Tuan Zi and Zi Chen did make him worry, but that was all. One had to know that the strength that a contracted legendary fiend could unleash was largely determined by its contracted master. She was still a true god, so what if she tried her best? Yi Wentao was furious. ¡°Great Azure Sun Axe!¡± Chapter 1962 - 1962 Siege 1962 Siege Yi Wentao was a legendary warrior after all. As soon as he raised his hand, his aura began to strengthen crazily again! Soon, the pressure around him suppressed Chu Liuyue greatly! Her speed began to decrease at a visible speed. However, Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline was noble, and she wasn¡¯t hindered by this pressure at all. She turned to look at Zi Chen, rubbed her nose, and looked up. ¡°Let¡¯s compete today and see who can deal with him first!¡± Zi Chen narrowed his eyes. He really wasn¡¯ interested in such competition, but seeing that Tuan Zi was in high spirits, his lips moved slightly. The rejection on the tip of his tongue suddenly stopped. Tuan Zi didn¡¯t notice this and thought that Zi Chen had agreed. Her figure moved and transformed into a golden stream of light that headed straight for Yi Wentao! ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death today!¡± Tuan Zi shouted and arrived in front of Yi Wentao in the blink of an eye. Then, she hurled out a punch! Her palm was white and fleshy, and clenched into a small fist, it was like a ball of soft white cotton. From afar, it was really not a threat at all. Yi Wentao didn¡¯t take Tuan Zi¡¯s attack to heart, but the closer she got, the more surprised he was to discover that the power contained in Tuan Zi¡¯s fist far exceeded his imagination! He frowned and swung the Great Azure Sun Axe! A green ball of light quickly gathered! The sharp and burning aura immediately made the surrounding air hot. Energy surged and kept approaching Tuan Zi! A totem appeared between Tuan Zi¡¯s eyebrows, and a dazzling purple-gold light instantly erupted from her body! Rumble! The power of both sides collided fiercely! The intense energy vibration instantly left a huge pit on the ground! Then, Tuan Zi¡¯s figure flew back. A terrifying impact swept over, and her body fell to the ground uncontrollably! Tuan Zi felt suffocated. From the corner of her eye, she realized that she was about to fall to the ground. Her eyes widened. That won¡¯t do! It would be too embarrassing to fall in front of so many people! She gritted her teeth and was about to save herself when she felt a gentle force lift her up. This force cushioned her speed. After stabilizing her, it quickly withdrew. Tuan Zi turned around in a daze and saw a black figure flash past! Just now¡­ it was Zi Chen who attacked? Tuan Zi was stunned for a moment and blinked. Aren¡¯t we¡­ competing? Zi Chen is actually helping me? Looking at the tall back in front of her, Tuan Zi bit her finger thoughtfully. Hmm¡­ He should be doing this for the sake of Master? That¡¯s true. Relatively speaking, getting rid of that annoying old fellow is the most important thing! As for competitions and whatnot, they are all incidental. Of course, everything still has to focus on A¡¯Yue. Tuan Zi thought seriously, But if I accept his help for no reason, won¡¯t I be lowering myself? Tuan Zi clenched her fists, her eyes burning with excitement! With a tap of her toes, she quickly rushed up again! She surrounded Yi Wentao from the other side! I can¡¯t lose! ¡­ Tuan Zi was sent flying. On the other side, Yi Wentao¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t any better. Under the impact of the shocking violent power, he took half a step back and sank his feet into the ground! Only then did he finally stabilize himself. Although compared to Tuan Zi, he had the upper hand, Yi Wentao wasn¡¯t happy at all. He was a legendary warrior! As for Tuan Zi? She was just a red-gold heavenly phoenix! He had thought that this blow would directly finish off Tuan Zi. At the very least, it would make her lose her combat strength. However, the result was completely the opposite! After Zi Chen caught Tuan Zi, Yi Wentao hurriedly took a look and was shocked to discover that Tuan Zi didn¡¯t seem to be injured! Such high physical strength¡­ has already surpassed many adult red-gold heavenly phoenixes! How did this happen? Yi Wentao couldn¡¯t figure it out, and he was puzzled and angry! However, he didn¡¯t have much time to think about this because Zi Chen soon caught up! Like Tuan Zi, he chose to attack head-on! A cold aura spread from Zi Chen. He suddenly raised his hand, and a cold black mist spread from his palm! Just as Yi Wentao was about to move, he was shocked to discover that a layer of frost had already formed his Great Azure Sun Axe! Moreover, the cold air on it was still accumulating at this moment, causing the frost to thicken! Under the influence of this cold air, Yi Wentao quickly realized in shock that his force was gradually unable to enter the Great Azure Sun Axe! ¡°This¡ª¡± He waved the Great Azure Sun Axe in disbelief and tried to resist the cold air with the force in his body, but he realized that the effect was minimal. Yi Wentao almost gasped. What the hell! He is just a three-eyed legendary eagle. How could he restrain the Great Azure Sun Axe? This is one of the top ten holy weapons! What Yi Wentao didn¡¯t know was that Zi Chen¡¯s body was forged from the bones and blood essence of a real great phoenix dragon that was extremely powerful to begin with. Coupled with Miao Zhen¡¯s strength¡­ His strength far exceeded that of an ordinary three-eyed legendary eagle! To a certain extent, he had borrowed Miao Zhen¡¯s pressure to naturally suppress Yi Wentao! What frightened Yi Wentao even more was that the cold air was still spreading toward him! At this moment, a snow-white silver light flashed over! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword slashed down! The sharp blade slashed straight at Yi Wentao¡¯s face! Chapter 1963 - 1963 Gaining the Big with the Small 1963 Gaining the Big with the Small In a moment of desperation, Yi Wentao made a prompt decision¡ªhe threw the Great Green Sun Axe in his hand fiercely and quickly retreated! The sharp blade brushed past the tip of his nose and barely missed! Even though Yi Wentao¡¯s physical strength was extremely good, he still felt a sharp pain when his sword swept past. Half of his face was almost peeled off! Swoosh! The Great Azure Sun Axe went straight for Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue raised her sword. Clang! A crisp collision sounded. Her hand went numb. The Great Azure Sun Axe changed direction and flew out! At this moment, Yi Wentao suddenly stopped. With a thought, the Great Azure Sun Axe returned to his hand! It was cold to the touch. Yi Wentao¡¯s heart sank. The power of the Great Azure Sun Axe has been completely sealed! He wanted to break it by force, but the frost covering it contained extremely powerful pressure. He couldn¡¯t completely break it in a short period of time. In other words, as soon as Zi Chen attacked, he directly removed one of his handy Yuan instruments! Yi Wentao was puzzled and gritted his teeth in hatred. He really didn¡¯t know how Zi Chen had frozen the Great Azure Sun Axe even though he didn¡¯t seem to have done anything. This battle has just begun, but I have already suffered heavy losses. The situation will probably be even worse later¡­ Chu Liuyue quietly rotated her sore wrist. After all, the Great Azure Sun Axe was one of the top ten holy weapons. Coupled with the power of Yi Wentao, the collision just now was really very powerful. Fortunately, her Holy Body had reached completion, and Zi Chen had already helped freeze most of the power on it. Otherwise¡­ she might not be able to take this blow head-on! ¡°Master Yi, I think your Great Azure Sun Axe doesn¡¯t seem to be very useful in your hands now. Why don¡¯t¡­ you show it to me?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said very sincerely. Yi Wentao¡¯s forehead throbbed in anger. How can I not tell that she is coveting my Great Azure Sun Axe? She hasn¡¯t even won yet, but she is already so arrogant! He snorted. ¡°If you want to see it, come over yourself!¡± With that, he held his breath and waved his hand. Immediately after, a ball of green light surged out of his palm like a river! The light quickly spread and turned into stars floating in the air. Wherever it passed, space froze! ¡°Master actually unleashed his God Realm directly!?¡± An exclamation came from the Yi family¡¯s crowd. They couldn¡¯t be blamed for making a fuss. The development of the matter in front of them was completely different from what they had expected. Almost everyone from the Yi family and the Nan family thought that Yi Wentao would definitely win against her. As long as he attacked, it was very likely that he would take her down in three moves. Even when they saw Tuan Zi and Zi Chen appear, they still felt that she wasn¡¯t Yi Wentao¡¯s match. With the help of Tuan Zi and Zi Chen, she would at most be able to last longer, but it still wouldn¡¯t affect the outcome. If three moves didn¡¯t work, then maybe ten would? As they were still a distance away from Chu Liuyue and Yi Wentao, these people couldn¡¯t personally experience the immense pressure that Zi Chen had placed on Yi Wentao after he attacked. Therefore, when they saw Yi Wentao summon his God Realm after failing in one strike, many people were shocked. Is Chu Liuyue really so powerful that she actually forced the family head to summon his God Realm directly? Green light spots floated and quickly enveloped the surrounding space! An indescribably heavy pressure suddenly descended! Chu Liuyue instantly felt as if there was a mountain pressing down on her, making every step extremely laborious. In fact, under the influence of this pressure, the force in her body slowed down. This God Realm was different from the pressure caused by Yi Wentao¡¯s Great Azure Sun Axe. In this space, almost everything was under Yi Wentao¡¯s control! ¡°Hmph, Big Brother¡¯s God Realm is extremely powerful. Not to mention a true god like Shangguan Yue, even many legendary warriors might not be able to break free from it! This time, she shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything¡­¡± Yi Wenzhuo was speaking, but before he could finish, he was interrupted. ¡°Look! What¡¯s that?¡± Yi Wenzhuo frowned and glanced over impatiently. What he saw shocked him too. Chu Liuyue stood there with her back straight and with her eyes gently closed. Then, a silver-red stream of light surged out of her body! In an instant, it surged like a river! The dazzling stream of light was like a sharp blade that cleanly cut through the frozen space! ¡°That¡¯s her God Realm!?¡± someone muttered in shock. ¡°Isn¡¯t she a true god?! How¡ªhow can this God Realm compete with Master¡¯s?¡± The silver-red divine domain was still spreading and quickly surrounded Chu Liuyue. When the last green light beside her was dispersed, she finally opened her eyes again! At this moment, Yi Wentao also looked up in surprise and met her eyes. His heart suddenly jumped! There was no fear or cowardice in those dark and calm eyes. There was only crazy fighting spirit! In his life, Yi Wentao had fought countless cultivators, including all kinds of geniuses and experts. However, he had never seen such a gaze. It was like a sudden explosion of flames under a cold mountain! It had a powerful aura that devoured everything! It was as if everything in front of her was just a fleeting cloud and floating in the water. It wasn¡¯t worth mentioning at all! Yi Wentao didn¡¯t know how to describe this feeling. I¡¯m clearly the one with a higher cultivation. I¡¯m clearly the one who should look down on everything! But at this moment, in the face of her seemingly indomitable aura, he actually felt a little¡­ He couldn¡¯t describe his current mood¡ªit was shock, surprise, and confusion. There was also a hint of¡­ nervousness and worry that even he didn¡¯t want to admit. Such a gaze shouldn¡¯t belong to someone like Chu Liuyue¡­ Hula! The silver-red God Realm surged continuously! Like waves hitting reefs, abundant energy surged and emitted waves of sound! After a while, the God Realms of both sides formed a standoff! Actually, from the outside, Chu Liuyue¡¯s God Realm only occupied a small space, surrounding her, Zi Chen, and Tuan Zi. As for Yi Wentao¡¯s God Realm, it still occupied a larger area. It seemed that Yi Wentao had the upper hand, but in reality, the area around Chu Liuyue was forcefully obtained from Yi Wentao with her God Realm! Even though Yi Wentao¡¯s God Realm was more powerful, he was stopped outside and could no longer break through her God Realm! Chapter 1964 - 1964 Despicable 1964 Despicable The force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was being depleted crazily. Her lips were slightly pale, indicating that it hadn¡¯t been easy for her to reach this point. Yi Wentao had indeed crushed her in terms of strength¡ªthis was irrefutable. If she wanted to obtain a small place under Yi Wentao¡¯s domain, she would need to spend more effort than Yi Wentao! Fortunately, force was the last thing she lacked. At this moment, Tuan Zi rushed forward again! This time, her fist was covered in a layer of red-gold flames! The scorching heat made the surrounding air hot! Yi Wentao gritted his teeth. Normally speaking, a true god wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure of his God Realm. Sometimes, there was no need for him to make a move for the other party to fall under his God Realm. However, this opponent was really difficult to deal with. Tuan Zi and Zi Chen were both existences with the bloodline power of the two ancient legendary fiends races. Moreover, they weren¡¯t weak! His God Realm couldn¡¯t suppress them at all! As for Chu Liuyue¡­ it was even stranger! In the entire God Residence Realm, there were very few people in the God Realm who could defeat him! Yet, Chu Liuyue actually did it! Yi Wentao was furious and humiliated. Ever since we started fighting, the strength she displayed has been publicly slapping my face! How can a true god be so difficult to deal with?! Seeing that the wind from Tuan Zi¡¯s punch was about to arrive, Yi Wentao sensed the boiling temperature. He felt the flames in his chest arching as if they were about to explode! Finally, his knees bent slightly, and with a sudden movement, his entire body was like an arrow that had left the bow and headed straight for the ball! He finally understood that if he wanted to deal with Chu Liuyue, he had to cripple her two helpers first! Out of fear of the two legendary fiend races¡ªthe red-gold heavenly phoenixes and the great phoenix dragons¡ªYi Wentao didn¡¯t intend to kill them. But at the very least, he had to make them lose their combat strength! Only then would he have the time to deal with Chu Liuyue! Without any tricks, Yi Wentao also chose to throw a punch! ¡°Eight Divine Fists!¡± The power in his body quickly surged into his fist and collided with Tuan Zi¡¯s fist! Thump! A dull sound suddenly sounded! One big and one small, one hard and one soft. No matter how one looked at it, the outcome was predestined. But the next moment, everyone was shocked to discover that Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t sent flying this time! She hung in midair, her fist touching Yi Wentao¡¯s. A trace of blood gushed out of the corner of her mouth, but she didn¡¯t take half a step back! Immediately after, the red-gold flames quickly spread toward Yi Wentao! An intense burning pain came from his hand. Yi Wentao¡¯s face twisted for a moment, but at the same time, he was shocked to discover that Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline power was purer than he had expected! Otherwise, it would¡¯ve been impossible for her to withstand his punch! She isn¡¯t even an adult yet, but her physical strength is almost comparable to mine. If she is given some more time¡­ I don¡¯t know how powerful she will be! At the thought of this, a cold glint suddenly flashed across Yi Wentao¡¯s eyes. If I let them off today, they will definitely become a huge disaster in the future. Even if I don¡¯t kill them, I have to cut off future troubles! He suddenly turned his fist into a palm and grabbed Tuan Zi¡¯s wrist tightly, ignoring the crazily burning flames! Tuan Zi was shocked. Just as she was about to move, she suddenly felt a chill on her wrist! She had a bad feeling and immediately shook off Yi Wentao¡¯s hand! A sharp pain came! Tuan Zi immediately looked down and realized that Yi Wentao had used something sharp to cut a hole in her wrist! Fortunately, she dodged in time, so the wound was very shallow. Under the burning of the flames, the blood quickly dried up, leaving a black and red trail. Tuan Zi frowned. She felt that something was wrong. Swoosh! Yi Wentao didn¡¯t stop. Instead, he rushed forward even faster! Tuan Zi immediately raised her hand to counterattack, but at this moment, she was shocked to discover that the power in her body was suddenly unable to gather! Yi Wentao was already inches away! Tuan Zi¡¯s heart suddenly seemed to be clenched by something! Suddenly, a tall black figure suddenly appeared in front of Tuan Zi¡ªit was Zi Chen! He waved his sleeve, and several sharp icicles pierced out! Yi Wentao was forced to stop. Taking advantage of this reprieve, Zi Chen turned around and glanced at Tuan Zi. Sensing his gaze, Tuan Zi looked up. Zi Chen was stunned. At this moment, there was a rare look of panic on Tuan Zi¡¯s face. Zi Chen had almost never seen her look like this. Zi Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately looked at her wrist that had been cut. He quickly stepped forward and picked her up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Tuan Zi?¡± Sensing that something was wrong, Chu Liuyue immediately frowned and went forward. Zi Chen moved very quickly and carried Tuan Zi to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. Only then did Chu Liuyue see that Tuan Zi¡¯s face was pale. Actually, from the outside, there was nothing wrong with Tuan Zi. However, her appearance was clearly abnormal. ¡°Tuan Zi?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. and she immediately reached out to touch Tuan Zi¡¯s wrist. Immediately, her brows furrowed tightly. The energy in Tuan Zi¡¯s body seemed to have completely lost control. It began to wander around and attack, unable to gather. However, the impact wasn¡¯t very strong. It was like fog drifting freely, so at a glance, there seemed to be no problem. However, great anger surged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart! Yi Wentao had clearly deliberately poured his strength into Tuan Zi¡¯s body to forcefully disrupt the circulation of her force! She suddenly looked up and stared at Yi Wentao. ¡°Yi Wentao, you¡¯re so despicable! How can you use such despicable methods!?¡± Yi Wentao wasn¡¯t surprised that she could tell. He smiled faintly, but his eyes were extremely cold. ¡°I just wanted her to rest for a while. What¡¯s there to talk about despicable? Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re fighting to determine the winner. You didn¡¯t protect your contracted legendary fiend well, so who can you blame?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Just as Chu Liuyue was about to step forward, she was suddenly stopped by Tuan Zi. ¡°A¡­ A¡¯Yue¡­¡± Chu Liuyue turned around with a worried frown. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry. This matter isn¡¯t over today!¡± Tuan Zi shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ A¡¯Yue, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine soon¡­¡± Tuan Zi had always been lively, and it was rare for Chu Liuyue to see her so weak. For a moment, she felt furious. However, she still gently patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head. ¡°Alright, wait for me here first then. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With that, she glanced at Zi Chen. ¡°Zi Chen, protect Tuan Zi here.¡± Zi Chen guessed what she wanted to do and said hesitantly, ¡°Well¡ª¡± She is probably no match for Yi Wentao alone. However, Chu Liuyue had already turned to look at Yi Wentao. Clang! She suddenly smashed the shield in her hand to the ground! Chapter 1965 - 1965 Real Owner! 1965 Real Owner! Yi Wentao¡¯s eyes lit up. Is she finally going to use it? But the next moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions greatly disappointed him; she just let go and seemed to put the Celestial Shield on the floor, not planning to use it. Following this, Chu Liuyue harshly pierced the Chi Xiao Sword into the ground! A crack started spreading on the ground. Yi Wentao found it even more strange. Is Chu Liuyue not planning to fight? But seeing her appearance, it clearly doesn¡¯t seem like¡­ Swoosh! A red ray of light suddenly flew out! In front of Chu Liuyue, a red scroll floated quietly. Nan Hetian almost immediately widened his eyes. ¡°Flying Cloud Painting!¡± Once he said this, the expressions of the Nan family¡¯s people became extremely ugly. In the beginning, they weren¡¯t very sure. However, Nan Hetian was always with Nan Yifan and was extremely familiar with it. Since he said so, it must be the Flying Cloud Painting without a doubt! ¡°Not only did Shangguan Yue subdue Luo Yan and the rest, but she even snatched the Flying Cloud Painting?!¡± Someone gasped in shock. But upon deeper thought, this wasn¡¯t very surprising. This item had always been in Nan Yifan¡¯s care. When Nan Yuxing and the rest came to Peach Blossom Dock this time, due to all sorts of worries, it was normal for Nan Yifan to secretly pass the Flying Cloud Painting to them. Nan Yuxing was now dead, and some of the remaining elders were also dead. The remaining elders had betrayed the Nan family as well, so it wasn¡¯t strange for the Flying Cloud Painting to finally land in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. However, this item was the Nan family¡¯s treasure after all. Now that it was taken away by Chu Liuyue, the people in the Nan family would naturally feel upset. Nan Hetian took a deep breath in and tried his best to calm himself down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s Master¡¯s item. She doesn¡¯t need¡ª¡± Swoosh! Chu Liuyue waved her bare hands, and the Flying Cloud Painting instantly spread across! Nan Hetian was stumped, and his remaining words got stuck in his throat as his eyes were filled with shock. The remaining people in the Nan family weren¡¯t anywhere better. From how she looks¡­ Does she really take the Flying Cloud Painting as her own? However¡­ Nan Yifan hasn¡¯t swallowed it yet! The moment Yi Wentao saw the Flying Cloud Painting, a glimpse of strangeness also flashed across his face for once. He and Nan Yifan were considered old acquaintances, so he knew very clearly how much Nan Yifan treasured this item. If Nan Yifan wasn¡¯t worried about Nan Yuxing, he might not even take this item out. Who knew that it would benefit Chu Liuyue in the end? However, the crux is¡­ Chu Liuyue seems to know how to unleash the item¡¯s powers? Just as this thought flashed across their minds, Yi Wentao saw Chu Liuyue stretching her hand over. Her fingers were thin and white, like supreme jade. Then, she lightly tapped the Flying Cloud Painting. She did this action nonchalantly and casually, with an indifferent elegance. It was as if she didn¡¯t take this into consideration. The next moment, a ray of light flew across and formed a gigantic Xuan formation in midair! ¡°Four Symbols Formation?!¡± Even though Yi Wentao wasn¡¯t a Xuan Master, he dabbled in Xuan formations. Thus, he immediately recognized it when he saw it. The scene before him caused his eyes to narrow. Just now¡­ Chu Liuyue just tapped on it lightly and unleashed such a Xuan formation? That¡¯s not right! This Xuan formation came from the Flying Cloud Painting! Even a true Grandmaster Xuan Master can¡¯t successfully form a Four Symbols Formation in such a short period of time. The only explanation is that the formation was originally engraved in the Flying Cloud Painting! One just had to insert a bit of force to unleash it! The people from the Nan family were stunned. ¡°There¡¯s also¡­ a Xuan formation in the Flying Cloud Painting?!¡± For the past thousands of years, the Flying Cloud Painting had always been in the Nan family, and the family heads took care of it. As the Nan family rarely interacted with the other aristocratic families, and Nan Yifan was very strong on his own, he barely used the Flying Cloud Painting. In many people¡¯s minds, the Flying Cloud Painting was used to preserve one¡¯s life and to rapidly escape at crucial junctures. This included the many people in the Nan family. At this point, the people from the Nan family were stunned when they saw Chu Liuyue summon an extremely high-standard Xuan formation from the Flying Cloud Painting. Following this, without waiting for them to react, they saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s jade-like fingers tap a few more times on the Flying Cloud Painting. Xuan formations appeared one after another! The one with the lowest grade was actually a Great King Xuan Master formation! These Xuan formations floated in midair quietly and quickly formed a unique Xuan formation barrier in front of Chu Liuyue! The more terrifying thing was that the number of Xuan formations kept increasing. All the Xuan formations rushed out, and a strong aura exuded from within. Yi Wentao¡¯s God Realm started to tremble slightly. Detecting this, uneasiness uncontrollably surged out of Yi Wentao¡¯s heart. One had to know that a Grandmaster could fight with a legendary warrior! Just based on the dozens of Xuan formations before him, more than half of them were of that level! This was almost akin to having many Grandmasters fight him! Yi Wentao instinctively turned around and glanced at Nan Yifan. At this point, Nan Yifan was in an unconscious state and had no recognition of what was happening. Yi Wentao was overwhelmed with shock and anger as he gazed at Chu Liuyue again. It was as if he were looking at a weird creature. At this point, he finally realized something¡ªNan Yifan isn¡¯t the Flying Cloud Painting¡¯s true owner! If not, it¡¯s impossible for Nan Yifan not to react to such a big commotion caused by Chu Liuyue. Nan Yifan might not even know that the true Flying Cloud Painting is like this! If he had known, Nan Yuxing wouldn¡¯t have ended up in such a state. This also means that¡­ the Flying Cloud Painting treasured by the Nan family for thousands of years never once belonged to them, and it became Chu Liuyue¡¯s object under a twist of fate! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze burned as she stared at Yi Wentao before her. Then, she suddenly urged the forces in her body and clearly hollered, ¡°Go!¡± Once she said that, the dozens of Xuan formations went toward Yi Wentao with determination! The violent force spread around, and wherever it went, the green God Realm broke, inch by inch! Chapter 1966 - 1966 Cannot Add onto Trouble 1966 Cannot Add onto Trouble The originally strangely firm and suppressive God Realm started rapidly collapsing uncontrollably! In no time, the many Xuan formations went close to Yi Wentao like a gigantic brilliant web! Yi Wentao¡¯s expression changed greatly! Even if he was a top legendary warrior, it was impossible for him to handle the attacks from so many Xuan formations at once! He rapidly circulated his force, and a totem flashed across his brows! A figure almost exactly the same as his appeared before him! Then, that figure rapidly expanded! In the blink of an eye, it had grown to thrice the size o Yi Wentao! That holy body¡¯s eyes presented in a thick, dark-green color! Icy coldness, high and mighty! ¡°Eight Divine Holy Body!¡± Nan Suhuai muttered softly and stared at it closely. Yi Wentao¡¯s type of holy body was extremely rare and very strong. Rumors had it that the Eight Divine Holy Body was made by the Yi family ancestors, and only the people in the Yi family could cultivate it. However, it was extremely hard to cultivate, and not many could truly succeed. After most of the people in the Yi family failed, they would choose to cultivate other holy bodies. Once it succeeded, the cultivator¡¯s skills would be greatly elevated! This was also why Yi Wentao could stably be the Yi family head for so many years and had absolute speaking power in the Yi family. Nan Suhuai had only heard of it before and didn¡¯t personally see it. He didn¡¯t expect to personally witness Yi Wentao summoning the Eight Divine Holy Body at this point! Following this, under the crowd¡¯s stares, that holy body took a step out, raised its hand, and hurled a fist! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force surged over as if it was crazy and formed into a gigantic wind fist! A thought popped up in Yi Wentao¡¯s mind, and the wind fist flew across! Rumble! A loud sound was heard! That Eight Divine Holy Body directly smashed the Xuan formation at the very front with a fist! That Xuan formation instantly turned into countless shards that glowed faintly and spread across! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly, and her fingers rapidly slid across the Flying Cloud Painting. The ray of light seemed to have felt something and rushed over. Similar to rain falling into the sea, it rapidly disappeared without a trace. Chu Liuyue looked down. The small square where the Xuan formation was located was originally brilliant, but it had become much fainter now. It showed that Yi Wentao¡¯s previous attack had impacted the Xuan formation greatly. Luckily, after the destroyed Xuan formation went back¡­ Although it was greatly damaged, it kept absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force to replenish its own force. Seeing the color slowly return, Chu Liuyue heaved a long sigh of relief. The Xuan formations in the Flying Cloud Painting could be summoned continuously. Even if they were forcefully destroyed, as long as they had sufficient Heaven and Earth Force to replenish them, they would still be repaired one day. However, the time taken might be longer. ¡­ Yi Wentao¡¯s one fist directly destroying a Xuan formation caused the crowd¡¯s expressions to change. ¡°It¡¯s indeed the Eight Divine Holy Body. It lives up to its name¡­¡± Nan Suhuai looked at Chu Liuyue rather worriedly. Even though she had the Flying Cloud Painting, her cultivation level was still lower than Yi Wentao after all. The two parties were worlds apart, and it wasn¡¯t that easy to bridge the gap. Yi Wentao¡­ wasn¡¯t that easy to handle¡­ Shangguan Jing and the rest were all staring at the situation tightly. Zhao Song couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Brother Shangguan, Yi Wentao¡¯s Eight Divine Holy Body is a legendary existence amongst holy bodies. Rumors have it that the last time he summoned the Eight Divine Holy Body was decades ago. Your girl is rather amazing to force him to this stage in such a short amount of time. But speaking of which, now that he¡¯s using his full force, I¡¯m afraid your girl will be in some danger¡­¡± Yi Wentao was a harsh character. Since he dared to come this time, he definitely had full confidence. They didn¡¯t see him for so many years, and his Eight Divine Holy Body became much stronger! Peach Blossom Dock was such a good place. If Chu Liuyue had to give this place up to someone else because she lost a battle, even he would feel that it was a pity. Shangguan Jing stood with one hand behind his back and squinted slightly when he heard this. ¡°Yi Wentao is capable, but my Yue¡¯er is not to be trifled with.¡± His tone was calm, but he had extremely strong confidence. It was as if he was confident that Chu Liuyue would win this battle. Zhao Song turned around and exchanged glances with the crowd behind. We can tell that Chu Liuyue is indeed strong, but she will still pale in comparison compared to Yi Wentao, right? This Eight Divine Holy Body¡ª Rumble! Another intense piercing sound was heard. The second Xuan formation was forcefully destroyed by Yi Wentao¡¯s Eight Divine Holy Body! The surrounding crowd seemed to become even more nervous. ¡­ The Xuan formations were broken one after another, yet Chu Liuyue just stood rooted to the ground and didn¡¯t react at all. She stared at the front calmly, and her pretty face was calm. That pair of dark and bright eyes seemed to have ripples in them as if she were thinking. Seeing Yi Wentao¡¯s strong presence, quite a few people became anxious. What exactly is Chu Liuyue planning? She isn¡¯t prepared to just surrender, right? Yi Wentao watched on coldly, and a mocking smile flashed across his eyes. The Flying Cloud Painting is amazing, and Chu Liuyue is indeed capable to be able to take it as her own and understand the truth behind it! With this item, a cultivator just has to spend a little force to guide the Xuan formations out and unleash power with multiplied strength! This is indeed an extremely rare treasure! However, many people have neglected one thing¡ªeven if every Xuan formation only needs slight force to activate it, these dozens of Xuan formations added together require quite a substantial amount of force! Chu Liuyue can¡¯t possibly hold on. Hence, as long as the Xuan formations in front of heraere settled, Chu Liuyue will have no more combat power! Yi Wentao thought of this and crazily circulated his force! Hong hong hong! All sorts of explosions and impact sounds were heard! It was deafening! The violent forces spread everywhere. Quite a few people set up barriers before them and blocked the forces with much difficulty. Even so, there were some weaker people who couldn¡¯t tolerate this suppression and backed away as they continuously vomited blood. Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier shook again! ¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue¡­¡± Tuan Zi widened her eyes and wanted to go forward. Zi Chen knitted his brows slightly, took Tuan Zi¡¯s outstretched hand, and pulled her back. Tuan Zi¡¯s entire person was soft and fuzzy as she was easily brought into Zi Chen¡¯s arms, unable to break free. ¡°Going over now is just going to cause more trouble for her,¡± said Zi Chen lightly. Hearing this, Tuan Zi finally gave up struggling and tightly clenched her two fists as she stared at the front. I can¡¯t cause trouble¡­ I want to help A¡¯Yue! Swoosh! Red-golden fire suddenly rose in her eyes! Almost at the same time, the sky rapidly darkened! Zi Chen was shocked and suddenly looked up! ¡­ Chapter 1967 - 1967 Fight between the Holy Bodies! 1967 Fight between the Holy Bodies! This sudden commotion caused everyone present to be taken aback, and they all looked up. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Is someone breaking through? Or¡­ is it because the two of them are fighting?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­¡± The crowd discussed and were very confused. Yi Wentao and Chu Liuyue have already been fighting for quite some time. If this commotion was really triggered by the two of them, it should¡¯ve long come and not at this moment, right? Following that, the rich Heaven and Earth Force rapidly formed a gigantic vortex and came straight down! When they saw the direction of the vortex impact, quite a few people gasped. This is actually going toward that red-gold heavenly phoenix? Zi Chen rapidly realized something and glanced at Tuan Zi in his arms. Tuan Zi looked up, and her blackberry-like eyes reflected the dark light in the sky. Zi Chen put the young fiend down and took a few steps back, but his eyes were still tightly glued to Tuan Zi. The moment he backed away, the force in the sky rapidly struck down and entered Tuan Zi¡¯s body! Her body was like a bottomless pit as she crazily absorbed all the force in the surroundings! ¡­ Chu Liuyue turned around to glance at Tuan Zi as shock flashed across her eyes. She¡¯s¡­ Swoosh! A red-golden feather suddenly pierced through the sky! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. My guess is right. Tuan Zi is preparing to open her fifth meridian! However, how long has it been since she opened her last one? In such a short amount of time, Tuan Zi is going to¡ª Suddenly, a ray of white light flashed across her mind. Tuan Zi is converting the force that Yi Wentao forcefully put in her body into her own! That is the force of a true legendary warrior! Actually, after Chu Liuyue survived the God-Destroying Tribulation, she realized that Tuan Zi and Zi Chen had become stronger. This time, with the force Yi Wentao sent to her¡­ It was logical that Tuan Zi would break through! ¡­ But other than Chu Liuyue, the crowd present had never personally witnessed a red-gold heavenly phoenix opening its meridian. Hence, when the red-golden feather appeared, many people were stunned. It was only until the feather reached Tuan Zi that someone suddenly realized and said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s feather!¡± Once this was said, quite a few people finally recovered their senses. That is indeed a red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s feather¡ªit is totally red-golden, and it is glowing. However¡­ Why did this item suddenly appear? Just when the crowd was still confused, that feather suddenly glided across the sky. At the same time, Tuan Zi closed her eyes, and the fire around her burned crazily! Her aura started crazily elevating! Miao Fushan was the first to react and had a face filled with shock. ¡°She¡¯s going to open her meridian?¡± The two ancient legendary fiend races had always been in a strange competitive relationship. Sometimes, they knew each other better than they knew themselves. Additionally, Miao Fushan was very senior and had once personally seen a red-gold heavenly phoenix opening their meridian, so he directly recognized it when he saw this scene. His sentence was like a rock that smashed the lake and instantly caused many ripples! The crowd was stunned! Opening meridian! Even though this phrase wasn¡¯t common to them, it didn¡¯t mean that they did not understand what it was. Everyone present had status and skills, so they basically understood what it represented. ¡°How old is that red-gold heavenly phoenix? It¡¯s opening its meridian?¡± ¡°Since she has already taken human form, it proves that she has opened her meridian before! But the key is, why did she start again now? What¡­ meridian is she opening?¡± ¡°No, if she opens her meridian, then¡­ As she is the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s young mistress, Yi Zhao will definitely notice it, right?¡± ¡°¡­I clearly saw that she couldn¡¯t do it. Why is she suddenly opening her meridian¡­ Shangguan Yue¡¯s legendary fiend is indeed as puzzling as her!¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Yi Wentao noticed the situation here and immediately furrowed his brows. Very quickly, he understood the crux within this matter and secretly clenched his teeth. This red-gold heavenly phoenix is very cunning! Not only was she not destroyed by the force, but she even converted it to her own force and directly opened her meridian! Yi Wentao breathed in to calm himself down. Even if it is opening a meridian, it doesn¡¯t mean much. How old is she? Even if she opens her meridian, it should only be the second or third one at most! Even if she succeeds at opening the meridian, it won¡¯t cause much¡ª Once this thought flashed across his mind, he saw a few golden rays of light appearing in front of Tuan Zi. One, two, three¡­ Four! That red-golden feather drew the fifth one! Yi Wentao¡¯s mind seemed to be harshly smashed, and he was completely stunned. Fifth¡­ She¡¯s opening the fifth one? Is she crazy!? In the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, there aren¡¯t many who can open the fifth meridian! Besides, this is just an underaged¡ª His heart beat even faster. I have to stop her! If not, this battle will be dangerous! He thought of it and did it. At this point, Yi Wentao had already solved the few Xuan formations in front of him. After seeing Tuan Zi¡¯s movements, a thought flashed across his mind, and his Eight Divine Holy Body rushed forward without hesitation! Boom! The gigantic and fit figure walked forward, causing the ground to shake and leaving deep footprints. At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body suddenly glowed brightly! A brilliant armor instantly covered her entire body, and a terrifying suppression instantly descended! Quite a few people were shocked. ¡°Holy Body?!¡± Chapter 1968 - 1968 Comparing Who has More Assets? 1968 Comparing Who has More Assets? Shangguan Jing, Nan Suhuai, and the rest all found it very strange. They knew very clearly that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have a Holy Body before. The current one¡­ must¡¯ve been cultivated during this period of time! ¡°What Holy Body is that? Brother Shangguan, why do I think that it seems different from yours?¡± asked Zhao Song strangely. Since Chu Liuyue was Shangguan Yue¡¯s descendant, with his bloodline, she should cultivate the same Holy Body as him. Shangguan Jing shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know when Yue¡¯er cultivated and formed her Holy Body. Besides, she¡¯s very talented. Perhaps she chose a Holy Body most suitable for herself.¡± Zhao Song nodded with deep thoughts. This makes sense. Every cultivator¡¯s physique and talent are different. Even if cultivators are from the same clan, they might choose different Holy Bodies to cultivate. Shangguan Jing took a closer look for a while and didn¡¯t recognize what exactly Chu Liuyue¡¯s Holy Body was. He couldn¡¯t help but turn around to glance at Nan Suhuai and softly ask, ¡°Director Nan, do you recognize Yue¡¯er¡¯s Holy Body?¡± He was very experienced but didn¡¯t recognize it. Even though Nan Suhuai was lower in seniority than him, as Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s director, he had seen countless treasures and ancient books. Thus, he should have more understanding. Besides, Yue¡¯er was Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s student. If she cultivated a Holy Body, she should have learned it from there. Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t expect Nan Suhuai to shake his head as well. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± After a pause, seeing that Shangguan Jing and the rest found it strange, Nan Suhuai tentatively said, ¡°Actually¡­ Senior Shangguan, you might not know, but when Yue¡¯er was at the academy, she read quite a few relevant books and tried cultivating a Holy Body many times. There were many top Holy Bodies, but she didn¡¯t succeed in the end. Hence¡­ Now that I¡¯ve seen her successfully forming her own Holy Body, I feel comforted. However, I¡¯m not too sure of the background of this Holy Body¡­¡± Since Nan Suhuai said this, it was bound to be true. Suddenly, Rong Xiu¡¯s low voice came. ¡®Yue¡¯er survived the God-Destroying Tribulation a while ago.¡± Once he said this, there was dead silence. God-Destroying Tribulation?! Shangguan Jing suddenly thought of something and gasped. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, and he nodded. ¡°Her Holy Body was formed with the God-Destroying Tribulation.¡± ¡­ Swoosh! Chu Liuyue went on her toes, and her figure was instantly like an arrow that left the bow as it drew a straight red line in midair and went straight for Yi Wentao! The two of them faced each other, and the distance between them rapidly shrunk! Compared to Yi Wentao¡¯s especially big Eight Divine Holy Body, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure seemed especially small. It seemed as if Yi Wentao just had to take action to easily kill her! In actual fact, this was what Yi Wentao was thinking. The moment he saw Chu Liuyue summon her Holy Body, he was indeed shocked, but only for a moment. She¡¯s a true god, and it is normal for her to have a Holy Body. There is nothing to be shocked about. Even though Yi Wentao couldn¡¯t recognize what Holy Body she had cultivated with one glance, there were many ways of cultivating Holy Bodies in the world, and it was impossible for him to know every single one of them. Even if he couldn¡¯t tell, it did not affect much because he didn¡¯t care about it. That was because his Eight Divine Holy Body was the top existence amongst the many Holy Bodies. It was also because of this special and strong Holy Body that could stably be the Yi family head for so many years! Now, Chu Liuyue is actually planning to use her own holy body to fight mine¡­ It seems like she is really muddled. Yi Wentao sneered and hurled his punch out! The sound of wind piercing through the air was heard! The strong wind came over and blew up Chu Liuyue¡¯s hair. Chu Liuyue stared closely at the front as the force in her body kept gathering in her right hand. Then, she directly raised her arm and hurled out a punch, meeting with Yi Wentao¡¯s! Gasps could be heard coming from the audience. Chu Liuyue actually chose to take Yi Wentao head-on? With such a physical body, isn¡¯t she bound to lose as a mere true god? With this punch, she will be handicapped if not dead, right? Yi Wenzhuo snorted with laughter. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, but her arrogance didn¡¯t change at all.¡± She was like this a few years ago, and the same a few years later. In fact, she¡¯s even more arrogant! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s sinister-like eyes stared closely at the scene as he slowly clenched his fists. He didn¡¯t reply to Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s words. However, the people from the Yi family and the Nan family behind him had the same attitude as Yi Wenzhuo. ¡°That¡¯s right! Shangguan Yue really thinks she¡¯s some big shot with a few talents, but she doesn¡¯t know that there¡¯s always someone better! How can the gap between a true god and a legendary warrior be crossed so easily?¡± ¡°Even if her red-gold heavenly phoenix successfully opens its fifth meridian, it will be too late.¡± ¡°This time, it can finally end¡­¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue completely ignored these messy voices. Intense battle intent burned in her eyes as she walked forward. Thump! The fists of the two people met! A loud sound was heard! After a temporary pause, with the duo in the center, the ground started to crack! Cracks forming like webs kept spreading! It showed how terrifying the impact of the two forces clashing was! However, the shocking thing was that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t fly out like they had imagined. Her feet¡­ didn¡¯t even move back by an inch! Everyone was stunned. Chu Liuyue¡­ actually endured the attack of Yi Wentao¡¯s Eight Divine Holy Body? It was silent. Only the duo¡¯s forces kept attacking each other! The green light and the brilliant light intertwined each other and caused one to be unable to open their eyes. Blood slowly seeped out of the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips, causing her face to turn pale. However¡­ she still stood rooted to the ground and faced Yi Wentao! At this point, the undamaged Xuan formations suddenly moved! Yi Wentao¡¯s Holy Body had previously destroyed the few Xuan formations in the center and cut through from the hole to fight with Chu Liuyue. Hence, at this point, Yi Wentao¡¯s Holy Body was with the Xuan formations, but his physical body was on the other side. These Xuan formations now circulated very quickly and connected once again, repairing the empty spots and forming another gigantic web. Then, it went toward Yi Wentao¡¯s physical body! Yi Wentao was originally standing at the front, waiting to see Chu Liuyue be killed. Suddenly, he felt that something was amiss, so he looked over. He then realized that he was surrounded by those Xuan formations again. Besides, even though there were fewer Xuan formations than before, their force didn¡¯t decrease at all and even became stronger! Feeling the shocking suppression, Yi Wentao¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. ¡°How can this be?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s force should¡¯ve been mostly exhausted! Chu Liuyue shifted her gaze, and her red lips suddenly curled up at a cold angle. ¡°I forgot to mention it. I might be a true god, but the bit of force in your body¡­ might not compare to mine!¡± Chapter 1969 - 1969 Fist is Very Firm 1969 Fist is Very Firm In the beginning, Yi Wentao didn¡¯t quite understand what Chu Liuyue meant, until he found out that the Xuan formations¡¯ force was still rising! He narrowed his eyes and then realized that Chu Liuyue was burning her own force to forcefully support these Xuan formations! Her force was not only not exhausted like he had expected, but it was still very rich¡ªto the point she could still separate out a portion of her force when she fought with his Eight Divine Holy Body to control these Xuan formations! A terrifying amount of force came from the Xuan formations and started attacking Yi Wentao! One had to know that without the Eight Divine Holy Body¡¯s protection, Yi Wentao¡¯s physical body was very limited. Even though he was a legendary warrior, without the holy body, he couldn¡¯t blindly fight with these Xuan formations! There were still quite a few Grandmaster-level Xuan formations inside! The bit of God Realm around Yi Wentao started to crumble as well! The heavy suppression landed on his body, and it was heavy and painful! Intense pain came from every part of his body! Yi Wentao was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak. Chu Liuyue¡¯s cultivation level is definitely just that of a true god. We¡¯ve fought before, so I¡¯m very confident about this. However¡­ how does her body contain such shocking force?! Even I faintly feel that I pale in comparison! Not only Yi Wentao had such doubts. In actual fact, when Chu Liuyue took action again and controlled those Xuan formations, everyone present was stunned! A cultivator¡¯s body was like a tolerant device. A cultivator of every grade had a certain upper limit. Once they exceeded this upper limit, the cultivator would likely explode and die. This was also the invisible wall crafted by one¡¯s cultivation level. Normally speaking, the force contained in a true god¡¯s body couldn¡¯t be compared to a legendary warrior. Sometimes, such a gap could be up to few or even dozens times more! But now¡­ Anyone could tell that Chu Liuyue had totally crushed Yi Wentao in this aspect! Force continuously surged out of her body as if it could never be finished! The bright smile on Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s face suddenly froze. ¡°H-how did her body accumulate so much, but she didn¡¯t explode and die?!¡± If it were someone else, their pearl of essence and physical body wouldn¡¯t be able to take it, right? On the Nan family and Yi family side, the originally bustling atmosphere reached its freezing point! ¡­ As Yi Wentao thought crazily, countless thoughts flashed across his mind. I can¡¯t just sit here! I know too clearly what the consequences of continuing to stay here and being surrounded by these Xuan formations will be! I have to avoid all these troubles first! Thinking of this, Yi Wentao suddenly looked up. With an idea in his mind, he wanted to summon the Eight Divine Holy Body back into his body. But at this point, Chu Liuyue suddenly turned her fist into a palm as her two hands gripped that Holy Body¡¯s wrist tightly! Yi Wentao¡¯s heart sank! ¡°Shangguan Yue, how dare you!?¡± As if she didn¡¯t hear it at all, Chu Liuyue circulated her surrounding force crazily and inserted it into her two palms! Following that, she gathered her courage and dragged that Holy Body up! Her flexible and firm waist turned! The gigantic Eight Divine Holy Body, which was a few times bigger than Chu Liuyue, was harshly flung out by her! At this point, Yi Wentao was distracted. Just when he didn¡¯t notice it, Chu Liuyue took advantage of it and directly flung the Eight Divine Holy Body far away! Deng! Deng! Deng! Heavy and hurried footsteps were heard as that Eight Divine Holy Body left quite a few deep footprints on the ground, before it forcefully stabilized its figure. But at this point, Chu Liuyue was standing between Yi Wentao¡¯s physical body and his Holy Body! Yi Wentao clenched his teeth until they felt itchy. Chu Liuyue clearly did it on purpose! After being angered to the extreme, the last string in Yi Wentao¡¯s mind was tense! A totem rapidly surfaced near his brows! Following this, his figure moved, and he planned to rush forward! Right at this point, a black figure suddenly appeared behind Yi Wentao¡ªit was Zi Chen! Zi Chen gazed at Yi Wentao coldly in a high and mighty manner as if he were looking at an ant. Yi Wentao felt the back of his head turn cold, and he instinctively turned around. The many Xuan formations formed a gigantic web that surrounded almost three-quarters of his surrounding area, leaving this small piece of space behind. However, he didn¡¯t expect Zi Chen to appear here! Yi Wentao felt that something was amiss. Following that, a distant and ancient shriek came from Zi Chen¡¯s body! It sounded like a legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s shriek with a vague dragon¡¯s roar! Then, a purplish-golden ray of light rapidly flew across his brows! Swoosh! It was hurried, and the sound of an object piercing through one¡¯s flesh was heard! Yi Wentao couldn¡¯t dodge in time, and one of his shoulders was directly shaved off! His arm was bloody! Yi Wentao suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and was overwhelmed with shock and anger! ¡°You¡ª¡± Screech! Right at this point, another clear phoenix shriek was heard! On the other hand, the Ancestral Golden Feather finally finished the fifth line! The fifth meridian was¡­ opened! Tuan Zi¡¯s suppression exploded! Her body was still burning with the red-golden fire, and her entire figure was like a ball of fire that went straight for Yi Wentao! ¡°Leave me the remaining arm!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure flashed across, and she kicked toward that Eight Divine Holy Body! That Eight Divine Holy Body immediately crossed itsarms to block the front! Ka! A crisp, bone-breaking sound was heard. Then, the crowd saw that the Eight Divine Holy Body¡¯s arms twisted in a very strange angle. The one who lost was actually Yi Wentao¡¯s Eight Divine Holy Body! Chapter 1970 - 1970 Leave His Life to Me! 1970 Leave His Life to Me! When they fought, Chu Liuyue¡¯s Holy Body actually kicked and broke Yi Wentao¡¯s Eight Divine Holy Body?! The scene before them was too shocking, causing the people from the Nan family and the Yi family to have incredulous facial expression changes. If they didn¡¯t see it personally, they would not believe that a true god¡¯s Holy Body could beat a legendary warrior¡¯s Holy Body! In fact, if this type of matter was exposed, other people would treat it as a joke! On the other hand, Shangguan Jing and the rest sank into deep shock. Even though Rong Xiu had already explained that Chu Liuyue¡¯s Holy Body was formed through the God-Destroying Tribulation, they only heard of it and didn¡¯t witness it personally. If not, someone would¡¯ve recognized it when Chu Liuyue summoned her Holy Body. Only very few legendary warriors could summon the God-Destroying Tribulation, and even fewer could survive it. In the beginning, they didn¡¯t even think about this. If it weren¡¯t for Rong Xiu¡¯s reminder, they would have still been clueless. The abilities Chu Liuyue¡¯s Holy Body executed also shocked them. This could no longer be described by ¡®amazing.¡¯ This was clearly heaven-defying! ¡°Hiss¡­ Brother Shangguan, your junior is really¡­¡± Zhao Song felt conflicted for a moment and couldn¡¯t think of the words that could explain his current feelings. In the end, he could only shake his head and helplessly smile as unconcealable admiration and envy filled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re really lucky!¡± Other people really can¡¯t be envious of such blessings! In the God Residence Realm, countless aristocratic families were established. Every family would spend countless resources and efforts to cultivate their younger generation. What was it for? Wasn¡¯t it to carry on the family honor and pass it down generation to generation? As long as the descendants were outstanding enough, they would be sufficiently glorified, and the family clan would continue. However, Chu Liuyue alone surpassed countless! She was indeed born outside the God Residence Realm, and her starting was behind the aristocratic family disciples. However, this couldn¡¯t stop her from being outstanding and having heaven-defying fate! Which of the people present weren¡¯t outstanding geniuses when they were young? But compared to Chu Liuyue, they all paled in comparison! Even an existence like Zhao Song sighed to himself. Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t speak and stared at Chu Liuyue closely, his eyes glowing. The descendant behind me, Shangguan Jing, is naturally the most outstanding one! Zhao Song looked at Rong Xiu and smiled emotionally. ¡°¡­Your Grace, you indeed have good taste.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he happily accepted the praise. He had always been like this. ¡­ Chu Liuyue chased after the Holy Body and continued! This time, she didn¡¯t use any Yuan instruments and directly fought head-on! Every punch was lethal! The Eight Divine Holy Body¡¯s tenacity was weaker when compared to her. Additionally, as Yi Wentao was previously injured, he couldn¡¯t support in time and quickly lost the upper hand. Then, he could only be beaten up passively. Low impact noises and the sounds of bones shattering were heard. The crowd listened until their hair stood on end. But Chu Liuyue was unaffected from start to end as her pair of sparkling eyes blazed with even more furious intent! She didn¡¯t speak and directly beat that Eight Divine Holy Body up! ¡­ On the other end, Tuan Zi quickly passed those Xuan formations and came to Zi Chen¡¯s side. She stared at Yi Wentao with a burning glaze, licked her lips, and crossed her arms as she let out crunching noises. Zi Chen originally wanted to continue. After hearing her voice, he stopped. Seeing Tuan Zi¡¯s tempted manner, Zi Chen raised his brows slightly. ¡°Can you do it?¡± After all, she was just injured¡­ Zi Chen said this with good intent, but that wasn¡¯t the case for Tuan Zi when she heard it. She rubbed her nose. ¡°Hmph, who are you looking down on? I¡¯ll remove his arm to show you!¡± When Yi Wentao heard this, he almost puked out blood. This is an utter insult to me! Since when did the Yi family head become a betting object? They even betted on my arm! Thinking of this, Yi Wentao looked at his wound seeping blood and was so angry that he clenched his teeth. But at this point, Tuan Zi already took action! She raised her hand, and a red-golden fire suddenly rose from her palms! Then, she waved her small hand, and the fire instantly turned into a long whip that lashed toward Yi Wentao! Wherever the fire passed, the void collapsed continuously! Yi Wentao was taken aback! The red-gold heavenly phoenix actually became so much stronger after opening her fifth meridian?! In actual fact, although he had interacted with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan before, he didn¡¯t understand them much, nor did he fight with a red-gold heavenly phoenix who had opened the fifth meridian. Normally speaking, one could be an elder in the clan with this cultivation level. Yi Wentao wouldn¡¯t offend an elder from the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan out of nowhere. This was also why Tuan Zi¡¯s attack had long exceeded Yi Wentao¡¯s predictions! The fire rapidly came and caused the surrounding temperature to rise to a burning temperature! Yi Wentao¡¯s sticky bloodstains rapidly dried up because of this, leaving behind dark-red and stiff bloodstains. Swoosh! That fire whip pierced through the air! Yi Wentao originally wanted to forcefully take this attack, but Zi Chen¡¯s previous attack damaged him greatly, causing him to only be able to retreat! Although he was fast, Tuan Zi¡¯s fire was faster! A fire light flashed across his eyes, and uneasiness suddenly surged up Yi Wentao¡¯s heart. Then, an excruciating burn came from his other arm! It was the fire whip that tightly caught his remaining arm. Without hesitation, Tuan Zi pulled harshly! A bone-breaking sound was heard! Before Yi Wentao could think of how to defend it, Tuan Zi tore his arm! Only two badly mangled wounds were left on his shoulders, and they looked astonishing! The thick blood spread across and almost caused one to vomit! Tuan Zi waved her hand in contempt and looked up proudly. ¡°How is it?¡± Zi Chen glanced at her, and suddenly, the corner of his lips curled up. Tuan Zi was stunned. What is he smiling at?! At this point, Chu Liuyue finally stopped. She had beaten up that Eight Divine Holy Body until it was black and bruised, unable to retaliate. She turned around and raised her brows. ¡°Very good.¡± ¡°Leave his life to me!¡± Chapter 1971 - 1971 The Yi Family Head Really Has Backbone 1971 The Yi Family Head Really Has Backbone As soon as she finished speaking, her figure instantly disappeared from the spot! Hearing this, Yi Wentao subconsciously turned around. He only saw a flash of light in front of him. Then, the void began to tremble and ripple! A suffocating pressure kept coming, and the blood in his body seemed to have frozen at this moment! Then, a hand suddenly tore through the air! It was a slender, fair hand covered in a gorgeous soft armor that glowed faintly. At a glance, it looked like pearls and jade. Yi Wentao was stunned for a moment; then, he was shocked. It¡¯s Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! The next moment, her figure indeed rushed out from behind the void! Without thinking, Yi Wentao immediately retreated! But at this moment, Zi Chen and Tuan Zi were standing behind him. Where could he escape to? Zi Chen waved his sleeve, and a stream of energy flew out, forming a translucent barrier that directly blocked Yi Wentao¡¯s retreat! Sensing the cold aura coming from behind, Yi Wentao didn¡¯t need to turn around to know what was going on. At this moment, he was really in a dilemma! Beads of sweat appeared on Yi Wentao¡¯s forehead. Almost instantly, his back was drenched in cold sweat. His face was pale, and his lips were trembling. Before this, Yi Wentao would never have thought that he would be forced to this extent by Chu Liuyue! Actually, he had never underestimated Chu Liuyue. All kinds of things had happened to her recently, proving that she was definitely harder to deal with than ordinary true gods. This was why Yi Wentao disregarded his dignity and half-coerced her to fight him. He thought that he could win this round safely, but who knew¡ª Thump! Chu Liuyue punched Yi Wentao¡¯s chest heavily. Yi Wentao¡¯s body was instantly sent flying, and he fell heavily to the ground! Crack¡ª Boom! His body drew a long bloody line across the ground as he slammed into the ward Zi Chen had set up earlier. Shoo! Yi Wentao¡¯s body trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His aura instantly withered! ¡°Master!¡± When the Yi family members saw this, they couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in shock. Everything happened too quickly. Zi Chen and Tuan Zi attacked one after another, followed by Chu Liuyue! Everyone felt that the scene in front of them was in chaos. When they looked again, they saw that Yi Wentao had already fallen into such a state! Without his arms, his Eight Divine Holy Body had suffered extremely heavy attacks. These were all very fatal to Yi Wentao. He lay on the ground, on the verge of death. He only vomited blood and was in a sorry state. Chu Liuyue walked up to him. Yi Wentao heard the commotion and struggled to get up, but now, such a simple action was already extremely difficult for him. Chu Liuyue stood in front of him and looked down at him. ¡°Master Yi, it seems that¡­ you¡¯re not as powerful as I imagined?¡± These words were undoubtedly like a slap to Yi Wentao¡¯s face! Yi Wentao raised his head with difficulty, his eyes filled with resentment. ¡°You! You!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at the Yi family and Nan family with a faint smile. ¡°Bringing so many people to openly snatch my Peach Blossom Dock, I thought that the Yi family¡¯s head had extraordinary abilities. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ that I had overestimated him?¡± Everyone was extremely aggrieved, their faces turning green and white. Yi Wenzhuo finally couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Shangguan Yue, don¡¯t be too arrogant! You¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, she suddenly raised her leg and stepped heavily on Yi Wentao¡¯s chest. Crack! The sound of bones shattering! Yi Wentao¡¯s face turned red, and his chest caved in. That kick actually broke a few of his ribs! ¡°Yi Wenzhuo, your big brother is already like this. If I¡¯m not arrogant¡­ Could it be that he¡¯s still arrogant? Why don¡¯t you ask if your biological big brother can still be arrogant, hmm?¡± Chu Liuyue used a lot of strength in this kick, causing the energy in Yi Wentao¡¯s body to surge wildly. This caused him to be unable to say a word. He opened his mouth, but he could only barely spit out a few vague syllables that were filled with blood. Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s face was ashen. Chu Liuyue has stepped on Yi Wentao and the Yi family¡¯s heads! How can we tolerate this? However, he had no choice but to endure it. They didn¡¯t want to see it go any worse yet. At this moment, Jun Jiuqing suddenly took a step forward and said, ¡°You win this round. My Yi family admits defeat!¡± The Yi family was shocked. They didn¡¯t expect Jun Jiuqing to suddenly speak at this moment. An elder frowned. ¡°Young Master, the master has yet to admit defeat. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to do this?¡± Jun Jiuqing frowned slightly, and a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes. Chu Liuyue also smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. The one competing with me is Master Yi, not anyone else present. This sentence has to be personally said by Master Yi.¡± As she spoke, she looked down at Yi Wentao. ¡°Master Yi, what do you think?¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s heart was filled with hatred! In front of so many people, he naturally didn¡¯t want to admit defeat. But if he didn¡¯t admit defeat, the current situation¡­ was almost hopeless. He closed his eyes and spoke with difficulty. ¡°I¡ª¡± Just as he said one word, Chu Liuyue exerted strength with her foot and forced back the rest of Yi Wentao¡¯s words. Intense pain came from all over his body, especially his chest. It seemed to be weighed down by a thousand pounds, making it difficult for him to breathe and unable to say a word! Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Oh? It looks like Master Yi still doesn¡¯t want to admit defeat?¡± Yi Wentao rolled his eyes and almost fainted from anger! Everyone from the Yi family could tell that it wasn¡¯t the master who refused to admit defeat. It was clearly Chu Liuyue¡¯s intention to stop him from speaking! ¡°Since Master Yi is so unyielding, then¡­ I can only use my strength to convince him.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head regretfully and was about to continue attacking. It seemed like she was really planning to beat Yi Wentao to death! ¡°Stop!¡± Yi Wenzhuo hurriedly spoke, shocked and furious. Who can¡¯t tell that Chu Liuyue did it on purpose? She clearly wants Yi Wentao¡¯s life! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stop, not taking Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s words seriously at all. She raised her leg and took a step to the side. Then, she stepped on Yi Wentao¡¯s ankle! Crack! The sound of bones breaking was especially hair-raising! Yi Wentao almost had no strength to retaliate. He was in so much pain that his entire body was trembling. He kept vomiting blood and almost fainted. He looked really miserable. Jun Jiuqing turned back to look at the elder who had stopped him and sneered. ¡°Do you still think that what I did just now was inappropriate?¡± Chapter 1972 - 1972 Youre the One Im Killing! 1972 You¡¯re the One I¡¯m Killing! The elder¡¯s expression was ugly, and he didn¡¯t say a word. Although he was embarrassed by Jun Jiuqing¡¯s public questioning, it was obviously not the time to care about that. The remaining members of the Yi family looked at each other. In fact, Jun Jiuqing was the most suitable person to handle this matter. He was the young master, second only to Yi Wentao. Now that Yi Wentao was in trouble, he was the only one who could represent the Yi family. Finally, someone cupped his fists. ¡°Young Master, please save Master!¡± As soon as one person said this, many people immediately agreed. Even Yi Wenzhuo had to suppress the anger in his heart. Although he was Yi Wentao¡¯s younger brother, in terms of status in the Yi family, he was now inferior to Jun Jiuqing. ¡°Jiuqing.¡± Yi Wenzhuo took a deep breath and urged. In any case, ever since Yi Wentao was defeated, they had completely lost all face. The most important thing now was to save Yi Wentao. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes darkened as he took another step forward. ¡°Now that the family head can no longer speak, the young master of the Yi family¡ªJun Jiuqing¡ªadmits defeat on his behalf!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly before she stopped and looked up. She had already heard the way those people addressed Jun Jiuqing. After not seeing him for a while, he has already become the Yi family¡¯s young master? Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t surprised. This only proved that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s talent and strength were more outstanding than what he had displayed before. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to obtain this position in the Yi family, which was filled with talents. She looked Jun Jiuqing up and down again. ¡°Are you here to represent Yi Wentao and admit defeat?¡± Jun Jiuqing nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as you stop now and release the family head safely, we can agree to any condition.¡± There was a small commotion in the Yi family, but it quickly subsided. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words were too much, but if he didn¡¯t do this now, there was probably no other way. At this point, they could already tell that Chu Liuyue was very ruthless! No one could guarantee whether she would still be able to do something shocking! Therefore, after a short hesitation, the Yi family chose to accept it. ¡°Right now¡­ what qualifications do you all have to bargain with me?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. Yi Wentao is already in my hands. I can do whatever I want. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that this competition was initiated by your Yi family¡¯s family head. No one is allowed to interfere, be it in life or death. Have you all forgotten?¡± Jun Jiuqing frowned. ¡°Then, what do you want?¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s arms have been cut off, and he is barely breathing. He is even lying on the ground in a sorry state and allows her to step on him. Is that not enough? Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she stretched out her hand. ¡°My condition is very simple. First, the Great Azure Sun Axe belongs to me!¡± The expressions of the Yi family members turned even uglier. The Great Azure Sun Axe was one of the top ten holy weapons and the Yi family¡¯s ultimate treasure! It was too much of Chu Liuyue to demand an exorbitant price as her first condition! The expressions of the Nan family¡¯s people were meaningful. In any case, our Flying Cloud Painting has already been snatched away. If the Yi family¡¯s treasure is also snatched away by her¡­ The losses of our two families are almost the same¡­ Although the two sides had temporarily formed an alliance, in the past few thousand years, both sides vaguely had the intention of fighting openly and secretly. In any case, things had already come to this. If the Yi family could contribute a little, there wouldn¡¯t be too much of a gap in the future. Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t care about the reactions of the people behind him and just nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mean his answer. She raised her eyes and looked at the Great Azure Sun Axe that had been casually thrown not far away during the chaotic battle. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes lit up. She immediately ran over and picked up the Great Azure Sun Axe. She was petite and wasn¡¯t even as tall as the Great Azure Sun Axe. She hugged it with her two small hands and carried it on her shoulders. She looked light-headed, making one worried that she would fall due to this huge and heavy axe. However, Tuan Zi quickly used her actions to shatter everyone¡¯s wrong fantasies. She strode forward with her bare feet and arrived in front of Chu Liuyue in a flash! It was so fast that it left one speechless. Such a huge axe was as light as a feather when placed in her hands. Everyone watched with mixed feelings. As expected of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress¡­ Her physical strength is really extremely good! That¡¯s true. She can break Yi Wentao¡¯s arm with a single whip. What is this axe worth? ¡°A¡¯Yue! Here!¡± Tuan Zi excitedly ran over to Chu Liuyue and handed her the Great Azure Sun Ax. At this moment, it was still covered in a thin layer of frost. Waves of cold air spread out from above. This was the mark left behind by Zi Chen. Chu Liuyue received the axe and patted Tuan Zi¡¯s head in admiration. ¡°Tuan Zi is awesome!¡± After receiving the praise, Tuan Zi was overjoyed. She turned her head proudly and raised her little face at Zi Chen. The intention of showing off was obvious. Look! At the critical moment, she still has to rely on me! Chu Liuyue glanced at Tuan Zi and lovingly touched the back of her head. After all, she is still a child. She even rushed to run errands. In comparison, Zi Chen didn¡¯t move from the beginning and probably didn¡¯t plan on moving at all. However, this child is so happy¡­ Chu Liuyue quietly sighed in her heart. It was probably because she was bullied by Zi Chen in the Heavenly Square Cauldron in the past that she wants to compete with Zi Chen now¡­ Zi Chen stood on the spot and nodded calmly. ¡°Yes, you win this time.¡± Tuan Zi pinched her waist. ¡°Hahahaha, I knew it! I¡¯m the best!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Zi Chen: ¡°¡­¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± Chu Liuyue gazed sympathetically at Tuan Zi. After meeting an opponent like Zi Chen, who knows how much more work she will have to do in the future¡­ She coughed, retracted her gaze, and looked at Yi Wentao. ¡°Master Yi, do you have any objections?¡± How could Yi Wentao say no? He closed his eyes and nodded with difficulty. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Master Yi is indeed generous. My second condition is actually very simple: I want 30 supreme Yuan instruments!¡± Chapter 1973 - 1973 This Woman is So Ruthless! 1973 This Woman is So Ruthless! Yi Wentao¡¯s face turned red as he widened his eyes and stared at Chu Liuyue. Even though he didn¡¯t speak, his reaction was enough to show his attitude. Yi Wenzhuo couldn¡¯t help but shout. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re too greedy!¡± Thirty supreme Yuan instruments? Why doesn¡¯t she just rob them? Chu Liuyue clicked her tongue regretfully. ¡°Master Yi, it seems that in your brother¡¯s eyes, your life isn¡¯t as important as those dead things?¡± Yi Wenzhuo trembled with anger. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! When did I say that?! You¡¯re clearly the greedy one! Do you know how much 30 supreme Yuan instruments are worth?!¡± The corners of Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Oh? In that case¡­ Do you know how much my Peach Blossom Dock is worth?¡± Yi Wenzhuo was speechless. The remaining people who wanted to argue and criticize also shut their mouths. The scene suddenly fell into a strange silence. Thirty supreme Yuan instruments was indeed a sky-high price, but it was nothing compared to Peach Blossom Dock. Supreme Yuan instruments could be refined as long as there was a supreme Armory Refinement Master. As for the quantity, it was just a matter of time. One had to know that Shangguan Jing alone had many supreme Yuan instruments. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have given out so many at once when Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue got married. Therefore, for an existence with such a deep foundation like the Yi family, they could definitely take out 30 supreme Yuan instruments. However, it was just a huge loss. But Peach Blossom Dock was even more precious and could only be chanced upon by luck. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have attracted so many aristocratic families for thousands of years to try to take it under their wing. Wasn¡¯t the Yi family here for this too? At the end of the day, they were the ones who came to try and snatch Chu Liuyue¡¯s Peach Blossom Dock first. Now that Chu Liuyue had won this bet and had the upper hand, it seemed like¡­ there was nothing wrong with her request. The two sides fell into a short confrontation. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was relaxed. The reason she wanted these things was very simple. Yue Manor had just been established, and they didn¡¯t have enough stock! There were many heavenly treasures here, and there were also many experts who had come to seek refuge. However, there were almost no Yuan instruments that she could take out. Even though she was an Armory Refinement Master herself, it was impossible for her to support the entire Yue Manor by herself. Now that there was ready-made wool, it would be a waste not to take it. What a great opportunity! Chu Liuyue felt like asking for 30 pieces was too little. But considering that Yi Wentao had already lost two of his arms and was basically half-dead, she decided to give him a discount. After all, she sincerely wanted to complete this transaction. Thus, she had to show her sincerity, right? If the Yi family knew what she was thinking, they would probably vomit blood from anger. Jun Jiuqing turned around and looked at everyone. ¡°Elders, what do you think?¡± Everyone groaned inwardly. How else can we think? Can we refuse? The head of the family is still in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands! Moreover, according to their previous agreement, even if she really kills Yi Wentao today, the Yi family has no right or position to pursue any responsibility! After a while, someone finally said, ¡°As long as we can save the family head, we¡­ will pay any price!¡± The rest of the people agreed. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze swept past them before looking at Chu Liuyue again. ¡°I can agree to your two conditions on behalf of the Yi family. You¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I haven¡¯t finished speaking.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and interrupted him. ¡°Thirdly, from today onward, if the Yi family encounters anyone from my Yue Manor, they must take a detour! If the Yi family uses today¡¯s incident as a reason to provoke my Yue Manor again¡­ If one comes, I¡¯ll kill one! If two come, I¡¯ll kill two!¡± As she spoke, she raised her chin. ¡°In case some people go back on their word, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to write a post personally to prove it.¡± The Yi family members were all dumbfounded. They never expected her to make such a request! Jun Jiuqing quickly reacted and pursed his lips. In the end, he chose to agree. ¡°Sure.¡± With that, he took out a brush and paper from his Cosmic Ring and started writing. Everyone in the Yi family watched him write with complicated expressions. You object, don¡¯t you? Then, what about Yi Wentao? Does he agree? This matter is too aggravating then¡­ He thought that he would return triumphantly today, but who knew that he would end up like this? This level of humiliation was almost equivalent to ceding land as compensation! The Yi family¡¯s atmosphere was oppressive and solemn. Everyone¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. Today, he had completely embarrassed the entire Yi family! Soon, Jun Jiuqing finished writing and flicked his wrist. The piece of paper quickly flew toward her. Chu Liuyue caught it and took a closer look. This time, Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t have any crooked thoughts. He wrote everything according to what she said. Chu Liuyue nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Can you let him go now?¡± Jun Jiuqing asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. There¡¯s still one last step.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled calmly. ¡°There¡¯s no signature on such a piece of paper. It¡¯s useless.¡± Jun Jiuqing frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already written my name on it.¡± I¡¯m the young master of the Yi family. Moreover, with Yi Wentao¡¯s current state, he will probably give up his position as the family head soon. At that time, I will take over the entire Yi family. It¡¯s the same for me to be in charge. However, that wasn¡¯t all Chu Liuyue wanted. ¡°Whoever provoked today¡¯s matter will be responsible.¡± As she spoke, she suddenly raised her hand. Next to her, something flew over¡ªit was a severed arm! Everyone present could tell that it was Yi Wentao¡¯s arm! Just as everyone was shocked and confused, not knowing what she was up to, a light and shiny dagger suddenly appeared in her hand. Immediately after, she flicked her wrist, and the dagger quickly flew out! A finger was silently chopped off and flew toward her! She received the broken finger and left a bright red fingerprint on the paper! Then, she threw the broken finger to the side and took out a white handkerchief to wipe her hand carefully before burning it. The entire process was smooth and natural! It was as if it wasn¡¯t a person¡¯s arm or finger but an unrelated object! Finally, she shook the ¡®contract¡¯ and carefully examined it before nodding in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± As she spoke, she took a step back and bent over with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Chapter 1974 - 1974 Famous! 1974 Famous! Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were sincere. If it weren¡¯t for Yi Wentao, she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to get so many treasures. This was a sure-win deal. Although it was a little troublesome, but¡­ For her and the entire Peach Blossom Dock, the final outcome was extremely good. Yi Wentao glared venomously at her as if he wanted to skin her alive! He had heard it with his own ears and seen it with his own eyes. He had lost so many items and had even been humiliated. He had also lost all his face! How could he stand this? However, Chu Liuyue had already retreated. ¡°Leave the Yuan instrument behind. You can take the person away.¡± These words were directed at the Yi family. Jun Jiuqing said, ¡°Thirty supreme Yuan instruments is too much. We can¡¯t gather them for the time being. When we return, we¡¯ll gather them and send them over as soon as possible.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped in her tracks and smiled. ¡°In that case¡­ Three days later, bring the things and take him away.¡± Jun Jiuqing frowned slightly, but he knew Chu Liuyue too well. Since she had already said this, it was useless for others to say anything. He glanced at Yi Wentao. ¡°Alright. As long as you ensure the family head¡¯s safety within these three days, we will naturally hand over everything!¡± At this time, they no longer had the qualifications to negotiate. They could only agree to whatever the other party said. Jun Jiuqing knew this very well, so he didn¡¯t try to put up any unnecessary struggles. Instead, he simply agreed. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± With that, she looked at Cen Yi. ¡°Cen Yi, bring the Yi family head back and rest well. I believe the Yi family head is very tired after today¡¯s battle.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s footsteps seemed light and slow, but he was actually extremely fast. He arrived beside Chu Liuyue in a short while and answered respectfully, ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he personally stepped forward. When he saw Cen Yi¡¯s boots and the corner of his clothes gently swaying, Yi Wentao¡¯s emotions surged. His blood rushed to his heart, and he finally fainted completely. Cen Yi¡¯s expression was still very calm. He went over and brought Yi Wentao back into the barrier. The Yi family was naturally filled with unwillingness and anger, but they had no choice but to swallow all their emotions. Jun Jiuqing looked deeply at Chu Liuyue before turning to leave. Seeing him leave, the rest of the Yi family followed. Why would they stay here to be humiliated? Yi Wenzhuo gritted his teeth in hatred. I refuse to accept that things will turn out like this. Nan Suhuai glanced at him and snorted. ¡°Stop looking, Yi Wenzhuo. You can¡¯t change anything.¡± The veins on Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s forehead throbbed violently. He then waved his sleeves fiercely and turned to leave! ¡°Also¡ª¡± Nan Suhuai suddenly raised his voice. Yi Wenzhuo instinctively stopped in his tracks. ¡°Betraying Ling Xiao Academy will be the worst decision you¡¯ve ever made in your life!¡± Nan Suhuai¡¯s words fell into Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s ears clearly! Yi Wenzhuo¡¯s heart suddenly beat violently, as if it was tightly pressed by something! He then closed his eyes and left! ¡­ The Yi family left just like that. They were very fast. It was unknown if they wanted to go back and prepare 30 supreme Yuan instruments as soon as possible to save Yi Wentao, or if they wanted to leave this place that had humiliated them. The remaining Nan family members were embarrassed. Originally, they had come here to take revenge. However, not only had they failed now, but they had also implicated the family head, Nan Yifan. Judging from Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude, she was clearly unwilling to let him go. In the beginning, many people in the Nan family still hoped to join forces with the Yi family to turn the tables. In the end, even the Yi family suffered heavy losses. The Yi family couldn¡¯t even care about themselves, so they naturally ignored them. If they continued to fight head-on¡­ How could they be a match for so many legendary warriors? Hence, the Nan family was in a dilemma. They could neither leave nor stay. After the Yi family left, Chu Liuyue turned her attention back to the Nan family. Unlike how she treated the Yi family, her attitude had changed quite a bit. Her gaze slowly swept across these people before she slowly said, ¡°Most of you are actually deceived by Nan Yifan, which is why you misunderstood my Peach Blossom Dock. If you want to leave now, you can leave directly. If you don¡¯t want to leave, if you want to avenge Nan Yifan and the others¡­ my Peach Blossom Dock will accept it.¡± She held up three fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. Those who want to leave will leave, and those who want to stay will stay. Once you make a decision, you can¡¯t change it anymore. As for how you should choose, please consider it yourself.¡± With that, she began to count down. ¡°One.¡± The Nan family looked at each other. Chu Liuyue made it very clear that the choice of life or death was in their hands. However, this decision was indeed not easy to make¡­ ¡°Two.¡± Some of the Nan family members began to quietly retreat. Nan Yifan is about to die, and it¡¯s very likely that he really did what Chu Liuyue said! Then, what¡¯s the point of them staying for him? Once one person chose to leave, they would immediately lead the others to make the same choice. Soon, most of the Nan family chose to leave! Only Nan Hetian was left standing there alone. When he realized this, his expression changed. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°The Nan family¡¯s thousand-year legacy can¡¯t be broken here!¡± Before Nan Hetian could finish speaking, someone immediately gave such an answer. Nan Hetian¡¯s face turned pale. He knew that they were going to give up on Nan Yifan completely; they planned to choose a new family head after returning! ¡°Three!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s last words were spoken. She looked at Nan Hetian and cocked her head. ¡°Elder Nan Hetian is really loyal and touching. Then¡­ please?¡± ¡­ This battle at Peach Blossom Dock caused a huge commotion. In a short period of time, it quickly spread throughout the entire God Residence Realm! She fought Yi Wentao, a legendary warrior, and won! This shocking battle made her famous again! Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Yue Manor also jumped out of the countless aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm and became the most dazzling existence! Chapter 1975 - 1975 Staying in Yue Manor 1975 Staying in Yue Manor The God Residence Realm was vast, and there were many cultivators. Various gangs and clans appeared almost continuously. Many people wanted to have a foothold here. However, most of them were washed away by the waves in the end, leaving only sighs. This was because it was too difficult. The overall structure of the God Residence Realm had always been relatively stable. Those third-rate or even second-rate aristocratic families might be wiped out or replaced. However, first-rate aristocratic families had deep foundations, and experts were as common as clouds. They were very difficult to shake. Almost no one dared to fantasize about breaking this situation. However, the appearance of Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Yue Manor had finally changed the situation! Who was Yi Wentao? Ordinary people might not know very well. However, those truly noble and powerful clans and aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm knew it clearly! Even Yi Wentao was defeated by Chu Liuyue¡­ Her strength was unimaginable! Not to mention that she was fighting above her level! Of course, many people didn¡¯t believe this. They would rather admit that Chu Liuyue was hiding her true cultivation level. But no matter what, it was really shocking that she had defeated Yi Wentao at such a young age. This was undeniable. Similarly, Yi Wentao¡¯s crushing defeat had also given those who had been tempted to attack Peach Blossom Dock a wake-up call. The Yi family was already in such a state, let alone others. It didn¡¯t matter how Chu Liuyue did it, it was already the truth! It was obvious that she was making an example out of him. Besides, she had succeeded. When countless people heard this news, they dispelled their thoughts about Peach Blossom Dock. More and more people started to be curious and gradually let go of the restrictions regarding her identity as the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort. They examined and thought about her as an independent existence. Just what kind of heaven-defying existence was she? There had been many rumors about her in the God Residence Realm since a long time ago. Everyone was surprised, shocked, and curious¡­ Every time they thought that they had reached her limit, she would always do something even crazier and more shocking to announce to everyone: She was stronger than they had expected! It was only now that she finally occupied Peach Blossom Dock and established Yue Manor. She officially entered the God Residence Realm in an independent and domineering manner! ¡­ Rumors spread in the outside world, but Peach Blossom Dock didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all. After the battle ended, the city was filled with joy. Compared to the shock in Shangguan Jing and the others¡¯ hearts, the people in the city didn¡¯t seem to be surprised by this outcome and celebrated happily. In fact, when they returned to Yue Manor, the celebratory feast was already prepared. After experiencing the shocking change at Peach Blossom Dock, Chu Liuyue had already become a god-like figure in everyone¡¯s eyes. It was as if no matter what shocking things she did, it was only right. Shangguan Jing and the rest followed her all the way back to Yue Manor before they realized that Peach Blossom Dock was indeed hers. The people here called her ¡®Master Yue¡¯ with extreme reverence and admiration. One had to know that Peach Blossom Dock had always been filled with all sorts of people, including some troublesome fellows. But in front of her, these people were all very obedient. Everyone could tell that she had absolute authority here! As long as she gave the order, these people would definitely fight without hesitation! Such cohesion¡­ could be said to be astonishing! Such questions lingered in the minds of Shangguan Jing, Zhao Song, and the others. It wasn¡¯t until they heard about what had happened at Peach Blossom Dock that they finally understood. At the same time, they were even more shocked. This entire process was actually very dangerous. If there were any problems in between, Chu Liuyue might have already lost her life! Fortunately, everything was in the past. The current Chu Liuyue was the faith of everyone in Peach Blossom Dock! Even though this place had just begun to be integrated, its future combat power might not be inferior to those first-rate aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm! ¡­ Those who should be locked up were locked up, and those who should be killed were killed. Chu Liuyue passed all these matters to Cen Yi. She had always been at ease when he did things. This celebratory feast lasted until nighttime. San San even specially ordered people to prepare grand fireworks to celebrate. Originally, she didn¡¯t mind, but San San had always liked these things. Today, he had vented his anger, and it could be considered a complete victory, so she simply let him be. In the black night sky, dazzling fireworks bloomed like a painting. Chu Liuyue stood in the courtyard and looked up. In the depths of those black eyes, there was a brilliant light that shone brightly. She exhaled softly, her eyes flashing. In reality, even she didn¡¯t expect things to progress so smoothly. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± A familiar voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around and smiled. ¡°Ancestor? Why are you here too?¡± The front yard was lively. After staying for a while, she said that she would come here for some fresh air. She didn¡¯t expect her ancestor to come too. Shangguan Jing looked at her with emotion and relief. ¡°I¡¯m here because I have something to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. Ancestor rarely shows such a cautious and serious look to me. It¡¯s as if¡­ he has made up his mind. She also straightened her shoulders and said seriously, ¡°If there¡¯s anything, just tell me.¡± Shangguan Jing coughed. ¡°This¡­ Actually, it¡¯s neither big nor small. Even¡­ Zhao Song and the others wish to stay in Yue Manor.¡± Stay in Yue Manor, not Peach Blossom Dock. Chapter 1976 - 1976 Replace 1976 Replace The distance between the two parties was huge. Strangeness flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm eyes. ¡°Stay in Yue Manor? That¡¯s¡­ what Senior Zhao Song and the rest want?¡± Shangguan Yue nodded. He knew that Chu Liuyue was intelligent, so he said it directly. ¡°Originally, they planned on having Zhao Song be the representative to come and talk to you. However, he felt that it was somewhat sudden, so he told me to relay the message.¡± After all, this request was rather shocking. Chu Liuyue thought for a while Seeing her in deep thought, Shangguan Jing immediately said, ¡°Just think about this yourself. You don¡¯t have to consider others. If you think it¡¯s inconvenient, I¡¯ll reject them¡ª¡± ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t be anxious.¡± Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh and hurriedly stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s not that I find it inconvenient; I just find it surprising. Besides, staying at Yue Manor also means¡­¡± It meant that those people would follow her in the future! Those people were all legendary warriors! ¡°Senior Zhao Song and the rest are top warriors. I¡¯m overjoyed that they have such a thought, and that¡¯s also why I need to consider this properly¡­¡± Shangguan Jing could not help but laugh. ¡°Girlie, it¡¯s fine if other people say it, but it¡¯s not suitable for you to do so! Don¡¯t forget that even Yi Wentao has lost to you. Now, he¡¯s still being locked up in the basement cell of Yue Manor!¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s mainly because I had Tuan Zi and Zi Chen¡¯s help. If not, it would¡¯ve been impossible for me to win that match.¡± Shangguan Jing watched her, and her eyes sparkled righteously. He could tell that she did think so. Shangguan Jing felt comforted and proud. Girlie¡¯s temperament has always been the best. Not to mention that she is a true god warrior, even a legendary warrior beating Yi Wentao is a matter worth boasting about. But after this child won, she wasn¡¯t arrogant or proud. This is very rare. This also made him even more confident. Girlie¡¯s future is bright! ¡°But they¡¯re your legendary fiends, not anybody else¡¯s, so you still won this match.¡± Shangguan Jing stroked his beard. ¡°Actually, Zhao Song and the rest are all itinerant cultivators, and only a few of them come from aristocratic families. However, they¡¯re just small households in the God Residence Realm that can almost be neglected.¡± If not, he really could not ask them for help. Previously, Chu Liuyue sent him information saying that she and Rong Xiu met with some trouble at Peach Blossom Dock, and she hoped that he could get some people to strengthen their team. As a supreme Armory Refinement Master that was under an unlimited amount of limelight, he definitely had good connections and resources. Logically speaking, this matter was not difficult. But the point was¡ª The ¡®trouble¡¯ Chu Liuyue mentioned was actually to face the attack from both the Yi family and the Nan family! In the entire God Residence Realm, those who could be legendary warriors¡­ Everyone knew these two families¡¯ names. Hence, Shangguan Jing had spent a lot of effort on this. Only Zhao Song and the others that were on better terms with him and had no considerations would choose to follow him over. They knew very clearly that no matter if they dealt hands, it meant that they were standing opposite the Nan family and Yi family as long as they appeared. Normal people really did not dare to offend others like this. After all, before they came, nobody knew such a thing would happen, right? ¡°All in all, these people won¡¯t have any conflict of interest with you, and they¡¯re completely trustable. Besides, it¡¯s also beneficial for you if they stay in Yue Manor.¡± Chu Liuyue had just started collecting the Peach Blossom Dock, and Yue Manor was just built, so everything was still in the preliminary stage. Although Chu Liuyue beat Yi Wentao, if she wanted to let Yue Manor strengthen in Peach Blossom Dock, it wasn¡¯t enough to depend on herself alone. Any strong clan needed a number of strong warriors to support it. The appearance of Zhao Song and the others undoubtedly provided the best solution to this problem. In the entire God Residence Realm, which family could have so many legendary warriors overnight? Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and nodded lightly. ¡°Then¡­ help me thank Senior Zhao Song and the rest. I¡¯ll visit them one by one tomorrow.¡± This matter was important, so it would naturally be best if she went personally. Shangguan Jing knew that she was very meticulous and relaxed. He laughed. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ Some lost, and some won in fights. Some were elated, while others were miserable. Compared to the celebrations at Peach Blossom Dock, no one could sleep in the distant Nan family and Yi family. On the Nan family side, as Nan Yifan had become handicapped and his children had died, his branch had completely lost all hope. The remaining people were all eyeing the position of family head. Everyone was tempted, and there were ripples in the open and secretly. Nobody else cared about Nan Yifan¡¯s condition. The entire Nan family descended into a chaotic battle. ¡­ On the other hand, the Yi family was not in a better situation. It was midnight, the darkest point of the day before the break of dawn. Jun Jiuqing sat in the higher position in the living room, while the remaining people split into two sides. The entire room¡¯s atmosphere was tense and icy cold. Every inch of air seemed to be frozen, and it seemed like even breathing was a mistake. The pin-drop silence was chilling. Jun Jiuqing looked up and surveyed the surroundings. Everyone rushed back to the Yi family and immediately came here. But after they sat down, nobody talked for a long time. Actually, they could not be blamed for this. The people in the Yi family were used to being high and mighty. Since when had they suffered such humiliation? They were really stunned. Some people hadn¡¯t even recovered their senses from the gigantic setback even now. However, those people did not include Jun Jiuqing. Knock, knock. He knocked against the table. The crisp sound shocked quite a few people. The crowd gradually looked over. Jun Jiuqing carefully said, ¡°The Yi family suffered great losses in the Peach Blossom Dock battle. I understand everyone¡¯s anger and sorrow, but the most important thing now is to quickly solve the trouble before us and leave the dangerous situation.¡± This sentence attained the crowd¡¯s approval. ¡°Then, Young Master¡­ What should we do now? Are we really going to give that Shangguan Yue 30 supreme Yuan instruments?¡± someone asked. This was heartbreaking, no matter how one thought about it. Jun Jiuqing looked up lightly at that person. ¡°If not, are we going to let the family head be detained by them and suffer humiliation, causing the entire Yi family to not be able to look up?¡± His tone was very light but had a hint of coldness. That person¡¯s face flashed white and green, and he did not speak. The room fell silent again. Actually, at this point, they knew very clearly that the arrow on the bow had to be shot. Jun Jiuqing raised his chin slightly. ¡°From today onward, I¡¯m the Yi family head.¡± Chapter 1977 - 1977 Same Person 1977 Same Person ¡°From now onward, I will be fully responsible for everything in the Yi family!¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s two sentences caused the crowd to break into uproar! Everyone looked at each other with shocked expressions. Jun Jiuqing wants to inherit the position at this moment? Isn¡¯t this too sudden? ¡°Um¡­ Young Master, the inheritance of the family head position has always needed the family head to personally pass it down and hold a grand ceremony. Now that Master is still trapped at Peach Blossom Dock¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a special time, so we have to deal with it in a special way.¡± Jun Jiuqing calmly interrupted the other party, not allowing them to question him. ¡°Now that the Yi family is in danger, the most important thing is to use all our resources to save the family head.¡± Another person could not help but say, ¡°But you¡¯re already the young master now. When Master is not around, your power is the same as his¡­¡± Jun Jiuqing suddenly laughed. ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Such a retort instantly caused that person to keep quiet. The remaining crowd gradually fell silent. The young master and master had different statuses, so they naturally held different amount of power. Even though Jun Jiuqing was the young master, he had no right to handle many matters and people in the Yi family. Only by being the family head could he truly control the entire Yi family! However, the Yi family had quite a few people who would not be willing to accept this. Even if Jun Jiuqing was the young master that Yi Wentao personally chose, his last name was still Jun! Jun Jiuqing¡­ How could such a person become the Yi family head? Previously, the crowd didn¡¯t object to it publicly, mainly because it was someone Yi Wentao had chosen. Originally, they thought to make do with it first, and when the appropriate time came, they would think of a way to pull Jun Jiuqing down. After all, there were outstanding ones amongst the younger generation of the Yi family. Why must they accept a Jun Jiuqing that came from outside? Nobody expected that before this day came, Yi Wentao got into trouble first! Jun Jiuqing was very harsh and directly suggested ascending the position at this point! ¡°I believe I don¡¯t have to say it, and everyone already knows what kind of situation the Yi family is in now.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s voice was as calm as usual, but it had a powerful suppression that did not allow for questioning. ¡°I know very well why everyone disagrees with this, but at this point, our clan¡¯s interest is the most important! If anyone wants to abandon the family head and the thousands of lives in the Yi family because of their own selfishness and greed, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± With such an accusation, quite a few people¡¯s faces flushed white, and they were hesitant with their words. Listen to what he¡¯s saying! Disagreeing with his suggestion seems like we are betraying the clan! Yet, we can¡¯t find a reason to argue against it Jun Jiuqing scanned the crowd and finally curled his lips up slightly. ¡°Very good. Since everyone agrees, then¡­ From today onward, I¡¯m the Yi family¡¯s new master. Two days later, I¡¯ll personally go to Peach Blossom Dock!¡± ¡­ Three days passed in a flash. Chu Liuyue woke up early in the morning. A thought popped up in her mind, and she summoned the Great Azure Sun Axe. A gigantic black axe quietly floated in mid-air. At this moment, it was still covered in a thin layer of frost. This was the force Zi Chen left behind to purposely suppress the Great Azure Sun Axe. As Chu Liuyue had not the time to dissolve the connection between this Great Azure Sun Axe and Yi Wentao, she was worried that something might go wrong. Thus, she swiftly continued to use this force to suppress it. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Rong Xiu, who finished his morning exercise, walked in and saw his spouse staring at the Great Azure Sun Axe. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and looked at him. ¡°Nothing much. I just wanted to see what kind of treasures these top ten holy weapons are.¡± It was already very amazing for an ordinary aristocratic family to have one such holy weapon, yet she had quite a few in her hands. Even she felt that it was incredulous. Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up as he walked over and lowered to gently peck her lips. ¡°What do you think?¡± He smiled and had a hint of relaxed carefreeness to it. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something. Rong Xiu noticed it and looked at her calmly. ¡°Hm?¡± His voice was as calm and melodious as usual. At this point, he was very near, and the warm breath landed on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face with the usual cold fragrance. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face slightly blushed as she coughed and retracted her thoughts. ¡°I think there seems to be a problem here. Take a look at it.¡± As she spoke, she summoned the Flying Cloud Painting and the Heavenly Square Cauldron. The three holy weapons floated in a row, revealing a faint suppression. Rong Xiu looked at them, ¡°You think.. there¡¯s something wrong with these items?¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before nodding lightly. ¡°¡­These three holy weapons seem to¡­¡± She paused for a moment and furrowed her brows slightly, as if she were thinking of an appropriate way to say this. ¡°I think their auras are rather similar.¡± She lightened her voice and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡­ The room was momentarily silent. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted dangerously. ¡°You¡¯re also an Armory Refinement Master. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t tell this.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s standard as an Armory Refinement Master had always been above hers. If she could notice it, he definitely could as well. Rong Xiu could not help but laugh and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. These three holy weapons do have some similarities in certain aspects.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. ¡°Do you know why?¡± She just felt that her husband seemed to know things that ordinary people did not. Hence, this time, she also felt that he should know something. As expected, Rong Xiu nodded. He suddenly tilted his head and looked at Chu Liuyue, his pair of elegant and peerless eyes revealing faint smiling intent. ¡°They are produced by the same Armory Refinement Master, so their aura is naturally similar.¡± At first, Chu Liuyue did not understand the meaning behind this. After a while, she suddenly gasped. ¡°You mean that these three items¡­ are produced by the same Armory Refinement Master?!¡± Rong Xiu paused for a while. ¡°It should be that¡­ five of the ten holy weapons were produced by the same person.¡± Chapter 1978 - 1978 Tang Ke and Mr. Su 1978 Tang Ke and Mr. Su Chu Liuyue was first shocked, then subconsciously asked, ¡°Who?¡± Rong Xiu pondered for a moment before explaining, ¡°It¡¯s said that he was an Armory Refinement Master from 10,000 years ago. He was extremely talented and powerful. The world didn¡¯t know his exact name and only addressed him as ¡®Mr. Su.¡¯ After leaving behind these five holy weapons, he disappeared without a trace.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something and continued asking, ¡°What about the remaining five? Could it be¡ª¡± Rong Xiu smiled and glanced at her. ¡°That¡¯s right. The remaining five were refined by another person. This person is famous; he was the top Armory Refinement Master in the God Residence Realm at that time: Tang Ke.¡± Chu Liuyue had heard of this name before. In other words, almost all Armory Refinement Masters knew of this person. Tang Ke came from an ordinary clan, yet he possessed extremely outstanding natural talent in Yuan instrument refinement. After he became famous, the entire family became one of the most powerful clans because of him. Unfortunately, an accident happened when he was refining weapons one day. After his death, the Tang family quickly fell and eventually perished. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know that half of the top ten holy weapons were made by Tang Ke! ¡°How do you¡­ know everything?¡± Muttering, Chu Liuyue asked the question in her heart. Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°This matter is recorded in the ¡®Metaphysics.¡¯ Almost every Armory Refinement Master know about it. You actually only know about it now?¡± In the God Residence Realm, ¡®Metaphysics¡¯ was considered an entry-level book for Armory Refinement Masters. It recorded some very basic information about refiners, as well as the deeds of many powerful refiners. Any cultivator who wanted to become a refiner would study it carefully. However, Chu Liuyue was an exception. She had never read this book before because¡­ she only started to come into contact with Armory Refinement Masters after she went to Ling Xiao Academy. At that time, Rong Xiu was the one who brought her into the profession. She was very talented and understood everything extremely quickly, so she directly skipped this segment. As a result, she already had three holy weapons in her hands but didn¡¯t even know their origins. Chu Liuyue touched her nose awkwardly. ¡°Cough, you didn¡¯t say that back then¡­¡± At that time, Rong Xiu had helped her pick out many relevant books, most of which were rather profound. She was busy studying those things all day, so she didn¡¯t care so much. Rong Xiu raised his hand, and his phoenix eyes were filled with a gentle smile. ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Chu Liuyue glared at him. Her eyes were moving, and there was a rare charm to them. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart was moved when he saw her. He wrapped his long arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°¡­Actually, the top ten holy weapons are indeed very interesting.¡± ¡°Back then, Tang Ke was already famous and was the most prestigious Armory Refinement Master in the entire God Residence Realm. Countless cultivators came to visit and tried their best to ask him for help in refining a suitable Yuan instrument. However, Tang Ke¡¯s temper was very strange, and he had extremely high requirements. Very few people could ask him to help.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. The status of an Armory Refinement Master was already extremely high, not to mention that he was one of the best. It was normal for such a person to be arrogant. ¡°Later, Mr. Su suddenly appeared out of nowhere and personally issued a challenge to Tang Ke, requesting a competition to determine the winner.¡± Rong Xiu held her slender and fair fingers and played with them. ¡°Tang Ke originally didn¡¯t want to pay attention to this nameless junior, but probably because no one had challenged him for too long, he chose to go to the appointment in the end. The two of them competed for a full three years.¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. ¡°Three years? Then, those ten holy weapons¡­¡± Rong Xiu laughed and nodded. ¡°The ten holy weapons were all refined in those three years.¡± Chu Liuyue gasped. In three years, the two of them had each refined five holy weapons! How much patience and energy would that take? Holy weapons are of a higher level than supreme Yuan instruments. They are extremely precious and difficult to refine! Even someone as powerful as Ancestor can only refine supreme Yuan instruments. Ancestor once said that he hadn¡¯t even touched the threshold of a holy weapon. As for Tang Ke and Mr. Su, not only had they refined a holy weapon, but they had also refined more than one! ¡°In this battle, the two of them fought to a draw. Mr. Su also became famous from then on, but this person was very mysterious. Almost no one knew his name and appearance. Not long after, he disappeared. Half a year later, Tang Ke passed away.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. From the sound of it, the ending of these two people is a little inexplicable¡­ ¡°After Tang Ke¡¯s death, the Tang family was in chaos. Everyone was eyeing them covetously and attacked them together. The Tang family quickly declined, but the key is¡­ the holy weapons that everyone found in the Tang family weren¡¯t five but¡­ ten!¡± Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. ¡°Mr. Su¡¯s five pieces are also¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The ten holy weapons refined by the two of them were actually brought back by Tang Ke; it¡¯s just that no one knew about this matter. After the Tang family fell, it was only known to the world. And in order to fight for those ten holy weapons, each family fought again. After a chaotic battle, some of the holy weapons were forcefully snatched and taken for themselves, and some were lost. From then on, their whereabouts became unknown.¡± Since then, nobody had succeeded in refining new holy weapons. Hence, the ten of them were called the top ten holy weapons. ¡°In that case, the so-called ranking was also decided by the later generations themselves?¡± Rong Xiu smiled and nodded. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s no ranking to begin with. Since they¡¯re all holy weapons, there¡¯s naturally not much difference. It¡¯s just that they specialize in different things. Moreover, if an item of this level falls into the hands of different people, it will unleash a different amount of power. Isn¡¯t that the case with your Flying Cloud Painting?¡± The Nan family had carefully treasured the Flying Cloud Painting for so many years, but they had never really understood it. On the other hand, the moment Chu Liuyue obtained it, she became the new owner of the Flying Cloud Painting. It wasn¡¯t that the Flying Cloud Painting didn¡¯t have enough combat power but that the people from the Nan family didn¡¯t notice it. Who knew if the other holy weapons were in the same situation? Chu Liuyue looked at the three holy weapons in front of her, and her eyes narrowed. ¡°Then, these three items¡­¡± ¡°These three items were all made by Mr. Su,¡± Rong Xiu said. Although no one had seen with their own eyes how Tang Ke and Mr. Su competed back then, the world still knew who made those holy weapons. Chu Liuyue nodded thoughtfully. No wonder¡­ No wonder I felt that the aura on them was somewhat similar. So they really came from the same source. Knock, knock. Just as she was deep in thought, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, someone from the Yi family is here.¡± This was Yan Qing¡¯s voice. Chu Liuyue stood up, put away the three holy weapons, and walked over. Rong Xiu followed her. ¡°Who is it?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Yan Qing¡¯s expression changed slightly as he lowered his head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ the head of the Yi family, Jun Jiuqing!¡± Chapter 1979 - 1979 Deal 1979 Deal The head of the Yi family. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and chewed on the words with interest. ¡°That was fast.¡± She had expected that Jun Jiuqing wouldn¡¯t sit and wait for death after he returned, but she didn¡¯t expect him to react so quickly. In just three days, he had changed from the young master to family head. His identity was actually a little sensitive in the Yi family, and she could tell that the Yi family wasn¡¯t completely respectful and convinced of him. Under such circumstances, he must¡¯ve used a certain method to be able to take over the position of family head so quickly. Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes dangerously and smiled faintly. ¡°Yi Wentao was trapped in Peach Blossom Dock, and his arms were cut off. He¡¯s no different from a cripple. In addition, he lost miserably in the battle with you and lost all his face. Even if he can return to the Yi family, he can¡¯t be the family head anymore.¡± ¡°The Yi family is without a leader, so it¡¯s a good time to take over. As the young master, Jun Jiuqing has the advantage. Moreover, he has Yi Wenzhuo as his backer. It¡¯s not difficult to win this round.¡± Chu Liuyue turned to look at him and blinked. ¡°Hubby.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Do you smell vinegar?¡± She wrinkled her nose and fanned herself. ¡°Where did this come from¡­ Hey!¡± Before she could finish speaking, Rong Xiu had already grabbed her waist. ¡°I don¡¯t mind carrying you.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. It looked like he really intended on carrying Chu Liuyue away if she continued. Chu Liuyue immediately shut her mouth obediently, curled her lips, and made a zipping motion with her mouth. According to her understanding of Rong Xiu, he could really do this. He nodded in satisfaction, pulled her hand down, and bent down to kiss her pouting red lips. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go with my wife.¡± ¡­ When they arrived at the city gate again, Jun Jiuqing was already waiting outside the barrier. Two elders followed behind him. Compared to the previous battle, they were much weaker in aura. This was how it should be; they were the losing side. Today, they had brought something to redeem themselves, so they were naturally inferior in terms of aura. The two elders behind him had complicated feelings when they saw that the venue had been cleaned up. If they hadn¡¯t experienced it personally, no one would¡¯ve thought that an intense battle had erupted here three days ago. The Yi family was also humiliated here! At the thought of what they were here for today, the two of them felt even more awkward. The Yi family was used to being high and mighty. Who could withstand lowering their heads like this? However, Jun Jiuqing stood there with an unperturbed expression. But when he saw Rong Xiu and her holding hands and walking toward him, a ripple flashed across his eyes before disappearing in an instant. Chu Liuyue scrutinized him from head to toe. She didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but she felt that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s aura seemed to be stronger than before. ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since we last met. How should I address you?¡± The current Jun Jiuqing was the head of the Yi family, but his surname was Jun! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°It¡¯s just a surname; it¡¯s not important. Master Yue, just call me Master Yi.¡± He composed himself and continued, ¡°Today, I¡¯m here to fulfill my promise. The 30 supreme Yuan instruments are all here.¡± As he spoke, he took off the Cosmic Ring on his finger and threw it over. Rong Xiu raised his chin. ¡°Yan Qing.¡± Yan Qing immediately went forward and caught the storage ring. The Cosmic Ring had no owner, so Yan Qing easily checked everything inside. After confirming that there were no problems, he handed it over with both hands. ¡°Princess Consort, there are 30 items. No more, no less.¡± Chu Liuyue took the Cosmic Ring and quickly checked it before nodding in satisfaction. ¡°Master Yi¡ªoh no, the previous family head of the Yi family, please come over.¡± Chapter 1980 - 1980 She Knows 1980 She Knows Yi Wentao had been locked in the dungeon for the past three days. He was a legendary warrior after all, so his recovery ability wasn¡¯t bad. Although both his arms were gone, he was still alive. Of course, this was also Chu Liuyue¡¯s idea. She also planned to sell Yi Wentao for a good price, so she naturally had to take good care of him. Therefore, during this period of time, not only was Yi Wentao deliberately not abused, but he was also treated quite well. But now, Yi Wentao only felt that this was a mockery and humiliation to him. Three days felt like a long time to him. When he was brought out and saw Chu Liuyue and Jun Jiuqing, the anger and resentment in his heart reached its peak. Chu Liuyue shook the Cosmic Ring and said with a smile, ¡°Yi Wentao, the Yi family treats you with sincerity. They promised 30 items, and indeed, not a single one is missing. Moreover, they¡¯re all high-grade. If I were to think of a way to raise them myself, I don¡¯t know how much time and effort it would take. Thank you!¡± Yi Wentao was filled with hatred, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He only gazed deeply at her before closing his eyes. After a few days, he looked much more haggard. His face was still mottled with blood, and he looked very disheveled. Anyone who saw this would find it hard to believe that this was the once high-spirited head of the Yi family! Chu Liuyue raised her chin slightly, and the two people behind Yi Wentao were about to escort him over. ¡°I know how to walk!¡± Yi Wentao finally spoke and opened his eyes, deep resentment flashing across his eyes. The two people looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue nodded nonchalantly and smiled. ¡°If he wants to leave, let him. After all, he¡¯s the previous head of the Yi family. We have to give him some face.¡± Yi Wentao had just taken a step forward when he suddenly stopped and looked at Chu Liuyue in disbelief! The previous family head? What is the meaning of this?! The next moment, he seemed to have realized something. He turned his neck stiffly and looked at Jun Jiuqing. Without asking, he knew what had happened! Jun Jiuqing actually took advantage of these few days to directly take over? Yes¡­ Of course, he would¡­ This was the best opportunity¡­ Yi Wentao couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. What else am I delusional about? Now that I have returned to the Yi family, it¡¯s impossible for me to be like before! And all of this¡­ was because of Chu Liuyue! ¡°Yi Wentao.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly spoke, his voice indifferent. ¡°I always thought that you were a smart person.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s face turned pale. Now, he finally understood why Rong Xiu hadn¡¯t made a move. The latter had long expected this day¡ªhe did it on purpose! Yi Wentao¡¯s chest shook. He spat out a mouthful of blood and almost fell to the ground. ¡°Master¡ª¡± Jun Jiuqing frowned. Yi Wentao laughed sarcastically. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not dead yet, so the people of the Yi Family will still address him as ¡®master.¡¯ However, calling me ¡°master¡± is completely different from before! He took a deep breath and forcefully swallowed the thick smell of blood between his teeth. Then, he supported himself and continued forward. The surroundings were silent. Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Yi Wentao, and they were all different. Yi Wentao felt a chill down his spine. However, he knew that the angrier and more resentful he was, the more he should calm down! Step by step, he slowly and firmly walked to the edge of the barrier. Ripples spread out on it, and an exit slowly appeared. Yi Wentao closed his eyes. Just a few days ago, he was still thinking about how to break through the barrier. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, he had actually fallen to such a state¡­ He waved away all the messy thoughts in his mind and finally walked out! The two elders standing behind Jun Jiuqing went forward immediately to support him, but Yi Wentao¡¯s gaze froze them in place. Even though he was now the previous head of the Yi family and was almost a cripple, he had been in this position for too long and had accumulated a lot of pressure. Even if he didn¡¯t speak, the pressure was still there. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes moved slightly, and his voice turned cold. ¡°What are you waiting for? Can¡¯t you see that Master is seriously injured and needs help?¡± Although he was young, his words were dignified without being angry. He had a cold pressure that made people subconsciously obey him. The two elders looked at each other and saw the dilemma in each other¡¯s eyes. Well¡­ Yi Wentao clearly means that he doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words at this time¡ªisn¡¯t it obvious that he is deliberately going against him? Yi Wentao didn¡¯t expect Jun Jiuqing to do this. He was shocked and angry. This kid! He is actually so scheming! On the surface, this seemed like a matter of words. But in reality, it was a power struggle between the old and new family heads! The atmosphere froze for a moment. The two elders finally made up their minds and walked toward Yi Wentao. This choice was actually very easy to make. One of them was a new family head with top talent and strength, and the other was an old family head who had already become a cripple and had even implicated the entire Yi family. Wasn¡¯t it obvious who would rule the Yi family in the future? Yi Wentao¡¯s heart turned cold. He was very clearly aware that if he didn¡¯t have any other trump cards, then he would probably be trampled beneath the feet of others forever in the future! Sometimes, falling from the clouds into the mire was only the price of making a wrong choice! ¡°Yi Wentao,¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly called out to him. Yi Wentao came back to his senses and turned around to take a look. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and her eyes curved into crescents. However, there was a bone-chilling coldness in her eyes. She said word by word, ¡°I hate people snatching my things the most.¡± He deserved everything that happened today! Flames seemed to be burning in Yi Wentao¡¯s chest and abdomen, almost driving him crazy! He forced himself to look away. Now that I have landed in this world, there is no need to continue listening to these words! ¡°Also¡ª¡± But Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care about his cold reaction and continued, ¡°What you want to snatch is clearly not Peach Blossom Dock, but you used this as an excuse to deceive the entire Yi family to foot the bill for you. Yi Wentao, you really have a good plan!¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes were filled with disbelief! She knows? She knows! Chapter 1981 - 1981 Entrance 1981 Entrance After Chu Liuyue said that, everyone looked at Yi Wentao. Especially the two elders standing beside him¡ªthey were even more confused and suspicious. Isn¡¯t Master here for Peach Blossom Dock? What else could he be aiming for? Could there be something here that is more precious than Peach Blossom Dock? But at this point, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a need for Chu Liuyue to lie¡­ The two elders looked at each other suspiciously. If Yi Wentao really sacrificed the entire Yi family for his own benefit, then¡­ Silence ensued. The surrounding space became suffocating. For a moment, Yi Wentao¡¯s heart was in a mess. He suppressed the urge to turn around and lowered his eyes to hide the emotions in them. After a moment, he said coldly and anxiously, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Then, he continued walking forward as if he didn¡¯t want to care about Chu Liuyue¡¯s ¡®nonsense.¡¯ Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if Master Yi knows or doesn¡¯t know. In any case, from today onward, you just have to understand that you shouldn¡¯t have any thoughts about something that doesn¡¯t belong to you. Otherwise, next time¡­ I can¡¯t guarantee that the Yi family won¡¯t pay a greater price for your life.¡± These two sentences and every word were like steel needles that stabbed into Yi Wentao¡¯s heart, almost turning him into a bloody mess! He walked stiffly to Jun Jiuqing¡¯s side. The two of them stared at each other. Jun Jiuqing narrowed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought. Yi Wentao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Does Jun Jiuqing believe what she said? Just as he was feeling bewildered, Jun Jiuqing laughed again. ¡°It¡¯s great that Master can return safely. Let¡¯s set off now.¡± As he spoke, his attitude was rather respectful and polite. It was as if the turbulent undercurrents earlier were all illusions. Yi Wentao¡¯s heart sank. Only then did he realize that Jun Jiuqing¡­ was more ambitious than he had expected! His methods were also stronger! The reason why he chose Jun Jiuqing as the young master was partly because nobody in the younger generation of the Yi family could compare to Jun Jiuqing. On the other hand, Jun Jiuqing had always been restrained and polite in front of him. Therefore, he was quite satisfied with Jun Jiuqing. In the end, he ignored the objections of the Yi family and sent him to the position of young master. Unexpectedly, that was all his disguise! Yi Wentao was sure that from the day Jun Jiuqing returned to the Yi family, or even earlier, he had already planned to take over! But now, it was too late to understand. Yi Wentao only hoped that Chu Liuyue¡¯s words didn¡¯t make Jun Jiuqing too suspicious. Even if the latter was suspicious, he shouldn¡¯t find out what was going on! He nodded with forced calm. The group didn¡¯t say anything else and quickly left. After a while, their figures completely disappeared from sight. ¡°It looks like you really hate Yi Wentao to the extreme.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly spoke with a smile on his lips. Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°How so?¡± Rong Xiu tapped her forehead lightly. ¡°You¡¯re asking the obvious.¡± When Yi Wentao left just now, she didn¡¯t need to say those things. However, she said it anyway. Why? It was obvious that she didn¡¯t want Yi Wentao to go back and live a good life. Sometimes, as long as a seed of doubt was planted, it could easily destroy everything. Yi Wentao was already in a difficult situation. If she added fuel to the fire, one could imagine what kind of situation he would face when he returned. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Hubby knows me well.¡± Yi Wentao was just too greedy; he wanted Peach Blossom Dock and the Celestial Shield. How could there be such a good thing in the world? He asked for what he¡¯s obtained today. ¡°This time, I can finally have some peace and quiet.¡± Chu Liuyue stretched lazily. During this period of time, all kinds of things had happened. She hadn¡¯t had a good rest for a long time. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were filled with love as he squeezed her hand, but he knew that these things had to be done. How could it be so easy to gain a place in the God Residence Realm? Moreover, if he interfered too much, it was inevitable that people would think that she had relied on him and the Sky-Cloud Empire to get to where she was today. In that case, it would undoubtedly erase her light. That wasn¡¯t what Rong Xiu wanted to see. Therefore, even though he wanted to attack countless times in the middle, he still restrained himself. ¡°Go back and rest well. Leave the rest to them.¡± ¡­ After this fierce battle ended, Peach Blossom Dock indeed regained its peace quickly. The crushing defeat of the Yi family and the Nan family made countless restless aristocratic families give up their thoughts. Chu Liuyue handed most of the aftermath to Cen Yi and San San to deal with. San San was very familiar with Peach Blossom Dock, and Cen Yi was even more resourceful. The two of them worked together and quickly dealt with everything. The Nan family people who had been detained before¡ªincluding Nan Yifan¡ªwere all executed. Nan Yifan¡¯s head was even hung outside the city gate for three days and three nights. This was a warning from Chu Liuyue to the entire God Residence Realm! Logically speaking, the Nan family should be very angry at such humiliation. But at this moment, they had no time to care about this because the entire Nan family had already fallen into intense internal strife. Coupled with the fact that they had lost several elders previously, the family¡¯s strength had been greatly reduced. The current situation was almost adding insult to injury, so how could they care about anything else? ¡­ Three days later. In the room, Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and swallowed a pill before closing her eyes. The force in her body kept surging out of her dantian and into her limbs and bones. After a long time, she opened her eyes and let out a long breath. ¡°I¡¯ve finally recovered completely¡­¡± she muttered to herself. In fact, the battle between her and Yi Wentao looked like nothing had happened, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Yi Wentao was a legendary warrior after all. Although she had Zi Chen and Tuan Zi¡¯s help, she still suffered some internal injuries when fighting him. Fortunately, they weren¡¯t serious. Coupled with the fact that she had already cultivated a Holy Body, her recovery ability was stronger than before. After a few days of recuperation, she had finally recovered fully. She stood up and planned to go out for a walk. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Cen Yi walking over. ¡°Master.¡± Cen Yi stepped forward and bowed. She looked at him in surprise. ¡°Cen Yi? Why are you here?¡± Estimating the time, he should be at the entrance now¡­ In the past, Peach Blossom Dock was filled with all kinds of people, and people could basically enter and exit at will. After the people from the Black Sword Sect arrived, they occupied and controlled the entrance. Ever since the entire Black Sword Sect was wiped out some time ago, she had transferred a group of people from Yue Manor to guard it. Now that Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s matters were gradually getting on track, she began to consider tightening her defenses at the entrance. Cen Yi had gone over to investigate in the morning. She didn¡¯t expect him to be back at noon. Chapter 1982 - 1982 Coincidence 1982 Coincidence Cen Yi bowed his head slightly. ¡°Master, the situation at the entrance is a little special. I¡¯m afraid I have to ask you to go over personally.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Special circumstances? Isn¡¯t it just an entrance? What¡¯s so special about it? But seeing Cen Yi¡¯s serious expression, she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The reason why she sent Cen Yi over was because the latter was proficient in various formations and mechanisms. She originally wanted to ask him to build a second layer of defense apart from the normal defense. Unexpectedly, after only a morning, he said that the situation was a little special¡­ She knew Cen Yi¡¯s personality the best. He must¡¯ve encountered some trouble. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡± ¡­ The two of them had just walked out of Yue Manor when they bumped into two people. The person in front was wearing a colorful dress, and her body was slender and exquisite. On her slender and fair wrist, jade pieces collided with each other. It was Xiao Ba. ¡°Master!¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Chu Liuyue and immediately went up to her. ¡°Master, I miss you so much!¡± Her voice was soft and charming. Her beautiful eyes blinked gently, as if water could drip from them. If Cen Yi wasn¡¯t standing at the side, she would really pounce on Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. It has clearly only been two or three days since we last met. Those who don¡¯t know better would think that we¡¯ve been separated for 800 years. Moreover, the reason why we couldn¡¯t meet is that Xiao Ba has been busy catching up on sleep during this period of time, and¡­ maintaining her looks. Previously, Xiao Ba and Shi Fang had been dealing with the herbs at Peach Blossom Dock day and night. They didn¡¯t sleep at all and were very tired. Although this wasn¡¯t a hardship for ordinary cultivators, it was different for Xiao Ba. She had always been pampered and especially valued her looks. She would break down if there were marks on her face from sleeping, let alone staying up late every day. It was said that she had been fiddling with a lot of things to apply on her face for the past few days and taking many baths. ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to come out today?¡± Chu Liuyue teased. Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯ve been through too much recently. I¡¯m already haggard¡­ Master, take a look! How do I look?¡± Chu Liuyue scrutinized her little face and nodded affirmatively. ¡°Extremely beautiful.¡± Xiao Ba was satisfied. Seeing that she was happy, Chu Liuyue then looked at the young man who came with her. ¡°This is¡­¡± She had noticed this person just now. He had an ordinary appearance and a thin figure, but he was inexplicably familiar. Xiao Ba smiled and blinked. ¡°Him? Doesn¡¯t Master recognize him?¡± Chu Liuyue took a closer look. ¡°¡­Lin Zhifei?¡± The young man suddenly raised his hand and removed a thin mask from his face. A familiar face appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. His eyes were clear, indifferent, and cold. There was also a faint light in his clear eyes. It was Lin Zhifei! ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Lin Zhifei stepped forward and cupped his fists. ¡°It¡¯s really you!¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. No wonder I found him familiar¡­ ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Of course, I brought him in!¡± Before Lin Zhifei could explain, Xiao Ba smiled and spoke first. ¡°Originally, I wanted to stay in the house for a few days and come out to take a walk. In the end, I heard that someone was coming from outside the entrance. I went over to take a look and saw that it was an acquaintance, so I brought him over!¡± One had to know that at this time, basically no one came to Peach Blossom Dock. Therefore, when someone suddenly came alone, the people in charge of guarding the entrance were naturally very vigilant. Lin Zhifei didn¡¯t hide his identity, but the entrance was heavily guarded. Thus, he naturally had to be checked carefully. In the end, Xiao Ba happened to go over, so she helped Lin Zhifei out and brought him over. Speaking of which, Lin Zhifei and Xiao Ba weren¡¯t considered acquaintances. However, the latter knew that Lin Zhifei was helping Chu Liuyue, so she naturally treated him as one of her own. As for that face¡­ Xiao Ba had identified him purely based on his aura. She had always been adept at such things, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal for her to recognize someone. Lin Zhifei bowed his head. ¡°I heard that the Princess Consort won a great victory at Peach Blossom Dock, so I came here specially.¡± What happened a while ago had spread throughout the entire God Residence Realm. Of course, Lin Zhifei had also heard about it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile was even deeper. ¡°I originally said that I would let you guys come over after everything here was settled. I didn¡¯t expect you to move so quickly.¡± In reality, Chu Liuyue had her own considerations. Lin Zhifei¡¯s identity was a little special. The Lin family was one of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s 28 divisions. Logically speaking, Lin Zhifei was considered a member of the Sky-Cloud Empire. Even though he had already started following her before, she was still the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s princess consort at that time. However, it was different now. Other than her status as the princess consort, she was also the master of Peach Blossom Dock. His coming to Peach Blossom Dock meant that he had completely sought refuge with Chu Liuyue. Even though Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu were already husband and wife, Peach Blossom Dock and the Sky-Cloud Empire were ultimately independent of each other. Lin Zhifei had obviously made a decision. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and then waved her hand. ¡°You came at the right time. Follow me to the entrance to take a look.¡± Lin Zhifei was also extremely talented in this aspect. Perhaps he could really be of use. Lin Zhifei complied respectfully. Chu Liuyue then looked at Xiao Ba. ¡°Xiao Ba, are you coming with us?¡± Xiao Ba wanted to refuse, but on second thought, there was nothing to do when she returned. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to recover her complexion and even put on exquisite makeup. How could she go back just like that? What a waste! Therefore, after thinking about it, Xiao Ba decided to go! When she smiled, her eyes were charming, but the temperament between her eyes was also a little pure and innocent. When the two different beauties were combined, they were exceptionally alluring. She was indeed a natural beauty. Xiao Ba slowly walked to Lin Zhifei¡¯s side. ¡°No matter what, I was the one who brought Young Master Lin in. Of course, it¡¯s best for me to accompany him.¡± Occasionally, when she was in a good mood, she liked to make such jokes to tease people. Chu Liuyue understood her the best, so she didn¡¯t mind and nodded. ¡°Okay. Then, we¡¯ll¡ªhuh? Yan Qing? When did you get back?¡± Chapter 1983 - 1983 Young Master Lin, Do I Look Good? 1983 Young Master Lin, Do I Look Good? Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze slightly shifted as she looked at Yan Qing, who was walking out from the corner of the street ahead. According to Rong Xiu, Yan Qing went to send those people from the Sky-Cloud Empire out of the city today. Some time ago, Rong Xiu had secretly dispatched many people from the Sky-Cloud Empire because he had expected the Nan family to make a move. Now that everything was settled, it was meaningless for them to stay here. Rong Xiu let them go back, leaving only a very small portion. Unexpectedly, they met coincidentally. Yan Qing walked over. Xiao Ba¡¯s back was facing him. When she heard his name, she couldn¡¯t help but freeze. Although she didn¡¯t turn around, she could still hear the approaching footsteps. She subconsciously clenched her fists. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Yan Qing stood still and bowed respectfully. He was standing beside Xiao Ba and Lin Zhifei, not far away. From the corner of her eyes, Xiao Ba could see a tall figure in black. For some reason, she was very nervous. ¡°I just sent the last group of people away,¡± Yan Qing said. Chu Liuyue nodded. Yan Qing had always been straightforward. ¡°Your Highness, this is¡­¡± Seeing that they seemed to have some plans, Yan Qing thought about it and asked. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; it¡¯s just that there¡¯s something going on at the entrance. I plan to take a look for myself, but I¡¯ll be back soon. Just continue with your work.¡± Yan Qing responded. Then, he turned his gaze and looked at Xiao Ba and Lin Zhifei, who were standing at the side. Xiao Ba could even feel his gaze sweeping past her body! Her entire body tensed up. For a moment, she didn¡¯t dare to look up and meet Yan Qing¡¯s gaze. However, Yan Qing¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t pause at all. It was like flowing water. ¡°So it¡¯s Young Master Lin.¡± Yan Qing nodded slightly. Lin Zhifei returned the greeting politely. ¡°Greetings, Lord Yan Qing.¡± Yan Qing naturally knew that Lin Zhifei was Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinate. After greeting him, he didn¡¯t ask further and bade farewell before turning around. It was only when his figure disappeared from Yue Manor¡¯s door that Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something and turned around to look strangely. Just now¡­ Yan Qing didn¡¯t seem to have greeted Xiao Ba. Furthermore, he simply nodded at Cen Yi. Moreover, it seems that Xiao Ba didn¡¯t want to talk to him, so he didn¡¯t say anything¡­ The two of them had a conflict to begin with. Perhaps they are still fighting¡­ Chu Liuyue thought to herself. Yan Qing wasn¡¯t a petty person, and he looked very open and honest. On the other hand, Xiao Ba seemed a little awkward ever since Yan Qing came over. The reason why Yan Qing didn¡¯t take the initiative to greet her was probably that he was worried about it making Xiao Ba even more unhappy. Although he was quiet and had a cold personality, he had always been very smart. Otherwise, Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t put him in an important position. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella, feeling a headache coming on. In the end, she decided to throw all these things to the back of her mind. Forget it. Although Xiao Ba is occasionally a little spoiled and willful, she always knows her limits. Even if she has some conflicts with Yan Qing, with Yan Qing¡¯s ice-cold personality, Xiao Ba will probably feel that it¡¯s meaningless after being treated coldly for a period of time. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look at the entrance.¡± Chu Liuyue walked forward. Cen Yi and Lin Zhifei followed closely behind. On the other hand, Xiao Ba stood rooted to the ground, seemingly in a daze. No one knew what she was thinking. After walking for a distance, Chu Liuyue realized that Xiao Ba didn¡¯t catch up and turned around to call her again. ¡°Xiao Ba?¡± Only then did Xiao Ba come back to her senses. ¡°Hmm? Oh, I¡¯m coming!¡± As she spoke, she walked over quickly. But this time, she didn¡¯t stand by Lin Zhifei¡¯s side and instead followed Cen Yi obediently. Chu Liuyue looked at her thoughtfully. After a moment, she retracted her thoughts and turned to head toward Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s entrance. ¡­ On the other side, Yan Qing returned to Yue Manor. His footsteps were calm, and his handsome and cold face was expressionless. However, there seemed to be tiny ripples in his eyes. ¡°Yan Qing? Yan Qing!¡± A familiar voice sounded. Yan Qing looked up. Yu Mo had appeared in front of Yan Qing and was looking at him with a puzzled expression. He waved his hand in front of the latter¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you thinking about? You¡¯re so engrossed!¡± Yu Mo came with the Sky-Cloud Empire soldiers a few days ago, but he kept a low profile and didn¡¯t appear in front of everyone. Even in Yue Manor, there were many people who didn¡¯t know of Yu Mo¡¯s existence. Most of the time, he was only responsible for reporting the outside news to his master before passing down the order. Because some of these things were rather hidden, he deliberately reduced his presence. However, this was already the inner courtyard, and this was Yan Qing¡¯s residence. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t come here, so Yu Mo came out directly. Yan Qing walked around him. ¡°Nothing.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s personality had always been cold, and he might not even be able to reply to three questions. Yu Mo was already used to it. However, his state¡­ was really a little strange! The two of them had been colleagues for many years and knew each other very well. Yu Mo was sure that something had happened to Yan Qing! He quickly followed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you send people off today? Could it be that something didn¡¯t go well?¡± Yan Qing looked at him indifferently and didn¡¯t say anything. However, the meaning was very obvious. Yu Mo scratched his head, also feeling that this guess was too ridiculous. Those who went to send them off were all from the Sky-Cloud Empire. Yan Qing has a noble status, so those people wouldn¡¯t dare to be rash. Then¡­ there doesn¡¯t seem to be any other reason? Ever since the Princess Consort won the battle with Yi Wentao, the atmosphere in Peach Blossom Dock hase become very lively and cheerful. The unity and faith of the people in the city has already exceeded my imagination. There is no need for us to interfere. Everything at Peach Blossom Dock is developing in a better direction. The Princess Consort is in a good mood, and so is His Highness. In fact, he was even more amiable to us! What¡¯s there to worry about on such a good day? Yan Qing walked to the stone bench in the courtyard and sat down. His eyes were slightly lowered as if he were thinking about something. Yu Mo walked over and poured himself a cup of tea. ¡°We¡¯re all brothers. Just tell me if you have any difficulties. Why are you being so polite between us?¡± These words seemed to have moved Yan Qing. His heart skipped a beat as he looked up at Yu Mo. Yu Mo was drinking tea. The fragrance of the tea was rich and refreshing. Yan Qing was Rong Xiu¡¯s confidant, and he was treated very well in Yue Manor. San San specially ordered people to deliver many good things. Yu Mo was still lamenting when he heard Yan Qing suddenly say, ¡°Do you think Young Master Lin¡­ is good-looking?¡± ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Yu Mo spat out a mouthful of tea! Instantly, tea splattered all over his body, but he couldn¡¯t care less now! He widened his eyes and looked at Yan Qing in horror. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Chapter 1984 - 1984 Secret of the Entrance 1984 Secret of the Entrance Yan Qing was deep in thought. ¡°I heard that back at Grotto-Heaven Cliff, Fourth Young Master Lin was deeply liked by many women. But because his body was weak, marriage was still not decided¡­¡± Even though these things were detailed, the information in Yan Qing¡¯s hands far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed by Rong Xiu¡¯s side for so long and handled everything so cleanly. Yu Mo was stunned and spat out the tea leaves in his mouth with difficulty. ¡°Y-you¡¯re talking about Lin Zhifei?!¡± The fourth young master of Grotto-Heaven Cliff is Lin Zhifei, but the key is¡­ Why did Yan Qing suddenly mention him at this time and even ask if he looked good?! Yu Mo looked at Yan Qing as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°What does it have to do with you whether he looks good or not? No¡ªYan Qing, are you alright?!¡± This isn¡¯t the Yan Qing I know at all! This guy usually doesn¡¯t even care if a woman is good-looking. Now, he actually asked if a man was¡ª Yu Mo¡¯s eyes gradually turned from shock and confusion to alarm. ¡°Wait, wait! You, you can¡¯t be¡­¡± He suddenly thought of something and threw away the teacup in his hand. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and broke down nervously. ¡°F*ck!¡± Could it be that Yan Qing has always liked men?! In the past, we have eaten and lived together for many years! At the thought of this, Yu Mo felt like he was going crazy. Yan Qing frowned, and the look of disdain on his face was overwhelming. ¡°Even if I really like men, do you think you¡¯re worthy?¡± Yu Mo: ¡°¡­???¡± Does that mean that I have misunderstood? However, why do these words sound so awkward?! Seeing Yan Qing¡¯s gaze, Yu Mo realized what he was like at this moment and felt embarrassed. ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!¡± He let go and rubbed his nose uncomfortably. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just concerned about my brother!¡± Yan Qing¡¯s brows furrowed even more tightly, and a rare look of frustration flashed across his eyes. I must¡¯ve been muddle-headed to ask Yu Mo this question. I don¡¯t know how far his brain can go. Thinking of this, he felt inexplicably vexed and stood up to leave. ¡°Eh? Why are you leaving? We haven¡¯t finished talking!¡± Seeing that Yan Qing was about to leave, Yu Mo hurriedly followed but didn¡¯t dare to get too close. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? Tell me¡ª¡± Thump! Yan Qing walked into the room and closed the door, cutting off the noise. ¡°Si¡ª¡± Yu Mo gasped and held his nose. It hurts! This kid really didn¡¯t hold back! Moreover, why is he especially irritable today? Who provoked him? Yu Mo felt wronged, but he wasn¡¯t angry. Yan Qing didn¡¯t look right. Perhaps¡­ should I look into other aspects? ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the others traveled extremely fast, and they arrived at the entrance of Peach Blossom Dock about an hour later. From afar, a huge screen of light descended from the sky. A powerful and vast pressure faintly spread from above. This was the realm gate, an existence that connected the God Residence Realm to the outside world. The Yue Manor people in charge of guarding this place all bowed when they saw them. ¡°Greetings, Master Yue!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded, indicating that there was no need to be so polite. These people were handpicked by San San and were all trustworthy. She sized up the realm gate for a while but didn¡¯t find anything unusual. ¡°Cen Yi, you said that the situation here is special¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Cen Yi walked forward for a distance and was only a step away from the entrance¡ªit was within reach. ¡°Master, come and take a look.¡± With doubts in her heart, Chu Liuyue walked over. It wasn¡¯t until she stood still that she finally saw that something was wrong with the entrance. The energy fluctuations of this realm gate¡­ seemed abnormal. Chu Liuyue stretched her hand out. The moment her slender fingers touched the glowing light screen, ripples spread out. A dangerous aura suddenly swept over from the light screen! Her heart skipped a beat, and a reddish-gold flame quickly surged out. But the next moment, the ball of flames seemed to be quickly dragged into the light screen by an invisible hand! Rumble! Sparks flew everywhere! ¡°Master, be careful! Cen Yi seemed to have expected this. He immediately made a move and set up a green barrier in front of her! Fragments of light and fire splashed onto the barrier, emitting an ear-piercing sizzling sound before quickly extinguishing. At this moment, the ball of flames had completely disappeared! Only the ripples were left on the light screen. Chu Liuyue held her breath in. At this moment, she realized that these ripples had already formed a vortex when they gathered together! The vortex was extremely shallow; it was almost impossible to tell from the front. If the ball of fire just now hadn¡¯t been swallowed by it, it would¡¯ve been very difficult for Chu Liuyue to discover this. In next to no time, the vortex gradually calmed down and regained its initial calm appearance. It was as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. This realm gate is indeed different from ordinary realm gates. This place¡­ contains an extremely dangerous power! She had no doubt that if someone passed by this place, the final outcome would be exactly the same as the devoured flame. At that time, one¡¯s life would be in danger! Such a realm gate is extremely dangerous and can no longer operate normally! No wonder Cen Yi insisted on inviting me over to take a look personally. ¡°When did this realm gate¡­ become like this?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at the guards. The person in front hurriedly said, ¡°Replying to Master Yue, this situation isn¡¯t sudden. Ever since all the members of the Black Sword Sect were killed, we came here to replace them. On the first day, this realm gate was still fine. But as time passed, there were gradual changes. This lasted until yesterday, and we couldn¡¯t enter or leave at all then.¡± ¡°Originally, we wanted to report it today. But Lord Cen Yi happened to be here, so we¡ª¡± Actually, they couldn¡¯t be blamed for not discovering it in time. During this period of time, the entire Peach Blossom Dock was under martial law, and no one was allowed to enter or leave at will. The realm gate was completely sealed off. They were only in charge of guarding the place. Moreover, this change happened silently. There were almost no flaws on the surface, so it was normal for them to only know now. Chu Liuyue looked at Cen Yi. ¡°What do you think?¡± Cen Yi paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that perhaps¡­ this is caused by external forces.¡± These few words contained a lot of information. That was because this wasn¡¯t an ordinary barrier but the realm gate! This light screen was naturally formed and had existed for tens of thousands of years! Who could have such a powerful force that could affect it to such an extent!? Suddenly, a voice sounded. ¡°There is a Xuan formation hidden within this realm gate.¡± Chu Liuyue turned her head and realized that Lin Zhifei had walked over. He was standing in front of the realm gate, staring at her intently. Her heart tingled. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Chapter 1985 - 1985 Origin 1985 Origin Lin Zhifei pursed his lips. ¡°My intuition.¡± He couldn¡¯t produce any evidence yet, but he had this feeling. It was very subtle but also very clear. Chu Liuyue followed his gaze. At this moment, the ripples on the realm gate had completely calmed down. Seeing that she didn¡¯t speak, Lin Zhifei thought that she didn¡¯t believe him and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve passed through realm gates many times, so I understand them quite well. This realm gate is indeed different from ordinary ones, and this difference is very likely caused by a Xuan formation¡­¡± ¡°You broke through to become a Great King Xuan Master?¡± asked Chu Liuyue suddenly. Lin Zhifei was shocked, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Seeing his reaction, Chu Liuyue instantly confirmed her guess. ¡°Indeed¡­ When did this happen?¡± Everyone looked over. Lin Zhifei was only in his early 20s and looked very young. Coupled with the fact that he had been sick all these years, he was weak and thin, making him look like a weak scholar. Now, Chu Liuyue actually said that he was a Great King Xuan Master! How could they not be shocked? Even Cen Yi was a little surprised and stared at Lin Zhifei. The realm of a Xuan Master wasn¡¯t revealed. Although he knew that Lin Zhifei was very talented in this aspect, he didn¡¯t expect the latter to break through again in such a short period of time. ¡°Ten days ago,¡± Lin Zhifei replied honestly. Actually, at that time, he had already vaguely heard some news about Peach Blossom Dock. He originally wanted to come over directly, but he happened to be at the juncture of breaking through, so he delayed for a period of time. Although he knew that this side wasn¡¯t inferior to his combat strength, these kind intentions were always present. Chu Liuyue gently exhaled and looked at Lin Zhifei with undisguised admiration. She had long known that Lin Zhifei had astonishing talent in this aspect. In fact, he wasn¡¯t inferior to her at all! The reason why Lin Zhifei could recognize this was largely due to the fact that he knew more about the realm gates than her. But at the same time, his terrifying acuity also helped a lot. ¡°Say, if there¡¯s a Xuan formation inside¡­ Can you find out exactly what Xuan formation it is?¡± Lin Zhifei shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell for now.¡± He could sense the existence of a Xuan formation, but just by relying on this feeling, he was indeed unable to make a more detailed judgment. This was also within Chu Liuyue¡¯s expectations, so she wasn¡¯t disappointed and only nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since we¡¯ve already found some clues, there¡¯s definitely still hope.¡± She looked at the realm gate in front of her again and narrowed her eyes. Xuan formation¡­ For no reason, such a thing would naturally not appear in the realm gate. Then¡­ who could it be? ¡­ At the Yi family. News of Yi Wentao¡¯s return quickly spread. However, no one could see him. As soon as he returned, Yi Wentao went straight back to his residence and told everyone that he wanted to rest for a while. During this period of time, he wouldn¡¯t see anyone. Actually, this was easy to understand. Everyone in the Yi family had seen how badly he was injured that day. Moreover, after this battle, he had completely lost all his face. He could no longer raise his head in front of the Yi family. It wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine that facing anyone from the Yi family at this moment would be extremely torturous for him. Of course, Yi Wentao¡¯s residence had already been changed. After all, he was no longer the family head. Jun Jiuqing specially ordered someone to arrange an extremely remote corner for him. To Yi Wentao, this was humiliation but also the best choice. Because this way, he could really avoid seeing the Yi family and ignore the various gazes. Jun Jiuqing only asked the two elders who came back with him to guard it. Nobody in the Yi family had expected that Yi Wentao¡ªwho had been in high spirits not long ago¡ªwould be in such a situation when he returned to the Yi family. ¡­ Twilight fell, and the moon was high in the sky. Yi Wentao was lying alone on the bed. A bitter medicinal fragrance filled the entire room. There was a wooden box on the table beside him. A pill was quietly placed inside, and the medicinal fragrance was coming from above. It was left behind by Jun Jiuqing to heal his injuries. But after Yi Wentao returned, he lay there from day to night without taking the pill. He opened his eyes and stared fixedly at the ceiling. He seemed to be looking at the patterns on it, but he also seemed to be in a daze. Through those, he was looking at something else. ¡°Master.¡± Familiar footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, followed by the sound of an elder bowing respectfully. Yi Wentao remained motionless. Of course, he wasn¡¯t the one being called. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and take a look.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°You can leave first.¡± The two elders took turns on duty, so there was only one person outside the door. His words were indisputable, and the elder quickly said, ¡°Yes.¡± Soon, Jun Jiuqing pushed the door open and entered. Yi Wentao closed his eyes. Jun Jiuqing looked at him and turned around to lock the door. He then set up another barrier to ensure that the sound wouldn¡¯t spread out before he spoke. ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Yi Wentao didn¡¯t say anything. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him at all. Jun Jiuqing wasn¡¯t in a hurry and walked to the side of the bed. He tilted his head and gazed carefully at the former family head for a while. Suddenly, his lips curved into a smile. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re still quite confident in yourself. Do you think you can counterattack? Master, I¡¯ve always respected you, but I didn¡¯t expect you to still be so naive.¡± He tapped lightly on the table. ¡°You know the origin of that shield, right? Or should I ask when you had dealings with that person from Black Demon Hole?¡± Yi Wentao suddenly opened his eyes! Chapter 1986 - 1986 Destructive Warriors 1986 Destructive Warriors Yi Wentao was shocked! He wanted to deny it, but when he looked up, he met Jun Jiuqing¡¯s scrutinizing gaze as if he had seen through everything. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve really underestimated you!¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s heart sank. To be able to ask such a question, it¡¯s enough to prove that Jun Jiuqing knows much more than I had previously thought! Previously, I couldn¡¯t tell at all! If I had known earlier, I would¡¯ve been wary of him! ¡°You flatter me. I was just making a casual guess. You have to tell me the truth yourself.¡± As Jun Jiuqing spoke, he sat down at the side. From the looks of it, if Yi Wentao didn¡¯t give him a satisfactory answer today, he wouldn¡¯t leave. ¡°You¡¯ve done your best for the Yi family for many years, but in the end, you ended up in such a state. Even I feel pity for you.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words were like sharp blades that stabbed into Yi Wentao¡¯s heart! ¡°Just tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll help you get it. What do you think?¡± Yi Wentao sneered in his heart. It sounds so nice, but Jun Jiuqing is just doing it for himself! The room fell silent. Yi Wentao didn¡¯t say anything, and neither did Jun Jiuqing. The two of them faced each other silently. The coldness of the intermediate night was almost suffocating. After some time, Yi Wentao finally closed his eyes. ¡°¡­What she¡¯s holding is the Celestial Shield.¡± Jun Jiuqing looked up, and there seemed to be a glimmer in his eyes. ¡°Celestial Shield?¡± He had heard of many famous Yuan instruments in the God Residence Realm, but he had never heard of this one. But for Yi Wentao to go through so much trouble, it must be an extremely precious item. According to Chu Liuyue, Yi Wentao seemed to be doing it for Peach Blossom Dock. However, he was actually going for the Celestial Shield. If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ What kind of existence is this Celestial Shield? How could it attract Yi Wentao more than the huge Peach Blossom Dock? ¡°I wonder what kind of treasure the Celestial Shield is to make the family head yearn for it so much?¡± Jun Jiuqing asked. Yi Wentao suddenly laughed and turned to look at Jun Jiuqing. His scarlet eyes flickered with a bloodthirsty light in the dark night, making one shudder. Then, his deep and hoarse voice sounded in the room. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the rest, but once I have the Celestial Shield, I have a high chance of breaking through!¡± His voice was very low as if it would dissipate in the wind at any moment. However, Jun Jiuqing still heard it clearly! He frowned. Above legendary warriors, there were even higher-level existences. But in the God Residence Realm, nobody had broken through this shackle for 10,000 years. All cultivators were trapped as legendary warriors. No matter how hard they cultivated, they couldn¡¯t advance to the next level. But now, Yi Wentao actually said¡­ With the Celestial Shield, he would be able to break through? No wonder he cared so much! There were thousands of cultivators in the world. Who didn¡¯t want to become stronger? A top legendary warrior like Yi Wentao was even more so. He had seen too many things in the secular world and didn¡¯t care at all. This was the only thing that could make him fanatical! If this news were to be known by others, it would probably cause an enormous storm! However¡­ Who can be sure if this is true? Just by relying on a shield, he can cut through the 10,000-year-old binding rope? Jun Jiuqing remained suspicious about this, but he didn¡¯t completely deny this possibility. There¡¯s no smoke without fire. The fact that Yi Wentao was willing to spend so much effort proved that he had a reason. Otherwise, according to his cautious personality, he would definitely not act so rashly. Yi Wentao chuckled when he saw the change in Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression. ¡°Heh¡­ Tell me¡­ Who wouldn¡¯t want such a thing?¡± ¡°Nan Yifan doesn¡¯t know about this,¡± Jun Jiuqing interrupted him and said lightly. This wasn¡¯t a question but a statement of certainty. Yi Wentao wasn¡¯t surprised that he could guess it. After all, the series of events in the Nan family during this period of time was enough to explain everything. If Nan Yifan knew this, he wouldn¡¯t have taken such a risk. ¡°Then¡­ Did you hear about the Celestial Shield from Black Demon Hole?¡± Jun Jiuqing suddenly thought of something and looked up at him. Yi Wentao took a deep breath. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why would that person from Black Demon Hole be willing to tell you such important news? He seems to¡­ need this more, right?¡± Jun Jiuqing asked with interest. ¡°You know a lot.¡± Yi Wentao gave him a meaningful look, but he wasn¡¯t shocked. Ever since Jun Jiuqing asked that question just now, he knew that Jun Jiuqing definitely knew a lot. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t get this information for nothing. I got it in exchange!¡± Jun Jiuqing narrowed his eyes. ¡°The family head is capable to be able to exchange for such news¡­ Then, I wonder what you used to exchange for it?¡± Yi Wentao sneered. ¡°How do you think he escaped from Rong Xiu¡¯s subordinate a few years ago?¡± ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock, Yue Manor. In the courtyard stood a few peach trees. Under the peach tree was a green rattan chair. At this moment, there was a person half lying on it. A gentle breeze blew over, and pink and white peach blossoms fell one after another, making that person¡¯s white clothes look even whiter than snow. His eyes were closed, and his facial features were clear and smooth. He could be said to be perfect. From afar, he looked like he was carved from the best jade by the heavens. He didn¡¯t look like the color of the human world. This was what Yu Mo saw when he walked in. He had been by Rong Xiu¡¯s side for many years, so he was already used to His Highness¡¯s peerless looks. But when he looked at the latter again, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind. If Yan Qing really had homosexual tendencies, he should like His Highness, right? Could there be a better-looking man than His Highness in this world? No, His Highness could no longer be described as beautiful. He is simply¡ª Just as Yu Mo let one¡¯s imagination run wild, Rong Xiu opened his eyes. He looked over and happened to see Yu Mo staring at him thoughtfully. His gaze was even more¡­ Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. Yu Mo suddenly felt a chill and finally came back to his senses. He looked over and met His Highness¡¯s gaze. He immediately shuddered. Hiss¡ªit is so cold! His Highness¡¯s gaze is so scary! He wanted to break into a run, but his strong desire to live finally urged him forward. ¡°Your Highness, the matter you asked me to investigate previously has come to a conclusion.¡± Rong Xiu sat up. ¡°Say it.¡± Yu Mo¡¯s expression turned solemn as he bowed and said, ¡°Your guess is right. A few years ago, a portion of the people you fought with were indeed not from Black Demon Hole.¡± He paused before continuing, ¡°There are three people from the Yi family!¡± Chapter 1987 - 1987 Internal Fight 1987 Internal Fight ¡°These people were all sacrificial warriors trained by Yi Wentao in private; they only obey him. Even many people in the Yi family don¡¯t know about their existence. Therefore, most people in the Yi family don¡¯t know about what happened back then.¡± Three people didn¡¯t sound like a lot, but their combat strength was extremely good! Otherwise, Rong Xiu wouldn¡¯t have specially sent Yu Mo to investigate this matter. ¡°In the intermediate years after that, Yi Wentao was very cautious and never summoned his other sacrificial warriors again. That¡¯s why we never found out that the Yi family was behind this. This time, Yi Wentao was seriously injured, and Jun Jiuqing forcefully snatched his position as the family head. Only then did he finally take action, and that¡¯s how we found out.¡± Although Yu Mo was usually lively and liked to joke, he was still very reliable when it came to serious matters. Rong Xiu handed this matter to him a few years ago. During this period, he had tried countless methods but had never been able to obtain any results. However, he had never given up. After knowing that the Yi family had come to Peach Blossom Dock, he quickly sent more people to continue investigating. Now, there was finally a result. Rong Xiu nodded his head, and his thin lips curled up slightly. There was no surprise in his eyes¡ªhe had indeed guessed this possibility long ago. At that time, he chose to go after accurately investigating the strength of Black Demon Hole. But when he arrived, he realized that the actual situation was a little different from what he had expected. Although it didn¡¯t affect the final outcome much¡­ This debt was recorded by Rong Xiu. ¡°In the God Residence Realm, there are very few people who have this ability.¡± This wasn¡¯t difficult to guess, but the key was to find evidence. Rong Xiu smiled slightly, and there seemed to be a thin layer of coldness in his eyes. Yi Wentao was also very stubborn. Ever since then, he hadn¡¯t contacted his sacrificial warriors for such a long time. He even cut off all contact with those who weren¡¯t sent to Black Demon Hole. It wasn¡¯t easy to nurture these people. For him to spend so much, it could be seen that the temptation was astonishing. Yi Wentao knew that Rong Xiu would inevitably suspect him, so he had always been careful with his words and actions to guard against him. If not for the fact that he was forced into a corner and had no choice, he probably wouldn¡¯t have used this trump card. ¡°It seems that his life in the Yi family is indeed not easy.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he suddenly recalled how Chu Liuyue previously raised her brows and smiled slightly, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. Speaking of which, I have to thank Yue¡¯er for this. If she hadn¡¯t drugged Yi Wentao a few times in a row, things wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly. ¡°Then¡­ what do you mean?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just quietly observe what happens.¡± Rong Xiu lay back on the rattan chair and waved his hand nonchalantly, as if he didn¡¯t take it to heart. ¡°Ah? This¡­¡± Yu Mo was a little surprised. No matter what, they had been investigating this for several years. He thought that His Highness would definitely retaliate directly after getting the evidence¡­ ¡°Let the Yi family do it themselves,¡± said Rong Xiu faintly. Jun Jiuqing and Yi Wentao¡­ There is still a fight. Yu Mo¡¯s eyes lit up as he immediately understood something. ¡°Your Highness is wise!¡± Seeing that Rong Xiu seemed to be planning to rest, Yu Mo wanted to take his leave. However, he suddenly recalled Yan Qing¡¯s strange behavior and hesitated. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡± Rong Xiu exposed his thoughts with one sentence. Yu Mo scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s actually nothing much. It¡¯s just that¡­ I feel that Yan Qing seems a little strange recently¡­ Has he suffered some setbacks recently?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s what he deserves.¡± Chapter 1988 - 1988 Contact 1988 Contact As soon as he finished speaking, familiar footsteps came from outside. Rong Xiu¡¯s glabella moved slightly, and an exquisite and slender figure came into view. It was Chu Liuyue. Yu Mo turned around and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± Chu Liuyue originally had her head slightly lowered as if she were thinking about something. When she heard the voice, she looked up. Rong Xiu had already stood up and walked over. ¡°What are you thinking about? Why are you so lost in thought?¡± As he spoke, he saw a faint red mark on her hand from the corner of his eye, as if something had pressed down hard on it. A trace of dark-red blood was about to seep out. His eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chu Liuyue came back to her senses and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a small injury.¡± To her, this wasn¡¯t even considered an injury. Rong Xiu placed his fingers on her wrist and checked. After confirming that she had only suffered a superficial injury and wasn¡¯t seriously injured, his expression softened a little. However, his heart still ached. He pulled Chu Liuyue to the rattan chair and made her sit down. He then took out medicine and personally applied it on her hand before massaging it meticulously. There was a faint intermediate medicinal fragrance mixed with a hint of peach blossom fragrance. A cold feeling washed over, and the previous burning pain instantly decreased a lot. Chu Liuyue originally didn¡¯t care about this injury, but when she saw Rong Xiu lowering his head slightly to help her apply the medicine, she felt very at ease. She originally wanted to do it herself, but after thinking about it, she decided to let Rong Xiu do it. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Yu Mo was already used to this kind of scene. Rong Xiu acknowledged it and let him go. Soon, only the two of them were left in the courtyard. Chu Liuyue turned her head slightly and stared at Rong Xiu for a while. His expression was serious, and his actions were gentle. In the God Residence Realm, Rong Xiu was renowned, and many people were terrified and in awe of him¡ªeven Nan Yifan and Yi Wentao didn¡¯t dare to offend him. However, such a person was now by her side. Just because her hand was injured, he patiently and meticulously helped her apply the medicine. It seemed that there was nothing more important than this in the world. There seemed to be waves surging in her heart. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help but get up and kiss his face. ¡°Hubby is the best!¡± A dragonfly touched the water and quickly retreated. Rong Xiu looked up and raised his brows slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you won¡¯t be able to explain just because of this.¡± Ever since Chu Liuyue broke through, she rarely got injured. It was obviously not normal for such a mark to be left on her hand. Moreover, it was in Peach Blossom Dock¡ªher own territory. Chu Liuyue exhaled and lay back on the recliner. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that realm gate.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly stopped in his actions. ¡°Troublesome?¡± Actually, he had already expected this to have something to do with Peach Blossom Dock. He knew that Chu Liuyue had gone to the realm gate with Cen Yi and the rest. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to get injured. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know who hid a Xuan formation in that realm gate. Moreover, that Xuan formation is extremely powerful and has already affected the entire realm gate. Now, that realm gate can no longer be entered or left normally.¡± She shrugged, both annoyed and amused. ¡°There¡¯s no need to send someone to guard it. Even a true god might not be able to escape safely.¡± As she spoke, she raised her hand. ¡°That¡¯s what hurt this hand.¡± After hearing Lin Zhifei¡¯s guess, she felt that it made sense. In order to figure out what was going on, she decided to give it a try herself. However, just as this hand reached into the realm gate, an extremely powerful force seemed to surge over from the surroundings! She had a bad feeling and immediately pulled her hand out without hesitation. Even so, she was still slightly injured. ¡°Fortunately, I dodged quickly. Otherwise¡­¡± Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly. One had to know that even though Chu Liuyue was only at the true god realm, she had already used the God-Destroying Tribulation to refine her Holy Body. Her current Holy Body could even fight a legendary warrior! Wasn¡¯t Yi Wentao the best example? From the looks of it, the realm gate has indeed become very dangerous. Rong Xiu paused for a while. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. A few petals fluttered down. Chu Liuyue looked up. The peach blossoms on the tree were blooming. Suddenly, something landed on her glabella, and it turned cold. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Is it snowing?¡± Rong Xiu also looked up at the sky. The originally blue sky had unknowingly turned dark gray. Crystal-clear snowflakes were slowly falling. He retracted his gaze and bent down to carry her horizontally. ¡­ The snow in Peach Blossom Dock came very suddenly. But for the people who had stayed in Peach Blossom Dock for a long time, this wasn¡¯t a surprise. Over the years, the climate of Peach Blossom Dock had been very varied. Most people were already used to it. In the corridor in front of the door, San San was holding his hands and walking forward leisurely. As he walked, he even hummed a little tune. His small eyes narrowed as he smiled, as if he was in a good mood. Yu Jiu and Shi Fang happened to bump into him. From afar, they saw San San looking happy. Yu Jiu greeted him. ¡°Third Brother, what happened that made you so happy?¡± San San smiled and replied, ¡°Nothing, nothing!¡± Yu Jiu and the other man looked at each other. There is only one explanation for his happiness. ¡°It looks like Third Brother has struck it rich again?¡± Yu Jiu teased. San San crossed his arms and smiled happily. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s all thanks to Master! I¡¯m just going to tell Master the good news.¡± Shi Fang suddenly thought of something. ¡°Looks like¡­ someone has already started contacting Third Brother?¡± San San raised his finger and blinked. ¡°Shh¡ªthis matter hasn¡¯t been completely settled yet. It¡¯s not too late to be happy after Master slaps the board!¡± Although he said that, the smile on his face was already overflowing. After saying that, he hurriedly bade farewell to the two of them and headed inside. Yu Jiu hugged his sword with both hands and looked back and forth between San San and Shi Fang. ¡°Shi Fang, you seem to know something?¡± Shi Fang didn¡¯t mind and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just that Third Brother plans to open his business outside.¡± Yu Jiu immediately understood. It turned out that San San wanted to expand his business. If he did this, it meant that he would have a greater profit. No wonder he was so happy. ¡°It¡¯s normal for Third Brother to do this, but¡­ Open a store outside? Where?¡± Shi Fang looked at him suspiciously. ¡°How would I know?¡± Yu Jiu: ¡°¡­¡± I knew I couldn¡¯t ask him about this kind of thing¡­ ¡­ When San San arrived at the inner courtyard, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu were sitting under the roof, admiring the snow. ¡°Master, Your Highness.¡± San San tried his best to control the expression on his face before stepping forward. Chu Liuyue turned to look at him and raised her brows. ¡°Looks like a lot of people have been contacting you recently, right?¡± Chapter 1989 - 1989 Where Did You Go? 1989 Where Did You Go? The smile on San San¡¯s face bloomed again. ¡°Hehe, Master is really wise! You guessed it right. Ever since I spread the news three days ago that I plan to sell Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s medicinal herbs and pills, I¡¯ve already received news from many aristocratic families in the past few days. I¡¯ve already compiled a list¡ªtake a look!¡± As he spoke, he presented a piece of paper with both hands. Chu Liuyue took it. There were strings of names written on the paper. Most of them were famous aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm. Chu Liuyue was quite familiar with some of them. San San rubbed his hands together, unable to hide his excitement and eagerness. ¡°Master, ever since you defeated Yi Wentao previously, the reputation of our Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Yue Manor has spread! Now, many people in the God Residence Realm want to build a good relationship with us!¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that they were trying to please her. Everyone in the God Residence Realm knew very well what kind of treasure land Peach Blossom Dock was. Now that this place belonged to Chu Liuyue, they could only settle for the next best thing. They couldn¡¯t occupy Peach Blossom Dock, but if they could obtain the resources of Peach Blossom Dock, it would be the same! Here, the Heaven and Earth Force was abundant, and all kinds of natural treasures grew. Many of them were extremely difficult to find in the entire God Residence Realm. Although San San had only opened a few shops in Peach Blossom Dock previously, he was actually very famous. Occasionally, there would be people who came because of the reputation and wanted to buy all kinds of precious medicinal herbs and pills from here. Ever since San San sent the message, many aristocratic families had expressed their goodwill. On the one hand, the items in Peach Blossom Dock were indeed of superior quality. On the other hand, this could be considered as having a relationship with Chu Liuyue. Killing two birds with one stone, why not? San San could almost imagine that scene. In any case, in Peach Blossom Dock, just his small space alone had almost inexhaustible natural treasures. Therefore, if he took some out appropriately, it wouldn¡¯t affect anything. Others might not know, but Master and he knew this the best. In the past, because he had been squeezed dry by the people from the Black Sword Sect, he had always carefully concealed it. Now, he could finally let go! ¡°Master, do you have anything else to change on this list?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and down a few times. ¡°Flying Star Sect, and these few¡ª¡± As she spoke, she pointed at the names. San San leaned over to take a look and quickly memorized the mentioned names. ¡°Apart from these four, I¡¯ll reject the rest,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. San San was originally waiting happily, but when he heard this, he was instantly stunned. ¡°You¡ªyou chose four?!¡± Reject the rest? There are more than ten of them! Master hasn¡¯t even chosen one-third! Chu Liuyue nodded her head and passed the piece of paper over. San San was very puzzled. He stared at the list of names on the paper for a long time. ¡°Master, isn¡¯t this¡­ a little too few? Some of the remaining ones have big businesses and are pretty good¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°You should ask them how they have the cheek to write after offending me.¡± There were many of them who had conflicts with her before. San San was stunned. Only then did he remember that his master had indeed been attacked by many aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm. He slapped his head in frustration. How could I have forgotten about this!? ¡°Master, please calm down. It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± San San was embarrassed. Chu Liuyue smiled and glanced at him. ¡°Alright, I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Actually, not everyone has interacted with me before, but this is only the beginning after all. Choosing too many at once will only attract attention.¡± Although four aristocratic families weren¡¯t a small number, as long as the quantity was controlled, it was still feasible. One had to know that in the God Residence Realm, there were many aristocratic families that didn¡¯t have sufficient medicinal herbs and pills. Many of them had to buy from outside. However, there had never been anyone who could supply four families at once. It was appropriate for everyone to make some guesses. They didn¡¯t dare to look down on Peach Blossom Dock anymore. There was no need for more. San San suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll reply to these families now.¡± He wiped the sweat from his brow. Master is so thoughtful. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Go.¡± She was still at ease when San San did things. Only then did San San say goodbye and turn to leave. ¡°Looks like you already have a lot of plans.¡± Rong Xiu walked over, hugged her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s always good to have a few more friends. After all¡­ I wonder when the people from Black Demon Hole will make a move.¡± Actually, to be honest, the people of Black Demon Hole had already suffered under her hands several times. Especially when the Black Sword Sect was completely wiped out, they could be said to have suffered heavy losses. Anyone wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate it, but even now, there was still no movement from Black Demon Hole. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mo Shiqian isn¡¯t a person who is willing to bite one¡¯s tongue.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and asked with interest, ¡°It sounds like you know him quite well?¡± Although she had interacted with Mo Shiqian before, he had been hiding behind the black fog or the mirror. She had never seen his true appearance. Rong Xiu paused for a while. ¡°You¡¯ll get to know him sooner or later.¡± Chu Liuyue was in deep thought. At this moment, a gust of wind suddenly sounded from midair. As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. A well-built, snow-white figure quickly pounced over! Ow! Chu Liuyue was elated. ¡°Xue Xue?¡± Hearing her voice and seeing her face, Xue Xue¡ªwho had been running around for a long time¡ªimmediately became excited. It had the urge to pounce on her. But before it could reach her, a cold gaze landed on it. Xue Xue¡¯s body instantly stiffened, and it hurriedly braked! In the end, it barely stopped in the courtyard. At this moment, there was already a thick layer of snow on the ground. It stayed there and almost blended into the snow. Only its ice-blue eyes became clearer and brighter. Chu Liuyue waved at it. ¡°Xue Xue, come over quickly!¡± Speaking of which, it had been a long time since she last saw it. Upon hearing this, Xue Xue jumped up and came in front of Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. It first shook off the snow on its body from a distance before walking forward. Chu Liuyue patted its forehead. Xue Xue narrowed its eyes in satisfaction and made a gurgling sound. As for its master¡¯s line of sight, it had completely ignored it. Didn¡¯t you hear that my dear Yue¡¯er took the initiative to ask me to come over? Hmph! ¡°Where have you been all this time?¡± Chu Liuyue asked with a smile. Xue Xue thought for a moment, rolled on the ground, and raised its claws. Only then did Chu Liuyue see that there were still a few grains of coarse sand on its paws. This is¡­ She was slightly stunned. ¡°You went to the Red Moon Desert?¡± ¡­ Chapter 1990 - 1990 Worry 1990 Worry Ow! Xue Xue got up and looked at its master sadly. This period of time was really tough¡­ Chu Liuyue glanced at her husband. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was gentle. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back for a long time, so I wanted Xue Xue to take a look at the situation in the Red Moon Desert.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. That¡¯s true. Ever since Ling Xiao Academy experienced the calamity, Big Baby has never appeared again. Even now, there has been no news. I wanted to go and take a look earlier, but unfortunately, I haven¡¯t been able to make time. It¡¯s indeed quite suitable for Xue Xue to go over. Thinking of this, she looked at Xue Xue. ¡°Xue Xue, how¡¯s the situation over there?¡± A solemn look flashed across Xue Xue¡¯s eyes before it shook its head. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly. This means¡­ ¡°It said that during this period of time, the seniors haven¡¯t come out,¡± explained Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows even more tightly. ¡°Not even on Red Moon Day?¡± Xue Xue shook its head. It stayed there for a long time and indeed didn¡¯t sense any movement. In fact¡­ During the entire process, those few people didn¡¯t pay attention to it. According to its previous experience, those few people would definitely react if they knew that it had gone over. Xue Xue felt that something was wrong, so it rushed back. This was the first time it had returned from the Red Moon Desert so cleanly. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and fell into deep thought. They are probably in trouble in the Red Moon Desert! ¡°Then, when you were there, did you encounter any suspicious people or things?¡± Xue Xue thought for a moment before shaking its head. It meant that nothing had happened and that no one had met it. In short¡­ it was like a normal desolate desert. However, this was precisely the abnormal thing! Chu Liuyue felt uneasy. Putting aside Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao, Big Baby already has a Holy Body and can freely return to the God Residence Realm. For such a long time, he didn¡¯t appear¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to see the situation in the realm gate tomorrow.¡± Rong Xiu raised his hand and gently smoothed the faint mark between her brows. ¡°If it¡¯s convenient, I¡¯ll make a trip to the Red Moon Desert.¡± In any case, he had to enter and exit from the realm gate. This was good. Chu Liuyue felt more at ease and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue almost didn¡¯t sleep that night. Various images kept flashing in her mind, most of them related to Big Baby and the rest. The moonlight flowed in through the window like water. Chu Liuyue lay on her side on the bed and finally opened her eyes. Rong Xiu approached her from behind and pulled her into his arms. Chu Liuyue instantly fell into his warm and scalding embrace. ¡°Thinking about the past?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was exceptionally deep. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°En.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°At that time, I was able to break through the realm gate and come to Peach Blossom Dock because of Big Baby and the others¡¯ help¡­¡± Speaking of which, it was also a coincidence that she met Big Baby and the rest. Back then, when Mu Qinghe led the army to attack Dahuang Swamp, she secretly followed the army there. In between, there was one time she encountered trouble. In a moment of desperation, she entered Dahuang Swamp and got lost with others. After that, she met Big Baby and the rest. She had learned a lot from them. Even though she had never formally performed the apprenticeship ceremony, in her heart, she had always treated the three of them as her masters. Especially Big Baby. He was the harshest to her, but he had taught her the most. It was also their existence that let her know that other than the Tianling Dynasty, there was also an existence like the God Residence Realm. In the blink of an eye, so much time had passed. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been very puzzled about.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and placed her hands on her husband¡¯s chest. She looked up slightly and said softly, ¡°Big Baby and the others¡­ were imprisoned in the Red Moon Desert. However, you know how strong they are. Who in this world has such ability?¡± She had always been very curious about this matter, but she had never asked. She could feel that Big Baby and the rest didn¡¯t want to say so much to her. Even Big Baby¡¯s unwillingness to make a move in the God Residence Realm seemed to be related to this. Somehow, she felt that something had happened this time. Rong Xiu hugged her even tighter and kissed her glabella. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The seniors will definitely be safe.¡± Chu Liuyue gently closed her eyes. ¡°Yes, definitely.¡± ¡­ The next morning, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu headed to the realm gate together. Lin Zhifei and Cen Yi followed along. Xiao Ba didn¡¯t seem to be interested in these things and didn¡¯t come this time. After yesterday¡¯s investigation, Chu Liuyue sent Wu Yao and Yu Jiu to guard this place. The moment she arrived, Chu Liuyue clearly sensed that this realm gate had changed again compared to the day before. The pressure on it was even stronger than before. The aura it emitted became even more dangerous. This change was actually very subtle. If Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t come yesterday and personally investigated, it would be very difficult to notice. This was also why the people in charge of guarding this place only realized that something was wrong so late. ¡°Look.¡± Chu Liuyue walked to the realm gate. ¡°The energy fluctuations on it have become even more dangerous.¡± Rong Xiu walked forward and held her hand, making her step back while he stood in front. He stared at the realm gate for a while before extending his hand. Whir! Just as his fingertips touched the light screen, a sound was heard! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be grabbed by something. ¡°Be careful.¡± Rong Xiu nodded his head and continued probing inside. Soon, half of his palm entered the light screen! A biting cold aura instantly surged over from all directions! It was as if it wanted to completely crush his hand! Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned sharp, and a ball of golden flames instantly erupted from his palm. Rumble! The intense energy collided fiercely! Right on the heels of that, a crack suddenly appeared on the realm gate! At first glance, Chu Liuyue thought that she was seeing things. But right on the heels of that, she saw a second crack appear. A faint cracking sound seemed to come from a distant time and space! Her pupils constricted. Only then did she see clearly that there seemed to be something hidden in the realm gate that was emitting a faint luster! That¡¯s¡­ a mirror! Chapter 1991 - 1991 Yunzhou 1991 Yunzhou That realm gate¡¯s light curtain was clearly a faint layer, yet the current ripples made it seem like it was so deep that one couldn¡¯t see the end. That mirror seemed to slowly float up from the clear lake as it gradually approached and reflected one¡¯s figure. Chu Liuyue looked over. There was a tall figure in the mirror¡ªit was Rong Xiu, but it did not seem like him. That was because although the person in the middle had the exact same appearance and figure as Rong Xiu, he wore a black robe. They clearly had the same five features, yet they had completely different expressions and aura. Icy coldness and imperiousness! With just one glance, that invisible suppression was suffocating! Chu Liuyue was dazed and found him unfamiliar, yet she still had a strange sense of familiarity. Splash¡ª That gigantic mirror suddenly broke! The figure inside disappeared as well. Chu Liuyue instinctively looked at Rong Xiu. He must have seen the previous scene. However, Rong Xiu looked calm and composed, and the side of his face was perfect with smooth lines. There were no ripples in his expression. It was as if he did not see the previous scene, or¡­ he saw it and did not care? Chu Liuyue was about to ask him in detail when she suddenly felt a gush of strong force rushing in from outside the realm gate! Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly and took her into his arms! Then, the two of them fell into a thick and intense darkness! ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Cen Yi, Lin Zhifei, and the others¡¯ voices came, but they seemed especially distant. Chu Liuyue could only hear the howls of the wind from the borderless darkness constantly scraping past her ears. The violent energies intertwined and attacked each other in the surroundings, as it took the duo¡¯s bodies and brought them to an unknown location! ¡­ Such a journey did not continue for long. Besides, Chu Liuyue was held by Rong Xiu tightly in his arms. With his protection, she was not hurt. After about an hour, a ray of bright heavenly light finally tore through the intense darkness! The strong and blinding light came from the front. Chu Liuyue turned her face slightly and squinted. Rong Xiu hugged her with one arm and covered her eyes with the other. The both of them landed. When her feet landed on the solid ground, the unstable and floating feeling in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart finally dissipated. At this point, her eyes had already adjusted to the surrounding light. She held Rong Xiu¡¯s hands and looked up at the surroundings. When she saw the surrounding scenery clearly, she was first stunned and later furrowed her brows slightly. An ancient and tremendous city lake was right in front. The tall and solemn city gate area had many people coming in and out¡ªit looked very crowded. Behind them, there were many mountains and lush greenery. To Chu Liuyue, this was a completely unfamiliar place. ¡°This is¡­¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows even more tightly. Why did we arrive here when we passed through the realm gate? ¡°The forces in the realm gate were strong and caused the air to shake. We were probably sent here by the turbulence,¡± said Rong Xiu nonchalantly, as he surveyed his surroundings and rapidly observed everything. Chu Liuyue nodded. This is also the most logical explanation. Except¡­ ¡°Cen Yi, Lin Zhifei, and the rest did not seem to follow us.¡± Previously, she had already checked that their auras weren¡¯t in the surroundings. But upon deeper thought, this was very normal. After all, the accident happened too suddenly. At that time, she was still thinking about Rong Xiu¡¯s figure that was reflected in the mirror and did not react in time. If it weren¡¯t for Rong Xiu being quick, she would probably also be separated from Rong Xiu. ¡°Whatever will come will come. Don¡¯t worry too much. Let¡¯s go into the city and take a look,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chu Liuyue sighed lightly and nodded in agreement. We have to first find out where we are before we can decide on what to do next. She was about to walk forward when Rong Xiu suddenly pulled her back. ¡°Don¡¯t move first.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Do you really want to go over like this?¡± Realization dawned on Chu Liuyue. The duo¡¯s current appearance was rather eye-catching. The front was filled with unknowns, so it was better to be meticulous. Fifteen minutes later, the duo were done with their disguises and had completely changed their appearances. They looked normal with ordinary clothes. At first glance, they seemed unassuming. Luckily, nobody seemed to walk past the part of the forest they were in, so their actions were also very discreet. After confirming that they were done disguising, the two of them exchanged glances before holding hands and walking toward the city. ¡­ The closer they were, the more people there were in the surroundings, and the livelier the atmosphere. As Chu Liuyue walked, she silently surveyed her surroundings and realized that most people were going toward the city, and they were basically all very young. The majority of them were in their teens and twenties, and only very few of them looked like they were in their thirties. Those people¡¯s faces had unconcealable expectations and excitement. It seemed like the city had something filled with temptation that was waiting for them. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that this scene was rather familiar. ¡°Does it look like Fangzhou City?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice suddenly softly landed in her ears. Chu Liuyue looked up and met his gazed. She was instantly enlightened. Yeah! This does seem like Fangzhou City. Inside Fangzhou City, there were also many young and lively faces. However, that was because Fangzhou City was right beside Ling Xiao Academy. The reason why those people were excited was that they were looking forward to Ling Xiao Academy. This city lake doesn¡¯t look special¡­ Why is it also the same scenario? ¡°These people seem rather talented.¡± Chu Liuyue looked on for a while and could not help but feel strange when she discovered this. This was outside the God Residence Realm. Logically speaking, the cultivators¡¯ overall talent and standard should be lower than those inside the God Residence Realm. However, all the young people they walked past had outstanding talent and capabilities. The closer they were to the city gate, the stronger such a feeling. Chu Liuyue became increasingly confused. Even in the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Imperial City, there might not be so many potential geniuses! When they reached the city gate, the two of them stopped. Chu Liuyue looked up. A word was engraved on the city gate: Yunzhou. The handwriting was intense and deep into the wood, as if it contained a shocking aura. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This city should logically be famous to some extent. However, I have never heard of it before. She glanced at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu lightly shook his head. Cleary, he had not heard it before as well. Chu Liuyue gazed around her surroundings and softly muttered, ¡°There¡¯s actually nobody in charge of guarding this city¡­¡± Everyone entered and left freely. ¡°Hahaha! Ever since the day it appeared, nobody has guarded this Yunzhou. The two of you are already here, yet you know nothing about this?¡± A young voice came from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw a few young men and women standing behind them. The one talking was the young man standing at the front. Chapter 1992 - 1992 Princess, You Know, Right? 1992 Princess, You Know, Right? This young man was muscular and had tanned skin. His smile was clear, and he looked like someone very straightforward. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°It is me and my wife¡¯s first time here, and we don¡¯t know many things about this place. Brother, may I know if you can help me solve my confusion?¡± Even though Rong Xiu had made full preparations, looked ordinary, and his entire elegance seemed to be fully covered, he was polite and well-mannered when he talked. It caused one to easily have a good impression of him. ¡°We don¡¯t have that much time!¡± A young woman suddenly spoke from behind the young man. She was born playful and was decked in lavish clothes. Her intricate makeup made her look even prettier. At this point, her gaze toward Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu had unconcealable annoyance. ¡°Big Brother, let¡¯s quickly enter the city. It won¡¯t be good if we¡¯re late.¡± She walked to that young man, directly grabbed his arm, and whined. That dark young face seemed hesitant. We did come late. If we¡¯re delayed again¡­ Upon seeing this, Rong Xiu raised his brows and smiled. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re in a hurry. Then, we won¡¯t disturb you further.¡± Following that, he turned around and planned to leave. ¡°Ow¡ª¡± That young man hurriedly spoke and called Rong Xiu. ¡°Brother, please don¡¯t mind her. My younger sister has always been straightforward and has no ill intentions. Since we¡¯ve met, it means we¡¯re fated. Why don¡¯t we enter the city together and talk on the road there?¡± He just felt that although the two people before them seemed ordinary, they talked and moved with elegance, and seemed¡­ extraordinary. The most important point was that he could discern the duo¡¯s skills. People who came to Yunzhou were all hidden dragons. If they could make a friend, it would naturally be better than making an enemy. Once he said this, the woman and the other people behind him found it weird. Why does Big Brother seem especially kind toward them? But since he said that, they naturally could not go against him. Rong Xiu looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Wife¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue curved her lips slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, hubby.¡± Rong Xiu then nodded. ¡°Sorry for the trouble then.¡± ¡­ Nobody guarded the city entrance, so the crowd entered and left as they pleased. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu followed this group of people into Yunzhou. The city had many passages, and it was bustling. They weren¡¯t eye-catching as they walked amidst the crowd. The two parties first exchanged pleasantries. That young man with a tanned face was called He Ziji, and the people behind him were his close friends and relatives. They specifically came to Yunzhou to participate in the challenge. ¡°Challenge?¡± Hearing this word, Rong Xiu raised his brows. This Yunzhou doesn¡¯t seem very big, yet it could attract so many young and talented cultivators for the challenge¡­ There must be something hidden behind this. ¡°Yeah! This is already the third time Yunzhou has held this challenge. I heard that the challenge will last for three months this time, and it will officially start tomorrow. If we¡¯re late by a day, we won¡¯t be able to make it! Once we miss it, we¡¯ll have to wait for more than half a year,¡± explained He Ziji. ¡°Is this challenge¡­ very important?¡± asked Rong Xiu in return. He Ziji stared at him in shock; it was as if it were very abnormal for Rong Xiu not to know of this. ¡°Of course!¡± He Ziji emphasized. ¡°If you can pass the challenge, you can obtain the right to enter the God Residence Realm to cultivate! Countless cultivators in the world would die for such a chance!¡± As he spoke, he lowered his voice. ¡°You know the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Princess, right? She entered the God Residence Realm from here!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Chu Liuyue coughed suddenly. Chapter 1993 - 1993 Not an Accident 1993 Not an Accident Nobody else would gossip about themselves. He Ziji and the rest looked at her in confusion. Chu Liuyue waved her hand in response. ¡°Ahem, nothing, nothing. I just suddenly choked on something¡­ However, where did you get this news from?¡± Why don¡¯t I herself know that I used such a method to enter the God Residence Realm? ¡°You don¡¯t know this either?¡± The expressions of He Ziji and the others became even weirder. He Zilan pouted lightly and said with contempt, ¡°Big Brother, only the people with statuses in the big dynasties would know about this. Who knows which isolated place they came from? It¡¯s normal for them not to know this.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± I have always been sharp-tongued, but I actually can¡¯t think of anything to argue against her now¡­ She touched her nose and ignored her own man¡¯s teasing gaze. ¡°We¡¯ve naturally heard of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Princess before.¡± Rong Xiu seemed to ignore He Zilan and laughed lightly. ¡°However, my wife and I were living in seclusion previously, so we really didn¡¯t hear of this before.¡± He Ziji knitted his brows slightly and looked at his own younger sister with a warning gaze. It¡¯s indeed overboard for us to say such a thing in front of them. Luckily, the other party did not seem to mind it. He Zilan grunted lightly, but she did not dare to be wilful. He Ziji paused for a moment. It seems like these two people really don¡¯t know anything¡­ He tentatively asked, ¡°Then¡­ do the two of you know about the God Residence Realm?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. He Ziji then heaved a sigh of relief. It isn¡¯t hard to explain if they know this. ¡°This is a long story. More than a year ago, the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s Princess, Shangguan Yue, broke through the realm gate and entered the God Residence Realm. Furthermore, rumors have it that she is prospering in the God Residence Realm, and everyone knows her name! Everyone naturally wants to go there and take after her. However, how can it be so easy to enter the God Residence Realm? Many people tried very hard but didn¡¯t have a way, until Yunzhou started to have these challenges, which finally gave everyone a rare chance. They said that it¡¯s as easy as ABC to break through to become a true god when you reach the God Residence Realm. Hence, everyone is rushing toward Yunzhou. Look, tomorrow is the third challenge, so the entire Yunzhou is bustling with people now.¡± It was very easy to understand such an explanation. However, Chu Liuyue still knitted her brows. That was because there was a crucial problem here. How did the news of me going to the God Residence Realm spread outside? I didn¡¯t purposely announce this matter, and not many people outside of the God Residence Realm know of this. How did it spread far and wide? There are even rumors of her doing extremely well in the God Residence Realm? Someone has purposely leaked this news, but¡­ What is their motive? If I didn¡¯t come to this place today, I might not even know that such a thing had happened outside the God Residence Realm. It shows that the other party¡¯s main target isn¡¯t her but cultivators like He Ziji and the rest! Chu Liuyue looked left and right and seemed to ask unintentionally, ¡°Since it¡¯s for cultivation, then why do only very young cultivators come here and not the rest?¡± He Ziji laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s naturally because only cultivators below 35 years of age can participate in the challenge! Besides, the younger you are, the more talented you are, and the easier it is to get good results in this challenge!¡± The rules are rather strange¡­ Chu Liuyue thought to herself secretly. Normally speaking, only an academy recruiting students or clans choosing disciples would have a restriction on the cultivator¡¯s age. I wonder what¡¯s going on with this challenge that has such a rule¡­ ¡°This is also why many young cultivators rushed over here,¡± said He Ziji. This was naturally the reason as to why they were here. Seeing that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were in deep thought, He Ziji thought that they were also tempted. Thus, he pointed to the front and said, ¡°There¡ªthat Taiyang Mountain is the venue for the challenge tomorrow. If the two of you want to participate, you can just go over there tomorrow.¡± Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue both used a fake alias. Rong Xiu slightly raised his brows. ¡°Directly go over?¡± ¡°Yeah! As long as you¡¯re not older than 35 and have a certain talent and capability, you just have to pass the guardian¡¯s test to participate in the challenge.¡± ¡°Guardian?¡± ¡°Yeah! The most outstanding batch of people from the challenge can follow the guardians into the God Residence Realm.¡± As He Ziji spoke, he looked very hopeful. This showed that he was filled of expectance toward this. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s expression turned meaningful. It seems like someone specifically organized this challenge. That¡¯s true. The other party purposely attracted so many talented cultivators, so they naturally have to make sufficient preparations. However, He Ziji and the rest did not notice Rong Xiu¡¯s thoughts, and they thought that he was considering whether to join the challenge. As they spoke, they arrived at an inn. The challenge was about to begin the next day, so they naturally had to rest today. He Ziji and the rest chose to stay here. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu were scared of trouble and stayed as well. After the two parties bade farewell, they returned to their own rooms. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡¯s room was on the third floor that faced the street. Pushing open the window, they could see the squeezing crowd on the streets. Looking from afar, they could see the houses on the streets and the¡­ tall Taiyang Mountain far away. Chu Liuyue crossed her arms, leaned against the window pane, and could not help but smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be continuous trouble here, but it¡¯s still like this when we came out. We¡¯ve left for so long, but someone is still thinking about us.¡± Rong Xiu poured a cup of tea, and the mist rose up, smearing his pretty eyes. ¡°Wife, you¡¯re too outstanding, so people keep thinking about you.¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good thing for so many people to think of me.¡± Someone purposely exposed her whereabouts, yet she did not even know who the other person was. She really did not like the feeling of the enemy being in the dark, while she was in the light. ¡°Besides¡­ I feel that Yunzhou¡¯s appearance is very strange.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and her thin and white nails gently brushed across the wooden window as her gaze flickered. ¡°Even though this city looks quite old, many places here look renovated. See, even the paint on this window pane was added not long ago. However, the workmanship is quite detailed.¡± Everything looked clean and ancient. Most people really could not tell. Besides, most of those who came were cultivators to join the challenge, so who would care about this? Rong Xiu raised the teacup, looked down slightly, and placed it down in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Maybe¡­ it was not an accident that we came here from Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Chapter 1994 - 1994 Little Zhou, Little Zhou 1994 Little Zhou, Little Zhou Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°You mean¡­ that realm gate could directly connect to this place?¡± Rong Xiu smiled with deep meaning. ¡°We¡¯ll know whether it does when we go to Taiyang Mountain tomorrow.¡± ¡­ The entire Yunzhou was immersed in excitement and emotions. Early in the morning, Chu Liuyue was awakened by all sorts of noises outside. Outside the door, they could even hear a few familiar voices. ¡°¡­Big Brother, you really plan on calling the two of them to follow us?¡± asked He Zilan in dissatisfaction. ¡°I think that they don¡¯t even know what this challenge is, so they won¡¯t do well. Let¡¯s not bother about them!¡± She disliked the two of them very much. They clearly looked very normal in their appearance and clothes, but they did not respect or fear them at all when they saw them. She really did not know what was so good about them. He Ziji glanced at her. ¡°Why do you not understand the logic of having more friends means that you have more options in life?¡± ¡°How would I not understand? I think you¡¯re the foolish one, Big Brother! If they really participate in the challenge, they will be our direct opponents, right?¡± Who would find opponents for themselves? He Ziji shook his head and did not plan on convincing her. His younger sister did not have any ill intentions, but she was wilful and narrow-minded. So many people came to attend the challenge, and they had many opponents! Adding one or two people would not affect the results much. On the other hand, if they pulled the two over to their side, they might even have a higher chance of winning in the final competition. He felt that the duo¡¯s statuses were not so ordinary. Thinking of this, He Ziji walked over. The moment he raised his hand and prepared to knock, the door was pulled open from the inside. A tall figure appeared before him. ¡°Brother Baili, y-you¡¯re awake already?¡± He Ziji stopped his movements. It seems like he probably heard what we said earlier. He Ziji felt very awkward. Rong Xiu just nodded with a normal expression. ¡°My wife and I also plan on going to Taiyang Mountain today.¡± He Ziji sized Rong Xiu up and saw that the latter didn¡¯t seem to want to pursue the matter, so he could not help but heave a secret sigh of relief. For some reason, he always felt respectful and fearful in front of this man. Even if the other party had been so polite and well-mannered, the natural dignity and suppression that seemed to come from his bones were still hard to ignore. ¡°T-then, why don¡¯t we go together? We can take care of each other there. Brother Baili, what do you think of this?¡± asked He Ziji nervously. ¡°That would be great.¡± Chu Liuyue came from behind and smiled sweetly. He Ziji was dazed for a moment. He did not notice this yesterday, but now that he saw her again today and that they were closer, he realized that the woman had a pair of extremely beautiful eyes. Especially when she smiled¡­ Once this thought flashed across his mind, Rong Xiu half-turned around and stretched out his hand toward Chu Liuyue. He conveniently blocked He Ziji¡¯s gaze. He Ziji woke up from his shock as he immediately retracted his gaze, feeling secretly frustrated. It isn¡¯t like I haven¡¯t seen beautiful women in my life. This is too much of me. He took a step back. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go over there now. If not, there will be many people on the streets.¡± ¡­ Once they left, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu then realized what He Ziji meant. That was because there were even more people on the streets than the previous day. This was even early in the morning. In another while, it would really be bursting with people. Chu Liuyue looked at the bustling crowd and suddenly said, ¡°There really are many people coming. I¡¯m afraid many talents rushed over from all the dynasties right¡­¡± He Zilan snorted. ¡°Of course! As a cultivator, who doesn¡¯t want to pass through the realm gate, enter the God Residence Realm, and become a true god warrior?¡± Even though the chances were slim with many difficulties, quite a few people were still willing to sacrifice for it. As she spoke, she sized Chu Liuyue up and grunted, ¡°Someone like you has no chance at all!¡± When Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu came, they purposely lowered their own cultivation level. He Zilan just felt that their cultivation levels weren¡¯t high, so she did not really take them into her heart. Chu Liuyue was not angry about this and just laughed nonchalantly. My motive for this journey was originally different from theirs. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction, He Zilan felt that she landed her punch on cotton and was rather dispirited. She swiftly snorted coldly and did not speak again. But at this point, Chu Liuyue lightly said, ¡°This means that those who had good results in the previous challenges all entered the God Residence Realm?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± replied He Zilan definitely. If not, why would so many people come to Yunzhou? The questions this woman asks are really funny. Just as she planned to mock her further, she heard Chu Liuyue continue, ¡°Did those people come back after they entered the God Residence Realm?¡± He Zilan was dazed. Then, she looked at Chu Liuyue as if she were looking at a weird creature. ¡°Of course not! Who would come back again after going to the God Residence Realm?¡± The God Residence Realm was a place everyone wanted to go. If they had the chance to go there and break through to become a true god warrior, or someone even stronger¡ª Wasn¡¯t this what many cultivators desired? Who would come back? A dark glint flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes before it disappeared. He Zilan wanted to say something further, but He Ziji pinched her. Thus, she could only keep quiet. Then, the group of them did not really speak and went forward. ¡­ More and more people entered their surroundings. They were unassuming amidst the crowd. The few of them were like water droplets that entered the river current as they were dragged to Taiyang Mountain. After about an hour, they finally arrived at the place¡ªthe bottom of Taiyang Mountain. This place was spacious, and the crowd stood in groups. From afar, they looked like dark patches. There were 500 or 600 people at the least, and these people were considered rare talents outside the God Residence Realm. Even Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see so many young and talented cultivators gathered together,when she was in the Tianling Dynasty. They should be cultivators from various dynasties. But with so many of them gathered together, it was not noisy. Most of them did not really speak, and only a few whispered. The atmosphere had an unknown nervousness to it. Clearly, they all cared very much about the challenge that was about to begin. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze unintentionally yet intentionally swept across the crowd. Actually, she wanted to see if there was anyone from the Tianling Dynasty here¡­ She suddenly focused her gaze. A young man stood upright from outside the crowd. He was dressed in a loose, gray sack shirt, and didn¡¯t have any accessories on him. His originally slim figure became even thinner. His soft golden hair glowed faintly as the morning sun shone down. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Little Zhou! Chapter 1995 - 1995 Reject 1995 Reject Almost at the same time, Little Zhou detected her gaze and looked over. The moment he saw Chu Liuyue, he instantly widened his eyes slightly. Shock, surprise, disbelief¡­ Many emotions overwhelmed him! He instinctively raised his leg and planned to come over. Chu Liuyue silently shook her head. Little Zhou instantly understood and stopped in his tracks. Then, he forced himself to look away. I almost forgot. This is Yunzhou! Quite a few people were still watching him in the open and secretly. He definitely could not do anything rash now and cause trouble for her. Thinking of this, Little Zhou looked down slightly, as if nothing had happened. The entire thing happened in a heartbeat, and there was the squeezing crowd in between the two of them. Hence, even if someone noticed Little Zhou¡¯s momentary daze, they could not figure out what was going on. Chu Liuyue quickly retracted her gaze, but her heart still beat rapidly. She had never expected to bump into Little Zhou here! When she decided to go to the God Residence Realm, Little Zhou was still unconscious. Chu Liuyue could only leave him behind. Who knew that they would meet at this moment again!? She wondered how his health was, and why would he appear here alone. Countless doubts surfaced in her heart. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. Rong Xiu followed the direction of her gaze and instantly understood the reason for her reaction. He held her hand with a palm that had slight calluses. It was thick, powerful, and warm. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart gradually calmed down. Since everyone is here, there is no hurry to acknowledge each other. Let¡¯s see what exactly is going on with this Taiyang Mountain¡­ As she thought, an ear-piercing sound was heard! Chu Liuyue instinctively looked over and saw a figure jumping up from the peak of Taiyang Mountain! Detecting this commotion, everyone completely quietened down and looked up. Some people already could not conceal their emotions, and they looked at that person with admiration and respect. Chu Liuyue had a faint guess. This person might be¡ª Taiyang Mountain¡¯s guardian, Hong An, said, ¡°Greetings! I welcome all of you to take part in the challenge today!¡± As expected! Chu Liuyue came to a conclusion. This person is indeed the so-called guardian! She squinted slightly and sized that person up carefully. He floated in mid-air in the sky. He looked like he was in his thirties and was not tall, but his suppression was not to be ignored. True god! A thought surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Such a cultivation level is very common in the God Residence Realm, but it is the top existence here. As expected, once this suppression spread around, many cultivators below the mountain had a solemn expression. Their eyes were respectful and careful. This was that person¡¯s motive. Hong An surveyed the surroundings and revealed a look of satisfaction. His low and loud voice continued, ¡°The rules for this challenge are very simple! Whoever reaches Taiyang Mountain¡¯s peak first will win!¡± Chu Liuyue snorted in her heart. The rule is indeed simple. However, we don¡¯t know what they did to Taiyang Mountain¡­ ¡°Of course, if you want to participate in the challenge, you have to pass the inspection first!¡± As Hong An spoke, he whipped his sleeves! A palm-sized copper mirror instantly flew out of his sleeves! That copper mirror descended from the skies and grew with the wind! Zing! With a low sound, that copper mirror directly stuck itself to the ground! At this point, it reached the height of a person. The copper mirror had spots and looked very old. However, the crowd present looked very serious when they faced this object. They all understood that they had to pass this test. Whether they could join the challenge depended on this. If they could not pass the test, then their previous preparations were all for naught. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± A voice came from the crowd. Following this, a young man walked over. He looked nervous but even more excited and agitated. Under the crowd¡¯s gazes, he walked to the copper mirror step by step. Hong An said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can directly come and try!¡± That young man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved as he nodded, took a deep breath, and walked forward. Following that, he successfully stepped into the copper mirror. Chu Liuyue stood at the side and clearly saw that the young man¡¯s leg did go to the other side of the copper mirror. The mirror surface¡ªwhich looked rather yellow previously¡ªwas not like a water surface that gently shook without restriction. That young man was elated and continued walking forward. Almost in the blink of an eye, he successfully walked through that copper mirror! ¡°I passed! I passed!¡± he exclaimed excitedly. Hong An nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Very good. You can directly go up the mountain now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± That young man was encouraged and excitedly walked to the mountain. The forest was dense, and his figure quickly disappeared behind the trees. The crowd watched on with varying expressions. Some were envious, and others were jealous. Everyone continued forward. However, not everybody passed the copper mirror. Chu Liuyue watched on from the side and discovered that about one-fifth were rejected outside the copper mirror. This was akin to being eliminated. Seeing the defeated people, Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. ¡°I wonder what criteria that copper mirror has set¡­¡± However, this copper mirror looks very familiar. Chu Liuyue had a faint guess, but before she found clear evidence, she had to remain suspicious. ¡°Big Brother, let¡¯s go!¡± urged He Zilan. He Ziji took a deep breath in and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± At this moment, there was a commotion in front. Chu Liuyue looked over and instantly knitted her brows. Little Zhou stood before the copper mirror. Half his arm had passed through and could successfully enter. However, he lowered his head slightly and retracted his arm for some reason! This movement shocked everyone present. Hong An¡¯s expression froze slightly. ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 1996 - 1996 Warning 1996 Warning Little Zhou retracted his hand, took a step back, and said nonchalantly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to participate in this challenge anymore. I¡¯m leaving.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was shocked. The crowd instantly fell into an awkward silence. Quite a few people glanced at each other awkwardly. What kind of situation is this? He can quit just because he doesn¡¯t want to participate? Half his arm has already reached in, yet he wants to quit? This is too casual! Hong An clearly did not expect Little Zhou to say such a thing, and his expression became colder. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Many cultivators wanted to join the challenge. It was still his first time seeing someone undergo the challenge halfway and quitting. Besides, it was when he clearly could pass the inspection. ¡°It¡¯s good that he quit! Then, we¡¯ll have one less competitor!¡± ¡°Yeah! If he doesn¡¯t want to join, there are many other people here!¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him!¡± ¡­ All sorts of discussions came softly. Little Zhou¡¯s expression faltered a little. He pressed his lips against each other. After a moment, he seemed to say hesitantly, ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Then, he took a few steps back and made way. His words drew laughter from the crowd. Think again? Who does he think he is to act so high and mighty? That guardian¡¯s temper isn¡¯t that easy to deal with! Hong An furrowed his brows and felt annoyed. He had never met with such a situation before. Those who came here were all that pursued cultivation. Who would be so hesitant? Just as he was about to scold Little Zhou, his gaze suddenly focused. That young man¡­ is actually a stage-nine warrior? And it seems like he is a step away from breaking through to become a true god! It seems like he also isn¡¯t too old¡­ Amongst these people, he is considered the top few! Thinking of this, he swallowed the words by his mouth. If I really let him go, it would be quite a major loss¡­ Hong An hesitated for a moment before relaxing his expression. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give you more time to consider.¡± The crowd burst into an uproar. Clearly, none of them expected Hong An to really let it go and give that young man a chance to go back on his word! Upon hearing this, Little Zhou¡¯s intricately pretty face did not look too shocked as he nodded. ¡°Carry on!¡± With Hong An¡¯s command, the others ignored Little Zhou and started queueing up for the test. The procedures later went on smoothly. He Zilan and He Ziji successfully passed, but the remaining people that came with them were all eliminated. Then, He Ziji turned around to look at Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. He was also very curious as to whether these two people would pass. Rong Xiu walked to the front. He walked forward with a normal expression, and the copper mirror surface flowed past his body like water. With one lunge, he stepped across the copper mirror and passed successfully. Chu Liuyue followed Rong Xiu¡ªit was her turn after him. Thinking of Little Zhou¡¯s previous reaction, Chu Liuyue squinted slightly and became alerted. Little Zhou wouldn¡¯t do this without reason. He has his own considerations and is also warning me! Chu Liuyue lowered her suppression and walked forward. Whir! The moment she touched that copper mirror, her heart rang! The water droplet quietly floating in her dantian seemed to be triggered by some force and started to turn! Luckily, Chu Liuyue was already prepared previously, and she forcefully stopped the flow of her surrounding force first. The ripples were suppressed in this manner forcefully. Her hand successfully passed through the water-like surface. Then, she took a step forward and successfully passed it. The entire process happened in a few moments. From start to end, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression did not change at all and was as calm as usual. Nobody knew what she had experienced at that moment. Rong Xiu reached out toward her. When his warm and dry hand held hers, Chu Liuyue then realized that her palm was already wet. Rong Xiu¡¯s finger rubbed the back of her hand lightly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart gradually calmed down. She looked at that copper mirror with a complicated gaze. There was an extremely strange force inside. When she passed by that area, she clearly felt that someone seemed to be inspecting her. That feeling sent a chill down her spine. However, the surrounding people clearly did not notice this change. The people who passed were all elated. Those who failed were regretful. Chu Liuyue looked down slightly and thought to herself. Little Zhou should¡¯ve also detected the existence of the strange force earlier, so¡­ ¡°Brother Baili, I heard that Taiyang Mountain is very dangerous. When we go up the mountain, we can take care of each other. What do you think?¡± He Ziji clearly waited here for such a plan. Even though He Zilan was upset, seeing that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue had passed the test, she couldn¡¯t say anything further. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue exchanged glances for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡± After discussing, the few of them went to the mountain. They were not fast and quickly entered the forest. After walking for a distance, Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look. Within the dense forest, one could still see the copper mirror. When she turned around, Little Zhou coincidentally passed through the copper mirror successfully. Everything seemed about the same as other people. However, he did not group with anybody and came alone. He stood in one spot for a moment and then chose to go up the mountain himself. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡­ Fifteen minutes quickly passed. Chu Liuyue and the rest were walking in the mountain, but they didn¡¯t meet with any situation. The wind blew across the trees and made rustling noises. ¡°This place doesn¡¯t seem to be as dangerous as they said,¡± muttered He Zilan softly. To think I was nervous for so long. ¡°We just came in. We¡¯ll only know later on if there¡¯s danger or not.¡± However, He Ziji¡¯s expression was very solemn. ¡°Young Master He, you previously said that the challenge lasts for a month?¡± asked Chu Liuyue suddenly. ¡°Although this Taiyang Mountain is very tall, we shouldn¡¯t take that long to climb the mountain, right?¡± Even a normal person with not much cultivation could finish climbing it in two or three days. It would be even faster if it were cultivators. Even if there were some obstacles and perilous situations in between, a month was really too long. He Ziji said, ¡°That¡¯s because this is only half of the challenge!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re right. Normally, climbing up the mountain only requires a few days, and the order of reaching the top decides your rank in the challenge. But after that, everyone has to stay on the peak for a month before the guardians bring people into the God Residence Realm.¡± Chapter 1997 - 1997 Taken 1997 Taken ¡°Oh? Why is that so?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°Since the ranking of the challenge is already out after reaching the top of the mountain, why should they make everyone wait here for a month?¡± If they really wanted to bring them to the God Residence Realm, they could¡¯ve just gone there directly. Why did they have to go through so much trouble? He Ziji was stunned. ¡°Because¡­ Because this was a rule set from the beginning¡­¡± No reason. Ever since they found out about the existence of this challenge, the rules had been set. This was like an agreement, and no one would get to the bottom of it. Since the guardian said so, they did so. It was as simple as that. Previously, He Ziji hadn¡¯t thought about this question, but he was confused when he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s question. However, he couldn¡¯t figure it out either. After thinking about it and not getting any answers, He Ziji scratched his head. ¡°This¡­ I guess they have to make preparations to pass through the realm gate with so many people?¡± Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu came from the God Residence Realm, so they naturally knew that this guess was impossible. Then, this matter was obviously even more problematic. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A scream suddenly sounded, breaking the silence. The few of them turned around and saw a few people running over in a panic. All of them had panicked expressions and were covered in blood. Clearly, they had just experienced a fierce battle. Roar! Behind them, a Gray-Winged Demon Wolf was rapidly approaching! The forest was dense, and it couldn¡¯t use its full strength. But as a ninth-grade fiend, its speed was still very shocking! The few of them were in a sorry state after being chased by it. ¡°Save us! Please!¡± the young man running at the front shouted in panic. He Zilan grabbed her brother¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Big Brother, this is a competition! How can we help others?¡± It was fine if they were close to their own people, but why should they save these people who they didn¡¯t know? ¡°Besides, they brought danger to us!¡± He Ziji nodded. Although he had always been enthusiastic, he knew when to score. He didn¡¯t want to die because of this. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He Ziji shouted and turned around without hesitation. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu naturally didn¡¯t want to interfere. They had already decided not to make a move here if they could. As long as they successfully reached the top of the mountain, they would find out what they were up to. Seeing that the few of them had turned around and left without any intention of helping, a trace of despair flashed across their eyes. ¡ªIn this challenge, there was an unspoken rule: Once you participate in the challenge, your life and death won¡¯t matter! If he died here, he would have died in vain! Even though it was dangerous, there were still countless cultivators rushing forward. This was because in this world, the strong were respected! However, Chu Liuyue had just taken a few steps when she suddenly stood still and looked back again. Rong Xiu stopped and followed her line of sight. With this glance, he also sensed that something was wrong, and his expression changed slightly. The duo stopped what they were doing and quickly attracted He Ziji¡¯s attention. His eyes widened slightly as he asked in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re not really planning to help, are you? This is a challenge!¡± Those people are all our opponents! Of course, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to help. She just felt that there was something wrong with the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf. At the thought of this, she took a step forward and flicked her wrist! A snow-white stream of light quickly streaked across the sky and headed straight for the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf! Swoosh! The sound of a sharp blade piercing into flesh made one¡¯s teeth ache. Then, there was a muffled sound. Thump! The Gray-Winged Demon Wolf fell heavily to the ground! Between its brows, a dagger as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing was almost completely submerged! Dark red and sweet blood slowly gushed out. The Gray-Winged Demon Wolf¡¯s eyeballs bulged, and its expression was ferocious. However, there was still no sign of life. In the end, its head tilted to the side, and it died. He Ziji and He Zilan were shocked. One move! This woman actually only used one move to kill the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf? This means that not only did her dagger pierce the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf¡¯s forehead, but it also shattered its beast core! What kind of strength is this? He Ziji had long thought that these two people might be much more powerful than they looked. But when he saw this scene, he was still shocked. In any case, he knew that he didn¡¯t have the ability to do so. He Zilan also shivered, and the way she looked at Chu Liuyue changed drastically. She had no doubt that if the other party wanted to, she could definitely use the same method to easily take her life! After all, she couldn¡¯t even defeat this Gray-Winged Demon Wolf! Recalling her previous offenses, He Zilan broke out in a cold sweat. However, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t in the mood to care about these two people as she walked over. Rong Xiu walked side by side with her. The few people who had just escaped from the danger were all stunned on the spot. They looked at the corpse of the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf and couldn¡¯t recover for a long time. The Gray-Winged Demon Wolf that almost took our lives died just like that? It was only when they heard footsteps that they came back to their senses. ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± The young man who shouted for help looked at Chu Liuyue gratefully. The remaining few people hurriedly thanked her. However, they looked like they were in a sorry state. Chu Liuyue ignored them and walked straight to the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf¡¯s side. She bent down and pulled out her dagger. The bright and sharp dagger wasn¡¯t stained with blood at all. She turned her gaze and looked at the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf. When they didn¡¯t get a response, those people felt a little awkward. But when they thought about how their lives had been saved by someone else, they were still very grateful. ¡°May I know your names? In the future¡­¡± ¡°Go down the mountain,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly as she stood up. ¡°¡­What?¡± The few of them were stunned and looked at each other. Does this mean¡­ that she wants us to withdraw from the challenge? That¡¯s true. If she hadn¡¯t taken action, we would definitely not have been able to continue participating in the challenge. Besides, in our current state, we probably won¡¯t be able to pass. ¡°Then¡­¡± The youth in the lead spoke hesitantly. He wanted to find out Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity so that he could repay her in the future. However, Chu Liuyue only lazily waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I didn¡¯t intend to save you anyway.¡± These words were hard to accept. Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t want to say anything to them, the few of them didn¡¯t continue pestering her. After thanking her seriously again, they headed down the mountain. The few of them quickly disappeared. He Ziji and He Zilan looked at each other in confusion. If she asked those people to leave the challenge because she wanted to reduce a few opponents for herself¡­ That doesn¡¯t seem to make sense. With her strength, it¡¯s obvious that she doesn¡¯t take these people seriously. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes and gazed at the faint mark on the wolf¡¯s neck. This Gray-Winged Demon Wolf had an owner. Chapter 1998 - 1998 Number One 1998 Number One More importantly, this seemed to be the kind that was specially tamed. It was slightly different from ordinary contracted fiends. The wound on the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf¡¯s neck had already healed. Moreover, it was covered very tightly by its fur. If one didn¡¯t get close enough to take a closer look, they wouldn¡¯t notice it at all. Judging from the marks and condition of the scar, it should be quite deep. This Gray-Winged Demon Wolf must have suffered a lot. Outside the God Residence Realm, if one can contract ninth-grade fiends, they would be overjoyed. Who would be so ruthless? Unless the other party didn¡¯t take this ninth-grade Gray-Winged Demon Wolf seriously at all. He Ziji and He Zilan glanced at each other, feeling a little strange. They didn¡¯t understand why Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu kept staring at the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf¡¯s corpse. But when they thought of the strength she had displayed just now, the waves in their hearts still couldn¡¯t calm down. She must have her own reasons for doing this¡­ ¡°Looks like this Taiyang Mountain is indeed not very peaceful.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up as he smiled slightly. Chu Liuyue glanced at him and knew that the two of them were thinking the same thing. She nodded and smiled back.¡±Yeah, but this trip was worth it.¡± She looked toward the top of the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I wonder what other surprises are waiting for us up there!¡± ¡­ Just like that, the few of them continued to advance toward the top of the mountain. Perhaps it was because she still had lingering fears from the scene just now, but He Zilan didn¡¯t dare to be impudent anymore. She ran to her brother¡¯s side and followed him without saying a word. She looked at Chu Liuyue from time to time. Her eyes were filled with curiosity and inquiry, as well as a trace of envy and jealousy. This woman looks to be less than 20 years old. Her entire body is ordinary, and there is nothing eye-catching about her. However, who would¡¯ve thought that her strength would be so great the moment she attacked¡­ With such standards, she will probably be ranked in the top few in this challenge. As for her husband, although he had yet to make a move, He Zilan no longer dared to underestimate them. Without He Zilan¡¯s noisy voice, the surroundings instantly became much quieter. He Ziji wanted to ask a few questions, but in the end, he chose to give up. These two people are probably stronger than I had expected¡­ The few of them walked quietly. Perhaps it was because Chu Liuyue had the bloody aura of a Gray-Winged Demon Wolf on her, which was rather intimidating, but they didn¡¯t encounter any trouble for the next hour. Swoosh! A piercing sound was heard all of a sudden! The few of them stopped at the same time. He Ziji was the first to speak warily. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± A moment later, a figure appeared in their line of sight. Chu Liuyue confirmed it in her heart. Little Zhou! He was extremely fast, and his movement technique was agile. With a few leaps in the forest, he had already arrived not far from them. Then, he stopped on a tree and looked up at them. He Ziji and his sister immediately became nervous. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Wasn¡¯t this the youth who had been hesitating in front of the bronze mirror? He was extremely beautiful and exquisite. His soft golden short hair was even more unforgettable. They had a deep impression of him, so they recognized him at first glance. ¡°What do you want?¡± He Ziji sensed the strong smell of blood on the young man¡¯s body and frowned. However, Little Zhou ignored him and only glanced at him indifferently. Then, he turned around and broke a thumb-thick branch from the tree before throwing it out! Right on the heels of that, a short, painful cry came from not far away. He Ziji and He Zilan¡¯s expression changed. This is a human voice! Is he killing someone? But after a short period of shock, they quickly accepted this fact. That was because life and death didn¡¯t matter in the challenge of Taiyang Mountain! Competition and even killing were allowed! It was no wonder that people died here. They could only blame themselves for not being strong enough! But¡­ Little Zhou casually threw a tree branch and killed a cultivator¡­ Such strength was really not to be underestimated! Little Zhou turned around. Just as He Ziji thought that he was coming over, Little Zhou retracted his gaze and left quickly. The thin figure completely disappeared into the forest after a while. ¡°¡­He left just like that?¡± He Zilan let out a long breath. ¡°I thought he was coming over to fight us!¡± He Ziji felt relieved. ¡°We have the advantage in numbers. He shouldn¡¯t dare to act recklessly.¡± As he spoke, he glanced at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. For some reason, he had a vague feeling that the reason why the young man didn¡¯t come over just now was due to these two people¡­ Perhaps it was because of some kind of fear? But no matter what, they managed to avoid trouble. The youth¡¯s strength is clearly above ours. At the thought of this, He Ziji felt bitter. He had long heard that those who came to Yunzhou to participate in the challenge were all top geniuses, each of them extraordinary. However, he didn¡¯t expect that the few people he encountered were actually stronger than him! Originally, he was quite confident in himself. Now, not long after the challenge began, his confidence was almost shattered. This small interlude didn¡¯t seem to affect them much. After Little Zhou left, they quickly continued forward. ¡­ On the way, they encountered a few more troubles. But in Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, they were nothing. The two of them didn¡¯t even do much. Most of them were handed over to He Ziji and He Zilan. The talent and strength of these two siblings were actually not bad, even if they couldn¡¯t be compared to Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡­ Of course, this comparison was very hooligan-like. During this process, Chu Liuyue placed more of her attention on the fiends that appeared in the forest. Later on, they encountered two more ninth-grade fiends. Without exception, they also had similar wounds on their bodies like the Gray-Winged Demon Wolf. Clearly, someone had reared fiends and deliberately released them at this time. As for the purpose¡­ It was obvious! They just wanted to quickly screen these participants! ¡­ Two days quickly passed. On the morning of the third day, a clear and melodious whistle sounded from the top of the mountain! Chu Liuyue looked up. At this moment, they were already two-thirds of the way up the mountain. They could barely see the figure of Hong An hovering above the mountaintop. For the past few days, he had been there keeping watch¡ªor rather, monitoring the entire process of the competition. ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s already at the top,¡± said Rong Xiu softly as he raised his brows. He Ziji and his sister looked disappointed. It was a pity that we couldn¡¯t get first place. He Ziji thought about it and finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Brother Baili, you guys clearly have a chance to fight for first place. Why¡­¡± Chapter 1999 - 1999 Secret Exploration 1999 Secret Exploration Why are they deliberately stalling for time? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re first or not. As long as you¡¯re the first batch to go, you¡¯ll pass the challenge, right?¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted him with a smile. ¡°It was a coincidence that we came to participate in this challenge. We don¡¯t have much of an obsession with getting first place. As long as the final outcome is the same, nothing else matters, right?¡± He Ziji was speechless. He could tell that the other party was sincere; they really didn¡¯t care about first place. Perhaps this is the confidence based on strength¡­ He Ziji felt emotional, envious, and relieved at the same time. Actually, they were right. As long as they could get the last spot, it didn¡¯t matter if they could get first place. ¡°Since someone has already arrived, this challenge should be ending soon.¡± Rong Xiu glanced at his spouse. ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± ¡­ After making this decision, their speed quickly increased. They didn¡¯t encounter any more trouble on the way, and the journey was smooth. About two hours later, they finally arrived at the top of the mountain. At this moment, there were already seven or eight people standing at the mountain peak. Little Zhou was also among them. Seeing the four of them appear at the same time, the people on the mountaintop were slightly stunned. Almost all of them came up alone. At most, two of them came together. There had never been a situation where four people arrived together. ¡°The four of you actually arrived together?¡± Hong An had already descended from the sky, recording the rankings one by one. When he saw the few of them, his eyes flashed with surprise. ¡°I remember that you started at the foot of the mountain together, right?¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu had no intention of speaking, He Ziji hurriedly said, ¡°Yes.¡± Hong An sized them up. These four people don¡¯t seem to be injured, and their bodies are only stained with sporadic blood. There are others who have joined forces, but there are very few who can all rush up. It seems that their strength isn¡¯t bad. Hong An¡¯s expression became more fervent. ¡°Congratulations on passing the challenge. Then, tell me your names one by one!¡± He Ziji was the first to go forward and report his name and age. He Zilan followed closely behind. Lastly, Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue naturally used fake names. But when she was reporting her age, Chu Liuyue suddenly had an idea and changed the answer she had prepared previously. ¡°Seventeen.¡± Upon hearing this, Hong An¡¯s eyes lit up, and he carefully sized Chu Liuyue up again. ¡°You¡¯re only 17?¡± Chu Liuyue looked like she was about 20 years old. Now that she suddenly said ¡¯17,¡¯ she immediately looked much younger. Actually, the difference between a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old girl didn¡¯t seem too big. Although the people around him were a little surprised, they didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. However, Hong An seemed to be exceptionally happy. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue responded and asked unintentionally, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Hong An chuckled. ¡°No, no! I just feel that 17 years old¡­ You really have an unlimited future!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly, as if she believed this sentence. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s still some time before the end. You guys can rest at the side first.¡± Hong An¡¯s attitude was clearly better than before, and this was only because he heard that Chu Liuyue was younger than expected. Being 17 years old meant that she was the youngest one here at the moment. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes to hide the ripples in her eyes. She softly acknowledged him and left. Many gazes landed on them. Chu Liuyue pretended not to see it. After retreating to the side, she started waiting calmly. ¡­ After another four hours, it was noon. People came up one after another. When the 50th person arrived, Hong An finally put away the booklet in his hand. At the same time, he blew the whistle again! This sound meant that those who had yet to arrive had all been eliminated! Some people were only a short distance away from the top of the mountain. After hearing this, they all revealed shocked and vexed expressions. However, the outcome had already been decided, and no one could change it. After wandering around for a while, these people finally returned. The people who remained on the mountaintop were naturally overjoyed. Passing the challenge meant that they could enter the God Residence Realm! After making sure that no one else was around, Hong An looked at the people in front of him. There was an appreciative smile on his face. ¡°First of all, congratulations to everyone for passing the challenge! This also means that you¡¯re one step closer to the higher level!¡± It was just a few sentences, but many people were excited. The excitement on their faces was much greater than when they were at the foot of the mountain. ¡°However, everyone should know that after this, we still need to wait here for a month before heading to the God Residence Realm. During this period of time, everyone can recuperate here and continue cultivating. After a month, we will naturally set off!¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be any problem with that. Everyone was very happy when they heard this. ¡°So the reason we¡¯re staying here for this period of time is to adjust our condition to the best!¡± He Ziji looked relieved. Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. Chu Liuyue smiled. If only it were that simple. Unfortunately¡­ Hong An is indeed up to no good. Most of us are indeed injured, but our injuries aren¡¯t very serious. Such injuries can be completely healed in a few days. Why would we need a month? Chu Liuyue found a seat at the edge and sat cross-legged. Rong Xiu took the opportunity to sit beside her. The others also found a place to stay one after another, planning to wait for a month. Little Zhou didn¡¯t come over to greet Chu Liuyue and the rest. Instead, he sat alone on Chu Liuyue¡¯s right. As long as he looked up, he could see the other party. The top of Taiyang Mountain seemed to have been cut off by something. It was very flat and wide, and it was more than enough to accommodate all of them. Everyone dispersed and sat down. After exchanging a few pleasantries, everyone fell silent. Some people began to try to heal their injuries. Some were absorbing the Heaven and Earth Force to cultivate. In short, everything looked normal. After Hong An counted the people, he rose into the air again. Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced at them. Why did he go up again at this time? She kept feeling that this condescending attitude was a little arrogant and strange. It even¡­ vaguely made her feel like she was being watched. In the end, Chu Liuyue suppressed her thoughts and gently closed her eyes. ¡­ Time flowed silently, and the mountain wind blew. Twilight fell, and the full moon hung high in the sky. A hint of coldness swept over. Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes. The force in her body was flowing away quietly! Chapter 2000 - 2000 Ghost 2000 Ghost This feeling was very subtle. If she didn¡¯t have the Tianjing Yuan meridian and was extremely sensitive to force, she probably wouldn¡¯t have discovered that something was wrong so quickly. She subconsciously moved and was about to get up. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice suddenly sounded and landed clearly in her ears. Chu Liuyue immediately restrained herself. At this moment, it was indeed not good to alert the enemy. She looked around without batting an eyelid. The surroundings were completely silent. Everyone was in their positions. Nothing seemed wrong. Most of them shouldn¡¯t have realized that their force is flowing away¡­ After looking around, Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and stared at the ground in front of her. The flat and rough mountain rocks were grayish-white. Under the moonlight, they reflected a faint phosphorescence. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything unusual about this light. However, the force that flowed out of her body flowed into the mountain rock beneath her. There was obviously something down here. After thinking for a moment, Chu Liuyue bent her fingers slightly and flicked them lightly. ¡°Ah!¡± He Zilan suddenly exclaimed and jumped up. ¡°Who hit me?!¡± The scream spread and immediately woke up the others present. Everyone looked over. All of a sudden, this happened out of nowhere. Anyone would be shocked. Hong An was resting with his eyes closed. When he heard the commotion, he immediately opened his eyes. He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Originally, everything was going well, but who knew that it would be interrupted like this!? Since he was in a bad mood, his expression naturally didn¡¯t look good. Hearing his dignified voice, He Zilan immediately became nervous, and her voice subconsciously became much softer. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Someone ambushed me just now¡­¡± ¡°Who ambushed you?¡± Hong An looked around. Everyone is in their positions. Sneak attack? It doesn¡¯t seem right. ¡°Yes¡­ I-I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± He Zilan was originally cultivating when she suddenly felt a pain in her lower back. She was shocked and subconsciously thought that someone had attacked her. When Hong An asked, she answered without thinking. But now that she had calmed down, she felt that something was wrong. She had no enmity with the people here. Who would lay their hands on her, and in front of so many people? Most importantly, she couldn¡¯t tell where that power came from. In that case, it would be difficult for her to identify the culprit. ¡°Hm?¡± Hong An¡¯s face was filled with impatience. He Zilan became even more timid and panicked for a moment. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± Hong An¡¯s expression turned even uglier. Afraid that he would blame her, He Zilan hurriedly said, ¡°B-but I¡¯m really injured, Lord Hong An!¡± Hong An narrowed his eyes. ¡°Where are you hurt?¡± He Zilan blushed and muttered, ¡°I¡­ I¡­ hurt my waist¡­¡± In the end, she was still a young girl. She was still a little embarrassed to say this in front of so many people. However, she had injured her waist, so there was no way to check. He couldn¡¯t possibly ask her to take off her clothes and check her injuries, right? Whether it was true or not, no one could tell. Hong An scrutinized her. ¡°How are your injuries?¡± From the looks of it, even if she is really injured, it shouldn¡¯t be very serious. All eyes were on He Zilan, making her feel uneasy. ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­¡± It was so painful that it was probably purple. However, this was indeed not a serious injury. From the looks of it, it seemed like she was making a mountain out of a molehill and deliberately causing trouble¡­ Hong An said in a deep voice, ¡°Since you¡¯re fine, just stay here. Even if you don¡¯t want to cultivate properly, don¡¯t delay others!¡± These words were a little harsh. He Zilan bit her lip with grievances. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He Ziji hurriedly said, ¡°Lord Hong An, don¡¯t be angry. My sister has been spoiled by her family. She¡¯s easily shocked when something happens, but she doesn¡¯t have any other bad intentions. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely teach her a lesson, and she won¡¯t do it again!¡± Hong An glanced at him. ¡°Remember what you said. If you can¡¯t stay, you can leave. You have to know that even if you¡¯ve passed the challenge now, you might not be suitable to enter the God Residence Realm. In the past, it¡¯s not like people haven¡¯t been eliminated again in the one-month period.¡± His words were filled with warning and threat. Instantly, everyone present became alert. He Ziji broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Y-yes!¡± As he spoke, he hurriedly pulled his sister to sit down. The farce seemed to have ended just like that. Chu Liuyue turned her head slightly and softly asked, ¡°Just now¡­ What exactly happened?¡± He Zilan was feeling aggrieved, but when she heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s question, she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°Someone really ambushed me just now! They injured me!¡± He Ziji berated in a low voice, ¡°Zilan, stop talking! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve caused enough trouble?¡± It wasn¡¯t easy for us to pass the challenge. We can¡¯t let everything go to waste and be chased down the mountain at this time! After being shouted at by him, the grievances in He Zilan¡¯s heart instantly erupted. She couldn¡¯t help but cry. Even Big Brother doesn¡¯t believe me anymore! Chu Liuyue blinked and said even more softly, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s lying¡­ But everyone stayed in their positions. Who could have attacked you?¡± He Zilan didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to speak up for her, and she instantly felt grateful. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. ¡°Who knows what¡¯s going on? In my opinion, there might be a problem with Taiyang Mountain!¡± Chapter 2001 - 2001 Farce 2001 Farce ¡°Zilan!¡± He Ziji¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly went up to cover her mouth. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!?¡± How could she say such things so casually? He Zilan blurted out that sentence and immediately regretted it. She hurriedly gazed at Hong An. But at this time, Hong An had already closed his eyes as if he were deep in thought, not paying attention to the situation here. After confirming that he had no intention of pursuing the matter, He Ziji heaved a sigh of relief. His entire back was drenched in cold sweat. He Zilan¡¯s tears fell on the back of his hand, making him angry and heartbroken, but he couldn¡¯t vent his anger. ¡°¡­Zilan, this isn¡¯t your home. I can¡¯t let you be wilful! You must be careful with your words and actions in the future, understand?¡± He Zilan nodded while crying. At this moment, she also realized the seriousness of the matter. Chu Liuyue smiled and said gently, ¡°That¡¯s right. This is Taiyang Mountain¡ªhow can there be a problem? It must be a misunderstanding.¡± He Ziji glanced at her gratefully. Initially, he felt that this woman¡¯s personality was a little cold. He didn¡¯t expect the latter to speak up for him at this time. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s fine as long as everyone is safe.¡± After saying that, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡­ Everything seemed to have returned to normal. However, He Zilan¡¯s words were heard by many people around her. Some people secretly exchanged glances, feeling a little suspicious and uneasy. He Zilan doesn¡¯t look like she is lying. After all, creating such rumors isn¡¯t beneficial to her. Why would she have to be so thankless? However, her situation is indeed a little strange. If the people present didn¡¯t make a move, who else could it be? Could there really be a problem with this Taiyang Mountain? On the surface, this farce had indeed subsided, but many people had planted seeds of doubt in their hearts. First, it was He Zilan. Who knew if such a thing would happen again in the future? Whose turn would it be? Moreover, they might even be hit harder¡­ Their minds were a mess, so they were no longer in the mood to heal and cultivate. An inexplicable sense of unwillingness and anxiety quietly surged among the people at the top of the mountain. ¡­ Hong An frowned and finally opened his eyes, looking down. With this commotion, all my previous preparations are in vain¡­ He was furious, but he couldn¡¯t flare up. These people aren¡¯t stupid. Once they realize that something is wrong, they will definitely react quickly. Therefore, I have to be more careful. Even if I am delayed, I can only accept it. At most, I will make up for it later¡­ After persuading himself like this, Hong An¡¯s mood finally calmed down. ¡­ However, this peace didn¡¯t last long. Four hours later, the same thing happened again! But this time, the person who was ¡®sneak attacked¡¯ was a young man in his twenties. His shoulder blade was cracked. Moreover, he didn¡¯t know who did it. The first time might have been a misunderstanding, but this time, there was no way to explain it like this. Moreover, the injuries this time were even more serious than before! Seeing the young man sitting on the ground with a pained expression and breathing in pain, everyone¡¯s hearts sank. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on? Once, twice¡­ Will there be a third time, or even more?¡± ¡°Who can say for sure¡­ If the culprit becomes even more ferocious in the future, I¡¯m afraid people¡¯s injuries will become more and more serious, or even¡­¡± ¡°Could there really be something fishy about Taiyang Mountain?¡± Everyone discussed spiritedly. Many people already wanted to investigate Taiyang Mountain. Hong An¡¯s suppressed anger surged in his chest. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Taiyang Mountain! Someone is definitely up to something!¡± After what had happened, he could no longer stay high and mighty. He could only return to the top of the mountain. He walked to the youth¡¯s side and personally checked but found nothing. This gave Hong An a headache. Actually, he had been paying close attention to the situation on the mountaintop. However, he didn¡¯t notice how this happened at all! It was as if the force of the sneak attack had suddenly appeared out of thin air! However, this was too wrong! If the people present did anything, they would definitely not be able to escape his eyes! Yet, he didn¡¯t discover anything! Hong An asked the person beside him to bandage the young man¡¯s wound. It was quiet all around. After this happened twice in a row, everyone felt very uneasy. He Zilan couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°¡­Big Brother, I told you that there¡¯s something wrong with this place¡­ I¡¯m really not talking nonsense. Look at this¡­¡± What if this is just the beginning? Who knows what will happen afterward? He Ziji frowned and glanced at his sister, indicating for her to stop talking. But even if He Zilan didn¡¯t say it, everyone present already had the same thought. Hong An stood up and thought for a moment before waving his sleeves! A huge red barrier instantly enveloped everyone. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t make wild guesses! Now that we¡¯ve set up a barrier, the same thing will definitely not happen again. Just continue to rest,¡± Hong An said in a deep voice. But at this moment, these words were clearly useless. Everyone was still standing in their spots, not daring to sit down or rest or cultivate. It didn¡¯t feel safe. Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°This brother is injured. He shouldn¡¯t be able to stay any longer. Should we send him down the mountain?¡± His voice was calm, but it instantly reminded everyone. Yeah! A fractured shoulder blade indeed has a huge impact. Under such circumstances, Hong An actually didn¡¯t ask him to leave at all? Chapter 2002 - 2002 Go Forward 2002 Go Forward Hong An furrowed his brows and then quickly relaxed them. ¡°It¡¯s just a small wound. You¡¯ll recover in about ten to fifteen days.¡± As he spoke, he looked at the injured young man. ¡°You can choose if you want to go down the mountain now and give up on the chance of entering the God Residence Realm, or to continue persisting.¡± Chu Liuyue sneered in her heart. This is so interesting. Those who have come here are naturally here for the God Residence Realm. He purposely said this to tempt the others. As expected, when the rather hesitant young man heard this, his expression instantly became more determined. ¡°I choose¡­ to stay.¡± Even though the injuries weren¡¯t minor, with proper cultivation, he could completely recover within a month. He passed the challenge with much difficulty and arrived at the peak of Taiyang Mountain. If he gave up now and chose to leave, he would be indignant. Hearing his answer, Hong An revealed a look of admiration. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s not easy if you want to become a strong warrior, so you have to put in an enormous amount of effort and pay a big price. If you become a coward because of a small incident and don¡¯t go forward, then you won¡¯t have a bright future!¡± With these continuous sentences, quite a few people¡¯s expressions changed. Wasn¡¯t this indirectly targeting them!? But Hong An¡¯s status was distinguished, and his words were logical, so the crowd fell silent. ¡°Okay! Everyone, stay here properly!¡± Hong An surveyed the surroundings and walked to the side with this sentence. This time, he did not go up again and stood not far away from the crowd. It seemed like he planned on guarding them even more strictly. The crowd could not say anything further, and they walked to their seats and waited quietly. He Zilan tugged her brother¡¯s sleeves and lowered her voice. ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t you feel like this place is very weird¡­ Why don¡¯t we go back?¡± He Ziji would naturally not agree. We¡¯ve prepared so long for this challenge and put in an inestimable amount of effort. How could we just give up? Seeing that his sister seemed rather fearful, He Ziji patted her hands and patiently advised, ¡°Okay, Zilan, don¡¯t think so much. Look, isn¡¯t Lord Hong An at the side? Nothing will happen.¡± He Zilan¡¯s lips moved. Seeing her own elder brother¡¯s determined expression, she knew that she could not convince him. Hence, she could only let it slide. ¡°Okay.¡± He Ziji stroked her head in comfort and retracted his gaze. However, this comfort could not reassure He Zilan. She looked down and rubbed her hands together. Big Brother doesn¡¯t know, but I am clear. Previously, someone definitely attacked me! Besides, the other party¡¯s abilities are definitely above mine. No, it should be above Hong An! Being able to avoid his surveillance and silently take action twice¡­ It is terrifying! Of course, I want to go to the God Residence Realm, but I have to be alive to get there! He Zilan was extremely frustrated, and her mind was a mess. She could not calmly cultivate and kept glancing toward the surroundings from time to time. And there were quite a few other people present who had the same thoughts as her. Those who could come here were not ordinary. Once they thought deeply about some things, they would faintly realize that it was amiss, and it would send a chill down their spines. The day gradually passed with everyone¡¯s discomfort and doubts. ¡­ Time flew past until the second night. Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged and closed her eyes lightly. When the bright moon rose, the sense of familiarity came again. This time, she was long prepared and instantly realized something was amiss the moment her force was absorbed. Her heart tingled. There is a Xuan formation beneath the mountain! It wasn¡¯t clear yesterday, but today¡¯s energy vortex was apparent! I wonder if it was originally like this or whether Hong An did something because he was worried. But no matter what, Chu Liuyue finally confirmed her previous guess. The corner of her lips curled up slightly, and a faint smile flashed across before it disappeared. ¡­ The moon was high in the sky, and the night breeze was cooling. Everyone¡¯s uneasy hearts finally relaxed slowly. It seems like yesterday¡¯s incident was really an accident¡­ However, they weren¡¯t happy for long as another young man¡¯s body shook, and he directly vomited blood! ¡°Shoo!¡± Thump! That young man¡¯s face flashed white as he directly collapsed on the ground with a thump! This was especially clear in the originally quiet mountain peak. ¡°Third Brother!¡± At the side, a young man¡ªwho looked slightly older¡ªwas instantly taken aback as he hurriedly went forward to help him up. ¡°Third Brother! What happened?¡± Everyone looked over. When they saw the messy bloodstains on the young man¡¯s face and body, their expressions changed. Hong An also immediately rushed over. ¡°What¡¯s happening!?¡± That young man supported his body, and his mouth was filled with blood as his face flushed white. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The moment he said these two words, he suddenly coughed. That disheveled appearance was frightening. The young man at the side took his pulse. Then, his expression turned ugly. ¡°Third Brother has internal injuries and probably won¡¯t recover without a month or two¡­¡± As he spoke, he directly tore that young man¡¯s clothes. Suddenly, an additional purplish-red mark appeared on his back! This was clearly a wound that had just appeared, and it was this force that caused his internal injuries. Upon hearing this, the young man¡¯s expression turned dark. One or two months was a positive outcome. Anyway, no matter what, he could not continue participating in this challenge. Wasn¡¯t it courting death if he went to the God Residence Realm with an injured body? Hong An¡¯s brows were knitted together, and there seemed to be a fire burning crazily in his heart! How did this happen? I stayed at the side the whole time and guarded very closely. Whenever those people moved, I would be the first to notice! But now, this matter just happened, and I didn¡¯t notice it at all! The surroundings were silent. The crowd¡¯s gazes shuttled back and forth between Hong An and that young man with varying emotions. Hong An felt that there were daggers on his back. There can be a first or a second but never a third! The same thing happened again, and it is even more serious than the previous time! Very clearly, the people present are already faltering. I definitely can¡¯t use the same perfunctory sayings as before. That young man hesitated for a moment, clenched his teeth, and said, ¡°Lord Hong An, I would like to bring my Third Brother down the mountain. His injury cannot be delayed any further¡­¡± That young man instantly stopped him. ¡°Second Brother, I can go down myself! You don¡¯t have to delay your¡ª¡± ¡°Look at yourself. How can you go down alone?¡± That young man interrupted his injured third brother and did not allow himself to be questioned. Even though it was extremely pitiful to give up on this chance, his own third brother¡¯s life was more important. Hong An took a deep breath in as if he made a huge decision. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave. I¡¯ll bring you to a place to rest.¡± Chapter 2003 - 2003 Familiar Wooden Token 2003 Familiar Wooden Token Once this was said, the crowd was taken aback. Hong An directly stood up and whipped his sleeves. The surrounding red barrier instantly dissipated. Following that, a wooden token flew out of his hands! Whir! With a whir, a gigantic silver barrier appeared before the crowd! A strong suppression kept spreading from above. Everyone on the mountain peak was stunned by this scene, and they had shocked expressions. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up. It¡¯s here! ¡°Behind this barrier is an individual small space, and it¡¯s the closest existence to the realm gate of the God Residence Realm! Only by passing through this barrier and entering it can you truly see the realm gate and enter the God Residence Realm.¡± ¡°Originally, this barrier should¡¯ve only been activated a month later. But since you don¡¯t want to stay here, you should go over in advance.¡± These short few sentences overwhelmed the crowd. This Taiyang Mountain is extremely strange, and weird things keep happening. We can¡¯t stay here any longer. If we can go there in advance, that will be great! Hong An looked at the two brothers. ¡°The Heaven and Earth Force is rich in that small space, and it contains quite a few treasures. After you go over, you can rest properly. When your body is better, you can leave at any time. Of course, if you still want to go to the God Residence Realm then, the chance is still here.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Hong An!¡± Once the two brothers heard this, they were instantly elated and thanked him continuously. There was not a better outcome than this! Hong An waved his hand. Actually, he was very frustrated. Originally, he should get these people to stay here for a month. But only two days had passed now, and he didn¡¯t get anything, yet he had to send them there. He really suffered a huge loss. But with the current circumstances, there was not a better solution. It was fine if they suffered, as long as it did not affect the big picture. Besides, there were quite a few decent ones in this batch. In the end, he might even have a reward. With this thought, his heart became much more relaxed. He first went on his toes and flew to the silver barrier. ¡°Now, everyone line up and enter one by one!¡± Almost immediately, someone walked forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± This huge chance was filled with temptations toward them. Who didn¡¯t want to be first? Who didn¡¯t want to become stronger? In front of huge benefits and temptation, almost nobody could maintain their rationality. Other than Hong An, there were a total of 50 people here. The process was rather fast. In no time, one-third had already gone in. That young man held his own younger brother and went in. Everyone could see the excitement and emotions on their faces. Rong Xiu laughed lightly. ¡°He¡¯s so seriously injured, yet he refuses to give up. He¡¯s really¡­ amazing.¡± Chu Liuyue watched coldly from the side. She rarely helped strangers. This time, she helped because she wanted to find out Hong An¡¯s plans. At this stage, those two brothers still chose to stay¡­ Nobody could help such people. ¡°Let¡¯s go too?¡± said He Ziji. He instinctively looked toward Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue at the side. For some reason, he felt that it was unknowingly assuring to follow them. He Zilan¡¯s feet seemed to be nailed to the floor as she hesitantly asked, ¡°Big Brother, can we not go in? I-I just feel that something¡¯s wrong¡­¡± He Ziji just thought that she was still worried about the previous incident and replied, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong¡ªyou¡¯re just scaring yourself. Don¡¯t worry. With Big Brother around, I¡¯ll definitely protect you. Hm?¡± He Zilan stomped her feet. She knew that they were presently caught between a rock and a hard place. She could not fight against her big brother, and she could only agree. At this point, more than half had entered. Chu Liuyue laughed out loud and glanced at Rong Xiu. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s see what it looks like inside!¡± Rong Xiu nodded, held her hand, and walked forward side by side. He Ziji and his sister followed closely behind. After experiencing whatever happened previously, they had already instinctively taken Rong Xiu as their core. Little Zhou arrived before the silver barrier. The soft and thin hair covered his eyes. At this point, nobody saw his slightly knitted brows and the hatred and disgust that quickly flashed across his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hong An stood before the barrier and found it weird when he saw Little Zhou stopped slightly. He asked, ¡°Do you still want to go back on your word this time?¡± He had a very deep impression of the golden-haired boy. If not for his outstanding talent and abilities, he would not give Little Zhou so much face. ¡°Let me tell you¡­ There is no chance of going back on your word this time, okay?¡± Hong An was very frustrated by these incidents. His last bit of patience was already exhausted when he activated the barrier. Hence, he was not so polite when talking to Little Zhou now. Little Zhou¡¯s gaze flickered, and he nodded lightly. ¡°I know.¡± Then, he directly lifted his leg and stepped in. Outside the barrier, a ripple flashed across and instantly disappeared. Hong An glanced over and felt that something was amiss for some reason, but he couldn¡¯t say in detail what had happened. Suddenly, a clear and melodious voice sounded and interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Lord Hong An, you¡¯re very kind to activate the barrier in advance for everyone.¡± Chu Liuyue had a smile plastered on her face, as if she was very thankful. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± Seeing her, Hong An¡¯s expression became better and laughed. ¡°I should do all of this! After all, everyone gathered here are top cultivators!¡± He raised his chin. ¡°Quickly go in too!¡± Chu Liuyue acknowledged him and was about to enter when she suddenly paused. She looked up at the center of the barrier. Over there, a wooden token floated quietly. Hong An just threw this out, and it summoned the gigantic barrier. Hong An followed her gaze and furrowed his brows slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± What¡¯s there to see about a wooden token? The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, and she said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Nothing much. I just feel that your wooden token looks¡­ rather familiar, Lord Hong An.¡± Chapter 2004 - 2004 Strange 2004 Strange Hong An immediately became vigilant. ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve seen it before?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Back then, I accidentally saw a similar wooden token at a stall. At a glance, it really looks like it. However, that one is far less exquisite than yours. If you look carefully, the shape is also different.¡± Only then did Hong An relax. So that¡¯s how it is¡­ What good stuff could the stall have? It is most likely just a wooden token that happened to look similar. After all, there isn¡¯t much of a difference between wooden tokens. ¡°You have a noble status, so the items you¡¯re carrying are naturally extraordinary. How can those crude things compare to you?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm words completely dispelled Hong An¡¯s suspicions. He laughed. ¡°Alright, these are all small items; there¡¯s nothing to care about. Hurry up and go in. Don¡¯t delay.¡± Chu Liuyue went with the flow. Rong Xiu was the first to take a step forward. When he passed by the barrier, he lowered his eyes, and a dark look flashed past his eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er,¡± he turned around and shouted. Chu Liuyue held his hand and followed him in. A thin ripple spread in all directions. Rong Xiu calmly raised his hand. The wave was instantly annihilated and completely dissipated. It was as if it had never appeared. The entire process happened in an instant, and Hong An¡¯s gaze happened to be looking elsewhere, so he didn¡¯t notice it at all. The two of them quickly disappeared inside the barrier. He Ziji and his sister quickly followed. ¡­ After passing through the barrier, Chu Liuyue stood still and looked forward. The mountains were lush and verdant. There was a valley below, and a river meandered past. The Heaven and Earth Force was abundant, and it wasn¡¯t inferior to the Sky-Cloud Empire! However, this wasn¡¯t what shocked Chu Liuyue the most. She focused her gaze and stared at the scenery in the distance. The sky was blue and cloudless. A screen of light descended from the sky! It was really¡­ a realm gate! When the people who had arrived one after another saw this scene, they were all stunned on the spot. They looked at the mighty light screen that was the realm gate like a miracle, their eyes filled with excitement and agitation. ¡°Realm gate! That¡¯s the realm gate?!¡± ¡°Lord Hong An is right! The Heaven and Earth Force here is abundant¡ªit is several times denser than outside!¡± ¡°As long as we cross that realm gate, we¡¯ll be able to reach the God Residence Realm, right? This place is already such a paradise-like existence. I wonder what kind of scene will be inside the God Residence Realm?¡± ¡­ All kinds of discussions could be heard. Most of them were sighs of admiration and yearning. Evidently, everything before their eyes had given them a huge impact! Even He Zilan¡ªwho was a little unwilling before¡ªwas stunned when she saw this scene after entering. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°So this is what¡¯s inside¡­¡± After a short daze, she shook He Ziji¡¯s arm excitedly. ¡°Big Brother! Fortunately, we didn¡¯t leave! Otherwise, we would¡¯ve suffered a huge loss! This challenge¡ªit really lives up to its reputation!¡± He Ziji couldn¡¯t hide the excitement on his face. ¡°Otherwise, why would so many cultivators come here one after another? How rare is such a cultivation treasure land!?¡± Oh yeah. How could such a cultivation ground that is comparable to the first-rate families in the God Residence Realm appear outside the God Residence Realm? Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression slightly converged as countless thoughts flashed across her mind. The reason why the God Residence Realm is coveted by countless cultivators is that it has abundant Heaven and Earth Force and all kinds of resources. It has produced countless experts for a long time. Outside the God Residence Realm, it is extremely difficult to break through to become a true god. But with such a cultivation environment, what is the difference between this place and the God Residence Realm? The realm gate can even be considered a meaningless decoration. The appearance of such a place is obviously abnormal. Rong Xiu squeezed her palm. ¡°Be careful. There is more than one legendary warrior here.¡± The voice entered her ears and hammered her heart. Chu Liuyue nodded calmly. The moment she entered, she felt several obscure and powerful auras around her. But because she had yet to break through, she wasn¡¯t very sure. But since Rong Xiu said so¡­ The more Chu Liuyue looked, the more she felt that this place was strange. At this moment, as the last person, Hong An also entered the barrier. He raised his hand and put away the wooden token. However, the barrier behind him didn¡¯t dissipate. This was because it existed in the first place. The wooden token from before had only summoned it. Suddenly, a figure flew over from the distant mountaintop. That person was extremely fast. In a few breaths, he had already arrived in front of everyone! This was a man who looked to be about 30 years old. He was dressed in a black robe and was tall. There was a scar on his face. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. This is also a true god. ¡°Hong An, why did you let them in so early?¡± Scarface frowned. His already serious and cold face became even fiercer. The excited crowd fell silent when they heard this, and they shot glances at each other. Who is this person? Why does it seem like we aren¡¯t welcome? Hong An stepped forward. ¡°Something happened at Taiyang Mountain, so I brought them here in advance. Anyway, they will come eventually. It shouldn¡¯t matter if they come earlier.¡± As he spoke, he winked at the scar-faced man. However, the scar-faced man didn¡¯t buy it. Instead, his frown deepened. ¡°What problem can there be in Taiyang Mountain? Even if there is, you should¡¯ve sent a message back first. How can you bring them back so rashly?¡± Being reprimanded like this in front of everyone, Hong An felt a little embarrassed. The expression on his face also faded a little. ¡°These are all extremely talented cultivators, and a few of them are even outstanding. If Master sees them, he will definitely be happy.¡± At the mention of ¡®Master,¡¯ the scar-faced man was clearly much more afraid. He looked at everyone again and said impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought them here. You¡¯re responsible!¡± With that, he turned around and left. Hong An gritted his teeth and wanted to curse, but he held back in the end. At this time, there is no need to waste my mood on such trivial matters. However, the words between the two of them aroused the suspicion of many people. ¡°Master? What master?¡± He Zilan asked in a daze. ¡°Big Brother, didn¡¯t we come here to go to the God Residence Realm? Why did a ¡®master¡¯ suddenly appear?¡± Hearing Hong An¡¯s words¡­ Could it be that we still have to meet that master? This wasn¡¯t mentioned before! He Ziji shook his head, indicating for her to stop talking. In fact, he felt a little uneasy at this moment. After the scar-faced man left, the scene fell into a strange silence. Hong An turned around as if he didn¡¯t notice this strange change and said, ¡°Everyone, just follow me.¡± Chapter 2005 - 2005 Trap! 2005 Trap! No one moved. At this point, if they still couldn¡¯t see the problem, they would really be stupid. ¡°Lord Hong An, what exactly is this place? Who is that so-called master of yours?¡± Someone mustered up the courage to speak. Everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on Hong An. He smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t all of you clearly see what this place is? This is just a small space close to the God Residence Realm! As for Master¡­ He is naturally Master. I¡¯ve never said that I¡¯m an itinerant cultivator, right?¡± Seeing that everyone was vigilant, he cursed the scar-faced man in his heart, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. ¡°To be honest, we were originally a faction in the God Residence Realm. However, we are only a branch here. Regarding the challenge, we have our own selfish motives. Our goal is to attract everyone here. After all, everyone here is a top genius. If you can join us, it will definitely be like adding wings to a tiger.¡± Hearing this, the expressions of many people present eased a lot. So he wants to recruit people! In that case, it isn¡¯t difficult to understand. Except¡­ ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Lord Hong An could¡¯ve explained in advance, why¡ª¡± Why did he have to be so secretive and almost cause a misunderstanding? Hong An smiled. ¡°Everyone, you might not know this, but the God Residence Realm has its own rules. It¡¯s not appropriate to recruit people from the outside, so it¡¯s naturally not appropriate for us to make a big fuss. I originally wanted to take you in as people from the God Residence Realm before recruiting you. I didn¡¯t expect that I didn¡¯t clarify this and almost caused everyone to misunderstand.¡± His attitude was very sincere, and his tone was calm and patient. Many people immediately chose to believe him. After all, no matter what, his strength was still there. Moreover, the Heaven and Earth Force here was abundant. It was indeed a good place to cultivate. Why would such a powerful existence lie to them? ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t like it, you can choose other clans and sects after entering the God Residence Realm. We won¡¯t stop you.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed coldly in her heart. You make it sound nice. These people have never been to the God Residence Realm and know nothing about the situation there. In reality, the God Residence Realm is vast, and the various aristocratic families are extremely far away from each other. If one is to go there rashly, they will probably die on the streets before they could figure out the directions! In that case, anyone who has some understanding of the God Residence Realm would know how ridiculous it was. But if these people present knew about this, they wouldn¡¯t have participated in this so-called challenge from the beginning! ¡°I see¡­ Looks like we misunderstood you¡­¡± The person who raised the question at the beginning apologized profusely. The attitudes of the remaining people had obviously changed. This was an unprecedented cultivation paradise, as well as the continuous appearance of true gods. It was very easy to be confused. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to speak, but after careful consideration, she still chose to wait and see. She wanted to see if the mastermind behind all of this was as she thought! ¡°Everyone, since you¡¯re new here, follow me to rest first.¡± Seeing that everyone had been appeased, Hong An felt relieved. He turned around and flew toward a mountain peak. Everyone followed closely behind. After 15 minutes, they arrived at one of the mountain peaks. During this journey, they didn¡¯t encounter anyone else. ¡°Everyone can stay here for the time being. The realm gate will open in a month. Everyone can head there again.¡± At this moment, everyone basically believed Hong An¡¯s words and agreed with this suggestion. The mountain peak was tall and handsome, more than enough to accommodate 50 people. Hong An even specially gave the injured youth a top-notch pill to let him recuperate. This series of actions naturally made everyone believe in him even more. After doing this, Hong An planned to turn around and leave. However, just as he took a step, the sky suddenly darkened! Chu Liuyue looked up. In the sky that was clear and cloudless just now, dark clouds were quickly gathering! Her heart sank. This scene¡­ looks inexplicably familiar¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He Zilan asked softly. ¡°Could it be that some heavenly treasure is about to appear?¡± ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t worry, everyone. It¡¯s just that someone on the mountain peak over there is about to break through.¡± Hong An raised his hand and pointed at a mountain peak at the side, smiling. ¡°There¡¯s a barrier outside this mountain. It won¡¯t be affected.¡± As he spoke, dark clouds gathered, and thunder rumbled! Someone muttered in shock, ¡°Such a huge commotion. Could it be that someone is going to break through to become a true god?¡± Many people looked envious when they heard this. Hong An¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°In the God Residence Realm, it¡¯s normal to break through to become a true god. With everyone¡¯s talent, you might be able to break through that shackle after cultivating here for a period of time!¡± This sentence made many people¡¯s hearts burn. Chu Liuyue looked up at the darkening sky and narrowed her eyes. This didn¡¯t look like it was summoned from there¡­ Boom! A thunderous sound suddenly rolled over from the accumulated clouds¡ªit was deafening! Right on the heels of that, everyone saw a silver snake-like bolt of lightning rapidly converging! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This lightning bolt¡­ is coming here! Just as this thought flashed through her mind, the shockingly powerful bolt of lightning descended with a bang! It was heading straight for them! She quickly turned around and saw that Hong An had already retreated far away! Chapter 2006 - 2006 Indeed 2006 Indeed Seeing the lightning that quickly struck down, everyone¡¯s expressions changed drastically. How is this aimed at the mountain peak beside us? It is clearly here for us! When they saw that Hong An had unknowingly dodged, a trace of unease surfaced in everyone¡¯s hearts. ¡°Quickly dodge!¡± someone exclaimed. Not many people could withstand such a bolt of lightning! Some people quickly rushed out of the mountain, but they were quickly stopped! Thump! The person who was the first to rush out was sent flying and fell heavily to the ground! Everyone looked over. Outside the mountain peak, a barrier suddenly appeared! It was the barrier that Hong An had mentioned earlier! However, not only was this barrier unable to protect them at this moment, but it even trapped all of them here! ¡°Lord Hong An! What do you mean?!¡± With danger approaching, everyone became excited. Hong An clearly wanted their lives! ¡°What a pity.¡± Hong An looked down at them with a smile, but his eyes were filled with bloodthirsty cruelty and indifference. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to attack you directly like this, but unfortunately¡­ you don¡¯t have the luck.¡± On Taiyang Mountain previously, strange things happened frequently, making his heart beat faster. In the end, he had no choice but to bring them back in advance. Even though doing so wouldn¡¯t be able to completely squeeze out all of their strength, and it would still be a huge loss, it was still much better than letting them go¡ªespecially since there were a few good seedlings among them. Hearing Hong An¡¯s words and looking at his expression, what else did they not understand? He had deliberately brought them here to attack them! Rumble! Everyone didn¡¯t have much time to be angry or resentful because the lightning had already struck down! As expected, the barrier didn¡¯t stop the lightning. ¡°Quickly retreat!¡± Everyone dodged backward. However, the lightning was extremely fast and contained extremely terrifying energy! Crack! When the lightning struck, a deep ravine immediately spread! Violent energy swept toward the surroundings! The cultivators standing closer and couldn¡¯t dodge in time were the first to bear the brunt! Chu Liuyue and the rest stood quite far away and dodged quickly, so they weren¡¯t affected. But for most of the people present, this was undoubtedly a nightmare. Boom! Before everyone could catch their breath, lightning bolts were still rapidly appearing in the sky! From the looks of it, Hong An was clearly planning to end everyone here! ¡°Third Brother!¡± A mournful and sorrowful roar sounded. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows and looked over. The young man who had been injured earlier was slowly retreating and was about to be affected by the violent energy! Chu Liuyue was about to move, but Rong Xiu had already raised his hand. An extremely thin golden thread flew out and wrapped around the youth¡¯s ankle. Rong Xiu moved his wrist and instantly brought the young man back! Rumble! That power swept over! The entire ground where the young man had been was lifted up! If that youth hadn¡¯t dodged in time, this attack would have probably taken his life! ¡°Third Brother!¡± The young man who thought that his third brother was doomed was surprised and delighted when he saw this. He hurriedly changed direction and ran over. ¡°Second Brother¡­¡± The youth was still in shock as he looked at him sideways. ¡°Just now¡­ I¡­¡± Someone had clearly saved me! He lowered his head subconsciously. A thin golden light flashed on his ankle. The young man looked in the direction of the golden line. Rong Xiu had already stopped. ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Before the other party could finish his sentence, Rong Xiu spoke calmly. The reason why he made a move was because he didn¡¯t want Yue¡¯er to feel guilty. After all, she was the one who had injured him. Although it wasn¡¯t a big deal, it would be inappropriate for them to lose their lives because of this. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. This man¡­ He always knows what I¡¯m thinking. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s action immediately attracted the attention of the others present. This strength¡­ He is clearly much stronger than us! Just as they were still worried that they would be affected by the power of the lightning and fled in panic, this man actually had extra strength to save them¡­ Hong An, who was standing in the sky, also saw this scene. His expression turned cold at first. Then, he clapped and laughed. ¡°Good, good, good! Looks like you¡¯re also capable!¡± Previously, he really didn¡¯t pay much attention to this person. He didn¡¯t expect the latter to be so extraordinary. Judging from his age, his talent and strength are probably even more outstanding than expected! What a good relationship! The more such people there are, the more worthwhile this will be! When Chu Liuyue heard Hong An¡¯s laughter, she looked up, and a cold glint flashed across her eyes. The lightning bolt in the sky was gathering at an even more astonishing speed! Right on the heels of that, two more bolts of lightning struck down! Rong Xiu waved his sleeves, and a barrier was instantly set up in front of him. ¡°Ah!¡± The descent of the lightning bolt caused some people to suffer. They let out miserable cries. Chu Liuyue instinctively looked over. Suddenly, her gaze focused. The man lying on the ground was already covered in injuries from the impact of this power. He was about to die. However, the blood on his body was quickly absorbed by the ground beneath him! The thick smell of blood filled the air, almost nauseating! Numerous scenes flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. In the end, it stopped at a familiar scene. That day at Peach Blossom Dock, didn¡¯t the people of the Black Sword Sect also use this method to kill those cultivators?! She suddenly realized something and looked at Rong Xiu. As expected! ¡°This is¡ª¡± Black Demon Hole¡¯s territory! Chapter 2007 - 2007 Counterattack Begins! 2007 Counterattack Begins! Lightning bolts followed and struck various spots on the mountain peak! In just a short while, the originally handsome and tall mountain peak had already changed beyond recognition! Ravines were everywhere, and the forest had collapsed. Miserable and panicked screams came from everywhere, and messy blood splattered all over the mountains. Some people lay on the ground, gradually losing their breath. However, the blood in their bodies was still flowing out quickly and soaking into the ground. Chu Liuyue took another look, and her pupils suddenly constricted. The bodies of those people were shrinking at a visible speed! Instantly, Chu Liuyue finally understood something. Is this¡­ going to completely devour the last power in their bodies? No wonder! No wonder the people from Black Demon Hole would hold the so-called challenge here and use the God Residence Realm as bait to lure all these cultivators over! Moreover, they only wanted young geniuses! The energy and power that they absorb is naturally the most abundant! She had long known that Black Demon Hole¡¯s cultivation techniques were very strange. Now that she saw it, it was actually a hundred times more evil and cold than she had expected! Not only that, but even the people in Peach Blossom Dock had probably suffered the same torture! They didn¡¯t know how long Black Demon Hole had been doing this, nor did they know how many innocent people had died tragically at their hands! ¡­ Lightning continued to fall, and the entire mountain was quickly covered by a white light. From the gaps between the dazzling streams of light, one could vaguely see the scene of everyone fleeing in panic. Painful wails rang out incessantly. Hong An looked down at this scene with a satisfied smile on his face. ¡°Hong An, you attacked just like that?¡± The commotion here quickly attracted the attention of the others. Someone flew up from a nearby mountain peak and looked over. Hong An crossed his arms and snorted. ¡°Among these people, there are a few who don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them. Let¡¯s settle this as soon as possible to prevent any accidents from happening.¡± That person nodded his head in understanding and said regretfully, ¡°That¡¯s a pity. If you could let these people stay on Taiyang Mountain for a month, you would get a lot of commission. Perhaps¡­ you could take the opportunity to refine your Holy Body. You have to know that such an opportunity is rare! If you miss this opportunity, who knows how long you have to wait for the next one?¡± Hearing this, a shadow fell over Hong An¡¯s face. This person was right. In the entire sect, there was only one exit, Yunzhou. Every once in a while, they would use the God Residence Realm as an excuse to hold a challenge outside to attract all kinds of genius cultivators. And each challenge would be handled by a different person, the so-called ¡®guardian.¡¯ According to the management, these cultivators who passed the challenge would stay on Taiyang Mountain for a month. In this one month, the Xuan formation they had set up on Taiyang Mountain would take the opportunity to devour these people¡¯s force. After it was done, the guardian would receive a portion of the power as a reward. The more power it devoured, the more benefits the guardian would receive. One had to know that this power was gathered from the force of the most talented cultivators. It was extremely pure and precious. If one could obtain such an opportunity, they might be able to save several years or even decades of cultivation time. Who wouldn¡¯t want such a good thing? Everyone in the sect would compete fiercely for this spot every time. Hong An had spent a lot of effort to get this opportunity. Who knew that it would be wasted just like that? Once they entered the barrier, these people would suffer the bombardment of lightning. Although this could further devour their power, their own strength would be greatly depleted in the process. As for the guardians, they couldn¡¯t get a commission either. But the most important thing was that Master valued this very much. If Master knew of his actions, he would definitely punish him. The only thing that made Hong An feel a little more at ease was that there were a few top-notch people in this group of people. With the existence of those few people, I might be able to make up for my previous losses and make Master less angry. Hong An held his breath. This was a great opportunity, but it was all in vain! Not to mention a commission, I will be thankful if I can escape punishment this time! I don¡¯t know what is wrong with Taiyang Mountain¡­ Right! I have to report this matter as soon as possible! Thinking of this, Hong An said to the person, ¡°In any case, you have nothing to do now. Help me take a look for a while. I¡¯ll go and report the situation on Taiyang Mountain to Master.¡± That person had a good relationship with him, so he agreed. He moved and quickly arrived beside Hong An. ¡°Then, hurry up and come back.¡± Hong An nodded and was about to leave. But just as he took a step, he heard a strange sound coming from the mountain peak below. Almost at the same time, the person standing beside him gasped. ¡°How can this be?¡± Hong An hurriedly turned around. ¡°How¡ª¡± His voice seemed to be cut off by something and stopped abruptly! On the mountain peak below, a thin figure could be vaguely seen under the flickering lightning. He held a sword in his hand and raised it above his head. As for the lightning that descended, it was all devoured by this sword! Countless streams of light swam on the thick and heavy sword body, almost dyeing it a dazzling snow color! However, the terrifying power of the lightning was indeed quickly annihilated! With the appearance of this person, the lightning¡ªwhich was indiscriminately bombarding earlier¡ªwas all intercepted! Most of the cultivators were protected by this and retreated to the side. Apart from the few people who had unfortunately died because of the sudden incident at the beginning, most of the remaining people were still fine! ¡°That, that person is¡ª¡± The light flickered, reflecting his soft short golden hair. The veins on Hong An¡¯s forehead were bulging. This person was the blond youth from before! How could he be so strong!? ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Hong An cursed softly. ¡°He still wants to show off at this time. He¡¯s really tired of living! I want to see how long he can be arrogant!¡± The power of the lightning has yet to be fully unleashed! As he spoke, several lightning bolts in the sky gathered crazily again and struck down one after another! Hong hong hong! For a moment, the color of the world changed! Hong An smiled coldly. We prepared the array formation on the mountain long ago. Once it is activated, it can quickly summon the lightning bolts! It is impossible for him to withstand it alone! However, what happened next caused Hong An¡¯s smile to completely freeze on his face. Faced with the consecutive bolts of lightning, the young man didn¡¯t show any fear. Instead, he tightened his grip on the sword in his hand and raised it high. Then, he slashed down ruthlessly! ¡°Cloud-Sky Copper Sword!¡± Chapter 2008 - 2008 Heavenly Lightning isnt Afraid of the Sword, Its You 2008 Heavenly Lightning isn¡¯t Afraid of the Sword, It¡¯s You The heavy and majestic longsword suddenly descended! Wherever the sword aura reached, the void was cut apart! Violent spatial turbulence raged! Then, a loud cracking sound came from the mountain! Rumble! A ravine spread out! The huge mountain was instantly split in half by this sword! All the lightning power was instantly swept away by the impact of this power! In the blink of an eye, the mountain peak was split into two. Many cultivators stood on one side, while the violent power of the lightning gathered on the other side and wreaked havoc! Half of the mountain peak began to be destroyed and collapsed at a visible speed! Hong long long! For a moment, rocks rolled down, and dust flew. The entire mountain was a mess! ¡­ Hong An was stunned. The scene in front of him had really exceeded his expectations, so much so that he stood rooted to the ground and didn¡¯t react for a long time. However, the person beside him suddenly realized something. ¡°That¡¯s not right! Isn¡¯t he a stage-nine warrior? How can he unleash such shocking power?!¡± Judging from his realm, he is indeed not a legendary warrior yet. However, the strength he¡¯s displayed so far is already greater than many true god warriors! Hong An¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Back then, he felt that this blond youth¡¯s talent and strength were very outstanding, so he gave him a second chance. Who would¡¯ve thought that he would cause such a huge mess!? Looking at the half-destroyed mountain peak, Hong An¡¯s blood froze. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. T-this¡­ This time, things have really blown up! If Master pursues the matter, I¡¯m afraid¡­ ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s definitely fine!¡± Hong An took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. ¡°Even if he¡¯s really a true god, he¡¯s definitely not a match for these lightning bolts!¡± He didn¡¯t believe that this person could really cause any waves! Sure enough, right on the heels of that, the lightning in the sky seemed to have sensed something and began to gather rapidly again! ¡­ Chu Liuyue stood behind the crowd and looked at the thin and tall figure in front of her. She gently exhaled, and a smile appeared on her lips. ¡°¡­That¡¯s amazing.¡± After not seeing him for such a long time, Little Zhou¡¯s strength has already made an extremely shocking leap. Yes, he had yet to break through the threshold of becoming a true god. However, the power stored in his body was clearly comparable to that of a true god! Even though the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword wasn¡¯t a top Yuan instrument, Chu Liuyue had spent a lot of effort to refine it back then. The sword had a spirit. This sword could unleash its greatest power in Little Zhou¡¯s hands! Everyone looked at Little Zhou gratefully. Obviously, his attack had saved the lives of many people. Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. ¡°He beat me to it.¡± He could clearly see that the reason why Qiang Wanzhou made a move was that there was a bolt of lightning heading toward them. To be precise, it was coming for Chu Liuyue. At that time, he was about to make a move. However, he didn¡¯t expect Qiang Wanzhou to be one step ahead. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears as she glanced at him. Why is he still jealous at a time like this? Little Zhou and I haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. Little Zhou probably doesn¡¯t know my true strength yet, so he was in a hurry to attack. His personality was straightforward and simple, and he did things cleanly. When he thought of something, he would do it directly. He had always been like this. At this moment, the sky was still dark. Several silver snake-like lightning bolts appeared in the thick clouds one after another. The pressure was awe-inspiring! Everyone had just heaved a sigh of relief because they had escaped a calamity. When they saw this scene, they were all worried. ¡°Why is there no end to this lightning?!¡± someone asked anxiously. ¡°If this continues, we¡¯ll be finished sooner or later!¡± There was more than one person who was so worried. After all, they had never seen such a scene before. This golden-haired youth can help us for a while, but he can¡¯t help us forever! If we can¡¯t leave this place, the final outcome might be the same. Little Zhou heaved a sigh of relief, and a bright light flashed across his eyes. That sound just now¡­ I heard it. That was a compliment, and he knew it. He wanted to turn around, but in the end, he endured it. Although they didn¡¯t say anything, he knew that this wasn¡¯t a good time to acknowledge each other. For some reason, she didn¡¯t attack. Even Rong Xiu, who was beside her, was deliberately suppressing his strength. Under such circumstances¡­ Naturally, it was most suitable for him to stand out! Little Zhou was extremely smart, especially when it came to matters related to her. He always had extremely sharp senses and reactions. Hence, he gripped the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword tightly and looked up. Hong hong hong! When the lightning struck down one after another, he flew out with his sword! It was a direct confrontation! Whir! A sword cry resounded through the world! Right on the heels of that, the lightning bolts seemed to have been summoned by some kind of power. They all changed directions and headed toward the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword! Hong An and the other man were dumbfounded. Everyone on the mountain was shocked. Chu Liuyue blinked. So the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword that I refined back then is so powerful? However, this is clearly not even a legendary weapon¡­ ¡°There¡¯s your aura on that Cloud-Sky Copper Sword.¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and suddenly spoke. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. Could it be that¡­ it really is because I had forcefully captured those lightning bolts and refined the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword that this sword still poses a certain threat to those lightning bolts? This explanation seems to make sense? Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°This lightning isn¡¯t afraid of that sword but¡­ you.¡± Chapter 2009 - 2009 Drag Down 2009 Drag Down Once this was said, a loud sound suddenly came over! The Cloud-Sky Copper Sword had already absorbed all those lightning bolts. With the landing of Little Zhou¡¯s sword, the force was like a waterfall that poured out! However, all the lightning force that originally charged toward them became sword auras and went toward half the cliff! The mountain rock turned into powder, and space crazily tore itself. The winds howled, and the thunder rumbled! Even the barrier outside the mountain peak started shaking violently! It looked like it was about to break! ¡­ Little Zhou¡¯s sword harshly smashed against Hong An¡¯s heart. Seeing the force that had already destroyed half the cliff, Hong An¡¯s entire body stiffened, and he almost could not believe his eyes. He never thought that a stage-nine warrior could execute such skills! He knew that he might not even be able to endure those lightning bolts! This is absurd¡­ This is actually absurd! Upon deeper thought, this young man hasn¡¯t felt right since the very beginning! Hong An felt extreme regret. If I knew that this young man was such a troublemaker, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have let him in back then! Now, things are great! At this stage, how should I handle it? ¡°Hong An? Hong An!¡± That person called a few times from the side. ¡°Why are you still in a daze?! Quickly go report to Master!¡± This anxious voice finally caused Hong An to recover his senses. Then, his face paled. He knew too clearly what kind of consequences he would face when Master saw this scene! One had to know that they had meticulously set up the Xuan formation above that mountain peak! Now¡­ it was all ruined! At this stage, I can¡¯t hide it any longer. Hong An took a deep breath in and forcefully acknowledged him. ¡°I got it. Y-you stay here and calm them down¡­ I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± But before he even moved, a figure quickly flew over from far away. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The cold and old voice was filled with superiority. The incoming person was an elder decked in black, with a head full of silver hair. He had many wrinkles, and one eye was deeply sunken in as he exuded an extremely cold and strong suppression. Seeing the incoming person, the two were shocked and hurriedly said, ¡°Greetings, Hall Leader Dou Min!¡± Dou Min did not bother with them and directly walked past them, arriving in front of the mountain. He quickly took in the surrounding scenery. Seeing the cliff that collapsed halfway, his face became even colder. ¡°Hong An, is this your doing?¡± His voice sounded especially hoarse and sinister. ¡°First, you brought people back in advance and let them do such a thing¡­ Hong An, how many lives do you have to pay for the damage caused?!¡± Hong An¡¯s legs became jelly as a chill went down his spine, and he almost kneeled down. ¡°Hall Leader Dou Min, I-I¡­¡± He did not even know how to explain! Dou Min glanced at him coldly. ¡°The chance to be a guardian is very rare. Do you know how much effort I spent to leave this spot for you, and this¡­ is how you repay me?¡± Hong An¡¯s face was as pale as a ghost. That¡¯s right. The reason why he could have this chance was all to Dou Min. He had never seen Dou Min use such a tone to talk to him. Facing Dou Min¡¯s interrogation, Hong An could not say a single word. What could he say? The entire incident was very strange from the start. Even Taiyang Mountain and this abnormally strong golden-haired young man¡­ But even if he spoke up about these things, who would care and believe him? Everyone¡­ only cared about the results! ¡°Imbecile!¡± Dou Min snorted and was extremely disappointed in Dou Min. Previously, I was really blind to think of him highly! Originally, I thought he could use this chance to form a Holy Body, yet a series of troubles was created! Dou Min retracted his gaze. Now, the most important thing is to handle the mess before me. ¡°Master is resting now. Nobody is allowed to disturb him! It will be for the best if this is settled before Master wakes up. If not¡­¡± If not, even he would be implicated! Hong An¡¯s back was drenched in cold sweat, and he could only nod continuously when he heard this. Dou Min took a step out and raised his right hand. Then, a tremendous aura formed a gigantic silver ball that flew out instantly! When that silver ball touched the barrier outside the mountain peak, it let out a whir! Following this, that silver ball disappeared and formed countless rays of light. Then, it dissipated and merged with the barrier. The originally shaking barrier became stable again with the support of this force. ¡°You¡¯re young but capable.¡± Dou Min stared at the golden-haired youngster standing on the mountain peak. Qiang Wanzhou looked up, and his gaze flashed with a cold gleam. Dou Min knitted his brows. This young man¡¯s aura¡­ actually made me feel slightly threatened for some reason. He is just a stage-nine warrior¡­ Dou Min felt angry for some reason. His face darkened, and he crossed his arms. Countless rays of light instantly poured out! Almost at the same time, a strange sound came from below the half of the mountain that crashed. Chu Liuyue looked over with a slightly dark gaze. Underneath the accumulated rocks, rays of light flew out and intersected. Half a Xuan formation surfaced slowly! At the same time, the mountain below their feet also started to shake intensely! Ka! A gully suddenly spread from below their feet! Chu Liuyue looked down, and her heart sank. Almost at the same time, Rong Xiu grabbed her waist, went on his toes, and jumped up into the air! The next moment, countless cracks crazily spread like a spiderweb that completely covered half the mountain peak. ¡°Since you like to slash mountains so much¡­ then we¡¯ll bury you with this entire mountain! Then¡­ it won¡¯t be a wasted trip!¡± Dou Min¡¯s voice, which was filled with threat and murderous intent, came over and sounded like thunder beside the crowd¡¯s ears. He was a legendary warrior. When he spoke, he purposely added suppression. It was undoubtedly a heavy impact on the young cultivators on the mountain peak. As some couldn¡¯t handle the suppression, they fell and even vomited blood. At this point, the Xuan formation that was originally buried underneath the mountain finally showed its original appearance and floated in midair, covering the crowd! Even though it was attacked by Qiang Wanzhou previously, causing the Xuan formation to be slightly damaged, Dou Min quickly repaired it after he took action. This Xuan formation was like a cage that trapped everybody here! The entire mountain instantly descended into chaos! Everyone was defeated. This person is even stronger than Hong An. Even if everyone here joins hands, we won¡¯t be his match! He Zilan whimpered softly. She was scared and felt regret. ¡°We¡¯re all going to die here today!¡± If I knew that this was a living hell, I wouldn¡¯t come here no matter what! Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Be quiet!¡± Chapter 2010 - 2010 He was Here! 2010 He was Here! Even though her voice was light, it had an irrefutable suppression. He Zilan instantly stopped crying and gazed at Chu Liuyue with red eyes, while sniffing. Due to the previous incident, she no longer dared to act overboard in front of Chu Liuyue. Hence, upon hearing this, she instinctively held it in. He Ziji gently patted her back. Seeing that Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu did not seem as panicked and horrified as the rest, his uneasy heart gradually relaxed. These two people seem to have a reassuring strength on them. I can¡¯t pinpoint exactly what is going on, but I feel that when I¡¯m with them¡­ it is as if nothing will be terrible. But¡­ how can we escape from the current situation? ¡­ The Xuan formation started to descend slowly. Every inch it went closer, the more the terrifying suppression and force from it caused one¡¯s heart to tremble! Dou Min probably realized that he could not easily destroy them with the lightning attacks, so he directly used his trump card! Qiang Wanzhou looked up slightly and stared at the approaching Xuan formation closely, as if there were endless ripple in his eyes. This aura¡­ He held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword tightly, went on his toes, and headed for Xuan formation! Rumble! The two forces harshly clashed against each other! With this shocking sound, the terrifying forces were like floodwater that rushed toward the surroundings! The remaining unbroken parts of the mountain peak finally collapsed! Light glowed brightly. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s figure was swallowed by this light! ¡­ The corner of Dou Min¡¯s lips curled up coldly, his perfect eyes gleaming with an icy bloody glow. ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Hong An and his friend stood behind Dou Min and heaved a sigh of relief when they saw this scene. Hong An hurriedly said, ¡°You¡¯re a legendary warrior. How can a mere stage-nine warrior be your match? Just one move can¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his expression suddenly changed. The other person instantly realized something and could not help but say in shock, ¡°Why is it like this? He actually didn¡¯t die!¡± Ka! The sound of something breaking was heard. At this point, even Dou Min¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Impossible¡ª¡± A crack appeared on the gigantic Xuan formation! Huala! Without waiting for them to react, that Xuan formation instantly broke into pieces! Countless rays of light, coupled with shocking force, dissipated toward the surroundings! The barrier outside the mountain peak instantly shattered! Below, the crowd¡¯s expressions changed, and they hurriedly retreated. A figure flew out from within, landing on the debris heavily! Thump! A low sound was heard! Dust flew up everywhere! Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His aura instantly weakened. He stood nearest to the Xuan formation and felt the greatest impact. This almost took away his life! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened, and she immediately wanted to take action. However, she was stopped by Rong Xiu. ¡°Wait.¡± Chu Liuyue was anxious. I can¡¯t just watch on as Little Zhou is beaten up, right? Just as she was about to say something, she realized that Rong Xiu had furrowed his brows slightly and was looking in a certain direction. Her heart tingled, and she followed his gaze. Far away, a tremendous suppression suddenly landed! Her heart seemed to be tightly clutched by something. T-this aura¡­ ¡°How noisy.¡± A hoarse and low voice seemed to cut through the distant spacetime! His voice was calm and nonchalant, yet it had superior authority! Mo Shiqian! He was actually here! Chapter 2011 - 2011 Mo Shiqian 2011 Mo Shiqian Up to this day, Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t truly seen Mo Shiqian. Even though they had fought many times beforehand, the latter had not revealed himself. Chu Liuyue even only heard his name from Rong Xiu the whole time. However, the moment she heard this voice, she knew¡ª It had to be him! Chu Liuyue held her breath in, and her heart beat intensely, as there seemed to be blood rushing in her ear. Previously, she had already guessed that this was Black Demon Hole¡¯s territory, but she never expected Mo Shiqian to be around! This means¡­ Hasn¡¯t this place already become Black Demon Hole¡¯s main camp!? ¡°So they were hiding here.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows and revealed a look of understanding. No wonder I did not get any results when I sent people to investigate. Mo Shiqian really has some skills to directly leave the God Residence Realm and come here! How scheming. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue instantly understood what Rong Xiu meant, and she furrowed her brows slightly. No wonder¡­ no wonder! A few years ago, Black Demon Hole silently hid themselves and disappeared from the God Residence Realm without a trace. Who knew¡­ they were actually hiding outside the God Residence Realm! In this world, who would think that they would make such a choice? Besides, even though this was outside the God Residence Realm, this place is very close to a realm gate and has rich Heaven and Earth Force, so it is very suitable for cultivation. It is no different from the God Residence Realm. If we didn¡¯t come here today, we wouldn¡¯t know when we would have discovered this! Understanding this, a thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She knew very clearly that Mo Shiqian wanted to snatch her music score. Previously, she thought that Black Demon Hole chose to go into seclusion because Rong Xiu personally went up and attacked it. In order to avoid the blade and live on their own, they made such a decision. But now, she faintly felt that her guess seemed wrong. ¡°Greetings, Sect Master!¡± When Hong An and the rest heard this voice at that moment, their expressions changed in unison, and they hurriedly bowed. Suddenly, the entire place quietened down. All the hustle and bustle seemed to disappear at this very moment. The originally maniacal violent force stopped moving. The large space seemed to freeze. Chu Liuyue could only hear her own heart beating intensely. Mo Shiqian¡¯s skills¡­ have clearly become even stronger and unpredictable! Finally, a ball of black mist formed in midair. A large figure stood within. The figure was faint, as if it were a ghoul¡¯s soul. Chu Liuyue held her breath in. That person¡­ has to be Mo Shiqian! But the previous moment, I didn¡¯t even see how exactly he appeared! In the surroundings, the air was still as if it had frozen. The moment his figure appeared, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force and space didn¡¯t show any ripples at all! They were still quite a distance away, but Chu Liuyue still felt that there was a rock in her chest, causing her to be unable to breathe. This person¡¯s skills¡­ are close to being horrific! Suddenly, Chu Liuyue felt an extremely dangerous gaze that landed on her! She instantly felt her hair stand on end! She did not experience such a feeling of treading the thin line separating life and death for a long time! At this point, a warm and thick hand held her hand slowly. The sticky warmth kept spreading from above. The faint cold fragrance attacked and surrounded her. Rong Xiu¡­ He¡¯s still here! She looked up. The two of them stared at each other. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, as he gave her a reassuring gaze. Chu Liuyue instantly felt much more secure. No matter what danger she met and what situation she was in, he would always be by her side, protecting her all. Chu Liuyue blinked lightly. That gaze finally shifted from her body. ¡­ Mo Shiqian knitted his brows slightly. Could it be¡­ That instant from earlier was just an illusion? After retracing his thoughts, he looked up again. ¡°I haven¡¯t come out in a while. I didn¡¯t expect you to give me such a ¡®big present.''¡± He spoke slowly, and his voice was calm with no emotions. However, this sounded like a life-and-death warning to Hong An and the rest! Dou Min took a deep breath in and said, ¡°It¡¯s all because we¡¯re useless to have disturbed you, Sect Master. Sect Master, do punish us!¡± The worst scenario still happened, but there was no other choice at this point. Life and death¡­ all depended on their master. Mo Shiqian ignored him and just raised his hand. Of course, when he did that, his hand was still wrapped in a layer of black mist. The crowd could not see anything clearly. Then, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body was pulled up by the shocking force. At this point, his ribs were broken, and he had suffered some internal injuries. His entire body was covered with bloodstains and dust. He looked very disheveled. He was hanging onto his last breath and looked like he was about to die at any time. However, he still held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword tightly. ¡°Stage-nine warrior?¡± Mo Shiqian¡¯s voice suddenly had a hint of laughter. ¡°Dou Min, you¡¯re becoming increasingly capable.¡± Dou Min¡¯s face flashed white. As a legendary warrior, a stage-nine warrior could still break a few of his attacks after he took action¡­ If word got out, even he would be embarrassed! Originally, he wanted to defend himself. But thinking that this person hated such matters the most, he just let it be and gingerly stood in his spot, awaiting his eventual outcome. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body seemed to be supported by an invisible force as he floated in midair quietly. Mo Shiqian took a closer look at him. ¡°Rather talented¡­¡± Suddenly, his voice paused. ¡°Hm?¡± As if he discovered something, his finger moved slightly. Coincidentally at this point, Qiang Wanzhou finally opened his eyes! Chapter 2012 - 2012 His Name 2012 His Name His pair of eyes was filled with alertness! His entire body turned tense as if he were prepared to take action at any time! However, such actions and threats looked like nothing to Mo Shiqian. He would not care about a stage-nine warrior. Even if this young man had forcefully resisted Dou Min¡¯s attack, Mo Shiqian just felt that it was no big deal. He raised his wrist slightly. A gust of force attacked and caused Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s wrist to turn numb, and he unknowingly let go. The Cloud-Sky Copper Sword directly flew forward. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s expression instantly turned harsh. ¡°You¡ª¡± The moment he spoke, he felt an invisible hand clutching his neck tightly! His voice suddenly trailed off, and his originally pale face rapidly flushed red! The cultivation level difference between the two was too huge, and Qiang Wanzhou was injured, so he could not resist the other party. Hence, he could only watch on as the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword landed in Mo Shiqian¡¯s hands. ¡­ Everyone fell silent. In the entire place, the cold and solemn air seemed to be completely frozen. Countless pairs of eyes looked at Mo Shiqian. Shock, respect, fear, horror¡­ All sorts of emotions filled the crowd¡¯s hearts. The so-called terrifying suppression even made them unable to say a single word easily. Seeing Mo Shiqian¡¯s movements, Chu Liuyue gradually clenched her fists. ¡­ ¡°This aura¡­ is rather familiar.¡± Mo Shiqian sized the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword up. After inspecting it a few times, he confirmed his guess. He looked up again at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°You¡¯re her person.¡± This was not a question but an affirmative statement. He did not say who the ¡®her¡¯ was, but his meaning was clearly obvious! Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other and did not speak. However, Mo Shiqian clearly did not need his reply. I definitely wouldn¡¯t mistake this person¡¯s aura. ¡°Interesting¡­ As expected¡ªlike master, like servant.¡± Mo Shiqian laughed, but his words had no laughing intent. Chu Liuyue was not afraid of death, and the same went for the young man before him! He even directly barged in¡­ ¡°Who let him in?¡± asked Mo Shiqian suddenly. Hong An¡¯s feet became jelly as he looked at Dou Min, while asking for help. At this point, only Dou Min putting a good word in for him would allow him to have a chance of survival¡­ But at this point, Dou Min suddenly turned around and gazed at him with furrowed brows. ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Didn¡¯t you hear what Sect Master asked?!¡± Hong An was dazed for a moment, and then felt as if he had fallen into an icy hole. Dou Min already turned around, bowed, and said, ¡°Sect Master, Hong An was completely in charge of the challenge this time.¡± Hong An¡¯s mind turned completely blank. Dou Min still continued to talk as he had a pained and regretful expression. ¡°¡­Back then, I was blind to have chosen him. I didn¡¯t expect him to do such a thing! I was really a fool! I didn¡¯t use my people smartly and failed my duties. Sect Master, please punish me!¡± This sentence seemed to be pleading for remorse, but in actual fact, he pushed all the problems to Hong An. Dou Min knew very clearly that this matter had blown up too big and that he definitely couldn¡¯t escape unscathed. But at the very least, he had to protect his life! As for Hong An¡­ At this point, Dou Min couldn¡¯t even save himself. How could he care about others? Hong An did not expect Dou Min¡ªwho had always thought highly of him¡ªwouldn¡¯t give him any chance at all at a crucial point, even pushing him a second time from the back! Does he think that I¡¯m not dying fast enough?! At that moment, Hong An was also enraged. He immediately said, ¡°Sect Master, please check clearly! I¡¯m also wronged in this incident! I¡ª¡± ¡°You did well.¡± Mo Shiqian was frustrated from their fighting and directly interrupted Hong An. Even though he was resting earlier, he knew whatever happened here clearly. He knew very clearly what they were all thinking. Now, he was in no mood to handle these things. Hong An was suddenly dazed. The two at the side both looked shocked. What did the sect master say just now? He said¡­ I did¡­ well? Hong An almost thought that he had misheard the sect master, so he looked up and glanced at Mo Shiqian in disbelief. However, he detected a warning with this glance and hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°Bringing them back early is a serious offense. However, I¡¯ll just take it that you made up for your mistake with this merit.¡± Mo Shiqian¡¯s meaning was very clear: It was because of this golden-haired young man¡¯s existence that he didn¡¯t pursue Hong An¡¯s mistake! Hong An was shocked and dazed at that moment. However, he was mostly delighted from surviving a disaster! From what Sect Master said¡­ I won¡¯t die, and I might not even be punished?! And all of this was just because I brought that golden-haired young man back? Dou Min instantly felt awkward. Mo Shiqian¡¯s sentence was undoubtedly like a harsh slap to his face! But¡­ What background does that golden-haired young man exactly have to let the sect master think so highly of him?! It wasn¡¯t just him, but almost everyone else had the same few questions. This golden-haired young man was decently talented, but it was not to an exaggerated extent. Besides, he even wanted to attack Mo Shiqian previously. Such a person would usually only die. What did he have that was worth Mo Shiqian thinking so highly of him? Could it be¡­ that sword? ¡­ Mo Shiqian kept the sword and sized Qiang Wanzhou up again. Although this Cloud-Sky Copper Sword wasn¡¯t considered a top-notch Yuan instrument, one could tell that a lot of effort was spent on it. Shangguan Yue was willing to give it to the golden-haired young man, which shows their extraordinary relationship. ¡°She¡¯s in the limelight now¡­¡¯ Mo Shiqian muttered to himself in deep thought and lightly laughed. ¡°If she knew that you¡¯re in my hands, I wonder how she¡¯d react.¡± She definitely wouldn¡¯t be in a good mood. Qiang Wanzhou stared at the figure before him closely. As the black mist covered Mo Shiqian, he couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s appearance clearly, only a rough outline of his figure. He knew that the other party was extremely strong! He had not felt such a dangerous aura in too long. Mo Shiqian asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Qiang Wanzhou did not speak. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you now?¡± Mo Shiqian laughed. This golden-haired young man¡¯s appearance is extremely eye-catching. Once I ask around, it won¡¯t be hard to know his identity. Mo Shiqian¡¯s gaze landed on the crowd below. The sharp and icy cold gaze was like a blade that harshly scraped past them! Some people¡¯s legs went jelly, and they could not stand still. ¡°Whoever can report this person¡¯s name and background will receive a hefty reward from me!¡± said Mo Shiqian. The crowd was dead silent, and nobody answered. Not to mention that they didn¡¯t know, but even if they did, they could not say it. Qiang Wanzhou had just saved their lives! Mo Shiqian¡¯s tone became lighter, and he said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Oh? You refuse to say it?¡± Chapter 2013 - 2013 Besiege! 2013 Besiege! Dead silence. The atmosphere was even stiffer. Mo Shiqian moved his fingertips. A young man flew up! ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Mo Shiqian asked. The young man¡¯s face was pale as he shook his head in panic. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Thump! As soon as he finished speaking, an explosion sounded! The young man¡¯s body suddenly exploded! There was no warning at all! It was extremely violent! He died before he could even beg for mercy or cry out in pain! Blood and flesh splattered everywhere¡ªit was a shocking sight. This sudden scene made everyone¡¯s hearts tremble violently. Many people¡¯s expressions changed. Chu Liuyue also frowned. I know that Mo Shiqian has always been ruthless, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± A scream was heard. It was He Zilan who was suddenly caught by Mo Shiqian! ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Mo Shiqian continued to ask. Obviously, he was just randomly choosing people to ask. If she replied that she didn¡¯t know, or if she didn¡¯t say anything, she would probably die. He Zilan¡¯s face was as pale as a ghost. When had she ever encountered such a scene? Recalling the tragic death of the young man just now, she was so afraid that her teeth were chattering. I really don¡¯t know who that golden-haired young man is or where he came from! He Ziji¡¯s forehead was already covered in cold sweat, and his face was filled with despair. This time, I¡¯m afraid¡­ ¡°Qiang Wanzhou.¡± At this moment, a clear and calm voice suddenly came from behind the crowd. Everyone looked over and were shocked. The person who spoke was an ordinary-looking young woman. At this moment, she was looking up at the sky. ¡°He¡¯s from the Tianling Dynasty.¡± He Ziji opened his mouth and stared at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. She knows¡­ She actually knows? Then, who is she? Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, causing He Ziji to fall into deep chaos. The next moment, He Zilan¡¯s body suddenly flew backward! He Ziji hurriedly went forward and barely caught her. The powerful impact caused He Ziji to fall heavily to the ground! The sound of bones breaking could be heard. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He Zilan¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t any better. The two of them were in a very sorry state. But even so, they still managed to keep their lives. Some people looked at Chu Liuyue with undisguised anger. Clearly, in their eyes, her voluntary answer betrayed Qiang Wanzhou. However, Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to these gazes. She had her own plans. Mo Shiqian turned his gaze slightly and looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked down slightly. ¡°Come over,¡± Mo Shiqian said. ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked up. The others stared at her. Although they had different thoughts, they were afraid of Mo Shiqian and didn¡¯t dare to say anything at this moment. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t follow her. In this suffocatingly quiet intermediate atmosphere, Chu Liuyue walked to the front of the crowd. ¡°I said, come here.¡± Mo Shiqian¡¯s hoarse and low voice sounded like a bugle call at this moment. Chu Liuyue seemed to hesitate for a moment before she finally walked forward. In the end, she walked to Mo Shiqian step by step. There were only ten steps between the two of them! Beside her was Qiang Wanzhou. Qiang Wanzhou turned around and glanced at her indifferently. That gaze was very unfamiliar. It was cold and heavy, with a trace of extremely faint anger. He didn¡¯t seem to understand why this person had exposed her identity. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to notice his gaze and simply bowed to Mo Shiqian. Mo Shiqian asked, ¡°You know him?¡± Chu Liuyue looked down. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°He¡¯s from the Tianling Dynasty¡­ No wonder.¡± Mo Shiqian became interested. Isn¡¯t that person from the Tianling Dynasty? He sized up Qiang Wanzhou again. ¡°I know that she has the Thirteen Yue Guards by her side. Recently, she even brought a few of them to the God Residence Realm. All of them are doing well and are famous¡­ I remember that there¡¯s no one like you in the Thirteen Yue Guards, right?¡± Previously, he had spent a lot of effort investigating Chu Liuyue, so he was quite familiar with the Thirteen Yue Guards. However, he had no impression of the name ¡®Qiang Wanzhou.¡¯ Qiang Wanzhou pursed his lips tightly, still uncooperative. Mo Shiqian didn¡¯t care and turned to look at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You said that you know him. Then¡­ who are you?¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s identity isn¡¯t simple, and anyone who knows his name and background shouldn¡¯t be an ordinary person. Mo Shiqian¡¯s scrutinizing gaze enveloped Chu Liuyue. She smiled. ¡°I¡ª¡± That ordinary face suddenly had a different kind of magnificence because of that smile. That pair of black jade-like eyes were filled with fine starlight. Mo Shiqian suddenly felt that something was wrong. At this moment, a ball of reddish-gold flames suddenly erupted from her body! A terrifying pressure spread out crazily! Under the flames, the gorgeous, thin soft armor quickly covered her entire body! Swoosh! A snow-white longsword tore through the air! A clear shout suddenly spread across the world. ¡°Who am I? Mo Shiqian, you should know best!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had already disappeared on the spot. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Everyone only saw a cold sword light wrapped in golden flames cut across the sky and rush straight at Mo Shiqian! Mo Shiqian shouted angrily, ¡°Shangguan Yue!?¡± ¡­ Shangguan Yue! Hearing this name, everyone present was shocked! Isn¡¯t that the princess of the Tianling Dynasty?! The one rumored to have already entered the God Residence Realm? Why did she suddenly appear here?! He Ziji and He Zilan g;amced at each other and saw the deep shock in each other¡¯s eyes. So that woman is Shangguan Yue? Then, that man¡­ Swoosh! Before they could figure it out, Rong Xiu¡¯s figure had already disappeared! The next moment, he suddenly appeared behind Mo Shiqian! His thin scarlet lips curled up slightly as if he were smiling, but there was a hint of coldness at the corners of his eyes. ¡°Mo Shiqian, how have you been?¡± When Chu Liuyue started to attack, Mo Shiqian had already expected that Rong Xiu would come too! Just as he was about to turn around, an extremely cold aura had already arrived! Mo Shiqian¡¯s heart sank. He already knew what happened at Peach Blossom Dock, and he also knew that Yi Wentao was defeated by Chu Liuyue. But at that time, he thought that Chu Liuyue had used some tricks to win that bet. But now, facing Chu Liuyue¡¯s attack, he suddenly woke up. This woman¡¯s strength has indeed exceeded my previous expectations! Almost at the same time, Qiang Wanzhou suddenly moved! A shocking aura erupted from his body! ¡°True god!?¡± Mo Shiqian became more and more furious. Previously, I didn¡¯t notice it at all! In the blink of an eye, the three of them had surrounded Mo Shiqian! Chapter 2014 - 2014 Killing God 2014 Killing God Moreover, these three people were actually one legendary warrior and two true gods! Under normal circumstances, even if three legendary warriors fought him at the same time, he would almost certainly win. But¡ª Among the three of them¡­ Other than Qiang Wanzhou, one was Chu Liuyue, and the other was Rong Xiu! These two people weren¡¯t easy to deal with! In a flash, Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword aura had already landed. Mo Shiqian couldn¡¯t avoid it, so he was forced to fight head-on! With a flick of his wrist, the black fog around him quickly condensed into a long saber! The long saber was solid and suffused with a dark light. It faintly glowed with a faint scarlet color, as if it had outlined some pattern. Clang! The two of them clashed! Whoosh¡ª The sound of sharp weapons scraping against each other could be heard! For a moment, sparks flew everywhere! The powerful force made Chu Liuyue¡¯s thumb and index finger go numb. She looked over and saw that the pattern on Mo Shiqian¡¯s long knife was the totem of Black Demon Hole! ¡°Originally, I was still thinking about how to lure you out of Peach Blossom Dock. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ you to come here yourself!¡± Mo Shiqian smiled coldly and swung the knife! When he moved, the surrounding space quickly distorted! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t continue fighting. When Mo Shiqian¡¯s long knife was about to swing at her, she directly used the momentum to retreat! Swoosh! A black spatial crack appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. Her gaze turned cold as the red-gold flames rapidly transformed into a gigantic red-gold heavenly phoenix! Chu Liuyue jumped and landed on Tuan Zi¡¯s back. Splash¡ª Tuan Zi flapped her wings and flew up! A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Just now, I was just testing Mo Shiqian¡¯s strength. He is a legendary warrior! Moreover¡­ he has reached an advanced level! Chu Liuyue had fought with Yi Wentao before. In the God Residence Realm, Yi Wentao was already recognized as one of the best legendary warriors. And the Mo Shiqian in front of her was much stronger than Yi Wentao! With her own strength, she was definitely not his match. She used 80% of her strength in that attack just now, but she didn¡¯t hurt Mo Shiqian at all. That day, she was able to defeat Yi Wentao because she had the right people at the right time and the right place. However, today was different. This was Mo Shiqian¡¯s territory! Just as Mo Shiqian was about to continue chasing after her, a cold wind suddenly came from behind! He knew that something was wrong and immediately turned around! An extremely thin golden thread flew over quickly and wrapped around the long saber in his hand! Shing! Rong Xiu pulled his wrist, and the golden thread instantly tightened. Mo Shiqian knew Rong Xiu¡¯s strength. Seeing this, he let go without hesitation and threw the long knife out! Peng! A violent explosion sounded. It was Rong Xiu¡¯s finger that was pressing on the golden thread, and he suddenly moved it! The golden thread trembled. The long saber connected to it was affected by the terrifying power and instantly turned into dust! ¡­ The battle in the sky erupted. The onlookers were all shocked. At this moment, Dou Min¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. Seeing that the few of them had already started fighting, he immediately shouted sternly, ¡°Everyone, listen up! Attack immediately and capture these three people!¡± With that, he took the lead and rushed over! Even though the sect master was powerful, it was unreasonable for him to be surrounded in his own territory. But before he arrived, Rong Xiu waved his sleeves. Rumble! Golden flames surged out continuously like a flood, forming a huge golden barrier in the sky that surrounded the few of them! Dou Min was instantly isolated outside. The golden flames were resplendent and blocked everyone¡¯s vision! Dou Min crossed his hands in front of him, and a Xuan formation quickly gathered in front of him! Roar! A deep tiger roar instantly spread out! But before he could make a move, a clear phoenix cry sounded from within the barrier! Screech! The powerful bloodline pressure from the ancient legendary fiend immediately suppressed the tiger roar of the Xuan formation! The originally condensing apparition shattered with a bang! When Dou Min heard the phoenix cry, he knew something was wrong. But before he could retreat, the Xuan formation had already cracked in front of him! His face turned pale, and the thick smell of blood instantly surged into his throat! ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Hong An cried out in shock. Even though they were outside and could no longer see the scene inside, when the red-gold heavenly phoenix appeared just now, everyone present could still see it clearly. He Ziji and the others¡ªwho were standing below¡ªdidn¡¯t know what had happened in the God Residence Realm. It was normal for them to be shocked when they saw this scene. However, they knew about these things! Dou Min also regretted it endlessly. He only wanted to make up for his mistakes, but he forgot that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. The one she contracted wasn¡¯t just any red-gold heavenly phoenix, but the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress! She could defeat Yi Wentao, so she was naturally not to be underestimated! Scorching heat came from the barrier, making Dou Min even more frightened. After that, he tried a few more times. However, he realized that it was very difficult to even approach, let alone open this barrier. At this moment, people rushed over one after another and surrounded the huge barrier. However, they were helpless against this barrier. ¡°What should we do?¡± someone asked. Dou Min¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed. ¡°Everyone, be on guard! Seal all barriers! No one is allowed to enter or leave! Once they come out¡­ attack immediately!¡± He originally thought that everyone would work together to forcefully break the barrier from the outside. But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that this method wouldn¡¯t work at all. After all, the sect master was still inside! If he wasn¡¯t careful, he would probably¡­ They couldn¡¯t bear the consequences. Now, he could only hope that the sect master could kill his way out first¡­ ¡°Hall Leader Dou Min, what about those people?¡± Dou Min turned around to take a look, impatience appearing on his face. ¡°Lock them all up first!¡± At a time like this, who would still be in the mood to think about these people? ¡°Yes, sir!¡± In Black Demon Hole, apart from Mo Shiqian¡ªwho was the sect master¡ªthe few hall leaders had the most right to speak. When the incident happened, Dou Min happened to be around, so everyone subconsciously respected him. Although there was a problem previously, it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning compared to the current situation. Almost no one would care. Hence, under Dou Min¡¯s command, the entire Black Demon Hole quickly became vigilant! With the space formed by the huge golden barrier as the center, everyone stacked on top of each other and prepared for battle! ¡°Hall Leader Dou Min, the sect master is fighting three people alone. Will he be alright?¡± Everyone was still somewhat worried about this. ¡°Especially since Rong Xiu is here too¡­¡± The speaker lowered his voice. Dou Min¡¯s expression turned solemn as well. Forget about the others, but Rong Xiu¡­ That is a true God of Slaughter! A few years ago, countless people in Black Demon Hole died under his hands! Chapter 2015 - 2015 Thousand Shadow Holy Body! 2015 Thousand Shadow Holy Body! ¡°Things are different now. The sect master¡¯s strength has increased greatly. He¡¯s definitely not someone they can easily injure!¡± Dou Min only hesitated for a short moment before he immediately spoke in a deep voice. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t forget what this place is! This is the territory of Black Demon Hole. How can we allow others to be impudent!?¡± A few years ago, they suffered a huge loss under Rong Xiu¡¯s hands because the sect master was in seclusion at that time and couldn¡¯t make a move. On the other hand, they were defenseless and unprepared at that time. However, it was different now. The sect master could fight, and they had relevant experience. This time, such a thing would definitely not happen again! Hearing his words, everyone nodded their heads and stared at the golden barrier in unison. They began to wait for a long and torturous time. ¡­ Within the barrier. Mo Shiqian glanced at the long knife that turned into powder in an instant, and his eyes were cold and gloomy. Rong Xiu¡¯s abilities are clearly stronger than before! ¡°You guys hid it well¡­ I¡¯ve really underestimated you!¡± Mo Shiqian¡¯s voice was filled with anger as he gritted his teeth. Previously, he had already felt that something was wrong, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it. This was because he didn¡¯t expect that these two people would really come here directly! For the past few years, he¡ªalong with the entire Black Demon Hole¡ªhad been hiding here and had never been exposed. He knew that Rong Xiu had used many methods to investigate, but they were all fruitless. Unexpectedly¡ª Mo Shiqian suddenly thought of something, and his heart sank. ¡°You guys broke through the realm gate of Peach Blossom Dock?!¡± Apart from this, he couldn¡¯t think of any other possibility. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. There is indeed something wrong with that realm gate! Moreover, it is related to Mo Shiqian! ¡°Peach Blossom Dock is already mine. Mo Shiqian, what¡¯s the point of asking these questions?¡± Chu Liuyue slowly said, ¡°You should¡¯ve thought of this the day your Black Sword Sect was completely wiped out.¡± Mo Shiqian sneered. ¡°After occupying Peach Blossom Dock and defeating Yi Wentao, you¡¯re indeed more confident¡­¡± After those things happened, he was indeed quite shocked. However, he was busy at that time, so he temporarily put these aside. Who would¡¯ve thought that in such a short period of time, they would actually kill their way here!? ¡°How dare you come here directly¡­¡± ¡°You said the same thing the last time I killed my way into Black Demon Hole.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly spoke, his tone languid and his expression casual. ¡°Mo Shiqian, you can change your line.¡± ¡°You!¡± Mo Shiqian was suddenly angry, but he couldn¡¯t refute Rong Xiu¡¯s words. He had indeed suffered a huge loss at Rong Xiu¡¯s hands last time. A figure suddenly approached. Chu Liuyue shifted her gaze and glanced at Qiang Wanzhou. At this moment, the injuries on his body had almost completely healed. Previously, he looked dispirited. In the blink of an eye, he seemed to have completely changed into a different person. He was already a true god. Even Chu Liuyue was very surprised by this. It isn¡¯t easy to break through this shackle outside the God Residence Realm. She asked softly, ¡°Little Zhou, when did you become a true god?¡± Qiang Wanzhou looked at her, his exquisite and beautiful face still stained with blood. A moment of hesitation flashed across his eyes. ¡°I¡ª¡± Swoosh! The sound of something breaking through the air was suddenly heard! Chu Liuyue looked up abruptly, and her pupils constricted. On Mo Shiqian¡¯s body, the black mist suddenly began to surge rapidly. A cold and bloody aura spread out continuously! Then, two more figures appeared behind Mo Shiqian¡ªtwo people who looked exactly like him! ¡°Thousand Shadow Holy Body!¡± Chapter 2016 - 2016 Fight! 2016 Fight! The Thousand Shadow Holy Body was an extremely powerful cultivation technique. It was rumored that this Holy Body had long been lost. Even Chu Liuyue¡ªwho had read countless relevant information in Ling Xiao Academy¡ªhad only vaguely heard of this name. As for how to cultivate it, she didn¡¯t know. Unexpectedly, they bumped into each other today! Looking at the three identical figures, Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes slightly. The Thousand Shadow Holy Body is powerful because cultivators can refine more than one Holy Body! As one¡¯s strength increases, the number of Holy Bodies they can have will also increase. When fighting with others, it is undoubtedly a huge advantage! More importantly, these cultivated Holy Bodies all have the same strength as the cultivator! In other words, the current situation is equivalent to three Mo Shiqians fighting against the three of us! The advantage of three against one instantly disintegrated! ¡­ When there were three Mo Shiqians standing at the same time within the barrier, the thick layer of black fog also divided into three parts and surrounded each of them. The black fog seemed to have thinned a little, but Mo Shiqian¡¯s face was still unclear. Even so, Chu Liuyue could still feel that cold and sinister gaze staring at her. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. I want to see how strong Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s master is now!¡± As Mo Shiqian spoke, he dashed straight toward Chu Liuyue! But just as he moved, a golden thread instantly flew toward him! Mo Shiqian¡¯s eyes turned sharp, and he immediately dodged. In just a moment, Rong Xiu had already appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. His snow-white clothes fluttered in the wind. There seemed to be a smile on his noble and peerless face, but his deep and cold phoenix eyes were filled with a bone-chilling coldness. ¡°Mo Shiqian, your opponent is me!¡± With that, Rong Xiu raised his hand, and golden flames instantly surged out of his palm! Even though the two Holy Bodies that appeared had the same strength as Mo Shiqian, only by killing the real Mo Shiqian could it be considered a complete end! Mo Shiqian secretly gritted his teeth. Originally, I wanted to lay my hands on Shangguan Yue! But with Rong Xiu protecting her, it will be difficult. Unless¡­ I can deal with Rong Xiu first! ¡°Alright! Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s settle the old and new scores together!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the aura on Mo Shiqian¡¯s body soared again! Swoosh! He waved his arm, and a black and red sickle quickly appeared in his palm! Chu Liuyue recognized at a glance that this wasn¡¯t like the long saber from before, which was condensed from the strange black fog around him. This was a true Yuan instrument! Furthermore¡­ its oppressive aura was extremely powerful! Suddenly, a white light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. This isn¡¯t a Yuan instrument! This is a real holy weapon! ¡°Nine Abyss Scythe!¡± Mo Shiqian raised the sickle in his hand! In an instant, a cold and gloomy killing intent quickly spread from within! A thin layer of blood-colored frost quickly covered it! Swoosh! The sickle landed, and a sea of blood surged over! Rong Xiu waved his sleeves, and the ball of golden flames quickly flew out. Rumble! Two strong and bright colors instantly collided fiercely in midair and suddenly exploded! On the other side, Mo Shiqian¡¯s Holy Bodies also began to move on their own! One went straight for Qiang Wanzhou, while the other leaped over from the side and arrived behind Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue quickly turned around. She frowned slightly and put away the Chi Xiao Sword. ¡®Mo Shiqian¡¯¡ªwho was standing opposite her¡ªfrowned and immediately revealed a strange smile. His laughter was hoarse and deep. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re quite prepared.¡± Even his voice and tone were no different from the real Mo Shiqian! Chu Liuyue raised her guard to the maximum! From a certain angle, this is equivalent to fighting with Mo Shiqian! Mo Shiqian¡¯s strength is obviously above Yi Wentao¡¯s. To defeat him¡­ is as difficult as ascending to the heavens! However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect to win this match. What she needed to do now was to stall for time! Swoosh! The Flying Cloud Painting flew out of her hand! The red scroll was released, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s fair and slender hand quickly brushed past it. Soon, several Xuan formations appeared in front of her. Seeing this scene, a trace of surprise finally flashed across Mo Shiqian¡¯s eyes. He knew that Nan Yifan had died in Peach Blossom Dock not long ago, and he also knew that the Flying Cloud Painting had already fallen into Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands and become her possession. But before Chu Liuyue became the owner of the Flying Cloud Painting, the Flying Cloud Painting had never displayed its true combat strength in the past thousand years. So even Mo Shiqian saw such a scene for the first time. ¡°Flying Cloud Painting¡­ You¡¯re quite handy!¡± It was obviously impossible to say that there were no emotions in his heart. Back then, he had a chance to obtain this thing. Unfortunately, at that time, he was the same as everyone else¡ªhe thought that the Flying Cloud Painting was only a holy weapon used to escape, so he didn¡¯t take it to heart. Now that he thought about it¡­ However, Mo Shiqian also understood that artifacts of this level actually had spiritual energy. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have endured such a long time before it could display its true strength in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°You flatter me!¡± Then, she thought of something, and the Xuan formations quickly flew forward and surrounded Mo Shiqian! ¡­ On the other side, Qiang Wanzhou had already started fighting with Mo Shiqian¡¯s Thousand Shadow Holy Body. To be fair, a true god like Qiang Wanzhou would never be a match for Mo Shiqian¡ªeven Qiang Wanzhou himself admitted this. Therefore, from the moment the two of them started fighting, Qiang Wanzhou had already decided that he would never fight Mo Shiqian head-on! When the scene fell into chaos just now, Mo Shiqian threw the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword nonchalantly, casually, and indifferently, and he quickly snatched it back. At this moment, Qiang Wanzhou held the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword and only chose to attack from the side. Although his strength wasn¡¯t as good as Mo Shiqian¡¯s, fortunately, his movement technique was flexible. Every time Mo Shiqian planned to attack him, Qiang Wanzhou would escape first. The two of them were in a dire situation! ¡­ Seconds ticked by. The golden barrier was sealed so tightly that no one outside could see what was happening inside. They couldn¡¯t even hear the sound. Gradually, the people waiting became restless. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on inside¡­ Sect Master will be at a disadvantage if he fights with the three of them!¡± ¡°That might not be the case. Sect Master has just come out of seclusion, and his strength has improved greatly. He might not lose to them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, don¡¯t forget that the Sect Master has cultivated the Thousand Shadow Holy Body! Even if the three of them join forces to attack, they might not be able to gain any advantages against the sect master!¡± Chapter 2017 - 2017 Trouble 2017 Trouble At the mention of this, everyone¡¯s anxious hearts finally calmed down. Ever since they suffered a huge loss under Rong Xiu a few years ago, the entire Black Demon Hole had been recuperating. The sect master cultivated in seclusion all year round, and his strength increased greatly. Now that they were up against each other again, it was still unknown who would win! ¡­ At the Yi family. In a remote and quiet courtyard, it was cold and empty. There was only one elder standing in front of the door, guarding it in boredom. Ever since Yi Wentao came back, he had been staying in this room and had never come out. As for the rest of the Yi family, they had never been here before¡ªapart from Jun Jiuqing, who was now the head of the family. However, he only came once. The entire Yi family seemed to have forgotten that Yi Wentao was here. There was no one here, and it was very cold. No one would¡¯ve thought that Yi Wentao, who had been influential in the Yi family for hundreds of years, would end up like this. Suddenly, the sound of something shattering came from inside. The guarding elder frowned and went forward to ask, ¡°Family Head, what¡¯s wrong?¡± After many years of getting used to it, he still called Yi Wentao ¡®family head.¡¯ However, they all understood that this title was meaningless to the current Yi Wentao. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I hit the corner of the table and broke a cup.¡± After a while, Yi Wentao¡¯s cold voice was heard. The guarding elder nodded in understanding. ¡°Be careful.¡± He had no intention of going in to clean up. He was the only one in charge of guarding the entire courtyard now. If it weren¡¯t for something urgent, he wouldn¡¯t have left his position nonchalantly, casually, and indifferently. Besides¡­ shattering a cup was indeed a small matter. With that, he looked away. ¡­ Within the room. Yi Wentao sat on a chair. The table he had just kicked down was on the ground in front of him. Tea stains scattered all over the ground, and the teacup had shattered. Beside him kneeled a man in black. Yi Wentao¡¯s chest heaved violently, and his eyes seemed to be burning with anger. It was obvious how angry he was. ¡°Uncontactable? What does that mean?!¡± He lowered his voice, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to hear the strong suppressed anger in his words. The man in black still lowered his head and said, ¡°We¡¯ve already sent three messages in a row, but¡­ It¡¯s still like a stone sinking into the sea. There¡¯s no reply.¡± Yi Wentao took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Actually, he had long understood the meaning of these words. He just didn¡¯t want to believe it. Does Black Demon Hole¡­ not plan to pay attention to me anymore?! Yi Wentao tried his best to calm down, but it was very difficult. Black Demon Hole was his last straw to clutch at! A few days ago, Jun Jiuqing came over and asked him that question. At that time, he seemed to have compromised and told Jun Jiuqing everything about the Celestial Shield, but in fact, he hated Jun Jiuqing to the core. In his opinion, Jun Jiuqing was ambitious and had long thought of scheming for the position of family head! Taking advantage of the fact that he was trapped in Peach Blossom Dock, he forcefully made his move and easily became the new head of the Yi family! Jun Jiuqing was high and mighty now, but what about him? He had already fallen to such a state that he couldn¡¯t even enter and exit this courtyard freely! Yes, Jun Jiuqing was the successor to be the family head that he had personally chosen. But at that time, how did he know that Jun Jiuqing was actually such a person? He could only blame himself for being blind and being deceived. To think that he even personally handed the token to Jun Jiuqing¡­ Now that he thought about it, it was extremely ironic! Of course, Yi Wentao wouldn¡¯t sit still and wait for death. Hence, after lying low for a few years, he finally contacted his sacrificial warriors again. He naturally had his ways. The man in black in front of him was one of them. What Jun Jiuqing wanted was actually very simple: He wanted to obtain everything he had lost. He wanted to recover his strength and take back the Yi family! However, it was easier said than done. No matter which one it was, it was almost impossible for him to complete them. Therefore, from the beginning, he wanted to rely on external forces. This external force was naturally Black Demon Hole! For the past few years, in order to avoid Rong Xiu¡¯s investigation, he had been very careful and cut off all contact with his sacrificial warriors. Until this time, there was really no other way. Besides, he had already fallen out with Rong Xiu. Even if the latter knew about this, there was nothing to be afraid of. Now that he had nothing, what was there to be afraid of? However, he didn¡¯t expect that when he summoned a sacrificial warrior and got him to contact Black Demon Hole, he received such an outcome! It was obvious that without that person¡¯s help, he would definitely not be able to turn the tables. That was why Yi Wentao was so angry. ¡°Back then, Rong Xiu killed his way to Black Demon Hole. If I didn¡¯t send out a few sacrificial warriors to help him, how could they have the time to leave successfully? Now, he¡¯s turning his back on us!¡± Yi Wentao started coughing again. His face was still very pale, and a fishy and sweet smell spread in his mouth. When the man in black kneeling below saw this, he asked worriedly, ¡°Master, your body¡­¡± Yi Wentao shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m already recovering. I¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡± His voice sounded a little weak. The previous battle had exhausted him too much. The few days he was locked up in Peach Blossom Dock were even more devastating. If not for his good foundation, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure it. ¡°Contact him again!¡± The black-robed man hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Master, could something have happened over there¡­¡± Yi Wentao frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I personally thought that even if they didn¡¯t want to help, they would¡¯ve informed us and wouldn¡¯t have responded like this. Moreover¡­ It¡¯s impossible for that person not to know the current situation of the Yi family and the Nan family. But evenl now, they haven¡¯t done anything. This¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡± Yi Wentao didn¡¯t think so at first, but after hearing the man in black¡¯s words, he instantly felt that something was wrong. He stood up and paced around the room. His brows were tightly knitted, and he was deep in thought for a long time. That¡¯s right. Since the Nan family and the Yi family are in trouble, it is impossible for that person to be indifferent. After all, he is the one behind these two families. Now that Nan Yifan and I have been defeated, to a certain extent, it is also a humiliation to that person. How could he bear it? ¡°Perhaps¡­ that person is still in seclusion?¡± In the past few years, Yi Wentao rarely contacted that person. He only knew that he was in seclusion most of the time. ¡°No, if that¡¯s the case, the people below won¡¯t be indifferent¡­¡± Yi Wentao suddenly stood still and widened his eyes. I¡¯m afraid that something really has happened to Black Demon Hole! His mind raced as he looked at the man in black. ¡°Did anyone notice you coming over recently?¡± The man in black immediately said, ¡°No, I¡¯ve always been cautious and didn¡¯t dare to make any mistakes.¡± Yi Wentao was still worried. He paused and then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation at Peach Blossom Dock and the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± The man in black shook his head. ¡°It seems like¡­ everything is normal. I haven¡¯t heard any news recently.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s heart sank. Something has happened! Chapter 2018 - 2018 Yes 2018 Yes At this point, familiar footsteps could be heard from outside. Yi Wentao was shocked. The elder in charge of guarding the door had already said, ¡°Greetings, Family Head!¡± Jun Jiuqing! Why did he suddenly come?! Yi Wentao frowned and immediately turned around to give the man in black a look. The black-clothed man¡¯s figure flashed, and he vanished from the spot. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s voice was casual as usual. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for a few days and missed you. I happened to pass by and wanted to come and take a look.¡± At this moment, he had already walked to the door and glanced inside. ¡°How is the situation?¡± That elder hurriedly said, ¡°Everything is as usual. It¡¯s just that¡­ it¡¯s just that the family head doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood today.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jun Jiuqing smiled. All the more reason to go in and take a look. With that, he pushed the door open and entered. The room was very quiet, and there was a faint bitter medicinal fragrance. Although Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t come these few days, he had always sent people to deliver medicine. He walked inside and saw Yi Wentao. There was also the mess on the ground. Jun Jiuqing raised his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re so angry. Why? Did your subordinates not serve you well enough?¡± Yi Wentao sneered in his heart. Serve? During this period of time, I have been locked up here like a prisoner. Who would serve me? Surveillance is more like it! Yi Wentao looked up and asked coldly, ¡°Why are you here again today? I¡¯ve already said everything I needed to say to you that day!¡± His face was filled with annoyance. He was just short of chasing him away. Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t mind and smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I heard that you have a guest here, so I thought of coming over to take a look.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he was a sly old fox after all! He didn¡¯t show any guilt on his face and instead laughed sarcastically. ¡°What did you say? Guest? Apart from you, I don¡¯t have anyone else here. Guest¡­ where did they come from?¡± Jun Jiuqing looked around. The air in the room seemed to freeze. ¡°Family Head, why do you have to do this?¡± After a while, Jun Jiuqing spoke slowly. ¡°Thanks to your kindness, I was able to become the young master and become the family head. If you continue to stay here well, I guarantee that you can live the rest of your days peacefully. Unfortunately¡­ you don¡¯t seem to care about these things.¡± Yi Wentao said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡ª¡± ¡°Over the past few days, I¡¯ve been thinking about how you got in touch with that person.¡± Jun Jiuqing suddenly interrupted him. There was a strange smile on his devilish face. ¡°Although the Yi family is big and powerful, you interact with them as a person. The rest of the Yi family knows nothing about this. Under such circumstances, what did you use to persuade the other party to join forces with you?¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s throat was dry as he stared at Jun Jiuqing. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Jun Jiuqing smiled and shook his head. ¡°You should know best what I want to say. These few days, I¡¯ve been thinking day and night and finally remembered something.¡± He took a step forward. For some reason, Yi Wentao¡¯s legs suddenly felt weak, and he subconsciously took a step back. The two of them faced each other, but Jun Jiuqing¡¯s aura had already easily crushed Yi Wentao! Yi Wentao regretted his decision. Jun Jiuqing continued, ¡°I remember that a few years ago, when Rong Xiu went to Black Demon Hole, that person was at a critical juncture in his cultivation and almost didn¡¯t have the ability to fight. With Rong Xiu¡¯s temperament, if he could completely kill the other party, he would definitely not leave any chance. But that time, he actually escaped and found another place.¡± This meant that although Rong Xiu severely injured Black Demon Hole that time, he didn¡¯t really threaten the other party¡¯s foundation. With every word Jun Jiuqing said, the pressure in Yi Wentao¡¯s heart increased. Seeing that he was silent, Jun Jiuqing asked softly, ¡°Do you think someone helped?¡± Thump! Yi Wentao took a step back and accidentally knocked over the chair behind him. The good rosewood chair fell to the ground with a dull thud. ¡°Family Head, what¡¯s wrong?¡± When the elder outside the door heard this sound, he hurriedly knocked on the door and asked. Jun Jiuqing answered lightly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to come in.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± That elder was also a smart person. When he heard this, he immediately agreed and continued to guard the door obediently. The room fell into a short silence. ¡°Looks like what I said is true?¡± Jun Jiuqing laughed. Although it was a question, his tone was very firm. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Yi Wentao wanted to deny it, but Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words made him feel like he had fallen into an ice cave! ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange that no one has come to pick you up after so long? That even the news you sent out didn¡¯t have any reaction?¡± Yi Wentao suddenly felt a chill run down his spine! ¡°Y-you¡ª¡± He widened his eyes and stared at Jun Jiuqing in disbelief. Jun Jiuqing¡­ knows! ¡°I heard that those are all talents you¡¯ve carefully nurtured for many years. It took you a lot of time and effort. What a pity.¡± Yi Wentao¡¯s heart was in turmoil! Jun Jiuqing suddenly tilted his head and looked at the void behind Yi Wentao. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a vigorous force transformed into a long whip and flew out! Slap! The void was forcefully torn apart, and the hidden black-robed man was directly pulled out! His neck was tightly wrapped by the whip, and he couldn¡¯t break free! Seeing this, Yi Wentao could no longer maintain his usual calm facade. ¡°You¡­ You knew all along!?¡± Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t say anything and exerted force. Crack¡ª The crisp sound of bones cracking could be heard. Finally, the black-robed man¡¯s neck tilted, and he stopped breathing. He wasn¡¯t weak, but Jun Jiuqing took the initiative and didn¡¯t give him any chance to catch his breath. That was how he died. The man in black lay on the ground. Thick, bright red blood slowly flowed out from under him. The thick smell of blood quickly spread out! Yi Wentao¡¯s lips trembled, and his face turned pale. At this point, what was there not to understand? ¡°I didn¡¯t know that long ago.¡± Jun Jiuqing looked up and glanced at Yi Wentao. ¡°You can¡¯t hide it yourself. Isn¡¯t it normal for others to know?¡± Previously, he only had his suspicions and didn¡¯t have any evidence. However, he knew that Yi Wentao would never give up, so he had been sending people to keep an eye on him. Sure enough, he found something. Two may keep counsel, putting one away. Moreover, Jun Jiuqing was already prepared and was waiting for him to walk right into the trap! Yi Wentao trembled. There seemed to be flames burning in his chest, but his body was still bone-chilling. He knew that this time, he was really finished! ¡°You¡­ How do you know so much?!¡± It was about Black Demon Hole, about that person, about all of this! Chapter 2019 - 2019 Win or Lose 2019 Win or Lose He didn¡¯t notice it at first, but he now remembered that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words just now were very wrong. Not many people know that Rong Xiu went to Black Demon Hole back then. In the entire God Residence Realm, most people thought that Black Demon Hole suddenly chose to hide from the world and disappeared. Very few people knew what had happened at that time. Not only does Jun Jiuqing know about it, but he also knows about it very well! He even knows that the person from Black Demon Hole was at a critical moment and couldn¡¯t attack! This matter was extremely confidential. Jun Jiuqing had nothing to do with this matter, so how does he know so much? Yi Wentao couldn¡¯t figure it out. He looked at Jun Jiuqing with a complicated gaze. At this moment, he realized that he didn¡¯t know much about Jun Jiuqing. This person¡­ was extremely dangerous! Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t answer his question. He knew a lot of things, so there was no need to tell the crippled Yi Wentao. ¡°Looks like I really overestimated you previously.¡± Jun Jiuqing smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that the Yi family hasn¡¯t been implicated by you for so many years. Don¡¯t worry. The Yi family is definitely several times stronger in my hands than yours. You should continue to rest here quietly in the future.¡± With that, he turned and left. He didn¡¯t want to talk to Yi Wentao anymore. It was obvious that he had come this time to deal with the man in black. It was also the last way out for Yi Wentao! Yi Wentao¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and he suddenly shouted, ¡°Stop right there!¡± Jun Jiuqing stopped in his tracks and turned around. Rumble! A cluster of green flames suddenly erupted from Yi Wentao¡¯s body! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s pupils constricted! Yi Wentao is going to self-destruct! He is crazy! Yi Wentao was indeed crazy. The death of the man in black and Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words became the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. He originally thought that he still had a chance to turn the tables, but now, everything had become an illusion! Needless to say, he knew what kind of life he would lead in the future! He was like a prisoner and was extremely lowly! He was trapped here and couldn¡¯t see the light of day all year round¡ªuntil he died! Yi Wentao had been proud and noble all his life. How could he bear such an ending? Since all hope was gone¡­ He might as well perish together with Jun Jiuqing! Although Yi Wentao was now disabled, he used to be a legendary warrior! If he forcefully self-destructed, the outcome would be unimaginable! At such a close distance¡­ Even if Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t die, he would be crippled! Jun Jiuqing immediately attacked! However, the flames on Yi Wentao¡¯s body spread too quickly! Yi Wentao was determined to die, so he didn¡¯t hold back and crazily urged the force in his body to burn. A terrifying aura was rapidly gathering! Jun Jiuqing knew that things weren¡¯t good. He made a prompt decision and turned to flee! Thump! The guarding elder forcefully knocked open the door! ¡°Family Head, what¡¯s¡ª¡± The elder guarding the door was shocked. Just as he was about to ask, he felt a shadow flash past his eyes. Before he could finish speaking, a scorching and terrifying aura suddenly surged out of the room! A deep sense of fear surged in his heart, and he subconsciously looked inside. Yi Wentao was on fire! The power accumulated in every inch of his muscles, bones, and flesh was burning crazily. After all, he was once a legendary warrior who could shake a region. The power contained in his body was extremely shocking! The elder immediately realized the danger. Yi Wentao is going to self-destruct! Without thinking, he immediately retreated! At this moment, he had no time to think about what had happened inside and why Yi Wentao made such a choice in the end. There was only one thought in his mind: Run! But before he could run far, a shocking bang suddenly came from behind! A terrifying wave of air surged over like a river! Green flames covered the sky and covered the earth! The elder was struck by the terrifying explosive force and flew out. He shattered into pieces in midair and was devoured by the crazily spreading green flames! From birth to death, everything happened in the blink of an eye. Although Jun Jiuqing reacted extremely quickly and fled even further away, he was still inevitably affected by this force! His chest shook, and he spat out blood. At this moment, his internal organs seemed to have been crushed by this force and directly exploded! His vision turned black, and he fainted. The commotion quickly spread. The entire Yi family finally fell into chaos. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest¡ªwho were far away from the God Residence Realm¡ªdidn¡¯t know what had happened to the Yi family. However, Mo Shiqian had always been in contact with Yi Wentao. In the middle of the chaotic battle, his expression suddenly froze. Then, he gritted his teeth and said hatefully, ¡°Useless!¡± Rong Xiu heard this. He narrowed his eyes slightly and then realized what had happened. His thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°Looks like the Yi family has already won.¡± ¡°You!¡± Mo Shiqian looked up abruptly. ¡°You did this!?¡± Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Two tigers can¡¯t share one mountain. Is there a need for me to do this personally?¡± If he didn¡¯t do anything, the Yi family would turn the world upside down. After all, Yi Wentao and Jun Jiuqing weren¡¯t easy to deal with. Judging from Mo Shiqian¡¯s reaction, Jun Jiuqing must¡¯ve won. This is the same result as I had expected. Mo Shiqian was furious. What he hated the most was Rong Xiu¡¯s always calm and collected appearance! It was as if nothing in this world could disturb his mind. No one could gain the slightest advantage from him! No matter what kind of trouble he encountered, he always seemed to have victory in his grasp. What right did he have!? Mo Shiqian wasn¡¯t convinced, nor was he willing to accept it. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. After the battle just now, his body was already covered in injuries and blood. However, Rong Xiu was much stronger than him. Although he was also injured, and his body was stained with messy blood, most of it wasn¡¯t his own blood! A few years ago, he was unable to fight Rong Xiu because he was at a critical juncture of cultivation. He thought that after such a long time, he could finally surpass Rong Xiu, but who knew¡­ Things didn¡¯t go as planned! Yeah. When he was cultivating, how could Rong Xiu¡¯s strength not increase?! If this continued, he would probably be the one to lose in the end! One had to know that Rong Xiu had yet to summon his Holy Body! Moreover, he also had two Holy Bodies! On the other hand, he¡­ The two Holy Bodies that he had painstakingly cultivated were now entangled by Chu Liuyue and Qiang Wanzhou. Qiang Wanzhou seemed to be the weakest, but his endurance was extremely shocking. It had been so long, but his speed and movement technique hadn¡¯t weakened at all! Not to mention Chu Liuyue. Merely the Flying Cloud Painting gave him a headache. Needless to say, she had the help of Tuan Zi, who had already opened the fifth meridian! Moreover, she still had a trump card that she had yet to reveal! This battle is probably dangerous¡­ Mo Shiqian¡¯s mind raced, and he quickly made a decision. I can¡¯t let this continue! ¡°Blood Heaven Realm!¡± Chapter 2020 - 2020 A Familiar Voice 2020 A Familiar Voice Following his shout, a copper mirror abruptly appeared in front of him. This bronze mirror was very similar to the one Hong An had taken out previously, but it was also different. There were mysterious runes engraved on the edge of the bronze mirror, and a sea of blood surged in the mirror! A strong bloody smell diffused from it, mixed with a rotten smell that made one nauseous. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression froze. I¡¯ve seen this bronze mirror before! In the past few meetings, Mo Shiqian didn¡¯t show his real face. However, this bronze mirror always appeared. At this moment, the Mo Shiqian in front of her suddenly retreated! On the other side, the Holy Body that had been fighting with Qiang Wanzhou for a long time also retreated without hesitation. Three figures gathered and stood together. Then, the two Holy Bodies transformed into balls of black fog again and surged into the Blood Heaven Realm! Mo Shiqian himself was standing in front of the Blood Heaven Realm with his hands folded and his eyes closed. Right on the heels of that, a distant and heavy pressure suddenly spread out from the Blood Heaven Realm! The void trembled, and space distorted. Alarm bells rang in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Without thinking, she immediately shouted, ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. She flapped her huge red-gold wings and immediately rose into the sky! Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s gaze turned sharp as he slashed down the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. For a moment, sparks flew everywhere, and several silver-white lightning bolts surged out! In the blink of an eye, they formed a barrier in front of him! A black flame flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. His palm moved slightly, as if he was planning to move. But after a moment of hesitation, he quietly retracted it. He only tapped his toes and retreated. Almost at the same time¡ª Boom! In the Blood Heaven Realm, a scarlet sea of blood surged violently. As the waves rose and fell, terrifying power surged out. The golden barrier finally shattered! For a moment, countless golden sparks scattered in all directions, almost illuminating half the sky! ¡°They¡¯re out!¡± When the people who were waiting outside heard this, their spirits were lifted! Countless pairs of eyes looked toward the middle! In the streams of light that filled the sky, the bronze mirror floated in the air and immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Everyone in Black Demon Hole revealed looks of joy. ¡°Sect Master is indeed powerful!¡± They knew very well that this was the sect master¡¯s ace in the hole, his trump card! Indeed, the moment it was taken out, it tore Rong Xiu¡¯s barrier apart! Suddenly, a low voice came from the crowd. ¡°Sect Master¡­ Why is there so much blood on his body?¡± The excited crowd fell silent for a moment. They were too excited when the barrier was broken just now and didn¡¯t notice it for a moment. At this moment, after hearing this sentence and looking closely, they saw that there were obviously more bloodstains on Mo Shiqian¡¯s body than on the other three people. Even though his body was still shrouded in a layer of black mist, after this series of intense battles, it had already become much thinner. Clearly, he had used up a lot of his strength just now. ¡°The Blood Heaven Realm is the sect master¡¯s ultimate move. Now that he has used it, he will definitely win!¡± A moment later, someone raised their voice. This is our Black Demon Hole¡¯s territory. There is no reason to let these three people act nonchalantly, casually, and indifferently! There was a reason for the previous incident, but this time¡­ The same thing will never happen again! Just as everyone was about to surround him, Mo Shiqian suddenly said: ¡°Everyone in Black Demon Hole, listen up! Get into formation!¡± With a command, no one dared to disobey! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Without the defense of Rong Xiu¡¯s barrier, their situation immediately became dangerous. There are so many cultivators from Black Demon Hole here. If they attack together, we will probably¡­ At the thought of this, she quickly turned her head to take a look. However, what she saw stunned her on the spot. The people from the Black Demon Hole didn¡¯t attack. Instead, they split up. They stood neatly and did the same thing. They crossed their arms in front of their chests, clenched their fists, and lowered their heads slightly. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Why do they look like they are¡­ performing some kind of ritual? Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she saw light spots appear above everyone¡¯s heads one after another. The light spots were only the size of a fist. They weren¡¯t eye-catching and were a faint blood-red color. They were like¡­ a blood moon. Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of the Black Sword Sect¡¯s totem¡ªtwo swords circled the moon, and it was indeed the blood moon. But for some reason, this scene felt strangely familiar¡­ ¡°Members of Black Demon Hole, please bless us!¡± Suddenly, Mo Shiqian said something in a low voice. He stood in front of the Blood Heaven Realm and faced the blood-colored mirror. This voice was filled with admiration and anticipation, as if it were summoning something. Chu Liuyue had never seen such a situation before and was confused. Mo Shiqian is¡­ looking for external help? ¡°He¡¯s waiting for someone.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s figure moved and arrived beside her as he spoke softly. Chu Liuyue turned and glanced at him. ¡°Waiting for who?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and didn¡¯t answer. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her fists. Actually, this answer isn¡¯t difficult to guess. At this time, Mo Shiqian is naturally waiting for someone who can help them! Except¡­ What kind of person will they be? Suddenly, a figure slowly appeared from the blood sea of the Blood Heaven Realm! Then, an ancient voice sounded. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± This voice seemed to have come from a distant spacetime, carrying a shocking pressure. As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding space seemed to tremble! Mo Shiqian bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m extremely helpless. I really didn¡¯t want to disturb you, but ¡­ I hope you can help me with this trouble.¡± He raised his hand and pointed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Please¡ªkill Shangguan Yue and the other two!¡± It was dead quiet between heaven and earth. However, Chu Liuyue suddenly leaned closer to Rong Xiu and softly said, ¡°Why do I feel that¡­ this voice is so familiar?¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the voice sounded in surprise and joy. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie!¡± Chapter 2021 - 2021 Biased 2021 Biased Chu Liuyue was dazed. This voice¡­ ¡°¡­Senior Diwu?!¡± she said with uncertainty. The figure in the Blood Heaven Realm gradually lost its blood color, revealing that person¡¯s original appearance. He had a benevolent expression and looked like an immortal. It was Diwu Zhangze, whom she had not seen for a long time! At this moment, that pair of weathered eyes was looking at Chu Liuyue with joy and longing. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie! Come and take a look at me!¡± Mo Shiqian, who was originally proud of himself, was shocked. The people who had formed the summoning formation were also stunned. What did he say? What did he just shout!? Yue¡¯er Girlie¡­ It¡¯s self-evident who he is calling! Even a fool can tell! ¡°S-Senior, you¡­¡± Mo Shiqian was extremely shocked, and his heart was trembling. I spent so much effort to invite this person over to deal with Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. Why does the situation seem to be developing in an uncontrollable direction now? Diwu Zhangze frowned impatiently and waved his hand. ¡°Hey, Mo Shiqian, right? Move aside first. Don¡¯t block my Yue¡¯er from coming over!¡± As he spoke, he tilted his head and smiled as he shouted at Chu Liuyue, ¡°Girlie! Come here quickly!¡± Mo Shiqian¡¯s whole body stiffened, and his mind went blank for a moment. For a moment, he almost suspected that he had misheard. But in the Blood Heaven Realm, Diwu Zhangze¡¯s eager and happy smile toward Chu Liuyue was enough to explain everything. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment but still chose to go forward. With Diwu Zhangze here, no one dared to act rashly. She walked to him smoothly and bowed respectfully. ¡°Yue¡¯er greets Senior Diwu.¡± Diwu Zhangze sized her up. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a while. Yue¡¯er, you¡¯ve really become more and more beautiful!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched as she slowly raised her hand and took off her mask. ¡°¡­Senior Diwu, you¡¯re saying this a little too early¡­¡± It won¡¯t be too late to praise me after I take off my mask. I¡¯m wearing an ordinary face, but he could actually praise me like that¡­ Diwu Zhangze waved his hand. ¡°Hey, our Yue¡¯er Girlie has always been the most beautiful in the world! Who dares to question her?!¡± His words were filled with dominance and pride. These words caused many people to look at Chu Liuyue. The woman was dressed in an ordinary crimson dress. Her black hair fell down and fluttered in the wind. Her face under the mask was as fair as snow, and her skin was as fair as jade. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were like autumn water. In particular, the boldness and carefreeness between her eyebrows added to her magnificence. Many people¡¯s eyes flashed with amazement. The rumored Shangguan Yue, the princess of the Tianling Dynasty, is a legendary existence¡­ She is indeed a top-notch beauty in the world! Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved into crescents. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡± Diwu Zhangze looked at her and suddenly asked, ¡°Eh? Girlie, you¡¯ve cultivated a Holy Body?¡± Chu Liuyue was still wearing that gorgeous soft armor. Under the sunlight, it shone with a cold and noble light. She nodded lightly. ¡°I just cultivated it not long ago.¡± ¡°Yue¡¯er is indeed amazing!¡± Diwu Zhangze was overjoyed. I originally thought that it would take some time, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so fast! As expected, this girl¡¯s talent and opportunities are far from what ordinary people can compare to¡­ ¡°How have you been?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. ¡°Previously, I wanted to go back and take a look, but I haven¡¯t been able to make time. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here today¡­¡± The corners of her lips curved slightly as she said softly, ¡°What a coincidence.¡± There was a moment of dead silence. Diwu Zhangze rubbed his nose awkwardly. On the side, Mo Shiqian¡¯s blood had already frozen, and his limbs were numb. He spent a lot of effort to barely suppress the surging emotions in his heart. ¡°Senior Diwu, you¡­ know Shangguan Yue?¡± This sentence was simply nonsense. Anyone could tell that not only did they know each other, but they also had a deep relationship! Otherwise, why would he call her so intimately?! But at this time, Mo Shiqian almost couldn¡¯t think of these things anymore. He realized that the external help he had invited¡­ might have already become the enemy¡¯s helper! Diwu Zhangze glanced at Mo Shiqian. The smile on his face faded, and his eyes turned cold. This look was very different from the amiable and warm look he had when he faced Chu Liuyue just now. ¡°That¡¯s right. Yue¡¯er, you can be considered half my disciple. Why? Did you invite me here today¡­ to kill her?¡± Mo Shiqian was shocked, and his heart sank. Half his disciple! Such a relationship is indeed not something ordinary people can compare to! In my impression, this person has never taken in a disciple before. Therefore, why did Chu Liuyue¡ª Mo Shiqian¡¯s mind was a mess. Inviting the master to kill the disciple¡­ What a joke! Chu Liuyue blinked. Half a master¡­ Actually, this statement was indeed a little exaggerated. Back when she was in the Red Moon Desert, she followed Big Baby most of the time. And the things she learned there, such as various prescriptions and Xuan formations, were basically all learned from Big Baby. But at this moment, this excuse was obviously more convincing. Diwu Zhangze secretly glanced at Chu Liuyue. Seeing that her eyes were bright, she was smiling, and that she had no intention of refuting, he was instantly in a good mood. While Big Baby isn¡¯t around, it is really great to be Yue¡¯er¡¯s master for a period of time. Mo Shiqian opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t say anything. Master and disciple¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Diwu Zhangze had already looked at Chu Liuyue and said helplessly and guiltily, ¡°A few years ago, I had some dealings with Black Demon Hole¡¯s sect master, but that was all in the past¡­¡± If this girl knew that I had once taken many offerings from Black Demon Hole, I¡¯m afraid that¡­ ¡°In any case, I have nothing to do with them now. The reason why I¡¯m here today is because there¡¯s a trace of my aura above the Blood Heaven Realm. This is also left behind from back then¡­¡± Diwu Zhangze rubbed his temples in frustration. In fact, he had indeed not had much contact with Black Demon Hole since a long time ago. It was just that their relationship wasn¡¯t completely cut off at that time, which gave Mo Shiqian a chance. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have come no matter what! I was almost misunderstood by Yue¡¯er¡­ Diwu Zhangze felt wronged! I have already been trapped in the Red Moon Desert for so long. What else can I do? Hearing this, everyone was speechless. It was obvious that Diwu Zhangze was biased toward Chu Liuyue, even if he was invited by Mo Shiqian. At this moment, he was clearly still on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. How were they supposed to fight?! Mo Shiqian clenched his fists tightly, the waves in his heart unable to calm down for a long time. He never thought that things would turn out like this in the end! Diwu Zhangze is actually Chu Liuyue¡¯s backer! Why have I never heard of this before?! Chapter 2022 - 2022 Support 2022 Support Diwu Zhangze was a thigh that the ancestral sect master of Black Demon Hole had latched onto thousands of years ago. For a period of time, Diwu Zhangze did have a good relationship with Black Demon Hole. Of course, this wasn¡¯t bad. It meant that he felt that the things sent by Black Demon Hole weren¡¯t bad and were very to his liking. But for goodness¡¯ sake! Ever since he was trapped in the Red Moon Desert, he had never taken any benefits from them! Diwu Zhangze felt wronged, but Mo Shiqian also had mixed feelings. This Blood Heaven Realm was passed down by the successive sect masters of Black Demon Hole. It was a symbol of status and a huge trump card. From the day he became the sect master, he knew that the aura of a mighty figure was sealed inside. As long as he combined the strength of the people in Black Demon Hole, he could summon this mighty person. However, there was only one chance. Therefore, over the years, the sect masters of Black Demon Hole cherished this opportunity very much and didn¡¯t dare to use it easily. They could only use this trump card when the entire Black Demon Hole was in a life-and-death crisis. If Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu hadn¡¯t appeared together today, and Mo Shiqian still didn¡¯t have the momentum to win after the long fight, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to invite this person over. Mo Shiqian¡¯s idea was very simple: Seize the opportunity and eliminate these people together once and for all! In that case, it wouldn¡¯t be a waste of this only great opportunity. However, who knew that things would turn out like this!? Even if their Black Demon Hole could barely form a relationship with this person, how could it compare to their master-disciple relationship? Everyone in Black Demon Hole gazed at Mo Shiqian in shock and helplessness. Mo Shiqian clenched his fists tightly. The flames between his chest and abdomen seemed to be about to explode! ¡°I see,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s really a misunderstanding. Senior, you don¡¯t know, but when I didn¡¯t know it was you just now, I really thought I was going to die here today.¡± ¡°Pfft, pfft, pfft! What do you mean by dead? Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Although he knew that she was joking, Diwu Zhangze couldn¡¯t bear to hear her say such things. After all, he knew that this girl had really ¡®died¡¯ once. Moreover, at that time, even her memories were gone! She had forgotten all of them! Thinking of that period of time, Diwu Zhangze felt terrible. Wait. That time, it seemed like¡­ it was because Black Demon Hole attacked her? Diwu Zhangze slowly glanced at Mo Shiqian. A chill instantly enveloped Mo Shiqian, and his heart skipped a beat! Not to mention anything else, his intuition in this aspect was very accurate. Diwu Zhangze looked at him as if¡­ ¡°By the way, Yue¡¯er, he was the one who attacked you a few years ago, right?¡± Diwu Zhangze asked slowly. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°You still remember? Speaking of which, it was a long time ago. I remember¡­ At that time, Sect Master Mo seemed like he wanted to snatch something from me¡­¡± She paused, and the smile on her lips deepened. ¡°A few years have passed, and Sect Master Mo is still very persistent about this matter. Just a while ago, he asked the Yi family and the Nan family to join forces and go to Peach Blossom Dock to surround and intercept us¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡± Mo Shiqian shouted, and the veins on his forehead bulged. Even though Chu Liuyue was telling the truth, how could he admit it in front of Diwu Zhangze? Wasn¡¯t this purely attracting hatred?! Originally, Diwu Zhangze was already very dissatisfied that Mo Shiqian had invited him over to kill her. If he knew that he had used many methods previously, Diwu Zhangze would probably want to kill him! ¡°How is that nonsense?¡± Chu Liuyue was surprised. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Nan Yiyi¡¯s Yuan meridian transferred to her brother with Sect Master Mo¡¯s help? It¡¯s precisely because of this that Nan Yifan pinned Nan Yiyi¡¯s death on my head and hates me to the core. Also, the Yi family¡­ Why do you think they suddenly had the idea of snatching my Peach Blossom Dock for no reason? Furthermore, they even acted together with the Nan family¡­¡± ¡°This is too much of a coincidence. What do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were clear and logical. Even those who didn¡¯t know much about these things before could sense that something was wrong when they heard this. It was obvious that someone had secretly instigated this and sowed discord! As for who this person was¡­ it was even more obvious! Mo Shiqian clenched his fists and looked at Chu Liuyue as if he wanted to tear her apart! ¡°The Yi family? The Nan family? Girlie, did they eat bear heart and leopard gall and dare to attack you?¡± Shock flashed across Diwu Zhangze¡¯s face as he subconsciously glanced at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s body moved, and he walked forward with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s driven by benefits. Those people are naturally capable of doing anything.¡± At this moment, he had already removed the disguise on his face. There was a faint smile on his handsome and devilish face. Even his extremely simple and ordinary attire couldn¡¯t hide his peerless magnificence. When the two of them stood together, the surrounding scenery immediately paled in comparison. Even if he didn¡¯t do anything, people couldn¡¯t help but look over. His eyebrows were like a painting, and his charm was peerless. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s the princess¡¯s husband? The legendary¡­ His Grace from the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± He Ziji looked at this scene in a daze and muttered softly. Although they had never been to the God Residence Realm, the rumors about these two people had already spread among many cultivators in the past few months. Actually, this news was first spread by the people of Black Demon Hole. At that time, the main purpose of doing this was to lure those genius cultivators to Yunzhou to participate in their challenge. They didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu to really appear here! When they thought about how they had interacted with these two for so long and even thanked them for their help¡­ He Ziji and his sister couldn¡¯t help but look at each other. They saw the shock and disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­No wonder she¡¯s so strong¡­¡± He Zilan subconsciously whispered. To think that we were still talking about the princess in front of those two people. We didn¡¯t expect¡­ the real princess to be right in front of us! Seeing that Diwu Zhangze was still angry, Chu Liuyue smiled and persuaded, ¡°But Senior Diwu, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Those troubles have been resolved. Nan Yifan is already dead. As for Yi Wentao¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead too. If I¡¯m not wrong, he should have died just now,¡± Rong Xiu added. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and glanced at him. Since Rong Xiu said so, it should be close to the mark, not far off. It seems that Yi Wentao¡¯s life wasn¡¯t easy after he went back. He even died in such a short period of time¡­ Jun Jiuqing still has his means. Chu Liuyue thought to herself. It isn¡¯t simple to be able to ascend to the position of Yi family head with a different surname. Now that Yi Wentao is dead, the entire Yi family is under his control. Upon hearing this, Diwu Zhangze finally calmed down a little. In this day and age, somebody dares to lay a hand on our Yue¡¯er Girlie!? Do they really think that we can¡¯t support Yue¡¯er because we are trapped in the Red Moon Desert?! His gaze was cold as he asked word by word, ¡°Mo Shiqian, what do you want to snatch from Yue¡¯er?!¡± Chapter 2023 - 2023 Why Do You All Believe It? 2023 Why Do You All Believe It? This question was deep, cold, and heavy. Every word was like a mountain that weighed heavily on Mo Shiqian¡¯s heart! What do I want? It is naturally the thing in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! However, he couldn¡¯t say this out loud. The scene fell into a stalemate, and it was deathly silent. The air seemed to have frozen. Everyone waited with bated breath. At this moment, even breathing seemed to be wrong. ¡°It¡¯s all a misunderstanding.¡± Finally, Mo Shiqian spoke slowly. Every word seemed to be spat out through gritted teeth. ¡°Previously, I didn¡¯t know that Shangguan Yue had such a relationship with you. Please forgive me for offending you, Senior.¡± This was a compromise! The people from Black Demon Hole were first shocked. Then, they revealed dejected and despairing expressions. Even the Sect Master said so¡­ That¡¯s true. We spent so much effort to invite external help, but in the end, he actually supported the other party. How can we continue this battle now? I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing more awkward than this¡­ ¡°Misunderstanding? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Diwu Zhangze interrupted him and sneered. ¡°I heard it clearly just now. You wanted to kill Yue¡¯er and the rest. Although I¡¯m old, I¡¯m not blind yet. Even if it¡¯s really a misunderstanding, could it be that because I made a mistake a few years ago¡­ I will make another mistake now?¡± Mo Shiqian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and finally suppressed the surging emotions in his heart. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a long story. I can¡¯t explain it to you in such a short time¡­¡± ¡°This old man has a lot of time. If you have anything to say, just say it. If I can resolve the misunderstanding between the two of you, this old man will have done a good deed, right?¡± Diwu Zhangze laughed. However, this laugh was undoubtedly the biggest irony in Mo Shiqian¡¯s ears! He gritted his teeth so hard that they almost broke! There is really no way to deal with this situation now! Explanation? There is no explanation at all! I¡¯m the one who did those things. How can I explain it clearly? Mo Shiqian never thought that Chu Liuyue had such a backer! He lowered his head slightly and said nothing. Seeing his reaction, what else was there for Diwu Zhangze to suspect? ¡°Mo Shiqian, you¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Mo Shiqian suddenly moved! He turned his fist into a palm and slapped the Blood Heaven Realm in front of him! Since the person I invited wasn¡¯t a helper, then¡­ there is no need to be so respectful! Thick black mist instantly enveloped the Blood Heaven Realm! Diwu Zhangze shouted angrily, ¡°Mo Shiqian! How dare you!¡± He is going to destroy the Blood Heaven Realm! There was a trace of Diwu Zhangze¡¯s aura stored inside. If the Blood Heaven Realm was destroyed, Diwu Zhangze would inevitably be affected. Moreover, without the Blood Heaven Realm, he couldn¡¯t attack. ¡°Since Senior doesn¡¯t intend to help, don¡¯t blame us for being impolite!¡± Before he finished speaking, Mo Shiqian had already slapped the middle of the Blood Heaven Realm! ¡°Sect Master!¡± When Dou Min and the others saw this, they were all shocked and exclaimed one after another. They all knew very well that the Blood Heaven Realm was extremely closely related to Mo Shiqian. Most of his cultivation relied on this item. If they were injured, they basically relied on the Blood Heaven Realm to recover quickly. Once the Blood Heaven Realm was destroyed, he would also be greatly affected. But since things had come to this, he had no other choice! Ka! A crisp cracking was heard. A crack rapidly spread on the Blood Heaven Realm! Shoo! Almost at the same time as the Blood Heaven Realm shattered, Mo Shiqian¡¯s body trembled, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! The aura around him instantly became extremely dispirited! However, his attacks didn¡¯t stop! As long as the Blood Heaven Realm was destroyed, the only way for Diwu Zhangze to arrive would be cut off! If he didn¡¯t come, Mo Shiqian and the entire Black Demon Hole might have a chance of survival! Sensing Mo Shiqian¡¯s thoughts, Diwu Zhangze snorted coldly, and his blood filled the air! A terrifying pressure immediately surged out! Mo Shiqian¡¯s heart sank. Before he could react, he was sent flying by the violent air wave! Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu stood not far away and were about to be affected. But just as the power was about to sweep over, a figure suddenly broke out of the Blood Heaven Realm! Rumble! The Blood Heaven Realm completely shattered! However, the figure stood in front of them and easily blocked the violent energy. Everyone turned to look at the figure. It was Diwu Zhangze! But at this moment, his figure was a translucent apparition. And this was the aura he had stored in the Blood Heaven Realm! Mo Shiqian looked at the scene in front of him in shock and disbelief. ¡°How could this be? The Blood Heaven Realm has shattered. Your aura should also dissipate with it!¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but everyone present understood what he meant. Diwu Zhangze first turned around and carefully sized Chu Liuyue up. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, the old man came out in a hurry just now. Did I hurt you?¡± he asked worriedly and nervously. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Not to mention that I could perfectly dodge this attack with my current strength¡­ Even if it was really too late, wasn¡¯t there still Rong Xiu and him? These two people stood in front of her and protected her tightly. It would be a miracle if she was still injured. Diwu Zhangze heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that she wasn¡¯t affected. ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!¡± On the one hand, his heart ached for Yue¡¯er. On the other hand, if Big Baby and Lan Xiao found out that he didn¡¯t protect Yue¡¯er well¡­ Tsk, Diwu Zhangze didn¡¯t even know if he could survive in the Red Moon Desert anymore. He let out a long sigh of relief and then looked at Mo Shiqian. Mo Shiqian met that pair of weathered and cold eyes, and his heart suddenly trembled. ¡°You¡¯re right. Without the Blood Heaven Realm, I really can¡¯t come over.¡± Diwu Zhangze stroked his beard. ¡°However, who told you that once the Blood Heaven Realm shatters, this aura of mine will be annihilated?¡± Mo Shiqian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The reason he thought this way was that¡­ this was acquiesced by the previous sect masters of Black Demon Hole! Who knew that after shattering the Blood Heaven Realm¡­ Not only did the aura not dissipate, but it even came out?! Suddenly, Diwu Zhangze slapped his head. ¡°Oh¡­ I remember now. This should be what Mo Yao said back then.¡± Mo Yao was the first sect master of Black Demon Hole and the forger of this Blood Heaven Realm. ¡°He told you that you can use this Blood Heaven Realm to summon me. If you destroy it, you can also cut off my life, right?¡± Diwu Zhangze looked at him sympathetically. ¡°Silly child, I lied to him back then. Why did you all believe me?¡± Chapter 2024 - 2024 The Real Big Boss 2024 The Real Big Boss Mo Shiqian felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Even when he knew that Chu Liuyue was half Diwu Zhangze¡¯s disciple, he had never been so desperate. Fake¡­ All of that information was fake!? The highest-level secret of Black Demon Hole has been circulating for thousands of years. All the previous sect masters had firmly believed in this and were strictly conservative! But it turned out that¡­ it had been a complete lie from the beginning!? The blood in Mo Shiqian¡¯s body was surging, and the aura around him showed faint signs of riot. Between his lips and teeth, the strong smell of blood kept surging, almost suffocating him. His mind was buzzing, but it also seemed to be blank. Even the scene in front of him seemed to be distorting and becoming illusory. Diwu Zhangze¡¯s voice was still ringing in his ears. ¡°To me, this Blood Heaven Realm is just the place where this remnant aura resides. Even without the Blood Heaven Realm, I can still stay in another place. However, I remember that this Blood Heaven Realm seems to be very important to you, right? Especially since you¡¯re the sect master. If I¡¯m not wrong, when this Blood Heaven Realm shatters, more than half of the force in your body will be consumed, right?¡± Diwu Zhangze shook his head emotionally. ¡°So tragic, so tragic.¡± All his years of hard work in cultivation had been ruined just like that. Those who heard it would be sad, and those who heard it would shed tears. Mo Shiqian spat out another mouthful of blood. The Blood Heaven Realm shattered, and the black fog that had been lingering around him gradually dissipated. Only then did his face appear in front of everyone. Chu Liuyue looked over, and a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes. Mo Shiqian looked very young, only in his twenties. His appearance was delicate and pretty, even a little feminine. His skin was especially fair. If one looked closely, they could even see faint green blood vessels under his thin skin. It was so pale that he looked like he hadn¡¯t seen the sun all year round. Anyone who saw this would probably find it very difficult to accept that the famous sect master of Black Demon Hole was actually like this. ¡°He¡­ relied on cultivation to maintain his appearance?¡± asked Chu Liuyue softly. It was said that Mo Shiqian had been in this position for decades. His real age was clearly not what he looked like. Rong Xiu nodded. Diwu Zhangze chuckled. ¡°Girlie, you don¡¯t know this, but the cultivation method of this Black Demon Hole is different from other clans and sects. They devour the essence and force of other cultivators to increase their strength¡ªit¡¯s extremely sinister! Moreover, the younger the talent, the more abundant and purer the power they can extract. Mo Shiqian is already at the advanced stage of the God Realm now. At this stage, his hands have been stained with the blood of countless cultivators!¡± This was also why he had told Mo Yao that lie back then. From the beginning, he knew that this Black Demon Hole wasn¡¯t a good thing. But at that time, he didn¡¯t interact much with this place, so he didn¡¯t really care. Who knew that they would actually reach out to Yue¡¯er today? He couldn¡¯t tolerate this! Chu Liuyue was secretly shocked when she heard that, but she instantly understood something. No wonder Black Demon Hole has been using all sorts of methods to search for cultivation geniuses from various places. But after they gathered these people, they didn¡¯t nurture them carefully. Instead, they killed them batch by batch. So¡­ It was all because of this! He Ziji and the others turned pale when they heard that. They originally thought that by participating in this challenge, they would be able to enter the God Residence Realm and soar, becoming a top-notch expert. In the end¡­ they were just here to die! If Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu hadn¡¯t stood up, they would have already¡­ Everyone was terrified. Looking around, the mountains rose and fell, lush and verdant. Who would¡¯ve guessed that this was actually a hellish place!? ¡°Relying on such methods to forcefully raise one¡¯s cultivation is going against the heavens and committing serious sins. In the end, it will only backfire on oneself.¡± Diwu Zhangze stared at Mo Shiqian with cold eyes. ¡°Originally, I¡¯ve been cultivating my character all these years and didn¡¯t want to get involved in your matters anymore. However, you came knocking on my door¡­ Don¡¯t blame me for being impolite!¡± With that, he suddenly raised his hand. An invisible pressure quickly spread in all directions! ¡°Condense!¡± Following his shout, Chu Liuyue suddenly realized that the surrounding space was rapidly freezing. After the Blood Heaven Realm shattered, it disintegrated into countless fragments that splattered in all directions. At the same time, it carried several violent forces that almost tore the void apart, causing the world to tremble. But after Diwu Zhangze shouted this, all the movements suddenly stopped. The fluttering leaves suddenly stopped in the air. The collapsed mountain rocks stopped rolling down. The air was filled with a faint smell of blood and a trace of freezing cold air. A crease suddenly appeared in midair. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. That¡¯s¡­ the wrinkles caused by forcefully twisting space! Right on the heels of that was the second and third¡­ This world seemed to be under Diwu Zhangze¡¯s control. With a wave of his wrist, he twisted and folded the endless void! He didn¡¯t summon the God Realm, but¡­ he was the only master here! ¡°Break!¡± Diwu Zhangze spat out a word. Those wrinkles quickly gathered around Mo Shiqian and surrounded him. Right on the heels of that, there was a loud bang! Peng! The huge space exploded! Chapter 2025 - 2025 Explode! 2025 Explode! There were no tricks or hesitations. From the beginning to the end, Diwu Zhangze only used one move and said two words. And these two words almost easily decided Mo Shiqian¡¯s life and death! When the compressed space exploded, Mo Shiqian¡¯s figure was instantly swallowed! Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils constricted, and she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Actually, this was the first time she had seen Diwu Zhangze attack with her own eyes. When she was in the Red Moon Desert in the past, although she had also fought with Diwu Zhangze and the others, their goal at that time was to increase her strength. Thus, they knew the severity of their attacks. She only knew that they were very powerful, but she didn¡¯t know where the upper limit of their strength was. She had never seen them fight to the death with anyone. Furthermore, this was only Diwu Zhangze¡¯s aura¡­ Then, how great was his true strength? Furthermore, Diwu Zhangze wasn¡¯t the strongest among the three of them. Chu Liuyue still remembered that Lan Xiao once said very disdainfully, ¡°Diwu? He only knows how to play with space. He doesn¡¯t have much ability.¡± It was precisely because of this sentence that Chu Liuyue sent Mu Hongyu to the Red Moon Desert and let her cultivate with Diwu Zhangze. Lan Xiao¡¯s words were still ringing in her ears. Looking at the scene in front of her, Chu Liuyue was silent. If¡­ this is just ¡®only knowing how to play with space and not having much ability,¡¯ can the others in this world still be alive? ¡­ ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A miserable scream came from within. Even though the space there was chaotic, all kinds of black space cracks were intertwined, and outsiders couldn¡¯t see anything at all, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine what kind of terrible torture Mo Shiqian had experienced after hearing this scream. Many people from Black Demon Hole were frightened and even wanted to retreat. This¡ªthis person is really too terrifying! The sect master¡¯s strength can be considered the top in their entire Black Demon Hole. Even he couldn¡¯t gain an advantage from the other party, let alone us. There was silence between heaven and earth. Mo Shiqian¡¯s voice sounded particularly mournful. It was chilling. However, this sound didn¡¯t last long. As time passed, the voice gradually weakened until it completely disappeared. ¡°Sect¡­ Sect Master¡­ How is he?¡± someone asked carefully and fearfully. Nobody answered him. There was no need to guess to know that it was definitely not much better! Hong An looked at the space that was being crazily compressed and shivered. He swallowed hard and planned to evacuate quietly. This place¡­ is too dangerous, especially since I¡¯m the one who brought those three people in! No matter what, I have to escape as soon as possible! However, he had just taken a step when a strange voice came from ahead. He was shocked and looked up to see a spatial fold surging toward him like a wave! Danger! Hong An said that it was bad. He moved his feet and wanted to retreat quickly! But at this moment, how could he do anything? The surrounding space suddenly froze, preventing him from moving. He could only watch as the crease approached. ¡°No, no!¡± Hong An¡¯s eyes widened in fear. The next moment, he felt a chill at his waist. The voice in his throat stopped abruptly. He slowly lowered his head and saw that below his waist, he had already disappeared. It was devoured and strangled by the spatial fold! Everything happened in the blink of an eye! Only then did the intense pain surge in all directions! Hong An¡¯s eyes rolled back, and he fainted. But soon, his upper body was also wiped away by the spatial folds that repeatedly returned. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. This scene made everyone even more deathly silent, and it also terrified those who were originally tempted to make a move. They all dispelled their unnecessary thoughts. Diwu Zhangze didn¡¯t even look over. He only stroked his beard and said lightly, ¡°Did I let you go?¡± He rarely made a move, but once he did, he had to be perfect. I hate disobedient people the most. If I tell you to stay, stay! Why are you moving around? It almost destroyed the spatial patterns that I had painstakingly come up with. If everyone knew that he was thinking about this, they would probably vomit blood again. It turned out that the lives of these people weren¡¯t as important as the spatial folds in his eyes. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. If Diwu Zhangze is already so powerful, then¡­ what about Lan Xiao, and¡­ Big Baby? Moreover, Big Baby seemed to be rather afraid in the God Residence Realm and was unwilling to make a move there. Even now, I¡¯m still very puzzled by this matter. Shoo! Right at this moment, the sound of something breaking through the air could be heard. Chu Liuyue collected her messy thoughts and looked up. In the distorted chaotic space, a fist-sized clump of black fog suddenly broke out! There was an extremely familiar aura wrapped in the black fog¡ªit was Mo Shiqian¡¯s soul! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened. Diwu Zhangze had already attacked again! ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re smart to sacrifice yourself to protect your soul! However, if you think you can escape like this, you¡¯re too naive!¡± A few more spatial folds appeared in the surroundings and surrounded the black fog! But at this moment, a series of explosions sounded! The blood moon-like balls of light above the heads of Black Demon Hole¡¯s people exploded one after another! Chapter 2026 - 2026 Accident 2026 Accident The balls of blood-colored light exploded, instantly tearing apart the surrounding space! These forces seemed to have been guided by something as they intertwined with each other, and they actually forcefully fought their way out! And the black fog carrying Mo Shiqian¡¯s soul ran along that road! It was extremely fast! Diwu Zhangze sneered. ¡°You want to escape? It¡¯s not that easy!¡± He waved his hands, and the surrounding space began to squeeze toward the center again! Mo Shiqian¡¯s path was blocked again! BANG! The ball of black fog slammed forward fiercely, but it couldn¡¯t break through the spatial barrier in front of it. Diwu Zhangze had already sealed this place. How could he escape? Even if Mo Shiqian was at his peak, he might not have this ability, let alone now. The Blood Heaven Realm had been destroyed, and so was Mo Shiqian¡¯s body. His current actions were just like a cornered beast fighting. A transparent cage suddenly appeared in Diwu Zhangze¡¯s palm. The cage was only the size of a palm. Under the sunlight, it flickered with a faint light. Chu Liuyue looked over, and her gaze suddenly focused. The bright spots of light on it are actually runes! ¡°Linglong Formation¡ªGo!¡± With a clear shout from Diwu Zhangze, the small transparent cage quickly flew out and silently drew a straight silver line in midair, heading straight for the ball of black fog! It was unavoidable! Just as the black fog was about to be locked by the transparent cage, an explosion suddenly sounded from beside them! Chu Liuyue immediately turned around and frowned. It was a subordinate of Black Demon Hole. His body suddenly exploded and turned into a ball of blood mist! He died before he could even cry out in pain! Then, the blood mist quickly flew toward the black mist! As soon as the two came into contact, they quickly fused! The color of the black fog seemed to have become a little denser. Moreover, there seemed to be a faint blood color in it. However, the blood was hidden inside and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. Right on the heels of that, the same thing happened one after another! Peng! Peng! Peng! Explosions sounded one after another. In the blink of an eye, the Black Demon Hole members surrounding them suffered heavy casualties! One had to know that because of the huge commotion previously, almost everyone in Black Demon Hole was here! No one expected that these people weren¡¯t injured because of Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, nor did they die because of Diwu Zhangze. They had all died in the hands of their leader, Mo Shiqian! Swoosh! A stream of warm blood splashed onto Dou Min¡¯s face. He¡ªwho was in a deep state of shock and numbness¡ªimmediately woke up. ¡°Quick, run!¡± His face was pale, and his voice was trembling. Without hesitation, he unleashed his maximum speed! But just as he took half a step, the force in his body started to gather toward the pearl of essence crazily. Then¡­ Peng! Before Dou Min could even react, he felt an intense pain, and his body completely dissipated. All the power in his body condensed into a blood mist that fused with the black fog. At this moment, the black fog had already become much more condensed. The inside was blood-red and eerie. Diwu Zhangze frowned. This Mo Shiqian is more cunning and ruthless than I had imagined! In order to survive, he actually sacrificed his subordinates without hesitation! In a short while, nearly one-third of Black Demon Hole¡¯s people had died in his hands! In Mo Shiqian¡¯s opinion, their lives were just a bargaining chip that could increase his hope of escaping. It wasn¡¯t worth mentioning! The power of the black fog became greater and greater, and it became faster and faster. Diwu Zhangze had already sealed this space, but he was still unable to completely control it! The sky fell into chaos. More and more people died. Blood qi filled the air, and it had almost become a miserable purgatory! The transparent cage followed closely behind, but as Mo Shiqian¡¯s soul devoured more and more power, the gap between the two finally began to widen. Diwu Zhangze¡¯s expression turned stern. Just as he was about to attack, he suddenly frowned, and his hands froze for a moment. ¡°Senior Diwu?¡± Rong Xiu immediately sensed that something was wrong with him. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue immediately looked over and realized that Diwu Zhangze¡¯s apparition had become much more transparent than before. The aura and pressure around him had also weakened significantly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. What just happened? Although Mo Shiqian is still struggling and trying to escape, he shouldn¡¯t have had much of an impact on Diwu Zhangze. It was as if he had suddenly been attacked¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Diwu Zhangze shook his head and took a deep breath before gathering his strength to attack again! However, this brief delay gave Mo Shiqian a chance! In mid-air, a blood-colored totem suddenly appeared. Then, the ball of black fog quickly rushed over and actually broke through the seal and pressure of the surrounding spatial power, heading straight for the blood-colored totem! Rong Xiu sensed that something was wrong and immediately looked over. His phoenix eyes froze for a moment before he directly attacked! Swoosh! A golden flame flew out and exploded just as the black fog was about to disappear behind the blood-colored totem! Hearing this commotion, Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up. With this glance, she only saw the ball of black fog being ruthlessly attacked by Rong Xiu¡¯s golden flames. The blood inside seemed to be surging again, and faint cries of pain sounded in her ears. But in the end, the black fog managed to squeeze into the blood-colored totem. Right on the heels of that, the blood-colored totem also dissipated instantly! Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Many people didn¡¯t even have time to see the totem before the matter ended. ¡°Damn it! He still managed to escape!¡± A trace of frustration appeared on Diwu Zhangze¡¯s face. Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°Senior, don¡¯t worry too much. His soul has already been severely injured by me. It will take a very long time and a lot of energy to recover. Moreover, his body has already been destroyed. He should stop for a long time.¡± Diwu Zhangze shook his head and sighed. He knew that Rong Xiu was comforting him, but he still felt indignant. Killing Mo Shiqian isn¡¯t difficult for me. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that¡­ Chu Liuyue stood at the side and watched this scene, her brows furrowing even tighter. In just a short while, Diwu Zhangze¡¯s apparition became even more illusory than before. It¡¯s as if¡­ a gust of wind could blow it away. It is completely different from how he looked when he first appeared. There is something wrong with his appearance. Chu Liuyue finally couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward, and her eyes were filled with worry. ¡°Senior Diwu, what¡­ happened to you?¡± Chapter 2027 - 2027 Secret 2027 Secret Diwu Zhangze opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words after some hesitation. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s find a time to talk about this. Now, let¡¯s resolve the matter of Black Demon Hole first.¡± Mo Shiqian abandoned Black Demon Hole and ran away. Before he left, he even took the lives of nearly half of Black Demon Hole¡¯s people. Although the remaining half were still alive, they had been affected by Diwu Zhangze and Mo Shiqian¡¯s power and were more or less injured. Most importantly, Mo Shiqian¡¯s actions completely destroyed their beliefs and thoughts! Fragments of bones were scattered all over the ground, the strong smell of blood was everywhere, and the mountain was in a mess¡­ Everything reminded them of what had just happened. Their sect master had sacrificed them to win a way out for himself! Even if they were loyal and devoted, even if they went through fire and water¡­ It turned out that in Mo Shiqian¡¯s eyes, they were just ants and were worthless! If he had taken Black Demon Hole and the people here seriously, he would never have done such a thing! Compared to the destruction of the body, the collapse of one¡¯s mind and beliefs was more likely to cause one to fall into despair and collapse. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. Among the remaining people, a few of them were legendary warriors, while the rest were basically true gods. But at this moment, their expressions were similarly dejected. It was obvious that they no longer had the strength to fight. With a thought from Diwu Zhangze, the transparent cage suddenly grew in the wind and trapped the remaining people of Black Demon Hole! After Mo Shiqian ran away, the rest couldn¡¯t run away anymore. ¡°Yue¡¯er, Rong Xiu, come with me.¡± Diwu Zhangze knew that the two of them had a lot of questions to ask, so after controlling these people, he proposed to discuss with them in private. Chu Liuyue nodded slightly and looked at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Little Zhou, stay here and watch over them first. Also, I¡¯ll leave the people below to you.¡± Qiang Wanzhou immediately nodded respectfully. ¡°Yes.¡± Although he had always been quiet and aloof, he was extremely smart and knew how to deal with these matters. Although he had been injured previously, his recovery ability was very strong, so he was fine. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and shouted, ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± There was a flash of light in front of her, and Tuan Zi changed from her true form to a human form. She looked up. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± ¡°You stay here and keep an eye on things.¡± After all, Qiang Wanzhou was injured, and having Tuan Zi was an additional guarantee. Actually, Tuan Zi had already expected her thoughts. She immediately nodded and agreed. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the other two quickly arrived at the mountain peak where Mo Shiqian appeared. This was also the center of the entire Black Demon Hole. Usually, there was a barrier around this mountain. Apart from Mo Shiqian, the rest of the people weren¡¯t allowed to enter this place casually. But now that Mo Shiqian had run away, his body was dead, and his soul was damaged, the barrier naturally broke by itself. At the top of the mountain, there was a magnificent hall. It was obvious that it was Mo Shiqian¡¯s. As soon as they approached, a faint smell of blood filled the air. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Rong Xiu flicked his finger, and a golden flame quickly flew out, forming a line of fire around the palace and surrounding it. As the flames burned, a strange sizzling sound kept coming. Accompanying it was an unpleasant smell. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows even more tightly. Diwu Zhangze sneered. ¡°It seems that Mo Shiqian left a lot of dirty things behind.¡± About 15 minutes later, the flames gradually extinguished. A breeze blew over, and the unacceptable smell finally dissipated. Even the bloody smell in the air disappeared. Rong Xiu was the first to step forward. The three of them entered the hall. ¡­ Walking into the hall, Chu Liuyue quickly surveyed her surroundings. Every ornament and decoration here was extremely luxurious. Treasures that couldn¡¯t be found outside could be seen everywhere here. It could be seen how extravagant his daily life was. ¡°It seems that even after evacuating from the God Residence Realm to this place, Mo Shiqian¡¯s life is still quite comfortable.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows and smiled. If we hadn¡¯t come here by accident this time, we don¡¯t know when we would be able to fight Mo Shiqian head-on. He was really hiding here. ¡°Black Demon Hole has never lacked money.¡± Diwu Zhangze snorted. ¡°Over the years, countless cultivators have been bewitched by them. They think that as long as they join them, they can soar into the sky and become the top experts in the world. For this, they don¡¯t hesitate to go bankrupt and pay an endless price. Little do they know that this isn¡¯t a blessed land for cultivation. It¡¯s just a purgatory!¡± He knew Black Demon Hole quite well. Although he hadn¡¯t interacted with them for too long, it was still the same today. After so many years, the ¡®inheritance¡¯ of Black Demon Hole had never stopped. Chu Liuyue nodded in agreement. At this moment, aren¡¯t there dozens of cultivators outside here for this reason? ¡°Although there aren¡¯t many people in Black Demon Hole, they don¡¯t seem to be weak.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and said strangely, ¡°Even if they¡¯re all carefully selected geniuses, it¡¯s still a little abnormal¡­¡± Even a first-rate aristocratic family like the Sky-Cloud Empire only had a handful of legendary warriors. However, legendary warriors seemed to be very common in Black Demon Hole. ¡°However, these people seem to be slightly weaker than ordinary cultivators of the same level¡­¡± Chu Liuyue recalled the scene when she fought with those people previously. Forget about Hong An. Although Dou Min was a legendary warrior, the strength he displayed was barely satisfactory. Not to mention a top-notch existence like Yi Wentao, even ordinary gods seemed to be no inferior to him. ¡°You¡¯re right. Compared to true cultivators, they are indeed much inferior,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chu Liuyue asked curiously, ¡°A true cultivator?¡± This means¡­ Could it be referring to those people from Black Demon Hole¡­ Rong Xiu raised his chin. In front of them was a huge wall. ¡°We¡¯ll know what¡¯s going on once we go in.¡± On both sides of the wall, there was a door. The door wasn¡¯t locked¡ªit opened with a push. But after thinking about it carefully, it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand. Most of the time, Mo Shiqian should be the only one here. He didn¡¯t need to worry that someone would come here and break into the door. Creak¡ª The door opened, and Rong Xiu walked in first. Diwu Zhangze and Chu Liuyue followed closely behind. When she saw the scene in front of her, Chu Liuyue was stunned. The space behind the wall was extremely empty. There was nothing else apart from a sand table in the middle! Chapter 2028 - 2028 Wei Yue 2028 Wei Yue On the sand table, mountains rose and fell, lush and verdant. Chu Liuyue only took a glance and immediately recognized that this was a sand table of where Black Demon Hole was located. She walked closer and saw that there were blood spots flickering with a faint light on those small mountains. Chu Liuyue focused her gaze and took a closer look. Only then did she realize that the blood spots actually contained a faint pressure. Suddenly, she turned around and realized that a mountain peak beside her had collapsed. This was the mountain that Hong An had brought them to in the beginning! The mountain outside had collapsed, so the model on the sand table changed. ¡°This¡­¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something and gasped. ¡°This sand table is connected to the outside world.¡± Rong Xiu continued her sentence. His tone didn¡¯t contain surprise, and his expression was indifferent as if he had already expected this. ¡°Mo Shiqian can control everything outside through this sand table, and whatever happens outside will be quickly reflected on this sand table so that Mo Shiqian can know quickly.¡± This was why even though he didn¡¯t come out and didn¡¯t hear any reports from the servants, he still knew what was happening outside. Chu Liuyue nodded her head in understanding and looked at the sand table carefully. The waves in her heart didn¡¯t subside for a long time. Mo Shiqian¡­ is really a man of great means. ¡°Cough¡ªcough cough¡ª¡± Diwu Zhangze suddenly coughed. Chu Liuyue regained her senses and hurriedly went forward. ¡°Senior Diwu, how are you?¡± Just now, she felt that there was something wrong with his state. Now, it seemed that his aura was even weaker. Diwu Zhangze waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. This aura has been trapped for many years. Now that it has appeared, it¡¯s inevitable that I¡¯m not used to it¡­ I¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while. Girlie, don¡¯t worry.¡± How could Chu Liuyue not be worried? She didn¡¯t believe a single word of the reason he said. After pondering for a moment, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Did something happen in the Red Moon Desert?¡± Diwu Zhangze paused and instinctively wanted to deny it. ¡°How¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, he looked up and met that pair of dark and bright eyes. Her eyes were as bright as stars, as if she had seen through everything. Diwu Zhangze couldn¡¯t say the rest of his words. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed. ¡°¡­Recently, there has been some trouble in the Red Moon Desert. In the past, my aura was sealed in the Blood Heaven Realm and had no connection to the soul under the Red Moon Desert, so it didn¡¯t affect me much. But since I¡¯ve already broken out of the Blood Heaven Realm, I¡¯ll inevitably be implicated.¡± ¡°Implicated?¡± For some reason, Chu Liuyue felt that this word was a little heavy. Diwu Zhangze pondered and seemed to be weighing his words. ¡°Although I¡¯m weak, because I don¡¯t have a Holy Body, many things are inconvenient to do. And once my soul is injured, this aura will¡ª¡± ¡°Are you injured?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. It seems that something big has really happened in the Red Moon Desert. Otherwise, with the strength of Diwu Zhangze and the other two, how could they be injured? Moreover, during this period of time, there has been no news from Big Baby. Diwu Zhangze consoled her, ¡°Girlie, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just some minor injuries; it¡¯s not a big deal¡­¡± Chu Liuyue stared straight at him. Diwu Zhangze suddenly couldn¡¯t say the rest of his words. After a long time, he finally shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly. ¡°Girlie¡­ you¡¯re just too smart¡­¡± Nothing can be hidden from her. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you back and help you and Senior Lan Xiao refine the Holy Body!¡± Previously, I helped Big Baby refine his Holy Body. Now that my strength is much greater than before, I should be more confident. Originally, I had planned on heading to the Red Moon Desert after the matters at Peach Blossom Dock were over. Now is the perfect opportunity. Diwu Zhangze shook his head. ¡°Girlie, not now.¡± ¡°No? Why?¡± Chu Liuyue was confused. She had been to the Red Moon Desert many times, and this place was just outside the God Residence Realm. She didn¡¯t even need to cross the realm gate to reach it quickly. Diwu Zhangze paused for a moment before saying, ¡°¡­Lan Xiao and I are weaker than Big Baby. Therefore, even with your help¡­ Considering our current state, we still won¡¯t be able to successfully condense our Holy Body again. Even if you go, it¡¯ll be in vain. Moreover, the Red Moon Desert is currently in Wei Yue. If experts below the level of legendary warriors enter, they won¡¯t even have a corpse left. If you go¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned and immediately lowered her head slightly. She knew about the Red Moon Desert¡¯s Wei Yue. Every hundred years, the Red Moon Desert would be enveloped by the blood moon for a month. Generally speaking, the days when the blood moon appeared were the days when Big Baby and the other two could come out of the ground and wander casually. However, Wei Yue was different. During that month, the entire desert was dark and filled with blood. Heaven and Earth Force surged, and it was extremely dangerous. Therefore, it was called Wei Yue. ¡°This old man knows that your strength has increased greatly. Even if it is a legendary warrior, you can still fight them with all your might! However, you are still not a legendary warrior after all. As long as you haven¡¯t gone past that threshold, you won¡¯t be able to enter the Red Moon Desert during this dangerous period of time.¡± Diwu Zhangze sighed. ¡°In this month, the three of us can¡¯t even take care of ourselves, let alone take care of you. If those two guys find out that I brought you back, there will really be a huge commotion.¡± In the end, it was because they were worried about her. A thought surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Wei Yue¡­ No wonder there was no news of Big Baby for such a long time. It turned out that he was really delayed. Except¡­ ¡°Senior Diwu, I remember that Senior Lan Xiao once mentioned that the last Wei Yue in the Red Moon Desert was¡­ less than a hundred years ago, right?¡± Chu Liuyue asked with uncertainty. She had heard Lan Xiao mention Wei Yue by chance a few years ago in the Red Moon Desert. From what he said, it didn¡¯t seem to have happened long ago. If it had been a hundred years, he probably wouldn¡¯t have spoken in that tone¡­ However, she didn¡¯t ask for the exact time, so she could only guess. Diwu Zhangze was stunned for a moment before cursing in his heart. Lan Xiao can¡¯t keep his mouth shut! Isn¡¯t it enough for him to be obsessed with his beauty every day? Why does he still have so much to say, and he is talking about such crucial things! Does Yue¡¯er know about this? ¡°This¡­ You¡¯re right. It has indeed been less than a hundred years since the last crisis, but¡­ the Heaven and Earth Force in the Red Moon Desert has never been very stable. The so-called hundred years is actually just a rough estimate; it¡¯s not accurate. This time¡­ it might also be related to Big Baby condensing his Holy Body again,¡± explained Diwu Zhangze. Putting everything else aside, the last sentence was true. Chu Liuyue thought about it, and this explanation seemed to make sense. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°During this period of time, you should stay in Peach Blossom Dock first. It won¡¯t be too late for you to come after the month is over.¡± Chapter 2029 - 2029 As Long As You Want 2029 As Long As You Want Seeing how insistent Diwu Zhangze was, Chu Liuyue could only agree. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll wait for your news.¡± Diwu Zhangze secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes, yes. During this period of time, you can prepare something first. I¡¯m fine, but Lan Xiao is a little troublesome. You know that he has always been very picky about his face. If he wants to condense a Holy Body, he will need a lot of items¡­¡± Then, he talked about the medicinal herbs and other things he needed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows relaxed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Peach Blossom Dock has all these things.¡± Only then did Diwu Zhangze nod in relief. ¡°This matter is settled first then.¡± Chu Liuyue naturally agreed, but there was still a thorny matter. ¡°Then, this aura of yours¡­¡± Even if he was a top expert, such a portion of aura needed to be attached to some object to be completely preserved. Since the Blood Heaven Realm was gone, he had to find the next one as soon as possible. Diwu Zhangze waved his hand indifferently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, as long as it¡¯s a Yuan instrument.¡± He knew that with Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡¯s wealth, they could still afford a Yuan instrument. However, this wasn¡¯t what Chu Liuyue was worried about. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°Senior Diwu, I have quite a few Yuan instruments here, but¡­ Even if you can hide in them, how are you going to return to the Red Moon Desert?¡± Diwu Zhangze¡¯s expression froze. Obviously, he had overlooked this problem as well. ¡°Well¡­¡± He frowned with a headache. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you back.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s deep and pleasant voice sounded. Chu Liuyue and Diwu Zhangze looked at him at the same time. Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be anyone more suitable than me. Senior Diwu, what do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. Yeah, Rong Xiu is already a legendary warrior, so he can naturally go to the Red Moon Desert. Diwu Zhangze immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, yes! You can go with us!¡± Chu Liuyue felt relieved. With Rong Xiu accompanying him, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. If I want to go to the Red Moon Desert, I have to wait for Wei Yue to pass or break through to become a legendary warrior. Comparatively, the former is easier to achieve. I¡¯ve just condensed my Holy Body not long ago, and now I want to cross the threshold of a legendary warrior? That is really a little exaggerated. As if he could tell that she was still a little uneasy, Diwu Zhangze comforted her. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. With your talent, it won¡¯t take long for you to break through!¡± His words were very certain and sincere. It was as if he had already seen that day. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You think highly of me.¡± All along, Big Baby and the rest had been especially biased toward her. Similarly, they had very high expectations for her. In the eyes of others, there were many things that couldn¡¯t be done, but they always seemed to think that she could do it. Of course, she did do all of that. Although she had suffered a lot in the process, thinking about it now, she had indeed benefited greatly. She tilted her head and looked at Rong Xiu thoughtfully. Speaking of which, Rong Xiu¡¯s cultivation along the way seemed to be very smooth. A few years ago, he had already broken through to become a true god and possessed two Holy Bodies. Not long ago, he had directly broken through to legendary warrior! The chasm that was as difficult as ascending to the heavens for millions of cultivators was easily crossed by him. Chu Liuyue had never seen Rong Xiu worry about cultivation before. It seemed that as long as he wanted to, he could break through! Just as this thought flashed across her mind, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Rong Xiu asked with interest, ¡°Yue¡¯er, what are you laughing at?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up as she said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­ Right now, everyone says that I¡¯m extremely talented and can fight a legendary warrior! However, they don¡¯t know that your talent¡­ is probably better than mine.¡± She suddenly leaned closer and asked with a teasing smile. ¡°Your Grace, why do I feel that cultivation isn¡¯t challenging to you? If I didn¡¯t know, I would¡¯ve thought that as long as you are willing, you can break through nonchalantly!¡± Diwu Zhangze looked up at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s smile deepened as he gently rubbed her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Chu Liuyue was originally just joking. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered as he looked at the sand table again and said, ¡°I wonder where Mo Shiqian escaped to this time¡­¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, her heart sank slightly. Mo Shiqian¡¯s body had been destroyed, and only his soul was left, which made it even harder to investigate. Inside and outside the God Residence Realm, the world was vast. Who knew what he would do next? She followed Rong Xiu¡¯s line of sight, and her gaze suddenly froze. ¡°This is¡­¡± She walked closer and saw that the blood-colored light spots on the destroyed mountain had dimmed. There were also some others beside that looked the same. The light was dim and lifeless. ¡°Mo Shiqian¡¯s cultivation should also rely on this sand table.¡± Diwu Zhangze walked over and said in a deep voice, ¡°To be precise, everyone in Black Demon Hole is like this.¡± Chu Liuyue recalled everything that happened previously and fell into deep thought. ¡°They set up Xuan formations everywhere and used various methods to lure those cultivators in. In the end, they devoured their power to improve their cultivation?¡± Diwu Zhangze nodded his head solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Almost all of their strength comes from this!¡± Chapter 2030 - 2030 Cold 2030 Cold ¡°Using this method to forcefully plunder other people¡¯s strength can greatly increase one¡¯s cultivation speed. Moreover, one can complete breakthroughs to various levels in an extreme period of time. Compared to ordinary cultivation techniques, this method is definitely considered a shortcut. This is also the usual method of Black Demon Hole.¡± Diwu Zhangze shook his head. ¡°Back then, only Mo Yao and a few others used this move. I didn¡¯t expect their entire sect to have fallen into this swamp of greed.¡± Realization dawned on Chu Liuyue. This also explained her previous question. Using this method to cultivate, the experts of Black Demon Hole appeared extremely quickly. But because they didn¡¯t rely on their true abilities to cultivate, the power they obtained was mixed and mottled, and their combat strength was extremely weak. How could there be any shortcuts in the path of cultivation? In order to expand their forces, Black Demon Hole made everyone use this method to cultivate. Although they could greatly expand their sect in a short period of time, it wasn¡¯t a solution in the long run. Just like today, many true gods came out, but there weren¡¯t many who could really fight. Once they encountered someone powerful, they would immediately be defeated. It was just a shell. ¡°How do you plan to deal with those people outside?¡± Diwu Zhangze asked. When Mo Shiqian left, he killed a group of people, but there were still hundreds of people outside. Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots.¡± ¡­ After Chu Liuyue and the rest entered the hall, everyone gathered together. On the ruins that had almost been razed to the ground, a scarlet-golden flame burned brightly. It was like a wall that divided the crowd into two parts. On one side were He Ziji and the others who had come to participate in the challenge, and on the other side were the remnants of Black Demon Hole. At this moment, they were all trapped in a transparent cage. Tuan Zi and Qiang Wanzhou were in charge of guarding them. Qiang Wanzhou stood with his sword in his arms. His body was stained with a lot of blood, and he looked rather disheveled. However, he just stood there straight, as if he would never bend and wouldn¡¯t be defeated by any force. His exquisite and beautiful face was cold and expressionless. It was already in the evening. The afterglow shone on his body, and his soft golden short hair fluttered gently in the wind, like a painting. Suddenly, Qiang Wanzhou felt a small hand tugging at his clothes. ¡°Little Zhou, Little Zhou?¡± He bowed his head. Tuan Zi was looking up at him curiously. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Qiang Wanzhou originally didn¡¯t want to speak, but thinking that Tuan Zi was Chu Liuyue¡¯s contracted fiend, he still opened his mouth. His voice was as cold as ever. However, it wasn¡¯t the first day Tuan Zi knew him, so she didn¡¯t mind. She grinned. Her big black grape-like eyes seemed to glow¡ªbright and dazzling. ¡°Little Zhou, tell me how you recovered so quickly.¡± If she didn¡¯t sense it wrongly, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s injuries were mostly healed. It was precisely because of this that Tuan Zi made up her mind to come over and disturb him to clarify things. ¡°That¡¯s all you want to ask?¡± Qiang Wanzhou was a little surprised. Tuan Zi hurriedly nodded. She was really curious! One had to know that Qiang Wanzhou had been seriously injured when he fought with Mo Shiqian previously. His external and internal injuries were quite serious. However, it had only been two hours, and he was almost done healing!? Tuan Zi was a red-gold heavenly phoenix, and she had the purest bloodline. Her physical body was extremely resistant to attacks, and her recovery ability could be said to be peerless. There were very few people in the world who could compare to her, but Qiang Wanzhou was one of them. That was why she was especially curious. Qiang Wanzhou always looked thin and weak on the surface, so how did he¡­ ¡°¡­It¡¯s been like this ever since I became a true god,¡± Qiang Wanzhou replied after a moment of silence. Tuan Zi was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s answer was very boring, and he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of continuing to explain. Tuan Zi tugged at his clothes again and still didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Then¡­ Then, is your Holy Body very powerful? You¡ª¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t condensed a Holy Body yet.¡± Qiang Wanzhou spoke and directly blocked Tuan Zi¡¯s remaining words. She smacked her lips and scratched her head again. ¡°No Holy Body? That¡­ shouldn¡¯t be!¡± Qiang Wanzhou isn¡¯t a legendary fiend, so logically speaking, it is impossible for him to recover so quickly! Moreover, he seems to be very strong as a true god¡­ Tuan Zi looked up again and stared at him for a while, unable to understand. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s expression was calm, and he didn¡¯t say anything else. He really had nothing to say because what he said just now was the truth. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t notice the problem with his body. However, he had been thinking about Chu Liuyue previously, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it. Tuan Zi¡¯s words reminded him, but he didn¡¯t have an answer either. ¡°Oh dear!¡± Tuan Zi suddenly exclaimed in a low voice. ¡°My hands are freezing!¡± Qiang Wanzhou looked down and indeed saw a thin layer of ice on her hand. He frowned. Tuan Zi also looked up at him in shock. I¡­ just tugged at his clothes! There was no ice on his body! How¡ª A scarlet-golden flame quickly burned, and the thin layer of ice quickly melted. This bit of cold air wasn¡¯t a threat to Tuan Zi, but the red-gold heavenly phoenix was a pure Yang existence. Ordinary cold air couldn¡¯t cause her body to freeze! Tuan Zi suddenly thought of something and widened her eyes slightly. ¡°The cold inside you¡ª¡± Before she could finish speaking, the sound of air being torn apart could be heard. It was Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. Seeing Tuan Zi and Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s expressions, Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you guys talking about?¡± Chapter 2031 - 2031 Loyalty 2031 Loyalty Qiang Wanzhou said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Tuan Zi pouted and swallowed the rest of her words. She was extremely smart and could tell that Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about this matter, so she didn¡¯t intend to continue asking. In any case, there would be plenty of time and opportunities to find out in the future. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi happily pounced toward Chu Liuyue. She was still young and had some childishness. Apart from Chu Liuyue, her heart couldn¡¯t hold anything else. Now that she saw Chu Liuyue, she immediately threw everything else to the back of her mind. Chu Liuyue lowered her head and stroked Tuan Zi¡¯s head with a smile. ¡°A¡¯Yue, when are we going to the Red Moon Desert?¡± asked Tuan Zi curiously. The matter here has come to an end. We should be leaving soon, right? Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s return to Peach Blossom Dock first. We¡¯ll go after some time.¡± ¡°Ah? Oh¡­¡± Tuan Zi was a little surprised, but she didn¡¯t think too much about it. No matter where I go, it makes no difference to me. Anyway, I just have to follow A¡¯Yue! Chu Liuyue pinched her chubby little face and looked up at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Master.¡± Qiang Wanzhou bowed. Chu Liuyue looked at him calmly, and a hint of ¡®as expected¡¯ flashed across her eyes. Previously, she had already discovered that Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s recovery ability was very astonishing. Not long after, his aura had basically returned to normal. She suppressed this thought and turned to look at the people trapped in the transparent cage. Those people were also looking at her. Fear, despair, unease¡­ Everyone had different expressions, but they clearly had deep reverence and fear toward Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu who appeared again. After experiencing the previous incidents, everyone now understood that these two people were indeed the most difficult to provoke in the world! Not only was their strength extraordinary, but their backgrounds and backers were also extraordinary. Thinking back to the rumors that were spreading in the God Residence Realm¡­ How could they not feel uneasy? There were also people looking behind the two of them¡ªthere was no sign of Diwu Zhangze. After all, this Linglong Formation was left behind by him. If he didn¡¯t show up, then they¡­ ¡°Thank you, Senior,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Diwu Zhangze¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. What¡¯s there to be troubled about?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the transparent cage began to tighten abruptly! The lines seemed to be controlled by some power and quickly twisted and deformed! ¡°No¡ª¡± Some people realized that something was wrong, and deep fear flashed across their faces. Even if they were extremely disappointed in Black Demon Hole and Mo Shiqian, it would be a lie to say that they had no intention of surviving. In the face of death, not many people could remain calm. But before he could finish shouting, he stopped abruptly. That person¡¯s figure completely disappeared into the overlapping transparent lines. There was more than one person who had such an encounter. Within the Linglong Formation, everyone who was still alive in Black Demon Hole was trapped. At that moment, under Diwu Zhangze¡¯s control, they couldn¡¯t retaliate at all when he killed them all with the Linglong Formation! Most of them didn¡¯t even have the chance to speak before their souls were destroyed. On the ground, blood spread and quickly disappeared. The transparent cage became smaller and smaller. Finally, after half an hour, it returned to the size of a palm. It was completely silent. He Ziji and the others were only separated by a wall of fire. Everyone watched this scene in silence. Actually, most people were already numb to it. When Mo Shiqian was escaping, he used the lives of countless subordinates to create momentum for himself. His methods were ruthless, and the scene was miserable. In comparison, it was better to die silently in the Linglong Formation. After experiencing the hellish scene, it was much easier to accept other things. Only the thick smell of blood in the air highlighted what had just happened here. Whoosh! Rong Xiu raised his wrist slightly, and the Linglong Formation flew into his sleeve. Now, Diwu Zhangze had reattached himself to a Yuan instrument. At this moment, that thing was on Rong Xiu¡¯s body. Hence, Diwu Zhangze naturally summoned the Linglong Formation back through Rong Xiu. Many people subconsciously looked in the direction of the Linglong Formation, but they hurriedly retracted their gazes when they saw the figure in white. They didn¡¯t even dare to look at his face. This man¡­ was incomparably noble and looked down on the world. Even though he was just standing there casually, he still exuded pride and nobility from his bones. ¡°This small space was created by Black Demon Hole using extraordinary methods. Now that the Blood Heaven Realm is broken, Mo Shiqian has fled, and everyone in Black Demon Hole has been annihilated, there is no support here anymore. It will collapse very soon, so you should leave as soon as possible,¡± said Chu Liuyue. In the hall just now, she and Rong Xiu had already attacked together and completely destroyed the sand table. This place¡­ would soon become a ruin or even cease to exist. Hearing this, everyone looked at each other. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that they hadn¡¯t thought of this outcome, but when they really heard it, they couldn¡¯t help but feel complicated emotions. After all, they had all come here with great ambition. They originally thought that by passing the challenge, they could enter the God Residence Realm and obtain a better cultivation opportunity. Who knew¡­ it would end up like this? Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°The barrier over there is already extremely fragile. You can all leave directly.¡± Then, she looked at Rong Xiu. They were also going to part ways first. ¡°Be careful,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu nodded his head, his phoenix eyes deep. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Actually, with Rong Xiu¡¯s speed, it would indeed not take too long to reach the Red Moon Desert from here. Moreover, his strength was extraordinary, so there was nothing to worry about. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you at Peach Blossom Dock.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered as he said, ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no hurry over there. I¡¯ll send Yue¡¯er off first.¡± Even though he knew that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t weak now, he was still worried. Only by personally sending her back could his heart be at ease. Chu Liuyue understood what he was thinking, so she didn¡¯t reject him. She thought for a while before replying, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go back from the realm gate over there this time.¡± She was naturally talking about the realm gate behind the mountains of Black Demon Hole. When they came, the power in the realm gate erupted, causing the void to tremble. In the end, they were sent to the outskirts of Yunzhou. If they went now, it would be impossible to find the way back. The best way was to return from this realm gate first. Rong Xiu nodded. After the two of them discussed everything, they no longer hesitated and moved. But just as they turned around, and before they could take a step, they suddenly heard someone shout from behind. ¡°Please wait.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and looked over. The person who spoke was He Ziji. ¡°Anything else?¡± He Ziji took a deep breath as if he were still a little nervous. Then, he kneeled down. ¡°Me and my sister¡¯s lives were saved by Your Grace and the princess! If the two of you don¡¯t mind, in the future¡­ I¡¯m willing to follow the two of you and do my best!¡± Chapter 2032 - 2032 You Dont Have to Go In 2032 You Don¡¯t Have to Go In ¡°You¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Before she could speak, He Zilan also kneeled down. ¡°Brother, what you said is also what Zilan thinks!¡± The two of them kneeled down firmly, their expressions and their words sincere. Chu Liuyue could tell that this was indeed what the two of them thought, but¡­ ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Besides, we did those things for ourselves this time, not to save you on purpose. You don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and waved her hand nonchalantly. However, He Ziji and his sister had a firm attitude. ¡°Perhaps to the princess, that¡¯s just a small matter. However, it¡¯s true that the few of you saved our lives! We should repay your kindness!¡± He took a deep breath and looked embarrassed. ¡°¡­Speaking of which, we¡¯re weak and indeed don¡¯t have the qualifications to accompany you. However, this gratitude is absolutely true! In the future, if you have any orders, the two of us will definitely go through fire and water without hesitation!¡± As He Ziji spoke, he bent down and bowed solemnly, kowtowing. He Zilan was originally quite eloquent, but at this moment, she didn¡¯t say anything. After hesitating for a long time, she could only kowtow with He Ziji. At first, they didn¡¯t think so. But after thinking about it, they encountered a lot of trouble on the road. If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue and the rest, the siblings would have died countless times! It was only right for him to thank her. However, they were indeed self-aware. Look at the people around Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. Putting aside the other backers, just a follower like Qiang Wanzhou was already a true god expert! People like them were indeed not qualified to stay around them¡­ The reason why he said those words was for no other reason than to express his gratitude and longing. Their seriousness made Chu Liuyue caught between laughter and tears. In the beginning, we were willing to travel with He Ziji and the others purely because we wanted to sneak in and see what the so-called challenge was all about. As for the subsequent actions¡­ Actually, we didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It¡¯s just that it was inevitable to do those things to deal with Black Demon Hole. ¡°These are all small matters. You really don¡¯t have to worry too much. Go back¡­¡± Before Chu Liuyue could finish speaking, a large group of people in front of her suddenly kneeled down. ¡°Brother He is right! Actually, it¡¯s not just him and his sister. Even we are only able to survive because of His Grace and the princess¡¯s kindness! We naturally can¡¯t do nothing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! From now on, if the two of you have any orders, we will obey them!¡± ¡°We¡¯re weak and can¡¯t be compared to Lord Qiang and the others. Only our hot-bloodedness and lives can be exchanged! I hope His Grace and the Princess won¡¯t mind!¡± ¡­ Everyone spoke one after another. Every word was from the bottom of their hearts. For a moment, the crowd was agitated. Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment before she met Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. I really didn¡¯t expect them to have such a reaction¡­ Hearing their words, waves seemed to stir in her originally calm heart. She had never considered herself a good person. Even if they occasionally saved people, it was an extremely special situation. She rarely took it to heart, but at this moment, her thoughts were fluctuating. Pairs of sincere and passionate eyes looked at her. They were truly grateful. ¡°It¡¯s good to let them follow you back to Peach Blossom Dock,¡± said Rong Xiu suddenly. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. When He Ziji and the others heard this, they were all shocked and subconsciously fell silent. Rong Xiu had a faint smile on his lips as he said, ¡°Peach Blossom Dock has two realm gates to begin with. It can connect the inside and outside of the God Residence Realm. Not only can it accept experts from outside, but it can also defend against dangers from everywhere.¡± All the people present had good cultivation talent. If they could bring them to Peach Blossom Dock and let them cultivate there, they would definitely be able to increase the strength of many of them. Moreover, these people were all loyal and trustworthy to Chu Liuyue. ¡°It might not be a bad thing to bring them back.¡± This is the most suitable choice at the moment. Chu Liuyue thought for a while. What Rong Xiu said makes sense. ¡°Then¡­ it¡¯s settled?¡± She made up her mind and looked at everyone at random. ¡°Alright! Then, follow me back to Peach Blossom Dock!¡± ¡­ The group arrived in front of the realm gate. Seeing the curtain of light falling from the sky, everyone¡¯s faces were filled with undisguised excitement. After all, this was the purpose of their trip. Behind this realm was the God Residence Realm! Which cultivator in the world didn¡¯t want to enter and become an expert? ¡°Let¡¯s stop here,¡± said Chu Liuyue softly as she looked at Rong Xiu. Rong Xiu nodded his head and glanced at the realm gate. ¡°There are no totems in this realm gate¡ªit should be ownerless land. Black Demon Hole chose this place after careful inspection.¡± In order to deceive others, they hadn¡¯t even engraved Black Demon Hole¡¯s totem on this realm gate. Boom! A loud bang sounded. Everyone turned around in unison and saw that the rolling mountain range had suddenly begun to collapse! The mountain rocks rolled down and turned into dust. The wind blew, and it was a vast expanse. In the distance, the silver barrier also began to shake violently! ¡°Looks like this place is going to collapse completely,¡± commented Chu Liuyue lightly. She then took a deep breath and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll leave first. Be careful on the way. If you see Big Baby and the rest, send my regards.¡± With that, she turned around and stepped into the realm gate! This realm gate was the same as ordinary realm gates. There were no more accidents like Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s realm gate. After Chu Liuyue entered, the others also entered one after another. Soon, their figures disappeared from the realm gate. It was only then that Rong Xiu retracted his gaze. He glanced sideways at the collapsing space. ¡°Senior Diwu, I¡¯ll send you back.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his figure quickly disappeared from the spot! ¡­ Rong Xiu quickly left Yunzhou. Black Demon Hole had been destroyed, and this place had already become a dead city. After Rong Xiu walked out of the city gate, he paused for a moment and chose a direction. Diwu Zhangze knew how to head to the Red Moon Desert, so there was naturally no need for him to worry. Rong Xiu was extremely fast. About a day later, he came to Dahuang Swamp again. The moment he stepped out of the void, Rong Xiu sensed that something was wrong. His glabella moved slightly as he stood still and looked ahead. This was the intersection of Dahuang Swamp¡¯s three forbidden areas. Mirror Lake and Mystic Forest were both quiet. Only in the Red Moon Desert¡ªthe sky was dark, and a blood moon hung high in the sky. Crimson light enveloped everything. Diwu Zhangze¡¯s low voice sounded. ¡°Rong Xiu, you don¡¯t have to go in.¡± Chapter 2033 - 2033 Style of Handling Affairs 2033 Style of Handling Affairs Rong Xiu took out a black ruler. The black ruler glowed, and a faint figure appeared before Rong Xiu. Compared to before, his figure was much more transparent and his aura weaker. It was as if a blow of the wind could disperse it. He looked forward with a grave expression and furrowed brows. ¡°Senior Diwu.¡± Rong Xiu cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°This journey is dangerous. Let me send you there.¡± Diwu Zhangze shook his head. ¡°No need. You¡¯ve already sent me here; there¡¯s no need to take more risks. I can find my own way with this distance. Besides, I¡¯m just a portion of aura. Even if I can¡¯t go back, there¡¯s not much loss. After being sealed out of the Blood Heaven Realm thousands of years ago, I didn¡¯t think of coming out again.¡± The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up, and he smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re severely injured. If you can recover a portion of aura, it would be good.¡± One had to know that without a physical body, one¡¯s strength would continuously deplete. They could only forcefully maintain themselves at the Red Moon Desert, but when Wei Yue came this time, the trio¡¯s situation wouldn¡¯t be any better. Diwu Zhangze still shook his head and glanced at him affirmatively. ¡°Protect Yue¡¯er.¡± Broken light flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s deep phoenix-like eyes quickly. ¡°This is what I should do.¡± Diwu Zhangze then relaxed, and his expression became warmer. ¡°Even though Black Demon Hole has been eliminated, Mo Shiqian is not easy to deal with.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Go back!¡± Diwu Zhangze waved his hands, directly lifted his legs, and walked forward. His figure rapidly disappeared in the speck of red. Rong Xiu stood quietly and allowed the hot waves with coarse sand to blow at him. He raised his sharp brows slightly and then turned around to leave. ¡­ On the other end, Chu Liuyue first brought the crowd to cross the realm gate and enter the God Residence Realm. The moment they entered, rich Heaven and Earth Force rushed toward them. The crowd was enthralled. ¡°The God Residence Realm does live up to expectations!¡± ¡°Yeah! If I can cultivate in such a region, I can break through to become a true god in no time!¡± ¡°Speaking of which, this is all thanks to the princess¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. These people are decently talented, but due to the cultivation environment they were in, they couldn¡¯t break through to become true gods. Now that they have arrived at the God Residence Realm, as long as they properly cultivate, breaking through will happen sooner or later. She looked forward and took in everything she saw before her. The place in front was non-stop mountains. The peaks were sharp and tall. At first glance, there were many mountains everywhere with lush greenery. It seemed like there were very few people. ¡°¡­May I know where this place is?¡± someone asked. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered, and she suddenly raised her hand! A reddish-gold flame surged out of her palm! Hong! Following this sound of impact, the crowd shockingly realized that a layer of transparent barrier in midair was shaking violently! This mountain was also tightly covered by the barrier, but that layer of barrier was not stable. After a moment, it began to crack. Following that¡ª Bang! The barrier was broken! Hula! At that moment, countless figures rose from the mountains! Chu Liuyue squinted slightly and saw the figures rushing over in unison! ¡°They¡¯re fiends!¡± exclaimed someone from the crowd behind. ¡°No! They¡¯re legendary fiends!¡± Seven-leaf snake, heavenly chicken, flying-snow fox¡­ Those in front were indeed all legendary fiends! Chu Liuyue roughly glanced at the fiends behind and saw that the weakest ones had reached the ninth-grade! ¡°Dangerous!¡± The crowd instantly became nervous. There are so many fiends, at least hundreds of them! If they attack in groups, we won¡¯t be their match! After all, there are still legendary fiends inside! Qiang Wanzhou took a step forward, about to take action, when Chu Liuyue stopped him. ¡°Hold on.¡± Qiang Wanzhou glanced at her strangely, but he saw that she did not look nervous at all and that the corner of her lips had even curled up in a smile. It seemed like she was very confident in regard to the scene before her¡­ Qiang Wanzhou calmed down and returned to her side. Those fiends rapidly approached her! The atmosphere became increasingly tense. Everyone unwittingly quietened down and tightly stared at the scene before them. Outside the God Residence Realm, a ninth-grade fiend was already an extremely precious existence, and there were even fewer legendary fiends. Now that they suddenly saw so many legendary fiends attacking them, the crowd was naturally nervous. However, just as everyone thought that they would be surrounded by these legendary fiends, they suddenly stopped! At this point, they were only tens of steps away from Chu Liuyue. Then¡­ Those fiends actually all lay on the ground! Everyone was stunned. W-what¡¯s going on? Why do these fiends seem to be filled with respect and gratitude toward Chu Liuyue? ¡°These are the fiends that Black Demon Hole raised,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. The crowd was dazed. Chu Liuyue walked up. The nearer she was, the more respectful the fiends became. They had all lowered their heads. Chu Liuyue finally stopped before a red-cloud leopard that was covered in red. It was a mother leopard, and its mouth still had a small ball. Fresh red blood was trickling down. Chu Liuyue squatted down and reached out. That red-cloud leopard instinctively took a step back and quickly glanced at Chu Liuyue, its eyes filled with deep respect and fear. Chu Liuyue was dazed and turned back. At some point, Tuan Zi followed her over. At this point, she was staring at the small thing in the red-cloud leopard¡¯s mouth curiously. Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Tuan Zi, move back a little.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Tuan Zi widened her pair of blackberry-like eyes and asked innocently. Chu Liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. ¡°The red-cloud leopard is an ordinary legendary fiend. If you¡¯re too near it, you will scare them.¡± Tuan Zi was an ancient legendary fiend. Even if she had taken human form and retracted her aura, the bloodline suppression that came from her bones could not be hidden. The reason why these fiends were so respectful was firstly due to her opening the barrier and letting them out. Secondly, it was because of Tuan Zi¡¯s presence. Tuan Zi acknowledged the order, but she pouted slightly. ¡°I just wanted to take a look¡­¡± I clearly already spent so much effort in controlling my aura! Chu Liuyue ignored her. As the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress that had already opened her fifth meridian, Tuan Zi still did not understand her current identity and skills. Most of the time, she did not have a conscience. However, this was fine. Tuan Zi was still young, and she should be pure and naive. Seeing Tuan Zi step back, that red-cloud leopard let go of the thing in its mouth. The light ball landed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. This was just a small leopard, and it looked like it was born not long ago. However, there was a wound on its neck. The blood was dripping from there previously. Chu Liuyue frowned. This is something the people from Black Demon Hole did! Chapter 2034 - 2034 Meet 2034 Meet The wound was very deep. Fresh red blood dripped out, and one could faintly see the white bones. It showed just how harsh their methods were as they didn¡¯t even let go of this small thing that was just born. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned colder as she gently covered the leopard cub¡¯s wound. A faint red-golden light sparkled. When she raised her hand again, the cub¡¯s wound had a scab over it, and its aura had recovered. It obediently lay in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand as it turned around and fell asleep deeply. Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi had an entwined fate contract, so her body¡¯s force had extreme recovery powers to such fiends. If Tuan Zi directly came over, her bloodline suppression would be too heavy, and this little fellow would not be able to take it. It was just right for Chu Liuyue to take action. That mother leopard was first nervous before it looked grateful¡ªeven though it was a legendary fiend, its bloodline cultivation level was low, and it could not speak. It lay on the ground, and its throat let out soft whimpers. It was gratitude and submission! Chu Liuyue scanned across. As expected, she also saw the marks left behind by harsh training on the red-cloud leopard¡¯s neck. The people from Black Demon Hole are already dead, but these fiends are still alive. It can be seen that it¡¯s similar to what I had expected. They didn¡¯t have agreements with these fiends and just trapped them, while using extreme methods to discipline them. In this way, the number of fiends they can control will far exceed the number of people. After sending the little fellow back, the red-cloud leopard carefully went forward and picked the cub up with its mouth. It looked up at Chu Liuyue, and tears welled up in its eyes. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. ¡°No need to worry. The people from Black Demon Hole are already dead. From now onward, nobody will trap and torture you anymore.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. With a rough estimate, there were close to 200 fiends here. The key was there were still fiends rushing over continuously from the forest behind. She sighed deeply and said, ¡°From now on, you can go your own ways too!¡± The place most suitable for them was naturally the wilderness with no restrictions. Where could they not go in the world? But when Chu Liuyue said this, the fiends in front of her still did not move. Chu Liuyue was first dazed and waved her hands. ¡°Go on!¡± They still did not move. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°A¡¯Yue, they want to follow you!¡± Tuan Zi could not help but interrupt. Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Follow me?¡± I¡¯m not their master. Why would they follow me? Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes sparkled as she crisply said, ¡°Yeah! They¡¯ve been trapped here for so long. Now that you saved them, they¡¯re grateful, so they naturally want to follow you!¡± Speaking of this, she suddenly thought of something and hurriedly ran over. The red-stringed golden bells on her head rang as her white feet ran over quickly. The fiends moved back a step in unison and bowed even lower with more respect. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s thigh, looked up, and said, ¡°A¡¯Yue, you can bring them back, but you can¡¯t make any more agreements! A¡¯Yue can only be mine!¡± After thinking for a while, she bit her fingertip with much conflict. ¡°Oh yes, and Zi Chen¡­ T-then, you can only be ours! However, A¡¯Yue can only dote on me the most!¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears and pinched her chubby cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Having you is enough. How would I have any other time? Besides, other than Zi Chen, I think no other fiends can endure your suppression.¡± Speaking of which, it was a coincidence. Between Zi Chen and Tuan Zi, if either one of them wasn¡¯t strong enough and did not have a pure bloodline, they could not co-exist. It was also hard for them to end up in this stage. Hearing her promise, Tuan Zi then relaxed. ¡°Hehe, I know A¡¯Yue is the best!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at those fiends hesitantly. ¡°Then, they¡­¡± ¡°Let them follow us!¡± Tuan Zi waved her hands. ¡°Peach Blossom Dock can afford to raise them!¡± Chu Liuyue thought deeply, Even though Peach blossom Dock is useful in all sorts of resources, we don¡¯t have enough fiends, let alone legendary fiends. If I bring them back, it would be great. ¡°And if so, I¡ªTuan Zi¡ªwill be the true boss in the future! Hahahahaha!¡± With a command, the fiends don¡¯t dare to disobey me. Think about it¡ªthis is such a great honor! As long as they all follow me, I will have even higher chances of winning when I go against Zi Chen! Thinking of this, Tuan Zi smiled even more brightly, as if she could predict the bright life in the future. Chu Liuyue was speechless. She rubbed her brows with a headache. Tuan Zi seems to have forgotten that she is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, one that the ancestor specifically picked. If she wants it, the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan will follow her wherever she goes. That is the most distinguished existence in the world! But seeing that she was so happy, Chu Liuyue was too lazy to remind her. She would naturally recall it in the future. She thought deeply for a moment and finally nodded. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s go back together!¡± Hearing this, the many fiends looked elated. Even though Tuan Zi¡¯s suppression was too powerful, to the point they did not dare to approach her, she was still a red-gold heavenly phoenix with the purest bloodline! With such a distinguished existence, it had a natural attraction to the other fiends. If they could follow her, it was a great honor for them. Not to mention that Chu Liuyue had saved them. How could there be a better home than this? Hence, they were all very happy about this. Therefore, after accepting a group of talented cultivators, Chu Liuyue had another group of strong fiends. Seeing the team that instantly grew bigger, Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. At the very beginning, didn¡¯t I just want to see what was going on with Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s realm gate? How long has it been, yet I actually¡­ brought so many people and fiends back for no reason? At this point, the nearby sky suddenly vibrated. Following that, two figures walked out from within. Chu Liuyue looked back and was slightly shocked. ¡°Cen Yi, Lin Zhifei? Why are you guys here?!¡± Chapter 2035 - 2035 True God 2035 True God Weren¡¯t the two figures that walked out Cen Yi and Lin Zhifei, who were separated from them previously? Seeing Chu Liuyue, the two of them exchanged glances and looked relieved. Then, the duo¡¯s figures moved as they went to Chu Liuyue and bowed together. ¡°Greetings, Master.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand. ¡°No need to be courteous. But¡­ you¡ª¡± She had just walked out of the realm gate and did not really move. During the time she took in a group of fiends, they actually arrived here! This was definitely not a coincidence. ¡°After the commotion near Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s realm gate, we were separated from Master and Your Highness. Then, we tried to find your whereabouts the whole time. We used some methods to find some clues. We¡¯re late. Master, please forgive us.¡± In a mere few sentences, he briefly explained what had happened in between. However, Chu Liuyue knew clearly that they must¡¯ve put in a lot of effort and thought to be able to come here so quickly. She nodded lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re safe.¡± Cen Yi surveyed the surroundings. ¡°Your Highness, may I know¡ª¡± Actually, the moment he reached here, he had already noticed the surrounding situation. Master was here, but His Highness was not. Also, there were quite a few people near Master¡ªQiang Wanzhou was one of them. Other than this, there were a bunch of fiends with strong auras. Well¡­ The scene was rather chaotic. Even he, who was very intelligent, couldn¡¯t figure out what happened in such a short amount of time. Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°He made a trip to the Red Moon Desert and will rush back later. As for these people¡­ they came from outside the God Residence Realm. These fiends were raised here by Black Demon Hole. Now that Black Demon Hole is eliminated, I planned on releasing them. However, they want to follow us, so I planned on bringing them back to Peach Blossom Dock. It¡¯s nice if it¡¯s livelier.¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± Bringing so many fiends to make it more lively¡­ Listen! Is this something a human can say!? Cen Yi, who always had a calm appearance, was shocked for once. At the side, Lin Zhifei could not help but ask in shock, ¡°Black Demon Hole¡­ was eliminated?¡± So many things have happened in such a short amount of time?! Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°This is a long story; let¡¯s go back and talk about it. Do you know where this is? Is it troublesome to go back to Peach Blossom Dock from here?¡± Cen Yi replied, ¡°Master, this is Million Peak Mountain. It¡¯s not very famous, and it¡¯s just a small place with a long river outside. There are very few people here, and it¡¯s quite isolated.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. She indeed did not hear of this place before. The God Residence Realm was huge; it was impossible for her to know every area. After all, this was the region that Black Demon Hole specifically found, so it naturally had to be more discreet and harder to find. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°It was really hard for you guys to find this place so quickly.¡± Cen Yi cupped his fists. ¡°After you and Your Highness left, the realm gate was locked, and the two of us could not follow you. It¡¯s all thanks to Fourth Young Master Lin that we were able to find this place.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and looked at Lin Zhifei in astonishment. Cen Yi saying this proves that it was really Lin Zhifei that did it. ¡°Zhifei, you know this place?¡± Lin Zhifei shook his head. ¡°Lord Cen Yi, you¡¯re too kind. Actually, it is mainly Lord Cen Yi¡¯s credit in this matter. I just built the transportation formation¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. With Cen Yi¡¯s abilities, it isn¡¯t hard to build a transportation formation. In the end, he let Lin Zhifei take action? As if seeing through her doubts, Cen Yi explained, ¡°You appearing here was concluded by Fourth Young Master Lin based on the change in forces from the Xuan formation in the realm gate. I just helped him.¡± This time, Chu Liuyue was really taken aback. Lin Zhifei actually has such shocking skills? ¡°This is indeed a distance away from Peach Blossom Dock,¡± added Cen Yi. Chu Liuyue understood. To build a transportation formation in a foreign land, the Xuan Master needed to know the exact position and personally take action. This should be the reason why Cen Yi let Lin Zhifei build the transportation formation. With Lin Zhifei¡¯s current skills, building a small transportation formation was no problem at all. However, building such a complete and big transportation formation needed external forces. At that time, Cen Yi took action. But at the end of the day, Lin Zhifei still contributed the most. She looked at Lin Zhifei and sincerely said, ¡°Cen Yi is right. This is all your credit! Zhifei, you really didn¡¯t disappoint me!¡± There were only a few with such abilities in the entire God Residence Realm! Lin Zhifei looked up and saw her sparkling eyes, with unconcealable respect and admiration on her face. He revealed a faint smile. His figure was thin and aura like a bamboo. His distant eyes were always filled with calmness. Now that he smiled, it instantly made him look rejuvenated. It was as if a breeze blew across the bamboo forest in an elegant manner. ¡°I can¡¯t repay you for saving my life. Besides¡­¡± Besides, from the very beginning, she admired him very much. Such trust and admiration were hard to find. Lin Zhifei cupped his fists. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be able to work for you.¡± Chu Liuyue was also very happy. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s go back to Peach Blossom Dock!¡± This time, we can save on the effort of finding our way back. ¡°Yes.¡± Cen Yi nodded. Then, his gaze landed on Qiang Wanzhou. His gaze flickered slightly in a strange manner. ¡°True god?¡± Chapter 2036 - 2036 Back 2036 Back If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, Qiang Wanzhou stayed outside the God Residence Realm the whole time. How did he suddenly break through to become a true god? Logically speaking, it should not be the case¡­ Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s lips pressed against each other slightly. He glanced at Cen Yi and did not speak. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Yeah, I was also very shocked. I didn¡¯t expect Little Zhou to break through to become a true god in such a short amount of time.¡± He hid his aura very well. If he did not fight with Mo Shiqian later on and showcased his true cultivation level, Chu Liuyue would still think that he was a peak stage-nine warrior. ¡°However, Little Zhou has extraordinary skills and has a lot of luck. It¡¯s expected for him to be at this stage,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Actually, she knew where Cen Yi had his doubts from, and she did have the same curiosity in her heart. However, she knew clearly that Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body was different from the rest. His body had a terrifying force sealed inside. Previously, she just helped to release a small portion of it, and his cultivation strengthened greatly. It was probably because of this that he could break through to become a true god. When I have the time later on, I have to ask him about it in detail. Cen Yi nodded and did not pursue the matter. ¡°You¡¯re right, Master. Then, let¡¯s go back now.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look. It¡¯s fine to talk about the people, but there are¡­ indeed a little too many fiends. There are at least 400 to 500 of them, and one-third of them are still legendary fiends. Their aura is shocking. As if seeing through her worries, Cen Yi said, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. Although we just built this transportation formation, it¡¯s very stable. It should be able to send everyone back.¡± Hearing him say this, Chu Liuyue relaxed. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ With the many fiends, the crowd stepped into the transportation formation. Like Cen Yi said, although this transportation formation was newly-crafted, it was very stable. It was still stable after taking in so many people and fiends. Inside the dark space, a few bright pearls floated quietly and shone down. Chu Liuyue looked at Cen Yi with deep thoughts. Detecting her gaze, Cen Yi also looked over. ¡°Master, do you have something you want to ask?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and said hesitantly, ¡°Cen Yi, I remember that you¡¯re best at strange contraptions and formations. Since when were you so well-versed in Xuan formations?¡± This was not a small matter. Cen Yi smiled faintly. The face that was very calm became more lively with this smile. ¡°Master, I am a cultivator.¡± He did not lie when he said that he was good at those things. However, he did not mention that he wasn¡¯t good at other aspects. He had followed Chu Liuyue for many years, hence Chu Liuyue understood his meaning from this gaze and sentence. She could not help but be dazed. Cen Yi is right¡­ Upon deeper thought, didn¡¯t he teach Thirteen? The other people among the Thirteen Yue Guards also respect Cen Yi greatly. In this world where the strong are respected, they wouldn¡¯t be so convinced by Cen Yi just because of seniority. It is because he is strong enough! Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. I always thought that I sufficiently understood Cen Yi, but it now seems like¡­ all I saw was the tip of the iceberg. However, Cen Yi¡¯s loyalty toward me isn¡¯t questionable. She smiled in relief, and her eyes sparkled. ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s duel another day!¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Master¡¯s guidance.¡± ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock. After a heavy snow, the entire Peach Blossom Dock was covered. However, the peach blossoms inside and outside the city were still blooming brightly. The light-pink petals, mixed with the gleam of the snow, made the scene look like a painting. Courtyard of Yue Manor. San San sat inside the house. He held a brush with one hand and checked the account book before him. His chubby cheeks had a bright smile, and his eyes had curved into a line. Everyone could tell how excited and happy he was at this moment. Thirteen coincidentally saw this scene when he came in. ¡°Third Brother, what¡¯s there to be so happy about?¡± Actually, Thirteen already guessed the reason when he saw the account book in San San¡¯s hands, but he still asked symbolically. Hearing the voice, San San did not even look up and chuckled. ¡°Hey, Thirteen, you¡¯re here? Quickly come and sit! Your Third Brother is calculating the accounts!¡± As he spoke, he sighed. ¡°Tsk tsk, these aristocratic families are very generous! Just the profit from these few days has already exceeded that of the past three months!¡± Without the Black Sword Sect suppressing them, the profits were looking up! Even though Master only chose a few families, they held sincere attitudes of making friends. Additionally, the quality of the herbs from Peach Blossom Dock were extremely good. Thus, they were very generous. Recently, San San was overwhelmed with work. But when he held the account book, he was not tired at all. Thirteen asked rather curiously, ¡°Third Brother, you don¡¯t need an abacus?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too slow!¡± San San finally retracted his gaze and chuckled. ¡°Little Thirteen, don¡¯t you know that your Third Brother dislikes using abacus for big sums?¡± Thirteen really did not know. Even though he had followed Master from a long time ago, he spent most of his time with Cen Yi and the rest. Among the Thirteen Yue Guards, only San San had such love and interest toward monetary matters. San San didn¡¯t have many chances to interact with Thirteen. Besides, Thirteen was young in the past, so San San would not bring up such matters in front of him. As for the rest¡­ he was too lazy to bring it up. Hence, Thirteen only found out about this when he heard him personally mention it now. ¡°Third Brother, your mental arithmetic is so amazing?¡± Thirteen quickly reacted and had a look of admiration. This gaze worked very well on San San. ¡°Haha! Actually, I¡¯m not that amazing. Such a thing is natural, natural!¡± He gently touched the account book in his hands, smiled, and said, ¡°Little Thirteen, when we build these businesses up, our Yue Manor can stand stably in the God Residence Realm in the future! In the future, you can just tell me whatever you want!¡± This sentence made San San sound very generous. However, this was also because he had confidence. Chu Liuyue¡¯s battle with Yi Wentao could be considered as killing a monkey to warn the rest, letting everyone know that Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Yue Manor was not one to be messed with. These businesses were even more beneficial in having good relations with those aristocratic families. The more friends they had, the more options they would have. Many people wanted to be related to Yue Manor. After all, even though Yue Manor was newly established, there were quite a few backers behind them. In the current God Residence Realm, who would be foolish enough to offend them? If one wanted to support the development of such a huge aristocratic family, other than sufficiently strong warriors, they also needed enough resources. Previously, San San also earned some money, but he did not expect his master to make such a big scene. The expenditure of so many people in Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Yue Manor was not a small sum. However, it was good that their future was bright! ¡°Hey, Little Thirteen, why did you think of finding me today?¡± Thirteen then reacted. ¡°Oh right! I came to report a piece of news to you¡ªMaster and the rest are back!¡± Chapter 2037 - 2037 Many 2037 Many San San was elated. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier!?¡± He hastily put away the account book in his hands and prepared to go out to welcome them. Thirteen hurriedly said, ¡°Hey¡­ Third Brother, hold up! Master and the rest are already at the city gate, and they said there¡¯s no need to welcome them. They just need Third Brother to arrange for some accommodations and find some suitable mountains.¡± ¡°Accommodations? Find mountains?¡± San San was dazed. ¡°What for?¡± Thirteen scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either. I just heard that Master brought some people and fiends back¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± San San really never expected to receive such an answer. The corner of his lips twitched. Previously, Big Brother said that there was a problem with the realm gate, so Master and His Highness went to take a look. In the end, some strange things happened, and the two of them disappeared together. Because of this, Big Brother brought Lin Zhifei to find them. Now that I hear that Master is back, I am naturally happy. However¡­ what¡¯s with them bringing people and fiends back? He thought for a while before saying, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll send people to arrange this.¡± Then, he walked outside. The moment he took two steps out, he suddenly recalled something, turned around, and questioned, ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­ If the people came with the fiends, those fiends should be those that have an agreement with the humans. There won¡¯t be a need to prepare an additional space for them, right¡­¡± Why does it sound like Master means that the humans and the fiends are separate? Thirteen had a face of confusion. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know about this either¡­¡± He did not have the time to take a look as well. When he heard someone send the news back, he hurriedly came to find San San. After all, Master and Big Brother were not around, so San San was considered the one with the highest seniority amongst the Thirteen Yue Guards. And he was sufficiently familiar with this place. It was naturally most suitable to hand over such a matter to him. San San thought about it. ¡°Forget it¡ªthis isn¡¯t a huge matter. Peach Blossom Dock is so big, so it¡¯s rather simple to find a few leisurely spots¡ª¡± Before he could even finish his sentence, he heard noises coming from outside. San San looked outside strangely. ¡°What¡¯s happening¡ª¡± Whoosh! Suddenly, a sound broke the air. San San¡¯s heart turned cold, and he saw a ball of something flying toward him! He immediately circulated his force and planned to take action. ¡°San San, don¡¯t move!¡± A clear and familiar voice sounded. Master! Hearing this, San San hurriedly restrained his aura. The next moment, that thing jumped over! San San was taken aback and staggered backward, almost falling down. He hurriedly held the frame of the door at the side and forcefully stood still. Only then did he have the time to look down and realize that at some point, the thing hanging on his body was a¡­ ¡°Thunder liger?!¡± That thunder liger bit on the clothes in front of his chest and refused to let go. San San widened his eyes. Well¡­ Whoosh¡ª The sound of wings vibrating suddenly sounded. San San instinctively looked over and saw a dark-gold holy bird flying over! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t let San San take action. Out of desperation, he could only take out his account book for defense. In the end, the moment he took the account book out, he saw the dark-gold holy bird suddenly fly down and peck it away without speaking! ¡°Hey! Hey! My¡ª¡± Piak! San San was about to chase when something suddenly dropped from above and landed on his head. It was a warm and soft ball, and it seemed like it was tugging at his hair. San San raised his hand and took that ball down. It was just a palm-sized fiend that was bright red. It stared at him innocently and curiously with a pair of teary eyes. A ball of San San¡¯s hair was still in its claws. His scalp hurt faintly. ¡°Red-cloud leopard?¡± San San¡¯s forehead twitched. At the first meeting, my account book was stolen, my clothes were ripped, and my hair was torn! What is happening?! ¡°Very good! In the future, let¡¯s battle side by side! Our combat skills will be greatly strengthened!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s milky voice came. San San looked up and saw a few figures walking over. The one at the front who held her forehead helplessly was Chu Liuyue. At the side, Tuan Zi was filled with excitement and combat intent. ¡°Everyone, come back first!¡± With this command, the thunder liger in front of San San finally relaxed. The dark-gold holy bird spun around and threw the book down. The two rapidly retreated and stopped five steps before Tuan Zi respectfully. Tuan Zi waved her small hands and sweetly said, ¡°There¡¯s an improvement!¡± Receiving Tuan Zi¡¯s praise, the two fiends were very emotional. Even the tiny red-cloud leopard lying in San San¡¯s palm had its eyes light up as it stood up. San San was confused. ¡°Master, what exactly¡ª¡± Shoo! A strange sound was heard. San San¡¯s voice trailed off, and he lowered his head stiffly. A ball of fresh waste lay quietly in his palm. Furthermore, the culprit seemed to notice something and looked at him pitifully. The entire scene entered an eerie silence. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Ahem, it was injured previously, so I gave it some medicine. It¡¯s pretty good for metabolism¡­¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched as she spoke sympathetically. ¡°Master?¡± San San stared at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. Master wants to abandon me because of this small thing? Chu Liuyue flicked Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you not going to apologize to San San?¡± Tuan Zi obediently went forward and placed her two hands in front of her, supported her stomach, bowed, and apologized, ¡°Sorry, Brother San San! I know that I¡¯m in the wrong!¡± I will still do it next time. It¡¯s so rare to find such a pleasure. How can I give up so easily? I got A¡¯Yue to agree to let me take care of these fellows with much difficulty! Tuan Zi thought to herself, How can ordinary people understand the joy of being the boss? Chu Liuyue silently glanced at her. This mindset¡­ However, San San did not know what Tuan Zi was thinking. It was not a very big matter at first, so he was not really angry. Tuan Zi was so petite and cute. He couldn¡¯t even dote on her, so why would he be willing to say harsh words? ¡°Aiyo, our Tuan Zi is the most obedient! No need to apologize, no need to apologize! I can just wash my hands! As long as Tuan Zi is happy.¡± Tuan Zi immediately stood up, and her big eyes dazzled. ¡°I knew that Brother San San is the best!¡± This sentence made San San¡¯s heart flutter, so he didn¡¯t notice the look of cunningness that flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. Since some people want to seek death, then he can¡¯t blame me for not helping¡­ ¡°Thirteen, quickly help your Third Brother bring that little fellow down.¡± Chu Liuyue shot Thirteen a look. Thirteen immediately reacted and brought the tiny red-cloud leopard over. ¡°San San, go and pack up first,¡± said Chu Liuyue. San San recovered his senses and acknowledged it. Just as he was about to leave, he pointed at those few fiends and said, ¡°These few¡­ are all that Master brought back this time?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him sympathetically. ¡°No. Even more than this.¡± A strong feeling of uneasiness overwhelmed San San. Even more than this? How many can there be¡ª Suddenly, his gaze focused, and he gasped. ¡°What is all of this?!¡± Chapter 2038 - 2038 Tomb 2038 Tomb Behind Chu Liuyue, a patch of black appeared at some point! Countless fiends gathered together as the pairs of eyes all looked over. Curiosity, shock, elation, excitement¡­ Probably because Tuan Zi was around, but they didn¡¯t dare to be too near. They were still huddled together at the back, but it wasn¡¯t hard to tell that there were¡­ many! The corner of San San¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Master, what¡­ did you do this time?¡± Why did she bring so many fiends back, and many of them also seem to be legendary fiends! Chu Liuyue turned around and raised her volume. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t I ask you to wait outside?¡± Hearing her words, the many fiends immediately took a step back obediently. But after interacting for a while, they had some understanding of Chu Liuyue and knew that she was not really angry. Additionally, because of all sorts of reasons, they had a natural closeness to Chu Liuyue. Even if they heard her scolding, they were still happy and wanted to move forward. Hence, though the fiends quietened down, they were still gathered together and refused to leave. ¡°Master, we¡¯ve already arranged accommodations for those people.¡± At this point, Cen Yi walked over. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± There were only dozens of them in total, and there were quite a few empty residences in Peach Blossom Dock, so they could just directly bring them over. Besides, they were all pretty talented and could quickly adjust after entering this place, so there was no need to overly worry about them. The key was¡­ these fiends. ¡°Big Brother!¡± When San San saw Cen Yi, tears welled up in his eyes in an aggrieved manner. Cen Yi¡¯s gaze turned slightly, and he nonchalantly glanced at him. ¡°Before you¡¯re done bathing, you¡¯re not allowed to take another inch toward me.¡± San San was speechless. Big Brother! You¡¯re my Big Brother! Your Third Brother was bullied. Not only did you not care and ask, but you even despised me?! As if detecting San San¡¯s vengeful gaze, Cen Yi elegantly spared him a glance and squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°Make another copy of the account book.¡± Master still has to read it. San San¡¯s hand holding the book trembled slightly, and he couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°My hand is clean!¡± Cen Yi looked calm. ¡°Really?¡± San San was speechless. Thirteen softly said, ¡°Third Brother, why don¡¯t you go first? If not, you can¡¯t pass Big Brother¡¯s obstacle¡­¡± San San was devastated. ¡°The world is so big, but there is no place for me, San San!¡± Around the corner, Shi Fang¡ªwho heard the news¡ªrushed over and looked surprised. ¡°Hey, Third Brother you can come to me! The plants I planted recently need fertilizer¡ª¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± San San took a deep breath in and unleashed his maximum speed to leave in a flash. Shi Fang sighed very regretfully. ¡°The red-cloud leopard is a legendary fiend. This fertilizer is very precious, yet Third Brother wasted it just like that¡­¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Cen Yi, since San San is busy, I¡¯ll hand this matter to you. You should¡¯ve also gotten familiar with this place during this period of time.¡± According to Cen Yi¡¯s character, when she first chose to settle here, he should¡¯ve done a comprehensive check of the entire place. Speaking of which, Cen Yi might even know more things than San San about this place. Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± It was indeed rather crowded now that a few hundred fiends came at once. But luckily, they were very grateful and admired Master and Tuan Zi a lot, so they did not find it troublesome. Under Cen Yi¡¯s guidance, these fiends quickly left. Tuan Zi wanted to join in the fun, so Chu Liuyue let her follow them. The yard was finally quiet again. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Thirteen standing on the ground. That tiny red-cloud leopard was still lying in his hands. ¡°Thirteen?¡± Chu Liuyue walked over. ¡°Master, I think it¡¯s asleep,¡± said Thirteen rather nervously. As if worried that he would wake that little thing up, he purposely lowered his volume. Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look and saw that the mother leopard was still waiting outside. She laughed. ¡°You can just send it to its mother.¡± Thirteen nodded and hurriedly walked over. Seeing his back view, the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Thirteen seems to have¡­ broken through again? ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± A low and familiar voice came. Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Ancestor? You came back?¡± Even though Shangguan Jing usually lived in Yue Manor, he previously said that he wanted to produce some Yuan instruments. Thus, he left for a while. Shangguan Jing stroked his beard with a smile. ¡°Yesterday. Originally, I was wondering if I should look for you. I didn¡¯t expect you to come back today.¡± Then, he surveyed the surroundings. ¡°Rong Xiu didn¡¯t come back with you?¡± ¡°Mm, he had something on, so he made a trip to the Red Moon Desert first,¡± answered Chu Liuyue. Shangguan Jing nodded with understanding. Seeing that Chu Liuyue did not seem injured, he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°Where have you been all this time?¡± Chu Liuyue briefly recounted the Black Demon Hole incident. Shangguan Jing was shocked and took a long time to recover his senses. ¡°I see¡­ So this means that the other people of Black Demon Hole are dead, and only Mo Shiqian is left?¡± Chu Liuyue focused on it. ¡°This person is very cunning and scheming. He¡¯s not easy to deal with. But now that he has lost his physical body, it should be hard for him to do anything.¡± Shangguan Jing nodded and looked hesitant with his words. Chu Liuyue found it weird. ¡°Ancestor, do you have something to say?¡± Her ancestor hesitated for quite some time before saying, ¡°Yue¡¯er, I plan to leave Peach Blossom Dock for a while.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Shangguan Jing looked determined and said, ¡°You weren¡¯t around during this period, so you probably don¡¯t know. However¡­ Tang Ke¡¯s tomb has appeared!¡± Chapter 2039 - 2039 Pursuit 2039 Pursuit Tang Ke. Chu Liuyue was naturally familiar with this name. Tang Ke was once the top armory refinement master in the world! No, to be precise, after Tang Ke, there had been no one comparable to him for thousands of years. Since ancient times, he was the strongest one! Of course, there was also Mr. Su. However, Mr. Su came and went in a hurry. Apart from his battle with Tang Ke and refining five holy weapons, there was no other relevant news circulating in the world. They didn¡¯t even know Mr. Su¡¯s name, so how could they find an opportunity to investigate? Therefore, in comparison, the people of the world knew more about Tang Ke and respected and yearned for him. ¡°Tang Ke¡¯s tomb? Didn¡¯t he disappear not long after the battle back then? Why are you suddenly saying that you found his tomb now?¡± Chu Liuyue was very shocked. Shangguan Jing sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Back then, Tang Ke was a world-shaking talent. He was so awe-inspiring in the entire God Residence Realm! Unfortunately, after that shocking battle, he didn¡¯t make any more movements. Not long after, he disappeared without a trace. It was said that even the Tang family didn¡¯t know his whereabouts. He didn¡¯t appear even when the Tang family was in chaos. After that, everyone finally believed that he should have died.¡± ¡°As for when he went and where he was buried, no one knows. It was only not long ago that there was news that someone found Tang Ke¡¯s tomb.¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Then¡­ where is that person¡¯s tomb?¡± ¡°According to the rumors, it seems to be near Qinggu Slope.¡± ¡°Qinggu Slope? The Wei family¡¯s territory?¡± Chu Liuyue remembered this place. It was Wei Xiping¡¯s family, and it was also a famous first-rate family in the God Residence Realm. Shangguan Jing nodded his head. ¡°Once this matter is out, the entire God Residence Realm will be shocked. Now, many armory refinement masters should already be planning to go.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°Will the Wei family be willing?¡± After all, it was their place. Moreover, Tang Ke¡¯s tomb¡­ Who knew if there would be any treasures left behind by Tang Ke inside? This was extremely tempting to any cultivator. Shangguan Jing placed his hands behind his back and chuckled. ¡°Of course, they won¡¯t be. However, the news has spread all over. How could they?¡± Chu Liuyue understood. That¡¯s right. After Tang Ke disappeared, the Tang family fell apart. Countless aristocratic families joined forces to kill them just to obtain the treasure or inheritance left behind by Tang Ke. Now that Tang Ke¡¯s tomb had appeared, who wouldn¡¯t be tempted? There were probably many people who wanted to participate in this competition. No matter how powerful the Wei family was, how could they go against everyone¡¯s wishes? ¡°The Wei family is quite smart. They know that they can¡¯t monopolize it, so they decided to compete openly. In half a month, everyone who wants to investigate Tang Ke¡¯s tomb will gather at Qinggu Slope and act together. At that time, whoever has the ability to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb and obtain the treasures or inheritances left behind will belong to them!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°The Wei family¡¯s desire to live is quite strong.¡± Comparatively speaking, being so open and fair was indeed the best solution. No matter how unwilling they were, this was all they could do. ¡°So this time, I plan to go personally,¡± said Shangguan Jing seriously. Chu Liuyue raised her eyes. I rarely see such an expression on her ancestor ¡®s face. That¡¯s right¡ªit is Tang Ke¡¯s tomb after all! Ancestor is an Armory Refinement Master, so he naturally can¡¯t resist such temptation. ¡°But¡­ will this trip be too dangerous?¡± questioned Chu Liuyue after some deliberation. ¡°The benefits are tempting. It¡¯s hard to guarantee that no one will have any crooked ideas¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s inevitable. How can the path of cultivation be smooth-sailing forever?¡± Shangguan Jing laughed, quite open-minded. ¡°Girlie, you also know that I have been stuck at the supreme Armory Refinement Master realm for too long¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s because you¡¯ve been sleeping in the middle¡ª¡± ¡°No matter what the reason is, this is the reality.¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head and interrupted her. ¡°Now that you¡¯re the master of Peach Blossom Dock and can hold your own, I can rest assured. Yue¡¯er, I really want to take a look this time.¡± Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. Actually, she knew what her ancestor was thinking. After sleeping for a thousand years, there was only a wisp of soul waiting alone in the long period in between. Now that he had finally woken up, he naturally wanted to go to the next level. Besides, how proud was her ancestor back then? Tang Ke¡¯s tomb was too tempting for him. ¡°Why don¡¯t I go with you?¡± Shangguan Jing laughed and rejected her. ¡°Girlie, you¡¯ve just returned, and now is the time to recuperate. How can you rush around? Moreover, there are many things in Peach Blossom Dock that need your attention.¡± He patted Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Apart from myself, there are a few others accompanying me this time.¡± Chu Liuyue understood in her heart. Those who are going with him must be the few Armory Refinement Masters who have a close relationship with Ancestor. She hesitated for a moment before finally nodding her head. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t surprised. It would indeed take some time to travel from Peach Blossom Dock to Qinggu Slope. It was just right to set off tomorrow. ¡°Then, be careful,¡± Chu Liuyue exhorted seriously. Shangguan Jing looked at his descendant and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile. ¡°Ancestor has also explored the God Residence Realm before. Girlie, just rest assured!¡± She keeps reminding me like I¡¯m a child. ¡°Oh right, Chu Ning and Shangguan You should be here soon.¡± When they came to Peach Blossom Dock previously, the two of them were at the critical moment of breaking through. Thus, they didn¡¯t bring them along. Chu Liuyue knew about this. She nodded lightly. ¡­ The arrival of those people and fiends made Peach Blossom Dock livelier, especially those fiends. Due to the previous chaotic environment in Peach Blossom Dock, fiends rarely appeared, and legendary fiends were even rarer. Now that Chu Liuyue suddenly brought back a large batch, it naturally attracted the attention of the entire city. According to Chu Liuyue¡¯s instructions, Cen Yi specially chose a mountain area for them and ordered that no one was allowed to go near and disturb them for a month. After all, they had to recuperate. Chu Liuyue¡¯s idea was very simple. She would open the mountain region after they had all recovered. At that time, if any cultivators wanted to contract fiends, they could give it a try. If they were really capable, these fiends would naturally submit willingly. After hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, everyone suppressed the excitement in their hearts and went back to cultivate. In short, the cultivation atmosphere in the entire Peach Blossom Dock was in full swing. ¡­ In the evening, Chu Liuyue came to the realm gate again. Wu Yao and Yu Jiu were guarding this place. Ever since what happened last time, Cen Yi had changed to other people. Now, only the Thirteen Yue Guards were in charge here. The duo already knew that Chu Liuyue and the rest had returned, but they didn¡¯t expect her to come here not long after she returned. ¡°Master?¡± The two of them looked at each other worriedly. They didn¡¯t want the same thing to happen again. Chu Liuyue waved her hand in response. ¡°I just came to take a look.¡± Chapter 2040 - 2040 Have You Found That Person 2040 Have You Found That Person Only then did Wu Yao and the other two feel relieved. Chu Liuyue took a few steps forward and stood three steps away from the realm gate. Her gaze focused slightly, as if she was looking at something else through the realm gate. I¡¯m very sure that I didn¡¯t see wrongly that day¡ªthere is indeed a mirror in this realm gate. Rong Xiu¡¯s face was reflected in the mirror, but it was a very unfamiliar expression. Furthermore, the person in the mirror¡¯s attire was completely different from Rong Xiu back then. It is clearly not an ordinary mirror. Suddenly, light rippled above the realm gate. A figure was faintly discernible. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Right on the heels of that, she saw a face she couldn¡¯t be more familiar with. It was her face, but there were differences. The woman in the mirror had a calm expression. Her eyes were dark and indifferent, but there was a noble aura between her eyebrows. Those eyes seemed to be filled with 10,000 years of frost, carrying an eternal coldness. Waves surged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. However, the expression of the woman in the mirror didn¡¯t change. It was as if it had been like this for a long, long time. This is me, but it isn¡¯t me! ¡°Master? Master?¡± Wu Yao¡¯s voice seemed to come from afar and finally woke Chu Liuyue up. She came back to her senses and closed her eyes. Only then did she turn to look at the two of them and realize that they were gazing at her nervously. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Wu Yao said worriedly, ¡°Master, you¡­ seemed to be lost in thought just now. We called you a few times, but you didn¡¯t hear us.¡± ¡°Yes. Master, are you alright?¡± Yu Jiu, who was at the side, also looked worried. Chu Liuyue pinched her glabella. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just now¡­ I was just thinking about something and didn¡¯t notice.¡± Hearing Chu Liuyue say this, the two of them looked at each other. Actually, they were all people who were good at reading someone from their body language. Chu Liuyue¡¯s condition just now was indeed very different. But upon closer inspection, there were indeed no signs of injuries. Perhaps¡­ she was really dazed? ¡°It¡¯s good that Master is fine.¡± Chu Liuyue was about to leave when she took a step forward and asked, ¡°Has there been any abnormalities in this realm gate recently?¡± ¡°Master, ever since you and Her Highness left here that day, there hasn¡¯t been any changes in the aura and power of this realm gate. But with the current situation, we still can¡¯t pass through it casually¡­¡± ¡°Guard it strictly. Without my permission, no one is allowed to approach this realm gate,¡± said Chu Liuyue. The two of them thought that she was still worried about the accident that happened that day. They didn¡¯t suspect anything and immediately agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± Before the problem was resolved, they had to be more careful. Chu Liuyue turned around and glanced at the realm gate. The figure in it had long disappeared. She pursed her lips and turned to leave. ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to Yue Manor and directly entered her room. Then, she sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and began to cultivate. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force surged into her body continuously. With her current physique and level, she almost didn¡¯t need to spend too much effort on this. Her body would naturally devour energy and convert it into her own. Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, dusk fell. There was no moon tonight. A few snowflakes were carried into the room by the cold wind. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes. There was no light in the room, and it was dark. Her eyes were exceptionally bright, like the stars in the night sky. At this moment, she frowned slightly, as if worried about something. After a moment, she stood up and walked to the window. She had planned on closing the window, but the cold wind blew against her face and instantly woke her up. She held onto the windowsill with one hand and stood there silently. The scene she saw in the realm gate during the day was still deeply engraved in her mind. No matter what, it was difficult to disperse. ¡°Little Zhou.¡± She suddenly spoke softly. The surroundings were silent. A moment later, a figure silently appeared in the courtyard. His figure was thin, and his linen clothes were loose. The faint light reflected from the snow landed on his face, and his facial features could be vaguely seen. It was Qiang Wanzhou. He followed Chu Liuyue back to Yue Manor, but he didn¡¯t like crowds by nature. After he came, he hid his figure. Even though Chu Liuyue had arranged a place for him to stay, she knew that he should be standing guard nearby. Sure enough, after shouting, he came out. ¡°Little Zhou, come in and talk.¡± After saying that, Chu Liuyue closed the window and walked over to ignite the lights in the room before opening the door. Qiang Wanzhou walked across the thick snow in the courtyard, but he didn¡¯t leave any traces. Now that he was already a true god, this was naturally not difficult for him. When he walked into the room, Chu Liuyue was already sitting at the table. ¡°Master.¡± He bowed. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask him to get up as usual. Instead, she poured herself a cup of tea unhurriedly. The tea was cold. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll go change a pot for you,¡± said Qiang Wanzhou with his head slightly lowered. Even if he didn¡¯t lift his head or look, he knew what was happening. He had always been quick-witted. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Chu Liuyue held the teacup in her hand and slowly rubbed it twice. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to drink it anyway.¡± Qiang Wanzhou responded and stopped talking. The room was silent. After a while, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Little Zhou, when did you become a true god?¡± Qiang Wanzhou answered, ¡°Not long ago.¡± ¡°How many days exactly?¡± ¡°¡­Thirty one days ago.¡± ¡°Thirty one days¡­ It¡¯s been so long. Did you never think of coming to the God Residence Realm to look for me?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him and asked calmly. Qiang Wanzhou paused. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, but it¡¯s very troublesome for ordinary people to enter the God Residence Realm. I only went there because I heard that one can enter the God Residence Realm after passing the challenge at Yunzhou. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you and His Highness there.¡± ¡°Have you been sleeping all this time?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. When I woke up, I realized that I had automatically broken through to become a true god.¡± Although this was a very long period of time, it was still worth it to be able to break through and become a true god after waking up. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°In that case, you don¡¯t even know how you broke through the true god threshold?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Then, you¡¯re really lucky.¡± Following that, she fell silent for a long time without saying anything else. Qiang Wanzhou finally couldn¡¯t help but look up at her. ¡°Master, you¡ª¡± Bang. Chu Liuyue put down the teacup and made a sound that was neither loud nor soft. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Chu Liuyue leaned closer, stared into Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s eyes, and said word by word, ¡°I remember you saying that you were going to Tianling Imperial City to find an old friend. Have you found that person now?¡± Chapter 2041 - 2041 Hes Here 2041 He¡¯s Here The room was silent. Qiang Wanzhou looked up and met that pair of dark and bright eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything. His heart was beating violently, but it also felt like it was being held tightly by something. Cold air spread out and engulfed his entire body. A moment later, he heard his own voice. ¡°¡­Not yet.¡± Chu Liuyue continued to stare at him. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case¡­ Why didn¡¯t you go and find that person? Instead, you decided to follow me the entire time?¡± ¡°¡­Master once said that she wanted to help me find someone and¡­¡± Qiang Wanzhou took a deep breath. ¡°I can feel that she¡¯s in the God Residence Realm.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°So, you want me to help you find someone?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue retreated a little, and the oppressive aura instantly weakened significantly. She stood up and looked down at Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Little Zhou, let me ask you again. How did you break through to become a true god?¡± Qiang Wanzhou was silent for a long time before he finally said, ¡°¡­I seem to have come to the God Residence Realm a long time ago. In my memory, it was also at that time that I broke through to become a true god.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered a little. ¡°A long time ago? When was that?¡± Qiang Wanzhou shook his head. ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Hearing this, Qiang Wanzhou didn¡¯t hesitate and directly raised his hand to extend his wrist. Chu Liuyue placed two fingers on his wrist and injected force to check on his body. As expected, the coldness in his body was slightly less intense than before. The cold air contained an extremely shocking power. It was precisely because of this that when he integrated all this force into his cultivation, he could improve at lightning speed. If all the cold qi in his body were to dissipate¡­ it would be terrifying! Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡°You can leave first.¡± Qiang Wanzhou hesitated for a moment. ¡°Then, Master¡¯s tea¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about these small matters. I¡¯m going to rest soon.¡± Only then did Qiang Wanzhou bow and leave. When he left, he even closed the door carefully. Chu Liuyue tapped her fingers lightly on the table. She had a vague guess in her heart, but she wasn¡¯t sure. Hence, she called Qiang Wanzhou over for questioning. Chu Liuyue felt that she knew Qiang Wanzhou quite well and that he shouldn¡¯t have lied just now. However, he doesn¡¯t seem to know much about his body. Perhaps he also has some things that he isn¡¯t sure about¡­ With a thought, the Celestial Shield appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. She brushed her hand lightly over it. I have never seen or recognized the secret words engraved on it before, but why do I still have that notebook¡­ After thinking for a long time, there was still no result. If I had caught Mo Shiqian at that time, I would¡¯ve asked him. Yi Wentao only had designs on the Celestial Shield because of his instigation. He should know the best. And the music score¡­ Mo Shiqian obviously values the music score the most. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have spent so much effort and effort to snatch it from me. According to that person back then, the music score was divided into three parts. Now that two parts are in her hands, there is only one left¡­ Unfortunately, after such a long time, I have gone to many places but still can¡¯t find any relevant clues. The God Residence Realm is so huge. Finding something is no different from finding a needle in a haystack. Just as Chu Liuyue was deep in thought, a ripple suddenly came from behind her. Just as she was about to move, she smelled a familiar cold fragrance. ¡°It¡¯s already so late. Why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± A low and pleasant voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that it was Rong Xiu. Her lips curved. ¡°You came back so quickly.¡± Rong Xiu walked over, and his gaze lightly swept across the Celestial Shield in front of her. He then went over to hold her hand and bent down to kiss her. ¡°I knew that Yue¡¯er was waiting, so I naturally came back as soon as possible.¡± Chu Liuyue glared at him angrily and sized him up. ¡°How was your trip? Were you injured?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not injured, but I miss Yue¡¯er very much. I feel like something¡¯s missing.¡± Chu Liuyue leaned forward with a faint smile, and her warm breath landed on him. It was an ambiguous scene. ¡°Hubby, it¡¯s been hard on you. Yue¡¯er should serve you well.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes darkened as he held her slender waist with one hand. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes moved. ¡°Hubby, you must rest well today. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± With that, she moved her feet, about to turn around and slip away. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and pulled her back with a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯ll soon know if your husband is tired or not.¡± As he spoke, he carried her to the bed. Sensing the dangerous aura on his body, Chu Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°That¡ªI still have something to ask!¡± Before she could finish speaking, her back had already landed on the soft blanket. Rong Xiu¡¯s slender fingers gently flicked and took off the hairpin on her head. Her long green silk-like hair scattered on one hand. ¡°If there¡¯s anything, you can ask tomorrow.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was extremely low with a hint of suppressed hoarseness. Seeing that he was about to come over, Chu Liuyue hurriedly asked, ¡°How¡¯s Diwu?¡± Rong Xiu paused in his actions. He looked nonchalant, but his actions were actually very light as he unbuttoned her clothes. ¡°I sent him out of the Red Moon Desert and didn¡¯t follow him in. Wei Yue has arrived, and he insisted on returning by himself, so I didn¡¯t insist.¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. Actually, this was also within her expectations. Elder Diwu seemed to really not want them to go over now. This time, he had Rong Xiu send him off because he had no choice. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on with Wei Yue¡­ To think that even the few of them are so afraid of it¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue subconsciously. The rest of the words were quickly swallowed up, leaving only a vague murmur. After a long while, she heard Rong Xiu¡¯s deep and hoarse laughter. ¡°¡­What do you want to know? I¡¯ll help you investigate. I¡¯ll help you snatch whatever you want. However, everything can wait until tomorrow¡­ Besides, Yue¡¯er can¡¯t ask for these for nothing¡­¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue originally had a lot on her mind, but with Rong Xiu¡¯s interference, she quickly threw those matters to the back of her mind. It wasn¡¯t until the next day, when her waist and legs were sore, that she barely regained her consciousness. However, her mood was much better than before. There are many things that have to be done slowly. No matter how anxious I am now, I still can¡¯t solve those problems immediately. Instead of that, it is better to wait and make preparations. Looking at it now, the fog in front is thick. But one day, the truth will come out. Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue burrowed deeper into Rong Xiu¡¯s embrace. Rong Xiu originally had his eyes closed, but when he sensed her actions, he opened his eyes and looked over. There was a deep look in his eyes. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly retreated. I almost forgot that I can¡¯t provoke this man so early in the morning! Rong Xiu couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He stopped teasing her and changed the topic. ¡°I heard that Shangguan Qian was sent to Qinggu Slope by them?¡± Chapter 2042 - 2042 Advantage 2042 Advantage Speaking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression slightly converged. ¡°En.¡± This time, her ancestor wanted to keep a low profile, so he had already said that there was no need to send them off and left with the others. ¡°Tang Ke¡¯s tomb is very attractive to Ancestor. No, it should be said that it¡¯s the same for all Armory Refinement Masters.¡± In the entire God Residence Realm, after Tang Ke and Mr. Su, no one had successfully refined a holy weapon. Countless people tried their best, but they were still unable to break through that threshold. Now that the opportunity had come, perhaps there were opportunities and secrets that could be used to refine holy weapons hidden in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. Who wouldn¡¯t be tempted? Suddenly, Chu Liuyue thought of something and glanced at her spouse. I almost forgot that Rong Xiu is also an Armory Refinement Master! Moreover, he¡¯s extremely talented and powerful! Does he not have any thoughts at all? ¡°Then¡­ are you planning to go too?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu shook his head with an indifferent expression. ¡°No, I want you to go.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°Why?¡± Although she was also an Armory Refinement Master, she wasn¡¯t particularly interested in this aspect. In addition, too many things had happened recently, so she didn¡¯t think in this direction. She didn¡¯t expect Rong Xiu to take the initiative to say that he wanted her to take a look at Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. She paused for a moment before saying, ¡°My ability and talent as an Armory Refinement MMaster can¡¯t be compared to yours. Even if I want to go, you should be more suitable, right?¡± Rong Xiu might have some confidence if he went. It was obvious that the people who were going to Qinggu Slope this time would be the best Armory Refinement Masters in the world! Even Shangguan Jing said that he might not be able to win, let alone her. This benefit was indeed tempting, but from the beginning, she had no intention of getting involved in this mess. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly as he revealed a meaningful smile. ¡°No, there¡¯s no one better than you.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him blankly. Rong Xiu raised his brows and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you have three holy weapons in your hands. Furthermore, they were all made by Mr. Su.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment. She seemed to understand something, but not really. ¡°You mean¡­ perhaps these holy weapons can open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb? But that¡¯s Tang Ke¡¯s tomb, not¡­¡± All of a sudden, her voice stopped, and her eyes were filled with disbelief. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Back then, Tang Ke was at his peak. Although he didn¡¯t win that battle, he didn¡¯t lose either. It didn¡¯t affect his reputation much. But after that battle, Mr. Su disappeared without a trace. Not long after, Tang Ke also disappeared.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that Tang Ke¡¯s disappearance at that time might be related to Mr. Su?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a guess. However, Mr. Su was Tang Ke¡¯s only opponent, and you have three of Mr. Su¡¯s holy weapons. It¡¯s unknown if you will have the chance to find out anything.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s words made Chu Liuyue fall into deep thought. It has to be said that these words do make sense. This guess isn¡¯t impossible. Initially, she didn¡¯t think so. But after hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s words, she was really moved. After all, that was Tang Ke¡¯s tomb¡­ ¡°Besides, there¡¯s something you might not know.¡± Rong Xiu paused. ¡°Back then, the battle between Tang Ke and Mr. Su was at Peach Blossom Dock.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue immediately perked up and looked at him in shock and disbelief. ¡°Very few people know about this because the location they agreed on was very hidden. Apart from the two of them, no one else knew about it. But at that time, a few top experts sensed the commotion in Peach Blossom Dock and guessed. After that battle, the cultivation environment in Peach Blossom Dock changed greatly, so they confirmed their previous guess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that at that time, Tang Ke was famous. Everyone was worried that they would offend him if they leaked the news, so they had an unspoken mutual understanding and hid the matter. All these years, there have always been some aristocratic families who wanted to attack Peach Blossom Dock. This was also part of the reason.¡± But if they didn¡¯t say it, outsiders wouldn¡¯t know. After all, Peach Blossom Dock itself was tempting enough. ¡°No wonder¡­¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°In that case¡­¡± Could the Celestial Shield be related to those two? After a long while, she finally said, ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s go take a look!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue made up her mind to go, but she wasn¡¯t in a hurry. In the next three days, she spent almost all of her time recuperating in her room, adjusting her condition to its best state. After settling all the matters in Peach Blossom Dock, she decided to set off. Rong Xiu naturally went along. Yan Qing and Qiang Wanzhou went with them. Yan Qing was Rong Xiu¡¯s confidant, so it was naturally not a problem for him to tag along. The problem was¡­ Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Master, do you have other plans for bringing Qiang Wanzhou along this time?¡± In the room, Chu Liuyue sat at the head of the table with an account book in front of her. The faint fragrance of ink wafted over. San San had painstakingly copied it. She scanned through it and memorized everything. San San was indeed good at calculating and earning money. With the current income, it was enough to support the entire Peach Blossom Dock, and there would even be a lot of surplus. She nodded in satisfaction and closed the account book. Then, she looked at Cen Yi who was in front of her. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that complicated. Although Little Zhou has just broken through to become a true god, he¡¯s extremely powerful. You should be able to tell that. In addition, he has been following me all this while and has done well in all aspects.¡± Cen Yi cupped fists with both hands. ¡°Since Master has already thought about it, I will naturally comply.¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I know. Originally, you thought that I would send you along, but this trip will probably take a lot of time. Peach Blossom Dock cannot be left unattended. After I leave, I will leave everything here to you.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I will do my best.¡± Of course, Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t worried about Cen Yi. ¡°Father and Imperial Father might be coming soon. Also, it¡¯s time to gather the remaining people of the Thirteen Yue Guards. It¡¯s not appropriate to keep staying outside.¡± At the very least, they had to come over and report to her first. Of course, it was best to leave these people to Cen Yi. Cen Yi nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down. Master, I hope you can return safely.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡­ Qinggu Slope. In the vast wilderness, huge rocks were scattered everywhere. From afar, they looked like small mountains that stood tall and straight. In the Messy Stone Forest. The Wei family was right behind the stone forest. It was rumored that this Messy Stone Forest was like a maze with complicated twists and turns, making it difficult to pass through. Even the Wei family members flew from above every time and rarely passed through this place. But at this moment, there were already many people gathered outside the usually deserted Messy Stone Forest. Moreover, all of them had powerful auras, and they were all experts! Because according to the rumors, Tang Ke¡¯s tomb was here! Chapter 2043 - 2043 Together 2043 Together Almost all the famous Armory Refinement Masters in the God Residence Realm had already rushed over. Today was the day that the Wei family agreed to enter the Messy Stone Forest together. Early in the morning, everyone had already gathered here, waiting for the start. ¡°I heard that Shangguan Jing is here too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªhe¡¯s the one standing in the corner over there!¡± ¡°This person is an outstanding supreme Armory Refinement Master! With him around, the competition this time will probably be very intense¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this all within expectations? Apart from him, there are also many supreme Armory Refinement Masters who haven¡¯t appeared for many years!¡± ¡°Then¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean that we have no hope at all?¡± ¡°Not necessarily! Until the last moment, no one knows who will have the last laugh, right? Besides, although these people are powerful, we¡¯re going to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb this time. Who can compare to them? In that case, whether we win or lose, I think luck is more important!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Everyone gathered in groups of three to five and discussed animatedly. Although the Wei family didn¡¯t explicitly disallow a large number of people to participate, most of them had an unspoken mutual understanding and only chose a few people to go with them. Some came alone. This kind of thing didn¡¯t depend entirely on strength. No matter how many people came, it was meaningless. It might be more convenient to travel light. ¡°Brother Shangguan, you¡¯ve disappeared for so long. Now that you¡¯re out, you¡¯re still the center of attention!¡± The few people with him teased him. ¡°That¡¯s right! Ever since we came here, those people haven¡¯t stopped talking about you.¡± ¡°Haha! Brother Shangguan is still in high demand! If not for the competition this time, I¡¯m afraid many people would¡¯ve come forward to befriend you!¡± Shangguan Jing snorted and said nonchalantly, ¡°They aren¡¯t paying attention to this old man but to the people behind this old man.¡± He could see this very clearly. Who in the entire God Residence Realm hadn¡¯t heard of Peach Blossom Dock? Shangguan Yue¡¯s name had long spread, and she was famous! As Yue¡¯er¡¯s ancestor, he was naturally the center of attention. He wasn¡¯t the only supreme Armory Refinement Master here. It wasn¡¯t like there were no other supreme Armory Refinement Masters whose ability could be compared to his. It was obvious why everyone¡¯s attention was only on him. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s not a bad thing to say. You can be considered to have benefited from your Yue¡¯er!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t hide the pride on his face. My Yue¡¯er is naturally the best! Suddenly, a gust of cold air came from behind! He frowned slightly, but when he turned around, everything was normal. The others were dazed. ¡°Brother Shangguan, what are you looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s brows slowly relaxed, but his eyes were still cold. Just now, I clearly sensed a cold gaze staring at me from the dark! At this moment, a few sounds of air being torn apart could be heard! The many discussions stopped, and everyone looked up. ¡°Someone from the Wei family.¡± Seeing the patterns on the left chest of their clothes, Shangguan Jing immediately recognized them. Sure enough, those people passed through the stone forest and landed in front of everyone. The person in front was a middle-aged man in a long robe, looking elegant. ¡°I¡¯m Wei Ze, the head of the Wei family. Greetings, everyone!¡± Everyone also bowed politely. Qinggu Slope was the Wei family¡¯s territory after all, so they had to give them some face. Wei Ze smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with everyone. Then, he cupped his hands at Shangguan Jing and asked in surprise, ¡°Eh? Senior Shangguan, didn¡¯t Shangguan Yue and Rong Xiu come with you?¡± Chapter 2044 - 2044 Bronze Door Knoll 2044 Bronze Door Knoll As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings instantly fell silent. Everyone looked over. Shangguan Yue¡¯s name was really well-known now. Everyone present knew what had happened at Peach Blossom Dock. Many of them were truly curious about this. Shangguan Jing squinted his eyes slightly. Wei Ze seems to be a little strange. Why did he have to ask about Yue¡¯er and Rong Xiu instead of so many others? Besides, there are already many people here, and most of them are top-notch Armory Refinement Masters. It doesn¡¯t seem to affect them if the two of them don¡¯t come, right? Shangguan Jing¡¯s mind raced, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. He only laughed. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Family Head. It¡¯s just that Peach Blossom Dock has been busy recently, and Yue¡¯er has many things to deal with, so she can¡¯t leave for a while. Rong Xiu always likes to accompany her, so¡­¡± Everyone had mixed feelings when they heard that. Busy recently¡­ Many things to deal with¡­ What else can it be? It is naturally because they have monopolized Peach Blossom Dock that they have these things to do! Aren¡¯t they clearly here to show off?! Are they afraid that others won¡¯t know that they are already the new owner of Peach Blossom Dock!? Every word was filled with undisguised pride! More importantly, not only did he say this, but he even helped the two of them show off their love? Everyone in the God Residence Realm has heard of Rong Xiu¡¯s infamous name. In Shangguan Jing¡¯s words, he is a good man who stays at home and protects his wife¡­ What the hell is this!? Wei Ze choked and cursed in his heart. The older, the wiser. With just a few sentences, it made people lose all interest and made them speechless! Since he has already said so, how can others accept it? Wei Ze¡¯s lips moved as he laughed. ¡°Haha, I see! Senior Shangguan, don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯ve long heard of your name and want to meet these two¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about Rong Xiu first. Yue¡¯er is now Master Yue, so she has to interact with everyone in the future. If the family head wants to see her, there will naturally be plenty of opportunities.¡± Shangguan Jing interrupted him with a smile. Wei Ze felt a lump in his chest. This meant that Chu Liuyue would be on the same level as the family head in the future, and not just anyone could see her as they pleased. ¡°Hehe, Senior Shangguan is right.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s seniority here was considered very high, so even Wei Ze had to be polite. After exchanging blows and failing to ask what he wanted to ask, Wei Ze didn¡¯t continue. He turned to look at everyone and changed the topic. ¡°We¡¯re all smart people, so let¡¯s lay one¡¯s cards on the table. Today, we¡¯re all here for Senior Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. Senior Tang Ke is a peerless top-notch Armory Refinement Master. Ever since he disappeared back then, there has been no news of him. Now, we¡¯ve finally found his tomb! This is the Wei family¡¯s blessing and also the luck of the current Armory Refinement Masters! Therefore, we¡¯ve invited everyone here today to open Senior Tang Ke¡¯s tomb together. If we can let his treasures and inheritance continue to be passed down in the world, it¡¯ll also be a huge contribution!¡± In his words, he welcomed everyone to join forces. ¡°Pfft, Shangguan, don¡¯t believe him. He¡¯s just saying it nicely!¡± an old man lowered his voice and said disdainfully. ¡°I heard that after the Wei family discovered that Tang Ke¡¯s tomb was hidden here, they were extremely excited. However, they tried all kinds of methods but couldn¡¯t open it. Instead, they suffered heavy casualties. Coupled with the news being leaked, they started to seek help from everyone.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°As expected.¡± Everyone present was smart. No one took it to heart and were just listening. To be fair, anyone who was involved in this would probably make the same choice. Who wouldn¡¯t want to monopolize such a good thing? The Wei family couldn¡¯t take it anymore and couldn¡¯t hide it anymore, so they settled for the next best thing. To be honest, there was nothing wrong with it. As Shangguan Jing spoke, he stared at Wei Ze again. The gaze just now didn¡¯t seem to have come from Wei Ze¡­ However, Wei Ze was clearly targeting us. It¡¯s really strange. Wei Ze glanced at the sky and said, ¡°¡­I won¡¯t say anything unnecessary to save everyone¡¯s time. To be honest, this Messy Stone Forest is very dangerous. Even the Wei family rarely enters it. After entering, please be careful.¡± With that, he turned around and looked at the Messy Stone Forest. Ever since they found out that Tang Ke¡¯s tomb was here, the Wei family had sent many people. Some were dead and some were injured, but they didn¡¯t find any useful information. With so many people here this time, I wonder¡­ if there will be any progress. Wei Ze gritted his teeth. ¡°Everyone¡ªplease!¡± With that, he took the lead and walked forward! The few members of the Wei family followed him in. The remaining people also took action one after another, their figures gradually disappearing into the rocky forest. ¡­ After entering the stone forest, everyone followed behind Wei Ze and the others. The stones here were grayish-white in color. They were strange and majestic. The 500 meters were silent except for the sound of everyone¡¯s footsteps. As Shangguan Jing and the others walked, they observed their surroundings carefully. Soon, someone realized that something was wrong. ¡°¡­Did you guys notice that these rocks seem to be moving?¡± someone said in surprise. As soon as these words were spoken, many people immediately agreed. ¡°You discovered it?¡± ¡°I thought I was the only one who thought so¡­ but it turns out that everyone is the same?¡± ¡°The rocks outside are constantly changing, so much so that I can¡¯t tell my location at all¡­ This environment is like a maze. If I enter the depths and want to leave, it will be much more troublesome¡­¡± Hearing these discussions, Wei Ze laughed and said, ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to be nervous. This Messy Stone Forest has been like this since the day it appeared. It doesn¡¯t matter if this is an illusion or a maze. In short, it will indeed cause a certain amount of trouble. However, everyone is powerful. If you want to leave, you can directly leave from above.¡± With that, he raised his hand and pointed. Above, there was a common flowing rainbow bridge. They had just passed by from above. When everyone heard this, they heaved a sigh of relief. However, Shangguan Jing frowned slightly and felt inexplicably uneasy. If we could really evacuate quickly, why would the Wei family have suffered heavy casualties previously? They must¡¯ve suffered a loss, which was why they were willing to let others come. But after about an hour, nothing has happened. Shangguan Jing suppressed his worry and followed the crowd calmly. Finally, Wei Ze stopped in front. Shangguan Jing looked forward. This was a rare empty place¡ªthere was only a huge rock placed in the middle. The shape of the huge rock was irregular, and its entire body was red. The most eye-catching thing was that there was a bronze door knocker at the center! Chapter 2045 - 2045 Voice 2045 Voice Shangguan Jing took a closer look. The bronze knocker was exquisitely crafted and had a heavy texture. Although there was already a layer of bronze rust on it, one could vaguely see that there were fine patterns engraved on it. How could there be such a knocker on a good rock? Wei Ze pointed at the bronze door knocker and said, ¡°As everyone can see, this stone is quite different from the other stones in the Messy Stone Forest. We guess that it¡¯s very likely to be a door! It might even be the door to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb!¡± The crowd stirred. Obviously, Wei Ze¡¯s words made them waver. This guess wasn¡¯t impossible. Although this blood-red boulder looked very strange and didn¡¯t look like a door, the bronze door knocker on it appeared even stranger. One couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡°Family Head, may I ask if you¡¯ve tried to enter before?¡± someone asked. Wei Ze¡¯s expression became much more solemn as he nodded. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯ve tried many ways, but we still can¡¯t open it. Moreover, there¡¯s an extremely powerful restriction on this bronze door knocker. Once we get close, we¡¯ll trigger a terrifying attack. It¡¯s also because of this that our Wei family has suffered heavy losses¡­¡± They didn¡¯t have much experience at that time. How could they have thought that such a small knocker would be so dangerous? Hearing his words, many people looked at each other. ¡°¡­It¡¯s just a door knocker. How can it be so dangerous?¡± At least for now, there was nothing special about this thing. There wasn¡¯t even the slightest fluctuation on it. Hearing this, the corners of Wei Ze¡¯s lips curled up without any smile. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. If anyone doesn¡¯t believe me, you can go forward and verify it yourself!¡± With that, he walked to the side and gave up his position. It seemed like he was really waiting for someone to go over and give it a try. After a short silence, a man finally walked forward. ¡°Haha! What the family head said this time really makes people curious! I want to see how powerful this thing is!¡± It was an old man with an ancient face. However, his eyes were very bright and flickered with a shrewd and powerful light. Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t know this person, but judging from his aura, he should be a supreme Armory Refinement Master. Wei Ze laughed. ¡°Please¡ª¡± Everyone¡¯s gazes landed on the old man. He headed toward the blood-red boulder. When he was one step ahead, he finally stopped. He was already so close, but nothing unexpected happened. He chuckled. ¡°Could it be that I¡¯m fated with Senior Tang Ke¡­¡± As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and pulled the bronze door knocker. Peng! A terrifying explosion suddenly sounded! At the same time, a red flame appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around the old man¡¯s body! ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A short scream of fear came, but it quickly stopped. The old man¡¯s body began to disappear under the flames at a speed visible to the naked eye! Before anyone could react, the ball of flames disappeared. As for that old man, he had already died completely. Apart from the few drops of blood that splattered on the ground, there were no traces left behind. There was still a burning smell in the air¡ªit was very pungent. Wei Ze sneered in his heart and quickly scanned the area. Almost everyone was deeply shocked by this scene, and they were unable to recover from their shock for a long time. The supreme Armory Refinement Master¡­ died just like that?! ¡°The Wei family has already suffered a lot, but you didn¡¯t think much of it before¡­¡± Wei Ze shook his head, a look of regret and pain appearing on his face. ¡°Everyone, can you believe that what I said just now was true?¡± Dead silence. Everyone stared at the bronze door knocker again. Their eyes had changed from the initial curiosity and excitement to deep suspicion and shock! What¡­ is this!? ¡­ At the same time, the void outside the Messy Stone Forest fluctuated. Right on the heels of that, a red scroll appeared. A few figures walked out¡ªit was Chu Liuyue, Rong Xiu, and the rest. Chu Liuyue raised her wrist, and the scroll quickly flew back into her hand. ¡°This Flying Cloud Painting is really useful.¡± She smiled and raised her eyebrows. Although they set off a few days later, they were extremely fast. Rong Xiu looked around and said, ¡°They should¡¯ve already entered. But from the looks of it, it shouldn¡¯t have been too long.¡± Chu Liuyue took a serious look and lightly nodded. She also sensed her ancestor¡¯s aura here. ¡°Tang Ke¡¯s tomb is inside?¡± She put away the Flying Cloud Painting and officially gazed at the forest in front of her. There is no barrier outside. It seems like¡­ I can enter easily? ¡°This is the Wei family¡¯s territory. Why didn¡¯t they send anyone to guard it?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°There¡¯s only one possibility: There¡¯s no need for anyone to guard this place. Even if someone is standing guard here, it¡¯s useless and meaningless.¡± There was a high chance that Tang Ke¡¯s tomb was hidden inside. It could be considered an extremely precious treasure land. The Wei family wouldn¡¯t be so magnanimous as to not care about this place. Rong Xiu¡¯s words clearly made sense. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go in and take a look too!¡± As she spoke, she walked forward. Just as she reached the edge, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Rong Xiu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced sideways at him. ¡°Rong Xiu, did you¡­ hear anything just now?¡± Chapter 2046 - 2046 No Way Out 2046 No Way Out Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. ¡°You mean¡­ the sound from inside?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. It seems that he has heard it too. ¡°It¡¯s like something exploded¡­¡± She mumbled, but she wasn¡¯t sure. Perhaps someone is fighting. After all, everyone who enters Messy Stone Forest is after Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. They are competitors, so it is normal for them to fight each other. Rong Xiu glanced inside. Standing here, one could only see the huge rocks and not the scenery inside. No one could say for sure what exactly happened. ¡°We¡¯ll know when we go in,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go in too.¡± As she spoke, she was about to step forward. ¡°Hold on.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly called out to her, then walked forward and held her hand. ¡°Messy Stone Forest is rife with danger. It¡¯s extremely easy to get lost, so it¡¯s best to be careful.¡± Warmth came from his broad and strong palm. Chu Liuyue felt a little more at ease, and her lips curled up. ¡°En.¡± As she spoke, she moved her wrist, and the Chi Xiao Sword appeared in her hand. ¡°This way, we should be able to find Ancestor and the rest faster.¡± The Chi Xiao Sword had inherited the weapon soul of the Long Yuan Sword, so it had a subtle connection with Shangguan JIng. With this, it would be easy for Chu Liuyue to find traces of her ancestor. This was also a major reason for her calmness. Then, the few of them stepped into the stone forest together and quickly disappeared. ¡­ After walking for a distance, Chu Liuyue and the rest noticed the problem. ¡°This Messy Stone Forest is really as the rumors say. It¡¯s as complicated as a maze¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked around and muttered. If not for the Chi Xiao Sword, they would¡¯ve wasted a lot of time here. ¡°If Tang Ke¡¯s tomb is really here, why did he choose this place?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t figure it out. Although the Heaven and Earth Force here is abundant, it isn¡¯t top-notch. At the very least, it can¡¯t compare to the Sky-Cloud Empire. As for the environment¡­ There are only huge rocks around. Other than that, there is nothing else. There is really nothing special about it. ¡°This tomb might not have been chosen by him,¡± Rong Xiu said lightly. ¡°After all, no one knows how he died back then.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked and nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± When the Tang family was exterminated, he didn¡¯t appear. Either he was already dead at the time, or he was almost dead. If he had been the one to die calmly, logically speaking, it would¡¯ve been impossible for him not to know about the Tang family. Thinking about it this way, Tang Ke¡¯s death might be more likely to be an accident. Peng! Another strange explosion sounded from ahead! Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu stopped at the same time and glanced at each other. Compared to the previous time, the sound was much closer this time. There seemed to be a faint smell of blood in the air. Sure enough, something had happened! Moreover, the location of the incident should be not far from them! ¡°Ancestor and the rest should be over there!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned sharp. Just as she was about to move, Rong Xiu suddenly pulled her back. ¡°Yue¡¯er, wait a moment.¡± He lowered his voice and frowned slightly as he looked ahead. Chu Liuyue immediately held her breath and followed his line of sight. Yan Qing and Qiang Wanzhou reacted very quickly. The moment Rong Xiu gave the order, they immediately concealed their figures and auras. Although this place was flat and vast, it was very easy to hide among the huge rocks. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Chu Liuyue softly. As soon as she finished speaking, a cold aura suddenly attacked! Swoosh! Boom! A huge rock not far in front of them seemed to have been hit by some force. It let out a loud bang and trembled slightly. Then, there was a muffled groan. Dark-red blood slowly flowed from the ground behind the rock. Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils narrowed! The person who hit the huge rock just now seemed to be a human! ¡°That should be a true god expert.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was very soft. A true god expert might not be much in the God Residence Realm. However, almost all the people who came here today were top-notch Armory Refinement Masters! A large number of them might be average in terms of warrior cultivation, but in terms of refinement, they were definitely outstanding enough! A powerful Armory Refinement Master was even more precious than dozens of true god experts and even legendary warriors! Their deaths were obviously a huge loss. ¡°What¡¯s going on over there? Why don¡¯t I hear any sounds of fighting?¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. She carefully observed her surroundings but didn¡¯t find anything unusual. That person seemed to suddenly fly over and hit the stone. He died immediately. However, this matter itself was very strange. Even an ordinary true god wouldn¡¯t die so easily after being hit, but that person died before he could even let out a groan. This was too fast¡­ ¡°Could it be that he was already dead?¡± ¡°No. He was still breathing when he flew in.¡± Rong Xiu denied Chu Liuyue¡¯s guess. His cultivation level was higher than Chu Liuyue¡¯s, so his observations were more detailed than hers. Hearing his words, Chu Liuyue¡¯s doubts deepened. This person¡¯s death was too strange¡­ Suddenly, Rong Xiu hugged her waist and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Follow me.¡± He changed direction and took another detour. Yan Qing and Qiang Wanzhou followed closely behind. After making a few turns, they finally stopped. Chu Liuyue was about to speak when she suddenly heard a man¡¯s voice not far away. ¡°Everyone, if we still can¡¯t think of a way to get out of here, we¡¯re going to die here!¡± His voice was low and cold, as if he was suppressing his anger. Chu Liuyue immediately quieted down and waited with bated breath. At this moment, the few of them were hiding behind a huge rock and couldn¡¯t see the situation over there. However, the voice could be heard very clearly. Perhaps because Rong Xiu had specially concealed his aura, but no one noticed them even though they weren¡¯t far from those people. ¡°Wei Ze! Didn¡¯t you say that if anything happens, we can leave from above? What¡¯s going on now!?¡± This was another person¡¯s stern question. Wei Ze? Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. She had heard of this person¡¯s name before¡ªhe was the head of the Wei family. Right on the heels of that, a hoarse and weak voice sounded. ¡°¡­Everyone, the Wei family really didn¡¯t mean to deceive you! The previous few times, our people used this method to escape. But for some reason, it¡¯s useless now. Even if we really want to do something, why risk our lives?!¡± His words were filled with helplessness. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue instinctively looked up. In the sky, a stream of light crossed and floated like a bridge. This should be what they are talking about¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking about this now? So many people have already died. From the looks of it, the only way is to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up. This is Ancestor¡¯s voice! Chapter 2047 - 2047 Sharp-Edged Halberd 2047 Sharp-Edged Halberd Hearing that her ancestor¡¯s voice was full of energy and that he seemed to be safe and sound, Chu Liuyue felt a little more at ease. Judging from their words, they must¡¯ve encountered trouble and suffered many casualties. ¡°Hmph, Senior Shangguan makes it sound so easy! We¡¯ve already been here for such a long time. It can be said that we¡¯ve used all kinds of methods! However, this Tang Ke¡¯s tomb doesn¡¯t show any signs of opening at all! What should we do?¡± An impatient man¡¯s voice sounded with a hint of sarcasm. ¡°As a senior, you were already all-powerful back then. Now that a thousand years have passed, I believe your strength has improved again! Why don¡¯t you think of a way? I believe Senior Shangguan will definitely not disappoint us!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold. This was a hint of coercion. But from the looks of it, Tang Ke¡¯s tomb seems to be nearby? Shangguan Jing laughed and said unhurriedly, ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve really overestimated me. I only barely managed to survive. How can an old bag of bones compare to all of you in your magnificent prime?¡± That person continued to be aggressive. ¡°Senior Shangguan, why do you have to be so humble? Who doesn¡¯t know that you fought the nine dragons alone back then and still didn¡¯t lose!? Moreover, your junior, Shangguan Yue, is now the master of Peach Blossom Dock. To be able to cultivate in a place like Peach Blossom Dock, Senior Shangguan should be much stronger than us, right? Since you came here today, you haven¡¯t even tried to attack once. Could it be¡­ that since you have Peach Blossom Dock, you don¡¯t even care about Tang Ke¡¯s tomb now?¡± These words were really attracting hatred. How many people in the entire God Residence Realm coveted Peach Blossom Dock? Now that Peach Blossom Dock had fallen into Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands¡­ Even though everyone didn¡¯t dare to have any designs on Peach Blossom Dock because of Yi Wentao¡¯s miserable ending, it was inevitable for them to be envious and jealous. Usually, it would be fine if he didn¡¯t say it. But now that he mentioned it, it really hit a sore spot for many people. Shangguan Jing glanced at the person who spoke with a smile. ¡°What are you talking about? If I wasn¡¯t interested in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb, why would I spend so much effort to come here today? The reason why I didn¡¯t make a move¡­ is that I¡¯m afraid of death. It¡¯s not that complicated!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone immediately quietened down and became hungry. The scene fell into a strange silence. Although everyone understood this logic, with Shangguan Jing¡¯s status, he actually said it directly without hiding anything? Doesn¡¯t he feel ashamed? His words were so straightforward that they made it difficult for others to reply. He had already admitted that he was afraid to death! If they continued to ask, wouldn¡¯t they be clearly forcing him to die?! Not many people had the nerve to do this. Shangguan Jing ignored the gazes of the people around him. He stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°Sigh, everyone, you might not know this! Although I barely managed to keep my life back then, my Holy Body was unconscious, and my soul was scattered. If not for my Yue¡¯er¡¯s help, I really wouldn¡¯t have woken up again! How could I still be here chatting and laughing with everyone? Therefore, I cherish my life very much now!¡± Everyone was speechless. At this point, what else could others say!? He had already died once. If he didn¡¯t want to lose his life again, he didn¡¯t have any responsibility. After a while, the provocative man sneered and said indifferently, ¡°In that case, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have any fate with the treasures and inheritance left behind by Senior Tang Ke!¡± Shangguan Jing was still smiling. ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m here today to join in the fun! Speaking of which, the new generation will surpass the old. Since everyone is so powerful, you will definitely be able to successfully open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb! At that time, I¡¯ll be satisfied if I can witness it with my own eyes!¡± His words made the other party lose his temper. Just to join in the fun? Who would believe that!? Anyone who comes here is ambitious! However, Shangguan Jing was a sly old fox. Facing these, he didn¡¯t respond at all! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Your temper is really like Senior Shangguan¡¯s¡­¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her nose and lightly harrumphed, but the corners of her lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up. ¡°Of course!¡± Sometimes, one had to be thick-skinned! One¡¯s mind had to be alive! One would rather cheat others than be cheated by others! Wei Ze looked around and finally came out to be the peacemaker. ¡°Senior Shangguan¡¯s words make a lot of sense. The most important thing now is to think of a way to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. It¡¯s not a good idea to keep wasting time here. Since the seniors can¡¯t leave, then¡­ If we join forces now, we might have a chance of survival!¡± As soon as he said this, everyone quickly agreed. ¡°Family Head, this Messy Stone Forest is the Wei family¡¯s territory after all. Don¡¯t you have any solutions?¡± someone asked. Wei Ze wanted to say something but hesitated. This pause immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°This¡­ actually can¡¯t be considered a proper method. It¡¯s just a guess.¡± As he spoke, he pointed at the blood-red boulder. ¡°Senior Tang Ke was the top Armory Refinement Master in the world. If we rashly try to enter his catacomb, it will definitely be very difficult to succeed. In my opinion, the best way to open the tomb of an Armory Refinement Master is probably¡­ using lightning to guide it. There might be a glimmer of hope!¡± ¡°Lightning?¡± Everyone was stunned for a moment before they fell into deep thought. Thinking about it carefully, Wei Ze¡¯s words seem¡­ reasonable. ¡°Since there¡¯s no other way for the time being, I might as well give it a try!¡± Someone quickly made up his mind. Then, the remaining people agreed one after another. Wei Ze cupped fists with both hands. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll give it a try first. What do you think?¡± No one objected. If this method could open that door, then Wei Ze would be the first person to enter Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. There was no need to mention the benefits. This was also the main reason why those people had tried one after another. With benefits in front of them, they couldn¡¯t help but be tempted. But after experiencing a series of blows, everyone realized that it was extremely dangerous to take the lead. Moreover, they would basically die, and their souls would be destroyed. They wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to escape. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel afraid. No matter how tempting the temptation ahead was, they had to be alive to enjoy it, right? Wei Ze was the patriarch of the Wei family. It was undoubtedly the most suitable time for him to open his mouth. ¡°Family Head, please¡­¡± Wei Ze nodded and walked to the blood-red boulder. He was three steps away from the bronze door knocker. His expression was solemn as he frowned. It was impossible for him not to be nervous, but he had his own plans. A halberd appeared in his hand! Its entire body was blackish-green and extremely sharp! When they saw the halberd, everyone¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°Sharp-Edged Halberd!?¡± The reason why they were so shocked was that¡­ this was a holy weapon! Chapter 2048 - 2048 Knocking on the Door 2048 Knocking on the Door ¡°Sharp-Edged Halberd? So this thing is in the Wei family?¡± Hearing the continuous exclamations of shock from the other side, Chu Liuyue was also rather surprised as she looked up at Rong Xiu. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Sharp-Edged Halberd has been missing for more than a thousand years?¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°The Wei family has indeed never revealed this information before. This thing¡­ is very likely to have just been obtained by them.¡± ¡°Why do you have such a guess?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella moved slightly. ¡°Perhaps they¡¯ve already obtained it, but they¡¯ve been hiding it very well?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up into a faint smile. ¡°Wei Ze isn¡¯t such a patient person.¡± Although the Wei family was also a first-rate aristocratic family, they were still slightly inferior to the Sky-Cloud Empire that Rong Xiu was in. In the God Residence Realm, it was an extremely honorable thing for any aristocratic family to own a holy weapon. If the Wei family already had one, they would¡¯ve announced it to the world. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, they only obtained this Sharp-Edged Halberd after they found out about the existence of Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. Wei Ze deliberately suppressed the news and waited for today.¡± Meeting Chu Liuyue¡¯s doubtful gaze, Rong Xiu smiled lightly and explained, ¡°The Sharp-Edged Halberd is the holy weapon that Tang Ke refined back then.¡± With Tang Ke¡¯s holy weapon, they might really have a chance of success at opening the door of his tomb? ¡­ At this moment, everyone present had the same thought. When they saw Wei Ze take out the Sharp-Edged Halberd, they immediately understood something. The expressions on their faces were immediately full of interest. ¡°Wei Ze! When did you get this Sharp-Edged Halberd?!¡± Wei Ze narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for me to tell you, right?¡± ¡°Hmph! Who doesn¡¯t know that this Sharp-Edged Halberd is one of the five holy weapons that Tang Ke refined back then!? With this item, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for you to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb?! Why did you spend so much effort to find us?! Wei Ze, what are you planning?!¡± Wei Ze laughed. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve really misunderstood me. I have no enmity with all of you; why do I have to harm all of you? Actually, I did think of using this thing to try to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb previously, but before I could, the news had already spread. Helpless, I could only put this idea aside for the time being and wait for all of you to come together before trying.¡± Shangguan Jing suddenly questioned, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you say anything at the beginning? Why did you only speak after so many people died?¡± This was also what the others present minded the most. If Wei Ze had taken this out earlier, the people in front would probably not have died! Wei Ze laughed bitterly. ¡°Senior Shangguan, I didn¡¯t expect this place to be so dangerous! Originally, I thought that since we were all top existences in the God Residence Realm, we would definitely have a way. Furthermore, if I had spoken directly at that time, then¡­ It would probably have attracted discussions, right?¡± In other words, he was trying to be fair. Otherwise, when everyone was here, he would be the first. It was as if he had deliberately snatched it¡­ Only now did no one dare to rashly step forward. It was most appropriate for him to take action again. The crowd was stumped. Shangguan Jing knitted his brows. Wei Ze¡¯s words and actions seem to be understandable, but if he is like this, the people who died earlier would be wronged. However, everyone has a competitive relationship with each other. Speaking of which, Wei Ze doesn¡¯t have the obligation or responsibility to take responsibility for the lives of others¡­ It is fine to call him selfish, but no one is in a position to criticize him. This Wei Ze¡­ is really scheming! Wei Ze sneered in his heart and retracted his gaze. He then tightened his grip on the Sharp-Edged Halberd in his hand. This is the Wei family¡¯s territory. Tang Ke¡¯s tomb should belong to us! These people came from all over to fight for it, yet they still have the cheek to say so much? Do they really think that the Wei family is easy to bully?! Fortunately, I encountered an extremely good opportunity and obtained this Sharp-Edged Halberd! With this thing, my chances of opening Tang Ke¡¯s tomb will increase greatly! When he thought of this, Wei Ze felt excited. He was also an Armory Refinement Master, so he was naturally filled with curiosity and yearning for Tang Ke¡¯s tomb! As long as he could enter, he might be able to obtain the treasures left behind by Tang Ke, or even the inheritance! Wei Ze¡¯s heart was burning with passion. He couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips and channel all the force in his body into the Sharp-Edged Halberd! Then, he held the Sharp-Edged Halberd tightly in one hand and stabbed forward! Whir! A strange buzzing sound suddenly came from the huge blood-red stone! Right on the heels of that, the bronze door knocker also moved without any wind. It was as if an invisible hand had pulled it up and gently buckled it. Knock knock! There was a crisp knock on the door. Everyone was shocked! ¡°It moved! This is really a door!¡± Wei Ze¡¯s eyes stared intently as his heart beat violently. The blood in his entire body seemed to boil with it! The sky quickly darkened. Dark clouds gathered, and the wind howled. Streaks of silver snake-like heavenly lightning appeared one after another and quickly shuttled through the clouds. It was a huge commotion. The commotion was shocking. Shangguan Jing looked up. ¡°As expected¡ªholy weapons are extraordinary¡­ They¡¯re casually activated, yet they can trigger such a magnificent scene¡­¡± Even if he wanted to refine a Yuan instrument, he might not be able to trigger so many lightning bolts in such a short period of time! The Sharp-Edged Halberd was indeed worthy of its reputation as one of the top ten holy weapons! Boom! A bolt of heavenly lightning struck down with a loud bang, heading straight for Wei Ze! The dazzling light was almost blinding. Some of the weaker ones couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and subconsciously took a few steps back. However, most of the people present still persisted and refused to move a single step. Rumble! The lightning struck the Sharp-Edged Halberd in Wei Ze¡¯s hand! But the moment the shocking lightning landed on the Sharp-Edged Halberd, it was instantly devoured! An inch-long silver-white pattern appeared! Wei Ze was the closest, so he could see everything clearly. For a moment, he was shocked and amazed. As expected of one of the top ten holy weapons. Such terrifying lightning power was actually completely devoured in an instant. It contained an abundance of energy, but it only awakened one pattern. If I can completely awaken the Sharp-Edged Halberd¡­ How awe-inspiring would that be!? Actually, this was also the first time Wei Ze had officially attacked after obtaining the Sharp-Edged Halberd. Therefore, even he was shocked. After a short moment of shock, endless excitement and joy surged in his heart. With such a treasure in hand, Tang Ke¡¯s tomb will definitely be opened! Then, several more bolts of lightning descended. The aura on the Sharp-Edged Halberd became stronger and stronger. The bronze knocker kept shaking. The buzzing sound coming from inside seemed to be getting clearer and clearer! Finally¡ª The last bolt of lightning was also devoured by the Sharp-Edged Halberd! The last dark rune on it lit up! Wei Ze took a deep breath and stabbed forward! Chapter 2049 - 2049 Willing to Give It a Try 2049 Willing to Give It a Try Clang! The ear-piercing sound of sharp weapons colliding could be heard. Everyone held their breaths and looked over. However, Wei Ze¡¯s expression quickly changed from smugness to shock and confusion. In the end, there was only disbelief! In front of him, the Sharp-Edged Halberd was pressed against the blood-red stone but nothing moved! He widened his eyes in shock, almost unable to believe what he was seeing. Then, he exerted strength again and stabbed forward! However, nothing changed. Not even a single mark was left on the stone! This so-called door¡­ had no intention of opening at all! Because he used too much strength, a dull pain came from his thumb and index finger. But at this moment, Wei Ze had no time to care. How could this be¡­ How could this be?! The power of the Sharp-Edged Halberd had already been completely awakened. The buzzing sound from the strange stone in front of him was still coming. However, it just couldn¡¯t be opened! ¡°Family Head, what¡¯s going on?¡± At that moment, the surrounding crowd also realized that something was wrong. They looked at each other in confusion and doubt. Wei Ze was embarrassed. He tried to put away the Sharp-Edged Halberd, and there was indeed no mark on the stone. However, that sound didn¡¯t disappear. In fact¡­ the bronze door knocker was still being gently knocked by the wind! When he saw all of this, Wei Ze¡¯s heart sank, and his face turned pale. To think that I thought that these movements were caused by me. In the end¡­ they weren¡¯t at all! When the surrounding crowd saw this scene, what else did they not understand? ¡°What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t this Sharp-Edged Halberd a holy weapon refined by Tang Ke? Why can¡¯t it even be opened?¡± ¡°This thing can¡¯t be fake, right¡­¡± ¡°Considering the commotion just now, the thing must be real. It¡¯s also true that it can¡¯t open this door.¡± ¡°Ha! It turns out that this method doesn¡¯t work either? The family head really worked for nothing¡­¡± Everyone started discussing in low voices. All sorts of words reached Wei Ze¡¯s ears, causing his heart to be in turmoil. His temples throbbed as if a ball of fire was about to surge out of his chest! Ridicule! Disdain! Those gazes made him feel as if there was a blade on his back. His entire body was stiff as he stood rooted to the ground. His mind was blank, but it also seemed to be extremely chaotic. Everything was clearly going very smoothly. How could¡­ If even the holy weapon that Tang Ke refined himself can¡¯t open this tomb, then¡­ Who else in this world can do this? ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Shangguan Jing frowned and muttered softly as he stared ahead. The few of them looked over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shangguan Jing raised his chin. ¡°Wei Ze didn¡¯t move, but the movement on the stone hasn¡¯t stopped.¡± The others were also stunned by his observation. Upon closer inspection, they realized that it was indeed the case. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Tang Ke¡¯s tomb sensed the existence of the Sharp-Edged Halberd and caused this commotion. However, we still can¡¯t open it with Wei Ze¡¯s own strength?¡± someone guessed. Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t speak. He still felt that something was wrong. This suspicion gradually rose when he saw the scene in front of him. If the Sharp-Edged Halberd could trigger these movements, why can¡¯t the door be opened? ¡°Family Head, could it be that you¡¯re not strong enough to open it?¡± someone in the crowd finally raised his voice and asked. These words were a little unpleasant. He was just short of saying that it was because Wei Ze was incompetent. However, the current Wei Ze had no way to refute. He suddenly sneered and turned to look at the person who spoke. He handed over the Sharp-Edged Halberd in his hand. ¡°If you have the confidence, why don¡¯t you try it yourself?¡± Everyone was shocked. They didn¡¯t expect him to have such a reaction. That person was stunned for a moment before snorting. ¡°The family head really likes to joke. This Sharp-Edged Halberd is a holy weapon. Once it recognizes one as master, it can¡¯t be used anymore. Are you saying this on purpose to embarrass¡ª¡± ¡°This Sharp-Edged Halberd has yet to recognize one as master!¡± Wei Ze¡¯s words instantly caused the scene to fall into dead silence! All the noisy discussions disappeared at this moment! Countless pairs of eyes looked at him in shock as if they were doubting the authenticity of his words. Wei Ze sneered. ¡°At this moment, there¡¯s no need for me¡ªWei Ze¡ªto lie. If anyone present doesn¡¯t believe me, you can come forward and try it yourself! Since everyone thinks that I, Wei Ze, am not capable enough, then¡­ I might as well hand this thing over. Whoever can use this Sharp-Edged Halberd to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb, I¡¯ll speak out my ¡®admiration!''¡± ¡°As long as anyone has the ability to make the Sharp-Edged Halberd recognize one as master and obtain all the items in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb, I¡ªWei Ze¡ªwill have no objections!¡± As he spoke, he flicked his wrist and actually threw that thing forward! The Sharp-Edged Halberd floated quietly in the air. Countless streaks of dazzling light tempered by lightning were still flickering on it, exuding a mighty pressure. Many people looked at each other. Such a temptation wasn¡¯t small! But¡­ After all, Wei Ze was the head of the Wei family, a royal Armory Refinement Master, and a legendary warrior. With such strength, he was definitely considered one of the best among these people. If even Wei Ze couldn¡¯t do it, how many people present could try? Even the person who had mocked him earlier was a little hesitant. His strength wasn¡¯t much different from Wei Ze¡¯s. If he couldn¡¯t go forward at this moment, wouldn¡¯t¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing? Wei Ze looked around and sneered in his heart. He was the closest, so he knew very well that the commotion inside wasn¡¯t caused by the Sharp-Edged Halberd at all! It would be the same for anyone who came! ¡°This matter is rather interesting. This old man is willing to give it a try.¡± Chapter 2050 - 2050 The Door Will Open For You 2050 The Door Will Open For You Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. The person who spoke was Shangguan Jing. Wei Ze smiled coldly. ¡°Senior Shangguan, have you thought it through? Didn¡¯t you say just now that you¡¯re only here to join in the fun?¡± Shangguan Jing chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s there to hesitate about? The family head is willing to offer the Sharp-Edged Halberd. Why can¡¯t we give it a try? Besides, I¡¯m indeed here to join in the fun, but it looks like¡­ no one is willing to move? In that case, I can only do it myself! We can¡¯t just sit here and watch, right?¡± Wei Ze was speechless. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ please go ahead!¡± As he spoke, he took a few steps back. It seemed like he was really planning to watch from the sidelines. Shangguan Jing isn¡¯t even afraid of losing face, so what is there for me to worry about? ¡°Shangguan, are you really planning to go over?¡± The few people at the side wanted to dissuade him, but Shangguan Jing shook his head with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Although the family head failed, he¡¯s fine, right? Since there¡¯s no loss, what¡¯s wrong with giving it a try?¡± Seeing that Shangguan Jing had already made up his mind, the remaining people stopped trying to dissuade him. ¡°Then¡­ be careful.¡± Shangguan Jing still had a smile on his face as he strode forward. This time, all eyes were focused on him. Shangguan Jing came to the middle and raised his hand to hold the Sharp-Edged Halberd. He first weighed it twice, then infused it with his own power. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°This thing is still ownerless.¡± Only in this way would he be able to continuously pour in his strength after Wei Ze finished using it. But without recognizing one as master, the power this thing could unleash was extremely low. Hearing Shangguan Jing¡¯s words, many people¡¯s hearts wavered even more. Holy weapons were extremely intelligent; they had always chosen their own masters. Without that opportunity, even if one held this thing for ten to a hundred years, it was still useless. In their hands, it was impossible to display the true power of a holy weapon. No wonder Wei Ze let it out so easily. But looking at the situation in front of him, the Sharp-Edged Halberd didn¡¯t seem to have any signs of acknowledging Shangguan Jing as its master. Wei Ze closed his eyes and relaxed a little. It was impossible not to be nervous. After obtaining the Sharp-Edged Halberd, he had never been recognized and thus felt vexed. It was like guarding a mountain of gold, but unable to spend a single cent more. This feeling was really uncomfortable. He had actually thrown the Sharp-Edged Halberd out in a fit of anger. Now that he had calmed down, he felt a little regretful. Now, he could only hope that these people wouldn¡¯t be recognized by the Sharp-Edged Halberd¡­ Shangguan Jing sized up the Sharp-Edged Halberd for a while before holding it in his hand. He raised his gaze slightly with a solemn expression. At the same time, he began to mobilize the power in his body! Then, he suddenly stabbed out! Clang! The crisp sound of impact came again! Everything in front of him still didn¡¯t move. It was exactly the same reaction as when Wei Ze attacked! Shangguan Jing frowned and stopped without hesitation. At this moment, he also sensed that something was wrong. The commotion inside wasn¡¯t caused by the Sharp-Edged Halberd! Under such circumstances, it will be impossible to open it no matter what. Wei Ze crossed his arms and laughed. ¡°Senior Shangguan, how do you feel after you tried it yourself? I think¡­ this doesn¡¯t seem to be any different from what I did just now, right?¡± Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t care about his mockery. It would be strange if Tang Ke¡¯s tomb was really that easy to open. Moreover, the key to opening the door is clearly not the Sharp-Edged Halberd. What else is there to say? ¡°This Sharp-Edged Halberd isn¡¯t the key to opening Tang Ke¡¯s tomb,¡± Shangguan Jing casually threw the Sharp-Edged Halberd and said. Wei Ze didn¡¯t expect him to reveal the secret so bluntly, and he felt a little angry. But after thinking about it carefully, this matter couldn¡¯t be hidden to begin with, so there was actually nothing to mind. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. ¡°Senior Shangguan, what do you mean?¡± Someone asked, ¡°This Sharp-Edged Halberd was definitely personally refined by Tang Ke back then! How can it be useless? If even this can¡¯t work, then¡­¡± Then, they really had no choice. Shangguan Jing focused his gaze and looked at the bronze door knocker again. This was actually the strangest thing to him. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. He vaguely felt that the patterns on the bronze door knocker seemed familiar. It was as if¡­ he had seen it somewhere before? He took a step forward. A ball of red flames appeared again! It was about to surround Shangguan Jing in an instant! ¡°Be careful!¡± No one expected Shangguan Jing to suddenly step forward. They had clearly learned their lesson previously. If one rashly approached, they would definitely trigger an attack! Shangguan Jing reacted quickly. This time, he could clearly see that the flames were surging out from the bronze door knocker! His expression turned stern, and he immediately set up a barrier around him! But at the same time, the force in his body seemed to be affected by the flames¡ªit surged rapidly as if it was boiling! The scorching temperature quickly invaded his body! Shoo! A ball of red flames suddenly erupted from his left shoulder! Shangguan Jing thought to himself, Oh no! This is a sign that I¡¯m about to explode and die! But at this moment, a scarlet-golden flame suddenly flew over and surrounded him! The red flames were instantly devoured! ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± When everyone saw the commotion, they immediately turned around! A slender and exquisite figure was quickly approaching! Chu Liuyue grabbed her ancestor¡¯s arm and was about to retreat. Suddenly, the bronze door knocker shone brightly! Chapter 2051 - 2051 Door Activate! 2051 Door Activate! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Shangguan JIng immediately recognized that the incoming person was Chu Liuyue as he shockingly shouted her name. Before he could finish his sentence, he looked up and saw lights glowing behind her! Chu Liuyue also felt that something was amiss, and she turned around to take a look. The rust on the copper door knocker was quickly peeling! A tremendous holy suppression spread from within! Suddenly, her gaze focused, and she gasped! That light flashed, and she faintly saw that the lines¡ªwhich were gradually becoming clearer on the bronze copper knocker¡ªwere extremely similar to the mysterious text on the Celestial Shield. The red fire surrounding Shangguan Jing had already disappeared. The duo¡¯s figures clearly appeared before the crowd. When the crowd saw this, they were taken aback. Even though Wei Ze had never seen Chu Liuyue before, he immediately guessed her identity. ¡°Shangguan Yue?! Why is she here!?¡± Previously, everyone gathered together at the forest entrance and came in together, so how did she suddenly appear here? Since she is here, then¡­ What about Rong Xiu? ¡°Master Wei, long time no see. How have you been?¡± A low and melodious voice sounded like wind strumming the strings. Upon hearing this, Wei Ze¡¯s heart sank as he immediately turned around and saw a familiar white figure. ¡°Rong Xiu?!¡± Wei Ze was angry and exasperated. When did these people enter? Why didn¡¯t I notice them at all? The other people present rapidly reacted, and all sorts of gazes continuously shifted back and forth between Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. Most of them had seen Rong Xiu before. Hence, all their attention now was more on Chu Liuyue. ¡°Shangguan Yue? The one that beat Yi Wentao during the Peach Blossom Dock battle?¡± someone muttered in disbelief. ¡°It seems like she¡¯s really a true god¡­¡± ¡°Even though she¡¯s a true god, she did help Shangguan Jing stop the fire that surged out from the bronze copper knocker!¡± ¡°Oh right, she has an agreement with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, so these things naturally don¡¯t pose a threat to her¡­¡± ¡°Were they around here previously? How did they come in?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡¯s appearance was undoubtedly like throwing a rock into the water, causing endless ripples! But at this point, Chu Liuyue did not notice these movements. She knitted her brows slightly, and her eyes were glued to the bronze copper knocker before her. Then, she stretched her hand out without hesitation¡ª ¡°Yue¡¯er! Dangerous!¡± Shangguan Jing was about to stop her, when Chu Liuyue lightly shook her head. ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Hearing her say this, Shangguan Jing¡¯s motions froze in mid-air. He knew that she never did meaningless things. Since she came here, it showed that she had her own motives. Shangguan Jing thought of the many people that died here consecutively and still felt uneasy. However, that red fire did seem to be controlled by Chu Liuyue previously¡­ Shangguan Jing felt very conflicted, but in the end, he still chose to trust her and did not say much. He just silently circulated all his force. If he felt that something was amiss, he would immediately take action! The surrounding crowd all looked over. When they saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions, quite a few people exchanged glances and had looks of mockery. Just now, so many people could not do it. Why does she think she is different from the rest? Wei Ze¡¯s lips curled up without smiling intent, and he said, ¡°Shangguan Yue, that bronze copper knocker is very dangerous. Previously, quite a few people lost their lives here. If you take the risk and something happens to you, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you.¡± Chu Liuyue did not stop in her actions, as if she did not hear what he said. Ignoring him in front of the crowd was undoubtedly not giving Wei Ze face. Wei Ze¡¯s face faintly turned green. ¡°Shang¡­¡± ¡°I will naturally protect my own princess consort,¡± said Rong Xiu nonchalantly, interrupting Wei Ze. He looked relaxed and calm, yet his tone did not allow for doubts. ¡°Besides, Yue¡¯er is already Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s master. Speaking of which, that¡¯s of the same status as the Wei family. Master Wei, you should respectfully call her Master Yue, okay?¡± Wei Ze was exasperated, and the veins on his forehead throbbed. ¡°Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Yue Manor was just established, and my Wei family has a legacy of more than thousands of years. We¡¯re a top-tier aristocratic family in the God Residence Realm! How can this be?!¡± He implied that Chu Liuyue had no rights to be on the same status as him. Rong Xiu smiled as his white fingers gently touched his brows. ¡°Then¡­ I want to ask: Since Master Wei is so capable, compared to Yi Wentao, who is stronger?¡± Wei Ze was instantly stumped, and his remaining words got stuck in his throat, unable to come out. Ordinary people might not know what kind of existence the Yi family was and how capable Yi Wentao was, but a top-tier aristocratic family like his would know the best. Wei Ze asked himself, and he knew that he would definitely be the one who would lose terribly if he fought with Yi Wentao. But¡­ Yi Wentao lost in Peach Blossom Dock! His lips moved as he unwittingly gazed at the thin and petite figure not far away again. The crowd instantly quietened down. They actually forgot that the woman before them became Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Master Yue by stepping on Yi Wentao! Even Yi Wentao was not her match, let alone them¡­ At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand was just inches away from the bronze copper knocker! Wei Ze¡¯s heart seemed to be tightly clutched by something. I¡¯ll just let them be arrogant first! When something happens, then they¡ª Once this thought flashed across his mind, Wei Ze widened his eyes in shock because¡­ Chu Liuyue safely touched the bronze door knocker! The fingers that were as white as snow clutched the knocker, and the light that exuded complemented her jade-like skin. Everyone unwittingly held their breaths and stared at this scene in disbelief. Chu Liuyue looked forward calmly. Everywhere she touched, she could even feel the pattern on it. She clearly did not recognize these symbols, but¡­ For some reason, they had a sense of familiarity. This feeling had actually started, and it became even more obvious and intense now. She pressed her lips against each other tightly. Standing here, she could clearly feel the commotion inside. Previously, she was still rather uncertain. But now, she could confirm that all the commotion behind was related to the three holy weapons in her body! The Sharp-Edged Halberd that Tang Ke himself crafted couldn¡¯t open it, yet the holy weapons left behind by Mr. Su had such a strong reaction to it¡­ Chu Liuyue did not hesitate further and lightly knocked the bronze door knocker! Knock knock! The next moment, white light covered everything! The rock before her suddenly cracked and slowly showed the appearance of a door! Chu Liuyue knocked again! Creak¡ª That door slowly opened! Chapter 2052 - 2052 Come and Look 2052 Come and Look Seeing the door that slowly opened, everyone was shocked beyond words. ¡°I-it opened?!¡± someone muttered in disbelief amongst the dead silent crowd. Wei Ze harshly closed his eyes, terrified that he had seen something wrongly. However, the scene before him did not disappear. That door was still opening bit by bit! A patch of white light covered it. Nobody could see what it looked like behind that door, but¡­ it did open! So many people died previously, yet the door did not budge. At this point, Chu Liuyue just gently knocked it, and it successfully opened! Chu Liuyue lifted her legs and stepped forward. The next moment, her figure disappeared behind that door! Rong Xiu¡¯s footsteps looked neither hurried nor slow, but he was actually very fast. He raised his hand, and the Sharp-Edged Halberd that was quietly floating in the air flew over rapidly. Following that, he arrived at Shangguan Jing¡¯s side. ¡°Senior Shangguan, we should follow.¡± Rong Xiu softly laughed. Shangguan Jing recovered his senses. Yeah! Yue¡¯er Girlie has already entered! He mustered his courage and stepped forward. Rong Xiu followed behind the two of them. Yan Qing and Qiang Wanzhou followed them like shadows. Previously, the crowd¡¯s attention was on Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, and the two of them were usually good at hiding their auras, so they were like two invisible people from start to end. Only now, when they closely followed them to enter the door, did the crowd shockingly realize that these two people were not simple! When their figures continuously disappeared, the spectating crowd was still in deep shock. Wei Ze reacted first. ¡°Sharp-Edged Halberd!¡± That item was actually taken away by Rong Xiu! That is a holy weapon! It is a treasure I obtained with much difficulty! ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Hurry up and chase!¡± Wei Ze hollered angrily and immediately rushed over. In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared behind that door. When the people from the Wei family heard this, they woke up from the shock. Seeing that Wei Ze had already gone forward, they disregarded everything else and hurriedly followed. At this point, the other people present finally noticed something and fought to rush to the door. After activating Tang Ke¡¯s tomb with much difficulty, why couldn¡¯t they grab the chance? Them obtaining an heirloom and rising to the top overnight depended on this day! Very quickly, the crowd present all rushed in. The woods recovered its silence. Only the corpses that were lying haphazardly and the messy bloodstains on the ground proved what happened previously. After some time, those corpses actually started to rot. In ten minutes, only their bones were left. The light wind blew over, and the bones turned into powder, disappearing into the wind. Even the bloodstains on the ground seemed to be swallowed, and they rapidly disappeared. Only a faint bloody aura was left in the air. It was as if nothing had happened. ¡­ The bright white light quickly disappeared, and the scene before them gradually became clearer. This was a passageway that led downwards. The way was narrow, and it only allowed two people to walk side by side. Every few steps, a fist-sized pearl would hang by the walls on both sides. Under the faint light, it was like a horizon that took in everything. At this point, Chu Liuyue stood at the front, and her feet were on the first step. She used this light to look down, but she could not see the end. It was as if¡­ it kept leading downward, until the end! Chu Liuyue raised her guard to the maximum as she held the Chi Xiao Sword in her hand and walked down. Shangguan Jing walked behind her. When he saw everything in the surroundings, even he could not help but gasp. ¡°This wall is actually carved with lapis lazuli!¡± The so-called lapis lazuli was an extremely precious stone. Its material was very hard, and it was the best material in refining weapons. The success rate when using lapis lazuli to refine weapons was much higher. Hence, Armory Refinement Masters thought very highly of and liked this material very much. However, this material was formed naturally and was limited in number. Hence, it was very rarely seen. This caused lapis lazuli to be even more desirable and rarer. Chu Liuyue could naturally tell that this was lapis lazuli. Amongst the Yuan instruments her ancestor gifted her, one of the swords was made with this material. A top-tier supreme Armory Refinement Master like Shangguan Jing only had a small portion of it. But at this point, both walls were made using this lapis lazuli! It was no wonder Shangguan JIng was so shocked. ¡°It seems like this is really Tang Ke¡¯s tomb! Other than him, who else in this world would have such skills?¡± Shangguan Jing sighed deeply and looked at that figure before him with a complicated and emotional gaze. Previously, so many people tried and they ended up failing. Yet, this girl came and directly opened the door¡­ Such a matter can only be explained by a single word¡ª¡¯fate!¡¯ Even though he long knew that this girl was very lucky, he would still be shocked by the matters that happened to her. Other people really could not be envious or jealous of such luck. Familiar footsteps came from behind. Rong Xiu and the rest followed up. As Shangguan Jing walked, he could not help but ask, ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, why are you here?¡± When I previously said that he wanted to come, she did not seem like she had plans of coming over. If I knew that they were coming, I would¡¯ve brought them along. Chu Liuyue replied softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t have such a plan originally, but I found out about some matters later on. Thus¡­ I planned to take a look.¡± Chapter 2053 - 2053 Recognize as Owner 2053 Recognize as Owner ¡°What?¡± Shangguan Jing was confused. Tang Ke¡¯s name couldn¡¯t tempt her, so what could attract her to come? Chu Liuyue was silent for a moment before she suddenly laughed. ¡°I just wanted to see what exactly happened between Mr. Su and Senior Tang Ke back then.¡± Shangguan Jing was dazed for a moment. Then, he suddenly recalled that Chu Liuyue had quite a few holy weapons, and they were all Mr. Su¡¯s. ¡°Could it be that the previous commotion¡ª¡± A guess suddenly emerged in his heart. Previously, he and Wei Ze tried using the Sharp-Edged Halberd to open the door, but it was all to no avail. This was because the noise behind the door was originally not produced by the Sharp-Edged Halberd. Yue¡¯er Girlie said that¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word, but to Shangguan Jing, this reaction was a tacit agreement. He widened his eyes slightly and was muddled for a moment. How did this happen? Could it be that this isn¡¯t Tang Ke¡¯s tomb but Mr. Su¡¯s? However, the people from the Wei family keep saying that this is Tang Ke¡¯s tomb! If they didn¡¯t have some evidence, they would not be this confident. But now¡ª Shangguan Jing furrowed his brows and did not speak further as he just followed Chu Liuyue down. Perhaps we will quickly know what the truth is! Crack! A tiny sound suddenly came from the back. It was as if something broke, yet not really. At the same time, there seemed to be a force ripple. But before it could spread, it was suppressed. Detecting the commotion, Chu Liuyue and Shangguan Jing both looked forward. ¡°What¡­ just happened?¡± asked Shangguan Jing strangely. He was near to it and felt clearly that the ripple came from Rong Xiu. The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up, and he smiled faintly. ¡°Nothing. The Sharp-Edged Halberd just recognized its master.¡± Shangguan Jing could not conceal his shock and said, ¡°What?!¡± Chu Liuyue was also surprised. ¡°Just now?¡± Rong Xiu acknowledged it and picked up the Sharp-Edged Halberd in his hands. Even if the surroundings were bright, one could still clearly see the rays of light on it looking magnificent and extremely sharp. ¡°Originally, the process of recognizing the owner was rather troublesome. However, this Sharp-Edged Halberd has absorbed quite a bit of lightning force, and it¡¯s only a step away from awakening, so it saved quite a bit of time and effort.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°In that case, you really have to thank Master Wei.¡± Rong Xiu laughed. ¡°Of course.¡± Hearing them talk about how he took one of the ten holy weapons, the Sharp-Edged Halberd, so casually, Shangguan Jing was speechless. Only a voice in his heart crazily yelled, Holy weapon! That¡¯s a holy weapon! It recognized an owner just like that?! The key is that it¡¯s such a big issue. Can the two of you give more of a reaction?! What am I supposed to do now? Chu Liuyue looked at Shangguan Jing. Seeing his strange expression, she asked concernedly, ¡°Ancestor, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Shangguan Jing took a deep breath in. Seeing that the children are so nonchalant, I can¡¯t be too embarrassed! Rong Xiu asked, ¡°Perhaps¡­ Ancestor also wants a holy weapon?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°I see¡­ Then, why don¡¯t we first pass them to you if we find any more holy weapons later on?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s foot slipped, and he immediately held the wall beside him to forcefully stabilize himself. ¡°Ahem! N-no need! Such a treasure is based on fate. If I don¡¯t have that luck, even if I hold it the whole time, it¡¯s useless. Y-you guys don¡¯t have to care about me¡­¡± Didn¡¯t that happen to Wei Ze previously? Even though he obtained the Sharp-Edged Halberd, it still didn¡¯t recognize him as the owner after using it for so long. On the other hand, Rong Xiu just casually held the Sharp-Edged Halberd, and it directly had an owner. There was no use no matter how jealous or envious other people were. ¡­ When they talked, the few of them didn¡¯t purposely lower their voices. Thus, Wei Ze¡ªwho followed them in¡ªquickly heard this. When he heard that the Sharp-Edged Halberd had recognized Rong Xiu as its owner, Wei Ze was struck by lightning! I obtained that with so much difficulty! There is only this one holy weapon in the entire Wei family over the past thousand years! In the end, the moment Rong Xiu took it, it became his in the blink of an eye! ¡°Rong Xiu! You¡¯re too overboard!¡± Wei Ze finally could not hold himself back and reprimanded him. ¡°I¡¯ve respected you as His Grace and am very polite with you, yet you do this?!¡± The two parties weren¡¯t far apart. Besides, this passageway was very bright, and they could see each other. Rong Xiu softly laughed. ¡°Master Wei, holy weapons have souls, and they choose their own owners. When it was previously in your hands for so long, you couldn¡¯t be its owner, which only proves that you don¡¯t have fate with it. Now that this Sharp-Edged Halberd has chosen me as its owner, am I supposed to reject it?¡± ¡°You!¡± Wei Ze was exasperated. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s every word made sense, and he couldn¡¯t refute. If he were to blame somebody, he could only blame himself for not having this luck! Wei Ze could not help but be filled with regret. If I knew this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have taken it out! Now, Tang Ke¡¯s tomb was opened by Chu Liuyue, and the Sharp-Edged Halberd became Rong Xiu¡¯s. I¡¯ve suffered a great loss! Chu Liuyue raised her voice slightly. ¡°Master Wei, since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s save some effort. Who knows what danger we¡¯ll meet below? After all, you¡¯re the Wei family head. It won¡¯t be good if you sacrifice yourself here.¡± Wei Ze was outraged and felt stifled, his face turning green. These two people are even more infuriating than the other! A few people from the Wei family softly advised, ¡°Master, we¡¯re not sure of the situation down there. Why don¡¯t we wait and see first?¡± ¡°Yeah! After all, Shangguan Yue was the one who opened the door. No matter what, we have to first find out what¡¯s going on here. What do you think?¡± If they broke relations with the other party here¡­ who knew what would happen? Upon hearing this, Wei Ze knew that they made sense, so he could only temporarily suppress his anger. ¡°I will take it back sooner or later!¡± ¡­ The passageway recovered its silence again. Only the crowd¡¯s breathing and footsteps were left. Even if the surrounding light was bright¡­ Perhaps due to their fear and worry of the unknown, the lower they went, the more nerve-racking the atmosphere was. The people behind slowly followed. Without turning around, Chu Liuyue knew that those people outside had all come in. This time, it would be difficult if she wanted to fight for something more. After some time, they finally reached the last step. She looked forward and was suddenly dazed. Chapter 2054 - 2054 Sealed 2054 Sealed There was an entrance not far away. This entrance had a door that connected toward the inside, and it was pitch black. Nobody knew what exactly was there and what it looked like. Harsh cold air surged out from inside. The loose strands of hair in front of Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead floated lightly and caused her face to itch. She casually placed her hair behind her ears and walked forward. ¡°Yue¡¯er, hold up!¡± Shangguan Jing hurriedly pulled her back. ¡°This place is very strange. You have to be very careful.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly and patted his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since I can open the door, I won¡¯t be afraid of danger. Besides, aren¡¯t you and Rong Xiu here?¡± Shangguan Jing then relaxed slightly. Actually, upon deeper thought, Yue¡¯er¡¯s current combat strength isn¡¯t too far off from mine. If she summons Tuan Zi and Zi Chen, she will have higher chances of winning. After all, she has the strength to deal with Yi Wentao¡­ Actually, if he came himself, he wouldn¡¯t be this worried and anxious. It was mainly because of Chu Liuyue. Even if he knew that she was very strong now, thinking that she was going to be in danger, he was still afraid. Meeting Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm and composed gaze, Shangguan Jing finally let go. Chu Liuyue walked forward and went closer step by step. The surrounding candlelights burned brightly, but not a single ray of light could enter the thick darkness. The door-like entrance seemed to have an invisible barrier that split this space into two. Chu Liuyue walked forward and stood still. Bzzt! Bzzt! Standing here, the faint whirring sounds became clearer. Obviously, all the noises were coming from inside! Footsteps kept sounding from behind them. Clearly, more and more people were walking down. Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on Chu Liuyue. Dead silence. Chu Liuyue looked determined as she lightly exhaled. She held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly in her hand before taking a step out! Very quickly, half her body entered the darkness. Everyone held their breaths and did not blink, terrified that they would miss something. Da. Footsteps were heard. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure finally disappeared from the crowd¡¯s vision completely. Thick darkness covered her eyes. She knew that she had passed the entrance and completely entered the strange, black space. But¡­ the surroundings were still quiet. Chu Liuyue could even hear her own heartbeat and breathing. She looked left and right. Dense darkness filled her eyes. A light breeze came over with a slight cold intent. The whirring sound seemed to come from all directions. After listening closely for a while, Chu Liuyue still could not identify where it came from. She raised her sword and wanted to summon a bright ball of fire. But the moment the red fire emerged, it rapidly extinguished. Chu Liuyue was stunned. It¡¯s as if¡­ there is a force suppressing the surroundings. A faint layer of suppression seemed to cover her. ¡°A¡¯Yue, I want to come out!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s milky voice came with hints of curiosity and expectation. Chu Liuyue was rather shocked. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Even though Tuan Zi was active, she was very obedient and knew what she should and should not do at crucial moments. It was rare for her to take the initiative to ask. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before agreeing. ¡°Okay, but you can¡¯t run around. You must follow me closely, okay?¡± Tuan Zi hurriedly agreed. ¡°Mm! I listen to you the most, A¡¯Yue!¡± Chu Liuyue was then assured. A thought flashed across her mind, and Tuan Zi¡¯s figure immediately appeared beside her. A layer of red-golden fire burned on her, but due to a certain force restricting it, the fire was rather weak. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Now that Tuan Zi has already opened the fifth meridian and is very strong¡­ Together with her pure bloodline, her suppression can¡¯t be underestimated. Even the previous Yi Wentao could not take advantage of her, but here, Tuan Zi¡¯s aura is on the weaker side. I wonder what exactly is in the darkness¡­ Right at this moment, a strange ripple suddenly came from her body. She was slightly stunned. This ripple came from the Celestial Shield! Just as this thought flashed across her mind, a bright and direct ray of light suddenly poured down from above her head! When the light reached, the surrounding darkness suddenly faded! It was as if the dust¡ªwhich had accumulated for years¡ªwas suddenly wiped away, and its original appearance was slowly revealed. All the scenery was displayed before Chu Liuyue bit by bit. This was an extremely spacious circular space, with tall dark walls that looked extremely similar to the Celestial Shield. However, there was a very heavy copper door on the circular wall. Above it was a spherical ceiling with a ray of light that shone down, but she could not see clearly. Chu Liuyue was standing at the entrance of this large space. With her in the middle, there were five doors each on her right and left. There were a total of ten doors. The tremendous suppression came from the copper doors! She looked at the scene before her in a daze. I never expected the inside to look like this. Is this really Tang Ke¡¯s tomb? However, this really doesn¡¯t seem like a tomb¡­ Those ten doors are also very smooth without any carvings, and they look totally the same. Other than this, there was nothing here, and it was excessively spacious. The people outside also detected the change inside. Rong Xiu and the rest came in one after another. Shangguan Jing surveyed his surroundings and was taken aback. ¡°Well¡­¡± To think that I was so worried. Now, it seems very different from what I had expected. He patiently waited for a while and did not discover any danger. ¡°Yue¡¯er, can you tell what¡¯s going on?¡± Chu Liuyue stared at the ten copper doors with much thought. ¡°Not yet.¡± She faintly felt that these doors were different, but nothing had happened now, and she could not guess. Shangguan Jing followed her gaze and knitted his brows. ¡°Why¡­ are there so many doors here?¡± At this point, Wei Ze and the others saw that nothing happened to Chu Liuyue and the rest, so they slowly walked in. Hearing Shangguan Jing¡¯s words, the crowd fell into deep thought. Suddenly, Wei Ze¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ten doors? During the fight between Mr. Su and Tang Ke, weren¡¯t ten holy weapons created back then? Perhaps it matches these ten doors?¡± His words immediately incurred agreement from quite a few people. Such a guess was reasonable. If not, who would leave ten doors here? ¡°A¡¯Yue, I want to go over!¡± Tuan Zi pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and softly said. Chu Liuyue looked in the direction she pointed. ¡°You want to go to the middle?¡± Tuan Zi nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Chapter 2055 - 2055 Tang Ke 2055 Tang Ke She held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly and pulled Tuan Zi toward the middle. Rong Xiu looked up and glanced at her calmly. There seemed to be ripples in the depths of his eyes, but they quickly disappeared. The closer she went, the clearer the suppression on Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. However, she did not detect any dangerous murderous intent from it. This space was very big, and Chu Liuyue walked very carefully, so they took quite a bit of time to reach the middle. When they were nearby, Chu Liuyue realized that there seemed to be a pattern engraved in the middle of the ground. But probably because a long time had passed, it was blurry and could not be seen clearly. However, Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes lit up, and she excitedly wanted to cross it. Chu Liuyue held her back. ¡°Tuan Zi, do you know¡­ what that is?¡± Tuan Zi blinked and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know, yet you want to go over so badly?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Tuan Zi tilted her head and thought deeply. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. I just really want to go over!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her with deep thoughts. What exactly¡­ could cause such a reaction in Tuan Zi? ¡°A¡¯Yue, A¡¯Yue, don¡¯t worry! I can feel that it¡¯s not dangerous there! Let me go!¡± Tuan Zi hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s thighs and began to whine. ¡°Okay, okay, go ahead.¡± Chu Liuyue touched her hair in a funny and helpless manner. Tuan Zi¡¯s instincts are very accurate. Since she said that, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°I knew that A¡¯Yue is the best!¡± Tuan Zi instantly smiled happily as she rubbed against her leg. Chu Liuyue clutched her small hand and paused for a moment before taking a step forward! When her feet landed on that pattern, the vague whirring sounds seemed to explode beside their ears like thunder! Whir! A sparkling light suddenly exploded from beneath her feet! Chu Liuyue instinctively raised her hand to cover her eyes! Hong hong hong! Something rushed out from inside! A sharp and harsh blade-like aura rapidly flew past her and scraped past her body! The harsh flow took a while to be appeased. Chu Liuyue faintly felt that there was crystallized light sparkling in the surroundings. She was dazed for a moment before she put down her hands and looked at the surroundings. When she saw the scene before her clearly, even she could not help but widen her eyes in shock and was stunned. The other people present were also shocked as they looked at everything before them and could not speak. Rays of light gathered and intersected in the large space. It was as if sparkling rivers were mesmerizing them as they took it all in. All these¡­ were lightning bolts! Countless dazzling silver lightning bolts filled this area. They moved slowly like water, and were bright and holy! At this moment, time seemed to stop flowing. Everything seemed minute in front of this tremendous force. Chu Liuyue looked at it dazedly. Did all of these¡­ surge out from beneath my feet? Tuan Zi spoke excitedly. ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s great! I knew it! I knew it!¡± She let go of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands and ran over excitedly, passing through the countless lightning bolts. She was like a fish that freely swam in the waters and a ball of fire that burned with the wind. The crisp milky voice became especially clear in this quiet space. Everywhere it passed, silver snake-like lightning bolts quickly rushed toward her body. Her aura started strengthening at a shocking speed! Chu Liuyue looked at this scene and finally understood. No wonder¡­ It¡¯s no wonder Tuan Zi was so passionate and anxious. She long realized that countless lightning bolts were hidden underneath the pattern! Previously, at Million Wine Mountain, Tuan Zi also immersed herself in the fountain water that contained countless lightning bolts for a whole month. That was what allowed Tuan Zi to successfully break through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix! This scene was very familiar, yet it was not exactly the same. This was because¡­ the number of lightning bolts accumulated on Million Wine Mountain fountain was just the tip of the iceberg compared to this! The two of them could not be compared at all! Countless years were needed to gather such shocking amounts of lightning¡­ Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something and lowered her head. The ground beneath her returned to normal, but the pattern on it had already disappeared. She instantly understood. That was¡­ a seal?! At this point, the crowd finally gradually recovered their senses. ¡°Why¡­ are there so many lightning bolts here?¡± ¡°Perhaps Senior Tang Ke left them behind?¡± ¡°Possible¡­ After all, he was the top Armory Refinement Master back then, and he was the best at triggering lightning bolts¡­¡± ¡°If one produces Yuan instruments here, won¡¯t it be as easy as ABC? Perhaps Senior Tang Ke¡¯s legacy is here?¡± All sorts of voices came. Many people¡¯s expressions turned from the initial shock and confusion to excitement and expectation. Quite a few people were even tempted. Wei Ze could not hold himself back and reached out toward the lightning bolt closest to him. Swoosh! A scorching pain came from his palm! Wei Ze gasped in pain and hurriedly retracted his hand, but it still left a frightening wound on his hand. He was overwhelmed with shock and rage, but he was also terrified. When he looked at the lightning bolts again, his expression was different from before. The surrounding people looked over. Shangguan Jing chuckled. ¡°These are all lightning bolts that contain tremendous force. Even a true god can¡¯t handle it. Master Wei, do you really think you¡¯re an ancient legendary fiend that can use your own physical body to absorb this force?¡± His words drew laughter from the crowd. Wei Ze¡¯s face flashed white and red, but he could not say anything. He was too careless this time. Seeing Tuan Zi running happily, he did not hold himself back and directly reached out. These lightning bolts filled the entire space and flowed slowly, so they automatically avoided the crowd. But if someone took the initiative to touch them, the lightning bolts would not avoid them. Wei Ze only saw Tuan Zi¡¯s aura continuously strengthening and actually forgot that she was a red-gold heavenly phoenix, which ordinary people could not compare to. He gritted his teeth before saying, ¡°I can¡¯t do it, but who present can? These lightning bolts are very shocking, but¡­ We can only watch them in the end!¡± Once he said this, quite a few people¡¯s smiles faded. Yeah! If we can only see the, and not use them, won¡¯t it be a wasted trip? At this point, a thick and magnetic male voice came. ¡°These lightning bolts are indeed left for you to use.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up! This voice came from behind a copper door, but it was hard to determine which one. Chu Liuyue loudly asked, ¡°I¡¯m Shangguan Yue. May I know who you are, Senior?¡± That voice chuckled. ¡°You trespassed into my territory, yet you ask who I am?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils dilated! Tang Ke! Chapter 2056 - 2056 Come Up 2056 Come Up In this world, there were only a few people who could call themselves ¡®Saint.¡¯ Tang Ke, who had once refined five holy weapons, was one of them! Hence, even though she hadn¡¯t seen the other party¡¯s face and figure, Chu Liuyue immediately guessed his identity. ¡°You are¡­ Senior Tang Ke?¡± Chu Liuyue tried to ask. Even though she was already 70-80% sure, she still had to ask this question. As soon as the two words ¡®Tang Ke¡¯ were spoken, everyone immediately stopped talking and pricked up their ears to listen attentively. This question was exactly what they wanted to ask! What answered Chu Liuyue was a meaningful laugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after 10,000 years, there would still be someone who remembers my name.¡± It¡¯s really him! Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. She immediately cupped fists and bowed respectfully. ¡°Senior, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. It¡¯s my fortune to meet you today!¡± These words were true. As one of the only two powerful existences in the entire God Residence Realm who had once refined holy weapons, Tang Ke was like an insurmountable mountain. His name was deeply engraved in the hearts of every Armory Refinement Master. Most people might not even have the chance to look at a holy weapon in their entire lives, not to mention meeting Tang Ke. Now, the real Tang Ke actually appeared here! How could they not be excited? Even if it was just a voice, the Armory Refinement Masters present would have no regrets! After a short silence, Wei Ze and the others also reacted and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Senior Tang Ke!¡± Many people were so excited that their faces turned red, and even their bodies trembled. If not for the fact that they couldn¡¯t tell where the voice came from, they would¡¯ve kneeled down. Tang Ke laughed and teased, ¡°I¡¯m only half a remnant soul now. How did you ¡®see¡¯ me?¡± Everyone was speechless and looked at each other. They didn¡¯t expect Tang Ke to say such a thing. Chu Liuyue was also a little surprised. She originally thought that an existence like Tang Ke should be high and mighty, sacred, and dignified. But now, she felt that it was very different from what she had expected¡­ ¡°Girlie, come forward.¡± Tang Ke¡¯s voice came from all directions. No one knew which direction he was referring to, but they could all tell that he was calling Chu Liuyue. Instantly, everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on Chu Liuyue. The crowd had various expressions. Surprise, doubt, uneasiness, envy¡­ Who didn¡¯t want to get Tang Ke¡¯s favor? If Tang Ke was happy, he might even impart everything he had learned in his life! Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to these gazes. She knew what Tang Ke meant. ¡°Yes,¡± she responded and took a step forward without hesitation. Her feet stepped on the spot where the seal was previously. At this moment, Chu Liuyue clearly felt a solid gaze land on her. Her heart tightened¡ªthat was Tang Ke¡¯s gaze! Fortunately, this gaze didn¡¯t have any aggression. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was calm as she stood there calmly and allowed the other party to scrutinize her. This was Tang Ke¡¯s territory. If the other party really wanted to do something, he wouldn¡¯t have waited until now. ¡°You¡¯re young, but you¡¯re quite bold.¡± Tang Ke suddenly snorted softly, his voice dignified without being angry. ¡°Do you know what kind of crime it is to disturb me?!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, countless bolts of lightning in the huge space suddenly changed directions and headed straight for Chu Liuyue. It was as if these terrifying lightning bolts would all strike down without hesitation the next moment if she said one wrong word! The atmosphere was tense, and it was about to erupt at any moment! ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock, Yue Manor. In the courtyard, Xiao Ba was sitting at a stone table under the shade of a tree. In front of her was a basket of peach petals that she had just picked. The sun shone down, and the shadows of the trees were mottled. A gentle breeze blew over, causing the branches and leaves to sway. Specks of light flickered like stars. It accentuated her jade-like skin, making her look beautiful and enchanting. She picked up a petal from the basket and sized it up carefully. Then, she shook her head and revealed a slightly disdainful expression. With a slight movement of her delicate fingers, the petal fell to the ground with the wind. A large number of pink and white petals had already fallen by her feet. Then, she picked up another piece. ¡°Eighth Sister.¡± Thirteen walked in from outside. His forehead was covered in sweat as he panted slightly. It was rare for Xiao Ba to look up. ¡°Just ran back?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Did Big Brother train you again?¡± Thirteen nodded and smiled. ¡°As expected, nothing can escape Eighth Sister¡¯s eyes.¡± Xiao Ba smiled smugly. ¡°Of course.¡± Although it wasn¡¯t difficult for anyone to guess what had happened when they saw Thirteen¡¯s current appearance, Xiao Ba had always accepted such praise. ¡°Eighth Sister, why did you pick these petals?¡± Thirteen asked curiously. During this period of time, Eighth Sister seems to be especially¡­ relaxed. Xiao Ba picked up a petal. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for bathing in the lavender. It just snowed a few days ago, and these petals are at their most fragrant. I naturally have to hurry. Otherwise, when the snow melts, the smell will be much fainter.¡± Peach blossoms in Peach Blossom Dock were different from those in other places. Xiao Ba had only discovered this recently, so she happily fiddled with these things. ¡°We can¡¯t accept those that aren¡¯t in good shape, haven¡¯t been driven well, or have been driven too far.¡± ¡°Is this¡­ very influential?¡± Thirteen was confused. In any case, they are all used for fragrance. The shape and whatnot¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to make any difference? Xiao Ba shook her head mysteriously. ¡°You¡¯re still young and don¡¯t understand. This thing will affect your Eighth Sister¡¯s mood, so it¡¯s very important.¡± She had always spared no effort in such matters and had to do her best. Thirteen nodded in a seemingly understanding manner. In any case, Eighth Sister¡¯s words seem to make sense¡­ ¡°Eh? Thirteen?¡± At this moment, a familiar voice came from outside the courtyard. Xiao Ba and Thirteen looked toward the source of the sound. ¡°Director Nan?¡± The two of them were surprised. During this period of time, Nan Suhuai had been staying in Peach Blossom Dock. However, he spent most of his time outside and rarely appeared in Yue Manor. Hence, Xiao Ba and Thirteen were very surprised to see him. Nan Suhuai walked over. Xiao Ba stood up and greeted him with Thirteen. Nan Suhuai chuckled. ¡°I just happened to pass by here. You don¡¯t have to worry about it; just do what you need to do.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Thirteen and said in surprise, ¡°Thirteen, it¡¯s only been such a short time. You¡­ broke through again?¡± Thirteen was already a stage-eight warrior. Thirteen smiled shyly. ¡°The cultivation environment here is good, so it¡¯s naturally faster to cultivate. It¡¯s all thanks to Master and Big Brother. By the way, are you here today to look for Master? She¡¯s not here today.¡± Chapter 2057 - 2057 Proactive 2057 Proactive Nan Suhuai chuckled and waved his hand. ¡°I know she¡¯s not here. I didn¡¯t come here today to look for her.¡± Thirteen was stunned for a moment before he quickly reacted. Not many people know Master and His Highness have left. But Nan Suhuai is Master¡¯s master, so it is naturally not strange for him to know this. ¡°Then, today you are¡­¡± Nan Suhuai stroked his beard and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; I¡¯m just done with my work here. I plan to rest today and return to the academy tomorrow.¡± His only purpose for coming this time was to help Chu Liuyue gain a firm foothold in Peach Blossom Dock. Now that he had successfully completed his goal, it was time for him to return to the academy to take a look. After all, he had been away for a long time. Thirteen was enlightened and nodded. Then, he asked hesitantly, ¡°I see¡­ Then, aren¡¯t you going to wait for Master and His Highness to come back?¡± Nan Suhuai had originally planned to leave, but when he heard this, he immediately felt that it was interesting. He sized Thirteen up. ¡°Thirteen, are you¡­ worried about them?¡± ¡°No!¡± Thirteen immediately shook his head and met Nan Suhuai¡¯s gaze that seemed to have seen through everything. He was also a little embarrassed. ¡°This¡­ I heard that Qinggu Slope¡¯s Messy Stone Forest is the Wei family¡¯s territory. If Master and the others go alone, what if¡­¡± BANG! Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Ba suddenly walked forward and patted the back of Thirteen¡¯s head. ¡°Pfft, pfft, pfft! What nonsense is Little Thirteen spouting? Master and the others are auspicious people. How can they be in danger?¡± As she spoke, she hurriedly put her palms together and prayed piously, ¡°A child¡¯s words carry no harm!¡± ¡°Eighth Sister, I¡¯m not a child anymore¡­¡± Thirteen scratched his head. I¡¯m now a head taller than Eighth Sister¡­ Xiao Ba glanced at him. Thirteen immediately shut up obediently. It seems like Tenth Brother¡¯s teachings are right. Almost no one among the Thirteen Yue Guards can compete with Eighth Sister. Whenever I encounter her, the best way to save my life is: Eighth Sister is right! Nan Suhuai stroked his beard and chuckled. ¡°Xiao Ba, Thirteen, you don¡¯t have to worry. Nothing will happen to them this time. After all, they¡¯re going to Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. With His High¡ªwith Rong Xiu and Senior Shangguan around, what problem can¡¯t be solved?¡± From his tone, it seems that he is indeed very assured about this matter. Xiao Ba¡¯s interest was instantly piqued. She leaned forward and asked, ¡°Why are you so sure, Director Nan?¡± Although Shangguan Jing and the others were powerful, Tang Ke was even more famous. Who knew what kind of traps and dangers were in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb? Nan Suhuai coughed and said, ¡°This¡­ think about it. There¡¯s no need to talk about Senior Shangguan. Even Rong Xiu and Yue¡¯er are extremely talented as Armory Refinement Masters. If even they can¡¯t deal with it, there¡¯s no need to talk about the others, right?¡± Upon hearing Nan Suhuai praise her master, Xiao Ba was instantly satisfied. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ Since even you have said so, we¡¯ll be more at ease!¡± Nan Suhuai chuckled and looked at the two of them with mixed emotions. Previously, he didn¡¯t know much about the Thirteen Yue Guards. But this time, Chu Liuyue took down Peach Blossom Dock, and the Thirteen Yue Guards could be said to have contributed a lot. Xiao Ba in front of him was usually very exquisite, and her makeup and dress were very particular. When she stood there, she was enchanting and could be said to be a stunner in the world. However, she didn¡¯t hesitate when she did things. In order to deal with the herbs in Peach Blossom Dock, she had been busy with Shi Fang and had contributed a lot. From then on, Nan Suhuai knew that he had underestimated the abilities of the Thirteen Yue Guards. The people chosen by Yue¡¯er¡­ look different and have different personalities, but in reality, they are all extremely outstanding. It is no wonder Thirteen is unwilling to follow me to Ling Xiao Academy to cultivate. Perhaps he can learn more by following these people. I wonder where Yue¡¯er picked these people from¡­ Nan Suhuai sighed in his heart and exchanged a few more pleasantries before leaving. After he left, Xiao Ba¡¯s body went limp. She sat down again and began to focus on picking petals. ¡°Thirteen.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside. Thirteen hurriedly turned around. ¡°Big Brother!¡± Cen Yi raised his chin. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Thirteen was already used to Cen Yi¡¯s training. Hearing this, he hurriedly ran over. Thirteen came to Cen Yi¡¯s side and gazed at the latter¡¯s calm and indifferent face. He hesitated for a moment before asking softly, ¡°Big Brother, you don¡¯t seem to be worried about Master and the rest¡­¡± Cen Yi raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Isn¡¯t what Director Nan said enough?¡± Thirteen was stunned. Hearing Big Brother¡¯s words¡­ Does he really think that with Ancestor Jing and His Grace around, Master will be safe and sound? ¡°Big Brother, you seem to¡­ think of His Grace¡­¡± With an advanced view? Appreciation? Admiration? Thirteen was at a loss for words. Big Brother¡¯s personality is indifferent and aloof, and very few people can catch his eye. However, it seems that from the beginning, he has been very polite to His Grace. Cen Yi glanced at him indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to ask these questions after you become a true god.¡± ¡­ Qinggu Slope, Messy Stone Forest. Tang Ke¡¯s questioning voice spread throughout the entire space. With a heavy pressure, it fell heavily! Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders seemed to be pressed by something, and the blood in her body quickly surged. Everyone subconsciously held their breaths. Is Tang Ke¡­ going to hold Chu Liuyue accountable? In the silence, Chu Liuyue raised her chin and raised her lips slightly. She said word by word, ¡°Didn¡¯t you let me in, Senior?¡± Dead silence. Many people looked at each other in surprise. What does Chu Liuyue mean? Tang Ke let her in? How is that possible? Wei Ze couldn¡¯t help but sneer. This Chu Liuyue really treats herself as someone important. Who does she think she is to make someone like Tang Ke do this for her? She is really bold! Tang Ke will never let her off easily! But just as everyone thought that Chu Liuyue was going to be punished for this, they suddenly heard hearty laughter. ¡°Hahahaha! You¡¯re really smart!¡± Tang Ke¡¯s voice had undisguised joy and admiration. The atmosphere instantly changed. The tense atmosphere from before instantly dissipated! Tang Ke¡¯s laugh stunned everyone present. What does that mean? Could it be that¡­ Tang Ke really took the initiative to let Chu Liuyue in? But hasn¡¯t he always stayed here and never left? Then, how is he related to Chu Liuyue? Hearing Tang Ke¡¯s voice, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved slightly, but she silently heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. I made the right bet! The reason why I¡¯m the only one who could open the door outside was that¡­ this was Tang Ke¡¯s intention! And the reason he chose me among so many people¡­ Chu Liuyue slowly tightened her grip as a guess crossed her mind. Perhaps it has something to do with the Celestial Shield in my body! Chapter 2058 - 2058 Just Say the Word 2058 Just Say the Word ¡°That¡¯s right! You were indeed instructed by me to open the door and enter this place! However, I originally thought that you would enter by yourself. I didn¡¯t expect you to bring so many people.¡± Tang Ke¡¯s deep voice echoed in the huge space. Everyone had different expressions when they heard this. Why do these words¡­ sound so uncomfortable? So Tang Ke chose Chu Liuyue alone from the start, and we were able to enter because of Chu Liuyue? This made the people who were waiting to see Chu Liuyue make a fool of herself speechless, and they felt very upset. Anyone who heard this would probably be in a bad mood. On the other hand, Shangguan Jing was very happy. Anyway, if Yue¡¯er is successful, I will be proud! If Yue¡¯er really inherits Tang Ke¡¯s legacy in the end, I will really be happier and more excited than if I had obtained it! Rong Xiu stood at the side with his hands behind his back. Upon hearing this, he turned his head slightly and glanced at Chu Liuyue. His originally cold eyes carried a faint smile. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°I was slow-witted and didn¡¯t understand Senior¡¯s intentions.¡± Although she said that, her expression was relaxed, and there was no regret or frustration. Tang Ke seemed a little surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a pity?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a pity?¡± ¡°What a pity¡­ Originally, you could¡¯ve enjoyed such a great opportunity alone! Girlie, I can give you another chance now. As long as you nod your head, I can send everyone else out now, leaving you alone. At that time, all of my inheritance will be inherited by you!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked, and there was an uproar! ¡°Senior Tang Ke!¡± Finally, someone in the crowd couldn¡¯t hold back and stepped forward to speak. ¡°Senior, think twice! Although we can¡¯t open that door, in terms of talent and ability as Armory Refinement Masters, we¡¯re not inferior to Shangguan Yue at all. In fact, we¡¯re even better! If you really want to choose someone to inherit the legacy, they must be the most outstanding person in the world. Shangguan Yue¡­ might not be able to take on this role!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Shangguan Yue¡¯s cultivation as a warrior is indeed outstanding; she can fight a legendary warrior when she¡¯s at the true god realm! But in terms of armory refinement, she might not be your best choice. You must consider it more!¡± ¡°Senior Tang Ke¡­¡± Various voices kept coming, all of them trying to dissuade Tang Ke from making this decision. In their opinion, if Tang Ke really chose Chu Liuyue, it would be a huge mistake without any reason. Which one of the people present wasn¡¯t better at refining Yuan instruments than her? In terms of strength and experience¡­ She was the one without any competitiveness! They really didn¡¯t know what was wrong with Tang Ke to make such a choice! Tang Ke asked, ¡°Girlie, what do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue scoffed in her heart. Senior Tang Ke is really not easy to deal with. If he really wanted to pass the inheritance to me he could¡¯ve let me in alone from the beginning and rejected the rest. Why does he have to do this now? He has already said that. If I choose to chase these people out now, everyone will point their fingers at me! To Tang Ke, this is an extremely simple matter. After all, he is the master here. However, it would cause me a lot of trouble. Although I¡¯m not afraid, I don¡¯t want to take the blame for no reason. Hence, she looked up and smiled. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, it¡¯s a supreme honor to be able to inherit your legacy. But since I brought them in, there¡¯s naturally no reason to chase them out now. So¡­¡± ¡°So you mean that you want to keep them?¡± Tang Ke asked. ¡°Do you know that if this is the case, it means that you have to compete with them again? You know how hard it is without me reminding you, right? Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I understand, and I¡¯m willing to compete fairly with everyone. Only those with talent and opportunities can obtain your inheritance. This is the most suitable, right?¡± After Chu Liuyue said that, the surroundings fell into a strange silence. The crowd, who had been giving charity speeches just now, quietened down and looked at Chu Liuyue with different gazes. From their standpoint, it was normal for them to say those words. After all, the opportunity was right in front of them. They had to try to fight for it. But if they were Chu Liuyue, they wouldn¡¯t say such things like her. It was Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance! In the world, there were countless Armory Refinement Masters who dreamed of it! Now, as long as she spoke, it would be easy for her to get it. Yet, she rejected him? She even said that she wanted to compete with them¡­ Is there something wrong with her brain? Or does she think that she will definitely win? ¡°Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Master is indeed worthy of her reputation. Her style of doing things is open and honest! We really admire her magnanimity!¡± Wei Ze cupped fists with both hands and spoke with a smile, but his tone sounded a little shady. ¡°Master Yue, it seems like you¡¯re confident that you can get first place in the end?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him, and her eyes curved up. ¡°Compared to my seniors, I¡¯m still inexperienced and really not worth mentioning. It¡¯s already a rare blessing to be able to obtain Senior Tang Ke¡¯s recognition today and compete with my seniors.¡± Her tone was rather humble. As soon as she said this, many people¡¯s expressions softened. Shangguan Yue doesn¡¯t seem to be as arrogant and despotic as the rumors say? Moreover, her actions are equivalent to giving others a chance. Everyone naturally had a better impression of her. It was good for everyone to compete fairly and rely on their own abilities. The tense atmosphere eased a lot. Wei Ze cursed in his heart. Cunning! It is just a nice thing to say! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she¡¯s afraid of these people and is worried that she will be surrounded when she goes out, would she have made such a choice and said such words? However, the wind had already changed, and Wei Ze knew that it wasn¡¯t good to keep suppressing Chu Liuyue. Thus, he could only swing his sleeves. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll wait and see how elegant Master Yue is!¡± Tang Ke asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. Senior Tang Ke, please enlighten me!¡± Hearing this, Tang Ke laughed out loud again. ¡°Alright! Since you say so, I¡¯ll treat everyone equally! It¡¯s very simple to obtain my inheritance. The lightning here was accumulated by me for 10,000 years! From now on, you can think of any way to devour it! There¡¯s no time limit for this competition! Whoever can devour the most will be the final winner!¡± ¡°Of course, if any of you explode and die because you can¡¯t withstand the power of the lightning, I won¡¯t take responsibility. You can control this scale yourself!¡± ¡°The final victor will be able to open these ten bronze doors and obtain my inheritance!¡± Chapter 2059 - 2059 I Dont Want External Help 2059 I Don¡¯t Want External Help After Tang Ke finished speaking, everyone was a little stunned. This¡ªthis is a competition? It is too simple and crude! But after thinking about it carefully, they had to admit that this was indeed an extremely effective method for Armory Refinement Masters to quickly determine the victor. This was because the difference in strength between Armory Refinement Masters was largely reflected in their ability to activate lightning. The higher one¡¯s level and strength, the more lightning they could withstand. Now that there were so many lightning bolts here, it was much more convenient¡­ ¡°Senior Tang Ke, may I ask if one can only participate in this competition themselves or if we can have external help?¡± Wei Ze suddenly spoke. Tang Ke laughed. ¡°Naturally, you can only participate by yourself.¡± ¡°Then¡­ The red-gold heavenly phoenix that Shangguan Yue contracted is an ancient legendary fiend. It has an extremely strong ability to devour heavenly lightning. If this is also considered as Shangguan Yue only, will it be a little unfair to others?¡± Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Wei Ze, don¡¯t you have any shame? Our girl has already promised not to chase you out and compete with you. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s enough? If you really feel that it¡¯s unfair, you should go and contract an ancient legendary fiend yourself! Why do you keep having designs on our Yue¡¯er? You¡¯re the head of the Wei family after all. How can you say such words? Are you so afraid of losing?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s face turned red. He took a deep breath and tried his best to suppress his anger. ¡°Senior Shangguan, I¡¯m just telling the truth. I believe everyone present has this concern, right?¡± Contract an ancient legendary fiend? In the entire God Residence Realm, there was only one in so many years! How could they compete? If they really counted the red-gold heavenly phoenix, there was no need for them to continue competing in this match! Tang Ke paused and seemed to be thinking. Then, he asked, ¡°Girlie, what do you think?¡± What do I think? What else can I think? Chu Liuyue cursed in her heart. Tang Ke is really digging a hole for me to jump into, but I can only admit it now. ¡°Since the family head has already said so¡­ If I don¡¯t agree, won¡¯t I appear to be rude and taking advantage of everyone?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°Tuan Zi can be excluded, but I also have a request.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Although Tuan Zi won¡¯t participate in this competition, she has always liked to swallow the power of lightning to temper her muscles and bones, so¡­ Senior Tang Ke, please let Tuan Zi continue to stay here.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Tang Ke agreed without hesitation. ¡°Wei Ze, do you have any other requests?¡± Wei Ze hurriedly said, ¡°Senior Tang Ke, there¡¯s nothing else.¡± The goal had been achieved, and that was enough. The others nodded without a word. After all, Tuan Zi was Chu Liuyue¡¯s legendary fiend to begin with. If she insisted on letting Tuan Zi participate, the others wouldn¡¯t have any self-righteous reason to retort. Now that she had agreed not to include Tuan Zi¡¯s results, it was already a huge compromise. If they were to continue speaking, they would feel embarrassed as well. Without the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s help, how could Chu Liuyue be their match alone? Even though everyone knew that Chu Liuyue was Nan Suhuai¡¯s disciple and was an all-rounder in cultivation, her fame in the God Residence Realm was related to warrior and Xuan Master cultivation. As for refining Yuan instruments¡­ no one had heard of her ability before. On the other hand, as His Grace, Rong Xiu seemed to have always occupied first place on Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Qing Yun Ranking of Armory Refinement Masters. If they had the time, they might as well be more wary of Rong Xiu. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ Without external help, there was really no need to worry. Tang Ke said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let the competition begin¡­¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Before he could finish, he was suddenly interrupted by Chu Liuyue. ¡°Senior, I have another question.¡± Fortunately, Tang Ke was patient and didn¡¯t flare up. He only asked, ¡°Girlie, what is it?¡± Chu Liuyue cupped fists and respectfully said, ¡°I want to ask: If contracting fiends is considered external aid and cannot be counted as results, then¡­ What about Yuan instruments?¡± Yuan instruments could also trigger lightning. Tang Ke laughed heartily. ¡°As long as it¡¯s yours, and you can rely on your own strength to trigger the lightning with the Yuan instrument, it naturally counts as your results!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡± Soft murmurs could be heard coming from the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard that Shangguan Yue has many Yuan instruments, even holy weapons like the Heavenly Square Cauldron! With so many treasures to support her, her chances of winning will increase!¡± ¡°So what? No matter how many Yuan instruments she has, won¡¯t she have to expend her own force to trigger the lightning? I reckon that she can¡¯t even fully unleash the power of one Yuan instrument, let alone anything else!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ In this competition, the final test is still one¡¯s talent and strength¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was calm as if she didn¡¯t hear these discussions at all. Tang Ke¡¯s voice quickly reverberated throughout the entire space. ¡°Since you have no more questions, let the competition begin!¡± ¡­ As soon as he finished speaking, everyone dispersed and found a place. They weren¡¯t Tuan Zi, so they naturally couldn¡¯t rely on their bodies to resist. The best way was to refine a Yuan instrument and trigger the lightning! From a certain point of view, this competition was actually a competition to compare everyone¡¯s armory refining abilities. After all, the higher the level of the Yuan instrument, the more lightning it could trigger. Fortunately, this place was wide enough for everyone to spread out. Tuan Zi grabbed a lightning bolt from the side and stuffed it into her mouth. ¡°A¡¯Yue, do you really not need my help?¡± As she spoke, lightning flashed everywhere, and flames shone brightly. Some people secretly sized it up. When they saw this scene, their mouths couldn¡¯t help but twitch. Hiss¡ªit hurts just looking at her! Red-gold heavenly phoenixes¡­ as indeed worthy of their reputation! Seeing her like this, Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. Could it be that she was also like this in the spring on Million Wine Mountain? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your master can still win even if she has to rely on herself!¡± Chu Liuyue gave her a reassuring look. ¡°Go play by yourself first.¡± Tuan Zi trusted her very much. Hearing her say this, she immediately relaxed and raised her small face with a bright smile. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go!¡± With that, she tapped her toes and rushed toward the place where the lightning gathered. For a moment, crackling sounds could be heard! Everyone watched in silence. Fortunately, Wei Ze had said that just now. Otherwise, what is there to compete for? ¡°Fortunately, Shangguan Yue shouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for long¡­¡± someone in the crowd muttered softly. Clang! The sound of a heavy object falling suddenly sounded! The people who were preparing to work on their own were shocked. They hurriedly looked over and saw a transparent cauldron suddenly appear in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Heavenly Square Cauldron!¡± Chapter 2060 - 2060 Be Quiet and Dont Disturb Her 2060 Be Quiet and Don¡¯t Disturb Her There were rumors in the God Residence Realm that one of the top ten holy weapons, the Heavenly Square Cauldron, was in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. For this reason, many aristocratic families had once forced their way to Fangzhou City and almost barged into Ling Xiao Academy. This matter had caused an uproar back then, so it was difficult not to know. However, very few people had seen the Heavenly Square Cauldron with their own eyes. Now that Chu Liuyue took it out without saying a word, it instantly attracted the attention of many people. The entire Heavenly Square Cauldron was clear, and colorless karmic fire was quietly burning inside. A heavy pressure slowly emitted from above! ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t seen this item in a long time.¡± Tang Ke suddenly let out a long sigh, as if he were rather emotional. ¡°You and it are quite fated.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°This is my blessing.¡± Tang Ke fell silent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. For some reason, she felt that Tang Ke seemed to care more about this Heavenly Square Cauldron than the holy weapons he had refined himself. Rong Xiu is here, so it¡¯s impossible for him not to know that the Sharp-Edged Halberd is on Rong Xiu. But from the beginning until now, Tang Ke didn¡¯t mention a word. On the other hand, the moment I took out the Heavenly Square Cauldron, Tang Ke¡­ She lowered her eyes and suppressed the thoughts in her heart. No matter what, I have to win this round first. She sat cross-legged as if she were already planning to trigger the lightning. Many gazes fell on her. After all, the Heavenly Square Cauldron was a holy weapon. They were also very curious. ¡°Rumor has it that the Heavenly Square Cauldron is used to refine medicinal pills. However, the competition this time is to trigger lightning. If she wants to win, she has to activate the Heavenly Square Cauldron with the strength and means of an Armory Refinement Master! This is different from refining medicine¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She probably won¡¯t even be able to summon the ordinary power of the Heavenly Square Cauldron in the end, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Heavenly Square Cauldron landed in her hand¡­¡± Clang! An ear-piercing clang suddenly sounded! Everyone was shocked and quickly looked in the direction of the sound. Rong Xiu had unknowingly summoned the Sharp-Edged Halberd and stabbed it into the ground! The end of the Sharp-Edged Halberd was still trembling slightly because of the remaining power! Several cracks spread out on the incomparably hard ground with the Sharp-Edged Halberd as the center! One had to know that so many lightning bolts had surged out from the ground just now, but they hadn¡¯t left any traces on it. It could be seen how shocking Rong Xiu¡¯s strength was! ¡°As far as I know, none of you here seem to have a holy weapon. You¡¯ve already fallen behind, but you¡¯re not even thinking about how to catch up. You¡¯re just waiting for others to make a mistake so that you can enjoy the fruits of their labor¡­ I wonder when such a good thing will happen in the world?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly. His handsome and devilish face seemed to be smiling, but the corners of his eyes and brows were filled with undisguised mockery. His speech didn¡¯t carry any dirty words, but it made many people¡¯s faces turn red, and they felt ashamed. Unlike Chu Liuyue, who had just gained a firm foothold, Rong Xiu was already notorious in the God Residence Realm. When the various aristocratic families mentioned him, they would always be afraid. If they met, they would be even more polite. It couldn¡¯t be helped¡ªthis man was too ruthless! However, he didn¡¯t do much in the past few years, especially since he came with Chu Liuyue this time. Along the way, he spoke nicely and looked gentle and elegant, causing many people to almost forget what kind of person he was in the past. This move of his was clearly a warning! ¡°Yue¡¯er is about to start the competition. Everyone, please be quiet and don¡¯t disturb her,¡± said Rong Xiu nonchalantly with a lazy expression. Everyone felt aggrieved. Listen! Is this what a human would say!? What does he mean by ¡®she is about to start the competition, and we have to be quiet?¡¯ Everyone present wants to compete. Aren¡¯t we participating in the same match? This is too much! But although everyone was dissatisfied, no one dared to say anything. Judging from Rong Xiu¡¯s attitude, his mind wasn¡¯t on the competition. If anyone ¡®disturbed¡¯ Chu Liuyue, he would really do anything! He couldn¡¯t be offended! Wei Ze let out a long breath and tidied his clothes. Let them be arrogant for a while longer! After the competition ends, it won¡¯t be too late to mock them and turn the tables! After Rong Xiu openly threatened them, the various discussions finally stopped. For some reason, Tang Ke didn¡¯t say anything during this process. Perhaps it was because of the Sharp-Edged Halberd¡­ Many people underestimated him, but they quickly collected their thoughts and focused on refining their Yuan instrument, preparing to trigger lightning! ¡­ Shangguan Jing glanced at Rong Xiu and asked curiously, ¡°Rong Xiu, you¡¯re not planning to participate in this competition?¡± Compared to Yue¡¯er, his talent and ability are much better! ¡°If you¡¯re worried that the girl won¡¯t win¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Rong Xiu knew that he had misunderstood and laughed as he explained, ¡°I¡¯m indeed just not very interested in this. Yue¡¯er being able to open the door and enter this place proves that she¡¯s the most suitable successor for Senior Tang Ke.¡± No matter what the others thought or whether they tried to snatch it, it was useless. Shangguan Jing thought about it carefully and felt that it made sense, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. Boom! A loud sound was heard! Shangguan Jing and the others hurriedly turned around and saw a bolt of lightning striking the Heavenly Square Cauldron! Someone in the crowd couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. ¡°So fast!?¡± The competition has just started, and Chu Liuyue seemed to have just sat down. Why did the lightning strike so soon? Chapter 2061 - 2061 Masters Vision! 2061 Master¡¯s Vision! The bolt of lightning quickly struck down and landed in the Heavenly Square Cauldron, disappearing in an instant. From beginning to end, there were no ripples at all. Everyone was stunned, but they quickly reacted. After all, holy weapons are holy weapons. It is naturally not a problem for one to deal with these few bolts of lightning. After a period of time, Chu Liuyue will probably not be able to withstand the lightning and give up. As they were thinking, another bolt of lightning struck down! Just like the first one, it quickly and quietly entered the Heavenly Square Cauldron. The transparent karmic fire burned fiercely and instantly devoured it. Everyone had different reactions. Some were envious, some were jealous, and some had already retracted their gazes and started to focus on themselves. After all, no matter how they focused on her, it couldn¡¯t improve their results at all. If they had the time and energy, they might as well attract as much lightning as possible. Perhaps they could still take a gamble. As soon as one person made a move, the others started one after another. Soon, bolts of lightning began to fly in different directions! Shangguan Jing also stood beside Chu Liuyue and took out a sword embryo. ¡°Hehe, this Hollow Jade Spirit Embryo is extremely precious. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have the time to polish it carefully previously. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t I have wasted today¡¯s great opportunity!?¡± The lightning bolts here far exceeded what he could trigger in all aspects! If he could use the lightning bolts here to temper it, it would definitely be more convenient. The Yuan instrument forged would also have an outstanding quality! Regardless of whether he could obtain Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance, it was extremely rare and precious to be able to cultivate in this sea of lightning. Shangguan Jing¡¯s feet were slightly apart, and the Hollow Jade Spirit Embryo floated quietly in front of him. He closed his eyes and began to circulate the power in his body. Soon, bolts of lightning struck down one after another! The most shocking thing was that these lightning bolts all landed on the same spot on the Hollow Jade Spirit Embryo! Some people couldn¡¯t help but exclaim when they saw this scene from afar. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that Shangguan Jing is a top-notch supreme Armory Refinement Master. Now that I¡¯ve seen him, he¡¯s indeed powerful! His control and agility are indeed not something ordinary people can compare to¡­¡± ¡°After all, he was someone who fought seven supreme Armory Refinement Masters in a row and didn¡¯t lose. Although he slept for a thousand years, his strength hasn¡¯t diminished at all.¡± ¡°He is indeed an extremely strong opponent¡­¡± Rong Xiu stood on the spot and leaned against the Sharp-Edged Halberd, with his arms crossed lazily. From the looks of it, he really didn¡¯t intend to participate in this battle. Yan Qing and Qiang Wanzhou stood at the side and were also silent, only acting as if they were guarding and waiting. In the huge space, only these three people didn¡¯t move. All kinds of noises disappeared one after another, leaving only the sound of the lightning falling. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care much about the outside world and only stared at the Heavenly Square Cauldron in front of her. As more and more heavenly lightning fell into the Heavenly Square Cauldron, its pressure gradually increased, and its entire body became clearer and brighter. Chu Liuyue¡¯s force and spirit were also continuously depleted. However, her expression remained calm and focused. ¡­ Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, a day had passed. Looking around, apart from Rong Xiu and the other two¡ªas well as Tuan Zi, who was still running around¡ªthe rest of the people were focused on the competition. But after such a long time, the number of lightning bolts in this space didn¡¯t seem to have decreased. It could be seen how terrifying their numbers were! However, Tuan Zi was very happy. Ever since that time in Million Wine Mountain¡¯s spring, she hadn¡¯t been so happy for a long time! How blissful it is to be here! There were many lightning bolts here, and the power they contained was great. Ordinary people might find it hard to withstand, but for Tuan Zi¡ªwho had just opened her fifth meridian¡ªit was the most comfortable. She ran up, down, left, and right barefooted. Her body flickered with silver light that had never disappeared from the beginning until now. Rong Xiu tilted his head, glanced at her, and finally raised his hand. A snow-white and agile figure instantly appeared in front of him¡ªit was Xue Xue! ¡°This is a rare opportunity. You should go and play for a while.¡± It was rare for Rong Xiu to show mercy, and Xue Xue was so excited that tears welled up in its eyes. It growled excitedly and ran out. Some people heard the commotion and looked over. When they saw that Rong Xiu actually released his contracted fiend, many of them were shocked. Although the white lion was also a legendary fiend, it was much weaker than an ancient legendary fiend. Otherwise, the people present would¡¯ve already released their legendary fiends. Even if the final result wasn¡¯t included, it was good enough to increase the strength of the legendary fiend. However, nobody did that because they knew very well that ordinary legendary fiends couldn¡¯t withstand the power of the lightning! Rong Xiu was doing this now¡­ ¡°Roar!¡± Xue Xue shuttled happily through the sea of lightning. Lightning flashed on its body! However, everyone quickly realized that this didn¡¯t affect Xue Xue at all. Instead, it was as if its aura was improving like Tuan Zi. It was also devouring the power of the lightning bolts! After realizing this, many people held their breaths. Not only is Rong Xiu domineering, but even his contracted legendary fiend is more capable than other legendary fiends! How unreasonable! Sensing those gazes, Xue Xue was extremely proud. It raised its neck and did another 360-degree turn in midair. It was simply overjoyed. Then, it swooped down and came in front of Rong Xiu, looking very gentle. ¡°Howl¡ª¡± Now, it finally understood Master¡¯s good intentions! What is this small scene? Compared to everything I have suffered in the Red Moon Desert, it is simply not worth mentioning! Master is really very far-sighted. If I hadn¡¯t been asked to go to the Red Moon Desert a few times previously, how would I be able to have fun here now? The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. Xue Xue seemed to have been motivated. It circled around on the spot and ran away happily. This scene made people want to vomit blood, but there was nothing they could do. They could only stare. ¡­ Three days passed in a flash. At a certain moment, a muffled sound finally came from the quiet space. BANG! It was as if something had fallen to the ground. Rong Xiu glanced sideways. A middle-aged man fell straight to the ground, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were tightly shut, and his face was pale. He seemed to have fainted, but he was still holding a short sword in his hands. Silver light flickered on it. The next moment, the silver light quickly spread to his entire body. ¡°No¡ª¡± A panicked voice came from the side, as if it had a premonition of what was about to happen. Rong Xiu calmly retracted his gaze. Peng! The man¡¯s body suddenly exploded! Chapter 2062 - 2062 Underestimated Her! 2062 Underestimated Her! However, there seemed to be an invisible barrier surrounding him. Before his exploded body could splatter, it had already dissipated rapidly! In the blink of an eye, his body completely dissipated. There wasn¡¯t a single trace of blood on the ground. If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed that someone had died in such a short period of time! In fact, before that man could even cry out in pain or call for help, he had already completely disappeared from this world. Several people in the vicinity stopped what they were doing and looked at this scene dazedly. One of them had a scar on his face. His face was as pale as a ghost, and his entire body was trembling. The person who had died was his cousin. They had a very good relationship with each other. This time, they had specially come together. Unexpectedly, he was gone just like that¡­ Tang Ke¡¯s voice came faintly. ¡°I¡¯ve already warned you to act within your capabilities. If you disregard your own lives because of greed and competitiveness, you can¡¯t blame others even if you die. You only have one life. All of you¡ªbehave yourselves!¡± In the silent space, this voice sounded especially cold and indifferent. A layer of coldness swept over and enveloped everyone. Yeah! Tang Ke haS already said everything that needs to be said. It¡¯s obvious that he had died because he could no longer withstand the power of the lightning, but he still insisted on withstanding it. Who can he blame for not being able to withstand it himself? He wanted to win this fierce competition to become the top Armory Refinement Master, to stand at the highest position in the world¡­ Who doesn¡¯t want that, but how could it be that easy? Some people looked hesitant. Actually, it was already very difficult for them to last until now. Many people were already on the verge of collapse. They were only one push away from ending up like that man. Tang Ke said, ¡°If anyone wants to give up, just say it. I¡¯ll let you leave.¡± The atmosphere was strangely quiet. A moment later, a man suddenly said, ¡°I¡­ give up¡­¡± The person who spoke was the scar-faced man who had lost his cousin. It was just three simple words, but it was extremely difficult for him to say them, and even his voice trembled. His eyes were filled with struggle and unwillingness. It was obvious that making this decision was extremely difficult for him. However, he knew himself very well¡ªhis strength was slightly inferior to his cousin. If even his cousin couldn¡¯t hold on, how good could he be? If he died as well, his family¡¯s bloodline would be severed¡­ Therefore, no matter what, he had to protect his life. Even if he was unwilling to give up, he had no choice. Tang Ke wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°It¡¯s survival of the fittest, and the strong are respected. These are the most basic laws in the God Residence Realm. However, it¡¯s also a smart move to know how to assess the situation, move forward when it¡¯s time to move forward, and retreat when it¡¯s time to move back.¡± There seemed to be a hint of agreement and consolation in his words. Almost all the people who came here were the most outstanding Armory Refinement Masters in the God Residence Realm. If one of them died, the losses would be huge. Tang Ke only wanted to select the most suitable person to inherit his legacy. He didn¡¯t intend to kill all of them. Quitting the competition was an extremely difficult decision, especially for these proud Armory Refinement Masters. When the scar-faced man heard Tang Ke¡¯s words, he took a deep breath and calmed down. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, Junior has a presumptuous request. I wonder if you can agree?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Junior¡­ Although I¡¯ve given up on the competition, I still want to stay here and watch the competition. I wonder¡­ if you can agree?¡± the scar-faced man said nervously. However, Tang Ke didn¡¯t seem to care about this and laughed loudly. ¡°Why not!? Just retreat to the entrance.¡± The man was extremely excited and thanked him profusely. Then, he stood up and walked over. Although he had withdrawn from the competition, it would be great if he could stay here and continue watching the battle. On the one hand, it could broaden his horizons and increase his experience and strength. On the other hand, it could also satisfy his curiosity. Who didn¡¯t want to know who would inherit Tang Ke¡¯s legacy in the end? He quickly retreated to the entrance and exhaled softly. It could be seen that although he felt a little regretful for withdrawing from the competition, the pressure in his heart was instantly reduced by a lot because he could protect his life. With the first person taking the lead, people quickly followed suit. Not long after, a few people chose to give up and withdraw from the competition. Some people secretly looked at Chu Liuyue. Among the group of Armory Refinement Masters, she was the most inconspicuous one. Now that four to five people had already given up, logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t be able to hold on anymore. However, everyone waited, yet Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t move. She had been sitting cross-legged in her position without moving, looking calmly at the Heavenly Square Cauldron in front of her. Lightning was still falling continuously¡ªthey were even coming a little faster. Many people muttered in their hearts when they saw this, but with Rong Xiu¡¯s warning, they restrained themselves and didn¡¯t dare to publicly say anything else. Hence, everyone could only continue to wait silently. Everyone was very curious. How long could Chu Liuyue last? ¡­ In the blink of an eye, another three days passed. In the middle, two people died because they couldn¡¯t control themselves properly. In addition, more than ten people chose to withdraw. It had to be known that there were indeed many people who came for Tang Ke¡¯s tomb in the beginning. But after a batch of people died in the Messy Stone Forest, not many people came in. At this moment, a few more died, and more than ten people withdrew. There were only a few dozen people who were still competing. However, Chu Liuyue had yet to move! She sat there quietly as if it were the first day. The bolts of lightning kept falling into the Heavenly Square Cauldron. It seemed like¡­ It was as if she didn¡¯t have to worry about anything! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that everyone could sense that the force around her was depleting rapidly, they would¡¯ve thought that she had cheated. However, it was precisely because of this that it was even more puzzling. Those who were in the middle of the competition had no time to care, but the people standing at the edge of the entrance had their attention on Chu Liuyue. The group of people were discussing something in low voices. ¡°I remember that according to the rumors, Shangguan Yue¡¯s cultivation as a warrior is extremely outstanding, and she can fight against a legendary warrior at the true god realm! But¡­ no one has ever mentioned that she has any achievements in the field of armory refinement! Why does it seem like she¡¯s not bad?¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not just ¡®not bad!¡¯ To be able to last until now, her ability is better than us who withdrew from the competition! In my opinion, we¡¯ve all underestimated her!¡± ¡°I heard that she has always been on par with Rong Xiu on Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Qing Yun Ranking. On the armory refinement rankings, Rong Xiu is first, and she¡¯s second! Furthermore, she¡¯s Shangguan Jing¡¯s junior! Perhaps¡­ she can really amaze the world this time?¡± Chapter 2063 - 2063 The Competition Has Just Begun 2063 The Competition Has Just Begun ¡°Awesome? I don¡¯t think so. Even if she¡¯s extremely talented, how old is she now? At most, she¡¯s just an advanced Armory Refinement Master.¡± Since there were people praising her, there would naturally be people criticizing her. After all, there were many people who disliked Chu Liuyue. ¡°I also heard that Rong Xiu can already refine a royal Yuan instrument and has already broken through to become a royal Armory Refinement Master! But even so, it¡¯s still far from enough for him to take the lead in this competition. After all, there are still so many supreme Armory Refinement Masters present! Shangguan Yue wants to win? I think¡ªit¡¯s difficult!¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. Perhaps she¡¯s just holding on now? If she waits for a while longer, she probably won¡¯t be able to take it and will choose to give up.¡± ¡­ This wait lasted for another three days. At this moment, more than half of the people had been eliminated. Only the last dozen or so people were still insisting on continuing. Among these dozen or so people, nine were supreme Armory Refinement Masters and six were royal Armory Refinement Masters. Only Chu Liuyue¡¯s level was unknown. Yes, even Chu Liuyue herself didn¡¯t know her own capabilities because she really didn¡¯t put much effort into refining Yuan instruments. After all¡­ she had always been looking for trouble, or people were looking for trouble with her. All her time and effort were used to deal with these things. Therefore, she really didn¡¯t have much experience in refining Yuan instruments. The last time she seriously refined a Yuan instrument was when she helped Qiang Wanzhou forge the Cloud-Sky Copper Sword. After such a long time, she didn¡¯t know how strong she was in this aspect. According to her own speculation, she was probably at the level of an advanced Armory Refinement Master. Of course, this level couldn¡¯t be compared to the royal Armory Refinement Masters and supreme Armory Refinement Masters present. But most importantly¡­ the Heavenly Square Cauldron was a holy weapon! Chu Liuyue indeed couldn¡¯t refine a royal Yuan instrument or a supreme Yuan instrument like them, so she could only do her best to use the Heavenly Square Cauldron to trigger the lightning. However, this wasn¡¯t a foolproof method. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly, and her gaze swept across the Heavenly Square Cauldron in front of her. Streams of proficiency flickered¡ªclear and lustrous, sacred and powerful! Even the karmic fire inside was burning more vigorously than before. The Heavenly Square Cauldron was about to reach its limit. Even if the force in her body was inexhaustible, and her mind could barely support it, the Heavenly Square Cauldron could no longer hold any more. The lightning above seemed to have sensed something and gradually slowed down. Some of the silver light that gathered above Chu Liuyue¡¯s head also showed signs of dispersing. The surrounding people quickly noticed this. There was a moderate commotion in the crowd. ¡°Looks like Shangguan Yue won¡¯t be able to last much longer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time! How long has it been? But to be able to stimulate all the potential of the Heavenly Square Cauldron, she¡¯s indeed quite capable¡­¡± ¡°I wonder if she regrets her initial decision?¡± ¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue, do you need my help?¡± Tuan Zi flew to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and asked crisply. Chu Liuyue gently shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Tuan Zi pouted angrily. But those people said that A¡¯Yue is going to lose! Chu Liuyue looked up and smiled at her.¡±Don¡¯t worry, Tuan Zi.¡± She suddenly stood up. This was the first time she had stood up since the competition began. As soon as she moved, she attracted the attention of many people. Even Shangguan Jing and the others¡ªwho were focused on refining their Yuan instruments¡ªturned their heads and looked over. Tang Ke¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Girlie, are you going to admit defeat?¡± Everyone held their breaths. Previously, so many people had withdrawn from the competition, but Tang Ke didn¡¯t even ask about it. At this moment, Chu Liuyue had just stood up when he spoke. However, everyone knew that Tang Ke paid a lot of attention to Chu Liuyue from the start, so they weren¡¯t surprised and could only wait patiently. Then, they saw the woman raise her eyebrows and smile. ¡°How can that be?¡± she said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve just been sitting for too long. I just want to get up and exercise my body.¡± As she spoke, she really turned her waist and stretched her muscles. Her posture was relaxed, and her expression was relaxed. One really couldn¡¯t tell that she was still competing. ¡°Hmph! Pretentious.¡± Wei Ze sneered in disdain. I don¡¯t believe that she can do anything else! Chu Liuyue tilted her head and glanced at Wei Ze with a faint smile. ¡°Looks like the family head is really concerned about this junior.¡± Wei Ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he met that pair of clear and cold eyes. He subconsciously looked away. He suddenly realized that he wasn¡¯t imposing at all! Therefore, he turned around again and wanted to continue arguing to regain his dignity. ¡°You¡ª¡± Swoosh! He had just started his sentence when he was interrupted by a sharp and cold sound! Something suddenly appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and was rapidly expanding. It was a red scroll that looked like a painting, but the pressure emitting from it wasn¡¯t to be underestimated. While Wei Ze was in a daze, someone in the crowd had already exclaimed, ¡°Flying Cloud Painting!¡± Wei Ze widened his eyes and started coughing violently. ¡°Cough¡ªcough¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue asked with concern, ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong with the family head? Did you choke on something?¡± Wei Ze coughed until his face turned red, and he finally managed to calm down. Just as he was about to defend himself, he saw Chu Liuyue holding the Flying Cloud Painting and smiling as she looked over, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak. Flying Cloud Painting¡ªit is also one of the top ten holy weapons! Why is this thing in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands? That¡¯s right¡­ This is the Nan family¡¯s ultimate treasure. Previously, the Nan family suffered a huge loss in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands, and even the family head, Nan Yifan, died in Peach Blossom Dock. Then, it doesn¡¯t seem strange for this Flying Cloud Painting to fall into Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. In the battle at Peach Blossom Dock, Chu Liuyue deliberately released the news to intimidate everyone. However, the people outside weren¡¯t very clear about the exact situation. Chu Liuyue had specially instructed people not to casually spread the series of matters regarding the Flying Cloud Painting. Therefore, not many people knew. Now that she suddenly took it out, everyone was naturally shocked. Countless gazes landed on Chu Liuyue with different emotions. In the God Residence Realm, even first-rate aristocratic families might not have a single holy weapon. Yet, Chu Liuyue alone had two of them! How could this not cause one¡¯s emotions to surge? Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to those gazes. She unfolded the Flying Cloud Painting, closed her eyes, and circulated the force in her body. Hong hong hong! The few bolts of lightning above seemed to have been summoned and descended one after another, heading straight for the Flying Cloud Painting! Chapter 2064 - 2064 She Wont Lose 2064 She Won¡¯t Lose Seeing this scene, everyone was dumbfounded. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes in satisfaction. The Heavenly Square Cauldron is saturated, but¡­ it isn¡¯t the only holy weapon I have. Seeing the smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face, Wei Ze instantly understood something. ¡°You! You¡¯ve already prepared for this, haven¡¯t you!?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded without hiding anything and smiled. ¡°The family head is really impressive. You can even tell?¡± Wei Ze was so angry that his face turned pale and his body trembled. At this moment, everyone with eyes can tell. Who is she trying to mock!? Just as he was about to say something, Chu Liuyue continued, ¡°Junior knows that my talent and strength can¡¯t be compared to all of you. If I want to win this competition, it¡¯s really extremely difficult. Fortunately, Junior¡¯s luck has always been good. I have a few holy weapons in my hands, so I thought that I might be able to take this gamble.¡± Wei Ze¡¯s breath was stuck in his chest. He almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Lucky? A few holy weapons? Take this gamble? Is she speaking in human language? The treasures that countless aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm want but can¡¯t obtain are like cabbages that were casually picked up by her! Where is the justice in this world? How can she let others live!? ¡°Ah, right! The family head also had a holy weapon before, right?¡± Just as Chu Liuyue finished speaking, a low buzzing sound was heard. Buzz¡ª Rong Xiu stood beside the Sharp-Edged Halberd, retracted his hand, and reminded, ¡°Here.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head regretfully. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the owner has already changed. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be much easier for the Wei family to win this round?¡± ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re wrong.¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows and corrected a small mistake. ¡°This Sharp-Edged Halberd didn¡¯t recognize the head of the Wei family as its master previously, so it can¡¯t be considered a ¡®change of master.''¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. ¡°Look at me, I actually forgot about this! Family Head, Junior didn¡¯t mean to offend you. Please forgive me!¡± Wei Ze had completely lost his temper. He finally understood that these two people were in cahoots! There was no gain in bickering with them! He waved his sleeves fiercely and snorted. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll have the last laugh!¡± Controlling the Heavenly Square Cauldron, a holy weapon, is already very exhausting. Now, Chu Liuyue actually summoned the Flying Cloud Painting. She is really not afraid of death! I want to see how long she can last! Wei Ze forced himself to recollect his thoughts and stopped paying attention to them. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue talking to him. She directly spread out the Flying Cloud Painting in front of her and sat cross-legged again. There seemed to be a layer of faint light enveloping the dense ink pattern. Streaks of heavenly lightning carried a shocking aura and power as they continuously fell into the painting before quickly disappearing. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and gathered her focus. In front of her, sparks flew everywhere. The dazzling light accentuated the calmness between her eyebrows. This round¡­ I must win! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s sudden actions stunned everyone present. After a long time, everyone finally realized what had happened. After experiencing a difficult mental struggle, they finally accepted everything. No wonder Chu Liuyue was so confident! It turned out that she had already made plans from the beginning! If one holy weapon isn¡¯t enough, there is still one more! Who can withstand this!? Even among the supreme Armory Refinement Masters present, how many of them can go head-on against this? Most importantly, no one could say anything about her actions. Who asked those two holy weapons to really be hers!? Previously, they tried their best to disqualify Tuan Zi. They thought that Chu Liuyue would be helpless from then on, but who would have thought¡­ Moreover, from the start, she had already asked clearly whether the lightning triggered by holy weapons would be included in her final results! Who would have the guts to refute and question Tang Ke¡¯s words? Chu Liuyue is so young, but she¡¯s so scheming! Everyone had different thoughts, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t take it to heart. She had already given them a lot of face. If not for the fact that she was afraid of trouble and wanted to teach these people a lesson, she wouldn¡¯t have spent so much effort to deal with this competition. Only by defeating them fair and square could she obtain Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance without any worries! ¡­ Another few days passed. One by one, they chose to give up. In the end, there were only three people left in the arena¡ªChu Liuyue, Shangguan Jing, and¡­ Wei Ze! Shangguan Jing was publicly acknowledged as an expert, so it was within everyone¡¯s expectations that he could stay behind. As for the remaining two, they were quite controversial. On Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, there were two holy weapons holding down and presiding over the situation. Although everyone had mixed opinions about this, they had to admit that she was indeed capable. In comparison, what was even more surprising was actually Wei Ze. Although he was the head of the Wei family, had a noble status, and his strength could be considered top-notch¡­ Compared to the people present, he was actually not the top group. After all, the people who came this time were refining big shots who hadn¡¯t left the mountain for many years! Normally, he would have to be polite to these people. But now, those people couldn¡¯t take it anymore and chose to retreat. However, Wei Ze had unexpectedly persisted until now! This was a little surprising. Rong Xiu glanced at Wei Ze, and his lips curled up slightly. ¡°Family Head, you¡¯re really hiding something.¡± Wei Ze didn¡¯t seem to hear him. He was focused on devouring the surrounding lightning. In front of him was a purple-black hammer. The hammer was engraved with ancient patterns, and its aura was restrained and heavy. As for the lightning, they all landed on the hammer. He had taken this thing out at the beginning of the competition. Until now, no one knew how many bolts of lightning it had devoured, but there were still no changes. It wasn¡¯t like the Heavenly Square Cauldron, where it was saturated. This was interesting. Everyone could tell that this purple-black hammer was a Yuan instrument. It was very powerful outside, but it wasn¡¯t enough here. But now, the amount of heavenly lightning it could contain had already exceeded the Heavenly Square Cauldron, which was a holy weapon! At first, everyone didn¡¯t feel that something was wrong. But as time passed, they finally realized that this hammer¡­ was indeed extraordinary! Rong Xiu glanced at him indifferently, and there seemed to be ripples in his eyes. At this moment, Tuan Zi came to Rong Xiu¡¯s side and tilted her head to size up the purple-black hammer. She softly muttered, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with that thing¡­¡± Rong Xiu looked down at her. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tuan Zi hesitated for a moment before saying with uncertainty, ¡°This¡­ I can¡¯t say it either. Anyway, it¡¯s just not right¡­¡± It¡¯s as if¡­ as if¡­ Rong Xiu smiled. Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you laughing at? Aren¡¯t you worried that A¡¯Yue will lose?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. His expression was lazy, but he was extremely certain. ¡°She won¡¯t lose.¡± Chapter 2065 - 2065 Future 2065 Future Tuan Zi nodded seriously. ¡°Yes! Since both A¡¯Yue and Your Highness says she won¡¯t lose, she definitely won¡¯t lose!¡± As she spoke, she sighed regretfully. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t help much in this round¡­¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not bad if you can use this opportunity to increase your strength.¡± After all, Tuan Zi was Chu Liuyue¡¯s fiend. It was a good thing for Chu Liuyue that Tuan Zi¡¯s strength had increased. Tuan Zi was instantly encouraged and clenched her fists. ¡°Your Highness is right! I¡¯ll go now!¡± Before she finished speaking, her small red-gold figure disappeared into the sea of lightning. Rong Xiu looked up slightly. More than ten days had passed, but the number of lightning bolts in this vast space didn¡¯t seem to have decreased much. It was obvious that everyone had already devoured a lot, but it was still not worth mentioning when compared to the entire sea of lightning. Looking up, he saw a dazzling silver light flickering. After all, it was the lightning that Tang Ke had accumulated for 10,000 years¡­ Hong long long! Suddenly, a series of explosions sounded! Rong Xiu retracted his gaze and saw countless lightning bolts striking down at the same time, heading straight for Shangguan Jing! In front of him, the Hollow Jade Spirit Embryo¡ªafter being polished by countless lightning bolts for a long time¡ªfinally revealed the appearance of the sword body! A layer of dazzling silver light enveloped him, making it almost impossible to look straight at him. The powerful pressure spreading from above was still rising! More and more lightning bolts landed on it, polishing it bit by bit! Even Shangguan Jing¡¯s figure was enveloped by this brilliant light, making it difficult to distinguish. ¡°Is Shangguan Jing¡¯s Yuan instrument finally completed?!¡± ¡°Among the three of them, he is the only one who relied on forging a Yuan instrument to trigger the heavenly lightning¡­ If I remember correctly, during this period of time, that Hollow Jade Spirit Embryo has probably swallowed more than a thousand heavenly lightning bolts!¡± ¡°He¡¯s indeed powerful¡­ Such ability really makes me sigh in admiration!¡± ¡°Heh, how many of us here can be compared to him? In my opinion, in terms of refinement alone, Shangguan Jing is indeed number one among us! However, I wonder who will have the last laugh in this competition?¡± ¡­ Shangguan Jing had reached the final step of forging the Yuan instrument in his hands. Countless bolts of lightning surged down and were completely annihilated by the longsword forged with the Hollow Jade Spirit Embryo. At this moment, the power in his body was almost exhausted. This was the first time in his life that he had triggered so many lightning bolts when refining a Yuan instrument! That¡¯s right. This was undoubtedly a supreme Yuan instrument! Moreover, it was the strongest one he could refine in his life! The shocking commotion even attracted Chu Liuyue and Wei Ze¡¯s attention. The two also raised their heads and looked over. A strange light flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. This is the first time I have personally seen Ancestor refine a Yuan instrument. It is more shocking than I had imagined! Wei Ze clenched his fists tightly as deep envy surged in his heart. He knew very well that with his talent, even if he cultivated for another hundred years, it was impossible for him to reach Shangguan Jing¡¯s standard! Fortunately, I still have my trump card. It doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t compare to Shangguan Jing for the time being. Only the one who can persevere until the end can obtain Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance! Thinking of this, Wei Ze gazed deeply at the purple-black hammer in front of him. Whir! The sword roared! Shangguan Jing finally stretched out his hand and held the Hollow Jade Spirit Sword tightly! In an instant, terrifying sword aura scattered in all directions! It was almost about to cut through space! A gentle and thick power slowly surged over and surrounded the sword aura. Tang Ke¡¯s smiling voice sounded. ¡°This is almost the highest level of Yuan instruments. It¡¯s just a little bit away from breaking through the shackles and becoming a holy weapon! Shangguan Jing, you¡­ are indeed very outstanding!¡± His words were filled with unconcealed praise and admiration. In this world, there were very few people who could refine such a Yuan instrument. Shangguan Jing carefully sized up the longsword in his hand, feeling very excited. The right time, the right place, and the right people! The reason why he could succeed this time was largely due to the power of the lightning bolts here! Although he was unable to cross that threshold and truly forge a holy weapon, in reality, Shangguan Jing was already very satisfied. He knew that if he wanted to advance to the next level, it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as everyone had imagined. Otherwise, someone in the God Residence Realm would¡¯ve successfully refined a holy weapon after Tang Ke and Mr. Su. Shangguan Jing vaguely sensed that if he wanted to do this, he needed some kind of help, but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was. This Hollow Jade Spirit Sword was already the strongest Yuan instrument that he could refine with all the knowledge he had in his life! ¡°Thank you, Senior Tang Ke.¡± He took a deep breath in. If he weren¡¯t here, I would have to spend a lot of effort to forge this sword. Tang Ke laughed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. After all, you¡¯re outstanding enough! Do you still want to continue this competition?¡± Shangguan Jing paused for a moment. Then, he shook his head and sighed with a smile. ¡°No.¡± The crowd immediately fell silent. They were a little surprised by Shangguan Jing¡¯s decision, but they also felt that it was reasonable. This sword had already exhausted his strength. Even if he could barely hold on, it might be meaningless. It was better to end it here. In the final period of time, the Hollow Jade Spirit Sword devoured many lightning bolts. Compared to the three of them, it was still unknown who would win. Even if Shangguan Jing lost in the end, he had forged such a top-notch Yuan instrument. This time, he had profited greatly. ¡°Okay.¡± Tang Ke didn¡¯t seem surprised by his choice. ¡°Here, you¡¯ve devoured a total of 1,381 heavenly lightning bolts and are currently ranked first. If the two of them can¡¯t surpass your number in the future, the winner will be you!¡± This number left many people speechless. ¡°If you have the opportunity to refine a holy weapon in the future, it might not be impossible for you.¡± Tang Ke¡¯s last sentence made everyone gasp. This is¡­ Does this mean that Shangguan Jing has the potential to refine holy weapons?! Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head slightly. ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± Everyone had different expressions. The way they looked at Shangguan Jing was very different from before. Since Tang Ke said so, it is basically confirmed! Even if Shangguan Jing doesn¡¯t win this time, if news of this were to spread, it will be enough to shock and make the world admire him¡­ Shangguan Jing cupped his fist and bowed politely. Then, he turned around and walked toward the entrance. Seeing him coming, everyone subconsciously became nervous. ¡°Congratulations, Shangguan!¡± The few elders who came with Shangguan Jing were the first to react and go forward to congratulate him. The remaining people hurriedly echoed, ¡°Congratulations, Senior Shangguan!¡± ¡°Senior has been silent for many years. Now that he has attacked again, it¡¯s indeed admirable!¡± Chapter 2066 - 2066 Still a Little Slow 2066 Still a Little Slow There was an obvious change in everyone¡¯s attitude. After Tang Ke and Mr. Su, no one in the God Residence Realm had successfully refined a holy weapon in the past 10,000 years. Now, Tang Ke personally confirmed that Shangguan Jing had such hope. This was the first in 10,000 years! Naturally, it was different! Although Shangguan Jing was also famous in the past, there were many supreme Armory Refinement Masters in the world, and all of them were extremely arrogant. No one was willing to lower their heads and admit defeat. Even if they met, they couldn¡¯t stand each other. This was also why there were some people who secretly mocked Shangguan Jing, Chu Liuyue, and the rest in the beginning. However, it was different now! Tang Ke¡¯s words were like gold and jade. From now on, who could be compared to Shangguan Jing?! Future Armory Refinement Saint¡­ Just the thought of these words made one feel pressured! If Shangguan Jing really succeeded in breaking through in the future, he would undoubtedly be the top Armory Refinement Master! At that time, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to build a relationship with him. If they didn¡¯t hurry up now, where would they get the chance in the future? Everyone treated Shangguan Jing much more politely and respectfully, afraid that he would remember them for offending him previously. Shangguan Jing smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re too kind. I¡¯m just a little lucky. I¡¯m just an old bag of bones and don¡¯t dare to expect anything else. Now, I only hope that Yue¡¯er can successfully end this competition¡­¡± Although he was smiling, he was more than polite. His eyes were clear and calm. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t take everyone¡¯s solicitousness and flattery seriously. Then, he looked up at Chu Liuyue, who was still on the stage. It was obvious that he was impenetrable. When everyone saw this, they could only temporarily dispel the numerous thoughts in their hearts. Shangguan Jing has lived for so many years. He had once been all-powerful and had experienced life and death. What has he not seen? Such a sly old fox is very slippery. It is probably useless to say anything now. The crowd gradually quietened down. No matter what, they could only wait for the competition to end. ¡­ Only Chu Liuyue and Wei Ze were left in the arena now, and they were still in the final competition. Above the two of them, lightning converged and fell continuously. In the entire space, everyone was silent. Time seemed to pass exceptionally slowly. At this moment, everyone had already confirmed that there was indeed a huge problem with the purple-black hammer in front of Wei Ze. What was it that could hold more lightning than a holy weapon? But the competition was still ongoing, and the item was indeed Wei Ze¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t considered against the rules, so everyone could only watch. In the silence, Tang Ke¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Wei Ze, 1,382 lightning bolts!¡± There was a commotion in the crowd. The number of lightning bolts that Wei Ze devoured has already surpassed Shangguan Jing! This also means that Shangguan Jing has no chance of getting first place. Some people secretly looked at Shangguan Jing, only to find that his expression was calm as if he wasn¡¯t disappointed. That¡¯s true. After receiving Tang Ke¡¯s praise, Shangguan Jing has a bright future. Even if he doesn¡¯t win this match, it won¡¯t affect him much. In reality, compared to winning or losing, Shangguan Jing was more concerned about Chu Liuyue. He only hoped that she could defeat Wei Ze now! There is something fishy about Wei Ze¡¯s hammer. I don¡¯t know how long it could last. After such a long time, the Flying Cloud Painting seems to be almost saturated¡­ Looking at that calm face, Shangguan Jing clenched his fists. ¡­ Five days passed in the blink of an eye. The past few days felt like years to everyone, but the outcome of the competition had yet to be decided! Chu Liuyue had expended a large amount of force and spirit. Her face was already a little pale, and her lips were pale. There was a faint bruise under her eyes, and she looked really haggard. However, Wei Ze¡¯s situation seemed to be much better than Chu Liuyue¡¯s. After all, he was older and was better than Chu Liuyue in all aspects of cultivation. If this continued, the one who would win in the end would probably be Wei Ze¡­ At this moment, the lightning above the Flying Cloud Painting also circulated much slower. Clearly, the number of lightning bolts that the Flying Cloud Painting could accommodate had already reached its limit! Chu Liuyue stood up again. Wei Ze turned to look at her and snorted. ¡°What? Master Yue, are you going to stretch your muscles again?¡± The two holy weapons are already saturated, and she is obviously exhausted. I don¡¯t believe that she can still come up with any tricks! These words were just mockery. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to understand as she smiled and said, ¡°The family head is really good at predicting things. Nothing can escape your eyes.¡± Wei Ze choked. Right on the heels of that, he saw Chu Liuyue raise her head slightly and ask, ¡°Senior Tang Ke, may I ask how much of a difference there is between family head and me?¡± Tang Ke replied, ¡°You have 1,562 now, and Wei Ze has 1,895.¡± There was a difference of more than 300 lightning bolts between the two of them! This was definitely not a small number, especially under the premise that the two of them had such a terrifying base number. Even if there was just one more, it couldn¡¯t be underestimated! How could Chu Liuyue catch up to such a huge gap? She looked like she was at the end of her rope. Chu Liuyue thanked him and lowered her head slightly, as if she was thinking about something. Wei Ze laughed and pretended to comfort her. ¡°Master Yue, to be able to last until now is already beyond the reach of ordinary people. You are still young, and in time, you might be able to beat me¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of winning then?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows and interrupted Wei Ze. Who doesn¡¯t know that today¡¯s outcome will determine whether Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance can be passed down? If I lose today, it will be useless no matter how many times I win in the future. Wei Ze stroked his beard and laughed. ¡°You¡¯re right, but who doesn¡¯t want to win? However, if you don¡¯t have the strength, you shouldn¡¯t ask for something that doesn¡¯t belong to you¡­¡± Clang! Before he could finish, Chu Liuyue suddenly moved! A green shadow quickly streaked across the air and ruthlessly struck the ground! Crack! Several cracks instantly spread! Wei Ze looked over, and his eyes widened in shock. ¡°This¡ª¡± It was a huge green axe. It was heavy, ancient, and exuded an awe-inspiring pressure! Crucially¡­ This was also a holy weapon! ¡°Let me introduce you. This is one of the top ten holy weapons, the Grand Azure Sun Axe! It used to belong to the head of the Yi family, but now it belongs to me,¡± said Chu Liuyue casually. Everyone¡¯s hearts were instantly in turmoil! Yi Wentao¡¯s Grand Azure Sun Axe actually became Chu Liuyue¡¯s?! It recognized her as its master?! Chu Liuyue crossed her arms with one hand and supported her chin with the other as she muttered softly, ¡°This still seems a little slow¡­¡± Chapter 2067 - 2067 Falling! 2067 Falling! She looked up and glanced at Wei Ze. ¡°Family Head, can I ask how much of your hammer has been used?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s eyes twitched. Is there such a direct question? Isn¡¯t this too unreasonable!? He gritted his teeth and said coldly, ¡°Master Yue, I advise you not to struggle anymore. Even if you still have a third holy weapon, how much strength do you have? It won¡¯t do you any good to barely hold on and overdraft your body.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°I know my own health; you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Just answer my question.¡± Wei Ze frowned. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t want to say it, but it¡¯s fine. After all, we¡¯re competitors now. It¡¯s normal for you to react like this.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Wei Ze felt a lump in his chest. Originally, she shouldn¡¯t have asked about this. Why does it now sound like I¡¯m being petty when it comes to her? ¡°In that case¡­ I can only do my best.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. Wei Ze was both amused and angry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Could it be that Master Yue was holding back earlier?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly ,and she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she suddenly took three steps back. Then, with a thought, a stream of light flew out of the Cosmic Ring on her hand! ¡°A supreme Yuan instrument!¡± someone said in a low voice. The sword aura was biting cold and cold. Chu Liuyue summoned her Chi Xiao Sword! Wei Ze was stunned for a moment before he couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°What? Master Yue, you can¡¯t summon more holy weapons now, so you might as well replace them with supreme Yuan instruments? But even if your current cultivation as an Armory Refinement Master isn¡¯t high, you should know that there¡¯s a huge gap between a supreme Yuan instrument and a holy weapon, right? So what if you summon one more supreme Yuan instrument?¡± The Chi Xiao Sword quietly floated in mid-air. Chu Liuyue flicked her finger lightly, and it let out a crisp and pleasant sword cry. She narrowed her eyes, and her red lips curled into a playful smile. ¡°One supreme Yuan instrument is nothing in this battle. But¡­ who said I only summoned one?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a few streams of light surged out of her palm! Chu! Chu! Chu! Almost dazzling rays of light appeared one after another and instantly lined up neatly in front of Chu Liuyue. Streams of pressure spread out from them! ¡°One, two, three¡­ eight?!¡± Wei Ze counted subconsciously. Every time he shouted a number, his eyes widened. In the end, his voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. Eight¡­ Eight supreme Yuan instruments!? She must be crazy! She summoned so many at once. Could it be that she plans on using them to trigger the lightning at the same time?! She has a death wish! Not only Wei Ze, but the others who were watching were also in a mess. Some people suspected that they had seen wrongly and even specially counted back and forth several times. But¡­ there were eight of them! The crowd became chaotic. ¡°I remember now! It¡¯s said that when they got married, Shangguan Jing once gave out six supreme Yuan instruments on the spot! I guess they are the ones in front of us, right?¡± ¡°But wasn¡¯t that only six? Even with her Chi Xiao Sword, there are only seven in total! Why is there one more?¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue turned around and explained with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s one more gift from my father, but it was refined by Ancestor.¡± The extra one was naturally the Tianling Power Staff. Just as she said that, the Tianling Power Staff flew over and circled around Chu Liuyue smugly. It swayed and was very unhappy. Chu Liuyue lightly knocked on it. ¡°Don¡¯t be smug. If you don¡¯t do your job well later, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± On the Tianling Power Staff, the dragon¡¯s eyes shone brightly. After swaying twice, it finally returned obediently and lined up with the rest. Everyone was speechless. Since she has already taken the initiative to explain, what else is there to ask!? Apart from the Yi family and the Nan family, even if the remaining first-rate aristocratic families could take out eight supreme Yuan instruments, they would probably have to empty their pockets! And now, Chu Liuyue could actually take out so many by herself! In reality, Chu Liuyue had more. After all, she had exploited a lot from the Yi family previously. But if she summoned too many at once, she was worried that she might not be able to withstand it. Moreover, it would be too ostentatious. Therefore, she planned to try these few first. Of course, Chu Liuyue had completely forgotten that she had taken out three holy weapons. What could be more ostentatious than this? ¡°This should be enough¡­¡± She let out a long breath. If it isn¡¯t enough, I will add more later! Wei Ze was already dumbfounded and speechless. Ever since Chu Liuyue appeared, her every action far exceeded Wei Ze¡¯s expectations. He really didn¡¯t know what was in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. Most importantly, where was her bottom line and upper limit? Wei Ze closed his eyes and finally managed to regain his rationality. ¡°Master Yue is truly¡­ rich and overbearing! However, it seems that Master Yue doesn¡¯t quite understand the principle of biting off more than you can chew.¡± In order to win, she is so unscrupulous. Isn¡¯t she afraid that she will end up stuffed to death? Chu Liuyue stretched her neck and wrists. After sitting for so long without resting or sleeping, it would be strange if she wasn¡¯t tired. ¡°The family head will know soon if I can chew it.¡± As she spoke, she closed her eyes and held her breath. The next moment, turbulent force gushed out from her dantian. Above, the countless lightning bolts seemed to have sensed something and began to become uneasy, gradually increasing their swimming speed. Chu Liuyue yelled, ¡°Fall!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, streams of silver light slashed down one after another! Chapter 2068 - 2068 Win! 2068 Win! This time, the number of lightning bolts that fell was several times more than before! Sparks flew in all directions, and the light was blinding. Even Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure was almost enveloped by the white light and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. Explosions sounded one after another, almost making one¡¯s ears buzz. Wei Ze looked at the scene in front of him in a daze and forgot to move for a moment. Chu Liuyue actually¡­ summoned so many lightning bolts at the same time?! How did she do it? Her force and spirit have already consumed a terrifying amount of energy previously. Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t be able to take it anymore! Then, why did she become even stronger? This time, not only did she use the Great Azure Sun Axe, but she has also added eight supreme Yuan instruments! There was indeed an insurmountable gap between a supreme Yuan instrument and a holy weapon. But when there were too many of them, the power accumulated was also very shocking. At the very least, the amount of lightning in front of Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t inferior to what was summoned by the Great Azure Sun Axe! If she continued at this speed, it would probably not be long before the gap between the two of them would be even! At that time, Wei Ze might even be overtaken! ¡°What the hell!¡± After a while, Wei Ze came back to his senses and couldn¡¯t help but curse. Originally, I was confident that I would win! Now, I have to expend a lot of energy! But no matter what, Chu Liuyue has already continued, so it is useless for me to say anything. Helpless, Wei Ze could only try his best to calm the anger in his heart. He restrained his thoughts and focused on the purple-black hammer in front of him again. But when he heard the commotion from Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, he couldn¡¯t calm down no matter what. Every once in a while, he couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to look. He had always felt that Chu Liuyue was only doing this to win and that she would definitely not be able to last long. However, 15 minutes passed. Then, two hours passed¡­ The situation on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side was the same as before. The gap between the two sides was shrinking. Wei Ze gradually became anxious. He wanted to control the purple-black hammer in front of him to speed up the devouring of the heavenly lightning, but he knew that it was impossible. After all, he wasn¡¯t in control of this thing¡­ Thinking of this, Wei Ze took a deep breath. Anyway, there is no time limit for this match. I don¡¯t believe that Chu Liuyue can continue like this. ¡­ Xue Xue flew back from the sea of lightning and came to Rong Xiu¡¯s feet. It stretched and licked its claws before lying down in satisfaction. One could vaguely see a few silver snake-like streams of light flashing across its snow-white fur. The aura around it was much stronger than before. It could be seen that it had devoured a lot of power during this trip, and its strength had greatly increased. ¡°Awoo!¡± Xue Xue narrowed its eyes and felt a little drowsy. Ah, I haven¡¯t been so happy in a long time! Rong Xiu glanced at it. After devouring so much power at once, it will take some time for Xue Xue to completely digest and transform it into its own power. Rong Xiu raised his wrist slightly, and his slender fingers gently moved in mid-air. A golden stream of light flew out and quickly formed a small barrier around Xue Xue. With the protection of this barrier, Xue Xue could completely block the interference of the outside world and focus on cultivating. Xue Xue¡¯s throat rumbled again, and its ice-blue eyes flickered. Wu wu wu¡ªI¡¯m so touched. I can finally feel Master¡¯s warmth! However, Rong Xiu¡¯s next sentence mercilessly gave it a heavy blow. ¡°Your bloodline is not like Tuan Zi¡¯s. This is already the limit, so just rest well for the time being.¡± Xue Xue: ??? Master, are you hinting that I¡¯m inferior to Tuan Zi? Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°No, it¡¯s explicit.¡± Xue Xue was speechless. I knew it would be harder than ascending to the heavens to hear a compliment from Master! Xue Xue looked at Tuan Zi resentfully. The latter was still running happily in the sea of lightning as if she would never tire. Actually, there were very few ancient legendary fiends like Tuan Zi. The lightning here contained extremely powerful energy. Those who weren¡¯t strong enough would probably not be able to withstand the rampage of this power. But Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t like that. She had the purest bloodline and had already opened her fifth meridian, so this power basically couldn¡¯t cause any harm to her. She had an extremely strong physical body and great potential. That was why she could come and go freely in this sea of lightning. Xue Xue felt conflicted for a long time. Although it didn¡¯t want to admit it, Tuan Zi was indeed much better than it in this aspect. ¡°If you want to win, there¡¯s a way.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips moved slightly. Xue Xue immediately looked up excitedly and met its master¡¯s deep eyes. Then, uneasiness welled up in it. Indeed, the next moment, it heard Rong Xiu casually say, ¡°Just go to the Red Moon Desert a few more times.¡± ¡°Ow!¡± I knew it! Xue Xue closed its eyes and decided to play dead. ¡­ Time slowly passed, and the competition between the two finally reached its climax. Seeing that Wei Ze and Chu Liuyue were still continuing, everyone had complicated expressions. There is really something wrong with these two people. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to compete until now! ¡°Shangguan Yue is almost catching up, right? I think it won¡¯t be long before she overtakes him!¡± ¡°Her speed is indeed very fast now, but Wei Ze isn¡¯t to be trifled with. Didn¡¯t you notice that from the beginning until now, the speed at which he devours the lightning is the same without any fluctuations?¡± ¡°Hmm? Now that you mention it, it does seem like¡­ Hiss¡­ This doesn¡¯t seem right, right? No matter what, it can¡¯t be so stable¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, if there was no problem, he would¡¯ve been defeated long ago. How could he have lasted until now? I think it¡¯s not that he¡¯s powerful but that his hammer is extraordinary!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just a Yuan instrument. I don¡¯t know how he did it¡­¡± All sorts of discussions could be heard. Shangguan Jing¡¯s gaze kept wandering back and forth between the two of them. Every time he looked at Wei Ze, he would frown. The current situation was that everyone knew that there was something wrong with Wei Ze¡¯s hammer, but they didn¡¯t know what the problem was. He had already observed for a long time, but he still didn¡¯t find anything abnormal. It was as if¡­ his hammer was a bottomless pit! Thinking of this, Shangguan Jing became even more worried. Even though Chu Liuyue has been catching up quickly, it is extremely taxing on her in all aspects. What if the competition doesn¡¯t end even after the Great Azure Sun Axe and these Yuan instruments are saturated? He could tell that she really wanted to win. At this moment, Wei Ze suddenly moved! He cut open his palm, and a stream of dark red blood flew out and landed on the purple-black hammer! For a moment, the wind howled! Chapter 2069 - 2069 Shell Steal It Herself! 2069 She¡¯ll Steal It Herself! His sudden movement took everyone by surprise because this was too sudden. For such a long time, no matter what happened, Wei Ze had always been very stable. No one expected him to suddenly attack at this time. ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s anxious because he¡¯s about to be caught up to?¡± Many people guessed so. This was also the most reasonable explanation. The warm blood landed on the hammer and was absorbed in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace. Then, the patterns on it seemed to light up a little. A shocking aura spread out from it! The lightning above seemed to have been summoned by some force and began to surge over quickly. It even gradually formed a silver vortex, and Wei Ze was the center! No¡ªto be precise, it was the hammer in front of him. Chu Liuyue also placed the holy weapons in front of her, but the feeling they gave off was very different. On Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, everyone could clearly feel that she had activated these holy weapons and Yuan instruments to attract those lightning bolts. But on Wei Ze¡¯s side, it was more like the hammer had guided the lightning bolts to fall one after another. Wei Ze seemed dispensable¡­ The wind howled like thunder. This commotion also alarmed Chu Liuyue. She turned around and narrowed her eyes dangerously. At this moment, Wei Ze¡¯s condition was very strange. His face was very pale, and large beads of sweat fell from his forehead. There was also a trace of blood slowly seeping out of the corner of his mouth, which he quickly wiped away. The aura on his body was also much weaker than before. In the eyes of others, perhaps they only thought that he was like this because he had suddenly erupted and used all the power in his body to trigger the lightning. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think so. This was because Wei Ze¡¯s current appearance¡­ was definitely not a simple exhaustion of force and mental energy! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned slightly, and she looked at the hammer in front of him in deep thought. For some reason, I feel that Wei Ze is the one being controlled¡­ ¡°Family Head,¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly called out to him. Wei Ze didn¡¯t seem to hear her and didn¡¯t react at all. His eyes were still fixed on the hammer in front of him. ¡°Family Head?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her voice. This time, Wei Ze finally turned around. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Wei Ze¡¯s face was as pale as a ghost, and his aura and spirit were very declining. Compared to before, he was like a completely different person! All of this was because he had cut open his palm and left a trace of blood on the hammer. What shocked and worried her the most was Wei Ze¡¯s eyes. The moment he turned his head and looked over, his eyes were completely devoid of light as if they were enveloped by a thick fog. Even though his expression quickly returned to normal and only the deep fatigue in his eyes remained, Chu Liuyue still felt that something was wrong. ¡°Family Head, I¡¯ll return everything you said to me just now. Although the competition is important, your health is the most important,¡± said Chu Liuyue word by word. There seemed to be a trace of anger and resentment in Wei Ze¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He just turned around and ignored her. This time, Chu Liuyue was even more certain of her guess. However, what she didn¡¯t understand was that if she could sense that something was wrong, Tang Ke could definitely do the same. But why hadn¡¯t he said anything until now? More and more lightning bolts surged toward Wei Ze! It wasn¡¯t easy for Chu Liuyue to tie the scores, but now that Wei Ze suddenly did this, the gap widened again. When they saw that the situation on the battlefield had changed again, the surrounding crowd subconsciously quietened down and held their breaths as they waited. They could see that the two of them had already used their final trump cards. Whether they won or lost would be obvious soon! Shangguan Jing slowly clenched his fists. The crux of the problem now isn¡¯t only that Wei Ze is devouring the lightning faster than Chu Liuyue, but more importantly, Wei Ze has clearly started snatching the lightning! The lightning bolts that were rushing toward Chu Liuyue seemed to be attracted by some force on Wei Ze¡¯s side. They all changed their direction and went straight there. On Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, the number of lightning bolts decreased. Even if she could still persevere¡­ If she was powerless to compete with Wei Ze, the final outcome would still be the same! Not only Shangguan Jing, but many other Armory Refinement Masters who were watching the competition also noticed this. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Wei Ze to be so domineering. He can actually forcefully snatch those lightning bolts from Shangguan Yue! If this continues, he¡¯ll have a monopoly! At that time, Shangguan Yue will definitely lose!¡± ¡°Normally, when two people compete for the power of lightning, only when one party¡¯s level and strength are much better than the other party can they be so domineering. However, Wei Ze¡¯s strength in this aspect isn¡¯t the best. Moreover, Shangguan Yue has several holy weapons presiding over the situation. How could this be?¡± ¡°No wonder Wei Ze was so arrogant just now. So he had such a powerful trump card¡­ This time, he¡¯s probably really going to win. Even if Shangguan Yue has holy weapons, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult for her to compete with him!¡± ¡­ All sorts of noises entered her ears. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and lightly closed her eyes. Of course, she understood what they were saying. At this moment, the lightning was no longer surging toward her. Even the Great Azure Sun Axe and the other Yuan instruments still had a lot of leeway. If this continues, it naturally won¡¯t work¡­ After thinking for a moment, she raised her hand and recalled all the items in front of her. Soon, there was only emptiness around her. When everyone saw this, they subconsciously fell silent. Is she¡­ going to admit defeat? ¡°Taking drastic measures. The family head is really impressive,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Wei Ze looked over again, and a strange smile appeared on his face. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to admit defeat.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and ignored him. She clapped her hands, dusted herself off, and looked up. ¡°I hate it the most when others snatch my things.¡± Her voice was very soft as if it would be blown away by the wind at any moment. ¡°Family Head, since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we take a gamble and see who¡¯ll snatch more away?¡± Wei Ze was stunned for a moment before he frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not my match¡ª¡± The next moment, the woman suddenly tapped her toes and flew out like an arrow! She headed straight for the endless sea of lightning above! Chapter 2070 - 2070 Why Are You Hiding? 2070 Why Are You Hiding? This action immediately shocked everyone. ¡°Is she crazy? She actually wants to force her way into the sea of lightning?¡± ¡°Those lightning bolts contain extremely shocking power. She¡¯s really not afraid of death by doing this!¡± ¡°Previously, Wei Ze only scratched it with his hand and was burned directly. She¡¯s really reckless to rush over so rashly!¡± ¡°She probably feels indignant after seeing that those lightning bolts were forcefully snatched away by Wei Ze, right? She¡¯s indeed very capable, but she¡¯s still young and frivolous. That sea of lightning is undoubtedly a dangerous place for human cultivators! Does she think that she can travel freely inside like the red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Clearly, everyone wasn¡¯t optimistic about Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. Some people shook their heads secretly, as if they had already seen the outcome. The few people standing beside Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice, ¡°Shangguan, are you really not worried at all?¡± There was no expression on Shangguan Jing¡¯s face. No one could tell what he was thinking. He paused and said, ¡°Yue¡¯er never does anything she¡¯s not confident in.¡± Have a death wish? I don¡¯t think so. She must have her own reasons for daring to do this! ¡°I believe her.¡± ¡­ In the eyes of the surrounding people, Shangguan Jing was just being stubborn. After all, Shangguan Yue was his most beloved junior. How could he not be worried? This wasn¡¯t Peach Blossom Dock, where she could do whatever she wanted! They couldn¡¯t tell anything from Shangguan Jing, so some people turned their gazes and looked at Rong Xiu. At this moment, Rong Xiu raised his eyes and looked up. His thin scarlet lips curled up slightly. His smooth jaw was raised, like a jade carving. There seemed to be waves surging in those deep phoenix eyes. From afar, not only was he not worried at all, but he even seemed¡­ interested. ¡°¡­¡± Needless to say, this person seemed to be more ambitious than Shangguan Jing! Many people looked at each other. Perhaps because Chu Liuyue defeated Yi Wentao previously, it gave them a lot of confidence in her? So much so that they even feel that Chu Liuyue can easily deal with such a situation? After the initial shock, Wei Ze quickly regained his senses. His pale and colorless lips were pursed tightly, and there was a cold expression between his eyes. There was even a hint of cold mockery at the corners of his eyes. ¡°Insolent!¡± It¡¯s true that she has contracted a red-gold heavenly phoenix, but this doesn¡¯t mean that she has the same astonishing physical strength as the red-gold heavenly phoenix! In the previous battle with Yi Wentao, it was said that she relied on the two legendary fiends to win to a great extent. As for herself¡­ After all, she was only a true god! How could a mortal body withstand the endless lightning bolts!? Wei Ze looked up and smiled coldly, waiting for Chu Liuyue to fail to achieve. Countless pairs of eyes were also staring at that figure. Chu Liuyue flew into the air and stood in the middle. Countless bolts of lightning slowly passed by. Layers of pressure spread out from them, almost suffocating people. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure seemed inconspicuous and extremely small here. Her figure was slender and slightly thin. It was as if any lightning bolt could easily pierce through her! ¡­ Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and looked at the lightning that flowed around her body. These lightning bolts would dodge by themselves. As long as she didn¡¯t take the initiative to touch them, she wouldn¡¯t be injured. Previously, Wei Ze¡¯s palm had been burned because he had reached out to touch the lightning out of curiosity. When the others present saw that he had learned his lesson and was acting carefully, the same thing didn¡¯t happen again. But if this continued, these lightning bolts would be snatched away by Wei Ze. Thus¡­ she had to come! Chu Liuyue calmed herself down and stretched out her hand. Countless people followed her actions and held their breaths. They didn¡¯t blink, afraid that they would miss something. Swoosh! A bolt of lightning was caught by Chu Liuyue. For a moment, sparks flew everywhere! But just as everyone thought that Chu Liuyue was going to be injured, they saw that her expression didn¡¯t change and that her heart didn¡¯t beat as if she wasn¡¯t affected at all. Then, she exerted strength with her hand, and the lightning bolt directly shattered, turning into countless fine streams of light that surged into her body! Just like that, a bolt of lightning was crushed and devoured by her bare hands! Everyone was stunned. W-what¡¯s going on? Not only did the lightning cause her zero harm, but it also transformed into her own strength!? ¡°No! What¡¯s that in her hand?¡± someone in the crowd suddenly shouted. Everyone subconsciously looked over and saw that Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand seemed to have a dazzling light flickering. That was¡­ ¡°Holy Body?!¡± Wei Ze suddenly realized something. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Upon hearing his words, many people immediately reacted. Yeah! Apart from her Holy Body, what else can help her block this terrifying lightning? Looking carefully, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was indeed covered in a layer of gorgeous soft armor. She floated in midair, her body flickering with a faint light. In the sea of lightning, she was so small and dazzling. She was like a star that couldn¡¯t be ignored! ¡°Holy Body¡­ There are so many Holy Bodies in the world. Why don¡¯t I have any impression of hers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve been looking at it for a long time, but I can¡¯t tell what kind of Holy Body she has cultivated¡­¡± ¡°The light is gorgeous, and the armor is soft. This¡­ Wait! Could it be¡­¡± Some people seemed to have guessed something, but they also felt that this guess was too ridiculous. For a moment, they hesitated and didn¡¯t dare to speak. At this moment, Chu Liuyue had already raised her hand and grabbed the second bolt of lightning. Although everyone had already consumed a lot of lightning previously, there were too many lightning bolts here. Chu Liuyue was still in the center, and the density was extremely high. In front, behind, left, and right¡ªas long as she stretched out her hand, lightning bolts would be within reach! This saved her a lot of trouble. BANG! The second bolt of lightning shattered in her hand again! Her movements were very fast. In a short while, she had already dealt with the seven to eight lightning bolts around her. The aura around her also intensified significantly! Chu Liuyue curled her lips slightly when she sensed the force in her body rapidly recovering. ¡°If I had known that it would be so convenient, why would I have spent so much effort before?¡± Using a holy weapon to trigger the lightning bolts had consumed a lot of my energy and spirit. If I attack directly, I can replenish my physical strength. What a loss! What a loss! Fortunately, I came to my senses in time. Otherwise, it would be a huge loss! Thinking of this, she lowered her head and waved at Wei Ze. ¡°Thank you, Family Head!¡± If he hadn¡¯t forced me to this point, I wouldn¡¯t have discovered this. As she spoke, she held a bolt of lightning in her hand, her eyes shining brightly. Wei Ze felt a sharp pain in his eyes, his heart, and his entire body! ¡°You! Shangguan Yue, don¡¯t go overboard!¡± Crack! Chu Liuyue crushed the lightning in her hand and smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Family Head, how did I go overboard? Didn¡¯t you start fighting with me first? If I didn¡¯t have no choice, I wouldn¡¯t have done this, right?¡± Wei Ze almost spat out a mouthful of blood. So it was all my fault?! But no matter what, I wasn¡¯t as overboard as her, right? This is equivalent to directly snatching the lightning bolts from the source! Chu Liuyue quickly swept the surroundings clean. How can this amount be enough? Chu Liuyue took a step forward. Almost at the same time, the lightning in front of her actually moved a step back! Chu Liuyue paused and raised her brows with a faint smile. ¡°Yo, what are you hiding from?¡± Chapter 2071 - 2071 Admit Defeat 2071 Admit Defeat She beckoned. ¡°Come over.¡± The lightning in front of her didn¡¯t move. There was a cold look in her eyes. ¡°I said¡ªcome here.¡± When the people below saw this scene, they were all confused. ¡°What¡¯s Shangguan Yue doing?¡± ¡°She seems¡­ to be summoning those lightning bolts?¡± ¡°¡­Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. When she went forward just now, didn¡¯t you see that the lightning bolts retreated a little? For some reason, I keep feeling that those lightning bolts seem to be a little afraid of her¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Hearing this, everyone¡¯s first reaction was absurdity and unbelievable. They had only heard that people were filled with reverence for the lightning bolts. When had they ever heard that the lightning bolts were afraid of people? Wasn¡¯t this too ridiculous? However, the situation above really didn¡¯t seem right. Just as everyone was filled with doubts, they saw a silver snake-like heavenly lightning hesitantly step forward. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and easily caught the lightning bolt! Her red lips curled into a satisfied smile. ¡°Listen to me.¡± She moved her finger as soon as she finished speaking, and the lightning bolt instantly exploded, turning into countless fine streams of light that surged into her body! ¡°Continue.¡± She raised her eyebrows slightly and moved her fingers. Then, everyone saw an unforgettable scene. In the sea of lightning that filled the sky, the slender woman stood in the air. The lightning bolts seem to have lined up as they went forward one after another and landed in her hands. Then, they exploded one after another. The shocking power contained in them surged into her body! In a short period of time, the aura around her had already intensified rapidly, and it didn¡¯t show any signs of stopping! ¡­ This scene that exceeded everyone¡¯s understanding stunned everyone present, and they were unable to regain their senses for a long time. They couldn¡¯t be blamed for making a fuss¡ªit was just that such a scene was too rare! Even if they racked their brains, they would never have thought that Chu Liuyue¡¯s ¡®snatching¡¯ was really snatching with her bare hands! Shangguan Jing¡¯s tightly clenched hands slowly relaxed, and he secretly heaved a long sigh of relief. This girl¡¯s trump card is really strong! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he shook his head helplessly. There was also a doting smile on his face. Her playfulness is really greater than Tuan Zi¡­ In fact, with her strength, she can completely devour these lightning bolts in succession. However, she just had to make them line up and step forward one by one. She is clearly doing this on purpose for the people below. Rong Xiu turned his gaze slightly and looked at Wei Ze. At this moment, Wei Ze was looking up with a dazed expression. ¡°Family Head,¡± said Rong Xiu suddenly. Wei Ze was shocked and turned around. The shock in his eyes had yet to completely fade. Clearly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s move had far exceeded his expectations. Rong Xiu raised his chin, and his voice was low and pleasant to the ear. ¡°Yue¡¯er is almost catching up. Aren¡¯t you going to hurry?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s face turned green and white instantly¡ªit was very interesting. Of course, I knew this! Do I need anyone to remind me?! Rong Xiu is clearly mocking me when he said those words! Wei Ze took a deep breath and suppressed the surging emotions in his heart. He said coldly, ¡°Master Yue¡¯s strength is indeed outstanding, but I¡¯m a little worried. With her current realm¡­ If she forcefully devours too much lightning, I¡¯m afraid that before the competition ends, her body won¡¯t be able to¡­¡± ¡°It looks like the family head doesn¡¯t know yet.¡± Rong Xiu interrupted him and smiled. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡¯s Holy Body was condensed from devouring the God-Destroying Tribulation! Although these lightning bolts are also powerful and fierce, they should still be slightly inferior to the God-Destroying Tribulation, right? ¡°If you have the time to worry about Yue¡¯er, why don¡¯t you think about it more? What will you do if you lose this round?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s pupils constricted, and a hint of deep shock flashed across his eyes! After a short period of silence, gasps rose and fell. God-Destroying Tribulation? Isn¡¯t that something that only legendary warriors can summon? Moreover, only the top-notch ones can do this. There are even fewer who can successfully transcend the God-Destroying Tribulation. It has been too long since anyone has summoned the God-Destroying Tribulation in the God Residence Realm! But just now, Rong Xiu actually said¡­ Not only did Chu Liuyue summon it, but she even used the opportunity to refine her Holy Body!? Many people¡¯s first reaction was disbelief, but Rong Xiu looked calm and composed with a smile on his lips. He didn¡¯t look like he was lying at all. Besides, whether this was true or not, they would know once they gave it a try! Now that Chu Liuyue was in the sea of lightning and could effortlessly crush and devour those lightning bolts, didn¡¯t that already explain everything? ¡°Beautiful soft armor¡­ It¡¯s indeed the God-Destroying Tribulation!¡± someone couldn¡¯t help but mutter in shock. Most of the people present were top-notch Armory Refinement Masters and had some understanding of the God-Destroying Tribulation. Looking at Chu Liuyue now and thinking about her previous and current behavior, what else was there to suspect? How powerful was the God-Destroying Tribulation? Compared to these lightning bolts, it won by more than a little! Chu Liuyue could solve the God-Destroying Tribulation, let alone these lightning bolts. ¡°No wonder¡­ No wonder she beat Yi Wentao!¡± With such a Holy Body, her combat strength is indeed comparable to a legendary warrior! Naturally, she can easily snatch all these lightning bolts! ¡­ At the moment, Wei Ze was the most upset. Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions were equivalent to cutting off his path of triggering the lightning. Whenever a bolt of lightning wanted to come toward him, Chu Liuyue would quickly move and swallow it before he could. The key was that she had to attack directly¡ªit was simple, fast, and straightforward! He didn¡¯t even have time to react! In a short while, all the lightning was intercepted. The sky above Wei Ze was empty. At this moment, not only did Chu Liuyue seem to be able to withstand the power of the lightning, but she also seemed to be in better spirits. The surrounding lightning bolts fell into her hands in an orderly manner and became her power one after another! Wei Ze¡¯s entire body trembled as if something was surging crazily in his chest! He finally couldn¡¯t help but stand up. At this moment, the number of lightning bolts that Chu Liuyue devoured had already surpassed him! More importantly, as long as she was still fighting for it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to obtain even one bolt of lightning! Was there a need to continue this competition?! Seeing his actions, Chu Liuyue also stopped and asked with a smile, ¡°What, is the family head going to admit defeat?¡± A strong taste of blood rose in Wei Ze¡¯s throat, but he forcefully swallowed it. He said with difficulty, ¡°You¡­ are ruthless! This time, you win!¡± The power in his body had been exhausted, and he really couldn¡¯t continue. If he forced it, he would probably die here today. He wanted to obtain Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance, but he wanted to live more! Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Family Head, thank you for letting me win.¡± Wei Ze didn¡¯t want to talk to Chu Liuyue anymore. He stretched out his hand and planned to put away the purple-black hammer. But at this moment, a reddish-gold figure suddenly flew past him and took the hammer away! Chapter 2072 - 2072 Familiar 2072 Familiar Wei Ze was shocked and hurriedly looked up! It was none other than Tuan Zi. Previously, she had been wandering around, so Wei Ze didn¡¯t take her to heart. Coupled with the fact that he was completely focused on Chu Liuyue, Tuan Zi took advantage of his negligence. At this moment, Tuan Zi was holding the hammer in her hand and sizing it up seriously. One moment, she would knock it with her hand. The next moment, she would put it under her nose and smell it. She looked curious and inquisitive. Wei Ze was scared out of his wits. He immediately pointed at Tuan Zi and shouted with a trembling voice, ¡°You¡ªwhat are you doing!? Quickly return my things!¡± Tuan Zi grinned. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? I just feel that this thing is a little strange and want to take a look at it. I¡¯ll return it to you later!¡± As she spoke, she gazed at the hammer in her hand with a puzzled expression. This thing wasn¡¯t heavy, and at a glance, it looked no different from an ordinary hammer. It was just that there seemed to be some patterns carved on it, but she couldn¡¯t understand them. Rumble! A flame started burning in Tuan Zi¡¯s hand and quickly surrounded the hammer. Wei Ze almost rolled his eyes and fainted. This time, he was so angry that he could barely speak. ¡°S-Shangguan Yue! Don¡¯t go too far!¡± This red-gold heavenly phoenix is her contracted fiend. If she hadn¡¯t secretly instructed the fiend, why would she suddenly attack!? Chu Liuyue¡¯s body moved, and she finally flew down from the sea of lightning and arrived beside Tuan Zi. She touched Tuan Zi¡¯s round bun, then looked up at Wei Ze and smiled. ¡°Family Head, why are you so nervous? Tuan Zi is still a child, so it¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯s curious. She was just playful and took your things. Don¡¯t mind her. After all, we can¡¯t snatch your things in front of so many people, right?¡± Wei Ze was exasperated. The item is already in their hands. Isn¡¯t this robbery? ¡°That belongs to me. You¡¯ve already offended me by doing this! Shangguan Yue, I¡¯ve already admitted defeat. What else do you want?!¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Family Head, you¡¯ve really misunderstood me. I really don¡¯t want to do anything. After all, this belongs to you, right? Tuan Zi, hurry up and return it to the family head.¡± When Tuan Zi heard this, she seemed to be a little regretful, but she still nodded obediently. ¡°Oh!¡± She grabbed the hammer with both hands and handed it over to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue received it. The flames on it also dissipated, revealing its original appearance. Chu Liuyue looked down and raised her brows slightly. A red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s flames were unable to leave any traces on it, and I can¡¯t even find any abnormalities. This is the most abnormal thing. Even if it is the best refined iron in the world¡­ After Tuan Zi¡¯s torment, there shouldn¡¯t be zero changes. Moreover, the material of this hammer is only average. Tuan Zi tugged at Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeve, and a trace of regret flashed across her big black grape-like eyes. Something is really wrong with this thing! However, I can¡¯t tell what is going on even after looking at it for a long time¡­ Chu Liuyue pinched her little face and handed the hammer over. ¡°Family Head, your thing¡ª¡± Wei Ze was about to go forward when Chu Liuyue suddenly kept the item. She then raised her brows and said with a faint smile, ¡°I won¡¯t hide it from you. Actually, I¡¯m also very curious about this treasure of yours. Previously, I used three holy weapons and eight supreme Yuan instruments, but you relied on this hammer to steadily defeat me¡­ This thing of yours is simply more powerful than holy weapons!¡± Wei Ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°No matter what, that¡¯s my business. It has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°How is it unrelated to me? You almost relied on this thing to win against me. I¡¯m curious. It doesn¡¯t seem to be a big deal to ask a few more questions, right?¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she held the hammer in her hand and weighed it in her hand. Her expression seemed to be eager to give it a try. ¡°Although the Sharp-Edged Halberd didn¡¯t acknowledge you as its master previously¡­ With such a treasure, why would you care about those things?¡± Wei Ze was furious and immediately attacked! Swoosh! Numerous silver needles flew out and instantly enveloped Chu Liuyue. The distance between the two of them was very close, and Wei Ze attacked without any warning. The moment Chu Liuyue heard the sound of air being torn apart, she looked over and saw that the silver needles had already flown in front of her. It was unavoidable! At this moment, a golden barrier suddenly condensed in front of her! Clang clang clang! Those silver needles were blocked. After a series of collisions, before they could fall to the ground, they were crushed into powder by the terrifying pressure on the barrier! In an instant, they vanished into thin air! Wei Ze gasped and looked at the tall figure that had appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu is already so powerful! ¡°Family Head, you attacked just because of a disagreement¡­ Aren¡¯t you a little too impatient?¡± Rong Xiu spoke slowly, but there was a hint of coldness in his voice. ¡°Are you in such a hurry because you¡¯re worried that we¡¯ll snatch your things in public, or¡­ Is there something shameful?¡± Just as Rong Xiu finished speaking, Wei Ze rebutted him like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. ¡°Rong Xiu! Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze suddenly froze. ¡°Hm?¡± Rong Xiu turned his head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment, looked up at him, and passed him the hammer. ¡°Take a look.¡± The aura inside is inexplicably familiar¡­ Chapter 2073 - 2073 Choose! 2073 Choose! Rong Xiu took it, and the moment he touched the hammer, he raised his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes. Seeing his reaction, Chu Liuyue was even more certain of her guess. Rong Xiu was silent for a moment before looking up. The two of them gazed at each other for a moment and saw through each other¡¯s thoughts. The aura inside¡­ is clearly very similar to¡­ Wei Ze stared at the two of them, his back already drenched in sweat. These two are very cunning. Could it be that they have really discovered something¡­ Just as he was feeling extremely apprehensive, Rong Xiu suddenly walked over with the hammer. Wei Ze held his breath. Rong Xiu¡¯s every step seemed to be stepping on his heart! Soon, Rong Xiu stood one step away from Wei Ze. Then, he handed the hammer over with a relaxed expression and chuckled. ¡°Family Head, why are you so nervous? I¡¯ll return the item to you.¡± Wei Ze looked at Rong Xiu suspiciously. After confirming that he wasn¡¯t joking, he took the hammer. The moment the item landed in his hand, his heart¡ªwhich had been hanging in his throat¡ªfinally relaxed. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s next sentence immediately made him nervous. ¡°By the way, I suddenly remembered something. Why haven¡¯t I seen the eldest son of the Wei family along the way?¡± The eldest son of the Wei family was Wei Xiping. Back then, he was expelled from Ling Xiao Academy because he colluded with outsiders and tried to frame Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. Since then, Wei Xiping had never appeared again. At this moment, when Rong Xiu suddenly mentioned it, many people didn¡¯t even realize who he was talking about. Wei Ze¡¯s heart sank! He subconsciously tightened his grip on the hammer in his hand and quickly glanced at Rong Xiu. However, Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was as deep as the sea, and his expression was calm and indifferent. Nothing could be seen. Wei Ze said reluctantly, ¡°Why¡­ why are you suddenly asking this?¡± Rong Xiu replied, ¡°No reason. I just saw you and suddenly thought of him. I was just asking casually. Is it¡­ inconvenient for the family head to answer?¡± Wei Ze paused and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing making it difficult to answer. He¡­ has disappeared since he left Ling Xiao Academy. We also don¡¯t know where he is now.¡± Rong Xiu smiled very faintly. ¡°He¡¯s your son. Although he made a mistake back then, he didn¡¯t deserve to die. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so heartless¡­¡± Wei Ze frowned and said coldly, ¡°He did something wrong and humiliated the Wei family! This is what he deserves. How can we be heartless?!¡± It seemed that he was still filled with anger at the mention of Wei Xiping. ¡°I see¡­¡± Rong Xiu revealed a trace of regret. ¡°What a pity. I heard that you originally valued him very much to succeed the position of Wei family head.¡± Wei Ze¡¯s face was ashen, and it was obvious that he didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. He turned around and left. When he left, he put away the hammer. Rong Xiu stared at his back view meaningfully and didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Girlie.¡± Tang Ke¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve¡­ won!¡± This immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Chu Liuyue raised her head slightly, and her red lips curled up. ¡°Thank you, Senior Tang Ke.¡± Tang Ke said, ¡°My inheritance is placed behind one of the ten bronze doors. You can now choose one. If you can choose the right one, everything will be yours! If you can¡¯t choose the right one¡­ you can only blame yourself for not being fated with me.¡± The crowd exchanged glances. They originally thought that after winning this round, Chu Liuyue would be able to directly obtain Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance. Who knew that she would have to choose again? Choosing one out of the ten doors was too low a chance! However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem surprised as she smiled and nodded slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± She had long known that Tang Ke wouldn¡¯t give everything away so easily. It was normal for him to put this up. Tang Ke was rather surprised to see her agree so readily. ¡°You agreed so readily. Aren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯ll end up with nothing?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and smiled in relief. ¡°I¡¯ve already done everything I can. As for whether I can have this opportunity or not, it¡¯s up to fate. No matter what the outcome is, I have no regrets.¡± Tang Ke paused for a moment before suddenly laughing out loud. ¡°Hahahaha, you¡¯re quite interesting! Alright, I¡¯ll clear the area for you now. You can choose!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful force swept over and headed straight for everyone! Right on the heels of that, the crowd felt as if they were suddenly pulled by something, and their vision instantly went dark! Chu Liuyue turned around. The huge space became empty, leaving her alone. Oh no, Rong Xiu was here too. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. Tang Ke¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°You¡¯re Rong Xiu, right?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Although you didn¡¯t participate in the competition just now, the Sharp-Edged Halberd has already recognized you as its master. After all, I personally refined it. On account of it, I¡¯ll give you a chance. After this girl chooses, you can also choose once.¡± Rong Xiu cupped fists with both hands. ¡°Thank you, Senior Tang Ke.¡± Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. Tsk, to think that I had worked so hard before and finally got such a chance. However, Rong Xiu could easily obtain it. From beginning to end, he doesn¡¯t seem to have done anything, right? His luck is really incomparable¡­ ¡°Girlie, you go first.¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts and looked at the ten doors around her. Every door was exactly the same. There was no difference. If it were someone else, they would really have to gamble. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t ¡®someone else.¡¯ With a thought, the Celestial Shield appeared in her hand. Clang! The Celestial Shield fell to the ground, and several cracks spread! At this moment, the entire space seemed to tremble! Chapter 2074 - 2074 How Insolent! 2074 How Insolent! ¡°I don¡¯t have a sharp insight. Why don¡¯t I let this Celestial Shield help me choose?¡± said Chu Liuyue as she placed one hand on the Celestial Shield. Then, she held her breath and focused, injecting force into it. Whir! The next moment, a dark-blue stream of light appeared on the Celestial Shield! The mysterious runes engraved on it seemed even more mysterious under the faint light. Chu Liuyue waited patiently, but after half an hour, the Celestial Shield didn¡¯t react at all. She frowned slightly. When I was outside the door, I clearly felt a fluctuation on the Celestial Shield. Why is it now¡­ She waited a moment longer. Still, nothing changed. The Celestial Shield couldn¡¯t help her make a choice. Tang Ke¡¯s voice came faintly. ¡°Girlie, you¡¯re really smart! Unfortunately, although this Celestial Shield can sense my existence, it can¡¯t help you make a choice. You¡ªyou should do it yourself!¡± Chu Liuyue paused, and her fingers slowly swept across the runes on the Celestial Shield. Then, a deep thought flashed across her eyes. There were extremely similar patterns on the bronze door knocker, and it was definitely not a coincidence. But for some reason, the Celestial Shield seems to be suppressed by some power here. Although this feeling was very subtle, she could still tell. Tang Ke¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like he wants me to use the Celestial Shield? Countless thoughts flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, but her expression remained calm. After a short hesitation, she finally looked up. ¡°Okay.¡± Since Tang Ke asked me to choose, I will choose by myself! ¡­ At the same time, outside the tomb. Shangguan Jing only felt the world spinning. After about 15 minutes, the darkness around him gradually faded. Shangguan Jing heaved a sigh of relief when his feet stepped on the ground again. Then, he immediately looked around and saw a tightly shut door. It was the door that Chu Liuyue had opened to let them in. At that moment, the door was locked. The bronze door knocker gently shook twice before stopping. Everything seemed to have returned to its original state. Various voices came from behind¡ªit was the people who were sent out together. At this moment, they also woke up. Everyone looked at each other and quickly understood¡ªthey had been sent back to Messy Stone Forest by Tang Ke again! ¡°Are we¡­ out? Why doesn¡¯t Shangguan Yue seem to be here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to accept Senior Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance, so she¡¯s naturally not here! Didn¡¯t Senior Tang Ke say just now that he would leave only her there? When she comes out, I reckon¡­ the entire God Residence Realm will change, right?¡± This wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. Tang Ke was the undisputed top Armory Refinement Master in the God Residence Realm. Whoever could inherit his legacy would practically have a successful future! With his favor, Chu Liuyue might very well break through and become an Armory Refinement Saint in the future! At that time, her status would really be different. And the appearance of an Armory Refinement Saint could naturally change the current situation of the entire God Residence Realm! Moreover, there was also Shangguan Jing, who was admired by Tang Ke. Everyone present was extremely envious. ¡°Her luck is really heaven-defying¡­¡± However, this result was obtained from the competition. She won fair and square, so the others couldn¡¯t say anything. Wei Ze looked around vigilantly and suddenly realized that something was wrong. ¡°Where¡¯s Rong Xiu?¡± The few people standing beside him were all his subordinates. They hurriedly looked around when they heard this, but after searching for a long time, they didn¡¯t see Rong Xiu. There were only so many people in total. As long as one took a look, one could tell who was present and who wasn¡¯t. Moreover, a person like Rong Xiu was too conspicuous. Even if he stood among countless people, he could still be seen at a glance. ¡°Family Head, he really doesn¡¯t seem to be here¡­¡± Wei Ze suddenly realized something. He frowned and looked at the door in shock. ¡°He was also left inside!?¡± The news that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t come out with everyone spread quickly. Everyone was filled with doubts. After thinking about it, they could only blame the Sharp-Edged Halberd. After all, it was a holy weapon personally refined by Tang Ke. It was normal for Tang Ke to see Rong Xiu in a different light. After thinking this through, Wei Ze secretly gritted his teeth and was still brooding over this matter. The Sharp-Edged Halberd originally belonged to me! If Rong Xiu hadn¡¯t suddenly appeared and snatched it away, I would be the one left inside! Wei Ze was furious. His blood surged, and he spat out a few more mouthfuls of blood. ¡°Master!¡± The few people beside him hurriedly came to help him up. ¡°Get lost!¡± Wei Ze pushed them away with an ugly expression and found a place to sit down alone. He then took a pill and adjusted his aura to recover from his injuries. He looked down at his palm. The cut from before had already scabbed over, leaving only a faint mark. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. Thank goodness¡­ Thank goodness I wasn¡¯t discovered¡­ Shangguan Jing narrowed his eyes and sized Wei Ze up. After a while, he retracted his gaze and fell into deep thought. There is obviously something wrong with Wei Ze. It was clearly not a coincidence that Rong Xiu suddenly asked about Wei Xiping inside. At that time, Shangguan Jing was still by Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, so he had quite an impression of this name. Could it be that the secret of the hammer is also related to this? Shangguan Jing rubbed the space between his eyebrows. This is clearly not a good time to ask. Everything¡­ should wait for Yue¡¯er and Rong Xiu to come out first. ¡­ Silent. Chu Liuyue stood in the middle, and her gaze slowly swept across the ten doors. She couldn¡¯t tell where Tang Ke¡¯s voice came from, nor could she be sure which door the fluctuation on the Celestial Shield was connected to. Therefore, she could only choose blindly! After a moment, Chu Liuyue raised her hand and pointed at the door on the left in the middle. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, I choose this one. ¡°Once you make a choice, you can¡¯t regret it. I¡¯ll ask you again, are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Tang Ke paused for a moment and suddenly laughed. ¡°Alright! Since you¡¯ve made up your mind, just go forward and push the door open!¡± Chu Liuyue composed herself and walked forward. She had just taken a step when she suddenly stopped and turned to look at Rong Xiu beside her. She remembered Tang Ke saying that Rong Xiu had the same chance after she made her choice. She wanted to know which one Rong Xiu chose. ¡°Why don¡¯t you choose first, and we¡¯ll set off together?¡± Before Rong Xiu could speak, Tang Ke¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°No. He can only choose after you enter.¡± Chu Liuyue scrunched her nose. This famous Senior Tang Ke is indeed impressive, but he has too many rules¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± Although she knew that the two of them would make different choices and that it would be very difficult for them to meet after entering, she was just a little curious. Unexpectedly, even this wasn¡¯t allowed. Rong Xiu laughed and walked over to hold her hand. His slightly calloused fingers gently slid across her palm, causing her to tremble slightly. Then, he wrapped his long arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. A light and cold fragrance instantly surrounded Chu Liuyue. He rested his chin on her forehead and nuzzled it gently. His voice was low. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find you as soon as possible.¡± Chu Liuyue subconsciously nodded, then looked up at him and smiled. ¡°We¡¯re choosing different doors. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be inconvenient for you to look for me. Anyway, we should be back in the end. Why don¡¯t we meet here?¡± A dark light seemed to flash past Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes as his scarlet lips curled up slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± He would never reject her request. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go first.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked, turned around, and walked toward the door she had chosen. This place was spacious, but after devouring the lightning, her stamina had recovered a lot. Thus, she was quite fast. Soon, she arrived in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, she finally raised her hand and placed it on the bronze door. It was cold to the touch, rough, and heavy. She exerted a little force. Creak¡ª The door in front of her opened! An ancient and distant aura assaulted her face. It was as if she had opened a box that had been sealed for many years. She could even smell the scent of ancient times from it. She looked inside and saw nothing but darkness. No one knew what was inside. Chu Liuyue composed herself and walked inside. Her figure quickly disappeared into the darkness. BANG! The bronze door closed again, completely blocking Rong Xiu¡¯s line of sight. The huge space fell silent again. Rong Xiu stared at the door for a while before retracting his gaze. At this moment, the gentleness in his eyes had completely disappeared. In its place was his usual coldness and solemnity. It was as if the mountains and rivers were frozen for thousands of miles, and the cold air was awe-inspiring. The surrounding temperature seemed to have decreased significantly. After a moment, his thin lips parted slightly. ¡°Tang Ke. How insolent.¡± Chapter 2075 - 2075 Tombstone 2075 Tombstone His voice was cold and low, like jade hitting each other, but it also carried an extremely terrifying pressure! As soon as he finished speaking, the ground under his feet was covered in a faint layer of white frost! A gust of wind swept over with cold air. Right on the heels of that, a translucent apparition appeared in front of Rong Xiu. It was a man who looked to be in his 30s. He was wearing a blue robe and had a tall and straight figure. One could vaguely see his handsome appearance from back then. It was Tang Ke! The world would probably find it hard to believe that the legendary Tang Ke was actually so young. In fact, because his talent was too outstanding back then, he had broken through the shackles early on and become a legendary warrior. Therefore, he maintained his original appearance. Seeing that Rong Xiu was angry, a hint of fear flashed across Tang Ke¡¯s eyes. He then cupped fists with both hands and bowed respectfully to Rong Xiu. ¡°I made a decision on my own to lure Master Yue into Fengli Cave. I hope Your Highness can forgive my sins!¡± Rong Xiu looked at him with a cold gaze. ¡°Address her as Madam.¡± Tang Ke suddenly came back to his senses and hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°I misspoke!¡± I forgot that His Highness is already married¡­ Rong Xiu stepped forward. The increasingly heavy pressure was almost unbearable for Tang Ke. Rong Xiu coldly said, ¡°These ten doors, no matter which one she chooses, will eventually lead to Fengli Cave. You want her to help you save people? But do you know how dangerous this is for her!?¡± The question made Tang Ke¡¯s heart tremble violently. He gritted his teeth, lifted his clothes, and kneeled down! ¡°Your Highness, I understand everything you¡¯re saying! But¡­ I have no choice! Ten thousand years have passed, and I¡­ really can¡¯t wait anymore!¡± Even if he knew that doing so would make His Highness angry, he had to do it! This was his only chance! Rong Xiu looked down at him. Tang Ke pressed his head against the ground and placed his hands on the ground. He was almost suppressed by this aura and couldn¡¯t get up. After a long while, Rong Xiu turned around and walked toward the door that Chu Liuyue had just entered. Sensing the commotion, Tang Ke hurriedly dissuaded him. ¡°Your Highness, you can¡¯t go to Fengli Cave now!¡± Rong Xiu stopped walking. He naturally knew this. If he forced his way in now, the situation would only get worse. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here.¡± Rong Xiu stood in front of the door with one hand behind his back, his eyes dark. ¡°If she returns unharmed, I will let bygones be bygones. But if she is injured just the slightest¡­ Tang Ke, your 10,000 years of waiting will be for naught!¡± Tang Ke¡¯s heart trembled. Then, he let out a long breath, closed his eyes, and kowtowed piously. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue naturally didn¡¯t know what was going on outside. After entering the bronze door, and after a short period of darkness, a light lit up in front of her. Chu Liuyue calmed herself down and walked forward. After walking through a narrow corridor, she realized that there was a silver barrier at the end, and that faint light came from this barrier. Chu Liuyue sized it up carefully. The pressure on this barrier was extremely strong, but it didn¡¯t seem to be dangerous. She hesitated and stretched out her hand but was surprised to find that her hand easily passed through the barrier. ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. I have never encountered such a situation before¡­ After hesitating for a moment, she walked forward. As expected, she passed through it easily! Just as she was filled with doubts, she was shocked by the scene in front of her. Behind the barrier was a different cave. As far as the eye could see, it was a flat and wide field. Under the vast and advanced sky, two tombstones stood quietly. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 2076 - 2076 Fengli Cave 2076 Fengli Cave Loneliness and desolate without dependence¡ªthis was what Chu Liuyue felt when she saw the two tombs. In the entire field, other than these two close tombs, there was nothing else. It was as if they had been established here a long, long time ago. As if some force was pushing her, Chu Liuyue walked forward. The moment she walked out, she knitted her brows. I can¡¯t walk in the air here. This isn¡¯t a normal natural space but a special small area! ¡°A¡¯Yue, do you want me to bring you over?¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice came from her heart. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. Even I¡¯m greatly restricted, so Tuan Zi won¡¯t be spared either. Anyway, there is no rush. I can slowly walk over. She suddenly thought of something and turned back. The silver barrier was like a fire that rapidly burned till the end! An empty space was left behind. At this point, she had completely entered the strange space¡­ Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and walked toward the two tombs. ¡­ Even though she could not fly, she had already forged her Holy Body, so she was not too slow. After about two hours, she finally reached the two tombs. The tombs were made from white marble, and they were the height of a person. After weathering the storms for too long, traces of time were left behind. The handwriting on the tomb was blurred, but if one took a closer look, they could still identify it. The strange thing was that only one of the two tombs had words. Chu Liuyue looked to her right. A line of words were carved on the tomb: ¡°Tang Ke¡¯s tomb.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. Even though there have always been rumors of Tang Ke dying, and we all thought that this was Tang Ke¡¯s tomb before they came in¡­ In actual fact, Tang Ke clearly still has a soul. He hasn¡¯t died yet! Then, who set up this tomb? Other than Tang Ke, there should be nobody else. Did he¡­ carve this himself? A ridiculous and incredulous thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. But other than this answer, other explanations did not seem to work¡­ She looked at the tomb on the left. It was smooth without any engravings. ¡°Nameless tomb¡­¡± Chu Liuyue rested her head in one hand and fell into contemplation again. It is definitely not an ordinary person that can be buried underneath the tomb beside Tang Ke¡¯s. However, why is there no name here? Did the person who made the tombs not know who this person was, or¡­ is that person¡¯s name not allowed to appear here? Chu Liuyue seriously thought about Tang Ke¡¯s life. Back then, he left the Tang family alone. After he went into isolation, the people in the Tang family were quickly killed. It isn¡¯t very possible for other people in the Tang family to be here. Then¡­ who would it be? Tang Ke has always been influential and arrogant. It was really hard to imagine him allowing someone to be buried with him. Chu Liuyue did not think that Tang Ke was ignorant of the situation here. Did he purposely let me in? Quite a few doubts emerged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Staring at the nameless tomb, she fell into deep thought. Suddenly, a name popped up in her mind! Hang on! Back then, there was a person who disappeared almost the same time as Tang Ke! It was that¡ªMr. Su! Just as this thought flashed across her mind, something shiny flew before Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Those few holy weapons flew out and landed before that nameless tomb! Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 2077 - 2077 Losing Consciousness 2077 Losing Consciousness A broken ray of light flew out of the Heavenly Square Cauldron and landed on the tomb. It seemed like the thick darkness was suddenly ripped by the light. Something slowly appeared on the tomb. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Following that, it was the Great Azure Sun Ax and the Flying Cloud Painting! Three rays of light gathered. A series of mysterious texts was revealed, bit by bit. Chu Liuyue looked over. The symbols were rather familiar as she seemed to have seen it on the Celestial Shield. To confirm her thoughts, she still summoned the Celestial Shield to check it closely. As expected, the symbols were indeed exactly the same. However, the tomb only had half of the symbols engraved on it compared to the Celestial Shield. Besides, the symbols seemed to be buried. After the light from three holy weapons shone on it, only a portion of it was lit up. A small remaining part was still dark and unclear. Could it be that I need all five holy weapons present to make it show its original appearance? Chu Liuyue hugged her arm with one hand and fell into deep thought. However, the reaction of the three holy weapons is enough to state that this is likely Mr. Su¡¯s tomb! The two of them were actually buried together¡­ Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in, still a little overwhelmed. The world just thought that after they tied in the shocking battle back then, they hid themselves and disappeared. Who would¡¯ve expected their tombs to be set together? Tang Ke actually let me in. Could this¡­ also be related to Mr. Su? After all, I have three of Mr. Su¡¯s holy weapons. The Celestial Shield suddenly had a ripple. Then, a faint light surged out and covered half of it! Chu Liuyue was very familiar with this feeling. At the very beginning, when she was outside and had not come in, the Celestial Shield had a similar reaction! It turns out¡­ it wasn¡¯t Tang Ke summoning me but Mr. Su¡¯s tomb?! After that, Chu Liuyue instinctively reached her hand forward. Her palm lightly covered the symbols. Bang bang! Bang bang! It was as if the sound of heartbeats were coming from the tomb! Chu Liuyue was stunned. This heartbeat isn¡¯t mine! Just as she wanted to retreat, she suddenly saw a large glow of light beneath her palm! Almost at the same time, the force in her body went toward the tomb at a shocking speed! Oh no! Chu Liuyue instinctively felt that something was amiss and increased her force. However, she shockingly realized that she could not remove her hand from the tomb! There seemed to be some existence inside crazily absorbing her force! Her body seemed to be restricted by an invisible force, and she could not move! Bang bang! The heartbeat sound became increasingly clear! Chu Liuyue could feel the force in her body rapidly depleting! She furrowed her sharp brows. Luckily, my dantian contains a shocking amount of force. If not, this usage would be enough to exhaust me! ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Detecting that something was amiss, Tuan Zi also jumped out. Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s furrowed look, Tuan Zi was extremely anxious. She and Chu Liuyue had an entwined fate contract, so she knew very clearly just how terrifyingly fast the latter¡¯s surrounding force was being absorbed. ¡°A¡¯Yue, let me help you!¡± Tuan Zi was about to go forward, but Chu Liuyue softly stopped her. ¡°Stop there! Don¡¯t come over!¡± There is an extremely strong aura within the tomb. The more important thing is that it came for me! Even Tuan Zi can¡¯t help much. If anything goes wrong, Tuan Zi might even be implicated. Hearing this, Tuan Zi instinctively stood rooted to the spot. But seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s rapidly paling face, her heart clenched tightly, and her pair of blackberry eyes were covered by a layer of mist. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡­¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°Zi Chen!¡± Once she said this, a black figure flashed across her eyes. Zi Chen came out with the command! Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Help me look after Tuan Zi.¡± Zi Chen nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he was about to take action when he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead covered in sweat. His cold and nonchalant face had a few rare hints of hesitation. ¡°Master¡­ do you really not need help?¡± Her appearance isn¡¯t assuring. Chu Liuyue forced a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± The reason why she asked Zi Chen and Tuan Zi to temporarily retreat was that she also felt that this situation was too dangerous. If something happened, the three of them would all perish together. Hence, after much consideration, such a choice was most suitable. Zi Chen instantly understood what she was thinking. His thin lips pressed against each other, and he nodded. ¡°I will not let you down. Master, you must be careful.¡± Then, he moved and came to Tuan Zi¡¯s side. At this point, Tuan Zi planned to go forward barefooted. Before she could take two steps out, Zi Chen blocked her. ¡°Master wants us to silently observe.¡± Zi Chen looked down at the little fellow, and his voice was as cold as usual. Tuan Zi¡¯s vision was blocked by the two long legs. Hearing this, she looked up and crossed her arms indignantly. ¡°But A¡¯Yue is in danger now! I want to go!¡± She grunted in indignation and turned around, planning to walk around Zi Chen. As she walked, she muttered, ¡°¡­I¡¯m the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, and I¡¯ve already opened my fifth meridian! I can definitely help A¡¯Yue! Even if I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll just call Clan Leader Grandpa¡ªaiya!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, her body was suddenly raised. Zi Chen directly picked her up. ¡°Follow whatever she says.¡± The small little Tuan Zi was easily locked in his arms. She started to struggle with her life. ¡°Let go of me! I want to go over¡ª¡± However, her small body was not worth a mention in front of Zi Chen. Even though her strength had greatly improved, Zi Chen was not one to be trifled with. After all, the great phoenix dragon clan leader¡ªMiao Zhen¡ªwas behind Zi Chen! Compared with Tuan Zi, she was indeed more inexperienced. Seeing that Tuan Zi was relentless, Zi Chen squinted and coldly said, ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of getting in her way, go ahead.¡± Once he said this, Tuan Zi finally became obedient. I¡¯m just worried about A¡¯Yue¡­ After some thinking, she looked up at Zi Chen. ¡°Do you think A¡¯Yue will really be fine?¡± Zi Chen raised his chin. ¡°You can see for yourself.¡± He was also her fiend, so his worries weren¡¯t lesser than Tuan Zi¡¯s. However, he knew that the current Chu Liuyue did not need their help. That tomb¡­ came for her from the beginning! Time slowly trickled past. Chu Liuyue¡¯s face had no blood color. Her vision had patches of black. That was a sign of her losing consciousness. She closed her eyes. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 2078 - 2078 Mr. Su 2078 Mr. Su At this point, the force that was stolen from her had exceeded the capacity a normal true god could tolerate. If not for her very rich amount of force in her body, she would¡¯ve died from exhaustion. However, the terrifying thing was¡­ everything had not ended! There seemed to be a bottomless pit in the tomb that kept stealing her force! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. While she adjusted the aura, she kept thinking. What exactly is hidden inside? Bang bang! Bang bang! The heartbeat sounds were as though right next to her ear. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in and opened her eyes again. Below her palm, the originally dim area of the symbols engraved on the tomb was lighting up slowly. Clearly, that was because it absorbed her force! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips suddenly curled up and smiled helplessly. ¡°If I knew earlier, I should¡¯ve come after I snatched the remaining holy weapons¡­¡± If Mr. Su¡¯s five holy weapons were all with her, she might not be suffering so much. But at this point, she could only think about it. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. The crowd outside probably all thinks that I¡¯m accepting Tang Ke¡¯s legacy. Who would¡¯ve thought that I¡¯m experiencing such a thing? She completely understood that the Senior Tang Ke did this to lure her over! There was probably no legacy. Now, she just hoped that she could go out unscathed! ¡°I wonder what relationship this Mr. Su has with him, to make him spend so much effort¡­¡± Chu Liuyue murmured in a low voice. Ka! A crisp breaking sound suddenly was heard. Chu Liuyue was dazed and immediately turned around. The last darkened area on the symbols was finally completely covered by the light! Whir! In no time, light shone everywhere! Chu Liuyue felt a tremendous amount of force suddenly rushing out of the tomb and going straight for her! She was taken aback and immediately moved back! This time, as the unknown suppression around her body finally dissipated, she moved back by quite a distance! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect she could successfully retreat, and she looked at her palm in shock. S-separated?! That tomb¡ª She instinctively looked over and saw light gathering rapidly on the tomb. Then, it slowly formed a translucent figure! It looked like a woman in her twenties. She was dressed in a turquoise dress and had a slim figure. Her hair casually extended to her ankles, with only a silver hairpin with a red ruby. Her five features were intricate and looked very beautiful. When she looked over, her eyes were like spring water¡ªwarm and gentle. At first glance, one could tell that she was a very gentle woman. She took a step forward, placed her hands on her stomach, and curtsied to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Su Li thanks this lady for saving my life.¡± Her voice was light and airy. However, Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. T-this¡­ ¡°Mr. Su?!¡± asked Chu Liuyue in disbelief. Su Li smiled, and two small dimples appeared beside her lips. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I will never forget your benevolence.¡± She really is Mr. Su! Chu Liuyue was as though struck by lightning. She gazed dazedly at the woman before her, while her heart was overwhelmed! Su Li! The rumored influential and outstandingly talented Mr. Su who could tie with Tang Ke is actually a woman! ¡­ Chu Liuyue spent a lot of effort to appease her overwhelmed heart. She opened her mouth and did not know what to say. In the many different rumors, nobody said that Mr. Su was actually a girl! Everything happened too suddenly, and even Chu Liuyue was stunned. All along, she thought that this Mr. Su was an old man or a strong middle-aged man¡­ Yet, the beautiful and gentle woman before her was worlds apart from that thought! ¡°May I know your name?¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue did not speak, Su Li thought that her sudden appearance frightened her. Thus, she spoke gently. The other party saved her, so she should at least know her name. Chu Liuyue then slowly found some of her rationality. ¡°¡­Shangguan Yue.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Ms. Shangguan.¡± Su Li smiled and turned her gaze to look at the Celestial Shield beside Chu Liuyue. Emotions instantly flashed across her eyes. ¡°Ms. Shangguan, you came from Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Chu Liuyue followed her vision. With the Celestial Shield around, it was very normal for Su Li to guess this. She tidied her thoughts and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It seems like Peach Blossom Dock is now yours, Ms. Shangguan.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. ¡°Mr. Su, how did you know?¡± Su Li covered her lips and smiled. ¡°The Celestial Shield has already recognized you as its owner, so Peach Blossom Dock is definitely in your reach.¡± Chu Liuyue had long guessed that Peach Blossom Dock had some connection to the Celestial Shield. Hearing Su Li say this, she instantly confirmed her thoughts. The battle between Su Li and Tang Ke back then was in Peach Blossom Dock, and her tomb was engraved with half the symbols on the Celestial Shield. It was very normal for her to know all of these things. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯re indeed intelligent.¡± Su Li laughed again. ¡°Ms. Shangguan, you¡¯re being too much of a stranger by calling me that.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a senior, and everyone addresses you as Mr. Su. I¡¯m also used to addressing you as such.¡± Even though the Su Li before her was magnanimous, gentle, serene, and calm, she didn¡¯t forget that half of the ten holy weapons were made by her! Such a person was definitely worthy of such an address. Su Li¡¯s gaze flickered as if she had immersed herself in a distant memory. After some time, she smiled slightly and sighed. ¡°Back then, I disguised as a man to walk around the God Residence Realm, so¡ª¡± Hence, everyone misunderstood her true identity. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Actually, she had already guessed this point. Back then, Su Li battling Tang Ke itself was already shocking enough. If everyone knew that she was a woman, it would create more uproar. As Su Li spoke, she looked guilty. ¡°Speaking of which, just now¡­ I didn¡¯t want to forcefully absorb your force. Ms. Shangguan, please forgive me if I have offended you.¡± Speaking of this, Chu Liuyue naturally had many doubts. ¡°Mr. Su, you mean¡­¡± She didn¡¯t do all of that? As if seeing through Chu Liuyue¡¯s doubts, Su Li sighed softly and turned to look at the tomb. ¡°Ms. Shangguan, do you know who set up the tomb?¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment. ¡°¡­Senior Tang Ke?¡± Su Li nodded, and faint sorrow surfaced in her eyes. ¡°In actual fact, he set up both the tombs. After the battle back then, my soul dispersed, but he lived. It was because of him that my soul is intact, and I hibernated till now.¡± Chapter 2079 - 2079 Im Willing to be Buried Together 2079 I¡¯m Willing to be Buried Together ¡°However, using such a method can only forcefully protect my soul, but it can¡¯t revive me. Besides, as time passes, my soul will become increasingly weak, I¡¯ll eventually disappear completely.¡± She turned around and glanced at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. ¡°In a few months, it will be my deadline. If it weren¡¯t for your help today, Ms. Shangguan, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± Yet, her saying this caused more doubts in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. ¡°Mr. Su, why must it be me?¡± At this point, she had already recovered her senses. From the very beginning, there was only one motive¡ªto lure me over and revive Su Li! However, Su Li, Tang Ke, and I aren¡¯t related at all. There are so many people in the world, so why did they choose me? If there has to be a reason¡­ ¡°Could it be because of the three holy weapons?¡± This was the only and the main connection between her and Su Li. Upon hearing this, Su Li shook her head. ¡°All these are only superficial reasons. In actual fact, the true reason is¡­ the Celestial Shield.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Yeah, wasn¡¯t that tomb carved with half the symbols on the Celestial Shield!? She suddenly thought of something and looked at Tang Ke¡¯s tomb at the side. Could it be this¡ª ¡°That¡¯s right. The other half of the symbols is engraved on this tomb,¡± said Su Li lightly. At that moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts were muddled. Countless thoughts flashed across her mind. After the battle between Su Li and Tang Ke back then, both parties disappeared. Actually, it was because Su Li died, and Tang Ke brought her here to be buried and also helped himself set up a tomb beside her. Isn¡¯t this¡­ dying together?! When she thought of what Su Li previously said about Tang Ke finding a way to revive her all these years¡­ An answer was right in her mind! Tang Ke clearly loves Su Li deeply! If not, he definitely wouldn¡¯t set up his tomb with Su Li¡¯s! He hasn¡¯t died, but he has already thought of resting here after she does! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. The world knew that Tang Ke was a miraculous genius¡ªarrogant and clever. In his entire life, he did not marry or have a child. Everyone thought that such a person only wanted to produce weapons. Why would he think about mortal love? Who would¡¯ve thought that he did this for Su Li!? ¡°Senior Tang Ke, he¡­¡± said Chu Liuyue after some deliberation. ¡°The two of you are already¡ª¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Su Li¡¯s face blushed slightly. ¡°The battle at Peach Blossom Dock back then was indeed the first time the two of us met.¡± ¡°I came from a humble background and didn¡¯t have much talent as a warrior and the other aspects, so I¡¯ve been despised by my family since I was young. Later on, I incidentally found out that I had a decent talent in armory refinement. After that, I left my family and followed my mentor to cultivate. My mentor was a supreme Armory Refinement Master, but he was discrete and hid himself, so I followed him. It was only later on when I broke through to become a supreme Armory Refinement Master, and my mentor coincidentally passed on, so I started my journey in the God Residence Realm.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°I see¡­¡± This also explains why nobody had heard of her name before. She had been quietly cultivating the whole time. ¡°Back then, I just came out and was ignorant. I heard that Tang Ke was very famous and the top Armory Refinement Master, so I sent him a challenge.¡± Speaking of what happened back then, Su Li still felt emotional. ¡°Who would¡¯ve expected so many things to happen in Peach Blossom Dock later on¡­¡± Chapter 2080 - 2080 Leave 2080 Leave Su Li paused and did not continue, but she pointed to her own tomb. ¡°Back when Tang Ke set up these two tombs, he specifically left a trap. If someone comes in, the trap will be automatically activated, and it will forcefully steal other people¡¯s force.¡± ¡°This also means that this would be the same for whoever who came here?¡± Chu Liuyue tightly furrowed her brows. If that were the case, that is too overboard! It¡¯s fine since it¡¯s me who came in today, but if it were someone else, they might not be able to escape this ordeal so luckily. Su Li nodded and comforted, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Although I didn¡¯t know of this trap¡¯s existence beforehand, all these years, you should be the only one that came in other than him.¡± Chu Liuyue first heaved a sigh of relief before her expression became strange. Why does this sound like Tang Ke has been waiting for me since the start? Su Li sighed and continued, ¡°He should know that the Celestial Shield had already recognized you as its owner, so he let you in.¡± Actually, that was what Chu Liuyue thought. ¡°This means¡­ only the Celestial Shield¡¯s owner can help you?¡± ¡°You can say that too.¡± Su Li laughed bitterly. ¡°After all, it was all thanks to the Celestial Shield that I died and that he was severely injured back then.¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Didn¡¯t the two of you have your competition at Peach Blossom Dock? What has that got to do with the Celestial Shield?¡± Su Li paused and looked up at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Ms. Shangguan, you might not know, but Tang Ke and I were still supreme Armory Refinement Masters back then. The reason why we could break through and each produce five holy weapons was actually¡­ all due to the Celestial Shield.¡± ¡°The Celestial Shield suddenly presented itself back then, and we both felt that the item was extraordinary, so we fought for it. During this process, the Celestial Shield¡¯s force spread everywhere and caused Peach Blossom Dock to be chaotic. In this twist of fate, the Yuan instruments we crafted back then were further refined and became holy weapons.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils narrowed! Su Li¡¯s words were a shocking revelation! ¡°This means¡­ The reason why Senior Tang Ke and you could produce the ten holy weapons was that you borrowed the force from the Celestial Shield?!¡± Dimples surfaced on Su Li¡¯s lips, and she sighed lightly. ¡°Producing a holy weapon needs countless amounts of force and energy. Besides, we were still supreme Armory Refinement Masters back then. Without heaven-defying force, how could we produce five weapons each?¡± ¡­ In Messy Stone Forest. In the blink of an eye, half a month quickly passed. However, the door had no movements at all. Everything looked exactly the same as before, without any changes. Some people started to slowly get frustrated. ¡°Such a long time has passed. Why haven¡¯t they come out yet?¡± ¡°Pfft, that¡¯s the legacy of an Armory Refinement Saint! How can half a month be enough? If you can¡¯t wait, you can just leave yourself. Why are you grumbling?¡± ¡°You¡ªI just found it weird. I don¡¯t mean anything else! It¡¯s fine that Shangguan Yue hasn¡¯t come out, but why hasn¡¯t Rong Xiu done anything? He doesn¡¯t need such a long time to receive Tang Ke¡¯s legacy, right!?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­ Don¡¯t forget that the Sharp-Edged Halberd has already recognized him as its owner! That¡¯s the holy weapon Tang Ke personally produced! Even if it¡¯s just caring about this item, Tang Ke would like him more, right? Perhaps he¡¯s waiting for Shangguan Yue inside¡­¡± All sorts of discussions came in. After some time, the crowd could not help but have all sorts of guesses. Shangguan Jing listened at the side and stroked his beard. He looked at the tightly-shut door with deep thoughts. Actually, he wasn¡¯t worried about the duo¡¯s safety and was curious about their progress inside. If Yue¡¯er can really receive Tang Ke¡¯s legacy, she will have another trump card in the future. At this point, a sharp whistle sound came from the skies. The crowd all looked up but didn¡¯t see anything. However, Wei Ze¡ªwho was in the corner the entire time¡ªsuddenly stood up. He looked up and knitted his brows. Someone from the Wei family came. Wei Ze hesitated for a moment before walking out. ¡°Wei family members, follow me.¡± Upon hearing this, the few family members followed. Hearing the noise, quite a few people turned around to take a look. It seems like Wei Ze is planning to leave! ¡°Master Wei, you¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± someone asked loudly. ¡°But they haven¡¯t come out yet!¡± Wei Ze paused in his track. ¡°That whistle is used by my Wei family to send information. I have to go and take a look.¡± The crowd then understood. It seems like the matter was pretty serious. If not, Wei Ze wouldn¡¯t just leave. In the previous battle, he won second place and could almost receive Tang Ke¡¯s legacy. To say that he was convinced? They could not tell. Everyone felt that he would persist until the two of them came out. But, since there were things to handle on the Wei family¡¯s end, other people naturally could not say anything. Wei Ze continued to bring those people to leave. Perhaps because Tang Ke had already chosen the person to receive his legacy¡­ When Wei Ze and the rest left, there were no accidents, and the entire journey was smooth. Very quickly, their figures disappeared behind the many rocks. Most of the people quickly retracted their gazes. Only Shangguan Jing stared in the direction Wei Ze left for quite some time. The people at the side asked strangely, ¡°Shangguan, what are you looking at?¡± Shangguan Jing said, ¡°Nothing. I just felt that Wei Ze left very suddenly.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that someone from the Wei family invited him over? Messy Stone Forest is the Wei family¡¯s territory after all, and he has been here for quite some time. Perhaps something really happened that requires him to personally go back and handle it?¡± Shangguan Jing did not speak, still feeling that something was amiss. Wei Ze came to Messy Stone Forest this time for Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. The people from the Wei family should know this. Since this is so, Wei Ze should have long made sufficient arrangements and preparations. What is so urgent that could be more important than Tang Ke¡¯s tomb? The people from the Wei family came just like that. Didn¡¯t they think that perhaps Wei Ze was receiving Tang Ke¡¯s legacy? Unless¡­ they knew that Wei Ze had nothing much to do at this point. Even though Wei Ze stayed here the entire time after he left, nobody can guarantee that he did not contact the outside world. Besides, when he left, he seemed rather hurried and anxious. Shangguan Jing thought deeply for a long time and could not get an answer, so he suppressed his doubts. ¡­ On the other end, Wei Ze successfully walked out of Messy Stone Forest. When he took the last step out, he turned around to take a look. Messy Stone Forest was quiet and silent. Nobody could imagine what had happened during this period of time. ¡°Master.¡± An elder was already waiting outside. When he saw Wei Ze come, he immediately went forward. Chapter 2081 - 2081 Summoning 2081 Summoning ¡°Master, is everything okay?¡± As Wei Kehan asked concernedly, he quickly sized Wei Ze up. When he detected that the latter¡¯s aura was slightly weak, he instantly became nervous. It seems that things weren¡¯t as successful as imagined. Wei Ze furrowed his brows. ¡°Tang Ke¡¯s legacy was snatched by Shangguan Yue.¡± Wei Kehan¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Shangguan Yue? The one from Peach Blossom Dock?¡± This name was too famous recently. It was hard not to know her. ¡°How can that be? Didn¡¯t you have Senior Tang Ke¡¯s Sharp-Edged Halberd? Besides, you still have¡ª¡± Wei Ze¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold as he glanced at Wei Kehan in warning. Wei Kehan immediately fell silent. Wei Ze calmed himself down and said, ¡°The Sharp-Edged Halberd has already recognized Rong Xiu as its owner. As for the rest¡­ I can¡¯t explain it in one or two sentences. Anyway, the result is out. There¡¯s no use saying anything now.¡± Wei Kehan was filled with shock and doubts. But seeing that the family head didn¡¯t really want to speak further, he intelligently did not continue asking. ¡°Mm¡­ as long as you¡¯re safe and sound.¡± Wei Ze walked forward. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the clan?¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. After receiving your news, I came here by myself, and nobody discovered me.¡± Wei Ze then nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± Hearing the duo¡¯s conversation, the few people behind Wei Ze were all taken aback as they exchanged glances. Um¡­ Master first informed Elder Wei Kehan and then came out? Wei Kehan scanned the few people. ¡°Master, these few¡­¡± Upon hearing this, strong uneasiness overwhelmed the few of them. ¡°Master¡ª¡± Wei Ze did not stop in his tracks. Without even turning around, his voice was cold and nonchalant. ¡°Handle them cleanly. Just say that they died in Messy Stone Forest.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Wei Kehan immediately acknowledged it and whipped his sleeves. Those few people didn¡¯t even have the time to beg for mercy, and their necks were twisted. Blood splattered everywhere! Very quickly, the few of them fell to the ground and lost their breath. Wei Kehan retrieved a tiny jade bottle and poured out some transparent and odorless liquid. Those few people¡¯s corpses quickly turned into puddles of dirty water that rapidly evaporated, not leaving a trace behind. The series of actions was smooth and well-practiced; it was clearly not his first time. After handling it, he rapidly went forward and followed Wei Ze. The duo¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly. ¡­ After an hour, the two of them arrived at a mountain peak outside Messy Stone Forest. Wei Ze was very familiar with the route and went straight for the cave on the mountain. On the other hand, Wei Kehan hid his aura and was in charge of standing guard outside the cave. Wei Ze walked all the way into the depths of the cave. The further in he went, the darker it was. However, Wei Ze seemed like he had come many times before as he didn¡¯t reduce his speed and went straight for the cave. Patter. Patter. The sound of water landing could be heard. Hearing this, Wei Ze was elated and hurriedly quickened his pace. After turning the corner, a faint light surfaced. A small lake appeared before him. That light came from a wood-shaped stalactite above the lake. Water kept flowing down from above and eventually dripped into the lake. Wei Ze heaved a sigh of relief. He then hurriedly went forward, retrieved the purplish-black hammer, and placed it in the middle of the lake. Patter. A drop of water coincidentally landed on the metal hammer. The patterns on it gradually became clear. Wei Ze could also feel the weakening force in his body receiving support. ¡°Luckily¡­¡± Luckily, I rushed back in time! ¡°Xiping, are you okay?¡± asked Wei Ze nervously. After a moment, a young male voice came from the purplish-black metal hammer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I¡¯m fine.¡± If Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were here, they could definitely tell that this was Wei Xiping¡¯s voice! Upon hearing this, Wei Ze heaved a long sigh of relief. But thinking of whatever that happened earlier, his uneasy heart could not completely relax. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being useless. I almost caused you to¡ª¡± ¡°Father, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s voice sounded weak and had a few hints of cunningness. ¡°It¡¯s all those two people¡¯s fault for being too scheming!¡± If not, the person who received Tang Ke¡¯s legacy should be my father and me! Now, our meticulous plans have been ruined! Speaking of this, Wei Ze was filled with vengeance. ¡°Those two people are indeed too resourceful¡­ Xiping, during this period, just stay here and rest first. I feel like Rong Xiu has discovered something¡­ You can also take this time to properly cultivate¡­¡± ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I understand what you¡¯re saying. Even though I couldn¡¯t succeed this time, I absorbed quite a bit of lightning force. In no time, my skills will be strengthened.¡± Wei Ze then truly relaxed. ¡°Okay. During this time, I¡¯ll guard you here. When Shangguan Yue and the rest come out from Messy Stone Forest, it won¡¯t be too late for us to take revenge!¡± ¡­ The departure of Wei Ze and the rest did not affect the others much. After they left, Messy Stone Forest quickly resumed its previous state. The crowd started waiting again. Such waiting periods were always long and torturous. However, they were too curious about Chu Liuyue¡¯s circumstance, so they could only wait. ¡­ After Su Li finished talking, Chu Liuyue fell silent for a long time. I had never expected there to be such a huge secret behind the ten holy weapons! If all these weapons were produced with the force from the Celestial Shield, then¡­ What about the Celestial Shield? What kind of existence is it?! Su Li¡¯s hand slowly swept across the tomb. The uneven engraved symbols were rough to touch. ¡°¡­Even though we produced five holy weapons each, we also paid a huge price for it. My physical body is damaged, and my soul is hanging by its last breath. Tang Ke¡¯s situation might be better than mine, but setting up these two tombs also exhausted all his force.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a long while and finally asked, ¡°Then¡­ why did Senior Tang Ke split the Celestial Shield¡¯s symbols into two and engrave them on the two tombs?¡± Su Li replied, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because¡­ Only by doing this can we wait for the day the Celestial Shield recognizes its owner.¡± She pointed at the three holy weapons. ¡°Back then, the Celestial Shield¡¯s force were split into two by us and respectively injected into those holy weapons. If you wish to awaken the Celestial Shield, you have to retract all of the force!¡± Chapter 2082 - 2082 Snatch 2082 Snatch ¡°Awaken the Celestial Shield?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. To her, when the Celestial Shield first triggered the flame eruption in Peach Blossom Dock, it was completely awakened. And it had already recognized her as its owner. Why did she need to wake it up now? As if sensing her doubts, Su Li shook her head, smiled, and explained, ¡°You are the owner of the Celestial Shield, but it¡¯s not in the most complete state now. I can¡¯t use words to describe to you what kind of shocking force the awakened Celestial Shield has¡­ However, if you want to become stronger, this is a step you must take.¡± Her expression was extremely serious. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment before asking, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ What will happen to these holy weapons in the end? If their force is taken away, then¡­¡± Won¡¯t they become a bunch of rotten metal? ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. Even though these holy weapons contain the Celestial Shield¡¯s force¡­ When you awaken the Celestial Shield, you don¡¯t have to take the force from them. You just have to gather it together¡­ When the ten holy weapons are together, the Celestial Shield will naturally awaken.¡± Only then did Chu Liuyue feel more at ease. She didn¡¯t understand the other holy weapons, but just the few in her hands were extremely precious and strong. She would be reluctant if she had to really destroy them. ¡°So I need to collect all ten holy weapons?¡± Su Li nodded. Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples with a headache. ¡°You think too highly of me¡­¡± This is easy to say, yet very troublesome to do! I¡¯ve spent so much time and effort and have only collected three items with much difficulty. Other than Rong Xiu¡¯s Sharp-Edged Halberd, there are still six more. Where should I find them? If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, the remaining holy weapons should be distributed in the few aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm. Those are other people¡¯s precious treasures. How could I snatch them? Even if I am currently Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Master Yue, it is as hard as ascending the skies. Su Li¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Ms. Shangguan, this might be hard for other people, but you indeed can do it. Don¡¯t forget that the Celestial Shield is in your hands.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart jumped. ¡°Mr. Su, you mean¡­¡± ¡°The ten holy weapons used the Celestial Shield¡¯s force to break through the threshold and become holy weapons! If the Celestial Shield summons them, they will naturally come upon command!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯re telling me to¡­ forcefully snatch?!¡± Su Li blinked and smiled. Her dimples were faint, and she looked radiant as she gently said, ¡°How can you say it¡¯s snatching? This world is a world where the strong are respected. Whoever is capable will win. Besides, even the Celestial Shield is yours, Ms. Shangguan. Why are you worried about those holy weapons?¡± ¡°They¡¯re¡­ originally yours.¡± ¡­ Outside the copper door. Rong Xiu stood with his hands behind his back. Tang Ke was kneeling down not far behind him. It was completely silent in the large room. Only the countless lightning bolts were still slowly turning in the upper part of the room. They dazzled brightly. At some point, Rong Xiu¡¯s expression moved, and he turned around. Tang Ke¡¯s heart immediately tightened. ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡± Rong Xiu looked at him calmly. ¡°Get up.¡± Tang Ke was first dazed. Then, he immediately realized something, and emotions overflowed from his eyes. ¡°Your Highness, you mean¡ª¡± It¡¯s done! It must have succeeded inside! As Rong Xiu was around, he didn¡¯t dare to privately find out what was happening inside. Now, his uneasy heart could finally relax. ¡°I will definitely not forget Master Yue¡¯s favor! When Master Yue comes out safely, I¡¯ll definitely give her all my assets!¡± He naturally meant the countless sea of lightning bolts accumulated here for thousands of years! Rong Xiu raised his brows slightly and said lightly, ¡°She won¡¯t covet your items.¡± Chapter 2083 - 2083 Bully You? 2083 Bully You? ¡°But¡­¡± said Su Li hesitantly. ¡°Summoning the ten holy weapons and awakening the Celestial Shield might still be rather reluctant for you now, Ms. Shangguan. For safety¡¯s sake, it¡¯s not too late to decide when you break through to become a supreme Armory Refinement Master.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded, understanding what Su Li meant. Summoning the ten holy weapons was definitely not something easy. Even if she was already the Celestial Shield¡¯s owner now, it would be equally difficult to do it. It was already hard for her to handle three holy weapons at once, let alone ten. ¡°Besides, once the Celestial Shield is awakened, its force is shocking. Even though you¡¯re strong, Ms. Shangguan, and you used the God-Destroying Tribulation to forge your Holy Body¡­ If you become a legendary warrior, your chances of success will be elevated by quite a bit.¡± Su Li spoke seriously, and Chu Liuyue listened carefully. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Su. I¡¯ll remember this close to my heart.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand slowly brushed across the Celestial Shield. Even though she also wanted to see the Celestial Shield¡¯s true powers, the current timing was clearly not suitable. Before that, she had to strengthen her own skills! Feeling the uneven mysterious text, Chu Liuyue curiously asked, ¡°There¡¯s still something I would like to ask. Mr. Su, do you recognize the mysterious text on this?¡± Su Li shook her head. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly. Actually, she had long guessed this outcome when she heard Su Li speak about the matters back then. However, she refused to give up and had to ask clearly. Originally, she still thought she could obtain some clues from Tang Ke¡­ But being able to see Su Li and know these secrets about the Celestial Shield was not bad. The so-called Tang Ke¡¯s legacy actually did not exist. The secret to producing holy weapons lay in the Celestial Shield and the ten holy weapons! For Su Li, Tang Ke really spent all his effort and even waited thousands of years for her. Even though she could be considered to have been ¡®tricked¡¯ in coming in¡­ After figuring out the entire incident, she couldn¡¯t be angry at all and was only left with endless emotions. Chu Liuyue came to a conclusion. ¡°Since you¡¯re already awake, then¡­ Why don¡¯t you follow me out?¡± Upon hearing this, Su Li was slightly dazed. ¡°Go out?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. Even though this place has dense force, it is too lonely. Looking across, one will feel deep loneliness. I really don¡¯t know how Tang Ke survived for so long. She smiled at Su Li. ¡°If Senior Tang Ke sees you again, he¡¯ll definitely be elated.¡± Speaking of Tang Ke, Su Li¡¯s expression faltered slightly. Actually, the battle back then was indeed the first time the two of them met, and it was their only time. Afterward, her physical body was damaged, and her soul dispersed. If it weren¡¯t for Tang Ke, she would¡¯ve long died. Even she did not know why Tang Ke would do so much for her. ¡°I¡ª¡± Su Li bit her lips and seemed hesitant. She had not thought of how she would face Tang Ke. Looking at her, Chu Liuyue knew what Su Li was thinking without asking. Even though she was once the formidable Mr. Su, she was also a naive woman at the same time. She spent most of her time and energy on cultivation. Originally, she only sent Tang Ke a challenge out of curiosity and competitiveness. Who knew after the battle at Peach Blossom Dock¡­ Su Li suddenly asked, ¡°Ms. Shangguan, why do you think he¡¯s doing this? We just met once and fought once¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t that she did not know how much Tang Ke sacrificed for her, but it was precisely because of this that made her even more apprehensive. She did not know what to do. Chu Liuyue looked down slightly, as if she was thinking. After a moment, she looked up at the two tombs beside each other. The corner of her lips smiled, and there seemed to be stars sparkling in her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no logic in feelings.¡± ¡­ Outside the copper door. After confirming that Su Li had already woken up, Tang Ke became anxious and looked at the door from time to time. Rong Xiu looked at him. ¡°You¡¯ve already waited for 10,000 years. This is just a little while longer.¡± No matter what, you have to wait until Yue¡¯er is done resting. Embarrassment surfaced on Tang Ke¡¯s face, but his eyes still had an unconcealable elation. ¡°I-I¡¯m just too happy¡­¡± Even though he had been thinking of this day the whole time, over the long years¡­ When all of this really happened, he felt that it was very surreal and didn¡¯t dare to believe it. Rong Xiu paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Have you ever thought that you might not be able to keep her in the end, even after doing so much?¡± Tang Ke was dazed. After keeping silent for a moment, he said, ¡°As long as she¡¯s safe, I have no other requests.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, revealing an extremely faint smile. Tang Ke was rather confused. ¡°Your Highness¡­ what are you smiling about?¡± Rong Xiu was about to speak when he suddenly turned around and looked at the copper door. Almost at the same time, Tang Ke immediately noticed something and looked over! Creak¡ª The tightly shut copper door slowly opened! Two figures walked out, one in front of the other. The person in front was Chu Liuyue, and the translucent figure behind was Su Li without a doubt! ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked out and saw Rong Xiu standing not far away at first glance. The corner of her lips curled up. Just as she was about to say something, she saw a figure standing behind Rong Xiu. That was a man in his thirties and was rather handsome. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment before she understood¡ªthis person was Tang Ke! Hearing his voice, Chu Liuyue originally thought that he would have been very cold. Who knew that he was still so young¡­ Did he come out because he knew that Su Li woke up? ¡°Senior Tang Ke.¡± Chu Liuyue helplessly shook her head and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to come out?¡± Tang Ke¡¯s gaze landed on Su Li, and time seemed to be in a blur. Her appearance was exactly the same as the time when they first met, without any changes. At this moment, he even felt that everything just happened yesterday. The long months and years in between was just a dream. Su Li¡¯s heart beat quickly, and she was the first to react. ¡°Long time no see, Tang Ke.¡± Tang Ke recovered his senses, suppressed the ripples in his heart, and smiled. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between the two before she smiled and said, ¡°The two seniors have been separated for a long time. Now that they have finally met each other, they should have a lot of things to say to each other. We won¡¯t disturb you first.¡± As she spoke, she walked to Rong Xiu and used her elbow to nudge him. She softly asked, ¡°When did Senior Tang Ke come out?¡± However, Rong Xiu held her hand, brought her in front, and inspected her closely for quite some time. After confirming that she was fine, he then relaxed. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s question, he thought for a moment. ¡°About¡­ an hour ago.¡± Chu Liuyue calculated in her heart. That was about the time when Su Li woke up. It seemed like Tang Ke should know the situation inside. She blinked and asked again, ¡°Then¡­ Did Senior Tang Ke make things difficult for you?¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows and nonchalantly smiled. ¡°¡­Not really.¡± ¡­ Chapter 2084 - 2084 Interrogation 2084 Interrogation Creak¡ª The door that had been quiet for a long time finally had a sound. Shangguan Jing and the rest, who were waiting outside, immediately perked up and looked over. The door opened slowly, and a tall figure came out from within¡ªit was Rong Xiu! Behind him, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure came into view. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Shangguan Jing was elated. He quickly walked up and seriously sized the two of them up. ¡°How are you?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t worry. Everything is fine.¡± The surrounding atmosphere instantly became strange. Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. Does this mean¡­ she has already successfully received Tang Ke¡¯s legacy? After all, she won that competition, and Tang Ke clearly admired her. It¡¯s understandable that he would give her something. This also means that in the future, she will very likely break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint! With another Shangguan Jing¡­ This entire family would be invincible! Shangguan Jing was also excited. ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!¡± I knew that Yue¡¯er could definitely do it! After a moment, someone in the crowd finally asked boldly, ¡°May I ask His Grace and Master Yue how Senior Tang Ke is now?¡± They are out, then¡­ What about Tang Ke? He still has a soul left behind¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at the person who asked the question and smiled straightforwardly. ¡°Senior Tang Ke said that he was already used to staying here. Now that everything has ended, he¡¯ll completely seal this place and won¡¯t appear again.¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd was first shocked before feeling regretful. This meant that they wouldn¡¯t have a chance to ask him for guidance. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd as he squinted slightly. ¡°Master Wei is not around?¡± Hearing him say this, Chu Liuyue then discovered that Wei Ze was indeed not here. That¡¯s weird. With Wei Ze¡¯s temperament and habits, he shouldn¡¯t leave before we come out. Shangguan Jing explained, ¡°Three days ago, someone from the Wei family came, saying that they had something urgent for him to handle. Thus, he brought the few of them and left.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°I see. It seems like Master Wei is extremely busy.¡± A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. ¡°Originally, I planned to bid Master Wei farewell. But it now seems like it isn¡¯t a good idea to disturb him. Since this is so, we¡¯ll leave first. If we have fate in the future, we¡¯ll meet again.¡± She wanted to leave. Upon hearing this, quite a few people felt empty. Everyone came with hopes. Now that they did not get anything, they naturally felt that it was a pity. But since she wanted to leave, they could not stop her. Besides, after this incident, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho received Tang Ke¡¯s legacy¡ªwould definitely have a bright future. Having a good relationship with her was definitely better than making her an enemy. Immediately, quite a few people bade them farewell happily and politely. Chu Liuyue accepted all of them and bade them farewell with a smile. After all the struggles, they finally left. Only when their figures completely disappeared did the remaining crowd slowly leave. ¡­ At the Yi family. Inside the study, Jun Jiuqing sat behind the desk, looking at something. A figure quickly came in. It was Yi Wenzhuo. He directly went to the door and waved at the two guards who wanted to bow. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed. I have something to talk to Jiuqing about.¡± The two guards exchanged glances. ¡°Well¡­¡± Without the master¡¯s command, they did not dare to leave on their own. Even if this person was Yi Wenzhuo. At this point, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s voice came from within the room. ¡°You all are dismissed.¡± Hearing this, the two of them immediately heaved a sigh of relief. After acknowledging it respectfully, they left. Yi Wenzhuo walked in. After locking the door and confirming that there was nobody else around, he stared at Jun Jiuqing sitting in the room. His calm expression cracked slightly, as if he was enduring something. Jun Jiuqing looked over, smiled, and asked, ¡°Mentor, why did you come over at this time?¡± Yi Wenzhuo silently walked to his side and looked at him with a complicated gaze. That gaze seemed suspicious yet inspective. After a long while, he asked, ¡°Big Brother¡¯s death¡­ Is it related to you?¡± This ¡®Big Brother¡¯ was naturally referring to Yi Wentao. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s smile faded slightly, as he asked in shock, ¡°Mentor, why did you say this?¡± ¡°I heard that the only person he saw before he died was you.¡± Yi Wenzhuo stared at him tightly and clenched his fists in his sleeves tightly. ¡°Jiuqing, do you dare say that you have nothing to do with this at all?¡± Jun Jiuqing paused and then replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. I did find Master that day. That¡¯s because one of the subordinates said that he refused to take his medicine, so I wanted to go over and convince him. It was a pity that Master¡¯s cultivation was over, and he no longer had the will to continue living. He chose to explode himself because he couldn¡¯t accept the fact that he already became a good-for-nothing. Such days made him hopeless, and he would rather die.¡± ¡°Mentor, someone like Master was proud his whole life. It¡¯s the most normal for him to make such a decision, right?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s voice was calm. However, every single word was very sharp. Yi Wenzhuo knitted his brows tightly. He had to admit that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words made a lot of sense, but¡­ he still felt that something was wrong. Yi Wenzhuo stared at Jun Jiuqing closely, as if he wanted to see any hints from the latter¡¯s face. However, he couldn¡¯t discern anything at all. Yi Wenzhuo then shockingly realized that he could not see through Jun Jiuqing! He took a deep breath and finally asked, ¡°Even so, then¡­ How do you explain the Wei family¡¯s incident?¡± Chapter 2085 - 2085 Help 2085 Help ¡°Wei family? What¡¯s with them?¡± Jun Jiuqing raised his brows slightly, as if he didn¡¯t understand what he implied. Yi Wenzhuo grunted coldly and lowered his voice. ¡°You contacted Wei Ze long ago, right!?¡± Jun Jiuqing laughed, and there were a few demonic hints in his eyes. ¡°Mentor, the Yi family and the Wei family has always had interactions. Now that I¡¯m the family head, isn¡¯t it normal for me to contact Wei Ze?¡± ¡°You clearly know that I¡¯m not asking about this.¡± Yi Wenzhuo took a deep breath. ¡°Other people don¡¯t know, but I do! That Sharp-Edged Halberd is clearly our Yi family¡¯s item! Not more than three people in the entire God Residence Realm know about this! Now, out of nowhere, the Sharp-Edged Halberd appeared in Wei Ze¡¯s hands! Who else but you can silently take away the Sharp-Edged Halberd?¡± If anyone else was present and heard this, they would definitely be taken aback. Everyone thought that the Yi family only had one holy weapon, which was Yi Wentao¡¯s Great Azure Sun Axe. But in actual fact, the Sharp-Edged Halberd was theirs from thousands of years ago. However, Yi Wentao had always been discreet in such matters, so he purposely hid the existence of the Sharp-Edged Halberd. Yi Wenzhuo only knew of this because he was Yi Wentao¡¯s biological younger brother. The matter regarding Tang Ke¡¯s tomb had recently spread far and wide in Messy Stone Forest. The news related to the Sharp-Edged Halberd had long spread around. In an attempt to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb in Messy Stone Forest, Wei Ze presented the Sharp-Edged Halberd. However, it was a pity that he didn¡¯t succeed, and the Sharp-Edged Halberd later recognized Rong Xiu as its owner. The latter part was the most important thing! ¡°Now, the Sharp-Edged Halberd has landed in Rong Xiu¡¯s hands and become his. Are you satisfied?!¡± Yet, we don¡¯t even have the right to cause a scene! This time, we have really suffered a great loss! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression became much calmer, and he said, ¡°To be honest with you, I did lend that Sharp-Edged Halberd to Wei Ze for the time being. But at that time, he just said that he wanted to use one of the holy weapons Tang Ke produced back then to open Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. He would return it after he used it. I didn¡¯t expect the later events to happen¡ª¡± ¡°How can you lend such an important item so easily?!¡± Yi Wentao asked in disbelief, as if there was something crazily swimming in his stomach. ¡°The Great Azure Sun Axe has long been taken by Shangguan Yue. Now, even the Sharp-Edged Halberd has become Rong Xiu¡¯s. Jiuqing, what exactly are you thinking?!¡± Jun Jiuqing gazed at him calmly. ¡°Mentor, allow me to remind you¡ªthat is a holy weapon. A holy weapon has its own spirit, and it always chooses its own owner. For someone who doesn¡¯t have fate with it¡­ Even if they guard it for thousands of years, they won¡¯t receive its recognition. Anyway, someone is destined to be its owner. Nobody can stop this.¡± Even though he also disliked Rong Xiu, who could forcefully change such a thing? Yi Wenzhuo was so angry that he could not say anything. He knitted his brows tightly and looked at Jun Jiuqing with a complicated gaze. He suddenly realized that he did not seem to understand the latter. The current Jun Jiuqing had a nonchalant expression with deep eyes. Even though I have been his mentor for many years, I also don¡¯t know what exactly he is thinking. Yi Wenzhuo suddenly felt confused. Did Jun Jiuqing become like this after he became the head of the Yi family, or¡­ Was he originally like this? ¡°¡­You purposely gave the Sharp-Edged Halberd to Wei Ze,¡± said Yi Wenzhuo slowly and determinedly. ¡°The news of Tang Ke¡¯s tomb was also spread by you and Wei Ze together, right?¡± Jun Jiuqing did not speak. Yi Wenzhuo closed his eyes. ¡°What exactly do you want to do? You¡¯re already the Yi family¡¯s master! Why must you¡ª¡± Previously, he didn¡¯t feel it. But now he shockingly realized that Jun Jiuqing seemed to have deliberations for doing all of this! ¡°Mentor, don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Jun Jiuqing spoke and stood up. ¡°The Yi family was harmed greatly, and it¡¯s time to properly recuperate. We still need your help in many aspects. You must protect yourself.¡± Yi Wenzhuo suddenly felt a gust of cold intent slowly rising from the bottom of his feet. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest successfully left Messy Stone Forest and returned to Peach Blossom Dock. Close to two months had passed since the day they left. What elated Chu Liuyue was that Shangguan You and Chu Ning came. Shangguan You had already broken through to become a true god, and Chu Ning broke through to become a stage-nine warrior in such a short period of time. He was a step away from being a true god. One had to know that he had to recultivate as a stage-one warrior. This speed was already heaven-defying. Besides, he had the Indestructible Holy Body. Even if he didn¡¯t break through to become a true god, he had extremely high combat power. The news from Messy Stone Forest had spread far and wide. Everyone knew that Chu Liuyue received Tang Ke¡¯s legacy and had hopes of being the next Armory Refinement Saint. The entire Peach Blossom Dock was in a celebratory mood. However, Shangguan You did not stay in the Peach Blossom Dock for long. After seeing Chu Liuyue, he left after a few days. After all, someone still had to take care of the Tianling Dynasty¡¯s side. Even though Chu Liuyue was reluctant, she still got someone to send him back. Now that she was Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Master Yue, it was much more convenient to do many things, and it wasn¡¯t too troublesome to enter or leave Peach Blossom Dock. She could go back at any time, and Shangguan You could also come over. Chu Ning stayed and focused on his cultivation. Chu Liuyue was his only kin now, and the existence he could not let go of. There was not much meaning in returning to Country Yao Chen, so he simply stayed and used Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s cultivation environment to improve his cultivation level. Everything was slowly falling into place. ¡­ On this day, Chu Liuyue came to Clear Water Cliff. San San came with her as well. San San followed her from the back, walking and saying, ¡°Master, you can just tell me what herbs you need. Why must you come yourself? Look, you¡¯re so busy¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue waved her hand in response. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure what I need either, so I came to take a look.¡± San San scratched his head. ¡°I see¡­ Master, what do you want to do then? Why don¡¯t you tell me, and I might be able to help you think about it?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed and turned around to glance at him with a doubtful gaze. ¡°You?¡± San San coughed and straightened his back. ¡°Yes! Of course! Don¡¯t look down on my heavenly doctor talent. I¡¯ve been reading quite a few ancient books lately and have studied many formulas!¡± It¡¯s rare for San San to be this diligent. Without asking, Chu Liuyue knew that it was for a new marketing strategy. She laughed. ¡°You really can¡¯t help with this.¡± San San was instantly indignant. ¡°You can¡¯t look down on me like this! If you say it, I might really be able to help you!¡± Chu Liuyue stood still and raised her chin. ¡°Open it.¡± Chapter 2086 - 2086 Unable 2086 Unable San San immediately walked over obediently. ¡°Hey!¡± He reached out, and a faint blue fire immediately illuminated in the small barrier. Then, the barrier opened! Chu Liuyue walked in, and San San followed closely behind. The duo¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly. ¡­ Once they stepped in, the intense herbal fragrance wafted over¡ªit was rejuvenating. San San walked over and could not hold back his curiosity. ¡°Master, what exactly¡ªoh my god!¡± Just as San San was speaking, he suddenly saw another translucent figure appearing beside Chu Liuyue. He instantly covered his heart in shock and took a few steps back. ¡°T-this¡­ Who is this?!¡± She appeared so silently. How frightening! Chu Liuyue glanced at him with disdain. ¡°Why are you howling? Quickly greet Mr. Su!¡± San San didn¡¯t immediately react at first. He then blinked his small eyes a few times and finally realized who Chu Liuyue was talking about. ¡°M-Mr. Su?! The¡­ Mr. Su who produced five holy weapons back then?!¡± He widened his eyes and then saw that the person who suddenly appeared was a female. She was thin, and her long hair reached her ankles. She had a red ruby hairpin holding her hair. She was pretty, gentle, and moving. San San¡¯s mind became blank instantly. Mr. Su¡­ isn¡¯t dead?! And¡­ she¡¯s a woman?! Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Did you become silly?¡± Su Li covered her lips and smiled, with two small dimples instantly surfacing by the corner of her lips. ¡°I appeared too suddenly. Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t blame him.¡± San San then recovered his senses and hurriedly cupped his fists to respectfully bow. ¡°I am S-San San. Greetings, Mr. Su!¡± Chu Liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. This feeling of being humiliated¡­ sucks! If I didn¡¯t need San San to come in here, I wouldn¡¯t want to bring him along. ¡°I brought Mr. Su over to find some herbs to help her rebuild her physical body. Do you know how I should do this¡­?¡± ¡°H-how would I know this¡­ You¡¯re putting me in a spot¡­¡± San San was embarrassed. If I knew that it was such a huge matter, I wouldn¡¯t have spoken just now! Chu Liuyue raised her chin. ¡°Just wait here for me. Mr. Su and I will go over and take a look.¡± San San hurriedly nodded ¡°Hey! I got it!¡± Then, Chu Liuyue glanced at Su Li. ¡°Mr. Su, go ahead please.¡± Su Li nodded lightly and walked in with her. Seeing the duo¡¯s backs, San San¡¯s heart could not calm down. What the hell is going on?! ¡­ ¡°Actually, after I came back, I wanted to bring you over to take a look. However, I couldn¡¯t find a suitable time and opportunity. Mr. Su, please forgive me,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she walked. Su Li smiled warmly and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already waited for so long. This bit of time is nothing. Without you, I¡¯m afraid I would¡¯ve already¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°How have you been recovering during this period of time?¡± Su Li nodded. ¡°With the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡¯s force nourishing me, I¡¯ve been much better. I have to thank you for this.¡± That¡¯s right. When they left Messy Stone Forest that day, Su Li and Tang Ke left with Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. Tang Ke¡¯s situation was much better than Su Li¡¯s, so he temporarily inserted himself into the Sharp-Edged Halberd. As for Su Li¡­ Even though she was already awake, her breathing was slightly weak, so Chu Liuyue invited her into the Heavenly Square Cauldron. After a period of adjustment, she was much better. Chu Liuyue¡¯s force was forcefully taken from her in Fengli Cave. Even though she wasn¡¯t too injured, she spent a lot of effort recuperating. Not having a physical body and only a soul was not a long-term solution. Hence, after her body became better, Chu Liuyue brought Su Li over to choose some herbs and see if they could help reform her body. Su Li was an Armory Refinement Saint, but her cultivation level was just that of a stage-nine warrior. Thus, she did not have a Holy Body. This made it more troublesome. Chu Liuyue had seen countless medical books, but there was very little content recorded in this aspect. Even though she had helped Zi Chen reform his physical body, a human and a legendary fiend was still different, especially when Su Li was still a stage-nine warrior before she died. Without a Holy Body, it was even more difficult for her. This was why Chu Liuyue also felt that this was very troublesome. A stage-nine warrior¡¯s bones were still fine, but the key was there was no reference to what herbs they should use. If they weren¡¯t careful, a physical body of such a standard would be damaged because its tolerance level was too low. She brought Su Li over to discuss and see what kind of herbs they should choose. ¡°It¡¯s best that you can recover. Now, the only trouble is that you don¡¯t have a Holy Body¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°If you had a Holy Body, it¡¯d be much more convenient. Perhaps you could reform your own Holy Body without my help.¡± Su Li asked strangely, ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just¡ª¡± Su Li shook her head. ¡°No, you just said that if I had a Holy Body before, I can reform it myself?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Su Li¡¯s expression turned even stranger. ¡°Who¡­ told you this?¡± Seeing that her expression was amiss, Chu Liuyue was confused. ¡°This¡ª¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯ve never broken through to become a true god, I journeyed as a supreme Armory Refinement Master back then and saw quite a few true gods and legendary warriors. From what I know, as long as a Holy Body is ruined, a cultivator can never reform their Holy Body. Even if they use external forces, it¡¯s extremely hard. Why would you say that I can reform my own Holy Body?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so? I personally¡ª¡± Chapter 2087 - 2087 Director 2087 Director I personally saw it before. Chu Liuyue did not say this sentence. Su Li¡¯s expression doesn¡¯t seem fake. What kind of amazing existence is she? Countless true gods and legendary warriors are willing to follow her. Since she has said so, it is most likely true. But if that is really the case, then¡­ What¡¯s with Big Baby? Chu Liuyue remembered clearly that he reformed his Holy Body in the Red Moon Desert himself! Additionally, to save her, he even crafted the appearance of a child in a hurry. To mention external forces¡­ Big Baby used her blood at the last moment. However, Chu Liuyue did not take this matter to heart. From the three seniors¡¯ reactions, they never wanted her help since the beginning. They planned to reform their Holy Bodies themselves! This caused Chu Liuyue to think that everyone was the same. But after hearing Su Li¡¯s words, she then realized that her understanding seemed to be wrong. ¡°Yue¡¯er, Yue¡¯er?¡± Su Li stretched her hand out and waved it in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, and her lips curled up slightly. ¡°Nothing much. Actually, I just heard these casually from other people. So it¡¯s wrong¡­ Then, Mr. Su, is there really nobody in the world who can do this?¡± ¡°You mean purely use their own force to reform their Holy Body?¡± Su Li did not see the strangeness in Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression and just felt that she heard it wrongly, so she shook her head lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing before.¡± Chu Liuyue looked down. ¡°However¡­¡± Su Li squinted slightly, as if she were in deep thought. ¡°Perhaps an existence above legendary warriors can do this?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at her strangely. ¡°An existence¡­ above legendary warriors?¡± ¡°Yeah! However, such an existence only exists in legends¡ªeven Tang Ke and I have not seen them before. Oh right, I heard that you¡¯re a student from Ling Xiao Academy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Someone said that the first director of Ling Xiao Academy was such a character. However, nobody personally verified it. After he disappeared unknowingly, the rumors related to him disappeared with the passing of time, so nobody talked about it.¡± Su Li shook her head in pity. Yet. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in uproar! This means that Big Baby¡ª Seeing Chu Liuyue fall silent, Su Li thought that she was still worried about reforming her physical body, so she comforted the young lady. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you don¡¯t actually have to be too worried. Even if you can¡¯t succeed in the end, it¡¯s fine. Even without a physical body, I¡¯m already very satisfied with my soul around.¡± Not to mention that she could still come out now and see the scenery and all sorts of people in the world. Personally, she already felt extremely lucky. Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts, having already restrained the emotions in her eyes. Then, she smiled. ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s try first.¡± ¡­ At Yue Manor. Rong Xiu was holding a brush and writing something in the study. Yu Mo walked in hurriedly. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s news from the Wei family.¡± Rong Xiu did not stop his actions. ¡°Say it.¡± Yu Mo continued, ¡°The Wei family¡¯s elder, Wei Kehan, did go out alone once. Nobody knew where he went or what he did.¡± ¡°What about the Yi family?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was calm, and his voice was nonchalant. Yu Mo lowered his head. ¡°The Yi family has been in a mess for a while, and it only stopped after Yi Wentao died. However, Yi Wentao exploded himself, and he lost to Madam at Peach Blossom Dock, so the Yi family felt humiliated and didn¡¯t hold a grand memorial service. They just buried him casually. As for the Sharp-Edged Halberd¡­ it did not cause much of an uproar.¡± That was natural. After all, only a few people from the Yi family knew of the Sharp-Edged Halberd¡¯s existence. Rong Xiu smiled.¡±What¡¯s there to bury if his body is destroyed, and his soul is gone? It¡¯s just a ceremony. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s ability to kill one to warn the rest is becoming increasingly well-versed.¡± Yu Mo felt rather emotional. ¡°No matter what, Yi Wentao used to be a formidable person in the Yi family. Over the past hundreds of years, nobody dared to say ¡®no¡¯ to him, yet he died in such a manner¡­¡± ¡°Used to be is still used to be.¡± Rong Xiu put his brush away, picked up the paper below his hands, and glanced at it. Jun Jiuqing came to this position with much difficulty, so he would naturally take all chances to stabilize his base. Yi Wentao was just a stepping stone for him. Originally, the people from the Yi family were very reluctant to stand by him, and quite a few of them were eyeing the position of the head of the family. However, everything naturally calmed down with Yi Wentao¡¯s death. Everyone could tell that Yi Wentao¡¯s death was related to Jun Jiuqing, but this was the result Jun Jiuqing wanted. Forcefully suppressing the powers was sometimes quicker and more effective than any gentle methods. He paused. ¡°Jun Jiuqing has always been a smart person.¡± Yu Mo asked rather hesitantly, ¡°Then¡­ Your Highness, do you plan to let them work in kahoots?¡± ¡°Jun Jiuqing is determined to take the Yi family, and he even gave out the Sharp-Edged Halberd for this, to use the Wei family to lure me away. Since this is so, I¡¯ll give him some face.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t care about the Sharp-Edged Halberd, it was not bad that he could take the chance to bring Tang Ke and Su Li out to add onto Yue¡¯er¡¯s formation. ¡°Wei Ze will still contact the Yi family later on. Just quietly watch what happens.¡± Yu Mo immediately answered, ¡°Yes!¡± At this moment, someone walked in from outside¡ªit was Yan Qing. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Once Yan Qing walked in, he kneeled and bowed with slightly knitted brows and a grave expression. Yu Mo rarely saw such an expression, and his heart could not help but skip a beat. Did something happen? Rong Xiu raised his chin. ¡°You can just stand up and talk.¡± Yan Qing then stood up and retrieved a letter from his arms as he boomed, ¡°Your Highness, the Clan Leader has passed on. 36 Respected Elder Ming sent a letter back to ask you to go back immediately.¡± When Yu Mo heard the first half of the sentence, he still didn¡¯t quite process what was going on. But hearing the latter half, he immediately widened his eyes in shock and almost jumped. ¡°The Clan Leader passed on?!¡± This is too sudden! However, Rong Xiu did not look shocked. He moved his long and white fingers, and the paper in his hands flew to Yan Qing. ¡°This is the eulogy I wrote for the Clan Leader. Make a few copies of it and send it to the venerables.¡± Yu Mo turned around in fright. When he came in, I saw His Highness writing something, but I never thought that it was the clan leader¡¯s eulogy! ¡°Your Highness?! You already knew?!¡± Yan Qing held the paper and instantly understood. He respectfully nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu tilted his head and looked outside the window. There were no clouds in the bright sky. ¡°Today¡¯s weather is not bad.¡± It¡¯s a good day to send someone off. Chapter 2088 - 2088 Set Off 2088 Set Off Chu Liuyue and Su Li discussed and chose a few herbs, planning to try them a few times. Perhaps they might just get it right? After a long time, the two of them walked out from inside. San San, who was waiting outside, hurriedly went forward with a smile plastered on his face. ¡°Master, Mr. Su! Why did the two of you come out so fast? Aren¡¯t you going to look more?¡± This kid is generous for once. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°Does your heart not ache?¡± ¡°Listen to what you¡¯re saying!¡± San San chuckled. ¡°Whatever is mine is yours! Whatever you want, you can just come and take it! Besides, if these herbs can really help Mr. Su, it¡¯ll be my honor, right?¡± This was the famous Mr. Su, one of the only two Armory Refinement Saints in the God Residence Realm according to the legends! Even a legendary warrior wouldn¡¯t dare to be wilful in front of such a character. He did not even have the time to cozy up to her! What did this small bit of herbs count for? If he could be related to her, he would benefit big time! Su Li covered her lips and smiled. ¡°Yue¡¯er, your subordinate is really interesting.¡± Receiving praise, San San straightened his back and looked elated. Chu Liuyue glanced at him pitifully. Luckily, Senior Tang Ke isn¡¯t around now. If not¡ª ¡°Mr. Su will be with me during this period of time, but not many people know about this¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master! I know what to say and what not to say!¡± San San immediately did an action of zipping his mouth. Chu Liuyue nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good that you know.¡± Actually, she wasn¡¯t worried about this at all. The Thirteen Yue Guards were all tight-lipped, especially San San. This was also one of the reasons she was comfortable with bringing San San over. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Yue¡¯er, for the remaining matters.¡± Then, Su Li¡¯s figure flashed, and she disappeared once again. San San smacked his lips and still found it incredulous. While waiting, he had already guessed that his master should have met Mr. Su and brought her back when she went to Tang Ke¡¯s tomb previously. Besides, seeing Mr. Su¡¯s attitude, it seems like she is quite close to Master. I know that Master is amazing, but I didn¡¯t expect even someone like Mr. Su would¡­ San San raised his thumb and sincerely said, ¡°Master, you¡¯re amazing!¡± San San felt that he was great at handling relations and fawning, but compared to his master¡ª Tsk, tsk, he could not compare at all! As long as I follow Master properly, what can I not accomplish? Chu Liuyue was already immune to San San¡¯s fawning, so she raised her chin. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and San San quickly returned to Yue Manor, and they naturally heard of the news of Baili Chun passing on. ¡°He¡¯s gone?¡± Chu Liuyue was originally flipping through medical books. Hearing this, she immediately stopped her actions and looked up in shock. Rong Xiu was sipping tea by the window. The white steam covered his eyes and caused people to be unable to read him. ¡°Mm, it happened yesterday. The subordinates said that he passed away and wasn¡¯t really tortured.¡± His tone was nonchalant as if he were saying something unrelated to himself. After a temporary shock, Chu Liuyue quickly reacted. Rong Xiu and Baili Chun didn¡¯t have a harmonious relationship, so his attitude was quite normal. Back then, Baili Chun was poisoned by Black Demon Hole, and only they knew how to treat him. However, Black Demon Hole was already thoroughly extinguished. Mo Shiqian, the only person who escaped, had ruined his physical body and was left with a soul. There was not much surprise that Baili Chun would end up in this state. However, it seemed like Rong Xiu had no plans of helping Baili Chun since the start¡­ ¡°After all, he¡¯s the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader. Are you going to go back and personally handle the matters?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°36 Respected Elder Ming already sent the news over. I was waiting for you to come back so that I could discuss with you and see when we can go back.¡± As the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort, Chu Liuyue had to follow him back. ¡°For such matters, the faster, the better.¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. Originally, she planned to take this time to investigate how to help Su Li recover her physical body. Tang Ke was a legendary warrior in the past, so they did not have to worry too much about him. She didn¡¯t expect that before she could take action, such a matter happened¡­ Even though everyone knew that Rong Xiu was on bad terms with Baili Chun, his death was important, and they still had to give him some face. Rong Xiu looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you worried about Mr. Su¡¯s health?¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°Yeah. But Mr. Su wasn¡¯t a legendary warrior before, so this matter is rather troublesome. I¡¯ve read quite a few medical books recently and haven¡¯t found a good way.¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t that there was no way. Other than reforming a physical body, one could steal another¡¯s body. But without asking, Chu Liuyue knew that a person like Su Li would definitely not be willing to do such a thing. They had to think of another way. Rong Xiu sipped on his tea. As if he thought of something, he said, ¡°Oh right, there are quite a few precious ancient books in the Sky-Cloud Empire. Perhaps you can find a way.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. Oh right, I almost forgot about this! With history over thousands of years, the Sky-Cloud Empire is one of the top elite aristocratic families in the entire God Residence Realm, with a deep foundation and countless treasures. Perhaps I can really find something useful. ¡°Then, let¡¯s do it quickly!¡± Many things had fallen into place at Peach Blossom Dock, so she basically did not need to worry. ¡°Besides, after the matters end at the Sky-Cloud Empire, I plan to make a trip to the Red Moon Desert,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly. Calculating the time, Wei Yue should be over. This time, I have to go over no matter what! The corner of Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Early in the morning the next day, the two of them went back to the Sky-Cloud Empire. After a long journey, they finally reached the place successfully. When they arrived at Tongshen Palace, all the venerables were around. Seeing the two figures coming side by side and hand in hand, quite a few people had complicated feelings. Only a short few months had passed since their wedding. However, too many things had happened during this period of time. Chu Liuyue actually directly took over Peach Blossom Dock and became the master of Yue Manor! Chu Liuyue became famous overnight with her fight against Yi Wentao. They heard that she even pulled in quite a few legendary warriors to join her afterward, and the cultivators in Peach Blossom Dock followed her every move. All in all¡­ Even without the status as the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s Princess Consort, the current Chu Liuyue was enough to be on par with any master in the God Residence Realm¡¯s aristocratic families. Even if Yue Manor had a weak foundation, she had many strong warriors and rich resources! Looking at the tall and slim smiling woman, who would¡¯ve thought that she could use her own strength to reach where she was now? Recalling the many mockeries and contempt toward her in the past, quite a few people were embarrassed. 36 Respected Elder Ming was elated and felt emotional that His Grace had good taste. If not to discuss Baili Chun¡¯s afterlife matters, he would almost welcome them with open arms. 36 Respected Elder Ming coughed and walked forward with a solemn expression. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Chapter 2089 - 2089 Good As Well 2089 Good As Well ¡°What¡¯s going on with the clan leader¡¯s side?¡± asked Rong Xiu in a straightforward manner. 36 Respected Elder Ming cupped his fists. ¡°Your Highness, the clan leader hasn¡¯t actually been doing well. Ever since he went into a coma, his force has been depleting. We used all sorts of methods¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°Besides, the clan leader has been depressed and upset. He hasn¡¯t shown any signs of wanting to willingly wake up. We tried our best, but we couldn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± The hall suddenly became much more silent. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. This sounds interesting. There is nothing much to say about him being poisoned and falling into a coma, but being depressed and upset¡­ One knew the reason without thinking. Back in Fangzhou City, the incident of Baili Chun thinking Jiang Zhiyuan was part of his bloodline had spread far and wide. Any man would not be able to accept such a situation, let alone someone like Baili Chun. He had been glorious his entire life¡ªelegant and pristine. He had always been seen as high and mighty, so how could he allow himself to be humiliated? Even if nobody took action against him, he would not want to come out and see others. Previously, everyone did not mention it. Now that 36 Respected Elder Ming brought it up, even though it was discreet, everyone knew what was going on. Actually, they found it humiliating as well! Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly, as if he felt regretful. ¡°Previously, Yue¡¯er and I accidentally found Black Demon Hole¡¯s base. Originally, I wanted to force Mo Shiqian to hand over the antidote. Who knew he was so cunning and would rather sacrifice all of his subordinates in Black Demon Hole to help himself escape. If I managed to stop him then, perhaps the clan leader¡­¡± The people in the hall looked shocked. ¡°Such a thing happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous! Luckily, His Highness and the Princess Consort are fine¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! The people from Black Demon Hole have always been cunning. It mustn¡¯t have been easy for His Highness and the Princess Consort to come back safely. We really can¡¯t ask for more¡­¡± As this happened outside the God Residence Realm, the people inside the God Residence Realm did not know much. As Mo Shiqian was on the run, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu did not spread the incident. Hence, even the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s venerables did not know about this. Now that they suddenly heard it, they were stunned. Chu Liuyue silently glanced at the man beside him. Mm¡­ I recall that Rong Xiu did not even talk about Baili Chun then¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming hurriedly asked, ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, are you injured then?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was calm, and an extremely faint smile flashed across his lips. ¡°Just small injuries. It¡¯s worth it that we uprooted Black Demon Hole.¡± The originally noisy hall fell into an eerie silence again. Even 36 Respected Elder Ming was dazed momentarily. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Speaking of which, this is really all thanks to Yue¡¯er. If she didn¡¯t help in time, we might not be able to escape unscathed.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he proudly glanced at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Mo Shiqian still escaped¡­¡± Everyone was in a mess. Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?! That¡¯s Black Demon Hole! You nonchalantly said that you uprooted their base. Does your conscience not hurt at all?! The crowd stared at the duo as if they were looking at monsters. These two people¡­ are too perverted! Some people secretly wiped their sweat and were very thankful that they weren¡¯t foolish enough to offend the two of them. Others were uneasy and anxious. Originally, they thought that it was shocking enough for her to invite the two ancient legendary fiend clan leaders to support her. They never thought that there would be a more outrageous matter! They really didn¡¯t know how His Highness chose such a heaven-defying princess consort! Originally, him alone was enough to cause one to tremble. Now with another Chu Liuyue¡­ It was simply suffocating for everyone else! 36 Respected Elder Ming¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between the two of them. He stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°Sigh, Your Highness, you have already done your best for the clan leader. It¡¯s a pity that he¡¯s a little unlucky¡­ Now that he¡¯s gone, Your Highness, don¡¯t take it to heart. There are still many things that need your consideration¡­¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Of course. The clan leader had contributed a lot to the Sky-Cloud Empire before his death. Now that he¡¯s gone, we have to give him an honorable burial. People from the 28 divisions, inform your subordinates. Everyone must be there to send the clan leader off for the last time.¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming asked hesitantly, ¡°Your Highness, that is naturally fine, but¡­ Does Fairy Water Mound have to do it?¡± Speaking of Fairy Water Mound, the crowd¡¯s expressions became exciting. That is the Jiang family¡¯s territory! Even though Fairy Water Mound¡¯s Jiang family head has changed, the matter still happened with them. If they come, won¡¯t the scene be very awkward? Baili Chun is dead, but they are still alive and need face! Rong Xiu¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Of course. A person dying is like a light going out. Whatever is in the past stays in the past.¡± It was fine if he didn¡¯t speak, but once he did, the atmosphere became awkward. How could such a matter pass? It was finally suppressed. If another scene occurs, how will the other aristocratic families look at them? After a moment, a venerable spoke hesitantly. ¡°Your Highness¡­ why don¡¯t you reconsider this? They had quite a few controversies with the clan leader when he was alive. Why don¡¯t we just let him go in peace?¡± With someone leading, the remaining people immediately supported him. ¡°Yeah, Your Highness! Speaking of which, the clan leader died in Black Demon Hole¡¯s hands. If this matter is spread far and wide, it won¡¯t be good for our Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s and the clan leader¡¯s reputation. Why don¡¯t we be more discreet?¡± ¡°Yeah. If the clan leader¡¯s spirit is in heaven, he would want us to do this too, right?¡± ¡°We can all understand how you feel, Your Highness. However, this matter has great implications. I hope Your Highness can reconsider¡­¡± ¡­ The crowd chimed in one after another and quickly reached a consensus; they all advised Rong Xiu to give up on the idea of giving Baili Chun a big burial. Rong Xiu knitted his sharp brows slightly, as if he was hesitant. 36 Respected Elder Ming cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°Your Highness, do consider more for the Sky-Cloud Empire and think of the big picture.¡± After keeping quiet for a long time, Rong Xiu finally said, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 2090 - 2090 Predecessor 2090 Predecessor ¡°Yan Qing.¡± Rong Xiu looked up slightly. Yan Qing, who was standing behind him, took out a stack of paper. ¡°This is the eulogy I wrote for the clan leader. Everyone, let¡¯s burn it in front of the clan leader¡¯s tomb to comfort his soul in heaven.¡± Then, Yan Qing swiftly went over and distributed the papers. Everyone had one copy each, without fail. Doing this was considered fulfilling his duties without a flaw. Chu Liuyue watched on with amazement. Tsk. Actually, from the very beginning, Rong Xiu had no plans of worrying about this matter. He just said those words casually. However, this solved everything successfully. Even if this issue was spread in the future, he only agreed to it because everyone requested him to do it. It wasn¡¯t his fault at all. Baili Chun had power in the Sky-Cloud Empire for so many years, yet he ended so miserably. Of course, everything was just his own doing. ¡­ Baili Chun was buried hurriedly like that. He had no sons or daughters, and his reputation was trashed in Fangzhou City. Nobody in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire went to pay their respects. After he died, the name ¡®Baili Chun¡¯ seemed to be quickly forgotten by the crowd. It seemed as though this person had never existed. On the day he was buried, Rong Xiu officially became the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s clan leader in Jishen Palace! ¡­ Everything went on smoothly and orderly. Chu Liuyue knew that Rong Xiu had his own arrangements and did not intervene much. After coming to the Sky-Cloud Empire, she buried her head in the library. Like Rong Xiu had said, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s library had many precious books. Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t even seen some of them in Ling Xiao Academy. Such a number of books was indeed frightening. Chu Liuyue read the books very quickly. In the beginning, she just chose to read some medical books. Later on, she slowly chose some lone books. She learned quite a bit from them, but she didn¡¯t find what she really wanted. ¡­ After reading for a few days without rest, Chu Liuyue became rather disheartened. After putting the book back, she sighed deeply. Rong Xiu walked over. ¡°There are so many books; you won¡¯t be able to finish them in such a short time. Why don¡¯t you rest first?¡± As he spoke, he stretched out his long arms and carried her bridal style without hesitation, walking to the bed at the side. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to struggle, yet after a few days, she really couldn¡¯t take it. Thus, she obediently lay in his arms. There were too many books here. Even if she read for more than half a year, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to finish doing so. Heavens knew how long she had to spend finding the right information. What would happen if she finished reading them and still could not find the solution? ¡°Rong Xiu, do you think I¡¯m wasting time?¡± Rong Xiu lightly placed her by the side and sat beside her, placing her head on his lap. His long fingers then rubbed her temples and massaged it appropriately. Chu Liuyue comfortably snuggled in his arms. Rong Xiu paused in his actions and looked at her with a slightly deep gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t casually move.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately became obedient. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu adjusted her posture and continued saying nonchalantly, ¡°Such a thing is not easy. After all, nobody has done it before¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue kept silent for a moment and suddenly widened her eyes. ¡°No, perhaps someone has done it before!¡± She straightened her body, jumped into Rong Xiu¡¯s arms, and supported herself on his chest. Then, she said carefully, ¡°I want to go to Peach Blossom Dock now!¡± Chapter 2091 - 2091 Shes Here 2091 She¡¯s Here Rong Xiu was originally sitting. With her movement, he immediately stretched out his hand and put it on the chair, while his other hand supported her waist. The two people¡¯s bodies were close to each other, with her on the top and him at the bottom, breathing each other¡¯s breaths. Rong Xiu had a wry smile. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you sure you want to talk to me in this position?¡± Chu Liuyue then realized that their positions weren¡¯t right. Her face flushed red, and she immediately crawled away. Rong Xiu pressed her waist down, looked up, and captured her lips. A low voice came from his lips in a vague manner. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll just accompany you there¡­¡± Chu Liuyue thought about it in a daze and felt that it was not a bad idea. Coincidentally, Tang Ke had been following Rong Xiu the whole time. If they went together, they might be able to help Tang Ke and Su Li recover. Of course, she also wanted to check on Big Baby and the others¡¯ conditions. Noticing her distraction, Rong Xiu bit her lips. ¡°Si¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue instinctively shrunk back and whimpered with grievances. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Rong Xiu chuckled softly and patiently comforted her. ¡°I¡¯ll be lighter¡­¡± ¡­ Red Moon Desert. The overwhelming red color dissipated at some point. The bright red sunlight baked the boundless desert. The terrifyingly high temperature seemed to burn the air as well. There was no wind, and the heat waves burned. Only a small oasis in the desert had ripples. Below the lake was a cage without day or night. A thick bloody aura spread around. There were dark-red blood stains everywhere, as if an abnormally tragic battle had just occurred. Three figures sat opposite each other in a triangular formation¡ªit was Dugu Mobao¡¯s group of three. At this point, a very complicated silver Xuan formation was slowly turning above the three people¡¯s heads. It glowed faintly and covered the three of them in a formidable manner! If Chu Liuyue were here, she would¡¯ve definitely realized that this was similar to the Xuan formation summoned at Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Million Wine Mountain, but this one was much more complicated. Below the Xuan formation, there was a palm-sized black shadow in the middle of the trio. That shadow seemed to have a strange pattern, but it was incomplete and could not be recognized. Time slowly trickled past, and the dark shadow gradually dissipated. When the last bit completely disappeared, the Xuan formation above their heads stopped moving at the same time. Then¡­ it disappeared! Shoo! Dugu Mobao¡¯s body shook as he spat out a mouthful of blood! Diwu Zhangze¡¯s and Lan Xiao¡¯s condition weren¡¯t any better¡ªtheir auras became much weaker. ¡°Oh my god. How hard to handle!¡± Diwu Zhangze supported himself and couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°Luckily, Yue¡¯er Girlie and Rong Xiu released my aura. If not¡­¡± If not, I might not even be able to make it through this time. He looked at Dugu Mobao and Lan Xiao. ¡°How are you guys?¡± Dugu Mobao raised his hand and wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, slowly opening his eyes as he did so. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lan Xiao was still chained up. Upon hearing this, he forcefully moved, covered half his face with one hand, and laughed. ¡°What a pity. I was quite satisfied with my face this time round, yet it was ruined just like that¡­¡± Diwu Zhangze furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Why are you still thinking about this at this point!?¡± Even though he said that, seeing that Lan Xiao still had the mood to talk about this, he heaved a sigh of relief. Lan Xiao tugged at the corner of his lips, and the face below his palm was pretty much damaged. ¡°Tsk, don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t die just yet. It¡¯s not that easy to take my life!¡± ¡°It¡¯d naturally be difficult to kill you at your peak. However, it¡¯s not that hard to take your life now,¡± said Dugu Mobao nonchalantly while coldly looking over. Lan Xiao pouted and tried his best to roll his eyes. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t say anything nice!¡± Dugu Mobao ignored him and continued, ¡°Your soul can¡¯t take it any longer. If you can¡¯t quickly reform your Holy Body, your soul will dissipate sooner or later.¡± After this was said, the surroundings fell silent. They all knew that Dugu Mobao was speaking the truth. After a moment, Lan Xiao lazily leaned back on the stone wall and muttered with a headache, ¡°It¡¯s easy to talk about reforming a Holy Body. Do you think everyone is as crazy as you¡­¡± Besides, he had already failed once, and this added onto the problem. He could forcefully make it through this Wei Yue because he relied on Dugu Mobao and Diwu Zhangze for help. How would it be that easy for him to reform his Holy Body? Then, he tugged at his lips and nonchalantly laughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine if I can¡¯t make it through. I¡¯ve been stuck in this stupid place for so long. Even if you¡¯re not frustrated, I am¡­¡± Dugu Mobao said coldly, ¡°If you wanted to die, there were so many chances during the past 10,000 years. Why didn¡¯t I see you take them?¡± Lan Xiao could not maintain his facial expression. ¡°I¡¯m just saying! Why do you take it for real?!¡± Diwu Zhangze held his forehead helplessly. Wei Yue has just ended, and they are quarreling again. I really don¡¯t know how I survived between the two of them all these years¡­ ¡°Besides, even if I really want to die, I have to see Yue¡¯er Girlie again before I die, right? I¡ª¡± Suddenly, Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he stood up. ¡°She¡¯s here.¡± He turned around and lightly glanced at Lan Xiao. ¡°You can die without regrets now.¡± Lan Xiao: ¡°¡­Would you die if you said something nice!? Didn¡¯t you see that I¡¯m already in this state?! Even if she comes¡ªwait, who did you say came?!¡± Lan Xiao was about to scold Dugu Mobao heartily when he was suddenly taken aback. However, Diwu Zhangze had already reacted. He was first elated before he nervously asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie is here? How did she come so quickly?¡± Dugu Mobao knitted his brows slightly. ¡°This time¡¯s Wei Yue has lasted longer than in the past. Her coming now isn¡¯t considered fast.¡± After all, it had been quite some time since Rong Xiu sent Diwu Zhangze¡¯s aura back. But luckily, everything was over¡­ ¡°T-that can¡¯t do! In our current situation¡ª¡± Diwu Zhangze was fine. However, Dugu Mobao was injured, and Lan Xiao was in the most serious condition. If that girl saw them, she would definitely guess something. Lan Xiao hurriedly said, ¡°Exactly! My face hasn¡¯t healed yet. I can¡¯t see her¡ªcan¡¯t see her!¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at the two of them. ¡°She can¡¯t enter this place for now. Why are you worried?¡± With his reminder, Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao then recovered their senses and heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± ¡°Rong Xiu is here too.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes had a few hints of annoyance. Diwu Zhangze hesitantly said, ¡°Probably because they were worried after I told them about Wei Yue previously, so they came together¡­¡± Dugu Mobao said, ¡°You guys can just wait here. I¡¯ll go out to see them.¡± ¡­ At the same time, Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue reached the side of the lake. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and knitted her brows slightly. Rong Xiu asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°For some reason¡­ I feel that this place seems amiss and different from before¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged her shoulders with a sharp nose as doubts flashed across her eyes. ¡°Rong Xiu, do¡­ you smell something bloody?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered, and he shook his head. ¡°No,¡± He also looked at the surroundings. ¡°This¡­ seems the same as before. What do you think is amiss?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. Yes, she knew that the desert seemed exactly the same as before. At first glance, it was still a desert with no end. The lake before them was still the same. It was also hard for such a simple and wide scenery to have any changes. However¡­ she just felt that something was different. This feeling was very strange. She herself did not know how to explain it. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s my illusion.¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before replying with some uncertainty. Rong Xiu squeezed her hand. His palm with some calluses completely covered her palm. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because of Wei Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue was in deep thought. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She shook her head and suppressed her messy thoughts. ¡°I wonder how Big Baby and the rest are doing now¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the surface of the water rippled. The lake slowly separated from the middle, and a tiny figure walked out. It was an adorable-looking boy, who looked three or four with purple hair and eyes. Only the shocking suppression that he faintly exuded caused one to be unable to underestimate him! Chu Liuyue was elated. ¡°Big Baby!¡± Dugu Mobao looked at her, and a faint smile finally surfaced on his icy face. But when he saw Rong Xiu standing at the side, this smile quickly disappeared. Rong Xiu nodded slightly. ¡°Senior Dugu.¡± Chu Liuyue was long used to Dugu Mobao¡¯s icy look and did not care about it as she hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°Big Baby, is everything alright here? Also, how are Senior Diwu and Senior Lan Xiao?¡± Chapter 2092 - 2092 No Way 2092 No Way Dugu Mobao¡¯s feet moved as he traveled through the air and came to the duo in the blink of an eye. He landed on a sand ball and gently raised his wrist, quickly closing the separated lake and having it recover its initial calm appearance. ¡°No need to worry. We¡¯re fine.¡± Upon hearing his, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± When she previously heard Diwu Zhangze talking about Wei Yue, it seemed very serious. Thus, she had been very worried. Diwu Zhangze, Dugu Mobao, and Lan Xiao were all extraordinary people. Chu Liuyue still didn¡¯t know their cultivation level and abilities to this day and what stage they were at. The only thing she could confirm was that they were definitely stronger than she had expected! Since even they found this so-called Wei Yue tricky, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how dangerous the situation was. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused, and she stared at Dugu Mobao tightly. Dugu Mobao noticed something and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue did not speak and walked straight to Dugu Mobao. Then, she pointed at his collar and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Dugu Mobao was dazed. He lowered his head to look and saw that a small bloodstain was on his collar. That bloodstain was but the size of a nail. It was already embedded into his clothes and was very unassuming, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were sharp and saw it at first glance. Dugu Mobao knitted his brows slightly. This should¡¯ve gotten there when I last puked blood. As she came too coincidentally, I didn¡¯t have the time to check through before coming out. ¡°Some bloodstains.¡± Dugu Mobao looked up, and his gaze returned to normal. ¡°It¡¯s inevitable that we will be injured during the blood moon. It¡¯s just a small issue.¡± Then, a thought popped up in his mind as a ray of light flashed across, and the bloodstain disappeared without a trace. Under the bright light, his clothes were like armor that glowed faintly. His tone was nonchalant as if he did not take this issue to heart. Chu Liuyue looked at him with a scanning gaze, as if she was trying to consider the truth behind his words. Dugu Mobao quietly exchanged glances with her. Chu Liuyue felt helpless. Big Baby seems like a child, but he is an old fox that has lived for many years. He also has many skills and high intellect. If he really wants to hide something, it would be hard for me to notice. The two of them held each other¡¯s gaze for a moment. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t tell anything and could only forget it in the end. ¡°¡­It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine.¡± She looked at the calm lake again. ¡°What about Senior Diwu and Senior Lan Xiao? Why aren¡¯t they out?¡± In the past, the moment she stepped into the Red Moon Desert, they would be out here to greet her. This time, it was eerily silent¡­ ¡°After Diwu merged with his aura, he has been resting. Lan Xiao¡­ is thinking about how to reform his Holy Body,¡± Dugu Mobao replied flawlessly. Chu Liuyue felt slightly more at ease. Hearing him talk about Holy Bodies, she recalled the motive for this trip. ¡°Oh right¡­ Big Baby, speaking of which, I have something I would like to ask you.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± Chu Liuyue paused and then said carefully, ¡°Previously, you reformed your own Holy Body¡­ How did you do it?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you also there at that time?¡± Dugu Mobao glanced at her strangely. She should be the clearest about how I did it. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No, I mean that normal cultivators don¡¯t seem like they can use their own force to do this. Yet, you¡ª¡± Dissatisfaction flashed across Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not an ordinary cultivator. I can naturally do this.¡± Who is she doubting with these words? Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± It has been so long, but his proud and arrogant personality hasn¡¯t changed at all¡­ She heaved a long sigh of relief as she reached out and ruffled Big Baby¡¯s hair. Big Baby¡¯s expression changed, and he was about to throw his temper when he heard Chu Liuyue sigh. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear you say this!¡± Big Baby is still that big baby! If he can say such words, it proves that the current situation is really fine! Upon hearing this, Big Baby paused in his actions and looked up, coincidentally meeting her relieved and bright smile. The anger in his heart instantly disappeared without a trace. Chu Liuyue felt curious and asked excitedly, ¡°That means¡­ Your cultivation is above that of a legendary warrior?¡± Big Baby tilted his head and glanced at her in annoyance, and ¡°do you need to ask such ridiculous things?¡¯ was written all over his face. Chu Liuyue tactfully retracted her hand. Big Boss, Big Boss! I can¡¯t offend you! ¡°You came here to ask me these things?¡± Big Baby¡¯s voice was filled with unconcealable contempt. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No, I came here because I wanted to do two things. Firstly, I wanted to ask if you know of any way to help a stage-nine warrior reform their body. I flipped through many books, but I couldn¡¯t find an answer.¡± Dugu Mobao squinted his eyes. ¡°Who do you want to help?¡± Chu Liuyue immediately recounted Su Li¡¯s incident briefly. ¡°¡­I really had no choice, so I thought you might know¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small matter.¡± He interrupted Chu Liuyue. ¡°What¡¯s the second matter?¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. He actually knows! But before she could be shocked, she heard Dugu Mobao¡¯s question and immediately said, ¡°For the second matter, I thought that since I helped you with your Holy Body¡­ I came here to help Senior Diwu and Lan Xiao¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Dugu Mobao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°No way!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s attitude was very insistent. ¡°I said no, and it means no!¡± Chapter 2093 - 2093 Senior Physician 2093 Senior Physician The voice traveled to the bottom of the lake. Lan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Hiss¡­ What¡¯s wrong with him!? Yue¡¯er Girlie personally said that she would help, so why did he still directly reject her? So Yue¡¯er Girlie can only help him? I haven¡¯t even talked!¡± Diwu Zhangze glanced at him. ¡°Then, you can directly say it now.¡± They were stuck here. Other than them not being able to go out during Wei Yue, the entire Red Moon Desert was in their control. As long as they spoke, the girl outside could definitely hear them. ¡°You want Yue¡¯er to help?¡± ¡°Pfft! Of course not!¡± ¡°Then, what are you talking about?¡± Lan Xiao straightened his neck. ¡°Yue¡¯er wants to help me! Why should he reject her for me? If I want to reject her, it should be me personally saying it.¡± Yue¡¯er was concerned about him for once. Before he could even do anything, Big Baby stopped him heartlessly. Who could take this? Diwu Zhangze reminded, ¡°That girl can¡¯t come in now, and you can¡¯t go out. You can¡¯t solve this problem.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Lan Xiao rolled his eyes. He only knows how to pour cold water on me! ¡°Who said she can¡¯t come in? Isn¡¯t Rong Xiu there as well? As long as he¡¯s willing to take action¡ª¡± Diwu Zhangze coughed. ¡°Be quiet. Big Baby can hear you.¡± Lan Xiao was instantly stumped, and his originally arrogant anger dropped. ¡°Also, don¡¯t forget how you look now. Do you really want to see her like this?¡± This hit the nail on the head. Lan Xiao suddenly realized it and held his head in pain. Why did I forget about this!? He helplessly lay by the side and pitied himself as he looked at his own shadow. ¡°My absolute beauty¡­ was ruined just like this¡­¡± Diwu Zhangze closed his eyes and could not be bothered to deal with him. He normally changes his face casually, and he is never this upset. Besides, when is he not like this during Wei Yue? What is there to cry about? ¡­ Chu Liuyue never expected Big Baby to reject her so determinedly and was taken aback for a moment. Seeing Big Baby¡¯s stern face, she was filled with confusion. It shouldn¡¯t be¡­ Didn¡¯t I help Big Baby previously? There shouldn¡¯t be a problem if I help Lan Xiao this time. Besides, Big Baby is very close to the two of them. Logically speaking, Big Baby has no reason to reject me. ¡°I really can¡¯t?¡± Big Baby¡¯s expression did not change, and he gazed at her calmly. ¡°No. The previous time was an accident. The same thing won¡¯t happen again.¡± Chu Liuyue wanted to convince him further, but Big Baby continued, ¡°Lan Xiao is not useless; he will naturally solve such issues himself. If it really can¡¯t work, there¡¯s still Diwu and me. You don¡¯t have to be worried.¡± This sentence almost sealed all the possibilities. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. I really don¡¯t know what Big Baby is thinking. But seeing him act in this manner, I probably can¡¯t get anything out of him¡­ A thought popped up in her mind, and she then nodded. ¡°Okay! Since you said so, I won¡¯t interfere anymore. However, you promised to help me with Mr. Su. I¡¯ll just directly start here then. If there¡¯s anything wrong, I can ask you for guidance at any time, right?¡± Big Baby knitted his brows slightly. It¡¯s rather inconvenient to let her stay at this time¡­ But if I reject her now, it will arouse her suspicions again. She has always been smart. After thinking for a moment, he finally nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Under the blazing hot sun, the desert was burning. Chu Liuyue stood on a sand ball and summoned the Heavenly Square Cauldron. ¡°Mr. Su, you can come out.¡± Once she said this, Su Li¡¯s figure flew out from within. She came to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, looked around, and realized that there was nobody here other than Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue. She was dazed for a moment and carefully asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, where¡¯s the senior you mentioned?¡± Before they came to the Red Moon Desert, Chu Liuyue told her that she planned to come to the desert to find a senior. That person might have a way to solve her problems. However, she looked around, and there was only yellow sand and not a single soul. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°That person doesn¡¯t like strangers, so he went back already. But Mr. Su, don¡¯t worry. He does know how to reform your physical body. I told you to come out because I¡¯m preparing to use the Heavenly Square Cauldron to produce a pill for you.¡± Su Li widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± She knew that Dugu Mobao and the rest didn¡¯t really like others knowing that they were here, so before she came, she had already thought of not exposing them. Although Su Li was in the Heavenly Square Cauldron on the way here, now that the Heavenly Square Cauldron recognized Chu Liuyue as its owner, she just had to use her mind to hide these things from Su Li. After seeking guidance from Big Baby, she officially invited Su Li out. Of course, before this, she and Rong Xiu had already changed locations. The Red Moon Desert was spacious and boundless. The place where the lake was, was right in the middle, and it was the most secretive place. This place was quite a distance from there, so she didn¡¯t have to be worried about them being discovered. Su Li did not doubt her as she nodded in understanding. Since that senior knows this, he must be an incredible existence. It is normal for such a formidable existence to not like traditions. ¡°Then¡­ Yue¡¯er, I have to trouble you to thank that senior,¡± said Su Li seriously. ¡°Besides, sorry for the trouble for this¡­¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Mr. Su, don¡¯t be too anxious to say this. I know the method, but it¡¯s unknown if it can succeed. It¡¯s not too late to thank me when you really reform your physical body.¡± However, Su Li shook her head and smiled with dimples. ¡°No matter if it succeeds or fails, I will always remember this debt.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. Even though Su Li was an expert in producing weapons and was famous in the entire God Residence Realm, she didn¡¯t experience many worldly matters and was still very genuine and kind. It was no wonder Tang Ke would be so devoted to her. Her lips curled up, and she lightly said, ¡°You can just wait at the side.¡± Su Li nodded, walked over, and greeted Rong Xiu with a nod before she quietly waited. ¡­ Chu Liuyue used the prescription Big Baby gave her earlier and placed the herbs before her in an orderly manner. In no time, all the boxes beside her were filled. There were at least a few hundred types, but the key was that she still had no signs of stopping. Su Li watched from the side and could not help but be nervous. ¡°T-there¡¯s so many herbs?¡± As Chu Liuyue took the herbs, she said, ¡°Yeah. The herbs required for this are of pretty high grade, so we need many herbs.¡± Su Li knitted her brows slightly. It wasn¡¯t that she had not seen a heavenly doctor producing medicine, but such a formation was still shocking. ¡°What grade of herbs is so troublesome?¡± Chu Liuyue paused in her actions and looked over. ¡°Senior Physician.¡± Chapter 2094 - 2094 On Purpose 2094 On Purpose ¡°What?!¡± Su Li was stunned and couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes, almost suspecting that she had misheard something. ¡°Herbs of the Senior Physician level?! T-this¡ª¡± A Senior Physician was considered the highest existence among Physicians. One had to know that even in Ling Xiao Academy, very few people reached such a level. Besides, they were basically all very old elders, like Elder Wan Zheng back then. He could be considered one of the top heavenly doctor elders in Ling Xiao Academy, but he was already more than a hundred years old when he broke through to become a Senior Physician. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t even twenty now, yet she wanted to challenge herself to make a Senior Physician-level pill. It was no wonder Su Li had such a huge reaction. Facing Chu Liuyue, Su Li couldn¡¯t say that she doubted her abilities. But even if she did not, Chu Liuyue knew what she was thinking. ¡°Mr. Su, no matter if I can succeed or not, I want to give it a try. If it works, everything will turn out great. What do you think?¡± Actually, not long after she recovered her memories, she successfully broke through to become a Physician. As for Senior Physician¡­ Although she did not break through, she faintly touched that barrier. This was also coincidentally a rare chance. Even if it was forceful and extremely difficult, she had to give it a shot! Su Li saw her determined expression and became much more at ease for some reason. Someone whom the Celestial Shield recognizes as its owner naturally has their outstanding points! She clenched her fists tightly and carefully reminded, ¡°Okay, but you must be careful. Just do your best. Don¡¯t force it.¡± She did not want to implicate Chu Liuyue because of her own matters. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Then, she started taking herbs out. Luckily, she was very prepared, and she had all the herbs she needed. If not, it would spell trouble. After a while, she finally prepared all her herbs. Just in case, she directly prepared five sets. If she failed, she could still try a few more times. After confirming that everything was fine, Chu Liuyue came to the Heavenly Square Cauldron and slapped it! Rumble! A ball of transparent fire burned! Chu Liuyue started to add herbs to the cauldron in an orderly fashion. Her movements were very fast and smooth. When the herbs were added to the Heavenly Square Cauldron, she quickly separated the fire and absorbed it to refine the herbs. Very quickly, a faintly bitter herbal fragrance wafted over. Su Li muttered in shock, ¡°I-is this really the level of a Physician?¡± She had seen many physicians, but none of them could be compared to the Chu Liuyue before her. No matter if it were her control of the fire, selection of the herbs, or control over the entire process¡­ Chu Liuyue was outstanding! Su Li couldn¡¯t help but glance at Rong Xiu at the side. He seemed normal and calm, not shocked at all. It was as if¡­ he long expected Chu Liuyue to do this. Su Li could not help but sigh emotionally. Ever since she left Fengli Cave, she knew that these two people were definitely not simple. However, she never expected them to be this capable! During this period of time, she stayed with Chu Liuyue in Peach Blossom Dock for a while and heard quite a few things about her. Those things naturally included the battle between Chu Liuyue and Yi Wentao. A true god battling a legendary warrior and even winning, forcefully taking over Peach Blossom Dock! All along, Su Li thought that Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent as a warrior and Xuan Master were the best. However, it was only now that she discovered that she was very wrong. This person¡­ had outstanding talent in every aspect of cultivation! Time slowly trickled past. Su Li watched Chu Liuyue refine those herbs bit by bit. From the initial shock, it gradually turned into acceptance. There were too many talented cultivators in the world, but they only had extremely high talent in one aspect, and the rest was so-so. She herself was the best example. Even if she became an Armory Refinement Saint in the end, her cultivation level as a warrior was still that of stage nine, and she couldn¡¯t even break through to become a true god. Even if some people had talent in two or more aspects, it was hard to excel in all aspects. That was because this required a large amount of time and energy. It was already very hard for one to focus on one matter and excel in it, let alone the rest. But Chu Liuyue¡­ She was really heaven-defying! Su Li sighed in her heart. Warrior, Xuan Master, armory refinement, heavenly doctor¡­ She does everything very well! Not to mention those of the same age, even many elders who have cultivated for many years can¡¯t be better than her! This is really dependent on talent and, of course, diligence. None of them can be absent. Other than this, Chu Liuyue even has agreements with two legendary fiends, who have close relations with the two ancient legendary fiend clans. Such a person is too terrifying! ¡­ Chu Liuyue focused on the Heavenly Square Cauldron before her. At this point, she had already refined more than a hundred types of herbs, and this wasn¡¯t even half. As she controlled the fire, she kept thinking meticulously about the prescription Big Baby gave her, not daring to let her guard down. However, what made her feel more at ease was when she realized that her skills in refining herbs had strengthened. Even though she couldn¡¯t take out much time to produce pills during this period¡­ As her other skills were strengthened, this was much easier than expected. She continued putting in the herbs in order. ¡­ On the other end, Dugu Mobao had already returned to the bottom of the lake. Once he returned, Lan Xiao grunted harshly and turned around. Dugu Mobao clearly disregarded this and went straight to his place to sit down. Diwu Zhangze pointed above and tried to ask, ¡°Big Baby, did you give Girlie the prescription for the Soul-forming Pill? That¡¯s a pill of Senior Physician standard.¡± Dugu Mobao closed his eyes as if he didn¡¯t want to bother with him. However, Diwu Zhangze could not hold himself back and continued to ask, ¡°Girlie wants to help that Mr. Su reform her stage-nine warrior body. Actually, you can just use the Qingyang Pill of the Physician standard. Why did you¡ª¡± Before Diwu Zhangze finished speaking, he suddenly realized something and widened his eyes as he pointed at Dugu Mobao with trembling hands. ¡°You¡ª¡± Dugu Mobao widened his eyes and nonchalantly said, ¡°I did it on purpose. So what?¡± Chapter 2095 - 2095 Big Babys Methods 2095 Big Baby¡¯s Methods You did it on purpose, and you even asked why?! Seeing Dugu Mobao¡¯s indignant look, Diwu Zhangze almost cursed out loud. ¡°You really¡ª¡± Meeting the pair of icy purple eyes, the strong survival instinct caused Diwu Zhangze to forcefully swallow the words that were about to come out of his mouth. He put up his thumb and emotionally sighed. ¡°You¡¯re so smart!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s frost subsided a little. ¡°It¡¯s been so long and she¡¯s still stuck as a Physician. She¡¯s really slow. If I don¡¯t urge her, she¡¯s not going to improve.¡± Since she found him herself, this chance was rare, and it would be wasted if he didn¡¯t use it. Diwu Zhangze was stumped speechlessly. Even though it was not Dugu Mobao¡¯s first time doing such a thing, he could reach new limits every time and make new records¡ªthat was amazing. Yet, he was so filled with logic that nobody could say anything. Of course, this ¡®nobody¡¯ was mainly referring to him and Lan Xiao. And the reason why they succumbed every time was purely due to Dugu Mobao¡¯s aura. After hesitating for a moment, he could not help but ask, ¡°Big Baby, I know you¡¯re doing this for Yue¡¯er Girlie, but she¡¯s still a Physician. She didn¡¯t even see that many Senior Physician formulas. Now, you suddenly want her to try to produce this type of pill? Isn¡¯t that putting her in a difficult spot?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Lan Xiao suddenly stood up, crossed his arms, and coldly sneered. ¡°It¡¯s so hard to produce that soul-forming pill! If a slight mistake is made, everything done before will be wasted, and she will completely fail! It¡¯s fine if the pill fails, but what if the girl is hurt?!¡± Originally, he was already enraged as Dugu Mobao helped him reject Yue¡¯er¡¯s help. Now that he heard this, he could not tolerate it anymore! Dugu Mobao looked at the two of them coldly. ¡°Who said she has not seen it before?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± The two of them planned to argue further, but hearing this, their expressions suddenly changed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dugu Mobao flicked the non-existent dust on his clothes and nonchalantly said, ¡°She saw whatever she should a few years ago.¡± Diwu Zhangze knitted his brows and said, ¡°No, didn¡¯t you show her Physician formulas back then¡ª¡± His voice suddenly stopped as he glared at Dugu Mobao in disbelief. Lan Xiao also suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh my god! You mixed in Senior Physician formulas?!¡± ¡°No.¡± Dugu Mobao was calm. ¡°I added in some Physician formulas amongst the Senior Physician formulas.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue naturally did not know everything that was happening below the lake. She only found it strange because even though she hadn¡¯t seen the soul-forming pill¡¯s formula before, it was much simpler to produce it than imagined. There are indeed many such quantities and types of herbs, but it isn¡¯t troublesome to follow the order. However, such thoughts just flashed across her mind once before she quickly suppressed them. If I can successfully produce it, it will be better than ever! Rong Xiu stood with his hand behind his back and looked at the side quietly. Suddenly, a light wind blew over. A faint fragrance wafted over. His brows moved slightly, and he turned around to take a look. That was the direction of Mirror Lake. He was very familiar with this fragrance¡ªit was the fragrance of a Dancing Lotus! He looked on calmly, and there seemed to be ripples in the depths of his eyes. Then, his fingers moved slightly, and a ray of golden light flashed across. That faint fragrance quickly dissipated. Chapter 2096 - 2096 Trouble 2096 Trouble This slight ripple did not attract Chu Liuyue¡¯s attention. She carefully refined the herbs in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Just based on this point alone, she took an entire day. When nighttime came, she finally added the last bit of herbs. The Red Moon Desert was strangely cold at night. A thin layer of frost seemed to form on the sand ball, and it was painfully cold. But luckily, this wasn¡¯t much of a problem to Chu Liuyue. In front of her, the transparent fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron kept burning, and the light shone in the surroundings. Under the dark sky, this spark of fire was even more obvious. An increasingly intense herbal fragrance spread from within. Chu Liuyue held her breath in. I¡¯m done refining the herbs. Now, it is forming the pill. This step was even more complicated, and if she was not careful, she would lose. Hence, Chu Liuyue was even more careful now. She started merging the herbs bit by bit. Su Li watched on by the side and exclaimed. ¡°There are so many herbs that I can¡¯t even memorize them. Yue¡¯er, not only can you place them in an orderly fashion, but you can even control the fire and merge the herbs! You¡¯re amazing!¡± She knew nothing about heavenly doctors, but she could tell that producing a Senior Physician-level pill was tiring¡ªlet alone for Chu Liuyue, who was still so young! ¡°If this can succeed, she will become the youngest Senior Physician in the God Residence Realm, right?¡± Su Li sighed deeply. Even if it couldn¡¯t succeed, seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s series of familiarized actions, she should be near success. ¡°Condense!¡± Chu Liuyue yelled loudly. The fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron suddenly jumped up, and all the herbs gathered! A fist-sized pill slowly formed! But at this moment, an exploding force suddenly came from the pill! Chu Liuyue secretly felt that something was amiss, so she immediately controlled the fire and tried to suppress it. However, the force to form the pill was too strong. Now that it suddenly exploded, it was not something Chu Liuyue could control. The internal turbulence directly broke through the surrounding of the fire and went straight for Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. Rong Xiu slightly squinted his eyes but finally controlled his urge to take action. Chu Liuyue went on her toes and rapidly formed a barrier around her at the same time! Hong hong hong! The terrifying force harshly hit Chu Liuyue¡¯s barrier and made a few sounds! Chu Liuyue felt the terrifying suppression pressing on her, and her feet almost sank into the sand! Luckily, the force came quickly and left quickly. Additionally, Chu Liuyue managed to summon the barrier in time and was not injured. However, it was a pity that the pill was ruined. Chu Liuyue removed her feet from the sand and looked at the Heavenly Square Cauldron before her. Only a pile of dust was left in the transparent cauldron. A faint burning smell came over. Chu Liuyue coughed and touched her nose. This Senior Physician-level pill isn¡¯t easy to produce¡­ Su Li saw this and was very worried, wanting to go forward immediately. Chu Liuyue waved her hand in response. ¡°It¡¯s normal for the pill production to fail. Besides, this is my first time challenging a pill of such standards, so I will make mistakes. I just have to try a few times, and it¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue seemed to be in a decent condition, Su Li waited quietly in her spot. Chu Liuyue kept her Heavenly Square Cauldron and closed her eyes. Then, she started recalling where she had gone wrong during the pill production process. After thinking for a while, she finally opened her eyes and went on with her second trial. With the first trial¡¯s experience, she was even smoother in her second try. However, Chu Liuyue did not dare to relax at all. ¡­ Now, it was already afternoon on the second day. The frost on the ground had already silently melted away, and the ground became hot. Luckily, Chu Liuyue had stayed here for quite a while and was used to it. An intense herbal fragrance permeated through the air. ¡­ ¡°Hey, I wonder if Yue¡¯er can succeed this time.¡± Below the lake, Diwu Zhangze muttered worriedly. Lan Xiao glanced at him. ¡°Are you content!? She¡¯s one in a million for doing this on her first try!¡± Diwu Zhangze snorted. ¡°If it were someone else, I would naturally not have such hopes, but Yue¡¯er is not them. Besides, didn¡¯t Big Baby say that he had given quite a few Senior Physician formulas to the girl? With her sensibility, what can she not do? Big Baby, am I right?¡± It was fine if he did not talk about this. Once he did, Lan Xiao was speechless. He quickly shot Dugu Mobao a look. ¡°Only he can do such an immoral thing, and he had the cheek to say it¡­ Is he not worried that the girl would not know what to do and produce it wrongly?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Back then, she had received all those Xuan formations, let alone the formulas. Lan Xiao, don¡¯t think that everyone is like you just because you¡¯re dumb.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Lan Xiao was exasperated and wanted to stand up. In the end, he forgot that he was chained and was dragged back down. He was just a soul now, so logically speaking, he would not experience pain. However, this chain was very strange. Once he moved too much, he would be punished. A dark glint flashed across the chain, and Lan Xiao¡¯s aura immediately became weaker. Diwu Zhangze knitted his brows. ¡°You¡¯re in the worst condition now. You should just stay here and not torture yourself.¡± Lan Xiao clenched his teeth and laughed. ¡°Hah¡­ If it were back then, would such a small thing stop me?¡± Dugu Mobao nonchalantly said, ¡°Since you know you can¡¯t compare to the past you, don¡¯t force yourself. With your current situation, it will be very hard for you to form your Holy Body.¡± Speaking of this, Lan Xiao finally fell silent. He leaned against the wall behind him, looked down, and did not speak in a while. Diwu Zhangze nodded. ¡°Big Baby is right. You survived Wei Yue with much difficulty, and you need to rest. Just stay here.¡± Speaking of this, he looked at Dugu Mobao with a headache. ¡°However, this matter is easy to talk about yet troublesome to do, especially when Yue¡¯er is still around¡­¡± When she was here in the past, the situation was not terrible. Every time Wei Yue came, they could send her away with all sorts of reasons; they could hide everything with not much effort. But now¡­ ¡°I wonder how long she¡¯ll stay here. What if Wei Yue comes¡­¡± Dugu Mobao thought for a long time and said, ¡°I feel like she has found out about something. If she can¡¯t personally see you and Lan Xiao reform your Holy Bodies, she won¡¯t leave so easily.¡± She came this time to help Su Li on the surface, but after Dugu Mobao met and talked to her, he knew that this was not her only motive. Diwu Zhangze furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°This spells trouble.¡± Chapter 2097 - 2097 Strange Movements! 2097 Strange Movements! That time, it was already very dangerous for Dugu Mobao. A second time could never happen again. But with their current situations, wanting to form a Holy Body was as hard as ascending the skies. Dugu Mobao was quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± ¡­ Ten days passed in a flash. Chu Liuyue looked at the Heavenly Square Cauldron that was filled with dust once again and helplessly sighed. ¡°I failed again¡­¡± This was already her fourth failure. During these few times of pill production, she had been very meticulous and would seriously learn her lesson from the previous failure. However, it was no use¡ªevery outcome was still a failure. Even this time, she felt that there should be no problem as the lines even started forming on the pill, yet¡­ It was always a little bit off. ¡°Where exactly did I go wrong¡­¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms, held her chin with one hand, and stared at the Heavenly Square Cauldron before her seriously. The process of her producing the pill kept replaying in her mind. She kept thinking about it, but she didn¡¯t know where the problem was. Such a long period of time of high concentration depleted her energy and force quickly. She lightly rubbed her temples. Rong Xiu said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, rest first.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. I can¡¯t go on like this. If I don¡¯t have sufficient energy, even if I try a few more times, the result will be the same. Of course, the more important thing was that the amount of herbs with her was only enough for her to try once more. If she was finished, she had to go back. However, she did not want to leave the Red Moon Desert now. She walked to Rong Xiu, set up a barrier, and shut away the terrifying heat as she started cultivating quietly. Rong Xiu let Xue Xue out. ¡°Go and play yourself.¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Xue Xue happily growled as its muscular snow-white body rapidly disappeared before the few of them. They¡¯re all resting now, and nobody will care about me! Hahaha! I can be free! Hearing this commotion, a thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as she asked in her heart, ¡°Tuan Zi, Zi Chen, do you want to come out for a spin?¡± Even though the cultivation environment here couldn¡¯t be compared to Peach Blossom Dock and the Sky-Cloud Empire, it was great that there were few people in this vast land. It was very broad and free. As expected, once this was asked, Tuan Zi immediately raised her hand excitedly. ¡°A¡¯Yue, A¡¯Yue! I want to go out!¡± She absorbed too many lightning bolts during the previous period of time. Now that she had the energy, she did not know where to use it! Chu Liuyue laughed and let Tuan Zi out. ¡°Go on. Come back when you¡¯re done playing.¡± Tuan Zi happily jumped over and planned to kiss her when she felt the back of her head turn cold. She quickly looked up and met Rong Xiu¡¯s nonchalant gaze. Tuan Zi chuckled and squeezed a huge smile as she obediently stopped and changed it to a flying kiss. ¡°A¡¯Yue, muack! T-then, I¡¯ll go?¡± Chu Liuyue squeezed her chubby face. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t play too crazily.¡± Tuan Zi nodded forcefully and was about to turn and leave when she suddenly thought of something. Her gaze changed as she smiled and said, ¡°Zi Chen, the chance is rare. Why don¡¯t we battle?¡± Once she said this, Zi Chen¡¯s figure slowly appeared not long later. His handsome and cold face was still expressionless. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him in shock. This is weird. Zi Chen has not much interest in these things. For some reason, he actually agreed to duel with Tuan Zi? Perhaps he also feels that there aren¡¯t many outsiders here, so he is more relaxed? However, Tuan Zi did not think so much. Seeing that Zi Chen agreed readily, her eyes brightened up with excitement as she rubbed her palms. ¡°If you lose, you have to address me as your boss!¡± She recalled clearly that he previously restrained her with one shot at Fengli Cave! I have to make him pay it back! Chu Liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. It has been so long, yet this girl still remembers about this boss thing¡­ She is the young master of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan and has the most distinguished pure bloodline. Countless fiends would follow her in the world, yet she still wants to be Zi Chen¡¯s boss¡­ It was fine if Zi Chen was an ordinary legendary three-eyed eagle since there was nothing much to fight about. However, the thing was Zi Chen had some great phoenix dragon blood flowing in him. He and Miao Zhen had connected bloodlines and auras. Tuan Zi going against him would be akin to going against Miao Zhen. However, the great phoenix dragon clan was always on par with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. No matter in what aspect, Zi Chen would never surrender so easily. These two people would fight for a while¡­ Zi Chen looked down at Tuan Zi from above and nonchalantly said, ¡°It¡¯s not too late to talk about it when you¡¯re done.¡± Tuan Zi lightly grunted, went on her toes, and turned into a ball of red-golden fire before she rapidly flew out! Zi Chen respectfully cupped his fists toward Chu Liuyue before following Tuan Zi. The two figures quickly disappeared before their gazes. Chu Liuyue saw them leave and retracted her gaze after some time. She wasn¡¯t too worried about the duo¡¯s safety. After all, this was Big Baby and the rest¡¯s territory. Normally, not many people came here. Even if something really happened, it would not be a concern. After resting for a while, Chu Liuyue felt that she had finally recuperated, and she planned to try for the last time. If this could not work¡­ she had to think of another way. Chu Liuyue stood up, patted her hands, and shook off the sand on her body. Then, the ground shook. Chu Liuyue paused in her movements. The sand beneath her feet started flowing at a shocking speed! Chapter 2098 - 2098 Vortex 2098 Vortex Chu Liuyue immediately became alert. ¡°What is going on!?¡± The sand spread around her! Her feet quickly sank, and her body fell uncontrollably. She felt that something was wrong and immediately flew to the side. But just as her feet landed on the sand dune, the same situation happened again! The sand from before stopped moving suddenly, and the sand under her feet flowed in all directions again! Uneasiness surged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. She changed positions two more times in a row and realized that it was the same. This rough sand seemed to have been summoned by some force, forming a strange vortex on the ground. No matter where she went, this vortex would appear! Rong Xiu also frowned slightly. With a flash, he arrived beside Chu Liuyue and wrapped his long arm around her slender waist. Right on the heels of that, a golden flame surged out of his other hand! The flames quickly formed a barrier that sealed the vortex below! Chu Liuyue stood in the air and looked down at the situation below. Under the golden flames, the sand no longer flowed outward, and the vortex gradually dissipated. In a moment, everything returned to normal. Rong Xiu brought her to the ground again. This time, the vortex didn¡¯t appear again. It was as if what had just happened was just an illusion. However, Chu Liuyue knew very well that this wasn¡¯t the case! Su Li hurriedly went forward. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you alright?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded her head lightly. There were only a few vortexes, but I didn¡¯t sense any threat. However, this was clearly abnormal! ¡°What happened just now?¡± Su Li frowned slightly and looked at the burning golden flame again. Rong Xiu raised his fingertips slightly, and the flames quickly flew back. Facing Su Li¡¯s question, Chu Liuyue fell silent and shook her head gently. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time she had come to the Red Moon Desert, but she had never encountered such a thing. She looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Do you feel anything?¡± Rong Xiu reacted very quickly. Before she could figure out what had happened, Rong Xiu had made a clean move. This made her feel that Rong Xiu might have sensed something. Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes, which were deep, and shook his head gently. ¡°No. I just felt that something was wrong. There seemed to be some strange power surging below¡­ But as soon as I attacked, all the fluctuations and aura dissipated. I don¡¯t know what it is either.¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. Rong Xiu is stronger than me, so it¡¯s normal for him to sense danger before me. If even he says this, it is really difficult to know what is down there. Perhaps I should ask Big Baby and the others¡­ At the thought of this, she was suddenly stunned. Why didn¡¯t Big Baby and the others come out after discovering such a strange situation in the Red Moon Desert? As soon as this thought occurred to her, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± It was Big Baby! Chu Liuyue turned around and realized that Big Baby didn¡¯t appear. Out of the corner of her eye, Su Li¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but Rong Xiu hugged her waist tightly. It seems like only the two of us can hear Big Baby¡¯s voice¡­ Chu Liuyue suppressed the emotions in her heart and listened calmly. ¡°The situation just now was just an accident. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved. She didn¡¯t look surprised¡­ But since Big Baby had already said so, she naturally couldn¡¯t ask further. ¡°Just continue to refine medicine in peace. No one can hurt you here.¡± Big Baby¡¯s voice was calm, but it carried a powerful aura and pressure that couldn¡¯t be disobeyed! Chu Liuyue felt a little more at ease. Her lips curled up slightly as she nodded slightly. She knew that Big Baby would definitely know her response. Sure enough, Big Baby¡¯s voice disappeared after that. Above the desert, it seemed to have returned to its usual calm. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu glanced at each other, then looked at Su Li and comforted her. ¡°Mr. Su, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Seeing that her expression seemed to have eased a lot, Su Li felt a little more at ease. But when she thought of the scene just now, she still felt a little strange. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ Such a situation shouldn¡¯t happen again, right?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Actually, I¡¯m not sure either. But since Big Baby has said that, there is no need to worry too much, right? She let out a long breath and walked toward the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Since I¡¯m almost done resting, I might as well try again. Perhaps I can succeed this time! She stood in front of the Heavenly Square Cauldron and placed one hand on the cauldron. She was about to start when she suddenly hesitated for a moment. A reddish-gold flame surged out of her palm and poured into the Heavenly Square Cauldron! Looking down from above, there was a transparent flame burning in the middle of the cauldron. The outside was surrounded by golden flames. As Tuan Zi continued to open her meridians and her strength increased continuously, the power of the flames that Chu Liuyue could summon also increased day by day. In the past, it could barely compete with this transparent karmic fire. But now, it was already showing signs of surpassing the transparent karmic fire. Chu Liuyue recalled the few times she refined pills earlier. There were no problems with the previous processes. The few times I was refining the pill, I failed at the last step. I have a bold idea, but I don¡¯t know if it will work. At the thought of this, she held her breath and focused. Then, she placed the herbs in one by one. With her previous experience, she was even more proficient in handling these herbs now. Her series of actions could be said to be smooth. Su Li watched from the side and couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°I thought that she was already outstanding enough when she refined it for the first time. I didn¡¯t expect her to do better¡­¡± Every time Chu Liuyue refined the pill, there was an obvious improvement from the previous attempt. Now, from a spectator¡¯s point of view, it was even more pleasing to the eye. It was said that heavenly doctors paid attention to talent. Now, it seemed that it was indeed true. In the beginning, it was obvious that Chu Liuyue¡¯s movements were still a little jerky. But after a few attempts, her proficiency and sensitivity had almost surpassed all the Physicians Su Li had seen before! Some heavenly doctors might not be able to do what she did in their lives¡­ This could only be explained by the word ¡®talent.¡¯ When Rong Xiu heard this, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and a faint smile flashed across the corners of his eyes. However, the smile quickly dissipated. His gaze calmly landed on the spot where the vortex had disappeared, and a trace of coldness quickly flashed across his eyes. ¡­ At the same time, the three people under the lake were all worried. Diwu Zhangze frowned and gazed at Dugu Mobao worriedly. ¡°Big Baby, hasn¡¯t Wei Yue passed? Why did that happen again?!¡± Chapter 2099 - 2099 Fight 2099 Fight Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression was dark as he gently closed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Logically speaking, that thing shouldn¡¯t have moved at this time¡­ Perhaps Wei Yue has lasted for too long this time, so there¡¯s still some impact¡­¡± ¡°But we clearly cleared all the force previously. Why is it still like this?¡± Diwu Zhangze was still puzzled. Dugu Mobao fell silent. Lan Xiao, who hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, suddenly snorted. ¡°Ten thousand years have passed. No matter how strong the seal is, it will loosen. Moreover, didn¡¯t Ling Xiao Academy already¡ª¡± Before he could finish, the other two knew what he meant. Lan Xiao raised his eyebrows and lay back down. ¡°Anyway, the days ahead won¡¯t be peaceful¡­¡± In the dark and cramped cage, there was a long silence. The air seemed to freeze. After a long time, Diwu Zhangze said, ¡°No matter what, fortunately, Big Baby made a move in time just now, and Yue¡¯er didn¡¯t notice anything¡­¡± Before Rong Xiu could make a move, Big Baby had already beaten him to it. However, Dugu Mobao shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s always been smart, so she definitely won¡¯t be unaware. Especially today¡¯s matter¡ªit¡¯s too sudden and strange. She¡¯ll definitely be suspicious.¡± Moreover, she had come this time to help Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze reform their Holy Bodies. When encountering such things, she would naturally be even more cautious and think more. Lan Xiao lazily said, ¡°She¡¯ll find out sooner or later. Do you expect to hide it from her for the rest of your life?¡± Dugu Mobao was silent for a moment. ¡°At the very least, we have to wait for her to break through to become a legendary warrior.¡± ¡­ A day passed. Chu Liuyue placed the last ingredient into the Heavenly Square Cauldron. She stared intently and carefully controlled the fire. When all the effects of the medicine began to fuse, she made up her mind. ¡°Condense!¡± The transparent karmic fire surrounded the center, and a fist-sized pill quickly condensed! Right on the heels of that, Chu Liuyue quickly circulated the force in her body and controlled the golden-red flames outside to surge up and completely surround the pill! As the scarlet-gold flames spread, the first line appeared on the pill! Chu Liuyue was elated, but she still didn¡¯t dare to be careless at all. This was because there was one time when lines had already begun to appear on the pill, but it still failed in the end. She didn¡¯t dare to relax until the last moment. As the two layers of flames roasted it, the pill gradually shrank. After a while, the second line appeared one after another! The force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was quickly depleting. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t help but rejoice again that she had stored enough force in her body. Otherwise, according to the current trend, it would definitely be difficult to last until the end. Su Li watched from the side and clenched her fists nervously. The previous few attempts, she wasn¡¯t able to last until this stage. Perhaps¡­ it is really going to work this time?! ¡­ Just as Chu Liuyue was focused on refining the soul-forming pill, Tuan Zi and Zi Chen had already started fighting. Rumble! A ball of reddish-gold fire flew out and headed straight for Zi Chen¡¯s face! Zi Chen¡¯s handsome and cold face was as usual. He only turned his body slightly and dodged the fire. BANG! The ball of fire ran wildly and bombarded a sand dune! For a moment, sand and dust flew everywhere! At the same time, a howl suddenly sounded. ¡°Ow!¡± A snow-white figure jumped up from behind the sand dune. A few sporadic flames were still burning on its butt. ¡°Xue Xue?¡± Tuan Zi was stunned and widened her grape-like eyes. ¡°Why are you here too?!¡± Xue Xue rolled around in the sand crazily, trying to put out the flames. However, the flames were too powerful, and this method didn¡¯t work at all. In the end, Xue Xue froze itself completely before barely managing to resolve the flames. Sensing that the burning sensation had finally disappeared, Xue Xue shook its body and shook off the blue ice around it. It then turned around and glanced at its butt. It was immediately furious! My originally round and chubby buttocks were actually burned black and bald! The surrounding charred fur was still wrapped in fine ice dregs. It looked very miserable. ¡°Wu-wu!¡± Xue Xue trembled. What do you mean? I was clearly the one who came first! I was tired after running around, so I found a place to rest and slack off to enjoy my free life. Unexpectedly, as soon as I fell asleep, my butt was set on fire! Tuan Zi stood on her tiptoes to take a look. When she saw Xue Xue¡¯s pitiful appearance, she instantly stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. ¡°Ahem, Xue Xue, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Don¡¯t be angry! Look, you¡¯re so powerful. This flesh wound isn¡¯t very serious to you. You¡¯ll definitely recover after recuperating for a while, right?¡± Xue Xue looked at the culprit angrily, its face filled with accusation. My fur! It wasn¡¯t easy to take care of it! It¡¯ll take a long time for it to grow back! I thought that I could finally not go back in a sorry state after coming to the Red Moon Desert this time. Unexpectedly, something even more ferocious came! At the thought that it would have to look like this for a long time, Xue Xue almost fainted. How can I survive in the future?! Tuan Zi looked at it and was very embarrassed. Hence, she placed one hand on her waist and pointed at Zi Chen with the other. ¡°Look, it was because you dodged too quickly that Xue Xue was implicated! If you hadn¡¯t dodged, how would it have ended up like this? Huh?¡± Zi Chen¡¯s glabella moved slightly. ¡°Since we¡¯re fighting, it¡¯s normal for me to dodge.¡± If there was anyone to blame, one can only blame Tuan Zi for attacking too quickly or Xue Xue for reacting too slowly. Tuan Zi snorted. ¡°You¡¯re still talking! We¡¯ve been fighting for so long, but I¡¯ve always been the one attacking. You dodged every time and never took the initiative to attack! This fight is meaningless!¡± Xue Xue exclaimed. Why aren¡¯t you discussing compensation for me? Why are you discussing the fight again? Even if the two of you have the bloodline of ancient legendary fiends, you can¡¯t treat other legendary fiends as beasts! Zi Chen said calmly, ¡°You haven¡¯t used your full strength, so I naturally won¡¯t attack.¡± In other words, Tuan Zi could only barely exchange blows with him if she went all out. Hearing this, Tuan Zi instantly gasped. ¡°You! You, you, you! Just you wait¡ªI¡¯ll let you see the power of your big sister!¡± Whoosh! Two balls of crimson-gold flames surged out of her eyes, and A shocking aura erupted from her body! Zi Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and staggered his feet. He placed one hand behind his back and raised the other slightly, continuously accumulating strength. Xue Xue: ??? They¡¯re going to fight again? What about me!? ¡°Xue Xue, when I defeat him, I¡¯ll make him apologize to you!¡± As Tuan Zi spoke, she pressed her palms together. The flames around her continuously gathered and finally condensed into a reddish-gold feather. ¡°Go!¡± Chapter 2100 - 2100 One Eye 2100 One Eye As soon as she finished speaking, the golden feather quickly flew out! It went straight for Zi Chen! At the same time, a purple-gold stream of light spread out from Zi Chen¡¯s palm and instantly covered his hand completely! At a glance, his hand looked as if it were covered in a layer of purple-gold scales! His aura wasn¡¯t inferior to Tuan Zi¡¯s aura at all! Zi Chen¡¯s body had fused with the bloodline power of the great phoenix dragon race. Furthermore, he had Miao Zhen behind him. Once he attacked, he was naturally extraordinary! He suddenly raised his hand and moved toward the golden feather! It seemed like they really planned to fight head-on! In the blink of an eye, the golden feather had already flown in front of Zi Chen! The surrounding space was almost torn apart by the astonishing power within this golden feather! Zi Chen clenched his fist and suddenly swung it! Rumble! The two forces collided fiercely! With this loud bang, the manic and powerful forces began to fight crazily, and the aftershocks continuously spread around! Two extremely intense and bright colors quickly intertwined in midair, almost dazzling. The sand on the ground was affected and flew up. Before Xue Xue could react, it ate another mouthful of sand. The snow-white ball was finally covered in another layer of yellow sand. Xue Xue slowly lowered its head and looked at its dirty appearance. It couldn¡¯t help but grind its teeth. These two people¡­ are really too much! Unfortunately, its reaction didn¡¯t attract the attention of the two people over there. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes lit up as she watched, and her heart was beating excitedly. Zi Chen is finally willing to make a move! At Peach Blossom Dock previously, the strength Zi Chen had displayed was slightly more advanced than hers. Therefore, she had always been unconvinced and wanted to find an opportunity to compete with him. Moreover, now that she had broken through and opened the fifth meridian, her chances of winning were higher. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity! As the forces of both sides continued to strangle each other, the golden feather gradually dissipated, and the purple-gold scale armor on Zi Chen¡¯s fist began to gradually dissipate. They were almost evenly matched! Seeing this, Tuan Zi hurriedly waved another flame. Zi Chen looked up slightly, and a black feather flew out as well! BANG! Tuan Zi¡¯s support was intercepted halfway. She was stunned for a moment before an even stronger fighting spirit surged up! So this is Zi Chen¡¯s true strength! That¡¯s great! This way, it will be more interesting to fight! But just as she was about to continue attacking, she suddenly heard a subtle and strange sound. ¡°Eh? There seems to be a sound under the sand?¡± Tuan Zi was stunned and looked at the ground. Only then did she see that the sand seemed to be flowing around at an extraordinary speed. ¡°This is¡ª¡± She took a curious step forward. Zi Chen¡¯s pupils shrunk. ¡°Be careful!¡± But it was too late! As soon as Tuan Zi¡¯s foot landed, a vortex suddenly appeared below! An extremely strange force surged up from below, wrapped around her feet, and pulled her down ruthlessly! ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The next moment, Tuan Zi¡¯s figure disappeared from the spot! Zi Chen immediately retracted his hand. The backlash of his power caused the blood in his body to surge. But before he could care about this, he chased after Tuan Zi and jumped into the vortex! In the blink of an eye, their figures were devoured one after another! Xue Xue realized something and immediately jumped up to look down. Under the vortex was a thick darkness. It was like an eye looking coldly at the world. Chapter 2101 - 2101 Asking for Help 2101 Asking for Help In the Heavenly Square Cauldron, the scarlet-gold flames were burning hotly. A crimson pill floated quietly. The last line was slowly outlined! Beads of sweat kept appearing on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead, but before they could fall, they were evaporated by the scorching heat of the flames. Because she had consumed too much of her bodily force, her lips were pale. At this moment, time seemed to pass especially slowly. The sky gradually darkened. A cold wind swept from the depths of the desert and brushed past her. There was hot fire in front of her and cold wind behind her. Waves of weakness came from her body. Chu Liuyue secretly bit the tip of her tongue, and the sweet taste spread between her lips and teeth. The sharp pain kept her extremely awake. At this moment, the last line on the pill finally appeared completely! An extremely strong medicinal fragrance erupted from the cauldron! Chu Liuyue slapped the cauldron, and the soul-forming pill instantly flew up! The crimson-gold flames gradually peeled off, followed by the transparent karmic fire. When the last bit of fire dissipated, Chu Liuyue stood up and swept her aura across, putting the pill into the jade box that she had already prepared! BANG! The jade box closed, and Chu Liuyue landed back on the ground. She looked at the jade box in her hand and could vaguely feel the fluctuations of the pill inside! Soul-forming pill¡ªa Senior Physician-level pill! Her success in refining this pill meant that she had officially stepped into the threshold of becoming a Senior Physician! The rich medicinal fragrance in the air didn¡¯t dissipate for a long time. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat rapidly, and the blood in her body seemed to be boiling. She raised the jade box in her hand, turned around, and smiled brightly at Rong Xiu and Su Li, who were standing not far away. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± At this moment, the night was thick. In the black velvet-like night sky, there were no stars or moon. Beside her, in the transparent Heavenly Square Cauldron, a strong and bright flame was burning silently. The sparkling fire landed on her face like top-quality porcelain jade. Her obsidian eyes were dazzling, and her red lips curled up into a bright smile. ¡°Congratulations, Yue¡¯er.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin crimson lips curled up slightly, and there was unconcealed admiration in his eyes. Although he knew that she would definitely succeed, he still felt happy when he saw her happy expression. Su Li also gave her a thumbs-up and sighed from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re really impressive!¡± Without any preparation, she actually used this opportunity to break through to become a Senior Physician! From the first time she tried to refine the soul-forming pill until now¡­ Only more than ten days have passed, and she has only failed four times in the middle! If this news spreads, it will cause many people to be green with envy. Chu Liuyue put away the Heavenly Square Cauldron. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°Actually, although this soul-forming pill is of a high level, it¡¯s not too troublesome to refine. I was able to succeed this time because of some luck.¡± Su Li was speechless. ¡°It¡¯s not troublesome?¡± She was dazzled as she watched from the side. Even now, she couldn¡¯t remember the order in which the herbs were put. Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! There are a lot of herbs for the soul-forming pill, but the refinement technique is actually very simple.¡± Among the prescriptions she had seen, it could only be ranked as a medium. Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and didn¡¯t say anything. He had long sensed that Chu Liuyue¡¯s understanding of these prescriptions was a little off. Now, it seemed like it was indeed the case. The soul-forming pill could be considered an intermediate pill at the Senior Physician level, and it was quite precious. No matter how one looked at it, it was definitely not simple. If it was their first time refining the soul-forming pill, even those experienced Physicians would rarely succeed after a few attempts in such a short time. Still¡­ It was obvious that there was no need to tell her this now. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice the subtle change in Rong Xiu¡¯s expression. She looked at Su Li and smiled. ¡°Mr. Su, with the pill, it¡¯ll be much easier to help you reconstruct your body. Later, we just have to find a suitable skeleton of a stage-nine warrior and¡ª¡± Suddenly, her expression changed. She quickly turned around and looked into the depths of the desert! Almost at the same time, Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned sharp! When Su Li saw this, an ominous feeling instantly surged in her heart. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak and frowned. Just now, she had lost contact with Tuan Zi and Zi Chen! No matter how she called out in her heart, she could no longer receive any news from the two of them! This was the first time such a situation had happened since she contracted Tuan Zi and Zi Chen! Chu Liuyue felt a chill down her spine. It had to be known that after fiends and humans contracted with each other, they were connected to each other. Even thousands of miles away, they could still sense each other¡¯s existence. But now, it was as if an extremely sharp knife had cut off the invisible connection between them! It was clearly fine just now¡­ Right at this moment, Rong Xiu suddenly held her hand. His palm was warm and dry, and he held her hand tightly and gently. It was obvious that he had already sensed Chu Liuyue¡¯s nervousness. The warmth surged from his palm with comforting strength. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and said word by word, ¡°Tuan Zi and Zi Chen¡­ can¡¯t be contacted.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s glabella moved slightly, and he immediately understood what Chu Liuyue meant. He gently squeezed her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. This is the Red Moon Desert; they can¡¯t be lost.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. If I really can¡¯t find them, I can only ask Big Baby and the others for help. Swoosh! At this moment, a sound came from afar! The few of them looked up and saw a yellow and white figure rushing over¡ªit was Xue Xue! When it got closer, Chu Liuyue saw Xue Xue clearly, and her expression changed. Its fluffy snow-white fur was already covered in a layer of yellow sand. It looked dirty and even had some knots, but that wasn¡¯t the most important thing. This was because¡­ there were several black scorch marks on Xue Xue¡¯s butt! ¡°Xue Xue, what are you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was about to ask when Xue Xue quickly pounced over and bit the corner of her skirt. As it pulled, it let out a low whimper. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. ¡°Where do you want to take me? Wait, your injury¡ªwas it left behind by Tuan Zi?¡± That aura was too familiar! Xue Xue nodded crazily, still pulling with all its might. Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°It knows where Tuan Zi and Zi Chen are.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Really?¡± Rong Xiu nodded slightly and glanced at Xue Xue. ¡°Just lead the way.¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Xue Xue responded, turned around, and ran forward. Chu Liuyue invited Su Li back to the Heavenly Square Cauldron, then chased after Xue Xue with Rong Xiu! The cold night breeze blew past. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu used their full speed, and their figures quickly disappeared into the heavy night. Chapter 2102 - 2102 Where Are You Going 2102 Where Are You Going Xue Xue ran as fast as lightning. Although its butt was accidentally burned by Tuan Zi, it was fortunate that it was just a flesh wound and wasn¡¯t a big deal. Under its lead, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu quickly rushed into the depths of the desert. ¡­ On the other side, Dugu Mobao and the other two had already realized that something was wrong when Tuan Zi and Zi Chen were swallowed by the vortex. ¡°Why the f*ck isn¡¯t it over!?¡± Diwu Zhangze couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°First, it tried to attack Yue¡¯er. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t do it, it changed its target to Tuan Zi! Now, even Zi Chen is implicated! Big Baby, you didn¡¯t attack just now?¡± Dugu Mobao was originally closing his eyes tightly. When he heard this, he suddenly coughed a few times, and blood seeped out of the corners of his lips. Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao¡¯s expressions changed. They¡¯ve already fought! ¡°Big Baby! You¡ª¡± Dugu Mobao slowly opened his eyes. There seemed to be a dark glint in his eyes that disappeared in a flash. He raised his hand and slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. His eyes drooped slightly. The redness on the back of his hand deeply stimulated his eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop it.¡± After experiencing Wei Yue, he was in a very weak state and couldn¡¯t exert all his strength. As for the thing below¡­ it was the opposite. In fact, ever since he sensed that the thing wanted to attack Chu Liuyue, he had been worried and kept his guard up. When Tuan Zi encountered danger, he immediately realized that something was wrong. Unfortunately¡­ he still couldn¡¯t stop it. Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao fell silent. Dugu Mobao was the strongest among the three of them and was the only one with a Holy Body. If even he said that, then¡­ ¡°But although I couldn¡¯t stop it, that thing is also injured. It should be obedient during this period of time.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s words didn¡¯t reassure the two of them. ¡°Those are Yue¡¯er¡¯s contracted fiends.¡± Lan Xiao leaned against the wall and covered his face with one hand. ¡°She will never let this go. If I had known earlier, I would¡¯ve reminded the girl¡­¡± ¡°That thing has been planning for a long time. Now that the opportunity has finally come, it naturally won¡¯t let it go.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Tuan Zi is a red-gold heavenly phoenix and has a pure bloodline. Even if it didn¡¯t happen this time, there would be a next time.¡± Diwu Zhangze sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true, but what should we do now? Lan Xiao and I won¡¯t be able to leave this place for the time being. Only you can help Yue¡¯er.¡± Actually, Dugu Mobao¡¯s current situation wasn¡¯t optimistic either. If not for him, Lan Xiao¡¯s life would¡¯ve been in danger this time. He had also suffered heavy losses. Dugu Mobao slowly clenched his fists. ¡°It¡¯s too late to stop them now.¡± Initially, he had planned on waiting for her to break through to become a legendary warrior. But now that Tuan Zi and Zi Chen had disappeared together, she would definitely not leave easily. ¡°Besides, the agreement back then was clear. We can¡¯t fight that thing head-on. Once one party takes the initiative to break this agreement, the other party can kill completely! Now is definitely not the time to fall out,¡± he said seriously. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see¡­¡± ¡­ Under Xue Xue¡¯s lead, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu quickly arrived. When she saw the vortex above the desert, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! This was almost identical to the vortex that had appeared under her feet previously, but this one looked bigger and deeper! They were still a short distance from the vortex, but Chu Liuyue already felt a cold aura slowly spreading out from inside. An invisible pressure enveloped the world, making it almost suffocating. A thought instantly surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. This place is extremely dangerous! Xue Xue stopped and whimpered softly. Chu Liuyue immediately understood what it meant. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Tuan Zi and Zi Chen have entered this place?¡± Xue Xue nodded vigorously. Chu Liuyue took a few more steps forward. At this moment, she and Rong Xiu stood in the air above the vortex. Chu Liuyue¡¯s intuition told her that if she went any further, it would be extremely dangerous! But from here, she could still see the situation below clearly. A vortex appeared in the vast desert. Sand kept surging out from below, surging in all directions. The entire vortex spun slowly in a counterclockwise manner. In the deepest part of the vortex, it was pitch-black. For some reason, the moment Chu Liuyue looked down, she inexplicably felt like she was being targeted by an eye. Cold, indifferent, heretical, evil, sinister, greedy, and crazy! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart instantly seemed to be tightly gripped by something! At this moment, a familiar feeling attacked her heart. Suddenly, her eyes widened. I remember! This aura is clearly identical to the hand buried under Million Wine Mountain of Ling Xiao Academy! ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock. The night was hazy. The dark room was silent. Suddenly, Cen Yi opened his eyes and stood up quickly! He picked up his clothes from the side and put them on before walking out quickly. The moment he opened the door, Thirteen¡ªwho was sleeping next to him¡ªheard the commotion and got up. He stuck his head out and looked over. ¡°Big Brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Cen Yi didn¡¯t look at him. He only said calmly, ¡°Go back and stay obediently.¡± As he spoke, he left in a hurry. Thirteen responded and watched Cen Yi leave quickly. He couldn¡¯t help but frown. Big Brother is in a hurry. What is he going to do? ¡­ Cen Yi walked out of the courtyard and had just turned the corner when he bumped into someone. It was Qiang Wanzhou. He stood in front of Cen Yi. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Chapter 2103 - 2103 Eighth Meridian 2103 Eighth Meridian Cen Yi glanced at him. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s somewhere I have to go.¡± Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s gaze flickered as he sized Qiang Wanzhou up and became alert. Not many people know that Master is in trouble. Seeing Qiang Wanzhou in this manner¡­ Not only does he know something, but it wasn¡¯t noticed later than me. Qiang Wanzhou replied after a moment of silence, ¡°I.. don¡¯t know. I just feel uneasy, and I coincidentally saw you come out.¡± Cen Yi squinted slightly, and his narrow and nonchalant gaze was filled with suspicion as he looked at Qiang Wanzhou. Qiang Wanzhou exchanged glances with him in a straightforward manner. Whatever he said just now was not fake. For some reason, he felt that something was going to happen tonight. Originally, he planned on casually taking a walk when he bumped into Cen Yi. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu weren¡¯t in Peach Blossom Dock, so everything was basically handled by Cen Yi alone. Now that he had come out in a hurry, there was clearly something wrong. Without guessing, Qiang Wanzhou knew that it was definitely related to Chu Liuyue. After a temporary stalemate, Cen Yi stepped forward and walked past Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°You¡¯re not good enough.¡± This meant that Qiang Wanzhou was not strong enough. His tone was as calm and nonchalant as usual, which precisely made his words sound even harsher. However, Qiang Wanzhou went forward again and stopped him. His soft golden hair flowed down and covered his eyes. Under the night sky, it was hard for one to differentiate. He said word by word, ¡°How do you know that I¡¯m not good enough?¡± Cen Yi originally couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with Qiang Wanzhou, and he was about to leave when he suddenly saw a totem faintly appearing on the latter¡¯s brows. He paused in his tracks. His usually emotionless face had a hint of shock for once. ¡°You¡ª¡± Qiang Wanzhou restrained his aura, and that totem quickly disappeared. ¡°Now, am I good enough?¡± ¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain. Inside Godly Phoenix Hall, all the candles were lit. The door to the hall was tightly shut, and it was completely silent inside. Only Elder Yi Yu was standing below the stairs. He looked at the sky from time to time and then at Godly Phoenix Hall, as if he was waiting for something. He looked very nervous. After some time, the door to the hall opened, and a figure walked out. It was Yi Zhao. ¡°Clan Leader.¡± Elder Yi Yu hurriedly went forward. ¡°How is it?¡± Yi Zhao shook his head. ¡°It didn¡¯t succeed.¡± A few hints of disappointment flashed across Elder Yi Yu¡¯s eyes before they disappeared. Then, he comforted, ¡°This matter was originally extremely difficult. Only a few people can open their eighth meridian in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. But now that you¡¯ve touched the barrier, you have a high chance of succeeding. If you can¡¯t do it this time, maybe the next¡ª¡± At this point, if someone else were around and heard this, they would be beyond shocked. That was because the eighth meridian was a miracle-like existence in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. All these years, not more than three people had succeeded in the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! During this period of time, Yi Zhao spent most of his time in Godly Phoenix Hall. Everyone in the clan thought that he was just cultivating normally. After all, he did regularly spend his time there. Other than Elder Yi Yu, nobody knew that he was actually trying to open his eighth meridian! However, the ending was not desirable as he still failed after trying. Hearing Elder Yi Yu¡¯s words, Yi Zhao nonchalantly waved his hands. ¡°I know all of this.¡± As the clan leader, and simultaneously the strong existence closest to opening the eighth meridian in the entire clan, he knew more clearly how difficult it was to cross this barrier! Ever since he became the clan leader, he had been stuck at the seventh meridian for too long. Actually, he didn¡¯t have much hope for this. But for some reason, he faintly felt that he had touched the barrier, so he had this idea. It was naturally the best if he could succeed. If he could not, he wouldn¡¯t be guilty as he did his best. At this stage, he didn¡¯t only need diligence¡ªhe also needed talent and fate. Hence, Yi Zhao could see through this quite easily. Seeing Yi Zhao in this manner, Elder Yi Yu heaved a sigh of relief. However, it was a lie to say that he did not feel regret. If Yi Zhao could really open the eighth meridian, then the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan would be motivated! ¡°How has Tuan Zi been recently?¡¯ Yi Zhao asked. Elder Yi Yu retracted his thoughts and couldn¡¯t help but smile when he talked about Tuan Zi. ¡°I heard that when Shangguan Yue and Yi Wentao battled previously, the latter lost miserably. It was also during that battle that Tuan Zi successfully opened her fifth meridian.¡± Such news had spread far and wide in the entire God Residence Realm in recent times. It was hard not to know about it. However, Yi Zhao had been in seclusion during this period of time, so he did not know. Now that he suddenly heard it, Yi Zhao was surprised and elated. ¡°Really? Why is it so fast?¡± It hasn¡¯t been very long since Tuan Zi continuously opened three meridians at Godly Phoenix Mountain. Yi Zhao originally thought that Tuan Zi could only open her fifth meridian in a few years. He didn¡¯t expect¡ª ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. Now that Shangguan Yue is so strong, she can complement Tuan Zi, and they can succeed together.¡± Yi Zhao smiled brightly and was quite emotional. ¡°Speaking of which, Ancestor was really intelligent! Back then, none of us agreed to Tuan Zi following Shangguan Yue, yet Ancestor insisted on letting her. Who would¡¯ve thought such a day would come?¡± Hearing about the latest series of matters, Yi Yu couldn¡¯t help but exclaim that it was a very correct choice for Tuan Zi to follow that woman. Yi Zhao¡¯s cold and stern face revealed an extremely faint smile. Even though it just flashed past, it was already very rare. ¡°Ancestor has foresight, and Tuan Zi is very smart. There are so many cultivators in the world, yet she picked the best one at first glance. She¡¯s indeed the bloodline of our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan!¡± It meant that he was very proud of her. Elder Yi Yu silently glanced at the clan leader and couldn¡¯t bear to remind that a certain someone did not want to let Tuan Zi continue her agreement with Shangguan Yue and even threatened her. As Yi Zhao spoke, he changed the topic. ¡°But Shangguan Yue that girl¡­ Didn¡¯t she previously say that she¡¯d bring Tuan Zi to take a look? It¡¯s been so long, but why isn¡¯t there any news?¡± Yi Yu hurriedly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they just occupy Peach Blossom Dock previously? They should be the busiest now. I think when everything falls into place, they will come. Tuan Zi definitely misses us, right?¡± Speaking of this, Yi Zhao¡¯s expression became much warmer. After some time, he sighed lowly. ¡°Tuan Zi has the purest bloodline and outstanding talent. She¡¯s very intelligent as well. Opening the eighth meridian might be hard for others in the clan, but it might be attainable for her. She may even¡­¡± She might even reach the peak! Suddenly, his expression changed. ¡°Oh no! Tuan Zi is in trouble!¡± Chapter 2104 - 2104 Looking Up from the Deep Abyss 2104 Looking Up from the Deep Abyss Upon hearing this, Elder Yi Yu was also shocked. ¡°Clan Leader, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Yi Zhao furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Tuan Zi¡¯s aura disappeared!¡± Ever since they experienced the incident at the God-Killing Tumulus, he had lingering fears. Thus, he specifically left a backup plan that connected with Tuan Zi¡¯s aura. Now¡­ this connection suddenly broke! Elder Yi Yu¡¯s heart sank. ¡°What happened? Isn¡¯t Tuan Zi with Shangguan Yue and the rest at the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± Previously, Baili Chun died, so Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue specifically returned to the Sky-Cloud Empire. They had not heard of other news. ¡°If they were in the Sky-Cloud Empire, this would definitely not happen.¡± Yi Zhao quickly came to a conclusion in his heart and said with certainty, ¡°They¡¯re definitely not in the Sky-Cloud Empire now!¡± That was Rong Xiu¡¯s territory, and Chu Liuyue just took down the Peach Blossom Dock, so they were in the limelight. Nobody would be stupid enough to cause trouble for them in the Sky-Cloud Empire at this point. The only explanation was¡ªthey had already left the Sky-Cloud Empire! ¡°Clan Leader, can you confirm Tuan Zi¡¯s location before her aura disappeared?¡± Yi Zhao closed his eyes to think deeply. Then, he opened them and knitted his brows tightly. ¡°No. We¡¯re too far away¡­¡± Besides, he just came out of seclusion and placed all his attention and focus on opening the meridian, so he didn¡¯t have time to think of other things. ¡°Then¡­¡± Elder Yi Yu was also in a tough spot. Yi Zhao thought for a moment before swiftly saying, ¡°Stay at the clan. I¡¯ll personally go to the Sky-Cloud Empire and find out what¡¯s going on!¡± Yi Yu knew that the matter was urgent and didn¡¯t dare to delay it, so he immediately agreed. ¡°Yes! But to the public¡ª¡± ¡°Tell them that I¡¯m still in seclusion in Godly Phoenix Hall.¡± In this way, nobody would suspect this. Yi Zhao had many thoughts. Tuan Zi¡¯s condition is unknown now, so we have to be careful just in case we alert the enemy. After giving instructions on a few matters, Yi Zhao¡¯s figure disappeared from the spot. Yi Yu looked at Godly Phoenix Hall again and was in deep thought. I hope Tuan Zi and the clan leader can come back safely¡­ ¡­ At the same time, Miao Zhen also felt something amiss from far away. After thinking for a while, he rapidly rushed to the Sky-Cloud Empire at night. Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue were his benefactors. Now that Zi Chen¡¯s connection with him was suddenly cut, he naturally could not sit by the side. ¡­ In the God Residence Realm, there were secret ripples. However, Chu Liuyue, who was in the Red Moon Desert, knew nothing of this. She floated in midair and looked down at the extremely strange vortex, her expression gradually turning solemn. She shifted her gaze and exchanged glances with Rong Xiu. Without speaking, the two of them knew what the other party was thinking. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see such a scene again here¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. She still had a deep impression of that hand below Million Wine Mountain. Now, the mysterious existence below this vortex, should have the same origin as that hand, but it also seemed different. She had thought more than once about what kind of existence could cause a mere hand to have such terrifying suppression. However, she never had an answer. And now this¡­ She gradually clenched her fists. After experiencing that ordeal back then, she knew very clearly that it was very hard to use her own force to go against it. If not for Big Baby¡¯s help back then¡ª Thinking of this, she furrowed her brows even more tightly. During the entire journey, I haVe summoned Big Baby many times but didn¡¯t get a reply. Now, I don¡¯t even know what the condition of Big Baby¡¯s group of three is¡­ If Big Baby personally restricted that hand in Ling Xiao Academy back then, then¡­ What about this? Chu Liuyue could not be sure. An indescribable nervousness and temper slowly surged up from the bottom of her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward. Suddenly, a cold and low voice rang by her ear. ¡°Yue¡¯er, Yue¡¯er?¡± Chu Liuyue snapped back to her senses and looked at Rong Xiu. The depths of his eyes reflected her small figure. His hand was tightly pulling her wrist. Rong Xiu frowned slightly. ¡°What were you thinking of?¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and realized that she had unwittingly taken a step forward. If not for Rong Xiu pulling her back, she might have directly fallen into that vortex! Her back broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°I¡ª¡± The previous moment, I was clearly still thinking that this place was very dangerous and that I couldn¡¯t get close to it easily. The next moment, I actually walked forward uncontrollably! Someone as meticulous and alert as me was actually dazed for a moment and almost made a mistake. Rong Xiu held her hand tightly. ¡°Move back. Let me go down and take a look.¡± ¡°No!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s first reaction was rejection. On the one hand, unknown and danger filled the vortex¡¯s underneath. On the other hand, Tuan Zi and Zi Chen were her fiends. Even if someone had to go and investigate, it should be her! From all aspects, she was the most suitable person. Rong Xiu went forward and lightly kissed her brows. Then, he said, ¡°Be good. Listen to me,¡± His tone was gentle, but he did not allow for rejection. Chu Liuyue looked up strangely, and confusion flashed across her eyes. Rong Xiu seems to always have an insistent attitude in this matter. It is like this previously in Ling Xiao Academy¡ªhe didn¡¯t let me go down no matter what. It is also the same this time. Even though it is dangerous, we have been through life-and-death situations more than once. When we met with other situations back then, Rong Xiu did not seem to have such a reaction. Just as she thought, winds howled above the desert! Whoosh! The winds howled, and a thin layer of frost rapidly formed on the sand balls. The surrounding temperature rapidly lowered, and the cold winds were harsh. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The Red Moon Desert¡¯s nights are always extremely cold, but this time seems rather different¡­ Boom! A howl suddenly came from the skies! Chu Liuyue immediately looked up and saw that, in the originally dark sky, a round moon had faintly appeared behind the layers of dark clouds. Under the faint moonlight, the entire Red Moon Desert seemed to be covered in a layer of white mesh. Following this, sharp and miserable shrieks came from below the desert! Chu Liuyue was alert! She immediately looked down! An eye suddenly opened! It looked up at her from the depths of the abyss! Chapter 2105 - 2105 Seal 2105 Seal That is indeed an eye! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. Previously, she only guessed. But at this moment, she clearly saw that gigantic eye before her! Bloody, red, maniacal! As if it was restrained for a thousand years, it had deep vengeance and coldness! Chu Liuyue looked at it in a daze as her mind turned blank for a moment. Suddenly, a warm and forceful hand covered her eyes, covering everything before her. At the same time, she leaned back and fell into a broad and hard chest. A faint cold fragrance wafted over as it wrapped around her, causing her to be rejuvenated and much more relaxed. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands covered Rong Xiu¡¯s hand as she softly muttered, ¡°Did you see it?¡± Rong Xiu acknowledged her, turned her around, and pressed her into his arms as he hugged her tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m around.¡± Chu Liuyue leaned in his embrace as she placed her forehead against his chest. Her vision was pitch black. In her ears, she could clearly hear his heart beating. She nodded, but her heart was overwhelmed. That eye¡­ is incredible! It can silently mesmerize someone and mess them up! I feel that I¡¯m already someone with a very strong mentality, but my carelessness at that moment almost caused me to fall for it. If not for Rong Xiu being around, I¡¯m afraid¡ª ¡°That eye¡­ has the same origin as that hand suppressed under Million Wine Mountain, right?¡± she asked softly. Rong Xiu nodded. He used an arm to circle her thin waist as his chin rubbed against the top of her head. Her hair softly fell down, along with her unique cold peach blossom fragrance. Rong Xiu looked down at her. Her hair was simply tied without any additional accessories. Only that peach blossom hairpin glowed faintly. Ever since they got married, she basically brought it with her. Rong Xiu retracted his gaze and looked down at that vortex. ¡°It should be an existence above a legendary warrior.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. Actually, she had long thought of this guess. It was not that she had not seen a legendary warrior, even the top amongst them¡ªYi Wentao¡ªhad lost to her! However, the mysterious and strong existence suppressed below was much stronger than a legendary warrior, and this¡­ was just a portion of the Holy Body! Rong Xiu lightly patted her shoulders and leaned in close to her eyes, his voice low and assuring. ¡°Wait for me.¡± As he spoke, he let go of her arm. At the same time, a golden fire flew out of his palm! In the blink of an eye, that fire formed a barrier around Chu Liuyue and completely covered her! He tapped his long and white finger lightly, and the golden barrier moved quite a far distance behind. Until he confirmed that she was sufficiently safe, Rong Xiu looked at that vortex again. The patience and gentleness on his face instantly disappeared. A layer of frost rapidly crawled into his eyes. That pair of originally mysterious eyes was even colder and sterner! He jumped up. The next moment, he came right above that vortex! A shocking force came from below, as if it was going to swallow him! The winds howled, and Rong Xiu¡¯s sleeves blew up. The blurry moonlight and the dark sky merged with each other. Decked in white, he stood in midair, looking holy and distinguished like a deity. Yet, his surrounding aura was cold and sinister as murderous intent blew up. From afar, he looked like the King of Hell who came from hell. Chu Liuyue looked at him and was slightly dazed. She was clearly very familiar with such a Rong Xiu, but¡­ there seemed to be some slight change that was rather foreign. Actually, it wasn¡¯t the first time she saw such a scene, and she had such a feeling before. She recalled very clearly that when Peerless Palace pursued Rong Xiu back then and forced him to take action, he was also like this. That was the time when she first knew of Rong Xiu¡¯s His Grace identity. Even though she had not recovered her memory at that time, she had a deep impression of that scene. In the past, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it and just thought that Rong Xiu would be like this when he wanted to kill. He had always been harsh, decisive, and ruthless. If not, he would never be the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace or be famous in the God Residence Realm, let alone walk to this stage. But for some reason, Chu Liuyue had a strange feeling in her heart as she watched him. Suddenly, her heart tingled. Rong Xiu¡¯s current expression was clearly like the reflected image in the mirror when they were before Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier. Swoosh! Rong Xiu flung his wrist, and a golden fire rapidly turned into a long whip. If one took a closer look, they could still see the sharp individual scales on it! Slap! Rong Xiu flung his wrist out! The ear-piercing sound reverberated throughout the area! At the same time, that vortex suddenly stopped. A sharp and shrill voice came from within! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This sound was clearly even clearer than before, and it sent a chill down one¡¯s spine! Following this, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force seemed to be summoned as it rushed over! The ground started shaking. There seemed to be something rushing out from underneath. A speck of black fire rose in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. His gaze turned icy cold as he waved his hand again. Slap! Countless rays of golden light rapidly flew out and stuck across the vortex! The golden lines quickly intertwined to form a gigantic web to completely cover that vortex! Chapter 2106 - 2106 Rong Xius Talent 2106 Rong Xiu¡¯s Talent The hissing temporarily stopped and fell into a strange silence, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart still seemed to be tightly gripped by something. This was because the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force was still rushing here continuously! The abundant force surged like a river and poured into the vortex! It was as if there was something deep inside that crazily devoured everything. The winds howled. Through the faint golden barrier in front of her, Chu Liuyue could still clearly see the scene in front of her. The ground trembled, and yellow sand flowed. Rustling sounds kept echoing in her ears. Suddenly, the eye blinked. Rumble! The golden net dissipated with a bang! Violent energy surged in all directions! Whoosh! A black rope suddenly flew out from below and headed straight for Chu Liuyue! When Rong Xiu saw this, his eyes turned cold, and the golden whip in his hand actually transformed into a ball of fire again. Then, he crushed it with his bare hands! BANG! With this loud bang, the fireball turned into countless streams of light and quickly formed a huge Xuan formation in front of Rong Xiu! In the blink of an eye, extremely complicated patterns had already been outlined! The black chain was also blocked by the Xuan formation! As if sensing danger, the chain quickly retracted and disappeared under the vortex again. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. How fast! It is definitely not easy to set up such a complicated Xuan formation. If it were me, I probably wouldn¡¯t even have a complete outline¡­ Suddenly, her gaze froze. This Xuan formation looks very familiar¡­ A thought suddenly flashed through her mind. This is the Xuan formation that is used to suppress Million Wine Mountain¡ªthe Heaven-Locking Formation! How did Rong Xiu set it up?! In a flash, the last stream of light finally gathered on it. A complete and complicated Xuan formation stood in the night sky and spun quietly, flickering with a dazzling light. An indescribable pressure and aura spread from above. Even Chu Liuyue, who was standing far away and separated by a barrier, felt a little stuffy. She gasped. Rong Xiu actually set up this Xuan formation in such a short time! Could it be that he has already broken through to the Grandmaster Xuan Master realm above the Great King Xuan Master realm?! Without waiting for Chu Liuyue to ask in detail, Rong Xiu¡¯s figure moved as he jumped up. Then, he stepped on the huge golden Xuan formation! Rumble! Driven by this power, the Xuan formation sank down! It seemed slow, but wherever the Xuan formation passed, large areas of void collapsed one after another! Everything was quickly destroyed! The distance between the Xuan formation and the vortex was constantly shortening, and the power of both sides began to fight crazily! However, the Xuan formation gradually gained the upper hand and destroyed the power below bit by bit! Finally, the golden array landed on the ground and sealed the vortex tightly! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force no longer surged toward the center and dissipated. The shrill scream was quickly extinguished. The yellow sand¡ªwhich had surged out previously¡ªhad now returned to normal. Chu Liuyue stood in the sky and saw everything. She was almost amazed. How long has it been? The situation has taken a 180-degree turn, and all of this was because of Rong Xiu! Her gaze turned slightly and landed on Rong Xiu. He stood in midair. After an intense battle, his snow-white clothes weren¡¯t even stained. If she hadn¡¯t seen it with her own eyes, it would¡¯ve been unbelievable. He had actually set up the Heaven-Locking Formation so easily! One had to know that even when the elders of the entire Ling Xiao Academy joined forces, they were helpless. If not for Big Baby¡¯s help, Chu Liuyue would never have succeeded. Furthermore, she was only repairing the Heaven-Locking Formation at that time, and just this alone almost took half her life. But now¡­ Rong Xiu relied entirely on his own strength and directly set it up! Doubts surged into Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart again. How strong is Rong Xiu?! She originally thought that after this period of experience, she should be able to compete with Rong Xiu. But as soon as the Heaven-Locking Formation appeared, she understood that there was still a considerable gap between them! She didn¡¯t know when he broke through at all. There wasn¡¯t even a sign! As if sensing Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, Rong Xiu suddenly turned his head and looked over. A black flame flashed in his eyes, but because there was a distance between the two of them and the golden barrier in front of Chu Liuyue was blocking her, she couldn¡¯t see this. Rong Xiu turned around and looked. Under the suppression of the Heaven-Locking Formation, the vortex was already gradually shrinking, and the commotion below was also subsiding bit by bit. He moved and arrived in front of Chu Liuyue. He raised his wrist slightly, and the golden barrier dissipated. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him with a complicated expression and didn¡¯t know what to say. Seeing the shock in her eyes that had yet to fade, Rong Xiu¡¯s heart stirred, but his expression was normal. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue opened her mouth and pointed downward. ¡°Is that¡­ the Heaven-Locking Formation?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When¡­ When did you learn this? Also, how did you¡­¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°When you repaired the Heaven-Locking Formation previously, I watched for a while longer.¡± Chu Liuyue stared at him in disbelief. This¡­ This means that he had only watched it once that day and learned it?! ¡°But before it was repaired, the Heaven-Locking Formation was incomplete. After it was repaired, the Heaven-Locking Formation was quickly used to suppress Million Wine Mountain. The complete Heaven-Locking Formation didn¡¯t appear for long¡ª¡± ¡°It was enough.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was as low and calm as ever, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him, and was completely indifferent. It was rare for Chu Liuyue to choke. Looking at Rong Xiu¡¯s calm appearance, she was speechless for a moment. She could vaguely understand how others looked at her now¡­ It was infuriating to compare people! At this moment, a strange sound came from below. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu looked over and saw that the vortex suddenly started to shrink at an astonishing speed! The surrounding yellow sand kept surging in, as if it wanted to completely fill it up! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly sank. ¡°Tuan Zi and Zi Chen are still below!¡± She originally thought that Rong Xiu would force the other party to send Tuan Zi and Zi Chen out, but she never expected the other party to be so stubborn! Rong Xiu¡¯s expression turned cold, and he immediately shouted in a deep voice, ¡°Explode!¡± Hong hong hong! The power on the Heaven-Locking Formation instantly surged toward the center. Then, it condensed into a ball of flames and suddenly exploded! Suddenly, the ground shook violently! Yellow sand flew! A huge pit appeared under the Heaven-Locking Formation! There was nothing inside! Chapter 2107 - 2107 No 2107 No Chu Liuyue had a bad feeling! Almost at the same time, Rong Xiu attacked again! Within the Heaven-Locking Formation, several balls of fire exploded one after another! Hong hong hong! As several shocking explosions exploded, a deep gully appeared in the vast desert! But under the yellow sand was still yellow sand. There was nothing else! Rong Xiu frowned. Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment before she immediately realized that something was wrong. Tuan Zi and Zi Chen were probably taken away by the other party! She moved her feet and headed straight for the gully below. ¡°Tuan Zi! Zi Chen!¡± As she shouted and searched, her entire body was gradually enveloped by a chill. The connection between them and her had been forcefully severed¡ªshe couldn¡¯t sense their existence at all. Most importantly¡­ that strange and gloomy aura had already dissipated without a trace! It was as if the eye in the vortex abyss had never appeared! She stood in the deep gully, her feet covered in frost and yellow sand again because they had stopped flowing. Other than that, there was nothing in front and behind her. She clenched her fists and muttered softly, ¡°He actually ran away just like that¡­¡± Rong Xiu quickly rushed over and furrowed his brows. After checking back and forth a few times, he finally said, ¡°It didn¡¯t run away. It just hid.¡± Chu Liuyue turned to look at him. ¡°Really?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Although the Heaven-Locking Formation couldn¡¯t completely kill it, it also caused it to be severely injured. Under such circumstances, it can¡¯t escape. Besides¡ª¡± He paused. ¡°Besides, this is very likely where it has been for a long time. It won¡¯t leave so easily.¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated at first, but when she thought of the hand at the foot of Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Million Wine Mountain, she instantly believed it. What Rong Xiu said is indeed very likely. That thing is very strange, and it has probably been suppressed for many years. However¡­ ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did Big Baby and the others ignore it and let it exist?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her with a deep gaze. ¡°You forgot that the thing at the foot of Million Wine Mountain is the same.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly fell silent. Yes, if Big Baby and the others could resolve that thing directly, they would definitely not be soft-hearted. However, they didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know if they have other difficulties¡­ Moreover, Big Baby and the others haven¡¯t given any reaction since Tuan Zi and Zi Chen disappeared. At the thought of this, Chu Liuyue turned around and left. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Big Baby and the others.¡± In the Red Moon Desert, the three of them were almost like dominators. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t believe that they knew nothing about this. No matter why they haven¡¯t interfered, I have to ask them personally! If they can help, it will be for the best. If they can¡¯t¡­ I will turn the entire Red Moon Desert upside down and find Tuan Zi and Zi Chen! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips moved slightly, but he stopped talking. He knew her personality the best. Whatever she planned to do, she would never give up easily. Moreover, everything that happened today had really stepped on her bottom line. He stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡­ ¡°She¡¯s coming! She¡¯s coming!¡± Diwu Zhangze was anxious. ¡°Tuan Zi and Zi Chen have both been lost. How are we going to explain this? Big Baby, say something!¡± Dugu Mobao sat cross-legged with no expression on his face. Hearing this, he only frowned slightly and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re noisy.¡± Diwu Zhangze pointed at his nose in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m noisy? Wasn¡¯t I forced to do this too? Big Baby, get this straight! What time is it now?! Yue¡¯er Girlie is here to ask for an explanation. What exactly do you plan to do?!¡± ¡°Previously, you pretended to be dead. Now, you can¡¯t still pretend to be dead, right?¡± ¡°Hello?! Are you really going to pretend that nothing happened? How can that girl be dealt with so easily?¡± Lan Xiao, who was leaning against the wall, said impatiently, ¡°Diwu, can you calm down? You¡¯re really noisy!¡± Diwu Zhangze took a deep breath. ¡°You, you, you! Lan Xiao, are you on the same side as Big Baby now?¡± Lan Xiao scoffed and turned around. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered, but if he¡¯s not in a hurry, why are you? Even if Yue¡¯er is looking for trouble, it should be his turn first, right?¡± Dugu Mobao was now the only one among the three of them who had a Holy Body! Lan Xiao crossed his legs. ¡°Even if the sky collapses, he has to come out and bear it first! Although he¡¯s only so small now, it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re underground.¡± Dugu Mobao flew over and glared at him. Lan Xiao didn¡¯t care at all. What was wrong with telling the truth? Diwu Zhangze could no longer be bothered with these two people. After so many years, they are still unreliable! ¡°Yue¡¯er has spent a lot of effort on Tuan Zi and Zi Chen along the way. She dotes on them like they¡¯re treasures. Now that something has happened¡­ If she makes a fuss, no one can escape!¡± Diwu Zhangze was so angry that he sat down. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you guys can do!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar voice sounded. ¡°Big Baby!¡± It was Chu Liuyue. Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Big Baby, I have something to ask you! If it¡¯s convenient for you, can you meet me?¡± Beside the lake, Chu Liuyue gazed at the calm lake in front of her and frowned slightly. ¡°You¡ª¡± Before she could finish shouting, Dugu Mobao¡¯s figure appeared in front of her again. ¡°Say it.¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°Do you all know what happened just now?¡± Dugu Mobao nodded his head. ¡°I know.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately said, ¡°Then, can you help¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Dugu Mobao interrupted her. ¡°The three of us will never fight it head-on.¡± Chapter 2108 - 2108 Opening the World! 2108 Opening the World! In that case, the three of them do know about the existence of the eye underground! ¡°Why?¡± Chu Liuyue took a step forward and asked with a frown. Dugu Mobao looked at her calmly. ¡°No reason.¡± ¡°But back at Ling Xiao Academy¡ª¡± ¡°You were the one who did it that time,¡± Dugu Mobao said firmly. Chu Liuyue was stunned. Only then did she remember that although Big Baby had secretly helped her, he didn¡¯t appear from beginning to end. In the God Residence Realm, he seemed to be unwilling to make a move publicly, and he even refused to admit this matter. Her mind raced. Then, she asked, ¡°Then, where are Tuan Zi and Zi Chen¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re still here.¡± Dugu Mobao raised his chin, and his expression froze. ¡°All I can tell you is that it can¡¯t leave the Red Moon Desert either.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead twitched. Either¡ªof course, this is compared to Big Baby and the other two. Could it be¡ªIs it related to that thing that they are trapped here? ¡°Whether you can find Tuan Zi and Zi Chen depends on you.¡± As Dugu Mobao spoke, he turned around and was about to leave. After taking a step, he suddenly stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll be in seclusion during this period of time. Diwu and Lan Xiao are busy with their Holy Bodies and won¡¯t come out much. Everything¡ªdo as you see fit.¡± With that, he walked forward. The lake parted, and his figure quickly disappeared. A moment later, the lake regained its calm. A breeze blew over, and only faint ripples appeared. Chu Liuyue stood rooted to the ground for a while. At this moment, the sky was about to brighten. From afar, the faint frost that had condensed at night was silently melting. Quiet and desolate. Rong Xiu walked over and stood beside her, holding her hand. Chu Liuyue turned around and said, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to find it myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Fortunately, it won¡¯t leave the Red Moon Desert. This is much better than I expected.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. Rong Xiu glanced at the lake that was gradually calming down, then looked at her and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she shook her head. ¡°How could that be?¡± Actually, it was within her expectations that Big Baby wouldn¡¯t help. Therefore, she wasn¡¯t surprised or dissatisfied when she heard his answer. ¡°I know how they treat me.¡± Now, there is clearly another reason. Chu Liuyue had never known who trapped Big Baby and the other two in the Red Moon Desert, but now, she vaguely felt that she had seen something. The hand under Million Wine Mountain and the eye under the Red Moon Desert¡­ It was obviously related to this! ¡°If we can find Tuan Zi and Zi Chen, we might be able to¡­¡± Help them. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t finish her sentence. She turned and looked at the vast desert behind her. Where is that eye hidden? ¡­ Dugu Mobao returned to the dark and cramped cage. Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao looked over. ¡°Rong Xiu has already helped you ask what you want to ask,¡± said Dugu Mobao lightly. ¡°You heard Yue¡¯er¡¯s answer.¡± From the beginning, he had never been worried that she would find trouble with them because of this. This was because she had always been extremely smart. Diwu Zhangze sighed with a complicated expression. ¡°I really didn¡¯t dote on her for nothing¡­¡± Tuan Zi and Zi Chen are very important to her. Now that they are suddenly missing, one can imagine the worry and anxiety in her heart. In contrast, Dugu Mobao¡¯s words seemed a little unreasonable. Fortunately, that girl is very open-minded about these things. ¡°The Red Moon Desert won¡¯t be peaceful for the next period of time. I¡¯ve already told her that we won¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°You mean that no matter what happens in the future, we¡¯ll just watch here?¡± Lan Xiao asked. Dugu Mobao glanced at him expressionlessly. ¡°Apart from watching, what else can you do now?¡± In his current state, even if it was the day of the Red Moon, he wouldn¡¯t have the strength to go out. Lan Xiao choked. He wanted to defend himself, but Dugu Mobao was telling the truth. He really couldn¡¯t think of anything to retort. In the end, he could only snort fiercely. ¡°When my Holy Body is reconstructed, I¡¯ll come out and fight you!¡± Dugu Mobao sat down and moved his palm. A Xuan formation appeared in front of him. This Xuan formation was very different from ordinary Xuan formations. There was an abnormally bright spot on it. Seeing his actions, Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao were both stunned. ¡°Big Baby, what are you doing?¡± Diwu Zhangze subconsciously straightened his body, and his expression froze. He lowered his voice and questioned Dugu Mobao. Dugu Mobao said calmly, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to open the door.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lan Xiao suddenly sat up. Because of his shock, his face¡ªwhich had just recovered halfway¡ªlooked a little ferocious. ¡°The Red Moon Desert and the God Residence Realm are connected by a Gate Realm, and that Gate Realm is also an extremely confidential place! Are you opening the Gate Realm now to attract those people from the God Residence Realm?¡± Dugu Mobao said, ¡°As long as we don¡¯t go out, they have no reason to come in.¡± Lan Xiao choked. Although that is the case, the Gate Realm hasn¡¯t been opened for many years. Even when he sent Yue¡¯er to the God Residence Realm, he had to take a detour through Peach Blossom Dock. But now¡ª ¡°You want others from the God Residence Realm to come over?¡± Diwu Zhangze suddenly realized something and asked in surprise. Dugu Mobao nodded. ¡°With just her, she¡¯s naturally not a match for that thing. Even if Rong Xiu is here, it¡¯s not easy to deal with it. With more people helping, we might have a higher chance of winning.¡± Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao looked at each other and were silent for a long time. By doing this, Dugu Mobao was directly exposing them to danger, and all of this was for Yue¡¯er. Although he said that he was unwilling to help, he had secretly made such a decision¡­ ¡°Since you¡¯ve already decided, we naturally have no objections.¡± Diwu Zhangze nodded and sighed. ¡°I only hope that these things can all end before the next Wei Yue arrives!¡± Lan Xiao suddenly turned around and closed his eyes. A ball of fire danced in his palm. Diwu Zhangze asked curiously, ¡°Lan Xiao, what are you doing?¡± Lan Xiao didn¡¯t even open his eyes and only snorted softly. ¡°I¡¯m naturally reconstructing my Holy Body! Dugu Mobao isn¡¯t the only one who can help Yue¡¯er!¡± This time, I have to succeed no matter what! Dugu Mobao glanced at him, then quickly retracted his gaze and stared at the Xuan formation in front of him. In the long years, this Gate Realm had never opened. But this time, he couldn¡¯t care less. The faint light shone on his face, making his purple eyes look even more demonic. Then, he raised his hand and tapped lightly on the Xuan formation. BANG! A faint sound came from the Xuan formation! That light spot quickly dissipated! ¡­ At the same time, in the God Residence Realm, the world shook! Chapter 2109 - 2109 Not Around 2109 Not Around Yi Zhao, who had just arrived outside the Sky-Cloud Empire, was shocked. He quickly turned his head and looked in the direction of the commotion. In the distant sky, a ripple suddenly appeared on the light screen that fell from the sky. As this ripple moved, the energy in the world was also greatly affected and surged! Whoosh¡ª It was like a surging tide. When it fell into his ears, it shocked him. Deep shock flashed across Yi Zhao¡¯s eyes as he said in disbelief, ¡°This is¡ª¡± Suddenly, the void not far away rippled, and a figure walked out. Yi Zhao immediately looked at the person warily. When he saw the other party¡¯s face clearly, his expression froze. Miao Zhen rushed over and didn¡¯t expect to bump into an acquaintance. The two of them stared at each other for a moment. The atmosphere was a little strange. The relationship between the two ancient legendary fiend clans, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan and the great phoenix dragon clan, had always been very subtle. In all aspects, these two clans were on equal footing, but they were both extremely proud. There were all kinds of comparisons between in public and in secret. But because Chu Liuyue had contracted Tuan Zi and Zi Chen, these two clans were involved again. Therefore, it was still a little awkward when they met now. However, Miao Zhen was strong-willed. He was the first to react and greeted him with a smile. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. What a coincidence!¡± Yi Zhao looked at him expressionlessly and said bluntly, ¡°Unfortunately, we¡¯re all here to look for someone in the Sky-Cloud Empire.¡± Miao Zhen was surprised at first to be exposed. Then, he realized that something was wrong. His expression turned serious. ¡°Could it be¡ª¡± The two of them looked at each other again. They were both powerful existences who had lived for a thousand years. Furthermore, the two of them were extremely scheming. Therefore, with just a glance, they quickly understood something. Miao Zhen frowned and said, ¡°To be honest, my connection with Zi Chen has been cut.¡± Yi Zhao paused. ¡°The same goes for Tuan Zi.¡± The two of them fell silent, and the air seemed to freeze at this moment. If it were just Tuan Zi or Zi Chen who had temporarily cut off contact with them, it would be fine. But now, the two of them had disappeared together¡­ This made people think too much. Miao Zhen immediately said, ¡°Go to the Sky-Cloud Empire and ask.¡± With that, he was about to move when a strange sound came from afar. Whoosh¡ª He was stunned and turned to look. Only then did he see that two creases had appeared on the light screen in the distant sky for some reason. The sound just now was the surging Heaven and Earth Force. ¡°How¡­¡± Miao Zhen was stunned for a moment. Yi Zhao said in a low voice, ¡°As you can see, another Gate Realm has been opened.¡± ¡°How is this possible!?¡± Miao Zhen subconsciously retorted. ¡°The Gate Realms of the God Residence Realm appeared with the curtain of light tens of thousands of years ago. It didn¡¯t change because of any external forces. Why is there another one now?¡± The first-rate families in the God Residence Realm more or less controlled a certain number of Gate Realms. This was also a symbol of their status. Only existences with true power and combat power could occupy a Gate Realm and be in charge of guarding it. However, the Gate Realms weren¡¯t opened by these people¡ªthey had existed since the birth of the world! Yi Zhao said, ¡°We both saw it with our own eyes. No matter how impossible it is, it has already happened.¡± Miao Zhen looked over in shock. On the light screen in the distance, it was like wind blowing on a water surface, causing ripples¡ªit was indeed forming a new Gate Realm! Suddenly, something flashed through his mind. ¡°It¡¯s rumored that mysterious existences above legendary warriors can completely control a Gate Realm independently. Could it be¡­¡± However, there hasn¡¯t been such an expert in the God Residence Realm for 10,000 years! What is going on now? Yi Zhao placed his hands behind his back and gradually clenched his fists. He said word by word, ¡°The entire God Residence Realm will know about such a shocking change.¡± This commotion was too huge. No matter who it was, no matter where they were.. As long as they looked up, they would immediately see this scene! ¡°There¡¯s something abnormal about this Gate Realm!¡± Miao Zhen frowned. Tuan Zi and Zi Chen suddenly cut off all contact with us, and now this has happened right after¡­ Although these two things seem to be unrelated on the surface, I have a feeling that there must be a connection! Yi Zhao didn¡¯t say anything. Actually, he had the same thoughts as Miao Zhen. With such a thing suddenly happening, the entire God Residence Realm would probably be in chaos! At this moment, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s barrier opened behind the two of them, and a person walked out. The two of them turned around. It was 36 Respected Elder Ming. 36 Respected Elder Ming bowed politely to the two of them. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the two of you would come. Please forgive me for not welcoming you.¡± Although his seniority was very high, he was still far inferior to these two people. 36 Respected Elder Ming muttered in his heart, I don¡¯t know what day it is today, but these two actually came together! After receiving the news, he immediately rushed over, afraid of being negligent. Miao Zhen went straight to the point and asked, ¡°Where are Rong Xiu and Yue¡¯er now?¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming was stunned. They are indeed here for the two of them, but why do Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao¡¯s expressions seem a little strange¡­ He hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°His Highness and the Princess Consort have been away for a while. Previously, they only said that they were going outside the God Residence Realm, but they didn¡¯t say the specifics¡­¡± The two of them came and went freely. They didn¡¯t tell 36 Respected Elder Ming in as much detail. As expected, they aren¡¯t in the Sky-Cloud Empire! Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao exchanged glances. Then, they turned around and headed straight for the sky! Chapter 2110 - 2110 Look Back 2110 Look Back ¡°Ow¡ª¡± 36 Respected Elder Ming didn¡¯t expect the two of them to leave just like that. Just as he shouted, the two figures had already left. He opened his mouth and swallowed the rest of his words. What is going on? Everyone knows that the relationship between these two ancient legendary fiend clans has always been in a delicate balance. The two sides rarely appear together, let alone the clan leaders. The last time they came together was on account of Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡¯s wedding. What is it this time? Moreover, they left after asking¡­ 36 Respected Elder Ming was still feeling strange when he suddenly saw a strange scene in the sky from the corner of his eye. He looked over and was stunned. When he realized what had happened, he gasped. ¡°A new Gate Realm has appeared?!¡± That is where Yi Zhao and the other person are heading! 36 Respected Elder Ming turned around and went back without hesitation. The God Residence Realm is probably going to change! ¡­ It wasn¡¯t just Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen. When that strange ripple appeared on the light screen in the sky, countless people in the God Residence Realm were shocked. Countless cultivators rushed over from all directions without hesitation! A new Gate Realm opened with a bang¡ªit was definitely not for no reason. Not only did they want to seize the Gate Realm this time, but they also wanted to see what was hidden behind this matter! For a moment, the entire God Residence Realm was shocked. ¡­ Red Moon Desert. The sun was high in the sky. Chu Liuyue looked up. At this moment, she was extremely glad that she had already condensed a Holy Body. Even if she stayed here day and night, it wouldn¡¯t be too torturous. The only thing that bothered her was that they had been searching here for three days, but they still couldn¡¯t find any traces of Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. Previously, she could vaguely sense a familiar aura in the vortex. Now, there were no clues. The Red Moon Desert was vast. Finding them was no different from finding a needle in a haystack. Not to mention, there was also that strange eye. This made it even more difficult for them to find the two fiends. Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks. ¡°If we continue searching like this, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be any progress.¡± After that day, that eye disappeared without a trace and never appeared again. As Big Baby had said, this place was also that thing¡¯s territory. It was more familiar with this place, so it naturally had the advantage. If the other party didn¡¯t take the initiative to appear, they didn¡¯t know how long they would have to search, and it might not succeed. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°There¡¯s been no movement from the Heaven-Locking Formation either.¡± After Tuan Zi and Zi Chen disappeared, although Rong Xiu couldn¡¯t find them, he still chose to keep the Heaven-Locking Formation up. The ravine seemed to have returned to normal, but in fact, there was a Heaven-Locking Formation still buried under the sand. Once there was any fluctuation, he would immediately sense it. Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°That thing is very cunning. It definitely won¡¯t appear casually in the short term.¡± She narrowed her eyes and fell into deep thought. ¡°Rong Xiu, who do you think¡­ is that thing¡¯s target?¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyes slightly and looked at her quietly. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I keep feeling that¡­ it¡¯s not targeting Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. Its real target seems to be me.¡± Chu Liuyue supported her chin with one hand and frowned. She gently touched her chin. ¡°Why do you suddenly have such thoughts?¡± Rong Xiu asked calmly. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not sudden.¡± In fact, she had vaguely sensed this from the moment she saw that eye. At Ling Xiao Academy previously, she had rushed into the spring of Million Wine Mountain and accidentally touched the seal of that hand, causing everything that happened after that. Although everything had calmed down, that day¡¯s scene still surfaced very clearly in her mind. When she saw that eye, she clearly felt that she was being targeted. In the beginning, the strange vortex had indeed appeared under her feet. She jumped a few times in the middle, but she couldn¡¯t shake it off. It was only when Rong Xiu made a move in the end that she managed to resolve it. But not long after, something happened to Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. They were her contracted fiends, so it was normal for them to be implicated. Chu Liuyue was in deep thought. Is it because the hand from back then had formed a grudge, or is it because I have something that the other party wants? Suddenly, a sound tore through the air! Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu turned around at the same time and saw two figures running toward them one after another! They were extremely fast and arrived in front of the two of them in the blink of an eye. ¡°You guys are really here.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the two people who suddenly appeared in front of her in surprise. ¡°Senior Yi Zhao, Senior Miao Zhen? Why are you¡­¡± Moreover, they are together! As soon as she asked, she immediately realized something. ¡°Are you here because of Tuan Zi and Zi Chen?¡± Yi Zhao nodded and immediately asked, ¡°My connection with Tuan Zi suddenly broke. Do you know what happened?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. I thought that Tuan Zi had only cut off contact with me. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ This is troublesome. ¡°To be honest, Seniors, I can¡¯t contact the two of them now.¡± ¡°How is that possible!?¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s expression froze. Chu Liuyue has a contractual relationship with them, so why would it be like this? Chu Liuyue immediately explained the matter briefly. ¡°¡­That¡¯s what happened. Rong Xiu and I have been searching for them these past few days, but¡ª¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s expression darkened completely. Miao Zhen suddenly asked, ¡°What is this place?¡± ¡°Red Moon Desert,¡± Chu Liuyue said. ¡°It¡¯s also the territory of the Tianling Dynasty.¡± However, Miao Zhen shook his head and stared intently behind Chu Liuyue. ¡°No. Look back.¡± Chapter 2111 - 2111 Accompany 2111 Accompany Chu Liuyue turned around and was instantly shocked. At the end of the vast desert, a hall had appeared at some point! The hall was shrouded in a faint white fog and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. She could barely see a rough outline, but she couldn¡¯t tell what it looked like. In front of the hall, a stone door stood tall. There was a plaque hanging above it. Unfortunately, the words on it were covered by white fog and couldn¡¯t be seen. But even so, one could still feel its indescribable nobility and dignity! It stood quietly between heaven and earth like a crawling beast, waiting for an ambush at any time and devouring everything! Chu Liuyue stared at it. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t tell if it was an illusory shadow or a real existence. But¡­ Rong Xiu and I clearly didn¡¯t see anything just now. Why did this strange hall suddenly appear after Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen came? ¡°This is¡ª¡± Miao Zhen asked, ¡°Why would such a hall appear in the Red Moon Desert?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless and didn¡¯t know how to answer. The Red Moon Desert was indeed the territory of the Tianling Dynasty. In order to calm Dahuang Swamp back then, she had even personally led an army here and fought a few battles. She had been to the Red Moon Desert more than once. All in all, the time she spent here was definitely not short. But even so, she had never seen such a situation. After a moment, she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± Miao Zhen was a little surprised. I originally thought that Chu Liuyue should know this place quite well. But from her reaction, it is clearly the first time she has seen this hall. ¡°Then¡­¡± He hesitated and asked, ¡°Do you know how the two of us arrived here?¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment. This question¡­ With Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen¡¯s strength, it is easy for them to come here. As if reading her mind, Miao Zhen smiled bitterly and said, ¡°It seems like you still don¡¯t know that a new Gate Realm has appeared in the God Residence Realm.¡± Chu Liuyue took in his words for a while before she understood what he meant. Then, she widened her eyes in shock. However, Miao Zhen¡¯s next words shocked her even more. ¡°The two of us came from that Gate Realm.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chu Liuyue almost suspected that she had heard wrongly. ¡°You mean that after you and Senior Yi Zhao crossed that Gate Realm, you came here directly?¡± Miao Zhen nodded his head. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue subconsciously looked at Yi Zhao. Although the latter didn¡¯t say anything, the expression on his face was enough to explain everything. Since these two people said that, then everything can be confirmed! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved slightly, but her heart was in turmoil! She knew that she could go to the God Residence Realm from the Red Moon Desert. After all, she had gone to Peach Blossom Dock from here. However, the two of them had clearly experienced a different situation. Yi Zhao said in a low voice, ¡°Everyone in the God Residence Realm should already know about the existence of that Gate Realm now. It¡¯s also because that Gate Realm¡¯s appearance is very sudden that it will definitely arouse the curiosity of many people, and they will come one after another.¡± As he spoke, he looked up at the illusory hall on the horizon. ¡°If they see this scene too, it will probably be even more troublesome.¡± This was the first time in 10,000 years. Who didn¡¯t want to pass through the Gate Realm to investigate? Although this so-called Red Moon Desert was outside the God Residence Realm, that hall was clearly an extraordinary existence. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips as countless thoughts flashed across her mind. Of course, I can also understand Yi Zhao¡¯s worries. But¡­ These things happened too coincidentally. I wonder if it had anything to do with Big Baby and the others? Miao Zhen narrowed his eyes and said with uncertainty, ¡°Could Zi Chen and the others be in that hall?¡± According to what Chu Liuyue said just now, that strange eye couldn¡¯t leave the Red Moon Desert. After taking Tuan Zi and Zi Chen away, such a strange hall appeared. It was inevitable that people would associate these things. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s useless to guess here. Why don¡¯t we take a look ourselves!¡± She was also filled with doubts about the sudden appearance of this hall and was about to go over and investigate. It would be best if she could find Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. Coldness quickly flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s deep phoenix eyes. His thin lips parted slightly, and he was about to speak¡ª Suddenly, he sensed something, and his eyes narrowed. Right on the heels of that, the space in front of Chu Liuyue shook, and two more figures walked out one after another. Seeing the two people, Chu Liuyue was also quite surprised. ¡°Cen Yi, Xiao Zhou?¡± Cen Yi took a step forward and bowed with cupped fists. ¡°Greetings, Master, Your Highness.¡± Then, he looked up slightly and saw Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen behind Chu Liuyue. A trace of surprise surged in his eyes, but it quickly dissipated. Following that, he greeted the two of them politely. ¡°Greetings, clan leaders.¡± Behind him, Qiang Wanzhou was silent as usual. Chu Liuyue glanced at the two of them. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Cen Yi paused. ¡°Ever since you left Peach Blossom Dock, I¡¯ve been feeling uneasy. After thinking about it again and again, I thought of coming over to investigate.¡± This explanation was a little vague, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t pursue it. Cen Yi was extremely capable, especially after her rebirth. He was even more concerned about her safety and would sense that something was wrong. It was normal for him to come here. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect him to bring Qiang Wanzhou over. Although the two of them knew each other, they weren¡¯t close. Cen Yi didn¡¯t bring the rest of the Thirteen Yue Guards along, but he pulled Qiang Wanzhou along¡­ It was really a little unusual. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to ask about this. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we¡¯re all fine. It¡¯s just that Tuan Zi and Zi Chen are missing. However, you came at the right time. We¡¯re planning to go over and take a look. We might be able to find them.¡± Cen Yi and Qiang Wanzhou followed her gaze and saw the magnificent and mysterious hall standing between heaven and earth in the distant sky. As his back was facing her, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t see the change in Cen Yi¡¯s eyes. When Cen Yi turned back to look at Chu Liuyue again, his expression had already returned to normal. He then hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Master, that place looks very strange. It might be dangerous¡­ Are you really going?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. This isn¡¯t the first time Cen Yi has followed me. Over the years, what kind of dangerous places have I not been to? I have also encountered countless life-and-death situations. Why did he suddenly ask this time? She nodded calmly. ¡°This might be the only chance to find Tuan Zi and Zi Chen.¡± I have to go! Cen Yi glanced at her and quickly lowered his head. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll accompany you then.¡± Chapter 2112 - 2112 Shackles 2112 Shackles Contrary to Chu Liuyue¡¯s expectations, Cen Yi didn¡¯t stop her after asking that question. Instead, he agreed directly. It was as if the sentence just now was just a casual remark out of worry. However, Chu Liuyue knew Cen Yi very well¡ªhe never spoke nonsense. But since he had already said so, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask further. The most important thing was to find out what was going on over there. She nodded slightly. ¡°Just be careful.¡± With that, she walked forward. She had just taken a step when someone approached her. Rong Xiu walked to her side and held her hand. Chu Liuyue felt a little more at ease, and her lips curled up slightly. The group of them walked toward the hall. Qiang Wanzhou stared at the hall and felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples to suppress this and followed her again. ¡­ These people were all very powerful, so they were extremely fast. But after two hours, Chu Liuyue realized that the distance between them and the hall seemed to be the same as before. She couldn¡¯t see any changes with the naked eye. Sand dunes rose and fell. Apart from the hot sand, there was nothing. As Chu Liuyue walked, she kept thinking about the various ancient books she had seen in the past. The Red Moon Desert has always been very mysterious to the world. Since ancient times, there have been very few rumors related to it. Chu Liuyue had almost flipped through all the books in the Tianling royal family, but she had only seen a few contents. As for the books in the God Residence Realm, they had nothing to do with this place. Even if she racked her brains, she couldn¡¯t think of what kind of existence this hall was. After thinking about it and not having an answer, she gently squeezed Rong Xiu¡¯s hand and asked in a low voice, ¡°Rong Xiu, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± Rong Xiu paused and shook his head. Chu Liuyue felt regret. ¡°Even you don¡¯t know¡­¡± In her understanding, Rong Xiu was almost omniscient. He always knew many secrets that the outside world had never heard of. She thought she could get something out of him. Rong Xiu glanced at her. She frowned slightly, her thick and long eyelashes fluttering. Clearly, this matter puzzled her very much. He said, ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll know when we get there.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and looked to the right. A few figures suddenly appeared. Chu Liuyue saw a familiar figure at a glance. The group of people quickly sensed the presence of Chu Liuyue and the rest. The young woman in the lead was first stunned before she revealed a look of joy. ¡°Why are you guys here!?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Senior Sister Rui¡¯er, long time no see.¡± These people were from the Flying Star Sect. The woman in the lead was Shi Rui¡¯er. Shi Rui¡¯er quickly walked over. When she heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, her face instantly turned red. ¡°We entered the academy almost at the same time. I don¡¯t dare to be your senior sister.¡± Actually, they weren¡¯t very familiar with each other in the past. But ever since Chu Liuyue saved her life, Shi Rui¡¯er was very grateful and had always been very close to her. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t thanked you for the list of herbs,¡± Shi Rui¡¯er suddenly remembered something and said. She was talking about Chu Liuyue agreeing to do the medicinal herb business with the Flying Star Sect. At first, she wasn¡¯t sure. After asking around, she found out that there were many aristocratic families who wanted to build a relationship with Peach Blossom Dock, but Chu Liuyue only took on a few orders¡ªthe Flying Star Sect was one of them. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to visit you personally, to thank you when I had the chance, but I thought that you shouldn¡¯t have much time recently. Thus, I put it aside for the time being. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here,¡± Shi Rui¡¯er explained. The entire God Residence Realm knew that Chu Liuyue had occupied Peach Blossom Dock and established Yue Manor. Now, even those people from first-rate families had to address her respectfully as ¡®Master Yue.¡¯ Shi Rui¡¯er looked at Chu Liuyue and sighed in her heart. Who would¡¯ve thought that in such a short period of time, she would become such a stirring figure? Even though she already knew that Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t an ordinary person, her speed and boldness still shocked her. Chu Liuyue smiled nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯s not important. On the other hand, why are you suddenly here?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er blinked. ¡°We¡¯re naturally here like you!¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment before she quickly reacted. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ it¡¯s because of the new Gate Realm?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± At this point, Shi Rui¡¯er realized something. ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯ve been here for more than half a month. We just found out about the Gate Realm.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er nodded in understanding. Yes, Chu Liuyue was originally from outside the God Residence Realm. ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er smiled, and there was a hint of excitement in her words. ¡°This trip is worth it!¡± ¡°Huh? What does this mean?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er looked surprised. ¡°You still don¡¯t know? The news has already spread in the God Residence Realm! Everyone says that after this newly opened Gate Realm, there¡¯s a secret to breaking through the shackles of the gods!¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. ¡°What did you say?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er pointed at the hall in the sky¡ªshe had noticed it when they first arrived. ¡°Look, I heard that the secret is hidden in that hall! You should also know that no one has crossed that threshold in the God Residence Realm for 10,000 years. This time, there was a natural change, and the Gate Realm appeared! It¡¯s not just us. Now, countless experts in the God Residence Realm are already coming over!¡± Chapter 2113 - 2113 Light 2113 Light Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect so many things to happen in such a short time. According to Shi Rui¡¯er, all the major aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm had already heard such a rumor and believed it. Thus, they rushed here one after another. The world was already filled with yearning to break through as legendary warriors. Now that a new Gate Realm had suddenly appeared, they naturally wanted to investigate. If it was fake, it would at most be a wasted trip. They wouldn¡¯t lose anything. However, what if it was true? Even if the possibility was extremely low, they were unwilling to give up this opportunity. Chu Liuyue turned around and indeed saw more people appearing in the distance. After seeing the hall on the horizon, those people revealed excited expressions and headed there one after another. More and more people gathered in the desert. Chu Liuyue¡¯s thoughts surged. At this point, she was basically certain that Big Baby and the others were behind this. However, she didn¡¯t expect them to actually control such a confidential Gate Realm¡­ I have been to the Red Moon Desert many times but never saw it before. I don¡¯t know what they are planning to do this time¡­ Seeing that she was deep in thought, Shi Rui¡¯er urged, ¡°We have to hurry, or others will beat us to it!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right; we have to go as soon as possible. Since we¡¯ve met, let¡¯s go together.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Okay!¡± Actually, when she saw Chu Liuyue and the rest just now, she wanted to say this. ¡°If we work together, we can take care of each other!¡± She blinked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I brought the most powerful elders of our Flying Star Sect this time!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the few people behind her. They were all legendary warriors. Clearly, the Flying Star Sect had put in a lot of effort this time. Her lips curled up slightly. ¡°That would be great.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er also took the opportunity to size up the people around Chu Liuyue. She was very familiar with Rong Xiu. He was still the same as before, with unfathomable strength. As for the two young men beside him, one was indifferent and calm, and his realm couldn¡¯t be seen. The other was exquisite and silent, but it could be seen that he was in the True God realm. Her gaze finally landed on Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen, and a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes. She couldn¡¯t tell the realms of these two people, but the pressure on their bodies¡ªwhich was difficult to ignore¡ªshowed their strength! However, the two of them looked very unfamiliar. ¡°These two are¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Senior Yi Zhao, and this is Senior Miao Zhen.¡± When her clear and relaxed voice fell, Shi Rui¡¯er was stunned for a moment before her eyes slowly widened. ¡°You, you, you mean¡ª¡± Yi Zhao! Miao Zhen! Could it be the two people I am thinking of?! Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°The two seniors also sensed that something was wrong with that Gate Realm and came over first.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er gasped. It is really them! The clan leaders of the two ancient legendary fiend clans actually appeared here at the same time?! As she was too shocked, Shi Rui¡¯er¡ªwho had always been generous and polite¡ªlost her composure for a moment. Her mind went blank for a while. She opened her mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. The legendary warriors behind her couldn¡¯t hide their shock and hurriedly said, ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader Yi Zhao, Clan Leader Miao Zhen!¡± Only then did Shi Rui¡¯er come back to her senses and hurriedly bow. Yi Zhao was as expressionless as ever, but Miao Zhen was much more easygoing. He laughed. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t stand on ceremony! We came here for a reason. Since Yue¡¯er plans to travel with you, we¡¯ll help each other more in the future.¡± Her words were polite and amiable. Shi Rui¡¯er and the others were simply flattered. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Everyone knew that the two ancient legendary fiend clans were very arrogant, especially since these two were the clan leaders. Their statuses were even higher. It was usually difficult to see them, let alone anything else! Now, they could actually speak to these two in person and even become ¡®allies.¡¯ No one would believe it. All of this was clearly thanks to Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. After all, when the two of them got married back then, everyone in the God Residence Realm knew that these two existences had gone to the Sky-Cloud Empire to celebrate. Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°Since we already know each other, let¡¯s leave now!¡± ¡­ The group continued to walk towards the hall. Perhaps because of the existence of Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao, Shi Rui¡¯er and the others were much more nervous than before. Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly in her heart, but she didn¡¯t say anything. This couldn¡¯t be helped. On the one hand, Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen were famous, so everyone¡¯s respect for them was deep-rooted. On the other hand, the two of them were powerful. Even if they deliberately restrained their auras, they still let out a faint pressure. Time passed slowly, and more and more people appeared in the desert. Many people noticed Chu Liuyue, Rong Xiu, and the others. The two of them were peerless in appearance to begin with and were very eye-catching wherever they stood. In addition, some people gradually recognized Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao, which attracted a lot of attention. This also dispelled the thoughts of those who wanted to come over, say hello, and build connections. Everyone walked toward the hall in an unspoken mutual understanding. Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to all of this. When she saw these people, she only had one thought: The Red Moon Desert has never been so ¡°lively,¡¯ and all of this only started with one eye. Chu Liuyue tried to call Tuan Zi and Zi Chen a few more times in her heart, but there was still no response. ¡­ Soon, it was night. The temperature plummeted. The night was dark, and white frost appeared on the ground. Discussions came from the surroundings. ¡°What is this place? It¡¯s so hot in the day, but it¡¯s so cold at night!¡± ¡°What¡¯s even stranger is that you can actually see that hall at night!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that there¡¯s a secret to breaking through as a legendary warrior and crossing that threshold? It¡¯s only normal for such a secret to be stored in such a place¡­¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue looked ahead. The thick night enveloped the ground, and there were no stars or moon in the sky. But at the end of the desert, the hall was brightly lit. It stood quietly between heaven and earth, as if it had been there for 10,000 years and was eternal. Although it was still shrouded in fog and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, one could still feel the vastness of the hall. Suddenly, a strange fluctuation came from the Cosmic Ring! She was shocked. This commotion¡­ actually came from the Celestial Shield! She sent a strand of her divine consciousness into the Cosmic Ring in her hand. The Celestial Shield shone brightly. Chu Liuyue was suddenly dazed because she suddenly realized that the light on this Celestial Shield seemed to be exactly the same as the light around the hall! Chapter 2114 - 2114 Life and Death 2114 Life and Death Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to have been hit by something hard, and all the blood in her body seemed to have frozen at this moment! This perception was very subtle. It was also a flickering light, and ordinary people couldn¡¯t tell the difference at all. However, Chu Liuyue was different¡ªshe was the owner of the Celestial Shield. Back then, she was also the one who personally triggered the countless wildfires under Peach Blossom Dock to temper the Celestial Shield and remove the rust. The scene where streams of light flew up and enveloped the Celestial Shield was still vivid in her mind. No one could remember it better or be more familiar with it. She didn¡¯t notice it at first, but at this moment, the Celestial Shield suddenly moved. Only then did she realize that the light on it was indeed identical to the white light enveloping the hall! That aura¡­ She would never mistake it! ¡°Yue¡¯er?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped in her tracks, and her companions looked over. Rong Xiu called her softly. Chu Liuyue came back to her senses and looked up again. Could it be that¡­ there is a secret related to the Celestial Shield hidden in that hall? Back then, Su Li said that the Celestial Shield had suddenly appeared and smashed into Peach Blossom Dock. No one knew its origin, nor did anyone know anything related to it. ¡°I just suddenly thought of something.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head, indicating that she was fine. She then took a deep breath and continued walking forward, but her footsteps were slightly faster than before. Rong Xiu lowered his eyes slightly, and his gaze gently swept past her hand. The ring was his. Of course, he knew what had happened. A faint light flashed in his deep eyes. When he looked up again, his expression was still the same. This small interlude didn¡¯t attract everyone¡¯s attention. ¡­ Another three days passed. In the desert, there were already 40 to 50 people heading toward the hall. Apart from those first-tier aristocratic families, some weaker factions also came. Other than that, there were even people who barged in alone. Clearly, the newly opened Gate Realm was extremely attractive to the experts in the God Residence Realm. Even if they didn¡¯t succeed, it was good to be able to come and take a look with their own eyes. Moreover, luck was really hard to say. Something might fall into your lap, only to hit someone. After such a long journey, the distance between the crowd and the hall finally narrowed a little. Unfortunately, the white fog was shrouding the hall. Apart from being able to make out a rough outline, they couldn¡¯t see anything else. After the Celestial Shield produced that fluctuation¡­ As Chu Liuyue got closer and closer, the fluctuation and movement became stronger and stronger. At this point, Chu Liuyue was already extremely sure that the Celestial Shield definitely had some close connection with it! ¡­ Five days later, everyone finally arrived in front of the hall! At this moment, everyone finally saw clearly that this hall was actually suspended in the air! The bottom was still an extremely long distance from the desert below. It was only because everyone was far away and the continuous sand dunes blocked their vision that they didn¡¯t notice it for a long time. Chu Liuyue looked up and carefully sized up the ¡®sky pavilion¡¯ in front of her. Even though they were already here, they still couldn¡¯t see what it looked like. They could only barely tell that it was an extremely magnificent palace. The words on the plaque were covered very tightly. ¡°Then, the secret is hidden in this hall?¡± A voice came from the crowd, faintly excited. Everyone looked ahead with different expressions, but the excitement and curiosity in their eyes were the same. It wasn¡¯t easy for them to reach this place. It was clearly impossible to say that they didn¡¯t have any ambition or expectations. But with so many people here now, who would come first was a problem. Shi Rui¡¯er leaned closer to Chu Liuyue and said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, you were the first to come here, and this Red Moon Desert is your Tianling Dynasty¡¯s territory. No matter what, you¡¯re the most qualified to enter first, right?¡± When she said this, she deliberately raised her voice a little to let the others present hear. As soon as she finished speaking, there was a commotion in the crowd. They didn¡¯t know that Chu Liuyue had such a relationship with this desert. If that was the case, they should be the first to enter. Some of them wanted to question her, but after seeing Rong Xiu and the others, they chose to shut up. Chu Liuyue nodded, then looked around and said, ¡°If no one has any objections, I¡¯ll take the lead.¡± Although it was a questioning tone, she walked straight forward after saying that. Everyone was speechless. You have no intention of letting others go first. Why are you still asking? Actually, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about the order of entry at first. But considering the Celestial Shield, she still decided to be the first and seize the initiative. The fluctuations on the Celestial Shield became more and more intense. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart also started to beat rapidly. She stepped forward and was about to reach the stone door. But at this moment, a figure suddenly darted out diagonally and beat Chu Liuyue to it! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned cold. Just as she was about to take action, a strong sense of uneasiness suddenly surged in her heart! She flew up without hesitation and retreated! And that person had already rushed toward the stone door! BANG! A transparent barrier suddenly appeared! That person didn¡¯t react for a moment. By the time he realized the danger and wanted to evacuate in panic, it was too late! He slammed into the barrier. The strange thing was that there was no sound from the collision. But right on the heels of that, everyone saw an extremely bloody and cruel scene. The man¡¯s body trembled, and he spat out blood. However, his body didn¡¯t fly out because of the rebound and instead stuck tightly to the barrier. Then, a thin ripple surged on the barrier. The ripple slowly brushed past, destroying and devouring that person bit by bit! His body gradually disappeared under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes. He went straight to the end without leaving any traces. The hot wind in the desert blew over with rough sand. The ripple quietly dissipated, and the barrier there returned to its previous transparent appearance. In the end, it silently hid. Everything happened in the blink of an eye! In the blink of an eye, a living life was gone, and there was no corpse left! Everyone fell silent. Shock, fear, panic¡­ The scene before them was like a bucket of cold water that completely extinguished the enthusiastic anticipation and desire in everyone¡¯s hearts. Even if they wanted treasures, they needed to be alive! But at this moment, every step forward was a challenge! Shi Rui¡¯er broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°Fortunately! Fortunately, you didn¡¯t go over just now. Otherwise¡ª¡± The one who died would be Chu Liuyue! However, Chu Liuyue only stopped for a short moment before walking forward again. Chapter 2115 - 2115 Hall 2115 Hall Seeing her actions, everyone looked over as if they were looking at a lunatic. Is Chu Liuyue courting death? It isn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t see how tragic that person¡¯s death was! Going forward rashly like this is simply gambling with her life! Shi Rui¡¯er hurriedly shouted, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous over there! Don¡¯t go first!¡± Chu Liuyue stood still and turned around to ask, ¡°If we don¡¯t go now, when are we going? Didn¡¯t we walk for so long because we wanted to enter and take a look?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was stunned. She hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Then¡ªthen, we can wait first¡­ Let¡¯s discuss a countermeasure together¡­¡± It¡¯s always good to be more prepared. Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to be listening, Shi Rui¡¯er looked at Rong Xiu again. ¡°Your Grace, persuade her!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he followed her. ¡°We¡¯ll have to go in sooner or later. It makes no difference.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was dumbfounded. Is the couple so suicidal? They are already powerful enough. Even if they can¡¯t obtain the rumored treasure, it shouldn¡¯t affect them much, right? Why do they have to take such a risk and risk their lives? She was about to say something else when she saw the remaining people follow. Yi Zhao came to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± He was much stronger than Chu Liuyue. Even if there was any danger, he could stop it in front. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Senior Yi Zhao, but I think I don¡¯t need it.¡± Yi Zhao looked at her steadily and didn¡¯t say anything else as he took a step back. He knew Chu Liuyue¡¯s ability. Since she said so, he would listen to her. Shi Rui¡¯er watched anxiously from behind. In the end, she could only grit her teeth and follow. If something really happens, we might be able to help if we are closer. This time, no one fought to be first. Everyone¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue, wanting to see what was waiting for her. Ever since the battle with Yi Wentao at Peach Blossom Dock, Chu Liuyue had become famous. Many people also wanted to see how strong she was. ¡­ Chu Liuyue rose into the air and stood in front of the stone door of the hall, facing it from afar. She held her breath and raised her hand to probe forward. On her slender and fair finger was an ancient Cosmic Ring¡ªthe Celestial Shield was inside! When no one approached, that transparent barrier wouldn¡¯t flash, and even the pressure couldn¡¯t be sensed. However, Chu Liuyue remembered clearly where the barrier appeared just now. She slowly reached forward. Suddenly, a faintly discernible force appeared in front of her palm. She made up her mind and continued without hesitation! Whir! The transparent barrier appeared again! When everyone that was waiting nervously at the side heard this buzzing sound, their hearts subconsciously skipped a beat and almost jumped out of their chests! Some people subconsciously took a few steps back, afraid that they would be implicated. But the next moment, a shocking scene appeared¡ªChu Liuyue¡¯s hand successfully passed through the barrier! Not only did the transparent barrier not attack her, but it even let her in smoothly! The scene seemed to freeze. No one expected the situation to be so strange! In the strange silence, Chu Liuyue continued to walk forward! Her figure successfully crossed the barrier and entered! She was unscathed! Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at the transparent barrier behind her. Then, she heaved a sigh of relief. The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces immediately became very interesting. Wh-what¡¯s going on? When that person went forward just now, he didn¡¯t have time to react at all as he was crushed and swallowed by the barrier. Why is everything different when it comes to Chu Liuyue? She didn¡¯t even put up any defense just now! She easily entered that barrier! Right on the heels of that, Rong Xiu strode in. By the time everyone reacted, Chu Liuyue and the rest had already arrived inside the barrier. Chu Liuyue raised her head at the stunned Shi Rui¡¯er. ¡°Keep up.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, oh!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er came back to her senses and stammered. Originally, she was still very nervous. But when she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s relaxed expression, she inexplicably felt more at ease. She gritted her teeth and followed them in without hesitation! It was as if a strong and domineering force had brushed past her body! However, this feeling only lasted for a moment before it disappeared in the blink of an eye. At this moment, she had already successfully arrived inside the barrier! Shi Rui¡¯er was surprised and happy. ¡°I¡¯m in?!¡± When the elders behind saw this scene, they followed suit. Everything went well. The terrifying scene from before didn¡¯t happen again. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at the hall in front of her. White mist drifted over. She took a look and realized that it was condensed from abundant Heaven and Earth Force. The density of the force within this barrier is much higher than Peach Blossom Dock! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath, suppressed the waves in her heart, and walked forward. Without her taking the initiative, this force automatically surged into her body. Apart from her, the others were the same. Shi Rui¡¯er said in shock, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such abundant Heaven and Earth Force! What kind of place is this? If I can cultivate here¡­¡± Then, the speed of my breakthroughs would be unimaginable! Hearing her words, the people who were still watching outside became restless again. Someone couldn¡¯t help but follow. Chapter 2116 - 2116 The Source of the Celestial Shield! 2116 The Source of the Celestial Shield! ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A hurried and miserable scream came from behind. Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and looked over. A ripple appeared on the transparent barrier at some point in time, slowly and calmly surging over. A young woman was devoured in the blink of an eye. She didn¡¯t even have time to shout for help. This sudden change made everyone¡¯s hearts skip a beat. ¡°How, how could this be? Those people in front clearly entered successfully¡­¡± someone asked in panic. After Chu Liuyue and the rest entered the barrier, another seven or eight people followed, but nothing happened. But this woman¡­ ¡°She walked to the side!¡± A guessing voice came from the crowd. ¡°She seemed to be a little anxious just now. She wanted to go to the front and went that way!¡± After Chu Liuyue successfully entered, the barrier was no longer hidden. Therefore, everyone followed the direction she went in. However, the young woman was a little anxious for quick success and wanted to enter from another position first. She didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen. ¡°Tsk¡­ In that case, doesn¡¯t that mean that this is the only safe place on this huge barrier?¡± Someone¡¯s question silenced everyone with a complicated expression. This guess sounded too fake. The barrier was originally one, so logically speaking, if one could enter from one area, then other places would be the same. They had never heard of such a ¡®zoning¡¯ before, but the facts were right in front of them. It was the most likely explanation. After a moment, someone continued forward and cautiously walked past the place where Chu Liuyue had just walked in. Everything went smoothly. Nothing happened! That person heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, it made everyone more certain of their previous guess. Many people looked at Chu Liuyue with complicated gazes. Well¡­ Although they had more or less heard some rumors about Chu Liuyue and knew that this woman was extremely capable, this situation still far exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. Could it be that this barrier only recognizes her?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes moved slightly, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She simply turned around and continued walking forward. At this moment, she had already arrived at the stone door at the front. She raised her head slightly and gazed at it steadily. Then, she finally pushed the door open and entered¡ª ¡­ The stone door slowly opened in front of her eyes. Chu Liuyue quickly glanced inside and was a little surprised. This was an extremely wide area. As far as the eye could see, it was the hall they had looked at from afar. In front of the hall was a huge circular area. The circular area was completely made of black jade and was of excellent quality. Chu Liuyue took a look but didn¡¯t recognize what kind of jade it was. She had seen many good things. There were very few things that she didn¡¯t recognize. Around the circular area stood several white jade pillars. They were about as thick as two people hugging each other and were carved with different patterns. They looked very mysterious. In Chu Liuyue¡¯s impression, there had never been a palace like this. However, the fluctuation coming from the Celestial Shield was even stronger. Chu Liuyue went forward. At this moment, an extremely powerful aura suddenly attacked from the circular area! A soft sound entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, and the next moment, her vision blurred! The Celestial Shield flew out of her Cosmic Ring and headed straight for the black-jade area! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She immediately looked up and saw that the Celestial Shield had already flown to the center of the circular area. The Celestial Shield floated quietly above the circular area. Beams of light seeped out and quickly enveloped it. Then, light poured down like water and poured into the black jade circular area! At this moment, Chu Liuyue finally saw clearly that there was a piece missing from the center of the black jade circular area. Most importantly, the incomplete piece was clearly identical to the Celestial Shield! At a glance, it was almost suspicious that once the Celestial Shield landed, it could perfectly integrate with it! At this moment, light flowed out of the Celestial Shield and poured into the incomplete position. There were also connected patterns around it, mysterious and complicated. Perhaps it was because it was so old that it was difficult to see clearly, but Chu Liuyue could clearly see that the gradually accumulating rays of light were surging in all directions along the groove of these patterns! No, that isn¡¯t right. Chu Liuyue stared at the black jade circular area. The Celestial Shield¡­ might have belonged here to begin with! ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A shield? It seems to have flown over from Shangguan Yue?¡± ¡°I heard that she does have an extremely powerful black shield. I think it¡¯s this, right? But why does that thing seem to be compatible with the incomplete piece in the circular area?¡± ¡­ More and more people came in. After seeing this scene, all kinds of discussions came one after another. Shi Rui¡¯er asked softly, ¡°You¡­ have been here before?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°But that barrier and this shield¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er bit her lip. She naturally trusted Chu Liuyue very much, but it wasn¡¯t the same for the others. With so many things happening, it was obvious that Chu Liuyue was inextricably linked to this place. She said that she had never been here before. This sounded really unconvincing. Chu Liuyue tightly knitted her brows. Even if Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t say it, she knew very well that everyone was probably suspecting her now. The barrier was extremely terrifying, but she could enter unscathed. This circular area was mysterious and powerful, and she happened to have a shield that very likely came from here¡­ She had long expected that this place might be related to the Celestial Shield, but she didn¡¯t expect such a situation¡­ As the light on the Celestial Shield continued to flow down and gradually filled up the hollow space, Chu Liuyue suddenly realized that the connection between the Celestial Shield and her seemed to have weakened a lot! She suddenly thought of something, and her heart sank. Could this black jade area be¡­ ¡°Yue¡¯er, the power of the Heavenly Square Cauldron is decreasing!¡± Su Li¡¯s voice suddenly came from the bottom of her heart. Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°What?¡± She quickly condensed her divine sense and indeed realized that the transparent karmic fire in the Heavenly Square Cauldron was much weaker than before. At a glance, it looked like it would go out at any moment! This had never happened before! Chu Liuyue looked up at the black jade area again. The power in the Celestial Shield was being extracted bit by bit! Chapter 2117 - 2117 Far From It 2117 Far From It Chu Liuyue quickly checked the Great Azure Sun Axe and the Flying Cloud Painting. Fortunately, these two holy weapons hadn¡¯t encountered such a thing. She turned to look at Rong Xiu and asked, ¡°Rong Xiu, is there anything wrong with the Sharp-Edged Halberd?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. Chu Liuyue then relaxed a little. It seems like it started with the Heavenly Square Cauldron¡­ It isn¡¯t too late to stop it. She made up her mind and was about to walk forward. However, she couldn¡¯t take this step. In front of her, an invisible pressure blocked her outside the black jade area! After trying a few times, she still failed. In the end, Chu Liuyue simply summoned the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Dong! The transparent square cauldron landed heavily on the ground in front of her with a muffled sound. Chu Liuyue glanced inside. It was dark, and barely anything could be seen. In just a short while, the karmic fire inside became much weaker. I have to hurry! Chu Liuyue thought to herself. Everyone around her was shocked by her actions. Soon, someone recognized the Heavenly Square Cauldron. After all, it was one of the ten holy weapons. Not many people had seen it with their own eyes. At this moment, everyone couldn¡¯t help but be curious and envious, but no one dared to show any greed. Although treasures were good, one¡¯s life was more important. Not to mention that Chu Liuyue herself wasn¡¯t to be trifled with, just Rong Xiu and the others beside her were enough to intimidate everyone. One had to be crazy to choose to snatch Chu Liuyue¡¯s things at this time! However, they didn¡¯t know what Chu Liuyue was doing and could only guess in their hearts. BANG! Chu Liuyue slapped the Heavenly Square Cauldron! Vigorous force was injected! Rumble! Transparent karmic fire rose! ¡­ Darkness. It was endless, as if she could never escape. This was what Tuan Zi saw when she opened her eyes. As far as the eye could see, there was darkness in all directions that was so thick that it couldn¡¯t be melted. She was originally lying on the ground. After a moment of reaction, she vaguely remembered what had happened. She only remembered that she was fighting with Zi Chen, but as she fought, a vortex suddenly appeared under her feet. She was caught off-guard and was swallowed into the vortex. She had been unconscious since then and hadn¡¯t woken up until now. She had no impression of what happened in the middle. At the thought of this, she hurriedly shouted, ¡°Zi Chen? Zi Chen?!¡± As she shouted, she stood up. There was the sound of chains rattling as her body was yanked back. BANG! Tuan Zi¡¯s head hit an extremely hard wall. ¡°Ouch, it hurts!¡± Tuan Zi gritted her teeth and rubbed her head. Halfway through, she finally realized that something was wrong. With a thought, a ball of red-gold flames surged out of her palm. The flames danced and instantly lit up the world. She looked at her hands and realized that they were each bound by a black chain, and there was a black wall behind her. The chains were embedded in this wall. Tuan Zi was stunned for a while. Am I¡­ locked up?! When she came back to her senses, she was instantly furious! ¡°Who! Who has the guts to attack me?! Come out!¡± Ever since she broke through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix and became the young mistress, no one had dared to treat her like this! The surroundings were silent, except for her voice which echoed far. This seemed to be an extremely sealed space. Tuan Zi waited for a while, but there was still no response. She gritted her teeth and planned to break the chains on her wrist. But after trying, she was shocked to discover that the chains were extremely hard. She couldn¡¯t break free at all! After that, Tuan Zi used many methods, but it was useless. These chains were very strange! She kicked the wall hard. Just as I was happily fighting with Zi Chen, who knew that such a thing would suddenly happen?! I don¡¯t know if A¡¯Yue¡­ Suddenly, Tuan Zi¡¯s expression froze. It was only then that she realized that the connection between her and A¡¯Yue seemed to have been broken! Tuan Zi finally became nervous. She tried a few more times before confirming that she had indeed completely lost contact with A¡¯Yue! Even if they had a contract¡­ it was still the same! In all these years, such a thing had never happened. Tuan Zi¡¯s throat was a little dry, and her heart was pounding. At this point, she finally realized that things seemed to be more serious than she had expected¡­ ¡°Zi Chen?¡± She raised her voice and shouted a few more times, wanting to get Zi Chen¡¯s response. If I remember correctly, Zi Chen seemed to have come down with me when I fell into the vortex¡­ Even if I can¡¯t contact A¡¯Yue for the time being, it is good to talk to Zi Chen. But to her disappointment, no matter how she shouted, she couldn¡¯t hear Zi Chen¡¯s voice. Tuan Zi gradually frowned. At this moment, a cold aura surrounded them from all directions! Tuan Zi was shocked and instinctively looked up. A huge, scarlet eye appeared in front of her! Tuan Zi gasped. This eye seems to be the mysterious existence under the vortex?! She gritted her teeth and said word by word, ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought me down and locked me here?!¡± That eye just looked at her. A faint and indistinguishable voice seemed to come from afar. ¡°Unfortunately, you have only opened the fifth meridian. You¡¯re far inferior to Yi Ling.¡± Tuan Zi froze. Yi Ling was her ancestor¡¯s name! Chapter 2118 - 2118 Opening Your Meridian 2118 Opening Your Meridian ¡°Who exactly are you?!¡± Tuan Zi clenched her fists and stared at the extremely strange eye in front of her. She didn¡¯t take it to heart at first, but the sentence just now¡­ contained too much information! Not many people know the name of my ancestor, and this tone¡­ Swoosh! A black stream of light suddenly flew out like an extremely sharp knife and instantly cut a wound on Tuan Zi¡¯s arm! Dark-red beads of blood quickly surged out. If one looked carefully, they could see that they were faintly suffused with a faint golden color. However, this gold color was extremely obscure. It was mixed in with the rich blood color and wasn¡¯t eye-catching. This was the symbol of a pure bloodline! The more meridians opened, the purer this gold would be. At this moment, Tuan Zi had just opened the fifth meridian, and the golden light had just flashed. Tuan Zi was shocked and quickly covered her wound! She clearly wanted to dodge just now, but the other party was faster than her! Suddenly, a cold aura surged into her body from her wound. Tuan Zi was stunned. This was because this aura was actually extremely abundant and pure energy. After the power surged in from her wound, it quickly spread throughout her limbs and bones, nourishing every inch of her muscles, bones, and flesh. Tuan Zi was at a loss. I thought that the other party was going to kill me, but¡­ What is going on now? Soon, a second pulse of force surged in. This dark and sealed cage contained an astonishing amount of Heaven and Earth Force. Tuan Zi¡¯s body was like a sponge, quickly devouring this power. Sensing that the aura around her was constantly intensifying, Tuan Zi gradually felt a little uneasy. The other party spent so much effort to capture me. Could it be that he wants to help me cultivate? But soon, Tuan Zi knew where this uneasiness came from. The energy continuously surged in and gradually exceeded the burden her body could bear. As time slowly passed, every part of her body hurt. She was extremely talented, but she had only opened the fifth meridian after all. There were certain restrictions in all aspects. If she swallowed too much energy at once, it would only be harmful to her body. The pain in many parts of her body became stronger. Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth and shout, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± The voice came from afar¡ªhoarse and cold. ¡°Naturally, to help you open your meridian.¡± ¡­ The force in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was quickly depleting. The flames in the Heavenly Square Cauldron burned passionately again. The flickering light on the Celestial Shield clearly dimmed a lot. Rong Xiu placed one hand behind his back, and his eyes darkened. Suddenly, with a flash of light, the Sharp-Edged Halberd appeared in his hand. Swoosh! He raised his arm, and the Sharp-Edged Halberd instantly flew out! Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that there was a ball of golden flames burning at the end of the Sharp-Edged Halberd. As the Sharp-Edged Halberd flew forward, the ball of flames drew a straight golden line in the air. At the same time, it quickly spread. In the blink of an eye, it formed a long golden tail! The Sharp-Edged Halberd brushed past the bottom of the Celestial Shield and flew out. The flowing light¡ªwhich was pouring down¡ªwas instantly cut off by the golden tail! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up, and she immediately summoned the Celestial Shield! After escaping the control of the inexplicable power in the black jade area, the Celestial Shield quickly flew back to Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! Almost at the same time, the stream of light in the grooves on the black jade area quickly dissipated! The fluctuations coming from the Celestial Shield finally quietened down. Chu Liuyue looked at the Celestial Shield in her hand. It was dark and simple, and it had already returned to its usual appearance. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Chu Liuyue let out a long breath and put away the Heavenly Square Cauldron. However, she held the Celestial Shield tightly in her hand. Swoosh! She also summoned the Chi Xiao Sword. At this moment, the Sharp-Edged Halberd had already returned to Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. She looked at Rong Xiu, and a hint of emotion flashed across her eyes. Others might not know, but she understood that the thing which helped the Celestial Shield break free just now wasn¡¯t the Sharp-Edged Halberd but Rong Xiu¡¯s golden flame! Just as she was about to ask, a panicked cry for help suddenly came from behind. ¡°Help, help!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw a man in his thirties looking at his hands in panic. Chu Liuyue turned her gaze slightly and was stunned. For some reason, many small wounds appeared on the man¡¯s hands, making them look bloody. Such injuries weren¡¯t serious, but the key was¡ªthe appearance of these bloody wounds was too strange! Another purple-robed man standing beside the injured man immediately frowned and asked, ¡°Fourth Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at the person who spoke. She knew him¡ªPurple Light Prefecture¡¯s Lord, Yao Bin. Back in Fangzhou City, they had interacted before, so she had a deep impression of him. Yao Lin was terrified, and his voice was trembling. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the Heaven and Earth Force here! Big Brother, haven¡¯t you realized that we can¡¯t stop the force from surging into our bodies alone?¡± At first, no one understood what he meant. But after trying it out, their expressions changed. ¡°No! This energy really can¡¯t be stopped!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°How could this be? If this continues, won¡¯t we be in danger?¡± The crowd immediately became nervous and noisy. The body of a cultivator was like a container. According to one¡¯s strength and other aspects, the Heaven and Earth Force they could contain was also different. Once the limit was exceeded, the cultivator¡¯s body would be unable to withstand it and be damaged. One would be injured at best, but in the worst scenario, one would explode and die! After Yao Lin entered, he was excited to see that the Heaven and Earth Force here was abundant. Thus, he began to devour it crazily. But when he wanted to stop, he realized that things were no longer under his control! At this moment, his body¡¯s tolerance was almost at its limit! Because he couldn¡¯t withstand it and the energy overflowed, many bloody wounds exploded on his hands. However, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force was still surging into his body! The situation was getting worse. If this continued, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he exploded! When he realized this, how could Yao Lin not be nervous? Soon, the same thing happened to others in the crowd. Yao Bin immediately set up a barrier around Yao Lin. He wanted to use this method to block that force. However, he quickly realized that this method wouldn¡¯t work at all. This was because his barrier couldn¡¯t stop the force at all! In a short period of time, Yao Lin¡¯s injuries had already spread to his arms. His sleeves were covered in blood. ¡°I¡¯ll send you out now!¡± Yao Bin made a prompt decision. As long as we leave this place, everything will be fine! Yao Lin nodded quickly and turned to leave, but as soon as he turned around, he was stunned. The tall and majestic stone door had closed at some point! Chapter 2119 - 2119 Rescue 2119 Rescue When did the door close? Why didn¡¯t we notice it at all? However, Yao Lin didn¡¯t have time to think about this. He was only stunned for a moment before continuing in the direction of the stone door. Yao Bin and the others from Purple Light Prefecture followed. Yao Bin was very fast and arrived in front of the stone door first. Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the stone door and pushed hard! The stone door didn¡¯t move at all. Yao Bin¡¯s heart sank. I¡¯m a true god, but I am only one step away from becoming a legendary warrior. I am definitely not weak, but now, I can¡¯t even open a door? He took a deep breath and tried again. This time, he used all his strength. However, the stone door still didn¡¯t open. At this moment, there were more and more bloody wounds on Yao Lin¡¯s body. Dark-red blood began to drip continuously. ¡°We¡¯re coming too!¡± ¡°And us!¡± Seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t right, many people chose to go over and help. Those who could come here weren¡¯t ordinary people. How could they not know the danger when they saw this situation? If they were trapped here forever, nobody would be able to escape! Many people gathered in front of the stone door, wanting to open it together. But no matter how they tried and what method they used, it was ultimately futile. Looking at the heavy and dignified stone door, everyone¡¯s hearts gradually turned cold as panic and nervousness spread everywhere. But even at this moment, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force continued to surge into their bodies! More and more people were injured, and some were about to collapse. ¡°What the hell is this place!?¡± They thought that it was a treasure land, but who knew¡­ BANG! Yao Lin¡¯s body swayed, and he fell to the ground unconscious. ¡°Fourth Brother!¡± Yao Bin was shocked and quickly bent down to help him. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Suddenly, a clear voice sounded. Yao Bin turned around and saw that the person who spoke was Chu Liuyue. He subconsciously stopped moving. ¡°Master¡­ Master Yue?¡± He wanted to call her ¡®Shangguan Yue¡¯ directly, but he remembered that she was already the owner of Peach Blossom Dock, so he changed the way he addressed her. Although Purple Light Prefecture was also a first-tier clan, it was slightly inferior to Peach Blossom Docks¡¯ Yue Manor, which was currently in the limelight. This was also a form of respect. Chu Liuyue walked over. ¡°He has devoured too much force and has already exceeded the limit of his body. If he is moved rashly now, he will explode and die if we¡¯re not careful. At that time, Lord Yao will probably be affected.¡± Yao Bin clenched his fists. How could I not know this? It¡¯s just that¡­ I can¡¯t just watch Yao Lin die here, right? ¡°Everyone, please make way first. I¡¯ll see if I can save him,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Yao Bin was stunned. ¡°Master Yue, you mean¡­ you have a way to save him?!¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I¡¯m just trying. If Lord Yao isn¡¯t willing¡ª¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yao Bin nodded quickly. He knew very well that it was impossible to save Yao Lin with his strength alone. If Chu Liuyue is willing to help, Yao Lin might really have a chance of survival? Didn¡¯t she see the few people standing behind her!? She just had to make a Hail Mary effort! With that, he took a few steps back to make room for Chu Liuyue. When the people beside him saw this, they hurriedly retreated. Chu Liuyue walked to Yao Lin¡¯s side and squatted down. She then closed her fingers and placed them on his wrist. In Yao Lin¡¯s body, violent energy was colliding everywhere. Yao Lin couldn¡¯t control such an astonishing power at all. If this continued, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he died. Chu Liuyue held her breath and focused. The water droplet in her dantian slowly spun. Soon, the power in Yao Lin¡¯s body began to surge into Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian! Everyone watched nervously from the side. After a while, they realized that the violent and destructive aura on Yao Lin¡¯s body had gradually subsided. ¡°This is¡­¡± Yao Bin watched for a while and suddenly realized something. Chu Liuyue actually transferred all the power in Yao Lin¡¯s body into her body?! ¡°Master Yue, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Yao Bin wanted to stop her. Although he didn¡¯t want to see his fourth brother die like this, he felt uneasy if he harmed others because of this. Chu Liuyue smiled and said calmly, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Yao Bin was stunned. He then thought of something. Chu Liuyue has nothing to do with us, so why would she take the risk for us? If she is willing to do this, she most likely has another trump card! Yao Bin glanced at Rong Xiu, who was standing beside him. Seeing that the latter¡¯s handsome and noble face was calm and that he didn¡¯t seem worried, Yao Bin relaxed a little. Everyone looked at each other. Using this method to save someone¡­ Is Chu Liuyue really not afraid that something will happen to her? Although she is extremely powerful, she isn¡¯t even a legendary warrior now. If she does this, she shouldn¡¯t be able to last long, right? About 15 minutes later, Chu Liuyue finally let go and stood up. ¡°Alright. He should be able to last for a while this time.¡± Yao Bin went forward and checked carefully. Only then did he realize that the violent power in Yao Lin¡¯s body had indeed been completely extracted! He looked at Chu Liuyue in shock and realized that her expression was normal, as if¡­ she wasn¡¯t affected? Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and sent a portion of her force into the Chi Xiao Sword. Shing! The sword roared! Chu Liuyue suddenly opened her eyes and raised the Chi Xiao Sword high before slashing down! A cold sword aura headed straight for the black jade area in front! ¡°Break!¡± Boom! An intense energy collision sounded! The ground suddenly trembled! Chapter 2120 - Chapter 2120 Surrender Your Life Chapter 2120 Surrender Your Life Crazy energy swept in all directions, and several deep ravines spread on the ground. However, the black jade area was still the same¡ªthere were no traces left. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned cold. I used all my strength in this strike¡ªI can even fight a legendary warrior! However, the defensive power of the black jade is extraordinary. It could withstand the attack easily. It is clearly impossible to break through it by relying on my own strength. No one knew better than her how firm and hard the Celestial Shield was. If it really came from this black jade area, then¡­ things would be much more troublesome. At this moment, Shi Rui¡¯er suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, her face extremely pale. From the looks of it, it was clearly the same as Yao Lin¡¯s situation previously. Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. Even if I can help, it is unrealistic for so many people to come one by one. Furthermore, I came this time to look for Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. Before we could even enter the door of this hall, something already happened. It is even more difficult to predict what will happen next. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat, and she walked to the side. ¡°Rui¡¯er, come here.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er wiped the blood from the corner of her lips. When she heard this, she immediately followed without hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue stretched out her hand, and a small shuttle-shaped seed with two tender green leaves quietly lay in her palm. Shi Rui¡¯er was stunned. ¡°What is this?¡± Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°Touch its leaves.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t understand, but she still did as she was told. She reached out and carefully touched the tender green leaf. Her fingertips were still stained with blood, leaving a faint mark. But just as Shi Rui¡¯er retracted her hand, she saw that the bloodstain quickly disappeared! Right on the heels of that, she felt that there seemed to be a subtle connection between her and this small seed! She looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. Chu Liuyue stared at her. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± These words sounded a little inexplicable to others, but Shi Rui¡¯er knew that something shocking was happening in her body! The crazy energy that was about to overflow seemed to be guided by some force and surged toward the seed! Even the pain all over her body decreased a lot. She looked at Chu Liuyue in disbelief and stammered, ¡°How, how did you do it?¡± Seeing her reaction, Chu Liuyue knew that this method was useful. She immediately relaxed, and her lips curled up. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Hearing the strange conversation between the two of them, the other elders of the Flying Star Sect followed one after another. One of the sharp-eyed people saw the thing in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. After a short daze, he said in shock, ¡°Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed!?¡± As soon as he said it, he realized that he had lost his composure and quickly covered his mouth. However, everyone around them still heard it clearly. They looked over with different reactions. ¡°Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed? Shangguan Yue actually has this?¡± ¡°No way? If that¡¯s the case, then she has too many treasures!¡± ¡°A round belly in the middle, two sharp ends, and a vigorous life force¡­ That¡¯s definitely a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! It just looks like it has just sprouted¡­¡± ¡°I have a vague impression of it. Rumor has it that when she took down Peach Blossom Dock, she seemed to have taken out this treasure!¡± Chapter 2121 - Chapter 2121: You Think Too Highly of Yourself Chapter 2121: You Think Too Highly of Yourself These words were like a bucket of cold water that poured over everyone¡¯s hearts, immediately calming many people down. Yeah! According to Shi Rui¡¯er, the extra force in her body was drawn into the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. However, who can guarantee what Chu Liuyue will do in the future? What if she wants more? What if she uses this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed to forcefully deprive everyone of their force? At that time, it would be difficult to resolve this problem! Chu Liuyue looked up and followed the voice. The person who spoke was a woman in her early twenties. She was wearing a sky-blue dress, and she was beautiful and tall. Unfortunately, her expression was fierce, and her gaze toward Chu Liuyue was filled with hatred, making her look a little ferocious. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. I don¡¯t know this woman. I have never even seen her before. Shi Rui¡¯er took a step forward and said coldly, ¡°Nie Ruyun, what nonsense are you talking about!?¡± Hearing this name, Chu Liuyue instantly understood. ¡°I was wondering who it was. So it¡¯s the Big Missy of Heavenly Martial Sect.¡± Heavenly Martial Sect was also a first-rate family in the God Residence Realm, and Nie Ruyun was the only treasure in the hands of Heavenly Martial Sect¡¯s sect master, Nie Hongjie. ¡°Ruyun, don¡¯t be impudent!¡± A middle-aged man standing beside her spoke in a low voice. Chu Liuyue took a look. This person is probably Nie Hongjie. But although his words sounded like a reprimand, there was no real reproach in Nie Hongjie¡¯s eyes. As expected, Nie Ruyun was still arrogant and sneered. ¡°I¡¯m talking nonsense? Am I not telling the truth? Although I don¡¯t have a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, I know that this thing is extremely domineering! If you trust her so easily and entrust all your assets to her, you might not even know how you will die in the future! I¡¯m not that stupid!¡± Everyone around her wavered even more when they heard this. Most of them didn¡¯t have much of a relationship with Chu Liuyue. If they were like Shi Rui¡¯er and the others and were related to the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, it would be good for them to survive for the time being. But¡­ What about after that? With the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in her hands, Chu Liuyue could do whatever she wanted, right? The atmosphere became very subtle for a moment. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. I don¡¯t seem to have any contact with Heavenly Martial Sect¡¯s people, but from Nie Ruyun¡¯s appearance, it seems like she has a deep hatred for me. When did I offend her? As if seeing through her doubts, Shi Rui¡¯er whispered, ¡°Yue¡¯er, she and Wei Xiping were childhood sweethearts. They were very close. Before Wei Xiping was chased out of the Wei family, the two of them were already engaged.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. I see. Is Nie Ruyun pushing all the blame on Nie Ruyun was indeed filled with hatred for Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. Originally, she and Wei Xiping had been fine. They had even discussed that when Wei Xiping graduated from Ling Xiao Academy and returned to the Wei family, they would officially get married. Who knew that so many things would happen later? Wei Xiping was missing, and their marriage agreement had been canceled. How could she be willing to see the two ¡®culprits,¡¯ Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu, again? But for various reasons, she didn¡¯t dare to make a fuss previously. Now that the opportunity had come, she naturally couldn¡¯t let it go. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t angry. She smiled and said politely, ¡°Big Missy Nie, I think you¡¯re worrying too much. I don¡¯t plan to help you, so your worry is a little unnecessary.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was originally very angry, but when she heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°That¡¯s right! Nie Ruyun, it¡¯s not your turn yet. How can you speak? You think too highly of yourself! ¡± Nie Ruyun¡¯s face instantly turned red and white. ¡°You! I-I¡¯m just reminding everyone not to fall for your tricks! Who knows if you want to use this opportunity to do something!?¡± Chu Liuyue picked up the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and gently turned the two small leaves. She casually said, ¡°Big Missy Nie, to be honest, I didn¡¯t even put in so much effort when Nan Yifan died. How capable are you to make me waste so much time?¡± When she said this, there was still a faint smile on her lips, but this smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. The cold frost between her eyebrows made people fear her. Nie Ruyun choked. Many people¡¯s expressions changed. In the God Residence Realm, the Nan family and the Yi family were even stronger than the so-called first-rate families like them. Yi Wentao had lost to her, and Nan Yifan had died in Peach Blossom Dock. The Nan family was also a mess, and there were heavy casualties. If she really wanted to attack the people present, she had the time and strength. Why did she have to stand up at this time? Nie Ruyun¡¯s guess sounded reasonable, but on second thought, it was actually untenable. Only then did Nie Hongjie stand up and cup his hands. ¡°Master Yue, don¡¯t take it to heart. Ruyun is still young, and her mind isn¡¯t mature yet. It¡¯s inevitable that she will say something wrong on impulse¡ª¡± ¡°Sect Master Nie,¡± Rong Xiu suddenly said calmly. ¡°If I remember correctly, Nie Ruyun is already 23 years old. She¡¯s a few years older than our Yue¡¯er. If she doesn¡¯t have a brain, she doesn¡¯t have a brain. There¡¯s no need to talk about age.¡± This time, Nie Hongjie¡¯s expression became much uglier. Rong Xiu looked around. ¡°Yue¡¯er has always been kind and helpful. I don¡¯t have that much patience. If you want to live, do as you see fit. If you want to court death, I won¡¯t stop you. After all, the Heaven and Earth Force here is abundant. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed doesn¡¯t lack that bit of fertilizer.¡± His words made everyone speechless, and their expressions changed. It was very interesting. Chu Liuyue silently gave him a thumbs up in her heart again. My man is usually too lazy to speak, but when he does, he is direct and piercing. Nie Ruyun turned around and left angrily.. Chapter 2122 - Chapter 2122: Rescue Chapter 2122: Rescue Seeing this, Nie Hongjie frowned and said, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Then, he turned around and chased after her. The people from the Heavenly Martial Sect quickly left. Chu Liuyue looked at their backs and narrowed her eyes slightly. Seeing this, Shi Rui¡¯er thought that her anger hadn¡¯t subsided. ¡°Yue¡¯er, it¡¯s not worth being angry over such a person.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not angry; I¡¯m just thinking¡­ They seem to be very confident and aren¡¯t worried that they¡¯ll encounter the same situation as Yao Lin and the others.¡± She recalled that just now, the people from the Heavenly Martial Sect¡ªincluding Nie Ruyun¡ªdidn¡¯t seem to show any discomfort from beginning to end. Something was clearly wrong. Among the people present, the legendary warriors were better. Almost all the true gods had fallen and more or less couldn¡¯t withstand it. However, they were fine as usual¡­ If they were also very worried about this problem, they wouldn¡¯t even have time to cozy up to Chu Liuyue now, so why would they say anything to offend her? No matter how stupid Nie Ruyun was, she wouldn¡¯t argue about such things at a moment of life and death. Shi Rui¡¯er thought for a moment and suddenly said, ¡°By the way, I remember that one of the ten holy weapons, the Snow God¡¯s Bowl, is with them. That thing is similar to the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and can also contain a lot ( Heaven and Earth Force. I heard that when Nie Hongjie fought others in the past, if he wasn¡¯t strong enough, he would take out this Snow God¡¯s Bowl and rely on the astonishing power accumulated inside to crush the other party. He won every battle!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°I was wondering.¡± Nie Ruyun was one thing, but Nie Hongjie¡¯s attitude was also quite impudent. With such a trump card, it was no wonder they were so bold. Yao Bin took a step forward and said seriously, ¡°My Purple Light Prefecture is willing to advance and retreat with Master Yue.¡± This was a public statement that he planned on standing on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. After all, if not for Chu Liuyue, Yao Lin would probably be dead by now, and their situation would probably not be much better. Yao Bin was very grateful to Chu Liuyue, so he stood up without hesitation. Chu Liuyue laughed. Although she didn¡¯t care about everyone¡¯s attitude, Yao Bin¡¯s willingness to do this still made her feel much better. Then, Yao Bin cut his finger first and connected himself to the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. The others from Purple Light Prefecture did the same. After Flying Star Sect and Purple Light Prefecture, a few more people came to ask for help. There were only a very small number left. In the end, they chose to follow the people from the Heaven Martial Sect. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind. The reason why she was willing to help was that it was indeed a piece of cake for her. Furthermore, it could also let the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed grow further. Nie Ruyun was right about one thing. Now that these people had accepted Chu Liuyue¡¯s help, it was equivalent to placing half their lives in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. She had the initiative, so there was naturally nothing to worry about. Chu Liuyue looked at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in her hand. Apart from her, there were already 31 people involved. She could clearly feel those subtle connections and could even feel abundant force pouring into them. The leaves of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed swayed gently, making it look even more verdant. Chu Liuyue took a few glances and put away the seed. Bam! At this moment, the door of the hall suddenly opened! Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around! Everyone present looked over in shock. No one expected the door to open at this time! They clearly didn¡¯t do anything! Chu Liuyue looked over and her heart tightened. Inside the door, nothing could be seen but a rich black, and that eye suddenly appeared! Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned stern as she rushed over without hesitation. The suffocating darkness and silence enveloped Tuan Zi. She lay on the ground, curled up in pain. An intense pain came from all over her body, causing her to tremble slightly. Every inch of her flesh and bones seemed to be being dismembered! It was as if countless sharp knives were cutting her body crazily! Even when she underwent Tribulation Transcendence, she had never suffered such torture! However, force was still pouring into her body. From struggling desperately at the beginning to looking haggard and disheveled, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. Her mind was also gradually getting dizzy. If not for the pain in her body constantly stimulating her, she would have fainted long ago. ¡°A¡¯Yue¡­¡± she muttered in a low voice. Her breath was weak, filled with endless longing and despair. Suddenly, a violent collision came from the wall behind her! Bam! Crack! A long crack suddenly appeared on the wall! Hearing the voice, Tuan Zi struggled to look up. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to raise her fingers. The eye that was originally staring intently at Tuan Zi flashed with anger and bloodlust when it heard the commotion. ¡°How dare you!¡± Then, a black chain quickly flew out and pierced through the wall! Boom! A hole appeared in the wall! A shadow was tightly bound by chains and dragged in¡ªit was Zi Chen! His body was covered in blood, as if he had just experienced a tragic battle. Especially his hands and wrists, there were two more bloody holes that were gurgling blood. He had escaped at such a tragic price! At this moment, his ankle was entangled by the chain again and dragged in the direction of the eye. When he passed by Tuan Zi, he gritted his teeth and pulled Tuan Zi into his arms with one hand while grabbing the chain beside it with the other! The other end of the chain was still on the wall that hadn¡¯t collapsed. Zi Chen tightened his grip! Tuan Zi opened her eyes in a daze and saw a familiar handsome and cold face. Huala! Another chain flew out and passed through Zi Chen¡¯s shoulder, pinning him to the ground! A stream of warm blood splashed on Tuan Zi¡¯s face. The scene in front of her was instantly covered in a layer of scarlet.. Chapter 2123 - Chapter 2123: Whose Palace? Chapter 2123: Whose Palace? The strong smell of blood filled her nose, almost nauseating. The rapidly spreading blood color stirred up Tuan Zi¡¯s last nerve called rationality. ¡°Zi Chen!¡± She wanted to support Zi Chen, but she only felt a sticky hand. Looking down, she saw that his left shoulder had been pierced and was badly mangled. Because he was wearing black, the blood had seeped into his clothes and soaked a large area. Tuan Zi¡¯s hands trembled slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± The voice came from behind with undisguised contempt and disdain. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re so great just because you have the wing bones of a great phoenix dragon?¡± Even Tuan Zi, who had the purest bloodline, couldn¡¯t fight back. What could a legendary three-eyed eagle do?! Zi Chen gritted his teeth and quickly glanced over. After following Tuan Zi down, he lost consciousness. When he woke up again, he was already trapped in an extremely dark cage. His wrist was also locked by two chains, but he quickly sensed that Tuan Zi seemed to be only a wall away from him. Without hesitation, he broke free from the chains and ran over, even paying a painful price for it. At this moment, there was indeed something wrong with that eye! Zi Chen took a deep breath and carried Tuan Zi with his right hand. Only then did he see the wound on Tuan Zit s arm. He knitted his brows. Tuan Zi¡¯s aura¡­ is very unusual! This appearance¡­ is very similar to when she wanted to open her meridians previously! At the thought of this, Zi Chen was shocked. Tuan Zi opened her fifth meridian not long ago. Logically speaking, it is impossible for her to continue opening her meridian in such a short time! Looking at the aura surging around her as if she would riot at any moment, he felt even more uneasy. If Tuan Zi forcefully opens her meridian now, it will probably be harmful and useless! We have to leave this place as soon as possible. At the thought of this, Zi Chen suddenly grabbed the chain that nailed him to the ground. Because he used too much strength, his knuckles were faintly blue. Seeing this, Tuan Zi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately pressed his hand down. ¡°Zi Chen! No!¡± Swoosh! Zi Chen pulled the chain out forcefully! Bright-red flesh splattered everywhere! The next moment, he hugged Tuan Zi tightly and got up to escape! Whir! A blood-colored Xuan formation suddenly appeared above the two of them! A terrifying pressure descended and immediately trapped them on the spot, unable to break free! Shoo! Zi Chen suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and kneeled on the ground. He supported himself with one hand on the ground and carefully protected Tuan Zi in his arms with the other. Red-gold flames suddenly burned in Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes! She looked at the blood-colored Xuan formation above her head and gradually clenched her fists. She had always wanted to be Zi Chen¡¯s big sister in the past, but she didn¡¯t expect that at such a moment, he would actually protect her¡­ The blood in Tuan Zi¡¯s body also surged quickly, as if it was going to rush out the next moment! She retracted her gaze and looked at the eye. ¡°You can¡¯t touch my people!¡± A totem flashed between her eyebrows! On the other side, Chu Liuyue had already rushed into the hall as quickly as possible. The moment she stepped into the hall, an extremely bright and dazzling light suddenly fell from above! The intense light hurt her eyes, and she subconsciously turned her face to the side. After a moment, she looked up again and forward. When she saw the scene in the hall clearly, she was stunned. It was an extremely tall circular palace with a dome on it. The light shone down from there. It was surrounded by black and white jade walls, with ancient and mysterious relief sculptures. On this jade wall, there were holes of various sizes. There was a ball of light floating quietly in each hole. They were of different colors and were very beautiful. The divine pressure was faint, and there was a vast and ancient aura everywhere as if no one had stepped foot in thousands of years. Chu Liuyue stood at the door and slowly swept her gaze across the balls of light. That eye was nowhere to be seen. She walked into the hall. The people behind also rushed in. Chu Liuyue looked around and searched again. That cold aura seemed to have never appeared, but she was sure that she hadn¡¯t seen wrongly just now! That eye was indeed hidden here! ¡°A Yuan instrument!¡± A surprised voice suddenly sounded. This voice immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the hall. Chu Liuyue also looked over. Nie Hongjie had followed them in at some point. He was standing in front of the jade wall with a longbow in his hand. In the hole beside him, the flickering ball of light had already disappeared. Clearly, this bow was what he had taken out of it just now. He was so excited that the wrinkles on his face seemed to relax a lot. Just now, he only felt that the aura of the ball of light was quite unusual. Curious, he planned to try and see if he could take it out. In the end, as soon as his fingers touched the ball of light, the thing fell into his hands. The entire process was extremely smooth! What surprised him even more was that this was actually a Yuan instrument! He had really picked up a treasure! When everyone saw this, they looked at each other with unconcealed shock in their eyes. What kind of place is this to be able to casually obtain a Yuan instrument!? Nie Ruyun reacted quickly. Seeing this, she immediately had an idea. She also came to the jade wall and casually chose a ball of light to take out the thing inside. It was a small green jade bottle. Seeing that it wasn¡¯t a Yuan instrument, Nie Ruyun was a little disappointed. She casually pulled out the stopper of the jade bottle. ¡°What is this¡­¡± A rich medicinal fragrance spread! Nie Hongjie was shocked. ¡°Dragon Return Pill!?¡± This was a Physician-level pill! He was a Great Physician himself, so he naturally knew how precious this Dragon Return Pill was! When Nie Ruyun heard this, her previous regret and disappointment were swept away. She asked excitedly, ¡°Father, is this really a Dragon Return Pill?!¡± Nie Hongjie walked over and took a closer look. He laughed. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real! When have I ever lied to you!?Ruyun, you¡¯re really impressive. You casually took one and actually obtained a pill of this level!¡± Nie Ruyun was very proud and carefully put away the bottle of Dragon Return Pill. ¡°Father is still the best!¡± After all, what he had was a genuine Yuan instrument! More importantly, if not for him, they wouldn¡¯t have thought that such treasures were hidden in these balls of light! Seeing that the father-daughter duo had easily pocketed the two rare treasures, everyone present immediately became restless. Many people walked to the jade wall one after another and took out the ball of light from the cave. As expected, there were Yuan instruments, pills, magic arts, and extremely high-level Xuan formation diagrams. All kinds of treasures appeared endlessly. Moreover, what was even more shocking was that the treasures that Nie Hongjie and his daughter had obtained earlier were actually very ordinary here. Seeing that more and more people were getting treasures, Chu Liuyue gradually frowned.. What¡­ is this place? Chapter 2124 - Chapter 2124: Put It Back Chapter 2124: Put It Back She had gone to many places in the past few years, but be it Ling Xiao Academy¡ªknown as the number one academy in the God Residence Realm¡ªor the Sky-Cloud Empire, which had a deep foundation and thousands of years of inheritance¡­ Compared to this place, they were much inferior. No, it should be said that they couldn¡¯t be compared at all. From the moment they came in until now¡­ In a short period of time, nine people had already obtained a Yuan instrument! And this was only the tip of the iceberg! Looking up, there were hundreds of thousands of holes on the four jade walls. It was almost impossible to count! And these balls of light were almost always the same¡ªthey were all rare treasures! This place¡­ was a true treasure trove! Even the once high and mighty Yi family and Nan family combined were probably not even one-tenth of this place. What kind of existence in the God Residence Realm had such shocking wealth? One had to know that the things here could no longer be measured with money. So many Yuan instruments, so many top-notch pills, so many powerful cultivation techniques¡­ If not for their strong luck and power, they would never be able to have these. But after thinking about it, she didn¡¯t expect such a heaven-defying existence to once exist in the God Residence Realm. ¡°I also got a Yuan instrument!¡± Suddenly, Shi Rui¡¯er¡ªwho was standing not far from her¡ªspoke in surprise. Chu Liuyue glanced at the folding fan in her hand. The handle of the fan was carved from blue jade, but the fan face was woven from Jinyun Silk. It was impervious to fire and water, and it was indeed a top-notch treasure. Shi Rui¡¯er said to Chu Liuyue, ¡°Yue¡¯er, what are you waiting for? There are so many treasures beside us. Don¡¯t you like any of them?¡± Although she already has many trump cards, who in the world would complain that they have too many good things? Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Not really. I just¡ª¡± ¡°Yue¡¯er, there¡¯s something wrong with her folding fan!¡± Su Li¡¯s voice suddenly entered her ears. Chu Liuyue was stunned and asked in her heart, ¡°Mr. Su? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Li said, ¡°Bring that folding fan over and take a look.¡± Although Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know her intentions, she didn¡¯t dare to be negligent when she heard Su Li¡¯s serious tone. She looked at Shi Rui¡¯er. ¡°Rui¡¯er, can you let me take a closer look at this folding fan?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, okay!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t suspect anything and handed her the folding fan. Chu Liuyue held the folding fan in her hand. It was cold and smooth to the touch with a faint pressure, and it seemed no different from an ordinary Yuan instrument. She then injected a stream of her force, but she realized that her force was completely blocked! This folding fan is owned! Sensing her thoughts, Su Li continued, ¡°Not only that, but the Yuan instruments here all have the same aura. I¡¯m afraid¡­ it¡¯s the same master!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly raised her head and looked up. Countless balls of light were floating quietly, flickering with a dazzling light. She couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Then, those pills and cultivation techniques¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sense those, but if these Yuan instruments really belong to the same person, then¡­ The other items placed together are very likely to belong to that person as well.¡± Chu Liuyue gasped. Actually, things like pills were still alright. The key was that items like Yuan instruments needed to recognize one as master! If a cultivator could have a Yuan instrument, it was undoubtedly something to be proud of. If there were a few of them, it would be even more powerful and rarer. However, she had never heard of anyone who could have hundreds or thousands of Yuan instruments at the same time! What kind ofperson is this? Would such a person tolerate others taking their things? Chu Liuyue raised her eyes slightly and glanced at the people in the hall. At this moment, almost everyone had already obtained a treasure, and some had more than one. Yet, they showed no signs of stopping. Clearly, in their eyes, this place had already become an open treasure trove that could be taken from at will. Chu Liuyue suddenly broke out into a cold sweat! ¡°Yue¡¯er, Yue¡¯er? What are you thinking about?¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression seemed a little off, Shi Rui¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but reach out and wave her hand in front of her eyes. Chu Liuyue came back to her senses and immediately returned the folding fan to its original position. After returning to the hole, the fan was quickly enveloped by a ball of light again and returned to its previous appearance. Shi Rui¡¯er was stunned. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what are you¡ª¡± ¡°Everything here is owned. We can¡¯t take them,¡± Chu Liuyue said concisely. Shi Rui¡¯er was stunned. ¡°It¡¯s owned?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®owned!¡¯ Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re talking nonsense again.¡± Nie Ruyun had just taken down a short sword. When she heard this, she turned around and sneered, waving the short sword in her hand. ¡°This Yuan instrument has just recognized me as its master! If it already has an owner, why would it still recognize me?¡± Chu Liuyue ignored her and only looked at Yao Bin and the others. ¡°You can¡¯t take these things.¡± Yao Bin was holding a Xuan formation map in his hand. He was a little surprised to hear this, but he still put it back. He also instructed the others in the Purple Light Prefecture to put the things back. But of course, some people couldn¡¯t bear to part with such good things. A young man asked hesitantly, ¡°Princess, this Yuan instrument has already recognized me as its master. Should I put it back too?¡± With their status, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to obtain a Yuan instrument. Now that they had finally met it, how could they let it go? Yao Bin said in a low voice, ¡°Do according to what Master Yue said.¡± Although he also felt that this was a little strange, he trusted Chu Liuyue very much. Chu Liuyue had Peach Blossom Dock and several powerful backers. There was no reason for her to waste her time and energy on such matters. Since she said that, she must have her reasons. When the young man heard this, he was very reluctant but didn¡¯t dare to go against Yao Bin¡¯s words. He could only slowly put the things back. Seeing this, Shi Rui¡¯er also looked at the Flying Star Sect elders behind her. ¡°Let¡¯s not do it for now, okay?¡± The elders listened to her and did as she said. But in the eyes of Nie Ruyun and the others, their actions were clearly extremely stupid. ¡°Some people just can¡¯t stand others being better than her.¡± She laughed coldly. Chu Liuyue is so timid. I really don¡¯t know if the rumors about Chu Liuyue in the past are true! ¡°Ruyun, this bottle of Primordial Crow Golden Core can help you cultivate and break through to become a legendary warrior as soon as possible. Take it.¡± As Nie Hongjie spoke, he handed over a jade box. Nie Ruyun was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Father!¡± She freed one hand to take it. But at this moment, the jade box suddenly exploded! It turned into a ball of black fog and wrapped tightly around Nie Ruyun¡¯s hand! Caught off-guard, intense pain instantly swept over! Nie Ruyun immediately let out an extremely miserable scream.. ¡°Ah! My hand!¡± Chapter 2125 - Chapter 2125: Rong Xiu Chapter 2125: Rong Xiu ¡°Ruyun!¡± Nie Hongjie was also anxious. He immediately went forward and pulled Nie Ruyun¡¯s arm back, wanting to take her away from the black fog. However, the black fog clung to her hand tightly, and she couldn¡¯t escape. Patter. A bead of blood dripped. Nie Ruyun looked at her hand. Through the layer of black fog, she could vaguely see that her hand had been severely corroded. It was badly mangled, and even her white bones could be seen! Her face turned pale. ¡°Father! Father, save me! Save me!¡± She screamed in fear and instantly fell to the ground. Clang! The short sword and the jade bottle of Dragon Return Pills also fell to the ground. Nie Hongjie barely supported her. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know what to do. This black fog was illusory, but it was like a maggot that was extremely difficult to deal with! An orange flame appeared in his palm, and he planned to burn it to ashes. But when the flames touched the black fog¡­ Not only did they not annihilate the fog, but they were also devoured. With the replenishment of this power, the black fog quickly spread. Nie Hongjie was shocked. Just as he was about to move, an explosion sounded from his body! It was the longbow he had just put away! A ball of black fog spread out from his Cosmic Ring and quickly wrapped around his palm and forearm. Nie Hongjie was shocked, but before he could react, the two items that had fallen from Nie Ruyun¡¯s hand exploded one after another! Bam! Bam! Bang! Bang! Bang! In the hall, as if they had agreed, explosions sounded continuously! They were all things that everyone had taken out of the holes! Clouds of black fog spread out. Many people were injured, and there was a lot of messy blood on the ground. Everyone finally panicked. Shi Rui¡¯er widened her eyes. ¡°How¡­ How did this happen!?¡± Looking at Nie Ruyun lying on the ground and rolling in pain, it was unimaginable. A quarter of an hour ago, she was still arrogantly showing off that she had obtained a Yuan instrument. At this moment, her hand had almost become just bones. It was a shocking sight. Shi Rui¡¯er subconsciously touched her hand and felt a lingering fear. If Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t reminded me just now, I would probably be¡­ The young man standing beside Yao Bin was also stunned when he saw this. He opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t say anything. Yao Bin turned around and gazed at him meaningfully. ¡°Everyone wants treasures, but they have to be alive first.¡± The young man¡¯s face turned red and white. In the end, he finally said to Chu Liuyue, ¡°Thank¡­ Thank you, Master Yue¡­¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head to show that she didn¡¯t care. Her gaze was still fixed on the exploding black fog. ¡°Mr. Su, these things¡­ aren¡¯t real, right?¡± Su Li was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Yes¡­ I just saw it. Everything here is too real. If that thing hadn¡¯t suddenly exploded just now, I would¡¯ve been deceived.¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Su Li and Tang Ke are definitely the top Armory Refinement Masters, butjust now, she only recognized that these Yuan instruments had an owner. However, she didn¡¯t see that they were all fake! Could everything in front of us be an illusion? Suddenly, a familiar wave came from her dantian. Chu Liuyue was shocked! This is¡­ Tuan Zi¡¯s aura! Almost at the same time, Yi Zhao looked over. The two of them looked at each other and immediately confirmed what the other was thinking. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart started to beat rapidly. Ever since Tuan Zi and Zi Chen disappeared, this was the first time she felt Tuan Zi! She looked in the direction of the fluctuation and was stunned. This seems to be coming from under the ground of the hall?! Chu Liuyue immediately went forward and stood in the middle. Under her feet was a firm and heavy jade floor. Tuan Zi should be down here! But how am I going to get down? Just as she was thinking, Yi Zhao had already walked forward quickly. ¡°Back off first! ¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, she only hesitated for a moment before immediately taking a few steps back. Yi Zhao clenched his fist tightly. Red-gold flames enveloped him and burned! Then, this punch landed heavily! Boom! The ground shook violently! A crack quickly spread! Right on the heels of that, a cold aura rushed out from below! Just as Chu Liuyue was about to go forward, Cen Yi suddenly took a step forward and said, ¡°Master, the situation below is unknown. I should go down and investigate first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very likely that Tuan Zi is down there. I have to go personally!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. Time is pressing in regards to this matter. I can¡¯t delay any longer. Cen Yi frowned slightly, but he still chose to move aside and follow closely behind Chu Liuyue. The crack gradually widened. But at this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly realized that something seemed to be surfacing on the ground. She looked over and saw that the black fog had unknowingly dissipated on the ground. Underneath it, a strange pattern was slowly appearing! Chu Liuyue vaguely felt that it was a little familiar. She turned around and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Rong Xiu, don¡¯t you think¡ª Her voice faltered when she saw a crystal-white bone slowly floating out of the cauldron. It turned out that the collision had knocked the skeleton out of it. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t follow her over. He was standing beside the jade wall with one hand on the wall and his head slightly lowered. Sensing that there was something wrong with his condition, Chu Liuyue immediately went over. ¡°Rong Xiu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± With that, she held Rong Xiu¡¯s arm and pulled his hand. It was cold to the touch! She looked down in shock and saw that Rong Xiu¡¯s slender hand was actually covered in a thin layer of frost! Chapter 2126 - Chapter 2126: You Really Don’t Know? Chapter 2126: You Really Don¡¯t Know? Swoosh! A cluster of golden flames surged out and enveloped the thin layer of frost. In an instant, the frost melted. Rong Xiu slowly opened his tightly shut eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± His voice was low and a little hoarse. How could he be fine? Chu Liuyue held his hand tightly and came in front of him, looking up at him. ¡°Rong Xiu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Just now, she was focused on those strange balls of light and black fog and didn¡¯t notice Rong Xiu¡¯s situation. She didn¡¯t know why he suddenly became like this. He looked a little tired, and his glabella was slightly furrowed. However, he had always been with her, and nothing seemed to have happened¡­ Rong Xiu shook his head and held her hand tightly. Then, he took a step forward and kissed her glabella. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel a little uncomfortable here.¡± Uncomfortable here? Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly. This hall is indeed very strange. Could it be that RongXiu also¡­ Boom! A loud sound was heard, and Chu Liuyue turned around to look. A ball of crimson-gold flames suddenly spewed out of the crack in the middle! It was Tuan Zi¡¯s flame! Chu Liuyue was about to go forward when she suddenly saw that the flames seemed to be attracted by some force and flowed in all directions. After a while, the dazzling and hot flames spread along the patterns that gradually appeared under the black fog, forming a huge and strange pattern on the ground! But because of the black fog, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t see the exact appearance of the pattern clearly; she could only vaguely see light and shadow. But for some reason, she felt that she had seen this pattern somewhere before¡­ Before she could figure it out, a small figure suddenly rushed out from below! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± But the next moment, she noticed that Tuan Zi¡¯s current state was extremely strange. Tuan Zi floated in midair, her body covered in blood. On her wrist, there were two black chains! Her body was burning with reddish-gold flames with an astonishing aura! Everyone present was stunned by this scene. After a short daze, someone immediately shouted, ¡°This is the red-gold heavenly phoenix that Shangguan Yue contracted! ¡± Among the red-gold heavenly phoenixes, only Tuan Zi had transformed into a human at a very young age. Therefore, when she appeared at this moment, everyone immediately recognized her. Many people looked at Chu Liuyue in shock and confusion. Why would her contracted fiend fly out from the ground? At this moment, the person closest to Tuan Zi was Yi Zhao. The moment he saw Tuan Zi covered in blood, he felt a flame burning in his chest and abdomen! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± With a deep shout, he tapped his toes and went straight for Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi¡¯s back was facing him, but when Tuan Zi heard his voice, she didn¡¯t move and lowered her head slightly. Yi Zhao felt that something was wrong. When Tuan Zi came outjust now, Chu Liuyue also called out her name, but she didn¡¯t respond. In the past, she would¡¯ve responded happily. Even ifher hands are restrained, there should be a response. ¡°Tuan Zi, why are you¡­¡± As Yi Zhao spoke, he reached out to touch Tuan Zi¡¯s shoulder. Swoosh! At this moment¡ª Tuan Zi, who had been standing still, suddenly moved! She raised her wrist, and the black chain on her wrist was suddenly thrown at Yi Zhao! Yi Zhao was shocked and immediately raised his hand to block! Slap! The chain slapped his forearm heavily, and a bloody mark immediately appeared! Yi Zhao quickly retreated and looked at Tuan Zi with a frown. This aura is much stronger than the last time I saw Tuan Zi! If it were any other moment, he would naturally be happy to see Tuan Zit s strength improve. But now, Tuan Zi¡¯s strength had increased extremely strangely! Furthermore, her condition seemed to be¡­ Seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue suddenly held her breath. How long has it been? Tuan Zi¡¯s strength has actually increased so much that she can even leave such a wound on Yi Zhao¡¯s body! Yi Zhao is the strongest person in the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. The strength ofhis body is almost unprecedented! What has Tuan Zi experienced during this period of time? At this moment, Tuan Zi finally turned around and looked up. Her adorable face was covered in messy blood. Even her eyes seemed to be dyed red by blood. Cold, indifferent, and a hint of madness. Pain flashed across Yi Zhao¡¯s eyes. This is definitely not Tuan Zi! ¡°Tuan Zi! Wake up!¡± Yi Zhao shouted anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s Clan Leader Grandpa! Take a good look!¡± However, Tuan Zit s eyes were still frozen. Yi Zhao looked at Tuan Zi, and his heart ached. He raised his leg and was about to continue walking forward. ¡°You¡ª¡± Swoosh! Before he could do anything, Tuan Zi suddenly raised her hand! The chain shook. The surrounding black fog suddenly began to surge toward the chains! ¡°My¡ªmy force!¡± In the dead silence, Nie Ruyun¡¯s voice sounded especially shrill and ear-piercing. Chu Liuyue quickly glanced at Nie Ruyun and realized that the black fog wrapped around the latter¡¯s hand had finally left it, but it contained an extremely shocking force. That was clearly the force taken from Nie Ruyun¡¯s body forcefully! The black fog drifted to the chain and was quickly absorbed. The swallowed force inside also spread along the chain to Tuan Zi¡¯s body. Nie Ruyun watched this scene in horror. She felt waves of weakness coming from her body and was about to go crazy! All the force accumulated in her body had been snatched away by the black fog! Seeing that the force finally gathered on Tuan Zi, she was stunned for a moment. Then, she suddenly realized something and suddenly looked up at Chu Liuyue! ¡°Shangguan Yue, this is all your plan, isn¡¯t it?! Not only do you want to kill me, but you also want to kill all of us! You¡¯re so vicious!¡± She screamed hysterically, her sharp and ear-piercing voice echoing throughout the hall. Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand!¡± Nie Ruyun spat out a mouthful of blood, but her eyes were still filled with resentment as she looked at her and sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t understand? What are you pretending for!? Who doesn¡¯t know that this red-gold heavenly phoenix is your contracted fiend! Do you dare to say that what she¡¯s doing now wasn¡¯t instigated by you in secret? Don¡¯t you already have a plan?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve suspected you for a long time! From the beginning to now, you¡¯ve been different from others in every way. Now, there¡¯s irrefutable evidence. You just want to use us to help your contracted fiends increase their strength! All of this was set up by you in advance, right?!¡± Nie Ruyun¡¯s words indeed touched many people¡¯s hearts. Almost everyone looked over with different gazes. This red-gold heavenly phoenix is indeed devouring everyone¡¯s force and turning it into her own power.. As her master, Chu Liuyue really doesn¡¯t know? Chapter 2127 - Chapter 2127: I Came to Fetch You Home Chapter 2127: I Came to Fetch You Home Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned cold as she enunciated every single word properly and said. ¡°Let me repeat one more time, and it¡¯s the last time¡ªeverything here has nothing to do with me! As for Tuan Zi¡­ She was clearly controlled by someone! Could you not tell?!¡± Seeing Tuan Zi¡¯s behavior, she already felt terrible. Now that she heard Nie Ruyun defame her, she lost her patience. ¡°Tuan Zi was originally the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, and she has the purest bloodline that one has seen in a thousand years! Does she need to use some stupid tricks to forcefully strengthen her skills?¡± Nie Ruyun was instantly stumped but still clenched her teeth and said, ¡°Only you know such things the best! Anyway, the truth is right before us. Everyone is watching it carefully!¡± At the side, Nie Hongjie¡¯s expression was also very ugly. He first gave Nie Ruyun a pill to heal her wounds before he looked at Chu Liuyue and boomed, ¡°Ruyun is right. Master Yue, you have to give an explanation for this, right?¡± Upon deeper thought, many things that happened to her were indeed strange. For example, that layer of barrier outside the hall. Other people would die once they touched it, but she could enter and leave as and when she wanted. Additionally, the missing piece in that black jade area was coincidentally a perfect match with her black shield. Finally, her fiend suddenly rushed out from below and forcefully stole everyone¡¯s force. If they could use ¡®coincidence¡¯ to explain everything at the start¡­ Now that so many accidents kept happening, they couldn¡¯t speak their way out of it. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists tightly. Compared to these people¡¯s doubts, she was even more worried about Tuan Zi now. The current Tuan Zi had clearly lost consciousness since she didn¡¯t even recognize Yi Zhao or her. The surrounding black mist kept spreading toward the two chains. ilgnsycreanl emor eepopl Ilef otni the same taets as eiN uuyR.n siBd,ees thier emntiy wodart reh aelyrlc caembe innaeyilsgrc etne.sin ¡°Master Yue, why aren¡¯t you speaking? At this stage, don¡¯t you owe us an explanation?¡± ¡°Yeah! What exactly is going on? Do you really want to drive all of us to our corner?¡± ¡°To think that we still trusted you so much previously. I didn¡¯t expect you to do such a thing. Could it be that you also did that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed incident on purpose?¡± ¡°Shangguan Yue! Speak!¡± All sorts of doubts continuously sounded! It seemed like if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t give them a satisfactory answer, they would all surround her and attack her. Suddenly, mocking laughter was heard. ¡°How interesting!¡± The crowd was stunned and discovered that the person talking was Miao Zhen. He took a step forward, surveyed the surroundings, and swept his stern gaze across their bodies one by one. The crowd that was originally agitated had their hearts tremble, and they quietened down. Miao Zhen¡¯s expression was filled with contempt. ¡°From beginning to end, Yue¡¯er Girlie didn¡¯t seem to have forced you into coming over, right? You guys were clearly greedy and wanted to obtain the treasure, so you passed through the barrier and came here from the God Residence Realm. It was also you who willingly chose to come to this hall! Now, you¡¯re saying that she had long set this up to lie to you? Why? Are your brains missing?¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s words were very direct and harsh, causing many people¡¯s faces to flush red with agitation. But due to Miao Zhen¡¯s sternness, they did not dare to say anything, and they could only suppress their many emotions. Miao Zhen continued to coldly snort. ¡°Why do you think Yi Zhao and I came this time? It¡¯s precisely because something happened to Tuan Zi and Zi Chen! We only found out after we came that the two of them had gone missing in the Red Moon Desert previously and that Yue¡¯er girlie had been looking for them recently! Anyone with eyes can tell that there¡¯s something wrong with Tuan Zi, yet you blame Yue¡¯er?¡± The crowd was rendered speechless. Nie Hongjie¡¯s lips moved, and he could not help but retort, ¡°Even so, how can you explain the series of things that happened to her?¡± She doesn¡¯t seem like she has completely no relations with this place. ¡°Besides, even if she¡¯s really innocent¡­ Now that everyone is trapped here, does she not have any responsibility at all? Besides, shouldn¡¯t she take good care of her own fiend?¡± Nie Ruyun clenched her teeth and said with hatred, ¡°If she didn¡¯t open that barrier, all of us wouldn¡¯t be tortured here!¡± Miao Zhen laughed angrily. ¡°After a thousand years, humans are still as despicable and lowly¡­¡± When they previously relied on Chu Liuyue to successfully enter, they were not grateful for her. Now that they were in danger, they pushed all the responsibility to her. The two ancient legendary fiend clans always had one common ground¡ªtry not to interfere with the humans and minimize interactions with them. Wherever there were humans, there would be conflict. Under the circumstance of benefits, some people would do anything. Now, it seemed like they were really not lacking at all. He turned around to look at Chu Liuyue and saw that her expression was calm, as if she was not frustrated about this. She stared at Tuan Zi and lightly said, ¡°When I save Tuan Zi, it¡¯s not too late to talk to you about this!¡± Then, she went on her toes and went straight for Tuan Zi. Yi Zhao knitted his brows and blocked her. ¡°Danger.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°Senior Yi Zhao, if I don¡¯t go, nobody else in this world can.¡± Tuan Zi was her fiend, but she was her friend and family even more. They had spent countless days and nights together, treading the line between life and death. Even in the most difficult times, they had never given up on each other. This time, she naturally would not. Yi Zhao¡¯s expression changed as he finally moved a step to the side. Chu Liuyue went forward and reached out toward Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, I came to fetch you home.¡± Whir! A totem flashed across Tuan Zit s brows! The surrounding force suddenly exploded! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat.. Tuan Zi is opening her sixth meridian! Chapter 2128 - Chapter 2128: Tuan Zi Chapter 2128: Tuan Zi Chu Liuyue did not think that this was a good thing. At Peach Blossom Dock previously, Tuan Zi had already opened her fifth meridian. As only a short time had passed¡­ Not to mention that Tuan Zi didn¡¯t have enough force, but her own body might not even be able to take it! A red-golden feather appeared before Tuan Zi¡¯s head. It was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s Ancestral Golden Feather! The golden feather gently swayed and was prepared to draw the sixth line on Tuan Zi¡¯s brows. At the same time, increasingly more black mist entered the chain. The force that it contained all entered Tuan Zi¡¯s body! Bitter pain flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s face. Blood started oozing out from her body. The mint leaf skirt that flashed with red-golden light was currently stained with patches of blood, looking very disheveled. Seeing Tuan Zi so tortured, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be tightly clutched. That pair of grape-like watery eyes were left with cold and emptiness. Clearly, Tuan Zi could not hear her speak and could not see her. The sixth golden line gradually surfaced on Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead! Chu Liuyue could clearly feel the surrounding aura around Tuan Zi strengthening. If it were any other time, she would be elated to see Tuan Zi strengthen. But at this point, she hoped that the Ancestral Golden Feather could immediately stop! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue went forward again! ¡°Master, be careful!¡± Cen Yi and the rest followed nervously. Currently, Tuan Zi was in an extremely violent condition. She could not recognize Yi Zhao and even took action mercilessly. Even facing Chu Liuyue, it was the same¡ª Without hesitation, Chu Liuyue went to hold Tuan Zi¡¯s hand. She had no defense on her body as any bit of force ripple would trigger an intense reaction from Tuan Zi. She exposed herself in front of Tuan Zi completely, at her weakest and gentlest. The moment she touched Tuan Zit s arm, Tuan Zi suddenly reacted and flicked her wrist. Slap! A line of blood immediately appeared at the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. Her forehead twitched, and her lips faintly turned pale as she stared at Tuan Zi and did not hesitate in her movements. That pair of black eyes was as calm as water, yet it had a hint of certain determination and gentleness. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes seemed to turn an even more intense blood color as her murderous aura suddenly exploded! Chu Liuyue gently caressed the wound on her arm and softly asked, ¡°Tuan Zi, it must hurt, right?¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s hand that was raised halfway and planned to whip the chain again suddenly stopped. Struggle flashed across her eyes, as if she was intensely fighting something. But at this point, the Ancestral Golden Feather¡¯s sixth line was finished! A shocking suppression suddenly exploded from Tuan Zit s body! At this point, Tuan Zi suddenly flung her hand away! The chain moved! A terrifying force rushed over! At this point, another figure rushed out from below and blocked Chu Liuyue. ¡°Zi Chen!¡± Seeing that figure clearly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Zi Chen felt the impact, and his body flew backward. He fell onto the floor heavily. His body was dragged on the floor for a distance, leaving behind a long blood wound. Miao Zhen immediately went forward and furrowed his brows tightly. Zi Chen¡¯s body was filled with injuries and bloodstains. He seemed to be hanging onto his last breath. Nobody knew what kind of terrifying torture he had experienced. He helped Zi Chen up and placed his palm at the back of Zi Chen¡¯s nape, inserting his force. Zi Chen¡¯s condition then became better. He forcefully looked up and looked at Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi. His usually handsome and nonchalant appearance was stained with a few hints of anxiety and worry. He seemed to want to say something, but the moment he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood. His face became even paler. Seeing Miao Zhen take action, Chu Liuyue secretly felt at ease as she turned to look at Tuan Zi. However, she saw that Tuan Zi suddenly started absorbing the force at an even more shocking speed! She was taken aback¡ª Is Tuan Zi going to continue opening her meridians? But in her current state, forcefully opening the meridian has no benefits and will only destroy her body. What exactly does she want to do? No, I should ask: what does the person who is controlling Tuan Zi want to do!? She clenched her teeth and moved forward again, yet Yi Zhao pulled her back. Given Tuan Zi¡¯s current state, it was extremely dangerous if one went forward without defense. Previously, there was Zi Chen, so Chu Liuyue could avoid this trouble. However, the same thing would never happen again! ¡°The only way now is to forcefully trap Tuan Zi first!¡± boomed Yi Zhao. Chu Liuyue turned around. When she saw Yi Zhao¡¯s expression, she pressed her lips against each other. If this was really so, she undoubtedly placed Tuan Zi on the opposite side. And during this process, Tuan Zi would definitely be injured. But in such a situation¡­ ¡°Okay¡ª Before she could agree, a painful voice came from behind. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and realized that the person who cried in pain was Nie Hongjie. His right hand was encircled by a ball of black mist. But after a moment, that black mist dissipated. His palm was badly mangled and looked terrifying, but at this point, he wasn¡¯t looking at his hand. Instead, he was anxiously staring at the rapidly leaving black mist in panic. Chu Liuyue followed his line of sight and saw that there seemed to be something in that black mist. That was a Cosmic Ring. BANG! An ear-piercing sound was heard, and that Cosmic Ring broke! Then, a palm-sized white bowl appeared in front of the crowd. That bowl was entirely snow white, and it seemed like superior porcelain. However, its entire body glowed and was different from ordinary white porcelain. A familiar suppressive aura came from within. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something. This should be the Heavenly Martial Sect¡¯s treasure¡ªsnow-God¡¯s Bowl! The Snow-God¡¯s Bowl flew toward Tuan Zi. Hula! The chain moved and went for the Snow-God¡¯s Bowl. Clang! An extremely crisp sound reverberated throughout the hall. Following that, a tremendous force surged out of the Snow-God¡¯s Bowl! And this force followed that chain and entered Tuan Zi¡¯s body! Nie Hongjie widened his eyes with anger and horror. ¡°My Snow-God¡¯s Bowl!¡± His voice was miserable and hoarse. That was one of the ten holy weapons, and it was an heirloom in their Heavenly Martial Sect that had been passed down for thousands of years! Who would¡¯ve thought that it would be so easily snatched away in the blink of an eye!? Tuan Zi¡¯s fire started burning even more intensely. Then, she slowly held the chains around her wrist more tightly. When Chu Liuyue saw this scene, her heart was stunned. ¡°Tuan¡ª¡± Boom! Before she could finish her sentence, Tuan Zi used all her strength to fling out the two chains in her hands! The red-golden fire contained shocking force as it crazily spread toward the surroundings! Chapter 2129 - Chapter 2129: Take Action Chapter 2129: Take Action The entire hall started vibrating intensely! Bam! The previously locked door opened suddenly! The crowd that was controlled by the terrifying force didn¡¯t even react in time as they were hurled away! On the hard jade ground, countless gullies intersected as rocks flew up, and dust went everywhere. The balls of light that were quietly floating in the cave all exploded continuously! Everything descended into extreme chaos and battle! ¡­ In less than 15 minutes, everyone in the hall was hurled out! Looking over, everyone was injured to a different extent, and they had disheveled appearances. But before they realized what happened, the entrance to the hall was closed once again! Bam! This sound finally awakened the crowd with shock. Looking at the door that was tightly shut again, Nie Hongjie was the first to react. He flew to the door and wanted to open it. ¡°My Snow-God Bowl! Return me my Snow-God Bowl!¡± That item was still trapped inside! But no matter how Nie Hongjie yelled, the door showed no signs of opening. He tried to forcefully open the door, but he realized that his bit of strength could not fight against this at all. Nie Hongjie stared at that door in a daze. He had never once realized that he was so minute and insignificant! In the God Residence Realm, he was the master of a top-tier aristocratic faction, Heavenly Martial Sect. He had a distinguished status and was powerful, but after he came to this place, he realized that he was nothing! Here, he was like an ant. He could not fight against whatever that happened! This place¡­ What kind ofhellhole is this?! Nie Hongjie suddenly couldn¡¯t control the intense horror that overwhelmed him. He took a few steps back, almost unable to stand still. After some time, he turned around to look at the crowd. Clearly, they were still deeply shocked, dazed, and helpless. Everything that happened here was beyond their expectations! Suddenly, Nie Hongjie yelled in shock, ¡°No! Shangguan Yue and Rong Xiu are inside!¡± With his reminder, the crowd immediately surveyed their surroundings and realized that the duo¡¯s figures had indeed disappeared! In the hall, the violent ripples gradually calmed. The jade rocks on the ground seemed to have all shattered. The black mist that covered this had dissipated into parts when it was affected by the terrifying force. Half a totem appeared below, and it slowly dimmed. Tuan Zi floated in midair. When the dust slowly went away, she seemed to be unable to support herself as she fell forward. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened, and she wanted to go over immediately. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± But before she could get close, a tremendous suppression descended from above all of a sudden! Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She looked up and saw that a gigantic eye appeared in the sky at some point! At this point, that bloody and violent eye was looking at them nonchalantly and coldly! ¡°How dare you lie to me.¡± The low and hoarse voice sounded like it came from afar. It sounded unreal, yet it made one¡¯s heart turn cold. Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils dilated! This voice¡ªit¡¯s the voice of the owner of this eye and that hand below Million Wine Mountain! But very quickly, she realized that this was said to Tuan Zi. Bam! A loud sound of something dropping was heard, and she rapidly turned around to look at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi¡¯s hands were still tightly restricted by the chain as her small body curled up on the ground. She was covered in blood and didn¡¯t move. The red-golden fire on her body was still burning, but her aura was much weaker than before. Chu Liuyue instantly understood something. Tuan Zi did it on purpose! She has long been awake! ¡°Cough¡ªcough cough¡ª¡± Weak coughs could be heard. Tuan Zi¡¯s tiny body trembled as she stood up slowly and determinedly. Then, she looked up and into Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Though her eyes were still bloodshot, they were very clear! Chu Liuyue instantly felt more at ease! Tuan Zi wiped away the blood by the corner of her mouth as she revealed a smile and looked up at the eye. She said carefully, ¡°What are you? How dare you think of controlling me?! Dream on!¡± At that time, she was focused on saving Zi Chen. As she was too anxious, she was careless, and the other party took advantage of it. She seemed to be trapped in some place. Although she could hear the voices outside and knew what was happening, she couldn¡¯t escape and control her own body. This was the case until Yi Zhao and Chu Liuyue¡¯s voices came! Actually, the moment Chu Liuyue touched the wound on her arm, she had already awakened. The reason why she did that later on was to send all those people out and to take the chance to ruin this hall! She faintly felt that she was controlled because of something related to the hall, especially the totem that slowly surfaced on the ground. Luckily¡­ She had bet correctly! A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind, and her brilliant armor appeared with a command! She went on her toes and came to Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, I came late.¡± ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tears welled up in Tuan Zit s eyes as she wanted to walk over. But the moment she moved, her chain clanked. Chu Liuyue took half a step back and took out her Great Azure Sun Axe. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll help you cut this thing!¡± Tuan Zi nodded forcefully and obediently stretched her hand out. Chu Liuyue raised her Great Azure Sun Axe high up and swung it down harshly! Clang! Sparks instantly flew! However, it actually only left a very faint mark on the black chain. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly sank. The Great Azure Sun Axe was a holy weapon, and there weren¡¯t many treasures in the world that could match up to it. However, this chain was so strong that the Great Azure Sun Axe could not do anything about it! ¡°Naive.¡± That voice had a hint of mockery. ¡°With your current abilities, you must be dreaming if you want to cut this chain!¡± Suddenly, a cold and harsh voice sounded. ¡°What about me?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Rong Xiu looking up at that eye. At this point, only his side was facing her, so she couldn¡¯t see his current look and expression clearly. She could only feel the shocking suppression and coldness coming from his body. Chu Liuyue was dazed. That feeling came back again. The current RongXiu is very different from the normal him. However, this thought only flashed across her mind because Rong Xiu took action the next moment! Bzzt! Bzzt! A strange buzzing noise sounded, and she looked up. A gigantic golden Xuan formation floated in midair and slowly turned. This Xuan formation was the Heaven-Locking Formation that Rong Xiu previously used to suppress that eye! The golden light moved, and it was iridescent. Chu Liuyue faintly felt her chest become stuffy, and she almost could not breathe. Her heart skipped a beat. RongXiu¡¯s aura is much stronger than Yi Wentao back then! At this point, Rong Xiu was looking upward.. A golden and black fire burned in his eyes! Chapter 2130 - Chapter 2130: Snatch It If You are Capable Enough! Chapter 2130: Snatch It If You are Capable Enough! The line of sight of the eye above seemed to land on him. The black fire in Rong Xiu¡¯s eye jumped around and burned even more intensely! A layer of thin ice quickly spread beneath his feet! The next moment, he suddenly raised his hand and grabbed the empty air in Tuan Zi¡¯s direction. Crack! The two chains on Tuan Zi¡¯s wrist broke with a sound! ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi was dazed for a moment before she rapidly jumped into Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms. Chu Liuyue held her in one go. ¡°Where¡¯s Zi Chen?¡± asked Tuan Zi. Chu Liuyue carefully wiped the blood on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Zi Chen is already safe.¡± When Tuan Zi previously wanted to cause chaos, she instinctively felt that something was wrong, so she summoned Zi Chen back into her body. Luckily, Zi Chen wasn¡¯t restricted at that point. Besides, with Miao Zhen¡¯s help, his body had healed slightly, and the entire process was rather smooth. ¡°You should go back first,¡± said Chu Liuyue. ¡°But¡ª¡± Tuan Zi held her neck tightly. That eye is very dangerous! ¡°Listen to me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was gentle and determined. Now that she saved Tuan Zi with so much difficulty, she would never let the previous incidents happen again. Being disconnected from Tuan Zi, not being able to feel each other, and personally witnessing her suffer so much¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled slightly as she kissed Tuan Zi¡¯s forehead and said carefully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will take revenge for the pain you and Zi Chen went through.¡± After coaxing Tuan Zi, Chu Liuyue stood up and looked over. ¡°From start to end, I have been your target, right?¡± Even though it was a question, her tone was definite. Only this answer could reasonably explain everything that happened. ¡°Do I have something you want?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Yet, the other party did not answer her question. It was silent within the hall. Chu Liuyue swallowed the blood emerging from her lips as harshness flashed across her eyes. Then, a black figure flashed before her, and the Celestial Shield appeared in her hands. Clang! The Celestial Shield heavily slammed on the ground. A few cracks rapidly spread. ¡°You want this, right?¡± Chu Liuyue patted the Celestial Shield. The black shield was instantly stained with a few red bloodstains. The corner of her lips curled up, but murderous intent burned in her eyes! ¡°Come and take whatever you want¡ªif you¡¯re capable enough!¡± The moment Chu Liuyue said that, the surroundings became much more silent. Finally, that eye looked at her in mockery. Even though it did not say a single sentence, Chu Liuyue could still clearly feel its contempt and insult. That gaze was high and mighty, and the eye seemed to think that her words were a joke. ¡°A legendary warrior and a true god¡­ It seems like you¡¯re very confident in yourselves.¡± Chu Liuyue ignored this voice as she lifted her clothes and sat down cross-legged! Ifa true god won¡¯t do, I will break through to become a legendary warrior! She closed her eyes and placed her hands on her knees. The next moment, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started surging toward her body crazily! The crowd waiting outside the hall felt that something was suddenly amiss. An energy vortex appeared above the hall. Heaven and Earth Force surged down! The crowd exchanged glances and did not know what was going on. Cen Yi, who was standing behind the crowd, suddenly knitted his brows. This commotion is clearly from Master¡¯s cultivation! She is absorbing so much force in one go.. Does she want to court death? Chapter 2131 - Chapter 2131: Leave Chapter 2131: Leave Creak¡ª The sound of the door opening came from behind the crowd. Cen Yi and the rest turned around and saw that the stone door¡ªwhich had been tightly shut ever since they came in¡ªhad opened suddenly! Everyone in the area was suddenly taken aback. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡± ¡°The stone door opened. Can we leave?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ I think this matter is suspicious. Let¡¯s not be rash.¡± ¡­ The crowd discussed. After quite some time, nobody chose to go forward. Every part of this place was filled with danger. Previously, they had already suffered quite a bit and witnessed many people¡¯s deaths, so they naturally did not dare to take the risk. ¡°Going out now is the safest.¡± Qiang Wanzhou looked at that stone door and softly muttered. Miao Zhen was standing beside Qiang Wanzhou. Hearing this, he strangely asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡± Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other tightly. ¡°I said that we¡¯ll be in even more danger if we stay here. If we don¡¯t leave now, it¡¯ll be hard to leave later on.¡± Miao Zhen was dazed for a moment. ¡°How do you know?¡± Qiang Wanzhou paused. ¡°I guessed.¡± However, Miao Zhen did not think so. This young man has always been a man offew words during the entire journey. Why would he say such words now because he has doubts, unless¡­ he is absolutely certain! However, even we don¡¯t dare guarantee that this is the best time to leave. How would he know? Just as Miao Zhen wanted to ask, Cen Yi spoke first. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± As he spoke, he walked straight to the stone door. Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered over. Curiosity, shock, doubt¡­ Cen Yi ignored all of this. He quickly came to the stone door and stepped out without hesitation! The crowd¡¯s hearts suddenly hung in their throats¡ª Nothing happened. Cen Yi walked out of the stone door successfully. He waited for a moment, looked at the barrier outside, and walked over. ¡°The barrier outside has also opened.¡± Hearing him say this, the crowd became restless. ¡°The barrier has also opened?¡± asked Shi Rui¡¯er in shock. Cen Yi nodded. Then, he cupped his fists and said, ¡°Second Missy Shi, this place is dangerous, and we can¡¯t stay here for long. You should leave first.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t expect Cen Yi to say such things and was stunned for a moment. ¡°But¡­ But Yue¡¯er and the rest are still inside¡­¡¯ Cen Yi said, ¡°Master and His Highness have their own ways of handling this. Now, everyone has to protect themselves well first.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was rather hesitant. On the one hand, she was worried about the two people trapped in the hall. On the other hand, she knew very clearly that what Cen Yi said made sense. Actually, she had already faintly felt that there was something amiss when those people were chased out together. After all, in such situations, staying inside would be more dangerous. Now that the stone door and the barrier are open, it is the best time to leave. If we continue staying here, we might cause trouble for them instead¡­ She thought for a moment and quickly made a decision. ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll wait outside then. You¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll naturally leave with Master,¡± said Cen Yi calmly, not allowing for people to refute him. Seeing Cen Yi in front of him, although his expression was as nonchalant and calm as usual, his gaze was determined. Miao Zhen said, ¡°He¡¯s right¡ªyou really can¡¯t stay in this place. Leaving quickly is the best choice. As for this place, there¡¯s still us. We won¡¯t let anything happen to that girl and Rong Xiu.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er suddenly became much more secure. Hearing this, it means that Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao plan on staying. If these two people help them, the situation should be much better. After all, all of the people present added up might not even be the match of these two people. She acknowledged it and left with the few elders. Then, Cen Yi looked at Yao Bin. Without waiting for him to speak, Yao Bin said, ¡°We heard whatever you wanted to say. We also plan to wait outside for now like the Flying Star Sect. I just hope that everything goes well for Master Yue and His Grace.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s lips moved slightly, and he nodded. Very quickly, under Yao Bin¡¯s leadership, the people from Purple Light Prefecture also walked out of the stone door. Seeing that the people from the Flying Star Sect and Purple Light Prefecture had left safely, many people had their own thoughts. Originally, everyone came in search of treasures. But after they came, they didn¡¯t find anything and were in a lot of trouble instead. Thinking of the scene where the treasures burst into black mist in that hall, the crowd was still scared. Such a place is extremely strange. If we continue staying, we might not be able to keep our lives. What is there to miss? Then, without Cen Yi speaking further, many people continuously chose to leave. However, there were also a few who chose to stay due to various reasons. Cen Yi ignored them. He advised Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest to leave because he didn¡¯t want to waste his master¡¯s efforts of helping them previously. If they were in trouble, then his master¡¯s previous efforts and worries were all for nothing. As for the rest¡­ Their lives had nothing to do with him. ¡°The Snow-God Bowl is still inside. It must¡¯ve landed in their hands now!¡± Nie Hongjie looked at the tightly shut door, clenched his teeth, and felt hatred. He didn¡¯t react at first, but now, he knew everything clearly! That red-gold heavenlyphoenix chased all of us out and only left Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu behind. There must be something amiss! Now, Cen Yi and the rest are convincing the crowd to leave¡ªthis is even more strange. They clearly want to occupy everything here! From start to end, this is a scenario that they came up with! ¡°Father, what should we do? Are we supposed to let them just take advantage of this?¡± Nie Ruyun¡¯s tone was filled with vengeance. One of her hands was completely ruined, and she had many injuries. Not to mention continuing cultivation in the future, it might be very hard for her to even recover to her previous state. She pushed everything to Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi. Nie Hongjie took a deep breath in. ¡°Wait!¡± It¡¯s fine if the two of them die inside. If they come out successfully¡­ I will properly handle the debts with them! Even with Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao around, I don¡¯t care! Anyway, at that time, we will be the ones in the right. Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao have their identities, and they will never interfere with this. I have to get an explanation! Cen Yi glanced at Nie Hongjie and the rest nonchalantly, his gaze calm. Nobody can stop it if some people want to seek death themselves. He looked at Qiang Wanzhou and raised his brows slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going Qiang Wanzhou was still a true god now. It was also very dangerous for him to stay here. Qiang Wanzhou shook his head. Cen Yi did not speak further and gazed at that hall again. At this point, the energy vortex above kept expanding! Not to mention that Chu Liuyue was a true god¡­ Even if she was a legendary warrior, it would be very hard for her to tolerate absorbing so much force at once. I wonder how Master is now¡­ Cen Yi¡¯s brows knitted undetectably.. Chapter 2132 - Chapter 2132: Chance Chapter 2132: Chance Bang. The stone door closed! As if he had already expected this, Cen Yi did not turn around Qiang Wanzhou faintly felt that his head hurt. During this period of time, such a situation had happened many times. Every time, he felt as if something was about to drill out of his head, but it would return to normal in the end. As expected, this time was also the same. Not long later, the pain disappeared, but his back was covered in cold sweat. When the wind blew over, the sweat caused him to be cold. He shook his head to suppress this and returned to his usual appearance of being cold with few words. Miao Zhen glanced thoughtfully at him before he quickly retracted his gaze. Everyone started waiting, but this wait was a month. The more important thing was that during this period, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force kept surging toward the hall continuously. This was also why the initial scenario¡ªwhere people inside the area couldn¡¯t withstand the excessive absorption of the Heaven and Earth Force¡ªdidn¡¯t happen again like it did at the beginning. In the beginning, the crowd was still very shocked. But after thinking about it, Chu Liuyue had the Heaven -Wrecking Holy Seed, so it was understandable that she could absorb so much force. Not long after the crowd went out of the barrier, it closed. They could not see the specific situation inside, but they could only faintly see the hall and the energy vortex above it. Shi Rui¡¯er clasped her hands together and silently prayed in her heart, wishing that they could come back safely and smoothly. Inside the hall, in the centermost position, Chu Liuyue sat down cross-legged. Her surroundings had long been covered by countless silver-red lights. Those lights were like water that slowly flowed around her. They left faint, black void cracks by the edges. That was Chu Liuyue¡¯s God Realm! The force that came from all directions silently merged with this God Realm. After refining and purifying the force, it entered her limbs. This greatly increased her cultivation efficiency. Her eyes were tightly shut, and she didn¡¯t move, yet her bodily aura kept strengthening. Actually, upon detailed calculation, she had broken through to become a true god for quite some time. But for any cultivator, it wasn¡¯t easy to break through and become a legendary warrior from a true god. These two stages had a huge difference between them, and this could not be bridged by purely relying on diligently cultivation. Some people could cultivate their entire lives continuously, but they might only stop before the legendary warrior barrier and not take that step forward. Hence, even if cultivators were like Chu Liuyue and could contain countless Heaven and Earth Force, they didn¡¯t dare guarantee that they could break through to become a legendary warrior. However, Chu Liuyue had to break through this time! Luckily, she had the Tianjing Yuan meridian, and after she made an entwined fate contract with Tuan Zi, the endurance of her Yuan meridian had strengthened by quite a bit. Besides, in her dantian, there was a water droplet that could contain a boundless amount of force! With these two factors, it wasn¡¯t impossible for Chu Liuyue to forcefully break through to become a legendary warrior in a short amount of time! Rong Xiu stood not far away from her, and his back was facing her. He stood with his hands behind his back. He slowly opened his eyes, and the two fires in his eyes had silently disappeared, recovering their initial calmness. The ice layer beneath his feet had long melted. He looked up slightly at that eye with an extremely cold gaze. However, delightful mockery flashed across that eye as if its prank was about to succeed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re really willing to come with her. What a pity! Just a little¡ª That distant voice landed in his ears. Rong Xiu knew clearly that this was said for him only, and Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was behind him¡ªcouldn¡¯t hear it. He lightly said, ¡°You¡¯re just a lame shell. You¡¯re really gutsy.¡± This sentence seemed to poke at the other party¡¯s weakness, and that eye instantly burned with anger and vengeance! ¡°So what?! Aren¡¯t you also stuck here now? I control you! Rong Xiu, in this place, you won¡¯t dare to actually take action!¡± Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°So what?¡± He knew where his limitations were. Even in the past¡­ he did not cross that line. He could not take action, but she could. As long as she broke through to become a legendary warrior¡ª He closed his eyes and did not speak again. Red Moon Desert. Night fell, and a circular red moon appeared in the night sky. It was another night of the red moon. The faint red color covered the desert as if a layer of mist covered it. In the depths of the desert, the night wind blew, and it caused ripples in the originally calm lake. Then, the lake separated from the middle, and a figure walked out from within. It was Dugu Mobao. He glanced at the sky before looking across to the end of the desert. A faintly shining hall appeared. ¡°It hasn¡¯t ended there yet?¡± Diwu Zhangze and Lan Xiao came together and were stunned when they saw this scene. Dugu Mobao retracted his gaze. ¡°Time is tight. Let¡¯s start.¡± Lan Xiao coughed. ¡°I¡¯ll make it clear first. My body can¡¯t be tortured now. Later on, you have to be very careful¡ª A purplish- golden scale flew out of Dugu Mobao¡¯s hands. The scale expanded with the wind and instantly turned into a huge Xuan formation. He glanced at Lan Xiao coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, hurry up.¡± Lan Xiao pursed his lips and still went over to lie in the middle of the Xuan formation. Diwu Zhangze asked nervously, ¡°Big Baby, can this really work?¡± Dugu Mobao said, ¡°We have to try, no matter if it works or not. That thing is now busy dealing with Yue¡¯er Girlie and Rong Xiu. If we don¡¯t take action now, I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll have another chance.¡± Then, he waved his palm. Instantly, the winds howled in the desert! Chapter 2133 - Chapter 2133: Forming Holy Body Chapter 2133: Forming Holy Body The Heaven and Earth Force started surging toward that Xuan formation. Rays of bright light gradually became clearer as they wrapped Lan Xiao in the middle. He clenched his fists tightly unknowingly. It was impossible not to be nervous. When he failed the previous time, he almost caused huge trouble. If he still could not succeed this time, he probably could not try within a thousand years. When Dugu Mobao teased him previously, it was also to hide his nervousness and uneasiness. Boom! In the skies, dark clouds brewed as a ray of silver lightning suddenly appeared. Then, a second ray and a third ray appeared¡­ In no time, the sky above Lan Xiao suddenly became a sea of lightning! At first glance, there were at least a hundred bolts! Dugu Mobao glanced at Lan Xiao. Lan Xiao seemed to feel something as he took a deep breath in and closed his eyes. ¡°Big Baby, remember to give me a handsome and suave face!¡± Once a Holy Body was formed, that face could not be changed! Diwu Zhangze couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°At this point, it¡¯s good that you¡¯ll have a face. Don¡¯t think so much!¡± Previously, Lan Xiao had already failed once. This time, even with Dugu Mobao¡¯s help, he might not be able to successfully reform his Holy Body. Yet, he was still thinking about his face. Lan Xiao pursed his lips. ¡°You guys naturally don¡¯t know how to feel the happiness and sorrows of being a beauty¡ª¡± Boom! Dugu Mobao waved his palm, and a silver snake-like lightning bolt suddenly slashed down! It precisely struck Lan Xiao¡¯s face! Pilapala! Sparks flew everywhere! Lan Xiao instantly swallowed his remaining words. ¡°Boohoo!¡± That was too sudden. I haven¡¯t prepared myself! The lightning bolts that contained shocking force turned into countless shards of silver light rays. Then, they slowly seeped into Lan Xiao¡¯s body and went toward his limbs. Now, his current ¡®body¡¯ was in a semi-transparent shape, so the people at the side could clearly see the force surging in his body. When that force slowly dissipated with much difficulty, Dugu Mobao struck again without leaving Lan Xiao any time. Hong hong hong! With the first ray, the ones behind became natural. The many rays of lightning struck down continuously and hit Lan Xiao. As time passed, his ¡®body¡¯ became increasingly solid as it was almost filled by the silver rays of lightning. From afar, he looked like a giant silver worm. The huge commotion in the skies quickly attracted the attention of Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest. ¡°What¡¯s going on there? Lightning bolts keep striking. Is someone breaking through or producing a Yuan instrument?¡± ¡°In this Red Moon Desert, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone else other than us, right? The commotion is so big. Why does it seem so strange?¡± ¡°Yeah. Even if they break through to become a legendary warrior, they wouldn¡¯t need so many lightning bolts, right?¡± ¡°This place is indeed very strange¡­ Forget it. Let¡¯s not go over and be careful.¡± The incidents that happened in the desert all exceeded one¡¯s expectations. They had already suffered before, so they were very alert now. After some time, the commotion from those lightning bolts gradually became smaller. Half the sky that was lit up by those silver lightning bolts dimmed slowly. ¡°It seems like it has ended¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er muttered softly. Suddenly, she widened her eyes in shock. ¡°No! What¡¯s that?!¡± Hearing her exclamation, the crowd looked over again and gasped in unison. ¡°Golden lightning?!¡± In the distant dark sky, clouds tumbled as the winds howled. A ray of bright golden light suddenly appeared, and it tore this darkness apart! It was actually a golden lightning bolt! ¡°A lightning bolt of such standard is very rare in the world. Why did it suddenly appear?!¡± The crowd was taken aback. Even among them, only very few had personally seen a golden lightning bolt. Something major must have happened! Following this, under the crowd¡¯s nervous and shock gazes, that golden lightning bolt suddenly struck! ¡°The silver lightning bolts are used to form the blood and muscles, while the golden one is used to form the skeleton.¡± Diwu Zhangze stood at the side and was also very uneasy. The process of reforming a Holy Body was extremely difficult and painful. The current Lan Xiao had no physical body, so wanting to reform his Holy Body was even more unbelievably difficult. To be direct, from his hair to his toes¡­ Every single inch of his bones and muscles had to be handled bit by bit, and there could not be any mistakes. If it was reforming one¡¯s physical body, it would be easier if they could borrow a set of bones. However, Lan Xiao could not do it. No bones in this world could tolerate such suppression. It was the same for Dugu Mobao back then. Especially when Wei Yue had just passed¡ªno matter if it were Lan Xiao or Dugu Mobao, their conditions were not great. However, this was indeed a very rare chance. Once they missed it, they did not know how long they would have to wait. Even if the chance is slim, they had to do this! That golden lightning struck down and directly pierced through Lan Xiao¡¯s ¡®body¡¯! He furrowed his brows tightly, and his expression looked pained. Clearly, he was experiencing pain that was unimaginable to an ordinary person. However, he still clenched his teeth and refused to let out a weak moan. The rays of light in the Xuan formation below him seemed to guide and smoothen the force in his body. That golden lightning bolt didn¡¯t break apart like those silver lightning bolts and instead turned into a ray of light, slowly and determinedly spreading toward Lan Xiao¡¯s left arm. It was stiffly tearing apart his muscles! Lan Xiao held it in! Then, that ray of golden light formed into the shape of two connecting bones bit by bit! Then again, five small rays of light separated out from within to slowly form five fingers. It was completely forming an arm! Lan Xiao sighed deeply and pursed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s really so freaking painful¡­ When I successfully form my Holy Body, I have to take revenge for everything in the past and present!¡± He remembered every single debt clearly! Dugu Mobao¡¯s forehead also broke out into a cold sweat, and his lips were slightly pale. Those silver lightning bolts were fine, but this golden lightning bolt was indeed troublesome. With his current cultivation level and ability, forcefully summoning it used up a large amount of force. However, this was only the beginning. He waved his wrist. Boom! The second golden lightning bolt came down with the sound! ¡°There¡¯s more?!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest really did not know what to say. One golden lightning bolt was already very rare, yet it appeared continuously! ¡°If it¡¯s not a treasure descending, someone breaking through, or someone forging a Yuan instrument, what kind of strong existence¡­¡± muttered Shi Rui¡¯er, her shock unable to dissipate. Boom! At this point, a shocking explosion could be heard from above the hall! Chapter 2135 - Chapter 2135: Using the Zither Chapter 2135: Using the Zither The zither sound appeared very suddenly. Solemn, cold, and with indescribable magnificence and awe! Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze flickered as he slowly loosened his tightly-clenched fists, and a faint light flashed across his eyes. Then, he looked up at the eye above. The corner of his lips rose slightly, as if he were smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve indeed never thought of taking action. However, it¡¯s great that your boundless force here is left for Yue¡¯er to use.¡± Endless rage and murderous intent surged out of that eye. ¡°Rong Xiu! You dare to lie to me?!¡± From start to end, he did it on purpose! He did it to snatch the Heaven and Earth Force here for Chu Liuyue to use! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up at a perfect angle as he nonchalantly smiled and said, ¡°Originally, I didn¡¯t want her to break through to become a legendary warrior so quickly. It¡¯s a pity that you sent the opportunity to our door, so I can only accept it with a smile.¡± Even though this process would be very tough, breaking through to become a legendary warrior would definitely be more beneficial than disadvantageous for Chu Liuyue. He was just taking advantage of the situation. ¡°You¡ª¡± Before this voice could finish, another zither sound came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! Her eyes were tightly shut as her thick and long lashes fluttered lightly. If they said the first zither sound was like an ignorant child casually strumming the zither, the second one was much stronger. Force, technique, melody! Following this, the zither rang continuously! There was clearly no zither in her hand, but the zither sounds formed a strange and unique melody that spread around! Together with this zither sound, something broke in some part of her Yuan meridian! But following this, that red-golden light wrapped her once again! Compared to before, the Yuan meridian was clearly much more resilient. Chu Liuyue forcefully tore apart her Yuan meridian and used the endless force and the zither sound to nourish it again! She had just broken through to become a true god, so she indeed didn¡¯t have enough time to make her Yuan meridian sufficiently resilient. But since she had to break through to become a legendary warrior in this way, she would do it herself! The intense pain came from all over her body. Only the zither sounds kept ringing by Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears! The zither sound echoed throughout the hall before it flowed out and filled the large yard. Dong! The zither sound was seemingly solid, letting out low sounds when it hit against the stone door. Then, the stone door was activated, and the zither sounds poured out! The zither sound was invisible, yet the crowd felt as if they had seen its steps. Boom! The golden lightning in the sky finally struck! At this point, a figure broke out of the hall! Everyone was shocked and quickly looked over. ¡°It¡¯s Shangguan Yue!¡± someone exclaimed. Everyone¡¯s gazes landed on her. ¡°It¡¯s Shangguan Yue!¡± someone exclaimed. Everyone¡¯s gazes landed on her. In the night sky, that woman stood in the air with her red dress and black hair flowing with the wind. She stood below the dazzling ocean of lightning bolts. The light reflected on her face and body. She suddenly opened her eyes and looked over. That golden lightning bolt had already reached above her head! Her dark, black gem-like eyes reflected that golden ray in a lively manner. Then, she raised her hand. The young girl¡¯s hand was thin and white as if it were soft and boneless, gentler than ever. When the crowd saw this, they could not help but hold their breaths in. What exactly¡­ does she want to do? Then, they saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s finger lightly strumming the air. She seemed to be strumming a zither, but there was nothing before her. NO! The next moment, the crowd rejected this idea. That was because a golden ray of light appeared below her palm! It was that golden lightning bolt that silently came to her palm. With a light move, the golden lightning suddenly dissipated! Peng! That lightning bolt turned into countless rays of golden light and surged into her body! Chapter 2136 - Chapter 2136: Danger Chapter 2136: Danger With the golden lightning bolt as the zither, she converted the Heaven and Earth Force for her own use! In the dark sky, the golden light poured everywhere, looking like an illusion. The Yuan meridian in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body continuously broke. After absorbing this force, it was quickly wrapped and repaired by the red-golden fire. The process was extremely painful yet very quick and effective! Every inch of her bones and muscles were undergoing shocking change! ¡­ The crowd fell into dead silence. The scene seemed to be frozen, and even the air stiffened. When they saw the golden lightning bolt being summoned, they were also curious as to how Chu Liuyue would deal with it. However, the scene before their eyes had greatly exceeded their expectations. ¡°W-what exactly¡­ did she do? That golden lightning bolt just¡­ shattered?!¡± Mutters filled with shock came from the crowd. Everyone heard them clearly, but nobody replied. That was because they did not know the answer. They only knew that ever since Chu Liuyue started to break through to become a legendary warrior, things had started developing in an unpredictable direction. Originally, they thought that the appearance of this golden lightning bolt would forcefully halt her cultivation process, but the truth was the opposite. The shocking force contained within it seemed to have all turned into her force! Nie Hongjie widened his eyes in shock and looked up at the scene in the sky. His mind turned blank. Despite his many years of experience, he was also dazed. ¡°Father! What exactly did she do?!¡± Nie Ruyun was exasperated as she looked at him in disbelief and anxiety. The uneasiness in her heart gradually became intense. When Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t come out previously, and she saw the terrifying energy vortex, she could still comfort herself that Chu Liuyue must be stuck in that hall and was experiencing fatal torture. In no time, she would be dead. Yet, Chu Liuyue was out now! Besides, she even accepted that golden bolt of lightning so easily! Nie Ruyun knew very clearly that if it were her, she couldn¡¯t handle the golden lightning bolt containing tremendous force. She would be handicapped if not dead. However, Chu Liuyue looked perfectly normal, and her aura kept strengthening! She had almost reached the peak of the true god cultivation realm, and she was just a step away from being a legendary warrior. ¡°She won¡¯t actually break through to become a legendary warrior, right? Father, she can¡¯t do it, right?¡± Nie Ruyun asked, harboring her last bit of wistful hope. However, Nie Hongjie did not speak. He naturally wished for that to be the case, but¡­ The signs of Chu Liuyue about to break through were too clear! He could not ignore them, even if he wanted to. Originally, he thought that she would fail because her Yuan meridian could not tolerate the nourishment of becoming a legendary warrior. Who knew she could accept the lightning bolt so readily!? Seeing his reaction, Nie Ruyun¡¯s heart slowly turned cold. Bam! A ball of red-golden fire suddenly rushed out from Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, enveloping her. If one took a closer look, they could still see the brilliant armor covering her skin below that fire. The bright intensities of colors overlapped as the fire burned in a high and mighty manner! With that fire in the middle, the crowd could barely see her appearance. Her expression was calm and nonchalant. Her eyes seemed to be icebergs that would not melt in a thousand years, yet they also seemed like everlasting moonlight in a cold, arrogant, and imperious way. Cen Yi stood with one hand behind his back and looked over. His usually nonchalant eyes flashed with a hint of emotions and reminiscence, as well as deep respect and admiration. Qiang Wanzhou looked at this scene in a daze as countless messy and blurred scenes flashed across his eyes. ¡°Yue¡ª¡± He unwittingly muttered softly, as if he wanted to say something, but he could only say half of it. Yue¡­ what? That familiar feeling became stronger and stronger. The guess he buried deep in his heart surfaced again. It wasn¡¯t that he never suspected she was the person he was looking for. But no matter if it were her age or something else, it did not match. Even she said that she had never been to Nan Jiang, and clearly, he didn¡¯t exist in her memories. Qiang Wanzhou faintly felt that he had walked into a maze and could not escape. As if possessed, he looked toward that stone door again. Then, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. I left through this stone door before! On the other far end of the Red Moon Desert, Lan Xiao¡¯s Holy Body was still forming. Dugu Mobao had already triggered the fourth lightning bolt to help form the limbs of Lan Xiao¡¯s bones. They were still two bolts away from succeeding¡ªone to form the skull and one to form the Holy Pill! Diwu Zhangze looked at Dugu Mobao worriedly. At this point, the latter¡¯s face was extremely pale, and he had clearly reached his limits. However, the last two bolts of lightning were the most troublesome, and he didn¡¯t know if the latter¡ª ¡°Big Baby, can you still persist?¡± asked Diwu Zhangze worriedly. Dugu Mobao did not speak as he circulated his force, clearly planning to continue. At this stage, he only had this one choice. If he stopped now, all the previous efforts would be for naught. It was fine for him, but Lan Xiao probably could not suffer such torture once more. He looked at the distant sky. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie is breaking through to become a legendary warrior?¡± Diwu Zhangze nodded. ¡°I think so. Previously, she summoned the golden lightning bolt, and it seems like she accepted it. Breaking through to become a legendary warrior is just a matter of time, but¡­ It happened so suddenly, and the girl must have suffered.¡± Guilt quickly flashed across Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes as he bit his lips. ¡°¡­It¡¯s still because I didn¡¯t consider this fully in the end¡­¡± Originally, he wanted to open that barrier to allow those people to come over and help Yue¡¯er find Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. However, things progressed in such a ridiculous manner. That thing even used this chance to forcefully absorb the crowd¡¯s force to strengthen itself and forcefully open Tuan Zi¡¯s meridian. After being suppressed in the Red Moon Desert for 10,000 years, he originally thought that the thing would be more restrained. However, he didn¡¯t expect it to be so daring as it forced Yue¡¯er to forcefully break through to become a legendary warrior! Diwu Zhangze shook his head and comforted, ¡°You had good intentions. It¡¯s just that the thing is too maniacal, causing things to end up in this stage. You don¡¯t have to blame yourself for this. If you didn¡¯t open the barrier and lure those people over, that thing wouldn¡¯t be in the hall and summon¡ª¡± He paused, as if he were fearing something. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing that Yue¡¯er can take this chance to break through to become a legendary warrior early. ¡± Anyway, this day would come sooner or later. Dugu Mobao retracted his gaze and looked at Lan Xiao. At this point, he was already wrapped in a cocoon of intersecting silver and golden light. His eyes were tightly shut, and his brows were knitted. He was awake, but he could not speak now. The pain of reforming his bones and muscles was enough to exhaust all of his force. Dugu Mobao waved his hands. A golden bolt of lightning appeared once again! But this time, the lightning bolt did not strike for a long time. Dugu Mobao¡¯s heart sank as he looked over. That golden lightning bolt actually disappeared silently! Chapter 2137 - Chapter 2137: Becoming a Legendary Warrior! Chapter 2137: Becoming a Legendary Warrior! My remaining force can¡¯t successfully trigger the lightning! Just as this thought quickly surfaced in Dugu Mobao¡¯s mind, he instantly broke out into a cold sweat. His lips turned increasingly pale, and he felt overwhelmed. His body shook as he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! Shoo! Then, his body fell backward uncontrollably. ¡°Big Baby!¡± Diwu Zhangze was stunned and hurriedly went forward to help him up. ¡°How are you?¡± Dugu Mobao shook his head and pushed his hand away, planning to continue. But before he could do anything, he spat out a mouthful of blood. Diwu Zhangze furrowed his brows tightly and anxiously said, ¡°You¡¯re just forcing yourself. You won¡¯t be able to succeed!¡± On the one hand, Dugu Mobao forcefully formed his Holy Body to save Chu Liuyue previously. In the end, he was trapped within this tiny Holy Body, so his abilities were restricted to some extent. On the other hand, Wei Yue had just passed, and he had exhausted a large amount of his force and energy. It was even harder to help Lan Xiao reform his Holy Body. The previous few lightning bolts had already emptied all of Dugu Mobao¡¯s force. He had always been so stubborn and wanted to do his best for everything. Now, the fifth golden lightning bolt dissipated, showing that he really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being too useless!¡± Diwu Zhangze felt extreme hatred in his heart. IfI could form my own Holy Body, I could help Dugu Mobao quite a bit now. However, I can only watch on now! This time¡­ it is probably going to fail. Patches of black appeared in Dugu Mobao¡¯s vision as blood kept flowing out of his mouth. However, he was very indignant! At this point, Lan Xiao¡ªwho was quiet the whole while¡ªsuddenly opened his eyes, tilted his head, looked over, and smiled. ¡°It seems like I really don¡¯t have this good life¡­ I failed two times consecutively. Big Baby, forget it.¡± The light flickered, and his appearance looked very blurred. But hearing his voice, it was not hard to imagine the angle of his lips. His usual nonchalance and relaxed nature. ¡°At most, I¡¯ll just wait a while longer! So what if it¡¯s a few hundred years? I¡¯ve already waited 10,000 years. This bit of time is nothing, right? If you exhaust and spoil your tiny body, won¡¯t I have to take full responsibility for it?¡± If it were in the past, Dugu Mobao wouldn¡¯t give Lan Xiao a good expression when he heard his teasing. But now, he clenched his teeth and fell silent. There seemed to be something moving in his pair of purple eyes. Diwu Zhangze sighed deeply. Actually, even if Lan Xiao did not say it, he also knew that Lan Xiao was filled with hopes regarding the reformation of his Holy Body. Being suppressed here like an abandoned ghost for more than 10,000 years, spending countless long days and nights¡­ How could he really not care about it? All these years, Lan Xiao changed countless faces to be happy. He seemed as if he were extremely self-obsessed, but who dared to say that there was not a tinge of thought of reforming his Holy Body? He knew that, and so did Dugu Mobao. Hence, even though they knew that it was filled with obstacles, they still gave it a try. It was a pity¡ª As no lightning bolt continued striking, the light above gradually dimmed. The silver rays of light seemed to lose their restraint, escaping into the surroundings and silentF disappearing. They then turned into Heaven and Earth Force and merged with the wind. Lan Xiao cursed softly, ¡°¡­It hurts when it succeeds, and it hurts when it fails. I¡¯m so unlucky!¡± To him, this process was like an invisible knife shaving off his muscles bit by bit, and it was no different from being sliced to death. He finally managed to survive through that pain, yet he had to still undergo it again! Slowly, his voice became quieter, and his face was filled with unconcealable pain. Diwu Zhangze stood up and waved his force, wanting to reduce Lan Xiao¡¯s pain. However, this was just a drop in the ocean. Increasingly more rays of light dissipated. When the muscles formed by the silver lightning bolts were completely scraped, it would be when his bones were crushed! Time slowly trickled past. It was always extremely torturous when one went through painful times. After some time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s last bit of Yuan meridian finally broke before it was wrapped in the red-golden fire for repair. At this point, her entire Yuan meridian was nourished! Chu Liuyue focused and gathered her surrounding force, forming a gush of water that surged toward her dantian! Boom! The spinning water droplet in the dantian felt the ripple from this force and shook intensely! A totem gradually appeared! Almost at the same time, the same pattern appeared between Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows! ICa! A tiny sound came from within her body! At this point, she had finally succeeded in breaking through that barrier and became a legendary warrior! At this moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding aura exploded! Endless violent force rushed toward the surroundings! Feeling the impact of the force, the surrounding space started collapsing! She raised her head and looked down at the hall below. A hole was open in the roof of the hall¡ªthat was left behind when she flew up. At this point, through the dark hole, she saw the eye that was hiding. She raised her hand, and the red-golden fire rapidly turned into a longsword! The next moment, she directly slashed down! Whoosh! The longsword flew down and directly pierced into that eye! A sharp and miserable cry was heard! Almost at the same time, Rong Xiu moved his leg in the hall. The Heaven-Locking Formation that hindered that eye exploded suddenly! . Chapter 2138 - Chapter 2138: Courting Death Chapter 2138: Courting Death At this point, the giant hall started to collapse into pieces! The endless force contained inside erupted and tore through the air! ¡°Go!¡± Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao reacted the quickest as they turned and retreated outside! Luckily, Chu Liuyue had already knocked open the stone door beforehand, so it was much more convenient for them to leave. Cen Yi looked at the falling hall, and his lips pressed slightly against each other as an extremely complicated glow flashed across his eyes. However, such feelings immediately disappeared as he quickly retracted his gaze and planned to turn around to leave. When he turned around, he saw Qiang Wanzhou standing there in a daze. The latter stared at that hall, as if he were thinking about something and looked rather helpless. ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± reminded Cen Yi softly. Qiang Wanzhou suddenly recovered his senses. He glanced at Cen Yi, nodded, and turned to leave. These few people¡¯s speed and reaction were the fastest. After they took action, the other people still in the yard also finally realized the danger and followed them, planning to leave. However, it was easy for them to come but not so simple to leave. The moment they took a few steps out, they suddenly realized that the space here was caught up in that terrifying force. It squeezed violently, and one couldn¡¯t even move! Blood seeped out of the corner of Nie Ruyun¡¯s lips, and her entire body was in excruciating pain. She was originally injured. Now, matters were made worse as she fell without taking a few steps out. Nie Hongjie hurriedly went forward to help her. ¡°Ruyun! Are you okay?¡± Nie Ruyun opened her mouth and wanted to speak, but she spat out even more blood. Nie Hongjie had no choice but to forcefully help her up and move forward while half-hugging her. But actually, his own situation was not optimistic. With another Nie Ruyun, it made matters worse. The invisible force attacked them, instantly taking away the few people left behind and crushing them! They instantly stopped breathing in the blink of an eye. Nie Hongjie felt even more horror. The Heaven and Earth Force here is rich. Now that it has suddenly exploded, it¡¯s hard to expect its capabilities! If it were me in my peak, I might be able to escape. But now, Ruyun and I are both injured¡ª ¡°Ah!!!¡± Short and miserable shouts sounded not far away from him. Nie Hongjie hurriedly turned around, and his eyes instantly narrowed. The few Heavenly Martial Sect people in charge of guarding the back all met their demise! Fresh blood spurted everywhere, but the people were gone. ¡°Father!¡± Nie Ruyun cried in fear, and her entire body trembled. ¡°Father, are we going to die ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Nie Hongjie clenched his teeth, set up a barrier, and ran out at an even higher speed. No matter what, our lives can¡¯t end here! However, that barrier was nothing in front of the violent Heaven and Earth Force! Almost in the next second, the barrier was instantly destroyed! Nie Hongjie¡¯s blood overwhelmed him. This won¡¯t do ifit goes on¡­ He suddenly looked up at Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao not far away. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Zhen! Clan Leader Yi Zhao! Please help us! If you¡¯re willing to help us, my Heavenly Martial Sect will definitely repay you greatly!¡± Out of all the people still here, these two people were the strongest now. Only they could help someone else escape, while preserving their own lives. Hence, Nie Hongjie spoke without hesitation. Miao Zhen turned around, as if he were smiling. ¡°I already gave you time to run earlier. You didn¡¯t run and missed the chance. Who can you blame?¡± Nie Hongjie¡¯s face flushed white. Previously, Cen Yi did advise Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest to leave, and he honestly said that this would be very dangerous. But at that point, he just thought Cen Yi did it to lure people away so that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue could take all the treasures here for themselves! Who would¡¯ve thought that he was speaking the truth? Out of those that were left here¡­ Other than Cen Yi and the rest, they were all people who didn¡¯t believe Chu Liuyue¡¯s people. After the hall collapsed, nearly half of the people had died here in a short amount of time! If Miao Zhen and the rest did not help them, Nie Hongjie was certain that he would die before he could run toward the stone door. ¡°I-it was just a moment of folly. However, our lives are at stake now, clan leaders¡ª Miao Zhen coldly grunted and walked out of the stone door. Following him were Cen Yi and Qiang Wanzhou. Nie Hongjie saw them and was instantly stunned. Why are they so fast?! Cen Yi is fine¡ªhe seems capable, and he should be a legendary warrior. However, that golden-haired young man looks like he is 17 or 18, and he isjust a true god. How could he be so much faster than the rest? This speed doesn ¡®t lose to a legendary warrior! However, this thought just flashed across his mind, and he didn¡¯t have time to think about it carefully. Just as he was losing hope, he discovered that another person appeared in front of him. He looked over and was overjoyed. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao!¡± Yi Zhao was standing in front of him. Originally, he was walking with Miao Zhen. But when he walked to the stone door, he came back again. Looking at Yi Zhao before him, Nie Hongjie was very agitated. ¡°Clan Leader Yi Zhao! Did you come to save us?! R-Ruyun and I are very grateful!¡± Rumors had it that this Clan Leader Yi Zhao was very proud and stern, and he hated interacting with humans. Nie Hongjie never expected that Yi Zhao would come and help him at this point. Yi Zhao looked at him coldly. ¡°No.¡± The cold ¡®no¡¯ caused Nie Hongjie¡¯s smile to freeze on his face. ¡°What¡­ What do you mean?!¡± Seeing Yi Zhao¡¯s expression, uneasiness slowly surged in his heart. Yi Zhao looked up slightly at the collapsing hall behind them and said carefully, ¡°I came here to see you off!¡± As he said that, he suddenly raised his hand! Before Nie Hongjie could say anything, he felt a heavy force hitting his chest! His body instantly flew backward! Losing his support, Nie Ruyun also instantly flew out. The duo¡¯s figures were tangled into the overwhelming and terrifying force in the blink of an eye! A few drops of blood landed, but the people disappeared without a trace. Those that entered were legendary warriors and also their burial ground! Of course, Yi Zhao used his full force when he took action, so Nie Hongjie might have directly died under his hands. Not to mention Nie Ruyun, who died completely. After ensuring that the duo¡¯s breathing was cut, Yi Zhao retracted his gaze and turned to leave. Miao Zhen, who was standing at the door, saw this and grunted. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, Why do you still bear grudges! However, that Nie Hongjie and his daughter really courted their own deaths. They could offend anyone, yet it had to be Tuan Zi.¡± He pouted. She is Yi Zhao¡¯s precious treasure! Originally, Yi Zhao already felt extreme heartache that Tuan Zi was so tortured, yet Nie Hongjie and the rest dared to smear Tuan Zi in public¡­ Were they tired of living? Chapter 2139 - Chapter 2139: The Heavenly Lightning Strikes Through the Clouds! Chapter 2139: The Heavenly Lightning Strikes Through the Clouds! To think that Nie Hongjie¡ªwho has been the Heavenly Martial Sect¡¯s master for so long¡ªdoesn¡¯t even have this bit of brain. Not to mention that Tuan Zi didn¡¯t do those things¡­ Even if she did, Yi Zhao probably wouldn¡¯t say anything. He might even help her. He and Yi Zhao had known each other for many years. Although they didn¡¯t interact much, they knew each other quite well. With Yi Zhao¡¯s personality, he didn¡¯t care about the lives of these people. He only cared that Tuan Zi had suffered. Previously, anyone could tell that Tuan Zi had suffered unimaginable torture. Yi Zhao had been enduring it silently, but he was already filled with anger. Weren¡¯t Nie Hongjie and the others asking for trouble? As they spoke, Yi Zhao walked over. Miao Zhen tidied his clothes and raised his chin toward the inside. ¡°Rong Xiu is still inside.¡± Yi Zhao walked forward without looking back. ¡°He¡¯s been waiting for this moment. Even if everyone dies, he won¡¯t die.¡± Rong Xiu is the last person we should be worried about. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ She has just broken through to become a legendary warrior, so there is no need to say anything. Miao Zhen thought for a moment and smiled. ¡°True.¡± Rong Xiu hides his strength well, and even I can¡¯t see through him. Worried about him? It is really a little unnecessary. The few of them then left. Because the hall had collapsed, the barrier outside had already collapsed in chaos. Thus, they didn¡¯t spend much effort to come out. At this moment, Shi Rui¡¯er and the others had already retreated some distance and stayed in a relatively safe position. Seeing the hall collapse and the energy wreaking havoc, Shi Rui¡¯er and the others couldn¡¯t help but rejoice. Fortunately, I had followed Cen Yi¡¯s suggestion previously. Otherwise, I would probably be trapped inside and unable to escape. ¡°Look, there seems to be something wrong with that hall!¡± A cry suddenly came from the crowd. Shi Rui¡¯er and the others immediately looked up. With one look, they immediately understood what that person meant. The reason for that was because¡­ After the magnificent and simple hall collapsed inch by inch, although it caused a huge commotion, it was very different from a normal building disintegrating. There was no smoke, dust, or flying rocks. Only crazy energy surged over like waves! ¡°This hall¡­ is fake?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er muttered in shock. ¡°No, it should be said that this is an illusion,¡± Miao Zhen corrected. He had only realized this after coming out. This illusion was so realistic that they didn¡¯t notice it at all when they were inside. ¡°I see!¡± Everyone immediately understood. This also explained why after they obtained those so-called treasures previously, they all transformed into balls of black fog! That was because everything had been fake from the beginning! ¡°When Yue¡¯er attacked just now, did you hear the shrill scream coming from the hall?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er asked in a low voice. The elders of the Flying Star Sect looked at each other and nodded. The scream was short and desolate, and just hearing it made one shiver. I really don¡¯t know what that was¡­ Shi Rui¡¯er pursed her lips and suddenly remembered something Chu Liuyue had said previously. Tuan Zi and Zi Chen¡¯s mysterious disappearance might¡­ be related to the owner of the voice just now? There is an explanation for the sudden appearance of this floating hall and the many things which happened in the middle that have been rather against Chu Liuyue. Shi Rui¡¯er clenched her fists. Someone who can use such a method is clearly not an ordinaryperson. The people present are all people with status and strength in the God Residence Realm. However, even we were abused wantonly here and couldn¡¯t resist at all. When did such a terrifying existence appear in this world? Moreover, Chu Liuyue seems to be the one being targeted¡­ Swoosh! At this moment, a tall figure flew out of the collapsed hall! His white clothes fluttered, and his aura was shocking¡ªit was Rong Xiu! Unlike the sorry appearance everyone had expected, he rushed out from the center of the energy explosion without a sign of injury all over his body. Furthermore, his clothes were still clean and tidy. There was no sign of an intense fight. Many people looked at each other with complicated expressions. A few years ago, Rong Xiu was famous in the God Residence Realm, causing many aristocratic families to be very afraid of him. In the past two years, he rarely came out; he rarely even made public moves. Some people¡¯s thoughts gradually became active again. Nie Hongjie and Nie Ruyun were the best examples. Not only did she mock Chu Liuyue in front of Rong Xiu, but she also slandered Tuan Zi in front of Yi Zhao. It could only be said that people wouldn¡¯t die if they didn¡¯t court death. They thought that just because they had the Snow-God Bowl and were from a first-tier family, they could look down on others. But in the end, they still paid a painful price. Rong Xiu looked down. The huge hall was quickly collapsing, turning into streams of light that gradually dissipated into the world. That eye had already been minced by Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword and disappeared. Rong Xiu raised his palm. A huge golden Xuan formation appeared in the sky above the hall and slowly and firmly pressed down! With a thought from Chu Liuyue, two streams of light flew out¡ªone was the Celestial Shield, and the other was the Snow-God Bowl. She put away the Snow-God Bowl and looked at the Celestial Shield steadily. The light on it gradually dimmed. The light on it gradually dimmed. Everything below had already disappeared under the suppression of Rong Xiu¡¯s Heaven-Locking Formation. The Heaven-Locking Formation slowly sank, and everything in the chaos was destroyed. In the end, it all disappeared under the desert. A faint crimson color enveloped it as if nothing had happened. Chu Liuyue confirmed it in her heart. She knew very well that this eye came from the same source as the hand under Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Million Wine Mountain. They weren¡¯t really destroyed; they had only temporarily hidden themselves. The Heaven-Locking Formation could only suppress it. It was hard to say when such a thing would happen again. The only solution might be to find the owner of this eye! Whoosh¡ª Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at the sky in the distance. The sea of lightning that was previously still dazzling was gradually dimming. The sound of energy surging in her ears just now came from there. Without the heavenly lightning, the Heaven and Earth Force over there lost its summoning and scattered. She frowned slightly. After breaking through to become a legendary warrior, she could clearly sense everything that was happening further away. In the entire Red Moon Desert, only Dugu Mobao and the other two can trigger the golden lightning! Are they¡­ helping Lan Xiao reconstruct his Holy Body? She narrowed her eyes slightly and raised her hand. Boom! A loud sound suddenly came from the sky! The about-to-dissipate clouds gathered again! Soon, a golden bolt of lightning appeared and quickly struck Chu Liuyue! She jumped up and held the golden lightning in her hand before throwing it out! In the dark sky, a golden light tore through the clouds! Chapter 2140 - Chapter 2140: Holy Body! Chapter 2140: Holy Body! Everyone was stunned by Chu Liuyue¡¯s sudden action. What is she¡­ doing? Not only did she summon another golden lightning bolt, but she also threw it out?! When that dazzling golden light streaked across the sky, everyone¡¯s gaze followed. The golden lightning bolt tore through the night sky and whistled away, entering the deepest depths of the Red Moon Desert! Almost everyone was stunned. Didn¡¯t Chu Liuyue successfully break through to become a legendary warrior? Why did she start to summon the golden lightning again, and she actually succeeded so easily! Ordinary people might not be able to trigger the golden lightning once in their lives, but it seemed to be at Chu Liuyue¡¯s fingertips. As long as she raised her hand, the golden lightning would immediately respond! In addition, where had she sent the heavenly lightning? ¡­ Swoosh! Space was torn apart, and sharp wind sounds rose one after another! It almost shook one¡¯s eardrums! Diwu Zhangze looked up and immediately stood up in shock. ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Dugu Mobao was already on the verge of exhaustion. When he heard this, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately looked up. An extremely dazzling golden bolt of heavenly lightning was flying over! He immediately realized something. Diwu Zhangze had already turned around in surprise. ¡°Big Baby! This is the heavenly lightning sent by Yue¡¯er!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression was still calm, but his originally dim purple eyes lit up again. ¡°Lan Xiao can be saved!¡± What they lacked was nothing but heavenly lightning! As long as this golden lightning arrived, they could definitely continue! Dugu Mobao propped himself up and sat cross-legged with his hands crossed in front of him. There wasn¡¯t much power left in his body, but it was still possible to guide the lightning into Lan Xiao¡¯s body. A purple light flew out, and the Xuan formation under Lan Xiao shone again! However, Lan Xiao was the slowest to react. Originally, he was experiencing a painful torture that felt like a thousand cuts when he suddenly heard Diwu Zhangze¡¯s excited voice. He barely broke free from the unbearable pain, woke up, and looked up at the sky. Under the dark night, a golden bolt of lightning arrived instantly! His eyes widened slightly. ¡°¡­Damn, that works too!?¡± When he first heard Diwu Zhangze¡¯s words, he thought that he was hallucinating. Unexpectedly, when he opened his eyes, the lightning was already right in front of him! Most importantly, this was sent by Yue¡¯er? No, this thing can be given?! Countless guesses instantly surfaced in Lan Xiao¡¯s heart. Even though he had lived for more than 10,000 years, he was still stunned by this situation. Seeing that he still seemed to be in a daze, Diwu Zhangze hurriedly shouted, ¡°Lan Xiao, what are you waiting for!? This is a rare opportunity¡ªhurry up and grab it!¡± This reconstruction of the Holy Body not only required the help of external forces but also Lan Xiao¡¯s own efforts. Lan Xiao came back to his senses and stuttered for once. ¡°I-I understand!¡± Seeing that the lightning was about to arrive, his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Let me make this clear first! If this doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll really be crippled!¡± He couldn¡¯t withstand the torture of being skinned and bruised three times! As soon as he finished speaking, the golden lightning quickly struck down! Dugu Mobao stared intently and guided the power of the golden lightning to condense the skull! The outline gradually appeared. Diwu Zhangze was so nervous that he didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly. After a while, this step was finally completed! Under the golden light, a young face could be vaguely seen! Lan Xiao raised his hand, planning to touch his face. Dugu Mobao suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. It¡¯s useless to touch it now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve suffered so much. Can¡¯t you make me happy first?¡± Lan Xiao complained, but he still obediently put his hand back. Of course, he knew. There was still one last step¡ªthe Soul-Forming Pill¡ªand this was also the most difficult step! Although he didn¡¯t say it, he was actually very nervous. The closer he was to success, the more nervous he became. Yue¡¯er hasjust broken through to become a legendary warrior. It¡¯s already very difficult for her to attract a golden bolt of lightning. I don ¡®t know ifshe can still¡ª ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Diwu Zhangze was the first to hear the sound and immediately looked up! Another golden bolt of lightning tore through the air! In the dark night sky, there was only a red moon hanging. However, that golden light seemed to be even brighter than the moonlight! The golden lightning flew across half of the Red Moon Desert and arrived quickly in the fog of the night and crimson light! Lan Xiao swallowed the rest of his words and stared at the sky without blinking. The golden lightning was heading straight for him! Dugu Mobao slapped it down with one hand! Whir! The Xuan formation shone brightly! Boom! The lightning struck Lan Xiao¡¯s lower abdomen with extreme precision! His body trembled, but he didn¡¯t make a sound of pain. Almost at the same time, the purple light on the Xuan formation surged up and enveloped Lan Xiao¡¯s body in the blink of an eye! The heavenly lightning gradually condensed into a golden walnut-sized ball of light in his abdomen! Soul-Forming Pill¡ªSuccess! In an instant, the light on Lan Xiao¡¯s body began to gradually fade. Flesh, blood, bones, and tendons appeared bit by bit! When the last light receded, he closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, a shocking pressure erupted from his body! Chapter 2141 - 2141 Return 2141 Return Every inch of his flesh and blood began to take shape bit by bit! Lan Xiao propped himself up and slowly brushed a hand across his face. Eyebrows, nose, chin His extremely real skin was still warmit was a sensation he hadn¡¯t felt in more than 10,000 years. Everything was so real that it made him feel like he was in a dream. He heard his heartbeatstrong and rhythmic. He touched his chest, which was beating again and again. It was a sound that he had never heard before in countless dreams. ¡°It really worked?¡± he muttered softly, still immersed in indescribable shock. He had fantasized too many times and waited too long. When this day really came, he was at a loss for a moment. ¡°Big Baby!¡± Diwu Zhangze¡¯s cry finally woke Lan Xiao up. Lan xiao immediately looked up and saw Dugu Mobao¡¯s body sway as he spat out blood again. Lan Xiao was shocked and immediately stood up. Diwu Zhangze had already supported Dugu Mobao. It was rare for Lan Xiao to lose his usual teasing expression. He frowned and asked, ¡°Big Baby, how are you?¡± He knew very well that after summoning the four golden lightning bolts, Dugu Mobao had already reached his limit. Although the next two were sent by Chu Liuyue, fusing them into Lan Xiao¡¯s body consumed a lot of his energy. After this matter was over, he relaxed and finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. Dugu Mobao shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just rest for a while.¡± He paused and looked up into the distance. ¡°Fortunately, everything went well in the process. That thing was suppressed by Yue¡¯er and didn¡¯t have the energy to care about us.¡± Seeing that Big Baby¡¯s breathing was still stable even though his face was pale, Lan Xiao was relieved. Hearing him mention this, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s all thanks to her this time.¡± If not for the two golden lightning bolts she sent over at the last moment, he would have been in trouble this time. Diwu Zhangze nodded in agreement, unable to hide the pride and joy on his face. ¡°That¡¯s right! Who would¡¯ve thought that she would choose to break through to become a legendary warrior!?¡± Originally, they all thought that it would take her quite some time to get to this point. Dugu Mobao looked over steadily and said, ¡°Go back.¡± ¡°Go back?¡± Lan Xiao looked surprised. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wait for Yue¡¯er to come over and meet her?¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°There¡¯s naturally a chance if you want to see her; there¡¯s no hurry. You reconstructed your Holy Body this time because of the help of the Red Moon and Yue¡¯er. However, this doesn¡¯t mean that you won¡¯t be discovered.¡± Lan Xiao¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°I almost forgot about this¡± He paused, grinding his teeth. ¡°I was thinking that I could officially meet the girl this time¡± He touched his face regretfully. At least Big Baby had a conscience and didn¡¯t ruin my face. Initially, I had hoped to use my peerless beauty to stun Yue¡¯er Diwu Zhangze seemed to have seen through Lan Xiao¡¯s thoughts. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and reminded politely, ¡°Stop dreaming. She already has Rong Xiu. Why would she care about your looks?¡± ¡°Diwu!¡± Lan Xiao exploded. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯ve suffered a lot today, I¡¯m already very polite.¡± Diwu Zhangze raised his chin. ¡°If you¡¯re unconvinced, I have a mirror here.¡± Lan Xiao widened his eyes and said after a long time, ¡°You win! I¡¯m leaving!¡± Not long after Chu Liuyue sent out the two golden lightning bolts, she sensed the shocking commotion over there. Vaguely, a ball of dazzling light was faintly discernible. Only then did her suspended heart calm down. It seems like it is done! She let out a long breath. Rong Xiu moved and arrived beside her. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± Chu Liuyue turned to look at him and saw that his eyes were deep and filled with heartache and gentleness. The corners of her lips curled up. ¡°It can be considered a blessing in disguise?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze silently swept past her eyebrows. At this moment, the totem had already quietly dissipated. When she broke through to become a legendary warrior, no one should have noticed this because she was too dazzling. ¡°Only Tuan Zi and Zi Chen are seriously injured. They probably have to recuperate for a period of time.¡± Zi Chen had mostly suffered external injuries and had broken a few bones. Even now, her heart still trembled when she thought of him. No matter what, the legendary three-eyed eagles had a high status and were quite powerful among the legendary fiends. Furthermore, Zi Chen had the wing bones of a great phoenix dragon and half of Miao Zhen¡¯s bloodline power. He was definitely not someone ordinary legendary fiends could compare to, but even he was injured like that. It wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine what he had experienced before. In addition, she was also very worried about Tuan Zi. Putting aside the injuries on her body, the biggest problem for Tuan Zi was that she had forcefully opened her sixth meridian. Although this increased her strength, it still did more harm than good. Why did the other party have to do this to Tuan Zi? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t understand at all. Tuan Zi is my contracted legendary fiend. If the other party wanted to torture Tuan Zi or kill her, there are many ways. Why did they have to do this? Unfortunately, there is no chance to ask this question now. Moreover, even if I ask, the other party definitely wouldn¡¯t tell me. Rong Xiu gazed deeply at her and sighed softly after a long time. ¡°Don¡¯t forget yourself.¡± She only thought about Tuan Zi and Zi Chen, but she ignored that she had also just forcefully broken through to become a legendary warrior. Everyone looked at her with envy now, but how many people could withstand the pain of forcefully tearing their Yuan meridian and breaking through to become a legendary warrior? It was also because of this that he rarely talked to her about breaking through to become a legendary warrior. Initially, she thought that when the time came, she would just let nature take its course. However, the truth often didn¡¯t go as planned. Chu Liuyue blinked and placed her hand in his palm, gently hooking his fingers with her fingertips. ¡°I know.¡± Her voice was soft, and her eyes were like stars. It was rare for her to have a hint of wheedling. She knew Rong Xiu too well. Although he looked no different from before, she could clearly hear his emotions from his words just now. ¡°I had no choice this time¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s heart moved slightly. He held her hand tightly, and his voice deepened. ¡°Don¡¯t fool around.¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and smiled. From a certain perspective, my man is quite easy to coax. Rong Xiu paused and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going over there to take a look?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before shaking her head. Now might not be the best time. On this point, she seemed to have some subtle tacit understanding with them. She glanced at the sky. At this moment, the sky was already turning bright. It was almost dawn. ¡°We should go back too,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Hearing that Chu Liuyue planned to go back directly, the others present were a little surprised. But after thinking about it carefully, that illusory hall had already collapsed, and there didn¡¯t seem to be a need to continue staying. Chapter 2142 - Chapter 2142: Steal! Chapter 2142: Steal! Originally, everyone had come for the so-called technique that could break through the shackles of a legendary warrior. But in the end, they were either dead or injured. It was already very rare for them to return safely. Yao Bin walked forward and bowed solemnly to thank her. ¡°Many thanks for Master Yue and Your Grace¡¯s help this time. If not for the two of you, I¡¯m afraid everyone in Purple Light Prefecture wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape this calamity. If you have any instructions in the future, Yao Bin and the entire Purple Light Prefecture will definitely go through fire and water without hesitation!¡± Rong Xiu replied, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Yue¡¯er¡¯s help this time. You don¡¯t owe me a favor, Lord Yao.¡± Yao Bin immediately reacted. Rong Xiu wants to pin all the credit and favors on Chu Liuyue. Actually, he was right. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was Chu Liuyue¡¯s, and the one who got them to escape in time was also Chu Liuyue¡¯s man. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Lord Yao. I¡¯m a person who likes to make friends. If someone respects me, I¡¯ll respect them tenfold. It¡¯s best if everyone can help each other. Actually, this matter is nothing. Lord Yao, you don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡± ¡°Master Yue is extremely talented. Now, you¡¯ve broken through to become a legendary warrior at a young age¡ªit¡¯s really admirable. This might be a small matter to you, but it¡¯s a big deal to us. No matter how grateful we are, it¡¯s not an exaggeration,¡± Yao Bin said sincerely. Previously, he had appeared in Fangzhou City to make things difficult for her. But this time, she had helped him without hesitation. He really owed her a huge favor. Shi Rui¡¯er walked forward and nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right, Yue¡¯er. If it weren¡¯t for you this time, we would probably be in danger.¡± She didn¡¯t care what the others thought. Anyway, she was very grateful to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°These things aren¡¯t worth mentioning. Now that everything has calmed down here, we plan to go back. Please leave.¡± With that, she and Rong Xiu planned to leave. But at this moment, a strange fluctuation suddenly came from her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She flipped her palm, and the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed appeared in her palm. At this moment, a black line suddenly appeared on the emerald-green bud! Almost at the same time, Shi Rui¡¯er¡ªwho was standing beside Chu Liuyue¡ªsuddenly widened her eyes. ¡°Yue¡¯er, th-this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡ªit seems to be devouring my force?!¡± Soon, Yao Bin¡¯s expression changed because he also sensed that the force in his body was continuously flowing toward the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! Not only them, but everyone around them also felt the same! ¡°What¡¯s going on? My power seems to be depleting too!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°This commotion is indeed the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! What on earth¡ª¡± Several voices sounded one after another, and everyone¡¯s gazes focused on Chu Liuyue again. Surprise, doubt, and confusion! Chu Liuyue looked around and suddenly understood something. Those who have smeared their blood on the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and established a connection with it have all fallen into this strange state! However, the key is that I didn ¡®t control the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed to do such a thing! Moreover, I can sense that the force in the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed is constantly increasing, but none of that power is surging into my body! However, no one knew about this; they only knew that Chu Liuyue was the owner of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Now that there was a problem with the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, it would be difficult for her to clear her name! In front of the hall previously, they had indeed connected themselves to her Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed for safety reasons, allowing it to devour the force in their bodies at any time. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had only swallowed the excess Heaven and Earth Force previously, but now¡­ Its target had become the force that already existed in their bodies! Some people recalled what Nie Hongjie had said. Now that they thought about it, would his suspicion of Chu Liuyue really become a reality? ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either.¡± Chu Liuyue quickly reacted and frowned slightly, rejecting everyone¡¯s guess. However, this sentence was really a little weak because the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was hers! The surroundings fell silent, and space seemed to freeze. Everyone looked at Chu Liuyue with complicated gazes. If not for the fact that Chu Liuyue had just broken through to become a legendary warrior and she had no reason to do this, they would have surrounded her and interrogated her. ¡°Give it to me,¡± Rong Xiu suddenly said. Chu Liuyue looked up and handed over the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in her hand. Rong Xiu held the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in his hand, and his eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Do you see anything?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Everyone looked over. Clearly, they were also waiting for Rong Xiu¡¯s answer. Rong Xiu didn¡¯t speak and continued to stare at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. In just a short while, it had already devoured a lot of force. As time passed, the black line on the stem and leaf continued to spread. Swoosh! A ball of golden flames suddenly surged out from his fingertips! The scorching heat made the leaves of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed curl up slightly, and the black line began to shrink toward its roots. Chu Liuyue stared intently and held her breath. As the flames burned, a faint smell of burning came over with a faint hint of blood. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows even more tightly. The Heaven- Wrecking Holy Seed isn¡¯t an ordinary item. It can grow by borrovving the Heaven and Earth Force. Furthermore, it is pure Yang and has extremely vigorous life force. It can never be burned by RongXiu¡¯s flames. Then, this smell¡­ must have come from that strange black line! ¡°Get out of there!¡± Rong Xiu suddenly shouted. The golden flames suddenly exploded! In the crowd, someone¡¯s chest suddenly trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood! Rong Xiu looked up and flicked his wrist. A golden thread flew out and instantly wrapped around that person, dragging him over! This was a man who looked to be in his thirties. His appearance was ordinary, and his figure was a little bloated. In a crowd, no one would notice him. The only thing worth paying attention to was that he was a legendary warrior! ¡°Lin Jiang?¡± A few people immediately became nervous. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°Someone from the Mahayana Sect?¡± Although she didn¡¯t know Lin Jiang, she remembered that he was an elder of the Mahayana Sect. The few people who were nervous were also from the Mahayana Sect. From the looks of it, they didn¡¯t know how such a thing happened. ¡°He¡¯s not Lin Jiang,¡± Rong Xiu said coldly. With a move of his fingertips, the golden thread instantly cut off half of Lin Jiang¡¯s face! They were both legendary warriors, but Lin Jiang couldn¡¯t fight back at all in front of Rong Xiu. After half of his face was peeled off, everyone was shocked to discover that there was a mask on his face! After Rong Xiu removed the mask, half of the impostor¡¯s face was destroyed. The remaining half of his face was very unfamiliar to everyone. ¡°He¡¯s not Lin Jiang!¡± Seeing that his identity had been exposed, a ruthless glint flashed across the man¡¯s eyes, and a violent aura suddenly spread from his body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°He stole the force of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed!¡± Chapter 2143 - Chapter 2143: I Have Twin Chapter 2143: I Have Twin The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was indeed Chu Liuyue¡¯s. Ever since she took it out to absorb the Heaven and Earth Force that had forcefully surged into everyone¡¯s bodies, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had established a subtle connection with these people. From a certain perspective, it was as if there were invisible threads connected to each other. This person was one of them. It was unknown what method he used to steal the force devoured by the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and control it to continue devouring the force in everyone¡¯s bodies. In other words, he had actually cut off the connection between Chu Liuyue and this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed¡¯s force! Hence, when Shi Rui¡¯er and the others realized that something was wrong, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t react at all. A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. The truth is actually not difficult to guess, but the point was¡ªhow did he do it? Seeing that the man suddenly tore through space and was about to run, Rong Xiu suddenly raised his hand. A golden light flashed, instantly sealing the spatial crack! The powerful impact swept toward the man, forming a cage in the blink of an eye and trapping him. Panic appeared on the man¡¯s face. He had long heard of Rong Xiu¡¯s methods. IfI really fall into his hands, I will probably die! A ruthless look flashed across his eyes. Then, he began to devour the force in the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed even more crazily! Rong Xiu lowered his eyes. The black line on the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed actually spread again¡ªit was even faster than before! The attack just now could have completely resolved it, but the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had extremely vigorous vitality. This man implanted his force into it and used the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed to dodge Rong Xiu¡¯s attack! If Rong Xiu wanted to completely destroy it, this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed would probably suffer as well. ¡°Yue¡¯er, he¡¯s still plundering our force!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er shouted anxiously. The others didn¡¯t look too good either. Chu Liuyue looked at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in Rong Xiu¡¯s hand. The black lines on it had already spread to the veins of the tender leaf. ¡°Haha! Shangguan Yue, this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed is already under my control. If you want to protect it, you¡¯d better let me go immediately! Otherwise, everyone here will definitely die before me!¡± The man knew that the matter had been exposed and that it was useless to hide and deceive them anymore. Thus, he simply said it openly. Half of his face had been peeled off and was badly mangled, making him look even more ferocious and terrifying. Chu Liuyue placed her hand on Rong Xiu¡¯s wrist so that the latter would calm down first. Then, she turned around and stared at that man coldly. ¡°You¡¯re quite capable.¡± This move deceived even me. It is indeed powerful. ¡°Who sent you?¡± she suddenly asked. The man thought that she was going to compromise, but he didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly ask such a question. His heart skipped a beat. ¡°What are you talking about? No one sent me!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly, but there was no smile in her eyes. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s also a coincidence that you pretended to be Lin Jiang and came to the Red Moon Desert with the people from the Mahayana Sect?¡± The few people from the Mahayana Sect immediately said, ¡°Master Yue, after we sensed that the new Gate Realm had opened, we immediately rushed over! This person can¡¯t have disguised himself as Lin Jiang at the last minute. He must¡¯ve replaced Lin Jiang long ago!¡± Why would a person suddenly pretend to be another person for no reason? It was obvious that he had a plan. Later on, he even followed the people from the Mahayana Sect over and even made a move on the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. No one would believe that it was a coincidence. The man was exposed by everyone, and a trace of panic flashed across his eyes. However, he still focused his attack on Chu Liuyue. ¡°Shangguan Yue, don¡¯t talk so much nonsense! I¡¯ll count to three. Let me leave immediately; otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely let these people die with me first! At that time, their deaths will all be on you! Don¡¯t forget who took out the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and caused their lives to be on the line!¡± He shouted hysterically as if he were crazy. He had the urge to drag everyone to death. Anyone would be able to do anything if they were forced to their death. Everyone fell silent and looked at Chu Liuyue. Intellectually, they knew that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be blamed for this. She had taken out the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed at the beginning to help them. Furthermore, she had successfully broken through to become a legendary warrior without the help of everyone, so there was naturally no need to attack them. But on the other hand, she was the owner of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. After this incident, it was inevitable. Chu Liuyue looked at him. ¡°In that case, you¡¯re really confident in yourself¡­¡± ¡°One!¡± The man ignored Chu Liuyue¡¯s words and only started counting. Chu Liuyue crossed her arms. Her expression was calm and indifferent, and there was a hint of mockery in the corners of her eyes. In the man¡¯s eyes, her reaction only made him even angrier. ¡°Shangguan Yue, are you really not afraid?! ¡®1 Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you counting anymore? Continue counting, I¡¯m listening!¡± The man was stunned. He clearly didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude to be so domineering. Does she really not care about the lives of these people? Even if she is Master Yue and even ifshe has RongXiu and the others backing her up, she definitely can ¡®t bear the deaths ofso many people! One has to know that these people are all ofhigh status. It¡¯s fine if one or two of them die, but if too many die¡­ When the time comes, will she be able to stay out of it?! That man stared at Chu Liuyue intently, wanting to see something from her face. However, Chu Liuyue only had a faint smile on her face. Other than that, nothing else could be seen. The man hesitated for a moment before finally shouting, ¡°Three!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly closed his eyes and planned to self-destruct! Everyone around them became nervous and held their breaths. But after waiting for a moment, nothing happened. The man opened his eyes in surprise, only to find that everything hadn¡¯t gone as he had hoped! ¡°This¡­ ¡± What is going on ? I had clearly made enough preparations before! Once I attack, none of the people present can escape! At this moment, he suddenly realized in shock that the force in the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had suddenly stopped surging toward him! This is even more wrong! I did it when everyone went forward to come into contact with the Heaven- Wrecking Holy Seed. At this moment, my strength is already buried deep in the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Once something happens to me, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed will definitely suffer! How¡ª ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to drag everyone down with you?¡± Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and looked at him lazily and calmly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you continuing?¡± ¡°You!¡± The man was filled with anger. Just as he was about to continue, deep shock suddenly flashed across his face. Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and an identical Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was swaying in the wind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I forgot to tell you that I don¡¯t only have that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. I have a set of twins.¡± . Chapter 2144 - 2144 Asking for Help 2144 Asking for Help Everyone was taken aback! Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds were extremely rare, so it was already very rare to have one. No one expected Chu Liuyue to have a pair! Looking at the two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds in Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡¯s hands, everyone was shocked speechless. However, the man¡¯s face instantly turned pale. He only controlled one Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! He originally thought that he could successfully complete his goal by taking control of it from Chu Liuyue, but he didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to have such a backup plan! The man hurriedly tried again. He then realized that not only was he unable to continue using the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed to devour power, but the force in his body began to surge uncontrollably toward the other undamaged Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed! The force around him began to dissipate at an astonishing speed! This time, he finally panicked completely. At this moment, he finally realized that no matter what method he used to forcefully control the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, it was clearly impossible to defeat its twin! Chu Liuyue looked down at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in her hand. Actually, she had never deliberately hidden the fact that she had two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds. It was just that every time she encountered something, taking one out was often enough. These two Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds were twins and were closely related to each other. Their strength could be reversed between each other at will. Therefore, she didn¡¯t dwell on these things and just took out one every time. Unexpectedly, she had accidentally resolved a moderate problem this time. Chu Liuyue gently shook the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed in her hand. Whoosh The force recaptured from the man surged into it and then returned to everyone¡¯s bodies as the tender shoots swayed. This process was extremely powerful and domineering. Before the man could dodge, half of the force in his body had been deprived! His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with panic. His previous arrogance had already dissipated. He frantically urged the remaining force and desperately hit the cage around him. However, Rong Xiu could even suppress and seal that eye, let alone him! Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes moved slightly, and the golden flames on his fingertips burned! Shoo! A bloody wound also appeared on the man¡¯s body. The golden cage gradually tightened and began to exert a strong pressure on space. The man gradually gave up struggling. An intense pain came from all over his body, almost making him wish he was dead! Chu Liuyue looked at Shi Rui¡¯er. ¡°Is it done now?¡± She was asking about the power that had been stolen from them before. Shi Rui¡¯er immediately nodded. ¡°It¡¯s all done! I think there¡¯s a little more!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Although this Lin Jiang is an impostor, the realm and strength of this person are real. Even if it¡¯s minced, everyone can still get a little. Take it as compensation for everyone. After all, I was the one who misjudged this matter.¡± Everyone fell silent. Even Shi Rui¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but twitch her lips. These words sound really She looked at the man trapped in the cage with some sympathy. Of all people, why did he have to offend Chu Liuyue? He must be tired of living to dare to cause trouble. Chu Liuyue took a step forward and stared at the man as she asked, ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Who sent you?¡± At the same time, on Moya Peak. This was the back mountain of the Yi family, and it was also a forbidden area of the Yi family. Very few people usually came. At this moment, a tall figure was standing on the mountain with his hands behind his backit was Jun Jiuqing. In front of him was a surging black and blue river. Behind him stood a middle-aged manthe head of the Wei family, Wei Ze! The two of them were silent. Wei Ze looked up at Jun Jiuqing from time to time with a conflicted expression. He had been here for almost an hour, but Jun Jiuqing hadn¡¯t spoken. The latter didn¡¯t even turn around. If it were anyone else, Wei Ze would definitely not be so polite. After all, the Wei family was a first-rate family in the God Residence Realm. He was also the family head, so in terms of status, he wasn¡¯t inferior to anyone. But in front of Jun Jiuqing, his pride was much restrained. On the one hand, it was because the Yi family¡¯s status was higher than the Wei family¡¯s. Although there had been many storms in the Yi family some time ago, a starving camel wa still bigger than a horse. The Yi family couldn¡¯t be underestimated now. In addition, Jun Jiuqing had easily pulled Yi Wentao down and quickly controlled the entire Yi family. This was enough to prove his scheming methods. On the other hand, it was because he still owed Jun Jiuqing a favor. ¡°Family Head, my son¡± Unable to wait any longer, Wei Ze spoke. But before he could finish, Jun Jiuqing raised his palm, indicating for him to be quiet. Wei Ze could only swallow the rest of his words. Screech! A hiss came from afar. Wei Ze looked up and saw a fiend that looked like an eagle and a vulture flying over. The fiend spread its wings. It was muscular and extremely fast. Wherever it passed, a long black spatial crack appeared in the sky. Jun Jiuqing raised his hand, and the fiend flew in front of him and grabbed his arm firmly. Wei Ze took a closer look. A half-broken condor. This was a legendary fiend, but it was extremely fierce and aggressive. Every time it won, it would eat the opponent¡¯s corpse. It was an extremely ruthless existence. Jun Jiuqing glanced at it, and his devilish eyes relaxed as if revealing a smile. ¡°Did you enjoy your meal?¡± Screech! The half-broken condor hissed into the sky and flapped its wings. It was clearly still excited. This was Jun Jiuqing¡¯s new pet. The one he raised in the past had died under the claws of this half-broken condor some time ago, so he simply took it in. As expected, it suited him better. The half-broken condor turned around and glanced at Wei Ze. That gaze was fierce and ruthless, with undisguised probing and greed! It was as if it treated Wei Ze as its food! Wei Ze immediately felt a strong sense of discomfort. He knew that this legendary fiend was extraordinary, but such an aggressive gaze still made him shudder. It was very Jun Jiuqing finally turned around and looked at Wei Ze with a faint smile. ¡°Family Head, it seems like it likes you very much.¡± Wei Ze broke out in a cold sweat. These words don¡¯t sound good! However, he still forced a smile and cupped his hands. ¡°The legendary fiend of the Yi family head is naturally extraordinary.¡± Jun Jiuqing smiled. As he combed the feathers of the half-broken condor, he asked, ¡°What did you say happened to your son?¡± We are finally getting to the point! Wei Ze hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. It¡¯s just that in the Messy Stone Forest last time, in order to fight for first place with Shangguan Yue, he was seriously injured. Now, he¡¯s barely extending his life and hasn¡¯t recovered. I wonder if Master Yi has a way to help?¡± Chapter 2145 - Chapter 2145: Not Listening Chapter 2145: Not Listening Jun Jiuqing glanced at him indifferently. ¡°How do you want me to help, Master Wei?¡± Wei Ze paused before saying hesitantly, ¡°This¡­ Xiping has already been in that hammer for a long time. I wonder if the family head can¡­ let him out and help reconstruct his body?¡± Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t speak, but the surrounding air seemed to have instantly frozen! Even the temperature was almost freezing! Wei Ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat. After a while, Jun Jiuqing slowly said, ¡°Master Wei, you seem to have forgotten that Wei Xiping was the one who was willing to go in back then. No one forced him. Now, he¡¯s thinking of coming out before he¡¯s done?¡± ¡°Master Yi, don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± Wei Ze was also worried that he would flare up and quickly explained. ¡°I-I¡¯m just saying that first! If Master Yi is unwilling, it¡¯s fine! I just feel that he¡¯s been trapped inside for a long time and will feel uncomfortable over time. Furthermore, he¡¯s indeed seriously injured this time¡­¡± ¡°Did he think of it himself, or did Master Wei decide?¡± ¡°I did¡ªthis is just my thought! He doesn¡¯t know that I came this time!¡± Wei Ze hurriedly said. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s much smarter than you.¡± Wei Ze didn¡¯t dare to continue. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s meaning is obvious! He took a deep breath, wanting to salvage the situation. ¡°This has nothing to do with him. It¡¯s just that as a father, I can¡¯t bear to see him trapped and tortured all day long¡­ But other than that, we have no other intentions!¡± Jun Jiuqing seemed to laugh. ¡°It¡¯s normal for Master Wei to feel sorry for his son. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll let him out when the time is right.¡± Hearing his words, Wei Ze¡¯s heart finally relaxed. ¡°Thank you, Master Yi!¡± At this moment, a strange fluctuation suddenly came from the distant horizon! Jun Jiuqing looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly. This commotion came from the newly opened Gate Realm. It seems that the matter over there has already come to an end¡­ He asked casually, ¡°Master Wei, you didn¡¯t send anyone from the Wei family, right?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, ¡°No! Previously, Master Yi sent a message asking us not to get involved in this matter. We all did as you said.¡± Jun Jiuqing suddenly looked at him steadily, his eyes as sharp as knives. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m serious!¡± Wei Ze looked determined. ¡°Master Yi, you also know that our Wei family has been in constant trouble recently. We can¡¯t even take care of ourselves. How can we have the time and energy to care about these¡ª Jun Jiuqing suddenly said, ¡°Wei Ze, do you know the price you have to pay if you lie to me!?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s heart sank, and his eyelids twitched. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what Master Yi means¡ª Jun Jiuqing sneered, having already confirmed his thoughts. ¡°You still sent someone.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question but an affirmative statement! Wei Ze subconsciously wanted to defend himself, but when he met Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine! His lips trembled, and he finally said, ¡°Th-that person is¡­ He sneaked into the Mahayana Sect in the past¡­ I didn¡¯t deliberately let him go!¡± The relationships between these first-rate families in the God Residence Realm were very subtle. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to secretly plant a spy in another faction. Wei Ze was no exception. The reason sounded reasonable, but Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t think so. He stared at Wei Ze coldly, full of pressure! ¡°After the Gate Realm opened, the Mahayana Sect wasn¡¯t the first to rush over. During this period of time, it was enough for you to contact them and order them not to go! Wei Ze, do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t do it on purpose!?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s face turned pale, and his legs went weak. He was clearly much older than Jun Jiuqing, but for some reason¡­ When facing Jun Jiuqing, he felt that he was the one who was more humble and at a disadvantage. Even at this moment, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s questioning made him feel a little afraid! Wei Ze opened his mouth. ¡°But¡­ But I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± These words sounded extremely guilty, and even he couldn¡¯t convince himself. In fact, after the new Gate Realm opened, he was also abnormally excited and planned to personally lead people over to investigate. Unexpectedly, before he could set off, he received Jun Jiuqing¡¯s order. How could he accept this? He couldn¡¯t bear to miss such a good opportunity! Fortunately, he had left someone at the Mahayana Sect long ago, so he privately released the news to that person and asked him to act according to the situation. As he guessed that Rong Xiu and the others would also go, he specially kept an eye on them. If there was a chance, he would attack those two people! Of course, Wei Ze wanted revenge, and this would be an extremely rare opportunity! Butseeing Jun Jiuqing¡¯s reaction now, Wei Ze was a little stunned. Wasn¡¯t itjust me who sent someone over, and it was so seamless! Even ifJun Jiuqing is angry because I didn ¡®t completely obey his orders, there is no need to have such a strong reaction, right? Why does it seem like I have committed a heinous crime? ¡°Master Yi, that person has been in the Mahayana Sect for a long time, and he¡¯s smart. Nothing will happen¡ª I¡® Jun Jiuqing sneered. ¡°Wei Ze, remember this. Your son¡¯s life was ruined by your own hands!¡± With that, he closed his eyes. ¡°Get lost!¡± Wei Ze never expected to be scolded by Jun Jiuqing like this! His face went red and white. ¡°Jun Jiuqing, don¡¯t go too far¡ª Screech! Before he could finish speaking, the half-broken condor suddenly headed straight for him!. Chapter 2146 - Chapter 2146: How Is He? Chapter 2146: How Is He? Wei Ze was shocked and immediately retreated! However, the speed of the half-broken condor was faster than him! In the blink of an eye, it had already flown in front of Wei Ze and bit his face with its sharp beak! Wei Ze waved his sleeves, planning to set up a barrier in front of him. But before he could do so, he felt a tearing pain in his arm! He retreated continuously and lowered his eyes to take a look. In shock and anger, he realized that a piece of flesh had really been torn off his arm! It was bloody and shocking! This beast¡­ He looked up, but his pupils constricted. The half-broken condor actually swallowed his flesh in one bite! Those cold eyes were also staring at him intently, and it seemed like they were emitting a green light of greed and excitement. I-is it really treating me as food?! Screech! It raised its head and screeched, its wings trembling as if it planned to continue rushing over. At this moment, Jun Jiuqing suddenly raised his hand. The half-broken condor retracted its aura, but its bloodthirsty eyes were still fixed on Wei Ze. It was as if as long as Jun Jiuqing let go, it would immediately rush over, tear Wei Ze apart, and eat him! ¡°Master Wei, this is just a warning. Some things can be said, some can¡¯t be said, some can be done, and some can¡¯t be done. I don¡¯t think I need to teach you this anymore, right?¡± Jun Jiuqing said slowly. Wei Ze¡¯s heart was beating wildly. He knew very well that this was the Yi family¡¯s territory. If Jun Jiuqing really wanted his life, he would never have a chance to leave alive! He gritted his teeth tightly. There seemed to be flames in his chest and abdomen as if they were about to spew out, but in the end, he chose to compromise. ¡°I know!¡± With that, he quickly turned around and left. After his figure completely disappeared, Jun Jiuqing looked at the half-broken condor on his arm. He narrowed his eyes, and a hint of displeasure flashed across them. ¡°How dirty.¡± The half-broken condor¡ªwhich had been extremely arrogant and unrestrained just now¡ª immediately shrunk its head. It was obvious that it was extremely afraid of him. Fortunately, Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t continue to reprimand it. ¡°Anyone there!?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a black shadow walked out of the void. ¡°Master.¡± Jun Jiuqing tidied his fiend¡¯s feathers and said calmly, ¡°Clean up the few people who contacted the Wei family previously.¡± ¡°As for the Wei family¡­ We just have to protect Wei Ze and Wei Xiping¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Jun Jiuqing waved his hand, and the black shadow quickly disappeared. Silence returned between the cliffs. He looked at the sky. The fluctuations coming from the Gate Realm had gradually disappeared. ¡°It seems like it has ended¡­¡± He spoke slowly and softly. This was the first time Chu Liuyue had passed through a newly opened Gate Realm. After entering the God Residence Realm, she turned around to take another look. This Gate Realm wasn¡¯t much different from the one she had seen before. It was just that no one was guarding it now. The fight for ownership of any Gate Realm was very intense. After all, to a large extent, this represented a certain level of status and strength. Rong Xiu looked at her. ¡°What, do you like this Gate Realm?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hide anything and directly nodded to admit it. ¡°En.¡± If I¡¯ve guessed right, this should be the Gate Realm that Big Baby has opened. If I can control it, it will be much more convenient to contact them in the future. She looked around and smiled. ¡°This Gate Realm is very important to me. I wonder if you can let me pass this time?¡± Yao Bin cupped fists and said, ¡°Master Yue, you¡¯re too polite. If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯m afraid we wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape. This Gate Realm should have been yours to begin with. There¡¯s no need to give in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Yue¡¯er, when a new Gate Realm appears, it always needs a new master. And here, no one is more suitable than you.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er nodded in agreement. Regarding this, everyone actually had an unspoken mutual understanding. They originally didn¡¯t have the right to fight with Chu Liuyue over this. Furthermore, even if they really wanted to fight, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to win. In the end, they wouldn¡¯t have a good reputation. It was better to withdraw from this competition. Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning. ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°Since the matter is over, we¡¯ll go back first. I wish everyone a smooth journey.¡± After everyone bade farewell, they finally left. Chu Liuyue looked at Cen Yi. ¡°Cen Yi, stay here first. I¡¯ll leave this Gate Realm for you to guard for the time being.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue cupped her hands at Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao. ¡°Seniors, thank you for this.¡± Miao Zhen waved his hand. ¡°For what? Actually, we didn¡¯t help much. At the end of the day, you and Rong Xiu contributed the most.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, but her expression was extremely sincere. ¡°Originally, the two of you didn¡¯t have to come on this trip. Thank you.¡± Saving her from thousands of miles away was always a very precious thought. Furthermore, after this event, everyone in the God Residence Realm would definitely include the great phoenix dragons and the red-gold heavenly phoenixes. These two ancient legendary fiend races had rarely interfered in the matters of the human race for many years. But after this time, they were definitely implicated. Yi Zhao suddenly said, ¡°Tuan Zi is the young mistress of our race. This concerns her life and death, so our red-gold heavenly phoenix race naturally can¡¯t stay out of this.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him and sighed in her heart. Yi Zhao really dotes on Tuan Zi to the core. When they went to Godly Phoenix Mountain for the first time in the past, they were even threatened ruthlessly. Why would she think of today at that time? Yi Zhao seemed to value Tuan Zits life more than his own. Although he was quiet and cold, his feelings for Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t be more sincere and passionate. ¡°That¡¯s right. Although Zi Chen isn¡¯t from our great phoenix dragon race, he still has half of our bloodline in him. Moreover, you guys helped me before. This small favor is nothing!¡± Miao Zhen chuckled. Chu Liuyue thanked him again. ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯ll go back to Peach Blossom Dock first.¡± Yi Zhao said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± He paused, his brows furrowed. ¡°I have to personally ensure that Tuan Zi¡¯s body is safe before I can be at ease.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that he was talking about Tuan Zi forcefully opening the sixth meridian. Her expression turned cold as she nodded slightly. ¡°Please¡ª Peach Blossom Dock. Chu Liuyue and the rest kept a low profile when they returned and went straight back to Yue Manor. After entering the room, Chu Liuyue summoned Tuan Zi first. After a period of recuperation, the latter¡¯s condition was a little better than before. Some of the less serious flesh wounds were almost healed, but Chu Liuyue knew that this wasn¡¯t the most serious problem of her body. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± The moment Tuan Zi came out, she ran toward Chu Liuyue and hugged her thigh. She looked up and asked, ¡°A¡¯Yue, how¡¯s Zi Chen?¡±. Chapter 2147 - 2147 Fortunately, Its Not Her 2147 Fortunately, It¡¯s Not Her Her originally chubby face had lost a lot of weight after this torture. It was very heartbreaking. She looked up at this moment, her eyes filled with worry. Chu Liuyue picked her up and gently rubbed her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tuan Zi. Zi Chen will be fine.¡± Tuan Zi hugged her neck with both hands, her small brows still tightly furrowed. ¡°But¡­ But he¡¯s so seriously injured¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. Tuan Zi is very smart. These vague words can¡¯t comfort her at all. She kissed Tuan Zi and patiently advised gently, ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re already back. As long as you guys recuperate well, everything will be fine. Don¡¯t you even believe in A¡¯Yue?¡± Tuan Zi shook her head and leaned against her shoulder as she muttered softly. ¡°Tuan Zi trusts A¡¯Yue the most.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart softened, and she said to Yi Zhao beside her, ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to Clan Leader Grandpa¡¯s side first and wait together, okay?¡± Tuan Zi knew that she was going to help Zi Chen treat his injuries, so she nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± Rong Xiu was standing at the side. When he saw this scene, he seemed to have thought of something. A glint flashed across his eyes, and his eyes softened. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice it. She turned around and handed Tuan Zi to Yi Zhao. Yi Zhao¡¯s usually cold face instantly fluctuated. He coughed and reached out to carefully carry Tuan Zi in his arms. Although Tuan Zi had already opened her sixth meridian, she was still a soft ball when carried. He lowered his eyes slightly and saw the dark-red bloodstains on Tuan Zi¡¯s body that had already dried up. Anger and killing intent still surged in his heart, but he was afraid of scaring Tuan Zi, so he suppressed it in the end. After killing Nie Hongjie and his daughter, he still couldn¡¯t vent his hatred! If there was a chance in the future, he would definitely find the person behind it and make him pay for Tuan Zi¡¯s suffering a thousand times over! Suddenly, a soft hand touched his forehead. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, don¡¯t be angry. Isn¡¯t Tuan Zi fine?¡± Although Yi Zhao didn¡¯t say anything, Tuan ZI knew that he was feeling sorry for her and was also angry about what had happened previously. Yi Zhao¡¯s heart instantly softened. He grabbed Tuan Zi¡¯s hand and nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll listen to Tuan Zi.¡± At this moment, Chu Liuyue summoned Zi Chen. Zi Chen¡¯s situation looked very bad. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he was covered in injuries. Even though Chu Liuyue had tried her best to heal his injuries previously, his injuries were too serious, especially the bone-piercing injury! As a legendary fiend with half of a great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline¡­ Logically speaking, Zi Chen¡¯s physical strength was extremely good. Even if he fought a legendary warrior, he might not be too seriously injured. Chu Liuyue suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, and a dagger appeared in her hand. She walked over and cut open the shirt on Zi Chen¡¯s shoulder, revealing the wound that had pierced through the bone. A bowl-sized bloody hole appeared in front. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. In fact, over the years, she had seen more bloody and terrifying scenes than this. But now that this injury was on Zi Chen, she couldn¡¯t suppress her anger and heartache. Zi Chen¡¯s two wrists also had the same wound. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Is this an injury from trying to break free from that thing¡¯s restraint?¡± Zi Chen¡¯s handsome and cold face turned pale as he nodded. Although his voice was weak, his tone was as calm and low as ever. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough. I can only use this method.¡± He tried to break the chain, but he tried many ways and failed. In the end, this was all he could do. Chu Liuyue felt stifled. ¡°I was too careless. I shouldn¡¯t have let you leave at that time.¡± Every time she thought about it later on, she felt that if she had been more vigilant at that time and not let Tuan Zi and Zi Chen go out, these things might not have happened. Zi Chen shook his head. ¡°Xue Xue was with us at that time, but its goal was us¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Tuan Zi suddenly spoke, her eyes red. ¡°I know¡ªit¡¯s me.¡± Her voice was already sobbing. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! If I hadn¡¯t insisted on pestering Zi Chen to fight at that time, he wouldn¡¯t have been implicated by me¡­¡± As she spoke, she finally couldn¡¯t help but tear up. Hot tears landed on Yi Zhao¡¯s hand, making his heart ache. ¡°Tuan Zi, Tuan Zi, don¡¯t cry.¡± He had never seen such a scene before and was at a loss for a moment. ¡°Tuan Zi, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. To be honest, the real target of that eye is actually me! As for Tuan Zi, she was the next best thing. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes were red and teary. When she saw the wound on Zi Chen¡¯s arm and shoulder, she cried even harder. ¡°It¡¯s all because of me! Zi Chen was originally fine, but he was injured because he wanted to save me¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Previously, she had been tense, so she didn¡¯t think too much about it. Now that she had finally returned safely¡­ When she saw Zi Chen¡¯s injuries and recalled the scenes at that time, she felt overwhelming guilt and self-reproach. ¡°Zi Chen¡­ Sorry, sorry¡­¡± Tuan Zi cried until she was out of breath, as if she wanted to vent all the fear, grievances, and pain she had suffered during this period of time. Her small body was crying and twitching. Yi Zhao¡¯s heart ached so much that he didn¡¯t know what to do. He happened to look at Chu Liuyue for help. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Zi Chen suddenly spoke. His expression was as cold and indifferent as ever, but his tone was a little gentle and patient. Tuan Zi suddenly jumped down from Yi Zhao¡¯s arms and ran to Zi Chen. ¡°Zi Chen, why don¡¯t you hit me!?¡± As Tuan Zi spoke, she wiped her tears, but she couldn¡¯t wipe them away. Seeing the bloody holes in Zi Chen¡¯s wrist and shoulder, she felt even more uncomfortable. ¡°If you didn¡¯t save me, you wouldn¡¯t have to suffer these injuries!¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you. When it locked me up, it had already pierced my wrist with a chain.¡± Zi Chen shook his head. ¡°But thank goodness¡­¡± His gaze landed on Tuan Zi¡¯s wrist. Perhaps to help Tuan Zi open her meridian, the other party didn¡¯t use this method to deal with Tuan Zi. Instead, it only locked her wrist with shackles. Fortunately, his wrist was pierced, leaving a chance for him to escape. Thank goodness it wasn¡¯t her. Chapter 2148 - Chapter 2148: Take Care Chapter 2148: Take Care Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, step back first. I¡¯ll help Zi Chen take a look at his injuries.¡± Tuan Zi pursed her lips and forced herself to move her feet, but her two small hands were still on the edge of the bed. Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. Seeing Tuan Zi crying so miserably, she is probably really sad because of this. As long as Zi Chen¡¯s injuries don¡¯t recover, she probably won¡¯t be able to rest easy. Chu Liuyue stopped urging her and looked at Zi Chen. ¡°It might hurt a little later. Bear with it.¡± Zi Chen looked away from Tuan Zi and nodded. Chu Liuyue looked at his left shoulder, and her expression became much more serious. Swoosh! A reddish-gold flame intertwined with transparent karmic fire suddenly surged out of her palm! The scorching heat caused the temperature in the room to rise significantly. Then, her palm slowly approached the wound on Zi Chen¡¯s left shoulder. Under the roasting of this flame, the dried blood gradually evaporated and dissipated, revealing Zi Chen¡¯s originally badly mangled wound. Chu Liuyue placed the dagger in her other hand on the fire. This dagger was the one Rong Xiu had given her back then¡ªit was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing and extremely sharp. Unlike ordinary daggers, this one didn¡¯t turn red like soldering iron when roasted in the fire. Instead, it was still bright and clear. After a moment, Chu Liuyue held the dagger in her hand and cut Zi Chen¡¯s shoulder. His shoulder bone had been pierced, and there were still some bone fragments inside that had to be cleaned out. Some of the flesh around the wound had already died and had to be removed as soon as possible. Chu Liuyue was about to move when she suddenly realized that Zi Chen¡¯s gaze landed on Tuan Zi. ¡°Turn around.¡± This was for Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi immediately said, ¡°No!¡± It isn ¡®t like I haven ¡®t seen such scenes before. Besides, Zi Chen ¡®s injury was because ofme. What¡¯s wrong with mejust watching? Zi Chen frowned. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. As if sensing her smile, Zi Chen paused and lowered his eyes. After a moment, he seemed to be explaining something. ¡°She¡¯s still young.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in acknowledgment. Yes, yes. Compared to Zi Chen, who has lived fora thousand years, Tuan Zi is indeed still young. Although Tuan Zi has been with me for a few years and has even experienced life and death, this scene would still scare her. Zi Chen was Chu Liuyue¡¯s legendary fiend. He immediately knew what she was thinking and wanted to defend himself, but he gave up in the end and only closed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled in her heart, but she still turned her body and blocked Tuan Zi¡¯s line of sight. ¡°0w¡ª¡± Tuan Zi originally wanted to take a closer look, but with Chu Liuyue blocking her, she couldn¡¯t see anything. She originally wanted to change her position, but she was worried that she would disturb Chu Liuyue if she moved at this time. Thus, she could only obediently stay where she was and wait with her head raised. Fortunately, Chu Liuyue was very fast and straightforward. In a short while, she finished treating the wound on Zi Chen¡¯s left shoulder. She took out two jade bottles from her Cosmic Ring. One was a powder-shaped medicine, and the other was a Spirit Cleansing Pill. She first fed Zi Chen a Spirit Cleansing Pill before starting to apply the medicine. When the medicine was sprinkled on the wound, Zi Chen¡¯s lips turned pale, and his body instantly tensed up. This was refined by Chu Liuyue herself. It was very effective, but it hurt a lot. She sped up her work. After applying the medicine, she bandaged Zi Chen¡¯s wound. After treating the wound on his shoulder, she moved onto his two wrists. Fortunately, the wounds on his wrists were lighter than the one on his shoulder. But even so, after everything was done, Zi Chen¡¯s clothes were almost drenched. It was obvious that it hurt. Chu Liuyue handed over the two bottles in her hand and placed them by the bed. ¡°The medicine on your body will be changed once a day. This Spirit Cleansing Pill must be taken every two days. In ten days, you should be almost healed. Lie here and recuperate during this period.¡± Zi Chen said, ¡°It won¡¯t take that long.¡± Chu Liuyue held her forehead helplessly. Zi Chen¡¯s personality is always like this. He definitely isn¡¯t willing to lie here like a patient every day, even though he is a patient to begin with. She turned to look at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, I¡¯ll leave Zi Chen to you.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Upon receiving this mission, Tuan Zi immediately nodded vigorously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, A¡¯Yue! I¡¯ll definitely take good care of Zi Chen!¡± She already felt very guilty and reproachful because of Zi Chen¡¯s injury. Now that she had a chance to make up for it, she was naturally very happy. She had to seize the opportunity no matter what. Zi Chen¡¯s brows twitched as he looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I don¡¯t need¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t leave Zi Chen any room for negotiation and directly settled this matter. Then, she waved at Tuan Zi, who had already run to the bed and was studying the two bottles of medicine carefully. ¡°Tuan Zi, come over first. You can come back later.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, okay!¡± Tuan Zi didn¡¯t suspect anything and followed her obediently. Chu Liuyue carried her up and walked out of the door. Yi Zhao and Rong Xiu followed. The group of them arrived at another room in the courtyard. After entering, Chu Liuyue placed Tuan Zi on the bed. Tuan Zi looked at her in confusion. ¡°A¡¯Yue?¡± ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry. Clan Leader Grandpa and I just came to see how you¡¯re doing after opening your sixth meridian.¡± Upon hearing this, Tuan Zi immediately nodded obediently and stretched out her little hand. ¡°A¡¯Yue, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Chu Liuyue sat by the bed and held her hand to take her pulse. She sent out a stream of force, and it flowed along the meridians in Tuan Zit s body. After a moment, she retracted her hand, her expression unreadable. ¡°Senior Yi Zhao, come and take a look.¡± She stood up and gave her seat to Yi Zhao. Yi Zhao walked over, but his method was different from Chu Liuyue¡¯s. A cluster of golden flames surged out from his fingertips and slowly seeped into Tuan Zi t s body. Chu Liuyue could even clearly see the ball of fire moving under Tuan Zi¡¯s skin, but the latter¡¯s expression was normal. In the middle, she even laughed a few times because it felt a little itchy. After about 15 minutes, Yi Zhao retracted the ball of flames. Chu Liuyue looked at him and asked, ¡°Senior Yi Zhao, what do you think?¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Tuan Zi¡¯s physical condition is alright now. She¡¯s basically not injured, but her meridians were forcefully opened, causing a huge impact on her meridians. I¡¯m afraid she needs to recuperate for a period of time.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I have the same thoughts as you, but fortunately, Tuan Zi has a pure bloodline. As long as there¡¯s enough time, these injuries can be repaired.¡± Tuan Zi looked up at them. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, AYue, does this mean that I¡¯m fine?¡± The two of them exchanged glances and saw each other¡¯s worry. Tuan Zi¡¯s body was fine, but this was the problem.. Chapter 2149 - Chapter 2149: Have a Daughter Chapter 2149: Have a Daughter That eye kidnapped Tuan Zi just to help her open her meridian? But with Tuan Zi¡¯s talent, it was only a matter of time before she opened the sixth meridian. Why was there a need to be so anxious? A little carelessness would only destroy Tuan Zi¡¯s talent. What was it trying to do? Chu Liuyue touched Tuan Zi¡¯s bun and smiled gently. ¡°That¡¯s right. Fortunately, our Tuan Zi is awesome.¡± ¡°Zi Chen is awesome!¡± Tuan Zi corrected her. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, I might have opened my seventh meridian already!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Yi Zhao¡¯s expression was also dark. Fortunately, they rushed over in time. Fortunately, Tuan Zi woke up early. Due to the entwined fate contract, Tuan Zi also benefited a lot from Chu Liuyue breaking through to become a legendary warrior. It cushioned the impact of having her meridians forcefully opened to a large extent. If her seventh meridian was really opened forcefully, the damage to her body would probably be irreversible. Yi Zhao asked about the situation that day, and Tuan Zi told him everything. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, A¡¯Yue, since I¡¯m fine now, I¡¯ll take care of Zi Chen?¡± Tuan Zi pounced on Chu Liuyue¡¯s thigh and asked. Chu Liuyue gently rubbed Tuan Zi¡¯s face. ¡°Okay.¡± Tuan Zi left happily. After she left, the room fell into a short silence. After a moment, Yi Zhao said, ¡°We have to continue investigating this matter.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Senior Yi Zhao, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already ordered the Thirteen Yue Guards to secretly search for news. Once they find anything, they¡¯ll definitely inform you immediately.¡± Yi Zhao said in a low voice, ¡°You probably don¡¯t have enough manpower. I¡¯ll set off immediately and rush back to Godly Phoenix Mountain. I¡¯ll mobilize everyone in the clan to investigate together. No matter what, I have to find that thing!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked at first, but she quickly understood what he was thinking. Although Yi Zhao didn¡¯t like to interact with the humans, this matter involved Tuan Zi. He had always doted on Tuan Zi, and now that Tuan Zi had suffered so much, how could he let it go? He was planning to mobilize the entire clan to avenge Tuan Zi. Chu Liuyue solemnly cupped her fists and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Senior Yi Zhao.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s expression was as cold and solemn as ever. ¡°Tuan Zi is the young mistress of our race. This is our duty.¡± With that, he left in a hurry. Chu Liuyue sent him out the door, and Yi Zhao¡¯s figure disappeared in the blink of an eye. Rong Xiu walked over from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and was slightly stunned when she met Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze. This expression¡­ was a little different from his usual appearance. Those deep eyes looked at her as if there were waves surging, with an indescribable charm. ¡°Is there something dirty on my face?¡± Chu Liuyue touched her face. There doesn ¡®t seem to be any¡­ Rong Xiu shook his head and smiled. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, why are you looking at me like that?¡± Rong Xiu sighed softly. ¡°I just suddenly thought of something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, he walked in front of her and wrapped his arm around her slender and soft waist. He lowered his head slightly and whispered into her ear, ¡°I¡¯m thinking that if we have a daughter, it¡¯ll be great.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Then, she felt a ball of fire burn from her ear to her face. ¡°W-What did you say? There¡¯s no news yet!¡± Rong Xiu looked at her slender and fair neck, which quickly gained a crimson tone. The smile on his lips deepened, and he hugged her even more tightly. He bit her ear and lowered his voice even more. ¡°We¡¯re already married. How can there be no news?¡± Chu Liuyue was stumped. His warm breath landed behind her ear and her shoulder, almost making half of her body hot. ¡°Why¡ªwhy did you suddenly think of this?¡± Rong Xiu chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything. Actually, he really didn¡¯t have such thoughts in the past. It was just that when he saw her coaxing Tuan Zi so gently in the room just now, he suddenly felt blessed. If they had a daughter, she would definitely be cute, soft, and beautiful¡ªjust like her. ¡°It¡¯s a deal then. I want a daughter,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chu Liuyue glared at him angrily. This kind of thing isn¡¯t something that can be said casually. This man is dreaming. Unfortunately, this glance wasn¡¯t intimidating. Instead, it was like autumn water, like a small hook that kept hooking in people¡¯s hearts. He picked her up horizontally and walked into the house. Chu Liuyue was shocked and subconsciously hooked her arms around his neck. ¡°Rong Xiu? What are you doing?¡± In broad daylight¡ª Rong Xiu looked at her flustered and embarrassed expression and instantly laughed out loud. ¡°What do you want me to do? I¡¯m just thinking that you just broke through to become a legendary warrior and rushed back without stopping. You need to rest well. What are you thinking?¡± This man! Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m thinking what you¡¯re thinking!¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows, and the smile on his lips deepened. ¡°Then, we husband and wife really have the same thoughts.¡± As he spoke, he carried her into the house. The moment the door closed, he put her down and pressed her against the door. With one hand on the top of her head and the other holding her chin, he half-coaxed and half-forced a kiss. Her syllables were vague between her lips and teeth: ¡°¡­Rong¡­ Rong Xiu, you¡­ Didn¡¯t you want to¡­ rest just now¡­¡± Rong Xiu pressed closer, crushing her voice with his breathing. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But I still want to do this¡­ and this¡­¡± His voice was low and hoarse, his breath hot. ¡°Didn¡¯t Yue¡¯er just say that it was as I thought?¡± Chu Liuyue still wanted to argue, but she was swallowed by him. Before her consciousness sank, there was only one sentence left in her mind: This man is too scheming! Chapter 2150 - 2150 Will He Take Action? 2150 Will He Take Action? The storm in the Red Moon Desert gradually subsided. Yue Manor quickly sent a team of elite guards to the new Gate Realm. They took charge from Cen Yi and were in charge of guarding it from now on. Lin Zhifei and the others also came together. With Cen Yi¡¯s help, they established the transportation formation that led directly to Peach Blossom Dock from this Gate Realm. This way, everyone would have more freedom to come and go. Perhaps because what happened in the Red Moon Desert had already quickly spread throughout the entire God Residence Realm, many aristocratic families had given up on this new Gate Realm. This also made things easier for Cen Yi and the others. After settling the matters here, he and Lin Zhifei rushed back to Peach Blossom Dock. ¡­ Qinggu Slope, Wei family. Wei Ze¡¯s figure passed through the rolling mountains and went straight to a certain mountain peak. When Wei Kehan¡ªwho had been guarding this place for a long time¡ªsaw him, he immediately came forward. ¡°Family Head, you¡¯re finally back. When you weren¡¯t around during this period of time, the family¡ª¡± Suddenly, he paused, and his gaze landed on Wei Ze¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re injured!?¡± Wei Ze had already bandaged his arm and covered it with his wide sleeve. However, the bloody smell couldn¡¯t be disguised. Wei Ze¡¯s expression was extremely dark. ¡°I was bitten by an animal.¡± ¡°This¡­ What is so impudent?¡± Wei Kehan was shocked. With Wei Ze¡¯s status and strength, how could he have been injured like this? ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the Yi family¡­¡± Wei Kehan¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. Seeing Wei Ze¡¯s even uglier expression, he immediately confirmed his guess. He was really injured in the Yi family, and it seems that the process was very unpleasant! It¡¯s rare for me to see Wei Ze like this. Wei Kehan was also a smart person. He immediately shut his mouth and didn¡¯t ask further. As Wei Ze walked into the cave, he asked, ¡°What did you say happened in the clan just now?¡± Wei Kehan hurriedly said, ¡°Family Head, after you left Messy Stone Forest, you didn¡¯t return to the family. This has dragged on for a long time, so many things in the family are still waiting for you to deal with personally.¡± Wei Ze stopped in his tracks and glanced at him. He sneered and said, ¡°What can happen at this time? There¡¯s an 80% chance that someone doesn¡¯t like me as the family head. When they sense that something¡¯s wrong, they start to cause trouble.¡± Wei Kehan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They all know that you like to stay here alone for a period of time and don¡¯t dare to come over rashly.¡± This was said tactfully, but he still admitted Wei Ze¡¯s words. Wei Ze sneered and continued walking into the cave. ¡°Let them wait then! I want to see if they can still rebel!¡± With that, he disappeared into the dark cave. Looking at the entrance of the cave, he frowned with his face filled with worry. The family head is in a bad mood and probably won¡¯t listen to anything. But in fact, the Wei family¡¯s situation is really not optimistic. Ever since Wei Xiping was expelled from Ling Xiao Academy, the Wei family had been in turmoil. When Tang Ke¡¯s tomb opened, Wei Ze led everyone there and finally failed to achieve anything. This made everyone in the family even more dissatisfied. In their opinion, Messy Stone Forest was the Wei family¡¯s territory, so everything in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb naturally belonged to them. Although he had no choice but to invite many Armory Refinement Masters in the God Residence Realm¡­ Since Wei Ze was the family head and had personally come, he should snatch Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance. But in the end, he still failed! Not only did he cup his hands in obeisance or fail to get anything in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb, but he even lost the Sharp-Edged Halberd! The Wei family was very dissatisfied with Wei Ze, but the latter didn¡¯t even show his face once after the incident. This added fuel to the fire. If Wei Kehan hadn¡¯t tried his best to stop them during this period of time, those people would have chased them here long ago! But looking at Wei Ze, he didn¡¯t seem to take it to heart¡­ Wei Kehan sighed helplessly. It seems like I can only wait for the family head to come out before talking to him about these things¡­ ¡­ Wei Ze walked in. In the deepest part of the cave, the hammer was still sitting there quietly. Wei Ze walked over. ¡°Xiping.¡± A moment later, Wei Xiping¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Father? You¡¯re back? How¡¯s the situation? Did he say he was going to let me out?¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s words were filled with unconcealed eagerness and desire. When he was talking to Jun Jiuqing previously, Wei Ze had lied. It wasn¡¯t that he made that suggestion out of heartache, but Wei Xiping wanted to come out himself! Unfortunately, Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t agree to this suggestion. ¡°Xiping, he said that you still need to stay here for a short period of time. When the time is right, he will let you out.¡± Wei Ze spoke with difficulty. Wei Xiping¡¯s voice disappeared, and he didn¡¯t answer for a long time. Wei Ze knew that he was upset and advised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be long. I¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he said before, but so much time has passed, and there¡¯s still no movement! I don¡¯t believe him anymore!¡± Wei Xiping suddenly exploded, his voice hoarse and shrill. ¡°Father, you have to help me! You have to help me!¡± I was muddle-headed back then, but I have already woken up now! No matter what, I don¡¯t want to live like this anymore! Wei Ze frowned. ¡°But in this situation, we have no choice.¡± Wei Xiping paused for a moment before his voice suddenly became sharp. ¡°Rong Xiu! Yes, Rong Xiu¡ªhe must have a way! Father, go and beg him. As long as he¡¯s willing to help¡­¡± Wei Ze closed his eyes. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll act?¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. Chapter 2151 - 2151 Confession 2151 Confession Wasn¡¯t it because he offended Shangguan Yue that Rong Xiu personally made a move on him? Then, Rong Xiu would naturally not help him now. In fact, if Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stab him again, Wei Xiping would already be thanking the heavens! Wei Xiping¡¯s previous thoughts were very simple: He wanted revenge. Rong Xiu and the others caused him to be expelled from Ling Xiao Academy and lose his right to compete as the Wei family¡¯s young master. From then on, he became the laughing stock of the world. He hated them to the core and was willing to pay an extremely tragic price. He abandoned his body and sealed his soul in this hammer, just so that he could take revenge one day. But now, his thoughts had changed. Trapped in this endless darkness, he endured the inhumane torture day after day, and there was no hope of coming out. Who could tolerate such a life? Wei Xiping was really about to go crazy. When he heard Wei Ze¡¯s words, he lost his mind. I even said something as ridiculous as begging Rong Xiu for help Wei Xiping laughed at himself and didn¡¯t say anything else. The silence in the cave returned, and the surrounding space seemed to freeze inch by inch. Wei Ze felt extremely uncomfortable. Although he had a few sons, Wei Xiping was the most valued and liked by him. He had always nurtured Wei Xiping as his successor. He originally wanted to wait for him to return from Ling Xiao Academy and naturally hand over the position of young master to him. Who knew that so many things would happen in the end? ¡°Xiping, don¡¯t worry. Father will definitely think of a way!¡± Wei Ze was about to say something when he suddenly heard Wei Kehan¡¯s nervous urging from outside. ¡°Family Head, someone from the family is here!¡± Wei Ze frowned. Before leaving, he comforted Wei Xiping. ¡°Father will come to see you again in a while. Take good care of yourself.¡± With that, he went toward the cave entrance. Wei Ze walked out of the cave. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Wei Kehan hurriedly went forward. ¡°Family Head, I sensed someone approaching just now. If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be Elder Wei Song¡± Before he could finish speaking, the sound of air being torn apart suddenly came from the sky. A figure was rapidly approaching! Wei Ze looked upm and his expression turned even colder. The person who came was a white-robed old man in his fifties. He had a youthful face and white hair. It was indeed Wei Song! There were a total of six elders in the Wei family, and Elder Wei Song was the oldest, the most senior, and the strongest. Even Wei Ze had to be polite to him. Wei Kehan shook his head. ¡°This I don¡¯t know either.¡± Wei Song rarely got involved in the family¡¯s matters, so it was indeed strange for him to suddenly come here today. In the blink of an eye, Wei Song was already in front of the two of them. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Elder Wei Song.¡± The two of them greeted each other. Although Wei Ze was quite angry that Wei Song had come here rashly, he was still very polite on the surface because of the other party¡¯s status and qualifications. ¡°I wonder what brings Elder Wei Song here today?¡± Wei Song looked at Wei Ze indifferently with his old and unfathomable eyes. ¡°The family head hasn¡¯t returned for a long time. We can¡¯t help but worry.¡± With that, his gaze landed on Wei Ze¡¯s arm. ¡°The family head is injured?¡± Wei Ze pulled his arm back and coughed. ¡°I was injured in Messy Stone Forest previously. It¡¯s fine.¡± Wei Song had some doubts. Although the wound couldn¡¯t be seen, from the bloody smell in the air, it wasn¡¯t difficult to tell that Wei Ze had sustained the injury recently. As for the matter in Messy Stone Forest, it had already ended for a month Wei Song didn¡¯t expose his clumsy lie and got to the point. ¡°It¡¯s good that the family head is fine. I wonder if the family head is free now to go back?¡± Wei Ze felt a little strange. ¡°Elder Wei Song, did you come here this time to find me to go back?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wei Song admitted frankly. Wei Ze smiled. ¡°I originally planned to go back as soon as possible. I didn¡¯t expect to trouble Elder Wei Song. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Wei Song nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Something happened in the family. The family head should go back as soon as possible.¡± His reaction finally made Wei Ze realize that something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the clan?¡± Wei Song looked at him steadily. ¡°Someone from the Sky-Cloud Empire is here.¡± In front of the Wei Mansion door, Yan Qing stood with his hands behind his back. Other than that, there were also a few people from the Wei family. ¡°Master Yan Qing, the family head hasn¡¯t been in the residence recently. Even if he wants to rush back, it will still take some time. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to keep standing here. Why don¡¯t you go in and wait?¡± one of the elders advised earnestly. Yan Qing¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. His voice was cold, and his face was cold. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll wait here.¡± He was really not interested in entering the Wei family¡¯s door. The few people standing at the door looked at each other. This This Yan Qing is too domineering. Without another word, he went straight to the door and said that he wanted to see the family head. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t even enter and just stood at the door. Moreover, from the looks of it, he won¡¯t leave until he sees the family head. What¡¯s going on? If it weren¡¯t for their master, they wouldn¡¯t have swallowed their anger like this. Just as the two sides were in a deadlock, Wei Song and the other two finally rushed back. Wei Ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw Yan Qing standing there with a cold expression. Why did Yan Qing have to come to the Wei family at this time? Everyone knows that Yan Qing is Rong Xiu¡¯s right-hand man. Now that he is here, he is clearly representing Rong Xiu! Wei Ze was a little uneasy, but he still forced himself to remain calm. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, why have you come all the way here?¡± Yan Qing turned around and looked at Wei Ze. ¡°Master Wei, I¡¯m here on orders today. On behalf of His Grace, I want to ask the family head for an explanation.¡± He had always been an iceberg. At this moment, his expression was cold and solemn, making him even more dignified. This made people unconsciously feel reverence. Wei Ze frowned. Although Yan Qing was extremely young, he had followed Rong Xiu for many years. When he stood in front of him, his aura wasn¡¯t inferior at all. ¡°Oh? Asking for an explanation? This I don¡¯t know when I offended the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± Since they had ill intentions, Wei Ze didn¡¯t beat around the bush. Yan Qing was clearly here to cause trouble. ¡°Master Wei knows this very well.¡± Yan Qing looked at him coldly. ¡°Lin Jiang of the Mahayana Sect had ill intentions some time ago. He returned kindness with ingratitude and tried to steal the Princess Consort¡¯s Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. He also wanted to take the opportunity to attack the other first-rate families and clans. Now, he has already died at the hands of the Princess Consort and His Highness. Do you really not have anything to say about this?¡± The rest of the Wei family members were confused. Wei Ze¡¯s heart sank, and he subconsciously denied it. ¡°What has the Mahayana Sect¡¯s matter got to do with my Wei family?!¡± Yan Qing said, ¡°You know very well if it has anything to do with you. His Highness means that for the sake of the Wei family, you¡¯d better go to Peach Blossom Dock personally and apologize.¡± Chapter 2152 - 2152 Discussion 2152 Discussion Wei Ze laughed in anger. Is he asking me to apologize? Yes, the Sky-Cloud Empire and Yue Manor have indeed defeated the Wei family, but this doesn¡¯t mean that Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue can do whatever they want! No matter what, the Wei family is a first-rate family that has stood strong in the God Residence Realm for a thousand years. As the family head, I represented myself and the entire Wei family! If I really go this time, won¡¯t I be mocked by the world? ¡°The Wei family has very little contact with the Mahayana Sect. As for that Lin Jiang you mentioned, he has nothing to do with us at all! Every injustice has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. Whoever makes a mistake, go find them. Why do you have to find trouble with my Wei family?¡± Wei Ze tidied his collar. ¡°After the new Gate Realm opened, I had already ordered everyone in the Wei family to stay at home and not participate in this matter. If Lord Yan Qing doesn¡¯t believe me, you can investigate and see if anyone from the Wei family left Qinggu Slope during this period of time.¡± His words were very confident, and there was a hint of anger on his face as he was nonchalantly accused. When the others saw this, they nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. The family head did give such an order previously. We¡¯ve been here all this time.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s someone from the Mahayana Sect who committed a crime, they can just look for them. Why are they looking for us¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s person being too¡ª¡± Before he could say the last two words, the person who spoke felt a chill on his back instantly. He subconsciously looked up and met Yan Qing¡¯s cold and heavy gaze. His heart couldn¡¯t help but tremble, and he subconsciously swallowed the rest of his words. This, this Yan Qing¡­ is also very powerful! The people around him fell silent unconsciously. Yan Qing raised his eyebrows slightly and stared straight at Wei Ze. ¡°Master Wei, I happen to know that someone has indeed left Qinggu Slope recently. Are you interested to hear it?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. What Yan Qing said is¡­ ¡°Sir Yan Qing, this is a serious matter. If you can¡¯t produce evidence that convinces us, I¡¯m afraid our Wei family won¡¯t agree to your request.¡± It was Wei Song who spoke. No matter what, the Wei family¡¯s reputation was still important. If Wei Ze really went to Peach Blossom Dock to apologize, this news would quickly spread throughout the entire God Residence Realm! At that time, not only would Wei Ze be too embarrassed to face everyone, but wouldn¡¯t many people in the Wei family also be humiliated? Yan Qing nodded. ¡°His Highness has never fought a battle he¡¯s not confident in; it¡¯s the same this time. There¡¯s naturally evidence. If Master Wei wants to see it too, I can show it now.¡± Wei Ze¡¯s heart raced. He was really unsure how true Yan Qing¡¯s words were, but since the latter dared to come looking for him directly like this, then¡­ Things were probably not good. Wei Ze quickly searched his mind for any possible mistakes. I have already buried Lin Jiang for a long time; even the rest of the Wei family don¡¯t know. Moreover, that person is already dead. There is no evidence. What evidence could they have? However, Wei Ze really didn¡¯t dare to take the risk¡ª After thinking about it, he finally said seriously, ¡°It seems that His Grace and Master Yue have a deep misunderstanding of me in this matter. How about this? I¡¯ll accompany you to Peach Blossom Dock and explain to them in person. The Wei family and Sky-Cloud Empire have always minded their own business and stayed in their own lanes, minding their own business. It¡¯s really not worth it to have a conflict because of some misunderstandings.¡± His words were very well said. He agreed to Yan Qing¡¯s request and went to Peach Blossom Dock together, but he wasn¡¯t apologizing for his sins. Instead, he wanted to ¡®explain the misunderstanding.¡¯ It sounded much better. ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock. The night passed quickly. When Zi Chen woke up, he felt something pressing against the blanket. When he opened his eyes, it was a round head. The red-stringed golden bells were faintly discernible in the slightly messy bun. It was Tuan Zi who had fallen asleep by the bed. Ever since Chu Liuyue handed her the task of taking care of Zi Chen, she had made up her mind to stay by his side. In the end, she couldn¡¯t hold on and fell asleep. Her sixth meridian had been forcefully opened in the Red Moon Desert, and it had consumed her greatly. Her small body was still recovering from its fatigued state, so it was normal for her to be a little sleepy. Zi Chen tilted his head and sized up Tuan Zi indifferently, his emotions unreadable. She slept soundly, muttering something under her breath. ¡°¡­S-Sorry¡­¡± Zi Chen¡¯s lips curled up imperceptibly. As if sensing something, Tuan Zi finally woke up and slowly opened her eyes. Zi Chen closed his eyes. Tuan Zi rubbed her eyes and looked at Zi Chen. ¡°He¡¯s still sleeping¡­¡± she whispered. It seems like Zi Chen¡¯s injury is really serious. She stretched and yawned as she jumped off the small stool, tiptoeing to the head of the bed. Zi Chen thought that she was going to get the medicine, but after waiting for a while, he didn¡¯t hear anything. Just as he was puzzled, he suddenly felt that something was getting closer. Tuan Zi placed her hands on the edge of the bed and stood on her tiptoes, putting her head close to the wound on Zi Chen¡¯s shoulder. At this moment, his wound was bandaged, but a little blood could still be seen. Tuan Zi sighed a little and was a little depressed. Every time she saw Zi Chen¡¯s wound, she couldn¡¯t help but think of that scene. The feeling of flesh and bone shattering and blood splattering was still so clear and deep. Zi Chen originally thought that Tuan Zi would leave after taking a few glances out of curiosity, but after waiting for a long time, she still didn¡¯t move. A few strands of her hair fell and floated over his neck and shoulders. Her small head moved, and the few strands of hair swept around. It was very itchy. After a while, Zi Chen finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and deliberately coughed. Only then did Tuan Zi suddenly wake up. She looked up at him with a surprised expression. ¡°Zi Chen, you¡¯re awake!¡± Zi Chen: ¡°¡­Mm.¡± ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something or take your medicine first?¡± Tuan Zi frowned and thought carefully. ¡°You also have to change the medicine for your wound¡­ Why don¡¯t you drink water first?!¡± With that, she looked at Zi Chen with bright eyes as if waiting for his answer. Zi Chen was a little helpless. ¡°Tuan Zi, I can do these things myself. You¡ª¡± ¡°A¡¯Yue told me to take good care of you! Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you think I didn¡¯t do well?¡± Tuan Zi widened her eyes. Zi Chen paused. In the end, he didn¡¯t remind her. From yesterday until now, she didn¡¯t seem to have done anything but lie here and sleep. ¡°¡­No. Drink some water first.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tuan Zi turned around and ran over to get the water. Choo¡ª Bang! A ball of red-gold flames burned and burned the teapot in the blink of an eye. The things here were all ordinary items. How could they withstand the flames? Tuan Zi was stunned and turned to look at him in a daze. ¡°I-I just thought that it would be better for you to drink hot water¡­ Shall I change to another pot?¡± Zi Chen closed his eyes. Chapter 2153 - 2153 Interrogation 2153 Interrogation When Chu Liuyue woke up, it was already noon the next day. Rong Xiu seemed to have just left not long ago. White smoke was still rising from the freshly brewed tea on the table. She moved her arm, and the red mark on her collarbone was faintly discernible, but her body was very refreshing. She vaguely remembered that Rong Xiu carried her to take a shower later. Someone is really unscrupulous for the sake of having a daughter¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s face was a little hot. She placed her hands on her face before dressing up and getting up. But probably because she had already broken through to become a legendary warrior, her physical strength was much greater than before. Although it had been a long time, it didn¡¯t feel too sore or uncomfortable. Chu Liuyue got up and walked outside. She saw the blond youth guarding outside the courtyard. He leaned against the moon door and frowned slightly. His expression was solemn, as if he were thinking about something. His short, soft hair hung down, shining faintly under the sun. ¡°Little Zhou.¡± Chu Liuyue called out, but Qiang Wanzhou seemed to be still immersed in his own thoughts and didn¡¯t reply. Chu Liuyue walked over and raised her voice slightly. ¡°Little Zhou?¡± Only then did Qiang Wanzhou come back to his senses and turn to look at her. When her face was reflected in his eyes, his expression was adrift for a moment. For a moment, Chu Liuyue even felt that Qiang Wanzhou was looking at another person through her. She stretched out her hand and waved it in front of his face. She smiled and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s eyes finally focused, and he quickly shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± Chu Liuyue found it strange. Something seems to be bothering him. But since it was something on his mind, he might not want to tell others, so she didn¡¯t ask. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Although he would usually guard her, this courtyard was her and Rong Xiu¡¯s residence. Usually, no one would come. Even if Qiang Wanzhou and the others wanted to guard it, they had to be extremely careful and hide. It was rare to see someone wait at the entrance of the courtyard in broad daylight. Qiang Wanzhou stood up straight. ¡°Wei Ze is here. His Grace went over just now and is in the front hall now. His Grace said that he would invite you over when you woke up.¡± ¡°Wei Ze? Why is he here?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly felt that it was ridiculous, and her lips curled up. Could it be because of the Mahayana Sect¡¯s Lin Jiang? Previously, she had interrogated that man about his background, but he refused to tell her. He even tried to self-destruct, but he was stopped by Rong Xiu in the end. Could it be that Rong Xiu asked something, or does he have other evidence? Chu Liuyue had suspected the Wei family before. After all, in the entire God Residence Realm, there were only a few families that could send legendary warriors as informants. Excluding those who were clearly unrelated at that time, the range was even narrower. Not to mention, the Wei family had a grudge against her. ¡°Wei Ze came back with Master Yan Qing,¡± Qiang Wanzhou said. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly and was even more certain of her guess. This place is extremely far from the Wei family, and it would take a lot of time to go back and forth. Wei Ze actually came so quickly¡­ It seems like Yan Qing is fast enough. No, perhaps it should be said that Rong Xiu is too straightforward. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± ¡­ In the front hall, Rong Xiu sat at the top while Wei Ze sat at the bottom left. Yan Qing was standing guard outside the door. The atmosphere in the room was cold and stalemate. Rong Xiu lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea. The floating leaves were suffused with a faint fragrance and a hint of bitter ginger. He wasn¡¯t used to it in the past, but he liked it very much now. While he was taking his time, Wei Ze was feeling uneasy. He was clearly on equal footing with Rong Xiu, and he was even older, but for some reason, he felt that he was inferior to Rong Xiu in terms of aura. When the fragrance and bitterness of the ginger tea filled his mouth, Rong Xiu put down the teacup. Da. The top-notch bone porcelain teacup landed on the table with a neither light nor heavy sound. It was especially clear in the silent room. Wei Ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°In that case, that fake Lin Jiang really has nothing to do with the Wei family?¡± Wei Ze immediately said, ¡°Of course! When the new Gate Realm opened this time, countless aristocratic families went, but our Wei family didn¡¯t participate from beginning to end. How can this person be related to us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Speaking of which, I¡¯m also very curious. Since everyone went, why didn¡¯t the Wei family go? Such a good opportunity¡­ Master Wei is actually willing to miss it?¡± Rong Xiu looked up at him with a faint smile. Wei Ze forced a smile and said, ¡°Well¡­ I happened to be delayed by something at that time, so I didn¡¯t have time. Later on, I thought that it was too late to go, so I might as well forget it. Apart from our Wei family, there are actually many aristocratic families who haven¡¯t gone, right? It doesn¡¯t seem strange, right?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°What the family head said makes sense.¡± Wei Ze heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Your Grace, you¡¯ve always been smart. You probably won¡¯t be misled by such an unsubstantiated matter. Since that person is already dead, there¡¯s no evidence now. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not easy to find the person behind the scenes¡ª¡± Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°Who said he¡¯s dead?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s expression froze for a moment. The connection between that person and me has been cut off. That person is definitely dead! Moreover, didn¡¯t Yan Qing say the same thing previously? Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. With a move of his palm, several golden streams of light flew out from his fingers and instantly formed a square golden cage! There was a red and black ball of light inside¡ªit was the soul of the fake Lin Jiang! Wei Ze suddenly tightened his grip on the armrest of the chair. It took him a lot of effort to restrain his urge to get up. However, the shock and panic that flashed across his face didn¡¯t escape Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°This person is reckless. He tried to steal Yue¡¯er¡¯s Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and even wanted to pour dirty water on Yue¡¯er. Wouldn¡¯t it be too easy for him to kill him directly?¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°Master Wei, do you think I¡¯m such a soft-hearted person?¡± The corners of Wei Ze¡¯s eyes twitched. Arrogant! How impudent! In the God Residence Realm, Rong Xiu is notorious, and everyone knows that he isn¡¯t to be trifled with. However, he actually admitted that he is ruthless in front of me¡­ Isn¡¯t he too arrogant?! Isn¡¯t this clearly threatening me, Wei Ze? ¡°Then¡­ Then, what did Your Grace find out?¡± Wei Ze asked with a dry throat. Rong Xiu lifted his chin. ¡°He¡¯s a sacrificial warrior. We won¡¯t be able to get anything out of him. Now that he¡¯s only left with a soul, it¡¯s even harder to ask.¡± Just as Wei Ze¡¯s hanging heart was about to relax, he heard Rong Xiu continue, ¡°However, I discovered a very interesting coincidence. His aura¡­ seems to be quite similar to Master Wei¡¯s. Could it be that Master Wei¡­ has something to say about this?¡± Wei Ze immediately denied it. ¡°How is that possible!? Your Grace must have made a mistake! I¡ª¡± ¡°Speaking of which, the hammer in the family head¡¯s hand seems to have an extremely similar aura?¡± Wei Ze¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. Chapter 2154 - 2154 Farewell 2154 Farewell He looked at Rong Xiu in shock, wanting to see something from his face. Previously, he felt that Rong Xiu seemed to have guessed something, but he wasn¡¯t sure. But now¡­ ¡°What is His Grace trying to say?¡± he took a deep breath and asked in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s just a waste of our time beating around the bush. It¡¯s better for us to lay one¡¯s cards on the table.¡± ¡°The family head is really straightforward.¡± A satisfied smile appeared on Rong Xiu¡¯s lips. ¡°Hand over Wei Xiping and let bygones be bygones.¡± Wei Ze¡¯s pupils contracted! ¡­ When Chu Liuyue arrived, she saw that the door to the front hall was tightly shut, and Yan Qing was guarding the door. He held his sword with both hands and straightened his back. When he stood there, he looked like a small iceberg. When he saw Chu Liuyue, he immediately wanted to bow. Chu Liuyue waved her hand, indicating that he didn¡¯t have to do this. ¡°They¡¯re inside?¡± Yan Qing nodded. ¡°His Highness said that after you come, you can go in directly.¡± Chu Liuyue was also very curious about the situation inside. Just as she was about to enter, she suddenly took a step back and sized Yan Qing up. Yan Qing was a little confused. ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and shook her head. Then, she touched her chin and seemed to be in deep thought. ¡°Yan Qing, your strength¡­ seems to have improved a lot from before?¡± At first, she didn¡¯t notice it. After taking a closer look, she realized that Yan Qing¡¯s aura was indeed much stronger than before. This cultivation speed¡­ is too fast. To be able to be by Rong Xiu¡¯s side and be highly regarded, Yan Qing¡¯s talent was naturally unquestionable. However, this progress still surprised Chu Liuyue. Yan Qing didn¡¯t expect her to be thinking about this and paused for a moment. ¡°I heard that you went to the Wei family alone and invited Wei Ze back?¡± Chu Liuyue asked again. Yan Qing nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Then, this is even more shocking¡­ The Wei family is a first-rate family after all. He went alone and came back unscathed. Without a certain level of strength, it is really impossible. Chu Liuyue thought about it and smiled meaningfully. ¡°You¡¯re really similar to Cen Yi.¡± Cen Yi was someone who hid his strength well, and so was Yan Qing. Yan Qing cupped his hands and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± When she was previously in the Sky-Cloud Empire, Xiao Ba went to find trouble with Yan Qing every day. After coming to Peach Blossom Dock, she restrained herself a lot and even avoided him. Apart from Cen Yi, Yan Qing was probably the only one who could suppress her. Yan Qing was stunned and pursed his thin lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend Miss Xiao Ba. It¡¯s just that there was a misunderstanding previously¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Although Xiao Ba is a little wilful, you don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡± Yan Qing wanted to say something but hesitated. During this period of time, he had indeed not seen Xiao Ba. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t notice Yan Qing¡¯s expression. After saying that, she planned to push the door open and enter. At this moment, the door was suddenly opened from the inside. Chu Liuyue took a half-step back and met Wei Ze¡¯s face. But at this moment, Wei Ze¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. Chu Liuyue had only seen such an expression on his face when she defeated him in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. She immediately smiled. ¡°Oh, Master Wei? Long time no see. How have you been?¡± When Wei Ze saw Chu Liuyue, his already bad mood became even worse. He took a deep breath and used an unknown amount of strength to finally restrain his emotions. ¡°I still have something on. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, he was about to leave. Chu Liuyue stopped in front of him. ¡°Huh? I just arrived, and you¡¯re leaving? What does this mean? You don¡¯t want to see me?¡± Of course, I don¡¯t want to see you! If I hadn¡¯t been forced into a corner, I wouldn¡¯t even have come to this place! Wei Ze cursed in his heart, as if something was about to rush out of his chest. ¡°Yue¡¯er, Master Wei indeed has something urgent to attend to.¡± Rong Xiu walked over unhurriedly and smiled faintly. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste his time.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. Her gaze swept across the two of them, and she was a little confused. This is¡­ already settled? But I still didn¡¯t know anything! However, from the looks of it, Wei Ze was most likely defeated. Chu Liuyue took a step back. Wei Ze was about to leave when Rong Xiu reminded him, ¡°Master Wei, you seem to have forgotten something?¡± Wei Ze stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Chu Liuyue. The flesh on his face twitched a few times before he finally spat out a few words. ¡°I, Wei Ze, apologize to Master Yue! I hope Master Yue will be magnanimous and not hold it against me!¡± Chu Liuyue was even more surprised. Wei Ze is very stubborn. Today, he was actually willing to take the initiative to apologize? She thought for a moment. ¡°Then¡­ Have a safe trip, Master Wei?¡± Wei Ze almost vomited blood. He flung his sleeves and left quickly. It was only when his figure disappeared that Chu Liuyue turned to look at Rong Xiu. ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking too fast? I just arrived¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. It¡¯s not that complicated to begin with.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°You asked me to come¡­ just to hear his apology? What did you say to him just now so that he was actually willing to lower his head?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Come in. I¡¯ll tell you slowly.¡± ¡­ The two of them came to the house, and Rong Xiu briefly explained what had happened. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°You only mentioned Wei Xiping¡¯s name, and he agreed to everything?¡± Chu Liuyue thought about it and still found it very unbelievable. ¡°Does he actually value Wei Xiping so much? Didn¡¯t they say in the past that Wei Xiping wanted to get the position of the Wei family¡¯s young master and that the competition was very intense?¡± ¡°Those are just gimmicks. From the beginning, Wei Ze was prepared to give the position of the Wei family¡¯s young master to Wei Xiping. Otherwise, out of so many young people in the Wei family, why would he be the only one to go to Ling Xiao Academy?¡± In the eyes of outsiders, Wei Xiping was diligent and studious. But in fact, this was all Wei Ze¡¯s idea to help Wei Xiping pave the way. ¡°But even so¡­ how can you be sure that the person in the hammer is definitely Wei Xiping?¡± It wasn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t suspect anything, but because she didn¡¯t have any evidence, she didn¡¯t dare to confirm it. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°He values that thing extremely. Coupled with that aura¡­ it¡¯s enough to confirm it. Actually, I don¡¯t have evidence either; I just tricked him. He admitted it himself.¡± Chu Liuyue sneered at it. From beginning to end, Rong Xiu almost didn¡¯t spend any effort to resolve Wei Ze? ¡°What a pity. I should have come earlier.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed regretfully. Wei Ze¡¯s expression at that time must have been very interesting. ¡°He¡¯ll come again,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chapter 2155 - 2155 Eat 2155 Eat ¡°However¡­ there¡¯s indeed something wrong with his hammer. After Wei Xiping was removed from the academy, he disappeared without a trace. There have been rumors in the outside world that even the Wei family hasn¡¯t heard from him. Who knew that he was actually hiding there?¡± Chu Liuyue tapped her fingers lightly on the table. ¡°I wonder what happened in the middle¡­¡± ¡°When Wei Ze comes again, everything will naturally be clear.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he paused. ¡°By the way, I plan to help Senior Tang Ke reconstruct his body.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t completely destroy the fake Lin Jiang¡¯s body previously, leaving behind his bones. Now, I can leave it for Senior Tang Ke to use.¡± Tang Ke was a legendary warrior when He was alive. If he had the skeleton of a legendary warrior, this matter would be much simpler. Chu Liuyue clapped her hands and smiled. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s good! Fortunately, you remember; otherwise, you would¡¯ve really missed an excellent opportunity. The pills that Mr. Su needs have been refined. As long as you find the bones of a stage-nine warrior, we can reconstruct her body. If Senior Tang Ke can do the same, it can¡¯t be better!¡± Rong Xiu smiled. Previously, Tang Ke was really not in a hurry about this. But ever since Chu Liuyue¡¯s pill was refined, Tang Ke had become anxious. He was worried day and night, afraid that he would be delayed if he came out too late. Coincidentally, there was a set of legendary warrior bones. How could Tang Ke let it go? Rong Xiu couldn¡¯t forget it, even if he wanted to. ¡°But in that case, doesn¡¯t everyone know about the existence of Mr. Su and Senior Tang Ke? Then, their identities¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was conflicted. When they left Messy Stone Forest, the world only thought that she had obtained Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance. If Tang Ke and Su Li appeared again, it would probably be earth-shattering news for the entire God Residence Realm. Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°Senior Tang Ke told me before that since the Tang family has already dispersed, he plans to stay in Peach Blossom Dock. If you¡¯re willing, he wants to be a nominal elder here. But if you¡¯re unwilling, then forget it.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids harshly twitched. Forget it? How could I let this go?! That is Tang Ke! ¡°Yes! Of course, I¡¯m willing!¡± Countless people in the God Residence Realm wanted to meet Tang Ke, but they could not. She had directly invited him to be an elder and preside over Peach Blossom Dock¡­ How could she reject such a good thing?! Su Li had expressed a similar wish before, but she didn¡¯t expect Tang Ke to also¡­ ¡°Please help me tell Senior Tang Ke that he¡¯s more than welcome!¡± Chu Liuyue stood up happily. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go busy myself with Mr. Su first!¡± The bones of a stage-nine warrior were very easy to find in Peach Blossom Dock. Previously, she had already sent Shi Fang to look for it. Now, she could choose. With that, she turned and left. Rong Xiu slightly raised his brows. When Chu Liuyue arrived at Shi Fang¡¯s courtyard, he was cooking on a stove in the corner of the courtyard. After not coming for a while, his small courtyard was already filled with all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and a considerable portion had already grown. A rich fragrance spread out, almost filling the entire courtyard. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath, and her appetite was whetted. In fact, at their level, they could already rely purely on absorbing the Heaven and Earth Force to replenish themselves. Eating or not was no longer important. However, Shi Fang was very insistent. Some time ago, he had been busy growing vegetables in several places, but in the end, they didn¡¯t grow. This also caused him to starve until now. This was the first meal. ¡°You¡¯re here? Have a seat first!¡± When Shi Fang heard the commotion, he spoke without looking back. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw a long table on the other side of the courtyard. There were a few stools on both sides. It seemed like it had been prepared long ago. Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Shi Fang, who are you waiting for?¡± Hearing the voice, Shi Fang was shocked and hurriedly turned around. ¡°Master? Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°Can¡¯t I come?¡± ¡°Of course, you can.¡± A voice suddenly came from behind, giving Chu Liuyue a fright. She turned around and saw that San San was already standing behind her. Behind him stood Yu Jiu and the others. At this moment, they were all holding bowls and chopsticks in their hands, looking like they were coming over to eat. Chu Liuyue glanced at them. ¡°Why¡­ are all of you here?¡± ¡°Master, we¡¯re here to eat!¡± San San¡¯s eyes narrowed with laughter. ¡°If I had known you would come, I would have brought an extra bowl!¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. I just came to take a look. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into¡ª¡± ¡°Master, you came at the right time!¡± Shi Fang called out to the ladle in his hand. ¡°Please take a seat first! I still have new bowls and chopsticks in my room!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re just in time today. Hurry up and go in!¡± ¡°If we¡¯re any later, the food will have turned cold!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± San San and the rest surrounded Chu Liuyue as they walked in. By the time Chu Liuyue reacted, she was already sitting at one end of the long table in a daze. San San and the others sat on both sides. Shi Fang was serving the dishes diligently. Chu Liuyue glanced at it. ¡°All vegetarian?¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a sad story.¡± Shi Fang put down the last dish in his hand and said with emotion, ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for long and didn¡¯t have time to raise those little ones. Besides, Second Brother isn¡¯t around, and I don¡¯t know how to raise them, so I simply gave up. Today¡¯s meal is already hard-won. Master, don¡¯t dislike it.¡± Chu Liuyue trembled all over. Some not-so-nice scenes surged in her mind. That¡¯s right. Among the Thirteen Yue Guards, the second brother liked to raise ¡®little guys.¡¯ In the past, they had caused a ruckus and a tizzy in the palace. Even now, she still remembered the scene of her study being occupied by a few little guys. ¡°Forget it, forget it. This is good, very good!¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. Shi Fang¡¯s culinary skills were very good. Although they were all vegetarian dishes, they were also delicious. This was also why San San and the others rushed over to eat this meal. ¡°Shi Fang, take a seat too.¡± Chu Liuyue looked around and asked, ¡°Wu Yao isn¡¯t here today?¡± ¡°Master, you forgot that the Fifth Brother is in charge of guarding the Gate Realm today,¡± Yu Jiu said as he placed the wooden sword by his feet. Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s eat?¡± ¡°Master, wait a moment.¡± As Shi Fang spoke, he placed another set of bowls and chopsticks beside her. Chu Liuyue blinked. This position¡­ As she was thinking, another person came from outside the door¡ªit was Cen Yi. Dressed in green, he moved like green bamboo in the wind, giving off a carefree aura. It was really¡­ inappropriate for such a person to appear here. When Cen Yi saw Chu Liuyue, shock flashed across his eyes, but he quickly calmed down and walked over. Everyone whispered, ¡°Master, your seat originally belonged to Big Brother.¡± But since she was here now, Cen Yi could only be ranked next. Cen Yi quickly walked forward. ¡°Master.¡± Chapter 2156 - 2156 Shuang Shuang 2156 Shuang Shuang Chu Liuyue waved her hand. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± With that, Cen Yi sat down proficiently. ¡°Why is Master free to come over today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I just asked Shi Fang for something and happened to make it.¡± Cen Yi looked enlightened. ¡°Then, try the food too. Shi Fang¡¯s culinary skills are not bad.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯m not here for a meal today! Then, she heard her own voice: ¡°Okay.¡± After a short silence, Chu Liuyue started to eat. Cen Yi followed. Then, everyone finally had their meal. ¡°Ah!¡± Shi Fang was touched. ¡°If I don¡¯t eat soon, I¡¯ll really starve to death!¡± ¡°Who are you blaming for being too picky?¡± Xiao Ba sneered and picked up another mouthful of food, piling it in Thirteen¡¯s bowl. ¡°Thirteen, you¡¯re still growing. Eat more.¡± As Thirteen worked hard to eat, he asked, ¡°Thank you, Eighth Sister. You don¡¯t like this dish either?¡± Xiao Ba sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been on a diet recently. I have to eat less.¡± Thirteen was stunned. ¡°Eighth Sister, will eating vegetables¡­ also make you gain weight?¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him sadly. ¡°You¡¯re still young, and it¡¯s time for you to gain weight. How can you understand my troubles?¡± Thirteen nodded as if he understood. He started to dig into the dishes in his bowl again. Although he ate a lot quickly, he didn¡¯t seem to be wolfing down the food. Over the years, he had learned a lot from Cen Yi, so this naturally included such things. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. Xiao Ba clearly doesn¡¯t like that dish. She just lies there all day without moving, and her waist is just as thin¡ªshe is born with it. Speaking of which, among the Thirteen Yue Guards, she is second only to Shi Fang in terms of pickiness. ¡°By the way, when is your Second Brother coming?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Cen Yi. Cen Yi paused. ¡°He sent a letter some time ago saying that he¡¯s coming this way. Calculating the time, he should be here¡­¡± Just as he said that, Chu Liuyue suddenly heard a commotion outside. The few of them turned around and saw a group of fiends suddenly crowding over. Chu Liuyue was dazed. These¡­ are the fiends I brought back from Black Demon Hole previously. They have already been placed in the forest. Why are they now¡­ ¡°Second Brother is back!¡± Shi Fang stood up excitedly. As expected. Chu Liuyue looked over. Among the group of fiends, a tall figure was faintly discernible. Cen Yi put down the chopsticks in his hand. ¡°Speak of the devil¡­¡± Yu Jiu muttered softly and picked up the wooden sword in his hand. San San gripped the bowl in his hand tightly and looked nervous. ¡°This is too sudden! Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡± Thirteen sped up and finished the last mouthful of rice in his bowl. If he didn¡¯t eat now, he might not be able to eat again later. Xiao Ba stood up enchantingly, but she was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, she arrived beside Chu Liuyue and held her arm. ¡°Master, lend me your shoulder for a while.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha! Big Brother! You¡¯re all here!¡± A deep voice sounded. ¡°Come, come, make way first!¡± These words were directed at the group of fiends. As soon as he spoke, the magical beasts around him immediately made way obediently, but they still followed closely behind him. If anyone else saw this scene, they would probably be shocked. There were at least a dozen of these fiends, and they were all legendary fiends! Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for ordinary people to get close to them. But at this moment, these fiends were all sticking to him and listening to his orders. However, Cen Yi and the others looked like they were already used to it. To put it bluntly, in their opinion, this scene wasn¡¯t as impactful as this man¡¯s appearance. He picked up the little fellow hanging on his chest and placed it on his shoulder before walking toward everyone. This was a man who looked to be in his late twenties. He was extremely tall and was almost comparable to Zi Chen. His skin was tanned, his eyebrows were sharp, and his facial features were strong. There was a jade seal on his waist¡ªit was the size of a thumb and was exquisite. Other than that, there were no other accessories on him. When he reached the entrance of the courtyard, he turned around and said to the group of fiends, ¡°Stay here obediently. You¡¯re not allowed to run around without my orders, understand?¡± Those fiends really stopped obediently. Only the one on his shoulder suddenly jumped down and ran toward Thirteen. Thirteen instantly recognized that it was the red-cloud leopard cub and smiled. The little red-cloud leopard jumped into Thirteen¡¯s arms and was caught by the teen. ¡°You came with Second Brother?¡± The little red-cloud leopard rubbed against his chest and whined. ¡°It seems like it really likes you. It actually abandoned Second Brother to look for you,¡± Yu Jiu exclaimed. ¡°Haha! Shi Fang is cooking? Looks like I came at the right time!¡± As Second Brother spoke, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, and his gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. After a short daze, excitement quickly surged in his eyes. ¡°Master!?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s current appearance was almost 80% similar to before, and her unique aura was too easy to recognize. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart and smiled. Although they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a few years, they had once been separated by life and death. Now that they met again, everything from yesteryear appeared vividly in front of their eyes. It was as if nothing had happened between them. They were still the same as before they parted ways. ¡°Shuangshuang, long time no see. Welcome back.¡± Chapter 2157 - 2157 Quite Good 2157 Quite Good That¡¯s right. This strong and tall man in front of her was ranked second among the Thirteen Yue Guards. He had a very memorable name: Hua Shuangshuang. Although it sounded a little strange to outsiders, Hua Shuangshuang didn¡¯t think so himself. He was very open-minded about these things. Moreover, Chu Liuyue was calling him now. ¡°Greetings, Master!¡± Hua Shuangshuang immediately kneeled on one knee and bowed solemnly. Chu Liuyue raised her palm, and a gentle force helped him up. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Come over quickly.¡± Only then did Hua Shuangshuang stand up and go forward. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the fiends behind him became restless again. Chu Liuyue felt a little helpless. ¡°Did you tease them again?¡± Speaking of this, Hua Shuangshuang was a little embarrassed. ¡°After coming to Peach Blossom Dock, I wanted to come over directly. Unexpectedly, I happened to meet¡­ so I went to the mountain to wander around.¡± This was also why he came a little late. Chu Liuyue held her forehead. Hua Shuangshuang had a special characteristic: he liked fiends very much. To be precise, he liked to tame beasts. Generally speaking, fiends were wild and had a natural vigilance and rejection of humans. Unless they contracted, it was very difficult for humans to control fiends for their own use. However, Hua Shuangshuang was different. For some reason, he was very popular with all kinds of fiends, and he could easily tame all kinds of fiends. Unexpectedly, even legendary fiends were the same now¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine. You came at the right time. We were talking about you just now. Sit.¡± San San immediately moved to the side, and so did Yu Jiu. Hua Shuangshuang sat down and laughed when he saw San San beside him. ¡°San San, it¡¯s been a long time since we last met. You¡¯ve become more chubby. It seems like you¡¯ve been living a good life!¡± ¡°Second Brother, you¡¯re joking with me again.¡± ¡°Second Brother, I thought you would bring some food over this time.¡± Shi Fang was a little disappointed. ¡°Just now, Master said that we were vegetarian.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± Shi Fang instantly felt guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t consider it.¡± Hua Shuangshuang waved his hand indifferently, indicating that he didn¡¯t care. But with his action, the fiends guarding outside immediately became restless again. The few in front even walked over tentatively. Hua Shuangshuang immediately raised his chin and gave them a warning look. ¡°What did I say just now? Go back!¡± Perhaps because his words were sterner this time, the fiends lingered at the door for a while before finally leaving reluctantly. A few of them retreated a distance and stayed behind. The atmosphere at the banquet instantly recovered from its tense state. San San put down the bowl in his hand. Yu Jiu let go of the wooden sword. Thirteen touched the little red-cloud leopard in his arms and thought to himself, I can eat my fill this time. Xiao Ba exhaled softly and fanned herself with her palm. Fortunately, the new clothes and exquisite makeup this time won¡¯t be lost to those ¡®little fellows.¡¯ Chu Liuyue looked at Hua Shuangshuang in admiration. ¡°Shuangshuang, it seems like you¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± In the past, when Hua Shuangshuang was taming beasts, he would often cause a mess in a tizzy because of her poor control. However, it was effective this time¡ªthose legendary fiends seemed to be especially obedient. Hua Shuangshuang laughed. ¡°It¡¯s been so long. If I can¡¯t even do this little thing well, I really won¡¯t have the face to see you.¡± Although this was a joking tone, Chu Liuyue could hear the seriousness in it. Something seemed to surge in her heart, a little sour and warm. ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re here.¡± Hua Shuangshuang said, ¡°Master, I heard that you brought back all the fiends in Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and briefly explained what had happened previously. A hint of surprise flashed across Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s eyes. ¡°No wonder¡­ Generally speaking, these legendary fiends are arrogant and rarely live together in such a mess. So it¡¯s because of this¡­ In addition, with the red-gold heavenly phoenix suppressing them, they¡¯re much more well-behaved.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s words made sense. These fiends were filled with respect and admiration for Tuan Zi. Even if Tuan Zi didn¡¯t care about them, they were very careful. ¡°By the way, Tuan Zi is actually Little Nine. You haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. She must miss you too,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. At that time, Tuan Zi was still a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant and was also the highest-level fiend in Tianling Imperial City. When this man and beast joined forces, they were invincible. Therefore, their relationship had always been very good. ¡°Really?¡± Hua Shuangshuang was very surprised. Actually, he had vaguely guessed it before. Now that he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s affirmative answer, he instantly felt even more at ease. ¡°But she¡¯s not here now; she¡¯s busy with other things. I¡¯ll bring you to see her later.¡± Hua Shuangshuang immediately agreed. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Chu Liuyue paused and asked, ¡°How have you been in the past few years?¡± ¡­ On the other side, Tuan Zi was bandaging Zi Chen¡¯s wound. She carefully removed his gauze. After cleaning the wound, she helped apply a layer of medicine. Finally, she wrapped it again with clean white gauze. After some work, she finally clapped her hands in satisfaction. ¡°Alright! Zi Chen, look at how I bandaged your wound!?¡± Zi Chen lowered his eyes and looked at the bow on his wrist. He was silent for a long time. ¡°Pretty good.¡± Chapter 2158 - 2158 Theyre All Here 2158 They¡¯re All Here Tuan Zi was very happy to be praised. ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry! With me around, I guarantee that you¡¯ll recover especially quickly!¡± Zi Chen glanced at her and saw that her eyes were bright and her expression was firm. His handsome and cold eyebrows relaxed a little. ¡°En.¡± Tuan Zi put the remaining medicine away again. ¡°A¡¯Yue said that your injury will take ten days¡­ Eh?¡± She turned around and looked out. A trace of doubt flashed across her big black grape-like eyes. ¡°Why are they all here again?¡± Zi Chen also sensed something and looked out of the window. Both of them were legendary fiends and were naturally the most sensitive to the aura of legendary fiends. Many legendary fiends suddenly surged into Yue Manor. Apart from the first time they were brought back, nothing like this had happened since. Now this was¡ª ¡°Ah! I understand!¡± Tuan Zi seemed to have suddenly thought of something and clapped. ¡°It must be him!¡± Zi Chen¡¯s gaze turned slightly. ¡°Him? Who?¡± Tuan Zi smiled until her eyes curved up. ¡°You don¡¯t know him, but he¡¯s a very good person! He¡¯s probably the only one who can bring so many legendary fiends over!¡± Seeing her cheerful smile, Zi Chen said, ¡°It seems that you two have a good relationship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s been a long time since we last met.¡± As Tuan Zi spoke, she jumped onto the stool and swayed her two small white feet. She supported her chin with both hands, as if she were missing something. Zi Chen asked, ¡°Since he¡¯s here now, why don¡¯t you meet him?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± Tuan Zi immediately propped herself up and said seriously, ¡°A¡¯Yue said that I have to take care of you here! How can I leave so easily?¡± Zi Chen closed his eyes. ¡°Anyway, the medicine has been changed. There¡¯s nothing for you to do here. She won¡¯t really blame you.¡± Tuan Zi pouted. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Zi Chen didn¡¯t say anything else. Tuan Zi clasped her little hands and hesitated for a while before asking, ¡°Zi Chen, you seem to be in a bad mood?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Is it too stuffy here?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Tuan Zi pouted and thought seriously about it for a while before quietening down. Zi Chen is seriously injured and feels uncomfortable all over. It should be normal for him to be in a bad mood, right? She decided not to disturb his rest. The room fell silent again. ¡­ On the other side, Chu Liuyue was a little surprised after hearing Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s words. ¡°So, you came to the God Residence Realm with San San?¡± ¡°Yes, but we encountered some trouble in the middle, so we separated. Initially, I wanted to contact San San as soon as possible and meet him, but I was injured and fainted for a long time. Fortunately, I was saved by someone, so I survived. Later, although my body recovered, I had already lost contact with San San. It wasn¡¯t until I heard the news of Peach Blossom Dock that I rushed over.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. In the God Residence Realm, it was really dangerous to be alone unless one was a top-notch expert. Hua Shuangshuang had his own difficulties. Fortunately, that was all in the past. ¡°You seem like you¡¯re¡­ about to break through to become a legendary warrior now?¡± Chu Liuyue asked tentatively. Hua Shuangshuang didn¡¯t hide it and admitted frankly, ¡°Master¡¯s guess is right. I¡¯m still a step away from becoming a legendary warrior.¡± Although it was difficult to take this step, it was already very rare to reach this strength in such a short period of time. The Thirteen Yue Guards were all extremely talented. In the past, they were trapped in the cultivation environment of Tianling, so the cultivation realm they could reach was limited. But in the God Residence Realm, the Heaven and Earth Force was abundant and greatly conducive to cultivation, so their strength increased rapidly. Hua Shuangshuang was even more outstanding. San San exclaimed, ¡°Second Brother, are you really going to break through to become a legendary warrior soon?¡± Hua Shuangshuang pondered for a moment. ¡°If I can cultivate in Peach Blossom Dock, I should be able to successfully break through in half a year.¡± Everyone present was shocked. They all knew Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s personality¡ªhe was definitely not someone who liked to boast. On the contrary, most of the time, he was very humble. Since he had said so, then¡­ It seemed like he was 90% confident in this matter. Thirteen had a look of admiration on his face. ¡°Second Brother is amazing! I¡¯m only a stage-nine warrior now. I don¡¯t even know when I¡¯ll be able to break through to become a true god!¡± Chu Liuyue silently glanced at Thirteen. This child broke through to become a stage-seven warrior not long ago, right? How could he have broken through to become a stage-nine warrior so quickly and be planning to become a true god? Although people often said that true gods were everywhere in the God Residence Realm, this was ultimately just an exaggeration. It wasn¡¯t easy to break through to become a true god. Furthermore, how old was Thirteen now? I really don¡¯t know how Cen Yi taught him¡­ Hua Shuangshuang laughed. ¡°Little Thirteen, you¡¯re already better than many people! When San San was your age, he didn¡¯t even break through to become a stage-seven warrior!¡± The flesh on San San¡¯s face trembled as he tried to regain some face for himself. ¡°But at that time, I had already started to help manage the finances!¡± Chu Liuyue reminded, ¡°San San, at that time, you finished reading Tianling¡¯s Imperial City ten-year account book in two hours. That doesn¡¯t seem to have delayed your cultivation, right?¡± ¡°Aye.¡± San San retracted his neck guiltily. Chu Liuyue teased, ¡°If this continues, you¡¯ll probably be the last person among the Thirteen Yue Guards to fight.¡± San San moved his body and whispered, ¡°T-That might not be the case¡­¡± If I cultivate seriously, I won¡¯t be much inferior to them, right? ¡°By the way, who else is in the God Residence Realm now?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Cen Yi. Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°Nobody else.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent Lin Zhifei and the others to the new Gate Realm. The transportation formation between the Gate Realm and Tianling should be completed soon. At that time, it¡¯ll be much more convenient to communicate. Just get them to come over again.¡± Originally, Peach Blossom Dock had a Gate Realm that directly connected to the inside and outside of the God Residence Realm. However, something had gone wrong some time ago, so it was temporarily sealed. Just as Chu Liuyue was worrying about this question, a new Gate Realm appeared. This way, the people from Peach Blossom Dock could go to the new Gate Realm from here before heading outside the God Residence Realm. Although it required a transfer and was a little troublesome, it wasn¡¯t particularly far away. Moreover, the transportation formations that connected in the middle were gradually built, so it was still feasible. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ After the lively meal, Cen Yi and the others left. Only Hua Shuangshuang was left behind by Chu Liuyue. ¡°When I help Mr. Su reconstruct his body, I¡¯ll bring you to see Tuan Zi.¡± Hua Shuangshuang nodded in agreement at first, then suddenly realized something. ¡°Mr. Su? Which Mr. Su?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Shi Fang, where¡¯s the thing I asked you to choose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over there. Come with me.¡± Shi Fang knew that she attached special importance to this matter, so he was very cautious and meticulous. He brought Chu Liuyue to the room beside him. In the room, nine skeletons were neatly placed. ¡°These were carefully selected by me. They¡¯re all here.¡± Chapter 2159 - 2159 Rescue! 2159 Rescue! Hua Shuangshuang stood outside the door and saw the situation in the room with a strange expression. It¡¯s been so long. Why is Master¡­ Boom! A thunderous sound suddenly exploded in the sky! Hua Shuangshuang immediately looked up and saw that the clear sky had already been filled with dark clouds. A silver bolt of lightning was surging in the clouds! ¡°This is¡ª¡± With such a commotion, things are probably not ordinary. Just as this thought flashed through his mind, the lightning landed and headed straight for Yue Manor the next moment! Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s heart tightened. His gaze followed the bolt of lightning, and he realized that it had finally landed somewhere in Yue Manor. Boom! In an instant, silver light splashed everywhere! Hua Shuangshuang took a few steps forward and looked over. He could vaguely see a few dazzling golden lights. When Chu Liuyue heard the commotion, she turned around and smiled. ¡°He moved so quickly¡­¡± From the looks of it, Rong Xiu¡¯s side should be over soon. After all, Rong Xiu had the skeleton of a legendary warrior, and Tang Ke was very strong, so it would be much easier for them to progress. She retracted her gaze and looked at the skeletons one by one before choosing the most suitable one. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡­ Just as Hua Shuangshuang was shocked by the commotion over there, Chu Liuyue brought the skeleton to the courtyard. She placed the skeleton on the ground and sat cross-legged. Swoosh! A ball of crimson-gold flames surged out of her palm! Then, with a flick of her wrist, the ball of flames suddenly flew up and landed lightly on the skeleton in front of her. The stage-nine skeleton naturally couldn¡¯t withstand the power of this flame, so Chu Liuyue had already wrapped it with her force. This was to expel the impurities in this skeleton and also to increase its toughness so that the subsequent process could be carried out smoothly. ¡°A stage-nine warrior?¡± Hua Shuangshuang looked shocked. Master is actually helping a stage-nine warrior reconstruct their body? That seems impossible, right? And over there, someone seems to be helping a legendary warrior reconstruct their body! What is going on¡­ ¡°Mr. Su, you can come out now,¡± Chu Liuyue said softly after completely refining the skeleton. With that, a translucent figure appeared in the courtyard. Shi Fang had long known about this, but when he saw Su Li with his own eyes, he still felt very curious and shocked. Hua Shuangshuang was completely stunned. ¡°Mr. Su¡­ is a woman?¡± He had heard of Mr. Su. When he heard Chu Liuyue say that she wanted to help Mr. Su reconstruct their body, he realized that the rumored extremely mysterious Mr. Su wasn¡¯t dead. Before the waves in his heart could calm down, they were stirred up again! Su Li covered her lips and smiled. ¡°Yue¡¯er, it seems like it¡¯s better for me to appear as a man in the future. It won¡¯t scare everyone.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Senior Tang Ke will be willing.¡± Su Li immediately felt a little embarrassed, but she didn¡¯t retort. After a pause, she thanked Shi Fang again. Shi Fang was flattered. He didn¡¯t expect this person who only existed in legends to be so approachable. ¡°Mr. Su, please!¡± Chu Liuyue looked much more serious. Su Li nodded her head and swallowed the pill that Chu Liuyue had refined previously. Her figure moved and overlapped with the skeleton. Chu Liuyue waved her hands gently, and the reddish-gold flames surged again! ¡­ Time passed slowly, and flesh and blood gradually grew on the skeleton. Perhaps because of the help of the pill, the skeleton really survived! As night fell, Su Li¡¯s physical body finally condensed! Chu Liuyue stared intently and didn¡¯t dare to relax at all. She knew that the further she got, the more she couldn¡¯t be careless. This pill was hard to come by, and Su Li¡¯s soul power was weak to begin with. If she didn¡¯t succeed this time, it would have a huge impact on Su Li. Boom! Not far away, another bolt of lightning struck! The next moment, a figure suddenly soared into the sky! They were bathed in lightning! Chu Liuyue quickly looked up and was shocked. Although she had yet to see his face clearly, she was sure that the person must be Tang Ke! The appearance of a legendary warrior caused a huge commotion. Everyone in Peach Blossom Dock looked in the direction of Yue Manor. ¡°This commotion¡­ Someone broke through to become a legendary warrior?¡± ¡°No way? The breakthrough to become a legendary warrior doesn¡¯t seem to be like this¡­¡± ¡°But the aura around that person is indeed that of a legendary warrior!¡± ¡°When several bolts of lightning landed just now, a golden light appeared in Yue Manor. Could it be¡­ His Grace made a move?¡± Just as everyone was filled with doubts, the figure in the sky finally devoured the power of the last bolt of lightning. His figure and appearance were gradually revealed. Seeing that unfamiliar face, many people looked at each other. There is indeed no such person in Peach Blossom Dock¡­ At this moment, the man cupped fists with both hands and said in a deep voice, ¡°Tang Ke of the Tang family thanks His Grace for saving us!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, almost everyone was stunned. ¡°Tang family? Which Tang family? There doesn¡¯t seem to be such a family clan in the God Residence Realm, right?¡± ¡°Tang¡­ Tang Ke?! Is this the Armory Refinement Saint¡ªTang Ke?!¡± ¡°Which Tang family could it be!? In this world, only one person dares to call himself the Tang family¡¯s Tang Ke!¡± After a short silence, everyone reacted. For a moment, the entire Peach Blossom Dock fell into deep shock and excitement! If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn¡¯t have believed that Tang Ke was still alive! More importantly, he thanked the two of them for saving him! ¡°Didn¡¯t Master Yue receive Senior Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance previously? Why¡­¡± How did she manage to save him?! Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and took out a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. The lush and tender leaves swayed gently. Whoosh¡ª The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force began to quickly surge into Su Li¡¯s body! Su Li hadn¡¯t broken through to become a true god, so she couldn¡¯t use the heavenly lightning to temper her body. It was very good to use the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Abundant force wrapped in vigorous vitality continuously integrated into Su Li¡¯s body! Then, she finally opened her eyes! A pair of eyes as gentle as spring water flickered with a dazzling light. Chu Liuyue was elated. It succeeded! But just as she was about to stop, she suddenly realized that the force was still surging toward Su Li. Boom! In the sky, a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed! Chu Liuyue looked up and instantly understood something. Is Su Li¡­ going to take advantage of this opportunity to break through to become a true god?! As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, the bolt of lightning fell with a bang and headed straight for Su Li! Su Li also looked up at the lightning bolt. There was no fear on her face. Instead, there was a hint of excitement. She had always known very well that her talent as a warrior was extremely ordinary. She might never be able to break through to become a true god in her life. But this time¡­ was the opportunity finally here? Chapter 2160 - 2160 Couple 2160 Couple Just as everyone in the city was still immersed in the shock brought about by Tang Ke, another figure flew out of Yue Manor! It was obviously a woman. Before anyone could distinguish clearly, they saw the lightning strike! The woman¡¯s figure was instantly enveloped! ¡°Who is it now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see them clearly¡­ but they look a little strange¡­¡± Chu Liuyue stood up and looked up at the figure enveloped in the resplendent light. She originally only wanted to help Su Li reconstruct her body, but she didn¡¯t expect¡ª Soon, all the light surged into Su Li¡¯s body, and the aura on her body suddenly strengthened, officially breaking through to become a true god! ¡­ Countless eyes looked at the woman. She was wearing a long dress. Her black hair hung down to her ankles, and her forehead was tied with a ruby. She was beautiful and had a gentle temperament. Just by standing there, she seemed to have softened the night breeze. ¡°This woman¡­ is extremely beautiful.¡± After a while, someone spoke. ¡°But with such strength, it¡¯s nothing in the Peach Blossom Dock, right?¡± This was the truth. Not to mention Shangguan Jing¡¯s group of legendary warriors, there were really many true gods in Peach Blossom Dock. This woman looked to be in her twenties. To them, it was really normal for her to break through to become a true god at this age, so there was nothing to be surprised about. But as soon as he finished speaking, the man suddenly felt a chill on his back. He subconsciously turned around and realized that Tang Ke was looking at him! Tang Ke¡¯s expression was very calm, but when those eyes looked over, they carried an unbearable invisible pressure! The man who spoke immediately panicked, and his legs faintly felt weak. Did I say something wrong just now? ¡°Let me introduce you,¡± Tang Ke said. ¡°This is my wife, Su Li.¡± Everyone: ¡°???¡± Su Li was speechless. Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± I know that this person has been in love with Mr. Su for a long time, but isn¡¯t this too fast? Why do I feel that this person¡­ is a little thick-skinned? Tang Ke was a little surprised. ¡°Li Zi, we¡¯ve been buried together for more than 10,000 years. Aren¡¯t we considered husband and wife?¡± Su Li was speechless. Chu Liuyue clapped and gave him a thumbs-up. How is he thick-skinned? He is clearly shameless. In the courtyard on the other side, Rong Xiu stood with his hands behind his back. When he heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at Yan Qing behind him. Well, at least he is smarter than this. Yan Qing looked confused. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. Even if his brain is smashed, he won¡¯t be enlightened. Why waste so much effort? ¡­ Everyone in Peach Blossom Dock was watching the situation here. When they heard Tang Ke¡¯s words, everyone was shocked. Isn¡¯t Tang Ke unmarried? Why did a wife suddenly appear? They even said that they had been buried together for more than 10,000 years? Then, why are they out again now? In addition, this woman¡¯s attitude toward Tang Ke¡­ Isn¡¯t it too nonchalant, casual, and indifferent? She is just a true god¡­ At this moment, Rong Xiu¡¯s figure suddenly appeared in the sky. ¡°Congratulations, Senior Tang Ke. Congratulations, Mr. Su.¡± His thin crimson lips curled up slightly, his attitude very polite. When everyone heard this, they were shocked again. Mr. Su? ¡°Damn! Could it be that Mr. Su who fought with Senior Tang Ke back then?!¡± Su Li looked at the person who spoke and said seriously, ¡°That¡¯s me. What, is it strange?¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± It isn¡¯t strange¡­ It is magical! For a moment, Hua Shuangshuang felt sad. It wasn¡¯t his fault that he had a huge reaction just now¡ªit was just too shocking! Everyone was so shocked by the news that they couldn¡¯t speak! In comparison, his performance just now wasn¡¯t bad. Chu Liuyue flew over as well. ¡°Both seniors have successfully reconstructed their bodies, and Mr. Su has successfully broken through to become a true god. It¡¯s really a joyous occasion!¡± This sentence gave everyone an explanation. After a short daze, everyone reacted one after another. Buried together for 10,000 years¡­ Reconstructed their bodies¡­ ¡°In that case, not only did Master Yue obtain Senior Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance, but she also brought these two back?¡± someone exclaimed. Moreover, not only had she brought it back, but she had also helped them reconstruct their bodies! Tang Ke was in a good mood and immediately said loudly, ¡°That¡¯s right. The two of us are very fated with His Grace and Master Yue. In addition, we¡¯re very grateful that the two of you saved us this time, so we plan to stay in Peach Blossom Dock from now on.¡± Everyone fell into silence. Both of them are going to stay in Peach Blossom Dock? What did this mean? It was obvious! In the past 10,000 years, only two Armory Refinement Saints had appeared in the entire God Residence Realm! But now, both of them were going to stay in Peach Blossom Dock and become members of Yue Manor! If the news spread, it would probably shock the entire God Residence Realm! If Yue Manor had finally occupied a place in the God Residence Realm previously, then now¡­ it was almost at the top! Tang Ke and Su Li¡¯s stance was really meaningful! Chu Liuyue cupped fists with both hands and thanked him seriously. ¡°It¡¯s the fortune of Peach Blossom Dock for the two seniors to have such intentions.¡± ¡­ The news of Tang Ke and Su Li¡¯s reappearance spread throughout the entire God Residence Realm as quickly as possible. Many people¡¯s first reaction was disbelief, but after asking around, they realized that it was true! Not only that, but the two of them also stayed in Peach Blossom Dock! It was obvious that they were on their side! For a moment, the entire God Residence Realm was shocked. Everyone knew that in this situation, the situation in the God Residence Realm would definitely change greatly! At this time, it was extremely important to make a choice! Chapter 2161 - 2161 Waves 2161 Waves At the Wei family. Wei Song hurried to Wutong Garden. This was Wei Ze¡¯s residence, but at this moment, only Wei Kehan was guarding the door. ¡°Where¡¯s the family head? He¡¯s not out yet?¡± Wei Song stood outside the courtyard and glanced inside. Wei Kehan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Song frowned. Ever since Wei Ze returned from Peach Blossom Dock yesterday, he had locked himself in his room and never came out again. No one knew what had happened to him at Peach Blossom Dock. The entire Wei family was also discussing. Wei Song was about to enter when Wei Kehan stopped him. ¡°Elder Wei Song, the family head said that he wants to be alone. You should wait a little longer¡ª¡± ¡°I have something to report to the family head. This matter can¡¯t be delayed.¡± Wei Song frowned. ¡°Are you trying to stop me?¡± Wei Kehan¡¯s heart trembled. After hesitating for a moment, he took a step back. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Although they were both elders, Wei Song¡¯s status in the Wei family was revered. Wei Kehan couldn¡¯t be compared to him. Wei Song walked straight to Wei Ze¡¯s door. ¡­ At the same time, in the room, Wei Ze was leaning against the chair with his eyes closed. He was frowning and looked tired. He had been in this position all day and night. There were currently two paths in front of him. He could abide by her agreement with Rong Xiu and send Wei Xiping to Peach Blossom Dock, or he lowered his head to express their goodwill to Jun Jiuqing and continued to stand on the side. These two choices had their pros and cons for him and the entire Wei family. However, he didn¡¯t trust Rong Xiu or Jun Jiuqing. No matter what he did, it was equivalent to giving Wei Xiping to others to deal with as they pleased, putting him in a completely passive position. Wei Ze didn¡¯t want to choose either of these two paths. But now, everything was clearly out of his control. ¡°Family Head?¡± Hearing the voice outside, Wei Ze finally pulled back his thoughts. ¡°Elder Wei Song? Please come in.¡± Wei Song pushed the door open and entered. It was rare for him to see Wei Ze like this after so many years. Wei Ze shook his head and rubbed his face. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that¡­ I suddenly thought of Xiping.¡± Wei Song understood. ¡°Elder Wei Song, you just said that you have something to report. What is it?¡± Wei Ze asked. Wei Song¡¯s expression instantly became serious. ¡°It seems like the family head doesn¡¯t know that Tang Ke and Mr. Su have appeared.¡± Wei Ze didn¡¯t react for a moment. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Those two didn¡¯t really die back then. Instead, they each left behind a soul. Furthermore, they have already reconstructed their bodies. I heard that it was Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue who helped.¡± Wei Song took a deep breath. ¡°More importantly, these two have said that they will stay in Peach Blossom Dock in the future.¡± Hearing this, Wei Ze suddenly realized what had happened and stood up! The chair behind him was hit and fell heavily to the ground. However, Wei Ze couldn¡¯t care less at this moment. ¡°Is what you said¡­ true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true. Now that the news has spread, everyone in the God Residence Realm should already know.¡± Wei Song knew what he was thinking and shook his head. ¡°It can¡¯t be fake. No one in this world would dare to impersonate Tang Ke and Mr. Su.¡± Wei Ze¡¯s heart sank! That¡¯s right! Even if someone ate bear heart and leopard gall, they would definitely not dare to do such a thing! Besides, everyone thought that the two of them had been dead for more than 10,000 years. Who would have thought of impersonating them? Everything could only prove that this was all true! ¡°Tang Ke¡­ Mr. Su!¡± Wei Ze muttered and slammed his fist on the table. ¡°They must have left Tang Ke¡¯s tomb when¡ª¡± I actually didn¡¯t notice it at all! Actually, it wasn¡¯t just him. At that time, there were so many people who went to Messy Stone Forest, but none of them saw anything abnormal! Previously, everyone was at most green with envy because they had received Tang Ke¡¯s inheritance. Now, it was great¡ªthe only two Armory Refinement Saints had both become theirs! Peach Blossom Dock wasn¡¯t to be trifled with to begin with. Now, it was even more domineering! Wei Song looked at Wei Ze with suspicion. This matter is indeed shocking. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have rushed over after knowing about this. However¡­ Wei Ze¡¯s reaction was too big. ¡°Family Head, what did you say to them when you went to Peach Blossom Dock previously?¡± If it were really as Wei Ze had said previously and he had gone to resolve the misunderstanding, it shouldn¡¯t be like this now, right? Wei Song intuitively felt that there was something wrong. Wei Ze took a deep breath and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Previously, because of Xiping, I was a little estranged from them. And there was some unhappiness in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. That¡¯s why they suspected that I was responsible for what happened with the Mahayana Sect¡¯s Lin JIang. But now¡­ the matter has been explained clearly.¡± Wei Song didn¡¯t believe Wei Ze¡¯s words. He said tentatively, ¡°That¡¯s good. With Tang Ke and Mr. Su backing them up, Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue will probably be even more difficult to provoke in the future. Even if we can¡¯t be friends with such a person, we definitely can¡¯t be enemies.¡± Wei Ze closed his eyes and was silent for a long time before saying, ¡°You¡¯re right. With such a big thing happening, we still have to express our gratitude.¡± ¡°What the family head means is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll set off immediately and go to Peach Blossom Dock again to send a congratulatory gift. Just treat it as¡­ for the Wei family.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still going?¡± Wei Song was a little hesitant. For the current Peach Blossom Dock, it seems a little too late to ¡®please¡¯ them now, right? Wei Ze laughed at himself. ¡°No matter what, I have to go this time.¡± Wei Song felt that there was a hidden meaning in his words, but after thinking about it, he felt that Wei Ze¡¯s actions weren¡¯t wrong. After all, this was something that would do more good than harm to the entire Wei family. ¡°What does the family head plan to choose as a congratulatory gift? The family¡¯s inventory¡ª¡± ¡°I already have a choice in my heart. There¡¯s no need for Elder Wei Song to worry.¡± Wei Ze closed his eyes. ¡°I want to rest for a while. Elder Wei Song, if there¡¯s nothing else, please go ahead.¡± Wei Song wanted to say something but hesitated. However, when he saw Wei Ze¡¯s tired expression, he finally swallowed his words and only responded before turning to leave. The door closed, and the room fell into a frozen silence again. After a long time, Wei Ze let out a long sigh. He seemed to have aged a lot in an instant. ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock. The appearance of Tang Ke and Su Li caused a huge uproar in the city. However, the two people in the center of the storm chose to stay quietly in Yue Manor, as if they had decided to really live here from now on. With a load off her mind, Chu Liuyue felt much more at ease. Hence, after the matter was over, she brought Hua Shuangshuang to look for Tuan Zi early the next morning. The only thing that made Chu Liuyue speechless was that when they arrived outside the courtyard, there were more than ten fiends following behind them. Chapter 2162 - 2162 As I Should 2162 As I Should Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, Chu Liuyue looked at Hua Shuangshuang speechlessly. It is really close to where I live! But in such a short distance, these fiends came again. A few of them were still hanging on Hua Shuangshuang. ¡°Shuangshuang, why do I feel that you seem to be more liked by them than before?¡± At first, Chu Liuyue thought she had guessed wrongly, but after a day or two of observation, she realized that she hadn¡¯t guessed wrong. No matter what kind of legendary fiend they were or what kind of temper they had, they all liked to be clingy when they met him. She didn¡¯t know what kind of mysterious physique he had. Hua Shuangshuang laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re all very obedient; they won¡¯t cause trouble.¡± With that, he pulled the few off his body and placed them on the ground. He then turned around and instructed, ¡°Alright, stay here obediently. Don¡¯t go in and cause trouble.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Shuangshuang, don¡¯t worry about that. They dare to cause trouble anywhere in Yue Manor, but this definitely doesn¡¯t include this place.¡± Hua Shuangshuang quickly understood. ¡°Because of Tuan Zi?¡± Now that Tuan Zi was already a red-gold heavenly phoenix and was the young mistress with the purest bloodline, she could be considered the most honorable existence. When these fiends saw her, they naturally felt reverence that came from the depths of their bones. Chu Liuyue nodded with a smile and walked in. ¡°Tuan Zi should already know that you¡¯re here, but I asked her to take care of Zi Chen recently, so she¡¯s been staying here. She must be very happy to see you.¡± ¡°Zi Chen?¡± Hua Shuangshuang was stunned for a moment before he understood. ¡°Is that your other contracted fiend?¡± Hua Shuangshuang had long heard that Chu Liuyue had two legendary fiends. ¡°Yes.¡± Hua Shuangshuang sighed. ¡°I heard that it¡¯s a legendary three-eyed eagle that has fused with the blood of the great phoenix dragon race. It must be very extraordinary. I can finally see it today.¡± As Chu Liuyue walked in, she shouted, ¡°Tuan Zi! Look who¡¯s here!¡± At that moment, Tuan Zi was about to help Zi Chen change his dressing. When she heard this voice, her eyes lit up as she looked outside excitedly. Zi Chen looked up at her and extended his hand. ¡°Give me the medicine.¡± Tuan Zi retracted her gaze and avoided his hand. ¡°How can I do that? You haven¡¯t recovered yet. I have to do this!¡± Zi Chen looked at her calmly. ¡°It¡¯s rare for friends to meet. Besides, they¡¯re already here. How can you not see each other?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Tuan Zi thought about it and suddenly felt that what Zi Chen said made sense. She put the medicine aside and asked, ¡°Then, then why don¡¯t I go take a look first? After that, I¡¯ll come back immediately to help you change your dressing!¡± Zi Chen nodded his head. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I knew Zi Chen was the best!¡± Tuan Zi immediately jumped up in joy, turned around, and ran out barefooted. In the blink of an eye, the small figure disappeared from the room, and only the faint sound of bells could be heard. Zi Chen closed his eyes and planned to rest. Then, Tuan Zi¡¯s excited scream could be heard clearly from outside. ¡°Da Shuang!¡± Zi Chen opened his eyes. Tuan Zi ran out and saw Hua Shuangshuang at a glance. She was instantly excited. ¡°Da Shuang! It¡¯s really you! It¡¯s really you!¡± When Hua Shuangshuang saw Tuan Zi, he was stunned for a moment. Then, right on the heels of that, he remembered that she had already transformed into her human form. Although Tuan Zi had completely changed from before, and even her bloodline had changed, that aura was still especially familiar. A huge smile immediately appeared on his face as he opened his arms. ¡°Little Nine!¡± He picked up Tuan Zi and weighed her in his arms. ¡°Look at me! I was so excited to see you that I forgot that you¡¯re not called Little Nine now, but Tuan Zi.¡± Among the Thirteen Yue Guards, he was the most familiar with Tuan Zi. He was used to calling her Little Nine, and it was really difficult to change it for a moment. Tuan Zi chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay! You can call me whatever you want!¡± Hua Shuangshuang laughed and sized her up carefully. ¡°Little Nine, did you miss me?¡± In the room, a hint of frustration flashed across Zi Chen¡¯s eyes. I won¡¯t be able to sleep. He lifted the blanket and got out of bed, heading for the door. As soon as he arrived at the door, he saw Tuan Zi hugging Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s neck and nodding vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Chu Liuyue was the first to see Zi Chen and exclaimed, ¡°Zi Chen, why are you out?¡± Zi Chen¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°There¡¯s a guest here. How can I lie down all the time? Besides, my injuries are almost healed.¡± With that, he looked at Hua Shuangshuang. ¡°This is¡± ¡°Zi Chen!¡± Tuan Zi turned around and waved at Zi Chen excitedly. ¡°Let me introduce you, this is Da Shuang! He used to be my little brother!¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°Tuan Zi, when did this happen? Besides, we were both giving in to you in the past.¡± Hua Shuangshuang smiled even more happily. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry about it! Little Nine is right. A few years ago, I had indeed been following Little Nine!¡± Tuan Zi made a face smugly. Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who spoils her like this.¡± A few years ago, the two of them had really caused a lot of trouble for those fiends in the imperial capital of Tianling. Tuan Zi continued, ¡°Da Shuang, this is Zi Chen! He was injured to save me this time!¡± Hua Shuangshuang immediately understood. ¡°I see.¡± Hua Shuangshuang put Tuan Zi down and cupped her hands at Zi Chen. ¡°Thank you for taking care of Little Nine.¡± Zi Chen said calmly, ¡°No problem.¡± Chapter 2163 - 2163 Saint 2163 Saint Hua Shuangshuang was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but he felt that this Zi Chen didn¡¯t seem to welcome him very much Tuan Zi ran to Zi Chen¡¯s side and looked up at him. ¡°Zi Chen, did I disturb you just now?¡± I remember that Zi Chen had originally planned on resting Zi Chen glanced at her. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ah? That¡¯s true!¡± Tuan Zi recalled that when she was injured Every time it was time for the scabs to form, the wound would indeed feel numb and itchy. It was very uncomfortable. Zi Chen was probably the same. ¡°But this also means that you¡¯re almost done! Let¡¯s goI¡¯ll help you change your dressing!¡± It was never wrong to change the dressing and clean up. However, Zi Chen looked up at Hua Shuangshuang. ¡°That¡¯s not appropriate, is it? You haven¡¯t seen your friend in a long time¡± ¡°Your injuries are more important now!¡± At the critical moment, Tuan Zi could still tell the severity of the matter. Chu Liuyue also said, ¡°Tuan Zi is right. You should recuperate first. I brought Shuangshuang here today to greet Tuan Zi first.¡± Zi Chen¡¯s eyes flickered, and he nodded before turning back. Chu Liuyue looked at Hua Shuangshuang. ¡°Zi Chen was injured saving Tuan Zi previously, and Tuan Zi has always felt guilty, so I let her stay here to take care of Zi Chen.¡± Hua Shuangshuang nodded. ¡°Tuan Zi is pure and kind. She must be very sad about this. This way, it¡¯s a good thing for her.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Zi Chen¡¯s bloodline power is strong; he should recover soon. I¡¯ll let Tuan Zi look for you then.¡± Hua Shuangshuang laughed. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry! Anyway, I¡¯m relieved to see that she¡¯s fine today.¡± Chu Liuyue shouted inside, ¡°Tuan Zi, Zi Chen, we won¡¯t disturb you anymore. I¡¯ll leave first?¡± On the other side, Zi Chen had just finished lying down. Tuan Zi was holding the medicine bottle in her hand. When she heard this, she turned around and responded: ¡°Got it!¡± Chu Liuyue and Hua Shuangshuang left very quickly. Tuan Zi put down the medicine bottle and went to untie the bow on Zi Chen¡¯s wrist. Zi Chen looked down at her. After a moment, he said, ¡°Actually, my injuries are almost healed. Why don¡¯t I tell Master¡± Tuan Zi shook her head like a rattle. ¡°No need, no need! We agreed on ten days, not one day less!¡± She lifted the gauze and saw that Zi Chen¡¯s wound had indeed begun to scab. However, the wound was too big, and it still looked shocking. She frowned a little, then carefully applied the medicine and changed to clean gauze. Zi Chen didn¡¯t say anything else. He leaned against the head of the bed, and his eyebrows relaxed a little. Right on the heels of that, he heard Tuan Zi mutter to herself, ¡°Anyway, Da Shuang will be staying in Peach Blossom Dock in the future. It won¡¯t be too late to look for him after this!¡± Zi Chen glanced at her again. As if sensing his gaze, Tuan Zi looked up and blinked a few times. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Zi Chen, are you in a bad mood again?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As Tuan Zi spoke, she leaned forward and poked the corner of his lips. ¡°You¡¯re not even smiling!¡± Zi Chen grabbed her hand, paused, and said, ¡°It just hurts a little.¡± Tuan Zi immediately understood and fell into guilt again. ¡°Did I move too much just now? Th-then, I¡¯ll be careful¡± Zi Chen nodded before letting go of her small hand and gently closing his eyes. Tuan Zi lowered her head and treated the wound even more carefully. When Chu Liuyuewho had just walked out of the courtyardheard this, she turned around and had a strange gaze. Am I hallucinating? Did Zi Chen just say that his wound hurt a little? Is there a mistake? Even if this old man¡¯s bones are shattered, he won¡¯t shout and is a tough nut to crack. His wound is much better now. Why is he crying out in pain? Hua Shuangshuang also stopped in his tracks and followed Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He didn¡¯t know Zi Chen well, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t notice anything wrong. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. There have been more and more strange things recently After walking a distance, Hua Shuangshuang still said, ¡°Master, Zi Chen He doesn¡¯t seem to welcome me.¡± ¡°Why would he?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Zi Chen¡¯s personality is cold to begin with. It¡¯s the same for everyone. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Only then did Hua Shuangshuang relax. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± He had a special physique and had a strong affinity with all kinds of fiends. But when he met Zi Chen, he felt that something was wrong. He was probably wrong. After Chu Liuyue and Hua Shuangshuang parted ways, they returned to their own courtyard. Rong Xiu was writing a list for Yan Qing. ¡°That¡¯s all for the time being. It must be delivered in five days.¡± Yan Qing took the list with both hands and quickly put it away. ¡°Yes!¡± After saying that, he retreated respectfully. When he came out, he bumped into Chu Liuyue. He bowed and left in a hurry. Chu Liuyue glanced at Yan Qing¡¯s back and asked curiously, ¡°What are you asking him to do? Are you in a hurry?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯m just going back to the Sky-Cloud Empire to get some things.¡± Rong Xiu smiled faintly. ¡°Senior Tang Ke asked for them.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°Senior Tang Ke? Why didn¡¯t he tell me what he needed? Isn¡¯t there anything in Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Rong Xiu replied, ¡°He came just now. Since you weren¡¯t around, I agreed. It¡¯s just some materials for refining Yuan instruments. Peach Blossom Dock does have them, but not much. Coincidentally, the Sky-Cloud Empire has some stock, so I got Yan Qing to retrieve them.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tang Ke was an Armory Refinement Master. Of course, she needed something related to armory refinement. Although Peach Blossom Dock had abundant Heaven and Earth Force, it was still much inferior to the Sky-Cloud Empire in terms of this. Chu Liuyue stroked her chin. ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t I help Mr. Su prepare some?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Senior Tang Ke has already helped Mr. Su to ask for it earlier.¡± After all, the two of them were Armory Refinement Saints and had fought before. In this aspect, no one knew them better than each other. Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°Senior Tang Ke is really impressive.¡± The moment she became his wife, he started to chase after her in all aspects. Su Li hasn¡¯t seen him for the past two days, but he could actually come up with such a plan. Even Chu Liuyue had to say that she was impressed. Rong Xiu raised his thin lips slightly and looked at her. ¡°Senior Tang Ke is planning to refine some Yuan instruments this time.¡± Speaking of this, Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. Refining a Yuan instrument is naturally not a problem for Tang Ke. Most importantly, what about holy weapons? According to Su Li, the two of them were able to refine the ten holy weapons because of the sudden appearance of the Celestial Shield. But now, it is probably impossible to refine a holy weapon. Suddenly, her heart tingled. ¡°By the way, do you remember that Senior Tang Ke once said that Ancestor is very likely to break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint?¡± Chapter 2164 - 2164 You Should Go Back 2164 You Should Go Back Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°He did say that.¡± This sentence was said in front of everyone at that time. It was precisely because of this that Shangguan Jing¡¯s reputation in the God Residence Realm was extremely great now. Everyone was secretly watching to see if he could really successfully break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before briefly repeating what Su Li said previously. ¡°If it¡¯s really as Mr. Su said, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone in the God Residence Realm who can successfully refine a holy weapon anymore. Then, in a sense, what Mr. Tang Ke said has become an unattainable expectation?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes moved slightly. ¡°Did Mr. Su tell you that?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Rong Xiu paused and smiled. ¡°Then, she probably misunderstood something.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Senior Tang Ke mentioned this to me before, but his words were a little different from Mr. Su¡¯s. Do you still remember the floating hall that appeared in the Red Moon Desert?¡± Of course, Chu Liuyue remembered. Everything that happened inside could be said to be vivid in her mind. ¡°Um¡­ what¡¯s the problem?¡± Rong Xiu stretched out his hand and gestured. Chu Liuyue instantly realized something. ¡°You mean¡­ that circular area?!¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s very obvious that the Celestial Shield came from there. Since the appearance of the Celestial Shield back then could prompt Senior Tang Ke and Senior Su to refine the ten holy weapons, the rest¡­ might be possible. At that time, Senior Tang Ke also said that there was power of the same origin as the Celestial Shield in that area. Perhaps that¡¯s the secret of holy weapons.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned for a long time, and a huge storm stirred in her heart. Yeah! No one knew better than her that the black jade circular area was indeed closely related to the Celestial Shield! ¡°In that case¡­ there¡¯s still a chance to refine a holy weapon in this world?¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly and looked outside. ¡°In theory, yes. However, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s extremely difficult to achieve.¡± Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. Although Tang Ke and Mr. Su¡¯s skills in refining Yuan instruments were comparable, Tang Ke was clearly more experienced and far-sighted in many other things and could make accurate judgments. Su Li had been in a deep sleep for 10,000 years, so it was normal for her to not know anything about the world. Since Tang Ke said that, he must have his reasons. If it is really because the Celestial Shield had fallen from the black jade circular area that the ten holy weapons were born, then¡­ Perhaps there is an even more shocking power stored in the black jade circular area? ¡­ Yan Qing left Peach Blossom Dock and went straight to the Sky-Cloud Empire. But when he was about to reach the Sky-Cloud Empire, he suddenly changed direction and arrived in front of a Gate Realm. The Sky-Cloud Empire guarded three Gate Realms. The one that Yan Qing came to was the most confidential. Very few people in the entire Sky-Cloud Empire had the right to enter and leave this place. A guard in black armor was in charge of guarding. When he saw Yan Qing, he immediately bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Lord Yan Qing!¡± Yan Qing nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The guard didn¡¯t ask and let Yan Qing pass. The ripples shook, and Yan Qing¡¯s figure had already disappeared behind the Gate Realm. ¡­ Country Yao Chen. As night fell, the originally noisy streets gradually became deserted. The shops of all sizes on both sides were also closed for negative karma. Yan Ge locked the door and hummed a tune as he returned to his residence leisurely. But as soon as he returned to his bedroom, he immediately sensed that something was wrong ¡°Who is it?¡± He spoke warily. A figure walked out of the darkness, his handsome face gradually revealed. When he saw that person¡¯s appearance clearly, Yan Ge immediately heaved a sigh of relief and patted his chest. ¡°Yan Qing, are you trying to scare me to death!¡± Who else did he think it was! ¡°Master has an order.¡± When Yan Qing spoke, Yan Ge¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yan Qing took out a list and handed it over¡ªit was the one Rong Xiu had given him previously. ¡°This is what Master wants. Go back and get it as soon as possible.¡± Yan Ge took the list with both hands respectfully and looked at it carefully. Then, he looked at Yan Qing in surprise. ¡°These are all top-notch goods. Why did Master suddenly ask for so many?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°You and I can¡¯t guess Master¡¯s intentions.¡± Yan Ge snorted. ¡°You¡¯ve been by Master¡¯s side the longest. You¡¯ve already figured it out countless times. What¡¯s wrong with me guessing once?¡± ¡°You have three days.¡± Yan Qing couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk nonsense. ¡°If it¡¯s too late¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Three days is enough!¡± Yan Ge put away the list and raised his eyebrows proudly. ¡°Leave this matter to me. I guarantee it won¡¯t be a problem!¡± ¡°Master said that after this matter ends, you don¡¯t have to stay in Country Yao Chen anymore.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s words immediately shocked Yan Ge. ¡°Really?¡± Yan Qing nodded. ¡°Master means that you should go back too.¡± Yan Ge slapped his thigh and cried excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ve finally waited for this day!¡± God knows that I¡¯ve been here for so many years, and I am about to die of boredom! Master finally spoke. I¡¯m so excited! Yan Qing¡¯s expression was still cold, but his eyes revealed unconcealed disdain. Yan Ge didn¡¯t care about this. Anyway, Yan Qing had always been like this for so many years. He leaned forward happily and asked, ¡°Then¡­ Is Master going back soon? Where¡¯s Madam? She should be with him too, right?¡± Yan Qing took a half-step back and turned to leave. ¡°Just wait there. I¡¯ll come and get it at the same time in three days.¡± With that, the void trembled, and his figure disappeared from the room. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go! Finish your sentence!¡± Yan Ge shouted twice, but Yan Qing left happily and didn¡¯t even look at him. ¡°Seriously¡­ With such a temper, he won¡¯t be able to get married in the future!¡± Yan Ge snorted and thought of what he had just said. He became happy again. For this day, he had been waiting for a few more wrinkles! This time, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to sleep. He packed up briefly and quickly set off. ¡­ After Wei Ze left Qinggu Slope, he went straight to Peach Blossom Dock. Of course, this time, he brought Wei Xiping along. ¡°Father, what do you think Rong Xiu is up to?¡± Wei Xiping¡¯s voice came from the Cosmic Ring with a hint of nervousness and suspicion. Wei Ze shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thoughts were very deep, so he couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°But now that Peach Blossom Dock and the Sky-Cloud Empire have joined forces, their power is growing day by day. They¡¯re really not to be trifled with¡­ He should have other plans. After all, if he really wanted to kill you, he would¡¯ve done it long ago and not waited until he found out¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a cold aura attacked him. Wei Ze suddenly stood still and looked ahead in surprise. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Chapter 2165 - 2165 Died Because of You 2165 Died Because of You ¡°Wei Ze, how dare you.¡± A cold and lazy voice came slowly. Wei Ze was shocked. ¡°Jun Jiuqing?!¡± He knew that something was wrong and turned to escape! But as soon as he moved, he realized that he couldn¡¯t move¡ªthe surrounding space was frozen! Looking at the faint light in the surrounding space, Wei Ze became even more nervous. This is the God Realm cast by Jun Jiuqing! He quickly mobilized the force in his body and summoned his God Realm at the same time, wanting to fight against it. However, what shocked him even more was that he was suppressed by Jun Jiuqing¡¯s God Realm and was actually unable to summon his own God Realm! When legendary warriors fought, the importance of the God Realm was self-evident. Once one party had the advantage in this aspect, they would basically lock onto the victory. It was the same now! Wei Ze panicked. I know that Jun Jiuqing is very strong, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so strong! Such a God Realm pressure¡­ can crush me almost effortlessly! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s figure slowly appeared. He looked at Wei Ze lazily, but his eyes were extremely cold. He said slowly, ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve forgotten everything I said previously.¡± Wei Ze originally wanted to defend himself, but the moment he met Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze, he knew that Jun Jiuqing must know everything! His throat tightened, and his heart pounded violently. The wound on his arm seemed to hurt again. ¡°I-I was forced too!¡± Wei Ze didn¡¯t want to fight Jun Jiuqing head-on. That was tantamount to having a death wish. His mind raced, searching for all kinds of reasons. ¡°Rong Xiu knows about the Mahayana Sect matter. If I don¡¯t do as he says, he¡¯ll make these things public! At that time, I and the entire Wei family will suffer a huge blow! I¡ª¡± Jun Jiuqing suddenly laughed with a mocking and contemptuous expression. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who¡¯ll be criticized. What has it got to do with the Wei family? After all, you did this behind the back of the Wei family from beginning to end. You¡¯re just worried that once the matter is exposed, you¡¯ll be expelled from the Wei family.¡± Wei Ze¡¯s face turned pale, and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat. Jun Jiuqing was right¡ªthis was what he was most worried about. Arranging an informant in the Mahayana Sect wasn¡¯t a big deal, but the key was that the informant attacked Chu Liuyue! This could be considered as getting into big trouble, and he even provoked other families because of this. Once everyone knew that he was the mastermind, they would definitely suppress the Wei family. At that time, the Wei family would most likely push him out to protect themselves. Then, he would really be alone and helpless. Hence, after weighing the pros and cons, he could only compromise with Rong Xiu. ¡°Back then, I warned you not to get involved in that so that you wouldn¡¯t be in a messy situation. You didn¡¯t listen, so who can you blame?¡± Jun Jiuqing stretched out his hand. ¡°Give me that item.¡± Wei Ze subconsciously chose to refuse. ¡°No, no! What are you trying to do!?¡± Wei Xiping was still inside! He didn¡¯t dare to imagine the consequences if he fell into Jun Jiuqing¡¯s hands under such circumstances. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s lips curled into a heretical smile, but his voice was unquestionable. ¡°I¡¯ll say it one last time. Give it to me.¡± Wei Ze fell into a deep dilemma. This thing originally belonged to Jun Jiuqing. If it were in the past, Wei Ze would have agreed without hesitation if he wanted to get it back. However, it was different now. He was very worried about what Jun Jiuqing would do. ¡°I, I¡ªFamily Head, I was just confused for a moment. Let me off this time! I promise¡ª¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s patience had run out. He raised his palm gently, and the surrounding space instantly began to collapse! A powerful and terrifying pressure covered the sky and earth. In an instant, a few bloody wounds exploded on Wei Ze¡¯s body! Screech! The half-broken condor suddenly appeared, and the rich smell of blood made it very excited. Its bloodthirsty eyes stared fixedly at Wei Ze. Wei Ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The next moment, the half-broken condor quickly pounced on him! Swoosh! Almost at the same time, an extremely sharp aura flew over. Wei Ze felt a chill on his wrist. He looked down and realized that one of his hands had been cut off by Jun Jiuqing without hesitation! Right on the heels of that, an intense pain came! But at this moment, Wei Ze could no longer care about himself. He only looked ahead in horror. His hand was crushed by a terrifying pressure in midair and instantly exploded. The Cosmic Ring on it flew to Jun Jiuqing. Jun Jiuqing raised his hand but didn¡¯t touch the Cosmic Ring that was covered in blood. He only pointed at it from afar. Bam! The Cosmic Ring shattered! All the things stored inside flew out! Among them was the hammer. Jun Jiuqing put it away. Then, without even looking, he waved his sleeve and burned the remaining things! ¡°Jun Jiuqing! You¡ª¡± Seeing that Wei Xiping had fallen into Jun Jiuqing¡¯s hands, Wei Ze panicked. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the half-broken condor quickly pounced! Although Wei Ze¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t bad, he had already been injured previously. Furthermore, his mind was in a mess, and he had basically lost his combat strength. The half-broken condor didn¡¯t waste too much time and killed him completely. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze swept past indifferently, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. ¡°The flesh of a legendary warrior tastes better after all.¡± Screech! The half-folded condor let out a hiss. Wei Ze¡¯s voice gradually softened. Jun Jiuqing said indifferently, ¡°Wei Xiping, do you see this? This is the outcome of you having disloyal thoughts. Remember, your father died because of you!¡± Chapter 2166 - 2166 Gift 2166 Gift Peach Blossom Dock. Chu Liuyue was cultivating in her room. A silver Xuan formation floated quietly in front of her. The Xuan formation was extremely complicated and dazzling. Unfortunately, it was incomplete¡ªthere were several areas that seemed to be incomplete. Chu Liuyue had been staring at it for a long time, and her glabella was slightly furrowed. ¡°¡­No¡­ It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± This incomplete Xuan formation was the Heaven-Locking Formation! Chu Liuyue relied on her memory to barely sketch the general outline, but because she wasn¡¯t strong enough, she couldn¡¯t show the complete appearance. Back at Ling Xiao Academy, she had repaired the Heaven-Locking Formation with the help of Big Baby. It was much more difficult to completely execute it independently. After Chu Liuyue returned from the Red Moon Desert, she studied the Heaven-Locking Formation whenever she had time. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much progress. Recalling how Rong Xiu easily set up the Heaven-Locking Formation previously, Chu Liuyue had a headache. The difference between people is too great¡­ She felt that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t spend much time on cultivation usually, but his strength in all aspects had been increasing at an astonishing speed! Every time she thought that their abilities should be quite close, Rong Xiu would always show an even more shocking standard. It was only with him that Chu Liuyue understood what it meant to be defeated. ¡°Yue¡¯er? Little Yue¡¯er?¡± A familiar voice sounded. Chu Liuyue waved her hand and dispersed the Xuan formation in front of her. Then, she stood up and walked out. ¡°Mr. Su? Why are you here?¡± Su Li took a step forward, but she seemed a little embarrassed. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, I¡¯m here to ask you for a favor.¡± Chu Liuyue curiously asked, ¡°What favor? Just say it.¡± Su Li bit her lip and said, ¡°I need some refining materials. Do you have them?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Su Li explained, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Tang Ke seems to have started preparing to refine Yuan instruments recently. I want to do it too, but I lack some things here. Therefore, I wonder if you have any?¡± Chu Liuyue was even more confused. ¡°Senior Tang Ke asked Rong Xiu for it previously and got some for you. Don¡¯t you know?¡± Su Li was stunned. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. I saw it with my own eyes that day.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she suddenly thought of something, and the corners of her mouth twitched. ¡°So¡­ Senior Tang Ke hasn¡¯t told you yet?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly felt that she had done something wrong accidentally. In that case¡­ Tang Ke deliberately didn¡¯t say anything and planned to give it to Su Li as a gift? Chu Liuyue coughed and asked awkwardly, ¡°Mr. Su, can you pretend not to know about this?¡± Su Li was speechless. As smart as she was, she had also guessed something at this moment. Her face heated up. ¡°I-I only knew that he was preparing to refine Yuan instruments; I didn¡¯t know this¡ª¡± Coincidentally, she had just recovered her physical body and had broken through to become a true god. It was time for her hands to itch. She originally planned to ask Chu Liuyue for some materials so that she could find an opportunity to spar with Tang Ke, but who knew¡­ Chu Liuyue scrutinized her and asked, ¡°Senior Tang Ke¡¯s preparations this time don¡¯t seem small?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He plans to start refining Yuan instruments at Clear Water Cliff tomorrow. I think Shangguan Jing and the others will go too.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. It was the dream of countless Armory Refinement Masters to be able to see a person like Tang Ke refine Yuan instruments with their own eyes. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. It seems like I have to go and take a look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Senior Tang Ke has been thinking about you. You don¡¯t have to worry about the refining materials,¡± Chu Liuyue said as she recalled her conversation with Rong Xiu. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something¡­¡± She briefly explained the situation to Su Li. When Su Li heard this, shock appeared on her face. ¡°Really? In that case, can¡ªcan new holy weapons really be refined in this world?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. After all¡­ only this Celestial Shield detached from the black jade circular area. Even if it contains the power to refine holy weapons, it probably can¡¯t be used by anyone.¡± Otherwise, the God Residence Realm wouldn¡¯t have made zero progress in this aspect in the past 10,000 years. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Su Li was deep in thought. Then, she suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°In that case¡­ won¡¯t we have a chance to go to that place again?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°To be honest, I plan to do the same.¡± Since the Celestial Shield came from there, the black jade circular area had to exist, including the hall. It must be real. However, she didn¡¯t know where it was or where she had to go to find it. There didn¡¯t seem to be such an existence in the God Residence Realm. She had always felt that Big Baby and the others should know something, but she hadn¡¯t had the time to find out. Perhaps¡­ it was time to find time to ask. ¡­ Soon, it was the next day. Early in the morning, many people in Peach Blossom Dock came out of their houses and rushed in the same direction. They had already heard that Tang Ke planned to refine Yuan instruments at Clear Water Cliff today. Therefore, they were all in high spirits and planned to go to the Armory Refinement Saint. Even if they could only take a few glances from afar, they would have no regrets. The Thirteen Yue Guards also planned on joining in the fun. Yu Jiu hugged the wooden sword and leaned toward Cen Yi eagerly. He asked tentatively, ¡°Big Brother, I heard that Senior Tang Ke isn¡¯t just refining a Yuan instrument this time. If possible¡­ Can I ask Senior Tang Ke to use the remaining scraps to help me refine a sword? Otherwise, Mr. Su can do it too!¡± Anyway, Mr. Su was also an Armory Refinement Saint. Furthermore, because of Chu Liuyue, she was very good to the Thirteen Yue Guards. She should be willing to help. Cen Yi glanced at him calmly. ¡°Isn¡¯t your sword still fine?¡± ¡°How is it fine!?¡± Yu Jiu immediately took out the wooden sword in his arms, his face filled with indignation. ¡°There are cracks on it! I¡ª¡± Cen Yi moved his wrist and took out a new wooden sword. ¡°Then, let¡¯s change to this.¡± Yu Jiu: ¡°¡­¡± I really don¡¯t want to use this little wooden sword anymore! Cen Yi looked up slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°I want it! I really want it!¡± Yu Jiu forced a smile and took the wooden sword with both hands. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother.¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, I have more.¡± Yu Jiu was on the brink of tears. ¡°Big Brother is so good to me. Thank you, Big Brother.¡± Xiao Ba and Shi Fang also walked over. ¡°Where¡¯s Thirteen? I looked around but didn¡¯t see him.¡± Cen Yi said, ¡°He ran to Clear Water Cliff.¡± The few of them immediately revealed understanding. It turns out that he has already gone there. ¡°Second Brother isn¡¯t here either. He seems to have gone to tame beasts again,¡± Shi Fang said. Everyone was already used to this. Hua Shuangshuang spent more time with fiends than with them. Cen Yi was the first to walk forward. The remaining people followed. Chapter 2167 - 2167 Coming! 2167 Coming! When they arrived at Clear Water Cliff, there were already many people here. Most people didn¡¯t dare to approach. Those who could come close were all from Yue Manor. San San and Thirteen were already waiting there. ¡°Hey, why isn¡¯t Third Brother staying in Yue Manor today?¡± Xiao Ba blinked and teased. San San chuckled. ¡°This is such a rare opportunity. Shouldn¡¯t we come over and take a look?¡± Xiao Ba chuckled. ¡°You think we still don¡¯t know you? Isn¡¯t it because your small treasure vault is hidden under Clear Water Cliff? You¡¯re worried that Senior Tang Ke¡¯s refining will cause too much commotion and cause a certain impact?¡± San San coughed and quickly said, ¡°Shh! Lower your voice! It¡¯s not good for Senior Tang Ke to hear you!¡± It isn¡¯t a small treasure trove but a big treasure trove! Although I know that with Tang Ke¡¯s strength, it is unlikely that he would lose control. However, there are always ¡®what ifs,¡¯ right? I will feel more at ease if I come over to keep an eye on it. Xiao Ba tucked her hair behind her ear and raised her chin. ¡°Yes, Senior Tang Ke is right behind us.¡± San San immediately looked back guiltily, but he didn¡¯t see Tang Ke. Only then did he realize that Xiao Ba was joking. ¡°You¡¯re joking with your Third Brother again.¡± Xiao Ba pinched his chubby cheeks and smiled. ¡°Third Brother has the best temper, haha!¡± San San pulled her hand away. ¡°Talk nicely and don¡¯t touch me. What if others see us?¡± Although he said that, there was no anger on his face. There was only helpless love. Xiao Ba chuckled. These people from the Thirteen Yue Guards had no temper toward Xiao Ba. Apart from Cen Yi who could suppress her, the others couldn¡¯t do anything to her and could only pamper her. At this moment, a figure suddenly flashed past the corner of her eye. Xiao Ba raised her eyebrows in surprise and muttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t he leave a few days ago?¡± San San turned around. ¡°Are you talking about Yan Qing? He came back last night. I heard that everything Senior Tang Ke needs this time was taken back from the Sky-Cloud Empire. Sigh, that¡¯s not right. How did you know that he left a few days ago?¡± San San looked at Xiao Ba strangely. She usually didn¡¯t seem to care much about these things. Xiao Ba crossed her arms and snorted. ¡°Yue Manor is only so big, and there are only so many people. What¡¯s so strange about knowing this?¡± ¡°True.¡± San San didn¡¯t think too much about it. He paused and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If there¡¯s a treasure later, I¡¯ll definitely give it to you quickly!¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s brows relaxed. ¡°Thank you, Third Brother!¡± She was already enchanting and beautiful. Just by standing there, she would automatically attract everyone¡¯s attention without even saying anything. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu came with Tang Ke and Su Li. Seeing Su Li¡¯s appearance, there was another commotion in the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Su, right? I heard that her strength is about the same as Senior Tang Ke¡¯s. What are her plans for coming here today?¡± ¡°The two of them are husband and wife. What¡¯s so strange about them coming together?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. I almost forgot about this¡­ It¡¯s mainly because it will take some time for me to accept that Mr. Su is a woman¡­¡± Everyone discussed animatedly. Su Li thought that she would be angry when she heard this, but she realized that she wasn¡¯t. She only felt her face heat up. After thinking about it, she didn¡¯t know what to say. She glanced over and saw that Tang Ke seemed to be smiling. She snorted inwardly. I have to beat him later and let him know how powerful I am! The few of them arrived at Clear Water Cliff. After a simple greeting, Tang Ke planned to start refining Yuan instruments. Everyone fell silent and waited nervously. ¡­ Red Moon Desert. Under the lake. A mirror appeared in Lan Xiao¡¯s hand. He admired his face in all aspects and revealed a satisfied expression. ¡°Tsk, how beautiful.¡± Bam! With this crisp sound, the mirror in his hand suddenly shattered. Lan Xiao immediately let go and dodged to the side. ¡°Big Baby! What are you doing?!¡± Dugu Mobao sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. He said word by word, ¡°You¡¯re disturbing my rest.¡± Lan Xiao pointed at him with a trembling finger. ¡°You haven¡¯t even opened your eyes! How can I affect you if I look in the mirror?!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s voice was as calm as ever. ¡°You¡¯re very noisy.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Diwu Zhangze added, ¡°Lan Xiao, there are 24 hours a day, and you¡¯re looking in the mirror for 22 hours. The remaining two hours are self-praising. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just a day or two, but it¡¯s been so long. Lan Xiao, aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so tiring about this!? I¡¯ve reconstructed my Holy Body now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that this is the appearance that Yue¡¯er helped reconstruct!¡± Lan Xiao snorted. I don¡¯t care what they think. I like it anyway! ¡°Sigh, you can¡¯t have such distress.¡± Lan Xiao lay down and rested his head on his arms, crossing his legs. ¡°When Diwu has also reconstructed his Holy Body, we can think of a way to get out of this damn place!¡± Speaking of this, Dugu Mobao suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°Now is not the time.¡± ¡°Of course, I know¡ª¡± Before Lan Xiao could finish speaking, he suddenly felt the ground shake violently! Their expressions changed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Diwu Zhangze asked with a frown. ¡°Could it be that Wei Yue has arrived again? How long has it been?¡± Dugu Mobao quickly got up and looked up. ¡°It¡¯s not Wei YUe.¡± He clenched his fists slowly. ¡°It¡¯s that thing!¡± Chapter 2168 - 2168 Your Man Is So Rich 2168 Your Man Is So Rich Peach Blossom Dock. In the sky above Clear Water Cliff, Tang Ke stood in midair. He looked at Su Li and said with a smile, ¡°Li Zi, the victor wasn¡¯t decided previously. Why don¡¯t we do it again today?¡± This was Su Li¡¯s original plan, but she didn¡¯t expect Tang Ke to take the initiative to suggest it. Her eyes lit up. ¡°Okay!¡± Hearing this, the onlookers immediately boiled over. ¡°These two are competing again?¡± ¡°I heard that 10,000 years ago, the two of them each refined five holy weapons. I wonder if it will happen again this time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t ask for five or ten pieces. As long as I can witness the birth of a holy weapon with my own eyes, I won¡¯t have any regrets in my life!¡± ¡°I wonder who will win this time?¡± ¡­ ¡°To be fair, let¡¯s use the same thing.¡± As Tang Ke spoke, he handed over a Cosmic Ring. ¡°I borrowed this from His Grace previously. One for me and one for you.¡± Su Li had already heard about this from Chu Liuyue, so she wasn¡¯t surprised by Tang Ke¡¯s actions. But when she looked up and saw the faint joy and eagerness in Tang Ke¡¯s eyes, her heart skipped a beat. I recall that Chu Liuyue had asked me to pretend not to know¡­ She raised her eyebrows slightly and cooperated with a look of surprise. ¡°Mine too?¡± Tang Ke smiled and raised his chin. ¡°See if you like it.¡± Su Li was also a little curious. She immediately sent a thought into the Cosmic Ring. When she saw it, her heart skipped a beat. She then looked up at Tang Ke in shock, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief. ¡°This¡ª¡± This time, she wasn¡¯t pretending. She was really shocked! Seeing her reaction, Tang Ke was very happy, and the smile on his face became even wider. ¡°How is it? Do you like it?¡± Su Li¡¯s lips moved, and excitement surged in her heart. She looked at the Cosmic Ring in her hand and simply couldn¡¯t put it down. The joy in her eyes was almost overflowing. ¡°I like it!¡± She sighed simply and bluntly. The refining materials inside are all rare and extremely precious! Even I can¡¯t help but sigh. It is extremely rare to get these materials! ¡°You said that these were all borrowed from His Grace?¡± Tang Ke nodded his head. Su Li took a deep breath and thanked Rong Xiu very seriously. At the same time, she sighed with emotion. ¡°It¡¯s said that the Sky-Cloud Empire has been passed down for thousands of years and has a deep foundation. Looking at it now, it really lives up to its reputation!¡± Su Li sighed in her heart. Any one of these things is a treasure that people would never be able to obtain in their lives. In Rong Xiu¡¯s mouth, they seem to have become worthless items. This is really¡­ Chu Liuyue was at a loss. When she saw Su Li¡¯s reaction at first, she thought that she was cooperating with Tang Ke to act. At that time, she had even silently lamented that Su Li¡¯s acting skills weren¡¯t bad. However, the subsequent developments made her realize that Su Li¡¯s surprise and joy didn¡¯t seem to be fake. One has to know that Su Li is an Armory Refinement Saint! She has seen many used artifact refining treasures. What kind of treasure could make her so excited and happy? Chu Liuyue glanced at Rong Xiu suspiciously. That day, he only asked Yan Qing to go back and get some things. It seemed very nonchalant, so I didn¡¯t take it to heart. But now¡­ Swoosh! Su Li took out a sword embryo from her Cosmic Ring. This sword embryo was ice-blue in color and looked rather round and dull. It was of excellent quality. Upon closer inspection, one could see specks of starlight flickering on it. A faint sharp aura spread from it. ¡°Nether Star Sword Embryo?¡± A surprised voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that Shangguan Jing had already arrived nearby. His eyes were fixed on the sword embryo, and there was unconcealed surprise and admiration in his eyes. Chu Liuyue knew him too well¡ªthis was the expression of seeing a peerless treasure! ¡°Ancestor, is this Nether Star Sword Embryo very powerful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than impressive!¡± Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t bear to look away and clicked his tongue. ¡°This sword embryo is innate. It gathers endless Heaven and Earth Force and turns into sword aura. Once it¡¯s refined into a sword, it¡¯ll be incomparably sharp! As long as nothing goes wrong, this thing will definitely be refined into a Yuan instrument!¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. No wonder. In that case, this Nether Star Sword Embryo is indeed a rare treasure. Shangguan Jing stroked his beard and glanced at Rong Xiu sourly. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ve only heard of this before. I¡¯m only able to see it today.¡± If I had known that Rong Xiu had it, I would¡¯ve asked for it long ago! When Su Li heard this, she immediately handed over the Nether Star Sword Embryo. ¡°Shangguan, if you want it, this is for you!¡± Shangguan Jing hurriedly waved his hand and refused. ¡°Mr. Su, how can I accept this? The Nether Star Sword Embryo is extremely precious, and it¡¯s Senior Tang Ke¡¯s feelings for you¡­¡± ¡°I still have more!¡± Su Li said gently. Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression froze. ¡°W-What?¡± Su Li took a few steps forward and stuffed the Nether Star Sword Embryo into Shangguan Jing¡¯s hand. She then took out an almost identical Nether Star Sword Embryo from the Cosmic Ring. ¡°Here, I have more!¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°You have two?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Li shook the Cosmic Ring in her hand. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! A few ice-blue lights flashed, and everyone felt dazzled. When they saw the scene in front of them clearly, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp. In front of Su Li were five Nether Star Sword Embryos! ¡°I have a lot here. It¡¯s fine to give you one.¡± Shangguan Jing subconsciously tightened his grip on the Nether Star Sword Embryo in his hand. Then, he stiffened his neck and looked at Rong Xiu again. ¡°These¡­ are all¡­¡± They were all taken by Rong Xiu?! According to what Tang Ke said before, he had divided the things into two portions and given Su Li an identical portion. If Su Li has six Nether Star Sword Embryos, then he should have them too! In total¡­ there are 12 of them! Chu Liuyue was also stunned. Did Rong Xiu¡­ take out all his assets? No, even those first-tier families might not have such an inventory, right? Looking at Rong Xiu¡¯s casual attitude, Chu Liuyue was sure that taking out these things at once was definitely not difficult for him! In fact¡­ it was very likely that he had more stock! Although Chu Liuyue had been married to Rong Xiu for a long time, she had never taken the initiative to ask about the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s treasures. Only at this moment did she realize that she seemed to have underestimated the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s foundation from the beginning! No, to be more precise, these now completely belonged to Rong Xiu! Apart from the Nether Star Sword Embryos, Tang Ke and Su Li probably had many other treasures hidden in their Cosmic Rings! All of these added up¡­ would undoubtedly be an extremely shocking wealth! Su Li looked at Chu Liuyue and said enviously, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, your husband is so rich!¡± Chapter 2169 - 2169 Practice 2169 Practice Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Thank you, I only found out today. She thought of the little stock she had and fell silent. Compared to this person, I¡¯m simply poor. Perhaps only the herbs in the small space below Clear Water Cliff can slightly turn the tables. But in the end, San San was lucky enough to take it for himself. And the things Rong Xiu took out¡­ can no longer be described as luck. No matter how heaven-defying his luck is, I have never heard of anyone picking up treasures at the level of the Nether Star Sword Embryo like cabbages, right? Chu Liuyue finally understood why Su Li had such a reaction just now. Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Senior Shangguan, if you want it, I¡¯ll just get Yan Qing to specially send you one later.¡± ¡°Re-really!?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s forehead twitched violently. How many treasures does this kid have?! I thought that Rong Xiu had already taken out everything, but I didn¡¯t expect there to be more! Su Li¡¯s eyes lit up as well. ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯ve used up all the materials. Do I still have more?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°Naturally.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± The only thing Su Li was interested in in her life was refining Yuan instruments. It was fine if she had slept for 10,000 years in the middle, but now that she finally had a body again, she had long felt her hands itch. Now that the opportunity was right in front of her, she could have fun! When she smiled, the dimples at the corners of her mouth were deep, making her look more charming than usual. Seeing that she was happy, Tang Ke raised his eyebrows. If I had known that she was so easy to coax, I would¡¯ve asked Master for more back then. He cupped fists with both hands and said to Rong Xiu and Shangguan Yue, ¡°Thank you for your care previously. To express my gratitude, Tang Ke will give all the Yuan instruments refined this time to Master Yue and Your Grace in return.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the originally noisy crowd fell silent! Instantly, the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces seemed to freeze. At a glance, this scene seemed to freeze. What did Tang Ke just say? All the Yuan instruments he refines this time will be given to them?! The moment he makes a move, it will at least be a graded Yuan instrument! Just the number of Nether Star Sword Embryos is already so shocking. If he really refines all of these¡­ It will definitely be a terrifying number! Chu Liuyue was also confused. ¡°Give, give it to us?¡± Tang Ke nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. Speaking of which, these things originally belong to His Grace. I¡¯m just using them to refine. I hope the two of you don¡¯t mind.¡± Everyone was shocked and looked at Tang Ke strangely. Don¡¯t mind? Who in the world would dare to despise him!? To be able to ask him to help refine a Yuan instrument is something that many people can only dream of. Now, he has taken the initiative to help refine more than one artifact! Su Li immediately agreed. ¡°I have the same plan! Anyway, I can¡¯t use these things myself when they¡¯re refined. Little Yue¡¯er, I¡¯ll give them to you! I just want to have fun!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at her man from the corner of her eye. Could it be¡­ that he did it on purpose? Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was as calm and open as ever. He seemed to have sensed her gaze and looked over. The moment the two of them looked at each other, Chu Liuyue instantly confirmed that this man had indeed planned it long ago! ¡°Yue¡¯er, this is the sincerity of the two seniors.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± What he said makes sense, and I can¡¯t refute it. Rong Xiu raised his chin slightly. ¡°There might be more things. You can think about how to deal with and distribute them when the time comes.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. Inviting the only two Armory Refinement Saints in the world to help refine Yuan instruments and finally saying that there are too many of them, so I have to make plans early¡­ This man is really not afraid of being envied by the world Boom! As she was thinking, she suddenly heard a thunderous explosion in the sky! She quickly looked up and saw that the sky, which had been blue and clear a moment ago, was now filled with dark clouds. In a short period of time, countless silver lightning bolts rushed over! Chu Liuyue held her breath in. This is the strength of an Armory Refinement Saint?! Almost at the same time, Su Li also started! With a thought, she raised a hand and waved it gently upward. In an instant, there seemed to be an invisible hand in the sky that pushed away the countless lightning bolts gathered in the middle. The two sides were clearly separated and shone brightly! Half belonged to Tang Ke, and the other half belonged to her! Chu Liuyue was shocked. This was the first time she had seen such a scene with her own eyes! As Su Li flipped her palm, she easily stirred and controlled the countless lightning bolts! In this world, only an Armory Refinement Saint could have such strength! Then, Su Li¡¯s fingers moved. Five bolts of lightning fell at the same time and rushed toward the five Nether Star Sword Embryos in front of her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Su Li actually plans to refine five Yuan instruments at the same time?! On the other side, Tang Ke¡¯s sleeves bulged, and the lightning fell! Suddenly, an ice-blue light flew out and headed straight for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue raised her hand and held the item in her hand. ¡°To be fair, I¡¯ll refine these five too! Master Yue, if you¡¯re interested in the remaining one, just take it and play!¡± Tang Ke¡¯s deep voice sounded and landed clearly in everyone¡¯s ears. For a moment, everyone¡¯s expressions became even stranger. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched as well. Take it and play¡­ These words are too hateful¡­ Chu Liuyue lowered her head and looked at the Nether Star Sword Embryo in her hand. She really didn¡¯t know what to do for a moment. She understood what Tang Ke meant¡ªhe wanted her to try refining a Yuan instrument with this thing. However, this was too rash¡­ ¡°The Nether Star Sword Embryo isn¡¯t bad as refining material. It¡¯s good for you to practice with it first. Even if you can¡¯t successfully refine a Yuan instrument, it¡¯s good to have more experience,¡± Rong Xiu came to her side and said gently. No one could guarantee 100% success in refining Yuan instruments, but there were definitely benefits to practicing more. Chu Liuyue was silent for a moment. Only this man could use the Nether Star Sword Embryo to practice. She was a little tempted. When she thought of Rong Xiu, she asked hesitantly, ¡°Then¡­ you don¡¯t want it?¡± Rong Xiu smiled slightly. ¡°I have this. Besides, I don¡¯t need it now.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment before she understood what he meant. He has already broken through to become a supreme Armory Refinement Master?! Chapter 2170 - 2170 Get Down! 2170 Get Down! Meeting Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze, Chu Liuyue instantly confirmed her guess. Her eyelids twitched. She felt that it was a waste of time and energy to ask this question. If he can take out so much, would he still need his share? I am too poor in the end. I don¡¯t understand the world of the rich. ¡°¡­Oh, okay.¡± Chu Liuyue held the Nether Star Sword Embryo and moved to the side. Shangguan Jing asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, do you really want to try it now? Tang Ke and Mr. Su are refining Yuan instruments together and have almost controlled all the heavenly lightning. Under such circumstances, if you want to successfully refine it, you have to snatch the heavenly lightning from them!¡± This was even more difficult than refining the Yuan instrument itself. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°This is a rare opportunity.¡± If she could refine it with Mr. Su and the other two at the same time, she would be able to see the difference between her and them. This would undoubtedly increase efficiency greatlyop. Moreover¡­ she also wanted to see how far she could go with her current strength! Seeing that she had made up her mind, Shangguan Jing laughed. ¡°Alright! Since Yue¡¯er wants to do this, Ancestor will accompany you!¡± With that, he threw his palm, and the Nether Star Sword Embryo floated quietly in front of him. Chu Liuyue nodded and did as he said. Hong long long! She looked up, fighting spirit surging in her eyes. Shangguan Jing raised his voice. ¡°Yue¡¯er, your strength in refinement isn¡¯t enough yet. You don¡¯t have to force yourself. As long as you can snatch a bolt of lightning from those two people, you¡¯ll win!¡± Ever since he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s potential in this aspect in Tang Ke¡¯s tomb within Messy Stone Forest, Shangguan Jing had high hopes for her. After all, he was an Armory Refinement Master, so he naturally hoped that Chu Liuyue could inherit his mantle. Or rather, he hoped that she could shine in Yuan instrument refinement. It was precisely because of this that he readily agreed to Chu Liuyue¡¯s suggestion and even secretly had a hint of anticipation Not to mention her, even ordinary supreme Armory Refinement Masters might not dare to guarantee that they could successfully refine a Yuan instrument under the influence of those two people, let alone Chu Liuyue. In his opinion, if Chu Liuyue could snatch one heavenly lightning bolt, it would indeed be considered a success. Chu Liuyue floated in midair and quickly mobilized the force in her body. The aura around her intensified crazily! At this moment, one was Tang Ke and the other was Su Li. Shangguan Jing wasn¡¯t far from her. Above his head, countless heavenly lightning had already gathered into two balls of light that flickered and swam in the dark sky. And these lightning bolts were also flying down crazily! They landed very regularly¡ªevery time, there were five. Every one of them landed on the five Nether Star Sword Embryos. From this, it could be seen how terrifying Tang Ke and Su Li¡¯s control over the heavenly lightning was! If one wanted to snatch the heavenly lightning from their hands, it meant breaking their monopoly! This was the most difficult part! As if sensing the power on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, the lightning in the sky faintly became restless, and a few seemed to want to come toward Chu Liuyue. But under the strict control of Tang Ke and Su Li, the lightning still lingered in their positions and refused to land. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes slightly and raised her hand. ¡°Get down!¡± Boom! As if someone had suddenly torn a hole, a bolt of lightning landed and headed straight for Chu Liuyue! Chapter 2171 - 2171 Plan 2171 Plan Boom! A lightning bolt flew down and drew an extremely bright line in the sky, before striking the Nether Star Sword Embryo before Chu Liuyue. The silver ray of light rapidly broke into countless tiny rates of light, covering the icy blue sword embryo. Pilipala! The sounds overlapped each other. Chu Liuyue clearly felt two forces killing each other! After a moment, the light gradually dissipated, and the Nether Star Sword Embryo slowly revealed its original appearance. Chu Liuyue took a closer look and realized that the color of the star embryo changed, and it was purer and darker than before. Even if this change was extremely small, she could confirm that the lightning bolt did nourish this sword embryo! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. No matter what, a good start meant a large step toward success! If she could snatch the first bolt, she could snatch even more! Perhaps¡­ she might even be able to fully nourish it! Chu Liuyue looked up at Shangguan Jing and smiled brightly. ¡°Ancestor, Thank you for your kind words.¡± Shangguan Jing looked at the Nether Star Sword Embryo before Chu Liuyue and looked at his, as his expression turned strange. This girl¡­ was too fast! I haven¡¯t even taken action! Yet she started first? However, after temporary shock, Shangguan Jing felt more comfort and elation. For some reason, summoning lightning bolts always seemed especially simple for this girl. It was also at Tang Ke¡¯s tomb. The lightning bolt that everyone could not avoid in time, was not only triggered, but swallowed by her! ¡°Haha! Girl, you did great!¡± Shangguan Jing was overjoyed. ¡°Do whatever you want! Now, his thoughts were the same as Rong Xiu ¨C the chance was rare, so the girl should take it to practice! Anyway, so many people were here, so he was not worried that something uncontrollable would happen. Once there was a sign of anything amiss, he would immediately stop her and handle it. If everything was smooth¡­ she would benefit greatly! Then, he also took a deep breath in and started triggering the lightning bolts! Hong hong hong! Several bolts of lightning struck down! He clearly did this in a much more relaxed manner than Chu Liuyue. When the surrounding crowd saw this, they could not help but secretly feel emotional. ¡°No wonder Senior Tang Ke previously said that Shangguan Jing very possibly could break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint. His technique of armory refinement is elite!¡± ¡°Yeah! When Tang Ke and Mr. Su are fighting for the lightning bolts, it¡¯s really not easy for him to still be able to produce the weapon so effortlessly! Not everyone can do it.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone know that Shangguan Jing is capable? His reputation has been well-known since a thousand years ago! It¡¯s not surprising for him to be able to do this. I¡¯m more curious about Master Yue. Previously, I only heard that she was an all-rounder in cultivation, but there were very few rumors about her armory refinement. I didn¡¯t expect her skills in this aspect to also be so heaven-defying. Did you see how that bolt of lightning struck down?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. All sorts of noises came over, but Chu Liuyue ignored them. After the first bolt of lightning was successfully triggered, the later process became much simpler. She started to trigger the lightning bolts and nourish this Nether Star Sword Embryo, like Tang Ke and Su Li. They produced five weapons at one go, while with her single one, she could coincidentally maintain the same progress. In comparison, Shangguan Jing became the fastest one. With his current skills, it was indeed very easy for him to produce a legendary weapon. It was even easier, with such superior materials. ¡­ The lightning bolts kept striking from the skies. Many gazes darted back and forth between those people. On one hand, they wanted to observe and see how the legendary Armory Refinement Saints produced weapons. On The other hand, they also really wanted to see how Chu Liuyue snatched the lightning bolts from these two people and if they could succeed. Of course, other than this, they were still comparing these few people¡¯s armory refinement aspects, like their control over the force of the lightning bolt and their techniques. In the beginning, many people thought that Chu Liuyue should not be able to hang in there for long. However, as time slowly trickled past, they shockingly discovered that Chu Liuyue did not seem¡­ to show any signs of failing! Her every bolt of lightning followed strictly behind Tang Ke and Su Li! It was almost the same as the rhythm of those two people! Hence, the crowd¡¯s shock gradually became numb from the initial shock. Luckily, many people had already seen how heaven-defying Chu Liuyue was during the chaos at the Peach Blossom Dock earlier, so when they saw this scene, they quickly accepted it. Mm¡­ it seems like she could do everything well? Some people also looked at Rong Xiu from time to time. He stood outside the glaring lights with his hands behind his back, as if he had nothing to do with any of this. His expression was calm and collected. The violent forces spread toward the surroundings, but they also turned into the gentle wind before him, only lifting up the corner of his snow-white clothes. He was like a deity, high and mighty. However, was all of this really unrelated to him? Of course not. He was the one that provided the extremely rare armory refinement materials. Besides, the reason why he did not participate was just because he did not need to ¨C even though the crowd did not hear the conversation between him and Chu Liuyue clearly, it was not hard to guess that he could have possibly already broken through to become a supreme armory refinement master! This was an indisputable fact. After this time, according to what Tang Ke and Su Li previously said, all the legendary weapons produced belong to Chu Liuyue duo. And Rong Xiu seemed to plan to give everything to Chu Liuyue. This also meant that all the legendary weapons would end up with Chu Liuyue! And this¡­ would be an extremely shocking number! ¡­ San San went to Cen Yi, rubbed his chubby palms and silently asked, ¡°Big Brother, His Grace is giving our Master a huge gift! Who could take out so many treasures at once? Do you think he prepared this long ago?¡± Cen Yi stood with one hand behind his back and his expression was calm and nonchalant, as he ignored him. San San did not give up and continued asking, ¡°I think it¡¯s for sure! He didn¡¯t say it earlier or later, yet when Senior Tang Ke said that he wanted to, he took out so many weapons at once. I think¡­ they had long discussed this! Mr. Su might not know about it, but-¡± Joining in now meant that she became free labor. However, she was addicted to armory refinement, so this was not much of a loss to her.Anyway, she could have her thrill, so everyone was happy. Cen Yi glanced at San San lightly. Seeing his eyes glowing with excitement, he directly burst his bubble. ¡°His Grace and Senior Tang Ke¡¯s meaning is clear. Everything will belong to Master and it won¡¯t enter the inventory.¡± This also meant that San San would not manage them. San San¡¯s face rapidly collapsed, but he quickly picked himself up and chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll just count, count!¡± Chapter 2172 - 2172 Big Baby 2172 Big Baby Even if he took one glance from far away and knew that it was an uncountable amount of fortune, he would be satisfied! Thinking of that scene, San San was over the moon, as his entire self was filled with happiness. ¡°Compared to this, what did my little business amount to? A supreme Yuan instrument is at least this figure, right?¡± San San stretched out his hand and used his chubby fingers to indicate a number. ¡°Just Tang Ke and Mr. Su¡¯s one is ten weapons. How much would this cost? No, it¡¯s hard to buy it even with money!¡± A supreme Yuan instrument was different from other treasures that one only needed luck to obtain. A treasure of such a grade needed enormous confidence and skills to support it. San San¡¯s face was emotional. ¡°Back then, how many legendary weapons did that Master from the Yi family have? After this refinement ends, our Master will probably be the one who owns the most legendary weapons in the entire God Residence Realm!¡± If word went out, many people would be envious. Cen Yi¡¯s brows moved slightly, as his gaze swept across Rong Xiu. ¡°That might not be the case.¡± San San followed his gaze and instantly slapped his forehead. ¡°Yo, how did I forget about this person?¡± Rong Xiu could give out so many presents at once. Then, how many exactly did he have? ¡­ A day quickly passed. It was already night time in the blink of an eye. The sky was dark and the sun had set. Only the two seas of lightning in the clouds still glowed with dazzling light. In actual fact, it was not just these two. Countless lightning bolts had gathered above Shangguan Jing¡¯s head, and it slowly formed a small sea. Even though it could not be compared to Tang Ke duo, he still forcefully slashed a path out that was independent of those two people. Just with this alone, it was enough to prove that his skills could already touch the barrier to an armory refinement saint. Above their heads, two large and one small, a total of three balls of light floated. Chu Liuyue was in the middle and seemed very weak. The three lightning seas seemed to take turns. The first time Shangguan Jing found out that his lightning bolt was snatched by her, he was happy for a long time. He faintly felt that¡­ she might actually succeed this time! ¡­ It was already very late, but nobody left. Many people might not even be able to witness such a grand scene once in their lives. They naturally would not miss it. In the intensely dark sky, the crowd was silent, as they watched on with focus. Suddenly, Rong Xiu¡¯s brows moved and coldness flashed across his eyes. ¡°Yan Qing.¡± Yan Qing walked forward. ¡°Master.¡± When the two of them talked, they specifically did some adjustments, so the people at the side could not hear their voices. ¡°Retract the people from the Wei family.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Qing knitted his brows slightly. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Wei Ze is already dead and the Wei family will descend into chaos. There¡¯s no need to continue watching them,¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. Yan Qing had already guessed this possibility in his heart, but still found it sudden when he personally heard it. ¡°Yes. Then¡­ do we need to investigate it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. Jun Jiuqing would definitely not leave any evidence when he took action, so there was no point in investigating. Yan Qing did not ask further. Such a small episode did not attract the crowd¡¯s attention. Soon, it was the next noon. Chu Liuyue stared at the Nether Star Sword Embryo before her with complete focus. After nourishing and refining for a day and a night, the circular and rough sword embryo had completely changed its appearance! Its sword body was dark blue, and it had countless silver sparks glowing on it. At one glance, it was like the dazzling night sky and looked mesmerizing. The sharp aura faintly exuded from it. Chu Liuyue held her breath in. She knew very clearly that as long as she nourished it one last time, it would very likely become a supreme Yuan instrument. However, this step was very hard to complete. She did not do any preparations previously, so it was already very hard for her to reach this step. The terrifying forces had exhausted and almost emptied all the forces and energy in her body. If she did not already break through to become a legendary warrior earlier, she might have failed halfway through. Boom! At this point, an erupting large sound was heard! Chu Liuyue looked over and saw that the sword before Tang Ke was completely refined! The strong suppression was overwhelming! It was a supreme Yuan instrument! Boom! Almost at the same time, Su Li had also completed it on the other side! Following which, a few explosions occurred! The bright sparks of light covered Su Li¡¯s body. The surrounding spectators were dumbfounded. She actually produced all five supreme Yuan instruments at the same time! Tang Ke quickly followed! In no time, the entire sky had four energy spirals floating around! Shangguan Jing also took action at the same time! Eleven supreme Yuan instruments appeared at the same time, and the commotion was shocking! The Clear Water Cliff started to shake. San San felt uneasy. However, quickly, Rong Xiu and the rest took action and formed a huge barrier to protect the area below. Countless pairs of eyes looked toward Chu Liuyue. At this stage, would she also succeed? If it were really so, then all of them had witness twelve supreme Yuan instruments being produced at the same time! Chu Liuyue triggered the last lightning bolt! The silver light flickered and every inch of the force nourished the sword one last time. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in her throat. As long¡­ Suddenly, a sharp sound came into her ears! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank as she rapidly lowered her head. This sound came from the accessory around her neck. ¨C This was given to her by Dugu Mobao back then! Her heart immediately sank. Something happened! Chapter 2173 - 2173 A Book 2173 A Book As she was distracted for this one moment, the forces of the Nether Star Sword Embryo before her became messy! The light on it also started to dim rapidly! The crowd was stunned when they saw this scene. She was clearly fine just now. How did things take such a drastic turn? ¡°It seems like she really can¡¯t do it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a supreme Yuan instrument after all. How can it be produced so easily?¡± ¡°What a pity. Just the last bit is left!¡± Rong Xiu focused his gaze slightly and a golden ray of light appeared in his palm. At this point, Chu Liuyue rapidly calmed herself down, clenched her silver teeth and directly touched the sword! It was burning hot to touch. After the nourishment from the many lightning bolts, the Nether Star Sword Embryo had very rich forces and the countless tiny silver rays of light were swimming around in it! A thick force rushed out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, and it restricted the energy that was about to explode! At the same time, the dark clouds were about to dissipate when a lightning bolt struck again! It came down! Boom! That lightning bolt directly hit that sword embryo! The two forces intensely battled! After a moment, the light on the sword embryo finally lit up again! Following which, a strong suppression rapidly exuded from the sword body! ¨C The sword was formed! ¡­ Chu Liuyue held the sword hilt tightly and a faint bloody aura swarmed into her mouth. She rapidly appeased the tumultuous forces in her body, as she looked at the sword in her hand. This sword was different from the one that Tang Ke, Su Li, and even Ancestor produced. Half of it was brilliant, as the other was cold and dead. The two extreme forces intertwined and produced this unique legendary weapon! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Shangguan Jing was the closest and immediately rushed over, as he nervously sized her up. ¡°Just now, you-¡± After he produced his weapon, he watched on seriously from the side. Chu Liuyue was doing well at the start, but later on, for some reason, she seemed dazed¡­ At that moment, he felt uneasy and thought that she was bound to fail. Luckily, luckily! She still succeeded! Chu Liuyue shook her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but¡­ a supreme Yuan instrument is indeed hard to produce.¡± She found a suitable excuse for the momentary mistake. Shangguan Jing heaved a sigh of relief and said emotionally, ¡°Of course! Many people bitterly studied this their entire lives, and they might not be able to succeed! Girle, you¡¯re¡­ great!¡± This was her first time trying to produce a supreme Yuan instrument, and she succeeded! If word went out, nobody would believe it. Though there were some obstacles in between, she still did it! He sized the sword up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands in detail. ¡°Even though the force is spotted and it¡¯s not considered elite amongst the supreme Yuan instrument, it¡¯s already very rare! Girlie, from today onwards, you¡¯re also a supreme armory refinement master!¡± His voice was low and deep with unconcealable joy and pride. Su Li also came over in a flash, as she looked at Chu Liuyue with bright eyes. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, congrats! Back then, I only succeeded after three or four times! You¡¯re amazing!¡± The crowd heard this and the corner of their lips twitched. An average person would not be able to understand the world of the geniuses! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the seniors.¡± If she navigated herself, she would have to spend quite a lot of time and effort. The reason why she could succeed this time was mainly because she produced step by step behind these people. Even though she was inexperienced in armory refinement, she had strong control over the lightning bolts. Now, with someone guiding her, she could succeed easily. Bam! A tiny explosion sound came from the accessory around her neck. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled, as she took it off and it immediately turned into powder. ¡°What is this?¡± asked Su Li curiously. Chu Liuyue did not speak, but her hands were trembling. At this point, something pierced through the sky! Swoosh! A sharp howl sounded and it drew a demonic purple color in the sky! Chu Liuyue immediately looked up. When she saw the faintly glowing purple light, she suddenly realized something. That¡¯s¡­ Everyone noticed this commotion and looked over. That item was extremely fast and rushed to the sky above the Peach Blossom Dock in the blink of an eye! Detecting that familiar aura, a thought surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind and she immediately opened the barrier. Swoosh! That item rushed toward Chu Liuyue without hesitation! Su Li immediately became alert. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, be careful!¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Mr. Su, don¡¯t worry. I know what this is.¡± Then, she raised her hand. That item immediately retracted its aura and landed in her hands. Everyone looked over curiously and nervously. When they saw what it was, they were all stunned. That was because, it was actually a¡­ book? That book was very heavy and ancient, looking as if it had not been used for some time. Chu Liuyue stared at the item in her hands and her lips pressed against each other. That was the Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s name list! ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± A hurried voice came over. The crowd looked over and saw that Nan Suhuai rushed over! He rapidly came to Chu Liuyue. When he saw the book lying quietly in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands, his expression was complicated. ¡°Yue¡¯er girlie, this item suddenly erupted and rushed out of the Dong Huang Clock Tower. I didn¡¯t expect it to come to you-¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you back to the academy.¡± Rong Xiu suddenly walked over and held her hands. The thick and warm palm tightly clutched her icy cold hand. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and met the pair of deep and gentle eyes. The warmth from her palms spread around her body. Her previously frozen blood seemed to slowly flow again. She nodded lightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Rong Xiu looked at Tang Ke. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon. Seniors, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Tang Ke nodded his head. ¡°If there¡¯s anything urgent, you can go handle it. As for this side¡­ since we already started, there¡¯s no reason for us to stop.¡± Hearing this, it meant that he planned to continue producing his legendary weapons. Su Li originally wanted to ask something, but Tang Ke suddenly came over and held her hands. ¡°Li Zi, this competition hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡± Su Li glanced at him in a daze and suddenly realized something. Perhaps something really happened to the Ling Xiao Academy, but Rong Xiu duo clearly planned to do it on their own. Even though she was worried, thinking that the two of them were strong and had many trump cards, nothing should happen to them. She nodded. ¡°Then¡­ Little Yue¡¯er, come back quickly. Chu Liuyue nodded and said to Cen Yi, ¡°Cen Yi, you¡¯re in charge of guarding this place. When we¡¯re not around, you¡¯ll handle everything in the Peach Blossom Dock.¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue held the book tightly in her arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 2174 - 2174 Fantasy Divine Palace 2174 Fantasy Divine Palace After leaving the Peach Blossom Dock, Chu Liuyue planned to follow Nan Suhuai back to the Ling Xiao Academy. However, that book suddenly flew out of her arms and went in a certain direction. Chu Liuyue and the rest exchanged glances. ¡°Seems like it doesn¡¯t want to return to the academy,¡± said Chu Liuyue calmly. ¡°It wants to go somewhere else.¡± Her figure moved and she chose to follow it without hesitation. Nan Suhuai knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Girlie, did¡­ something happen to that person?¡± He was naturally referring to Dugu Mobao. Even though Dugu Mobao had never appeared in his real form, Nan Suhuai had already guessed something when Chu Liuyue used Dugu Mobao¡¯s force to repair the Heaven-Locking Formation when Ling Xiao Academy was in trouble. After all, he was the director. However, considering that Dugu Mobao seemed to not want to disclose his existence, he turned a blind eye to it. Until this time- Chu Liuyue knew that Nan Suhuai was certain about Dugu Mobao¡¯s identity, so she immediately did not say anything further, as she just shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but¡­ he should be in some trouble.¡± Her heart kept beating rapidly and she felt uneasy. Nan Suhuai did not speak further, and his expression became even more grave. Rong Xiu held her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Senior Lan Xiao had already formed his Holy Body. He would be fine.¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡­ The three of them followed the book and finally arrived before a barrier. It was the barrier that reappeared. When the few people in charge saw the trio, they immediately bowed. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly and she asked, ¡°Did anything strange happen to the barrier recently?¡± The few of them looked at each other and shook their heads. ¡°Master Yue, everything is normal.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the barrier. The translucent barrier dropped down from the skies and it shone with a faint light. On the other end of the barrier, one could not see anything. That door suddenly flew toward that barrier! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened and she immediately followed closely! Rong Xiu and Nan Suhuai¡¯s figures instantly disappeared behind that barrier! ¡­ The freezing cold wind attacked them! The moment Chu Liuyue crossed the barrier, she forcefully clutched the book in her hands. Immediately, she felt the indescribable icy coldness and instantly wrapped herself. She looked up and gasped in shock. ¡°This is¡­ the Red Moon Desert?!¡± The world before her was wrapped in overwhelming red. Below that layer of mesh-like red, it was a land of snow. Looking over, it was an endless icy field. The once spacious yellow desert was now covered in thick white snow and ice. It was still snowing, as the cold breeze came over, and a few pieces of ice blew onto her face. Cold and painful. Chu Liuyue never imagined that the Red Moon Desert would end up in this state one day! The entire world seemed to be frozen, and it was so silent that she could hear her own breathing. The extinction aura filled every inch of the space. This place seemed as though it never had signs of life and vitality. It seemed like it had always been this manner since a long time ago, and it never changed since ancient times. If it were not that barrier, Chu Liuyue would not dare to believe that this was the Red Moon Desert! ¡°How did¡­ this place become like this?¡± muttered Nan Suhuai in shock. Rong Xiu knitted his sharp brows slightly and did not speak. The piercing cold kept drilling into his body. Chu Liuyue suddenly noticed something, as she looked over and saw a thin layer of ice covering her own hands. When the snow landed on her, it did not melt, as it connected and formed tiny pieces of ice. The coldness was harsh and it had an indescribable pain to it. Swoosh! A ball of red-golden fire suddenly burned in her hands! The layer of ice started melting, but it was very slow. Clearly, this was different from regular ice! ¡°This place is strange,¡± boomed Chu Liuyue. She was already a legendary warrior now and had strong physique. Logically speaking, regular changes in temperature would not affect her at all. But this place was different. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look,¡± said Rong Xiu as he summoned Xue Xue. ¡°Lead the way.¡± Roar! Xue Xue softly roared as he turned on the spot and quickly chose a direction to run toward! Chu Liuyue and the rest rapidly followed. ¡­ Xue Xue quickly brought the few of them to the ¡®middle¡¯. Chu Liuyue looked down. The sapphire lake that rippled originally was currently frozen. One could still see ripples on the lake surface. ¡°This lake was frozen instantly,¡± said Chu Liuyue. If not, such an appearance would not happen. ¡°Is this¡­ the danger moon?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up slightly at the sky. There were no clouds in the entire sky, and only a faint mesh-like redness covered the sky. They did not know where it came from and why it would appear here, nor what would happen next. However, she was certain that it had some sort of tight connection with Dugu Mobao trio. It was not that Chu Liuyue did not imagine the situation of the danger moon, but she did not expect it to be so- Xue Xue jumped onto the snow and paced back and forth the lake. In just a few moments, its body had a layer of frost! ¡°Xue Xue, come back!¡± called Chu Liuyue. Xue Xue shook his body and flicked away the tiny shards of ice, before he returned to them. Nan Suhuai nervously asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er girlie, did you see something? What happened to that person?¡± He had never come to the Red Moon Desert previously. Seeing Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu¡¯s reactions, he faintly guessed that Dugu Mobao should have been here previously. But¡­ he did not feel any sense of vitality here. He could not help but be worried. Chu Liuyue did not speak, as she looked at that book in her hands again. At this place, the ripple of the forces reached its peak! It was as if something was about to erupt! Chu Liuyue flicked her wrist! That book flew to her and automatically flipped to the first page. That purple scale shone with a faint light on the first page. The violent forces exuded from here! Swoosh! The next moment, that scale suddenly dropped off the first page and flew to the lake! It quietly floated above the lake surface. There was suddenly a line of black words that slowly appeared on the frozen surface. ¡°Xin Dynasty 3572 Year. Spring. Fantasy Divine Palace, activate Heaven Gate.¡± When she saw that line of words clearly, Chu Liuyue was shocked! That was the date that was last mentioned in her diary! She still clearly remembered that the sentence she wrote was, Xin Dynasty 3572 Year. Come back in spring! What Chu Liuyue did not know at this point was that the same words appeared in the sky! The command to activate the Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate shone in the entire world! Chapter 2175 - 2175 Storm about to Blow 2175 Storm about to Blow The black words flashed across the sky in the God Residence Realm. Many cultivators seemed to have felt something and looked up. That line of words wasn¡¯t big, but it easily entered everyone¡¯s eyes as they glowed brighter and dimmer along with their breathing. The Xin Yuan dynasty was one that was never recorded in the history of the God Residence Realm. The Fantasy Divine Palace was a mysterious realm that nobody had heard of before. Everyone was curious as they stared at the sky dazedly, yet they felt some sort of summoning and slowly wanted to go over. It was as if¡­ something was luring the people behind it! ¡­ At the Yi family. Jun Jiuqing returned to the Yi family. When the guards in charge saw him, they immediately bowed. ¡°Greetings, Master.¡± Their voices and expressions were extremely respectful. When their gaze swept across the half-broken condor on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s shoulders, deep fear flashed across their eyes. A few months ago, they did not have such an attitude toward Jun Jiuqing. In the short few days, Jun Jiuqing became the family head and tightly controlled everyone in the Yi family. Anyone who had brains in the Yi family would know what kind of attitude they should have toward the young family head with a different last name. Jun Jiuqing nodded and was about to walk in. Suddenly, he noticed something amiss in the skies and looked up. The two guards also looked up curiously and had a face of shock and confusion. Why are there words in the sky? Jun Jiuqing squinted slightly, but he did not seem shocked. After a moment, he retracted his gaze. ¡°Pass the message. All the elders in the Yi family are to go to the hall for a meeting.¡± The two guards did not understand, but they immediately acknowledged his order. ¡°Yes!¡± After Jun Jiuqing left, the two of them exchanged glances. Something big is about to happen to the God Residence Realm! ¡­ At the Nan residence. He was Nan Yifan¡¯s cousin and had eyed the position of family head for many years, but his abilities were always weaker than Nan Yifan. Later on, Nan Yifan died, and the clan descended into chaos. That was when he finally had his chance. After the trouble at Peach Blossom Dock, the Nan family suffered great losses, and they couldn¡¯t be compared to themselves when they were at their peak. However, the Nan family had a history of thousands of years and did have some foundation. During this period of time, Nan Jinshu had been commanding the people in the family to recuperate and heal themselves. Even if they could not be high and mighty like before, at least they could forcefully balance it out with some top-tier aristocratic families. Of course, the Sky-Cloud Empire was an exception. Seeing that line of words in the sky, Nan Jinshu was dazed for a long time. Then, he suddenly recalled something and looked agitated. ¡°¡­Are the ancestor¡¯s rumors true?¡± ¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain. When Yi Zhao came back, he did not purposely hide his traces. In reality, the news of him and Miao Zhen going to the Red Moon Desert together had spread amongst the two ancient legendary fiend clans. Thus, there was no need to hide now. He walked straight back to Godly Phoenix Hall. When Elder Yi Yu saw him, he immediately looked surprised. ¡°Clan Leader, you¡¯re back! How¡¯s Tuan Zi?¡± The news outside had spread far and wide, and he had already confirmed that Tuan Zi should basically be safe. However, it was still more secure to ask about such things. Yi Zhao shook his head. ¡°Her sixth meridian was forcefully opened, but luckily Shangguan Yue broke through to become a legendary warrior in time and helped her reduce the impact. After she recuperates for a while, she should be fine.¡± Elder Yi Yu was stunned and almost suspected that he had misheard something. ¡°Forcefully opened her meridian? How is that possible? Who has such an ability? Besides¡ªthat¡¯s not right! Tuan Zi¡¯s talent is hard to meet in a thousand years, and she had already opened her fifth meridian at a young age. What did the person who forcefully opened her meridian want?¡± Yi Zhao took a deep breath in, stood with one hand behind his back, and tightly furrowed his brows. ¡°That¡¯s also what I was worried about. We met with some trouble at the Red Moon Desert, but¡­ We did not find out who¡¯s the mastermind.¡± Elder Yi Yu¡¯s lips moved, and his expression changed as he felt overwhelmed. Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen went together. If I¡¯ve guessed correctly, Zi Chen would have also been in trouble. When these two parties join hands, they should be invincible. However¡­ even they could not find out anything? He suddenly felt extremely uneasy and felt that there was something strangely unexplainable about this. Yi Zhao said, ¡°Increase your manpower. You must investigate this properly and not let go of any clues.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go now!¡± The moment Elder Yi Yu turned around, and before he could step out of the square before Godly Phoenix Hall, he suddenly felt that there was something strange in the skies. He looked up. With this glance, he was taken aback. ¡°Clan Leader! Quickly look!¡± Yi Zhao had already looked up. That line of words silently flashed in the sky and clearly entered everyone¡¯s eyes! ¡°Clan Leader, this¡ª¡± Elder Yi Yu wanted to ask something, but he realized that Yi Zhao suddenly turned around and quickly entered Godly Phoenix Hall. At the same time, the barrier outside Godly Phoenix Hall glowed and had an even heavier suppression. Elder Yi Yu¡¯s heart sank. What¡­ plan does the clan leader have? He stood on the spot and thought for a while before he walked to Phoenix Valley. As expected, he saw quite a few people in the clan looking at the words that suddenly appeared, and they had varying expressions. Elder Yi Yu¡¯s heart tightened. ¡­ Yi Zhao silently walked into Godly Phoenix Hall at a hurried pace. Finally, he arrived at the giant wall art in the palace. ¡°Ancestor.¡± He gazed deeply into the ancestor¡¯s figure that came out of the sea of fire. ¡°The Heaven Gate to the Fantasy Divine Palace is finally being activated again.¡± It was so quiet in the palace that one could hear a pin drop. That figure on the wall was still silent. ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock. That line of words also appeared above their heads at the same time. Tang Ke, who finished producing his second set of Yuan instruments, looked up. He furrowed his brows but quickly relaxed them. Su Li also stopped and strangely asked, ¡°What¡¯s that? Where¡¯s the Fantasy Divine Palace? Heaven Gate¡­ refers to which gate?¡± Tang Ke looked at her and shook his head. ¡°When the time comes, everything will be answered. Are you still continuing?¡± He asked about the weapon refinement. Su Li was dazed for a moment before nodding. ¡°That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s continue!¡± The two of them couldn¡¯t determine a winner, so she still wanted an outcome. As for the words that suddenly appeared¡­ Like Tang Ke said: what should come would come. When the time came, everything would be known. When the crowd heard the duo¡¯s conversation, they had complicated feelings. Xiao Ba stretched and half-squinted as she weakly muttered, ¡°These two people have already produced thirteen Yuan instruments. Why are they still continuing¡­¡± She had watched for quite long without a care for days and nights. Even if they were not tired, she was. She twisted her hips and walked to Cen Yi. ¡°Big Brother, can I go and sleep?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression was nonchalant. ¡°No.¡± Chapter 2176 - 2176 Location 2176 Location Xiao Ba pursed her lips. I knew it. In such an event, Big Brother definitely won¡¯t allow me to go back and slack alone. ¡°But I¡¯m really tired!¡± She leaned forward and pointed at her own eyes. ¡°Big Brother, I haven¡¯t slept in so long. I have so many dark circles!¡± Cen Yi did not even look at her. ¡°You can sleep here.¡± Xiao Ba was speechless. It¡¯s been so many years, and Big Brother is as cold-hearted as usual! I knew I couldn¡¯t count on him! Xiao Ba wrinkled her nose. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep then!¡± She took a few steps back and coincidentally bumped into someone. She turned around, and it was Yan Qing. As she was exhausted and her entire person was in an explosive state, she didn¡¯t think much when she saw Yan Qing and patted his shoulders. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, let me sleep on your shoulders for a while.¡± Anyway, he was someone she knew, and Yan Qing was Rong Xiu¡¯s person, so he wouldn¡¯t be terrified like how San San and the rest were to her big brother. Thinking of this, he was really a very dependable choice! Xiao Ba was actually a little happy when she thought of this. Then, her soft and boneless hand silently crept onto Yan Qing¡¯s shoulder as she closed her eyes, about to lean over. At this point, Yan Qing suddenly held her wrist and moved a few steps away. Xiao Ba¡¯s head landed on nothing, and she became more alert. She looked at Yan Qing with a face filled with confusion. Yan Qing¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, this isn¡¯t appropriate.¡± Xiao Ba: ¡°¡­Which part of this is inappropriate?¡± Yan Qing: ¡°Every part.¡± Which lady would randomly lean on a man¡¯s shoulders to sleep? I¡¯m fine, but there are so many people watching from the surroundings, and it wouldn¡¯t be good for her. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, if you¡¯re really tired, why don¡¯t you go back and sleep?¡± Xiao Ba widened her eyes. ¡°But Big Brother didn¡¯t allow me to go back! Didn¡¯t you hear it just now?¡± Yan Qing glanced at Cen Yi. Actually, Xiao Ba¡¯s presence here didn¡¯t really affect anything, so he did not know why Cen Yi refused to let her go back. This was a matter for the Thirteen Yue Guards, and he could not say anything much. ¡°I¡¯ll really die if I don¡¯t sleep!¡± Xiao Ba pursed her red lips, stretched out a finger, and poked Yan Qing¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Look! Are you made out of paper? You can¡¯t even let me lean on you? I want to sleep¡ªwant to sleep!¡± The thin finger with the intricately manicured nail poked his shoulder, again and again. I¡¯ll poke. I¡¯ll poke. I¡¯ll poke, I¡¯ll poke, I¡¯ll poke. Yan Qing finally grabbed her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± Xiao Ba was already muddle-headed. When she heard that she could sleep, she was instantly elated and tilted her head to put it down. However, she still didn¡¯t reach her destination¡ªYan Qing reached out and held her forehead. Xiao Ba blinked. Yan Qing waved his hands, and a ball of faint blue light appeared before him. He then said, ¡°You can go in and sleep. There are blankets inside. Don¡¯t worry¡ªthey¡¯re new.¡± As for why he had such items¡­ One had to go back to a long time ago, when his master told him to prepare it. He had prepared a lot, some for his master, and the remaining ones were for him. Xiao Ba was speechless. She was completely awake now. ¡°No need.¡± Xiao Ba took a deep breath in. Yan Qing knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you very tired? Don¡¯t worry. This is an individual room, and there¡¯s a barrier¡ª¡± Xiao Ba closed her eyes. She was afraid that she would scratch a few pretty blood marks when she saw Yan Qing¡¯s face again. ¡°I don¡¯t like this color,¡± said Xiao Ba with clenched teeth. Yan Qing thought for a moment and asked hesitantly, ¡°Then¡­ change to pink?¡± ¡°You sleep with pink! Your whole family sleeps with pink!¡± Xiao Ba finally exploded and left this sentence harshly before she turned around to leave. Not only did she not need to sleep now, she was also very energetic. At the side, Thirteen said rather nervously, ¡°Eight Sister seems angry¡­¡± Shi Fang said, ¡°When has she not become angry when she talks to Lord Yan Qing?¡± Thirteen: ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± All the years of experience made Thirteen realize that when Xiao Ba raged, it was best not to talk to her, nor even look at her. Hence, they all averted their gazes toward Tang Ke and Su Li. Yu Jiu: ¡°Look how talented the two seniors are!¡± San San: ¡°Yeah! I can watch them for another hundred years!¡± Cen Yi finally said, ¡°Xiao Ba.¡± Xiao Ba instantly pounced over with tears in her eyes. ¡°Big Brother!¡± Did Big Brother finally change his mind? Can I go back and sleep? ¡°Do you know how many Yuan instruments these two people have made until now?¡± asked Cen Yi as he raised his chin. Xiao Ba was dazed. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Good that you know.¡± Cen Yi then gave her a precious gaze. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re very energetic. According to this number, produce some pills. As for the type of pills¡­ you know what to do.¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s forehead twitched harshly. I shouldn¡¯t have rejected Yan Qing previously! ¡­ Red Moon Desert. That line of words flashed according to one¡¯s breathing. Snow kept falling from the sky, and the accumulated snow became heavier, but it just avoided this icy lake. After a moment, that purple scale flew to Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand. She looked down, and the light on it was much dimmer than before. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hands. ¡°¡­They¡¯re not here.¡± She tightly furrowed her brows, as if her heart was clutched. The icy snowflakes and ice particles kept landing on her face and head. There was a layer of crystalized snow on her lashes. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ at the Fantasy Divine Palace!¡± Chapter 2177 - 2177 Whose Seal 2177 Whose Seal However, what kind of place was Fantasy Divine Palace and where was it? She knew nothing of it. Her connection with Big Baby¡¯s was broken now, and the only thing that could forcefully maintain this was this scale. But judging from the situation of this scale, Big Baby¡¯s situation was also very worrying. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. There was nothing in the vast world. She suddenly recalled the middle pavilion in the air. ¡°Is that¡­ the Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. At this point, the words on the lake slowly disappeared. Rong Xiu held her hand. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for long. Let¡¯s go back first and discuss this.¡± Chu Liuyue was about to nod when she suddenly recalled something. ¡°Hold on first.¡± She struggled out of Rong Xiu¡¯s hand and flew toward the icy lake. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly and was about to go over when he heard Chu Liuyue say, ¡°Don¡¯t come over first.¡± Rong Xiu stopped walking. Nan Suhuai glanced at Rong Xiu and also stopped. However, his face was filled with worry. ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, what are you doing? This place is very dangerous. You have to be careful!¡± Everything here was very strange, and one could not help but worry. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°Thank you, Mentor. I know what to do.¡± Swoosh! A ray of rainbow light flashed across! The Chi Xiao Sword suddenly appeared in her hands! She held the Chi Xiao Sword tightly and put it on the icy ground. The cold wind from the snow, coupled with the icicles, blew her clothes up. Her hair flowed with the wind, and a thin layer of frost quickly formed on it. It could be seen that the temperature here was low, and the weather was harsh The originally iridescent and clear lake water was already frozen with a thick layer of ice, which glowed with a crystallized white color, causing one to be unable to see the situation inside. Actually, she had always been curious about what was underneath the lake. She had stayed in the Red Moon Desert for quite some time and had seen Big Baby walk out from below the lake. However, she had never gone down herself. She had always been smart and could tell that Big Baby¡¯s group of three didn¡¯t really want to discuss this, so she never asked anything about it. However¡­ she suddenly had a strong urge of curiosity for this! Anyway, Big Baby¡¯s group of three weren¡¯t around. Then, she wanted to see what secret was hiding underneath! She rapidly circulated her force and inserted it into the Chi Xiao Sword! Whir! The sword roared! The red-golden color and the transparent fire intertwined and burned intensely on the Chi Xiao Sword! Chu Liuyue held the sword tightly, raised it up, and then¡­ harshly pierced it down! Clang! The sharp blade cut through the lake surface and made a crisp sound! Crack! A crack rapidly spread across the icy surface! At the same time, the fire on the Chi Xiao Sword rapidly followed and spread across the crack! The scorchingly high temperature caused the ice to melt. Increasingly numerous tiny cracks were produced, and they spread toward the surroundings. Chu Liuyue held her breath in and stared at it closely. But at this point, the snow that came down from the skies suddenly gathered here. The snow landed on that fire and crack. The fire gradually extinguished, and the crack was slowly repaired. Chu Liuyue used all her force to slash out an opening, but it easily recovered its original appearance! ¡°How did that happen?¡± Seeing the icy surface that was as smooth as the start, Chu Liuyue almost did not dare to believe her eyes. She was currently a legendary warrior, and she did not hold back with that attack! Even if it were a mountain¡­ With this one sword attack, it would become even ground! Another faint opening was slashed open on this icy surface. Even if she had already thought of triggering her fire earlier on, it was still to no avail. In 15 minutes, all the traces on the icy surface had been removed. At first glance, it was clean. Even the patterns of the ripple did not change at all. This attack of hers¡­ It didn¡¯t affect the lake at all! The cold air came from all directions, and it was like a metal needle that pierced into her surroundings. The rainbow glowed on her body and covered her transparent and iridescent armor before the coldness was driven away. Chu Liuyue did not believe it and slashed again! Clang! The moment the sword landed, a Xuan formation suddenly appeared from below the icy surface. An indescribable suppression spread from the surface. Chu Liuyue was the first to take the hit! When she felt that aura, she knew that something was amiss. Following that, a crisp sound was heard! Ka! Shock flashed across her eyes. That was because¡­ the moment the Chi Xiao Sword in her hands was covered by the light from the Xuan formation, it instantly broke! Without thinking, she backed away! A light intertwined with the Chi Xiao Sword. Rong Jiu immediately took action. A ray of golden light flashed across and rapidly pressed against Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm! The Chi Xiao Sword was instantly broken! Almost at the same time, the broken sword body broke into many tiny pieces! The Chi Xiao Sword¡­ was completely destroyed! Chu Liuyue looked down, and only a broken sword hilt was left in her hands. She instantly gasped. Rong Xiu went forward, held her waist, and brought her away from the lake surface. Then, he took a step forward and hid her behind him. On the icy surface, that Xuan formation gradually appeared and glowed with the light. There seemed to be ripples in Rong Xiu¡¯s deep eyes. Nan Suhuai hurriedly rushed forward. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you alright?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and looked at that lake with a complicated gaze. ¡°Whose¡­ seal is that?¡± Chapter 2178 - 2178 I Know 2178 I Know It was a Xuan formation and a seal. It was extremely complicated and powerful! She had been in the Red Moon Desert for many years, but she had never seen this seal. But for some reason, she strangely felt that the aura on it was inexplicably familiar. She thought of that eye. With the arrival of Wei Yue, what secrets are hidden below? ¡°There are many restrictions below. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t enter,¡± Rong Xiu said. Chu Liuyue nodded and summoned a longsword. It was the Yuan instrument refined from the Nether Star Sword Embryo. Half of it was pure gold, and the other half was green and black. Against the bright snow, it was especially rich and brilliant. With a thought, a ball of fire surged out, melting and tempering the incomplete hilt of the Chi Xiao Sword. The Yuan instrument was refined. Under the guidance of the flames, it fused into a new sword. ¡°When the Nether Star Sword Embryo is forged, it will naturally be called the Nether Star Sword!¡± The sword body shone brightly, and the sword aura was sharp! It was indeed a pity that the Chi Xiao Sword was destroyed. Fortunately, she had personally refined this Nether Star Sword. It was just right. Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Big Baby and the others are most likely trapped in the Fantasy Divine Palace. We have to find the place as soon as possible.¡± Big Baby and the other two had been trapped in the Red Moon Desert for more than 10,000 years and had never left. But this time, the three of them disappeared very suddenly. This made her very uneasy. Rong Xiu paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I know where the Fantasy Divine Palace is.¡± ¡­ Tens of thousands of kilometers away. In the dark and cramped cell, Dugu Mobao sat quietly alone. His soft armor-like purple robe was damaged in several places. His body was covered in blood, and he looked like he had just experienced an intense battle. After a while, a hoarse voice sounded. ¡°Have you thought about it?¡± Dugu Mobao didn¡¯t react, as if he didn¡¯t hear anything. Dugu Mobao was still unmoved. His pale face was stained with a few dried dark red bloodstains, making him look even more haggard. However, his back was straight like a tall pine tree in the snow, with a noble pride that went deep into his bones. This attitude seemed to anger the other party. ¡°Dugu Mobao, you¡¯re very stubborn, but have you ever thought about whether those two are the same as you? If you refuse to relent, they¡¯ll have to suffer another day. No matter what, they¡¯re friends who¡¯ve accompanied you for 10,000 years. Can you really bear to leave them in the lurch?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s glabella moved slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes. Those demonic purple eyes flickered with an ice-cold light. ¡°You don¡¯t dare to kill them.¡± His voice was calm and firm. Every word was like a heavy hammer that smashed into the empty and dark cage. The voice fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°That¡¯s right. I indeed won¡¯t kill them now. It¡¯s a pity that Lan Xiao has just tempered his Holy Body¡­ But compared to Diwu Zhangze, he¡¯s still alright. You also know how painful it will be to enter the Fantasy Divine Sea without a Holy Body. After all, you¡¯ve already experienced it 10,000 years ago, right?¡± There was a hint of smugness in the voice, as if it had succeeded in a prank. It was cold and sinister, making one¡¯s heart tremble. Dugu Mobao¡¯s hands curled up in his sleeves, and his voice turned colder. ¡°You will be punished for breaking the contract.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± The other party sneered in disdain. ¡°Dugu Mobao, you seem to be the one who violated the contract first, right? You¡¯ve already committed a huge taboo by reconstructing your Holy Body! It¡¯s fine if Lan Xiao is your person, but¡ªthe day Diwu chose to defect, he should¡¯ve expected this day to come! It seems that these 10,000 years of punishment still haven¡¯t taught him enough!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s lips suddenly curled up into a very faint smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that you¡¯re too much of a failure that he defected and still refuses to realize his mistakes until today?¡± Slap! As soon as he finished speaking, a long whip lashed Dugu Mobao¡¯s back in the darkness! His skin and flesh were instantly lacerated! He grunted and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, but the mockery in his eyes intensified. ¡°The Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate is about to open. Everything will eventually be decided! At that time, you will know how stupid what you did today was!¡± The voice lingered in the cage for a long time before finally dissipating. After confirming that the person had left, Dugu Mobao¡¯s body swayed, and he coughed violently. There was a strong taste of blood between his lips and teeth. After coughing for a while, he casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and placed his hands on his knees before continuing to sit cross-legged and wait. The Heaven Gate is about to open. Yue¡¯er¡­ will be here soon, right? A trace of worry flashed between his eyebrows, but it quickly dissipated. ¡­ ¡°You know?!¡± Deep shock flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hear you mention it before?¡± Rong Xiu smiled faintly. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask before. Besides¡­ I shouldn¡¯t be the only one who knows about this place. Yi Zhao, Senior Miao Zhen, and some first-rate families with thousands of years of history should¡¯ve heard of it too.¡± Chu Liuyue recovered her senses. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°It is a place that exists in distant rumors. It¡¯s said that tens of thousands of years ago, a mysterious place appeared in the God Residence Realm. People called it the Fantasy Divine Palace. There, the Heaven and Earth Force was abundant, resources were abundant, and experts were as numerous as the clouds. More importantly, if one could enter it to cultivate, they might be able to break through the shackles of legendary warriors and become an even stronger existence. But for some reason, that place disappeared later on. Gradually, fewer and fewer people knew about this.¡± ¡°There were also people who speculated that the Fantasy Divine Palace was a miracle. Every tens of thousands of years, it would descend into the world. A legendary warrior would step through that doorstep and become a peerless expert.¡± ¡°However, these are all rumors¡ªno one has personally witnessed it. I just didn¡¯t expect it to really appear now.¡± Chu Liuyue muttered, ¡°Breaking through from a legendary warrior¡­¡± In the God Residence Realm, no one had successfully broken through that shackle in the past 10,000 years. Dugu Mobao and the other two seemed to be such existences, but for some reason, they had been suppressed in the Red Moon Desert for more than 10,000 years. No one knew of their existence as well. Suddenly, her pupils constricted. ¡°Wait, when that strange hall appeared here, there were also rumors in the God Residence Realm that it was related to breaking through from a legendary warrior. Could it be¡­ that¡¯s the Fantasy Divine Palace? Or is it related to the Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± Rong Xiu paused. ¡°At that time, it was foggy. Did you see the words on the plaque clearly?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. In fact, because of the white fog, she couldn¡¯t even see the full appearance of the hall. She only remembered the black jade circular area and the magnificent and towering circular wall. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll know everything when we reach the Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Chu Liuyue clenched the purple scales in her hand tightly, pursed her lips slightly, and nodded. Chapter 2179 - 2179 A Bridge in the Sky 2179 A Bridge in the Sky Chu Liuyue and the other two stayed in the Red Moon Desert for about ten days, wanting to find some relevant traces here. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t receive any useful information even after this period of time. Instead, the weather was getting colder, and the snow was getting thicker. Even they were gradually feeling a little tormented. Chu Liuyue tried a few more times to split open the frozen lake, but without exception, she failed. The seal floated quietly on the ice. It flickered gently, but it carried an unparalleled pressure. In the end, they could only choose to leave temporarily. According to Rong Xiu, Chu Liuyue planned to go to Peach Blossom Dock first, then discuss the Fantasy Divine Palace with Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao. Nan Suhuai wanted to go with her, but after careful consideration, he returned to Ling Xiao Academy first. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu had just returned to Yue Manor when Cen Yi came. ¡°Master, Your Highness.¡± As Chu Liuyue walked in, she asked, ¡°How are things with Tang Ke and Mr. Su? When I came back just now, there didn¡¯t seem to be any movement from Clear Water Cliff.¡± ¡°Master, the two seniors have just ended the competition and are resting in their respective residences.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°Just now? Did they just end?¡± According to the speed at which the two of them refine Yuan instruments, it shouldn¡¯t take so long, right? Cen Yi nodded his head and explained, ¡°Yes. The two of them refined more Yuan instruments this time, so it ended very late.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks. ¡°How many?¡± She remembered that Tang Ke and Su Li had said that they would give her all the Yuan instruments they had refined this time. Cen Yi said, ¡°The two of them have refined 42 pieces each. There are a total of 84 pieces.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly widened her eyes. ¡°How many did you say?!¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression was as calm as ever. ¡°There are a total of 84 pieces, and they¡¯re all Yuan instruments. The two of them have already handed them over to me, and I was to officially hand them over to you when you come back.¡± He then took out two Cosmic Rings. ¡°The one on the left belongs to Senior Tang Ke, and the one on the right belongs to Mr. Su.¡± Cen Yi handed it over respectfully with both hands. ¡°The two of them said that you must review it personally and choose your favorite.¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°¡­I remember that the materials they used were all the same, so these¡­¡± ¡°As you think, these are all the same. I watched the entire process. The two of them are indeed comparable.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± She put away the two Cosmic Rings and checked them separately. Indeed, from quantity to type, they were exactly the same! How could they be compared? Chu Liuyue looked at the two small Cosmic Rings and was in a daze. Eighty-four items¡­ Back then, Yi Wentao¡¯s life had only been exchanged for so much? Now that the two of them have worked together and refined so much in one go, it is really terrifying! ¡°Recently, many aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm have heard of this news and sent letters one after another, requesting to buy these Yuan instruments. I didn¡¯t dare to be arbitrary and sent them to your study. They¡¯re just waiting for you to come back to personally review and reply.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°They¡¯re quite fast.¡± The news that Tang Ke and Su Li were staying in Peach Blossom Dock had long spread, and the news that the two of them had started refining Yuan instruments together had spread like wildfire from the beginning. With nearly a hundred Yuan instruments, who wouldn¡¯t be jealous? Who wouldn¡¯t be envious? For a moment, all the major aristocratic families moved when they heard the news, hoping to exchange some from Peach Blossom Dock. A royal Yuan instrument was already precious enough, let alone a supreme Yuan instrument? In the end, there were very few people like the Yi family and Nan family. ¡°There¡¯s no need to read them. Reject all the letters.¡± Chu Liuyue continued walking in. On the one hand, this was the sincerity of the two seniors. It wasn¡¯t easy to transfer it. On the other hand, it was because of the Fantasy Divine Palace. At the thought of this, her expression froze, and she asked, ¡°By the way, after we left, was there anything unusual in the God Residence Realm?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Yes. The Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate is about to open. Everyone in the God Residence Realm is already preparing.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Everyone already knows?¡± Cen Yi told her about the scene that day. ¡°¡­At this point, all the cultivators in the God Residence Realm already know this news. Moreover, there has been a rumor recently that as long as you can enter the Fantasy Divine Palace, you can break through from a legendary warrior. Therefore, everyone is restless now.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly sank. ¡°But have you found out who released the news?¡± Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°Someone secretly helped to encourage it and deliberately muddied this pool of water. The news can no longer be traced back to the source.¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips slightly. If that¡¯s the case, the God Residence Realm will probably be in chaos. ¡°But they don¡¯t know where the Fantasy Divine Palace is. So what if they know this news?¡± Cen Yi frowned slightly as a complicated expression flashed across his eyes. Chu Liuyue suddenly had an ominous feeling. Cen Yi said, ¡°The bridge to the Fantasy Divine Palace has been built.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Cen Yi said, ¡°When night comes, you¡¯ll know what I mean.¡± ¡­ The wait was always especially difficult. Chu Liuyue stood in the courtyard and looked at the sky. It was already evening. There was still a short time before dark. She kept thinking about everything that had happened before. She vaguely felt as if an invisible huge net was enveloping her. It was like fate, unable to break free from. Night fell bit by bit. When the first star shone in the black velvet-like night sky, the bridge finally appeared! Chapter 2180 - 2180 Ill Stay With You 2180 I¡¯ll Stay With You In the dense night, a silver arched bridge stretched across the sky. A section of the bridge met the distant horizon. On the other end, it spread into the sky, disappearing into the clouds and connecting to the unknown. It was magnificent, brilliant, beautiful, and noble. Beams of light gathered together, forming a silver bridge that seemed to have substance. But upon closer inspection, some of the light spots didn¡¯t seem to be simple light spots. Instead, they seemed to be engraved with some patterns. But because they were very far away, one couldn¡¯t see it clearly for the time being. ¡°That bridge has appeared since the night that the line of words flashed in the sky above the God Residence Realm.¡± Chu Liuyue thought of Cen Yi¡¯s words, and countless thoughts flashed across her mind. ¡°In the beginning, it was just a gathering ball of fine light. It was born where the world met, and it was difficult to reach. It stayed up all night. But gradually, the light stretched out and headed for the sky, forming the shape of a bridge bit by bit.¡± ¡°Even now, that bridge will still appear every night and continue to extend.¡± ¡°No one knows what it is, but everyone is certain that the end of the bridge is the legendary Fantasy Divine Palace. The day the bridge is completely formed will be the day the Heaven Gate opens!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue stared fixedly at the bridge in the sky. After a long time, she gently exhaled. Cen Yi¡¯s guess should be the guess of all the cultivators in the God Residence Realm. Such a strange and beautiful scene was unfamiliar and novel to them. Humans were always fearful and curious about unknown matters. Even if they knew that it was dangerous, they always wanted to try it out themselves. This time was no exception. Furthermore, there might be a huge opportunity hidden behind that bridge. Who wouldn¡¯t be tempted? Back when that new Gate Realm opened, it had attracted so many people to go, let alone the current situation. ¡°Are you still looking at this?¡± Rong Xiu walked out of the house and put a coat on Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue adjusted her clothes and was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you think the place that is connected beyond the bridge is really the legendary Fantasy Divine Palace? If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ Are Big Baby and the others there too?¡± Rong Xiu held her hand. Perhaps it was because the night wind was cold, but her fingertips were also cold. After wrapping her hand in his palm and sensing that her body was gradually warming up, Rong Xiu said, ¡°No one can say for sure. We¡¯ll only know when we get there.¡± ¡°True.¡± Chu Liuyue turned her head and looked at him. Those quiet and deep phoenix eyes were calm, reflecting two small figures of her. His voice was as low and gentle as ever. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Rong Xiu, I keep feeling like there¡¯s a hand pushing me over.¡± Although she still didn¡¯t know who the person behind her was, there was indeed an invisible hand pushing her in this direction bit by bit. The Fantasy Divine Palace must be related to me somehow. But for some reason, the current me doesn¡¯t have any relevant memories. Rong Xiu bent down and kissed her forehead. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid. No matter where you are, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Regardless of distance or life and death. Chu Liuyue¡¯s originally uneasy heart instantly calmed down. She raised her head slightly and kissed him. Before he could react, she leaned her head against his shoulder and rubbed it gently. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I have you.¡± ¡­ ¡°What? A¡¯Yue even invited Grandpa Miao Zhen over?¡± In another courtyard, Tuan Zi and Zi Chen were sitting opposite a stone table. There were many fresh and juicy berries on the table. San San had specially chosen these and sent them over. All of them were rare treasures of heaven and earth, and hey were extremely effective in replenishing energy and healing injuries. They were originally for Zi Chen, but they were now Tuan Zi¡¯s. At this moment, Tuan Zi was munching on a red fruit that was bigger than her fist. Hearing Zi Chen¡¯s words, she immediately stopped and looked up in shock and confusion. ¡°Yes. He should be here tomorrow.¡± As Zi Chen spoke, he glanced at her. Her small mouth was stained with red juice and a few white seeds. The pair of big black grape-like eyes flickered, full of confusion. ¡°Look up,¡± Zi Chen said. ¡°What?¡± Tuan Zi asked curiously, but she still raised her head obediently. Zi Chen reached over and wiped the white seeds off her lips. ¡°No one is snatching it from you. Just eat slowly,¡± Zi Chen retracted his hand and said calmly. Only then did Tuan Zi realize that she had been eating so happily that she didn¡¯t even know when she became like this. She wiped her mouth, and her hand immediately turned red. It was rare for her to feel a little embarrassed. ¡°Oh¡­ I don¡¯t know why I¡¯ve been so hungry recently¡­¡± She looked hesitantly at the fruit in her hand and then at the mostly empty plate on the table¡ªit was all hers. It seems like¡­ I really ate a little too much? Zi Chen retracted his gaze, his handsome and cold face expressionless. ¡°Don¡¯t waste it.¡± ¡°¡­Oh!¡± When Tuan Zi heard this, she felt much more at ease. As she ate, she muttered, ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa also sent me a message. He said that he¡¯ll be here in the next two days. Strange¡ªdidn¡¯t they just go back not long ago? Why are they here again?¡± Although she was young, she had followed Chu Liuyue around these two ancient legendary fiends a few times. Under normal circumstances, Miao Zhen and Yi Zhao would never appear at the same time. In all this time, it had only happened twice. One was because of Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue¡¯s wedding, and the other was because something had happened between her and Zi Chen. But this time¡ª ¡°Is it because of the bridge?¡± Tuan Zi looked up at the bridge in the sky. Zi Chen narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­Probably.¡± ¡°I wonder how that bridge appeared.¡± Tuan Zi pouted and stuffed the last bite of fruit into her mouth. ¡°I keep feeling a little uncomfortable when I see it.¡± Zi Chen frowned slightly and looked at her. ¡°Uncomfortable? What¡¯s going on?¡± Tuan Zi shook her head. Her small mouth was bulging, and the syllables were a little vague. She raised her small hand and pointed at the bridge. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Zi Chen reached out and pulled her hand over. Then, he closed his fingers and placed them on her wrist. He separated a portion of his power and had it enter Tuan Zi¡¯s body. After a round of inspection, he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. In fact, because she had already opened her sixth meridian, Tuan Zi¡¯s condition was much better than before, and her strength was more abundant. There seemed to be no reason for her to feel uncomfortable. When Tuan Zi saw his serious expression, she immediately smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯m in good health! Maybe I ate too much?¡± Zi Chen didn¡¯t comment on her words, but he didn¡¯t continue asking. ¡°Alright, since I¡¯m done eating, I¡¯ll leave first!¡± Tuan Zi clapped her hands and jumped down from the stool. Zi Chen raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Go? Where are you going?¡± Chapter 2181 - 2181 Hes Not Here Yet 2181 He¡¯s Not Here Yet Tuan Zi said crisply, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going back to sleep!¡± Zi Chen paused. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a place for you to sleep here?¡± During this period of time, Tuan Zi had been sleeping in the same room as him. Tuan Zi blinked. ¡°But your injuries have healed!¡± Zi Chen¡¯s injuries were indeed recovering very quickly. He had even removed all the gauze and other things during the day. She walked over and held Zi Chen¡¯s hand, revealing her smooth wrist. Then, she nodded. ¡°Look! It¡¯s all done!¡± Apart from the skin color of the wound that looked a little different from the other places, his wounds had basically healed completely. Zi Chen felt his wrist itch. He retracted his hand calmly and thought for a moment, as if he were deliberating. ¡°I thought that Master wouldn¡¯t be back for a while, so¡ª¡± Tuan Zi was very clingy. Most of the time, she stuck to Chu Liuyue. But this time, she and Rong Xiu left without bringing the two of them along. He thought that after his injuries healed today, Tuan Zi would still be unwilling to sleep by itself, so he even specially tidied up the room beside him. However, he didn¡¯t expect¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to go back. Although she might be a little tired from this trip, with His Grace around, it should be fine.¡± As Zi Chen spoke, he stood up and planned to return to the house. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right!¡± Tuan Zi instantly felt a little conflicted. Rong Xiu is also there! She jogged a few steps and caught up with Zi Chen. She looked up and asked, ¡°Zi Chen, do you think it¡¯s appropriate for me to go back now?¡± This wasn¡¯t because she was advanced in her understanding but because she had learned too many lessons and it became a reflex. She didn¡¯t want to be picked up and thrown out again! Zi Chen stopped in his tracks and glanced at the sky with a calm expression. ¡°No. Although it¡¯s a little late, she has always doted on you the most. It¡¯s fine.¡± Hearing his words, Tuan Zi felt that it was even more inappropriate. ¡°Ah, then I can¡¯t go! I¡¯ll sleep here!¡± With that, she ran in. ¡°Zi Chen! Can I sleep on the bed today?¡± Tuan Zi turned around and stuck out her round head. ¡­ The next day, Miao Zhen indeed arrived at Peach Blossom Dock. He didn¡¯t stop and went straight into Yue Manor. When he passed through the barrier, Chu Liuyue already knew about his arrival and specially came out to welcome him. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen.¡± Chu Liuyue went forward. ¡°Sorry to trouble you to make another trip.¡± Miao Zhen waved his hand. His expression wasn¡¯t as relaxed as before, and there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± In the hall, Chu Liuyue and Miao Zhen sat opposite each other. ¡°Where¡¯s Rong Xiu?¡± After sitting down, Miao Zhen looked around and didn¡¯t see Rong Xiu. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little strange. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Yu Mo rushed back from the Sky-Cloud Empire just now and said that he had something to report, so I came over myself.¡± Miao Zhen nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯s devoted to you; it¡¯s the same as telling you.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded her head and looked apologetic. ¡°Actually, we should be the ones visiting this time¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. In fact, even if I don¡¯t hear from you this time, I plan to come over.¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s expression was rarely so serious. This made Chu Liuyue tense up as well. ¡°I heard that Nan Suhuai came previously. Did you go to Ling Xiao Academy?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and briefly explained the matter, including the disappearance of Big Baby and the others. It was just a few words, but it made Miao Zhen¡¯s expression become even more solemn. ¡°¡­In that case, those few are no longer in the Red Moon Desert but in the Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± Miao zhen had already guessed something previously, but Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t said anything, so he couldn¡¯t ask further. From the looks of it, those people¡¯s identities were indeed extraordinary. However, now wasn¡¯t the time to think about this. ¡°Yes or no, we have to go to the Fantasy Divine Palace to take a look,¡± Chu Liuyue said. Miao Zhen sighed.¡±The Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate is about to open, and the entire God Residence Realm is restless. However, this trip is really dangerous, so I specially came to tell you. Please calm down.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen¡­ seems to know something about the Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± Miao Zhen smiled bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t really know, but we have some connections. The ancestor of my great phoenix dragon race died in the Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect him to say such a thing and was shocked. ¡°This¡­ The rumors don¡¯t seem to be the case¡­¡± ¡°As you said, those are all rumors.¡± Miao Zhen patted the armrest of the chair and sighed. ¡°Actually, only the previous patriarchs of the great phoenix dragon clan know about this. Moreover, this matter is very important and extremely confidential. If not for the fact that the Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate is going to open this time, I wouldn¡¯t have revealed this matter.¡± Chu Liuyue thought of the coiling dragon pillar in the holy hall. Even though only the aura of the great phoenix dragon ancestor was left inside, it was still oppressive and admirable. It was obvious how influential that person was at his peak. It was said that the ancestor was about to die and naturally perished. Who knew that it was actually related to the Fantasy Divine Palace? ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not just our great phoenix dragon race.¡± Miao Zhen looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated gaze. ¡°It¡¯s the same for the one from the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. In fact¡­¡± He suddenly paused, as if remembering something, and frowned tightly. The hall was silent. Chu Liuyue was a little stunned. In fact? In fact what? From what Miao Zhen said, could it be that the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race had an even worse ending than this¡­ ¡°Why isn¡¯t Yi Zhao here?¡± Miao Zhen suddenly asked. Chapter 2182 - 2182 Nightmare 2182 Nightmare Chu Liuyue found it weird. ¡°Senior Yi Zhao¡­ should be here soon, right?¡± ¡°Have you sent him news?¡± Miao Zhen asked. Chu Liuyue nodded her head in confusion. ¡°Of course. I sent your message at the same time.¡± Peach Blossom Dock was relatively far from Godly Phoenix Mountain and Godly Dragon Island, but this wasn¡¯t a problem for Yi Zhao and Miao Zhen. With their speed, they could arrive in less than a day. However, Miao Zhen came faster than expected. As for Yi Zhao¡­ A moment or two later didn¡¯t seem to matter. Why does Miao Zhen look a little worried? ¡°Senior Yi Zhao followed me back to Peach Blossom Dock previously. He just left not long ago. I reckon he¡¯ll come a little later this time, right?¡± Miao Zhen gradually frowned. ¡°No, he knows the seriousness of this matter. Logically speaking, he should have arrived before me. Why isn¡¯t he here yet?¡± He looked outside, but there was no movement. Chu Liuyue gradually felt a trace of uneasiness. Miao Zhen is straightforward. If he hasn¡¯t really encountered any trouble, he won¡¯t have reacted like this. And his worries about Yi Zhao now don¡¯t seem to be without reason. ¡°He might be able to arrive in a while,¡± Chu Liuyue said. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, you said just now that we shouldn¡¯t be too anxious about going to the Fantasy Divine Palace because the ancestor of the great phoenix dragon race died there?¡± Miao Zhen nodded and shook his head. ¡°Yes, but not entirely. There are some things that I can¡¯t explain to you clearly now. You¡¯ll know when you hear about it when Yi Zhao is here.¡± At this moment, Cen Yi suddenly came in from outside in a hurry. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw his unusual expression. ¡°Master, something happened to the Flying Star Sect.¡± Cen Yi walked in and handed her a black feather with both hands. Chu Liuyue immediately stood up and walked over. She held the black feather in her hand, which was still stained with blood. Chu Liuyue was very familiar with the aura on it. ¡°This is the feather of the legendary three-eyed eagle that Shi Rui¡¯er contracted.¡± She frowned. Cen Yi explained, ¡°Someone sent this feather over just now, but before I could ask, that person had already died. I recognize him. That person is one of the elders who accompanied Shi Rui¡¯er to the Red Moon Desert previously.¡± Chu Liuyue immediately asked, ¡°Where is he?¡± Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°He was poisoned. Half an hour after he died, he turned into a pool of blood.¡± What a ruthless method! ¡°Xiao Ba has already gone over, but it¡¯s unknown if she can find out.¡± ¡°Did that person leave any words?¡± ¡°No. When he came, he was already mute.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. What kind of person would do such a thing to the disciples of the Flying Star Sect? Furthermore, this method is really powerful! No matter what, the Flying Star Sect was a first-rate family in the God Residence Realm. Furthermore, according to Chu Liuyue¡¯s understanding, they didn¡¯t have a deep hatred for anyone. Logically speaking, it was impossible for them to attract such a disaster. Those who went to the Red Moon Desert with Shi Rui¡¯er that time were basically all legendary warriors. What kind of force could force them to such a sorry state? Chu Liuyue put away the feather. ¡°To Xiao Ba.¡± As soon as she took a half-step, she turned to look at Miao Zhen hesitantly. Miao Zhen immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest quickly arrived at the city gate. At this moment, Xiao Ba was standing there with her arms crossed, carefully staring at a pool of dark-red blood on the ground. ¡°Xiao Ba.¡± Chu Liuyue quickly went forward. When Xiao Ba heard the voice, she looked up. However, there was a trace of worry on her beautiful face. Chu Liuyue walked closer and looked at the ground. The pool of blood had already dried up, leaving only a dark-red blood stain and a faint fishy smell. ¡°Did you see something?¡± Xiao Ba shook her head in defeat. ¡°No.¡± She was usually the best at fiddling with these things. She had seen countless strange poisons, but this time, she really couldn¡¯t recognize it. Chu Liuyue bent down to take a look. This smell¡­ is a little familiar. It seems as if I have smelled it somewhere before, but I can¡¯t remember where. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡­ At Yue Manor. Tuan Zi was still asleep on the bed. Zi Chen had already woken up early in the morning. Seeing that Tuan Zi was restlessly pushing the blanket away, he stood up and walked over. As soon as he tucked her in, Tuan Zi rolled over and kicked it away. She almost kicked Zi Chen in the face. His face darkened as he grabbed her fair feet and stuffed them under the blanket. However, Tuan Zi started to struggle uneasily again. Zi Chen was about to speak when he suddenly saw Tuan Zi frowning slightly. There seemed to be tears in the corners of her eyes, and there was panic and uneasiness in her eyes. Is she having a nightmare? He paused and gently patted Tuan Zi¡¯s face. ¡°Tuan Zi, wake up. Tuan Zi?¡± Tuan Zi seemed to have fallen into a deep nightmare and subconsciously hugged his hand tightly. Tears kept rolling down from the corners of her eyes. Sparkling tears landed on the pillow and quickly soaked it. Zi Chen frowned and felt a little worried. He helped her wipe her tears. Tuan Zi suddenly woke up. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± She sat up abruptly and looked at Zi Chen, her eyes filled with panic. ¡°Zi Chen, not good! Something happened to Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Zi Chen picked her up and patted her back. ¡°No, you had a nightmare.¡± Tuan Zi shook her head. ¡°No! It¡¯s true! It¡¯s true!¡± Chapter 2183 - 2183 Godly Phoenix Mountain 2183 Godly Phoenix Mountain ¡°Where¡¯s A¡¯Yue? I¡¯m going to look for her!¡± Tuan Zi was crying badly. When Zi Chen saw this, his expression gradually became serious. He held Tuan Zi in his arms and coaxed her as he walked out. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll bring you to look for her.¡± Tuan Zi hugged his neck and leaned on his shoulder. She whimpered and nodded, her small body still sobbing. Zi Chen frowned and walked out quickly. At first, he also felt that Tuan Zi was having a nightmare. But from her reaction, it really didn¡¯t seem like it. Could there really have been an accident? ¡­ Zi Chen carried Tuan Zi and quickly arrived at the city gate. Chu Liuyue turned around as if she sensed something and happened to see the two of them. ¡°Why are you guys¡­ Tuan Zi, what¡¯s going on?¡± Seeing that Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes were red from crying, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi opened her arms, and Chu Liuyue took her over. She hugged the former and comforted her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Chu Liuyue gently kissed Tuan Zi¡¯s face. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t be afraid. A¡¯Yue is here.¡± As she spoke, she looked at Zi Chen. Zi Chen shook his head. In fact, he wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes were watery. ¡°A¡¯Yue, something happened to Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Something happened? What do you mean?¡± Tuan Zi said, ¡°I was sleeping just now when I suddenly felt uncomfortable. After I suddenly woke up, I realized that the aura that Clan Leader Grandpa left in my body had disappeared!¡± ¡°There¡ªthere¡¯s more! I can¡¯t sense the barrier of Godly Phoenix Mountain either!¡± As Tuan Zi spoke, sparkling and hot tears kept falling. ¡°Boohoo¡ª¡± She lay in Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms and whimpered. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. More importantly, Tuan Zi could no longer sense Godly Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier! As the young mistress of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race, Tuan Zi¡ªwho had the purest bloodline¡ªhad absolute control over that barrier. ¡°Tuan Zi, be good. Don¡¯t cry first. Don¡¯t be afraid. Try again and see if you can¡¯t contact them,¡± Chu Liuyue comforted her. Tuan Zi shook her head with tears in her eyes. Seeing her like this, Chu Liuyue knew that the situation was definitely bad. ¡°I knew it. Something¡¯s wrong with Yi Zhao not coming for a long time!¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°I¡¯m afraid something has happened to Godly Phoenix Mountain!¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Godly Phoenix Mountain is the territory of the red-gold heavenly phoenixes. Hundreds of red-gold heavenly phoenixes live there. What exactly happened that made it difficult for them to resist? ¡°I have to go to Godly Phoenix Mountain as soon as possible,¡± said Chu Liuyue. ¡°Master, what about the Flying Star Sect¡­¡± Xiao Ba spoke hesitantly. There was a problem with these two places at the same time, but it was obvious that she could only choose one place to go first. Chu Liuyue frowned. At this moment, Rong Xiu¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯ll personally lead people to the Flying Star Sect.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Rong Xiu walking over. ¡°You¡¯re going personally?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°The Flying Star Sect is a first-rate family. To be able to force them to this point, the problem is definitely not simple. I¡¯ve already passed down the order. The Sky-Cloud Empire will also transfer some people over.¡± Chu Liuyue felt a little more at ease and handed the black feather over. ¡°This is the only clue left behind by the Flying Star Sect elder who came to ask for help.¡± Rong Xiu put away the black feather and looked at Miao Zhen. He cupped his hands with a serious expression. ¡°Rong Xiu has a presumptuous request. I hope Senior Miao Zhen can agree.¡± However, Miao Zhen seemed to have guessed what he was going to say. ¡°You want me to go to Godly Phoenix Mountain with them?¡± Rong Xiu nodded his head. ¡°I know this is a little difficult for you, but¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go even if you don¡¯t tell me.¡± Miao Zhen let out a long sigh, his brows furrowed. Although the relationship between the two ancient legendary fiend clans was usually subtle, when it came to a critical moment, one party would definitely not let the other party down. Only then did Rong Xiu feel more at ease. He walked over and hugged Chu Liuyue, then kissed her forehead. ¡°Be careful,¡± Chu Liuyue looked up at him and nodded slightly. ¡°You too.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest quickly rushed to Godly Phoenix Mountain. After a period of rushing, they finally arrived at the sea. Standing on the coast and looking at the sea in the distance, one could vaguely see rolling mountains. But when she came, Chu Liuyue inexplicably felt that something had changed. ¡°The defenses here have completely disappeared.¡± Just as she was deep in thought, Miao Zhen¡¯s words instantly woke her up. Exactly! From this sea area, all the areas that spread to Godly Phoenix Mountain are actually under the jurisdiction of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. When we came in the past, even if we stood here, we would feel a powerful divine pressure. But now, there is nothing! Miao Zhen said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t restrain my aura. Logically speaking, Godly Phoenix Mountain will definitely sense it, and someone will immediately come out to stop me. But now¡ª¡± There was dead silence! Between heaven and earth, only the wind blew across the sea, and the sound of waves hitting the reefs kept echoing. Chu Liuyue felt even more uneasy. ¡°Tuan Zi, let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡± Tuan Zi nodded with red eyes and waved her hand! Above the sea, a reddish-gold ice bridge quickly condensed! Crossing the ice bridge, they quickly arrived in front of Godly Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier. At this point, as the patriarch of the great phoenix dragon, Miao Zhen still didn¡¯t feel any obstruction! This was enough to illustrate the problem. Ever since these two legendary fiend races were born in ancient times, such a situation had never happened! Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t care less. She rushed forward and was about to open the barrier. However, the translucent barrier seemed to have frozen, and there was no movement! Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How can this be?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank as well. Because of her pure bloodline, it had always been easy for Tuan Zi to control this barrier. If she wanted to go through it, she could do it. This was the first time there was no reaction. She walked forward and covered the barrier with her hand¡ªit was cold to the touch! Soon, a layer of silver frost quickly condensed under her palm! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately retracted her hand. However, there were already palm-sized traces of frost on the barrier. Looking at the layer of frost, Chu Liuyue¡¯s temples suddenly twitched. What is¡ª Bam! Before she could think clearly, Tuan Zi had already kicked the barrier! Chapter 2184 - 2184 Protecting the Family! 2184 Protecting the Family! Bam! There was a muffled sound, but apart from a lot of rapidly condensing frost on the barrier, there were no cracks. This barrier was extremely strong, and even Tuan Zi¡¯s full-power attack couldn¡¯t open it. Chu Liuyue looked at Miao Zhen. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, do you have a way?¡± Miao Zhen shook his head. ¡°The bloodline power of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race is condensed in this barrier. Once I attack, it will only make the situation even more troublesome.¡± After all, he was the patriarch of the great phoenix dragon clan. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hands. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s probably very difficult to open this barrier.¡± At this moment, a reddish-gold stream of light suddenly flew out from between Tuan Zi¡¯s eyebrows. It was a long feather. ¡°Ancestral Golden Feather?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Tuan Zi, why did you summon it?¡± Under normal circumstances, the Ancestral Golden Feather would only appear when Tuan Zi opened her meridians. One couldn¡¯t blame Chu Liuyue for being too nervous. It was just that the previous incident had left too deep an impression on her. Every time she thought of Tuan Zi¡¯s hands being bound by chains and covered in blood, her heart would tremble. Tuan Zi shook her head in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s not me¡­¡± The Ancestral Golden Feather slowly floated forward and landed lightly on the barrier. In an instant, a shocking vast pressure spread out! The frozen barrier instantly melted, and an entrance quickly appeared in front of them! It was the Ancestral Golden Feather that flew out and opened this barrier! Then, the Ancestral Golden Feather flew into the barrier, and Tuan Zi immediately followed! Chu Liuyue and the rest followed closely behind and entered Godly Phoenix Mountain. ¡­ As soon as they entered, a rich bloody smell wafted over from the air. Chu Liuyue knew that something was wrong and immediately looked up. What she saw shocked her. As far as the eye could see, the mountain peaks and the forest had collapsed. There were messy bloodstains everywhere. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened as she looked at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi bit her lips tightly and went straight to Godly Phoenix Hall. ¡­ An endless pit appeared in the square in front of Godly Phoenix Hall. Rocks rolled down, and dust scattered in all directions. The thick smell of blood wafted out from here. The dark-red and dried blood highlighted everything that had happened here. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Tuan Zi suddenly choked and shouted as she pounced toward a pile of rocks. She lifted the stones and dug out a reddish-gold feather stained with blood from the bottom. Her face and hands were stained with dust and blood, but at this moment, she couldn¡¯t care less about herself. She only held the feather and kept crying. Chu Liuyue quickly rushed over. ¡°Tuan Zi.¡± She hugged Tuan Zi and looked at the feather again. The aura on it indeed belongs to Yi Zhao! Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Yi Zhao is the patriarch of the red-gold heavenly phoenixes. He is extremely powerful, and there aren¡¯t many people in the entire God Residence Realm who are his match. Who injured him and destroyed this place to such an extent?! She took a few steps forward to the edge of the deep pit and looked down. A familiar sinister aura surged up from below! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly seemed to be tightly gripped by something! This aura¡­ It is clearly identical to the hand under Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s Million Wine Mountain and the eye in the Red Moon Desert! An extremely ridiculous guess surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Perhaps there is also a portion of that person¡¯s incomplete Holy Body hidden here?! She held her breath. Who could¡¯ve imagined that such a shocking secret is actually buried under the square in front of Godly Phoenix Hall?! She suddenly turned around and looked at Godly Phoenix Hall. Fortunately, there was a barrier around Godly Phoenix Hall, and it didn¡¯t seem to be damaged at all. It was grand, imposing, and dignified as usual. Chu Liuyue carried Tuan Zi and turned to leave. Miao Zhen hurriedly asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, where are you going?¡± Chu Liuyue calmly said, ¡°Phoenix Valley.¡± ¡­ Phoenix Valley wasn¡¯t far from Godly Phoenix Hall. They quickly arrived. A huge barrier completely enveloped it. Within it, one could vaguely see spherical balls of light. Chu Liuyue was very familiar with this place. When the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s clansmen rested here, they would enter their own light orbs. It was the same when she and Tuan Zi came here for the first time. But at that time, there weren¡¯t so many balls of light. Now, there were at least a hundred of them. Tuan Zi looked at the scene before her in a daze. By this time, her tears had almost all fallen. ¡°Are the remaining members of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race here?¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. Tuan Zi clenched the two feathers in her hand. One was the Ancestral Golden Feather, and the other was Yi Zhao¡¯s feather. Upon hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, Tuan Zi turned to look at her. ¡°A¡¯Yue, they seem to be asleep.¡± ¡°Asleep?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re asleep.¡± Tuan Zi rubbed the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. Her voice was still choked, but it could be heard that she was suppressing herself. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa made them sleep.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella moved slightly as she looked at the huge barrier that enveloped the entire Phoenix Valley. ¡°In that case, this barrier¡­ was also left behind by Senior Yi Zhao?¡± Tuan Zi nodded vigorously and said, ¡°Grandpas also seemed to have helped.¡± There were also the auras of the others mixed in. Chu Liuyue was even more certain of her guess. It seems that something has happened to Godly Phoenix Mountain. Yi Zhao tried his best to protect Godly Phoenix Hall and Phoenix Valley, but he disappeared with the thing buried under the square. Chu Liuyue was sure that Yi Zhao was still alive. This was because if Yi Zhao died, Tuan Zi would automatically inherit the position of clan leader. Godly Phoenix Hall would definitely sense it, but this hadn¡¯t happened yet. However, it was probably extremely difficult to find Yi Zhao now. ¡°The barrier outside Godly Phoenix Mountain should¡¯ve been personally frozen by Senior Yi Zhao.¡± This was the only way to protect the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. ¡°Tuan Zi, can you sense where Senior Yi Zhao is now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Tuan Zi shook her head and suddenly seemed to have thought of something. Then, she looked up hesitantly. At this moment, the sky gradually darkened. A silver bridge gradually appeared where the world met. It spread upward bit by bit, clearly extending a little longer than yesterday. Tuan Zi stared at the bridge intently, and the feeling became stronger. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa¡­ is there!¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. Could it be that Yi Zhao is also in the Fantasy Divine Palace?! ¡­ On the other side, Rong Xiu brought Yu Mo and the others to the Flying Star Sect. Before they arrived, they saw a ball of fire soaring into the sky from afar. The fire that filled the sky almost swallowed everything! Chapter 2185 - 2185 A Warning 2185 A Warning The Flying Star Sect was a first-rate family in the God Residence Realm. It had been passed down for thousands of years and had a deep foundation, But at this moment, the crazily burning sea of fire swallowed everything easily. Rong Xiu frowned slightly. At this moment, a team of soldiers in black armor flew over from the direction of the sea of fire. Their collars were engraved with the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem. These people were Rong Xiu¡¯s Black Knights! ¡°Greetings, Your Highness!¡± Hundreds of soldiers bowed in unison. Rong Xiu asked, ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°Reporting to Your Highness, we rushed over immediately after receiving your order, but we were still a step too late. When we arrived here, the fire had already started. Most of the entire Flying Star Sect have died, and only the last 157 people are left. They barely survived. Now, they have all been settled by me 50 kilometers southwest.¡± ¡°How are the head of the Shi family and Shi Rui¡¯er?¡± ¡°The head of the Shi family has already died in order to protect his clansmen. The second daughter of the Shi family is fine now. She¡¯s just in a sad mood and refuses to speak.¡± Anyone who suddenly encountered such a thing would find it difficult to accept. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go over and take a look. You don¡¯t have to follow me.¡± Although the soldiers found it strange, they had always respected Rong Xiu¡¯s orders and didn¡¯t ask or dissuade him. They immediately agreed respectfully and waited on the spot. Although it was dangerous over there, His Highness¡¯s strength was unfathomable, so there was no need for them to worry. Rong Xiu moved and quickly arrived above the burning fire. The houses had been swallowed by the sea of fire, leaving only a blurry outline. The high temperature caused the surrounding air temperature to rise a lot. Even a river not far away was almost dry. Every inch of space was under a terrifying grilling and was almost distorted. Rong Xiu looked down. Amidst the endless flames, a huge mirror slowly appeared. The flames danced crazily at the edge, but they seemed to be deeply afraid and didn¡¯t dare to approach the mirror at all. Soon, a figure was reflected in the mirror¡ªit was a face identical to Rong Xiu¡¯s. That person was dressed in a black robe and had a deep gaze. Arrogant, cold, and noble! ¡­ ¡°Family Head, can you sit down and rest for a while?¡± An old voice came from behind. Shi Rui¡¯er shook her head and didn¡¯t speak. She continued to look into the distance. They were hundreds of miles away, but they could still see the soaring flames. It was obvious how bad the situation there had become. And they had just escaped from that hellish place. It used to be her home. Her father had already died, and she had been ordered to officially inherit the position of family head. Ever since she was young, she had been nurtured as the next family head. However, she didn¡¯t expect to be in this position under such circumstances. Her eyes were red, but not a single tear fell. The fire had completely evaporated her tears. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to cry now. She was just relying on her last bit of willpower to stand. The old man standing behind her felt his heart ache. After thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t help but persuade, ¡°Family Head, you¡¯ve already tried your best. If you hadn¡¯t sent that distress message, the people from the Sky-Cloud Empire wouldn¡¯t have come. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯d¡­¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was stunned. Actually, she didn¡¯t have much hope at that time. After all, everything had happened too suddenly. At that time, the only thing she could think of was to ask Peach Blossom Dock for help. Fortunately, the Sky-Cloud Empire came in time. Otherwise, their entire Flying Star Sect might not be able to survive. At this moment, a tall figure was rapidly approaching from afar. It was Rong Xiu! Behind him were several black-armored soldiers from the Sky-Cloud Empire. The people behind Shi Rui¡¯er stood up when they saw this. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er took a step forward and bowed solemnly, her voice choked. ¡°Thank you for saving us, Your Grace.¡± Rong Xiu said, ¡°Now that the Flying Star Sect has been destroyed, you can¡¯t go back. Later, they¡¯ll escort you all the way back to Peach Blossom Dock. For the next period of time, stay there first. You¡¯re Yue¡¯er¡¯s friend. If she wants to save you, I¡¯ll help.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er took a deep breath. ¡°The Flying Star Sect is unable to repay the kindness of the two of you.¡± Rong Xiu nodded and turned to leave. ¡°Your Grace, you¡¯re not going back to Peach Blossom Dock with us?¡± Rong Xiu didn¡¯t stop walking. ¡°I have something on and need to go back to the Sky-Cloud Empire to settle it. I won¡¯t be going back for the time being.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was stunned for a moment before nodding. With such a thing suddenly happening to the Flying Star Sect, Rong Xiu was probably a little worried about the Sky-Cloud Empire. It was normal for him to go back. Before she could say anything else, Rong Xiu had already left with Yu Mo. Looking at the figure that quickly disappeared into the distance, Shi Rui¡¯er felt inexplicably uneasy. At this moment, the bridge in the sky had already quietly appeared. Shi Rui¡¯er slowly clenched her fists. ¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain. After confirming that most of the clansmen had only fallen into a deep sleep, Tuan Zi¡¯s heart finally calmed down a little. However, how to find Yi Zhao was a huge problem. ¡°I wonder how Elder Yi Yu and the others are doing now.¡± At the thought of this, Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, are they still at Godly Phoenix Mountain?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Tuan Zi nodded and pointed at Godly Phoenix Hall. ¡°Grandpa Yi Yu and the others seem to be inside, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Tuan Zi bit her hand and said with uncertainty, ¡°I think there¡¯s one less person.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Who is missing?¡± ¡°First Elder.¡± Yi Gong! Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. Yi Gong was already at odds with Tuan Zi. After Tuan Zi became the young mistress, Yi Gong was even more affected and rarely came out. Why did he suddenly disappear now? ¡­ In the dark and cramped cage, Lan Xiao was leaning against the wall with his legs crossed. His expression was still casual. ¡°I say, it¡¯s really meaningless for you to do this. Everyone had already discussed it and even signed the contract. How can you tear it up unilaterally? You even locked up me and the others? Don¡¯t tell me you really think that we¡¯ll really obey you after we¡¯re locked up?¡± He scoffed and rolled over. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, and the sea has turned into mulberry fields, but you still haven¡¯t given up? How childish. Let me give you a piece of advice. I¡¯m very hot-tempered; I¡¯m not someone you can control. You¡¯d better let me out before I flare up!¡± The low, hoarse voice finally sounded. ¡°You broke the contract by forging your Holy Body privately. If you really want someone to be punished, you should be the ones punished first!¡± Lan Xiao chuckled and sat up. He smiled evilly. ¡°Not only did I forge my Holy Body, but that heavenly lightning was also sent by Yue¡¯er. What, are you envious?¡± ¡°Let me remind you, what she sent over is golden heavenly lightning!¡± Chapter 2186 - 2186 Waiting for Her 2186 Waiting for Her Slap! A long black whip suddenly flew up and harshly struck Lan Xiao¡¯s face! Bright-red bloodstains rapidly appeared on the handsome and intricate face, looking especially frightening. Lan Xiao stretched out his hand and used his thumb to wipe his face. When he saw the bloodstains, he softly cursed, ¡°To hell with you! Do you know how precious my face is!?¡± I have waited a total of more than 10,000 years for this face! ¡°If you stubbornly resist me and continue struggling¡­ Don¡¯t mention your face, even your holy body won¡¯t be saved!¡± Lan Xiao sneered. ¡°Okay! Why don¡¯t you just kill me now? Considering our relations in the past, you can give me a quick death, and perhaps I¡¯ll be very grateful for you. When you reach the netherworld next time, perhaps I can give you some convenience?¡± ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t dirty my road to the netherworld. Disgusting.¡± Then, Lan Xiao lay down again and supported his head with his hands, looking like he was waiting for death. However, that voice disappeared and ignored him. After a long while, Lan Xiao snorted lightly. Of course, he doesn¡¯t dare to kill me, or any one of us. However, such days are really unbearable. The force in his palm sparkled, and he quickly brushed his hand past his face. The wound healed rapidly. He had a holy body, so it was naturally faster and more convenient to handle this. ¡°I still remember this wound!¡± He grinded his teeth and closed his eyes. ¡­ Godly Phoenix Mountain. Chu Liuyue was thinking about Yi Zhao when she suddenly heard Zi Chen¡¯s low and cold voice. ¡°Master, look there.¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue looked toward the direction he pointed in. The sky was dark. There was a bridge by the skies that kept extending upward. When the bridge entered the clouds, a few rays of silver light flashed across. Then, increasingly more rays of light intertwined within the clouds. They gathered together and slowly formed a large outline. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Chu Liuyue squinted slightly. Upon closer look, her eyes narrowed. It quietly floated in midair in a solemn, strong, and unreachable manner! ¡°That¡¯s Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate?¡± Zi Chen suddenly realized something and boomed. Chu Liuyue remained silent. That was because there were more rays of light behind that door, intersecting and outlining a magnificent city lake. Behind the clouds, the rumored Fantasy Divine Palace faintly appeared! ¡°It seems like the Heaven Gate is really about to be activated. With this commotion, I wonder how many cultivators in the God Residence Realm will pursue this.¡± Miao Zhen frowned. This was a huge temptation to all cultivators. Even if they knew that it was dangerous, they would still go forth without hesitation. ¡°What do you plan to do next?¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue hugged Tuan Zi in her arms tightly and said carefully, ¡°To Fantasy Divine Palace!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest left Godly Phoenix Mountain. Luckily, with the Ancestral Golden Feather in Tuan Zi¡¯s hands, they could freely enter and leave conveniently. After they left, the barrier continued freezing. In such a situation, this was undoubtedly the best choice. Everything that happened at Godly Phoenix Mountain caused Miao Zhen to be worried about Godly Dragon Island. Thus, he did not follow Chu Liuyue back to Peach Blossom Dock and instead returned to Godly Dragon Island. Chu Liuyue went on hurriedly. On the way, she had already seen quite a few cultivators heading for the bridge by the sky. The entire God Residence Realm seemed to be faintly restless. ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to Peach Blossom Dock at the highest speed. When she returned to the city, she coincidentally met Shi Rui¡¯er and the rest. ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue, the tears Shi Rui¡¯er held back welled up again. However, she still forcefully held it in, her pair of eyes still filled with sorrow. When Chu Liuyue saw their disheveled appearances, she guessed a thing or two and immediately went forward. ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡± The black guards bowed respectfully. Chu Liuyue nodded and gestured for them to get up. She then surveyed her surroundings and realized that Rong Xiu was not around. ¡°Where¡¯s His Grace?¡± she asked. The soldier at the front immediately answered, ¡°Princess Consort, His Grace has something urgent to attend to and returned to the Sky-Cloud Empire first.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. ¡°Then, did he say when he would return?¡± ¡°His Highness said he needed some time, but he did not state the specific date of his return.¡± Chu Liuyue found it rather strange. Rong Xiu returned in such a rush. Did something really happen in the Sky-Cloud Empire? But seeing that the entire God Residence Realm is about to descend into chaos, the Sky-Cloud Empire won¡¯t be an exception. She retracted her thoughts and looked at Shi Rui¡¯er. ¡°Rui¡¯er, follow me.¡± ¡­ The remaining people from the Flying Star Sect were arranged appropriately. The hundreds of black guards from the Sky-Cloud Empire were also left in Yue Manor to guard the area. Chu Liuyue followed Shi Rui¡¯er back and asked in detail. However, it was a pity that Shi Rui¡¯er didn¡¯t know what was going on either. ¡°¡­I was cultivating at that point when I suddenly heard fighting outside. I found it strange and wanted to go out, yet I saw the people from the Flying Star Sect attacking each other.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many people in the Flying Star Sect, and we¡¯re on decently good terms without any grudges. Hence, after I saw it, I felt that something was amiss. But before I could question them clearly, the ancestral hall suddenly burned.¡± ¡°The fire spread very quickly, and the entire Flying Star Sect was either dead or severely injured. We could only escape with the help of the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s black guards. If not..¡± Recalling whatever happened previously, Shi Rui¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but be overwhelmed by the sorrow, and her eyes were filled with misery. Chu Liuyue patted her hands lightly, knowing that others couldn¡¯t comfort such sorrows. She then thought for a moment, knitted her browsm and asked, ¡°I think we can¡¯t find out anything from those few people, but why did the fire burn in the ancestral hall?¡± Shi Rui¡¯er shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. When I rushed over, the fire had already swallowed the entire ancestral hall. I only faintly saw that the fire seemed to emerge from below the hall¡­¡± ¡°Below?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s nerves suddenly became tense. Shi Rui¡¯er nodded. Seeing her friend¡¯s reaction, she could not help but be dazed. ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s a big problem.¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. This situation is extremely similar to Godly Phoenix Mountain¡­ She thought for a while before saying, ¡°I plan to go to Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Shi Rui¡¯er was shocked. ¡°Now?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and looked toward the sky. The sky was now bright. However, the bridge in the sky didn¡¯t disappear like it did last time! The city lake was hidden, but the door still floated in midair brightly! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°The door to Fantasy Divine Palace is about to be activated.¡± It was waiting for her. Chapter 2187 - 2187 Arrived 2187 Arrived Chu Liuyue called Cen Yi over, and they talked about heading to Fantasy Divine Palace. ¡°I will definitely follow you, Master.¡± Cen Yi did not seem shocked about Chu Liuyue¡¯s decision. Perhaps one could say that he had already made preparations from the moment the row of words sparkled in the sky. ¡°There can¡¯t be nobody in Peach Blossom Dock. You should stay¡ª¡± When Chu Liuyue spoke halfway, she saw Cen Yi¡¯s expression and swallowed her remaining words. ¡°¡­Forget it. Follow me then.¡± ¡°Okay. Amongst the Thirteen Yue Guards, who else do you want to bring along, Master?¡± Chu Liuyue thought seriously for a moment. ¡°San San is in charge of Peach Blossom Dock, while Wu Yao and Yu Jiu have to take care of the barrier. Thirteen is too young and should stay as well. Oh right, there¡¯s still Shi Fang. Let him stay and plant in Yue Manor.¡± In this way, only Hua Shuangshuang and Xiao Ba would follow them. ¡°Tang Ke and Mr. Su have special identities, so I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be convenient. It¡¯s better to invite Ancestor along.¡± There were quite a few strong warriors in Peach Blossom Dock, but this journey was dangerous with many uncertainties. Chu Liuyue had to be very careful. After all, judging from the Flying Star Sect and Godly Phoenix Mountain¡¯s situations, they had to leave enough combat power at Peach Blossom Dock just in case. Cen Yi looked down slightly, and a dark glint flashed across his narrow eyes. Then, he looked up and asked, ¡°Master, do you want to bring Qiang Wanzhou along?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Little Zhou?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Although he¡¯s only a true god now, he¡¯s quite capable and has a lot of potential. Perhaps this will be a rare opportunity for him.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°That makes sense. Then, let¡¯s have Little Zhou come along.¡± She had witnessed Little Zhou¡¯s combat skills, and he had followed her for quite some time. Many times, she didn¡¯t need to speak, and he naturally knew what to do. ¡°But Cen Yi, when did you become so close to Little Zhou?¡± Chu Liuyue sized Cen Yi up rather strangely. According to her understanding of Cen Yi¡­ Other than the Thirteen Yue Guards, he did not have much interest in anything else. Now, he actually took the initiative to talk about Little Zhou¡­ It was rather rare. The corner of Cen Yi¡¯s lips moved, and he smiled faintly. ¡°He¡¯s your person. If you trust him, so do I.¡± As long as it would be more convenient for his master to do matters, nothing else mattered. This was the reply Cen Yi always gave. Chu Liuyue retracted those messy thoughts. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s settle it like this then. Go and inform them. I¡¯ll find Ancestor. We¡¯ll set off at night.¡± ¡°Yue¡¯er! I want to go too!¡± Shi Rui¡¯er suddenly stood up. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re injured, and you should rest properly. Besides, your current identity is different. The entire Flying Star Sect depends on you.¡± She pressed her lips against each other tightly. After some time, she said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you. If you need anything, I and the entire Flying Star Sect would definitely help you!¡± Chu Liuyue lightly patted her shoulders before turning around to leave. ¡­ Night quickly fell. That silver bridge was especially bright and sparkly in the night sky. As expected, the outline of the city lake appeared again, and it was even clearer than the day before. Before she left, Chu Liuyue came to the barrier. Today, Yu Jiu was in charge of guarding it. He already knew that Chu Liuyue and the rest were planning on going to Fantasy Divine Palace, so he found it weird that she appeared here at this point. ¡°Master? Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I was just worried that there would be some problems with the barrier, so I came to take a look.¡± Yu Jiu hugged the wooden sword, smiled, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This place has been very safe recently. Although we can¡¯t pass through it, it¡¯s much better than the intense state previously.¡± Chu Liuyue walked to the barrier and looked at it calmly. The door glowed brightly. She stood there quietly, as if she were waiting for something¡ªshe was waiting for the scene that day to appear again. However, she stood there for a long time, yet the expected scene did not appear. The mirror didn¡¯t appear in the light curtain, and it did not reflect her figure. ¡°Master?¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue stand there for quite some time without a reaction, Yu Jiu called out to her. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses and felt slight regret. I probably can¡¯t see it today¡­ She lightly exhaled and turned around to leave. ¡°Guard it properly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ The night wind was cold. Below the sky filled with stars, Chu Liuyue and the rest rushed toward the bridge. Chu Liuyue originally wanted to go with Rong Xiu, but he returned to the Sky-Cloud Empire, and she didn¡¯t know when he would come back. Hence, she got Yan Qing to inform him and brought them over first. In actual fact, the same scene had happened in the entire God Residence Realm. Countless cultivators held all sorts of desires and went toward the rumored Fantasy Divine Palace! ¡­ There were no stars or moon in the tremendous sky. Only the gigantic city lake that slowly revealed its appearance attracted everyone¡¯s gazes. It seemed to have existed since ancient times, and it was elegant and peerless. That bridge was the only touchable existence in the world. Everyone looked forward to whether they could ascend the skies when the Heaven Gate was activated. ¡­ That bridge was very far away from them. Even when Chu Liuyue and the rest moved at full speed, they took half a month to finally reach it. From afar, it was all sea. The silver bridge grew from the oceans and extended toward the sky, connecting to the magnificent city lake. It shone and glowed brightly! Chapter 2188 - 2188 Ocean 2188 Ocean At this point, countless cultivators had already gathered on the shore. They looked over in unison and couldn¡¯t conceal the enthusiasm and passion in their eyes. Chu Liuyue and the rest¡¯s arrival caused an uproar amongst the crowd. ¡°That person from Peach Blossom Dock came!¡± ¡°I heard that Senior Tang Ke and Mr. Su produced close to a hundred supreme Yuan instruments, and they were all given to Peach Blossom Dock as gifts a while back! I wonder what kind of scene that was.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of Shangguan Yue¡¯s name. I didn¡¯t expect to meet her here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate is about to open, and countless cultivators have rushed over, wanting to go in. She¡¯s naturally not an exception.¡± ¡°However, wasn¡¯t that person from the Sky-Cloud Empire always with her? How come I don¡¯t see him this time?¡± ¡°She only brought so few people along. It seems like Shangguan Yue is very confident in herself! However, I don¡¯t think anyone can enter that Fantasy Divine Palace¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. During this period of time, Chu Liuyue could be considered to be in the limelight in the God Residence Realm. Hence, the crowd couldn¡¯t help but be curious about her and want to find out more. Chu Liuyue completely disregarded the surrounding gazes and voices She looked forward. The dark-blue water overturned as waves kept hitting the rocks, causing splashes. Different from other oceans, the ocean here had rich force. Even just by standing on the shore, they could feel the unignorable suppression. Other than the silver bridge, there was nothing above the sea. ¡°There are no living things here at all,¡± boomed Shangguan Jing with knitted brows. Other than them, this place seemed excessively quiet, and only the sound of the waves continuously crashing echoed in their ears. Chu Liuyue stared at the mysterious ocean and lightly said, ¡°The force in the ocean is too rich, so no living things can go near it.¡± ¡°Master, what kind of logic is that?¡± Xiao Ba blinked and leaned over curiously. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be very beneficial for cultivators if there is rich force?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°That is normally the case, but the condition is that your body has to be able to tolerate the infiltration of the force. Once you can¡¯t control it, it will only spell doom.¡± The palace in the Red Moon Desert previously had such a problem. ¡°I see!¡± Xiao Ba nodded with understanding and held her chin. ¡°However, this place is indeed strange. There¡¯s so much Heaven and Earth Force, but it doesn¡¯t spread outside and only fills this area. It seems¡­ as if there¡¯s an invisible barrier locking everything here.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the silver bridge with deep thoughts. Dong¡ª The distant ringing reverberated throughout the area! Everyone was taken aback! ¡°The Heaven Gate is about to be activated!¡± someone from the crowd yelled, and it was not hard to hear the excitement and emotions suppressed in the voice. ¡°We have to pass that bridge to go over, right?¡± ¡°We have to cross the ocean first to reach the bridge.¡± ¡°This ocean is rather weird. Will it be quite dangerous?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s dangerous, you just have to be more careful. You can¡¯t be so worried that you keep watching and do nothing, right?¡± Even if they knew that the road was dangerous, it could not kill their desire to go forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± An elder in black stroked his beard and walked out first. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. She did not know the elder, but judging from his aura, he should be a legendary warrior without a doubt. At this point, a legendary warrior would indeed be more confident. The crowd all looked over. That elder in black came to the shore, waved his palm, and set up a red barrier around him. Then, he went on his toes and rapidly went toward the silver bridge in the center! Everywhere he passed, ripples on the ocean surface spread. Then, the crowd saw that the elder clearly slowed down! The rich Heaven and Earth Force was like mud that slowed his steps! The elder in black was stunned and felt as if his body was pressed down by a huge mountain, so heavy that he almost could not breathe He quickly circulated the force in his body,forcefully stopping himself from falling. But even so, he was still much slower. Only half the journey had passed, and his bodily force was used up at a stunning rate. When he finally arrived before the silver bridge, his forehead was filled with sweat. He stepped onto the silver bridge before he felt the heavy suppression instantly being reduced. ¡°Phew¡ª¡± He sighed heavily and took a while to recover. When he looked back, he felt lingering fear. If he were any later, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take it and would directly land in the ocean. He looked at the crowd on the shore and said with lingering fears, ¡°I¡¯m afraid only legendary warriors can forcefully pass through this ocean. Those below legendary warriors should just give up!¡± ¡­ Once he said that, the crowd exchanged glances. There were indeed many legendary warriors that came here, but there were quite a few true gods as well. With this sentence asking the true gods here to choose to give up, how could they be convinced? ¡°He¡¯s saying this¡­ to lie to us, right? It¡¯s just flying across the ocean. How can it be such an exaggeration?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This distance is not too far. Why must it only be legendary warriors who can pass it? We shouldn¡¯t listen to others.¡± ¡°But he doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s lying¡­¡± ¡°No matter what, don¡¯t easily believe anyone at this point, okay?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions in no time. Instead of saying that they didn¡¯t believe that elder in black, they just felt indignant to give up like this. They finally came here with much difficulty. How could they just leave with this sentence? The elder in black saw the crowd¡¯s reactions, felt stifled, and harshly whipped his sleeves. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say. Believe me if you want! If you court death and something happens, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you!¡± Many people hesitated for quite some time before they chose to go forward! ¡°If we go over together, perhaps we can support each other and successfully pass through!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯ll just follow behind them¡ª¡± After a moment, Chu Liuyue saw three people holding hands and going forward. Out of the three, there was one legendary warrior and two true gods. They looked very young. It was no wonder they were so ambitious. The trio walked forward tentatively, but they quickly noticed the severity of the matter. The layers of heavy suppression came from all directions and almost crushed them! Their bodily force was used up crazily. Even so, it was still very hard for them to move. When they finished one-third of the journey, one of them couldn¡¯t persist and dropped into the ocean. Bam! Chapter 2189 - 2189 Excuse Me 2189 Excuse Me That person dropped into the water, and his figure instantly disappeared. The two people above looked down and planned on trying to retrieve that person, but they suddenly widened their eyes in shock. The person that just fell in actually had his physical body crushed and grinded by the shocking force inside the ocean! The speck of blood color slowly spread across, and the intense bloody scent rushed up their noses. The remaining bloody aura attacked their noses, and the remaining crushed muscles floated to the surface before they were quickly drowned by the waves. Everything happened in the blink of an eye! From start to end, that person couldn¡¯t even call for help before he completely drowned and died. Seeing this scene, everyone felt a chill down their spines. ¡°T-this sea¡­¡± Plop! Another person could not help but fall down! In this case, the group of three was left with the only legendary warrior in the blink of an eye! However, his current situation was also not optimistic. The two people at the side dropped down one after another and directly died before him, causing a huge impact to him. He was dazed for a moment. He took a deep breath in and was choked by the intense bloody scent. This caused him to finally recover his senses, and he rapidly left without thinking! He crazily ran toward that silver bridge. His bodily force burned crazily, his face turning pale as his body hurt intensely. However, he couldn¡¯t care much at this point as he tried his best to rush forward! Finally, before his force was exhausted, he finally reached that silver bridge! The moment his feet landed, his entire body turned soft as he staggered and almost fell to the ground. The elder in black that first arrived saw this, knitted his brows, and coldly snorted. ¡°Now, do you still not believe me?¡± Everyone fell silent. They had all seen the miserable situation previously. It was already very difficult for a legendary warrior to go over themselves, let alone bring other people along. But in this situation, many of them had to stop their journey here. ¡°The Heaven Gate is about to be activated, and everyone wants to go to Fantasy Divine Palace. How could it be that easy? The strong are respected. Without sufficient skills, forcing your way through would just be courting death!¡± The elder in black¡¯s words were like a bowl of cold water that splashed on the crowd¡¯s heads. Although the words were harsh, they were the truth. These two true gods were considered to be capable, but what happened to them in the end? Both of them fell into the water and were thoroughly eliminated¡ªeven their corpses were not left behind! ¡°Could it be that only legendary warriors can enter that Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± someone softly muttered, his voice was filled with disappointment and hopelessness. Shangguan Jing gazed at Chu Liuyue and asked hesitantly, ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, what do you think we should do in this situation?¡± A total of six of them came here. He, Chu Liuyue, and Cen Yi were legendary warriors, but the remaining three were only true gods. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°We¡¯ll go together.¡± ¡°Together?¡± Shangguan Jing knitted his brows. She saw the previous situation clearly, and it is impossible for her not to know how dangerous it is. Yet, she wants to insist¡ª ¡°Yue¡¯er Girlie, you should consider this again, right? The journey is treacherous. If we forcefully go forward, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± ¡°Ancestor, don¡¯t be worried. I know what I¡¯m doing. I won¡¯t gamble with Shuangshuang and the others¡¯ lives.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was light but with a determined tone. Quite a few people in the surroundings heard their conversation, and they all turned around to look. They gazed at Chu Liuyue as though they were looking at a stubborn maniac. ¡°What did Shangguan Yue say just now? All of them go together? Is she out of her mind?Half of them are true gods!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that she was very gutsy. Now that I see her today, she does live up to her reputation¡­ Where did she get the confidence from?¡± ¡°Hah, I want to see how she will bring the few of them over safely!¡± Quite a few people wanted to watch her become a laughingstock. Seeing Chu Liuyue persist, Shangguan Jing could only agree. ¡°Then¡­ be careful.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡­ She lightly went on her toes, and her thin figure jumped into the air, arriving at the ocean. The tremendous suppression came from all sides and wrapped around her! Almost at the same time, strong force surged out of the dantian in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, enriching every inch of her Yuan meridian! A brilliant armor covered her surroundings and sparkled. The forces outside and inside her body clashed with each other, and its impact was reduced by quite a bit. Additionally, as she summoned her own Holy Body, it greatly reduced the impact on her. With this series of actions, she almost easily settled the problem of the terrifying suppression in the surroundings. The only problem was that this used up a scary amount of force, but¡­ What a coincidence¡ªit was the thing she lacked least! Chu Liuyue continuously urged her force. To other people, this place might be dangerous. However, it didn¡¯t count for much to her. ¡°Shuangshuang!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and called out to the few people still standing on the shore. Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s reaction was very fast, and he instantly acknowledged it. Before his master¡¯s voice could trail off, his figure had already gone to Chu Liuyue! Like the previous few people, when he stepped onto the ocean, he became slower. At this point, a silver-red ray of light surged out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s surroundings and drew a brilliant light in the dark sky! ¡°God Realm?!¡± Seeing this, the two legendary warriors standing on the silver bridge could not help but gasp in shock. They exchanged glances and saw the deep shock in the other party¡¯s eyes. Others might not know, but the two of them knew the best. The suppression was heavy in the ocean, and it was already extremely hard to pass through, not to mention doing other things. Anyway, the two of them were restricted tightly, and they had no way to summon their own God Realm. However, it looked especially easy for Chu Liuyue! The silver-red God Realm spread like a lake as it arrived in front of Hua Shuangshuang in the blink of an eye. With this God Realm to cut through the obstacles, Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s movements became much more convenient. His figure moved and rapidly went forward with the God Realm! Chu Liuyue¡¯s God Realm almost cut through more than half of the ocean, and Hua Shuangshuang reached the silver bridge in no time. Finally, he jumped up and landed stably on the silver bridge! Everyone looked on with their mouths agape. T-this¡­ works? This works?! ¡°Xiao Ba!¡± called Chu Liuyue again. Xiao Ba pushed the loose strands of her hair behind her ear as she twisted her thin waist forward. As she walked, she waved to the person who was cracking wise at the side and smiled petitely. ¡°Previously, you said you wanted to see how my master does it, right? Then¡­ you have to see it clearly now! After all, you can only watch such a chance!¡± As she spoke, she flew up and went in Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s direction. Without using much effort, she came to Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s side. ¡°Aiya, this is so squeezy.¡± Xiao Ba covered her lips and laughed. ¡°Seniors, could I trouble you to move to the side? We still have quite a few people coming over.¡± Chapter 2190 - 2190 Shameless 2190 Shameless The corner of the eyes of the two legendary warriors that first came here twitched. Why do these words¡­ sound so enraging? Yet, Xiao Ba was pretty and smiled sweetly, and they couldn¡¯t show a bad attitude to a lady, so they could only walk to the side stiffly. ¡°Thank you, Seniors!¡± Xiao Ba smiled with deeper meaning and yawned. ¡°Sigh¡­ Second Brother, do you find it boring?¡± Hua Shuangshuang knew that Xiao Ba always bore grudges and must¡¯ve gotten angry because of those people¡¯s insults, so she purposely angered them. He lightly knocked Xiao Ba¡¯s forehead. ¡°You¡¯re just spoiled by Master.¡± Xiao Ba lightly snorted. Hua Shuangshuang then continued comforting her. ¡°Why don¡¯t we guess who else can come? Won¡¯t that be interesting?¡± Xiao Ba instantly perked up and nudged him with her elbow as she smiled relaxingly. ¡°Second Brother, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few years, but you didn¡¯t change at all!¡± Mm, he likes to watch shows like he used to. However¡­ I like it very much too! Look at those people¡¯s expressions¡ªhow amazing! Previously, they were all waiting to attack us if we were down. Now¡­ They are all taken aback and can¡¯t say a word, right? There aren¡¯t many chances to slap them in their faces, so we have to take the chance when it comes! Hua Shuangshuang seriously said, ¡°I was also worried if everyone could come. After all, it¡¯s not easy to come here, right? If they just watch people go over, it must be uncomfortable.¡± The two of them went on and on, and caused all of the spectators¡¯ faces to turn green. Yet, the truth was before them, and Chu Liuyue did send them over easily. They could not even rebut! Qiang Wanzhou quickly came over in the strange silence. Finally, it was Cen Yi and Shangguan Jing. After the few of them reached the silver bridge, Chu Liuyue moved her wrist and planned to put away her God Realm. At this point, a voice suddenly came from the crowd. ¡°Master Yue, please wait!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around to look. The person talking was a middle-aged man. ¡°Master Yue, I have a presumptuous request¡ª¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s presumptuous, you don¡¯t have to say it.¡± Chu Liuyue swiftly interrupted the other party and rapidly retracted her God Realm, before she moved and came to the silver bridge. The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± Chu Liuyue gazed at him strangely. ¡°Thank me sincerely? How sincere?¡± That man was stumped. Inside the God Residence Realm, who didn¡¯t know that Chu Liuyue had bountiful assets? A large group of legendary fiends, a bunch of supreme Yuan instruments, and tons of all sorts of precious herbs¡­ What did she lack? What could be good enough for her? Perhaps Chu Liuyue asked him this in front of so many people, so that man felt quite embarrassed. His expression became a little ugly. ¡°This is just a convenient matter for you, Master Yue. In this case, you still refuse to help?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment and chuckled. Xiao Ba blinked and curtly said, ¡°Master, so there¡¯s really such shameless people in the world? You¡¯re completely unrelated to them, yet they have the cheek to directly ask you for help? Tsk, he thinks so highly of himself, and the point is, he¡¯s so ugly.¡± This made the situation even uglier. That man¡¯s face instantly turned awkward. ¡°You!¡± Chapter 2191 - 2191 Sparkling Beam 2191 Sparkling Beam ¡°Not to mention that it¡¯s not a convenient matter for me¡­ Even if it is, it doesn¡¯t have much to do with you, right? Xiao Ba and the rest are my people, so I naturally have to bring them along. As for yourself¡­ If you¡¯re willing to commit to Peach Blossom Dock and call me ¡®Master,¡¯ I can consider this,¡± said Chu Liuyue slowly. This was undoubtedly a resounding smack that harshly hit that man¡¯s face. ¡°Shangguan Yue, don¡¯t be too overboard! If you don¡¯t wish to help, just directly say it! Why are you humiliating me?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°I thought that I had already made it very clear, but you didn¡¯t seem to understand, so I was even more direct.¡± At the end of the day, he sought this humiliation himself. Who could he blame? That man¡¯s expression changed, and he was furious. ¡°Okay! You¡¯re capable! Then, we¡¯ll wait for the Heaven Gate to activate to see if you can laugh till the end!¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze lazily. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. With this time and energy, you should think about how to come over.¡± This sentence finally caused that man to choke on his remaining words. The other people present looked at each other and exchanged glances secretly. Chu Liuyue clearly wouldn¡¯t help, so they had to think of another way. Actually, this was normal. Everyone came here and were competitors. It was great if they could take care of their own people. Who would be so free to care about others? Chu Liuyue could easily bring her few subordinates over because she had the ability. What right did others have to request for her help? After a temporary silence, the remaining people finally started trying to pass through the ocean and reach the silver bridge. It was fine for legendary warriors as they could basically survive, but none of the true gods could safely come over. Even though there seemed to be a small difference in cultivation realm, their abilities were worlds apart, and this gap was really hard to cross. After another seven true gods died in the ocean, the remaining ones gave up. In the end, only 23 warriors went up the bridge. The middle-aged man that wanted Chu Liuyue¡¯s help was also one of them, but the remaining few people that followed him were left on the shore. In addition to Chu Liuyue and the rest who previously arrived, there were a total of 31 people. Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s group of three was the only true gods out of these people. In this way, the three of them had a more special existence. But with Chu Liuyue and the others¡¯ protection, the remaining people did not show much of an expression. Xiao Ba leaned close to Chu Liuyue and softly said, ¡°Master, I think that person already hates us. Later on, he¡¯ll think of ways to put us in a spot.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have to care about him.¡± She was always sharp and naturally felt the other party¡¯s enmity. However, she did not care about this. If she was worried about this, she wouldn¡¯t have had that attitude earlier. She did not willingly cause trouble for herself, but she wasn¡¯t afraid of other people causing trouble for her. Xiao Ba stared at the silver bridge beneath her feet with a focused expression and tilted her head to look, but she could not tell much. ¡°Master, what¡¯s so nice about this bridge? Why did you keep looking at it ever since you came up?¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Look at the pattern on it.¡± ¡°Pattern?¡± Xiao Ba raised her sharp brows. She could only see that there were some ambiguous light spots on it, but not much of a pattern. Chu Liuyue lowered her body, stretched out her finger, and lightly tapped one of the light spots. Peng! A faint explosion sounded. That palm-sized light spot suddenly extended, and the light dispersed, forming a small Xuan formation in the blink of an eye! The pattern was complicated and lively. The most important thing was that this was a Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation! Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils dilated! She previously felt that this light spot was amiss, but she did not expect that such an unassuming spot would be a Xuan formation of such a standard. After a moment, that Xuan formation receded by itself¡ªthe light dispersed and recovered its blurry light-spot appearance. It seemed like it posed no threat. If they did not see it personally, nobody would believe whatever that just happened! ¡°It was¡­ a Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation just now?¡± Quite a few people noticed this area when Chu Liuyue moved, so they saw everything. Immediately, everyone was taken aback. Chu Liuyue stood up and looked over. They were currently standing at the bottommost area of the silver bridge, and when one went up, the countless light spots gathered and formed a strange bridge. The light spots glowed and dimmed, and there were countless of them! If they were all Xuan formations¡­. Chu Liuyue held her breath. Originally, she thought that the Flying Cloud Painting¡ªwhich contained thousands of Xuan formations¡ªwas already a very incredible existence. But compared to the silver bridge that extended from the water to the sky, it clearly paled in comparison. No, one could even say that it could not be compared at all! It was hard to imagine what kind of shocking scene it would be when these light spots bloomed and the Xuan formations circulated at the same time! ¡°No wonder this place has such shocking Heaven and Earth Force¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. The elder in black, who was the first to arrive, sighed deeply. ¡°So many Xuan formations gathered to form a bridge that connects to the sky. I really wonder what kind of existence the Fantasy Divine Palace at the end of the bridge is¡­¡± Actually, this was what the crowd thought. This bridge alone was already astonishing, and that mysterious Fantasy Divine Palace was even more¡ª Dong! Another ringing was heard! Someone couldn¡¯t hold themselves back and went forward. When one person started, the remaining people rapidly followed. The crowd continuously went up the bridge and went for the door in the skies. Chu Liuyue was about to go forward when she suddenly saw Qiang Wanzhou knit his brows at the side, as if he had a pained expression. ¡°Little Zhou, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Qiang Wanzhou looked over and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just¡­ a little dizzy.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°Is it serious?¡± It doesn¡¯t seem like it is the first time such a thing has happened. Recently, Qiang Wanzhou seemed to easily have headaches and dizziness. This has never happened before. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but be worried. Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Chu Liuyue took his pulse and realized that his body was normal. ¡°Perhaps I didn¡¯t rest well recently.¡± Qiang Wanzhou retracted his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been having nonsensical dreams these few days.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°If you feel uncomfortable, sound out anytime.¡± Qiang Wanzhou acknowledged. At this point, the few of them were already left behind. The people in front had already walked some distance. Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°Come on.¡± Chapter 2192 - 2192 She Had No Totem! 2192 She Had No Totem! Dong! Another ringing was heard! It was getting closer to the time when the Heaven Gate was activated! In the beginning, there were still some soft discussions within the crowd. But as they got nearer, the nervous atmosphere became even more intense. The crowd gradually quietened down. In the end, everyone went forward quietly. Only the excitement and expectations glowing in their eyes showed that they were definitely not as calm as they seemed. ¡­ Chu Liuyue went forward step by step. She could clearly hear the sound of her own heart beating, and the blood in her body seemed to flow faster. The blood kept flowing below her eardrums. She faintly felt that something was about to rush out of her dantian, but every time she tried to capture it and observe it, the ripple seemed to disappear. This caused the entire process to be especially long. Every once in a while, that clock sound would ring. Dong! ¡°It¡¯s the tenth time,¡± said Shangguan Jing softly. At this point, they were at their final distance away from the door. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. She had a feeling that perhaps the Heavenly Gate would open when the twelfth clock sound rang. Someone in front had already arrived before the door and stopped. When the eleventh ¡®dong¡¯ sounded, Chu Liuyue and the rest reached the door. She stood behind the crowd and looked up at the door. The door was extremely tall, and when a human stood there, they looked especially tiny. Countless rays of light intersected and drew an outline, but one could not see the appearance clearly. A thin layer of clouds covered it, and the crowd could not see through. However, the crowd could clearly feel the heavy suppression. ¡­ After a long wait, the twelfth clock sound finally rang! Dong! The ringing was heavy and distant as it reverberated throughout the surroundings. Following that, the door slowly opened! Creak¡ª Everyone perked up and looked over! The light dazzled and almost pricked until one could not open their eyes. Chu Liuyue tilted her head and squinted her eyes slightly. After some time, the light gradually dissipated. A man, who looked like he was in his thirties, walked out of the door wearing a gray robe. The moment he appeared, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart dropped. This man¡¯s suppression is extremely strong! He is much stronger than many of the legendary warriors I have seen! He is probably a step away from the legendary barrier! She quickly sized that man up. He had a tall figure and looked handsome, with a faint hint of pride in his eyes. He stood before the door, and his supervisory gaze was stern as it swept across the crowd. He spoke with a clear voice, but it had an unknown suppression to it. ¡°Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate opens once every 10,000 years to recruit the top cultivators in the world to break through to the next level! For the activation of the Heaven Gate this time, you¡¯re the first batch that came, and I can see that you all have potential.¡± The crowd was emotional, yet they still gathered their focus and did not dare to relax. ¡°I, General Jin Yunlai, am the Seventh Deity of Fantasy Divine Palace. This time, I am in charge of bringing you into Fantasy Divine Palace. According to the order, come forward and register one by one.¡± He raised his hand as he spoke, and a thick booklet appeared in his palm. Then, he flipped the booklet open, and the other hand glowed as he summoned a red-golden feather brush. When Chu Liuyue saw the feather in his hands, her mind tightened! That is a red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s feather! ¡°A¡¯Yue! I want to go out! A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi also detected that aura and insisted on coming out. Chu Liuyue comforted in her heart, ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t be anxious first. It¡¯s not too late to investigate when we have entered the Heaven Gate.¡± Nothing can go wrong here. Hearing her say this, Tuan Zi finally fell silent. ¡°T-then, you must take a good look and see if it¡¯s Clan Leader Grandpa¡¯s feather!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded calmly at that. Such a small commotion didn¡¯t attract that person¡¯s attention. Those people in front started going forward slowly. ¡°Name.¡± Jin Yunlai boomed as he held the booklet with one hand and a brush with the other. ¡°Song Qing.¡± That was the elder in black who first arrived on the bridge. Even though he had experienced many things, he still could not conceal his emotions. Jin Yunlai raised his hand and used that red-golden feather to lightly sweep across Song Qing¡¯s brows. Song Qing felt that there seemed to be an eye which saw everything inside and out at that moment! The force in his body surged, and a totem appeared on his brows¡ªthat was the totem of his bloodline power. Jin Yunlai nodded and wrote his name on the booklet. ¡°Pass. Next.¡± Song Qing was originally rather nervous, and he didn¡¯t expect to pass the inspection so easily. He was elated and immediately replied, ¡°Thank you, Deity Jin.¡± ¡°Inside Fantasy Divine Palace, deities have countless honors, and there¡¯s no need for honorifics. You can just directly address me as the Seventh Deity,¡± said Jin Yunlai nonchalantly. Song Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing that Jin Yunlai wasn¡¯t angry, he relaxed and walked through the Heaven Gate! Upon seeing this, the crowd was also very envious. The second person tried hard to conceal his emotions as he walked forward. The procedure was the same as before. After he reported his name, Jin Yunlai used that feather to sweep across his brows. ¡°Pass. Next.¡± ¡­ There were only 31 people here. Additionally, as Jin Yunlai inspected very quickly, more than half had already gone in. It was quickly the turn of the middle-aged man whom Chu Liuyue had rejected helping. He bowed in a flattering manner and said respectfully, ¡°I am Cheng Pei. Greetings, Lord Seventh Deity! I¡¯ve admired Fantasy Divine Palace for a long time, and today¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much nonsense.¡± Jin Yunlai looked annoyed, and his voice was filled with warning. ¡°In Fantasy Divine Palace, skills are everything, and the rest are perfunctory. Do you understand?¡± The spectating crowd revealed looks of mockery. He wanted to flatter him, but he curried the wrong favor. Does he not see what place this is? Cheng Pei¡¯s face flashed white, and he then realized what stupid thing he had done as he hurriedly said, ¡°I-I understand!¡± Jin Yunlai used that feather to brush across his brows, and his voice was cold. ¡°Pass. Next.¡± Cheng Pei walked over with jelly legs and took a while to recover. Very quickly, everyone was done with their inspections, leaving Chu Liuyue and the other five. Shangguan Jing went forward and passed successfully. Chu Liuyue walked forward. ¡°Shangguan Yue.¡± Jin Yunlai glanced at her and raised his brows. ¡°You already broke through to become a legendary warrior at such a young age. Not bad.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Seventh Deity,¡± Chu Liuyue replied normally. Jin Yunlai nodded in satisfaction and used that feather to brush Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows. Then, his expression froze. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows was as smooth as before¡ªno totem had appeared! Chapter 2193 - 2193 Did You Come to the Fantasy Divine Palace Before? 2193 Did You Come to the Fantasy Divine Palace Before? Jin Yunlai tried again. The red-golden feather lightly brushed across, but there was still nothing on her brows. His gaze became cold and harsh as he looked at Chu Liuyue with a supervisory gaze. ¡°Where¡¯s your totem?¡± ¡°Totem?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she instantly understood what happened. She paused and said, ¡°Seventh Deity, I have no totem.¡± ¡°No totem?¡± Jin Yunlai knitted his brows. Chu Liuyue explained, ¡°I¡­ came from outside the God Residence Realm, so I don¡¯t have the bloodline power totem.¡± Of course, she had a totem. Even if she wasn¡¯t born in the God Residence Realm, she had a strange totem in her body. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have tested an ¡¯11¡¯ using the Extreme God Sundial when she was testing her bloodline power back in the Sky-Cloud Empire. However, even she was not sure what had happened. Ever since she was reborn into Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, that strange pattern appeared. In the beginning, she didn¡¯t quite notice. When she went to the God Residence Realm later on, she then knew that it was the so-called bloodline totem. However, that totem sometimes appeared and sometimes did not¡ªeven she could not control it. She could only remember that the totem seemed to burn in her brows when she was in danger. However, it usually disappeared quickly. ¡°Came from outside the God Residence Realm?¡± Jin Yunlai sized her up, and the admiration in his eyes disappeared. A few faint hints of contempt even flashed across his eyes. Even though this expression quickly disappeared, Chu Liuyue still rapidly caught it. Her brows knitted undetectably. I just don¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Why did this Seventh Deity seem to instantly despise me? Many people who heard that she came from outside the God Residence Realm and didn¡¯t inherit any bloodline power would have a different impression of her. That was because from a certain perspective, it meant that her own talent was stronger than others, so she could rapidly break through the whole way until becoming a legendary warrior. However¡­ it seemed the opposite for this person. Jin Yunlai retrieved an item and passed it over. ¡°Those without a bloodline totem need to have an item with them when they enter Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Chu Liuyue took the item over and looked at it closely. It was a small accessory formed with a red string, and it had a transparent ball of the size of a chess piece. The material of the ball was not gold nor jade, yet it was iridescent. A tiny golden ¡®fantasy¡¯ word was written in it. ¡°The people without bloodline power have close to zero possibility of breaking through to become a deity. You originally have no right to be here, but since you crossed the bridge, I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡± So this is an item to check on my cultivation progress, and it seems to be greatly related to bloodline power. Chu Liuyue tied the item around her waist. ¡°Thank you so much, Seventh Deity.¡± Jin Yunlai did not bother much with her and raised his chin. ¡°Next.¡± Compared to before, his attitude became much colder. Clearly, he looked down on Chu Liuyue a lot and wasn¡¯t even willing to spare her another word. Chu Liuyue disregarded him as she stepped across the gate. At that moment, the water droplet in her dantian suddenly trembled. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she immediately suppressed this ripple. Luckily, this commotion was extremely small and didn¡¯t arouse the attention of the other people present She came to a place not far away from Song Qing and the rest as she waited patiently for them to come. ¡°Hah. I didn¡¯t expect Master Yue to have times where she¡¯ll be embarrassed.¡± Cheng Pei spoke weirdly. So many people came over, and only Chu Liuyue alone had received Jin Yunlai¡¯s praise. Originally, they all thought that Chu Liuyue would have an easy life. Who knew that just because she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, Jin Yunlai¡¯s attitude changed by 180 degrees. This time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s days in Fantasy Divine Palace won¡¯t be easy. Jin Yunlai has already stated that she definitely has no chance of breaking through to become a deity. ¡°Master Yue has always been a strange talent and broke through to become a legendary warrior at a young age. We were still waiting to see you soar and excel. It¡¯s a pity¡­ it seems like there¡¯s no chance. What a pity!¡± Cheng Pei¡¯s eyes could not conceal him gloating over the misery. Everyone had spent so much effort to come over to break through that bottleneck and go to a more advanced realm. However, Chu Liuyue just reached here and couldn¡¯t even do anything before Jin Yunlai announced her death. Wasn¡¯t this akin to directly extinguishing all her plans and desires? Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and said nonchalantly, ¡°Senior Cheng Pei, you don¡¯t have to feel pity for me. Even if I really can¡¯t break through to become a deity¡­ With my current legendary warrior status, it¡¯s not a problem to deal with other legendary warriors that are strong on the outside but weak inside.¡± As she spoke, she looked at her own hand and slowly said, ¡°I recall that I almost used this hand to send Master Yi to the road. However, I¡¯ve always respected the elderly and loved the young, so I normally won¡¯t do anything lethal unless I can¡¯t hold it in.¡± ¡°You!¡± Cheng Pei¡¯s face flashed white and red, and he wanted to say something in retaliation. But seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalant look, he became fearful. He was not Yi Wentao¡¯s match. Back when Chu Liuyue was still a true god, she directly took away half of Yi Wentao¡¯s life, let alone when she was a legendary warrior now. Besides, when she crossed that ocean, everyone clearly saw that her skills were indeed even stronger than the crowd expected. This Chu Liuyue¡­ can¡¯t be trifled with! At the very least, it is definitely not a suitable choice to go head-on against her now. Cheng Pei took a few deep breaths in and harshly flung his sleeves. ¡°Hmph! I hope you can continue being this confident, Master Yue!¡± Let¡¯s see how she¡¯ll continue being arrogant when she enters Fantasy Divine Palace! The other people present did not say much, but they secretly exchanged glances and had incredulous expressions. Originally, they also wanted to ally with Chu Liuyue. But judging from the situation, she might even become a burden¡­ They had to seriously reconsider such matters. Chu Liuyue acted as if she did not see the surrounding gazes. She naturally knew all the small thoughts these people had, but no matter what attitude they had toward her, she didn¡¯t really care. From the very beginning, her motive in coming here was different from theirs. If they interacted less, she could save on some trouble. She looked at the few people outside. After her was Shangguan Jing. Like Chu Liuyue, he did not have a totem. Then, there was another token around his waist. It was Cen Yi next. Jin Yunlai looked at him and was suddenly dazed before he slightly knitted his brows. ¡°You¡­ came to Fantasy Divine Palace before?¡± Chapter 2194 - 2194 Dont Understand 2194 Don¡¯t Understand After asking this, Jin Yunlai was stunned himself. I must be out of my mind to ask such a question. Fantasy Divine Palace is only activated once every 10,000 years. How could he have come before? ¡°No,¡± replied Cen Yi nonchalantly. His narrow eyes were calm, as if he disregarded Jin Yunlai¡¯s random question. Jin Yunlai brushed the feather across his brows. As expected, he was also another one without a bloodline totem. He could already tell that the few people behind were all close to that Shangguan Yue who just entered. They probably all came from outside the God Residence Realm. He waved his hands in frustration. ¡°Pass.¡± Cen Yi took a token, stepped across the door, and came to Chu Liuyue. Jin Yunlai turned around to take another look. That familiar feeling at the previous moment¡­ It was really as if I had seen him somewhere before¡­ However, that man¡¯s appearance and aura Are unfamiliar. I probably thought wrongly¡­ Jin Yunlai retracted his gaze. ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked at Jin Yunlai, then at Cen Yi before she softly asked, ¡°Cen Yi, why¡­ did he ask you that just now?¡± Cen Yi smiled faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Perhaps¡­ he recognized the wrong person.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and found it weird. ¡°You¡¯re a true god?¡± At this point, Jin Yunlai¡¯s voice sounded again. Chu Liuyue looked up, and Hua Shuangshuang was the one who was inspected. Not only did he not have a bloodline totem, but he wasn¡¯t even a legendary warrior. Jin Yunlai knitted his brows, and his face was filled with unconcealable annoyance and contempt. ¡°True gods can¡¯t enter. Go back!¡± Hua Shuangshuang was dazed, but he immediately cupped his fists and asked, ¡°Seventh Deity, may I ask you why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for true gods to pass that ocean, so they naturally have no right to enter Fantasy Divine Palace,¡± said Jin Yunlai coldly. ¡°However, we¡¯re already here. Why can¡¯t we enter?¡± Hua Shuangshuang laughed and asked. Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression became even colder as his gaze swept across Xiao Ba and Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°The three of you are true gods?¡± It wasn¡¯t that no true gods had entered the Fantasy Divine Palace. However, they basically had bloodline totems, and their bloodline power was really decent. But the three before him¡­ If he didn¡¯t guess wrongly, they probably did not have bloodline totems. Such a person had never entered Fantasy Divine Palace. Jin Yunlai stared at her coldly. ¡°You¡¯re rather gutsy.¡± She dared to talk to me like that. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth. Besides, this is also for your consideration. You also mentioned that Fantasy Divine Palace only activates once in 10,000 years to recruit the top cultivators. Even though they¡¯re not legendary warriors yet, they¡¯re all indeed very outstanding. If you let them leave now, it might be a loss for Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Jin Yunlai seemed as if he had heard a joke. ¡°I¡¯ve already said previously that cultivators without bloodline totems can never break through to become a deity. Besides, they¡¯re not even legendary warriors!¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re so confident, you should let them enter. In this way, you can show that Fantasy Divine Palace is fair, and you won¡¯t affect the present situation. After all, once the time is up and the word inside the token disappears, those without skills will naturally be kicked out of Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Jin Yunlai fell silent for a moment, and his expression changed as if he were considering Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. After a moment, he finally nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯d like to see how long you can stay here then.¡± Then, he finally wrote the names of Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s trio on the booklet and gave them each a token. The last Qiang Wanzhou also walked in. Jin Yunlai finally said, ¡°Follow me.¡± Then, he walked over first. Song Qing looked at the door that was still open and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Seventh Deity, this Heaven Gate¡ª¡± ¡°Once the Heaven Gate is opened, it will last for a year. Within this year, anyone who crosses the bridge and arrives at the door can enter Fantasy Divine Palace,¡± said Jin Yunlai lightly without turning around. ¡°At the same time, if you can¡¯t hit a certain standard within a year, you will also be chased out.¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd was stunned. ¡°Yes!¡± They originally thought that everything was done when they came in, but this was just the beginning. How would it be so easy to progress? The crowd¡ªwhich was still thankful that they had entered successfully earlier¡ªbecame nervous again. Compared to their tentative excitement, Chu Liuyue was much calmer. The deadline of a year was not very important to her. That was because she mainly came here to find Dugu Mobao¡¯s group of three and Yi Zhao. Of course, if she could, she also wanted to understand what kind of place Fantasy Divine Palace was. ¡­ When they stepped through the Heaven Gate, there was a spacious path before them. This was a path made from black rocks. Like the silver bridge, there were also silver light pots silently shining. They were separated and presented an indescribable beauty. In the mess, there seemed to be some sort of discipline. But different from that bridge, these light spots were locked beneath the black rock. An extremely thin and translucent jade layer covered it perfectly as balls of light spread across, and it dazzled. ¡°Master, these are all also Xuan formations, right?¡± With the previous experience, Xiao Ba instinctively thought of the previous bridge when she saw this scene. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. Even if she didn¡¯t take a close look, she could confirm that these were tiny Xuan formations. And¡­ they were only more advanced and not weaker than the ones outside. ¡°This path directly connects the Heaven Gate to Fantasy Divine Palace. Many top Xuan formations form this. No matter if it¡¯s light or dark, it will be like stars sparkling, shining everything, so it¡¯s called the Star Path,¡± explained Jin Yunlai nonchalantly. ¡°The Xuan formations here can be studied for cultivation.¡± The crowd was shocked. ¡°There¡¯s so many, and we can study all of them?¡± One had to know that every advanced Xuan formation was like invisible wealth. Even if they were from such top-tier aristocratic families, they would not be willing to take out their treasures. However, this Fantasy Divine Palace directly produced so many Xuan formations and printed them on the Star Path! Jin Yunlai suddenly laughed and looked up slightly. ¡°There are countless Xuan formations in Fantasy Divine Palace. We¡¯re not afraid that you look at them but afraid that you¡­ can¡¯t understand.¡± Chapter 2195 - 2195 Fantasy Divine Hall 2195 Fantasy Divine Hall His tone was light and nonchalant, with deep pride. The crowd fell silent for a moment. Even though this sounded very uncomfortable, one had to admit that¡­ there was nothing wrong with it. Being able to use such a shocking number of Xuan formations to form a bridge and a path had already stated too many problems. They probably could not even imagine the amount of assets Fantasy Divine Palace had! Xiao Ba pursed her red lips and almost rolled her eyes, but considering that this was someone else¡¯s territory, she still held it in. The rather noisy crowd previously fell silent. At this point, they finally realized what kind of place they had entered. They were undoubtedly the top warriors in the God Residence Realm. Their statuses were high, and they were admired by people. In the end, after they came here, they became the lowest existences. This change in identities happened too suddenly, and many people could not accept it in such a short amount of time. Even though they had made mental preparations before they came, at this point, who could already smile and admit that they were too weak? Jin Yunlai seemed to know what they were thinking as the corner of his lips curled up without much smiling intent. ¡°I know that you¡¯re indignant, but after a while, you will recognize everything.¡± Then, he pointed in a direction. Far away were many mountains. ¡°Over there is Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s medicinal mountain, and there are many treasures there. You can go and take whatever you want. As long as you can produce a pill of high standards, you can pick whatever you want. You can even sleep there.¡± Some people could not help but gasp. This generosity¡­ is huge! Jin Yunlai pointed to the front again, and omr could faintly see a swarming ray of light that seemed like a lake. ¡°And that side is the pool of lightning specifically for producing weapons. The lightning inside is endless. If you have the skills, you can try the powers of the lightning pool.¡± The crowd was completely silent. With such generosity and confidence, one could not help but be convinced. ¡°As for force cultivation¡­ that¡¯s the simplest. You can also see that there are rows and rows of courtyards on both sides of the Star Path. You can randomly choose one as your residence. You can cultivate and do anything else there.¡± Chu Liuyue looked to the sides, and there were indeed many houses standing intricately. ¡°Normally, you can walk anywhere you like. However, there are two places you can¡¯t go in Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± As Jin Yunlai spoke, he pointed forward. ¡°One is the Fantasy Divine Hall in front, and another is the forbidden land behind it. The consequences of trespassing them without permission is not something you can bear. Do you understand?¡± At the end, his tone became more serious. The crowd¡¯s hearts shuddered. ¡°Okay. Thank you for the guidance, Seventh Deity.¡± Chu Liuyue followed his line of sight and looked over, but she was instantly stunned. A magnificent hall stood quietly at the end of the Star Path! She had seen this hall before¡ªit was the hall in the sky that once appeared in the Red Moon Desert! But at this point, there was no white mist covering it, and she could see everything clearly. On the hall was a plaque with golden words written forcefully and tremendously, looking like a swimming dragon¡ªFantasy Divine Hall! Chapter 2196 - 2196 Pity 2196 Pity It was different from the blurred scene before. The hall before them was tremendous, ancient, and even had a hint of holy essence, causing one to be unable to look at it directly. Even though it looked exactly the same on the outside, Chu Liuyue vaguely felt that the aura of the Fantasy Divine Hall she saw on both occasions was different. However, she could not state how it was different. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Some people also recognized the Fantasy Divine Hall, and they couldn¡¯t help but point at it in shock. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the¡­ Ah!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, that person felt a tremendous suppression suddenly descending! He wasn¡¯t prepared at all and felt his shoulders become heavy as he kneeled down unwittingly! Bam! His knees landed on the jade ground heavily, making a low sound. That person gasped in pain. Jin Yunlai came to him and looked down at him from above. He coldly scolded, ¡°The Fantasy Divine Hall is a supreme existence. How can you offend it with your finger-pointing?!¡± That person¡¯s face turned pale, and he found out that he committed a grave mistake. ¡°I-I know I¡¯m wrong! Deity, please forgive me!¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s gaze was as sharp and cold as a knife as it landed on that person physically. Only when that person couldn¡¯t take it did he finally say slowly, ¡°Never again!¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! Thank you, Deity!¡± As if given great amnesty, that person immediately kowtowed and thanked him. Jin Yunlai surveyed the surroundings. ¡°Remember, you have to watch your every word and behavior in Fantasy Divine Palace. That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say. You¡¯re on your own.¡± The crowd nodded and acknowledged him. Jin Yunlai then turned around to leave and walked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. Only when his figure slowly went far away did the kneeling man sigh deeply and stagger to stand up. At this point, his face was pale, and his forehead was filled with beads of sweat. One could tell how nervous he was previously. However, the crowd at the side didn¡¯t mock him as they all had complicated expressions. He had just raised his hand and pointed at the so-called Fantasy Divine Hall afar, yet almost lost his life. Their skills were about the same. If it were them, they wouldn¡¯t be in a better condition than the man. Feeling as if they were in the same boat, they naturally could not relax. ¡°It seems like we have to be very careful of our every move here in Fantasy Divine Palace!¡± Song Qing stroked his beard and said emotionally. Everyone fell silent, and the atmosphere became cold. Suddenly, a man¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°It¡¯s not too late that you know this now!¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd looked over. At a courtyard not far away, a man in his thirties crossed his arms and leaned against the door as he looked over. He had a toothpick hanging in his mouth and looked very flippant. However, his aura was much stronger than the people present. ¡°Hm? You have a token?¡± That man¡¯s gaze swept to Chu Liuyue. When he saw the token around her waist and saw her face, he instantly looked shocked. ¡°Such a young legendary warrior? Impossible, right?¡± She doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem and broke through to become a legendary warrior. Logically speaking, she should be getting on her age, and she might even be hundred over years old ¡°Little girl, how old are you?¡± he asked curiously. ¡°You seem like¡­ you¡¯re not a hundred years old, right?¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°¡­I¡¯m 18 this year.¡± ¡°Eighteen?! You¡¯re lying, right?¡± said that man instinctively. ¡°Hey, little girl, you really don¡¯t have to do this. We¡¯re all people who have lived for thousands of years. Even if you¡¯re really more than a hundred years old or more, you¡¯re still young here!¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Everything I said was true.¡± Seeing her calm expression and genuine gaze, that man then realized that she wasn¡¯t lying. He then immediately spat out his toothpick, straightened his body, and sized her up closely. However, he still could not quite believe it. When he saw that the people at the side did not have much of an expression, he then suddenly slapped his thigh. ¡°It¡¯s true?!¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°I really don¡¯t have to lie about such matters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± That man nodded in agreement and leaned lazily against the door frame again. His gaze looking at her had a few more hints of pity. ¡°Such a good talent is wasted.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. She had already understood what this meant. ¡°There has never been a legendary warrior younger than 20 in Fantasy Divine Palace. You¡¯re the first. It¡¯s a pity you don¡¯t have a bloodline totem.¡± He shook his head and had a face filled with regret. Chu Liuyue had already heard of this from Jin Yunlai, so she did not have much of a reaction to it. ¡°Heh, it seems like there¡¯s more than one with a token.¡± That man¡¯s gaze turned and saw that Cen Yi and the rest all had a token. When he counted it, there were a total of six people, and there were actually three true gods! ¡°¡­How did the few of you come over? Is Fantasy Divine Palace so easy to enter?¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s mood was already bad. When she heard this, she finally could not take it and went up to say, ¡°We¡ª¡¯ Chu Liuyue pressed her hand and smiled slightly at that man. She said, ¡°We passed the same test as the other people. Since the Seventh Deity was willing to let us in, it proves everything, right?¡± After bringing Jin Yunlai up, that man was expectedly more restrained. He chuckled, smiled, and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The deities are always the fairest. Don¡¯t misunderstand¡ªI don¡¯t have any other meaning. I was just shocked. After all, Fantasy Divine Palace has never let six people without bloodline totems in at once.¡± Amongst them, there were even true gods. Chu Liuyue nodded, expressing that she did not mind this. From Jin Yunlai¡¯s attitude, one could see through the future and predict what kind of treatment they would have in this Fantasy Divine Palace later on. She had already made preparations, so she didn¡¯t feel that the other party was intentionally offending her. The other party did not reveal looks of contempt and even explained himself, so it was decent. Chu Liuyue cupped her fists and asked, ¡°I¡¯m Shangguan Yue. May I know your name, Senior?¡± That man laughed and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me senior. I¡¯m just a failure that hasn¡¯t broken through and become a deity in 10,000 years. You can just call me Xiao Ran. In here, there is no seniority. As long as you¡¯re strong enough, you can receive everyone¡¯s respect and admiration.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. She glanced at the Fantasy Divine Hall in a daze before retracting her gaze. Then, she turned her foot and walked to the courtyards at the side. ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± Cross the bridge when we come to it. We will first find a suitable place to stay before settling the rest. Shangguan Jing and the rest rapidly followed. Chapter 2197 - 2197 Second Ancestor Golden Feather 2197 Second Ancestor Golden Feather After Chu Liuyue and the rest left, the remaining Song Qing and the others all went their own ways and found their own residences. The figures on the Star Path quickly disappeared, and it fell silent again. Xiao Ran looked at the Star Path and seemed to be in a daze. After a long while, he turned around and returned to the house. As he walked, he muttered, ¡°A good one finally came, yet she¡¯s someone without a totem¡­ Sigh, let¡¯s just wait and see!¡± ¡­ The houses and courtyards here were all independent and rather far away from each other. From a certain point of view, it was also to make it more convenient for everyone to cultivate on their own and not disturb each other. When they passed by the sides of the courtyards, they would sometimes still see some people cultivating. In the beginning, some people were still rather curious about them and wanted to go up and greet them. But after they saw the tokens around their waists, they all became cold, and many of them didn¡¯t conceal the contempt and mockery in their eyes. Others focused on their cultivation and did not bother with them. Hence, during this whole journey, nobody cared about them. Finally, Chu Liuyue found a rather big courtyard that could fit the six of them at once. After entering the courtyard and closing the door, Xiao Ba finally could not help but stomp her feet in anger. ¡°These people are too much! I¡¯ve received more people rolling their eyes today than in my entire life! Isn¡¯t it just missing a bloodline totem? Is there a need to do this?!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Hua Shuangshuang shook his head and sighed. ¡°Did you forget what the Seventh Deity said earlier? People like us are destined not to break through and become deities. That also means that no matter how we cultivate, we won¡¯t be able to cross the barrier above legendary warriors. In this way, we have nothing for them to fear.¡± He grabbed the token at his waist and looked at it. ¡°We even have to constantly worry about the word disappearing, and we always have the risk of being chased out.¡± Xiao Ba grunted. Actually, she knew all of this, but she just found it hard to bear. They just came over, yet they were already trampled all over. How could they spend their remaining days? ¡°All these are unimportant. You staying behind means completing the first step.¡± Chu Liuyue squeezed Xiao Ba¡¯s cheeks in comfort. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be angry. Your wrinkles are showing.¡± ¡°Master¡ª¡± Xiao Ba held her arm and leaned over in grievance. ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯m useless. Not only did I not fight for you, Master, but I even implicated you, causing you to be mocked by them.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. They look down on all of those without totems¡ªthat¡¯s the foundational problem. As for whether you¡¯re a legendary warrior or not¡­ it¡¯s just an excuse.¡± Everyone could see this point clearly. ¡°Today is your first day here. Everyone, let¡¯s go back and rest. If you need anything, we can talk about it after you calm yourself down.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue found a room and walked in. The moment she sat down, Tuan Zi could not help but call, ¡°A¡¯Yue! A¡¯Yue!¡± To be safe, Chu Liuyue set up a barrier in the surroundings before calling Tuan Zi out. Tuan Zi jumped into her arms and asked concernedly, ¡°A¡¯Yue, did you see clearly if it¡¯s Clan Leader Grandpa¡¯s feather?¡± Chu Liuyue comfortingly patted her back and lightly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think it is.¡± She was considered to be familiar with Yi Zhao, so she could still differentiate this. When Jin Yunlai used that feather to brush across her brows, she specifically took a closer look at it and could basically confirm that it was unrelated to Yi Zhao. Tuan Zi first heaved a sigh of relief, then became nervous. ¡°But if it¡¯s not Clan Leader Grandpa¡¯s, who else could it be?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat Actually, this was also what she was considering. Red-gold heavenly phoenixes were ancient legendary fiends and had a distinguished status. Normal people couldn¡¯t even see them once, not to mention using their feathers as a brush. No matter how amazing the people in Fantasy Divine Palace were, this was overboard. Chu Liuyue thought for a long while before looking at Tuan Zi with uncertainty. ¡°Tuan Zi, I actually think¡­ that feather¡¯s aura is a little familiar.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s blackberry-like eyes widened as she stammered and asked, ¡°W-what does that mean?¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°That feather¡¯s aura¡­ is extremely similar to the Ancestral Golden Feather.¡± ¡­ Jin Yunlai followed the Star Path and walked forward, finally arriving at the black square before the Fantasy Divine Hall. The centermost position of the large and magnificent square was missing a piece. In front of the black square, someone stood with his hands behind his back and looked at it closely. Hearing the sound, he turned around. It was a man who looked like he was 28 or 29 years old. His five features were handsome, and his aura elegant. Only his pair of deep eyes showed that he was not as young as he looked. ¡°Did you bring all of them in?¡± Jin Yunlai looked down respectfully. ¡°They¡¯re all here. I¡¯ve registered their names.¡± As he spoke, he passed the booklet and the golden feather forward with both hands. That man took the items and flipped open the booklet to take a look. As he looked, he asked, ¡°I heard that there are six people without bloodline totems?¡± Jin Yunlai said, ¡°Yeah. Three legendary warriors and three true gods. Those three true gods were brought by a woman called Shangguan Yue.¡± ¡°Shangguan¡­ Yue?¡± That person laughed. ¡°Interesting.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°If there¡¯s no accident, the word on the tokens will disappear in a month. At that time, they will also leave.¡± ¡°What a pity¡­ That Shangguan Yue should be quite capable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless to have the best talent in the world if one doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. It¡¯s impossible for them to stay here for long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Originally I wanted to take a look¡ªforget it.¡± That man closed the booklet. ¡°What a pity. Wasted a good name.¡± ¡­ ¡°Ancestral Golden Feather?¡± Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, Tuan Zi was instantly dazed. ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s not right! There¡¯s only one Ancestral Golden Feather in the clan, and it¡¯s with me!¡± In the beginning, as she had the purest bloodline, she obtained this Ancestral Golden Feather. She had never heard of another one in the world. Chu Liuyue stared at Tuan Zi. ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s only one?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Tuan Zi pointed at her brows. ¡°Everyone uses this when they open their meridian. Why would there be two?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. It isn¡¯t that I haven¡¯t thought about it before, but the one in Jin Yunlai¡¯s hand has a very similar aura¡­ ¡°There might be something amiss here, but let¡¯s not come to conclusions so quickly. The most important thing now is to ensure that Big Baby and the rest are here¡ªClan Leader Yi Zhao as well.¡± She stretched out her hand as she spoke, and a purple scale lay in her hands quietly. Chapter 2198 - 2198 Sky Shining Fantasy Formation 2198 Sky Shining Fantasy Formation The light flickered faintly on the scale. Then, a strong ripple came from inside! There was faintly something summoning it from afar! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she looked in the direction of the summon, and she immediately knitted her brows. This summon is actually coming from the Fantasy Divine Hall! ¡­ At the same time, Dugu Mobao¡ªwho was trapped in the cage without day or night¡ªsuddenly opened his eyes! Yue¡¯er Girlie actually came? He waved his palm lightly, and there seemed to be lights surging in his sinisterly purple eyes. That connection was instantly broken! ¡­ ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the purple scale in her hand strangely. At that moment, I clearly felt Big Baby¡¯s aura. Why did it suddenly break? Chu Liuyue locked up hesitantly and knitted her brows slightly. This seems¡­ to be done by Big Baby on purpose? ¡°A¡¯Yue, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tuan Zi ran over and hugged her thigh, looking up concernedly as she asked, ¡°Can we not find Big Baby and Grandpa?¡± ¡°Sort of, but not really.¡± Chu Liuyue put away that purple scale. I can now confirm that Big Baby is indeed in the Fantasy Divine Hall. But due to certain reasons, he can¡¯t come out and specifically cut off the connection with me. It seems like his situation isn¡¯t optimistic. As for Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze, there is no news at all. The Fantasy Divine Hall is very big. It is probably very hard to ascertain where they specifically are. After all, I don¡¯t even have the right to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. The Fantasy Divine Hall had an extremely holy and distinguished status here. On the Star Path, that person just raised his hand to point at it and had to face a severe punishment. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how dangerous it would be if one recklessly went forward. With her current abilities, she would probably be killed before she reached the door! Tuan Zi knitted her small brows and had a face filled with worry. ¡°T-then¡­ are they also locked up now? Will they suffer a lot?¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows and sighed lightly and helplessly. That should be the only answer. To be more accurate, the three of them were already locked up tens of thousands of years ago. During this long period, they¡¯ve been suppressed underneath the Red Moon Desert and can¡¯t come out at all. This is already the strictest punishment on its own. But for some reason, the three of them were brought here this time and locked up continuously. Chu Liuyue faintly felt that the matter was much more complicated than she had predicted. ¡°We can only silently observe the changes,¡± said Chu Liuyue as she looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, can you feel Senior Yi Zhao¡¯s aura? Or your other clansmen?¡± Tuan Zi closed her eyes and meticulously sensed for a while before she shook her head in defeat. ¡°No, nothing at all.¡± Tuan Zi pressed her lips against each other. ¡­ After reassuring Tuan Zi, Chu Liuyue started to cultivate inside the room. The Heaven and Earth Force here was very rich and pure. Even Peach Blossom Dock could not compare to this place. Not to mention other things, but this place was indeed a holy ground for cultivation. Peng! An explosion suddenly sounded from outside. Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and stood rather strangely before walking to the window. She pushed open the window and looked outside. She then saw a ray of light rush to the sky, and it bloomed in the sky, turning into silver fireworks. It dazzled brightly. Chu Liuyue took a close look and realized that she had seen wrongly. That wasn¡¯t an ordinary firework¡ªit was a Xuan formation! ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Xuan formation on the Star Path?¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. Shua! Many ear-piercing sounds were heard as people jumped up into the air from the neighboring few courtyards. Their gazes were all gathered on the Xuan formation that suddenly bloomed. ¡°That¡¯s actually the Sky Shining Fantasy Formation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a Grandmaster-level Xuan formation, and it¡¯s very complicated. I just stared at it for 15 minutes last time, and I almost fainted. Who went to study the Xuan formation? Seems a little familiar¡ª¡± ¡°Who else can it be? Mu Yafeng!¡± ¡°Hiss¡­ I recall that she had just studied the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations. When did she suddenly break through to become a Grandmaster?¡± ¡°Her aim is to study all the Xuan formations on the Star Path and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall! Do you think she has no goals like you? Her talent as a Xuan Master is extremely high, and ordinary people can¡¯t compare to her. We can only envy her.¡± ¡­ Hearing these words, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she pushed open the door to walk in. Standing in the courtyard, one could clearly see the Xuan formation blooming in midair. It was complicated, beautiful, dazzling, and charming. A Grandmaster-level Xuan formation was indeed different. Thinking of what those people said earlier, Chu Liuyue cupped her fists to a middle-aged man not far away and asked, ¡°Senior, may I ask whether we can enter the Fantasy Divine Hall if we study and understand all the Xuan formations on the Star Path?¡± That man heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice, turned around, and looked over. Then, he lightly snorted. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Xuan formations on the Star Path are split into different regions based on their standard. The closer they are to the Fantasy Divine Hall, the higher the level of the Xuan formation, and the harder it would be to understand it. As long as one can study all the Xuan formations on it, they can have the right to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± As he spoke, his gaze twirled around the token on Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist with a few hints of contempt. ¡°However, you don¡¯t have to think about it. It¡¯s impossible for you.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. At this point, another rather familiar flippant voice came from the side. ¡°She just came here. You have to be more polite, right?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran?¡± Xiao Ran lazily leaned against the door frame. ¡°I told you that you don¡¯t have to call me senior. You can just call me Xiao Ran.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. Although Xiao Ran said that he didn¡¯t mind these things, Chu Liuyue had quite a decent impression of him, so she had to call him ¡®senior.¡¯ ¡°Xiao Ran, what does this have to do with you? If you have this time, why don¡¯t you think about breaking through yourself!?¡± The scolded middle-aged man grunted coldly. ¡°Besides, am I not speaking the truth? She doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem and will be chased out of here in the next month or so. She¡¯s dreaming if she wants to study all the Xuan formations on the Star Path!¡± Xiao Ran nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, but she¡¯s not even twenty and can walk around Fantasy Divine Palace. She¡¯s more capable than many who relied on their bloodline power to forcefully come here, yet are unable to break through, right?¡± ¡°You!¡± That middle-aged man couldn¡¯t refute Xiao Ran, so he swiftly stopped arguing, whipped his sleeves, and returned to the house. If he had the time, he should cultivate himself! Seeing this, the others did not say much. Clearly, they were fearful of Xiao Ran. Chu Liuyue smiled at Xiao Ran. ¡°Thank you, Senior Xiao Ran.¡± Chapter 2199 - 2199 Start From the Beginning 2199 Start From the Beginning Xiao Ran scratched his head. ¡°This lady is really¡­ stubborn. Forget it, forget it. Call me whatever you want. It¡¯s just a way of address.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning. Even though this Xiao Ran looked lazy and nonchalant, he was a good guy. After the group of them came to Fantasy Divine Palace, they were discriminated against because they didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Only Xiao Ran treated them all the same. Now, he even willingly spoke up to help her, and Chu Liuyue was indeed very grateful. ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about what they said earlier.¡± Xiao Ran crossed his arms and lazily raised his chin. ¡°Fantasy Divine Palace has existed for hundreds and thousands of years, and many cultivators came by. However, only a few of them can completely understand all the Xuan formations, complete the Star Path, and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. Even though they have bloodline totems, they might not be much stronger than you. Some don¡¯t even finish half of it before they die. What¡¯s so good about that?¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t stay here all the way, you should take this time to study some Xuan formations to improve your own skills. That¡¯s not bad.¡± As Xiao Ran spoke, he suddenly thought of something and glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Hey, I haven¡¯t asked you. You¡¯re also a Xuan Master?¡± Also? Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What standard?¡± Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment. Although she was considered to be a Great King Xuan Master now, she had recently studied the Heaven-Locking Formation and felt that her skills had clearly improved. However, she hadn¡¯t tried out the specifics. ¡°Great King Xuan Master.¡± ¡°Great King Xuan Master?¡± This time, it was Xiao Ran¡¯s turn to be shocked. He sized Chu Liuyue up and down a few times in disbelief. ¡°I remember that you¡¯re only 18, right? You¡¯re already a Great King Xuan Master? Aren¡¯t you a legendary warrior?!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded rather strangely. ¡°Yeah. Senior Xiao Ran, is there a problem?¡± Of course, there is! The problem is huge!Only one in 10,000 who can break through to become a legendary warrior at such a tender age, and I didn¡¯t expect her to be so talented in the Xuan Master path as well. This can only prove that her talent in these two aspects is stunning! Xiao Ran instantly became interested. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that you¡¯re really quite capable, Miss. Then, you can try to study and understand the Xuan formations on the Star Path. If you can understand more Xuan formations or if your standard is high enough, the tokens will feel it and extend your stay here. This way, you¡¯ll have more chances to improve your skills. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Senior Xiao Ran. That was what I was thinking too.¡± She paused and asked again, ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, you previously said that a few people studied and understood the Xuan formations on the Star Path and entered the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± ¡°Yeah! The Seventh Deity is one of them. That¡¯s the one who brought you here.¡± Jin Yunlai? Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. It was no wonder Jin Yunlai was so proud when he talked about the Star Path. She thought for a moment and decided to try. This was the only way to legitimately enter the Fantasy Divine Hall! She thanked Xiao Ran again before she turned toward the Star Path. Xiao Ran asked, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re going now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks. Even if I can wait, Big Baby and the rest might not be able to. Seeing that she seemed very anxious, Xiao Ran thought that she was worried that the word in her token would disappear and that she would be chased out of the Fantasy Divine Palace. Thus, he said, ¡°Go ahead, go ahead! It¡¯s good for young people to learn things. If you have anything you don¡¯t know, you can directly come and ask me.¡± Chu Liuyue was rather shocked. ¡°Won¡¯t I disturb you?¡± Xiao Ran looked up at the sky. ¡°No. I¡¯m too bored.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯ll thank you in advance.¡± Xiao Ran waved his head and turned back into the house. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and walked toward the Star Path. ¡­ The Star Path extended to the Fantasy Divine Hall from the Heaven Gate. The place Chu Liuyue stayed at was coincidentally nearest to the Heaven Gate. That was also¡­ the part where the Xuan formation standard was lower. Since she had to study all of them, she naturally had to start from the beginning. Chu Liuyue came to the Heaven Gate. The black jade road below the Heaven Gate was covered in light spots. Chu Liuyue stepped on it, looked forward, and took a deep breath in. The road was far and long. Only the Fantasy Divine Hall at the end stood tall in a holy and distinguished manner. ¡°Hey, someone actually wants to start studying the Xuan formations from the beginning? Is she planning to go on the Star Path?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recognize her. She¡¯s new, right?¡± ¡°She is new. Did you see the token around her waist? Her age and appearance¡­ She should be the Shangguan Yue who brought three true gods with her, right?¡± ¡°Pfft, so it¡¯s her? She doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, so why did she come to the Star Path? She should just take this time and find some precious Xuan formation to study and end it.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s arrival attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. On both sides of the Star Path, quite a few people came out to look at her curiously. Clearly, they did not think highly of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue ignored all of these voices as she looked down at the first light spot. She flicked her finger, and force flew out, landing on the light spot. Feeling the sensation, the light spot rapidly became clear. A complicated and brilliant Xuan formation appeared before her. This was a King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation. ¡°Thousand-Leaf Formation.¡± Chu Liuyue recognized it at first glance. Then, a thought popped up in her mind as many rays of light flew out of her fingertips and intertwined in midair. In no time, an exact Xuan formation was done with its outline! She pushed it gently with her palm, and the Xuan formation landed on the Thousand-Leaf Formation, perfectly closing. Peng! A small silver spark flew up! Thousand-Leaf Formation¡ªbreak! The originally noisy crowd quietened down quickly. After a moment, someone gasped in shock. ¡°So fast!?¡± They didn¡¯zt even see what was going on clearly, and the Thousand-Leaf Formation actually exploded? ¡°That¡¯s a King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation. What¡¯s so hard about it? It¡¯ll be harder if she continues,¡± explained someone. ¡°That¡¯s true. Perhaps¡ª¡± Peng! Before the person could finish saying anything, another explosion was heard. A tiny silver spark bloomed above Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. As this Xuan formation wasn¡¯t of high level, its commotion wasn¡¯t as big as the Sky Shining Fantasy Formation. However, the crowd spectating nearby was still taken aback Even if they were just King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations, it was too fast! ¡°With this formation speed, she should be a Great King Xuan Master, right?¡± ¡°I heard that she¡¯s not even 20. Her talent is too strong, right?¡± ¡°So what? Without a bloodline totem, everything will just go to waste. If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t waste my time on this!¡± All sorts of voices entered her ear. Chu Liuyue treated as if she did not hear it and continued forward. Peng! Chapter 2200 - 2200 Without Stopping 2200 Without Stopping The King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations really did not pose any difficulty for Chu Liuyue. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen most of the Xuan formations here, she could still solve them at first glance and rapidly set them up. Peng. Peng. Peng. On the Star Path, explosions sounded continuously. The surrounding crowd still had all sorts of words to say, but they eventually shut their mouths amidst the continuous sounds of the fireworks blooming. When Chu Liuyue set up more than dozens of Xuan formations without difficulty and still looked energetic¡ªwithout looking like she was going to stop¡ªeveryone finally realized that their initial predictions were totally wrong! That woman¡¯s skills clearly exceeded their imagination! As time passed slowly, Chu Liuyue went forward step by step. Increasingly more people came out to spectate. When Chu Liuyue outlined the hundredth Xuan formation, someone could not help but ask softly, ¡°How many has it been? Why doesn¡¯t she seem like she¡¯s stopping? She drew so many Xuan formations in one go¡­ Even a Great King Xuan Master can¡¯t take it, right?¡± Nobody answered because they all had the same doubts. All these years, it wasn¡¯t that nobody had done such a thing in the Fantasy Divine Palace. In actual fact, quite a few people had walked the Star Path. However, there were really very few that had such a strong start. Chu Liuyue was calm and focused as the rays of light in her hand did not stop. They continuously flew out and kept forming new Xuan formations. There were at least tens of thousands of Xuan formations on the Star Path, and this was only the beginning! ¡­ A day passed quickly. At a side hall in the Fantasy Divine Hall, Jin Yunlai put down the book in his hand and walked outside. From afar, he could still see a petite figure slowly moving forward on the Star Path. Silver fireworks flew up and illuminated the path before her. ¡°She actually hasn¡¯t stopped?¡± Shock flashed across Jin Yunlai¡¯s eyes. Ever since Chu Liuyue stepped on the Star Path, he had already known about this. ¡°This is the Shangguan Yue you talked about earlier?¡± A gentle and elegant voice came from behind. Jin Yunlai turned around and wasn¡¯t surprised that he would suddenly appear here. He nodded. ¡°I originally thought that she would stop soon and give up, but I didn¡¯t expect¡ª¡± ¡°She should still be in the King Xuan Master stage, right?¡± ¡°Mm, but that portion is the fewest. The true difficulty is at the back.¡± ¡°How rare. This speed can be compared to yours back then.¡± Jin Yunlai paused for a moment. ¡°She is indeed talented in this area.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s even more of a pity¡­¡± That man laughed. ¡°But it seems like she can stay here for a while longer. I¡¯m curious as to how far she can go.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression was nonchalant. ¡°I think she has to give up when she reaches the Great King Xuan Master stage at best. Without a bloodline totem, she¡¯s destined to be unable to come to Fantasy Divine Hall. As for Mu Yafeng, she has already understood Grandmaster-level Xuan formations. Her future is bright.¡± ¡°She is decent. Pay more attention to her.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. Chu Liuyue was still standing on the Star Path. Not only did the word on her token not disappear, but it even glowed more brightly. Chapter 2201 - 2201 Break! 2201 Break! According to this situation, she could still stay in Fantasy Divine Palace for some time. More and more people spectated on both sides. I In the beginning, most of them just came to join in the fun, wanting to see what Chu Liuyue¡ªa person without a bloodline totem¡ªcould do. But as time passed, their attitudes slowly changed. These few days, the abilities Chu Liuyue showed were already much stronger than many of them. Even if she was still solving King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations, she was fast. Ever since she stepped onto the Star Path until now, she hadn¡¯t slept or rested for a few consecutive days and kept studying Xuan formations. The numbers added up, and they were already very positive and shocking. If this went on, in no time, she would begin to study the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations! Peng! A familiar sound echoed. Chu Liuyue looked up. A silver firework slowly bloomed in midair, forming a very complicated Xuan formation. She squinted her eyes slightly. Why does¡­ this Xuan formation look so familiar? It¡¯s a pity that I¡¯m a distance away and can¡¯t see it clearly from here. When the crowd heard the noise, they all looked toward that side. ¡°Another Grandmaster-level Xuan formation? Mu Yafeng is too fast, right? It hasn¡¯t been a few days since she understood the last one.¡± ¡°Yeah! With her efficiency, she might actually be able to understand all of the Xuan formations on the Star Path, right?¡± ¡°I heard that the Seventh Deity thinks very highly of her. Maybe she can actually succeed¡­¡± As the Xuan formation slowly disappeared, Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and continued studying the Xuan formations beneath her feet. ¡­ Compared to the ¡®crowd¡¯ on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, Mu Yafeng¡¯s side was much quieter. The two sides of the Star Path were empty, and there were not many people. It wasn¡¯t because everybody did not want to go over but that they didn¡¯t dare. This path was filled with Grandmaster-level Xuan formations. Even if they were sealed by the thin layer of black jade, they still exuded a faint suppression. Those with average skills might find it difficult to even walk on this path, let alone others. Even if they discussed it in private, they would not choose this place. A young woman who looked 25 or 26 stood in the middle of the path. She was decked in a light-green dress and looked elegant, and there was faint pride in her eyes. At this point, she raised her head slightly to look at the Xuan formation blooming above her forehead, her eyes sparkling with joy. A figure came from the front. She retracted her gaze when she saw the incoming person, and she smiled slightly and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Seventh Deity.¡± Jin Yunlai stood still not far in front of her, his cold and stern face with a rare hint of gentleness. ¡°The Sky Net Xuan formation is a Grandmaster-level Xuan formation, and it¡¯s one of the hardest to study. You managed to understand it in such a short amount of time. Not bad.¡± Mu Yafeng looked down slightly and replied humbly, ¡°Thank you for the praise, Seventh Deity. Actually, I¡¯ve been stuck here for many years, but I recently had some inspiration, so I managed to solve it.¡± The Sky Net Xuan Formation and the Sky Shining Fantasy Formation both started with ¡®sky,¡¯ and she personally knew how hard it was to understand them. In other people¡¯s eyes, she solved these two Xuan formations in a few days. In actual fact, she had tried countless times in private. Hence, she wasn¡¯t overjoyed because of Jin Yunlai¡¯s compliment. Jin Yunlai¡¯s face revealed a few looks of satisfaction. Mu Yafeng is quite talented, and her neither proud nor humble personality is rare. Fantasy Divine Palace doesn¡¯t lack talents. However, there aren¡¯t many who can walk to the end, one step at a time. This was also one of the reasons why he thought so highly of Mu Yafeng. ¡°You¡¯ve already studied more than half of the Xuan formations here, but the remaining ones start with ¡®sky.¡¯ You can¡¯t loosen up.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Jin Yunlai wanted to continue speaking when he heard some noise far away. His brows moved slightly, and he looked over. When Mu Yafeng heard this commotion, she also turned around to take a look. Jin Yunlai muttered, ¡°It seems like she has entered the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation region.¡± That is really faster than I had expected. This speed has already outdone Mu Yafeng. Thinking of this, he glanced at Mu Yafeng. Mu Yafeng found it strange and laughed. ¡°Seventh Deity, aren¡¯t you only concerned about Xuan Masters who enter the Grandmaster-level area? When did you care about the ones who enter the Great King Xuan Master-level region?¡± She asked this genuinely, as she really did not know what was going on. When Chu Liuyue¡¯s group entered Fantasy Divine Palace, she was cultivating. After she came out, she directly went to the Star Path to study the Xuan formations. Chu Liuyue made very little noise when she studied the Xuan formations. Moreover, she was a distance away and focused on her own Xuan formation, so she naturally did not know anything. Jin Yunlai briefly explained, ¡°It¡¯s a newcomer. She just stepped on the Star Path four days ago.¡± Those mere few words caused Mu Yafeng¡¯s expression to change. ¡°Four days?¡± asked Mu Yafeng in disbelief. Jin Yunlai nodded. Mu Yafeng then understood why Jin Yunlai used such a gaze to look at her. This newcomer¡¯s performance had already outdone her in the past! ¡°It seems like another rare talent has arrived,¡± she said after a pause. ¡°But she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem.¡± Jin Yunlai shook his head and did not have much of an impression. Even with his stern and picky gaze, that woman was considered very outstanding. The only pity was that she did not have a bloodline totem. This cut off all the possibilities. Mu Yafeng instantly heaved a sigh of relief in her heart, but she did not show it on her face. ¡°Then¡­ it¡¯s really a pity.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about her. You just have to continue studying your Xuan formations.¡± Mu Yafeng retracted her gaze and smiled slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Jin Yunlai looked at the side and quickly turned around to leave. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue studied the last King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation, she arrived at the Great King Xuan Master region. The light spots here were clearly brighter than before, and they had heavier suppression. Seeing Chu Liuyue come here, the surrounding crowd became increasingly quiet and stared at her without blinking. The previous few Xuan formations basically did not have much difficulty. However, it was different starting from now. Even if she was a Great King Xuan Master herself, it was hard to understand all of these. Not to mention the amount of energy and force needed to build a Xuan formation was much more than before. Chu Liuyue split out some force, and the Xuan formation below her feet immediately surfaced! She looked down at it and was dazed. This Xuan formation¡ª Chapter 2202 - 2202 Erase 2202 Erase Seeing Chu Liuyue stare at that Xuan formation for quite some time without moving, the surrounding crowd slowly became restless. ¡°What is she looking at?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps she suddenly saw the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation and hasn¡¯t recovered?¡± ¡°Such a Xuan formation isn¡¯t that simple to understand, right?¡± ¡­ When the crowd partook in heated discussions, Chu Liuyue finally recovered her senses. She raised both her hands, and rays of light flew out. There were clearly much more than before. This also confirmed the crowd¡¯s previous guesses¡ªshe was indeed a Great King Xuan Master! The silver rays of light intertwined and quickly formed a circular Xuan formation outline before her. Following that, the complicated patterns started to outline. In 15 minutes, that Xuan formation was completely set up! Chu Liuyue waved her wrist lightly, and the Xuan formation silently landed as it completely overlapped with the Xuan formation sealed below the black jade. Peng! A silver firework that was much bigger than before flew up together and slowly blossomed above her head! The crowd fell silent, and the originally noisy voices instantly disappeared. Their gazes toward Chu Liuyue changed. ¡°That can¡¯t be right. Why is she so fast? That¡¯s the Deep Heart Formation! Even though it¡¯s simpler amongst the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations¡­ it¡¯s still a higher level than those before! Did she see it clearly before she set it up in the blink of an eye?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already broken through and become a Great King Xuan Master for many years, but I¡¯m not as fast as her!¡± ¡°What kind of person is this¡­ The key is that she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, yet she¡¯s already so heaven-defying. I really don¡¯t dare to imagine what kind of existence she would be if she had¡­¡± ¡°Luckily, there are no ¡®ifs¡¯ in the world¡­ If not, she would crush countless people with this alone, right?¡± At this point, a crisp voice sounded at this moment. ¡°Hm? How many days has it been, yet you¡¯re already here?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around to look, and she curved her lips and smiled. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, why are you also here?¡± The Xuan formations before didn¡¯t have a high standard, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult to set them up. That was fine. However, the Deep Heart Formation was a legitimate Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation, yet she directly understood it so smoothly? Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other, smiled, and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a coincidence. I¡¯ve seen this Deep Heart Formation before.¡± ¡°Oh? I see¡­¡± Xiao Ran instantly nodded in understanding. When the surrounding spectators heard this, they all heaved a sigh of relief. So she had seen it before! In that case, it explains why she was so fast. If she really understood it at first glance like before, then other people really can¡¯t live! ¡°Continue then! Continue!¡± Xiao Ran laughed. In the beginning, although he was shocked when he heard that Chu Liuyue was a Great King Xuan Master, he didn¡¯t think much. After all, Great King Xuan Masters were frequently seen in Fantasy Divine Palace. However, he now noticed that Chu Liuyue¡¯s skills in this area seemed to be more outstanding than many other Great King Xuan Masters. At the very least, he hadn¡¯t seen a person who could understand all the King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations in four days. Mu Yafeng could not do it either. Chu Liuyue nodded and continued forward. ¡­ The Star Path was very crowded. On the other hand, the residence that Chu Liuyue and the rest lived in was quiet. After Xiao Ba climbed out of bed, she went to Chu Liuyue¡¯s room. However, it was to no avail as there was nobody inside. Looking at the empty room, she stretched and turned to walk back in. Coincidentally, she saw Cen Yi coming out from the side. Xiao Ba asked, ¡°Big Brother, Master is still not back yet?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°It has been a few days already¡­¡± Xiao Ba muttered. Then, her eyes lit up as she said rather excitedly, ¡°Hm? If that¡¯s the case, doesn¡¯t it mean that Master is still walking on the Star Path? Big Brother, why don¡¯t we go and take a look too?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression was nonchalant. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hm? Why not?¡± Xiao Ba was instantly disappointed as she looked in the direction of the Star Path. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s quite a few people there. They must have been shocked by Master! Let¡¯s go over there and join in the fun!¡± Cen Yi looked up and glanced at her coldly. ¡°What¡¯s there to see for a Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation?¡± Xiao Ba pouted. ¡°Big Brother, you can¡¯t stop me from going just because you yourself look down on a Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation. Your ability in this aspect is maniacally strong. I¡¯m different from you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a Xuan Master, so you can¡¯t compare.¡± Cen Yi reminded, ¡°If you have the time, why don¡¯t you think about the item I told you to produce last time. Have you done it?¡± Xiao Ba placed her hand on her hips and was arrogant. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m done producing it!¡± Who is he looking down on? ¡°Okay then.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression was nonchalant. ¡°Do it again.¡± Xiao Ba was speechless. ¡°Big Brother, Xiao Ba has been stuck here for a few days. Why don¡¯t you let her go outside for a spin?¡± Hearing the duo¡¯s conversation, Hua Shuangshuang stuck his head out of the room. ¡°Why don¡¯t I bring her to walk around the medicinal mountain?¡± When Xiao Ba heard this, she immediately perked up. ¡°Medicinal mountain? Sure! I knew it¡ªSecond Brother, you treat me the best!¡± Cen Yi glanced at Hua Shuangshuang, paused for a moment, and finally nodded. ¡°Two times when you come back.¡± The corner of Xiao Ba¡¯s lips twitched. I knew Big Brother wouldn¡¯t let me off so easily! ¡°Fine, two times! Second Brother, let¡¯s go! Perhaps when we come back, we can still go to the Star Path to cheer Master on!¡± The two of them quickly left and went straight for the medicinal mountain. Cen Yi stared at their back views for some time before he turned around. However, he didn¡¯t return to his room and went to the side. After entering the room, it was silent. Behind the screen, Qiang Wanzhou was sitting in a chair and looked down slightly. His soft golden hair flowed down and covered his eyes. His usually rose-red lips were pale. His one hand clutched the chair handle tightly, and his body trembled slightly, as if he was experiencing immense pain. Upon closer look, one could see the layer of thin frost covering his palm. Cen Yi walked to him and flipped his wrist over. He then split out some force and inserted it into Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s Yuan meridian. After some time, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s coldness silently dissipated. He exhaled. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Cen Yi shook his head and looked at the token around his waist. The ¡®Fantasy¡¯ word inside was bright and intense, as if something was about to emerge from it! He reached out and gently brushed across the token. After a moment, half of the unknown aura disappeared, and the writing became much fainter. ¡°That will do.¡± Chapter 2203 - 2203 Deity 2203 Deity Understanding Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations clearly took more time and energy. Chu Liuyue was obviously slower than before¡ªof course, this was what she thought. To the surrounding crowd, her current speed was maniacal. They looked at her with gazes that were initially filled with contempt, which then slowly changed to complicated emotions. Such an outstanding talent indeed hasn¡¯t come to Fantasy Divine Palace for a long while. Yet, she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. This also means that no matter how outstanding she is now, her eventual outcome is already set. While the crowd envied her talent, they also felt pity for her bloodline. Of course, out of all this, most of them felt thankful. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about what they thought. She only had one thought now¡ªcomplete the Star Path and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall! Peng! She rapidly outlined another Xuan formation, and the silver firework slowly blossomed above her head. Then, she continued taking a step forward. Xiao Ran watched on at the side for some time. Finally, he couldn¡¯t take it as he stroked his chin and asked, ¡°Miss, how did you understand that Thunder Xuan formation so quickly?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even turn around as she stared at the Xuan formation below her feet and lightly said, ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen it before.¡± The corner of Xiao Ran¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You¡¯ve said this a few times.¡± Even though these Xuan formations were of the same level, they still had a little difference. Some were simpler, but others were very difficult. When studying two completely different Xuan formations, the same Great King Xuan Master could very possibly require a very different amount of time because of this reason. Take the Thunder Xuan Formation for example¡ªit was definitely one of the top few complicated ones for Xuan formations of the same level. However, Chu Liuyue only looked at it for a while before she replicated and set it up successfully! One had to know that even he took half a month to completely digest it. Many people were envious of him. But compared to the current Chu Liuyue¡­ Even if she said she had seen it before, Xiao Ran still could not help but feel defeated. ¡°I asked you previously, and you said you saw it before. Now, you also said you saw this one before. How could it be such a coincidence that you saw all these Xuan formations before?¡± How old is she this year? Even if she started studying Xuan formations when she was in her mother¡¯s womb, she wouldn¡¯t have such a comprehensive understanding, right? There are many Xuan formations on the Star Path that are only available here! Chu Liuyue paused, as if she was thinking about her words. ¡°Um¡­ Actually, I haven¡¯t studied many Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations, but I did see quite a few of the ones here. Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s really such a coincidence?¡± Even she did not believe her own words. However, she still said it solemnly, and her expression looked genuine. ¡°You might not know, but I¡¯ve always been luckier.¡± Xiao Ran was speechless. The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± No matter how lucky she is, it wouldn¡¯t be till this extent, right? Xiao Ran sized her up doubtfully, but he really could not tell anything from her face, so he let it be. ¡­ Xiao Ba and Hua Shuangshuang went straight to the medicinal mountain. The so-called medicinal mountain was actually many mountains. The peaks were sharp and tall. Before they reached, they could already smell the herbal fragrance floating in the air. Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Second Brother, there are really quite a few good things here!¡± Hua Shuangshuang looked at her excited behavior And laughed out loud. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Xiao Ba raised her brows and lightly grunted. ¡°Big Brother is too old-fashioned. Isn¡¯t it just going out for a spin? What¡¯s there to consider? I was alone outside the past few years, and I lived well. Nothing happened to me.¡± ¡°Big Brother is doing this for your own good.¡± ¡°Hmph, if I knew of this earlier, I should¡¯ve called Little Thirteen over so that Big Brother¡¯s energy of managing people could be shifted to somewhere else.¡± Hua Shuangshuang coughed. ¡°Little Thirteen is always obedient, and Big Brother has never worried much about him, but¡­¡± But Xiao Ba¡¯s personality was active and careless. They had cleaned up a lot of messes behind her. Xiao Ba pouted with her red lips and did not retort. ¡°Hm? Soul sky berry?¡± She casually scanned around and suddenly saw large patches of soul sky berries on a mountain not far away. Soul sky berries were very precious and rare. Even in San San¡¯s small space in Peach Blossom Dock, there were only a dozen or so. Xiao Ba asked San San for some previously, but he was reluctant to give them to her. But with one rough look, there were at least a hundred plants here! ¡°Coincidentally, I urgently need this item recently. How effortless!¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s figure flashed across as she went for that mountain. Hua Shuangshuang followed closely behind. ¡­ The roots of the soul sky berry were very long, and they could reach one¡¯s waist. It was about the size of a thumb, and it was emerald green in color. The roots had layers of palm-sized leaves growing out of it, with red berries the size of a dragon eye at the tip. This was the soul sky berry. An intense and sweet fragrance wafted around. Xiao Ba came near to it and saw that the soul sky berry was growing well, and her eyes were filled with happiness. She reached out and was about to pick it when she suddenly heard a voice from the side. ¡°Stop!¡± Xiao Ba paused in her actions and looked up in the direction of the voice. A woman wearing a white dress rapidly walked over. Xiao Ba didn¡¯t see how she moved, but the latter reached her in no time. It was a woman who looked like she was in her twenties, and she had a clean and pretty appearance. She wore a flowy white dress that accentuated her elegant aura. She was like a pretty flower that stood upright. She glanced at Xiao Ba, and unhappiness quickly flashed across her eyes. She said, ¡°You can¡¯t pick this soul sky berry.¡± Xiao Ba was dazed. ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t Seventh Deity previously say that we can pick the items on this medicinal mountain as and when we want?¡± ¡°That is true to most people, but¡­ you¡¯re an exception.¡± That woman raised her chin, and her gaze swept across the token around Xiao Ba¡¯s waist. ¡°Those without bloodline totems can¡¯t casually pick the heavenly treasures on the medicinal mountain.¡± Xiao Ba instantly widened her pretty eyes. There¡¯s actually such a rule?! Isn¡¯t that too much of a bully? ¡°Why didn¡¯t Seventh Deity say so earlier? Isn¡¯t he tricking people? Seriously, he cheated my feelings.¡± Xiao Ba originally had a lot of opinions about Jin Yunlai. Now that she heard this, she was filled with rage. ¡°How dare you!?¡± The expression of the woman in the white dress instantly turned cold. The deities have distinguished statuses in Fantasy Divine Palace, and nobody dares to be disrespectful toward them. This woman is so gutsy! ¡°Xiao Ba.¡± Hua Shuangshuang rushed over at this point and pulled Xiao Ba back, giving her a look. Then, he stepped forward and cupped his hands politely. ¡°Miss, we¡¯re really sorry. We¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not any Miss.¡± That woman raised her chin in a proud and pristine manner. ¡°I¡¯m the Eighth Deity¡ªShu Jing.¡± Chapter 2204 - 2204 Sinister Woman 2204 Sinister Woman Hua Shuangshuang was dazed and then understood where the high and mighty pride of the other party came from. The Seventh Deity, Jin Yunlai, was a proud one, and this was even more so. He smiled and said, ¡°So it¡¯s the Eighth Deity¡ªsorry for not knowing. Actually, we didn¡¯t mean to offend you on purpose. We basically just came here and don¡¯t know many rules. If we¡¯ve offended you, do forgive us.¡± He was originally tall and handsome, and now that he had a very sincere attitude as well, other people had a good impression of him. Shu Jing¡¯s expression became softer as she lightly said, ¡°The later you come and the more you don¡¯t know, the more you have to be respectful and fearful. This is Fantasy Divine Palace, not some nonsensical place. You don¡¯t have bloodline totems, so you have to pay more attention.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll remember your words, Eighth Deity,¡± continued Hua Shuangshuang immediately. Shu Jing carried on saying, ¡°It¡¯s not completely impossible if you wish to pick the heavenly treasures here. A Senior Physician-level pill could be exchanged for a chance.¡± Hua Shuangshuang and Xiao Ba¡¯s expressions changed slightly. A pill of such a level was extremely rare, and even Xiao Ba didn¡¯t have one. Even if she did, this deal was not worth it. Xiao Ba was so angry that she laughed. Her red lips curled up at a perfect angle, and her pretty eyes sparkled. ¡°Thank you for your ¡®kind intentions,¡¯ Deity, but forget it. If I have the time, I can do anything else. Why must I do something so thankless? Second Brother, let¡¯s go. I can take it from San San when we go back.¡± Shu Jing just treated as if she were being insistent, and she nonchalantly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t have the assets, you don¡¯t have to act strong. This medicinal mountain doesn¡¯t lack the two of you.¡± Especially those without bloodline totems. ¡°Lord Deity, you don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± Xiao Ba looked down and admired her intricately manicured nails as she lazily said, ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll leave after staying here for a while, so we¡¯ll just take it as traveling. But Lord Deity, you have to be more mindful of your rest and don¡¯t be angry. My master said that if a woman always gets angry, she¡¯ll become older quicker.¡± ¡°You!¡± Shu Jing was enraged. However, Xiao Ba still smiled happily as she twisted her hips and pulled Hua Shuangshuang to leave carefreely. Her colorful and iridescent dress flowed with the wind as the crushed pearl on the anklet made a crisp sound. Her white and thin waist could faintly be seen as she walked, looking especially alluring and eye-catching. There were quite a few spectators at the side who originally wanted to watch a joke, but they were all stunned. With one gaze and a hook of her fingers, a natural character like Xiao Ba could attract many people to go crazy for her. She had an ambiguous demonic aura on her, which was like a lethal temptation. She was also a strongly fresh painting, which easily barged into one¡¯s eyeballs and engraved into one¡¯s memories, unable to brush it away. Suddenly, a young man flew forward and stopped Xiao Ba and Hua Shuangshuang. He looked at Xiao Ba with unconcealable passion. ¡°Miss, I am Liang He. May I know your name?¡± Xiao Ba squinted her eyes and looked at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Her voice was as soft and cutesy as usual, with a few hints of laziness. It was a pity that the man opposite did not know and thought that the lady was whining, and half his body became soft. He said quickly, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t misunderstand. I don¡¯t have any other intentions; I just want to befriend you. I heard that you want that soul sky berry? Coincidentally, I have a few extra. Why don¡¯t I give you some?¡± This sounded really fake. A person wouldn¡¯t feel that they had extra soul sky berries. He clearly wanted to flatter Xiao Ba. Xiao Ba yawned. She had seen such trickery many times and really found it boring. If she was in a good mood, she might be willing to talk to them more. However, she was in a very bad mood now and couldn¡¯t conceal her anger. Hence, she could not be bothered to deal with them. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Then, she lifted her legs and left. Liang He was instantly anxious. ¡°That¡­ Miss, you really don¡¯t want the soul sky berry?¡± Xiao Ba did not turn around as she lazily waved her hands and chased him away, ¡°It¡¯s not too late when you bring all the soul sky berries and find me.¡± Liang He¡¯s face froze. Xiao Ba and Hua Shuangshuang had already left. When Shu Jing saw this scene, she knitted her brows slightly and felt more disgusted toward Xiao Ba. ¡°Sinister woman.¡± Other than seducing boys, what else would this type of woman do? She is just a mere true god, and she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, yet she is this arrogant. Seventh Deity actually let such a person in¡­ Her figure flashed, and she vanished from the spot. ¡­ ¡°Xiao Ba, aren¡¯t we going to the Star Path to look at Master? You¡­ You¡¯re planning to go back?¡± Hua Shuangshuang followed Xiao Ba by the side. Seeing her change her direction, he could not help but ask. ¡°What do I do if I go over there now? Anger Master?¡± Xiao Ba lightly snorted. If Master knew that we were just bullied and looked down on by those people earlier, she would not be in a good mood. I should just let Master focus on her own matters. If I go over now, I¡¯m not cheering her on but pulling her down. Hua Shuangshuang sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart either. From the moment you stepped into Fantasy Divine Palace, you should¡¯ve thought of these situations, right?¡± At the Heaven Gate, Jin Yunlai¡¯s attitude had stated everything. Xiao Ba kicked away the rock in front of her and wrinkled her nose. ¡°I just feel gross. That so-called Shu Jing is actually the Eighth Deity, and I¡¯m even called Xiao Ba[1]! Isn¡¯t this purposely making me disgusted?¡± Hua Shuangshuang laughed. The points Xiao Ba gets angry at are really different from us. ¡°That¡¯s fine. You¡¯re prettier than her!¡± ¡°Really?¡± When Xiao Ba heard this, her expression became better as she raised her brows and glanced at him. Hua Shuangshuang held his laughter in. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it already very obvious earlier?¡± If not, that Liang He would not take the initiative to run over. One had to know that Shu Jing was still there at that point. Xiao Ba¡¯s lips then curled up slightly. ¡°That¡¯s true. Master is the prettiest in the world. I¡¯m the same as Master.¡± ¡­ The two of them quickly went back to the house and coincidentally saw Cen Yi sitting on a stone stool in the yard. There was a yellowish paper before him and a few rocks on top. He looked like he was studying some array formation. Hearing the duo¡¯s footsteps, he looked up and was not shocked. ¡°Big Brother, I was bullied today!¡± Once Xiao Ba returned, she unleashed her grievances as she explained everything to Cen Yi once. In the end, she concluded, ¡°These people are too overboard!¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression did not change. After she finished speaking, he lightly said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a Senior Physician pill? It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t produce it.¡± [1] ¡®Ba¡¯ in her name stands for ¡®eight¡¯ in Chinese¡¯ Chapter 2205 - 2205 Big Baby Lied to Me 2205 Big Baby Lied to Me Xiao Ba¡¯s entire body stiffened, and her long lashes moved as she quickly glanced at Cen Yi. Cen Yi put down the last rock in his hand, and his expression was calm. Xiao Ba instantly exhaled defeatedly and lay on the stone table softly. ¡°Big Brother, can¡¯t you give me some privacy!?¡± I haven¡¯t said anything! Big Brother knows everything! ¡°I was thinking of giving Master a surprise!¡± whined Xiao Ba upsettingly. Cen Yi glanced at her and retorted, ¡°This also counts as a ¡®surprise?''¡± The standard of this surprise is too low. Xiao Ba was speechless. T-this person¡­ is indeed a maniac! As if hearing the words in her heart, Cen Yi nonchalantly asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± Xiao Ba immediately straightened her body and stuck up two thumbs. ¡°I said Big Brother is so smart! He knows everything like the back of his hand! Awesome¡ªI really admire you!¡± Hua Shuangshuang glanced at Xiao Ba and was rather shocked. ¡°Xiao Ba, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few years, and your ability to curry favor has indeed improved!¡± Xiao Ba: ¡°¡­ Second Brother, you¡¯re too kind. Your sharp tongue is also better than before.¡± Actually, Hua Shuangshuang wasn¡¯t like this originally. Ever since he started following Shi Fang to raise the fiends and plant vegetables, he was influenced by Shi Fang. Then, he did not change for the better after so many years. ¡°It¡¯s too much of a loss to exchange a Senior Physician pill for those things. I would be stupid to agree.¡± Xiao Ba grunted. Even if she could produce it, she would not be willing to do so. Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Although the medicinal mountain is big, the things are right there. You still have enough stock in your hands. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t go.¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him strangely. ¡°Big Brother, how did you know all of these things? You went to the medicinal mountain?¡± Cen Yi paused in his actions and put away the items on the table. He then calmly said, ¡°Your standard is right there. The herbs you need for the things you can produce are only those few. As for the rest¡­ Do you need them?¡± Xiao Ba raised her brows indignantly. ¡°That might not be the case.¡± ¡°Then ,we¡¯ll talk when you can do it.¡± Following that, Cen Yi stood up and left. Xiao Ba stuck out her tongue toward his back. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, it was the second day. On the Star Path, Chu Liuyue looked at the Xuan formation below her feet and lightly exhaled. Then, she moved and left the Star Path. When the crowd saw this, there was instantly a commotion. Is she finally no longer able to hang in there and want to give up? ¡°Yo, why aren¡¯t you continuing?¡± asked Xiao Ran strangely. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°Nothing much. I just want to rest.¡± The crowd secretly exchanged glances. It was put nicely, but she probably can¡¯t understand, so she gave herself a way out. However, this was normal. The people that walked the Star Path regularly did this, so there was nothing much to say. Besides, Chu Liuyue had used such a short amount of time to understand so many Xuan formations and walked so far! ¡°Sure. You haven¡¯t gone back in a few days and nights, right? You can recharge yourself and fight again,¡± Xiao Ran looked past it, smiled, and said. Chu Liuyue nodded and thanked him before she walked to her own residence. After she left, the spectating crowd dispersed. ¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly returned to her own courtyard. ¡°Master, you¡¯re back?!¡± Xiao Ba was resting on a rattan chair in the yard. Once she saw her master, she immediately wanted to stand up. ¡°You can just rest. I¡¯ll go back and have some quiet time,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Xiao Ba blinked and lay back down. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good. Master, rest well!¡± Chu Liuyue returned to the house, locked the door, and took a deep breath in. After a while, she clenched her teeth and said carefully, ¡°They¡¯re actually all Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations!¡± When I saw them back then, Big Baby clearly said they were King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations! Chapter 2206 - 2206 Stop 2206 Stop Chu Liuyue felt that she was deeply cheated. Back at the Red Moon Desert, how much effort did she spend understanding those complicated Xuan formations? There were quite a few times in the middle where she really couldn¡¯t recall, and Big Baby lectured her strictly. At that time, she just thought that her talent was limited and was worried that she would let Big Baby¡¯s expectations down, so she felt guilty for a long while. In the end¡­ he actually took the knowledge that far exceeded her cultivation level to force her to cultivate? It was a pity that she was too naive back then. Though she found it hard, she had never doubted Big Baby. Without asking, Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze definitely knew of this, and they were half-accomplices! Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth. ¡°When I find them, we¡¯ll see how I¡¯ll deal with them!¡± ¡°A¡¯Yue, this means that you¡¯ve seen all the Xuan formations before?¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s soft and milky voice came from inside her heart. Chu Liuyue held her forehead. ¡°That¡¯s not true, but¡­¡± But the closer she was to the Fantasy Divine Hall, the higher the percentage of the Xuan formations she had seen! In the beginning, she didn¡¯t find it amiss. But when she saw the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations that Big Baby said were King Xuan Master ones appear continuously in the Great King Xuan Master region in large quantities, she knew that there was definitely something amiss. Sensing her thoughts, Tuan Zi excitedly asked, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t you be able to understand all the Xuan formations on the Star Path in no time? That¡¯s great!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°That¡¯s why I came back.¡± For the first few, she could explain that she was talented and lucky. But if she continued in this manner, anyone could tell that she was problematic. Although she desperately wanted to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall to find Big Baby and the rest, she had her considerations. If she didn¡¯t handle the doubts and suspicions of the surrounding people, it would have an unknown impact on her future. She came to Fantasy Divine Palace not long ago and didn¡¯t understand the background, so she could not enter it impulsively. ¡°Let¡¯s wait first and see what reactions there are on Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s side before we make the next move,¡± Chu Liuyue said calmly. Originally, she was worried about Big Baby and the rest, so she was focused on passing the Star Path to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. But now that she knew she had seen most of the Xuan formations on the Star Path, she was not so anxious. Tuan Zi did not quite understand. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you then, A¡¯Yue!¡± Chu Liuyue walked over to sit and closed her eyes to rest. She had set up Xuan formations the past few days without rest, and it did use up a large amount of her force and energy. ¡°A¡¯Yue, if we wait for a while, Big Baby, Grandpa, and the rest should be fine, right?¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and grunted. ¡°Only they can trick others. Who can bully them!?¡± ¡°Ah-choo!¡± Lan Xiao suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose and whined, ¡°Who misses me so much¡­¡± He surveyed the surroundings, and it was still a patch of darkness. He sighed and lay back down. ¡°Sigh, days like this are really boring¡­ Why don¡¯t you send a few people over, and I¡¯ll help you teach them?¡± Nobody answered. Lan Xiao snorted. ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to. Back then, so many people begged me, and I refused. It¡¯s such a good chance now, yet you¡¯re going to miss it. How¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a fallen soldier. All the glory in the past has turned into naught. If you always live in the past, other people will just find you pitiful.¡± That voice came from far away. Lan Xiao¡¯s lips curled up into a sinister smile. ¡°You know clearly who is living in the past.¡± ¡­ ¡°Miss Xiao Ba?¡± Xiao Ba was lying on the chair and closed her eyes to sleep when she suddenly heard a man¡¯s voice from outside the courtyard. She could not help but open her eyes and look over strangely. A man stood outside the door and looked over nervously and expectantly. This courtyard was very big, and there was only a short bamboo fence surrounding it, not affecting one¡¯s vision. Hence, the people outside could easily see the situation in the courtyard. It was also the same for the person inside the courtyard. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Xiao Ba in confusion. That man instantly felt as if a pot of cold water was poured on him, and his expression was awkward for a moment. However, he quickly recovered and laughed.¡±Miss Xiao Ba, I¡¯m Liang He! We met at the medicinal mountain before!¡± Xiao Ba blinked and then recalled that she did see this face before. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. I¡¯m sorry, I have a bad memory. I can¡¯t really remember those who aren¡¯t especially good-looking.¡± She had the same attitude to humans and objects¡ªshe only picked the good-looking ones. She even had to pick the petals she used for her bath, let alone a person. This Liang He looked like he was 27 or 28. Among normal people, he was considered to have decent features, but he just became the norm to Xiao Ba. After suffering that mockery, Liang He was not angry. That was because Xiao Ba did have the right to say it. Besides, he fell in love with Xiao Ba at first sight. When he heard this now, he just felt that Xiao Ba was straightforward and cute, and he wasn¡¯t enraged at all. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll come a few more times, and you¡¯ll be able to remember me, Miss Xiao Ba.¡± Xiao Ba suddenly recalled something and suspiciously sized him up. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Liang He laughed. ¡°I naturally went to ask around. Miss Xiao Ba, you¡¯re so pretty that I can find out without much effort.¡± Then, he became nervous. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a little offensive for me to do this. Miss Xiao Ba, are you upset?¡± Xiao Ba laughed. ¡°What¡¯s there to be upset about this?¡± Anyway, she had seen such matters many times. There was nothing to mind. Could it be that she would live while hiding her name and identity in Fantasy Divine Palace? ¡°Say it. Why are you looking for me? If it¡¯s nothing urgent, I want to rest.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Liang He said hurriedly, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, you previously said that you wanted the soul sky berry, so I specifically came to send them over. I brought all the ones you took a fancy to earlier.¡± Xiao Ba was originally lazy. When she heard this, she instantly looked shocked. ¡°All? There¡¯s more than hundreds of them.¡± Liang He laughed and said in a flattering manner, ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re all here.¡± Xiao Ba raised her sharp brows and glanced at him with inspection. Then, she said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Won¡¯t Eighth Deity be angry if she knew that you were doing this?¡± ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, you might not know, but there are quite a few places on the medicinal mountain that grow this soul sky berry. The ones I¡¯ve brought are just a portion of it. Lord Deity won¡¯t be angry because of this.¡± Xiao Ba heard this and laughed. ¡°So Seventh Deity wasn¡¯t lying when he said that we could casually use the items on the medicinal mountain.¡± The person who truly didn¡¯t want her to take the soul sky berry was still the high and mighty Eighth Deity! Chapter 2207 - 2207 That Name on the Record of the Million Gods 2207 That Name on the Record of the Million Gods As if seeing through what she was thinking, Liang He hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, don¡¯t be angry. Eighth Deity didn¡¯t target you alone, but¡­¡± ¡°But everyone who doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, right?¡± Xiao Ba continued with understanding. Liang He looked awkward. ¡°Actually, you can¡¯t put it in that way. Guarding the medicinal mountain is the Eighth Deity¡¯s responsibilities¡­ Why don¡¯t we do this? In the future, you can just let me know if you want anything, and I¡¯ll help you take it. How about that?¡± Actually, Eighth Deity¡¯s methods weren¡¯t a problem to him and the other people in Fantasy Divine Palace. Besides, Xiao Ba was still a true god, so Eighth Deity would naturally dislike her more. Xiao Ba waved her hands. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I haven¡¯t reached that stage.¡± Liang He felt that she seemed to be angry and really didn¡¯t dare to barge in to make her angrier. ¡°Then¡­ these soul sky berries?¡± ¡°Keep them for yourself!¡± Xiao Ba snorted in her heart and lay back down, clearly not having the interest to continue talking. Liang He was embarrassed at that moment. But seeing her annoyed expression, he could only say, ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t be using these things for now, so I¡¯ll leave them with you, Miss Xiao Ba. Rest well. I¡¯ll come back another day.¡± Then, he actually left the hundred-plus soul sky berries all at the door. He kept turning back with every step he took, and he left reluctantly. Hua Shuangshuang walked out of the house, saw the Liang He that had departed, and asked, ¡°Xiao Ba, he kindly sent us this. Are you really not going to take it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a bunch of stupid soul sky berries? What¡¯s there to want?¡± Xiao Ba rolled her eyes. ¡°If I really want something, can¡¯t I snatch it myself? Why would I need other people to give it to me? Besides, there are so many people who want to give me things. If I were to take all of them, won¡¯t I be exhausted to death?¡± Hua Shuangshuang laughed out loud and nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± All these years, when Xiao Ba wanted something, she would either find Master or the Thirteen Yue Guards. Anyway, there were people who would spoil her, so she really hadn¡¯t worried about such matters before. ¡°Xiao Ba, I think you have to produce some things. The word on your token has faded by more than half,¡± reminded Hua Shuangshuang. Xiao Ba dragged her tone. ¡°I got it¡ª¡± ¡­ Shu Jing returned to Fantasy Divine Hall and bumped into Jin Yunlai. Jin Yunlai greeted her and planned to leave. ¡°Hold on.¡± Shu Jing called him. Jin Yunlai turned around. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shu Jing nodded and asked, ¡°You brought the true gods with no bloodline totems in?¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shu Jing knitted her brows. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s wrong? How can you let such people in? All these years, we¡¯ve never really let such people in. It¡¯s really¡ª¡± Shu Jing suppressed the fire in her heart. ¡°No. I just found it strange to see such people in Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± ¡°Are you doubting me?¡± Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately denied it. ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best if you aren¡¯t.¡± Jin Yunlai was much taller than Shu Jing. Standing in front of her, he naturally had a strong suppression. ¡°If someone has offended you, you just have to punish them according to the rules. As for the words you said earlier, I¡¯ll treat it as if I didn¡¯t hear them this time. There¡¯s no next time.¡± His voice had a hint of warning. Shu Jing bit her lips. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ On the Star Path, Mu Yafeng stood rooted to the spot, having not moved in three whole days. She stared at that Xuan formation below her feet and knitted her brows tightly. Countless possible patterns were outlined in her head, but none of them matched. This Xuan formation was indeed hard to understand. She knew clearly that she wouldn¡¯t be able to solve this in a month or so, just for this one alone. However¡­ she had just solved a few Xuan formations. If she gave up on everything and returned, she would feel humiliated. She walked this path for too long, too long. In the beginning, everything was smooth. But slowly, the Xuan formations became harder and harder to solve. Every step she took on this path was accompanied with huge amounts of force and great prices. She couldn¡¯t recall how many times she had returned. Every time, she would spend a shorter and shorter amount of time here. The nearer it was to Fantasy Divine Hall, the harder the Xuan formations. They weren¡¯t things she could understand after studying for a few days. Even if she didn¡¯t go back now, she would not be able to proceed for a relatively long amount of time. Although there was nobody spectating her on both sides, she knew that quite a few people were watching her. Her every move and performance here would spread throughout Fantasy Divine Palace in a short amount of time. But no matter what she chose, she would be talked about. ¡°If you can¡¯t understand it for now, you can go back and study it for a while longer.¡± A familiar voice sounded. Mu Yafeng looked up and bent her knees to bow when she saw the incoming person. ¡°Greetings, Seventh Deity. I want to¡­ try again.¡± Jin Yunlai shook his head. ¡°This Xuan formation is even more complicated than you think. Back then, I took a total of three months to forcefully understand a little. If you want to completely solve it, it¡¯ll be a year later. There¡¯s not much meaning if you spend more time here.¡± Upon hearing this, Mu Yafeng¡¯s expression faltered. After a moment, she finally sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve disappointed you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. If this Star Path was so easy to walk, there wouldn¡¯t only be a few people passing it for the past tens of thousands of years. You¡¯re already very outstanding. You don¡¯t have to give yourself so much pressure.¡± Mu Yafeng felt much better. Jin Yunlai¡¯s words meant that she was still the one he thought most highly of for now. ¡°Thank you for the guidance, Deity.¡± Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly thought of something and turned around to take a look. ¡°Oh right, I wonder where that person walked until. I didn¡¯t hear any noise the past two days.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression was as cold and nonchalant as usual. ¡°She had already given up two days ago and left the Star Path. I think she¡¯s also stuck on a Xuan formation.¡± Mu Yafeng looked down slightly. ¡°Oh, then that¡¯s really a pity¡­ I still thought I could watch her finish the Grandmaster-level Xuan formations in one go.¡± Jin Yunlai shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve overestimated her. She doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem after all. You don¡¯t have to mind her¡ªjust care about understanding the remaining ones.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu stood with his hand behind his back in the magnificent hall. Different from the past, he was currently decked in a long black robe, and his cold and elegant face had a few more hints of icy coldness. Swoosh! He raised his palm, and a bamboo scroll slowly spread before him! Rows of words slowly appeared. It was the Record of the Million Gods! Some parts seemed to be scorched by fire, and the name was blurred. A layer of gold covered it. Compared to before, this name had moved forward by quite a bit! Chapter 2208 - 2208 Zhen Bao Pavilion 2208 Zhen Bao Pavilion With the golden light covering it, the name was blurry and hard to differentiate. However, it contained an unknown tremendous force that caused it to be different from the other names on the Record of the Million Gods. Even if this difference was very slight, it truly existed. Rong Xiu raised his hand, and his long fingers brushed across the surface. The golden ray of light glowed brighter, and the aura was covered. The aura that was about to seep out was gradually reduced, dissipated, and disappeared without a trace. Footsteps rang in the empty hall. ¡°Master.¡± Yu Mo went forward and saw Rong Xiu summon the Record of the Million Gods. He couldn¡¯t help but be stunned as he kneeled on one knee. Rong Xiu moved his palm and put away the Record of the Million Gods. It turned into a ray of light and disappeared quickly. Rong Xiu then half-turned around and looked at Yu Mo. Yu Mo respectfully said, ¡°Master, Madam has already started walking the Star Path and has solved up to the Giant Spirit Formation.¡± Rong Xiu nodded lightly and did not seem surprised. Yu Mo hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Master, as for Fantasy Divine Hall¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just wait and see.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Mo made up his mind. It seems like Master doesn¡¯t plan to take action for now. ¡°Is Yan Ge back already?¡± Rong Xiu suddenly thought of something and asked. Yu Mo immediately said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tell him to stay there obediently. If there¡¯s no need, don¡¯t show his face.¡± Yu Mo silently cried for Yan Ge in sympathy. Ever since that person was deployed outside, he thought of returning every day. Now that this day finally came¡­ In the end, before he could even be sufficiently happy, he was grounded again. Sigh, how pitiful. Yu Mo tried hard to stop his smile from expanding. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Then, he stood up and left respectfully. Rong Xiu was quickly left in the hall alone. ¡­ Chu Liuyue rested in her house for three days. After adjusting her condition, she walked out. The moment she reached the door, she saw quite a few heavenly treasures piled by the door. ¡°This is¡­¡± She scanned it and realized that they were the more precious type. She turned back to look at Xiao Ba lying on the chair. ¡°Xiao Ba, where did all of these things come from?¡± Xiao Ba didn¡¯t even open her eyes as she turned around and muttered lethargically, ¡°Other people gave it.¡± ¡°Other people? Gave it?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. Ever since we came to Fantasy Divine Palace, we¡¯ve been despised everywhere, and there aren¡¯t many people who are even willing to look us in the eye. Yet, someone sent something over, and it was even so generous. This was quite a big sum of wealth for even her. ¡°Oh, yeah. I think¡­ What is he called? Sigh, I forgot.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Master, Liang He sent it over.¡± Hua Shuangshuang walked out from the other room and explained. ¡°Liang He?¡± Chu Liuyue found this name very unfamiliar. Even though she was present on the day Liang He came, she was focused on thinking about how Big Baby tricked her with the Xuan formations and didn¡¯t care about the rest. ¡°Yeah. Ever since Xiao Ba and I went to the medicinal mountain a few days ago, Liang He comes over every day and sends these herbs.¡± Xiao Ba grunted. ¡°I already said that I didn¡¯t want them, yet he insists on giving them to me. What else can I do?¡± Her intent of rejection couldn¡¯t be more obvious, but it was a pity that Liang He was also devoted. Cold water was poured on him every day, but he actually did not care and was very persistent. Besides, although he sent the items over, he didn¡¯t barge in and would leave after saying a few sentences. From a certain angle, he knew his limits. Xiao Ba felt nothing toward this. Seeing that she could not convince him, she just let him be. ¡°Anyway, he will give up after a while.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that Xiao Ba was used to such things and had no intent of interfering. She minded something else. ¡°Can¡¯t we use the items on the medicinal mountain as we wish? Why must Liang He deliver them everyday?¡± Upon hearing this, Xiao Ba¡¯s body stiffened as she finally opened her eyes. Hua Shuangshuang paused and still explained everything that day briefly. Even though they didn¡¯t want to anger Master, such a thing could not be hidden. After hearing this, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly. ¡°There¡¯s still such a rule?¡± Without a bloodline totem, there really are a lot more restrictions here. ¡°Master, that day, Seventh Deity only said his words halfway. According to what Eighth Deity said¡­ Even if we have a bloodline totem, there¡¯s a condition to using the herbs on the medicinal mountain. Those who are heavenly doctors have more rights than an average person, and the higher one¡¯s level, the freer they are on the medicinal mountain and can use more herbs.¡± Hua Shuangshuang stroked his chin. ¡°I heard that Liang He is the youngest Supreme Physician in Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Supreme Physicians were existences above Senior physicians. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered as she looked at Xiao Ba and teased, ¡°Xiao Ba, it seems like the person chasing you is truly a young and handsome talent.¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled slightly. ¡°He looks average. I don¡¯t want him.¡± Chu Liuyue knew that she was obsessed with looks and said this jokingly. Still¡­ ¡°According to the rules, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be troublesome for us to go to the medicinal mountain to take herbs.¡± Even though she did not lack herbs, the medicinal mountain did have quite a few good items. If she just missed it, it would be a pity. ¡°Miss, if you really need herbs, you don¡¯t have to go to the medicinal mountain.¡± Xiao Ran¡¯s voice came from outside. Chu Liuyue smiled and went over to open the door. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, why are you here?¡± Xiao Ran shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I was bored staying in the house the past two days, so I came out for a spin. When I passed by here earlier, I heard you talking about the medicinal mountain, so I conveniently came in.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding and asked, ¡°What did you mean by what you said earlier?¡± Xiao Ran bit on the toothpick in his mouth and smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve come to Fantasy Divine Palace for a while, yet you don¡¯t know this? Did all of you stay here the whole time and not walk around?¡± Chu Liuyue was silent for a moment. Now that he said it, it really seems like the case¡­ Seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction, Xiao Ran was quite speechless and shook his head helplessly. ¡°Actually, other than the medicinal mountain and the lightning pool, there are quite a few interesting places in Fantasy Divine Palace. Why do you keep staying here? As for the herbs¡­ Actually, it¡¯s not just you. Many of those who aren¡¯t heavenly doctors or cultivators without sufficient cultivation all have the same problem. Normally, they would go to Zhen Bao Pavilion to buy. The price is fair, and the items are decent¡ª¡± ¡°Zhen Bao Pavilion?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly spoke, and her expression was of shock. Xiao Ran was dazed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the biggest shop here. Not only does it have herbs, but they also have quite a few other treasures. Why? Is there a problem?¡± Chapter 2209 - 2209 Here 2209 Here Chu Liuyue recovered her senses, and her lips curled up slightly. ¡°Nothing much. It¡¯s just that this name¡­ is rather familiar. I¡¯ve heard of it before.¡± Xiao Ran disregarded it. ¡°Anyway, in such places, the names are about the same.¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. However, this is really quite a coincidence¡­ ¡°You said that there aren¡¯t only herbs but other treasures as well?¡± ¡°Yeah! You just came here and aren¡¯t sure. Quite a few cultivators in Fantasy Divine Palace have a close relationship with Zhen Bao Pavilion. For example, those heavenly doctors with higher levels can casually pick some herbs from the medicinal mountain. Then, they¡¯ll sell these herbs through Zhen Bao Pavilion and make a profit instantly. This way, it can also be given to the people who can¡¯t take herbs from the medicinal mountain. It¡¯s a win-win situation. Why not?¡± For example, people like Chu Liuyue who wanted to enter the medicinal mountain had to give them a Senior Physician-level pill. Such a huge price was really not worth it. However, if she chose to go to Zhen Bao Pavilion, she could lower her cost-price and get what she wanted. All in all, it was beneficial for anyone. Except for the Eighth Deity. ¡°In this case¡­ Eighth Deity won¡¯t have any opinions?¡± Xiao Ba and the rest just wanted to take some soul sky berries and was strongly rejected by the other party. Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s existence would undoubtedly greatly reduce the other party¡¯s profits. In this case, that Eighth Deity actually accepted it? Xiao Ran snorted. ¡°She naturally minds it, but¡­ there¡¯s no use. She can control the medicinal mountain, but she wouldn¡¯t dare to touch Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± ¡°Oh? Why is that so?¡± Chu Liuyue was instantly curious. Deities have very high statuses in Fantasy Divine Palace. What kind of background does Zhen Bao Pavilion have to not be afraid of this? ¡°Isn¡¯t this simple? It¡¯s naturally because she can¡¯t afford to offend the person in Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± As Xiao Ran spoke, he surveyed the surroundings as if fearfully. ¡°Actually, very few people dare to mention that person in Fantasy Divine Palace. I¡¯m only telling you about this today. You can just know it yourself.¡± The doubts in Chu Liuyue¡¯s throats spun around twice, and she finally still swallowed it. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to thank?¡± Xiao Ran shook his head nonchalantly. He placed his hands behind his head, walked two steps, and turned around to say, ¡°Oh right. I can see that you¡¯re quite talented as a Xuan Master. If you have anything you don¡¯t understand, you can directly find me¡ªI¡¯m really too bored.¡± Chu Liuyue had heard him say this more than once. When she heard it, she could not help but laugh. ¡°Definitely.¡± Xiao Ran walked away loudly. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment, turned around, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to that Zhen Bao Pavilion to take a look.¡± Hua Shuangshuang said, ¡°Master, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come too!¡± Xiao Ba finally stood up from the chair, yawned, and lazily walked forward. Her half-awake manner was another sight. Chu Liuyue tidied her messy hair, smiled, and said, ¡°Xiao Ba, if you¡¯re so tired, you don¡¯t have to go.¡± ¡°I have to go. I don¡¯t have¡ª¡± Don¡¯t have herbs. Xiao Ba swallowed the remaining few words. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m quite bored staying here, so I¡¯ll follow you to walk around. As she spoke, she hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s arm, tilted her head, and leaned on her shoulders. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡­ Fantasy Divine Palace was very spacious, and there were rows and rows of houses. Luckily, Zhen Bao Pavilion was in a prime location, and they quickly found it. Quite a few people on the road were heading to the same place. After reaching that place, they then confirmed that those people were indeed heading toward Zhen Bao Pavilion. At this point, many people were coming in and out of Zhen Bao Pavilion, and it was very crowded. Chu Liuyue stood still and looked over. This was an intricate three-storey building. From the outside, one could tell that it was of quite a big scale. There was a plaque with golden words hanging on it¡ªZhen Bao Pavilion. The name is indeed exactly the same as the one in Country Yao Chen back then, but the handwriting is different. She suppressed her messy thoughts and walked to Zhen Bao Pavilion. Quite a few people looked over. It wasn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue and the rest were making large movements; it was just that the three of them were really too eye-catching. Hua Shuangshuang was very tall and had a strong build. He was literally a stork amongst chickens. Xiao Ba was incredibly beautiful and alluring. As for Chu Liuyue¡­ She was peerlessly beautiful and carefree, with elegance that seeped out of her bones. The more important thing was that she walked on the Star Path a few days ago and reached the Great King Xuan Master region in the shortest amount of time. This news had already spread far and wide. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ Shangguan Yue?¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Yeah! The one that broke Mu Yafeng¡¯s record!¡± ¡°I heard that she reached the Giant Spirit Formation a few days ago and was stuck, so she just gave up and went back. I didn¡¯t expect to meet her here today.¡± ¡°You forgot that she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. She¡¯s probably here to buy herbs¡­ The one beside her seems to be the two people who were chased out of the medicinal mountain by Eighth Deity a few days ago.¡± Xiao Ba grinded her teeth, and murderous intent filled her pretty eyes. Chu Liuyue patted her hands and softly chuckled, ¡°Okay, we¡¯re here to buy things. Why are you getting angry at them? Later on, go in and see what you want, and we¡¯ll buy them all.¡± Xiao Ba then smiled. ¡°Master is still the best to me!¡± Chu Liuyue and the rest ignored the surrounding gazes and entered Zhen Bao Pavilion. ¡­ ¡°What did you say?! Master told me not to come out for now?¡± Yan Ge, who was leisurely arranging a jade object, heard this and looked up in shock. ¡°That can¡¯t be? I just came back!¡± Yu Mo patted his shoulders. ¡°My deepest sympathies, but this is Master¡¯s intentions. You get it.¡± The corner of Yan Ge¡¯s eyelids twitched as he pulled his hand down and said expressionlessly, ¡°When you say such words of sympathy, can you not smile so brightly? That will be more convincing.¡± ¡°Aiya¡­ Look, no matter what, Master had already transferred you back. He just wants you to reveal yourself less for now. Isn¡¯t this better than the past?¡± Yan Ge glanced at him speechlessly and asked weakly, ¡°Then, did Master say how long?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yu Mo chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be too worried. Since Madam and the rest are already here, it won¡¯t be too long. You¡ª¡± Suddenly, Yan Ge¡¯s expression tingled. ¡°She¡¯s here.¡± Yu Mo was dazed. ¡°Who is here?¡± Yan Ge almost rolled his eyes. ¡°Who else can it be? Madam is here!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Yu Mo immediately became nervous. ¡°I¡¯ll go first then! Be more careful!¡± Then, before Yan Ge could reply, his figure flashed across and disappeared from the room. Yan Ge¡¯s skin twitched harshly. ¡°¡­Pui! Another shameless one¡ªjust like Yan Qing!¡± After cursing, Yan Ge then felt better. However, thinking about how that person was just downstairs, he couldn¡¯t calm down no matter what. Chapter 2210 - 2210 Hes Back 2210 He¡¯s Back The space inside Zhen Bao Pavilion looked bigger than the outside. The entire first floor was a large squarish exhibition hall. On the four walls, there were long cabinets decorated with white crystals. All sorts of treasures were intricately placed on them. In the centermost position, there was a spiral staircase. In front of the stairs was the cashier. A middle-aged man stood there and looked like the person-in-charge. Other than him, there were no other pageboys serving on the first floor. However, there were a dozen or so customers leisurely walking around, looking very casual. According to what Xiao Ran said previously, this Zhen Bao Pavilion haS a backer, so even someone with the Eighth Deity¡¯s status wouldn¡¯t dare to easily offend them. It¡¯s no wonder this place looks so carefree¡ªthey aren¡¯t afraid that anybody will cause trouble. Only someone with a spoiled brain would offend Zhen Bao Pavilion. Seeing Chu Liuyue and the rest walk in, everyone in the room looked over with various expressions. Curiosity, inquisitiveness, contempt¡­ Chu Liuyue was going to walk to the side when she felt a solid gaze land on her. Her heart tingled, and she looked up. A woman decked in a light-green dress was looking at her. This woman looked like she was in her twenties, with a curvy figure, looking clean and elegant. There was a faint arrogance in her face. Chu Liuyue did not know her. However, the other party¡¯s gaze made her feel strange. ¡°You¡¯re Shangguan Yue?¡± she asked lightly. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Yeah. May I know your¡ª¡± ¡°Sister Yafeng, why are you greeting such a person?¡± Before that woman spoke, another young lady spoke from the side. When she spoke, her eyes were filled with impatience and annoyance as they scanned Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue instantly understood. ¡°So it¡¯s Ms. Mu.¡± Mu Yafeng glanced at that woman in disapproval. ¡°Ms. Shangguan has outstanding talent as a Xuan Master. You can¡¯t be this rude.¡± As she spoke, she smiled faintly at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I heard you broke the record, Ms. Shangguan. I admire you.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°I¡¯m just a mere Great King Xuan Master. I am still a distance away from a Grandmaster like Ms. Mu, I really can¡¯t afford to be admired by you.¡± That woman grunted lightly. ¡°At least you know where you stand!¡± Mu Yafeng glanced at her with warning and smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry, my younger sister has no intentions of offending you.¡± ¡°Even if she had no intentions, didn¡¯t she already do it?¡± Xiao Ba crossed her arms and laughed lightly. ¡°I really don¡¯t know whether to say your younger sister has a mouth with no filter, or Ms. Mu, you can¡¯t teach her well.¡± Mu Yafeng and her sister¡¯s expressions changed. Chu Liuyue pulled Xiao Ba, smiled, and said, ¡°Sorry, my Xiao Ba also has a straightforward personality.¡± A sentence directly stumped the other party. ¡°We have something on and won¡¯t disturb you.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she pulled Xiao Ba to the side. ¡°Xiao Ba, look here. Is there anything you want?¡± The few people walked to the side. ¡°How arrogant!¡± that woman exclaimed softly with indignance. ¡°That¡¯s enough. We didn¡¯t come here to quarrel,¡± said Mu Yafeng with knitted brows. That woman sensed that she seemed to be really angry, so she kept quiet. Mu Yafeng walked to the cashier in the middle. The anger on her face disappeared and was replaced with an elegant smile. ¡°Lord Ming, I heard that your Second Boss came back?¡± Chapter 2211 - 2211 This is Master’s Orders 2211 This is Master¡¯s Orders Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks. Ming Shu smiled and replied, ¡°Yeah. Ms. Mu, you received the news so quickly. Second Boss just came back, and you found out.¡± Mu Yafeng smiled gently. ¡°Second Boss left for many years, and we can¡¯t help but miss him. May I know if Second Boss is upstairs? I have something to discuss with him.¡± Ming Shu immediately said, ¡°He¡¯s here. Ms. Mu, hold on for a while. I¡¯ll ask for permission.¡± ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Lord Ming.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. Don¡¯t mind too much about it.¡± Then, Ming Shu went upstairs. The entire Zhen Bao Pavilion was in their control, so he wasn¡¯t worried that anything would happen if he left for a while. But after Ming Shu went upstairs, the people on the first floor looked shocked and discussed softly. ¡°Second Boss actually came back? When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t I hear of it?¡± ¡°I think it was a few days ago¡­ We don¡¯t know the specifics either. It was just a small piece of news that spread in private. However, I don¡¯t think Second Boss revealed himself after he came back.¡± ¡°He did leave for quite some time, right? I wonder what he was doing. Some people guessed that he left Fantasy Divine Palace¡­¡± ¡°Shh! You can¡¯t casually say such things. Besides, that¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is that the Second Boss is back, which means Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s main inventory can finally be opened, right? Ever since he left, Zhen Bao Pavilion only had two tiny side inventories operating, and there were very few good items.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But speaking of which, Ms. Mu has quite a lot of face. Once she came, she directly asked to see Second Boss. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have such confidence. Hah!¡± ¡°After all, she¡¯s the one with the most hope to finish the Star Path, and Seventh Deity thinks very highly of her. She¡¯s different from us.¡± ¡­ Mu Yafeng stood there with her hands on top of each other on her stomach, looking calm. Only the slight ripples in her eyes showed some faint nobility. After a moment, Ming Shu came down. She looked up and smiled brightly again. ¡°Lord Ming, can I go up now?¡± However, Ming Shu had a strange expression. He hesitated for a moment and politely rejected her. ¡°Ms. Mu, Second Boss said that he¡¯s not feeling well today, so he won¡¯t see any customers. You can just let me know if you have any issues. It¡¯s the same.¡± Once this was said, the entire first floor instantly fell silent. The smile on Mu Yafeng¡¯s immediately froze. ¡°Lord Ming, what does this mean?¡± Ming Shu was also in a difficult spot, but he did not dare to go against Second Boss¡¯s words. ¡°Second Boss has been having quite a hard time recently. Please forgive him.¡± He was determined to not let her go up. Mu Yafeng pressed her lips against each other. When I came in the past, Second Boss would never refuse to see me. As for not feeling well¡­ It is just an excuse. He just doesn¡¯t want to see me. However, I haven¡¯t seemed to offend that person? Mu Yafeng thought for a while and had no clue, so she could only temporarily suppress these thoughts. ¡°Actually, I came today mainly because I felt that I haven¡¯t seen Second Boss in a few years, so I specifically came to visit him. But since it¡¯s still inconvenient for Second Boss now¡­ forget it then.¡± Ming Shu heaved a sigh of relief, and the smile on his face became more genuine. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Ms. Mu. You can just look around then. If you have anything you like, you can just say it.¡± Mu Yafeng smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. May I know if the second verse of the ¡®Li Fire Xuan Painting¡¯ is still on the second floor?¡± Ming Shu said, ¡°Oh this? It¡¯s still there.¡± ¡®Li Fire Xuan Painting¡¯ was split into two verses, and it recorded thousands of Grandmaster-level Xuan formations. It had detailed explanations, and it was very beneficial to a Xuan Master¡¯s cultivation. In comparison, the first verse was simpler, and the second one was much harder. That was also why the price of the second verse was a few times higher than the first one. Even for the people in Fantasy Divine Palace, it was also an astronomical price. Previously, Mu Yafeng bought the first verse and relied on it to greatly reduce the time she needed to study the Xuan formations on the Star Path. A few days ago, she was stuck again and helplessly gave up. Thus, she had to leave the Star Path once again. She had studied it on her own for a few days but had no clue at all. At this time, she then realized whatever Seventh Deity previously said was not an exaggeration. If she really did it herself, she might not succeed in the next few years. However, she really didn¡¯t want to wait so long, so she thought of the second verse of Li Fire Xuan Painting.¡¯ Even though this item was very, very expensive, and buying it would bankrupt her and even leave her with debts¡­ She had made up her mind. Today, she was coming for this. Hearing that the item was still around, she revealed a smile. ¡°Since it¡¯s here, I would like to go to the second floor to buy it.¡± As she spoke, she lifted her legs and wanted to go up to the second floor. However, Ming Shu suddenly stretched out his hand and stopped her. ¡°Ms. Mu, hold on. You can¡¯t go up to the second floor.¡± Mu Yafeng never expected her to be stopped here, and she was stunned for a moment. ¡°Why¡­ is that so?¡± Indeed not everybody could go up to Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s second floor. However, she wasn¡¯t one of them. In the past, I have come to Zhen Bao Pavilion many times, and I could enter and leave the second floor freely. However, why can¡¯t I go there all of a sudden? ¡°Lord Ming, are you worried that I can¡¯t afford the second verse of ¡®Li Fire Xuan Painting?''¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Ming Shu rubbed his hands, as if he were picking his words. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t sell the second verse to you.¡± Mu Yafeng was stunned. Ming Shu paused and explained, ¡°Second Boss said that¡­ From today onward, only the first floor will be open. The second floor and the third floor will be closed for now. The items inside are similarly not for sale. The second verse of ¡®Li Fire Xuan Painting¡¯ is on the second floor, so it¡¯s naturally included. Please head back.¡± Mu Yafeng had never experienced such treatment. Not only did they not let me up to the second floor, but they don¡¯t plan to sell the item? Her face turned cold. ¡°Lord Ming, Zhen Bao Pavilion is open for business. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate for you to reject people like this, right?¡± Even though the people at the side did not speak, their expressions showed that they agreed with what Mu Yafeng said very much. Even though the first floor had quite a lot of good items, everyone knew that the better ones were on the second floor and the third floor. Now, they didn¡¯t allow them to go up nor did they sell the items. What did this count for? Ming Shu curled his lips, and his tone was so polite but did not allow for rebuttal. ¡°Ms. Mu, you¡¯re still not in the position to question how my Zhen Bao Pavilion does business.¡± ¡°But Sister Yafeng is not wrong. Who opens their store and does not sell items? It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t afford it!¡± The woman standing beside Mu Yafeng couldn¡¯t hold herself back and softly whined. However, the room was currently very quiet, so the crowd present could hear her clearly. The last bit of smile disappeared from Ming Shu¡¯s face. He stood with one hand behind his back, and his voice became cold. ¡°This is Master¡¯s orders.¡± Mu Yafeng was instantly stunned, and cold intent rose from her feet and shot up to her head! Chapter 2212 - 2212 Li Fire Xuan Painting 2212 Li Fire Xuan Painting ¡°This Zhen Bao Pavilion was established by Master himself. Not to mention closing the shop¡­ Even if he burns all the items here, Master can just do it as he wishes. I know that the Seventh Deity thinks very highly of you, but even if he comes here himself, he can¡¯t go up to the second floor. Please think about this carefully.¡± Originally, Ming Shu was advising them kindly, but Mu Yafeng and her sister¡¯s attitude displeased him. The reason why he was so polite was just giving Jin Yunlai face. However, it was a pity Mu Yafeng did not seem to notice this. She hadn¡¯t completed the Star Path and started to put herself on a pedestal. What a joke. Although Ming Shu did not say this explicitly, his expression was very obvious. Mu Yafeng felt that her face burned, as if someone harshly slapped her. She had been in Fantasy Divine Palace for so many years. As the Seventh Deity backed her up, other people always had a polite attitude toward her. It was the first time someone rebutted her to her face. Yet, the other party was really someone she could not afford to offend. ¡°T-then¡­ we¡¯ll come back again another day¡ª¡± ¡°Bye, Ms. Mu. I won¡¯t see you off.¡± Ming Shu¡¯s nonchalant sentence almost choked Mu Yafeng. She hurriedly bade him farewell, pulled the person beside her, and left. The atmosphere on the first floor instantly became awkward and stiff. Very quickly, the others slowly left. In no time, only Chu Liuyue trio were left on the first floor. It wasn¡¯t that they had other ideas; they just didn¡¯t want to make a wasted trip. Anyway, the master-servant trio had magnanimous hearts. ¡°Master, I want this, this, and this.¡± Xiao Ba pointed at a few herbs on the long cabinet. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°You really know how to choose.¡± All of them were good items with high prices. Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°Master, are you buying it for me then?¡± Chu Liuyue knocked on her forehead lightly. ¡°Sure.¡± Once she said this, Ming Shu¡¯s voice¡ªwhich was filled with admiration¡ªcame from the side. ¡°Miss, you really have good taste!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that Ming Shu had come to their side at some point. Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Didn¡¯t this Lord Ming look very arrogant just now? Why did he suddenly become so passionate in the blink of an eye? With Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s status¡­ he doesn¡¯t seem like he needs to try his best and praise me, right? However, these thoughts just flashed across her mind. Since the other party gave her face, she naturally welcomed it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. ¡°Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s items are naturally great.¡± Ming Shu smiled and cupped his fists. ¡°I¡¯m Ming Shu, and I¡¯ve long heard of your name, Miss Shangguan. I¡¯m very happy to see you today. Take a look, and let me know whatever you want. If it¡¯s not here, there are quite a few in the inventory.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± This Lord Ming seems¡­ a little too passionate, right? This is a completely different attitude compared to when he talked to Mu Yafeng previously. ¡°¡­Thank you, Lord Ming. We came here because we¡¯ve long heard of the name. As for what we want to specifically buy, we have to look for some time. Why don¡¯t¡­ you go and busy yourself first?¡± Ming Shu chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not busy, not busy. Aren¡¯t only the few of you left in the whole store?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll thank you in advance, Lord Ming.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to thank!?¡± Ming Shu waved his hands and walked to the long cabinet filled with precious herbs. ¡°Look. This sky-facing flower was grown for a thousand years, and we just plucked it back¡ªit¡¯s very fresh. And this spirit bamboo was specifically grown with icy fountain. Its herbal effects are pure.¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s pretty eyes lit up. ¡°Master, these are truly good items!¡± Speaking of which, they were much more precious than those soul sky berries! Chu Liuyue coughed. She naturally knew that these were rare treasures, but the price¡­ ¡°Lord Ming, may I ask what I need to exchange for these items?¡± Before she came, Xiao Ran had already stated that Zhen Bao Pavilion didn¡¯t accept money. One could only exchange item for item. Even though she had quite a few items with her, there really wasn¡¯t much she could produce to exchange. Ming Shu laughed out loud. ¡°Miss Shangguan, if you want these items, you don¡¯t have to take anything out to exchange. You just have to do me a favor.¡± ¡°What favor?¡± ¡°Miss Shangguan, I heard that you¡¯re very talented as a Xuan Master, so I want to ask you to help me copy a scroll.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. ¡°A Xuan formation drawing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ming Shu nodded. Actually, this was nothing new. There were countless Xuan formations in the world, but normal people couldn¡¯t copy a Xuan formation for people to study in the future. Only a sufficiently strong Xuan Master could do it. But¡­ ¡°There are so many Xuan Masters in Fantasy Divine Palace, and they¡¯re more advanced and way stronger than me. Lord Ming, why did you pick me?¡± Ming Shu smiled and said, ¡°Naturally because¡­ you have the strongest talent currently in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± As if reading her doubts, he continued to explain, ¡°Before you, the most outstanding person was Mu Yafeng. However, your previous performance on the Star Path crushed her completely. Hence, we¡¯re more assured to pass you this task.¡± In other words, Mu Yafeng had no right. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and felt that this did make sense. ¡°Then¡­ you want me to copy a Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ming Shu shook his head and said carefully, ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®Li Fire Xuan Painting.''¡± Chapter 2213 - 2213 Are You Qualified? 2213 Are You Qualified? Second floor. Yan Ge pressed his ear against the door and listened with bated breath. When he heard Ming Shu¡¯s words, he immediately beat his chest in frustration. ¡°This fool! How can he be so direct!?¡± I only asked Ming Shu to probe and see if he could silently send the ¡°Li Fire Xuan Painting¡± away. Why is it so obvious in the end? Even a fool can tell that something Is wrong! He already felt very uncomfortable when Master didn¡¯t want him to show his face. He now wanted Ming Shu to do something for him, but it became such a difficult thing. Right on the heels of that, he heard his master¡¯s spouse only pause for a moment before agreeing readily. ¡°Sure.¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be any hesitation or questions. Ming Shu immediately said, ¡°Please¡ª¡± Yan Ge slapped his forehead and took a deep breath. It has been a few years since I¡¯ve come back, but this fool hasn¡¯t improved at all. I definitely can¡¯t count on him. Fortunately, he has given it away. I will take things one step at a time! ¡°Miss Shangguan, please follow me.¡± Hearing that the two of them seemed to be planning to go upstairs, Yan Ge hurriedly took a few steps back and completely restrained his aura. ¡­ After taking two steps, Ming Shu suddenly thought of something and looked at Xiao Ba and Hua Shuangshuang. ¡°Well, what did the two of you take a fancy to just now? Just take it directly. I just need to register and make a list. In the future, these will be on Miss Shangguan¡¯s account.¡± The few of them were smart and immediately understood that only Chu Liuyue could go up to the second floor. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind and looked at the two of them. ¡°Go ahead and choose. When you¡¯re done, go back first. I might be a little late.¡± Hua Shuangshuang said, ¡°Master, we have nothing to do when we go back. Why don¡¯t we wait here?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go back after I¡¯m done here.¡± Seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude was firm, Hua Shuangshuang and Xiao Ba couldn¡¯t stop her anymore and could only agree. In a place like Zhen Bao Pavilion, there was no need to do anything cheap in private. There was nothing to worry about. Xiao Ba was indeed short of herbs. Seeing that she had Master¡¯s support, she didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and moved half of the wall away. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°¡­Xiao Ba, I remember that you took a lot from San San previously. Why do you want so much now?¡± Xiao Ba blinked and smiled enchantingly, wheedling. ¡°Master also knows that I¡¯m very picky about such things, so I naturally use it faster¡­¡± Chu Liuyue tapped her forehead. ¡°Alright, alright, just take it away. If it¡¯s not enough later, just come again.¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s beautiful eyes flashed. ¡°Master, you¡¯re really the most beautiful when you spend money on me!¡± Chu Liuyue was already immune to her tricks. After getting Ming Shu to register, she sent the two of them away. ¡°Phew¡ª¡± Seeing the two of them leave in satisfaction, Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. Was it easy to raise a large family? ¡°Miss Shangguan, please follow me.¡± From beginning to end, Ming Shu was very patient. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you, Lord Ming.¡± With that, the two of them headed for the stairs in the middle. When she came forward, Chu Liuyue took a look. This staircase didn¡¯t look any different from the stairs elsewhere. She had thought that there would be a barrier or something. But after thinking about it carefully, she increasingly felt that Zhen Bao Pavilion was very mysterious and powerful. There weren¡¯t any barriers as defense, and there weren¡¯t even many people. It looked casual, but in fact, it was all based on powerful strength and background. ¡°Miss Shangguan, please¡ª¡± Ming Shu turned around and raised his hand, inviting Chu Liuyue to go up first. Chu Liuyue was about to move when she suddenly heard a surprised voice coming from the door. ¡°Lord Ming, what are you doing?!¡± The voice was a little familiar to Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked around and saw a familiar face. She turned around and looked back, raising her eyebrows slightly. Standing outside the door and looking over in shock, who else could it be but Mu Yafeng? ¡°Miss Mu, why are you here again?¡± Seeing that it was Mu Yafeng, the smile on Ming Shu¡¯s face instantly faded a lot, and his tone was no longer as polite and eager as when he treated Chu Liuyue. Mu Yafeng opened her mouth. On the way back, she suddenly remembered that apart from the ¡°Li Fire Xuan Painting,¡± she still lacked some herbs, so she returned. However, she didn¡¯t expect to see such a scene as soon as she arrived. What are they trying to do? If I didn¡¯t hear wrongly, Ming Shu actually invited Shangguan Yue upstairs?! I was just rejected¡ªin the blink of an eye! She saw clearly that Ming Shu¡¯s attitude toward Shangguan Yue was clearly several times better than his attitude toward her. Even when she came here in the past and Ming Shu treated her politely, she had never received such treatment. ¡°I¡­¡± Mu Yafeng¡¯s mind was in a mess. It took her a while to find her voice. ¡°I just wanted to come back and buy some herbs, but¡­ Lord Ming, didn¡¯t you just say that the second and third floors are no longer open to the public from today onward? What¡¯s going on now?¡± She tried her best to suppress the surging emotions in her heart, but her words still revealed some unhappiness and anger from being deceived. Ming Shu took a step forward and said calmly, ¡°That¡¯s right. I did say that it¡¯s not open to the public just now, but¡ªMiss Shangguan isn¡¯t an outsider.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly. Mu Yafeng¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Lord Ming, what you¡¯re saying¡ª¡± ¡°Miss Shangguan is extremely talented as a Xuan Master, so we¡¯ve already specially hired Miss Shangguan to replicate the Xuan formations in Zhen Bao Pavilion. This way, Miss Shangguan is naturally not an outsider.¡± Mu Yafeng almost suspected that she was hallucinating. She was so angry that she laughed. ¡°Lord Ming, are you sure? I admit that she¡¯s indeed very outstanding, but with her current level, she¡¯s not qualified, right?¡± Actually, this wasn¡¯t the first time Zhen Bao Pavilion had done such a thing. After all, many of the Xuan formation diagrams here were very precious, and there were many people who wanted them. The best way was to get someone to replicate them. However, this matter involved a lot of people after all, so Zhen Bao Pavilion was usually extremely strict with the personnel review. Back when Mu Yafeng wanted to get the ¡°Li Fire Xuan Painting,¡± she had taken the initiative to mention this. However, she had been rejected in the end. She never expected that Zhen Bao Pavilion would directly invite Shangguan Yue, who wasn¡¯t even a Grandmaster and didn¡¯t even have a bloodline totem! If this news were to spread, countless people would have their jaws drop and be slack-jawed. ¡°If Miss Shangguan isn¡¯t qualified, then no one in Fantasy Divine Palace is qualified now.¡± Ming Shu laughed. ¡°Miss Mu, let me remind you. Back when you first started the Star Path, it took you a full 27 days to walk from the Heaven Gate to the Great King Xuan Master region. Moreover, this doesn¡¯t include the several times you went to the Star Path previously to separate and study those Xuan formations. As for Miss Shangguan, she got there directly when she first arrived at the Fantasy Divine Palace. She finished in not even a fraction of your time.¡± ¡°What position are you in now to question her qualifications?¡± Chapter 2214 - 2214 Ha 2214 Ha Mu Yafeng had never thought that she would be humiliated like this. Even though the other party didn¡¯t say a single dirty word and his attitude was still polite, those words still made her blush in embarrassment because it was the truth! In Fantasy Divine Palace, geniuses were as common as clouds. The fact that she had her current reputation and status was enough to show that she was indeed very outstanding. However, one was most afraid of comparison when it came to talent. If you were first, others would naturally have nothing to say. However, if someone suddenly came out one day and crushed you easily¡ªhow would you feel? Mu Yafeng didn¡¯t like Chu Liuyue from the beginning because she knew very well how shocking a talent one needed to complete the Star Path to that point in just a few days! Previously, she could still comfort herself that Chu Liuyue was just a Great King Xuan Master and that there was nothing to take it to heart. But now, Ming Shu¡¯s actions were equivalent to revealing everything. It reminded her bluntly that she was indeed inferior! ¡°Although Miss Shangguan is only a Great King Xuan Master now, I can imagine that she should be able to break through to become a Grandmaster Xuan Master soon. Miss Mu, you¡¯re also a Xuan Master. You should know how important talent is to a Xuan Master.¡± Perhaps diligence could make up for one¡¯s shortcomings when cultivating as a warrior, but not for Xuan Masters. Without that comprehension and spiritual energy¡­ Even if one stared at a Xuan formation map for ten years or a hundred years, they would still be unable to comprehend it. The higher the level, the more obvious the difference in Xuan Master talent was. This was also why they had rejected Mu Yafeng¡¯s request previously. There was no other reason but that they didn¡¯t like her. Although Ming Shu didn¡¯t say it out loud, how could Mu Yafeng not understand what he meant? She slowly clenched her fists in her sleeves. ¡°By the way, Miss Mu, you said that you wanted some herbs just now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. Since Lord Ming is busy today, I¡¯ll come back another day.¡± Mu Yafeng gritted her teeth and tried to keep her expression calm. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t send you off.¡± Lord Ming smiled and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Please¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue nodded slightly and went up the stairs. Mu Yafeng turned around and left. ¡­ The staircase in the middle of Zhen Bao Pavilion spiraled up. It was completely hollow and used top-notch wood. Chu Liuyue walked up step by step and quickly arrived at the second floor. The decoration on the second floor was very different from the first floor. There were no external treasures here. Instead, there were private rooms that were very private. ¡°Miss Shangguan, the things are in the innermost room.¡± Ming Shu followed and led Chu Liuyue over. Chu Liuyue scrutinized her surroundings but didn¡¯t say anything. She followed him forward. Ming Shu opened the door. Chu Liuyue walked in. Although the room wasn¡¯t big, it was decorated elegantly. Everything she saw and used was top-notch. Ming Shu came to the bookshelf by the wall and took down a wooden box. He turned around and handed it to Chu Liuyue. ¡°The upper and lower volumes of the Li Fire Xuan Map¡¯ are both here. You can start with the upper volume. Everything you need to copy is on the table over there¡ªuse as much as you want.¡± Chu Liuyue looked in the direction he was talking about. There were indeed many items on the table by the window sill. She took the box, thought for a moment, and asked, ¡°It takes a lot of time and energy to replicate the Xuan formation, especially since my current realm isn¡¯t high enough. I might not be able to complete it immediately¡ª¡± ¡°Miss Shangguan, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. We all know that this is a delicate job and can¡¯t be rushed. Just come back when you have time. As for the things that Miss Xiao Ba took away just now¡­¡± He took out a list and quickly read it again. ¡°You just need to replicate the ten Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations. Of course, if it¡¯s a Grandmaster-level Xuan formation, one is more than enough.¡± Chu Liuyue calculated that this ¡®price¡¯ wasn¡¯t high. If it were anyone else, they might find it a little troublesome, but this was really not a problem for her. Of course, she also wanted to see what mysteries were hidden in ¡°Li Fire Xuan Map.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then¡­ I won¡¯t disturb you anymore?¡± As Ming Shu spoke, he planned to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly stopped him. ¡°I have another presumptuous request. I wonder if it¡¯s convenient for you to help, Lord Ming?¡± ¡°Just say it. If I can help, I definitely won¡¯t decline,¡± Ming Shu immediately said. Chu Liuyue looked at him, and her lips slowly curled up. ¡°I admire the Second Boss of Zhen Bao Pavilion very much. I wonder if I can have the chance to meet him?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Ming Shu didn¡¯t expect her to say this and was stunned for a moment. ¡°Second Boss hasn¡¯t been feeling well recently. You probably¡­ can¡¯t see him.¡± ¡°I know that. What I mean is: when it¡¯s convenient for Second Boss, I want to thank him in person.¡± Ming Shu hesitated for a moment. Since Chu Liuyue had already said so much, there seemed to be no reason to reject her. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll ask Second Boss for instructions later. However, Miss Shangguan will probably have to wait for a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chu Liuyue had already guessed that this Second Boss wasn¡¯t easy to meet, and Ming Shu¡¯s answer was also within her expectations. ¡°I can wait.¡± Only then did Ming Shu relax and turn to leave. ¡­ The door was closed. Only Chu Liuyue was left in the room. She stared at Ming Shu¡¯s departing figure for a while before retracting her gaze. Then, she walked over and opened the wooden box. Two books were lying quietly inside. Chu Liuyue took them out. On the surface, they weren¡¯t much different from an ordinary Xuan formation map book. Chu Liuyue picked up the first volume and flipped it open. The first thing she saw was a Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation. Yes, it was very familiar. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t surprised and flipped to the second page. Yes, it was still very familiar. Her expression didn¡¯t change. She continued to the third page and smiled. ¡°Splitting the Grandmaster Xuan formation into several Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations¡­ They really know how to play.¡± Her tone was light, and there was a smile on her lips. Then, she flipped through the first volume unhurriedly. It was indeed as the rumors said. The Xuan formations in it had a high degree of overlap with the ones on the star path. And on every Xuan formation, there was an annotation. Some had more, and some had less, but it was extremely useful for comprehending Xuan formations. Chu Liuyue leaned against the chair for and then picked up the second volume. ¡°Hah.¡± ¡­ Mu Yafeng left Zhen Bao Pavilion and wanted to go back directly, but there seemed to be something stuck in her chest. The scene just now kept replaying in her mind, making her temples hurt. Finally, she took a deep breath and changed direction, heading in the direction of Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡­ Jin Yunlai looked up from his book, his glabella furrowed slightly. ¡°Mu Yafeng? What¡¯s she doing here?¡± Chapter 2215 - 2215 Interrogation 2215 Interrogation ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just happened to come back from the medicinal mountain and bumped into her outside the hall.¡± Shu Jing shook her head. ¡°From the looks of it, she doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± Although Mu Yafeng hid it very well, Shu Jing had been in the position of Eighth Deity for so many years. She could tell what she was thinking. Jin Yunlai thought about it, got up, and walked out. In the entire Fantasy Divine Palace, very few people were qualified to enter and leave Fantasy Divine Hall freely. Even though Mu Yafeng was about to complete the Star Path, she still had to ask for instructions and wait outside Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡°Oh right, I heard that someone broke Mu Yafeng¡¯s record a few days ago?¡± Shu Jing suddenly thought of something and asked. ¡°If I remember correctly, it seems like¡­ this speed is faster than yours?¡± But that was a long time ago. Moreover, deities had a respected status. Ordinary people rarely pulled anyone in and compared them to deities. Jin Yunlai said, ¡°That person is called Shangguan Yue. Her talent isn¡¯t bad, but it¡¯s a pity that she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°No totem? Then¡­¡± She suddenly thought of the enchanting woman she had met on the medicinal mountain. They seem to be together? At the thought of this, Shu Jing¡¯s expression faded a lot. ¡°I see. That¡¯s indeed a pity.¡± Jin Yunlai sensed that her tone was a little cold, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡­ When they arrived at the entrance, Jin Yunlai saw Mu Yafeng at a glance. Mu Yafeng immediately went forward and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Seventh Deity.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you comprehending the Xuan formation? Why are you here today?¡± Jin Yunlai went straight to the point. Mu Yafeng lowered her head slightly and said, ¡°As you said, it¡¯s indeed very difficult to crack that Xuan formation. I wanted to go to Zhen Bao Pavilion and look for the second volume of Li Fire Xuan Map.¡± Jin Yunlai narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t say anything. In Fantasy Divine Palace, many Xuan Masters yearned and looked forward to this ¡°Li Fire Xuan Map.¡± Many of them also bought the first volume and returned. However, the second volume was expensive, and few people could afford it. ¡°But¡­ Lord Ming refused to sell the second volume. He also said that from today onward, the items on the second and third floors will no longer be sold to the public.¡± Jin Yunlai frowned. ¡°So sudden? Can you tell me why?¡± In his memory, it was extremely rare for Zhen Bao Pavilion to be like this. ¡°Lord Ming only said that Second Boss isn¡¯t feeling well, and this¡­ is also Master¡¯s idea.¡± Hearing those words, Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°In that case, give up the second volume of Li Fire Xuan Map.¡± ¡°Of course, I know that!¡± Mu Yafeng bit her lip. ¡°That¡¯s why I bade farewell and left at that time. But¡­ but I didn¡¯t expect that Lord Ming actually invited Shangguan Yue to the second floor later on. Furthermore, he even invited her to replicate the Xuan formations that Zhen Bao Pavilion treasure¡­¡± ¡°What did you say!?¡± Jin Yunlai was clearly also stunned by this news. ¡°He chose Shangguan Yue?¡± Mu Yafeng nodded. ¡°They were originally going to Zhen Bao Pavilion to buy herbs, but later on, for some reason¡­ Also, from what Lord Ming said, as long as Shangguan Yue helps replicate the Xuan formations in the future, they can nonchalantly use the herbs and various items in Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­¡± ¡°How can this be?¡± Before Jin Yunlai could speak, he heard Shu Jing¡¯s voice behind him. She frowned. ¡°They couldn¡¯t get the herbs on the medicinal mountain, so they targeted Zhen Bao Pavilion?¡± Jin Yunlai frowned and asked, ¡°You banned them from going to the medicinal mountain?¡± Chapter 2216 - 2216 Sharpest Touch 2216 Sharpest Touch Shu Jing retorted, ¡°It¡¯s not that I forbade them from going to the medicinal mountain but that the rules of the medicinal mountain have always been like this. They don¡¯t have a bloodline totem, and they can¡¯t take out medicinal pills of the corresponding level in exchange. Naturally, this is the only way.¡± ¡°The so-called rules of the medicinal mountain were originally set by you.¡± Displeasure flashed across Jin Yunlai¡¯s eyes. Shu Jing pursed her lips, and her voice softened. ¡°Nothing can be done without rules. I¡¯m doing this for the good of Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Jin Yunlai retracted his gaze and stopped looking at her. They had known each other for so many years, and he knew very well what Shu Jing was up to. The medicinal mountain stretched for thousands of miles and grew endless natural treasures. Its value was immeasurable. Shu Jing just wanted to take a share of the loot. The authority to control the medicinal mountain had been given to her. As long as she didn¡¯t do anything overboard, the higher-ups wouldn¡¯t interfere. The rules she specified were strict in their hierarchy and embodied the principle of ¡®winner takes all, loser is at one¡¯s mercy¡¯ in a vivid and powerful way. Although Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t like it, he had to admit that by doing this, it had indeed served to restrain and supervise everyone to a certain extent. Want the best medicinal herbs? Then, they had to exchange with the corresponding strength and capital. Not qualified? Then, one had to increase their strength and make themselves qualified! As for those that really found it impossible¡­ That kind of person shouldn¡¯t exist in Fantasy Divine Palace at all. No one cared about the life and death of the weak. Although Jin Yunlai¡¯s ranking among the deities was better than Shu Jing, because the various deities were in charge of different things, it wasn¡¯t good for them to interfere with each other even if they couldn¡¯t stand it. Jin Yunlai had no intention of continuing to argue with Shu Jing over this issue and only reminded her. ¡°I know you¡¯re dissatisfied with this, but don¡¯t forget Zhen Bao Pavilion. You can¡¯t afford to offend them.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°As for Shangguan Yue¡­ Since Zhen Bao Pavilion intends to support her now, don¡¯t get into trouble. During the next period of time, try not to find trouble with them, lest you cause trouble for yourself in the end and can¡¯t get rid of it. Understand?¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s voice became much more serious as he stared intently at Shu Jing. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. It¡¯s not up to us to say no to whatever decision they make.¡± Just those words alone would cause quite a bit of trouble for Zhen Bao Pavilion! The powerful and scrutinizing gaze finally made Shu Jing lower her head. ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡± Jin Yunlai only looked at Mu Yafeng after she disappeared. ¡°Did you hear what she said just now?¡± His words were filled with undisguised warning. Mu Yafeng was shocked and hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll definitely remember it.¡± With that, she lowered her eyes, her heart in turmoil. She already knew that Zhen Bao Pavilion had a powerful background, such that even Deity Jin didn¡¯t dare to offend them. From the looks of it, Deity Jin was indeed unwilling to go against Zhen Bao Pavilion head-on. He was even¡­ willing to take the initiative to avoid them! ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just a little curious. I wonder why Zhen Bao Pavilion chose her¡­¡± Mu Yafeng said softly and looked up at Jin Yunlai. ¡°Shangguan Yue¡¯s talent is indeed outstanding,¡± Jin Yunlai said calmly. ¡°Although she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem and can¡¯t ascend to become a deity, Zhen Bao Pavilion values her quite a lot. It¡¯s understandable that they want her help in replicating some Xuan formations while she¡¯s still in Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± ¡°However, these are their matters, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Since you can¡¯t get the ¡®Li Fire Xuan Map,¡¯ you can go back and study more¡ªit¡¯s the same. The Star Path is far away, and countless Xuan formations have gathered. It¡¯s not easy to completely comprehend it.¡± For Mu Yafeng, it was just a matter of time. Mu Yafeng knew Jin Yunlai very well and knew that he had already reached his limit. There was no need to continue asking, so she tactfully agreed and turned to leave. Jin Yunlai himself turned around and returned to the Fantasy Divine Hall. As he walked, he frowned slightly. In fact, his words of persuasion to Shu Jing and Mu Yafeng just now didn¡¯t convince him. He also felt very strange about the decision of Zhen Bao Pavilion. However¡­ he probably wouldn¡¯t have the chance to ask for the answer. Chu Liuyue had to leave Fantasy Divine Palace eventually. ¡­ Chu Liuyue spent four hours reading the first and second volumes of ¡®Li Fire Xuan Map¡¯ carefully. To be precise, she was done with her ¡®revision.¡¯ She put down the two volumes and rubbed her eyebrows. I can now confirm that Big Baby and the other two have been to Fantasy Divine Palace before. Or perhaps, they were originally from Fantasy Divine Palace. In short, I haven¡¯t seen them yet and am not sure. However, I¡¯m not so anxious to verify this now. Ever since she realized that Big Baby had lied to her that those Grandmaster-level Xuan formations were just ordinary Xuan formations, she had been numb to all of this. After a long time, she finally said weakly, ¡°The human heart is really old!¡± After resting for a while, she put away these chaotic thoughts and began to replicate the Xuan formations in the first volume. The ones in the first volume were relatively simpler, and they were easier to copy. Chu Liuyue finished copying the first ten Xuan formations, regulated her breathing, and cultivated in her room. Then, she stayed for a while longer before getting up to leave. The moment she went out, Ming Shu came out of the room next door. ¡°Miss Shangguan, are you done copying?¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t surprised that he knew her actions. After all, this was their territory. She nodded and handed over the brand-new booklet. ¡°The ten Xuan formations are all here. Please review them, Master Ming.¡± Ming Shu took it with a smile. ¡°I naturally trust Miss Shangguan¡¯s ability.¡± Initially, he wanted to say that there was no need to look, but he felt that this would seem too much. In the end, he still looked at it carefully. About 15 minutes later, he closed the book and praised sincerely, ¡°Miss Shangguan is really amazing! In such a short time, you actually copied all ten Xuan formations perfectly.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°It¡¯s good that Master Ming is satisfied. Then, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Although she could continue, there was no hurry. She could take her time. Besides, after coming here many times, she would eventually see that Second Boss. And even¡­ that Master! ¡°I¡¯ll send you off!¡± Ming Shu hurriedly said. Chu Liuyue rejected him with a smile and left alone in the end. After she left, Ming Shu stood rooted to the ground for a long time before turning into another room. ¡°Second Boss, she¡¯s gone.¡± Yan Ge patted his chest. ¡°I know.¡± Ming Shu looked at the booklet in his hand in surprise and sighed. ¡°This Miss Shangguan¡­ is really impressive!¡± Yan Ge clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s the person our Master cherishes. Naturally, she¡¯s different!¡± Chapter 2217 - 2217 Aura 2217 Aura Ming Shu was shocked and almost threw the thing in his hand out. ¡°Se-Second Boss, you mean¡ª¡± Previously, he had only heard from Yan Ge that this person¡¯s identity was extraordinary and that she had to be treated well. Who knew¡­ Yan Ge glanced at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t keep calling her Miss Shangguan just now, did you?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Is there¡­ a problem?¡± Ming Shu¡¯s voice was trembling slightly. He had already vaguely sensed something. Yan Ge looked sympathetic. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Of course, it¡¯s fine to call her that outside. Just remember to address her as ¡®Madam¡¯ when you go to Master¡¯s place in the future.¡± Ming Shu: !!! ¡°Also, if there¡¯s anyone like Mu Yafeng who oversteps their boundaries in the future, don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Send them away directly.¡± Yan Ge crossed his legs and narrowed his eyes. ¡°As for whether to send them out or to the netherworld, it¡¯s up to you. What if you dirty Madam¡¯s eyes and ears again?¡± Ming Shu was speechless. He swallowed and suddenly felt that the booklet in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. After a while, he reluctantly said, ¡°But¡­ Mu Yafeng is highly regarded by the Seventh Deity. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate to go too far, right?¡± Isn¡¯t it too rash to send her to the netherworld?! Yan Ge crossed his arms leisurely. ¡°Jin Yunlai dares to cause trouble?¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue came out of Zhen Bao Pavilion, she didn¡¯t go back directly. Instead, she came to the Star Path again. At this moment, she was standing in the middle of the Star Path. Down, all the way to the Heaven Gate. Above, it stretched to the Fantasy Divine Hall. The Star Path was shining brightly. At a glance, there were still a few figures on the Star Path, as if they were comprehending the Xuan formations on it. Chu Liuyue walked closer and looked down. This was already the area of the Grandmaster-level Xuan formations. Her gaze swept across the nearest Xuan formations, and she sighed softly in her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but turn around and look at the Fantasy Divine Hall. If she hadn¡¯t arrived here, she would never have thought that the floating pavilion¡ªwhich had appeared in the Red Moon Desert¡ªwould appear in front of her in such a high and mighty manner. She wondered if it was really identical to the previous apparition. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that it was Cheng Pei. Compared to before, his face was ruddy, and he was in high spirits. The aura around him had also strengthened a lot. Clearly, he had benefited a lot since he entered Fantasy Divine Palace. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Senior Cheng Pei to be so concerned about my matters.¡± Cheng Pei felt as if he had punched cotton. He immediately took a deep breath and sneered. ¡°I just feel sorry for you, Master Yue. In the past, in the God Residence Realm, you were considered extremely talented and were in the limelight. May I ask who could compete with you? But now that you¡¯re here, you¡¯ve been neglected and even have to worry about being chased out at all times¡­ Master Yue, if I were you, I would really have no face and would force myself to stay here.¡± Chu Liuyue slightly smiled and said, ¡°If Senior Cheng Pei really thinks that way¡­ then it¡¯s the same if you leave for me.¡± Cheng Pei was speechless. He realized that no matter what he said, it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on Chu Liuyue. Her mental fortitude was extremely strong. Even though his words were already so unpleasant, she could still smile! He grunted. ¡°Forget it. I still have something important to do. I¡¯m not as free as Master Yue.¡± With that, he tapped his toes and flew into the distance. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice suddenly came from her heart. ¡°A¡¯Yue! Follow him! He has the smell of Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and immediately asked, ¡°Are you sure? Is it really Senior Yi Zhao¡¯s aura?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure! It must be! Although it¡¯s very faint, it¡¯s definitely right!¡± Tuan Zi urged anxiously. Chu Liuyue raised her eyes. Cheng Pei¡¯s figure was already far away, as if he was running in a certain direction. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the thunder pool!?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned and muttered uncertainly. She knew where Cheng Pei lived. This trip was definitely not to return to his own residence. In the distant sky, dark clouds stacked, and a large shadow enveloped them. It was indeed in the direction of the lightning pool! She didn¡¯t have time to think. She immediately moved and followed! ¡­ Cheng Pei quickly realized that there was someone behind him. He turned around unintentionally, and his expression immediately turned ugly. He asked warily, ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Could it be that she wants to come over and fight because of what had happened previously? Chu Liuyue glanced at him without batting an eyelid and smiled faintly. ¡°Fantasy Divine Palace is so big. Apart from the Fantasy Divine Hall, can¡¯t I go elsewhere? Senior Cheng Pei, aren¡¯t you interfering too much?¡± Cheng Pei gritted his teeth. Chu Liuyue was clearly following him, but she refused to admit it now. But in his opinion, Chu Liuyue had always been sharp-tongued. There was really no point in arguing with her. He laughed contemptuously. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re also aiming for the lightning pool, but I might as well tell you that it¡¯ll be a waste of effort for someone without a bloodline totem to go. It¡¯s better for you to go back as soon as possible. Otherwise, not only will you not get any benefits when you get there, but you¡¯ll also lose all your face. At that time, it¡¯ll be too late to regret.¡± ¡°Lightning pool?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. It seems that my previous guess was right. Cheng Pei Is going for the lightning pool. Previously, Cheng Pei didn¡¯t have Senior Yi Zhao¡¯s aura on him. Now that he suddenly has it, it is very likely that he has accidentally been tainted by something. From the looks of it, it i probably related to the lightning pool! Chu Liuyue made a prompt decision and continued to head in the direction of the lightning pool! ¡°You¡ª¡± Cheng Pei originally thought that Chu Liuyue would waver when she heard those words, but he didn¡¯t expect her to quickly go over as if she had been provoked. ¡°She really won¡¯t give up until she sees her own coffin!¡± When she arrives at the lightning pool, she will naturally know how stupid this decision is! Cheng Pei sneered and immediately followed. ¡­ The lightning pool was quite a distance away from the Star Path. The closer she got, the more Chu Liuyue realized that there were more people heading toward the lightning pool. She frowned slightly. Didn¡¯t Jin Yunlai say before that the lightning pool is used to temper Yuan instruments? Why are so many people heading there? One had to know that the number of Armory Refinement Masters was even fewer than that of heavenly doctors. Moreover, Cheng Pei was just an ordinary legendary warrior, but he seemed to be very interested in the lightning pool. It was as if¡­ there was something amazing over there. ¡°A¡¯Yue! That person just now also had the smell of Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± ¡°And this!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice fell into her ears. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows furrowed even more tightly. Finally, she arrived at the lightning pool! She hung in midair and looked ahead. She immediately gasped. There was an endless sea of lightning. Waves surged and surged! Countless bolts of lightning gathered! Chapter 2218 - 2218 Finding Someone 2218 Finding Someone Silver intertwined, and golden light seemed to be faintly discernible in the depths. It was dazzling! This was a real lightning pool! The 10,000 Heavenly Dao that Tang Ke accumulated back then actually paled in comparison and couldn¡¯t even be compared. Above the lightning pool, dark clouds gathered, and it was gloomy. The huge world was half gloomy and half bright, forming a sharp contrast. Even though she was still a distance away from the lightning pool, she could still clearly feel the endless pressure surging inside! Suddenly, she fixed her gaze and saw a man trying to walk into the pool step by step. He was bathed in lightning and was dazzling. Around him, silver snake-like lightning flickered. It was obvious how torturous this process was. However, he continued to walk inside, toward a place with more lightning and greater power. At the same time, Chu Liuyue also realized that his aura seemed to be gradually strengthening. ¡°Is he¡­ tempering the power in his body?¡± she muttered uncertainly. ¡°Master Yue? Why are you here too?¡± A familiar voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Senior Song Qing?¡± Although Song Qing wasn¡¯t very familiar with her, there was no big conflict between the two of them, so Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude was still quite polite. Song Qing raised his hand and pointed at the lightning pool in front. Apart from those who had already entered the lightning pool, there were also some people standing by the shore, eager to try. ¡°It seems like Master Yue really doesn¡¯t know. This lightning pool can not only extract the holy force in the body but also temper the Holy Body. That¡¯s why it attracted so many people.¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°The Holy Body can also be tempered?¡± ¡°In the past, in the God Residence Realm, of course not. But here, it¡¯s not a problem.¡± Song Qing stroked his beard. ¡°There are countless lightning bolts in the lightning pool. Not only can it refine a Yuan instrument, but it can also temper the Holy Body and increase the strength of cultivators! Not long after we came here, we heard about this matter. Many of us have even tried it, and it¡¯s indeed quite effective. Master Yue, I reckon you¡¯ve been busy with the Star Path before, so you found out a little late?¡± As he spoke, he thought of something and glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°By the way, I heard that your Holy Body is formed from the God-Destroying Tribulation. Your combat power is extremely high to begin with. You probably don¡¯t need to enter this lightning pool and suffer more.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. ¡°In that case, Senior Cheng Pei went in before?¡± Song Qing nodded. ¡°Although he only stayed at the edge for two hours, the effect was outstanding.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°No wonder Senior Cheng Pei¡¯s strength increased a lot in such a short period of time. So that¡¯s the reason.¡± Bloodline power. This sounded similar to how Tuan Zi used the power of the lightning in Million Wine Mountain¡¯s spring to break through to become a red-gold heavenly phoenix. However, this lightning pool stimulated the bloodline power of the human race. Coincidentally, she didn¡¯t have it. She lowered her eyes slightly, but she wasn¡¯t angry at Cheng Pei¡¯s words. Instead, she focused her attention elsewhere. ¡°The Fourth Deity? You¡¯ve already met him?¡± Song Qing nodded his head and explained, ¡°He came once a few days ago, but he only showed up once and left very quickly.¡± Another deity. In Fantasy Divine Palace, everything seemed to be controlled by the deities. It was unknown how many deities there were here. In short, every one of them was extremely mysterious and powerful. Apart from the Seventh Deity, Jin Yunlai, she hadn¡¯t seen any other deities. She had only seen Jin Yunlai once. Chu Liuyue thanked him and headed to the side of the lightning pool. Cheng Pei frowned and immediately revealed a mocking smile. ¡°She really refuses to give up!¡± Song Qing frowned. ¡°Cheng Pei, we came up together after all. Why do you have to go against Master Yue?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going against her?¡± Cheng Pei seemed to have heard a joke. ¡°Elder Song, didn¡¯t you see what happened that day?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing wrong with her doing that. Everyone has to rely on their own abilities to cross the ocean. Not only your subordinates, but many of the other aristocratic families were also forced to give up, right? Speaking of which, we¡¯re not very close to her. If she didn¡¯t help, we¡­¡± Song Qing¡¯s words made Cheng Pei¡¯s face quickly darken. ¡°Elder Song, I¡¯m addressing you respectfully because of our past relationship. However, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t interfere in our matters.¡± Actually, how could he not understand Song Qing¡¯s words? The reason why he had such a tense relationship with Chu Liuyue was mainly that he felt embarrassed he had taken the initiative to ask her for help but was rejected in public. Song Qing sighed in disagreement. Cheng Pei is very prideful. He probably won¡¯t be able to get over this. ¡°Besides, haven¡¯t I done nothing so far? She wanted to go to this lightning pool herself.¡± However, it is good for her to give it a try. When she experiences the pain of countless lightning bolts and realizes that she still couldn¡¯t break through, it will be the most painful! At the thought of this, Cheng Pei¡¯s mood improved. He quickly followed and waited to watch a good show. Song Qing watched the two of them leave and shook his head. ¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly arrived at the edge of the lightning pool. There were already dozens of people standing here. Hearing the commotion, some people turned around curiously. Some of them knew her, some didn¡¯t. But when they saw the token on her waist, they quickly confirmed her identity. Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to those gazes. She came to a reef and stared at the surging sea of lightning in front of her. ¡°Tuan Zi, did you feel something?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s the aura of Clan Leader Grandpa! It¡¯s in the lightning pool!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice was tinged with anxiety and worry. ¡°But¡­ this aura is too scattered. I can¡¯t be sure of the exact location of Clan Leader Grandpa.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. If that¡¯s the case, it will be troublesome. The lightning pool is boundless. It¡¯s obvious how difficult it is to find someone here. ¡°If you go in, can you find him?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice was much softer. ¡°A¡¯Yue, I want to go in and take a look. Can I?¡± As a red-gold heavenly phoenix, she was naturally not afraid of these heavenly lightning bolts. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Chapter 2219 - 2219 Returning to the Fantasy Divine Hall 2219 Returning to the Fantasy Divine Hall Ever since she experienced what happened in the Red Moon Desert last time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s vigilance had increased a lot, especially regarding Tuan Zi. Yi Zhao had disappeared and was very likely trapped in this lightning pool. The entire red-gold heavenly phoenix race had also been forcefully sealed. Chu Liuyue believed that Yi Zhao must have put in a lot of effort. He had clearly done so much because he didn¡¯t want his people to suffer, and among them was probably Tuan Zi. The Fantasy Divine Hall was behind her. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t guarantee that nothing would happen again. She didn¡¯t dare to let Tuan Zi go to the lightning pool alone. She had to go with her! At the thought of this, she stopped hesitating and walked straight forward. Then¡ª One foot into the lightning pool! Huala! The surrounding heavenly lightning moved and quickly gathered over! Everyone was already sizing her up intentionally or unintentionally. When they saw her enter the lightning pool so cleanly, they were instantly shocked. After a short silence, all kinds of discussions broke out. ¡°That¡¯s Shangguan Yue? She actually entered the lightning pool directly? Isn¡¯t she too bold?¡± ¡°I heard that she¡¯s a legendary warrior and has an extremely strong Holy Body. She can probably withstand it for a period of time¡­¡± ¡°But she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, right? Then, coming to this lightning pool is purely torture. Why?¡± ¡°Tsk, who knows what she¡¯s thinking. Previously, she gave up after walking for a while on the Star Path. Now, she¡¯s here at the lightning pool. Perhaps she wants to try her best to experience the various matters in Fantasy Divine Palace in a limited time. This way, she can leave with fewer regrets?¡± ¡­ Splash¡ª Chu Liuyue¡¯s legs entered the lightning pool. Several bolts of lightning gathered around her and quickly enveloped most of her body. But probably because she was still at the edge, the power contained in these heavenly lightning bolts didn¡¯t pose any threat to her. She took a deep breath and walked forward. ¡­ In the room, Cen Yi was leaning against the chair. There were dozens of bottles on the table in front of him. With two dark circles under her eyes, Xiao Ba collapsed softly on the small couch beside her. ¡°They¡¯re all¡­ here¡­¡± Cen Yi raised his hand and picked up one of the jade bottles. Then, he opened it and took a look. A rich medicinal fragrance spread out. He raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°It¡¯s better than last time.¡± It was rare to hear a compliment from him. Xiao Ba struggled to raise her head with a sad expression. ¡°Right? Otherwise, it¡¯ll be letting down the dark circles that I¡¯ve worked so hard to create!¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the medicinal herbs Master bought for you. They¡¯re all extremely good.¡± Xiao Ba pursed her red lips and whispered, ¡°Although that¡¯s part of the reason, I¡¯m also very hardworking!¡± Recently, her ability to refine medicine had simply increased rapidly. Even she was about to cry from her inspiration. Cen Yi looked up slightly. ¡°Have you ever had anything to do with the words ¡®hard work?''¡± Xiao Ba was speechless. ¡°If you worked hard enough, you wouldn¡¯t be refining these things now.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s voice was calm. It didn¡¯t sound like criticism but a statement of fact. However, this was even more exciting. Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Big Brother! You¡¯re not even satisfied with this!?¡± Not to mention that these are all Senior Physician-level pills, more importantly: I didn¡¯t refine them one or two at a time. I refined dozens or hundreds of them at the same time! If this news spread, who knows how many people would be shocked! Big Brother is still complaining? Cen Yi suddenly looked at Hua Shuangshuang, who was sitting beside him. ¡°Liang He is the youngest Supreme Physician in Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± Hua Shuangshuang nodded. ¡°Yes. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t have taken out so many herbs and sent them over every day.¡± Although they didn¡¯t want it, it had always been there. At a casual glance, they were all valuable things. The corners of Xiao Ba¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Big Brother, are you serious?¡± Does this mean that he wants me to break through to become a Supreme Physician as soon as possible? Cen Yi put away all the pills on the table. ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you want to or not.¡± Xiao Ba muttered something to herself and lay back down. Hua Shuangshuang raised his eyebrows and looked at Cen Yi and Xiao Ba. Big Brother said, ¡®whether you want to,¡¯ but not ¡®if you can¡­¡¯ The key is Xiao Ba¡¯s reaction¡­ At this moment, Cen Yi suddenly sensed something. He stood up and looked outside. Those indifferent and long eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Looking at the time, Master should have returned from Zhen Bao Pavilion, right?¡± Hua Shuangshuang was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s right. Speaking of which, it¡¯s been a long time¡­ Why don¡¯t I go take a look?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°Master should have gone to the lightning pool. She¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Hearing his words, Hua Shuangshuang immediately felt relieved. Cen Yi paused and asked, ¡°Xiao Ba, Si Jing is still at Tianling?¡± Xiao Ba turned around and said lazily, ¡°I think so. Didn¡¯t he always follow you back then, Big Brother? Later on, when Master went to the God Residence Realm, she left Si Jing to protect Shangguan You in the Tianling Dynasty¡­ Why are you asking this?¡± Cen Yi tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°Let him come back.¡± There were already other people protecting Shangguan You, and the Tianling Dynasty had basically stabilized. There was no point in letting Si Jing stay there. ¡°Now?¡± Xiao Ba and Hua Shuangshuang were both shocked. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too sudden? Big Brother, you want to summon him to Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± Cen Yi could contact the Thirteen Yue Guards. But at this time¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°The Heaven Gate is still open. Let him come over directly.¡± Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°But I wonder how strong Fourth Brother is now? What if he can¡¯t cross that ocean and get onto that bridge?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°He¡¯s not that incompetent.¡± Hua Shuangshuang coughed. Xiao Ba¡¯s face darkened. She felt offended! ¡­ Actually, Cen Yi was right. Ever since the Heaven Gate opened, there were indeed people constantly trying to come up. Although there were only a few people who succeeded, everyone still rushed forward and refused to give up. Even if there was only a little hope, they were willing to give it a try. ¡­ When Qiang Wanzhou woke up, the room was silent. He sat up and rubbed his temples. He felt like he had slept for a long time. Fortunately, his head no longer hurt. He had been having a headache all the time recently and fell asleep unknowingly. After coming to Fantasy Divine Palace, this feeling became even more obvious. He looked down at the token on his hip. Everything was as usual. After some thought, he got up and walked out. When he came to the courtyard, only Cen Yi was there. He greeted him and headed out the door. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Cen Yi suddenly asked. Qiang Wanzhou looked back. His thin and soft blond hair covered his exquisite eyebrows, and the expression in his eyes couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. He spoke softly and smoothly. ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m returning to Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± Chapter 2220 - 2220 Not Going 2220 Not Going There was a moment of silence in the courtyard. Cen Yi stared at him and said in a deep voice, ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s pupils constricted as he came back to his senses. A hint of confusion and nervousness appeared on his exquisite and beautiful face. ¡°What¡­ did I say?¡± Of course, he knew what he had said¡ªhe heard it clearly! However, even he himself didn¡¯t know why he would give such an answer! His grip on the door slowly tightened, and for a moment his heart was in chaos. Cen Yi paused and then said, ¡°Go back and rest for a while.¡± Qiang Wanzhou pursed his lips, nodded, and walked back. When he arrived at the door, he hesitated for a moment. ¡°I want to go out for a walk.¡± Cen Yi looked up at him. Qiang Wanzhou took a deep breath. ¡°Just¡­ take a look around Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± After a moment, Cen Yi finally nodded his head. ¡°You know very well where you can and can¡¯t go.¡± Qiang Wanzhou heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± The words were on the tip of his tongue when he suddenly realized something. Actually, he didn¡¯t know how to answer the second half of the sentence, but it was as if this answer came from his subconscious¡­ He looked at Cen Yi nervously. Seeing that his expression was calm and that he didn¡¯t seem to care, he thanked him again and turned to leave. The door opened and closed. ¡°Return all the things outside to Liang He,¡± Cen Yi said without looking up. ¡°37 miles southeast, 500 meters, eighth apartment on Tongluan Street.¡± They were piled at the door. Although no one dared to come and take them casually, they were still in the way. Qiang Wanzhou responded and left. A moment later, Hua Shuangshuang walked out of the house and asked curiously, ¡°Big Brother, how do you know where Liang He lives?¡± During this period of time, Big Brother has never left the house, right? Cen Yi glanced at him. ¡°He¡¯s been coming here every day for the past few days. He always returns to the same place. What¡¯s so hard to guess?¡± Hua Shuangshuang laughed. ¡°Big Brother, I actually think that Liang He isn¡¯t bad either. Although he looks average, he¡¯s young and talented. He treats Xiao Ba well too.¡± Over the years, there had been countless people pursuing Xiao Ba, but she had never looked them in the eye. She liked the excitement, but she never invested too much feelings and was always carefree. Hua Shuangshuang rubbed his nose. It was just a joke¡­ ¡°Who? Who wants to abduct me?¡± Upon hearing her name, Xiao Ba walked over enchantingly with a carefully selected package of herbs. ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, aren¡¯t you looking down on me too much? How can I be kidnapped by others? On the other hand, I might be in a good mood later and kidnap a few sons-in-law for you to see?¡± Hua Shuangshuang was speechless. ¡°That¡¯s not a son-in-law!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s brother-in-law? Sigh, it¡¯s the same!¡± Cen Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at her. ¡°Alright.¡± Xiao Ba staggered. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m just joking. Are you serious?¡± Cen Yi smiled meaningfully. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for a member of the Thirteen Yue Guards to marry into another family. It¡¯s not bad to find someone to marry into our family.¡± ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock. Yan Qing opened a letter. After reading it quickly, his fingertips moved and burned the letter completely. ¡°Pass Master¡¯s order back. Everyone in the Sky-Cloud Empire is to stand by and not go to the Heaven Gate.¡± A soldier in black armor standing in front of him immediately replied, ¡°Yes!¡± He was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly paused and asked hesitantly, ¡°Officer Yan Qing, aren¡¯t you going too?¡± Chapter 2221 - 2221 Not In 2221 Not In Yan Qing¡¯s handsome and cold face was calm. ¡°No.¡± There was no need for that for the time being. After all, Yu Mo and the others were all there. In addition, Peach Blossom Dock still needed someone to take care of it. ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing that Yan Qing¡¯s attitude was firm, the soldier didn¡¯t continue asking and turned to leave. Yan Qing was the only one left in the room. He thought for a moment and walked out the door. Before he could walk out of the courtyard, he bumped into Tang Ke, who had specially come. Yan Qing bowed. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, why are you here?¡± Tang Ke chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not anything important. It¡¯s just that I need some medicinal herbs to refine weapons recently¡­¡± Yan Qing paused. ¡°Have you made a list?¡± Tang Ke handed it over. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all here.¡± Yan Qing: ¡°¡­¡± He took it with both hands and put it away without looking. ¡°I¡¯ll send it to you as soon as possible.¡± Tang Ke rubbed his hands. ¡°Hehe, this trip is really troublesome.¡± However, the pills he refined now were all for Chu Liuyue. With His Highness¡¯s permission, Yan Ge didn¡¯t dare to reject them. Yan Qing¡¯s expression remained cold. ¡°This is my duty. If there¡¯s nothing else, Senior Tang Ke, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Tang Ke chuckled. ¡°Go on, go on!¡± Recently, Yan Qing had been handling many things in Peach Blossom Dock. He was indeed very busy. Yan Qing nodded slightly before leaving. Looking at his back, Tang Ke clicked his tongue and couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly, ¡°After so many years, his temper hasn¡¯t changed at all¡­¡± ¡­ Fantasy Divine Palace, lightning pool. Chu Liuyue slowly and firmly walked forward. The dazzling silver light surrounded her, and countless lightning power drilled into her body, tempering the holy force in her body bit by bit. The deeper she went, the stronger the intermediate power of the lightning. However, probably because her Holy Body was relatively special, these heavenly lightning bolts didn¡¯t pose any threat to her. Overall, it didn¡¯t hurt. After walking for a distance, she still couldn¡¯t sense Yi Zhao¡¯s aura. She couldn¡¯t help but ask in her heart, ¡°Tuan Zi, do you sense anything?¡± Tuan Zi shook her head. ¡°Not yet. This lightning pool seems to have scattered the aura of Clan Leader Grandpa. I can only feel that the aura inside seems to be stronger.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and wasn¡¯t surprised. If it was really so easy to find Yi Zhao, there would be a problem. ¡°Then let¡¯s continue to look inside.¡± ¡­ ¡°Why is she still going in?¡± ¡°The deeper it is, the stronger the lightning. Even I don¡¯t dare to go there. Isn¡¯t she too bold?¡± ¡°Why do I feel like¡­ those lightning bolts don¡¯t seem to pose any threat to her at all? I heard that she broke through to become a legendary warrior at a young age and is extremely talented, but¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be like this, right?¡± ¡°I heard that Shangguan Yue¡¯s Holy Body is an illusion of the God-Destroying Tribulation. She can even withstand that God-Destroying Tribulation. These shouldn¡¯t be a problem now, right? However, I¡¯m still more curious. How far can she go?¡± As Chu Liuyue gradually walked deeper into the lightning pool, more and more people around turned their attention to her. Cheng Pei, who was tempering his Holy Body at the edge of the lightning pool, opened his eyes impatiently when he heard these words. Seeing that the figure was really still moving towards the lightning, he clenched his fists tightly, anger and unwillingness surging in his heart. Everyone knew that the deepest part of the lightning pool contained the most powerful power and pressure. Apart from the silver lightning, there was also golden lightning hidden there! If he could reach that place and withstand the top-notch heavenly lightning tempering, the benefits he could obtain were almost immeasurable. Which of the cultivators in the Fantasy Divine Palace didn¡¯t want to go over? Of course, he was no exception. However, everyone had their own limits. And that was his limit. If he went any further, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that he would return unscathed. In comparison, Chu Liuyue easily surpassed the limit that most people could reach and was still moving forward. How could he not be envious and jealous?! Cheng Pei felt especially uncomfortable when he saw this. Forget it. No matter how talented she is, it¡¯s useless without a bloodline totem. At the thought of this, he felt better. ¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue! I think he¡¯s down there!¡± After about an hour, Tuan Zi¡¯s excited voice sounded again. With a thought, Chu Liuyue immediately went down! Splash¡ª Her figure instantly disappeared under the lightning pool! Everyone only saw lightning intertwining. In a moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure had completely disappeared from their vision. ¡°Where is she?! Why did she suddenly disappear?¡± ¡°Could something have happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous in the depths of the lightning pool. Could she have fallen down because she couldn¡¯t hold on?¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t hear her call for help just now¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions in no time. Song Qing stared at the lightning pool in front of him and waited for a while. Seeing that Chu Liuyue still didn¡¯t come up, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. Shouldn¡¯t we report it to the Fourth Deity?¡± When the people around him heard his words, they looked at each other. Actually, it wasn¡¯t difficult to invite the Fourth Deity over. The key was¡­ Who would be willing to do this? Cheng Pei had just come out of the lightning pool. When he heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Elder Song, this lightning pool has always been free to enter and exit. She¡¯s responsible for her own life and death. Since she wanted to go over herself, she has to pay the price for her choice. I heard that in the past, many people died in this lightning pool. I¡¯ve never heard of the Fourth Deity taking the initiative to save anyone. Even if you report it now, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be futile.¡± The crowd looked at each other and they all fell silent. Although Cheng Pei¡¯s words were a little unpleasant, it was the truth. No matter what, the Fourth Deity, including the people present, had no obligation to help. Song Qing hesitated for a moment and could only give up. It wasn¡¯t that he had a good relationship with Chu Liuyue, but he felt that she was still young. It was indeed not easy for her to get to where she was today. Song Qing admired her a little. However, this was the Fantasy Divine Palace. It was already very difficult for everyone to take care of themselves, let alone others. He could only hope that she could escape safely¡­ Cheng Pei laughed and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. If she could die here today, it would save him a lot of effort. ¡­ Chu Liuyue dived all the way down. Because there were silver lightning swimming around, it wasn¡¯t dark below. Instead, it was bright. At a glance, there was no end to it. She continued forward according to the direction Tuan Zi pointed. After an unknown period of time, a golden light flashed not far in front of her! Chapter 2222 - 2222 Whose Domain! 2222 Whose Domain! Chu Liuyue stopped and looked ahead. When she saw the scene in front of her, she instantly held her breath. In front of her, behind countless silver lightning bolts, golden light flashed and shone. Countless golden heavenly lightning bolts intertwined and gathered into a ball. The huge golden ball of light existed silently in the depths of the lightning pool. Heavy! Powerful! Mysterious! ¡°This is¡­¡± Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly and almost thought that she was hallucinating. It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t seen golden lightning before. Back when she helped Lan Xiao reconstruct his Holy Body, she even helped to activate a few. However, the number of lightning bolts in front of her¡­ was uncountable! She looked especially small standing here. ¡°A¡¯Yue! Clan Leader Grandpa seems to be inside!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice woke her up. She frowned, and her heart skipped a beat. ¡°You mean inside the golden lightning?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Since we¡¯re already here, Tuan Zi¡¯s intuition shouldn¡¯t be wrong. But if Yi Zhao is really trapped in that ball of golden lightning¡­ things will probably be troublesome. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and perked up. Then, she carefully walked forward. With every step she took, the pressure on her became heavier! Her shoulders seemed to be carrying a heavy mountain, and her legs seemed to be filled with lead. Silver lightning swam around her body, and a subtle pain began to come from all parts of her body. With a thought, she summoned her Holy Body! The beautiful soft armor covered her body and finally isolated her from the lightning. Although it couldn¡¯t completely offset the power of the lightning, it could at least make her feel more relaxed. ¡­ As the distance between her and the golden lightning tribulation gradually narrowed, she gradually sensed a familiar aura. It was indeed the same aura as Yi Zhao¡¯s! She gritted her teeth and continued forward. ¡­ At the same time, at the Heaven Gate, a burly man finally walked over from the bridge. He was dark-skinned and strong. His arms were muscular, and a hammer hung from his waist. Ever since he received Big Brother¡¯s message, he had immediately rushed over. The journey was really torturous. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to be too late. He looked up at the Heaven Gate in front of him and sighed. At this moment, a figure slowly walked over. Si Jing retracted his gaze and looked at that person. Their eyes met for a moment. Jin Yunlai walked to the door and stood in front of Si Jing. ¡°I am the Seventh Deity of Fantasy Divine Palace, Jin Yunlai.¡± Si Jing was stunned for a moment before bowing with cupped fists. ¡°So it¡¯s the Seventh Deity. Sorry for my disrespect!¡± ¡°You came alone?¡± Jin Yunlai looked behind him and asked curiously. Si Jing nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Is there a problem?¡± Jin Yunlai shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that when the Heaven Gate opens, most people come in groups. Very few people come alone.¡± Si Jing chuckled and scratched his head. ¡°Oh, about that? Actually, my family head and the others have already arrived previously. I was delayed by something, so I came a little late.¡± Jin Yunlai nodded. To be able to come up alone, he must have some ability. He took out the booklet. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°Si Jing.¡± Then, the red-gold feather appeared in Jin Yunlai¡¯s hand again. He raised his hand, and the feather swept across Si Jing¡¯s glabella. It was blank. Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression changed slightly. Then, he seemed to suddenly remember something. ¡°Your Master is Shangguan Yue?¡± Si Jing smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right! Looks like you¡¯ve already met my master?¡± Jin Yunlai paused, his expression cold. ¡°I¡¯ll be in charge of the Heaven Gate review this time.¡± Si Jing felt that his mood seemed to have instantly become much colder, and he felt a little strange. Jin Yunlai scrutinized him again. ¡°You¡¯re a little better than the previous two.¡± He had already broken through to become a legendary warrior. Although there was no bloodline totem¡­ With the comparison of Hua Shuangshuang and Xiao Ba, it instantly didn¡¯t seem so unacceptable. Then, he handed the token over. ¡°Go in.¡± He didn¡¯t explain so much to Si Jing. Seeing that Jin Yunlai¡¯s attitude was a little strange, Si Jing originally wanted to ask. But seeing that the other party didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of speaking, he didn¡¯t continue asking. After receiving the token, he thanked Jin Yunlai and stepped into the Heaven Gate! ¡­ Chu Liuyue stopped. At this moment, she had already arrived in front of the huge ball of light composed of the gathered golden lightning. Due to the pressure, the silver lightning didn¡¯t approach. There was a vacuum-like area around them. At this moment, she was standing here! The powerful pressure almost suffocated her, and the blood in her body seemed to have stopped flowing. All the holy force around her was under an unprecedented terrifying suppression! She knew very well how dangerous this place was. Now, as long as she raised her hand, she could touch the ball of light! The dazzling light was almost dazzling, making it difficult to look at. Chu Liuyue endured the pain in her eyes and reached out. Buzz¡ª A sharp buzzing sound suddenly came! Several golden heavenly lightning bolts instantly changed directions and stabbed forward like extremely sharp blades! Instantly, they enveloped Chu Liuyue! A chill suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart! Chu Liuyue knew very well that even if she could trigger the golden lightning, she wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the attack of almost a hundred golden lightning bolts at the same time! Without thinking, she wanted to retreat! But at this moment, the surrounding space was already completely controlled by these heavenly lightning bolts. There was no way to escape! Swoosh! The golden lightning at the front instantly arrived between her eyebrows! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank, but at this moment, a buzzing sound came from her body! The next moment, the golden lightning stopped! A few strands of hair on her forehead were cut off by the aftershock and fell silently. A strange totem appeared on her glabella! An invisible and vast pressure spread out from her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was beating rapidly, and she felt her glabella burn. She slowly raised her hand and touched her forehead. The golden lightning suddenly retreated a little. Then, it timidly leaned forward and rubbed against the back of her hand. Chapter 2223 - 2223 What Did You See?! 2223 What Did You See?! Chu Liuyue was dazed. The golden lightning swept gently across the back of her hand with a warm temperature. It was careful, but it carried an indescribable longing. Then, the surrounding golden heavenly lightning gathered and approached her. They tapped her arm and shoulder. The ferocious pressure from before had completely dissipated at this moment. In its place was unconcealed flattery and intimacy. Chu Liuyue blinked. This situation¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue! They seem to know you!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s curious voice came from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Have you been here before!?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella moved slightly. ¡°Of course not.¡± Bam! Something hit her waist from behind. She looked back and realized that a few golden lightning bolts had run behind her. One of them was floating back¡ªit was clearly the one who had bumped into her just now. Actually, it didn¡¯t hurt, but Chu Liuyue could feel the dissatisfaction in it. Dissatisfaction? Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. I said that I have never been here before, so why does this golden lightning seem very unhappy? However, I am telling the truth. Fantasy Divine Palace opens the Heaven Gate once every 10,000 years. How could I have been here before? Tuan Zi muttered, ¡°A¡¯Yue, you seem to have angered them¡­¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± She raised her hands silently. ¡°Then¡­ no matter what, we¡¯ve met today, right? Everyone, can you please make way first?¡± She still wanted to see the situation inside. Shua! As soon as she finished speaking, the few golden lightning bolts in front of her immediately flew to the sides, clearing a path in the middle. Tuan Zi exclaimed. ¡°They¡¯re so obedient! A¡¯Yue, why don¡¯t you take them in as your followers?¡± I¡¯m so envious! Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Tuan Zi is clearly a cute and adorable girl. Why was she always thinking about being a big sister and taking in underlings? For a moment, Chu Liuyue suspected that she had led the child astray. However, she quickly suppressed these thoughts and walked forward. Without the obstruction of these golden heavenly lightning bolts, there was only the last obstacle ahead¡ªthe huge net formed by the golden heavenly lightning. She focused her gaze and finally saw the scene ahead clearly. Then, she suddenly held her breath. In front of her, several golden Heavenly Dao outlined a huge spherical cage. And in the center of it, a figure was wrapped in countless black chains! It was Yi Zhao! At this moment, almost his entire body was bound by chains. His body and the chains were covered in blood. His head was lowered, and his hair was messy and covered most of his face. However, Chu Liuyue could still see his extremely pale face and the corners of his lips that were still bleeding. Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils constricted, and her heart seemed to be tightly grabbed by something. All the breath in her chest was plundered, and she could barely breathe. She had never seen Yi Zhao in such a tragic state! ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± A reddish-gold light suddenly flashed, and Tuan Zi had already flown out. She wanted to rush in without thinking. Huala! The moment Tuan Zi appeared, the chains in the golden cage seemed to have suddenly sensed something and shook violently! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Alarms instantly rang in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She quickly grabbed Tuan Zi and hugged her tightly. An indescribably cold and dangerous feeling surged from all directions! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! At this moment, the trapped Yi Zhao finally moved and slowly raised his head. There was a trace of scarlet in his old eyes. His blurry vision gradually cleared. Two familiar faces came into view. Immediately, Yi Zhao¡¯s expression changed! Why are they here? ¡°Quick¡­ Go!¡± He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse and harsh. With just these few simple words, he spat out blood again. Splash¡ª The black chains around him shook even more violently! ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s tears instantly flowed out, and large hot tears landed on the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, almost making her heart tremble. At this moment, an unfamiliar and powerful aura suddenly came from afar! ¡°Who dares to invade the forbidden area of the lightning pool!?¡± A low, cold, and oppressive voice came from afar! Chu Liuyue knew that something was wrong and immediately called Tuan Zi back. Then, she turned around and wanted to leave! But before she could run far, she felt something hook her waist. She looked down and saw that it was an extremely sharp red sickle! If not for the fact that she had already summoned her Holy Body, she would probably have been cut in half! Her figure moved, and like an agile fish, she quickly swam away! However, the surrounding space was quickly freezing! ¡°You want to escape? Where can you escape to?!¡± In the blink of an eye, that person had already closed in! A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. At this moment, there is no way to dodge. It is better to face it head-on! She simply turned around and looked at the person who came. It was a burly young man holding a sickle and wearing blue and black armor. Countless silver lightning bolts spread across his body. How awe-inspiring! When Chu Liuyue scrutinized the other party, that person was also scrutinizing her. When he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s face clearly, he frowned tightly. ¡°Newcomer? Who gave you the guts to come here?!¡± Chu Liuyue almost immediately guessed the other party¡¯s identity. She probed, ¡°You are¡­ the Fourth Deity?¡± Mu Dongyou narrowed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the Fourth Deity, Mu Dongyou! Who are you?¡± He had seen everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace, but he was very unfamiliar with this face. With a little thought, he knew that she should be a newcomer to Fantasy Divine Palace. Chu Liuyue thought to herself, ¡®as expected,¡¯ but her expression was exceptionally polite and respectful. ¡°Shangguan Yue greets the Fourth Deity. I came here today purely by chance. I have no intention of offending you. Please forgive me, Fourth Deity!¡± ¡°You¡¯re Shangguan Yue?¡± When Mu Dongyou heard this, his expression changed subtly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. ¡°The Fourth Deity¡­ knows me?¡± Mu Dongyou laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I know you, but you¡¯ve been very famous ie Fantasy Divine Palace recently.¡± There was no emotion in his tone, and Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t sure if his words were a compliment or a mockery. However, the most important thing now was to evacuate from here as soon as possible. ¡°I really didn¡¯t come here today for any reason¡ª¡± Swoosh! Before she could finish speaking, she heard a piercing sound! A cold glint flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t move in the end and still stood on the spot. Swoosh! That sharp sickle was placed on her neck! All the blood in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body seemed to freeze at this moment. Mu Dongyou¡¯s eyes were cold as he said word by word, ¡°What did you see just now?¡± Chapter 2224 - 2224 Not Someone You Can Reach 2224 Not Someone You Can Reach The surroundings fell into dead silence. After a while, Chu Liuyue heard her own voice. ¡°Golden heavenly lightning.¡± Mu Dongyou¡¯s sickle was even closer, as if it would cut off her head the next moment! ¡°What else?¡± He continued to force an answer. His eyes seemed to have substance. When they landed on Chu Liuyue, they seemed to be even sharper than his sickle. Those with weaker minds and willpower probably didn¡¯t dare to look at him at all. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was steady, and her expression was magnanimous. ¡°Nothing else.¡± Mu Dongyou stared intently at her as if assessing the credibility of her words. The two sides fell silent into an almost suffocating confrontation. After an unknown period of time, Mu Dongyou finally put away the sickle. Swoosh! ¡°You don¡¯t want to know the outcome of lying to me.¡± His cold tone was still filled with warning and threat. However, it was obvious that he temporarily believed Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. This wasn¡¯t because he believed in Chu Liuyue but because he believed in the defense of the lightning pool. Under the layers of barriers, ordinary people couldn¡¯t approach at all, let alone anything else. ¡°Thank you, Fourth Deity.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. Fortunately¡­ I sensed that something was wrong just now and immediately grabbed Tuan Zi to run. At that time, the surrounding golden lightning quickly surged up and returned to its previous state. When Mu Dongyou arrived, he saw that Chu Liuyue was still a distance away from the ball of golden lightning. If not for that, Chu Liuyue knew that it would be extremely difficult for her to escape! Her gaze turned slightly, and she quickly glanced at the golden heavenly lightning that had already returned to its original position. It was dazzling and domineering! If it weren¡¯t for the pain from the collision on her lower back, she would¡¯ve thought that everything just now was just a dream. She lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that this was a forbidden area of the lightning pool. Please forgive me for offending you. I¡¯ll leave quickly.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she wanted to retreat and leave. ¡°Wait!¡± Mu Dongyou suddenly spoke. Mu Dongyou stared at her for a while. ¡°Your Holy Body¡­ came from the God-Destroying Tribulation?¡± He couldn¡¯t mistake the flash of brilliance on her. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°No wonder,¡± Mu Dongyou muttered in relief. ¡°Although it¡¯s a serious crime for you to barge into the forbidden area, I¡¯ll let you off this time on account that you¡¯re new. In addition, being able to come here alone is enough to show your talent.¡± Mu Dongyou was responsible for guarding this place all year round, but this was the first time he saw a legendary warrior barge in here. Therefore, he still admired Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect him to say this and was stunned for a moment. Mu Dongyou¡¯s gaze swept across the token on her waist, and a hint of regret appeared in his eyes. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart moved. It had to be said that she had been getting impatient with these words recently. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t say anything now. But when the golden lightning flew over to attack her just now, the space between her eyebrows was extremely hot. This had happened more than once, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what was going on either. She couldn¡¯t even control when it appeared and disappeared. Her lips curled up, and she said, ¡°Things like bloodline totems are destined. Instead of wasting your time on this, why don¡¯t you use this time to do other meaningful things?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite thorough.¡± Mu Dongyou laughed. Originally, he didn¡¯t take Chu Liuyue seriously, but after hearing what she said, he felt that this girl¡¯s personality was open-minded and was quite rare. ¡°Alright, go back. If you want to cultivate in the future, just stay in the area outside. Don¡¯t come here again.¡± Mu Dongyou shook his head. ¡°Never again.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded her head and left. After she left, Mu Dongyou turned around to look. In the lightning pool, the ball of golden lightning was silent. He looked at it steadily for a long time. ¡­ Si Jing quickly found the courtyard where Cen Yi and the others lived. As soon as he reached the door, it opened from the inside. Cen Yi was standing at the door. Si Jing grinned. ¡°Big Brother!¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°You came quickly.¡± As he spoke, he walked in. Si Jing followed and smiled. ¡°After receiving Big Brother¡¯s message, I immediately came here without stopping! Fortunately, it¡¯s not too late!¡± With that, he looked around the courtyard. ¡°Where¡¯s Master? Isn¡¯t she here?¡± ¡°Master is in the lightning pool and hasn¡¯t returned yet,¡± Cen Yi said. ¡°Lightning pool?¡± Si Jing looked in a certain direction. ¡°Over there?¡± Although they were quite far away, the great power of the heavenly lightning was still very easy to tell. Cen Yi nodded. ¡°You can go and take a look when you have time. It¡¯s a good place.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, okay!¡± Si Jing didn¡¯t think too much about it. Anyway, Big Brother was right. At this moment, Hua Shuangshuang walked out of the house. ¡°Fourth Brother, you¡¯re here. Eh, you¡¯ve already broken through to become a legendary warrior?!¡± Hua Shuangshuang looked stunned. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been in Tianling? How did you break through so quickly?¡± He was only a true god now. Si Jing laughed. ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m too fast but that you¡¯re too slow! Although Tianling is outside the God Residence Realm, there are a few places that are very suitable for cultivation. In the middle, I returned to Dahuang Swamp a few times and stayed there for a period of time. I then went to the God Residence Realm and broke through.¡± ¡°Dahuang Swamp?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I went to Mirror Lake. I wanted to go to the Red Moon Desert to take a look, but it was already locked down at that time. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t enter at all, so I didn¡¯t go.¡± Hua Shuangshuang nodded in understanding. He knew that a few years ago, Si Jing had been staying in the Mystic Forest with Cen Yi. But after the Mystic Forest was destroyed, and Master brought Tuan Zi back, they never went there again. Among the Thirteen Yue Guards, there were probably not many people who understood the Dahuang Swamp better than the two of them. It was normal for him to go back. Si Jing looked at Cen Yi. ¡°Big Brother, why did you ask me to come over in a hurry this time?¡± ¡­ Qiang Wanzhou arrived at the entrance of a courtyard¡ªthis was Liang He¡¯s residence. He knocked on the door. Knock, knock. Liang He quickly walked out of the house. ¡°Who is it?¡± When he came to the courtyard and saw Qiang Wanzhou standing outside, he instantly hesitated. ¡°You are¡ª¡± ¡°This is yours. I¡¯ll return it to you.¡± Qiang Wanzhou took out all the herbs and placed them at the door before leaving. Liang He was stunned and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Qiang Wanzhou stopped in his tracks and half-turned around. There was no expression on his exquisite and cold face. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Liang He was stared at by those clear, clean, but cold eyes. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know what to say. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, ¡°This is¡­ Miss Xiao Ba¡¯s idea?¡± Qiang Wanzhou narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°She is Master¡¯s woman. She¡¯s not someone you can reach.¡± Chapter 2225 - 2225 Not Worthy 2225 Not Worthy His tone was calm. However, it was also because of this that it seemed especially straightforward and ear-piercing¡ªit was even embarrassing. Liang He¡¯s expression changed slightly. He was the youngest Supreme Physician in Fantasy Divine Palace, and his future was limitless. Even the Eighth Deity, Shu Jing, had to be more polite to him. Although he wasn¡¯t very noble, he was definitely considered an upper-class existence. But now, he was told that he was out of his league? This was difficult for him to accept no matter what. ¡°Young Master, please be more polite with your words. I like Miss Xiao Ba, and I¡¯m sincerely pursuing her. But no matter how bad it is, it can¡¯t be said that she¡¯s out of my league, right?¡± Liang He¡¯s expression was a little cold. He naturally knew who the ¡®Master¡¯ this young man was talking about. In the past few days, Shangguan Yue¡¯s name had been very famous. Although she didn¡¯t finish the Star Path, she easily broke Mu Yafeng¡¯s record. Just this point alone was enough for everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace to remember her. Under normal circumstances, with such extraordinary talent and potential, it was enough for many people to flock to her and fight to befriend her. However, she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem! This alone was enough to erase everything about her! Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just her. The few people who came with her were all the same¡ªeven Xiao Ba was no exception. He had always been polite to them because he liked Xiao Ba, but he didn¡¯t expect that in the end, it would be exchanged for such words? Qiang Wanzhou still had no expression on his face, as if he didn¡¯t listen to Liang He at all. ¡°Are you done?¡± Liang He was stunned. Qiang Wanzhou turned around and left. ¡°You¡ª¡± Liang He immediately felt his chest tighten. The other party¡¯s disapproving attitude really made him feel very uncomfortable! He looked at the pile of medicinal herbs at the door and felt even more frustrated. After thinking about it, he finally couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward and say in a low voice, ¡°There are some things that you might not like to hear, so I¡¯ve never said them. But now, I can¡¯t stop talking.¡± ¡°None of you have a bloodline totem. In Fantasy Divine Palace, you can¡¯t even last a month. Even if you can rely on some means to stay for a while longer, the final outcome will still be the same. But if Miss Xiao Ba is willing to be with me, at the very least, I can let her stay here forever.¡± Qiang Wanzhou stopped in his tracks. ¡°She won¡¯t end up like this.¡± With that, he ignored Liang He and left. Are these people still living in a dream? Do they really think that they can stay here with their talent and strength? ¡­ Plop! Chu Liuyue rushed out from under the lightning pool! Then, she turned around and took a look. She was already quite a distance away and could barely see the gold. However, the scene just now was still vivid in her mind. Although it was risky, she was finally sure that Yi Zhao was there. She could just come back when she had the chance! She suppressed the thoughts in her heart and turned toward the shore. When Chu Liuyue appeared again, it instantly caused an uproar among the people on the shore. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Shangguan Yue?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really her! She¡¯s actually still alive?¡± Cheng Pei¡ªwho was originally waiting for the news of Chu Liuyue¡¯s death¡ªsensed this commotion and immediately looked over. When he saw that familiar face, his heart sank. It has been so long, yet she is still alive?! ¡°Why is this Shangguan Yue¡¯s life so tenacious!?¡± Chapter 2226 - 2226 Visit 2226 Visit Song Qing and the others were more concerned about something else. ¡°That¡¯s not right. She almost reached the deepest part of the lightning pool. Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t have survived. Why did she come out unscathed in the end?¡± It was a place they couldn¡¯t approach at all. However, not only did Chu Liuyue go there easily, but she also stayed there for a long time. She only returned leisurely when everyone thought that she should have died in the lightning pool. We¡¯re all legendary warriors. Isn¡¯t the difference too huge?! Chu Liuyue stared at everyone¡¯s shocked gazes. All eyes were on her face and body. Her face was beautiful, and the color was just right. She was slender and graceful. Not only was there no scars or blood on her body, but there wasn¡¯t even a wrinkle on her clothes. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she had gone out to have fun just now! Everyone looked at her strangely. Shangguan Yue¡­ is really abnormal? ¡°Why is everyone looking at me?¡± Chu Liuyue stood still and smiled. Her tone was relaxed, and her lips were curled into a smile. Everyone fell silent. A moment later, Cheng Pei was the first to speak. He frowned and asked in disbelief, ¡°Shangguan Yue, you¡­ went to the depths of the lightning pool just now?!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded casually. ¡°Yes, I went there for a while, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything interesting. Hence, I came back. What¡¯s wrong?¡± What? She herself said ¡®what¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Everyone was in a mess. We¡¯re still at the edge of the lightning pool, and it is very difficult for us to take another step in. But she went straight to the innermost part, and in the end said that it was very boring? Did she consider our feelings? Cheng Pei was so angry that he couldn¡¯t speak. His face turned red and white. He also wanted to say a few words to refute Chu Liuyue, but everyone had clearly seen that Chu Liuyue had gone there and returned unscathed. What else could they say? The aura on her body was clearly much stronger than before! Cheng Pei was upset, and his chest felt uncomfortable. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to say, ¡°Heh, it seems like I¡¯ve really underestimated you¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too late to recognize this.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and interrupted him. Then, she revealed a surprised expression. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t Senior Cheng Pei say that you wanted to enter the lightning pool to temper your Holy Body? Why didn¡¯t you go?¡± Pfft. Someone beside her suddenly laughed. Cheng Pei¡¯s expression turned even uglier. Chu Liuyue blinked and suddenly understood. ¡°Oh, so Senior Cheng Pei has already been there and is out again? This¡­ How long has it been? According to the speed, how long will it take you to completely temper your Holy Body?¡± Cheng Pei was furious and flung his sleeves. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this! After all, you don¡¯t even know how long you can stay here!¡± So what if I¡¯m slow? It is better than her hopelessness! Chu Liuyue nodded sincerely. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wish you all the best first. I also hope to see a little obvious improvement before I leave.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s one more thing.¡± Chu Liuyue took a step forward and suddenly turned around. ¡°I forgot to remind everyone that the center of the lightning pool is guarded by the Fourth Deity. You can¡¯t approach it easily.¡± The crowd was shocked. Song Qing asked, ¡°You saw the Fourth Deity over there?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°The Fourth Deity was magnanimous enough to let me off this time, but it¡¯s hard to say if anyone dares to barge in again. That¡¯s all I have to say. Everyone, just pay more attention.¡± Many people looked at each other in silence. What is the use of us knowing about this? We can¡¯t reach that place! If she hadn¡¯t said that she had also been warned by the Fourth Deity, people would almost think that she was showing off! However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t really care about them. She tidied her collar and left. ¡­ After leaving the lightning pool, the smile on Chu Liuyue¡¯s face gradually disappeared. A solemn look appeared in the corners of her eyes. Although I already know where Yi Zhao is, it is extremely troublesome to save him. Not to mention that there was the Fourth Deity guarding the outside, just the cage formed by countless golden heavenly lightning bolts and black chains is difficult to break free from. It¡¯s obvious that once there is any movement over there, someone will definitely notice. This is Fantasy Divine Palace, and Tuan Zi and I are restricted here. It is even harder to bring him out. ¡°Tuan Zi, Tuan Zi?¡± Chu Liuyue called out to Tuan Zi a few times in her heart. After a while, Tuan Zi¡¯s sobbing voice could be heard. ¡°A¡¯Yue, are we unable to save Clan Leader Grandpa?¡± She had always been by Chu Liuyue¡¯s side and had seen all kinds of dangers and difficulties along the way. Even if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say it, she knew how difficult this was. Chu Liuyue sighed and softened her voice. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry. Although they¡¯ve locked Senior Yi Zhao up, they don¡¯t seem to have any intention of taking his life yet. We still have the time and opportunity.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s situation was very bad¡ªhe was even on his last breath. However, it was precisely because of this that Chu Liuyue could conclude that the other party didn¡¯t really want to take Yi Zhao¡¯s life. At least, not now. Otherwise, Yi Zhao wouldn¡¯t have survived until now. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, Tuan Zi felt a little better and softly asked, ¡°Th-then, what should we do? That deity looks so fierce¡­¡± Apart from the Fourth Deity, where were the other deities? Also, where was the person who captured Yi Zhao? Chu Liuyue paused for a moment before saying softly and firmly, ¡°There must be a way.¡± ¡­ She quickly returned to her residence. As soon as she arrived at the door, she felt a familiar aura inside. She was slightly stunned. The next moment, Si Jing¡¯s figure suddenly appeared. ¡°Master! You¡¯re back!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Si Jing, why are you here?¡± Si Jing chuckled. ¡°I heard from Big Brother that you¡¯re all here. I thought that Tianling¡¯s matters were almost settled, so I came over.¡± Chu Liuyue walked over and sized him up carefully. ¡°You¡¯ve already broken through to become a legendary warrior?¡± This cultivation speed is really fast. Si Jing briefly repeated the reason he had given to Hua Shuangshuang previously. Only then did Chu Liuyue feel relieved. Si Jing¡¯s talent was indeed extremely outstanding, and his temperament was extremely stable on the path of cultivation. It wasn¡¯t too surprising that he could get to where he was today. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Chu Liuyue turned around curiously. Who would be here at this time? ¡°I¡¯ll open the door!¡± As Si Jing spoke, he strode over. Creak¡ª A familiar face appeared in front of her. Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Miss Mu?¡± Chapter 2227 - 2227 Not Very Advanced Anyway 2227 Not Very Advanced Anyway It was Mu Yafeng. Si Jing turned around and asked, ¡°Master, do you know her?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Miss Mu, why are you here now?¡± Mu Yafeng glanced past Si Jing and looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I do have something to discuss with Miss Shangguan.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Mu? Just say it.¡± However, Mu Yafeng looked troubled. ¡°This¡­ I wonder if Miss Shangguan can talk in private?¡± Chu Liuyue understood. It seems like it isn¡¯t an ordinary matter. That¡¯s true. Miss Mu wouldn¡¯t come over personally for ordinary matters. ¡°Miss Mu, please come in.¡± ¡­ Mu Yafeng followed Chu Liuyue into her room. After both parties sat down, Chu Liuyue went straight to the point. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here now. Miss Mu, you can say it.¡± Mu Yafeng folded her hands as if she were hesitating. After a moment, she finally said, ¡°Actually, I came this time to make a deal with Miss Shangguan.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. ¡°I have a way to make Miss Shangguan and the others stay in Fantasy Divine Palace. Furthermore, if you need anything in the future, I¡¯ll try my best to do it for you,¡± Mu Yafeng said word by word. She thought that Chu Liuyue would be surprised and excited when she heard this. But contrary to her expectations, the woman opposite her had a faint smile on her face the entire time. Her expression didn¡¯t change at all. After she finished speaking, Chu Liuyue slowly asked, ¡°What does Miss Mu want?¡± Mu Yafeng¡¯s conditions were undoubtedly very generous. For people without bloodline totems, this was undoubtedly the greatest temptation. Since Mu Yafeng dared to make such a condition, it could only mean that she wanted a lot. Mu Yafeng bit her lip. For a moment, she felt as if all her thoughts had been seen through by Chu Liuyue. This feeling made her very uncomfortable. It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­ Does she not care at all if she can stay in Fantasy Divine Palace? Even if she doesn¡¯t care, what about her subordinates? Do they not care at all? Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm appearance instantly gave Mu Yafeng the illusion that the conditions she offered couldn¡¯t move her at all. This woman is very scheming¡­ ¡°Miss Shangguan has now obtained the opportunity to replicate the Xuan formations of Zhen Bao Pavilion. The Li Fire Xuan Map might be among them. If Miss Shangguan is willing to help me¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint Miss Mu.¡± Chu Liuyue directly interrupted her. ¡°I can¡¯t help you with this.¡± Mu Yafeng¡¯s face stiffened. Actually, she had no choice but to come here. On the Star Path, the last part of the Xuan formation was extremely complicated and difficult to comprehend. She went back and studied it for a long time, but she still had no clue. Just one Xuan formation was already making things so difficult for her. She really didn¡¯t know how much time and energy it would take for the rest! However, she really didn¡¯t want to wait anymore. More importantly, when she arrived here, she realized that with her current strength, it was impossible for her to comprehend it all in a short period of time. In fact¡­ She wasn¡¯t even sure if she could really see all the Xuan formations. Many people in Fantasy Divine Palace were now secretly discussing when she would be able to complete the Star Path. If they knew that she didn¡¯t have the confidence and ability at all, then¡ª At that time, countless people would be waiting to see her make a fool of herself. Therefore, after realizing this, she made up her mind to get the Li Fire Xuan Map! With the annotations and pointers within, these problems would definitely be solved! It was impossible to get it through Zhen Bao Pavilion; they had always been extremely strict with these things. Moreover, for some reason, Second Boss, Ming Shu, and the others¡¯ attitudes toward her were much colder than before. After thinking about it, she could only look for Chu Liuyue, hoping to get the Li Fire Xuan Map from her. However, she didn¡¯t expect to be rejected by the other party before she could even finish speaking! ¡°Miss Shangguan¡ª¡± ¡°Although I haven¡¯t been in Fantasy Divine Palace for long, I know some rules.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up, but her black jade-like eyes were cold. ¡°If I give you the Li Fire Xuan Map, wouldn¡¯t it be equivalent to betraying Zhen Bao Pavilion?¡± Although she wasn¡¯t from Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­ From a certain perspective, the two sides were also cooperating. Ming Shu trusted her and handed it to her. If she turned around and made a deal with Mu Yafeng¡­ ¡°Miss Shangguan, I know this is a little difficult for you, but I really need it! How about this? You don¡¯t have to give it to me completely. I just want a portion of the Xuan formations¡­ Not even half.¡± Chu Liuyue stood up. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I won¡¯t keep you. Please¡ª¡± Mu Yafeng turned pale. Is this a direct dismissal?! She clenched her fists tightly in her sleeves and suppressed the surging emotions in her heart. Then, she asked, ¡°Miss Shangguan, if you don¡¯t tell anyone, no one will know. Anyway, you are replicating the Xuan formations, so what¡¯s the problem if you replicate a few more for me? Moreover, using these to exchange for the right to stay in Fantasy Divine Palace forever¡ªit¡¯s definitely not a loss for you, right?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the token on her waist and sighed. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re not in a hurry about this ourselves. I really don¡¯t know why each of you is more concerned than the other. If we can stay, stay. If we can¡¯t, leave. Isn¡¯t that simple? Everyone depends on their own abilities. Why go through so much trouble?¡± Her main purpose here was to find Big Baby and the others and save them. As for the rest¡­ She really didn¡¯t take it to heart! ¡°Besides, cheating is like being pregnant. If you are, you are. If you aren¡¯t, you aren¡¯t. How can you say you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words made Mu Yafeng¡¯s expression turn cold. ¡°So you really don¡¯t want to help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t.¡± Chu Liuyue placed her hands on the table and leaned forward, looking down at Mu Yafeng. ¡°Miss Mu, do you really think that if you rely on other methods to comprehend the remaining Xuan formations, no one will be able to tell?¡± Mu Yafeng¡¯s lips trembled slightly. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just reminding you that the Seventh Deity isn¡¯t a fool.¡± Jin Yunlai must know very well how talented Mu Yafeng was. If she really soared into the sky, how could he not guess what was going on? Mu Yafeng gritted her teeth. ¡°Are you saying that my qualifications are low?!¡± Chu Liuyue said honestly, ¡°They¡¯re not very advanced anyway.¡± Chapter 2228 - 2228 Replacement 2228 Replacement Mu Yafeng was furious! She had been in Fantasy Divine Palace for many years and had always been an existence that everyone envied and admired. When had anyone ever said that her talent was low?! However, it was Chu Liuyue who said it. No matter how much she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she knew that she was slightly inferior to the other party. Therefore, even though she was filled with anger and unwillingness when she heard this, she was in no position to refute. Mu Yafeng laughed in anger. ¡°Yes. Compared to Miss Shangguan, my little talent is indeed not worth mentioning. But so what? Without a bloodline totem, it¡¯s impossible for you to stay in Fantasy Divine Palace! That is even more unattainable!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Miss Mu.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up, and she gave a gentle and sincere smile.¡±At the very least, during this period of time, I¡¯ll still help Zhen Bao Pavilion replicate the Xuan formations well. As for the rest, I¡¯ll just walk day by day. Some things can¡¯t be forced, so why make things difficult for yourself? It¡¯s better to accept it.¡± Mu Yafeng choked. ¡°On the other hand, Miss Mu, if you have the time and energy to take advantage of the situation, why don¡¯t you go back and study more Xuan formations? It might be more useful. Of course, if you really can¡¯t understand it, it can only prove that the Fantasy Divine Hall is also out of reach for you.¡± Chu Liuyue stood up and sent the guest off. ¡°Miss Mu, please¡­¡± Mu Yafeng stood up with a whoosh, her eyes burning. ¡°Shangguan Yue, you¡¯ll regret your choice today!¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to hear her threat and warning. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°I just walked around the lightning pool. I¡¯m a little tired, so I won¡¯t send you off.¡± Mu Yafeng was speechless. She gritted her teeth and turned to leave. Si Jing was standing in the courtyard. When he saw Mu Yafeng leave with a livid expression, he was a little confused. What is wrong with Miss Mu? Wasn¡¯t she very polite when she came just now? Why did her expression change in the blink of an eye? Chu Liuyue said, ¡°If she comes in the future, you don¡¯t have to open the door.¡± Si Jing hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. However, it is very likely that she won¡¯t come again. She looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Little Zhou?¡± I don¡¯t seem to have seen him since I returned. According to his personality, he doesn¡¯t seem to go out casually. As soon as she finished speaking, a familiar figure appeared outside the door¡ªit was Qiang Wanzhou. He lowered his head slightly, as if in a daze. ¡°Little Zhou?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her voice. Qiang Wanzhou came back to his senses and looked up. Chu Liuyue saw that he was adrift and felt a little strange. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and agreed. Ever since they arrived, the few of them had indeed not gone out much. ¡°You always said you had a headache before. Are you feeling better now?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°Much better.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°That¡¯s good. We don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be staying here. You don¡¯t have to think too much; just do your own thing.¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded and entered the house again. He then took a piece of cloth and started to tidy up. Chu Liuyue wanted to say that this place was quite clean and didn¡¯t need to be cleaned. However, her intuition told her that Qiang Wanzhou seemed to be a little uneasy, so she didn¡¯t speak. He had his own way of dealing with it. Chu Liuyue thought for a while and shouted to the other room, ¡°Cen Yi, come here.¡± Cen Yi came over very quickly. ¡°Master, why did you call me here?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her hand and set up a barrier to block the sound and ensure that no one outside could hear their conversation. Then, she came to Cen Yi and directly said, ¡°Cen Yi, I want to enter the lightning pool and save someone.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s narrow and indifferent eyes narrowed slightly. A moment later, he asked, ¡°Master went over there previously because of this?¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t surprised that he had guessed it. She nodded slightly. ¡°Senior Yi Zhao is trapped in the depths of the lightning pool and is strictly guarded by the Fourth Deity. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s extremely difficult to save him. I wonder if you have any ideas?¡± Cen Yi was silent for a while. ¡°With the strength of Clan Leader Yi Zhao, the person who can bring him here and lock him up mustn¡¯t be underestimated. Furthermore, the relevant defenses must be extremely complicated. It is indeed not easy to save him silently and without attracting anyone¡¯s attention.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just¡ª¡± However, it was indeed impossible for her to watch helplessly. Yi Zhao was cold and arrogant. Back then, he had even threatened her to terminate the contract with Tuan Zi. But in all fairness, he was indeed very good to Tuan Zi. In the end, he even started to love her. On account of Tuan Zi, he had helped her a lot. She would always remember this kindness. Now that the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was in trouble, Yi Zhao must¡¯ve paid a huge price to protect many clansmen at Godly Phoenix Mountain. And he himself had fallen to such a state. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn¡¯t stand by and do nothing. ¡°In that case, you have no solution?¡± Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°I do have a method, but it¡¯s a little troublesome.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What method? Tell me about it first.¡± As long as there is a method, I have to try first to know if it is okay. Cen Yi¡¯s glabella moved slightly, and he said, ¡°Any mechanism has a way to be broken; it¡¯s just that the difficulty is different. The key to this matter is that once Clan Leader Yi Zhao escapes, he will definitely be discovered.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows. This was what gave her the greatest headache. ¡°That¡¯s right. Previously, I only went closer and took a look at Senior Yi Zhao before attracting the Fourth Deity.¡± Cen Yi said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not difficult to solve this problem: As long as we find a substitute, we can change the situation in the chaos.¡± A white light suddenly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s fake enough, this plan will work.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood what Cen Yi meant. First, she would muddy the waters, then take advantage of the chaos to save him and replace him with a fake. As long as she could fool those people, nothing would be discovered. This was indeed a solution, but it was extremely difficult to implement. ¡°Where can we find a substitute for Senior Yi Zhao? He¡¯s the clan leader of the red-gold heavenly phoenixes.¡± Chu Liuyue fell into deep thought and frowned. The aura of every member of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race was unique and irreplaceable, not to mention Yi Zhao, the clan leader. How could anyone in this world pretend to be him? ¡°Actually, the problem of appearance is very easy to resolve. The key is aura.¡± Cen Yi said, ¡°The main reason why Clan Leader Yi Zhao is special is that he¡¯s the only person in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan who has opened the seventh meridian. If a portion of his blood and qi can be separated from his body, it can be faked.¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her temples and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. He¡¯s locked up there, and I can¡¯t get close at all, let alone anything else.¡± Cen Yi looked at her quietly. ¡°There¡¯s a second way: Find another red-gold heavenly phoenix that has opened its seventh meridian.¡± Chapter 2229 - 2229 Youve Seen It Before! 2229 You¡¯ve Seen It Before! ¡°The second one? But there¡¯s only Senior Yi Zhao from the red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡­¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, her voice suddenly stopped. She suddenly thought of a very promising candidate. ¡°You mean¡­ Tuan Zi?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°As the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, she has the highest chance of opening the seventh meridian.¡± No one was more suitable than Tuan Zi. ¡°A¡¯Yue?¡± There was a flash of light, and Tuan Zi had already run out. She stretched out her two small arms and hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. ¡°A¡¯Yue, in that case, I can save Clan Leader Grandpa as long as I can open the seventh meridian?¡± Chu Liuyue hugged her soft body and gently patted her round hair. ¡°In general, it¡¯s not impossible, but¡ª¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s settled!¡± Tuan Zi immediately followed up. Her big black grape-like eyes lit up as she clenched her fists. ¡°I must open my meridians as soon as possible!¡± Chu Liuyue flicked her forehead. ¡°How can you be so anxious about such a thing? Besides, you just opened your sixth meridian some time ago. Now that your body has finally recovered a little, you can¡¯t advance rashly.¡± She still had lingering fears about what happened last time. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t let Tuan Zi take the risk again. Tuan Zi rubbed her forehead aggrievedly. ¡°But what about Clan Leader Grandpa?¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips slightly. It was a dilemma. Apart from this method, she couldn¡¯t think of any other way. However, she didn¡¯t dare to take the risk with Tuan Zi. ¡°Hold on first.¡± She said, ¡°I just went to the forbidden area of the lightning pool today. The Fourth Deity will definitely keep a close watch on me, so it might be better to go after a while. Also, let¡¯s see if there¡¯s any other method during this period of time. If there really isn¡¯t, I have to increase my strength at least.¡± This way, their chances of winning would be higher. She looked at Cen Yi. ¡°You and Si Jing are both legendary warriors. Shuangshuang and Xiao Ba¡¯s talents aren¡¯t in the warrior aspect, so let¡¯s not talk about it for the time being. On the other hand, Little Zhou¡¯s aura seems to have become much stronger than before today. If he cultivates more, he might be able to become a legendary warrior.¡± There was still a considerable amount of cold force sealed in his body. If he could completely stimulate this force¡­ Cen Yi looked up. ¡°Master, do you mean that we¡¯ll take action after he breaks through to become a legendary warrior?¡± Chu Liuyue tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°That¡¯s naturally for the best. I¡¯ll go to Zhen Bao Pavilion tomorrow to find some herbs and see if I can use pills to help him recuperate. You can leave first. Don¡¯t tell Xiao Ba and the others about this for the time being.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cen Yi left respectfully and closed the door again. Chu Liuyue kissed her face. ¡­ After comforting Tuan Zi, Chu Liuyue thought for a while and went out to Xiao Ran¡¯s residence. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Xiao Ran sitting on the roof with a toothpick in his mouth. ¡°Eh? The young lady is here?¡± Hearing the commotion, Xiao Ran looked down. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I previously planned to come over to visit, but I¡¯ve been busy with those messy matters and couldn¡¯t get away, so I came today. Senior Xiao Ran won¡¯t be angry, right?¡± Xiao Ran was immediately amused. ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re such an interesting girl! You took the Star Path and entered the lightning pool. If anyone else did these things, they would¡¯ve been so proud that they would fly into the sky and couldn¡¯t wait for the entire world to show off. But now, it has become a mess. Hehe! If some people hear this, they¡¯ll probably be furious.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°You know everything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace knows now, right?¡± As Xiao Ran spoke, he scrutinized her curiously. ¡°Did you really go to the deepest part of the lightning pool?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up playfully. ¡°I guess so. But because of this, it¡¯s not a good thing to almost offend the Fourth Deity.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Xiao Ran jumped down and said slowly, ¡°From now on, you can be considered well-known to the Fourth Deity! With that person¡¯s personality, he probably likes you. After all, after so many years, there are very few people who can go to the deepest part of the lightning pool.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. It seems like no one knows that the depths of the lightning pool was a forbidden area. The news was sealed tightly. On the one hand, it¡¯s because the Fourth Deity is guarding it. On the other hand, it is likely that no one could approach it easily, so he might as well not say anything. This can reduce everyone¡¯s curiosity and save him a lot of trouble. It was purely an accident that I went there. ¡°I don¡¯t have a bloodline totem. The Fourth Deity won¡¯t treat me differently,¡± Chu Liuyue mocked herself. The smile on Xiao Ran¡¯s face froze. That¡¯s true¡­ I had almost forgotten about this. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s indeed a pity. But no matter what, your life in Fantasy Divine Palace will be much better in the future.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t care about this and asked, ¡°You seemed to be looking at something on the roof just now?¡± Xiao Ran didn¡¯t hide it and replied frankly, ¡°That¡¯s right. I was looking at the Star Path.¡± ¡°Why are you looking at the Star Path?¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°I¡¯m just looking at what¡¯s on the Star Path!¡± Chu Liuyue then remembered that he seemed to be a Xuan Master too. ¡°You¡¯re comprehending the Xuan formations on the Star Path?¡± Xiao Ran had a headache. ¡°That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t know, but the last part of the Star Path starts with the word ¡®sky.¡¯ It¡¯s all extremely difficult!¡± He walked to the side and sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. ¡°This kind of thing depends on talent. Without that comprehension ability, it¡¯s useless even if you look at it for another 100 years, 200 years, or even longer. Didn¡¯t Mu Yafeng go back previously? Tsk, everyone thinks that she¡¯s about to succeed, but in fact¡ªit¡¯s still too early!¡± ¡°Where is she? I¡¯ve been looking at that Sky Demon Xuan formation for more than a hundred years, and my head is almost bald! Unfortunately, I still don¡¯t have any clues. Sigh, I wonder if there will be a day when I comprehend it¡­¡± ¡°Sky Demon Xuan formation?¡± An extremely complicated Xuan formation quickly appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s quite difficult.¡± Xiao Ran paused. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead twitched. She didn¡¯t notice it for a moment and actually said it so casually! ¡°You¡¯ve seen the Sky Demon Xuan formation before?¡± Xiao Ran stood up straight and stared at her intently. The air seemed to freeze at this moment! Chu Liuyue met his gaze and blinked. ¡°What I mean is: since it¡¯s a Xuan formation engraved on the last part of the Star Path, it must be quite difficult. Besides, didn¡¯t you say before that the Xuan formations beginning with the word ¡®sky¡¯ are very difficult?¡± Xiao Ran didn¡¯t speak and narrowed his eyes slightly. After a while, he said firmly, ¡°You¡¯ve seen the Sky Demon Xuan formation before.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question but an affirmative statement! Chapter 2230 - 2230 Answer 2230 Answer ¡°Miss Shangguan?¡± A voice suddenly interrupted the two of them. Chu Liuyue turned around and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw who it was. ¡°Master Ming, why are you here?¡± Ming Shu was standing at the door, looking at the two people in the courtyard. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s question, he hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°I went to where you lived just now, but you weren¡¯t there. I heard that you were here, so I rushed over.¡± Xiao Ran looked at Ming Shu and then at Chu Liuyue, revealing a meaningful expression. Ming Shu was from Zhen Bao Pavilion and was usually very polite. However, his attitude toward Chu Liuyue seemed to be different. There was a hint of caution and sincerity in his politeness. How could Chu Liuyue be treated so seriously by him? ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Chu Liuyue was also a little puzzled. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s like this. I heard that you went to the lightning pool previously and even stayed in the depths of the lightning pool for a long time. Zhen Bao Pavilion wanted to give you a gift to congratulate you.¡± With that, Ming Shu took out a few jade boxes of different sizes. ¡°These are all for you. Do you like them?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± It isn¡¯t surprising that the people from Zhen Bao Pavilion know about this. But why is there a gift? Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°This¡­ you¡¯re too polite. Actually, it was also an accident that I went to the lightning pool. You should take these things back.¡± Ming Shu¡¯s eyes twitched. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to find a reason to send these things over! How could I bring it back? He coughed. ¡°Could it be that Miss Shangguan doesn¡¯t like these? Then, you can follow me to Zhen Bao Pavilion and choose them yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Seeing that Ming Shu didn¡¯t seem to be joking and looked sincere and enthusiastic, Chu Liuyue curled her fingers and could only accept the item. ¡°Then¡­ thank you.¡± Ming Shu heaved a sigh of relief. After completing the mission, his mood instantly became much better, and even the smile on his face became much more relaxed and bright. ¡°It¡¯s just a small gift. As long as you like it, there¡¯s no need to thank me. Besides, it¡¯s something that no one in Fantasy Divine Palace has been able to do for so many years. You did it the moment you came. You can afford this gift!¡± These words came from Ming Shu¡¯s heart. When he heard that Chu Liuyue actually went straight to the deepest part of the lightning pool for the first time, he was also shocked for a long time. He knew that this person was powerful, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so powerful! Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. She opened the box and was slightly shocked. These were all top-notch medicinal herbs and were worth a lot. Unexpectedly, Ming Shu sent it over directly¡­ ¡°Lord Ming, it¡¯s rare for you to leave Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± Xiao Ran walked over and glanced at Chu Liuyue with a faint smile. ¡°Young lady, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so close to Lord Ming?¡± The gift itself was a little inexplicable, and Ming Shu had actually come personally. There weren¡¯t many people in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace who had such treatment. Ming Shu¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. Young lady? This person is really bold! He laughed. ¡°Miss Shangguan is now a member of our Zhen Bao Pavilion. Naturally, she¡¯s different from others!¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Xiao Ran was dazed. How long had this little girl been in Fantasy Divine Palace? How did she become related to Zhen Bao Pavilion? ¡°Xiao Ran, you might not know this, but our Zhen Bao Pavilion has recently invited Miss Shangguan to help replicate the Xuan formations!¡± Ming Shu said with a smile. ¡°What?!¡± Xiao Ran was really shocked! He suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Chu Liuyue in disbelief. ¡°You, you¡ª¡± He knew how strict Zhen Bao Pavilion was in this aspect. This was because he had already thought of this back then. Unfortunately, he was still a little off and didn¡¯t succeed. How could he not be shocked when he heard Ming Shu¡¯s words? Not many people knew about this. On the one hand, the matter had just been confirmed. On the other hand, Zhen Bao Pavilion and Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t publicize this matter. Apart from meeting Mu Yafeng that day and letting her know, most of the others in the Fantasy Divine Palace knew nothing about it. Therefore, even someone as well-informed as Xiao Ran was unaware of this. There seemed to be stars flickering in Chu Liuyue¡¯s black jade-like eyes. She chuckled and said, ¡°This is the answer to the question you just asked.¡± Xiao Ran gasped. So that¡¯s it! I knew it. According to Chu Liuyue¡¯s current Great King Xuan Master level, there was no reason for her to have seen the Sky Demon Xuan formation. However, she seemed to be very familiar with it¡ªit was really strange. Now, there is finally an answer to this question. ¡°¡­I really didn¡¯t expect you to do such a big thing silently.¡± After the initial shock, Xiao Ran quickly chose to accept it. He knew very well how talented Chu Liuyue was. Although she was only a Great King Xuan Master now, the fact that Zhen Bao Pavilion was willing to make such a choice was enough to show how much they valued and thought highly of her. Even if she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Xiao Ran looked at Chu Liuyue with a complicated expression. ¡°So you¡¯ve seen the Li Fire Xuan Map?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled faintly and nodded. ¡°Just for a while.¡± ¡°The Sky Demon Xuan formation should be at the bottom, right?¡± Xiao Ran asked. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Yes. I skimmed it earlier and haven¡¯t had time to study it carefully.¡± Xiao Ran¡¯s eyes were filled with envy. ¡°All these years, Zhen Bao Pavilion has only chosen you.¡± If this news got out, her doorstep would probably be broken through. More importantly, this meant that she would have the support of Zhen Bao Pavilion in the future! Those who looked down on her previously and even mocked her would have to think twice in the future. Ming Shu completed the mission and felt relieved. ¡°I hope Miss Shangguan has time to visit Zhen Bao Pavilion more often.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. It¡¯s only right.¡± Only then did Ming Shu leave. After he left, Xiao Ran looked at Chu Liuyue again. ¡°Tsk. I wonder what expression those people will have when they find out about this?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What they think is their business. It has nothing to do with me.¡± Xiao Ran clicked his tongue. ¡°Young lady, you¡¯re so young, but you¡¯re so insightful. It¡¯s rare!¡± Chu Liuyue put away the jade boxes and changed the topic. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that I could ask you if there¡¯s anything I don¡¯t understand?¡± Xiao Ran looked vigilant. ¡°You want to compare Xuan formations with me? But with your current status, you can¡¯t do this casually, right?¡± Ordinary Xuan formations were fine, but those top-notch Xuan formations were extremely precious. If she made a move, she would inevitably leak some things. From the moment Zhen Bao Pavilion chose her, she had been restricted in this aspect. Chu Liuyue smiled and shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I still understand the rules of Zhen Bao Pavilion. What I want to ask is something else: You¡¯ve been in Fantasy Divine Palace for many years. Have you seen the red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Chapter 2231 - 2231 Palace Guardians legendary fiend! 2231 Palace Guardian¡¯s legendary fiend! Xiao Ran was dazed. ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix? I¡¯ve never seen it before. Why are you asking this?¡± Disappointment flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Ever since she saw Jin Yunlai holding the feather of the red-gold heavenly phoenix at the Heaven Gate, she felt that the red-gold heavenly phoenix race should have some connection with Fantasy Divine Palace. After discovering that Yi Zhao was trapped in the depths of the lightning pool, she confirmed her guess. Xiao Ran was considered an old man in Fantasy Divine Palace. He had stayed here long enough and seemed to know a little about many things. Chu Liuyue wanted to come here and ask if she could find any clues, but it seemed that this path wouldn¡¯t work. Xiao Ran stared at her, and his expression became serious. ¡°In the future, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t mention red-gold heavenly phoenixes in Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because the red-gold heavenly phoenix race is guilty.¡± Xiao Ran raised his chin and looked at the Fantasy Divine Hall standing far away. ¡°Tens of thousands of years ago, the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix was a legendary fiend that protected Fantasy Divine Palace. He had a respected status and was greatly favored, but for some reason, he later rebelled and fled. Almost half of the Fantasy Divine Hall was burned down! It was also that time that Fantasy Divine Hall suffered heavy losses. Several deities died together, and the entire Fantasy Divine Palace was in turmoil.¡± ¡°It took about 10,000 years for Fantasy Divine Hall to be repaired and a new deity to be chosen before all the waves gradually subsided. But from then on, the red-gold heavenly phoenix race became a sinful race. The people of Fantasy Divine Palace also have an unspoken mutual understanding and don¡¯t mention these things again.¡± He looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you ask me about what I said today, but if anyone hears it, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll cause some trouble.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned for a long time after hearing this. ¡°¡­So there¡¯s such a history?¡± Xiao Ran nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. Because of that, although the red-gold heavenly phoenixes are one of the two ancient legendary fiend races, they¡¯re still very unpopular here. Don¡¯t mention it again in the future.¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, and the corner of her lips twitched. Don¡¯t mention it? I have a contract with Tuan Zi and plan to save Yi Zhao. I can¡¯t avoid this trouble no matter what. Seeing her strange expression, Xiao Ran couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; I¡¯m just a little surprised by these things¡­ Thank you for your reminder, Senior Xiao Ran. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Seeing that her mood seemed to be a little off, Xiao Ran didn¡¯t keep her. Chu Liuyue turned around and left. ¡­ On the way back, Chu Liuyue walked very slowly. As she walked, she spoke to Tuan Zi in her heart. ¡°Tuan Zi, do you know what Senior Xiao Ran said just now?¡± Tuan Zi looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. If this is true, logically speaking, it is impossible for there to be no records of it in the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. As the young mistress, it¡¯s even more impossible for Tuan Zi not to know about it. However, Xiao Ran¡¯s words don¡¯t seem to be fake. He has no reason to lie about such a thing. Chu Liuyue recalled that she had once spoken to the aura left behind by that ancestor in Godly Phoenix Hall. If everything Xiao Ran said is true, then¡­ That person actually died in Fantasy Divine Hall back then? In addition, there is Miao Zhen. When he mentioned Fantasy Divine Palace and the red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡¯s ancestor, he also looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Could it be¡­ because of this? Chu Liuyue felt as if she had fallen into a swamp and couldn¡¯t break free no matter what. Too many mysteries emerged one after another, intertwining with each other, which made it difficult for her to distinguish. ¡°Could it be that the Ancestral Golden Feather was left behind back then?¡± she guessed with uncertainty. If that¡¯s the case, it makes sense. What exactly happened back then? Why did the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race betray Fantasy Divine Hall? Chu Liuyue looked up at the majestic hall. She was more anxious than ever to go in and investigate! ¡°A¡¯Yue, they said that I¡¯m a sinner. Doesn¡¯t that mean I won¡¯t be able to come out in the future?¡± Tuan Zi asked softly. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. Now, she began to rejoice that she hadn¡¯t let Tuan Zi out previously. Otherwise, it might really cause some trouble. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± After careful consideration, she shook her head. ¡°Song Qing and the others know that you¡¯re my contracted fiend¡ªthis can¡¯t be hidden. I just don¡¯t know what the deities of Fantasy Divine Hall will think about this.¡± Tuan Zi looked aggrieved. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything yet. How is that a crime? Besides, if Grandpa really betrayed Fantasy Divine Hall, there must be something wrong with Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± A thought surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Back in the Red Moon Desert, after that eye captured Tuan Zi, it didn¡¯t punish her with ordinary methods. Instead, it forcefully opened her meridian. It was as if¡­ it couldn¡¯t wait for Tuan Zi to break through. If the owner of that eye is from Fantasy Divine Hall, his attitude doesn¡¯t seem like he wants to punish the sinners¡­ ¡°In short, stay put during this period of time. Don¡¯t come out unless there are special circumstances.¡± No one knew what had happened back then. It was probably useless to argue about this now. Tuan Zi scoffed. ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll listen to A¡¯Yue then.¡± ¡­ On the other side, Mu Dongyou returned to Fantasy Divine Hall. In front of the black jade square, a man was still standing quietly with his hands behind his back. Mu Dongyou stood a few steps behind him, his hands forming a fist-sized, translucent reddish-gold ball. There seemed to be a crystal-clear liquid inside that was glowing faintly. ¡°Everything is here.¡± The man standing in front raised his wrist, and the red-gold ball instantly flew out of Mu Dongyou¡¯s hand and arrived in front of him. He flicked his finger, and the ball of light transformed into several streams of light that flew to the white jade pillars around the black jade square. Shoo! On it, the scarlet and golden flames burned even more passionately. Seeing this, the man shook his head. ¡°Although he has opened the seventh meridian, his bloodline power is still a little inferior.¡± Mu Dongyou was a little helpless. ¡°But he¡¯s the clan leader, so this is the best solution we can find so far.¡± ¡°Forget it. Make do with it first.¡± The man shook his head and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the situation at the lightning pool recently?¡± Mu Dongyou said, ¡°Everything is as usual. It¡¯s just that someone accidentally broke into the forbidden area yesterday.¡± The man turned around. ¡°Shangguan Yue?¡± Mu Dongyou wasn¡¯t surprised that he knew about this. After all, everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace knew that she had barged into the deepest part of the lightning pool. ¡°That¡¯s right, but don¡¯t worry. I chased her out in time and warned her not to approach again.¡± The man laughed and asked, ¡°How do you know she didn¡¯t do it on purpose?¡± Mu Dongyou was stunned. Chapter 2232 - 2232 Really 2232 Really ¡°This¡­ The news of the lightning pool¡¯s forbidden area has always been sealed tightly. She just came to Fantasy Divine Palace, so it should be even more impossible for her to know, right?¡± Mu Dongyou recalled the woman¡¯s clear and sincere expression and felt that there was nothing to doubt. ¡°Besides, she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. It won¡¯t be long before she leaves.¡± ¡°I thought so too at first, but I don¡¯t think so now. Do you know that Zhen Bao Pavilion has already invited her to replicate the Xuan formations?¡± the man said calmly. Mu Dongyou was shocked. ¡°Zhen Bao Pavilion? They actually chose her?¡± ¡°Just these two days. Just this alone is enough for her to continue staying for a while.¡± The man paused for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯ve already met her. How does it feel?¡± Mu Dongyou thought for a moment and replied frankly, ¡°If she has a bloodline totem, her future will definitely be limitless.¡± ¡°It seems like you quite admire her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s indeed very talented.¡± Mu Dongyou shook his head regretfully. ¡°The most precious thing is that her Holy Body is a product of the God-Destroying Tribulation. Among the cultivators in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace, there are probably not many who can compete with her in terms of Holy Body. It¡¯s also because of this that she can easily reach the depths of the lightning pool.¡± Such talent and opportunities were all gathered in one person. It was extremely rare to begin with. ¡°I really want to see her.¡± The man smiled. After some thought, he shook his head. ¡°But since Zhen Bao Pavilion intends to protect her, forget it. Go back. You still have to guard the lightning pool well.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡­ Si Jing arrived at the lightning pool. He stood on the bank and looked ahead. Countless heavenly lightning bolts wandered in it. Light flickered, and it was dazzling. Si Jing widened his eyes slightly and clicked his tongue. As expected, Big Brother didn¡¯t lie to me. This is really a good place! He took a deep breath and strode forward. Many people around him noticed him. Of course, it was mainly because his face was too unfamiliar to them. Furthermore, there was a token on his waist. ¡°Who is this? I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± ¡°He seems to be new too. The Seventh Deity just let him in.¡± ¡°Why does he have a token with him?¡± ¡°Why is it her again? How many people without bloodline totems did she bring in?¡± ¡°Heh, you don¡¯t say. This one came up with his own ability; he¡¯s quite capable. See, he¡¯s also a legendary warrior.¡± ¡°So what if he¡¯s a legendary warrior? There¡¯s still no hope¡­¡± Plop! Si Jing ignored those people and jumped into the lightning pool! The surrounding lightning quickly surged toward him. Si Jing laughed and went deeper without hesitation. After a while, he came to a stop somewhere and looked around. He blurted out, ¡°Huh? Why is there less heavenly lightning here?¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately realized that something was wrong. I have never been here before. How could I know that there are fewer lightning bolts here than before? Si Jing frowned. Buzz¡ª The hammer at his waist trembled slightly. He looked down and took it off. Then, he came to a reef and stared at it for a long time with a conflicted expression. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± After hesitating for a long time, he finally tightened his grip on the hammer in his hand and smashed it heavily at the reef! Bam! The reef shattered! Several silver bolts of lightning surged out! Si Jing widened his eyes. ¡°Damn!¡± Chapter 2233 - 2233 Balance 2233 Balance Si Jing grabbed one of the lightning bolts and stuffed it back in. When the other lightning bolts saw this, they ran even faster! ¡°Come back, come back!¡± Si Jing knew that something was wrong. He attacked continuously with both hands and hugged many of them back. Seeing that the reef had already shattered, he hurriedly moved a piece from the side and blocked the crack. The lightning inside finally stopped running out. Most of the overflowing lightning had been forcefully captured by him. Only a few bolts ran away without a trace and quickly disappeared into the surrounding sea of lightning. ¡°Phew, you scared me to death!¡± Si Jing heaved a sigh of relief as cold sweat broke out on his back. ¡°This thing is really strange!¡± Didn¡¯t I just swing the hammer? Why did so much heavenly lightning appear just like that? When I broke through in the past, I didn¡¯t even summon so many heavenly lightning bolts! He stared at it for a long time. After making sure that the lightning bolts inside were obedient and didn¡¯t come out again, his worried heart finally relaxed. He looked around. Fortunately, no one noticed. For some reason, he felt that this matter couldn¡¯t be known to others. He picked up the hammer and walked to the side. This lightning pool wasn¡¯t bottomless. There were continuous reefs and peaks at the shore and bottom. The piece he had broken just now was only the tip of the iceberg. But even so, it still gave him a huge shock. I¡¯ve just come to Fantasy Divine Palace. What if I don¡¯t do anything well and cause trouble for Master? At the thought of this, he simply put away the hammer. After walking for a while, he stood still again and looked hesitantly at the large expanse of reefs in front of him, his expression conflicted. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and reached out to pat it. Bzzt! Bzzt! A ripple came from inside, and the hammer at his waist stirred again. ¡°Behave yourself!¡± With a low shout, the hammer instantly fell silent. Then, he realized that the restless sounds in the large reef under his hand seemed to have dissipated. Si Jing¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°This thing¡­ is interesting!¡± In the room, Chu Liuyue was refining medicine. In the Heavenly Square Cauldron, transparent karmic fire burned enthusiastically. She methodically put in the herbs she had prepared beside her. Many medicinal herbs were gradually tempered, and a rich and slightly bitter medicinal fragrance spread in the room. She stared intently at the cauldron and was highly focused. This time, she was refining a Senior Physician-level pill. Ever since she broke through in the Red Moon Desert last time, she realized that she had already memorized many Senior Physician-level prescriptions without knowing. Fortunately, she was already used to being tricked by Big Baby, so she didn¡¯t feel much. In fact, she felt a little happy. Well, what could be more comfortable than realizing that you had already undergone the relevant cultivation when you wanted to break through? Time slowly passed, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s refining speed was much faster than before. A few hours later, all the herbs were finally refined. A reddish-gold flame surged out of her palm and poured into the Heavenly Square Cauldron to complete the final pill. ¡°Condense!¡± With her clear shout, two flames quickly surged! A crimson and silver pill slowly took shape! Chu Liuyue clapped her hands lightly, and the pill quickly flew toward her. She took out the jade bottle she had prepared long ago and placed the pill in. Then, she put away her things and pushed the door open. ¡­ Qiang Wanzhou was cultivating in his room. He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. Vigorous holy force continued to circulate in his body, accompanied by the bone-chilling force. His entire body was covered in a thin layer of frost. There was crystal-white frost on his hair, eyebrows, and even his thick and long eyelashes. His rose-like lips were slightly pale. White mist emitted from his body. That was because the coldness in his body was still leaking. The color of the words on the token hanging on his waist gradually became richer! When Chu Liuyue entered, she saw this scene. Then, she frowned slightly. As if hearing the commotion, Qiang Wanzhou slowly opened his eyes. When he saw that it was Chu Liuyue, he immediately woke up. He stood up and went forward to welcome her, gathering his token. ¡°Master.¡± Chu Liuyue handed over the jade bottle in her hand. ¡°The Calamity Breaking Pill should be able to help you resolve a portion of the cold force.¡± Qiang Wanzhou took it. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°Let¡¯s see how the medicine works. If it works, I¡¯ll send you more later.¡± Qiang Wanzhou gripped the jade bottle in his hand tightly and pursed his lips. He didn¡¯t say anything else and only nodded. Then, he poured out the pill and swallowed it. The pill melted in his mouth. Qiang Wanzhou only felt a burning sensation rise from his throat! This scorching feeling quickly surged into his limbs and bones! His originally fair and clear face instantly turned red, as if all the blood had surged! Bam! The jade bottle in his hand suddenly fell to the ground and shattered. His body seemed to have lost all its strength and fell to the ground uncontrollably. ¡°Little Zhou!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and immediately went forward to help him up. As soon as she touched his hand, she shivered unconsciously¡ªit was so cold! Looking down, she saw that the skin on the back of his hand was also strangely blood-red, but a layer of ice had formed on it! This was different from ordinary frost. It was several times colder! She immediately turned Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s wrist over and placed two fingers together. She separated a strand of force from her body and poured it into his Yuan meridian. What she saw made her gasp immediately. The seal in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body suddenly broke, and the cold force that had previously accumulated lost its suppression and surged out crazily! In a short period of time, it was like a flood had erupted and collided violently! His body couldn¡¯t withstand such an attack at all! She looked up at Qiang Wanzhou and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s with your seal!?¡± Qiang Wanzhou gritted his teeth and shook his head, but he couldn¡¯t say a word. In fact, the seal had long loosened. As his strength increased, the power of the seal gradually decreased. After coming to Fantasy Divine Palace, there were a few times when he felt that the seal was about to break. It was only with Cen Yi¡¯s help that he barely suppressed it. However, he didn¡¯t expect that the Calamity Breaking Pill that Chu Liuyue sent over would inadvertently break this weak balance! Therefore, the seal shattered, and the extremely cold force¡ªwhich was suppressed¡ªbegan to surge continuously! Chu Liuyue quickly realized that this wasn¡¯t the time to ask this. At this moment, Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s aura was also strengthening rapidly! The token on his waist was about to explode! Chapter 2234 - 2234 Dont Have 2234 Don¡¯t Have Chu Liuyue split out another portion of vigorous force and inserted it into Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body, wanting to forcefully suppress the cold force. However, she later realized that it was late. The extremely cold force had already spread throughout Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body, and it seeped into his bones and muscles at a shocking speed! Frost on his body was gradually forming, and it accumulated increasingly. Right at this point, Cen Yi suddenly quickly walked in from outside. Chu Liuyue turned and glanced at him. ¡°Cen Yi, the seal in Little Zhou¡¯s body is broken!¡± Cen Yi knitted his brows slightly and walked straight to Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s side. His gaze quickly swept across the token around Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s waist. After a moment, he said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not quite possible to forcefully seal it again at this point.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°Dispersing it is better than blocking it. As long as he converts all the cold force into his own force, he can escape this calamity.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils dilated. ¡°You mean to directly let Little Zhou break through to become a legendary warrior?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Master, didn¡¯t you previously have this plan as well? It¡¯s the best time now.¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her silver teeth and furrowed her sharp brows. ¡°I did have this thought, but¡­ definitely not in this manner!¡± Qiang Wanzhou had already broken through to become a true god for quite some time. Additionally, based on Chu Liuyue¡¯s previous understanding of him, his abilities had been rapidly strengthening. At this speed, he could try to break through to become a legendary warrior in no time. However, this¡­ was too sudden! The threshold to becoming a legendary warrior was originally not easy to cross. Even those that had made sufficient preparations beforehand might not be able to succeed, let alone Qiang Wanzhou in his current state. The extremely cold force was torturing his body. If they were not careful, it might¡­ ¡°In this current situation, nobody can help him. He can only rely on himself.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression was as calm as usual. Chu Liuyue was suddenly stuck in the middle. Of course, she knew that Cen Yi¡¯s method was correct. If Qiang Wanzhou dispersed and absorbed the force himself, nobody knew how much of an impact it would have on his body and whether he could endure through it. But if he did not do this, Qiang Wanzhou still faced grave danger. After all, the extremely cold force had already lost control! Suddenly, Chu Liuyue felt Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s wrist move. She turned around. He clenched his teeth and said every word clearly. ¡°I-I can break through¡­ to become a legendary warrior.¡± Although his voice was soft, it had unignorable determination! Chu Liuyue made up her mind. After a moment, she lightly nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll guard you.¡± ¡­ Qiang Wanzhou closed his eyes and cupped his hands before him, trying to absorb the dispersing cold force in his body and convert it into his own strength. Cen Yi glanced at him and his gaze turned slightly deep. Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue and said, ¡°Master, why don¡¯t I guard him? He needs quite some time to break through to become a legendary warrior. Besides, other than this, he might need some pills to nourish his Yuan meridian.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood what Cen Yi meant. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Different from others, Qiang Wanzhou was using the nourishment of the extremely cold force to elevate his own skills. Even if he could really succeed in the end¡­ During this process, the extremely cold forces would definitely hurt his body to a certain extent. At that point, he did have to recuperate for a while. Suddenly, she knitted her brows slightly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid normal pills won¡¯t do.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body was special. Normal herbs had no use in healing his body. ¡°Master, I do know of a formula to help him cultivate.¡± Xiao Ba arrived at the door at some point. Chu Liuyue looked at her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Settling Yuan Pill!¡± Xiao Ba blinked and helplessly shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Even though I have the formula, I don¡¯t have many of the herbs required. Also, Master, this is a Supreme Physician-level pill.¡± The herbs issue was fine as she could request for them from Zhen Bao Pavilion. However, she wasn¡¯t a Supreme Physician yet, and this was a problem. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and still said, ¡°Pass me the formula. I¡¯ll think of a way.¡± Xiao Ba searched through a pile of formulas, and after picking through it, she found it. ¡°Here, this one!¡± Chu Liuyue took the formula and rapidly looked at it. ¡°Guard Little Zhou here. I¡¯ll make a trip outside.¡± Then, she hurriedly left. Only when her figure disappeared did Cen Yi look at Xiao Ba and lightly say, ¡°This was what you should do.¡± Xiao Ba guiltily shrunk her neck. ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s really not my fault. That Settling Yuan Pill is hard, and I¡¯ve never even seen a few herbs on that formula, let alone refine it.¡± Cen Yi squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°Peach Blossom Dock doesn¡¯t have them?¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled slightly. ¡°Third Brother does have those herbs, but it¡¯s pathetically little. Even if I bring all of them back, I can only produce one pill at best. You also know that he¡¯s so stingy. Why would he be willing to give it to me?¡± Now that they were in Fantasy Divine Palace, they couldn¡¯t even find San San to bring the herbs over, and it was not worth it. Who could guarantee that the pill could be successfully produced in one try? ¡°Actually, when I went to the medicinal mountain, I did see some. However, that Eighth Deity refused to let us over and take anything, so we don¡¯t have any choice.¡± Now, they could only count on Master. Cen Yi looked down slightly and finally relented. ¡°I got it. You can go out first.¡± ¡°Why? I can watch him with you here! Coincidentally, I¡¯m also quite interested in the extremely cold force in his body¡ª¡± Before she could finish, she noticed Cen Yi¡¯s strong gaze on her. Before her bottom could touch the chair, she immediately stood up sensibly, smiled, and said, ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re busy. I¡¯ll guard outside.¡± Then, she zoomed out. Cen Yi raised his hand and set up a barrier in the room. With this force suppressing it, the token around Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s waist restrained its aura. ¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly arrived at Zhen Bao Pavilion. Seeing her come, Ming Shu hurriedly put down the account book in his hands and welcomed her. ¡°Miss Shangguan, why do you have the time to come over today?¡± Did she come to replicate the Xuan formations? Chu Liuyue could see his intent and lightly shook her head. ¡°I came today to buy some herbs.¡± Ming Shu laughed. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. What do you want? Just say it!¡± Chu Liuyue passed him the formula. Ming Shu took it with both hands. After taking a look at it, he knitted his brows slightly. ¡°This¡ª¡± He looked like he was in a difficult spot. ¡°Miss Shangguan, I¡¯m really sorry. There¡¯s an item on this that my Zhen Bao Pavilion doesn¡¯t have either.¡± Chapter 2235 - 2235 Wait and See 2235 Wait and See ¡°You don¡¯t have it either?¡± Chu Liuyue found it very strange. Ming Shu coughed and explained, ¡°Miss Shangguan, you might not know, but this dragon-taming nut is extremely precious and is considered a top-notch product. Anyone who wants this must personally go to the medicinal mountain and obtain it with the Eighth Deity¡¯s permission.¡± Chu Liuyue found it ridiculous. ¡°Although the dragon-taming nut is rare, it shouldn¡¯t be to this extent, right?¡± Peach Blossom Dock also has it but only in very small amounts. Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s medicinal mountain definitely has more, yet they had to make it so complicated? Ming Shu was also in a difficult position. ¡°T-this¡­ was a rule that Eighth Deity set, and it has been the case for many years. Besides, because not everybody can take it, very few people are willing to deal with Zhen Bao Pavilion, so we naturally don¡¯t have it.¡± Chu Liuyue snorted lightly. ¡°So the Lord Deity also likes to create monopolies.¡± Even though she hadn¡¯t seen this Eighth Deity, she had already roughly guessed what kind of character she was. She didn¡¯t quite take Shu Jing into consideration when Xiao Ba angrily complained previously. Now, it seemed like she had underestimated the other party¡¯s control over the medicinal mountain. Ming Shu hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Shangguan, if you urgently need it, why don¡¯t I personally make a trip to the medicinal mountain?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, but she tactfully rejected his suggestion. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Lord Ming, but it¡¯s not convenient for you to show yourself for this. Therefore, it¡¯s better if I do it myself.¡± A relatively big portion of Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s income was taken from the medicinal mountain, and they probably didn¡¯t have a good relationship with that Eighth Deity. If Ming Shu went there himself, things would be even more troublesome. Ming Shu was still worried. Even though this person was rather famous in Fantasy Divine Palace lately, had broken Mu Yafeng¡¯s record on the Star Path, and even went to the deepest part in the lightning pool, Eighth Deity didn¡¯t buy this. What if she went over, and Eighth Deity stupidly made her suffer a grievance? ¡°Why don¡¯t I find someone to go with you?¡± Chu Liuyue still shook her head and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Then, she turned around to leave. ¡°This¡ª¡± Ming Shu originally wanted to follow her. After thinking, he turned and went to the second floor. ¡­ ¡°What? Madam went to the medicinal mountain?¡± Yan Ge, who was so bored in the room and was about to grow grass, opened one eye. Ming Shu briefly explained the entire matter and was very nervous. ¡°Not only the dragon-taming nut, but there are other special herbs that Eighth Deity guards strictly. Peace makes fortune, right? So our Zhen Bao Pavilion didn¡¯t think of taking those herbs. Who knew Madam would want them today?¡± Yan Ge thought for a moment, closed his eyes, and lazily waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. With our Madam¡¯s talent and abilities, it¡¯s not a problem to want a few dragon-taming nuts.¡± ¡°Hmph, what do you mean by ¡®some talent?¡¯ Do you know how to speak?¡± Yan Ge grunted in contempt. ¡°Madam isn¡¯t twenty yet and has already become a Senior Physician. It¡¯s only a matter of time before she breaks through to become a Supreme Physician. How can an average person be compared to her?¡± Ming Shu was first shocked before the corner of his lips twitched. It¡¯s indeed very rare to become a senior physician at this age. However, how could it be so easy to become a Supreme Physician? Besides, Madam doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Just based on the token hanging around her waist, Eighth Deity¡¯s attitude won¡¯t be any good. Second Boss Is really too magnanimous¡­ ¡°Second Boss, it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know what kind of personality the Eighth Deity has. If Madam goes over herself now, won¡¯t she be clearly letting herself be bullied? It¡¯s fine if Madam can successfully take the dragon-taming nut, but what if she doesn¡¯t and is offended by Eighth Deity¡­¡± Yan Ge suddenly laughed. ¡°Shu Jing¡¯s personality is indeed very annoying. At the end of the day, that medicinal mountain isn¡¯t hers either. She¡¯s just in charge of guarding it, so how can she have the right to set so many rules?¡± ¡°That is true, but she¡¯s the Eighth Deity after all. With her current status and identity, it¡¯s very simple to do anything to Madam. It¡¯s so hard for Madam to come to Fantasy Divine Palace. If she suffers any grievances¡ª¡± Ming Shu was still very worried. Yan Ge picked up the teacup at the side and leisurely blew it. When he heard this, it was as if he heard some joke. ¡°Hehe, our Madam isn¡¯t someone who will suffer! Besides, everyone pampers Madam openly and secretly, and are reluctant to let her suffer one bit. How can Shu Jing do whatever she wants?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s sensible and knows that Madam has Zhen Bao Pavilion backing her up, she won¡¯t make life difficult for her. If she¡¯s not sensible¡­ It will only prove that she¡¯s tired of living. She has occupied the medicinal mountain for so many years, only because Master placed all his efforts on Madam and was too lazy to hold it against her. Now¡­ let¡¯s see what will happen if she offends Madam?¡± Yan Ge sipped on his tea and squinted his eyes in satisfaction. ¡°Tsk. Let¡¯s just wait and see!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue went straight in the direction of the medicinal mountain. She was extremely fast and quickly arrived at the place. All sorts of herbal scents filled the air and formed a special fragrance with a slightly bitter yet leisurely aura. After taking a deep breath in, it instantly rejuvenated one¡¯s body and caused one to be energized. Chu Liuyue stood in midair and looked over. Seeing the many mountains and the different types of herbs above the mountains and below them¡­ Even if she had heard of it before, she was still surprised. Fantasy Divine Palace¡­ indeed was generous! She searched one around and quickly found a patch of dragon-taming nuts on a far away mountain peak. A thought popped up in her mind and she went over. But at this point, a barrier suddenly appeared before her and stopped her path. Following that, a cold and arrogant woman¡¯s voice came over. ¡°Who is trespassing into the medicinal mountain?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted slightly and looked forward. A young woman suddenly appeared. The moment she saw her, Chu Liuyue instantly knew the other party¡¯s identity¡ªEighth Deity, Shu Jing! Chapter 2236 - 2236 Duel 2236 Duel Shu Jing was also sizing up the woman before her. She looked like she was 18 or 19, and her appearance was peerlessly pretty. Her red dress and hair flowed with the wind. Her brows had faint hints of elegance and caused the people who saw her to be unable to forget her and instantly have a feeling of fear and respect. Such a person had never appeared in Fantasy Divine Palace before. Seeing the token around her waist, Shu Jing¡¯s eyes suddenly revealed looks of understanding. ¡°You¡¯re Shangguan Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Greetings, Eighth Deity.¡± Shu Jing silently scrutinized her. She is young and has already broken through to become a legendary warrior¡ªshe is capable. She heard that her talent as a Xuan Master was also extremely outstanding, and it caught the eye of Zhen Bao Pavilion. Thinking of Zhen Bao Pavilion, displeasure flashed across Shu Jing¡¯s heart. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she lightly asked. Chu Liuyue instantly smiled. ¡°Eighth Deity, this is the medicinal mountain. Of course, I came here to take herbs.¡± Shu Jing paused before saying, ¡°You should know the medicinal mountain¡¯s rules, right?¡± ¡°This¡­ Xiao Ba mentioned it to me before, so I naturally know them.¡± Hearing this, Shu Jing knitted her brows slightly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression and tone were fine, but for some reason, her words sounded uncomfortable. After all, she did not really like that Xiao Ba either. ¡°Since you know, it¡¯s easy to do things. If you want to enter the medicinal mountain, you have to use a Senior Physician pill to exchange for the chance. If not¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared it.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and interrupted her. She flicked her wrist, and a jade box flew out. ¡°Eighth Deity, please look at it.¡± Shu Jing raised her hand to take it, opened the jade box to look at it, and confirmed that it was a Senior Physician-level pill before finally nodding. She whipped her sleeves, and the barrier before Chu Liuyue instantly disappeared. Shu Jing turned around to take a look, and saw that Chu Liuyue seemed to be going for the dragon-taming nuts. She instantly knitted her brows. ¡°Hold on!¡± Before Chu Liuyue could pick the dragon-taming nut, she heard this. She paused her actions and looked up. ¡°Eighth Deity, do you have any other instructions?¡± Shu Jing¡¯s figure flashed, and she arrived before her. ¡°You want to retrieve the dragon-taming nut?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± A layer of arrogance covered Shu Jing¡¯s face. ¡°The dragon-taming nut is a top herb, and average people can¡¯t casually use it.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. ¡°Eighth Deity.¡± A familiar voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Liang He rapidly coming over. He held a pile of herbs in his arms. After taking a rough glance, there were already five or six dragon-taming nuts. The other herbs were also extremely precious. It seemed like he had just come from the mountain at the side. Chu Liuyue turned around. Liang He accidentally glanced over and noticed her. He paused in his steps and nodded toward Chu Liuyue as an indication, but his expression seemed rather cold. Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. I didn¡¯t offend Liang He before, right? Could it be because Xiao Ba ignores him all the time? But it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s such a need¡­ ¡°Eighth Deity, these are the herbs I need approval for this time. Kindly take a look at it.¡± Shu Jing glanced at it, and few hints of smiling intent surfaced on her face for once. ¡°You¡¯re preparing to produce the Settling Yuan Pill?¡± Liang He nodded. ¡°I indeed can¡¯t hide anything from you. I¡¯ve studied the Settling Yuan Pill for some time now and plan to give it a try. As the formula is complicated, I specifically picked a few more portions of herbs.¡± ¡°The Settling Yuan Pill is one of the most complicated Supreme Physician-level pills. Even someone with experience might not be able to guarantee success. You should make so many preparations.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s attitude toward Liang He was clearly much better than toward Chu Liuyue. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Eighth Deity, speaking of which, it¡¯s a coincidence. I came over to pick the dragon-taming nut because I plan to produce the Settling Yuan Pill.¡± Once she said this, Shu Jing and Liang He fell silent in unison as they looked over strangely. Shu Jing chuckled in her heart, raised her brows, and asked, ¡°Oh? You¡¯re a Supreme Physician?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chu Liuyue honestly said, ¡°I just broke through to become a Senior Physician not long ago.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s smiling intent became even more obvious, but her eyes were filled with mockery. She isn¡¯t even a supreme medical physician, yet she dares to say that she also wants to produce a Settling Yuan Pill? How ridiculous. ¡°Then, you don¡¯t have the right to take away this dragon-taming nut.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her tone. ¡°Then, why can Liang He do so?¡± Shu Jing glanced at her. ¡°He¡¯s a Supreme Physician. Are you?¡± ¡°That means only a Supreme Physician can take away this dragon-taming nut?¡± asked Chu Liuyue in return. ¡°Of course.¡± Then, Shu Jing planned to directly leave. ¡°You have limited time here. You should quickly find some herbs and leave. If not, you would¡¯ve made a wasted trip here.¡± Shu Jing took a few steps, suddenly stopped, and half-turned around. ¡°Oh right, don¡¯t even think of using other methods to take the dragon-taming nut away. The entire medicinal mountain is under my control. I will immediately notice if the leaves rustle. Once I discover that someone is being a thief, the consequences will be extremely severe. Do you understand?¡± Chu Liuyue slowly raised her brow in a seemingly smiling manner. This Eighth Deity has such a rude way of speaking¡­ Seeing that Shu Jing was about to leave, Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°Hold on.¡± Shu Jing was rather annoyed. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. ¡°I really need this dragon-taming nut urgently. Since Liang He also plans to produce a Settling Yuan Pill, why don¡¯t we duel here, and Eighth Deity can be our judge for fairness? If I produce it successfully, I can take the Settling Yuan Pill away. If I fail, I promise I will not take another step into the medicinal mountain ever again. Eighth Deity, what do you think?¡± Chapter 2237 - 2237 Tell Her 2237 Tell Her When Shu Jing heard this suggestion, her first reaction was: laughable and ridiculous. Is this Chu Liuyue crazy? She actually wants to challenge a Supreme Physician as a Senior Physician? Does she think that a Settling Yuan Pill can be casually produced? ¡°Are you sure?¡± She stared at Chu Liuyue and said every word clearly, ¡°There¡¯s only one chance. If you fail this time, you have to stick to your promise and not come to the medicinal mountain again. Can you do it?¡± ¡°I always stick to my words.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°After all, this medicinal mountain is your territory, Eighth Deity. If I lose today, I can¡¯t possibly come again in the future, right?¡± This was true. Shu Jing controlled the entire medicinal mountain, and she knew everything like the back of her hand, such as whoever entered the place and what kind of herbs they retrieved. Chu Liuyue¡¯s suggestion did tempt her. If she could use this bet to exchange for peace, it was worth it. No matter if it were the Chu Liuyue before her or that day¡¯s Xiao Ba, she did not like them both, especially after knowing that Zhen Bao Pavilion took a fancy for Chu Liuyue and was willing to support her. All sorts of dislike arose with a few additional hints of enmity. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend Zhen Bao Pavilion. But since Chu Liuyue offered herself, what was there to hesitate? Liang He listened from the side but furrowed his brows. After hesitating for a while, he still softly advised, ¡°Miss Shangguan, why must you do this? I think we should just forget it.¡± However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude was very insistent. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Young Master Liang, but I don¡¯t need it. I came here today to take the dragon-taming nut.¡± If she wasn¡¯t allowed to take the dragon-taming nut, she would just produce the Settling Yuan Pill here and bring it out. Liang He was hesitant with his words but finally shook his head helplessly. He could finally tell that this bunch of people had pride in their bones. Since they could come to Fantasy Divine Palace, they were naturally elites¡ªthis was unquestionable. However¡­ the point was that they didn¡¯t even have bloodline totems! In this case, they didn¡¯t even have any advantages in Fantasy Divine Palace. If it were someone else, they would have long sucked it up and accepted it, but this bunch¡­ It was as if they did not notice what kind of situation they were in. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s words that day did influence him to some extent. Hence, when he faced Chu Liuyue now, he also felt that she was overly arrogant. She really stubbornly insisted on her own ideas. He hesitated for a moment and finally swallowed his remaining words. ¡­ The news of Chu Liuyue and Liang He competing to produce a pill quickly spread around. Quite a few people rushed over from all parts of the medicinal mountain to watch. ¡°I heard that this has nothing much to do with Liang He. It was Shangguan Yue who wanted to take the dragon-taming nut, but Eighth Deity refused. Thus, Shangguan Yue directly wants to produce the Settling Yuan Pill here¡­¡± ¡°Settling Yuan Pill? Even Liang He hasn¡¯t successfully produced it before, right? Shangguan Yue dares to do this¡­ Is she also a Supreme Physician?¡± ¡°No way! She personally told Eighth Deity that she just broke through to become a Senior Physician not long ago, so she is far from being a Supreme Physician!¡± ¡°Then, where did she get her confidence from?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know either. Besides, I heard that if she can¡¯t succeed this time, she won¡¯t come to the medicinal mountain in the future. Eighth Deity agreed. I think there will be a show to watch¡­¡± Chu Liuyue and Liang He stood facing each other on a smooth mountain peak. Shu Jing stood at the side, and her gaze scanned Chu Liuyue¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat it again: There will only be one chance. If you fail, the competition immediately ends.¡± This clearly meant that she felt Chu Liuyue would definitely fail first. Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. ¡°Eighth Deity, even though I¡¯m not a Supreme Physician yet, my hearing and memory are pretty good. You don¡¯t have to repeat some words.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s face faintly turned green. However, quite a few people had surrounded them, and she couldn¡¯t release her temper. She coldly snorted in her heart and retracted her gaze. Liang He looked over and helplessly shook his head; then, he took out a copper square cauldron. That copper cauldron had three legs and two ears, and it was engraved with clouds and fiends, looking very stern. This was actually a supreme Yuan instrument. Even though supreme Yuan instruments were common, cauldrons were rare. Liang He originally had outstanding talent. With this cauldron as assistance, his rate of success would be greatly increased. ¡°Liang He rarely uses this cauldron. I think he¡¯s planning to be serious this time!¡± ¡°I hear that the Settling Yuan Pill is extremely hard to produce. Liang He can¡¯t be sure himself, right?¡± ¡°I want to see how Shangguan Yue plans on handling it. Her own standard is not enough¡ª¡± Bam! A thought popped up in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind as she directly summoned the Heavenly Square Cauldron. The surrounding whispers instantly disappeared. Even Shu Jing¡¯s gaze froze for a moment, and she looked unsure and shocked. After a while, someone softly said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a holy weapon?¡± ¡°I think so? I heard that she has more than one holy weapon with her¡­¡± ¡°So she has such a trump card. No wonder she¡¯s so confident. But even with this holy weapon, it won¡¯t allow a Senior Physician to produce a Supreme Physician-level pill, right?¡± ¡°But maybe she won¡¯t lose so badly?¡± Laughter erupted amidst the crowd. ¡­ Clearly, they did not think highly of Chu Liuyue. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even care about this in the first place. She thought, and a transparent karmic fire instantly burned in the Heavenly Square Cauldron! Then, she started putting the herbs in slowly. Her movements were very smooth. When Liang He saw this from the opposite side, he did not hesitate further and took action. ¡­ In the palace, Rong Xiu sat behind a desk and held a brush in one hand, writing something on a piece of paper. Yu Mo kneeled on the floor on one knee. ¡°¡­That¡¯s roughly what happened. Now, many people in Fantasy Divine Palace have already found out, and quite a few people went to join in the fun.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s hand paused. ¡°Settling Yuan Pill?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Mo sweated secretly. That person just broke through to become a Senior Physician not long ago, and she wants to try producing a Supreme Physician-level pill now. Won¡¯t she clearly lose? I really don¡¯t know what exactly that Shu Jing is thinking, to even refuse to give some dragon-taming nuts. Isn¡¯t she causing trouble for herself? Noticing that Rong Xiu fell silent again, Yu Mo quickly looked up, braved himself, and asked, ¡°Master, should I ask someone to send the dragon-taming nuts over?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Rong Xiu continued writing. They probably wouldn¡¯t make it in time, and there was not much meaning in sending them over. Yu Mo fell silent again. In the large hall, other than the sound of the brush gliding against the paper, there was no other sound. Yu Mo felt cold for some reason, and he silently looked up. Master is¡­ angry? That¡¯s true. Shu Jing did this without much senses. He thought and asked, ¡°Master, why don¡¯t¡­ I find someone to talk to Shu Jing?¡± After a moment, Rong Xiu finally stopped. He looked over, and there was dark coldness in his phoenix-like eyes. ¡°Tell her that if she doesn¡¯t want her Eighth Deity position, there are many people who can replace her.¡± Chapter 2238 - 2238 Offend 2238 Offend Yu Mo¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately lowered his head and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Inside the courtyard, Xiao Ba was sitting on a stone stool and counting the herbs in her hand. These were all taken from Zhen Bao Pavilion, and they were naturally of very good quality. However, the amount was a little small. She hadn¡¯t done much and saw the bottom of it already. Thinking of Big Brother¡¯s instructions, she wrinkled her nose and lightly grunted. Not everyone is as maniacal as him! After tidying her things, she turned around to look at the room Qiang Wanzhou was in. The door was tightly shut. Probably because Cen Yi set up a barrier around it, Qiang Wanzhou did not cause too big of a commotion when he was preparing to break through to become a legendary warrior. Hence, he temporarily did not attract the attention of outsiders. It has already been more than two hours. I wonder how the situation inside is.. ¡°Xiao Ba, Master hasn¡¯t come back yet?¡± asked Hua Shuangshuang strangely, as he walked over. Xiao Ba shook her head. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right. Didn¡¯t Master want to take some herbs from Zhen Bao Pavilion? Why hasn¡¯t she come back in such a long time?¡± Hua Shuangshuang furrowed his brows slightly. Xiao Ba held her chin with one hand. ¡°Perhaps Master stayed there to replicate the Xuan formations?¡± Hua Shuangshuang thought about it and felt that it made sense. But upon thinking deeply, he still felt that something was amiss. ¡°Little Zhou¡¯s situation is urgent. Logically speaking, Master shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s at the medicinal mountain! Don¡¯t you know?¡± Xiao Ran¡¯s voice suddenly came over. The two people in the courtyard turned around in unison and saw Xiao Ran standing on the roof, crossing his arms as he looked over. Hua Shuangshuang immediately asked, ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, you said that our master is at the medicinal mountain?¡± Xiao Ran nodded. ¡°Yeah! It seems like you really didn¡¯t know. Not only is she at the medicinal mountain, but she¡¯s even competing in pill production with Liang He at the medicinal mountain! It seems like she invited Eighth Deity to be the judge? Anyway, this incident has blown up to quite a great extent. I¡¯ve heard that many people have already gone there.¡± Hua Shuangshuang and Xiao Ba exchanged glances and saw the worry in the other party¡¯s eyes. They had already witnessed what kind of place the medicinal mountain was and what kind of person Eighth Deity was. Why would Master suddenly go there? Unless¡­ it is for the herbs? Actually, they couldn¡¯t be blamed. Even though this news had spread far and wide throughout Fantasy Divine Palace, almost nobody was willing to come and tell them. Even though Chu Liuyue had been famous recently, their group of people didn¡¯t have bloodline totems. Who would waste their time and energy to build good relations with people that were destined to be unable to become a deity and would even be kicked out of Fantasy Divine Palace in no time? Besides, the few of them were also very strange. Ever since they came here, it seemed like they rarely left the house. Xiao Ba lifted her dress and started heading toward the medicinal mountain. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look!¡± If that Shu Jing dares to disrespect Master, I definitely won¡¯t let her off! Hua Shuangshuang saw that she was going to rush over and fight, and hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Xiao Ba, why don¡¯t I go instead? You should continue staying here¡ª¡± Qiang Wanzhou was preparing to break through to become a legendary warrior, and Big Brother was guarding him. There had to be someone guarding the house. ¡°Let her go. You should stay.¡± Cen Yi¡¯s voice came from within the house. Hua Shuangshuang was dazed. Xiao Ba smiled in a flirtatious manner. ¡°Second Brother, Big Brother allowed me to go. Don¡¯t stop me anymore.¡± Hua Shuangshuang could only shake his head helplessly. ¡°After you get there, you must promise to be obedient.¡± Xiao Ba lightly grunted and lifted her legs to walk outside. ¡°As long as that so-called Eighth Deity doesn¡¯t take the initiative to mess with me, I would be too lazy to be bothered with her.¡± Hua Shuangshuang saw her leave and turned around to glance at the tightly shut door, not understanding why Cen Yi let Xiao Ba go over. Still¡­ Cen Yi always had his own reasons for doing things, and nothing much would happen. Xiao Ran said with interest, ¡°Speaking of which, your master is indeed an all-rounder.¡± It was fine that she broke through to become a legendary warrior at a young age, but she was even a Xuan Master. She had such outstanding talent that Zhen Bao Pavilion thought of her very highly. What was even more expected was that she was actually a Senior Physician? Hua Shuangshuang laughed and was not humble. ¡°Our master has always been outstanding.¡± Xiao Ran stroked his chin. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem yet has such surprising talent. I¡¯ve really not heard of it before.¡± He had stayed in Fantasy Divine Palace for many years and saw countless cultivators, each with outstanding talent. But compared to that lady, they instantly paled in comparison. ¡°Did you offend the Eighth Deity before?¡± he asked nonchalantly. Hua Shuangshuang was dazed for a moment. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, why would you say that?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have any grudges against her¡­ Logically speaking, she wouldn¡¯t do this.¡± Xiao Ran could not figure it out. Not many people knew of the relationship between Chu Liuyue and Zhen Bao Pavilion. But as the Eighth Deity, how could Shu Jing not know? In such a situation, she actually did such a thing¡­ Other than both parties having conflicts early on, Xiao Ran really could not think of another explanation. Hua Shuangshuang asked in return, ¡°After we came to Fantasy Divine Palace, we¡¯ve been very careful in doing matters and have been very polite to everyone. How could we purposely offend Eighth Deity?¡± Wasn¡¯t that causing trouble for themselves? Xiao Ran seemed to be in deep thought. ¡°That¡¯s true! What does she want by doing this?¡± Hua Shuangshuang did not speak. He had seen Shu Jing before, and could naturally guess that the other party disliked them. However, he never expected her to offend Master. ¡°If Ming Shu is willing to go out, this matter can be discussed. It¡¯s a pity¡ª¡± Xiao Ran thought for a long while and shook his head. ¡°Zhen Bao Pavilion never participates in such matters, and they probably won¡¯t intervene this time. I just hope that the lady will do good for herself and not be bullied too miserably.¡± ¡­ Medicinal mountain. On some mountain peak, Chu Liuyue and Liang He were producing pills. Time slowly trickled past, and all sorts of noises in the surroundings gradually appeased. Many people initially directed gazes filled with contempt at Chu Liuyue, which slowly became gazes with serious shock. Seeing that she continuously put the herbs into the cauldron in such a smooth manner without hesitation or delays, they finally realized¡ªChu Liuyue¡¯s abilities in medicine refinement were much stronger than they thought! ¡°Is she really only a Senior Physician? Such methods and familiarity don¡¯t lose out to Liang He at the opposite end at all!¡± ¡°Initially, I still thought that she was planning to copy Liang He to produce the Settling Yuan Pill, but now¡­ It seems like it¡¯s not the case? She¡¯s even a step faster than Liang He!¡± ¡°Quickly look! She¡¯s preparing to handle the dragon-taming nut!¡± The dragon-taming nut was the most important herb in producing the Settling Yuan Pill, and she had to be extremely careful at this juncture. If she was not careful, she would lose everything, and her previous efforts would be wasted. Chu Liuyue raised her hand, and the only dragon-taming nut flew to it. The dragon-taming nut had a very long emerald-green root, with petals overlapping at the top and presented in a bright golden color. From afar, it looked like a dazzling dragon scale. Chu Liuyue looked down, picked one petal out from the side, and threw it into the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Chapter 2239 - 2239 Take a Look 2239 Take a Look Swoosh! The transparent fire rose and instantly swallowed the bright golden flower petal! A small uproar broke within the spectating crowd. ¡°She actually split the dragon-taming nut apart?¡± ¡°The purest essence of the dragon-taming nut is inside the middle of the flower. Once the petals are taken off, the force inside will rapidly deplete. Even a person who is not a heavenly doctor like me knows that the dragon-taming nut must be refined as a whole. How would she not know?¡± ¡°Who knows what she¡¯s thinking? To think that I still thought she¡¯s quite capable¡­ Now, it seems like she¡¯s ignorant and impulsive.¡± On the opposite side, Liang He looked up, glanced at her, and knitted his brows. She is a Senior Physician after all. Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t make such a mistake. Suddenly, his gaze focused, and a hint of shock quickly flashed across his eyes. On the opposite end, after the transparent fire within the Heavenly Square Cauldron wrapped around that petal, it quickly formed a circular structure that separated from the fire below. That transparent fireball floated in the cauldron and burned quietly. However, this was not the most important thing. The thing Liang He felt most incredulous about was: the transparent fireball seemed to be empty! The dragon-taming nut petals were very weak, and if the temperature was slightly higher, it would directly burn it. However, this fire had already wrapped it for quite some time, and that petal still seemed intact. The only change was that its edges had curled up, and it seemed to be from baking within the fire. However¡­ this wasn¡¯t a bad thing¡ªit was quite the opposite. Using such a method would activate the medicinal effects within the dragon-taming nut to the maximum. Liang He stared at her in a daze and was rather distracted. He had studied the Settling Yuan Pill formula for a long time but didn¡¯t try it, as he knew that the dragon-taming nut was hard to handle. Now, the scene before him made him understand. The entire thing wasn¡¯t easy to refine, so it would be better to break it down into pieces! In pieces like this, one could clearly gather the force and energy to raise the success rate. Except¡­ wouldn¡¯t the purest force in the middle of the flower be wasted with this method? Liang He hesitated for a moment and shook his head, thinking that Chu Liuyue¡¯s method could not be used. He took out a dragon-taming nut and meticulously placed it within the copper cauldron. Whoosh! Under his control, the fire in the cauldron turned into many small ones and wrapped that dragon-taming nut bit by bit. ¡°He is the youngest Supreme Physician in Fantasy Divine Palace after all. His sensitivity and agility in this area can¡¯t be paralleled¡­¡± ¡°He has broken through to become a Supreme Physician for quite some time, right? Though this Settling Yuan Pill is hard, I think that he will definitely win.¡± Chu Liuyue had already automatically ignored all the sounds in the surroundings as she stared at the Heavenly Square Cauldron before her tightly. Her entire body tensed up, feeling extremely nervous. She wasn¡¯t as relaxed or nonchalant as she looked like to the crowd. That was because she didn¡¯t dare guarantee that she could succeed this time. Ever since she successfully produced the Senior Physician-level pill in the Red Moon Desert, she realized that there were quite a few of similar levels in the formulas Big Baby gave in the past. This also meant that before she broke through, she had already learned these. But before she broke through, she wasn¡¯t very clear of the difference in standards, so she was fooled by Big Baby for so many years. However, this also had an extreme benefit. After she stepped through that threshold, she started growing at a shocking speed. In the past, she only understood some of the formulas. Now that she officially broke through, many problems could be solved. She didn¡¯t even need to think much about it; she just had to take a few glances and understand it. That was also why she placed all her efforts on Supreme Physician-level medicinal formulas. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen the Settling Yuan Pill pill before, she was very familiar with these herbs. She was even more well-practiced with these herbs¡¯ medicinal effects and their appropriate refinement methods. This was also why she dared to suggest this bet. But at the end of the day, she hadn¡¯t actually tried it, so she was even more careful. Her actions did not stop as she quickly threw the dragon-taming nut petals into the cauldron, one by one. Very quickly, every petal was wrapped by a small transparent fire. They floated within the cauldron and formed their own worlds. ¡­ Shu Jing looked over, and when she saw the situation in the Heavenly Square Cauldron, she was instantly shocked and knitted her brows slightly. Other people couldn¡¯t tell, but she understood how hard it was to do this step. It was naturally very hard to refine the entire dragon-taming nut on its own, but it was also not easy to split the petals apart and refine them at the same time, like she did. From a certain angle, it had extremely strict requirements on the heavenly doctor¡¯s control. If one was slightly uncareful, something might happen. But¡­ Chu Liuyue did not. All the transparent fireballs quietly burned in the Heavenly Square Cauldron, squeezing out the medicinal effects of the dragon-taming nut one by one. Shu Jing¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. At this point, sweat had already broken out on her forehead, and she pressed her lips against each other slightly. Clearly, this used up a large amount of her energy and force. However, her eyes were still crystal clear and determined. She seemed like¡­ she could still persist for a while. Shu Jing knitted her brows even more tightly. She is just a Senior Physician and should¡¯ve given up a long time ago. How could Chu Liuyue continue? On the other end, Liang He¡¯s surrounding aura could be seen to decline since he started handling the dragon-taming nut. If this continues, it would be a problem if they can form a pill! ¡­ When Xiao Ba came, she saw this scene. Quite a few people were already in the surroundings, and they focused looking in the same direction. ¡°Hey, everyone, please let me pass¡ª¡± She couldn¡¯t see clearly from the outside, so Xiao Ba wanted to move forward. Her voice was so soft and cutesy that quite a few people turned around. When they saw that it was her, many people looked surprised and hurriedly made way. Xiao Ba smiled and thanked them before she slowly moved forward. Shu Jing noticed the commotion here and looked over. When she saw the incoming person was Xiao Ba, her expression instantly became colder. ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you previously that you can¡¯t casually enter the medicinal mountain?¡± Xiao Ba laughed. ¡°Eighth Deity, I¡¯m not planning to enter! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just stay here and watch!¡± Her gaze quickly swept across Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. Then, her eyes lit up as she smiled deeply. ¡°I¡¯m here to watch my master win. It¡¯s the same watching from afar and nearby!¡± Chapter 2240 - 2240 Why Are You Here? 2240 Why Are You Here? Shu Jing¡¯s expression was cold as she said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re very confident in her. The competition isn¡¯t over yet, but you¡¯re sure she¡¯ll win?¡± Xiao Ba tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and blinked ambiguously. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Our Master is just so outstanding.¡± Shu Jing laughed. Anyone could tell that there was contempt and disdain in her smile. ¡°There are some things that are best not said in advance. Otherwise, when the results are out, won¡¯t it be difficult to clean up?¡± This Chu Liuyue is arrogant, and the people under her are all the same as her. At this moment, Chu Liuyue suddenly threw the dragon-taming nut surrounded by the remaining two petals into the cauldron and slapped it! Swoosh! A cluster of reddish-gold flames suddenly poured into the cauldron and swallowed it! The scorching flames raised the temperature of the surrounding space. Shu Jing¡¯s expression changed. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± The reddish-gold flames were clearly visible! ¡°Condense!¡± Chu Liuyue yelled loudly. With her order, all the fireballs in the Heavenly Square Cauldron began to gather in the middle! Several fireballs fused together, and the medicinal herbs¡ªwhich had long been refined¡ªquickly condensed! This action immediately caused many people to exclaim. ¡°She¡¯s actually planning to make a pill just like that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this too fast? Has the dragon-taming nut inside been refined yet?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it clearly. There seemed to be another fire just now¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s so rash¡ªit looks like she¡¯s anxious. Sigh, Shangguan Yue is probably going to lose this round!¡± Everyone criticized her. Many people shook their heads. Clearly, they all thought that this competition was about to end. But at this moment, all the flames in the Heavenly Square Cauldron finally fused! Randomly, a fist-sized pill condensed! A powerful pressure gradually emitted from above. Whir! The Heavenly Square Cauldron buzzed when it was hit by the power of this pill! All the voices disappeared at this moment! Shu Jing¡¯s heart sank, and she could hardly believe her eyes. The pill was formed? It is really a pill?! How can that be? Whir! An invisible force fluctuated and continued to spread from the pill! This sound shocked Liang He. He subconsciously looked up and saw that a round and bright golden pill was shrinking under the transparent flames. This was the final tempering! Moreover, from the looks of it, she was clearly about to succeed! Liang He¡¯s heart was in a mess. Isn¡¯t she a Senior Physician? How could she refine a Supreme Physician-level pill? In a moment of dazedness, the flames in his bronze cauldron instantly lost control and burned crazily. Boom! There was an explosion! Liang He knew that something was wrong. He immediately tiptoed and retreated. The flames in the cauldron exploded, and several sparks scattered with astonishing power! Seeing this, Shu Jing immediately waved her sleeves. A barrier flew out and trapped the bronze cauldron. Only then did it stop the power from spreading wildly. The flames inside gradually extinguished, and the ashes danced wildly, leaving only a mess. ¡­ Liang He¡¯s chest trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His face was extremely pale. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at the scene in front of him in a daze. He knew very well that he had completely failed this time. But on the other side¡ª Under the continuous tempering of the flames, the pill had already changed from its initial appearance to the size of a longan. The dazzling golden light was pure and rich. Swoosh! Finally, the pill was completely refined and flew out of the cauldron! Chu Liuyue was quick-witted¡ªshe quickly flew up and firmly grabbed the pill! Right on the heels of that, she placed it into the black jade box she had prepared without hesitation. Da! The jade box closed and locked the pill inside. However, the air was still filled with a rich medicinal fragrance. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. It¡¯s done! She smiled and turned to Shu Jing. ¡°Eighth Deity, the competition has ended. Please take a look at this Settling Yuan Pill yourself and see who won and who lost!¡± With that, she flicked her wrist and sent the jade box out! Shu Jing was still in a daze. When she saw that thing flying toward her, she subconsciously reached out to catch it. The cold touch spread from her palm to her heart, finally waking her up a lot. Her entire body seemed to freeze. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t rush her. She just looked at Shu Jing calmly, as if she was very patient. Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Shu Jing. Obviously, they were also waiting for Shu Jing¡¯s answer. Shu Jing had never felt so uncomfortable before. She gritted her teeth and finally looked at the jade box in her hand. Then, she slowly opened it. Kada. A bright golden pill was lying quietly inside. With just a glance, Shu Jing immediately understood that this was indeed a successfully refined Settling Yuan Pill! Her slender fingers gripped the jade box so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she smiled and asked, ¡°Eighth Deity, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? How is my Settling Yuan Pill? Who exactly is the winner of this competition? You¡¯re the referee. Naturally, everyone will believe you if you say it.¡± She wanted Shu Jing to admit that she won! Shu Jing¡¯s throat was dry. She opened her mouth, but she felt that it was really difficult to say this. Suddenly, the void trembled, and ripples spread. A blurry figure slowly appeared. ¡°Eighth Deity.¡± Shu Jing was shocked and immediately turned around to look. A hint of shock flashed across her eyes. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Chapter 2241 - 2241 Emperor 2241 Emperor Chu Liuyue looked up. The ripples of the void fluctuation covered that person¡¯s appearance and figure. Only a tall man could barely be seen. He didn¡¯t walk out. His entire body seemed to be enveloped in that blurry fog. Even his voice sounded like it came from afar. ¡°Eighth Deity, do you now regard the entire medicinal mountain as your private property?¡± The voice was cold and calm, but it carried a heavy pressure. Every word was like a heavy rock falling, making it difficult to breathe. Shu Jing¡¯s face turned pale. She immediately lowered her head and said with a hint of panic, ¡°Shu Jing wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Everyone around held their breaths. It was so quiet that they could hear the rustling of the leaves. At this moment, it was as if the huge space had frozen! Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. Who is this person? He can actually make Shu Jing, the Eighth Deity, so respectful and polite¡ªand even¡­ rather afraid and reverent? The person continued, ¡°You don¡¯t dare? Then, do you dare to say that this farce today didn¡¯t happen because you relied on your status to do whatever you want?¡± Shu Jing was shocked. Only then did she realize that the other party had come because of this! But at the end of the day, this is just a competition between two heavenly doctors. Similar scenes often happen in Fantasy Divine Palace, so it isn¡¯t a big deal. The person in front of me rarely appears. Every time he appears, he is representing that person. However, why did this matter alarm that person? Countless thoughts flashed through Shu Jing¡¯s mind. It was extremely chaotic, and her mind was in a mess; she couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter what. She pursed her lips and defended herself. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve misunderstood something. What happened today was mainly because Shangguan Yue wanted to take the dragon-taming nut. However, she¡¯s not a Supreme Physician and doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. She¡¯s not allowed to take this top-notch medicinal herb. I tried to persuade her a few times, but she was still very insistent. In the end, she was the one who suggested that she wanted to compete with Liang He¡ª¡± In other words, the source of all this was Chu Liuyue. ¡°If she wants to use it, just give it to her. Why are you deliberately making things difficult for her?¡± The other party interrupted her. Shu Jing frowned. ¡°This¡­ I¡¯ve never deliberately made things difficult for her. I¡¯m just acting according to the rules. I¡ª¡± ¡°Rules?¡± That person seemed to laugh. ¡°Whose rules?¡± Shu Jing was instantly speechless. Her lips trembled slightly, and her entire body was wrapped in a layer of coldness. She had been in charge of the medicinal mountain for many years and had always followed the rules she had set. At first, she was a little restrained. But later, when she realized that no one seemed to care about this, she gradually relaxed. In Fantasy Divine Palace, countless heavenly doctors were polite and attentive to her. As long as it was related to the medicinal mountain, she would decide. However, she didn¡¯t expect that person to choose today to hold her accountable! ¡°Since tens of thousands of years ago, this medicinal mountain has been entered and exited casually. You took matters into your own hands and imposed all kinds of restrictions on people entering and exiting the medicinal mountain. You deserve to be punished! From today onward, all your rules will be overruled!¡± This voice spread far and wide, clearly falling into everyone¡¯s ears. Shu Jing felt as if she had been slapped twice in public. Her face was burning with pain! In front of so many people, he didn¡¯t give her any face. Everyone was still silent. When they heard this, they secretly exchanged glances. Did the Eighth Deity provoke that person? But it has always been like this all these years. Why did it suddenly happen today¡­ ¡°In the future, anyone who wants to come to this medicinal mountain can come and go directly. Whatever medicinal herbs you want, you can take it casually and without restrictions. Eighth Deity, remember that you¡¯re in charge of taking care of the medicinal mountain, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re in charge of the medicinal mountain itself!¡± Shu Jing was trembling all over. Her originally delicate and cold face was now pale. She clenched her fists and finally couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward. ¡°But nothing can be done without rules. I¡¯m doing this for Fantasy Divine Palace¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a deity. You don¡¯t have to worry about Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± The voice was faint. ¡°The emperor said that if you don¡¯t want to be the Eighth Deity, there are many people who can replace you.¡± Shu Jing felt as if she had been hit in the head. Her legs went weak, and she almost kneeled on the ground. No sentence was more lethal than this! Everyone around was also shocked and gasped. Is this the emperor¡¯s will?! It seems like this time, that person is serious? This warning is definitely not a joke. If Shu Jing does anything wrong, she might have to cup her hands in obeisance! It has been more than 10,000 years since she became the Eighth Deity. She could be considered to be very experienced. But even so, if that person wants to punish her, it will only take a word. How did Shu Jing¡­ offend that person? ¡°¡­Yes, yes¡­¡± Shu Jing didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She clenched her fists tightly in her sleeves, and her carefully trimmed nails almost dug into her palms, causing her pain. The figure gradually disappeared, and the void quickly returned to its previous calm. However, everyone inside and outside the medicinal mountain was shocked! After a short silence, someone turned to leave. With one person taking the lead, the others quickly followed. After a while, the lively crowd actually dispersed silently. ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked around thoughtfully. These people clearly know of the existence of that ¡¯emperor¡¯ and are extremely afraid and respectful. As a result, after the person left just now, the surrounding people actually didn¡¯t say anything and left in tacit understanding. They didn¡¯t even dare to talk about that person. I don¡¯t know what kind of person he is¡­ Could it be the master of Fantasy Divine Hall? But it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­ Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how she thought about it, but she knew that this wasn¡¯t a good time to ask about this. She could only wait and slowly understand it later. ¡°Lord Deity.¡± She raised her voice slightly and shouted at Shu Jing. ¡°Can you return my Settling Yuan Pill to me?¡± As long as they weren¡¯t blind, they could tell that she had won this round. Since the biggest problem had been resolved, Shu Jing¡¯s opinion wasn¡¯t important. Besides, even Shu Jing couldn¡¯t protect herself now. Shu Jing came back to her senses and slowly turned around to look at Chu Liuyue. She took a deep breath and threw the jade box over with a flick of her wrist. Xiao Ba slowly flew over, looked around, and stretched. ¡°Sigh, the scenery inside this medicinal mountain is indeed different. Even the air is sweeter than outside. I thought I wouldn¡¯t have a chance to come again in the future. How would I know that the world is ever-changing?¡± Shu Jing¡¯s face faintly turned green. Xiao Ba crossed her arms and tapped her fair chin gently with her fingers. She said slowly, ¡°Lord Deity, I guessed that Master would win. Are you willing to believe me now?¡± Chapter 2242 - 2242 Sooner or Later 2242 Sooner or Later Shu Jing turned around and left without saying a word. She was very fast and disappeared behind the distant mountain in a short while. It looked like she was escaping in a sorry state. ¡°Pfft.¡± Xiao Ba shrugged. ¡°I told her the truth, but she refused to listen. I thought she was very powerful, but it now seems that she¡¯s only so-so!¡± Chu Liuyue put away the Settling Yuan Pill. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to make things difficult for yourself because of such a person. Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiao Ba blinked and leaned forward. ¡°Master, who do you think that emperor is? Even Shu Jing is so afraid of him!¡± The other party didn¡¯t even come over personally. He only sent someone to deliver a message, and that alone scared Shu Jing so much. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but¡­ To be able to dismiss Shu Jing as the Eighth Deity, he must have a high status.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Master, I just heard someone beside me say that ever since Shu Jing became the Eighth Deity, she has been tyrannizing the medicinal mountain for more than 10,000 years. That emperor has never interfered. For some reason, he suddenly did this today. What do you think¡­ is going on? Could it be that he specially came to help because he knew that Shu Jing was making things difficult for you?¡± ¡°You sure know how to fantasize.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. I¡¯ve only been in Fantasy Divine Palace for a short while. This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of that emperor, let alone seen him. How could it be because of me? Xiao Ba hugged her arm. ¡°Master, I¡¯m not spouting nonsense. Look, there was no movement for so long previously. This happened the first time you came to the medicinal mountain. Isn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence? Actually, it¡¯s not just me. I think many others think so too!¡± Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°I think that the emperor has been dissatisfied with Shu Jing for a long time. He happened to have an opportunity today.¡± Xiao Ba was stunned and muttered softly, ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± In that case, that was very likely the case. She had always been a carefree person, so she quickly threw this matter to the back of her mind. ¡°Master, when did you become a Supreme Physician? Why didn¡¯t I know before?¡± ¡°Just now. Why?¡± ¡°¡­Forget it. Pretend I didn¡¯t ask anything.¡± Xiao Ba waved her hand in frustration. Big Brother has been urging me to quickly break through to become a Supreme Physician, but I haven¡¯t paid much attention to it. Who knew that in the blink of an eye, Master actually broke through just like that!? Besides, is it really appropriate to speak in such a casual tone regarding such a big matter? We¡¯re both humans, but why is the difference between us so huge? Xiao Ba gritted her teeth. When I return, I really have to work hard. Otherwise, won¡¯t it be too embarrassing for Master in the future? ¡°Please wait!¡± Liang He¡¯s voice came from behind them. Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and looked over. ¡°Young Master Liang, is there anything else?¡± Liang He glanced at Xiao Ba and cupped his hands at Chu Liuyue, looking a little embarrassed. ¡°Miss Shangguan¡¯s alchemy skills are outstanding. I admire you.¡± Previously, he had thought that the other party was only a Senior Physician and couldn¡¯t be compared to him. Unexpectedly, the person who lost in the end was himself. Not only did Chu Liuyue directly break through to become a Supreme Physician, but she even successfully refined the Settling Yuan Pill on her first try. He was indeed incomparable to such talent and strength. Chu Liuyue smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Young Master Liang, you¡¯re too kind. Actually, I suggested the competition today because I wanted to get the dragon-taming nut. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Liang He immediately waved his hand. ¡°I benefited a lot from being able to spar with Miss Shangguan.¡± This was the first time he knew that dragon-taming nuts could actually be refined like this! However, he also knew how high the requirements for a heavenly doctor were. With his current strength, it was probably still very difficult. Chu Liuyue nodded. Actually, she had no objections to Liang He. Compared to Shu Jing and the others, his attitude was already very good. Of course, she also knew that a large part of this was because of Xiao Ba. However, Xiao Ba wasn¡¯t interested in him. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Young Master Liang, we¡¯ll leave first.¡± Liang He hurriedly said, ¡°Wait! Actually, I do have something to say.¡± He hesitated for a moment and looked at Xiao Ba. He said nervously and sincerely, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, I¡ªLiang¡­¡± Xiao Ba sighed. Could it be that I hadn¡¯t made myself clear enough previously? I¡¯m really not interested in him! ¡°Young Master Liang, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of this saying: You can lead a horse to water but you can¡¯t make it drink. I¡¯ve already expressed my stance. What else do you want?¡± Liang He didn¡¯t expect her to be so straightforward and was at a loss for a moment. ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. I already have someone I like.¡± Xiao Ba interrupted him. Chu Liuyue glanced at her, seeing that her eyes were smiling and that her expression was relaxed. She swallowed the words that were at the tip of her tongue. Liang He¡¯s face instantly turned pale, but he was also a little indignant. ¡°I wonder who Miss Xiao Ba likes? Is it someone from Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Miss Xiao Ba, my words may be a little unpleasant, but they¡¯re all sincere. A girl like you can¡¯t be compared to ordinary people. Although I have many shortcomings, I¡¯m considered outstanding in Fantasy Divine Palace. Miss Xiao Ba¡­¡± Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°It seems that Young Master Liang really likes me very much?¡± Liang He cupped his hands in obeisance. ¡°My feelings for you are genuine.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Xiao Ba tilted her head. ¡°Why don¡¯t I take you in too? You can¡¯t sit in the main seat, but seeing that you¡¯re quite talented as a heavenly doctor, I¡¯ll give you a seat in the side room. How about that?¡± Liang He was shocked and widened his eyes. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, what did you say?¡± Xiao Ba shrugged sadly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear it? Sigh, there are really many handsome bachelors in the world. I can¡¯t bear to part with any of them. If Young Master Liang is willing to lower himself¡ªit¡¯s not like I can¡¯t give you a chance.¡± Big Brother has already said that he would allow me to recruit a son-in-law! Liang He finally realized what she was talking about. For a moment, his blood surged, and his emotions were intense. After a while, he finally waved his sleeve. ¡°Even if Miss Xiao Ba doesn¡¯t like me, there¡¯s no need to humiliate me like this! Just take it that I¡¯ve lost my mind! From now on, I won¡¯t pester you anymore!¡± With that, he left angrily. Chu Liuyue glanced at him. ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re really too popular. No matter what, he¡¯s the youngest Supreme Physician in Fantasy Divine Palace. If he¡¯s angered by you and runs away just like that, who knows what others will say if word gets out¡­¡± Xiao Ba came over with a smile. ¡°Master, aren¡¯t you the youngest Supreme Physician now? If he¡¯s angry, so be it. What¡¯s so important?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head helplessly and smiled. Then, she pulled her back. ¡°Someone will deal with you sooner or later!¡± Chapter 2243 - 2243 Followed 2243 Followed Just as she returned to her residence, Chu Liuyue realized that an energy vortex had already formed in the sky above the courtyard. Abundant Heaven and Earth Force was surging down. She quickly realized something. Xiao Zhou is about to break through. This commotion didn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention. In Fantasy Divine Palace, there were many legendary warriors, but true gods like Little Zhou were a minority. Therefore, even if they sensed the fluctuation here, no one paid much attention. Chu Liuyue brought Xiao Ba into the courtyard, and Shangguan Jing happened to come out of the room. Ever since he came here, he had entered the room and almost never came out. Seeing the two dark circles under Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes, Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°Ancestor, are you¡­ not resting well?¡± Shangguan Jing sighed. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t rest well. I didn¡¯t rest at all.¡± He rubbed his temples, tossed a short knife on the stone table, and sat down. Chu Liuyue glanced at it. It was shining brightly and extremely sharp. It was a top-notch Yuan instrument. ¡°Have you been studying this recently?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head. ¡°Previously, I vaguely felt that I had touched the threshold of refining a holy weapon, but I never succeeded. I was always so close.¡± He hadn¡¯t rested for such a long time and was constantly trying to break through that shackle. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t succeed. Chu Liuyue recalled what she had talked to Rong Xiu about previously. She thought for a moment and looked up at the Fantasy Divine Hall that was standing far away. If this Fantasy Divine Hall is really identical to the one in the Red Moon Desert, then¡­ Perhaps the secret of the holy weapon is in the black jade square inside? If I can enter the Fantasy Divine Hall, all my doubts will be resolved. ¡°Forget it. This kind of thing can¡¯t be rushed.¡± Shangguan Jing had been a supreme Armory Refinement Master for many years, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. No matter what, there was still some hope now. It was much better than when it was hopeless in the past. ¡°Eh? This is¡­ Who¡¯s going to break through?¡± Shangguan Jing asked in surprise when he saw the energy vortex spinning down. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s Little Zhou.¡± A look of surprise flashed across Shangguan Jing¡¯s face. ¡°So fast? I remember that he broke through to become a true god not long ago?¡± In his impression, Qiang Wanzhou was still that thin and exquisite young man. He didn¡¯t expect him to break through to become a legendary warrior so soon! ¡°His age seems to be¡­ about the same as yours, right? This talent¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing clicked his tongue. Chu Liuyue smiled helplessly and briefly explained the eruption of the extreme cold force in Little Zhou¡¯s body. ¡°¡­He has no choice but to break through now. Otherwise, just the power accumulated in his body will be enough to destroy him.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression became more serious. ¡°I see¡ª¡± He knew that it was impossible for ordinary people to break through to this level in such a short time. The main reason Qiang Wanzhou could do this was due to the shockingly cold force sealed in his body. ¡°I wonder how the extreme cold force in his body came about¡­¡± Shangguan Jing muttered thoughtfully. ¡°To be able to seal such force, they shouldn¡¯t be an ordinary person¡­ Furthermore, after so many years, Qiang Wanzhou actually withstood it just like that.¡± Even he was surprised. This was actually what Chu Liuyue was curious about. Qiang Wanzhou only said that it had been like this since he had his memories, but he didn¡¯t know anything more. And the person he was looking for back then¡­ Boom! A powerful energy fluctuation came from the room! Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression hardened. He¡¯s about to break through! Right on the heels of that, a bone-chilling chill pervaded the room. Chu Liuyue clearly saw that a layer of white and transparent frost quickly condensed on the tightly shut door The coldness quickly spread everywhere. Soon, the eaves and pillars were covered in this frost, and it showed no signs of stopping! Shock flashed across Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes as he suddenly stood up. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned and felt a little worried. This aura is extremely familiar¡ªit is the extremely cold force in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body. From the looks of it, this force has been completely released! I don¡¯t know if he can withstand such shocking pressure¡­ At this moment, the sound of air being torn apart suddenly came from the sky! Chu Liuyue looked up and saw several silver lightning bolts flying over from afar! She was stunned. This heavenly lightning came from¡­ the lightning pool?! As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, the lightning had already arrived in the sky! Then, the frozen door opened with a bang! A figure quickly rushed out and went straight up¡ªit was Qiang Wanzhou! He clearly planned to face this heavenly lightning head-on! Boom! The first bolt of lightning to arrive exploded and instantly enveloped Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s figure! The others followed closely behind. For a moment, silver light splashed in the air, and energy surged wildly. In the distant sky, there were still several bolts of lightning flying over continuously. This scene finally attracted the attention of some people. ¡°This¡ªwho¡¯s making a breakthrough?¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s quite a commotion, and it looks like Shangguan Yue¡¯s residence. Could it be that one of her subordinates is about to break through?¡± ¡°I heard that she brought three true gods over. Could it be one of them?¡± ¡°Then, he must be breaking through to become a legendary warrior, right? But this lineup is too big!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. If this person can successfully break through, his strength will probably increase greatly. However, I heard that he doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem either. Even if he becomes a legendary warrior, it¡¯s meaningless¡­¡± Although everyone was a little surprised, they weren¡¯t shocked. To a large extent, they still didn¡¯t take Chu Liuyue and the others seriously. Even if he broke through¡­ In their opinion, there was no future to speak of. More and more heavenly lightning gathered. Chu Liuyue could barely distinguish Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s figure. Suddenly, one of the lightning bolts came toward the few people in the courtyard! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Just as she was about to move, she felt that something was wrong. She hurriedly stopped Shangguan Jing, who was about to attack. ¡°Ancestor, wait! That¡¯s Si Jing!¡± Shangguan Jing was dumbfounded. ¡°What!?¡± As the two of them spoke, the bolt of lightning had already landed in the courtyard. At this moment, they finally saw clearly that it was really Si Jing. The reason why he misunderstood was that¡­ there was a silver lightning bolt on his back. They were a distance away just now, so the people below didn¡¯t see it clearly. ¡°Master, why are you looking at me like that?¡± Seeing their strange expressions, Si Jing was stunned. Only then did he suddenly come back to his senses. He grabbed the bolt of lightning on his back and pulled it down. ¡°Eh, there¡¯s more?¡± Ka! He broke the bolt of lightning into pieces. Chapter 2244 - 2244 Provoked That Persons Bottom Line 2244 Provoked That Person¡¯s Bottom Line Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Shangguan Jing: ¡°?¡± The corners of Xiao Ba¡¯s mouth twitched, and she took two steps back. ¡°Fourth Brother, what are you doing?! Why did you come to Fantasy Divine Palace and play so wildly?¡± Si Jing¡¯s face darkened. Of course, he was already dark to begin with. At this moment, there was no difference. ¡°Xiao Ba, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Your Fourth Brother is fine.¡± Xiao Ba pointed at the shattered heavenly lightning in his hand. At this moment, the silver light had already silently entered his body. ¡°Then, what is this?¡± Si Jing coughed. ¡°This¡­ This is the heavenly lightning I didn¡¯t have time to shake off just now. Didn¡¯t I go to the lightning pool previously? I wandered around inside. In the end, for some reason, these heavenly lightning bolts seemed to keep following me. I was unable to shake them off.¡± If not for the fact that Qiang Wanzhou was preparing to break through to become a legendary warrior and attracted a few bolts of lightning, he would probably have been entangled for a long time. But even so, he still brought back a few. On the way, he ran while dealing with it, but he still missed one. This was why the current situation was like this. Xiao Ba clicked her tongue. ¡°Fourth Brother, you¡¯re good! I don¡¯t see many girls chasing you, but this lightning is stuck to you?¡± Si Jing had a headache. I don¡¯t know what is going on either! ¡°Si Jing, you said that the lightning followed you here?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly spoke softly. Si Jing nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Master, I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± He had always been honest and would never lie to Chu Liuyue. ¡°I know.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°I just feel¡­ a little strange.¡± ¡°Yue¡¯er, is this ¡®a little¡¯ strange?!¡± Shangguan Jing felt terrible. Why do all of them seem so calm? Please, this is heavenly lightning taking the initiative to follow, and it hasn¡¯t attacked yet! I haven¡¯t seen such a thing in so many years. Why are these people so calm? Chu Liuyue glanced at him and raised her eyebrows. If Ancestor saw what happened to me in the depths of the lightning pool, he would probably faint from shock¡­ Considering that her ancestor was already old and probably couldn¡¯t withstand this stimulation, Chu Liuyue decided not to say it for the time being. ¡°This Fantasy Divine Palace is quite different from the God Residence Realm. Even if it¡¯s strange, we have to accept it, right?¡± Shangguan Jing choked. After thinking about it carefully, he actually felt that it made sense. ¡°Is that true?¡± It was true. Ever since that line of words flickered in the sky and summoned all the cultivators in the world, everything had been different. When Shangguan Jing thought of this, he suddenly felt that this matter wasn¡¯t so difficult to accept. After all, they had already seen many things that exceeded their understanding and expectations, right? He sized up Si Jing again. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not injured?¡± Si Jing chuckled. ¡°Of course not! Also, my strength has increased a lot!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Ancestor, you might not know this, but that lightning pool can temper the Holy Body. Many people in Fantasy Divine Palace will go to the lightning pool to cultivate and increase their strength.¡± Shangguan Jing nodded his head in understanding. ¡°I see¡­¡± It seems like I can¡¯t stay here forever. I have to go out and take a look. Chu Liuyue glanced at Si Jing again and vaguely felt something flash across her heart. Hong hong hong! Several sounds came from the sky. Even Chu Liuyue was shocked when she saw this scene. When she broke through to become a legendary warrior, it caused a huge commotion, but Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s wasn¡¯t much inferior. The power of extreme cold stored in his body was indeed vast and shocking. Cen Yi also walked out of the room. He first glanced at the frozen frost on the door and the pillars before looking up at the sky. Finally, all the heavenly lightning was gradually annihilated and entered Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body. His figure gradually became clear. At a certain moment, a terrifying pressure suddenly erupted from his body! ¡ªBroke through to become a legendary warrior! ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. Shu Jing¡¯s face was pale as she walked forward unsteadily. Her hands were clenched into fists in her sleeves. She lowered her head slightly, but her eyes were empty and unfocused. Everything that had happened just now was still replaying in her mind. ¡°Whose rules?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in charge of guarding the medicinal mountain, not managing it!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be the Eighth Deity, there are plenty of people who can replace you!¡± A faint sweet taste spread between her lips and teeth. Right on the heels of that, she felt a sharp pain. She had already bitten her lip unconsciously. A trace of blood seeped out, making her look even more haggard. But at this moment, her entire body was dull, and she didn¡¯t react to these things. Someone walked toward her and blocked her way. ¡°Hold it right there.¡± Shu Jing subconsciously stood still and looked up. It was Jin Yunlai. At this moment, he was expressionless, but his eyes were covered in a layer of cold air. Anger could be vaguely seen in his eyes. Shu Jing¡¯s heart trembled. She had always been a little afraid of Jin Yunlai, not only because he was stronger than her, but also because he was ranked seventh and had a higher status than her. Many people thought that the status of the deities was the same, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The ranking between deities itself represented a strict level! It was just that everyone usually did their own jobs and didn¡¯t interfere with each other, so this wasn¡¯t obvious. But once something big happened or if it was a critical moment, Jin Yunlai¡ªwho was ranked ahead of her¡ªwas definitely qualified to teach her a lesson! From his reaction, it was obvious that he already knew what had happened at the medicinal mountain. ¡°Seventh Deity, I¡ª¡± She had just opened her mouth when she was interrupted by Jin Yunlai. ¡°What did you do to alarm that person?!¡± Shu Jing gritted her teeth. ¡°The Seventh Deity should know what happened. I¡­ I¡¯m just doing my own thing step by step¡­¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s stern and cold gaze stared intently at her. Shu Jing almost couldn¡¯t take it. She closed her eyes. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve gone overboard. I shouldn¡¯t have set so many rules for the medicinal mountain, and I shouldn¡¯t have mistakenly thought that I had any control over it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s tone was firm. Shu Jing was stunned. ¡°What do you mean? That person came over personally to say¡ª¡± ¡°The medicinal mountain is very important. It¡¯s also a fact that you¡¯ve overstepped your authority and controlled the medicinal mountain for many years. However, why did he choose today?¡± Jin Yunlai narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°Furthermore, these things are a big deal to others, but to the emperor, they¡¯re not worth mentioning. They¡¯re definitely not worth him taking action. You must have done something else and touched that person¡¯s bottom line!¡± Chapter 2245 - 2245 Master is Master 2245 Master is Master Shu Jing was stunned. ¡°But I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± She suddenly thought of something, and her expression changed. ¡°Could it be¡­ because of Shangguan Yue? But even if she has the support of Zhen Bao Pavilion, it shouldn¡¯t be like this, right?¡± Jin Yunlai frowned. Actually, after knowing this, he had also thought a lot. No matter how he guessed, it seemed to point to that person. But¡­ Didn¡¯t she come to Fantasy Divine Palace not long ago? Would the emperor personally appear for such a person? No matter how he thought about it, something was wrong. But apart from this reason, there seemed to be no other explanation. ¡°It seems like she¡¯s more important to Zhen Bao Pavilion than we expected¡­¡± Jin Yunlai paused. ¡°Previously, I reminded you not to provoke the people Zhen Bao Pavilion wants to protect. Look what happened now!¡± It was one thing to be reprimanded in public and lose all her face, but most importantly¡ªher position as the Eighth Deity was also in danger! Shu Jing bit her lip and was speechless. Even if she was unwilling to admit it, she knew that she had caused a huge trouble this time. Furthermore¡­ it was very likely because of Shangguan Yue! ¡°Why would the emperor¡­¡± ¡°The emperor¡¯s intentions aren¡¯t something you and I can guess. Let this matter rest. It can¡¯t happen again.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s gaze was cold. ¡°Otherwise¡­ Not to mention me, even the First Deity can¡¯t help you.¡± Shu Jing trembled and nodded with difficulty. ¡°¡­Thank you for your reminder, Seventh Deity. I understand.¡± ¡­ Qiang Wanzhou slowly opened his eyes. In an instant, a cold light seemed to surge in those clear and cold eyes, but it disappeared in a flash. He let out a long breath. The extremely cold force sealed in his body had already been completely transformed into his holy force. Abundant energy surged through his limbs and bones, and every part of him seemed to contain astonishing explosive power! He raised his hand and pointed forward. Whir! The empty air shook! Ripples spread in all directions! It had been¡­ many years since he felt so light. He raised his eyes and looked ahead. At the end of the distance, a hall stood tall. Sacred, dignified, and inviolable! He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were calm again. He randomly moved and arrived in the courtyard, standing a few steps in front of Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Congratulations, Little Zhou.¡± It was really rare to break through to become a legendary warrior at such a young age. Moreover, his physical condition was rather special. It was really worth being happy and glad that he had succeeded this time. Qiang Wanzhou looked at her steadily, and there seemed to be waves in his eyes. Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°Little Zhou, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qiang Wanzhou lowered his eyes. ¡°Thank you¡­ Master.¡± Chu Liuyue felt that he seemed a little strange, but she couldn¡¯t tell what the problem was. The way he looked at me just now¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s because he has just broken through to become a legendary warrior and hasn¡¯t gotten used to it yet? Chu Liuyue thought to herself secretly. She walked forward. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Qiang Wanzhou obediently raised his hand. His wrist was thin and white as if it could be easily broken with a little force. However, who would¡¯ve thought that such a young man had already become a legendary warrior? Chu Liuyue placed her fingers on his wrist and used a portion of her strength to investigate. The extremely cold force in his body had indeed completely dissipated and turned into his own. However, the force that suddenly erupted was too powerful, causing a huge impact on his Yuan meridian. There were indeed some losses, but all of this didn¡¯t matter. He just had to recuperate well. She retracted her hand in relief and handed over the Settling Yuan Pill. ¡°You¡¯re already a legendary warrior now, and your strength has improved greatly in all aspects. You can almost recover by adjusting yourself. Coupled with this Settling Yuan Pill, you¡¯ll be completely healed in less than half a month.¡± Qiang Wanzhou took it with both hands. The jade box was cold to the touch, but he felt his palm burning. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and ruffled his hair. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s rose petal-like lips curled up slightly as he softly said, ¡°Master is Master.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind. He had always been quiet and reserved. ¡°In the future, you won¡¯t have to worry about anything happening to your body.¡± Chu Liuyue was very happy and immediately shook her head. ¡°I wonder who placed the seal on you.¡± Qiang Wanzhou lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re fine now anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t find out,¡± said Chu Liuyue. It¡¯s unknown how many years ago it was. Since Qiang Wanzhou doesn¡¯t remember it himself, it is even more difficult to say. Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Master.¡± Chu Liuyue finally felt relieved. After saying a few more words, she planned to go to Zhen Bao Pavilion. She hadn¡¯t finished copying the Li Fire Xuan Map. In addition, she also wanted to see if she could get the opportunity to meet the Second Boss of Zhen Bao Pavilion. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue arrived at Zhen Bao Pavilion, there were almost no people. Ming Shu was organizing the herbs on the shelf. ¡°Master Ming.¡± Hearing the voice, Ming Shu hurriedly turned around. When he saw that it was Chu Liuyue, he immediately smiled. ¡°Oh, Miss Shangguan, why are you here today?¡± Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. ¡°I was free. On the other hand, why is your shop¡­ so empty?¡± Ming Shu laughed out loud. ¡°They can enter and exit the medicinal mountain at will now. They can get whatever medicinal herbs they want themselves, so naturally, fewer people come here.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows twitched. This matter¡­ seems to have started because of me? Chapter 2246 - 2246 Who? 2246 Who? It was rare for her to feel a little embarrassed. ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t expect the matter to blow up so much that it even implicated Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± Ming Shu looked at her strangely. ¡°Miss Shangguan, why are you saying this?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t insisted on going to the medicinal mountain to get that dragon-taming nut, those things wouldn¡¯t have happened and affected Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s business¡­¡± ¡°Hey, are you talking about this?¡± Ming Shu immediately understood and laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for this. Anyway, our Zhen Bao Pavilion doesn¡¯t rely on the medicinal herb business to make a living; it¡¯s just that it¡¯s less profitable. Be it Xuan formations, Yuan instruments, or even legendary fiends, they all account for much more than the medicinal herb business!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± ¡°Hehe, think about it. That medicinal mountain in Fantasy Divine Palace has countless natural treasures growing there. Although the Eighth Deity set many rules before, most heavenly doctors can still enter and get what they want. Only a small portion of them need to be operated through our Zhen Bao Pavilion. Speaking of which, this bit of money is nothing. You don¡¯t have to take it to heart!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± This Zhen Bao Pavilion is really¡­ How rich! There are so many medicinal herbs in the business, but they were abandoned just like that. If this was San San, he would probably cry on the spot. She thought about Ming Shu¡¯s words carefully and felt that it made sense. However, she still felt a little bad that she had caused losses for them. ¡°On the other hand, you¡¯re really famous in Fantasy Divine Palace now!¡± Ming Shu gave her a thumbs-up and praised her sincerely. ¡°Everyone said that it was because Miss Shangguan insisted on competing with Liang He in refining medicine that you got that person to take action and suppress the Eighth Deity. She also abolished all the rules she set previously. From now on, everyone can enter and leave the medicinal mountain casually. Countless people are extremely grateful to you!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°You must be joking. This really has nothing to do with me.¡± I just wanted a few dragon-taming nuts. As for the rest¡­ it was really out of my control. Ming Shu chuckled. ¡°No matter what, your status in Fantasy Divine Palace will be different in the future. When they see you, they will definitely thank you personally!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, but she didn¡¯t take it to heart. She actually didn¡¯t care much about how those people treated her. ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t blame me. I came this time because I plan to continue copying the Li Fire Xuan Map.¡± Ming Shu hurriedly said, ¡°Please!¡± As Chu Liuyue walked upstairs, she asked, ¡°Is Second Boss feeling better?¡± ¡°Much, much better! I didn¡¯t expect Miss Shangguan to still be thinking about this,¡± Ming Shu replied in surprise. Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and smiled faintly. ¡°Then, I wonder if Second Boss has time to see me this time?¡± Ming Shu looked a little troubled. ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m afraid not yet. You don¡¯t know this, but our Second Boss hasn¡¯t returned for a long time. On the one hand, he has to recuperate this time. On the other hand, he still has to take a closer look at Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s bills of the past few years. I reckon he really won¡¯t have time to see you in the short term.¡± He carefully glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Miss Shangguan, is there something urgent?¡± Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and then chuckled. ¡°No. Since Second Boss doesn¡¯t have time, forget it. It¡¯s the same if we meet again in the future.¡± With that, she turned and headed for the second floor. ¡­ The entire second floor was as quiet as ever. Chu Liuyue went straight to the room from last time. After entering, she realized that everything was exactly the same as when she left last time. Ming Shu stood at the door and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re the only one who can come in here. No one else is allowed to barge in, so it¡¯s still the same as before you left.¡± Chu Liuyue thought to herself, After all, there¡¯s a treasure like the Li Fire Xuan Map here. It¡¯s quite good for them to do this. At the very least, it will save a lot of trouble for me. ¡°Then, please go ahead. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded his head. ¡°Take care, Lord Ming.¡± Ming Shu left very straightforwardly. It was obvious that he trusted her. Chu Liuyue pulled out a chair and sat down. She then took out the Li Fire Xuan Map. ¡­ This time, Chu Liuyue copied 15 Xuan formations in one go. The first volume wasn¡¯t difficult for her, so it was completed quickly. After that, she picked up the second volume and read it for a long time. When she flipped to the Sky Demon Xuan formation, she paused and stared at it for a long time. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a little difficult¡­¡± she muttered to herself. Even a Grandmaster would probably take a lot of time to completely comprehend it. No wonder it has trapped Xiao Ran for so long. ¡°It¡¯s a little like the Heaven-Locking Formation,¡± she said thoughtfully. In fact, all the Xuan formations in the Li Fire Xuan Map seemed to have something similar to the Heaven-Locking Formation. Because she had already forcefully engraved the Heaven-Locking Formation in her mind previously, it was much easier to look at these again. Although she had already memorized many Xuan formations in the Red Moon Desert, it wasn¡¯t so easy to master them. Fortunately, now that her cultivation level had risen, this wasn¡¯t a big problem for her. After staying for a while longer, she got up. After handing the replicated Xuan formations to Ming Shu, she left quickly. ¡­ Originally, she wanted to go straight back to her residence. Halfway there, she suddenly sensed a figure flying quickly over. She looked up and saw a familiar figure. ¡°Seventh Deity?¡± From the looks of it, he is still heading for the Heaven Gate. She blinked and immediately realized that someone else was probably here. The Heaven Gate would be open for a year. At this stage, all the cultivators in the God Residence Realm could enter Fantasy Divine Palace as long as they could cross that ocean and step on that bridge. It had been almost a month since they arrived, so it was normal for others to come up. Chu Liuyue looked over and was a little curious. I don¡¯t know who has come this time. However, she was a little far from the Heaven Gate and couldn¡¯t see their facial features clearly. She could only vaguely see that there seemed to be a lot of people coming. There were at least seven or eight of them. Jin Yunlai arrived at the Heaven Gate and began to examine them one by one. Chu Liuyue watched for a while and realized that for some reason, they seemed to be a little slow and didn¡¯t come in for a long time. She was also getting bored from waiting. She turned around and planned to leave. However, she had just taken a few steps when she heard a voice from afar. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this Master Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and looked sideways. The man in front had already crossed the Heaven Gate and was looking over. At this moment, without the cover of the Heaven Gate¡¯s light, she could finally see the other party¡¯s appearance clearly. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chapter 2247 - 2247 Long Time No See 2247 Long Time No See Chu Liuyue was very calm. The other party¡¯s expression froze for a moment. Chu Liuyue looked at him sincerely. She really didn¡¯t know this person. The man took a deep breath and tidied his clothes before saying word by word, ¡°I¡¯m Nan Jinshu from the Nan family.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Oh, someone from the Nan family?¡± She had some impression of the name Nan Jinshu. In the past, he was an elder of the Nan family and wasn¡¯t famous. After Nan Yifan and the others died, he quickly emerged and became the current head of the family. Originally, it wasn¡¯t his turn to sit in this seat. But after that battle, the Nan family had suffered heavy casualties, and there were really not many legendary warriors left. This gave Nan Jinshu a chance. During this period of time, there was no news from the Nan family. They were probably recuperating. Chu Liuyue thought that it would take them a long time to recover, but she didn¡¯t expect them to come to Fantasy Divine Palace. ¡°It¡¯s normal that Master Yue has never heard of us.¡± Nan Jinshu quickly adjusted his mentality and his expression returned to normal. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t have any intention of continuing the conversation. After responding, she turned around and planned to leave. ¡°Master Yue, wait!¡± Nan Jinshu immediately stopped her. Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Is there anything else, family head?¡± Nan Jinshu smiled, and his gaze fell on the token on her waist. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel a little strange. Master Yue, you don¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled as well. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡ªI¡¯m too talented. Although I don¡¯t have a bloodline totem, I¡¯m still much stronger than many people. I might as well come to Fantasy Divine Palace to take a look. Why? Do you have a problem with that?¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s eyes twitched. He had long known that Chu Liuyue had a sharp tongue. Seeing her today, it was indeed so! He was about to retort when he met those dark and calm eyes. Suddenly, his heart trembled. He hadn¡¯t forgotten what a ruthless character this woman in front of him was! If they fought head-on, he would only be at a disadvantage. He chuckled at the thought. ¡°Not at all. I just feel a little surprised to meet Master Yue here.¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Nan Jinshu.¡± Jin Yunlai suddenly called out to him. Nan Jinshu immediately turned around and bowed with cupped fists. ¡°Seventh Deity, what can I do for you?¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s gaze silently swept across Chu Liuyue. ¡°Settle these people down first before coming to the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± These words were directed at Nan Jinshu. As soon as he finished speaking, Nan Jinshu immediately replied respectfully, ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes slightly. What did Jin Yunlai say? He wants Nan Jinshu to go straight to the Fantasy Divine Hall? Isn¡¯t the Fantasy Divine Hall always extremely guarded and never allows ordinary people to enter? Think about how much time and energy Mu Yafeng has spent on the Star Path in order to get the right to enter! And Nan Jinshu actually went in just like that? As if seeing her shock, a hint of smugness flashed across Nan Jinshu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Master Yue, we¡¯ll meet again in the future. However, I¡¯ll be staying in the Fantasy Divine Hall most of the time in the future. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have much of a chance to meet again.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly smiled. ¡°Okay. You can wait.¡± Nan Jinshu suddenly felt a chill in his heart. The rest of his words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t say them no matter what. After a moment, he snorted. ¡°Master Yue doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. It¡¯s unknown how difficult it is to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. However, it seems like you¡¯re extremely confident in yourself.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°What, is the family head worried that I won¡¯t be able to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± Nan Jinshu sneered. He knew very well how difficult it was to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. Even if Shangguan Yue was extremely talented, without a bloodline totem, it was still as difficult as ascending to heaven! Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°It¡¯s really best that the Nan family head can enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. Recently, this Fantasy Divine Palace has been quite dangerous. Who knows when it will be dealt with? Staying in the Fantasy Divine Hall is the safest. I¡¯m not worried about the Nan family head¡¯s safety anymore.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Nan Jinshu was so angry that his face turned green, but there was always a faint fear of Chu Liuyue in his heart. He could only swing his sleeves fiercely and turn to leave. Chu Liuyue took a look. The remaining few were all legendary warriors of the Nan family. Seeing those people gradually disappear into the distance, she frowned slightly. There aren¡¯t many legendary warriors left in the Nan family. Did they bring the rest over? Then, wouldn¡¯t their main family have become a shell? Or¡­ had they already decided to focus all their energy on this Fantasy Divine Palace? It¡¯s obvious that the Nan family¡¯s relationship with Fantasy Divine Palace isn¡¯t ordinary. At this moment, a few more people arrived outside the Heaven Gate. Jin Yunlai turned around and looked at the person. ¡°Did you guys discuss coming together?¡± He spoke calmly. Although his tone was as cold as usual, there was a hint of familiarity. ¡°It was just a coincidence.¡± A voice with a lazy smile sounded. Hearing this voice, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She immediately turned around, and her pupils constricted. Standing outside the Heaven Gate, the man at the front was Jun Jiuqing, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for a long time! The moment she looked over, Jun Jiuqing also looked up. Then, he raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. How have you been?¡± Chapter 2248 - 2248 You Shouldnt Choose Him 2248 You Shouldn¡¯t Choose Him Jin Yunlai turned around to take a look. ¡°You know each other?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Of course, we know each other.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glance bounced between the two of them. It can be seen that the relationship between Jun Jiuqing and Jin Yunlai seems to be very subtle. ¡°Did you hear what I said to Nan Jinshu just now?¡± Jin Yunlai gave a simple explanation. ¡°After settling down, you can come to the Fantasy Divine Hall yourself.¡± Jun Jiuqing responded, ¡°Thank you, Seventh Deity.¡± Only then did Jin Yunlai nod and turn to leave. When he passed by Chu Liuyue, he stopped in his tracks as if he wanted to say something. ¡°You¡ª¡± She looked up at him. Jin Yunlai looked at her clear and bright eyes, but he suddenly swallowed the rest of his words. What did I want to ask? What can I ask? Did the emperor punish Shu Jing because of her? However, she has only been in Fantasy Divine Palace for less than a month. She has probably never even heard of the emperor¡¯s name. How could she know him? Jin Yunlai lowered his eyes, and his gaze swept past the token on Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist. The handwriting on it was still as clear as on the first day he had given it to her. It was as if it hadn¡¯t been touched at all during the time it was here. Jin Yunlai was a little surprised at first, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that this should be expected. Chu Liuyue first traveled the Star Path, then went to the depths of the lightning pool, and was even chosen by Zhen Bao Pavilion to replicate the Xuan formations¡­ All of these matters were extremely outstanding. Not to mention that she had just broken through from a Senior Physician to become a Supreme Physician and successfully refined the Settling Yuan Pill in one go. It was normal for her to be able to maintain the existence of the handwriting on this token. Apart from the fact that she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, her performance in other aspects was really impeccable. Seeing that he didn¡¯t speak for a long time, Chu Liuyue called out, ¡°Seventh Deity?¡± What was he going to say? He stared at me for a long time without saying anything. Jin Yunlai came back to his senses and looked at her steadily. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Then, he turned around to leave. Chu Liuyue watched him leave and blinked. This Seventh Deity¡¯s attitude toward me¡­ seems to be better than before? Although this change was subtle, she had always been sharp. Jin Yunlai had looked at her for so long just now. His eyes held complicated emotions, but he was no longer as contemptuous and disdainful as when he first found out that she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Could it be because of these recent events? Just as this thought surfaced, Chu Liuyue rejected it. If it were someone else from Fantasy Divine Palace, they might indeed change their opinion of her because of my recent performance. But among these people, Jin Yunlai, the Seventh Deity, is definitely not included. With his status, what kind of geniuses and experts has he not seen? In fact, he was one in a million. There were very few people in the past 10,000 years who could complete the Star Path in one go, and he was the one who took the shortest time. Just this point alone was enough for him to look down on everyone. Would he take a fancy to her ¡®child¡¯s play?¡¯ ¡°You want to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± A heretical and lazy voice sounded from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that Jun Jiuqing had already arrived behind her. Her red lips curled up into a smile. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t want to go there? However, ordinary people aren¡¯t like the family head. You¡¯ve just arrived and are qualified to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall directly.¡± Jun Jiuqing lowered his head slightly and leaned closer. He looked into her eyes and asked with a low smile, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take you in?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows quickly knitted together before relaxing. ¡°The family head really knows how to joke.¡± To be able to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall¡­ From a certain perspective, he was indeed powerful. However, if he said he could bring others in, it was probably teasing her. She raised her chin and looked at the people who came in one after another behind him. ¡°If the family head has this ability, why don¡¯t you bring them in?¡± Jin Yunlai had made it clear just now that he only wanted him to go over. The treatment was exactly the same as Nan Jinshu¡¯s. Jun Jiuqing raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°How can they compare to you?¡± Then, he smiled and said, ¡°Besides, as long as it¡¯s something you want to do, I definitely can¡¯t bear to joke with you.¡± If she really wanted to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall, he would bring her in. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes moved, and her red lips slowly curled up into a perfect smile. She asked softly, ¡°Family Head, who are you looking down on?¡± She wanted to go in, but she wouldn¡¯t ask him for help. She didn¡¯t need to rely on anyone. One day, she would be able to step into the Fantasy Divine Hall openly! Jun Jiuqing looked at her and raised his hands. Then, he sighed softly. His voice was lazy and low with a hint of hoarseness.¡±I¡¯m really wronged. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ll give you whatever you want. Is that not allowed?¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯ll snatch whatever I want myself. If I really can¡¯t, my husband will naturally be around. Family Head¡­ As an outsider, you don¡¯t have to worry so much, right?¡± Hearing the words ¡®my husband,¡¯ the smile on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s face froze for a moment. A layer of coldness gradually surged from the bottom of his eyes. He looked at her quietly, but there was a sharpness in his eyes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have chosen him.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression turned cold as well, but she found it funny. ¡°This is my business; it has nothing to do with you. Master Yi, it¡¯s best you don¡¯t waste your time on me. Anyway, I won¡¯t appreciate it. I might even stab you in the back. While I¡¯m still in a good mood, let¡¯s part ways here. If we continue chatting, blood will splatter on the spot and dirty the Heaven Gate and Star Path. It won¡¯t be good.¡± Then, she turned around to leave. Jun Jiuqing looked at her figure and slowly clenched his fists with one hand behind his back. ¡°You¡¯ll know eventually that he¡¯s a lunatic!¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and didn¡¯t turn around. She only tilted her head and said calmly and firmly, ¡°So what if he is?¡± Jun Jiuqing felt a lump in his throat. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve decided to be with him, I naturally believe that he¡¯ll protect him and entrust all my thoughts and intentions to him. On the other hand, Master Yi, there are so many women in the world. As long as you want them, you can have anything. Why are you so persistent about me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. Family Head, take care.¡± With that, Chu Liuyue left. A breeze blew over, sweeping up her black hair and the corners of her skirt. It was clear, bright, and yet so out of reach. The last smile on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s face gradually faded. The figure quickly disappeared from sight. After a long time, the people behind him exchanged glances and finally said in a low voice, ¡°Family Head, we should go.¡± Jun Jiuqing retracted his gaze. ¡°You know where you have to go.¡± The few of them immediately bowed and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Jiuqing took a deep breath and walked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. Chapter 2249 - 2249 The Light in the Fantasy Divine Hall 2249 The Light in the Fantasy Divine Hall Chu Liuyue thought as she walked. The scene just now kept appearing in her mind, making her puzzled. With so many people coming up from the God Residence Realm, why can only Nan Jinshu and Jun Jiuqing enter the Fantasy Divine Hall directly? In terms of talent, strength, and experience, there are others who were stronger than them. However, Jin Yunlai had only chosen the two of them¡­ Suddenly, her heart tingled. Rong Xiu once said that the Nan family and the Yi family¡¯s status was higher than those first-rate families in the God Residence Realm. This was because the ancestors of these two families had once followed a person together, and that person was related to the battle of the gods in the God-Killing Tumulus 10,000 years ago. In the past, I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to this matter. But now that I think about it, that person¡¯s identity seems to be very important. Could it be related to Fantasy Divine Palace? Otherwise, it is really impossible to explain Jin Yunlai¡¯s attitude toward them. Swoosh¡ª The sound of air being torn apart suddenly came! Chu Liuyue subconsciously looked up, but she suddenly saw a ray of light flying out of the Fantasy Divine Hall and head in a certain direction! Her pupils constricted, and her heart raced! This was because the light was exactly the same as the light on the Celestial Shield! Almost instantly, she guessed something. This light must¡¯ve come from the black jade square in the Fantasy Divine Hall! Her eyes were fixed on the light that was flying away. Her figure moved, and she followed without hesitation! ¡­ At the same time, this commotion attracted the attention of many people in Fantasy Divine Palace. Many people flew up and looked in the direction of the light. ¡°Another holy weapon is about to appear?¡± ¡°I wonder who successfully refined it this time¡­¡± ¡°Who else could it be? The number of top Armory Refinement Masters in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace can be counted on one hand. Given this direction¡­ it¡¯s most likely Kong Qinglin, right? He has broken through to become a supreme Armory Refinement Master for many years. Now, it¡¯s his turn to take another step forward.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. The current Fantasy Divine Palace is still that Fantasy Divine Palace, but that Fantasy Divine Hall is no longer that Fantasy Divine Hall. How difficult is it to refine a holy weapon now?!¡± ¡­ All kinds of discussions entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, making her frown. What do they mean by that? In the past, it was very easy to refine holy weapons, but now it is very difficult? The Fantasy Divine Hall they are talking about should actually be referring to the black jade square. This was because it determines whether one can successfully refine a holy weapon! Or perhaps¡­ this change is related to the Celestial Shield? She suppressed her guesses and followed in the direction the ray of light landed. Finally, she arrived at a courtyard. In the courtyard, there were all kinds of artifact refinement items piled up everywhere. It looked chaotic. But when Chu Liuyue took a closer look, she realized that there were several Yuan instruments hidden inside! Yuan instruments, which were extremely precious in the eyes of outsiders, were like trash here. They was casually thrown away and piled up with various items. She held her breath. Just the things placed in the courtyard alone would cause many people to fight for them outside. However, the middle-aged man standing in the courtyard didn¡¯t seem to care. At this moment, he was looking at a bell in his hand with enthusiasm and excitement. The bell was only the size of a palm. It was tempered from bronze and glowed with a faint blue color. There were strange patterns engraved on it, and one could vaguely feel the powerful pressure emitting from it. ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s finally done!¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s voice was filled with undisguised excitement. God knows how much I have sacrificed for this day! People rushed over one after another, but they all stopped outside the courtyard and didn¡¯t get closer. ¡°Congratulations, congratulations! Brother Kong has refined a holy weapon. In the future, you¡¯ll be a true Armory Refinement Saint!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve already said that Brother Kong is extremely talented and diligent. You¡¯ll definitely succeed. It¡¯s as I expected!¡± ¡°Brother Kong, we¡¯ll have to rely on you in the future!¡± No matter what everyone thought, they had to be polite. Armory Refinement Saints had an extremely high status in Fantasy Divine Palace. From now on, Kong Qinglin could be considered to have truly soared. Kong Qinglin laughed. ¡°Thank you, everyone!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze paused on the bell in his hand for a moment. That aura¡­ is indeed very familiar! ¡°Yue¡¯er, why are you here?¡± A voice came from the side. Chu Liuyue turned around and was also a little surprised. ¡°Ancestor? You¡¯re here too?¡± Shangguan Jing laughed. ¡°Ever since I sensed that someone was trying to refine a holy weapon here, I came over. It¡¯s been a while. As for you, have you just returned from Zhen Bao Pavilion?¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. Ancestor has been studying how to refine a holy weapon. When he heard that there was something going on here, it¡¯s normal for him to rush over. She nodded and didn¡¯t mention that she had met the Nan family and the Yi family at the Heaven Gate. ¡°I originally planned to go straight back. On the way, I saw a phenomenon here and followed.¡± She paused and asked, ¡°Ancestor, what did you see?¡± Shangguan Jing nodded and shook his head. ¡°If you want to talk about it, I only know a little. As for the specifics¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s very difficult to explain.¡± ¡°You mean¡ª¡± ¡°You saw that light just now, right?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°That light came from the Fantasy Divine Hall. Previously, I said that I always felt that something was missing when refining weapons. Now, I finally understand. It¡¯s just that that light is missing.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes flickered, and he lowered his voice. ¡°This light is very similar to the aura contained in your shield.¡± They were more than similar and were exactly the same. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes slightly and fell into deep thought. ¡°But even if you know this, it¡¯s useless. Look at the few beside you. They¡¯re all supreme Armory Refinement Masters. Don¡¯t they want to break through? But the key is that this matter isn¡¯t that simple.¡± Shangguan Jing sighed. ¡°Although I saw how he refined this holy weapon, I might not succeed either.¡± He still couldn¡¯t figure out how that ray of light had been summoned. At this moment, a voice suddenly came from the crowd. ¡°Brother Kong, when you go to the Fantasy Divine Hall later, don¡¯t forget to wait for us!¡± Kong Qinglin laughed heartily. ¡°Of course!¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Then, she looked at someone not far away and asked, ¡°May I ask if I can enter the Fantasy Divine Hall after breaking through to become an Armory Refinement Saint?¡± That person was originally a little impatient. When he turned around and saw that it was Chu Liuyue, he revealed a hint of surprise. ¡°Shangguan Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. That person¡¯s attitude instantly improved. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve just arrived, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know. In Fantasy Divine Palace, Armory Refinement Saints are all qualified to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± Chapter 2250 - 2250 Get Out 2250 Get Out I see. Chu Liuyue was deep in thought. ¡°Thank you.¡± That person quickly waved his hand. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, you¡¯re welcome! Such a small matter isn¡¯t worth mentioning!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. Shangguan Jing also looked over in surprise. This is weird. Why is this person¡¯s attitude toward us so good? Previously, because they didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, they were often looked down on in Fantasy Divine Palace. ¡°Speaking of which, I should thank Miss Shangguan!¡± That person gave a thumbs-up and said with admiration, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, we would still be worrying about the herbs!¡± So it was because of this. Chu Liuyue suddenly remembered Ming Shu saying that after the medicinal mountain was completely opened, many people in Fantasy Divine Palace were very grateful to her. At that time, she didn¡¯t take it to heart. But now, it seemed like¡­ that was really the case? Kong Qinglin put away the bell and walked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. Countless eyes watched him leave. Envy, admiration, and emotion¡­ In short, everyone had different thoughts. Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something and looked at Shangguan Jing. ¡°Ancestor, let¡¯s go back first. I have something to discuss with you.¡± ¡­ ¡°What, you¡¯re leaving Fantasy Divine Palace?!¡± Shangguan Jing had just sat down when he heard Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. He was extremely shocked. ¡°Now!?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to go back to Peach Blossom Dock,¡± Chu Liuyue said calmly. ¡°Why?¡± Shangguan Jing couldn¡¯t figure it out. He subconsciously looked at the token on Chu Liuyue¡¯s waist. The words on it were as clear as ever. In the short term, there was no need to worry about being chased out of Fantasy Divine Palace. But now, she was actually suggesting to leave? Chu Liuyue smiled and explained, ¡°I¡¯ll still come back; it¡¯s not that I won¡¯t come back. The purpose of this time is mainly to invite Senior Tang Ke or Mr. Su over.¡± Shangguan Jing was stunned for a moment and immediately understood something. ¡°Is it because of the Armory Refinement Saint?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. In fact, with her current strength, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to complete the Star Path and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. However, that would take a long time. After all, there were too many Xuan formations on the Star Path. Even if she had basically seen all of them, it was still extremely tiring to crack them one by one. If they could invite Tang Ke or Su Li over, they could directly enter the Fantasy Divine Hall now! Ever since Dugu Mobao took the initiative to remove the relationship between him and the purple scale, she hadn¡¯t been able to find any news related to him. She was worried that if this dragged on, their situation would become even worse. If someone could enter the Fantasy Divine Hall in advance, they might be able to find some clues first. This was a serious matter, and this person had to be someone she could trust. Then, there were only these two. Shangguan Jing knew that she was here to save someone, and it was very likely that they were in Fantasy Divine Hall! It was no wonder she thought so. ¡°If everything goes well, that¡¯s naturally for the best. But¡­ I wonder if Fantasy Divine Palace allows such access?¡± This was what Shangguan Jing was most worried about. What if Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t allowed to enter again after she left? Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t worried about this. ¡°Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate opened originally to summon those top-notch cultivators. Be it Senior Tang Ke or Mr. Su, they are definitely qualified. Fantasy Divine Palace will definitely not reject them. As for me¡­ you forgot that I¡¯m still helping Zhen Bao Pavilion to replicate the Xuan formations.¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Look at me¡ªI almost forgot about this!¡± Before the ¡®Li Fire Xuan Map¡¯ was completed, Zhen Bao Pavilion would definitely not let her leave. If the Seventh Deity didn¡¯t allow her to come again, Zhen Bao Pavilion would definitely appear. ¡°Zhen Bao Pavilion will definitely protect you, but¡­ What background do they have that even these deities don¡¯t dare to offend them easily?¡± Shangguan Jing muttered. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°No matter who it is, he¡¯s an absolute backer. This matter¡ªit¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll leave Xiao Ba and the others to you while I¡¯m gone.¡± Shangguan Jing laughed. ¡°Your subordinates are all very outstanding. You don¡¯t need me to take care of them!¡± Not to mention Cen Yi and Si Jing, even Qiang Wanzhou had broken through to become a legendary warrior. As for Hua Shuangshuang and Xiao Ba¡­ Although their cultivation wasn¡¯t the best among warriors, they weren¡¯t bad either. In short, there was nothing to worry about these people. When Chu Liuyue heard this, she pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re an elder. With you around, you can always restrain them.¡± Shangguan Jing stroked his beard with emotion. ¡°Hey, Girlie, how did you choose these Thirteen Yue Guards back then? All of them can fight very well and not lose. Even Little Thirteen, although he¡¯s still young, is extremely talented. I remember that at that time, Director Nan even took a fancy to his talent and took the initiative to invite him to Ling Xiao Academy to cultivate?¡± This wasn¡¯t something that could be described as a genius. In short, these people from the Thirteen Yue Guards were all extremely outstanding. It was already very difficult for ordinary people to meet a few capable subordinates, but she had more than a dozen of them! However, they were still especially loyal to her. After so many years, they had always followed her. Even Shangguan Jing was rather amazed every time he thought of this. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s actually not that complicated. When I chose them back then, I didn¡¯t expect this day to come.¡± She didn¡¯t choose all the Thirteen Yue Guards in one go. Instead, she chose them one after another in almost ten years. Moreover, she didn¡¯t think too much about it at that time. For example, when she met Little Thirteen, he was still very young and couldn¡¯t do anything at all. However, she felt that this child was quite fated, so she brought him back. Now that she thought about it, there were more coincidences and luck to have such a day. ¡°By the way, did Rong Xiu return to the Sky-Cloud Empire previously?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, when you go back this time, you can ask him if he wants to come along. With his talent, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to reach the Deity Realm,¡± Shangguan Jing reminded. After all, Rong Xiu was from the Sky-Cloud Empire and wasn¡¯t worried about the bloodline totem. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°I have the same plan.¡± ¡­ After making her decision, Chu Liuyue left without any hesitation after instructing Cen Yi and the others. Initially, Cen Yi wanted to accompany her, but Chu Liuyue rejected him. This kind of thing was a little risky to begin with, and it would be troublesome to bring more people. Hence, she headed for the Heaven Gate alone. When she arrived at the Heaven Gate, there was no one there. She didn¡¯t stop walking and walked out. But before she could take a step, a barrier quickly appeared and blocked her path! At the same time, a cold and deep voice sounded. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Chapter 2251 - 2251 Under the Deep Sea 2251 Under the Deep Sea Chu Liuyue turned around. The void shook, and a tall figure gradually appeared. It was Jin Yunlai. He¡¯s really fast, Chu Liuyue thought to herself, but a faint smile appeared on her face. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m going out.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s eyes were filled with suspicion. ¡°You want to leave Fantasy Divine Palace now? By yourself?¡± Chu Liuyue knew that he had misunderstood and explained, ¡°No. I¡¯m just going back to Peach Blossom Dock to pick someone up. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Jin Yunlai was stunned for a moment before he realized what Chu Liuyue was talking about. His face turned blue for a moment. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The person I invited this time is an Armory Refinement Saint. He still has the qualifications to enter Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± In fact, not only Fantasy Divine Palace but also the Fantasy Divine Hall. But when Jin Yunlai heard this, he became even more angry. Is that the point? Most importantly, isn¡¯t she too nonchalant about it? Jin Yunlai¡¯s voice was stern. ¡°What do you think Fantasy Divine Palace is? How dare you leave without saying goodbye and even threaten to bring people back?! Shangguan Yue, do you think this is your home?!¡± He had always been cold and arrogant, but he was usually not an angry person. This time, he was really angered by Chu Liuyue. His face was already ashen, and his eyes were burning with surging anger. At the same time, the pressure on his body quickly increased as if he would immediately attack if Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t give him a satisfactory answer. Chu Liuyue looked frank and sincere. ¡°Of course, I know what Fantasy Divine Palace is. That¡¯s why I came here!¡± ¡°Seventh Deity, did I not make myself clear just now? I invited an Armory Refinement Saint this time. Could it be that such a person isn¡¯t qualified to come? Didn¡¯t you say before that Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate opened to summon the world¡¯s top cultivators?¡± Jin Yunlai was about to die of anger. This woman is very eloquent and knows how to avoid the important points! ¡°An Armory Refinement Saint is naturally qualified to come here, but Shangguan Yue, is it your turn to worry? You¡ª¡± ¡°Of course, it is.¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted him with a smile and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m their savior.¡± To be precise, she had only saved Su Li. However¡­ Su Li was Tang Ke¡¯s life. To a certain extent, she did save the two of them. Jin Yunlai choked. Her tone was relaxed and gentle, and there was a smile on her face. However, every word seemed to have a thorn in it, making Jin Yunlai feel extremely uncomfortable. Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something. ¡°Ah, Seventh Deity, don¡¯t tell me you won¡¯t allow me to come back just because I¡¯m going out?¡± Jin Yunlai gritted his teeth and finally suppressed the surging anger in his heart. ¡°Never again!¡± This meant that he had agreed. Chu Liuyue instantly smiled. ¡°I knew that the Seventh Deity wouldn¡¯t be so old-fashioned. Then, I¡¯ll have to trouble the Seventh Deity to help open the door the next time I come back.¡± Jin Yunlai waved his sleeves and turned to leave! If not for the fact that he was afraid of Zhen Bao Pavilion behind her, he would never have let her out so easily. In so many years, such a thing had almost never happened in Fantasy Divine Palace! This woman¡­ was really arrogant to the extreme, but she could always control her position to the limit, making it difficult for her to explode. After dealing with Jin Yunlai, Chu Liuyue looked at the barrier again. Buzz¡ª The barrier instantly dissipated! She moved and stepped out of the Heaven Gate! ¡­ When she arrived on the silver bridge again, everything around her was no different from when she came. The blue-black sea below surged. It was mysterious, powerful, and vast. She walked down the silver bridge. Apart from her, the bridge was empty. On the other hand, several figures could be vaguely seen on the shore opposite the sea. After the Heaven Gate opened, the cultivators in the God Residence Realm were still streaming over. However, success would always be a minority. More people were trapped on the other side or sank silently into this sea. After Chu Liuyue appeared on the bridge, she instantly attracted the attention of those people. The crowd stirred. ¡°Someone came out of the Heaven Gate!¡± ¡°That seems to be a woman?¡± ¡°Why¡­ does this figure look familiar?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°No! Really! Look! That seems to be Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s Master Yue!¡± A voice sounded and immediately attracted the attention of many people. Everyone¡¯s gazes landed on Chu Liuyue. After looking at it carefully for a while, they gradually quietened down and looked at each other speechlessly. It seems like¡­ it is really her? Chu Liuyue was too famous in the God Residence Realm, and many people had seen her before. Therefore, she was quickly recognized. ¡°Previously, there were rumors that Master Yue seemed to have come here. It should be her.¡± ¡°But why is she out now?¡± ¡°I heard that Fantasy Divine Palace has strict rules. Some people will be eliminated regularly. Could she be¡­¡± ¡°There must be a mistake, right? That¡¯s Shangguan Yue who took down Peach Blossom Dock in one fell swoop! If even she doesn¡¯t qualify, then what are we still doing here?¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± Although these words were unpleasant, they did seem to make sense¡­ Chu Liuyue glanced over and didn¡¯t see a familiar face among those people. She quickly retracted her gaze. Suddenly, a subtle fluctuation came from below. She stopped in her tracks and looked down. The silver bridge hung in midair, spreading from the sea to connect with the Heaven Gate. Below was the boundless sea with surging waves. A faintly familiar aura floated over. Right on the heels of that, there seemed to be a sorrowful and painful groan that entered her ears intermittently. The voice seemed to come from the depths of the sea, sounding extremely distant and ethereal. But in the blink of an eye, all the fluctuations quickly subsided, and the voice instantly dissipated. It was as if nothing had happened. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat violently a few times. Her limbs were cold, and her palms were constantly sweating. Her temples throbbed, and her mind instantly tensed up! That voice¡­ is Diwu Zhangze! I would never hear wrongly! Chu Liuyue held her breath and focused. She stared intently, wanting to find more clues. But there was nothing left¡ªit was as if the aura and sound from before were just her illusion. However, she knew that it was definitely not the case! Diwu Zhangze¡­ might be trapped in the depths of this sea! Chu Liuyue stood still and waited for a while. The sea breeze swept past as waves surged. But other than that, there was no other movement. She pursed her lips and continued down. Chapter 2252 - 2252 Any Problems? 2252 Any Problems? She quickly arrived at the bottom of the silver bridge. From here, she could see the silver bridge submerging into the dark blue sea. There was a faint silver light flickering. But deeper in, there was nothing to see. She looked around. The waves surged, unpredictable. Everything was no different from when they came. If not for the commotion just now, she would never have thought that it was very likely that Diwu Zhangze was imprisoned below! Countless questions surged into her mind, making her puzzled. I had always thought that Dugu Mobao and the other two were imprisoned together, but from the looks of it, that isn¡¯t the case. Even if he wants to separate the three of them, there is no need to be so far away, right? In addition, I have already seen how dangerous this ocean area is. If a true god falls down, they will be reduced to ashes in just a few seconds. What kind of pressure and torture is Diwu Zhangze enduring below? The voice I heard clearly sounded like he was in extreme pain. A person like Diwu Zhangze wouldn¡¯t have sounded like this if he hadn¡¯t endured it to the extreme and couldn¡¯t take it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled, and she felt that her entire body was wrapped in this coldness. After a long time, she took a deep breath and suppressed all her thoughts. No matter what, it is still very useful to know that Diwu Zhangze Is trapped under this ocean. I can¡¯t act rashly and can only take my time for the time being. Then, she tapped her toes and headed for the shore opposite the ocean. ¡­ Compared to many people, the insurmountable ocean didn¡¯t pose any threat to her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s movement technique was light, and she arrived at the shore almost without expending much strength. Many people were secretly amazed. Some people took a few steps forward and wanted to ask a few questions. ¡°Master Yue¡ª¡± ¡°I have something urgent to attend to, so I won¡¯t stay any longer.¡± Chu Liuyue left hurriedly after saying this. She was extremely fast and disappeared into the dense night in a short while. The crowd exchanged glances. What made her so nervous that she chose to leave Fantasy Divine Palace? So many people are trying their best to enter, but she could enter and leave so easily. Everyone had different reactions, but there was nothing they could do. They could only continue to think hard about how to cross this ocean. ¡­ Chu Liuyue took much less time to return than when she came. She ran to Peach Blossom Dock as fast as she could. ¡­ ¡°Master, Madam has already left the Heaven Gate. It shouldn¡¯t be long before she can return to Peach Blossom Dock.¡± Yu Mo walked into the hall and bowed respectfully. However, he saw that Rong Xiu had already changed into a snow-white robe. He was stunned. ¡°Master, are you¡­ going back?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. Yu Mo was a little hesitant. ¡°But¡­ Jun Jiuqing is already there. Are you really going to leave now?¡± What if Jun Jiuqing takes this opportunity to do something¡­ Rong Xiu folded his sleeves and said calmly, ¡°He won¡¯t be so suicidal as to behave atrociously in the Fantasy Divine Hall. Besides¡­¡± He raised his eyebrows slightly. His peerlessly noble and noble face seemed to be shrouded in a layer of illusion. ¡°I haven¡¯t been with Yue¡¯er in a long time.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the black flame burning in his left eye was finally extinguished completely. At the same time, the dazzling golden color in his right eye dissipated. His pair of quiet and deep phoenix eyes returned to their original clean and clear appearance. ¡°Although nothing will happen there with Cen Yi there, if you stay there, you still have to take care of her. You¡¯re her person after all. If anyone else offends her, just deal with them. There¡¯s no need to report it.¡± Yu Mo replied immediately, ¡°Yes!¡± But immediately, he thought of something and asked hesitantly, ¡°But, if it¡¯s a deity¡­¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were light. ¡°It¡¯s the same for anyone, even a deity.¡± Yu Mo was shocked. ¡°I understand!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly returned to Peach Blossom Dock. Before she arrived at the entrance of Yue Manor, San San¡ªwho had received the news¡ªhurriedly led his men out to welcome her. ¡°Master! You¡¯re finally back!¡± The flesh on San¡¯s excited face trembled slightly, and his small eyes were filled with excitement. Then, he was stunned and looked behind Chu Liuyue. ¡°Master, where¡¯s Big Brother and the others?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were brief. ¡°They¡¯re all still in Fantasy Divine Palace. I¡¯m the only one who came back this time.¡± As she walked in, she said, ¡°Where are Senior Tang Ke and Mr. Su now?¡± San San hurriedly said, ¡°Both of them are at Clear Water Cliff!¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks. ¡°Why are they there?¡± ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s because the two of them are refining weapons!¡± Speaking of this, San San immediately became energetic. ¡°You don¡¯t know, but while you were away, the two Seniors refined many Yuan instruments! There are also many Armory Refinement Masters who have been learning from them. The two seniors said that since they have nothing to do, they might as well find some fun themselves.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. The personality of an Armory Refinement Saint is indeed extraordinary¡­ ¡°Go and invite them back. Tell them that I have something to discuss with them. Forget it¡ªI¡¯ll go over personally.¡± San San had a face of confusion. What¡¯s the matter? Why is she in such a hurry? At this moment, a gentle and pleasant voice sounded. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, are you looking for me?¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Su Li walking over from not far away. Tang Ke was holding several Yuan instruments in his arms and following beside her. From the looks of it, the two of them haVe just returned from refining? Chu Liuyue went forward. ¡°Mr. Su, Senior Tang Ke.¡± She looked at Su Li. ¡°Mr. Su, I came back this time to ask you to follow me to Fantasy Divine Palace and do me a favor.¡± ¡°Help?¡± ¡°Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± Tang Ke and Su Li spoke at the same time, their faces filled with shock. Chu Liuyue looked at him in surprise. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, is there a problem?¡± Chapter 2253 - 2253 Hes Wooing Xiao Ba 2253 He¡¯s Wooing Xiao Ba Tang Ke coughed. ¡°No, nothing. I just felt that it was a little sudden. Master Yue, didn¡¯t you bring them to Fantasy Divine Palace previously? Why are you suddenly back now?¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± ¡­ ¡°In that case, you want me to go to Fantasy Divine Hall to investigate first?¡± After hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s explanation, Su Li finally understood. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. ¡°I know this trip is dangerous. I didn¡¯t want to trouble you, but¡­¡± Su Li smiled. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, you saved my life. What¡¯s this small favor? Besides, those few people are indebted to me. It¡¯s good if I can help.¡± She knew that Chu Liuyue had received guidance from those few people back then and successfully helped temper her body. Now that they were in trouble, she naturally couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing. ¡°Actually, I originally wanted to go to Fantasy Divine Palace to take a look. Now is a good time.¡± These words weren¡¯t fake. Which cultivator in the God Residence Realm didn¡¯t want to go? However, she wanted to stay with this group of Chu Liuyue to guard Peach Blossom Dock, so she didn¡¯t do anything. Now that Chu Liuyue had personally come back to invite him, there was naturally no reason not to go. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief and smiled gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Su.¡± Fantasy Divine Hall was mysterious and unfathomable. It was very likely that there were all kinds of secrets and dangers hidden. Su Li¡¯s willingness to help really made her feel more at ease. ¡°By the way, Little Yue¡¯er, is it alright for you to come back like this?¡± Su Li pointed out. ¡°Fantasy Divine Palace¡­ should have very strict rules, right?¡± Even if she hadn¡¯t been there yet¡­ From what she had seen so far, such a place shouldn¡¯t be casually accessible. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ordinary people indeed can¡¯t enter or leave casually, but I told the Seventh Deity that I came back this time to invite an Armory Refinement Saint along, so he agreed.¡± At the same time, it directly angered him. However, that didn¡¯t matter. No matter how angry Jin Yunlai was, he wouldn¡¯t find trouble with her over such a small matter. An Armory Refinement Saint was an extremely honorable figure in Fantasy Divine Palace. Only then did Su Li relax. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Chu Liuyue turned her gaze and saw Tang Ke sitting in the chair beside her. He seemed to be in a daze. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, Senior Tang Ke?¡± ¡°What do you think of my and Mr. Su¡¯s decision just now?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Tang Ke valued Su Li so much. Of course, it was better to ask for his opinion. However, Tang Ke¡¯s reaction was a little strange. Ever since he came in, he seemed to be a little uncertain. Logically speaking, when it came to Su Li and Fantasy Divine Palace, he shouldn¡¯t be like this. What was he thinking just now? Tang Ke came back to his senses and looked at her, then at Su Li. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll go too. However, I might be a little late.¡± Tang Ke tapped his fingers on the armrest and spoke hesitantly. Chu Liuyue was stunned and was a little surprised by this answer. She originally thought that Tang Ke would definitely go with them. Su Li also turned to look at him. ¡°Tang Ke, are you very busy?¡± Tang Ke¡¯s eyes twitched. I really want to be with them too! But¡ª ¡°I¡¯m not very busy. It¡¯s just that His Grace left some things to deal with previously. Although it¡¯s not a big deal, it might take some time.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. Initially, I wanted to wait, but if it takes too long¡­ ¡°In that case, Little Yue¡¯er, let¡¯s go over ourselves.¡± Su Li looked at Tang Ke thoughtfully, then turned to Chu Liuyue and said, ¡°After all, we can¡¯t delay the matters of those few people. It¡¯s best to do it earlier. What do you think?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Then¡­ that¡¯s settled for now.¡± After settling this matter, Chu Liuyue finally felt relieved. When San San saw this, he leaned over and asked eagerly. ¡°Master, do you still want to take some herbs with you this time?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and waved her hand. ¡°No need.¡± San San rubbed his hands. ¡°This¡­ Xiao Ba doesn¡¯t want it either?¡± Xiao Ba had always consumed herbs very quickly. Previously, when she was at Peach Blossom Dock, she would come to rob him almost every few days. He wasn¡¯t generous; it was just that he was used to being oppressed. At the thought that they had been in Fantasy Divine Palace for so long, San San guessed that the stock in Xiao Ba¡¯s hands should be almost exhausted. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need. We can now enter and exit Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s medicinal mountain freely. Xiao Ba won¡¯t be stopped anymore; we can take whatever we want. It¡¯s even more convenient than here.¡± She knew very well that every herb that Xiao Ba took from San San was silently recorded by San San. Although Xiao Ba never paid, ahem. San San¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Medicinal mountain? Stopped? Master, what¡¯s going on? Is someone bullying Xiao Ba? This won¡¯t do!¡± No matter what, Xiao Ba had been pampered by them for so many years. How could she be bullied?! Chu Liuyue took a sip of tea. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Do you think she¡¯ll be bullied?¡± Even the Eighth Deity was angered by her, but didn¡¯t she get revenge later? Even now, Chu Liuyue could still remember Shu Jing¡¯s ashen face from Xiao Ba¡¯s words. San San heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s true! Besides, Big Brother and the others are there. But what did Master say about the medicinal mountain just now?¡± Anyway, the matter had been resolved, so Chu Liuyue directly told him everything that had happened previously. ¡°¡­In short, I competed with Liang He. I broke through to become a Supreme Physician and refined the Settling Yuan Pill. It was also because of this battle that the Eighth Deity was punished and no longer dared to occupy the medicinal mountain.¡± The corners of Tang Ke¡¯s mouth twitched. He silently mourned for Shu Jing in his heart. Is she crazy? Even if she doesn¡¯t know Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity, she can at least tell from Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s attitude, right? How could she do such a stupid thing? For the sake of the medicinal mountain, she was really blind and deaf. However, San San was excited. ¡°Master, Master, I knew you were the best! Hahaha!¡± Listen! She successfully refined the Settling Yuan Pill on her first try and directly broke through to become a Supreme Physician! What kind of talent is this?! Is it even possible to have a second one in the world? ¡°That guy is really suicidal. He actually has the guts to fight you?¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head. ¡°Liang He is the youngest Supreme Physician in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace. He can be considered young and promising. Furthermore¡­ his attitude is alright.¡± At this point, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Of course, this might also be mainly because he¡¯s wooing Xiao Ba.¡± Yan Qing, who had just received the news and came to the door, stopped in his tracks. Chapter 2254 - 2254 That Wont Do 2254 That Won¡¯t Do Voices continued to come from the house. ¡°What? That kid still dares to covet our Xiao Ba?!¡± San San laughed. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that our Xiao Ba always walks past the garden but doesn¡¯t stain herself? What is she thinking?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s brows twitched. Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was light. ¡°Xiao Ba is born beautiful and is the highlight no matter where she goes. There are so many people who like her, and there¡¯s nothing surprising about it.¡± ¡°Master, what did Xiao Ba say then?¡± ¡°What else could she say? That Liang He is indeed okay in other areas, but his looks are average, so Xiao Ba did not take a fancy to him.¡± ¡°Tsk, her standards are so high¡ªI think very few people can reach that! Hey, Master, that Liang He didn¡¯t do anything outrageous, right? In this day and age, there are many perverts! What if he likes her but can¡¯t get her and does something to Xiao Ba¡ª¡± Yan Qing looked down, and a cold gleam flashed across his eyes. ¡°With Cen Yi and the rest around, who could bully Xiao Ba? However, Xiao Ba did anger him and caused him to run away in two or three sentences.¡± San San: ¡°Huh? What did she say?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice had laughter. ¡°Nothing much really. She just said that she already has someone she likes and that if Liang He insists, she could consider taking him in as a concubine.¡± Yan Qing looked up, and his gaze was cold. ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Tang Ke¡ªwho was sipping on tea to suppress his shock¡ªdirectly spat out a mouthful of tea. Su Li¡¯s eyes lit up, and she gently sighed. ¡°Hm? She can do this? Miss Xiao Ba is indeed different!¡± Before Chu Liuyue could say anything, she heard San San say definitely, ¡°What else can she not do? With Xiao Ba¡¯s personality, she can really do such a thing.¡± ¡°San San¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue dragged her words for emphasis. ¡°Master, I¡¯m speaking the truth! In the past, Xiao Ba said that, and Big Brother supports her very much. If you don¡¯t trust me, why don¡¯t you ask Big Brother?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± She didn¡¯t want to discuss this matter with Cen Yi now. Yan Qing held his breath in, suppressed his overwhelming heart, and raised his hand to knock on the door. Knock, knock. ¡°Come in.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she looked at the door. Those who would come at this point should only be those few people. The door opened and revealed a handsome and cold face. The corner of her lips curled up. As expected. ¡°Yan Qing, why did you come?¡± Yan Qing cupped his fists. ¡°Princess Consort, a guest came for you.¡± ¡°Guest?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Who is it?¡± Swoosh! The sound of the bone fan opening pierced through the air. Following that, a familiar figure walked out from behind Yan Qing. It was a young man who looked like he was 28 or 29, decked in a long-green robe with a white jade belt around his waist to outline his long and tall figure. He was handsome, and there was nothing to pick about his five features, especially when he had a pair of blue eyes. He was so clean and transparent, like an icicle gleaming with a cold light. There was a relaxed smile on his lips, and his eyes looked playful. ¡°Your Highness, long time no see.¡± ¡°Jian Fengchi?¡± Chu Liuyue looked surprised. She had indeed not seen Jian Fengchi in a very long time. However, Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t look like he changed much from before, and only his surrounding aura was much stronger. Clearly, he had also broken through to become a true god. ¡°I recalled that you went to Ling Xiao Academy previously? Why are you here?¡± Jian Fengchi sighed. ¡°Although it¡¯s good in the academy, Your Highness is not around. Thus, there¡¯s not much meaning in staying there.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. It has been so long, and someone is indeed as flirtatious as before. ¡°It seems like I should be thankful that you didn¡¯t cause trouble for the senior sisters and junior sisters in Ling Xiao Academy.¡± Jian Fengchi: ¡°Tsk. Your Highness, you¡¯re accusing me by saying this. After I went to the academy, I spent all my effort on cultivation and didn¡¯t really leave the house.¡± Seeing that he spoke seriously, Chu Liuyue became interested. ¡°Oh?¡± Jian Fengchi had a delightful smile. ¡°To be honest, Your Highness, I just broke through to become a Senior Physician. When shall we compete again?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue looked relaxed. ¡°Coincidentally, I just broke through to become a Supreme Physician, and I do want to find someone to compete with.¡± Jian Fengchi staggered backward, and the smile on his face instantly froze as he said in shock, ¡°Supreme Physician?! Aren¡¯t you a Senior Physician?!¡± I had already investigated properly before I came! Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Yeah, I was a Senior Physician previously. Didn¡¯t I say that I just broke through?¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. There is nothing more hurtful than this! Heaven knows how much I have suffered in order to catch up with her for so many years! In Ling Xiao Academy, he flipped through countless medical books and tried many times. There were quite a few times he was forced to steal herbs from Medicinal Valley, was caught by the elder, and painfully beaten up. In the end¡­ it¡¯s like this?! I broke through to become a Senior Physician with much difficulty and hardship and wanted to find Chu Liuyue to duel with her, yet she became a Supreme Physician in the blink of an eye?! Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart felt very painful. He held his heart and took a few steps back. ¡°¡­T-take it as if I didn¡¯t say the previous words. No, just take it as if I didn¡¯t come here!¡± As he spoke, he turned around to leave. I can¡¯t stay here any longer! After taking two steps out, he suddenly recalled something and paused in his steps. Chu Liuyue looked at him with a smile. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going?¡± Jian Fengchi opened his bone fan and covered half his face, only revealing his blue eyes glistening with light. ¡°Speaking of which, Your Highness, is Hongyu with you?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Previously, Mu Hongyu had been in the Sky-Cloud Empire the whole time. After taking down Peach Blossom Dock, Chu Liuyue originally thought that she would come back. However, she did not wait for her. Later on, she and Rong Xiu returned to the Sky-Cloud Empire to find out that Mu Hongyu was in seclusion and hadn¡¯t come out for a while. She did not disturb her either. ¡°She should still be cultivating in seclusion in the Sky-Cloud Empire. What, are you looking for her?¡± The corner of Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes twitched harshly. ¡°Your Highness, did you forget something?¡± ¡°Her servant agreement is still in my hands! Out of nowhere, she disappeared. Who would not find her?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to find her? Anyway, you never lack people serving you around you. Besides, Hongyu would not do such things.¡± No matter what, Mu Hongyu was also a princess. Even if she couldn¡¯t compare with Jian Fengchi¡¯s identity as Dragon Teeth Mountain¡¯s Young Master, she was loved and doted on when she grew up. Besides, she was lively, active, and carefree, so she placed all her effort on cultivation and wouldn¡¯t bother with these. Jian Fengchi¡¯s hand trembled slightly. ¡°Your Highness, even if you lean toward her, this is too much, right? At the very least, I¡¯ve produced pills with you and was beaten by you for so many years. Can¡¯t you be biased toward me?¡± Chu Liuyue acknowledged him. ¡°Then¡­ How about I return you the money, and you pass me the agreement?¡± Jian Fengchi immediately took a step back. ¡°No way!¡± Chapter 2255 - 2255 Trouble 2255 Trouble ¡°What no way? If you really care about that money, I¡¯ll just give it to you, or I give you a few times more?¡± Anyway, she didn¡¯t lack money the most now. Jian Fengchi held the fan in his hand tightly. ¡°Just¡­ no way.¡± Chu Liuyue leisurely leaned against the chair. ¡°I told you to be nice and let her be, but you were upset. I said I¡¯ll take the money out to buy back Hongyu¡¯s agreement, and you¡¯re unhappy too. Then, what exactly do you want to do? Jian Fengchi, you¡¯re so hard to serve. No wonder Hongyu wants to run away.¡± She shot Jian Fengchi a look. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve looked for Hongyu for a long time. If you have this time and energy, why don¡¯t you do something else?¡± Jian Fengchi lightly grunted. ¡°Your Highness, you know the best about how I treat her. She didn¡¯t suffer at all with me.¡± Anyway, I must find her. Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°Hongyu?¡± Jian Fengchi was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue pointed behind him. Jian Fengchi turned around. He saw that ripples suddenly appeared in the empty air. Then, a figure fell out from within and hit the stone pillar by the side. Bam! ¡°Ouch, it hurts!¡± Mu Hongyu covered her head and gasped. I was already so careful, but I still hit something! Jian Fengchi was instantly stunned and was left with one sentence in his mind: What does it mean to find something everywhere but not need effort to get it? Isn¡¯t it this!? Just as he thought of this, he had already walked over instinctively. Mu Hongyu fell on the floor and rubbed her forehead. Just as she stood up, she suddenly felt someone come close to her and hurled out a punch without thinking! Jian Fengchi was agile and immediately dodged it. At the same time, he held her wrist down and raised his brows. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve not seen each other for such a long time, and you¡¯re giving me such a greeting gift?¡± Mu Hongyu was shocked and hurriedly turned around to look over. She instantly widened her almond-like eyes. ¡°Jian Fengchi?! Why are you here?¡± Seeing her face of shock, Jian Fengchi grinded his teeth. ¡°I was waiting for you!¡± Seeing his ferocious look, Mu Hongyu guiltily shrunk her neck. Jian Fengchi originally wanted to teach her a lesson, but seeing that a bruise had appeared on her forehead, he swallowed back the words in his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s with your injury?¡± asked Jian Fengchi as he suppressed his anger. Mu Hongyu was dazed. ¡°What injury?¡± Seeing fire burning in Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes again, she then recovered her senses and pointed at her own forehead. ¡°Oh, you mean this? I just bumped into that rock.¡± Jian Fengchi took a deep breath in. If I wasn¡¯t brought up well, I would¡¯ve cracked open her head to see what is contained inside! ¡°You¡¯re already so old. How can you be hurt like this?¡± Mu Hongyu felt rather awkward. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been trying to break through recently, and I was careless and didn¡¯t control so¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi was stunned. Chu Liuyue had already walked over. ¡°Hongyu.¡± Seeing Chu Liuyue, Mu Hongyu looked like she had seen her saving grace. ¡°Liuyue! I finally saw you!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at Jian Fengchi. Jian Fengchi grunted coldly in his heart and still let go of her hand. Mu Hongyu came to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, I have something urgent to tell you!¡± Seeing her anxious expression of panic, Chu Liuyue found it strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Speak slowly.¡± Mu Hongyu nervously asked, ¡°Did something happen to Mentor?¡± Chapter 2256 - 2256 Together 2256 Together The ¡®master¡¯ Mu Hongyu was referring to was Diwu Zhangze. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Mu Hongyu frowned. ¡°Previously, I encountered some problems in my cultivation, so I wanted to return to the Red Moon Desert so that Master could answer my doubts. But when I went over there, I realized that it had already been completely sealed off by a crimson barrier. I couldn¡¯t approach it at all. I tried many ways, but I couldn¡¯t enter, so I could only come back to look for you.¡± The Red Moon Desert had suffered a huge change, so the few people inside were probably in danger. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve always been able to contact Master, but the connection has been completely cut off now.¡± This was what Mu Hongyu was most worried about. Diwu Zhangze treated her extremely well. If nothing had happened, he wouldn¡¯t have treated her like this. Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but¡­ Senior Diwu and the others are indeed no longer in the Red Moon Desert.¡± She raised her hand and pointed at the silver bridge hanging in midair in the distant sky. ¡°Now, they¡¯re all over there.¡± As Mu Hongyu had been in seclusion for a long time, she knew nothing about what was happening outside. After hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s explanation, she finally understood and muttered in shock, ¡°In other words¡­ Master and the others are now locked up in Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± A moment of hesitation flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Dugu Mobao is now trapped in the Fantasy Divine Hall, and there is no mistake. However, it is very likely that Diwu Zhangze is suppressed under that strange and dangerous ocean. As for Lan Xiao, there has been no news at all. I¡¯m really not sure. But in the end, she didn¡¯t say any of this. At the moment, everything was unknown. It was better to be cautious. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go with you this time!¡± Mu Hongyu grabbed her hand. ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯ve already broken through recently. I should be qualified to enter, right?¡± Chu Liuyue was a little stunned. ¡°You broke through?¡± The aura on Mu Hongyu¡¯s body was that of a true god, not a legendary warrior. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about warrior cultivation but my Void Body!¡± Speaking of this, Mu Hongyu was very happy. ¡°Initially, I went to look for Master because I was stuck and couldn¡¯t break through for a long time. However, I didn¡¯t expect that I would accidentally find the way and successfully break through!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know much about the Void Body. After all, in the entire God Residence Realm, there hadn¡¯t been many truly top-notch Void Body cultivators in the past 1,000 years. Diwu Zhangze was an exception. Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°Liuyue, do you know where I came from this time?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she faintly guessed something. Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°You went straight to Heaven¡¯s Canopy?¡± ¡°Right!¡± Mu Hongyu nodded vigorously. ¡°Because I just broke through and this was my first time trying, there are still many aspects that aren¡¯t perfect. I couldn¡¯t control the last part well, so I was injured. But after practicing a few more times, it should be fine.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, everyone present fell into deep shock. The Heaven¡¯s Canopy and the sky was differentiated by the God Residence Realm. Apart from the Gate Realm, cultivators could no longer travel through it through other means. But now, Mu Hongyu actually said that she came over directly?! This meant that she no longer needed to rely on the Gate Realm and could enter and exit the God Residence Realm freely! Chu Liuyue suddenly recalled that some time ago, a new Gate Realm appeared, and it attracted countless aristocratic families in the God Residence Realm to compete for it. But now, compared to Mu Hongyu¡­ What was there to fight for? It was hard to imagine how powerful Mu Hongyu¡¯s control over space was now! Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak for a long time, Mu Hongyu continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Liuyue. Although I can only enter and exit alone now, as time passes, I¡¯ll probably be able to bring people with me if I increase my strength!¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and gave Mu Hongyu a thumbs-up. ¡°Hongyu, you¡¯re really impressive.¡± No wonder Diwu Zhangze was very happy to take her in as his disciple when he heard that Mu Hongyu had the Void Body. Such a physique¡­ can¡¯t be described with just ¡®talent,¡¯ right? Even she¡ªwho was now a legendary warrior and was even stronger than many cultivators who were legendary warriors¡ªdidn¡¯t dare to hope that she could ignore the Gate Realm and enter and exit freely from the God Residence Realm. Jian Fengchi, who was at the side, also twitched the corners of his mouth ruthlessly. The carefree and unrestrained attitude he had when he first came was completely gone now. He felt very miserable now. It was fine if he couldn¡¯t win against Chu Liuyue. After all, he hadn¡¯t won many times in so many years. But the key was¡ªwhy did Mu Hongyu directly ascend too? With this abnormal strength, who knew how many people would be envious and jealous! He recalled that he had even pulled her along just now and almost criticized her¡­ Jian Fengchi felt his head hurt. Why are all the people around Chu Liuyue so abnormal? There are so many perverts. Why didn¡¯t I join them? As if sensing his aggrieved gaze, Chu Liuyue turned around. ¡°Huh? Jian Fengchi, what did you say just now? You want to take Hongyu away?¡± She smiled faintly. ¡°In the current situation¡­ can you take her away?¡± No wonder Jian Fengchi couldn¡¯t keep up with Mu Hongyu after so long. With Mu Hongyu¡¯s ability to control space almost at will, how could Jian Fengchi be her match? Swoosh! Jian Fengchi opened his fan and fanned himself. Mu Hongyu asked, ¡°Are you very hot?¡± Jian Fengchi replied, ¡°It¡¯s not hot; I want to be alone.¡± He wanted to turn around and leave even more than before. However, this person was here, and he really couldn¡¯t move. Hence, he could only stand here and suffer. Chu Liuyue looked at his rarely-seen defeated expression, and her lips curled up slightly. Actually, Jian Fengchi¡¯s talent as a heavenly doctor definitely surpassed many people. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to his challenges again and again in the past. Although Jian Fengchi always lost, he actually didn¡¯t lose too much every time¡ªthis was rare. Moreover, being able to break through to become a Senior Physician at his age, he was definitely an outstanding talent even in Ling Xiao Academy. Even if he was compared to the geniuses of the first-rate families in the God Residence Realm, he wasn¡¯t inferior at all. However, the unlucky thing was that he was comparing himself to Mu Hongyu and her. Not to mention her, but Mu Hongyu had a Void Body. There might not even be one in ten million people who could successfully cultivate to this level, and it was extremely rare. It was no wonder he was so hurt. But as long as he was given time, he would continue to advance in the end. Chu Liuyue even felt that Jian Fengchi¡¯s talent as a heavenly doctor wasn¡¯t inferior to Liang He. Thinking of this, she said, ¡°Jian Fengchi, come with us.¡± Chapter 2257 - 2257 Choice 2257 Choice Jian Fengchi came back to his senses. ¡°Where are you going? Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression changed slightly. He had already seen the opening commotion of Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate. It would be a lie to say that he didn¡¯t want to go. Moreover, Mu Hongyu would obviously go this time. He nodded almost without hesitation. ¡°Okay!¡± Chu Liuyue sized him up and smiled. ¡°There are many herbs on Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s medicinal mountain, enough for you. You can also take this opportunity to break through to become a Supreme Physician as soon as possible. It won¡¯t be too late for you to compete with me then.¡± At the mention of this, Jian Fengchi¡¯s chest tightened. I can¡¯t afford to offend her. ¡­ Just like that, Chu Liuyue decided that these people would go together. ¡°Yan Qing, is your master still in the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± She looked at Yan Qing. Thinking about it, it has been about a month. I wonder if Rong Xiu has finished settling his matters. Yan Qing paused. Before he could speak, a strange fluctuation came from afar. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw a person slowly walking over from the distant sky. His white clothes were as white as snow, his figure was tall, and his face was handsome¡ªit was Rong Xiu. He came from the horizon. He seemed to be strolling leisurely, but he was extremely fast. The wide space seemed to have automatically shrunk under his feet. Every step was 50 kilometers long! In the blink of an eye, he had already arrived above Yue Manor. He walked toward Chu Liuyue. Before anyone could see his movements clearly, he was already in front of them. ¡°It¡¯s so lively.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze quickly swept across everyone in the courtyard, and his scarlet thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°Looks like I came at the right time.¡± Chu Liuyue took a step forward and first sized him up carefully. After confirming that he was fine, she heaved a sigh of relief. During this period of time, the entire God Residence Realm was in constant turmoil. That incomplete mysterious black Holy Body had already turned several places upside down, including the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. She couldn¡¯t help but worry. During the time Rong Xiu left, she had been worried if the Sky-Cloud Empire was also the other party¡¯s target. Fortunately, from the looks of it, everything seemed fine. ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you worried about me?¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. Chu Liuyue shook her head and nodded again. Rong Xiu was very strong. Even now, she had yet to find out his true strength. Logically, she knew that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t need her to worry, but after not seeing him for a long time, she still missed him. Furthermore, Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate had already opened, and the entire God Residence Realm was in an extremely unstable state. Suddenly, her gaze froze. ¡°Rong Xiu, your strength seems to have increased a lot?¡± Even though Rong Xiu didn¡¯t deliberately reveal it, she could still feel it very clearly when she stood close. Rong Xiu softly laughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal?¡± As a cultivator, as long as he continuously absorbed the Heaven and Earth Force and transformed it into his own holy force, he could naturally continuously increase his strength. However, Chu Liuyue still found it a little strange. ¡°But¡­¡± This change seems to be more than just a little¡­ How long has it been since I left last time? Rong Xiu smiled and allowed her to scrutinize him. After a while, Chu Liuyue could only sigh helplessly. ¡°Forget it. There are mountains outside.¡± Every time she thought that her strength had improved and that she could compete with Rong Xiu, she would realize that he had also improved. Even though he didn¡¯t seem to have wasted too much time on cultivation, he could always outpace others. The two of them had known each other for many years. She should have been used to it long ago. ¡°Is everything alright with the Sky-Cloud Empire?¡± She changed the topic. Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chu Liuyue relaxed and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great. Come with us to Fantasy Divine Palace!¡± Hearing this, a dark light seemed to flash across Rong Xiu¡¯s deep phoenix eyes. Yan Qing, who was standing at the side, immediately looked up. Tang Ke put his hands behind his back, coughed, and looked up at the sky. After a moment, Rong Xiu asked, ¡°You want me to go with you?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. On the one hand, I came back this time to ask Mr. Su for help. On the other hand, I also want to see how things are on your side. Since you¡¯re already done, isn¡¯t it just right for you to come with me?¡± With Rong Xiu¡¯s bloodline and talent, he could almost reach the heavens. Seeing that Rong Xiu didn¡¯t agree immediately, Chu Liuyue felt a little strange. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go?¡± Countless cultivators in the world yearn for Fantasy Divine Palace. Why does it seem like Rong Xiu doesn¡¯t care much? After a moment, Rong Xiu said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡­ In the depths of the lightning pool, in the forbidden area. Yi Zhao¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, and his breathing was weak. Only the sound of the lightning surging and colliding around him reminded him where he was at this moment. Ever since he was trapped here, he couldn¡¯t see the sun. Every minute and second became extremely unbearable. He could barely remember how long he had spent here. ¡°Yi Zhao.¡± Mu Dongyou¡¯s deep voice came from ahead. Yi Zhao didn¡¯t move at all as if he didn¡¯t hear him. He didn¡¯t react at all. Mu Dongyou didn¡¯t mind. He knew that Yi Zhao could hear everything. Even though Yi Zhao was only left with half a life, he was still the patriarch of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan after all. His vitality was extremely tenacious. ¡°You still refuse to surrender?¡± Mu Dongyou questioned. ¡°Do you know that you¡¯re just asking for trouble? If you were half as smart as Yi Gong, you wouldn¡¯t have fallen to your current state.¡± Hearing Yi Gong¡¯s name, Yi Zhao finally opened his eyes slowly. Those ancient eyes¡ªwhich were filled with scarlet and blood¡ªwere filled with undisguised anger from being betrayed. ¡°He¡­ deserves to die!¡± Yi Zhao spoke with difficulty, his voice rough. If not for him, the red-gold heavenly phoenix race wouldn¡¯t have lost so quickly! And I wouldn¡¯t be imprisoned here without any preparation! Mu Dongyou looked down at him. ¡°I know that to you, Yi Gong betrayed you and the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. But have you ever thought that perhaps he¡¯s the right one?¡± ¡°Ten thousand years have passed, and the current Fantasy Divine Hall has long changed. Yi Zhao, if you¡¯re really thinking about the lives of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡¯s hundreds of members, you should lower your head and make the choice you should make.¡± Mu Dongyou was actually quite patient. Ever since Yi Zhao was trapped here, he had already carried out similar negotiations several times. ¡°What¡¯s the benefit of holding on like this?¡± Yi Zhao sneered. ¡°Anyway, Yi Gong is already yours. Why are you so obsessed with me?¡± Mu Dongyou¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°He has only opened the sixth meridian, so he naturally can¡¯t compare to you.¡± Yi Zhao closed his eyes and stopped talking. Seeing that his attitude was still firm, Mu Dongyou finally changed the topic and asked, ¡°I heard that the young mistress in your clan has a pure bloodline?¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Chapter 2258 - 2258 He Didnt Know 2258 He Didn¡¯t Know Yi Zhao instantly clenched his fists! Mu Dongyou said again,¡±The purest bloodline is the same as the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. In time, she will definitely be able to successfully open the ninth meridian. Yi Zhao, if you can persuade her to surrender, I guarantee that we can let bygones be bygones for your red-gold heavenly phoenix race.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not for yourself, you have to consider your clansmen, right?¡± ¡°How long do you think you can seal them in Godly Phoenix Mountain? There¡¯s not much bloodline power left in your body. In a while, before we do anything, the barrier will automatically disintegrate. At that time, won¡¯t the red-gold heavenly phoenix race still face a predicament?¡± Mu Dongyou looked at Yi Zhao steadily. After a long time, Yi Zhao finally sneered. His voice was cold and mocking. ¡°My red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡­ When have we ever committed any crimes?! You know best who¡¯s in the wrong!¡± Mu Dongyou¡¯s expression darkened as he warned in a low voice, ¡°Yi Zhao!¡± However, Yi Zhao didn¡¯t seem to hear the anger and warning in his words. Or perhaps he didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°The choice of the ancestor is also the choice of our entire race! Mu Dongyou, there are some things that you can do. Our red-gold heavenly phoenix race is heartless, but we will never do it!¡± ¡°I advise you to save your strength and stop talking nonsense. No matter how much you grind your mouth and repeat yourself a million times, my answer will never change! No matter how much you say, it will only make me feel that you guys are even more ridiculous.¡± Mu Dongyou¡¯s expression was cold as he waved his hand! Whoosh¡ª The black chain wrapped around Yi Zhao trembled violently, emitting a cold collision sound. Yi Zhao¡¯s body trembled slightly from the intense pain. A stream of blood with a faint reddish-gold color slowly flowed out of the wound on his wrist and spread along the chain. The thick smell of blood gradually spread. The surrounding golden lightning seemed to have sensed something and became restless. Mu Dongyou snorted coldly, and they gradually regained their calm. Then, a longan-sized blood ball gradually condensed in front of Mu Dongyou. The blood ball contained a wisp of pure gold color and flickered with a weak light. Mu Dongyou took a look and frowned. Although Yi Zhao was the clan leader and had opened the seventh meridian, he had been trapped here for so long. No matter how much bloodline power he had, there would be a time when it was exhausted. Compared to the initial situation, the bloodline power in this blood mass was too diluted. It wasn¡¯t even one-fifth of what it was at that time. Pfft. A chuckle escaped from Yi Zhao¡¯s lips. ¡°If you really have the ability, just kill me.¡± As for Yi Gong¡­ Although he was obedient, he was a traitor and couldn¡¯t be placed in an important position. If Yi Gong had also opened the seventh meridian, he could consider it. Unfortunately¡ª Mu Dongyou walked forward. Wherever he passed, the surrounding lightning quickly moved aside. After a while, he arrived somewhere and suddenly stopped. He turned his head to look. A man was standing not far away, holding a hammer and tapping it from time to time on a reef. Knock knock. Knock knock. Mu Dongyou was already in a bad mood. When he heard this sound, he became even more frustrated, and he shouted in a deep voice, ¡°Who is it?!¡± Si Jing was originally focused on investigating the situation in the reef and didn¡¯t notice anyone approaching. When he heard the voice, he suddenly woke up and looked back. ¡°You are¡­¡± Si Jing¡¯s eyes quickly swept across the other party, and he suddenly understood. ¡°The Fourth Deity?¡± Mu Dongyou frowned. ¡°Who are you and what are you doing here?!¡± Si Jing cupped fists. ¡°I¡¯m Si Jing. I came here today¡­ to use the power of the heavenly lightning here to temper my Holy Body.¡± Mu Dongyou stared at him suspiciously. His appearance just now was indeed a little strange. Si Jing looked up and probed. ¡°May I ask, Fourth Deity, is it¡­ impossible to come here?¡± He had already heard from Master that the depths of this lightning pool was a forbidden area and not to be approached easily. Therefore, he only stayed at the edge. There shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong with this, right? Mu Dongyou didn¡¯t speak. His eyes were cold as he examined Si Jing. ¡°Or¡­ did I do something wrong just now?¡± Although Si Jing was usually bold and rough, he was careful in his actions. Otherwise, Cen Yi wouldn¡¯t have specially chosen him to stay in the Mystic Forest with him. After a long silence, Mu Dongyou said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Actually, there were many people who entered the lightning pool and did everything. It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t seen it before. What Si Jing did in front of him was nothing compared to many people. However, he happened to be in a bad mood. Seeing Si Jing¡¯s serious and honest expression, the doubts in Mu Dongyou¡¯s heart gradually dissipated. His figure moved, and he headed into the distance again. Si Jing watched him leave until he could no longer see him. Then, he slowly exhaled. After that, he looked back at the continuous and rugged reefs in confusion. ¡°Tsk, this Fourth Deity doesn¡¯t seem to know the secret¡­¡± Didn¡¯t they say that he is fully in charge of this lightning pool? He doesn¡¯t even know about this? Si Jing scratched his head and vaguely felt that something was wrong. ¡­ On the other side, Xiao Ba was refining medicine in her room. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out of the room, almost filling the entire courtyard. Hua Shuangshuang and Cen Yi were sitting opposite each other in the courtyard. Sensing this commotion, Hua Shuangshuang looked over strangely. ¡°Big Brother, what¡¯s wrong with Xiao Ba? Why has she been cultivating so diligently these past few days?¡± Ever since Master left, she had carried countless herbs and rushed into the room. She hadn¡¯t come out until now. With Xiao Ba¡¯s personality, this was really a rare occurrence. Cen Yi¡¯s expression was calm; he didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°Master has already broken through to become a Supreme Physician, but she¡¯s still a Senior Physician. It won¡¯t sound good if word gets out.¡± Xiao Ba seemed to be a lively person usually, but she was still clear-headed when it came to important matters. Now that she was about to be left far behind, she naturally worked hard. Hua Shuangshuang immediately understood. ¡°No wonder.¡± Suddenly, the roar of fiends came from afar. Hua Shuangshuang looked up and saw a Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast flying over. It looked like an eagle or a vulture. Its entire body was black, but its wings were dark gold. Under the light, they flickered with a faint light. Hua Shuangshuang took a closer look and saw a tear on its wing. Blood was flowing out, and even its white bones could be seen. Its eyes were filled with deep panic. Behind it, a half-broken condor was rapidly approaching! Chapter 2259 - 2259 She Wants to Enter the Fantasy Divine Hall 2259 She Wants to Enter the Fantasy Divine Hall It seemed like these two legendary fiends had just engaged in an intense battle. The Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast couldn¡¯t win, so it fled. As for the half-broken condor that had the upper hand, it refused to let go and followed closely behind. These two legendary fiends were actually of the same level. But for some reason, the half-broken condor was especially fierce, and it exuded a dense cold aura. Those indifferent and fierce eyes flickered with a bloodthirsty light, and there was a hint of teasing and playfulness. It was sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Every time the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast felt that it was about to successfully escape, it would suddenly increase its speed. When it was about to catch up, it would slow down again. There were many times when the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast wanted to give up, but the other party repeatedly gave it a little hope, making it flee with all its might. However, it knew very well that it couldn¡¯t escape the other party¡¯s pursuit at all. After fleeing for so long, it had always been within the other party¡¯s hunting range. This made the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast tense and almost collapse. Seeing this scene, Hua Shuangshuang frowned, and a look of disgust flashed across her face. ¡°This half-broken condor did it on purpose.¡± The strong preyed on the weak¡ªthis was a principle that everyone understood. Among the fiends, this was even more vivid. However, this half-broken condor had played with an opponent that had already lost to it. It was really a little nasty. He stood up and curled two fingers on his right hand. Then, he placed them in his mouth and blew a whistle! Hearing this melodious and clear whistle, the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast subconsciously looked over. Then, without any hesitation, it flew straight toward Hua Shuangshuang! Although it was injured at this moment, it had probably been forced to collapse by the half-broken condor. At this moment, it used all its remaining strength. A thin layer of black flames even burned on those dark golden wings. Hua Shuangshuang raised his arm, and the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast fell forward! Rong¡ª It let out a low wail. Its aura was already extremely weak. With its last bit of willpower, it grabbed Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s arm tightly. Hua Shuangshuang looked down at it and frowned even more. He took out a pill with his other hand and fed it. Fiends were vigilant by nature and had a natural hostility towards humans, especially legendary fiends, who were quick-witted and vigilant. They often refused to trust the human race easily. But at this moment, this Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast flew directly to Hua Shuangshuang and ate what he gave without hesitation. It seemed like¡­ it wasn¡¯t worried that Hua Shuangshuang would take the opportunity to do anything to it. Instead, it trusted him with its life. This was really strange. When the half-broken condor saw this, cold killing intent quickly flashed across its eyes. Just as it was about to continue forward, Cen Yi suddenly looked up. His face was calm, and his narrow and indifferent eyes were as deep as the sea, making him unpredictable. An indescribable invisible pressure surged out of his body! Sensing danger, the half-broken condor finally stopped. Deep fear inexplicably surged from the bottom of its heart! This place¡­ isn¡¯t to be approached! However, it was really unwilling to give up the food that was almost in its mouth. It had spent a lot of effort to take down this Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast, but now¡ªit was all in vain! It lingered outside the courtyard, not approaching, but unwilling to leave. Hua Shuangshuang glanced at the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast lying on her arm. When he sensed that its aura was gradually stabilizing, his expression softened a little. Then, he looked at Cen Yi. ¡°Big Brother, I don¡¯t like this half-broken condor.¡± Cen Yi said calmly, ¡°This belongs to Jun Jiuqing. It¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t like it.¡± Hua Shuangshuang was stunned. He then turned around and took another look before coming to a realization. ¡°I see. I knew it. There seem to be many different powers mixed in its body¡­¡± He had heard of Jun Jiuqing before. This person didn¡¯t contract fiends, but he always had a lot of them around him. Furthermore, he liked to let them be together and kill each other. The strongest one would be his favorite. However, this time was usually relatively short. As soon as a better one appeared, he would replace it immediately. The reason why this half-broken condor¡¯s force was mixed was definitely because it had devoured the force of too many different fiends. Of course, there might be humans among them. ¡°Wait, why is Jun Jiuqing¡¯s legendary fiend here?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s because he¡¯s here too.¡± ¡°He¡¯s here¡ª¡± Hua Shuangshuang was about to say something when he suddenly saw a figure walking slowly toward them. ¡°I was wondering why it didn¡¯t come back after so long. So it¡¯s here.¡± A lazy, heretical, and sinister voice sounded. It was Jun Jiuqing. Upon hearing this voice, a deep fear suddenly flashed across the half-broken condor¡¯s eyes. It had been by Jun Jiuqing¡¯s side for a long time, so it could naturally hear the impatience and annoyance in his words. It folded its wings and lowered its head slightly. However, Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t even look at it. His gaze landed on Cen Yi. The two of them exchanged glances. At this moment, even the surrounding air seemed to freeze. However, it was only for a moment before Jun Jiuqing looked away and gazed at Hua Shuangshuang and the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast on his arm. ¡°This was originally a playtoy sent by the Second Deity, but it seems like you¡¯re also very interested. In that case, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Hua Shuangshuang frowned. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words sound like he is quite close to the so-called Second Deity? From previous experience, these deities are all extremely arrogant. But now, the Second Deity was actually so polite to Jun Jiuqing. He gave away a legendary fiend just like that? Everyone knew that this was meant to feed his half-broken condor. Even if the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast couldn¡¯t be compared to the two ancient legendary fiends, it was considered a rather noble existence among legendary fiends. What is the Second Deity thinking¡­ ¡°By the way, I heard she went back?¡± Jun Jiuqing sighed softly, and his slender fingers brushed gently between his eyebrows. ¡°I think she wants to go back and invite the Armory Refinement Saint over? She probably wants to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall too. Actually, I previously said that I could bring her in. Unfortunately, she refused and insisted on spending so much effort.¡± Hua Shuangshuang snorted. ¡°What does my master¡¯s matters have to do with you? Family Head, you should focus more on yourself!¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s eyes turned even colder, but there was still a smile on his lips. He raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I just think she¡¯s not smart.¡± ¡°Family Head.¡± Cen Yi suddenly stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t you know better whether my master really needs your help to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Chapter 2260 - 2260 The First Deity 2260 The First Deity The smile on Jun Jiuqing¡¯s face finally faded. He stared at Cen Yi for a while and didn¡¯t say anything else. Then, he turned around and left. The half-broken condor quickly followed. Seeing their figures gradually disappear into the distance, Hua Shuangshuang frowned and looked at Cen Yi. ¡°Big Brother, who exactly is that Jun Jiuqing? He seems to be quite familiar with these deities.¡± This kind of treatment was much better than theirs. Cen Yi said, ¡°Of course, he¡¯s the head of the Yi family.¡± Hua Shuangshuang suddenly understood something. ¡°You mean the Yi family¡ª¡± Boom! A powerful energy fluctuation suddenly came from the room! The two of them turned around in unison. Bam! The door was violently reopened by this astonishing force, and a thick white smoke spread out from inside. Right on the heels of that, Xiao Ba hurried out. ¡°Ahem¡ªahem¡ªahem!¡± As Xiao Ba ran, she kept waving her hands, wanting to disperse the smoke. When she arrived at the middle of the courtyard, she could finally catch her breath. ¡°That scared me to death!¡± Xiao Ba held the stone table with one hand and patted her chest gently with the other. ¡°Xiao Ba, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Hua Shuangshuang had just taken a step closer when Xiao Ba happened to look up. He was instantly shocked. For some reason, Xiao Ba¡¯s face was smeared with several streaks of black ash. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she looked extremely pathetic. The corners of Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Xiao Ba, what are you doing? Are you going to tear down the room?¡± Xiao Ba shook her head pitifully. ¡°No way. I just wanted to see if I could refine a Supreme Physician-level pill. In the end, I accidentally¡­¡± Hua Shuangshuang sighed when he heard this. ¡°You can¡¯t rush such things. You¡¯ve always been very talented. Take your time; you¡¯ll definitely succeed¡ª¡± Xiao Ba shook her head. ¡°Second Brother, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯ve already refined it.¡± With that, she took out a tattered box. ¡°This is a jade box that I chose after looking at it for a full six hours! It was originally specially used to hold the first Supreme Physician-level pill I refined. Who knew that such a thing would happen?¡± God knew that when the cauldron exploded, her heart was really beating wildly! Hua Shuangshuang widened his eyes and stared at the jade box. He didn¡¯t speak for a long time. On the other hand, Cen Yi reached out, took it, opened it, and had a look. Although the jade box was broken, the pill inside was still fine. White and green intertwined. Although the colors were a little mixed, the power was still considered pure. Most importantly, this was indeed a Supreme Physician-level pill. This also meant that Xiao Ba had officially broken through to become a Supreme Physician! ¡°It¡¯ll do.¡± Cen Yi took a few glances and returned it to Xiao Ba. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a better cauldron later. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡± Hua Shuangshuang looked at him as if he were a pervert. Xiao Ba has broken through to become a Supreme Physician so quickly. If this were to happen outside, countless people would be green with envy. Why did it become ¡®it¡¯ll do¡¯ when it came to Big Brother? However, Xiao Ba seemed to have expected his answer. She exhaled weakly and picked up the jade box to keep it. ¡°I know, I know. But Big Brother, it¡¯s not too late to talk about this after I go to sleep.¡± In order to refine this pill, I haven¡¯t slept for days and nights. Now that I¡¯ve finally succeeded, I only want to take a comfortable bath and sleep for three days and three nights, okay? With that, she turned around and left. Hua Shuangshuang looked at her sympathetically. ¡°Are you planning to raise this Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast yourself or send it back?¡± Cen Yi asked. Hua Shuangshuang came back to his senses and looked down. The Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast seemed to be worried that it would be abandoned by him, and its body trembled slightly. Hua Shuangshuang sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll raise it.¡± ¡­ On the other side, Jun Jiuqing had just passed through the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall when he stopped. The half-broken condor that had been following him stopped immediately. Jun Jiuqing said, ¡°Come over.¡± The half-broken condor came in front of him. Sensing the coldness emanating from Jun Jiuqing, deep fear surged in its heart. ¡°It¡¯s just a Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast. It actually wasted so much time.¡± There was no emotion in his voice, only bone-chilling coldness. An extreme sense of danger surged into its heart. The half-broken condor suddenly widened its eyes, spread its wings, and turned to escape! But before it could move, a silver stream of light flew out¡ª Bang! Its head instantly exploded! A cluster of flames burned and quickly devoured its corpse! Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The half-broken condor died without a corpse. ¡°It¡¯s just a little playful. Aren¡¯t you being too unreasonable by killing it so bluntly?¡± A gentle man¡¯s voice sounded. Jun Jiuqing looked up. It was a young man in his twenties. ¡°It¡¯s just a half-broken condor. What¡¯s there to pity?¡± Jun Jiuqing laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not a red-gold heavenly phoenix or a great phoenix dragon. I think you don¡¯t have to care about it, Second Deity.¡± Yu Qian raised his eyebrows. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. The legendary fiends in Fantasy Divine Palace are all extremely precious. It¡¯s naturally a pity to die like this.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s lips curled up slightly in disapproval. If Yu Qian really cared, he wouldn¡¯t have such a reaction. Yu Qian said, ¡°I came to ask you something.¡± Jun Jiuqing nodded. ¡°Second Deity, please speak.¡± Yu Qian took a step forward. ¡°I heard that Shangguan Yue has two contracted legendary fiends. One is a legendary three-eyed eagle, and the other is the current young mistress of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s glabella moved slightly. ¡°Why is the Second Deity asking this?¡± ¡°You just have to say yes or no.¡± Yu Qian smiled faintly. ¡­ Elsewhere in the Fantasy Divine Hall. Jin Yunlai was tidying up the name list in his room when he suddenly heard footsteps. He looked up and saw that it was Shu Jing. He frowned slightly. Ever since Shu Jing was reprimanded in public last time, she hadn¡¯t shown her face much. Even when she returned to the Fantasy Divine Hall, she would always come and go in a hurry and keep a low profile. ¡°Why are you here?¡± He closed the name list and put away the red-gold feather in his hand. Shu Jing¡¯s gaze swept across it without stopping. ¡°I came this time because I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shu Jing paused and looked hesitant. After a moment, she still took a few steps forward, came in front of Jin Yunlai, and asked softly, ¡°Have you seen the First Deity recently?¡± Jin Yunlai frowned. ¡°You went to see him?¡± Shu Jing bit her lips. ¡°He won¡¯t see me.¡± Chapter 2261 - 2261 Returning It to You 2261 Returning It to You Jin Yunlai leaned back in his chair. ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal? Everyone wants to know why you¡¯re looking for him now. Of course, he won¡¯t see you.¡± Shu Jing frowned. ¡°Of course, I know that. However, I suddenly thought of something: The First Deity hasn¡¯t appeared for several years. All along, many matters in Fantasy Divine Palace have been handed over to the Second Deity to handle. Don¡¯t you think this is a little strange?¡± Jin Yunlai frowned. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? The most important duty of the First Deity is always to be loyal to Fantasy Divine Hall. Isn¡¯t it normal to leave those messy small matters to the subordinates to handle? Do you think everyone is like you, wishing they could completely control all the power?¡± These words were ear-piercing, making Shu Jing¡¯s expression turn very ugly. However, Jin Yunlai¡¯s status was higher than hers. Furthermore, this was the truth, so she had no right to refute. She took a deep breath and suppressed the fire. ¡°It¡¯s fine usually, but the Heaven Gate has already opened now. However, the First Deity has yet to appear. This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± She raised her chin. ¡°I¡¯m just asking you¡ªhave you sent this list to the First Deity?¡± Jin Yunlai narrowed his eyes. ¡°The First Deity has already instructed that these matters will be handed over to the Second Deity.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t take anything else seriously, but it¡¯s fine to pay more attention to it. However, this name list¡­ is very important. Why doesn¡¯t he look at it? In fact, he hasn¡¯t asked once?¡± The room fell into a short silence. Jin Yunlai slowly sat up straight. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Shu Jing said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to say anything; I just feel that there¡¯s something strange about this matter. In addition, some time ago, the Sixth Deity returned. I heard that his body was completely destroyed, and even his Holy Body died. He¡¯s in seclusion to recover now. That person is extremely scheming. Who would he suffer so much under?¡± Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t speak. The relationships between the various deities of Fantasy Divine Hall weren¡¯t very close. Most of the time, they were just doing their respective jobs. Sometimes, they might not even see each other for years. He had more contact with Shu Jing. Shu Jing lowered her voice, and there seemed to be a fine light flickering in her eyes. ¡°I know that the Sixth Deity was ordered to leave, and his return this time was also approved. However, there are rumors on the streets that the First Deity actually left Fantasy Divine Palace a few years ago, but he only returned recently¡ª¡± ¡°Rumors on the streets?¡± Jin Yunlai sneered. ¡°It¡¯s best to speak less about this kind of thing without evidence. Besides, this concerns the First Deity, so you have to be careful with your words and actions. Shu Jing, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. Don¡¯t extend your hand so far. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even know when you¡¯ll die.¡± Shu Jing was indignant. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°If you really want to know, why don¡¯t you go and see the First Deity again and ask him in person? This way, the truth can be revealed. What rumors can be more credible than the explanation of the person involved? Or you can ask the Second Deity. In short, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± But he wouldn¡¯t get involved. Seeing his firm attitude, Shu Jing gritted her teeth. Roar! A roar suddenly came from outside the door. The two of them were shocked and turned to look. Jin Yunlai got up and walked over to open the window. A muscular white lion was leaping over. Those ice-blue eyes were looking straight at them, cold, indifferent, and extremely sharp. When it saw the two of them, it licked its claws, and a hint of mockery flashed across its eyes. But when the two people in the room saw it, they were shocked and looked at each other. Why is the emperor¡¯s magical beast suddenly here? Then, what we just said¡ª Shu Jing clenched her fists nervously. Her lips were pale. This white lion rarely comes here. Why did it suddenly appear today? She opened her mouth and was about to explain. ¡°I¡ª¡± Roar! Before she could say anything, the white lion had already retracted its gaze. Then, it turned around and jumped away quickly. It was extremely fast and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Jin Yunlai suddenly thought of something and turned around to ask, ¡°Where did it come from just now?¡± Shu Jing was stunned. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jin Yunlai slowly clenched his fists. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, it seems to have come from the direction of the First Deity¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Shu Jing subconsciously retorted. ¡°We can¡¯t get close to the First Deity easily, and his residence hasn¡¯t been opened for years. Even I was stopped outside previously. How could it have come from there?¡± Jin Yunlai lowered his eyes slightly. This is my territory¡ªI wouldn¡¯t sense wrongly. There is only the First Deity in that direction. It must¡¯ve come from there. However, why did it go there? ¡°Maybe I saw wrongly.¡± Jin Yunlai closed the window. ¡°You should go back. Let¡¯s forget about the First Deity. If you really want to know, you know who to ask.¡± With that, he sat back in his seat and assumed a welcoming posture. Shu Jing bit her lip and finally retreated. ¡­ At this moment, Chu Liuyue and the others had already arrived at the ocean again. There were more people traveling with them this time. Apart from Su Li and Rong Xiu¡ªwho were initially invited¡ªthere was also Mu Hongyu, Jian Fengchi, and Yan Qing. Even Tang Ke, who said he had something to do at the beginning, came along. When everyone arrived, there were more people standing on the shore than when Chu Liuyue left previously. Ever since the Heaven Gate opened, the experts in the God Residence Realm had come over. When Chu Liuyue brought Cen Yi and the others over, they were considered the first batch. Now, as time passed, more people naturally came. As they already had the previous experience, Chu Liuyue and the rest¡¯s journey was much smoother this time. Apart from Mu Hongyu, Jian Fengchi, and Su Li who were still true gods, everyone else was already legendary warriors. Su Li was an Armory Refinement Saint herself. If she wanted to cross this ocean, she really had a lot of Yuan instruments. There was no need to mention Mu Hongyu. She could even travel freely through the sky, so this was naturally not a problem. Hence, in the end, the only one left was actually Jian Fengchi. Looking at the surging waves in front of him, he grabbed Mu Hongyu¡¯s wrist without hesitation. Mu Hongyu looked up at him. Jian Fengchi coughed. ¡°Take me there, and I¡¯ll return the contract to you.¡± Mu Hongyu was originally a little hesitant, but when she heard this, she immediately chose to agree without hesitation. ¡°Deal!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him suspiciously. Based on my understanding of Jian Fengchi, he doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would be so straightforward¡­ Suddenly, a warm and strong hand reached over and held hers. ¡°Yue¡¯er, let¡¯s go.¡± Rong Xiu looked up at the silver bridge calmly and raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I hope everything goes well.¡± Chapter 2262 - 2262 The Emperor Wants to Read the Apotheosis Book 2262 The Emperor Wants to Read the Apotheosis Book Sensing the commotion in the Heaven Gate, Jin Yunlai stood up and walked out. But as soon as he reached the door, he sensed that something was wrong. In the courtyard, the void trembled. Waves rippled as a figure gradually appeared. ¡°Seventh Deity.¡± ¡°Master Yu Mo? Why are you here?¡± Jin Yunlai was shocked to see who it was. This person usually follows the emperor and rarely appearS or comes to the Fantasy Divine Hall. I don¡¯t know why he is so free today and actually came here. Yu Mo¡¯s gaze landed on the name list in his hand. ¡°The Emperor wants to see the Apotheosis Book.¡± Jin Yunlai was shocked. ¡°Now?¡± Yu Mo raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Jin Yunlai immediately denied it, but he still found the emperor¡¯s sudden request rather strange. The Apotheosis Book was considered something from the Fantasy Divine Hall. The emperor basically only flipped through it once in a thousand years. After careful calculation, the emperor had indeed not seen it for a long time, but he had never asked for it before when the Heaven Gate opened. This was the first time. ¡°It¡¯s just that someone has already arrived at the Heaven Gate. I still have to register them¡ª¡± ¡°Seventh Deity.¡± Yu Mo interrupted him and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s rare for the emperor to be in the mood today. You should know who¡¯s more important.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He no longer hesitated and presented the name list with both hands. ¡°Master Yu Mo is right. The Apotheosis Book is here. Please take a look.¡± Yu Mo raised his hand. The Apotheosis Book and the reddish-gold feather flew over lightly and landed in his palm. ¡°If the Seventh Deity is really worried, I can do it for you. I¡¯ll go to the Heaven Gate to register those people first, then bring the book and present it to the emperor.¡± Jin Yunlai was a little hesitant. ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s troublesome¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just writing a few names. What¡¯s the trouble? It¡¯ll be over in a while. Or does the Seventh Deity not believe me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Jin Yunlai lowered his head slightly. ¡°In that case¡­ I¡¯ll leave the Apotheosis Book to you for the time being.¡± Yu Mo looked satisfied. ¡°The Seventh Deity can rest for the time being then. I¡¯ll send it back after the emperor is done reading it.¡± Jin Yunlai responded. Yu Mo¡¯s figure flashed, and he quickly disappeared from the spot. Only then did Jin Yunlai look up, confusion flashing across his eyes. He can read the Apotheosis Book at any time, so why did he choose now? He thought for a moment and looked in the direction of the Heaven Gate. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly here. But this time, he was in charge of guarding the Heaven Gate and had always sensed the barrier there. After a while, a familiar fluctuation came from there. ¡°Shangguan Yue?¡± he muttered softly. ¡°You came back fast enough.¡± The person with her is probably the Armory Refinement Saint she has invited? There seems to be a few more. She has probably brought her subordinates or others she is familiar with. Anyway, this isn¡¯t the first time she has done such a thing. Jin Yunlai frowned. After a moment, he retracted his gaze and shook his head. Then, he turned around and returned to the house. There is nothing to see. ¡­ At the Heaven Gate. Chu Liuyue directly crossed the barrier and entered the Heaven Gate. Rong Xiu followed closely behind. Just as he approached the barrier, there was a ripple on it. Buzz¡ª Pressure faintly exuded, blocking people outside. He stopped and withdrew his hand. When Chu Liuyue saw this, she didn¡¯t find it strange and explained, ¡°It¡¯s probably because you haven¡¯t been here before, so you were stopped. When the Seventh Deity comes over later, just register with him.¡± With that, she turned around and glanced in the direction of the Star Path. This is strange. In the past, Jin Yunlai has always come very quickly. Why is he nowhere to be seen this time? Rong Xiu lightly nodded. ¡°Just wait then.¡± Su Li and the others nodded as well. They were already here. There was nothing to be anxious about. At this moment, a ripple came from behind Chu Liuyue. She looked up. A blurry figure appeared in front of her. A man¡¯s voice came from the fluctuating void. ¡°The Seventh Deity can¡¯t come for the time being. I¡¯ll be in charge of your inclusion.¡± When she saw the outline of the figure, Chu Liuyue had already guessed the other party¡¯s identity. Now that she heard the voice, she was even more certain. This person is the man who appeared on the medicinal mountain that day! In other words, the lord who is rumored to be by the emperor¡¯s side. She was about to speak when the man raised his hand. Swoosh! A reddish-gold feather flew out from his hand and arrived between Rong Xiu¡¯s eyebrows. It gently swept across. The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s totem quickly appeared. That person asked for his name and opened the barrier. Rong Xiu walked through the Heaven Gate. Chu Liuyue blinked. Isn¡¯t this¡­ too fast?! However, Rong Xiu already has a bloodline totem, so it isn¡¯t strange for him to be able to enter successfully. The few people behind him followed. Jian Fengchi, Mu Hongyu, and Su Li didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Chu Liuyue originally thought that this person would make things difficult for her, but he only sent out a few tokens and didn¡¯t say much before letting them in. In just 15 minutes, they had all entered the Heaven Gate! Chu Liuyue felt that something was amiss and glanced at the man again. Unfortunately, the other party¡¯s figure and appearance were blurry in a ball of light and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. Piak! The sound of the name list closing could be heard. ¡°Some of you know the rules of Fantasy Divine Palace, so I won¡¯t say anything else.¡± Then, that person¡¯s figure quickly disappeared. Jian Fengchi looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°This Fantasy Divine Palace doesn¡¯t seem¡­ very difficult to enter?¡± Mu Hongyu stretched out her hand. ¡°Give me the contract!¡± Chapter 2263 - 2263 Entering the Hall 2263 Entering the Hall Jian Fengchi¡¯s peach blossom eyes were magnificent. With a flick of his slender fingers, a piece of paper appeared at his fingertips. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? I¡¯ve always kept my promises. I won¡¯t go back on my words.¡± Mu Hongyu took the piece of paper and looked at it carefully. Suddenly, she was stunned. ¡°This contract isn¡¯t right! Why isn¡¯t my handprint on it?¡± At a glance, there was nothing wrong with this contract, but it was missing her most important handprint. Jian Fengchi fanned himself. ¡°Oh, I copied this when I was free previously. Naturally, it doesn¡¯t have your handprint.¡± Mu Hongyu: ¡°¡­What did you say!?¡± She gritted her teeth and widened her almond-shaped eyes as she stared at Jian Fengchi. Jian Fengchi tactfully took a step back. ¡°Ahem. Previously, I only said that I would give you the contract. I didn¡¯t say which one.¡± ¡°Of course, I want the real one!¡± Mu Hongyu raised her voice. What is going on?! Jian Fengchi looked innocent. ¡°But you didn¡¯t say anything just now.¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± She had seen shameless people before, but it was rare to see someone so shameless. Chu Liuyue was filled with admiration and emotions. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years. Jian Fengchi, you¡¯re still the best.¡± Only he could do such a thing. Oh no, there is someone here who can compete with him¡ªTang Ke. Without another word, he placed the tombstones together. Now, the entire Peach Blossom Dock¡ªno, the entire God Residence Realm¡ªknows that they have been buried together for 10,000 years. Su Li tried to explain and clarify several times, but it was useless. In the end, she could only let herself be slandered. What are they thinking? Mu Hongyu had an ominous feeling. ¡°How many copies of this do you have?¡± Jian Fengchi smiled, his eyes flirtatious. ¡°I haven¡¯t counted this yet. In the past few years, every time I think of this, I will transcribe one, two, or three. If you really want it, I can write it for you now.¡± ¡°Jian! Feng! Chi!¡± Mu Hongyu clenched her fists and planned to attack directly. ¡°Ow¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi closed his fan. ¡°Hongyu, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate to fight here, right?¡± Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Hongyu, there¡¯s no hurry. Since you¡¯re here, you¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities in the future¡­¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Mu Hongyu¡¯s anger finally subsided. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, didn¡¯t you previously say that the person in charge of guarding the Heaven Gate is the Seventh Deity? Who was that just now?¡± Su Li asked curiously. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°I only heard that he¡¯s the emperor¡¯s person, but I don¡¯t know his exact identity. This is only the second time I¡¯ve seen him.¡± Su Li nodded thoughtfully. Chu Liuyue had already briefly told them about some things in Fantasy Divine Palace. At this moment, a figure walked over from not far away. He was very fast. In just a few breaths, he had arrived in front of everyone. It was Qiang Wanzhou. ¡°Master, Master Cen Yi asked me to pick you and Her Highness up.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°You came at the right time. I¡¯ll bring Mr. Su to the Fantasy Divine Hall first. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± Qiang Wanzhou lowered his head respectfully. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± There was really nothing to worry about these people. After giving some instructions, Chu Liuyue invited Su Li to go to the Fantasy Divine Hall with her. The duo¡¯s figures gradually went far away. Rong Xiu watched for a while before retracting his gaze. His gaze then landed on Qiang Wanzhou, and he raised his brows slightly. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. Have you broken through to become a legendary warrior?¡± Qiang Wanzhou acknowledged it. ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. It¡¯s faster than I had expected. ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± Qiang Wanzhou took a step back before turning around and leading the way. ¡°Your Highness, please.¡± ¡­ On the other side, Chu Liuyue directly brought Su Li toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. They walked past the Star Path. As Su Li walked, she looked around curiously. There were rows of houses here, but not many people came out. It seemed a little cold. In the end, her gaze landed on the path that was flickering with light spots. ¡°This is the Star Path?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the same as the previous silver bridge. What¡¯s sealed below are all Xuan formations. The section we just walked through is all King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations. Now, this is the Great King Xuan Master region.¡± Su Li was enlightened. ¡°Then, these shouldn¡¯t be a problem for Little Yue¡¯er.¡± She knew very well how strong Chu Liuyue was. ¡°These are fine, but the troublesome ones are the Grandmaster-level Xuan formations in front.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. Su Li was stunned and looked forward in disbelief. A long and dazzling journey spread up, connecting to the hall standing in the distance. ¡°So¡­ many?!¡± Although she wasn¡¯t a Xuan Master, she had some understanding. A Grandmaster-level Xuan formation was several times more difficult than a Great King Xuan Master one. Moreover, even if a person had already reached the level of a Grandmaster, it only meant that they could set up a Xuan formation of this level. It didn¡¯t mean that one could completely comprehend a Xuan formation of the same level. At a rough glance, there were at least a hundred of these!? ¡°Therefore, in the past 10,000 years, very few people have been able to comprehend all the Xuan formations on it and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. The Seventh Deity I mentioned to you previously is one of them.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re an Armory Refinement Saint; you¡¯re qualified to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall directly,¡± said Chu Liuyue with a smile. Su Li was speechless. She reached out and patted her chest gently. ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m an Armory Refinement Master. Otherwise, these Xuan formations would be really difficult.¡± Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. In that case, Su Li is probably the only person in the world who can say that. Ordinary Armory Refinement Masters can¡¯t enter the Fantasy Divine Hall any easier than Xuan Masters. How could one become an Armory Refinement Saint so easily? It was said that Kong Qinglin had been trapped as a supreme Armory Refinement Master for thousands of years before he finally broke through the shackles and successfully entered that realm. However, Su Li was too talented in this aspect. Furthermore, she had good luck back then, which was why she could easily and smoothly become an Armory Refinement Saint. And how many people in the world had such luck? Ordinary people were really envious. ¡­ The further they went, the quieter it became. It was a silence that even cultivators rarely experienced. The surrounding atmosphere unknowingly became serious. Although the two of them had only walked past the side of the Star Path, they could still clearly feel the increasingly heavy pressure. Finally, the two of them arrived at the door. Chu Liuyue was about to knock on the door when she suddenly saw the door open and a person walk out. Chapter 2264 - 2264 Summon 2264 Summon It was Shu Jing. She originally planned to go to the medicinal mountain, but she didn¡¯t expect to bump into Chu Liuyue the moment she left. Seeing that familiar face, Shu Jing was first stunned then frowned. ¡°Shangguan Yue, why are you here?¡± Because she was afraid, her tone and attitude toward Chu Liuyue was much better than before. But probably because there were no outsiders around, the impatience and frustration in her eyes could still be vaguely seen. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t mind and smiled faintly. ¡°Greetings, Eighth Deity. I¡¯m naturally here to send Mr. Su into the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± ¡°Mr. Su?¡± Shu Jing turned her gaze slightly and saw Su Li standing beside Chu Liuyue. ¡°A true god?¡± ¡°Shangguan Yue, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what requirements are needed to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Her frown deepened. She actually pulled such an ordinary-looking true god over and said that she wants to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall? Su Li raised her eyebrows slightly. Is she¡­ looking down on me? Although she had always had a good temper, she wasn¡¯t someone to be looked down on and bullied. Furthermore, the person in front of her had specially bullied Xiao Yue¡¯er before. ¡°The threshold of this Fantasy Divine Hall is really high. So even Armory Refinement Saints aren¡¯t qualified to enter?¡± Su Li asked with a faint smile. Shu Jing was stunned, and a hint of disbelief flashed across her eyes. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re an Armory Refinement Saint?¡± ¡°What, I don¡¯t look like it?¡± Su Li¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Shu Jing was speechless for a while. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Seventh Deity also knows that I invited Mr. Su here. If Eighth Deity doesn¡¯t believe me, you can ask him.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression was a little ugly. I just parted on bad terms with Jin Yunlai not long ago. How could I ask about this now? ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± She turned around and closed the door. Then, she looked at the two of them, her expression had already returned to being cold. ¡°If she¡¯s really an Armory Refinement Saint, she can naturally enter the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Eighth Deity wants us to open this door ourselves?¡± ¡°Those who are qualified and strong enough to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall naturally have no problem opening the door.¡± As Shu Jing spoke, she turned around and left as if she didn¡¯t want to talk to them anymore. Su Li turned around and glanced at her. ¡°This Eighth Deity is really arrogant¡­¡± Chu Liuyue was already used to it.¡±The deities here are all like this, but she¡¯s considered ¡®outstanding.¡¯ Mr. Su, can you open this door?¡± Su Li retracted her gaze and looked at the tightly shut door in front of her. ¡°It should be fine. It¡¯s just¡ª¡± She suddenly paused, and a trace of hesitation flashed across her face. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, this place¡­¡± She had long heard from Chu Liuyue that this Fantasy Divine Hall was exactly the same as the floating pavilion that appeared in the Red Moon Desert, so she was already mentally prepared before she came. But after arriving here and seeing this real hall, her mood was still very subtle. She thought about it and couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, have you tried to go in?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No. This is my first time here.¡± Su Li looked at her, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Since you could enter directly back then, perhaps this place¡­ is the same?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. Actually, she had thought so before. After all, from the beginning, everything in the Fantasy Divine Hall seemed to be quite against her. However, she had no intention of trying for the time being. There were so many people in Fantasy Divine Palace¡ªthere were countless pairs of eyes watching them. If she really went in directly, it would be much more troublesome. That wasn¡¯t what she wanted to see now. Therefore, to be cautious, she still chose to pass the Star Path. Su Li saw the change in her expression and instantly understood something. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll go in and take a look first.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. Su Li took a few steps forward and stretched out her hand. The moment she placed her palm on the door, she immediately sensed a gaze sweeping past her! At this moment, she seemed to have been seen through! Su Li calmed herself down and exerted force with her hand. Creak¡ª The door opened! Her gaze turned slightly, and she looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, be careful.¡± Su Li nodded and walked in without hesitation. Then, the door closed again. Chu Liuyue stared at the door for a while before turning to leave. At this moment, a subtle fluctuation suddenly came from her dantian! The water droplet, which was floating quietly in her dantian, rippled silently for some reason! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened, and she immediately suppressed it! She glanced quickly over her shoulder. Just now, there seemed to be a force calling me! Her hands slowly clenched in her sleeves. She stood rooted to the ground and waited for a long time. When she saw that nothing was wrong, she left. ¡­ At the same time. In front of the empty black jade square, a figure suddenly flashed. It was the Second Deity, Yu Qian. His expression froze as he stared at the black jade square in front of him. There seemed to be waves in his eyes. It had only been a moment since I left, but there was such a commotion here. Could it be¡ª At this moment, light footsteps came from behind. He immediately turned around! His eyes were extremely sharp, piercing like a cold light! Su Li stopped in her tracks and looked at the man who had suddenly appeared in front of her. Her heart was in her throat! This man is extremely dangerous! Moreover, he seems to be extremely hostile to me! However, I have just arrived and haven¡¯t even seen the other party before. Where did this hostility come from? ¡°Who are you?¡± Yu Qian questioned in a deep voice. Su Li suppressed the emotions in her heart, but her face was still calm. She nodded her head and bowed, her voice calm and gentle as she answered: ¡°Su Li.¡± Yu Qian frowned and glanced at her face. In the end, his gaze landed on the token on her waist. ¡°You¡¯re new?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Qian stared at her for a long time before saying slowly, ¡°¡­Armory Refinement Saint?¡± Su Li was shocked. Armory Refinement Masters were different from warriors¡ªtheir cultivation level was hidden very deeply, and outsiders basically couldn¡¯t tell. However, this man only looked at her for a while and actually guessed correctly. ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. Only then did the trace of anger in Yu Qian¡¯s heart dissipate. The Armory Refinement Saints in the world are all closely related to Fantasy Divine Hall. In that case, the fluctuation just now was caused by her. ¡°Head southwest. The Fifth Deity will be in charge.¡± Su Li sensed that the dangerous aura on the other party¡¯s body instantly dissipated. She was puzzled, but she didn¡¯t ask further. ¡°Thank you, Deity.¡± Although she didn¡¯t know what rank the other party was, someone with such an aura in Fantasy Divine Hall must be a deity. Yu Qian had already looked at the black jade square again. The flame at the top of the white jade pillar was much dimmer than before. He frowned. Chapter 2265 - 2265 She Hasnt Seen It? 2265 She Hasn¡¯t Seen It? On the other side, Qiang Wanzhou had already brought people back to their residence. Because of the arrival of Rong Xiu and the others, the original courtyard was no longer enough. However, Cen Yi had already cleaned up the nearby courtyards and was waiting for them to come over. There were many courtyards in Fantasy Divine Palace, and the few courtyards beside them had never been lived in. It was convenient for them. ¡­ This commotion also attracted the attention of some people. Xiao Ran was originally sitting on his roof in boredom, staring at the Star Path and deep in thought. When he saw Qiang Wanzhou bringing people over from afar, he was instantly shocked. This was because he had never seen the people behind him. On second thought, he remembered that Chu Liuyue had said that she wanted to go back and invite an Armory Refinement Saint over. However, why are there so many more people? Seeing that the group was gradually approaching, Xiao Ran touched his chin. These people aren¡¯t weak¡­ Especially the young man in white in front. He is handsome and devilish, exuding a noble aura. If I¡¯ve guessed correctly, he should be that girl¡¯s husband? There was also a young man in black behind him. He held a sword in one hand and looked cold. He seemed to be a follower, but he had already broken through to become a legendary warrior! ¡°Hm?¡± Xiao Ran was suddenly stunned and stared at Yan Qing a few more times. This person¡­ Why does he look a little familiar, as if I have seen him somewhere before? He frowned slightly and kept searching in his mind, but he didn¡¯t get an answer. However, that familiar feeling lingered. At this moment, Yan Qing sensed his gaze and looked up. His facial features were handsome, but there was a faint coldness between his eyebrows. He was like a moving iceberg. In just a moment, Yan Qing retracted his gaze. Xiao Ran stroked his chin. This person¡­ I have indeed never seen him before. Perhaps it¡¯s just my imagination? While Xiao Ran was feeling conflicted, Rong Xiu and the others had already arrived. ¡­ Cen Yi was already waiting at the door. When he saw Rong Xiu and the others, he nodded slightly and bowed. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze swept past him. He responded and walked in. It wasn¡¯t until the few of them entered the house that Xiao Ran retracted his gaze and frowned. No matter how I look at it, there seems to be no problem. However¡­ Peng! There was a sudden explosion. Xiao Ran quickly looked up and saw that on the Star Path, a silver stream of light soared into the sky and quickly transformed into a Xuan formation in midair. ¡°Is someone taking the Star Path again?¡± Xiao Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He instantly soared into the sky and looked over. He was amused when she saw it. Isn¡¯t the woman who is standing on the Star Path and cracking the Xuan formation Chu Liuyue? She just brought someone back and has started trying to crack the Xuan formation again? Isn¡¯t her efficiency too high¡­ As Xiao Ran was thinking, he saw another stream of light fly up¡ªanother Xuan formation had been successfully activated! He was shocked. ¡°Why is the young lady so fast?¡± This commotion on the Star Path quickly attracted the attention of the others in Fantasy Divine Palace. When they realized that this person was Chu Liuyue, many people were quite surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Shangguan Yue? Why is she taking the Star Path again so quickly?¡± ¡°It seems like only half a month has passed since she turned back halfway last time. In such a short period of time, she has already comprehended that Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation?¡± ¡°Tsk, she has already cast two Xuan formations in a row. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not right to say that she can crack one, right?¡± ¡°Putting everything else aside, her talent as a Xuan Master is indeed very shocking. I wonder where she can reach this time?¡± ¡°She probably came with a certain amount of confidence¡­ However, the Great King Xuan Master region has quite a number of Xuan formations. She has only cracked less than one-tenth of them now. It might work for a while, but it probably won¡¯t be long.¡± Everyone had different opinions about Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions. Some people were looking forward to it, while others were disapproving. Chu Liuyue, who was standing on the Star Path, automatically ignored all these voices. She had originally planned to continue taking the Star Path after inviting Su Li over this time. These Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations were no longer difficult for her now. The key was whether Su Li could find out anything. During this period of time, she planned to walk forward as much as possible. This way, if anything happened, she could enter the Fantasy Divine Hall as quickly as possible. With this thought in mind, she waved her hands gently in front of her. Several streams of light flew out and intertwined with each other. After a while, another Xuan formation was cracked! She took a step forward and continued forward! ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. There were more and more onlookers. Gradually, they finally realized that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t come back on a whim this time because she cracked a few Xuan formations at the last minute. She was clearly prepared! Seeing that one Xuan formation after another was broken by her and easily set up, everyone¡¯s attitude quickly changed. ¡°These Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations aren¡¯t simple! She actually outlined them so smoothly?¡± In the crowd, someone couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly, unable to hide the shock in their voice. Although she had also performed very well previously, most of them were King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations. It wasn¡¯t that no one in Fantasy Divine Palace could do it, but it might take a little longer. But this time was different. The difficulty of the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations had increased by more than one-fold! Even if she had been working day and night during this period of time and had been studying these things, she shouldn¡¯t be so heaven-defying, right? ¡­ Mu Yafeng had also arrived. However, she didn¡¯t go to the front and only chose a hidden corner to stay in. From where she was standing, she could see Chu Liuyue walking along the Star Path toward them. She was getting closer and closer to the Fantasy Divine Hall. When she looked carefully, she could even see the calmness between Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyebrows. Clearly, these Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations that were difficult to crack in the eyes of others didn¡¯t pose any threat to her at all. Along the way, she had already set up more than ten Xuan formations in a row without stopping to rest. However, there was no fatigue on her face¡ªit seemed like¡­ she was just taking a stroll. Mu Yafeng gritted her teeth. A few discussions came from the side. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that it seems very easy for Shangguan Yue to take the Star Path?¡± ¡°You think so too? I thought I was the only one who felt that way! How long has it been since the beginning? She hasn¡¯t been stuck at all. Every Xuan formation took a very short time. Even Mu Yafeng didn¡¯t do it to this extent back then¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy for Mu Yafeng to compare to Shangguan Yue, right? The latter broke her record previously!¡± ¡°Sigh, if Shangguan Yue hadn¡¯t just come to Fantasy Divine Palace, I would¡¯ve thought that she had seen these Xuan formations long ago¡­¡± There seemed to be a ball of fire burning in Mu Yafeng¡¯s chest. She said suddenly, ¡°How do you know she hasn¡¯t seen it?¡± Chapter 2266 - 2266 Walking Around 2266 Walking Around Hearing her voice, the few of them turned to look. They hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but now that Mu Yafeng had taken the initiative to speak, they realized that she had come here at some point. The few of them immediately became nervous. Did she hear everything we said just now? No matter what, Mu Yafeng was also the Xuan Master with the greatest chance of completing the Star Path in Fantasy Divine Palace. Now that someone performed better than her, how could she feel good? The few of them looked at each other. One of them finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mu Yafeng, what did you mean just now? Could it be that¡­ Shangguan Yue has really seen these Xuan formations?¡± This is impossible. How long has she been in Fantasy Divine Palace? Also, this is the first time she has come to this position on the Star Path. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate to say such things, right?¡± another person whispered. Mu Yafeng sneered. ¡°What¡¯s not to say? When she passed the King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations previously, didn¡¯t she personally say that she had seen some of them?¡± The few of them choked. Chu Liuyue had indeed said this before, but¡­ Those Xuan formations weren¡¯t very high-level. It was very likely that she had seen many people with some wealth in the God Residence Realm. There was nothing much to say about that. However, Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations were different. There was no place in the world that had more advanced Xuan formations than Fantasy Divine Palace. Even if she had seen some, it was at most a portion. It was definitely impossible to be all of it, let alone completely cover the Xuan formations on this Star Path. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really think that there¡¯s someone in this world who can instantly comprehend Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations with just a glance?¡± Mu Yafeng said softly. Their expressions changed. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± Oh yeah. No matter how talented Chu Liuyue is, she shouldn¡¯t be so heaven-defying. If this continues, she can almost equal the Seventh Deity¡¯s results, right? One had to know that back then, even the Seventh Deity had spent hundreds of years to complete the Star Path. This was also why he could become the Seventh Deity! How long had Chu Liuyue been here? This was too smooth. Mu Yafeng said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything. Everyone has sharp eyes. I didn¡¯t need to say anything in the first place.¡± These words made people even more suspicious. Suddenly, a young man beside them seemed to have thought of something. ¡°Oh right! I remember that Shangguan Yue seems to have a good relationship with Zhen Bao Pavilion? Lord Ming Shu seemed to have personally gone to look for her previously and invited her to Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, it immediately caused quite a commotion. ¡°What kind of status does Master Ming Shu have to be so polite to her? But she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t be like this, right?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. I wasn¡¯t the only one who saw it that day.¡± ¡°Wait, have you forgotten that there¡¯s a copy of the Li Fire Xuan Map hidden in Zhen Bao Pavilion? Could it be¡­ she saw this?¡± The crowd fell silent. They knew very well what the Li Fire Xuan Map was. If that was the case, it wasn¡¯t difficult to explain everything. However, there was another problem. ¡°The Li Fire Xuan Map is so precious. How is Shangguan Yue qualified to see it?¡± Buy it? That was impossible. Even a well-known figure like Mu Yafeng, who had been accumulating wealth for years, still didn¡¯t have enough capital to buy it. It was needless to say for the others. ¡°Could it be that Master Ming Shu is behind this¡ª¡± Someone spoke quietly. Halfway through, he was suddenly interrupted. ¡°I say, what¡¯s the point of guessing here?¡± Everyone, including Mu Yafeng, turned around in shock. At some point, Xiao Ran had arrived not far behind them. At this moment, he had his arms crossed and was leaning lazily against the wall, looking at them with a faint smile. ¡°Anyway, Master Ming Shu spends most of his time in Zhen Bao Pavilion. Isn¡¯t it better for you to go over and ask now?¡± The few of them fell silent. Ming Shu usually looked amiable, but everyone knew that he wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. Zhen Bao Pavilion wasn¡¯t even afraid of the Eighth Deity, let alone them. If they went over now, wouldn¡¯t they be making things difficult for themselves? When Mu Yafeng saw Xiao Ran, a trace of fear flashed across her eyes. But at this moment, Xiao Ran suddenly looked over. ¡°Mu Yafeng.¡± His lips curled up slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know why Shangguan Yue can walk on the Star Path so smoothly?¡± Mu Yafeng¡¯s lips turned pale. The people beside her looked at Mu Yafeng in confusion, then at Xiao Ran. What are these words¡­ implying? However, Xiao Ran didn¡¯t say anything else and turned to look at Chu Liuyue. Actually, I¡¯m also very curious. How far can she go this time? Mu Yafeng clenched her fists and shut up. It was considered a secret that Chu Liuyue was helping Zhen Bao Pavilion replicate the Xuan formations. If this matter was said by Chu Liuyue or Zhen Bao Pavilion themselves, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. But if this was said by her, it would be different. Although she was very dissatisfied with Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s bias toward Chu Liuyue, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to publicly offend them. While they were arguing, Chu Liuyue had already cracked three more Xuan formations. Seeing how persistent she was, many people were surprised. ¡°How far¡­ can she go?¡± ¡­ Rong Xiu stood in the courtyard and looked up slightly. He could see the silver streams of light that kept rushing into the air. The Xuan formations quickly condensed and dissipated, and the distance kept moving forward. Clearly, she was getting closer and closer to the Fantasy Divine Hall. Shangguan Jing walked out of the house and lowered his eyes slightly, as if he were deep in thought. He had just asked Tang Ke some questions inside. Ever since he saw Kong Qinglin break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint with his own eyes, he vaguely felt that he was closer to that doorstep. But just a little more, just a little more. Fortunately, Tang Ke also came and gave him a lot of opinions. He felt like he had comprehended something, but he was still missing something. Seeing Rong Xiu standing in the courtyard, he raised his voice and said, ¡°Rong Xiu, you just came to Fantasy Divine Palace. Why aren¡¯t you walking around?¡± Chapter 2267 - 2267 Asking 2267 Asking Hearing this, Rong Xiu turned around and smiled faintly. ¡°Since I¡¯m already here, there¡¯s no hurry.¡± Seeing that he was calm, Shangguan Jing was relieved. Rong Xiu is extremely talented and has his own plans. He probably already has his own plans and doesn¡¯t need others to worry about him. Following his gaze, Shangguan Jing smiled. ¡°It seems like Yue¡¯er¡¯s side is quite smooth.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Xiu nodded slightly. Those Xuan formations are indeed nothing to her. Shangguan Jing waved his hand. ¡°Take care of that girl first and tell her not to be so anxious. I¡¯ll go into seclusion for the next few days.¡± Previously, when Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t around, he had been watching over this group of people carefully. Now that Rong Xiu was here, he could finally be free. Rong Xiu raised his thin lips slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Only then did Shangguan Jing return to his room. ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. Jin Yunlai walked out of the room and looked into the distance. ¡°She continued again?¡± The commotion on the Star Path wasn¡¯t small. It was difficult for him not to know. After staring at it for a while, Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression gradually became serious. Chu Liuyue is really much faster than I had expected. ¡°It seems like she has really obtained the Li Fire Xuan Map?¡± Jin Yunlai muttered softly. When Mu Yafeng previously sent the news, he only said that Zhen Bao Pavilion had invited Chu Liuyue to copy the precious Xuan formations on the second floor. But at that time, he wasn¡¯t quite sure which ones it was. But now, everything was clear. If she hadn¡¯t seen the Li Fire Xuan Map, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk so smoothly on the Star Path. ¡°It seems like Zhen Bao Pavilion really values her¡­ They¡¯re even willing to give this to her.¡± Jin Yunlai frowned slightly. However, he was still quite puzzled because even so, she shouldn¡¯t be so fast. The further she goes, the more complicated the Xuan formations become. Yet, her speed is almost unaffected. This almost makes people suspect that she has already memorized all these Xuan formations on the entire Star Path! But how is this possible? No matter how good her comprehension is, she shouldn¡¯t be so fast. Perhaps¡­ I should find a time to talk to Chu Liuyue¡­ At this moment, a familiar fluctuation came from ahead. Right on the heels of that, a figure appeared in the void. The Apotheosis Book and the reddish-gold feather also flew over. Jin Yunlai hurriedly caught it. ¡°Lord Yu Mo, why are you back so soon?¡± He had thought that it would take a few days. Yu Mo smiled faintly. ¡°The emperor already knows the names on it, so it naturally won¡¯t take long. Besides, the Heaven Gate is still in the process of opening. Many things after that still need the Seventh Deity to be responsible.¡± Jin Yunlai respectfully said, ¡°Yes.¡± This is probably the emperor¡¯s idea¡­ ¡°If you have any instructions later, I¡¯ll inform you,¡± Yu Mo said. Jin Yunlai responded and suddenly thought of something. He asked, ¡°Lord Yu Mo, hasn¡¯t Lord Yan Qing always been in charge of connecting to Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Why has it suddenly been Yu Mo recently? Yu Mo asked calmly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be the Seventh Deity¡¯s place to ask about such a matter, right?¡± Jin Yunlai was shocked. Only then did he realize that he had gone overboard and immediately took half-step back. ¡°Lord Yu Mo, please forgive me. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± Yu Mo stared at him for a long time. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know.¡± With that, he turned around and left. After a long time, Jin Yunlai heaved a sigh of relief. Chapter 2268 - 2268 Accepting Your Proposal 2268 Accepting Your Proposal Medicinal mountain. Compared to the past, this place was much livelier now. Ever since Shu Jing was reprimanded in public and trashed many of the rules, the heavenly doctors of Fantasy Divine Palace no longer had to be restrained and could freely come and go to the medicinal mountain. This was what Shu Jing saw when she arrived. At first glance, almost every mountain was crowded. All kinds of medicinal herbs were continuously taken away. Although this wasn¡¯t the first time Shu Jing saw this scene, her heart still skipped a beat. In the past, if these people wanted to get these things, they would have to spend a lot of effort to please her. But now, they no longer cared about her. In fact, a few people walked past her. They only bowed and greeted her before leaving quickly. In the past¡ª Shu Jing took a deep breath and suppressed those messy thoughts. Now that things have come to this, it is useless for me to think too much. I don¡¯t want to give up the position of Eighth Deity. But at this moment, from the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw many people heading toward a certain mountain peak. This is¡­ As she was in a daze, she saw a woman leisurely walking over from afar. Wrapped in a colorful dress, her black hair fluttered in the wind. As she moved, her graceful figure was revealed. There were small pieces of broken jade on the colorful rope on her wrist. She only raised her hand gently and tucked her hair behind her ear. Shu Jing¡¯s face turned cold. Those people were clearly targeting the woman. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, we meet again. What a coincidence! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, did you bring enough herbs back last time? What are you interested in today? Why don¡¯t I help you look for it?¡± ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, I heard that you¡¯re quite interested and talented in refining medicine. Why don¡¯t we spar when we have time?¡± Extremely eager voices sounded. Xiao Ba plucked an ice lotus and smiled lazily. ¡°I¡¯ve been coming here every day recently. It¡¯s not a coincidence that we bumped into each other. In addition, there are so many medicinal herbs here. I¡¯ll take whatever I like. As for sparring¡­¡± She blinked, and her thick and long eyelashes fluttered slightly. Her beautiful eyes were charming. ¡°I¡¯m not that free.¡± Most of these people are just Senior Physicians. How could they spar with me? If I have the time, I might as well go back and continue refining medicine. Ever since I became a Supreme Physician, Big Brother really knows how to squeeze me dry! At the thought of this, she sighed sadly. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been very tired recently.¡± Everyone was originally very embarrassed by her retort, but when they saw her frown slightly, their hearts ached, and they felt guilty. ¡°Then¡­ In that case, we won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Miss Xiao Ba, go back and rest as soon as possible.¡± Finally, it is quiet. Xiao Ba blinked and smiled in satisfaction. Then, she slowly chose some herbs. These people were really interesting. Because she had offended the Eighth Deity previously, none of them dared to say a word. Now that the situation had reversed, they were no longer afraid and followed over. Pfft. After making her choice, she prepared to leave. But as soon as she turned around, she felt a gaze that couldn¡¯t be considered kind land on her. She stopped in her tracks and looked up. After that, she immediately smiled. ¡°Eighth Deity, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± Shu Jing didn¡¯t want to pay much attention to Xiao Ba, but when she saw the smile on the latter¡¯s face, she felt that it was especially dazzling. ¡°Although the medicinal mountain is open now, the herbs inside are especially precious. If you can¡¯t make good use of them, it¡¯s better not to take so many away. It¡¯s more suitable to leave them to others who need them more.¡± Xiao Ba was stunned. ¡°Eighth Deity, why do you say that? Why are these herbs a waste in my hands?¡± Shu Jing looked at her coldly. This woman is like a demon. All her thoughts are probably spent on her face. How could she have the time and energy to think about refining medicine? ¡°With so many people disturbing you every day, you probably can¡¯t refine medicine well.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s words were tactful and sarcastic. She was just short of directly saying that Xiao Ba only wanted to seduce men every day. When many people around heard this, their expressions changed. No matter what, it wasn¡¯t nice to say such things to a girl. Unexpectedly, just as they thought that Xiao Ba was going to go crazy, Xiao Ba suddenly smiled. ¡°Oh, is that what the Eighth Deity is talking about? You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Although I feel a little annoyed occasionally, I¡¯m already used to it. People who don¡¯t catch my eye will definitely not disturb me. It¡¯s the same no matter how many people there are. Oh, I almost forgot. The Eighth Deity probably hasn¡¯t experienced this before, so she thinks that people¡¯s hearts are so easily swayed.¡± She took a step forward, tilted her head, and smiled. ¡°If you¡¯re like me, you¡¯ll naturally get used to it.¡± Shu Jing was furious! Is Xiao Ba mocking me?! As the Eighth Deity, I naturally can¡¯t be compared to such a demon-like woman! ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Sigh, Eighth Deity, I think your dark circles are getting heavier again. Have you not rested well recently? That¡¯s true. If I was reprimanded in public, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain my face. I¡¯d definitely not come out for 180 years.¡± ¡°Impudent!¡± ¡°Hehe, Eighth Deity, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m just joking with you¡ªI¡¯ve never been scolded before, and I naturally can¡¯t understand your current mood. If I¡¯m wrong, please be magnanimous and don¡¯t hold it against me.¡± Shu Jing was so choked that she couldn¡¯t say a word. There seemed to be a fire burning in her chest and abdomen, and she wished she could tear the woman in front of her apart! However, Xiao Ba had already waved her hand and left. ¡°The herbs this time are enough for a period of time. I¡¯ll come again after a while. Eighth Deity, let¡¯s meet another day.¡± ¡­ After successfully choking Shu Jing, Xiao Ba was in a good mood and happily returned to her residence. But before she arrived, she saw someone standing at the intersection. She paused in her tracks. However, that person had already seen her. After hesitating for a moment, he came forward. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba.¡± ¡°Liang He? Why are you here again?¡± Xiao Ba looked at him in surprise. Didn¡¯t he already run away from me in anger previously? He even said that he would never look for me again. How¡ª Liang He¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, I was rash that day. Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t take it to heart. After I went back that day, I¡¯ve been thinking about it for the past few days. Miss Xiao Ba is magnificent and has countless admirers. I¡¯m indeed not qualified to ask Miss Xiao Ba to like me right away.¡± He hesitated for a long moment before saying with difficulty, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, I¡¯ve thought about it. Your suggestion that day¡­ I can accept it.¡± Xiao Ba: ? Chapter 2269 - 2269 It Was Nothing 2269 It Was Nothing Is Liang He crazy? The corners of Xiao Ba¡¯s mouth twitched as she took a half-step back. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t too good, right?¡± Liang He hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, I remember you saying that the person you like isn¡¯t in Fantasy Divine Palace, right? If he doesn¡¯t come, then¡­ Miss Xiao Ba, can you consider me for the time being?¡± Xiao Ba took another half-step back. ¡°You mean¡­ you want me to be with you first and leave when they come?¡± Liang He was extremely embarrassed, but he still nodded. When he heard Xiao Ba say those words that day, he was indeed extremely angry. That was why he left angrily after saying those harsh words. But in the past few days, Xiao Ba¡¯s figure kept appearing in his mind. He couldn¡¯t sleep well and couldn¡¯t do anything; he was in a mess. Therefore, after thinking about it, he finally made this extremely difficult decision. Although he also felt that this was very bad, he felt a little relieved after saying it. Of course, he had his own plans. What kind of place was Fantasy Divine Palace? How could one come just because they wanted to? Perhaps that person would never come. Even if they came, he could still deal with them. When Xiao Ba saw his determined expression, as if he really planned to do this, she instantly felt uncomfortable. What¡¯s going on? After waiting for a long time for Xiao Ba¡¯s reply, Liang He was a little nervous. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, what do you think?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Xiao Ba.¡± Suddenly, a calm and slightly cold voice came from behind. Xiao Ba looked up and saw that someone had already opened the door to the courtyard. He was holding his sword with both hands and standing upright, looking over indifferently. It was Yan Qing. Xiao Ba widened her eyes in shock, almost suspecting that she had seen wrongly. Isn¡¯t this person at Peach Blossom Dock? Why is he suddenly here? After thinking for a moment, she immediately realized something. ¡°You came with His Highness?¡± Yan Qing nodded his head, his expression still handsome and cold. His gaze swept across the two of them and lingered on Liang He for a moment. ¡°Liang He?¡± Liang He was stunned. ¡°You know me?¡± Yan Qing said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you.¡± Liang He was even more puzzled. This person doesn¡¯t seem to be from Fantasy Divine Palace. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡± He came out of the courtyard and seems to be very familiar with Xiao Ba¡­ She came to Yan Qing¡¯s side and looked up at him. Her weak little hand had already climbed onto his arm as she said softly, ¡°Yan Qing, you¡¯re finally here. I¡¯ve waited so long!¡± Yan Qing¡¯s body stiffened. He wanted to push her hand away, but when he looked down and saw the light in her beautiful eyes, he suddenly stopped. Liang He was also stunned. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, you are¡­¡± During this period of time, he had some understanding of Xiao Ba. Although she was enchanting and beautiful, she was actually very distant and polite when interacting with others. Apart from Chu Liuyue and the rest, she was cold to most of the others and didn¡¯t even bother to say much, let alone make such an intimate gesture. Xiao Ba leaned forward, planning to hug Yan Qing¡¯s arm. But at this moment, Yan Qing held his sword with both hands and didn¡¯t move. It was simply an iron tube defense. She glared up at him and reached out to pinch his waist. ¡°Give me your arm! Hurry!¡± Would it kill him to cooperate?! In the end, before she could twist it, Yan Qing¡¯s waist was lean. Under his thin clothes, there were extremely tough muscles. Her pinch was like a game. Yan Qing looked down at her. Xiao Ba threw two glares at him. Only then did Yan Qing let go of his arm. Xiao Ba immediately took advantage of the situation and grabbed his arm with her slender white arm, then leaned closer to him. Her skin was really too fair. Under the sunlight, it glowed brightly¡ªit was as if a little force would leave a mark on it. Yan Qing looked away calmly. Xiao Ba had already turned to look at Liang He. ¡°Now¡ªdo you understand?¡± Liang He¡¯s face turned pale. He never expected that he would come in the blink of an eye after gritting his teeth and making such a difficult decision. He paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Is¡­ is this the person you like?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s glabella moved. Right on the heels of that, he heard the woman beside him laugh gently. ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Qing lowered his eyes slightly. ¡°Looks, figure, and temperament. Which one of them isn¡¯t the best?¡± As Xiao Ba spoke, she tapped the back of Yan Qing¡¯s hand. ¡°I remember that you broke through to become a legendary warrior before, right?¡± Yan Qing paused. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Ba smiled proudly. Very good! What I want is to crush him! ¡°Liang He, do you still want to compete now? If you were me, who would you choose?¡± Liang He was speechless. It was one thing to hear about it before, but it was another thing to see it with his own eyes. If this person hadn¡¯t come, he could still convince himself, but now¡­ He watched with his own eyes as such a man stood beside her, and she leaned against him intimately. The two of them were almost intimate, as if they were a pair of perfect lovers. If he continued to pester her, he would really become the joke of the entire Fantasy Divine Palace! Liang He gritted his teeth, but his face was pale. If I had known¡­ ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Liang He, right?¡± Before he could continue, Yan Qing¡¯s arm fell and held Xiao Ba¡¯s hand. The warmth of his palm immediately made Xiao Ba shiver and turn to look at him in surprise. However, Yan Qing¡¯s expression was as cold as ever. He looked at Liang He and said calmly, ¡°Since she has already rejected you, please respect yourself. From today onwards, you¡¯re only allowed to be ten steps away from her. Otherwise¡ªyou don¡¯t want to know how fast my sword is.¡± The last sentence was cold and heavy, clearly a blatant threat! Liang He¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. But as a heavenly doctor, he would only fight a legendary warrior if he couldn¡¯t think straight! However, Yan Qing could no longer be bothered with his answer. He pulled Xiao Ba and turned to enter. ¡°Xiao Ba, let¡¯s go.¡± Xiao Ba blinked and looked at Liang He¡¯s defeated expression. As expected, he didn¡¯t chase after her. The door to the courtyard closed quickly. Liang He stood there for a while, feeling extremely embarrassed, and finally left in a hurry. Xiao Ba turned around and saw that he had already fled. She immediately narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and smiled. To deal with such a person, one has to use ruthless methods! Although she was shocked when she first heard him agree to her suggestion, after thinking about it carefully, she felt that something was wrong. Liang He was the youngest Supreme Physician in Fantasy Divine Palace. How could he really do this? The moment Yan Qing appeared, he was forced to retreat. She turned back. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, thank you! I didn¡¯t expect you to be so sensible!¡± Yan Qing let go of her hand. His fingertips still seemed to have that delicate and smooth touch. There was also a faint fragrance on them. He said softly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± Chapter 2270 - 2270 She Choosed to Continue 2270 She Choosed to Continue Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled slightly. There is nothing wrong with Yan Qing. He¡¯s just as cold as an iceberg all day long and is so serious that he is almost stubborn. I¡¯m sincerely thanking him, but he is still so polite. She yawned. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t delay Lord Yan Qing¡¯s work. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± She had just taken a step when Yan Qing stopped her again. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba.¡± Xiao Ba stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, narrowing her beautiful eyes. ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± Yan Qing was stunned. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right. You called me Xiao Ba just now.¡± Xiao Ba walked forward and stopped in front of Yan Qing. She tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°Why is it Miss Xiao Ba again? It sounds so distant!¡± I thought that we were already familiar with each other. Yan Qing paused. ¡°There was a reason just now.¡± Xiao Ba stared at him and snorted. ¡°Forget it. You can call me whatever you want!¡± This person can¡¯t be taught for a while. After resolving a small problem, Xiao Ba¡¯s mood was still very good. Furthermore, she owed Yan Qing a favor. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Lord Yan Qing to take care of me in the future. If this happens again, Lord Yan Qing, you have to remember to help.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°In the future? This¡­ isn¡¯t appropriate, right?¡± How could Xiao Ba not know what he was thinking? She smiled. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, neither of us are married yet. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± It was true that she didn¡¯t care about those people, but as time passed and there were more people, it would occasionally be very annoying. Now that Yan Qing was here, wouldn¡¯t it save a lot of trouble for her? Yan Qing looked at her and said, ¡°If Miss Xiao Ba meets someone she likes in the future¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain it to him then!¡± Xiao Ba patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t implicate others because of this.¡± Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes widened slightly. ¡°Could it be that Lord Yan Qing already has a woman he likes?¡± In that case, it is indeed inappropriate for me to do this¡­ Yan Qing looked at her, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°No.¡± Only then did Xiao Ba relax and smile again. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. I¡¯ll leave first and won¡¯t disturb Lord Yan Qing.¡± With that, she walked toward her room. After a long time, Yan Qing retracted his gaze and rubbed his fingertips. ¡­ Several days passed in the blink of an eye. Chu Liuyue was still walking on the Star Path. She had almost cracked all the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations. The one in front of her was the last one. As long as she successfully set this one up, it meant that she had completed four-fifths of the entire Star Path and officially stepped into the Grandmaster-level Xuan formation region! The people around her were also holding their breaths. At this point, there was no doubt about Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent and ability. Even if she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, everything she had shown so far was enough to make people exclaim! When she broke Mu Yafeng¡¯s record previously, everyone thought that she was at most a little better than her. But from the looks of it, it was more than just a little¡­? Chu Liuyue had clearly left Mu Yafeng far behind! Bam! A silver stream of light flew up! A Xuan formation instantly formed above Chu Liuyue¡¯s head. She raised her head slightly, glanced at it, and let out a long breath. Actually, her spirit and strength had been greatly consumed at this moment, and her lips were a little pale. She closed her eyes and adjusted her breathing. Seeing this, everyone couldn¡¯t help but look at each other. ¡°Is she going to stop?¡± ¡°She has to stop. Isn¡¯t she a Great King Xuan Master? Those are all Grandmaster-level Xuan formations!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But even so, it¡¯s really impressive¡­ If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about this speed!¡± ¡°If she also had a bloodline totem, how could Mu Yafeng have anything to do with her? I reckon the Seventh Deity would also treat her differently¡­ What a pity.¡± All kinds of discussions came one after another. Some people even looked at Mu Yafeng and observed her expression. However, Mu Yafeng was expressionless at this moment, so they couldn¡¯t tell. Of course, she was definitely unhappy. Anyone would probably be unhappy at this moment. How could Mu Yafeng not know that they were looking at her? Over the years, because she was highly regarded by the Seventh Deity and sought after by many people, she was also secretly envied by many people. There were definitely many people waiting to see her make a fool of herself. Therefore, no matter what, she couldn¡¯t show anything at this moment. Seeing that the last Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation had also been set up, Mu Yafeng clenched her fists in her sleeves. It doesn¡¯t matter. She is only a Great King Xuan Master. Even if she has already seen the Li Fire Xuan Map, it is impossible for her to comprehend the Grandmaster-level Xuan formations in such a short period of time. How could that threshold be so easy to cross? At the thought of this, Mu Yafeng was finally in a better mood. She turned to leave. But at this moment, the surrounding crowd suddenly became restless. Many people gasped and exclaimed. Mu Yafeng immediately felt uneasy and turned around. What she saw finally cracked the calm expression on her face. Shock and disbelief flowed from her eyes. The woman standing on the Star Path didn¡¯t leave as everyone had expected. Instead, after a short rest, she continued forward! Without hesitation, she stepped forward! At the same time, a light spot suddenly lit up¡ªGrandmaster-level Xuan formation! Chapter 2271 - 2271 I Want to See Her 2271 I Want to See Her Without any hesitation, she stepped into the Grandmaster-level Xuan formation region. Countless streams of light flew out from her hands and quickly intertwined with each other to draw an extremely complicated Xuan formation. Many people felt dazzled just by looking at it. But from beginning to end, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hesitate at all. Every stream of light seemed to have its own consciousness and landed where it should have appeared. After a while, the outline of a Xuan formation appeared in front of her. The patterns on it were also quickly filled in and outlined. ¡°She¡¯s really trying to set up a Grandmaster-level Xuan formation!?¡± After the initial commotion, the crowd around them fell silent. Countless eyes stared at this scene without blinking, afraid that they would miss something. Mu Yafeng was also watching, but the more she looked, the more flustered she became. From the looks of it, this isn¡¯t the first time Chu Liuyue has set up a Grandmaster-level Xuan formation! ¡°Could she have hidden her strength!?¡± Mu Yafeng couldn¡¯t help but mutter. Apart from this answer, she couldn¡¯t think of any reasonable explanation. However, Chu Liuyue is a legendary warrior and has just broken through to become a Supreme Physician. How could she be a Grandmaster Xuan Master?! Even if Fantasy Divine Palace gathers all the top geniuses in the world, there has never been such a heaven-defying figure! ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. When Chu Liuyue went forward and tried to set up the Grandmaster-level Xuan formation, Jin Yunlai knew about this. He stood with his hands behind his back and looked in the direction of the Star Path. After a moment, he stopped hesitating and walked out. Even if she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, such talent was extremely rare. He had to go personally. When he passed by the black jade square, he glanced from the corner of his eye and happened to see Yu Qian standing there. Jin Yunlai stopped in his tracks, half-turned around, and nodded his head in Yu Qian¡¯s direction. ¡°Second Deity.¡± Yu Qian asked, ¡°Are you planning to see Shangguan Yue?¡± Jin Yunlai wasn¡¯t surprised that he had guessed it and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Qian smiled. ¡°I heard that she¡¯s not even 20 years old. It¡¯s indeed rare for her to have such a performance.¡± Jin Yunlai gave him a strange look. Yu Qian actually has extremely high standards. There are only a few people in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace who can be praised by him like this. ¡°Just go. When she finishes the Star Path, take her to Phoenix Mountain and tell her that I want to see her.¡± Yu Qian nodded his head and laughed. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know yet, but the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s current young mistress is her contracted fiend.¡± ¡­ Jin Yunlai walked out of the Fantasy Divine Hall with mixed feelings and walked forward along the Star Path. The moment he appeared on the Star Path, he immediately attracted the attention of many people. ¡°The Seventh Deity is here!¡± ¡°Did he come at this time because of Shangguan Yue?¡± ¡°It must be, right? After all, Shangguan Yue is the only one on the Star Path now.¡± ¡°With such talent and performance¡­ If it were anyone else, the Seventh Deity would¡¯ve come long ago. It¡¯s only because Shangguan Yue doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem that it dragged on until now, right?¡± When Mu Yafeng heard the commotion, she immediately looked up. When she saw that it was really Jin Yunlai, she pursed her lips and dug her nails into her palms. Even this person is here¡­ Is Chu Liuyue really going to make a comeback? Bam! There was an explosion! Mu Yafeng turned around and saw a silver Xuan formation that was much bigger and more dazzling than before blooming in midair! The bright light illuminated the surroundings and gave Chu Liuyue, who was standing below, a faint glow. Everyone was silent. Grandmaster-level Xuan formation¡ªsuccess! This also meant that Chu Liuyue¡¯s cultivation level had officially broken through to the Grandmaster Xuan Master level! ¡­ Mu Yafeng¡¯s face turned pale, and she almost lost her balance. She had suffered too many blows recently. Moreover, they all came from the same person. Every time she thought that she had already estimated Chu Liuyue¡¯s true level, the other party would show even more shocking strength! Looking at the Grandmaster-level Xuan formation that had been successfully set up, she was stunned for a moment. It wasn¡¯t just her. Most of the onlookers were actually the same, including Jin Yunlai. Looking at the woman in a red dress with her black hair flying, he couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly. ¡°You deliberately hid your strength previously?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. This Xuan formation was set up perfectly. It was a good start. Hearing Jin Yunlai¡¯s voice, she retracted her gaze and smiled brightly. ¡°No, why did the Seventh Deity say that?¡± Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°If you weren¡¯t a Grandmaster Xuan Master previously, how could you have comprehended this Xuan formation in such a short time?¡± Even a Grandmaster Xuan Master would take a month, and she hadn¡¯t even been in Fantasy Divine Palace for so long! Chu Liuyue smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Seventh Deity, I believe you can tell if I¡¯m hiding my strength. As for how I did all of this in such a short time, the reason is very simple¡ªI¡¯m talented.¡± Jin Yunlai: ¡°¡­¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± This answer was irrefutable. Looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s open and relaxed appearance, Jin Yunlai¡¯s heart wavered again. Could it be¡­ that I had really underestimated her previously? The last time she took the Star Path, I had indeed paid attention to her. She was indeed a Great King Xuan Master¡­ Was it really a recent breakthrough? But this is too¡­ Jin Yunlai frowned. He suddenly understood why Zhen Bao Pavilion had chosen her. If what she said was true, then¡­ the talent she had would be extremely terrifying! Jin Yunlai stared at her for a while before asking, ¡°Then, do you still want to continue now?¡± Chu Liuyue glanced ahead. The Xuan formations in this region are relatively simple and won¡¯t waste too much effort. Still¡­ It seems a little unusual for Jin Yunlai to come over at this time. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head and looked at Jin Yunlai. ¡°Seventh Deity, why are you looking for me?¡± Jin Yunlai knew that she was very smart and didn¡¯t hide it. He simply nodded at her. ¡°Follow me.¡± With that, he turned around and walked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. Chu Liuyue was dazed. Jin Yunlai has never been very interested in me. This was the first time he had taken the initiative to look for me. Moreover, why is he still walking toward the Fantasy Divine Hall? Is there anything he can¡¯t say here? Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind raced, and she followed him without any hesitation. After the two of them left, the originally dead-silent crowd immediately became restless, and all kinds of guesses arose. Annoyed, Mu Yafeng turned around and left. ¡­ On the other side, Chu Liuyue followed Jin Yunlai forward. Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t say anything along the way, so Chu Liuyue tactfully kept quiet. The two of them arrived at Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s door again. Then, Jin Yunlai changed his direction and headed to the right. Chapter 2272 - 2272 Divine Master 2272 Divine Master Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. This was the end of the Star Path. Further ahead was the magnificent and sacred Fantasy Divine Hall. Other than that, there was only the continuous mountain range behind. They were clearly not going to the Fantasy Divine Hall. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and finally asked, ¡°Seventh Deity, where are we going now?¡± Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Phoenix Mountain.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Phoenix Mountain? What kind of place is that?¡± Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t stop walking. ¡°You¡¯ll naturally know when we arrive.¡± His voice was as cold as ever, as if he didn¡¯t want to say more. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved, but she swallowed the rest of her words. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue continued to walk forward with Jin Yunlai. They were walking along the outer wall of Fantasy Divine Hall. As it was still cold and cheerless, apart from the two of them, there was no one else on the wide road. After all, this was still within the range of the Fantasy Divine Hall. After walking for a while, Jin Yunlai finally stopped. In front of the two of them, there was a translucent barrier that blocked the path. A faint pressure exuded from it. Even though Chu Liuyue was already a legendary warrior, she still felt a tightness in her chest when she stood here. She frowned and became vigilant without batting an eye. ¡°This time, the Second Deity wants to see you. You have to think about what to say later,¡± Jin Yunlai finally turned to look at her and said calmly. Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°Second Deity?¡± He was already the second-in-command among the deities. Even Jin Yunlai, Shu Jing, and the others had to treat him respectfully. However, such a person actually wanted to take the initiative to see her at this time? In an instant, countless guesses flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart, but she still looked calm. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Seventh Deity.¡± Jin Yunlai saw that she was still neither servile nor overbearing. She was calm and composed as she nodded. Apart from the lack of a bloodline totem, Chu Liuyue¡¯s other performances were flawless. Chu Liuyue found it weird. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Seventh Deity coming along?¡± Jin Yunlai narrowed his eyes. ¡°This is Phoenix Mountain, adjacent to the Fantasy Divine Hall. It¡¯s also one of the forbidden areas of the entire Fantasy Divine Palace. Ordinary people aren¡¯t allowed to enter.¡± Not even him. Chu Liuyue looked enlightened, but she secretly clicked her tongue in her heart. So behind this is the forbidden area that Jin Yunlai had mentioned before. However, he also said that it¡¯s one of the forbidden areas¡­ There are quite a number of forbidden areas in Fantasy Divine Palace. She put her thoughts away and walked forward. With a step, her figure disappeared behind the barrier. Seeing her enter, Jin Yunlai frowned slightly and was silent for a long time. He had always felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Yu Qian to choose this place to meet Chu Liuyue. However, Yu Qian was the Second Deity after all. He had an extremely strong say in the current Fantasy Divine Palace, especially now that the First Deity was in seclusion. Many matters had fallen into the hands of the Second Deity. Jin Yunlai suddenly remembered what Shu Jing had said previously. The Heaven Gate has already opened. Logically speaking, the First Deity should indeed come out¡­ Deep in thought, he pondered for a long time before turning to leave. ¡­ This time, Chu Liuyue passed through the barrier and came inside. She stood still and looked forward. Then, she was stunned. In front of her was a steep and tall mountain, but there wasn¡¯t a single blade of grass on this mountain. It was only charred and bare; it looked like it had just experienced a fire. Even the area at the foot of the mountain was barren and lifeless. Standing here and looking at this scene, she seemed to be able to smell a faint burning aura in the air. But when she looked carefully, she realized that many of the stones on the mountain had already been polished to show signs of age. Even if something had really happened here, it doesn¡¯t seem to be recent. She suddenly thought of something and looked back. The magnificent Fantasy Divine Hall was behind her, but a translucent barrier fell from the sky, separating Fantasy Divine Hall from this place, as if they were two different worlds. In an instant, she understood something¡ªthis so-called Phoenix Mountain was actually the back mountain of Fantasy Divine Hall! The rumors she had previously heard surfaced in her mind suddenly. Yeah, Xiao Ran once said that tens of thousands of years ago, Fantasy Divine Hall had experienced a huge fire that almost burned down half of the hall. The current Fantasy Divine Hall took a thousand years to repair. It was also that time that the red-gold heavenly phoenix ancestor, who was the legendary fiend guarding the hall, defected from Fantasy Divine Hall. From then on, it implicated the entire race and became a sinner! Could it be that this Phoenix Mountain is also¡­ ¡°It seems like you¡¯re quite interested in the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± A gentle and young voice suddenly sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw a person coming from the scorched Phoenix Mountain. He was very fast and arrived in front of Chu Liuyue in a few seconds. When he arrived, there was no energy fluctuation around him! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This person¡¯s strength is definitely above that of a legendary warrior! She quickly sized the man up. He looked to be in his twenties, and he was handsome and gentle. It was really difficult to imagine that he was the Second Deity who controlled the lives of countless people! At this moment, Yu Qian was also looking at her. A very faint wave flashed across his eyes. ¡°Greetings, Second Deity.¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her head and bowed respectfully. Yu Qian came back to his senses and smiled slowly. ¡°I asked you to come over today because I have something to tell you.¡± He raised his hand and pointed at the Phoenix Mountain behind him. ¡°Do you know where this is?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Isn¡¯t this Phoenix Mountain? What else could it be? As if reading her mind, Yu Qian smiled and said, ¡°In the past, the Divine Master¡¯s legendary fiend, the red-gold heavenly phoenix, was raised here.¡± Chapter 2273 - 2273 Achievable 2273 Achievable Divine Master! Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted. Almost instantly, she understood that the ¡®Divine Master¡¯ Yu Qian was talking about was definitely Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s true master! It turns out that the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenixes isn¡¯t only a legendary fiend, but it was also personally taken care of and raised by that Divine Master? To be able to leave the back mountain of Fantasy Divine Hall specially for it, it¡¯s enough to show how much the Divine Master trusted and doted on it back then. However, I wondered what happened later that caused that person to defect and even burn down Fantasy Divine Hall? As it concerned the many secrets back then, Chu Liuyue tactfully didn¡¯t reply. Yu Qian placed one hand behind his back and raised his head slightly. He looked at Phoenix Mountain and sighed softly. ¡°The Divine Master treated Yi Ling very well. Unfortunately, it let the Divine Master down.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. Yi Ling¡ªthis should be the name of the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix. From what Yu Qian said, it seems that everything is indeed as the rumors said back then. However¡­ who knows the truth? Yu Qian saw that she had been silent and laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. I don¡¯t mean anything else when I said this; I just saw you and felt something for a moment.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What is there to see about me that could make him feel so emotional? She wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that Yu Qian, the Second Deity of Fantasy Divine Hall, was really just exclaiming when he mentioned what happened back then in front of her. Such a person¡¯s schemes and methods were top-notch. Even a sigh and a look were often filled with deep meaning. If he didn¡¯t have another motive, he wouldn¡¯t have asked her to come over at all, let alone mention this to someone like her who didn¡¯t even have a bloodline totem. Yu Qian nodded his head and said, ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t you contract the red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡¯s young mistress?¡± His expression and eyes were clearly very gentle, like a familiar friend chatting casually. However, Chu Liuyue clearly sensed an extremely dangerous and cold aura that instantly enveloped her! She tensed up and looked up at Yu Qian. She felt a chill run down her spine! At this moment, even the air seemed to freeze. After a while, Chu Liuyue nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I contracted a red-gold heavenly phoenix, and she has followed me for many years. Why did the Second Deity suddenly ask about this?¡± Yu Qian looked satisfied. He had always liked to deal with honest people. He smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s not an ordinary red-gold heavenly phoenix. You have to know that in the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix race, only two pure bloodlines have appeared. One is Yi Ling, and the other is the one you contracted.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Actually, I invited you here today to tell you something: I hope you can terminate your contract with that red-gold heavenly phoenix.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s voice was very calm, as if he were talking about an unimportant matter. Chu Liuyue noticed that there was no compromise in his sentence. Yu Qian¡¯s expression was gentle. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± Chu Liuyue shut her mouth. She knew that the other party was determined, so it was useless to continue. The other party was the Second Deity, and his status and strength were much higher than hers. She didn¡¯t seem to have the conditions to negotiate with the other party. After a long time, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Second Deity, what if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Yu Qian said, ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I heard that your ancestor has some hope of breaking through to the Armory Refinement Saint realm, and those subordinates are quite talented. By the way, it seems that you brought your husband along when you went back this time?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Master, the Seventh Deity invited the Princess Consort away.¡± Yan Qing walked into the room and saw Rong Xiu sitting by the window with a chess piece in front of him. His slender fingers were holding a black chess piece, as if he were hesitating where to place it. Hearing Yan Qing¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t even look up and only nodded. Yan Qing¡¯s glabella froze slightly. He hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°The person who really wants to see the Princess Consort is probably the Second Deity.¡± ¡°I know.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he raised his eyebrows slightly and looked up at the window. ¡°He has always been calm in his work. It¡¯s rare for him to be so impatient.¡± It seems like the situation is already not good. Yan Qing became even more worried. ¡°Master, with his personality, he¡¯ll probably do anything once he¡¯s forced into a corner.¡± At that time, the Princess Consort would definitely be in an even more dangerous situation. ¡°Of course, he¡¯s anxious. The Heaven Gate has been open for almost two months. There¡¯s not much time left for him,¡± said Rong Xiu calmly. Piak! The black chess piece landed and instantly strangled the last way out for the white chess piece! ¡°If he wants to hit the wall, just let him go. There¡¯s no need to stop him.¡± Yan Qing was shocked and then suddenly realized something. He nodded slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Phoenix Mountain. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s answer, Yu Qian wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, he smiled slightly. ¡°After all, it¡¯s an ancient legendary fiend with the purest bloodline. It¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t bear to part with it. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to make this decision easily either. Why don¡¯t we do this? I¡¯ll give you a condition in exchange. Just tell me what you want.¡± If anyone else heard this, they would probably think that Yu Qian was easy to talk to. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t think so. This made her even more vigilant. In comparison, Yu Qian had absolute authority in front of her. Even if she didn¡¯t agree, could Yu Qian not do anything to her? However, when he heard her rejection¡­ Not only did he not force her, but he even took a step back. This matter itself was strange. Seeing that Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak for a long time, Yu Qian continued, ¡°I see that you seem to be very interested in Fantasy Divine Hall? If you want to come in, you just have to nod. Moreover, I can guarantee that the future treatment you receive in Fantasy Divine Hall will definitely not be bad.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Second Deity is right. I do want to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall, but as long as I complete the Star Path, I can also achieve this goal. Why use Tuan Zi to exchange for it?¡± Yu Qian suddenly laughed, as if he had heard a joke. ¡°Shangguan Yue, even if you crack all the Xuan formations on the Star Path, it¡¯s useless. Because you don¡¯t have a bloodline totem, the door to Fantasy Divine Hall will never open for you.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°However, if you¡¯re willing to agree to terminate the contract with that red-gold heavenly phoenix, I can let you have a bloodline totem. This way, you can enter Fantasy Divine Hall and even reach the heavens in the future. Why not?¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. What Yu Qian means is¡­ ¡°I heard that Mu Yafeng offended you before? Her bloodline power isn¡¯t bad. If you don¡¯t mind, just choose her. Of course, if you don¡¯t like her, there are still many choices in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Yu Qian took a step forward and looked down at her with a smile. ¡°As long as you agree to my conditions just now, all of this will be at your fingertips.¡± Chapter 2274 - 2274 Ill Die For You! 2274 I¡¯ll Die For You! With that, Yu Qian waited calmly. He was very satisfied with the conditions he had proposed. As long as the woman in front of me is clear-headed, she definitely won¡¯ choose to refuse. Today, I¡¯m determined to finish this matter! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered as she said softly, ¡°Second Deity, there was indeed some unhappiness between Mu Yafeng and me, but it¡¯s definitely not to the extent of taking her life because of it. Besides, the Seventh Deity values her¡ª¡± ¡°So what?¡± Yu Qian interrupted her with an expression. ¡°She¡¯s not as talented as you to begin with. The only advantage she has is that she has a bloodline totem, but you don¡¯t. And now you do. What did you say it was called just now? Tuan Zi, right? Compared to Tuan Zi, what is she?¡± It wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart surged. In the eyes of Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s palace, Mu Yafeng was favored by the Seventh Deity and had a bright future. Even she herself probably thought so, so she was usually a little arrogant when dealing with people. But in fact, she was nothing to the Second Deity. He could take her life anytime he wanted. At this moment, Mu Yafeng would never have thought that her life and death were at the mercy of others, right? And this was what Yu Qian, the Second Deity, could really do! Seeing that Chu Liuyue was still unwilling to answer, Yu Qian narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°Shangguan Yue, this is actually beneficial to you and Tuan Zi. You can benefit from this, and it can have the best cultivation environment here. Isn¡¯t it good to kill two birds with one stone?¡± ¡°Tuan Zi has the purest bloodline, and there¡¯s hope for its nine meridians to be fully opened in the future. However, if the contract between the two of you continues to exist, it will be restricted by the fact that you don¡¯t have a bloodline totem. It will never reach this day.¡± ¡°If you agree, you can ascend to heaven and break through to the Deity Realm, and so can Tuan Zi.¡± No matter how she looked at it, this was a sure win for her. Tuan Zi followed her and couldn¡¯t stimulate her bloodline potential to the greatest extent. It was purely a waste. Yu Qian sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s your contracted fiend, and its life and death are related to you. But to be honest, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t break the contract between the two of you. It¡¯s just that this will damage Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline. I can¡¯t bear to do it. Therefore, it¡¯s best if you do this.¡± He was very patient, especially since this matter involved a lot of effort. When Chu Liuyue heard this, she was suddenly stunned. A ray of light quickly flashed across her mind. Then, she probed, ¡°The Second Deity means that if I choose to commit suicide, you can also protect Tuan Zi?¡± Yu Qian smiled and nodded his head. ¡°Of course.¡± However, Chu Liuyue made up her mind! Yu Qian clearly thinks that my contract with Tuan Zi is just an ordinary contract! Under such a contractual relationship, contracted fiends and their masters depend on each other. If the master lives, contracted fiends might not live. If their master dies, the contracted fiends will definitely die! Yu Qian is afraid, so he is so polite to me and is even persuading me patiently. He has come for Tuan Zi¡¯s pure bloodline, so he naturally doesn¡¯t want to see Tuan Zi suffer even a little damage. However, he doesn¡¯t know that Tuan Zi and I have already changed to an entwined fate contract! As long as one survives among us, the other can be revived! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat violently a few times, and her temples throbbed. She could even hear the blood gurgling in her ears. After a while, she took a deep breath and looked up at Yu Qian. ¡°If I break the contract with Tuan Zi, can the Second Deity guarantee that you won¡¯t hurt Tuan Zi at all?¡± Yu Qian laughed. ¡°Of course.¡± That was what he wanted. Such a pure bloodline could only be chanced upon by luck. He couldn¡¯t even take good care of her, let alone anything else. Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes slightly, as if she were still conflicted. Yu Qian wasn¡¯t in a hurry and simply waited. A breeze blew over, and the air was still filled with the faint smell of burning flames. Finally, Chu Liuyue nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I can cancel the contract with Tuan Zi, but¡­ I have a condition.¡± Yu Qian was in a good mood when he finally got the answer he wanted. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I want to be able to enter and leave Phoenix Mountain at any time to visit Tuan Zi.¡± Yu Qian was stunned. Then, he frowned slightly. He never expected her to make such a request. ¡°No.¡± Phoenix Mountain is a forbidden area. How could we let people in and out nonchalantly? ¡°Even the deities aren¡¯t qualified. I can¡¯t agree to your condition¡ªyou should change it.¡± ¡°Forget it then.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s attitude was abnormally firm as she looked straight at Yu Qian with her clear and bright eyes. ¡°If the Second Deity doesn¡¯t agree, then there¡¯s no need for us to continue talking.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯m a lowly person, so how would I dare to threaten the Second Deity? It¡¯s just that Tuan Zi has been with me for a few years and is already like my family, inseparable. The Second Deity previously said that doing this would also be beneficial to Tuan Zi, so I¡¯m willing to agree. But if I choose like this, it means that I won¡¯t be able to meet Tuan Zi in the future. I¡¯ll definitely not agree.¡± The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and her eyes were filled with coldness. ¡°Second Deity, please think twice.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s eyes were cold and dark, and a hint of killing intent was faintly discernible. He had been in the Second Deity position for many years, but this was the first time he had encountered a ¡®pig¡¯ who dared to fight him head-on! In fact, she was just a lowly existence without a bloodline totem. The two of them faced each other. The atmosphere was tense, and they were about to fight! But at this moment, an aggrieved cry suddenly sounded. ¡°Wuwuwu! A¡¯Yue, I don¡¯t want to be separated from you!¡± Yu Qian was stunned. The next moment, he saw a reddish-gold light flash in front of him. A little girl instantly appeared in Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms. She looked like she was only three or four years old. She was wearing a red and gold lotus leaf dress and had two round buns on her head, each tied with a golden bell and red string. At this moment, she stretched out her two chubby arms and hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck tightly. She buried her head in the latter¡¯s shoulder and shook her head desperately. ¡°I don¡¯t want it, I don¡¯t want it! A¡¯Yue said that she wouldn¡¯t abandon me! Boohoo!¡± Chu Liuyue gently patted her back. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry. A¡¯Yue will keep her word. I definitely won¡¯t leave Tuan Zi behind and run away by myself, okay?¡± Tuan Zi cried sadly. Suddenly, she turned her head and glared at Yu Qian with her big red eyes. ¡°It¡¯s you, right?! It¡¯s you! You bad person! If you dare to separate A¡¯Yue and me, I¡¯ll die right now!¡± Chapter 2275 - 2275 Really Resolved? 2275 Really Resolved? If anyone else had spoken to Yu Qian like this, they might have already been decapitated. However, Tuan Zi was different. When Yu Qian heard this, he wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, he was curious. He sized up Tuan Zi for a while and couldn¡¯t hide the sigh in his eyes. ¡°¡­She¡¯s not even an adult yet, but she¡¯s already transformed into a human. As expected of a pure bloodline¡­¡± Previously, he had only heard of it. But now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he knew how heaven-defying this red-gold heavenly phoenix was. No wonder Yi Zhao was unwilling to hand her over even when he was tortured and frozen. He even made all his clansmen fall into a deep sleep! ¡°You¡¯re Tuan Zi?¡± The impatience and frustration in Yu Qian¡¯s heart dissipated, and his voice was even gentler and more polite than when he was with Chu Liuyue previously. Tuan Zi hugged Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck tightly and was extremely vigilant. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call my name!¡± Chu Liuyue gently patted her back and wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes. She coaxed, ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t cry. A¡¯Yue won¡¯t abandon you.¡± Tuan Zi pouted as if she were about to cry again, but she held it back in the end and nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes! I want to be with A¡¯Yue!¡± Looking at this scene, Yu Qian frowned slightly. According to his previous plan, after Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi terminated the contract, they would completely cut off their contact. But from the looks of it, he was facing quite a bit of pressure to do this. It was fine on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, but the key was Tuan Zi. She was still young and only had eyes for Chu Liuyue. If he forcefully snatched her over, she might really be able to do something decisive. That would never do. How rare was a red-gold heavenly phoenix with the purest bloodline? They had waited so many years for this one. No matter what, there couldn¡¯t be any problems. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said, ¡°Since you¡¯re so insistent, then¡­ We¡¯ll each take a step back. In the future, come once a month¡ª¡± ¡°Second Deity, I said anytime just now,¡± Chu Liuyue emphasized. Yu Qian paused. ¡°Half a month.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Second Deity is so insincere. It¡¯s really difficult to get anyone to agree.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Yu Qian gritted his teeth. It was rare for him to be forced to lose control, but the woman in front of him was really¡­ The two sides were in a deadlock for a long time. Finally, Yu Qian said, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll promise you!¡± In any case, this Phoenix Mountain is surrounded by a barrier, and there is usually no one around. If she wants to come, she can just come. What can she really do? Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Yu Qian looked at her deeply. However, Chu Liuyue had already gazed at Tuan Zi in her arms and comforted her softly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Tuan Zi. Just treat it as a place to cultivate. Anyway, I¡¯ll come over often to accompany you, okay?¡± Bean-sized tears rolled down Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes again. Her small body cried and twitched, but she didn¡¯t say anything else; she only choked and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She knew that this was already the best choice for the current situation. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached as she kissed her glabella. ¡°Be good, Tuan Zi.¡± Seeing this, Yu Qian couldn¡¯t say anything else. With a wave of his sleeve, a palm-sized white jade token flew out. ¡°This is my token. In the future, if you want to come to Phoenix Mountain, you can use this.¡± Chu Liuyue caught the white jade token. ¡°Thank you, Second Deity.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Yu Qian raised his chin. ¡°Now, you can break the contract.¡± ¡­ When Tuan Zi heard this, she instantly hugged Chu Liuyue even tighter. Chu Liuyue coaxed her for a while longer before Tuan Zi reluctantly let go and stood in front of her. The two of them faced each other. Chu Liuyue looked deeply at Tuan Zi and then closed her eyes. After that, she gently raised her hand, and a reddish-gold light suddenly flew out of her palm and went straight for Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi¡¯s shoulders trembled as she reached out with red eyes. The same stream of light flew out of her hand. Two rays of light converged in midair, and the pressure was faintly discernible. Yu Qian watched from the side, his eyes flickering. The aura of a pure bloodline was indeed different! Even Yi Zhao, who has already opened the seventh meridian, can¡¯t be compared to her. Although Chu Liuyue has defeated me, everything is worth it. Bam! A slight cracking sound came. The two connected lights were also destroyed! Yu Qian made up his mind. This way, the contract between Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi will be completely broken! He raised his leg and walked forward. ¡°Tuan Zi, come with me¡ª¡± As he spoke, he had already extended his hand. But at this moment, his expression suddenly froze. A rune gradually flashed between Tuan Zi¡¯s eyebrows! Right on the heels of that, a familiar aura came from her body. When he saw this commotion, Yu Qian frowned tightly. He quickly turned around and looked at Chu Liuyue! His gaze was as cold and sharp as a knife. When it landed on someone, it was almost bone-piercing! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately looked up. The two of them stared at each other, and sparks seemed to fly! Yu Qian¡¯s eyes seemed to have substance as it crushed over with a powerful aura! He asked word by word, ¡°Shangguan Yue, is your contract really broken?!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Chapter 2276 - 2276 That Year 2276 That Year After a short silence, she said, ¡°Of course.¡± There was no ordinary contract between her and Tuan Zi to begin with. Now that she said that she would cancel it, it was just to save face. Can Yu Qian really discern something? ¡°Then, what¡¯s with the aura in her body?¡± Yu Qian¡¯s gaze was filled with scrutiny as he stared intently at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella moved slightly. Just as she was about to ask, Tuan Zi asked in a crisp voice, ¡°Hey, is that what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Yu Qian turned around and saw Tuan Zi pointing at the fading totem on her glabella. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yu Qian replied affirmatively, his eyes still filled with suspicion. ¡°If the contract between the two of you has really been broken, why is there still this aura? This is clearly a special power that the red-gold heavenly phoenix will only have after contracting with the human race!¡± Although ordinary red-gold heavenly phoenix clansmen had inherited a certain amount of bloodline power, they wouldn¡¯t have such an aura. However, Tuan Zi had it now! Hearing this answer, Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi quickly looked at each other and exchanged glances. What he said is very interesting. Since it¡¯s a contract between the red-gold heavenly phoenix and the human race that produces this aura, how does he know? Seeing how confident he is, he must¡¯ve seen it before. Then, there is only one explanation: The ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix, Yi Ling, had a contract with Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s Divine Master! Hence, he has started to suspect Tuan Zi now. After understanding this, Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi and blinked. Tuan Zi¡¯s heart lit up, and she immediately took out a reddish-gold feather. ¡°I think it should be because of the Ancestral Golden Feather, right?¡± Seeing Tuan Zi take out the Ancestral Golden Feather, shock quickly flashed across Yu Qian¡¯s face. ¡°How did you get this?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I¡¯m the young mistress!¡± Tuan Zi rolled her eyes and carefully put away the Ancestral Golden Feather. ¡°If it¡¯s not with me, can it be with you?¡± She hated Yu Qian to the core, so she was very rude. However, Yu Qian didn¡¯t have time to care about this. He frowned skeptically and looked at Tuan Zi. The aura I felt just now is indeed the same as the aura on the Ancestral Golden Feather. Could it be¡­ that I was really wrong? After all, Tuan Zi has the purest bloodline, so it¡¯s reasonable for her to get this Ancestral Golden Feather. Back then, I had asked Yi Zhao for it, but I hadn¡¯t been able to get it. So it was with Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi¡¯s big eyes and nose were still red. She sniffled and continued accusing him. ¡°You¡¯ve already separated me from A¡¯Yue. What other contract can I have?!¡± Her words were still filled with anger and dissatisfaction. Yu Qian gradually dispelled the doubts in his heart, and his expression softened. ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t have it. You have a pure bloodline, and that contract will only prevent you from breaking through.¡± Then, he raised his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Phoenix Mountain. After that, you¡¯ll spend most of your time here.¡± Tuan Zi looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°I want A¡¯Yue to go with me!¡± With that, he tapped his toes and led the way toward Phoenix Mountain. Tuan Zi turned around and ran over with her smooth little feet, hugging Chu Liuyue¡¯s leg. ¡°A¡¯Yue, accompany me!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue bent over and picked her up. In any case, I will have to come many times in the future. I will first take a look at the situation on Phoenix Mountain and think of some ideas. Tuan Zi hugged her and nestled in her arms with a reluctant expression. Chu Liuyue patted her back and rushed toward Yu Qian. Soon, Chu Liuyue understood why Yu Qian said that. There was an extremely powerful pressure on Phoenix Mountain. She only got a little closer, but she felt as if something was pressing against her chest. She felt stuffy and slowed down. A transparent heat wave swept over from the mountain. Beads of sweat quickly oozed out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead, and her back was quickly drenched in sweat before quickly evaporating. Yu Qian turned around and sneered when he saw her reaction. The fire on Phoenix Mountain back then directly burned the entire back mountain. Even after so many years, every inch of land and rock here still had traces of the past. Back then, Yi Ling¡¯s nine meridians had been fully opened, and he was peerlessly powerful. Even though he had died many years ago, his legacy of destruction was still there. Even he didn¡¯t come often, not to mention a legendary warrior like Chu Liuyue. ¡­ About 15 minutes later, Yu Qian arrived at the top of Phoenix Mountain. He stood with his hands behind his back and waited for another 15 minutes before Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi finally arrived. The moment her feet landed on the mountain, Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella twitched, and she almost immediately summoned her Holy Body! A layer of beautiful soft armor quickly covered her entire body. With the obstruction of the Holy Body, the burning pain was finally reduced greatly. ¡°A¡¯Yue, are you alright?¡± Tuan Zi asked worriedly. Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± As she was worried that she would reveal something in front of Yu Qian, she no longer borrowed any of Tuan Zi¡¯s strength. That was why it was especially difficult for her to come here. But as long as she could hide it from Yu Qian, it was worth it. Tuan Zi jumped down from her arms. She was barefooted, and her white feet stepped on the charred and hot mountain rock. Not only did she not look in pain, but she even widened her eyes slightly and tugged at the corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s clothes as she muttered, ¡°A¡¯Yue, this place is so comfortable!¡± Chu Liuyue felt relieved. As long as Tuan Zi is fine. Yu Qian laughed. ¡°Back then, the Divine Master specially found the stones on this back mountain for Yi Ling. Not only can it nourish its body, but it can also increase its cultivation speed. Naturally, it¡¯s not something others can compare to. If it were an ordinary red-gold heavenly phoenix, it would actually not be able to withstand it when it comes here. However, Tuan Zi has a pure bloodline, so there¡¯s no problem.¡± This was why he had to choose this place to meet Chu Liuyue. Phoenix Mountain¡­ was originally prepared for Tuan Zi. Hearing his words, Tuan Zi pouted. ¡°No matter how good a place is, it¡¯s already burned down. What¡¯s there to care about?¡± She still liked to be with A¡¯Yue. Yi Zhao knew that she was extremely dependent on Chu Liuyue and wouldn¡¯t be able to change for a while, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. Anyway, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t come often in the future. As time passed, the relationship between her and Tuan Zi would naturally fade. ¡°Tuan Zi, just cultivate here in the future.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°With your talent, it won¡¯t be long before you can open the seventh meridian. In the future, opening the ninth meridian won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Chapter 2277 - 2277 Who Bullied My Yueer? 2277 Who Bullied My Yue¡¯er? Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled slightly. Yu Qian¡¯s words¡­ He seems to be hoping that Tuan Zi can open her meridians as soon as possible. This is the same as the owner of the previous eye¡­ That person is clearly not Yu Qian, but there must be some unknown relationship between the two. Otherwise, it would¡¯ve been impossible for that eye to summon Fantasy Divine Hall in the Red Moon Desert. Even if it was just an apparition, it is enough to explain the problem. Why do they want Tuan Zi to open her meridians and even hope that she will open her ninth meridian? Back then, Yi Ling had opened all nine meridians, but hadn¡¯t he betrayed Fantasy Divine Hall? After that, the red-gold heavenly phoenix race was directly targeted¡ªeven Yi Zhao was captured and tortured. However, Yu Qian¡¯s current attitude toward Tuan Zi is really suspicious¡­ Tuan Zi ignored Yu Qian. ¡°A¡¯Yue, can you accompany me to look around?¡± Chu Liuyue touched her head. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, the two of them walked away. Phoenix Mountain was steep and towering. Although it was bare now, it contained extremely shocking power everywhere. For Tuan Zi, it was indeed the best place to cultivate. Walking on the charred mountain rock, Chu Liuyue¡¯s emotions surged as countless thoughts flashed across her mind. Suddenly, Tuan Zi pulled her hand and said, ¡°A¡¯Yue, it¡¯s so quiet here. I don¡¯t like it.¡± At first, she did feel that this place was very suitable for cultivation. But after staying for a long time, she felt that this place was really too deserted. Wouldn¡¯t it be boring for her to be alone when A¡¯Yue wasn¡¯t around in the future? Before Chu Liuyue could speak, Yu Qian took the initiative to say, ¡°If you want to liven things up, Fantasy Divine Palace has raised many legendary fiends. I can get them to come over and accompany you.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. ¡°Second Deity, this Phoenix Mountain¡­ I¡¯m afraid ordinary legendary fiends can¡¯t stay here, right?¡± Yu Qian said softly, ¡°That¡¯s alright, as long as Tuan Zi likes it.¡± Tuan Zi glared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t like it!¡± If those fiends die after coming over, won¡¯t it be bad? Chu Liuyue pinched Tuan Zi¡¯s face. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t be angry. There¡¯s no aura here, and it¡¯s indeed a little cold. How about this? I¡¯ll leave the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed to you.¡± Tuan Zi was stunned. ¡°Really?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and took out a Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. She bent down and placed it in Tuan Zi¡¯s chubby hand. ¡°The Heaven and Earth Force here is abundant. It¡¯s suitable for raising.¡± Tuan Zi blinked and nodded vigorously. ¡°Okay! Then, A¡¯Yue will have to come often in the future!¡± Bam! A pit immediately appeared on the mountain rock. Yu Qian¡¯s glabella twitched. This Phoenix Mountain is extremely difficult to shake. After 10,000 years of wind, rain, and corrosion, not many traces were left on it. Tuan Zi had just casually thrown it, but it actually¡ª Tuan Zi buried the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed, revealing only the two tender leaves at the top that swayed gently in the wind. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Tuan Zi clapped her hands in satisfaction. It was said that the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed could grow up. It was very suitable to raise it here. Yu Qian glanced at the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. It was just a toy to relieve Tuan Zi¡¯s boredom. Chu Liuyue wiped the sweat that was still dripping from her forehead. ¡°Tuan Zi, I¡¯ll go back today then. I¡¯ll come and see you tomorrow.¡± When Tuan Zi heard this, she immediately ran over to hug her reluctantly. ¡°Then, A¡¯Yue must come tomorrow!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°En.¡± After that, she took a deep breath and bade Yu Qian farewell. Of course, Yu Qian was happy that she left. He agreed without asking her to stay. But perhaps because Chu Liuyue was quite cooperative with Tuan Zi¡¯s matters, or perhaps because Tuan Zi was still here, Yu Qian¡¯s attitude was still quite polite. After instructing Tuan Zi a few more times, Chu Liuyue left. After her figure disappeared into the distance, Yu Qian looked at Tuan Zi. Tuan Zi turned around and sat down in front of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. Disgust was written all over her body. Yu Qian didn¡¯t mind. As long as she could open her meridian as soon as possible, nothing else mattered. Yu Qian left quickly. Only Tuan Zi was left in the huge Phoenix Mountain. She pouted, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and snorted softly. Acting is really not easy. I will ask A¡¯Yue for double the kisses later! ¡­ After Chu Liuyue came out of the barrier, she went straight to her residence. When she returned to the courtyard, it was already very late. As soon as she arrived at the door, it opened from the inside. Rong Xiu stood behind the door. There was a faint smile on his handsome and elegant face. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± In an instant, Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind¡ªwhich had been tense for a long time¡ªfinally relaxed, and a strong sense of fatigue quickly surged. She had experienced too much during this period of time. Previously, the string in her mind had been tense. Only when she saw Rong Xiu did she finally let down her guard. She took a step forward and threw herself into Rong Xiu¡¯s arms. Leaning against his firm and warm chest, she could even hear his strong heartbeat. The familiar cold fragrance enveloped her. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms tightly around his lean waist. She leaned her head against his chest and rubbed against him. Rong Xiu¡¯s heart instantly softened. He held her shoulders and hugged her. ¡°Rong Xiu, Rong Xiu¡­¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. In an instant, a cold light seemed to flash in his eyes as he asked softly, ¡°Who bullied my Yue¡¯er?¡± Chapter 2278 - 2278 Holy Jade of Chaos 2278 Holy Jade of Chaos Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just that Tuan Zi was left at Phoenix Mountain.¡± Even though she had used all sorts of methods to deceive Yu Qian, she was still very worried when she thought about how Tuan Zi would be alone there for a long time. Rong Xiu kissed her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± ¡­ On the other side, after Jin Yunlai sent Chu Liuyue to Phoenix Mountain, he returned to Fantasy Divine Hall. When he passed by the black jade square, he stopped in his tracks. Two people were standing not far from the square and whispering to each other. He knew the man on the left¡ªKong Qinglin. This was the only Armory Refinement Saint that had appeared in Fantasy Divine Palace in recent years. He had just broken through and entered the Fantasy Divine Hall not long ago. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he would appear here. On the other hand, the woman beside him¡­ She was wearing a long dress with an exquisite hairband. Her black hair fell to her ankles. She was slender and had a gentle side profile. Jin Yunlai had no impression of her. There was no such person in Fantasy Divine Palace. ¡°¡­In that case, if you want to become an Armory Refinement Saint, you have to fight for a holy light from here?¡± she asked softly and gently, making people feel like they were bathing in the spring breeze. Kong Qinglin nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. This Holy Jade of Chaos has been here since tens of thousands of years ago. It can be considered the treasure of Fantasy Divine Hall. It contains more than a thousand beams of holy light and is infinitely powerful. As long as you can successfully summon a beam of holy light, you can successfully refine a holy weapon.¡± With that, he looked at Su Li curiously. ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t asked. You said that you just came up from the God Residence Realm, but you were already an Armory Refinement Saint when you came. What¡¯s going on? The holy light inside won¡¯t leave Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± In other words, it was impossible for an Armory Refinement Saint to appear in the God Residence Realm below. Hearing Kong Qinglin¡¯s words, Jin Yunlai immediately understood. So this is the Armory Refinement Saint that Chu Liuyue wanted to invite previously. He turned to the side and listened intently. In fact, he also wanted to know what was going on. Su Li smiled and explained, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t break through now. About 10,000 years ago, I was refining weapons when a natural phenomenon happened. A shield flew down, and for some reason, I successfully refined a holy weapon.¡± ¡°Shield?¡± Kong Qinglin was stunned. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s¡­¡± Su Li raised her hand and pointed ahead. ¡°The shape seems to be a little similar to the incomplete piece in the middle.¡± Kong Qinglin immediately understood. ¡°I see¡­¡± Su Li sighed softly. ¡°Unfortunately, the power contained in that shield at that time was too shocking. After I refined the holy weapon, I also died, leaving only a remnant soul. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to revive. It wasn¡¯t until I came here that I realized that the shield actually flew out of this Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± The corners of her lips curved slightly as she said softly, ¡°I wonder how such a thing happened¡­¡± If it was 10,000 years ago, it was probably because of that riot. However, this matter was forbidden in Fantasy Divine Palace, so he naturally couldn¡¯t say anything. Su Li glanced at him, her eyes flickering slightly, and she smiled again. ¡°By the way, I heard that an Armory Refinement Saint hasn¡¯t appeared in Fantasy Divine Palace for many years. It¡¯s really impressive that you can succeed.¡± When Kong Qinglin heard this, he stroked his beard and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Compared to you, Su Li, it¡¯s still a little lacking.¡± Although he said that, it was obvious that Kong Qinglin approved of and was very proud of this matter. Of course, he had the capital to do so. Su Li asked curiously. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t quite understand. Logically speaking, geniuses and experts should gather in a place like Fantasy Divine Palace. There should be many people who can break through to become Armory Refinement Saints. Why are you the only one all these years?¡± Kong Qinglin subconsciously said, ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s because of this Holy Jade of Chaos¡ª¡± His voice suddenly stopped. However, Su Li had already guessed something. ¡°Because of the missing piece?¡± Kong Qinglin looked at Su Li hesitantly before nodding. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace has an unspoken mutual understanding of this matter, and very few people have mentioned it all these years. It¡¯s only because you¡¯re new and happen to have been in contact with that incomplete Holy Jade of Chaos that I told you. However, it¡¯s better to mention it less in the future.¡± Su Li was about to ask again when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Both of them turned around. When he saw who it was, Kong Qinglin was shocked and hurriedly bowed. ¡°Greetings, Seventh Deity!¡± Su Li was stunned. So this is the Seventh Deity? This name is really well-known. She originally thought that she would see him when she came to the Heaven Gate, but for some reason, the Seventh Deity didn¡¯t appear that day. Today was the first time she had officially seen this person. ¡°Su Li greets the Seventh Deity.¡± Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but Su Li¡¯s face was still calm and gentle. Jin Yunlai looked at her coldly. ¡°To be able to break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint in the God Residence Realm, you do have some ability. However, this is Fantasy Divine Hall. If you still want to stay here well in the future, it¡¯s best to be careful with your words and actions. Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask, understand?¡± Is this a warning to me not to continue prying into what happened back then? Su Li¡¯s mind raced, but there was a hint of nervousness on her face. She lowered her head slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Beside her, Kong Qinglin¡¯s heart was also in his throat. Of course, he knew that those words couldn¡¯t be said casually. But seeing that Su Li was really curious, he couldn¡¯t help but say it. Who knew that the Seventh Deity was here? He must have heard everything! However, just as Kong Qinglin was nervous and worried, thinking that he was going to be punished, Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t say anything else and turned to leave. Hearing the footsteps gradually fade away, Su Li let out a sigh of relief and muttered softly. ¡°Looks like I really have to be careful everywhere in Fantasy Divine Hall¡­¡± Kong Qinglin¡¯s back was already drenched in sweat. A breeze blew over, and a chill ran to the top of his head. ¡°Thank goodness, thank goodness¡­¡± He wiped the sweat off his forehead in fear. ¡°Su Li, don¡¯t talk about these things anymore in the future. The Seventh Deity probably let you off today because it¡¯s your first time making a mistake. If you do it again in the future, it won¡¯t be so easy.¡± Su Li looked at his reaction thoughtfully. ¡°Is the Seventh Deity very strict?¡± He only came to say a few words, but it actually made Kong Qinglin so nervous. Kong Qinglin smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. All the deities are the same. After all, this concerns the past¡ªforget it, forget it. Don¡¯t mention it again in the future to avoid causing trouble for yourself.¡± Su Li blinked and smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ On the other side, Jin Yunlai originally wanted to go straight back to his residence. Halfway there, he suddenly thought of what had happened today. He turned and walked in the other direction. Chapter 2279 - 2279 You Want to Go to Phoenix Mountain 2279 You Want to Go to Phoenix Mountain He walked forward and finally arrived at the door of a courtyard. The courtyard was silent. Looking inside from the outside, one could even see a thick pile of fallen leaves in the courtyard. It was as if no one had lived here for many years. It was lonely and cold. Jin Yunlai raised his hand and knocked on the door. Knock, knock. ¡°First Deity, Yunlai requests an audience.¡± He spoke loudly, but after waiting for a long time, there was no response. Jin Yunlai frowned slightly and tightened his grip. Knock, knock. ¡°First Deity, I have something to report to you.¡± There was still silence. Jin Yunlai waited for a while, a look of determination flashing across his eyes. Then, he took a step forward and planned to push the door open! But at this moment, an incomparably domineering aura suddenly came from inside! Jin Yunlai was shocked. Without thinking, he immediately retreated! But even though he was fast, the other party¡¯s attack was even faster! Bam! He couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was hit in the chest by the force, falling heavily to the ground! Shoo! Jin Yunlai¡¯s chest shook, and he spat out a mouthful of blood! He held his chest and looked at the door in shock. ¡°First Deity¡ª¡± ¡°Jin Yunlai, you¡¯re presumptuous.¡± A cold and deep voice came from inside, as if wrapped in cold wind and frost, instantly freezing Jin Yunlai on the spot! His heart almost stopped beating at this moment, and all the blood in his body instantly froze. Needless to say, the First Deity¡¯s status in Fantasy Divine Hall was extremely respected. Not to mention the others, even the remaining deities could only wait obediently here. Now, it was a huge crime for him to barge in privately! After a moment, the voice inside continued. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re suspecting?¡± Jin Yunlai was shocked and immediately kneeled on one knee. ¡°It was my mistake!¡± Bam! His knees hit the ground hard, making one¡¯s scalp tingle. This time, it almost made people suspect that his knees were about to shatter. The courtyard fell silent again. However, Jin Yunlai¡¯s heart seemed to be gripped tightly by something, and he didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly. An extreme sense of uneasiness surged in her heart. He rarely felt this way. But now, the person he was facing was the First Deity! The reason why he did that just now was indeed because he had doubts about the First Deity. It had been so many years, but the First Deity had never stepped out of the courtyard. Shu Jing and the others had asked to see him several times, but he had never agreed. Even now, the power of Phoenix Mountain had even been completely handed over to the Second Deity. Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t understand. Why did the First Deity delegate his authority completely, while he stays in this small courtyard and refuses to come out? He had no choice but to doubt it. Therefore, he had taken the risk to go forward just now to test him! What was certain was that the First Deity was indeed inside. Moreover, his strength seemed to have improved compared to before. Just now, as long as he wanted to, Jin Yunlai¡¯s life and death were all in his hands! ¡°Never again.¡± After a long time, the voice finally sounded again. Jin Yunlai breathed a long sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, First Deity!¡± He bowed respectfully and slowly stood up. ¡°Yunlai will take his leave.¡± There was no response. Jin Yunlai turned around and left. However, he had just taken a step when he suddenly stopped. After hesitating for a long time, he finally turned around and looked at the tightly shut door of the courtyard. ¡°First Deity, are you really at ease to entrust Phoenix Mountain to the Second Deity? He invited Shangguan Yue over today.¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°If everything goes well, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress will stay on Phoenix Mountain from now on. You¡ª¡± ¡°He has his reasons for doing this.¡± The voice came calmly, as if it didn¡¯t care much. ¡°Since he¡¯s in charge of Phoenix Mountain now, he naturally has the right to decide these things. If you have any objections, just go to him and say it. There¡¯s no need to come here.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Jin Yunlai wanted to say something but hesitated. However, these should have been matters of the First Deity¡­ It¡¯s impossible for him not to know what these things mean, but he doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of attacking. Could this have been his intention all along? Jin Yunlai couldn¡¯t figure it out. No matter what, it was impossible for him to look for the Second Deity. After so long, he knew very well what kind of person Yu Qian was. He looked gentle on usual days, but he was actually extremely domineering. If anyone dared to oppose his decision, they would definitely attract his dissatisfaction. Only the First Deity could restrain him a little, but now, the First Deity seemed to have no intention of interfering. All these years¡­ What has the First Deity been busy with? In the past, he would definitely not have let Yu Qian do as he pleased. But from the looks of it, the First Deity won¡¯t see me today either. Jin Yunlai clenched his fists tightly and stood rooted to the ground for a long time before finally bowing slightly. ¡°I understand.¡± With that, he finally left. ¡­ After he left, the courtyard fell silent again. A gust of wind swept up the leaves in the courtyard, exuding a murderous aura. Suddenly, something seemed to be surging under the pile of leaves. That voice sounded again. ¡°I know you want to go to Phoenix Mountain, but now isn¡¯t the time.¡± The commotion under the pile of leaves finally stopped. ¡­ Jin Yunlai raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his lips. His expression had already returned to normal. Although what he had just done was dangerous, he didn¡¯t regret it. At the very least, it dispelled his doubts. Although he still didn¡¯t know what the First Deity was planning, he could finally feel more at ease. So be it. At the thought of this, his worried heart finally settled down. Suddenly, a figure hurried past him. Jin Yunlai was suddenly stunned. Shu Jing? Shouldn¡¯t she be at the medicinal mountain at this time? What is she doing in such a hurry? Jin Yunlai looked in her direction and frowned slightly. ¡°Sixth Deity?¡± ¡­ Shu Jing came to a courtyard and pushed the door open with familiarity. Then, she entered the room. As soon as she entered, a faint smell of blood assaulted her nose. She frowned slightly and immediately turned to close the door. The doors and windows of the room were tightly shut, and it was very dark. Coupled with this smell, it was even more uncomfortable. Even though she had been here several times, she was still not used to it. After calming herself down, she bowed in the direction of the folding screen. ¡°Sixth Deity, I¡¯m here.¡± A moment later, a hoarse voice sounded. ¡°Put everything down.¡± ¡°OK,¡± Shu Jing responded. She then took out a jade box and placed it on the table beside her. Chapter 2280 - 2280 Hiding 2280 Hiding There was a hint of displeasure in that rough and hoarse voice. ¡°Only one?¡± Shu Jing said, ¡°After all, this is a Medical Saint-level pill. It¡¯s extremely difficult to refine.¡± That person laughed. ¡°But you¡¯ve broken through to the Medical Saint realm for many years. I can only say that your cultivation hasn¡¯t improved much over the years.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression froze for a moment, and a cold look flashed across her eyes. No one would like to hear this, let alone Shu Jing. ¡°It¡¯s already extremely difficult to improve above the Medical Saint realm.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. After the person who took care of the medicinal mountain broke through to the Medical Saint realm, he was much more efficient than you.¡± ¡°If the Sixth Deity is dissatisfied with me, you can look for others to help.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s face turned cold. I want to know who else in the current Fantasy Divine Palace can help him! The voice chuckled softly. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Anyway, the medicinal mountain is already yours now. No one will snatch it from you.¡± Then, a black rope flew out from behind the folding screen and swept away the jade box. Shu Jing stood with her hands by her side and said coldly, ¡°How do you know? Besides, my authority over the medicinal mountain has been revoked. How can this medicinal mountain still be considered mine?¡± ¡°I heard about this. It¡¯s indeed a little sudden, but you can¡¯t completely blame others. Who asked you not to restrain yourself previously? If you weren¡¯t so anxious, you probably wouldn¡¯t have fallen into this state.¡± Shu Jing didn¡¯t want to talk about this. She was already in a bad mood and couldn¡¯t stand the criticism of others. ¡°If the Sixth Deity has the time and energy, you should think more about yourself,¡± Shu Jing said coldly. ¡°Even with the help of my pill, it¡¯s very difficult for you to reconstruct your Holy Body.¡± The voice behind the folding screen was silent for a moment. ¡°I naturally know that.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s eyes flickered as she probed, ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t asked before. What¡¯s with your injuries?¡± To be able to injure the Sixth Deity to such an extent, it¡¯s obvious that his opponent isn¡¯t an ordinary person. However, the Sixth Deity didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of telling her this. He only said calmly, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s all in the past. There¡¯s no point in telling you.¡± Shu Jing was really curious, but she had never been able to get anything out of the Sixth Deity, so she could only change the topic. ¡°By the way, do you know what¡¯s wrong with the First Deity recently? The Heaven Gate has been open for two months, but he hasn¡¯t left the door once. I went to ask to see him, but I never got permission. I¡ª¡± ¡°The First Deity¡¯s matters aren¡¯t something you and I can interfere in. If you have the time, you should go back and think about how to improve your strength!¡± Before Shu Jing could finish, the voice inside interrupted in a hurry. That person spoke quickly and tensely. It was very different from usual, as if¡­ they were filled with deep fear. She pursed her lips and took a step forward. She asked, ¡°Mo Shiqian, do you know anything?¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­That¡¯s what happened.¡± In the room, Chu Liuyue briefly explained the matter to Rong Xiu. ¡°That Second Deity is very domineering. If I didn¡¯t agree, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have been able to come out of Phoenix Mountain today.¡± Rong Xiu nodded. Chu Liuyue continued, ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ve never heard of the First Deity. This matter involves the legendary fiend guarding the hall. I thought that the First Deity would be responsible.¡± Cen Yi, who was at the door, stopped in his tracks. Chapter 2281 - 2281 Deceived 2281 Deceived However, this pause was only for a moment. He quickly returned to normal and entered the house. ¡°Master, Your Highness.¡± Seeing Cen Yi enter, Chu Liuyue nodded slightly. ¡°Maybe that First Deity is busy with something else,¡± Rong Xiu lightly said. ¡°The Second Deity¡¯s status is second only to his. It¡¯s not strange for him to be personally in charge of this matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± Chu Liuyue tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair. ¡°They seem to want Tuan Zi to open her meridian as soon as possible.¡± Previously, in the Red Moon Desert, the owner of the eye clearly had such thoughts. It even tried its best to catch Tuan Zi and forcefully open her meridian. This time, although Second Deity Yu Qian didn¡¯t use such cruel methods¡­ From a certain perspective, he still threatened and tempted her and Tuan Zi. Fortunately, the contract between her and Tuan Zi had already changed. Otherwise, she really didn¡¯t know how to get through this stage. Chu Liuyue also had her own plans. There was another very important reason why she was willing to take advantage of the situation for one¡¯s own benefit. If Tuan Zi could open the seventh meridian, there was hope of saving Yi Zhao. Although Phoenix Mountain had been burned down, it was still a cultivation holy land for red-gold heavenly phoenixes, especially Tuan Zi. She had the same pure bloodline as her ancestor and held the Ancestral Golden Feather in her hand. It was obvious that her cultivation speed would greatly increase on Phoenix Mountain. ¡°Liuyue!¡± At this moment, Mu Hongyu rushed in from outside. ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re back!¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her thoughts and looked up. When she saw Mu Hongyu¡¯s agitated expression, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Hongyu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Hongyu ran over and coughed when she saw that Rong Xiu and Cen Yi were in the room. ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Just say it.¡± Rong Xiu and Cen Yi were the people she trusted the most. Mu Hongyu hesitated for a moment and nodded. She walked closer and said softly, ¡°Liuyue, there seems to be something wrong with the ocean outside Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she glanced at Cen Yi. Cen Yi nodded his head and walked over to close the door. He then raised his hand and set up a barrier to isolate all sound. Following that, Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°What did you find?¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s hands were in a mess, and she was a little conflicted. ¡°I think¡­ Master might be under that ocean.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. ¡°How can you tell? Did you sense something?¡± Mu Hongyu sighed and explained, ¡°I¡­ Actually, when I came the other day, I felt that there was something strange about that ocean, but I didn¡¯t take it to heart at that time. I¡¯ve been constantly thinking about it these past few days and finally sensed something amiss. Liuyue, the spatial power under that sea area is complicated. It¡¯s very similar to Master¡¯s work!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. The reason why I guessed that Diwu Zhangze was imprisoned under that ocean was that I heard a faint groan of pain when I left last time. That voice was definitely Diwu Zhangze; I couldn¡¯t have heard wrongly. ¡°You can sense the change in spatial power below?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded and gestured with her hand. ¡°That¡¯s right. Under normal circumstances, the spatial power in an ordinary ocean shouldn¡¯t be much different. But when we passed over the ocean that day, I realized that there seemed to be several forces intersecting with each other below. It was extremely chaotic. Later on, I thought about it and realized that it was indeed a mark that Master specially left behind. Apart from him, I don¡¯t know anyone else who could do such a thing.¡± She frowned nervously. ¡°But this is only my guess. Whether it¡¯s true or not, I have to go down and see for myself. I just feel a little uneasy, so I came over to tell you first¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to guess. This should be true,¡± Chu Liuyue interrupted her softly. Then, she briefly explained what had happened. ¡°¡­Initially, I only suspected it. But if even you said so, then this matter is close to the mark, not far off.¡± The room fell into a short silence. Mu Hongyu finally came back to her senses. ¡°But¡­ who did Master offend to be locked under that ocean?¡± Anyone who had been to that ocean knew what kind of shocking and ferocious power was hidden in the surging waves! Once a true god expert fell into it, they would be reduced to ashes in less than a few seconds; they wouldn¡¯t even have time to struggle for help. Even if Diwu Zhangze was stronger, he would definitely suffer inhumane torture if he was imprisoned there. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. She had the same question in her heart. Not only Diwu Zhangze but also Dugu Mobao and Lan Xiao. The three of them were first trapped in the Red Moon Desert and hadn¡¯t seen the sun for more than 10,000 years. Then, they were brought here and locked up. She had her guesses. Dugu Mobao and the other two must have some relationship with Fantasy Divine Palace, or rather, Fantasy Divine Hall. For some reason, they were punished like this. However, she didn¡¯t have any more clues and evidence now, so she naturally couldn¡¯t speculate casually. Mu Hongyu suddenly held her hand and whispered, ¡°Liuyue, I want to take a look at that ocean area.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°Now?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°But you¡¯re only a true god now. If you go down rashly, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± ¡°Master left a space under the sea. I can go over,¡± Mu Hongyu said. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Really?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°So the only trouble now is that it¡¯s probably a little difficult to leave the Heaven Gate¡­¡± The Heaven Gate guards of Fantasy Divine Palace were very strict. It was almost impossible to leave silently. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s actually not difficult to get out. What¡¯s difficult is¡­ How can we not be discovered?¡± Since Diwu Zhangze was imprisoned there, there must be someone guarding him in the dark. Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°If your Faint Yuan body breaks through again, you can hide it from the world.¡± Chapter 2282 - 2282 Whose Shadow 2282 Whose Shadow Mu Hongyu looked at Rong Xiu in surprise. ¡°What Your Grace means is¡­¡± ¡°Senior Diwu was in the Great Advanced Realm with an intangible body back then. Now that you¡¯re only in the Less Advanced Realm, you naturally have many limitations. If you can break through to the same Great Advanced Realm, you can cross all spatial barriers. At that time, not only will you be able to see Senior Diwu, but you might also be able to bring him away silently,¡± Rong Xiu explained calmly. Chu Liuyue widened her eyes slightly. ¡°Rong Xiu, how¡­ did you know about this?¡± Great Advanced Realm, Less Advanced Realm¡­ I haVe never heard of it before. But from the looks of it, he knew it very well. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°When I sent Senior Diwu¡¯s aura back, he told me about this.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Really? But I was in the Red Moon Desert for so long in the past, and he never mentioned it?¡± Rong Xiu raised his brows. ¡°Are you sure you had time to hear him say this at the time?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°¡­No.¡± At that time, all her time and energy were focused on those Xuan formations and prescriptions. Even after putting in so much effort, she couldn¡¯t help but receive criticism and disdain from Big Baby several times. Lan Xiao and Diwu Zhangze couldn¡¯t even interrupt at that time. How could they say this? In the beginning, the two of them even tried to speak up for Chu Liuyue to let her relax and rest a little. In the end, they were rebuked by Big Baby with a few words and a few cold glances. In the end, the two of them escaped, leaving only a sentence of ¡®pray for yourself¡¯ for her. Just thinking about it made her heart ache. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Mu Hongyu looked conflicted. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t easy for me to break through to the Less Advanced Realm. The Great Advanced Realm is simply out of reach¡ªI¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to break through in such a short time.¡± Previously, with Diwu Zhangze¡¯s guidance, she could still improve faster. Now, she really had to figure it out herself. Rong Xiu paused. ¡°Although the Faint Yuan Body is rare in the God Residence Realm, I¡¯ve heard that there were several Great Advanced Realm experts in Fantasy Divine Palace. If you can obtain the techniques they left behind, you should be able to quickly improve your cultivation.¡± Mu Hongyu was dumbfounded. ¡°But where can I find such a thing?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°I know where it is.¡± ¡­ Ming Shu looked up in surprise. ¡°You want a Great Advanced Realm cultivation technique?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I wonder if Zhen Bao Pavilion has this?¡± Ming Shu smiled. ¡°Of course, we have this. It¡¯s just that over the years, no cultivator with the Faint Yuan Body has appeared in Fantasy Divine Palace for a long time, so Second Boss instructed me to put these things away. If you want them, I¡¯ll help you find them now.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. ¡°Thank you, Master Ming.¡± Ming Shu smiled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to thank me for. ButMiss Shangguan, you don¡¯t seem to have a Faint Yuan Body. Did you ask for it for this lady?¡± As he spoke, his gaze landed on Mu Hongyu, who was standing beside Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t deny it and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes.¡± Ming Shu said, ¡°Hehe, please wait here first. I¡¯ll go up and help you get it.¡± With that, he turned and went up to the second floor. Only Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu were left on the first floor of the huge Zhen Bao Pavilion. Mu Hongyu widened her eyes and looked around curiously. She was shocked. ¡°Liuyue, there are really¡­ a lot of good things here!¡± She only took a cursory glance and saw many rare treasures outside. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°This is the largest shop in Fantasy Divine Palace. It has countless treasures, so it¡¯s naturally extraordinary.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded in understanding, her eyes still filled with shock. ¡°However, this shop is really interesting. It actually has the same name as Country Yao Chen¡¯s shop. What a coincidence.¡± ¡°I was also quite surprised when I first came here. However, most of the names of such shops are very similar. It¡¯s not strange for them to have the same name.¡± ¡°True.¡± Mu Hongyu touched her chin. ¡°Country Yao Chen¡¯s shop is worlds apart from this place. By the way, Liuyue, I saw that Master Ming¡¯s attitude toward you just now was really good! Don¡¯t people say that even the deities are afraid of Zhen Bao Pavilion? His status shouldn¡¯t be low, right? But he¡¯s so polite to you!¡± He was more than polite and was extremely eager. ¡°Those who don¡¯t know might think that you¡¯re his master.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and knocked her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. It¡¯s not good for Lord Ming to hear it. It¡¯s just that they chose me to help replicate the Xuan formations, so we¡¯re closer.¡± Mu Hongyu stuck her tongue out. ¡°Then, they still have good taste and chose you immediately! However, I wonder who the backer of this Zhen Bao Pavilion is? In Fantasy Divine Palace, who¡¯s more honorable than a deity?¡± A light suddenly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. The only person who can make the deities so afraid¡ªthe legendary emperor? ¡­ Phoenix Mountain. Tuan Zi stood at the top of the mountain. Those black grape-like eyes were tightly shut at this moment, and her thick and long eyelashes trembled slightly. A breeze blew over and curled up the corners of her dress. The golden bells above her head tinkled. Under her feet, boundless, majestic, and turbulent force was pouring into her body continuously! The aura around her was also strengthening! The totem between her eyebrows was faintly discernible. In front of her, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was also growing silently. At some point, another tender leaf had grown and was swaying in the wind. After an unknown period of time, Tuan Zi finally opened her eyes and let out a long breath. Hu~ Her eyes were extremely bright, as if there were a flame burning in them for a moment. It took her a while to calm down. Then, she reached out and tidied her skirt, muttering softly, ¡°You¡¯re all messing up¡­¡± At this moment, a rustling sound suddenly came from afar. She looked up unintentionally and was shocked. A blurry figure quickly flashed past her eyes! That¡¯s¡­ Chapter 2283 - 2283 Great Advanced Realm 2283 Great Advanced Realm Tuan Zi suddenly widened her eyes. She quickly took two steps forward to take a closer look, but the shadow had already disappeared from sight. The sky was empty, as if nothing had appeared. ¡°Am I seeing things?¡± Tuan Zi rubbed her eyes. Why did I feel like I saw it just now¡­ But that¡¯s impossible! She frowned tightly. No matter how she thought about it, she felt that something was wrong. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for A¡¯Yue to come over before asking!¡± She nodded thoughtfully. Whoosh¡ª The sound of energy surging came from the side. She turned to look. The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed she had previously buried was gently shaking the tender leaves. Although the range was very small, she could still easily mobilize the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force. Perhaps because of this thing, she felt that the desolate and lonely aura on Phoenix Mountain had decreased a lot. She walked over and gently touched it with her small hand. ¡°You have to grow up quickly! This spot is bare and looks really ugly!¡± The Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed swayed gently. The clouds moved with the wind. ¡­ Zhen Bao Pavilion. After about 15 minutes, Ming Shu came down from the second floor with a black sandalwood box in his hand. He came to the two of them and handed them the ebony wooden box with both hands. Then, he chuckled and said, ¡°Ms. Shangguan, Ms. Mu, I¡¯m sorry. This thing has been here for many years. It took some effort to find it, so I¡¯m late. Please take a look.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Lord Ming, you¡¯re too kind. We¡¯re the ones who need your help in the first place. We should be the ones thanking you.¡± With that, she raised her chin at Hongyu. ¡°Hongyu, I don¡¯t understand this. You should take a look.¡± Mu Hongyu tried her best to suppress the excitement and curiosity in her heart and took the black sandalwood box. The box wasn¡¯t locked and could be opened directly. There was a book inside. Mu Hongyu took out the book and opened it, her almond-shaped eyes instantly lighting up. ¡°This is indeed a cultivation technique for the Great Advanced Realm!¡± She looked at Chu Liuyue and could no longer hide her smile. She looked at Ming Shu and asked, ¡°Lord Ming, may I know the price of this book¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Ming Shu smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Ms. Shangguan, Ms. Mu, this is a free gift from our Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu were stunned. Free gift? ¡°Lord Ming, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t appropriate, right?¡± Chu Liuyue said hesitantly. It¡¯s obvious how precious this book is. Zhen Bao Pavilion actually gave it away just like that? No matter how generous he is, he shouldn¡¯t have brought it like this, right? Mu Hongyu was also stunned. This shop is so generous! Ming Shu smiled and explained, ¡°The two of you might not know, but it has been more than a thousand years since a Faint Yuan body appeared in Fantasy Divine Palace. Even if we trace back 10,000 years, there are only three. However, those three people didn¡¯t cultivate to the Less Advanced Realm and died regretfully. Ms. Mu, if I¡¯m not wrong, you just broke through to the Less Advanced Realm, right?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ms. Mu came from the God Residence Realm and has already broken through to the Less Advanced Realm at such a young age. Her future is almost limitless. It¡¯s only a matter of time before she breaks through to the Great Advanced Realm. This thing is useless in our Zhen Bao Pavilion. It¡¯s just placed on the back shelf and accumulates dust for no reason. But if it¡¯s given to Ms. Mu, it can be very useful.¡± Ming Shu¡¯s eyes were filled with unconcealed admiration. ¡°Take this book as our Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s fate meeting gift to you. Please don¡¯t stand on ceremony, Ms. Mu.¡± Mu Hongyu blinked. Is this¡­ because he likes my talent, so he uses this thing to express his goodwill first? But this is too expensive¡­ She subconsciously looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s meaning is obvious and reasonable. But even if they think highly of Mu Hongyu, it seems a little too much to send out a Great Advanced Realm-level cultivation technique like this¡­ As if sensing their hesitation, Ming Shu stroked his beard and smiled. ¡°Actually, the two of you don¡¯t have to worry so much. The Faint Yuan body is an extremely rare cultivation physique, and the way it is cultivated is completely different from ordinary cultivators. Even if this thing falls into their hands, they won¡¯t be able to understand it. To most people, this isn¡¯t a treasure but a meaningless book. Now, since Ms. Mu has this talent, she naturally can¡¯t waste it.¡± In short, he was doing her a favor. Hearing his words, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t reject him anymore. After all, this was the purpose of their visit. ¡°In that case, thank you, Lord Ming.¡± Mu Hongyu immediately smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Lord Ming!¡± Ming Shu chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a small matter; it¡¯s not worth mentioning. I hope Ms. Mu can successfully break through to the Great Advanced Realm as soon as possible.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and glanced at Mu Hongyu. ¡°Hongyu, go back first later. There are still some Xuan formations here that haven¡¯t been copied.¡± This could be considered a return gift to Zhen Bao Pavilion. Mu Hongyu responded and quickly bade farewell. Chu Liuyue then went up to the second floor. ¡­ She had already cracked all the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations on the Star Path. Now, only the Grandmaster-level ones were left. Chu Liuyue stayed in the room on the second floor for a long time. Not only did she copy all the Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations in the Li Fire Xuan Map, but she also tried to set up a few Grandmaster-level Xuan formations to practice. Although the difficulty had increased a lot¡­ Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly. It was just a little more time and effort. These were all small problems for the current Chu Liuyue. When it was over, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest. Everything that had happened just now was still replaying in her mind. Her lips curved. Now, I really want to meet the Second Boss of Zhen Bao Pavilion and the rumored Master. Ming Shu¡¯s explanation sounded fine just now, but after thinking about it carefully, Chu Liuyue realized that there was actually a big logical problem. It was understandable that Zhen Bao Pavilion wanted to rope in a genius with a Faint Yuan body like Mu Hongyu, but the point was¡ªthere was no need for them to do that at all. Yes, the Faint Yuan body was very rare, but Mu Hongyu was still only at the Less Advanced Realm. It was still unknown if she could break through to the Great Advanced Realm. Even if she really successfully broke through to the Great Advanced Realm, Zhen Bao Pavilion didn¡¯t seem to need to please her so much. After all, even the deities had to be polite to them. Zhen Bao Pavilion, which had a powerful backer, actually didn¡¯t need to please anyone at all. Suddenly, there was the sound of the door opening. Chu Liuyue stood up and walked out. She was very fast. When she came out, she happened to see Ming Shu walking out of a room at the end of the corridor. Through the half-open door, a figure loomed. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes slightly. Chapter 2284 - 2284 Alarm 2284 Alarm Why does this back view look a little familiar? Ming Shu looked up and saw that Chu Liuyue had already walked out of the room. At this moment, she was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed as she looked over lazily. His heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly turned around and closed the door. Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue again and chuckled. ¡°Miss Shangguan, why are you out so early?¡± As he asked, Ming Shu was secretly shocked. Madam¡¯s strength seems to have improved again. When she came out just now, I actually didn¡¯t notice it at all! If I had known that I would bump into her when I left, I would definitely have been more careful! Chu Liuyue smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that the Xuan formations are almost done being replicated this time, and I¡¯m about to go back. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t seen Lord Ming Shu, so I said I wanted to take a look.¡± Her gaze landed on the tightly shut door behind Ming Shu. ¡°The person inside¡­ is the Second Boss?¡± Ming Shu couldn¡¯t say that he wasn¡¯t. ¡°Miss Shangguan is indeed smart.¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess. At this time, there were very few people who could go up to the second floor. When Ming Shu came out, his expression was still quite respectful. Naturally, one could tell that person¡¯s identity. Chu Liuyue took a step forward and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s such a coincidence today, then¡­ I wonder if Second Boss has time to meet me?¡± Her voice rose slightly. Although she was looking at Ming Shu, it was obvious that she was talking to the person inside. ¡­ When Yan Ge¡ªwho was in the room¡ªheard this, his heart pounded wildly. He anxiously began to look for a place to hide, wondering where it was more suitable. Or should I just run away? How did she see it? Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t have been able to tell anything from that glance, right? However, Madam has always been sharp-eyed and is extremely familiar with me. If she really saw something¡­ Yan Ge secretly regretted it. Why did I call Ming Shu over at this time? It wasn¡¯t too late to wait for Madam to leave! Just as he was feeling anxious, Ming Shu¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°This¡­ Miss Shangguan, our Second Boss¡¯s body¡ª¡± ¡°Second Boss hasn¡¯t recovered yet?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Second Boss isn¡¯t in good spirits now. He probably won¡¯t be able to see you.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a coincidence? I just broke through to become a Supreme Physician some time ago. I can take Second Boss¡¯s pulse. Zhen Bao Pavilion has helped me so much; I¡¯ve always felt very bad. If I can help Second Boss a little, it¡¯ll be very good.¡± Ming Shu paused and spoke hesitantly. ¡°Miss Shangguan, we appreciate your kindness, but¡­ Second Boss has an old problem. I¡¯ve already invited a Medical Saint over to take a look. There¡¯s no big problem; he just needs to rest well. You¡¯ve just copied those Xuan formations, so you probably need to rest now. How can I trouble you?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Ming Shu quietly. There was a hint of scrutiny in those eyes. Previously, she was only a little curious about this Second Boss, but now¡­ it had changed to suspicion. I just want to meet him. Why is it so difficult? From Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s attitude, this Second Boss definitely doesn¡¯t hate me; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have helped me like this. However, he refuses to see mee. Being stared at by her with such a calm expression, Ming Shu felt his entire body tense up, and cold sweat broke out on his back. After a long time, Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s still inconvenient for Second Boss, forget it.¡± Ming Shu heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Miss Shangguan. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, Second Boss will definitely treat you well.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up slightly and said to the tightly shut door, ¡°Second Boss, just take good care of yourself. I won¡¯t disturb you today.¡± With that, she turned and went downstairs. Ming Shu hurriedly went to send her off. Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and looked back with a smile. ¡°Lord Ming, you don¡¯t have to send me off. If you have the time and energy, you should take care of Second Boss more. It¡¯s not good to keep resting like this, right?¡± Ming Shu smiled awkwardly, and he could only stop and watch her leave. Chu Liuyue walked out of Zhen Bao Pavilion and turned around to take another look. The doors and windows on the second floor were tightly shut, and there was no movement at all. She smiled thoughtfully. If I can¡¯t see him today, I will see him sooner or later. I want to see how long this Second Boss plans to hide. Putting away her thoughts, she walked toward Phoenix Mountain. ¡­ The surroundings of Fantasy Divine Hall were always cold and cheerless, and it was the same today. Chu Liuyue came to the barrier, took out the jade token Yu Qian had given her, and placed it on the barrier. Buzz¡ª The barrier opened. She stepped into it without hesitation. ¡­ When she arrived at Phoenix Mountain, Tuan Zi was sitting on the top of the mountain. She supported her chin with one hand, and her cheeks were bulging, as if she was thinking about something. ¡°Tuan Zi,¡± Chu Liuyue called out. Hearing the voice, Tuan Zi immediately looked up, and a big smile bloomed on her adorable face. She got up quickly and ran over on her short legs. ¡°A¡¯Yue! You¡¯re here!¡± The moment Chu Liuyue landed, Tuan Zi had already pounced on her. She hugged her neck tightly with both hands and kept rubbing her head against her shoulder, taking another deep breath. ¡°Ah! A¡¯Yue smells so good!¡± I haven¡¯t smelled this smell for one day and one night! Chu Liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. Seeing how happy she was, her heart ached. Tuan Zi had always liked crowds. Staying here alone was indeed very uncomfortable for her. ¡°I missed Tuan Zi too, so I came today.¡± As she spoke, Chu Liuyue kissed her chubby face. ¡°How does it feel for Tuan Zi to be here by yourself? Huh? Your aura seems to have improved?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. How long has it been, yet there was such an obvious change? Tuan Zi pouted. ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m unhappy that A¡¯Yue isn¡¯t around.¡± Since she was bored, she could only spend most of her time cultivating and strive to open her meridians as soon as possible. Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart. ¡°Phoenix Mountain¡­ is indeed extraordinary.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s cultivation today almost exceeded the past few days. More importantly, because Phoenix Mountain was the territory of the red-gold heavenly phoenix ancestor, it was extremely efficient for Tuan Zi to cultivate here without any hidden dangers. This was much better than forcefully opening her meridians previously. If this continued, she should really be able to open her seventh meridian very quickly. ¡°By the way, A¡¯Yue, I think I saw something before¡­¡± Tuan Zi suddenly thought of something. She bit her finger and whispered into her ear, ¡°I think so¡ª¡± Boom! Before Tuan Zi could finish speaking, a loud bang suddenly came from Fantasy Divine Hall! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened, and she immediately looked up! Chapter 2285 - 2285 Snatch! 2285 Snatch! Right on the heels of that, a reddish-gold fire suddenly soared into the sky! ¡°The aura of a red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Chu Liuyue muttered in shock. Tuan Zi also looked over. After being stunned for a moment, she immediately frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the First Elder!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her in surprise. ¡°Elder Yi Gong? Tuan Zi, are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Tuan Zi gritted her teeth. ¡°I can¡¯t be wrong about this! It¡¯s him! Moreover, he¡¯s still trying to open his meridians!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. Tuan Zi had the purest bloodline and was already the young mistress. She knew the auras of all the red-gold heavenly phoenixes like the back of her hand. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t be mistaken. Moreover, now that Yi Zhao was trapped in the sea of lightning, the other clansmen had been forcefully sealed by him on Godly Phoenix Mountain. Only Yi Gong wasn¡¯t around. Apart from him, there would be no other answer. ¡°So he¡¯s in the Fantasy Divine Hall¡­¡± Chu Liuyue had long suspected that there was something wrong with the disappearance of Yi Gong. Looking at it now, she could almost confirm that he had betrayed the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. Otherwise, how could he have the capital to stay in the Fantasy Divine Hall to open his meridians at this time? A powerful summoning force came! A reddish-gold light flashed in front of Tuan Zi. It was the Ancestral Golden Feather that was inspired by this power and was about to go over. Swoosh! Tuan Zi quickly flew out and grabbed the Ancestral Golden Feather. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go!¡± He wants to open the seventh meridian? I won¡¯t let him! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes twitched. I didn¡¯t expect Tuan Zi to have such an ability¡­ The Ancestral Golden Feather struggled in Tuan Zi¡¯s hands for a moment before staying obediently. The purest bloodline¡¯s appeal to the Ancestral Golden Feather was naturally stronger. Tuan Zi widened her big black grape-like eyes and said fiercely, ¡°I want to see how he¡¯ll open his meridians this time! Hmph!¡± ¡­ At this moment, Yi Gong¡ªwho was somewhere in Fantasy Divine Hall¡ªfinally sensed that something was wrong and abruptly opened his eyes. Something is wrong. Why hasn¡¯t the Ancestral Golden Feather appeared yet? Even though this wasn¡¯t Godly Phoenix Mountain, he was still a red-gold heavenly phoenix after all and had great bloodline power. As long as he was preparing to open his meridians, no matter where he was, the Ancestral Golden Feather should be summoned. ¡°It seems like your talent is really far inferior to hers.¡± A gentle and low voice came from behind. Yi Gong suddenly turned around. ¡°Second Deity?¡± Yu Qian raised his chin. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you. Tuan Zi is already at Phoenix Mountain. The reason why you couldn¡¯t summon the Ancestral Golden Feather should be because of her.¡± Yi Gong was shocked. Immediately, indignation surged in his heart. How much have I sacrificed to open the seventh meridian? I have finally waited for this day, but it was forcefully interrupted just like that? From what the Second Deity said, he actually admired Tuan Zi. ¡°Second Deity, although she has the purest bloodline, she broke through all the way from a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant and has followed Shangguan Yue for a few years. Her thoughts¡ª¡± ¡°None of that matters,¡± Yu Qian interrupted him impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s enough that she has the purest bloodline.¡± Something seemed to be surging in Yi Gong¡¯s chest, making him extremely suffocated. Yu Qian glanced at him. ¡°However, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about this. As long as you can open the seventh meridian, what I said before will still count.¡± Yi Gong took a deep breath. ¡°I know.¡± It wasn¡¯t as if he had no choice because there was more than one Ancestral Golden Feather in this world! The other one was in Fantasy Divine Hall! He closed his eyes again and devoured the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force in an even crazier manner! The red-gold flames burned even more fiercely, completely surrounding him. A moment later, a buzzing sound came from somewhere in Fantasy Divine Hall. Right on the heels of that, a reddish-gold stream of light tore through the air! It was the Ancestral Golden Feather that was used to register names on the Apotheosis Book! Sensing that this aura was constantly approaching, Yi Gong made up his mind. This time, I have to open the seventh meridian no matter what! ¡­ ¡°Ancestral Golden Feather!¡± Sensing the commotion here, Tuan Zi immediately realized what had happened. ¡°A¡¯Yue, this is theirs!¡± Chu Liuyue tightly knitted her brows. ¡°Looks like Yi Gong has made up his mind this time¡­¡± Tuan Zi sneered. ¡°He¡¯s dreaming!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she tapped her toes and quickly flew over! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and immediately went to pull her, but it was already too late. After Tuan Zi opened her sixth meridian, her strength had increased greatly. At this moment, she was anxious and directly unleashed her greatest speed! Chu Liuyue followed without hesitation. Tuan Zi quickly arrived in front of the barrier. This barrier separated Phoenix Mountain from Fantasy Divine Hall. It was probably extremely difficult to pass through. When Yi Gong heard the commotion, he looked over and sneered with mockery in his eyes. Although the two of them were far away, they could still sense each other¡¯s gaze and expression. Tuan Zi gritted her teeth. ¡°You traitor! You¡¯re the one who betrayed Clan Leader Grandpa, right?!¡± Yi Gong snorted. ¡°He¡¯s the one who¡¯s stubborn and wants to bring the entire race to a dead end. I¡¯m just making the right choice for him!¡± Tuan Zi spat. ¡°Pfft, who do you think you are!?¡± Yi Gong¡¯s expression changed. No matter who it was, they would probably not be in a good mood after being insulted in public. But soon, his expression returned to normal. ¡°Tsk, th purest bloodline¡­ Young Mistress is really impressive! Unfortunately, you¡¯re still trapped and can¡¯t break free. Who can you control?¡± As he spoke, the Ancestral Golden Feather had already flown to the space between his eyebrows. Six reddish-gold patterns quickly appeared! As long as he drew the seventh Dao, he could successfully open the seventh meridian! Tuan Zi clenched her fists tightly, and golden flames instantly burned in her eyes! Almost at the same time, several patterns appeared between her eyebrows! ¡°You dare to snatch it from me?!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Tuan Zi¡¯s body! The Ancestral Golden Feather that was about to land on Yi Gong¡¯s glabella suddenly trembled. Then, it turned around and flew toward Tuan Zi! ¡°What?!¡± Yi Gong¡¯s expression changed, and his face instantly turned pale! The purest bloodline could naturally snatch the Ancestral Golden Feather! Chapter 2286 - 2286 Broken Pulse 2286 Broken Pulse The Ancestral Golden Feather tore through the air with the wind! Swoosh! Without stopping, it passed through the barrier in the middle and arrived in front of Tuan Zi in the blink of an eye! At this moment, she had also summoned six reddish-gold lines between her eyebrows. The streams of light burned like flames! The Ancestral Golden Feather hovered between her eyebrows and began to draw the seventh line slowly and firmly! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± When Chu Liuyue saw this scene, her heart immediately hung in the air. Tuan Zi just opened the sixth meridian not long ago. Now that she is going to forcefully open the seventh meridian, it will undoubtedly have a huge impact on her. Her body might not be able to withstand the impact of this terrifying pressure and vast power! It wasn¡¯t easy for me to help Tuan Zi recuperate last time, but now¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s temples throbbed, and she felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen at this moment. She wanted to go forward and stop Tuan Zi, but the Ancestral Golden Feather had already begun to carve the seventh line. If she interrupted her rashly now, the situation wouldn¡¯t be any better. However, at this moment, Yi Gong¡¯s mood was even worse. I could¡¯ve successfully opened my meridian, but now, it¡¯s all ruined! Bam! He waved his power in extreme anger, and a crack instantly appeared in the ground under his feet. The crimson-gold flames burned along the crack, leaving only a charred mark. However, no matter how he vented his anger, he could no longer change the fact that it had already happened¡ªTuan Zi had indeed easily snatched the Ancestral Golden Feather from him! This wasn¡¯t the first time such a thing had happened, but Yi Gong never expected it to happen to him one day! He was the First Elder of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race! However, Yu Qian¡ªwho was standing not far away¡ªwas shocked when he saw this. ¡°The purest bloodline really lives up to its reputation¡­¡± Tuan Zi and Yi Gong had both opened their sixth meridian, yet not only could Tuan Zi firmly guard the Ancestral Golden Feather that she originally had, but she could even snatch the second one from Yi Gong. This bloodline power could be considered crushing! If Tuan Zi could take this opportunity to open her seventh meridian, it would be killing two birds with one stone! At that time, would there still be a need for Yi Gong? ¡­ It was extremely difficult to have the Ancestral Golden Feather draw the line. Although Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline power was incomparably powerful, the power accumulated in her body was actually not enough to support opening the seventh meridian. Therefore, this process became extremely slow and difficult. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force began to pour into her body crazily! Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows twitched harshly. She was really worried that something like what happened in the Red Moon Desert would happen again. Tuan Zi had been continuously devouring this energy, but from the beginning to the end, she didn¡¯t show any pain on her face. Her body was like a sponge, continuously absorbing this power, but it seemed endless. On the contrary, her aura became stronger and stronger, and her eyes became brighter and brighter. She was wrapped in reddish-gold flames, and the scorching heat almost burned the air. Whoosh¡ª There was the sound of surging tides. Chu Liuyue turned around. On the top of Phoenix Mountain not far away, many Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seeds were clearly growing. They were swaying in the wind, sending boundless force here. A bright line slowly appeared between Tuan Zi¡¯s eyebrows! Chu Liuyue held her breath in. Could it be¡­ Is it because this is Phoenix Mountain? As early as the first time she came, she had sensed that the force here was a little different from the outside world. Tuan Zi especially liked it. However, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it at that time. She only thought that this was due to this being the place where the red-gold heavenly phoenix ancestor had stayed, and as such Tuan Zi¡ªa junior¡ªhad such a reaction. But now, it seemed like¡­ ¡­ ¡°Forcibly opening her meridians is just courting death! She¡¯s not an adult yet. The final outcome won¡¯t be much better!¡± Yi Gong clenched his fists and said hatefully. As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a cold gaze on him. He was shocked and turned around to see Yu Qian looking at him coldly and mockingly. ¡°Yi Gong, although you reported it previously, it doesn¡¯t mean that you can be willful in Fantasy Divine Hall. You¡¯d better know what to say and what not to say. Otherwise, I think Yi Zhao will be very happy for you to accompany him.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s voice contained an unconcealed warning. Yi Gong choked. He was about to defend himself, but he finally gave up, gritted his teeth, and said, ¡°Yes, Second Deity!¡± He lowered his eyes to hide the resentment and killing intent in them. So what if he doesn¡¯t want me to say it? These are all facts! Just wait and see. If she forces herself to do this¡­ she¡¯s only courting death in the end! ¡­ Half a line was finally drawn between Tuan Zi¡¯s eyebrows. But at this moment, the Ancestral Golden Feather suddenly stopped and didn¡¯t continue. The remaining half of the line was like a natural chasm that was difficult to cross. Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. Tuan Zi¡¯s face turned red as she clenched her fists and stared intently at the Ancestral Golden Feather. Continue! I have only opened half of the seventh meridian! However, no matter how anxious she was, the Ancestral Golden Feather couldn¡¯t continue. In fact, the Ancestral Golden Feather was trembling faintly because of the long period of stagnation. It seemed as though it would fly away at any moment. Seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. This is a sign of failure! It was most unacceptable to suddenly stop halfway through opening the meridians. This was because once this happened, it would be almost as difficult as ascending to the heavens to continue opening the meridians next time. Moreover, even if Tuan Zi could continue again, how could she guarantee that the two meridian-opening sessions would be completely compatible? If she couldn¡¯t do it in one go, there would inevitably be mistakes. Without a doubt, this would be a fatal blow. Even if Tuan Zi had the purest bloodline, she couldn¡¯t avoid this problem! Tuan Zi seemed to have realized the seriousness of the matter and urged the force to surge into her body even more crazily. But at this moment, her body¡¯s tolerance had reached its limit; she couldn¡¯t control such a terrifying amount of force at all. The Ancestral Golden Feather trembled violently! ¡­ The situation took a turn for the worse. The smile on Yu Qian¡¯s face had completely disappeared, and his brows were tightly furrowed. I¡¯ve spent so much effort to keep Tuan Zi on Phoenix Mountain. If she loses just like that, won¡¯t all my efforts be in vain?! Most importantly, if she is crippled, where can we find another one with the purest bloodline? When Yi Gong saw this, a sneer appeared on his lips. I¡¯ve long said that this is definitely not possible. Even if she can snatch the Ancestral Golden Feather away, so what? It¡¯s impossible for her to successfully open her meridians without any preparation! If the seventh meridian was really so easy to open, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan wouldn¡¯t only have one person to do so in all these years¡ªYi Zhao. At this moment, the Ancestral Golden Feather instantly flew away! Tuan Zi¡¯s body trembled, and she spat out a mouthful of blood! Chapter 2287 - 2287 Let Me Help You 2287 Let Me Help You ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Just as she was about to move, a black figure was faster than her. Then, she paused. ¡°Zi Chen?¡± Zi Chen pulled Tuan Zi into his arms and opened her hands without hesitation. Swoosh! A dark-red line of blood flew out! A drop of warm blood landed on his handsome and cold face. His expression didn¡¯t change as his thumb quickly wiped away the blood, and he sucked it between his lips. Then, he cut open his palm and stacked it atop Tuan Zi¡¯s palm, holding it tightly. The majestic force that almost overflowed from Tuan Zi¡¯s body instantly flowed out of this blood and surged into Zi Chen¡¯s body! The scorching energy was like a stream of fire, spreading throughout his muscles, bones, and bloodline, burning inch by inch! A bone-piercing hot pain surged from all over his body. Zi Chen frowned slightly, but he didn¡¯t let out a single cry of pain. This crazy force was all absorbed by Zi Chen, and Tuan Zi¡¯s body finally gradually recovered. Tuan Zi opened her eyes in a daze and saw a familiar face. She was in a daze. ¡°¡­Zi Chen?¡± ¡°Continue to open your meridian.¡± Zi Chen¡¯s voice was as cold and deep as ever, but it inexplicably made Tuan Zi feel at ease. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing at the side¡ªsaw Zi Chen¡¯s actions and finally realized what he was planning to do. She instantly gasped. Zi Chen¡­ Is he crazy? If Tuan Zi wants to open her meridians, she has to swallow enough Heaven and Earth Force to temper herself. However, she opened her sixth meridian just recently, and she hasn¡¯t made any preparations. It¡¯s almost equivalent to forcing herself. Of course, her body couldn¡¯t withstand it. Even if the force here was extremely beneficial to her cultivation, it was still very difficult. The reason why the Ancestral Golden Feather left just now was that Tuan Zi could no longer contain more Heaven and Earth Force. It was definitely not enough for her to rely on herself. At this moment, Zi Chen went forward and guided all the force that Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t withstand into his body by fusing their bloodlines. This could greatly reduce the pressure on Tuan Zi. At the same time, he could also rearrange this force and transfer it back into Tuan Zi¡¯s body bit by bit, repeatedly tempering her body. This way, Tuan Zi could use this force to the greatest extent, and it wouldn¡¯t break through her tolerance limit. The only drawback was that this process would be extremely difficult for Zi Chen. Yu Qian had previously said that even members of the red-gold heavenly phoenix might not be able to withstand the power here, let alone Zi Chen. But at this time, apart from Zi Chen, there was no one more suitable because no matter what, half of a great phoenix dragon¡¯s bloodline power still flowed in his body! If it were any other legendary fiend, they would¡¯ve exploded and died long ago. Thus¡­ It had to be Zi Chen! Tuan Zi immediately understood this and widened her eyes. ¡°But¡ª¡± Zi Chen held her hand tightly. Compared to his wide and well-defined palm, Tuan Zi¡¯s chubby little hand looked especially small. Their palms touched, and there was a faint smell of blood. Tuan Zi gritted her teeth and nodded seriously. ¡°Okay!¡± At this point, I have to succeed no matter what! She closed her eyes and held her breath. The Ancestral Golden Feather, which had just flown away, had already arrived at the edge of the barrier. Sensing Tuan Zi¡¯s movements, it shook a few times and finally flew back! More and more force surged into Tuan Zi¡¯s body. After tempering her body, it poured into Zi Chen¡¯s body, and after his extraction, it finally returned to Tuan Zi¡¯s side. The cycle repeated again and again. Because of the intense pain, Zi Chen¡¯s body was trembling slightly. But from beginning to end, he didn¡¯t stop, allowing the hot and majestic force to circulate through him. Finally¡ª The Ancestral Golden Feather came to Tuan Zi¡¯s glabella again! ¡­ ¡°How is that possible!?¡± Everything that happened shocked Yi Gong. There was still a mocking smile on his face, but before his smile could fully unfold, the situation suddenly reversed! His expression was especially ugly. Yu Qian was also completely stunned. He originally thought that Tuan Zi might really not make it this time, but who knew¡­ Yi Gong took a deep breath. No worries, no worries! Even if Tuan Zi has recalled the Ancestral Golden Feather again, she can¡¯t follow the previous traces and continue to open her meridians flawlessly. Such a problem when opening her meridians will undoubtedly affect her future cultivation. Even if she has the purest bloodline, she will definitely have only seven meridians opened in the future! At the thought of this, Yi Gong¡¯s mood finally improved. However, the next scene completely shocked him because¡­ That Ancestral Golden Feather was actually opening Tuan Zi¡¯s seventh meridian from the beginning again! An extremely dazzling reddish-gold line slowly and firmly appeared between Tuan Zi¡¯s eyebrows, easily covering the previous half-line! ¡­ At the same time, somewhere in Fantasy Divine Hall. A shadow flew over and jumped into the thick leaves in the cold and lonely courtyard. A moment later, a low and indifferent voice came from inside. ¡°I told you long ago that now isn¡¯t the time to go to Phoenix Mountain.¡± Under the pile of fallen leaves, something surged before quickly quietening down. A breeze blew over, and a few broken leaves fell. It was as if nothing had happened. ¡­ In the depths of the lightning pool. Yi Zhao, who had been trapped for a long time, suddenly opened his eyes and looked up! This aura¡­ Tuan Zi has opened her seventh meridian?! Countless emotions surged in his eyes. He lowered his head and looked at the black chains around him. Then, a hint of determination flashed across his eyes. Boom! A cluster of crimson-gold flames suddenly burned! Chapter 2288 - 2288 Not Rescuing 2288 Not Rescuing The crimson-gold flames and the golden lightning intertwined, and the chaotic and dazzling light illuminated the deepest part of the lightning pool. The black chains were wrapped in the hot flames and began to tremble violently! Whoosh¡ª The chains tightened, almost hanging Yi Zhao to death here! Mu Dongyou¡ªwho was calmly cultivating nearby¡ªsensed this commotion. He immediately opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the flames! The force around Yi Zhao had already begun to burn crazily, and a rich bloody aura spread. Mu Dongyou¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately ran in that direction! ¡°This Yi Zhao¡ªis he crazy!?¡± ¡­ At the same time, the cultivators in the lightning pool also felt that something was wrong. The flickering lightning bolts inexplicably became anxious and began to swim around violently. Several cries of pain came from the lightning pool, and right on the heels of that, figures quickly escaped from it and rushed to the shore. Everyone standing on the shore was shocked when they saw this scene and retreated one after another. ¡°The lightning pool is in chaos!¡± someone shouted in a panic. The people who had quickly escaped looked disheveled. Some of them even had many wounds on their bodies because they could not flee in time. They were dripping with blood and were badly mangled. ¡°Quickly look!¡± A man standing on the reef suddenly pointed ahead. Everyone subconsciously looked in the direction he was pointing and immediately gasped. In the vast lightning pool, countless silver lightning bolts seemed to have been summoned and were quickly gathering in the middle! Because there were too many of them, these heavenly lightning bolts also collided fiercely with each other. For a moment, sparks flew, but their speed wasn¡¯t affected at all. It was precisely because of this that many cultivators who were involved couldn¡¯t help but be affected, and some were injured¡ªlightly or severely. ¡°How did that happen?¡± In the dead silence, someone couldn¡¯t help but mutter in a low voice, his eyes filled with shock. Nobody answered him. They had no answer to this question. ¡°There are still people who haven¡¯t come out!¡± Song Qing, who had finally escaped, had just come ashore when he looked back and said worriedly. Looking at the lightning pool from where they were, they could still see a few figures struggling to come over. But at this moment, all the heavenly lightning was rushing toward the center. Their actions were no different from going against the current situation, and it was extremely dangerous. Usually, when these lightning bolts were in a normal state, their lethality was already terrifying enough. Many people had to be careful when entering the lightning pool. If they weren¡¯t careful, they might return with a wound. Now, the danger level increased several times in an instant! Not to mention being safe and sound, even coming out alive was a problem! ¡°Help¡ª¡± Sure enough, a panicked cry for help came from the lightning pool very quickly. Everyone standing on the shore looked at each other. Song Qing took a step forward hesitantly, but eventually stopped after taking a look at his injuries. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to come out. If he went back again¡­ Not to mention saving someone, he might not be able to come out either. Soon, a few waves surged over and quickly swallowed those figures. Only a few of them were still struggling. ¡°Please¡ªplease, help!¡± This time, Song Qing heard it clearly. It was actually Cheng Pei¡¯s voice. He frowned. Ever since Cheng Pei found out that this lightning pool could temper the Holy Body, he seemed to be addicted and came here frequently. Gradually, he was no longer satisfied with just staying at the edge; he began to try to go in bit by bit. Even though doing this would cause him to be in a sorry state and be covered in injuries every time, these were almost not worth mentioning compared to the power he obtained. Song Qing had also advised him not to keep doing this. Although tempering one¡¯s Holy Body in the lightning pool could quickly increase one¡¯s strength, its effects were limited and had drawbacks. It wasn¡¯t a problem to use this method once or twice, but it was a little too much to do it often. If he really wanted to become stronger, it was best to cultivate diligently. However, why would Cheng Pei listen to him? He urgently wanted to become stronger, especially after hearing a lot about Chu Liuyue recently. The fire in his heart burned brighter and brighter, and he wished he could immediately stimulate all his potential so that he could step on her. Therefore, he disregarded his safety and headed deeper into the lightning pool. Who knew that such a shocking change would happen!? ¡°With such a commotion, those who haven¡¯t come out yet are probably dead¡­¡± ¡°The Fourth Deity is still in the depths of the lightning pool. Will he save them?¡± ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to say, right? With the lightning pool rioting, how could the Fourth Deity have the time and energy to care about this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Eh, there seems to be someone over there? That¡¯s¡ªSi Jing?¡± ¡°It should be him, right? Hasn¡¯t he been coming every day recently, and he goes further than the others every time. However, why do I feel that these lightning bolts don¡¯t pose much of a threat to him? Look¡ªhe¡¯s coming this way!¡± Si Jing¡¯s name had been very famous in the lightning pool recently. It wasn¡¯t just because he came often, but also due to the fact that he would enter the depths of the lightning pool and stay inside for a long time. More importantly, he had never been injured once! Everyone watched helplessly as he became stronger every time he came out. Moreover, he didn¡¯t seem to be in any pain and was always in high spirits. As time passed, people didn¡¯t even have the mood to be jealous because sometimes you couldn¡¯t compare yourself to a pervert. This time, many cultivators were trapped in the lightning pool and tortured. When their lives were in danger, Si Jing was indeed still calm. Si Jing was originally hitting stones with his small hammer below, but halfway through, he realized that something was wrong. When he saw the surrounding heavenly lightning surging into the depths of the lightning pool, his first reaction was to follow and take a look. However, he remembered that he had been warned by the Fourth Deity previously, so he gave up on this idea and turned to leave. He strode through the lightning pool. Countless silver lightning bolts surged around him, but they all tactfully dodged. This made Si Jing almost unhindered and unthreatened as he headed for the shore smoothly. ¡°Save! Save me!¡± As Si Jing walked, he heard a cry for help. Si Jing turned to take a look. Oh, it¡¯s an acquaintance. At this moment, Cheng Pei also saw Si Jing clearly. His expression stiffened, but it was only for a moment before he continued to shout, ¡°Si Jing! As long as you get me out, I¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Si Jing left without hesitation. What a joke. Cheng Pei has forgotten how he treated Master previously, but I¡ªSi Jing¡ªhaven¡¯t forgotten! Save him? I¡¯m already being kind enough by not stepping on him! Chapter 2289 - 2289 Yi Zhaos Outbreak! 2289 Yi Zhao¡¯s Outbreak! Cheng Pei instantly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his entire body turned cold. Actually, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had no choice, he wouldn¡¯t have put down his pride and asked Si Jing for help. Wasn¡¯t there no other way? He had only been trapped here for a short while, but countless wounds had already been cut by the terrifying lightning. There was almost no unmarked place on his body. If this continued, he would really die here before long! It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t tried to leave on his own, but he realized that he couldn¡¯t do it at all. With his current strength, it was as difficult as ascending to the heavens to go against this surging tide! However, Si Jing was different. For some reason¡ªperhaps it was his special physique or some other reason¡ªit was clearly much easier for him to stay in the lightning pool than for others. Putting aside what had happened previously, everyone was in a sorry state just now because of this sudden change. However, Si Jing was still here as if he were walking on flat ground. Apart from him, Cheng Pei didn¡¯t know who else he could turn to for help. He gritted his teeth and shouted, ¡°Si Jing! No matter what, we came to this Fantasy Divine Palace together. Are you really unwilling to help at all?¡± Si Jing snorted. ¡°I came here by myself. Who came with you? Besides, aren¡¯t you very unyielding? Leave by yourself then! I heard that when you wanted to cross the sea back then, you asked my master to help you. After my master rejected you, you¡¯ve held grudges until now. Cheng Pei, you¡¯re already so old. Why are you so shameless?¡± Cheng Pei was rendered speechless, and his face turned pale. With that, Si Jing continued walking toward the shore. ¡°A person like you deserves to be taught a lesson!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Cheng Pei was about to say something else when the waves formed by several lightning bolts in front of him rushed over quickly! Si Jing was in front of him and bore the brunt! But just as Cheng Pei thought that Si Jing was about to be devoured, he saw the latter raise the hammer in his hand and swing it casually. Whoosh¡ª An invisible force surged out. The surging silver lightning seemed to have been affected and quickly spread out. After passing Si Jing, they quickly gathered together again and came with wind and waves! The aura of the waves was even more ferocious than before! A look of shock flashed across Cheng Pei¡¯s eyes. How¡ªhow could this be!? These heavenly lightning bolts seemed to have been ordered and controlled by Si Jing! As if sensing his gaze, Si Jing suddenly turned around and looked over. His dark and rough face raised an eyebrow, and then he smiled. Cheng Pei suddenly realized something. ¡°You¡ª¡± Hula! As soon as he opened his mouth, before he could say the rest, the surging and terrifying waves had already surged over and instantly swallowed him! Then, his figure was quickly obliterated by the countless dazzling heavenly lightning bolts. Si Jing weighed the hammer in his hand. It¡¯s quite useful. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t move much just now. Apart from Cheng Pei, no one else should have seen it. He rubbed his nose and turned toward the shore. ¡­ When Si Jing arrived at the edge of the lightning pool, the number of lightning bolts here had greatly decreased and became very thin. Si Jing jumped up and returned to the shore effortlessly. Everyone turned to look at him. Sure enough! After this twist and turn, he is still not injured! Many people glanced at each other. Forget about what had happened before. They only thought that he had a strong body and could easily withstand those heavenly lightning bolts, but now, such an explanation was clearly not enough. So many people were either dead or injured, but only he could walk out of the depths of the lightning pool safely! Wasn¡¯t this enough to prove something? However, Si Jing didn¡¯t care about the gazes of the people around him as he tidied his messy clothes and gripped the hammer in his hand tightly. Then, he turned around and gazed at the lightning pool. Endless lightning was still surging into the depths. Looking at it from afar, one could only see a dazzling light flickering in the dark world. Si Jing frowned. Could it really be the forbidden area in the depths of the lightning pool? What happened? As soon as this thought flashed through his mind, he heard a huge explosion! Rumble¡ª This sound came from the depths of the lightning pool. It was dull and heavy! Everyone felt as if something was crushing them from the heart, making it almost difficult to breathe. Some of the weaker ones immediately spat out blood, their faces pale. Seeing this scene, everyone¡¯s hearts sank. This time, something important must have happened! Right on the heels of that, a crimson-gold flame soared into the sky from under the lightning pool! Surrounded by that resplendent silver light, this golden flame actually looked extremely dazzling. The moment it appeared, almost half the sky lit up! Everything around it seemed to darken at this moment¡ªeven the silver lightning couldn¡¯t compete with the brilliance. The next moment, the flame began to surge crazily in all directions like magma! The flame melted, shone brightly, and was unstoppable! Large patches of heavenly lightning were covered, and golden flames spread! From the look of it, it seemed like the flame was going to overturn the lightning pool! Everyone was shocked by this scene and fell into dead silence. A heat wave surged over, and even the air became hot! Song Qing¡ªwho was standing in front¡ªfinally came back to his senses. He took a few steps back and was extremely shocked. ¡°This is¡­ the aura of a red-gold heavenly phoenix!?¡± Without a doubt, what else could it be other than a red-gold heavenly phoenix?! This shout quickly woke everyone up. ¡°Red-gold heavenly phoenix? Isn¡¯t that a sinner from Fantasy Divine Palace? Why is it here?¡± Ever since the ancestor of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race betrayed Fantasy Divine Hall tens of thousands of years ago, there had never been a red-gold heavenly phoenix here! Unexpectedly, this terrifying aura suddenly surged out from the depths of the lightning pool! Could it be that below this¡­ Shoo! Just as everyone was flustered and nervous, a phoenix cry suddenly sounded and spread majestically in this world! ¡­ This phoenix cry also pierced through the clouds and wind to arrive at Fantasy Divine Hall and Phoenix Mountain! At this moment, the seventh line on Tuan Zi¡¯s glabella was already about to be drawn completely. Hearing this familiar sound, Tuan Zi¡¯s heart instantly tightened! The Ancestral Golden Feather trembled violently! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank as she looked in the direction of the sound. The sound came from the lightning pool. What is Yi Zhao trying to do?! Before she could think clearly, a painful groan suddenly came from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that Yi Gong in the distance seemed to be restrained by an invisible rope. His body was being pulled uncontrollably toward the lightning pool! Chapter 2290 - 2290 Chaotic Battle! 2290 Chaotic Battle! He was surrounded by golden flames that were burning fiercely. He was like a ball of fire. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes, but a trace of doubt surged in her heart. Yi Gong is the First Elder of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. His bloodline power is extremely powerful, so logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t be in such pain from these flames. But at this moment, he seems to have completely lost control of the force in his body. Could it be because of Yi Zhao? Almost at the same time, the seventh line on Tuan Zi¡¯s glabella was finally completed! Boom! A majestic and terrifying pressure suddenly erupted from her body! Tuan Zi suddenly opened her eyes. Her eyes were completely filled with reddish-gold fire! Even Chu Liuyue felt her chest tighten at this moment. That aura seemed to have surged over from ancient times and covered the sky! Zi Chen was the closest and immediately suffered the impact of this terrifying force. His chest heaved up and down, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. Tuan Zi immediately retracted her aura and grabbed Zi Chen¡¯s hand tightly. Then, she poured the force in her body into his body. The pure and powerful energy nourished his muscles, bones, and bloodline bit by bit. Zi Chen licked the blood from his lips and shook his head, gazing at Tuan Zi steadily. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It was more important to save Yi Zhao first. There was no need for words. With just a look, they could quickly understand what the other party meant. Tuan Zi had a rare solemn expression on her face. She nodded slightly. Then, she tapped her toes and chased after Yi Gong! Chu Liuyue immediately called Zi Chen back. In order to help Tuan Zi open her meridians, he had endured the extremely shocking impact of the energy. He would probably have to recuperate for a period of time to recover. As for what happened next¡ª Swoosh! An air-piercing sound flashed above their head. Yu Qian could no longer hold back and followed! ¡­ The huge commotion caused by the lightning pool caused the entire Fantasy Divine Palace to be restless! Countless cultivators were alarmed and came over. At this moment, everyone standing on the shore beside the lightning pool was hesitating if they should escape. Seeing the golden flames surge over, they¡ªwho were standing nearby¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but be greatly affected. Some people couldn¡¯t take it anymore and began to evacuate. Si Jing looked over from afar and gradually tightened his grip on the hammer in his hand. It was as if something was surging in his chest and abdomen, ready to break out at any moment! ¡­ At this moment, Mu Dongyou had already arrived at the forbidden area. However, it was too late. There was a hole at the top of the ball of golden lightning. The surging and crazy red-gold flames rushed out from here. Yi Zhao, who was trapped inside, was completely surrounded by flames. The terrifying high temperature made it impossible for Mu Dongyou to approach. ¡°Yi Zhao! You¡¯re crazy!¡± Mu Dongyou¡¯s voice and expression were both stern. Yi Zhao actually chose to burn himself! Only then could this flame break through the restrictions of the golden heavenly lightning! Every bit of force in his body and every inch of his bones, flesh, and blood will turn into flames that devour the world! Yi Zhao lowered his head, as if he didn¡¯t hear Mu Dongyou¡¯s voice¡ªor if he heard it, he didn¡¯t care at all. He allowed the flames around him to burn crazily, as if they wanted to burn everything clean! Mu Dongyou was burning with anxiety. He wanted to stop Yi Zhao, but it was obvious that he couldn¡¯t do it with his own strength. However, Yi Zhao couldn¡¯t die! At the very least, he had to live now! Mu Dongyou raised his hand and waved it, wanting to gather the surrounding lightning again and isolate Yi Zhao¡¯s flames. But soon, he realized that he had lost control of these heavenly lightning. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Mu Dongyou was shocked. He had not only lost control of the golden lightning but even the silver lightning that surged toward them from all directions. Then, the lightning sent all this force to Yi Zhao. An ancient legendary fiend could devour lightning and turn it into holy force! As the Fourth Deity, Mu Dongyou stayed in the lightning pool all year round and had absolute control over all the lightning here. He had never encountered such a situation before! Mu Dongyou¡¯s heart was beating fast. He knew very well that if this continued, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the situation went completely out of control! At that time, Yi Zhao would either die or escape from here! At the thought of this, he turned around and left without hesitation, planning to find other deities to come together and suppress them. But as soon as he moved, many heavenly lightning bolts surged over in succession, making him feel as if he had fallen into a swamp, and he couldn¡¯t move an inch. Mu Dongyou gasped. This lightning pool¡­ It must have seen a ghost! Swoosh! Just as Mu Dongyou was entangled with the lightning, a ball of fire suddenly fell and quickly gathered over! He subconsciously looked up, and his pupils constricted. ¡°Yi Gong!?¡± Wasn¡¯t he in Fantasy Divine Hall? Why¡­ Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. He turned around and looked at Yi Zhao! As the clan leader, if he sacrifices himself, he can naturally summon his clansmen! Although Yi Gong has already betrayed Godly Phoenix Mountain, he is still a red-gold heavenly phoenix after all. Every drop of blood flowing in his body is still filled with deep reverence for the highest existence in the red-gold heavenly phoenix race! If Yi Zhao wants him to die, he can¡¯t live! Swoosh! Yi Gong was trapped by the flames and fell into the ball of light surrounded by golden lightning, arriving in front of Yi Zhao! Mu Dongyou clenched his fists tightly. But at this moment, another small figure rushed over quickly and rushed in without hesitation! Mu Dongyou was shocked. That is the aura of someone who has opened the seventh meridian! At this moment, crimson-gold flames erupted! Chapter 2291 - 2291 Sin of Betraying the Clan 2291 Sin of Betraying the Clan Her vision was completely blocked. The crimson-gold flames burned crazily, almost completely filling the space in the light ball formed by golden heavenly lightning. The three figures inside were swallowed up and disappeared from view. Mu Dongyou moved his feet and was about to step forward. However, the surrounding heavenly lightning seemed to have been impacted by the power of the flames and became even more violent. Streaks of silver light flowed from all directions and collided with each other. It was extremely chaotic, making it difficult for him to move. Mu Dongyou frowned. Yi Zhao is the clan leader and has already opened the seventh meridian. If he really makes a decisive choice, he can¡¯t be underestimated! He swung his arm and suddenly threw the spear in his hand! Whoosh! The long spear carried an extremely sharp attack power and instantly broke through the waves! Some of the closer lightning bolts were forcefully dispersed and even exploded! ¡­ Chu Liuyue followed Yu Qian and went straight to the lightning pool. Before she arrived, she saw from afar that a ball of reddish-gold fire was igniting into the sky and flowing continuously into the surroundings. At a glance, it was like boiling magma gushing out of the bottom of the sea, covering and swallowing everything! Shock flashed across her eyes as she subconsciously held her breath. Although I had already expected something to happen here before I came, the scene in front of me is still far beyond my imagination. Such a terrifying power¡­ all came from Yi Zhao? Is he planning to risk his life?! Yu Qian was faster than her. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the shore of the lightning pool. When he saw everything clearly in front of him, his expression darkened completely, and he clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves. Yi Zhao is courting death! However, now isn¡¯t the time for him to die! In addition, Tuan Zi is still below. She has just opened her seventh meridian! What if Yi Zhao goes crazy and does something¡­ ¡°The Second Deity is here!¡± Someone with sharp eyes below saw Yu Qian and immediately exclaimed. As soon as he finished speaking, many people looked up with different gazes. Second Deity Yu Qian had absolute authority in Fantasy Divine Palace, especially over the last few years. The First Deity had been in seclusion and had handed many things to Yu Qian. Naturally, his power was greater. But unlike other deities, Yu Qian usually stayed inside Fantasy Divine Hall most of the time and rarely came out. It was extremely difficult for everyone to see him. Now that the lightning pool was in chaos and the commotion was shocking, he naturally needed to come out and preside over the situation. Hearing the exclamations of the surrounding people, Si Jing also looked up. However, his gaze then landed on Chu Liuyue, who wasn¡¯t far behind Yu Qian. Chu Liuyue moved and arrived in front of Si Jing. ¡°Si Jing, how are you?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned and asked. She knew that Si Jing had been coming here often recently. She was worried that the lightning pool¡¯s riot would affect him. Si Jing grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I¡¯m fine!¡± These words attracted the attention of some people around him, and the corners of their mouths twitched slightly. This master-servant pair is too interesting. They are clearly ruthless characters who have been to the depths of the lightning pool before, but now they¡¯re worrying about each other. What else could happen to Si Jing? Even if everyone here dies in the lightning pool, he probably wouldn¡¯t even have a scar! Seeing that Si Jing was full of energy and spirit, Chu Liuyue was slightly relieved. ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡± As she spoke, she raised her chin. ¡°You mean this ball of fire that suddenly appeared in the lightning pool?¡± Si Jing briefly explained the situation and also told her that Cheng Pei had been buried in the lightning pool. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t even blink. He had reaped what he sowed. She had never taken it to heart. What she cared about the most now was still Yi Zhao and Tuan Zi. ¡°The Fourth Deity never came out?¡± ¡°No,¡± Si Jing thought for a moment before continuing. ¡°When it happened, the Fourth Deity should have gone over immediately.¡± At that time, although he was still quite a distance away, he vaguely sensed a familiar energy fluctuation. If he guessed correctly, it was the Fourth Deity, Mu Dongyou. Chu Liuyue nodded. Mu Dongyou was in charge of guarding the lightning pool, so it was expected that he would do this. Except¡­ ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the incident started. Why doesn¡¯t he have any intention of stopping¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered to herself. Si Jing laughed. ¡°How can you withstand that bit of heavenly lightning?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella twitched, and she glanced at him. Why does Si Jing¡¯s tone sound like¡­ he is very familiar with the situation in the lightning pool? She hesitated for a moment before remarking slowly, ¡°That¡¯s the Fourth Deity after all. He¡¯s in charge of all the lightning here¡­¡± Si Jing scratched his head and lowered his voice. ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not necessarily the case!¡± Chu Liuyue looked straight into his eyes. ¡°Oh?¡± She already felt that something was wrong when Si Jing brought the lightning back previously, but at that time, her thoughts were all on Qiang Wanzhou, so she didn¡¯t think too much about it. She only thought that it was because Si Jing¡¯s physique was special. His hammer was originally a lightning hammer that could devour the power of heavenly lightning. But now, things seemed to be different from what she had expected¡­ Si Jing didn¡¯t notice the subtle change in her expression and continued, ¡°That¡¯s right! Under the lightning pool¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Yu Qian¡¯s figure moved, and he rushed into the lightning pool! He was so fast that before anyone could see what he was doing, he was gone. In an instant, countless heavenly lightning surged over with the reddish-gold flames. Chu Liuyue made up her mind, tapped her feet lightly, and rushed over as well! ¡°Master¡ª¡± Si Jing wanted to stop her, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have time. He was about to rush forward when he saw the surging lightning pool. He frowned and stopped. Almost subconsciously, he tightened his grip on the hammer again. ¡­ Plop! Chu Liuyue entered the lightning pool and went deeper. From here, one could already see a ball of burning golden flames below, mixed with golden heavenly lightning. Clusters of fire were spreading quickly around that place. Yi Zhao, Tuan Zi, and Yi Gong were all among them! Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. If I want to save Yi Zhao, now is my only chance! Swoosh! A sharp aura suddenly arrived! She focused her gaze and saw that it was a spear¡ªit belonged to Mu Dongyou. Chu Liuyue turned around and easily avoided it. Then, the long spear finally rushed out of the lightning pool! Buzz¡ª A buzzing sound spread far and wide! Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. This is the Fourth Deity warning the other deities! She swayed her waist and rushed toward the ball of flames with extreme agility. ¡­ At this moment, in the cage formed by the golden lightning, Yi Gong was staring at Yi Zhao in horror. Yi Zhao gazed at him coldly. ¡°Yi Gong, do you admit the sin of betraying your clan?!¡± Chapter 2292 - 2292 Deceived 2292 Deceived Every word was like a huge rock that landed heavily on Yi Gong¡¯s heart. He held his breath, and all the blood in his body seemed to stop flowing at this moment. The surrounding flames were burning, and the temperature was clearly extremely hot, but he broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn¡¯t guilt but fear. The current Yi Zhao could really kill him directly! ¡°C-clan Leader, I¡­ I¡¯m also doing this for the red-gold heavenly phoenix race!¡± Yi Gong spoke with difficulty to defend himself. ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, our entire race will die! Clan Leader, can you really bear for that to happen?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve admitted it.¡± Yi Zhao¡¯s voice was terrifyingly cold and calm. ¡°As the First Elder, you know best what kind of punishment betraying the clan entails. Do you want to do it yourself, or should I help you?¡± Yi Gong¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He knew Yi Zhao too well; the latter would never change his mind. Now that Yi Zhao had already made up his mind to kill him¡­ No matter how much he begged and defended, it was useless. After figuring this out, Yi Gong¡¯s expression suddenly became ruthless. ¡°I¡¯m not picking either!¡± His voice was sharp and hoarse, with a hint of hysterical madness. ¡°Yi Zhao, I¡¯ve long advised you that you should choose to surrender to Fantasy Divine Hall, but how did you choose? You were the one who was stubborn and caused the entire race to fall into this situation!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not our masters. How can we surrender to them?¡± ¡°In any case, we¡¯re all servants of Fantasy Divine Hall. What¡¯s the difference? Our ancestor made the wrong choice back then, and from then on, our red-gold heavenly phoenix race became a sinner of Fantasy Divine Palace! Now that you have the chance to change all of this, why aren¡¯t you willing to agree?¡± Yi Gong really couldn¡¯t figure it out. He clenched his fists tightly. Because he was agitated, his face was abnormally red, and his eyes were filled with madness. Yi Zhao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He only said word by word, ¡°The choice our ancestor made has been the choice of our clansmen for 10,000 years. Be it life or death, it will never be changed! Yi Gong, you colluded with foreign enemies and betrayed your clansmen. You deserve to be executed! I promoted you to the status of First Elder; I can be considered blind since I made such a huge mistake. Today, I¡¯ll personally kill you. In the future, I can answer to the ancestor and clansmen.¡± With that, he raised his hand. The long period of inhumane torture had already caused him to be covered in injuries¡ªven his fingers were covered in blood and scars¡ªbut no one knew how terrifying the power in his body was. Swoosh! A spark flashed between his fingers. Yi Gong¡¯s pupils constricted as a deep fear surged in his heart! Without thinking, he turned around and wanted to run! ¡°First Elder, where are you going?¡± A clear and tender voice sounded. Tuan Zi was floating in midair quietly and looking at him. Yi Gong¡¯s heart almost jumped out! ¡°You!¡± Just now, he was so focused on dealing with Yi Zhao that he almost forgot that there was this King of Hell behind him! Tuan Zi looked up at Yi Zhao and smiled sweetly. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, can you hand the First Elder to me first?¡± Yi Zhao paused and nodded slightly. However, the sparks on his fingertips didn¡¯t disappear. Clearly, as long as Yi Gong made a move, he would still immediately attack! Yi Gong looked at Tuan Zi and felt that the smile on her face was extremely dangerous. He stiffened. ¡°Wh-what do you want?!¡± He didn¡¯t forget that Tuan Zi had just opened her seventh meridian! Even if she was still young, she could already completely crush him in terms of strength! Tuan Zi looked relaxed. ¡°You¡¯ll know what I want to do soon.¡± With that, she raised her hand. That chubby little hand was tightly holding onto an Ancestral Golden Feather. A hint of confusion flashed across Yi Gong¡¯s eyes, but the next moment, he saw Tuan Zi bite her finger. A dark-red bead of blood quickly surged out. Then, she flicked her finger, and the blood bead quickly flew toward Yi Gong¡¯s glabella! Yi Gong subconsciously wanted to dodge, but at this moment, he was surrounded by the two people and couldn¡¯t move at all! Shoo! A burning pain came. The blood bead directly entered Yi Gong¡¯s glabella! Realizing what had happened, Yi Gong¡¯s body stiffened. Then, his eyes widened! ¡°You¡ª¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Explode!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Yi Gong felt an indescribably majestic power sweep instantly through his entire body. Right on the heels of that, all the power in his body seemed to have been summoned and began to surge rapidly! This commotion was very similar to when he was about to open his meridians just now. Could it be¡­ An extremely ridiculous guess suddenly surged into his mind. As if sensing his thoughts, Tuan Zi smiled brightly. ¡°First Elder, don¡¯t you want to open the seventh meridian? I¡¯ll help you.¡± She had the purest bloodline and had just opened the seventh meridian. The bloodline power in her body was extremely abundant, and just one blood bead could instantly detonate all the bloodline power in Yi Gong¡¯s body and forcefully open his meridians! As expected¡­ as expected! A look of shock flashed across Yi Gong¡¯s eyes. Tuan Zi actually wants to help me open my meridian? What exactly does she want to do? Just as he was panicking, Tuan Zi moved. Her reddish-gold lotus leaf dress swayed gently, and golden bells rang. In the blink of an eye, she arrived in front of Yi Gong. Then, she held the Ancestral Golden Feather and swiped it across gently. Several lines appeared uncontrollably on Yi Gong¡¯s glabella. He struggled with all his might, wanting to avoid Tuan Zi. However, how could the latter allow it now? Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes were burning with fire. ¡°Open it!¡± The seventh reddish-gold line slowly appeared! Chapter 2293 - 2293 Save My Tuan Zi 2293 Save My Tuan Zi Yi Gong had imagined the scene of opening the seventh meridian many times, but he never expected it to be like this! Tuan Zi held the Ancestral Golden Feather and separated a portion of her pure bloodline power to forcefully open his meridians! Every part of his body seemed to be torn apart bit by bit, and intense pain came. Yi Gong¡¯s face was pale, and blood flowed from the corners of his mouth. He panicked and wanted to break free, but how could she let him? His mind was almost blank. Only the scarlet-gold flames burning in front of him were hot and terrifying! As the First Elder of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, he had never thought that this flame would actually cause him such pain one day. He wanted to call for help, but he realized that his throat was already being strangled by an invisible force. He could only be silently forced to bear all of this. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes were burning as she slowly and firmly moved the Ancestral Golden Feather in her hand! ¡­ An intense and terrifying energy fluctuation came. The heavenly lightning surged crazily and entered the extremely dazzling flame one after another. Mu Dongyou frowned tightly. This situation¡­ seems a little off. He was about to get closer to take a closer look when he saw the golden heavenly lightning suddenly surge up and wrap it tightly. He couldn¡¯t spy on anything at all. ¡°Dongyou.¡± A familiar voice came from behind. Mu Dongyou immediately turned around. ¡°Second Deity!¡± Yu Qian waved his hand, and the surrounding heavenly lightning seemed to be a little afraid and retreated. He was stronger than Mu Dongyou, so it was naturally easier for him to move here at this time. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± As Yu Qian asked, he stared intently at the huge ball of light not far away. At this moment, countless golden lightning bolts were wrapped around the golden flames. It was a dazzling light that made it impossible to see anything. Mu Dongyou quickly told him what had happened. ¡°So, the three of them are inside now?¡± Yu Qian frowned. Mu Dongyou nodded and looked worried. ¡°Yi Zhao is the clan leader after all. He decided to burn himself so decisively and has an extremely strong temptation. It¡¯s normal for Yi Gong and Tuan Zi to come here, but his actions were too sudden, and it is extremely dangerous. If he isn¡¯t careful, the remaining two will be affected to a great extent.¡± However, he had already gone insane, and the fire burned half the lightning pool. It was extremely hard to get him to stop. Yu Qian¡¯s expression turned grave. ¡°Why did Yi Zhao suddenly become like this?¡± After being trapped here for so long and being continuously tortured, Yi Zhao did not behave in that manner. Something happened today, and he actually¡ª Mu Dongyou shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It¡¯s as if he was triggered by something¡­¡± Yu Qian furrowed his brows. Could it be because he sensed that Tuan Zi had opened her seventh meridian? That is probably the only explanation. Yi Gong¡¯s life and death doesn¡¯t matter, nor does Yi Zhao¡¯s death matter much. The key is Tuan Zi; she has just opened her seventh meridian! Yu Qian had personally witnessed this process. He knew too clearly how terrifying Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline power was! Hence, he now had to protect Tuan Zi no matter what! He thought for a moment before coldly saying, ¡°Immediately seal the lightning pool and chase all the silver lightning out, leaving the golden heavenly lightning at the bottom.¡± Yi Zhao chose to burn himself, and this process required the absorption of horrifying amounts of lightning. Only by cutting off the supply of force could they have hopes of stopping him. But once this was said, Mu Dongyou did not move immediately. He revealed looks of difficulty. ¡°Second Deity, this¡­¡± Yu Qian¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Of course. Mu Dongyou took a deep breath in and braved himself to say, ¡°Second Deity, t-these lightning bolts¡­ aren¡¯t exactly under my control now!¡± Yu Qian¡¯s brows twitched harshly. ¡°What did you say?¡± A gush of cold intent rushed over and wrapped Mu Dongyou! Mu Dongyou¡¯s voice became hoarse. ¡°F-from just now¡­¡± In the beginning, it was still a small portion. But as time passed and Yi Zhao¡¯s fire grew bigger, more and more lightning bolts became maniacal. At this point, he had almost completely lost control! If he had any method, he wouldn¡¯t have landed in such a state where he was trapped outside by the lightning bolts and could not enter the area. ¡°This lightning pool has been under your care for the past 10,000 years. Every single heavenly lightning bolt should be in your control. Now, you¡¯re telling me that you can¡¯t control them?!¡± Yu Qian¡¯s voice suddenly rose in a cold and stern manner. He was usually gentle and elegant toward the outside. Even if he was angry, he normally smiled a little, causing others to be unable to understand him. Seeing him explode, he was clearly frustrated to the maximum. Mu Dongyou¡¯s entire body tensed up, and his lips trembled slightly. He wanted to say something, but he realized that everything was for naught. That was because this was the truth. After a while, he finally said, ¡°¡­I¡¯m useless!¡± He himself did not know what was going on. It had always been fine previously, but now¡ª Yu Qian clenched his fists tightly. Such a situation has never happened to the lightning pool for the past 10,000 years. What is happening now? Seeing Mu Dongyou¡¯s appearance, he was infuriated, but it wasn¡¯t time to lecture Mu Dongyou. He closed his eyes, focused, and then raised his hand. Countless rays of light flew out and rapidly formed a seal in front of him. A tremendously terrifying aura spread from the middle. Then, he slowly pushed his hands forward. That seal immediately flew out and grew with the wind! Everywhere it went, those swarming silver lightning bolts seemed to be guided by some force and suppression and moved over. ¡­ This was the scene Chu Liuyue saw when she came. Under the crazily burning ball of fire, there was a gigantic red seal quietly floating. Lightning bolts kept flying over before they were suppressed forcefully. It was like a gigantic web that gathered all the surrounding lightning bolts. That is Yu Qian¡¯s doing! He is indeed an extremely strong warrior above a legendary warrior. With just one move, he can easily trap all these lightning bolts¡­ Her gaze shifted and landed on the ball of light. The fire burned, and the rays of light melted. One couldn¡¯t see anything from the outside. Still¡­ Chu Liuyue had an agreement with Tuan Zi, so she naturally knew what was happening inside. This is a great opportunity. As long as Tuan Zi can forcefully open Yi Gong¡¯s meridian, the trio¡¯s auras will become extremely similar! At that time, no matter what they do, it will be much more convenient. The key is that they require countless lightning bolts, no matter if it were Yi Gong opening his meridian or letting the fire continue burning to confuse the lightning pool. However, Yu Qian has already started obstructing this! Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other and rapidly rushed toward the burning ball of light. ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chapter 2294 - 2294 Murky Water 2294 Murky Water This clear and anxious voice instantly attracted the attention of Mu Dongyou and Yu Qian. The two of them turned around in unison and saw a curvy figure rushing toward the ball of light! ¡°Shangguan Yue!?¡± Mu Dongyou was taken aback. ¡°Why is she here?!¡± As Mu Dongyou had lost most of the control over the lightning bolts here and was just reprimanded by Yu Qian, he was tense and did not realize Chu Liuyue had already reached here. The current lightning pool is very mysterious and dangerous, yet she actually came over. Does she think that she has lived for too long? Yu Qian¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°Naive!¡± Without guessing, he knew that she definitely came to save Tuan Zi. However, she didn¡¯t consider that she would just be courting death by coming here with her bit of ability! Mu Dongyou wanted to immediately go over to stop her. However, Chu Liuyue was faster. In the blink of an eye, she arrived before the ball of light! The high temperature distorted space. Chu Liuyue summoned her Holy Body without hesitation! A brilliant and thin armor covered her and instantly blocked the high temperature outside. She could almost ignore the terrifying scorch here, but Mu Dongyou could not. Very quickly, he had to stop. ¡°Second Deity¡ª¡± He looked at Yu Qian hesitantly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about her.¡± Yu Qian did not stop and continued collecting the surrounding lightning bolts. It¡¯s normal for Chu Liuyue to want to save Tuan Zi. Besides, her Holy Body is indeed incredible. However¡­ It is impossible for her to enter. The net formed by the intertwining golden lightning bolts had extremely strong suppression that isolated it from the world. The red-golden fire burning here was even more terrifying. Chu Liuyue was just doing something useless outside. Seeing Yu Qian¡¯s expression, Mu Dongyou rapidly understood what he meant. He thought about it more and felt that it made sense. In such a dangerous scenario¡­ Not to mention him, even Yu Qian did not choose to take the risk and enter. What could a Chu Liuyue do? ¡­ Even if she had summoned her Holy Body, the terrifying suppression that surged out still caused her chest to be stifled. Even the surrounding force moved slower. She held her breath in and looked forward. The intersecting golden bolts of lightning had a layer of red-golden fire and burned. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how terrifying the scene was inside. Detecting her arrival, the few bolts of lightning that were nearer suddenly surged toward her excitedly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she said extremely softly, ¡°Go back!¡± The surrounding booms easily drowned her few words. However, those lightning bolts were very obedient, and they reluctantly left when they heard this. Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. Luckily, they are still obedient. That is much more convenient. Thinking of this, her force surged. The cold light gleamed, and a longsword appeared in her hand! The sword looked very special¡ªit was half bright and half dark. The two extreme colors were clear and merged perfectly. This was the one she personally made! Whir! A thought popped up in her mind, and the sword whirred! Then, she clenched the sword hilt tightly without hesitation before she raised it high and suddenly slashed it down! Swoosh! The moment the sword landed, the air was rapidly cut! Following that, the sharp sword aura rushed forward and landed on the gigantic web that was formed by the golden lightning bolt. Rumble¡ª The two forces slammed against each other harshly and let out a loud sound! The terrifying force spread toward the surroundings. Hearing the commotion, Mu Dongyou instinctively looked over. With this look, his heart harshly trembled! Once the sword landed, it triggered an extremely terrifying energy vortex. Then, she actually directly affected the barrier that was formed by golden lightning bolts. Water-like ripples moved on the extremely bright balls of light. Countless golden lightning bolts instantly lost control and surged around crazily. One had to know that this was the core of the entire lightning pool. Once this exploded, the ripples would spread far and wide! As expected, the silver lightning bolts that were originally going toward Yu Qian were affected by this and changed directions. Then, they rushed toward that ball of light. Even the lightning bolts that he had already gathered started to tremble. Yu Qian¡¯s heart sank. He rapidly looked up and realized what had happened. Chu Liuyue is just a legendary warrior. How could she move these golden lightning bolts? This thought flashed across Yu Qian¡¯s mind quickly and disappeared. I don¡¯t have the time to think of this now! ¡°Dongyou! Stop her!¡± At this point, Yu Qian finally realized that he had completely underestimated Chu Liuyue. However, it was clearly too late to command now. Mu Dongyou wanted to approach her but was driven away by the energy ripples. He had already lost control of these lightning bolts. He had no advantage here at all, and he could not do anything. Seeing this scene, Yu Qian finally realized that things were much worse than what he had imagined. He placed his hand on his lips. A loud and rather shrill whistle spread far and wide from the depths of the lightning pool! Hearing this sound, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. It seems like Yu Qian is serious. I have to settle this as soon as possible. She held the sword tightly, looking anxious and worried. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll save you!¡± Then, she slashed down again! Boom! The golden lightning bolts swam around at a faster speed! The energy vortex attracted even more lightning bolts, and they merged with the red-golden fire that was crazily burning. ¡­ At this point, as Yi Gong had tolerated too much force, his body had already reached its limits. Countless wounds exploded on his body, and blood spurted out. He looked terrifying. Yet, his aura kept intensifying. Tuan Zi held the Ancestral Golden Feather, her small hand already trembling slightly, but she did not stop. She had to open this meridian! ¡°First Elder, I¡¯m already helping you so much. You can¡¯t refuse me!¡± Her lips curled up at a playful angle, and her voice was extremely light. Yi Gong was already in a semi-conscious state. Even if he could hear what she said, he had no energy to reply. Tuan Zi did not care either as she insisted on engraving the last bit. Finally, the seventh line perfectly appeared on Yi Gong¡¯s brows! Whir! A tremendous aura surged out of Yi Gong¡¯s body. Following this, his body started absorbing the surrounding force automatically to heal himself. This caused Yi Gong to be slightly more conscious. He widened his eyes with much difficulty. A-as long as I can survive this, I might have a chance of escaping¡ª Suddenly, his gaze focused, and shock flashed across his eyes. After Tuan Zi forcefully opened his meridian, she didn¡¯t stop and waved her palm to gather the surrounding fire! Chapter 2295 - 2295 Ill Take a Look 2295 I¡¯ll Take a Look The fire quietly burned on the Ancestral Golden Feather, and its color was brighter and more intense than the surrounding fire. Yi Gong detected a familiar aura from it. This is clearly the fire formed by Yi Zhao burning himself! What does she want to do?! As if seeing through Yi Gong¡¯s doubts, Tuan Zi¡¯s adorable face broke into a very bright smile as she chirped, ¡°First Elder, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just giving you a small present.¡± She smiled sweetly, cutely, and naively, but at this point, Yi Gong found this smile horrifying. Strong uneasiness rose from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to say something more, but he couldn¡¯t make any sound. He could only watch as Tuan Zi played with the Ancestral Golden Feather before she waved it casually. Swoosh! The fire rapidly flew over and directly entered his body through his wounds! The excruciating scorching burn spread throughout his body! Yi Gong suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Every time he thought that he had already reached the upper limit of the pain and was about to be numb, there would always be a more terrifying method waiting for him. It kept attacking his body. He wanted to directly faint so that he could be tortured less, but he had just opened his seventh meridian and was the most awake now. Other than being able to feel the excruciating torture even more clearly, there was nothing else. Even though all three people had opened their seventh meridians now, their skills were still very far apart. Tuan Zi had the purest bloodline, so she had absolute suppression and ability. Even though Yi Zhao was previously injured, he was still stronger when compared to Yi Gong. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have been the one who became the clan leader back then, while Yi Gong was only the First Elder. Furthermore, Yi Gong was also covered with injuries. That fire, coupled with the strong suppression, burned Yi Gong¡¯s body inch by inch! ¡­ Yu Qian¡¯s whistle quickly spread to Fantasy Divine Hall. Jin Yunlai¡ªwho was quietly sitting in the room¡ªsuddenly opened his eyes and looked outside with a grave expression. Then, he stood up without hesitation and walked outside. Jin Yunlai squinted slightly. Shu Jing¡¯s residence isn¡¯t in this area. It seems like she has sent medicine to the Sixth Deity again. After he followed them that day, he originally wanted to hear what the two people said. It was a pity that the Sixth Deity had always been guarded, especially after he came back, so he directly set up layers of barriers outside the yard. Once anyone went near, he would definitely notice it. Therefore, Jin Yunlai still did not go up in the end. As for what the two of them talked about inside, he had no way of knowing. The only thing he knew was that Shu Jing¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good after she left that day. Originally, he thought that there was a conflict between the two of them. But for the next few days, Shu Jing still sent medicine over, no matter the weather. Jin Yunlai was curious but could not ask further. The deities all had their own roles and responsibilities, and they couldn¡¯t be considered to be close to each other. He and the Sixth Deity did not interact much in the past, so he naturally had no reasons to ask around. At this point, Shu Jing also saw him. Momentary panic flashed across her face, but it quickly disappeared. If it weren¡¯t because Jin Yunlai understood her to a certain extent, it would be hard for him to capture the change in her emotions. Jin Yunlai walked forward and asked, ¡°Do you know what happened at the lightning pool?¡± Shu Jing heaved a sigh of relief in her heart and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t. I only came over after hearing the Second Deity¡¯s news.¡± Jin Yunlai stood with his hands behind his back and slowly clenched them. Actually, the Fourth Deity had already warned them previously. At that time, he wanted to go over, but he saw that the Second Deity had directly taken action, so he didn¡¯t do anything. Originally, he thought everything could be smoothly resolved if the Second Deity personally took action. Who knew the Second Deity would summon them not long later? Something major must¡¯ve happened to the lightning pool. But hearing Shu Jing, she actually did not notice the Fourth Deity¡¯s warning previously? What was she busy with then? As if feeling guilty from Jin Yunlai¡¯s gaze, Shu Jing quickly knitted her brows. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the trouble isn¡¯t small to make Second Deity behave in this manner. We should hurry over!¡± Jin Yunlai nodded lightly, and his figure moved as he rushed toward the lightning pool! Shu Jing slowly exhaled before she turned around to take a look with a complicated gaze. Then, she also immediately followed. ¡­ ¡°Second Brother, did you hear the whistle previously?¡± Xiao Ba was tidying the herbs in the yard. When she heard this sound, she instantly stopped in her movements and turned around. Hua Shuangshuang looked over. ¡°It came from the lightning pool. It seems like Si Jing hasn¡¯t come back from there.¡± Xiao Ba stood up and ran over excitedly. ¡°Second Brother, should we go take a look?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Two voices sounded simultaneously. Xiao Ba turned around. ¡°Big Brother? Lord Yan Qing?¡± These two people actually came out of their rooms at the same time, and they did not allow me to go? She pouted slightly and whined softly. ¡°I just wanted to see what¡¯s going on¡­ I won¡¯t go then. Why are you so fierce?¡± The two of them were even fierce to me together! Cen Yi looked at Yan Qing. The two of them exchanged glances. After a moment, Cen Yi walked outside. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Xiao Ba instantly widened her eyes in shock, and Hua Shuangshuang looked at him strangely. ¡°Big Brother, you want to go over personally?¡± Ever since he came to Fantasy Divine Palace, he had not stepped out of the house once! Now, he actually wanted to go to the lightning pool?! Cen Yi nodded, and his narrow and nonchalant eyes looked as deep as the ocean. Chapter 2296 - 2296 Someone! 2296 Someone! Qiang Wanzhou also walked out. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°No need. All the deities in Fantasy Divine Palace should be heading toward the lightning pool. It¡¯ll be more troublesome if too many people go. This commotion has nothing much to see¡­.¡± If it implicated the many deities, it would definitely cause huge chaos. If one went over now and wasn¡¯t careful, they would be implicated as well. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s intricate brows were covered with faint hesitation, but it quickly disappeared, and he nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Ba was very curious. Why did all of them come out? But seeing Cen Yi¡¯s expression, it seemed like the incident was not minor, so she did not insist and planned to wait here quietly. Thinking of this, she glanced toward the room Rong Xiu was in and softly said, ¡°That¡¯s strange. Since everyone wants to go, why didn¡¯t His Grace come out¡­¡± Yan Qing paused and then replied, ¡°Master has been in seclusion lately.¡± Seclusion? Xiao Ba blinked. That is rare. In her impression, Rong Xiu had always been relaxed and rarely cultivated in seclusion. However, this was Fantasy Divine Palace, and there was much more competitive pressure from all aspects, especially when her master had been in the limelight recently. It was very normal for His Grace to want to elevate his skills rapidly. Thinking of this, Xiao Ba was relieved and sat back down. ¡°Big Brother, come back early!¡± She was not worried if Cen Yi could handle the situation at all. Cen Yi nodded lightly and left. ¡­ Lightning pool. The crowd standing on the shore entered a long and torturous wait. At this point, every single second and minute seemed to be extended. ¡°What¡¯s with that sound earlier? Second Deity is summoning the other deities?¡± ¡°What exactly happened? Why is there such a big commotion¡­¡± ¡°If the Second Deity can¡¯t even solve it, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Worry surged in many people¡¯s hearts. In the recent few years, the First Deity rarely showed himself, so most matters were handed over to the Second Deity. He personally showed up this time, yet he still could not do it? ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you curious at all? A terrifying fire suddenly emerged from below the lightning pool. It¡¯s clearly used to suppress the red-gold heavenly phoenix, right? Besides, one that can cause such a huge commotion is definitely not an ordinary red-gold heavenly phoenix¡­¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan a sinner in Fantasy Divine Palace? They haven¡¯t appeared here for at least 10,000 years, right? Why would it suddenly explode now?¡± ¡°Who knows!? But if this guess is true, I¡¯m even more curious. Who exactly is suppressed underneath?¡± ¡°Right! Do you recall? Previously, there was a rumor that Shangguan Yue actually has two legendary fiends, and one of them is the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress! I saw her rush in just now. Could it be related to her?¡± Once this guess was said, it instantly attracted many people¡¯s attention. Someone loudly asked, ¡°Song Qing, you guys came up together. Is that true?¡± Quite a few people looked at Song Qing with varying expressions. Song Qing knitted his brows and did not speak, but he glanced at Si Jing. Why did they ask me about this? Wouldn¡¯t Si Jing, Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinate, be clearer? Of course, he knew clearly that those people had lingering fears, so they did not ask Si Jing¡ªever since the lightning pool exploded, the maniacal abilities he exhibited caused people to look at him differently. Everyone knew that this person could not be trifled with! Si Jing acted as if he did not see them. He tightly held the lightning hammer in his hands as he stared forward with focus, and his ears moved undetectably A tiny sound vaguely entered his ears. As time passed, this sound became increasingly clear. Dong dong! Dong dong! This was the sound of the lightning that was sealed underneath the countless rocks, constantly smashing against them and wanting to break through! At this point, the scorching fire flowed at a reduced speed. However, its suppression was not reduced at all. Who knew what was the situation underneath¡­ Si Jing held his breath in. ¡­ Swoosh! Swoosh! Two figures arrived one after another. The crowd looked up. The incoming people were Jin Yunlai and Shu Jing. The deities had their own matters to be busy with normally. As Jin Yunlai and Shu Jing were in charge of the Star Path and medicinal mountain respectively, they had the most amount of time, so they naturally came the fastest. Seeing the scene before them, even though they had already done mental preparations, the duo were still stunned. The red-golden fire kept flowing out and crazily surged around, almost flipping half the lightning pool upside-down. The dark sky was also lit up by this fire. It was a mess between heaven and earth. ¡°Did¡­ Yi Zhao commit suicide?¡± muttered Jin Yunlai in shock. Shu Jing, after a momentary hesitation, made up her mind and went down the lightning pool! Jin Yunlai was about to call her, but he saw that her figure had already passed, so he could only follow her. Plop! The duo rushed into the lightning pool consecutively. Seeing this scene, the crowd was even more worried. ¡°Such a big trouble hasn¡¯t appeared in so many years in Fantasy Divine Palace. It can actually cause so many deities taking action at the same time¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move back a little more. The fire is about to burn until the shore!¡± ¡°I wonder what¡¯s happening below¡­¡± Si Jing was tempted, but just as he planned to take action, a familiar commotion sounded behind him. He instinctively turned around with a face filled with shock. ¡°Big Brother?!¡± Cen Yi¡¯s arrival did not attract many people¡¯s attention. After all, at this point, everyone¡¯s minds were on the deities and the lightning pool. Cen Yi¡¯s gaze brushed past him and later landed on the token around his waist. ¡°Watch it,¡± said Cen Yi lightly, as he raised his chin. Si Jing looked down and saw that the word on the token became even brighter and intense at some point, as if it was about to break away from it at any time! His heart beat quickly, and his rough hands brushed past the surface. The faint ripple was then appeased, and the word recovered its initial appearance. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother,¡± Si Jing said. Then, he glanced at Cen Yi and hurriedly asked, ¡°Big Brother, are you also going to the lightning pool? I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Cen Yi tilted his head to glance at him. ¡°You can just stay here.¡± Si Jing scratched his head in regret. ¡°Oh, okay! I¡¯ll just wait for Master and Big Brother to come back!¡± Cen Yi acknowledged it. After that, his figure moved, and he disappeared into the lightning pool. ¡­ The area below the lightning pool had completely descended into chaos! Jin Yunlai and Shu Jing hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but their speeds were already obviously reduced due to the restrictions of the crazily tumbling lightning bolts. Yu Qian glanced over and raised his wrist! That seal instantly caused a ripple and spread those lightning bolts! The two people could then escape. Almost at the same time, a figure arrived closely behind the two of them. He used Yu Qian¡¯s force to successfully avoid the entanglement of those lightning bolts. Yu Qian knitted his brows. This aura is very unfamiliar! Who dares to be so reckless to come down at this point? He glanced at the person in annoyance. Then, his eyes narrowed! Chapter 2297 - 2297 Commotion! 2297 Commotion! This figure, this aura¡­ It is clearly very similar to¡ª Yu Qian opened his mouth and wanted to call him. ¡°F¡ª¡± But before he could finish his sentence, he saw the incoming person¡¯s appearance. His five features were good-looking and his expression was nonchalant, but it was a totally unfamiliar face! Yu Qian¡¯s remaining words were thus stuck in his throat. His eyes were like an eagle¡¯s as he stared at the incoming person sharply. It was a man who looked like he was 28 or 29 years old. He was dressed in a green robe and had a very thin and tall figure, with narrow eyes that were nonchalant and calm. As if detecting his gaze, that person looked over. Their eyes met. But after a moment, the other party shifted his gaze and looked at the side. An extremely strange feeling suddenly surged up Yu Qian¡¯s heart. This person¡­ ¡°Second Deity.¡± Jin Yunlai and Shu Jing came to Yu Qian. Seeing his strange expression, the duo exchanged glances and turned around in unison. Shu Jing was shocked. ¡°This is¡ª¡± After taking a closer look, her rapidly beating heart was finally at ease. However, when she thought of that person, she would have deep fears for some reason that crept in her heart for some time before they gradually dissipated. ¡°Cen Yi, why are you here?¡± Jin Yunlai knitted his brows. Previously, he and Shu Jing didn¡¯t realize that there was still someone following behind them. Yu Qian and Shu Jing looked at Jin Yunlai. ¡°Yunlai, you know him?¡± Yu Qian questioned in a deep voice. Jin Yunlai nodded. Of course, he knew why Yu Qian had such a question. This Cen Yi indeed had some odd similarities with that person. He was also taken aback when he first saw Cen Yi. ¡°He¡¯s Shangguan Yue¡¯s subordinate and has arrived for a while.¡± However, he didn¡¯t come out for a long period of time. The other people in Fantasy Divine Palace might not recognize him, let alone the deities. Yu Qian was then relieved as he nodded. So he came for her. He glanced at Cen Yi and retracted his gaze. However, there is not much to care about a legendary warrior. ¡°The two of you can go to the side first and prepare to set up the Soul Lock Seal.¡± Upon hearing this, the two of them were taken aback. ¡°Soul Lock Seal?¡± This was a special seal that required the deities to work together to set up. Normally, they definitely would not use it. It seemed like¡­ it was because of Yi Zhao? He looked up and saw that not far away, the golden heavenly lightning bolts kept surging around and continuously absorbed the surrounding lightning bolts! The red-golden fire inside burned even more intensely! ¡°Shouldn¡¯t these lightning bolts be¡ª¡± Jin Yunlai spoke halfway until he saw Mu Dongyou¡¯s slightly ugly expression, and his voice trailed off. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left. End it as soon as possible.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s voice was icy cold. Jin Yunlai and Shu Jing were stunned. ¡°Yes!¡± Once he said this, the two of them separated. At this point, the few people stood around the ball of fire and faced each other to form a diamond shape. Suddenly, Shu Jing frowned. A figure actually faintly appeared in the piercingly bright light before her. ¡°There¡¯s another person inside?!¡± She gasped in shock. Even I find it terrible to stand here and can¡¯t go forward. How could someone directly enter?! Also, that figure seems rather familiar! ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about her,¡± said Yu Qian coldly. If it weren¡¯t for Chu Liuyue, they might have already settled the trouble here. ¡°She¡¯s just courting her own death.¡± Anyway, she has already dissolved her agreement with Tuan Zi. Her life and death doesn¡¯t matter. Shu Jing took a deep breath in. It actually¡­ was her! However, Yu Qian is right. In this situation, such behavior is akin to courting death. Originally, Shu Jing was still upset with Chu Liuyue. She did not expect the chance to vent her anger would come so quickly! Swoosh! She retracted her gaze, and holy force flew out of her hands! Almost at the same time, Mu Dongyou and Jin Yunlai took action! The many holy forces intertwined and rapidly formed a special shape. A terrifying suppression gradually exuded from inside. ¡­ Tuan Zi inserted another fire into Yi Gong¡¯s body. At this point, he was already covered in wounds and had many bloodstains. One could even see his bones through the wounds. He lowered his head, and blood kept oozing out of his mouth. Even though his surrounding aura was stronger than before, his energy had already reached its limit. Yi Gong¡¯s mind was heavy. Today, he finally experienced what it meant to be better dead than alive! If he had any chance to retaliate, he would not let himself fall to this state. Tuan Zi sized him up a few times and then finally nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Yi Gong¡¯s brows moved. Done? What¡¯s done? He instinctively felt that something was amiss, but he didn¡¯t even have the energy to look up and open his eyes. Then, he felt that Tuan Zi seemed to have moved. She came to the middle of Yi Gong and Yi Zhao. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring you out now!¡± Originally, Yi Zhao hadn¡¯t realized what Tuan Zi planned to do. But later on, when Tuan Zi kept inserting the fire into Yi Gong¡¯s body, he vaguely guessed a little. At this point, hearing her say this¡ª As expected. His expression changed, and hesitation flashed across his eyes. ¡°Tuan Zi, this is too dangerous for you. Besides, you can¡¯t break apart this chain.¡± When he detected Tuan Zi opening her seventh meridian, he used the sacrificial fire to lure her over to explain a few matters and conveniently settle Yi Gong. He didn¡¯t expect her to have such plans. Tuan Zi grinded her teeth and glared at that chain. This is clearly exactly the same as the black chain that trapped me! At that time, I couldn¡¯t do anything about this thing, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t do so now! She took a step forward, clutched the black chain, and then¡­ harshly swayed it! Boom! A loud sound suddenly erupted from the depths of the lightning pool! At this point, shocking waves were triggered! Chapter 2298 - 2298 Stealing the Sun 2298 Stealing the Sun This power instantly spread, causing Yu Qian and the others to almost lose their balance. The Soul Lock Seal they were about to use swayed and couldn¡¯t be stabilized. Hearing the sound of chains, Yu Qian¡¯s expression darkened. Are they planning to bring Yi Zhao out?! Tsk, it¡¯s just a dream. That chain is extremely tough. Even if Tuan Zi has already opened the seventh meridian, the chain is definitely impossible to be cut off! A ray of light surged out of his palm and continued to condense the Soul Lock Seal! ¡­ The chain shook violently. Black fog surged on it, but it showed no signs of breaking. Tuan Zi frowned. How troublesome! ¡°Tuan Zi, there¡¯s no need to do anything useless. I¡­ have a few words to tell you¡­¡± At this moment, Yi Zhao was almost at his limit. His voice was extremely weak. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes instantly turned red, and her big black grape-like eyes were instantly filled with tears. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa! I¡¯ll definitely save you!¡± I have finally opened my seventh meridian and came here. How could I miss such a rare opportunity?! The corners of Yi Zhao¡¯s dry lips curled up slightly, but because his body was exhausted, it seemed to be very strenuous. Dark-red blood seeped out. ¡°Tuan Zi, our ancestor¡­ wasn¡¯t a traitor to Fantasy Divine Hall back then¡­ It was¡­¡± It was difficult for him to speak. Every time he spat out a word, his throat felt like it was scraped by something rough and painful. Tuan Zi held back her tears, and there was a hint of choking in her voice. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, I don¡¯t want to listen! You can just tell me once you¡¯re out!¡± As she spoke, a cluster of crimson-gold flames instantly burned in her small hand! Bam! She slammed her palm against the chain with a dull thud. However, the chain still didn¡¯t break. In fact, not even a trace of her attack was left behind. Tuan Zi controlled her anger and struck again! An intense pain came from her hand, but it wasn¡¯t a thousandth of the nervousness and worry in her heart. Why can¡¯t I open it!? Why can¡¯t I open it!? Chu Liuyue stood outside the huge net made of golden lightning. Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed. She knew how difficult it was to deal with the black chain, so just relying on Tuan Zi¡¯s strength was probably not enough. Right at this moment, a strange fluctuation suddenly came from the Cosmic Ring! Chu Liuyue was stunned and saw a purple light flash in front of her. The purple scale suddenly appeared! Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly reached out to grab it. This belongs to Big Baby. Once it¡¯s exposed, I¡¯m afraid¡­ Whoosh! The purple scale rushed into the fire without hesitation¡ªChu Liuyue¡¯s hand grabbed nothing! Her heart was in her throat! But the next moment, what happened before her eyes made deep shock flash across her eyes¡ª The purple scale actually pierced through the defensive barrier formed by the golden lightning and quickly entered the ball of golden flames! The bolt of lightning couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was actually cut in half! After a short silence, the golden heavenly lightning exploded with a bang and turned into countless streams of light that scattered! Chu Liuyue gasped. This¡­ What exactly is the origin of the scale that Big Baby left behind? Why is it so sharp and terrifying? At the same time, Tuan Zi¡ªwho was in the middle of the flames¡ªalso heard this sound. She stopped what she was doing and looked back. A purple light flashed past her eyes extremely quickly! The strong wind blew against the golden bells tied to her head, and the ringing was crisp. Then, she heard an extremely subtle cutting sound. She looked in the direction of the sound. The black chain that tightly wrapped Yi Zhao was easily cut open by the purple scale! Without thinking, Tuan Zi immediately waved the Ancestral Golden Feather in her hand! A flame flew out and grabbed Yi Zhao¡¯s wrist. Then, it quickly pulled him out! A strange scene appeared. The broken black chains quickly connected again. The black fog gathered. Tuan Zi could clearly see that the broken chain had already begun to repair itself! Her wrist waved again. Yi Gong¡¯s body flew over uncontrollably. At the same time, a ball of flames suddenly burned on his body¡ªit was the flames that belonged to Yi Zhao, which Tuan Zi had collected previously! At this moment, the flames wrapped around him, making his aura no different from Yi Zhao¡¯s! Whoosh¡ª Sensing this aura, the black chain quickly flew over and wrapped around Yi Gong! Tuan Zi made up her mind and looked at Yi Zhao. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa! Let¡¯s go now!¡± Yi Zhao recovered his senses. If I leave like this, my aura will actually be exposed sooner or later. I don¡¯t care about it myself, but the key is that I can¡¯t implicate Tuan Zi. His expression hardened. ¡°Tuan Zi, step back.¡± Tuan Zi was stunned, but she still obediently took a few steps back. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, you want¡ª¡± Boom! Before she could finish speaking, Yi Zhao¡¯s body suddenly exploded! Tuan Zi suddenly widened her eyes. Before she could say anything, she felt a surging heat wave coming from ahead! Her body flew back uncontrollably. An extremely rich flame wrapped around Yi Zhao¡¯s translucent soul and quickly flew into the Ancestral Golden Feather in her hand! At the same time, Yi Gong¡¯s body was instantly devoured and burned! Chu Liuyue sensed that something was wrong and was about to move when she saw Tuan Zi flying toward her. She hurriedly went forward and hugged Tuan Zi. The scorching heat wave tore through the cage formed by the golden heavenly lightning and attacked in all directions! Seeing this, Chu Liuyue turned around without hesitation and protected Tuan Zi firmly. However, the expected burning pain didn¡¯t come. A familiar voice sounded in front of her. ¡°Master.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡°Cen Yi?¡± Just now, all her attention was on Tuan Zi, so she didn¡¯t know that Cen Yi was here. ¡°Master, this place is dangerous. We should leave as soon as possible,¡± Cen Yi said calmly. Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something and turned around. A transparent barrier had appeared behind her at some point, isolating her from the surging power. This was Cen Yi¡¯s doing! ¡°This thing won¡¯t last long.¡± Her words got stuck, and Chu Liuyue immediately nodded her head. ¡°Go!¡± With a thought, she threw out the Flying Cloud Painting and stepped in! Cen Yi turned around to take a look. The golden cage had already been completely torn apart. Countless crimson-gold flames erupted like magma and surged in all directions. The Soul Lock Seal that Yu Qian and the others had yet to activate dissipated instantly, and the few of them retreated in a sorry state under the impact of this power! He looked away indifferently and followed. Chapter 2299 - 2299 Master of the Fantasy Divine Hall 2299 Master of the Fantasy Divine Hall The huge commotion in the lightning pool stunned everyone who was watching from the edge. The incomparably great power of the heavenly lightning swept in all directions as if it had gone crazy, and huge waves surged! Even the ground under their feet trembled violently. ¡°Quickly retreat!¡± someone shouted. Everyone immediately evacuated. However, Si Jing didn¡¯t move and instead frowned. How did it end up like this? He stamped his foot. The lightning that was about to rush over reduced its speed silently. When it arrived at his feet, it almost had no attack power. If anyone paid attention to this area at this moment, they would definitely sense that something was wrong. However, everyone¡¯s attention was now focused on fleeing. How could they care about Si Jing? Moreover, the lightning pool was extremely long. His small area wasn¡¯t eye-catching at all. Therefore, no one noticed the abnormality on Si Jing¡¯s side. At this moment, a stream of light suddenly flashed above the lightning pool. Then, two figures walked out one after another. It was Chu Liuyue and Cen Yi! ¡­ Swoosh! Chu Liuyue put away the Flying Cloud Painting and heaved a sigh of relief. Tuan Zi hugged her neck tightly, still holding the Ancestral Golden Feather in her hand. Chu Liuyue looked down. The huge lightning pool had completely fallen into chaos. Countless heavenly lightning bolts flowed everywhere, and there were even several golden lights mixed in. They were the golden heavenly lightning bolts that had been dispersed. At the same time, the crimson-gold flames burned violently. Looking down from above, this place had completely become a sea of fire! Then, a few figures rushed out. It was Yu Qian and the others. In this situation, they had no choice but to do this. Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi in her arms. Tuan Zi was leaning on her shoulder without saying a word. The tip of her nose was red. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached as she kissed her forehead. ¡°Tuan Zi, be good. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s heart ached, and the tears she had held back for a long time finally fell. Large, crystal-clear tears fell like beads on a broken string. Chu Liuyue¡¯s clothes were quickly drenched. She grabbed the Ancestral Golden Feather tightly and buried her head in Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulder as she whimpered softly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue brought Tuan Zi back to Phoenix Mountain. Cen Yi didn¡¯t follow them. Instead, he came to Si Jing and raised his chin at the latter. ¡°Time to go.¡± Si Jing went forward and asked worriedly, ¡°Are Master and Tuan Zi alright?¡± Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°Everything is going well. But this lightning pool¡­ After this storm, it will probably take a long time to repair. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t come during this period of time.¡± Si Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately nodded. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother. I understand.¡± With that, Cen Yi glanced into the distance. The figures of Yu Qian and the others looked especially small in the sea of fire. His eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment, he turned around and left. ¡­ Chu Liuyue originally wanted to bring Tuan Zi back to her residence, but after thinking about it, she decided to return to Phoenix Mountain. On the one hand, she had nothing to do with Tuan Zi anymore on the surface. If she brought the latter back like this, it was very likely to cause some trouble. On the other hand, Phoenix Mountain was where the red-gold heavenly phoenix ancestor used to stay. It was quiet and safe. When they arrived, Tuan Zi was still crying. Chu Liuyue sighed softly in her heart. Actually, she had already successfully switched Yi Zhao and Yi Gong at that time, so Yi Zhao just had to escape. However, Yi Zhao still chose to do this, and there was only one reason: he had to completely ensure Tuan Zi¡¯s safety. Although their auras had already been exchanged, there were still various hidden dangers. Yi Zhao destroyed his body and hid in the Ancestral Golden Feather. He also took the opportunity to destroy Yi Gong¡¯s body, causing his soul to be trapped in the depths of the lightning pool forever. This way, even if anyone had doubts and went to investigate, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything. This was because Yi Gong had already opened the seventh meridian. Furthermore, he did so using Yi Zhao¡¯s aura and strength. This was enough to completely cover Yi Gong¡¯s bloodline aura. Furthermore, after suffering such a terrifying impact, it was almost certain that Yi Gong would die. This secret would be buried forever. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything. She only hugged Tuan Zi and patted her back gently. Tuan Zi liked to cry a lot, but Chu Liuyue rarely saw her like this. She didn¡¯t say a word and kept crying. She must be really sad to be like this¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be squeezed into a ball by something, and it felt uncomfortable and stuffy. A gentle breeze came over. The area around them was silent. Even the hot aura on Phoenix Mountain had become much gentler. After an unknown period of time, Tuan Zi¡¯s tears finally stopped. She raised her head and looked at Chu Liuyue. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and there were still tears on her thick and long eyelashes. ¡°A¡¯Yue.¡± She spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t Tuan Zi too useless?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Tuan Zi was silent for a while before continuing, ¡°If I were good enough¡ª¡± What happened today wouldn¡¯t have happened. Chu Liuyue shook her head and gently wiped the tears from the corners of Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Tuan Zi, you¡¯ve already done very well.¡± Only Tuan Zi could open the seventh meridian in such a short time. Although Yi Zhao¡¯s body was destroyed, he successfully escaped alive. This was already the best outcome at the moment. ¡°In the future¡­¡± If there was a chance in the future, it might not be impossible to help Yi Zhao reconstruct his body. Tuan Zi nodded and whispered into Chu Liuyue¡¯s ear, ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa is asleep.¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned for a moment before she understood. It must be because Yi Zhao was too crazy previously that he fell into a coma. However, if he stays in the Ancestral Golden Feather and nurtures his body for a period of time, it might be much better. After Tuan Zi finished crying, she finally calmed down. Since things had already come to this, she could only choose to accept it. When she continued to open her meridians in the future, she could save Clan Leader Grandpa! ¡°Oh right.¡± Tuan Zi suddenly thought of something and frowned as she gazed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa mentioned our ancestor previously. He said that our ancestor didn¡¯t betray Fantasy Divine Hall back then.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°And?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Tuan Zi shook her head. ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa didn¡¯t have time to finish his sentence¡­¡± At that time, she was so focused on saving him that she didn¡¯t listen carefully. Now that she thought about it, she realized that this should be an extremely important matter. After all, this concerned their ancestor. Chu Liuyue frowned. There is indeed something fishy about what happened back then. If Yi Ling hadn¡¯t chosen to betray them back then, why would there be so many rumors later? She looked up at Fantasy Divine Hall not far away. Who is the current master of Fantasy Divine Hall? Chapter 2300 - 2300 Ill Protect Him 2300 I¡¯ll Protect Him The lightning pool erupted, and several deities¡ªincluding Yu Qian¡ªattacked together. It took a full three days and three nights to finally calm down. The huge Soul Lock Seal floated quietly and sealed the entire lightning pool. Under it, countless lightning bolts swam. From afar, it was as if a thick layer of ice had frozen the surface of the sea, suppressing everything. A faint light flickered on the Soul Lock Seal, cold and dazzling. Yu Qian¡¯s expression was cold as he stared at the Soul Lock Seal for a long time. The people around him were also silent. The air seemed to freeze. Although they had temporarily used the Soul Lock Seal to calm it down, the lightning pool would maintain its current state for a long time. This was unprecedented in 10,000 years. Even when they imprisoned Yi Zhao here, they didn¡¯t cause such a huge commotion. After a long time, Yu Qian looked at Mu Dongyou and asked in a low voice, ¡°How much control do you have over the power of the lightning pool now?¡± Mu Dongyou hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Half.¡± This was already getting better. At the most critical moment, he almost lost control of the entire lightning pool. It wasn¡¯t until the Soul Lock Seal suppressed it that he gradually regained control of these heavenly lightning bolts. However, this didn¡¯t improve Mu Dongyou¡¯s mood at all. He was the Fourth Deity. From the day he ascended to this position, he had been in charge of guarding the lightning pool. It had been 10,000 years, but when the lightning pool was in chaos, he was actually unable to help at all. He was even trapped inside and almost died. If word got out, no one would believe it. As expected, Yu Qian¡¯s expression turned even colder. ¡°Is this how you¡¯ve guarded the lightning pool all these years?!¡± Mu Dongyou¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He immediately lowered his head and admitted his guilt. ¡°I¡¯ve neglected my duty. Please punish me, Second Deity!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not negligent. You¡¯re incompetent!¡± Yu Qian sneered and said mercilessly. Mu Dongyou choked, and his face turned pale, but he couldn¡¯t think of any retort. This was indeed irrefutable. He had to admit it even if he didn¡¯t want to. Jin Yunlai suddenly said, ¡°Second Deity, the main reason why the lightning pool suddenly rioted this time is because of Yi Zhao. Fortunately, he still survived¡­¡± Jin Yunlai shut his mouth. Yu Qian closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart. This isn¡¯t the time to punish Mu Dongyou. Furthermore, if he is deposed, no one will be able to replace him for the time being. Unlike Shu Jing, Mu Dongyou was very important to the lightning pool and was basically irreplaceable. This was because the Holy Body he cultivated was very special; he could withstand more lightning power than others. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t even approach the depths of the lightning pool, but Mu Dongyou could guard this place all year round. Therefore, even if Yu Qian was angry, he couldn¡¯t replace Mu Dongyou just like that. Shu Jing¡¯s eyes flickered, and she said softly, ¡°Second Deity, Yi Zhao did this because he knew that Yi Gong had betrayed the clan and was furious. That¡¯s why he risked everything to kill him. He has now achieved his goal, but he has also fallen into a coma. Fortunately, the most important one should be fine for the time being.¡± She was naturally talking about Tuan Zi. At the thought of Tuan Zi, Yu Qian¡¯s expression improved a little. That¡¯s right. Yi Gong is dead, and Yi Zhao is in a coma. Fortunately, Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t affected much. ¡°Shangguan Yue has already brought her back?¡± he asked in a low voice. Shu Jing nodded her head. ¡°She left as soon as it happened.¡± She ran really fast. I thought that she would definitely die here this time, but who knew¡­ Shu Jing lowered her eyes slightly to hide the emotions in them. Tuan Zi¡¯s status in the Second Deity¡¯s heart was extremely high now. She knew very well that no matter what, she couldn¡¯t touch this red line. ¡°She¡¯s quite smart,¡± Yu Qian said, his voice emotionless. However, it was obvious that he was more certain about Chu Liuyue risking her life to save Tuan Zi. After all, Tuan Zi had just opened her seventh meridian. If anything happened to her now, Yu Qian would really vomit blood. Shu Jing felt a little uncomfortable. She smiled and said, ¡°I heard that she has already canceled her contract with Tuan Zi. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so concerned. No wonder the Second Deity allowed her to enter and exit Phoenix Mountain at will.¡± Yu Qian glanced at her coldly. ¡°Shu Jing, are you dissatisfied?¡± Shu Jing quickly lowered her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Shangguan Yue.¡± Yu Qian stared at her indifferently. ¡°Your right to control the medicinal mountain has been revoked. I have to say, it does have something to do with her, but this is ultimately your problem. I¡¯ll only warn you one thing: Don¡¯t touch her! No matter what, she¡¯s the person Tuan Zi values the most. Once something happens to her, no one can guarantee what Tuan Zi will do. Therefore, keep your hands clean and don¡¯t touch Phoenix Mountain, understand?!¡± The last sentence was a blatant threat! Shu Jing¡¯s heart trembled, and she couldn¡¯t maintain the expression on her face. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Yu Qian glanced at Mu Dongyou. ¡°I will transfer the Ninth Deity and the Tenth Deity over later. From today onward, the three of you will take turns to guard this lightning pool. If you find anything abnormal, come and report immediately.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ After explaining these things, Yu Qian left quickly. Only then did the atmosphere relax a little. Jin Yunlai said, ¡°Since the Second Deity has already made arrangements, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Mu Dongyou nodded. Then, he suddenly thought of something and stopped him. ¡°Wait!¡± Jin Yunlai turned around. ¡°Is there anything else, Fourth Deity?¡± Mu Dongyou hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you know much about that Cen Yi?¡± ¡°What the Fourth Deity means is¡­¡± Jin Yunlai was a little surprised. He didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly mention Cen Yi. Mu Dongyou said, ¡°Previously, I saw him attack. He seems to have extraordinary strength.¡± Although the situation was very chaotic at that time, he still saw that it was Cen Yi who helped Chu Liuyue block the attack. Jin Yunlai nodded. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not just Cen Yi. The few subordinates that Shangguan Yue brought over are all considered top-notch in talent and strength. It¡¯s just that¡­ they don¡¯t have a bloodline totem.¡± It was also because of this that he didn¡¯t take it to heart. Mu Dongyou nodded. ¡°I remember now. Shangguan Yue and Si Jing are also like this.¡± Since there was no bloodline totem, there was no hope of becoming a deity in the future. He waved his hand. ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡­ In the dark and cramped cage, Dugu Mobao sat quietly. The surroundings were so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The next moment, a hoarse voice sounded. ¡°You can¡¯t even protect yourself, yet you still want to save Yi Zhao?¡± Dugu Mobao opened his eyes¡ªhis purple eyes were clear and deep. ¡°Since he¡¯s Yi Ling¡¯s son, I¡¯ll naturally protect him.¡± Chapter 2301 - 2301 The Third Music Score 2301 The Third Music Score Pfft. The man chuckled. ¡°Yi Ling has been dead for tens of thousands of years. What¡¯s the use of mentioning him again? Besides, didn¡¯t you not even protect him back then? Why do you have to do such a useless thing now?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s hands on his knees slowly tightened. His jaw was tense, and his eyes seemed to be covered in a layer of frost. After a long time, he said, ¡°In comparison, what you did was useless, right? Do you think that by nourishing it with the bloodline and essence of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race, you can make Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s bright lamp burn for a long time? If it¡¯s not yours, you shouldn¡¯t have delusions from the beginning!¡± The voice fell silent for a long time before saying, ¡°Whether it¡¯s mine or not, you¡¯ll know eventually.¡± ¡­ Recently, the atmosphere in Fantasy Divine Hall had been very unusual. Nan Jinshu paced back and forth in the room with a conflicted expression. He had been in Fantasy Divine Hall for a long time, but apart from seeing the Seventh Deity at the Heaven Gate at the beginning, he hadn¡¯t seen any of the other deities. Moreover, even the Seventh Deity had only told him to cultivate here and hadn¡¯t come again. Nan Jinshu was a little anxious. He felt that his efficiency was a little slow. If he didn¡¯t think of a way, it would probably be extremely difficult to reach the heavens and break through to the Deity Realm. After hesitating for a long time, Nan Jinshu finally calmed down and walked out of the door. As soon as he reached the entrance of the courtyard, he saw a familiar figure. ¡°Jun Jiuqing?¡± Hearing the voice, Jun Jiuqing turned his head and looked over. Nan Jinshu quickly stepped forward but changed the way he addressed him. ¡°Family Head, what are you going to do?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s lips curled up into a slightly heretical smile. ¡°What else can I do in Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± For a moment, Nan Jinshu didn¡¯t know how to answer. He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Has the family head seen the First Deity during this period of time?¡± Jun Jiuqing shook his head and narrowed his eyes. ¡°I heard that the First Deity has been in seclusion for many years and hasn¡¯t come out for a long time. Even when the various deities ask to see him, they are repeatedly rejected. What, does the family head want to see the First Deity?¡± Nan Jinshu nodded. After hearing Jun Jiuqing¡¯s words, he was in a difficult position. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s probably very rare to see the First Deity.¡± ¡°Many matters of Fantasy Divine Hall are now in the hands of the Second Deity. If the family head has anything to say, just ask the Second Deity. Why do you have to see the First Deity?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Nan Jinshu looked hesitant. He looked around to make sure that there was no one around. Then, he took another step forward and lowered his voice. ¡°To be honest, Master Yi, I want to go to the Fantasy Divine Sea.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression changed slightly, and a cold light quickly flashed across his eyes. ¡°Oh?¡± Nan Jinshu didn¡¯t want to say so much to Jun Jiuqing. After all, after experiencing the things at Peach Blossom Dock, the relationship between the two families had become very delicate. But to be honest, he and Jun Jiuqing were both latecomers. They had little to do with the previous matters. Moreover, Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate had already opened, and the two of them had entered Fantasy Divine Hall; they should¡¯ve joined forces. After thinking about it, Nan Jinshu still told Jun Jiuqing his thoughts. ¡°¡­Previously, I planned to go to the lightning pool to cultivate and improve my cultivation level. But now that the lightning pool has been sealed and I don¡¯t know when it will open again, I don¡¯t think I can count on it. I thought that perhaps going to the Fantasy Divine Sea was a good choice. However, the Fantasy Divine Sea has always been controlled by the First Deity. If I want to enter, I have to get the approval of the First Deity, so¡­¡± Jun Jiuqing raised his eyebrows and said with a faint smile, ¡°Family Head, the Fantasy Divine Sea isn¡¯t an ordinary place. It¡¯s almost unimaginably dangerous. Are you sure¡­ you want to go?¡± Nan Jinshu also smiled with a meaningful expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Fantasy Divine Sea is indeed extremely dangerous to ordinary people, but it¡¯s different for you and me¡­ Family Head, there are some things that I don¡¯t need to remind you about, right?¡± If he wasn¡¯t prepared, how could he have such thoughts? Jun Jiuqing nodded. ¡°So, the family head has made up his mind?¡± Nan Jinshu simply nodded his head and admitted it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go with me?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t have such plans for the time being.¡± Nan Jinshu was stunned, and his expression became a little complicated. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s talent and strength were above his. Even without using any other methods, he would definitely be able to successfully ascend to the heavens and break through to the Deity Realm in the future. He was very indignant, but such things often didn¡¯t make sense. Nan Jinshu suppressed his emotions and said, ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. However, please don¡¯t tell anyone about what happened today, Family Head.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As Jun Jiuqing spoke, he pointed in a certain direction. ¡°That should be the courtyard where the First Deity is. Nan Family Head can ask, but the First Deity hasn¡¯t appeared for years. Nan Family Head, you should be prepared to be rejected.¡± Nan Jinshu smiled, as if he didn¡¯t care. ¡°I know that.¡± Jun Jiuqing had originally planned to leave, but hearing the other man¡¯s relaxed tone as if he were very confident, he couldn¡¯t help but look at him again.¡±Family Head, you seem¡­ very sure that the First Deity will let you go to the Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s glabella twitched, and he laughed. ¡°How could I have that ability?! I just want to give it a try. Family Head, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t continue asking and responded with a slight smile. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wish the family head all the best first.¡± Nan Jinshu left quickly. Jun Jiuqing stared at his back for a long time and stroked his chin thoughtfully. He didn¡¯t interact much with Nan Jinshu, but he knew the latter a little. Limited talent and insufficient ability. If not for the fact that most of the capable people in the Nan family had died, he wouldn¡¯t have been the family head. If one had to talk about his strengths¡­ He was just a little more active than ordinary people and knew how to time things well. This was also an important reason why he could successfully rise to the top. Nan Jinshu was usually quite cautious in doing things. Without enough confidence, he would never take action. This time, it was a little abnormal. Having been in Fantasy Divine Hall for so long, it was impossible for Nan Jinshu not to know what was going on with the First Deity, but he still insisted on going. Thus, he must have some trump card. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Jun Jiuqing muttered and finally chose to follow silently. ¡­ Nan Jinshu arrived at the First Deity¡¯s courtyard smoothly. The door was tightly shut, and it was cold and lonely. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that no one had been here for many years. Nan Jinshu bowed. ¡°First Deity, Nan Jinshu from the Nan family requests an audience.¡± No one answered. Nan Jinshu waited for a while and thought to himself that this person was indeed very rare. Then, he took another half-step forward and said, ¡°First Deity, I heard that Fantasy Divine Hall has been looking for the third music score all these years?¡± Chapter 2302 - 2302 Just Say It 2302 Just Say It After Yu Qian left the lightning pool, he walked straight back to Phoenix Mountain. Tuan Zi was nestled in Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms, and the two of them were whispering to each other. Sensing his movements, the two of them looked up. Tuan Zi immediately became vigilant and jumped out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms to block her. Yu Qian came forward and first scanned Tuan Zi from head to toe. After confirming that she was safe and sound, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t plan on doing anything to her today.¡± Tuan Zi was skeptical. ¡°Who knows how true and how fake your words are!? Moreover, you even locked up Clan Leader Grandpa!¡± Her little face was filled with anger, as if she had yet to recover from the impact of this matter. Yu Qian wasn¡¯t surprised by Tuan Zi¡¯s reaction. She was the young mistress of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. Seeing Yi Zhao suffer, she naturally couldn¡¯t accept it. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Yi Zhao made a mistake first, so we locked him in the lightning pool just to wake him up. Unfortunately, he¡¯s still stubborn and even did this in the end.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s usually gentle expression was now a little cold and heavy, making people shiver. ¡°I believe you¡¯ve already seen clearly what he did. Yi Gong died, and his soul was destroyed. The entire lightning pool was almost destroyed by him! I can only say that he reaped what he sowed.¡± Tuan Zi bit her lips and clenched her fists tightly. ¡°First Elder betrayed the clan first, so it¡¯s only right that Clan Leader Grandpa wanted to kill him! This is a matter of our red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. When is it up to outsiders like you to judge?¡± She glared at Yu Qian. ¡°Release Clan Leader Grandpa immediately!¡± Yu Qian laughed instead of getting angry. ¡°It¡¯s very simple if you want to save him. In the future, as long as you stay here and cultivate well, I guarantee that his life will be safe. When you open your ninth meridian, I¡¯ll release him.¡± Tuan Zi was shocked, and Chu Liuyue subconsciously frowned. Ninth meridian? In the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix race, only their ancestor, Yi Ling, has done it in so many years. Yu Qian actually has such high expectations of Tuan Zi?! In addition, what is his motive in doing this? To be honest, even Yi Zhao might not rush Tuan Zi to open her meridian, nor would he place this pressure on her shoulders. However, Yu Qian¡­ What is he anxious about? ¡°Then, how long will we have to wait?! I think you¡¯re just trying to fool me!¡± Tuan Zi secretly gritted her teeth. ¡°How am I fooling you? Don¡¯t forget that you have the purest bloodline. Now that you¡¯ve successfully opened the seventh meridian before you¡¯re an adult, you¡¯ll definitely be able to successfully open the ninth meridian in the future¡ªthere¡¯s no doubt about that. As for how long it takes¡­ That depends on you.¡± Yu Qian looked around. ¡°There¡¯s no place more suitable for you to cultivate than Phoenix Mountain. With your current aptitude, why do you have to worry about not being able to open your meridians?¡± Tuan Zi glared at him and didn¡¯t speak. She just turned around and pounced on Chu Liuyue again, hugging her thigh tightly. ¡°A¡¯Yue, this person is so annoying!¡± Chu Liuyue picked her up and looked at Yu Qian with a frown. ¡°Second Deity, since you¡¯ve already made your decision, I know that no one can persuade you. Since that¡¯s the case, I hope you can keep your promise. On the day Tuan Zi opens her ninth meridian, you must release Clan Leader Yi Zhao!¡± ¡­ With that, Nan Jinshu stood quietly and waited patiently for a response. A moment later, a low voice finally came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Creak¡ª The door clicked open. Nan Jinshu took a deep breath and restrained the excitement that surged in his heart. He bowed respectfully again before walking forward. Then, he crossed the doorstep and closed the door again. Nan Jinshu¡¯s figure disappeared behind the door. Not far away, Jun Jiuqing stared at them thoughtfully for a long time. ¡°The third music score¡­ No wonder you¡¯re so confident.¡± He thought for a moment and turned to leave. ¡­ On this side, Nan Jinshu walked into the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with thick fallen leaves. It was lonely and desolate, extremely cold. If not for the fact that the sound just now had indeed come from inside, Nan Jinshu almost suspected that there was no one here at all. This courtyard wasn¡¯t big, and the furnishings were very simple. It was unimaginable that the incomparably noble First Deity lived in such a place. Nan Jinshu looked at the closed door, his heart beating fast. After all, he was meeting the First Deity, so it was impossible not to be nervous. He adjusted his collar to make sure there was nothing wrong with his appearance and posture before continuing forward. However, he had just taken a step when he suddenly heard a rustling sound from the side. He was stunned and subconsciously turned to look. Not far away, under the thick fallen leaves, something seemed to be moving. ¡°Quiet.¡± The low and indifferent voice sounded again, but it was clearly directed at the existence under the fallen leaves. As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent again. Nan Jinshu was a little puzzled. What is below? I¡¯ve never heard of the First Deity raising anything before¡­ ¡°Nan Jinshu.¡± Hearing the First Deity call his name, Nan Jinshu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where is the third music score now?¡± The voice was direct. Nan Jinshu was stunned for a moment. ¡°This¡­ First Deity, it¡¯s more convenient for me to go in and talk, right?¡± This matter was so confidential. It seemed strange to say it through the door. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here. Just tell me.¡± His voice was indifferent and calm, but it couldn¡¯t be rejected. Chapter 2303 - 2303 Location 2303 Location Nan Jinshu hesitated for a moment before finally bowing with cupped fists. ¡°First Deity, as far as I know, the third music score should still be in the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the entire courtyard fell silent. Nan Jinshu felt an invisible pressure land on his shoulders¡ªit was extremely heavy. He held his breath and gradually became a little nervous. ¡°Back then, the music score was divided into three parts and scattered throughout the God Residence Realm. Only one part was left in the God-Killing Tumulus, and it has already been taken away. Now, you¡¯re saying that the third part is still in the God-Killing Tumulus?¡± This deep voice contained a hint of questioning. Nan Jinshu hurriedly said, ¡°First Deity, I definitely won¡¯t dare to lie! The last one is indeed still in the God-Killing Tumulus! Even that person doesn¡¯t know about this. I only found out not long ago when I found out that the Heaven Gate had opened and opened the brocade bag left behind by Ancestor back then!¡± Before the Nan family¡¯s ancestor died back then, he specially left a brocade bag for the family head to keep. Furthermore, he left behind his last words: Only when Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s Heaven Gate opened could it be opened. The previous Nan family head, including Nan Jinshu, were indeed unaware before this. Otherwise, Nan Yifan would¡¯ve taken action long ago. ¡°If you know about this, then Jun Jiuqing should also know. Why didn¡¯t he come to report this?¡± Nan Jinshu looked troubled. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡± How would he know what Jun Jiuqing was thinking? Perhaps he was waiting for a suitable time. After all, only the two heads of the Nan family and the Yi family knew about this. From a certain perspective, this was indeed capital that could be used to negotiate. After a moment, the voice said, ¡°I already know about this. I¡¯ll send someone to look for it later. What do you want?¡± Of course, he knew what Nan Jinshu wanted this time. Nan Jinshu¡¯s throat was dry from nervousness, but there was also some excitement and anticipation. He paused before saying respectfully, ¡°First Deity, I want¡­ you to allow me to enter the Fantasy Divine Sea to cultivate!¡± With that, the room fell silent. After a while, the voice continued to ask, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nan Jinshu said carefully, ¡°I know that my talent is insufficient. With my current level, it¡¯s really extremely difficult to ascend to the heavens and break through to the Deity Realm. Therefore¡­ I wish to enter the Fantasy Divine Sea to cultivate and increase my cultivation. This way, I won¡¯t be ruining the reputation of my ancestor in the future.¡± A moment later, a stream of light flew out of the house. Nan Jinshu hurriedly caught it with both hands. It was a semi-transparent talisman with the word ¡®fantasy¡¯ drawn on it. There were also several mysterious patterns around it, intertwined. ¡°This seal can only be used once, and it can only be used by one person. When you come out of the Fantasy Divine Sea, this seal will automatically be destroyed. Take it yourself.¡± Nan Jinshu was so excited that his hands were trembling slightly, and he quickly thanked the First Deity. ¡°Thank you, First Deity!¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Nan Jinshu didn¡¯t dare to disturb him. He carefully put away the seal and left respectfully. After he left, the courtyard fell silent again. ¡­ Nan Jinshu held the seal and walked out happily. With this, I can enter the Fantasy Divine Sea to cultivate. It won¡¯t be long before my strength will definitely increase rapidly! At the thought of this, Nan Jinshu couldn¡¯t hide the joy in his eyes. ¡°Nan Family Head?¡± A gentle young woman¡¯s voice sounded. Nan Jinshu stopped and turned around. At the corner, a graceful figure was walking over. She was gentle and beautiful, with long hair that reached her ankles. ¡°You are¡­¡± Nan Jinshu was a little stunned. ¡°I¡¯m Su Li.¡± The woman in front of him smiled faintly. Nan Jinshu was stunned for a moment before a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. ¡°Mr. Su?!¡± He had never seen Su Li before. Ever since the battle at Peach Blossom Dock, the Nan family had suffered a huge blow, and they had been staying in the Nan family to recuperate. Although he heard about Tang Ke and Mr. Su later, Nan Jinshu never had the chance to see them. After coming to Fantasy Divine Hall, he had vaguely heard that Su Li had come, but he had only seen it with his own eyes today. Nan Jinshu paused for a moment before bowing. ¡°So it¡¯s Mr. Su. I¡¯m sorry.¡± In Fantasy Divine Hall, his identity was rather special. He had an even higher status than Chu Liuyue and the others, but Su Li was an Armory Refinement Saint, so it was naturally different. Therefore, Nan Jinshu was quite polite to Su Li. Su Li scrutinized him and asked with a smile, ¡°Family Head, what¡¯s so joyous that you¡¯re so happy?¡± Actually, she had passed by here accidentally. She had long known that Nan Jinshu was in Fantasy Divine Hall. She had planned to leave directly, but Nan Jinshu¡¯s expression was really strange. As she asked, she looked up slightly and glanced behind Nan Jinshu. ¡°Just now, the family head seems to have¡­ come from the First Deity¡¯s room?¡± Nan Jinshu didn¡¯t hide it. He laughed and nodded elegantly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I just paid my respects to the First Deity.¡± Su Li¡¯s beautiful eyes widened slightly, and shock appeared on her face. ¡°Really?¡± Hasn¡¯t the First Deity been in seclusion for many years? I heard that the other deities have asked to see him several times but failed; they were all rejected. But why is Nan Jinshu¡­ Seeing Su Li¡¯s reaction, Nan Jinshu felt a little smug. What kind of person was Mr. Su? In the past, in the God Residence Realm, they were really high and mighty. However, it was different now. So what if she was powerful? When Su Li saw the other deities, she still had to bow respectfully. However, he could already directly greet the First Deity. There was a huge gap between them. The feeling of superiority made Nan Jinshu feel very good. ¡°Mr. Su, the First Deity has instructed me to do something. I won¡¯t stay any longer.¡± Su Li was puzzled. What could the First Deity send Nan Jinshu to do? In terms of status, Fantasy Divine Hall and the other deities are at his disposal. In terms of strength, Nan Jinshu is really not too outstanding. Why did the First Deity choose him? Moreover, from the beginning, Nan Jinshu¡¯s treatment was different from ours¡ªhe directly entered Fantasy Divine Hall. Countless questions flashed across Su Li¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She only smiled slightly. ¡°Since it¡¯s an order from the First Deity, you naturally can¡¯t delay. Nan Family Head, please¡ª¡± Nan Jinshu nodded his head and turned to leave. Su Li was stunned and said, ¡°Family Head, you¡¯re going in the direction of Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s exit.¡± Nan Jinshu stopped in his tracks and turned around with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m leaving Fantasy Divine Hall. To be honest, I¡¯m going to the Fantasy Divine Sea this time.¡± Very few people in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace had the qualifications. Nan Jinshu was smug, so he just said it directly. Anyway, there was nothing to hide. When he returned from the Fantasy Divine Sea in the future, everyone would still know. Su Li frowned. ¡°Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± Chapter 2304 - 2304 Lets Go Together 2304 Let¡¯s Go Together ¡°Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± Chu Liuyue looked up in surprise. ¡°Nan Jinshu said it himself?¡± Su Li nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. He looked very happy; he really wasn¡¯t hiding the excitement and pride on his face.¡± ¡°This place¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± Chu Liuyue thought about it, and a guess appeared in her heart. ¡°Could it be the sea outside the Heaven Gate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. I followed him out of Fantasy Divine Hall. Later on, I saw him go straight to the Heaven Gate. Apart from that, where else is there a sea in Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella twitched, and she immediately stood up. Su Li was shocked. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and paced around the room, feeling a little puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel that this matter¡­ is a little strange. The Fantasy Divine Sea is so dangerous; we all witnessed it with our own eyes when we came. Nan Jinshu is only a legendary warrior. How dare he go there?¡± When Su Li heard this, she said, ¡°He said that the First Deity told him something, but I also think it¡¯s a little strange. No one has seen that First Deity all these years. I heard that even the Eighth Deity and the Seventh Deity were rejected one after another. What¡¯s the matter that he has to do? Also, I think he¡¯s very happy. He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s taking a risk; instead, he looks like he¡¯s going to collect some reward. Anyway, it must be a good thing for him.¡± ¡°First Deity¡­ muttered Chu Liuyue softly. The deities of Fantasy Divine Hall were all extremely noble, and the First Deity was the most important. It could be seen from the respectful attitude of the other deities towards him. Except¡­ ¡°Previously, such a huge commotion happened at the lightning pool, but the First Deity didn¡¯t come out. Now, he suddenly sent Nan Jinshu to the Fantasy Divine Sea¡­ Something¡¯s really wrong.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she looked at Su Li. ¡°He has already left through the Heaven Gate?¡± Su Li nodded. At that time, after hearing Nan Jinshu¡¯s words, she also felt that something was amiss, so she simply followed him out of Fantasy Divine Hall. As she was worried that Nan Jinshu would be suspicious, she didn¡¯t follow him. After walking for a while, she returned to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side. However, she was sure that Nan Jinshu had indeed gone to the Heaven Gate. ¡°Calculating the time, he must have already left.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Li¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How can this do?¡± Leaving the Heaven Gate is already very difficult, let alone going to the Fantasy Divine Sea. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, you don¡¯t know anything about the Fantasy Divine Sea. Isn¡¯t it too risky to go over directly?!¡± Su Li didn¡¯t agree. However, Chu Liuyue had already made up her mind. ¡°This is a rare opportunity.¡± Su Li¡¯s lips moved. Seeing her determined expression, it was obvious that she could no longer persuade her. ¡°Then, what¡¯s in the Fantasy Divine Sea for you to do this?¡± Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Senior Diwu is very likely to be trapped there.¡± Su Li was shocked. Hearing this, she understood why Chu Liuyue wanted to go no matter what. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Su. I plan to go openly this time. I¡¯ll investigate first and take action after I figure out the situation.¡± After all, the Fantasy Divine Sea was just outside the Heaven Gate. It wouldn¡¯t be dangerous to just take a look at the silver bridge. Although Chu Liuyue also wanted to bring Diwu Zhangze back immediately, she wouldn¡¯t do anything she wasn¡¯t confident in. If she took the risk now, not only would she not be able to save him, but she might even lose her life. She had thought about this very clearly. Only then did Su Li relax. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go with Hongyu.¡± The fewer people involved in this matter, the better. Su Li could only agree. ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡­ Mu Hongyu was cultivating in her room. Ever since she retrieved the Mahayana Realm cultivation technique from Zhen Bao Pavilion, she hadn¡¯t gone out. ¡°Hongyu.¡± Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice, Mu Hongyu came back to her senses and stood up to open the door. ¡°Liuyue, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°Go out of the Heaven Gate with me and head to the Fantasy Divine Sea.¡± Mu Hongyu paused. ¡°Now?¡± Chu Liuyue briefly explained the matter. ¡°This is a rare opportunity. We might be able to gain something.¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly said, ¡°Then, let¡¯s not wait anymore. Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± After taking two steps, she suddenly stopped. ¡°Wait! Liuyue, how¡­ are we going to get out now?¡± Isn¡¯t the Heaven Gate very guarded? Chu Liuyue waved her hand without a care. ¡°When we reach the Heaven Gate, just get Jin Yunlai to open the door.¡± Mu Hongyu was speechless. She faintly glanced at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue, how can you be sure that he will agree?¡± Previously, it could still be said that she went to invite an Armory Refinement Saint. What about this time? Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°I have my own ways.¡± ¡­ The two of them walked straight to the Heaven Gate. But when they arrived, they were surprised to discover that there were already many people gathered here. It was very lively. ¡°Nan Jinshu really left here just now and went to the Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. How can it be fake?¡± ¡°This¡­ Is he crazy? The Fantasy Divine Sea is so dangerous. Isn¡¯t he too bold to use it to improve his cultivation? Isn¡¯t he afraid of death?¡± ¡°Shh¡ªhe¡¯s different from us. Think about it. He just came here and directly entered Fantasy Divine Hall. Naturally, he¡¯s different from us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still very dangerous¡­ Even if he¡¯s a legendary warrior, he can only stay in the Fantasy Divine Sea for a few hours at most. Besides, the Fantasy Divine Sea has always been a place of punishment. Countless bones have been buried under it. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone who wants to cultivate there.¡± Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu exchanged glances. It turned out that the news had already spread. ¡°Liuyue, what should we do?¡± Mu Hongyu asked softly. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°If the heavens want to help me, I have to go.¡± With that, she continued walking forward. Soon, someone noticed their arrival with different expressions. Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye and directly arrived at the Heaven Gate. She raised her feet and was about to step out. Everyone was shocked. Buzz¡ª The barrier buzzed, and a heavy pressure stopped Chu Liuyue. Then, an angry voice sounded again. ¡°Shangguan Yue, what are you trying to do again?!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at Jin Yunlai, who had rushed over instantly. She smiled brightly. ¡°Seventh Deity, you¡¯re here? Can you please open the door?¡± He was quite fast. Jin Yunlai had originally come to denounce her, but when he heard this, he choked. Immediately, flames burned in his chest! ¡°What did you say?¡± How bold is she to actually let me open the door so naturally? Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°I heard that Nan Jinshu went to the Fantasy Divine Sea and plans to take the opportunity to improve his cultivation. I¡¯m just curious, right? Look, everyone is here. If there¡¯s really such a good thing, why don¡¯t you give us a chance and let everyone go together?¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s forehead twitched violently! Chapter 2305 - 2305 Lesson 2305 Lesson He had just found out about Nan Jinshu meeting the First Deity and obtaining the all-pass seal to head toward the Fantasy Divine Sea to cultivate. Why did the news spread throughout Fantasy Divine Palace in the blink of an eye? It even attracted so many people! A thought popped up in Jin Yunlai¡¯s mind. It¡¯s most likely because Nan Jinshu was over the moon and flaunted it too much, so¡­ Previously, he heard that Nan Jinshu had met the First Deity and was still quite shocked. He was thinking that this Nan Jinshu had to be quite capable, but who knew he was someone brainless!? How could he casually announce such a thing? He suppressed the anger in his heart and boomed, ¡°Nan Jinshu went there because he has First Deity¡¯s permission. If you have such skills, I naturally won¡¯t stop you.¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°Seventh Deity, that¡¯s exactly the reason why we want to go out and take a look. Speaking of which, the Nan family and I can be considered to go way back. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so capable. Not only could he enter Fantasy Divine Hall, but he can also meet the First Deity and head to the Fantasy Divine Sea. If we can take a few looks and witness how glorious Master Nan is, we can definitely learn a bit. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Jin Yunlai stared at her suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re just going out to look?¡± ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t the Nan Family Head go to the Fantasy Divine Sea? We¡¯ll just watch from the bridge. We came up here with much difficulty and know how dangerous that Fantasy Divine Sea is. Why would we gamble with our lives?¡± Mu Hongyu immediately nodded. ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re going to take a look! Anyway, this is Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s territory. Seventh Deity, are you worried that we¡¯ll do something out of character?¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression was icy cold. It¡¯s already out of character for the group of them to gather here and ask me to open the door. What else do they want to do?! Quite a few people exchanged glances in the surroundings. Actually¡­ they were also very curious. If they could really go and look, it would be good. Jin Yunlai boomed, ¡°What kind of place is the Fantasy Divine Sea? How can you go as and when you wish?¡± They definitely can¡¯t even stand on the bridge and look at it. ¡°I¡¯ll let this slide this time. Next time¡­ I will never let you off!¡± Then, he surveyed his surroundings, and his eyes were filled with unconcealable warning. The originally emerging thoughts were suppressed again. After that, Jin Yunlai turned around, wanting to leave. Chu Liuyue suddenly sighed. ¡°Sigh, since Seventh Deity doesn¡¯t allow me to go, I¡¯ll forget it then. Now that I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll head to Phoenix Mountain.¡± Jin Yunlai stopped in his tracks. He turned around and stared at Chu Liuyue. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Find Tuan Zi.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°If I can¡¯t go to the Fantasy Divine Sea, I can only go find Tuan Zi to resolve my boredom. Recently, she has been making a commotion about going out. If this carries on, I¡¯ll have to ask the Second Deity if I can bring Tuan Zi out for a spin¡­¡± ¡°You!¡± She is clearly using Tuan Zi to threaten me! Second Deity thinks very highly of Tuan Zi now, yet Tuan Zi is extremely dependent on Chu Liuyue. She is very young and is at the age of whining. Additionally, she already knows about Yi Zhao being trapped in the lightning pool, so she is filled with enmity toward Fantasy Divine Palace. If Chu Liuyue goes to Tuan Zi and says something to cause her to explode¡­ Who knows what she will do? This Chu Liuyue really knows how to push her luck! I had already made an exception to let her leave the previous time, yet she came again! Chu Liuyue looked at Mu Hongyu. ¡°Hongyu, you haven¡¯t seen Tuan Zi in a while too, right? I¡¯ll bring her out¡ª¡± ¡°Two hours.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s cold voice interrupted Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue sighed lightly. ¡°Seventh Deity, what can I do in two hours? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll learn something from Nan Jinshu?¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s face turned cold. After some time, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one day. If you haven¡¯t come back at this time tomorrow¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curled up. ¡°Deal!¡± ¡°The Fantasy Divine Sea is extremely dangerous. After you exit this Heaven Gate, I won¡¯t care about your life and death. You will be responsible for all the consequences.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded with a relaxed expression. ¡°Of course.¡± Since she dared to go, she had already done all her preparations. Jin Yunlai stared at her coldly and whipped his sleeves. Buzz¡ª The barrier opened! Chu Liuyue took a step out without hesitation. ¡°Hongyu, follow me!¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s movements were fast, and she followed right after her. The duo¡¯s figures disappeared very quickly. Many people looked at each other. After a moment, a young man tried to step forward. Jin Yunlai did not stop him at all. That man was instantly relieved as he walked out. With someone taking the lead, the people behind acted quickly. In no time, more than ten people exited the Heaven Gate. However, not everyone chose to do that. ¡°No matter what, the Fantasy Divine Sea is extremely dangerous. If we go out like that¡­ what will happen if we just die there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I think Nan Jinshu has other trump cards for daring to go there. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t compete with him. Forget it, forget it.¡± ¡°First Deity hasn¡¯t come out in so many years, and he didn¡¯t even see any of the other deities. However, he only met Nan Jinshu today. Doesn¡¯t this state the problem? Anyway, I know that I don¡¯t have this capability, so I won¡¯t join in.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait until this time tomorrow and see what Shangguan Yue and the rest say¡­¡± Some people walked out of the Heaven Gate, and others chose to stay. Jin Yunlai grunted coldly, whipped his sleeves, and left. I want to see how capable Chu Liuyue is! ¡­ Once Jin Yunlai came back to Fantasy Divine Hall, he ran in a certain direction. Before he could go far, he met Shu Jing. Without asking, she came from the Sixth Deity¡¯s side again. Jin Yunlai always wanted to find an opportunity to ask her about the Sixth Deity¡¯s condition previously. However, he could not care about this when he saw her now. Shu Jing also moved hurriedly, and there were a few hints of shock in his eyes. ¡°Seventh Deity, I just heard that Nan Jinshu met the First Deity and went to the Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± Jin Yunlai nodded, and his expression was nonchalant. ¡°He¡¯s been out for a while. Additionally, this matter has spread far and wide in Fantasy Divine Palace. Everyone knows about it. Shangguan Yue even specifically went to the gate and said that she wanted to take a look.¡± ¡°Is she crazy?!¡± Shu Jing suddenly raised her voice. ¡°Seventh Deity, you didn¡¯t let her go, right?¡± ¡°She used Tuan Zi to threaten me. I thought about it and still let her go. Other than her, some other people from Fantasy Divine Palace went as well.¡± Shu Jing gasped. Chu Liuyue was crazy, but Seventh Deity¡¯s mind is also messed up? Her reaction caused Jin Yunlai to knit his brows. ¡°The news spread so fast in such a short amount of time. The more you don¡¯t allow them to go, the more curious they will be. Why don¡¯t you just let them out for a day and allow them to experience it for themselves. How could they randomly go to the Fantasy Divine Sea¡­?¡± People were stubborn. No matter how many times one repeated a certain logic, nobody would listen. They would only deeply understand and remember if they were hurt themselves! Chapter 2306 - 2306 Offend 2306 Offend Shu Jing¡¯s expression softened. Jin Yunlai¡¯s logic does make sense. In the past 10,000 years, First Deity has always controlled the Fantasy Divine Sea. It is heavily guarded and dangerous. Yu Qian has almost inherited all of the First Deity¡¯s power, except for this. Hence, even until now, even Yu Qian can¡¯t privately enter the Fantasy Divine Sea without the First Deity¡¯s permission. Chu Liuyue¡¯s behavior is indeed courting death for herself. Shu Jing thought of another matter and knitted her brows slightly. ¡°What did Nan Jinshu do, such that First Deity was willing to meet him? Besides, this happened not long ago. Why does everyone know about it?¡± Jin Yunlai shook his head and continued walking forward. ¡°I don¡¯t know, so I plan to ask First Deity and make this clear.¡± Shu Jing hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll come too!¡± ¡­ When the two of them reached the area, two people came out from the door. They were two young men who looked like they were 25 or 26 years old¡ªone was handsome, and the other was good-looking. They both had extraordinary auras. Upon seeing this, Jin Yunlai and Shu Jing looked shocked. ¡°Jiu Long, Xi Yan, you¡ª¡± These two people were the Ninth Deity and Tenth Deity respectively. In their impression, the two of them were cultivating in seclusion. Why did they suddenly come here, and¡­ it seemed like they had just seen First Deity!? Jiu Long heard them and looked over. Then, they greeted each other. ¡°Greetings, Seventh Deity, Eighth Deity.¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s gaze swept across the two of them. ¡°You met First Deity?¡± The two of them nodded. ¡°First Deity has commands for us and told us to immediately go to the God Residence Realm¡¯s God-Killing Tumulus. We were just about to head there.¡± ¡°First Deity personally gave a command?¡± Shu Jing was in disbelief. One had to know that First Deity hadn¡¯t cared about Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s matters in many years. This time¡­ it was too sudden. However, Jin Yunlai suddenly realized something. Could this also be because of Nan Jinshu? As expected, Xi Yan hurriedly explained, ¡°Rumors have that the third music score could possibly be there, so First Deity sent the two of us to search for it.¡± Jin Yunlai and Shu Jing were shocked. Then, they finally understood. It¡¯s no wonder First Deity suddenly had such a big movement. It was because of this¡­ Although there were many deities in Fantasy Divine Hall, it was very hard to find those with such time and energy. These two people were indeed the most suitable choice. Jiu Long said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll leave first.¡± After all, this was a task First Deity personally gave. They did not dare to delay it at all. Jin Yunlai nodded. Jiu Long and Xi Yan quickly left. Shu Jing looked at the duo¡¯s backviews and knitted their brows. After a moment, she walked toward that door. But just as she walked forward, she was stopped by a barrier. A low and nonchalant voice came from inside. ¡°Just do what you should do.¡± Shu Jing and Jin Yunlai were stunned. Is he¡­ telling us to not interfere? Shu Jing did not let it go. ¡°First Deity, this matter is serious. Wouldn¡¯t it be insufficient to just send the two of them over?¡± After a moment, that voice sounded again. ¡°Shu Jing, if you don¡¯t want to watch over the medicinal mountain, you can follow them.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and she took a few steps back. ¡°I¡¯ve offended you. First Deity, please forgive me.¡± Jin Yunlai fell silent as well. First Deity¡¯s intention was already very obvious, and there was no need to continue asking. He cupped his fists and left. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb you further.¡± After that, he glanced at Shu Jing. Shu Jing took a few steps out and suddenly recalled something. She paused in her tracks and hesitantly asked, ¡°First Deity, Sixth Deity¡¯s Holy Body is damaged. If we want to rebuild it, we would have to use the golden heavenly lightning in the lightning pool. However, the lightning pool is sealed now. You think¡­¡± Originally, everything was proceeding smoothly, and they just had to wait for an opportune moment. Who knew that the lightning pool would suddenly explode and disrupt their plans? If he could not quickly reform his Holy Body, wouldn¡¯t the pills she produced with much difficulty be wasted? Now, she didn¡¯ know when the lightning pool would be opened. Who knew when she would have to wait until? Hence, she could only try to ask First Deity for help. The yard fell silent, and a gust of coldness gradually surged in. Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt uneasy. Following that, she heard someone coldly say inside, ¡°Then, let him suffer!¡± ¡­ Shu Jing¡¯s overwhelmed heart could not be appeased until she walked quite a distance away. She walked on distractedly, and there was no focus in her eyes. It was only until Jin Yunlai planned to walk in another direction that she recovered her senses and took a few quick steps. She walked to Jin Yunlai. ¡°When did Sixth Deity offend First Deity?¡± Jin Yunlai frowned. ¡°How would I know?¡± Shu Jing¡¯s lips were still pale, and she could not help but mutter, ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­ First Deity has been in seclusion for so many years, and Sixth Deity just came out not long ago. How could he offend First Deity? Besides, First Deity is cold and nonchalant, and he rarely gets angry, but just now¡ª¡± When she mentioned Sixth Deity, First Deity¡¯s voice contained rare anger. Jin Yunlai could tell as well. This was different from the previous time he planned to barge in, causing First Deity to be upset. Sixth Deity seemed to have committed a huge mistake, to the point where First Deity wasn¡¯t willing to help him reform his Holy Body. This was clearly something as easy as ABC for him. Shu Jing suddenly thought of something, and her expression changed slightly. Oh right, when Sixth Deity previously mentioned First Deity, he did seem rather terrified. At that point, I just thought he feared and respected him, so I did not think too much of it. But thinking of it now¡­ Jin Yunlai looked at her and said, ¡°If you really want to know, can¡¯t you just directly ask Sixth Deity?¡± ¡­ During this time, Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu exited the Heaven Gate and arrived at the silver bridge. As they walked, Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings. Very quickly, she saw a familiar figure. ¡°Nan Jinshu.¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly followed her line of sight. ¡°Where?¡± There was a person traveling through the air above the dark-blue sea¡ªit was Nan Jinshu. He traveled quite a distance toward the depths of the Fantasy Divine Sea before he stopped. Then, he directly rushed into the Fantasy Divine Sea! Chapter 2307 - 2307 Youre Just a Younger Brother 2307 You¡¯re Just a Younger Brother When the crowd surrounding the silver bridge saw this, they became restless. ¡°Nan Jinshu actually just rushed in directly?¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s a legendary warrior, he can¡¯t stay in the Fantasy Divine Sea for too long. Where did he get his confidence from?¡± ¡°The Fantasy Divine Sea contains a rich amount of force. If one uses it to nourish their bones and blood, it can indeed greatly elevate one¡¯s skills. But at the same time, one also faces great danger. I just don¡¯t know how long will Nan Jinshu last until he comes up¡­¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her expression slightly. From afar, the ripples surged, and the aura was harsh. Even if she stood on this silver bridge, she could still clearly feel the terrifying force contained in that ocean. Even she was not very confident that she could safely come back after she went down. Nan Jinshu¡ª She held her breath and stared at Nan Jinshu tightly, while she carefully listened to the surrounding commotion. I wonder if Diwu Zhangze can feel the changes outside¡­ From the corner of her eyes, Mu Hongyu¡ªwho was beside her¡ªseemed to be frozen as her brows were raised slightly, and her expression was still. She was looking at the Fantasy Divine Sea. All sorts of bustling noises on the silver bridge gradually dissipated. As time passed, the crowd slowly kept quiet. Actually, quite a few people were curious about this Fantasy Divine Sea, and they wanted to go down to take a look. However, none of them really set their mind to do it. After all, they only had one life, and Seventh Deity had made himself very clear previously¡ªafter they exited the Heaven Gate, their lives and deaths did not concern him. At that time, they probably would not even have a person to seek help from. Hence, everyone tacitly started waiting. It wasn¡¯t too late to decide when Nan Jinshu¡¯s situation was clear. ¡­ After a while, there was nothing strange in the surroundings. Chu Liuyue was rather disappointed and worried. I wonder how Diwu Zhangze¡¯s condition is now¡­ As for Mu Hongyu, she found another place to stand and looked in another direction. Chu Liuyue did not disturb her. At this point, the crowd became restless again. Chu Liuyue instinctively turned around and saw two young men walking out of the Heaven Gate one after another. The two faces were completely unfamiliar, but the moment Chu Liuyue saw them, she faintly guessed the other party¡¯s identities. Seeing their pristine aura, they should be deities. As expected, someone sharp had already recognized the two people¡¯s identities and hurriedly greeted, ¡°Greetings, Ninth Deity, Tenth Deity!¡± Hearing this, the remaining people immediately bowed. Jiu Long and Xi Yan just nodded lightly and didn¡¯t say much as they walked down. When they walked past Chu Liuyue, she nodded slightly. However, Jiu Long suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around to glance at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You¡¯re Shangguan Yue?¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyes. The other party¡¯s face had a few hints of curiosity and inquisitiveness. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡± Jiu Long laughed. ¡°You¡¯re pretty capable.¡± This did not sound like a compliment. Xi Yan glanced over. ¡°Jiu Long, let¡¯s go.¡± The two of them had always been on good terms, so their way of addressing each other was more casual. Jiu Long retracted his gaze and followed Xi Yan. The two of them arrived at the bottom of the silver bridge. Then, their figures flashed, and they disappeared from the spot. The deities all had cultivation bases above legendary warriors, so it was naturally not a problem for them to cross the Fantasy Divine Sea. However, the key was: where were they going? ¡°The two deities actually left the Heaven Gate. I wonder what they¡¯re going to do?¡± ¡°These two people rarely show themselves usually.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been so many years, but it¡¯s my first time seeing the two of them! I didn¡¯t expect them to be here¡­¡± All sorts of discussions were heard. Some people silently sized Chu Liuyue up. What exactly did Ninth Deity mean previously? ¡­ Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Actually, she had caused a lot of trouble in Fantasy Divine Palace recently. It was very normal for the deities to be curious about her. She was more curious to know: What exactly are the two of them doing at the God Residence Realm? It isn¡¯t a small matter if the two deities have been activated. After thinking for a moment, she still had no clue, so she suppressed her thoughts. ¡­ ¡°Master, Jiu Long and Xi Yan went out. It should be related to Nan Jinshu.¡± Inside the room, Rong Xiu sat behind the table and held a book in his hand. Hearing Yan Qing¡¯s words, he acknowledged it and flipped a page. Other than this, there was no other reaction. Yan Qing hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Why don¡¯t I go and ask around about where they went?¡± Rong Xiu raised his thin lips slightly. ¡°No need to ask. They went to the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± ¡°God-Killing Tumulus?¡± Yan Qing was taken aback. ¡°Why would they go to the God-Killing Tumulus at this time?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for the last music score.¡± Other than this, what else could cause such a huge commotion in Fantasy Divine Hall? Yan Qing knitted his sharp brows tightly. ¡°That music score is also extremely important to Madam. If they find it first¡ª¡± ¡°They can¡¯t find it.¡± Rong Xiu laughed, placed the book down, and glanced outside the window. ¡°It will belong to whoever is supposed to have it.¡± ¡­ Yan Qing walked out of the room. Originally, he was quite worried, but seeing his master¡¯s reaction¡­ It seemed like the latter did not take this matter to heart. ¡°Wind Yuan Pill.¡± ¡°One side wildflower, three meadow seeds, one portion of golden sand vein¡­¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s lazy voice sounded. Yan Qing looked up and saw Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi sitting opposite each other in the yard. Jian Fengchi held a book in his hand, and there was a pile of herbs on the stone desk before him. Hearing Xiao Ba lazily recite the Wind Yuan Pill formula, Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°You¡­ actually know everything here?¡± Xiao Ba laughed lightly and picked a golden berry. Her nails were painted intricately and meticulously like gems, and they looked as though they were even more crystallized than the golden berry. She put the golden berry in her mouth, and her voice was rather muddled. ¡°¡­Previously, I told you that I had long broken through to become a Supreme Physician, yet you still didn¡¯t believe¡­¡± Tsk, he¡¯s finally learned his lesson. Jian Fengchi instantly felt his head ache. He closed the book in his hands and took a deep breath in. ¡°I really can¡¯t survive anymore¡­¡± Ever since he was deeply impacted by Chu Liuyue previously, Jian Fengchi silently worked hard and swore that he would take revenge. Thinking that Xiao Ba was also a heavenly doctor, he thought of dueling with her. In the end, Xiao Ba rejected him, and her reason was very decisive¡ªhe had no right. How could Jian Fengchi tolerate this with his temper? He immediately wanted to test her. In the end, Xiao Ba directly handed him a book of medicinal formulas. Even though Jian Fengchi hadn¡¯t broken through, he could tell that it contained the formulas of Supreme Physician-level pills. However, Xiao Ba really memorized it like the back of her palm. ¡°Young Master Jian, don¡¯t compare with Master. Even if you compare with me, you¡¯re still a younger brother.¡± Jian Fengchi slammed the book down and stood up furiously. Xiao Ba smiled and waved in a very generous manner. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this book. Don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Jian Fengchi turned around again to pick up the book and then left in a fury. Chapter 2308 - 2308 Brother? 2308 Brother? ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s been so many years, but you haven¡¯t suffered enough?¡± Xiao Ba laughed leisurely. ¡°How courageous!¡± Jian Fengchi staggered in his movements, then walked away even faster. In no time, his figure quickly disappeared outside the door. Nice. Without asking, she knew that he went to the medicinal mountain. Xiao Ba was in a very good mood after fully crushing Eldest Young Master Jian, who had always been proud. From the corner of her eye, she saw Yan Qing, and she smiled and said, ¡°Yo, Lord Yan Qing, what are you going to do?¡± She just casually greeted him. Who knew Yan Qing would walk over with huge steps? He stopped three steps before Xiao Ba. His figure was very thin and tall. Xiao Ba was sitting, and he was standing. She instantly felt a feeling of suppression. ¡°Jian Fengchi is 27 years old this year. If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, he should be older than you, right?¡± Xiao Ba was dazed for a moment and was still biting on the golden berry in her mouth. After she reacted, her eyes curled into a smile, and she snorted with laughter. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, that was just a joke. You don¡¯t have to take it seriously!¡± Yan Qing pressed his lips against each other slightly. Xiao Ba blinked her pretty eyes, stood up, and leaned over. The distance between the two of them was instantly reduced. ¡°Lord Yan Qing.¡± One side of Xiao Ba¡¯s cheeks was still bulging. Once she spoke, the sweetness of the berry landed everywhere. That was the fragrance of the golden berry in her mouth. Yan Qing looked down, pausing on her smooth and full lips for a moment, before he silently averted his gaze. However, Xiao Ba did not notice it as she smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem very happy.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this, neither happy nor upset.¡± Xiao Ba snorted in her heart. Everyone has their own feelings and emotions, yet this Lord Yan Qing is an exception. She turned and smiled flirtatiously. ¡°Young Master Jian can be my younger brother. Lord Yan Qing, you can be my older brother then! Look, your status will even be higher than his.¡± Yan Qing knitted his brows. Xiao Ba tilted her head. ¡°Brother Yan Qing?¡± The originally sweet fragrance suddenly seemed overwhelming and intoxicating. Her voice was her usual flirtatious one. He had long gotten used to it, but it suddenly felt rather different now¡ªhis heart seemed to have been scratched lightly. Yan Qing turned around to leave. ¡°Ow¡ª¡± Seeing that he did not have any reaction and directly left, Xiao Ba pouted her red lips and swallowed the fruit in her mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t call him younger brother, nor can I call him older brother. What a difficult person to please.¡± ¡­ Yan Qing walked straight back to his room. The moment he entered, he immediately detected something amiss and looked at the screen. His cold gaze was as sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to tear the screen! ¡°Come out.¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know it¡¯s me. Can¡¯t you have a better attitude?¡± A figure slowly walked out from behind¡ªit was Yu Mo. Yan Qing¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know that it was you, you would¡¯ve long died here.¡± A strange smile surfaced on Yu Mo¡¯s face as he said very clearly, ¡°You¡¯re too fierce like this¡­ Brother Yan Qing.¡± The moment he said this, a gust of wind attacked him! Swoosh! Yu Mo was shocked and immediately avoided it. Then, he patted his chest with lingering fear. ¡°Tsk, talk nicely. Why are you taking action?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s gaze was so cold, as if it was frozen. ¡°If you want to die, I can send you on your way.¡± Yu Mo grunted. ¡°I haven¡¯t lived long enough. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine.¡± It¡¯s so interesting to live. A person like Yan Qing could actually be dumbfounded by a lady. If I die, I won¡¯t be able to see such an incredible scene. ¡°She¡¯s indeed Madam¡¯s subordinate. Miss Xiao Ba is amazing, amazing! ¡°If you have something to say, do it. If not, get lost.¡± It was rare for Yan Qing to say so many words to him, but it was a pity that none of them were nice. Yu Mo silently shed a tear of sympathy for himself before he said, ¡°Of course, I came here because I have something to tell you. You already know that First Deity sent Jiu Long and Xi Yan to the God-Killing Tumulus, right?¡± Yan Qing nodded. ¡°Nan Jinshu sent him the news. Logically speaking, Jun Jiuqing should know of this as well, but he didn¡¯t say anything the whole time. After this happened, he actually went into seclusion. I just feel that something is amiss.¡± Yan Qing knitted his brows. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Yu Mo took a deep breath in and then seriously said, ¡°He went to Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall.¡± ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. The ocean surface was still calm. Nan Jinshu didn¡¯t come out at all. If it weren¡¯t for the surrounding force continuously flowing toward Nan Jinshu, the crowd would have thought that something happened to him. At some point, Mu Hongyu finally recovered her senses and walked to Chu Liuyue. ¡°Liuyue.¡± Chu Liuyue turned to look at her. Their eyes met. Mu Hongyu knitted her brows slightly and shook her head. She had tried previously. The space below this Fantasy Divine Sea had indeed become distorted and chaotic, but standing on this silver bridge, with the water blocking her, she could not do a detailed check. She had tried a few methods, but they did not work. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. Then, she made up her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll go down to take a look.¡± Since I can¡¯t see the full appearance here, I will go down to take a look! Mu Hongyu was stunned and hurriedly pulled her wrist. ¡°No!¡± The space below was too dangerous. Even she did not have full confidence that she could avoid the intersecting distorted space, let alone Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue shook her head. This chance is indeed rare. If I can take the chance to understand the situation below, it will be much more convenient for Mu Hongyu to take action. Hearing the duo¡¯s conversation, quite a few people looked over in shock. ¡°Shangguan Yue wants to go down? She¡¯s too gutsy!¡± ¡°I heard that she passed this ocean in a very relaxed manner and even brought a few true god subordinates of hers along. It seems like she can be confident, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. The Fantasy Divine Sea¡­ You might not be able to come up if you go down! Besides, she doesn¡¯t have First Deity¡¯s permission¡­ Isn¡¯t this digging her own grave?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see¡­¡± If she had First Deity¡¯s permission, she could have another layer of protection in the Fantasy Divine Sea. Wasn¡¯t this the case for Nan Jinshu? But those like Chu Liuyue, who planned to directly go down, had nothing at all. A long time ago, someone had secretly tried to barge into the Fantasy Divine Sea. In the end, they died, and their soul was burned without an exception. This was also why the crowd was so fearful. Even if they were already standing on the silver bridge, they did not dare go down. Hearing such words, Mu Hongyu clenched her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Perhaps she could lend her a hand. However, Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to stay here.¡± After all, she could better notice the changes and movements of the Fantasy Divine Sea. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue patted her hand lightly, went on her toes, and headed in the direction where Nan Jinshu was! Chapter 2309 - 2309 Below Fantasy Divine Sea 2309 Below Fantasy Divine Sea Chu Liuyue was very fast. The blue-black ocean waves moved in a mysterious manner. The sea breeze had a hint of coldness to it. When it brushed past her face, it raised her hair and dress. The thick force intertwined and formed a huge suppression. Even the space above the ocean became hard to cross, like mud. Chu Liuyue¡¯s body glowed with a colorful light. Swoosh! She summoned the Nether Star Sword and held it tightly in her palm. The faint bright light shone and was especially eye-catching between the dark sky and the ocean. The further she went forward, the heavier the suppression. There seemed to be a bloody aura gradually spreading in the air. It was very faint but unignorable. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she paused in her tracks and looked at the front calmly. Above the ocean not far away, a deep vortex suddenly appeared. The surrounding ocean water flowed quietly and had no sound at all. If it weren¡¯t because Chu Liuyue was standing close, she might not be able to notice it. A tremendous amount of force rushed down. A figure faintly appeared. Chu Liuyue just took a glance and immediately recognized that it was Nan Jinshu! At this point, there was a palm-sized seal floating above his head quietly. A faint layer of red light glowed around him and formed a natural barrier. The ferocious force harshly hit it and was silently absorbed before it could even make any sound. That seal contained tremendous force, and it was clearly not from Nan Jinshu. That was the First Deity¡¯s seal! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she leaned in even closer to take a better look. She was indeed very curious about this First Deity. After she came to Fantasy Divine Palace, she had seen the few deities, but the most mysterious one was the First Deity. Even if she hadn¡¯t seen the First Deity, she could clearly feel that the latter¡¯s status was far above the other deities. This was even the case for Second Deity, Yu Qian. Besides, the other party even controlled the Fantasy Divine Sea. If she wanted to save Diwu Zhangze, she had to think of a way to get past the First Deity. But the moment she walked a small distance, she discovered an invisible force that stopped herself. Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. Why¡­ does this aura seem rather familiar? She couldn¡¯t describe the specifics, but it did have an unknown familiarity to it as if¡­ she had felt it somewhere before. Chu Liuyue knitted her brows and thought for quite some time, but it was to no avail. She could only temporarily set her thoughts aside. Nan Jinshu¡¯s aura kept strengthening. Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment and finally rushed into the Fantasy Divine Sea! ¡­ Inside the lonely and quiet cage, Dugu Mobao suddenly opened his eyes and knitted his brows. After a moment, a ball of black mist formed outside the cage. A hoarse and cunning laughter came from inside. ¡°She actually went to the Fantasy Divine Sea¡­ It seems like she cares about Diwu a lot. To save him, she¡¯s willing to take the risk¡­ Tsk, even if Diwu dies this time, he can rest in peace, right?¡± Even though he was laughing, his tone contained teeth-clenching hatred. Back then, Diwu Zhangze suddenly turned around and chose betrayal. He had not repaid this debt! Dugu Mobao¡¯s brows gradually relaxed as he recovered his usual nonchalant and cold appearance. ¡°Isn¡¯t it reasonable for her to go to the Fantasy Divine Sea? Including the medicinal mountain, lightning pool, Phoenix Mountain, and even Fantasy Divine Hall, where can she not go?¡± ¡°Of course, the current her can¡¯t go!¡± The person opposite seemed to be enraged as his voice became shrill. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who is in charge of the Fantasy Divine Sea now! She¡¯s just digging her own grave by going over!¡± Dugu Mobao suddenly laughed and said sarcastically, ¡°You don¡¯t even dare to kill me, let alone her.¡± The person in the black mist suddenly fell silent. After a long while. ¡°You¡¯re right. I won¡¯t take any of your lives now, but¡­ If you think I can¡¯t do anything to you, you¡¯re too naive.¡± ¡°When Lan Xiao formed his Holy Body, he swallowed five golden lightning bolts, right?¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s heart suddenly sank! Following that, he heard that voice say, ¡°Sixth Deity needs to reform his Holy Body now. It¡¯s a pity that the lightning pool has been sealed, so they¡¯ve delayed this. Even though I can¡¯t kill Lan Xiao, robbing the lightning forces in his body is as easy as ABC.¡± ¡­ Splash¡ª Chu Liuyue entered the sea. Instantly, the bone-chilling coldness came from all directions, like a tight web that kept poking at her as if it wanted to pierce through her bones! Chu Liuyue waved her palm lightly, and a brilliant transparent barrier surrounded her. With this layer of protection, the icy coldness was reduced by quite a bit. She looked forward. From here, she could see Nan Jinshu¡¯s figure even more clearly. That vortex kept rushing over with the surrounding force, going down from his head. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists as he knitted his brows, looking like he was in pain. The force in the sea could directly kill a true god. Hence, even a legendary warrior would suffer some torture here. This was also the result of him having that seal protecting him. If Nan Jinshu came himself, he would not be in a better state than those true gods. A faint string-like light abruptly appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. The ocean water surged, and this ray of light flowed and came lightly. However, deep uneasiness surged in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. She turned around and went to the side. The string-like ray of light passed beneath her feet. Then, an extremely tiny crack in space appeared! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. Chapter 2310 - 2310 Despotic Chu Liuyue! 2310 Despotic Chu Liuyue! This wasn¡¯t an ordinary ray of light. When it intertwined with the different spaces, it produced a squeezing force! Chu Liuyue held her breath in, and her temples throbbed. If I didn¡¯t dodge it in time, I would probably¡­ She looked down, and the ray of light quickly disappeared. But in the deeper parts of this ocean, there were many similar rays of light appearing faintly. Previously, Mu Hongyu had said that the force of countless spaces intersected below the Fantasy Divine Sea and that it was extremely dangerous. Now, it seems like she is right! If Diwu Zhangze is really trapped underneath¡­ Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth. Diwu Zhangze doesn¡¯t have a Holy Body and doesn¡¯t have an advantage. If he suffers more of such torture¡­ Why exactly did the mastermind purposely separate Dugu Mobao and Diwu Zhangze, locking him up here alone? At this point, a chill ran down her spine. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately turned around to wave her sword without thinking. Harsh sword aura flew out! Swoosh! The sound of something being sliced was heard. A thin ray of light was instantly cut into two. Chu Liuyue lightly sighed. Then, she suddenly thought of something and looked at Nan Jinshu again. He was guarded by that seal, and those strange rays of light avoided him. They could not hurt him at all. No wonder¡­ First Deity¡¯s seal is rather interesting. With a thought, Chu Liuyue immediately went down. ¡­ The further she went, the more rays of light there were. They were like seaweed that floated at the bottom of the ocean freely but lethally. Gradually, when they brushed past Chu Liuyue¡¯s body, she would feel some slight pain. Her Holy Body seemed like it could no longer tolerate the force in the space! Chu Liuyue knew this clearly, but she didn¡¯t stop or slow down. She held the sword in her hands, cutting and chasing everything away as if she were cutting weed. After some time, a ball of light finally appeared before her. All the rays of light flew out from here. Some floated far away and kept cutting the space, while others intersected and caused the turbulence. The uneasiness in her heart finally stopped. A figure faintly appeared in the ball of light. Chu Liuyue stared at it tightly. She naturally wanted to go over, but she knew that it was too dangerous. Just by standing here, she already felt that she was out of breath. If she went closer¡­ Suddenly, a strange sensation came from the Cosmic Ring on her hand. Chu Liuyue was dazed and instinctively looked down. A rock suddenly rolled out from within, quietly rolling down. Chu Liuyue immediately reached out to pick it up, but the rock agilely avoided her and rolled downward at a higher speed. Just when Chu Liuyue was filled with confusion, a ray of light came over and wanted to cut that rock. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows. Even though she didn¡¯t purposely take these rocks back, it had been some time, and she did have some feelings for them. This was especially so since these rocks had helped her quite a bit before and saved her from dangerous situations. She felt even more reluctant. Just when she planned to take action, the scene that suddenly happened in front of her caused her to pause. She saw a warm orange light suddenly emit from the rock¡ªthat was the God Realm inside. That God Realm completely covered the rock. Then, the silver string-like light flew over and intertwined with it automatically, merging with that God Realm. Chu Liuyue was shocked and almost doubted her eyes. She closed her eyes and then looked over again¡ªthe scene before her eyes did not change! That rock floated quietly and resolved all the ferocious force in that ray of light easily. At first glance, it seemed like a line was tied to the rock. The rock didn¡¯t move, and the string could only naturally float on the spot. Chu Liuyue blinked. Did it¡­ stabilize that small space? Just as she was filled with shock, the second rock rolled out from the Cosmic Ring. Just like the previous one, that rock rolled to the side. After intertwining with a ray of light, it quietly waited there. Chu Liuyue almost immediately detected the heavy suppression in the surroundings being reduced. Even though it was very slight, it did exist! Just when she was momentarily stunned, more and more rocks rolled out and scattered everywhere! ¡­ At this point, Mu Hongyu was waiting anxiously on the silver bridge. She stared in the direction where Chu Liuyue disappeared with her hands intertwined and her heart hanging high. Liuyue has been down for some time. Why is there no noise at all? All sorts of discussions slowly came from the surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, but Shangguan Yue isn¡¯t back yet. Did something happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, right? I heard that she has quite a few trump cards. Not to mention others, she should be able to save her life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Without First Deity¡¯s permission, trespassing into the Fantasy Divine Sea is dangerous¡­¡± Mu Hongyu knitted her brows. At this point, she was suddenly shocked as she looked at the distant ocean. Disbelief flashed across her eyes. The countless intersecting spaces actually seem to have slowly stabilized?! She took a few steps forward and didn¡¯t even dare to breathe, terrified that she had sensed it wrongly. However, everything proceeded in an orderly manner. The scene in her mind gradually became clearer! ¡­ Nan Jinshu quickly noticed something amiss. That was because less force was entering his body. At some moment, he finally opened his eyes and looked up. That vortex was actually much smaller than before. The force coming from it naturally could not be compared to before. ¡°Why is this happening?¡± Nan Jinshu knitted his brows. The force in the Fantasy Divine Sea is endless. I¡¯ve only used a small sprinkle of sand from the beach to elevate my cultivation. Why can¡¯t I do it? Quickly, he realized that this seemed to be because the surrounding force had become much more dispersed than before. And most of it went toward the depths of the ocean. He looked down. It was fine if he did not, but when he did, he was immediately taken aback! He saw balls of light quietly shining in the depths of the ocean. They were already very near. At first glance, it seemed like brilliant lights had gathered together, but he quickly realized that this wasn¡¯t the case. Those balls of light exuded a special suppression. He was not unfamiliar with this feeling. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a God Realm?!¡± Nan Jinshu muttered in disbelief. Then, a light suddenly flashed across his mind. ¡°Shangguan Yue!¡± Isn¡¯t that her 3,000 God Realms?! She actually came here and even¡­ used the God Realms to absorb the force in the Fantasy Divine Sea?! Chapter 2311 - 2311 Secret 2311 Secret Chu Liuyue crossed her arms and looked at the iridescent God Realms floating before her. She rubbed her brows, her head hurting slightly. I don¡¯t think it should be like this¡­ She just planned to come over and check the situation so that it could be convenient for Mu Hongyu to take action and save Diwu Zhangze after she broke through and reached the Great Advanced Realm. However, she did not expect such a big commotion to happen! Originally, she planned to try and stop it, but she quickly realized there was not much use. These rocks were sometimes obedient, and other times not. If they really wanted to make a scene, she could not do anything about them. In the end, this was the consequence. The countless intersecting spaces below the Fantasy Divine Sea were currently frozen. There was no longer the suppressive aura in the surroundings. In other words, it was very stable! However, it was a pity that there was still a layer of barrier at the bottom that trapped Diwu Zhangze. She tried previously but still could not approach it. This was also the only realm that the 3,000 God Realms could not touch or control. As for the other areas in the surroundings¡­ Now, Chu Liuyue could even feel every single tiny ripple moving in the surroundings! ¡°Shangguan Yue!¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s voice came from above with hints of exasperation. Chu Liuyue looked up and waved her hand. ¡°Master Nan, what a coincidence.¡± Nan Jinshu was stumped and could not catch his breath. What a coincidence? What kind of coincidence?! ¡°Why are you here?¡± Nan Jinshu arrived not far away from Chu Liuyue and coldly interrogated her. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Master Nan, if you can be here, why can¡¯t I?¡± Nan Jinshu coldly grunted. ¡°I came here with First Deity¡¯s permission, so I¡¯m naturally different from you! You suddenly barged into this place and used the God Realms to forcefully steal the force that originally belonged to me. Shangguan Yue, you¡¯re too much!¡± If they were in the God Residence Realm, Nan Jinshu had no courage or confidence to talk to Chu Liuyue in this manner. After all, the entire Nan family was almost ruined in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand, and he still had deep lingering fear toward her. However, this was the Fantasy Divine Sea! How could someone without a bloodline totem like her be compared to him? Nan Jinshu had originally planned everything well, and it was progressing smoothly. Suddenly, someone interrupted him, so he naturally was upset. Hence, his words were very harsh. Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly, and her gaze quickly swept across the seal in his hands before she slightly smiled and said, ¡°Master Nan, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. How would I know that you can¡¯t even beat a batch of rocks?¡± Nan Jinshu choked and almost spat out a mouthful of blood. How is this a pile of rocks? They are clearly God Realms! And she controls these God Realms, so how could she be unrelated to them?! Chu Liuyue turned around and waved to a rock that was not far away. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s time to go.¡± That rock retreated backward, and the God Realm glowed even brighter as it absorbed the surrounding force at a more shocking speed. Chu Liuyue sighed and spread her arms toward Nan Jinshu. ¡°Master Nan, you¡¯ve seen it too. They really don¡¯t listen to me.¡± If I had a way, I don¡¯t want the matter to blow up, okay?! Nan Jinshu¡¯s eyes twitched. There was a moment where he felt that he was deeply humiliated, but Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was so genuine. At this point, he really did not know what to say. At this point, he then realized that the space here seemed to be controlled by Chu Liuyue, and it did not threaten her at all. Fantasy Divine Sea¡­ Isn¡¯t the Fantasy Divine Sea always dangerous?! Why does everything become different when Chu Liuyue is involved? I depend on First Deity¡¯s seal to forcefully protect myself. What about her? Just depend on these rocks?! Nan Jinshu could not help but look at the seal in his hands. At this moment, he suddenly felt that his previous grand plans were like a joke. As long as Chu Liuyue was around, he might not even be able to continue cultivating. He gritted his teeth before saying, ¡°When First Deity knows what you did, let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to explain it!¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in agreement. ¡°Coincidentally, I do want to see him.¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s chest felt stuffy. He felt that he would die from anger if he continued talking to Chu Liuyue. Seeing that they could not reach a conclusion, Nan Jinshu turned around to leave. I want to see how First Deity punishes her! ¡°Hold on!¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly called him. ¡°Master Nan, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. Can you explain it to me?¡± Nan Jinshu did not turn around and said in frustration, ¡°You can investigate yourself whatever you want to know. Anyway, you¡¯ve very capable, right?!¡± But the next moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure flashed and arrived before him, stopping him in his path as she said with a smile, ¡°Master Nan, you¡¯re leaving in such a hurry. Anyway, being a little early or late won¡¯t have much of an impact on your cultivation.¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s lips moved. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Nether Star Sword that silently appeared in her hands. He swallowed those words and changed the topic. ¡°What exactly do you want to ask?¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing major. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m more curious. How did you get your seal?¡± Nan Jinshu was dazed for a moment and then instinctively said coldly, ¡°Of course, First Deity gave it to me personally!¡± ¡°Yeah, why was he willing to give you this item?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and took a step forward. ¡°Many deities requested to see First Deity, and they were all rejected by him. However, Master Nan, you¡¯re so amazing. Not only did you see him, but you even obtained a seal¡­ I¡¯ve always been very curious about this. Master Nan, could I trouble you to tell me in detail?¡± Nan Jinshu widened his eyes. ¡°What did you say? Shangguan Yue, what are you dreaming about?! Why should I tell you?!¡± The matter concerned the biggest secret between the Nan family and the Yi family, and it even implicated Fantasy Divine Hall. How could he reveal it to Chu Liuyue? Chu Liuyue smiled kindly. ¡°I was just rather curious. Master Nan, are you unwilling to say it?¡± Nan Jinshu could not be bothered to deal with her and wanted to leave. Swoosh! A harsh sword aura pierced over and scraped past the top of his head! A gush of cold intent went through his entire body, and Nan Jinshu¡¯s actions suddenly froze. The next moment, he clearly realized that it was as easy as ABC for Chu Liuyue to kill him! ¡°Shangguan Yue, how dare you!?¡± Whoosh! The ice-cold sword blade was placed on his neck! Chu Liuyue lightly laughed and asked, ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare?¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s entire body tensed up as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. He suddenly sneered. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you know. Anyway, this is quite related to you.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Then, Nan Jinshu said carefully, ¡°The first two music scores are with you. It can be considered that you¡¯re capable, but it¡¯s a pity that you will never obtain the last one!¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Nan Jinshu knows the whereabouts of the third music score! ¡°Where¡¯s the third one!¡± she immediately asked coldly. Before Nan Jinshu could speak, the seal in his hands suddenly glowed brightly! Chapter 2312 - 2312 Have We Met Before? 2312 Have We Met Before? Red light rapidly flew out from it and covered Nan Jinshu. A terrifying suppression descended and intertwined around him, forming a barrier. Shing! Force attacked and flicked Chu Liuyue¡¯s Nether Star Sword away! Chu Liuyue was stunned and hurriedly retreated. However, the Nether Star Sword couldn¡¯t completely avoid this attack, and the entire sword body shook, almost causing Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm to turn numb. Did¡­ the First Deity take action?! Staring at Nan Jinshu opposite her, Chu Liuyue knitted her brows slightly and suppressed the overwhelming aura in her chest. However, Nan Jinshu was very surprised. ¡°First Deity!¡± That seal flew out from his hands and quietly floated. Boundless suppression and force kept spreading from within. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. It turns out this seal has the First Deity¡¯s aura. It¡¯s no wonder Nan Jinshu is so confident! ¡°First Deity, you saw it, right?! This Shangguan Yue is extremely gutsy. Not only did she trespass into the Fantasy Divine Sea, but she even turned this place upside-down. She even forced me to tell her the whereabouts of the third music score!¡± Nan Jinshu was excited and emotional, and feeling as though he had met his savior, he hurriedly told him everything Chu Liuyue did. ¡°She¡¯s so arrogant and gutsy. She disrespected you, and she doesn¡¯t fear or respect Fantasy Divine Palace at all! First Deity, you must punish her severely to warn everyone else!¡± It was no wonder Nan Jinshu was so infuriated. After all, someone just placed a sword beside his neck the previous moment, and his life was hanging by a thread. Now that he had the chance to retaliate, he naturally would not miss it. In his heart, he couldn¡¯t wait for First Deity to personally take action and kill Chu Liuyue. But the next moment, the cold and low voice that came out of that seal caused Nan Jinshu to be taken aback. ¡°Nan Jinshu, what did you tell her just now?¡± Every single word was cold and low¡ªit was a true interrogation! The First Deity¡¯s words contained unconcealable anger! Nan Jinshu was instantly dazed. I-I didn¡¯t say¡ªno, I told Chu Liuyue about the third music score! His body broke out into a cold sweat instantly. ¡°First Deity, I-I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I-it¡¯s her. Shangguan Yue was the one who forced me¡ª¡± This matter was extremely secretive. Hence, First Deity was willing to see him and gave him the right to come to the Fantasy Divine Sea. Normally, Nan Jinshu definitely would not say it casually, but just now, Chu Liuyue placed her sword by his neck. He was filled with trepidation and actually said it impulsively. He did not expect First Deity to know about it! Hearing this voice, Chu Liuyue squinted slightly. This voice is very unfamiliar, but the tone¡­ is somewhat familiar. It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve heard it somewhere. Terrified that he was going to be punished, he hurriedly pointed the arrow at Chu Liuyue. ¡°First Deity, if she didn¡¯t force me, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have said it. B-besides, the first two music scores are indeed with her¡ª¡± Not to mention that she has broken so many rules, just this alone is enough to punish her, right? However, First Deity didn¡¯t seem to listen to Nan Jinshu¡¯s words. ¡°The two of you are to leave the Fantasy Divine Sea immediately. From now onward, you are never to return!¡± Nan Jinshu was instantly stunned. ¡°First Deity, w-what does this mean?¡± It¡¯s fine for me¡ªI¡¯ve made a mistake and should be punished. However, what about Chu Liuyue?! ¡°First Deity, she¡¯s¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, First Deity¡¯s voice came from the seal again. ¡°Nan Jinshu, you have objections?¡± This voice was very light, but it sent a chill down Nan Jinshu¡¯s spine. Nan Jinshu said quickly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± No matter how displeased he was with the outcome, he knew that he definitely could not show it. Wasn¡¯t going against First Deity akin to courting death?! No matter how much Nan Jinshu hated Chu Liuyue and wanted her to die here, he had a brain. First Deity clearly didn¡¯t plan to kill her, and he didn¡¯t overly punish her for her previous doings, other than chasing her out of the Fantasy Divine Sea. Perhaps he was also fearful of those two music scores? After all, they had already recognized her as the owner, and they couldn¡¯t forcefully snatch them. Nan Jinshu thought for a while and felt that this was the only answer. He suppressed the tumultuous emotions in his heart and cupped his fists. ¡°I¡¯ll leave right away.¡± Then, he took a deep look at Chu Liuyue before going toward the surface of the ocean. However, that seal did not leave with him and floated there quietly. It was only a few steps away from Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue stared at the seal and suddenly asked, ¡°First Deity, have we¡­ seen each other before?¡± That seal did not reply. Many rays of red light flowed around and caused ripples. Shua! The rocks finally returned to Chu Liuyue. With a thought, Chu Liuyue put all of the rocks into her Cosmic Ring. Then, that seal actually disappeared quietly. It formed a blush of red and covered everything below. Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils dilated. This red was clearly exactly the same as the scene in the Red Moon Desert! She clenched her fists tightly and finally turned around to leave. ¡­ Plop! Sounds of water crashing was heard, and it instantly attracted the attention of the crowd on the silver bridge. Countless pairs of eyes immediately gathered over. They saw a figure walking out from under the water and coming toward them. ¡°Nan Jinshu? Why is it he who came out?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he cultivating in the Fantasy Divine Sea? How long has it been? It hasn¡¯t even been a day, and it¡­ just ended?¡± ¡°His expression doesn¡¯t look very right¡­¡± After Nan Jinshu came out, he saw that many people were actually gathered on the silver bridge and was instantly taken aback. Those gazes made him feel humiliated. However, he could not go back again now and could only brave himself to walk forward. Very quickly, he arrived at the silver bridge. The moment his feet landed, he went toward the Heaven Gate above without any pauses. His face was expressionless and was covered in a dangerous and cold aura, which caused people to stay miles away from him. Anyone with eyes could tell that his current mood was extremely terrible. The crowd gradually fell silent, but not everybody was fearful of him. Like¡­ Mu Hongyu. She hastened her steps and walked to Nan Jinshu to stop him. ¡°Nan Jinshu, where¡¯s Liuyue?!¡± Nan Jinshu knew who she was referring to, and his expression instantly turned ugly. ¡°That¡¯s none of my business! If you want to know, you can just go down yourself!¡± He now hated Chu Liuyue to the core. Even if he heard her name, his teeth felt itchy. Mu Hongyu raised her chin. ¡°That¡¯s so troublesome! Anyway, you all were in the Fantasy Divine Sea. Why can¡¯t I just ask you?¡± Everything was fine previously, but she suddenly could not check the situation below. As she was filled with worry, she naturally had to catch Nan Jinshu and ask him. Suddenly, her gaze focused, and she asked strangely, ¡°Hm? Why is there a sword wound on your neck?¡± Chapter 2313 - 2313 Trouble 2313 Trouble It was fine if she did not mention this, but once she did, Nan Jinshu was even more frustrated. Actually, it was a very minor wound¡ªjust a scratch on his skin that showed some faint bloodstains¡ªand it would recover after a day or two. However, it constantly reminded Nan Jinshu of the humiliation he suffered from Chu Liuyue! He touched his neck and coldly grunted. ¡°If you don¡¯t want trouble, you better move away right now! If not, I don¡¯t dare to guarantee that there won¡¯t be more wounds on your body!¡± This was a plain threat. He couldn¡¯t beat Chu Liuyue, but he could definitely handle Mu Hongyu, who was just a true god. However, Mu Hongyu was not frightened by his words at all. Looking at the man who flew into a rage out of humiliation in front of her, Mu Hongyu blinked. ¡°Master Nan, why are you so angry? Could it be¡­ that our Liuyue gave you this wound?¡± ¡°You!¡± Nan Jinshu was even more enraged as he whipped out some holy force and turned it into a sharp knife, which went straight for Mu Hongyu! The two of them were extremely close to each other, just a step away. Not to mention a true god, even a legendary warrior of the same standard might not be able to avoid it in time as he had suddenly taken action. Swoosh! That sharp blade rapidly pierced through Mu Hongyu¡¯s chest! The surrounding crowd gasped in shock, but the next moment, they saw ¡®Mu Hongyu¡¯ suddenly dissipate! That was clearly just an afterimage of hers! Nan Jinshu had just felt relief when he was stunned by this scene. Then, a hand came from behind and gently patted his shoulders. ¡°Master Nan, your skills aren¡¯t too good.¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s hair immediately stood on end as he turned around to look. Mu Hongyu was smiling brightly behind him! ¡°How did you¡ª¡± Before he could say anything, Mu Hongyu hurled out a punch and directly hit Nan Jinshu¡¯s face! Bam! With the low sound, Nan Jinshu instantly felt dizzy as he staggered a few steps back and almost lost his balance. When Mu Hongyu sent out this punch, she moved the force of the surrounding space, and caused a huge pressure on Nan Jinshu. That was how she could easily catch Nan Jinshu off-guard. Nan Jinshu felt his entire head throbbing like crazy, and something was flowing out of his nose and mouth. He wiped it and looked down at it. The blood was bright red. His hands trembled slightly. When the surrounding audience saw this, they also revealed strange expressions. What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t that Mu Hongyu a true god? Not only was she uninjured when she went against Nan Jinshu, but she even beat him into this state?! Mu Hongyu snorted, shook her head, and sighed, ¡°Master Nan, your condition doesn¡¯t seem too good. Why must you force yourself? I just asked you a question, so can¡¯t you answer me obediently? Now, you have both old and new wounds. See, what are you trying to do?¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s lungs were about to implode from anger! ¡°Mu Hongyu!¡± Mu Hongyu rubbed her ears. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± At this point, another figure rushed out from the Fantasy Divine Sea. ¡°Shangguan Yue is out!¡± Someone gasped in shock. Mu Hongyu hurriedly turned around to take a look. When she saw that it was Chu Liuyue, she instantly heaved a sigh of relief and waved happily. ¡°Liuyue!¡± Chu Liuyue was also very fast, and she arrived at the silver bridge in the blink of an eye. Mu Hongyu hurriedly went forward, pulled Chu Liuyue, and sized her up. ¡°Liuyue, are you okay?¡± A mysterious and strong force suddenly appeared previously, blocking her senses. Hence, she was very worried. When she saw Nan Jinshu coming back first and that he was even injured, she was worried about what happened below. Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After confirming that she really did not have injuries, Mu Hongyu sighed deeply. ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great.¡± Chu Liuyue looked up and saw Nan Jinshu, who was pressing on his nose and had his face covered in bloodstains. She instantly raised her brows strangely. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master Nan?¡± Didn¡¯t he just come up a little earlier than me? There¡¯s so much color on his face now. Mu Hongyu coughed. ¡°Previously, I asked him about you. Not only did he refuse to answer, but he even wanted to hit me. I was rendered helpless, so I could only retaliate.¡± In other words, she was aggrieved. The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s forehead throbbed. This Mu Hongyu has such a sharp tongue to distort the truth! Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. ¡°Nan Jinshu, you touched Hongyu just now?¡± Nan Jinshu couldn¡¯t deny it; he could only grind his teeth and say, ¡°So what?! But she¡¯s not even¡ª¡± Before he could say the word ¡®injured,¡¯ Chu Liuyue rapidly went forward and harshly kicked Nan Jinshu¡¯s heart. Nan Jinshu instinctively felt that something was amiss and immediately wanted to block her. However, how could he be faster than Chu Liuyue? A ray of iridescent light flashed across. Chu Liuyue¡¯s long legs cut through the air and accurately hit Nan Jinshu! Bam! Before Nan Jinshu could even set up the barrier, his body flew backward! The crowd hurriedly made way. Nan Jinshu landed heavily on the silver bridge. Shoo! He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face was pale. When Chu Liuyue took action, she specifically summoned her Holy Body, which almost took away half of Nan Jinshu¡¯s life. Upon seeing this, the crowd moved backward. Chu Liuyue did not show any mercy. If this continued, it would not be good if the blood hit them. Nobody was worried about Nan Jinshu¡¯s condition. On the one hand, the many cultivators in Fantasy Divine Palace placed all their minds on cultivation, so they were rather cold when it came to interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, after Nan Jinshu came here, he directly entered Fantasy Divine Hall and did not really interact with them, so they could not talk about other aspects. Chu Liuyue flicked her clothes and lightly said, ¡°Just now, I didn¡¯t touch you because I gave First Deity face. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m easily bullied.¡± Everyone was shocked when she said this. First Deity?! What exactly happened below? It even implicated First Deity?! ¡°Before you take action, Master Nan, do judge and see if you have this capability. If not, you might not be able to hit her and get taught a lesson instead. If everyone sees it, how are you going to face them?¡± Nan Jinshu was so angry that he could not speak. He spat out a few mouthfuls of blood. He was originally weaker than Chu Liuyue. Now that he was taught a lesson by both Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu consecutively, he felt miserable. Quite a few people secretly exchanged glances. Chu Liuyue¡¯s words are indeed interesting¡­ That was because once Nan Jinshu arrived, he directly entered Fantasy Divine Hall and met the First Deity. Then, he had the permission to enter the Fantasy Divine Sea to cultivate. Everyone thought that the First Deity must think highly of him. However, Chu Liuyue did this and did not seem worried that she would be in trouble after she hit Nan Jinshu. Chapter 2314 - 2314 See You 2314 See You Then, Chu Liuyue said to Mu Hongyu, ¡°Hongyu, let¡¯s go back.¡± Mu Hongyu immediately acknowledged it. ¡°Okay!¡± Then, the two of them really headed toward the Heaven Gate. When they walked past Nan Jinshu, Mu Hongyu even wrinkled her nose at him. ¡°A legendary warrior is just so-so!¡± Her physique was special, so even though she was only a true god now, her combat skills were on par with an average legendary warrior after she broke through into the Less Advanced Realm! Nan Jinshu¡¯s throat was stuck, and his vision turned black as he almost fainted. However, the two of them couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him as they directly returned to the Heaven Gate and stepped in. Their figures quickly disappeared behind the glowing barrier, leaving the crowd behind in a daze. ¡°They really went back¡­? They went back¡­ just like that?¡± ¡°Speaking of which, Shangguan Yue has spent quite a few hours in the Fantasy Divine Sea. Why doesn¡¯t she have any injuries, and she even came back unscathed?¡± ¡°Not only that, but she had clearly even hit Nan Jinshu!¡± ¡°First Deity is in charge of the Fantasy Divine Sea. Logically speaking, he should know the situation there, right? Why¡­ did he not punish Shangguan Yue at all?¡± ¡°The strange thing is Nan Jinshu¡­ Previously, I thought that the First Deity was really backing him up, but now, it clearly isn¡¯t the case¡­¡± If First Deity had any intentions of supporting Nan Jinshu, such a situation would not happen. All kinds of discussions entered Nan Jinshu¡¯s ears and caused him to be frustrated. Of course, I want to know what is going on! Even if I can¡¯t kill her because of the music scores, there are many ways to punish her. Yet, he did not do so. Chu Liuyue was so overboard and did so many things out of character in Fantasy Divine Sea. But other than reprimanding her and not allowing her to come near the Fantasy Divine Sea, he did not punish her in other ways. Nan Jinshu really could not figure it out. That person is never someone kind or nice. If not, the other deities wouldn¡¯t be so fearful of him. However, the incident this time¡­ is indeed very strange. Nan Jinshu supported his body and stood up. No matter what, I can no longer stay in this place. I have to return to Fantasy Divine Hall as soon as possible! ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu crossed the barrier and walked in. Mu Hongyu turned around to glance at her and curiously asked, ¡°Liuyue, did you really inflict the wound on Nan Jinshu¡¯s neck? You actually fought in the Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before answering, ¡°Not really. We just dueled; we didn¡¯t fight.¡± To be more accurate, only I attacked Nan Jinshu. It¡¯s a pity First Deity came too quickly, and I couldn¡¯t ask him the whereabouts of the third music score. It¡¯s probably hard for me to ask anything else later on¡­ But luckily, this trip wasn¡¯t futile. Mu Hongyu nodded in understanding. ¡°Oh right, I was originally sensing the Fantasy Divine Sea fine, but for some reason, I suddenly couldn¡¯t do it later on as if something blocked me¡­¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°First Deity took action, so it¡¯s naturally hard for you to investigate.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond-like eyes widened into circles. ¡°First Deity really went?! Why didn¡¯t I see him?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t come over personally. The seal that Nan Jinshu brought over contained First Deity¡¯s aura. When he detected the movements between Nan Jinshu and me, he came out.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I knew that force was very strong¡­¡± After clarifying this, Mu Hongyu understood it better. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that First Deity is very amazing. Now, it seems like it¡¯s indeed the case. He just sealed a portion of his force inside the seal and is already so strong. He easily sealed and covered the entire Fantasy Divine Sea. It¡¯s hard to imagine exactly how strong this person is!¡± ¡°Hence, I want to meet him. It¡¯s a pity that such a chance is hard to find.¡± Not only was she shocked about this person¡¯s strength, but there was something she wanted to clarify: She wanted to know if she had met First Deity before. In the beginning, she didn¡¯t quite take it to heart. But later on, that sense of familiarity tugged at her heart, and she could not get rid of it. The strangest thing was: after Nan Jinshu left, she asked him if they had met before, but First Deity actually did not reply. He didn¡¯t admit it, nor did he deny it! Of course, it was also possible that he could not be bothered to reply Chu Liuyue¡¯s question. But for some reason, Chu Liuyue felt that this possibility was not big. She looked up slightly and saw the tall Fantasy Divine Hall far away. I will go in eventually! ¡­ Nan Jinshu returned to the Fantasy Divine Hall in a disheveled manner. In the end, the moment he returned to his residence, he saw someone waiting at the door. He was stunned. ¡°Eighth Deity? Why are you here?¡± Shu Jing smiled slightly. ¡°I came here to see you.¡± As she spoke, her gaze swept across Nan Jinshu, but she did not look shocked. In actual fact, she had already known what happened outside 15 minutes ago. Being scrutinized by her, Nan Jinshu instantly felt embarrassed and lowered his head instinctively. ¡°Eighth Deity, may I know why you suddenly came over?¡± Shu Jing did not reply to his question and lightly sighed. ¡°It seems like that Shangguan Yue is really even more arrogant than rumored¡­¡± Once he heard this, Nan Jinshu was furious and let down his guard in front of Shu Jing. He wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth. ¡°She has always been like this¡­¡± ¡°Master Nan, didn¡¯t you take First Deity¡¯s seal to the Fantasy Divine Sea? Why did Shangguan Yue bully you to this extent? Does she hate you, or does she not care about First Deity at all?¡± asked Shu Jing purposely. It was fine if she offended Nan Jinshu, but it was a great sin to offend First Deity. Originally, she thought that Nan Jinshu would definitely be furious when she asked this and want to complain to First Deity no matter what. However, Nan Jinshu¡¯s expression changed, and he finally said, ¡°Eighth Deity, you came over to ask me this?¡± Shu Jing was stunned. Nan Jinshu¡¯s reaction¡­ isn¡¯t right. As she was thinking, Nan Jinshu said, ¡°First Deity has already settled on the right and wrong. We can only listen to him.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she then realized: First Deity already knows about this, but the current results are his choice! First Deity actually didn¡¯t punish Chu Liuyue?! Shu Jing was in disbelief, but Nan Jinshu did not want to talk about this anymore. He said, ¡°Eighth Deity, if there¡¯s nothing else¡ª¡± ¡°Of course, there is.¡± Shu Jing quickly reacted and suppressed the shock and confusion in her heart. ¡°Sixth Deity wants to see you, Master Nan.¡± Nan Jinshu was dazed. ¡°Sixth Deity? Now?¡± Shu Jing nodded and smiled. ¡°Master Nan, you can just follow me.¡± This sentence¡­ did not even give Nan Jinshu the right to reject her. Chapter 2315 - 2315 Shocked 2315 Shocked During this time, Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu returned to their residence. After the two of them entered the room, Chu Liuyue found a brush and drew the set-up of the space below the Fantasy Divine Sea for Mu Hongyu. This was actually very hard. Below the Fantasy Divine Sea, there were countless spaces intersecting and continuously changing. She couldn¡¯t even present one-tenth of it on a thin piece of paper. But luckily, after those rocks rolled out, they froze a portion of the space with their God Realms and helped Chu Liuyue quite a bit. Besides, Mu Hongyu had sensed for a long time on the silver bridge and could discern the situation in the Fantasy Divine Sea. Hence, she understood the drawing. After a while, Chu Liuyue finally stopped and passed the ¡®map¡¯ over. Mu Hongyu took it, glanced at it, and said in shock, ¡°Liuyue, how do you know it so clearly?¡± These were all things that were intangible and couldn¡¯t be seen nor touched. Her control over the spaces weren¡¯t the best, so logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t be able to give such a drawing. Chu Liuyue was about to speak when she saw Qiang Wanzhou at the door with tea in his hands. She smiled and waved. ¡°Little Zhou, come in.¡± Qiang Wanzhou then walked in and stopped beside Chu Liuyue, pouring tea for her. It was still the familiar ginger tea Chu Liuyue reached out to take the cup. The temperature was just right. She sipped on it, and her body instantly felt warm. The unique fragrance gradually wafted over with a hint of bitterness. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes in comfort as her sparkling eyes turned into crescent moons. Not to mention others, Little Zhou always did such matters greatly. However, he was a legendary warrior now after all. It was a waste of his talent for him to serve her. Chu Liuyue held the tea and said, ¡°Little Zhou, you don¡¯t have to do such tasks in the future.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s movements froze, and panic flashed across his eyes. ¡°Master, do you think I¡¯m not doing a good job?¡± Chu Liuyue hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just that, with your current identity, it¡¯s really a waste of time and energy to be doing these things! These are just small tasks¡ª¡± ¡°Master¡¯s tasks are not small.¡± Qiang Wanzhou pressed his lips against each other and interrupted her for once. Chu Liuyue was dazed and looked up to see his stubborn side profile. He¡¯s really stubborn¡­ Chu Liuyue sighed in her heart, and she could only say, ¡°Then¡­ take it as if I didn¡¯t say anything?¡± With that, Qiang Wanzhou nodded. His messy golden hair draped down and covered the ripples in his eyes. Only the rose petal-like lips curling up at a small angle could show his emotions now. Chu Liuyue helplessly held her forehead and smiled. Forget it. He can do whatever he wants. Anyway, he has already broken through to become a legendary warrior. He won¡¯t be bullied as easily as before. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and looked at Mu Hongyu. ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Then, she recounted everything that happened in the Fantasy Divine Sea to Mu Hongyu. When Mu Hongyu heard it, she was beyond shocked and could not recover her senses for a long time. ¡°T-that means your rocks can suppress the turbulence in the Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not suppressing it. At most, it dealt with the turbulence temporarily. Those are the God Realms of true gods after all; their abilities are limited.¡± She could feel that the Fantasy Divine Sea contained extremely shocking force. It wasn¡¯t what she could resist now. But at that time, the force did not explode. Mu Hongyu was dazed for quite a while. Suddenly, she recalled something and softly asked, ¡°Then¡­ what if it is the broken rocks of the legendary warrior tombstones?¡± She knew the origin of the pile of rocks. They were what Chu Liuyue had taken from the true god tombstones when she went to the God-Killing Tumulus back then. According to what Chu Liuyue said, there weren¡¯t only true god tombstones but also tombstones for legendary warriors. Hearing her say this, Chu Liuyue was suddenly stunned. ¡°I¡­ really didn¡¯t consider this before.¡± When she went to the God-Killing Tumulus, she had limited skills and only stayed in the true god tombstone area for a while. As for the legendary warrior tombstone area¡­ she really did not go there. ¡°Normally speaking, the tombstones of the legendary warriors will definitely contain stronger force. However¡­ nobody can guarantee if the situation there is the same as the true god area,¡± muttered Chu Liuyue. Back then, it was indeed these rocks that insisted on following her. However, who could confirm that the same matter would happen again? The suppression of a legendary warrior¡­ was indeed much stronger than a true god. Mu Hongyu wrinkled her nose. ¡°What if?¡± If she could really bring the broken rocks of the legendary warrior tombstones, it might not be a problem for Chu Liuyue to handle the Fantasy Divine Sea! Falling into deep thought, Chu Liuyue placed one hand on the handle and knocked against it lightly. Mu Hongyu¡¯s words do make sense. After all, I didn¡¯t expect that these rocks would choose to follow me back then. Perhaps, I should find the time to make a trip to the God-Killing Tumulus? Once it succeeds, my combat skills will be greatly elevated! Chu Liuyue was rather tempted. ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. Nan Jinshu followed Shu Jing to Sixth Deity¡¯s residence. Once he entered the yard, Nan Jinshu smelled a bitter herbal fragrance. He found it strange. Sixth Deity isn¡¯t a heavenly doctor. Why is there such a medicinal fragrance? Shu Jing turned around and glanced at him. She reminded, ¡°Sixth Deity just came back from outside not long ago, and he¡¯s recuperating. Just answer whatever he asks you later.¡± Nan Jinshu immediately said, ¡°OK.¡± Shu Jing took a step forward and knocked on the door. ¡°Sixth Deity, Master Nan is here.¡± After a moment, a hoarse and low voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Shu Jing raised her chin at Nan Jinshu. Nan Jinshu was dazed and pointed at himself. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going in by myself? Eighth Deity, are you not coming?¡± Shu Jing smiled slightly. ¡°Sixth Deity wants to talk to you in private, Master Nan. I shan¡¯t disturb you.¡± Nan Jinshu was a little scared, but he still nodded and turned to walk in. Shu Jing closed the door from the outside. Creak¡ª Nan Jinshu became nervous for some reason when he heard it. He had been here for a while, and it was the first time a deity requested to see him. ¡°Nan Jinshu.¡± That voice came from behind the screen. Nan Jinshu immediately cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Sixth Deity. ¡°Are you sure the third music score is at the God-Killing Tumulus?¡± Nan Jinshu was dazed. Originally, he found it strange that Sixth Deity knew about this, but thinking about it, since First Deity had already sent people over, the deities should already know.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you tell Shangguan Yue about this?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Nan Jinshu hurriedly said, ¡°This is such a big matter. How would I dare to tell her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. As long as you know what you¡¯re doing. Also¡­ I heard that she previously trespassed into the Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± ¡°Yes. This woman is very bold¡ª¡± ¡°Did First Deity find out about this?¡± Chapter 2316 - 2316 Collision 2316 Collision Nan Jinshu paused and then said hesitantly, ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t think so¡­ At that time, I brought the First Deity¡¯s seal to the Fantasy Divine Sea. When I clashed with Shangguan Yue, the aura of the First Deity contained in the seal surged out and chased the two of us out of the Fantasy Divine Sea.¡± ¡°The First Deity didn¡¯t show up?¡± ¡°No.¡± Nan Jinshu felt a little strange. ¡°The First Deity is in charge of the Fantasy Divine Sea. Even if he doesn¡¯t appear personally, he can easily know everything that happened in the Fantasy Divine Sea. Furthermore, this is such a small matter. This shouldn¡¯t have troubled the First Deity to make a move, right?¡± Actually, this matter might be a big deal to him and Chu Liuyue, but it was definitely nothing to the First Deity. The Fantasy Divine Sea was boundless. The two of them were at most having a small fight, so how could the First Deity make a special trip for this? That seal alone was enough to solve the problem. ¡°When you went to meet the First Deity, did you see the First Deity himself?¡± asked the Sixth Deity suddenly. Nan Jinshu hesitated. ¡°This¡­ No.¡± Outsiders thought that he must¡¯ve seen the First Deity when he entered the courtyard, but in fact, he only stood outside the door and said a few words. He didn¡¯t even get to see the First Deity. He didn¡¯t dare to hide anything from the Sixth Deity. ¡°As expected¡­¡± the Sixth Deity muttered as if he had expected it, but he also seemed a little indignant. Nan Jinshu almost thought that he was hallucinating. Why does it sound like¡­ the Sixth Deity really wants the First Deity to appear personally? Furthermore, it seems like he had already expected that the First Deity wouldn¡¯t see me? ¡°You said that as soon as the two of you had a conflict, the First Deity came out to stop you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Nan Jinshu described the situation at that time. Of course, he had to add fuel to the fire. However, he didn¡¯t know that Mo Shiqian¡ªwho was behind the folding screen¡ªwasn¡¯t interested in this at all. What he wanted to know was the First Deity¡¯s attitude towards Chu Liuyue! ¡°¡­What kind of place is the Fantasy Divine Sea? In the past 10,000 years, 90% of all the cultivators who barged in privately died, and their souls were destroyed. They died at the bottom of the sea. The remaining 10%, even if they were lucky enough to escape from it, couldn¡¯t avoid an extremely harsh punishment. If they didn¡¯t die, they would be half crippled. But when it came to her, it was different¡­¡± He sneered coldly with some ambiguity. Nan Jinshu felt a little uncomfortable hearing this voice, but he had no time to think about this now. His focus was the same as the Sixth Deity. ¡°Sixth Deity, do you also feel that this matter is strange? I originally thought that the First Deity would definitely not let Shangguan Yue off easily, but who knew that there was actually no substantial punishment at all in the end? What do you think the First Deity is thinking?¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ How can we guess the thoughts of the First Deity?¡± ¡°This¡ª¡± Nan Jinshu frowned. He could tell that the Sixth Deity seemed to be very concerned about this matter, but perhaps because he was afraid, he didn¡¯t continue. ¡°Alright, you can go back.¡± The Sixth Deity suddenly ordered him to leave, making Nan Jinshu look confused. This¡­ I¡¯m leaving just like that? Could it be that the Sixth Deity had asked me to come over to ask these questions? But¡ª ¡°Sixth Deity¡­¡± ¡°Get out.¡± That voice carried an unquestionable pressure! Nan Jinshu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He didn¡¯t dare to ask anymore and quickly retreated. ¡­ Mu Hongyu left with the map that Chu Liuyue had drawn. She still needed to go back and think about it carefully to figure out the situation below the Fantasy Divine Sea. In addition, she had to break through to the Great Advanced Realm as soon as possible. After Mu Hongyu left, Chu Liuyue let the small boat go down and sat alone in the room to think. Now, there were really many things that needed to be resolved in front of her. The Star Path hadn¡¯t been completed yet¡ªthis was the fastest and most suitable method for her to enter Fantasy Divine Hall openly. Su Li had been in Fantasy Divine Hall for a period of time and would often be careful to investigate the situation. However, it was under the eyes of the deities after all. Su Li didn¡¯t dare to go overboard with many things, so the information she could find was limited. Until now, they still had no idea where Dugu Mobao and Lan Xiao were. Chu Liuyue could basically conclude that the two of them were definitely trapped in an extremely confidential location in Fantasy Divine Hall. It was probably impossible for Su Li to find it alone. She still had to go in. At the same time, the third music score was also very important to her. She had to find a way to get information from Nan Jinshu. If she guessed correctly, the third music score was still in the God Residence Realm. The purpose of the two deities¡ªJiu Long and Xi Yan, who had left previously¡ªshould be to find this last music score. Unfortunately, the two of them had long disappeared without a trace. And Diwu Zhangze, who was trapped in the Fantasy Divine Sea¡­ What kind of person was that First Deity? ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± A low and pleasant voice sounded. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw Rong Xiu walking in. He came in front of Chu Liuyue and saw that her brows were slightly furrowed. He stretched out his hand and relaxed her brows. ¡°What are you thinking about? Why are you so focused?¡± Chu Liuyue held his hand and rubbed her face against the back of his hand. ¡°It¡¯s still those¡­¡± Rong Xiu smiled and hugged her. Then, he leaned over and kissed her hair. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Miss Shangguan! I have something to¡ª¡± Ming Shu¡ªwho had just walked to the door¡ªwas originally smiling. When he saw the cold and noble figure hugging Chu Liuyue in the room, he was instantly shocked and was dumbfounded. Why is this person here?! Chapter 2317 - 2317 Ignorant 2317 Ignorant Most importantly, he seemed to have come at a bad time. When the two people in the room heard this voice, they looked out the door. Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°This is¡ª¡± Ming Shu¡¯s heart trembled violently. Originally, he wanted to run, but it was clearly too late. Speaking of going in¡­ He really couldn¡¯t move his legs! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Lord Ming, why are you here? Please come in.¡± Having been given the order, he didn¡¯t dare to disobey. Ming Shu held his breath silently and walked stiffly into the house. Chu Liuyue stood up. ¡°Rong Xiu, let me introduce you. This is Master Ming Shu from Zhen Bao Pavilion. He treats me very well and even helped me a lot previously.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin crimson lips curled up. ¡°I see. Master Ming Shu, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Ming Shu¡¯s legs went weak. Forcing a smile, he barely restrained the urge to kneel down and bow. ¡°You flatter me! I¡¯ve heard a lot about you two! Hahaha¡­¡± Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Since Master Ming Shu has taken good care of Yue¡¯er, as her husband, I naturally have to thank you.¡± Ming Shu didn¡¯t dare. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. It¡¯s not worth mentioning!¡± At this moment, he was extremely grateful to Yan Ge. If not for that person¡¯s reminder, he wouldn¡¯t even know when he had offended Madam. How could he still stand in front of this person and speak? Chu Liuyue raised her hand. ¡°Master Ming Shu, please take a seat. Tell me slowly.¡± How could Ming Shu dare to sit down? He coughed and waved his hand. ¡°No need, no need. I came today because I have something to tell you. After that, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Ming Shu and felt that his behavior today was a little strange. He seems¡­ very nervous? ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a small matter for you to solve the case yourself. Please tell me.¡± Ming Shu tried his best to look as calm as usual and said, ¡°It¡¯s like this. I came over this time to ask you if you¡¯ve been in contact with Mu Yafeng recently?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Mu Yafeng? No, why?¡± Ming Shu frowned. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s just that¡­ Since yesterday, Mu Yafeng has continued to travel the Star Path. And in just one day, she cracked three Grandmaster-level Xuan formations. I felt a little strange, so I came over to ask you. Look¡­¡± ¡°Master Ming Shu thinks that I revealed the contents of the Li Fire Xuan Painting to her?¡± Chu Liuyue immediately understood. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Ming Shu hurriedly explained, ¡°I just feel that this matter is really strange, so I want to ask you for confirmation. After all, it¡¯s extremely difficult to crack those few Xuan formations. Previously, she didn¡¯t make any progress for so long, but she has now suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds¡­¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°Master Ming Shu makes sense. Previously, Senior Xiao Ran also said that back then, he spent a few years on those Grandmaster-level Xuan formations before he could barely comprehend them. According to his speculation, it should¡¯ve taken Mu Yafeng a long time to crack these Xuan formations¡­¡± Previously, she was busy with the Fantasy Divine Sea, so she didn¡¯t know that Mu Yafeng had made a move again. Now that she heard about it, she also found it very strange. ¡°The Li Fire Xuan Painting is a treasure of Zhen Bao Pavilion. When I agreed to help replicate it, I already knew the rules and would never easily reveal it to outsiders. I didn¡¯t even leak anything to these people under me. Master Ming Shu, you can rest assured about this.¡± Ming Shu hurriedly said, ¡°Of course, I believe in you. I have no intention of doubting you!¡± Heavens! I was really just curious, so I came over to ask. How did I know that I would bump into this person?! Aren¡¯t I suspecting that there is something wrong with Madam in front of him? Even if I had ten more guts, I wouldn¡¯t dare to do this! If I had known that this person was here, I would never have stepped into this courtyard! Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I know that Master Ming Shu doesn¡¯t mean any harm. Actually, it¡¯s not just you¡ªI also find it a little strange when I hear it. Mu Yafeng is talented, but with her own strength, it¡¯s indeed impossible for her to crack three Grandmaster-level Xuan formations in a row in such a short time.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were still tactful. In fact, it should be said that it was impossible. If she had this ability long ago, she wouldn¡¯t have dragged her feet on the Star Path for so many years. In the eyes of many people in Fantasy Divine Palace, Mu Yafeng was already a rare genius. But with Chu Liuyue¡­ She was just so-so. Ming Shu heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Not only that, but she¡¯s not done yet. She¡¯s still on the Star Path. When I came just now, I passed by and took a few glances. It was like a hot knife through butter.¡± Chu Liuyue was a little surprised. ¡°You mean¡­ she plans to walk straight through the Star Path and enter Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Ming Shu paused. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but if her performance continues like this, then¡­ It might really work.¡± Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. Actually, she didn¡¯t really care about Mu Yafeng, but this matter was really strange. Otherwise, Ming Shu wouldn¡¯t have specially made this trip. ¡°I¡¯m mainly here today to talk about this. It¡¯s up to you to decide,¡± Ming Shu said. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Master Ming Shu.¡± Ming Shu waved his hand. ¡°Then¡­ If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first? Zhen Bao Pavilion still has some things to deal with. Ahem.¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, she didn¡¯t ask him to stay. ¡°I¡¯ll send you off.¡± ¡°No need, no need. I was rash to disturb the two of you. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± How could Ming Shu dare to let the two of them send him off? As he spoke, he walked out. ¡°Take care, Master Ming Shu,¡± said Rong Xiu nonchalantly. Ming Shu staggered, and a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. He barely stabilized himself and looked up. The corners of his eyes then twitched. ¡°Yan¡ª¡± Yan Qing stood with his sword in his arms. There was no expression on his handsome and cold face as he looked at him quietly. Ming Shu hurriedly swallowed the rest of his words and nodded slightly before leaving in a hurry. For some reason, he walked faster. In the blink of an eye, he had already opened the door of the courtyard and left. ¡°¡­So anxious.¡± Chu Liuyue gazed at Ming Shu¡¯s back and muttered softly. ¡°The person he was talking about just now is the one who asked you for the Li Fire Xuan Painting previously?¡± Rong Xiu turned his head and asked. Chu Liuyue nodded in deep thought. ¡°That¡¯s her. But with my understanding of her, she shouldn¡¯t be able to do this¡­¡± Even if she went back to seclusion for a period of time, she wouldn¡¯t have advanced so quickly. ¡°The Seventh Deity values her very much. I wonder if she went to consult him.¡± Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and said lightly, ¡°Then, the Seventh Deity really doesn¡¯t have good taste.¡± Chapter 2318 - 2318 News 2318 News His tone was light and indifferent, extremely natural. Chu Liuyue glanced at him, wrinkled her nose, and smiled. ¡°There aren¡¯t many who dare to say that the Seventh Deity doesn¡¯t have good taste.¡± The status of the deities in Fantasy Divine Palace was extremely high. Many people would be especially careful when they mentioned them, let alone judge them so bluntly. Rong Xiu tapped her nose lightly. ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s wrong? He¡¯s a Xuan Master himself. How could he not see my Yue¡¯er¡¯s talent?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged and sighed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because there¡¯s no bloodline totem?¡± From the first day she came here, she deeply realized how much contempt and mockery she would have to face here without a bloodline totem. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and his fingers gently brushed past her glabella. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She leaned closer and softly said, ¡°Rong Xiu, the Extreme God Sundial¡­ can only test people with bloodline power?¡± Rong Xiu looked at her. After a while, he said, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡­ Peng! A stream of light flew up and quickly bloomed into an extremely dazzling Xuan formation. Mu Yafeng looked up, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes. The fourth! This is already the fourth Grandmaster Xuan formation I¡¯ve cracked in a row on the Star Path! Moreover, it only took less than two days! Not far behind her, many people were watching. Seeing that she had successfully cracked another Xuan formation, the crowd instantly became restless. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mu Yafeng? Why did she suddenly become so powerful?¡± ¡°The further she goes, the more complicated the Xuan formations become. I remember that she was trapped by a Xuan formation for a long time last time, and she couldn¡¯t solve it in the end. She had no choice but to give up. Not long after, she came back again, and it was so smooth!¡± ¡°She has always been very talented. Perhaps she suddenly had an epiphany¡­¡± ¡°If this continues, she can really comprehend all the Xuan formations this time and officially enter Fantasy Divine Hall, right?¡± ¡°I thought it would be Shangguan Yue¡­¡± ¡°Haha! What kind of joke is this? Shangguan Yue is very powerful, but she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem! It shouldn¡¯t be her turn, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ But apart from this, she¡¯s really impressive. Didn¡¯t you hear? She went to the Fantasy Divine Sea and actually came back unscathed. She even beat Nan Jinshu up! If she wasn¡¯t confident, would she dare to do this?¡± Mu Yafeng was still in a good mood after hearing the envy and praises. However, the name that appeared later made her eyes turn cold. Pfft, she is just bold because she has some talent. It¡¯s said that she has been relying on Tuan Zi to make all kinds of requests of the Second Deity recently. She is really arrogant. The Second Deity can tolerate her once or twice, but it is hard to say if it was too many times. Mu Yafeng shook her head and waved away the messy thoughts in her heart before continuing forward! This time, I have to complete the Star Path and enter Fantasy Divine Hall no matter what! ¡­ In the courtyard, Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue sat opposite each other. Between the two of them, a semi-transparent chessboard floated quietly. Above, the two sides were fighting fiercely. Chu Liuyue stared at the chessboard and touched her chin. Ever since she read the Li Fire Xuan Painting and officially broke through to the Grandmaster Xuan Master realm, she had made great progress in her cultivation of Xuan formations. But after exchanging blows with Rong Xiu, she felt a deep sense of defeat again. Now, no matter how she moved, there was no possibility of turning things around. She was simply at the mercy of others. ¡°Master, that, that! Let¡¯s go there!¡± An anxious voice came from behind. Chu Liuyue turned around helplessly. ¡°Xiao Ba, how many times have I told you not to say anything? Can¡¯t you just apply polish to your nails in peace?¡± Xiao Ba glanced at her with her red lips and raised her hand. ¡°How can I be at ease if Master can¡¯t win in chess? Look, it¡¯s all messed up!¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°¡­Are you saying that your master¡¯s standards aren¡¯t good enough?¡± Xiao Ba narrowed her eyes and hurriedly smiled. ¡°No! I¡¯m doing this for your own good! Look, you¡¯ve been playing with His Highness for so many years, but you haven¡¯t won many times.¡± Chu Liuyue was speechless. I remember this very clearly. I really don¡¯t need you to remind me. She raised her chin. ¡°You want me to move here?¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Then, watch carefully.¡± Whoosh! Chu Liuyue flicked her finger, and a stream of holy force condensed into a chess piece. It quickly flew out and landed at the location Xiao Ba had specified. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were calm as he placed a piece down. As if a sword had slashed down, it completely sealed the last path on Chu Liuyue¡¯s side! Chu Liuyue stretched her arms wide open. ¡°Do you see it clearly? If we do as you say, it will only make your master die faster.¡± Xiao Ba shrunk her neck guiltily. ¡°Ahem, Master, I haven¡¯t learned it for long. Of course, I can¡¯t compare to you and His Highness¡­ I promise I won¡¯t speak again next time!¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°You said the same thing last time.¡± Xiao Ba pursed her lips and made a ¡®zipping¡¯ motion. Chu Liuyue tapped her forehead lightly. ¡°You won¡¯t learn anyway.¡± She was used to it. Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. I really want to help Master win! At this moment, Si Jing walked back from outside. Chu Liuyue found it a little weird. ¡°Si Jing, where did you go?¡± When she returned from the Fantasy Divine Sea, she didn¡¯t see Si Jing. Si Jing bowed in turn before explaining, ¡°Master, I went to the lightning pool.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t the lightning pool been sealed?¡± Chu Liuyue was slightly dazed. Now, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone going there in Fantasy Divine Palace. Si Jing chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right, but I just went to the shore to take a look! I didn¡¯t do anything else.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°All the heavenly lightning in the lightning pool has been frozen. What¡¯s there to see?¡± However, Si Jing said, ¡°No! Master, there are a lot of lightning bolts in the lightning pool. The Second Deity and the others only sealed the upper layer, but the ones below are still fine!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. ¡°Oh? How do you know?¡± This matter was extremely confidential and hidden. Ordinary people would never guess it. Si Jing paused. ¡°I¡­ guessed¡­ The power of the heavenly lightning below is still swimming around. You can tell if you stand close and take a closer look.¡± Chu Liuyue gazed at him meaningfully. ¡°Si Jing.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was about to speak when Cen Yi suddenly pushed the door open and walked out. ¡°Master.¡± Seeing that his expression was different from before, Chu Liuyue knew that something must have happened. She immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Cen Yi came to her. ¡°Qi Han sent news that they met Jiu Long and Xi Yan in the God-Killing Tumulus.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and stood up. As she was too shocked, she didn¡¯t notice that Cen Yi didn¡¯t call the two of them ¡®deities.¡¯ Instead, he called them by their names directly. Chapter 2319 - 2319 Hes Busy 2319 He¡¯s Busy ¡°God-Killing Tumulus?! What are they doing there?¡± Chu Liuyue had thought of many things before, but she had never thought of the God-Killing Tumulus. A ray of light suddenly flashed across her mind. Could it be that the last music score is in the God-Killing Tumulus?! But¡­ that isn¡¯t right. Back in the God-Killing Tumulus, I had finally obtained the second music score from Senior Ah Jing. If the third music score is also there, how could he not know? She frowned. Rong Xiu asked, ¡°Did you just receive the news?¡± Cen Yi nodded. He could contact everyone in the Thirteen Yue Guards. After receiving the news, he immediately came to look for Chu Liuyue. He naturally knew how important this last music score was to Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and suddenly thought of a problem. ¡°Why is Qi Han in the God-Killing Tumulus? Who else is with him?¡± Cen Yi said, ¡°Sixth Brother as well. They seem to have gone there to help Sixth Brother break through, but I didn¡¯t expect them to meet those two people.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Qi Han and the others have never seen Jiu Long and Xi Yan before. How do they know their identities?¡± Cen Yi explained, ¡°It¡¯s true that they haven¡¯t seen these two people before, but¡­ They know that you¡¯re in Fantasy Divine Palace now and know a little about what¡¯s going on here. Besides¡­ Those two people¡¯s strength is above that of legendary warriors. Even if they look unfamiliar, once such strength is unleashed, it¡¯s impossible for them not to think about it.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± This made sense. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Liuyue. ¡°What¡¯s Yue¡¯er¡¯s plan?¡± Chu Liuyue was silent for a long time before she finally took a deep breath. ¡°To the God-Killing Tumulus!¡± ¡­ If she wanted to go to the God-Killing Tumulus, she naturally had to leave the Heaven Gate. Not to mention Jin Yunlai, even Chu Liuyue felt that this trip was too troublesome. However, she still had to go. For convenience¡¯s sake, Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu went together this time and didn¡¯t bring anyone else. When the two of them arrived at the Heaven Gate, there was no one there. Actually, most of the time, this place was empty. Who would come to the Heaven Gate to play for no reason? Wasn¡¯t that courting trouble for themselves? Last time, it was because of Nan Jinshu¡¯s matter that caused such a huge commotion. But now, Nan Jinshu had already returned to Fantasy Divine Hall and stayed there obediently, let alone the others. Looking at the barrier in front of her, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t hesitate and pressed it. Buzz¡ª A fluctuation spread. Chu Liuyue turned around and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°The Seventh Deity is in charge of the Heaven Gate. As soon as there¡¯s any movement here, he¡¯ll rush over immediately. You didn¡¯t see him last time, so you can see him this time.¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. Sensing the familiar aura from the Heaven Gate, Jin Yunlai¡¯s forehead twitched fiercely. He exerted strength in his hand and broke the brush in his hand with a crack. ¡°Her again!¡± Is Chu Liuyue really endless?! The first time, she said that she was going to invite an Armory Refinement Saint. Last time, she was going to see Nan Jinshu. Why is she here this time?! Jin Yunlai originally wanted to ignore it, but there was a constant commotion at the Heaven Gate. Chu Liuyue was determined to go out. After a while, Jin Yunlai finally couldn¡¯t help but get up. But before he could walk out, a voice suddenly came from afar. ¡°Jin Yunlai.¡± Hearing this voice, Jin Yunlai was shocked. ¡°First Deity!?¡± Then, an illusory figure gradually appeared in front of him. However, the figure was surrounded by a faint glow, making it difficult to see his facial features clearly. One could barely see his outline, but even so, Jin Yunlai could still recognize at a glance that this was indeed the First Deity! He glanced quickly and immediately retracted his gaze. He lowered his head and said respectfully, ¡°Greetings, First Deity! May I know why you¡¯re here today?¡± Because he was nervous, Jin Yunlai¡¯s body was also a little stiff. Ever since the First Deity entered seclusion, he had never left the courtyard in the past few years. Although this wasn¡¯t his true body and was only his aura, this was already the first time. ¡°Don¡¯t you know why I¡¯m here?¡± His voice was low and indifferent, but it carried an invisible pressure. Jin Yunlai¡¯s chest tightened. He frowned and quickly searched in his mind. Recently¡­ I don¡¯t seem to have done anything, but why does it sound like the First Deity is scolding me? ¡°This¡­ Please enlighten me, First Deity.¡± Whir! The commotion at the Heaven Gate came again. Jin Yunlai subconsciously turned to look. However, the First Deity had already made his move! Swoosh! A red stream of light quickly flew out and headed straight for the Heaven Gate! Jin Yunlai was shocked. The First Deity actually took action personally?! ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°The Xuan formations on the Star Path can only be comprehended by oneself; otherwise, it will be considered cheating. Mu Yafeng¡­ What¡¯s going on? Do you need me to continue asking?¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s heart sank! ¡­ The red stream of light quickly passed through the air. In the blink of an eye, it arrived at the Heaven Gate. When Chu Liuyue heard the commotion, she looked up and felt a little strange. ¡°This is¡­ the aura of the First Deity!?¡± When she realized this, shock flashed across her eyes. Then, the red stream of light landed on the barrier. The barrier opened silently! Chu Liuyue was dazed. After waiting for a while, Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t arrive. Instead, it was the First Deity who made a move!? ¡°What¡­ does he mean?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t figure it out for a moment. Warning? Admonishment? Rong Xiu smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Perhaps the Seventh Deity is busy.¡± Chapter 2320 - 2320 Taking the Initiative 2320 Taking the Initiative Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t appear, so Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. However, she was very surprised that the First Deity suddenly acted. Could it be that this person is finally planning to come out of seclusion? However, it seems that no matter what, it isn¡¯t his place to do something like opening the door¡­ Rong Xiu held her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose.¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and nodded slightly. Their figures quickly disappeared outside the Heaven Gate. After a while, the barrier closed again, and it was very calm. ¡­ Their departure didn¡¯t attract the attention of the people in Fantasy Divine Palace. On the one hand, many people¡¯s attention was on Mu Yafeng. On the other hand, the commotion at the Heaven Gate was really small. From beginning to end, it only took a short moment. Only the deities guarding everywhere felt this fluctuation and looked up in surprise. This is¡­ The First Deity has made his move! Most importantly, he seems to be at Jin Yunlai¡¯s residence? For a moment, several deities immediately moved toward him! The First Deity had been in seclusion for several years. Now that he had finally taken action, they naturally had to investigate. ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. There was dead silence in the huge room. Jin Yunlai stood there, his fists clenched tightly, but most of his strength seemed to have been drawn out of his body. Even speaking became extremely strenuous. His face was pale, and his lips trembled slightly. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. Every word of the First Deity¡¯s questioning was heavy and cold! After a long time, he finally found his voice. ¡°I just¡­ I just gave her a little reminder¡­¡± ¡°A little?¡± the First Deity questioned calmly. Jin Yunlai closed his eyes and finally said disappointedly, ¡°Yes¡­ I helped her on purpose. The Heaven Gate will only be open for a year. If she can¡¯t comprehend all the Xuan formations on the Star Path before the deadline arrives and enter Fantasy Divine Hall to ascend to the heavens and break through, reaching the Deity Realm, I¡¯ll have to wait another 10,000 years. It¡¯s been a few months now, and she¡¯s still trapped on those few Xuan formations. I¡­ I just think she¡¯s talented. It¡¯s a pity to wait so long¡­¡± ¡°Who in Fantasy Divine Palace doesn¡¯t wait like this?¡± The First Deity let out a rare laugh, as if he had heard a joke. ¡°Xiao Ran has been trapped on the last few Xuan formations for 30,000 years, but I haven¡¯t seen you help him.¡± Of course, Jin Yunlai could hear the dissatisfaction in the First Deity¡¯s words. However¡­ Xiao Ran was Xiao Ran after all, while Mu Yafeng was different. ¡°Ever since the First Deity took charge of the Star Path, no one has successfully walked through the Star Path and entered Fantasy Divine Hall. This has been too long. Many Xuan Masters have already lost their confidence, and there are fewer and fewer people trying. If this continues¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re not qualified to enter Fantasy Divine Hall. Didn¡¯t you successfully complete the Star Path back then and even became the Seventh Deity?¡± Jin Yunlai looked troubled. ¡°But it was because¡ª¡± Sensing a cold gaze on him, Jin Yunlai¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately swallowed the rest of his words tactfully. After a while, he said, ¡°I¡­ I was in the wrong in this matter. I will suffer any punishment the First Deity gives, but¡­ there are some things that can¡¯t be done without being said.¡± ¡°Mu Yafeng is the most talented Xuan Master in Fantasy Divine Palace in the past 10,000 years. If even she can¡¯t do it, then there¡¯s no need to mention the others. If I have to choose to help someone ascend to the heavens, I¡¯ll still choose her.¡± ¡°You know the situation of the Xuan formations on the Star Path. The further you go, the more difficult it becomes. Without enough talent and strength, it¡¯s useless even if someone gives them pointers. I admit that I helped Mu Yafeng, but she succeeded because of her own factors. Moreover, strictly speaking, I did only give her some pointers. These might not even be as detailed as the annotations on the Li Fire Xuan Painting. If Shangguan Yue can read the Li Fire Xuan Painting, why can¡¯t Mu Yafeng?¡± At first, he didn¡¯t actually have this thought. On the one hand, it was because he thought very highly of Mu Yafeng and had always felt that these questions weren¡¯t difficult for her. On the other hand, he had never made such plans before. But as time passed, things gradually deviated from expectations. On Mu Yafeng¡¯s side, she couldn¡¯t crack the Xuan formation for a long time. She was trapped in one place for a long time and had no intention of continuing. On the other hand, Chu Liuyue had already successfully stepped into the Grandmaster-level Xuan formation area with the help of the Li Fire Xuan Painting! If this continued, Chu Liuyue might really surpass Mu Yafeng. That wasn¡¯t what Jin Yunlai wanted to see. As she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, Jin Yunlai had been prejudiced against Chu Liuyue from the beginning. He had always felt that she would leave Fantasy Divine Palace soon. Unexpectedly, not only did she not leave, but she also caused a lot of trouble. She had already become the focus of Fantasy Divine Palace. If she really got first place, not only would Mu Yafeng be unhappy, but Jin Yunlai would also feel slapped in the face. Even if Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t reach the heavens, as long as she performed better than Mu Yafeng, everyone would inevitably talk about her. And Jin Yunlai, who was in charge of the Star Path, was naturally implicated. What would happen in the end? Everyone would see that Mu Yafeng, whom he had always valued, was actually not that outstanding at all. Instead, Chu Liuyue, who had been mocked by all kinds of people from the beginning, easily crushed Mu Yafeng in all aspects! At the thought of this scene, Jin Yunlai found it hard to accept. Therefore, when Mu Yafeng came to beg him, he thought about it again and agreed. And her performance didn¡¯t disappoint him. He thought that everything could go smoothly, but who knew that this matter actually alarmed the First Deity. The First Deity listened quietly. After a long time, he asked, ¡°Are you done?¡± Jin Yunlai let out a long breath. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°It seems like you still think you did nothing wrong.¡± The First Deity¡¯s voice was calm, with a hint of cold indifference. ¡°Jin Yunlai, I always thought you were very smart, but now it seems that you¡¯re ridiculously stupid. Can¡¯t you tell that the Li Fire Xuan Painting was given to Shangguan Yue by Zhen Bao Pavilion?¡± Jin Yunlai was shocked and suddenly looked up. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The fact that Zhen Bao Pavilion has given it to her doesn¡¯t seem to be the same as you helping Mu Yafeng, right?¡± Chapter 2321 - 2321 Entering God-Killing Tumulus Again 2321 Entering God-Killing Tumulus Again Jin Yunlai stood on the spot and was dazed for a long time. His mind was numb, and his entire person became confused. Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­ willingly sent it? Doesn¡¯t that mean¡ª Unknown what he suddenly thought of, he gasped, and shock quickly flashed across his eyes. ¡°First Deity, I¡ª¡± He only knew what he did wrong now! Now, he had no time to think why Zhen Bao Pavilion wanted to do this. He only knew that if he wasn¡¯t careful now, he would sacrifice himself too! ¡°I¡¯ll go and take back the Xuan formation drawings given to Mu Yafeng.¡± However, First Deity suddenly asked, ¡°You gave her the solutions to all the Xuan formations?¡± Jin Yunlai gulped a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty, but his throat still tightened. To First Deity, this reaction was akin to admitting it. ¡°That¡¯s true. Since you¡¯ve decided to help her, you must help her all the way.¡± One couldn¡¯t hear any emotions from First Deity¡¯s voice. This made Jin Yunlai panic even more. ¡°That¡¯s right. You can open your eyes and see carefully if your Mu Yafeng can ascend and become a deity with your help.¡± Jin Yunlai felt uncomfortable with the stuffiness in his chest. He wanted to defend himself, but he could not say a word. Knock knock! Suddenly, knocks could be heard coming from the door. ¡°First Deity, are you inside?¡± That was Shu Jing¡¯s voice. Coincidentally, she did not go to the medicinal mountain today, so she hurried over when she heard the commotion. She was still the first one. Just as Jin Yunlai was about to speak, he saw the apparition before him disappear suddenly! ¡°F¡ª¡± Jin Yunlai originally wanted to ask the First Deity to stay, but he disappeared. It was just First Deity¡¯s aura that could come and go as it pleased. He took a deep breath in and rubbed his face. Being the Seventh Deity for so long, he had always been careful. He was just impulsive this time around and gave Mu Yafeng leeway. He did not expect First Deity to catch him red-handed. Even though First Deity didn¡¯t give him an actual punishment, this made him even more anxious. He really could not understand what that person was thinking. Was he planning to exit seclusion? If that was really the case, it was understandable. But the key was, so many things had happened in Fantasy Divine Palace lately. Why did that person start from him? Helping Mu Yafeng was not a big nor small matter. It couldn¡¯t be more important than the lightning pool and Phoenix Mountain, right? ¡°First Deity?¡± Shu Jing waited for a while and still did not hear any noise inside, so she shouted again. Creak¡ª The door was opened. Jin Yunlai appeared behind the door. When Shu Jing saw him, she instinctively walked in. ¡°First Deity has already left,¡± said Jin Yunlai coldly. ¡°He really came?¡± Shu Jing was shocked. ¡°He¡¯s willing to exit seclusion? No, why did he find you the moment he came out?¡± Jin Yunlai did not want to tell her so many things and just said perfunctorily, ¡°First Deity didn¡¯t come personally and just separated out a portion of aura to ask me about some matters.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression relaxed, but she still found it very strange. ¡°What matter could move First Deity?¡± Jin Yunlai glanced at her. ¡°You came here to ask that? Then, you can leave.¡± Following that, he closed the door again. Bam! Shu Jing didn¡¯t expect his actions to be so swift and decisive, and she was so shocked that she moved half a step back. When she recovered her senses, she was infuriated. Didn¡¯t I just think that First Deity came out of seclusion and was too surprised, so I came and asked him? What kind of attitude is this?! If I wasn¡¯t considering that Jin Yunlai has a slightly higher status than me, I wouldn¡¯t take this lying down! Shu Jing tidied her clothes and turned around to leave. After she took a few steps, she suddenly recalled something and turned around to glance at the tightly-shut door. Just now¡­ Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression was especially awful. Did something unpleasant happen between him and First Deity? She thought abut it and loudly said, ¡°Seventh Deity, I heard that Mu Yafeng has already solved six Grandmaster-level Xuan formations in a row. Do you want to see?¡± Bam! Jin Yunlai suddenly crushed something. Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What¡¯s wrong with him? Isn¡¯t Mu Yafeng someone he thinks highly of? Now that she has an outstanding performance, he is actually so angry? As she instinctively felt that it wasn¡¯t good, Shu Jing clenched her teeth and finally turned around to leave. Later on, a few fiends came forward to investigate, but Jin Yunlai chased them away with a few words. ¡­ When Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu left Fantasy Divine Palace and crossed the blue-black ocean, she purposely slowed down. It was a pity nothing strange happened. Then, the two of them rapidly went to the God-Killing Tumulus. As it wasn¡¯t their first time there and both of their skills had greatly improved, they took a very short amount of time on the road. Noon the next day, the two of them successfully reached the area. They passed through the forest and officially entered the God-Killing Tumulus. From afar, the area was deserted and looked quiet and sinister¡ªnothing different from before. However, the unknown coldness and suppression seemed stronger than before. One could still smell the faint bloody scent in the air. Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. I haven¡¯t come in a long time, and the God-Killing Tumulus¡­ seems to have changed slightly. ¡°They should already be inside.¡± Rong Xiu looked from afar and slightly squinted his phoenix eyes. Chu Liuyue nodded. Then, the two of them held hands and walked forward. ¡­ At this point, in the depths of God-Killing Tumulus, Qi Han was holding a longsword and stared at the two people before him with alertness. Behind him was a young man covered in blood¡ªit was Lu Feng. Jiu Long laughed. ¡°The two of you want to enter here on your own?¡± Chapter 2322 - 2322 Shes Here! 2322 She¡¯s Here! Before them was a large patch of deserted and broken tombstones. A sad and lone suppression slowly exuded from within. This was¡­ the legendary warrior tombstone area! Qi Han and Lu Feng had actually come to the God-Killing Tumulus for some time, and they spent quite the amount of effort and time to come here. However, they never expected Jiu Long and Xi Yan to come at this point. The two deities had just arrived at the God-Killing Tumulus, and they commanded everyone to leave without hesitation. During the past few days, most of the cultivators in the God-Killing Tumulus were forced to leave. Of course, not everyone was willing to do so. However, these two people were really strong. Even legendary warriors could not attack them with more than three moves. Helpless, the crowd could only choose to submit to them. Jiu Long and Xi Yan came from the edges of the God-Killing Tumulus, so they only reached here in the end and met Qi Han and Lu Feng, who were waiting outside the tombstone area. The suppression from the legendary warrior tombstone area slightly changed as time passed. For safety¡¯s reason, the two of them planned to enter when this suppression was weakest. When Jiu Long and Xi Yan came, Qi Han and Lu Feng had already waited here for three days. Without a surprise, the two of them were also being chased away. However, they did not agree. After a temporary stalemate, Jiu Long and Lu Feng took action. After a few rounds, Lu Feng was injured, and Qi Han used the sword to protect them, stopping Jiu Long from any further movements. Of course, Jiu Long did not care about their actions. They were just two true gods. What was there to care about? Jiu Long looked at the two of them from above. ¡°My patience is limited, and I can¡¯t be bothered to continue haggling with you two. On the count of three, don¡¯t blame me for being merciless if you don¡¯t leave.¡± Qi Han coldly said, ¡°This God-Killing Tumulus isn¡¯t anyone¡¯s territory. All the cultivators in the world can come here. Once you came, you asked everyone else to leave! Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°One.¡± Jiu Long stretched out a finger. Clearly, he didn¡¯t care about Qi Han and Lu Feng and could not be bothered to continue arguing with them. Anyway, he had already warned them. If they insisted on not listening, he had no choice. Lu Feng coughed and slowly wiped away the blood from the corner of his lips, tugging at them without much smiling intent. ¡°Qi Han, you don¡¯t have to talk so much to them. If they¡¯re reasonable, they won¡¯t do such things.¡± Xi Yan lightly glanced at the duo and slowly said, ¡°Reasonable? Do you not know that capabilities are the true logic of this world?¡± ¡°Two.¡± Jiu Long raised his brows. These two people are really not afraid of dying. It¡¯s a pity that perseverance without capabilities is akin to ignorant stubbornness. Not only does it have no meaning, but it even causes trouble for themselves. First Deity only told them to find the last music score here, but he did not say its exact location. The God-Killing Tumulus was huge. Even if the two of them worked together, they had to use a large amount of energy to find it. As they were worried that somebody would find the music score before them, the first thing they did when they came here was to chase everyone away. One could never be too careful. Even though it was more troublesome to do this, it was still worth it overall to avoid some risks. Most of the people they met previously were quite obedient, or they knew when to leave. Seeing that Jiu Long and Xi Yan¡¯s abilities had long surpassed theirs, they basically surrendered and gradually retreated. Only these two were really stubborn. ¡°Three.¡± Jiu Long yelled the last number, shook his head, and raised his hand. ¡°It¡¯s your honor to be able to die in my hands.¡± Originally, he didn¡¯t want a true god¡¯s blood to dirty his hands, but it was a pity these two people were not smart enough. Thick holy force rapidly emerged in Jiu Long¡¯s palm, forming a longsword! That longsword was very sharp and bright, and it was even covered in a thin layer of frost. Under the sunlight, it sparkled with a cold iridescence. Then, he raised his sword and suddenly slashed it! The sword silently landed, and wherever it passed, space actually rapidly shattered and collapsed! Large patches of cracks appeared in the space, and the violent force fought to surge out! Qi Han held his sword even more tightly. When he planned to take action, he realized that he couldn¡¯t even move¡ªthat strong suppression suddenly descended and caused him to be unable to retaliate. Seeing that Jiu Long slashed that sword from the skies and was about to destroy Qi Han and Lu Feng, a bloody mark suddenly bloomed on Qi Han¡¯s brows! That was the extremely sharp sword aura that easily broke his defense! Jiu Long¡¯s gaze was nonchalant. ¡°Die!¡± That sword went toward Qi Han at a faster speed! But at this point, a sharp, ear-piercing sound came from far away! Whoosh! Following this, a golden and green-black sword light pierced through the air and came over from midair! Shing¡ª Huala! That sword aura struck Jiu Long¡¯s longsword, scratched it, and caused it to fly up rapidly. In no time, sparks flew everywhere! Jiu Long¡¯s sword actually flew away! Seeing this, Jiu Long was stunned as he immediately raised his hand to summon his sword. The sword landed in his palm and was still shaking violently. This showed how strong the previous attack was. He knitted his brows and looked over. That was an extremely sharp longsword. Half of it was golden, and the other green-black. The colors perfectly merged together, and the sword was bright and heavy! What is¡ª When Jiu Long and Xi Yan were taken aback, Qi Han and Lu Feng already detected the extremely familiar aura on it. The two of them quickly exchanged a glance and saw the excitement and emotions in the other party¡¯s eyes. Jiu Long turned around, saw where the sword had flown from, and boomed, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± A sharp and melodious voice came with the wind. ¡°Ninth Deity, if you want to kill my people, you should at least ask me for my opinion, right?¡± Jiu Long was first dazed before he realized that the voice was very familiar. A name suddenly surfaced in his mind. ¡°Shangguan Yue!?¡± Once he said it, a woman decked in a red dress flashed across and appeared. She had a good figure and peerless beauty. Her hair flew with the wind, and her dress flew up as there was a faint smile on her face. Her pair of eyes curved up slightly like the moon, as if it was the night sky filled with stars. Jiu Long¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It is you!¡± Qi Han and Lu Feng could not control their emotions as they yelled in unison, ¡°Master!¡± Chu Liuyue came to the two of them and first sized them up to see if their injuries were serious before she was reassured. Then, she smiled and said, ¡°Luckily, I didn¡¯t come too late.¡± Jiu Long knitted his brows tightly and stared at the few people before him tightly. ¡°The two of them are actually your subordinates?!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around, pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ear, and raised her finger. With that, the Nether Star Sword returned to her palm. She smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± Chapter 2323 - 2323 Ive Always been Upright 2323 I¡¯ve Always been Upright Jiu Long stared at the woman before him doubtfully. Even though he only used 30% of his strength in that sword attack previously, it wasn¡¯t something an average cultivator could resist. However, Chu Liuyue easily stopped it. Recently, he also heard of this name several times. After all, she had caused quite a big commotion in Fantasy Divine Palace. However, it was only now that Jiu Long realized her skills¡­ were indeed superior to that of a legendary warrior! ¡°You left the Heaven Gate?¡± asked Jiu Long loudly. Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Anyway, this isn¡¯t my first time leaving. Ninth Deity, why are you so shocked?¡± Jiu Long was stumped. He just felt that this matter was too ridiculous. Most cultivators in Fantasy Divine Palace would never be able to step out of the Heaven Gate in their entire lives, let alone ridiculously come to the God Residence Realm. Those that went to Fantasy Divine Palace were proud of being able to enter, so they didn¡¯t really want to leave that place. It was very rare for people like Chu Liuyue to repeatedly come in and out of the place. The number of times she had done so had even exceeded that of a deity! Isn¡¯t Seventh Deity the one in charge of the Heaven Gate? He allows her to come out time and time again? The key is, she is someone without a bloodline totem! Isn¡¯t that even more ridiculous? Jiu Long stared at her alertly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Even if she has left Fantasy Divine Palace, she can go many places. Why did she choose the God-Killing Tumulus? When it implicated the last music score, Jiu long could not help but be suspicious. Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°My two subordinates are here. What¡¯s so surprising about me coming? As for the two deities¡­ You suddenly left Fantasy Divine Palace, came here, and even chased everyone else away¡­ What are you doing?¡± Jiu Long¡¯s expression became cold and stern. ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to ask about this!¡± Chu Liuyue acknowledged him. ¡°It seems like both deities refuse to reveal¡­ Then, forget it.¡± As she spoke, she raised her head toward Qi Han and Lu Feng behind. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As she spoke, she wanted to head toward the legendary warrior tombstone area. ¡°Hold it!¡± Jiu Long and Xi Yan didn¡¯t expect Chu Liuyue to walk in without speaking. This was disrespecting them! Chu Liuyue paused in her tracks, turned around, and asked, ¡°What? Deities, is there something else?¡± Jiu Long clenched his teeth. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re turning a deaf ear to everything I said previously?¡± Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Said? What did you say?¡± Jiu Long felt suffocated. Qi Han explained, ¡°Master, they had previously chased away all the cultivators here. If you didn¡¯t come in time, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, about this¡­¡± I was wondering why I didn¡¯t see any people after I came in. It turns out Jiu Long and Xi Yan had chased them away. Then, it¡¯s obvious what they are trying to do. Chu Liuyue tilted her head and gazed at Jiu Long and Xi Yan. ¡°Then, it¡¯s rather unfortunate. I also have an urgent matter to attend to here, so I probably can¡¯t leave for now. Deities, please forgive me.¡± Although she said that, her attitude and tone were very natural, and she had no intentions of apologizing. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t begging and was just informing the other party of her choice and decision. She wanted to stay here! Xi Yan knitted his brows and coldly said, ¡°Shangguan Yue, you did many overboard things in Fantasy Divine Palace previously. Considering Tuan Zi, the deities did not pursue the matter. However, this doesn¡¯t mean that you can do whatever you want. If you don¡¯t listen to advice, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± Chu Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. ¡°Forgive me for being straightforward. I don¡¯t think the deities have extended help to me, so why do you act like you¡¯ve given me a lot of things?¡± Xi Yan paused and then became even more infuriated. In Fantasy Divine Palace, the deities had a distinguished status. No matter what they did or said normally, the people below would follow. It was very rare someone would object, and there were even fewer people who directly refuted them. However, Chu Liuyue did all of that now and even acted like she was fearless. Who gave her the confidence?! ¡°Shangguan Yue, are you sure you want to be this impudent?¡± Jiu Long raised the longsword in his hands and pointed it at her. ¡°No matter how amazing you are, you¡¯re still a legendary warrior!¡± If he really unleashed his full force, Chu Liuyue could not retaliate at all. Facing the cold gleam of the sword, Chu Liuyue blinked and laughed. ¡°Deities, if I didn¡¯t guess wrongly, you¡¯re going for that last music score also, right? Since everyone has the same target, why don¡¯t we join hands and find the item first before we talk about the rest?¡± This sentence instantly shocked Jiu Long and Xi Yan, causing their faces to change. First Deity had specifically instructed us for this matter. How does she know?! Seeing the two people¡¯s reactions, Chu Liuyue also found it interesting. Her gaze swept across the two of them before she slowly remarked, ¡°The two of you have already come here to find the music score. You should know that¡­ the first two music scores have already acknowledged me as their owner, right?¡± ¡°What did you say!?¡± Jiu Long and Xi Yan gasped in shock. Chu Liuyue shrugged. It seems like they really didn¡¯t know¡­ ¡°Since First Deity passed this matter to you, why didn¡¯t he tell you this beforehand?¡± Not many people knew that she was the owner of the music scores, but Nan Jinshu was one of them. Since he chose to tell the location of the last music score to First Deity, there was no reason he would not say this. Besides, an existence like First Deity should know these things like the back of his hand. If not, how could he have the right to be called First Deity and control the entire Fantasy Divine Palace? However, the strange thing was these two people actually did not know? ¡°You¡ª¡± Jiu Long immediately wanted to take action! However, Chu Liuyue raised her palm slowly and calmly. ¡°Wait. Ninth Deity, I¡¯ve already said that the two music scores are with me and that they¡¯re mine. If you kill me now, you won¡¯t get a single one of them.¡± Once she died, those two music scores will separate and hide. Nobody could find them. Unless their brains were faulty, Jiu Long and the rest would definitely not touch her casually. This was also why Chu Liuyue dared to be so honest. Anyway, she couldn¡¯t hide this, so she should just directly lay the cards out on the table. ¡°You dare to threaten us?¡± Jiu Long said with gritted teeth. Chu Liuyue sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve already made it so obvious. You just noticed it?¡± She had always been upright and straightforward in doing matters. When she wanted to threaten people, she did it openly. The first two music scores are with me. If you¡¯re capable, come and snatch them! She wasn¡¯t afraid of death, but she didn¡¯t know if Fantasy Divine Palace would be afraid to get nothing out of this commotion. Chapter 2324 - 2324 See Emperor 2324 See Emperor Jiu Long and Xi Yan never expected that Chu Liuyue would do that. She directly admitted that the two music scores were with her and even used it to threaten them, causing them not to dare kill her! She did it so swiftly and directly, not even giving time for them to think. The most annoying part was that after some detailed thinking, they realized that Chu Liuyue¡¯s arrogant behavior made sense. After knowing of the incident¡­ Although they hated her to the core, they really could not do anything to her. ¡°Since you¡¯re going to find the music score and so am I, it¡¯s just nice. Why don¡¯t we just work together?¡± asked Chu Liuyue with a smile on her face. Jiu Long was enraged. ¡°What is ¡®just nice!?¡¯ Shangguan Yue, do you think that everyone is a fool?¡± The music scores have already acknowledged her as their owner. Thus, even if we find the last one, it will most likely end up with her! She holds the absolute advantage in this aspect. Even if we work together and find the third music score in the end, we¡¯ll be working hard to give her a dowry! Now, we don¡¯t even have time to guard against her. How could we take action with her? Chu Liuyue revealed her pity and spread her hands. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re unwilling to do it. Since this is so, then¡­ Let¡¯s stay in our own lanes and do things with our own skills. How does that sound? Whoever finds the music score first, whoever it shall belong to.¡± Jiu Long and Xi Yan exchanged a glance. Of course, they did not want to agree to Chu Liuyue¡¯s suggestion. She was originally the owner of the music scores, and she had more advantages in finding it. However, if they disagreed¡­ It seemed like she was going to cause a bigger scene. Yet, they could not do anything to her! After a while, Xi Yan made a face at Jiu Long. Then, he looked at Chu Liuyue and said, ¡°Since you insist, it¡¯s not that we can¡¯t agree. However, we have our own conditions.¡± ¡°Deity, go ahead.¡± ¡°Everyone will use their own abilities to find the music score. However, the person who can ultimately bring it back to Fantasy Divine Palace is the true winner! At that time, no matter the result, the other party can¡¯t continue fighting!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. I knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to convince the two of them. So that¡¯s what they were planning. One has to know that this place is quite a distance away from Fantasy Divine Palace. Who can expect what will happen in the middle? Even if I find it first, they can snatch it halfway and finally obtain it for themselves forcefully. In this situation, they can still attain their goals in the end. Chu Liuyue was a legendary warrior, and Qi Han and Lu Feng standing behind her were true gods. Facing Jiu Long and Xi Yan, who had cultivation bases above that of a legendary warrior. Weren¡¯t they clearly bullying others? Once they took action, Chu Liuyue could do her best, but it was impossible for her to beat them. They were clearly snatching it. But after Chu Liuyue thought about it seriously, she actually nodded happily¡ªshe agreed! ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s agreement came too suddenly, and both Jiu Long and Xi Yan were stunned. ¡°However, there¡¯s something I want to say clearly. When you say ¡®return to Fantasy Divine Palace,¡¯ do you mean pass the Heaven Gate or¡­ If you say that it¡¯s considered when we enter the Fantasy Divine Hall, won¡¯t I lose from the very beginning?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. ¡°Of course, it is once you pass the Heaven Gate!¡± added Xi Yan. Although they did not know why Chu Liuyue would agree to it, this condition was clearly beneficial for them, so it would be a waste if they did not use it. If the two of them could directly find the last music score, it would be for the best. If Chu Liuyue accidentally took the first step, they could just snatch it over. As long as it didn¡¯t risk her life, couldn¡¯t they control everything else? Jiu Long finally calmed down. ¡°Since we¡¯re done discussing, then¡ª¡± Boom! A loud noise was heard from afar. Jiu Long and Xi Yan immediately turned around to look. This voice came from the depths of the legendary warrior tombstone area¡ªsomeone had already entered! The two of them looked at each other. Jiu Long immediately noticed something, and he angrily gazed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°You even secretly brought someone with you?!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled, and her eyes curved up. ¡°I never said that I came here alone.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Jiu Long was so angry that his teeth were itchy! So she said so much just to stall for time! Xi Yan knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Forget it. Now isn¡¯t the time to argue with her about these things! Let¡¯s go in first and see what¡¯s going on!¡± This noise came suddenly, and it was definitely not something an average cultivator could cause. Something must¡¯ve happened to the legendary warrior tomb area. Perhaps¡­ it was related to the last music score! Jiu Long glanced at Chu Liuyue harshly. ¡°Shangguan Yue, don¡¯t be too happy! Whoever can laugh at the end is the winner!¡± However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with them as she turned around to look at Qi Han and Lu Feng. ¡°Go!¡± Once she said that, she went on her toes. Her thin and agile figure rapidly disappeared from the spot, going straight for the group of tombs. Qi Han and Lu Feng followed closely! Luckily, their injuries weren¡¯t too serious. Additionally, as Chu Liuyue had talked to Jiu Long duo for some time, they had recuperated during that period. Due to this, they quickly followed her. Jiu Long cursed silently and immediately went forward with Xi Yan. ¡­ Xi Yan and Jiu Long¡¯s cultivation levels were higher than Chu Liuyue and the rest¡¯s after all. In no time, they had already overtaken her. The two of them didn¡¯t pause at all as they rapidly rushed in the direction of the sound. After about ten minutes or so, they saw a figure from afar. It was a young man who had his back facing them. He was decked in white and was very tall. He stood with one hand behind his back, and the space before him had started collapsing and distorting as he rapidly absorbed the surrounding force. Even if it was just a figure, his cold and elegant aura could not be concealed at all. Jiu Long knitted his brows. ¡°This is the person who came with Shangguan Yue?¡± Why does it seem¡­ amiss? He could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but he felt uneasy for some reason. However, he quickly pushed this feeling to the back of his mind. ¡°Who are you!? How dare you work with Shangguan Yue and lie to us!¡± Jiu Long boomed and questioned. Hearing his voice, that man turned around. His demonically handsome face was covered with a thin layer of frost. His phoenix eyes were deep and peerless! ¡°Jiu Long, Xi Yan, you¡¯ve become increasingly daring.¡± Chapter 2325 - 2325 Fantasy Divine Halls Item 2325 Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s Item This low questioning immediately caused Jiu Long and Xi Yan to be taken aback! ¡°Emperor?!¡± The two of them looked shocked. Their previous arrogance disappeared without a trace, and it was replaced by deep fear. ¡°W-why are you here?¡± Jiu Long¡¯s face directly became white. What¡­ did I say to the Emperor just now?! No wonder I felt that something was amiss when I saw the back view. This back view, this aura¡­ I actually didn¡¯t recognize him! Actually, Jiu Long could not be blamed for this. All these years, he could count the number of times he met the Emperor. On the one hand, the Emperor didn¡¯t reveal himself most of the time. On the other hand, he and Xi Yan were low in the rankings, so they were rather far away from him. They couldn¡¯t be considered to be familiar with him. Besides¡­ why would they think that the Emperor would appear here!? Rong Xiu looked up slightly. Far away, he could faintly see three figures. They were Chu Liuyue¡¯s group of three. Their abilities couldn¡¯t be compared to Jiu Long and Xi Yan. Besides, Qi Han and Lu Feng were just true gods and were injured, so their speeds were restricted. Thus, there was such a large distance between the two parties in such a short amount of time. However, this was convenient for Rong Xiu. This bit of time was enough for him to solve the problem of these two people. Thinking of this, Rong Xiu retracted his gaze and looked at the two of them again. Feeling the nonchalant and cold gaze on them, Jiu Long and Xi Yan felt deeply suppressed, and their bodies tensed up. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already guess why I¡¯m here?¡± said Rong Xiu lightly. The two of them were dazed for a moment. After a while, they suddenly recovered their senses and were beyond shock. Wait a minute. The Emperor means¡­ He really came with Shangguan Yue?! But since when did Shangguan Yue have any relations to the Emperor with her background?! And it seems like they have an extraordinary relationship. If not, Shangguan Yue wouldn¡¯t have that attitude and tone when she talked about the Emperor previously. Xi Yan suddenly thought of something and gasped. ¡°Emperor, that Shangguan Yue¡­ belongs to you?¡± When he asked this, he was guessing if Chu Liuyue was Rong Xiu¡¯s subordinate and nothing else. However, Rong Xiu was too lazy to correct him and just raised his sharp brows slightly. Belongs to me¡­ This sounds right. She is mine. His reaction was clearly a tacit agreement to the two of them. At that moment, they did not know how to react. Why didn¡¯t Shangguan Yue say such an important matter beforehand?! If she had just revealed a slight bit, she wouldn¡¯t have such treatment in Fantasy Divine Palace! Jiu Long and Xi Yan could not figure it out. The only thing they knew clearly was¡ªthey had previously offended Chu Liuyue, and this undoubtedly meant that they had offended the Emperor! ¡°Emperor, we¡¯re stupid and ignorant, so we didn¡¯t recognize you and made this mistake. Emperor, please forgive us.¡± Jiu Long recovered his senses and hurriedly begged for mercy. Other than begging, he could not think of what else to do now. Previously, he still rushed over excitedly and planned to find the last music score before Chu Liuyue. Even if he couldn¡¯t find it, it was fine if he could settle the person that was in cahoots with her. Who knew it was this person?! Wouldn¡¯t that be courting death?! Upon seeing this, Xi Yan immediately followed and was filled with anxiety. Even though they hadn¡¯t seen the Emperor a lot, they knew his temper clearly. He was not one to be messed with. Now that they made such a mistake¡­ they could expect severe punishment. Rong Xiu did not speak. The surroundings fell silent, as if the air froze at this moment. The two of them held their breaths in, and their hearts were about to jump out of their throats. Finally, Rong Xiu spoke. ¡°Go to the Fantasy Divine Sea and receive your punishment. Without my permission, you¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡± Hearing this, Jiu Long and Xi Yan were stunned. ¡°Emperor, you mean¡­ now?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze flickered, and his thin lips curled up at an extremely faint and cold angle. ¡°If you can continue staying here, that¡¯ll show your capabilities.¡± The two of them were collectively stunned! This meant¡­ if they did not leave immediately, the Emperor would personally take action! Even if they had all the guts in the world, they wouldn¡¯t take such a risk¡ªwasn¡¯t this willingly pushing the knife into the wound?! But¡­ ¡°Emperor, it¡¯s not that we want to purposely refute your command. However, we came with First Deity¡¯s command to find the last music score. If we can¡¯t complete our mission, we can¡¯t explain to First Deity when we go back¡­¡± Jiu Long braved himself and spoke with much difficulty. If they had a slight way, they would not choose to go against the Emperor. But in this situation, they could not help themselves. After all, the deities came from Fantasy Divine Hall. If the First Deity had orders, they would not dare to disobey him. Even though the Emperor had a distinguished status, he normally would not interfere with Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s matters. The music score was also an item of Fantasy Divine Hall. Logically speaking, it was not very related to the Emperor. Why would he personally come here? Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°What, do my orders not surpass First Deity¡¯s sentence?¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Jiu Long and Xi Yan¡¯s souls were about to fly, and they hurriedly denied it. Not to mention them, even the owner of Fantasy Divine Hall had to be respectful when they saw the Emperor. Why would they dare to say that? After balancing and being in conflict for some time, they finally nodded with some difficulty. ¡°¡­We will obey your orders, Emperor! However, the last music score¡ª¡± Rong Xiu squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°The music score belongs to Fantasy Divine Hall and should eventually be returned.¡± Hearing this, Jiu Long and Xi Yan just thought that he agreed to return the last music score to Fantasy Divine Hall. They heaved a sigh of relief. No matter what, we can at least answer to First Deity¡­ ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯ll leave first.¡± Then, seeing that Rong Xiu looked normal, the two of them bowed to him respectfully before hurrying off. That speed was even faster than when they came. They were terrified that if they were a step slow, they would have to sacrifice their lives. In no time, the duo¡¯s figures disappeared into the distance. At this point, Chu Liuyue¡¯s trio finally arrived. Seeing that only Rong Xiu was here alone, Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Where¡¯s the two deities?¡± Chapter 2326 - 2326 Three Thousand Divine Tombs! 2326 Three Thousand Divine Tombs! Rong Xiu turned around. ¡°Who is it?¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°The Ninth Deity and the Tenth Deity! They just came over. Didn¡¯t you see them?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been here all along and haven¡¯t seen anyone come.¡± Chu Liuyue tightly knitted her brows. How could he not have seen it? Although Qi Han and I were a distance away from the two deities, I¡¯m sure that they were here. She looked left and right. The surroundings were desolate, and there were no traces of anyone having been here. Suddenly, her eyes focused on the collapsing void not far behind Rong Xiu. ¡°This is¡ª¡± Rong Xiu followed her gaze and explained, ¡°That loud sound just now came from here. A similar situation happened the last time we came, but it was a little different.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded lightly. She sensed this as well. Last time, she and Rong Xiu fell into a void that suddenly collapsed and brought back those stones. And this time¡­ The energy and pressure here were clearly much stronger than the tombstones in the true god tombstone area. As a result, although this space was constantly devouring power, twisting and collapsing, it hadn¡¯t completely collapsed. From this, it could be seen how powerful the spatial power here was! At a glance, a transparent vortex had formed in the void, spinning and expanding. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force continuously surged in, causing it to gradually become like a black hole, impossible to spy on or touch. Only the increasingly heavy and vast pressure indicated that the danger was still rising! A faint summoning force came from the vortex. Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella moved slightly, and she walked forward. ¡°Master.¡± Qi Han and Lu Feng spoke worriedly. Chu Liuyue raised her palm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± As she spoke, she continued walking forward. At this moment, a palm-sized piece of gravel suddenly rolled over from the side. It only stopped when it touched her toes. Chu Liuyue looked down. Clearly, this was also gravel from a certain tombstone, and¡­ it was the tombstone of a legendary warrior! She leaned down and picked up the stone. Suddenly, a faint but not negligible buzzing sound came from in front of her. Buzz¡ª She looked up in surprise and saw that the vortex not far in front of her had suddenly stopped spinning! However, this situation only lasted for a moment. The next moment, everything returned to normal. It looked no different from before. However, Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock because there seemed to be an invisible connection between her and the vortex! This feeling was very subtle. It was as if from this moment on, she could vaguely sense the energy changes in the vortex. She was stunned for a moment before she suddenly lowered her head and looked at the stone in her hand. It was just a broken, weathered stone that looked ordinary; there were already traces of erosion on it. If it was placed on the ground, no one would look at it, but this was originally the tombstone of a legendary warrior! At this moment, in front of her on the right, the void distorted and collapsed, then quickly formed a vortex. Another rock rolled to her feet. Chu Liuyue gasped. A ridiculous and bold thought surfaced in her mind. ¡°No way¡­¡± she muttered softly and then leaned over to pick up the second stone. Almost at the same time, the second vortex stopped spinning. Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hands. Then, the vortex spun again, and an invisible connection was indeed established between it and Chu Liuyue! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. As expected¡­ As expected! The stones here are very different from the ones I obtained in the true god tombstone area. They look similar, but in fact, they are very different. Each of them¡­ actually control a space! It might be an exaggeration to say that they controlled it, but it was basically the same. The surrounding energy was continuously surging toward the two vortices, and the two stones in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands seemed to be faintly becoming stronger. Although it was subtle, it couldn¡¯t be mistaken! Shing! A zither sound suddenly came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s dantian! The sound of the zither was bleak and cold, spreading far and wide in this vast field! Chu Liuyue subconsciously frowned. I didn¡¯t do anything just now. Why did this zither sound suddenly appear? Suddenly, Lu Feng cried out. ¡°The void over there is also beginning to collapse! And over there!¡± Chu Liuyue followed his gaze. Not far behind them, three more vortices quickly appeared. The huge space seemed to have been divided into countless small areas and began to collapse! In just 15 minutes, Chu Liuyue and the rest were already surrounded by several void vortices! A few stones rolled over and stopped by Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. Her heart beat quickly, and the blood in her body seemed to be boiling. My guess¡­ seems to be right! These stones, the tombstones of these legendary warriors, and the countless heroic souls buried underground for 10,000 years seemed to be awakening! A legendary warrior was naturally different from a true god. The combat power of a true god was in the God Realm, and a legendary warrior¡­ had already completely divided this world and controlled the endless power of space! Whir! Whir! Whir! Void vortices appeared around them one after another. More and more stones came to Chu Liuyue¡¯s side, as if they were responding to her call. The sound of the zither rang out! Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows instantly heated up! Chapter 2327 - 2327 Response 2327 Response She touched the space between her eyebrows. It felt as if there was a scorching flame burning. Her heart was beating fast, and the blood around her was surging. This is¡­ my totem?! Chu Liuyue actually knew that this thing existed long ago, but the few times it appeared were basically when her life was in danger, so she hadn¡¯t been able to take care of it. But now, this totem suddenly appeared again, and it was so obvious! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force began to gather toward her swiftly. Her aura also began to rise rapidly! Bzzt! Bzzt! Chu Liuyue looked up. In the sky, the void distorted and collapsed one after another, and vortices continuously appeared. There were already large pieces of stones piled up by her feet. An incomparably domineering power erupted, creating an extremely terrifying pressure that was almost suffocating. Lu Feng sat down with his hand on his chest, coughing a few times before wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Then, he placed his hands on his knees and began to draw the surrounding power into his body. Under such great pressure, the best way to deal with it was to cultivate. Seeing this, Qi Han¡¯s expression stabilized. He held his sword in front of him and began to cultivate as well. At this moment, endless energy surged over from all directions. Most of it entered the collapsed void, which indirectly increased the power of the stones by Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. The remaining small portion dissipated and was swallowed by Lu Feng and Qi Han. Even though the two of them only occupied a small portion of the energy that surged into the void, this was definitely an extremely vast and majestic level for a true god. A faint blue light overflowed from Lu Feng¡¯s body and quickly enveloped him¡ªthis was his God Realm. After the surrounding violent energy entered this God Realm, it became even purer after tempering. Without a doubt, this way, Lu Feng¡¯s cultivation speed increased greatly. Qi Han, who was beside him, made the same choice almost at the same time. A faint silver light spread out silently and enveloped Qi Han. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze turned slightly and stopped on the two of them for a moment. His eyes were deep but calm. In just a moment, he turned his gaze away. In fact, if other cultivators were here at this moment and saw the situation of Lu Feng and Qi Han, they would definitely be shocked. This was because these two people were only true gods now. Logically speaking, it was impossible for their God Realm to resist the power of such a terrifying legendary warrior around them! In fact, it was impossible for a God Realm to be used in this situation! But from beginning to end, their series of actions were smooth and natural as if they weren¡¯t hindered at all. If Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look now, she might also sense that something was wrong. However, all her energy was already focused on the countless collapsing voids and constantly gathering stones, so how could she care about anything else? One after another. As more and more stones approached, the invisible connection between her and the surrounding void vortices became closer and closer. At the same time, a desolate sorrow welled up in her heart. Chu Liuyue was never a sentimental person, but as she stood here¡ªas time slowly passed and everything around her changed¡ªher mental state seemed to move uncontrollably. Wind blew over, carrying the rough sand on the desolate field. When it brushed past her face, it brought a slight pain. The bloody smell in the air seemed to have become stronger. The solemn and bleak sound of the zither sounded from her body and spread far and wide! There seemed to be an image appearing in her mind, but it wasn¡¯t very clear. Chu Liuyue almost subconsciously raised her hand. Her eyes were focused, but it was as if she had fallen into a void. At this moment, countless stars seemed to have dissipated in the depths of her obsidian-like eyes! Then, her slender and fair fingertips moved gently. Shing! With no strings in her hands, she played the zither with the help of these countless intersecting spaces! Clang! Clang! On the field, there were many broken tombstones. Deep inside, there seemed to be a zither sound that corresponded to her from afar! ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. Jiu Long and Xi Yan returned here as quickly as possible. After stepping into the Fantasy Divine Hall, the two of them couldn¡¯t care less and rushed to the First Deity¡¯s residence. As soon as they arrived outside the courtyard and stood still, the door of the courtyard opened. Seeing this scene, Jiu Long and Xi Yan looked at each other and saw the worry and nervousness in each other¡¯s eyes. The First Deity clearly already knew something! This made the two of them feel timid, and they didn¡¯t dare to take this step for a moment. ¡°Come in and talk.¡± A low and indifferent voice came from inside. The two of them didn¡¯t dare to refuse and walked in tensely. Just like last time, they stopped five steps away from the door. After bowing respectfully with cupped fists, Jiu Long deliberated before saying, ¡°First Deity, this time¡­ the two of us were incompetent and didn¡¯t manage to successfully bring the music score back. Please punish us, First Deity!¡± ¡°Reason?¡± The voice was calm and unsurprised. ¡°Well¡­¡± Jiu Long wiped the sweat from his forehead. On the other hand, Xi Yan couldn¡¯t help but explain, ¡°Reporting to the First Deity, we returned in failure this time because the Emperor also went to the God-Killing Tumulus. Moreover, there was¡­ Shangguan Yue who went with him.¡± ¡°Perhaps because Shangguan Yue is the master of the previous two music scores, but the Emperor intends to hand this matter to her. Although we don¡¯t know why the Emperor suddenly interfered in this matter, we really didn¡¯t dare to disobey the Emperor¡¯s orders, so we came back. However, the Emperor agreed to send the music score to Fantasy Divine Hall after this matter is over.¡± Jiu Long gritted his teeth and added, ¡°In addition, the two of us have already been ordered to go to the Fantasy Divine Sea to receive our punishment for unintentionally offending the Emperor. Without the Emperor¡¯s orders, we aren¡¯t allowed to leave.¡± In other words, after coming over to explain things to the First Deity, the two of them would have to go to the Fantasy Divine Sea. After the two of them finished speaking, the room was silent for a long time. This strange silence left the two of them at a loss. We don¡¯t seem to have said anything wrong just now, right? No matter what, they had explained the matter clearly. As long as one thought about it, one could understand that this matter was really not their fault. Not to mention them, even the First Deity didn¡¯t dare to disobey the Emperor¡¯s orders. Moreover, the Emperor had already punished the two of them. What else could be considered enough? Jiu Long and Qiao Nian waited. ¡°First Deity?¡± There was finally a response. ¡°I already know about this. You guys can leave. You should receive your punishment, but you can¡¯t publicize this matter.¡± The two of them were stunned. ¡°You mean¡­ the Emperor going to the God-Killing Tumulus?¡± The voice paused. ¡°Everything related to the music score has to be kept a secret.¡± Chapter 2328 - 2328 Shes Crazy 2328 She¡¯s Crazy This was the top secret of Fantasy Divine Hall. It was a matter of great importance, so it was normal for the First Deity to ask them to keep it a secret. The two of them agreed without hesitation. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°If the other deities ask, you can only say that you didn¡¯t successfully find the music score and accidentally offended the Emperor. That¡¯s why you were punished to stay in the Fantasy Divine Sea. As for the rest, there¡¯s no need to mention too much.¡± Jiu Long was stunned. He could vaguely guess what the First Deity meant, but he wasn¡¯t sure. After hesitating for a moment, he finally asked, ¡°First Deity, then¡­ about Shangguan Yue being under the Emperor¡­¡± ¡°Do you still not understand the Emperor¡¯s attitude?¡± the First Deity interrupted him, his voice cold and indifferent. Jiu Long was shocked and hurriedly said, ¡°Yes! Jiu Long knows!¡± ¡°Xi Yan knows!¡± That woman had been in Fantasy Divine Palace for so long, but she hadn¡¯t revealed any clues. The Emperor¡¯s intentions were already very obvious. The only thing that was wrong was probably how much Zhen Bao Pavilion valued and took care of her previously. However, that matter didn¡¯t arouse too much suspicion. After all, Chu Liuyue was indeed very talented and capable as a Xuan Master. Even if she really didn¡¯t have any background, it was normal for Zhen Bao Pavilion to be willing to support her. Jiu Long and Xi Yan had heard of this before, but they didn¡¯t take it to heart. However, now that they thought about it, there was a reason why they had just comprehended everything! But if word of this got out, it would probably shock many people. The two of them were even secretly glad that they didn¡¯t have much contact with Chu Liuyue previously. Apart from the argument in the God-Killing Tumulus over the music score, they didn¡¯t offend her too much. From the looks of it, the Emperor clearly valued her very much. It was really not good to provoke her. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Hearing this, the two of them heaved a sigh of relief and quickly retreated. After they left, the courtyard door closed tightly again. ¡­ In the courtyard, Xiao Ba was resting lazily on a recliner with a crimson pill in her hand. She narrowed her eyes and sized it up. Jian Fengchi sat at the side with his hands on his knees. His flirtatious peach blossom eyes revealed a rare hint of nervousness. ¡°Did you just refine this yesterday?¡± Xiao Ba asked. Jian Fengchi nodded. ¡°I refined a total of six. They¡¯re all here.¡± There was a jade bottle beside Xiao Ba. The one in her hand was the first one she poured out. The patterns on it were clear, and the medicinal fragrance was strong. This was a top-notch Senior Physician-level pill. Then, the finger covered in exquisite nail polish gently pressed down, and the pill instantly turned to dust. ¡°Xiao Ba!¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes instantly widened. ¡°Why did you destroy my pill!?¡± Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to check the pill you refined? This is my answer¡ªthere¡¯s no need to keep this pill. Go back and continue working hard.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes twitched violently. ¡°This took a full day¡ª¡± ¡°You refined a pill of this level in just one day? Aren¡¯t you too lousy as a Senior Physician?¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s words successfully blocked Jian Fengchi¡¯s remaining words. Then, Xiao Ba picked up the jade bottle beside her and exerted strength in her palm. The jade bottle and the pills inside instantly turned to dust. Jian Fengchi suddenly stood up, and his handsome facial features twisted for a moment. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°With just these, you won¡¯t be able to break through to become a Supreme Physician in this lifetime.¡± Xiao Ba clapped her hands, took out a snow-white handkerchief, and carefully wiped her hands clean. Jian Fengchi held his chest and took a step back. He pointed at Xiao Ba with a trembling hand, but he couldn¡¯t speak. ¡ªHe was so angry. He had thought that he had suffered enough during this period of time, but he had underestimated Xiao Ba¡¯s combat power. Previously, he had stolen a medical book from Xiao Ba. Although he didn¡¯t say it on the surface, he was still quite grateful to Xiao Ba. Therefore, after this refinement, he specially came to see Xiao Ba and asked her to take a look. In the end, what awaited him was an absolutely heartless all-round blow. For a moment, Jian Fengchi regretted it. When I first received the medical book, why did I think that Xiao Ba was a good person? I must be blind! Seeing how angry he was, Xiao Ba was finally satisfied. Actually, she didn¡¯t have such a sharp tongue in the first place. She wasn¡¯t deliberately targeting Jian Fengchi; it was just that she had been dealt too many blows by Big Brother some time ago and needed to find someone to calm down. Seeing Jian Fengchi being humiliated, Xiao Ba immediately felt much better. That¡¯s right! I¡¯m still very outstanding! Actually, Big Brother is still the most abnormal¡ªyes, that is it. At the thought of this, Xiao Ba narrowed her beautiful eyes and smiled. ¡°On the account that you¡¯ve worked quite hard to refine these pills, I¡¯ll say one more thing. You have two herbs in here that you used wrongly.¡± ¡°Of course, I know what¡¯s wrong with this pill.¡± Jian Fengchi snorted. Xiao Ba was stunned and sat up. ¡°Really?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just Winterstalk Grass and Sichuan Wood? I should use Thousand Wind Seed and Mantuo instead.¡± Xiao Ba raised her eyebrows slightly and sized him up. ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t tell. You really know?¡± Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t reply. He was still feeling sorry for the bottle of pills that Xiao Ba had crushed. However, Xiao Ba didn¡¯t mind and asked, ¡°Since you know, why don¡¯t you change it? If these two herbs are used well, the level of this pill can completely be upgraded from the Senior Physician level to the Supreme Physician level.¡± Jian Fengchi was indeed capable. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have pestered Chu Liuyue for so many years but was still only a step away. This in itself was enough to show that he was actually extremely talented. Most of the time, having a strong opponent could stimulate a person¡¯s potential to the greatest extent. This was the case for Jian Fengchi. Although he had been defeated repeatedly over the years, he had unknowingly left countless people far behind. Hearing Xiao Ba¡¯s question, Jian Fengchi sighed. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t want to do this? But the medicinal mountain doesn¡¯t have those two herbs.¡± ¡°How is this possible!?¡± Xiao Ba was shocked. Although these two herbs were precious, they weren¡¯t considered rare. Moreover, there was everything in the medicinal mountain. ¡°I¡¯ve asked. There was before, but the last batch was taken decades ago. Although there are new ones, they¡¯re not old enough.¡± These two herbs had to be at least a hundred years old. With no choice, he could only give up. Xiao Ba blinked and stood up. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The medicinal mountain has always been guarded by the Eighth Deity. How could she make such a low-level mistake!?¡± No matter what kind of natural treasure it was, one couldn¡¯t completely snatch it when gathering it. Instead, they had to leave their foundation. Xiao Ba¡¯s heart suddenly burned with anger. ¡°Is she crazy?!¡± Chapter 2329 - 2329 The Arrogance of a Family Legacy 2329 The Arrogance of a Family Legacy The corners of Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes twitched as he held his forehead helplessly. As expected, this person¡¯s temper is still as big as before. In the entire Fantasy Divine Palace, there are probably not many people who dare to scold a deity like this. He waved his hand and gestured for Xiao Ba to sit down and restrain herself. ¡°Xiao Ba, lower your voice. Are you afraid that others won¡¯t hear you?¡± Although this was their own courtyard, it couldn¡¯t stop the walls from having ears! If anyone heard it and reported it to the Eighth Deity¡­ Xiao Ba frowned. ¡°Did I say something wrong? The medicinal mountain is so big, and there are so many medicinal herbs, but they¡¯re all harvested? There¡¯s more than one! She¡¯s such a joke as a deity!¡± To think that Shu Jing has been acting as the person in charge of the medicinal mountain previously. In the end, it ended up like this? When Jian Fengchi saw her reaction, he was touched. ¡°Xiao Ba, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so concerned about my alchemy¡­¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t misunderstand. I just feel sorry for those herbs.¡± Jian Fengchi: ¡°¡­Pretend I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Xiao Ba crossed her arms and paced back and forth in the courtyard in frustration. I really can¡¯t figure out what Shu Jing is doing! Most importantly, in the past few years, she has also imposed various restrictions on entering and leaving the medicinal mountain. How could things turn out like this? Xiao Ba hesitated for a while and finally couldn¡¯t help but walk out. Jian Fengchi hurriedly asked, ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Xiao Ba said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m going to the medicinal mountain! I want to see if she deliberately hid it or if she really let everyone use it up!¡± ¡°Strange, when did Xiao Ba become so angry¡­¡± Jian Fengchi was stunned. I¡¯m not even angry myself. Why is she so angry? Seeing that Xiao Ba was really going out, he hurriedly stood up to stop her. ¡°Xiao Ba, I think we should forget about it. She¡¯s the Eighth Deity after all¡­¡± If she really went in such a hurry, she would definitely cause trouble. Xiao Ba raised her eyebrows. ¡°What, are you afraid to go?¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Is this a question of whether I dare or not? At this moment, Si Jing walked out of the house and headed outside. Seeing the two of them standing at the door, he greeted them. ¡°Oh, Xiao Ba, you¡¯re going to the medicinal mountain again?¡± Xiao Ba nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. How did Fourth Brother know?¡± Si Jing suddenly paused and staggered. Then, he hurriedly held the door and coughed. ¡°Ahem, I heard you guys talking about this just now.¡± ¡°Does Fourth Brother also support me going?¡± Xiao Ba pouted and asked pitifully. ¡°Fourth Brother, you don¡¯t even know how much Shu Jing has ruined the medicinal mountain!¡± Si Jing widened his eyes and immediately patted his chest. ¡°Yes! Where can¡¯t our Xiao Ba go in Fantasy Divine Palace? Don¡¯t worry. With Fourth Brother around, I won¡¯t let anyone bully you! When Fourth Brother is done, I¡¯ll look for you!¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, are you still going to the lightning pool?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Si Jing nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think they plan to unseal it yet. I really don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ll drag it out¡­¡± His words were filled with dissatisfaction. During this period of time, he went almost every day. Xiao Ba was already used to it and nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s a little too much. Fourth Brother, go ahead then. I can settle my own matters. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Jian Fengchi, who was standing at the side, was instantly confused. What are these two¡­ talking about?! Why does it sound like those few deities really can¡¯t do it? They are very dissatisfied, right? Chu Liuyue is used to being arrogant. Why are all the Thirteen Yue Guards following her example now? They don¡¯t even have a bloodline totem now, but each one of them is more arrogant than the other? Lightning pool, medicinal mountain¡­ Why does it sound like it is their territory? Si Jing responded and gave her a thumbs-up as he praised, ¡°Xiao Ba is so beautiful today!¡± Xiao Ba smiled and asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t I beautiful yesterday?¡± Si Jing immediately said sincerely, ¡°Xiao Ba is beautiful every day! She¡¯s the second most beautiful in the world!¡± The first beauty was Master. This was the consensus of the Thirteen Yue Guards. Xiao Ba was indeed satisfied when she heard this. She waved her hand. ¡°Goodbye, Fourth Brother!¡± Only then did Si Jing leave. After taking a few steps, Si Jing gently slapped his mouth. Who asked you to speak so fast!? Who asked you to speak so fast!? Actually, in the house just now, he had been thinking about the lightning pool. He didn¡¯t hear a word Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi said outside. In the end, when he went out, he happened to bump into them! Fortunately, the matter was resolved¡­ Si Jing took a deep breath before speeding up and walking forward. ¡­ With Si Jing¡¯s support, Xiao Ba immediately became more confident and headed straight for the medicinal mountain. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t persuade her anymore, Jian Fengchi could only follow. Xiao Ba looked back at him and teased him. ¡°What, aren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯ll cause a bunch of trouble if you go with me?¡± Jian Fengchi said seriously, ¡°No matter what, this matter started because of me. I can¡¯t sit back and do nothing.¡± Xiao Ba was interested and asked, ¡°Then, if I fight with Shu Jing¡ª¡± Jian Fengchi said without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ll cheer you on!¡± Xiao Ba was speechless. I knew I couldn¡¯t rely on him. ¡­ The two of them were fast. The medicinal mountain was as lively as usual. People came and went. When they saw Xiao Ba coming over, many scorching gazes landed on her. At the same time, some hidden hostility swept across Jian Fengchi. Jian Fengchi was silent for a moment. ¡°Xiao Ba, I¡¯m starting to regret it. Can I go back now?¡± Xiao Ba walked forward without looking back. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Let them see. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll lose anything.¡± Jian Fengchi said, ¡°¡­You won¡¯t, but I might.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t been stared at by so many people at the same time, but they were usually women. This was the first time he was being stared at by so many men. Eldest Young Master Jian was really flustered. Xiao Ba laughed. ¡°I think there are many girls looking at you too!¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s magnificence and appearance were all top-notch, and he was elegant and unrestrained. It was normal for girls to like him. Swoosh! Jian Fengchi pushed away his folding fan and covered half of his face. He whispered, ¡°Shh, don¡¯t talk nonsense. It¡¯s not good if others hear you.¡± Xiao Ba understood.¡±You¡¯re afraid that Hongyu will hear, but she¡¯s been in seclusion in her room recently!¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s glabella twitched. ¡°How do you know she won¡¯t suddenly appear here!?¡± This was what she was best at! He was so busy defending himself that he didn¡¯t deny the first half of the sentence. Xiao Ba pursed her lips and smiled meaningfully. ¡°Forget it, forget it. Let¡¯s see if there are still those two herbs.¡± With that, she ran in a certain direction. Jian Fengchi said, ¡°Wait, it¡¯s not over there.¡± He had been there before, and it was clearly in the opposite direction. Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°It is.¡± Chapter 2330 - 2330 Private Territory 2330 Private Territory Jian Fengchi pointed in another direction. ¡°Thousand Wind Seeds and Mantuo are usually associated with each other. They grow in moist and cold places. I¡¯ve been to this medicinal mountain a few times¡ªI can¡¯t be wrong.¡± Xiao Ba said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that you were mistaken, but didn¡¯t you say that there wasn¡¯t one over there previously?! Let¡¯s go somewhere else to take a look. Maybe there will be one?¡± Jian Fengchi said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the entire medicinal mountain. There¡¯s only one place with it¡ªit¡¯s over there. There¡¯s no other place.¡± Xiao Ba suddenly became stubborn. ¡°But¡­ how will we know if we don¡¯t take a look?¡± Unable to dissuade her, Jian Fengchi could only say, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go over there and take a look then.¡± Xiao Ba nodded and headed in a certain direction without hesitation. Jian Fengchi frowned slightly. Looking at Xiao Ba¡¯s back, a strange feeling surged in his heart. Why do I feel that Xiao Ba doesn¡¯t seem to be nonchalant? She casually and indifferently found a direction, but has she already made up her mind to go there? This thought quickly flashed past but was suppressed by Jian Fengchi. He moved his feet and followed. ¡­ The medicinal mountain stretched for hundreds of miles. It was a vast area with continuous mountain ranges. There were all kinds of natural treasures. If one wasn¡¯t careful, they would lose their way, but Xiao Ba seemed to be very familiar with this place. She turned left and right without stopping at all. After walking for a while, Jian Fengchi finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Xiao Ba, how many times have you been here before? Are you so familiar with this place?¡± Xiao Ba thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Not many times, but the terrain here is simple. You can remember it at a glance. What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Looking at Xiao Ba¡¯s calm expression, he wondered for a moment if his brain wasn¡¯t good enough. That wasn¡¯t right either! He was a heavenly doctor! He could basically remember so many extremely complicated prescriptions after reading them a few times, so his memory was definitely top-notch. But after coming to this medicinal mountain several times, he still often felt a little confused. What was wrong with Xiao Ba? After thinking for a while, Jian Fengchi felt that there was only one possibility: Xiao Ba¡¯s talent was indeed a little better than his. No matter what, she was a Supreme Physician now. It wasn¡¯t surprising that she was better than him in this aspect. At the thought of this, Jian Fengchi felt much better. ¡°We¡¯re here! It¡¯s just ahead!¡± Xiao Ba suddenly spoke. Jian Fengchi followed her gaze and saw a rather small and ordinary hill behind a steep and tall mountain. The mountain was lush, and there were many herbs growing. However, Jian Fengchi took a closer look and didn¡¯t see any Thousand Wind Seeds nor Mantuo. ¡°This place¡­ doesn¡¯t have it, right?¡± he said uncertainly. Xiao Ba didn¡¯t speak. In a flash, she arrived at the foot of the small mountain. A small stream spread past with clear and bottomless water. On both sides were clusters of lush-green wind chime grass that were half the height of a person. Xiao Ba¡¯s figure was light as she jumped over a few stones in the stream. When she came to the other side, she reached out and pushed away a tuft of wind chime grass. ¡°See, isn¡¯t this it?¡± Jian Fengchi was stunned when he heard this and hurriedly rushed over. He leaned over to take a look. Indeed, there was a string of Thousand Wind Seed growing under the wind chime grass. The Thousand Wind Seed had no leaves. On one of the roots, round seedlings grew in a disorderly manner. When the wind blew, this heavy string swayed with the wind. A few seeds were blown off and scattered in the stream, flowing down with the water. As the Thousand Wind Seed was a faint green color, it was really hidden in the wind chime grass. Therefore, Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t see it at the beginning. And at the root of the seed, there were thin purple vines wrapped around it¡ªit was Mantuo. ¡°There really is one!?¡± Jian Fengchi was really shocked. Most importantly, this Thousand Wind Seed and Mantuo looked to be at least 500 years old! However, he had asked many people previously. Everyone said that there were no longer any Thousand Wind Seeds and Mantuo of this age in the medicinal mountain¡­ ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Xiao Ba raised her chin, indicating that he could take the things away. Jian Fengchi came back to his senses and took a few. Looking at the easy herbs in his hand, Jian Fengchi couldn¡¯t help but look at Xiao Ba again with a strange gaze. ¡°Xiao Ba, this place is so hidden. How did you know?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Xiao Ba opened her mouth, but the words were stuck in her throat. ¡°I knew it from the beginning.¡± Her words were a little ambiguous, but Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t hear it. He only thought that she had been here before. After all, with her personality, she could really do such a thing. ¡°But it¡¯s so quiet here.¡± Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t probe further and looked around. Apart from the two of them, there was no one else here. Ever since the medicinal mountain was completely opened, everyone was free to go in and out. Basically, they went everywhere. Basically, there would be people stepping into various places in the medicine mountain. However, this place was deserted as if no one had ever been here. Xiao Ba shrugged. ¡°Who cares? Anyway, I¡¯ve found it. Just take it.¡± ¡°Impudent!¡± An angry voice suddenly came from behind the two of them. Jian Fengchi immediately turned around and saw Shu Jing standing in the air not far away, looking down at the two of them. Her carefully drawn eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and her eyes were filled with unconcealed anger. Jian Fengchi elbowed Xiao Ba. ¡°Hey, hey, the person you¡¯re looking for is here.¡± Of course, Xiao Ba had already recognized Shu Jing¡¯s voice. Her red lips curled up into a perfect smile as she slowly turned around. ¡°Eighth Deity, what a coincidence.¡± Her voice was still delicate and soft. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she was greeting a good friend she hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. However, this sound was especially ear-piercing to Shu Jing. Her face was cold. ¡°You¡¯re really getting bolder and bolder. You actually dare to barge in here. Do you know what this place is?!¡± Xiao Ba said honestly, ¡°I know. Isn¡¯t this the medicinal mountain? Didn¡¯t it just open not long ago? What, are you not letting me come now?¡± Shu Jing was so angry that her entire body was trembling. ¡°This is the deity¡¯s private place. How can you enter as you wish!?¡± Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi immediately understood. ¡°So it¡¯s your area. I¡¯m sorry¡ªwe really didn¡¯t know.¡± Shu Jing was in charge of the medicinal mountain and spent most of her time here. Even the other deities didn¡¯t set foot here much. However, she didn¡¯t expect these two people to come over just like that after going to Fantasy Divine Hall and returning a little later! ¡°You want to be forgiven just because you don¡¯t know?¡± Shu Jing was so angry that she laughed. Xiao Ba shrugged. ¡°Eighth Deity, you said this is your territory, but you didn¡¯t even leave a logo. Who knows?¡± Shu Jing reprimanded coldly. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t know! The barrier outside¡ª¡± Chapter 2331 - 2331 Ill Beat The Deity Too! 2331 I¡¯ll Beat The Deity Too! Her voice trailed off as she thought of something. Then, shock flashed quickly in her eyes. Xiao Ba turned around and looked. ¡°A barrier? What barrier? There was nothing when we came.¡± With that, she glanced at Jian Fengchi. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Jian Fengchi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We really didn¡¯t see any barriers.¡± If there was, they wouldn¡¯t have come over so casually. Shu Jing looked up in disbelief. The barrier in the distance has indeed dissipated at some point! Shu Jing¡¯s heart sank. How did this happen? That barrier has existed for more than 10,000 years, and this has never happened before! Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes moved, and she smiled. ¡°Eighth Deity, how long has it been since you came to the medicinal mountain? Why didn¡¯t you know that your barrier had disappeared?¡± Shu Jing pursed her lips tightly and didn¡¯t speak. Then, she said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll let you off this time. There won¡¯t be a next time!¡± With that, she turned to leave. It seemed like she was in a hurry to do something. Xiao Ba suddenly took a step forward and chuckled. ¡°Eighth Deity, wait.¡± Shu Jing turned around impatiently. ¡°What else do you have to say!?¡± If not for the fact that she was in a hurry to confirm something, she wouldn¡¯t have let these two people off so easily! Xiao Ba said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. I just have a few words to say to you, Eighth Deity.¡± What is Xiao Ba up to? Shu Jing frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to listen to your useless words.¡± Shu Jing retracted her gaze and planned to leave. However, Xiao Ba¡¯s words from behind made her stop in her tracks. ¡°Eighth Deity, I heard that you¡¯ve been in charge of this medicinal mountain for tens of thousands of years. Logically speaking, you know everything here the best. However, Eighth Deity, you seem to be¡­ not taking good care of it?¡± This sentence completely ignited the anger that Shu Jing had been suppressing for a long time! She abruptly turned around and questioned sternly, ¡°What did you say!?¡± The medicinal mountain was what she cared about the most. It wasn¡¯t difficult to see this since she had been trying to seize more power a few years ago and wanted to completely treat the medicinal mountain as her own. Therefore, she would never allow anyone to doubt her in this aspect! Previously, it was the Emperor who made a move. She was afraid, so she obediently handed over all her power. No matter how unwilling and unwilling she was, she would never dare to go against that person. However, Xiao Ba was different. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you talk nonsense in front of me, a deity!¡± Shu Jing was really angry to the extreme and spoke mercilessly. However, Xiao Ba wasn¡¯t angry. She raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°If the Eighth Deity cared and worried about the medicinal mountain at all, I¡¯m afraid the medicinal mountain wouldn¡¯t have become like this. Don¡¯t you know¡­ that the Thousand Wind Seeds and Mantuo that are more than a hundred years old are all gone?¡± Of course, Shu Jing knew¡ªafter all, she had been very strict with every medicinal herb on the medicinal mountain. However, she didn¡¯t care. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Xiao Ba repeated her words. The smile on her lips deepened, but a layer of frost gradually gathered in her eyes. She scoffed. ¡°Heavenly treasures are extremely precious, but it¡¯s precisely because of this that you have to take care of them even more carefully. In the end, you just plucked them all, leaving nothing behind? Eighth Deity, even I understand such a simple logic. Don¡¯t you?¡± The only explanation was that Shu Jing had no intention of taking good care of the medicinal mountain. She just wanted to get as many benefits as possible. In any case, she definitely didn¡¯t lack medicinal herbs. As for the rest¡­ she couldn¡¯t be bothered. Shu Jing was so angry that she laughed instead. She took a step forward and gazed at Xiao Ba disdainfully and sarcastically, saying word by word, ¡°Since I¡¯m the one guarding the medicinal mountain, it¡¯s not up to others to worry about these things. Whether this medicinal mountain is good or bad has nothing to do with you.¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s expression gradually turned cold. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve recently broken through to become a Supreme Physician, and this is the time to show off, but in Fantasy Divine Palace, there¡¯s no lack of Supreme Physicians like you. Besides, you don¡¯t have a bloodline totem yet.¡± Seeing the change in Xiao Ba¡¯s expression, Shu Jing was very happy. During this period of time, she had really had enough of all kinds of anger. She had long been holding back her anger. Now that Xiao Ba had bumped into the muzzle of the gun, she naturally wouldn¡¯t let it go easily. ¡°You¡¯re as annoying as your arrogant and despotic master! You¡¯re just from a lowly background¡ª¡± Slap! Before Shu Jing could finish speaking, she was slapped on the face! A loud and clear slap sounded, instantly freezing the surrounding space! Xiao Ba had used all her strength in this slap, and it directly slapped Shu Jing¡¯s head and face. It wasn¡¯t that Shu Jing was weaker than Xiao Ba, but she really didn¡¯t expect the latter to suddenly attack! Ever since Shu Jing became a deity, she had always been high and mighty. When had she ever been humiliated like this?! She covered half of her numb and painful face and looked at Xiao Ba in shock and anger. ¡°You!¡± Without thinking, she raised her hand and was about to retaliate, slapping Xiao Ba¡¯s face! Xiao Ba grabbed her wrist tightly. Her beautiful eyes, which had always been enchanting, were now cold! ¡°How dare you scold Master. You must be tired of living!¡± Jian Fengchi, who was at the side, was stunned for a while when he saw this scene. My goodness, you really fought with the deity!? He was about to persuade her when he suddenly felt that something was wrong. He lowered his head to take a look. Ripples suddenly appeared on the stream. The surrounding plants moved without wind. A powerful pressure gradually appeared! Chapter 2332 - 2332 Whose Barrier 2332 Whose Barrier Shock flashed across Jian Fengchi¡¯s eyes. This pressure¡­ seems to be surging from Xiao Ba? But isn¡¯t she a true god? How could she cause such a huge commotion? But at this moment, Shu Jing was in a fit of anger and didn¡¯t notice anything wrong. She grabbed Xiao Ba¡¯s wrist and raised her hand to hit her again! Swoosh! There was a sudden sound of air being torn apart as a folding fan hit her wrist ruthlessly. Shu Jing was in pain and subconsciously let go. Then, she glared at Jian Fengchi angrily. ¡°You!¡± Jian Fengchi hurriedly said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I wanted to stop Xiao Ba, but I didn¡¯t expect to hit you. Eighth Deity, are you alright?¡± Shu Jing was furious. Jian Fengchi is clearly helping Xiao Ba! ¡°Okay! Okay! You guys are really rebelling!¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes were fixed on Shu Jing. Her red lips curled into an enchanting smile, but her eyes were extremely cold. ¡°Oh? Who did you say is rebelling?¡± Her voice was as soft and sweet as ever, but when she emphasized it now, it carried an indescribable dignity! Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously looked at Xiao Ba. For some reason, when she met those eyes that seemed to contain a cold smile, she suddenly felt a strong sense of uneasiness in her heart. Those eyes seemed to be able to see through everything and see the deepest part of her! The wind chime grass swayed, and the stream flowed faster, with waves surging. Xiao Ba said, ¡°Shu Jing, this medicinal mountain¡­ You¡¯re not qualified to manage it!¡± Shu Jing screamed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. ¡°If I¡¯m not qualified, are you!?¡± Xiao Ba didn¡¯t speak and just stared at her. The token hanging on her waist trembled slightly. The words on it were rich and bright, almost breaking out! ¡°It seems like if I don¡¯t teach you a lesson today, you¡¯ll never realize what mistake you¡¯ve made!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the aura around Shu Jing suddenly soared! However, there was no panic on Xiao Ba¡¯s face. Instead, the corners of her lips curled up into a mocking smile. Jian Fengchi glanced at her, and the corners of his eyes twitched. How could Xiao Ba still smile at a time like this? She is really not afraid of offending Shu Jing! With a move, Jian Fengchi came to Xiao Ba¡¯s side and pulled her behind him. He whispered, ¡°Xiao Ba, you¡¯re too bold!¡± Having been slapped, Shu Jing will definitely take proper revenge! Does Xiao Ba still want to continue staying in Fantasy Divine Palace in the future!? Xiao Ba brushed her hair back and smiled enchantingly. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I want to see how she can teach me a lesson.¡± Jian Fengchi was about to say something when he suddenly saw a barrier slowly appear not far away. The barrier was a faint green, and there were some strange patterns engraved on it. After taking a closer look, Jian Fengchi could tell that it was a Xuan formation! But on this Xuan formation, countless lines intersected with each other¡ªit was extremely complicated. If one looked at it for a long time, it would even give one a headache. Jian Fengchi retracted his gaze and was still a little shocked. ¡°Is that the barrier that the Eighth Deity mentioned before?!¡± Xiao Ba turned around and smiled. Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t see her current expression. Worried, he looked at Shu Jing. If it¡¯s a deity, the two of us will definitely not be able to win. We have to think of a way¡­ But at this moment, the force surging in Shu Jing¡¯s body suddenly dissipated into the surroundings. The force that had just been mobilized dissipated silently! Shu Jing was shocked. She widened her eyes in disbelief and looked at her hands. The pressure accumulated in her palm was also extinguished with a bang! She panicked for a moment, then tried to mobilize the energy around her again. But before she could attack, it dissipated again. Shu Jing¡¯s heart sank! Then, she suddenly thought of something and looked up. The barrier had appeared again at some point in time, and the force that dissipated from her body surged toward the barrier quietly. It was this barrier that forcibly deprived her of her force! Shu Jing felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her head. An indescribable chill suddenly surged from the bottom of her heart, making her tremble slightly. This barrier¡­ this barrier¡­ Jian Fengchi saw that something was wrong with her expression and turned around to take a look. He was also shocked on the spot. Isn¡¯t this the barrier of the Eighth Deity? Why is it suddenly attacking her now? Shu Jing suddenly turned and left quickly! She was very fast and her footsteps were hurried. Her back view actually carried a hint of panic and embarrassment. Jian Fengchi blinked. ¡°She¡­ left just like that?!¡± Didn¡¯t she say that she would teach us a lesson? She actually suffered a slap from Xiao Ba for nothing? ¡°The Eighth Deity is really interesting¡­¡± As Jian Fengchi spoke, he looked at Xiao Ba and said worriedly, ¡°Although she has left, with her personality, she will definitely not let today¡¯s matter rest¡­¡± Xiao Ba smiled. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? She¡¯s like a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river now. She can¡¯t even protect herself, so how can she have the time to care about us?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Look at that barrier. She¡¯s in charge of guarding the medicinal mountain, but she can¡¯t even control this¡­¡± Xiao Ba sneered. ¡°I thought she was very powerful, yet it turns out that she just looks strong on the outside but is actually weak. What a waste of my feelings.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. ¡°Xiao Ba.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Do you feel that¡­ you seem to be getting more and more arrogant?¡± Listen to yourself. How many people dares to scold the Eighth Deity like this? You not only scolded her but even slapped her. Jian Fengchi felt that Shu Jing had probably never been bullied like this before. Looking at her just now, she simply wished she could tear Xiao Ba apart. Xiao Ba blinked her beautiful eyes. Her thick and curled eyelashes fluttered gently like a small fan. Her eyes moved as she wheedled humbly. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Jian Fengchi trembled and took a step back with cupped fists. ¡°Aunt, let¡¯s talk things out.¡± When he thought of Xiao Ba¡¯s slap just now, his heart was still trembling. Xiao Ba snorted and walked back. Jian Fengchi thought for a moment and followed her. Heremarked worriedly, ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m afraid Shu Jing will really bear a grudge¡­¡± Xiao Ba yawned carelessly. ¡°Hasn¡¯t she always been like this? What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± ¡°What if she finds us again¡ª¡± Xiao Ba waved her hand. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be merciful and give her another slap. Two will do.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be good if there were more. It would hurt her hand. Xiao Ba looked at her hand with heartache. ¡°Look at how thick-skinned she is. My nails are almost scratched.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. As the two of them spoke, they arrived in front of the barrier. Jian Fengchi suddenly thought of something and turned around to take a look. The surrounding plants gradually stopped shaking, and the waves in the stream calmed down bit by bit. Chapter 2333 - 2333 Not Mine 2333 Not Mine Just like that, everything quietly returned to calm as if nothing had happened. He furrowed his brows and subconsciously glanced at Xiao Ba. He wanted to ask something, but he didn¡¯t know how to say it. Ask what? Ask if the commotion just now was related to Xiao Ba? And the sudden appearance of this barrier¡­ Jian Fengchi shook his head and dismissed that ridiculous thought. Shu Jing said it herself. This barrier was already here, so how could it have anything to do with Xiao Ba? At this moment, Xiao Ba had already arrived in front of the barrier. When she was ten steps away from the barrier, it suddenly dissipated. Xiao Ba waved at Jian Fengchi. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go.¡± Jian Fengchi was stunned and followed her. It¡¯s probably a coincidence. After all, when we came, this barrier had inexplicably disappeared¡­ ¡°Xiao Ba, why do you think that barrier isn¡¯t controlled by the Eighth Deity? Isn¡¯t this her territory?¡± Xiao Ba smiled. ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡­ Shu Jing rushed back to Fantasy Divine Hall. She wanted to look for the First Deity, but halfway through, she remembered that she had asked to see him a few times before yet had been rejected without exception. If she went again this time, the outcome would probably be the same. Shu Jing gritted her teeth and changed direction, walking toward the Second Deity¡¯s residence. She had just arrived at the door, and before she could knock, she bumped into Yu Qian¡ªwho was walking over from the other side. From the looks of it, he had just returned. ¡°Second Deity.¡± Seeing Yu Qian, Shu Jing hurried forward. ¡°I have something to report.¡± Yu Qian was depressed and wanted to ignore her, but when he heard this, he looked up at her and saw that her expression was a little off. Only then did he stop. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Shu Jing was about to speak when her eyes suddenly narrowed. She saw that there was a bloody wound on Yu Qian¡¯s hand. It looked like he had been bitten by something. ¡°Second Deity, the injury on your hand¡­¡± Yu Qian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I was bitten by a beast on the legendary fiend mountain just now.¡± Shu Jing was shocked. ¡°What?!¡± On the legendary fiend mountain, there were hundreds of legendary fiends. They had always been taken care of by the Second Deity. Usually, these legendary fiends were especially respectful to him. Why did they suddenly go crazy this time? Yu Qian gritted his teeth. Actually, he hadn¡¯t been there for a long time. He suddenly thought of this today and wanted to go over and take a look. Unexpectedly, one of them suddenly attacked and bit him. Although he had already killed it on the spot, the wound was still left. Furthermore, because the beast¡¯s teeth were poisonous, he had specially used medicine. Therefore, when he saw Shu Jing, his mood was at its worst. ¡°These beasts are really getting more and more impudent! They actually bit you?¡± Shu Jing¡¯s words made Yu Qian even more frustrated. He said coldly, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s over; there¡¯s no need to mention it again. On the other hand, you said that you had something to report. What happened?¡± A look of difficulty flashed across Shu Jing¡¯s face before she said, ¡°There seems to be something wrong with the barrier on the medicinal mountain¡­¡± Right on the heels of that, she told Yu Qian what had happened. However, she deliberately skipped the part where Xiao Ba attacked. It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to protect Xiao Ba, but as a deity, it was too embarrassing to be slapped by someone who had just arrived at Fantasy Divine Palace and didn¡¯t even have a bloodline totem. If this was made known to the public, she would lose all her face! Anyway, she had plenty of ways to get back at her. After saying that, Yu Qian didn¡¯t speak for a long time. Shu Jing was a little nervous. ¡°Second Deity, you¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± Yu Qian suddenly asked. Shu Jing was shocked. Then, she suddenly realized what was going on¡ªthere was still that palm print on her face! I had actually forgotten about this¡­ She had rushed over in a hurry on the way just now, her mind only filled with thoughts about the barrier. How could she remember all this? In the end, Yu Qian saw it. Shu Jing lowered her head in embarrassment. Yu Qian asked, ¡°This was done by Xiao Ba?¡± Shu Jing bit the bullet and nodded. Yu Qian suddenly laughed. ¡°Shu Jing, you¡¯re the Eighth Deity. You were beaten up just like that? What are you doing?!¡± Seeing that Yu Qian was angry, Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°It¡¯s all because she attacked too suddenly! I wasn¡¯t prepared for it at that moment¡ª¡± Yu Qian stared at her coldly. The rest of Shu Jing¡¯s words suddenly got stuck in her throat. Her face turned pale. After a long time, she finally said, ¡°¡­Shu Jing is useless.¡± ¡°You are indeed incompetent.¡± Yu Qian spoke without giving Shu Jing any face. ¡°As a deity, you were actually slapped by such a person? If word gets out, the entire Fantasy Divine Hall will be ashamed of you!¡± Shu Jing lowered her head and didn¡¯t dare to speak. ¡°How did you deal with that Xiao Ba?¡± She paused and lowered her head even more. ¡°N-not yet¡­ At that time, the barrier suddenly¡ª¡± ¡°So, you were beaten up and did nothing in the end. You came back like this?¡± Yu Qian had an eye-opening experience! This is simply throwing the face of deities to the ground and being trampled on nonchalantly! Sensing his anger, Shu Jing clenched her fists tightly, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything. At this moment, it was useless to say anything else. It was impossible to pretend that nothing had happened. Even if she went back and killed Xiao Ba now, she had already suffered this slap! This humiliation would never be erased. Yu Qian took a deep breath. ¡°But that¡¯s not the most important thing. Shu Jing, after so long, you still haven¡¯t taken down that barrier?!¡± Shu Jing¡¯s face turned pale, and her legs went weak. ¡°In the past, you tried to control the medicinal mountain and did many cheap shots and tricks in private. I never cared much about it because in my opinion, it¡¯s not a bad thing that you¡¯re ambitious. At the very least, it can let you resolve the problem of the barrier faster and more smoothly. In the end, what happened?¡± ¡°You used public power for your own gain. Not only did you alarm the Emperor, but after so long, there¡¯s actually no progress on the barrier at all! Shu Jing, you disappoint me too much!¡± After a series of accusations and reprimands, Shu Jing could barely take it. It took her a while to find her voice. ¡°Second Deity, that¡­ I¡¯ve already done my best about that barrier, b-but¡­ you know how difficult it is to deal with!¡± Yu Qian looked down at her with an indifferent gaze. ¡°I naturally know this, but I¡¯ve already given you tens of thousands of years. Yet, you haven¡¯t resolved it! This can no longer be summarized with just ¡®incompetence!''¡± Shu Jing dug her nails into her palm and felt a sharp pain. However, she was almost numb at this moment and couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°I didn¡¯t set up that barrier in the first place. It¡¯s so difficult to control it!¡± Chapter 2334 - 2334 Come Out! 2334 Come Out! On the other side, Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi returned to their residence. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw a familiar figure¡ªIt was Yan Qing. Seeing Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi enter together, Yan Qing stopped in his tracks and took the initiative to speak for the first time. ¡°You went to the medicinal mountain?¡± Xiao Ba walked over with a smile. ¡°How did Brother Yan Qing know?¡± Yan Qing paused and pursed his lips slightly. Seeing his reaction, Xiao Ba was overjoyed. This person really can¡¯t withstand any teasing, but he is such a person. It¡¯s most interesting to tease him. Xiao Ba took a step forward and patted his shoulder gently. ¡°Brother Yan Qing seems to be very concerned about me?¡± Yan Qing lowered his eyes and glanced at her hand. He saw that half of the gorgeous nail on one of her fingers had fallen off. His eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°You fought with someone?¡± Xiao Ba was shocked. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Following Yan Qing¡¯s gaze, she finally understood and couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. ¡°Your eyes are really sharp¡­ Sigh, it¡¯s actually nothing much. It¡¯s just that there was a woman who was so annoying, so I slapped her.¡± Her words were really calm. Jian Fengchi said faintly, ¡°She slapped the Eighth Deity¡ªShu Jing.¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled slightly. ¡°Who asked her to scold Master first? Just giving her a slap is considered light!¡± Listening to their conversation, Yan Qing quickly understood what had happened. Then, he frowned slightly. ¡°She didn¡¯t fight back and let you guys back just like that?¡± Xiao Ba laughed. ¡°She can¡¯t even take care of herself. How would she have the time to care about me?¡± With that, she turned around and walked to her room. ¡°I¡¯m tired today, so I¡¯ll rest first. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡± Before she could finish speaking, she had already entered the house. Yan Qing¡¯s eyes moved slightly, staring at it for a while before retracting his gaze. Then, he turned around and planned to leave. ¡°Hey, Master Yan Qing,¡± Jian Fengchi shouted. Yan Qing turned to look at him, his eyes cold. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s brows twitched harshly. What¡¯s this!? Xiao Ba just beat up the Eighth Deity! Even if you have an iceberg face, can you please give a reaction!? Why does everyone seem to not care much about this? He couldn¡¯t help but cough and remind, ¡°Xiao Ba¡­ she really slapped the Eighth Deity just now!¡± ¡°I heard you.¡± Yan Qing was a man of few words. There was no expression on his face. Jian Fengchi choked and hammered his chest twice. ¡°Forget, forget it¡­¡± I can¡¯t afford to offend him. All of them were really bold. Since everyone doesn¡¯t care, why should I be so worried? At this moment, a sound abruptly came from another room. Dong! It was as if something had fallen. Jian Fengchi glanced over and realized that it was Mu Hongyu¡¯s room. He hesitated for a moment before walking over and knocking on the door. ¡°Hongyu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± In the room, Mu Hongyu stood up with a grimace, leaning on the chair. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Hearing her energetic voice, Jian Fengchi was relieved. He originally planned to go in and take a look, but in the end, he gave up. He knew that Mu Hongyu had been cultivating recently and was trying to break through to the Great Advanced Realm as soon as possible. She would encounter some troubles occasionally, so this was not a serious matter to her. After some thought, Jian Fengchi reminded her a few more times before turning to leave. When he turned around, Yan Qing had already disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m really not worried¡­¡± Jian Fengchi shook his head. Hearing the footsteps outside walk away, Mu Hongyu let out a hiss and gently rubbed her shoulders. This Great Advanced Realm is really difficult to cultivate. I¡¯ve tried all kinds of methods, but I still can¡¯t break through. I often run to other places for no reason. Fortunately, I haven¡¯t gone anywhere out of line so far. But in Fantasy Divine Palace, it is really best to be especially careful. Unwilling to give up, she took out the map Chu Liuyue had left behind and studied it carefully. ¡­ Phoenix Mountain. The mountain wind blew over, and a tender green Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was swaying gently. Tuan Zi sat alone at the side and was cultivating. There was a layer of reddish-gold flames silently burning under her. The surrounding energy quickly surged into her body. Her aura surged, and her pressure was prominent. After opening the seventh meridian, her cultivation speed clearly increased much more than before. After all, even Yi Zhao had only opened the seventh meridian. And now, she had already reached such a state before she was officially an adult. It was really heaven-defying. After a long time, Tuan Zi finally stopped and slowly opened her eyes. Those big black grape-like eyes seemed to have become even clearer and brighter than before. A dazzling light quickly flashed across them. ¡°Sigh¡­ so boring¡­¡± Tuan Zi let out a long breath and rested her chin on her hand. Her chubby face was filled with worry. Although it was very comfortable to stay here, she was really lonely! Most importantly, A¡¯Yue wasn¡¯t in Fantasy Divine Palace now. She couldn¡¯t even find someone to talk to¡­ Tuan Zi sighed again. ¡°Eh¡­ eh?¡± She suddenly sensed something and quickly turned to take a look. There was nothing behind her. Tuan Zi blinked. This is weird. I clearly felt a pair of eyes looking at me just now¡­ Tuan Zi rolled her big eyes and retracted her gaze. She reached out and gently touched the leaf of the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. It grew very quickly here and now had five leaves. It was verdant and full of vitality. As if affected by it, Phoenix Mountain seemed to be more lively than before. At the foot of the mountain, some green buds had already grown on the originally bare ground. Although they had just grown out, they looked especially gratifying. ¡°When can I open the ninth meridian¡­¡± Tuan Zi muttered softly. In the past, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to this matter. Even though she knew that she had a pure bloodline, she didn¡¯t think too much about it. However, it was different now. Only by opening the ninth meridian could she save the Clan Leader Grandpa¡­ Moreover, only those who were strong enough could protect A¡¯Yue. As she spoke, she suddenly counterattacked! A cluster of scarlet-gold flames quickly flew out! ¡°Come out!¡± Chapter 2335 - 2335 The Best 2335 The Best This time, she missed. No one appeared, not even a trace was left behind. It seemed like¡­ there was really nothing. However, Tuan Zi didn¡¯t believe it. She stood up and ran over, carefully searching in all directions. ¡°What¡­ This person ran so fast!¡± she couldn¡¯t help but mutter. She was sure that someone was definitely watching her from the shadows. Unfortunately, she had never been able to find out who it was. She placed one hand on her waist and shouted at the empty space in front of her, ¡°If you have the ability to secretly look at me, don¡¯t be afraid to come out!¡± No one responded. Tuan Zi pouted angrily. ¡°I¡¯m going to be angry!¡± Still, no one responded. Tuan Zi turned around angrily and sat down again. Whoosh¡ª As if sensing her anger, the Heaven and Earth Force around Phoenix Mountain suddenly surged quickly! Coupled with the fact that the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed was also shaking, the commotion became even greater. Shoo! A scarlet-gold flame suddenly burned not far from Tuan Zi! Sou! Sou! With the first one taking the lead, everything behind naturally became smoother. A few more flames erupted from the mountain rock. Soon, force surged into Tuan Zi¡¯s body. It was purer and faster than previously. Tuan Zi was also quickly wrapped in flames, and her aura kept rising! I don¡¯t believe that when I¡¯m more powerful, I won¡¯t be able to catch the other party! ¡­ God-Killing Tumulus. Dark clouds gathered, and the sky was dark. Under the gloomy sky, space distorted and turned into Dao vortices that crazily accumulated energy. And Chu Liuyue was standing in the middle of these countless vortices! She closed her eyes and moved her slender and fair fingers in the air. Streams of zither music rose. And in the depths of this group of tombstones, there was also a zither note that constantly corresponded with her. Every tone was perfectly compatible! The blood in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body surged as if something was about to break out! At a certain moment, the last zither note finally fell and circled the vast wilderness for a long time. She suddenly opened her eyes! Then, she waved her fair hand gently, and countless vortices above fell! One after another, they entered the stones beside Chu Liuyue¡¯s feet. Countless holes were torn in the void, and for a moment, violent spatial turbulence surged. At a glance, the surrounding space was like a soft and fragile cloth that had been easily torn apart. However, this didn¡¯t pose any threat to Chu Liuyue. Those terrifying auras only lingered in their positions and didn¡¯t approach her at all. Of course, this was very likely because the even more terrifying portion of spatial power was already under her control! Chu Liuyue raised her hand. A rock flew over and entered the Cosmic Ring. Right on the heels of that was the second piece, the third piece¡­ Chu Liuyue was originally a little worried that the Cosmic Ring wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the power and pressure contained in these stones, but she was shocked to discover that her worries were completely unnecessary. Even when the last stone entered, the Cosmic Ring didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all. Silent and tolerant! She stared at the Cosmic Ring and said to Rong Xiu, ¡°This ring¡­ is really much more powerful than I expected¡­¡± This was what Rong Xiu had given her back then. It was the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s treasure. Rong Xiu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s for you, so it¡¯s naturally the best.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart warmed. Then, she looked up, and her expression froze. Rong Xiu asked, ¡°Do you have the whereabouts of the music score?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded and shook her head. ¡°Actually¡­ If I¡¯m not wrong, that music score should already be in my hands.¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment, as if she were considering how to explain. ¡°Every tone of the last music score is hidden in this void. That¡¯s why this scene happened when I activated the third music score just now.¡± The void kept distorting and collapsing, and vortices appeared one after another. The song echoed and successfully summoned the third music score, but because it had completely integrated into this void and had been cut into 3,000 pieces¡­ In the end, there wasn¡¯t even a complete physical copy. Of course, to be precise, there was¡ªthose shattered tombstones. Now, they were all lying obediently in Chu Liuyue¡¯s Cosmic Ring. In such a situation, it wasn¡¯t wrong to say that she had already obtained the music score. However¡­ she probably still had to completely piece it together and reassemble it. ¡°No wonder Senior Ah Jing didn¡¯t notice the existence of this last music score back then¡­¡± Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows painfully. She was the last to realize this. ¡°In other words, the last music score hasn¡¯t been integrated with the first two.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I think¡­ I have to wait until I can completely control these stones.¡± However, those represented the power of 3,000 spaces¡­ Although she was already closely related to this spatial power, how could it be so easy to completely control it? Even the stones she had obtained from the true god tombstone area were still occasionally not very obedient, let alone these. Rong Xiu nodded his head, and his thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°However, the item is in your hands after all. It¡¯s only a matter of time before it completely fuses.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue heaved a sigh of relief. As long as she reorganized this last fragmented music score and then fused it with the previous two, all the problems could be resolved! ¡°Since this matter is over, we should return to Fantasy Divine Palace as soon as possible. I wonder what¡¯s the situation with those two deities now¡­¡± As she spoke, she saw Rong Xiu raise his chin. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to wait.¡± Chu Liuyue followed his gaze and raised her eyebrows. Lu Feng and Qi Han were still in place. The God Realm around them enveloped them and kept devouring the surrounding force. The aura around them was several times stronger than before! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes moved as she softly muttered, ¡°Are they¡­ about to break through to become a legendary warrior?¡± Chapter 2336 - 2336 The Liveliness of the Fantasy Divine Hall 2336 The Liveliness of the Fantasy Divine Hall As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Feng¡¯s aura soared! Almost at the same time, a heavy pressure spread from Qi Han¡¯s body! Both of them had broken through to become legendary warriors! Chu Liuyue looked up at the sky. In the dark sky, the spatial tears were repairing themselves. However¡­ no lightning struck. Generally speaking, when one broke through to become a legendary warrior, they would trigger heavenly lightning and cause a huge commotion. Those with higher talent and strength would even summon golden heavenly lightning¡ªChu Liuyue was like that when she broke through. But now, it seemed that because the lightning pool in Fantasy Divine Palace was sealed, no lightning bolts descended when the two of them broke through. Chu Liuyue frowned slightly. Although the two of them have successfully broken through to become legendary warriors, I still feel that something is missing. After a while, the aura surging around Lu Feng and Qi Han finally calmed down. The two of them stood up one after another. ¡°Master.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°The two of you are really efficient.¡± The threshold of a legendary warrior wasn¡¯t so easy to cross. For example, Xiao Ba had yet to show any signs of breaking through. Moreover, the energy here was chaotic just now. It was really rare to be able to break through under such circumstances. ¡°You guys can return to Fantasy Divine Palace with me later.¡± Chu Liuyue deliberated and said, ¡°When the lightning pool opens, you can undergo the Holy Body tempering again.¡± The two of them nodded in unison. Chu Liuyue looked forward. The black wall stood far away. ¡°Senior Ah Jing actually didn¡¯t respond after causing such a huge commotion¡­¡± Chu Liuyue muttered strangely. She wanted to go over and take a look, but after careful consideration, Chu Liuyue dispelled this thought. Senior Ah Jing was powerful. If he didn¡¯t plan to come out, he should have his own considerations. She didn¡¯t need to go over and disturb him. Chu Liuyue came to a decision. ¡°Back to Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± ¡­ After making the decision, the group quickly returned. As Lu Feng and Qi Han had also broken through to become legendary warriors, they advanced very quickly. It didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at the shore of the Fantasy Divine Sea again. Unlike the usual bustle, this place was actually empty at this moment. At a glance, there was only a tall man standing with his hands behind his back. This back view looked a little familiar¡­ As if sensing their movement, the man turned. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen?¡± It was indeed him. Chu Liuyue was very surprised. ¡°Why are you here all of a sudden?¡± Miao Zhen stroked his beard. ¡°I¡¯ve already set up a heavy guard on Godly Dragon Island. I thought that I should indeed come here to take a look, so I came over.¡± Now, all the experts in the God Residence Realm were coming this way. There was even less need for him to say anything. With Miao Zhen around, Chu Liuyue instantly felt more at ease. She nodded and looked around again. ¡°Why are you the only one here?¡± Miao Zhen said, ¡°When I came, there was no one here. I was about to go up when I bumped into you. Hey, where did you go?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°I returned to the God-Killing Tumulus because of something.¡± Miao Zhen was a little surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Seventh Deity is extremely strict with the Heaven Gate? Why¡­¡± This isn¡¯t the first time she has come out, right? Is the Seventh Deity so easy to talk to? Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°Yes, he doesn¡¯t seem too happy.¡± But so what? Miao Zhen was speechless. Looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm and nonchalant expression, Miao Zhen deeply felt that his question was really not up to standard. I should¡¯ve known that this girl is unwilling to be reasonable under such circumstances¡­ ¡°What a coincidence that we arrived together.¡± Miao Zhen chuckled. ¡°Although I¡¯ve long heard of Fantasy Divine Palace, this is my first time here.¡± Chu Liuyue had briefly chatted with him before. The ancestor of the great phoenix dragon, Miao Lin, was once from Fantasy Divine Palace. But later on, these two ancient legendary fiends left Fantasy Divine Palace. Now that Chu Liuyue already knew some rumors back then, she guessed that the departure of the great phoenix dragon and the red-gold heavenly phoenix should be related to that incident. However, it was hard to say the exact truth. Chu Liuyue raised her hand. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, please¡ª¡± ¡­ As she flew past the Fantasy Divine Sea again, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel several spatial forces intersecting with each other below. In the silence, there was a hidden surging tide. Chu Liuyue looked down, and her gaze froze. Rong Xiu noticed her actions and looked sideways. ¡°Yue¡¯er?¡± Chu Liuyue replied softly. ¡°This Fantasy Divine Sea is really more powerful than I expected¡­¡± She had already vaguely sensed that what she had seen last time was actually just the tip of the iceberg. Diwu Zhangze was trapped in the deepest part of this sea area. If they wanted to save him¡­ they indeed needed to be sufficiently prepared. Then, the few of them successfully arrived on the silver bridge and walked toward the Heaven Gate. ¡­ Just as she arrived at the Heaven Gate, the barrier opened automatically. Chu Liuyue was dazed. This¡­ ¡°The so-called Heaven Gate doesn¡¯t seem to be that difficult to enter?¡± As Miao Zhen spoke, he stepped into it. ¡°Miao¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue was about to stop him when she saw that Miao Zhen had already walked in. However, nothing happened. Chu Liuyue waited for a moment, but the Seventh Deity didn¡¯t appear. Miao Zhen turned around and waved at them. ¡°What are you waiting for? Come here!¡± Rong Xiu held Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and walked in. Lu Feng and Qi Han followed closely behind. After entering, Chu Liuyue looked around. This place was as empty as usual, but there seemed to be a slight difference. It seemed¡­ even colder than before. ¡°The Seventh Deity is so busy that he doesn¡¯t even guard the Heaven Gate?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes. Jin Yunlai wasn¡¯t such a person. Moreover, even if he really had something on at the last minute, he could ask the other deities for help first. Yet, there was no one here. ¡°Perhaps he was delayed by something?¡± Miao Zhen asked. What could be more important than guarding the Heaven Gate? This was the only entrance to Fantasy Divine Palace, so its importance was obvious. Whoosh! A piercing sound suddenly came from afar. Chu Liuyue and the rest looked up and saw a figure passing by in midair, heading in the direction of Fantasy Divine Hall. Wait, Fantasy Divine Hall?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she stared at that person. He didn¡¯t turn in any other direction and headed straight for Fantasy Divine Hall! Soon, another person headed in another direction. He wasn¡¯t slow and looked like he was in a hurry to do something. Chu Liuyue frowned. Fantasy Divine Hall is sacred and noble. Most people here can only look up from afar. What is going on this time? Chu Liuyue hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Chapter 2337 - 2337 The Sixth Deity 2337 The Sixth Deity The few of them followed the Star Path toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. The further she went, the stranger Chu Liuyue found it. In the past, both sides of the Star Path were relatively lively, but it is deserted now. It is really strange. ¡°Could it be that everyone here has gone to the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Chu Liuyue muttered suspiciously. As soon as she finished speaking, she bumped into an acquaintance. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran?¡± Seeing that familiar figure, Chu Liuyue immediately spoke. Xiao Ran was walking lazily in the other direction with crossed arms. When he heard this, he immediately turned around. Upon seeing Chu Liuyue, he smiled and was about to say something when he saw Miao Zhen and the others from the corner of his eye. He had seen Rong Xiu before, but the remaining three people¡­ were extremely unfamiliar. With a thought, he guessed something. ¡°Did these people come here with you this time?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded her head and introduced them. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, this is Senior Miao Zhen.¡± Hearing this name, Xiao Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°A-a member of the great phoenix dragon race?¡± ¡°Senior Miao Zhen is the patriarch of the great phoenix dragon,¡± Chu Liuyue explained. Xiao Ran thought to himself, I had already felt that this person looked extraordinary just now, but his identity still surprises me. ¡°So it¡¯s Clan Leader Miao Zhen. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xiao Ran smiled and cupped his hands, but he was quite emotional. Isn¡¯t this little girl a little too powerful? She contracted with the young mistress of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. From the looks of it, she also has a good relationship with the patriarch of the great phoenix dragon race. It¡¯s difficult for ordinary people to even see an ancient legendary fiend, but she has a deep relationship with both races. Apart from the fact that she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, everything else about her is really heaven-defying¡­ With that, he looked at Lu Feng and Qi Han behind them. ¡°These two¡ª¡± They look very young, but they are already legendary warriors! Chu Liuyue turned around to take a look. The two of them immediately bowed. ¡°Lu Feng (Qi Han) greets Senior Xiao Ran.¡± Xiao Ran was very surprised. ¡°You¡­ Are these two your subordinates too?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Xiao Ran was speechless. It¡¯s one thing for her to break through to become a legendary warrior at such a young age, but all her subordinates are actually so strong! Is she going to let anyone else live? Are these people really ordinary people from the God Residence Realm who don¡¯t even have a bloodline totem? Xiao Ran felt a sense of crisis and defeat. Chu Liuyue asked, ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, what are you going to do? I saw that some people seemed to be heading to the Fantasy Divine Hall just now¡­¡± Xiao Ran said, ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m going to watch the show! Oh right, you just returned, so you don¡¯t know yet. Divine Master helped the Sixth Deity reconstruct his Holy Body! This kind of thing is extremely rare, so everyone is rushing over!¡± This short sentence contained too much information! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled! Divine Master! If I have guessed correctly, isn¡¯t that the master of Fantasy Divine Hall?! ¡°The Divine Master¡­ is coming out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Xiao Ran said. ¡°The Divine Master is in charge of Fantasy Divine Hall; he¡¯s extremely sacred and noble. Apart from the deities, no one can see him. Besides, the Divine Master has all-powerful abilities. Even if he doesn¡¯t leave Fantasy Divine Hall, it¡¯s easy for him to help the Sixth Deity reconstruct his Holy Body.¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips and felt a little disappointed. But upon careful thought, this was actually very normal. Even Fantasy Divine Hall was so difficult to enter, so it was naturally even harder to see that high and mighty Divine Master. However¡­ since this was a small matter to the Divine Master, he could just do it in private. Why did he have to make it public? And that Sixth Deity¡­ ¡°All the deities are powerful people. How can the Sixth Deity not have a Holy Body?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because¡ª¡± Xiao Ran paused and looked around before lowering his voice. ¡°Actually, the Sixth Deity originally had a Holy Body, but I heard that he went out of Fantasy Divine Palace some time ago. When he returned, his Holy Body had already been destroyed. Originally, this wasn¡¯t important. With the Sixth Deity¡¯s identity and strength, he could go to the lightning pool to borrow the power of heavenly lightning and refine his Holy Body again. However, isn¡¯t the lightning pool sealed? Therefore, he can only ask the Divine Master to take action now.¡± ¡°What did that Sixth Deity encounter that even his Holy Body was destroyed?¡± Chu Liuyue was very surprised. According to the ranking, the Sixth Deity should be slightly more advanced than the Seventh Deity. How did he end up in such a state? ¡°Who knows¡­¡± Xiao Ran shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look together? It¡¯s rare for the Divine Master to personally take action. Perhaps it¡¯ll be beneficial to improve your cultivation after seeing it.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. Reshaping the Holy Body¡­ I¡¯m really experienced in this matter. However, Xiao Ran is right. After all, it was the action of the Divine Master, and the significance of this is naturally not something others can compare to. ¡°Okay.¡± Just as they were about to go over and take a look, they suddenly heard footsteps coming from the side. Chu Liuyue turned around and saw that it was Yan Qing. ¡°Your Highness.¡± He came to Rong Xiu and bowed respectfully. Then, he handed over a letter with both hands. ¡°The Sky-Cloud Empire has sent an urgent letter. Please take a look.¡± Rong Xiu took it and opened it to take a look. Then, his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. A faint chill gushed out of him. Chu Liuyue asked curiously, ¡°Rong Xiu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Rong Xiu put away the letter. ¡°There¡¯s been a little trouble.¡± To be able to make Rong Xiu say this, it is definitely not a small trouble. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Then¡­ Do you want to go back and take a look?¡± Rong Xiu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my residence and settle the matter before looking for you.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. The Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s matters are more important.¡± As for the Fantasy Divine Hall¡­ She just wanted to see what was going on. Rong Xiu responded and led Yan Qing in another direction. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s take a look at the Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± ¡­ Of course, they couldn¡¯t enter the so-called Fantasy Divine Hall. They could only stand outside the door. When Chu Liuyue and the rest arrived, there were already hundreds of people gathered outside the entrance of the Fantasy Divine Hall. It was crowded and lively. At this moment, they were all looking at something. Chu Liuyue took a closer look and saw a bronze mirror quietly floating in midair in front of the door. In the bronze mirror, a figure gradually appeared. ¡°Is that the Sixth Deity?¡± Chapter 2338 - 2338 Humiliation in Public 2338 Humiliation in Public Someone asked, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be, right? Hasn¡¯t the Sixth Deity¡¯s Holy Body already been destroyed?¡± Someone in the crowd immediately retorted. ¡°Then, who is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him¡­ They look quite young?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± The person in the mirror had his head lowered, so no one could see his face clearly. However, Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing behind the crowd¡ªwas suddenly stunned. That figure¡­ That aura¡­ I¡¯m clearly very familiar with it! A bold guess appeared in her heart, instantly making her clench her fists, and her heart started beating faster. Right on the heels of that, that person finally moved. He raised his hand and twisted his neck. His voice was lazy. ¡°It¡¯s so noisy¡­¡± His voice was slightly hoarse, and there was a hint of insufficient energy, but his casual tone still made Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skip a beat! Lan Xiao! It¡¯s really him! She walked forward almost uncontrollably! There were already a few people in front. Originally, it wasn¡¯t easy to squeeze in, but at this moment, her movements were extremely fast and clean. ¡°Excuse me, please.¡± Hearing the voice, the few people who were curiously staring at the mirror turned their heads impatiently. ¡°Stop squeezing¡ª¡± When they saw that the person standing behind them was actually Chu Liuyue, they stopped abruptly. Chu Liuyue tried her best to suppress the emotions in her heart and repeated, ¡°I said, please make way.¡± How could she be so unreasonable when she was asking for help? The words ¡®get lost¡¯ were clearly written on her face! The few of them were dissatisfied and muttered to themselves, but they didn¡¯t dare to offend her and thus moved aside. ¡°Please¡ª¡± Everyone knew that Chu Liuyue acted very presumptuously in Fantasy Divine Palace now. She even dared to retort to the Seventh Deity. She probably didn¡¯t cherish her life much, and her combat strength was extremely high. If she really acted unreasonably, who could do anything to her? Hence, for various reasons, no one wanted to provoke her. They would give in and avoid her as much as possible. A wide path was quickly made in front of her. Chu Liuyue thanked them and walked over. Xiao Ran clicked his tongue. I have been in Fantasy Divine Palace for so many years, but I¡¯m not even half as intimidating as the little girl. There is really no comparison between people. Seeing that Miao Zhen and the others had already followed, he went forward with a smile. ¡°Thank you, everyone. Thank you.¡± Many people around him were secretly angry, but they could only endure it. There was no choice. Some people were really not to be trifled with! ¡­ Chu Liuyue quickly arrived at the front. Standing here, she was only ten steps away from the bronze mirror, so she could see everything within more clearly. She stared intently at the person in the mirror. At this moment, he was sitting on the ground with one long leg bent and his elbow on his knee. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen his face clearly, just his unique, lazy, and carefree aura was enough for Chu Liuyue to confirm his identity! As if sensing something, he looked up. A handsome and charming face entered Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Her heart felt like it had been hammered hard. It was a completely unfamiliar face. She had seen countless faces created by Lan Xiao, but none of them were the same. It turned out that this was his original appearance, but for some reason, she was certain that it was him the moment she saw this face! Perhaps it was because of¡­ that similar expression and the way he looked at the world with a smile that had never changed. Their eyes met for a moment. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but take a half-step forward, but just as she moved, she was stopped by an invisible barrier! Qi Han immediately whispered, ¡°Master, are you alright?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head, indicating that she was fine. However, her gaze was still fixed on Lan Xiao. Obviously, Lan Xiao could see her too. The moment they gazed at each other, Lan Xiao revealed a hint of joy. Then, he suddenly thought of something and looked a little angry. Chu Liuyue noticed the change in his expression. Just as she was feeling puzzled, she heard Lan Xiao scold in a low voice, ¡°Damn it. She¡¯s really ruthless!¡± His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but Chu Liuyue¡ªwho was standing nearby¡ªheard him clearly. She frowned slightly. But the next moment, she knew why Lan Xiao had such a reaction. A black whip suddenly landed and hit Lan Xiao¡¯s back ruthlessly! Slap! The loud and sharp sound of the whip came suddenly and violently, instantly making the surrounding crowd fall silent! Everyone was shocked and subconsciously became nervous. Isn¡¯t this¡­ helping the Sixth Deity reconstruct his Holy Body? Then, who is this young man who is being beaten up now? And this time, the force was extremely ruthless! With one whip, his skin and flesh were immediately lacerated! Lan Xiao staggered from the hit and almost fell to the ground. He still relied on one arm to barely hold on. Dark red blood gradually spread from his shoulder. Although the injury was behind his back, looking at his instantly pale face and slightly trembling lips, everyone could guess how serious his injuries were. The originally noisy crowd fell into a dead silence. Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth and stared at everything in the mirror. Lan Xiao seemed trapped in a cage at this moment. The surroundings were dark and cramped, and only a lamp hung on the back wall. However, that lamp was left behind so that everyone could clearly see Lan Xiao¡¯s disheveled appearance. Other than that, there were no clues¡ªit was impossible to determine where he was. Slap! The long whip fell again! Lan Xiao came back to his senses and gritted his teeth. Then, he actually grabbed it with his bare hands! A deep sound was heard. The long whip was in his hand, but it was only for a moment. The next second, the long whip was suddenly pulled out by an even stronger force, bringing with it a string of blood beads! Lan Xiao grunted, and his hand was instantly badly mangled. The moment he grabbed the long whip, countless extremely sharp barbs suddenly appeared! The moment he touched the whip, Lan Xiao knew that something was wrong, but it was too late to stop. In the end, this was what happened! Lan Xiao looked down at his hand. The wound was badly mangled, and the bone could be seen. Blood oozed from the corner of his lips. He licked his lips. The rich, sweet smell made him even more frustrated. ¡°Heh¡­ Your methods are as dirty as ever!¡± Lan Xiao spat out a mouthful of blood, and a heretical smile appeared on his lips as he cursed. Who is he talking to? The Divine Master of Fantasy Divine Hall? However, why does it sound like they¡¯ve known each other long ago? Moreover, there seems to be a deep hatred between the two sides. Chu Liuyue had never seen Lan Xiao hate anyone so much! No one answered him, but the whip rose and fell again! This time, it was actually aimed at Lan Xiao¡¯s face! Chapter 2339 - 2339 High Priest! 2339 High Priest! Lan Xiao cursed under his breath and attacked again. But this time, the black whip was faster than him! Slap! A bloody wound instantly appeared on Lan Xiao¡¯s face! The wound was an inch long and instantly destroyed half of his face! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart instantly seemed to be tightly gripped by something. Lan Xiao usually pays the most attention to his appearance, especially his current face. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to reconstruct his Holy Body to recover. Just like that, in front of so many people¡­ The blow to him is self-evident. Lan Xiao turned his head to the side and didn¡¯t move for a long time. The onlookers in front of the bronze mirror subconsciously held their breaths. Even though that blow didn¡¯t hit them, it still sent a chill down their spines when they watched it through a mirror. If this landed on them¡­ After a long time, Lan Xiao finally raised his hand and touched the wound on his face. It was extremely painful and sticky. The smile on his face gradually froze. Of course, he knew why the other party wanted to do this. The latter just wanted to humiliate and trample on him in the most intense way. Knowing what he cared about the most, he deliberately destroyed it! There was nothing more painful than this. Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth as a layer of coldness enveloped her. It took a lot of effort for her to resist the urge to rush forward. What kind of hatred does the Divine Master of Fantasy Divine Hall have for Lan Xiao to deal with him in such a way? He clearly wants Lan Xiao to suffer a fate worse than death! At this moment, a low and hoarse voice came from the mirror. ¡°These three lashes are to discipline you.¡± This voice seemed to come from an extremely distant and empty place. Every word was sacred and oppressive! Chu Liuyue widened her eyes in shock. This voice is clearly the owner of that eye¡ª Right on the heels of that, everyone¡¯s uniform response came from behind her. ¡°Greetings, Divine Master!¡± In an instant, it was like a thunderbolt exploded in her ears, shocking Chu Liuyue! Divine Master¡­ Divine Master?! She had long thought that the owner of that eye should have a rather close relationship with Fantasy Divine Hall. Otherwise, the apparition of Fantasy Divine Hall wouldn¡¯t have appeared in the Red Moon Desert. The owner of that eye had only chosen to attack after luring them in. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expect that person to be the person with the highest status in Fantasy Divine Hall. He was also the true ruler of Fantasy Divine Hall! For a moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in a mess. Countless thoughts were overturned at this moment, and countless guesses surged out one after another, filling her mind and making her extremely confused. She took a light breath. Compared to the last time they met in the Red Moon Desert, the voice this time was actually a little different. It was less sinister and cold, more sacred and dignified. When one heard it suddenly, it was extremely easy to admire and be willing to submit. Lan Xiao sneered. ¡°Discipline? Discipline just because you say so? Who gave you the right?!¡± Everyone present gasped. This person is so arrogant. How dare he speak to the Divine Master like this?! However, Xiao Ran seemed to have suddenly thought of something and stared suspiciously at the person in the mirror. ¡°Hiss¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Hearing his voice, Chu Liuyue turned around and glanced at him. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw his expression. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, do you¡­ know him?¡± Her voice was very low, but everyone was standing very close to her, so many people heard her. Many people looked over. Xiao Ran looked conflicted. ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m not too sure either. I just feel that this person looks a little familiar¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This is the first time I have officially seen Lan Xiao¡¯s face. Why does Xiao Ran find him familiar? He is a Xuan Master, and he couldn¡¯t have imagined such a thing. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chu Liuyue asked. Xiao Ran paused and hesitated for a long time before saying, ¡°This person seems¡­ a little like the Second Priest¡­¡± ¡°Second Priest?¡± Chu Liuyue subconsciously asked. ¡°Who is that?¡± Xiao Ran pursed his lips. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t want to mention this too much. This was the first time Chu Liuyue saw such a worried expression on his face. Someone in the crowd suddenly remarked in surprise, ¡°Second Priest?! Could it be the one who betrayed the Divine Master back then?¡± Clearly, Xiao Ran wasn¡¯t the only one who had heard of this name. The crowd stirred. Seeing that the matter could no longer be hidden, Xiao Ran gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Back then, besides the Divine Master and the various deities, there were also two high priests. Because these two were indebted to the Divine Master for teaching them, their status was even higher than the First Deity. But back then, the two high priests joined forces with the red-gold heavenly phoenix ancestor for some reason and defected from Fantasy Divine Hall. I thought that the two high priests should¡¯ve died in that chaotic battle, but who knew¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°In the battle back then, countless cultivators in Fantasy Divine Palace suffered heavy casualties. Even the various deities died at that time¡ª¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°All the deities have fallen? Then, those now¡ª¡± ¡°They were chosen by the Divine Master later,¡± Xiao Ran answered. That battle was very intense. At that time, he was young and was lucky to escape; he had only seen it from afar. However, tens of thousands of years had passed, and he could no longer remember what happened back then. Therefore, after Lan Xiao appeared, he didn¡¯t recognize him immediately. Instead, when he heard this voice, he recalled the sealed past in the depths of his memory. At that time, this Second Priest was also so arrogant and presumptuous. At that time, there weren¡¯t many people left in Fantasy Divine Palace. Later on, the higher-ups ordered not to publicize these things. No one dared to mention it again, and fewer and fewer people knew. Coincidentally, Xiao Ran was one of them. Chu Liuyue¡¯s temples throbbed, and the blood in her body almost boiled. She opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Then¡­ what about the other priest?¡± ¡°You mean the High Priest?¡± Xiao Ran frowned and thought about it carefully for a long time before shaking his head. ¡°That person made the same choice as the Second Priest back then. Since the Second Priest is still alive, then¡­ perhaps the High Priest is as well¡­ I just don¡¯t know why the Divine Master didn¡¯t kill the two priests directly after they committed such a crime. Instead, he kept them alive until now before suddenly letting them out?¡± The High Priest¡­ High Priest! Something seemed to be surging wildly in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. She restrained herself with all her might and asked softly, ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, do you know the High Priest¡¯s name?¡± Xiao Ran shook his head. ¡°Who were the two priests back then? How would I know this?¡± Chu Liuyue refused to give up. ¡°Then¡­ What about his appearance? Since you¡¯ve seen the Second Priest, you should know the High Priest, right?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Xiao Ran thought for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything else. I only remember that the High Priest wears the Purple-Gold Divine Armor and has peerless divine might!¡± Chapter 2340 - 2340 Old Friend 2340 Old Friend Instantly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind buzzed! ¡°Purple Gold¡­ Divine Armor?¡± she subconsciously muttered softly, then subconsciously lowered her eyes and looked at the Cosmic Ring on her hand. There, a purple-scaled armor was silent. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s said that the Purple-Gold Divine Armor was the number one armor in the world personally forged by the High Priest. It¡¯s extremely powerful. Unfortunately, in that huge battle, the Purple-Gold Divine Armor was destroyed, and the High Priest himself¡­¡± Xiao Ran shook his head. After 10,000 years, his few memories became blurry. But back then, the scene of the flames burning in Fantasy Divine Hall that soared into the sky and the scattering divine armor was deeply engraved in his mind. Even though he had never taken the initiative to think about it all these years, he still sighed when he thought about it now. ¡°It¡¯s not just me. Everyone who survived back then also thought that the two priests had died. In the years that followed, the Divine Master reestablished the deities, but he didn¡¯t choose a new priest. Naturally, fewer people mentioned this matter.¡± Chu Liuyue fell silent and turned to look at the bronze mirror. High Priest, Second Priest¡­ So this is Big Baby and Lan Xiao¡¯s true identities! How are the two of them dead? They were clearly suppressed in the Red Moon Desert and couldn¡¯t come out for 10,000 years! Chu Liuyue was a little stunned and couldn¡¯t recover for a long time. Ever since they were captured and brought to Fantasy Divine Palace, Chu Liuyue had thought that they might be from here. However, she had never expected these two people to be so noble! Then, apart from the two of them, what about Diwu Zhangze?! At the thought of this, she immediately asked, ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, was there a third priest in Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Xiao Ran shook his head. ¡°No. In all these years, there are only those two priests in Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. If Diwu Zhangze wasn¡¯t a priest, what was his identity? Why was he locked up with Big Baby? She vaguely felt that she had touched some truth that had been buried for a long time, but at the same time, there were still many questions. They were in front of her eyes, making it difficult for her to distinguish. She clenched her fists and took a deep breath. Only then did she gradually feel that some of the strength in her body had recovered. The amount of information she had just received was so huge that she was stunned. Seeing that Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression seemed a little off, Xiao Ran asked worriedly, ¡°What happened?¡± Chu Liuyue forced a smile and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just suddenly found out so many¡­ secrets. It¡¯s a little difficult to digest for a moment.¡± Xiao Ran immediately understood. This was normal. Anyone who heard so much at once would find it difficult to react quickly. He comforted her. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s all in the past. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say a word. How could she not care about Big Baby, Lan Xiao, and Diwu Zhangze? It¡¯s no wonder that the Xuan formations Big Baby taught me back then had such a high degree of overlap with the ones on the Star Path. As a High Priest, isn¡¯t it normal for him to know them?! She closed her eyes and shook off all the distracting thoughts in her heart. Then, she looked ahead steadily. In the mirror, Lan Xiao smiled coldly. He could hear what they were saying, and his reaction said it all. ¡°Lan Xiao, you betrayed Fantasy Divine Hall back then, and that¡¯s a capital crime! On account of our years of friendship, I didn¡¯t take your life. I thought that 10,000 years was enough for you to reflect, but now it seems that you¡¯re still stubborn. In that case¡­ Today, I¡¯ll use your Holy Body to reconstruct the Sixth Deity¡¯s Holy Body! This way, your death will be worth it!¡± The voice was still dignified, and every word was like a sacred judgment. Lan Xiao sneered and scolded, ¡°Pfft, I don¡¯t have any f*cking relationship with you! Don¡¯t f*cking flatter yourself and put gold on your face! Oh right, I almost forgot. You don¡¯t have a face¡ª¡± Slap! The black whip suddenly swung down! After this whip flew out, it actually wrapped tightly around Lan Xiao¡¯s right arm, and blood seeped out. Lan Xiao¡¯s facial features twisted for a moment, and his face turned even paler. It could be seen that this had caused him great pain, but he endured it and didn¡¯t let out a cry of pain. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was in her throat. If that person wants to use Lan Xiao to help the Sixth Deity reconstruct his Holy Body, what method will he use? After all, Lan Xiao¡¯s Holy Body had been painstakingly reconstructed. Suddenly, her glabella twitched. Hang on! There are five golden lightning bolts in Lan Xiao¡¯s body! Previously, Xiao Ran said that the lightning pool had been sealed, so the Divine Master wanted to take action personally. So¡­ This time, he actually wants to forcefully strip the power of the heavenly lightning in Lan Xiao¡¯s body for the Sixth Deity to use?! At this moment, an apparition suddenly appeared silently beside Lan Xiao. ¡°Sixth Deity!¡± Someone in the crowd exclaimed. Needless to say, Chu Liuyue could tell that this semi-transparent figure was definitely the Sixth Deity. But¡­ why does it look inexplicably familiar? Chu Liuyue subconsciously frowned. At this moment, the Sixth Deity suddenly turned his head. It was a face that Chu Liuyue could never forget! Her heart was pounding as she blurted out in shock, ¡°Mo Shiqian?!¡± Chapter 2341 - 2341 In Public 2341 In Public This person was indeed Mo Shiqian, who had self-destructed and fled! Chu Liuyue had been sending people to investigate Mo Shiqian¡¯s whereabouts in private, but there had been no progress. Unexpectedly, he was the Sixth Deity! His Holy Body was destroyed¡­ It was just that he had no choice but to sacrifice himself at that time! Hearing her sudden shout, many people beside her looked over. Xiao Ran asked curiously, ¡°You know the Sixth Deity?¡± That person returned just some time ago. Logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t have seen him before, right? Moreover, from the looks of it, they clearly knew each other long ago. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± However, they were more like enemies. Xiao Ran was stunned. Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°Everyone said that the Sixth Deity went out previously and only returned recently, but it turns out¡­ he went to the God Residence Realm?¡± How interesting. Hearing her words, Xiao Ran immediately understood something. So they had met in the God Residence Realm¡­ But Chu Liuyue seems to have deep hostility toward the Sixth Deity? He thought about it and saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s tense and cold jaw. With that, he swallowed his words. ¡­ Of course, Mo Shiqian also saw Chu Liuyue. A deep fear flashed across his eyes. Then, he remembered that they were already in Fantasy Divine Palace, so it was impossible for Chu Liuyue to barge in and do anything else. Only then did he relax a little. After thinking about the situation on both sides, Mo Shiqian¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile, and then he looked at Lan Xiao. ¡°Second Priest, it seems like I¡¯ll have to trouble you this time.¡± Lan Xiao scoffed. ¡°Who do you think you are? Are you worthy of snatching it from me? Even if I take the initiative to give you the power of this golden heavenly lightning, can you afford it?!¡± His words were filled with mockery and contempt. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t take Mo Shiqian seriously at all. ¡°I heard that you died especially miserably back then. What, only this half of your Dao remnant soul is left. What are you still daydreaming about?¡± These two simple sentences accurately poked Mo Shiqian¡¯s sore spot! Firstly, his status was indeed not comparable to Lan Xiao¡¯s. Secondly, as a deity, he was forced to self-destruct and escape by Chu Liuyue back then. It was indeed embarrassing if word got out. After all, at that time, Chu Liuyue¡¯s realm was actually inferior to his. Of course, this was also because at that time, a portion of his memories and strength had been sealed. It was only after he returned to Fantasy Divine Palace that he finally recovered, but this made him even more frightened. Because at that moment, he realized what he had done in the past and which existences he shouldn¡¯t have offended. For a long time after he came back, Mo Shiqian stayed in his room. He was on tenterhooks at all times, afraid that punishment would come. But for some reason, there was still no movement after so long. Now, the Divine Master had to help him reconstruct his Holy Body before he could finally feel at ease. This also meant that the Divine Master had made up his mind to protect him! Hence, when he saw Chu Liuyue now¡­ Although he would still subconsciously be afraid, he wouldn¡¯t be too worried. After all, everything he did was to help the Divine Master snatch the music score! At the thought of this, Mo Shiqian felt more confident. ¡°Second Priest, you betrayed the Divine Master and Fantasy Divine Hall back then and committed a capital crime. It¡¯s already the Divine Master¡¯s pity that you can survive until today. However, not only are you ungrateful, but you¡¯re also arrogant and unrepentant¡­ What right do you have to criticize me?¡± Lan Xiao looked up. ¡°Dog, you¡¯re ugly enough. Talk less, lest even my ears get dirty.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Mo Shiqian was instantly furious. Anyone who heard this would probably not be happy! However, his rationality was still there. He knew that the more this was the case, the less he could make a fuss. In any case, with the Divine Master and so many people watching, Lan Xiao could only be punished and humiliated. No matter how eloquent he was, he would still receive the punishment and torture he deserved! Whoosh There was the sound of clothes tearing! It was the black whip that wrapped around Lan Xiao¡¯s arm. With a sudden force, it tore his sleeve into pieces. Under the tattered clothes was a bloody wound. Lan Xiao cursed as blood flowed from the corner of his mouth again. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. That person is planning to¡­ rip Lan Xiao¡¯s arm off just like that?! The five golden heavenly lightning transformed into his limbs and inner core respectively. Only then did it help him reconstruct his Holy Body. Now that he wanted to forcefully withdraw the power of the heavenly lightning, then¡­ Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t dare to think anymore. Her mind was spinning crazily as she kept thinking about how to save Lan Xiao! Countless thoughts surfaced in her mind, but she rejected them. How could this be so easy? The person who wanted to attack Lan Xiao was the Divine Master of Fantasy Divine Hall! Who else had a higher status here? It was definitely impossible to forcefully attack. Perhaps she would die before she could save Lan Xiao. Who could stop all of this openly? Lan Xiao gritted his teeth and mobilized all the strength in his body to resist desperately. However, everything was under the other party¡¯s control. If he could fight against the other party, he wouldn¡¯t have been forcefully brought back and imprisoned. Even if he tried his best now, he could only last for a moment and a half. If this went on¡­ Crack! The crisp sound of bones breaking suddenly sounded! Lan Xiao¡¯s arm immediately showed an extremely strange posture. The power on the black whip was too shocking, and it directly broke his arm! ¡­ The onlookers fell silent. The atmosphere became dead silent and subtle. Looking at the scene in front of them, many people had complicated expressions and different reactions. All these years, the Divine Master had been living in Fantasy Divine Hall and had never come out. The affairs of Fantasy Divine Palace were handed over to the deities. Now that the Divine Master had finally made a move, he actually wanted to disassemble the Second Priest¡¯s Holy Body in public, forcibly deprive him of his power, and transfer it to the Sixth Deity. Although the Second Priest had chosen to betray him back then and should be executed for his crimes, this method¡­ was indeed too bloody and cruel. This was definitely more painful and torturous than killing him directly. Actually, for many cultivators in Fantasy Divine Palace, they had seen many scenes of fighting and killing. Which person who could reach their current cultivation level didn¡¯t have blood on their hands? But¡­ The scene before them still made some people feel a little uncomfortable. It was originally quite good for the Divine Master to help the Sixth Deity reconstruct his Holy Body, but now, he clearly wanted to take this opportunity to punish the Second Priest and make an example out of him¡­ However, the Divine Master was the Divine Master after all. Whatever he wanted to do and didn¡¯t do¡­ It wasn¡¯t up to them to judge right and wrong. Huala! A piece of flesh on Lan Xiao¡¯s arm was torn apart violently! The wound was so deep that one could see his bones. A dazzling golden light appeared from it and flickered silently. As he used the golden lightning to reconstruct his Holy Body, Lan Xiao¡¯s bones were also golden. Then, the black whip tightened again! Chapter 2342 - 2342 The Emperor Wants His Life, You Want to Steal It? 2342 The Emperor Wants His Life, You Want to Steal It? At this moment, a stream of light suddenly tore through the air! When Chu Liuyue heard the commotion, she subconsciously looked up. It was a golden stream of light¡ªit was dazzling, sacred, and powerful! It was wrapped in a heavy pressure, making people subconsciously feel reverence and submission! In an instant, the stream of light landed in Fantasy Divine Hall! Right on the heels of that, Chu Liuyue and the rest saw that the black whip tightly binding Lan Xiao¡¯s arm in the bronze mirror was suddenly enveloped by the golden light! The next moment, the black whip seemed to have encountered something terrifying and quickly retreated! When Mo Shiqian saw this scene, a deep shock quickly flashed across his face! He took a few steps back almost uncontrollably and almost fell to the ground. He looked really disheveled. Lan Xiao¡¯s tense body suddenly relaxed. When he saw that golden stream of light, he closed his eyes and finally heaved a sigh of relief. Finally¡­ he made a move¡­ Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene. What kind of situation is this? Someone has taken action and forcefully stopped the Divine Master?! This¡­ The low and hoarse voice contained a trace of forcefully suppressed anger as he asked in a low voice, ¡°Emperor! Are you interfering in the matters of Fantasy Divine Hall?!¡± In an instant, this voice spread far and wide and clearly fell into everyone¡¯s ears! Almost everyone¡¯s faces were filled with disbelief! Chu Liuyue was shocked as well. Emperor? Emperor¡ªthis person actually made a move?! Beside him, Xiao Ran muttered, ¡°How is this possible?! Hasn¡¯t the Emperor never involved himself in these things? Why this time¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Xiao Ran and asked seriously, ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s the identity of the Emperor? Since he has a respected status, why can¡¯t he interfere in the matters of Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Xiao Ran took a deep breath and explained, ¡°Because he¡¯s not the master of Fantasy Divine Hall! The Emperor¡¯s status is indeed peerless, and that¡¯s because he¡¯s an existence who carries out the orders of the Heavenly Dao and controls all deities in the world! Even the Divine Master can¡¯t be compared to him! You have to know that even the Divine Master back then was personally enlightened by the Emperor!¡± ¡°However, the Emperor has never cared about anything. Didn¡¯t the Emperor not interfere even when Fantasy Divine Hall caused a scene back then? But for some reason today, it actually alarmed the Emperor¡­¡± It was obvious what he meant by stopping the Divine Master in front of everyone. Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts. I see¡­ No wonder the Divine Master had such a big reaction, and everyone present was also shocked. The Emperor¡¯s sudden move also shows his attitude. How could they not think too much about it? Then, a figure slowly appeared in the sky. Chu Liuyue looked up, and her eyes froze. This person wasn¡¯t the Emperor but the one who appeared on the medicinal mountain that day. Just like last time, this person didn¡¯t reveal his face and figure and only said calmly, ¡°The Emperor doesn¡¯t have that intention. He only attacked today to punish the Sixth Deity.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the bronze mirror fell silent. Mo Shiqian¡¯s legs were weak, and he looked panicked. He almost kneeled on the ground. He¡¯s here¡­ He¡¯s here! ¡°What did the Sixth Deity do wrong?¡± After a long time, the Divine Master spoke. However, his previous anger and forbearance seemed to have dissipated a lot. That person laughed. ¡°Everyone who should know what he did wrong knows.¡± The Divine Master stopped talking. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. These words have a deep meaning. Mo Shiqian has done a lot of things in the God Residence Realm before, and this Divine Master obviously knew about it. Yes, the First Deity had even sent two deities, Jiu Long and Xi Yan, to the God-Killing Tumulus to find the last music score. It was clearly the Divine Master who wanted it! In this way, it can be explained why Mo Shiqian had done so many things to her previously. But this seemed to have¡­ offended that Emperor? ¡°Mo Shiqian can¡¯t sit in the position of the Sixth Deity. In that case, why waste time and energy to reconstruct his Holy Body?¡± That person laughed. ¡°Now that the Emperor wants his life, you want to snatch it from the Emperor?¡± After a long time, the low and hoarse voice finally sounded. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, but the Second Priest¡ª¡± ¡°The Second Priest¡¯s identity is special, especially to Fantasy Divine Hall. There¡¯s no need for the Emperor to remind you about this, right? Of course, if you insist, you can continue. However, someone has to bear the consequences.¡± It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Chu Liuyue finally heaved a sigh of relief. These words seemed like he didn¡¯t intend to interfere in Lan Xiao¡¯s matters, but in fact, he had already blocked the way. The Divine Master of Fantasy Divine Hall had no choice at all! Lan Xiao¡¯s life¡­ was saved! Sure enough, after a long silence, the voice said, ¡°Since this is the Emperor¡¯s intention, let¡¯s just let it go then. However, the Second Priest committed a huge mistake back then and can¡¯t be forgiven. From now on, he will still be detained in Fantasy Divine Hall and never be released!¡± Lan Xiao cursed and sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve lived longer than you!¡± Isn¡¯t it just to endure? I have survived for so many years. Is there a need for this little time? Sooner or later¡ª The next moment, the golden stream of light flew out and easily trapped Mo Shiqian! Everyone only heard a short and hurried scream. Then, Mo Shiqian¡¯s figure disappeared. Only a golden stream of light flew out! The figure in the void raised his hand and caught the stream of light. With that, he left without hesitation. Almost at the same time, the bronze mirror floating in midair flew out quickly and disappeared behind the door of Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡­ Just like that, the commotion ended. Before anyone could figure out what was going on, they realized that everything had calmed down. Many people looked at each other. It was obvious that they hadn¡¯t digested everything that had just happened. Chu Liuyue rubbed the space between her eyebrows and gently exhaled. No matter what, Lan Xiao has escaped. Moreover, after this matter, the Divine Master of Fantasy Divine Hall shouldn¡¯t do anything similar. From what he said just now, it isn¡¯t difficult to tell that Lan Xiao himself has a trump card that the other party is afraid of. As for what it was¡­ Although it¡¯s hard to say, it is still a good thing. ¡°I wonder how Mo Shiqian offended the Emperor to have his identity as the Sixth Deity removed?¡± Xiao Ran muttered strangely. Chu Liuyue clenched her fists. Because she was too nervous just now, her hands were cold and numb. Only now did she recover a little. ¡°We¡¯re done watching the show. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡­ At the same time, the deities in Fantasy Divine Hall had different reactions when they heard what happened on Mo Shiqian¡¯s side. Bam! Shu Jing swept everything on the table to the ground. ¡°How dare Mo Shiqian lie to me like this!?¡± Chapter 2343 - 2343 Which First Deity 2343 Which First Deity The bottles on the table fell to the ground and instantly shattered. All kinds of pills rolled out, and a rich medicinal fragrance instantly spread. But at this moment, the smell only made Shu Jing feel nauseous! This would only remind her of how hard she had tried to help Mo Shiqian refine medicine during this period of time! She knew that Mo Shiqian went out to help the Divine Master, so after Mo Shiqian came back, she sent all kinds of goodwill. Mo Shiqian lost his Holy Body? This was clearly because he had worked hard for the Divine Master and accidentally ended up like this. Since things had already come to this, he had to work hard even if he didn¡¯t want to contribute. The Divine Master would definitely look at Mo Shiqian differently and take special care of him because of this, right? This was Shu Jing¡¯s truest and most certain thought. She was ranked eighth and didn¡¯t have the advantage to begin with. Some time ago, she had provoked the Emperor. Not only did she lose control of the medicinal mountain, but she had almost lost her position as the Eighth Deity! Of course, she needed to rope in a backer. Sixth Deity Mo Shiqian was the person she had chosen. Although his ranking wasn¡¯t top-notch, he was still stronger than her. Furthermore, he had destroyed his Holy Body for the Divine Master. Once he recuperated, wouldn¡¯t he have a bright future? The other deities all had their own abilities. They knew that she was already on the bad side of the Emperor, so why would they come to her side? Therefore, after many considerations, only the Sixth Deity was the best choice. Even if Mo Shiqian¡¯s personality was gloomy and suspicious, and he had spoken rudely several times, she had endured it. She only thought that when he reconstructed the Holy Body, it would be an additional help. Later on, when she heard that the Divine Master had personally taken action, she was even more happy. This meant that Mo Shiqian¡¯s status on the Divine Master¡¯s side was definitely not low! Hence, early in the morning, she began to wait excitedly. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time¡­ Not only did Mo Shiqian fail to successfully reconstruct the Holy Body, but he also received the Emperor¡¯s punishment! Mo Shiqian¡¯s position as the deity had been revoked, and he had been taken away. Even a fool knew that only death awaited him, and all her previous thoughts were in vain! Shu Jing was still angry. She smashed everything in the room again. From the looks of it, Mo Shiqian clearly knew that he had offended the Emperor long ago, but he had actually kept it a secret! As long as there was any chance of redemption, the Divine Master wouldn¡¯t give up on him so easily! At this moment, Shu Jing really hated Mo Shiqian. Although I had already kept a low profile, the deities of Fantasy Divine Hall should know that I have been helping Mo Shiqian recently. Now that Mo Shiqian is like this, I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t be implicated. It¡¯s really adding insult to injury! ¡­ Jin Yunlai happened to pass by the door. When he heard the sounds of things falling from inside, he stopped in his tracks and shook his head. Being too clever can backfire. Shu Jing thought that everything was under control, but she didn¡¯t know that many things had already deviated from their original path. In the end, she was the most miserable. Mo Shiqian¡¯s position as the deity had been removed, which proves that the Emperor¡¯s previous warning wasn¡¯t just for show. If Shu Jing continues like this, she will end up the same sooner or later. But actually¡­ My own situation isn¡¯t much better. Thinking of what had happened before, he clenched his fists and continued walking. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest walked towards their residence, but after taking a few steps, a figure appeared in her peripheral vision. She stopped in her tracks and looked over. In the distance, under the wall of Fantasy Divine Hall, a person was kneeling¡ªit was Mu Yafeng. Unlike before, her clothes were a little messy now, and a few strands of her hair were loose. She kneeled there silently with her head lowered, looking very disheveled. This was clearly not something she wanted to kneel down to. ¡°What happened to her?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Xiao Ran followed her gaze and clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re talking about her? Heh, she must¡¯ve been discovered for cheating on the Star Path! She¡¯s been kneeling for a few days.¡± ¡°Cheating?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard that the Seventh Deity taught her a lot in private, which caused her to break through several Xuan formations in a row previously! This matter was discovered by the First Deity. What a punishment!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. Previously, she did find it a little strange because she knew very well that Mu Yafeng¡¯s talent wasn¡¯t enough to support her in breaking those Xuan formations one after another. However, she was busy with her own matters at that time and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. Unexpectedly, it was actually Jin Yunlai who helped in private? ¡°Seventh Deity¡­ why would he do this?¡± This was too bold. ¡°Who knows? In any case, not only was Mu Yafeng punished to kneel, but she was also stripped of her right to walk the Star Path. From now on, she¡¯s not allowed to step foot on the Star Path!¡± Xiao Ran laughed with a cold expression. ¡°Now, many people suspect that her previous performance was also secretly helped by the Seventh Deity.¡± With the situation so ugly, it was no wonder that everyone was thinking too much. Except¡­ ¡°If she can¡¯t take the Star Path, doesn¡¯t that mean that she won¡¯t be able to enter Fantasy Divine Hall anymore?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! But who can she blame?¡± Xiao Ran shrugged. ¡°Originally, if she had cultivated obediently and comprehended them one by one, she might have had some hope. But now, she¡¯s the one who took things too hard and cut off all her escape routes.¡± She just deserved it. He had been trapped on the last Xuan formation for countless years. His hair was almost falling out, but he had never thought of using any other methods. Mu Yafeng was impressive. She could make the Seventh Deity do this for her! Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Then, the Seventh Deity didn¡¯t help plead for leniency?¡± ¡°How could the Seventh Deity care about this? Now, even he has been deprived of the right to control the Star Path. By the way, you just came back and don¡¯t know this yet.¡± Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t know what to say. I have only left for a short period of time, but so many things have already happened¡­ ¡°Then, who¡¯s in charge of Star Path now?¡± ¡°I heard that it was handed over to the Fifth Deity. However, the Fifth Deity isn¡¯t a Xuan Master. I don¡¯t know why the First Deity chose him¡­ Originally, we all thought that he would choose the Eleventh deity, who is also a Xuan Master.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella moved. ¡°By the way, the Ninth Deity and the Tenth Deity used the Heaven Gate previously. I wonder if they¡¯re back now?¡± Xiao Ran nodded. ¡°They came back long ago. However, these two aren¡¯t in the Fantasy Divine Hall now but the Fantasy Divine Sea. I heard that they made some mistakes¡­ We¡¯re not qualified to ask, but we know a rough idea.¡± ¡°Mistake?¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Could it be because they didn¡¯t manage to bring back the music score successfully? But at that time, the two of them had inexplicably disappeared in the God-Killing Tumulus. Unexpectedly, they were locked up in the Fantasy Divine Sea again when they returned. She suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, have you seen the First Deity?¡± He has even seen Lan Xiao and the others before. Logically speaking, he should have some understanding of the First Deity, right? Xiao Ran paused. ¡°Are you asking about the previous one or the current one?¡± Chapter 2344 - 2344 Ill Be With You 2344 I¡¯ll Be With You Chu Liuyue blinked and asked curiously, ¡°Have you seen these two before?¡± Xiao Ran nodded and shook his head. ¡°I guess so, but I¡¯ve only seen both from afar! It can¡¯t be considered knowing each other.¡± Not to mention that person in the past¡­ At that time, he was still young and didn¡¯t have much of an impression of that person. And the current one¡­ His style of doing things was also very low-key and mysterious, so he rarely appeared. Although Xiao Ran had stayed in Fantasy Divine Palace for a long time, he had yet to completely comprehend all the Xuan formations on the Star Path and enter Fantasy Divine Hall. Therefore, he had never been able to come into close contact with the First Deity. Not to mention him, in recent years, even the other deities hadn¡¯t seen the First Deity. He wondered what the First Deity was busy with¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t describe them, but if I see them, I¡¯ll definitely recognize them.¡± Chu Liuyue pursed her lips and felt a little disappointed. Seeing her reaction, Xiao Ran couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°What, you seem to be very curious about the First Deity?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be anyone in Fantasy Divine Palace who isn¡¯t curious about him, right?¡± ¡°Actually, if you really want to see him, you just have to wait a few more months.¡± Xiao Ran raised his chin. ¡°The Heaven Gate will open for a year. When the time is up, the Heaven Gate will close. At that time, all the cultivators in Fantasy Divine Palace can enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. All the deities will appear, and the First Deity will naturally be no exception.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. This has always been the old rule of Fantasy Divine Palace. The Heaven Gate opens every 10,000 years, and it attracts many cultivators every time. However, there are very few people who can reach the heavens and break through in the end.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to mention those who have succeeded. Those who failed were either chased out of the Heaven Gate and left to fend for themselves, or they reluctantly continued to stay here and cultivate, waiting for the next Heaven Gate to open. However, there are actually not many who can survive.¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. ¡°In that case, the chance to ascend to the heavens and break through to the Deity Realm is only once every 10,000 years?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± As Xiao Ran spoke, he laughed at himself. ¡°My strength and luck are a little lacking. I¡¯ve stayed on the last Xuan formation for a few years and still haven¡¯t improved. It has been so long, but I still haven¡¯t succeeded. To be honest, even I can¡¯t remember how long I¡¯ve been waiting.¡± As time passed, he got over it. It was best to be able to comprehend the Xuan formation, complete the Star Path, and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. If he couldn¡¯t do it¡­ he would just have to muddle through. Chu Liuyue replied softly, ¡°You can definitely do it.¡± Xiao Ran didn¡¯t take it to heart and placed his hands behind his head. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s nothing much to see in this scene. I¡¯m going back!¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest returned to their residence. However, Miao Zhen didn¡¯t go with them and chose another direction. Probably because it was related to the great phoenix dragon ancestor, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask further. Rong Xiu was resting in the house, but Yan Qing had already disappeared. Hearing footsteps, Rong Xiu looked up. ¡°Has the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s matter been resolved?¡± asked Chu Liuyue. Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a small matter; there¡¯s no need to worry. But you¡­ I heard that Senior Lan Xiao appeared?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression froze as she briefly repeated what had happened. ¡°¡­Fortunately, it was a close call. For the time being, Senior Lan Xiao should be safe. Unfortunately, he¡¯s trapped in the Fantasy Divine Hall. It¡¯s really difficult to find where he¡¯s being held.¡± It was even more difficult to save him. Rong Xiu kissed her glabella. ¡°The more this is the case, the more we can¡¯t be anxious.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chu Liuyue sighed softly and said, ¡°Also, I really didn¡¯t expect Senior Lan Xiao¡¯s identity to be Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s Second Priest¡­ and Big Baby¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t be sure of Diwu Zhangze¡¯s identity yet, but the two were definitely priests. Rong Xiu lowered his eyes slightly and didn¡¯t speak. Chu Liuyue thought for a while before saying, ¡°Fantasy Divine Hall is also looking for the music score. Now that I¡¯m back, there¡¯s no reason for them not to know that they¡¯re with me now. Why hasn¡¯t there been any movement until now?¡± Rong Xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. ¡°The music scores have already recognized you as their master. Even if they want to snatch the music scores, can they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Chu Liuyue now had the upper hand. These music scores were clearly very important to Fantasy Divine Hall. The more this was the case, the more careful they would be and not dare to act recklessly. Especially now that the three parts were with her, they had become Chu Liuyue¡¯s life-saving trump card! Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I plan to rest for a period of time before walking straight through the Star Path and officially entering the Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± Rong Xiu looked at her. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go with you then.¡± ¡­ The matter with Lan Xiao had come to an end. After the commotion, Chu Liuyue felt much more at ease. Big Baby and Lan Xiao¡¯s identities are so special, and it¡¯s obvious that they have a certain trump card, making the other party afraid. Then, there will be more room when preparing to save them. As for Diwu Zhangze¡­ Although he isn¡¯t a priest, he is probably related to Big Baby Lan Xiao. At the very least, we already know where he is locked up. Chu Liuyue had just taken back the last music score and planned to take advantage of this time to integrate the third music score. In the room, Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged, surrounded by a layer of silver-red light. Soon, a stone rolled out of the Cosmic Ring on her hand and floated quietly in the divine territory. The space around the stone distorted for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal. Right on the heels of that was the second piece, the third piece¡­ After a while, Chu Liuyue was already surrounded by these stones. She closed her eyes, her thick and long eyelashes trembling slightly. The resplendent light shone on her face. Her skin was clear and fair, like jade. She followed the tone of the zither in her memory and began to arrange the stones around her. She had already heard the complete music score once in the God-Killing Tumulus, so what she had to do now was integrate this scattered music score before it was compatible with the previous two. Chapter 2345 - 2345 The Danger of the Gate Realm 2345 The Danger of the Gate Realm This was easier said than done. Chu Liuyue had tried it once in the God-Killing Tumulus, but she didn¡¯t succeed. The third music score had been segmented too thoroughly. She held her breath and raised her hands gently. The stones began to be arranged according to the order, but even if Chu Liuyue placed them in the correct positions according to the tune she heard, it didn¡¯t go as smoothly as she had expected. This was because there seemed to be an invisible barrier between these stones; they even seemed to conflict with each other. The more stones gathered together, the more obvious this resistance was. Chu Liuyue gradually furrowed her temples. Finally, at a certain moment, the stones in front of her dispersed with a bang! Chu Liuyue opened her eyes. She realized that with her current strength, it was basically impossible to completely control it. Even though she was already a legendary warrior¡­ When these stones were disobedient, she really had no choice. Each of these stones contained the pressure of a legendary warrior! Chu Liuyue was indignant and tried a few more times, but no matter what, the final outcome was the same. In the end, she chose to give up. ¡°Forget it.¡± She stood up and put away the God Realm and these stones. It¡¯s probably useless to force it at this time. She started to walk out. ¡­ Zhen Bao Pavilion, second floor. In the room, Yan Ge was reclining on a small couch, playing with a Yuan instrument in his hand in boredom. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He let out a sigh and rolled over again. ¡°When will such a life end¡­¡± Ever since I returned to Fantasy Divine Palace, I have been staying on the second floor for a long time and didn¡¯t dare to leave. Who wouldn¡¯t feel suffocated? Knock, knock. ¡°Second Boss.¡± This was Ming Shu¡¯s voice. Yan Ge said lazily, ¡°Come in.¡± Only then did Ming Shu push the door open and enter. He came to Yan Ge¡¯s side and handed the thing in his hand over. ¡°Second Boss, this is this month¡¯s account book. Please take a look.¡± Yan Ge looked up. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been much business for the past month. What¡¯s there to see in this account book?¡± Ming Shu was speechless. Although fewer people came here to buy herbs after the medicinal mountain was reopened, there are still many other businesses in the shop! Is it really alright for you to be so nonchalant?! Yan Ge glanced at him. ¡°Are you scolding me?¡± Ming Shu immediately said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Yan Ge snorted and took the account book over. Then, he flipped it open and took a few glances. ¡°You can hide your thoughts deeper.¡± The corners of Ming Shu¡¯s mouth twitched before he cleverly changed the topic. ¡°Second Boss, you¡¯ve been here for a long time, but Master hasn¡¯t said anything?¡± At the mention of this, Yan Ge was filled with grievances. He sighed deeply. ¡°Sigh, there¡¯s no choice!¡± Since Master has given the order, I naturally have to obey. ¡°However, I heard that Madam has been acting quite frequently in recent times? I reckon victory is in sight!¡± Ming Shu smiled and said, ¡°I heard that Second Boss and Madam are old acquaintances. She¡¯ll definitely be very happy to see you.¡± Yan Ge¡¯s glabella twitched. Hiss¡­ According to my understanding of that person, if she knows that the Second Boss of this Treasure Pavilion is me, then¡­ Will I still have a way out? At the thought of this, Yan Ge hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± It isn¡¯t too late to talk about this when Master plans on showing up! At least, he can block it, right? As Yan Ge spoke, he flipped through a few more pages and couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyebrows with a headache. ¡°Sigh, I really don¡¯t want to see this. If the Third Deity still¡ª¡± His voice suddenly trailed off. Ming Shu¡¯s expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a commotion outside. ¡°Master Ming Shu?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice! Yan Ge and Ming Shu quickly looked at each other. Yan Ge was quick-witted. He stuffed the account book back into Ming Shu¡¯s hand and disappeared. He was very fast. Ming Shu was speechless. ¡°Master Ming Shu, are you there?¡± Chu Liuyue waited on the first floor for a while. Seeing that there was no one, she decided to go upstairs to take a look. After shouting twice, Ming Shu finally pushed open a door and walked out. ¡°Miss Shangguan, you¡ª¡± ¡°Call me Madam Rong,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Anyway, now that Rong Xiu was here, this title was more suitable. Ming Shu¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Chu Liuyue vaguely felt that it was a little strange. She wanted to correct it, but she thought that it was nothing important, so she didn¡¯t mention it. ¡°Master Ming Shu, I¡¯m here this time to copy the remaining parts of the Li Fire Xuan Painting.¡± Ming Shu had long expected her to come for the ¡®Li Fire Xuan Painting,¡¯ but when he heard her words, he was still stunned for a moment. ¡°All¡ªall of them!?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded slightly, and there seemed to be a faint light flickering in her clear and dark eyes. ¡°Yes, everything.¡± ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock, Yue Manor. San San held the account book and walked past the corridor with small steps. Suddenly, his nose itched, and he sneezed. ¡°Ah-choo!¡± The sound made him dizzy. ¡°Damn, who¡¯s talking about me behind my back?!¡± He subconsciously looked at the silver bridge in the sky. ¡°Sigh, I wonder how Master and the others are doing now¡­¡± At this moment, Wu Yao rushed over. ¡°Third Brother!¡± San San rubbed his nose and turned around. He saw that Wu Yao¡¯s expression seemed a little off. He blinked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Wu Yao quickly walked up to him and said in a deep voice, ¡°Third Brother, there¡¯s a problem with the Gate Realm!¡± Chapter 2346 - 2346 Mirror 2346 Mirror ¡°Hm?¡± When San San heard it, he instantly put away the account book. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Before Master left, she instructed us that we had to guard that Gate Realm. If something has happened, we have to quickly resolve it. Wu Yao shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it in a sentence or two. Third Brother, why don¡¯t you follow me to take a look?¡± Now that Big Brother and Second Brother weren¡¯t in Peach Blossom Dock, the one in charge was naturally San San. Besides, San San originally knew this place the best. San San nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s not delay it.¡± ¡­ The two of them walked all the way and quickly came to the Gate Realm. Yu Jiu was holding a wooden sword in his hands as he waited there. Seeing the duo¡¯s figures, he immediately went forward. ¡°Third Brother, Fifth Brother.¡± San San looked at that Gate Realm and was instantly taken aback. ¡°Well¡­¡± The originally transparent Gate Realm was currently filled with rainbow rays of light and looked iridescent. Small sparks gathered together and formed a gigantic mirror! One could faintly see complicated and intricate patterns at the edge of the mirror. It was mysterious and strong. Above the mirror, a sea of silver lights shone, almost causing one to be unable to stare at it directly. ¡°Well¡­¡± Upon seeing this scene, San San was also taken aback and stared at the mirror for some time. This mirror looked extremely heavy and holy, yet it was trapped within a thin Gate Realm, looking rather strange. ¡°When did this appear?¡± ¡°This morning,¡± answered Wu Yao. ¡°I called Yu Jiu to guard it after I saw it, and I went to find you, Third Brother.¡± This matter was clearly not right, and he did not dare to delay it at all. San San took a step forward and immediately felt an intense suppression exuding from within. It was hard for him to go near it. Upon closer look, the void around the Gate Realm seemed to be affected by the mirror as well and distorted slightly. San San furrowed his brows. ¡°Third Brother, should we report to Master as soon as possible?¡± asked Yu Jiu. San San nodded. ¡°We definitely need to. He turned around and looked at the two people, revealing conflicted appearance. ¡°But¡­ who should go?¡± Wu Yao and Yu Jiu exchanged glances. The both of them had been taking turns to guard this Gate Realm, so it was naturally more suitable for them to do this. ¡°I¡¯ll go then.¡± Wu Yao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m considered to be the first person who saw this, so I can tell Master about it as clearly as possible.¡± San San nodded in agreement and felt his head ache. ¡°But after you go, won¡¯t Yu Jiu be left alone?¡± There were quite a few strong warriors in Peach Blossom Dock, but Master thought very highly of this Gate Realm, so they tacitly agreed that the task would only be given to the Thirteen Yue Guards. Now, Cen Yi and the rest had followed Chu Liuyue to Fantasy Divine Hall, leaving the few of them to guard Peach Blossom Dock. It was indeed a little hard to choose a suitable person from them to guard the Gate Realm. At this point, on a mountain peak not far away, a loud sound could suddenly be heard. The three of them looked up in unison and saw a thin and tall figure standing on the mountain peak. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force was rapidly rushing toward him! ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Little Thirteen?¡± asked Yu Jiu strangely. ¡°Is he breaking through?¡± ¡°It is him.¡± Wu Yao squinted. ¡°This child has been leaving early and coming back late recently. I didn¡¯t expect him to break through.¡± San San rubbed his chubby palms. ¡°I remember it¡¯s time for Little Thirteen to break through to become a stage-nine warrior, right? Hehe, how long has it been since he last broke through? There are really no limits to Little Thirteen¡¯s capabilities.¡± Boom! As he spoke, a tremendous force suddenly spread from Thirteen¡¯s body! He officially became a stage-nine warrior! San San nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Great, great! I¡¯ll choose some superior pills for Little Thirteen later to stabilize his cultivation level!¡± Yu Jiu glanced at him deeply. ¡°How rare for Third Brother to be so generous¡­¡± Normally, it was as hard as ascending the skies for them to take something from him. However, Third Brother treated Little Thirteen really well. San San grunted. ¡°Can you be compared to Little Thirteen? This child¡ª¡± Whoosh¡ª Before he could finish his sentence, San San suddenly discovered that the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started surging toward Little Thirteen at a shocking speed. The rich force was like a tidal wave, which created a huge commotion. Wu Yao suddenly realized something, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Little Thirteen is actually going to break through continuously?!¡± He is already a stage-nine warrior now. If he breaks through further, he will be a demigod! Yu Jiu took two steps forward and discovered that this was indeed the case. With this formation, he was definitely going to break through to become a demigod! ¡°My god. It¡¯s a large jump to break through to become a demigod from a stage-nine warrior. He didn¡¯t prepare at all and directly did it?¡± Yu Jiu had a face filled with envy and grievance. ¡°I¡¯m jealous.¡± Back then, he had spent so much effort and wasted so many wooden swords to become a demigod. In the end, Little Thirteen succeeded with a few stomps of his feet. Wu Yao glanced at San San. ¡°Third Brother, Little Thirteen is about to become a demigod. He¡¯s not a child anymore, right?¡± How could there be such a heaven-defying child!? San San said, ¡°I¡¯m jealous too.¡± Wu Yao was speechless. Boom! Thunder sounded from the clouds! The three of them stood patiently and waited, planning to talk about the rest after Little Thirteen broke through. After all, this stage could not be passed so easily. It was safer to watch him personally. However, they quickly discovered that something was amiss. In the skies, after the thunder sounded, lightning bolts still did not gather. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± Yu Jiu knitted his brows. Since Little Thirteen planned to directly break through to become a demigod, he must have sufficient confidence. However, how could he not attract a single lightning bolt? Suddenly, San San slapped his thigh. ¡°I remember!¡± The two of them looked at him together. San San explained with knitted brows, ¡°Recently, the cultivators in Peach Blossom Dock have really been unable to summon lightning bolts! The two of you guard this place most of the time, so you might not know, but I heard about a few similar situations. Not only demigods, but even those preparing to become legendary warriors might be the same. No matter what method they use, they can¡¯t summon any lightning bolts. However, I was busy previously and forgot about this matter.¡± In the beginning, San San really did not take this to heart. But judging from Little Thirteen¡¯s condition, it was indeed much more serious than he predicted. ¡°They can¡¯t do it?¡± Wu Yao and Yu Jiu were taken aback and exchanged glances. ¡°Then, what exactly is going on? You need to know that without the thunder to nourish, it¡¯s very hard to break through!¡± Even if he could forcefully do it, he might have problems here and there. San San scratched his head. ¡°This¡ª¡± Clang! The sound of something breaking suddenly came from the air! Chapter 2347 - 2347 Two Ladies 2347 Two Ladies The trio focused and saw a silver bolt of lightning piercing through the sky and going toward Thirteen! ¡°This¡­ Where did the lightning come from?!¡± San San was stunned, and he instinctively looked down. This is absurd! The lightning bolt didn¡¯t come down from the skies but flew over from somewhere else! Also, it appeared too suddenly! ¡°Will there be a problem? I think we should stop that lightning bolt, right?¡± said Yu Jiu as he held the sword hilt, about to take action. But the moment he took two steps forward, the second bolt of lightning landed! It was similarly headed for Little Thirteen! At the same time, a strangely familiar aura came. Wu Yao squinted and raised his hand to stop Yu Jiu. ¡°Hold on.¡± Yu Jiu was dazed and looked at him strangely. Wu Yao raised his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that we¡¯ve¡­ seen this commotion before?¡± Yu Jiu blinked. However, San San suddenly thought of something, and panic appeared in his small eyes. ¡°That can¡¯t be?! That little ancestor came?!¡± Swoosh! Another silver bolt of lightning suddenly appeared! Wu Yao calmly said, ¡°Not one but two.¡± San San turned around and ran. Wu Yao had long expected it and didn¡¯t stop him as he loudly remarked, ¡°Third Brother, since they¡¯re here, where can you run? Don¡¯t forget that the flowers and grass at Clear Water Cliff still need you.¡± San San suddenly stopped in his tracks, and his face hurt. He wanted to run because he felt his heart ache for those babies. Seeing the two people¡¯s reactions, Yu Jiu suddenly realized something and was elated. ¡°The two of them came?!¡± Wu Yao laughed. ¡°Who else can it be?¡± Yu Jiu excitedly said, ¡°Third Brother, you should hurriedly prepare then! We haven¡¯t seen them in so long. We should give them some greeting gift or something, right?¡± San San was on the brink of tears. You¡¯re not the ones who are losing out! During their conversation, another few bolts of silver lightning appeared. In the beginning, Thirteen was still rather dazed. But when the first bolt of lightning reached him, he suddenly realized something, and he looked surprised. Then, he guided that bolt of lightning to himself without hesitation and started nourishing his Heavenly Dao! Even though the lightning bolt did not descend from the skies, it still contained shocking amounts of force! Thirteen¡¯s entire body was in immense pain, as if every single inch of his body was being shredded. However, he tightly clenched his teeth and swallowed all of it as he tried to convert all of it into his own force! Then, it was the second and third! Many bolts of lightning came down, and they sparkled brightly, almost covering Thirteen¡¯s entire figure. Yet, his aura kept strengthening! Finally, when the last bolt of silver light entered his body, he suddenly opened his eyes! A shocking suppression suddenly exploded! Finally, Thirteen had officially broken through and became a true god! ¡°He¡¯s not a demigod! He¡¯s A true god!¡± Yu Jiu could not conceal his excitement. ¡°Little Thirteen is indeed amazing!¡± Wu Yao also had a face filled with satisfaction and praise. ¡°He¡¯s indeed someone Big Brother brought up personally and nurtured by his side¡­¡± Such a young true god should be extremely rare even in the entire God Residence Realm, right? On the mountain peak, the commotion around Thirteen slowly appeased. He looked in the direction of those lightning bolts. The young and clean face broke into a bright smile. ¡°Eleventh Sister, Twelfth Sister!¡± Once he said that, two figures rapidly flew over from afar. Those two were young girls that didn¡¯t look like they were older than 15 or 16. They wore the same dress, but one was peach and the other was emerald. Standing together, they complemented each other and looked very beautiful. However, the most important thing was that these two very pretty and beautiful young women were twins! But even though these two people looked exactly the same, their auras were very different. The woman decked in the emerald dress had a cold appearance and strong presence, while the other looked weak and soft. She followed behind the girl in emerald and listened to her obediently. The two of them stepped on a sword and were very fast. They came to Thirteen in the blink of an eye. Thirteen welcomed them. These two ladies then revealed the same smile. The difference was: one became warm from coldness, while the other became cute from softness. ¡°Congratulations, Thirteen,¡± said the girl in emerald green. Her voice was the same as her person, and it was pleasing and clean to hear. ¡°Eleventh Sister, I should thank you instead. If it weren¡¯t for your help¡ª¡± Lady Shiyi waved her hands. ¡°We¡¯re all brothers. What¡¯s there to stand on ceremony?¡± Thirteen was speechless. The corner of his lips twitched slightly, and he finally continued, ¡°We¡¯ve not seen each other for many years, Eleventh Sister, but you really haven¡¯t changed at all¡­¡± Lady Shi¡¯er silently pulled Lady Shiyi¡¯s clothes and softly said, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s siblings¡ªsiblings.¡± Lady Shiyi raised her brows. ¡°Is there a difference?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er shrunk her head back and lowered her voice. ¡°¡­ Yes¡­¡± Thirteen laughed dryly and later shockingly realized something/ ¡°Eleventh Sister, Twelfth Sister, you guys also broke through to become true gods?¡± ¡°We just broke through not long ago. If not for this, we wouldn¡¯t have returned only now,¡± explained Lady Shiyi. Thirteen nodded in understanding. ¡°Oh right, the lightning just now¡­¡± Until now, he hadn¡¯t understood how they gifted him so many lightning bolts. Originally, he thought that he would fail today. Lady Shiyi had not much of an expression. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing much. I just broke a royal Yuan instrument and took out the lightning force inside for you.¡± Thirteen was speechless. From afar, when San San heard this, he instantly wanted to leave again. Royal Yuan instrument! She ruined it just like that! How inflated are these two ancestors!? However, at this point, Lady Shi¡¯er looked over. ¡°Third Brother and the rest seem to be here too!¡± Even though they were a distance away, it was a pure lie to say that they couldn¡¯t hear or see, given their current cultivation levels. Yu Jiu was over the moon. ¡°Third Brother, Fifth Brother, why are you still in a daze? Let¡¯s go! We haven¡¯t seen them in so long!¡± Then, he took a step forward, went on his toes, and ran over. Wu Yao glanced at San San and reminded, ¡°Third Brother, Shiyi doesn¡¯t like people being late.¡± Then, he followed as well. San San took a deep breath in, preparing himself mentally for a while, before he pulled a smile on his face and followed them. It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Perhaps these two ancestors have grown up and won¡¯t be as immature as before! Thinking of this, San San felt much better. ¡­ The few of them weren¡¯t slow and quickly reached the mountain peak. ¡°Shiyi! Shi¡¯er!¡± Yu Jiu chuckled. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time. Did you miss your Ninth Brother?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The two ladies spoke at the same time. Chapter 2348 - 2348 Dont Stuff Yourself 2348 Don¡¯t Stuff Yourself Lady Shi¡¯er glanced at Lady Shiyi helplessly and braved herself for once. She repeated, ¡°We did miss you. Sister and I miss Master and our older siblings very much. Oh, and Thirteen too.¡± It was rare for her to say so many words at once. Even though she had already tried her best to increase her volume, it was not very obvious and still sounded fluffy. She sounded like she did not eat her fill. Then, Yu Jiu really asked, ¡°Twelfth Sister, you didn¡¯t eat before coming?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s face blushed red as she leaned closer to Lady Shiyi. After a while, she softly acknowledged it. Lady Shiyi said, ¡°We rushed the whole way here.¡± The six words were considered an explanation. Yu Jiu¡¯s heart instantly ached. ¡°How can that be!? No matter how rushed you are, you can¡¯t be hungry!¡± Lady Shiyi shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I heard that Third Brother has quite a lot of good stuff, so we thought that it would be the same if we ate here.¡± San San, who just came, heard this and suddenly stopped in his tracks. Lady Shiyi already looked over. ¡°Third Brother, we¡¯re hungry.¡± The meat on San San¡¯s face trembled. Under the few pairs of eyes, he took out two bottles of pills with much difficulty and handed them over. ¡°¡­Is this enough?¡± Lady Shiyi took it with both hands and passed one to Lady Shi¡¯er. ¡°Take this first.¡± Then, she turned around and looked at San San. There was no expression on her cold and playful face. However, San San was too familiar with her expression! He clenched his teeth and took out another two bottles. ¡°Third Brother, we¡¯re already true gods now,¡± reminded Lady Shiyi lightly. San San¡¯s hands trembled as he took more out with tears in his eyes. One bottle after another. Lady Shiyi did not stop him at all. Until San San¡¯s hands were about to be filled, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is this not enough?¡± Lady Shiyi took the items and gave some to her sister before leaving some for herself. Then, Lady Shi¡¯er opened one bottle and softly said, ¡°Sister, these are all Physician-level pills.¡± Lady Shiyi raised her brows. ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t you have any Senior Physician-level pills?¡± The corner of San San¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°How much is this? It¡¯s enough for you to eat for a period of time!¡± ¡°I used a lot of effort to break a royal Yuan instrument earlier,¡± said Lady Shiyi righteously. ¡°Third Brother, if you really can¡¯t bear it, it¡¯s nothing much. We can just be hungry. Anyway, we¡¯re already used to it all these years¡­¡± ¡°Give, give, give! I¡¯ll give you all!¡± San San couldn¡¯t listen on, so he took out many pills and stuffed all of them into the two ladies¡¯ hands. Lady Shi¡¯er revealed a faint smile. ¡°Thank you, Third Brother!¡± Lady Shiyi glanced at San San. ¡°It seems like Third Brother is very rich now.¡± With his personality, if he can swiftly produce so many, his inventory should be shocking. San San¡¯s heart sank. I exposed myself! He rubbed his face with heart ache. Forget it! They use this method every time, and they don¡¯t even change it! Yet, I don¡¯t have a choice. They¡¯re my own younger sisters. What can I do? How could I let them starve?¡± Yu Jiu urged, ¡°Hurry up and eat! If not, he¡¯ll regret it later!¡± San San glanced at him. Lady Shiyi and her sister acknowledged it. Then, they opened the bottles in their hands and started eating¡­ the pills. Lady Shi¡¯er was thin-skinned, so she gently poured them out and slowly ate them one by one. Lady Shiyi directly opened the bottle, lifted her head, and poured all the pills in. San San looked away and clutched his chest in heart ache. Among the Thirteen Yue Guards, other than Little Thirteen, they were the two youngest. As they were ladies and were twins, these older brothers and sisters really doted on her like crazy. They doted on them even more than they did to Little Thirteen. Who knew that these two ladies¡­ weren¡¯t average people!? On the surface, the two ladies looked beautiful, slim, gentle, and adorable. But in actual fact, their appetite was bigger than the other Thirteen Yue Guards¡ªmore than the remaining 11 of them added together! Luckily, Chu Liuyue was still the crown princess at that time and could feed them. But slowly, the two ladies grew up, and normal dishes were no longer enough. No matter how much they ate, it was very easy for them to be hungry, and they were often weak. Later on, Cen Yi started feeding them pills. The older they were, the more pills they ate, and the higher the grade. When other people ate different pills, it would have different effects on their bodies. However, it was different for them since any medicine only had one use for them¡ªreplenish their strength. As long as they could eat their fill, they would have strength. Hence, Yu Jiu asked whether they had eaten once he saw them. That was because they were very often hungry in the past. Now, they had already reached the stage of eating Physician-level or Senior Physician-level pills. Seeing these two ladies finish the pills just like that, Wu Yao and Yu Jiu¡¯s hearts ached. ¡°Look at how angry the kids became!¡± San San looked over and took a deep breath in. His heart ached for the two of them, and his muscles ached for those pills. Only when they finished three-quarters of what they had, the two of them finally stopped. Lady Shiyi put away the remaining pills, finally satisfied, and even her cold gaze became warmer. ¡°Thank you, Third Brother.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er also softly said, ¡°Thank you Third¡ªhiccup¡ªBrother.¡± She even hiccuped in the middle, and her face instantly turned red. Seeing this scene, San San could not be bothered about those pills. He saw them grow up after all. How could he be so reluctant to part with those things? ¡°Are you done eating?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s face turned red as she nodded. Lady Shiyi was more straightforward. ¡°If we were like this previously, we can take out the force of a supreme Yuan instrument for Thirteen.¡± It¡¯s a pity. San San and the rest had their eyelids twitch. Yu Jiu could not help but touch his nose. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not good, right? Supreme Yuan instruments are quite rare¡­ It¡¯s not very suitable to ruin them, right?¡± Lady Shiyi thought for a while and found it logical. Then, she looked at Thirteen. ¡°Then, we can do it when you break through to become a legendary warrior.¡± Thirteen didn¡¯t expect for plans to be made for him upon becoming a true god. He was instantly stumped. After struggling for a while, he said, ¡°Perhaps everyone can summon their lightning bolts normally by then¡­¡± The main thing was that this situation was too strange. Crack! A crisp sound was suddenly heard. The people present were all shocked. They looked over and realized that Lady Shi¡¯er was holding two ends of a broken sword. It was the one they used to fly over, and it was a royal Yuan instrument. Lady Shi¡¯er clearly did not expect the situation to end up in this manner. She stared at the broken sword in a daze and then glanced at the few of them with a face filled with guilt. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­ I just wanted to put it away¡­¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± Lady Shiyi was long used to it. She took the item and crushed it into a ball before retrieving a few bolts of silver lightning and directing them into her body. ¡°Don¡¯t waste it. Sister, remember to eat until you¡¯re 80% to 90% full next time.¡± Twelfth Sister nodded obediently. ¡°I understand.¡± Chapter 2349 - 2349 Discuss 2349 Discuss Once she ate too much, it would be hard for her to control the strength in her hands. She had made such mistakes before, so she usually paid attention to it. However, she was hungry for too long this time and could not control herself. Even though Lady Shiyi¡¯s physique was the same as hers¡­ As the older sister, she had more self-control. Just as she planned to throw away the item in her hands, Lady Shiyi realized that the few of them were looking at her strangely. She paused in her actions. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ throw this item?¡± She lowered her head and took a look. ¡°But this is already a bunch of rubbish.¡± There¡¯s nothing to be reluctant about, right? Yu Jiu gulped with much difficulty. ¡°Eleventh Sister, it was still a royal Yuan instrument ten minutes ago.¡± It was ruined in the blink of an eye. Does your heart not hurt at all? Lady Shiyi looked at him. ¡°So?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er added softly, ¡°Ninth Brother, this item really can¡¯t be used anymore.¡± What¡¯s the point of keeping it? Yu Jiu¡¯s eyelids twitched. Of course, I know that this item can¡¯t be used, but is that the crux?! Wu Yao coughed. ¡°They¡¯re right. Even if it was a royal Yuan instrument beforehand, it can¡¯t be used now and is the same as rubbish. It¡¯s good that she threw it¡ªgood that she threw it!¡± The remaining few people fell silent in unison. Originally, they wanted to ask how the two ladies spent the past few years. However, it seemed like they had no need to ask that. If they really asked, they should ask how the people that met them survived¡­ ¡°Where¡¯s Master?¡± Lady Shiyi looked left and right. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for so long, but I don¡¯t think I have detected Master¡¯s aura.¡± Seeing that the duo¡¯s news seemed to be blocked, Wu Yao briefly explained to them whatever happened earlier. Lady Shiyi was considered to be rather stable and calm. Lady Shi¡¯er had already widened her eyes and looked at the silver bridge. ¡°Then¡­ it means that Master and the rest are there?¡± Wu Yao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Also, some troubles happened with that Gate Realm. We were just thinking of reporting to Master.¡± Lady Shiyi followed his gaze. ¡°Is this Gate Realm very important?¡± Wu Yao nodded. ¡°Thus, we were still discussing who should stay behind to guard it with Yu Jiu.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy to solve.¡± As Lady Shiyi spoke, she took out an item. Dong! The heavy item slammed on the ground and made a low sound. San San and the rest looked over and were instantly stunned. What appeared before them was a copper man who was eight feet tall and covered in a dark golden color. ¡°This is a¡­ puppet?!¡± San San¡¯s eyes lit up as he pinched the puppet¡¯s arm. ¡°This used the best golden-copper!¡± A palm-sized piece was priceless outside, and this puppet was entirely made out of that material! He knocked against it. ¡°And it¡¯s filled!¡± ¡°The combat power of this puppet can be compared to a top legendary warrior. We can just leave it here to take care of that Gate Realm,¡± said Lady Shiyi. Wu Yao was very tempted. This was indeed a good method. Now that Thirteen had already broken through to become a true god, he was thinking of letting Thirteen and Yu Jiu guard the Gate Realm together. The only weakness was that Thirteen¡¯s combat skills could not be compared to Yu Jiu in such a short amount of time. However, it was different with this puppet! ¡°This item can indeed do us a great favor. However, how did you get such a treasure?¡± asked Wu Yao curiously. Lady Shiyi said, ¡°Big Brother gave it to us.¡± The crowd was surprised. Seeing their shocked faces, Lady Shi¡¯er said softly, ¡°Back then, Big Brother was worried that we would get bullied outside, so he gave us this. Third Brother, don¡¯t you have it?¡± She thought everyone had it. Lady Shiyi swiftly shook her head. ¡°Is there a need to ask?¡± If they had this item, they wouldn¡¯t be worrying about that Gate Realm earlier. Yu Jiu looked down at the wooden sword in his hands and felt grievances. ¡°We have the same Big Brother, but why is our difference so big?¡± Wu Yao: ¡°Be content. At least Big Brother personally crafted that wooden sword for you. I don¡¯t have anything at all.¡± Yu Jiu grinded his teeth. ¡°What can someone who uses his fists need? Big Brother¡¯s fist?¡± San San held his chest in heart ache. ¡°D-don¡¯t talk about it!¡± All these years, not only did he not take anything from Big Brother, but he had given countless items instead. He worked hard for so many years, but the bits of money he earned didn¡¯t enter his personal account at all! Thirteen silently took half a step back. Speaking of which, he learned the most from Big Brother, so he naturally had no right to talk. Wu Yao forcefully appeased his feelings. ¡°Let¡¯s set this then. As for you two¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go to that Fantasy Divine Palace too,¡± said Lady Shiyi. Wu Yao was stumped. ¡°Are¡­ you sure?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± San San suddenly realized something and immediately nodded. ¡°How great is Fantasy Divine Palace? It has all sorts of treasures!¡± Lady Shiyi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªthat¡¯s what we were thinking too. I heard that there¡¯s a medicinal mountain there, so there should be quite a lot of pills. Besides, there seems to be quite a few Armory Refinement Masters. Logically speaking, there will be quite a few Yuan instruments.¡± How good would that be? Once Wu Yao heard it, he instantly felt that it made sense. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡­ Fantasy Divine Palace, Zhen Bao Pavilion. Ming Shu sent Chu Liuyue to the room and walked out by himself. After closing the door, he turned around and knitted his brows. Master said¡­ she was going to copy the rest of the Li Fire Xuan Painting? Won¡¯t she be able to finish the Star Path directly!? Chapter 2350 - 2350 Come Out 2350 Come Out Ming Shu held his breath in and turned around to look. Although he couldn¡¯t see anything through the door, the commotion in his heart could not be appeased. It wasn¡¯t that he was inexperienced, but¡­ This matter was too ridiculous! The Li Fire Xuan Painting had been stored within Zhen Bao Pavilion for many years! Some people came to buy it, and others chose to help them replicate it, but these people were mostly busy with the upper scroll. As for the lower scroll, many of them could not understand it, let alone do other things. Talent decided a Xuan Master¡¯s fate. Ming Shu had seen countless Xuan Master¡¯s, but not a single one of them could completely understand the Li Fire Xuan Painting to this day. Of course, this did not include Jin Yunlai. That was because he did rely on himself to complete the Star Path back then. As for the rest¡­ Ming Shu shook his head and his eyes were filled with incredulity. Seeing how confident Madam was, it seems like¡­ victory is right under her nose! He thought about it carefully. In his memory, she really did not seem to be troubled by the Li Fire Xuan Painting at all. After she came the previous few times, they just briefly greeted each other before she directly went up to the second floor to start replicating the Xuan formations. She didn¡¯t take a lot of time, and he had seen the ones she replicated¡ªthey could be considered perfect. It seemed like¡­ she knew what she was doing. If she could really replicate all of the Xuan formations this time, then¡­ She can directly finish the Star Path when she leaves and then enter the Fantasy Divine Hall! Once this is done, she could possibly be the first person to successfully complete the Star Path after Jin Yunlai! Ming Shu felt faintly excited. Madam¡¯s talent and skills seem to be even more shocking than predicted? He rubbed his hands, suppressed his emotions, and left. ¡­ Inside the room. Chu Liuyue sat by the window quietly. There were two scrolls before her¡ªit was the Li Fire Xuan Painting. The upper scroll was closed and sitting by the side, while the lower scroll was opened in her hands. She glanced at it and started replicating the Xuan formations without hesitation. Her movements were smooth and free, without a pause at all. These Xuan formations had already been engraved deeply in her mind. As long as she activated her memory, she could draw it out easily. She was very clear with every pattern and direction. Previously, she did not unleash all her skills due to various reasons. Every time she came, she showed more restraint and only copied a small portion before delaying for a while and standing up to leave. In actual fact, during this time, she had long engraved every Xuan formation into her heart and understood them completely! Now, she didn¡¯t want to drag it further. She wanted to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall as soon as possible! Time slowly trickled past. Chu Liuyue replicated the Xuan formations continuously with her hands. The further she proceeded, the longer it took. Hence, she used more energy and patience. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was still calm. She wasn¡¯t anxious or exasperated as she went on with it in an orderly manner. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Every time Ming Shu reached Chu Liuyue¡¯s door, he was curious and rather worried. I wonder how Madam is doing inside¡­ The Xuan formations in the Li Fire Xuan Painting are very complicated. Many people can¡¯t even solve one of them their entire lives, yet she wants to understand them all and replicate them. This is a major project, and it really requires a large amount of time and effort. It was very quiet inside. During this period of time, Ming Shu would check on her every day and wait outside for a while. Other than the sounds of books flipping, he almost could not hear anything else. After a while, seeing that Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t figure it out, Ming Shu could only shake his head and leave. ¡­ Phoenix Mountain. Tuan Zi sat down cross-legged, and there was fire silently burning in the surroundings. The air was scorching hot. From afar, all the mountains in Phoenix Mountain seemed to be wrapped by the red-golden fire. When Yu Qian came over, that was the scene he saw. Exclamation filled his eyes. ¡°No wonder she has the purest bloodline¡­¡± No matter if it is Yi Gong or Yi Zhao, they can¡¯t compare to her! With her speed of cultivation, Tuan Zi should be able to open her eighth meridian in no time. Yu Qian was in a very good mood. Even though he had compromised quite a bit for Tuan Zi and Chu Liuyue to break their agreement so that Tuan Zi could stay in Phoenix Mountain to cultivate¡­ It now seemed like everything was worth it. Suddenly, a slight sound came from the side. Yu Qian knitted his brows and glanced in the direction of the sound. It was as if a shadow flashed across. His expression turned harsh. ¡°Who!?¡± This Phoenix Mountain was very guarded. Other than him and Tuan Zi, only Chu Liuyue could enter freely. But Chu Liuyue entered with his token, so he knew every time she was here. However, the black figure that just flashed across¡­ They had clearly trespassed silently! His figure moved, and he rapidly went into pursuit! At this point, Tuan Zi suddenly opened her eyes. She stood up, furrowed her brows, and loudly yelled, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Yu Qian paused in his tracks and turned to look at Tuan Zi. ¡°Don¡¯t care about it. Just cultivate peacefully.¡± Tuan Zi widened her eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re affecting my cultivation!¡± Yu Qian paused. ¡°I told you that you¡¯re not allowed to casually come over! Leave immediately!¡± Tuan Zi crossed her arms. ¡°But just now, there was something¡ª¡± ¡°What thing? Why didn¡¯t I see anything?¡± Tuan Zi glared at him ferociously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving!?¡± Yu Qian was hesitant with his words. He really didn¡¯t want to disturb Tuan Zi, so he could only make way. ¡°I¡¯ll just leave. You can continue.¡± Then, his figure flashed across, and he indeed left Phoenix Mountain. When she confirmed that he truly left, Tuan Zi lightly grunted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to come out?¡± Chapter 2351 - 2351 Meet 2351 Meet The surroundings were quiet, and nobody appeared. Tuan Zi put up her tiny arms. ¡°I¡¯ve already helped you so much. Aren¡¯t you going to thank me?¡± After a moment, a red berry was thrown over. Tuan Zi caught that berry. ¡°Cinnabar berry?¡± A bright light flashed across her eyes. This is one of the berries I like the most! Ever since I¡¯ve been cultivating at Phoenix Mountain, I haven¡¯t eaten it in a long, long time! She elatedly held the cinnabar berry and wanted to throw it into her mouth. In the end, when it almost reached her mouth, she stopped and pouted. She looked at where the cinnabar berry came from. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can bribe me with a cinnabar berry! Hmph!¡± Another cinnabar berry was thrown over. Tuan Zi caught it with one hand and held it in her arms. ¡°Two won¡¯t do as well! You must come out and show yourself to me today!¡± Then, she walked forward. Shua! A faint sound of air breaking could be heard. Following this, Tuan Zi saw a blurred figure flashing across her eyes! She grinded her teeth and went on her toes, immediately flying forward! ¡°Let¡¯s see where you¡¯re going to run!¡± I couldn¡¯t catch up with it previously. This time, I want to see it clearly no matter what! That shadow ran really quickly and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Tuan Zi stopped and lowered her head to glance at the cinnabar berries in her hands. The thick berry fragrance exuded from them, causing one to salivate. She licked her lips and suppressed her urge to finish them. ¡°You want to escape? It¡¯s not that easy!¡± The smell of the cinnabar berry can stay on a person for a few days! It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t see them. Based on this smell, I can similarly catch that person! Tuan Zi wrinkled her nose and followed that faint fragrance in the air. ¡­ Fifteen minutes later, Tuan Zi stopped before the barrier between Phoenix Mountain and the Fantasy Divine Hall. She knitted her brows. ¡°Is the person inside?¡± That fragrance disappeared here. She surveyed her surroundings. This barrier descended from the sky, and it thoroughly blocked her. One could only pass through this barrier to leave here. ¡°No wonder!¡± Tuan Zi instantly understood. I was wondering why I couldn¡¯t find the person every time. So they directly ran back to the Fantasy Divine Hall?! To think that I had been searching Phoenix Mountain the whole time. I almost dug the ground and could not find the person, but it turns out I was looking in the wrong area! Tuan Zi glanced at the barrier before her hesitantly. ¡°How should I go over¡­ Oh right!¡± Her eyes suddenly lit up. She used her left hand to hold the two cinnabar berries before shaking her right hand and summoning the Ancestral Golden Feather. If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, this could directly pass the barrier¡­ Tuan Zi thought of it and waved her hand lightly. Buzz¡ª A crack rapidly appeared on the barrier! ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Tuan Zi was beyond surprised and rapidly went in! Rich Heaven and Earth Force immediately came from all directions! Tuan Zi took a deep breath in and felt rejuvenated. Phoenix Mountain was great, but it was a little hot. Hence, she couldn¡¯t adjust to it for a while when she suddenly came outside. Tuan Zi turned around to look. That crack had silently closed. The surroundings were quiet, as if nobody detected her arrival. Tuan Zi blinked. This barrier¡­ seems like it was crossed very easily? She put away the Ancestral Golden Feather and captured the other party¡¯s remaining fragrance in the air. ¡°Where are they!¡± Tuan Zi confirmed the direction and rushed over! ¡­ Pu! A sound was heard in the silent yard. Something squirmed in the pile of fallen leaves, causing the leaves to fly everywhere. After a moment, a nonchalant and calm voice came from the room. ¡°You went to Phoenix Mountain again?¡± That pile of leaves did not move. ¡°Did you forget how I warned you previously?¡± That voice was colder and harsher than before. The yard was even more quiet. At this point, knocks could be heard outside. Knock knock! ¡°Is there anyone here?¡± A crisp and soft voice could be heard from outside. The voice inside the room suddenly stopped. Outside the door, Tuan Zi¡¯s face broke into a bright smile. ¡°Hehe, this is your house, right? I¡¯ve already found this place. Are you still not willing to come out?¡± She was very certain that the other party was here because the smell disappeared here! Originally, she wanted to enter directly, but there was a barrier outside the yard. She thought for a while and found it inappropriate to directly trespass in, so she obediently chose to knock on the door. Anyway, she had chased the person all the way here. There was no reason to continue hiding, right? After a while, it was still quiet inside, and there was no response. Tuan Zi knocked on the door again. Whish! Whish! Whish! ¡°I¡¯m not a bad person. Why don¡¯t you want to come out?¡± Still, nobody answered her. Tuan Zi waited for a while and was a little angry. She pouted. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯m going to go in myself!¡± Then, she put two hands on the door and leaned her chubby face in, wanting to find some clues from the cracks. It was a pity that although this yard was not big, its quality was superior. She widened her grape-like eyes as she turned around, but she still could not see anything. ¡°How can it be like this¡­¡± Tuan Zi muttered softly. I helped them big time! How could they just settle it with two cinnabar berries? ¡°Why are you here?!¡± A shocked female voice came from behind. Tuan Zi turned around and glanced at her. It was Shu Jing. Tuan Zi pouted and ignored her. Then, she placed her face on the door and kept exerting force with her hands. Perhaps I can really open it to take a look! However, her behavior was extremely insolent and arrogant to Shu Jing. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Shu Jing knitted her brows tightly. Not only did this Tuan Zi leave Phoenix Mountain, but she even came to whine at First Deity¡¯s place? What is she doing? Does she want to forcefully barge in? Tuan Zi acted as if she didn¡¯t hear Shu Jing. Shu Jing was exasperated. She came to find the First Deity to solve the medicinal mountain¡¯s barrier. After the strange situation that day, she couldn¡¯t care much and hurried to the Fantasy Divine Hall. Originally, she wanted to ask for help, but she was scolded and ridiculed by the Second Deity. Helpless, she could only return and think of a way. Actually, she felt aggrieved. All these years, she was also anxious when she could not solve that barrier! After being slapped by Xiao Ba that day, she was already infuriated. Then, Second Deity¡¯s words completely enraged her. She swiftly chose to enter seclusion and wanted to find a way no matter what. However, how could this matter be solved so easily? She thought until her head ached, but she still could not do it. Without a choice, she could only harbor her last hope and ask the First Deity for help. In the end, she came over and ran into Tuan Zi. She went forward to pull Tuan Zi. ¡°This isn¡¯t somewhere you can come!¡± Chapter 2352 - 2352 Watching From the Side 2352 Watching From the Side In the end, before she touched Tuan Zi, an invisible suppression attacked her! Shu Jing was shocked and hurriedly dodged it. However, she was forced to take quite a few steps back and almost fell. She hurriedly stabilized her body and looked up in shock. This is¡­ First Deity¡¯s barrier? However, Tuan Zi is clearly nearer than me. Why isn¡¯t she affected at all? Tuan Zi turned around to look at her. Her beautiful watery eyes blinked as she chuckled. ¡°It seems like the people inside don¡¯t really like you!¡± Shu Jing was instantly enraged. ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± ¡°How am I talking nonsense?¡± Tuan Zi gestured with her hands. ¡°I just haven¡¯t entered the yard, but you can¡¯t even approach the door!¡± This was a stark difference! Anyone could see it! Shu Jing was indignant, and her face flushed white and red. Actually, she wasn¡¯t the strange one but Tuan Zi! When she and Seventh Deity came here previously, they couldn¡¯t approach the door either. But when she saw Tuan Zi lying on the door, she forgot about it for a while. Thinking about it now¡­ Tuan Zi was clearly leaning too closely! What is First Deity thinking? Could it be¡­ because of Tuan Zi¡¯s status? But shouldn¡¯t she be at Phoenix Mountain now? Thinking of this, Shu Jing¡¯s face changed. ¡°How did you pass through that barrier?¡± Tuan Zi glanced at her and softly muttered, ¡°None of your business.¡± Then, she knocked again. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯m really going to kick down the door!¡± Shu Jing heard it and was terrified. Who is she talking to? First Deity? Impossible. But other than First Deity, nobody else is in the yard! At this point, another person came. ¡°Tuan Zi, what are you doing?¡± His voice was low and had hints of displeasure. Shu Jing saw the incoming person and hurriedly greeted, ¡°Greetings, Second Deity.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s gaze scanned past her and didn¡¯t stay for too long before he looked at Tuan Zi. Not long after leaving Phoenix Mountain, he also detected that Tuan Zi came out. He was frightened and immediately searched for her everywhere. In the end, he found her here. Tuan Zi turned around and gazed at Yu Qian with an expression of enmity. ¡°What does that have to do with you?!¡± Her tone was very harsh. Shu Jing knitted her brows and secretly sneered. Second Deity usually looks gentle, but he isn¡¯t easy to interact with. Furthermore, he hates someone rebutting him the most. Now that Tuan Zi spoke without thinking, she will definitely be lectured. However, the shocking thing was that Yu Qian wasn¡¯t angry at all! He stared at Tuan Zi and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that you have to stay at Phoenix Mountain to cultivate? What are you doing now?¡± Tuan Zi lightly grunted. ¡°Phoenix Mountain is so boring. Can¡¯t I come out for a spin?!¡± Yu Qian squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°You came out yourself?¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she raised her head. ¡°Yeah! I used the Ancestral Golden Feather to open the barrier. So what?¡± Yu Qian paused. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t come to the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± ¡°Second Deity?!¡± Shu Jing was taken aback. What kind of place is this? How could Tuan Zi enter and leave as she wishes!? Look at her arrogant face. Nobody knows what she will do in the future! Yu Qian glanced at Shu Jing in warning. She did not have the right to intervene in this matter. Shu Jing¡¯s entire body turned cold as she hurriedly lowered her head and swallowed her remaining words. However, the hands in her sleeves were clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. I¡¯m the Eighth Deity, and I should be high and mighty. But now, everybody can trample all over me! Yu Qian looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°However, there are some places you can go and others you can¡¯t. This is the First Deity¡¯s residence. You¡¯re not allowed to disturb him in the future.¡± His expression was as per usual, but his eyes were much colder. Tuan Zi pressed her lips against each other. She was extremely smart and knew when she could cause a scene and when she could not, like now¡ªYu Qian was definitely not joking. She clenched her teeth and lightly grunted. ¡°I won¡¯t come then! Anyway, there are many places I can play at!¡± As she spoke, she moved her legs and walked. When she walked halfway, she suddenly thought of something and turned to glance at Yu Qian. ¡°Who else owns a fiend in Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Yu Qian raised his brows. ¡°Out of all the deities, I¡¯m the only one in charge of the legendary fiends.¡± Tuan Zi pouted and turned around to leave. Yu Qian followed her. ¡°If you¡¯re really bored, I can bring you around.¡± However, he definitely couldn¡¯t allow Tuan Zi to randomly run around by herself here. Tuan Zi hated him to the core and did not want to see his annoying face, but she knew clearly that she had to follow him if she wanted to see Fantasy Divine Hall. Crack! She held the cinnabar berry in her arms and harshly bit on it. ¡­ Seeing that Yu Qian was really going to leave with Tuan Zi, Shu Jing gritted her teeth. What is she! She just has the purest bloodline in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, yet she is beyond arrogant. She doesn¡¯t even care about me, the Eighth Deity! However, Second Deity thinks highly of her. Without thinking, she knew that as long as Tuan Zi did not make a major mistake, she could have her way here for a very long period of time. Shu Jing was enraged and knew that there was no other way. Tuan Zi¡¯s existence was indeed too important for Fantasy Divine Hall. If not, Second Deity would not let her run around. She turned around and looked at the tightly-shut door. From start to end, First Deity did not say a single word. This was undoubtedly agreeing to Second Deity¡¯s actions tacitly. No matter what she said, it would be useless. After appeasing herself, she finally recalled her motive of coming here. ¡°First Deity, the barrier at the medicinal mountain is having problems again. You¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem.¡± The cold and low voice came from inside. ¡°I gave you so much time to handle it, but you couldn¡¯t solve it. Then¡­ nobody can help you.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s face flushed white. ¡°But back then, that barrier was¡ª¡± Her voice suddenly stopped. She didn¡¯t dare to say the remaining words no matter what. Nobody dared to say a word about what happened back then, and it was best that the matters all be blurred in the passing of time. It was a taboo in the Fantasy Divine Hall¡ªshe knew this clearly. After hesitating for a long while, she saw that First Deity really did not plan to take action. Thus, she finally gave up and bade him farewell. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡­ After leaving, Shu Jing originally wanted to return to her own residence. But when she walked halfway, the fire in her heart burned even more intensely. First Deity, Second Deity, and the rest are all standing by and watching. Do they really plan to put me in a difficult spot?! All the unlucky events caused her to break down. Not everybody can be trampling all over me! Thinking of this, she turned around to walk out from Fantasy Divine Hall. Medicinal mountain¡¯s barrier can¡¯t be solved in a short amount of time. I should take revenge on Xiao Ba first! Chapter 2353 - 2353 Very Good 2353 Very Good She could not offend the two deities, but she could still teach the lowly person without a bloodline totem a lesson! But before she reached the door, she suddenly detected something and paused in her tracks. Then, the air before her vibrated. A tall and slim figure slowly appeared. She was first dazed. Then, she recognized the person, and surprise flashed across her eyes. ¡°Yan¡ª¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± A cold voice sounded. Shu Jing was instantly dazed and instinctively said, ¡°I-I want to go out for a while¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to the medicinal mountain.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The other party said it confidently. Shu Jing instinctively felt that something was amiss, so her gaze flickered as she said, ¡°Where can I go if not the medicinal mountain?¡± The appearance and figure of the man opposite her were hidden behind the ripples in the air, so she could not see him clearly. However, Shu Jing could still feel a pair of sharp and cold eyes staring at her tightly. Her entire body tensed up. After a while, the other party said, ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Shu Jing knitted her brows. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°I mean that for this period of time, you better not go anywhere else other than the medicinal mountain and Fantasy Divine Hall, nor get into any more trouble.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why¡­ does this sound weird? What does he mean by not getting into any more trouble? He makes it sound as if I have been causing trouble the whole time? Shu Jing felt uncomfortable but still forced a smile. ¡°I understand.¡± Then, that person turned around and wanted to leave. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Shu Jing hurriedly called him. That person half-turned around. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Shu Jing pressed her lips against each other and asked rather nervously, ¡°Nothing much. I just haven¡¯t seen you in a long while. I just wanted to ask¡­ how are you doing recently?¡± When she asked this, Shu Jing¡¯s face started to burn slightly. This sounds rather sudden¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­ great recently.¡± Unexpectedly, that person gave an answer. Shu Jing was dazed. In the past, he wouldn¡¯t say more than a word, but this time, he actually¡ª ¡°Then¡­¡± Shu Jing was about to continue when the air shook, and the person left. Seeing the empty air before her, Shu Jing was dazed for a while. Thinking that he actually answered her previous question, she felt happiness overflowing in her heart. Thinking for a while, Shu Jing gradually calmed the overwhelming emotions in her heart and started to think about what he previously said. Don¡¯t cause more trouble, and I can only stay on the medicinal mountain and in Fantasy Divine Hall? He suddenly came here to tell me this? Could it be¡­ he is warning me not to act recklessly? Shu Jing was conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to find Xiao Ba to take revenge for the slap that day. On the other hand, the person¡¯s sudden arrival confused her. After much thinking, she finally decided to suppress her thoughts and planned to put Xiao Ba¡¯s matter aside first. That person must have a deeper meaning for suddenly coming and saying that. No matter which aspect I think about it from, I should silently observe the changes. Thinking of this, she still changed her direction. ¡­ The yard was completely silent. Suddenly, explosions could be heard from a room. Bam! This sound shocked Hua Shuangshuang so much that he directly pushed open the door and entered. ¡°What happened? What happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± Upon smelling that scorched smell, he immediately yelled, ¡°Xiao Ba! Xiao Ba, did you cause trouble again!?¡± Hearing Hua Shuangshuang say this, Xiao Ba¡ªwho just ran out of the room¡ªfelt indignant instantly. ¡°Second Brother, I¡¯ve been busy in the room the whole time! When did you see me cause trouble?!¡± She held the door and messily stomped her pair of shoes. Her hand still had a hint of flirtatious red. Xiao Ba was also very angry. Originally, she was painting her nails when the explosion suddenly sounded! It shocked her to the point her hand trembled, and she poured the flower dew concoction that she made with much difficulty! Who could she find reason with? Hua Shuangshuang covered his face. ¡°Who could it be if it¡¯s not you?!¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Ahem¡­ I-it¡¯s me! A door suddenly opened from the side, and thick black fumes floated out. A disheveled figure ran out while coughing. Xiao Ba¡¯s pretty eyes were overflowing with harshness. ¡°JIAN. FENG. CHI! Return me my flower dew concoction!¡± Jian Fengchi came to the yard with much difficulty. He plopped himself on the stone chair and caught his breath. ¡°W-wait for me to¡­ recover¡­¡± Hua Shuangshuang glanced at him. ¡°Jian Fengchi, are you producing pills or setting a fire?¡± The whole fire was going to burn! Jian Fengchi¡¯s face had black and gray streaks. His usual good looks disappeared without a trace. ¡°Ahem¡­ I-I¡ªwhen I was practicing pill refining¡­ A-anxious¡­ It was going to succeed!¡± Just a little more, just a little more! ¡°Next time¡ªI¡¯ll definitely succeed next time!¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a next time?¡± Xiao Ba was so angry that she grinded her teeth. This was the scene Yan Qing saw when he came back. He rapidly scanned around and understood what happened. When his gaze landed on Xiao Ba, he furrowed his sharp brows slightly. Xiao Ba was worrying about being unable to take action in her state. When she saw Yan Qing, she immediately perked up. ¡°Brother Yan Qing, quickly drag Jian Fengchi out! Before he succeeds in producing a Supreme Physician-level pill, he¡¯s not allowed to come back!¡± Jian Fengchi felt that it was amiss and immediately turned around to look at Yan Qing. ¡°Brother Yan Qing! Don¡¯t listen to her!¡± Yan Qing stopped in his tracks. Xiao Ba widened her eyes. ¡°Jian Fengchi! You¡¯re shameless!¡± Jian Fengchi smiled brightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just call him brother? I know how to do that too!¡± ¡°Ew!¡± Xiao Ba was so angry that she picked up her shoe and threw it over. Even though Jian Fengchi failed in producing his pill, he still had his fast reflexes. He leaned back and dodged it. Then, that shoe flew toward Yan Qing. Slap! A sound was heard. Yan Qing raised his head and caught the shoe expressionlessly. The yard instantly fell silent. Chapter 2354 - 2354 Dont Wait 2354 Don¡¯t Wait Xiao Ba was naturally born pretty and was always picky in what she used and wore because they were always the best. Even her shoes were also very intricate and glamorous; it had a pattern she personally embroidered, and many colorful crushed beads and gems on it. Under the light, it flickered. When the wind moved, it made rustling sounds. But at this moment, this shoe landed on an ice mountain. Hua Shuangshuang silently averted his gaze. This scene was so pretty that he did not dare look at it. ¡°Ahem, I recall that I still have something on. You can do your own things.¡± Then, he agilely returned to the room. Bang! The door closed. Jian Fengchi stiffly dragged his body and walked back. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll go back to the room and c-clean¡­ You can continue talking¡­¡± The moment he took a step out, a gust of cold wind attacked him! Swoosh! A bright and sharp longsword was already displayed before him! He slowly turned his head and looked at Yan Qing. ¡°Brother¡ª¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want your tongue, I can help you.¡± Yan Qing spoke, and his voice was so cold as if it was filled with shards! Jian Fengchi immediately covered his mouth. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Yan Qing then put away his sword. Jian Fengchi heaved a sigh of relief. Almost! That sword was about to directly shave off my handsome head! Even though he was used to causing a scene with the Thirteen Yue Guards, Yan Qing was Rong Xiu¡¯s person. He did not dare offend Yan Qing at all because he really could not do anything to him! The strong desire to live forced Jian Fengchi to go against the current and return to the land of smokes. Compared to Yan Qing touching his neck, he would rather suffocate to death. His figure quickly disappeared into the black fumes, and one could faintly hear coughs. The area was finally left with Yan Qing and Xiao Ba only. Welcoming Yan Qing¡¯s gaze, Xiao Ba looked embarrassed for once. She hid her bare foot and coughed. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, c-can you return me my shoe?¡± If it were a normal shoe, she could just throw it away and not want it. However, she really liked this pair! She spent so much effort on this treasure, so how could she just throw it away!? Yan Qing walked over. Xiao Ba instantly became nervous. Is Yan Qing planning to take action? Who wouldn¡¯t be angry if a shoe was thrown at them? However, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It should be fine if we talk properly, right? Just when Xiao Ba was thinking about these, Yan Qing arrived before her. He had a very clear aura around him, with a sword in his shands. His other hand held the intricate shoes, and it looked very out of place. Xiao Ba¡¯s hand that was holding the door tightened unwittingly as she carefully sized Yan Qing up, wanting to see something from his face. It was a pity he still had a face like an ice mountain without any expression at all. It was really hard for others to guess. Then¡ª Yan Qing passed the shoe over. Xiao Ba did not take it. She pitifully stretched out her hand. ¡°My hand is dirty, and I can¡¯t touch the shoe. If not, it¡¯ll be dirtied.¡± Yan Qing looked down and scanned her soft and thin hand. The finger that was white like jade was indeed stained with messy red. He paused and bent down. ¡°Yan Qing¡ª¡± Xiao Ba found it strange when she suddenly heard him softly say, ¡°Pass me your foot.¡± Xiao Ba was dazed and instinctively stretched out her bare foot. Then, a burning palm touched her ankle. Xiao Ba¡¯s first reaction was to retract her foot, but Yan Qing used a lot of force, and she could not struggle free. She moved twice, but there was not much use ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± said Yan Qing. Xiao Ba instantly didn¡¯t dare to move as she lowered her head. Yan Qing was squatting in front of her, helping her¡­ wear shoes. She blinked, and her face seemed to burn for some reason. Her shoes were easy to wear. Yan Qing quickly helped her wear it and stood up. The two of them were standing very close to each other. As he suddenly stood up, Xiao Ba instantly felt a sense of suppression overwhelming her. She moved half a step back. Yan Qing pressed his thin lips against each other slightly. ¡°Sorry if I offended you.¡± Xiao Ba hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°No, no, I should thank you.¡± Yan Qing lightly nodded, and his face was still as calm as usual. Without saying anything further, he turned around to leave. Xiao Ba looked at his back view and closed the door. With her back against the door, she covered her chest and lightly breathed. On the other side, after Yan Qing turned into the corridor, he suddenly stopped. He closed his eyes and spat out. ¡­ Zhen Bao Pavilion, second floor. Rays of lights spun before Chu Liuyue. She stared at it closely and outlined her last stroke with focus. Buzz¡ª The last Xuan formation in the Li Fire Xuan Painting was finally replicated completely by her! Seeing the perfect Xuan formation before her, her lips curled up into a smile of satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s finally over¡­¡± During this period of time, she had always been here and finished all of it without resting! She closed her eyes for a while. Then, she placed the two volumes of the Li Fire Xuan Painting back into the box before she stood up. She opened the door, where Ming Shu was waiting outside. ¡°Madam, you finally came out!¡± Ming Shu was so agitated that tears welled up in his eyes. God knew how long he had waited! In the beginning, he occasionally came to take a look. But as time passed, he became increasingly worried about the situation inside and swiftly waited here the whole time. Luckily¡­ she finally came out! Seeing Ming Shu¡¯s elated and emotional behavior, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh and pass the box over. ¡°Master Ming, I told you that you don¡¯t have to stand guard here. I¡¯ll naturally come out when I finish replicating the Xuan formations.¡± Ming Shu hurriedly took the box. Hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s words, he realized something, and his face was shocked. ¡°Y-you really¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°Master Ming Shu, you can check it personally.¡± Ming Shu gulped with difficulty, and his hands trembled as they opened the box. It wasn¡¯t that he did not trust Chu Liuyue, but this matter¡­ was too unbelievable! Ming Shu took out the two books Chu Liuyue had replicated and looked at them closely. With every page he flipped, he became even more shocked. At the end, he was filled with astonishment and could not speak for a long time. All¡­ She actually replicated all of them! How long did she take?! Chu Liuyue lightly laughed and said, ¡°Master Ming Shu, if there¡¯s no problem, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Ming Shu hurriedly made way and said, ¡°Madam, you spent so much effort. You should go back and rest.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly as she shook her head. ¡°Master Ming Shu, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m not planning to go back and rest.¡± ¡°Then, you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the Star Path.¡± The few brief words caused Ming Shu to be taken aback! ¡°You want to walk the Star Path and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She had waited too long previously. Now, she no longer wanted to wait. Chapter 2355 - 2355 Stepping on a Star River 2355 Stepping on a Star River Ming Shu was stunned and did not know what to say. After a while, he stammered, ¡°B-but you just finished this, and you need to rest and recuperate¡­¡± Even if she wants to go to the Star Path, it¡¯s better to go after she has rested for a few days, right? Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile was even deeper. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I can go right now.¡± On the one hand, she had just finished replicating all of those Xuan formations and understood all of them. Her condition was the best now. On the other hand, for some reason, she didn¡¯t feel tired after reading the last Xuan formation and was even more energized. In the beginning, she didn¡¯t plan to go directly. However, it now seemed like the situation progressed more smoothly than expected, so it was good to strike while the iron was hot. Seeing that Chu Liuyue had already made up her mind, Ming Shu did not convince her further. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll go with you!¡± As Ming Shu spoke, he hurriedly placed the box in the room and came out. Chu Liuyue was puzzled. ¡°Master Ming Shu, there¡¯s no need for such trouble¡ª¡± Ming Shu explained, ¡°Madam, since you can replicate all of the Xuan formations here, then you should be able to successfully complete the Star Path. You need to know that nobody has done it after the Seventh Deity!¡± He naturally wanted to go over and personally witness it. Besides, this was Madam! Chu Liuyue thought about it and agreed. Not only Ming Shu, but everyone in entire Fantasy Divine Palace would come when they heard the news¡ªas long as she could successfully complete the Star Path! She nodded. ¡°Master Ming Shu, go ahead¡ª¡± ¡­ When Chu Liuyue and Ming Shu came to the Star Path, there weren¡¯t many people here, and it was very quiet. Ming Shu explained, ¡°Ever since Mu Yafeng was found to have cheated, everyone became more careful.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. She came to the position she last stopped at and looked forward. The Star Path shone brightly. The remaining Xuan formations were the most complicated existence in the entire Star Path, but for her¡­ They were things that were deeply engraved in her mind. She held her breath and raised her hands gently. The next moment, many rays of light flew out from her fingertips and intertwined in midair! ¡°How fast!¡± Ming Shu was shocked. That is a Grandmaster-level Xuan formation! Yet, she set it up so easily and smoothly! No wonder¡­ No wonder she could replicate the entire Li Fire Xuan Painting in such a short period of time. She has already understood and memorized every single Xuan formation within, right? Very quickly, a ray of light flew up, circled her head, and blossomed! Bam! This sound instantly spread far and wide! Without hesitation, Chu Liuyue continued forward and set up the second Xuan formation! ¡­ At the same time, quite a few people in Fantasy Divine Palace detected the commotion here. ¡°Is someone walking the Star Path?¡± ¡°Who? Why did they choose to do it at this time?¡± ¡°Grandmaster-level Xuan formation¡­¡± Bam! Before many of them could react, they saw the second Xuan formation blooming in midair! This time, everyone was agitated. ¡°This speed is even faster than Mu Yafeng!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Mu Yafeng. She cheated!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m shocked! Who else is more talented that Mu Yafeng in this Fantasy Divine Palace?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Why does that person seem so familiar? It seems like¡­ It seems like Shangguan Yue?!¡± A tone rippled thousands of waves! Everyone knew that Chu Liuyue¡¯s previous performance at the Star Path was indeed more outstanding than Mu Yafeng. However, the current situation was too exaggerated. ¡°I remember that after she went into the Grandmaster-level area, she stopped. Why did she start again? She¡¯s so fast¡­ Did she use some method like Mu Yafeng?¡± ¡°Hiss¡­ That¡¯s not very possible, right? Mu Yafeng and Seventh Deity were just punished for this. How could she do this now? Besides, nobody can help her, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look!¡± ¡­ Xiao Ran also heard the commotion and ran over without thinking. On his way, Chu Liuyue had continuously solved two Xuan formations! When he reached the place, quite a few people had already gathered around. Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on Chu Liuyue. Bam! Another Xuan formation rushed to the skies brightly. The crowd that rushed over fell silent gradually and watched in a daze. Everything that happened before their eyes had long exceeded their expectations, and they didn¡¯t even know what to say. Chu Liuyue completely ignored all of this. She was calm and insistent. Xuan formations continuously lit up beneath her feet, and it reflected the stars in her eyes. From afar, the lights shone brightly on the Star Path. The woman in red went forward, as if she was stepping on a star river! ¡­ At the Heaven Gate. Wu Yao brought the two ladies over. Wu Yao looked at the Heaven Gate and furrowed his brows. Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er exchanged glances. ¡°Fifth Brother, is there something wrong with this gate?¡± Wu Yao stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I think so.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er softly asked, ¡°Fifth Brother, what¡¯s the problem? Wu Yao seriously said, ¡°This Heaven Gate¡­ seems like it hasn¡¯t been cleaned in a very long time.¡± The two sisters were speechless. What¡¯s the problem with that? Wu Yao cupped his hands. For some reason, he felt that this gate was amiss. ¡°Look, this gate¡¯s angle isn¡¯t right.¡± Lady Shiyi was silent for a moment. ¡°Fifth Brother, if you don¡¯t want to go in, we¡¯re going in first.¡± Wu Yao coughed and hurriedly said, ¡°No no! Let¡¯s go together, together!¡± Chapter 2356 - 2356 Done Soon 2356 Done Soon As the three of them talked, a figure walked out of the Heaven Gate¡¯s barrier. The incoming person looked like he was around twenty years old. He wore a blue robe and looked arrogant. He held a book in one hand, and a red-golden feather in the other. Seeing him, Wu Yao hesitated for a moment. ¡°May I know if you are the Seventh Deity?¡± He recalled Master mentioning that the person in charge of the Heaven Gate was Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s Seventh Deity, Jin Yunlai. That young man knitted his brows. ¡°No. I¡¯m the Eleventh Deity, Qiu Tong. The Seventh Deity is no longer in charge of the Heaven Gate now. I¡¯m temporarily replacing him.¡± Wu Yao and the rest exchanged glances. It seems like something happened in Fantasy Divine Hall? However, this Eleventh Deity didn¡¯t seem easy to talk to, so they did not ask further. Qiu Tong¡¯s gaze swept across the few of them and had a few hints of contempt. ¡°You three are true gods. How did you come over?¡± Logically speaking, only legendary warriors could pass the Fantasy Divine Sea and reach the Heaven Gate. The few true gods that previously came all arrived with the help of a legendary warrior. It was the first time three people, who were all true gods, came by themselves. Lady Shiyi coldly said, ¡°We have our own ways. We¡¯re already here, so is there a need to ask?¡± Qiu Tong was stumped and felt annoyed. But seeing that the other party was a lady, he did not argue with her. ¡°As the deity in charge of the Heaven Gate, I have to ask a little more.¡± Why are all of those that come from outside so arrogant?! Seeing this, Wu Yao hurriedly calmed everyone down. ¡°Hehe, Eleventh Deity, don¡¯t misunderstand. My younger sister is young and straightforward. Don¡¯t mind her. We did use some Yuan instrument to come over. It¡­ shouldn¡¯t affect anything, right?¡± Qiu Tong suppressed his anger and opened his booklet. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°Wu Yao.¡± Qiu Tong raised his hand and used the Ancestral Golden Feather to brush across Wu Yao¡¯s brows. It was empty. Qiu Tong knitted his brows slightly. He doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem? Previously, he heard that there were a few cultivators without bloodline totems who came. He did not expect himself to meet someone like them. His gaze swept across the two ladies standing behind Wu Yao. ¡°The two of you come forward as well.¡± Lady Shiyi walked forward nonchalantly, while Lady Shi¡¯er clutched her sleeves nervously. Lady Shiyi turned around and glanced at her. ¡°We just don¡¯t have a bloodline totem. What¡¯s there to be scared of?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Lady Shi¡¯er thought about it and felt that it made sense. She then relaxed. Anyway, she did not have it, so why would she be afraid of them checking? She looked at Qiu Tong and softly said, ¡°Lord Deity, the three of us don¡¯t have it. It¡¯s the same if you test.¡± Don¡¯t waste your effort. Qiu Tong was speechless.What¡¯s wrong with these people? Why do they sound so proud that they don¡¯t have bloodline totems? This isn¡¯t anything to be proud about! Originally, he wanted to ridicule them. But now that they had said this, he could not say a word. The hand holding the Ancestral Golden Feather slowly tightened as he finally clenched his teeth and asked, ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Lady Shiyi.¡± ¡°Lady Shi¡¯er.¡± Qiu Tong quickly wrote their names on the booklet, took out three tokens, and passed them over. ¡°This is¡ª¡± ¡°Token.¡± Lady Shiyi raised her hand and took it before he could finish his sentence. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± She took one and tied it around her waist. Then, she passed one to Wu Yao and helped Lady Shi¡¯er tie the last one. After handling it, she looked at Qiu Tong. ¡°Can we go in now?¡± Qiu Tong was speechless. The other party was too aggressive, which caused him to be stunned. Lady Shiyi impatiently said, ¡°We¡¯re rushing for time.¡± This reminded Qiu Tong. He looked at the few of them suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Shangguan Yue¡¯s subordinates?¡± Wu Yao laughed out loud. ¡°Eleventh Deity, you¡¯re indeed amazing. You can actually guess this?¡± Qiu Tong clenched his teeth. Is there a need to guess? They all don¡¯t have bloodline totems and are equally arrogant. They really are from the same family! ¡°Go in!¡± He closed the book and did not want to argue with them further. He turned around to leave. Wu Yao shot a look at the two ladies before he rapidly followed. ¡°Hey, Eleventh Deity, sorry for the trouble. Can I ask, where¡¯s my master now?¡± Qiu Tong¡¯s face became even colder, but he didn¡¯t turn around at all. ¡°Can¡¯t you see for yourself?¡± ¡°How do we see¡ª¡± Just as Wu Yao spoke, he suddenly heard some noises from the front. Bam! He instinctively looked over and saw a Xuan formation slowly blooming in midair. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Master is in front,¡± said Lady Shiyi as she pulled her sister and went forward. It seems like we came at the right time. Wu Yao was about to follow them when he suddenly thought of something and glanced at that Heaven Gate. He knitted his brows. This Heaven Gate does seem rather strange¡­ ¡°Fifth Brother, what are you looking at?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er saw that Wu Yao didn¡¯t follow, so she turned around and yelled loudly. Of course, her voice was still very soft. Wu Yao retracted his gaze. ¡°Coming!¡± ¡­ The three of them walked forward along the Star Path. Quite a few people had already gathered on both sides of the Star Path. At first glance, it was filled with people, but it was very¡­ quiet. Everyone seemed like they had a tacit agreement as they kept quiet and didn¡¯t speak. They used their eyes to stare closely at the figure on the Star Path, terrified that they would disturb something. Wu Yao brought the ladies forward. As the three of them looked unfamiliar, someone noticed them slowly. Chu Liuyue also suddenly detected something and turned around. When she saw the two faces she had not seen in a long time, she was instantly elated. ¡°Shiyi, Shi¡¯er! Why did you suddenly come? Quickly, come over.¡± When the crowd heard it, they instantly realized: So they know each other! Lady Shiyi pulled Lady Shi¡¯er forward and stood beside Chu Liuyue. ¡°Master.¡± The two ladies¡¯ faces revealed looks of reminiscence and happiness. Lady Shiyi¡¯s lips curled up, and tears had already welled up in Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s eyes. ¡°Master, Sister and I missed you a lot!¡± Chu Liuyue gazed at the two of them and was very emotional. These two ladies were only a little older than Little Thirteen. When the event happened back then, they were only 14 years old. In the blink of an eye, they became tall and pretty ladies. Wu Yao also followed over. ¡°Master.¡± Chu Liuyue was rather shocked. ¡°Wu Yao, why are you¡ª¡± Isn¡¯t he guarding the Gate Realm at Peach Blossom Dock?¡± Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she knitted her brows slightly. Could it be that¡­ Wu Yao met her gaze and nodded undetectably. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Wu Yao, bring them to the side to wait for a while. I¡¯ll be done real soon.¡± Wu Yao acknowledged it. ¡°Yes!¡± However, the surrounding crowd revealed looks of shock. Done real soon? What does she mean? Chapter 2357 - 2357 First Heavenly Scroll 2357 First Heavenly Scroll Does she plan to stop after a while, or¡­ Bam! Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze and quickly set up another Xuan formation. Then, another ray of light bloomed above her head. With that, she lifted her leg and continued forward! Lady Shiyi looked toward the end of the Star Path and squinted her eyes. Where is Master planning to reach? Suddenly, Lady Shi¡¯er pulled her sleeves. Lady Shiyi turned around. ¡°Sister¡­¡± There were still tears in Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s eyes, and her nose and eyes were red. She leaned forward and softly asked, ¡°Sister, is that the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Lady Shiyi nodded. ¡°Definitely.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er pressed her lips against each other. A dark glint flashed across Lady Shiyi¡¯s eyes. ¡°You want to go in and see?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded lightly. Then, she blushed as if she were embarrassed. ¡°I think I¡¯m thinking too much¡­¡± On the way here, she had heard Fifth Brother say that the Fantasy Divine Hall was amazing, and not everybody could enter. Even Master hadn¡¯t entered, let alone her. Yet, Lady Shiyi said, ¡°Me too.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er was dazed for a moment and did not speak. They were twins. Although their personalities were different, they had a telepathic connection. Even if they didn¡¯t speak, they knew what the other party was thinking: They really wanted to go into the Fantasy Divine Hall to take a look. Lady Shiyi knitted her brows and found it strange. This thought is really weird. Still¡­ Master can go in when she is done with the Star Path. Perhaps we can also find a chance in the future. At this point, an extremely happy voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Sister Shiyi! Sister Shi¡¯er!¡± Even if they didn¡¯t see the person, many people¡¯s hearts would directly melt when they heard this soft and sweet voice. Many people looked in the direction of the voice and saw a curvy figure walking over. As she walked, her dress floated with the wind, and the crushed stones sounded. She seemed like a peerless beauty. It was Xiao Ba. She was very fast. Almost in the blink of an eye, she came to Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er. ¡°Aiyo, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few years. My sisters are so pretty!¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes glowed. She stretched out her hand and squeezed the two ladies¡¯ faces. ¡°You really made your Eighth Sister miss you like crazy!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°Eighth Sister, we miss you too.¡± Lady Shiyi nodded for once. ¡°Eighth Sister, is everything good?¡± Xiao Ba laughed, and stars shone in her eyes. ¡°Since when have I been bad?¡± Even if this was Fantasy Divine Palace, she had lived carefreely and was very happy. Especially after she gave Eighth Deity Shu Jing a slap a few days ago, she felt much more relieved. ¡°Are you hungry? I specifically prepared quite a lot of good food for you!¡± Lady Shiyi said, ¡°Thank you, Eighth Sister. We ate at Third Brother¡¯s place earlier.¡± Xiao Ba: ¡°Tsk.¡± She silently wept tears of sympathy for San San in her heart. According to his petty nature, these two ladies must have caused his heart to ache. She ruffled the two girls¡¯ hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There are countless heavenly treasures at the medicinal mountain. You can eat whatever you want!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er hurriedly waved her hands with a red face. ¡°Eighth Sister, this won¡¯t do. Older Sister said that we can only eat until we¡¯re 80% full and can¡¯t randomly eat.¡± If she really did that, she might not be able to control her strength again. Xiao Ba touched her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With Eighth Sister around, you can do whatever you want!¡± Just as she said that, another sound came from the front. Bam! Another Xuan formation was successfully set up by Chu Liuyue. Xiao Ba looked up, and her eyes sparkled. ¡°Is Master planning to finish the Star Path?¡± When the surrounding crowd saw this, they finally couldn¡¯t help but discuss softly. ¡°This speed is too fast! The next one is the Grandmaster-level Xuan formation starting with the word ¡®sky!''¡± ¡°It will really kill to compare people¡­ Even if you cheat, you can¡¯t smoothly set up so many Xuan formations in a row, right?¡± ¡°Seeing this, is she really planning to understand all the Xuan formations and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± ¡°Quickly look! Fifth Deity is here!¡± This voice amongst the crowd instantly shocked them, and they all turned around in unison. A man in black¡ªwho was around 27 or 28 years old¡ªwalked out from the Fantasy Divine Hall. He was tall and had a good build. It was the Fifth Deity¡ªRuan Jianfeng. Actually, he had long known that there was commotion on the Star Path. However, he thought that Chu Liuyue would stop after a while, so he did not come. After all, he was not a Xuan Master like the Seventh Deity. When the First Deity temporarily handed the Star Path to him, he was in charge of ensuring that no accidents happened here. As for the other things, he didn¡¯t know much and naturally could not intervene. But seeing that Chu Liuyue continuously went forward and had no intentions of stopping, he finally realized that something was amiss and moved. Chu Liuyue looked up and glanced at him. Seeing that he had no intentions of coming over, she quickly retracted her gaze. This Fifth Deity suddenly appeared¡­ It¡¯s clearly because he wants to see if I can finish the Star Path. Therefore, he can just watch. Chu Liuyue looked down at the Xuan formation before her. ¡°Sky Shining Fantasy Formation,¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. She had a deep impression of this Xuan formation. This was because she bumped into Mu Yafeng setting up this Xuan formation when she first came to Fantasy Divine Palace. The more important thing was that this was also the first Xuan formation starting with the word ¡®sky!¡¯ Seeing the very familiar pattern, Chu Liuyue was overwhelmed, and countless memories surfaced continuously. Back then, she still didn¡¯t know that this was the so-called Grandmaster-level Xuan formation, and she only knew that Big Baby requested for her to memorize it. For this Sky Shining Fantasy Formation, she outlined it time and time again in the Red Moon Desert under the hot sun. Even she couldn¡¯t clearly remember exactly how many times she had tried before she memorized it. Thinking back about it, the memory was only left with the harsh sand in the wind and the temperature of the breeze going past her face and body. Additionally, when she finally finished setting it up successfully, Big Baby¡¯s rare sentence: ¡°Very good.¡± He had almost never praised her and was always extremely picky and stern. Hence, she remembered those two words for a very long time. For a long while, she only knew that she was learning from Big Baby, but she didn¡¯t even know what she was learning. It was only until many years later and after she had experienced life and death¡­ She finally understood that he had been preparing for this day since that time! Chu Liuyue sighed lightly, and countless rays of light flew out from her fingers. Every ray of light seemed to know its place clearly, quickly gathering and outlining a Xuan formation. Before the crowd could see it clearly, they saw rays of light glow before her. Then, an unknown suppression landed¡ª Bam! The Sky Shining Fantasy Formation¡ªsolved! Chapter 2358 - 2358 Wait for Her to Come 2358 Wait for Her to Come All the noises instantly disappeared. The surrounding air seemed to have frozen, alongside everyone¡¯s faces. The scene seemed to have been paused. Only Xiao Ba and the rest were over the moon. ¡°Master is amazing!¡± Lady Shiyi turned around and seriously said, ¡°It seems like Master can bring us into Fantasy Divine Hall real soon.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er was elated as her lips curled up at a sweet angle, and she softly said, ¡°Yeah.¡± Although the two of them didn¡¯t speak loudly, the surrounding people could still hear them. Xiao Ran¡¯s neck stiffened as he looked at them with a complicated gaze. A few seconds ago, he might¡¯ve laughed at these two ladies for being naive and young. But now¡­ he actually thought that it was possible. He had been in Fantasy Divine Palace for too long and saw many talents. There were quite a few who tried to complete the Star Path, but not even one succeeded. Originally, he thought that Mu Yafeng had figured things out and had hopes of succeeding. After so long, she was actually cheating. It was fine if she sacrificed herself, but she even implicated Seventh Deity¡ªthat was amazing. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s current state was clearly different from Mu Yafeng. She just looked at those Xuan formations and solved them smoothly without any hesitation. It was as if¡­ she were confident. Thinking of this, he suddenly recalled something, took a few steps, and walked to Ming Shu. ¡°Master Ming Shu.¡± Ming Shu was watching Chu Liuyue solve the Xuan formations with all his focus. Suddenly, he heard his name being called and was startled. ¡°X-Xiao Ran? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xiao Ran lowered his voice and said, ¡°Nothing. I just have something that I wanted to ask you, Master Ming Shu.¡± He raised his chin. ¡°I saw that she seemed to have come with you, right? Did you guys just come from Zhen Bao Pavilion?¡± He knew that Chu Liuyue had recently been in Zhen Bao Pavilion. Ming Shu nodded. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Xiao Ran thought for a while and asked, ¡°How is her progress with the¡­ replications?¡± Seeing that even the Sky Shining Fantasy Formation can¡¯t trap her, she has clearly solved it before. If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, Chu Liuyue has likely replicated its complementary Xuan formation. ¡°Well¡­¡± Ming Shu¡¯s expression turned rather strange. She has already replicated the entire Li Fire Xuan Painting. How could I say that? Seeing Ming Shu¡¯s expression, Xiao Ran was dazed. Even though this matter wasn¡¯t announced, there is nothing he can¡¯t say at this point, right? Besides, who doesn¡¯t know that I¡ªXiao Ran¡ªjust can¡¯t solve the last Xuan formation. This matter won¡¯t affect his benefits. Ming Shu hesitated for a long time before forcefully saying, ¡°You can see for yourself.¡± Xiao Ran blinked and suddenly realized something. That means the Xuan formations Chu Liuyue solved were already replicated by her? This¡­ Bam! At this point, the second ¡®sky¡¯ Xuan formation was successfully solved by Chu Liuyue! The sparkling light gradually bloomed above her head. Her gaze was calm as she walked forward without hesitation and took a step out. Continue! ¡­ This commotion was too big. Very quickly, everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace knew about it. Quite a few people went forward with admiration and wanted to personally witness it. In midair, many figures flashed across, and they were all heading for the Star Path. Not far away from the entrance of Fantasy Divine Hall, Mu Yafeng was kneeling in a lonely manner. Her legs were already completely numb, and they had lost their feeling. Hearing the noise, she instinctively looked up. In the beginning, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But after she realized that the Xuan formations were being solved at a shocking speed, she realized that it was not right. Without looking and without guessing, she instantly knew who caused such a huge commotion. Mu Yafeng knew all the Grandmaster Xuan Masters in Fantasy Divine Palace. Other than Chu Liuyue, who else could it be? As the rays of light rushed to the sky and formed the individual Xuan formations in midair, Mu Yafeng¡¯s attitude slowly turned from the initial nonchalance to shock and disbelief. She looked toward the Star Path in a daze and almost doubted her eyes. How could someone solve so many Xuan formations in such a short amount of time!? She¡¯s even faster than me back then! E-even if Chu Liuyue has the Li Fire Xuan Painting, it shouldn¡¯t be like this! When Chu Liuyue solved the Sky Shining Fantasy Formation, Mu Yafeng was so agitated that she directly fainted. Bang. She fell to the ground and let out a low sound. Not far away, Ruan Jianfeng¡ªwho was standing at the end of the Star Path¡ªheard the sound and glanced over. His face was cold, without any expression, and he quickly retracted his gaze. ¡­ At the same time, the crowd in the Fantasy Divine Hall were startled. ¡°It¡¯s A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi was walking when she suddenly detected the familiar aura and yelled in surprise. Without thinking, she ran toward the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall. But before she could take two steps out, Yu Qian stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go.¡± Tuan Zi looked up and saw Yu Qian¡¯s gaze that didn¡¯t allow for any rebuttals. She knew that it was not easy to fight against him. Yu Qian originally thought that Tuan Zi would cause a scene. Unexpectedly, she nodded. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t go!¡± Just when Yu Qian found it weird, Tuan Zi crossed her arms and grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll stay right here and wait for A¡¯Yue to enter!¡± It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t go out. A¡¯Yue just has to come in. Chapter 2359 - 2359 The Last Xuan formation! 2359 The Last Xuan formation! Yu Qian sneered. ¡°You seem to have a lot of confidence in her.¡± In all these years in Fantasy Divine Palace, the only person who had truly relied on their own ability to complete the Star Path and enter Fantasy Divine Hall was only Jin Yunlai. This alone was enough to show how difficult this matter was. Now, Chu Liuyue had only been here for a few months. How could she do it? ¡°Because A¡¯Yue is amazing!¡± Tuan Zi scoffed. Others might not be able to do it, but A¡¯Yue definitely can! Bam! Another sound was heard. Yu Qian turned around and frowned slightly. This speed¡­ is indeed a little fast¡­ ¡°Second Deity.¡± At this moment, a voice sounded. Yu Qian looked at the person. ¡°Yunlai, why are you here?¡± Jin Yunlai looked a little haggard. He seemed to have suffered a blow during this period of time. The corners of his lips barely moved. ¡°I¡­ was just a little curious about the situation on the Star Path and wanted to come and take a look.¡± He originally wanted to go out and take a look, but considering that his reputation had been ruined recently, he would inevitably be criticized by many people when he went out. Thus, he gave up on this idea. Unexpectedly, he bumped into Yu Qian and Tuan Zi here. His gaze lingered on Tuan Zi for a moment longer. Shouldn¡¯t she be at Phoenix Mountain at this time? Why is she at Fantasy Divine Hall? But seeing that Yu Qian was accompanying her, he didn¡¯t ask further. Tuan Zi turned a blind eye to his gaze and only found a step to sit down on. Then, she rested her chin on her hands and waited patiently. Yu Qian glanced at Jin Yunlai, thought for a moment, and asked, ¡°What do you think of Shangguan Yue¡¯s situation this time?¡± Regarding this, Jin Yunlai had the most say. ¡°This¡­¡± Jin Yunlai hesitated for a moment. ¡°I can only say that she broke through to become a Grandmaster faster than me.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s expression froze. When Tuan Zi said that Chu Liuyue would definitely be able to enter, he didn¡¯t take it to heart. But if these words came from Jin Yunlai¡¯s mouth, he had to believe him. ¡°In that case, can she really crack all the Xuan formations this time?¡± Jin Yunlai was silent for a moment before nodding. Ever since Chu Liuyue started taking the Star Path, he had been secretly observing her. Therefore, he had actually expected this day. However, he didn¡¯t expect this day to come so quickly. ¡°It seems like Zhen Bao Pavilion really helped her a lot¡­¡± Yu Qian muttered. Jin Yunlai knew that he was talking about Chu Liuyue being invited by Zhen Bao Pavilion to replicate the Xuan formations. After all, this was equivalent to giving her the Li Fire Xuan Painting. But¡­ Even though many people had obtained the ¡®Li Fire Xuan Painting,¡¯ they still couldn¡¯t understand it. Chu Liuyue could succeed mainly because she was talented enough. In fact¡­ even he vaguely felt a hint of threat! Jin Yunlai¡¯s lips moved, but he swallowed his words. At this point, there was no point in talking about this. ¡°But even if she can complete the Star Path and crack every Xuan formation on it, she still won¡¯t be able to enter Fantasy Divine Hall,¡± Yu Qian said calmly with his hands behind his back. Tuan Zi looked up and glared at him. Yu Qian laughed, but there was no smile in his eyes. ¡°People without bloodline totems will eventually be intercepted outside.¡± This was different from those Armory Refinement Saints. Even if an Armory Refinement Saint didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, the fact that they could refine a holy weapon meant that they had snatched a strand of aura successfully. With that aura, they could also enter Fantasy Divine Hall. This was the case for Su Li. However, it was impossible for Chu Liuyue to enter as a Xuan Master! ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. Chu Liuyue walked forward step by step. At this moment, the remaining Xuan formations on the Star Path all started with the word ¡®sky.¡¯ In the eyes of others, this part was the most complicated and difficult. But for Chu Liuyue, she was just using the Xuan formations that were imprinted in the depths of her mind. Her divine power storage was extremely abundant, especially after finding the third music score. Most importantly, after starting to solve the ¡®sky¡¯ Xuan formations¡­ Not only did her spirit and strength not suffer a huge loss, but she also seemed to be constantly improving. At first, she didn¡¯t realize this too much, but as she set up more and more Xuan formations, everything gradually became clear. The surrounding people were speechless when they saw this scene. Many people felt bitter and looked at each other. They could only see the deep powerlessness and despair in each other¡¯s eyes. When a person was a little more outstanding than another, they might be envious and jealous. However, when this person was way better than another, it would make people unable to even have the thought of comparing. This was how they felt about Chu Liuyue now. It was almost an undeniable fact that she could complete the Star Path! ¡­ Streams of light soared into the sky and bloomed in midair. Chu Liuyue walked forward step by step. After an unknown period of time, she finally arrived at the end of the Star Path. She stopped in her tracks and looked forward. In front of her was the last Xuan formation. Further ahead was the door to Fantasy Divine Hall! Ruan Jianfeng was standing there. He stared at Chu Liuyue with a sharp gaze, as if he wanted to see through her. Unfortunately, the woman in front of him was beautiful and had a smile on her face. Her eyes were as deep and calm as the starry night, and it was impossible to pry into her emotions. ¡°You do have some ability,¡± he said. Even though he wasn¡¯t a Xuan Master, he knew how difficult it was to complete this Star Path. Now, as long as she cracked the last Xuan formation, she would¡¯ve finished! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Fifth Deity.¡± Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s gaze moved down and landed on the token tied around her waist. ¡°Unfortunately, even if you crack this last Xuan formation, you still can¡¯t enter Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. ¡°It won¡¯t be too late for you to say this when I¡¯m really rejected.¡± Ruan Jianfeng took a step aside. He wanted to see where Chu Liuyue¡¯s confidence came from. Chu Liuyue shrugged and lowered her head to play with the token. Because of this, I have often been mocked and ridiculed in Fantasy Divine Palace. However, that isn¡¯t important. As long as one¡¯s fist is hard enough, everyone will learn to shut up. She turned her gaze slightly and looked at the last Xuan formation. Unlike other Xuan formations, this Xuan formation was clearly much larger in area, and the patterns were much more complicated. Ordinary people would probably find it difficult to bear it if they stared at it a few more times, let alone crack it. Chu Liuyue lifted her clothes and sat down. Everyone looked at each other when they saw this. ¡°This is¡­ planning to drag it out?¡± someone asked in a low voice. ¡°I heard that even the Seventh Deity took a full ten years to solve this last Xuan formation. I wonder how long she will take¡­?¡± ¡°Ten years is already a short time. Have you forgotten that Xiao Ran has been trapped here for more than 10,000 years!?¡± ¡°But Shangguan Yue¡¯s performance isn¡¯t much worse than the Seventh Deity¡¯s, right? I guess¡ª¡± ¡°Look! She¡¯s starting!¡± Chapter 2360 - 2360 The Light That Belongs to Her! 2360 The Light That Belongs to Her! Chu Liuyue sat cross-legged and held her breath. Then, she raised her palm. Her slender and fair fingertips danced, and a stream of light instantly flew out. The next moment, the stream of light transformed into a huge ring in front of her. From afar, it was dazzling. ¡°She actually wants to outline this Xuan formation first?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t one start from the middle, the more complicated the Xuan formation is? That Xuan formation is so complicated. She should stabilize the framework first and then draw the outline bit by bit. If there¡¯s even the slightest mistake, she¡¯ll lose the entire game!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking¡­¡± Because of Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions, many people fell into shock and confusion. ¡°Well¡­¡± Xiao Ran also frowned. Won¡¯t this be even more troublesome? Chu Liuyue ignored them and waved her other hand gently. Several streams of light flew out and landed in the ring. She didn¡¯t stop moving, and the outline of the ring was quickly filled. Throughout the entire process, she didn¡¯t pause at all. It was as if she had already memorized every detail of the Xuan formation. In fact, that was indeed the case. As Xiao Ran watched, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. He stabilized his gaze and began to carefully observe every move Chu Liuyue made. This seems¡­ different from what I¡¯ve previously understood? His heart suddenly beat fast. If Chu Liuyue is right, then¡­ I seem to know why I have been trapped on this last Xuan formation for so long! At the thought of this, Xiao Ran subconsciously walked forward. Ming Shu quickly pulled him back. ¡°Sigh¡ªXiao Ran, we can¡¯t go any further!¡± The position they were standing at now was already at the front. If he wanted to continue forward, he had to take the Star Path. Xiao Ran stopped in his tracks, but his gaze didn¡¯t leave Chu Liuyue. To be precise, it didn¡¯t leave the Xuan formation in front of her. Ming Shu looked at him strangely. ¡°Xiao Ran, what¡­ is wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Xiao Ran muttered, his eyes shining. ¡°I might have to follow this girl into the Fantasy Divine Hall too!¡± Ming Shu: ? So sudden!? He hasn¡¯t been able to enter for more than 10,000 years, but now¡ª He suddenly thought of something and quickly turned to look at Chu Liuyue. Could it be that¡­ Xiao Ran has learned something from Chu Liuyue? ¡­ ¡°She¡¯s cracking the last Xuan formation.¡± In Fantasy Divine Hall, Jin Yunlai spoke softly with a complicated expression. Yu Qian was expressionless. In his opinion, even if Chu Liuyue successfully cracked the last Xuan formation, she would still not be able to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. Then, what was there to care about? Jin Yunlai knew what he was thinking and sighed to himself. At first, I thought so too, but now¡­ I¡¯m really not sure. I have never seen anyone who can crack all the Xuan formations in such a short time! Also, her speed seems to be increasing! Just now, he already felt that something was wrong. Now, he was even more certain that Chu Liuyue¡¯s situation was indeed different from others. Previously, after Mu Yafeng had cracked seven Grandmaster-level Xuan formations in a row on the Star Path, she had paused because of the huge consumption of strength and spirit. Mu Yafeng rested on the spot for a while before continuing, but later on, she could clearly feel her fatigue and lack of strength. Even though he had taught her a lot at that time, it was still the same. But Chu Liuyue¡­ She seemed to be like a fish in water on this Star Path! He had never seen such a person before. Therefore, no one could tell what would happen next. ¡­ The Xuan formation in front of Chu Liuyue was slowly filling up. Countless lines intersected with each other and were extremely detailed, but she really didn¡¯t make any mistakes. Every step was extremely precise. Even Ming Shu¡ªwho knew that Chu Liuyue had already copied the Li Fire Xuan Painting¡ªwas so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak. This was because there was actually no such Xuan formation in the Li Fire Xuan Painting! But from the looks of it, she seemed to have drawn it a thousand times! Xiao Ran¡¯s eyes lit up. It was as if a door¡ªwhich had been closed for a long time¡ªhad suddenly been opened in his mind! Following Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions, he kept repeating the same simulation in his mind. Although it wasn¡¯t as natural and smooth as Chu Liuyue¡¯s, it still went smoothly! Xiao Ran¡¯s blood seemed to be boiling. No one had been trapped by this Xuan formation for longer than him, so he could react faster than others to what Chu Liuyue was doing. As expected¡­ As expected! My solution to this Xuan formation was wrong from the beginning! Since I had chosen the wrong solution from the beginning, how could I have possibly reached my destination? ¡­ The wait always seemed especially difficult. But for the current Chu Liuyue, everything seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. She ignored everything around her. In her eyes, there was only this Xuan formation left. The pattern was gradually drawn, exquisite and accurate. Chu Liuyue seemed to have entered a subtle state. She didn¡¯t even need to look. With a raise of her palm, the streams of light could automatically go to their destined positions. No one would believe that this Xuan formation was the most relaxing one she had set up! Everything was natural! Finally, at a certain moment, Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand landed a little in the middle. Whir! In an instant, light bloomed on the Xuan formation! Countless Xuan formations lit up one after another on the entire Star Path. They were like stars in the night, unparalleled in brilliance! Chapter 2361 - 2361 Activate! 2361 Activate! The starlight that filled the sky was extremely dazzling, making it almost difficult to look at. Many people watching from both sides of the Star Path raised their hands subconsciously to cover their eyes, but they couldn¡¯t bear to truly block their vision, afraid that they would miss something. Although they had already expected this outcome, it was still unbelievable when everything was happening. Star Path¡­ In the long tens of thousands of years¡­ Apart from Seventh Deity Jin Yunlai, she was the only one who walked all the way from the Heaven Gate to the Fantasy Divine Hall and cracked all the Xuan formations! Moreover, she had completed all of this in such a short period of time! After a short silence, Xiao Ba was the first to react. Her beautiful eyes lit up as she screamed. ¡°Ah¡ªI knew it! I knew Master was the best!¡± Her cheeks were slightly red from excitement, making her enchanting face look even more charming. She pinched the faces of the two girls beside her. ¡°Quick, speak! Isn¡¯t Master the most powerful?!¡± Lady Shiyi smiled as well. ¡°Of course.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s face turned red as she clenched her small fists and waved them. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to say, ¡°Master is the best!¡± Xiao Ba was satisfied, and her face was filled with joy. It was almost impossible to hide it. Of course, she had no intention of hiding it. Wu Yao looked at the three of them from the side and shook his head with a doting and helpless smile. However, there was also a hint of excitement in his eyes. He had heard many rumors about Fantasy Divine Palace previously and knew that this Star Path was very difficult to walk. Not to mention them, even the so-called geniuses in Fantasy Divine Palace hadn¡¯t succeeded. But now, his master really did it! Naturally, he felt honored! ¡°I understand¡­ I understand!¡± A white light flashed through Xiao Ran¡¯s mind. He was so excited that he was almost incoherent as he grabbed Ming Shu beside him. ¡°That¡¯s it! I see!¡± Ever since Chu Liuyue started to crack the last Xuan formation, he vaguely realized his problem. With the completion of the Xuan formation, the entire Star Path was lit up by her, and he finally understood completely! Ming Shu was still immersed in shock. When Xiao Ran pulled him, he immediately felt a little dizzy. ¡°W-what?¡± Xiao Ran took a deep breath. ¡°I know how to crack this last Xuan formation!¡± This¡­ Ming Shu was stunned.¡±Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because¡­¡± Did he have an epiphany because he saw what Madam did just now? Xiao Ran nodded. ¡°Right!¡± He let go of Ming Shu and was about to go forward when he thought about it and stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll go over after her matters are over and when she has entered the Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± Although he knew the way to crack it, it was probably still quite difficult to implement. Anyway, he definitely couldn¡¯t be faster than Chu Liuyue, and it might take a long time. However, there was still hope! Ming Shu was stunned. What kind of situation is this? Not only did Madam crack all the Xuan formations on the Star Path, but she has also¡­ enlightened Xiao Ran? His expression instantly became even more subtle. At this moment, he finally realized that Madam¡¯s power seemed to be even more¡­ shocking than he had expected! Gradually, the onlookers finally returned to their senses and looked at Chu Liuyue with very complicated gazes. Shock, disbelief, envy, admiration¡­ At this point, no matter how many words they said, they would become pale and powerless. Anything they said would seem sour and useless. She had relied on her own strength to complete the Star Path. There was no choice but to accept it! At this moment, all their doubts and mockery of her had become a resounding slap to their own faces. It hurt! Chu Liuyue looked up at the Xuan formation that was spinning soundlessly in front of her and gently exhaled. Finally¡­ I didn¡¯t let him down! Ruan Jianfeng frowned. He originally thought that Chu Liuyue would be trapped on this last Xuan formation. Even if she could solve it, it would take a few years, but who knew¡­ All of this was indeed beyond his expectations. ¡°Fifth Deity.¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head, and her lips curled up slightly. ¡°Can I enter the Fantasy Divine Hall now?¡± Ruan Jianfeng paused for a moment before nodding slightly. ¡°As long as you can open the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall, it will be considered a success.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. It seems that this door isn¡¯t so easy to open. She looked down at the token to her waist and smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, she took a step forward. In an instant, the Xuan formation floating in midair turned into countless streams of light again and entered the Star Path. Chu Liuyue came to the door and looked up slightly. It was a coincidence that she had seen this door before. Although it was just a fantasy at that time, it left a deep impression on her. At this moment, standing in front of the ¡®true¡¯ door, the familiar and unfamiliar feeling attacked again. Everything was so real¡ªeven the mark on the door that had been corroded by the wind and frost of time and the shocking pressure¡­ It was right in front of her, within reach! Chu Liuyue stretched her hand out. Her slender and soft palm gently landed on the door. Whir! Almost the moment her hand touched the door, a buzzing suddenly sounded! Everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats. People without bloodline totems will encounter obstacles when trying to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. It seems like Chu Liuyue is the same. A line suddenly surged out from Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm. Chu Liuyue looked over. A pattern seemed to be gradually appearing on the door. ¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue is coming in!¡± Seeing that the last Xuan formation had been successfully cracked, Tuan Zi suddenly jumped up with a happy and excited expression. Yu Qian frowned slightly. Jin Yunlai slowly clenched his fists. At this moment, everyone in the Fantasy Divine Hall heard the commotion and looked in the direction of the door. Nan Jinshu hurried out and happened to bump into Su Li around the corner. ¡°Family Head, what a coincidence.¡± Su Li smiled gently. ¡°You also know that Little Yue¡¯er has just completed the Star Path and is about to come in, right?¡± Nan Jinshu choked. Actually, he already knew what was going on outside. At first, he didn¡¯t take it to heart. But as Chu Liuyue cracked more and more Xuan formations, he gradually panicked. It was only until just now, when Chu Liuyue successfully set up the last Xuan formation, that he finally couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. Only then did he rush out to investigate. Unexpectedly, he bumped into Su Li. He forced a smile and said, ¡°Mr. Su really likes to joke. She¡¯s not an Armory Refinement Saint, and she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. I just feel that it¡¯s a pity she can¡¯t enter.¡± ¡°Do you?¡± Su Li laughed and tilted her head in the direction of the door. ¡°Then, the family head will probably be disappointed.¡± ¡°What?¡± Nan Jinshu was stunned. Su Li raised her chin. ¡°The door¡ªit¡¯s open.¡± Chapter 2362 - 2362 The Wind Rises 2362 The Wind Rises Nan Jinshu subconsciously turned to look. Standing here, he could see the situation at the door. Yu Qian and Jin Yunlai stood in front of the Holy Jade of Chaos and were looking in the direction of the door. Tuan Zi was also there. If not for the two of them watching, she would have rushed over. Creak¡ª The sound of the door¡¯s hinges turning came clearly. The door of the Fantasy Divine Hall was pushed open a crack. Nan Jinshu¡¯s eyes widened in shock! At this moment, a gust of wind blew! Buzz¡ª An indescribable pressure covered heaven and earth, completely enveloping Chu Liuyue as if it wanted to completely crush her! The wind swept over, lifting her black hair and fluttering the corners of her dress. A few strands of messy hair covered her eyes. Sensing the cold aura surging out from the crack in the door, many people looked at each other. Indeed, it is extremely difficult for someone without a bloodline totem to completely open this door! Some people were already shaking their heads. Given this situation, Chu Liuyue probably can¡¯t enter. Inside the door, Nan Jinshu watched as the crack didn¡¯t expand for a long time. Everything seemed to have stopped, and his mood also fluctuated. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry. In the end, he forced a sneer. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The door is open, but she has to be able to enter!¡± From the looks of it, pushing open this crack in the door is already her limit! The corners of Su Li¡¯s lips curled up without a smile. She didn¡¯t reply and turned to walk toward the door. Hearing the sound, Tuan Zi turned around. When she saw that it was Su Li, she immediately ran over. ¡°Mr. Su!¡± Su Li smiled and bent down to pick her up. ¡°Mr. Su, are you here to wait for A¡¯Yue too?¡± asked Tuan Zi. Su Li smiled gently. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s gaze turned slightly and lingered on Su Li for a moment. Then, he quickly retracted his gaze, and a faint sneer appeared on his lips. These people seem to have blind confidence in Chu Liuyue. I admit that Chu Liuyue is indeed capable since she completed the Star Path in such a short time. However, what kind of place is the Fantasy Divine Hall? It¡¯s a fool¡¯s dream for her to come in! Su Li could naturally see Yu Qian¡¯s disdain, but she didn¡¯t care. She only smiled slightly and stared at the door quietly with Tuan Zi in her arms. Chu Liuyue had previously said that she wanted to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. Then, she would definitely be able to enter today! If she wanted to do something, she would definitely succeed! ¡­ The cold pressure came with the wind, and the flesh and bones all over her body seemed to be about to be torn apart. An intense pain came from every part of her body. Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands trembled slightly. The token tied to her waist swayed in the wind. No one saw that the words on it had already become extremely dense silently! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes, and a zither note suddenly sounded from her body! Shing! The sound of the zither was bleak, but it contained a powerful aura that swept forward! The pressure that enveloped her dissipated at this moment! Without hesitation, she pushed! Bang! The door to the Fantasy Divine Hall opened! ¡­ In an instant, there was a storm! Yu Qian suddenly sensed that something was wrong and quickly turned around. The scene in front of him made his heart sink! Bright light gathered above the Holy Jade of Chaos. The scarlet-gold flames burning at the top of the surrounding white jade pillars suddenly swayed violently. They were like candles in the wind and were in imminent danger! How could this be?! He seemed to have suddenly thought of something and looked in the direction of the door again. A slender and exquisite figure stood quietly at the open door. Her shoulders and back were extremely straight, like a pine tree in the wind. She was outstanding and unyielding. On her beautiful face, those eyes that were as deep as a pool and as bright as the night sky were shining with a dazzling light. Behind her, the thousands of lights on the Star Path were clearly blooming warmly, but they weren¡¯t as eye-catching as her. Meeting those eyes, for a moment, Yu Qian suddenly felt an extremely unfamiliar feeling in his heart. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen Chu Liuyue, but it seemed to be the first time he had seen her like this¡ªarrogant, lonely, indifferent, noble, and imperious! She seemed to be looking over, but she also seemed to be looking through all of them and into the vast distance. Yu Qian opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but he realized that at this moment, he couldn¡¯t say a word. Then, he saw the woman take a step forward and officially step into the Fantasy Divine Hall! ¡­ Lightning pool. Under the frozen lightning pool, countless silver and golden lightning bolts seemed to have frozen in place. At a certain moment, the wind suddenly rose, and a golden bolt of lightning slowly swam. One pull, and the whole body would be activated! The surrounding lightning also became restless. Si Jing¡ªwho was standing on the shore¡ªlooked surprised when he saw this. ¡°Hm?¡± Logically speaking, the heavenly lightning here shouldn¡¯t have recovered yet, right? Then, he suddenly realized something and turned to look in the direction of the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡°Could it be¡ª¡± Whoosh! More and more heavenly lightning surged. From afar, it looked like a game of chess that had been sealed for a long time. Suddenly, someone held a piece and wanted to change the situation. Swoosh! A figure suddenly flew over from the depths of the lightning pool. It was the Fourth Deity in charge of guarding this place¡ªMu Dongyou. He had been guarding the lightning pool in peace. When he heard the commotion, he immediately moved. He stood in the air and looked down. When he saw that the lightning was starting to stir, he immediately frowned. This commotion seemed extraordinary. When Si Jing saw Mu Dongyou coming over, he slowly tightened his grip on the hammer in his hand. Pilihuala! A few streams of light quickly flashed across his hammer, making a subtle sound. Right on the heels of that, the thunderbolts that were about to surge quietened down again. It was as if an invisible hand had overturned and covered all the waves. All the changes happened in the blink of an eye. Just as Mu Dongyou was hesitating if he should report to the Fantasy Divine Hall, he realized that the commotion below had dissipated. He frowned and looked at Si Jing, who was standing on the shore. Chapter 2363 - 2363 Entering the Fantasy Divine Hall! 2363 Entering the Fantasy Divine Hall! Almost at the same time he looked over, Si Jing also looked up. There was some distance between the two of them, but the expression on each other¡¯s faces could still be seen. Si Jing grinned. ¡°Why is the Fourth Deity looking at me like that?¡± Mu Dongyou stared at him for a long time before retracting his gaze. But as a legendary warrior, he was really thinking too much. Worried that something would happen here again, Mu Dongyou didn¡¯t leave. Si Jing shrugged. He weighed the thunder hammer in his hand and suddenly smiled. ¡­ In the main hall of the Fantasy Divine Hall. Jun Jiuqing kneeled in the middle with his eyes closed. His entire body was enveloped in a red light, and his aura kept rising. At a certain moment, the buzzing sound finally came. He opened his eyes. In the circular hall, specks of starlight gradually lit up and flickered on the surrounding walls. He said softly, ¡°Finally, it¡¯s here¡­¡± His voice was emotionless, and his face was slightly lowered. His face was hidden in the faint shadows and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. After a moment, he finally got up and walked out. ¡­ In the quiet courtyard, the fallen leaves suddenly flew up. There was a sudden sound from the door as if someone was preparing to open it. However, it was only for a moment before the sound stopped. The courtyard, which was so quiet that it was a little desolate, fell silent again. ¡­ When the last Xuan formation was drawn, Rong Xiu had already walked out of the room. He stood on the steps with his hands behind his back and looked steadily in the direction of the Fantasy Divine Hall. There was a deep look in his eyes. Then, his eyes closed. The wind gradually stopped. ¡­ In the Fantasy Divine Hall, the lustrous light on the Holy Jade of Chaos gradually dissipated. The golden flames burning at the top of the white jade pillars calmed down again and burned quietly. It was as if everything before was just an illusion. All the restless changes quietly dissipated, but Yu Qian frowned even more. For some reason, he felt that something was wrong. All the commotion seemed to be related to Chu Liuyue. His gaze was extremely sharp as he stared at Chu Liuyue, wanting to see through her completely. Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to his scrutiny. She just stared straight ahead. The magnificent hall was beautiful, noble, and sacred. Although she had seen it once in the Red Moon Desert, it was only an illusion at the end of the day. It was far from being a match now that she had seen it with her own eyes and experienced it personally. She took a deep breath and continued forward. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Tuan Zi jumped down from Su Li¡¯s arms and ran over. Chu Liuyue smiled and bent down to pick Tuan Zi up. She was soft and had a hint of sweetness. It had indeed been a long time. Chu Liuyue kissed her chubby face. Tuan Zi hugged her neck and chuckled before rubbing against her shoulder again. ¡°A¡¯Yue, I knew you would definitely be able to come in!¡± Chu Liuyue then thought of something. ¡°By the way, why are you here?¡± Shouldn¡¯t Tuan Zi be at Phoenix Mountain? Tuan Zi¡¯s big black grape-like eyes rolled around as she said in a childish voice, ¡°Because it¡¯s boring to stay alone on Phoenix Mountain, I ran over myself! I originally planned to walk around and see if there was anything fun, but I happened to bump into you, A¡¯Yue!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. There is obviously another reason why Tuan Zi came to the Fantasy Divine Hall. However, this reason doesn¡¯t seem to be good for others to know. She pinched Tuan Zi¡¯s nose. ¡°If I had known that our Tuan Zi was here, I would definitely have come in earlier.¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± Isn¡¯t this fast already?! Yu Qian looked up at the door and said coldly, ¡°Jianfeng, close the door.¡± Ruan Jianfeng was still shocked that Chu Liuyue really entered the Fantasy Divine Hall. When he heard this, he finally came back to his senses. ¡°Y-yes!¡± He walked over and closed the door, cutting off the sight of countless pairs of eyes outside. But when he looked at Chu Liuyue again, his expression was extremely complicated. Fifteen minutes ago, he was sure that Chu Liuyue wouldn¡¯t be able to enter. But now¡ª As the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall closed again, the spectators standing on both sides of the Star Path were stunned for a moment before they were in an uproar! ¡°Shangguan Yue really went in?!¡± ¡°This¡­ Doesn¡¯t she not have a bloodline totem? Furthermore, the Fantasy Divine Hall did reject her just now. Why did it turn out like this in the blink of an eye¡ª¡± ¡°Speaking of which, don¡¯t you think something was wrong just now¡­¡± At this moment, another person stood on the Star Path¡ªit was Xiao Ran! He didn¡¯t care about the discussions of the people around him. He only rubbed his fists and looked at the last Xuan formation on the Star Path with shining eyes. He had wasted tens of thousands of years on this step, and even he was about to give up. Unexpectedly, the tables had turned! After seeing Chu Liuyue draw that Xuan formation with his own eyes, he finally found a way to crack it! Swoosh! A stream of light flew out of his hand and quickly condensed into a ring. He seriously recalled what he saw just now in his mind and was still very emotional. He was even full of admiration for Chu Liuyue. ¡°You can actually think of such a method, and it¡¯s so natural and smooth¡­¡± he muttered softly. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know that she¡¯s not even 20 years old, I would¡¯ve suspected that she personally created this Xuan formation¡­¡± At this point, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake his head. Chapter 2364 - 2364 Half a Year 2364 Half a Year Yu Qian stared at Chu Liuyue as he recalled the scene when she stepped into the Fantasy Divine Hall, frowning slightly. There are too many suspicious points about her. Even now, I have no idea how she got in. His eyes fell on the token at her waist. It swayed with the wind. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything unusual. Chu Liuyue followed his gaze, looked down, and smiled. ¡°Why is the Second Deity looking at me like that?¡± The moment she entered, the token indeed almost exploded. However, an invisible and powerful force quietly calmed it down. Unfortunately, that power quickly disappeared, and she didn¡¯t have time to feel it carefully. Yu Qian said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re the first person to enter without a bloodline totem.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Su Li. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Su come in too?¡± ¡°She¡¯s an Armory Refinement Saint, so she¡¯s naturally different. Apart from Yunlai, you¡¯re also the second person to enter through the Star Path.¡± Of course, he had to pay more attention to such a person. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was calm as she let him scrutinize her. I¡¯ve entered through the door openly. Can these people chase me out? Su Li walked over with a smile on her face. ¡°Congratulations, Little Yue¡¯er!¡± I knew you could do it! Chu Liuyue also laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before¡ªI won¡¯t let Mr. Su wait alone for too long.¡± After coming in, many things became easier to do. For example, investigating the whereabouts of Big Baby and Lan Xiao! But now was clearly not the time. Chu Liuyue surveyed the surroundings. It is indeed the same as the scene in the Red Moon Desert, but there is a difference from then. At this moment, the white fog in the Fantasy Divine Hall doesn¡¯t cover everything. Therefore, I can see it more clearly. Finally, her gaze fell on the hall in front of her. That should be the main hall of the Fantasy Divine Hall¡­ Out of the corner of her eye, a figure came into view. Chu Liuyue tilted her head to take a look and instantly smiled. ¡°Nan Family Head, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Nan Jinshu¡ªwho was about to leave quietly¡ªsuddenly stiffened and turned around awkwardly. The expression on his face was very interesting. ¡°M-Master Yue¡­¡± ¡°What did you call her?¡± Before Chu Liuyue could speak, the Second Deity suddenly spoke. His eyes seemed to be covered in a layer of frost, with a bone-chilling coldness. Nan Jinshu was shocked, and Chu Liuyue raised her brows in confusion. This form of address¡­ Why does Second Deity seem to dislike it? However, this doesn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with him, right? Nan Jinshu swallowed nervously and replied, ¡°M-Master Yue¡­ Second Deity, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± He called her that purely subconsciously. After all, after Chu Liuyue occupied Peach Blossom Dock, everyone in the God Residence Realm called her that. It was considered a form of respect. After the battle at Peach Blossom Dock, the Nan family had suffered heavy casualties. Thus, for a long time, Nan Jinshu had a very strong psychological trauma toward Chu Liuyue. Logically speaking, he should be more confident than Chu Liuyue in this place, but this woman had endless trump cards. Every time he thought that she was going to remain silent, she would always be able to break out of the siege and make everyone look at her in a different light. It was like now¡ªhe would never have thought that she could really come in! In a moment of nervousness, he shouted that form of address. Yu Qian¡¯s expression turned even colder. ¡°Don¡¯t call it again. If I hear you say that a second time¡­¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Before he could finish, Nan Jinshu had already sensed the seriousness of the matter and hurriedly replied. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. This is really strange. Isn¡¯t it just calling me ¡®Master Yue?¡¯ It doesn¡¯t seem like an impressive title, but Yu Qian actually cared so much about it. As the Second Deity, logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t care about such a small matter; it is meaningless and tasteless. But looking at his reaction¡­ She lowered her eyes slightly to hide the waves in them. When she looked up again, her expression had returned to normal. ¡°Nan Family Head, since the Second Deity has already said so, you really have to pay more attention in the future. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble for yourself because of me.¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Previously, the Nan Family Head said that he would wait for me at the Fantasy Divine Hall. Seeing you today, the Nan Family Head is indeed very trustworthy.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m new here and don¡¯t know much about the Fantasy Divine Hall. I¡¯ll have to trouble the Nan Family Head to guide me in the future.¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s legs went weak, and he complained in his heart. Teach? Chu Liuyue was already good at fighting in the past. Now that she has comprehended all the Xuan formations on the Star Path, she is already a top-notch Grandmaster Xuan Master! Her combat strength is almost unimaginable! If the two of us really fight, I wouldn¡¯t even know how I died! Nan Jinshu forced a smile. ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t dare! I don¡¯t dare!¡± He wished he could avoid Chu Liuyue in the future! If I had known earlier, I would¡¯ve just stayed in his residence. Why did I have to come over and join in the fun? ¡°Family Head, you and I can be considered old acquaintances. Why are you so polite?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said sincerely. Nan Jinshu couldn¡¯t wait to leave! ¡°It seems like you have some misunderstanding,¡± Yu Qian looked at Chu Liuyue and said calmly. ¡°Entering the Fantasy Divine Hall through the Star Path only means that you have the right to enter and leave the Fantasy Divine Hall in the future. It doesn¡¯t mean that you can be nonchalant here. There are many places in the Fantasy Divine Hall that you can¡¯t enter, understand?¡± Chu Liuyue blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand. Second Deity, please tell me in detail what places I can¡¯t go, in case I accidentally offend you in the future.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s expression was cold. He really didn¡¯t want to say much to Chu Liuyue, but the current situation¡­ ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go to the main hall and the residences of the deities.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in understanding. ¡°I see¡­¡± Yu Qian continued, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, let¡¯s not talk about what happened before. After coming in, you just have to cultivate well. In half a year, those who can¡¯t ascend to the heavens and break through to the Deity Realm will be expelled from the Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. The Heaven and Earth Force here was indeed extremely abundant and pure. It was very beneficial to cultivation. For most cultivators, the greatest benefit of being able to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall was to increase the chances of success. Only those who succeeded could continue to stay here. As for the losers, they would still be chased out. ¡®Survival of the fittest¡¯ was respected by the strong¡ªit was the most obvious and cruel rule here! ¡°Thank you, Second Deity.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Yu Qian¡¯s gaze landed on Tuan Zi. ¡°Alright, you should go back now.¡± Tuan Zi pouted unhappily and refused to let go of Chu Liuyue¡¯s neck. Yu Qian¡¯s eyes turned cold. Chu Liuyue gently patted Tuan Zi. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be here in the future. Whenever Tuan Zi wants to come, just come.¡± Chapter 2365 - 2365 How Did You Know 2365 How Did You Know Tuan Zi buried her head in her shoulders before she reluctantly let go. ¡°A¡¯Yue, you have to miss me every day.¡± Chu Liuyue kissed her face. Tuan Zi jumped down from her arms and grunted toward Yu Qian. Then, she turned around to leave. Yu Qian looekd at Ruan Jianfeng. ¡°Arrange her accommodations.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Actually, Jin Yunlai should be the one doing this, but due to Mu Yafeng¡¯s incident, he lost all his authority. Thus, Fifth Deity had to do such a thing. Chu Liuyue watched as Tuan Zi left. Yu Qian was clearly worried about her as he kept following her, planning to personally send her back to Phoenix Mountain. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly. The light curtain between Phoenix Mountain and the Fantasy Divine Hall dropped down from the sky and glowed faintly. Previously, I thought that one couldn¡¯t pass this barrier, but it now seems like it doesn¡¯t stop Tuan Zi at all. That is much more convenient¡­ ¡°Shangguan Yue, follow me.¡± She retracted her thoughts and smiled at Ruan Jianfeng. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Fifth Deity.¡± Ruan Jianfeng didn¡¯t say much as he walked in a certain direction. Chu Liuyue quickly followed him. When they passed by Jin Yunlai, the latter suddenly said, ¡°Hold on.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. ¡°Seventh Deity?¡± ¡°I have a question for you,¡± said Jin Yunlai as he stared into her eyes, as if he wanted to see through something. ¡°That last Xuan formation isn¡¯t recorded in the Li Fire Xuan Painting. How did you solve it?¡± Without a doubt, that last Xuan formation was the hardest one in the entire Star Path. Even he had spent a lot of time and effort back then to forcefully solve it. Even after that, he spent many years and countless tries to successfully solve it. But what about Chu Liuyue? It had only been a few months since she came to Fantasy Divine Palace! From the Heaven Gate to the Fantasy Divine Hall, she had solved the countless Xuan formations along the Star Path one by one. Even if she had seen a portion of them before, her efficacy was shocking and illusory¡­. Jin Yunlai knew clearly that even he might not be able to set up the last Xuan formation as rapidly and smoothly as her! Chu Liuyue looked at him with clean eyes and a genuine expression. She asked, ¡°Is it¡­ very hard? Jin Yunlai choked. For a moment, he felt that Chu Liuyue was mocking him, but the next moment, the latter laughed. ¡°That Xuan formation is indeed not in the Li Fire Xuan Painting, but that¡¯s because there is no need to record it. That Xuan formation looks complicated, but it¡¯s just a compilation of the previous Xuan formations in the Star Path. Since you could solve the previous ones, what¡¯s so hard about the last?¡± Jin Yunlai was taken aback, and his entire person froze! The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s curled up slightly. Without speaking further, she turned to follow Ruan Jianfeng. ¡°Master Nan, let¡¯s meet another day.¡± The muscles in Nan Jinshu¡¯s face harshly trembled. At this point, Chu Liuyue felt a gaze landing on her. She paused in her tracks and looked up. From afar, a man stood before the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s door and looked over¡ªJun Jiuqing. When did he come? The key is, he seems to have¡­ come from the main hall? However, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression seemed different from usual. There was always a smile on his lips in the past, yet his face was now calm without an expression. He seemed to be looking at her, but there was no focus in his eyes. Anyway, the feeling was strange. Su Li followed her vision and softly explained, ¡°Jun Jiuqing entered the Fantasy Divine Hall a while ago, but nobody knew what he did.¡± They didn¡¯t even know why Jun Jiuqing had the right to enter the main hall. Chu Liuyue nodded and retracted her gaze. It seems like even though Jun Jiuqing and Nan Jinshu both have special rights, Jun Jiuqing has more. I just don¡¯t know why they have special rights¡­ ¡­ In the dark and oppressive cage, Dugu Mobao slowly opened his eyes. Finally¡­ This day still came. Even though the other party single-handedly ruined the agreement and caused the time to be brought forward, she luckily didn¡¯t disappoint me. Everything done hasn¡¯t been wasted. ¡­ In the other cage, Lan Xiao sat on the floor with one leg curled up. He leaned against the wall, and there was a faint bloody aura in the air. He lowered his head to take a look. The wound on his arm was already slowly healing. After all, it was a Holy Body made from golden lightning bolts; it was naturally not so easy to be damaged. Its recovery strength after injury was decent. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s soon¡­¡± He touched his chin and chuckled. This laughter moved the wound by his mouth, and he grimaced in pain. He licked his lips, looked up slightly, and leaned against the wall. Even if the surroundings were pitch black and he could not see anything at all, there was faint light glowing in his eyes. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and Su Li followed Ruan Jianfeng forward. On the way, Su Li kept softly introducing things to her. She had been here for a while and knew this place better. Chu Liuyue listened as she walked. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and looked in a direction. ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± Su Li followed her gaze. ¡°That¡¯s the Seventh Deity¡¯s residence.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m saying the yard behind.¡± Su Li was dazed. Ruan Jianfeng suddenly turned around and stared at her with an inspecting gaze. ¡°How did you know there¡¯s still a yard behind?¡± Chapter 2366 - 2366 Mind 2366 Mind Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the Fantasy Divine Hall, other than the main hall, the remaining ones are intricate individual yards. Those yards basically have the same height, which means that one can¡¯t see the interior situation by standing here. However, I actually asked that just now¡­ The key is, even in the Red Moon Desert illusion back then, I didn¡¯t go to any place other than the main hall. This also means that I shouldn¡¯t have known that there was a yard inside! Su Li glanced at Chu Liuyue and immediately laughed, ¡°Oh, that? I unwittingly mentioned it to Little Yue¡¯er previously. Fifth Deity, you won¡¯t mind, right?¡± Ruan Jianfeng scanned Su Li. Su Li¡¯s lips pressed against each other slightly, and her eyes were crystal clear, seeming to have a hint of nervousness. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know what place it was back then, so I casually said it¡­¡± Ruan Jianfeng then retracted his gaze and coldly said, ¡°That¡¯s First Deity¡¯s residence. Without permission, nobody is allowed to enter it. Those who dare to disobey will die!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused! First Deity¡¯s residence? She looked at that area again. Even though she temporarily couldn¡¯t see anything with the walls and roofs blocking her, she still had a strange feeling. Why did I say such a statement¡­ Chu Liuyue just took a look and retracted her gaze. Then, she nodded slightly. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Fifth Deity.¡± Seeing that she was indeed curious and had no other intentions, Ruan Jianfeng put this incident aside. After walking for another 15 minutes, he brought Chu Liuyue and Su Li to a yard. ¡°From today onward, you¡¯ll stay here. Other than the few places Second Deity previously mentioned, you better not casually walk around in the entire Fantasy Divine Hall. You might not even know when you get into trouble.¡± Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s voice was as cold as usual. ¡°Once something happens, nobody will help you¡± Originally, Chu Liuyue came in through the Star Path, so Seventh Deity Jin Yunlai should become her backer or be biased toward her. It was a pity that it was hard for him to even protect himself, let alone others, Besides, as she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, he previously had a cold attitude toward Chu Liuyue. In the end, Chu Liuyue forced her way in with her own skills! This undoubtedly slapped Jin Yunlai¡¯s face harshly. He would not be in a good mood when he saw Chu Liuyue. Hence, although Chu Liuyue entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, her situation was not optimistic. However, Chu Liuyue did not really care about this. She smiled slightly. ¡°I know.¡± Ruan Jianfeng didn¡¯t stay for long and immediately left after instructing on whatever he should. Now, only Chu Liuyue and Su Li were left by the door. After watching Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s figure disappear, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Mr. Su, let¡¯s talk inside.¡± ¡­ After she entered the yard, Chu Liuyue rapidly surveyed her surroundings. This place wasn¡¯t considered huge, and the design was very simple. It was just a normal yard, and it seemed like people hadn¡¯t stayed here in a long while. It was good that it was still clean. Chu Liuyue and Su Li entered the house. Once the door closed, Su Li couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, what was going on just now? Why did you suddenly ask about First Deity¡¯s residence?¡± Chu Liuyue bitterly laughed. ¡°Mr. Su, I really didn¡¯t know what that place was. If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have asked that question.¡± Who didn¡¯t know that the First Deity¡¯s status was special and that even the other deities did not dare to offend him? Why would she not think it through and get herself into trouble? Su Li thought about it and agreed. ¡°But why did you suddenly ask about it? I remember that I didn¡¯t tell you about this before, right?¡± Chu Liuyue knocked against the handle and thought for a moment. Then, she said, ¡°This¡­ If I say it, will you believe me, Mr. Su?¡± Su Li was confused. ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± It¡¯s rather troublesome to explain this matter. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella and roughly said, ¡°Probably because I had some impression previously in the Red Moon Desert¡­¡± Su Li instantly understood. ¡°That¡¯s true. I nearly forgot about that.¡± Clearly, she trusted what Chu Liuyue said. Chu Liuyue changed the topic. ¡°Did you discover anything when you were here?¡± Su Li sighed. ¡°No actual progress.¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t surprised. From Yu Qian and the rest¡¯s attitudes, she could tell that they guarded the Fantasy Divine Hall very strictly. In such a situation, it was extremely hard to find something. ¡°Big Baby and Lan Xiao are definitely locked in some secretive place. We can¡¯t rush matters and can only deal with it slowly. No matter what, we¡¯re already in the Fantasy Divine Hall, and we took a step closer.¡± Su Li nodded. ¡­ Nan Jinshu originally wanted to return to his residence. But after he took a few steps, he saw Jun Jiuqing, who walked out of the main hall. He hesitated for a moment and still greeted him. ¡°Master Yi.¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze was nonchalant as it landed on him. Nan Jinshu¡¯s heart suddenly turned cold for some reason. For some reason, he felt that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s attitude today was different from before. He seems like¡­ he isn¡¯t in a great mood? But didn¡¯t he just come out from the main hall? Not everyone could have such an honor¡ªI don¡¯t have it either. Because of this, Nan Jinshu was even envious of him for quite a while. Hence, when he saw Jun Jiuqing¡¯s look, he really did not get it. However, that was not the main point. ¡°Master Yi, Shangguan Yue is here!¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I got it.¡± Seeing how leisurely he looked, Nan Jinshu was instantly anxious. ¡°Master Yi, are you not nervous or curious at all? That¡¯s Shangguan Yue! Aren¡¯t you curious about how she came in without a bloodline totem?¡± Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t speak. Nan Jinshu clenched his teeth and lowered his voice. ¡°Music score! It must be because of the music scores! The first two music scores are still with her!¡± In the beginning, Nan Jinshu didn¡¯t understand how Chu Liuyue broke the rules and stepped into the Fantasy Divine Hall. It was only now that he suddenly recalled that it must be because of the music scores! ¡°That originally belongs to the Fantasy Divine Hall. Since she became its owner, she naturally has the right to enter!¡± Nan Jinshu felt regret. I should¡¯ve thought of it earlier! If not, I wouldn¡¯t have offended her in that manner and dug such a huge hole for myself now! Even if I want to reconcile with her, there isn¡¯t much hope. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression became annoyed. ¡°I know all that you¡¯re saying. What exactly do you want to say?¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s chest was stifled. Why does Jun Jiuqing not seem to care about such an important matter? Chapter 2367 - 2367 Challenge 2367 Challenge ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°That music score belongs to the Fantasy Divine Hall. The Divine Master and the deities haven¡¯t done anything yet. What can you do?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s voice was very cold. Nan Jinshu was taken aback and hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to do anything, but I just feel curious. Previously, First Deity sent two deities to God-Killing Tumulus to find the third music score, but they don¡¯t seem to have come back yet¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Ninth Deity and the Tenth Deity?¡± interrupted Jun Jiuqing as he curled his lips up in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Those two people have long come back. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°What!?¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s entire person was dazed for a moment. He really did not know. Ever since he dealt hands with Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu and returned to the Fantasy Divine Hall disheveled, he hadn¡¯t left his house. That was because the incident that day was too humiliating. Helpless, he could only choose to wait for the matter to appease. This was also why he wasn¡¯t sure of what happened outside, including the two deities returning. ¡°Not only did they come back, but they¡¯re even trapped in the Fantasy Divine Sea and are receiving punishment,¡± said Jun Jiuqing nonchalantly. Nan Jinshu was stunned and could not recover his senses for a long time. ¡°H-how is this possible¡­¡± Those two deities went to find the third music score on orders. Even if they couldn¡¯t find it, they should not be punished, right? ¡°T-then, do you know why they were punished?¡± Jun Jiuqing smiled coldly. ¡°If you want to know, you can ask yourself.¡± Then, he ignored Nan Jinshu and lifted his leg to leave. ¡°This¡ª¡± Nan Jinshu originally wanted to pull him back and ask him a few more things, but he did not dare. Jun Jiuqing always gave people the feeling that he could not be messed with¡­ Seeing that he could not get anything out of Jun Jiuqing, Nan Jinshu felt conflicted for a moment and could only leave. ¡­ Qiang Wanzhou was wiping the table in the room. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his white and thin wrist, as he held a cloth. His expression was focused and serious, as if this was a very important matter. When Cen Yi came in, this was the scene he saw. But the moment he walked in, Qiang Wanzhou immediately detected it. He stopped his movements and turned around to look. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he still held it in. However, his expression toward Cen Yi had a few more hints of respect. Cen Yi¡¯s gaze swept across that table. It was spotless. It was unknown how many times Qiang Wanzhaou had wiped it. In actual fact, ever since Chu Liuyue went to the Star Path and directly entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, Qiang Wanzhou had been doing this. It was as if it stemmed from anxiety. When he was nervous or flustered, he would usually do this. ¡°Master has already entered the Fantasy Divine Hall. You don¡¯t have to clean anymore,¡± said Cen Yi. Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s lips pressed against each other lightly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue did not stay in the Fantasy Divine Hall for too long. After talking to Su Li, she planned to return first. After all, Wu Yao and the rest were still waiting outside. The people who had been allowed to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall could enter and leave freely. Hence, even if she wanted to leave now, she would not be stopped. But the moment she walked out, she saw a familiar person¡ªShu Jing. At this point, Shu Jing was standing outside with a few hints of vengeance and indignance in her eyes. ¡°Hey, Eighth Deity, why are you here?¡± Probably not expecting Chu Liuyue to suddenly come out, guilt quickly flashed across Shu Jing¡¯s face. When she heard that Chu Liuyue had really finished the Star Path and successfully entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, Shu Jing was overwhelmed and could not calm down for a long time. After hesitating for a long time, she still came over. Originally, she wanted to see exactly what was going on. Who knew Chu Liuyue would suddenly come out, and the two parties would bump into each other? Shu Jing controlled her facial expressions with much difficulty. ¡°Nothing much. I was just curious about how you entered.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°I naturally walked in openly.¡± Shu Jing tightened her fists unwittingly. ¡°I really underestimated you beforehand.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Eighth Deity.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled brightly. ¡°I love giving surprises the most.¡± ¡°You¡­ really have a sharp tongue!¡± Shu Jing took a deep breath in. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to flaunt when you break through to become a deity!¡± I don¡¯t believe Chu Liuyue can really do it! ¡°Eighth Deity, you¡¯ve misunderstood. When did I think of flaunting in front of you? Besides, whatever I said was the truth. Could it be that people like me can¡¯t even talk in the Fantasy Divine Hall? Or, Eighth Deity, do you feel that these words are too harsh?¡± Chu Liuyue was really very innocent. She had never willingly offended this Eighth Deity, but it was a pity that the other party seemed to dislike her and wanted to put her in a difficult spot. What for? Shu Jing was so angry that she laughed. ¡°You can say whatever you want; I can¡¯t argue against you. But now that you¡¯ve already entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, let me remind you not to be too arrogant. If not, you won¡¯t even know how you died! And your subordinates, they all better obey the rules! This Fantasy Divine Palace is not somewhere you can mess around!¡± With that, she left angrily. Chu Liuyue was left in confusion. Why did this Shu Jing suddenly throw such a big temper? And it seems¡­ like it isn¡¯t targeted at me alone? Chu Liuyue glanced thoughtfully at her before walking toward the door. ¡­ When she reached the door, Chu Liuyue pushed it open and exited. Different from the situation when she entered, she did not trigger the shocking suppression. Everything was very calm. Butafter Chu Liuyue walked out, she unexpectedly discovered that the crowd on both sides of the Star Path did not leave. The moment she walked out, countless pairs of eyes instantly landed on her. Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. When she looked over, she understood why the crowd was still gathered around. Xiao Ran was solving the last Xuan formation on the Star Path! In front of him, there was also the silver ring quietly floating around like it had for Chu Liuyue. At this point, a portion of the pattern was already created within the silver ring. One could tell that Xiao Ran was much slower than Chu Liuyue, and he wasn¡¯t as smooth as her. However, his overall direction was correct. If nothing went wrong later on, he could completely set it up sooner or later! At that time, he could also enter the Fantasy Divine Hall through the Star Path! Xiao Ran¡¯s attention was completely on the Xuan formation before him, causing him not to realize that Chu Liuyue had come out. However, the spectating crowd all looked over with varying expressions. Of course, their attitudes and expressions had changed quite a bit from before. ¡°Master!¡± Xiao Ba smiled and waved toward her. Chu Liuyue walked toward the few of them. Chapter 2368 - 2368 Go In and Look 2368 Go In and Look ¡°Master, why did you come out so quickly?¡± asked Xiao Ba curiously. They all thought that they would have to wait for her for some time. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°I went in to find a residence and saw Mr. Su and Tuan Zi. Then, I came out.¡± ¡°Tuan Zi is also there? Is she fine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Liuyue did not say much as she took a step forward and pinched Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s faces. ¡°I¡¯ve not seen you in a long time, and the two of you have already become ladies. You must¡¯ve suffered a lot when I wasn¡¯t around the past few years.¡± The two ladies were deserted outside. She did not know how they survived, and they actually broke through to become true gods. Lady Shiyi¡¯s usually calm expression revealed a few hints of reminiscence for once. ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard.¡± Tears had already welled up in Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s eyes as she pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s sleeves and whimpered. ¡°We¡¯re fine. Master, you suffered the most.¡± Even though they had been outside the whole time previously, they had heard quite a bit about Chu Liuyue and how difficult it was for her to reach this stage. ¡°Big Brother has always taken care of us, and he didn¡¯t let us suffer.¡± Hearing Lady Shi¡¯er say this, Chu Liuyue instantly felt much more assured. Cen Yi had indeed done this very well, as he could take care of all aspects ¡°He¡¯s also in Fantasy Divine Palace now. Let me bring you to see him. Also, Shuangshuang and the rest are here.¡± Then, Chu Liuyue glanced at Wu Yao. We have to talk about Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s matter in detail when we go back. Wu Yao nodded undetectably. At this point, Ming Shu walked over, cupped his fists, and said elatedly, ¡°Madam, I haven¡¯t had the time to congratulate you!¡± When Chu Liuyue finished the Star Path and entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, he was too shocked and couldn¡¯t say anything before he witnessed Chu Liuyue go in. Now that he saw her come out, he naturally had to properly congratulate her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Speaking of which, I have to thank Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± The Li Fire Xuan Painting had indeed helped her clear her thoughts and gave her actions the most appropriate reason. No matter how the other people doubted her, she just had to take the Li Fire Xuan Painting out as a reason. Ming Shu hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°No, no! You can succeed mainly because you¡¯re capable! Our Zhen Bao Pavilion just shared your honor, and we¡¯re also very happy for you! Hahaha!¡± This was Ming Shu¡¯s genuine words. All these years, it wasn¡¯t that nobody else had read the Li Fire Xuan Painting. However, only Chu Liuyue could really understand all the Xuan formations on the Star Path and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. Didn¡¯t this state the problem? Raising her brows slightly, Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I should thank Master and Second Boss. When Second Boss feels better, I must personally visit him.¡± I probably can¡¯t see Master. But Second Boss¡­ I have to see him no matter what. Ming Shu¡¯s smile froze, and he cried for help in his heart. Why does Madam still remember this? ¡°T-then, I¡¯ll definitely talk to Second Boss about this¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Master Ming Shu.¡± After receiving her desired answer, Chu Liuyue brought her people and left in satisfaction. ¡­ The group of them just left in a carefree manner, leaving the crowd behind exchanging glances. S-she just left? Why does Chu Liuyue seem so calm and nonchalant from start to end? She completed the Star Path and entered the Fantasy Divine Hall! If it were someone else present, they would be elated. Yet, she is like this¡­ How should one put it¡­ It¡¯s like everything should be happening. She has long predicted, or she was confident that she could definitely walk to this step and attain everything! However, she is just a person who came from the God Residence Realm without a bloodline totem. In the past tens of thousands of years, other than Seventh Deity Jin Yunlai, only she has entered the Fantasy Divine Hall through the Star Path. Even they were emotional about this for a very long time, but only she was calm beyond imagination. In comparison, their reactions were clearly overboard. Many people calmed down. After a while, a soft voice came from the crowd. ¡°¡­Now that she has entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, perhaps she can really break through to become a deity half a year later?¡± Nobody answered him. They discovered that all the rules and principles did not seem to apply to Chu Liuyue at all. All the restrictions and impossibilities had turned into jokes in front of her! Then, who would dare to say she could not complete the next step? ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest went back. As they walked, Chu Liuyue asked about the two ladies¡¯ situations. What assured her more was that Cen Yi indeed took care of them very much. Other than not bringing the two of them with him, he treated them even better than he did Little Thirteen. Little Thirteen even had to frequently undergo Cen Yi¡¯s strict assessments, but the two ladies did not need to do so. They just had to focus on keeping themselves full. Compared to others, the two of them didn¡¯t really need to cultivate. As they swallowed those pills, their bodies already contained a shocking amount of force. Their bodies were special, and they could basically absorb all of it and convert it into their own force. Their cultivation was naturally improved. This point really made people envious. Lady Shiyi thought for a moment before inquiring, ¡°Master, what does the inside of the Fantasy Divine Hall look like?¡± Chu Liuyue just thought that she was curious. She paused for a moment and answered, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing special. It¡¯s just that the spiritual force is richer and purer.¡± Lady Shiyi pressed her lips against each other. ¡°Then¡­ Master, can you bring us in to take a look?¡± Chu Liuyue was actually taken aback. ¡°Lady Shiyi, you want to go in and look?¡± Lady Shiyi nodded and added, ¡°Sister too.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded lightly and glanced at Chu Liuyue nervously. ¡°Master, would this be inconvenient¡­ I heard that average people can¡¯t enter that Fantasy Divine Hall¡­¡± It isn¡¯t good to put Master in a tight spot. Chu Liuyue looked at the two of them thoughtfully. Probably because she had to take care of her younger sister, Lady Shiyi had been independent since she was young and never liked to trouble others. Whatever she could do herself, she would never ask someone else. Hence, she rarely requested anything. Less needed to be said for Lady Shi¡¯er. Her personality was soft and weak, and she was very timid. When one used a harsher tone normally, she could be scared until her eyes turned red. Other than being obedient, she listened to others and had good behavior. Now, the two ladies actually wanted to go and see the Fantasy Divine Hall? How rare. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°The Fantasy Divine Hall is guarded strictly; it¡¯s indeed not easy to go in. I can¡¯t bring you in now either.¡± The two ladies¡¯ expressions became much darker. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tingled, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why do you want to go in so much?¡± Chapter 2369 - 2369 Meet 2369 Meet Lady Shiyi paused for a moment before honestly replying, ¡°No reason. We just want to go.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded. ¡°But if it¡¯s so hard for you, Master, we¡­ We won¡¯t go¡­¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and touched the duo¡¯s faces. ¡°Let me think of a way.¡± The two of them rarely requested anything from her. If there was hope, she wanted to satisfy their requests. Xiao Ba stood at the side and curiously asked, ¡°Master, other than what you said, are there different places in the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°There kind of is, but it¡¯s not something your master can know now.¡± There were plenty of places in the Fantasy Divine Hall. Besides, she had just gone in. How could she know so much? Su Li had stayed inside for so long, but she did not make much progress either. ¡°However, I did see a few deities¡­¡± Chu Liuyue thought of what happened before. ¡°The rest were fine, but the Eighth Deity¡­ She seems like she has a deep grudge against me¡­¡± ¡°Shu Jing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Ba coughed. ¡°About that¡­ I think I know why¡­¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her strangely. Xiao Ba blinked innocently. ¡°It¡¯s just because I slapped her previously. Who knew that she¡¯d still be thinking about it!?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± At that moment, she¡ªwho was sharp-tongued¡ªdid not know what to say. Lady Shiyi was very curious. ¡°Eighth Sister, didn¡¯t they previously say that deities were all very capable? You slapped her, and she didn¡¯t cause trouble for you?¡± Xiao Ba shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Her mouth was nasty, so I taught her a lesson. As for causing trouble for me¡­ Do I look like someone who is easily bullied?¡± Lady Shiyi seriously shook her head. Lady Shi¡¯er softly said, ¡°I remember that Eighth Sister saying only we can bully others, and we can¡¯t let them trample all over us.¡± Xiao Ba instantly leaned over elatedly and kissed Lady Shi¡¯er. ¡°Sister Shi¡¯er, you¡¯re indeed the smartest! You still remember this?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s face blushed red and was rather embarrassed. But seeing that Xiao Ba was elated, her lips curled up as well. ¡°I remember everything Eighth Sister said.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at her deeply. Is this how you use your good memory? You can memorize everything, but you remember this¡­ No wonder Shu Jing acted in that manner. Nobody else can tolerate it, right? However, there is also something strange about it. ¡°Xiao Ba, after you slapped her, she actually let you off?¡± Shu Jing was not such a person. Xiao Ba shrugged her shoulders.¡±Who knows? But I previously saw that she was also in a lot of trouble, so she probably doesn¡¯t have the time to think about all of this. Besides¡­ if she dares to take revenge, I¡¯ll immediately make everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace know that I slapped her!¡± If the matter spread far and wide, Shu Jing really didn¡¯t need to carry on living in Fantasy Divine Palace. The ridicule and mockery from the crowd alone could drown her! Wu Yao followed behind the few of them and silently shuddered. He gave Shu Jing his condolences. She could offend anyone, yet it had to be Xiao Ba. Among the Thirteen Yue Guards, other than Big Brother, the rest will take another route when they see Xiao Ba. Who would dare to offend her? That Shu Jing could¡¯ve picked a softie instead! She is really unlucky. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before remarking, ¡°You better be careful.¡± Shu Jing was someone who paid eye for an eye. If she was humiliated, she would not let it slide. Perhaps due to some reasons, she temporarily did not take action, but it did not represent that she would not do so in the future. Xiao Ba pushed the loose strands of hair behind her ears and smiled brightly. ¡°I know.¡± However, the condition was that Shu Jing needed the capability. If she couldn¡¯t even solve the problem of the medicinal mountain, then¡­ How could she be the Eighth Deity? ¡­ The group of them returned to their residence. Before they could enter, they saw Hua Shuangshuang, who walked over from another direction. ¡°Second Brother!¡± Wu Yao called first. Hua Shuangshuang looked over, and he was surprised. ¡°Sister Shiyi! Sister Shi¡¯er! Why are you here!? Quickly come and let Second Brother take a look at you!¡± Wu Yao was speechless. Hua Shuangshuang quickly walked over. He was very tall. Even if the two ladies were grown up, they only reached his chest when they stood in front of him. Hua Shuangshuang leaned down and gently patted their heads. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in so long. You¡¯re so tall!¡± Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er were clearly very happy, and they yelled in unison, ¡°Hello, Second Brother.¡± Lady Shiyi glanced at his shoulders. ¡°Second Brother, what¡¯s that?¡± Hua Shuangshuang tilted his shoulders slightly. ¡°Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast. I just picked it up recently.¡± Its wings flapped, and the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast flew to Lady Shiyi¡¯s arm. Lady Shiyi exclaimed, ¡°How pretty!¡± Detecting that Hua Shuangshuang were close to Lady Shiyi and the rest, the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast let its guard down and rubbed the back of Lady Shiyi¡¯s hand. Lady Shi¡¯er looked envious. ¡°Sister, it seems to like you a lot.¡± Lady Shiyi stretched her hand over. ¡°For you.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er hurriedly waved her hand and took a step back. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want it¡­¡± The Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast looked rather fierce, and she was always a little scared of such animals. Hua Shuangshuang laughed. ¡°Sister Shi¡¯er, look at what¡¯s this.¡± As he spoke, he turned around and snapped his fingers. ¡°Come over!¡± Once he said that, a round fluffy head poked out from the corner. Hua Shuangshuang waved his hands. That little fellow was instantly encouraged as it walked over while shaking its bottom. There was a pair of dark eyes in the middle of the white and golden fur. Yet, its paws were pure black. It was actually a legendary fiend¡ªWind-Stepping Tiger. However, this Wind-Stepping Tiger was quite small and only looked a few months old. Even if it had already tried spreading its legs to run, the speed of its short legs was still not fast enough. It seemed like it accidentally looked cuter. Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s heart instantly melted. ¡°Aiya!¡± She had no resistance against such a thing! The Wind-Stepping Tiger ran to Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s feet and rubbed against him intimately. Hua Shuangshuang clapped his hands, and the Wind-Stepping Tiger jumped up onto his hand. Its body was still very small, and it wasn¡¯t as long as Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s arm. Hua Shaungshuang passed the Wind-Stepping Tiger over. ¡°You¡¯re not scared of this, right?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded readily and asked tentatively, ¡°Second Brother, can I really hug it?¡± Hua Shuangshuang laughed loudly. ¡°Of course!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er stretched out her hand and carefully hugged the Wind-Stepping Tiger. That little fellow was not afraid of unfamiliarity. After it sniffed that Lady Shi¡¯er was sweet, it immediately lay in her arms securely. Lady Shi¡¯er looked at it curiously and happily for quite some time. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Second Brother, did you also pick it up? It looks quite young. Why didn¡¯t it follow its mother?¡± Hua Shuangshuang nodded and knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Mm, when I discovered it, its mother was already dead.¡± Chapter 2370 - 2370 Shouldnt 2370 Shouldn¡¯t Lady Shi¡¯er gasped and looked at the small Wind-Stepping Tiger in her arms with more heart ache. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Hua Shuangshuang paused and was hesitant with his words. After a moment, he didn¡¯t directly answer her question and said, ¡°Perhaps it met with some accident. I saw that it was still young, so I brought it back.¡± It had always been very easy for him to be close with all kinds of fiends, and he had raised many of them over the years, so Lady Shi¡¯er and the rest didn¡¯t pay more attention to it. However, Chu Liuyue took another look at that Wind-Stepping Tiger in deep thought. This is clearly a fiend of Fantasy Divine Palace. If I haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, all the fiends here are raised on that fiend mountain, and Second Deity is in charge of it. Of course, the fiend mountain is completely open, and anybody can go, but they can¡¯t casually take fiends away¡ªunless the cultivator has formed an agreement with the fiend. It was expected that Hua Shuangshuang liked to go to the fiend mountain, but Chu Liuyue did not expect him to bring one back. Hearing what he said, it seemed like there was an underlying reason. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t ask him about it in detail as she laughed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go in. Cen Yi and the rest are also here.¡± ¡­ The moment they walked in, they indeed saw Cen Yi walking out from the house. Lady Shiyi and her sister saw him and were immediately elated. Cen Yi¡¯s expression was warm for once. The group of them were very lively when they were together. Chu Liuyue looked around and did not see Rong Xiu. Upon seeing this, Cen Yi immediately said, ¡°Master, His Grace is in seclusion.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. She had known Rong Xiu for so many years but rarely heard him going into seclusion. ¡°I understand.¡± She looked at Wu Yao. ¡°Let¡¯s go in to talk.¡± ¡­ ¡°Mirror?¡± In the room, after hearing Wu Yao¡¯s description, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Wu Yao nodded. ¡°Before I came, not only did the mirror not disappear, but it even seemed to become clearer and more detailed as time passed.¡± Chu Liuyue slowly clenched her hands. ¡°Did anything appear on that mirror? Like¡­ someone¡¯s shadow?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Wu Yao shook his head. ¡°Yu Jiu and I looked after it day and night. That mirror glowed brightly, and it was hard to look at it directly, let alone see someone¡¯s shadow or figure.¡± Chu Liuyue fell silent for a moment and did not know what to feel. It seems like what I saw before wasn¡¯t an illusion; there is indeed a mirror in that Gate Realm. But for some reason, that mirror doesn¡¯t show Rong Xiu or my figure. Or perhaps¡­ only such a scene will appear when the both of us stand in front of it? Chu Liuyue entered deep thought. Every time she thought about the scene that day, she would feel faintly uneasy. The face reflected in that mirror was clearly one that she was most familiar with, but she found it unfamiliar for some reason. And Rong Xiu¡­ ¡°Master? Master?¡± After Wu Yao finished talking, he saw that Chu Liuyue did not respond. Thus he couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice and call her. Chu Liuyue recovered her senses. Wu Yao sized up her expression and asked, ¡°Master, how do you think¡­ we should deal with this?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡± Chu Liuyue knocked against the table. Since Wu Yao and the rest have prepared everything, and no other situation has occurred, we can relax slightly for now. ¡°Report again when that mirror has strange occurrences.¡± This matter was clearly not under their control, so the only thing they could do now was: Wait! Wu Yao was rather surprised, but seeing that Chu Liuyue had made up her mind, he acknowledged her order. ¡°OK.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue came to the yard again and saw Hua Shuangshuang and the rest still playing with the small Wind-Stepping Tiger in the yard. ¡°Shuangshuang, come over for a while.¡± Once Hua Shuangshuang heard this, he immediately walked over. ¡°Master.¡± Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. ¡°What exactly is going on with that Wind-Stepping Tiger?¡± Hesitation instantly surfaced on Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s face. After a moment, he explained, ¡°This matter¡­ is all my fault.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at him. Hua Shuangshuang sighed. ¡°Previously, I went to the fiend mountain and saw a Wind-Stepping Tiger with a cub. I instantly liked it and played with it for a while. Later on, the Wind-Stepping Tiger wanted to follow me, but I curtly rejected it.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. Hua Shuangshuang naturally had his own considerations for doing this¡ªcasually bringing a fiend out of the fiend mountain was clearly against the rules. It would cause trouble if one was not careful. ¡°In the end, when I went over, I saw that the Wind-Stepping Tiger had been killed¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s glabella moved. ¡°Was¡­ killed by someone?¡± Hua Shuangshuang nodded. Chu Liuyue kept quiet for a moment. Other than the Second Deity, Yu Qian, nobody would dare to take action in the fiend mountain. ¡°Why did he do that?¡± The fiend mountain is under his control. Logically speaking, all these fiends should listen to him and he has no reason to do that. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because¡­¡± Hua Shuangshuang paused. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not too sure either. But after that Wind-Stepping Tiger died, all its teeth were plucked out.¡± Chu Liuyue knitted her brows tightly. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ the Wind-Stepping Tiger was possibly killed because it bit Yu Qian, so¡ªwait, there¡¯s indeed a wound on Yu Qian¡¯s hand!¡± When she entered the Fantasy Divine Hall and talked to Yu Qian earlier, she unintentionally noticed that there were faint bite marks on Yu Qian¡¯s hand. However, she did not pay much attention to it back then. Thinking about it now¡­ perhaps it was really because of this Wind-Stepping Tiger? Chu Liuyue softly muttered, ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t be¡­ Isn¡¯t he in charge of the fiend mountain? Why would that Wind-Stepping Tiger attack him?¡± Chapter 2371 - 2371 Exploit 2371 Exploit Hua Shuangshuang sighed. ¡°When I went again, I saw that Wind-Stepping Tiger¡¯s body. It protected its little one underneath it and saved its life. I felt that it was too young and that it really wasn¡¯t safe for it to stay there alone, so I brought it back.¡± Even if such a young cub left the fiend mountain, it would not attract too much attention. Chu Liuyue acknowledged it. ¡°Raise it first. At least Lady Shi¡¯er and the rest like it very much.¡± Hua Shuangshuang paused and still said, ¡°Master, what they like the most isn¡¯t the fiend¡­¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched. At this point, she suddenly saw Cen Yi taking out two Cosmic Rings and giving them to Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er. ¡°This contains the pills Xiao Ba produced previously. Take it first.¡± The two ladies obediently took the Cosmic Rings and thanked Xiao Ba. ¡°Thank you, Eighth Sister!¡± Xiao Ba¡ªwho was sitting on the chair¡ªsuddenly sat up and was shocked. So it turns out that Big Brother asked me for those pills, not only to force me to break through quickly, but it was also for Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er! All the previous grievances had instantly dissipated. Xiao Ba smiled and said, ¡°Big Brother, you should¡¯ve said it earlier!¡± Cen Yi continued, ¡°Whatever you need in the future, you can just ask her for it.¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s smile froze. Even though I always take care of Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er, how could I feed the both of them based on me alone? Even if I produce pills non-stop every day, it isn¡¯t enough! Lady Shi¡¯er glanced at Cen Yi and Xiao Ba before she gently pulled her sister¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Sister, would this be very tiring for Eighth Sister?¡± Lady Shiyi nodded seriously and said, ¡°Big Brother, Eighth Sister, you don¡¯t have to be worried. We heard that there¡¯s a medicinal mountain here, so we can go there as well.¡± Xiao Ba immediately rejected it. ¡°How can this do?¡± Although there were quite a few treasures there, it wasn¡¯t too suitable for her two younger sisters to directly eat them. She patted her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll think of a way!¡± Peng! At this point, a sound came from inside the house. Then, an intense herbal fragrance permeated throughout the area. Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes lit up, and she rapidly stood up. The door opened, and Jian Fengchi walked out. In his hands, there was a jade box. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± His extraordinarily handsome face was filled with emotions. After experiencing countless failures, I¡¯ve finally crossed the threshold and become a Supreme Physician! ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± A soft congratulatory voice came. Jian Fengchi was dazed and looked up. He was instantly confused. At some point, Xiao Ba had already walked to him and had a face filled with smiles. When she smiled, she naturally looked beautiful and flirtish. Her pair of watery eyes seemed to be able to speak, and they were very lively. However, Jian Fengchi did not see her beauty at all. He only recalled the painful memory of him being continuously hit and having shoes thrown at him. Hence, he instinctively took a step back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°Nothing. I just saw that you became a Supreme Physician, and I¡¯m happy for you!¡± Jian Fengchi squinted his eyes with warning. He did not quite believe what Xiao Ba said. Xiao Ba looked up and waved. ¡°Sister Shiyi, Sister Shi¡¯er! Quickly come over!¡± Jian Fengchi then saw that there were actually two more ladies in the yard. ¡°Lady Shiyi, Lady Shi¡¯er?!¡± Seeing the familiar and strange appearance, Jian Fengchi was instantly elated. In his memory, these two were still little girls. In the blink of an eye, they grew up to become ladies. Lady Shiyi pulled Lady Shi¡¯er over. ¡°Brother Fengchi.¡± This sound caused Jian Fengchi to be flustered. ¡°The two of you came too?¡± Xiao Ba gazed at the two of them as she smiled and said, ¡°Look, your Brother Fengchi is already a Supreme Physician. When you¡¯re hungry in the future, you can look for him. He has quite a bit of stock.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart sank. ¡°W-wait, what do you mean?¡± At that moment, he suddenly recalled what these two ladies did before. They had a huge appetite back then. Now¡­ The corner of Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips harshly twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious! I¡ª¡± ¡°Quickly thank Brother Fengchi,¡± urged Xiao Ba with a smile. Lady Shiyi immediately said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Fengchi!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er softly followed: ¡°T-thank you, Brother Fengchi.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. They¡¯ve already said this, so how can I refuse them? I seem to have been tricked. Chu Liuyue glanced at him pitifully. How great it is to break through to become a Supreme Physician. In the end, before he could even celebrate, Xiao Ba and the others attacked him first. Mm, there should be many more of such attacks in the future. As if detecting Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, Jian Fengchi looked over with difficulty. Chu Liuyue put up her thumb. ¡°Fengchi is so generous. I admire you so much.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Can I still go back and pretend that I didn¡¯t break through? At this point, the air suddenly moved. Following that, a figure fell out from within. Jian Fengchi reacted quickly and immediately went forward to help her up. Recently, such situations had happened many times, and he was trained for it. ¡°Aiyo¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu closed her eyes and was waiting to fall. In the end, after some time, the expected pain didn¡¯t come, and it felt¡­ Hm? The situation seems amiss? She suddenly widened her eyes and met Jian Fengchi¡¯s delighted face. ¡°Hongyu, your skills have strengthened recently. You can always accurately land in my arms¡ªah!¡± Mu Hongyu expressionlessly retracted her fist and jumped down. ¡°Isn¡¯t this more precise?¡± If I say I¡¯m going to hit his left eye, his right will never hurt. Jian Fengchi felt the pain. ¡°Y-you¡­ You don¡¯t have a conscience!¡± Mu Hongyu patted her hands. ¡°You¡¯re too weak. You avoided me so slowly. If I don¡¯t hit you, who else can I hit?¡± Jian Fengchi was stumped. Lady Shiyi looked at Mu Hongyu, and then at Jian Fengchi. She asked, ¡°Brother Fengchi, is this Sister-in-law?¡± Mu Hongyu was at a loss for words. This lady is so pretty, but why are her eyes not working well? ¡°Almost, almost!¡± Jian Fengchi immediately said. Mu Hongyu rolled her eyes at him and was about to refute when Jian Fengchi suddenly took out a piece of paper from nowhere. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think this is the servant agreement.¡± He crushed it, and the paper turned into powder. Mu Hongyu tolerate him! She turned and walked toward Chu Liuyue. Swoosh! Jian Fengchi opened his fan and covered half of his black eye as he winked at Lady Shiyi. ¡°You did great.¡± Lady Shiyi gestured a sign. ¡°Ten Senior Physician-level pills.¡± Chapter 2372 - 2372 A Way 2372 A Way Jian Fengchi¡¯s forehead twitched. Robbery! He shook his head. ¡°No, five at most.¡± Lady Shiyi squinted at him. Five? This is too stingy. I can¡¯t even distribute it with my sister. She held up a second finger expressionlessly. ¡°Twenty pills.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s fingers trembled, and his heart was bleeding. ¡°You, you, you! Lady Shiyi, why are you becoming more and more like your master!?¡± Not to mention anything else, but her extortion skills are really impressive! Lady Shiyi raised her eyebrows. Lady Shi¡¯er was very envious and whispered, ¡°Sister, Brother Fengchi is praising you.¡± Lady Shiyi said, ¡°I heard it.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Lady Shi¡¯er sighed. She also knew that she was too soft-hearted. She couldn¡¯t even learn one-tenth of her master¡¯s power, unlike her sister who had always been straightforward. Therefore, she had always admired her sister for coming here. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Just learn more from Master in the future,¡± Lady Shiyi comforted her. Lady Shi¡¯er nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes!¡± Lady Shiyi raised her chin. Lady Shi¡¯er mustered her courage and stretched out her hand. She stammered, ¡°T-Thirty!¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. There is no way! He clenched his teeth. ¡°Twenty¡ªno more!¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Lady Shiyi stopped in satisfaction. Jian Fengchi felt a little stuffy in his chest. He hammered it a few times before catching his breath. On the other side, Mu Hongyu had already arrived in front of Chu Liuyue. There was some excitement in her eyes. Seeing this, Chu Liuyue vaguely guessed something. Mu Hongyu lowered her voice. ¡°Liuyue, I left the Heaven Gate today!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Although I wasted a lot of time and effort in the process, I finally succeeded! Moreover, no one should have discovered me!¡± Mu Hongyu was also very excited. During this period of time, she had been studying how to reach the Great Advanced Realm. Unfortunately, because she had no one to guide her, her progress was slow. Helpless, she could only try again and again. She couldn¡¯t even remember how many times she had failed. However, she had finally accomplished it! Chu Liuyue held her hand and walked to the side. ¡°Does anyone else know about this?¡± Mu Hongyu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already checked. The person in charge of guarding the Heaven Gate now is the Eleventh deity, Qiu Tong. However, his strength is inferior to the Seventh Deity, Jin Yunlai, and his control over the Heaven Gate is much weaker. It¡¯s not difficult to avoid him.¡± Her almond-shaped eyes lit up. ¡°Liuyue, I can go out of the Heaven Gate now. After a while, I¡¯ll definitely be able to enter the Fantasy Divine Sea directly and find Master!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at her. Perhaps it was because she had made countless failed attempts during this period of time, but there were many deep and shallow scars on Mu Hongyu¡¯s face and body. However, she never said that she would give up, and she had persisted until now. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Hongyu, thank you.¡± Mu Hongyu shook her head. ¡°What¡¯s our relationship? It¡¯s too polite to say thank you! Besides, I really want to save Master as soon as possible. This is what I should do.¡± The Fantasy Divine Sea was dangerous and treacherous. Diwu Zhangze was trapped inside, and the pain and torture he suffered was countless times worse than hers. Therefore, she never dared to relax for a moment. Her mind was filled with this matter. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up, and her eyes were fixed. ¡°This day won¡¯t be far away.¡± ¡°Oh right.¡± Mu Hongyu suddenly thought of something. ¡°The Ninth Deity and the Tenth Deity seem to be locked up in the Fantasy Divine Sea too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. ¡°How is this possible? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we see those two people before? I won¡¯t be mistaken¡ªit¡¯s them. However, the location where the two of them are imprisoned is different from Master¡¯s. I wanted to investigate carefully, but I was worried that I would be discovered if I came out for too long, so I came back in a hurry.¡± Mu Hongyu was puzzled. ¡°I wonder why the two of them are locked up¡­¡± Chu Liuyue fell silent. Most people in Fantasy Divine Palace clearly don¡¯t know about this. To be able to imprison these two people in the Fantasy Divine Sea¡­ Apart from that Divine Master, it is the First Deity. According to Nan Jinshu, when these two deities went to the God-Killing Tumulus, they seem to have received an order from the First Deity. In that case, there is a high chance that this matter was done by that person. Could it be because they didn¡¯t manage to snatch the music score? But at the God-Killing Tumulus, it couldn¡¯t be considered fighting at all. When I arrived at the tombstone area, the two of them were already gone. Now that I think about it, I¡¯m still at a loss. Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Since no one knows about this, let¡¯s not make it public first.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded. ¡°I know.¡± With that, she asked curiously, ¡°Liuyue, I heard that you¡¯ve already entered the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°Why are you all so curious about the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯re curious! Which cultivator in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace doesn¡¯t want to go in?¡± Mu Hongyu rubbed her nose. ¡°By the way, I heard from Master Ming Shu that after breaking through to the Great Advanced Realm, I¡¯ll be qualified to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± Chu Liuyue knew this as well. The Fantasy Divine Hall was powerful and sacred. It was the paradise that all cultivators wanted to go in and take a look at. Apart from becoming a deity, the other cultivators actually had several methods to obtain the qualifications to enter. The first was to be like Chu Liuyue, who comprehended all the Xuan formations on the Star Path and entered through the main entrance. The second was to become an Armory Refinement Saint and obtain a wisp of aura from the Holy Jade of Chaos before entering. The third was to become a Medical Saint¡ªthis was also extremely difficult. In the entire Fantasy Divine Palace, there was only one Medical Saint, Shu Jing. In the past 10,000 years, no one had broken through to become a Medical Saint. Of course, this had something to do with Shu Jing¡¯s strict supervision of the medicinal mountain. Her rules caused many heavenly doctors to fail to fully tap into their talent and potential. Although she had let go now, it was very difficult for anyone to break through directly in a short time. Initially, everyone thought highly of Liang He. Unfortunately, he had suffered consecutive blows recently and couldn¡¯t recover. He hadn¡¯t appeared in front of everyone for a long time. There was only half a year left before the Heaven Gate closed. It was really impossible for him to cross the threshold of Medical Saint. The most special ones were people like Mu Hongyu. As long as she broke through to the Great Advanced Realm, she could enter the Fantasy Divine Hall! But among the cultivators who had the same physique as her, many of them hadn¡¯t even broken through to the Less Advanced Realm, let alone the Great Advanced Realm. Therefore, this path wasn¡¯t easy to walk. As for the remaining cultivators that were warriors, they had no way to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall in advance. Their only chance was to ascend to the heavens and break through to the Deity Realm in half a year! This success rate was a little higher than the previous methods. Of course, this was relative. Most people could only stay outside forever. Chapter 2373 - 2373 Looking forward 2373 Looking forward Zhen Bao Pavilion. Ming Shu hurried back. As most people had already been attracted by the commotion on the Star Path, there were no guests in Zhen Bao Pavilion today. After he returned, he locked the door and turned to go up to the second floor, heading straight for the room at the far end of the corridor. Yan Ge was standing by the window with his hands behind his back. ¡°Second Boss.¡± Hearing the commotion, Yan Ge turned around with a proud smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Seeing his expression, Ming Shu understood that he must already know everything about Chu Liuyue. However, this was normal. After causing such a huge commotion, it was difficult not to know. ¡°Madam entered the Fantasy Divine Hall and went out again after a while. It seems like she has a few more subordinates.¡± Ming Shu told him the truth. ¡°In addition, Xiao Ran was inspired by Madam when she solved the formation and is also trying to crack the last Xuan formation now. If nothing goes wrong, he should succeed this time.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Ge was also a little surprised. He stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s really rare¡­ Xiao Ran has been here for too long.¡± He had a good relationship with Xiao Ran and was naturally happy to hear this news. Ming Shu paused and said, ¡°Second Boss, Madam instructed that when you¡¯re feeling better, she wants to visit you personally¡­¡± ¡°No, no. Just say that I¡¯m bedridden and seriously ill.¡± Yan Ge waved his hand. Anyway, she can¡¯t see me now. Before Master speaks, I don¡¯t dare to make decisions on my own. Ming Shu: ¡°¡­Then, are you going to keep hiding?¡± How many times has she said this? Madam clearly doesn¡¯t plan to give up. She has to see him once no matter what. Yan Ge also had a headache, and he rubbed his temples. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Master¡¯s news.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡­ Tuan Zi was sent to the barrier by Yu Qian. ¡°I¡¯m already here. Can you leave now?¡± She paused in her tracks. It¡¯s really uncomfortable to be with this person! Yu Qian didn¡¯t care about Tuan Zi¡¯s disgust. In any case, as long as she could cultivate well, she could open her meridians as soon as possible. Yu Qian looked down at her. His voice was as gentle as ever, but his words were extremely domineering. ¡°Before opening the eighth meridian, you can¡¯t cross this barrier again and enter the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Tuan Zi frowned. ¡°I disagree! No!¡± How do I know when I will be able to open the eighth meridian? If it can¡¯t be opened for ten years, won¡¯t I be unable to come for ten years? ¡°That¡¯s not what you said just now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Yu Qian smiled. If Shangguan Yue didn¡¯t come in, it wouldn¡¯t matter if I let Tuan Zi in, but now¡ªno. Even though there is no longer a contract between the two of them, Tuan Zi has grown up by Shangguan Yue¡¯s side and is extremely dependent on her. If it¡¯s still like today, the bond between her and Tuan Zi will probably never be completely eliminated. Therefore, I still have to cut the knot. ¡°You!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want her to be bullied in the Fantasy Divine Hall in the future, it¡¯s best if you can break through as soon as possible.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s words were filled with an unconcealed threat. Tuan Zi gritted her teeth, and her face turned red from anger. Golden flames instantly burned in her eyes! However, Yu Qian didn¡¯t seem to care. The current Tuan Zi wasn¡¯t his match. After a long confrontation, Tuan Zi finally gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Alright! Just you wait!¡± I will settle the old and new grudges with these people sooner or later! With that, she tapped her toes and headed straight for Phoenix Mountain. A dazzling light flashed past, and her figure disappeared behind the barrier in the blink of an eye. Yu Qian stood there for a while before turning to leave. ¡­ Tuan Zi was filled with anger as she returned to Phoenix Mountain. When she arrived at the top of the mountain, she took out the Ancestral Golden Feather and gently brushed her hand across it. She silently said in her heart, ¡°Clan Leader Grandpa, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be bullied by them forever!¡± A faint light flashed across the Ancestral Golden Feather. Tuan Zi carefully put it away again and decided to turn anger into motivation. If I¡¯m not allowed to go, then so be it! Anyway, A¡¯Yue can come over! However, I don¡¯t know if the black shadow will come to see me secretly after today¡­ After sitting there and thinking for a while, Tuan Zi retracted her thoughts and started cultivating again. ¡­ Chu Liuyue originally wanted to meet Rong Xiu and discuss some things with him. Unfortunately, he was in seclusion and wouldn¡¯t come out for a long time. She didn¡¯t continue to wait. After settling the matters here, she returned to the Fantasy Divine Hall. At this moment, Xiao Ran had already completed one-third of the Xuan formation. There were still many onlookers. But when Chu Liuyue arrived again, she realized that Mu Yafeng seemed to have disappeared. She thought for a moment, and a very faint smile appeared on her lips. It then disappeared in the blink of an eye, and she entered the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡­ Chu Liuyue walked toward her residence alone. When she passed by the Seventh Deity¡¯s courtyard, she stopped in her tracks and looked over. However, she wasn¡¯t looking at Jin Yunlai. The First Deity lived in a remote and quiet place. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t want anyone to disturb him. Although Chu Liuyue was curious, she knew that this was definitely not the time to go over. It was already extremely difficult for other deities to see him, let alone her. At this moment, a gaze landed on her. Chu Liuyue looked over and nodded slightly at Jin Yunlai, who had just walked out. He didn¡¯t come out; he just stood on the steps and looked over. Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and turned to leave. Jin Yunlai frowned slightly. Chu Liuyue¡­ didn¡¯t seem to be gazing at me just now. After thinking for a moment, he turned his head away, deep in thought. Was Chu Liuyue looking at the First Deity¡¯s residence just now? Chapter 2374 - 2374 Whos Yan Qing 2374 Who¡¯s Yan Qing For a period of time after that, Chu Liuyue stayed in her courtyard alone and cultivated quietly. She didn¡¯t go out again. However, it became more and more lively outside. ¡­ Medicinal mountain. Xiao Ba brought Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er here and planned to choose more medicinal herbs to refine some snacks for the two girls. This was the first time the two girls were here, so they were naturally very curious and excited. From time to time, they looked around. There were also many people looking at them. Xiao Ba herself was already eye-catching enough. With this pair of beautiful twins now, she easily captured everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Eighth Sister, there are so many people here¡­¡± Lady Shi¡¯er had always been shy. Now that many people were looking at them, she was even more shy and subconsciously hid behind Lady Shiyi. ¡°There seems to be more people than before¡­¡± Xiao Ba nodded in agreement. She had been here many times before, but not so many people had appeared at the same time. On every mountain, there were figures flashing, and there were more than one or two of them. When someone beside her heard her words, he couldn¡¯t help but explain, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, there¡¯s only half a year left before the Heaven Gate closes. Of course, everyone is nervous.¡± Xiao Ba turned around and saw that the person who spoke was a young man. She blinked and smiled. ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot about that.¡± There was indeed a saying in Fantasy Divine Palace that the Heaven Gate would close in half a year. Those who couldn¡¯t enter the Fantasy Divine Hall before then would have to wait for the next opportunity. And the next opportunity would take more than 10,000 years. Such a long time was really unbearable, so many people tried their best to successfully enter the Fantasy Divine Hall before the deadline. For heavenly doctors, they had to break through to become Medical Saints to obtain this qualification. It was easier said than done. The difficulty of this matter wasn¡¯t inferior to a Xuan Master taking the Star Path. ¡°But cramming at the last minute¡­ Fair weather atheists turn to god in a pinch don¡¯t seem to be very useful, right?¡± Xiao Ba didn¡¯t think much of it. The young man was embarrassed. ¡°Although that¡¯s the case, if you work hard, you can still have more hope, right?¡± Xiao Ba shrugged and smiled. ¡°Although I don¡¯t really care about this, thank you.¡± The young man blushed slightly. Xiao Ba looked at the two girls beside her. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She had just taken a step when the young man spoke again. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, wait!¡± Xiao Ba paused and turned around. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°This¡­ Actually, it¡¯s nothing important. It¡¯s just¡­ I heard that Miss Xiao Ba already has someone she likes?¡± The young man asked carefully and stared at Xiao Ba without blinking, afraid that he would miss something. As soon as these words were spoken, many people around immediately pricked up their ears. There were rumors in private that Miss Xiao Ba had rejected Liang He so firmly because she already had someone she liked. Furthermore, that person had also come from the God Residence Realm and was now in Fantasy Divine Palace. Unfortunately, that person didn¡¯t seem to come out often, so no one had seen him much. As time passed, some people became suspicious of this matter. Now that someone was asking, everyone was naturally very concerned. Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er immediately looked at Xiao Ba with bright eyes. We have a brother-in-law? Why haven¡¯t we heard Eighth Sister mention it before? According to Eighth Sister¡¯s personality, it shouldn¡¯t be¡­ Xiao Ba tapped their foreheads lightly. It has been a few years since we last met, but they still love to gossip. She tucked her hair behind her ear and said with a smile, ¡°Yeap! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hearing her affirmative answer, many people revealed disappointed expressions. The young man¡¯s expression froze. After a while, he replied awkwardly, ¡°Then¡­ someone who can make Miss Xiao Ba fall in love with him must be very outstanding?¡± Otherwise, why would she abandon Liang He? Xiao Ba narrowed her beautiful eyes. This question¡­ sounds like he is trying to get information out of me. However, I don¡¯t mind. I have even rejected Liang He without hesitation, let alone these people. Initially, she had pulled Yan Qing along to avoid these troubles. Thinking of this, she smiled and nodded her head. ¡°Yeah.¡± Seeing that Xiao Ba was unwilling to reveal too much, someone still asked unwillingly, ¡°I¡¯ve always heard of this person, but no one has seen him before. Miss Xiao Ba, even if your sweetheart is shy, it¡¯s still a little strange that he hasn¡¯t come out after coming to Fantasy Divine Palace for so long, right?¡± As soon as he said this, many people agreed. Ever since Liang He returned after suffering a blow, they had been very curious about that person. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even go out of the courtyard door, so it was really difficult to see him. Now that someone finally asked, everyone naturally wanted to hear it. Xiao Ba crossed her arms and said lazily, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t like to come out, he naturally won¡¯t come out. What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Although she said that, Xiao Ba had the same question in her heart. Logically speaking, Yan Qing is quite talented and has the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s bloodline totem. Even in this Fantasy Divine Palace where geniuses gather, he is still one of the best. However, he doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in any of this. Most of the time, he stays in the courtyard and doesn¡¯t come out much. When he goes out occasionally, not many people seem to have seen him. However, I don¡¯t intend to discuss these questions with these outsiders. Many people looked at each other. After a moment, someone couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, could it be that this person has something to hide?¡± A layer of coldness instantly appeared in Xiao Ba¡¯s beautiful eyes as she sneered. ¡°Our Brother Yan Qing is extraordinarily handsome, cool, and talented. How can you slander him nonchalantly?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a sharp female voice. ¡°Who are you talking about?!¡± Chapter 2375 - 2375 Whos Looking at Her? 2375 Who¡¯s Looking at Her? Xiao Ba was annoyed when she heard this voice. She turned around and saw another annoying face. Why is Shu Jing lingering around? Xiao Ba¡¯s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and her red lips curled into a perfect smile. ¡°Eighth Deity, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days. You look much better than before.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s chest tightened. How could she not tell that Xiao Ba was mocking her? But in front of so many people, she couldn¡¯t retort. Xiao Ba had always been unpredictable. Who knew if she would directly expose what happened that day? Besides, she didn¡¯t care about that now. ¡°Whether I look good or not has nothing to do with you. Answer my question: whose name did you call just now?¡± Shu Jing used her authority as the Eighth Deity to suppress Xiao Ba. Xiao Ba blinked. Strange, why does it seem like Shu Jing is very concerned about what I said just now? She smiled softly and said word by word, ¡°I¡¯m talking about my Brother Yan Qing. What, is the Eighth Deity so concerned about my private matters?¡± When she heard the words ¡®Yan Qing,¡¯ Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. However, she felt that she was overthinking. They must have the same name. She had also heard some related news about Xiao Ba¡¯s so-called sweetheart. If I remember correctly, that person came from the God Residence Realm and is just a legendary warrior. How could this be the same person as that person? ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel that his name might need to be changed.¡± Xiao Ba was instantly unhappy. I can call him whatever I want. How could she say that his name isn¡¯t good and ask him to change it? ¡°What does our Brother Yan Qing¡¯s name have to do with the Eighth Deity?¡± Seeing Shu Jing¡¯s arrogant and displeased expression, Xiao Ba became even angrier. However, Shu Jing suddenly smiled, but there was no smile at the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good and his. You have to know that not everyone can use the name ¡®Yan Qing.¡¯ It¡¯s not a small matter if you like it or not. It¡¯s quite a sin to offend the Emperor¡¯s Left Divine General.¡± Xiao Ba was stunned. ¡°Left Divine General?¡± Who is this? I don¡¯t seem to have heard of him before. But after hearing Shu Jing¡¯s words, the surrounding people were in an uproar. ¡°So ¡®Yan Qing¡¯ is actually the name of the Left Divine General? This is the first time I know¡­¡± ¡°Me too! The two Divine Generals rarely appear in public and have always been extremely mysterious. There are very few people who even know their names. I didn¡¯t expect the Eighth Deity to say it today¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a coincidence? I happened to meet someone with the same name as the Left Divine General¡­ This matter indeed has to be handled carefully. After all, that¡¯s the Left Divine General¡­¡± Xiao Ba frowned slightly. I have never heard of this Left Divine General, but I know how powerful that emperor is. It¡¯s said that even the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s Divine Master has to be respectful to the Emperor. Then, the people around him shouldn¡¯t be trifled with, especially someone with the title of Left Divine General. They don¡¯t sound simple. Shu Jing looked arrogant and said calmly, ¡°If he still wants to stay in Fantasy Divine Palace, it¡¯s best to change his name.¡± Xiao Ba narrowed her eyes and laughed. ¡°What kind of status does the Left Divine General have? Why would he care about such a small matter? Eighth Deity, I think you shouldn¡¯t judge a gentleman by your own standards, right?¡± ¡°You!¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression changed. Actually, with her understanding of that person, he was indeed not someone who would care about such things. But when she heard Xiao Ba¡¯s shout, she felt very uncomfortable, and that was why she said this. Unexpectedly, Xiao Ba didn¡¯t care at all. Xiao Ba twisted her slender waist slightly and turned around. ¡°Shiyi, Shi¡¯er, let¡¯s go! Tell Eighth Sister what you like!¡± The two girls nodded in unison. ¡°Thank you, Eighth Sister!¡± Seeing that the three of them were about to leave, Shu Jing asked in disbelief, ¡°Wait! You¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± Xiao Ba turned around in surprise. ¡°What else?¡± Her lips curled up as she smiled, and her eyes moved. ¡°After I¡¯m done here, I still have to rush back to see Brother Yan Qing! Oh right, I don¡¯t think the Eighth Deity understands this feeling of not seeing a lover for a moment. I won¡¯t tell you so much!¡± With that, the three of them walked briskly towars a mountain peak and ignored Shu Jing. Shu Jing was full of anger, and the onlookers were also secretly sad. It seems like Miss Xiao Ba and Yan Qing are really close¡­ Then, we probably won¡¯t have a chance. After staring at Xiao Ba and the others for a while, Shu Jing turned around and left. ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. In the room, Chu Liuyue was sitting quietly. After circulating her holy force for one Heavenly Cycle, she slowly opened her eyes. The energy here is indeed incomparable to the outside world. I have only stayed here for a short period of time, but I can already clearly feel my aura strengthen. Most importantly, there is no situation like in the Red Moon Desert, where energy continuously surged into the cultivator¡¯s body, causing one to be unable to withstand it and then explode to death. Everything here seems to be circulating calmly and regularly. She stood up and was about to pour a cup of tea when she suddenly felt a gaze on her! Her eyes narrowed. It¡¯s¡­ an extremely familiar aura! The next moment, she moved her wrist, and a stream of holy force flew out. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Chapter 2376 - 2376 A Peach Blossom 2376 A Peach Blossom That gaze instantly disappeared. Chu Liuyue quickly walked out and looked in the direction of the gaze she sensed just now. It was empty. She frowned slightly. My feeling just now was definitely not wrong. There was indeed someone looking at me, and¡­ it felt extremely familiar! Unfortunately, the other party left too quickly, and I didn¡¯t have time to carefully distinguish who it was. I¡¯m most familiar with Su Li in the Fantasy Divine Hall. Other than that, there is also Jun Jiuqing and Nan Jinshu. Perhaps Jin Yunlai and Yu Qian can barely be considered as well. However, it doesn¡¯t seem to be any of them. Moreover, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a need for these people to do this. If they want to see me, they can come directly. Why did they have to do this? Chu Liuyue wanted to return to her room, but after thinking about it carefully, she still walked out. ¡­ The Fantasy Divine Hall was very large, and the roads were winding and complicated. It was actually very easy to get lost walking in it, but Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t seem to have such worries. She just walked casually along the roads, looking around as she went. The surroundings were very quiet. Thinking about it, it made sense. Apart from the deities, very few people in Fantasy Divine Hall could enter. Moreover, this place was so big that they were basically all scattered. Previously, in the Red Moon Desert, she had only peeked at a corner of the Fantasy Divine Hall through an illusion. Now that she was within it and saw many scenes she hadn¡¯t seen before, she naturally felt different. Under her feet was the lapis lazuli-paved ground. As she walked on it, she landed silently. Unfortunately, after that gaze disappeared, it was completely gone. Chu Liuyue looked around but didn¡¯t find anything. She stopped at the corner of a courtyard and sighed softly. In other people¡¯s territory, I probably can¡¯t win¡­ She shook her head, planning to put this matter on hold first. But just as she turned around, a gust of wind blew over, and a faint fragrance instantly spread in the air. Chu Liuyue was dazed. This fragrance is¡­ ¡°Peach blossom fragrance?¡± she muttered softly, feeling a little strange. This fragrance seemed to come from behind her. She half-turned. At the end of this road¡­ was a wall. She raised her head slightly, wanting to see the scenery behind the wall. Suddenly, a pink and white peach blossom fluttered in the wind. Chu Liuyue raised her hand to catch it. Then, she took a closer look and was stunned. This peach blossom bloomed at the right time, but there were a few crystal-clear ice crystals on the petals. She subconsciously raised her hand and touched the peach blossom hairpin on her head. This seems¡­ quite similar? There was a chill in the ice crystals. They landed on the petal for a long time, but they didn¡¯t melt. Chu Liuyue was a little curious and planned to walk over to take a look. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± A questioning voice came from behind. Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks and looked over. It was Yu Qian. Unlike the gentle expression she had seen in the past, his face was expressionless at this moment, and there was coldness in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows. There was even a hint of anger. It was obvious that Chu Liuyue¡¯s actions made him very dissatisfied. Chu Liuyue calmly put away the peach blossom in her hand and smiled slightly. ¡°I was a little bored by myself, so I thought I¡¯d come out for a walk. I came here unknowingly.¡± She looked around. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be the residence of the deities, right? Can¡¯t I come?¡± Yu Qian said coldly, ¡°This is one of the forbidden areas of the Fantasy Divine Hall. No one is allowed to approach.¡± ¡°Oh¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue looked enlightened and immediately apologized. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry then; I came to the wrong place. Don¡¯t worry, Second Deity. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± With that, she prepared to leave without hesitation. When she passed by Yu Qian, he suddenly spoke. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Second Deity, is there anything else?¡± Yu Qian looked down at her with a domineering gaze. ¡°Just now¡­ did you come over yourself?¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. What else? Could it be that¡­ someone deliberately brought me here?¡± Yu Qian was the first to deny this possibility. Not to mention others, even he rarely came to this place.On the one hand, this place was very remote. It was very troublesome to detour around many twists and turns. On the other hand¡­ this was a forbidden area, and there was nothing to see. Although he felt that it was unbelievable that Chu Liuyue found this place purely by herself, after thinking about it, he really couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would deliberately lure her here. Hence, he could only choose to believe Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. Only then did Yu Qian nod. ¡°Go. You¡¯re not allowed to come again.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly and replied with a smile before leaving as if nothing had happened. Soon, only Yu Qian was left. He stared at the wall for a long time. ¡­ Chu Liuyue returned to her residence familiarly. After entering the room, she reached out and took out the peach blossom. She suddenly focused her gaze. The peach blossom that was in full bloom just now had completely changed. Gold? Chu Liuyue was stunned. She had never seen a golden peach blossom before. This was clearly not real. It was more like it was carved from a special material. She stretched out her finger and gently ground the petals twice. A dark shadow appeared. This is actually¡­ A peach blossom intertwined with gold and black? Chapter 2377 - 2377 I Wont Let Her Suffer 2377 I Won¡¯t Let Her Suffer This is indeed not a real peach blossom. Chu Liuyue had stared at it in detail for some time, but she couldn¡¯t tell what exactly it was made with. After rubbing away the faint layer of pink, its interior had a strong blending of two colors that contrasted strongly¡ªbright gold and dark black. She placed this peach blossom in her hand. When the wind blew, it turned into powder and went with the wind. Chu Liuyue looked at it in a daze, and there was actually a feeling of loss in her heart. She looked outside. In this Fantasy Divine Hall, who else is watching me in secret? What exactly is behind that wall? ¡­ During this time, Xiao Ba brought Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er and swept the few mountains before they left in satisfaction. When they returned to the yard, Xiao Ba¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Go, bring the items to your Brother Fengchi.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lady Shiyi acknowledged her and pulled her sister to find Jian Fengchi. After a moment, a miserable cry came from the room. ¡°So many?!¡± After a while, Lady Shiyi walked out from the room and nodded to Xiao Ba. ¡°Eighth Sister, Brother Fengchi already agreed to help us produce it.¡± Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°Was it with Little Hongyu¡¯s help?¡± The two ladies nodded. Xiao Ba clicked her tongue. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Eldest Young Master Jian, who walked through the garden for so many years and was never tainted, would one day be under someone¡¯s control.¡± As she spoke, she walked forward with small steps. Lady Shiyi looked behind her and suddenly yelled, ¡°Eighth Brother-in-Law.¡± Yan Qing, who had just walked out of the room, looked stunned for once on his usually cold and handsome face. He almost instinctively looked at Xiao Ba at the side. When Xiao Ba heard this, she staggered back and almost fell to the ground. The corner of her lips twitched as she stared at Lady Shiyi. From the corner of her eye, she did see Yan Qing standing by the door. The gaze he looked over with¡­ Mm¡­ Xiao Ba felt embarrassed for once and hurriedly said, ¡°Sister Shiyi, don¡¯t randomly address him like that! He¡¯s not your Eighth Brother-in-Law!¡± It¡¯s fine if we lie to outsiders, but how could my own family members misunderstand? Previously, she walked away too hurriedly and forgot to explain this to the two ladies. In the end, such an awkward scene was produced. However, Xiao Ba never expected that an even more awkward scene was awaiting her. That was because Lady Shi¡¯er spoke. Lady Shi¡¯er glanced at Xiao Ba in confusion, and then at Yan Qing. She softly said, ¡°But Eighth Sister, didn¡¯t you say just now that Eighth Brother-in-Law is extraordinarily handsome and outstandingly talented and that other people could not compare to him?¡± Even though her voice was soft, the entire yard was silent, and everyone present could hear her clearly! Xiao Ba clutched her chest and almost fainted on the spot. Twelfth Sister! It¡¯s not entirely good when your memory is so good! Even if you have to say it, you really don¡¯t have to accurately repeat every single word! Xiao Ba wanted to casually joke about it like before and tease him to cover the incident, but her heart was beating crazily, and she could not say a word. Every time she wanted to speak, her mind would be filled with the image Yan Qing bending down and squatting in front of her to help her wear her shoes. Her pink face started burning again, and she felt extremely warm. There was never a moment like this where she wanted to find a hole and hide inside! ¡°I-I just said that! Actually, Yan Qing and I¡ª¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Wu Yao, who just came back from outside, walked to the door and heard these few sentences. He was immediately stunned and knitted his brows. ¡°Xiao Ba, why didn¡¯t you talk about this previously?¡± Xiao Ba is actually with Yan Qing? Why don¡¯t I know at all? Did they get together during the few months they were at Fantasy Divine Palace? ¡°Do Big Brother and the rest know?¡± Xiao Ba said with difficulty, ¡°Fifth Brother, you¡¯ve¡­ misunderstood.¡± Wu Yao said in disagreement, ¡°You should¡¯ve told us about this in advance. That way, everyone can help you take a look, right? What if you meet someone bad?¡± Wu Yao had never considered that before. Only Xiao Ba could make people upset, and nobody ever hurt her. A crack finally appeared on Yan Qing¡¯s face that was an ice mountain for years. Just as he was about to speak, Wu Yao already looked over, and his gaze was filled with judgment and supervision. From head to toe, from left to right, from inside to out, he looked at Yan Qing several times. Appearance? Mm, acceptable. Figure? Mm, barely. Abilities? Mm, forcefully. After looking at him for so long, Wu Yao realized that¡­ he could not pick out much about Yan Qing. Hence, he kindly said, ¡°Our Thirteen Yue Guards have very high expectations for Xiao Ba¡¯s future husband, but since Xiao Ba likes you, we can lower our criteria appropriately. After all, her wishes are the most important. However, our Xiao Ba has been spoiled by us and can¡¯t be aggrieved. You have to take good care of her in the future! If I know that you made her unhappy in any way¡­¡± Xiao Ba felt completely hopeless as she twisted her stiffened neck and looked left and right. Lady Shiyi asked, ¡°Eighth Sister, what are you looking for?¡± Xiao Ba: ¡°A shovel¡­¡± I better dig a hole for myself since I can¡¯t stay here any longer! Lady Shiyi was speechless. Helpless, Xiao Ba weakly clung onto Wu Yao¡¯s arm. ¡°Fifth Brother¡­ Fifth Brother¡­ stop talking¡­¡± If he continues, I really can¡¯t face Yan Qing in the future. Wu Yao stared at her and gave her a look. What¡¯s your problem!? I haven¡¯t even gotten angry that this Yan Qing secretly stole our Xiao Ba. Shouldn¡¯t I be able to teach him a lesson and educate him?! ¡°I won¡¯t make her unhappy.¡± A cold voice suddenly sounded. Xiao Ba was dazed and looked over strangely. Yan Qing said, ¡°I won¡¯t let her suffer either.¡± Chapter 2378 - 2378 Retrieve Music Score 2378 Retrieve Music Score Xiao Ba was extremely shocked, and she widened her pretty eyes slightly, almost suspecting that she had heard him wrongly. However, Yan Qing¡¯s expression was normal, and she couldn¡¯t discern anything. If she didn¡¯t hear it personally, it was really hard to imagine that such a person would say such words. As if detecting her gaze, Yan Qing¡¯s gaze turned and looked over. The two of them exchanged glances, and Xiao Ba¡¯s heart tightened. It¡¯s probably because this scenario rendered him helpless, so he did that¡­ Luckily, Yan Qing quickly averted his gaze. The strange feeling of suppression instantly disappeared. Hearing Yan Qing¡¯s reply, Wu Yao then forcefully nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Then, he looked at Xiao Ba and instructed, ¡°Xiao Ba, in the future, you and Yan Qing¡ª¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him with grievances and said deeply, ¡°Fifth Brother, you can leave after you¡¯re done.¡± Wu Yao shuddered and coughed. ¡°Ahem, since this is so, I won¡¯t say much then. Y-you can see what to do¡­¡± With that, he was finally willing to leave. Lady Shiyi pulled Lady Shi¡¯er along. ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er was rather hesitant. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Eighth Sister and Eighth Brother-in-Law definitely have things to talk about. Why do we need to be here?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er was instantly enlightened. ¡°Whispers?¡± Lady Shiyi revealed an expression that she was worthy of being taught. Xiao Ba¡¯s forehead twitched harshly. ¡°The two of you¡ª¡± ¡°Goodbye, Eighth Sister. Goodbye, Eighth Brother-in-Law.¡± Lady Shiyi was agile as she quickly pulled her sister and left, leaving behind Xiao Ba in the mess. Actually, she wanted to immediately disappear! However, things had ended up in this state, and it didn¡¯t seem good for her to just leave¡­ Xiao Ba lowered her head, took a deep breath in, and walked toward Yan Qing. Not daring to look at the latter, she said conflictingly, ¡°Lord Yan Qing, I¡¯m so sorry¡­ My Fifth Brother, Eleventh Sister, and Twelfth Sister all just came. They don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on between us, so they misunderstood. D-don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s expression was nonchalant as he nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Xiao Ba quickly looked up and glanced at Yan Qing. Probably, maybe, could be¡­ Yan Qing just didn¡¯t want me to be put in a difficult spot or become too awkward, so he said that? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll explain to them clearly in the future.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s thin lips moved, and his words were on his tongue when he changed them. ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Seeing that Yan Qing really didn¡¯t take this to heart, Xiao Ba heaved a sigh of relief and felt emotional for some reason. However, such an emotion was quickly brushed aside by her. She turned around. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly thought of something and turned around to glance at Yan Qing. ¡°Oh right, I heard something today. I wonder if you know.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Do you know¡­ Left Divine General?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s eyes instantly darkened as he furrowed his brows slightly and gazed at Xiao Ba alertly. Xiao Ba saw his expression and thought that he did not know. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard of it either?¡± Yan Qing was slightly dazed. Xiao Ba nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ve been here for so long, and I haven¡¯t heard of this title, let alone you.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s grip on the sword slowly loosened. ¡°Why did you suddenly talk about this?¡± Xiao Ba shrugged her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s because you and that Left Divine General¡­ have the same name! Shu Jing even purposely caused trouble for me because of this.¡± Yan Qing knitted his brows slightly. ¡°She put you in a difficult spot?¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled up as she blinked at him, smiled, and said, ¡°How is that possible? Am I so easily bullied? She told you to change your name, but I rejected it!¡± Speaking of this, she instantly forgot all the awkwardness from before as she stretched her hand out and lightly tapped Yan Qing¡¯s shoulders. She looked up slightly in delight and said, ¡°I said that the Left Divine General has a distinguished status and won¡¯t mind such petty matters. Then¡­ she didn¡¯t say anything! Even if the Left Divine General really finds out about this matter, he can¡¯t do anything to us, right?¡± Yan Qing looked down at her. She smiled beautifully like a flower, with small hints of delight and excitement in her charming eyes. Probably because she just came back from the medicinal mountain, but she had a light herbal fragrance on her. It was especially mesmerizing when it was mixed with her usual fragrance. His Adam¡¯s apple moved as he nodded. ¡°Mm, he wouldn¡¯t mind this.¡± Xiao Ba raised her brows slightly. ¡°I guessed that, but¡­¡± Yan Qing originally thought that she was about to leave, but she held her chin with one hand and stared at him thoughtfully. His heart skipped a beat. ¡°But Lord Yan Qing, there¡¯s something I still have to tell you.¡± Xiao Ba spoke hesitantly. ¡°About what you said earlier¡­ You shouldn¡¯t randomly tell people that.¡± Yan Qing was slightly dazed. ¡°What did I say?¡± ¡°Whatever you promised my Fifth Brother just now!¡± Xiao Ba lightly grunted. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯ve helped me quite a bit, let me remind you: even though I did ask you for your help previously, you don¡¯t have to do this in front of Fifth Brother and the rest! What if the girl you like in the future hears of it and isn¡¯t unhappy?¡± Yan Qing pressed his thin lips against each other slightly. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she be happy?¡± Xiao Ba rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because you can only say this to the person you like!¡± Yan Qing fell silent for a moment and nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡­ Yu Qian came to the yard. It was as quiet as usual. He knitted his brows slightly and said, ¡°First Deity, Shangguan Yue went to the abandoned garden today.¡± After a moment, a low and deep voice sounded. ¡°She didn¡¯t go in.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s heart turned cold slightly. Even if the First Deity never stepped out of the door, he could still easily know the situation in the entire Fantasy Divine Hall. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t compare to him on this. Everyone thought that he had taken over almost all of the power in First Deity¡¯s hands, but that was not the case. It was just that the First Deity hadn¡¯t really stepped out recently, but in actual fact¡­ he had never let go of any power. Every single blade of grass and tree, every single movement and action were under his eyes! After a slight pause, Yu Qian said, ¡°Even if she didn¡¯t go in, the abandoned garden is actually quite far from her residence, and the path in between is complicated. Logically speaking, it¡¯s not likely for her to go there.¡± ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°I suspect that someone is purposely luring her over.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Yu Qian was stumped. Actually, it was just his guess, and it wasn¡¯t backed up by any evidence. At that moment, he could not casually pinpoint a person. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°Go and investigate then.¡± The First Deity¡¯s tone seemed to become colder. ¡°Come and report if you can find it. If you can¡¯t, shut up. Yu Qian, do you still need me to teach you the rules of the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Yu Qian was suddenly shocked and hurriedly said, ¡°Yes!¡± He clenched his teeth and could not help but say, ¡°Actually I just¡­ feel that Shangguan Yue is problematic. First Deity, when exactly do you plan to retrieve the music score?¡± Chapter 2379 - 2379 Fearful 2379 Fearful Chu Liuyue has no bloodline totem. How exactly did she enter? Yu Qian thought about it for a long time when he went back and felt that there was only one possibility for this: the music score. He knew that the first two music scores were in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and had acknowledged her as their owner. It was most convenient to leave her in the Fantasy Divine Hall if they wanted to snatch the music scores back. After all, they couldn¡¯t be snatched forcefully and could only be retrieved in other ways. Hence, Yu Qian confirmed that this was what the First Deity was thinking. However, he didn¡¯t know what method the latter planned to use and when he wanted to take action. After a moment, a cold voice sounded. ¡°Yu Qian, you¡¯ve crossed the line.¡± Yu Qian was taken aback. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± ¡°The right to the music score is with the Divine Master, not you. Even I am just temporarily in charge of this matter. Everything goes according to what the Divine Master wants, and yet you asked¡­ Yu Qian, why don¡¯t I give you the position as the First Deity?¡± Yu Qian¡¯s heart sank as he immediately lifted up his clothes and kneeled on the ground. ¡°I never had such an intention! First Deity, please investigate!¡± He looked down, and his entire body was tense. Sweat dripped down from his forehead, and his back was already drenched in cold sweat. First Deity rarely said such words. It could be said that he was really angry! After Yu Qian recovered his senses, he later realized that his previous sentence was very stupid! He wasn¡¯t in charge of this Fantasy Divine Hall! There was still the Divine Master and the First Deity below him! Such a scenario was definitely not something the two of them wanted to see. How could he question it? But for a very long time, every small and big matter in the Fantasy Divine Hall was given to him to handle. Thus, he had the illusion and thought that he had the right to say such words. The person inside did not reply. The yard seemed to regain its initial silence, but Yu Qian didn¡¯t dare to stand up and continued kneeling. He closed his eyes and felt regret and frustration. I shouldn¡¯t have asked about Chu Liuyue! ¡­ ¡°Second Deity is kneeling in front of the First Deity¡¯s door?¡± Hearing Su Li¡¯s words, Chu Liuyue retracted her eyes from the medical book in her hands and was rather shocked. ¡°Yeah! I heard that he has been kneeling for a day, from yesterday till now. When I came, I glanced at him from afar, and he had yet to stand up.¡± Su Li nodded and was emotional. ¡°I never expected that the high and mighty Second Deity would have such a day.¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment, smiled, and said, ¡°After all, he is the Second Deity and not the First Deity.¡± Even though the person above didn¡¯t really reveal himself, his status and identity were still higher. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I just wonder what mistake Second Deity made to have such a punishment.¡± Su Li held her chin with one hand and was confused. ¡°This kneel will humiliate the Second Deity.¡± If the First Deity had any considerations, he would not do this. This meant that Yu Qian had really offended him. ¡°Everyone in the entire Fantasy Divine Hall knows about this now. Everyone is talking about it in private!¡± Even though there weren¡¯t many people here, the incident caused a huge commotion, and everyone was taken aback. ¡°However, this news most likely won¡¯t spread outside. What a pity.¡± Su Li sighed regretfully. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s the Second Deity after all.¡± If word got out to the people outside, Yu Qian would be utterly humiliated. The authority and power he built for himself the past few years would all crumble. ¡°It seems like the First Deity just wants to teach him a lesson.¡± Su Li agreed with that very much. ¡°I think so too, but¡­ I just don¡¯t understand why the First Deity suddenly took action now?¡± Didn¡¯t he not intervene for a very long time? Chu Liuyue paused for a moment. ¡°Perhaps¡­ this First Deity is about to surface soon.¡± There was still half a year until the Heaven Gate closed. The First Deity seemed like he was planning to slowly retract his authority. Su Li smiled slightly. ¡°We can¡¯t say much about the rest, but I feel that the relationship between the deities aren¡¯t so good.¡± Her gaze turned and landed on the medical book in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, I¡¯ve been seeing you read this medical book the past two days when I came. Have you already broken through to become a Supreme Physician?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and replied, ¡°There are still Medical Saints above Supreme Physicians.¡± Su Li gasped and looked at her in shock. ¡°You plan to break through to become a Medical Saint? However, that should be quite hard. I heard that until now, Eighth Deity is the only Medical Saint in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± One could just imagine the level of difficulty! ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you already enter the Fantasy Divine Hall? Why did you suddenly recall this?¡± All the other heavenly doctors wanted to break through to become a Medical Saint to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall, but Chu Liuyue clearly did not need to do so. ¡°Medical Saints have their own advantages,¡± said Chu Liuyue. Su Li gazed at her calmly and sighed after a while. This path is definitely hard, but Chu Liuyue clearly plans to continue walking it. If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t think too much and focus on cultivation until the deadline in half a year. However, she isn¡¯t. Chu Liuyue clearly has her own considerations for doing so. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made up your mind, I won¡¯t convince you further.¡± Speaking of which, Chu Liuyue¡¯s medical book was borrowed from Zhen Bao Pavilion. Actually, there was only one reason why she wanted to break through to become a Medical Saint: Big Baby. Ever since she found out Big Baby¡¯s identity, she had been feeling very complicated. She had long expected that Big Baby had some intricate connection to Fantasy Divine Palace, but she did not expect it to be so shocking. Xiao Ran¡¯s words that day kept replaying in her mind. Purple-Gold Divine Armor¡­ Shocking battle¡­ Big Baby¡¯s original Holy Body must¡¯ve been incredible. It¡¯s a pity that to save me, he forcefully nourished his Holy Body and is stuck living as a child. Chu Liuyue thought that perhaps she could find a way to help Big Baby solve this after she broke through to become a Medical Saint. However, it was a pity that she still didn¡¯t find a method even after flipping through so many medical books. The scale that Big Baby left behind did not move either. Chu Liuyue looked up outside the door. Is Big Baby¡­ afraid of the Divine Master? ¡­ Chapter 2380 - 2380 You Really Know! 2380 You Really Know! Yu Qian kneeled for a total of three days and nights in front of the First Deity¡¯s door. This kneel almost shocked the entire Fantasy Divine Hall. Privately, quite a few people were talking about this. First Deity seemed to want to come out in a high profile manner, but after the matter passed, the First Deity still stayed in his residence and did not come out. This caused many people to be confused, but nobody dared to go forward and ask. What a joke. Second Deity had already been punished to that state. If other people rushed over now, would it not be causing trouble for themselves? Hence, in comparison, the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s atmosphere became peculiar. Fewer people came out to walk. Chu Liuyue also stayed in her residence alone for some time. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because she was afraid of that First Deity¡ªshe was purely busy. In the Red Moon Desert previously, Big Baby had let her see many formulas, and many of them were Senior Physician or Supreme Physician-level pills. Even though she wasn¡¯t too sure when she was learning them, she still learned quite a bit slowly. This allowed her to successfully break through to become a Senior Physician and then a Supreme Physician. However, Big Baby didn¡¯t give her formulas for pills above the Supreme Physician level. Hence, she had to think of other ways if she wanted to continue breaking through. Luckily, she had quite a few herbs, and they were enough for her to try repeatedly. Su Li knew that she was busy, so she didn¡¯t come again for it to be convenient for her to cultivate. ¡­ On the Star Path, the Xuan formation in front of Xiao Ran was almost complete and had a few more strokes left to go. At this point, his face was pale, and there were small beads of sweat on his forehead. Even his hand was trembling slightly, so one could see his limit. Only that pair of eyes were burning with indestructible willpower! After being stuck on this Xuan formation for so many years, he finally saw hope now, so he would never give up! The surrounding crowd also watched on nervously with bated breath. If Xiao Ran also succeeded, then he would be the second person to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall after Chu Liuyue! At that time, they would definitely be envious and jealous of him. The most important thing was that he could give great encouragement to the other Xuan Masters. If one succeeded, it might be by chance. But if two succeeded, it proved that other people could also use this method! Hence, everyone was very concerned about Xiao Ran¡¯s success. Nobody noticed that someone was calmly looking over behind the crowd. When Lu Feng came over, this was the scene he saw. Qi Han was holding a sword and standing beside the Star Path, looking forward. Lu Feng walked over and placed a hand on Qi Han¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re watching this again?¡± These few days, Qi Han would come over when he had the time; he was used to this. Lu Feng was just looking for Qi Han when he disappeared. He knew that the latter was definitely here. Qi Han did not speak. Lu Feng followed his gaze and stroked his chin. ¡°There¡¯s nothing interesting here. What exactly are you looking at? If you¡¯re really interested, why don¡¯t you try? But you¡¯re not a Xuan Master, so I¡¯m afraid this is a little troublesome¡­¡± Qi Han suddenly said, ¡°I am.¡± Lu Feng was confused. ¡°What did you say?¡± Qi Han glanced at him. ¡°I started learning ever since I left Tianling.¡± Lu Feng was flabbergasted. ¡°No, how can you learn this just because you said so? I recall that you didn¡¯t have such talents previously.¡± It seems like it started after Master¡¯s incident back then. However, this is the Xuan Master path¡ªone needs talent! How could one train for it like warriors just because they wish to? Qi Han said, ¡°I also discovered this back then.¡± Lu Feng took a deep breath in and forced himself to accept reality. Then, he refused to give up and asked, ¡°So¡­ what standard are you now? King Xuan Master?¡± These were perfunctory words. It was also very hard for an extremely talented Xuan Master to break through to become a King Xuan Master in such a short few years. Qi Han shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Lu Feng chuckled. ¡°Hey, I knew it! It¡¯s okay! Don¡¯t give up! Even if you¡¯re not now, in the future, you¡ª¡± ¡°He made the wrong step,¡± said Qi Han suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Feng was dazed and followed Qi Han¡¯s line of sight. ¡°You¡¯re not talking about Senior Xiao Ran, right?¡± Isn¡¯t he progressing fine? ¡°I heard that Senior Xiao Ran understood it after he watched Master finish the Star Path. Since Master succeeded, then¡­ Senior Xiao Ran shouldn¡¯t be far, right?¡± Why can¡¯t I tell that he did something wrong? ¡°He changed it,¡± said Qi Han. ¡°The reason why he took so long was that he also ran into similar problems before.¡± Xiao Ran did understand it, but it wasn¡¯t so simple to set it up. In actual fact, him reaching this step was because he accumulated experience in the past few years. If it were someone else, they would not be able to reach this step. Lu Feng stared at that Xuan formation in conflict. ¡°Qi Han, why do you seem like you really know¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s about to be complete.¡± The moment Qi Han said that, Xiao Ran drew the last stroke. Whir! Whirring sounds were heard. Instantly, bright lights flooded the area! The entire Star Path lit up once again! Xiao Ran successfully solved the last Xuan formation! Fifth Deity was already waiting by the side. When he saw this, he nodded slightly. Different from Chu Liuyue, Xiao Ran was experienced in Fantasy Divine Palace but was stuck on the last Xuan formation. Thus, he could not enter the Fantasy Divine Hall for a long time. Now that they saw him succeed, many people were actually quite optimistic and happy. Even though he took more time than Chu Liuyue, he still succeeded in the end! ¡°Congratulations, Xiao Ran.¡± Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s gaze was much warmer. Xiao Ran laughed out loud. ¡°Thank you, Fifth Deity!¡± Ruan Jianfeng took a step back. Xiao Ran flicked his clothes, heaved a long sigh of relief, and looked at the door calmly. He had thought of this day for too long and wanted it for too long, but he couldn¡¯t turn it into reality. Later on, he actually didn¡¯t even know what he was persisting for. He once thought that if he didn¡¯t succeed, he would also silently fall to his demise not long later. He did not expect¡­ ¡°I have to go in and thank Little Yue¡¯er properly!¡± exclaimed Xiao Ran. When Ruan Jianfeng heard this, he was rather displeased but didn¡¯t say much. After all, Chu Liuyue was right inside the Fantasy Divine Hall. Xiao Ran stretched out his hand and placed it on the door. Then¡­ he pushed it forcefully! Unlike Chu Liuyue, he opened the door with almost no resistance! At this point, countless gazes landed on him. However, Lu Feng stiffly turned his neck and looked at Qi Han. ¡°Y-you actually know?!¡± Seeing Xiao Ran¡¯s figure enter the Fantasy Divine Hall and that the door was tightly shut once again, Qi Han turned around to leave. Lu Feng was dazed. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?! You haven¡¯t answered my question!¡± Qi Han did not even turn around as he lightly said, ¡°To the Star Path.¡± Chapter 2381 - 2381 Reluctant 2381 Reluctant Lu Feng¡¯s entire person was dazed. ¡°W-what did you say?!¡± To the Star Path? Him? Now? Qi Han ignored him and walked to the Heaven Gate. If he wanted to go on the Star Path, he had to start from the beginning. ¡°Hey¡ªno, hold up! Are you really going to the Star Path?¡± Lu Feng hurriedly followed him. What exactly is Qi Han thinking? Could it be that he saw Master and Xiao Ran succeed, so he plans to give it a try? If it were before, Lu Feng might not take this matter to heart. But after experiencing what happened just now, he faintly realized that Qi Han was stronger than he had expected. Besides, Qi Han was not the type to joke about such matters. Lu Feng followed Qi Han, asking as he walked, ¡°Qi Han, how confident are you now?¡± ¡°Why do you seem more familiar with Senior Xiao Ran¡¯s Xuan formation than himself?¡± ¡°Hey, say something! Did you secretly cultivate behind my back¡ª¡± When Qi Han heard this, he finally opened his precious mouth. ¡°Do I need to cultivate behind your back?¡± Lu Feng was speechless. That¡¯s true, but why does this feeling seem weird? He said with jealousy, ¡°We clearly broke through to become legendary warriors together. Now, you actually want to go on the Star Path¡­¡± He had a feeling that he was being cheated! Qi Han could not be bothered to care about him. Lu Feng was the same age as him, and they hung out with each other, so they were more carefree. When they walked to the Heaven Gate, they realized that there was another familiar person¡ªWu Yao. He stood there with crossed arms and was in deep thought. ¡°Fifth Brother,¡± called Lu Feng. Wu Yao turned around. ¡°Hey, why are you guys here?¡± Lu Feng spread his hands helplessly. ¡°Qi Han said he wanted to take the Star Path.¡± Wu Yao glanced at Qi Han strangely and nodded. ¡°Okay, remember to ensure your safety.¡± Qi Han: ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Feng was flabbergasted. What kind of situation is this? Can they place more emphasis on the Star Path? ¡°Fifth Brother, did you come for the Star Path as well?¡± asked Lu Feng rather weakly. Wu Yao shook his head. ¡°Why would I? I came to see the Heaven Gate!¡± Lu Feng was speechless. Nice, I knew I shouldn¡¯t have asked. What¡¯s there to see about the Heaven Gate? Even the Eleventh Deity, the one in charge of the Heaven Gate, isn¡¯t so meticulous, right? Lu Feng felt that he should find something to do. If not, he seemed very useless and free. Just when he was considering this, Qi Han had already stepped onto the Star Path. Whir! A ray of silver light instantly lit up below his feet¡ªfirst King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation solved! Lu Feng looked horrified. ¡°D-didn¡¯t you just say that you¡¯re not a King Xuan Master?¡± Qi Han walked forward expressionlessly. ¡°I¡¯m indeed not a King Xuan Master. I¡¯m a Great King Xuan Master.¡± ¡­ Inside the room, a cauldron was in the middle as a fire burned quietly. An intense herbal fragrance gradually exuded from within. At some moment, Jian Fengchi finally let go and patted the cauldron. ¡°Condense!¡± Bam! He saw the pills instantly rush out of the fire! Jian Fengchi was long prepared as he picked up the jade box from the side and put away all those pills. Kada. The box instantly slammed shut. Jian Fengchi glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Whoo¡­ Finally done handling it.¡± These were the pills he promised to Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er. He walked over, retracted the cauldron, and saw a scorch mark on the ground. He could not help but sigh. He accidentally left this mark when he previously tried to break through to become a Supreme Physician. At that point, how could he expect that his days after breaking through to become a Supreme Physician would be like this? Jian Fengchi silently pitied himself. In this day and age, how is it easy to chase a lady? He held the jade box in his hands and planned to walk out. The moment he placed his hand on the door, he instinctively felt that something was amiss and immediately moved his feet! Bam! Mu Hongyu fell from the air, and her head bumped into something. Hm, why doesn¡¯t it seem to hurt? She was dazed for a moment and smelled a faint herbal fragrance. A low chuckle came from above her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything this time. You came over yourself.¡± Mu Hongyu immediately looked up. ¡°Jian Fengchi? Why is it you again?¡± Jian Fengchi was very innocent. ¡°This is my room.¡± Mu Hongyu looked left and right and realized that this was indeed his territory. At this point, he was standing in front of her with his back against the wall. He held his hands up high, and one hand was on a jade box. I seem¡­ to have actually run over myself? Mu Hongyu coughed awkwardly and immediately took two steps back. Jian Fengchi then saw the bloodstains spreading on her shoulders. His expression changed. ¡°What¡¯s with your injury?¡± Mu Hongyu tidied her shoulders and said in a blur, ¡°Nothing much. I just suffered some small injury.¡± How could it be nothing much? Jian Fengchi knew that she was recently trying to break through to enter the Great Advanced Realm. She had to continuously travel through different spaces, and she did get injured here and there. However, those were small bumps and knocks at best¡ªnone of them had blood. And this time, the situation was clearly different. Mu Hongyu averted her gaze guiltily. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing¡­ I still have something on. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, she turned to leave. Jian Fengchi walked forward and blocked her path. ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± He had always been carefree, and there was alway a hint of smile on his lips. This was the first time he had such an attitude. Hesitation flashed across Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes. Jian Fengchi raised his sharp brows lightly. ¡°You don¡¯t want to say it? Then, I¡¯ll ask Liuyue.¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly held his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart tingled, but seeing that the blood on her shoulders was still spreading, his face turned colder. Without saying anything, he held Mu Hongyu¡¯s wrist and inspected her body. After confirming that she had no internal wounds and just had superficial ones, his expression relaxed. But with Mu Hongyu¡¯s body, it was clearly not easy to leave such a wound on her body. He passed her a jade bottle. ¡°Are you going to do it, or do you want me to help you?¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly took it. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± Jian Fengchi lowered his head to look at her and suddenly laughed lightly. ¡°With that agreement, you have to listen even if I insist on helping you.¡± Mu Hongyu glared at him. ¡°What, do you want to force your way?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips curled up into a sinister smile as he lowered his body slightly and softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t bear to.¡± The two of them were extremely close to each other. When he spoke, his warmth landed lightly. She could smell his breath. Just as she was about to speak, she saw his pair of bright peach blossom eyes glowing with a faint light. He was serious for once. Her face flushed slightly, and she swallowed her remaining words. She lowered her head and muttered, ¡°What are you saying?¡± Jian Fengchi raised his brows. Mu Hongyu waved at him. ¡°I want to change my medicine. You should go out first.¡± Chapter 2382 - 2382 Deserted Garden 2382 Deserted Garden Jian Fengchi raised his hands to cover his eyes. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t look.¡± Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t really believe him and stared at him suspiciously. The corner of Jian Fengchi¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only look if you allow me to.¡± Mu Hongyu grunted lightly, turned around, and removed the clothes on her shoulders to apply the medicine. Jian Fengchi really waited at the side. When Mu Hongyu was done handling the wound, she said, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Jian Fengchi then put his hand down, and his gaze swept across her shoulders. He said, ¡°You can say it now, right?¡± Mu Hongyu paused and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. I just planned to directly enter the Fantasy Divine Sea to try, but I didn¡¯t succeed and was squeezed out by the turbulence. It¡¯s just like that.¡± Jian Fengchi knitted his brows slightly. ¡°It¡¯s too risky to do that when you haven¡¯t broken through to the Great Advanced Realm.¡± Mu Hongyu shrunk her neck. ¡°I was just trying¡­ However, I did gain something¡ªat least I know that I should avoid that area next time.¡± Jian Fengchi stared at her with a meticulous gaze. ¡°No, with your current skills, you wouldn¡¯t have such an injury. You¡­¡± ¡°Ahem, I left in a hurry and wasn¡¯t paying attention, so I ended up like this.¡± Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t expect him to have such an understanding of the matter, so she could only admit it honestly. Jian Fengchi raised his brows and asked, ¡°What was the hurry?¡± Mu Hongyu spread her hands. ¡°Someone suddenly came over. How could I not be anxious? If I was any slower, I would be discovered.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m not too sure either¡­¡± Mu Hongyu bit her lips and muttered with some uncertainty, ¡°I think it was the First Deity, but it didn¡¯t really look like him¡­¡± Jian Fengchi said coldly, ¡°At this moment, other than him, who else can enter and leave the Fantasy Divine Sea as they wished?¡± They could basically confirm that it was the First Deity. Mu Hongyu shook her head. ¡°But that person seemed rather familiar¡­ as if I had seen him somewhere before. However, I ran too quickly, so I didn¡¯t have the time to think of this.¡± ¡°Familiar? I heard that the First Deity rarely comes out of the Fantasy Divine Hall. It¡¯s hard for the deities to even see him. Why would you find him familiar?¡± Jian Fengchi was very confused. Mu Hongyu paused for a moment and sighed. ¡°Sigh, if only you were there, you would know why I said that. It¡¯s really¡­¡± She rubbed her temples in frustration. Jian Fengchi¡¯s heart tingled. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ you feel that it¡¯s also someone I know?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded affirmatively. ¡°Right!¡± ¡­ During this time, Xiao Ran succeeded in entering the Fantasy Divine Hall. He specifically asked Ruan Jianfeng about Chu Liuyue¡¯s residence and walked over. When he arrived at the place, Chu Liuyue was picking herbs in the yard. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er!¡± Xiao Ran happily waved toward Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue looked up and saw that it was indeed him. She instantly smiled. ¡°Congratulations, Senior Xiao Ran.¡± She didn¡¯t look shocked, clearly expecting Xiao Ran to come in. As she spoke, she walked over to open the door. Xiao Ran laughed out loud. ¡°I came here to specifically thank you! If it weren¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t know how long I would have to wait before I could solve the last Xuan formation!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes curved up as she invited Xiao Ran to sit. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Actually, this is mainly because of yourself. If not, why are you the only one who can enter in the end when there was so many people watching me?¡± Xiao Ran just needed a bit of inspiration, and she was coincidentally there to fill the gap. Originally, walking the Star Path and entering the Fantasy Divine Hall was her most initial plan. It was purely an accident that she could help Xiao Ran, so she didn¡¯t want to take credit for this. However, Xiao Ran was still very grateful toward her as he smiled and said, ¡°No matter what, I owe you a favor.¡± Seeing him insist, Chu Liuyue smiled with pressed lips and did not reject him. Seeing all sorts of herbs placed in the yard, Xiao Ran curiously asked, ¡°Are you refining pills?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°An all-rounder is indeed different from me¡­¡± Xiao Ran felt overwhelmed. The moment she stepped into the Fantasy Divine Hall, she started refining pills. The key is: She is already a Supreme Physician¡­ People really can¡¯t be compared. ¡°I¡¯m just producing it for fun.¡± Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°My Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er like these things very much, so I wanted to prepare these as snacks for them.¡± Xiao Ran was speechless. There was too much information in that one sentence, and he did not know how to continue. After a moment, he said sincerely, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re already strong on your own, but your subordinates aren¡¯t weak either¡­¡± Even though they were the same as Chu Liuyue and didn¡¯t have bloodline totems, their current situations were much better than the rest. It was really stunning. ¡°Perhaps they can come in as well after some time!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and did not speak. The Thirteen Yue Guards all have their own abilities. Whether they can come in or not all depends on them. After handling the last few herbs, Chu Liuyue seemed to unwittingly ask, ¡°Oh right, Senior Xiao Ran, there are many forbidden areas in this Fantasy Divine Hall. You must be more careful. Don¡¯t be like me¡ªI almost barged in.¡± Xiao Ran said, ¡°Of course, I know¡ªwhat, did you say you almost barged in? Where are you talking about?¡± He spoke halfway and suddenly reacted, and he hurriedly asked. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly as she smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m fine. After I went in, I was stopped by Second Deity. Luckily, Second Deity was magnanimous and didn¡¯t punish me.¡± Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good¡­ You can¡¯t trespass into the forbidden places of Fantasy Divine Hall. Second Deity should¡¯ve considered that you just came to the Fantasy Divine Hall, so he didn¡¯t pursue the matter. However, the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s forbidden grounds are harder to get close to. Logically speaking, you can¡¯t casually reach there. Where did you go?¡± Chu Liuyue lightly laughed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where that is either, but I saw a peach blossom fly out when I stood outside the wall¡ª¡± Xiao Ran was shocked and suddenly stood up as he stared at her disbelief. ¡°Deserted garden?! You actually went there?!¡± It was the first time Chu Liuyue saw Xiao Ran have such a big reaction. She couldn¡¯t help but pause and slowly ask, ¡°¡­Deserted garden? Where¡¯s that?¡± Chapter 2383 - 2383 Another One 2383 Another One Xiao Ran¡¯s expression was extremely complicated. After a long time, he said, ¡°That¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s territory. For the past tens of thousands of years, nobody has gotten close to it. Don¡¯t go there again in the future.¡± ¡°Emperor?¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Logically speaking, everything here should be under that Divine Master¡¯s control. ¡°That¡¯s right, but after that great battle 10,000 years ago, the Emperor personally took over the deserted garden. I heard that even the deities don¡¯t dare to casually go in, including the First Deity.¡± The Emperor had a distinguished status, and even the Divine Master had to respect and fear him. If he wanted to occupy an area and not let anyone enter, it was not something hard. Except¡­ This incident was rather odd on its own. Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Emperor didn¡¯t intervene in the big battle back then? Why¡­¡± Xiao Ran shook his head. ¡°There are a lot of secrets hidden within, and I¡¯m not too sure either, but such a thing¡­ The less you know, the better. Little Yue¡¯er, listen to my advice. In the future, don¡¯t go there again, and don¡¯t ask around about anything relevant.¡± That wasn¡¯t something they could know. Chu Liuyue was hesitant with her words. Seeing that Xiao Ran¡¯s expression was insistent, she nodded. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Senior Xiao Ran. I understand.¡± ¡­ It was silent within the hall. Suddenly, the air vibrated, and a figure walked out from within¡ªit was Rong Xiu. He came before the desk and knocked on it thrice. Yu Mo, who was standing guard outside the whole time, heard this and instantly heaved a sigh of relief. Master is finally back! He turned around and pushed the door to enter. ¡°Master.¡± Yu Mo bowed respectfully. ¡°Master, Qi Han has already gone to the Star Path.¡± ¡°I know.¡± As Rong Xiu spoke, he flicked his wrist. Swoosh! TThe Record of the Million Gods instantly appeared and spread out before him again! There were countless names recorded on it, but there were a few that were especially obvious here. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze swept past those few words and finally landed on a position that was burned. At that area, there seemed to be a name that was hidden by a scorch and could not be seen clearly. But compared to the previous time, this name had clearly moved forward by quite a bit. A layer of faint golden light shone. Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly. Yu Mo carefully said, ¡°Master, there¡¯s only half a year left until Heaven Gate closes. You¡­¡± ¡°Continue waiting.¡± ¡°OK.¡± ¡­ A month passed in a flash. Peng! A low sound came from the Heavenly Square Cauldron. The brightly burning fire extinguished quickly. The pill that was about to form turned into a scorched ball. A faint burnt smell permeated the area. Chu Liuyue furrowed her eyebrows slightly. Failed¡ªI still failed. Even I don¡¯t know how many times I have failed. Becoming a Medical Saint¡­ is indeed hard. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er!¡± Su Li¡¯s voice came from the outside with a few hints of excitement and agitation. Chu Liuyue put away the Heavenly Square Cauldron and walked outside. ¡°Mr. Su? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Li quickly walked over. She was about to speak when she suddenly smelled the faint burnt smell wafting out of the room. ¡°You¡¯re still producing pills?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded, helplessly smiled, and said, ¡°And I failed again.¡± Su Li comforted, ¡°You just broke through to become a Supreme Physician not too long ago. How can you break through to become a Medical Saint so quickly? If it were so easy, I think the many heavenly doctors outside don¡¯t even need to live anymore.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know this.¡± Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t someone who was anxious to succeed, and she knew very clearly how difficult it was to pass this threshold. Hence, even though she had been failing the whole time, her mentality was rather stable. ¡°What happened today? Why is Mr. Su so happy?¡± Speaking of this, Su Li was rather shocked. ¡°You still don¡¯t know? That¡¯s true, you¡¯ve been busy producing pills lately and don¡¯t have much time and effort to care about other matters.¡± Seeing that her eyes contained unconcealable happiness and excitement, Chu Liuyue smiled as well. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Su Li took a deep breath in and calmed herself down. ¡°Qi Han! Qi Han is walking the Star Path!¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. She really did not know about this. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, do you know where he has progressed until?¡± Seeing Su Li¡¯s expression, Chu Liuyue guessed, ¡°¡­He finished the King Xuan Master-level Xuan formations?¡± Su Li shook her head and said carefully, ¡°He¡¯s reached the Grandmaster-level area! He just solved the last Great King Xuan Master-level Xuan formation!¡± Chu Liuyue was genuinely stunned. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! Everyone knows about this now, except you!¡± Qi Han was Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinate. Just his identity alone was enough to attract attention when he went to the Star Path. Yet, Qi Han excelled! No, the word ¡®excel¡¯ could no longer describe it. He was shockingly outstanding! ¡°His speed only pales a little in comparison to yours back then!¡± Su Li was very emotional. ¡°Now, many people are betting if he will continue!¡± If he continued, he would be a Grandmaster Xuan Master! Once she said that, a sound came from afar. Swoosh! Brilliant lights shot to the sky and quickly formed a complicated Xuan formation in midair. Chu Liuyue and Su Li looked over in unison¡ªGrandmaster-level Xuan formation! The yard fell into temporary silence. After a while, Su Li finally couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°He actually¡­ succeeded!¡± How long has it been? She looked at Chu Liuyue and could not conceal her shock. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, your subordinates¡­ are all so amazing?¡± Chu Liuyue was also filled with shock now. Actually, Qi Han didn¡¯t reveal his talent as a Xuan Master previously, and she only found out when Cen Yi unwittingly brought it up. He said that Qi Han seemed to be interested in Xuan formations, so he borrowed some drawings from her. That was how she knew. Even so, she did not take this incident to heart. Who knew he had already become a Grandmaster today!? ¡­ At this time, the crowd spectating on both sides of the Star Path were also stunned by Qi Han¡¯s actions. After Xiao Ran entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, they all went back on their own. Who knew that they heard Qi Han walking the Star Path not long later and did it smoothly without obstacles? Then, some people came back to watch. They watched to the point Qi Han was a step away from being a Grandmaster Xuan Master, which caused everyone to be taken aback. Lu Feng stood at the side and saw the Xuan formation above Qi Han¡¯s head. The corner of his lips harshly twitched. Then, he looked at Qi Han and said with clenched teeth, ¡°Qi Han, didn¡¯t you previously say that you¡¯re a Great King Xuan Master!?¡± What¡¯s with this Grandmaster-level Xuan formation!? Qi Han still had a nonchalant expression and said, ¡°I just broke through as well, so it¡¯s not considered that I lied to you.¡± Lu Feng was flabbergasted. Listen, is that what humans say?! Quite a few people gasped. Then, someone softly said, ¡°Why does this Qi Han seem to be the same as his master¡­¡± Chu Liuyue also said that back then! At that time, countless people were impacted by her words and couldn¡¯t make a comeback. They did not expect there to be a Qi Han behind her! Chapter 2384 - 2384 I Saw this Pattern Before 2384 I Saw this Pattern Before Originally, they thought that one Chu Liuyue was enough for them to envy and be jealous of. In the end, even her subordinates were so heaven-defying! They couldn¡¯t spend these days! Even Lu Feng couldn¡¯t help but have the corner of his lips twitch as he wanted to slap himself. Who told you to talk!? Who told you to ask!? He hsd already nonchalantly broken through to become a Grandmaster Xuan Master. What about me? Lu Feng was depressed. Isn¡¯t it fun when everyone is a legendary warrior? In the end, Qi Han turned around and became a Grandmaster Xuan Master. What should I feel? Lu Feng wanted to leave right away, but after some thinking, he still clenched his teeth and stayed behind. He had no choice¡ªhe was also very curious as to whether Qi Han could succeed. Qi Han retracted his gaze and ignored all sorts of discussions and gazes in the surroundings as he continued forward. ¡­ On the other end, Xiao Ba was leisurely walking in the medicinal mountain. Hearing the commotion, she looked over, and her red lips curled up at a playful angle. ¡°Seventh Brother really has some skills up his sleeves¡­¡± He actually became a Grandmaster Xuan Master in the blink of an eye. If Seventh Brother can really finish the Star Path, won¡¯t he be able to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall? One had to know that nobody among the Thirteen Yue Guards had gone in. Thinking of this, Xiao Ba hastened her pace. Even though she was lazy, she was sensitive to such matters. ¡°Hm? Why is there so little fuyu grass?¡± Xiao Ba knitted her brows slightly. Even though this item was not rare, as many supreme medical physician level pills needed it, it was also considered precious. She did not expect so little to be left here¡­ Seeing the tiny fuyu grass that was not even an inch long, Xiao Ba shrugged her shoulders. With this bit, I definitely can¡¯t take it away. Besides, it isn¡¯t mature enough. She stroked her chin, and her eyes suddenly lit up. Oh right, when I came with Jian Fengchi the previous time, there seemed to be a huge patch of fuyu grass in the short mountain behind. Perhaps I can go there to get some. Thinking of this, Xiao Ba immediately went to the side. ¡­ Xiao Ba was very fast. In less than an hour, she reached there again. Her body was agile, and she was like a butterfly that cut through the forest. Now that she had experience, she stood at a place first and took a few looks in front. ¡°Hm, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone today¡­¡± For some reason, Shu Jing had been coming to the medicinal mountain less nowadays. Xiao Ba was happy not to see her and spent the past few days relaxingly. After all, one wouldn¡¯t be in a good mood if they met a person who always wanted to target them. After confirming that Shu Jing wasn¡¯t around and that some trouble would be saved, Xiao Ba was happier as she walked forward. Suddenly, a restrictive force attacked and stopped her. ¡°Hm?¡± Xiao Ba stopped and saw that a faint green barrier was slowly appearing not far away from her. That was the one that appeared before. The suppression Xiao Ba previously felt also came from here. It was past noon now, and the sun brightly shone as the lake water reflected the light. The wind blew past, and the large patches of lush greenery swayed with the wind. There were lines of patterns on the faint green barrier, which appeared faintly. At first glance, it was very iridescent and beautiful. ¡°Hm? This barrier¡­¡± Xiao Ba was elated as she instinctively reached out and touched that barrier. Buzz¡ª A tiny whirring sound came but very quickly disappeared into the wind. Xiao Ba widened her pretty eyes slightly. That was because¡­ other than the initial resistance, her hand had successfully passed the barrier! Her hand¡ªas thin as an onion¡ªsilently passed through the light-green barrier as if she were reaching her hand into emerald water. Clear, transparent, and cool. She blinked and waved her palm lightly. The broken shards of light that vaguely appeared on the barrier seemed to sway in a captivating manner. Xiao Ba was surprised. Why didn¡¯t I realize previously that this barrier was so¡­ so¡­ She thought for a while and realized that she couldn¡¯t think of a suitable phrase to describe this feeling. Everything that happened the previous time here was still fresh in her mind. She recalled clearly that this barrier was not Shu Jing¡¯s, and she had no control over it at all. At that time, Xiao Ba just found this incident laughable, but she didn¡¯t expect the barrier to be so friendly to her now. Xiao Ba¡¯s thought flashed across as she stretched out both hands and separated the barrier from the middle. The barrier was like water that quietly flowed toward both sides. An opening appeared before Xiao Ba. Xiao Ba was beyond shocked. She took half a step back, retracted her hand, and lightly covered her mouth. The barrier before her recovered its initial appearance in the blink of an eye, as if everything that just happened was an illusion. However, that clearly was not one. Xiao Ba hesitated on the spot for a moment and finally opened the barrier again to walk in. Then, she turned around to see the barrier close again and quickly disappear without a trace. However, Xiao Ba knew that the barrier was still here. She recalled the patterns she saw on it previously, and doubts quickly flashed across her eyes. Those patterns seem¡­ rather familiar¡­ She thought for a while and temporarily suppressed her thoughts as she walked to the lake and found the fuyu grass. She plucked quite a few before she turned around to leave. ¡­ After Xiao Ba returned to the residence, she coincidentally saw Cen Yi. Cen Yi stood in the yard with one hand behind his back as he gazed far away at the Star Path. He seemed to be looking at Qi Han. ¡°Big Brother.¡± Hearing the voice, Cen Yi turned around. Xiao Ba walked over and stood beside him. She followed his line of sight and glanced over. ¡°Big Brother, you basically can¡¯t see anything by standing here. If you really care about Seventh Brother¡¯s situation, isn¡¯t it better if you directly go to the Star Path to take a look?¡± Cen Yi said indifferently, ¡°No need.¡± Xiao Ba thought for a moment and tentatively asked, ¡°Big Brother, you mean¡­ you¡¯re sure that Seventh Brother can definitely succeed?¡± Cen Yi didn¡¯t speak, but the meaning was pretty obvious. Xiao Ba was instantly disappointed. ¡°Oh, then I can¡¯t be the first person to follow Master into the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Big Brother was very accurate in predictions and was never wrong. If he felt that Qi Han could do it, there would never be a second option. Cen Yi glanced at her. ¡°If you want to go in, you have to break through to become a Medical Saint first. That day is still far away.¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Big Brother, you don¡¯t have to say some words so directly¡­ Oh right! Big Brother, you went to the medicinal mountain previously, right?¡± Cen Yi¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just saw a barrier on the medicinal mountain today, and the patterns on it¡­ seem familiar.¡± As Xiao Ba spoke, she quickly glanced at Cen Yi, wanting to see something from his face. Actually, she didn¡¯t finish her words. That was because she didn¡¯t just find the patterns on the barrier familiar. To be more accurate, she had once seen the exact same patterns with Big Brother! Chapter 2385 - 2385 Business? 2385 Business? It was a pity that Cen Yi was always very mysterious and never showed his emotions on his face. Xiao Ba was standing in front of him, but her skills were basically null¡ªshe couldn¡¯t discern anything. ¡°What about it?¡± asked Cen Yi lightly. His expression was too straightforward and direct, causing Xiao Ba to be the one that was stunned. ¡°I¡­ Nothing. I just¡­ casually asked¡ªahem.¡± Xiao Ba almost bit her tongue and secretly felt regret. What exactly was I thinking to feel that the barrier was related to Big Brother? I should think of why I could feel that barrier¡¯s existence¡­ Cen Yi quickly retracted his gaze. Xiao Ba planned to walk away,when she suddenly thought of something. Then, she leaned in and softly asked, ¡°Big Brother, if you want to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall, it won¡¯t be difficult, right?¡± If Xiao Ba had to choose the most capable and the one with the most right to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall amongst the Thirteen Yue Guards, she would choose Cen Yi without hesitation. Not only her, but the remaining people in the Thirteen Yue Guards would basically have the same thoughts. But for some reason, Cen Yi actually did not do anything until now. He didn¡¯t even leave the house many times. It was really strange. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Cen Yi slightly squinted his narrow eyes. What is coming will come. ¡­ After entering the Grandmaster-level region, Qi Han was clearly much slower. Of course, this was compared to Chu Liuyue. If one considered that he just broke through to become a Grandmaster Xuan Master, his skills were heaven-defying. After all, he didn¡¯t really stop in between and kept going forward. The Xuan formations that had trapped countless Xuan Masters seemed simple and relaxing to him. ¡­ Jin Yunlai stood on the stage and looked at the Star Path. He knitted his brows slightly, as if they were covered in a thin layer of frost. One could tell that he wasn¡¯t considered to be in a good mood now. There was already a Chu Liuyue in front, and he did not expect another Qi Han to appear. Jin Yunlai knew this Star Path too well. According to Qi Han¡¯s current performance, he could also finish completing the Star Path in no time and come to the Fantasy Divine Hall! For the past tens of thousands of years, Jin Yunlai had thought of countless methods in hopes of someone being able to do this. However, all of them failed without an exception¡ªeven Mu Yafeng, whom he had thought the most highly of. To let Mu Yafeng succeed, he even risked using some methods. However, the eventual ending made him very disappointed. He was even given a very severe punishment because of this. However, he never expected that Chu Liuyue and Xiao Ran would succeed consecutively in such a short amount of time, and there would also be a Qi Han soon. If he long knew of this, why would he choose Mu Yafeng? However, it was too late to say anything now. Additionally, the existence of Chu Liuyue and Qi Han would repeatedly remind him of the wrong choice he made back then! ¡­ Zhen Bao Pavilion. Ming Shu stood behind the counter and was doing the accounts. Fantasy Divine Palace had been very crowded in recent times, so this place was naturally quieter. However, Ming Shu didn¡¯t really mind it and instead really enjoyed the rare peace and quiet. At this point, footsteps were heard. Ming Shu didn¡¯t look up and said, ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re already closed today. Please go back!¡± A voice came from outside the door. ¡°Master Ming Shu, I¡¯m not here to buy things.¡± Hearing this voice, Ming Shu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately looked up. When he saw the incoming person¡¯s face, his eyes suddenly shrunk! ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chapter 2386 - 2386 Reject 2386 Reject It was a young man in his twenties. His appearance was average and neat at best, but decked in a gray-blue robe, his aura was outstanding. He had broad shoulders but a thin waist, and his entire body exuded a faint scholarly aura. Hearing Ming Shu¡¯s reply, he laughed. ¡°Master Ming Shu, you don¡¯t seem to welcome me?¡± Ming Shu laughed and put away the account book. Then, his lips curled up at a perfect and courteous angle. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? My Zhen Bao Pavilion will definitely welcome the Third Deity¡¯s arrival.¡± Even though he said that, he stood behind the table and did not take a step out. His eyes were cold and distant, not seeming to welcome him at all. However, Fan Yunxiao did not seem to mind. To be more accurate, he did not care. Zhen Bao Pavilion had always treated him in this manner, so he had long gotten used to it. Fan Yunxiao walked in and surveyed the surroundings. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Zhen Bao Pavilion would be so quiet one day.¡± Ming Shu was nonchalant. ¡°The Star Path is very crowded. Third Deity, why don¡¯t you go there to take a look?¡± Fan Yunxiao laughed. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I specifically came for Zhen Bao Pavilion today. May I know if Second Boss is upstairs?¡± Ming Shu frowned. ¡°Second Boss isn¡¯t feeling well and is currently recuperating. If you have anything to say, you can tell me as well. It¡¯s the same.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Fan Yunxiao nodded in understanding. Then, he asked doubtfully, ¡°I recall that Second Boss has always been in good health. Why did he come back and fall ill for so long? If I remember correctly, it has already been half a year, right? Why doesn¡¯t Second Boss seem to be getting better? If this continues, why don¡¯t I invite Eighth Deity over to take a look at him?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Ming Shu chose to reject him without thinking. Shu Jing? If she came, Second Boss would end up ill even if he was not. That person was a troublemaker, and they didn¡¯t like dealing with her. ¡°Second Boss is just tired. He just has to recuperate and isn¡¯t severely ill. Third Deity, you don¡¯t have to be so worried.¡± Ming Shu was insistent and did not compromise at all. Fan Yunxiao¡¯s expression became colder. Even a fool could tell that Ming Shu did not welcome him at all. No matter what, he was still the Third Deity. When other people saw him, they still had to be polite. Yet, he was treated coldly every time he came to Zhen Bao Pavilion. Since Ming Shu had such an attitude, Fan Yunxiao could not be bothered to talk more. He directly said, ¡°I came over to borrow something.¡± Ming Shu smiled and said, ¡°Third Deity, you have such a distinguished status. What do you not have? You want to borrow from us?¡± Fan Yunxiao ignored his tone and continued, ¡°The item I want to borrow only exists in Zhen Bao Pavilion.¡± As if thinking of something, Ming Shu squinted his eyes slightly. As expected, Fan Yunxiao directly said, ¡°I want to borrow Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s account book.¡± Ming Shu directly laughed out loud. ¡°Third Deity, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. You¡¯re in charge of Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s internal accounts. That has nothing to do with my Zhen Bao Pavilion, right?¡± He asked for the account book once he came. That was too shameless. Fan Yunxiao said, ¡°The Heaven Gate is about to close, and Fantasy Divine Hall needs to clear all the previous accounts. You and I both know that Zhen Bao Pavilion has the most complete accounts, so I came over. Master Ming Shu, it can¡¯t be that you¡¯re not willing to lend it, right?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Ming Shu laughed and patted the account book below his hand. ¡°I won¡¯t dare to not give the item you want, Third Deity. However¡­ this is not something I can decide on. I have to go up and ask Second Boss.¡± ¡°Master Ming Shu, go ahead. I¡¯ll just wait here.¡± Ming Shu glanced at him and turned to go upstairs. Fan Yunxiao stood with a hand behind his back and looked calm and certain, as if he was sure that the other party would pass the account book to him. ¡­ ¡°He wants the account book?¡± Yan Ge did not even turn around. ¡°No way!¡± What a joke. At such a time, who would want to be related to them? Burden! ¡°Tell him that he won¡¯t have to come in the future! If he insists, ask him to look for Master!¡± ¡­ Ming Shu came down in satisfaction and conveyed Yan Ge¡¯s message word for word. ¡°¡­You see, Third Deity, I don¡¯t have a choice either. Second Boss gave his command, so how can I dare to disobey him? You should just go back!¡± Fan Yunxiao¡¯s expression turned dark, but the other party directly brought up their master. He really did not dare to cause a scene. After failing, Fan Yunxiao left with a stomach filled with anger. Ming Shu grunted and went over to close the door. At this point, footsteps were heard from upstairs. Yan Ge came downstairs for once. Ming Shu hurriedly asked, ¡°Second Boss, why did you come down?¡± Yan Ge waved his hand. ¡°Now that Madam is in the Fantasy Divine Hall and all the attention is on the Star Path, it should be fine for me to come down and take a walk.¡± He was really bored to death during this period of time! Ming Shu heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s true. However, I really didn¡¯t expect Third Deity to come over and ask us for the account book.¡± Yan Ge clicked his tongue. ¡°He just wants to come and see what kind of trump cards the cultivators of Fantasy Divine Palace have. This way, on the day the Heaven Gate closes, Fantasy Divine Hall will know roughly who can actually break through and become a deity. Following that, they can make adequate preparations. All in all, they just want to know the entire situation.¡± Yuan instruments, pills, Xuan formations¡­ Zhen Bao Pavilion recorded every single transaction, and this could clearly show everything. Thus, Fantasy Divine Hall naturally wanted to take a look at it. Ming Shu nodded in understanding. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°However, this Fan Yunxiao is rather interesting. He asked for other people¡¯s items so casually¡ªhah.¡± Yan Ge originally did not really like this person. Now that such an incident happened, he was even more frustrated. ¡°If he comes again in the future, we¡¯ll just not see him!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ming Shu acknowledged the order and then asked, ¡°Then¡­ What if he insists on going upstairs?¡± After all, he was the Third Deity. If Fan Yunxiao insisted, it was not easy for them to handle him. Yan Ge rolled his eyes and chuckled. ¡°Invite him up then! I want to see if he really dares to throw his temper here!¡± Not to mention Fan Yunxiao, even the two above him might not dare to do so! The corner of Ming Shu¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Ge came to the table and sat down, stretching in relaxation. Peng! Another sound was heard. Without asking, Qi Han had definitely solved another Grandmaster-level Xuan formation. ¡°Hey¡­ listen, listen to this noise! See how crowded it is at the Star Path!¡± Yan Ge had a face filled with envy and emotions. He also wanted to go out and take a look! Ming Shu looked at his own Second Boss and pitied him for once. ¡°Second Boss, why don¡¯t you¡ª¡± Bang¡­ Dang! Before Ming Shu could finish his sentence, a figure suddenly fell from the empty air! Chapter 2387 - 2387 Explain 2387 Explain Ming Shu¡¯s voice suddenly trailed off. Yan Ge froze on the spot. Mu Hongyu rubbed her wrist. ¡°Hiss¡­ Why did I fail again this time¡ª¡± Suddenly, she widened her eyes and looked at Yan Ge in a daze. They stared at each other, and the surroundings fell into a deadly silence. Yan Ge¡¯s entire body was numb, and his mind was blank. Mu Hongyu! Why is she here? Mu Hongyu was also taken aback as she harshly rubbed her eyes¡ªhe was still here! ¡°Second Master Yan? Why are you here?!¡± asked Mu Hongyu in disbelief. Yan Ge¡¯s brain started to churn for his life. Why am I here? Why am I here!? Just as he was thinking, Mu Hongyu quickly stood up and rushed over instantly. She pulled his face with the table in between them. ¡°It¡¯s really true!¡± She gasped in shock. Yan Ge was speechless. Ming Shu: ? Yan Ge tried his best to stay calm and moved Mu Hongyu¡¯s face away. ¡°Miss Mu, you¡¯ve recognized the wrong person, right?¡± ¡°How did you know my last name is Mu?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yan Ge felt extreme regret and wanted to slap himself. I make more mistakes when I¡¯m hasty! ¡°¡­I¡¯ve previously heard of you. We gave you the Great Advanced Realm technique, right?¡± Yan Ge tried his best to make himself seem stern as he stood up, planning to leave. Mu Hongyu¡¯s gaze flickered as she loudly said, ¡°Second Boss Yan, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few years, and you seem to have become rounder.¡± Yan Ge instantly turned around in anger. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Mu Hongyu spread her hands. ¡°You¡¯ve admitted to it?¡± Yan Ge¡¯s glabella twitched. I¡¯m careless! Careless! Mu Hongyu looked at him in delight. At this point, how could he still deny it? Yan Ge took a deep breath in. ¡°¡­Follow me up.¡± Then, he gave Ming Shu a look. Ming Shu immediately understood and checked the entire shop in detail. After ensuring that nobody was around, he lightly nodded. Mu Hongyu looked at Yan Ge, then at Ming Shu, and instantly realized something. ¡°Second Boss Yan, you¡¯re¡ª¡± He is part of Zhen Bao Pavilion, and it seems like¡­ his status is even higher than Master Ming Shu! ¡°This Zhen Bao Pavilion is yours?!¡± At this moment, Mu Hongyu understood many things. No wonder, no wonder! Isn¡¯t this place called Zhen Bao Pavilion as well? ¡°Missy, please be quieter! I¡¯m not deaf yet!¡± Yan Ge begged for mercy. Originally, I just wanted to come down to take a breather. Who knew I would bump into Mu Hongyu!? If it were someone else, he might still be alert. Yet, this person was Mu Hongyu! She had already reached the Less Advanced Realm and didn¡¯t seem far from the Great Advanced Realm. It was as simple as ABC to come over silently. In the end, she coincidentally caught Yan Ge off-guard. Yan Ge felt extreme regret. If I stayed in my room properly, nothing would have happened! Previously, to avoid being discovered by Chu Liuyue, he had even specifically set up a few layers of defense in that room. Hence, Normal people could not enter. In the end¡­ he defended against Chu Liuyue but not Mu Hongyu! Mu Hongyu immediately stretched her finger. ¡°Okay, but you have to tell me everything!¡± Yan Ge felt his head ache as he turned around and went upstairs. Mu Hongyu hurriedly followed him. She walked halfway and turned around to glance at Ming Shu. These people¡­ seem to have been in cahoots long ago? A chill ran down Ming Shu¡¯s spine. He immediately minded himself and pretended to be dead. That is all Second Boss¡¯s doing! It has nothing to do with me! Mu Hongyu lightly grunted and stared at Yan Ge. I have to find out what is going on today! ¡­ They only took a few moments to go to the second floor from the first, but Yan Ge felt that two holes were about to burn the back of his head. He forcefully supported himself, came to the door, and pushed it open. ¡°Come in and talk¡ª¡± Behind him, Mu Hongyu¡¯s figure had already disappeared. He was shocked and heard a voice from behind him. ¡°Second Boss Yan, I¡¯m here.¡± Mu Hongyu had already entered the room first and found a seat for herself. She patted the chair before her. ¡°Come¡ªsit down and talk slowly.¡± Yan Ge was speechless. Why do I suddenly feel like I¡¯m about to be slaughtered? Yan Ge resigned himself to his fate and closed the door, moving his feet with much difficulty as he came to Mu Hongyu. The two of them exchanged glances for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s Second Boss, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re also the one who used all sorts of reasons to reject and not see Liuyue?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also the one who gave us the Li Fire Xuan Painting and the Great Advanced Realm technique?¡± ¡°Second Boss Yan, say something!¡± Yan Ge took a deep breath in and stiffly nodded. Mu Hongyu stared at him calmly. From Country Yao Chen to Fantasy Divine Palace¡­ Everything seems to be planned by somebody. Yan Ge clasped his hands. ¡°Missy, I can tell you, but you have to promise me that you¡¯ll keep it a secret!¡± Mu Hongyu raised her brows. ¡°Secret? This isn¡¯t something humiliating. Why must I keep it a secret?¡± Yan Ge had a lot of difficulties. ¡°Life pushed me to this end, life forced me here¡­¡± Mu Hongyu thought for a while and said, ¡°Tell me what exactly is going on then. Did you target Liuyue long ago?¡± Other than this, she really could not think of another reason. Yan Ge sighed. ¡°This is a long story¡­¡± ¡­ Ming Shu stayed below to guard the area and frequently looked upstairs. He felt faintly worried. It has already been so long. Why haven¡¯t they come down? Second Boss wouldn¡¯t have relented and confessed everything, right? Then¡­ What will happen to Master? Chapter 2388 - 2388 Agreement 2388 Agreement ¡°¡­That¡¯s basically what happened.¡± When Yan Ge was done, the room finally fell silent again. Mu Hongyu was dazed. Yan Ge waited for a while. Seeing that she didn¡¯t move, he stretched his hand out and waved it in front of her. ¡°Hongyu? Hongyu?¡± Mu Hongyu recovered her senses and looked at him with a complicated gaze. ¡°This means that you long knew that Liuyue had the music score, so you specifically chased her to Country Yao Chen?¡± Yan Ge nodded. ¡°Yeah! But I later discovered that the music score had already recognized her as its owner, so I came back.¡± Actually, what Yan Ge said was right, but he left out the most important person. He really did not dare to say it! Besides, he just acted according to his master¡¯s instructions. Only Master himself knew the specific reason. He could not say it even if he wanted to. Mu Hongyu fell into deep thought. She had long heard of that music score, and Yan Ge¡¯s explanation seemed flawless. Except¡­ ¡°If it¡¯s just for that music score, Second Boss Yan, you seem to take care of her too much, right?¡± Yan Ge immediately had a stern expression. ¡°I have to! The music score is part of Fantasy Divine Hall, and it¡¯s very important. Since she¡¯s the owner of the music score, we have to do this.¡± Mu Hongyu asked, ¡°Since it belongs to Fantasy Divine Hall, why does Zhen Bao Pavilion care so much?¡± Yan Ge coughed. ¡°Zhen Bao Pavilion and Fantasy Divine Hall are intricately connected. We also hope that the music score can successfully return to Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± ¡°In this case, doesn¡¯t it mean that Fantasy Divine Hall wants to snatch Liuyue¡¯s music score?¡± ¡°Sigh, you can¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t you see that Fantasy Divine Hall treats her very politely? As long as she¡¯s in the Fantasy Divine Hall, doesn¡¯t it mean that the music score is around as well?¡± Mu Hongyu thought for a moment and felt that it made sense, but she still felt that something was amiss. Yan Ge said, ¡°I¡¯ve said all that I should. You should be satisfied now, right?¡± Mu Hongyu took a deep breath in and tried hard to calm herself down. After some time, she then said, ¡°I understand.¡± With that, she turned to leave. Yan Ge hurriedly said, ¡°Hey, you previously promised me that you¡¯d keep this a secret!¡± Mu Hongyu knitted her brows. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s fine even if Liuyue finds out about this. She¡¯s not petty. Second Boss Yan, what are you worried about?¡± Yan Ge sighed helplessly. ¡°I know this. Actually, I¡¯ve been finding a chance to talk to her properly, but I couldn¡¯t find an opportune time and thus dragged it until now. Hence, I would like you to temporarily keep it a secret. When I find the chance, I¡¯ll apologize to her personally.¡± Mu Hongyu thought for a long while and finally relented. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Then, Mu Hongyu¡¯s figure rapidly disappeared from the room. Yan Ge sighed deeply. He looked at the empty room and could not help but mutter, ¡°It seems like she¡¯s really going to reach the Great Advanced Realm soon¡­¡± ¡­ After Mu Hongyu left Zhen Bao Pavilion, she returned to her own residence. At this point, a ray of silver light flew up and slowly bloomed in midair. She looked up. Qi Han solved another Grandmaster-level Xuan formation. According to this speed, he should be able to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall soon, right? Thinking of this, Mu Hongyu¡¯s gaze turned slightly, and she looked at the Fantasy Divine Hall. At this time, Liuyue should also be watching Qi Han¡¯s situation. It would be better for me to talk to Liuyue later on. Besides, I seem to have faintly touched the Great Advanced Realm barrier! ¡­ Chapter 2389 - 2389 Good Luck 2389 Good Luck Three months quickly flew by. On the Star Path, Qi Han had already arrived before the last Xuan formation. Looking at the last Xuan formation below his feet, Qi Han sighed in comfort. Not far away, Ruan Jianfeng looked at him complicatedly. This Qi Han¡­ actually came here directly! Even though he took more time than Chu Liuyue¡­ In actual fact, his efficiency is already stunning. One had to know that the Seventh Deity, Jin Yunlai, had also directly walked from the start to the end and entered Fantasy Divine Hall via the Star Path. However, Qi Han was faster than him! At this point, there seemed to be much fewer people surrounding the two sides of the Star Path. There was only a month or so left before the Heaven Gate closed. Most people could only care about themselves and didn¡¯t have the leisure to watch others. The remaining few basically confirmed that they had no hopes of becoming a deity and chose to give up. Of course, quite a few of them were Xuan Masters, and they hoped to learn something from Qi Han. They wished that they could be inspired like Xiao Ran and break through. Of course, this was actually very hard. After all, there was only one Xiao Ran in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace. Qi Han did not care about any of this. He glanced at the Xuan formation calmly and raised his hand. A ray of light flew out and rapidly formed a gigantic ring of light before him. Clearly, he also planned to use the same method as Chu Liuyue and Xiao Ran to solve the last Xuan formation! Ruan Jianfeng furrowed his brows even more tightly. He wasn¡¯t a Xuan Master, but as a deity, he had some understanding of the Star Path and Xuan formations. Qi Han¡¯s performance the entire way was indeed too shocking. Such a talent was definitely above Jin Yunlai. Besides, like Chu Liuyue, he also didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Chu Liuyue could enter the Fantasy Divine Hall for some reason, then¡­ Qi Han shouldn¡¯t be able to do it right? ¡­ ¡°Of course, he can come in.¡± Chu Liuyue put down the herbs in her hands, and the corners of her lip curled up slightly. ¡°He has already reached this step. How can he not come in and take a look? He can complete the entire Star Path in a mere few months. How hard is it for him to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Su Li sat opposite her. Looking at Chu Liuyue¡¯s nonchalant appearance, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You can really keep your cool. Even I¡¯m so excited and can¡¯t help but steal a few glances, yet you didn¡¯t even go over at all. Those who don¡¯t know might think that Qi Han is my subordinate.¡± ¡°Whether I go to look at him or not, the result is the same.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she tidied her herbs and stood up. Su Li asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re going out?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Tuan Zi.¡± Ever since Tuan Zi left the previous time, she did not come over. She thought for a while and knew that Yu Qian had definitely set a rule. However, if Tuan Zi didn¡¯t come over, she could go there. She was busy studying medicinal formulas recently, and she really had no time to care about Tuan Zi. Now, she had to go take a look. Su Li nodded and sighed in disappointment. ¡°It is rather boring to stay here alone.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Senior Tang Ke come in?¡± Actually, she wanted to ask this long ago. Su Li spent most of her time in the Fantasy Divine Hall. Logically speaking, Tang Ke was also an Armory Refinement Saint and could follow her in, but he did not. Su Li held her chin. ¡°He said he¡¯s competing with Shangguan Jing. It¡¯s good that he doesn¡¯t come. If not, he might disrupt me.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°It seems like I have to thank you and Senior Tang Ke properly when Ancestor breaks through.¡± Su Li waved her hands. ¡°Why should you thank me?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning and did not speak. Su Li reacted quickly and blushed slightly. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything just now.¡± Su Li¡¯s face turned even redder. Chu Liuyue did not tease her and left after talking for a while more. ¡­ Chu Liuyue came to the door and pushed it open to leave. Hearing the sound, Ruan Jianfeng turned around to take a look. Did she finally come over to take a look because she could not stop herself? Or perhaps she is worried that Qi Han might not succeed, so she specifically came over to guide him? Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept across the Xuan formation that Qi Han was outlining. Ruan Jianfeng coldly said, ¡°Shangguan Yue, even if you have succeeded and Qi Han is your subordinate, you still can¡¯t help him. If not¡­ all his previous results will turn into nothing!¡± Chu Liuyue glanced at him strangely. ¡°Fifth Deity, you seemed to have misunderstood? Are the words ¡®I want to help¡¯ written on my forehead? Besides, do you think¡­ Qi Han needs help?¡± Ruan Jianfeng was stumped. There was really no way to say this. After all, Qi Han¡¯s previous performance had already stated everything. ¡°Then, why did you come out?¡± She did not come out earlier or later. Why did she come out now? Chu Liuyue smiled kindly. ¡°I came to wish Qi Han good luck.¡± As she spoke, she took a step forward and said to Qi Han, ¡°Good luck.¡± Then, she really turned around to leave. Ruan Jianfeng was speechless. The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± You said you wanted to wish him luck, and that was really all that you said? Qi Han nodded. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Ruan Jianfeng was also dazed and instinctively asked, ¡°You¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks. ¡°If not? Oh right¡ª¡± She seemed to have thought of something, as she turned around to yell, ¡°I¡¯ll come back later. If you go in earlier, find Su Li first and wait for me.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in satisfaction and smiled at Ruan Jianfeng. ¡°Fifth Deity, do you have any more questions? If not, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s face turned cold, and he whipped his sleeves harshly. Chu Liuyue smiled brightly and left quickly. Chapter 2390 - 2390 Enter! 2390 Enter! Chu Liuyue journeyed the whole way to Phoenix Mountain. The moment she crossed the barrier, she was taken aback. That was because many balls of fire were burning on Phoenix Mountain not far away! The red-golden fire seemed to surge out of the rocks as it burned brightly and jumped around. Even the neighboring space seemed to slowly become distorted under the baking of the fire. On the mountain peak, Tuan Zi sat cross-legged with her eyes tightly shut. The tremendous and shocking amount of Heaven and Earth Force kept surging toward her body crazily! Even the current Chu Liuyue felt some slight danger from the suppression coming from Tuan Zis body! It¡¯s no wonder Tuan Zi hasn¡¯t made any noise lately. She is focusing on cultivation. The purest bloodline is really not ordinary. In a short few months, Tuan Zi¡¯s cultivation has improved shockingly. In front of Tuan Zi, six leaves had grown on that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed. At this point, the jade-green leaves swayed with the wind and kept absorbing the surrounding force. As it did so, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed urged a portion of its force to rush toward Tuan Zi¡¯s body at a higher speed. Chu Liuyue watched calmly. To some extent, Tuan Zi and this Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed were completing each other¡­ Seeing that Tuan Zi was at a key point of her cultivation, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t go forward and just patiently waited on the spot. In no time, Tuan Zi absorbed the last bit of force, and the totem near her brows quickly flashed. Then, she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Hu¡­ Hey! A¡¯Yue!¡± Seeing that familiar figure, Tuan Zi was instantly over the moon. She quickly stood up and ran over. Chu Liuyue then came forward and carried Tuan Zi. She was soft, sweet, adorable, and cute. Tuan Zi¡¯s two short arms hugged her neck tightly. ¡°A¡¯Yue, I missed you so much! Why did you only come now? Wuwuwu¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue kissed her face. ¡°Didn¡¯t I come? Tuan Zi, be good.¡± Tuan Zi was enraged. ¡°Originally, I wanted to find you, A¡¯Yue, but that so-called deity didn¡¯t allow me to go!¡± Chu Liuyue had long expected that it was Yu Qian¡¯s doing, so she gently said, ¡°That¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s ignore him. Let me see¡ªdid you become much more powerful in a short amount of time?¡± Hearing the compliment, Tuan Zi immediately forgot about the upsetting matters and revealed a proud smile. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m about to open my eighth meridian!¡± Chu Liuyue was amazed in her heart. Phoenix Mountain is indeed incredible. Tuan Zi has been here for a short amount of time, but she is about to open her eighth meridian. Of course, this is also related to the bloodline power in Tuan Zi¡¯s body. If it were another red-gold heavenly phoenix, they definitely can¡¯t be compared to Tuan Zi even if they stayed here for a while. ¡°Oh right, when you were at the First Deity¡¯s residence, did you see the First Deity?¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s question confused Chu Liuyue. ¡°No. Why did you suddenly ask that?¡± Tuan Zi pouted. Her eyes turned, and she said, ¡°Nothing much. I just feel that the First Deity¡­ should be more capable than the Second Deity?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°If only¡­ If only that First Deity can beat him up!¡± said Tuan Zi angrily. Chu Liuyue lightly pinched her nose. ¡°You¡¯ve really guessed it correctly. Previously, Second Deity kneeled in front of the First Deity¡¯s door for three days.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes instantly widened! ¡°Really? Why?¡± ¡°Nobody knows the reason, but he did get punished. After that, the Second Deity became much quieter.¡± Anyway, she hadn¡¯t seen him for some time. Upon deeper thought, it was understandable. Everyone in the entire Fantasy Divine Hall knew that he was kneeling there. If it were someone else, they might not want to come out. ¡°How is kneeling for only three days enough?¡± Tuan Zi snorted. When I have the chance, I want to personally teach him a lesson! Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Qi Han is about to complete the Star Path. Do you want to follow me to take a look?¡± Tuan Zi immediately became elated. ¡°Okay!¡± Originally, she was still rather worried about Yu Qian¡¯s previous threat, but now that A¡¯Yue was here, and the had First Deity punished him¡­ He probably didn¡¯t have the time to cause trouble for them. ¡°I¡¯ll go with A¡¯Yue!¡± ¡­ In the meantime, Qi Han had already completed more than half of the Xuan formation before him, leaving a few parts left. He stared at that Xuan formation with much focus, and his eyes reflected the sparkling light. The crowd waited with bated breath. Even Lu Feng became nervous, and he tightly clenched his fists. He was envious and filled with grumbles, but he still hoped for Qi Han to succeed. Finally, Qi Han¡¯s hands trembled slightly, but he determinedly tapped the centermost position¡ª Whir! At that moment, he finally succeeded in completing the last Xuan formation! The entire Star Path lit up again! Everyone looked at this scene dumbfoundedly. In a short few months, the same scene had occurred thrice! Even if they had already expected this ending earlier, they still couldn¡¯t help but be emotional and shocked when they truly saw it. How are all of these people so heaven-defying?! Qi Han turned around to take a look. The Star Path lit up, and countless stars gathered, spreading toward the Heaven Gate. His face finally revealed a rare, faint smile. Then, he turned around to look at Ruan Jianfeng. Ruan Jianfeng took a step back and expressionlessly said, ¡°You can enter after you push open the door.¡± Even though his voice was nonchalant, he still stared at Qi Han tightly. Clearly, he paid special attention to this. Qi Han nodded and walked forward. He placed his hand on that door. It was slightly cold to the touch and felt very heavy. He suddenly exerted force, and the token around his waist floated with the wind. The door did not move at all. Ruan Jianfeng squinted his eyes, and an extremely cold smile flashed across his lips. The Fantasy Divine Hall has extremely strict requirements toward cultivators. Those without bloodline totems indeed can¡¯t enter! Previously, Chu Liuyue¡¯s situation was special. However¡­ Qi Han is different. He definitely can¡¯t enter the Fantasy Divine Hall! Qi Han exerted even more force, but the door still could not open. Not even a crack appeared. Lu Feng knitted his brows. The surrounding crowd exchanged glances. What¡­ kind of situation is this? Is Qi Han really being rejected? Suddenly, Qi Han retracted his hand and took half a step back. Ruan Jianfeng thought that he was about to give up and faintly said, ¡°I¡¯ve long told you that you can¡¯t open this door. If you give up now, you can¡ª¡± Qi Han ignored him and went forward to push it again! Ruan Jianfeng chuckled. ¡°What are you dreaming¡ª¡± Creak¡ª Before Ruan Jianfeng could finish his statement, the door slowly opened! Everyone was taken aback! Qi Han stared at the front calmly and grabbed the token around his waist suddenly. Chapter 2391 - 2391 Action 2391 Action The token that moved with the wind quietened instantly. Actually, the word on the token¡ªwhich originally seemed so intense that it was about to burst¡ªbecame much fainter and recovered its initial appearance. Qi Han looked forward. The holy Fantasy Divine Hall stood quietly. His hand around the token tightened slowly. ¡°Hm? It seems like we came at the right time?¡± A loud female voice broke the silence. The crowd instinctively turned around and saw Chu Liuyue walking over while holding hands with Tuan Zi. Hearing this, Qi Han also turned around to look. He silently let go of the token in his hand and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Master.¡± Chu Liuyue said with a smile, ¡°Why are you so courteous? You just completed the Star Path. You should celebrate.¡± Tuan Zi also smiled brightly and put up her thumb. ¡°Brother Qi Han, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Qi Han¡¯s gaze landed on Tuan Zi, and a faint smile quickly flashed across his eyes. ¡°Since we¡¯ve bumped into each other, let¡¯s go in together!¡± ¡°Master¡­¡± Lu Feng¡¯s pitiful voice came from the side. Chu Liuyue coughed. ¡°Lu Feng, continue working hard.¡± Lu Feng was speechless. Is this something that can be done with hard work? Master, do you have a misunderstanding of hard work? Chu Liuyue thought for a moment and comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even though you¡¯re not the first, it¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re not the last!¡± Lu Feng: ¡°Master, you might as well not give such comfort¡­¡± Tuan Zi waved her hands. ¡°Brother Lu Feng, we¡¯re leaving first!¡± Lu Feng was speechless. I can¡¯t stay here any longer! Seeing that Lu Feng was about to leave in a rage, Chu Liuyue finally became kind and swallowed her remaining words. If I attack him more, Lu Feng will really go crazy. She looked at Ruan Jianfeng and said with a smile, ¡°Fifth Deity, are you not going in with us? I have to trouble you to arrange Qi Han¡¯s accommodation. Of course, if you¡¯re too lazy to do so, why don¡¯t you directly let Qi Han stay beside me?¡± Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s chest seemed to be overwhelmed. Until now, he hadn¡¯t figured out how Qi Han opened the door! However, it was clearly not the time to talk about this. He did not reply to Chu Liuyue as he walked forward with a dark face. At this point, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and said in shock, ¡°Hongyu? Why did you¡ª¡± Suddenly, her voice trailed off, and her gaze toward Mu Hongyu was tainted with a layer of shock. Mu Hongyu¡­ seems different from before? On the surface, it seemed like Mu Hongyu did not change. But when she walked over, the surrounding space seemed to have moved lightly. Her every move seemed especially relaxed and carefree, as if¡­ as if she was moving freely like the wind. She clearly didn¡¯t walk fast, but she arrived before the crowd in the blink of an eye. The most important thing was¡ªshe didn¡¯t affect the energy at all! ¡°You¡­ broke through?!¡± asked Chu Liuyue in surprise. Mu Hongyu¡¯s almond-like eyes lit up. ¡°Yeah! I came to find you the moment I succeeded! I didn¡¯t expect to coincidentally meet you here!¡± As she spoke, she looked at Ruan Jianfeng. ¡°Fifth Deity, we¡¯ll go in together, okay?¡± Since she had already entered the Great Advanced Realm, she naturally had the right to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡­ Even Ruan Jianfeng, who was very experienced, was taken aback. Mu Hongyu blinked. ¡°Fifth Deity, you can¡¯t not let me enter, right? Do you want me to push the door myself? But¡­ I can directly pass through the door. There¡¯s no need for that, right?¡± Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly, and he suppressed his emotions with much difficulty. Then, he turned around without speaking and walked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. Chu Liuyue raised her chin toward Mu Hongyu, smiled, and said, ¡°You came just in time. Let¡¯s go in together.¡± ¡­ Mu Hongyu and Qi Han chose to stay beside Chu Liuyue without hesitation. Ruan Jianfeng agreed extremely quickly and left hurriedly, without saying much. The situation had already exceeded his expectations. He had to quickly discuss with the other deities and figure out how to handle the situation. Mu Hongyu shrugged her shoulders toward Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s back view. ¡°He left so quickly. Why are these deities one colder than the other?¡± Chu Liuyue pulled her into the house. ¡°Qi Han, guard outside. Don¡¯t let anyone enter.¡± Qi Han nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Mu Hongyu followed Chu Liuyue into the house. Just in case, Chu Liuyue still meticulously set up a barrier. Then, she looked at Mu Hongyu. ¡°Hongyu, are you confident?¡± Mu Hongyu nodded lightly. ¡°As long as nothing goes wrong, I can definitely bring Mentor back!¡± Chu Liuyue sighed, and her heart beat rapidly. ¡°Now is the best time.¡± Everyone had seen them enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. Nobody would think that they would silently plan to enter the Fantasy Divine Sea at this point! Mu Hongyu looked determined. ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Tuan Zi. ¡°Tuan Zi, wait here first.¡± Nobody could know about the contractual agreement between her and Tuan Zi, so Tuan Zi could only stay here temporarily. Tuan Zi nodded seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely wait obediently! A¡¯Yue, you must be careful!¡± Chu Liuyue touched her small face. ¡°Hongyu, let¡¯s go!¡± Mu Hongyu held her breath and raised her hands lightly. Then, the space before her rippled like water. She pulled Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand and stepped right through! The two figures disappeared very quickly. Chapter 2392 - 2392 You are the First Deity? 2392 You are the First Deity? Above the Fantasy Divine Sea, a silver bridge silently stretched from the Heaven Gate to the bottom of the ocean. The water surface glistened, but the further ocean was dark, eerie, and mysterious. The cold wind blew across the ocean surface with a bone-chilling coldness. ¡­ The surroundings were pitch black. A terrifyingly strong turbulence kept surging in the surroundings. Luckily, Mu Hongyu had already set up a barrier in advance and protected the two of them within. Chu Liuyue could clearly hear the sound of those forces hitting against the barrier, and she couldn¡¯t help but secretly exclaim. The Great Advanced Realm¡­ is indeed amazing! Not only can the current Mu Hongyu directly rip through space, but she can even control the forces in the surrounding space. Even a legendary warrior might not be able to do all of this. ¡°The space in front is the place you talked about before,¡± said Mu Hongyu. She had previously come to the Fantasy Divine Sea a few times and familiarized herself with the situation here. Hence, she knew the location of where Chu Liuyue first came to the Fantasy Divine Sea. For convenience¡¯s sake, she still brought Chu Liuyue here. This way, they might be able to find Diwu Zhangze faster. Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°If Senior Diwu is still stuck there, everything will be easier to manage.¡± Previously, Diwu Zhangze was still trapped, and there were extremely strict defenses around him, so she didn¡¯t dare to take action on her own. But this time, she and Mu Hongyu joined forces, and they had a much higher chance of succeeding. After a while, Chu Liuyue felt a ray of light suddenly appear before her. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± said Mu Hongyu softly. As she spoke, she used force and dragged Chu Liuyue out of the space. A suppressing force quickly scraped past her, but luckily, this didn¡¯t pose a big problem to the current Chu Liuyue. Her vision became increasingly clear. She looked around. ¡°It¡¯s this, right?¡± asked Mu Hongyu. Chu Liuyue nodded and pointed to a position below her. Over there, a ball of blurred light flickered. Even though they were still quite a distance away, they could still clearly feel the shocking suppression coming from it! Mu Hongyu was determined. ¡°Mentor is there!¡± They had to start from here, pass through the turbulent space, directly reach where Diwu Zhangze was, and leave successfully! As Mu Hongyu spoke, she waved her hands. Following that, Chu Liuyue could feel the forces that were about to crush them leaving gradually. A crack in space then silently appeared in front of Mu Hongyu. Mu Hongyu stepped right in. But at this point, a young female voice filled with rage suddenly sounded! ¡°Who is it?!¡± Mu Hongyu and Chu Liuyue were stunned. There¡¯s someone here! The two of them exchanged glances and immediately reached a consensus: We have to take action immediately! However, it was too late! Thick and vigorous force suddenly rushed out from the depths of the sea! Chu Liuyue pulled Mu Hongyu behind her and barely avoided it. However, the space that cracked in front of the two of them collapsed! Peng! Upon seeing this, the duo¡¯s hearts sank. Their traces were already found out. Now, it was almost impossible for them to save Diwu. Chu Liuyue was decisive. ¡°Go!¡± Mu Hongyu quickly nodded and waved her hand at the same time, tearing through the space! The plan now was to leave as soon as possible! But the moment this space was torn, the long whip slashed down again! Slap! The path before them was broken once again! Then, a petite young lady rapidly came from the depths of the ocean. ¡°Who is it!? How dare you trespass into the Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± The moment she said that, she had already blocked Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu¡¯s path. This was a woman who was fifteen or sixteen, and her appearance was clean. Her pair of eyes were emerald green. ¡°Twelfth Deity!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked. She had long heard of this person, but she had never seen her before. She did not expect that the latter guarded the Fantasy Divine Sea! Bi Ling looked at them with unconcealable rage on her face. When her gaze landed on Mu Hongyu, she sneered coldly. ¡°It was you the previous few times, right? Hmph, I have waited for you for so long!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. This Twelfth Deity has secretly waited here since long ago! This time, it will be hard for us to leave successfully. ¡°The two of you are really gutsy to dare to trespass into the Fantasy Divine Sea.¡± Bi Ling had guarded this place for many years, so she didn¡¯t know the two of them. She held the long whip with one hand and lightly knocked it against her other palm as she glanced at the ball of light below. ¡°The one that¡¯s locked inside is the biggest traitor of the Fantasy Divine Hall! Divine Master wants to punish him, and you dare to come? You must be tired of living.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. Traitor? Diwu Zhangze? ¡°Without permission, trespassing into this place is a fatal offense!¡± Bi Ling whipped the long whip in her hands. ¡°It¡¯s your honor for me to kill you personally today!¡± Slap! That long whip instantly flew out! At the same time, the surrounding space started to crazily crush toward them! Mu Hongyu was about to take action when she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Chu Liuyue hurriedly supported her and blocked her. The long whip was right about to hit her spine! The harsh aura whirred beside her ears in an extremely painful manner! At this point, a nonchalant and low voice sounded. ¡°Bi Ling, hold it.¡± Bi Ling was shocked and hurriedly turned around to look. ¡°First Deity!?¡± Hearing this voice, Chu Liuyue was taken aback! Her body stiffened as she slowly turned around and looked at the incoming person. The corner of her lips moved, and her voice was very light as if it would disappear into the wind at any point. ¡°You are¡­ the First Deity?¡± Chapter 2393 - 2393 Is it Fun to Lie to Me? 2393 Is it Fun to Lie to Me? The seawater was icy cold with ripples surging. The sound of the long whip seemed to echo beside her ears. Chu Liuyue looked at the person not far away in a daze. At one moment, she almost thought that she was dreaming and that everything was an illusion. Hearing this, Mu Hongyu was also taken aback and hurriedly looked up. ¡°First Deity is here? He¡ª¡± When that person¡¯s face entered her vision, Mu Hongyu¡¯s voice also trailed off. Then, she subconsciously looked at Chu Liuyue. Her lips moved slightly, and she wanted to speak, but she did not know how to start. The surroundings were silent. Chu Liuyue could even clearly hear the sound of her heart beating. She curled the tips of her fingers lightly, and a gust of coldness suddenly wrapped around her. This person was so familiar yet strange. His five features were handsome, and his figure was upright. The grayish-blue robe that fitted his body emphasized his elegance further. One could only look up to him. It was really different from the appearance in her memory, but the face was very familiar as if it was carved at the bottom of her heart! She stared at the person before her calmly, and her lips gradually curled up at an extremely faint angle. However, her star-like eyes had no smiling intent and were covered in a layer of faint mist, causing one to be unable to see her clearly. She said lightly, ¡°Mu Qinghe, is it very fun to lie to me?¡± ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. Tuan Zi stayed in the room alone. She touched the teacup, then the table, from time to time. She even opened and smelled all the jade bottles placed on the rack. When she really had nothing to play with, she finally lay on the bed, spreading her arms and legs as she looked up at the curtain and whined. ¡°I¡¯m so bored¡ª¡± Knock knock! Knocks were suddenly heard from outside. Tuan Zi suddenly jumped up. A¡¯Yue is back?! But the moment she ran to the door, she stopped again. That¡¯s not right! If A¡¯Yue and the rest came back, they should directly enter the house. Why would they have to knock on the door? Tuan Zi pouted and walked back again. It should be someone else who came, right? However, A¡¯Yue said not to open the door for anyone. Qi Han is outside, so he will definitely stop the person. As expected, the knocks stopped sounding. Tuan Zi walked back lazily and climbed onto the bed. Suddenly, another series of knocks was heard. The key was¡­ these knocks sounded from the room door! Tuan Zi knitted her brows strangely. ¡°Who is it?¡± Qi Han¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Tuan Zi, someone is looking for you.¡± Tuan Zi was dazed. ¡°Looking for me?¡± Who could look for me at this point? She thought for a while and really could not figure out the answer. However, Qi Han seems to have let the person in? Then, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right? Thinking of this, Tuan Zi yelled, ¡°Coming!¡± As she spoke, she ran to open the door. Creak¡ª She opened a gap. Tuan Zi stuck her head out and alertly looked left and right. ¡°Brother Qi Han, who is looking for me?¡± Qi Han looked down at the small head and reminded, ¡°Look up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tuan Zi instinctively raised her head. Qi Han stood before the door and looked at her helplessly. ¡°Who¡ª¡± Hula! Before she could finish her sentence, a green figure instantly pounced on her! Tuan Zi couldn¡¯t even see anything clearly before she felt two claws tightly clutching her hair. She was instantly annoyed. ¡°Ah!!! Don¡¯t grab my hair!¡± As she spoke, she raised her hand and wanted to retaliate. But at this point, only her head was revealed outside, while her body was inside the room. She could not take action in a short amount of time and could only let the other party tug at her hair. ¡°Ah!! I¡¯m about to be angry!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s voice instantly rose an octave. Qi Han helplessly sighed and grabbed the thing that was causing trouble. ¡°If you have something to say, wait until Tuan Zi comes out.¡± As he spoke, he helped Tuan Zi open the door. Tuan Zi was released and instantly heaved a sigh of relief. However, the pain from her scalp still enraged her. She looked up fiercely. ¡°I think you¡¯re causing¡­ Hong Yao?!¡± Her anger instantly disappeared and was left with deep shock and disbelief. The green sparrow with green feathers and red eyes before her was clearly Hong Yao. However, didn¡¯t Hong Yao already die¡ª ¡°Hong Yao! You didn¡¯t die?!¡± Tuan Zi suddenly realized something and shrieked. Then, she instantly recalled what happened previously and gasped. ¡°It¡¯s you! The one at Phoenix Mountain previously¡ªit¡¯s you, am I right!?¡± Hong Yao didn¡¯t reply, as it struggled to flap its wings. Qi Han then let go of his hands. Hong Yao flew down and bit the corner of Tuan Zi¡¯s dress, starting to pull her outside. Tuan Zi hurriedly said, ¡°Wait! You haven¡¯t explained yourself!¡± Hong Yao suddenly turned around and glanced at her. However, this look caused Tuan Zi¡¯s heart to tighten. Tuan Zi was dazed for a moment before she decided to immediately follow it. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± They had spent too much time together. Even if Hong Yao did not say anything¡­ With just a look, Tuan Zi knew that something had happened! Qi Han knitted his brows slightly, but he did not stop her. Tuan Zi ran out two steps before she thought of something and turned around. ¡°Brother Qi Han, I¡ª¡± Qi Han nodded. ¡°Be careful about everything.¡± Tuan Zi was determined as she nodded forcefully and followed Hong Yao immediately. The two figures rapidly left and slowly disappeared from sight. When he couldn¡¯t see their traces, Qi Han retracted his gaze and looked at the Fantasy Divine Hall. Magnificent, cold, solemn. Chapter 2394 - 2394 I Gave You This Name 2394 I Gave You This Name Hong Yao and Tuan Zi quickly arrived at the Heaven Gate. At this point, it was as cold as usual. Only a figure stood with his hands behind his back¡ªit was Wu Yao. He looked up at the Heaven Gate with tightly-knitted brows. This Heaven Gate¡­ I have looked at it for many days, and it doesn¡¯t seem very right. Also, my hands feel itchy. Even I¡¯m impressed by myself. Isn¡¯t it just a broken door? What is there to care about? But every time he decided to go, he would falter and continue staying here. From arriving at the Fantasy Divine Palace till now, Wu Yao had stayed here for quite a few months. He was conflicted for some time before he tentatively stretched out his hand. But before he touched the Heaven Gate, there was suddenly some sound from behind. Wu Yao immediately retracted his hand and alertly turned around. When he saw the incoming person, he instantly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Tuan Zi, why are you here?¡± As he spoke, he turned his gaze and saw a green sparrow beside Tuan Zi. This is¡­ ¡°Hong Yao?!¡± Wu Yao was instantly taken aback. But before he realized what happened, Tuan Zi had already run over. ¡°Brother Wu Yao! Move quickly!¡± Wu Yao instinctively took a step back and hurriedly reminded, ¡°Tuan Zi, wait a moment. There¡¯s¡ª¡± Bam! Tuan Zi hit the transparent barrier. She staggered a few steps back and fell onto the floor. ¡°¡­a barrier.¡± Tuan Zi rubbed her head and stood up. Wu Yao then saw her appearance and could not help but be shocked. ¡°Tuan Zi, your hair¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her hair was fine on one side, but there were a few strands of hair that were loose on the other side. She looked as if she had just fought someone, and they wrestled. Tuan Zi was instantly embarrassed, but now was not the time to care about this. She hurriedly asked, ¡°Brother Wu Yao, can you open this barrier? Hong Yao and I want to go out!¡± Wu Yao was speechless. Tuan Zi seems to have some kind of misunderstanding about me? Seeing that they were so anxious, he shook his head and said, ¡°Only the deity in charge of the Heaven Gate can open this barrier. What exactly happened? Why did you suddenly rush out?¡± Tuan Zi shook her head like a rattle. ¡°Brother Wu Yao, I don¡¯t have time to explain! Who is in charge of guarding the Heaven Gate? I¡¯ll find them!¡± Before Wu Yao could say anything, a voice suddenly sounded from behind. ¡°Why do you want to go out?¡± Tuan Zi turned around. The incoming person was Eleventh Deity, Qiu Tong. After detecting the commotion near the barrier, he immediately rushed out. However, he never expected that it was Tuan Zi who was causing a ruckus. There was still a green sparrow at the side? Qiu Tong¡¯s gaze stopped on Hong Yao for a moment, and he knitted his brows slightly. This green sparrow isn¡¯t a legendary fiend. There doesn¡¯t seem to be such a fiend in the Fantasy Divine Palace¡­ ¡°Aiya, don¡¯t ask so much! We don¡¯t have time!¡± Tuan Zi forcefully hit the barrier. ¡°Quickly open it! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll just die here!¡± Qiu Tong was speechless. Wu Yao covered his face. Why do I feel humiliated¡­ Qiu Tong¡¯s expression was stern. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?! Why not?¡± Tuan Zi was infuriated! Qiu Tong felt that Tuan Zi was purely being unreasonable, so he didn¡¯t care about her words. ¡°Not anyone can casually enter and leave the Heaven Gate. You¡­ can¡¯t do it either.¡± Tuan Zi glanced at Hong Yao. Then, she clenched her teeth, and her suppression suddenly exploded! Peng! A ball of red-golden fire instantly flew out and heavily struck that barrier! Rumble! A loud sound spread far and wide! Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes seemed to burn crazily with fire. ¡°Are you going to open it!?¡± ¡­ Fantasy Divine Sea. Chu Liuyue¡¯s voice was soft, but the few of them heard it clearly. Bi Ling¡¯s expression instantly turned cold, and she knitted her sharp brows. ¡°Nonsense! How can you directly call First Deity by his name?!¡± As if hearing some joke, Chu Liuyue laughed. She tilted her head, glanced at Mu Qinghe, and said, ¡°Mu Qinghe, tell her. Do I have the right to call you that?¡± Bi Ling twisted her wrist and was about to take action! ¡°I think you really don¡¯t know who you are!¡± Among the deities, even the Second Deity¡ªYu Qian¡ªdoesn¡¯t dare to talk to the First Deity in this tone. And this woman¡­ is really arrogant! A hand suddenly reached out to stop Bi Ling¡¯s whip. He didn¡¯t seem to use force, but Bi Ling instantly felt that the whip was tightly restricted, and she could not move it at all. ¡°Bi Ling, do you not understand whatever I just said?¡± Mu Qinghe said nonchalantly, but he did not allow for any doubts. His authority was strong! Bi Ling was stunned as deep fear and respect flashed across her eyes. She instantly took a step back and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Mu Qinghe then flung the whip away. Bi Ling hurriedly caught it and did not dare to say another word. She gazed at Chu Liuyue doubtfully. This woman¡­ knows the First Deity? And they seem to have an extraordinary relationship. If not, she wouldn¡¯t dare to talk to the First Deity in this manner. However, this woman seems like she came from outside. Why would First Deity have interactions with such a person? Mu Qinghe glanced at Chu Liuyue. I indeed¡­ haven¡¯t seen her in a while. Compared to before, she is even more iridescent. Even in this dark bottom of the ocean, she still shines like a bright pearl and is eye-catching. After a long while, he finally said, ¡°The day Diwu Zhangze betrayed the Fantasy Divine Hall, he was destined to have such an ending. The Great Advanced Realm is indeed good, but you probably forgot that Diwu Zhangze himself has also reached the Great Advanced Realm. Even he can¡¯t escape this place, so it¡¯s even more impossible for you.¡± Mu Hongyu bit her lips. ¡°Please be careful. It¡¯s really dangerous.¡± ¡°Leave in the next ten minutes, and I¡¯ll not pursue everything from before.¡± ¡°First Deity!?¡± Bi Ling looked at him in disbelief. ¡°These two people tried to trespass into the Fantasy Divine Sea countless times and even tried to take Diwu Zhangze away. They committed so many sins. How can you just let it go?¡± ¡°Yeah, how can you just let it go?¡± Chu Liuyue spoke as she took a step forward. Mu Hongyu wanted to pull her back. She had stretched out her hand midway before she paused. She did not know what to do now¡­ No wonder I found him rather familiar previously. It turns out¡ªhowever, why is the First Deity Mu Qinghe?! ¡°Not pursue the previous matters¡­¡± said Chu Liuyue slowly, pondering over the words in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Mu Qinghe, do you have the right to tell me that?¡± Her gaze swept across Mu Qinghe¡¯s face bit by bit. This person was once her most trusted aide, but now, he used such a status to stand before her and tell her that he was willing to not pursue the previous matters? She suddenly focused her gaze. There seemed to be a burn mark by the side of Mu Qinghe¡¯s ears. It was probably left behind by that fire? Then, she looked into his eyes as if she wanted to find an answer from the pair of calm and deep eyes. ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered me. I gave you the name Mu Qinghe. Why can¡¯t I call you that?¡± Chapter 2395 - 2395 But Missed Her So Much 2395 But Missed Her So Much In the bustling street filled with people, he wore torn and tattered clothes and was bullied. She stretched out her hand to him. She said, follow me. The breeze blew lightly on the snowy night. In the quiet and dark palace, he was helpless and terrified. She passed the brush over. She said, let me teach you. She thought that since she brought him back, she was her man from now on. Thus, she naturally had to give him a name to protect him. Mu Qinghe, Mu Qinghe. She gave him his name, gave him a place to stay, and gave him everything. But in the end, what did he leave for her? Everything was probably burned to the end in that big fire. She was never a kind person and always took revenge, causing the other party to be ten times or even a hundred times worse. Many people wanted to kill her, take her life, watch her fall from the skies, and land in the mud, being unable to struggle. However, he definitely should not be one of them! At that time, when she saw Mu Qinghe fall in that fire, Chu Liuyue once thought that everything had ended. Everything in the past and the unfairness should¡¯ve gradually been erased by life and death. However¡­ Mu Qinghe did not die! Not only did he not die, but he even changed completely and became the high and mighty First Deity in the Fantasy Divine Hall! So distinguished and foreign. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression was calm and nonchalant. One could not discern his emotions at all. He gazed at her as if he were looking at someone irrelevant that he had seen a few times before. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say,¡± said Mu Qinghe lightly. At the side, Bi Ling was long confused the moment Chu Liuyue spoke. What did she say? She gave First Deity his name? What exactly is going on? And the First Deity didn¡¯t even rebut! Is this tacitly agreeing to her words? What kind of background does this woman have?! Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Are you unwilling to say, or do you not dare to say it? Is it¡­ very hard for you to admit this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight with you.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. Me too.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up into a smile as she sized him up. ¡°First Deity¡­ Why would I be your opponent?¡± As the Second Deity, Yu Qian¡¯s cultivation level was above that of a legendary warrior. Mu Qinghe could get Yu Qian to kneel outside his door for three days and nights, so his strength was naturally above the latter. In a mere few years, he had completely changed. Mu Qinghe paused and asked, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Chu Liuyue never expected to hear such a sentence from Mu Qinghe, but compared to the impact of his true identity, this did not count for much. The smile on her face slowly disappeared, and it seemed as if she was covered in a thin layer of frost. ¡°Since you already know, I¡¯ll be straightforward. What I want is very simple¡ªlet Diwu Zhangze go.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Mu Qinghe immediately rejected her. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you sufficiently clearly about this just now. Considering our past, I can let you go this time. However, there will never be a next time. If you come again, I definitely won¡¯t be merciful.¡± ¡°Merciful?¡± Chu Liuyue squinted slightly and lightly snorted. ¡°When you killed me then, you didn¡¯t seem to be merciful toward me, right?¡± The hand by Mu Qinghe¡¯s side clenched slowly. Chu Liuyue looked at him calmly in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°I must save Diwu Zhangze. If I can¡¯t do it now, I¡¯ll do it the next time, or the time after. Since you¡¯re in charge of this Fantasy Divine Sea, then¡­ I want to see if you¡¯re going to take action today and prevent future troubles.¡± She raised her head slightly and exposed her white and thin neck. ¡°Mu Qinghe, if you have the skills, kill me again!¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes seemed to have ripples that quickly disappeared. He looked at her calmly and slowly said, ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare?¡± As he spoke, he moved his wrist, and a sharp sword appeared in his palm. Swoosh! The icy cold blade touched her neck! ¡°Mu Qinghe!¡± Mu Hongyu immediately gasped in shock. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Even though she didn¡¯t understand much about Mu Qinghe, she knew a little. In the Tianling Dynasty, who didn¡¯t know that the Princess personally nurtured Mu Qinghe? Back then, when she heard that Mu Qinghe betrayed Chu Liuyue, she was still shocked for so long. That was because she never understood why someone whom Chu Liuyue treated genuinely would do such a thing. Even now, when he became the First Deity, he still wanted to take action against Chu Liuyue! Mu Qinghe ignored Mu Hongyu. However, Chu Liuyue laughed and did not look shocked. ¡°Hongyu, why are you so shocked? It¡¯s not the first time he¡¯s done such a thing. Perhaps he can do it even more smoothly.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression turned harsh as a tremendous suppression landed. He turned his wrist and was about to slash down! At this point, an extremely nervous voice suddenly came. ¡°Stop!¡± Following that, a ball of red-golden fire came from afar and harshly landed on that sword. At this point, a green figure hit Mu Qinghe¡¯s wrist! His wrist turned a little, and the longsword barely scraped past Chu Liuyue¡¯s shoulders. A small prick was felt. Chu Liuyue looked down to her side and saw that a faint wound had been cut on her shoulders. Bright red blood slowly oozed out and spread around. A tiny person blocked her¡ªit was Tuan Zi. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to bully A¡¯Yue!¡± ¡°Tuan Zi, why are you here?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. Didn¡¯t I tell her to stay in the Fantasy Divine Hall? Tuan Zi quickly turned around. When she saw the wound on her shoulders, she was instantly enraged, and her face turned red. If I were any later¡ª Chu Liuyue carried Tuan Zi into her arms and lightly patted the back of her head. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± Tuan Zi pouted, and her blackberry-like eyes turned red with tears in them. Chu Liuyue touched her messy hair. ¡°How did you end up like this?¡± Suddenly, she paused in her actions and looked up because she felt something. A palm-sized green sparrow looked at her from afar. Green fire covered its feathers, and its pair of eyes were beautiful like the most precious rubies. It was exactly the same as what she remembered. ¡°¡­Hong Yao?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was dazed as she moved her lips. It pushed Mu Qinghe¡¯s sword away just now? While large teardrops silently fell, Hong Yao looked at her without blinking. Something seemed to squeeze Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart in an aching manner. She pressed her lips against each other and said lightly, ¡°Hong Yao, come over.¡± Hong Yao instinctively moved a step forward, but it was just one step when it immediately reacted and stopped. Mu Qinghe was right behind it. Now that the two of them were in a stalemate, it could only stay here. More and more tears dropped. Hong Yao instantly moved its wings and hid its head under its wings to wipe them. It could not bear to not look at her, but it cried when it did, as if it could never stop crying. How humiliating, but¡­ It missed her so much. Chapter 2396 - 2396 Not Angry? 2396 Not Angry? Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze landed on Hong Yao coldly and nonchalantly. ¡°Hong Yao.¡± Hong Yao suddenly turned around and looked at him furiously. Why did you take action?! Mu Qinghe¡¯s eyes were filled with frost that could not melt, and it was chilling to the bones. ¡°First Deity!?¡± Qiu Tong¡ªwho followed behind Tuan Zi and Hong Yao¡ªlooked at the scene in shock. What kind of situation is this?! First Deity is also here?! Even though he is indeed in charge of the Fantasy Divine Sea, hasn¡¯t he stayed in his own yard and not come out all these years? I heard that even when he punished Seventh Deity, Jin Yunlai, he just separated out some aura and did not reveal himself. And now¡­ This is clearly the First Deity himself! Beside the First Deity was Bi Ling. Qiu Tong knew that she had always guarded the depths of the Fantasy Divine Sea, so he was not shocked to see her. However, the key was the two women standing before the First Deity¡­ ¡°Shangguan Yue? Mu Hongyu?! Why are you guys here?!¡± Mu Qinghe glanced at him. ¡°Qiu Tong, it seems like you¡¯ve guarded the Heaven Gate very well.¡± Qiu Tong¡¯s heart instantly skipped a beat. ¡°Qiu Tong is useless!¡± Countless guesses flashed across his mind. Could it be that¡­ Mu Hongyu broke through and reached the Great Advanced Realm?! It¡¯s the only way the two of them can silently come to the Fantasy Divine Sea, and they even alerted the First Deity. ¡°Previously, it was my warning to you. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can try again,¡± said Mu Qinghe coldly. This was clearly for Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°Sure.¡± Mu Hongyu took a step forward and pulled her arm. ¡°Liuyue, let¡¯s go back first.¡± Seeing the current situation, we definitely can¡¯t continue. We can only leave the area first and think of other ways. Seeing Mu Qinghe¡¯s posture, he is really going to take action! Chu Liuyue hugged Tuan Zi tighter and glanced at Mu Qinghe. ¡°I will eventually get back what belongs to me!¡± Mu Qinghe did not speak. Mu Hongyu tore through the space and pulled Chu Liuyue to leave. Even if Mu Qinghe and the rest discovered them, it was best if fewer people knew about this. Seeing the two of them leave openly, Bi Ling could not help but say, ¡°First Deity, you¡¯re really letting them go just like that?!¡± They were so arrogant. Not to mention me, but they did not even care about First Deity! Could it be¡­ that the First Deity is really soft-hearted? Just because of that Chu Liuyue? Bi Ling really could not figure it out. As deities, we are always high and mighty. Since when have we ever been challenged, especially when the person being targeted was the First Deity, who has the highest status? Mu Qinghe glanced at her. Bi Ling¡¯s heart immediately skipped a beat, and she hurriedly swallowed her remaining words. I was also muddled to dare question the First Deity in his face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything about today from someone else. Do you understand?¡± Bi Ling and Qiu Tong instantly understood and replied, ¡°Yes!¡± Mu Qinghe put away his sword and glanced at Hong Yao. Hong Yao ignored him and turned around to leave. Mu Qinghe knitted his brows slightly but did not say much. The water rippled, and his figure quickly disappeared. ¡°Have a safe journey, First Deity!¡± After a while and confirming that Mu Qinghe had indeed left, Bi Ling and Qiu Tong heaved a sigh of relief. The two of them exchanged glances and had complicated expressions. ¡°What exactly¡­ happened just now?¡± asked Qiu Tong. Bi Ling¡¯s face was cold. ¡°What else could it be? Those two people secretly came over several times to snatch Diwu Zhangze away. I long suspected that something was amiss, so I specifically waited here and caught them with much difficulty. I was about to take action when First Deity came. Besides, those two women seem to know the First Deity, especially the one in red¡­¡± ¡°Shangguan Yue?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She seems to have an extraordinary relationship with the First Deity. I heard them talk for a while and could not figure out what was going on. After First Deity warned them, he planned to let them go. I stopped him and was even warned by the First Deity.¡± Qiu Tong knitted his brows. ¡°First Deity actually protected them?¡± Bi Ling thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Not exactly ¡®protect¡¯ I guess. After all, First Deity had taken action but was stopped by that red-gold heavenly phoenix and green sparrow. You know whatever happened later.¡± What they could confirm was that they did have some history. However, they did not know what exactly was going on. Since the incident involved the First Deity, it was extremely hard to find out. ¡°Oh right, speaking of that green sparrow¡­ I don¡¯t remember that the First Deity has an agreement with a fiend. When I saw that green sparrow at the Heaven Gate, I even found it strange for so long. Since when was there such a thing in the Fantasy Divine Palace¡­ So it¡¯s the First Deity¡¯s?¡± Bi Ling was beyond frustrated. ¡°How would I know?¡± There were clearly more problems than expected. If the First Deity was bent on hiding it, how could they know? Qiu Tong knitted his brows tightly. ¡°I still feel that this matter is amiss. So many problems happened previously, and First Deity didn¡¯t personally appear. Why did he come this time? Besides, he even ordered us to not talk about today¡¯s incident. This¡­¡± Was there really no other plan? However, Bi Ling did not care about this. ¡°This is the Fantasy Divine Sea¡ªit has always been under First Deity¡¯s control. Now that something happened, isn¡¯t it normal that he came? Besides, Shangguan Yue and that girl silently crossed the Heavenly Tribulation to come here and almost took Diwu Zhangze away. If word gets out¡­ Not only you and me, but even First Deity would be criticized. Do you want to blow the matter up?¡± Qiu Tong hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°How can it be? I just find the matter strange, so I talked about it casually. However, your words make sense. If it implicates Diwu Zhangze and the Fantasy Divine Sea¡­ It is normal for the First Deity to be more careful.¡± ¡°Forget it. First Deity has already said that he would punish them severely if they came again! Let¡¯s just do our own duties.¡± Then, Bi Ling turned to dive into the depths of the sea. Qiu Tong stood rooted to the spot for a moment and finally left. ¡­ Chu Liuyue and the rest quickly returned to the Fantasy Divine Hall. She placed Tuan Zi down and poured tea for herself and Mu Hongyu. Then, she finally sat down to handle the wound on her shoulders. The wound wasn¡¯t deep, but Mu Qinghe¡¯s current cultivation level was extremely high. The force in that sword was not to be underestimated. The entire room was silent. Mu Hongyu held the teacup and looked at Chu Liuyue from time to time. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was calm. After treating her wounds, she helped Tuan Zi brush her hair. ¡°Hong Yao pulled it?¡± she asked. Tuan Zi acknowledged softly. Chu Liuyue nodded and tied the red string with the golden bell properly. Mu Hongyu could not hold it any longer and softly asked, ¡°Liuyue, you¡¯re¡­ not angry?¡± Chapter 2397 - 2397 I Dont Know 2397 I Don¡¯t Know Chu Liuyue paused in her actions and carried Tuan Zi. ¡°Angry about what?¡± Mu Hongyu muttered, ¡°Mu Qinghe¡­ lied to you¡­¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a while and then laughed. ¡°He didn¡¯t only lie to me, right?¡± Other than her, all these people in the Fantasy Divine Hall seemed clueless about his experiences. Everyone said that the First Deity was in seclusion for many years, but that was clearly not the case. He did not spend those few years in Tianling for nothing. Mu Hongyu looked at her smiling, but she could not feel her emotions. Probably¡­ If it were me, I would feel complicated at this juncture, right? Mu Qinghe even took action against her. Chu Liuyue looked down slightly, paused for a moment, and said, ¡°I was rather angry when I first saw him and learned of his identity, but now¡­¡± As if she thought of something, her lips curled up at a faint angle. ¡°Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s First Deity once respectfully followed me for many years. Thinking of this, it¡¯s not a big loss.¡± However, Mu Hongyu could not laugh. Tuan Zi¡¯s entire person lay in Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms as her two chubby arms tightly hugged the latter¡¯s neck, clearly in a bad mood. ¡°A¡¯Yue,¡± muttered Tuan Zi. ¡°Hong Yao is actually still alive¡­¡± Chu Liuyue pinched her face. ¡°Yeah, Hong Yao is fine, and I think it has broken through to become a ninth-grade fiend. You should be happy for it.¡± When Tuan Zi was still a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant in the past, she was always a grade higher than Hong Yao, so she bullied Hong Yao. Hence, Hong Yao always wanted to break through to become a ninth-grade fiend. Now, its wish had come true. Tuan Zi looked up at her. ¡°However, Hong Yao isn¡¯t happy.¡± Chu Liuyue fell silent. ¡°A¡¯Yue, I keep forgetting to tell you that ever since I went to Phoenix Mountain, I frequently felt a pair of eyes staring at me secretly. I tried looking for it many times and didn¡¯t see who it was. Even when I chased it to the Fantasy Divine Hall, I still couldn¡¯t understand.¡± Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°You mean when I first entered the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Tuan Zi pouted. ¡°I saw the figure enter the First Deity¡¯s residence, and I knocked on the door for a very long time, but they didn¡¯t open it for me. At that time, I was furious, but¡­¡± Chu Liuyue instantly understood. ¡°That figure¡­ is Hong Yao?¡± Tuan Zi nodded. ¡°It was also after Hong Yao willingly found me today that I knew that¡ª¡± ¡°Hong Yao found you?¡± ¡°Yeah! If it weren¡¯t for it, I wouldn¡¯t have known that you were in danger in the Fantasy Divine Sea! Later on, Hong Yao and I wanted to go out, but the so-called deity refused. I said I wanted to break the barrier, and he forcefully agreed then.¡± Upon hearing this, Mu Hongyu silently shrunk her neck. Break the barrier¡­ Only Tuan Zi could do such a thing¡­ However, Chu Liuyue was in deep thought. Hong Yao¡­ willingly found Tuan Zi? Tuan Zi suddenly turned around and jumped down from Chu Liuyue¡¯s arms. She hugged her arms and said pitifully, ¡°A¡¯Yue, let¡¯s go get Hong Yao back! Okay?¡± Chu Liuyue sighed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s still Mu Qinghe¡¯s fiend after all.¡± Tuan Zi was enraged. ¡°He¡¯s already the so-called First Deity. He can have whatever legendary fiend he wants! Does he still lack a ninth-grade fiend like Hong Yao?!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. ¡­ Shoo! Hong Yao flew to the yard and stuck its head into the pile of fallen leaves. Then, Mu Qinghe¡¯s figure slowly appeared in the yard. Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t even look at Hong Yao as he walked straight into the room and coldly said, ¡°From today onward, you¡¯re not allowed to take a step out of here.¡± Hong Yao suddenly flew out from the leaves and came to Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe paused in his tracks. The human and the fiend stared at each other. Perhaps because it had just cried, Hong Yao¡¯s eyes were especially clear. At this point, its eyes still had rage that did not dissipate. Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression was cold and nonchalant. After a while, Hong Yao turned around to leave. Mu Qinghe pushed open the door to enter. ¡­ Qi Han stood outside the door and stood guard peacefully. Finally, the sound of the door opening was heard. He turned around to see Mu Hongyu walking out of the room. Compared to her initial excitement, she was currently disappointed and looked a little frail. It was no wonder she was acting in this manner. All along, she thought that she could successfully rescue Diwu Zhangze after she reached the Great Advanced Realm. Who knew things would reach this state? Now that Mu Qinghe already knew of their plans, he would guard the area even more strictly in the future. It would be extremely difficult to save Diwu Zhangze. He is the First Deity, and he definitely is biased toward the Fantasy Divine Hall! Thinking of this, Mu Hongyu suddenly grinded her teeth and hastened her pace. ¡­ ¡°What did you say?! The First Deity is Mu Qinghe?!¡± Inside the room, Jian Fengchi¡¯s face was filled with shock, and he almost doubted his hearing. He suddenly stood up. ¡°D-did you see wrongly?¡± Mu Hongyu laughed coldly. ¡°He even admitted it himself. How would I mistake him?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s mind was momentarily blank, and he could not say a word. Mu Hongyu took a step forward and questioned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you on good terms with him? Did you already know that he¡¯s the First Deity?!¡± Jian Fengchi felt extremely aggrieved. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know! I just¡ª¡± His voice suddenly trailed off. Mu Hongyu knitted her brows. ¡°Just what?¡± Jian Fengchi took a deep breath in. ¡°I¡¯m barely related to him. I don¡¯t know him at all¡ªat all!¡± Mu Hongyu stared at him. ¡°Repeat whatever you just said.¡± Jian Fengchi felt a chill down his spine. After a while, he helplessly said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know about this.¡± Chapter 2398 - 2398 A Show 2398 A Show Mu Hongyu looked at him in half-belief. Jian Fengchi raised his palm. ¡°I swear this matter has nothing to do with me at all. Didn¡¯t you already say previously that the other deities didn¡¯t know his past in Tianling? This proves that he basically arranged those incidents himself, right?¡± Mu Hongyu thought deeply about it before she slowly put down her doubts toward Jian Fengchi and coldly grunted. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t know these things, you didn¡¯t hear anything about him betraying Liuyue back then?¡± Jian Fengchi leaned against the chair. ¡°If I knew of it earlier, that incident wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Even though he had always been impacted by Chu Liuyue all these years, he respected and admired her in his heart. He himself knew clearly that it was because of Chu Liuyue that he continuously improved himself until now. ¡°However¡­¡± Jian Fengchi seemed hesitant. ¡°Half a month before that incident happened, he was in seclusion the whole time and didn¡¯t come out. I went to find him several times and was rejected by him for all sorts of reasons. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it back then. Who knew¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu lightly snorted. ¡°He had long planned for it. It¡¯s not strange for him to do it.¡± ¡°Yeah, he long had plans.¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s hand knocked against the handle. ¡°I later realized this. I felt that even without Jiang Yucheng and Shangguan Wan, he would¡¯ve taken action.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s red lips pouted. ¡°I know. He did it for the music score.¡± After all, he was Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s First Deity. Wasn¡¯t this the best explanation? Jian Fengchi asked in return, ¡°Back then, the music score had already recognized her as its owner. If he really wanted, he could directly bring her back to the Fantasy Divine Hall. Why would he be so harsh?¡± Mu Hongyu paused. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t forget that the princess¡­ never actually died.¡± ¡­ ¡°A¡¯Yue, why do you think he did so many things?¡± Confused, Tuan Zi lay on the bed and used both hands to support her chin. ¡°Besides, since he was the First Deity, why did he listen to Mo Shiqian back then?¡± Mo Shiqian was the Sixth Deity. Logically speaking, his status and abilities were far below Mu Qinghe. However, Mu Qinghe was indeed tortured and suffered under Mo Shiqian¡ªthat was definitely not fake. ¡°If it were to act for you, he didn¡¯t have to do this¡­ After all, he had already taken action against you at that point.¡± Since they were already on bad terms, why was there a need to do such a lame show? There was really no such need. Holding a chess piece in her hand, Chu Liuyue sat by the window with a chessboard placed before her. Hearing Tuan Zi¡¯s words, her gaze flickered slightly. Actually, she was also thinking of this question. It was a pity that Mo Shiqian was already dead, and she had no chance to ask further. The only person she could ask was Mu Qinghe, but it was likely that he would not say anything. The wound on her shoulder hurt faintly, reminding her of whatever happened previously. The current Mu Qinghe is no longer the lonely, beggar-like young man that I picked up from the streets. Or perhaps¡­ It was all a ploy since the very beginning? She laughed and placed a chess piece down. Piak! ¡°Eleventh Deity and Twelfth Deity didn¡¯t even know about Mu Qinghe¡¯s past in Tianling, so it¡¯s also very normal for Mo Shiqian to not know.¡± Judging by Mo Shiqian¡¯s reaction back then, he definitely did not know Mu Qinghe¡¯s true identity. Tuan Zi suddenly realized something. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right! Then, could it be¡­ that he didn¡¯t know himself?¡± Chu Liuyue looked down slightly, keeping silent for a moment, and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± She was doubtful about everything regarding Mu Qinghe. She couldn¡¯t guess whatever was true or fake, and she did not want to guess. ¡°All in all, he only has one identity now¡ªFantasy Divine Hall¡¯s First Deity! Other than this, he might have long forgotten the past.¡± Who would want to remember their disheveled appearance? Even if it was a disguise, the years he spent serving her was probably a memory he, the First Deity, would not want to remember. Tuan Zi rolled around and lay on her back, kicking her short legs. ¡°I really want to ask him what¡¯s going on! If I really can¡¯t, it¡¯s great if he releases Hong Yao!¡± Chu Liuyue reminded, ¡°Now that he had already regained his identity, Hong Yao won¡¯t come again.¡± In the past, everyone did not know what was going on, so Hong Yao could still secretly head to Phoenix Mountain to see Tuan Zi. But now, the bare truth was right before their eyes. The two parties were standing in the clear. It was definitely inconvenient for Hong Yao to have any intimate interactions with them. Tuan Zi was annoyed and upset. ¡°Why did it end up like this?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the chessboard. Yeah, why did it end up like this? ¡­ Tuan Zi stayed at Chu Liuyue¡¯s place for a day before she returned to Phoenix Mountain. After experiencing this incident, she once again deeply felt that her strength wasn¡¯t enough! Mu Qinghe is already the First Deity and even injured A¡¯Yue. I have to become even stronger quickly! On the other hand, Chu Liuyue went out to take a walk. She realized that nobody quite knew what happened in the Fantasy Divine Sea that day. Clearly, Mu Qinghe was the one who suppressed the news. There was one last month left until the Heaven Gate closed. The streets were cold and isolated, but there were quite a few people on the Star Path. At the very end, the Xuan Masters who felt that they still had a bit of hope started taking action. When Chu Liuyue walked past the Star Path, she basically already determined the results of these people. Previously, Mu Yafeng had Jin Yunlai¡¯s help, but she still could not succeed, let alone these people. However, Chu Liuyue finally understood why Jin Yunlai did not hold himself back and helped Mu Yafeng. This Star Path was indeed too difficult for these Xuan Masters. If there wasn¡¯t a single person who succeeded, it would not look too good on him then. Actually, Jin Yunlai had long seen that Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent was better than Mu Yafeng. If he could pin his hopes on Chu Liuyue, he probably wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this state. It was a pity that he was biased against Chu Liuyue because she didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, and he thus missed his last and only chance. Chu Liuyue returned to the previous yard. The moment she pushed open the door to enter, a demonically handsome face entered her vision. She was dazed. ¡°Rong Xiu?¡± Chapter 2399 - 2399 Luckily I Have You 2399 Luckily I Have You ¡°Aren¡¯t you in seclusion? You¡­ ended it?¡± asked Chu Liuyue strangely. All along, she thought that he needed a period of time. Rong Xiu nodded lightly. Then, his gaze landed on her shoulders, and his expression turned slightly cold. Chu Liuyue instinctively shrunk her neck and honestly explained, ¡°The injury isn¡¯t serious. It¡¯s already better!¡± The wound was quite faint. She applied medicine on it after she went back, and she was currently a legendary warrior, so her recovery power was shocking. At this point, it was pretty much healed. Originally, she didn¡¯t pay too much attention to the wound. Who knew Rong Xiu coincidentally came out of seclusion? With his sensitivity, it was basically impossible to hide it from him. Hence, Chu Liuyue chose to immediately confess. Rong Xiu stretched out and pulled her into the house. Detecting the low energy around him, Chu Liuyue obediently quietened down. Her previous experience told her that it was better to stay still at this point. After bringing her into the house, Rong Xiu turned around to close the door. Chu Liuyue softly said, ¡°I¡¯m really fine¡­¡± ¡°I will see it for myself,¡± said Rong Xiu as he turned toward her. See it for yourself?! Chu Liuyue was dazed. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Rong Xiu came to her and looked down at her from above. His usual gentle and intricate appearance seemed to be covered by a layer of frost and some harsh coldness. ¡°I mean I want to see it.¡± His voice seemed lower than usual, and every single word was like the wind strumming the zithers, mesmerizing oneself. ¡°Are you going to do it, or do you want me to help you?¡± His tone did not change, but it had an authority that one could not refute. Chu Liuyue immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± Seeing her appearance, the coldness in Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes finally melted slowly, and an extremely faint smile quickly flashed across his thin lips. ¡°If you do it yourself, you might not be able to do it faster than me.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face blushed slightly, and she angrily glared at him. Then, she removed her outer clothings and revealed her injured shoulder. The snow-white and smooth shoulder had an inch-long sword wound that had already formed a scab. There was a faint layer of powder. Rong Xiu knitted his brows slightly, and his eyes seemed to be overwhelmed. He reached out, and his warm fingers gently landed on it. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± This small wound didn¡¯t count for much compared to the wounds she had suffered before. Rong Xiu pressed his thin lips against each other. ¡°Who did it?¡± Chu Liuyue paused, and her lips curled up into a smile. ¡°Mu Qinghe.¡± Rong Xiu looked at her and hugged her with his long arms. He looked down slightly and landed a kiss on her lips. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you don¡¯t have to smile if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s thin and white hands lightly clutched the clothes before his chest, and the curl on her lips eventually lowered. She moved back slightly and placed her head lightly on his chest. The familiar cold fragrance instantly wrapped around her, and she felt extremely secure. She closed her eyes, and after a long while, sighed lightly. She told Mu Hongyu she was not angry, but it was impossible for her to not care at all. However, time had passed, and everything had changed. It seemed rather embarrassing to hold onto it. Yet, Rong Xiu had seen her in her most embarrassing state. Hence, only with him, she could truly let down everything she had and faced the incident before her. She shook her head. Originally, she had a lot of things to say. But after hearing Rong Xiu¡¯s words and being hugged by him, she felt that there was not much to care about. He knew what she was thinking and understood the emotions she did not express. He knew that she was upset and comforted her wounds. She hugged his fit waist and lightly said, ¡°Rong Xiu, luckily I have you.¡± He would never lie to her or hide from her, and he was always beside her. At this moment, her head was on his chest, so she didn¡¯t see the golden and black fires that instantly rose in his eyes! However, the fires disappeared after a moment. Rong Xiu held her chin and kissed her. ¡­ Yan Qing walked out from the house and headed in a certain direction. The moment he walked out, someone called him. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, where are you going?¡± He paused in his tracks and turned around to take a look. Xiao Ba lazily leaned against the door and seemed to have just awoken. There was still lethargy in her eyes as she squinted slightly and looked over in a seemingly smiling manner. She looked even more charming. Her usual soft voice was a little hoarse at the moment. Perhaps she herself didn¡¯t even know how alluring she was at the moment. Yan Qing¡¯s gaze paused on her face for a moment. ¡°Some private matters.¡± ¡°How is it a private matter? I see that you¡¯re clearly going to find His Grace, right?¡± Xiao Ba laughed lightly and raised her chin. ¡°I advise you not to go over now.¡± Yan Qing knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Ba smiled with deep meaning. ¡°Because¡­ Master is there too!¡± Yan Qing was dazed and instantly understood. He really did not know about this. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Miss Xiao Ba. Then, I¡¯ll wait for a moment.¡± Xiao Ba lazily waved her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t wait! I already woke up from my nap, and I still didn¡¯t see them!¡± Yan Qing: ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s words were direct and flirtatious, and he did not know how to reply. Luckily, he did not speak much usually, so Xiao Ba did not mind. She suddenly thought of something and smiled. ¡°Coincidentally, I want to go to the medicinal mountain. Lord Yan Qing, do you want to go with me?¡± Yan Qing almost immediately chose to reject her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inconvenient.¡± Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°How is it inconvenient? When we come back, you probably can see His Grace, and I can see my Master! How great is that? Besides¡ª¡± Her eyes rolled, and she spread her hands helplessly. ¡°Besides, many people said that they haven¡¯t seen you before and think that I¡¯m lying to them. Recently, some people found me again, and it¡¯s really annoy¡ª¡± Yan Qing¡¯s hand on the sword tightened slowly. ¡°Who is it?¡± Chapter 2400 - 2400 Marry In 2400 Marry In Xiao Ba stretched lazily and revealed her thin waist. The few colorful pearls on her clothes rang as they swayed lightly and were extremely eye-catching. ¡°How can I remember¡­¡± She dragged her last syllable in an innocent and alluring manner. In her eyes, those people looked the same, and she could not differentiate them. Yan Qing pressed his thin lips against each other and loosened his grip. Seeing that he did not speak, Xiao Ba shrugged her shoulders and softly said, ¡°Sigh, since Lord Yan Qing doesn¡¯t want to go, then¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Yan Qing. His expression looked calm, and nobody could not tell what he was feeling. As long as I don¡¯t meet those people, it should be fine. Xiao Ba revealed a bright smile. ¡°Okay!¡± She took small steps toward Yan Qing. A fragrance wafted over. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± However, Yan Qing did not move as his gaze landed on her face. As she just took an afternoon nap, her face was still slightly flushed, and her hair was a little messy. A few strands of hair hung loosely on her neck. She was naturally pretty and very charming. Now that she had a few hints of lethargy, her movements were even more mesmerizing. She seemed like a wind that silently blew the spring waters. Xiao Ba took a step out. Seeing that Yan Qing did not follow her, she turned around to look at him. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She touched her face. Is there something dirty on my face? Yan Qing paused and remarked, ¡°Your hair is messy.¡± Xiao Ba was dazed for a moment, and she blinked her pretty eyes before she pulled Yan Qing¡¯s arm. Yan Qing knitted his brows slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Ba couldn¡¯t pull him forward, so she pulled his arm to the side and leaned over. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Yan Qing looked down and realized that Xiao Ba was staring at the sword in his hands. This sword was bright and sharp, and it clearly reflected her appearance. So she is using it as a mirror¡­ Yan Qing understood and could not decide if he should move or stay still, so he just stood there. Xiao Ba leaned forward slightly. After taking a close look at the reflection on the sword body, she softly muttered, ¡°It is a little messy¡­¡± She leaned over, and the few loose strands of hair gently brushed past the back of Yan Qing¡¯s hand with a foreign itchiness. He clenched his head slowly, and one could see his veins on his forceful and thin palm. Xiao Ba took out an ornament and clipped those few strands of hair up. Following that, she lightly twirled them and stuck a hairpin in it. Even though it was stuck in at a slanted angle, it especially revealed a lazy and casual aura. Xiao Ba always knew how to tidy herself to look the prettiest. ¡°Is this okay?¡± Xiao Ba looked up and tilted her head toward Yan Qing. Following her movements, the ornament swayed lightly. It was especially charming next to her white, thin, and almost translucent earlobe. At this point, the lethargy in her eyes had already disappeared. Her cheeks were flushed slightly, and the blush was much fainter. Only that pair of eyes glistened. Yan Qing¡¯s heart seemed to be hit by something. He welcomed her gaze. Clear, beautiful, genuine, and alluring. A thought suddenly surfaced in Yan Qing¡¯s heart: Should not go out. If she goes out with this appearance, many people will definitely see her. However, he quickly recovered his senses. Noticing the thought that just flashed across his mind, he pressed his thin lips tightly, and his heart beat harshly. Why did I have such thoughts? Xiao Ba is beautiful and loves the crowd. Besides, she clearly has important things to do since she wants to go to the medicinal mountain now. I really should not have such thoughts. Seeing that Yan Qing did not speak for a long time and even slightly knitted his brows, Xiao Ba was confused. ¡°Do I not look good like this?¡± That can¡¯t be. My aesthetics won¡¯t go wrong. This is clearly great! Knowing Yan Qing¡¯s character of being a man of few words, Xiao Ba did not hope that this ice mountain would say any compliments. However, it could not be that he did not know what was pretty, right? Yan Qing recovered her senses, looked at her, paused for a moment, and still said, ¡°You look good.¡± Extremely good. Xiao Ba lightly grunted. It¡¯s just those three words after so long? This Lord Yan Qing is really a man of few words. However, there doesn¡¯t seem to be much meaning to hold this against him. Xiao Ba forcefully accepted this compliment. After all, she still had to ask him for a favor. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Her lips curled up, and she turned to leave. Suddenly, a thick and forceful palm held her hand. Xiao Ba was dazed as she turned around and looked at Yan Qing in shock. To be more accurate, it was their tightly interlocked hands. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, why are you holding my hand?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s expression was as calm and composed as usual. Hearing this, he knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to go to the medicinal mountain to show them?¡± After a pause, he let go of her hand. ¡°If I¡¯ve offended you, please forgive me, Miss Xiao Ba.¡± Xiao Ba snorted and stuck up her thumb. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, I realized that you¡¯re becoming more skilled.¡± He does know the logic of acting to the fullest! I did not even think of it before. Thinking of this, she took a step forward and directly held Yan Qing¡¯s arm. She leaned over closely, and her soft and thin hands lightly held Yan Qing¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s go then, Brother Yan Qing!¡± ¡­ The two of them walked out while holding hands. The moment they walked out, they met Wu Yao, who just returned from the Heaven Gate. ¡°Hm? Xiao Ba, Yan Qing, are you going out to play?¡± Xiao Ba was embarrassed. She did not even have the chance to explain to Fifth Brother and the rest previously, and now they met him again! The key was they were outside now¡­ Hence, she could only choose to nod. Wu Yao looked at the duo¡¯s hands, and he lightly grunted. Even though Yan Qing seemed to forcefully pass in all aspects, Wu Yao still felt infuriated when he saw his own sister so close to him. ¡°Come back early!¡± Then, Wu Yao did not stay any longer and returned to the yard. Xiao Ba coughed and hurriedly pulled Yan Qing. Wu Yao returned to the yard and glanced at Cen Yi standing at the door. ¡°Big Brother, did you see Xiao Ba and Yan Qing going out just now?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°This Yan Qing really hides his tricks up his sleeves. He easily tricked our Xiao Ba!¡± Wu Yao came to the stone table and poured himself a cup of tea to rid himself of the anger. Cen Yi glanced at him and nonchalantly said, ¡°He¡¯s marrying into the family.¡± ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Wu Yao spat out a mouthful of tea. He looked at Cen Yi in shock. Then, this shock gradually turned into admiration. No wonder Big Brother did not have much of a reaction beforehand. He was actually waiting for this?! ¡°Marrying in? His Grace is willing to agree?¡± Yan Qing was that person¡¯s right-hand man! Faint smiling intent flashed across Cen Yi¡¯s nonchalant and cold eyes before it quickly disappeared. ¡°Of course.¡± Chapter 2401 - 2401 Come 2401 Come Medicinal mountain. There was still a month left until the Heaven Gate closed. Everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace was waiting solemnly. At the medicinal mountain, there were even more people bustling around, and it was very crowded. The moment Xiao Ba and Yan Qing reached, it immediately attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. Countless pairs of eyes looked over. When they saw Xiao Ba holding a man¡¯s hand, almost everyone was stunned. ¡°Who is that?! He¡¯s actually so close to Miss Xiao Ba?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I recognize him. He seems to be¡­ new?¡± ¡°Could he be the one she previously talked about? Her lover?¡± ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°That guy seems to be a legendary warrior? He¡¯s actually so young¡­¡± All kinds of discussions came one after another. Xiao Ba was very satisfied and pulled Yan Qing¡¯s hand. Yan Qing immediately understood and looked down slightly. Xiao Ba went close to his ears, smiled slightly, and said, ¡°Brother Yan Qing, look¡ªyou¡¯re quite good at this!¡± When she spoke, her warm breath landed on his earlobes and neck, causing them to heat up. Yan Qing¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved, and he did not speak. Xiao Ba did not expect him to say anything. Anyway, she was just responsible for praising him! ¡°Let¡¯s go over there. There are quite a few herbs to collect.¡± Xiao Ba leaned in very closely. When she spoke, Yan Qing could even feel her soft lips brushing past vaguely. He nodded lightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Ba smiled. Brother Yan Qing is obedient for once! I suddenly want to pinch his face and see if the ice mountain will melt. Xiao Ba was conflicted for a moment but still held it in as she pulled Yan Qing toward a mountain peak. She was very familiar with the area now; she recalled clearly where the herbs were and how many there were. Hence, she could immediately find whatever she wanted. Yan Qing obediently followed her. Their voices were very light, and other people couldn¡¯t hear them clearly. Hence, their leaning close to each other to whisper was a very intimate show of affection. Quite a few young men¡¯s hearts were broken. ¡°It seems like Miss Xiao Ba really likes that person. She¡¯s willing to be so close to him¡­¡± ¡°That man looks extraordinary. No wonder she was willing to reject Liang He for him.¡± ¡°Forget it, forget it. Let¡¯s worry about ourselves! There¡¯s not much time left¡­¡± ¡­ Shu Jing stood beside the lake and looked at the nearby barrier with slightly furrowed brows. Recently, this barrier had been very unstable and appeared infrequently. Even she could not understand it. Even though she couldn¡¯t completely control this barrier, such a situation had never happened before. First Deity and Second Deity¡¯s stances were very clear¡ªshe had to settle it herself. However¡­ It was easy to say but very difficult to do! For the past 10,000 years, she had thought of countless methods, but she couldn¡¯t do anything to this barrier. Now that only a short month was left, what could she do? Shu Jing was beyond frustrated, but she herself knew that it was her last chance. So many things had happened beforehand, and her status was in a risky position. If she continued in this state¡­ Shu Jing did not dare to think further. Suddenly, a few discussions sounded in her ears. ¡°You¡¯re speaking the truth? Miss Xiao Ba really came with a man?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! Everyone saw it personally, and the two of them are very intimate. Anyone can tell that they¡¯re definitely a couple!¡± ¡°I recall that man seems to be called Yan Qing? I heard that he has the same name and last name as the Emperor¡¯s Left Divine General¡­¡± ¡°I took a look from far away¡ªthat man is indeed a legendary warrior, and he¡¯s very young. His future is bright. An average person really can¡¯t compete with him. He looks very compatible with Miss Xiao Ba when they stand beside each other.¡± Shu Jing knitted her brows and looked over. The few people talking were just walking past the area and did not go near her, but when they spoke, they didn¡¯t intentionally lower their voices. Hence, even if they were a distance away, Shu Jing could still hear them clearly. She was annoyed when she heard Xiao Ba¡¯s name. Because of what that person said previously, Shu Jing had been holding it in and did not cause Xiao Ba any trouble. However, she sent herself over now and even dared to flaunt her partner with the same name and last name as that person. How outrageous! Shu Jing¡¯s face turned cold, and she walked toward the tall mountains. ¡­ Xiao Ba and Yan Qing were standing before a stream. A white reed¡ªas tall as a person¡ªwas floating on the stream as it swayed with the wind. Xiao Ba stood by the shore and suddenly sighed. ¡°Sigh, I miss Shi Fang so much.¡± Yan Qing looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Ba raised her hand and pointed to the front. ¡°The fairy vine is buried underneath. One has to personally go down to dig it out. Shi Fang always did this in the past.¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t that Xiao Ba did not do such a thing before. After all, back at Peach Blossom Dock, she and Shi Fang had gotten themselves messy when handling all those herbs. But if she had a second choice, Xiao Ba would try to avoid it. In the past, Shi Fang was her second choice. But now¡­ She looked at Yan Qing. Yan Qing immediately understood what she meant. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Xiao Ba immediately said, ¡°Brother Yan Qing, you¡¯re the best!¡± Yan Qing did not speak and turned toward the depths of the river. At this point, a voice filled with mockery sounded. ¡°You want to trouble someone else for such a small matter. How are you worthy to be a heavenly doctor?¡± Yan Qing paused in his tracks and knitted his brows. Sigh, why is it her again? Xiao Ba turned around. ¡°Eighth Deity, are you waiting for me every day? If not, why would I bump into you everywhere I go?¡± Shu Jing smiled coldly, and her gaze landed on Yan Qing. Just as she was about to mock him, her expression suddenly changed. This back view¡ª ¡­ When Chu Liuyue woke up again, it was already evening. The sky was turning dark. She opened her eyes in a daze and felt her entire body ache, as if she had collapsed. For some reason, Rong Xiu seemed especially¡­ The moment she moved, a warm body leaned onto her. Rong Xiu¡¯s arm hugged her waist and easily captured her into his arms. Chu Liuyue¡¯s two hands were on his chest. She widened her eyes and shook her head pitifully. Rong Xiu chuckled softly and kissed her. ¡°I won¡¯t bully you.¡± Chu Liuyue then gradually relaxed and could not help but say, ¡°You only say that after you¡¯re done with bullying me. You¡¯re too insincere.¡± Her usually clear voice was rather hoarse. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze deepened slightly, and his thin lips curled up. ¡°How do you know that it¡¯s because I¡¯m done and not because I kindly stopped myself for you?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s face instantly blushed. This man¡­ But Rong Xiu was good with his words. After hugging her for a while, he carried her to the shower. However, he did not stay too long before going out. After Chu Liuyue tidied herself and returned to the bedroom, she discovered that Rong Xiu had already sat down. There was a chessboard before him. Hearing the sound, he looked over. The candlelight reflected the depths of his eyes, which were like the bottom of the ocean. ¡°Yue¡¯er, come.¡± Chapter 2402 - 2402 Master! 2402 Master! Chu Liuyue walked over and sat down opposite Rong Xiu. ¡°Why did you suddenly think of playing chess?¡± Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°Nothing much. Ever since you solved all the Xuan formations on the Star Path, we haven¡¯t dueled. Let¡¯s play one round?¡± Chu Liuyue was instantly interested. ¡°Sure.¡± Upon deeper thought, they hadn¡¯t played against each other for a long time. She had finished the Star Path, and Rong Xiu had just ended his seclusion¡ªit was a good time. Rong Xiu remarked, ¡°I won¡¯t go easy this time.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°You always say this.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s skills were strong and mysterious. Every time she thought that she had caught up with him, she discovered that he was even stronger than she thought. Later on, she had to continuously chase after him. Rong Xiu looked down slightly, as if he had recalled many incidents with her words. His thin lips curled up slightly, and his voice was low and gentle. ¡°This time, I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± Then, he whipped his sleeves, and his long arm brushed across the chessboard before him. A shockingly tremendous suppression descended, and the chessboard instantly turned into powder! Chu Liuyue was dazed, and her heart immediately skipped a beat! Rong Xiu wants to use holy force to fight in this round? Before he even took action, the superior water-stone chessboard was silently destroyed! Following that, a ball of bright light flew out of Rong Xiu¡¯s palm and formed countless intersecting lines in midair. A new chessboard¡ªformed from strong holy force¡ªappeared in front of Chu Liuyue. The rays of light were bright and iridescent. This chessboard only floated quietly in midair, but Chu Liuyue already felt an oppressive suppression. Her heart skipped a beat. Rong Xiu¡¯s current skills¡­ probably far exceed my predictions! ¡°You go first,¡± said Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue nodded lightly and flicked her fingers. With that, a ray of red-golden light flew out. But before this ray of light could form a chess piece on the chessboard, it was silently killed by the bright golden light. Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils narrowed! Knowing that Rong Xiu wanted to duel with her¡­ Although she didn¡¯t use her full force in this ray of light, she did use half of it. She did not expect that she couldn¡¯t even approach the chessboard! She looked up slightly and glanced at Rong Xiu. His lips had faint smiling intent. ¡°Yue¡¯er, I said I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± Determined, Chu Liuyue squinted slightly before she took action again! Hua¡ª Pa! Force that was much stronger than the previous suddenly flew out. After a temporary and intense struggle on the chessboard, it finally landed! In this manner, Chu Liuyue finally successfully made her move! However, Chu Liuyue instinctively straightened her body. Her back was straight, and she held her breath in. At this point, she finally understood what Rong Xiu meant: He was for real! This was just the first move, and it was already so difficult. One could just imagine the intense struggle that would occur later on! Thinking of this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart beat faster. There were a few hints of excitement in her nervousness¡ªit was the strong battle intent when she met with a strong warrior! Rong Xiu looked at her and saw the bright light that vaguely appeared in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± Chu Liuyue lifted her chin. Rong Xiu raised his hand, and a black light surged out of his fingertips. Then, he lightly pointed it. Piak! A dark chess piece landed with the sound! With this shocking impact, the chessboard rippled. Chu Liuyue looked at that chess piece in a daze. An extremely familiar feeling exuded from it! This force¡­ This aura¡­ I have clearly felt it before! After temporary silence, she suddenly realized something and looked up at Rong Xiu. ¡°Master?!¡± When she was at Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum, she had once met a man. She did not see the other party¡¯s appearance, and she only knew that his force was a special black color. Afterward, she had tried going to Zhen Bao Pavilion countless times to meet this legendary Master, but it was to no avail. Slowly, she placed this matter aside. But now¡ª Rong Xiu looked at her, and his phoenix-like eyes were clear yet dark. She has always been intelligent, and she understands things with just a hint. He laughed and said, ¡°When I gave you the black pyramid back then, I said that it was my wife¡¯s item.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was instantly overwhelmed! He¡¯s admitting it¡­ He admitted it! Yes, that black pyramid sealed my memories of the God Residence Realm. It is naturally mine! Wife¡­ So it turns out the wife he talked about was myself?! Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved slightly, and countless scenes flashed across her mind in a messy manner. She had too many things to say and too many questions to ask, but facing Rong Xiu now, she could not utter a single word. There seemed to be something stuck in her throat, and it could not move up nor down. She realized that she seemed to have forgotten many important things, but she did not know what to do. This news was too shocking, and it confused her. After a while, she finally realized something and lightly muttered, ¡°Yeah, the Sky-Cloud Empire¡¯s His Grace originally has two holy bodies¡­¡± This also meant that Rong Xiu¡¯s body had two holy forces! Actually, it wasn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue did not suspect him before. However, because that Master¡¯s force and aura were very foreign and different from Rong Xiu¡¯s, she quickly denied this guess and did not think further. Unexpectedly¡ª Seeing the black chess piece on the chessboard, Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved as she finally asked, ¡°¡­So you specifically left my broken soul and memories in Country Yao Chen¡¯s imperial mausoleum?¡± This was the only explanation for everything! Rong Xiu¡¯s phoenix-like eyes turned dark. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the answer after this round.¡± ¡­ Medicinal mountain. That figure quickly disappeared within the reeds. Shu Jing¡¯s heart beat quickly, and she immediately went forward. ¡°Hold on!¡± That figure is really like¡ª An arm suddenly came from the side to block Shu Jing. Xiao Ba raised her sharp brows slightly and looked at Shu Jing in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°Eighth Deity, what are you doing? Brother Yan Qing is helping me find the fairy vine. Why are you calling him?¡± As Xiao Ba asked, she sized Shu Jing up. Something isn¡¯t right. Shu Jing¡¯s current expression and emotions are amiss. I have interacted with Shu Jing countless times, but I haven¡¯t seen her in this manner. The more important thing is that Shu Jing clearly became like this after she saw Yan Qing. What is happening? Angry? Annoyed? No, Shu Jing¡¯s gaze clearly seems as if she is looking at someone familiar. Shu Jing was currently anxious. When she heard Xiao Ba call those few words, her blood boiled. She smacked Xiao Ba¡¯s hand away and coldly scolded, ¡°I don¡¯t wish to hold it against you today. If you¡¯re sensible, watch yourself!¡± Chapter 2403 - 2403 Wont Bear 2403 Won¡¯t Bear Xiao Ba¡¯s smile became much fainter. She moved her wrist and slightly smiled. ¡°What a coincidence. I don¡¯t wish to give you another slap today, Eighth Deity. The skin on your face is too rough. What happens if it scratches my hand?¡± ¡°You!¡± Not a single person could hold it in when they heard this, especially Shu Jing, who had a grudge against Xiao Ba. However, she cared more about something else now. She looked at the reeds again. That figure had disappeared without a trace. Xiao Ba saw her appearance, and she was not in a good mood. ¡°Eighth Deity, why are you staring at my Brother Yan Qing?¡± This gaze¡­ is really unsettling. Shu Jing¡¯s gaze turned cold, and she was about to take action! Swoosh! A longsword suddenly flew out from the depths of the reeds and went straight to Shu Jing! Shu Jing was shocked and immediately retracted her hand. Then, she moved a few steps back and barely escaped that sword. She looked at that sword in shock. That is just a very ordinary sword, but¡­ the force it contains is extremely stunning! What exactly¡­ Xiao Ba turned around, and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. This is something I have to admit. Even though Yan Qing is a man of a few words and is always as cold as an ice mountain, his combat skills are shocking. Even if he isn¡¯t in front of us, his sword is very stable and accurate! With someone backing her up, Xiao Ba held her head higher. ¡°Eighth Deity, you¡¯re not the only one who can decide if I¡¯m worthy of being a heavenly doctor. Besides, I¡¯m not troubling others. Brother Yan Qing is my man. Not to mention helping me pick the fairy vine¡­ Even if he massages my shoulders and rubs my back, brushes my hair, and does my makeup, he should do it. This is called romance. Do you understand?¡± Xiao Ba spoke as she kicked her shoes. She secretly thought: This is nothing. Lord Yan Qing even helped me wear my shoes. If I say this, will I not anger the Eighth Deity to death? Shu Jing was so angry that her entire body trembled. ¡°You really¡ª¡± Before she finished her sentence, whirring came from behind Shu Jing. She was taken aback and hurriedly turned around to take a look. Far away, a light-green barrier faintly appeared. The rays of light moved on it in a bright manner. It was already very dark now, so that barrier was especially eye-catching. Detecting the ripples from that barrier, Shu Jing knitted her brows even more tightly. Why did it start again?! However, she had no choice and had to rush over immediately. If not, she would be in trouble if something happened again. She glanced at Xiao Ba indignantly, and her gaze quickly swept across the reeds behind her. Even though the possibility was very low, she still felt uneasy for some reason. I probably can¡¯t see him today and have to wait for another chance. Anyway, this person is in Fantasy Divine Palace. How hard is it to meet him? Thinking of this, Shu Jing did not hesitate further and turned around to leave. Xiao Ba squinted her pretty eyes slightly and looked at that barrier in deep thought. The wind blew over and raised the token around her waist. At this point, sounds were heard from behind. Xiao Ba turned around and saw Yan Qing walking out of the reeds. He held a few fairy vines in his hands. Then, he raised his hand, and the sword finally returned to him. He walked to Xiao Ba and passed her the fairy vines. Even though they were born in mud, fairy vines were entirely emerald green and looked crystal-like, similar to a gem. They were very clean and pretty. ¡°Thank you so much, Brother Yan Qing!¡± Xiao Ba took the fairy vine and smiled at Yan Qing. Yan Qing¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°The person just now is the Eighth Deity?¡± Xiao Ba nodded, and her gaze then turned. She bit her lips and leaned over, smiling as she remarked, ¡°Brother Yan Qing, Eighth Deity seems¡­ to be rather interested in you.¡± ¡°Impossible,¡± said Yan Qing without thinking. Xiao Ba said, ¡°How do you know that it¡¯s impossible? If I didn¡¯t stop her, she was going to go in and find you!¡± That behavior was really strange. Even though Xiao Ba had the intent to tease him, she wasn¡¯t completely making it up. Yan Qing pressed his thin lips against each other slightly and said, ¡°I meant that she hasn¡¯t even seen me before, let alone others.¡± Xiao Ba lightly grunted. ¡°That might not be true. This Eighth Deity is very strange. Besides, she seems to act differently toward that Left Divine General¡­ Ah!¡± She suddenly gasped in shock. ¡°Is she a couple with that person?!¡± Thinking about how Shu Jing forcefully requested for Yan Qing to change his name¡­ If it weren¡¯t because there was something going on between them, why would she care about it so much? Yan Qing frowned for once. ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± ¡°How am I saying nonsense?¡± Xiao Ba pouted her red lips. ¡°You didn¡¯t see how protective she was of that Left Divine General that day! She sounded very close to him! If there¡¯s really something going on between them, do you think I¡¯ll be offending the Left Divine General if I¡¯ve offended her?¡± Yan Qing looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re worried about this?¡± If she was scared, she would not have slapped Shu Jing that day. Xiao Ba rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m scared! I heard that the Left Divine General is very strong! If he comes and causes trouble for me¡ª¡± ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± interrupted Yan Qing. Xiao Ba lightly snorted. ¡°Who knows¡­¡± Speaking of this, she suddenly looked at Yan Qing and asked, ¡°Between Shu Jing and me, who is prettier?¡± Yan Qing paused. Xiao Ba lightly pushed him. ¡°Quickly say it!¡± Yan Qing¡¯s words were brief. ¡°You.¡± Xiao Ba then smiled and gently touched her face. ¡°I think so too! Then, I can rest assured! Look, I¡¯m so beautiful. Do you think that the Left Divine General can bear to take action against me?¡± Yan Qing looked at her and said after a long while, ¡°He won¡¯t dare.¡± Chapter 2404 - 2404 Ask 2404 Ask Time slowly passed as dead silence lingered in the air. Inside the room, Rong Xiu sat opposite Chu Liuyue. There was a chessboard between the two of them. On it, the intense black and red-gold colors complemented each other, forming an extremely bright scene. Beads of sweat slowly emerged on Chu Liuyue¡¯s forehead, wetting her hair. Six hours had passed, but she only made five moves during this period of time. It wasn¡¯t that she did not know where to place her piece, but¡­ The force of this chessboard was too strong! If she wanted to successfully place her piece, she had to put in a large amount of effort! Besides, every move was even more difficult than the previous one. Before this, Chu Liuyue never expected that her game with Rong Xiu would progress in such a slow and bitter manner. Chu Liuyue knew that Rong Xiu was very strong. However, this was the first time she clearly felt the difference between them¡­ It was like the difference between heaven and earth¡ªhard to cross! After she made her sixth move, Rong Xiu raised his hand. A black chess piece lightly landed. His movements were very smooth, seemingly not encountering the suppression that Chu Liuyue faced when she tried to make a move on the chessboard. It was as if everything was as easy as ABC to him. In actual fact, that was indeed the case. Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. I¡¯m already a legendary warrior. Besides, without exaggerating, I¡¯m definitely the top amongst all the legendary warriors. My holy force is definitely suppressive compared to most cultivators, not to mention that I have already completed the Star Path and solved all the Xuan formations. A Grandmaster Xuan Master was beaten into such a sorry state in front of Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and gathered her focus. I have to finish this game and¡­ listen to the truth that Rong Xiu has hidden for so long! ¡­ Qiang Wanzhou stood in the yard and looked at the door before him with slightly knitted brows. There was a hint of worry on his pretty and intricate face. It had been a long time since the two of them went in. Not only did they seem like they weren¡¯t coming out, but the entire room even had a faint suppression. That is Rong Xiu¡¯s doing. He set up this horrifying barrier and easily blocked everything inside. What exactly¡­ After hesitating for a moment, he walked toward another room. The room door wasn¡¯t locked. However, Qiang Wanzhou still came to it and knocked. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A nonchalant and calm voice sounded from the room. ¡°Come in.¡± Qiang Wanzhou then went in. Behind the screen, Cen Yi stood behind the desk. There was a painting before him. Qiang Wanzhou instinctively glanced at it and faintly saw the complicated patterns on it. In its mess, there seemed to be a certain indescribable pattern. When he saw the familiar blurred handwriting hidden beneath the lines, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately lowered his head. However, Cen Yi didn¡¯t seem to mind as he casually used an item to cover it. Following that, he looked up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qiang Wanzhou hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°There¡­ seems to be something amiss with Master and His Highness.¡± It was fine if it was a day or so, but they continuously didn¡¯t come out. Besides, His Highness¡¯s moves were unsettling. Cen Yi shook his head. ¡°Master is with His Highness. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Qiang Wanzhou was hesitant with his words. After thinking for a while, he said, ¡°There¡¯s less than half a month left until the Heaven Gate closes.¡± The turbulent winds preceded the storms. Currently, Fantasy Divine Palace was much colder than before, and the atmosphere was tense. Clearly, everyone was waiting for that day¡¯s arrival. Cen Yi¡¯s expression did not change as he nodded. ¡°It is indeed soon¡­ Master and His Highness have their own plans. We don¡¯t have to worry. As for you, how have you been doing lately?¡± Qiang Wanzhou touched his brows. ¡°Everything went smoothly.¡± Cen Yi did not seem shocked. Ever since he solved that seal, the coldness in Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s body had been completely absorbed and melted. He broke through to become a legendary warrior in one shot. Cultivating was just a very simple matter to the current Qiang Wanzhou. As long as nothing went wrong, there was nothing to worry about. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you know what you¡¯re doing. However, don¡¯t go out for this period of time. Just cultivate here peacefully.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qiang Wanzhou acknowledged the order. Then, he thought of something, pressed his thin lips against each other, and said, ¡°I heard that on the day the Heaven Gate closes, the deities will all appear. At that time, the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s First Deity should also¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s already come out.¡± Cen Yi lowered his head and looked at the drawing before him. Qiang Wanzhou was stunned. ¡°What?! Why isn¡¯t there any news outside?¡± He had been intentionally asking around during this period, but he did not hear any relevant rumors. Cen Yi¡¯s lips curled up at an extremely faint angle, as a dark glint seemed to flash across his narrow and nonchalant eyes. ¡°He went to the Fantasy Divine Sea. Of course, you don¡¯t know.¡± Qiang Wanzhou instantly understood. But after hearing the three words ¡®Fantasy Divine Sea,¡¯ he glanced at Cen Yi rather hesitantly. ¡°Then¡­ when do you plan to go?¡± Cen Yi paused in his actions and did not reply to him. He asked in return, ¡°Si Jing is still in the lightning pool?¡± Qiang Wanzhou nodded. ¡°Previously, he came back every day. But since three days ago, he has been there the whole time and hasn¡¯t come back.¡± ¡°He should,¡± said Cen Yi. Qiang Wanzhou did not continue. After a moment, Cen Yi said, ¡°Go back and rest. You don¡¯t have to worry about this. After this period, there should be quite a few things waiting for you to handle.¡± Qiang Wanzhou¡¯s gaze flickered. He touched the token around his waist before saying, ¡°OK.¡± ¡­ Shu Jing quickly returned and arrived before the light-green barrier. She furrowed her brows tightly. The previous strange ripple had already disappeared; it was as if nothing had happened. However¡­ she clearly knew that it was not the case! Shu Jing felt terrible. The barrier had strange changes and kept having problems from time to time, which gave her a feeling of being teased. Thinking of First Deity and Second Deity¡¯s previous attitudes, she was even more frustrated. At this point, she had to admit that she couldn¡¯t solve the problem with her own strength! Thinking of this, she was determined as she turned around to leave. Not only this barrier, but there is also the Left Divine General¡­ Even though I already feel that it¡¯s impossible, I still want to verify it personally. ¡­ Yu Qian was on the legendary fiend mountain. Ever since he was punished by the First Deity in public, this was his first time coming out. The legendary fiends on the mountain seemed to detect his low mood, and they didn¡¯t dare to approach him. They all avoided him. Yu Qian walked in the forest alone. As he walked, he kept thinking of some incidents that happened lately. As for the First Deity, he definitely had some vengeance and indignance toward him. No matter what, he was also the Second Deity. Even though his status and identity were lower than the First Deity, he kneeled in front of the crowd for three days and three nights. How could Yu Qian not feel anything? All these years, First Deity didn¡¯t do anything and left all the big and small matters in Fantasy Divine Palace for him to handle personally. In the end, just because he asked a question, he received such a punishment! Yu Qian¡¯s gaze turned darker. Chapter 2405 - 2405 Stalemate on the Legendary Fiend Mountain 2405 Stalemate on the Legendary Fiend Mountain However, Yu Qian didn¡¯t dare to reveal it at all. He knew clearly that the First Deity was much stronger than him. The more important thing was that the First Deity was Divine Master¡¯s most trusted and important individual. He had the Divine Master backing him up¡ªother people couldn¡¯t compare with him on this point alone. Hence, Yu Qian had to tolerate it. Suddenly, his expression focused, and he looked to the front. He shouted sternly, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± A tall figure walked out from the woods. This was a young man with a muscular build, and he was half a head taller than Yu Qian. His appearance was fit, and his aura was outstanding. It was an unfamiliar face. After seeing Yu Qian, the man opposite was dazed for a moment as he nodded and greeted, ¡°Greetings, Second Deity.¡± Yu Qian knew that he wasn¡¯t ordinary at first glance. Besides, if he appeared in this place at this time, there was only one possibility. Yu Qian quickly searched his mind for and vaguely guessed the other party¡¯s name. ¡°¡­Hua Shuangshuang?¡± Hua Shuangshuang was rather shocked. ¡°Second Deity, you know me?¡± It couldn¡¯t be said that Yu Qian knew him, but he did hear of Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s name before. Ever since Chu Liuyue successfully finished the Star Path and entered the Fantasy Divine Hall, Yu Qian specifically went to check on the subordinates around her. Hua Shuangshuang was tall and was easy to recognize, so Yu Qian quickly guessed his identity. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Yu Qian coldly. The Heaven Gate is about to close. Most of the cultivators are busy improving themselves now. Who has the time to stay at the legendary fiend mountain? Hua Shuangshuang was about to speak when a head quickly popped out from behind him and shrunk back again. Yu Qian¡¯s eyes were very sharp. ¡°What¡¯s that behind you?¡± Hua Shuangshuang coughed. ¡°Nothing much; it¡¯s just a little fellow. Second Deity, I¡¯ve made a joke of myself.¡± ¡°Little fellow¡­¡± Yu Qian suddenly laughed. ¡°Wind-Stepping Tiger?¡± Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s heart tightened. Yu Qian¡¯s eyes were extremely sharp. Even if it was just a glance, he also rapidly recognized that it was a Wind-Stepping Tiger. However, there doesn¡¯t seem to be such an existence on the legendary fiend mountain. So where did the one on Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s back come from? Yu Qian could clearly feel a familiar aura from the small Wind-Stepping Tiger. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°That¡¯s the cub that scoundrel left behind?¡± Back then, he was bitten by that Wind-Stepping Tiger and was furious. In his anger, he killed it. However, he did not expect a small one to be left behind. Besides, it was right beside Hua Shuangshuang now! Yu Qian stretched his hand out. ¡°Pass it to me.¡± Hua Shuangshuang did not move. He knew too clearly what Yu Qian wanted to do. The little fellow lay on his back. Seemingly because it felt the dangerous aura on Yu Qian, it trembled. This caused Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s smile to become much fainter. ¡°Second Deity, it¡¯s lonely and has nobody to depend on. It¡¯s already very pitiful. Why must you push it to a dead end?¡± Yu Qian seemed as if he had heard a joke. ¡°It seems like you know quite a bit? But¡­ who are you to dare to talk to me like that?¡± As if he did not detect the threat in his tone, Hua Shuangshuang lightly said, ¡°I know that the legendary fiend mountain is under your charge, but¡­ That¡¯s also the reason why it¡¯s most unsuitable for you to do this, right?¡± So many legendary fiends here seemed to listen to Yu Qian¡¯s every word. However, clearly most of them did it because of fear. Previously, it was fine when he brought the little fellow to play. The moment Yu Qian came out, the other legendary fiends immediately disappeared in panic. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how Yu Qian treated them normally. That was true. Yu Qian could hand the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast to Jun Jiuqing to play, and he did not care about these legendary fiends¡¯ survival. What else could he not do? Yu Qian was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Are you lecturing me?¡± It¡¯s fine if the First Deity punished him and made me kneel for three days and three nights. After all, the other party is much stronger than me and has a higher status. However¡­ who is this Hua Shuangshuang?! Yu Qian was already in a bad mood. Now that Hua Shuangshuang hit his Achilles¡¯ heel¡­ Who else could he cause trouble for? Hua Shuangshuang did not back down. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, but I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± Of course, he could tell that Yu Qian was annoyed. Actually, at this point, a normal person would know to take a step back and bow down to admit their mistake. But¡­ Hua Shuangshuang did not want to do so. Yu Qian¡¯s voice was stern. ¡°Shangguan Yue is too used to being arrogant, and even her subordinates are like this. It seems like you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you if I don¡¯t teach you a lesson!¡± As he spoke, his surrounding aura exploded. Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s expression was tense. His current skills clearly couldn¡¯t compete with the other party. Without a doubt, as long as Yu Qian wanted to, he could settle him in one move. The fallen leaves flew up in the forest. The air was cold and still, and the surrounding space seemed to be frozen. But at this moment, that Wind-Stepping Tiger suddenly jumped from Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s back to his shoulders. Then, it jumped forward onto the ground and blocked Hua Shuangshuang. ¡°Ow!¡± It ferociously roared at Yu Qian. It was a pity that it was still young, and this roar was very childish and did not pose much of a threat. Yu Qian saw it and laughed. ¡°What, do you think you can protect him alone? You overestimate yourself!¡± ¡°Wu-wu!¡± The Wind-Stepping Tiger heard his voice, and terror quickly flashed across its eyes. However, it quickly suppressed such emotions and stood in front of Hua Shuangshuang determinedly. If Yu Qian took action, it would immediately fight with its life. Hua Shuangshuang knitted his brows and quickly picked the Wind-Stepping Tiger up. ¡°Second Deity, if you¡¯re angry, you can just target me. What does it make of you if you hold things against it?¡± Chapter 2406 - 2406 Succumb 2406 Succumb Yu Qian was nonchalant. After all, he actually disregarded the human and the fiend. I can¡¯t do anything to the First Deity, but how can I not punish a Hua Shuangshuang? And this beast. Yu Qian touched his purlicue. If there is somebody to blame for this, it should be blamed for reincarnating into the wrong family. I¡¯ve already killed the Wind-Stepping Tiger that bit me. This small one definitely hates me and can¡¯t be raised properly. Since this is so, I should completely destroy it! Yu Qian¡¯s attitude was very adamant. He glanced at Hua Shuangshuang and chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s strange. Speaking of which, that¡¯s not your legendary fiend. Why must you do this for it?¡± Previously, he still thought that Hua Shuangshuang did this because he had an agreement with this Wind-Stepping Tiger. But after a closer look, he realized that it was not the case. Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s actions looked even more ridiculous to Yu Qian. ¡°Ow!¡± The little Wind-Stepping Tiger roared at Yu Qian again. Hua Shuangshuang ruffled its head and said, ¡°Even though we don¡¯t have an agreement, a fiend¡¯s life is still a life.¡± These fiends treated him intimately, so he naturally saw them as friends. ¡°Ridiculous!¡± A terrifyingly strong aura gathered in Yu Qian¡¯s palm. However, just as he was about to take action, a loud shriek came from the depths of the forest. Screech! Yu Qian knitted his brows and looked over. It was a Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast that flew over and blocked Hua Shuangshuang without hesitation. Its feathers were upright as it stared at Yu Qian. Its gaze was as if it was looking like an enemy. Yu Qian took a few looks at it and realized it was the one he had given to Jun Jiuqing. He knew that the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast was saved by Hua Shuangshuang, but he never expected this fellow to go against him for Hua Shuangshuang. It had been raised by him at this legendary fiend mountain for the past few years! ¡°You¡­¡± Just as Yu Qian spoke, he suddenly paused, and his expression turned sharp as he looked behind Hua Shuangshuang. In the deep forest, a pair of eyes filled with enmity suddenly appeared. Following that, it was the second and the third! Rustling noises were heard. The legendary fiends that previously escaped had all returned, and they came to Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s side in unison to go against Yu Qian. The harsh murderous aura came over, which caused Yu Qian to be overwhelmed with shock and anger. ¡°You! Are you turning against me?!¡± ¡­ Medicinal mountain. After picking the remaining herbs, Xiao Ba pulled Yan Qing back. Now that they were done with their mission to show their fake affection and even managed to embarrass Shu Jing, Xiao Ba was elated. She talked quite a bit to Yan Qing. Yan Qing was as quiet as usual. Other than acknowledging and agreeing from time to time, or replying to her questions, he spent most of the remaining time listening to her quietly. After talking the entire way, Xiao Ba¡¯s mouth was dry. She finally thought of something, looked at Yan Qing, blinked, and asked, ¡°Brother Yan Qing, do you find that I¡¯m very talkative?¡± Yan Qing did not have much of an expression. ¡°No.¡± Her voice was very soft and charming. It was¡­ different from others. Hearing this reply, Xiao Ba patted his shoulders in satisfaction. It was the man¡¯s muscular and long arm underneath the thin clothing. She smiled brightly and said, ¡°Brother Yan Qing, you¡¯re so teachable.¡± As she spoke, she held Yan Qing and planned to walk in. But the moment they reached the door, it opened, and a familiar face appeared before their eyes. The two parties exchanged glances. Yu Mo looked at the two people before the door in complete shock. As they just came back, Xiao Ba¡¯s thin and white arm was still holding Yan Qing. The two of them were even holding hands. Yu Mo¡¯s eyes were open and mouth agape as he yelled internally, What¡¯s going on?! Who can tell me what happened in such a short period of time? Yan Qing, this kid, is actually holding a girl¡¯s hand?! Seeing Yu Mo, Xiao Ba greeted him happily. ¡°Hm? Lord Yu Mo, long time no see.¡± Yu Mo swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. ¡°Y-you¡ª¡± Xiao Ba pulled Yan Qing in before she turned around to close the door. Then, she let go of Yan Qing, raised her two hands, and innocently said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. I was just borrowing Lord Yan Qing to use. I don¡¯t have any other intentions.¡± Use? How did you use him? Yu Mo¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. ¡°Other than killing people, he doesn¡¯t know anything else. H-how did you use him¡ª¡± Yan Qing quickly shot him a sharp gaze. It was a pity that the current Yu Mo was too stunned and did not notice the death threat. Xiao Ba¡¯s lips curled up as she blinked at Yu Mo. ¡°Of course, I know that Lord Yan Qing is very capable, but¡­ he¡¯s also a man!¡± He¡¯s the type that is very easy to use as a shield! Yu Mo¡¯s entire person was stunned. What does that mean?! He suddenly thought of something and glanced at Yan Qing. His gaze scanned Yan Qing in doubt and shock. NO WAY?! Yan Qing knitted his brows, and murderous intent quickly flashed across his eyes. The strong urge to survive finally made Yu Mo recover his senses. He immediately retracted his gaze. However, Xiao Ba had already walked toward the yard. ¡°Hm? Master and His Highness haven¡¯t come out?¡± Yu Mo hurriedly explained, ¡°The two of them are playing chess. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll come out in a short amount of time.¡± He also detected his master¡¯s movements, so he specifically came over to guard them. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, do you have anything urgent?¡± ¡°No.¡± Since she is busy, I can just wait. Then, Xiao Ba bade them farewell and returned to the house. When her figure completely disappeared behind the door, Yu Mo then suddenly leaned toward Yan Qing. He tried his best to control his own excitement and agitation. ¡°Brother! You finally succumbed?!¡± Chapter 2407 - 2407 He was Very Patient toward Her 2407 He was Very Patient toward Her Yu Mo¡¯s gaze was as cold as a blade as it scraped across Yu Mo. Yu Mo sensibly took a step back, terrified that this person would brandish his sword when he was upset. ¡°Hehe, am I not concerned about you?¡± Yan Qing turned around and left, not bothered to deal with him. Yu Mo persistently chased after him. ¡°Hey, say something! What exactly is going on? The two of you are really together? Why didn¡¯t I know anything previously? Hey, we¡¯re brothers. Why did you hide it from me?¡± Yan Qing paused in his tracks and glanced at him coldly. ¡°Noisy.¡± How noisy. Yu Mo was instantly impacted. He held his heart with one hand and was very sorrowful. ¡°You have no conscience. If it were someone else, I wouldn¡¯t even care to ask! You¡ªhold on!¡± He suddenly realized that something was amiss and widened his eyes. ¡°You mean¡­ it¡¯s real?!¡± This kid did not deny it! Yan Qing furrowed his brows slightly and pressed his thin lips against each other, planning to leave. Yu Mo was so stunned that he froze on the spot. ¡°¡­My god! Miss Xiao Ba is so pretty, so why doesn¡¯t she have better taste? I¡­¡± Yu Mo¡¯s voice trailed off. He looked down slightly and saw a sword sheath beside his neck. He forced a smile as he raised his finger and carefully pushed it away. ¡°Um¡­ Ahem, kidding, kidding!¡± Didn¡¯t I just say something from the bottom of my heart? Is there a need to do this?! Besides, this is also the truth! ¡°Hey, why do you think Miss Xiao Ba likes you?¡± Yu Mo sized him up and snorted. ¡°So many people have pursued Miss Xiao Ba. What does she see in you? That your face is paralyzed?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s gaze was so cold that it could kill. Yu Mo raised his hands. ¡°Let me tell you¡ªI came here to guard Master. If you kill me, all of these tasks will be left to you alone!¡± Yan Qing then retracted his sword. Yu Mo leaned forward and softly asked, ¡°But speaking of which, does Miss Xiao Ba know your identity?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s expression froze. Yu Mo lightly grunted. ¡°I knew that she definitely didn¡¯t know!¡± Even Master hasn¡¯t come clean with his identity. How could we do so? ¡°I see that Miss Xiao Ba has a short temper. You better be more careful and not lie to her. If not, in the future¡ª¡± Yan Qing frowned. ¡°Her temper is good.¡± Yu Mo was taken aback and almost fell to the floor. ¡°W-what did you say?!¡± This kid! Did he forget how Miss Xiao Ba chased after him and caused trouble for him? Even though Yu Mo was not familiar with Xiao Ba, he had still heard quite a bit about her during this period of time. She was the person who amazingly slapped Eighth Deity over a conflict! What relation did such a person have with the two words ¡®good temper?!¡¯ Yan Qing did not even give Yu Mo a gaze as he left. Yu Mo was confused. It seems like I¡¯ve just been despised! ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. However, the chess game between Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu had just started. Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm was sweaty and clammy. Every move she made had exhausted a large amount of her energy and force. Hence, she was very slow. She did seem rather disheveled compared to Rong Xiu, who was nonchalant, calm, and relaxed. At this point, she could basically confirm that Rong Xiu¡¯s black force wasn¡¯t any weaker than the golden force he had been exposing to the public the whole time. It¡­ might even be stronger and more unpredictable! ¡°In the past, you gave in to me so many times. You are indeed patient¡­¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. An extremely faint smile flashed across Rong Xiu¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯ve always treated you in this manner. Besides¡­¡± My patience doesn¡¯t stop there. He did not finish his sentence. Chu Liuyue rubbed her glabella. Originally, she thought that this chess game could end quickly, and she could press Rong Xiu for answers. However, it now seemed like she still needed some time. At this point, a loud sound suddenly came from outside! Boom! Chu Liuyue was shocked and immediately looked up. A silver bolt of lightning flew across the sky! Chu Liuyue was instantly stunned. This¡­ The lightning pool is already sealed. Logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t¡ª Hong hong hong! As if a door was suddenly activated, countless bolts of lightning appeared! Right now, it was late at night, and the sky was dark. The appearance of these lightning bolts instantly illuminated the entire yard in an eye-catching manner. The most important thing was that the lightning bolts were all heading in a certain direction! Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment before she quickly reacted. That is the direction toward Ancestor! Is he¡­ refining Yuan instruments? Also, it seems like this commotion is different from before. It is more like¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat. Is Ancestor trying to produce a holy weapon?! Where did all these lightning bolts come from? Very quickly, Chu Liuyue found an answer. These lightning bolts indeed did not come from the lightning pool, but¡­ ¡°Sister, are these enough?¡± This was Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s voice. Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu stood by the window and could see the situation in the yard with a turn of their heads. Lady Shi¡¯er was standing within the yard, holding a broken longsword in her hands. Lady Shiyi stood beside her. Different from her sister, she was holding a spear, but it was already in pieces. Lady Shiyi casually threw it aside. ¡°It¡¯s not enough. Senior Tang Ke already said that a holy weapon is different from normal royal Yuan instruments and supreme Yuan instruments. The amount of lightning a holy weapon needs is terrifying. We¡¯ve only done so little.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded obediently. ¡°Yes.¡± She crushed the broken sword in her hands into a ball before gently placing it by her leg. Then, she took out a knife. Crack! The extremely heavy knife was instantly broken into two. Lady Shi¡¯er waved her palm, and many lightning bolts surged out and rushed forward! Chapter 2408 - 2408 Shadow 2408 Shadow Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± After not seeing the two ladies for so many years¡­ why do their attitudes seem different from others? If I¡¯m not mistaken, that knife is a Yuan instrument, right? I¡¯ve also not seen it before. At this point, a voice filled with admiration sounded. ¡°Not bad, not bad! Lady Shi¡¯er has improved by quite a bit!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned and saw Tang Ke standing with his hands behind his back, not far away from the two of them. He looked at the duo in admiration and comfort. ¡°The quality of these Yuan instruments can only be considered as average. Just practice with them first. I¡¯ll find you better ones later!¡± Shangguan Jing was producing a holy weapon. The more he progressed, the higher the requirements were for the lightning bolts. They had to prepare for it in advance. Once he broke through, he would officially become an Armory Refinement Saint! For this day, Tang Ke had made sufficient preparations. They could not stop at the crucial moment. Hearing the praise, Lady Shi¡¯er instantly blushed as she nodded forcefully. ¡°Okay, okay! T-thank you, Senior Tang Ke!¡± She felt like she had more strength. Lady Shiyi didn¡¯t speak, but her hand actions did not stop. The bolts of lightning flew out from those Yuan instruments, and almost illuminated the yard brightly. Tang Ke stroked his chin. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about the lightning pool being sealed? There are always more solutions than problems!¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± Even though she had been hoping to see Shangguan Jing break through, the current situation seemed rather different than expected¡­ Such a huge commotion naturally attracted other people¡¯s attention. Mu Hongyu was astonished. ¡°So you can do this! How amazing!¡± Jian Fengchi said faintly, ¡°Yeah, these lightning bolts have a portion of my credit¡­¡± Mu Hongyu glanced at him. ¡°If you can help Senior Shangguan Jing break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint, you will earn big time! Tsk, you¡¯re really not content.¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Even though this makes sense, why does it sound strange? However, Mu Hongyu had already gone back to looking at Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er. ¡°In the past, I only heard that they had a great appetite. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ this to be waiting!¡± The shocking force was completely absorbed by the two of them, and they merged it into every inch of their bodies. They were even breaking the Yuan instruments with their bare hands. Not many legendary warriors could do such a thing so smoothly, right? ¡°Speaking of which, the people around Liuyue are all so amazing¡­¡± ¡­ Legendary fiend mountain. Yu Qian and Hua Shuangshuang stood in a stalemate. Legendary fiends kept coming out and surrounding Hua Shuangshuang, going against Yu Qian. Yu Qian was furious. Just as he was about to take action, he suddenly heard a voice. ¡°Hold on!¡± Yu Qian knitted his brows and turned around. Seeing the incoming person, confusion flashed across his face. ¡°¡­Clan Leader Miao Zhen?¡± Miao Zhen laughed and walked over. ¡°Second Deity, I¡¯ve finally waited for your arrival.¡± ¡°Waiting for me?¡± The other party was the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s clan leader after all, so Yu Qian¡¯s attitude was rather polite. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Zhen, you were looking for me?¡± ¡°Yeah. I originally wanted to find you for a good chat, but you didn¡¯t come out of the Fantasy Divine Hall, so I waited until now.¡± As Miao Zhen spoke, he seemed to have just seen Hua Shuangshuang. ¡°Oh, there are other people here?¡± His gaze swept across the legendary fiends around Hua Shuangshuang. Then, he finally looked at Hua Shuangshuang with a slightly deep gaze. Hua Shuangshuang cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Clan Leader Miao Zhen.¡± Miao Zhen waved his hands and smiled at Yu Qian. ¡°Second Deity, may I know if it¡¯s convenient for you to step aside for a talk?¡± Yu Qian quickly knitted his brows. After thinking for a moment, he finally nodded. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Zhen, please¡ª¡± As he spoke, he turned around to glance at Hua Shuangshuang determinedly. I can¡¯t touch him today, but¡­ I have many chances later on. As if he didn¡¯t detect the strange atmosphere between the two, Miao Zhen said, ¡°Second Deity, please.¡± Then, Yu Qian and Miao Zhen left together, leaving Hua Shuangshuang behind with a bunch of legendary fiends. After the threat disappeared, Hua Shuangshuang exhaled lightly. However, there seemed to be something stuck in his chest, and it suffocated him for some reason. ¡°Ow!¡± The Wind-Stepping Tiger yelled in his arms. Hua Shuangshuang lowered his head and glanced at it. The little fellow was still shaking; it was obvious that it was still terrified. However¡­ it still ran out without a care. And the ones beside him¡­ If it were someone else, they would have been elated and proud to have so many legendary fiends protecting them. However, Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s mood was especially gloomy. When he saw the miserable deathbed of that Wind-Stepping Tiger, he knew that the Second Deity¡ªYu Qian, who was in charge of the legendary fiend mountain¡ªwas definitely not an easy person to deal with. Now that he saw him today, it was indeed the case. To him, these legendary fiends were just items that he could casually handle. He did not care about them at all. Other than that Wind-Stepping Tiger, Hua Shuangshuang didn¡¯t know how many had met with similar or even worse situations. Hua Shuangshuang took a deep breath in and said, ¡°Thank you so much this time. Everyone, you should go back.¡± As he spoke, he raised his arm, and that Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast flew to him. He turned around and left. The few reluctant gazes landed on him and caused him to be unable to leave. Hua Shuangshuang walked for a distance and stopped again. He lowered his head and glanced at the token around his waist. ¡­ Peach Blossom Dock. Yu Jiu was standing before the barrier and playing with the wooden sword in his hands. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t use it anymore, and he had to change to a new one. Luckily, Big Brother left quite a few for him when he left. Suddenly, a distant zither sound came from the barrier before him! Yu Jiu was shocked and immediately looked over. He saw that in the bright mirror embedded in the barrier, there seemed to be a figure that faintly appeared! Chapter 2409 - 2409 Saint! 2409 Saint! That was a woman¡¯s figure. The light was blurred, and one could only see a rough outline. Yu Jiu¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he instinctively tightened his hold on the wooden sword and stared at it closely. Ever since this mirror appeared in the barrier, it was the first time such a situation happened! He looked at that figure without blinking and wanted to differentiate it. It was a pity that the figure was too blurred, and he could not see anything detailed. A faint suppression gradually exuded and caused Yu Jiu to feel deep terror. This is¡­ However, it was just for a moment before the figure slowly dissipated. The bright light on the mirror wrapped it again and covered everything. It was as if¡­ everything was normal. However, Yu Jiu could not relax. I have almost never felt such a shocking suppression before! Why would such a figure appear in the mirror, and who exactly is that person?! Yu Jiu felt rather uneasy, but after a long time, that scene did not appear again. After a while, he finally exhaled lightly and turned around. By the sky, a silver bridge crossed the air. Quiet, solemn, and holy! ¡­ More and more heavenly lightning gathered. Shangguan Jing stood in the air, and a knife quietly floated before him. It was a knife made from green-black copper. The body of the knife was about three fingers wide and one finger thick. There was a dent on its back. At this point, countless silver lightning bolts continuously descended and entered the long knife! Sparks flew everywhere, and the thunder whirred. Shangguan Jing held his breath in and focused tightly on the long knife before him, terrified that a mistake would be made. Originally, he thought that with the lightning pool sealed, he didn¡¯t have much hopes of breaking through. He did not expect Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er to come to help, and there was also Tang Ke. If he still could not succeed with so much external support, he would be too ashamed to face the crowd! Everything before progressed smoothly, and only the most crucial part was left now: guide the force in the Holy Jade of Chaos to enter it and nourish it to become a holy weapon! This step sounded easy, but it was very difficult to achieve. There were definitely many supreme Armory Refinement Masters in Fantasy Divine Palace, but only a few succeeded after all these years. Hence, Shangguan Jing was also extremely nervous. He looked up at the Fantasy Divine Hall at the end of the sky. His success and failure all depended on this! Then, he held the knife with both hands and crazily injected his holy force! ¡­ Swoosh! A crystal light suddenly flew out of the Fantasy Divine Hall, drawing a line across the sky as it went straight to Shangguan Jing! ¡°It¡¯s about to be complete!¡± Seeing this scene, Tang Ke hurled his fists and could not conceal his emotions. He was an Armory Refinement Saint and knew very clearly that Shangguan Jing could definitely break through to become a saint! This commotion attracted countless people¡¯s attention. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Sounds of things piercing through the air could be heard. Quite a few people appeared consecutively, and they looked up at the crystal light. ¡°Is¡­ someone producing a holy weapon?¡± ¡°This commotion doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s coming from the Fantasy Divine Hall. It seems like someone is breaking through to become an Armory Refinement Saint¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute. That direction¡­ Why does it seem like-¡ª¡± Nearing the day of the Heaven Gate closing, everyone was in an extremely nervous and tense state. Now that such a huge commotion suddenly occurred, it naturally stirred the crowd. At this time, any slight change would attract a lot of attention, let alone a major matter of someone breaking through to become an Armory Refinement Saint! In no time, countless people followed the light and looked at Shangguan Jing. Very quickly, someone with a sharp gaze recognized him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Shangguan Jing? The one that came with Shangguan Yue.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to have a bloodline totem either. Why is he also breaking through to become an Armory Refinement Saint?¡± ¡°I heard that he was a top Armory Refinement Master previously in the God Residence Realm¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right! Isn¡¯t the lightning pool already sealed? Where did these lightning bolts come from?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s breakthrough caused a lot of people to be envious and shocked. The origin of these lightning bolts also made them extremely curious and dazed. Lady Shiyi looked up and put away the Yuan instrument in her hands. ¡°It should be enough.¡± ¡°Sister, it¡¯s enough?¡± asked Lady Shi¡¯er with some uncertainty. Lady Shiyi nodded affirmatively. Tang Ke also nodded in agreement. ¡°There should be enough lightning bolts. It¡¯s up to him now.¡± If he could progress to this step, there wouldn¡¯t be a need to worry about the rest. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er obediently put away her things. As if she felt something, she looked up. At this point, that ray of light pierced through the sky and landed on the long knife in front of Shangguan Jing! Boom! A loud sound was heard, and strong energy ripples spread toward the surroundings! That crystal light instantly wrapped around the knife, and an indescribable aura started surging out from within! Tang Ke was determined. Shangguan Jing¡¯s talent in armory refinement is indeed shocking. He did not waste my guidance during this period of time. Now, he finally¡ª ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± A soft voice suddenly sounded in his ears. Tang Ke turned around and saw Lady Shi¡¯er looking up in a daze. She asked that previously. ¡°Lady Shi¡¯er, what are you asking about?¡± Seeing that her expression seemed amiss, Tang Ke could not help but ask. He liked these two ladies very much, so he was especially patient with them. Lady Shi¡¯er pointed above and softly asked, ¡°That¡­ light?¡± Tang Ke was dazed for a moment and later explained, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s aura from the Holy Jade of Chaos. If one wants to produce a holy weapon, they must have this thing.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded in understanding, but she kept staring at the skies. It was unknown what she was thinking. Then, she lightly pulled Lady Shiyi¡¯s sleeves. Lady Shiyi turned around to take a look. The two of them exchanged a glance. Without speaking, they knew what each other were thinking: I want to¡­ go and take a look. Lady Shiyi was more mature after all. After some thinking, she said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inconvenient now. I¡¯ll think of another way later on.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded obediently. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Sister.¡± The duo¡¯s voices were very soft, and Tang Ke had most of his attention on Shangguan Jing, so he didn¡¯t hear them clearly. Boom! A shocking suppression suddenly descended! Shangguan Jing¡­ officially became an Armory Refinement Saint! ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly. She long knew that her ancestor would succeed, but she never expected it to be under such circumstances¡­ It was really not easy. ¡°Yue¡¯er, it¡¯s your turn.¡± A low and gentle voice sounded. She retracted her gaze and looked at the chessboard between the both of them. The rays of light on her fingertips moved as she placed another piece without hesitation. This time, she unleashed even stronger force! Slap! The chessboard rippled, but it was for just a moment before Rong Xiu placed another piece. The black chess piece landed right after hers. All the ripples silently disappeared! Chapter 2410 - 2410 Did Not Admit Defeat 2410 Did Not Admit Defeat Chu Liuyue rubbed her brows. It¡¯s like this again. Every piece I land is actually stronger than the one before, but it doesn¡¯t affect Rong Xiu at all. No matter how much strength I unleash, he can rapidly follow and relaxingly absorb all my ripples. This¡­ is a complete one-sided suppression! Chu Liuyue never felt this way before. It seems like I can never cross the gap between the two of us no matter what I do. She long knew that the man before her had been intentionally and unintentionally hiding his capabilities. Hence, she never let her guard down and did not dare to take it easy. But now¡­ Seeing that she did not move in a long while, Rong Xiu raised her sharp brows lightly. ¡°What, Yue¡¯er, you don¡¯t want to play anymore?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a game I¡¯m bound to lose¡­¡± replied Chu Liuyue lightly. Not only will I lose, but I will also lose terribly. Even though they had just started, she could already see the ending. Rong Xiu gazed at her quietly. The lights dazzled outside and shone on her face through the windows. Her skin was like jade, and her eyes were like the galaxy. She looked down slightly, and her thick and curly lashes moved lightly. After a moment, she softly chuckled. ¡°If I lose, I have to lose in a knowing manner. Besides¡­¡± Besides, without reaching the end, I still refuse to admit defeat! Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up into a smile. He had long known her answer and choice, so he was never worried that she would choose to give up. This is her! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. ¡°Carry on!¡± ¡­ Swoosh! Shangguan Jing held the long knife and gently brandished it. The air before him was instantly cut! His eyes lit up. A holy weapon¡­ is indeed extraordinary! He calmed himself down and landed under countless gazes in the surroundings. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, thank you so much!¡± Shangguan Jing came to Tang Ke and the rest, cupping his fists to thank them solemnly. If it weren¡¯t for Tang Ke¡¯s help, he would not know when he could take that step forward. Tang Ke laughed and waved his hands. ¡°Why are you so polite? It¡¯s mainly because of yourself that you can break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint!¡± If not¡­ It¡¯s not that so many supreme Armory Refinement Masters don¡¯t know how to succeed, yet those who have are still the top. Other people¡¯s guidance and help can only support them. At the end of the day, the person involved is the key. Even without me, Shangguan Jing would¡¯ve broken through to become an Armory Refinement Saint sooner or later. ¡°If you really want to thank somebody, you have to thank these two ladies!¡± Tang Ke laughed out loud. ¡°If not for them gathering so many lightning bolts, I really wouldn¡¯t have a way!¡± Shangguan Jing also laughed. Then, he seriously said to the two ladies, ¡°Lady Shiyi, Lady Shi¡¯er, it¡¯s really all thanks to you this time!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er blushed and hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°N-no need to thank¡­¡± This is Master¡¯s Ancestor! We¡¯re already very happy that we could help do something. Lady Shiyi seriously said, ¡°This is what we should do; you don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony. In the future, if you still need to use lightning bolts, you can just let us know.¡± All these years, they had accumulated quite a few Yuan instruments, and Tang Ke¡¯s inventory was also shocking. Hence, even if the lightning pool was sealed, there was no need to worry. Shangguan Jing laughed out loud. He suddenly thought of something and said emotionally, ¡°I really had a bit of luck to succeed this time. However, I just don¡¯t know when the lightning pool will be sealed until¡­¡± As long as the lightning pool was not unsealed, all the Armory Refinement Masters in Fantasy Divine Palace would be restricted. This was very troublesome. As he spoke, his gaze turned and looked in a certain direction. ¡°Hm? Yue¡¯er and Rong Xiu haven¡¯t come out yet?¡± This chess game seems to be very long, right? Tang Ke followed his line of sight and squinted slightly. ¡°I think we still have to wait for some time¡­¡± Shangguan Jing thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait for Yue¡¯er first before we enter the Fantasy Divine Hall together.¡± Tang Ke was hesitant with his words. ¡­ During that time, Yu Qian and Miao Zhen had just walked out of the legendary fiend mountain. The moment they walked out, they saw a sea of lightning bolts shining in the distant sky. The two of them paused collectively. Yu Qian squinted his eyes and quickly realized something. He knitted his brows slightly. ¡°Someone broke through to become an Armory Refinement Saint¡­¡± ¡°It seems to be Shangguan Jing,¡± added Miao Zhen. He was rather familiar with Shangguan Jing. Hence, even though he was rather far away, he quickly guessed the answer. ¡°Shangguan Jing?¡± Isn¡¯t that Chu Liuyue¡¯s ancestor? Yu Qian knew this name but never paid much attention to it. He never expected Shangguan Jing to become an Armory Refinement Saint! Yu Qian¡¯s expression became much darker. One Chu Liuyue was not enough, yet there are so many people around her. Qi Han, Mu Hongyu, and Su Li, who entered the Fantasy Divine Hall at the very start¡­ Now, Shangguan Jing has also succeeded. Will the others also continue to follow suit? Thinking of that scene, Yu Qian felt very uncomfortable. If not for Tuan Zi and that music score, he would not even care about Chu Liuyue. However, he only discovered now that the woman everyone looked down on was destroying their predictions one by one and doing something out of their expectations! ¡°I really underestimated her¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Miao Zhen raised his brows slightly. Of course, he could hear the disgust Yu Qian had toward Chu Liuyue. Yu Qian looked at him. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Zhen, why did you look for me today?¡± Just as Miao Zhen was about to speak, a female voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Second Deity!¡± The two of them looked in the direction of the voice. Yu Qian frowned. ¡°Shu Jing, why are you here?¡± The legendary fiend mountain was under his control. Normally, the other deities would not come over. Shu Jing was¡­ ¡°Second Deity, I have something¡­¡± Shu Jing spoke halfway when she saw Miao Zhen at the side. She could not help but pause. Yu Qian knitted his brows. Chapter 2411 - 2411 Meet 2411 Meet Miao Zhen said that he wanted to find me for some matter, and Shu Jing actually came as well. How is it so coincidental that everything happened at the same time? Then, who should I listen to first? Shu Jing glanced at Miao Zhen and lightly said, ¡°Second Deity, it¡¯s about the medicinal mountain.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Miao Zhen¡¯s gaze shifted back and forth between the duo, and he laughed. ¡°It seems like the Second Deity is very busy. Then, I¡¯ll make it short. I want to make a trip to the Phoenix Mountain. Second Deity, I hope you¡¯ll approve of it.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s expression turned cold slightly, and he chose to reject him without hesitation. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Zhen, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t very appropriate.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Miao Zhen did not seem surprised by his answer, and his expression did not change. ¡°Second Deity, you don¡¯t have to think too much about it. I¡¯m going over to pay my respects to my ancestors. I have no other intentions.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s eyes shrunk, and his gaze was as sharp and cold as a knife as he stared at Miao Zhen! Miao Zhen smiled, but there was no smiling intent in his eyes. ¡°My ancestors have passed on for 10,000 years, but they can¡¯t rest in peace. As their descendant, I feel extremely terrible. Even though it¡¯s for Fantasy Divine Hall and the Divine Master, and it is only rightful¡­ I still want to pay my respects to my ancestors. That isn¡¯t too much, right?¡± Even though he was smiling, his expression couldn¡¯t be considered gentle, and it was even vaguely sharp. Yu Qian stared at him for some time before he raised his hand and threw out a pendant. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Zhen, I¡¯ve been very courteous toward you because of Miao Yu. I hope you know what you should do and should not do.¡± Miao Zhen held the jade pendant in his hand and scrutinized it. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°Of course.¡± Then, he slightly nodded toward Shu Jing. ¡°I¡¯ve said all that I wanted to say. I won¡¯t disturb the deities further.¡± Then, he left without hesitation, and his figure quickly disappeared before the duo. Shu Jing knitted her brows. ¡°Second Deity, Miao Zhen is the great phoenix dragon clan leader. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate for you to let him go to Phoenix Mountain just like that, right? What if he¡ª¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Yu Qian¡¯s tone was certain. He did not seem to want to dwell on this, so he directly changed the topic. ¡°You mentioned the medicinal mountain just now. What exactly happened?¡± Shu Jing took a deep breath in and briefly recounted whatever happened previously. Seeing that Yu Qian¡¯s expression became increasingly terrible, Shu Jing¡¯s voice also became increasingly softer. She was guilty, but she also knew that she had no solution now. If she relied on herself, she would never solve the medicinal mountain¡¯s problem! ¡°I know that I¡¯m useless and let down your instructions, but¡­ The Heaven Gate is about to close, and there¡¯s not much time left. I¡¯m afraid that something will go wrong if this continues. Hence¡­ I had to ask you for help.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to bear any punishments. I just hope you and First Deity can reconsider and not wait until the situation becomes unsalvageable before you handle it. At that point, it would be chaos.¡± Yu Qian was indeed furious at Shu Jing, but her words did make sense. The matter was serious. They could be angry, but they could not sit aside and not care. Yu Qian kept quiet for a long while before he coldly said, ¡°You didn¡¯t find the First Deity for this matter?¡± Shu Jing looked hesitant. ¡°I¡¯ve already begged the First Deity many times, but he wasn¡¯t even willing to see me, let alone talk about this.¡± Helpless, she could only turn to Yu Qian for help. Yu Qian suddenly laughed, and one couldn¡¯t hear his emotions. ¡°If you can¡¯t solve it, you should leave it to the First Deity to handle it. I¡¯m just the Second Deity. There are many matters that I can¡¯t intervene in.¡± Shu Jing was rather confused. During the years when the First Deity was in seclusion, wasn¡¯t everything in Fantasy Divine Palace under the Second Deity¡¯s control? Now, he has suddenly started to push the responsibility? What kind of situation is this? It wasn¡¯t Shu Jing¡¯s first day of knowing Yu Qian. She knew very clearly that Yu Qian was happy to help solve such matters, but his current attitude¡­ Could it be because the First Deity previously punished him to kneel outside his door for three days? She muttered, ¡°But First Deity refuses to help. If even you¡­ It¡¯ll really be big trouble then. What should we do?¡± The consequences were not something she could handle alone. ¡°Second Deity, why don¡¯t¡­ you personally ask First Deity for help?¡± Only Yu Qian had the right to do so. But upon hearing this, Yu Qian¡¯s expression turned even more grave. He did not want to be left out in the cold by First Deity! However, he had to solve the problem¡­ After much thinking, he finally said, ¡°You will follow me there.¡± ¡­ The leaves piled up in the quiet yard. A fit white figure suddenly flew over¡ªit was Xue Xue. It landed agilely and looked left and right before it let out a low roar at a certain area. Roar! No response. Xue Xue was dazed as confusion flashed across its icy blue eyes. Roar! It called again, but nobody acknowledged it. What¡¯s going on? When I came previously, Hong Yao would come out and play with me. Xue Xue jumped down, arrived at the pile of leaves, and pulled them with its paw. The leaves flew everywhere. Hong Yao hid inside and looked depressed. Xue Xue tilted its head and raised its paw to push it. Hong Yao gave a ferocious gaze. Annoying! Don¡¯t disturb me! Xue Xue was chased away for some reason and was filled with confusion. It instinctively looked inside the house. You¡¯re angry with your master. Why did you throw your temper at me? Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Knock knock! ¡°Hong Yao! I¡¯m here to find you!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s soft and crisp voice sounded. Hong Yao instantly rolled up and pushed Xue Xue¡¯s forehead with its feathers. Xue Xue couldn¡¯t be bothered to hold things against it as it anxiously turned around and was panicking. Where! Where? I have to find a place to hide! Chapter 2412 - 2412 Fight 2412 Fight Shoo¡ª Xue Xue stuck its head right into the fallen pile of leaves. Hong Yao glanced at it and looked at its snow-white tail that was still exposed outside with disdain. It wasted its big head. Its brain isn¡¯t working. Hong Yao flapped its wings and helped for once, pushing the fallen leaves onto Xue Xue. It forcefully managed to cover the large fiend. After doing all of this, it flew outside. It couldn¡¯t open the door and could only fly out. Bam! Hong Yao bumped right into the barrier. Tuan Zi, who was waiting outside, heard this and looked up. Then, she went on her toes and quickly flew forward. She came to midair, and there was only a barrier between her and Hong Yao. Hong Yao turned around and glared at Mu Qinghe¡¯s room. ¡°Roar!¡± It angrily yelled. Then, a small opening appeared in the barrier. Hong Yao immediately flew out. Tuan Zi brought it out. ¡°Hong Yao!¡± She followed Hong Yao¡¯s gaze and glanced at the side. Even though she couldn¡¯t see anything, thinking that Mu Qinghe was right inside, Tuan Zi was enraged. If not for Hong Yao, I wouldn¡¯t come here again! Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, Tuan Zi looked into the yard and was slightly dazed. Why do I suddenly feel that there¡¯s a familiar aura¡­ She frowned slightly. Logically speaking, other than Mu Qinghe and Hong Yao, there should not be anyone else here, right? Then, just now¡ª Thinking of this, Tuan Zi felt something pull her skirt. It was Hong Yao trying to pull her outside. This place isn¡¯t suitable. Let¡¯s find another place to talk! Tuan Zi found it reasonable and immediately ignored her doubt. She held Hong Yao up and placed it on her shoulders. ¡°Hong Yao, follow me!¡± ¡­ Tuan Zi brought Hong Yao back to Chu Liuyue¡¯s residence. Even though there weren¡¯t many people in the Fantasy Divine Hall, they were all not simple. If they saw Tuan Zi and Hong Yao together, another wave of trouble would be caused. Hence, after much thinking, Tuan Zi still brought Hong Yao back. Even if it was Mu Qinghe¡¯s fiend, it was still her friend! During this period of time, Tuan Zi felt conflicted about this for some time. In the end, she still felt that she could never break her ties with Hong Yao. Rather than suffer in this manner, she decided to take the initiative to attack! Hence, as Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t in the Fantasy Divine Hall today, she ran to get Hong Yao back! Returning to the residence, Qi Han was still guarding the area. But seeing Tuan Zi bring Hong Yao back, his expression didn¡¯t change much as he directly let them in. Entering the house, Tuan Zi closed the door and immediately said in a straightforward manner, ¡°Hong Yao, you should break your agreement with Mu Qinghe!¡± Hong Yao paused. Actually, it had already guessed Tuan Zi¡¯s thoughts. But now that it actually heard this, it still couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Seeing that Hong Yao kept quiet and did not speak, Tuan Zi leaned over and asked, ¡°Is he unwilling to let you go? I¡¯ll go and find him then!¡± Hong Yao shook its head. Tuan Zi knitted her brows. ¡°Hong Yao, he¡¯s not nice to you at all. Why do you want to continue staying with him? Come back and stay with us. There¡¯s still A¡¯Yue! Isn¡¯t this great?¡± She really felt that it wasn¡¯t good for Hong Yao to follow Mu Qinghe. It would be for the best if the latter could come back and continue to stay with them! A glint flashed across Hong Yao¡¯s eyes, but it quickly dimmed. If I could, I naturally want to. However¡­ Hong Yao kept quiet for a long time and still shook its head in defeat. Tuan Zi looked at it in a daze. Originally, she thought that Hong Yao would definitely agree with her suggestion. Even if it did not, it was definitely because it was terrified of Mu Qinghe. However, it now seemed like¡­ Hong Yao did not want to do it itself? ¡°Why?¡± Tuan Zi was confused. ¡°Hong Yao, why?¡± Even though Mu Qinghe was its owner¡­ All these years, A¡¯Yue has also treated it very well! Doesn¡¯t it want to follow A¡¯Yue very much? Hong Yao turned around and refused to speak. Tuan Zi tilted her head, and Hong Yao turned its head away. Tuan Zi went over, and Hong Yao turned again. After a few rounds, Tuan Zi¡¯s patience depleted. She was enraged. ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to do it, I won¡¯t force you either!¡± Even though Tuan Zi didn¡¯t understand, she couldn¡¯t be angry. She only knew about what happened in the Fantasy Divine Sea when Hong Yao came to find her. It could be seen that Hong Yao treated A¡¯Yue the same as before. She just did not know why it refused to leave Mu Qinghe, even if it clearly had a vengeance against Mu Qinghe. ¡°However, you can tell me what exactly happened to you all these years, right?¡± Tuan Zi sat on the chair opposite Hong Yao. ¡°Besides, Hong Yao, did you already know that Mu Qinghe betrayed A¡¯Yue back then?¡± Hong Yao immediately shook its head crazily. Why would I treat A¡¯Yue in that manner?! Tuan Zi stared at it closely. ¡°You¡¯re his fiend. You should know a thing or two, right?¡± Struggle flashed across Hong Yao¡¯s eyes. ¡­ Qi Han stood outside the door. The Fantasy Divine Hall was as cold and lonely as usual. His gaze deepened, and the scar on his face made him look even colder and harsher. Nobody knew what he was thinking. Bang! The sound of a door closing was heard. Qi Han turned around and saw a green figure rapidly flying out. Then, Tuan Zi also ran out. She stood by the door and loudly yelled, ¡°Go away! If you do, don¡¯t ever come back! I won¡¯t care about you in the future!¡± Her face was flushed, and her pair of blackberry eyes had glistening tears. Qi Han frowned. Did she¡­ fight with Hong Yao? Chapter 2413 - 2413 They Long Knew 2413 They Long Knew Hong Yao did not turn around and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Tuan Zi stood there alone, holding the door frame. She pouted and harshly wiped her tears before she turned around and entered the house. Bam! She harshly closed the door without hesitation. Clearly, she was outraged. Qi Han furrowed his brows even more tightly. Everything was clearly fine when they came back together. In the blink of an eye, why¡­ He hesitated for a moment and then went over to knock on the door. ¡°Tuan Zi?¡± Master wasn¡¯t around, so he had to take care of her. After a temporary silence, cries and whimpers could be heard from the room. ¡°Boohoo¡ª¡± Qi Han paused in his actions. After some thinking, he swallowed his remaining words and continued standing guard by the door. ¡­ Yu Qian and Shu Jing quickly arrived in front of Mu Qinghe¡¯s yard. Seeing the tightly shut door, the duo exchanged a glance. They had both suffered here before, so they were naturally more fearful at this moment. However, they had to solve the problem. Yu Qian raised his chin toward Shu Jing. ¡°Tell him about the medicinal mountain¡¯s trouble yourself.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything and walked forward. She knew that Yu Qian was punished and had to kneel here for three days and three nights. It was already very rare for him to come with her, so she didn¡¯t dare to request more from Yu Qian. But the moment she reached the door, and before she could speak, she heard the sounds of wings flapping. She instinctively looked up and saw a green sparrow¡ªburning with a green fire¡ªpassing through the barrier and entering the yard. Shu Jing was taken aback. She rapidly turned around and looked at Yu Qian. ¡°Second Deity, did you see it just now? That seems like a¡­¡± ¡°Ninth-grade green sparrow.¡± Yu Qian knitted his brows as well. Since when did such a fiend appear in the Fantasy Divine Hall? And it seems like it has an extraordinary relationship with the First Deity? If not, it definitely could not fly into such a place. ¡°First Deity has a fiend? When did this happen?¡± Shu Jing was confused. All the deities did not have their own fiends, and only Second Deity Yu Qian was in charge of the legendary fiend mountain. But now, this¡ª Yu Qian shook his head and remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t know about this.¡± After a moment, he urged, ¡°Forget it. This isn¡¯t something you or I can ask. You should quickly report the matter and let the First Deity decide!¡± Shu Jing could only nod. ¡°OK.¡± She took a deep breath in, turned around, and respectfully gave her greeting. ¡°First Deity, Shu Jing has urgent matters to report.¡± After a moment, a cold and nonchalant voice sounded from inside. ¡°I already know about the barrier. You can go back.¡± Shu Jing was stumped. This¡­ I didn¡¯t even say anything, yet First Deity already knows? Yu Qian¡¯s expression changed slightly. First Deity hasn¡¯t come out all these years, but many matters in Fantasy Divine Palace seem to have never escaped his control. This caused Yu Qian to be secretly shocked again. Originally, he thought that the First Deity had already decided to let go of his authority, but actually¡­ he never had such intentions! How could he fight with such a person? Yu Qian suppressed his messy thoughts and willingly asked, ¡°First Deity, this matter is grave. Shu Jing can¡¯t solve it alone. Are¡­ you not planning to take action? The Heaven Gate¡­ is about to close.¡± That voice sounded again: ¡°I have my own plans.¡± These few words expressed his attitude. Shu Jing and Yu Qian exchanged glances and saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. At this stage, First Deity still refuses to appear? He says he has his own plans. What exactly are they? Shu Jing originally wanted to continue asking, but Yu Qian already replied: ¡°Okay. We understand.¡± Then, he glanced at Shu Jing. The two of them bade farewell in unison. ¡­ After walking for a distance, Shu Jing could not help but ask, ¡°Second Deity, what do you think the First Deity is planning to do? So many things have happened in Fantasy Divine Palace during this period of time, but he refuses to appear. He can¡¯t continue with this until the day the Heaven Gate closes, right?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Yu Qian immediately rejected her guess. ¡°At that time, even the Emperor will come, let alone him. Let¡¯s just wait.¡± Anyway, they had already said their piece. If anything happened, they could not be completely blamed for it. Hearing that name, Shu Jing suddenly felt deep respect and terror. Then, she suddenly thought of something and asked hesitantly, ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something¡­ Second Deity, do you know what the Left Divine General is busy with lately?¡± Yu Qian glanced at her. ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡± The Left Divine General and Right Divine General were the Emperor¡¯s most trusted aides, and they were the two strongest generals under him. They had distinguished statuses and were extremely strong. Even he did not dare to casually treat them. How would he know any of this? Shu Jing nodded in disappointment. Actually, she had already guessed this outcome. However, she was indignant and wanted to ask clearly. ¡°Why did you suddenly ask this?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing much.¡± Shu Jing forced a smile and used a random reason to brush past the matter. However, who was Yu Qian? He saw Shu Jing¡¯s thoughts clearly, but he did not expose her. ¡°Time is about to be up. At that time, they will definitely appear with the Emperor. If there¡¯s nothing urgent, just wait patiently.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ The wait was always especially difficult. Shangguan Jing glanced at the room suspiciously again. ¡°It has already been so long. These two people¡­ are not done with their chess game?¡± ¡­ In the room, Chu Liuyue stared closely at the chessboard in front of her, and her lips turned white slightly. She rubbed the chess piece in her hands. She suddenly thought of something and looked at the man opposite her. ¡°The one at Red Moon Desert back then was also you?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he did not deny it. Chu Liuyue paused. ¡°Big Baby and the rest¡­ long knew of your identity?¡± Chapter 2414 - 2414 Can She Do It? 2414 Can She Do It? Rong Xiu thought for a moment, as if he was considering how to answer the question. However, such a reaction was a very clear answer to Chu Liuyue. She scoffed. This man has hidden so much from me. However, Big Baby and the rest have long done something similar. The first time she arrived at Fantasy Divine Palace and saw the Xuan formations on the Star Path, she already knew that some matters weren¡¯t within her control. In comparison, she quickly accepted Rong Xiu¡¯s identity as Master. Rong Xiu paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Initially, they didn¡¯t know about the matters at Country Yao Chen.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. This means¡­ She squinted slightly and focused on the man before her. ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why did you suddenly tell me these things at this point?¡± asked Chu Liuyue softly. Master¡­ If Rong Xiu didn¡¯t willingly reveal, I probably would never guess it. Even if all these matters were taken into his grave, it doesn¡¯t seem important. However, he still said it, and it had to be at this time. Rong Xiu smiled. ¡°There are some matters you are bound to know.¡± In the past, he didn¡¯t want to let her know and used all sorts of methods to hide it from her. But now¡­ He had to say it. Thinking of something, a layer of darkness covered Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes. The sparkling light that shone and dimmed reflected in his eyes silently. Chu Liuyue could not see through him. Rong Xiu had deep thoughts. Even though she had the same goals as this man most of the time¡­ When he didn¡¯t want to reveal something, nobody could see through his thoughts, including her. Rong Xiu suddenly asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re not angry?¡± Chu Liuyue held her chin with one hand as she fiddled with the chess piece in deep thought. ¡°Why would I be angry? Even though you hid it from me, aren¡¯t you already telling me now?¡± Actually, she didn¡¯t care much about it. That was because she knew that he would never hurt her. This was an absolute confidence that came from the bottom of her heart, and it was even a belief etched into her bones. ¡°But when we¡¯re done with this game, you have to answer everything honestly.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up at an angle. ¡°Of course.¡± Chu Liuyue was determined as she finally placed down the chess piece in her hand. Pak! ¡­ Time trickled past. ¡°These two kids are still not out. Are they waiting until the day the Heaven Gate closes?!¡± In the yard, Shangguan Jing stood on the stone stool and was speechless. He had already waited for so long, but these two people still had their door shut and had no intention of coming out. Other than vaguely detecting the ripples coming from the barrier, there was nothing else. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly stood up. ¡°Forget it! I won¡¯t wait anymore!¡± I will go to the Fantasy Divine Hall first! He knew about Dugu Mobao and Lan Xiao being trapped inside. Previously, he wanted to wait for Chu Liuyue and go together with her, to see if they could work together and find some clues. However, they still didn¡¯t come out, and they would probably be busy for a while. He could not wait any longer. ¡°Senior Shangguan, are you going to the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± A crisp voice suddenly sounded. Shangguan Jing turned around. ¡°Lady Shiyi? Yeah, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lady Shiyi thought for a moment and still shook her head. ¡°My younger sister and I want to go to the Fantasy Divine Hall to take a look, but it might be a little hard.¡± Shangguan Jing was rather curious. ¡°I heard the two of you talking about this previously. What, are you curious about what the inside looks like? Why don¡¯t I come back later and tell you about it?¡± Lady Shiyi shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± They weren¡¯t curious; they just wanted to go in. However, such a feeling was not easy to express. She pressed her lips against each other. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wish you the best of luck.¡± Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t think further and thought that Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er were childish, so they wanted to tour the Fantasy Divine Hall. Not to mention them, who in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace did not want to go in? It was normal. The moment he stood up, he heard footsteps coming from behind. ¡°Hey! Shangguan, wait!¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s gaze turned, and he saw Tang Ke quickly walking over. Then, the latter passed him a jade bracelet. ¡°This is a Cosmic Bracelet that I recently made. I prepared some items for Li Zi and placed them inside. Could you help me pass it to her?¡± Shangguan Jing instinctively took the jade bracelet and glanced at him strangely. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, if you wish to give it to her, can¡¯t you just personally go over?¡± He is also an Armory Refinement Saint. It¡¯s as easy as ABC for him to enter. Why must he ask me for help? The corner of Tang Ke¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Ahem, this¡­ I still have some matters to handle, so¡­ I temporarily can¡¯t go in.¡± Shangguan Jing looked doubtful. Matters? What matters could he have? If it were before, it was understandable since Tang Ke was probably busy guiding me. But now, I have already successfully broken through to become an Armory Refinement Saint. Logically speaking, Tang Ke should be free, right? Besides, everyone can tell how Tang Ke feels about Su Li. He clearly misses Su Li a lot, but he refuses to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, is it inconvenient¡­?¡± asked Shangguan Jing tentatively. Tang Ke hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°No, no! I just really can¡¯t leave right now! W-wait for a while, and I¡¯ll go over!¡± Shangguan Jing didn¡¯t quite believe his words. However, the other party had already said this, so there was no need to continue asking. He nodded. ¡°Senior Tang Ke, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely send your item over.¡± Tang Ke then secretly exhaled and gave a few reminders before he returned. The door closed. Shangguan Jing was dazed. It seems like¡­ Tang Ke really has no plans of going now. He stowed away the bracelet and walked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡­ Shangguan Jing successfully entered the Fantasy Divine Hall and quickly found Su Li¡¯s residence. ¡°He told you to pass it to me?¡± Su Li played with the bracelet in her hand, her usually gentle expression looking rather sour. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s really busy.¡± Shangguan Jing was speechless. Why is it suddenly so cold? But luckily, Su Li still kept the item. She looked up and asked, ¡°How¡¯s Little Yue¡¯er now? I haven¡¯t seen her for the past few days.¡± Shangguan Jing briefly told her the situation. Su Li was enlightened.¡±I see¡­ However, His Grace is also weird. Why did he specifically choose this time to play chess with Little Yue¡¯er?¡± Shangguan Jing shook his head. ¡°They both have their own thoughts. Perhaps they have other plans. Besides¡­ Rong Xiu is very strong. When they duel, they can improve their skills.¡± He was rather familiar with Rong Xiu, so he deeply knew that the abilities the latter had were far from what he currently displayed. Su Li nodded and continued, ¡°That¡¯s true, but Little Yue¡¯er has already completed the Star Path and understood all the Xuan formations on it. Logically speaking, she is already very amazing. In a while, when the Heaven Gate closes, I wonder if she can become a deity¡­¡± Chapter 2415 - 2415 Not Extinguish in Ten Thousand Years 2415 Not Extinguish in Ten Thousand Years ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem¡­¡± Su Li knitted her brows slightly. However, Shangguan Jing paused. Actually, this was also a mystery to him because he knew clearly that Chu Liuyue had bloodline power! Except¡­ It did not belong to the Shangguan clan. Even though he had founded the Tianling Dynasty himself and later went to the God Residence Realm, making a name for himself, it happened later. Chu Liuyue originally should not have bloodline power. Shangguan Jing was once very curious and wanted to ask her clearly, but he did not have the chance. Until now¡ª Chu Liuyue successfully entered the Fantasy Divine Hall and shocked everyone. Actually, everything was just because Jin Yunlai didn¡¯t detect Chu Liuyue¡¯s bloodline power at the Heaven Gate that day! Shangguan Jing knew clearly that there was something amiss, but he did not know the specifics. Recently, he could not find the time to ask her. ¡°It should be¡­ alright?¡± Shangguan Jing spoke, and his voice was vague. Su Li nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Who can be sure of this? After all, the deities previously said that she couldn¡¯t push open the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s door. Isn¡¯t she doing fine now?¡± Chu Liuyue hid too many trump cards and secrets. Shangguan Jing changed the topic. ¡°Oh right, Mr. Su, may I know if¡­ you have found out anything during this period?¡± Su Li sighed helplessly. ¡°The Fantasy Divine Hall is guarded tightly, and it¡¯s really hard to ask around.¡± ¡°True.¡± Shangguan Jing was not surprised by this outcome. This matter could not be rushed. If it were so easy to find, he would doubt the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s abilities. ¡°But¡­¡± Su Li suddenly thought of something, and her expression changed slightly. ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Previously, I saw someone going to the Holy Jade of Chaos¡­¡± Her face seemed hesitant. Shangguan Jing¡¯s expression focused slightly. ¡°What exactly happened? Did something happen to the Holy Jade of Chaos?¡± The missing piece of it was with Chu Liuyue. He could not help but be worried. Su Li held her breath, shook her head, and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not the Holy Jade of Chaos but the neighboring white jade pillars¡­ I saw someone going over and adding something there.¡± Shangguan Jing was dazed. ¡°As I was quite far away, I didn¡¯t see it clearly. I just saw that after the item was added, the fire on the white jade pillars burned even brighter than before.¡± Su Li bit her lips. Shangguan Jing knitted his brows, and countless guesses flashed across his mind. When he came in, he did have an impression of those white jade pillars. He paused for a moment and slowly said, ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be problematic? Hasn¡¯t the fire on the white jade pillars always been burning?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± Su Li¡¯s voice became even lighter. ¡°I already asked Xiao Ran previously. He said¡­ these white jade pillars have never been extinguished for 10,000 years. Nothing had to be added.¡± ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re talking about this?¡± Xiao Ran¡ªwho was lazily lying in his yard¡ªheard the duo¡¯s question and paused his actions. He sat up with a toothpick in his teeth. ¡°Yeah, it has always been like that.¡± He raised his chin and looked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall. ¡°The Holy Jade of Chaos and the Divine Master are closely related. The fire burning on the white jade pillars is supported by the Divine Master¡¯s own holy force, so it has never been extinguished in 10,000 years. What¡¯s the problem?¡± Shangguan Jing and Su Li exchanged a glance. It seems like Xiao Ran doesn¡¯t know that those white jade pillars need extra ¡®care¡¯ now¡­ It was a pure accident that Su Li saw it that day. Initially, she didn¡¯t find it to be a problem, but she later met Xiao Ran and coincidentally chatted with him. Hearing Xiao Ran¡¯s words, she knew that something was amiss and suppressed the matter. Now that she asked again, as expected¡ª ¡°What¡¯s with your expression?¡± Xiao Ran bit on his toothpick, and his gaze darted between the two of them. ¡°Everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace knows about this. Oh right, you just came not long ago, so it¡¯s very normal for you to not know this.¡± Su Li revealed looks of understanding as her gaze darkened slightly. ¡°I see¡­¡± It seemed like there really is a problem. At this point, a gust of wind blew over. Something floated down. Su Li looked up strangely, She stretched her hand to catch the item and was dazed. This was¡­ a peach blossom. It was pink, and the petals were soft. It flowed with the wind. It bloomed at the right time. ¡°This¡ª¡± Su Li was curious as to where this item came from, but she saw that Xiao Ran suddenly stood up and looked at the peach blossom in her hands in shock. ¡°How can this be?¡± Su Li and Shangguan Jing were confused. ¡°¡­What happened? Is there something wrong?¡± It¡¯s just a peach blossom. Even though it¡¯s strange that it appeared here, it isn¡¯t worthy of such a big reaction, right? Xiao Ran stared at that peach blossom closely. Then, he stretched his hand out and took it. Very quickly, the pink color gradually dissipated. A spark of golden and black intertwined. Seeing this change, the two of them had their expressions change at the side. This is clearly not a real peach blossom! Xiao Ran looked in a certain direction and furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Could it be¡­ because the Heaven Gate was closing?¡± This is the peach blossom from the deserted garden! Why did it come here? He recalled that Chu Liuyue had once told him this before. At that time, he just told her not to intervene, but it now seemed like there was something wrong with the deserted garden¡­? ¡°Xiao Ran? Xiao Ran?!¡± Su Li waved in front of Xiao Ran before he recovered his senses. He still had a complicated expression. ¡°Don¡¯t ask further. In the future¡­ don¡¯t bring this up again.¡± The two of them exchanged glances. Originally, they planned to find out more, but seeing Xiao Ran¡¯s behavior, it was clear that he would not say anything further. ¡°Yes.¡± Everyone was smart. Without many words, they quickly reached a consensus and did not discuss it further. Xiao Ran asked again, ¡°Oh right, where¡¯s that girl?¡± I haven¡¯t seen her in a while. Shangguan Jing casually replied, ¡°Playing chess.¡± Xiao Ran was speechless. She still has a leisurely mood at this point? He glanced at the sky and said, ¡°Time is almost up. By then, don¡¯t forget to remind her to come back. The chance of becoming a deity only comes once in 10,000 years.¡± Su Li and Shangguan Jing acknowledged him and left quickly. Xiao Ran lay back down again and held the peach blossom in his hands. The wind blew over, and it silently turned into powder. He furrowed his brows tightly. After a while, he sighed. ¡­ Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. In no time, there were only three days left until the Heaven Gate closed. The atmosphere in Fantasy Divine Palace was extremely tense. Everyone was waiting for that day¡¯s arrival. Wu Yao stood in front of the Heaven Gate with his arms crossed, staring at the Heaven Gate before him closely. Suddenly, a voice sounded. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Chapter 2416 - 2416 Continue 2416 Continue Wu Yao turned around and saw a rather familiar face. He tugged his lips, smiled, and asked, ¡°Oh, Eleventh Deity, why are you here?¡± He glanced at the Heavenly Gate. Nobody came up at this time. The Heaven Gate was opened for a year. Those who could come had long come. Why would they wait until now? Qiu Tong looked at him coldly. ¡°I should be the one asking you that. You¡¯ve come here every day for the past few months. What exactly do you want?¡± It wasn¡¯t his first or second day noticing this Wu Yao. The latter didn¡¯t cultivate or go somewhere else, as if he was bound to stand guard here. In the beginning, Qiu Tong was still worried that he wanted to do something. But after staring at him for a while, he realized that Wu Yao really did not do anything. He just stood here and stared at the Heaven Gate. Once he looked at it, it would be a whole day or even a few days. This Heaven Gate has been the same for the past 10,000 years. What is there to look at? Qiu Tong was displeased about this, yet Wu Yao never did anything out of character, so he could not scold him. However, it was different now. Wu Yao looked innocent after being reprimanded. ¡°I-I¡¯m just¡­ spacing out here. Can¡¯t I do that?¡± Qiu Tong frowned. This answer clearly lacks sincerity. He took a step forward and coldly said, ¡°From today onward, you can¡¯t.¡± There were only three days left until the Heaven Gate closed. A person like Wu Yao naturally could not stay here any longer. He came here today for this. Wu Yao: ¡°¡­Can¡¯t I just stand here and look?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, how about I stand further?¡± Qiu Tong¡¯s expression became colder. Wu Yao wasn¡¯t senseless, and he immediately raised his hands. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll go now.¡± He did not want to fight with this deity. It was really not worth it. As he spoke, he finally left. Behind him, Qiu Tong¡¯s eyes were glued to him in a sharp and icy cold manner. Wu Yao snorted lightly in his heart, rubbed his fists, and shrugged his shoulders as he left. Qiu Tong¡¯s expression became warmer when Wu Yao¡¯s figure completely disappeared from his vision. He came to the Heaven Gate and glanced outside. Below the silver bridge, the path spread toward the dark and mysterious ocean. The waters rippled¡ªit was icy cold and humid. There vaguely seemed to be a faint smell of blood that spread with the wind. Qiu Tong furrowed his brows. It had been a long time since Xi Yan and Jiu Long were sent to be punished in the Fantasy Divine Sea. However, they had yet to return. The First Deity doesn¡¯t seem like he is going to show mercy. There are only three days left. Does he have to continue waiting? He shook his head. ¡­ Inside the room. On the chessboard, the black chess pieces and the red-golden chess pieces were in an intense battle. More than half of the chessboard had been filled. Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. This was indeed not easy. Every single ray of light and every single chess piece contained extremely shocking force. For every piece she placed, she had to endure an extremely demanding and terrifying attack of the force. Before the chess game was complete, her bodily force seemed to be depleted. It seemed like¡­ she could not continue on. Her hand holding the chess piece was even trembling slightly, but the man opposite did not say a word. His gaze became deeper, and nobody could guess what he was thinking. Chu Liuyue thought for a long while before she finally chose a position and placed her piece down. Pak¡ªshoo! The moment that red-golden chess piece landed, it was crazily shredded by the surrounding terrifying force at a crazy and fast speed! At this moment, the chess piece broke, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s body trembled. Bright red blood slowly seeped out of the corner of her mouth. She held the table with one hand, and her face was paler than ever. Her entire body trembled slightly. If it weren¡¯t for this, she would have collapsed. Rong Xiu slowly clenched his hands in his sleeves. On the back of his hand, the green veins could be clearly seen. Then, he said, ¡°Continue.¡± His voice was clear and low. Chu Liuyue slowly wiped away the bloodstains by the corner of her mouth, trying her best to circulate her bodily force and move it to her fingertips! Her movements were extremely slow. If anyone else was present, they could definitely tell that the current Chu Liuyue had reached her limit. Soon, she would not be able to lift her hand. However, Rong Xiu did not move. He just quietly sat opposite her and waited patiently. Chu Liuyue clenched her teeth and finally placed down the piece again. Shing! A zither sound suddenly played in her body! Chu Liuyue¡¯s brows moved. Following that, she felt a sensation coming from the Cosmic Ring on her hand! That was¡­ The rocks that she brought back from the God-Killing Tumulus moving! She was stunned, and she widened her eyes slightly. Piak! On the opposite end, Rong Xiu had already placed another piece. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue looked up, and her eyes shrunk slightly. That black piece had driven her to a corner, and she had no way to escape. Another zither sound played again! Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something: This isn¡¯t the first two music scores! This is¡­ the last music score! She suddenly looked up at Rong Xiu. He said, ¡°It hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡± ¡­ God-Killing Tumulus. The sky was dark, and clouds gathered. Rough winds blew across the barren land, hurling the sand up. Everything was blurry, as if it was covered in a layer of mesh, and one could not see clearly. There was no one in sight. The place was so quiet that it seemed like a gigantic tomb. Countless broken tombstones fell to the floor messily, and they exuded an indescribable abandonment and sorrow. Between heaven and earth, the black wall stood quietly and speechlessly. After a while, a voice seemed to ring in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°This day¡­ is finally coming?¡± I¡¯ve really waited for so long. Chapter 2417 - 2417 Pay Respects 2417 Pay Respects The zither sound played in a solemn and cold manner! Every sound was continuously made, and they slowly and determinedly formed a unique tune¡ªthat was the third music score! For some reason, under the cooperation of many forces at this point, the last torn music score in Chu Liuyue¡¯s body started merging! Every sound landed in her ears clearly, wrapping her. The entire room was squeezed tightly by this zither sound! All the blood in her body surged rapidly, and it almost burst out! Chu Liuyue took a deep breath in. After swallowing the overwhelming and intense bloody aura, she continued to place another piece. ¡­ A bright golden barrier covered the entire room¡ªany force ripples would mostly be absorbed and extinguished. Nothing was exposed outside. Even if they were inches away, the other people in the yard did not know what was going on inside. Wu Yao returned to the yard. He just took a few glances, turned to the back, and practiced his punches. Hua Shuangshuang pushed open the door, and the Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast instantly flew over. Below his feet, a little Wind-Stepping Tiger jumped onto his shin. He laughed loudly and picked the little Wind-Stepping Tiger up. Xiao Ba was lying on the rattan chair and taking a nap. She tilted her head slightly, and there was a basket full of petals beside her. There were a few intricate jade bottles inside. Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er were sitting side by side not far away, and they held the pills they had just taken from Jian Fengchi not long ago. Lady Shiyi had one in each hand as she threw them up and accurately caught them. As usual, Lady Shi¡¯er poured hers out, counting them seriously, before sending them to her mouth one by one. Her cheeks bulged a little. In some room, Cen Yi stood before a desk and focused on the map before him. He held a brush in his hand and outlined something from time to time. Lu Feng walked in. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re looking for me?¡± Cen Yi nodded and rolled the map up before passing it over. ¡°Make a sandbox according to this.¡± Lu Feng took it with both hands and found it strange. At this point, why does Big Brother suddenly want a sandbox? As he muttered in his heart, he opened that map. The lines were complicated and extremely messy. Lu Feng was dazed for a moment before he focused and looked at it. With this look, he saw the few words hidden beneath the messy and overlapping lines. The corner of his eyes instantly twitched, and he looked up at Cen Yi in disbelief. ¡°Big Brother, this¡ª¡± ¡°Can you do it in three days?¡± asked Cen Yi lightly. Lu Feng swallowed a mouthful of saliva with much difficulty. Why does Big Brother still have a cold expression? Does he know that this is¡­ As if detecting his gaze, Cen Yi looked up slightly. At that moment, Lu Feng¡¯s heart suddenly trembled. Then, he lowered his head to take a look again. With this look, he saw the familiar words again. This map was the most complicated one he saw, not one of them! It turns out Big Brother was busy with this when he did not go out previously? His hoarse turned dry, and his heart beat intensely, as if he had already faintly guessed Cen Yi¡¯s plans. However, he did not ask. After temporary silence, he solemnly put away the item and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Phoenix Mountain. Tuan Zi sat on the mountain peak alone. She held her chin with one hand and touched the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed before her in boredom. ¡°One, two, three¡­ six, seven!¡± There were seven leaves in total. Perhaps it was because Phoenix Mountain contained a rich amount of force, so the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed quickly grew after coming here. In no time, it had already reached this stage. ¡°Hey, do you think you can grow your eighth leaf first, or if I¡¯ll open my eighth meridian¡­¡± asked Tuan Zi seriously. Nobody replied. The light breeze blew by, and the emerald-green leaf flowed with the wind. Tuan Zi sighed and summoned the Ancestral Golden Feather. Her chubby hands held that red-golden feather carefully. She stared at it for some time and pouted slightly. Clan Leader Grandpa was still hibernating. She had tried many times to awaken him, but she did not make much progress. Tuan Zi roughly guessed that she probably had to open her ninth meridian first. She held the Ancestral Golden Feather and scrutinized it for a while. Suddenly, a sound was heard. Her heart tingled. She immediately stowed away the Ancestral Golden Feather and stood up to look at the incoming person. But when she saw that person was Miao Zhen, she relaxed slightly. Miao Zhen sized Tuan Zi up and secretly exclaimed. He long knew that Tuan Zi was sent here to cultivate, but he didn¡¯t know that she had improved so greatly in such a short amount of time. Her aura was much stronger than when he first saw her. ¡°Grandpa Miao Zhen?¡± Tuan Zi crisply called. She knew that Miao Zhen had come to Phoenix Mountain for half a month, but he only walked nearby and did not go up the mountain, so the two of them did not meet each other. They officially met today. This way of address caused Miao Zhen to burst with joy. Even though Tuan Zi was in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, her chubby and adorable appearance had great attacking power. Since when did a doll like this called Miao Zhen grandpa? Hearing this, his entire heart instantly melted, and his expression became gentler and kinder. ¡°Hey, hey! Good Tuan Zi!¡± Miao Zhen acknowledged her and beamed from ear to ear. Tuan Zi asked strangely, ¡°Grandpa Miao Zhen, what are you doing here?¡± Speaking of this, Miao Zhen restrained his expression. After a moment, he lightly sighed. ¡°Paying respects to my ancestor.¡± Tuan Zi was dazed for a moment. When she reacted, she was shocked. ¡°A-ancestor?¡± But this is Phoenix Mountain! Chapter 2418 - 2418 This Day 2418 This Day Didn¡¯t that so-called Second Deity say that this used to be Ancestor Yi Ling¡¯s territory? Why would the ancestor that Miao Zhen wants to pay respects to be here? Seeing Tuan Zi¡¯s look of terror, Miao Zhen held his head helplessly. ¡°Tuan Zi, don¡¯t overthink it. It¡¯s just that the great phoenix dragon ancestor also met his demise here.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, oh! I see!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s head twirled, and she finally understood what he meant. She heaved a sigh of relief. After some thinking, she knitted her small brows. ¡°However, I¡¯ve been here for so long¡­ It seems like¡­ I didn¡¯t detect the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s aura?¡± This place was filled with the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s force. If Miao Zhen didn¡¯t say it, she definitely would not have thought of it. Miao Zhen¡¯s expression froze. Then, he tugged his lips forcefully and revealed a smile with not much smiling intent. ¡°This¡­ I know.¡± Seeing that his expression was rather amiss, Tuan Zi put two hands behind her back and lightly shuffled her feet on the floor. After a moment, she asked, ¡°Grandpa Miao Zhen, did I¡­ say something wrong?¡± I seem to have said something I shouldn¡¯t. Miao Zhen was dazed slightly and later shook his head with a smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s all the matters of the past. It has nothing to do with you, so don¡¯t have to take it to heart.¡± Tuan Zi acknowledged it and lighty exhaled. Even though she was young, she was very sensible and smart. She detected that Miao Zhen¡¯s emotions were amiss, so she did not speak further. Miao Zhen changed the topic. ¡°You¡¯re going to open your eighth meridian soon?¡± Tuan Zi blinked and nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± There was nothing to hide about this. After all, her final goal was to open her ninth meridian. Miao Zhen seemed emotional. ¡°Very good¡­¡± Actually, his eighth meridian was opened. Originally, he had the chance to open his ninth meridian. It was a pity many things happened back then, and it was delayed. It was already very difficult for him to revive, so he did not desire other things. Looking at Tuan Zi, he knew clearly that she did have hopes of opening her ninth meridian. Hearing this answer, he could not help but feel emotional. Tuan Zi curiously asked, ¡°Grandpa Miao Zhen, how did you come in? That deity was willing to let you in?¡± That was rare. One had to know that other than A¡¯Yue, other people weren¡¯t allowed to casually enter the area, including the other deities. Miao Zhen nodded. ¡°Yes, but I should go out too.¡± Tuan Zi felt a slight disappointment. After all, she was really bored when she stayed here alone. After that quarrel with Hong Yao, it did not come again. She was really only left with herself. ¡°Then¡­ Grandpa Miao Zhen, how¡¯s A¡¯Yue now?¡± asked Tuan Zi rather nervously. Previously, she faintly felt that A¡¯Yue¡¯s situation was rather amiss, but she couldn¡¯t go out now. She knew that Yu Qian was staring at her very closely. On the surface, she and A¡¯Yue had no agreement. If she went now, it would definitely arouse suspicions. Miao Zhen was stunned. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her in a while as well. However, she should be doing fine, right?¡± She has entered the Fantasy Divine Hall. No matter what the others are doing, she is already standing at a high position and doesn¡¯t have to worry. Tuan Zi pressed her lips against each other and knew that she couldn¡¯t find out much from Miao Zhen. ¡°That¡¯s good then..¡± Shoo! Suddenly, a tiny sound came from beside Tuan Zi. She lowered her head strangely and then widened her blackberry-like eyes instantly. That Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed actually had an eighth leaf right at that moment! Almost at the same time, she felt that there seemed to be a tremendous force in her body that overwhelmed her! Tuan Zi was shocked and instinctively looked in a certain direction. What exactly is going on with A¡¯Yue? Why did her cultivation suddenly start to strengthen?! ¡­ Chu Liuyue only heard the zither sound. That tune seemed to come from a distant spacetime, and it was like it flew up from a corner of the depths of her body. Every single sound! She held the table with one hand. As she used too much force, her knuckles turned white faintly. She held a chess piece in the other hand. The bottom of her eyes reflected the dazzling light on that chessboard. Other than this, there was nothing else. She clenched her teeth and placed the chess piece in her hand. Pak! At that moment, the surrounding force surged crazily! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes were black and bright as she stared at it closely without blinking! Her entire body¡¯s force seemed to be exhausted. She had reached a state where she was purely relying on her willpower to forcefully support herself. But every time she felt that she could not do it, force would surge out of her body¡ªthis was the force accumulated in every part of her body all these years! It could be seen that she was already driven to a dead end! In such a situation, she could only counterattack! But from start to end, the iridescent water droplet in her dantian did not cause any ripples. If she had this force to support her, she would not be in this misery, yet it never happened. Hence, Chu Liuyue could only try her best to scrape the remaining force and form the third music score bit by bit! The feeling of her force leaving her body overwhelmed her, and the zither sound almost shattered her ears! Only the dantian that had merged with the first two music scores¡­ It was quiet all along and did not respond. Only that iridescent light quietly shone. ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. Creak¡ª The door opened, and a tall and long figure walked out of the room. He was wearing a blue-gray robe, and his steps were composed. He was calm as he naturally walked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. Chapter 2419 - 2419 Strike the Bell, Close the Door! 2419 Strike the Bell, Close the Door! The surroundings were quiet. Only the light breeze blew his sleeves. His gaze was nonchalant and calm, and one couldn¡¯t see his emotions. Very quickly, he came to the main hall and stood still. In front of him was a nine-step staircase. He lifted his legs and went up. He came before the main hall, and the heavy suppression covered him. He pushed open the door and entered. Arriving within the main hall, he stopped in the middle, held his breath in, and nodded. ¡°First Deity, Mu Qinghe, greets the Divine Master!¡± There was nobody in the main hall. The surrounding walls had countless lights that shone and dimmed. After a long while, a low and hoarse voice finally sounded in the main hall. ¡°Close¡­ the Heaven Gate!¡± Mu Qinghe respectfully said, ¡°Your word is my command, Divine Master!¡± Then, he turned around and went outside the hall. This time, in front of Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall, there was a heavy and solemn copper bell in midair. He came to the copper bell, sent out his holy force, and hit it heavily! Dong¡ª The distant ringing reverberated throughout the area! At that moment, all the living beings in every corner of the Fantasy Divine Palace heard this ringing! Medicinal mountain. Shu Jing looked at the barrier glowing with a faint green light and knitted her brows tightly. Hearing this ringing, she suddenly looked up toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. First Deity¡­ finally came out personally and struck the bell to close the door!? Then, she took a deep breath in and headed toward the Fantasy Divine Hall! In the nearby mountains, the heavenly doctors¡ªwho were picking herbs or dueling¡ªlooked up nervously, excitedly, and anxiously¡­ ¡­ Lightning pool. A gigantic seal locked the lightning pool up, and it was quiet. But standing from above, one could see the countless lightning bolts that seemed to be still. The silver and gold intertwined and revealed a cold light. Mu Dongyou¡¯s gaze was calm. Then, his figure flashed, and he disappeared from the lightning pool¡¯s surroundings. At this point, a tall figure quietly stood by the shores of the lightning pool¡ªit was Si Jing. He stood before the black quart. He held a hammer with one hand and tightly clenched his other fist. His strong muscles bulged up as if it contained countless strength. Before him, the lightning pool seemed to have a thick layer of ice that did not move. ¡­ Hearing that bell sound, Qi Han¡¯s expression froze, and he looked up. His expression was much colder than usual, and his scar made him look harsher. Thinking of something, a dark glint flashed across his eyes. One could not see through him. ¡­ The bell sound rang in every big and small yard in the Fantasy Divine Palace. Lady Shi¡¯er stopped chewing and looked up curiously, with half her cheeks stuffed. ¡°Who is striking the bell?¡± asked Lady Shi¡¯er softly. Lady Shiyi looked in the direction of the sound, squinted her eyes, and poured the remaining pills into her mouth. This action frightened Lady Shi¡¯er. ¡°Sister, w-why are you eating in such a hurry?¡± Lady Shiyi wiped her mouth and briefly explained, ¡°The Heaven Gate is about to close.¡± A storm was about to come! Upon hearing this, Lady Shi¡¯er instinctively held the few pills in her hand tightly. She asked rather nervously, ¡°T-then, does it affect us?¡± Lady Shiyi nodded affirmatively. ¡°Of course! After the Heaven Gate closes, Master will enter the Fantasy Divine Hall and become a deity! Of course, it¡¯s very related to us!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er thought about it. ¡°Oh, oh! Right, we have to cheer Master on!¡± This can¡¯t be delayed. Thinking of this, she turned around. That room door was still tightly shut. Her hand was fast as she fed herself the remaining pills one by one. She tried hard to bite as she said unclearly, ¡°I-I can¡¯t drag Master down¡­¡± ¡­ Mu Hongyu stood before the door and lightly furrowed her brows. This day has finally come, but Mentor¡¯s side¡­ still has no progress. After fighting with Mu Qinghe and Bi Ling at the Fantasy Divine Sea that time, she and Chu Liuyue had never gone there again. The other party guarded it strictly. Even though she had reached the Great Advanced Realm, she was helpless. During this period of time, Mu Hongyu had privately thought of many methods, but they were to no avail. They said that Diwu Zhangze was the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s traitor, so they would definitely not let him out. Anyone would treat a ¡®traitor¡¯ in such a manner¡­ However, how did he become the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s traitor? What exactly happened back then¡­ ¡°Hey, Hongyu.¡± A familiar voice sounded. Mu Hongyu turned around and saw Jian Fengchi walking out of the house. He leaned against the frame and looked very leisurely. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss something.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mu Hongyu raised her brows. What is there to discuss between us? Jian Fengchi raised his chin, and his peach blossom-like eyes dazzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already break through and reach the Great Advanced Realm? Then¡­ how about you bring me to the Fantasy Divine Hall together?¡± Mu Hongyu grunted. ¡°You really think that it¡¯s so easy to get into that place?¡± Jian Fengchi meant for her to secretly bring him in, but how was this matter easy? Besides, she was not very willing herself. Jian Fengchi blinked in a flirtatious and charming manner. ¡°Our Little Hongyu is so amazing. You must have a way, right? Other people can¡¯t, but you definitely can!¡± Mu Hongyu crossed her arms and sized him up, smiling with deep meaning. ¡°Aren¡¯t you very close to the First Deity? Why don¡¯t you look for him? Being able to walk in legitimately is much better than secretly going in, right?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s expression froze. Then, he closed his fan, lowered his forehead, and smiled curtly. Are you kidding me?! Mu Qinghe could even attack Chu Liuyue, let alone me! I must be tired of living if I sent myself to die! Will I be able to die faster, or will my death posture be nicer? In the past, I was on decent terms with Mu Qinghe, but¡­ that¡¯s the past! Not to mention others¡­ After coming to the Fantasy Divine Palace, I didn¡¯t even see Mu Qinghe at all! If Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t tell him about this, I wouldn¡¯t even know that Mu Qinghe was the First Deity! Even though Jian Fengchi was always confident, he cherished his life very much. ¡°H-how many years ago was that¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s already a matter of his past life¡­¡± Jian Fengchi coughed and swiftly rejected the idea. Mu Hongyu coldly grunted. As she was upset with Mu Qinghe, she was annoyed when she saw Jian Fengchi as well. ¡­ Xiao Ba stretched and lazily got up from her chair. She softly muttered, ¡°What¡¯s happening? It¡¯s so noisy¡­¡± Suddenly, a tall figure walked over and stood before her. The tall figure cast a shadow that instantly covered her. She squinted her pretty eyes slightly, and her mind was still dazed. ¡°¡­Brother Yan Qing?¡± Chapter 2420 - 2420 Music Score 2420 Music Score Her voice was very soft. At this moment, she was still rubbing her eyes gently with one hand. She stretched halfway, revealing a slender and fair waist. Against the dazzling and exquisite beaded tassel, it was even more clear and eye-catching. It was like a palm that could be easily grasped. Yan Qing slowly tightened his grip behind him and looked away, his gaze landing on her face. She covered her face with one hand, revealing only her half-squinted eyes. It was as if she had just woken up, and her eyes were still a little misty. She was charming and soft but also pure and innocent. She was like a beautiful and fragile crystal, or a flower that had bloomed to the extreme. No one could stop her beauty. Yan Qing was stunned. Even though he was used to seeing this enchanting face, at this moment, he was still¡­ The few vague syllables that flowed out of her red lips seemed to land on his heart more clearly and forcefully than the bell from the Fantasy Divine Hall. It was a vicious blow. Suddenly, he didn¡¯t know where to look. However, Xiao Ba didn¡¯t notice the subtle change in his expression. She only looked at him in confusion. Now that she had regained her senses, she smiled. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Yan Qing held his breath for a moment. His eyes lingered on her smile for a moment before he said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The Heaven Gate is about to close. Seeing that you¡¯re still asleep, I thought of waking you up.¡± It was rare for him to say so much. Xiao Ba blinked and looked back. ¡°I knew it. Why are you striking the bell in broad daylight¡­¡± She stood up lazily. Although she wasn¡¯t interested in these things, she knew very well that the closing of the Heaven Gate meant that countless cultivators in Fantasy Divine Palace were going to try to ascend to the heavens and break through¡­ It would be very lively. She still wanted to see this. Yan Qing was originally standing in front of the recliner. When Xiao Ba stood up, the distance between the two of them instantly shortened. A warm and fragrant wind blew over. It was her scent. Yan Qing took a step back calmly. Xiao Ba glanced at him and found it funny. ¡°Lord Yan Qing, are you so afraid of me?¡± When she came back to her senses, she was still in her courtyard, so she naturally returned to addressing him like this. Yan Qing lowered his eyes slightly, and his voice was cold. ¡°Miss Xiao Ba, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I only¡ª¡± He suddenly paused. A weak hand had already landed on his shoulder and patted it gently. ¡°I¡¯m just joking! It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve heard of Lord Yan Qing¡¯s righteousness.¡± Xiao Ba smiled at him. ¡°Thank you!¡± Yan Qing pursed his lips. However, Xiao Ba quickly retracted her hand and walked toward Lady Shiyi and the others. ¡°Aiya, the Heaven Gate is about to close. Why didn¡¯t you call me? I almost missed this big commotion¡­¡± Her voice gradually faded. Lady Shi¡¯er said softly, ¡°Eighth Sister, didn¡¯t you previously say that we¡¯re not allowed to call you when you¡¯re asleep?¡± She said that she needed beauty sleep to nourish her face. In the past, Eighth Sister would go berserk every time she was woken up. Although Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er had been taken care of and had never suffered this torture, they had indeed seen the other Thirteen Yue Guards being chased by her. There was lingering fear in their hearts. She looked at Xiao Ba strangely. ¡°Eighth Sister, why aren¡¯t you angry this time?¡± Lady Shiyi¡¯s voice was calm as she reminded, ¡°That¡¯s Eighth Brother-in-Law. He¡¯s different from us after all.¡± Xiao Ba was speechless. It¡¯s a misunderstanding! It is really a misunderstanding! At this moment, Xiao Ba suddenly felt a gaze on her. She subconsciously straightened her shoulders and raised her voice. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because it woke your Eighth Sister up. It¡¯s the one who rang the bell! It¡¯s not appropriate to vent my anger on Lord Yan Qing¡­¡± The two girls looked at her with their eyes open. That gaze seemed to move away again. Xiao Ba¡¯s ears inexplicably heated up as she hurriedly asked, ¡°Ahem, who rang the bell?¡± The two girls looked at each other and shook their heads. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the First Deity!¡± Yu Mo, who appeared out of nowhere, added. ¡°He¡¯s the only one who has the right!¡± Xiao Ba looked at him strangely. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Yu Mo was speechless. Who told you to talk so fast!? Just now, I was watching a show in the dark on a whim. Now, I¡¯m talking nonsense! Yan Qing glanced at him coldly, with no intention of helping. Yu Mo looked up at the sky. ¡°Ah, this? Everyone knows¡ªreally! Go out and ask. Who in Fantasy Divine Palace hasn¡¯t heard of it? Besides, it¡¯s obvious just by thinking about it. It must be the First Deity!¡± Xiao Ba stared at him for a while. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Yu Mo shut his mouth silently. Yan Qing has really forgotten his brother after having a wife! Let¡¯s see how he¡¯ll explain it to her later! At the thought of this, Yu Mo¡¯s mood finally improved. He rubbed his chin and chuckled. ¡°Why aren¡¯t Master and His Grace out yet?¡± Lady Shiyi asked. This question instantly shattered Yu Mo¡¯s fantasy. The corners of his mouth twitched as he looked back. Hmm¡­ It seems like Master¡¯s situation isn¡¯t any better¡­ ¡­ Dong¡ª The bell rang from afar, and the ringing fell into his ears. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. At this moment, a light suddenly flashed across her mind! She placed the last piece almost uncontrollably! Piak! Shing! At this point, the scattered zither notes were finally connected completely! The third music score was completely reunited! A beautiful water droplet appeared in her dantian. Compared to the previous one, this one seemed much smaller. Without any warning, it suddenly slammed into the original one! Boom! Chapter 2421 - 2421 His Kiss 2421 His Kiss Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind buzzed and went blank for a moment. But right on the heels of that, she realized that the situation seemed a little different from what she had expected. With this extremely fast collision, the original water droplet suddenly split into two! Three water droplets that flickered with gorgeous light floated quietly and faced each other! The third music score hadn¡¯t been integrated with the previous two¡­ The original one had even been disassembled! Chu Liuyue was stunned. Suddenly, an energy fluctuation came from in front of her. She looked up and saw Rong Xiu raising his hand and placing the last piece. The thick and dark chess piece was like a sharp blade that slashed down! It completely cut off all the paths of survival for the red-gold chess pieces! This round was finally over! Without a doubt, Chu Liuyue¡¯s side was completely defeated. Rong Xiu¡¯s strength was too great, and he almost killed her chess pieces completely. She exhaled softly and looked at the chessboard for a long time before smiling. A faint dark-red blood stain was still faintly discernible.¡±I¡¯ve lost.¡± Although she had said this many times, this time was different. She lost¡­ very happily. ¡°So this is your true strength¡­¡± she muttered softly and raised her eyes slightly. Her dark eyes flickered with a faint light that was dazzling. All these years, she had been constantly probing, but Rong Xiu was mysterious and powerful, and it was really hard to guess. Today, it was finally clear. Moreover, she knew very well that Rong Xiu probably¡­ wanted to help her integrate the third music score in this game. She tried and realized that the three water droplets could no longer be fused. In other words, there was indeed a complete music score in her body now, but it was divided into three parts and didn¡¯t integrate with each other. After trying a few times, when she realized that there was no movement from these few water droplets, she didn¡¯t force it anymore. In any case, the third portion had already been sorted out. All she needed was an opportunity to officially integrate them. She glanced out the window and laughed. ¡°The bell¡­ It looks like the Heaven Gate is really about to close. Shall we go over together?¡± Rong Xiu waved his sleeve, and the chessboard between the two of them quietly dissipated. He finally got up and walked over. Chu Liuyue looked at him strangely. ¡°Why¡­ um¡­¡± Rong Xiu came in front of her and bent down slightly. He hooked his long arm around her slender waist and hugged her. She no longer had any strength in her body. It was extremely difficult for her to even move her fingers. Previously, she had only relied on her willpower to barely hold on. Now that Rong Xiu came, she instantly lost her strength and fell into his arms. Before she could react, she felt a strong hand pinch her chin. She was forced to raise her head, and his kiss was already overwhelming. He held her very tightly, as if he wanted to crush her and melt her into his bones. His kiss was the same. It was as if¡­ there was a hint of madness that could barely be restrained¡­ The bloody taste between his lips made him tighten his grip. Then, he moved his hand away from her chin and held hers. Her slightly curled hand was effortlessly unfolded by him. His well-defined and powerful fingers passed between her fingers, and their fingers intertwined. Then, Chu Liuyue felt a warm and powerful force surge into her body through her palm. She stirred, as if trying to speak. ¡°¡­Uh-huh¡­¡± However, he pressed her tighter. Chu Liuyue was a little confused. Although most of her strength had been consumed, the music score was now in her body. She only needed to recuperate for a while to recover. But Rong Xiu¡­ It was rare for her to see him like this¡ªor rather, she had never seen him like this before. It was as if he was desperately trying to grab onto something with some emotion that was forcefully suppressed but was about to rush out. Her heart suddenly ached. She raised her head slightly and licked his lips in response. She nestled tightly in his arms. Even though her bones were about to be crushed by this force, she still wanted to give him more. ¡°¡­ Rong Xiu¡­ Rong¡­ Xiu¡­¡± The syllables were slurred between her lips, shattered, and spilled out. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ at¡­¡± She spoke in a low, firm voice. This sound seemed to finally wake Rong Xiu up. His movements slowed down and became much gentler. He finally let her go and kissed her gently on the lips before kissing her glabella. A low and slightly hoarse voice came from above her head. ¡°Yue¡¯er, wait for me at the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s body was still a little weak. She clung to his arm and leaned against his firm and warm chest. It was a familiar cold fragrance that made her feel at ease. She was a little confused, but she remembered that Rong Xiu had said that he would go to the Fantasy Divine Hall with her, so she nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡­ Creak¡ª The door was opened from the inside. Everyone in the courtyard looked up. Chu Liuyue¡¯s figure entered everyone¡¯s eyes. Xiao Ba was delighted at first. Then, she looked behind her and asked curiously, ¡°Master, where¡¯s His Grace?¡± Didn¡¯t they come together? With that person¡¯s strength, it doesn¡¯t seem difficult to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. Chu Liuyue said, ¡°He¡¯ll be a little late. Let¡¯s go first.¡± Perhaps because of the nourishment of Rong Xiu¡¯s power, her body had almost recovered in this short period of time. Originally, her face and lips were very pale, but after being hugged by him for a while before coming out, it was basically impossible to tell. Therefore, no one saw anything wrong. Chu Liuyue turned around and closed the door. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rong Xiu standing in the room and looking at her quietly. The light from outside shone in, illuminating his face. Half of it melted into the bright light, and the other half was soaked in coldness. It was as if light and darkness intertwined. It was untouchable. Chapter 2422 - 2422 Waiting 2422 Waiting Squeak¡ª Bang! The loud sound of a door closing came from afar. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she turned around. From afar, the heavy and sacred Heaven Gate was slowly closing! At the same time, countless figures headed in the direction of the Fantasy Divine Hall! The wind blew, and the clouds surged. Chu Liuyue slowly exhaled. ¡°To the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± ¡­ Only a very small number of people were qualified to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. However, this didn¡¯t stop cultivators from all over Fantasy Divine Palace from heading over. Such an opportunity only appeared once every 10,000 years. Even if they couldn¡¯t participate, just a few glances from afar might be a huge improvement in their cultivations. Therefore, all the cultivators here still went forward without hesitation. Chu Liuyue¡¯s footsteps were light and slow. On the one hand, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry. On the other hand, she was still recovering her strength. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Force silently surged into her body, nourishing every inch of her flesh, blood, and bones. However, the three music scores still showed no signs of fusing. Behind her was Mu Hongyu and the others. On the way, they encountered many people. Clearly, they were all heading for the Fantasy Divine Hall. All kinds of gazes landed on Chu Liuyue and the others. Envy, jealousy, admiration, uneasiness¡­ Everyone knew that not only Chu Liuyue herself but also a few people around her had already obtained the right to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall. How could they not think too much about it? In the beginning, no one took her or the people around her with no bloodline power seriously. But now¡­ Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to these gazes and only walked forward calmly. They quickly arrived at the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall. At this moment, the Fifth Deity, Ruan Jianfeng, was guarding the door. The originally closed door was open. There were already many people gathered in front of the door. Seeing Chu Liuyue and the rest arrive, the crowd automatically parted to make way. Chu Liuyue stepped in. Mu Hongyu followed behind her. The remaining people stayed behind. Seeing Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu enter, Xiao Ba crossed her arms and sighed. ¡°Sigh, I want to go in too.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Two voices sounded at the same time. Xiao Ba looked at Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er, who were standing side by side behind her. At this moment, the two girls were staring straight at the¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall in front of them. If not for Ruan Jianfeng guarding the door, the two of them would¡¯ve already rushed in. Xiao Ba¡¯s lips twitched. I was just saying it casually to express my sincerity, but these two¡­ Why does it seem like they really want to go in? She followed their gazes. The door opened, and they walked straight ahead. There was the Holy Jade of Chaos and the surrounding white jade pillars. The Holy Jade of Chaos was dark and silent. Flames burned at the top of the white jade pillars. This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem wrong? ¡°That¡¯s the Holy Jade of Chaos.¡± Lady Shiyi stared straight ahead, her tone very certain. Xiao Ba blinked. ¡°That¡¯s right. Is there¡­ anything wrong?¡± Lady Shiyi didn¡¯t say anything else. Helpless, Xiao Ba turned to look at Lady Shi¡¯er. ¡°I said¡ª¡± Seeing that Lady Shi¡¯er was holding her heart with both hands and blushing with a yearning and envious expression, Xiao Ba tactfully swallowed the rest of her words. Nice. As expected of the twins. Their reactions are exactly the same when they encounter such a situation. Yes, Lady Shi¡¯er seemed to be more excited. However¡­ what is there to see about the Holy Jade of Chaos? Xiao Ba¡¯s beautiful eyes turned, and she leaned closer. Then, she lowered her voice to ask, ¡°Sister Shiyi, Sister Shi¡¯er, what are you looking at? Can you tell me?¡± Lady Shiyi raised her hand. ¡°That Holy Jade of Chaos is missing a piece.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right! There¡¯s a huge gap!¡± Xiao Ba: ¡°¡­I know. So?¡± Could it be that the two of them still don¡¯t know that Master has the Celestial Shield? That¡¯s impossible¡­ I have been talking to them a lot recently. Logically speaking, I should¡¯ve said everything I could¡­ She looked over blankly a few more times, but it was still fruitless. After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Ba decided to give up. I can¡¯t figure it out. I should just wait and see! Lady Shi¡¯er gently tugged at her sister¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Sister, you¡­ you¡­ Do you think we can defeat that Fifth Deity¡­¡± Xiao Ba: ? Lady Shiyi shook her head calmly. ¡°No.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er was disappointed. ¡°Oh.¡± Then, it seems like I still can¡¯t go in¡­ Lady Shiyi suddenly took out two jade bottles and handed one to her sister. ¡°Fill your stomach first.¡± Only then will you have the strength to fight! Although she didn¡¯t say the second half of the sentence, Lady Shi¡¯er instantly understood and immediately took it. Xiao Ba¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. ¡°You¡­ Are the two of you planning to fight the Fifth Deity?!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er choked and swallowed a pill with difficulty. Her face turned red. ¡°W-what if¡­ Master said that we can¡¯t let our guard down at any time!¡± Xiao Ba glanced at her faintly. So this was all she learned from Master? ¡°Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t tell that the two of you are trying to barge in.¡± Having her thoughts exposed, Lady Shi¡¯er glanced toward her sister for help. Lady Shiyi was very calm. ¡°Not for the time being. I¡¯m not strong enough.¡± Xiao Ba was speechless. I don¡¯t seem to be on the same frequency as these two¡­ Does this mean that as long as they have the strength, they¡¯ll really fight? After thinking about it carefully, Xiao Ba decided to fulfill her duty as the Eighth Sister. ¡°You¡¯re still young. Don¡¯t think about fighting and killing all day long. How can you solve things with violence?¡± The two girls looked over. Xiao Ba said earnestly, ¡°When Master breaks through, she might be able to make an exception and bring us in, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work, there¡¯s still Seventh Brother. Little Hongyu isn¡¯t bad either. Oh, Mr. Su and Senior Shangguan as well¡­ There¡¯s bound to be success!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lady Shiyi held her breath and nodded seriously. ¡°Eighth Sister makes sense.¡± A shy smile bloomed on Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s face. ¡°Then, does this mean that we just have to wait here?¡± Xiao Ba nodded her head. ¡°Of course!¡± Chapter 2423 - 2423 Thirteen Deity 2423 Thirteen Deity More and more people gathered outside the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall. No one knew that the courtyard that was very lively just now had already quietened down. A few figures left quietly. ¡­ After Chu Liuyue entered, she quickly met Su Li and Shangguan Jing, who came to welcome her. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Su Li hurried forward. ¡°I was worried that you would be delayed because you were playing chess with His Grace.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and looked in the direction of Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall. There, on the nine-story staircase, a familiar figure stood quietly. Beside him hung a huge bronze bell. Clearly, the ringing came from there just now. She said slowly, ¡°The First Deity personally appeared and closed the door¡­ With such a huge commotion, everyone in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace knows about it, right? Why would there be a delay?¡± Shangguan Jing looked at her with a complicated expression. He wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words in the end. He also came out to take a look after hearing the bell and saw that the First Deity was actually¡ª Initially, he didn¡¯t dare to believe it, but seeing Chu Liuyue¡¯s reaction now¡­ He was sure! Moreover, she seemed to have¡­ known long ago? Su Li noticed that there was something wrong with Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression and attitude. It was a little strange. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s¡­ wrong?¡± She followed Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze. She didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but she actually felt that the way Chu Liuyue looked at the First Deity¡­ was as if she was looking at a very familiar person. She paused and questioned hesitantly, ¡°You¡­ know the First Deity?¡± Su Li had never seen Mu Qinghe before, so she knew very little about Chu Liuyue¡¯s past in Tianling. Naturally, she didn¡¯t understand the current situation. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and she replied, ¡°How could that be? That¡¯s the First Deity.¡± Shangguan Jing sighed softly. Su Li¡¯s eyes darted between the two of them, a little lost. At this moment, a lazy voice with a smile sounded. ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re finally willing to come?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned slightly, and the smile on her lips deepened. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran.¡± Xiao Ran had his hands behind his head and a toothpick in his mouth. He exuded a casual laziness. He didn¡¯t look like someone who had lived for more than 10,000 years. Instead, he still looked like a youth. Upon hearing Chu Liuyue¡¯s address, he chuckled and teased, ¡°I really don¡¯t dare to let you call me ¡®Senior¡¯ now. I should be the one calling you Master!¡± If not for Chu Liuyue¡¯s guidance, he would definitely still be looking at the world outside and sighing! How could he enter the Fantasy Divine Hall? Chu Liuyue knew that he was joking and only smiled. ¡°You¡¯re really flattering me.¡± Xiao Ran looked her up and down and suddenly calmed down. ¡°Eh? Your¡­ aura seems to be a little different from before?¡± He couldn¡¯t tell what was different, but if he looked closely, he could tell. Chu Liuyue¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°The Heaven Gate is closing, and many cultivators are about to ascend to the heavens and break through to the Deity Realm. I only have one chance, so I naturally have to make more preparations.¡± Xiao Ran stroked his chin. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Although he had always said that cultivators without bloodline totems could never ascend to the heavens and break through to Godhood, for some reason, he felt that Chu Liuyue had this hope. Perhaps it was also because she had done too many shocking things in the year she came to Fantasy Divine Palace. Back then, everyone thought that she would be forced to leave after staying here for a month at most. What happened in the end? Not only did she stay until now, but she even entered the Fantasy Divine Hall openly! Most of the people outside had bloodline totems, but what happened? Weren¡¯t they just watching from outside?! Therefore, Xiao Ran was very suspicious of this now. He even secretly felt that Chu Liuyue might really be able to ascend to the heavens and break through this time! ¡°Hey, I just heard you guys talking about the First Deity?¡± Xiao Ran looked at the main hall of the Fantasy Divine Hall and clicked his tongue. ¡°The First Deity hasn¡¯t appeared in God knows how many years. Only such a big matter can invite him¡­¡± At this moment, a few figures appeared at the bottom of the nine steps of Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes slightly. Most of them were quite familiar. ¡°The other deities are also coming one after another,¡± she said softly. Xiao Ran nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s right! According to tradition, all the deities are coming.¡± As far as he could see, Yu Qian and Jin Yunlai had already arrived one after another. Behind them were Shu Jing and Mu Dongyou. There was one person that Chu Liuyue had never seen before. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± she asked. Xiao Ran took a look. ¡°You mean the one beside the Second Deity? That¡¯s the Third Deity¡ªFan Yunxiao!¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of this person before¡­¡± ¡°The Third Deity usually stays in the Fantasy Divine Hall. He¡¯s mainly in charge of running water, accounting, and so on. It¡¯s normal that you haven¡¯t seen him.¡± ¡°So this is what the Third Deity does¡­¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly. It¡¯s really interesting. Xiao Ran looked at her strangely. ¡°What¡¯s up? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just suddenly thought of someone.¡± Chu Liuyue thought of a certain someone¡¯s chubby face. ¡°Our third brother also likes to read accounts.¡± It had been a long time since they last met. She wondered how San San and the others were doing in Peach Blossom Dock. Xiao Ran nodded his head in understanding and laughed. ¡°I see, but there¡¯s nothing strange about this! The 13 deities of Fantasy Divine Palace have their own duties to begin with. The Third Deity¡ª¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she suddenly looked up! ¡°What did you say?! Fantasy Divine Palace¡­ has 13 deities!?¡± Chapter 2424 - 2424 Not Up to Her 2424 Not Up to Her Her reaction puzzled Xiao Ran. ¡°¡­Yes, didn¡¯t I mention it to you before?¡± He scratched his head. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s mainly because everyone in Fantasy Divine Palace knows about this, so I might have forgotten to tell you. Why? Is there anything wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue frowned and her heart stirred. She had long known that there were several deities in Fantasy Divine Palace, each carrying out different duties. However, she had never thought that it would be 13! How could it be such a coincidence? My Thirteen Yue Guard¡­ also consists of 13 people! Something quickly flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. She wanted to grab it, but it was already too late when she reacted. ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± She muttered and shook her head. She lowered her eyes slightly to hide the emotions in them. How is that possible? Perhaps¡­ I¡¯m thinking too much? I¡¯ve brought the Thirteen Yue Guards with me since I was young, and they have accompanied me for more than ten years. During this period, we have experienced countless things together and even crossed life and death. No one understands the Thirteen Yue Guards better than me. As for the 13 deities of Fantasy Divine Palace, they have already existed here for more than 10,000 years. The difference is like heaven and earth. It¡¯s probably just a coincidence. Xiao Ran reached out and waved his hand in front of her eyes. ¡°Are you really alright?¡± She doesn¡¯t look like it. Chu Liuyue looked up, and her expression returned to normal. A faint smile then appeared on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. I just thought of the Thirteen Yue Guards who follow me¡­ There are also 13 of them, and I felt that it was a coincidence.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Only then did Xiao Ran understand. ¡°That¡¯s really¡­ However, not all your subordinates seem to have come up?¡± Chu Liuyue nodded. ¡°A few of them stayed¡­ at home.¡± To a certain extent, Peach Blossom Dock was indeed her home. ¡°I see, but that¡¯s a pity,¡± Xiao Ran said with interest. ¡°I see that the few who came to Fantasy Divine Palace are all outstanding talents and have performed extremely well!¡± Not to mention anything else, just Qi Han alone had directly comprehended all the Xuan formations on the Star Path not long after him and successfully entered the Fantasy Divine Hall! When Xiao Ran heard about this, he was simply jealous. It was one thing for Chu Liuyue to be perverted, but even her subordinates were so talented! If he remembered correctly, Qi Han had only been in the Fantasy Divine Palace for a month! Compared to the fact that he had spent 10,000 years before finally comprehending the last Xuan formation under Chu Liuyue¡¯s unintentional guidance and successfully breaking the situation, the other party had won too easily! Apart from Qi Han, her remaining subordinates couldn¡¯t be underestimated even if they didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. Therefore, Xiao Ran¡¯s praise was sincere. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°They¡­ are indeed outstanding.¡± ¡­ The First Deity slammed the bell and closed the door. The remaining deities were also immediately summoned and gathered in the square in front of Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall. Looking at the figure standing on the nine steps, the deities bowed respectfully when they arrived. ¡°Greetings, First Deity!¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression was calm as he stood with his hands behind his back. The deities weren¡¯t surprised by his reaction. The First Deity had a transcendent status and was the number one person below the Divine Master. Naturally, he was different from them. Except¡­ A few people looked at Yu Qian silently. Over the years, the First Deity had been in seclusion. Almost all the matters in Fantasy Divine Palace were handled by the Second Deity. Many people secretly guessed that the Divine Master had deliberately given him power. It was also because of this that Yu Qian¡¯s reputation and power had been rising all these years. Many people treated him as if he was the First Deity. Unexpectedly, as the Heaven Gate was about to close, the First Deity suddenly attacked! In fact, he didn¡¯t even leave the courtyard door. He taught Yu Qian a huge lesson and made him kneel outside the door for three days and three nights! It was a resounding slap. Although the people outside didn¡¯t know, they, as members of Fantasy Divine Hall, knew very well. Everyone was shocked. This kneel really scattered all the hard work Yu Qian had done over the years. It also destroyed the famous pressure he had painstakingly built up! The Second Deity could never surpass the First Deity! This also made the many restless people suppress their thoughts and not dare to think about it anymore. Even if the First Deity didn¡¯t appear for a few years, he was still the most untouchable existence in the Fantasy Divine Hall apart from the Divine Master! Yu Qian naturally sensed the gazes around him. He felt a little frustrated and impatient, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. The previous incident had already happened. The only thing he could do now was try his best to let it go. But when he looked at the tall grayish-blue figure above, he couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth. All these years of hard work¡­ have been wasted because of one sentence from him! Not to mention Yu Qian, if anyone encountered such a thing, they would probably not be able to get past it easily. However, Mu Qinghe was the First Deity! Behind him was the Divine Master¡­ Thinking of this, Yu Qian retracted his gaze. He looked around and frowned slightly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t Jiu Long and Xi Yan back yet?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the deities fell silent. After a moment, Jin Yunlai said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say¡­ the Emperor punished them to go to the Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± Actually, they had all heard of this, but they had never known what was going on. Offended? How did they offend him? The two of them had been sent by the First Deity to look for the third music score, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t find it. Instead, they returned dejectedly and were punished to go to the Fantasy Divine Sea. No one knew what happened in the middle. Shu Jing suddenly thought of something. She looked in a certain direction and said calmly, ¡°We might have to ask Shangguan Yue about this, right?¡± The first two music scores had already acknowledged her as their master¡ªit was an open secret between the deities now. It was also because of this that they could do nothing to her now. However, today was finally the day. Shu Jing suddenly smiled. ¡°The Heaven Gate is closed, and all the cultivators have ascended to the heavens. This time, she should be returning the music scores to Fantasy Divine Hall completely, right?¡± No one said anything, but they all looked in agreement. After all, it belonged to the Fantasy Divine Hall. How could it always fall into the hands of others? This time was the best time to get the music score back! When Fan Yunxiao heard this, he followed her gaze and looked curiously. ¡°Are you talking about the woman in red?¡± He had never seen Chu Liuyue before. Shu Jing nodded her head. ¡°Yes.¡± Fan Yunxiao narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t agree if I ask for it directly, right? After all¡­¡± After all, it was a treasure! She had been in Fantasy Divine Palace for so long and hadn¡¯t returned the music scores. Would she be willing this time? Shu Jing laughed. ¡°That¡¯s not up to her.¡± Chapter 2425 - 2425 I Want to Ask Him Personally! 2425 I Want to Ask Him Personally! Fan Yunxiao laughed. ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± During this period of time, Chu Liuyue had become famous in the Fantasy Divine Palace and was very popular. She had even completed the Star Path and entered the Fantasy Divine Hall. However, her identity was obvious! There were many things she had no right to choose at all. She could only accept them. ¡°Forget it. The Divine Master and the First Deity will be in charge of the music score and her matters in the future. We don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Shu Jing glanced at Fan Yunxiao. ¡°Now, we have other more important things to do.¡± The so-called ¡®more important thing¡¯ was naturally to supervise the many cultivators as they ascended to the heavens and became deities. ¡°Third Deity, do you have a list?¡± Fan Yunxiao¡¯s expression froze. ¡°I do, but¡­ not all.¡± He said this curtly. Before ascending to the heavens and becoming a deity, the various deities gathered in the Fantasy Divine Hall to have a clear understanding of the overall situation. Who had enough top-notch herbs and could successfully break through to become a Medical Saint in the end? Who had the precious materials and could take the opportunity to refine a holy weapon? There were also many spells, mystic techniques, and mystic arts¡­ To a large extent, this information determined whether a cultivator had the possibility of ascending to the heavens and breaking through to the Deity Realm. Although he couldn¡¯t be completely sure, he had to know these things as a deity. But from the looks of it, Fan Yunxiao clearly couldn¡¯t do it. Shu Jing¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°¡­Zhen Bao Pavilion didn¡¯t send the account book over?¡± Fan Yunxiao sneered. ¡°Send? I personally went to borrow it, but I was rejected!¡± As soon as he said this, the expressions of the few deities turned ugly. He had to admit that in this aspect, Zhen Bao Pavilion¡¯s accounts were more complete. But now, they refused to lend it to him. If it were anyone else, it would be fine. However, the person behind Zhen Bao Pavilion¡­ was someone they couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Shu Jing thought for a moment before asking suspiciously, ¡°Could it be¡­ that person¡¯s intention?¡± Fan Yunxiao¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Eighth Deity, be careful with your words.¡± Shu Jing suddenly came back to her senses. She pursed her lips and swallowed the rest of her words. At this moment, Yu Qian said calmly, ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Today, everyone will gather here. Everything is set!¡± ¡­ More and more cultivators appeared in the square in front of Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall. At this moment, the door was open. Although the people outside couldn¡¯t enter, they could still see the general situation. Countless gazes were focused on these people in the Fantasy Divine Hall. Of course, what they looked at the most was still the First Deity standing on the steps. After all, he was the most mysterious one. Suddenly, that person raised his head and looked out the door. As far as the eye could see, he seemed to look past the Star Path and at the tightly shut Heaven Gate. But with his actions, everyone finally saw his face clearly. ¡°That¡¯s the First Deity!?¡± ¡°He¡¯s standing on the ninth step with the bronze bell hanging beside him¡­ If he¡¯s not the First Deity, who could he be!?¡± ¡°He looks quite young¡­ I heard that he¡¯s much stronger than the Second Deity!¡± ¡°He¡¯s someone who¡¯s deeply valued by the Divine Master, so he¡¯s naturally different¡­¡± Outside the door, everyone was discussing. Behind the crowd, someone was looking at the high and mighty figure with a complicated expression. ¡°It¡¯s really him¡­¡± Jian Fengchi muttered softly. Even though Mu Hongyu had already told him about this before, when he saw it with his own eyes, it was still¡­ For a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to describe his feelings. It was actually not very clear from a distance, but that was Mu Qinghe! Jian Fengchi had known him for more than ten years, so how could he not recognize him? However¡­ that person was completely different from what he remembered. ¡°Mu Qinghe?!¡± Xiao Ba¡ªwho was about to slack off and wait¡ªlooked up unintentionally. When she saw that familiar face, she was instantly shocked on the spot! Her mind went blank for a moment. Then, she stiffly turned her neck and looked at Jian Fengchi with difficulty. ¡°That person¡­ Am I seeing things?¡± Jian Fengchi closed his eyes and didn¡¯t speak, but this answer was enough. Xiao Ba opened her mouth, and her mind instantly became chaotic! Lady Shi¡¯er, who was standing at the side, also saw this scene. She was stunned and subconsciously raised her hand to point. ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ Isn¡¯t that Brother Qinghe?¡± Lady Shiyi frowned and pressed her hand down. ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er turned around and saw that her sister was also staring intently at that person. This expression¡­ Lady Shi¡¯er was conflicted for a while, but she still couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Sister¡­ Sister, that¡¯s Brother Qinghe¡­¡± How could they mistake this face? Lady Shiyi pursed her lips and looked at Xiao Ba. ¡°Eighth Sister, he¡¯s not, right?¡± Her voice, which had always been crisp and clear, was now slightly hoarse for some reason. Who was Mu Qinghe? He was the same as the Thirteen Yue Guards, someone who had followed Master for many years. In fact, compared to the Thirteen Yue Guards, Master spent more time with him and put in more effort. Mu Qinghe was in the light, while the Thirteen Yue Guards were in the dark. Everyone had their own duties. In the past, Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er often went to look for Hong Yao and Tuan Zi to play. Hence, they were closer to Mu Qinghe. At that time, Tuan Zi was even called Little Nine. But later on¡­ He and the Thirteen Yue Guards parted ways. Although no one had said it explicitly, Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er knew some things, including Mu Qinghe¡¯s betrayal and his death. But now, he actually appeared just like that?! And he was the First Deity! Xiao Ba was also stunned. She stuttered, ¡°I¡­ should¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± Jian Fengchi pressed his glabella. Only Chu Liuyue and Mu Hongyu knew about this previously. After the two of them returned, Mu Hongyu specially looked for Jian Fengchi to question him. Jian Fengchi only found out then. But other than them, no one else knew about this. It was understandable for Xiao Ba and the others to have such a big reaction. ¡°It¡¯s him, but¡­ it¡¯s not him either.¡± Jian Fengchi sighed. The few of them were stunned. These words¡­ contained too much information! ¡°I want to ask him personally!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er suddenly turned around and ran over. Chapter 2426 - 2426 Dont Know Her 2426 Don¡¯t Know Her Lady Shiyi knew that something was wrong and immediately wanted to pull her back. However, she was still half a step late. In the blink of an eye, Lady Shi¡¯er had already run quite a distance away. Xiao Ba¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What is she doing? Stop her!¡± What is this place? How dangerous would it be for Lady Shi¡¯er to run over like this! Before she could finish her sentence, Lady Shiyi stomped her feet and ran over. ¡°Hurry up and catch up!¡± Xiao Ba was extremely anxious and hurriedly followed over with Jian Fengchi. Although Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi weren¡¯t particularly strict and serious people usually, the two of them were clear-headed and knew what they could and couldn¡¯t do. Even if she really had doubts and emotions about Mu Qinghe¡¯s matter, she couldn¡¯t go over at this time! However, there were many people around, and the two girls were running too fast. Jian Fengchi and Xiao Ba couldn¡¯t catch up at all. Lady Shi¡¯er ran out of the crowd and went straight for the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall. Everyone was shocked when they saw this scene. What kind of situation is this? Forcefully barge into the Fantasy Divine Hall? Ruan Jianfeng, who was guarding the door, also saw this scene immediately. His face darkened, and he waved his sword to intercept! ¡°Pfft!¡± The snow-white sword streaked across the air and instantly blocked in front of Lady Shi¡¯er! The cold air was extremely oppressive! ¡°Who are you?! How dare you barge into the Fantasy Divine Hall?!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er didn¡¯t stop walking and was about to hit the sword! She really looked like she had a death wish. Some of the onlookers couldn¡¯t help but frown. Why is such a good young lady taking things so hard¡­ Crack! The clear sound of a sharp weapon shattering could be heard. Everyone looked at the scene in front of them with their mouths agape. They almost suspected that they were hallucinating. That¡­ That little girl¡­ Her small hand broke the Fifth Deity¡¯s sword just like that?! Ruan Jianfeng was also stunned. Seeing that Lady Shi¡¯er had thrown the broken sword to the ground, the corners of his eyes twitched. Where¡­ Where did she come from?! Seeing that Lady Shi¡¯er was about to go in, Ruan Jianfeng immediately took a step forward and shouted, ¡°Impudent!¡± He personally came forward to stop her, so Lady Shi¡¯er had no choice but to stop. She looked up at Ruan Jianfeng. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were filled with tears. ¡°I-I want to go in!¡± Her voice was weak, but her tone was abnormally firm. Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°How can you enter the Fantasy Divine Hall just because you want to?! If you don¡¯t leave quickly, don¡¯t blame me for being impolite!¡± Today was a special day. It was really troublesome for him not to attack such a young lady. ¡°I¡ª¡± Just as Lady Shi¡¯er was about to say something, she was suddenly pulled from behind. She turned around and saw that it was Lady Shiyi. ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go back first.¡± Lady Shiyi was exceptionally calm as she held her sister¡¯s hand tightly. However, Lady Shi¡¯er didn¡¯t want to listen¡ªher feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. She bit her lip, and tears fell. ¡°But¡­ Sister, don¡¯t you want to ask? Why is he¡ª¡± Why is he here? Why did he become the First Deity? Lady Shiyi finally wavered a little. How could she not want to ask? But¡­ ¡°Sister Shiyi, Sister Shi¡¯er, this isn¡¯t the time to talk about this. Let¡¯s go back first!¡± At this moment, Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi finally rushed over. Although Xiao Ba was also very shocked, she was still a few years older than them. How could the current situation¡­ be explained in a few words? Lady Shi¡¯er suddenly grabbed her hand, her eyes red. ¡°Eighth Sister, I want to ask! I have to go!¡± Unlike Lady Shiyi, Lady Shi¡¯er usually had a soft personality. She spoke very little, and her voice was always weak. She had never blushed or quarreled with anyone. When it came to happy things, she would only purse her lips and smile. When it came to sad things, she would always cry silently and secretly, not daring to let others know. This was the first time Xiao Ba saw Lady Shi¡¯er so determined to do something. She wiped her tears and said, ¡°I-I want to ask him why he did such a thing to Master! Did he lie to all of us and Master!?¡± Xiao Ba felt as if a fishbone was stuck in her throat. She couldn¡¯t say the rest. She looked inside. Is that person¡­ also looking over now? Ruan Jianfeng warned, ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you still don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll attack immediately!¡± Lady Shiyi suddenly raised her eyes and looked at him coldly. ¡°We have something to ask Mu Qinghe. Who do you think you are?¡± Ruan Jianfeng didn¡¯t have time to get angry. His attention was all on the first half of the sentence. ¡°Impudent!¡± His expression immediately turned cold. When the surrounding people heard Lady Shiyi¡¯s words, they were instantly in an uproar! ¡°What did she say? Who is she going to ask?¡± ¡°I think¡­ I think it¡¯s the First Deity!¡± ¡°Tsk, does she have a death wish? Not only did she call the First Deity by his name, but she also used such an interrogative tone?¡± ¡°They seem to have gone crazy¡­¡± Jian Fengchi was extremely anxious. ¡°I said, go back first. I¡¯ll explain it to you in detail later¡ª¡± Before he could finish, an indifferent and low voice suddenly came from the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡°Jianfeng, is this how you guard the door?¡± They were all stunned. This voice was very familiar, but this tone was unfamiliar. Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He immediately turned around and said, ¡°Reporting to the First Deity, these people said they want to see you¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice was extremely cold. ¡°If anyone tries to barge into the Fantasy Divine Hall again, kill them on the spot!¡± Hearing this, everyone fell silent. There was dead silence both inside and outside the Fantasy Divine Hall. Chu Liuyue looked down at the ground in front of her and suddenly smiled. Chapter 2427 - 2427 Old Friend 2427 Old Friend Then, she walked toward the door. ¡°Yue¡¯er¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing said worriedly, but when he saw her calm expression, he suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. She should¡¯ve¡­ known long ago. Therefore, her reaction to Mu Qinghe¡¯s words is also¡­ calm and indifferent. He stopped in his tracks and didn¡¯t follow her. Instead, he turned to look at Mu Qinghe. Su Li and Xiao Ran both realized that something was wrong and looked at each other. Outside the door, tears fell from the corners of Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s eyes. Then, suddenly, she couldn¡¯t cry. There was only a chill that rose from the bottom of her feet, making her feel cold all over. Lady Shiyi took a half-step forward and shielded her sister behind. Ruan Jianfeng looked at them coldly. ¡°Did you all hear what the First Deity said!?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me.¡± Lady Shiyi didn¡¯t back down. She was filled with anger and didn¡¯t know how to vent it! ¡°You¡ª¡± A fierce look flashed across Ruan Jianfeng¡¯s eyes. Just as he was about to attack, he suddenly heard a smiling voice behind him. ¡°Fifth Deity.¡± He paused and looked back, frowning subconsciously. ¡°Shangguan Yue?¡± Did she see that her subordinates caused trouble and couldn¡¯t sit still? Chu Liuyue seemed to have seen through his thoughts. Her lips curled up slightly, and she smiled casually. ¡°Our Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er are still young. They made a mistake on impulse, but it was purely an unintentional mistake. Fifth Deity won¡¯t really argue with them, right?¡± Ruan Jianfeng choked on his words. He looked at the two girls standing together and then at the broken sword that had been thrown to the ground. He fell silent for a moment. She did look like a gentle and weak girl, but her combat strength had nothing to do with this word¡­ Since Chu Liuyue had already said so, he couldn¡¯t keep harping on it. However, if he really let it go, he seemed to feel a little embarrassed. He thought for a moment and sneered. ¡°These people are extremely presumptuous and offended the First Deity. How can we let this go!?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled. ¡°They just mistook the First Deity for an old friend from the past, that¡¯s why.¡± This sounded a little strange. Misidentify? An old friend? Who is the First Deity? How stupid are they to mistake him? Moreover, that young lady had clearly called out the First Deity¡¯s name! This doesn¡¯t look like a mistake¡­ ¡°It¡¯s wrong to call the First Deity by his name!¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s wrong, the First Deity should be the one to judge and punish, right?¡± At this point, Chu Liuyue half turned around and gazed at the man standing on it from afar. ¡°First Deity, do you want to¡­ kill them on the spot?¡± There was a smile on her lips as she asked casually. Her clear eyes were filled with a sharp and cold light. When they landed on one, it almost made one ache. Mu Qinghe had one hand behind his back, and his expression was unfathomable. Everyone waited quietly. The air seemed to freeze at this moment. After a moment, they finally heard the calm voice. ¡°Never again.¡± Ruan Jianfeng opened his mouth but eventually responded respectfully. ¡°Yes.¡± The First Deity had always been decisive and ruthless. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay in this position for more than 10,000 years. Even though he hadn¡¯t come out of seclusion in recent years, he could still firmly suppress the Second Deity the moment he attacked. Such temperament and boldness were definitely not something ordinary people could compare to. Ruan Jianfeng thought that the First Deity would punish them severely as a warning, but he didn¡¯t expect that¡­ he would really let it go. Perhaps¡­ it was because he didn¡¯t want to waste time and energy on such trivial matters? After all, the highlight of the day was still in the Fantasy Divine Hall. If he argued with the two girls at this time, it would indeed seem insufficient. At the thought of this, Ruan Jianfeng gradually dispelled his doubts. Chu Liuyue looked at Lady Shi¡¯er, and the coldness in her eyes faded. ¡°Alright, Lady Shi¡¯er, stop crying.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er looked at her in shock. Master¡­ Has she known all along? ¡°Xiao Ba, take them to wait outside first. I¡¯ll go back when the matter here is over.¡± Xiao Ba hurriedly said, ¡°Oh, okay!¡± With that, she pulled the two girls to the back, her heart aching. Probably because of Chu Liuyue, the two of them were very cooperative this time. They quickly retreated behind the crowd. Jian Fengchi heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he looked at Mu Qinghe in the distance and then at Chu Liuyue. After a moment, he finally let out a long sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of them.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jian Fengchi said hesitantly, ¡°You¡­¡± After thinking for a long time, he swallowed the rest of his words. The current situation surpassed all words. There was really nothing else to say. He turned and followed Xiao Ba and the others. Chu Liuyue then went back. Seeing her return, Su Li held her back with one hand and gently patted her chest with the other. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re too bold. You actually passed just like that! Fortunately, nothing happened¡­¡± She was really worried that the First Deity wouldn¡¯t let go of this matter and might even vent his anger on Chu Liuyue. After all, even the Second Deity had kneeled outside his door for three whole days, let alone the others. This was definitely not someone to be trifled with! A faint light seemed to flash across Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes. Her red lips curled up slightly as she tilted her head and laughed. ¡°The First Deity is magnanimous and kind-hearted. What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Su Li¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. These words¡­ They¡¯re clearly a compliment, but why do I sense a bone-chilling coldness from them? ¡­ Xiao Ba pulled Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er to an empty space behind the crowd. Seeing that Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s eyes and nose were red from crying, she sighed and took out a handkerchief. Her heart ached as she wiped the tears on the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Alright, alright. Our Lady Shi¡¯er is the most obedient. Stop crying.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er shook her head, bit her lip, and said, ¡°¡­Eighth Sister, I¡¯m not crying anymore.¡± From the moment she heard Mu Qinghe¡¯s words just now, she was already so cold that she couldn¡¯t cry. Lady Shiyi was fine. She didn¡¯t cry, but from her expression¡­ It was obvious that she hadn¡¯t completely escaped the impact of this matter. Lady Shi¡¯er paused and said, ¡°Eighth Sister, Master said that we got the wrong person¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong.¡± Before Xiao Ba could speak, Lady Shiyi suddenly said firmly, ¡°He¡¯s the First Deity, not Brother Qinghe.¡± ¡­ As time passed, more cultivators appeared in the Fantasy Divine Hall. Soon, a familiar figure came into view. Seeing the person, Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly and took the initiative to greet him. ¡°Head of the Nan family, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Nan Jinshu, who wanted to pretend not to see her and pass by quietly, suddenly stiffened. He slowly looked up and smiled awkwardly. Chapter 2428 - 2428 Life and Death Pass 2428 Life and Death Pass This smile was uglier than crying. It could be seen how much trauma Chu Liuyue had left him. Actually, when Nan Jinshu came over just now, he had already seen Chu Liuyue from afar. It couldn¡¯t be helped¡ªsome people would easily become the most eye-catching existence no matter where they were. Besides, Nan Jinshu was really afraid of her. After the incident last time, Nan Jinshu had learned his lesson. He no longer faced Chu Liuyue head-on and avoided everything he could. Recently, Chu Liuyue hadn¡¯t been in the Fantasy Divine Hall, and he had lived a peaceful life. However, the situation today was really unavoidable. Not to mention the Fantasy Divine Hall, even everyone in the Fantasy Divine Palace had gathered here! He could only bite the bullet and come. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept across Nan Jinshu, and she said, ¡°It seems that the family head hasn¡¯t broken through much during this period of time?¡± Nan Jinshu¡¯s expression turned even uglier. She actually had the cheek to say that? If not for her, I wouldn¡¯t have been chased out of the Fantasy Divine Sea! Now, she has broken through and successfully entered the Fantasy Divine Hall. What about me? Even for the current him, who had the right to stand here in the envy of many other cultivators, it was probably extremely difficult for him to ascend to the heavens and reach the Deity Realm! He took a deep breath and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this! With this time and energy, I think¡­ it¡¯s better for you to worry more about yourself!¡± Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and chuckled. At a time like this, Nan Jinshu is still thinking about the bloodline totem. However, that¡¯s true. There are probably many people who have the same thoughts as him. ¡°Master Nan, why are you treating me like an outsider? I have some connections with the Nan family. It¡¯s only right for me to care more now.¡± When Nan Jinshu heard this, the corners of his mouth twitched fiercely. He almost couldn¡¯t help but curse. At this moment, he saw Jun Jiuqing coming from the side from the corner of his eye and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Master Yi!¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, she looked over as well. It was Jun Jiuqing. After not seeing him for a while, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s aura was clearly much stronger than before. When Chu Liuyue looked at him, he seemed to have sensed something and also looked over. With just one glance, he suddenly sensed something, and his eyes flickered. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Jun Jiuqing¡­ What did he see? However, he didn¡¯t say much and didn¡¯t even look at Chu Liuyue much. It seemed the same as usual, but this was what Chu Liuyue found most strange. Ever since Jun Jiuqing came to the Fantasy Divine Palace, his words and actions had been a little strange. However, she couldn¡¯t tell what the problem was. Jun Jiuqing arrived not far from Nan Jinshu. Nan Jinshu instantly felt much more at ease. He scrutinized Jun Jiuqing and said with some jealousy, ¡°It seems like Master Yi is going to break through this time.¡± This aura¡­ was indeed unusual. The corner of Jun Jiuqing¡¯s lips curled up at an arc in a wicked and leisurely manner. ¡°It¡¯s too early to say.¡± ¡°How could it be? While that may be true for others, Master Yi possesses exceptional talent and a bloodline totem, surpassing anyone by far!¡± Nan Jinshu knew that the person he had the most hope of winning over was Jun Jiuqing, so he quickly expressed his stance. Although the two of them had obtained special qualifications to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall, for various reasons, he was actually still inferior to Jun Jiuqing. Therefore, even if he lowered his head to curry favor, he wouldn¡¯t feel that it was too embarrassing. Moreover, Jun Jiuqing was truly much stronger than him. Needless to say, the latter person referred to in these words was naturally Chu Liuyue and the others. Jun Jiuqing didn¡¯t comment. Nan Jinshu couldn¡¯t guess his thoughts. For safety¡¯s sake, he also quietened down. ¡­ Apart from the deities who had already gathered here, there were actually very few people left in the Fantasy Divine Hall. Including Chu Liuyue and the others, there weren¡¯t more than 20 people. At this moment, standing at the top of the steps, Mu Qinghe suddenly made a move! A flash of light emerged from his palm! Right on the heels of that, the stream of light split into four resplendent lights in midair and landed around the Holy Jade of Chaos, forming four huge silver Xuan formations! This Xuan formation was extremely complicated and had a heavy pressure! Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on it. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Although she was still a distance away, she could already feel the powerful aura that couldn¡¯t be ignored! Just from this alone, Mu Qinghe¡¯s strength definitely far exceeded Yu Qian! She lightly exhaled. The First Deity¡­ is indeed so. Mu Qinghe said solemnly, ¡°These four Xuan formations are four competition zones. They are divided into Armory Refinement Masters, Xuan Masters, heavenly doctors, and warriors. Now, all cultivators outside the Fantasy Divine Hall can choose a competition zone and compete. As long as they can survive the related tests, they can also stay in the Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. ¡°What does this mean? The others can still come in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Xiao Ran nodded and explained in a low voice, ¡°This is the last chance for the cultivators outside to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall!¡± Chu Liuyue frowned. ¡°In that case, why did you set so many extremely strict requirements before?¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be fine if everyone waited for this opportunity? ¡°Sigh, you don¡¯t know! This round is also known as the life-and-death challenge! Anyone who chooses to come in to challenge will either stay in the Fantasy Divine Hall alive or¡­ die! Once they come in, it means gambling with their lives! It¡¯s naturally different from us!¡± Xiao Ran shook his head. ¡°The life-and-death challenge is difficult. There are very few people who can survive!¡± Chapter 2429 - 2429 He Didnt Come? 2429 He Didn¡¯t Come? Realization dawned on Chu Liuyue. No wonder. As cultivators, who doesn¡¯t want to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall and become a deity? However, very few people can succeed. Moreover, once they fail, they will have to pay with their lives. If they aren¡¯t confident enough, they wouldn¡¯t make such a choice so easily. After all, nothing is more precious than one¡¯s own life. As long as one is alive, there is still hope. If one is dead, it will really be over. Chu Liuyue glanced at Xiao Ran. ¡°So¡­ Senior Xiao Ran, didn¡¯t enter this life-and-death challenge before?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Xiao Ran gritted his teeth with a matter-of-fact expression. ¡°It¡¯s better to live than die. I¡¯d rather wait another 10,000 years than stretch my neck over and be at the mercy of others!¡± Chu Liuyue said, ¡°¡­If even someone like you isn¡¯t willing to enter the life-and-death challenge, then the others¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, you¡¯re wrong about that.¡± Xiao Ran laughed and raised his chin. ¡°There are many people in Fantasy Divine Palace who are willing to risk their lives! Just watch. Many people will come in later!¡± Chu Liuyue looked up. Sure enough, a young man had already stood up outside the door. ¡°I, Fang Xuning, want to challenge the supremacy in a competition!¡± This man looked to be about 30 years old. He had a strong figure, a bronze face with distinct edges and corners, and a pair of eyes filled with fierce fighting spirit. ¡°See, this is what they¡¯re willing to fight for.¡± Xiao Ran said in a low voice, ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°If it were anything else, it would be fine. They would more or less have a chance to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall in advance, but warriors don¡¯t. These legendary warriors, regardless of their strength, only have this choice in the end. If they don¡¯t choose, they really won¡¯t have any chance at all.¡± Was it cruel? Of course. However, this was the Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s rule¡ªthe strong were respected! This was the most irrefutable principle here! ¡°But this Fang Xuning is quite strong. I think he can really¡­¡± Chu Liuyue listened and didn¡¯t speak. Those who dared to be first were naturally capable. At this point, Ruan Jianfeng had already let him in. ¡°Come in.¡± Fang Xuning took a deep breath, tidied his clothes, and walked into the Fantasy Divine Hall! ¡­ He walked straight and quickly arrived at one of the Xuan formations. A faint light shone, and a domineering aura pressed against his chest. Fang Xuning¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he bowed with cupped fists. ¡°Legendary warrior Fang Xuning invites the Fourth Deity for a fight!¡± Hearing this, Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°Invite the Fourth Deity to fight? He¡¯s¡­¡± Xiao Ran leaned closer and explained in a low voice, ¡°You might not know this, but the so-called life-and-death challenge is when a cultivator enters and chooses a deity to fight according to their competition domain.¡± ¡°Then, won¡¯t they definitely lose?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. After the deity enters the competition area, their strength and realm will be suppressed and will be on par with the challenger. This way, the challenger¡¯s chances of winning will increase greatly. As long as the challenger can win, they will pass this round!¡± As Xiao Ran spoke, he pointed at the Fourth Deity. ¡°Furthermore, this deity isn¡¯t randomly chosen. If Fang Xuning was a legendary warrior, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen a Xuan Master like the Seventh Deity to challenge, right?¡± Chu Liuyue understood. ¡°I see¡­¡± These deities each had their own duties, and their fields of expertise were different. If a cultivator wanted to pass the life-and-death challenge, there were actually only a few choices. ¡°However, this Fang Xuning is really bold. He actually chose the Fourth Deity directly. The Fourth Deity has been the one overseeing the lightning pool for many years¡­¡± Although the Fourth Deity couldn¡¯t fully control the lightning pool previously, everyone felt that it was an accident. After all, even the Second Deity and the others had to attack together to barely suppress it. Therefore, in the eyes of everyone in the Fantasy Divine Palace, Mu Dongyou was still extremely strong. Chu Liuyue nodded. Hearing this, Mu Dongyou didn¡¯t seem surprised. He flew up and landed on the Xuan formation. He sized up Fang Xuning and smiled. ¡°You have some guts!¡± It was indeed not bad to be the first to stand up. Mu Dongyou had always admired such a person. Fang Xuning¡¯s heart beat violently a few times as he cupped fists. ¡°Please guide me, Fourth Deity!¡± With that, he staggered slightly, his muscles tense. His holy force surged, and a shocking aura instantly exploded! Seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes slightly. This Fang Xuning¡­ is indeed one of the top legendary warriors. I just don¡¯t know if he can beat Mu Dongyou in this round. The next moment, Fang Xuning¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared from the spot! Mu Dongyou¡¯s expression turned cold, and he immediately attacked! It was as if he had eyes behind him. Without hesitation, he turned around and pushed out a palm! Bam! A muffled sound was heard! The two people¡¯s fists collided! This was the first move they exchanged. Fang Xuning clearly didn¡¯t hold back at all and used his full strength! Against an expert like Mu Dongyou, this was indeed the only way. If they ended the battle quickly, there might still be half a chance. The longer they delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for the challenging party. After all, although their cultivation had been suppressed to the same level¡­ As a deity, Mu Dongyou¡¯s own strength was still greater. It would be harder the longer the challenger endured! Fang Xuning also understood this, so he attacked with a killing move! A shocking energy fluctuation spread in all directions, with the two of them as the center! But when the violent power reached the edge of the competition arena, it seemed to have encountered an invisible barrier, which quietly swallowed and annihilated it! All the confrontations and attacks were firmly trapped in that competition area. After a moment of stalemate, blood slowly seeped out of the corner of Fang Xuning¡¯s mouth. It was obvious that Mu Dongyou wasn¡¯t easy to deal with! After all, he was the Fourth Deity. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little difficult for him to win this round¡­ Even if he wins, it will definitely be a tragic victory,¡± said Chu Liuyue softly. An intense fight was inevitable. ¡°So what if it¡¯s a tragic victory? As long as they can ascend to the heavens and break through to reach the Deity Realm, the price paid is actually nothing.¡± Xiao Ran seemed to be used to it. ¡°Oh right, I remember that some time ago, you had a kid who also broke through to become a legendary warrior?¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. ¡°You mean Little Zhou?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He didn¡¯t come?¡± Xiao Ran glanced out the door. Although the young man with short, soft blond hair was silent, his talent and strength were extremely good. Chu Liuyue thought for a while. During this period of time, she had indeed not seen Little Zhou much. But even if he came, she didn¡¯t approve of letting him enter this life-and-death challenge. ¡°He just broke through to become a legendary warrior not long ago. I don¡¯t think he has a good chance of winning.¡± She smiled. Xiao Ran thought about it and agreed. ¡°Apart from him, don¡¯t you have a few subordinates who are also quite strong? Cen Yi¡­ Cen Yi? That¡¯s his name, right? He didn¡¯t come either?¡± Chapter 2430 - 2430 Perhaps Can Win 2430 Perhaps Can Win Xiao Ran was very accurate at reading people. Even though he hadn¡¯t seen Cen Yi many times, he could confirm that the latter wasn¡¯t ordinary. If he came, he might really succeed. However, his figure was not here. This matter was strange on its own. ¡°He seems to be the boss of your subordinates? It¡¯s such an important day, but he didn¡¯t come?¡± Xiao Ran was very shocked. Chu Liuyue was also dazed. It was fine if she didn¡¯t think of it, but now that Xiao Ran said it, it seemed like it was the case. After she and Rong Xiu ended their chess game, she directly came over and did not see Cen Yi. Back then, she casually asked, and Xiao Ba merely said that Cen Yi seemed to be busy. It had been a while, but he still did not come¡­ ¡°If he¡¯s willing to take action, he might¡­ be able to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall too, right?¡± said Xiao Ran. He even felt that more than one of Chu Liuyue¡¯s subordinates could do it. After all, there was already a Qi Han at the front. Chu Liuyue paused for a moment and smiled. ¡°They always have their own ideas¡­¡± ¡°Supreme Physician, Liang He, challenges!¡± Suddenly, a rather familiar voice came from outside the door. Some people looked over. A man walked out from the crowd. Chu Liuyue focused on him. It was Liang He, but the current him seemed to be greatly different from before. His entire body became skinny, and he had some stubble. His cheeks were slightly sunken, and his eyes had no focus. He really seemed very frail. How did he look prideful at all? One had to know that he was once the youngest Supreme Physician in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace. The crowd, including Shu Jing, all felt that he had the most hope of entering the Fantasy Divine Hall. It was a pity that after many struggles, he seemed to have lost all his confidence. He was distracted all day and could not improve his pill refinement skills. This lasted until now, and he ended up in this manner. If it weren¡¯t for Mu Qinghe and the bell ringing, he would not know what day it was. After hesitating for a while, Liang He still came over even though he was in pain. After all, he had spent quite a lot of effort. He would be really indignant if he gave up now. Seeing Liang He arrive, the crowd fell silent. Ruan Jianfeng knitted his brows slightly, and his gaze swept past him. ¡°Come in.¡± However, Liang He didn¡¯t immediately enter. Instead, he turned around as if he were looking for something. Very quickly, he saw the curvy figure at the back of the crowd. His gaze focused, and a complicated expression flashed across his eyes. Shua! Not far away, Jian Fengchi opened his fan and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Hey, Liang He is looking at you!¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him and was nonchalant. ¡°I was born a beauty. Isn¡¯t it normal for people to look at me?¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Lady Shiyi followed her gaze and glanced over. She said expressionlessly, ¡°There¡¯s no use for him to look. His looks aren¡¯t good enough for Eighth Sister. Besides, doesn¡¯t Eighth Sister already have Eighth Brother-in-Law?¡± She was always objective and fair. Xiao Ba almost choked on her saliva. ¡°A-ahem¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°Sister, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not good for us to be this direct¡­¡± remarked Lady Shi¡¯er rather hesitantly. Lady Shiyi asked, ¡°Then, who do you think is more handsome between Eighth Brother-in-Law and that man?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er honestly answered, ¡°Eighth Brother-in-Law.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She was always very objective and fair. ¡°Besides, Eighth Brother-in-Law is part of us. That so-called Liang He is an outsider. We have to speak for our people. If we don¡¯t say it harshly, he will think that there¡¯s hope. Isn¡¯t that causing trouble for Eighth Sister and Eighth Brother-in-Law?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er thought about it and felt that it made sense. She blushed and admitted her fault. ¡°I-I understand.¡± Xiao Ba was speechless. Jian Fengchi stood at the side and gloated. After he was done laughing, he said, ¡°Xiao Ba, I¡¯ll hand these two ladies to you.¡± Xiao Ba glared at him. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Jian Fengchi raised his sharp brows lightly. ¡°What else can I do?¡± ¡°You¡­ want to go to the Fantasy Divine Hall to find Little Hongyu?¡± Xiao Ba instantly understood when she saw his expression. Jian Fengchi grunted. ¡°If I¡¯m not there, what if she gets bullied?¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him speechlessly. ¡°She entered the Fantasy Divine Hall before you. If someone was really bullied, you¡¯re more likely to be the victim, right?¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. He closed his fan, turned around, and left. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Xiao Ba called again. Jian Fengchi turned around. ¡°What?¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled up at the perfect angle. She smiled prettily, and her gaze was genuine. ¡°Of course¡­ I want to go with you!¡± ¡­ Liang He originally wanted to instinctively find out if Xiao Ba was here. He did not expect Xiao Ba to suddenly walk over with Jian Fengchi. Seeing the figure that became increasingly nearer, his expression tingled, and his heart rippled uncontrollably. He could not control his emotions. Even if he had already given up, when he saw that person, he was still¡­ However, Xiao Ba did not look at him. She smiled brightly as she came to the door. Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er did not follow them, and they watched from behind. Ruan Jianfeng saw Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi, and his face instantly turned cold. ¡°What do you want to do?!¡± Wasn¡¯t that scene enough? Jian Fengchi coughed, smiled, and said, ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! This time, we want¡ª¡± ¡°Of course, we want to try the life-and-death challenge!¡± Xiao Ba interrupted him and smiled happily.. Ruan Jianfeng looked suspicious. ¡°Just based on you?¡± This doubtful gaze filled with contempt enraged Xiao Ba instantly. She raised her brows slightly, and there seemed to be a cold light that flashed across her eyes. ¡°What, can¡¯t I do it?¡± After all, Jian Fengchi and I are Supreme Physicians. If Liang He can enter, why can¡¯t we? Ruan Jianfeng coldly said, ¡°You naturally can, but there¡¯s a point I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re unclear about. Once you enter the life-and-death challenge, you won¡¯t have a chance of regret! All those who fail can only ¡®die!''¡± Xiao Ba yawned in annoyance. ¡°I know all of this, so you don¡¯t have to repeat it. If you don¡¯t want to let us in, just say it!¡± Ruan Jianfeng was stumped. I do dislike these people, but since they want to court death¡­ Why should I stop them? Thinking of this, he took half a step back. Xiao Ba brushed her loose strands of hair behind her as she walked in. Jian Fengchi followed closely. Liang He was left at the back and became the third one. Ruan Jianfeng looked at the crowd and boomed, ¡°The heavenly doctor life-and-death challenge only has one round. Whoever wants to participate can just enter together!¡± Once he said this, the crowd was stirred, and they went forward gradually. ¡­ Xiao Ba stepped into the heavenly doctor arena. Chu Liuyue frowned. Su Li lightly asked, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, why are they here too? It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Chu Liuyue looked over. At this point, Xiao Ba detected her gaze and smiled. Under the sunlight, the rose at its prime shone the brightest. Chu Liuyue suddenly relaxed. Then, she smiled and said, ¡°Perhaps¡­ they can win this.¡± Chapter 2431 - 2431 What Happens if Hes Jealous 2431 What Happens if He¡¯s Jealous She understood the Thirteen Yue Guards very well. If she didn¡¯t have absolute confidence, Xiao Ba would not enter. Even though Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t entirely sure where the confidence came from, she trusted Xiao Ba. As for Jian Fengchi¡­ Chu Liuyue tilted her head and looked at Mu Hongyu beside her. At this point, Mu Hongyu furrowed her brows and glared at Jian Fengchi. Realizing that something was amiss, she immediately turned around in confusion. ¡°Liuyue, why are you looking at me?¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and sighed. ¡°Nothing much. I just feel that Eldest Young Master Jian has really spent a lot of effort¡­ to marry his wife. He doesn¡¯t even care about his life.¡± Tsk, he¡¯s really risking it all. Mu Hongyu¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°Y-you, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Even though she said this, worry still flashed across her eyes. ¡°I-is this life-and-death challenge¡­ really very dangerous?¡± Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Why did you ask this?¡± Mu Hongyu pouted. Chu Liuyue knew that she was worried about Jian Fengchi, so she did not tease her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although Jian Fengchi broke through to become a Supreme Physician not long ago, he¡¯s very talented in this area and has a good chance of winning.¡± He was a heavenly doctor that grew up over the years by being beaten by me. How could ordinary people compare to him? If Jian Fengchi knew what Chu Liuyue was thinking at this point, he would definitely vomit blood. However, this made Mu Hongyu relax and secretly heave a sigh of relief. ¡­ The few of them stood at the heavenly doctor competition arena. Jian Fengchi first glanced at Mu Hongyu. Naturally, he heard the conversation between her and Chu Liuyue, and he smiled. Someone is really as soft-hearted as usual. He quietly asked, ¡°Xiao Ba, the Fifth Deity said that this life-and-death challenge is done with all the heavenly doctors at once. Does that mean¡­ our opponent is the same?¡± ¡°Is there a need to ask?¡± Xiao Ba glanced at him. Heavenly doctors and warriors were different. If they wanted to see who was good, they didn¡¯t have to battle one by one and could just produce pills. As long as they produced a pill with a higher standard and better medicinal effects, they would naturally win. ¡°Then, the candidate¡­¡± Jian Fengchi suddenly thought of something, and his eyelids twitched harshly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be nobody else for this?!¡± Out of the 13 deities, only the Eighth Deity¡ªShu Jing¡ªwas a heavenly doctor! Xiao Ba deeply said, ¡°You didn¡¯t only think of this now, right?¡± Jian Fengchi was speechless. Previously, I just thought of entering to find Mu Hongyu. Why would I think so much? Xiao Ba smiled brightly. ¡°See, isn¡¯t she here?¡± Jian Fengchi looked up and saw Shu Jing walking over. His forehead twitched. Then, he suddenly glanced at Xiao Ba and lowered his voice to ask, ¡°You did it on purpose?!¡± She definitely knew that she would go against Shu Jing in this round, so she was tempted to try! She is most likely waiting for this chance to properly fight against Shu Jing! Xiao Ba blinked innocently. ¡°How am I? Master is here. How can I not come?¡± Dealing with Shu Jing¡­ is just convenient. Jian Fengchi rubbed his face. I have a prediction¡­ that I will definitely see a huge battle today! ¡­ Without anyone inviting her, Shu Jing came over herself. She was in charge of the medicinal mountain, so she was naturally the most suitable candidate to participate in this life-and-death challenge. She went up to the arena, and her gaze calmly swept past Xiao Ba, Jian Fengchi, and the rest before finally landing on Liang He. She shook her head. ¡°Liang He, you¡¯ve disappointed me greatly.¡± Liang He instantly looked guilty. The Eighth Deity was nice to him and took care of him quite a bit, but¡­ he did not cherish it. ¡°Why must you do this for a woman?¡± said Shu Jing lightly. Once she said this, the crowd fell silent. Quite a few people instinctively looked at Xiao Ba. There was no need to mention who she referred to. Other than Xiao Ba, there was nobody else. Even though everyone knew that Liang He failed in pursuing Xiao Ba, Shu Jing¡¯s words were undoubtedly implying secretly that Xiao Ba caused Liang He to fall to this state. She was scolding her in a roundabout manner. Liang He instantly looked embarrassed. ¡°Eighth Deity, I¡­ This is all my fault. I-it has nothing to do with other people¡­¡± Shu Jing shook her head, and mockery flashed across her eyes. ¡°At this point, you¡¯re still thinking for other people? Why don¡¯t you think about what you¡¯ve become in a mere few months? You¡¯re devastated over her, but she¡¯s not even willing to look at you.¡± Liang He¡¯s face flashed white and red. He instinctively looked at Xiao Ba and wanted to explain further. However, the more anxious he was, the more he could not say it. At this point, Xiao Ba suddenly chuckled. ¡°Eighth Deity, why don¡¯t I understand what you mean?¡± Shu Jing lifted her chin slightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine if others don¡¯t know, but you know it the clearest.¡± Xiao Ba crossed her arms and smiled brightly. ¡°It seems like the Eighth Deity has a deep misunderstanding toward me. Since this is so, let¡¯s take this chance today to make it clear. Liang He, say it yourself¡ªdid I let you down in any way?¡± ¡°N-no¡­¡± ¡°At the very beginning, I had already clearly told you that I liked someone else, but you kept finding me again and again. I¡¯ve been very kind, and I didn¡¯t pursue it. Why are you playing the blame game now?¡± She shrugged her shoulders and blinked genuinely. ¡°Liang He, Eighth Deity, I have to clear my name today. If not, what would happen if Brother Yan Qing hears it and gets jealous and angry?¡± Chapter 2432 - 2432 Go? 2432 Go? At this point, Xiao Ba felt that she was a genius for enlisting Yan Qing¡¯s help! I already made myself very clear previously, but someone still pushed the responsibility to me. Do I seem that easy to bully? Now, with Yan Qing as my shield, it won¡¯t be easy for them to smear me! ¡°Brother Yan Qing and I are in love, and we¡¯re made for each other. Almost everyone in the Fantasy Divine Palace knows this. To you, why does it seem like I played with Young Master Liang He¡¯s feelings?¡± As Xiao Ba spoke, she blinked. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I¡­ care about looks?¡± Shoo¡ª Snickers came from the spectating crowd. Even though they were quickly suppressed, quite a few people silently laughed. The crowd secretly exchanged glances, and their expressions had deep meaning. Slowly, discussions were heard. ¡°Yeah, I was still at the medicinal mountain a few days ago and saw Miss Xiao Ba entering and leaving with a man. Even though I was a distance away, that man was indeed tall and handsome. He seems talented¡­¡± ¡°I saw him too! Even though he seems to have a cold appearance, he treats Miss Xiao Ba very well. The two of them walked and didn¡¯t even let go of each other¡¯s hands!¡± ¡°He seems to be a legendary warrior as well. He¡¯s definitely talented.¡± ¡°Really? Then, Miss Xiao Ba has no reason to care about Liang He¡­¡± ¡°Pfft, so many people like Miss Xiao Ba. Who is Liang He? Miss Xiao Ba has always seen everyone as the same and rejected them all. I met her a few times, but I couldn¡¯t even talk to her. Liang He isn¡¯t the only one who was rejected. Why has only he ended up in this state? I think it¡¯s his own problem!¡± ¡°I think so too! If I were her, I would choose that person too!¡± ¡°What the Eighth Deity said just now was a little¡­¡± ¡­ The crowd partook in heated discussions. Chu Liuyue heard this, and her eyelids twitched. Xiao Ba and Yan Qing? When did this happen? And¡­ they held hands and went to the medicinal mountain? She thought about the scene seriously and found it hard to imagine. Yan Qing¡¯s icy cold face¡­ I seem to have missed something important?! ¡­ Liang He wanted to dig a hole for himself. He hurriedly explained, ¡°E-Eighth Deity, you really misunderstood this! T-there¡¯s really nothing between me and Miss Xiao Ba. I ended up like this b-because I lost a few rounds previously¡­ It really has nothing to do with Miss Xiao Ba!¡± He did like Xiao Ba and was harshly affected previously, but hearing Shu Jing¡¯s words, he still felt uncomfortable. Additionally, with the pressure of the crowd¡¯s comments, he had to clarify the matter. ¡°It¡¯s best if I can pass this life-and-death challenge. If I can¡¯t, it¡¯s because I¡¯m useless, and it has nothing to do with Miss Xiao Ba. E-Eighth Deity, please¡­ take back what you just said.¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression was very ugly, but she did not feel that she was wrong. Instead, she was even more insistent on thinking that it was Xiao Ba¡¯s fault! If she didn¡¯t have a flirty face, why would so many people stand up for her? Besides¡­ The three words ¡®Brother Yan Qing¡¯ pricks my ears! ¡­ At the same time, the deities nearer to the Fantasy Divine Hall heard Xiao Ba¡¯s words and had varying expressions. Not because of anything else but the name. Fan Yunxiao gazed at Yu Qian with some uncertainty and said, ¡°Second Deity, the person that woman mentioned¡­¡± ¡°They just have the same name.¡± Yu Qian coldly said, ¡°He also came from the God Residence Realm.¡± Fan Yunxiao and the rest then heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I knew that it¡¯s impossible¡­ Looking at that time, that person should come soon, right?¡± Yu Qian looked up. ¡°That person never comes during the life-and-death challenges. We might have to wait until it ends and when the crowd becomes deities before he appears.¡± The few of them revealed looks of agreement. ¡°But why isn¡¯t Second Boss here?¡± Fan Yunxiao knitted his brows. ¡°According to the rules, he should¡¯ve been here before the start of the life-and-death challenge.¡± Yu Qian was nonchalant. ¡°Perhaps he was stalled by some matters. However, it doesn¡¯t have much impact if he¡¯s a little later. He should be here soon.¡± Fan Yunxiao could only keep quiet as indignance flashed across his eyes. If Zhen Bao Pavilion gave the account book to him early on, that Second Boss did not have to come. However, the other party was insistent, and he could only compromise. Wait. ¡­ Shu Jing took a deep breath in and suppressed her frustration and annoyance. After that, she surveyed her surroundings. At this point, in addition to Xiao Ba and the rest who came first, there were a total of ten people participating in the heavenly doctor life-and-death challenge. Shu Jing said, ¡°The rules for this challenge are simple. You have no restrictions. Just produce an outstanding pill, and you can pass!¡± As she spoke, she waved her palm and summoned a three-legged copper cauldron. Seeing the formation, it seemed like she was going to directly produce the pill. As expected, she slapped that cauldron the next moment. Hong! A blue fire burned brightly in the cauldron. Upon closer look, that blue color had a faint hint of silver. The surrounding temperature instantly increased with a shocking aura! Xiao Ba squinted slightly, and the corner of her lips curled up. Then, she summoned her own cauldron. Peng! An iridescent light burned! ¡­ Zhen Bao Pavilion. Inside the room, Yan Ge stood with two hands behind his back as he paced back and forth in conflict. Ming Shu looked at him helplessly. ¡°Second Boss, you¡¯re still not going at this time?¡± Yan Ge paused in his tracks. He glanced outside the window and finally took a deep breath in. ¡°Go!¡± Chapter 2433 - 2433 Choice 2433 Choice After the competition in the heavenly doctor arena started, the Armory Refinement Masters and the Xuan Masters slowly entered their respective arenas. Jin Yunlai was naturally sent out to accept the Xuan Master challenges one by one. As for the Armory Refinement Master side, unexpectedly, nobody came out after a long time. After some waiting, the deities exchanged glances. The other cultivators looked confused. At this point, Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Xi Yan will come slightly later. The competition will go on first.¡± Upon hearing this, quite a few people¡¯s expressions changed slightly. They then recalled that the Tenth Deity, Xi Yan, hadn¡¯t come out for some time. Outsiders did not know, but Yu Qian and the rest knew that Yu Qian was locked in the Fantasy Divine Sea with Jiu Long. Originally, they thought that First Deity would release them in advance, but they did not expect him to wait until now. But since he said so, the person should be coming. Someone couldn¡¯t help but softly mutter, ¡°The lightning pool is already sealed. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t guide the lightning to nourish the Yuan instruments. What should we do?¡± This was actually what they were most worried about. Once this was said, Mu Qinghe whipped his sleeves! Many lightning bolts rapidly flew out! Then, they landed in the Holy Jade of Chaos! The middle concave part was actually filled with silver lightning bolts! The silver snake-like force swam within. One could even hear the pitter-patter sounds coming from inside. ¡°This is enough for you to pass the life-and-death challenge,¡± said Mu Qinghe. Quite a few people secretly gasped. The First Deity is indeed extraordinary and is so shocking when he takes action! It¡¯s definitely enough to use all the lightning bolts to produce Yuan instruments. Above that, one had to trigger the Holy Jade of Chaos¡¯s force¡­ The few Armory Refinement Masters relaxed and started taking action. ¡­ Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner. Next to the Holy Jade of Chaos, intense battles proceeded in the four competition arenas respectively. Chu Liuyue surveyed her surroundings and finally focused on the heavenly doctor arena. After all, Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi were there. The fire burned. Xiao Ba smoothly placed the many herbs in, and her movements flowed well. Even Chu Liuyue was dazed for a moment. Even though she knew that Xiao Ba was very capable in this aspect, she hadn¡¯t really seen her properly produce pills. Such chances were even fewer, especially after Xiao Ba broke through to become a Supreme Physician. Hence, now that Chu Liuyue suddenly saw it, even she couldn¡¯t help but secretly gasp in shock. Su Li¡¯s eyes lit up and praised, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, I recall that Xiao Ba just broke through to become a Supreme Physician not long ago, right? Why is she so capable?¡± Even though she wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, she had seen quite a few Supreme Physicians producing pills. Xiao Ba¡¯s technique was at the top of the rankings. Chu Liuyue smiled and said, ¡°She has always been smart and has been continuously going to the medicinal mountain lately. No wonder she¡¯s like this.¡± Su Li nodded thoughtfully, lowered her voice, and said, ¡°Even though I don¡¯t really know, from what I see, I feel that Xiao Ba is on par with that Eighth Deity!¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes lightly. Actually, this wasn¡¯t Su Li¡¯s misunderstanding. In actual fact, she also had such thoughts. In the heavenly doctor arena, Shu Jing¡¯s own skills were restricted to that of a Supreme Physician. Everyone also produced pills at the same time, thus the comparison became more intense. Shu Jing was familiar with her actions, and so was Xiao Ba. Shu Jing controlled it extremely well, and so did Xiao Ba. Shu Jing could put the herbs of different properties in at different timings while adjusting the fire, and¡­ so did Xiao Ba. Compared to the both of them, the remaining heavenly doctors all seemed rather clumsy. Liang He and Jian Fengchi were slightly better, but one could clearly see the difference. It seemed like Xiao Ba had spent quite some effort on this¡­ ¡­ Even the spectators could see the comparison. Those competing could see it even more clearly. Originally, Shu Jing didn¡¯t take Xiao Ba to heart. But as time passed slowly, she finally realized that Xiao Ba¡¯s skills were much stronger than she had predicted. The two of them weren¡¯t far away, so she could see her opponent at one glance. Xiao Ba stood before the cauldron, and there was a smile on her pretty face. Every movement and action was filled with an indescribable beauty. It was the type of smoothness that one would have when one clearly knew the properties of the herbs and fires. As she moved, the crushed gems around her wrist also sounded. To the crowd, she didn¡¯t look like she was producing pills and instead looked like she was dancing. Just by standing there, she was as pretty as a painting. Shu Jing knitted her brows. Then, she added more herbs and secretly hastened her speed. Xiao Ba¡¯s lips suddenly curled up. Eighth Deity is¡­ anxious? However, such pill production can¡¯t be rushed. This Shu Jing¡­ can¡¯t calm herself down. I really don¡¯t know how she became the Eighth Deity. As Xiao Ba thought to herself, she added the herbs into the cauldron in an orderly manner. Suddenly, heavy sounds were heard from the side! Bam! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze turned slightly. It turned out that the competition between Fang Xuning and Mu Dongyou had already ended. The previous sound was Fang Xuning being hit by Mu Dongyou, and he fell to the floor. He actually lost. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± said Xiao Ran suddenly, his voice filled with regret. Following that, Chu Liuyue saw a few rays of light flying out from the Xuan formation beneath the duo¡¯s feet. They were like ropes that strangled Fang Xuning tightly. There were many wounds on Fang Xuning¡¯s body, and his face and his hands were stained with blood. He looked disheveled. When he saw the few rays of light, deep disappointment flashed across his face. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he eventually closed his eyes. The next moment, his figure was instantly absorbed! At that moment¡­ his soul was crushed! Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes, and her heart skipped a few beats. The legendary warrior with shocking aura previously actually met his demise in the blink of an eye! He could not even say a word¡­ The so-called life-and-death challenge¡­ was indeed ferocious! She instinctively surveyed her surroundings but saw that most people weren¡¯t shocked. Obviously, they had already predicted this scene the moment Fang Xuning lost! Chu Liuyue held her breath in. Even if there was a barrier that isolated all the commotion in the arena, she could still smell the faint bloody scent permeating the air. It¡¯s no wonder everyone tried their best to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall beforehand¡­ They have to face so much risk for this challenge alone! Thinking of this, she furrowed her brows and glanced at Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi. If they also faile, then¡­ Will they have to face the same consequences as Fang Xuning? Once this thought flashed across her mind, an explosion sound was suddenly heard. Bang! Chu Liuyue looked over and saw that a heavenly doctor not far away behind Xiao Ba had failed due to a mistake. His entire cauldron exploded, and the broken shards even flew toward Xiao Ba! Chu Liuyue felt uneasy! Chapter 2434 - 2434 Went Ahead! 2434 Went Ahead! Hearing this noise, Xiao Ba also looked up and lightly waved her bare hands. Holy force flew out and instantly crushed the rapidly flying shards into complete powder! Even the terrifying ripples that came with them calmed down swiftly. Xiao Ba¡¯s hair wasn¡¯t even messy. She conveniently adjusted the accessory on her hair before adding the remaining herbs into the cauldron. The tongue of the fire licked the herbs and instantly swallowed them. The unique smell with a deep fragrance and a hint of bitterness slowly exuded. Seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue¡¯s uneasy heart settled. It seems like Xiao Ba is stronger than I had predicted¡­ When the spectators saw this scene, they were stunned and revealed looks of shock. ¡°U-uh¡­ When a heavenly doctor produces a pill, they can¡¯t distract themselves, right? How did she handle it so smoothly and¡­¡± And even have the time to adjust the accessory on her hair? ¡°I saw clearly that she didn¡¯t even raise her hand; she just lightly whipped her hand. Such skills have already exceeded an ordinary Supreme Physician, right?¡± ¡°Definitely! Anyway, if it were me, I definitely wouldn¡¯t do better than her in the previous scenario¡­¡± ¡°Miss Xiao Ba is pretty. I didn¡¯t expect her to have so much skill hidden up in her sleeves¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Upon hearing this, Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. If I didn¡¯t reveal some of my skills, these people would really think that I¡¯m a flower vase. Jian Fengchi¡ªwho was not far away from her¡ªwas completely focused on the cauldron before him. When Xiao Ba raised her hand, it was coincidentally blocked by her figure, so Jian Fengchi didn¡¯t see it and didn¡¯t notice what had happened. But Liang He, on the other end, saw it clearly. Actually, his mindset wasn¡¯t too stable originally, so the previous explosion caused him to be dazed. Hence, he saw all of Xiao Ba¡¯s series of actions. He knitted his brows, and a complicated look flashed across his eyes. Xiao Ba¡­ actually improved shockingly during the short amount of time that we did not meet. She was clearly just a Senior Physician when I initially met her. How long has it been? Not only is she a Supreme Physician, but she is even¡­ better than me! If he had met with such a situation, he knew that he might not be able to handle it better than Xiao Ba. The key was that her mentality was great. Facing such crises, heavenly doctors would definitely be stunned. Even if they could handle it, they would still be worried. However, Xiao Ba did not even take it to heart. It was as if the crisis that almost ruined her pills and killed her wasn¡¯t as important as the accessory in her hair. Thereafter, she smoothly produced her pills and was not affected at all. If she didn¡¯t have absolute skills, how would she have such guts? Shoo! A low sound came from the front. Liang He recovered his senses in panic. He then discovered that as he was distracted, he failed in refining a herb in his cauldron, and it became black ashes. He panicked and hurriedly salvaged it. Luckily, the problem wasn¡¯t too big and didn¡¯t impact the overall process. However, this small accident still caused Liang He¡¯s originally sensitive mentality to be even more frail. His body tensed up, and he kept breaking out into a sweat. He was observably nervous. When he took action, he even had a momentary stiffness and slowness. ¡°Liang He¡¯s situation doesn¡¯t seem too good¡­¡± Su Li¡¯s gaze focused as she softly said this with some uncertainty. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. Even an outsider like Su Li can see the problem. This proves that Liang He is in quite big trouble. ¡°He panicked,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Previously, she had also dealt with Liang He. Even though she won that time, she did acknowledge Liang He¡¯s talent and skills. He was the youngest Supreme Physician in the Fantasy Divine Palace after all, and he did have true skills. Except¡­ When a heavenly doctor produced pills, their mentality was the most important. After all, it was a process that demanded meticulousness and focus. If one made a slight mistake in between, the entire game might be lost. The previous series of incidents clearly had a great impact on him, thus he felt defeated to this day and hadn¡¯t completely recovered. Now that he saw Xiao Ba¡¯s stellar performance, it was adding salt to the wound. Su Li nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Then¡­ Little Yue¡¯er, do you think he can still win this challenge?¡± Chu Liuyue paused and shook her head. ¡°Most likely not.¡± If Liang He was at his peak, his chances of winning were still pretty high. But now¡ª ¡°His mental tolerance is kind of weak,¡± said Su Li rather pitifully. She believed in Chu Liuyue¡¯s words. Since she said that he couldn¡¯t do it, he definitely could not. Thinking of when they first came, the crowd in Fantasy Divine Palace were in awe when they talked about Liang He. In the blink of an eye, he actually ended up in this state¡­ Not to mention others, this point alone was indeed a pity. Xiao Ran suddenly shook his head and sighed, smiling rather helplessly. ¡°Liang He rose to fame when he was young. He¡¯s prideful, and it¡¯s normal that he can¡¯t accept setbacks.¡± Once someone who was always imperiously and highly sought fell, it was the easiest for them to be unable to pick themselves back up. Liang He was the best live example. On the surface, Xiao Ba had just conveniently averted a crisis. However, the surrounding heavenly doctors would unwittingly compare her to themselves. This affected their mentalities. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran is right.¡± Chu Liuyue nodded in agreement. She crossed her arms and said in a seemingly smiling manner, ¡°Thus, Liang He isn¡¯t the only one whose mentality has collapsed.¡± When she spoke, her gaze turned slightly and landed on Shu Jing. ¡­ Shu Jing was indeed in a foul mood. She was a Medical Saint on her own. Even if she was restricted to a Supreme Physician cultivation level in this arena, she was still more experienced than the rest. Hence, all the actions in this arena were actually within her knowledge. Especially when she was so close to Xiao Ba, and she could see the other party once she looked up. Hence, the previous scene clearly entered her vision. How is that the reaction shown by someone who has broken through to become a Supreme Physician for less than a year? Shu Jing was first shocked and then in disbelief. Finally, the messy emotions intertwined and slowly frustrated her. A lowly person that I disregarded actually¡­ has such skills?! If she had some more time, breaking through to become a Medical Saint is possible! Thinking of this, Shu Jing was even more annoyed! At this time, Xiao Ba had finished refining her last herb. She slapped the cauldron, and the fire burned even more brightly! ¡°Condense!¡± With that girly voice, the countless herbs in the cauldron started to merge! Everyone was stunned. Xiao Ba is actually¡­ forming her pill before Shu Jing?! Chapter 2435 - 2435 Fight 2435 Fight This scene had an even stronger impact on the crowd compared to the previous interjection! After a temporary silence, the crowd broke into an uproar! ¡°I didn¡¯t see it wrongly, right?! Miss Xiao Ba actually started forming her pill?!¡± ¡°S-she actually did it before the Eighth Deity? Doesn¡¯t this prove that compared to the Eighth Deity, her skills¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case, right? Even though everyone is producing pills of the Supreme Physician standard, there are some differences in the grades of these pills. Perhaps the pill Eighth Deity is producing is better than hers?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so! I saw clearly that Miss Xiao Ba was preparing to produce a Green Glass Scarlet Fire Pill! That¡¯s one of the top three pills amongst the Supreme Physician-level pills! Eighth Deity is producing a Questioning Pill. Even though it¡¯s known as the top pill among the Supreme Physician-level pills, it isn¡¯t much harder than the pill Miss Xiao Ba is producing. Besides, the Eighth Deity was originally a Medical Saint. No matter how much her skills are restricted, she shouldn¡¯t be slower than Miss Xiao Ba¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were many Supreme Physicians in the Fantasy Divine Palace. Other than a few of them who joined the legendary warrior challenge, most of them were outside the door of Fantasy Divine Hall and saw this scene. Others were unclear, but they knew this the best. With the current progress, Xiao Ba was in the lead! Hearing these people¡¯s explanations, the surrounding crowd slowly understood. When they looked at Shu Jing again, their gazes became much more complicated. Is it because Eighth Deity did not showcase her true skills, or¡ª ¡­ Shu Jing heard everything clearly. All the gazes were like knives on her back. She secretly clenched her teeth, and vengeance quickly flashed across her eyes. When she saw Xiao Ba starting to produce her pill, she knew that something was wrong. As expected! Once something happened, the others immediately started doubting me! Shu Jing was aggrieved and flew into a rage out of humiliation. That was because¡­ she didn¡¯t hold herself back! As a deity, how could she hold herself back during the life-and-death challenge? The First Deity was watching from behind! Besides, from the moment she saw Xiao Ba participating, she was already determined to teach her a lesson. As long as Xiao Ba failed in the life-and-death challenge, there was only one ending¡ªdeath! Shu Jing and Xiao Ba had deep-seated grudges, and she wanted to get rid of the latter earlier. But due to various reasons, she delayed it until now. Now that such a chance suddenly came, how could she bear to miss it? Who knew that Xiao Ba¡¯s skills had improved so quickly? Compared to her, she wasn¡¯t weak at all. Xiao Ba even formed the pill before her! Shu Jing felt that this was utter humiliation! Her face felt as though she was slapped by someone, and it hurt. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Xiao Ba again. The brilliant fire burned intensely in the cauldron as all sorts of herbs slowly merged. Gradually, there was a spherical, fist-sized pill! Shu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Xiao Ba has produced this pill very smoothly. As long as nothing happens later on¡­ she can basically succeed! She took a deep breath in and didn¡¯t admit defeat, starting the formation of her pill! ¡°Condense!¡± Boom! With a thought across her mind, the fire in the cauldron burned even more brightly. It wrapped around the other herbs and gathered toward the middle! Very quickly, a spherical pill appeared in the middle of the fire! ¡­ ¡°After refining thousands of herbs, she merged them at the same time and started forming the pill. Such skills¡­ She indeed is Shu Jing!¡± praised Fan Yunxiao with a hand behind his back. Compared to Xiao Ba doing it portion by portion, producing the pill in one shot was better, no matter in terms of the exterior or the internal medicinal effects. Of course, it was also harder. Even though she was behind Xiao Ba earlier, Shu Jing undoubtedly saved some of her face when she revealed this. Yu Qian knitted his brows and boomed, ¡°She¡¯s a Medical Saint! If she can¡¯t even do this, how would it look for her?¡± One had to know that the current Shu Jing represented all the deities in the Fantasy Divine Hall. The fact that she was so easily overtaken, even if the competition had not ended, one was still stifling! Fan Yunxiao¡¯s smile gradually faded away as he curtly shut his mouth and swallowed his remaining words. Yu Qian normally looked gentle and good-tempered, but he was very arrogant and critical. Of course, he wasn¡¯t pleased to see such a scene. Thinking of this, Fan Yunxiao suddenly turned around and looked toward that figure above the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s stairs. The man in the grayish-blue robe had an upright figure with a nonchalant gaze. Nobody could see his emotions. Fan Yunxiao retracted his gaze and couldn¡¯t help but guess: The First Deity is indeed the First Deity. How could he be so¡­ reckless like the Second Deity? The person watching from above hasn¡¯t expressed his stance. Is it suitable for the Second Deity to fly into a rage? Of course, Fan Yunxiao only thought these things to himself. He definitely didn¡¯t dare to show it. No matter who it was, he could not afford to offend either of the two. ¡­ ¡°Xiao Ba is amazing!¡± said Mu Hongyu emotionally. ¡°She¡¯s about to drive the Eighth Deity crazy!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled and glanced at her. ¡°Hongyu, speak softer. It¡¯s not good if others hear it.¡± One could just guess to know who she was referring to. But even though she said that, Chu Liuyue did not purposely lower her volume herself. Xiao Ran silently glanced at the two of them. Are you really not intentionally angering others? Perhaps it¡¯s a misjudgment, but I can see that the Eighth Deity¡¯s expression seems colder¡­ Mu Hongyu stuck her tongue out. ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth. Why can¡¯t I say something honest in this Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Even though she wasn¡¯t a heavenly doctor, she had seen quite a few people produce pills. Besides, she was originally intelligent. At one glance, she could tell what Shu Jing was thinking. In actual fact, all the people present could tell as long as they weren¡¯t blind. After all, her performance was indeed too obvious. Of course, she couldn¡¯t be completely blamed for this. If she did not take the chance to retaliate, Xiao Ba would completely suppress her! It was fine if it were others, but it had to be Xiao Ba. Who didn¡¯t know that they had held grudges for a long time? If she could tolerate Xiao Ba stepping on her head and winning gloriously, that would be very strange. Chu Liuyue nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Xiao Ba¡¯s performance is indeed much better than I predicted.¡± As she spoke, she saw even though Mu Hongyu had a normal expression, her almond-like eyes were glued to the arena. She followed her line of sight and instantly revealed a smile with deep meaning. Then, she sighed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Xiao Ba, but Eldest Young Master Jian¡­¡± Mu Hongyu instantly turned around, and nervousness filled her eyes. ¡°What happened to him?!¡± Chapter 2436 - 2436 Someone Familiar 2436 Someone Familiar However, Chu Liuyue suddenly kept quiet, raised her brows, and asked, ¡°Hongyu, why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°H-how am I nervous?¡± Mu Hongyu instantly rebutted. When she met Chu Liuyue¡¯s clear gaze that seemed as if it saw through everything, she felt guilty and averted her gaze. ¡°I-I just feel that we¡¯re all friends, s-so I asked¡­¡± She clearly saw how Fang Xuning died miserably, so she couldn¡¯t help but think of Jian Fengchi. Xiao Ba basically had a stable win, but Jian Fengchi¡­ If there was any mishap, he might really lose his life here. Even though she normally fought and quarreled with Jian Fengchi, she did not hope for anything bad to happen to him. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t expose her as she smiled and said, ¡°I said¡­ Eldest Young Master Jian is about to produce his pill.¡± Mu Hongyu was dazed. ¡°What?!¡± Chu Liuyue raised her chin. Mu Hongyu instinctively looked up and saw the fire in the cauldron before Jian Fengchi burning intensely! ¡°Condense!¡± With that scream, the herbs in the cauldron started gathering toward the middle at a rapid speed! Very quickly, a fist-sized pill appeared in that fire! Mu Hongyu widened her eyes slightly. ¡°L-Liuyue, then previously¡ª¡± Why did she sound so worried?! Chu Liuyue coughed and seriously said, ¡°I just feel that Eldest Young Master Jian is lagging behind. It¡¯s a pity that he¡¯s third.¡± Mu Hongyu was at a loss for words. Of the first two people, one was Eighth Deity Shu Jing, and the other was Xiao Ba. It was already very good that he could beat the other Supreme Physicians and come in third! Seeing the smile that was slowly forming on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips, she suddenly recovered her senses. ¡°Liuyue! Y-you did it on purpose?!¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her volume. ¡°Shh. If Eldest Young Master Jian knows that you¡¯re so worried about him, he¡¯ll be too full of himself.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s face instantly turned red. She bit on her lips and wanted to defend herself, but thinking of her previous actions, she couldn¡¯t say much. She puffed up her cheeks and did not speak. After all¡­ she was quite worried that Jian Fengchi would fail. Chu Liuyue silently recorded a note for Eldest Young Master Jian. This kid owes me quite a few favors now. ¡­ When Jian Fengchi started to form his pill, it attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention. After all, compared to Xiao Ba, his reputation in the Fantasy Divine Palace wasn¡¯t as good. Now, he almost followed closely behind Xiao Ba to form his pill. Many people instantly changed their impression of him. ¡°That person¡­ Jian Fengchi? He¡¯s also so capable?¡± ¡°I recall that he is also with Shangguan Yue and the rest. I know that he seems to have just broken through to become a Supreme Physician. I didn¡¯t expect him to actually¡ª¡± ¡°Hiss¡­ What¡¯s with that Shangguan Yue?! It¡¯s fine if she¡¯s a maniac, but why are the people around her all so shocking? She¡¯s not letting people live!¡± If there were only one or two, they might not be able to attribute it to Chu Liuyue. But now¡­ All the outstanding talents in Fantasy Divine Palace mostly had very intimate relations to her. How could one not think further? Some people¡¯s gazes landed on Chu Liuyue again. They were filled with doubt and scrutiny. Chu Liuyue turned a blind eye to them. Jian Fengchi was ¡®trained¡¯ by her for many years. It was not surprising for him to have such skills. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. The competition proceeded on in all four arenas. More and more people failed. Without a doubt, the moment those people failed, they were directly killed! The bloody aura in the air became stronger. The spectating crowd slowly fell silent. The atmosphere was stiff and cold. This included the heavenly doctor arena that Chu Liuyue was most concerned about. Four Supreme Physicians had already met their demise, one after another. Chu Liuyue furrowed her brows slightly. ¡°This life-and-death challenge¡­ is indeed hard to pass.¡± Or perhaps it was basically cruel and cold-blooded! Hearing her voice, Xiao Ran shook his head helplessly. ¡°There¡¯s no choice. Everyone wants to become a deity to be the strongest existence, but how is that easy? The moment they made their choice, everything was destined.¡± ¡°Legendary warriors, Supreme Physicians, Grandmaster Xuan Masters, and supreme Armory Refinement Masters¡­ It was really not easy for them to grow. Loss or victory in this competition determines their life or death¡­ It¡¯s rather pitiful.¡± Chu Liuyue. sighed Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s right, but there are millions and billions of cultivators in the world. Everyone wants to be at the top. Those who can¡¯t compete are naturally eliminated. This is also the rule of Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± It wasn¡¯t easy for one to cultivate to become a strong person. ¡°Which one of those that broke through and became a top warrior did not suffer? Not to mention others, these deities¡­ Back then, they also survived intense battles to come here.¡± When Chu Liuyue heard this, her heart tingled as she turned to the nearby deities. She had to admit that Xiao Ran did make sense. The deities were high and mighty, but this identity was symbolic of their skills. She raised her gaze slightly and looked at the person above the nine flights of stairs. After a moment, she retracted her gaze. ¡­ After a while, the pill in Xiao Ba¡¯s cauldron finally formed a dragon eye-sized pill. The patterns on it shone brightly! Invisible energy ripples started spreading in all directions! Buzz¡ª This force hit the cauldron and instantly let out a distant cry! Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes lit up. It¡¯s succeeding! She meticulously controlled the fire in the cauldron and refined it for the last time. At the same time, Shu Jing knitted her brows slightly. My pill still needs 15 minutes to be completely produced. However, Xiao Ba is already concluding hers! Besides, from the current situation, Xiao Ba¡¯s pill is most likely about to succeed. Thinking of this, Shu Jing¡¯s heart seemed to be on fire! Many thoughts flashed across her mind. What should I do to beautifully win this round and get rid of Xiao Ba? Suddenly, a commotion came from outside the Fantasy Divine Hall. Hearing the noise, Chu Liuyue also glanced over. Two familiar faces appeared before her eyes! Chapter 2437 - 2437 Sneak Attack 2437 Sneak Attack They were Jiu Long and Xi Yan. Ever since they last saw each other at the God-Killing Tumulus, she hadn¡¯t seen them again. She sized up the two of them in detail. On the surface, they didn¡¯t look too different from before. However, they both became thinner, and their expressions were more lethargic. Clearly, they didn¡¯t have a good time during this period. Jiu Long and Xi Yan walked over and stopped before the Holy Jade of Chaos. They greeted respectfully, ¡°Apologies, First Deity. Jiu Long (Xi Yan) came late!¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Xi Yan, the Armory Refinement Master life-and-death challenge has already started. Go ahead.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Xi Yan acknowledged him and directly walked over. Jiu Long passed around the Holy Jade of Chaos and walked inside. Suddenly, he paused in his tracks and slightly shrunk his eyes! Chu Liuyue raised her brows slightly. Meeting his gaze, she calmly greeted, ¡°Ninth Deity, long time no see. Have you been well lately?¡± The corner of Jiu Long¡¯s lips twitched. Doesn¡¯t she know if we¡¯re well!? If not for her, Xi Yan and I wouldn¡¯t have been locked up in the Fantasy Divine Sea and suffered so much! However, Jiu Long only dared to think about this and definitely didn¡¯t want to say it personally. The other party was the Emperor¡¯s person! At the very beginning, it was fine that he offended her because he did not know her background. But now that he had already suffered, how would he make the same mistake again? Jiu Long took a deep breath in and forced a smile. ¡°P-pretty good. Thanks for asking.¡± Once he said this, the crowd was speechless. What¡¯s with Ninth Deity? Why is he suddenly so polite to Chu Liuyue?! All sorts of doubtful gazes gathered in unison, shifting between Jiu Long and Chu Liuyue. Anyone could tell that something was amiss! Even Chu Liuyue herself was stunned. When we met at the God-Killing Tumulus previously, this Ninth Deity was still very prideful and commanding. He didn¡¯t care about me, Qi Han, or Lu Feng. Why did his attitude change so much in the blink of an eye? When she wanted to ask further, Jiu Long spoke first. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go over first?¡± Chu Liuyue: ¡°¡­Go ahead.¡± Upon hearing this, Jiu Long instantly heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly left. It seemed like there was someone chasing him from behind. Su Li and the rest looked at Chu Liuyue in unison. In no time, they fell into an extremely strange atmosphere. After some time, Xiao Ran could not help but ask, ¡°You¡­ and the Ninth Deity know each other?¡± Chu Liuyue thought for a moment before replying, ¡°He almost killed Qi Han and Lu Feng, and he even wanted to snatch something from me. Does¡­ that count?¡± Xiao Ran: ¡°Then¡­ why is he behaving like this?¡± Chu Liuyue shrugged. How do I know? Back then, those two people suddenly disappeared. Their current attitudes are even stranger. I can¡¯t understand it myself. Besides, even though Jiu Long seemed polite to me on the surface¡­ In actual fact, he seems like he wants to avoid me badly. There is clearly something wrong, but I didn¡¯t do anything, right? Seeing that Chu Liuyue was confused, the few of them could only keep their doubts. Only Su Li muttered, ¡°These deities are so confusing.¡± ¡­ Jiu Long came to Yu Qian and the rest. Similarly, he also faced the silent interrogation from the crowd. Of course, he knew why they were looking at him in that manner, but he couldn¡¯t say anything now! Hence, Jiu Long could only brave himself and walk over helplessly. The moment he stood still, Fan Yunxiao could not help but ask, ¡°Jiu Long, what¡¯s with you?¡± Jiu Long¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°N-nothing much.¡± ¡°Nothing? If it¡¯s nothing, why did you treat Shangguan Yue in that manner?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s so many people present, but you only greeted her.¡± Jiu Long broke out into a cold sweat. How am I supposed to answer that!? He instinctively looked up at Mu Qinghe above. Back when he and Xi Yan were punished to stay in the Fantasy Divine Sea, the First Deity had instructed them that some matters couldn¡¯t be announced. Since she was the Emperor¡¯s person, then this status¡­ could only be revealed when the Emperor was willing. Now that the Emperor wasn¡¯t here, he did not dare to expose the matter. Hence, he could only hold it in. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Before he could finish, a loud sound came from the back! Everyone looked over! Yu Qian knitted his brows. ¡°She¡¯s about to form her pill!¡± This ¡®she¡¯ wasn¡¯t referring to Eighth Deity Shu Jing but¡­ Xiao Ba! Together with the loud and heavy , the pill in the cauldron was finally formed! Xiao Ba was elated as she reached over to pick it up with her bare hands. But at this moment, an even more shocking impact was heard beside her! Boom! At that moment, sparks flew everywhere! Shu Jing had formed her pill closely after Xiao Ba! She slammed against the cauldron harshly. The vigorous and shocking force instantly spread toward the surroundings! Nobody saw that she had slightly moved her fingertips when she hit the cauldron. A secret ripple silently spread toward Xiao Ba! Xiao Ba was shocked. Before she could do anything else, her first reaction was to pounce over and protect her Green Glass Scarlet Fire Pill! Bam! The strong ferocious aura instantly hit her harshly! Pfft¡ª Her body shook as she spat out a mouthful of blood! Chapter 2438 - 2438 Whose Brother Yan Qing 2438 Whose Brother Yan Qing ¡°Xiao Ba!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and immediately went over. Qi Han followed closely without hesitation. Su Li and the others were stunned for a moment. Seeing this, they couldn¡¯t care less and stepped forward. But when Chu Liuyue arrived outside the competition arena, she was suddenly stopped by an invisible pressure. Mu Qinghe¡¯s voice was cold and indifferent. ¡°No one outside the life-and-death challenge is allowed to approach.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly turned her head and stared at that figure. Even though they were still a distance away, she could still clearly see the unconcealed coldness on his face. When he met her gaze, his expression didn¡¯t change at all and was bone-chilling as usual. Chu Liuyue gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. At this moment, Shu Jing jumped up and put the divination pill into the jade box. Kada. As the jade box sealed, she landed lightly. A strong medicinal fragrance spread in the air. Obviously, her pill had been successfully refined! Xiao Ba, who wasn¡¯t far away, was in a different situation. The impact of the power just now was really too sudden. She only wanted to protect the pill, but she didn¡¯t have time to set up a defense for herself. This time, she hit the cauldron hard! The corners of her mouth and chest were stained with blood. It was dark red and dazzling! Her face was extremely pale. It was obvious that she had suffered very serious internal injuries. At this moment, she was leaning against the edge of the cauldron with one hand holding on tightly. Her knuckles were white. ¡°Xiao Ba! How are you?!¡± Chu Liuyue felt as if there was a fire burning crazily in her heart. Xiao Ba raised her hand and slowly wiped the blood from the corner of her lips with the back of her hand. ¡°M-Master, don¡¯t worry. I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± She spoke slowly, but she was as weak as she had ever been. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to be gripped tightly by something. Fine? How is this fine!? Xiao Ba licked her lips, and a strong sweet taste filled her mouth. She slowly raised her head and looked at Shu Jing. Her eyes, which were always enchanting, were now filled with a cold luster. ¡°¡­Eighth Deity, sneak attack¡ªis it fun!?¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Xiao Ba seemed to have heard a joke and sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t secretly attack me and destroy my pill when the pill was forming?!¡± Shu Jing knitted her brows. ¡°I refined the number-one pill of the Supreme Physician grade, the Divination Pill. When the pill is formed, it will cause a relatively large commotion. It¡¯s only normal, and I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Besides, no one else was affected, but you were the one who got into trouble. Shouldn¡¯t you find the reason from yourself?¡± ¡°What, do you mean that I had a problem at the last moment? Eighth Deity, my previous refinement has been very smooth. I even completed the pill before you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not impossible,¡± Shu Jing said calmly. ¡°After all, no one knows what will happen until the last moment. You said that I¡¯m deliberately targeting you. Do you have evidence?¡± Xiao Ba swallowed a mouthful of blood. Shu Jing is extremely cunning. In the situation of the energy riot just now, she tampered with it and wouldn¡¯t leave any traces! How could I convince people with just my words?! ¡°Good¡­ good! I¡¯ve really underestimated you!¡± Xiao Ba closed her eyes and smiled provocatively. ¡°It seems that the slap I gave you at the medicinal mountain that day was far from enough! If I had known that this day would come¡­ I would¡¯ve slapped your face until it swelled! Let¡¯s see what kind of thick skin you have left to say such words in front of everyone!¡± Shu Jing¡¯s expression finally changed. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking nonsense? Why are you spouting nonsense again with your big face?!¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s vision darkened, but she still relied on her anger to hold on. She scoffed. ¡°What, do you feel embarrassed that you lost to me as the Eighth Deity? Thus, you¡¯re unscrupulous!?¡± Xiao Ba¡¯s words were so intense that Shu Jing was almost speechless. After all, there were many people around. There were many things that she couldn¡¯t say. Hence, she endured it and finally said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you about this. There¡¯s really no need to pay attention to the slander. On the other hand, your Green Glass Scarlet Flame Pill has already been destroyed¡­ Then, you¡¯ve lost this life-and-death challenge!¡± In other words, she wanted to take Xiao Ba¡¯s life! When Chu Liuyue heard this, she immediately shouted in a deep voice, ¡°How dare you!?¡± Shu Jing turned her head and glanced at her. A very faint and ironic smile appeared on her lips. ¡°What, Shangguan Yue, do you want to interfere with life and death?¡± Today, Xiao Ba will definitely die! Chu Liuyue stared at her. Previously, she had been watching it very seriously. When Xiao Ba was refining pills, it had been very smooth, and there were no problems. It was Shu Jing tampering with it in private that led to this situation! She smirked coldly. ¡°With my status, I naturally don¡¯t have the qualifications. However, the character of the Eighth Deity has really broadened my horizons!¡± Shu Jing¡¯s chest tightened. However, Chu Liuyue was already looking at Mu Qinghe. ¡°You control this competition arena single-handedly. Whether anyone secretly attacked just now¡­ you should know best!¡± Shu Jing¡¯s heart sank, and she looked over as well. ¡°First Deity, such an unreasonable person should be severely punished! Besides, there¡¯s also Xiao Ba. Since she has already failed, she should be executed immediately!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, several streams of light instantly flew up from under Xiao Ba¡¯s feet and wrapped around her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. But at this moment, a sharp sword suddenly tore through the air! Whoosh! The few streams of light were instantly minced! Right on the heels of that, a tall and slender figure appeared in front of everyone. Dressed in a neat outfit, he exuded a cold aura. An indescribable pressure spread from his body! Xiao Ba looked at the sword and subconsciously looked up. ¡°Brother Yan Qing!¡± When everyone who saw the person¡¯s face heard this, they came back to their senses in shock. Shu Jing¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Who did you call!?¡± Chapter 2439 - 2439 Left Divine General — Yan Qing! 2439 Left Divine General ¡ª Yan Qing! Xiao Ba looked up at the young man suspended in midair. Compared to the past, his expression seemed to have become colder. His aura was shocking, and he exuded a noble and distant aura. Feeling wronged, she pouted her red lips and said softly, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m calling my Brother Yan Qing!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the entire Fantasy Divine Hall fell silent! All the deities were shocked and could hardly believe their ears. Xiao Ba¡¯s words¡­ Brother Yan Qing¡­ Brother Yan Qing?! Shu Jing was shocked, and the strong impact made her voice even sharper. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Is the Left Divine General someone you can casually cling to!?¡± This time, it was Xiao Ba and the others who were shocked. Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and there was confusion in her beautiful eyes. ¡°W-what did you say?!¡± Left¡­ Left Divine General?! Xiao Ba glanced at Shu Jing and then at the man in the air. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Almost at the same time, Shu Jing¡¯s words fell clearly into the ears of Chu Liuyue and the others. With a buzz, Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind went blank. Then, she looked up slowly. The man in neat clothes was handsome and cold. His tall and slender figure stood there like an unsheathed sword, extremely sharp! ¡°Left Divine General¡­ Yan Qing!?¡± she murmured softly. It was a few simple words, but she said them extremely slowly. Every word seemed to twist between her lips and teeth, and she used all her strength before finally saying them. In an instant, countless scenes surged crazily in her mind! Su Li gasped and covered her red lips with her hand. Her eyes, which were always filled with a gentle smile, were now filled with shock and disbelief. She subconsciously looked at Chu Liuyue. ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, how could he be¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence. This was because at this moment, Chu Liuyue was staring intently at Yan Qing. There was suddenly no expression on her peerlessly beautiful face. Those starry eyes were suddenly calm and deep, but under the calmness, there was a turbulent undercurrent! Su Li held her breath. Beside them, Shangguan Jing, Mu Hongyu, and the others were also stunned. Xiao Ran raised his hand and pointed at the man in the air. ¡°That, that¡¯s not¡ª¡± Before he could finish, he looked at Xiao Ba, then at Chu Liuyue. An extremely ridiculous guess appeared in his mind. How¡­ is that possible?! Xiao Ba finally realized what had happened. She held the cauldron beside her tightly and looked up at the man who had suddenly arrived. At this moment, she was suddenly speechless. It was as if a corner of the truth that had been buried for a long time had suddenly been uncovered¡ªeverything rushed over like a river! Even the air seemed to be filled with that ancient and distant aura, causing one to feel as if they had fallen into a dream, and it was difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion. Many people standing outside the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall recognized Yan Qing. Isn¡¯t that the man who accompanied Miss Xiao Ba to the medicinal mountain previously? How did he become the high and mighty Left Divine General in the blink of an eye?! Countless people were shocked. But perhaps because they were afraid of that person¡¯s pressure, no one spoke for a moment. There was frozen, dead silence. Swoosh! Yan Qing raised his hand, and the longsword suddenly flew back from Xiao Ba and landed in his hand again. Xiao Ba¡¯s gaze also landed on his face. They clearly had the same facial features, but for some reason¡­ Yan Qing suddenly looked a little unfamiliar. She stared at the face, as if trying to see some clues. However, Yan Qing didn¡¯t look at her and was staring at Shu Jing. His gaze was as cold as a knife! Swoosh! He flipped his wrist, and the longsword in his hand suddenly fell, pointing at Shu Jing! The sharp edge of the sword was extremely dignified! ¡°The life-and-death challenge is the last barrier to screen cultivators before ascending to the heavens and breaking through to reach the Deity Realm. No one is allowed to be nonchalant, interfere, cause trouble, or distort the truth! Eighth Deity, do you know your mistake!?¡± His cold voice instantly spread throughout the world! Almost instantly, all eyes gathered on Shu Jing! No one is allowed to interfere nonchalantly, cause trouble, or distort the truth! What does that mean? The Left Divine General is questioning the Eighth Deity! Then, doesn¡¯t this mean that¡­ the Eighth Deity has really done something?! In the competition just now, she really did something!? The Emperor was in charge of the Record of the Million Gods. Although he didn¡¯t interfere in the matters of Fantasy Divine Hall, he had the right to supervise. The Left Divine General¡¯s sudden appearance was clearly because of this¡ªin the life-and-death challenge, Shu Jing had indeed done something shameful! Shu Jing was also stunned. Initially, she was filled with shock and anger because she heard Xiao Ba call him ¡®Brother Yan Qing.¡¯ But before she could completely react, Yan Qing¡¯s question instantly made her panic. Panic quickly flashed across her eyes. She tried her best to maintain her composure and forced herself to say, ¡°Lord Left Divine General, I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Yan Qing questioned coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not admitting it?¡± Shu Jing¡¯s heart trembled, and great panic surged from the bottom of her heart. Then, she gritted her teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡± ¡°If you refuse to admit it, your crimes will be worse!¡± Yan Qing interrupted her. His words were firm and his tone was cold. It was as if he had already decided on everything! The crowd exchanged glances. The Left Divine General is the Emperor¡¯s man. Now that he suddenly appeared and publicly questioned the Eighth Deity, he must have full confidence. However, Shu Jing refused to admit it. Isn¡¯t this making things difficult for herself? For a moment, everyone looked at Shu Jing with even more complicated gazes. Surprise, contempt, mockery¡­ As a deity, Shu Jing had always been high and mighty, especially since she had been in charge of the medicinal mountain for many years and had great power. When everyone saw her, they had to curry favor with her. Who knew that she would have such a day?! No one was stupid. They could understand what was going on just by thinking about it. Xiao Ba had an accident at the last moment, and Shu Jing was the culprit! Shu Jing gripped the jade box in her hand tightly. Her exquisitely trimmed nails were about to break! The sharp pain made her regain some consciousness. She looked up at Yan Qing and asked, ¡°Left Divine General, are you sure that I deliberately stopped Xiao Ba from refining the pill?¡± Yan Qing didn¡¯t speak, but his expression was obvious. Shu Jing suddenly laughed and asked softly, ¡°Then, I want to ask: why did I do this? Who is she, to be worthy of me taking such a risk?¡± Yan Qing narrowed his eyes, and his entire body was filled with coldness. He suddenly tightened his grip on the hilt! ¡°It¡¯s obvious that she was incompetent and failed to refine the pill. Now, she wants to push the blame on me?¡± She sneered. ¡°It¡¯s still unknown if I did something or if the Left Divine General couldn¡¯t bear to see her lose at the critical moment and specially made a move¡­ right?¡± Chapter 2440 - 2440 Give Me a Hug 2440 Give Me a Hug After the initial shock, Shu Jing had already thought through many things. It turns out that the Brother Yan Qing that Xiao Ba referred to is the Left Divine General. It isn¡¯t the same name but the same person! The familiar figure I saw at the reeds on the medicinal mountain that day was indeed him! Apart from the deities, no one else in the Fantasy Divine Palace knew what the Left Divine General looked like. Therefore, he was even willing to appear on the medicinal mountain with Xiao Ba. She still clearly remembered what she heard that day. Everyone said that the two of them were extremely intimate and were a match made in heaven. They went in and out together, coming and going hand in hand. In fact, Xiao Ba had rejected Liang He because of him! At the thought of this, Shu Jing couldn¡¯t help but sneer and glanced at Liang He mockingly. Because of Yan Qing¡¯s sudden appearance, everyone in the heavenly doctor competition had already stopped for the time being. Fortunately, the pills in their cauldrons weren¡¯t affected. Instead, they froze in the corresponding state. Of course, only someone like the Left Divine General could do such a thing. ¡°Liang He, you¡¯ve been sad and depressed for her for a long time, but you don¡¯t know that she¡¯s already in love with the Left Divine General. Why would she like you!?¡± Liang He¡¯s face turned even paler, and his eyes lingered on Xiao Ba and Yan Qing a few times. His lips trembled, but in the end, he was speechless. Everyone understood what Shu Jing meant: According to the rules, Xiao Ba would be immediately killed if she failed to refine the pill. At this moment, Yan Qing appeared. In everyone¡¯s eyes, he and Xiao Ba were indeed together and had a very good relationship. It was a little inappropriate to suspect the Left Divine General, but¡­ It wasn¡¯t impossible. After all, he had indeed done many things for Xiao Ba previously. At this moment, a mocking laugh suddenly sounded. Shu Jing looked at Xiao Ba coldly. How could she still smile at a time like this? But the next moment, Xiao Ba¡¯s words immediately shocked her. Xiao Ba leaned lazily against the cauldron and tilted her head, her red lips curled into a smile. ¡°Who told you that my pill was ruined?¡± Perhaps it was because she was injured, but her voice was a little hoarser than usual. However, with her lazy and soft tone, it was even more intoxicating. Shu Jing¡¯s mind went blank for a moment. She asked almost uncontrollably, ¡°What did you say!?¡± I clearly didn¡¯t hold back in that attack just now. That pill is definitely impossible¡ª As if reading her mind, Xiao Ba raised her other hand and slowly unfolded her palm. A longan-sized pill was lying quietly in her palm. The shape was round, and the color was bright and rich. The patterns on it were especially clear, and a strong medicinal fragrance spread from it! It was the Green Glass Scarlet Fire Pill! Moreover, everyone could tell that this was a perfect pill! ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± The moment Shu Jing saw the Green Glass Scarlet Fire Pill, her eyes widened as she screamed! How did this happen? I clearly¡­ ¡°The pill is right here. Why is it impossible?¡± Xiao Ba snorted. She licked her lips and rubbed her waist. ¡°I spent a lot of effort protecting this pill.¡± In that attack just now, Shu Jing had used almost all the power she could. If she hadn¡¯t reacted quickly, Shu Jing would have succeeded! She smiled and looked at Shu Jing with a faint smile. ¡°Eighth Deity, I should¡¯ve passed this life-and-death challenge, right? Do you still want to kill me now?¡± ¡­ Silence. The air seemed to freeze. Everything was frozen at this moment. Shu Jing felt a buzzing in her head, and her vision darkened. She actually¡­ protected that pill! Xiao Ba laughed and said, ¡°Brother Yan Qing has always treated me very well, but¡­ He¡¯s extremely fair when it comes to important matters like life and death. To be honest, I only found out this person¡¯s identity today.¡± With that, she looked up slightly and glanced at Yan Qing with a faint smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Brother Yan Qing to be so powerful.¡± Yan Qing pressed his thin lips against each other slightly. ¡°Eighth Deity, you just suspected that Brother Yan Qing was unfair and used his power for personal gain. However, this pill is clearly fine now. Then, what you said just now¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous to hear it yourself, huh?¡± Xiao Ba said slowly. Every word was like a resounding slap to Shu Jing¡¯s face! Yeah! She had just said that Yan Qing had come forward because he was worried that Xiao Ba would die. But in fact, Xiao Ba¡¯s pill had been successfully refined! Then, what she said just now was clearly slander. Shu Jing was completely flustered. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Yan Qing glanced at Mu Qinghe. ¡°First Deity, at this point, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± Hearing this, everyone looked at Mu Qinghe. Finally, he said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not disciplining her well. I¡¯m willing to hand her over to the Left Divine General.¡± The crowd was stunned! He admitted it! The Eighth Deity, Shu Jing, had indeed deliberately tampered with the life-and-death challenge just now, wanting to take the opportunity to harm Xiao Ba! As a deity, doing such a thing was unforgivable! The last trace of blood on Shu Jing¡¯s face instantly faded. Her legs gave way, and she almost fell to her knees. ¡°First Deity!¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change and was indifferent. Shu Jing¡¯s heart felt like it was on fire. She was about to go forward and continue begging for mercy when a piercing sound suddenly came! Swoosh! Shu Jing felt her hair stand on end. A chill rose from her feet and instantly surrounded her, unable to break free! A sharp and cold sword aura covered the sky! She looked up in panic and saw that Yan Qing¡¯s sword was already heading straight for her. It was unavoidable! ¡°No¡ª¡± She had just spat out the word when she suddenly felt a chill coming from her lower abdomen. A strong wind blew past her body, and the coldness seeped into her bones. Kacha! There was the sound of something shattering. She lowered her head slowly. A badly mangled wound was clearly visible on her lower abdomen. Warm and sweet blood kept gushing out and dyed it red. Right on the heels of that, intense pain swept through her body from her wound. Her body trembled, and she fell to her knees. Plop! Her knees hit the ground hard with a dull thud. Blood slowly seeped out from the corner of her lips. Great panic surged, making Shu Jing¡¯s entire body stiffen. My pearl of essence¡­ is broken! She slowly looked up at Yan Qing. He floated in mid-air in the sky. Suddenly, he frowned and walked over. There seemed to be deep worry in his eyes. Shu Jing¡¯s glabella moved. ¡°Yan¡­¡± A gust of wind blew. He had already brushed past her. Her expression froze. Then, she suddenly realized something and turned around. Xiao Ba¡¯s stamina wasn¡¯t enough. She loosened her grip on the cauldron, and her body slid down. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and picked her up. Chapter 2441 - 2441 Thank Him 2441 Thank Him Xiao Ba was already injured severely. She had relied on her willpower to barely hold on just now. Now that she saw Shu Jing¡¯s pearl of essence shatter, she relaxed and couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. Her vision darkened, and she collapsed. But before she fell to the ground, her waist tightened as she was picked up. She forced her eyes open and saw a familiar handsome and cold face. She frowned and started to push him. ¡°Let go of me!¡± She didn¡¯t care just now, but she came back to her senses now. Yan Qing is¡­ the Left Divine General! No wonder he is called Yan Qing. No wonder Shu Jing had such a big reaction when she heard how I addressed him. No wonder he has always stayed in that small courtyard and rarely went out. No wonder¡ª There were too many ¡®no wonders!¡¯ She didn¡¯t think so before, but now that she thought about it, there were clearly suspicious points everywhere! However, why would she have thought of this back then? Xiao Ba was very angry, and the nameless fire in her heart burned! ¡°Let¡ªlet go!¡± She pushed Yan Qing with both hands very hard. Unfortunately, this bit of strength wasn¡¯t enough for Yan Qing. Apart from feeling a firm chest, there was nothing else. ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene.¡± Yan Qing frowned and carried her out of the competition area. Xiao Ba exploded. What?! He actually said that I¡¯m making a scene?! Please, can you figure out who was the one who lied and did something shameful first!? She caught her breath and raised her voice. ¡°Men and women shouldn¡¯t touch each other! Don¡¯t you know this?!¡± Yan Qing stopped in his tracks, but it was only for a moment before he continued forward. Xiao Ba began to twist crazily in his arms, wanting to jump down. She didn¡¯t want to see his face at all! Yan Qing¡¯s glabella froze slightly. He exerted strength with his palm and turned slightly to grab her waist. Suddenly, his entire body stiffened. Xiao Ba was wearing a short shirt and a long pleated skirt. Usually, when she stood, the broken jade pieces at the bottom of her short shirt only covered her slender and fair waist. Now that she was in Yan Qing¡¯s arms, her slender waist was revealed when she moved. Yan Qing¡¯s hand happened to press on that warm and soft area. Under his palm were some jade beads that were a little uncomfortable. A few tassels were wrapped around his fingers, and¡­ an unbelievably soft and smooth touch. The warmth spread from his palm all the way. His ears suddenly turned red. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know if he should continue or¡­ But at this moment, Xiao Ba suddenly curled up and let out a low groan. It sounded like she was in pain. Yan Qing frowned and looked down. Only then did he see that there was a large bruise on her originally fair and eye-catching waist. There were even bloodstains on it. It was a shocking sight. Yan Qing immediately understood that this was the injury caused by her hitting the cauldron, and his touch happened to press against her wound. He immediately changed the position of his hand. Xiao Ba¡¯s aggrieved voice sounded. ¡°Yan Qing! You¡¯re hurting me!¡± Although she was angry, she became especially soft because of her grievances. There was even a hint of hoarseness in her voice. Yan Qing stiffened. After a moment, he whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t do it again.¡± His voice was very low, and not many people heard him, but Xiao Ba heard it. Shu Jing heard it too. Her temples throbbed, and her heart seemed to be clenched by something. Even the wound on her lower abdomen was numb from the pain. No way¡­ When has the high and mighty Left Divine General ever spoken to anyone in such a low and gentle voice? Shu Jing swallowed a mouthful of blood, but her hands supporting her body gradually tightened, drawing an ear-piercing sound on the ground. The rough and sharp pain couldn¡¯t be reduced at all. She stared at the two of them. Xiao Ba still didn¡¯t seem to appreciate his kindness. She only turned her head, and the corners of her eyes were red. Just like that, Yan Qing carried her silently and arrived in front of Chu Liuyue. ¡­ At this point, Yan Qing finally put Xiao Ba down. The moment Xiao Ba¡¯s feet landed, she immediately pounced on Chu Liuyue. ¡°Master!¡± Chu Liuyue supported her and took her pulse. Then, she frowned slightly. Shu Jing had used a lot of strength, so Xiao Ba¡¯s internal injuries were indeed very serious. She took a deep breath and took out a pill. She fed it to Xiao Ba and divided a portion of her holy force, pouring it into Xiao Ba¡¯s Yuan meridian to heal her injuries. After a while, some color returned to Xiao Ba¡¯s face. However, her body was stained with blood, her eyes were red, and there was a large bruise on her waist. She looked really pitiful. She sighed with heartache. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to do this again. How is that pill more important than you?¡± Xiao Ba glanced at her. ¡°But¡­ she¡¯s coming to look for Master¡­¡± If I failed, I would lose Master¡¯s face and be strangled to death on the spot. How tragic! Therefore, no matter what, I had to protect the Green Glass Scarlet Fire Pill at that moment. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything and took out another jade bottle. With a flick of her slender and fair fingers, she took out some cream that was slightly green and applied it on Xiao Ba¡¯s waist. A cool feeling came over her, instantly relieving the pain. Xiao Ba hugged one of her arms and leaned her head over, pouting and wheedling. ¡°I knew that Master treated me the best.¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her head and helped her apply the medicine gently and meticulously. The surroundings were silent. Yan Qing stood in front of them with a sword in one hand and his hands by his side. Su Li and the others looked at each other and exchanged glances. Then, they tacitly remained silent. Beads of sweat gradually appeared on Yan Qing¡¯s forehead. Finally, Chu Liuyue stopped. ¡°Hongyu, help Xiao Ba rest.¡± Mu Hongyu hurriedly said, ¡°Hey! Alright!¡± As she spoke, she had already walked forward and supported Xiao Ba. Before Xiao Ba could take a step forward, she heard Chu Liuyue say calmly, ¡°Hold on. Xiao Ba, you haven¡¯t thanked the Left Divine General.¡± Chapter 2442 - 2442 Wheres Your Master 2442 Where¡¯s Your Master Xiao Ba bit her lip and turned around. Who wants to thank him!? His lie isn¡¯t over yet! But when she saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s calm side profile, she suddenly thought of something. Hang on! If Yan Qing is the Left Divine General, then¡­ who is His Grace?! Xiao Ba was stunned. Then, a shocking guess appeared in her mind. Yan Qing¡­ has only had one master from start to end! In that case¡­ Xiao Ba¡¯s eyes widened in shock. No, right?! She glanced at Chu Liuyue, then at Yan Qing, and finally back at Chu Liuyue. Her heart turned cold. It seems to be true¡­ ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Liuyue turned her head and raised her eyebrows slightly, as if urging her. Xiao Ba grabbed Mu Hongyu¡¯s hand and secretly looked at her. Mu Hongyu gave her a look. At a time like this, don¡¯t worry about anything else. Protecting your life is more important! Xiao Ba¡¯s forehead twitched, and she finally stammered, ¡°Thank¡­ Thank you, Brother Yan Qing¡­ Lord Left Divine General¡­¡± Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze in satisfaction and said to Yan Qing, ¡°Thank you for what happened today. In addition, our Xiao Ba is willful and has always been straightforward. I hope the Left Divine General doesn¡¯t mind if she has offended you previously.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. He felt as if he were being roasted on fire. That gaze was clearly extremely light, but for some reason, it was heavy when it landed on him. He paused and said with difficulty, ¡°No¡ª¡± At this moment, there was another commotion outside the door. Right on the heels of that, two figures appeared one after another. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I was really delayed by something at the last minute! Erm¡ªI¡¯m not late, am I?¡± This voice was very familiar. Chu Liuyue looked up. Two familiar faces came into view. The one following behind was Ming Shu. The man one step ahead of him was smiling as he walked over with small steps. He had an eager expression and was holding an account book. As if sensing her gaze, the man stopped in his tracks and looked over. Chu Liuyue slowly smiled. ¡°Second Boss Yan¡­ How have you been?¡± The corners of Yan Ge¡¯s mouth twitched. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yan Qing standing in front of Chu Liuyue and instantly felt more confident. He waved and tried to force a smile. ¡°Hehe, well¡­ What a coincidence!¡± Chu Liuyue scanned him from head to toe. ¡°Have you recovered well today?¡± Yan Ge was about to cry. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m good! I¡¯m good! I¡¯m walking as fast as I can!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s tone was light. This conversation was extremely strange, and everyone was stunned. Su Li asked curiously, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, you¡­ know this Second Boss?¡± Seeing Ming Shu following behind him, he must be the Second Boss of Zhen Bao Pavilion. But hasn¡¯t he always said that Second Boss wasn¡¯t in good health, so I haven¡¯t seen him before? However, this¡­ ¡°I guess.¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s words were ambiguous. Su Li and the others were even more puzzled. They look very familiar with each other, but why do these words¡­ sound a little off? Chu Liuyue glanced at Ming Shu. ¡°Master Ming Shu, if you had told me earlier, I would¡¯ve been able to reunite with Second Boss Yan earlier. If there was more time, we could¡¯ve sat down and reminisced.¡± Ming Shu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. How is this something I could decide!? In fact, I have urged him many times! Bbut if the person above doesn¡¯t relent, how could we dare to do anything? Ming Shu felt bitter and looked at Yan Ge for help. Yan Ge gave him a kick. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!?¡± Ming Shu: ? Mu Hongyu also stared at Yan Ge in shock. She pointed with one hand and trembled slightly. Back then, Yan Ge didn¡¯t seem to have¡­ told me everything! However, Yan Ge couldn¡¯t care less now. He wiped his sweat. ¡°Erm, if there¡¯s nothing else¡­ I shall go over first? I still have the account book with me. I need to give it to them later¡­¡± He was referring to the few deities. Chu Liuyue laughed. ¡°I naturally have no right to ask what Second Boss Yan wants to do. Please help yourself.¡± Yan Ge¡¯s heart trembled. Then, he gazed at Yan Qing and gave him a look that said, ¡°You¡¯re on your own.¡± He was secretly glad. Fortunately, Yan Qing was one step ahead of me. With such a person at the bottom, I should be able to die in a more dignified manner. Thinking of this, Yan Ge coughed.¡±Then¡­ I¡¯ll leave!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he had already left. His back view inexplicably looked like he had fled. Ming Shu hurriedly followed. There seemed to be a strong murderous aura here! The Left Divine General was more powerful. It was better to let him bear it alone. In the blink of an eye, he hurriedly followed Yan Ge. Chu Liuyue looked at Yan Qing again and smiled. ¡°Lord Left Divine General, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Everyone is still waiting for you.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s lips moved, but he eventually swallowed the rest of his words and turned around. Then, he raised his hand and swung his sword. Shu Jing let out a muffled groan. Her body was wrapped by an invisible force and dragged out of the heavenly doctor competition area. Behind her was a long bloodstain¡ªit was a shocking sight. As her pearl of essence had been shattered, she no longer had any strength left in her body. She could only collapse to the ground, barely breathing. Seeing this scene, who would¡¯ve thought that 15 minutes ago, she was still the proud and noble Eighth Deity? However, no one pitied her. What she previously did had clearly touched everyone¡¯s bottom line. Therefore, at this moment, everyone was only filled with disgust and mockery for her. Such a person was indeed not qualified to be the Eighth Deity! Moreover, her pearl of essence had been shattered, and she had become a cripple. In a place like the Fantasy Divine Palace, this was definitely more painful than killing a person directly! Yan Qing¡¯s gaze swept across her without any ripples. Then, he looked at the heavenly doctor competition arena. The tip of the sword was raised! ¡°Carry on!¡± ¡­ Shu Jing had already fallen into such a state, and the situation of the heavenly doctor competition had become a little delicate. But with Xiao Ba already succeeding, they had a benchmark. Jian Fengchi glanced at Yan Qing a few times, then looked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall, at Mu Qinghe, who was standing on the steps. For a moment, his thoughts surged with mixed feelings. Yan Qing is actually the Left Divine General¡­ Compared to him, the fact that Mu Qinghe is the First Deity doesn¡¯t seem so shocking and surprising¡­ Taking a deep breath, he finally focused and continued to refine the pill in front of him. This world is too complicated. It¡¯s more important for me to protect my life first. ¡­ Everything seemed to be back on track. The life-and-death challenge continued. The surroundings were silent. The atmosphere was very subtle. Seeing that Jian Fengchi¡¯s side was about to end, Chu Liuyue tilted her head and asked expressionlessly, ¡°Left Divine General, where¡¯s your master?¡± Chapter 2443 - 2443 The Person I Was Waiting For 2443 The Person I Was Waiting For Yan Qing instantly tensed up! He held his breath and felt a dryness in his throat. That clear and calm sentence was like a knife hanging above his head, as if it would fall at any moment, making him tremble in fear. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Chu Liuyue laugh again. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. He asked me to wait for him in the Fantasy Divine Hall.¡± Yan Qing swallowed the words in his throat with difficulty. The surrounding air seemed to be especially cold, almost squeezing his internal organs together and making it difficult to breathe. He had never felt that time was so unbearable. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait,¡± said Chu Liuyue nonchalantly after tying her hair. Yan Qing gripped the sword hilt tightly, his back drenched in sweat. ¡­ The strange atmosphere here also attracted the attention of many people. Yu Qian and the others looked over, their minds in a mess. The Brother Yan Qing that Xiao Ba talks about is the Left Divine General?! But hasn¡¯t there always been rumors that he came from the God Residence Realm? Moreover, he seemed to be following someone else¡­ A strong sense of uneasiness surged in the hearts of the deities. Jin Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°What on earth¡ª¡± ¡°Ahem¡ªsorry, I¡¯m late!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Yan Ge had already walked over quickly with Ming Shu. He had never been on good terms with these people. When they met in the past, he would never give them a good expression. But at this moment, his attitude was surprisingly good; he even had an eager and enthusiastic smile on his face. He almost couldn¡¯t wait to come to the group and squeeze over. ¡°Make way. Ahem, please make way!¡± Fan Yunxiao frowned. ¡°Second Boss, why are you squeezing!? There¡¯s space elsewhere!¡± Yan Ge looked at him resentfully. What do you know!? Why don¡¯t I find a place to hide first? What if I get splashed with blood later?! Talk is cheap! ¡°I¡¯m willing! It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Fan Yunxiao was speechless. After not seeing him for so long, he thought that Yan Ge¡¯s temper would be better, but it was still the same! Moreover, he seemed to be even more arrogant than before! At this moment, Fan Yunxiao naturally didn¡¯t know that it was indeed unlikely for a person to be in a good mood when facing a life-and-death crisis. Seeing Yan Ge like this, Fan Yunxiao was very annoyed, but he couldn¡¯t flare up. After all, the other party had an account book in his hand, and his identity wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. He waved his sleeve fiercely and could only give up. After being disturbed by Yan Ge, the remaining deities were also disturbed. Although they had their doubts, they couldn¡¯t ask further in this situation. ¡­ The time passed especially slowly. Finally, the pill in Jian Fengchi¡¯s cauldron was refined! Swoosh! That pill soared into the sky! Jian Fengchi¡¯s figure moved and jumped up, easily putting away the pill. Kada. The pill was placed in a jade box. He landed lightly and weighed the jade box in his hand, a smile appearing on his handsome face. ¡°It¡¯s finally done!¡± Seeing this scene, Mu Hongyu gently patted her chest and exhaled. Xiao Ba glanced at her and smiled. ¡°Little Hongyu, why are you so nervous? With the Left Divine General here, can he really die in the life-and-death challenge?¡± Mu Hongyu was speechless and stole a glance at Yan Qing. His face was as expressionless as ever. She didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but she felt that the aura around Yan Qing seemed to have become colder¡­ ¡°Um¡­ Xiao Ba, that¡¯s not a good idea, right?¡± Mu Hongyu said hesitantly. ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly replied with a faint expression. ¡°The Left Divine General has always been impartial and open-minded. Why would he be so biased?¡± Yan Qing¡¯s eyelids twitched. Mu Hongyu rolled her eyes and crossed her fingers guiltily. I seem to have¡­ said something wrong¡­ Chu Liuyue suddenly glanced at Yan Ge from afar. Seeing that he had already tried his best to hide his fat body behind the deities, she narrowed her eyes slightly. Then, she suddenly smiled. ¡°Second Boss Yan¡¯s body does look much tougher. Lord Left Divine General, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Yan Qing gritted his teeth and finally said a few words. ¡°He¡¯s always been in good health.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her brows. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± In the distance, Yan Ge¡ªwho had been listening intently to the commotion here¡ªalmost jumped up when he heard this. This kid! What nonsense! Even if you die, don¡¯t drag me down with you! Ming Shu glanced at him and advised softly, ¡°Second Boss, I think you should lie flat.¡± At this point, what is there to think about? Yan Ge took a deep breath and regretted it. Why did I come so early?! ¡­ ¡°Mr. Su.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly looked at Su Li. Su Li was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just suddenly remembered that you haven¡¯t seen Senior Tang Ke for a long time, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, about that¡­ Yes.¡± Su Li nodded blankly. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just¡­ I think he came with the Left Divine General, right?¡± Chu Liuyue said calmly. As soon as she finished speaking, Tang Ke¡ªwho had just arrived outside the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall¡ªimmediately stopped in his tracks and began to seriously think about whether to continue entering or turn around and leave. Before he could think clearly, he heard Yan Qing¡¯s cold and heartless voice coming from inside. ¡°He¡¯s here. He¡¯s outside.¡± Tang Ke was speechless. Chu Liuyue looked over as if she sensed something. Tang Ke smiled awkwardly. However, Chu Liuyue said, ¡°Tang Ke is the person Mr. Su wants to see. The person I¡¯m waiting for isn¡¯t here yet.¡± Chapter 2444 - 2444 Whatever You Say 2444 Whatever You Say The murderous aura overflowed. Su Li glanced at Tang Ke silently. Xiao Ba rubbed her waist, thinking about how to run more conveniently later. Shangguan Jing took a deep breath and covered his face. Left Divine General¡­ Master Yan Qing really has a strong desire to live¡­ Xiao Ran looked confused. What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong? The atmosphere suddenly became very dangerous! ¡­ On the other side, Tang Ke braced himself and walked in. When Ruan Jianfeng saw him, his expression changed slightly. ¡°Lord Tang Ke, long time no see. How have you been?¡± The corners of Tang Ke¡¯s eyes twitched. He wished he could shut Ruan Jianfeng up immediately! What is he shouting for!? Am I very close to you?! His mouth pulled into a stiff smile with difficulty. ¡°Yes, quite good¡­¡± With that, he left quickly. Ruan Jianfeng looked back strangely. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s an illusion, but why do I feel that Tang Ke¡¯s¡­ expression isn¡¯t right? However, this thought only flashed through his mind. Just as he was about to retract his gaze, he suddenly looked stunned. Tang Ke didn¡¯t go to the side of the deities. Instead, he walked to the other side? ¡­ ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m late.¡± As Tang Ke spoke insincere words, he came to Su Li under the scrutiny of many people. He took out a palm-sized jade box and handed it over. ¡°Li Zi, this is a gift for you.¡± Su Li didn¡¯t take it. She just looked at him strangely and then at Yan Qing. At this point, if she still couldn¡¯t guess what was going on, she really would¡¯ve lived in vain for so many years! ¡°Why is Lord Tang Ke so polite?¡± she asked. Tang Ke¡¯s glabella twitched violently. He cursed Ruan Jianfeng again in his heart. He was under a lot of pressure now. One part came from Su Li, and the other¡­ was from Chu Liuyue. ¡°Mr. Su, this is a token of appreciation from Tang Ke. Please accept it,¡± said Chu Liuyue gently. Su Li snorted but didn¡¯t move. ¡°Lord Tang Ke is very familiar with the Fifth Deity. No wonder he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall previously.¡± Tang Ke licked his lips and didn¡¯t know how to speak for a moment. At this moment, Chu Liuyue seemed to be chatting and asked Yan Qing softly, ¡°May I know Senior Tang Ke¡¯s identity? Please tell us in detail, Left Divine General, lest we offend you again.¡± Instead of asking Tang Ke, she asked Yan Qing. Hence, Tang Ke looked at Yan Qing for help. Make it sound nicer¡ª ¡°The number one Armory Refinement Master of the Fantasy Divine Palace.¡± Yan Qing spat out a few words expressionlessly. Tang Ke was speechless. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have counted on you! ¡°Oh,¡± Chu Liuyue replied in understanding. She dragged the last syllable and smiled thoughtfully. ¡°No wonder. Senior Tang Ke¡¯s strength is extraordinary. He¡¯s indeed not someone ordinary people can compare to.¡± Tang Ke coughed. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s nothing¡­ I just occasionally repair and fix some miscellaneous items¡­¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly thought of something and looked at Tang Ke. Her gaze lingered on him for a long time. Tang Ke felt goosebumps all over his body. He was still holding the jade box in his hand and felt very awkward for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something¡­ wrong?¡± Chu Liuyue looked at Su Li and asked, ¡°Mr. Su, you said before that Senior Tang Ke set the venue of that battle at Peach Blossom Dock?¡± She was talking about the battle between the two of them 10,000 years ago. Stunned, Su Li nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes slightly. That battle was very important to Peach Blossom Dock. It almost reshaped the cultivation environment of the entire Peach Blossom Dock. Moreover¡­ it was also at that time that the Celestial Shield suddenly appeared and helped the two of them refine the ten holy weapons! Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze swept across Tang Ke¡¯s face, and something seemed to flash across her mind. But when she wanted to catch it, it disappeared. Tang Ke¡¯s throat was dry as he forced a smile. Su Li said, ¡°Since Sir Tang Ke¡¯s status is so noble, it¡¯s better to stay with the deities.¡± Tang Ke: ¡°¡­¡± He had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he wanted to escape from this scene and save his life. On the other hand, he knew that if he really left, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to stand in front of Su Li again. After thinking about it, he finally gritted his teeth and said, ¡°No¡ªno need! I¡¯m fine here!¡± ¡­ In the distance, when he saw this scene, Yan Ge clicked his tongue. Look, this is the outcome of losing your freedom! Isn¡¯t it good to be alone? At the very least, at this critical moment, I still have a chance to catch my breath. Seeing the unconcealable pride and relief in Yan Ge¡¯s eyes, Ming Shu rubbed his face ruthlessly. Second Boss seems to have forgotten that there is still that person above! None of us can escape! ¡­ Jian Fengchi left the competition area and walked over. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, a look of surprise on his handsome face. ¡°Huh? Why is everyone suddenly here?!¡± Forget about Yan Qing¡ªthe Left Divine General has no choice but to come. Why did Tang Ke appear too? He had been focused on refining pills and hadn¡¯t noticed the situation outside, so he was still dumbfounded. Mu Hongyu grabbed his wrist and pulled him over. Jian Fengchi lowered his eyes and glanced at the fair and soft hand that was holding him tightly. He raised his eyebrows slightly and couldn¡¯t help but smile. He leaned over, lowered his voice, and asked with a smile, ¡°Hongyu, are you so worried about me?¡± She still says that she doesn¡¯t care about me. Look, I¡¯ve just come out of the life-and-death challenge and how anxious is she!? If she doesn¡¯t have me in her heart, why would she react like this? Mu Hongyu looked at him as if she was looking at a fool. She glanced at him and said faintly, ¡°Why else?¡± He has finally survived the life-and-death challenge. Won¡¯t it be a pity to die elsewhere? Before Jian Fengchi could be happy, he heard her say again, ¡°Stop talking.¡± Jian Fengchi vaguely felt that something was wrong, but when he saw that Mu Hongyu¡¯s face was serious, he unfolded his folding fan with a whoosh and leaned close to her ear. He chuckled softly. ¡°Okay. Whatever you say.¡± Mu Hongyu¡¯s ears felt warm and a little itchy. She subconsciously rubbed her ears and glared at him. At a time like this, this person is still thinking about this? Eldest Young Master Jian¡¯s heart fluttered from her bright almond-shaped eyes, and the last bit of intelligence and rationality flew away. There are some benefits to this life-and-death challenge. Look, a certain someone¡¯s attitude has changed very clearly! Feeling Jian Fengchi¡¯s ripples beside her, Mu Hongyu held her forehead helplessly. It¡¯s hopeless. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. The competitions in the four arenas were also proceeding in an orderly manner. Perhaps because of the previous fight, the heavenly doctor competition ended first. Apart from Xiao Ba and Jian Fengchi, only two others had successfully passed. The rest, including Liang He, all failed. Almost after the competition ended, these people were wrapped in several streams of light that flew out of the competition arena one after another, and their souls were destroyed! Chapter 2445 - 2445 Sandbox 2445 Sandbox Seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue suddenly said, ¡°This life-and-death challenge is really extremely dangerous. Won¡¯t the Emperor feel that it¡¯s a pity to lose so many experts every time?¡± Her voice was very soft, but Yan Qing heard her clearly. He paused for a moment before explaining, ¡°This round is the review of the Fantasy Divine Hall. If nothing goes wrong, the Emperor won¡¯t interfere.¡± The reason why he came early this time was that Shu Jing had secretly tampered with the competition and destroyed the fairness of the life-and-death challenge. But in fact, these matters were mainly handled by these people from the Fantasy Divine Hall. Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°I see. From the looks of it, I really don¡¯t know much about the Emperor.¡± Yan Qing: ¡°¡­¡± Actually, he wanted to explain a little, but this was really not the right time. Moreover, he had always been silent and wasn¡¯t used to doing such a thing. If it were Yu Mo¡­ it would be better. It would be best if Master could come over personally. Of course, this was very rare. Hence, Yan Qing chose to remain silent again. ¡­ The competitions at the remaining three zones were gradually coming to an end. As expected, few people succeeded. Chu Liuyue looked ahead calmly, but there seemed to be waves surging in her eyes. Countless scenes appeared in her mind. Yao Chen. Tianling. God Residence Realm. The past and future. So¡­ everything was under his control. In the past, she had always felt that meeting Rong Xiu was the greatest blessing in her life. But now, she realized that their meeting wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Everything that happened after that should¡¯ve¡­ been carried out according to his plan, right? Chu Liuyue pursed her lips slightly. She knew that this man was very scheming, but she had never thought that he had spent the most effort on her. As the Emperor, he was high and mighty. Why did he have to do this for her? Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t understand it. She raised her eyes slightly and looked at the main hall of the Fantasy Divine Hall. On the stairs, Mu Qinghe stood with his hands behind his back. His expression was as indifferent and cold as ever. Did he know about this? For some reason, she suddenly recalled what Xiao Ran had said previously. He said that there were a total of 13 deities in the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran.¡± Chu Liuyue glanced sideways at Xiao Ran. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask.¡± These words instantly broke the silence. Everyone looked over unconsciously. Xiao Ran immediately said, ¡°Tell me!¡± Chu Liuyue paused and asked calmly, ¡°Why are there 13 deities in the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± Xiao Ran was stunned and subconsciously replied, ¡°This¡­ Of course, it¡¯s because she was ranked 13th in the past!¡± ¡­ Inside the room. Lu Feng was standing in front of a huge sand table, making the final adjustments to a few things. Cen Yi was also beside him. For three days and three nights, the two of them had maintained this state. Because he hadn¡¯t been able to rest, Lu Feng¡¯s eyes were already bloodshot. Fortunately, he was still highly focused, and his movements were still very precise. Suddenly, he paused and looked at one of the mountains with a frown. ¡°How tall should this be¡­¡± Cen Yi gave a number. Lu Feng immediately took action and repaired the small mountain peak to the best of his ability. After packing up and confirming that it was accurate, he heaved a sigh of relief. This sand table was very particular¡ªthere couldn¡¯t be any mistakes. At the thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but look up and glance at Cen Yi. He had built this sand table according to the map given by Big Brother, so he had long known that Big Brother was definitely very familiar with everything on it. But after three days, he was still deeply shocked. Big Brother¡¯s understanding of these things¡­ can no longer be explained by the word ¡®familiar.¡¯ A mountain, a river, a house, a tile¡­ There is nothing he doesn¡¯t know! Even if he measured it with his feet, it would be difficult to do this, right? But Big Brother¡­ Lu Feng didn¡¯t dare to ask further and continued to work. In fact, he also had huge doubts about himself because¡­ Building this sand table seemed to have become more and more convenient for him! When he first saw the map provided by Cen Yi and the latter asked him to build it in three days¡­ Although he agreed quickly, he rejected it in his heart. After all, he knew very well how strong he was. However, things seemed to be gradually developing in an unexpected direction. Most of the time, he could perfect the sand table bit by bit without even thinking about the map. Moreover, he was skilled. It didn¡¯t feel like¡­ his first time doing it! He seemed to naturally know where the water on it should flow to and where the mountain peaks should gather and spread. Hence, he swallowed all his questions. Lu Feng retracted his gaze and finished the last part of the repair. Finally, he let out a long breath. ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s done! How about you take a look?¡± Cen Yi nodded. ¡°Very good.¡± He had been standing guard here and knew everything about this sand table very well. He didn¡¯t need to look again to know that there was no problem. Only then did Lu Feng relax and chuckle. It¡¯s rare to hear Big Brother praise me. ¡°Stand back,¡± Cen Yi suddenly said. ¡°Huh? Oh, okay!¡± Lu Feng didn¡¯t understand, but he still took two steps back obediently. Right on the heels of that, he saw Cen Yi make his move! A light green stream of light flew out of his palm and landed lightly somewhere on the sand table. At the same time, a huge barrier silently appeared on the medicinal mountain! Chapter 2446 - 2446 Hidden Surge 2446 Hidden Surge Fantasy Divine Hall. Shu Jing suddenly sensed something and looked in the direction of the medicinal mountain! This is¡­ Panic flashed through her, and she immediately struggled to get up. However, her pearl of essence had been shattered, and she was severely injured. She had no strength left. It was difficult for her to even stand up. In fact, the wound on her lower abdomen tore open again because of this, and intense pain surged! She bit her lip hard and forcefully swallowed the bloody taste in her mouth. ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± She turned around and looked at Mu Qinghe. With my current strength, it is obvious that I can¡¯t do anything now. I have to find someone else! First Deity Mu Qinghe is my best choice now! Sensing the commotion here, many people in the Fantasy Divine Hall looked over with different expressions. ¡°First Deity¡­ I¡­ I have¡­¡± Shu Jing spoke very slowly. Yan Qing¡¯s sword didn¡¯t hold back at all¡ªit completely shattered her pearl of essence and left a very serious wound on her. Therefore, she was now hanging on by her last breath. ¡°What is she trying to do now?¡± Xiao Ba saw this from the corner of her eye and narrowed her beautiful eyes. ¡°Can she ask the First Deity for help?¡± She was already at odds with Shu Jing. Coupled with what happened previously, she hated Shu Jing even more now. Therefore, when she saw Shu Jing speak, she subconsciously felt that the latter wanted to cause trouble again. Mu Hongyu glanced over and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so? If the First Deity wanted to help her, he would¡¯ve done it just now. Why would he wait until now?¡± Since Mu Qinghe had already said in public that he would let Yan Qing handle everything, he shouldn¡¯t interfere anymore. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t that be slapping himself in the face? Moreover, not only did the current Shu Jing have no value, but she had also become a stain on the Fantasy Divine Hall. It was too late for Mu Qinghe and the others to draw the line between them, let alone help her. Xiao Ba nodded in agreement, deep in thought. ¡°Then, what is she doing¡­¡± Mu Qinghe also glanced at Shu Jing. His eyes were as cold as ever, without any emotion. He looked at Shu Jing as if she was an unrelated object. ¡°Medicinal¡­ medicinal mountain¡­¡± Shu Jing spat out two words with difficulty as she dragged her crippled body forward slowly. The ground under her was already stained with a large amount of blood. It was a shocking sight. Mu Qinghe¡¯s brows froze slightly. At this moment, Yan Qing suddenly attacked! Swoosh! A longsword tore through the air! The terrifying sword aura instantly enveloped Shu Jing! The next moment, the sword pierced through Shu Jing¡¯s calf and nailed her to the ground! She cried out in pain and almost fainted. Yan Qing¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Who allowed you to leave?¡± The surroundings fell into dead silence. Many people looked at each other. This¡­ Strictly speaking, Shu Jing isn¡¯t leaving, right? She has only moved a little¡­ But since Yan Qing had said so, the others naturally couldn¡¯t refute. Some people couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and couldn¡¯t help but scrutinize Mu Qinghe. However, Mu Qinghe didn¡¯t move or speak. He seemed¡­ indifferent. Fan Yunxiao frowned and finally whispered, ¡°No matter what, Shu Jing has been the Eighth Deity for so many years. She took care of the medicinal mountain and refined medicinal pills. Even if she didn¡¯t make any contributions, she did work hard. The First Deity is so indifferent¡­ It¡¯s really¡­¡± Yu Qian, who was at the side, had a cold expression. ¡°Yunxiao, be careful with your words. What she did was a huge mistake!¡± She was indeed too bold to tamper with the life-and death challenge! Moreover, she did this because she wanted to take the opportunity to take revenge on Xiao Ba! She was simply brainless! Fan Yunxiao moved his mouth. ¡°If the Left Divine General hadn¡¯t treated Xiao Ba¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, he met Yu Qian¡¯s warning gaze and finally swallowed the rest of his words. The remaining few people exchanged glances. Actually, Shu Jing wasn¡¯t this impulsive and brainless in the past. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to sit firmly in the position of the Eighth Deity for so many years. Most importantly, she had some feelings for the Left Divine General. Thus, how could she stand all this provocation? It was no wonder she lost control and did so many stupid things. Yu Qian glanced at Shu Jing. ¡°At a time like this, she¡¯s still thinking about the medicinal mountain¡­ Little did she know that from just now, all of this has nothing to do with her anymore!¡± Now, he only hoped that Shu Jing¡¯s matter wouldn¡¯t implicate the Fantasy Divine Hall and them! When Fan Yunxiao heard this, he could only sigh helplessly. ¡­ When Shu Jing heard this, she felt a surge of blood in her chest! What I wanted to speak about is the barrier of the medicinal mountain! However, these people¡­ Splash! Intense emotions collided, and Shu Jing finally spat out a mouthful of blood. She fell to the ground and fainted. Actually, Yu Qian and the others couldn¡¯t be completely blamed for this. The reason why they were so indifferent was partly that Shu Jing had done something wrong, and there was no way to save her. On the other hand, she had been too obsessed with controlling the medicinal mountain all these years, so when everyone heard her mention the medicinal mountain, they subconsciously felt that she still had some thoughts about it. This situation was caused by many reasons. In the end, she could only blame herself. ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze lingered on Shu Jing for a while. She seemed to be looking at the latter but also thinking about something. Seeing her like this, Xiao Ba¡¯s red lips curled up slightly as she grabbed her hand. ¡°Master, why are you always looking at her?¡± What¡¯s there to see about a person who has already been sentenced to death? Chu Liuyue came back to her senses and turned to look at Xiao Ba. Her eyes were dark and calm, but there seemed to be a dark tide surging in the depths of them, making them unpredictable. Xiao Ba was stunned and touched her face. ¡°Master, why¡­ are you looking at me like that?¡± Could it be that there is something on my face? Chu Liuyue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just suddenly remembered that during the life-and-death challenge just now¡­ you performed extremely well. You even beat Shu Jing by a few points.¡± Xiao Ba blinked her beautiful eyes and smiled charmingly and proudly. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m Master¡¯s person, so I¡¯m naturally better than her!¡± Chu Liuyue thought of something, and her lips curled up. ¡­ In the room, Cen Yi was still moving. Lu Feng stood at the side and held his breath. After the light-green light appeared, it began to dissipate in all directions with Cen Yi¡¯s actions. Silently, it covered the continuous mountains and clear streams on the sand table. Chapter 2447 - 2447 Eighth Meridian 2447 Eighth Meridian Time slowly trickled past. After saying that to Xiao Ba, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t speak further and looked at the front quietly. After the heavenly doctor competition ended, the warrior side quickly concluded. Compared to the other competitions, there were the most number of people here. However, the competition was also very intense. About a hundred legendary warriors challenged Mu Dongyou, but only eight passed successfully. In the end, Mu Dongyou turned around and exited the arena. Seeing the eight legendary warriors, he slowly walked out. They were injured to various extents and looked miserable. However, they were already decent compared to those that died during the life-and-death challenge. Seeing this scene, Xiao Ran¡¯s gaze turned slightly. He glanced at Chu Liuyue and could not help but shake his head. ¡°Sigh, what a pity¡­¡± Her few subordinates all had hope, yet they missed such a chance. Chu Liuyue naturally heard his words, but she did not really care about this. Her brows slightly moved as she smiled. Seeing this, Xiao Ran guessed her stance and swallowed his remaining words. Perhaps compared to the rest, the lives of her subordinates are more important? It¡¯s good if they could become deities, but they need to have that skill and luck. Besides, including her, quite a few people around her have progressed to the last stage. Thinking of this, Xiao Ran stopped thinking and did not say anything further. ¡­ The lightning bolts in the Holy Jade of Chaos quickly depleted. The few Armory Refinement Masters focused on refining their Yuan instruments as they crazily fought for the lightning bolts. It was a pity that nobody succeeded in producing a holy weapon in the end. Only two Armory Refinement Masters forcefully won the competition and gained the last eligibility with their very outstanding supreme Yuan instruments. ¡°There are indeed the fewest winners in the Armory Refinement Master challenge,¡± muttered Su Li lightly. It was originally the cultivation aspect that had the highest requirements on a cultivator. Mu Hongyu asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Su, if those lightning bolts were released normally, would the situation be better?¡± Su Li shook her head. ¡°Even though that has some impact, the First Deity has already released sufficient lightning bolts into the Holy Jade of Chaos. Hence, overall, it wouldn¡¯t affect the Armory Refinement Masters during the life-and-death challenge.¡± Mu Hongyu nodded in understanding. ¡°I see. I thought that since they were so close to the Holy Jade of Chaos, it might increase the chances of producing a holy weapon¡­¡± Xiao Ran laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s hard. The Holy Jade of Chaos isn¡¯t considered complete at the moment, so it¡¯s very difficult to break through to become an Armory Refinement Saint. Those without the talent won¡¯t be able to do it even if they stand inside the Holy Jade of Chaos!¡± Mu Hongyu instinctively asked, ¡°Then, what if the Holy Jade of Chaos is returned to its original appearance? Would it be easier then?¡± ¡°According to that logic, yes. But how would it be that easy?¡± Xiao Ran clicked his tongue. ¡°That Holy Jade of Chaos has been damaged for 10,000 years. All these years, the Fantasy Divine Hall has been searching for the missing piece, but there wasn¡¯t much news. I think¡­ there¡¯s no chance!¡± Upon hearing this, Mu Hongyu was slightly dazed, and she couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue. The surrounding people increasingly became quieter. They had all seen Chu Liuyue use the Celestial Shield. Without a doubt, that was the missing piece of the Holy Jade of Chaos! However¡­ for some reason, Chu Liuyue had been in the Fantasy Divine Hall for so long, but the Celestial Shield did not seem to return. Su Li knitted her brows slightly. She remembered the scene at the Red Moon Desert clearly¡ªthe moment Chu Liuyue stepped into the illusory Fantasy Divine Hall, the Holy Jade of Chaos suddenly exploded and produced an extremely strong force to snatch her Celestial Shield! But now that they were in the real Fantasy Divine Hall, nothing happened. Suddenly, Chu Liuyue seemed to sense something, and she looked in a certain direction. ¡­ Phoenix Mountain. Red-golden fire silently burned on the mountain. Tuan Zi sat down cross-legged and tightly closed her eyes. Those fires, coupled with shocking force, kept surging toward her. Her aura kept strengthening. Before her, that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed already had eight leaves, which flowed lightly with the wind. A thin layer of red appeared on Tuan Zi¡¯s adorable face. Faint pain came from all parts of her body. Sweat droplets kept emerging on her forehead, but they quickly evaporated. Her heart had an extremely strong prediction: the eighth meridian should soon be opened! ¡­ Finally, the last person in the Xuan Master competition had stopped. Jin Yunlai let out a long breath. Even though he was the Seventh Deity, it was still very effortful for him to assess so many people at once. Unexpectedly, the number of Xuan Masters who passed the life-and-death challenge was more than expected. There were six of them. Yu Qian knitted his brows slightly and looked at Fan Yunxiao. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say previously that only about three of them would successfully pass? Why are there suddenly another three of them?¡± Three more didn¡¯t sound like much, but it had great meaning. This was two-fold the initial predicted number that could pass the life-and-death challenge. Fan Yunxiao¡¯s expression was not good. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? Before this, three people successfully completed the Star Path and understood all the Xuan formations on it!¡± At the side, Yan Ge suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°These few people had spent quite a lot of effort on the Xuan formations in the heavenly scroll previously. What, don¡¯t you know this?¡± Chapter 2448 - 2448 Emperor About to Arrive 2448 Emperor About to Arrive Once he said that, the expressions of Yu Qian and the rest became grave. To a certain extent, Yan Ge indeed knew these matters better than them. This embarrassed the deities. Fan Yunxiao coldly sneered. ¡°Second Boss Yan Ge is in charge of Zhen Bao Pavilion and has a lot of information. You know clearly who has how many trump cards and who has improved like the back of your hand. We¡­ naturally can¡¯t compare to you.¡± Yan Ge chuckled and humbly said, ¡°Not really! I¡¯m not as amazing as you set me out to be, Third Deity! Besides, it¡¯s very tiring to record the accounts every day. How can I compare to you, Third Deity? Other than the year that the Heaven Gate opens, you normally are very leisurely and carefree!¡± Fan Yunxiao¡¯s expression turned slightly green, and his veins throbbed. This Yan Ge¡­ is such a bully! He just depends¡ª ¡°Second Boss Yan, if you find it tiring, you can delegate these tasks to other people.¡± Fan Yunxiao took a deep breath in and suppressed his anger. ¡°Like that account book-¡± Yan Ge blinked. ¡°Hm? Account book? You mean the one that Master told us to take charge of?¡± Fan Yunxiao was stumped and swallowed his remaining words. That¡¯s right. Zhen Bao Pavilion was that person¡¯s. It made transactions on the surface, but in actual fact¡­ It was one of the methods to spy on the Fantasy Divine Palace. Even though they were deities, they had no right to intervene. Yan Ge had made it very clear. How could he continue? Fan Yunxiao clenched his fists tightly and looked somewhere else. It can¡¯t hurt me if I don¡¯t know! At this point, a loud and distant ringing sounded from above! Dong¡ª This ringing was coupled with a shocking suppression as it reverberated above the Fantasy Divine Hall! Everyone was stunned, and they looked in the direction of the bell! The person who struck the bell was Mu Qinghe. As the ringing sounded, he said coldly and nonchalantly, ¡°Those who have passed the life-and-death challenge, enter the hall!¡± ¡­ Enter the hall! It was naturally¡­ the Fantasy Divine Hall! Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze focused slightly. Following that, the tightly shut door behind Mu Qinghe finally opened! Bam! At that moment, an invisible and tremendous suppression rushed out of the main hall like the opening of floodgates. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Almost at the same time, the three water droplets¡ªwhich had been quiet for a long time in her dantian¡ªsuddenly moved intensely! An indescribably strong summoning came from within and acknowledged it from afar! Her heart beat quickly, and her blood flowed even faster. As the Second Deity, Yu Qian went first. He went up the stairs and headed toward the main hall. Following him, it was the few deities. When they all went up, Jun Jiuqing and Nan Jinshu followed behind! Upon seeing this, everyone was taken aback. Chu Liuyue also squinted slightly. She long knew that Jun Jiuqing and Nan Jinshu had extraordinary statuses, but she didn¡¯t expect them to have such high statuses. As if detecting her gaze, Jun Jiuqing, who just took a step, suddenly turned around and glanced at her. That look was very mysterious and hard to understand. Before Chu Liuyue could differentiate it clearly, Jun Jiuqing had already turned around and entered the main hall. Su Li said, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, let¡¯s go too.¡± Chu Liuyue did not move and glanced at Yan Qing. ¡°Lord Left Divine General, aren¡¯t you going first?¡± One could not see the expression on Yan Qing¡¯s handsome and cold face. ¡°The Emperor is about to arrive. I¡¯ll wait here.¡± Chapter 2449 - 2449 Divine Master 2449 Divine Master Chu Liuyue blinked, and her lips seemed to curl up at an extremely faint angle. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, she didn¡¯t hesitate further as she swiftly turned around to leave. She headed toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. Su Li and the rest also followed suit. Xiao Ba glanced with her pretty eyes and scrutinized Yan Qing. Yan Qing seemed to feel it and looked over. One couldn¡¯t tell his emotions from his handsome and cold face. Xiao Ba lightly grunted. ¡°It seems like I can¡¯t address you as ¡®Brother Yan Qing¡¯ anymore. It won¡¯t be good if I offend you, Lord Left Divine General.¡± Yan Qing¡¯s chest felt tight. But without waiting for him to say anything, Xiao Ba had already walked forward. ¡°Master, Seventh Brother, wait for me!¡± As she spoke, she held her injured leg and followed them in small steps. Her footsteps were hurried, and her long skirt flowed with the wind. The crisp sound of the crushed gems could be heard occasionally. Qi Han slowed down, turned around, and softly asked, ¡°Are your injuries very serious?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Xiao Ba came to him, bent her waist, and lifted up the crushed gems on her short skirt with her bare hands. A corner of the bruise on her thin waist was revealed and could be seen clearly. Even though she had applied medication, it still looked shocking. Qi Han knitted his brows and helplessly held her hand to put the crushed gems down. ¡°What do you look like in public?¡± Xiao Ba grunted. She was carefree and relaxed, so she didn¡¯t care much about such matters. However, the other Thirteen Yue Guards always corrected her when they saw it. Xiao Ba conveniently held Qi Han¡¯s arm. ¡°Seventh Brother, let me lie on you.¡± Every step she took hurt severely. Qi Han was about to ask why she didn¡¯t ask Mu Hongyu for help. Then, from the corner of his eyes, he saw Jian Fengchi right beside Mu Hongyu. Seeing that formation, he was really not planning to let her out. Qi Han was speechless. He stretched out his arm to support Xiao Ba, and they walked forward. Suddenly, he felt a cold gaze behind him. He instinctively turned around and glanced, coincidentally meeting Yan Qing¡¯s gaze. The two of them gazed at each other briefly. Yan Qing retracted his gaze first. Qi Han pretended that nothing happened as he squinted slightly and brought Xiao Ba forward. After a moment, the two people¡¯s voices softly sounded. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t casually be so close to anyone. Other people might dupe you without you knowing.¡± Xiao Ba pouted. ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°You and the Left Divine General¡ª¡± ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s fake, it¡¯s fake! Fifth Brother and the rest have misunderstood!¡± Xiao Ba stomped her feet. ¡°I wanted to tell you long ago, but I didn¡¯t have the chance. Now you understand, right?¡± However, she never expected to use such a method¡­ Yan Qing looked down slightly, and his chin was slightly tense. ¡­ Chu Liuyue stepped on the stairs. Step by step, she walked very stably. Even if she had seen an apparition in the Red Moon Desert previously and had once entered, it was still fake. At this point, stepping on this staircase, it was heavy and real. This was the true¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall! She stepped on the last flight of stairs, took a deep breath in, and looked forward. The door to the main hall was open. It was magnificent, looking holy and distinguished. The three water droplets in her dantian were crazily spinning! She looked calm as she forcefully suppressed this commotion. Then, her gaze turned slightly, and she looked at Mu Qinghe at the side. Actually, this was her first time seriously looking at him after so long. In the Fantasy Divine Sea previously, the seawater surged, and the lighting was dark. Thus, she could not see him clearly. Besides, at that time, she was in deep shock and could not care about the rest. Now that she saw him again, she had already calmed down. At this point, the sunlight was appropriate. His appearance clearly entered her view. His five features were indeed exactly the same as before, but his aura had changed by quite a bit. And when she looked at him, he seemed different. They were even two people. He is the First Deity after all¡­ thought Chu Liuyue silently in her heart. Mu Qinghe¡¯s gaze was nonchalant and unaffected. Their eyes met for a moment. Chu Liuyue smiled, turned around, and walked into the main hall. ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall was actually the same as what she saw in Red Moon Desert. The hall had circular pillars that were tall and mighty. There were dents in the surroundings and different colored-light halos in the surroundings. At first glance, it was the epitome of magnificence. The tremendous suppression surged over from all directions, wrapping around the people and swallowing them. Yu Qian and the rest who previously came in sat side by side at the innermost position of the main hall. Chu Liuyue casually chose a position to stand in. Compared to the other cultivators who came in with much difficulty, she looked too calm. Su Li surveyed her surroundings and knitted her brows slightly. It¡¯s really exactly the same as what I saw in the Red Moon Desert¡­ Actually, the people who went to the Red Moon Desert previously and entered that apparition¡­ They would definitely be as shocked as Su Li. But other than them, there weren¡¯t many people who successfully entered. Hence, this did not attract a big reaction. Most cultivators exclaimed in awe, mainly because this was the Fantasy Divine Hall, the place that they had looked forward to for so long. They had finally reached their holy ground. When everyone came in, Mu Qinghe also finally walked in. When the deities saw him, they nodded and greeted him respectfully. Chu Liuyue also looked over. At this point, Mu Qinghe came to the center of the main hall. He cupped his fists. ¡°First Deity, Mu Qinghe, invites the Divine Master!¡± The crowd fell silent and stared at him nervously and excitedly. The Divine Master is about to appear? One had to know that the Divine Master didn¡¯t normally reveal himself. It was extremely hard even for the many deities in the Fantasy Divine Hall to meet him! Now, he finally appeared the day before the cultivators were about to become a deity! How could everyone not be agitated and curious? Everyone¡¯s gazes landed on the position before Mu Qinghe. After a moment, silver and red rays of light intertwined and slowly appeared before the crowd¡¯s eyes. The sparks were brilliant, and one could not see it clearly. Seeing this scene, Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes slightly. Shangguan Jing held his breath in and turned around to look at Chu Liuyue. Her God Realm is also this silver-red color! If they were to say it was a coincidence¡­ it was quite incredulous. However, Chu Liuyue seemed calm as if¡­ she was not surprised. Shangguan Jing retracted his gaze and looked forward again. At this point, a black figure faintly appeared in the halo. The moment this figure appeared, a tremendous suppression descended at the same time! Other than the many deities, the remaining cultivators had a change in expression. The Divine Master¡¯s suppression was indeed extraordinary! This alone was enough to cause everyone present to look up at them! Chapter 2450 - 2450 They Shared the Same Pillow 2450 They Shared the Same Pillow But very quickly, the crowd discovered a problem¡ªthe Divine Master¡­ didn¡¯t seem to have the intention to truly reveal himself. That figure was really blurred. They could n¡¯ even differentiate if the Divine Master was a female or male. Only the endless shocking suppression caused one to be fearful, and they could not look at it directly. Chu Liuyue took a few glances, suddenly noticed something, and furrowed her brows slightly. Then, her gaze turned slightly toward Mu Hongyu. At this point, Mu Hongyu also coincidentally looked over. The two of them looked at each other. Without speaking, Chu Liuyue confirmed her guesses: The Divine Master¡­ didn¡¯t actually appear in this Fantasy Divine Hall. They just forcefully descended directly through a small space. One could faintly feel some ripples around the silver-red halos. That was the commotion that would occur when two spaces intertwined and bumped into each other! Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze, looked down slightly, and hid the ripples in her eyes. This Divine Master¡­ is rather interesting. If they have to come out, they should directly appear. Why should it be so troublesome? If they don¡¯t want to reveal their true self, they can come out and use another method to hide. Anyway, there are many methods, but they had to choose a troublesome one in the end. A guess surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart. Perhaps¡­ the other party has to do that? However, I can¡¯t verify this for now. She looked inside again. Finally, that person spoke. The voice was low and hoarse, and one couldn¡¯t tell their gender as if they came from a distant space. ¡°Invite the Emperor in!¡± ¡­ Hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat! This was because¡­ this voice was exactly the same as the voice of the eye that appeared in the Red Moon Desert! They were clearly¡­ the same person! At this moment, countless scenes from the past surfaced in Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind. That eye in the Red Moon Desert¡­ The hand below Million Wine Mountain¡­ It turned out that they belonged to the Divine Master in the Fantasy Divine Hall! Big Baby and the rest were trapped in the Red Moon Desert for 10,000 years. They had to know this! The key was¡­ Rong Xiu! Since he was the Emperor, how could he not know these? However, he had never mentioned it previously. He even¡­ hid it until now! Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was in a mess. At this time, footsteps came from outside the hall. The entire Fantasy Divine Hall immediately fell silent. As if sensing something, Chu Liuyue looked up. ¡­ A man appeared outside the door. His figure was long and tall. He was decked in a black robe with golden embroidery on his sleeves. His appearance was demonically handsome, and he looked peerless. He came against the light, and his suppression was apparent! That was a face that Chu Liuyue was very familiar with, but it was different from normal. The oppressive cold intent around him, his murderous aura, and his pair of harsh and nonchalant phoenix-like eyes¡­ He was high and mighty, and out of reach. Chu Liuyue looked at him dazedly. This was the person she was once most familiar with, but now, he was the most foreign! Mu Qinghe and the rest placed their hands on their left chest as they respectfully bowed. ¡°Greetings, Emperor!¡± Their voices were in unison, and they were filled with deep respect. Upon hearing this, the crowd recovered their senses and greeted, ¡°Greetings, Emperor!¡± Everyone looked down and bowed. Only Chu Liuyue did not move as she stared at him. They were clearly very close, but he seemed miles apart, so far that she could not reach him. Rong Xiu¡ªhe was the person she shared the same pillow with. He was also the most distinguished Emperor, who inherited the life of the Heavenly Dao and controlled all the deities! Chapter 2451 - 2451 Emperors Technique is so Well-Practiced 2451 Emperor¡¯s Technique is so Well-Practiced She looked at him, and her gaze scanned his face in detail. He had sharp brows, nice hair, a straight nose, and thin lips that pressed against each other slightly. This was the most familiar face engraved in her heart, yet that face was cold and distinguished, cold and cunning, like an ice mountain that did not melt in a million years. He was icy cold and distant. It was completely different from the look in her memory. Chu Liuyue blinked lightly, as she curled her hands by her side slightly. Not too long ago, this man clearly hugged her in his arms. He kissed her brows and her lips in a loving manner. And now, they saw each other from afar, and it seemed as if it was their first time meeting. At this time, she was actually dazed for a moment. She did not know what was true and fake. At this point, Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze also landed on her. She clearly saw his eyes. Suddenly, she knitted her brows slightly. I seem¡­ to have seen such a Rong Xiu somewhere before. A blurred impression quickly flashed across her mind. Chu Liuyue¡¯s pupils dilated. Right! Peach Blossom Dock! The mirror in that Gate Realm had once reflected his appearance! At that time, she felt that the Rong Xiu reflected in the mirror was different from him. He was clearly wearing a snow-white robe, while the person in the mirror was in a black robe. That expression was murderous and cold, vastly different from his gentle and clear appearance normally. It was a pity that she only took a quick look and did not take it to heart. But now, she finally understood that the figure reflected in that mirror wasn¡¯t her husband Rong Xiu but¡­ the Emperor! At this point, Rong Xiu also spoke. His voice was as low and melodious as usual, but compared to the initial gentleness, it was more distant and cold. He looked at her and said carefully, ¡°Shangguan Yue, come over.¡± ¡­ Once he said this, everyone in the main hall looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. Why did the Emperor suddenly call this woman? Chu Liuyue also recovered her senses. Then, she knitted her brows slightly. Shangguan Yue? He had always called her ¡®Yue¡¯er.¡¯ This was the first time Chu Liuyue heard this name from his lips. It was extremely¡­ foreign. Su Li, Mu Hongyu, and the rest were long stunned when they saw Rong Xiu walk in. When they heard him speak and call her name, they were totally dazed. What kind of situation is this? They had previously guessed that His Grace was the Emperor, but¡­ What was he doing now? The few people couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue. The atmosphere was cold, and the air seemed to have frozen. Then, Chu Liuyue exhaled lightly and went forward. ¡­ In the main hall, everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on her. However, Chu Liuyue did not mind. She walked up step by step and stood still three steps before Rong Xiu. Here, the tremendous aura around him had already suppressed her to the point she couldn¡¯t catch her breath. Of course, she knew that he did not do it on purpose. He was too strong and naturally let out such a shocking aura. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly at him. She could see him clearly here, but she did not understand him. Chu Liuyue had never thought that they would meet like this one day. He was the closest person to her. She had given him all her heart, body, trust, love, past, and future¡ªwithout a care, everything she had. She once thought that nobody would understand him more than she did, but now, she finally knew that it was not the case. She was so familiar with him, but she could not understand. ¡°Emperor?¡± she asked lightly. It was a question and also to verify something. Rong Xiu looked at her calmly. His gaze deepened, and it was hard to capture. Then, he raised his arm slightly, and four rays of light flew out. The four rays of light flew past Chu Liuyue¡¯s ears, forming four circular rings in the centermost area of the palace. These rings looked very special. That was because their color was formed by the interaction of gold and black, two extreme colors. Besides, the pattern on these four rings was different. ¡°You can choose four paths to become a deity. Which will you choose?¡± asked Rong Xiu calmly. Upon hearing this, quite a few people suddenly realized. So the Emperor is calling her for this? That¡¯s true. We¡¯ve heard that she is an all-rounder. She has the potential to become a deity in more than one cultivation aspect. However, the key is to see which she picks. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t turn around to look at the four rings. She just gazed at Rong Xiu, raised her chin slightly, and said, ¡°Emperor is experienced. Why don¡¯t you help me choose?¡± The moment she said this, the atmosphere in the hall became slightly incredulous. Yu Qian and the rest knitted their brows unwittingly. What does she mean? She wants the Emperor to help her choose?! Who does she think she is¡ª ¡°Xuan Master then,¡± replied Rong Xiu. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. ¡°What a coincidence¡ªI was just thinking of this. After all, I spent the most amount of time and effort on it earlier.¡± The crowd just thought that she was talking about completing the Star Path. Only Shangguan Jing, Su Li, and the rest knew that she was referring to the chess game that lasted for days between them. The few of them exchanged glances and kept silent. At this time, it seems like¡­ it is better to silently observe the changes. Rong Xiu looked down slightly at the woman before him. She had a smile on her lips, but her dazzling star-like eyes were calm and composed. ¡°Since you said it, then I¡¯ll choose this.¡± As Chu Liuyue spoke, she turned around and wanted to go over. However, the moment she took a step out, she felt her waist tighten. She was dazed and looked down. The token around her waist was actually held in Rong Xiu¡¯s hands. She blinked and glanced at Rong Xiu strangely. He looked down slightly. His long fingers gently flicked it as he removed the token. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, you don¡¯t have to use this item.¡± Seeing this, Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Emperor, the token is something those without bloodline totems must wear. It¡¯s not appropriate if you take it off¡ª¡± Rong Xiu did not speak. He curled his fingers and took the token. Mu Qinghe sensibly swallowed his remaining words. Although Yu Qian and the rest thought that this wasn¡¯t too good¡­ the other party was the Emperor. Besides, what he said was right. Now that she was already going to become a deity, there was no point in leaving it. Chu Liuyue stared at Rong Xiu, tilting her head, and her lips curled up in an ambiguous smile. Then, she leaned in closer. Her voice was so low that only the two of them heard it. ¡°Emperor, your technique is well-trained.¡± You undid this token so fast. Rong Xiu paused in his actions, looked up slightly, and glanced at her dangerously. Chapter 2452 - 2452 Record of the Million Gods 2452 Record of the Million Gods Chu Liuyue stopped in time. She immediately turned around and stepped into the circular ring that belonged to Xuan Masters. The moment she walked in, she instantly felt an indescribable oppression immediately covering her! The gaze that was filled with warning and threat stopped on her for a moment before it finally moved away. The tip of her tongue touched the roof of her mouth. After a while, her red lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile. If he wants to act, I will accompany him. I want to see what exactly¡­ he wants to do by spending so much effort. ¡­ ¡°You have 15 minutes to make your final choice.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice broke the strange and silent atmosphere in the main hall. The crowd had just recovered their senses from the previous situation before they started heading toward the area they picked. However, some people were filled with doubts. Just now¡­ the Emperor seemed to have a different attitude toward that woman? If he called her over because she was an all-rounder and had to pick one of them, it¡¯s understandable. However, couldn¡¯t she take off that token herself? The Emperor is distinguished and cold, mysterious and strong. Even the deities don¡¯t dare to go near him, but now¡­ How to put it? It¡¯s just strange. But when they sized up Chu Liuyue again, her expression was normal as if she didn¡¯t take the previous incident to heart. This¡­ Xiao Ba looked at Qi Han and asked, ¡°Seventh Brother, should we also take it off?¡± Qi Han nodded. Xiao Ba was quite happy. Her red lips curled up, revealing a smile. ¡°Great! I thought that this item was very burdensome!¡± And it was very ugly! Now, I can finally take it off! As she thought of it, she reached out to the token around Qi Han¡¯s waist. ¡°Seventh Brother, let me help you take this item off!¡± Anyway, they had no guts to get the Emperor to help remove the item. Were they tired of living? But before she could reach over, a cold and oppressive sword aura suddenly came over! Swoosh! The token around Qi Han¡¯s waist instantly broke and fell! Xiao Ba widened her eyes slightly and turned around. Yan Qing walked over at some point and held a sword in his hands¡ªhe did that just now. Before Xiao Ba could react, her waist felt cold. Then¡­ the token around her waist was also cut! The next moment, the tokens flew toward him. Yan Qing¡¯s sword was fast and very accurate. This sword could directly cut all of their tokens! And even though this sword aura was very sharp, it didn¡¯t hurt anyone. Very quickly, he gathered all of their tokens and passed them to Rong Xiu. ¡°Emperor.¡± Rong Xiu waved his palm, and those tokens landed in his sleeves. They silently disappeared without a trace. Upon seeing this, the crowd did not speak further. Anyway, everyone was the same! Xiao Ba¡¯s hand landed in the air¡ªshe grabbed the air in disappointment. After that, she glared at Yan Qing. Why are you in such a hurry? Can¡¯t you wait for me to remove it myself? What if that sword hurt me!? Of course, she knew that such an error wouldn¡¯t happen with Yan Qing¡¯s skills. But¡­ did he not see how the Emperor did it?! Even though the Emperor lied to Master, he could at least do such matters! Qi Han glanced at Yan Qing. Then, he lightly patted Xiao Ba¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Your wound is not healed yet. Be more careful later.¡± Xiao Ba pouted. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Very quickly, the cultivators waiting for the chance to become a deity all stood in their positions. Swoosh! Rong Xiu waved his palm, and the Record of the Million Gods appeared on command! The light shone, and one could faintly see individual names appear. But perhaps the light was too bright or the suppression was too strong, so one couldn¡¯t look at it directly, and the crowd couldn¡¯t see the names on it clearly. ¡°Those who become deities will automatically have their names appear in the first scroll of the Record of the Million Gods,¡± said Rong Xiu. Upon hearing this, the crowd was shocked and looked faintly excited. They had prepared for this day for more than 10,000 years! Now, they had finally waited for this moment. How could they not be tempted? Whir! A thought popped up in Rong Xiu¡¯s mind. A ray of light shot out of the Record of the Million Gods. At the same time, a giant apparition suddenly appeared in the skies above the Fantasy Divine Hall. It was the Record of the Million Gods! Compared to the scroll Rong Xiu had in the main hall, this apparition was clearly much bigger. Everyone waiting outside the Fantasy Divine Hall saw this scene and immediately broke into an uproar. ¡°Record of the Million Gods!¡± ¡°The Emperor summoned the Record of the Million Gods. Is it finally about to start?¡± ¡°I wonder who can successfully break through to become a deity¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest. I¡¯m most curious about Shangguan Yue. Do you think she can do it without a bloodline totem?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not too sure¡­¡± If it were in the past, they would definitely reject this possibility immediately. But after experiencing so many matters during this period of time, the slapped crowd finally had some experience and didn¡¯t dare to jump to conclusions. ¡°Other than the Emperor, nobody else can see the names on the Record of the Million Gods. Only when one breaks through to become a deity will the cultivator¡¯s name appear for a moment, and everyone will witness it personally. I just wonder¡­ who can be the first to become a deity and engrave their name on the Record of the Million Gods!¡± ¡­ Chapter 2453 - 2453 Expose 2453 Expose Whir! There was a whirring sound sounding in her ear. The next moment, a star appeared in front of Chu Liuyue. This star shone with a golden light, iridescent and bright. She was most familiar with this aura¡ªit was Rong Xiu¡¯s force. Following that, it was the second, third¡­ In no time, her surroundings were covered by countless stars. There seemed to be a strange connection between the stars that nobody could ignore. Chu Liuyue looked around and suddenly understood something: This was actually a Xuan formation, but it was different from the other one-dimensional Xuan formations seen previously! The one Rong Xiu had set up was multi-dimensional! Cultivators¡­ merged within the Xuan formation and survived with it! The most important step was to solve the Xuan formation and step out! Chu Liuyue sighed lightly. This step¡­ is indeed much harder than expected! Even I might not be able to solve it relaxingly. Xiao Ran stood not far behind her. Seeing the floating stars, he took a while to recover his senses. ¡°My god¡­¡± Aren¡¯t they tricking us!? This is so hard! How are we supposed to pass this?! He couldn¡¯t help but secretly look at Chu Liuyue. He saw that she stared at the stars in deep thought. Xiao Ran felt terrible. Ever since he saw the Emperor¡¯s appearance, he almost went crazy. Isn¡¯t that the man who accompanied that lady every day previously?! What happened to him being from the God Residence Realm? What happened to him being an unknown genius? He became the Emperor in the blink of an eye? At the very beginning, Xiao Ran didn¡¯t want to accept this reality. However, he later realized that Chu Liuyue did not seem to know about this. He then felt more balanced. However, the current situation was too complicated, causing him to lose focus in cultivation. As he thought about these things, Chu Liuyue already raised her hand. A holy force flew out from the tip of her fingers, connecting the two stars before her. Xiao Ran was secretly shocked. One couldn¡¯t help being astonished that they couldn¡¯t compare with Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent. In such a short time, she actually found a way to solve it. Even though this was just a start, it was enough to show her potential! Suddenly, a light ripple came from the side. Xiao Ran turned around and shockingly realized that Qi Han had actually taken action! Xiao Ran and the other Xuan Masters were speechless. This master and servant really don¡¯t let other people live¡­ Xiao Ran helplessly suppressed his overwhelming emotions as he focused and started to understand the Xuan formation! ¡­ At the same time, the cultivators in the other three competition arenas started to cultivate on their own. However, Mu Hongyu was more special¡ªshe wasn¡¯t suitable for any of these four categories. A golden ray of light flew out of Rong Xiu¡¯s palm, forming a barrier around her. On it, rays of black lines intersected. At first glance, it looked like a cage. ¡°Those with a Faint Yuan Body can become a deity as long as you break through this,¡± said Rong Xiu. Mu Hongyu nodded and looked at her surroundings closely. Then, her gaze focused slightly, and deep shock flashed across her eyes! This was because the intersecting and overlapping black lines actually¡­ caused cracks in the tight spaces. The barrier that Rong Xiu had set up contained shocking force! With a rough look, there were at least hundreds of spaces squeezed into this small barrier! After seeing this, Mu Hongyu gasped. Rong Xiu¡­ is indeed the Emperor! Once he takes action, it is so shocking! She clenched her fists and tried hard to calm down before studying it closely. The giant Fantasy Divine Hall fell silent. ¡­ Rong Xiu stood with his hands behind his back. Nobody could tell his emotions on his demonically handsome and elegant face. The Record of the Million Gods floated quietly and shone. Time passed silently. Before Chu Liuyue, the many rays of light intersected and connected the stars. She was very fast. Even if Yu Qian and the rest disliked her, they had to admit that Chu Liuyue was better than the rest in this area. If this went on, could she really become a deity? At this point, behind the Fantasy Divine Hall, a strong sensation was felt! Boom! A loud sound was heard! Everyone was shocked. Mu Qinghe was first dazed. Then, he suddenly thought of something as a dark glint flashed across his eyes. Yu Qian was elated. ¡°Tuan Zi is opening her eighth meridian!¡± He definitely would not mistake this commotion! Upon hearing this, the remaining deities looked surprised. They had waited for this day for too long! Yu Qian couldn¡¯t conceal his excitement as he cupped his fists and said to the figure hidden in the silver-red light. ¡°Divine Master, since Tuan Zi has opened her eighth meridian, may I bring her to the main hall?¡± After a moment, the voice said, ¡°OK.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Qian¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a few beats. He had always been busy with Tuan Zi¡¯s matters. Now that she suddenly opened her eighth meridian, the Divine Master was definitely happy. This was undoubtedly a huge credit! After acknowledging it, he turned around and walked outside the main hall, planning to get Tuan Zi over. But when he passed by Chu Liuyue, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Following that, he turned around in disbelief and stared at Chu Liuyue. Her aura was actually rapidly strengthening! What is¡ª A ridiculous and bold guess surfaced in his heart! Yu Qian harshly screamed, ¡°You didn¡¯t break your agreement with Tuan Zi?!¡± Chapter 2454 - 2454 Wait 2454 Wait The cold and harsh voice reverberated throughout the entire main hall, clearly entering everyone¡¯s ears! Almost everyone looked over in unconcealable shock. Chu Liuyue did not dissolve her agreement with Tuan Zi? How is that possible?! Wasn¡¯t she forced to break her connection with Tuan Zi a few months ago? Back then, Yu Qian was personally in charge of it! But now, he actually said that¡­ they didn¡¯t?! Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. Previously, they had hidden this very well, and Yu Qian had never noticed it. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Tuan Zi opening her meridian would cause a huge change in her force, exposing the matter! Without speaking, Yu Qian immediately took action! Vigorous and shocking holy force suddenly flew out toward Chu Liuyue! Whir! But before that force touched the halo, it was immediately stopped. The bright and dark holy force instantly killed it! Almost at the same time, Rong Xiu¡¯s low and cold voice sounded. ¡°Yu Qian, how dare you!¡± Upon hearing this, Yu Qian flashed white. In his anger, he actually forgot that this was the Emperor¡¯s force! Now that he suddenly took action, wasn¡¯t he offending the Emperor?! ¡°Emperor, forgive me!¡± He immediately looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it intentionally, but this Shangguan Yue is too daring and impetuous! Previously, I had once forced her to break the agreement with that red-gold heavenly phoenix. I didn¡¯t expect her to lie to everyone¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re useless,¡± Rong Xiu interrupted him. He said every single word with tremendous suppression, almost suffocating them. Yu Qian¡¯s heart beat harshly. Getting scolded by the Emperor for being useless in front of all these people was an utter humiliation. The most important thing was he couldn¡¯t retaliate. At that time, he did personally supervise and stared at them while they dissolved their agreement! He really thought that the matter had ended successfully. Who knew Chu Liuyue did this!? From then until now¡­ It had been such a long time, but he didn¡¯t discover anything amiss! Yu Qian¡¯s face was as though it had been harshly slapped. It hurt badly. ¡°Nobody is allowed to interrupt those becoming deities.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was nonchalant, and his voice was cold. ¡°Those who defy this¡­ shall die!¡± ¡­ His sentence caused the entire Fantasy Divine Hall to fall into dead silence. Yu Qian clenched his fists tightly and was very anxious. If something happened and the Divine Master blamed him, he would have to be responsible for it! However, the Emperor had already spoken with an insistent attitude. Unless he was really tired of living, he would not defy the Emperor¡¯s orders and forcefully take action against Chu Liuyue! However, am I supposed to just watch her? Let her become a deity? Yu Qian couldn¡¯t help but turn around to look at the Divine Master. But perhaps he was afraid of the Emperor, so the Divine Master did not say a word. After much thinking, Yu Qian clenched his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her over first!¡± Then, he turned around and quickly left. Anyway, the Divine Master and the rest are here. Even if Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi¡¯s agreement isn¡¯t dissolved, they will have a way by then. After all, the current Tuan Zi was too important to the Divine Master¡­ Yu Qian¡¯s figure quickly disappeared outside the door. After he left, the crowd left at the main hall exchanged glances. Finally, their gazes all landed on Chu Liuyue. What method did this Chu Liuyue use to lie to Yu Qian? Shangguan Jing and the rest were filled with worry. Yu Qian¡¯s reaction was huge. He might do something to her. Even if she can temporarily escape, then¡­ What will happen after she becomes a deity? At that time, she will have to face huge troubles! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her eyes were calm. Originally, she didn¡¯t think that she could hide this the entire time. This matter would be discovered sooner or later, but an extremely strange time was chosen. Now, she only hoped that Tuan Zi was safe and sound. It wasn¡¯t too late to solve everything after she became a deity! ¡­ Phoenix Mountain. A tiny figure was currently wrapped in the red-golden fire. The fire burned intensely. The scorchingly high temperature caused the surrounding space to be contorted. Not far away before her, that Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed flowed with the wind. Under the red-golden fire¡¯s burning, the soft green leaves became even more vibrant. Tuan Zi closed her eyes. The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s totem gradually surfaced on her brows. At some moment, a strange sound came from her body. Finally¡ª She suddenly opened her eyes! That pair of blackberry-like eyes were filled with bright fire! A tremendous suppression exploded from her surroundings! Eighth meridian¡­ open! ¡­ At the same time, Miao Zhen¡ªwho was standing outside Phoenix Mountain¡¯s barrier¡ªdetected this commotion. He knitted his brows slightly and looked at Phoenix Mountain with a complicated gaze. ¡°It was actually¡­ so fast¡­¡± he muttered softly. In actual fact, although he left Phoenix Mountain after bidding farewell to Tuan Zi, he didn¡¯t go far and stood guard here the entire time. Originally, he thought that it would take some time for Tuan Zi to open her eighth meridian. Who knew that it was much earlier than expected? Standing here, with the barrier in between, he couldn¡¯t see the situation inside clearly. However, that shocking ripple could not be hidden. Tuan Zi¡­ had indeed successfully opened her eighth meridian! Miao Zhen¡¯s gaze turned. He looked at the Record of the Million Gods quietly floating in the air above the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡°They indeed didn¡¯t dissolve their agreement¡­¡± Inside the Fantasy Divine Hall, Chu Liuyue was preparing to become a deity. On Phoenix Mountain, Tuan Zi was preparing to open her meridian. As they urged each other¡¯s successes, other than the agreement being present, there was no other possibility. Actually, he faintly had this guess early on but did not have a chance to verify it. Now, he finally could confirm it. However¡­ those people in the Fantasy Divine Hall should already know, right? Just as this thought flashed across his mind, a figure rushed out of the Fantasy Divine Hall and came over¡ªYu Qian! Miao Zhen¡¯s heart tightened. Seeing Yu Qian¡¯s behavior, it seems like the situation is worse than predicted¡­ As he thought, Yu Qian had already arrived. Seeing Miao Zhen, Yu Qian was also taken aback. However, he just knitted his brows and did not care much about Miao Zhen as he walked straight into Phoenix Mountain! This place was under his charge, so he could naturally come and go as he wished. Miao Zhen originally wanted to greet him, but seeing this situation, he swallowed his remaining words. He faintly felt uneasy. ¡­ Tuan Zi sighed deeply. After opening the eighth meridian¡­ I am indeed different from before! Suddenly, she paused in her actions and turned around. ¡°¡­Hong Yao?¡± she called out with uncertainty. She pouted, raised her small hand, and did not speak. If Hong Yao appears now and apologizes to me, I will forgive it! Chapter 2455 - 2455 I Wait for You 2455 I Wait for You After a moment, Hong Yao did not come out. Tuan Zi pouted. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three!¡± If it doesn¡¯t come out, I¡¯ll really ignore it forever! At that time, even if it comes to me and apologizes, I won¡¯t give it another chance! ¡°One!¡± No sound. Tuan Zi knitted her small brows. ¡°Two!¡± There was still no noise. Tuan Zi walked a few steps and was very frustrated. Could it be that Hong Yao doesn¡¯t care at all? What¡¯s so good about Mu Qinghe that it has to be so loyal!? ¡°Two and a half!¡± Tuan Zi started to play with her fingers. At this point, the sound of wind came from behind. Tuan Zi was elated as she turned around. ¡°Haha! I knew you¡ª¡± Seeing Yu Qian that suddenly appeared before her, Tuan Zi¡¯s smile instantly froze. She was confused and annoyed. ¡°Why is it you?!¡± I still thought¡­ ¡°Why can¡¯t it be me?¡± Yu Qian looked at Tuan Zi coldly. Tuan Zi detected that something was amiss and became alert. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t break your agreement with Shangguan Yue.¡± Yu Qian spoke coldly and surely. Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes shrunk slightly. He actually knows¡ª ¡°Follow me!¡± Seeing Tuan Zi¡¯s reaction, Yu Qian was even more enraged. Without saying much, he went forward and grabbed Tuan Zi¡¯s hand. Tuan Zi immediately dodged and glared at him with enmity. ¡°What do you want to do?!¡± This man¡­ is very dangerous! Yu Qian sneered. ¡°You¡¯ll know what I want to do soon.¡± As he spoke, a black whip as thick as a thumb suddenly flew out from his sleeves and went for Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi felt that something was amiss and hurriedly moved backward, setting up a fire barrier before her! However, a shocking scene happened¡ªthat black whip directly passed through the fire! The scorchingly high temperature and strong force could not do anything to it. What exactly is this?! As Tuan Zi pondered the situation, that item had already flown over and wrapped around her wrist tightly. This whip was very malleable, and there were even sharp blades on it. The moment it touched Tuan Zi¡¯s skin, it easily scratched her. Sharp pain came from her wrist. Tuan Zi was shocked and lowered her head to take a look. She noticed bright red blood pearls flowing out of her wrist. However, these blood pearls did not land on the ground and were directly absorbed by that whip! Tuan Zi¡¯s heart was instantly overwhelmed with anxiety. She clearly recalled all the torture she experienced in the Red Moon Desert! This scene was too familiar! ¡°Let go of me!¡± Tuan Zi immediately started to struggle crazily. However, this black whip was very strange. The more she struggled, this whip tightened more! The blood in her body poured out at a faster rate and was absorbed by it! Yu Qian coldly grunted. He captured Tuan Zi and turned toward the Fantasy Divine Hall. Tuan Zi, who had already opened her eighth meridian, was much stronger than before. However, she still lacked in comparison against Yu Qian. The duo¡¯s figures quickly disappeared from Phoenix Mountain. After a moment, a tiny figure flashed out from behind the rock¡ªit was Hong Yao. Seeing Tuan Zi being taken away, it was very anxious. Almost without hesitation, it flapped its wings and quickly followed! ¡­ Miao Zhen also saw this scene. He already felt that something was amiss when Yu Qian came ferociously. As expected, in no time, Yu Qian forcefully brought Tuan Zi out. Yu Qian was very fast and left a few blurry afterimages in the sky, but Miao Zhen¡¯s eyes were very sharp. He saw Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodstained appearance at one glance. He knitted his brows tightly. Then, his figure flashed, and he immediately followed. ¡­ Yu Qian did not intentionally hide his figure when he came and went. Hence, everyone outside the Fantasy Divine Hall saw him. When the crowd was filled with doubts as to why he suddenly left, they saw Yu Qian bringing Tuan Zi back. Their appearances weren¡¯t good. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress who has always been at Phoenix Mountain? Why did the Second Deity suddenly bring her over?¡± ¡°The situation¡­ doesn¡¯t seem good! She seems to have been tied up?¡± ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm ¡°I saw it too. There¡¯s blood on her body¡­¡± ¡°Strange. Didn¡¯t the Second Deity always treat her kindly? What is he doing now?¡± ¡°Hah, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s ancestor betrayed the Fantasy Divine Hall back then! As the traitor clan, how kindly could the Second Deity treat her?¡± ¡°She seems to have opened her eighth meridian with the previous noise? I wonder what the Second Deity is planning to do¡­¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions, and there were all sorts of guesses. Yu Qian had already brought Tuan Zi back to the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡­ ¡°Let go of me!¡± Tuan Zi struggled the entire way, but Yu Qian was too strong, and she was not his match. When Yu Qian finally stopped, she realized that she had been brought into the Fantasy Divine Hall! Upon hearing this, Yu Qian coldly snorted and pushed Tuan Zi harshly. ¡°Kneel down!¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s hands were tied up. Now that she was suddenly pushed, her feet were unstable as she staggered and almost fell to the floor. She forcefully stabilized herself as she angrily said, ¡°If you want to kneel, do it yourself! I won¡¯t kneel!¡± Everyone looked over, including Chu Liuyue. When Chu Liuyue saw the tiny person covered in blood, her heart instantly felt suppressed by a heavy rock. It was heavy, and it hurt. She finally could not help but call out, ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Tuan Zi suddenly recovered her senses. She hurriedly turned around and saw Chu Liuyue within that golden light. ¡°A¡¯Yue!¡± Without thinking, she directly ran toward her. But the moment she took two steps, Yu Qian suddenly pulled his hand, and the black whip instantly tightened! This time, Tuan Zi finally fell to the ground heavily. A low sound was heard. More and more blood dripped out of her wrist. ¡°Yu Qian!¡± Fire burned crazily in Chu Liuyue¡¯s chest as immediately yelled in anger. Yu Qian instinctively looked up and exchanged glances with her. ¡°Who are you call¡ª¡± He was about to scold her when he met Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze. His heart shuddered for some reason. The current Chu Liuyue seemed¡­ different from usual. The always dazzling pair of star eyes was currently a bottomless pit. They were covered in ice that had frozen for thousands of years¡ªit was chilling to the bone! This look caused him to feel some fear! ¡°A¡¯Yue, Tuan Zi is fine!¡± Tuan Zi clenched her teeth and stood up. She gazed at her with bloodshot eyes, trying her best to sniff. ¡°A¡¯Yue, don¡¯t worry!¡± She was always intelligent. With one look, she knew that Chu Liuyue was in a crucial moment of becoming a deity. I c-can¡¯t distract her! Thinking of this, she broke out into a huge smile. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for A¡¯Yue here!¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart ached crazily. Chapter 2456 - 2456 Emperor, You Want to Intervene? 2456 Emperor, You Want to Intervene? At this point, Yu Qian also recovered his senses. He frowned. What a joke. I actually felt fear toward Chu Liuyue at that moment? She hasn¡¯t broken through to become a deity yet! Besides, even if she succeeds, she wouldn¡¯t be my match. After all, I crossed that threshold 10,000 years ago! This feeling enraged Yu Qian. I must¡¯ve been crazy to think that a mere Chu Liuyue could threaten him. ¡°What a deep master-servant relationship!¡± He coldly smiled and mocked them. Thinking that he was tricked for so long, he was extremely furious and wanted to kill Chu Liuyue and Tuan Zi immediately. To think that I compromised again and again to get Tuan Zi to listen to me. Originally, I thought that everything was under my control. Who knew that they never dissolved their agreement from the very beginning? The scenes of the past kept replaying in Yu Qian¡¯s mind repeatedly. Every repeat was reminding him what dumb thing he had once done! Yu Qian was about to die from the anger. Hence, at this point, all his shock and rage turned into deep hatred! These two¡­ must pay a price for what they¡¯ve done! Just as he was about to take action again, the hoarse and low voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Yu Qian, stop.¡± Yu Qian stopped in his actions. He took a deep breath in, rolled up his sleeves, and kneeled on the floor with one knee. ¡°I didn¡¯t do my job well. Divine Master, please punish me!¡± ¡°Even though you didn¡¯t get them to dissolve their agreement, she at least opened her eighth meridian. You have made up for your mistake.¡± This meant that the Divine Master did not plan to pursue Yu Qian¡¯s mistake. Yu Qian was clearly very surprised. After being dazed for a moment, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Divine Master!¡± ¡°Come over.¡± The Divine Master spoke again, but this was not targeted at Yu Qian. It was directed at¡­ Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi knitted her brows tightly. Her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and she refused to move. She alertly looked at that vague figure. Then, she suddenly recalled something and widened her eyes in shock. ¡°¡­It¡¯s you!¡± This is the person who had trapped me and tortured me in the Red Moon Desert! Even though only an eye appeared at that time, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be mistaken! It is this person! ¡°I said come here.¡± That person¡¯s voice had a hint of coldness. Following that, without waiting for Tuan Zi to react, that figure suddenly raised their hand. Following this movement, the black whip tightly wrapped around Tuan Zi flew up rapidly! Tuan Zi¡¯s body was dragged forward uncontrollably. Boom! A red-golden fire instantly burned! However, such a retaliation did not pose any resistance. That person seemed to laugh. ¡°Back then, even Yi Ling was not my match, let alone you.¡± Tuan Zi was shocked. Ancestor Yi Ling had opened his ninth meridian. If even he can¡¯t, then¡­ She started to struggle crazily. With the previous experience in the Red Moon Desert, she knew very clearly what was awaiting her the moment she landed in his hands! It was a pity that this force was worthless in front of the other party. Tuan Zi clenched her teeth tightly, but she felt excruciating pain. That black whip wrapped around her wrist and dragged her forward, almost breaking her arms. At the same time, the blood in her body kept being absorbed by the whip. The originally black and dark whip gradually turned blood red and looked very gruesome. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart was suddenly squeezed, and it hurt. In front of her, the large patch of stars was connected, forming a very unique Xuan formation. As long as she continued, she could definitely become a deity! But if she stopped now¡­ Everything she previously did would be wasted! She moved her feet. At this point, Tuan Zi seemed to have detected her thoughts. She immediately yelled, ¡°No! A¡¯Yue, no!¡± She stared at Chu Liuyue with tears in her eyes as she kept struggling. No! No! Nobody knows more clearly than me about how much A¡¯Yue has suffered for this day. It wasn¡¯t easy! If she gives up now, all the suffering she experienced and all the pain she has gone through in those years would be wasted! I don¡¯t want this. I want A¡¯Yue to be well! At this point, the black whip had already extended and wrapped around her arms. More and more blood flowed out from the wounds. The intense bloody aura rapidly permeated the entire main hall. ¡°Eighth meridian¡­ is indeed a little lacking,¡± said the Divine Master nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you still have an agreement with her. This will do.¡± Once the Divine Master said that, the black whip instantly curled around Tuan Zi¡¯s neck! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart shook. But at this point, a fit snow-white figure suddenly pounced over from outside the hall¡ªit was Xue Xue! In the blink of an eye, it appeared in front of Tuan Zi. Then, it bit that black whip without hesitation¡ª ¡°Emperor, are you interfering in the matters of the Fantasy Divine Hall?!¡± asked the Divine Master suddenly. Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue instinctively turned around and looked at Rong Xiu. Nobody could tell the emotions on his cold and distinguished appearance. Then, he ordered, ¡°Xue Xue, come back!¡± ¦Ñ¦Ánd¦Ás¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm His voice was calm but thick with authority. Xue Xue paused in its actions. With this momentary pause, the black whip instantly wrapped around Tuan Zi¡¯s neck! The sharp blades scratched her skin, and bright red blood oozed out! Chapter 2457 - 2457 Hold On 2457 Hold On Suddenly, a tall black figure appeared in front of Tuan Zi! A long and forceful hand grabbed that whip tightly. Pfft. The sound of blades piercing into the skin was heard. Whoosh¡ª A large force stopped the whip and harshly pulled at it! A few drops of warm blood splattered onto Tuan Zi¡¯s face. She suddenly widened her eyes. ¡°Zi Chen!¡± At this point, the person who appeared before her and forcefully stopped the whip from further strangling her neck was Zi Chen, whom she had not seen in a long time! Zi Chen was very fast as he held that whip with one hand, and the other hand rapidly carried Tuan Zi into his arms. Tuan Zi¡¯s wrist was still tightly wrapped by that whip. Zi Chen looked down slightly and saw her severely injured wrist. Murderous intent flashed across his eyes. Following that, a purplish-golden light rapidly flashed across like a sharp knife that cut it harshly! Tuan Zi felt her hand loosen. The black whip locked around her wrist was cut by Zi Chen! Zi Chen hugged her and moved back without hesitation! From the corner of her eyes, Tuan Zi saw Zi Chen holding a purplish-golden scale. She widened her eyes slightly in shock. Isn¡¯t that¡­ the scale Big Baby left in Ling Xiao Academy¡¯s booklet? ¡°Purple Gold Divine Armor?!¡± Seeing Zi Chen take action and successfully cut the black whip, Yu Qian and the rest were taken aback. When Yu Qian saw the item in his hands, he gasped uncontrollably. Once these few words were said, the crowd in the main hall was shocked. Purple Gold Divine Armor! Isn¡¯t that¡­ the ultimate treasure the High Priest produced 10,000 years ago?! But during the battle back then, the High Priest lost, and even that Purple Gold Divine Armor was destroyed completely. Why would one piece appear in the hands of this legendary three-eyed eagle?! The next moment, Yu Qian almost reacted immediately. He turned around and gazed at Chu Liuyue. ¡°This is hers!¡± The legendary three-eyed eagle was her legendary fiend. Hence, the Purple Gold Divine Armor naturally came from her. Almost everyone looked at Chu Liuyue in unconcealable shock. She is related to the High Priest? ¡°¡­It is indeed with you,¡± said the Divine Master slowly. Hearing this tone, it seemed like they had expected everything. The hall instantly fell silent. Chu Liuyue held her breath in. Tuan Zi had already opened her eighth meridian. Logically speaking, she should¡¯ve become much stronger. But even so, she still could not do anything about that black whip. After much thinking, only the scale that Big Baby left behind had the most hopes of fighting against it. After all, he was an existence above legendary warriors. This Purple Gold Divine Armor was produced by him personally and should not be underestimated. In the end, as expected, they finally snatched Tuan Zi back. But at the same time, she exposed her relationship with Big Baby. Without speaking, Chu Liuyue stared at the Xuan formation before her closely. I have to be fast¡ªeven faster! Now that I¡¯m inside the halo¡­ As long as I don¡¯t go out, outsiders can¡¯t come in to disturb me. This is the best chance! I have to quickly finish the Xuan formation and become a deity! ¡°Coincidentally, I was looking for this.¡± Once the Divine Master said this, the black whip flew up again! Whoosh! With the ear-piercing sound, that whip instantly became two and attacked Zi Chen and Tuan Zi respectively! Zi Chen held Tuan Zi tightly and rapidly avoided it! Slap! The moment his figure left, the black whip harshly left a mark on the spot he was previously standing! Zi Chen knitted his brows tightly. He had already experienced how powerful this item was previously. I can temporarily rely on that Purple Gold Divine Armor to handle it, but with time, I¡¯m afraid¡­ The moment this thought flashed across his mind, a heavy suppression overwhelmed the area! Zi Chen¡¯s chest felt stifled, and his entire person was as if stuck in mud! He could not move! The Divine Master¡¯s suppression¡­ was indeed more terrifying than anyone else he had seen! Slap! That black whip was flung out again! Zi Chen was about to move back when he realized that he couldn¡¯t control his own body. Even lifting his arms became very difficult. With this momentary pause¡ª Slap! That black whip harshly whipped his left shoulder! Instantly, his skin split open! This force was very heavy. Even Zi Chen, who had great physical strength, could not endure it. However, the next whip was going straight for Tuan Zi! Zi Chen¡¯s expression turned harsh. Driven to the corner, he directly used his arm to block it! Slap! At that moment, blood gushed out, and one could faintly see his white bones! ¡°Zi Chen!¡± Seeing this situation, Tuan Zi instantly panicked. Previously, Zi Chen was severely injured because he saved her and took a very long while to recover. She did not wish for the same matter to happen again. ¡°Zi Chen, put me down!¡± Tuan Zi struggled to jump down. ¡°They want to kill me. I don¡¯t want to implicate you!¡± Zi Chen pressed his thin lips against each other tightly, holding her tighter. The two parties fell into a stalemate. Patter. Patter. The blood dripped to the ground and quickly dyed the floor. At the side, Xue Xue was beyond anxious when it saw this scene. It looked at Rong Xiu to ask for help, its paws continuously scratching uneasily. Its icy blue eyes were filled with worry and anxiety. Are we really not taking action? Even if Zi Chen has that piece of Purple Gold Divine Armor, he isn¡¯t that person¡¯s match! And Tuan Zi¡­ At this point, the black whip hurled again! Suddenly, a barrier appeared in front of Zi Chen and Tuan Zi! ¡°Hold on!¡± The crowd turned around. The incoming person was nobody but Miao Zhen! Chapter 2458 - 2458 What Do You Want? 2458 What Do You Want? Miao Zhen hurried over. With his special status, he could enter and exit freely. But ever since he came to Fantasy Divine Palace, he had never stepped into the Fantasy Divine Hall¡ªthis was the first time today. No one expected him to suddenly appear at this moment. ¡°Clan Leader Miao Zhen? What do you mean? You want to help them?¡± When he saw Miao Zhen, Yu Qian immediately snorted and questioned him. Miao Zhen walked forward and quickly glanced around, taking in the situation of the entire hall. When he saw Zi Chen and Tuan Zi¡¯s injured appearances, he frowned imperceptibly. But soon, his expression returned to normal. ¡°Second Deity, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m here this time for the Divine Master.¡± Yu Qian narrowed his eyes. The Divine Master seemed a little interested. ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡± Miao Zhen looked up and quickly glanced forward. The Divine Master¡¯s figure and appearance were blurry and difficult to distinguish, but¡­ It could be confirmed that they were indeed the one who had appeared in the Red Moon Desert previously. Who would¡¯ve thought that it was actually the Divine Master of the Fantasy Divine Hall? And¡­ Rong Xiu. Miao Zhen took a deep breath and suppressed the many doubts in his heart. ¡°Tuan Zi has already opened the eighth meridian and is only a step away from opening the ninth meridian. It¡¯s a pity if she dies like this. The Divine Master should¡­ also hope that Tuan Zi can open the ninth meridian, right?¡± There was no doubt about that. Otherwise, those things in the Red Moon Desert would never have happened back then. However, he didn¡¯t know why this Divine Master was so anxious. Tuan Zi had the purest bloodline. As long as everything went well, it was only a matter of time before she opened her ninth meridian. Why did he have to use such an intense method? ¡°She has a contract with Shangguan Yue, so she¡­ I have to kill her!¡± The Divine Master¡¯s voice sounded a little regretful, but more than that, there was a thick and immutable killing intent! ¡°Back then, Yi Ling betrayed the Fantasy Divine Hall and implicated the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix race, causing them to become a sinful race. Now, on the account that she has the purest bloodline, I¡¯ve already given her a chance. Unfortunately¡­ she didn¡¯t cherish it.¡± ¡°Besides, Miao Zhen, don¡¯t forget how the ancestor of the great phoenix dragons died back then. Aren¡¯t you afraid of letting Miao Yu down by speaking up for her now?¡± Miao Zhen¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°I¡­¡± Many emotions welled up in his heart. He looked at Tuan Zi with a complicated gaze. Feeling his gaze, Tuan Zi looked over in a daze. Could it be that the death of the great phoenix dragon¡¯s ancestor¡­ was also related to what happened to Ancestor back then? After a long time, Miao Zhen finally sighed and stopped talking. Of course, he came this time to save Tuan Zi and Zi Chen. On the one hand, they were all Chu Liuyue¡¯s contracted fiends, and he still owed her a favor. On the other hand, he himself liked these two very much. He really couldn¡¯t sit back and watch them be killed. Tuan Zi suddenly said, ¡°Grandpa Miao Zhen, thank you, but this is my business. I¡¯ll bear it myself!¡± With that, she looked at Zi Chen and pursed her lips. ¡°Zi Chen, these words are also for you to hear.¡± Zi Chen frowned. Hot tears fell from Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes and dripped on the back of Zi Chen¡¯s hand, almost scalding his heart. ¡°I want A¡¯Yue to be fine, and I want you to be fine too.¡± Her voice was a little choked and hoarse, but it was unusually firm. With Miao Zhen here, he could probably save Zi Chen¡¯s life. As for A¡¯Yue, she was preparing to ascend to the heavens and become a deity. She would definitely be fine. She sniffed and patted Zi Chen¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°Zi Chen, put me down.¡± Zi Chen didn¡¯t move. Tuan Zi stretched out her arm and hugged his neck. Then, she leaned over and rubbed her face against his neck. ¡°¡­Zi Chen, I don¡¯t want others to get hurt for me, let alone die for me.¡± That would make her feel even worse. Zi Chen¡¯s body stiffened. After a long time, he finally leaned over and put her down. Tuan Zi stood in front of him and tugged at his sleeves. She looked up at him with red eyes and reminded him patiently and seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll be back. You have to take good care of A¡¯Yue during this period.¡± Zi Chen looked at her deeply and nodded. After thinking for a moment, he reached out and wiped the tears off her face. Tuan Zi let go. When she turned around again, the tears on her small face had completely dissipated. In its place was an indomitable determination! She took a step forward and stared intently ahead. She asked, ¡°You want to kill me?¡± ¡°The descendant of a sinner should be killed!¡± ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Tuan Zi sneered. It¡¯s just an excuse. In any case, I don¡¯t believe that my ancestor would betray their master. Only the people back then know the truth! What happened after that¡­ are just rumors. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for you to kill me, but before that, I have another question!¡± Tuan Zi clenched her fists and stared intently at the blurry figure in front of her. Scenes of the past kept replaying in her mind. She said word by word, ¡°Do you want to kill me, or¡­ do you want my bloodline power?!¡± As soon as this question fell, the entire hall instantly fell silent! The Divine Master didn¡¯t answer her question and chose to attack! Swoosh! The black vines fused back into one and headed straight for Tuan Zi. A look of determination flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes. Boom! A wisp of crimson-gold flames suddenly burned and instantly covered her entire body! Screech! A clear and distant phoenix cry spread from Tuan Zi¡¯s body! Chapter 2459 - 2459 Fight to the Death 2459 Fight to the Death In an instant, the phoenix cry spread far and wide! The flames burned crazily and instantly surrounded Tuan Zi into a fireball. The scorching and terrifying heat began to distort the surrounding space! A reddish-gold Ancestral Golden Feather floated out. Zi Chen subconsciously raised his hand and held it extremely close to him, his eyes fixed on the little person in the flames. The next moment, Tuan Zi transformed into her true form and quickly rushed out! ¡°Tuan Zi!¡± Chu Liuyue was shocked and quickly looked back. As far as the eye could see, there was only the figure wrapped in burning golden flames, which quickly left. She moved her feet and was about to move when an intense pain suddenly surged into her mind! It was as if something sharp was stabbing crazily into the depths of her mind, sharp and painful! In a flash, a blurry scene appeared in front of her. It was also a red-gold heavenly phoenix that flew up from the majestic hall. At that time, the sky was dark. Only the scarlet and golden flames burning around it were dazzling, almost illuminating half the sky. It was thick, bright, and engraved with bone and blood! Chu Liuyue was stunned. Just as she wanted to see it more clearly, the image suddenly dissipated. It was clean, leaving nothing behind. Only the hoarse phoenix cry lingered in her ears for a long time. That was¡­ Her hands trembled slightly, and her entire body then became stiff and numb. All the blood in her body seemed to freeze at this moment. That wasn¡¯t Tuan Zi. Even though that scene only appeared for a moment and she didn¡¯t even take a closer look, she was indeed certain that it wasn¡¯t Tuan Zi! A red-gold heavenly phoenix could only transform into a human when they were a hundred years old. Then, they were considered to have officially matured. However, Tuan Zi was still young. Even if she returned to her true form, she was still smaller than ordinary red-gold heavenly phoenixes. So¡­ If it isn¡¯t Tuan Zi, then who was it? Why did such a scene appear in my mind? Chu Liuyue stood rooted to the ground, dazed. Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed when he took in this scene. His hands behind his back also tightened slowly, his phoenix eyes deep and unpredictable. Qi Han quickly noticed that something was wrong with Chu Liuyue. ¡°Master? Master?¡± He called her twice before Chu Liuyue came back to her senses. The Xuan formation in front of her was on the verge of collapse. She almost subconsciously raised her hand to stabilize it. Seeing this scene, many people around thought that Chu Liuyue was doing this because she was worried about Tuan Zi, so they didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. Qi Han frowned and found it a little strange. ¡°Master, are you alright?¡± Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes slightly and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± When Yu Qian saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°What, aren¡¯t you going to chase after her? You have to know that you forced her to come this far.¡± If Chu Liuyue had canceled the contract with Tuan Zi long ago, there wouldn¡¯t be so much trouble. In this situation¡­ they can only blame themselves! Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and didn¡¯t speak. After a moment, she opened her eyes and turned around. She began to focus on studying the barrier around her. Her expression was unusually calm, as if she no longer cared about everything around her. This time, not only Yu Qian, but everyone else around him was also dumbfounded. They couldn¡¯t help but look at each other. What does Chu Liuyue mean? She¡¯s just going to let the things on Tuan Zi¡¯s side go¡­? No matter what, they are her contracted fiends! Wasn¡¯t there a deep master-servant relationship previously? Why does she not care now? ¡°Yu Qian, bring her back,¡± said the Divine Master. ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Qian received the order and immediately perked up, heading outside! The hall fell silent again. Everyone knew that Tuan Zi¡­ was probably doomed this time! Many people looked at Chu Liuyue, but the latter¡¯s eyes were focused, and her expression was calm. It was really impossible to tell what she was thinking. It was as if¡­ all of this really had nothing to do with her. Zi Chen glanced at her, his eyes deep and his thin lips pursed. ¡­ Everyone who was waiting outside the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall heard a clear and distant phoenix cry and looked up. A figure burning with scarlet and golden flames rushed out of the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall! ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a red-gold heavenly phoenix!?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t she brought back by Yu Qian previously? Why is she out now?¡± ¡°Wait! She doesn¡¯t seem to be planning to go out, but¡­¡± ¡°Holy Jade of Chaos! What is she doing there?¡± The crowd partook in heated discussions. Under countless gazes, Tuan Zi stopped above the Holy Jade of Chaos. The flames around her were burning hotly. The scorching temperature was almost burning outside the Fantasy Divine Hall! Yu Qian¡ªwho had rushed out of the Fantasy Divine Hall¡ªsaw this scene, and his eyelids instantly twitched fiercely. Looking at the fireballs burning on the white jade pillars and then at Tuan Zi circling in the air, a strong sense of uneasiness surged in his heart. The fire on the white jade pillars, but¡ª Hula! Her huge reddish-gold wings were like hanging clouds. When they flapped, they stirred up a violent wind! The next moment, the flames burning on the white jade pillars suddenly seemed to have been summoned by a powerful force. They spread upward and went straight for Tuan Zi! Yu Qian was shocked! Those flames were maintained by the bloodline power of a red-gold heavenly phoenix. If Tuan Zi forcefully plundered all the power inside¡­ the consequences would be unimaginable! The fire of the Holy Jade of Chaos could burn for 10,000 years without dying. This was a symbol of the Divine Master¡¯s might and the faith of everyone in the Fantasy Divine Hall. If the flames were extinguished¡­ At the thought of that terrifying scene, Yu Qian felt terrible! Over the years, the deities of the Fantasy Divine Hall had been hiding a huge secret. And now, this secret was very likely to be exposed! If that was the case, all their previous efforts would be in vain! I have to stop her as soon as possible! Without thinking, Yu Qian immediately flew toward Tuan Zi. However, he quickly realized that this method didn¡¯t work at all. Tuan Zi was burning her bloodline power and using her full strength. The flames burned fiercely and made sure nobody could get close at all, not to mention anything else. At the same time, the flames at the top of the white jade pillars were still surging toward Tuan Zi. The fire on the pillars finally dissipated. Everyone saw this scene. For a moment, everyone guessed. ¡°What is the red-gold heavenly phoenix doing? Devouring the flames on the Holy Jade of Chaos?¡± ¡°Strange¡­ Isn¡¯t that the manifestation of the Divine Master¡¯s holy force? Why is she snatching this?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s the strangest thing. This red-gold heavenly phoenix has only opened her eighth meridian now. Logically speaking, it¡¯s impossible for her to snatch the power of the Divine Master. But now¡­ Moreover, the power in the flames seems to be heading toward her¡­¡± A low voice suddenly came from the crowd. ¡°Since she¡¯s the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress¡­ she should only be able to summon the power of her own clansmen, right?¡± Chapter 2460 - 2460 Life and Death, Single Thought 2460 Life and Death, Single Thought As soon as he said this, the crowd fell into a strange silence. Of course, there was no problem with this. Although the red-gold heavenly phoenixes were sinners in Fantasy Divine Palace and were rarely mentioned in the past 10,000 years, they were still one of the two ancient legendary fiend races after all. Everyone still had a certain understanding of it and thus all knew these things very well. However, this was precisely the problem! The flames on the Holy Jade of Chaos were clearly the Divine Master¡¯s holy force. When did it become the power of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race? Anyone could tell that after Tuan Zi appeared, she summoned all the flames wrapped in shocking power almost effortlessly! Something was clearly wrong! Everyone fell silent, but the same guess appeared in their hearts¡ªthat ridiculous, bold, and even flabbergasting possibility! ¡­ Yu Qian¡¯s heart beat violently and was about to jump out of his chest! Tuan Zi is courting death and even wants to drag us along! If the flames and power on the Holy Jade of Chaos are all devoured and burned by her, then¡­ He gritted his teeth and attacked abruptly. Powerful holy force flew out and transformed into an extremely sharp arrow that went straight for Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi didn¡¯t dodge. Swoosh! The arrow instantly passed through one of her wings! A line of blood shot out, but soon, the blood quickly mixed into the flames and burned. Even the long arrow didn¡¯t return to Yu Qian¡¯s hand. It was burned to ashes by the flames while it was still in midair. Yu Qian¡¯s pupils shrank! Tuan Zi doesn¡¯t even care about her own life! She wants to set herself on fire and burn her long feathers, flesh, and bones! Then, what are these other external forces? ¡°Crazy!¡± Yu Qian was furious, and his face turned pale. However, he didn¡¯t know that Tuan Zi had already made up her mind. Since the Divine Master wanted to kill her and wanted her bloodline power, then¡­ she wouldn¡¯t let them! She would rather choose to burn herself to death and burn everything here that belonged to the red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡¯s bloodline power. She wouldn¡¯t leave any for them! An intense pain came from all over her body. The feathers all over her body gradually began to burn and curl. ¡­ A green shadow suddenly flew over from midair. But at this moment, everyone¡¯s attention was on Tuan Zi. For a moment, no one realized that this small figure was approaching. Hong Yao wasn¡¯t a legendary fiend, and it was much slower than Yu Qian and Miao Zhen. In addition, it didn¡¯t dare to get too close for fear of being discovered, so it came late. When it finally caught up, the scene in front of it stunned it on the spot. It looked at the figure in midair in a daze. The flames wrapped around her and burned wildly. The flames on the white jade pillars were also continuously surging toward her. The terrifying heat made it almost impossible to approach. Tuan Zi, who was in the middle, had already started to get injured. A faint burning smell spread. Amidst it, there seemed to be a bloody smell that couldn¡¯t be ignored. As for Yu Qian, he was standing not far away. He was trying his best to use all kinds of methods to stop Tuan Zi. Wounds appeared all over Tuan Zi¡¯s body, but she didn¡¯t stop moving. Instead, she became even crazier! From afar, she was a ball of reddish-gold flames burning fiercely in midair! A deep panic flashed across the eyes of Hong Yao. Then, without hesitation, it turned around and flew toward the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall! ¡­ The commotion outside the hall naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the hall. Fan Yunxiao glanced outside and frowned. He looked at Mu Qinghe and asked softly, ¡°First Deity, that red-gold heavenly phoenix is stubborn. At this point, it¡¯s even planning to burn itself¡­ Do you think we should attack too?¡± Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. At this moment, a green shadow suddenly flew in from outside. Mu Dongyou immediately became vigilant. ¡°Who dares to barge into Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall?!¡± Before he could finish speaking, he had already raised his hand and prepared to move. But right at this moment, a shocking and vast power suddenly attacked and stopped him. Mu Dongyou turned around in shock and saw that the person who attacked was actually Mu Qinghe! ¡°First Deity¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, he saw the green sparrow stumble in and crash into Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe raised his hand and caught Hong Yao with a frown. His face seemed to be covered in a layer of coldness. ¡°Who allowed you to come in?¡± When Mu Dongyou and the others saw this, they were stunned. This is¡­ the First Deity¡¯s fiend? Hong Yao was restrained by him and couldn¡¯t move. It could only look up at him. Those beautiful ruby-like eyes were already filled with tears. Hearing his question, hot tears fell like broken beads. Then, it bit Mu Qinghe¡¯s sleeve with all its might. Tuan Zi! That¡¯s Tuan Zi! Why didn¡¯t you save her? Didn¡¯t you like her the most in the past? Now that she¡¯s about to die, why didn¡¯t you help? Why?! Seeing this, Fan Yunxiao probed, ¡°First Deity, your contracted fiend¡­ seems to have some feelings for that red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Anyone could tell that it was here to help plead for leniency. But¡­ What was its relationship with Tuan Zi? Was it worth it? Moreover, at this time, it was a little strange that it came to beg the First Deity¡­ Mu Qinghe coldly said, ¡°The red-gold heavenly phoenix is an ancient legendary fiend. It¡¯s also an existence like the king of all beasts. If she chooses to burn herself, not only this green sparrow will be sad.¡± With that, he looked down at Hong Yao. ¡°If you want to save her, just go. Life and death is up to your single thought!¡± Chapter 2461 - 2461 High Priest 2461 High Priest With that, he let go. Hong Yao was stunned for a moment and almost fell to the ground. After that, it opened its eyes and stared at Mu Qinghe as if thinking about what he had just said. Life and death¡­ with a single thought? In other words, he¡¯ll let me be and won¡¯t interfere no matter? Even if I die with Tuan Zi? Fan Yunxiao paused and said, ¡°First Deity, this green sparrow isn¡¯t a legendary fiend. If it dies here, it must be¡­ Since you chose it as a contracted fiend, you must like it. It would be a pity if it dies here.¡± In his impression, the First Deity had never contracted any fiends. He didn¡¯t know when he had accepted this green sparrow, but this was clearly not the time to ask these questions. Moreover¡­ this green sparrow was very likely to die. Mu Qinghe suddenly turned to look at him coldly. ¡°Is the Third Deity giving me pointers?¡± Fan Yunxiao¡¯s heart suddenly turned cold. He said quickly, ¡°First Deity misunderstood! I just¡ª¡± Meeting that cold gaze, he suddenly choked. He couldn¡¯t say the rest. In fact, his words just now were indeed a little probing. However, the First Deity was too sharp and hit the nail on the head. Fan Yunxiao¡¯s lips trembled, and his face turned pale. I really shouldn¡¯t have tried to do anything to the First Deity¡­ At this moment, Hong Yao suddenly turned around and left. But before it could rush out, it heard a familiar voice. ¡°Zi Chen, stop it.¡± Zi Chen immediately moved. Hong Yao wasn¡¯t his match at all, and it was immediately stopped. Tears streamed down Hong Yao¡¯s face as it turned to look at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t look up; she didn¡¯t even look at it. From the perspective of Hong Yao, it could only see her slightly pursed lips. ¡°You don¡¯t care about your own contracted fiend, and yet you¡¯re so concerned about someone else¡¯s.¡± When Fan Yunxiao saw this scene, he felt even more strange. He couldn¡¯t help but frown and mutter softly. Chu Liuyue pretended not to hear him. At this moment, most of the Xuan formation around her had already been outlined. No matter who it concerned, she placed all her attention on this Xuan formation. As for everything outside¡­ she no longer seemed to care. But even if she really didn¡¯t care, the people in the Fantasy Divine Hall couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing. The Holy Jade of Chaos was very important to the Fantasy Divine Hall. How could they let Tuan Zi swallow all the flames that it had painstakingly accumulated? On the white jade pillars, the fire became weaker bit by bit. The flames that had burned for 10,000 years seemed to¡­ become in danger! ¡­ ¡°First Deity, bring the red-gold heavenly phoenix back.¡± Finally, the Divine Master gave the order again. This time, they directly assigned the strongest deity, Mu Qinghe. Mu Qinghe bowed and nodded his head. ¡°OK.¡± With that, he immediately walked out of the hall without hesitation. When he passed by Zi Chen, Hong Yao glanced at him. However, Mu Qinghe looked straight ahead and didn¡¯t respond. His expression was as cold as an iceberg that hadn¡¯t melted for a thousand years. He seemed untouchable. ¡­ Mu Qinghe quickly arrived in front of the Holy Jade of Chaos. Without any hesitation, a longsword appeared in his hand! Right on the heels of that, he held the sword with both hands and slashed down! Swoosh! The terrifying sword quickly charged forward! Everywhere it passed, space collapsed. The next moment, everyone was shocked to see that a flame that was surging toward Tuan Zi was finally cut off! Then, the sword didn¡¯t stop and continued to go toward Tuan Zi! Tuan Zi sensed danger, but she still didn¡¯t move. Whoosh¡ª A hair-raising sound echoed. That sword directly cut off one of Tuan Zi¡¯s wings, cutting off a large amount of feathers and flesh! Screech! An extremely painful scream spread throughout the world! Whoosh! Soon, the sword flew back into Mu Qinghe¡¯s hand. His expression was cold as he slashed at the second flame without hesitation! ¡­ Everyone heard that voice clearly. Chu Liuyue wasn¡¯t an exception. In fact, because of the contract, she could almost feel the intense pain of being skinned alive! She gritted her teeth, and a rich bloody taste filled her mouth. It was as if there was a knife cutting her heart. She stared at the countless spots of light in front of her, her fingertips trembling slightly. She didn¡¯t turn around but was extremely determined. She continued to send a stream of light down, outlining this Xuan formation. Countless scenes seemed to appear in her mind. Some were her memories, and some¡­ were scenes that had never appeared before. Every scene was like a passing horse looking at a lamp, but most of the scenes were very blurry and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. After a long time, her mind seemed to be in so much pain that it was about to explode. Gradually, those scenes became confusing. She couldn¡¯t even tell what had happened and what hadn¡¯t, or perhaps¡­ All of this was the truth! Dark-red blood seeped out of the corners of her lips, and her vision darkened. At this moment, there was only a voice left in her heart: I have to! I have to reach the Heavenly God Realm as soon as possible! It¡¯s also because of this that I gritted my teeth and endured until now! But at this moment, that low and hoarse voice sounded again. ¡°The Purple Gold Divine Armor belongs to the High Priest. You should return it. If the High Priest sees this, he will definitely be happy. High Priest, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. She finally couldn¡¯t hold it in and looked up! Chapter 2462 - 2462 This Seat is Yours 2462 This Seat is Yours In the Fantasy Divine Hall, a huge bronze mirror slowly appeared in front of everyone. Everyone present saw the scene clearly. In the dark and cramped cage, a figure sat alone. The surroundings were dim. Even if one only looked at it like this, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine how gloomy and cold that place was. However, Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t care less. She opened her eyes and stared at the figure in the mirror without blinking. That person was wearing a dark-purple brocade and sat quietly. Even such an inhuman environment didn¡¯t hide the noble and disdainful aura on his body. He lowered his head slightly, his entire body emitting coldness. But the moment she saw him, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes instantly heated up. Something seemed to surge into her heart at this moment and hit her heart ruthlessly. She bit her lip tightly, her knuckles turning green and white. It took her a lot of effort to restrain the sound that was about to rush out. It had been¡­ too long. Chu Liuyue dug her nails into her palm, and she used the sharp pain to maintain her last bit of clarity and rationality. Ever since they parted ways in the Red Moon Desert, many years had passed. Meanwhile, she kept searching for their whereabouts, but she couldn¡¯t find anything. Even after guessing that they were already trapped in the Fantasy Divine Hall, she could only bide her time and wait day and night. She had imagined countless scenes of them meeting, but she had never thought that it would be like this! She didn¡¯t dare to blink as she scanned him carefully. Is he hurt? Has he suffered a lot while he was trapped? What about Lan Xiao? Is he not locked up with him? Does he¡­ blame me for coming too late? Countless thoughts surfaced in her mind, making Chu Liuyue hold her breath. As if sensing her gaze, Dugu Mobao finally moved. He slowly raised his head and looked over. It was a pair of clear and unfathomable purple eyes. In the dark space, they were like the only light gathered. His eyes were calm, as if nothing would affect him. But when his gaze landed on her, some of the ice melted, and a very faint warm color appeared. However, such an expression was fleeting. Then, his gaze turned cold as he said, ¡°Divine Master, are you planning to return the Purple Gold Divine Armor to me?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the entire main hall of the Fantasy Divine Hall fell into complete silence! ¡­ High Priest! This is actually the High Priest?! He was once a top expert of the Fantasy Divine Hall who looked down on the world and was peerless! Now, how did he¡­ become like a child? Not only were the cultivators who were trying to reach the heavens deeply shocked by this scene, but even the deities here revealed looks of disbelief. Fan Yunxiao and the others gasped and subconsciously looked at each other. Then, they saw the same shock and disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes. Before this, the High Priest had never appeared in front of everyone. Everything about him had been personally dealt with by the Divine Master. Therefore, this was the first time they had seen the former High Priest. This was clearly¡­ very different from the rumors! Xiao Ran also stopped what he was doing, his eyes widening in shock. ¡°¡­High Priest?¡± His impression of this person was still from 10,000 years ago, when he was still young. At that time, he only remembered that the High Priest was wearing the Purple Gold Divine Armor and had an impressive aura. Although he had only seen the High Priest from afar, and his memories were already vague after such a long time, there was one thing he could confirm: The former High Priest definitely didn¡¯t have his current child-like appearance back then! In fact, many people had seen the High Priest back then. Unlike the high and mighty Emperor, the High Priest belonged to the Fantasy Divine Hall and had great power. He took charge of many matters for the Divine Master. To the Divine Master, he was both a teacher and a friend. It was the same for the Second Priest. The 13 deities under the Divine Master had always obeyed the orders of the Divine Master. Only the High Priest and the Second Priest could compete with the Divine Master. The Divine Master had always respected these two. But back then, when the Fantasy Divine Palace was in chaos, countless cultivators died, leaving only a small number of young people. Therefore, most people had no impression of the High Priest¡ªeven the deities were the same. However, how could this be? ¡°I do have that intention,¡± said the Divine Master. ¡°However, what happened back then is still vivid in my mind. The High Priest betrayed the Fantasy Divine Hall, causing countless cultivators to die in that chaos. Moreover, you violated the contract and privately tempered your Holy Body again¡­ You committed many crimes. If I return the Purple Gold Divine Armor to you easily, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult to convince the public.¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s lips curled into an extremely cold smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to return it, just say it. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush.¡± ¡°High Priest, you¡¯re wrong. Ten thousand years have passed. Everything in the past will pass in the end. On account of our past relationship, I¡¯m willing to take a step back. As long as you destroy your Holy Body, I¡¯ll return this Purple Gold Divine Armor to you. From then on, we¡¯re even. How about that?¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly looked at that figure! They want Dugu Mobao to destroy his Holy Body?! What¡¯s the difference between this and taking his life? He, Lan Xiao, and Diwu Zhangze had been trapped in the Red Moon Desert for 10,000 years, and they finally reconstructed their Holy Bodies. If their Holy Bodies are destroyed again¡­ There is definitely no hope of doing it again. At that time, what¡¯s the difference between them and a lonely soul? There is no point in asking for this Purple Gold Divine Armor. This isn¡¯t a negotiation at all¡­ but humiliation! Indeed, when Dugu Mobao heard this, he seemed to have heard a joke and revealed a mocking smile. Then, without giving any answer, he gently closed his eyes. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t even want to say a word to the Divine Master. The atmosphere in the hall became cold and stagnant. The Divine Master was silent for a moment. When they spoke again, their voice was still emotionless as if they had already guessed his choice. ¡°The High Priest is still as stubborn as ever. In that case, High Priest, don¡¯t blame me for not considering our past relationship.¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling. The next moment, the voice continued, ¡°Jun Jiuqing.¡± With this shout, everyone¡¯s attention instantly focused on Jun Jiuqing! Jun Jiuqing bowed. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°The Fantasy Divine Hall doesn¡¯t need disloyal people. If you can ascend to the heavens and become a deity, the position of High Priest will be yours!¡± This sentence was earth-shattering and shocked everyone present! They had long known that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s identity was different, but they didn¡¯t expect him to be the High Priest successor that the Divine Master had chosen long ago! Chu Liuyue frowned, and she also looked at Jun Jiuqing. Jun Jiuqing lowered his eyes slightly and replied respectfully, ¡°Yes. Jiuqing will definitely not let the Divine Master down.¡± Chapter 2463 - 2463 Failure 2463 Failure With just one sentence, he had decisively chosen the High Priest! Even Fan Yunxiao and the others couldn¡¯t recover for a long time. In fact, it wasn¡¯t that no one had discussed this question in the past 10,000 years. The former High Priest and the Second Priest had betrayed the Divine Master and almost destroyed the entire Fantasy Divine Hall. Naturally, they couldn¡¯t continue to take on this responsibility. After the Divine Master calmed down the chaos back then, he re-selected 13 deities. However, there was no newcomer to the priest position for a long time. Everyone thought that the Divine Master was no longer willing to choose a priest after being betrayed. Therefore, for many years, no one had mentioned this publicly. Who knew that the Divine Master would actually announce that this seat was reserved for Jun Jiuqing?! As long as he ascended to the heavens and broke through to become a deity, the position of High Priest would really be at his fingertips! Putting everything else aside, there was no doubt about Jun Jiuqing¡¯s talent¡ªhe was almost destined to succeed. In other words, he was determined to get the position of High Priest! For a moment, even the deities couldn¡¯t help but feel a little uncomfortable. One had to know that the High Priest was an existence even more noble than a deity. Even the First Deity couldn¡¯t compare to him. Although they had long known that Jun Jiuqing¡¯s background was extraordinary and that he was deeply taken care of by the Divine Master, this matter was still a little sudden¡­ Chu Liuyue frowned. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression was very calm, as if he wasn¡¯t surprised. In fact¡­ he seemed to feel that it was only right. Where did he get his confidence from? As if sensing her gaze, Jun Jiuqing suddenly looked over. His eyes flickered, and he glanced at her ambiguously before quickly looking away. Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t describe that feeling. In short, she still felt that it was very strange. At this moment, there was another person whose emotions were also fluctuating greatly¡ªNan Jinshu. After hearing the Divine Master¡¯s promise to Jun Jiuqing, his heart beat much faster. Others might not know the reason, but he knew. Back then, the shocking chaos in the Fantasy Divine Hall actually lasted for a long time. Furthermore, it directly conquered the God Residence Realm. In other words, the battle of the gods at the God-Killing Tumulus! Countless true gods and legendary warriors participated in that battle, and there were countless casualties. Even after 10,000 years, there was still a strong smell of killing and blood there. At that time, the two ancestors of the Yi family and the Nan family were deeply trusted by the Divine Master and participated in this battle together. In the end, they came out alive. After the chaotic battle, the music score was divided into three parts and scattered throughout the world. The Divine Master returned to the Fantasy Divine Hall to recuperate, and the two ancestors of the Yi family and Nan family were ordered to stay in the God Residence Realm to find the music score. This was the greatest secret of the two families, and only the family heads knew about it. Nan Jinshu only found out about these past events after becoming the family head. Speaking of which, the Yi family and the Nan family had already followed the Divine Master from that time. After 10,000 years of searching and waiting, there was finally hope today. Back then, the Divine Master had chosen those two people because he had already made up his mind to choose them as the new priests. However, he waited so many years in the end. And now, by chance, it was his and Jun Jiuqing¡¯s turn. Nan Jinshu was extremely nervous. His throat was dry as he looked at the Divine Master with anticipation. Finally, the Divine Master¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Nan Jinshu.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Nan Jinshu immediately replied. ¡°You¡¯re the same as him. As long as you can successfully ascend to the heavens and become a deity, the position of Second Priest will be yours.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When he finally heard what he wanted to hear, Nan Jinshu was extremely excited. Although the Second Priest was slightly inferior to the High Priest, it still surpassed these deities! As long as he could succeed, he would be ranked first in the Fantasy Divine Palace! But after a short period of excitement and joy, Nan Jinshu quickly became worried again. With my current strength, it would probably be difficult for me to ascend to the heavens and break through¡­ Jun Jiuqing glanced at Nan Jinshu coldly from the corner of his eye and sneered in his heart. Originally, the person standing here shouldn¡¯t be Nan Jinshu. But during the battle at Peach Blossom Dock, Chu Liuyue had almost wiped out the Nan family¡¯s bloodline, leaving only Nan Jinshu to take over. This led to today¡¯s situation. It was impossible for Nan Jinshu to do it. He could only covet the position of Second Priest, but he could never reach it. But to the Divine Master, this wasn¡¯t important because the most important thing¡­ was still the High Priest! ¡­ Dugu Mobao¡¯s eyes closed slightly. His expression was calm, and his eyes seemed to be covered in a thin layer of frost with a bone-chilling coldness. He didn¡¯t seem to care about the position of High Priest. No matter how everyone probed, they couldn¡¯t see anything on his face. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and held her breath to focus. She then forced herself to return her attention to the Xuan formation around her. At this moment, the countless spots of light around her had almost all connected. Only a small portion was left! Chu Liuyue¡¯s palms were slightly sweaty. At this point, even she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. She had a faint premonition: Once she ascended to the heavens and broke through, it seemed like¡­ many things would begin to develop in an unpredictable direction. There was a door in front of her waiting for her to open it, and even she herself didn¡¯t know what was waiting for her behind the door. She held her breath and connected the last few points on the Xuan formation. Finally¡ª Whir! As she landed the last bit, an extremely powerful fluctuation spread out from the Xuan formation around her! Everyone looked over. ¡°She¡¯s going to succeed?!¡± Chu Liuyue clenched her fists and waited quietly. But at this moment, a star in front of her suddenly dimmed. She was dazed. Right on the heels of that, countless stars and streams of light around her sank into darkness! A thought came to mind. I failed to break through? Chapter 2464 - 2464 Continue? 2464 Continue? Darkness and silence. With her as the center, the surrounding starlight fell and perished like meteors. Even the fluctuation from before had completely fallen silent and could no longer be sensed. Chu Liuyue was stunned and subconsciously raised her hand. The dim spots of light in front of her instantly dissipated! In an instant, it was as if a wind had swept over and swept everything away! A chill rose from the bottom of her heart and gradually spread, surrounding her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips moved, but she was speechless. Her mind went blank for a moment. How¡­ did this happen? ¡­ Everyone in the hall was stunned when they saw this scene. After a while, someone asked in an uncertain voice, ¡°This¡­ What¡¯s going on? Shangguan Yue failed?¡± Nobody replied, But in fact, everyone already had a definite answer in their hearts: She¡­ had indeed failed! She had drawn the Xuan formation perfectly. Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems, but it just had to be a failure! Even though there were many twists and turns before this, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t stop what she was doing. Her Xuan formation was complete and smooth from beginning to end. Even the few deities who couldn¡¯t stand her had already accepted that she should succeed. After all, among the cultivators present, she was the most outstanding. Although the others were also geniuses, they were still much inferior to her. How could she fail? ¡°It seems that without bloodline power, it¡¯s indeed impossible to break through the last shackle¡­¡± After a long time, Fan Yunxiao seemed to have finally thought of something and muttered softly. After hearing his words, many people around him came back to their senses. Yeah! With her extraordinary talent and strength, the only reason why she can¡¯t ascend to the heavens and break through to become a deity is because of this! Without a bloodline totem, there¡¯ll be no bloodline power. Such a person naturally has a harder time cultivating than others. It¡¯s even more impossible to break through. This was also why the Fantasy Divine Palace had always despised such people. When Chu Liuyue and the others came up, Jin Yunlai and the others¡¯ attitudes changed drastically because they didn¡¯t have a bloodline totem. There was a reason for that. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s performance in the past year was too outstanding, so everyone gradually ignored this point. This was especially so after she completed the Star Path and cracked all the Xuan formations on it¡ªeveryone looked at her in a new light. The Star Path had already been completed, and she had also entered the Fantasy Divine Hall openly. Then, perhaps it wasn¡¯t impossible for her to ascend to the heavens and break through to the Deity Realm? Not only her, but even Qi Han and the others had the same attitude. Therefore, at this moment, everyone was very surprised. ¡­ Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes slightly and frowned slightly. Did I fail because I don¡¯t have bloodline power? However, I clearly have it. It¡¯s just that no one has noticed it. I¡¯m sure that there was nothing wrong with the Xuan formation. Then¡­ the key is still me. Can it really be the problem with the bloodline power? Chu Liuyue couldn¡¯t help but raise her hand and gently rub her glabella. Nothing happened. When she encountered danger several times in the past, that totem would appear. But for some reason, there was no response this time. Chu Liuyue was actually helpless against the bloodline power in her body because it wasn¡¯t under her control at all. Its appearance and disappearance were never determined by her will. Therefore, even if she wanted to summon it now, it was futile. Seeing her actions, Fan Yunxiao couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°There¡¯s no bloodline totem. You should¡¯ve thought of the current situation when you entered the Heaven Gate.¡± It¡¯s too late to regret now. Chu Liuyue ignored him. At this moment, another fluctuation came from the side. Whir! She turned around and realized that this commotion came from the Xuan formation in front of Qi Han. He was also very talented in this aspect. He almost followed Chu Liuyue closely and completed the Xuan formation. Looking at the stars and streams of light surrounding him, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly hung in the air. Qi Han also doesn¡¯t have bloodline power! Moreover, unlike me, there should really be nothing in his body. As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, she heard a faint sound. Right on the heels of that, the star in front of Qi Han instantly dimmed! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart sank. The next moment, the large areas of starlight around him darkened! It was exactly the same as Chu Liuyue¡¯s failure just now! ¡­ Perhaps because Chu Liuyue had already set a precedent, everyone was no longer as shocked and surprised as before when they saw this situation again. In fact, someone even revealed an ¡®as expected¡¯ expression, as if they had long expected this outcome. ¡°Qi Han also failed. I remember that he doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem, right?¡± ¡°It seems that the saying is indeed right. Even if such a cultivator enters the Fantasy Divine Hall, they still won¡¯t be able to reach the highest level.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity. They do have good talent in this aspect¡­¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, most of Shangguan Yue¡¯s group doesn¡¯t seem to have a bloodline totem?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! That Xiao Ba, Jian Fengchi, and Mu Hongyu are all the same! Although it¡¯s not over on their side, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much hope.¡± ¡­ Everyone discussed animatedly, and all kinds of voices fell into their ears. Qi Han frowned slightly. Then, he waved his sleeve and dispersed everything around him. But strangely, there didn¡¯t seem to be much disappointment on his face. He looked¡­ as if he didn¡¯t care about this at all, or perhaps he had already expected this outcome. Thus, he seemed much calmer when it happened. Chu Liuyue stood beside him and saw the subtle changes in his expression. She had always known him very well. Therefore, she was also a little stunned. ¡°Qi Han.¡± Qi Han looked over and nodded his head. ¡°Master, Qi Han is useless.¡± Chu Liuyue shook her head and held her forehead helplessly. She smiled bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. After all, even I failed.¡± After a pause, she scrutinized him again. ¡°You¡­ knew that you would fail?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Han nodded frankly. ¡°I guessed it when I saw Master fail just now.¡± Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other. All cultivators wanted to successfully break through. No one would feel good to fail like this. Suddenly, a familiar cold and low voice sounded. ¡°You failed as a Xuan Master. Do you still want to continue?¡± Chapter 2465 - 2465 Choose One 2465 Choose One Chu Liuyue looked back. The person who spoke was Rong Xiu. His handsome face was cold and calm. This question was also ordinary, as if he didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong. Before Chu Liuyue could reply, Fan Yunxiao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Emperor, Shangguan Yue has already failed. How can she continue¡ªAh!¡± A sudden force came from behind him. He was caught off-guard and immediately flew forward. He staggered a few steps before he could stabilize himself. He turned around in shock and anger. ¡°Second Boss, what are you doing?!¡± Such a sudden sneak attack is too improper! Yan Ge retracted his hand, crossed his arms, and said lazily, ¡°If the Emperor says she can continue, then she can continue. Who are you to question him? Who are you to speak to the Emperor like this?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Anger rose in Fan Yunxiao¡¯s chest from being humiliated in public, but he couldn¡¯t refute Yan Ge¡¯s words. He took a deep breath and retorted, ¡°Which part of it sounded like I was questioning the Emperor? I just felt that it was a little strange, so I asked!¡± Why did he have to attack so suddenly? Yan Ge sneered and looked at him sideways. ¡°Cultivators ascend to the heavens and enter the Record of the Million Gods. The Emperor has the sole authority to manage it. Even the Divine Master isn¡¯t qualified to interfere, let alone you. Do you really think you¡¯re so significant just with your title as the Third Deity?¡± Fan Yunxiao¡¯s face turned pale. Usually, Yan Ge didn¡¯t like him very much. No, to be precise, he was very impatient with the deities. However, those disputes and arguments had at least happened in private. It was fine if everyone endured each other, but now, he actually mocked him in front of everyone?! He couldn¡¯t help but look in the direction of the Divine Master. ¡°Second Boss is right,¡± said the Divine Master calmly. Fan Yunxiao choked on his breath. After thinking for a long time, he forcefully swallowed his anger and waved his sleeve ruthlessly. ¡°Hmph! I want to see what else she can do!¡± Rong Xiu glanced at Fan Yunxiao, his eyes extremely faint and cold! ¡°Whether she can succeed or not is only related to me. What, does the Third Deity also want to share my worries?¡± Fan Yunxiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the blood on his face immediately dissipated with a whoosh, leaving only a pale face. If the Emperor said that, he was really angry! He hurriedly explained, ¡°Emperor, please forgive me! I really didn¡¯t mean anything else! I just¡ª¡± His voice trailed off. That person¡¯s pressure was so strong that it was difficult for him to breathe. His entire body was cold. He knew very well that if he continued, what awaited him would definitely not be as simple as a reprimand. Fan Yunxiao obediently shut his mouth. When everyone saw this, they suppressed the waves in their hearts. Whether a cultivator could break through was indeed related to the Emperor. After all, he was the one in charge of the Record of the Million Gods. Fan Yunxiao was purely asking for trouble. Of all people to provoke, why did I have to cause trouble in front of the Emperor? Isn¡¯t this courting death? ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s hands gradually tightened in her sleeves. She took a deep breath and asked, ¡°What does the Emperor mean by continuing?¡± ¡°Other than breaking through as a Xuan Master, there are three other ways.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s voice was calm, and his eyes were cold. Chu Liuyue understood. So this is what he means¡­ When many people heard this, they secretly exchanged glances. Actually, there was nothing wrong with the Emperor¡¯s actions. After all, Chu Liuyue was publicly acknowledged as an all-rounder. Not only was she a Grandmaster Xuan Master, but her performance in other aspects had always been very outstanding. But when she walked the Star Path previously, she had left too deep an impression on everyone, so everyone subconsciously felt that she should make such a choice. In fact, she also had multiple identities as a legendary warrior, a Supreme Physician, and a supreme Armory Refinement Master! Why couldn¡¯t such a person choose anything? Only she could get a chance to continue. If it were anyone else¡­ Even if the Emperor allowed them to continue, they would probably not have the strength. Chu Liuyue pondered for a moment. Many cultivators around her also looked over, secretly guessing what choice she would make. After a moment, she said, ¡°I choose warrior.¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze swept across her face. ¡°OK.¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue prepared to leave. Beside her, Xiao Ran looked regretful and hesitated. ¡°Hey, this¡­¡± He had always thought that Chu Liuyue would definitely be the first among these Xuan Masters to reach the heavens. He didn¡¯t expect such a situation to happen. With her astonishing talent, she actually couldn¡¯t succeed¡­ It¡¯s really a pity. Xiao Ran still felt quite uncomfortable. On the one hand, he had always liked this little girl. Although she was young, she was gentle, polite, and very smart. She didn¡¯t bully the weak and wasn¡¯t inferior to the strong. The attitude of Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s people went from disdain to admiration¡ªit was a 180-degree change. However, she never seemed to take it to heart. She was neither servile nor overbearing. She was firm and unwavering as she proved herself step by step and spoke with her strength. On the other hand, it was also thanks to her that he could successfully crack the last Xuan formation on the Star Path. Of course, he was grateful in his heart. However, she had no bloodline totem, so¡­ Chu Liuyue looked up and smiled at him. ¡°Senior Xiao Ran, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just fate. On the other hand, you should be almost done, right?¡± Xiao Ran¡¯s progress was only slightly slower than Qi Han¡¯s. He would finish soon. He wasn¡¯t troubled by the bloodline totem problem. As long as everything went well, he would definitely be able to enter the first volume of the Record of the Million Gods. Xiao Ran looked at her and saw that the woman in front of him had a pure smile, clear eyes, and a valiant look in her eyes, as if she wasn¡¯t affected by what had just happened. His heart skipped a beat, and he nodded. ¡°Thank you for your blessings. If I succeed, I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± Even though Chu Liuyue had failed as a Xuan Master, and it was most likely because of the lack of a bloodline totem, he still felt that Chu Liuyue had hope. Such a person¡­ should stand at the top of the mountain and be admired by thousands! Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning. ¡°OK.¡± As she spoke, she suddenly thought of something and looked at Rong Xiu. ¡°Emperor, Qi Han is also a legendary warrior. I wonder if he can join me?¡± Rong Xiu nodded. ¡°OK.¡± Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows slightly, Then, she turned around and waved at Qi Han. Qi Han followed. When he passed by Zi Chen, the Divine Master¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°You were trying to break through just now, so I didn¡¯t disturb you. Since you¡¯re free now, return the Purple Gold Divine Armor.¡± Chu Liuyue stopped in her tracks. Zi Chen¡¯s expression turned stern. He took half-step forward and shielded Chu Liuyue behind him. The Divine Master seemed to laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really think that a legendary three-eyed eagle can protect this Purple Gold Divine Armor?¡± Chu Liuyue gently patted Zi Chen¡¯s shoulder and then retrieved the Purple Gold Divine Armor. At this moment, another wail came from outside the hall. That was¡­ Tuan Zi¡¯s voice! The Divine Master continued, ¡°If you return the Purple Gold Divine Armor, I¡¯ll let that red-gold heavenly phoenix off.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly tightened her grip! Chapter 2466 - 2466 Dead End 2466 Dead End Although he didn¡¯t know what the Divine Master wanted to do with this Purple Gold Divine Armor, there must be a reason why he was so persistent. It was very likely¡­ that it would involve Big Baby¡¯s life and death! Chu Liuyue clenched the Purple Gold Divine Armor in her hand tightly. The sharp edge stung her palm. If I return this thing, Tuan Zi can be saved. However, Big Baby might fall into an even more dangerous situation because of it. If I don¡¯t return it, it will be the other way around. On one side was Tuan Zi, and on the other was Big Baby. How could she choose?! These two were too important to her! At this moment, Dugu Mobao opened his eyes. He looked straight at Chu Liuyue and shook his head gently. In an instant, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. What Big Baby means is¡­ ¡°Have you made your choice?¡± That low and hoarse voice came again. Countless gazes swept over. Clearly, they were also very curious about how Chu Liuyue would choose. Chu Liuyue held her breath and said coldly, ¡°I won¡¯t choose either option! If you want the Purple Gold Divine Armor, feel free to come and get it yourself! It¡¯s impossible for me to return it voluntarily!¡± The Divine Master paused. ¡°So you choose the High Priest and give up the red-gold heavenly phoenix?¡± Chu Liuyue sneered. ¡°Divine Master, don¡¯t you think your question is ridiculous? Even if I return the thing to you, will you really let Tuan Zi off?¡± After what had happened earlier, she would never be so naive. What they wanted was Tuan Zi¡¯s bloodline power, and it was very likely the power after opening the ninth meridian! Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have done so many things for no reason previously and kept urging Tuan Zi to open her meridians. Everything they did was actually for a reason. At first, she didn¡¯t quite understand, but ever since Tuan Zi flew out of the Fantasy Divine Hall, went to above the Holy Jade of Chaos, and began to devour the flames on the white jade pillars, she knew their goal. The flames on those white jade pillars were supported by the bloodline power of red-gold heavenly phoenixes! Previously, Xiao Ran had mentioned that the Holy Jade of Chaos was closely related to the Divine Master. The flames on the white jade pillars were even transformed by the Divine Master¡¯s holy force and wouldn¡¯t be extinguished for 10,000 years. But in reality, that wasn¡¯t the case at all! She still remembered seeing Yi Zhao in the depths of the lightning pool. At that time, a lot of his bloodline power had been extracted. But at that time, Chu Liuyue was only thinking about how to save him, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to this matter and only treated it as a form of torture from the Fantasy Divine Hall. However, she understood now: What they wanted was the bloodline power of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. The flames used the bloodline power to let the Holy Jade of Chaos burn! The purer the bloodline power, the better it was for them. Although Yi Zhao was the clan leader, he had only opened the seventh meridian. It was probably not enough. Hence, they targeted Tuan Zi since she had the purest bloodline! It was obvious how important Tuan Zi was to them. Under such circumstances, how could they let Tuan Zi off so easily? ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± The Divine Master¡¯s voice turned colder. Chu Liuyue snorted lightly. ¡°So what if I am?¡± No one expected Chu Liuyue to be so stubborn, and they all fell silent. ¡°You¡ª¡± The Divine Master seemed to be a little angry. At this moment, Rong Xiu suddenly said, ¡°Shangguan Yue hasn¡¯t completed the test. Continue.¡± His voice was cold and heavy, making people unconsciously revere him and not dare to disobey. The meaning was clear¡ªeverything else was pushed back! Even if the Divine Master really wanted to snatch the Purple Gold Divine Armor, he had to wait for these things to end. After a moment, the Divine Master said, ¡°Yes, Emperor.¡± Chu Liuyue turned around and walked toward the warriors. At this moment, she was facing the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall. A sorrowful and painful scream sounded again! Screech! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she looked up subconsciously. Outside the door, she saw the scene. Mu Qinghe hovered in midair. A longsword flew out of his hand and went straight ahead. Swoosh! The flames that were surging toward Tuan Zi from the top of the white jade pillars dragged out a reddish-gold line of fire in midair. This sword directly cut it off! Three lines of fire had already been cut off in front. This was the fourth line. The sword didn¡¯t stop. Instead, it continued to fly toward Tuan Zi. The sword aura was awe-inspiring! The next moment, an extremely sharp blade quickly cut past Tuan Zi¡¯s left wing! Whoosh¡ª A large area of scorched feathers was cut off with skin and flesh! The huge reddish-gold figure trembled. The cry was hoarse and mournful, like a whimper. It lingered in the sky for a long time. A part of Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to have been cut off, and it hurt. Her chest seemed to be pressed down by a huge rock, and she could only pant with all her might. But every time she breathed, a large amount of cold air poured into her chest crazily, as if it was sharp and scraping! She covered her heart¡ªit was so painful that it was about to split open. She subconsciously walked forward, but as soon as she raised her leg, her leg went limp, and her body fell to the ground uncontrollably. ¡°Master!¡± Qi Han immediately went forward to support her. Chu Liuyue held her heart tightly with one hand and held Qi Han¡¯s arm with the other. Her fingertips exerted strength and turned green and white. It was as if someone was holding a huge ax and slashing down crazily in her mind! A double image appeared in front of her again. Countless images overlapped, making it difficult to distinguish! There seemed to be countless mournful cries echoing in her ears! Chapter 2467 - 2467 The Name on the Record of the Million Gods 2467 The Name on the Record of the Million Gods Her lips trembled as she struggled to spit out a few slurred syllables. ¡°Yi¡­ Yi¡­¡± That name was engraved in the deepest part of her heart, coiled between her lips and teeth, but she couldn¡¯t shout it no matter what. It was as if a few forces were pulling at her thoughts crazily, almost tearing her apart. Qi Han narrowed his eyes. Then, he looked up at the door of the main hall. The crimson-gold flames burned fiercely, as if they wanted to burn everything to ashes! Suddenly, Chu Liuyue¡¯s body stiffened. Then, she slowly straightened and let go. Qi Han immediately came back to his senses. ¡°Master?¡± Her current appearance is really¡­ Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes, her thick and long eyelashes hiding the waves in her eyes. No one knew what she was thinking at this moment. She shook her head, indicating that she was fine. Then, she half-turned around and went to the circular area for warriors. Her footsteps were slow, and every step seemed to exhaust all her strength. Then, she turned around as if she wanted to leave behind the sound that broke her heart. Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on her. The red-gold heavenly phoenix was on the verge of death. Even they felt a chill in their hearts when they heard that voice, let alone Chu Liuyue, who was its master. Chu Liuyue slowly looked up. The crowd was dazed. There was no sadness or heartache on the woman¡¯s face. Instead, she was calm. Even her starry eyes fell into darkness and silence. It was as silent and cold as the long night. Many people looked at each other. Why does Chu Liuyue¡­ have such a reaction? She is very close to that red-gold heavenly phoenix. Seeing her suffer like this, she is actually indifferent? Or is breaking through more important to her than anything else? No matter what, her indifference is a little strange¡ªor rather, her entire person seems different. No one spoke. The area around them was silent. Chu Liuyue lifted her clothes and sat cross-legged. She formed a seal with her hands in front of her and gently closed her eyes. The next moment, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force began to crazily surge into her body! ¡­ Compared to the other regions, the warrior area had the most people. Jun Jiuqing and Nan Jinshu were also here. Seeing Chu Liuyue coming over, everyone had different expressions. Is she really so calm¡­ Qi Han quickly followed over. Sensing those gazes, his expression turned cold, and he guarded Chu Liuyue. Those people vaguely sensed his warning and restrained themselves. At this moment, we should really focus on ourselves. Furthermore, with Chu Liuyue¡¯s performance at the Xuan Master area just now, she will probably fail this time. There is nothing to care about. ¡­ Time slowly trickled past. In Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Zi Chen was originally looking at Chu Liuyue when he suddenly felt that his sleeves were wet. When the wind blew over, it was bone-chilling. He lowered his head to take a look. Hong Yao was curled up in his hands, looking out of the door in a daze. It had no expression, and its eyes seemed to be in a daze. Only hot tears kept falling. It was very useless, so it could only watch as Tuan Zi suffered. At this moment, the one who brought her all kinds of pain and torture was its master, whom it had followed for several years. It couldn¡¯t help much. After all, it wasn¡¯t even a legendary fiend. Pleading, threatening, begging¡­ It had done everything it could, but it was still useless. Zi Chen raised his eyes slightly. He stood there, his tall figure motionless. The scene outside the door was clearly reflected in his eyes. That flame seemed to burn to the bottom of his heart! His thin lips were pursed tightly, and the veins on his forehead were faintly bulging. He looked straight ahead as if he wanted to engrave everything into his bones and blood! ¡­ Xue Xue came to Rong Xiu¡¯s feet and whimpered. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Xue Xue lowered its head and buried it. ¡­ After an unknown period of time¡ª At a certain moment, a buzzing sound suddenly came from the Xuan formation in front of Xiao Ran! He held his breath and focused, extremely nervous. Previously, Chu Liuyue and Qi Han had failed one after another, which indeed made him a little worried. Therefore, he didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly at this moment, afraid that it would affect something. Everyone looked over. Right on the heels of that was the second buzz! Moreover, the commotion this time was clearly stronger than before! Xiao Ran¡¯s throat was dry, and he didn¡¯t blink. Then, countless stars gathered and condensed into a dazzling ball of light that floated quietly in front of Xiao Ran. At the same time, a totem appeared between his eyebrows! Whoosh! The ball of light instantly surged into the space between his eyebrows! The next moment, the aura around Xiao Ran began to intensify rapidly! Rong Xiu suddenly raised his hand. A thick layer of light enveloped Xiao Ran! Almost at this moment, a bright light suddenly erupted from the Record of the Million Gods floating beside Rong Xiu! A moment later, a name was engraved on it¡ªXiao Ran! ¡­ When everything happened in the main hall, the huge Record of the Million Gods projected in the sky above the Fantasy Divine Hall also began to produce violent energy fluctuations! Hearing this commotion, everyone who was waiting outside the door perked up and rushed to look. ¡°There¡¯s movement on the Record of the Million Gods!¡± ¡°Is someone finally going to break through? I wonder who will be the first?¡± ¡°Could it be Shangguan Yue? She¡¯s the one with the most potential among those people, right?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s possible. She didn¡¯t even spend much effort to complete the Star Path. It¡¯s really logical for her to reach the heavens!¡± ¡°That might not be the case¡­ Don¡¯t forget that she doesn¡¯t have a bloodline totem! In the past, no one has successfully crossed that threshold, right?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s different from those people! No one without a bloodline totem had successfully entered the Fantasy Divine Hall in the past. Didn¡¯t she do it too? This¡ª¡± ¡°Look! That person¡¯s name has appeared!¡± Someone in the crowd shouted and immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Everyone had a tacit understanding and looked up! A dazzling golden name slowly appeared on the Record of the Million Gods¡ªXiao Ran! When they saw these two words clearly, the originally noisy crowd immediately fell silent. After a while, everyone gradually reacted and looked at each other in surprise. ¡°The first¡­ Why is it Xiao Ran?¡± It wasn¡¯t that Xiao Ran¡¯s name shouldn¡¯t appear on the Record of the Million Gods, but it had appeared a little too early. Generally speaking, warriors were the fastest to break through, followed by Xuan Masters or heavenly doctors. Armory Refinement Masters were the slowest. Xiao Ran was a Xuan Master! Why was he at the front? Moreover, even if Xuan Masters were first, there should still be Chu Liuyue and Qi Han ahead! Why didn¡¯t the names of those two people appear? Chapter 2468 - 2468 Except You Cant 2468 Except You Can¡¯t ¡°¡­Is there really a problem?¡± muttered someone softly. A large part of the reason why Xiao Ran could enter the Fantasy Divine Hall was because of Chu Liuyue. Later on, Qi Han¡¯s performance actually surpassed his by a lot. But now that Xiao Ran had succeeded, there was no movement from the two of them. There was clearly a problem. Behind the crowd, Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er stood side by side. They naturally heard everyone¡¯s discussion clearly. Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s eyes were red. She pulled on her sister¡¯s sleeve and sobbed. ¡°How could this be? Shouldn¡¯t Master¡¯s name appear first? And Tuan Zi¡­ Tuan Zi is most afraid of pain! What¡¯s going on inside? Why¡­ why¡­¡± Why didn¡¯t Master break through? Why didn¡¯t Master come out to save Tuan Zi when the latter is being tortured? Why did the person who attacked¡­ have to be Mu Qinghe?! Too many questions swirled in her heart, and it was almost unbearable for Lady Shi¡¯er! Lady Shiyi¡¯s expression was tense as she tried her best to control her emotions. But when she heard her sister¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a lump in her throat. Finally, she took a deep breath and pulled Lady Shi¡¯er¡¯s hand away. She instructed seriously, ¡°Sister, wait here. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Lady Shi¡¯er was stunned. ¡°You want to¡­ go to the Fantasy Divine Hall? I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Lady Shiyi shook her head. ¡°The situation over there isn¡¯t clear yet. I¡¯ll only go over and scout the way first. Wait for me at ease.¡± With that, she walked forward. How could Lady Shi¡¯er be willing? She immediately grabbed her sister¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°No! Let¡¯s go together!¡± She had always been a soft-hearted person, always agreeing to whatever her sister said. However, such a person was the scariest when they were stubborn. Lady Shiyi frowned. After a while, she finally made up her mind. ¡°Okay! If the situation goes wrong later, you have to leave immediately, understand?¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded vigorously. Then, the two of them walked forward hand in hand. But before they could go over, a figure appeared in front of them. ¡°Brother?¡± When they saw who it was, Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er were shocked. Lu Feng looked at the two of them with a complicated expression. ¡°I¡¯m here on Big Brother¡¯s orders. He said: no matter what happens now, you can¡¯t do anything. Just wait.¡± ¡°Wait?¡± Lady Shiyi suddenly raised her hand and pointed in that direction. There was finally a hint of choking in her voice. ¡°But even if we can wait, can Tuan Zi wait too?!¡± If this drags on¡ª Lu Feng closed his eyes. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡­ It wasn¡¯t just them. At this moment, everyone in the Fantasy Divine Palace was actually waiting. When many cultivators broke through, the names on the Record of the Million Gods would completely appear! ¡­ In the Fantasy Divine Hall. The light on Xiao Ran¡¯s body gradually dissipated, and he jumped out of the ring. Everyone was shocked. Above Grandmaster Xuan Masters were Supreme Xuan Masters! The current Xiao Ran was indeed much stronger than before! Xiao Ran clenched his fists and carefully felt the changes in him. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. A Supreme Xuan Master¡­ is indeed extraordinary! I have waited too long to cross this threshold! Just a few months ago, he was still thinking that it might not work this time. However, the heavens didn¡¯t let him down! He seemed to have been reborn. Everything around him was easily seen by him. He looked at Rong Xiu and cupped fists. ¡°Thank you, Emperor!¡± Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s outstanding. You should thank yourself the most.¡± If not for his years of bitter cultivation, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to seize the opportunity even if it was right in front of him. Xiao Ran was still excited. He let out a long breath and turned to look at Chu Liuyue. Now that he had succeeded, his long-cherished wish had finally been fulfilled. The only thought left was to hope that Chu Liuyue could successfully ascend to the heavens and become a deity. Boom! At this moment, a shocking pressure suddenly erupted from Jun Jiuqing¡¯s body! Right on the heels of that, a totem gradually appeared between his eyebrows! Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was calm, as if he wasn¡¯t surprised that he was the first to break through. He waved his slender palm gently, and a ray of light instantly enveloped him! Then, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s name appeared on the Record of the Million Gods! ¡­ After Xiao Ran, Jun Jiuqing followed closely behind. Without much of a time gap, he successfully broke through! Above legendary warriors were the supreme deities! Everyone in the hall looked over with complicated gazes. Unlike Xiao Ran, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s success might mean more to them¡ªthe moment his name was engraved on the Record of the Million Gods, he had automatically become the new High Priest of the Fantasy Divine Hall! Dugu Mobao suddenly opened his eyes and looked over, but he wasn¡¯t looking at Jun Jiuqing. Instead, he was gazing at Chu Liuyue, who wasn¡¯t far away. At this moment, she was still constantly devouring the surrounding energy, and several small energy vortexes even appeared around her. The speed at which the other legendary warriors absorbed force was much slower than her. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s gaze swept past her before he turned to leave. Several deities looked over. ¡°Congratulations, High Priest.¡± Jun Jiuqing paused. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± When many people saw this, they felt a little strange. Jun Jiuqing¡¯s reaction¡­ Why does it seem a little cold? He is now the High Priest! However, it was difficult to guess his thoughts, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for everyone to ask. When Nan Jinshu saw this, his heart ached. Jun Jiuqing has already succeeded, but I¡¯m still very far away. Moreover, given my current situation, it will probably be very difficult for me to succeed. The position of Second Priest is probably¡­ Bam! A deep sound was heard. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and their expressions became a little strange because¡­ Chu Liuyue failed again! Chu Liuyue lowered her eyes and looked at her palm expressionlessly. Then, she stood up without hesitation and walked toward the heavenly doctors. Many people looked at Rong Xiu carefully, but seeing that he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping her, they all quietened down. There was another particularly long wait. While Chu Liuyue was refining pills, there were already people around who successfully ascended to the heavens and broke through! The names on the Record of the Million Gods gradually increased! Of course, there were also some failures who left regretfully. As expected, when she tried to make the pill in the end, Chu Liuyue failed again! Almost at the same time, Xiao Ba¡¯s pill was also destroyed! ¡°It¡¯s indeed impossible without bloodline power¡­ I really don¡¯t know what she¡¯s still persevering for. Could it be that she¡¯s only willing to give up after trying out the final Armory Refinement Master test?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably unwilling. Anyone with such talent would definitely not be willing to accept this outcome.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that Xiao Ba also failed? I think these people without bloodline totems should be kicked out of the competition directly! It saves us time and energy!¡± Anger appeared on Xiao Ba¡¯s face. But at this moment, a rich medicinal fragrance suddenly came from the side! Jian Fengchi slapped the cauldron, and the pill instantly flew into his palm¡ªformation of the pill! Medical Saint! Chapter 2469 - 2469 Missing 2469 Missing This sudden change shocked everyone on the spot. Jian Fengchi¡­ succeeded?! But doesn¡¯t he also not have a bloodline totem?! The next moment, Rong Xiu waved his hand, and Jian Fengchi¡¯s entire body was instantly enveloped by light. Then, his name was also engraved on the Record of the Million Gods! Looking at the name that slowly appeared, a strange silence instantly arose both inside and outside the Fantasy Divine Hall. If someone without a bloodline totem can also ascend to the heavens and break through, then¡­ What is going on with Chu Liuyue?! Xiao Ba widened her beautiful eyes slightly and looked at Jian Fengchi in shock. ¡°You¡­ succeeded?!¡± Jian Fengchi glanced at the pill in his hand. While he was excited, he was also filled with doubts. He didn¡¯t know what was going on either. From beginning to end, he did it step by step. In the end, he¡­ succeeded naturally. ¡°I should be the one asking you. Wasn¡¯t everything going smoothly just now? Why did the pill fail in the end?¡± Jian Fengchi asked. Xiao Ba frowned slightly. ¡°How would I know!?¡± Jian Fengchi¡¯s standard is even worse than mine! In the end, I failed, but Jian Fengchi succeeded? And Master! She was the last to arrive, but she was the first to form the pill and still didn¡¯t succeed. Xiao Ba was very frustrated and couldn¡¯t help but look at Chu Liuyue. However, the latter had already gone to the Armory Refinement Master side with a normal expression. From the looks of it, she was planning to try again. When the surrounding people saw this, they couldn¡¯t help but look at each other. She has already failed three times in a row, but she still came? It seems like she really won¡¯t give up until she hits the wall. Xiao Ba stomped her feet. She was very indignant, but she cared more about Master. Although Master looks very calm now, how can she really not care? If she still fails this time¡­ Xiao Ba lowered her head and looked at the cauldron in front of her. The flames inside had been extinguished, leaving only a handful of black ash with a faint scorched smell. How could this be¡­ I really don¡¯t understand. There was clearly no problem¡­ Chu Liuyue arrived at the Armory Refinement Master area and stood still. Then, she took out the Heavenly Square Cauldron. Not far away stood Su Li and Shangguan Jing. At this moment, they looked over worriedly. There was no doubt about Chu Liuyue¡¯s talent, but she didn¡¯t succeed the previous few times. This time, it was really hard to say. Everyone could now sense that there was indeed something wrong with her. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just her. ¡­ ¡°Even Young Master Jian has ascended to the heavens. Why isn¡¯t Eighth Sister succeeding?¡± Outside the Fantasy Divine Hall, Lady Shi¡¯er looked at the Record of the Million Gods suspended in midair in a daze and muttered in confusion. Lady Shiyi pressed her lips against each other. Not only Eighth Sister, but Master and Seventh Brother also haven¡¯t moved at all since they entered. This situation was very wrong. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t enter now and could only wait outside. Lu Feng frowned and narrowed his eyes slightly. For some reason, the more he looked at the Fantasy Divine Hall, the more familiar it felt. At first, he thought that it was because of the sand table. But after a long time, he realized that that wasn¡¯t the case. It seemed like¡­ Did I really go in? As soon as this thought flashed across his mind, he couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyebrows and shake his head helplessly with a smile. I¡¯m really thinking too much¡­ ¡°Look! Someone is going to the Holy Jade of Chaos again!¡± A shout suddenly came from the crowd. Lu Feng immediately looked over. It was a young man who looked like he was only 17 or 18 years old. He was wearing a black robe and looked delicate. At this moment, he walked over hurriedly and quickly arrived in front of Yu Qian to whisper anxiously to him. Someone whispered, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Thirteenth Deity? Hasn¡¯t he always been in charge of guarding the Holy Jade of Chaos? Why is he only here now?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­ And from the looks of it, he didn¡¯t come from the main hall of the Fantasy Divine Hall. It¡¯s as if he came from somewhere else¡­¡± ¡°Today is so important. How could he be late?¡± ¡°I wonder what he¡¯s talking to the Second Deity about¡­ He doesn¡¯t look too good¡­¡± Lu Feng was staring over when he suddenly heard a voice from the side. ¡°Is that place still under special surveillance?¡± Stunned, he turned to look. ¡°Lady Shiyi, what did you just say?¡± Lady Shiyi stared at them and raised her chin. ¡°With that Holy Jade of Chaos, there¡¯s no need to care at all, right?¡± Lu Feng thought that she was just curious and explained, ¡°I heard that the Holy Jade of Chaos is very important to the Fantasy Divine Hall. It¡¯s normal to specially send a deity to guard it.¡± Lady Shiyi scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left. What¡¯s there to look at?¡± Lu Feng was confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Just¡ª¡± Lady Shiyi suddenly paused. Then, a trace of confusion appeared on her face, and she frowned slightly. Yes, what¡¯s missing? Why would I say such a thing? ¡°I¡­¡± Just as she was thinking about how to reply, Lady Shi¡¯er suddenly whispered, ¡°Sister is right¡­¡± With that, she stretched out her hand and gestured slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ something missing¡­¡± Lu Feng came back to his senses. ¡°Are you talking about the incomplete piece in the middle of the Holy Jade of Chaos?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Lady Shi¡¯er nodded. Lu Feng scratched his head. ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t mean anything, right? Although a piece is missing, it doesn¡¯t seem to be that important. Nowadays, the Armory Refinement Masters in the Fantasy Divine Palace still need to borrow the power to successfully break through and become Armory Refinement Saints, right?¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Lady Shi¡¯er hesitated. She wanted to say something, but her mouth was rather stupid. She didn¡¯t know how to explain, so she could only look at her sister for help. Lady Shiyi suddenly sneered. ¡°It¡¯s just scraps, but it¡¯s so troublesome. What a joke.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s expression gradually became strange. Scraps¡­ Could this be referring to the Holy Jade of Chaos inside? As he was thinking, he saw Lady Shiyi nod with certainty. ¡°Sixth Brother is right.¡± Lu Feng was speechless. Then, he reached out and touched Lady Shiyi¡¯s forehead. ¡°Eleventh Sister¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wasn¡¯t she fine just now? Why is she talking nonsense now? Lady Shiyi removed his hand, turned her head, and looked at him steadily. After a moment, she asked softly, ¡°Sixth Brother, have you entered the Fantasy Divine Hall?¡± ¡­ The names on the Record of the Million Gods were still increasing. However, the names of those people never appeared. In the Fantasy Divine Hall. Su Li and Shangguan Jing both succeeded in breaking through one after another. Chu Liuyue started later than them, so she naturally fell behind. She was calm and focused, as if there was nothing else more worth her trouble. ¡­ Time passed slowly. Nan Jinshu gradually became nervous and anxious. The others had already succeeded one after another, but there was no movement on his side. At this moment, a figure suddenly fell into his peripheral vision. Stunned, he turned to take a look. At some point, Qi Han had arrived beside him. Chapter 2470 - 2470 Go Take a Look 2470 Go Take a Look Nan Jinshu subconsciously felt a little nervous. It was unknown if it was because of the oppressive coldness around Qi Han or something else. However, Qi Han quickly looked away and continued cultivating. The surrounding energy quickly surged into his body. Nan Jinshu thought that he had overreacted. What threat could a person who doesn¡¯t even have a bloodline totem pose? He quickly composed himself and returned his attention to himself. Then, he began to prepare to break through. The holy force in his body quickly surged and gathered in his dantian. Nan Jinshu¡¯s heart was beating violently. He knew very well that success or failure depended on this! Jun Jiuqing had already ascended to the heavens and become the High Priest. As long as he could do it, the position of Second Priest would be his! ¡°Isn¡¯t the Second Priest coming out to take a look at such a good time?¡± The Divine Master suddenly spoke. Hearing this, many people in the hall looked over. A bronze mirror instantly appeared! Chu Liuyue paused and finally looked up. Like Dugu Mobao, Lan Xiao was obviously trapped in a cage somewhere. It was dark and oppressive. Lan Xiao leaned against the wall and bent his leg, resting his elbow on his knee. He lowered his head slightly, his expression hidden. However, the bloodstains on his body were clearly visible. The bloodstains had already turned dark red, as if they were still traces of his previous injury. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart tightened. This also proved that Lan Xiao had been staying here since that time and hadn¡¯t even changed his clothes. He had always been extremely concerned about his appearance and demeanor, but now, he was dressed in rags and covered in dirt. To him, this might be more humiliating than any punishment. At this moment, Lan Xiao looked up. His gaze swept past Chu Liuyue and froze for a moment. His handsome eyes softened a little, but waves gradually surged in the depths of his eyes. She still came¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curved up slightly. Then, Lan Xiao turned to look at Nan Jinshu. His expression became lazy and heretical again. ¡°You called me out just to see this?¡± His words were filled with mockery and disdain. Nan Jinshu felt as if he had been slapped in the face. Compared to Jun Jiuqing just now, this situation was even more uncomfortable. He took a deep breath and gathered all his holy force before slamming it into the inner core in his dantian! The more the other party looked down on him, the more he wanted to prove to them that he was definitely not bad! Boom! A shocking fluctuation spread from his body! Indistinctly, Nan Jinshu felt as if she had touched that invisible barrier. He was overjoyed and was about to continue when he suddenly realized that he couldn¡¯t condense the power around him! He turned around in shock and realized that all this power had been forcefully snatched away by Qi Han! The distance between the two of them was very close. Qi Han¡¯s actions naturally had the greatest impact on him. In this moment of pause, the holy force in his body suddenly lost control and crazily dissipated into his limbs and bones! Splash¡ª Nan Jinshu clearly heard the sound of the holy force in his body collapsing and surging. He was shocked. Before he could react, he felt a tightness in his chest. ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground with a pale face. Everything happened in the blink of an eye! At first, everyone was still waiting to see Nan Jinshu ascend to the heavens. They didn¡¯t expect that not only did he not succeed, but something even happened. Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but Yu Mo¡ªwho was at the side¡ªhurriedly went forward and dragged the unconscious Nan Jinshu out. Seeing this, someone finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Emperor, Qi Han deliberately made a move just now and caused Nan Jinshu to fail in breaking through. He should be severely punished, right?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent. Everyone present was smart and could more or less tell something: Qi Han clearly did it on purpose! Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°Nan Jinshu is weak and can¡¯t enter the Record of the Million Gods to begin with.¡± Everyone was speechless. Lan Xiao suddenly laughed. ¡°The Emperor is right. If he¡¯s strong enough, why can¡¯t he even deal with such a small commotion? Speaking of which, Qi Han is just focused on cultivating. It can¡¯t be said that he did it on purpose. Could it be that Nan Jinshu has to blame others for being too powerful after being unable to ascend to the heavens and break through?¡± He leaned his head lazily against the wall. ¡°This is the Second Priest you chose? He¡¯s too lousy.¡± Of course, these words were directed at the Divine Master. Many people held their breaths. But just as they thought that the Divine Master would definitely be angry, they suddenly heard a faint laugh. ¡°Of course, he can¡¯t compare to you. Unfortunately, you¡¯ve already betrayed the Fantasy Divine Hall. What a pity.¡± Lan Xiao closed his eyes, as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. ¡­ ¡°No more?¡± Yu Qian frowned. ¡°Have you searched all of them? Is there really no more?¡± Thirteenth Deity, Sang Bai, looked helpless. ¡°Second Deity, I¡¯ve searched everywhere. It¡¯s indeed¡­ You also know that it¡¯s really consuming a lot to maintain that flame for a long time. The little stock from before has been used up.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Yi Zhao?¡± ¡°He¡­ The bloodline power in his body has already been used up¡­¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Yu Qian¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°He¡¯s the clan leader. Even if his bloodline power isn¡¯t as pure as before, it¡¯s impossible for him not to have any left.¡± At this point, he walked forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the lightning pool to take a look myself!¡± Chapter 2471 - 2471 Tuan Zi, Come Home With Me 2471 Tuan Zi, Come Home With Me Sang Bai glanced nervously at the sky. There were a total of 13 white jade pillars around the Holy Jade of Chaos. Tuan Zi flew to the sky and began to devour the flames at the top of the 13 white jade pillars. In other words, she was devouring the red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s bloodline power! Mu Qinghe had already cut off eight of the flames. For this, Tuan Zi had also paid a huge price. Her body was already badly mangled and covered in injuries, but she didn¡¯t move at all. She still guarded her position and did her best to plunder the power inside. There were already several balls of flames, as weak as candles in the wind that seemed like they would extinguish at any moment. Sang Bai was in charge of this all year round and knew this the best. Based on the current situation, it probably can¡¯t last long! He clenched his teeth, turned around, and quickly followed Yu Qian. ¡­ Yu Qian sped all the way to the lightning pool. Si Jing was standing on the reef by the shore and looking ahead. Hearing the commotion, he subconsciously looked up. Seeing that Yu Qian and Sang Bai were rapidly approaching, he moved and hid behind a huge rock. The two of them didn¡¯t sense Si Jing¡¯s existence. Arriving above the lightning pool, Yu Qian looked down. In the huge lightning pool, countless lightning bolts froze and didn¡¯t move. He said, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go down and take a look myself.¡± Sang Bai nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± With that, Yu Qian no longer hesitated and went straight down. The Xuan formation that sealed the lightning pool was set up by him, so it was naturally more convenient to enter and exit. He rushed into the lightning pool and was quickly drowned. Yu Qian knew the lightning pool quite well, so he arrived at the deepest part without much effort. A ball of golden lightning wrapped around it and flickered with a dazzling light. Even if he didn¡¯t move, he could still feel the powerful pressure on it. Yu Qian moved closer. A black chain suddenly flew out. His expression froze upon grabbing the chain and taking a closer look. There was indeed no longer any bloodline power of the red-gold heavenly phoenix on it. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Yu Qian couldn¡¯t help but mutter. Yi Zhao is the clan leader and is different from other red-gold heavenly phoenixes. As long as he is alive, he can continuously produce bloodline power to maintain himself. Impossible¡ª Suddenly, he was shocked, and a ridiculous thought quickly flashed across his mind! Right on the heels of that, he took out an Ancestral Golden Feather and swept it across the black chain. There was no reaction! Instantly, Yu Qian¡¯s hair stood on end. The person inside isn¡¯t Yi Zhao! ¡­ Swoosh! Mu Qinghe¡¯s sword slashed down again! The 12th line of fire was also cut off. Tuan Zi¡¯s leg was also cut off, and a wail followed! Compared to the initial situation, her voice was much hoarser and weaker now. It was obvious that she was at the end of her rope. Her bones had been shattered, and her flesh had been cut apart, leaving only half of her bloody flesh stuck together. It was a shocking sight. Scorching flames swept over, and the wound was charred and curled. Lady Shi¡¯er covered her mouth as a whimper came from her throat. Tears rolled down her face. Lady Shiyi¡¯s eyes were red. She seemed to be nailed to the ground as she looked in that direction without blinking. Lu Feng wanted to cover the two girls¡¯ eyes but was pushed away stubbornly by Lady Shiyi. The latter gritted her teeth and choked as she asked, ¡°Do you still want to wait?¡± Lu Feng clenched his fists. He was about to speak when he suddenly felt the sky darken. A gust of wind swept over with the terrifying heat wave! Lu Feng was shocked and looked up abruptly. A cry came from the crowd. ¡°The divine fire has been extinguished!¡± In the Fantasy Divine Hall, the white jade pillars stood quietly. The cluster of flames burning at the top of one of them suddenly extinguished! After a short silence, the crowd stirred. The divine fire of the Holy Jade of Chaos can burn for 10,000 years without dying! Now, how could¡­ It was also because of this divine fire extinguishing that the sky darkened! Mu Qinghe took a look, and his glabella throbbed. Then, his sword flew out even faster! The last line of fire was intercepted. At the same time, Tuan Zi¡¯s other leg was also cut off! Her wings were already in tatters, and her body was covered in injuries. Under the impact of this power, she finally couldn¡¯t hold on and fell heavily to the ground! Bam! There was a loud muffled sound. Her body, which was covered in wounds and blood, fell ruthlessly onto the Holy Jade of Chaos! Screech! A mournful cry spread throughout the world! The next moment, the red-gold flames around her soared even more violently! Her entire body was already on fire! Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression changed, but it was too late! Pu! The flames at the top of the second white jade pillar were also extinguished! Right on the heels of that was the third and the fourth! As the flames on the Holy Jade of Chaos were extinguished, the sky quickly darkened. The violent wind brought with it heat waves that surged in all directions! It was as if it wanted to burn this world clean! Such a shocking commotion also attracted the attention of everyone in the main hall. ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?¡± ¡°Yes, the Holy Jade of Chaos¡¯s divine fire has been extinguished!¡± ¡°What?!¡± The door was open. Everyone here could clearly see what was happening outside as long as they turned around. After a short commotion, the huge Fantasy Divine Hall instantly fell silent! This is a phenomenon created by the Divine Master with his own strength. How could it suddenly be extinguished?! Apart from the deities, everyone else¡¯s expressions became extremely complicated. Nobody spoke. Xiao Ba and the rest felt their hearts tremble as they looked at Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue kept her back to the door, her shoulders straight. A few strands of hair fell from her forehead, hiding the emotions in her eyes. At this moment, a fine silver lightning power quenched her hand. However, she suddenly trembled as if she had been scalded. Then, the Yuan instrument in her hand¡ªwhich was being refined¡ªwas also greatly affected and broke in the middle. She had tried all four methods by this point, but without exception, she failed! She closed her eyes gently. In the hall, the lights were bright. Outside the hall, the sky gradually darkened. A gust of wind swept in from outside. With a scorching temperature, it surged like a river and swallowed everything! The flames and wind wrapped around her tightly, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Finally, the flame on the last white jade pillar¡ª Annihilated! The sky was completely dark! Only the ball of golden flames on the Holy Jade of Chaos was still burning brightly, almost illuminating half the sky! Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes flew open! In an instant, there seemed to be the feeling of stars extinguishing in the depths of her eyes! The next moment, she turned around and walked out! She brushed past Rong Xiu and didn¡¯t turn around. Fan Yunxiao and the rest were about to stop her when Rong Xiu suddenly raised his hand! A golden barrier fell from the sky¡ªit surrounded the entire Fantasy Divine Hall! Chu Liuyue walked out alone. The sky outside was really dark. She looked up and glanced at it. Then, her gaze landed on Mu Qinghe, who wasn¡¯t far away. Sensing her gaze, Mu Qinghe instantly tensed up! A faint smile appeared on Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips, but there was no smile at all. Sweat gradually seeped out of Mu Qinghe¡¯s hand that was holding the sword. However, Chu Liuyue didn¡¯t say anything and only continued walking forward. She came to the Holy Jade of Chaos. The crimson-gold flames burned fiercely. It was the only light here. Without hesitation, she stepped into the ball of flames. A small figure was curled up inside. Her body was covered in charred and festering scars. Her buns were scattered, and her rich and beautiful lotus leaf dress was only left with large patches of charred flesh. Chu Liuyue bent over and carefully carried her up. Her hand touched the layers of ashes for a while. They were two burned red ropes with golden bells. The exquisite and small golden bells on them had already distorted. She put them away gently and combed the hair of the little one in her arms. Then, she looked at the latter¡¯s feet. Tuan Zi¡¯s originally fair and bare feet were almost cut off at this moment, swaying gently. The wounds were charred black, and the blood had almost been burned dry. One could vaguely see the white bones inside. She hugged her even more tightly and rubbed her little feet very gently. ¡°Our Tuan Zi is the most obedient.¡± She kissed the person in her arms between the eyebrows, whispering, ¡°Tuan Zi, come home with me.¡± Chapter 2472 - 2472 Somethings Wrong With Her 2472 Something¡¯s Wrong With Her Her voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing the little one in her arms. The little fellow, who had always been delicate and soft, didn¡¯t respond. Her face was gray and covered in dirty blood. Her eyes were closed, and there was a greenish-black aura of death between her eyebrows. It was almost unimaginable what kind of beautiful and lively black grape-like eyes she had. And now, she was lying quietly in her arms, her small body gradually turning cold. The coldness almost spread from her skin to Chu Liuyue¡¯s limbs. Even though she was surrounded by a sea of fire, she felt extremely cold. The crimson-gold tongues of fire danced and reflected in her cold and deep eyes. It was as if fire was surging under the frozen sea. Ice and fire intertwined¡ªit was an indescribable pain. When the pain reached an extreme, it was numb. Chu Liuyue lowered her head and placed her forehead on Tuan Zi¡¯s small forehead, her eyes slightly closed. A tear silently fell from the corner of her eye. It flickered with a fine light, bright and cold. The wind whistled past her ears again, but her heart was extremely empty and cold. After a long time, she finally raised her head, turned around, and gazed at the main hall of the Fantasy Divine Hall. Under the dark sky, everything blurred the border. Only the towering, sacred, and noble hall was silent and high. It was as if it had been so silent for 10,000 years. The Record of the Million Gods floating above the main hall was dazzling. On it, a large number of names were hidden under the light. They were the names of those who had broken through previously. Hidden under the light, hidden by time, only a few names were clearly visible: Xiao Ran, Jun Jiuqing, Jian Fengchi¡­ Those were the traces left behind by the most recent people to ascend to the heavens and reach the Deity Realm. Chu Liuyue looked at it steadily, and there seemed to be waves surging in the depths of her eyes. She seemed to be reading the Record of the Million Gods or looking at something else through it. At this moment, in the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall, the last person finally ended the God Breaking Test! Rong Xiu raised his hand and clenched it in the air. The four rings instantly dissipated! Right on the heels of that, she heard Rong Xiu¡¯s low and cold voice. ¡°I hereby announce the end of the test to break through!¡± This voice came from the Fantasy Divine Hall like a sacred judgment. It spread far and wide and clearly entered everyone¡¯s ears! Everyone was shocked and came back to their senses. It¡¯s over? Just like that¡­ it¡¯s over? But this is completely different from what we expected! Chu Liuyue and the rest were shocking, but none of them succeeded. However, that wasn¡¯t the most important thing¡ªthe Holy Jade of Chaos¡¯s divine fire had extinguished! And the red-gold heavenly phoenix that immolated herself¡­ Why had the divine fire been extinguished because of her? Nothing like this had ever happened before. Therefore, at this moment, looking at the white jade pillars standing under the dark sky, everyone fell silent. No one knew what would happen next¡­ The Fantasy Divine Hall was equally silent. After a while, Xiao Ran finally couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°How did that happen?¡± He had always felt that there was definitely no problem for Chu Liuyue to ascend to the heavens and break through. After all, she was so outstanding! Even though he had witnessed her failure with his own eyes, he still had an inexplicable belief in his heart: She¡¯ll definitely succeed! But now¡­ Everything was over, yet she didn¡¯t successfully enter the first volume of the Record of the Million Gods! ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? I can only say that she doesn¡¯t have the fate!¡± Fan Yunxiao snorted. Even Jian Fengchi succeeded, but she didn¡¯t. Who can she blame? In the end, she shouldn¡¯t have had such expectations from the beginning! As for Qi Han and Xiao Ba, didn¡¯t they fail too? ¡°Such a person isn¡¯t qualified to enter the Fantasy Divine Palace!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Fan Yunxiao suddenly felt an extremely cold gaze land on him. He subconsciously looked over and happened to meet the cold gaze of Qi Han. For some reason, he suddenly shivered. But soon, he realized that something was wrong with him. The other party is just a lowly existence who has failed to become a deity. Why do I think that he is dangerous? This made Fan Yunxiao a little angry. ¡°You¡ª¡± Just as he was about to say something, a stern shout suddenly came from outside. ¡°Divine Master, there¡¯s something wrong with this Shangguan Yue!¡± ¡­ The person who shouted was Yu Qian. After sensing that something was wrong with the lightning pool, he knew that something was wrong and immediately rushed back at his fastest speed. Before he arrived, he had already seen the Holy Jade of Chaos¡¯s divine fire extinguish one after another from afar. This further confirmed his thoughts. He didn¡¯t even have time to bring Sang Bai along and quickly rushed back. At this moment, there was dead silence inside and outside the Fantasy Divine Hall. Therefore, almost everyone heard him clearly. Countless eyes looked at him. The crowd had various expressions. Is there a problem? What does he mean? The Second Deity has always been calm and collected outside, so why now¡­ Before they could think clearly, Yu Qian had already arrived at the steps of Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall. He quickly walked into the hall and cupped his fists. ¡°Divine Master, the person trapped under the lightning pool is no longer Yi Zhao! It¡¯s Yi Gong!¡± His declaration caused an uproar among the crowd. Everyone knew very well that the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan leader, Yi Zhao, was trapped below after the storm in the lightning pool. In fact, in order to prevent him from escaping again, the Second Deity and the others even sealed the entire lightning pool! But now, he actually said that the people below had already changed? Soon, someone reacted and suddenly looked at Chu Liuyue. She was clearly there when the riot happened! The red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress is her contracted legendary fiend. It¡¯s naturally reasonable for her to save Yi Zhao! Who else could it be but her?! Yu Qian was about to go crazy. This was a huge blow to him! To think that I thought that the matter had been resolved. To think that I thought that Yi Zhao was still trapped under the lightning pool. To think that I had been threatening Tuan Zi with Yi Zhao¡¯s life for so long¡­ Unexpectedly, they had already changed people! Everything in the past had become a joke now that he thought about it! ¡°That Shangguan Yue is arrogant and presumptuous. She actually dared to do such a thing in the Fantasy Divine Palace. She really deserves to die!¡± Yu Qian hated Chu Liuyue to the core now. How can only one Tuan Zi die? She should also suffer the pain of being cut into pieces and die from torture! ¡°Yu Qian has neglected his duty as a guard and is willing to personally take Shangguan Yue¡¯s life!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, before Yu Qian could wait for the Divine Master¡¯s answer, he suddenly heard a chuckle outside the hall. The voice came with the wind. It was light and ethereal, but it seemed to be filled with the power of thunder, inexplicably making people revere it. Yu Qian¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked back. The woman in the red dress stood in the red and gold flames that filled the sky. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and her eyes were cold. Chapter 2473 - 2473 Return! 2473 Return! It was Chu Liuyue, but there was an inexplicable difference. It was different from what she had seen in the past. Although her appearance and figure didn¡¯t change much, she still gave off the feeling that this woman seemed to have changed into a different person in the blink of an eye. Yu Qian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In an instant, the sharp voice that rushed to his throat was all choked up, and he couldn¡¯t say anything. Rong Xiu stood with his hands behind his back and looked from afar. His phoenix eyes were deep and unfathomable. ¡°Zi Chen,¡± said Chu Liuyue suddenly. Zi Chen answered. Chu Liuyue handed the child in her arms over. ¡°Help me take good care of Tuan Zi first.¡± At the mention of Tuan Zi, her voice softened a little. Zi Chen looked down, and his pupils instantly constricted! In his impression, Tuan Zi was always lively. She always dressed herself up beautifully, was smart and cute, and she was the best at wheedling. It wasn¡¯t like now, where blood and dust were mixed together. Her entire body was covered in injuries, and there was almost no good place to be seen. He reached out stiffly and took the small ball into his arms. The moment he touched her, his fingertips trembled. The softness and sweetness in his memory were now only bone-chilling. She must be very cold. Zi Chen pursed his lips and carefully held the two small feet in his wide and warm palms. It was as if this could warm her cold body. Hong Yao flew out of Zi Chen¡¯s hand and pounced on Tuan Zi¡¯s chest, whimpering softly. If possible, it was willing to replace her! Isn¡¯t it just a life? I will just give my life! Hong Yao cried as it gripped Tuan Zi¡¯s skirt tightly with its claws. Soon, Tuan Zi¡¯s skirt was thoroughly soaked. The bloody smell in the air seemed to have become stronger. Chu Liuyue retracted her gaze. When she looked forward again, that trace of gentleness and love quietly dissipated. Like frost falling, it froze everything. Her eyes were so cold, deep, and disdainful. It was like a glacier that hadn¡¯t melted for thousands of years, but also like a deep night that couldn¡¯t be touched. She said, ¡°I did bring Yi Zhao out of the lightning pool.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd was in an uproar! Even though they had already guessed it before, it was still quite a shock to hear her admit it personally! She¡¯s too bold. She actually dared to switch Yi Zhao out under the noses of the Divine Master and the various deities? More importantly, how did she do it? Countless people looked at Chu Liuyue with complicated gazes as they thought about her. Yu Qian was also shocked by Chu Liuyue¡¯s frankness. However, he quickly reacted and sneered in his heart. Of course, she has to admit it. At this point, the evidence is conclusive, and she has no room to argue. ¡°You still have some guts to admit it publicly.¡± Chu Liuyue seemed to have heard a joke as her lips curled into an extremely faint smile. At this moment, Jin Yunlai¡ªwho was in the main hall¡ªsuddenly sensed that something was wrong and frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you put away the Record of the Million Gods?¡± His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but at this moment, the area around him was very quiet, so everyone around could hear him clearly. At first, no one noticed this. When they heard him say this, they suddenly realized that it seemed a little strange. ¡°¡­Since it¡¯s already over, the Record of the Million Gods should automatically be put away. But why is it still hanging there?¡± Mu Dongyou was standing beside him. When he heard this, he subconsciously glanced around. ¡°It¡¯s indeed over.¡± Didn¡¯t the Emperor already put away the rings? But this Record of the Million Gods¡­ Many people looked at Rong Xiu, but they saw that his handsome and noble face was still cold. It seemed like¡­ he had no intention of attacking? ¡°Emperor¡­ what are you waiting for?¡± Jin Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but whisper. ¡­ At the same time, everyone outside the door of the Fantasy Divine Hall also sensed that something was wrong. It had been a while, but the Record of the Million Gods still hung quietly in the sky above the main hall. The brilliant light enveloped it, making it almost impossible to look at it directly. ¡°What¡¯s with the Record of the Million Gods?¡± ¡°Could it be that someone else wants to continue breaking through? But didn¡¯t the Emperor say that it¡¯s over just now?¡± ¡°This has never happened before, right¡­ Could it be because the flames on the Holy Jade of Chaos have been extinguished?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The Record of the Million Gods is controlled by the Emperor, and the Holy Jade of Chaos belongs to the Fantasy Divine Hall. The two have nothing to do with each other¡­¡± All kinds of discussions came from all directions. Yu Qian heard it too. He frowned and glanced at the Record of the Million Gods. Although he felt a little strange, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. What he was most anxious about now was to kill Chu Liuyue immediately! At this moment, Chu Liuyue spoke. She asked calmly, ¡°Yu Qian, are you trying to kill me?¡± Yu Qian frowned. ¡°Of course!¡± Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning. ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re not qualified.¡± Yu Qian was stunned. Not qualified? Not¡­ qualified to kill her? What does that mean?! Just as he was puzzled, he saw Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze sweep past him and look at¡­ the innermost part of the main hall¡ªthe Divine Master! It was just a glance. Everyone in the hall saw her eyes at this moment and were stunned. That gaze is really¡­ But the next moment, Chu Liuyue gently closed her eyes. The scarlet and golden flames burned behind her, and the wind swept up her skirt, making a fluttering sound. Her hair fluttered in the wind like butterflies. A shocking pressure suddenly erupted from her body! Endless Heaven and Earth Force began to surge into her body crazily, and an extremely brilliant light appeared on her glabella! That¡¯s¡­ ¡°Bloodline totem?!¡± someone suddenly exclaimed. Chu Liuyue has a bloodline totem?! She has bloodline power?! Then, her red lips parted slightly, and her clear and distant voice seemed to shatter endless years. It crossed the thousands of mountains and rivers in the world and echoed in this world! ¡°Have you had enough of being the Divine Master in the past 10,000 years?!¡± Chapter 2474 - 2474 Is This Medicinal Mountain Yours? 2474 Is This Medicinal Mountain Yours? This voice seemed to come from the dome. It was light and heavy, carrying endless pressure as it brazenly descended! At this moment, the entire Fantasy Divine Palace was silent. Only her voice covered the sky. All living beings were shocked! It was a question, a cross-examination, a supreme honor that had finally returned after thousands of years! Countless pairs of eyes looked at the woman in red standing in the flames in a daze. It was clearly a slender and exquisite figure, but it suddenly contained astonishing power and pressure, making people not dare to look directly at it. At the same time, a question surged into everyone¡¯s hearts. What does she mean by that? The position of the Divine Master¡­ Who is she asking? Who is she?! ¡­ At the same time, the Fantasy Divine Hall fell silent. Dugu Mobao suddenly opened his eyes and looked ahead. Lan Xiao also got up and stared fixedly at that figure. Something seemed to be surging quickly in his eyes. All the deities were stunned on the spot. Chu Liuyue was asking the Divine Master! Someone couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at the figure in the deepest part of the Fantasy Divine Hall. After a moment, that low and hoarse voice finally came. ¡°This seat is mine to begin with. How can I sit enough?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and her eyes were as cold as obsidian. There was silence all around. She suddenly looked up at the Record of the Million Gods floating in the main hall. The totem on her glabella became clearer and brighter! Then, she said, ¡°Eighth Deity.¡± The crowd was dazed. Why is she calling Shu Jing at this time? Shu Jing¡ªwho was lying on the ground in front of the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall¡ªwas also shocked when she heard this. She subconsciously looked up. However, Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t looking at her. Peng! On the Record of the Million Gods, a dazzling golden light suddenly exploded! In an instant, it was like fireworks were blooming and colorful! The next moment, a name was clearly reflected in everyone¡¯s eyes! It was as if the fog had finally been lifted. The blurry border dissipated with her low praise! It was like a divine command or a summoning! ¡ªXiao Ba! Everyone widened their eyes in shock and looked at the name that suddenly appeared on the Record of the Million Gods in disbelief. Xiao Ba? She had clearly failed in her ascension to the heavens just now. Why¡­ No! Her name has long existed on the Record of the Million Gods! At the same time, Xiao Ba¡ªwho was in the main hall¡ªcame back to her senses! Those charming and enchanting eyes instantly seemed to have shattered a thin layer of ice, and endless waves surged out! A bright light appeared on her glabella¡ªit was also a bloodline totem! Seeing this scene, Fan Yunxiao and the others were all shocked. Xiao Ba actually has bloodline power?! Then, Xiao Ba blinked and disappeared. In an instant, she arrived in front of Chu Liuyue, and a smile appeared on her bright and charming face. ¡°Please forgive me for being late, Master.¡± Her appearance was clearly the same as before, but her enchanting charm was even greater than before. Just by standing like this, she could easily grab everyone¡¯s attention. Like a rose blooming at the best time, it was rich and fragrant. Everyone reacted for a long time before they realized what had happened. The Eighth Deity that Chu Liuyue called is her?! As if to verify their guesses, the next moment, Chu Liuyue said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since the medicinal mountain was properly taken care of.¡± Xiao Ba smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± With that, she moved her feet and headed straight for the medicinal mountain with a gust of fragrant wind. Shu Jing was shocked. ¡°You!¡± What are they planning to do?! Xiao Ba suddenly stopped and looked back. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot about you.¡± She blinked her beautiful eyes. Then, she waved her fair and soft palm gently, and the broken jade beads on her wrist clinked. Shu Jing¡¯s figure flew up uncontrollably. Xiao Ba was very fast. In a few seconds, she arrived at the medicinal mountain. Then, with a thought, Shu Jing¡¯s body seemed to be thrown out by an invisible force and fell heavily on a mountain peak! After that, she rolled down again and fell into the stream below. ¡°Shoo!¡± Shu Jing¡¯s face turned even paler, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. Xiao Ba stood in the air with her arms crossed. She scrutinized her and scoffed. ¡°Look at how badly my medicinal mountain has been ruined by you!¡± Hearing this, Shu Jing was shocked. This medicinal mountain is clearly mine! When did it become Xiao Ba¡¯s?! She raised her head with difficulty, her eyes filled with resentment. However, Xiao Ba¡¯s gaze slightly turned as if she had seen something. Her red lips curled up, and she smiled. ¡°Big Brother knows me the best.¡± Shu Jing subconsciously followed her gaze and was stunned. Not far away, the faint green barrier had already appeared! Moreover, it was completely different from the indistinct appearance in the past. This time, it completely appeared! This barrier seemed to have fallen from the sky. Countless lights flickered on it, making it clear and beautiful. Accompanying it was a domineering pressure that couldn¡¯t be ignored! With that, Xiao Ba waved her hand. There seemed to be a breeze blowing past, stirring the barrier. The next moment, the barrier suddenly dissipated, turning into countless streams of light that scattered across the entire medicinal mountain. Abundant vitality poured out like a flood that had been instantly opened! On the continuous mountain peaks, dead leaves fell, tender leaves grew, and countless branches, leaves, and petals swayed. The rich medicinal fragrance spread far and wide. In the blink of an eye, the entire medicinal mountain seemed to have completely changed its aura. From the silence of the past, it became full of vitality. Shu Jing¡¯s pupils constricted! In the past 10,000 years, the medicinal mountain didn¡¯t seem to have changed much on the surface, but only she knew that the various natural treasures on it had actually been decreasing. The medicinal mountain was originally very suitable for all kinds of medicinal herbs to grow, but as time passed, it became more and more unsatisfactory for some reason. Although she had already put in a lot of effort to take care of it, there were always some herbs that had withered and withered before they could grow. Even if she had some growth, it wasn¡¯t as good as before. Part of the reason why she strictly guarded the medicinal mountain was because of this. But because the medicinal mountain occupied a huge area, not many people noticed it. Shu Jing knew very well that all of this was because of that strange barrier. Every time it appeared, the medicinal mountain¡¯s life force and Heaven and Earth Force would be reduced. Therefore, over the long years, she had been trying to solve the problem of this barrier. However, she didn¡¯t expect that the barrier which made her helpless would actually dissipate so easily under Xiao Ba¡¯s hands! The medicinal fragrance came with the wind. Chu Liuyue took a deep breath. The fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose and refreshed her heart. Her lips curled up slightly as she looked at the main hall. ¡°Is this medicinal mountain yours?¡± Chapter 2475 - 2475 Shocking Change! 2475 Shocking Change! This medicinal mountain had always been under Eighth Deity¡¯s control. Everyone tacitly agreed that it was Shu Jing¡¯s territory, but now, she was completely oppressed at the medicinal mountain! This scene caused everybody to be taken aback, and they could not recover their senses for a long time. ¡°H-how did this happen? The medicinal mountain¡­ is different from before?¡± ¡°No! This is the medicinal mountain¡¯s original appearance! However, 10,000 years have passed, and not many people have seen what the medicinal mountain looked like back then. Thus, nobody talked about it¡­¡± ¡°Thinking about it closely, Eighth¡ªno, Shu Jing has been in charge of the medicinal mountain for so many years, but she didn¡¯t seem to have done anything.¡± ¡°Anyway, this is my first time seeing such a vibrant medicinal mountain¡­ That Xiao Ba is probably¡ª¡± All sorts of discussions were heard. Actually, at this point, who couldn¡¯t guess that Xiao Ba was actually the Eighth Deity!? But if she was the Eighth Deity, what was going on with Shu Jing? ¡°Seventh Deity,¡± Chu Liuyue said nonchalantly. In the main hall, Jin Yunlai¡¯s heart shuddered. Almost instantly, he realized that Chu Liuyue was not calling him but¡ª Peng! Golden fireworks bloomed at the position near Xiao Ba¡¯s name on the Record of the Million Gods! Qi Han¡¯s name suddenly appeared! The crowd instinctively looked at Qi Han and saw the same totem appear on his brows! His leg moved. Far away, the Star Path outside the entrance suddenly exploded with bright lights! In the dark sky, the countless Xuan formations became stars. They shone brightly and seemed like a galaxy that spread across. At that moment, the entire Fantasy Divine Palace seemed to be illuminated. Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression was pale. Even I can¡¯t control all the Xuan formations on the Star Path so easily! However, this seems as easy as ABC to Qi Han! Chu Liuyue lifted her chin and continued to ask, ¡°Is this Star Path yours?¡± Her voice was as light as the wind, but it contained strong suppression. Every single word was like thunder that exploded in the crowd¡¯s hearts. Everyone was stunned by the scene before them. If some people were still doubtful about the previous situation at the medicinal mountain, then now¡­ They had no explanation! Qi Han¡­ was the Seventh Deity! However, Chu Liuyue did not stop. She suddenly raised her hands, and her gaze calmly swept across. An extremely faint red mark appeared on the back of her hand. In the main hall, when she previously tried to produce a Yuan instrument to become a deity, she was distracted and burned by a broken lightning bolt. Actually, that bit of pain was not much to her, but it hurt. Even if the scar was about to fade away, she still recalled the intense prick at that moment. However, she didn¡¯t know if what hurt was her hand or¡­ something else. She smiled and raised her hand. Her soft and thin hand was like a leek and also a piece of superior jade that captured one¡¯s heart. Then, she lightly tapped the space. Boom! A loud sound suddenly whirred, but this sound came from the lightning pool! ¡°Oh no!¡± Mu Dongyou suddenly realized something, and he rapidly rushed out. His figure was like a sharp sword that pierced through the air and went straight for the lightning pool. However¡­ it was too late! A large and burly figure already arrived above the lightning pool. At this point, he raised his hammer, pointed it at the gigantic lightning pool, and smashed toward it! The totem flashed on his forehead. As he moved, his firm muscles almost burst his clothes! This hammer contained tons of force as it landed heavily! The low impact sound of the hammer almost smashed the crowd¡¯s hearts! Following this, the sound of something breaking was heard. Mu Dongyou was shocked. The seal above the lightning pool was actually broken with this hammer! Whoosh! Below it, countless sparkling lightning bolts struggled free and started surging around crazily! Mu Dongyou felt intensely uneasy. A long spear suddenly appeared in his palm. Without thinking, he directly struck out! A sharp ear-piercing sound was heard. Shocking force approached and was about to reach! However, Si Jing did not seem worried at all. He did not even turn around. When the spear was above to pierce through his chest, he finally moved! He lifted his hammer and hurled it harshly! Clang! The spear hit that hammer! After a crisp sound, that long spear was directly thrown out! Siu¡­ choo! That long spear was forcefully swiped away and pierced into the lightning pool that hadn¡¯t been unsealed completely. Kacha! A few broken lines started spreading toward the surroundings with the spear in the middle. The giant formation was slowly unsealed! More and more lightning bolts surged up. From afar, it was overwhelming! Mu Dongyou¡¯s chest felt tight, and his entire person was dazed. He had guarded the lightning pool for 10,000 years, so he always felt that he knew every single space and every single lightning bolt here very well. It was only now that he realized he was ridiculously wrong! ¡°Hehe! Luckily, you haven¡¯t discovered the treasure I hid underneath here.¡± Si Jing laughed, and his tiger-like eyes burned with combat intent! Then, he landed his hammer again! Splash¡ª Once this was done, the entire lightning pool overturned! A spark of golden light suddenly flashed across. Following that, more and more silver and golden lightning bolts surged out from below! It was the lightning bolts contained in the deepest rocks of the lightning pool! ¡°Rise!¡± Si Jing raised his hammer high, and countless lightning bolts gathered and rushed to the skies! Like floodgates opening, they pierced through the skies and went straight for Chu Liuyue! She took a step forward and looked at the magnificent Fantasy Divine Hall. The corner of her lips curled up, but her voice was extremely cold. ¡°Is this lightning pool yours?!¡± Chapter 2476 - 2476 Open Door! 2476 Open Door! There was no interrogation more authoritative than this one! This was because the scenes that were unveiled in front of the crowd were the truth! Si Jing turned around and looked at the Record of the Million Gods. On it, the light glowed brightly and revealed his name! He was the true Fourth Deity! ¡­ Medicinal mountain! Star Path! Lightning pool! Three questions showed her authority! Nobody answered, but everyone already had a choice. As they looked at that blurred figure, even Fan Yunxiao and the rest within the main hall couldn¡¯t help but have their expressions change. How are we supposed to handle the current situation?! ¡­ The golden and silver bolts of lightning intertwined, like galaxies landing! Countless bright lights fought to head toward Chu Liuyue. As if passing through a distant spacetime and finally meeting, they reminisced about countless things. When they came, they were clearly ferocious. But when they truly reached her, they became gentle and careful. Chu Liuyue looked down and smiled slightly. No wonder¡­ It¡¯s no wonder those lightning bolts were extremely intimate with me when I went into the lightning pool previously, even secretly helping me. They were originally mine! Even if they hadn¡¯t seen each other for too, too long, they could still directly recognize who she was. The few golden bolts of lightning seemed more daring, and they lightly touched her arm. Some of them circled around her waist. She smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to hit my waist now.¡± The few bolts around the waist reluctantly moved, but probably because they were reluctant, they still circled around her. From afar, her entire person looked wrapped in lightning. The next moment, a black shield appeared in her hands. It was dark and heavy, and many mysterious patterns were engraved on it. Chu Liuyue looked down, and her gaze swept across the floor. Then, those lightning bolts seemed to be summoned and crazily surged downward! Pilihuala! An intensely ear-piercing sound of refinement was heard. Upon seeing this, many people were suddenly stunned. What is she¡­ planning to do? That black shield seems like a holy weapon¡ª ¡°Holy Jade of Chaos!¡± Someone in the surrounding crowd outside the door gasped. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the missing piece of the Holy Jade of Chaos?!¡± Not many people actually knew of this. Hence, when they saw this scene, many people were shocked. Lady Shiyi¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. Lady Shi¡¯er was also very anxious as she went on her toes to look. As she looked around, she couldn¡¯t help but touch her brows. ¡°Sister, where¡¯s mine? Where¡¯s mine?¡± Fourth Brother and the rest have bloodline totems. We should have one as well, right?¡± Lady Shiyi suddenly pulled her hands and ran. ¡°Ow¡ª¡± Lu Feng yelled after them and wanted to chase them. However, he suddenly felt an invisible force swipe across him. He was dazed for a moment and raised his hand. In the air, an inch-long green light glowed faintly and entered his palm. It disappeared instantly. He suddenly realized something and looked in a certain direction. Big Brother¡¯s barrier has already extended until here?! But during that moment, Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er had already run to the Fantasy Divine Hall. Ruan Jianfeng was originally watching the scene in shock. When he heard them running over, he immediately turned around. When he saw these two women rushing toward him, he knitted his brows as annoyance and cruelty flashed across his eyes. Chu Liuyue is problematic, and her subordinates are the same! I have to settle them as soon as possible! Once he thought of this, Ruan Jianfeng took action without hesitation and hurled out holy force. However, this holy force suddenly stopped before it reached them. A red-golden ball of fire flew over at some point and directly burned it! The more important thing was that after the fireball blocked that impact, it did not leave and directly went toward Ruan Jianfeng! Ruan Jianfeng was unprepared, and his hand directly burned! He moved a few steps back in shock. Why does the suppression of this red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s fire seem stronger than before? He was originally an existence above legendary warriors. Logically speaking, he would not be burned so easily by this fire. But before he could think about it carefully, he heard a distinguished and nonchalant voice sound out. ¡°How dare you offend the Eleventh Deity and Twelfth Deity!?¡± Once she said this, two balls of fire burned in the Record of the Million Gods! Following that, the names of the two ladies appeared together! Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er were enveloped by the bright light on their foreheads! The next moment, the two of them had crossed Ruan Jianfeng and went straight for the Holy Jade of Chaos! ¡°Master!¡± The two of them were in sync as they stood on both sides of the Holy Jade of Chaos. They looked at the figure before them with bright eyes. Chu Liuyue flicked her wrist, and the Celestial Shield flew out, floating above the Holy Jade of Chaos! Then, a scroll appeared in her hand¡ªit was the Flying Cloud Painting! She raised her arm the next moment, and the Flying Cloud Painting landed in Lady Shiyi¡¯s hands. ¡°Merge!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lady Shiyi acknowledged the order. Shua! The Flying Cloud Painting opened! Intensely bright lights rapidly flew out. Lady Shiyi brushed her hand across it. A crystallized light flew out and merged with the Celestial Shield! Chu Liuyue threw out the Great Azure Sun Axe. ¡°Merge again!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lady Shi¡¯er was nervous and excited as she clutched the Great Azure Sun Axe tightly and squeezed it lightly. Another ray of light flew out. However, this was not enough. Seeing that it refused to land and merge with the Celestial Shield and the Holy Jade of Chaos, Chu Liuyue suddenly looked up at the edge of the skies. Over there, the Heaven Gate was tightly shut. ¡°Wu Yao! Open the door!¡± Chapter 2477 - 2477 Gathered 2477 Gathered A voice sounded. At some point, Wu Yao¡ªwho had already reached the Heaven Gate¡ªimmediately acknowledged the order. ¡°Yes!¡± Then, his legs moved, and he went straight for the Heaven Gate. At this point, Eleventh Deity Qiu Tong was still standing guard here. Everything that previously happened caused him to be completely stunned. He only recovered his senses when he saw Wu Yao approaching. For some reason, he became nervous. ¡°How dare you! What are you trying to do?!¡± Wu Yao crossed his arms, and his knuckles made crisp noises. He chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I have to do?¡± Qiu Tong¡¯s throat went dry, and his entire body tensed up. ¡°The Heaven Gate is still¡ª¡± Wu Yao couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him and directly stepped forward. A crystallized light instantly burst out of his forehead! Following that, the light completely covered him. Without giving Qiu Tong any chance, he hurled out a punch! Swoosh! This punch was extremely heavy! Wherever it passed, the void collapsed continuously! Large patches of black space spread across, and the turbulence was rapid! ¡°Get lost!¡± Detecting the strong force in that punch, Qiu Tong¡¯s heart harshly skipped a beat! At that moment, he felt intensely uneasy and fearful. But if he dodged at this point, he clearly could not complete his task. Hence, he could only go against him! Qiu Tong rapidly gathered all the holy force in his body and injected them crazily into his right fist. At this point, Wu Yao¡¯s intense punch had already reached his head! The shocking force was about to shred his entire person instantly! Qiu Tong was stunned. Fifteen minutes ago, this Wu Yao was just an ordinary legendary warrior. Why did he suddenly become so strong in the blink of an eye?! Without thinking much, he also hurled out a punch! Bam! A low sound caused the duo¡¯s punches to harshly smash against each other! At that moment, Qiu Tong felt that his punch had landed on an extremely hard metal wall !His entire palm turned numb. The strong impact force spread toward the surroundings, with the two of them in the center. Qiu Tong¡¯s blood rushed up, and his face rapidly flushed red! He swallowed the mouthful of intense blood in his throat. However, he didn¡¯t have any feeling in his hand and arm. This punch¡­ was too strong! As if seeing through his thoughts, Wu Yao raised his brows, licked his lips, and chuckled. ¡°Do you think I trained my punch for nothing all these years?!¡± Seeing his expression, Qiu Tong felt that it was amiss. After all, he had been the Eleventh Deity for many years and had survival instincts. Hence, the next moment, he moved backward without hesitation! However, Wu Yao was faster! His fist turned into a palm as he tightly clutched Qiu Tong¡¯s wrist! ¡°Hah, you want to run away before fighting?¡± Fat chance! Qiu Tong was shocked, and he immediately raised his leg to retaliate! Wu Yao seemed to have predicted it and kicked! Bang! Kacha! The crisp sound of bones shattering was heard. Qiu Tong¡¯s leg was presented at an extremely weird angle. Intense pain overwhelmed him. His face turned from red to white. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t endure it and spat out a mouthful of blood! But before he puked blood, Wu Yao already turned him around. This time, Qiu Tong¡¯s shoulder was directly dislocated. ¡°Pfft, how weak¡­¡± Wu Yao glanced at him in disdain. Mm¡­ Luckily, the blood didn¡¯t splatter on me. Then, he swiftly dislocated Qiu Tong¡¯s other shoulder. Of course, the shoulders were directly broken easily. ¡°I told you to get lost.¡± Wu Yao grunted as he threw him out. Then, he patted his hands and continued walking forward. He came to the Heaven Gate and raised his head. It¡¯s no wonder I felt something amiss with this gate and stared at it for so many days¡­ My own gate is naturally the most familiar one! He loosened his shoulders as he raised his hand and placed it on the Heaven Gate. Then, he used his force to push it! Creak¡ª The Heaven Gate¡ªwhich opened only once in 10,000 years¡ªwas activated in his hands! ¡­ Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and gathered her focus. Following that, a loud shout reverberated throughout the area. ¡°Come back!¡± This voice pierced through the Fantasy Divine Hall, Star Path, and went straight to the Heaven Gate! Then, it echoed throughout the God Residence Realm! ¡­ Wind blew across the many mountains. The leaves rustled, and the pines moved with the wind. Suddenly, the ground shook. The tallest mountain peak seemed to split from the middle due to an invisible force! Swoosh! A silver ray of light suddenly rushed out from the mountain and went toward the gate that opened again! ¡­ In some clan. It was silent. A few people were leaving from the ancestral hall¡ªit was as if they had just ended a ritual. But at this point, a sound came from the peak. Everyone was taken aback as they looked up. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Whoosh! An ear-piercing sound suddenly came from the ancestral hall behind the crowd. The crowd turned around in unison and saw a ray of light rush to the sky! The treasure that was hidden for many years finally came back with the sound and returned to its original position! ¡­ The same sound spread to Peach Blossom Dock. San San¡ªwho was originally lying down and looking at his account book¡ªheard the sound and was instantly taken aback. He rapidly looked outside. Then, as if without hesitation, he went directly outside. He dropped his account book on the floor and did not have time to pick it up. When the pageboy outside the gate saw this, he could not help but be shocked. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡± Before he could ask, San San¡¯s figure had departed far. The pageboy looked into the house and anxiously yelled, ¡°You didn¡¯t bring your account book!¡± San San did not even turn around. ¡°I don¡¯t want it! I don¡¯t want it!¡± The pageboy was instantly stunned and almost thought that he had misheard. Don¡¯t¡­ want? Could someone like him, who always views money as his life and thinks that the account book is more important than anything, say such words? Seeing that San San was going further and further, the pageboy chased after him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Seeing his appearance, why does he seem like he is going to directly leave Peach Blossom Dock? ¡°You still have to guard Peach Blossom Dock!¡± San San¡¯s steps were hurried. Upon hearing this, he grunted. ¡°This entire land is Master¡¯s. What does a small Peach Blossom Dock count for?¡± That was the true land in the entire world! The pageboy didn¡¯t hear him clearly. While he spoke, San San already went far away. Very quickly, Thirteen chased after him. ¡°Third Brother¡ª¡± ¡°Little Thirteen, you¡¯re already here? Quick! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± San San hurriedly waved toward him. Thirteen pressed his lips against each other and nodded affirmatively. Then, the two of them ran in a certain direction. Very quickly, they arrived before Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier. Yu Jiu was waiting here. Seeing the two of them come, he looked elated. ¡°That was¡ª¡± Master¡¯s voice! San San rubbed his face and stepped across the barrier. ¡°Back to the Fantasy Divine Palace!¡± Chapter 2478 - 2478 Return Me What You Owe! 2478 Return Me What You Owe! Swoosh! A ray of light swiftly reached the Heaven Gate. Without the slightest hesitation, it went to the Holy Jade of Chaos in the sky. Lady Shiyi raised her head to look, and the ray of light landed in her hand. It was also one of the top ten holy weapons! She swiftly put away the holy weapon, emitting a ray of light into the Celestial Shield. Lady Shi¡¯er¡ªwho was opposite her¡ªwas not idle either. She continued merging the few holy weapons in Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand! When the spectating crowd saw this scene, they were stunned. ¡°¡­So she was summoning the ten holy weapons just now?¡± someone muttered in the silent crowd. This¡­ This is too domineering! She is going to completely merge the Celestial Shield¡¯s force and combine it with the Holy Jade of Chaos? She even¡­ forcefully opened the Heaven Gate for this! The crowd was shocked. Many rays of light continuously arrived outside the Heaven Gate! At this point, the Celestial Shield was already covered in the light. Chu Liuyue took out her Heavenly Square Cauldron. She looked down slightly and focused on it for a moment. She lightly patted it. This was her first holy weapon. Back then, Zi Chen was still sealed within. She suddenly thought of something and looked at the Fantasy Divine Hall. Rong Xiu¡¯s figure could be clearly seen. Their eyes met. That moment was more than a thousand words. Her lips curled up at a light angle as she looked at Zi Chen. She and Zi Chen had a telepathic connection, so the moment she looked over, he looked up. Then, his thin lips pressed against each other as he lightly nodded. Chu Liuyue smiled with deeper meaning. To send the Heavenly Square Cauldron to my hands, that person¡­ had spent so much effort. Back then, she had once asked Zi Chen who sealed him in the Heavenly Square Cauldron. However, he never gave an answer because he couldn¡¯t clearly recall the other party¡¯s appearance. But now¡­ She finally understood. If that person was the strongest in the world, sealing a legendary three-eyed eagle or even stealing one¡¯s memories were very simple tasks. Hiding behind the false and true memories was all part of his plan. He had already made all of these preparations a thousand years ago, or even longer? Chu Liuyue lightly heaved a sigh of relief. It turns out he didn¡¯t just plan my life. At this point, Rong Xiu suddenly raised his hand. The Sharp-Edged Halberd flew out! Chu! With this sound, a crystallized light flew out and merged with the Celestial Shield! Then, Chu Liuyue pushed her palm! Whir! The Heavenly Square Cauldron let out a whir, and light burst out! At this point, all the holy weapons had returned! The Celestial Shield was already completely covered in the bright light. The patterns were mysterious and complicated. Taking another look at it would cause one to be dizzy. ¡°Stand back,¡± said Chu Liuyue lightly. Upon hearing this, Lady Shiyi and Lady Shi¡¯er retreated quite a distance. At this point, the intensely warm red-golden fire burned around the Holy Jade of Chaos. The Celestial Shield floated in the air and was only a few inches away from the dent below. As the fire burned, it became even hotter. There were sparks that descended occasionally, like the remnants of fireworks in the dark sky. The intense and extreme colors complemented each other and charmed everyone. Chu Liuyue stepped forward. She was originally standing above the Holy Jade of Chaos. With her move, she arrived at the centermost position. The Celestial Shield was right by her feet. Then, she stepped on it! Boom! The Celestial Shield suddenly landed! At the Red Moon Desert previously, she thought that the other party wanted to snatch her Celestial Shield and refused to let go no matter what. But now¡­ She personally returned the Celestial Shield to the Holy Jade of Chaos to¡­ get back the Holy Jade of Chaos that belonged to her! At this point, endless suppression exploded beneath her feet! ¡­ Inside the main hall, everyone was watching this scene. The Divine Master¡¯s voice suddenly came. ¡°Emperor, did you help her just now?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression was nonchalant. ¡°The Sharp-Edged Halberd borrowed the Holy Jade of Chaos¡¯s force to be produced. Now that the Celestial Shield is back, this item should be returned too.¡± The Divine Master suddenly laughed. ¡°Even so, this Holy Jade of Chaos was perfectly undamaged back then. If the Emperor didn¡¯t send Tang Ke to take action, the Celestial Shield wouldn¡¯t be separated¡ª¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd was shocked. Even Su Li couldn¡¯t conceal her shock as she stared at Tang Ke. Tang Ke rubbed his nose. Actually, the Emperor personally struck the Holy Jade of Chaos to obtain the Celestial Shield. It had nothing to do with him. He just¡­ went to receive it¡­ The Emperor had chosen Peach Blossom Dock early on, and Tang Ke long knew that the Celestial Shield would descend there. Hence, when Su Li arranged for a battle with him, he chose Peach Blossom Dock. In the end, the Celestial Shield¡¯s force was still too shocking and caused him and Su Li to meet their demise. Luckily, they saved their souls and could survive. Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up into an extremely cold smile. ¡°If we didn¡¯t split out the Celestial Shield back then and reduce the Holy Jade of Chaos¡¯s force, could the divine fire continue to burn till today?¡± Once he said this, the Divine Master finally stopped speaking. Actually, they knew very clearly if this was for a personal reason or something else. However¡­ everyone had their own needs, so they fell silent. There was actually not much meaning talking about this now. Rong Xiu looked forward, and a dark glint flashed across his phoenix-like eyes. At this point, the Celestial Shield completely merged with the Holy Jade of Chaos! That figure stood above. She was thin and curvy, and her dress flowed with the wind. Her originally slim shoulders were straight and hard. Then, she moved slightly and turned around. The surrounding fires burned, and the red-golden fire jumped up. Chu Liuyue looked forward and squinted slightly. Then, her lips curled up. Swoosh! The long-sword with gold and black intertwined appeared in her hands suddenly! She raised the sword, and it dazzled. Then, the sword landed, and the winds gushed out. Splash! A divine fire burned on the white pillar! Different from before, this fire was intensely red-golden and dazzled! The next moment, a terrifyingly strong force hurled forward! Boom! The crisp and suppressive voice echoed throughout the Fantasy Divine Palace! ¡°It¡¯s time to return what you owe to me!¡± Chapter 2479 - 2479 Murder! 2479 Murder! The sword landed like lightning! The fire burned, and the winds howled. It accompanied the sword as it went straight to the Fantasy Divine Hall! A neat sword mark appeared on the ground! Rocks and dust flew everywhere! Mu Qinghe¡¯s expression changed as he flew forward and pierced his sword into the ground! Boom! The two forces hit each other harshly, and the terrifying ripples went toward the surroundings. Mu Qinghe¡¯s body shook, and he kneeled on the ground on one knee. He forcefully used that sword to support himself, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The fresh red blood splattered on the back of his hand and the sword hilt. An intense bloody smell wafted over. Seeing this scene, everyone was taken aback. As the strongest amongst the deities, the First Deity Mu Qinghe couldn¡¯t completely withstand Chu Liuyue¡¯s attack! Her current strength was clearly above that of a legendary warrior! Yu Qian stood not far away from Mu Qinghe. When he saw this, his heart beat harshly, and his entire body tensed up. If this sword landed on me¡­ My outcome would be even more miserable than Mu Qinghe! He suddenly thought of something and looked at the Record of the Million Gods. Then, he was dazed. Her name¡­ is actually not on it? The Record of the Million Gods glowed brightly. Other than Xiao Ran and the rest, Qi Han and the others¡¯ names all surfaced. Except for¡­ hers! How could this be? Yu Qian stared at the Record of the Million Gods for a long time in disbelief. There were indeed no traces related to Chu Liuyue. At this point, a low and hoarse voice came from within the hall. ¡°Shangguan Yue committed insubordination and has ill intent. Everyone in the Fantasy Divine Palace is to kill her!¡± ¡°Deities listen¡­ Kill her!¡± This command was clearly for Mu Qinghe and the rest. ¡°Yes!¡± With the command, everyone rushed out of the hall! Above the skies, many battles erupted! Even if the previous scenes caused them to have doubts and uneasiness, they could not ignore the Divine Master¡¯s order. After receiving the order, Yu Qian rushed straight to the legendary fiend mountain without hesitation! This was Fantasy Divine Palace, and it was their territory after all. Even if Chu Liuyue and the rest were capable, they were daydreaming to think that they could win here. Not to mention the rest, just those legendary fiends were hard for them to handle¡ª Just as Yu Qian was thinking, his figure suddenly paused. He looked at the legendary fiend mountain not far away, and he tightly knitted his brows. Above the mountain, a tall man stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°Hua Shuangshuang?!¡± Yu Qian and Hua Shuangshuang had some history, and the former was instinctively displeased. I didn¡¯t expect him to be waiting here. Seeing him arrive, Hua Shuangshuang laughed out loud. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Yu Qian tugged at his lips coldly. ¡°What, are you waiting to snatch the legendary fiend mountain?¡± Hua Shuangshuang raised his brows. ¡°This is my master¡¯s. I¡¯m just getting it back, so how am I ¡®snatching¡¯ it?¡± Yu Qian¡¯s heart beat wildly. Actually, they had already faintly guessed Chu Liuyue¡¯s identity. With Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s words, they confirmed their guesses. This battle is unavoidable! Yu Qian hollered, ¡°Fiends listen! Immediately kill Hua Shuangshuang!¡± With this command, the many fiends on the legendary fiend mountain rapidly gathered and rushed to the mountain peak. The sky was gloomy, and with the lush greenery of the forest, one could only see black figures. The ferocious auras rapidly approached. However, Hua Shuangshuang didn¡¯t seem nervous as he calmly stood on the spot. That tiny Wind-Stepping Tiger lay on his back and glared at Yu Qian nervously and fiercely. Its voice let out threatening whimpers. A Black Bone Golden-Winged beast landed on Hua Shuangshuang¡¯s arm. Perhaps its actions were too major, but the entire legendary fiend mountain started shaking intensely! Whoosh! A golden-cloud leopard appeared on the peak first. Yu Qian looked down from above and smiled coldly. He waited for those fiends to shred Hua Shuangshuang apart. But the next moment, the scene in front of him caused him to be shocked. That was because the golden-cloud leopard did not bite Hua Shuangshuang and instead came to his feet and obediently nodded. Yu Qian¡¯s pupils shrank, and a strong sense of unease surged in his heart! Following this, more and more legendary fiends slowly appeared. Their performances were exactly the same as the golden-cloud leopard! ¡°You¡ª¡± Yu Qian was about to speak when he saw Hua Shuangshuang raise his chin. ¡°Today, all those with grievances can take revenge!¡± Once he said this, the many legendary fiends let out shrieks and flew toward Yu Qian! That Black Bone Golden-Winged Beast instantly flew toward Yu Qian! Yu Qian was aghast and infuriated. ¡°How dare you?!¡± Normally, this threat was rather useful. But at this point, it meant nothing to the legendary fiends. There were hundreds of legendary fiends that pounced toward Yu Qian. In the blink of an eye, he was completely covered. ¡°Howl¡ª¡± Hua Shuangshuang lightly patted the tiny Wind-Stepping Tiger¡¯s forehead, smiled, and said. ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to join in on this. It¡¯s the same if you watch them avenge you.¡± The young Wind-Stepping Tiger obediently lay down again. It watched the scene closely, terrified that it would miss anything exciting. As the Second Deity, Yu Qian¡¯s skills were unquestionable. If not, he wouldn¡¯t be sent to guard the legendary fiend mountain. It was a pity that he didn¡¯t care about these legendary fiends. He scolded and tortured them based on his mood. The legendary fiends had held grudges against him for a long time. Now that they could finally take revenge, they naturally did not hold themselves back! If there were only one or two, they were naturally not Yu Qian¡¯s match. But now that hundreds of them were pouncing forward and fighting him without a care, how could he handle them? Yu Qian¡¯s figure was covered, and one could not see him clearly. However, the bloody smell became increasingly heavy. Hua Shuangshuang looked up slightly at the Record of the Million Gods. His name was right at the front. ¡°You took over my place and stole my items, yet you think it¡¯s yours?¡± He lightly snorted. ¡­ Intense battles happened in every area of the Fantasy Divine Palace. At this point, San San finally brought the few of them to the Heaven Gate. He saw Wu Yao guarding the Heaven Gate at first glance. He hurriedly jogged over. ¡°Hey! Fifth Brother, we¡¯re not late, right?!¡± Wu Yao laughed out loud, walked over, and picked Qiu Tong up before throwing him away. ¡°Not late at all! Third Brother, accept this greeting gift!¡± San San immediately dodged without hesitation. Bang. Qiu Tong fell on the ground heavily. He was originally injured severely. Now that he was thrown around, there was no good part left on his body. He even felt that his broken bones had pierced into his muscles. It was so painful that he almost fainted. San San glanced at him with a look of disdain. ¡°You already handled him, and you still showed it to me? Are you looking down on your Third Brother?¡± Shi Fang glanced at him and deeply said, ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re just afraid of dirtying your hands and don¡¯t want to fight, right?¡± Chapter 2480 - 2480 You Should Return this Sword! 2480 You Should Return this Sword! San San coughed. ¡°Shi Fang, if you have the time, you should go to the medicinal mountain and see if you can help Xiao Ba.¡± Shi Fang sighed. ¡°The medicinal mountain spreads far and wide, but Eighth Sister only gave me one mountain to plant vegetables. What else can I help her with?¡± San San glanced at him. ¡°That¡¯s still your Eighth Sister! Go over quickly!¡± Shi Fang understood and immediately slipped away. Yu Jiu looked left and right. ¡°Where¡¯s Big Brother? This sword won¡¯t do. I have to find him for another one.¡± Wu Yao pointed in a certain direction. ¡°I think he¡¯s there.¡± Yu Jiu hurriedly left. San San patted Little Thirteen¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Get the account book with me!¡± As he spoke, he directly pulled him away and did not forget to remind, ¡°Fifth Brother, settle that person yourself!¡± Hearing this, Qiu Tong¡ªwho was originally dazed and about to faint¡ªinstantly woke up in shock. Then, he looked up and met Wu Yao¡¯s gaze. Wu Yao flexed his wrist as he asked slowly, ¡°What did your Master say just now? Murder us?¡± Horror flashed across Qiu Tong¡¯s eyes. Wu Yao¡¯s combat skills were far above his. Now, he had no strength to retaliate! ¡°Since this is so¡­ I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Wu Yao chuckled. ¡°Since Master wants you to return things, I¡¯ll get you to spit it out without anything left behind!¡± As he spoke, he picked Qiu Tong up by his collar and harshly smashed his forehead! Bam! Blood spurted everywhere! Qiu Tong¡¯s body was directly destroyed by Wu Yao¡¯s punch! Black smoke rapidly gathered¡ªit was Qiu Tong¡¯s soul. Wu Yao didn¡¯t even blink as he went forward and crushed him with his hands! Instantly, the winds howled. Qiu Tong¡¯s name rapidly dimmed on the Record of the Million Gods. It finally disappeared silently. Quite a few people saw this scene. ¡°The Eleventh Deity is down!¡± ¡°I-it seems like Wu Yao did it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s him! Wasn¡¯t the Eleventh Deity in charge of the Heaven Gate previously? Wu Yao forcefully opened it, so he definitely killed him!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still calling him the Eleventh Deity? Isn¡¯t it obvious who is the real deity?!¡± someone retorted. The crowd instantly fell silent. Oh yeah. If Qiu Tong and the rest were really deities, how could they fail one after another when they meet Wu Yao and the rest? Shu Jing, Mu Dongyou, Jin Yunlai¡­ All these people lost their places in the battles. Perhaps¡­ they never even belonged to them! Actually, the deities were not the most important. The key¡­ was the one in the Fantasy Divine Hall! ¡­ Medicinal mountain. Xiao Ba looked up and blinked her pretty eyes, pouted her red lips as she did so. ¡°My god¡­ Fifth Brother actually beat me to it¡­¡± Master called me first! In the end, I was busy watching the scene and forgot to settle the person. Thinking of this, she looked at Shu Jing. At this point, Shu Jing was hanging on by her last breath and didn¡¯t even have the strength to speak. Detecting Xiao Ba¡¯s gaze, her entire body tensed up. Deep terror flashed across his eyes. ¡°I originally wanted you to look for a while longer, but that doesn¡¯t seem necessary now.¡± Xiao Ba shrugged her shoulders. Master has already taken action, then¡­ repay it bit by bit! Following that, Xiao Ba hurled her palms, and a ball of fire instantly flew out! The next moment, Shu Jing¡¯s body was wrapped in the scorching fire! After a few vague painful moans, she gradually fell silent. At the same time, Shu Jing¡¯s name disappeared from the Record of the Million Gods! ¡­ Chu Liuyue looked forward. Mu Qinghe kneeled before the main hall, with his sword stuck into the ground. His face was pale, and the corner of his lips was stained with fresh red blood. He looked disheveled. She just stared at him calmly, and her gaze was composed. After a moment, she said lightly, ¡°Mu Qinghe, the last time you kneeled to me was at Tianling.¡± Mu Qinghe held the sword tightly, and he was overwhelmed by the blood. Then, he said with difficulty, ¡°I don¡¯t regret dying in my battle for the Divine Master!¡± Chu Liuyue laughed lightly. This ¡®Divine Master¡¯ isn¡¯t referring to me, but his true master. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She nodded in agreement. ¡°I misunderstood you previously. The person you followed was never me. How could you betray me?¡± Mu Qinghe did not speak. Quite a few people heard this and were all stunned. Mu Qinghe¡­ seems to be really related to her? Shangguan Jing and the rest, who knew what happened, had complicated expressions. At this point, what was there not to understand? From the very beginning, Mu Qinghe was the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s person! Chu Liuyue squinted slightly, as if recalling something. Then, the corner of her lips curled up. ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t coincidental that you appeared in the bustling streets of Tianling¡¯s Imperial City, right?¡± Mu Qinghe looked down and stared at the ground before him. The pool of blood slowly spread around. A bone-chilling coldness attacked him and covered him. ¡°But since you came for the music score, why must you spend so much effort? You even had to pretend that you didn¡¯t know how to read or write and learn it bit by bit next to me.¡± That wasn¡¯t all. Chu Liuyue silently thought. At the very beginning, he couldn¡¯t even pick up a brush. It was clear that he was clumsy and nervous. She patiently taught him quite a few times. Seeing him finally writing the ¡®Yue¡¯ word in a slanted manner, she was still happy for a very long time. Thinking about it now, it was just a show that he put up with much difficulty. ¡°Actually, you didn¡¯t have to pretend to be so clumsy back then.¡± Chu Liuyue smiled slightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you find it annoying that someone repeatedly taught you something you had already learned?¡± Mu Qinghe closed his eyes. As he was exerting a lot of force, his knuckles turned white. After a long time, he opened his eyes and carefully said, ¡°Why bring up the past?¡± Chu Liuyue tilted her head, and force surged on the Nether Star Sword! ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a matter of the past, and there¡¯s no need to bring it up. But back then, I really spent a lot of time and energy on you. Thinking back about it, I find it rather a pity. I¡¯ll slowly get back what your master owes me. Now, return what you owe me first!¡± As she spoke, she raised her sword again! The second fire burned on the white jade pillars! Her sword¡¯s suppression was clearly much stronger than before! The light reflected in her eyes brightly! Swoosh! The sword landed! The sword aura slashed across, and it was harsh! Mu Qinghe blocked the attack! Ka! The sword in his hands broke into pieces! Then, his body fell backward uncontrollably. Following this, the sword aura suddenly tilted and pierced across his right leg! A bowl-sized wound instantly appeared! One could see his white bones! ¡°This is what you owe Tuan Zi!¡± Chapter 2481 - 2481 Summon 2481 Summon Bam! Mu Qinghe¡¯s knee landed on the ground heavily. Without hesitation, Chu Liuyue sent out her second sword. This sword aura was instant, and it broke his right leg this time! He kneeled there, forcefully supporting his body. Blood spread across and quickly formed a dark-red patch. ¡°First Deity!¡± When Sang Bai saw this, he was frightened. In their memories, Mu Qinghe had always been strong. Even though the Second Deity, Yu Qian, had guarded the Fantasy Divine Palace for him for many years, he did not dare to defy him. Mu Qinghe told him to kneel for three whole days and nights, and he did it. He did not dare to say ¡®no.¡¯ Who would¡¯ve thought that Chu Liuyue would directly crush him to the point he could not retaliate!? Sang Bai was anxious. Without hesitation, he rushed over. But at this point, a voice came from not far away. ¡°Little Thirteen! Block him!¡± Swoosh! Before Sang Bai could react, another person appeared beside him. He hurriedly looked over. The person before him was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old. He had a clean look with long limbs, but his surrounding aura was very strong and could not be ignored! Sang Bai suddenly realized something as he suddenly glanced at the Record of the Million Gods. On it, a name slowly appeared: Thirteen! This young man is¡­. ¡°Master wants to clear her debts with Mu Qinghe. How dare other people intervene?¡± San San slowly walked over, sized Sang Bai up, and chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to have my master take action against you. Little Thirteen, he took your position. Just settle him!¡± Thirteen nodded and struck without hesitation! At this point, their bloodline powers were already awakened. Hence, they had no issues dealing with someone like Sang Bai. This concerned their master, so Thirteen acted especially swiftly. Helpless, Sang Bai could only fight against him. However, how was he Thirteen¡¯s match? Thirteen¡¯s punch was fast, and his movement technique was quick! He did not even give Sang Bai a chance to retaliate. In no time, he was already disadvantaged. At this point, a shriek came from the legendary fiend mountain. ¡°Roar!¡± The sound came with the howls of legendary fiends! With these roars, Yu Qian¡¯s name immediately disappeared from the Record of the Million Gods! Second Deity Yu Qian was destroyed! San San looked up and grunted before he told Thirteen, ¡°Little Thirteen, deal with it yourself. I¡¯ll go over first. Second Brother has already ended, but I haven¡¯t even taken action.¡± Thirteen acknowledged him and continued fighting with Sang Bai. During that time, San San walked for a distance and saw a person walking out of the main hall. He squinted his eyes and glanced at him. As if detecting his gaze, that person looked over. The two people¡¯s eyes met. ¡°It¡¯s you, right?¡± asked San San. Fan Yunxiao knitted his brows. At this point, Yan Ge suddenly walked out from the main hall, saw San San, and immediately said, ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s him!¡± San San coldly snorted. ¡°I knew that you had an unbearable coppy smell!¡± Yan Ge¡¯s lips twitched. Sir, what right do you have to say that¡­ But seeing that San San was about to take action, he sensibly swallowed his words. He cleared his throat. ¡°When you¡¯re done, come to me and take the account book away!¡± If the Emperor didn¡¯t get me to be in charge of this, I wouldn¡¯t want to see such a thick account book every day! I¡¯m frustrated from looking at it! San San¡¯s eyes instantly lit up as he rubbed his hands enthusiastically. ¡°Come, come! Show me how capable you are as someone who has been in the Third Deity position for such a long time!¡± ¡­ Yu Jiu moved in the direction pointed out by Wu Yao and came to the yard. ¡°Big Brother?!¡± He pushed open one of the doors with his gut feeling. Cen Yi was indeed inside. Yu Jiu was elated. ¡°Big Brother, I¡ªhm? This is¡­¡± As he spoke, he saw a sandbox before Cen Yi from the corner of his eyes. He widened his eyes slightly, and shock flashed across his face. ¡°This is¡­ the Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s sandbox?¡± The sandbox was made according to a specific ratio, and it was replicated precisely. The mountains, the rivers, the houses, and the trees were exactly the same as the Fantasy Divine Palace. At this point, green rays of light covered the entire sandbox! Cen Yi looked over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yu Jiu: ¡°Big Brother¡­ At this time, it¡¯s not suitable for me to continue using this broken wooden sword, right?¡± As he spoke, he shook the wooden sword in his hands. Cen Yi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. You should change to another one.¡± Yu Jiu was ecstatic. But before he could speak, Cen Yi continued, ¡°However, your sword isn¡¯t with me.¡± Yu Jiu was instantly dazed. ¡°Then¡­ where is it?¡± Cen Yi looked calm and composed. ¡°Fantasy Divine Sea.¡± ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re¡­ kidding, right?¡± Yu Jiu¡¯s expression stiffened. The Fantasy Divine Sea is huge! How troublesome would it be to find a sword?! However, Cen Yi already looked at that sandbox. ¡°Before I seal the Fantasy Divine Sea, you better hurry.¡± Yu Jiu¡¯s mouth twitched. Big Brother clearly controls the Fantasy Divine Sea, so he definitely knows the whereabouts of my sword. Why must I go over? Cen Yi didn¡¯t look up.¡±I don¡¯t have time.¡± Yu Jiu: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Seeing that Cen Yi continued, Yu Jiu clenched his teeth and went toward the Fantasy Divine Sea without hesitation! At this point, a person rushed out from the Fantasy Divine Sea and arrived at the Heaven Gate¡ªit was Bi Ling. Chapter 2482 - 2482 Wait and See 2482 Wait and See She had always guarded the depths of the Fantasy Divine Sea. When she detected that something was wrong with Fantasy Divine Palace, she then came out. In the end, she was directly stunned because the Heaven Gate actually opened again! And¡­ the person guarding it was no longer Qiu Tong but another man! Bi Ling¡¯s gaze rapidly scanned Wu Yao, and she became increasingly shocked. This man is very strong! ¡°Who are you? How dare you be impetuous at the Heaven Gate!?¡± Her expression was icy cold as she angrily berated him. Wu Yao crossed his arms and leaned against the Heaven Gate. When Bi Ling came up, he already noticed her and was not surprised. Upon hearing this, he lazily rolled his eyes and laughed. ¡°Hah, I was thinking there was a person missing. So you¡¯re here. However, it¡¯s not bad that you can send yourself over.¡± Bi Ling¡¯s expression became angrier. At this point, a loud sound suddenly came from the Fantasy Divine Palace! Boom! She instinctively looked up, and her eyes shrunk! Since when was the divine fire in the Fantasy Divine Hall extinguished? Countless silver bolts of lightning rushed up from the lightning pool in the dark sky and surged toward an area! The previous sound originated from there! ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Her face was filled with shock, and she didn¡¯t know what to say. The scene before her had long exceeded her imagination. I just didn¡¯t come up for a while. Why¡­ Wu Yao looked over, stroked his chin, and kindly explained, ¡°Hm? Your Fourth Deity is about to fall.¡± At this point, a black hammer suddenly smashed at that halo harshly! Wu Yao snorted. Fourth Brother is throwing his temper. Following that, Bi Ling personally saw Mu Dongyou¡¯s name rapidly dim and disappear from the bright Record of the Million Gods! This hammer indeed directly took his life! She was frightened and instinctively felt coldness spread throughout her limbs. Then, almost without hesitation, she turned around to escape! Fantasy Divine Palace is extremely dangerous now! Wu Yao grunted and immediately whipped out a barrier to stop her! ¡°You¡¯re dreaming if you think that you can leave now.¡± At this point, Yu Jiu rushed over. Wu Yao asked, ¡°Jiu, what are you doing?¡± Yu Jiu helplessly explained, ¡®Big Brother told me to retrieve my sword from the Fantasy Divine Sea.¡± As he spoke, he glanced over. ¡°Hm? Fifth Brother, are you going for a double kill?¡± Wu Yao originally wanted to leave her for the rest. Once he heard this, he was elated. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± There were a total of 13 people. Other than Mu Qinghe and Mo Shiqian¡ªwho was already dead¡ªthere wasn¡¯t even one person left for each of them! He really could not miss such a big chance. Bi Ling was instantly stunned. Double kill? Could it be¡ª Without waiting for her to think, Wu Yao already took action! She immediately hurled her whip! Slap! An extremely loud ear-piercing sound was heard, but the next moment, the long whip suddenly cut through the harsh sword aura! Yu Jiu threw his wooden sword over. ¡°Fifth Brother, count me as half the kill!¡± As he spoke, he disappeared outside the Heaven Gate. Wu Yao couldn¡¯t help but scold in a smiling manner, ¡°This kid is really calculative!¡± However, he did not stop and hurled a punch toward Bi Ling! ¡­ Almost at the same time, two names disappeared from the Record of the Million Gods. Sang Bai! Bi Ling! Si Jing touched his hammer. ¡°Oh, Little Thirteen is quite amazing. He¡¯s even faster than Third Brother. However, Wu Yao is also very cunning. He took advantage of the Heaven Gate and took down two people.¡± He loosened his shoulders. If I didn¡¯t have to guard the lightning pool, I would¡¯ve attained the double kill! ¡­ At this point, Jin Yunlai was not in a better situation. His path was blocked by Qi Han. The two of them fell into a stalemate. Qi Han stared at him, and his voice was cold. ¡°I wanted to give you an easy time at the Star Path, but it seems like there¡¯s no such need. It¡¯s fine however you die, but it¡¯s not good if you dirty the Star Path.¡± This was undoubtedly an utter humiliation for Jin Yunlai. He clenched his teeth. ¡°Do you think you can casually decide my life and death just because you can control the Star Path? Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve also guarded the Star Path for 10,000 years!¡± ¡°Do you want me to expose how you completed the Star Path?¡± Qi Han swiftly interrupted him. ¡°Without your master¡¯s help, you would still be stuck outside that Fantasy Divine Hall, right?¡± Jin Yunlai¡¯s expression instantly turned pale. That was right. That was the secret he buried at the bottommost part of his heart. After the great battle back then, the 13 deities met their demise. The Divine Master planned to reselect the deities, but nobody passed the Star Path. In the end, the Divine Master took the initiative to choose him. With that person¡¯s help, he finished the Star Path and successfully became the Seventh Deity. Everyone thought that he used his own skills to get to his current position, but in actual fact, he knew clearly¡­ that it was not the case! However, he did not expect Qi Han to see through it. ¡°You¡¯re probably not the only one who became a deity with such methods, right?¡± Qi Han¡¯s expression was icy cold. Although it was a question, his tone was affirmative. Jin Yunlai¡¯s body trembled slightly. Swoosh! Qi Han took action, and many Xuan formations flew out, completely wrapping around Jin Yunlai and killing him! ¡°If you don¡¯t have the skill, don¡¯t stay in that position.¡± As Qi Han¡¯s voice landed, Jin Yunlai¡¯s name disappeared from the Record of the Million Gods! In no time, Ruan Jianfeng had lost to Lu Feng. Almost at the same time, Thirteen killed Xi Yan and became the second person who attained a double kill after Wu Yao. Soon after, Qi Han also settled Jiu Long. Thus, San San was the last person. When he finally crushed Fan Yunxiao¡¯s head, he looked up and was instantly defeated. ¡°Why is everyone so fast?¡± They didn¡¯t give me face at all¡­ Thirteen came to him. ¡°Third Brother, Big Brother already told you previously to cultivate more¡­¡± San San touched his nose. ¡°Ahem, your Third Brother isn¡¯t good at this. Everyone has their own qualities, right?¡± As he spoke, he looked at Yan Ge. ¡°Where¡¯s the thing?¡± Yan Ge flicked his wrist, and an account book flew to San San. San San caught the item. Then, he could not help but touch the cover. ¡°It¡¯s really the same as before¡­¡± Thirteen suddenly asked softly, ¡°Third Brother, do you think Master will kill Mu Qinghe?¡± ¡­ Actually, this was the question in many people¡¯s hearts. Countless pairs of eyes looked over. At this point, Mu Qinghe¡¯s legs were injured as he kneeled on the floor in blood. Chu Liuyue held the sword with hand and stood quietly, but her gaze suddenly turned to the side. Hong Yao was lying on Tuan Zi¡¯s chest and seemed to have run out of tears from crying. Detecting Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze, it looked up with eyes filled with misery. Swoosh! Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword slashed down! The sword aura was sharp and directly nailed Mu Qinghe¡¯s right hand to the ground! ¡°This sword is for what you did back then.¡± She coldly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to write my name.¡± Mu Qinghe lay on the floor with his head lowered. He curled his fingers slightly. ¡°Wait and see,¡± muttered Chu Liuyue softly. The next moment, she walked toward the Fantasy Divine Hall! Chapter 2483 - 2483 Welcome Back, Goddess Yue 2483 Welcome Back, Goddess Yue At this point, only Mu Qinghe was left amongst the 13 deities in Fantasy Divine Palace. However, he was already covered in wounds and was hanging on by his last breath. He was just a step away from death. Chu Liuyue held her sword and walked toward the main hall step by step. The surrounding ground had bloodstains and looked very messy. As she slowly walked up, the fires burned consecutively on the white jade pillars around her. This was the true power of the Divine Master! The fires leaped, and Chu Liuyue¡¯s surrounding aura strengthened again! Detecting the terrifying suppression that slowly exuded from her, the surrounding crowd outside the door gradually felt their chest tighten. They found it hard to breathe and slowly moved back. Seeing the thin figure slowly walking out of the flames, countless people were shocked. Isn¡¯t she strong enough? Even Mu Qinghe couldn¡¯t finish three moves under her. Why is she becoming stronger? Where exactly is her limit?! ¡­ Zi Chen was originally looking at Chu Liuyue. Suddenly, he felt that the tiny person in his hands had strange changes. He looked down. With this look, he was directly stunned. Tuan Zi¡¯s body is seemingly becoming warmer slowly? Even the greenish-black aura around her brows seemed to dissipate. He instinctively stretched out and touched her small face. It¡¯s indeed warm! Zi Chen¡¯s heart beat quickly. He then suddenly thought of something, and his expression was shocked. Could it be¡­ He suddenly looked up. That ball of red-golden fire is still burning on the Holy Jade of Chaos intensely, and it even seems¡­ stronger than before? At this point, five fires on the white jade pillars were lit up! Tuan Zi¡¯s injuries were quickly healing and forming scabs! Hong Yao also detected something. It stared at Tuan Zi closely and did not dare to move. Following that, the sixth, seventh, eighth! Chu Liuyue walked past Mu Qinghe. Her surroundings were filled with an intense murderous aura. Mu Qinghe moved his body, as if he wanted to stand up and take a look. However, he still stopped all his actions. Increasingly more blood flowed from his body. When the ninth fire was lit up, Tuan Zi¡¯s face finally became a little rosy. Her feet, bones, and muscles regrew and connected. Chu Liuyue came before the stairs. Then, she walked onto the staircase. Swoosh! The tenth fire lit up with the sound! When she placed her feet on the staircase, the three water droplets in her body moved in unison! This time, it was much stronger than any time before! Chu Liuyue continued upwards When the eleventh fire was lit up, a water droplet suddenly smashed the other water droplet¡ª It merged! She walked up the nine flights of stairs. When she reached the last step, 12 fires lit up together! The third water droplet merged as well! The circular and iridescent water droplet quietly floated in her dantian. Tremendously shocking force moved continuously! Chu Liuyue stood still and arrived before the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s entrance! At this point, more than half of Tuan Zi¡¯s injuries were healed, and a bright light shone on her glabella. Zi Chen¡¯s throat became a little dry. He tightened his palm and stared at her closely. Chu Liuyue held her breath in. Then, she lightly sighed. This sigh was very light. It flowed with the wind and instantly covered the entire Fantasy Divine Palace! Swoosh! The 13th fire finally lit up! The fires burned brightly in the world! At the same time, countless fires emerged and wrapped around Tuan Zi¡¯s body! Then, Tuan Zi suddenly opened her eyes! At the same time, a suppression that came from the distant ancient times overwhelmed her. Countless legendary fiends kneeled on the ground and shrieked in unison to announce their absolute submission! ¡°She actually achieved rebirth in the fire and opened her ninth meridian!¡± Miao Zhen muttered in shock. Then, he finally realized something. ¡°Could it be that they don¡¯t have a master-servant agreement, but¡­¡± An entwined fate contract! The next moment, Tuan Zi suddenly flew out of Zi Chen¡¯s arms. The fire wrapped around her, and she turned into her true form! Her large wings were coupled with scorching waves that came over! Screech! A phoenix cry instantly reverberated throughout the Fantasy Divine Hall! It was holy and distinguished! That was¡­ the absolute suppression the legendary fiend that guarded the Fantasy Divine Hall would have! On Phoenix Mountain, the Heaven-Wrecking Holy Seed had grown its ninth leaf! Whoosh¡ª Endless Heaven and Earth Force forces surged toward Chu Liuyue! At this moment, that water droplet finally turned into a book of transparent music scores. Shing! A clear zither sound came out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s body! Swoosh! She straightened her body and pointed forward. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn!¡± The clear and forceful voice echoed throughout the hall! Finally, that blurred figure gradually became clear. Following that, a low and hoarse voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯ve also been waiting for you for a long time.¡± The moment the figure said this, a God Realm that was mixed with silver and red rushed out suddenly! Chu Liuyue was shocked! That aura is exactly the same as my God Realm! At this point, a shocking commotion erupted in the God Residence Realm! The damaged black Holy Bodies flew out from everywhere and headed toward the Fantasy Divine Hall! Chu Liuyue was overwhelmed! A face gradually surfaced in the mirror at Peach Blossom Dock. Beautiful, peerless, a cold gaze, and a unique elegance. However, that pair of eyes came from the night millions of years ago! ¡°Welcome back, Goddess Yue.¡± Chapter 2484 - 2484 Evil Spirit 2484 Evil Spirit Welcome back, Goddess Yue. . This sentence came from the figure that was slowly becoming clearer. It was still a low and hoarse voice. When Chu Liuyue heard it, it sent chills down her spine. What does¡­ this mean?The other party was waiting for me to return to the Fantasy Divine Hall?! But¡ª Countless thoughts flashed across her mind. At this point, the damaged black Holy Bodies turned into rays of light that flew from outside the Heaven Gate and gathered. That figure slowly revealed its clear appearance. That person was wearing a black robe with a gigantic hat that covered their appearance, and one could not see them carefully. However, Chu Liuyue looked at it and found the figure extremely familiar. They¡­ clearly looked at me! When she saw the other party¡¯s God Realm with red and silver intertwined, her heart beat intensely. An extremely ridiculous guess surged into her mind, and she could not remove it. The eruption of that battle 10,000 years ago was very sudden. That time, she was the Divine Master. The two High Priests and the 13 Deities guarded the Fantasy Divine Palace, and everything was normal. Suddenly, someone attacked the Fantasy Divine Hall one day. Without any warning, that person just appeared. That person¡¯s disguise was like today¡¯s¡ªthe person covered themself securely. Even though she had attacked the other party and fought for a long time, she did not see the other party¡¯s appearance. The other party seemed to have prepared for a long time, and they knew all of her lethal moves and skills like the back of their hand. The more shocking thing was that a relatively significant portion of the Fantasy Divine Palace had already submitted to them. However, this matter was done very discreetly, so she didn¡¯t notice. In the final battle¡­ They fought intensely, causing Yi Ling to burn itself and destroy more than half the Fantasy Divine Hall. However, this was not the end. To protect the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan, she hid Yi Yu¡¯s aura in the golden feather. She sent it to the God Residence Realm and hid it in the Godly Phoenix Hall. For herself, she led the many true gods and legendary warriors to fight in the God-Killing Tumulus. That battle was very intense. Many deities met their demise, including herself. In her memory, the other party¡¯s holy body was also cut at the last moment. That was still because Diwu Zhangze suddenly betrayed it. This was also why the other party hated Diwu Zhangze to the core and locked him up in the Fantasy Divine Sea for endless torture! However, she did not know what happened later¡ªincluding the Holy Bodies being suppressed in every part of the God Residence Realm, including Dugu Mobao¡¯s trio being trapped in the Red Moon Desert, including the other party occupying the Fantasy Divine Hall, reselecting 13 deities, and twisting the truth¡­ Actually, she did not understand. The more crucial part was that the other party didn¡¯t unleash their God Realm during the battle back then. Hence, she was so shocked when she noticed the God Realm aura that was almost exactly the same. And this figure now¡­ The other party¡¯s identity was at the tip of her tongue! At this point, that voice seemed to contain laughter as it landed by her ears. ¡°Goddess Yue, you and I were born in this world at the same time, and we should have equal positions. What¡¯s the difference if you or I am the Divine Master?¡± Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes shrunk. Born in this world at the same time¡­ What does this mean?! Huala! The sound of something shattering was suddenly heard! It was Dugu Mobao, who was quiet for a long time and refused to respond at all. He suddenly tore through the void, broke the mirror surface, and walked out! The music scores merged, and Goddess Yue returned. As the High Priest, his capabilities naturally strengthened. ¡°You¡¯re just an evil spirit formed from a shadow. How dare you compare with Goddess Yue?!¡± Dugu Mobao¡¯s cold and stern voice was like thunder that boomed in the crowd¡¯s hearts. The ¡®Divine Master¡¯ of the current Fantasy Divine Hall is actually¡­ her shadow?! So¡ª Everyone was stunned. Ever since the divine fires of the Holy Jade of Chaos were extinguished, they had realized that this Divine Master was problematic. With Chu Liuyue¡¯s repeated questioning and how she easily snatched the Star Path, medicinal mountain, and lightning pool back, everyone confirmed their guesses. At this point, anyone could tell that Chu Liuyue was the true Divine Master. But because of that chaotic battle 10,000 years ago this person snatched everything away. However, after much thinking, they did not expect that it was an evil spirit formed from her shadow! Actually, even the 13 deities did not know this. That was because they had met their demise alongside Chu Liuyue back then. Hence, only Dugu Mobao¡¯s trio knew about this. No, and one person! Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around and looked at Rong Xiu. In the depths of those icy cold and dark phoenix eyes, there seemed to be waves surging. However, he still looked calm. Clearly, he had long known of this! Following that, the sound of something shattering was heard. Lan Xiao walked out from the mirror, stretched his back, and seemingly smiled. ¡°High Priest is right. Who are you to think that you can be on the same level as Goddess Yue? To hell with you! Why don¡¯t you look at yourself in the mirror? No matter what, you¡¯ve already sat in the position of the Divine Master for 10,000 years. But after such a long time, you can¡¯t even light the holy fires. You still have to rely on the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s bloodline power to forcefully maintain it. Don¡¯t you find it embarrassing?¡± He laughed and looked up slightly. Then, he turned toward Mu Qinghe, who was kneeling outside the gate. ¡°Besides, the people you picked have no standards. Without us taking action, the 13 deities have settled them. You still want to be the Divine Master in this manner? Are you worthy of it?!¡± These words were indeed malicious, but the evil spirit did not seem to mind when it heard this. The evil spirit just told Chu Liuyue, ¡°Goddess Yue, if you wish to take back this Fantasy Divine Hall, fight with me! The winner will be king, and the loser becomes nothing. The battle will determine our life and death! Do you¡­ dare to take me on?!¡± Chapter 2485 - 2485 Save 2485 Save Once the evil spirit said this, it suddenly looked up. Its pair of bloodshot eyes suddenly opened! They were ferocious and harsh. They were exactly the same as the eye in the Red Moon Desert! Chu Liuyue held the Nether Star Sword tightly, and her lips curled up into an extremely cold smile. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll end all the new and old grudges today!¡± Swoosh! The sword aura was harsh as it pierced through the air! The surrounding space also started to collapse crazily because of this tremendous strength! Almost at the same time, a sword appeared in the evil spirit¡¯s hand! The appearance of the sword was very similar to the Nether Star Sword, and only the color of its sword body was different. Black and dark red intertwined as the sinister and bloody aura spread around. The evil spirit raised its sword! Clang! The two clashed! At this point, Chu Liuyue heard sharp and miserable cries coming from the sword body! Terrifying ripples spread throughout the surroundings! Boom! The space around the evil spirit collapsed! The next moment, it stepped forward and approached Chu Liuyue! The numbing feeling came from her hand. Her hand was cut, and sticky and fishy blood kept flowing down. Chu Liuyue¡¯s palm instantly became wet and sticky. She tightly pressed her lips against each other as she rapidly injected her holy force into the Nether Star Sword! Mu Qinghe wasn¡¯t her match; he could not retaliate under her sword. However¡­ the one in front of her was way stronger than Mu Qinghe! The duo entered a stalemate. The ground below Chu Liuyue cracked and rapidly spread toward the surroundings. At this point, Rong Xiu suddenly looked at Mu Hongyu. Mu Hongyu was originally watching the scene nervously. Detecting this gaze, she instinctively turned around. Meeting Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze, she was shocked. Then, she silently surveyed her surroundings and silently moved back. At this point, Jian Fengchi, Xiao Ran, and the rest were standing together. Detecting the motion beside him, Jian Fengchi planned to turn around to look. However, Mu Hongyu softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Jian Fengchi immediately understood and did not move, but he knitted his brows slightly. Of course, he knew what she was going to do. Then, he held her hand and lightly squeezed it. Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart felt slightly warm. She took half a step back, and her figure was hidden behind Jian Fengchi and the rest. The next moment, she completely disappeared from the spot. ¡­ Fantasy Divine Sea. The dark clouds gathered, and the waves crashed. It was completely dark between heaven and earth¡ªsinister and eerie. Yu Jiu searched the waters. ¡°Big Brother is really¡­ He didn¡¯t even tell me the rough location¡­¡± He scratched his head. Logically speaking, since that was his sword, he could successfully summon it and did not have to search for it with so much difficulty. Yet, it landed in this Fantasy Divine Sea. The Fantasy Divine Sea had heavy suppression. Every wave contained extremely shocking forces. Hence, this ocean naturally formed a gigantic barrier that stopped him from summoning his sword. He could only find it bit by bit. ¡°Oh right, Senior Diwu seems to be here too¡­¡± Thinking of this, Yu Jiu clenched his fists and planned to rush down. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± A voice suddenly sounded. Yu Jiu turned around and was taken aback when he saw the incoming person. ¡°Hongyu? Why are you here?¡± Mu Hongyu walked out from the space and quickly walked forward. ¡°I came to save Mentor!¡± Yu Jiu was dazed and rapidly reacted. Her mentor is naturally Diwu Zhangze. ¡°There are countless spaces intersecting below this ocean. It¡¯s not easy to deal with it.¡± Even though Yu Jiu had already become a deity, he could not be compared to her in this aspect. Yu Jiu thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here then. If there¡¯s any issue, immediately call for me. Oh right, if you see a sword after you go down, you must remember to let me know.¡± Mu Hongyu sized him up and asked in understanding, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ your sword?¡± Yu Jiu nodded. ¡°No problem.¡± Mu Hongyu swiftly agreed. ¡°Or I can directly help you bring it up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ you can¡¯t. That sword has recognized its owner. If you suddenly retrieve it, it¡¯s rather risky,¡± said Yu Jiu hurriedly. Mu Hongyu blinked. ¡°I see. Okay then! If I really see it, I¡¯ll tell you immediately.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± Yu Jiu was very grateful. Mu Hongyu had a special physique, and she would definitely find it faster than him. Plop! Without hesitation, Mu Hongyu directly rushed into the Fantasy Divine Sea! ¡­ She had come many times before and was well-versed with the path. Without meeting many obstacles, she smoothly arrived at the depths of the ocean and saw that ball of light. The surrounding force in the space still squeezed and intersected with each other. But luckily, this didn¡¯t pose much of a problem for Mu Hongyu, who had already become a deity. She agilely passed through the spaces. She was like a true fish, doing it smoothly and naturally. Bi Ling was gone, and nobody guarded the area. She did not waste much effort before she approached that ball of light. When she was near, she then discovered that the ball of light was a very complicated Xuan formation! It glowed brightly, and the rays of light moved, forming a semicircular barrier. One person quietly sat within the Xuan formation¡ªit was Diwu Zhangze! Mu Hongyu¡¯s heart beat quickly. ¡°Mentor!¡± Hearing the voice, Diwu Zhangze moved and raised his head in disbelief. When he saw that the incoming person was Mu Hongyu, his expression was even more shocked. ¡°¡­Hongyu?! W-why are you here?¡± Mu Hongyu originally wanted to lean in closer, but that barrier¡¯s force was too strong. She could not go forward. Hence, she only stayed on her spot and explained, ¡°Mentor, I¡¯m here to save you!¡± After being trapped for too long and suffering all sorts of torture, Diwu Zhangze¡¯s figure became fainter, and his aura was much weaker than before. It seemed like¡­ he was living on his last breath. Mu Hongyu watched him, and her heart ached. However, Diwu Zhangze said, ¡°This is too dangerous! Quickly leave!¡± He looked very anxious. Tears welled up in Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes. Then, she exhaled deeply and revealed a smile. ¡°Mentor, don¡¯t worry! Liuyue is already back in the Fantasy Divine Hall! As long as she kills that mastermind, everything will be fine!¡± If not, she wouldn¡¯t have a chance to come over. Diwu Zhangze was dazed and took a while to recover his senses. ¡°Y-you mean, Yue¡¯er Girlie has already¡ª¡± Mu Hongyu nodded forcefully. ¡°Yeah! Most of those deities have died, and only that evil spirit in the Fantasy Divine Hall is left! Senior Dugu Mobao and Senior Lan Xiao have already come out!¡± Diwu Zhangze was trapped here and was separated from the rest of the world, so he did not know what was happening outside. Now that Mu Hongyu said it, his entire person was taken aback. His lips moved, and he asked, ¡°She¡¯s¡­ fighting with that evil spirit?¡± Chapter 2486 - 2486 Entwined Fate Contract 2486 Entwined Fate Contract ¡°Yeah!¡± Mu Hongyu clenched her fists and determinedly said, ¡°That person occupied her territory. This time, he will definitely die in Liuyue¡¯s hands!¡± As there was a barrier in between, she didn¡¯t see the current expression on Diwu Zhangze¡¯s face clearly. After a while, he said, ¡°Hongyu, assist me in restoring the spaces here to open the barrier.¡± This was indeed the best time to escape! ¡°Okay!¡± Mu Hongyu nodded seriously. Diwu Zhangze pointed in a certain direction. ¡°Move this three inches to the left.¡± Mu Hongyu held her breath in and reached out slowly. A black line appeared in midair¡ªit was a crack in space that would appear when the intersecting spaces overlapped. She carefully pushed force in the space. Even if these spaces were transparent, she could clearly feel that each spatial region was different, so it wasn¡¯t hard to do this. Diwu Zhangze pointed to the side. ¡°Move that back by four inches.¡± Mu Hongyu pressed her thin lips against each other and acted accordingly. ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. After a temporary stalemate, the swords crossed! Chu Liuyue took a step back and stabilized her figure. However, the person opposite her did not move at all. When the crowd saw this, they became increasingly nervous. This was the first time the duo officially battled, and Chu Liuyue had fallen behind! Boom! A red-golden fire suddenly burned and wrapped around the Nether Star Sword! Then, she slashed again without hesitation. Clang! The evil spirit blocked with the sword. Chu Liuyue¡¯s sword coincidentally hit its sword body. The next moment, the crazily burning red-golden fire started spreading toward the black-red longsword rapidly! Whoosh! The scorchingly high temperature wrapped around it, as if it was burning it quickly. A burnt and unpleasant smell rushed out. The miserable and harsh cry was even more piercing. At this point, the evil spirit suddenly raised its hand! Whoosh¡ª The two swords collided with each other and caused a series of sparks. Strong and terrifying forces rushed out, causing Chu Liuyue to rapidly move back. She stuck the sword into the ground to support herself. Her thin and soft waist twisted at an incredulous angle. The sword aura tightly scraped across her body in the air. Some hair was silently cut and fell. Chu Liuyue¡¯s gaze was sharp. She turned her body, flipped her wrist, and lunged toward the evil spirit¡¯s chest! Swoosh! The other party reacted very quickly as if it had already expected her move, moving its sword. Chu Liuyue clenched her silver teeth. Like 10,000 years ago, the other party seems to know all of my moves like the back of its hand. If this continues, it will be extremely difficult for me to win. At this point, the person opposite her suddenly took action! Swoosh! The sword swung downward! Chu Liuyue blocked with the sword! Tching¡­ Kaca! The low sound of something breaking came from the Nether Star Sword. Chu Liuyue was shocked as she looked down. She indeed saw an extremely small crack on the Nether Star Sword! Her heart immediately sank. She personally produced this Nether Star Sword herself at Peach Blossom Dock. To most people, it was already of extremely high grade, but it was clearly insufficient to deal with the person before her. ¡°Goddess Yue, it has been 10,000 years, and you really can¡¯t be compared to the past. You don¡¯t even have a good sword to use?¡± The evil spirit chuckled. Shangguan Jing immediately said, ¡°Yue¡¯er, use mine!¡± As he spoke, he was about to throw the sword he previously produced over. After all, it was a holy weapon, so it should be able to sustain for a period of time. However, Chu Liuyue shook her head, and harshness flashed across her eyes. Then, she went on her toes, her figure immediately disappearing from the spot! ¡°Yue¡¯er¡ª¡± Shangguan Jing was extremely nervous. Su Li comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. She definitely has her own plans.¡± At this point, other people probably could not help much. This was the life-and-death match between her and that evil spirit! At the side, Tang Ke seemed to have noticed something. He suddenly looked outside, and shock flashed across his eyes. ¡°Goddess Yue is¡­¡± Boom! A loud sound suddenly came from the skies outside! Everyone was taken aback as they looked over in unison. A silver bolt of lightning suddenly flew out of the lightning pool and went straight to the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s main hall! Then came the second and third. In no time, a silver sea of sparkling light appeared in the skies! This silver light pierced through the clouds from the lightning pool and almost tore a hole in the dark skies. At this point, a thin and curvy figure suddenly appeared in the sky above the main hall¡ªit was Chu Liuyue! She raised the Nether Star Sword in her hands. ¡°Nourish!¡± With her command, countless lightning bolts suddenly landed, entering the Nether Star Sword! Everyone was stunned by the scene. ¡°What is she¡­ doing?¡± ¡°The lightning bolts in the lightning pool seem to have come here?¡± ¡°Look! The golden lightning bolts are following!¡± ¡°Does she want to refine her weapon¡­ at this time?!¡± Someone said this, and it instantly caused the crowd to gasp. ¡°How can it be? She can¡¯t refine a Yuan instrument that has already been produced!¡± ¡°But now, she¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡­ Chu Liuyue ignored the discussions and interruptions as she stared closely at the Nether Star Sword before her. A silver bolt of lightning landed and rapidly merged with it, and a weak ray of light flashed across. The countless lightning bolts overwhelmed the area and inserted themselves into the sword! At the same time, that red-golden fire burned brightly! Suddenly, a bone-chilling coldness surged out of the Fantasy Divine Hall. A thin layer of frost quickly formed on the corridor. Behind it, the coldness spread to the stage. The Fantasy Divine Hall¡­ started to freeze! The evil spirit¡¯s figure silently appeared before Chu Liuyue, and the air vibrated. In the dark sky, the two parties faced each other! ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too late to refine the weapon now?¡± The low and hoarse voice had a hint of unconcealable contempt. The moment the evil spirit said this, it raised its sword again. Screech! A resounding and stern screech sounded. A gigantic red-golden figure rapidly rushed over! Wherever it went, fire burned, and even the ice spreading on the ground started to melt. Swoosh! In the blink of an eye, a sea of fire separated the duo! Tuan Zi stared at that figure closely with harsh combat intent! The evil spirit looked at Tuan Zi and suddenly laughed. It said, ¡°Entwined fate contract¡­ No wonder I didn¡¯t detect it earlier¡­ It seems like Yi Ling does have high hopes for you as he even gave you this last chance of survival.¡± Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes became slightly shocked. ¡°It seems like you still don¡¯t know. Back then, Goddess Yue and Yi Ling also had an entwined fate contract. Also, not everyone can have this entwined fate contract. There¡¯s only this one copy in the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan.¡± Chapter 2487 - 2487 I Should Have this Right! 2487 I Should Have this Right! ¡°And Goddess Yue can similarly only sign one such contract.¡± ¡°When Yi Ling died back then, a part of his aura was left behind. Goddess Yue thought of all sorts of methods to leave it at Godly Phoenix Mountain. Due to this aura¡¯s existence, that entwined fate contract was left until now.¡± ¡°Previously, I always thought that Yi Ling would use this entwined fate contract to come back. However, I didn¡¯t expect him to transfer this entwined fate contract to you in the end¡­¡± The evil spirit laughed. ¡°Perhaps it also knows that its scarce bones buried at Phoenix Mountain can no longer help Goddess Yue light the holy fire.¡± These few sentences caused Tuan Zi to immediately be taken aback! This means¡­ This means¡­ She instinctively turned around to look at Chu Liuyue. Their gazes met. Chu Liuyue closed her eyes and hid the harshness in her eyes. Tuan Zi¡¯s heart suddenly sank. This is¡­ true?! That voice seemed to contain some temptation. ¡°Look at Phoenix Mountain.¡± Tuan Zi turned around stiffly and looked at the Phoenix Mountain behind the Fantasy Divine Hall. Sharp and tall. The balls of red-golden fire silently burned on it. ¡°The moment you opened your ninth meridian, Yi Ling truly died, and his soul disappeared!¡± As the evil spirit spoke, it raised its sword and slashed it down harshly! Upon seeing this, Miao Zhen was suddenly shocked. ¡°No!¡± However, his voice was quickly drowned within the loud whirring sound. Swoosh! Boom! The sword aura reached Phoenix Mountain and harshly smashed it! At this moment, the mountain shook, and countless fires rose to the skies! The gigantic Phoenix Mountain started to collapse, but at the same time, a dragon roar suddenly came from deep below Phoenix Mountain! Hearing this roar, everyone was stunned. The evil spirit mentioned that Yi Ling¡¯s corpse was buried underneath Phoenix Mountain. What¡¯s with the dragon roar? Very quickly, the entire Phoenix Mountain was leveled. A deep trench suddenly appeared before the crowd. In it, there were actually two sets of skeletons! One was a red-gold heavenly phoenix skeleton, which was Yi Ling back then, and the other¡­ It was clearly a great phoenix dragon skeleton! It was already understood without saying who the owner of the skeleton was¡ªancestor of the great phoenix dragon clan, Miao Yu! The fire burned in the surroundings. The high temperature distorted space. At this point, another sword aura instantly appeared! When the shocking suppression descended, the two sets of skeletons started to be crushed into powder! Tuan Zi¡¯s heart shook! Miao Zhen rapidly rushed over and was overwhelmed with shock and rage. ¡°What are you doing?! Ancestor Miao Yu has helped you suppress Phoenix Mountain for 10,000 years. You¡ª¡± ¡°Miao Yu did it for me?¡± The evil spirit seemed to have heard a joke and chuckled. ¡°Back then, if it didn¡¯t use itself as a condition, how can your great phoenix dragon clan live until today?¡± Ten thousand years ago, the great phoenix dragons and the red-gold heavenly phoenixes were the top two legendary fiends. However, Goddess Yue was slightly biased toward the red-gold heavenly phoenixes. Not only did she specifically leave Phoenix Mountain for them, but she even signed an entwined fate contract with Yi Ling. But even so, Miao Yu refused to work with the evil spirit. Because of this, the evil spirit developed a grudge against the great phoenix dragons. Yi Ling died later on, and the evil spirit tried all sorts of methods to take its corpse and bury it under Phoenix Mountain. Knowing of the entwined fate contract¡¯s existence, the evil spirit thought that it could use Yi Ling¡¯s corpse to reduce Goddess Yue¡¯s force and have a higher chance of winning. Besides, Yi Ling had opened his ninth meridian. Even if he died, his bones contained tremendous amounts of force. All these years, the evil spirit had commanded people to bring red-gold heavenly phoenixes and use Phoenix Mountain¡¯s forces to forcefully open their meridian. It was a pity that the ending was not desired. In the end, the evil spirit slowly gave up. It just looked for some red-gold heavenly phoenix¡¯s bloodline power from time to time to sustain the holy fire burning in the Holy Jade of Chaos. At that time, as the force in Yi Ling¡¯s bones could not be underestimated, the evil spirit threatened Miao Yu with his clansmen¡¯s lives, forcing the latter to commit suicide and be suppressed at Phoenix Mountain to restrict Yi Ling¡¯s forces. Miao Zhen felt as though he was struck by lightning. ¡°W-what did you say?! Ancestor¡­ didn¡¯t willingly concede to you?¡± The evil spirit waved the sword in its hand, nonchalantly smiling as it said, ¡°You only know of this now?¡± Since Tuan Zi had already opened her ninth meridian and Yi Ling had met its demise, there was no need to continue keeping Miao Yu¡¯s bones. As for the great phoenix dragon clan¡­ It did not care about them. Hence, it spoke lightly and directly, even with a hint of high and mighty arrogance. Miao Zhen¡¯s entire person was stunned. After the commotion back then, the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan became sinners, and the great phoenix dragon clan had left Fantasy Divine Palace upon Ancestor Miao Yu¡¯s command. Everyone in the clan thought that Miao Yu did this to have the clan avoid conflicts. Hence, they never returned to the Fantasy Divine Palace again. It was only until the Heaven Gate opened that Miao Zhen came back to pay respects to his ancestor. Including him, all the clan leaders in the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s history thought that Ancestor Miao Yu made the choice himself back then! Ever since Miao Zhen came to the Fantasy Divine Palace, he felt very complicated because of this. He never expected that the evil spirit had forced Miao Yu to this state by threatening him with his clansmen¡¯s lives. Indescribable rage and hatred instantly overwhelmed him! Miao Zhen¡¯s entire body trembled slightly. Then, terrifying force exploded from his body! Roar! Miao Zhen turned into his true self! The next moment, his dragon tail harshly swung toward the evil spirit! Almost at the same time, Tuan Zi reacted, flapped her wings, and hurled out two balls of fire. The two ancient legendary fiends flanked the evil spirit left and right, but that evil spirit did not seem nervous! With a thought in its mind, the silver-red God Realm expanded and formed a barrier around it. Tuan Zi and Miao Zhen¡¯s attacks were directly weakened by more than half. ¡°I long said that Miao Yu and Yi Ling weren¡¯t my match back then, let alone you!¡± Once the evil spirit said this, the silver-red God Realm rushed out like the opening of floodgates and spread even further. It seemed like it planned to directly trap Tuan Zi and Miao Zhen within. But at this point, a tiny sound suddenly came. Danglang. It seemed like the sound of rocks rolling on the ground. Tuan Zi turned around and saw an irregular fist-sized rock suddenly roll to her side. Danglang. Another one quickly followed and rolled to the side. A third. A fourth. More and more rocks flew out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s Cosmic Ring. In the blink of an eye, those rock separated and occupied more than half of the sky. The silver-red God Realm¡¯s expansion speed started reducing at an observable rate. The evil spirit suddenly said, ¡°This battle is between me and you. If Miao Zhen takes action, he is spoiling the rules!¡± Miao Zhen was infuriated. ¡°You killed my ancestor. The great phoenix dragon clan will not spare you for this!¡± The evil spirit seemed to laugh. ¡°You want to take action?¡± Before Miao Zhen said anything, a cold and harsh voice sounded. ¡°He can¡¯t fight with you, but I should have this right!¡± Chapter 2488 - 2488 Retrieve Sword 2488 Retrieve Sword That was Zi Chen¡¯s voice. His figure moved, and he instantly came to Miao Zhen¡¯s side. ¡°Senior Miao Zhen, leave the rest to me.¡± Miao Zhen was indignant. He was infuriated when he personally witnessed his ancestor¡¯s corpse being destroyed. Additionally, he learned the truth about the past and was overwhelmed with rage. His entire mind was now bent on killing it, but he indeed could not intervene in this battle. If not, he would be used as a disadvantage. Zi Chen was Chu Liuyue¡¯s fiend, so he naturally had the right to take action. Miao Zhen tried his best to calm himself down. Then, he finally moved back. The evil spirit looked at Zi Chen. ¡°You¡¯re just a legendary three-eyed eagle that merged some bloodline power from a great phoenix dragon¡­ You¡¯re actually so arrogant? Even if Miao Zhen really does it, he will only be on the path of death, let alone you!¡± ¡°Before the ending is revealed, nobody knows who will win. You¡¯re saying this too early!¡± Zi Chen spoke as a purplish-golden eye suddenly opened on his brows! Perhaps the surrounding silver-red God Realm was restricted by those rocks, and it suddenly cracked! At this point, the red-golden fires approached the evil spirit! ¡­ The battle in front was intense, and Chu Liuyue had sparks flying on her side. The many bolts of lightning landed one after another, continuously nourishing the Nether Star Sword in her hands. The sword was like a bottomless pit that accepted all these lightning bolts and had no intentions of stopping. ¡°She has already absorbed more than thousands of lightning bolts. Why hasn¡¯t it ended?¡± ¡°Did all the force in those lightning bolts really enter that sword? How shocking is this¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps she can really do it?¡± ¡°One-third of the lightning pool¡¯s forces has been taken. Does she want to empty half the lightning pool?!¡± All sorts of discussions were heard. Countless pairs of eyes stared at the sky tightly, not daring to miss it. A faint suppression slowly exuded from the Nether Star Sword! ¡­ Fantasy Divine Sea. Time passed slowly. With Diwu Zhangze¡¯s guidance, Mu Hongyu slowly moved the spaces to where they were supposed to be. Of course, during this process, she couldn¡¯t avoid getting injured and having wounds on her body. Her pair of hands had been scratched by the squeezing of the spatial forces, forming tens of wounds. They looked badly mangled. Diwu Zhangze¡¯s heart ached. However, Mu Hongyu did not seem to care as her pair of eyes dazzled with combat intent. Finally, after busying herself, the suppression of the barrier started to reduce slowly. The originally blinding lights became much dimmer. This made Mu Hongyu even more excited, and she focused even more as she moved and cleared the remaining spatial forces. Ka! Following this crisp sound, a crack finally appeared on the barrier! Mu Hongyu was elated. Diwu Zhangze immediately said, ¡°Hongyu, move back!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mu Hongyu acknowledged the order, went on her toes, and rapidly retreated. Diwu Zhangze whipped his sleeves. The next moment, the crack started spreading toward the surroundings! In the blink of an eye, it seemed like a spider web! Diwu Zhangze held his breath in and crossed his arms. Boom! The barrier dissipated. At the same time, the Xuan formation below Diwu Zhangze¡¯s feet started to crack! His figure moved, and he rushed out! ¡°Mentor!¡± Mu Hongyu finally heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, she saw something glowing underneath the collapsing Xuan formation. She was dazed. She looked at it and later discovered that below the Xuan formation¡­ a sword was hidden?! Diwu Zhangze originally planned to bring her to leave directly. In the blink of an eye, he saw her staring in a certain direction and was dazed. He followed her gaze and was taken aback. ¡°Why is this sword here?¡± Mu Hongyu turned around. ¡°Mentor, you recognize it?¡± ¡°This is Yu Jiu¡¯s sword,¡± said Diwu Zhangze. Mu Hongyu¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Really? What a coincidence! Previously, Yu Jiu asked me to help him find this sword!¡± I didn¡¯t expect to bump into it here. Diwu Zhangze knitted his brows slightly and laughed coldly. ¡°What a use of effort¡­¡± Who would¡¯ve thought that the sword was hidden here? If Mu Hongyu didn¡¯t save me, nobody could find it in another hundred or thousand years. Mu Hongyu said, ¡°I¡¯ll take out the sword!¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Diwu Zhangze stopped her. ¡°This sword is extremely sharp and strong. Normal people can¡¯t touch it. Call Yu Jiu over and get him to retrieve it personally.¡± Mu Hongyu was dazed for a moment and did not ask further. ¡°OK.¡± Then, a bell suddenly appeared in her hands, and she shook it lightly. Ding! Crisp ringing instantly reverberated throughout the area. ¡­ Yu Jiu was waiting on the silver bridge. Hearing the ringing, he was surprised. ¡°So fast!?¡± His figure flashed, and he rushed in the direction of the sound. ¡­ The Xuan formation trapping Diwu Zhangze was already dissolved, and the intersecting spatial forces at the bottom of the ocean had been restored, becoming orderly. Yu Jiu¡¯s entire way was smooth without obstacles. When he came to the depths of the ocean, he quickly saw Mu Hongyu and Diwu Zhangze before him. Yu Jiu came to them, and his expression changed slightly. ¡°Senior Diwu, you¡ª¡± Diwu Zhangze¡¯s body was translucent, and his aura was slightly weak. He was clearly tortured. Diwu Zhangze waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Take your sword first.¡± Yu Jiu thought for a moment and nodded, walking toward the center of the collapsing Xuan formation. He held the sword hilt with both hands, and his expression became serious. Then, he slowly removed the sword with determination! It instantly glowed brightly! Mu Hongyu widened her eyes slightly. This was a gigantic green sword with a heavy spine but very sharp blade. It was around eight feet, even taller than Yu Jiu. The sword body was engraved with some strange pattern. Mu Hongyu looked at it and faintly found it familiar. After looking at it in detail, she suddenly recalled something and pointed at the gigantic green sword. ¡°Why is the pattern on it so similar to the barrier at the Heaven Gate?¡± Yu Jiu held the sword cherishingly, so touched that tears welled up in his eyes. Heaven knows how hard it was for me to hold a small wooden sword every day! Hearing Mu Hongyu¡¯s words, he chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s naturally because this sword was also produced by Big Brother!¡± Mu Hongyu was dazed for a moment and later understood. ¡°So the barrier at the Heaven Gate was done by him¡ª¡± Yu Jiu flicked the sword body. Buzz¡ª The distant and deep sword whir spread across the area! He stroked his chin in satisfaction. ¡°Not only the Heaven Gate.¡± All the barriers in the entire Fantasy Divine Palace were produced by Cen Yi! Chapter 2489 - 2489 Her Name! 2489 Her Name! Mu Hongyu gasped. I¡¯ve long known that Cen Yi is very strong, but I did not expect him to¡­ The Thirteen Yue Guards were the initial 13 deities of the Fantasy Divine Hall. This point was undoubtedly proven previously, and they clearly had their own duties. But as Cen Yi did not appear before this, Mu Hongyu did not think of him. Hearing Yu Jiu¡¯s words, she understood. She could not help but be shocked. ¡°Yeah! That means, he¡¯s the true First Deity! And¡­ he¡¯s also in charge of this Fantasy Divine Sea?¡± Yu Jiu gave her a look of admiration. Diwu Zhangze looked up and said, ¡°We should go back quickly.¡± ¡­ Honglong¡­ Bang! Tremendous forces attacked Zi Chen, and he fell onto the floor heavily. After a series of struggles, he was covered in wounds and bloodstains. ¡°If I haven¡¯t guessed wrongly, your body still has the great phoenix dragon¡¯s wing bones.¡± The evil spirit looked down at Zi Chen from above. ¡°How unsuitable.¡± Then, it flicked its wrist. The black and red longsword suddenly flew out and went straight for Zi Chen¡¯s left shoulder! Whoosh¡ª A ball of red-golden fire suddenly came over and blocked the sword¡¯s pathway! However, the evil spirit didn¡¯t seem to care as it stretched out its hand from the sleeves. That was a totally dark hand¡ªit was the one suppressed under Million Wine Mountain! Then, its finger pointed toward the front. A black ray of light flew out like a sharp arrow! Tuan Zi instinctively felt that it was amiss and immediately wanted to block it! Zi Chen was shocked. ¡°Tuan Zi! Be careful!¡± Whoosh! That black ray of light scraped past Tuan Zi¡¯s wing and went straight for Zi Chen! Just as he was about to take action, he suddenly saw the silver-red God Realm descend from the skies. At the same time, a stern and strong suppression crushed him, causing him to be unable to move. Following this, that black ray of light followed. Swoosh! Zi Chen¡¯s shoulder was instantly pierced. The wing bone was crushed by the force! Zi Chen¡¯s face flushed white, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, the black light continued to torture his body and crazily absorbed his force. Zi Chen¡¯s aura quickly weakened. Upon seeing this, there seemed to be fire burning in Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes. Such a scene had already happened once in the Red Moon Desert. She did not expect¡­ there to be a second time! Hula! She flapped her wings, and the winds howled! The red-golden fire moved with the wind and repeatedly absorbed the surrounding force, forming a sea of fire that wrapped around the evil spirit! Whoosh! As the fire burned, the sword made strange noises. Slowly, the blood color on it disappeared bit by bit. With these changes, the terrifying aura on the sword was reduced. Tuan Zi perked up. The other party did not seem afraid of the fire at all! The evil spirit seemed to have noticed the danger, and its surrounding suppression became heavier. The bloodshot and harsh eyes looked at Chu Liuyue. At this point, the Nether Star Sword before her was still being nourished. The crack had been completely repaired and could not be seen at all. Only a few sparks shone quietly¡ªthey were like stars in the dark sky that glowed with light. At this point, two-thirds of the lightning bolts in the lightning pool had been absorbed into her sword! I have to end it as quickly as possible! Thinking of this, the evil spirit took action again! Many black rays of light flew out in unison! Tuan Zi extended her wings. The fire rushed to the skies and sternly guarded the area! Suddenly, the evil spirit raised its hand. The silver-red God Realm suddenly dissipated. This hand came very suddenly. The 3,000 God Realms Chu Liuyue previously unleashed were in a stalemate with it. Now that the forces in this God Realm suddenly dropped and were removed, Chu Liuyue¡¯s forces began to lose control. Taking advantage of this gap, the evil spirit¡¯s figure flashed and came behind Chu Liuyue! Without hesitation, it hurled a punch toward the back of Chu Liuyue¡¯s head! Shock flashed across Tuan Zi¡¯s eyes. The harsh cold air attacked from behind, and Chu Liuyue tensed up! At this point, Zi Chen suddenly broke free from the restraints of the God Realm and rushed over! Boom! This punch hit Zi Chen¡¯s chest directly! ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits!¡± The low and hoarse voice contained unconcealable mockery and contempt. Then, the crowd saw that a ball of dark mist suddenly spread from the evil spirit¡¯s hand and wrapped around Zi Chen! One faintly could hear the sound of bones crushing. Blood with a dark aura gradually dripped down. Screech! Tuan Zi rushed over at the highest speed, but¡­ it was too late. That ball of dark mist quickly narrowed and eventually disappeared! The half-transparent figure was restricted by the evil spirit¡¯s palm-sized black cage. A black feather came with the wind and landed quietly. On it, there were a few stains. Then, the evil spirit looked up at Tuan Zi and slowly said, ¡°How rare to find a red-gold heavenly phoenix that opened its ninth meridian¡­ What a pity to just kill it now¡­¡± If not for this, it would¡¯ve killed Tuan Zi long ago and would not drag to this point. But¡­ Chu Liuyue was actually going to completely refine her sword. This battle could not continue any longer. This red-gold heavenly phoenix probably won¡¯t concede until she dies, and she could very possibly burn her bloodline power before I take action. Then, there is no need for me to hold back. Thinking of this, the evil spirit reached out and grabbed the empty air. A tremendous suction force suddenly attacked! The blood in Tuan Zi¡¯s body started to surge and almost broke through! Harshness flashed across her eyes, and she suddenly rushed over with the forces! But at this point, a dazzling light exploded from the Nether Star Sword. The lightning pool was dry, and the last bolt of lightning merged with it! The light rushed to the sky and pierced through the dark skies! The dark clouds were blown away by the winds. The remaining glow spread across the skies! At this moment, it was as bright as dawn! The light and suppression were too overwhelming, causing them to be unable to look at it directly. They bowed down to it instinctively. Shock flashed across the depths of the evil spirit¡¯s eyes. At this point, Chu Liuyue moved her wrist lightly. A ball of red-golden fire flew out and blocked the evil spirit¡¯s forces. At the same time, the fire tongue rushed to the evil spirit and wrapped around its wrist. The hot and terrifying forces instantly caused the evil spirit to throw the tiny cage out! Tuan Zi immediately rushed over and grabbed the item before returning to Chu Liuyue. Then, she looked at Chu Liuyue with tears in her eyes. Zi Chen¡­ Chu Liuyue gave her a reassuring look in response. Following this, she held the sword with both hands. A zither sound came from her body! At the same time, a dazzling light exploded from the Record of the Million Gods! Chapter 2490 - 2490 Senior Ah Jing 2490 Senior Ah Jing Detecting this commotion, quite a few people looked over. ¡°Why did the Record of the Million Gods have such a big commotion?¡± ¡°No one else is becoming a deity, right? Then, could this be¡­¡± ¡°Other than that person, who could it be?¡± At this point, the Thirteen Deities had returned to their positions. The two high priests had recovered their identities, and their names reappeared on the Record of the Million Gods. However¡­ only one person¡¯s name had not appeared until now¡ªGoddess Yue! Without thinking, they knew that the name below the light was definitely hers! ¡°Strange¡­ Why is it at this point¡­¡± Everyone was puzzled. Logically speaking, her name should have been revealed when her bloodline totem surfaced¡­ However, it dragged on until now. Countless pairs of eyes stared at the Record of the Million Gods closely, enthusiastically and curiously waiting for her name to appear. ¡­ Rong Xiu stood before the main hall with his hands behind his back. Beside him, the Record of the Million Gods floated quietly. He looked up slightly and swept his gaze past it, finally landing on the sparkling light. A name faintly appeared on it. He clenched his hands slowly. ¡­ As the light gradually disappeared, the crowd finally could see that name. However, the crowd quickly detected something amiss because that name¡­ seemed to be burned! The crowd could only faintly see a ¡®Yue.¡¯ Other than this, they could not see anything else. The small burn mark had covered her last name. Many people looked at each other. What¡¯s going on? Why would such a situation happen to the Record of the Million Gods? When the evil spirit saw the scorched name, shock flashed across its eyes. When it was about to speak, a zither sound was made! At the same time, countless rocks rolled out of Chu Liuyue¡¯s hand again. Harsh and oppressive combat intent attacked it! Instantly, the atmosphere in the entire place had changed. Cold! Harsh! Ancient! Countless scenes flashed across Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind¡ªthat was the battle 10,000 years ago! Countless cultivators followed her and died for her in battle, but although they had died, their combat intent remained! The air seemed to be filled with a thick bloody aura. The harsh winds attacked from all directions, almost ripping one¡¯s muscles. Fresh blood boiled, and the temperature was high! The combat intent rushed crazily, and the zither sounds whirred! Chu Liuyue looked at the evil spirit with a cold, stern, and mighty gaze. ¡°You once sneak attacked the Fantasy Divine Hall and forced Yi Ling to commit suicide. You killed thousands of warriors and even occupied my place. You twisted the truth! Now¡­ you have to return everything!¡± Once she said this, the sword in her hands landed heavily. Once the sword landed, the lights in the sky descended simultaneously! Instantly, endless combat intent overwhelmed the area and swallowed the evil spirit! It could not avoid or escape! Feeling the aftereffects of the sword aura, a deep trench instantly appeared on the ground! Many people¡¯s expressions changed! This attack¡ª Swoosh! Three thousand sword auras rushed over and attacked the evil spirit! Swoosh! Chu Liuyue lunged harshly, and the Nether Star Sword directly pierced the evil spirit¡¯s chest and nailed it to the Holy Jade of Chaos! The fire burned brightly! An excruciating hoarse shriek immediately sounded! Vengeance, sinister, cold¡­ Countless people heard this, and their hearts could not help but skip a beat. However, this zither sound quickly crushed it! This zither sound came from Chu Liuyue¡¯s body and floated to all corners of the Fantasy Divine Palace. She didn¡¯t have a zither, so she used her body as a zither. There were no strings, so she used the Heaven and Earth Force as strings! Wherever the zither sound passed, it became her God Realm! ¡­ At this point, a figure suddenly appeared outside the Heaven Gate. Wu Yao saw the incoming person and was instantly stunned. It was a young man in his twenties, and he wore a sky-blue robe. He was tall and handsome, exuding a calm and composed elegance while being carefree. His lips had faint smiling intent. ¡°I came when I heard the zither sound. Am I late?¡± His voice was clear with a few hints of laziness. Wu Yao sized the other party up and faintly found the aura familiar. However, he could not recall it. ¡°You¡ª¡± At this point, the zither sound was heard. That young man looked forward, raised his brows slightly, and smiled with slightly deeper meaning. ¡°You didn¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Chu Liuyue suddenly realized something and looked over. When the face entered her view, her heart tingled, and she squinted slightly. ¡°Senior¡­ Ah Jing?¡± She called the first word with a deeper meaning. Upon hearing this, the man put his fist to his mouth and coughed. ¡°Ahem, long time no see. It seems like you¡¯ve recovered your memories?¡± Chu Liuyue chuckled. ¡°Wu Yao, quickly invite Senior Ah Jing over.¡± Hearing this address, Wu Yao suddenly recalled something and gazed at the man before him with widened eyes. However, that person had already flicked his clothes and entered. Everyone looked over. They did not know who the charming man who just appeared was. Senior Ah Jing ignored all the gazes. In a few steps, he walked past the Star Path and arrived at the Fantasy Divine Hall. The crowd was shocked. This person¡¯s skills are above that of a legendary warrior! And¡­ he seems even more mysterious than the deities. Before the crowd could react, that man¡¯s figure flashed, and he appeared beside the Holy Jade of Chaos. Chu Liuyue looked at him.¡±You seem¡­ rather pleased to hear me call you ¡®senior?''¡± ¡°Ahem! That¡¯s just a joke, a joke!¡± That man laughed and raised his hand. ¡°After all, I helped you keep the music score for so many years. I have some credit for it, right? It¡¯s such a small matter. Don¡¯t mind it!¡± The corner of Chu Liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°This music score is originally mine, but you said it¡¯s yours. How interesting¡­¡± That man spread his hands helplessly. ¡°To safeguard the music score for you, I specifically left a soul at the God-Killing Tumulus and waited for 10,000 years. Isn¡¯t this enough? You need to know that we only met each other twice before this. If it were someone else, who would do such a favor?¡± Chu Liuyue ignored him. During the battle at the God-Killing Tumulus, she knew that she could not survive. In her panic, she could only split the music score into three and passed it to him to safeguard. That was their second time meeting. The first time was at Tianling¡¯s Nan Jiang, and the second time was at the God-Killing Tumulus. It was then that she realized that the black wall was a barrier. As she knew that he was not a person from the area, she gambled and passed the music score to him. Luckily, everything was smooth. They were originally peers and addressed each other as friends, yet he suddenly became a senior. It was really¡­ The evil spirit looked at that man in shock and anger. ¡°Who exactly are you?!¡± That man tidied his clothes and smiled slightly, looking dashing. ¡°Changle Palace¡ªYun Muchen. My nickname is Jing Ming.¡± Chapter 2491 - 2491 Live and Die Together 2491 Live and Die Together Changle Palace¡ªit had not heard of this name before, but from the duo¡¯s conversation, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess this person¡¯s background. After a moment, the evil spirit suddenly recalled. ¡°You came from outside?!¡± ¡®Outside¡¯ naturally referred to somewhere beyond their world. Rumors had it that the universe had 3,000 worlds, each having various small worlds. The worlds were connected by barriers, but these were very hard to cross. Only top warriors could do so. Even though the evil spirit knew of this, as it couldn¡¯t stably ascend as the Divine Master, it knew that it couldn¡¯t touch it, so it did not think of this aspect. Who knew¡­ This person actually came from the outside! Then¡­ he should¡¯ve come over through the barrier at the God-Killing Tumulus! And it was also because of his existence that helped Chu Liuyue safeguard the music score to this day! Shangguan Jing heard this voice and was instantly stunned. Why does it seem¡­ rather familiar? Right! When I first went to the God-Killing Tumulus back then, I had also heard this voice! At that time, I also saw a totem on that wall¡ªit was exactly the same as Chu Liuyue¡¯s bloodline totem! It was a pity that I only took a hurried look and did not pay much attention to it. It¡¯s no wonder I found her totem rather familiar when I saw it earlier. The whole time¡­ It was because she had specifically left her music score in the God-Killing Tumulus and left the mark of her totem at the same time! ¡­ Yun Muchen looked left and right. ¡°Hm? Where¡¯s your small helper?¡± Chu Liuyue knew that he was asking about Qiang Wanzhou. The Thirteen Deities only heard his voice when they last battled in the God-Killing Tumulus, but they did not see him personally. Only Qiang Wanzhou was an exception. At that time, she brought Qiang Wanzhou to Tianling on a whim and stayed at Nan Jiang for a period of time. That was when she met this person. All in all, they knew each other through a fight. At that time, as the Divine Master, it was extremely rare to find someone who could fight against her. It was rare to see one, so she felt connected to him at the first meeting, and they became friends. Yun Muchen admired Qiang Wanzhou very much. That was because he would be in charge of cleanliness and clean the tables, chairs, and even door frames until they sparkled, no matter what happened. Yun Muchen was a cleanliness freak. He had once initiated bringing him back, but Chu Liuyue rejected him, and he could only leave in regret. Chu Liuyue looked up slightly outside the Fantasy Divine Hall¡¯s door. Qiang Wanzhou had already arrived a long time ago, but he did not come in. ¡°Little Zhou, come in.¡± Qiang Wanzhou lowered his head and acknowledged the order respectfully. Then, he walked over. Chu Liuyue curved her lips slightly. ¡°Wait at the side first. When everything ends, clean the area here,¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yun Muchen snorted and had a very envious expression. ¡°Hey, little Yue¡¯er¡ª¡± The moment he said those few words, Yun Muchen instantly felt a gust of cold air attack him. He raised his brows slightly, turned around, and met a pair of distinguished and cold phoenix-like eyes. Yun Muchen could not help but laugh. He retracted his gaze and continued, ¡°Little Yue¡¯er, I¡¯ll bring a few people over later. Ask Little Zhou to guide them for me.¡± Chu Liuyue looked at the evil spirit from the corner of her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡± Yun Muchen was speechless. This couple is very ungrateful! However, he knew clearly that it was not the time to fight over this. Forget it. We can talk after we settle these matters¡­ As he thought in this manner, he sensibly moved back. ¡­ The sword pierced through its heart and burned. The endless Heaven and Earth Force formed into zither sounds and surrounded it! It was¡­ a road to death! Chu Liuyue stepped forward and looked down at it from above. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you only have one life.¡± It was to its advantage that it just needed one life to repay all the grudges from before! She raised her hand and wanted to give it a lethal blow! But at this point, the evil spirit suddenly looked over. It laughed, and its tone was strange and sinister. ¡°Goddess Yue, you can¡¯t kill me.¡± Chu Liuyue ignored it and gathered holy force in her hands! Following this, the evil spirit chuckled softly with endless cunningness and delight. It said carefully, ¡°It seems like you really don¡¯t know. We live and die together. If I die, you can¡¯t live alone. If you live, I will also be indestructible! Goddess Yue, do you¡­ still want to kill me?!¡± The sinister and hoarse voice sounded like thunder striking! Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body tensed up! The tremendous holy force surged in her palm and did not land in a long time! She knitted her brows and looked at that pair of harsh bloodshot eyes in disbelief. ¡°What¡­ did you say?!¡± Live¡­ and die together?! The evil spirit laughed even more arrogantly, and it loudly said, ¡°Emperor knows of this! The two priests know! Only you¡­ don¡¯t!¡± ¡°During the battle at the God-Killing Tumulus, the High Priest and the rest fought with their lives and clearly had the chance to bring me down with them. Yet, they chose to take a step back and dismember my Holy Body and suppress it in various locations of the God Residence Realm. Why do you think they did that? Why do you think they were willing to sign the agreement and were trapped in the Red Moon Desert for 10,000 years, suffering endless torture and loneliness?¡± ¡°Did you think that you could reclaim your position as the Divine Master after you kill me and return peace to the world? Goddess Yue, you¡¯re¡­ too naive!¡± Every single word and sentence were like sharp knives that stabbed right at Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart! It pierced her! Chu Liuyue¡¯s entire body seemed to be numb as she trembled slightly, but she had lost all feeling. Only her organs seemed to be squeezed crazily by an invisible force. Her body seemed to suddenly have many unobservable wounds. She could not touch them, and she did not even know precisely where it hurt, but she could only suffer it in this manner. She slowly turned around and looked far away at the few figures before the main hall. Dugu Mobao¡¯s expression did not change as he looked at her with a gaze as deep as the sea. Lan Xiao¡¯s lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he still silently acknowledged it. ¡°Ask them! See how they begged me, just for a chance for you to reincarnate and come back 10,000 years later!¡± A gust of cold wind suddenly entered her chest, and it hurt excruciatingly. Chu Liuyue¡¯s vision suddenly became blurred. The holy force on her fingertips disappeared. At that moment, it seemed that all the strength in her body had been sucked away. Endless lethargy overwhelmed her, almost drowning her. Ask? Is there¡­ a need to ask? She clutched her heart tightly, still finding it hard to breathe. There was no need to ask because she knew their characters the best. Such proud and prideful people¡­ To safeguard my soul, to give me a chance to reincarnate and come back, for me¡­ What did they do? She thought of the endless yellow sand at the Red Moon Desert and the cage below the lake, where they could not see the day or sun. She thought of Big Baby¡¯s humiliation and frustration when he forcefully formed his Holy Body and took the form of a child to save her. She thought of how Lan Xiao changed his appearance every single day without fail and tiredness yet repeatedly complained about how his original look was the best. She thought of how Diwu Zhangze always saved her, when she was beyond tired and advised Big Baby to let her rest¡­ There was no wind that was harsher and lonelier than the one at the Red Moon Desert. It blew away all of their pride and dignity, crushing them in the process. Chapter 2492 - 2492 Erase 2492 Erase Diwu Zhangze and the rest had just arrived at the Heaven Gate when they heard such harsh words. Yu Jiu and Mu Hongyu were stunned in unison, and they slowly turned around to look at Diwu Zhangze. He clenched his fists tightly, and his expression became colder. ¡°Yu Jiu, destroy the bridge!¡± Yu Jiu was dazed. ¡°What?¡± Diwu Zhangze suddenly looked at him and boomed, ¡°I said, destroy the bridge and close the door!¡± Yu Jiu then understood that he was talking about the bridge that connected the Fantasy Divine Sea to the outside world. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Quick!¡± Diwu Zhangze did not give any explanation and hurriedly urged him. At this point, an inch-long green ray of light suddenly floated in front of Yu Jiu. A row of words slowly appeared. Yu Jiu¡¯s expression was slightly shocked. Big Brother actually sent the same command as Diwu Zhangze! He pressed his lips against each other and no longer hesitated. He turned around, raised his sword, and harshly slashed down! The sword instantly caused sparks to spurt around the silver bridge! The countless surfacing Xuan formations rapidly disappeared after that green sword aura. This sword was produced by Cen Yi personally and had great powers. Even if this silver bridge was built with countless Xuan formations¡­ When the two parties met, it was an easy destruction. Below, the waves seemed to crash even more intensely. Yu Jiu circulated all the force in his body and tried his best to chop it! Finally, he heard an explosion. The last Xuan formation connecting to the Heaven Gate was cut! However, this sword had exhausted all of the holy force in Yu Jiu¡¯s body! Diwu Zhangze rapidly looked at Wu Yao. At this point, Wu Yao also received Cen Yi¡¯s command, and he closed the door without hesitation! Creak¡ª The sound of the Heaven Gate closing echoed throughout the area. Some people hurriedly turned around to take a look, but they quickly retracted their gazes. At this point, their attention was all on the Fantasy Divine Hall! To be more accurate, it was on that woman. ¡­ Chu Liuyue¡¯s throat became dry, and she almost could not breathe. Her lips moved as she lightly asked, ¡°That also means¡­ For the past 10,000 years, they could not form their Holy Bodies, they could not take a step out of the Red Moon Desert¡­ Then, the Wei Yue¡­¡± ¡°The Wei Yue was just a method of supervising them,¡± said the evil spirit with a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that they didn¡¯t adhere to their agreement. From the day the High Priest formed his Holy Body, the agreement was invalid!¡± Chu Liuyue stared at the front, but her gaze was blurred. The corner of her lips curled up slightly, but she was beyond exhausted, and it still fell. ¡°So¡­ you brought them back to the Fantasy Divine Palace in advance? To torture them endlessly?¡± ¡°They deserve it! During the 10,000 years, they went against the agreement and brought you to the Red Moon Desert to cultivate. They also secretly helped you several times. Do you really think I have no idea?¡± Lan Xiao finally could not hold back as he angrily smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make yourself sound like a saint. During this period of time, if you didn¡¯t use your cunning methods to take the music score, why would we retaliate?¡± Chu Liuyue closed her eyes. ¡°I see¡­¡± So that¡¯s it! ¡°Today, our battle is just to see who wins and loses. If you win the position of the Divine Master, you can just take it back. However, if you want to take my life¡­ can you do it?!¡± The evil spirit¡¯s voice was sinister and arrogant. If Chu Liuyue wanted to kill it, she herself would die! In this world, nobody could make such a decision easily! Hence, it was sure that although it would not win today¡¯s battle, it definitely would not lose! But at this point, a low and cold voice suddenly came from the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡°She can¡¯t, but I can!¡± This sound, coupled with the prowess from the thunder, reverberated throughout the area! Chu Liuyue looked up. She saw Rong Xiu point toward them with a longsword! That sword was entirely black. Only a line of golden in the middle glowed brightly. There was a crushing sense of pressure! ¡­ Everyone was taken aback! What does the Emperor mean? He wants to kill the evil spirit?! Then, wouldn¡¯t he kill Chu Liuyue as well?! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly looked at him. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Who exactly are you killing?! Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. ¡°If not, are you going to rely on your black magic?¡± Jun Jiuqing¡¯s pupils constricted! ¡°You indeed know.¡± Rong Xiu glanced at him coldly. ¡°You can try all you want.¡± Jun Jiuqing clenched his teeth and suddenly produced a black hammer. Chu Liuyue looked over and immediately recognized that it was Wei Ze¡¯s. However, it looked different from before, and there were more blood patterns on it. It looked sinister and cold. The next moment, Jun Jiuqing inserted his holy force, and the blood pattern instantly revived and swam around. At this point, the evil spirit suddenly yelled furiously, ¡°Jun Jiuqing! How dare you betray me?!¡± Blood patterns also appeared around it, and it crazily twisted! One could faintly hear extremely miserable shrieks coming from within. The evil spirit¡¯s surrounding aura kept weakening! Jun Jiuqing said, ¡°If I can¡¯t kill it, I can use a human¡¯s soul to tempt it and absorb the blood force to trap it!¡± Back then, he had secretly left this move when he returned to the Fantasy Divine Hall. ¡°As long¡ª¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! Before Jun Jiuqing finished his sentence, he heard a series of explosions. The blood pattern that trapped the evil spirit suddenly broke! Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression changed. The next moment, a cold and violent force came over. He immediately threw the item in his hand! Boom! Everything¡­ disappeared like the wind! ¡°To think that I chose you as the succeeding High Priest. Ten thousand years later, I even summoned your soul to come back. Jun Jiuqing, is this how you repay me?¡± The evil spirit was exasperated. Clearly, Jun Jiuqing¡¯s actions had infuriated it! However, Chu Liuyue suddenly noticed something and stared at Jun Jiuqing closely. ¡°¡­Yi Xiang?¡± The Yi family ancestor! However, didn¡¯t he follow the evil spirit back then? Now¡ª Jun Jiuqing¡¯s expression darkened. There is no way to get out of this situation! Does Rong Xiu really want to kill her too?! The evil spirit sneered and clenched its teeth. It coldly questioned, ¡°Emperor, are you interfering in the matters of the Fantasy Divine Hall?!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I already took action 10,000 years ago. What does this count for!?¡± Once he said this, it was like thunder that exploded in the crowd¡¯s hearts! ¡°What did you say?!¡± The evil spirit was shocked. Then, it suddenly recalled something and looked at the name that was burned on the Record of the Million Gods. ¡°You¡ª¡± Before it could say anything, Rong Xiu¡¯s sword had reached it! Extremely fast! Extremely accurate! Extremely harsh! Chu Liuyue felt a ray of light flash across her eyes. The next moment, a miserable and painful moan came from behind. The sword aura brushed past her earlobe and caused her hair to lightly fly up and land. She turned around. The evil spirit¡¯s body started to burn and contort at an observable speed! However¡­ she was seemingly not affected. The evil spirit was clearly taken aback by this scene. It suddenly widened its eyes. ¡°You cut the connection between us?! How can that be? For the past 10,000 years, you¡¯ve never entered the Fantasy Divine Palace¡¯s main hall¡ª¡± However, only the Emperor could do such a thing! Suddenly, the evil spirit realized. ¡°Who did you use?!¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, but his gaze was similar to an ice mountain that did not melt in 10,000 years. He lightly said, ¡°The day you sent Mu Qinghe to Tianling, I wiped away his memories.¡± Chapter 2493 - 2493 I Came with the Intention of Dying 2493 I Came with the Intention of Dying Dark clouds gathered in the sky. The wind blew past with a faint hint of blood that lingered around one¡¯s noses. It was silent. At this moment, the scene seemed to be frozen. Chu Liuyue was dazed. Rong Xiu¡¯s sentence kept echoing beside her ear, again and again. He said he¡­ wiped away Mu Qinghe¡¯s memories the day he was sent to Tianling by the evil spirit? So¡­ Something seemed to heavily crush her heart, and it hurt. She slowly turned around to look at Mu Qinghe. He kneeled on the ground and was covered in wounds. He had already lost his vitality. As if detecting her gaze, his body moved as he looked up with much difficulty. His face was pale, and it was messily stained with blood. The frozen layer in his eyes seemed to slowly melt and reveal some hints of light. Then, he looked at her and smiled slightly. He was in a disheveled state, but his gaze was warm¡ªlike the first time they met. The only difference was that his smile back then was extremely faint and was filled with fear, covering his nervousness and terror. Now, his lips were relaxed in a straightforward and relieved manner. The Fantasy Divine Hall erupted in a battle, and both parties fought. He was sent to Tianling to snatch her music score, but nobody knew that the Emperor, who should¡¯ve stayed out of the matters, had changed everything. Chu Liuyue¡¯s mind was in a mess. ¡°When¡­ did you recover your memories?¡± Mu Qinghe paused. ¡°A few days before Your Highness was in trouble.¡± The evil spirit suddenly spoke, its voice sharp and maniacal. ¡°That¡¯s not right! Even if our connection was broken, there should be a death! I was fine for the past 10,000 years in the Fantasy Divine Hall, then¡­ She should¡¯ve died!¡± ¡°She did die.¡± Rong Xiu looked calm. ¡°Below Million Wine Mountain, you used your own tricks to awaken her memories after the Fantasy Divine Palace in advance, so I wiped away all her memories other than Tianling and sent her back.¡± At that time, Chu Liuyue had just broken through to become a true god in the academy. As she trespassed into Million Wine Mountain, a portion of her Fantasy Divine Palace memories was awakened. In such a situation, she was bound to die, if she went against it. Hence, he chose to start over. Coincidentally, he used that chance to cut the connection between the two! The evil spirit was dazed for a long time before it suddenly realized. ¡°I see¡­ I see! You¡¯re the one who assisted her in reincarnating! You used all your methods to pave a path for her!¡± ¡°Let me think¡ªwhen did you start to take action¡­ You had already intervened during the battle 10,000 years ago, right? You protected those 13 deities and sent them to Thirteen?! You didn¡¯t even give up on her pageboy that was useful to her!¡± ¡°Not only that, haha! Emperor, you calculated everything detailedly and perfectly, even Mu Qinghe! After she returned to Tianling, you used Mu Qinghe to make her die and reincarnate!¡± ¡°For the past 10,000 years, every single person and every single matter was under your control! You¡­ have really planned it perfectly! Hah!¡± The shrill and hoarse voice reverberated throughout the Fantasy Divine Hall, landing in everybody¡¯s ears clearly. Other than this voice, everyone was deadly silent. These words and matters had long exceeded their expectations. They could not recover their senses for a long time. Chu Liuyue was dazed. Countless scenes surfaced and intersected in her mind. There seemed to be a line which finally connected those scenes and formed a perfect story. The questions that troubled her for a long time were finally solved, and she found the eventual answer. Mu Qinghe looked at her deeply and lightly laughed. Actually, he recovered his memories very suddenly. He later understood that it was the Emperor¡¯s intention¡ªthe latter was sure that he would make such a choice eventually. Of course, that was indeed the case. He sat quietly in his room for three days. On the final day, he stopped her call for help thrice and ended her life in Tianling. He assisted Rong Xiu to carve a new path of life for her, and he used Rong Xiu¡¯s force to enter the Fantasy Divine Hall and cut the connection between her and the evil spirit. After that, he went along with the plan and went to Mo Shiqian, who had also lost a part of his memories, and pretended that nothing happened. Mu Qinghe¡¯s aura gradually weakened, and his vision became blurry. The evil spirit naturally had a way to kill him after he honestly reported everything. However, he was long prepared. He tried hard to open his eyes and wanted to look at her face again. It was a pity that the blood dripped down and covered his eyes, making him unable to see clearly. After a while, he lowly chuckled. ¡°Your Highness, you were right. I am a traitor. My whole life, I¡¯ve chosen to betray someone else for you.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± He lightly spoke with a hoarse voice. ¡°Back then, I really didn¡¯t know how to write ¡®Yue.''¡± His voice gradually became softer with the wind. Large pools of blood spread under him. Hong Yao suddenly flew over, leaned on his shoulders, and clutched his clothes tightly. Large beads of tears fell. However, Mu Qinghe¡¯s breathing stopped. Only his eyes were still looking at her in a daze. Hong Yao leaned against him and slowly stopped moving. Its last tear stopped in its eyes and did not land. ¡­ The evil spirit muttered and laughed in a strange manner. ¡°As the Emperor, who can plan better than you?! It¡¯s a pity, Rong Xiu! As the Emperor, for your own interests, you have gone against the Heavenly Dao! Today¡­ you can¡¯t escape your own punishment!¡± Chu Liuyue was stunned. Rong Xiu¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan on going out alive when I entered the Fantasy Divine Hall today.¡± Chapter 2494 - 2494 I Dont Regret 2494 I Don¡¯t Regret His low and melodious voice was nonchalant, as if he was saying something irrelevant. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart raced. ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Rong Xiu looked at her. His eyes were deep and clear, reflecting her figure. ¡°Rong Xiu! As the Emperor, you have taken charge of the human realm for thousands of years. How high and mighty you are! You¡¯re distinguished and peerless! Now, because of her, you want to personally destroy all of this? You¡¯re crazy! Crazy!¡± The evil spirit¡¯s miserable and sharp voice sounded, piercing everybody¡¯s ears! Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart suddenly seemed to be tightly gripped by something! However, Rong Xiu seemed unaffected. The next moment, he raised his hand and grabbed the empty air. Boom! A ball of golden and black fire suddenly surged out of the sword and completely tangled with the evil spirit! ¡°You¡ªyou will regret this! You will regret¡ª¡± The fire burned silently, and the voice finally disappeared. Outside the Fantasy Divine Hall, it was completely silent. Chu Liuyue¡¯s expression was dazed, and her mind was momentarily blank. Then, she suddenly recalled that Jun Jiuqing had called Rong Xiu crazy when she saw him at the Fantasy Divine Palace. At that time, she just thought that he casually said it. Who would have thought¡­ Who would have thought such a day would come? When she knew that he was the Emperor, she realized that this man had planned a lot for her. If not, he definitely wouldn¡¯t purposely lock her memories in that black pyramid and hide it from her for such a long time. Fantasy Divine Palace. God Residence Realm. Tianling. Yao Chen. He followed her the entire way. Even if she had died and reincarnated several times, he refused to let go. Since 10,000 years ago, he had betrayed the Heavenly Dao and predicted today¡¯s misfortune. He had even planned his own life and death. What would such a person be, if not crazy?! At this point, as the evil spirit took its last breath, dazzling golden light suddenly appeared in the skies! Chu Liuyue looked over. A ray of light appeared from behind the clouds in the dim sky, and it gradually spread across. The rays of light intersected and outlined a complicated and mysterious pattern, eventually forming a gigantic formation! The light dazzled in a holy manner. One couldn¡¯t even stare at it directly, and they instinctively felt fear and conceded to it. An indescribably distinguished suppression descended from the skies. Plop! Outside the Fantasy Divine Hall, some people couldn¡¯t tolerate the suppression and aura and kneeled on the floor respectfully. The Heavenly Dao was supreme! Every being in the world had to concede! With the first, the second and third quickly came¡­ Very quickly, everyone kneeled outside the Fantasy Divine Hall. The same scene happened in the human realm. Peach Blossom Dock. Inside Yue Manor, Lin Zhifei was studying a Xuan formation. The sky outside suddenly lit up. Then, he heard discussions. He shockingly stood up, opened his room door, and saw many people gathered in the courtyard. At this point, they were all looking at the sky in shock and respect. Lin Zhifei looked up strangely. Since when did this Xuan formation appear in the sky? No, that isn¡¯t a Xuan formation! Rays of light shone on it. The lights were bright, and the stars formed a pattern perfectly. It seemed like it belonged in this place. This was¡­ The Heavenly Dao descended! At this point, rays of light swam around. The tremendous suppression descended, and everyone in the yard kneeled down! The rays of light shone brightly, causing one to be unable to look at it directly. Suddenly, a gigantic mirror slowly appeared. Confusion instantly surged in the crowd¡¯s hearts. Is the¡­ ground shaking?! ¡­ Tianling Dynasty, Imperial City. In Shaoyue Palace, Shangguan You stood with his hands behind his back in the corridor. He muttered softly, ¡°Sigh¡­ I wonder when I can see Yue¡¯er come back¡­¡± Suddenly, a bright ray of light appeared in the skies. He knitted his brows slightly. He looked up and saw a star formation silently floating. The suppression descended and caused his shoulders to feel heavy. At the same time, a mirror appeared in the skies. His expression changed slightly. ¡°This is¡­¡± For some reason, heavy uneasiness filled his heart. ¡­ Yao Chen. Voices filled the streets. At some moment, there was a phenomenon! ¡°Quickly look! What¡¯s that?¡± Someone in the crowd gasped. The crowd followed the sound and looked up. They felt that the suppression was strong and unbearable. Very quickly, the crowd kneeled down, shocked and filled with respect and fear. A mirror appeared in the skies. ¡­ The suppression descended from the skies and covered the entire human realm! Mountains, rivers, forests, desert¡­ Countless beings were covered by the Heavenly Dao suppression in all the corners. At the same time, mirrors appeared one after another. A ray of light suddenly descended from the skies. It swept across the mirrors and reflected a dazzling ray of light. Very quickly, this ray of light landed on the mirror at Peach Blossom Dock¡¯s barrier. Instantly, the waters rippled and slowly expanded. The appearance became increasingly clear. Gradually, the entire figure could be seen clearly. At that moment, the star formation lit up! ¡­ Fantasy Divine Hall. The bright rays of light descended from the skies and landed on Rong Xiu. However, the ray of light didn¡¯t stop on him as it continued moving and finally¡­ arrived before Chu Liuyue! Seeing the approaching light, Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart quickly beat. She instinctively felt that something was amiss and was about to retreat, but the suppression had already covered her surroundings. She could not move. The next moment, that ray of light finally reflected on her. Instantly, Chu Liuyue felt a pair of sharp eyes brush past her! From the inside to out, it looked at her clearly! ¡°Rong Xiu.¡± An ancient and magnificent voice came from space and instantly reverberated throughout the world. ¡°Do you know your mistake?¡± Rong Xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he lightly said, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°She was just born in a peach blossom during the chaos 100,000 years ago. You meticulously took care of it for 90,000 years and finally guided its soul into a body, helping her to become the Divine Master. I know all of this and had no intentions of interfering, but she was born with the evil spirit and shouldn¡¯t be tolerated in the world. Yet, you let her live until now.¡± ¡°Ten thousand years ago, I commanded you to kill it, but you used the evil spirit to separate her from it and even took advantage of the fight to send her back to reincarnation. After that, I left 3,000 mirrors in the world to search for her whereabouts and had no results. Now, I realized that you had secretly burned her name from the Record of the Million Gods and sent her back for a second reincarnation on your own.¡± ¡°Rong Xiu, do you admit whatever you did!¡± Rong Xiu nodded lightly and said, ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Back then, you cut her connection with the evil spirit and directly chopped half your holy meridian to reform her soul, for her second reincarnation. Now, although the evil spirit is dead, your holy meridian is half-gone, and you¡¯ve long lost the right to be the Emperor! Do you regret it!?¡± The Heavenly Dao was heavy as it overwhelmed heaven and earth. Rong Xiu¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and his gaze was clear. ¡°I do not regret it.¡± Chapter 2495 - 2495 Can You Lie to Me My Whole Life? 2495 Can You Lie to Me My Whole Life? He knew that he was wrong, and he admitted to it. However, he said he didn¡¯t regret it. The surroundings were quiet as the light breeze blew. Chu Liuyue suddenly felt that the light surrounding her was too bright, causing her eyes to hurt. At this moment, she suddenly felt scared and did not dare to listen further. She had no clue of how much he had done for her, but he was her husband, the person she agreed to spend the rest of her life with. Why would she not know anything and even¡­ not notice anything? ¡°Rong Xiu, your holy meridian is broken, and you committed many sins. Today¡­ you must be punished!¡± The ancient and distant voice echoed between heaven and the earth. The gigantic star formation slowly moved. A light curtain dropped from the skies and trapped Rong Xiu! He looked up slightly, and there was no fear or regret in his eyes. ¡°I will suffer all the consequences.¡± Once he said this, a ray of light flew out from the star formation and formed a sharp arrow that quickly went toward Rong Xiu! Swoosh! That sharp arrow pierced through his left kneecap! At that moment, the sharp arrow burned, and sparks flew everywhere! His bones were crushed! Roar! Xue Xue leaped up and jumped over. But before it could get close to the light curtain, it was stopped by the extremely strong suppression and flipped onto the floor. It crawled back up, and it was hit again. Then, its figure was flung out. Bloodstains appeared on the ground. Rong Xiu looked at it. ¡°Xue Xue, go back.¡± Xue Xue refused as it rushed forward while whimpering. Bloody wounds quickly appeared on Xue Xue. Swoosh! The second sharp arrow came! This time, it was his right knee! His knees were cut! The Heavenly Dao descended, and its suppression pressed around him. Plop! The low sound caused the tall and burly figure to kneel onto the ground. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart seemed to have been harshly shaken, and she trembled. ¡°Since you admit your mistake, kneel before all the people in the world! Return your holy force!¡± Once the Heavenly Dao said this, the third sharp arrow pierced through Rong Xiu¡¯s chest! His body shook, and he finally spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Rong Xiu!¡± Chu Liuyue rapidly ran toward him. Upon hearing this, Xue Xue ran over and whimpered miserably around her feet. The closer she was, the heavier the suppression from the Heavenly Dao. Every step she took exhausted even more force and energy than the previous. Her speed slowly reduced. Finally, she stopped outside the light curtain and could no longer approach it. She was just a few steps away from him, but she seemed so far away and unreachable. Chu Liuyue¡¯s heart burned. From the moment she saw Rong Xiu kneel down, the last string in her mind broke. He was so distinguished and prideful. How could he kneel down? How many people were watching this scene in the world?! She pressed against the light curtain, her palms burning excruciatingly. However, all of this could not compare to the hurt in her heart. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she couldn¡¯t utter a single syllable. Her chest hurt, and even breathing became painful. The pain extended from her heart to her body, through every inch and every part. She could not struggle free. Rong Xiu supported himself on the ground with one hand. He coughed and slowly straightened his body. Even though he was kneeling down, his posture was straight, as if he would never bend down. He raised his hand and wiped away the fresh blood from his mouth before looking over. ¡°Yue¡¯er.¡± He laughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s just kneeling. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Back then, at Country Yao Chen, he had once kneeled to legitimately marry her. Chu Liuyue¡¯s eyes welled up, and the tears finally landed. Rong Xiu furrowed his sharp brows slightly and helplessly smiled. ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t cry. I can¡¯t help you wipe your tears.¡± Once he said that, another sharp arrow pierced through his left shoulder! A few drops of blood landed on the light curtain. They were rapidly burned by the terrifying force contained within. However, Chu Liuyue almost felt like the blood had landed on her face and body¡ªit was hot, and it hurt. She widened her eyes and stared at him, her tears falling even more intensely. Rong Xiu¡¯s gaze was gentle. Suddenly, he thought of something and lightly asked, ¡°Yue¡¯er, are you angry at me for lying to you?¡± He paused and wiped away the blood from his mouth again. Then, he continued, ¡°You should be angry.¡± His gaze became deeper as if he were recalling. However, the depths of his eyes still clearly reflected her figure. After a moment, he gently said, ¡°You woke up in the forest in Country Yao Chen. I lied to you and said that you trespassed someone else¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°In Tianling, when you unwittingly said that you wanted to overtake me on the Qing Yun Ranking, I lied to you and said that I had never heard of that place before.¡± ¡°At Peach Blossom Dock, you asked me if I recognized the Celestial Shield. I lied to you and said I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Prince Li, His Grace¡­ These identities were all lies. Even my identity as Master¡­ I¡¯ve hidden it from you for so many years and only told you a few days ago.¡± Rong Xiu spoke carefully, recounting the past in detail. Actually, how could he be so exact? He had lied to her from the very start. After he told a lie, he had to use countless lies to cover it up. More and more rays of light formed into sharp arrows that pierced through his body and burned. They left many bloody wounds. He was decked in a black robe, so the bloodstains were not obvious. But after the blood accumulated, it drenched his clothes bit by bit. His face became pale, and his aura became increasingly weaker. The holy force accumulated over thousands of years was removed bit by bit. Such torture was akin to scraping his skin and cutting his flesh! He exhaled lightly, and the intense bloody scent permeated the area. ¡°But¡­ At that time, I didn¡¯t lie to you when I said I¡¯m Rong Xiu. I didn¡¯t lie to you when I said that I want to marry you no matter what. I didn¡¯t lie when I said that I missed and waited for you for a very long time. I didn¡¯t lie to you when I said I was the luckiest person to have married you.¡± Swoosh! A sharp arrow suddenly pierced the back of his head! The large impact caused his body to tremble, but he forcefully supported himself with a hand. The ground before him became sticky with blood. Veins could faintly be seen on the back of his hand. Chu Liuyue slowly fell to the floor. With a light barrier between them, she looked at him from afar. He took a deep breath in and instinctively wiped away the blood from his mouth. However, he shockingly discovered that the back of his hands had cracked into many wounds, and blood spurted out. The 10,000 swords had taken away his holy force accumulated in the past 100,000 years. His remaining bit of holy force silently disappeared with these wounds. He glanced at it in a daze and put his hand down. Forget it. He looked up at her deeply, as if he wanted to engrave her appearance. ¡°I know that my Yue¡¯er hates other people lying to her. However, Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t get angry this time, okay?¡± Chu Liuyue bit her lips tightly, as a bloody taste filled her mouth. She looked at him. Suddenly, she smiled, and hot tears kept falling. ¡°Yeah, I hate people lying to me the most. But Rong Xiu, if the person that lied to me is you, then it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What did you lie to me about?¡± ¡°My person, my heart¡ªthey¡¯re all yours. What else do you want?¡± ¡°You tricked me into believing you, tricked me into loving you, tricked me into being jealous because of you, tricked me into being unable to sleep because of you, tricked me into experiencing life and death with you, and tricked me into dying with you? If that¡¯s the case, then can you lie to me for the rest of my life?¡± Chapter 2496 - 2496 Stealing a Lifetime, Turning Old Together 2496 stealing a lifetime, turning old together her voice was soft, but her words were heavy. just like that, she handed over all her trust and love. chu liuyue thought that there was probably no one in this world who was better at lying than him. ¡°rong xiu, you said before that you came today with the intention of dying¡­ you were also lying to me, right?¡± she looked at him, her eyes flickering with tiny specks of light, extremely low expectations, and desires that even she hadn¡¯t realized. rong xiu¡¯s lips moved slightly. just as he was about to speak, he heard that ancient voice coming with endless pressure. ¡°as the emperor, rong xiu should uphold justice, but he went against the heavenly dao for his own selfish desires! today, he must die! however, you don¡¯t have to worry. after he dies, you¡¯ll be next!¡± rong xiu suddenly looked up in shock. ¡°she has already cut off her life from the evil spirit. moreover, everything here was done by me alone. why is she implicated?!¡± ¡°rong xiu, at this point, you¡¯re still trying to protect her? don¡¯t forget that i already ordered you to kill her 10,000 years ago! you¡¯ve already delayed her lifespan by 10,000 years. isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°today, you and her are both going to die!¡± every word was firm, resolute, and couldn¡¯t be disobeyed! rong xiu slowly clenched his fists. i took the initiative to die today to leave her a way out, but¡­ from the looks of it, it seems impossible¡­ a dark light flashed across his eyes. at this moment, on the light screen, a stream of light suddenly turned into an arrow and tried to stab chu liuyue! chu liuyue knew that something was wrong, but under the suppression of the heavenly dao, she couldn¡¯t retreat in time! in a moment of desperation, she used all the strength in her body to dodge to the side! swoosh! the sharp arrow brushed past her neck! a bloody mark instantly appeared on her slender and fair neck! when the dark red blood was reflected in rong xiu¡¯s eyes, it instantly burned like a prairie fire! then, flames burned in the depths of his deep eyes. one was dark, and the other was bright gold! an extremely terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body! chu liuyue was shocked. she looked over and met his extremely cold gaze! boom! the black and gold flames instantly surged out of rong xiu¡¯s body and overturned him! her heart sank. ¡°rong xiu!¡± the messy bloodstains were quickly burned away. broken bones and open wounds were also quickly healed by the flames! everyone was shocked by this sudden change. countless pairs of eyes watched this scene in extreme shock and couldn¡¯t recover for a long time. on the other hand, yun muchen suddenly narrowed his eyes. ¡°huh? this is¡­¡± the flames burned fiercely, and rong xiu¡¯s figure gradually blurred. however, the aura that kept spreading around him was still rising crazily! crack! there was a cracking sound. it was the powerful light screen being instantly shattered by the impact of this power! chu liuyue¡¯s heart trembled. the next moment, she saw the black and gold flames quickly condense into a sword! rong xiu¡¯s figure appeared in her eyes again! the black brocade robe was already extremely damaged, but the bloodstains on it seemed to have been burned clean. his body under his clothes was tall and straight. all his injuries had disappeared! swoosh! he waved his wrist, and the sword instantly cut through space. the hand holding the sword had also returned to normal. it was strong and powerful, with distinct joints. there were no longer those fine bloody wounds. the most different thing was his eyes. those deep and clear eyes were already completely occupied by those two balls of flames! with just one look, it made people subconsciously submit to him! compared to the pressure of the heavenly dao, it was actually¡­ not inferior! a ridiculous and bold thought suddenly surged into chu liuyue¡¯s mind. rong xiu¡­ broke through?! he looked at her steadily and walked toward her. without the barrier of the light screen, the two of them were only a few steps away. he came up to her and held out his hand. without thinking, chu liuyue handed her hand over. he exerted strength with his long arm and easily pulled her up into his arms. without any pause or hesitation, he held the sword in one hand and wrapped his other hand around her slender waist. then, he lowered his head and kissed her ruthlessly. this kiss was deep and long! after a long time, when she could barely stand, he finally stopped. after that, he tilted his head slightly and kissed the tears falling from the corners of her eyes. chu liuyue¡¯s heart swelled with sourness, and the joy and heartache from getting him back after almost losing him swallowed her. she leaned into his arms and grabbed his shirt tightly. feeling the warmth under his clothes and his strong heartbeat, her heart finally calmed down. ¡°rong xiu¡­ rong xiu¡­¡± he kissed the space between her eyebrows. his voice was low and gentle, as if he was afraid of disturbing her, but every word seemed to suppress his bone-chilling madness. ¡°yue¡¯er, i¡¯ve racked my brains and waited 10,000 years to steal a lifetime and become husband and wife with you. now that the heavens want to kill you, i¡¯ll crush the sky and rebel against the heavens!¡± with that, he let go of her. with a tap of his toes, he soared into the air! he hovered in midair, holding the black gold sword in his hand as his clothes fluttered. the next moment, he pointed his sword at the sky. his fighting spirit was obvious! there was a hint of shock and anger in that ancient and distant voice. ¡°rong xiu, how dare you!?¡± rong xiu sneered coldly. ¡°you¡¯ll know soon enough whether i dare or not!¡± since she had to be punished according to the heavenly dao, he knew he couldn¡¯t change her life. then¡­ there was no need to endure anymore! a breeze blew. suddenly, a puzzled voice came from the crowd. ¡°what¡¯s that?¡± chu liuyue looked up. a peach blossom floated over from afar. her heart tingled. is this¡­ a peach blossom from the abandoned garden? at this moment, the peach blossom floated in front of rong xiu and silently landed on the sword. the pink and white color quickly faded, revealing the dark and dazzling gold inside. swoosh! the moment they touched, the peach blossom transformed into a cluster of flames and fused with the sword. right on the heels of that was the second, third¡­ countless peach blossoms fluttered and scattered across half the sky. under the dazzling sunlight, blood surged as peach blossoms fell. this scene was like a dream, so unreal. chu liuyue squinted her eyes. when the last peach blossom landed on rong xiu¡¯s sword, she closed her eyes. the wind suddenly stopped. rong xiu slashed down! boundless sword intent, intertwined with dark and dazzling gold, swept through the sky! at the same time, the mirror in peach blossom dock suddenly shattered! splash¡ª the same scene happened everywhere in the human world! the 3,000 mirrors left behind by the heavenly dao were shattered at this moment! fantasy divine sea. the dark and turbulent sea suddenly condensed and transformed into endless snow in the blink of an eye. then, the snow seemed to have been summoned by some force, flying up and heading for the heaven gate. a faint green barrier suddenly appeared. the ice and snow melted instantly when they touched. ¡­ boom! when the sword landed, a crack instantly appeared on the astrolabe! then, the surrounding heaven and earth force began to surge crazily toward the crack. but at this moment, chu liuyue opened her eyes! in an instant, green streams of light appeared everywhere in the fantasy divine palace. it was a barrier! moreover, this wasn¡¯t just a simple barrier¡ªit was formed by countless barriers intertwining! the huge fantasy divine palace was completely enveloped by this barrier! a green barrier appeared in front of chu liuyue. the corners of her lips curled up slightly. then, she raised her hand and tapped gently. ¡°fall!¡± this low voice instantly spread throughout the entire world! after a short silence, a white and translucent snowflake suddenly fell from the sky. wherever the snowflakes passed, space and energy froze! the green barrier covered the entire fantasy divine palace. soon, countless snowflakes fell and occupied every inch of the mountains, rivers, plants, and trees here¡­ if it couldn¡¯t devour the heaven and earth force, the cracks on the astrolabe wouldn¡¯t be repaired. rong xiu slashed again! crack! the astrolabe completely shattered! in an instant, the dazzling light on it dimmed. at the same time, the terrifying heavenly dao pressure dissipated! rong xiu¡¯s deep and dignified voice reached the ears of millions of people in the world at this moment. ¡°the past is the past. today¡¯s battle is over! from now on, we¡¯ll stay in our own lane, mind our own business, and live in peace. if you offend us again and hurt my wife, i¡ªrong xiu¡ªwill definitely fight to the death with you!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his wrist and sent a sword flying into the shattered astrolabe. boom! flames burned fiercely! chu liuyue looked up, and her lips curled up slightly. ¡°i forgot to say that even if he¡¯s the emperor, he has to marry me and become my husband.¡± at this point, the last flame was also burned to ashes. the dark clouds gradually dissipated, and the weather became clear. all the violent energy gradually calmed down, and everything returned to calm. the green barrier faded bit by bit, leaving only snowflakes falling. rong xiu moved and returned to her. just as he was about to speak, chu liuyue suddenly went forward and pulled his hand. ¡°follow me.¡± with that, she pulled him in a certain direction. ¡°cen yi, i¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± chu liuyue¡¯s voice came from afar. the void fluctuated, and cen yi¡¯s figure appeared in front of the holy jade of chaos. he placed one hand on his left chest and nodded his head respectfully. ¡°yes.¡± ¡­ chu liuyue and rong xiu walked side by side at a moderate pace. a thin layer of snow quickly fell on the road in the fantasy divine hall. after making a few turns, the two of them arrived at a courtyard. the door was tightly shut, but a few black branches spread out from the wall. there was no plaque here. after the turmoil 10,000 years ago, there was only an obscure title left here¡ªthe deserted garden. chu liuyue looked at rong xiu, her eyes moving. ¡°let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± rong xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and took a step forward to push open the door. then, he softly laughed and said, ¡°yue¡¯er, i¡¯ve taken care of this place for tens of thousands of years. i¡¯m most familiar with it¡ª¡± creak¡ª the moment the door opened, rong xiu suddenly stopped talking. large peach trees grew in the garden, and there was no end to them. but at this moment, clusters of pink and white peach blossoms were blooming on the peach tree that had withered for 10,000 years. the white and translucent snow fell one after another, already covering the ground with a layer of white. the spreading branches and brocade peach blossoms were also piled with sparkling white snow. he stood there in a daze for a long time. he hadn¡¯t seen such a scene for a long time. chu liuyue came to his side, tilted her head, and smiled. ¡°your highness, you said you¡¯ve seen it before. the sky is filled with dancing snow, and the peach blossoms are dazzling. now, i¡¯ve seen it too.¡± she turned her gaze slightly and looked ahead. there seemed to be a glint in her eyes. ¡°it¡¯s indeed beautiful.¡± rong xiu looked at her exquisite and beautiful side profile and said, ¡°beautiful indeed.¡± then, he suddenly closed the door. chu liuyue was stunned. before she could speak, she was pulled in by him. soon, her back was pressed against the trunk of a peach tree. he wrapped one arm around her waist and cushioned her back. he grabbed her chin with the other hand and kissed her. his kiss was urgent. his breathing was hot and gradually became hurried. she almost melted into spring water and melted into his arms. then, his hand went to her waist. but the next moment, a weak hand suddenly pressed his hand down. he looked at her. and his voice was especially low and hoarse. ¡°¡­yue¡¯er?¡± her face was slightly flushed, and her starry eyes were sparkling. her full and soft lips were moist and sweet. with just one glance, he felt even hotter. he leaned closer and bit her fair earlobe. her body went limp. she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into his arms, as if that was the only way she could have something to rely on. however, she still shook her head. ¡°¡­no¡­¡± then, she raised her head slightly and leaned into his ear. with a red face, she said softly, ¡°i think¡­ i¡¯m pregnant¡­¡± rong xiu¡¯s body stiffened, and he finally stopped. then, he lowered his head slightly and stared at the person in his arms. she was looking at him intently, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. he narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. in the end, he kissed her lips and carefully pulled her into his arms. snowflakes fell, and the blooming peach blossoms swayed gently in the breeze. their voices sounded almost like whispers in the air. ¡°how long?¡± ¡°¡­about¡­ a month?¡± ¡°then, it¡¯s time to prepare¡­ what name should we give?¡± ¡°think about it.¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s a daughter, so you¡¯ll name her.¡± ¡°¡­how do you know it¡¯s a daughter?¡± ¡°it must be.¡± ¡­ Chapter 2497 - 2497 Side Story 1: Help Her Back 2497 side story 1: help her back cen yi instructed the thirteen yue guards to clean up the endgame. medicinal mountain. xiao ba waved at shi fang. ¡°shi fang.¡± shi fang walked over. ¡°eighth sister?¡± xiao ba smiled charmingly. ¡°do you see this medicinal mountain?¡± shi fang nodded. ¡°for the next month, i¡¯ll leave the plowing and weeding to you.¡± shi fang¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°all¡ªall of them?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± xiao ba blinked. ¡°didn¡¯t you always complain that the mountain i gave you was too small in the past? now, i¡¯ll leave these to you!¡± shi fang¡¯s neck stiffened as he looked around. this is¡­ huge! won¡¯t i be exhausted if i do it by myself?! ¡°eighth sister¡ª¡± he tried to struggle and gestured with two fingers. ¡°you¡¯re in charge of this medicinal mountain after all. i-i¡¯m not suitable! just give me a little¡ªreally!¡± ¡°ah¡ª¡± xiao ba suddenly held her waist and bent down slightly, her glabella revealing a hint of pain. shi fang immediately became nervous. ¡°eighth sister? what¡¯s wrong?¡± xiao ba waved her hand. ¡°n-nothing. it¡¯s just that i was ambushed by shu jing when i was passing the life-and-death challenge previously, and i was slightly injured. it¡¯s fine¡­¡± ¡°huh? eighth sister, you should hurry up and rest then!¡± shi fang felt very ashamed. the few of us returned late because we had been guarding peach blossom dock. now that i think about it, eighth sister and the others must¡¯ve suffered a lot. with that, he looked at xiao ba¡¯s waist. although she was holding her waist, he could still vaguely see that there was indeed a large bruise with blood spots. ¡°eighth sister, i¡¯m afraid your injuries will take a long time to recover. let them help you back!¡± xiao ba immediately refused. ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡± however, shi fang was very insistent. he looked in the direction of the fantasy divine hall and shouted, ¡°sister shiyi, sister shi¡¯er! eighth sister is injured! come over and help!¡± at this moment, on the holy jade of chaos, the evil spirit had already been burned to ashes by the flames. even the last spark was annihilated. only the top of 13 white jade pillars were left. the hot and bright flames burned quietly. the celestial shield had already been completely embedded back into it and returned to its original appearance. however, there were still two sword marks in the middle¡ªthey naturally came from chu liuyue and rong xiu. lady shiyi and lady shi¡¯er were standing at the side. ¡°ah, the lines on it are all smudged in a few places.¡± lady shi¡¯er leaned closer to take a look and muttered softly with heartache. lady shiyi took out two carving knives and handed one over. ¡°since we¡¯re back, we¡¯ll slowly repair it in the future.¡± the holy jade of chaos was the key to refining holy weapons. the power of the divine master could only be transformed into holy fire through it. the celestial shield piece was the core. previously, the celestial shield had been forcefully hacked away by rong xiu. on the one hand, it was to use the power contained within to reconstruct peach blossom dock and connect that dao gate realm to the fantasy divine palace. on the other hand, he wanted to send it to chu liuyue. after all, it was hers to begin with. the reason why the evil spirit didn¡¯t stop it was that its divine power couldn¡¯t transform into holy flames. without the celestial shield, the power that the holy jade of chaos could convert was greatly reduced. this also allowed the evil spirit to maintain the holy fire as long as it used a little red-gold heavenly phoenix bloodline power. previously, when lady shiyi said that the holy jade of chaos was just a scrap, it was naturally related to the missing celestial shield. but when the celestial shield returned, it was different. lady shi¡¯er was about to repair it when she heard shi fang¡¯s voice. she looked up and glanced in that direction, then lowered her head to look at the holy jade of chaos. she couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touch it gently, her expression conflicted. how many years has it been before i finally touched it again¡­ although i also feel sorry for eighth sister, it doesn¡¯t seem¡­ so serious that she can¡¯t walk? lady shiyi suddenly handed her a small stool. ¡°you don¡¯t have to care about him.¡± lady shi¡¯er said, ¡°but eighth sister¡ª¡± before lady shi¡¯er could finish speaking, she saw her sister turn to look at yan qing, who was standing in the distance. she shouted, ¡°eighth brother-in-law, help eighth sister!¡± with that, she didn¡¯t care about yan qing¡¯s expression and moved a second stool over. she sat on the other side and began to repair the holy jade of chaos. this shout was really not low-key. everyone heard it. countless eyes looked at yan qing in unison. shi fang and xiao ba also heard it. shi fang was shocked. ¡°eighth brother-in-law?! eighth sister, when were you and left divine general a pair?!¡± why don¡¯t i know?! xiao ba was speechless. i¡¯m really tired. how many times have i explained this?! she gritted her teeth. ¡°¡­i can walk by myself!¡± yu mo clicked his tongue and nudged yan qing with his elbow. ¡°hey, hey! you¡¯ve been summoned!¡± yan qing¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but he recalled the conversation between xiao ba and qi han before entering the fantasy divine hall. his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. he wanted to explain that they had nothing to do with each other, but the words couldn¡¯t come out. yu mo looked at him in disdain. ¡°no way! brother, your wife is injured, but your heart doesn¡¯t ache?! are you a man?¡± yan qing finally gazed at him coldly. yu mo tactfully took a step back. ¡°ahem, i¡¯m doing this for your own good¡­ miss xiao ba has regained her memory now. then, the person you lied to previously was the real eighth deity¡­ aren¡¯t you going to apologize?¡± yan qing pursed his thin lips and finally walked over. ¡­ when he arrived at the medicinal mountain, xiao ba was about to leave. she couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with shi fang. she waved her hand lazily and said weakly, ¡°forget it, forget it¡­ one false step brings everlasting grief¡­ i¡¯ll leave myself¡­¡± of all people, yan qing?! she recalled that she had asked yan qing about the left divine general previously. she really wanted to die! shi fang looked at her with a complicated gaze. ¡°eighth sister, if you don¡¯t like the left divine general, why¡­ you also know that he¡¯s extremely old-fashioned. now that he¡¯s called eighth brother-in-law, how will he live in the fantasy divine palace in the future?¡± xiao ba: ??? ¡°but eighth sister, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m still on your side! you¡¯re already so seriously injured, but he still hasn¡¯t come! it¡¯s too much! there¡¯s nothing to miss about such a man!¡± the corners of xiao ba¡¯s eyes twitched, and she raised her hand to cover his mouth. ¡°you¡ª¡± as soon as she raised her hand, someone suddenly held it. she turned back with a look of shock. yan qing was holding her wrist. ¡°you¡¯re injured. you shouldn¡¯t be angry.¡± he paused and wanted to let go, but when he lowered his gaze and saw the wound on her waist, he didn¡¯t let go. ¡°i¡¯ll send you back.¡± ¡­ on the other side, tuan zi patted the clothes on her body and carefully kept zi chen¡¯s soul. because his injuries were too serious, zi chen¡¯s body was destroyed, leaving only his soul, and he fell into a deep sleep. then, tuan zi turned around and walked in another direction. mu qinghe was already dead. hong yao was leaning on his shoulder. when tuan zi came in front of hong yao, her heart skipped a beat. she subconsciously reached out and wiped the tears from the corners of hong yao¡¯s eyes. it was already cold. tuan zi¡¯s eyes turned red as she looked at hong yao. tears fell. Chapter 2498 - 2498 Side Story 2: Let Him Go 2498 side story 2: let him go white snow fell, gradually covering their figures. ¡°hong yao, are you cold?¡± tuan zi muttered softly. ¡°let me take you back, alright?¡± with that, she reached out her hand again and carefully swept the snow off hong yao. ¡°he¡¯s not good to you at all. why are you still following him¡­¡± tuan zi¡¯s lips trembled slightly. ¡°aren¡¯t you angry that he treated me like that before? don¡¯t be with him¡­¡± more and more tears fell. it was cold to the touch. her fingertips trembled slightly. the claws of hong yao were still tightly gripping mu qinghe¡¯s clothes, as if it refused to let go. tuan zi tried and couldn¡¯t make hong yao let go, so she didn¡¯t dare try again. she covered her face, but tears still flowed between her fingers. ¡°boohoo¡­ hong yao, i¡¯m sorry. i shouldn¡¯t have gotten angry at you that day. i¡¯m sorry¡­ i won¡¯t lose my temper at you anymore, okay¡­ don¡¯t you like a¡¯yue the most? i-i¡¯ll give you half of a¡¯yue, okay?¡± ¡°zi chen is asleep. he doesn¡¯t know, but he definitely won¡¯t mind if he finds out. come back, ok? you haven¡¯t apologized to me yet!¡± tuan zi lowered her head, and her voice became softer and softer. only her small body twitched slightly, and she cried until she was out of breath. finally, she blacked out and fell back. at some point, cen yi had appeared behind her and caught her. he looked down at tuan zi in his arms. the tip of her nose was red, her eyes were red and swollen, and her face was covered in tears. cen yi sighed. ¡°let¡¯s bury them together on phoenix mountain.¡± ¡­ the snow gradually stopped. the huge fantasy divine hall was covered in snow. at a glance, it was clean and distant. jun jiuqing stood in front of the main hall with his hands behind his back for a long time. finally, he walked forward. some people looked over with complicated expressions. jun jiuqing didn¡¯t care at all¡ªhe had never taken the world seriously. from beginning to end, there was only one person he thought about, but that person had never belonged to him. his feet stepped on the snow, making a creaking sound. at this moment, cen yi had just asked qi han and the others to send mu qinghe and hong yao to be buried together. he also asked hua shuangshuang to send tuan zi back to rest. hearing the sound, he turned around. the two people¡¯s eyes met. jun jiuqing said, ¡°the 13 deities followed her into the cycle of reincarnation and rebirth. only you left behind all your memories from the beginning. over the years, you helped her recall her memories, and you planned everything. even the last round was something you had long thought of¡­ first deity, you¡¯re amazing.¡± cen yi smiled faintly. ¡°you flatter me. everything was planned by the emperor; i¡¯m just a part of it. everything i did was for goddess yue to return.¡± ¡°her return¡­¡± jun jiuqing repeated these words slowly and laughed. ¡°he¡¯s really scheming¡­ by the way, do you know how jiang yucheng died?¡± he suddenly changed the topic and asked this calmly. cen yi looked at him with a calm expression. it had been too long since anyone mentioned this name, and no one cared either. jun jiuqing¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°that¡¯s right¡ªhe died in my hands. to be precise, after being tortured, he was refined in the witch gu hammer. back then, he only had a soul left and fled everywhere. he happened to bump into me. at that time, i didn¡¯t feel it. now that i think about it, how is it a coincidence?¡± ¡°if rong xiu really wanted to kill him, he would never give him any chance to live. however, he wanted to give jiang yucheng hope and make him despair. in the end, he even sent him to me. it¡¯s just because he knew that jiang yucheng would definitely not have a good ending if he fell into my hands.¡± rong xiu had to kill jiang yucheng for everything he did, but he didn¡¯t do it himself. instead, he went to jun jiuqing. he just didn¡¯t want to dirty his hands. jun jiuqing sneered. ¡°forget it. he can even consider his own life and death, let alone mine.¡± at this point, there was nothing else to say. cen yi looked at him and said calmly, ¡°in that case, you shouldn¡¯t have betrayed goddess yue back then. goddess yue treated you well.¡± back then, he was considered one of the most talented cultivators in the fantasy divine palace, apart from the various deities. goddess yue was in charge of the fantasy divine hall. she would often choose the best cultivators to enter the fantasy divine hall to cultivate. jun jiuqing was once highly regarded by her. unfortunately, jun jiuqing thought highly of himself and was ambitious; he didn¡¯t take anyone seriously. seeing that even if he ascended to the heavens, and his status wouldn¡¯t be able to rise to the next level, he finally chose to stand on the same side as the evil spirit. cen yi stared at him. ¡°just because the evil spirit promised you the position of high priest, you abandoned goddess yue¡¯s years of nurturing?¡± jun jiuqing smiled heretically. ¡°that¡¯s my business. what does it have to do with you?¡± then, he looked around. ¡°first deity, you should focus on this fantasy divine hall! as for me¡ªyou¡¯re not qualified to interfere.¡± with that, he left without another word. the door to the fantasy divine hall was open. seeing jun jiuqing come out, the onlookers automatically made way. jun jiuqing headed toward the heaven gate. wu yao was about to stop him when he heard cen yi¡¯s voice. ¡°let him go.¡± wu yao could only listen. his gaze swept across jun jiuqing a few times, but he didn¡¯t stop the latter. jun jiuqing stood at the heaven gate. a gust of wind blew from behind, stirring up a few snowflakes that fell silently. after the previous battle, the fantasy divine sea was completely frozen into frost that stretched for thousands of miles. at this moment, it finally flew back and melted. at a glance, it was as if a few small lakes had appeared on the snowfield. the water rippled and sparkled. before long, this place would return to a magnificent sea. and she had finally returned to the fantasy divine hall and become a paragon. now that she had defeated the heavenly dao, she was naturally more powerful than before. jun jiuqing¡¯s figure flashed, and he disappeared from the heaven gate. thirteen looked at cen yi and asked hesitantly, ¡°big brother, are we letting him go just like that?¡± cen yi said calmly, ¡°he betrayed goddess yue, but in this battle, his actions can be considered to have paid off the debt from back then.¡± ¡­ god-killing tumulus. in the desolate wilderness, the wind whistled. a figure suddenly appeared¡ªit was jun jiuqing. he walked step by step, and the sounds of the battle 10,000 years ago seemed to still ring in his ears. there was also the sweet smell of blood that lingered at the tip of his nose. gradually, the smell of blood became stronger. his expression changed slightly as he looked down at his hand. a strange blood-colored pattern had appeared under his skin at some point in time and was squirming bit by bit. there was a small cut on the back of his hand, and blood kept dripping from it¡ªthat bloody smell came from here. he stared at it for a while. as the blood-colored pattern continued to spread, the flesh and blood were being bitten and devoured bit by bit. soon, the flesh on that hand was completely corroded, leaving only a thin layer of bloody skin wrapped around the bone. he laughed. Chapter 2499 - 2499 Side Story 3: Forget the Past 2499 side story 3: forget the past the thick smell of blood filled his mouth again. it was sticky and uncomfortable. he raised his head slightly and closed his eyes. actually, i should¡¯ve died here 10,000 years ago¡­ or perhaps, i shouldn¡¯t have known about it even earlier. ¡­ he was born extraordinary and proud. there were countless geniuses in the fantasy divine palace, but he still easily became one of the top. he had been waiting for the day he ascended to the heavens¡ªthat was also the first day he saw her. goddess yue was the divine master of fantasy divine hall. she was peerlessly noble and imperiou; he had long known that. however, he didn¡¯t know that her eyes were like stars and that she was incomparably beautiful. this was the case until he officially entered the fantasy divine hall for the first time. at that time, almost no one dared to look directly at goddess yue¡¯s face, but he was born rebellious. he just raised his head like that, his gaze direct and sharp. he wanted to see what kind of person the rumored goddess yue was. he thought that she would be angry, but she wasn¡¯t. instead, she raised her eyebrows as if she found it interesting, and she laughed. ¡°yi xiang?¡± her smile was bright and her voice was clear. cen yi was right. she indeed admired him very much; she had never treated him badly in terms of cultivation. after ascending to the deity realm, he successfully stayed in the fantasy divine hall, but that was all. goddess yue spent most of her time in the main hall and the deserted garden, or heading to qingyuan hall, where the emperor was. even in the fantasy divine hall, ordinary people rarely saw her. after all, the entire fantasy divine hall was too big. later on, when he heard that the 13 deities could meet her often, he was tempted. however, the deity positions had long been decided. even if his talent and strength were superb, he couldn¡¯t easily replace them. moreover, goddess yue didn¡¯t have such thoughts to begin with. however, his thoughts became heavier and heavier. gradually, it became an obsession. at that time, his strength was almost on par with the various deities; he could even compete with the strongest few. yet, his identity still didn¡¯t change. even if he waited all day, he could only take a look at her from afar. he was naturally indignant. he had to get whatever he wanted. therefore, when the evil spirit found him later, he didn¡¯t refuse. the blood-colored pattern had already spread to his entire body, and his clothes were quickly drenched in blood. under the clothes, the flesh had almost been corroded clean, and even the bones hurt. thump. with a muffled sound, jun jiuqing kneeled down uncontrollably. he suddenly felt something strange on his face. he reluctantly raised his hand to touch it. it was covered in blood. oh no, his hands were already covered in blood. actually, at this moment, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was his hand or the blood on his face. however, that was fine. jun jiuqing exhaled softly and recalled what the evil spirit had said at that time: ¡°¡­goddess yue and i are symbiotic and should be equal, but the emperor took care of her in all ways and even helped her become the master of the fantasy divine hall! how unfair is this! she has already sat in this position for so long. it¡¯s time to change!¡± this was the biggest secret between goddess yue and the evil spirit¡ªeven goddess yue herself didn¡¯t know. she had never known about the existence of the evil spirit. ¡°why should i help you?¡± he remembered asking such a question. the evil spirit laughed for a long time. ¡°the emperor has raised goddess yue by his side since tens of thousands of years ago. he knew of my existence long ago. in order to prevent the heavenly dao from noticing, he had long forcibly separated me from goddess yue and tried to hide it. however, the truth always comes out. there is no concealing the truth.¡± rong xiu lured the evil spirit into his body, hoping to hide it from the heavenly dao. this was because he knew that once the heavenly dao sensed the existence of the evil spirit, it would definitely order to kill him and goddess yue! this concealment lasted for an extremely long time, but as time passed, goddess yue became stronger, and the strength of the evil spirit naturally increased. moreover, during this process, rong xiu¡¯s body was gradually corroded by the evil spirit¡¯s power, and his holy force gradually became mottled. finally, the day came when he couldn¡¯t hide it anymore. in the end, the heavenly dao noticed this and ordered rong xiu to be killed. rong xiu released the evil spirit and fought alongside goddess yue. goddess yue had fallen, and only her soul was left. the evil spirit had also suffered a huge blow. he only needed to use some methods to easily hide the news that the evil spirit and goddess yue were still in the world. ¡°¡­the emperor has racked his brains to plan, but in the end, it¡¯s just a stalling tactic. as long as goddess yue returns to the fantasy divine hall again, everything will still be revealed to the world! but as long as she doesn¡¯t return, she and i can live in harmony. the heavenly dao will never know.¡± jun jiuqing¡¯s body fell back. at this moment, the sky was a rare sunny day. with the death of the evil spirit, goddess yue returned to the fantasy divine hall with 3,000 god realms and 3,000 kinds of battle intent. all the blood energy and resentment dissipated. this day was the best weather in the god-killing tumulus in 10,000 years. the sunlight poured down, even a little blinding. jun jiuqing opened his eyes and looked at the sky steadily. he didn¡¯t feel any pain. as far as the eye could see, the day was bright. he could clearly feel the blood in his body flowing out continuously and seeping into the ground. the surrounding temperature was also turning cold bit by bit. it was bone-chilling. the blood-colored pattern had already wrapped around his entire body, corroding his flesh, blood, and bones bit by bit. refinement techniques could gather blood energy and condense a supreme holy force that could restrain evil spirits. however, this required the refiner to pay a huge price¡ªusing himself as a guide to withstand the pain of 10,000 souls biting him. he thought that this would restrain the evil spirit and be a way out for her. and yet¡ªin the end, he had calculated wrongly. ¡°¡­high priest?¡± he muttered and then sneered in extreme disdain. suddenly, there was a cut on his throat, and blood gurgled out. as he breathed, he felt a bone-chilling pain. the remaining syllables were finally vague in the blood that kept gushing out. what he wanted was never the position of high priest. ¡°if you help me defeat goddess yue and become the divine master, i¡¯ll forever seal myself in the main hall of the fantasy divine hall. as long as she doesn¡¯t come back, she can live well.¡± ¡°as long as you keep her by your side, even if she lives an ordinary life, she will always belong to you.¡± ¡°don¡¯t you want her?¡± he felt that if she could live and stay by his side, that would be the best. why fight for it? why snatch it again? he was willing to put down all his ambitions and never enter the god residence realm¡ªas long as she could still smile brightly and vividly like when they first met. jun jiuqing raised his hand and covered his eyes. unfortunately, he had forgotten that she was a phoenix. in the end, she had to soar in the vast world. trapped in a corner, she wouldn¡¯t like or accept it. he had been wrong from the beginning. seeing that rong xiu¡¯s divine power had been deprived for tens of thousands of years, her heart broke from crying. even if he also suffered the pain of being cut into pieces, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t care. fortunately, he could finally forget everything that had happened in the past. the wind howled past. in the sky, clouds gathered and scattered. Chapter 2500 - 2500 Side Story 4: A Small Favor 2500 side story 4: a small favor fantasy divine palace. as the fantasy divine hall hadn¡¯t been tidied up, yan qing still brought xiao ba back to the previous courtyard. ¡°lord left divine general, i¡¯m really fine. there¡¯s really no need to do this¡­¡± as xiao ba walked, she tried to pull her hand out of yan qing¡¯s. however, she was no match for the other party and was really useless against him. yan qing pursed his lips along the way and didn¡¯t speak. when they returned to the courtyard, yan qing sent her back to her room without hesitation. he only let go when xiao ba sat on the chair. she held her waist and waved at yan qing. ¡°alright, alright. i¡¯m already back. you can rest assured now, right?¡± yan qing stood in front of her. when he heard her words, his glabella furrowed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal. ¡°¡­miss xiao ba, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± this tone was really unfamiliar to him. when xiao ba heard this, she raised her eyebrows and her beautiful eyes. she glanced at him and said with a faint smile, ¡°lord left divine general, what did you call me?¡± yan qing paused. after a moment, he said, ¡°eighth deity.¡± only then did xiao ba feel better. she leaned back lazily and kicked her shoes gently. ¡°speaking of which, although we knew each other in the past, we¡¯re not close. i¡¯ll address you however i addressed you in the past.¡± the 13 deities were goddess yue¡¯s people, but the two divine generals were subordinates to the emperor. in the past, the emperor rarely interfered in the matters of the fantasy divine hall, and the two sides didn¡¯t interact much¡ªespecially xiao ba, who had only seen the left divine general a few times. she felt that this person was really old-fashioned and boring, and she had never thought that she would have anything to do with him. she would probably suffocate to death if she stayed with such a person for more than 15 minutes. now¡­ she didn¡¯t even want to think about it. when she thought about how she had been deceived from beginning to end and how she had even dragged someone along to ask the left divine general about his name, xiao ba wished she could bang her head against a wall and kill herself. regret! regret! my reputation is ruined! now, as long as she saw that ice-cold face, she would automatically remember all the stupid things she had done in the past. therefore, she sincerely hoped that the honorable left divine general could disappear from her sight as soon as possible. yan qing felt a little uncomfortable. he was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°are you angry?¡± xiao ba immediately laughed. ¡°why am i angry?¡± hearing this laugh, yan qing confirmed his guess. she is indeed angry, but this is actually very normal. after all¡­ what happened before is indeed my fault. ¡°previously, i didn¡¯t mean to hide it, but¡ª¡± ¡°you were just forced by the situation! i know!¡± xiao ba interrupted him. ¡°even the emperor has lied to master for so long. as the emperor¡¯s most valued confidant, the left divine general naturally has to obey.¡± xiao ba shrugged her shoulders. these weren¡¯t pleasantries. after experiencing many things in the past, she also knew that the emperor had his own difficulties. everything he had done in the past 10,000 years was actually for her master¡ªshe was actually quite grateful and touched by this. however, yan qing¡­ had gone too far. ¡°lord left divine general, you have a heavy responsibility and can¡¯t expose your identity. it¡¯s not that i can¡¯t understand, but in that case, you shouldn¡¯t have agreed when i asked you to help put on a show!¡± at that time, she was really frustrated by liang he and all kinds of messy suitors, so she pulled yan qing over as a shield. at that time, she didn¡¯t have any memories, but yan qing did, right?! ¡°shouldn¡¯t you know that once the truth came out and we each recovered our identities, these things¡­ would be discussed by many people? huh?¡± xiao ba¡¯s red lips curled up slightly as she asked word by word. yan qing paused. after a moment, he reminded, ¡°at that time, i rejected it¡­¡± she had walked over and leaned against him, wanting to hug his arm, but he didn¡¯t give his arm to her. it was only after xiao ba pinched his waist that he finally let go. xiao ba¡¯s expression froze. those things had happened not long ago. of course, she hadn¡¯t forgotten. recalling the situation at that time, she immediately felt a little embarrassed. ¡°then, then¡­ you went to the medicinal mountain with me later¡ª¡± she shut up. yes, if i remember correctly, i was the one who took the initiative to pull him there. in the beginning, the left divine general had also rejected her explicitly, but at that time, she had only cared about herself. how could she have thought so much? she thought that he simply didn¡¯t want to go out, but in the end, she still brought him along. now that she thought about it¡­ at this point, the culprit was still her! xiao ba¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. apart from master, the most beautiful and peerless eighth deity in the fantasy divine hall had always been approached by other men. when had she ever been despised like this?! xiao ba took a deep breath in. yan qing looked at her and wanted to explain, but he suddenly felt that she seemed to be even angrier than before? yan qing was a little confused. although i had refused at the beginning, i always agreed in the end. even i don¡¯t know when i became so easy to talk to. what¡­ is she angry about? the temperature in the room gradually turned cold, and there was still a stalemate. yan qing thought for a moment before saying seriously, ¡°in short, i didn¡¯t do anything on purpose. miss xiao ba, please understand. as for the rumors outside¡­¡± he paused for a moment and finally continued, ¡°i¡¯ll find time to clarify it. it won¡¯t affect miss xiao ba¡¯s reputation.¡± xiao ba laughed in anger. how much does he despise me that he can¡¯t wait to cut ties with me? is he doing this for my reputation or for himself? shi fang¡¯s words echoed in her ears: ¡°the left divine general has always been a righteous person who follows the rules. he probably values his reputation more than anything else.¡± originally, xiao ba had planned to find an opportunity to explain this misunderstanding to everyone. after all, hearing them call him ¡®eighth brother-in-law¡¯ all day, her poor little heart couldn¡¯t stand it. but after hearing yan qing¡¯s words, she was very unhappy¡ªno, she was more than unhappy! she narrowed her eyes slightly and sized him up carefully. her red lips curled up slightly as she slowly asked, ¡°in that case, is the left divine general apologizing to me today?¡± yan qing nodded. ¡°yes.¡± ¡°alright! i¡¯m not a petty person. since you¡¯re sincerely apologizing, i¡¯ll give you a chance to make up for it. how about that?¡± yan qing looked at her and felt that something was wrong, but he also felt that her smile was vivid, so he nodded. ¡°alright. as long as it¡¯s within my ability, i¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± xiao ba suddenly stood up and took a step forward. the distance between the two of them suddenly narrowed. xiao ba looked up slightly and smiled. ¡°i¡¯m injured, but there¡¯s still a small area on my lower back that i can¡¯t reach. please help me apply the medicine, lord left divine general, okay?¡± Chapter 2501 - 2501 Side Story 5: Itchy 2501 side story 5: itchy yan qing was stunned. hearing her words, his ears suddenly heated up. he subconsciously said, ¡°this¡­ i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little inappropriate¡­¡± xiao ba blinked. her eyes were pure, and her thick curly eyelashes fluttered gently, as if a subtle wind had brushed past his heart. she sighed softly, her warm breath brushing down. she also pouted gently, her red lips full. ¡°you¡¯re unwilling to help? in that case, your apology doesn¡¯t seem sincere.¡± yan qing was conflicted and frowned slightly. he knew very well that the injury on xiao ba¡¯s waist was indeed very serious. if he didn¡¯t guess wrongly, the injury had spread to her waist and back. under normal circumstances, she could reach it herself, but her shoulder was also injured, so her movements would probably be a little forced. however, it was precisely because of this that if he helped apply the medicine, this position¡­ after all, the two of them weren¡¯t related now. but since she had already said so¡­ if he really rejected her, it would indeed make him look unreasonable. moreover, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to pay attention to the defense between men and women when dealing with injured people. he seemed to be thinking too much. thinking of this, yan qing nodded. ¡°ok.¡± ¡­ hearing the answer she wanted, xiao ba raised her eyebrows and smiled. then, she turned around and walked to the bed. yan qing followed three steps behind her, neither too far nor too close. xiao ba hugged the pillow and lay down. ¡°lord left divine general, be gentle later.¡± her voice was a little muffled, but it was especially soft. after a while, there was no movement from the person behind her. she turned her head in confusion, but yan qing didn¡¯t move. her lips curled up. ¡°why aren¡¯t you moving? could it be that you regret it?¡± yan qing came back to his senses and his eyes narrowed. he finally went forward and sat by the bed. xiao ba handed him a jade bottle. ¡°here, this is it.¡± yan qing had seen this before. indeed, chu liuyue¡¯s heart ached when she saw xiao ba¡¯s injury, so she specially brought it over for her to use. he lowered the sword in his hand and took the medicine. xiao ba hugged the pillow and folded her arms. she crossed her hands and rested her chin on them. ¡°let¡¯s begin!¡± yan qing pursed his lips and finally looked at her extremely slender waist. her skin was smooth and fair, as if it could glo, but it was precisely because of this that the large bruise on her lower back was especially obvious. moreover, as time passed, the bruise had gradually taken on a purplish-red color and had expanded. it was even more shocking. yan qing frowned. previously, because her clothes were covering her body, he could only vaguely see a scar on her waist. although he knew that her injuries should be more serious than what could be seen when he carried her out of the life-and-death challenge, he didn¡¯t expect it to be to this extent. his expression turned cold. as if sensing that something was wrong, xiao ba turned around and glanced at him. ¡°¡­lord left divine general, i¡¯m just asking you for a small favor. you¡­¡± his expression is a little too cold. if he is really unwilling, he can just reject me! yan qing knew that she had misunderstood, so he explained, ¡°no, i¡¯m just thinking that the punishment for shu jing was still too light.¡± xiao ba was stunned, not expecting him to say this. after a moment, her red lips curled up slightly. ¡°isn¡¯t that so? how can she break the rules of the life-and-death challenge?¡± this was a huge taboo. yan qing paused and didn¡¯t speak. he was angry but not entirely because of this. a moment later, he opened the bottle and took the pale green ointment with his index finger. after hesitating for a moment, he finally approached and applied the ointment to the wound on xiao ba¡¯s back. her skin was smooth, soft, and warm. his fingers stiffened slightly, but xiao ba didn¡¯t seem to notice. she rested her face on the back of her hand. from his angle, he could see half of her face. her forehead was full, her nose was tall, and her lips were red. she had her eyes closed, and her thick curly eyelashes cast a faint shadow under her eyelids. yan qing retracted his gaze and pushed the ointment away. her waist was really thin. under the colorful broken jade beads, her waist was sunken. her smooth lines suddenly retracted here, forming an unimaginable curve. she had a beautiful figure. her waist was easy to grasp. further down was an exquisite and gorgeous pleated dress, and¡ª he immediately retracted his gaze, his breathing a little hot. realizing that this was really not appropriate, he held his breath and focused. only his big hand pushed against the undulating lines that only women had. time seemed to pass especially slowly. xiao ba only felt his hot fingertips wrapped in a slightly cold ointment as they wandered around her waist. his movements were light and itchy. she couldn¡¯t help but laugh and subconsciously twisted her waist twice. yan qing paused and looked up at her. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± xiao ba coughed. ¡°ahem, it¡¯s nothing. it¡¯s just that there¡¯s itchy flesh on my waist. you touched it just now. it¡¯s a little itchy.¡± yan qing paused and continued. she laughed again and dodged to the side. ¡°aiya, it¡¯s really itchy! why don¡¯t we forget it? i¡ª¡± yan qing pursed his lips and suddenly reached out with his other hand to clasp the uninjured spot on the other side of her. his voice was cold and slightly hoarse. ¡°don¡¯t move.¡± as he held a sword all year round, there were calluses on his palm. when it landed on her extremely tender waist, it hurt a little. moreover, he was really strong. just by pressing down, he really froze xiao ba on the spot and made her unable to move. xiao ba turned around and pouted. ¡°lord left divine general, it hurts when you use so much strength.¡± yan qing didn¡¯t look at her. ¡°bear with it.¡± xiao ba was stunned. then, she suddenly felt his other hand spread out and cover the wound. following this, he massaged the wound. xiao ba didn¡¯t expect this. she grunted, and her soft voice came out of her nose. yan qing froze. Chapter 2502 - 2502 Side Story 6: I Was Wrong 2502 side story 6: i was wrong xiao ba bit her lip and gazed at yan qing with tears in her beautiful eyes. ¡°it hurts.¡± this glance nailed yan qing to the ground. it was as if all the blood in his body had stopped flowing at this moment, but xiao ba didn¡¯t seem to notice. there were only three girls in the thirteen yue guard, and all of them were very doted on. however, she was still wilful and couldn¡¯t take any hardship. now that she was pressed down by yan qing, it was so painful that tears came out. yan qing¡¯s hand was on her waist. for a moment, he didn¡¯t know whether to continue or stop. more importantly, his heart was in a mess. he lowered his eyes and frowned. he forced himself to put away those chaotic thoughts. ¡°this medicine has to be massaged to have the best effect.¡± xiao ba felt wronged. ¡°be gentle then.¡± yan qing took a deep breath and felt his palm slide down her soft skin as if it was on fire. the scorching temperature spread from his palm to his entire body. ¡°it¡¯s useless if i¡¯m gentle.¡± since i¡¯ve already helped apply the medicine, i naturally have to try my best. otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of time? at times, yan qing was still very stubborn. ¡°just bear with it,¡± he said seriously. ¡°but i don¡¯t want to¡ªah!¡± xiao ba was about to protest when yan qing turned around and continued. this sudden action hurt xiao ba terribly. she rolled over and was about to get up. ¡°i don¡¯t want you to help me apply it anymore!¡± initially, i just wanted to tease him. who knew that this person would be so ruthless? could it be that he is taking the opportunity to take revenge? but as soon as xiao ba stood up, yan qing pressed her back down. ¡°it¡¯ll be done in a while.¡± xiao ba was no match for yan qing at all. now that she was injured and lying on the bed, she was simply at his mercy. she grabbed the pillow and threw it at yan qing. ¡°i already said i don¡¯t want it!¡± yan qing tilted his head slightly and dodged. her injuries really aren¡¯t light. shu jing was extremely ruthless. fortunately, she hit xiao ba¡¯s waist this time. if it were anywhere else, her internal organs might have suffered a considerable impact. at that time, the situation would be even more troublesome. at the thought of this, yan qing¡¯s expression turned even colder, and he pursed his thin lips tightly. xiao ba was angry and anxious as she raised her hand to hit him. unfortunately, yan qing was sitting beside her¡ªshe really couldn¡¯t hit him. in addition, her shoulder was injured to begin with. with this sudden force, her face turned pale from the pain. however, she still didn¡¯t retract her hand. no matter what, she had to teach him a lesson. yan qing raised his eyes slightly, leaned over slightly, and held her hand. a warning tone in his voice, he whispered, ¡°if you move again, i won¡¯t be able to finish applying this medicine.¡± the injury on her waist is already serious enough, but she still raised her hand without care. does she think that the injury on her shoulder isn¡¯t enough? when xiao ba heard this, disbelief flashed across her eyes. is yan qing¡­ scolding me? apart from big brother, when has anyone else ever spoken to me in such a tone? in fact, even big brother wouldn¡¯t do this! the resentment and grievances she had accumulated for a long time instantly exploded. ¡°you did it on purpose!¡± yan qing didn¡¯t speak. with his strength, it was really easy for him to suppress xiao ba. xiao ba could only lie on the bed obediently with his hand on her waist. ¡°yan qing, you¡¯re doing this on purpose! you¡¯ve lied to me time and time again. i asked you why the left divine general had the same name as you, but you still pretended not to know anything! i¡¯ve asked you so many questions. even if you can¡¯t say it, just don¡¯t say it. why did you have to talk to me so much!?¡± yan qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. when xiao ba thought of what had happened previously, she became even angrier. how could she not mind? ¡°you¡¯re deliberately teasing me, right?! you listened to me tell you how the left divine general was. you don¡¯t show it on the surface, but you must be laughing at me behind my back!¡± yan qing frowned even more. what is going on? ¡°i didn¡¯t¡ª¡± but the more xiao ba spoke, the more aggrieved she became. she buried her face in the blanket and said in a muffled voice, ¡°you were the one who lied to me and hid the truth from me. you were the one who said you wanted to apologize, but i¡¯m the one in pain now!¡± she mainly felt that it was too embarrassing¡ªthe rest didn¡¯t matter. most importantly, she had asked yan qing two questions back at the reeds. firstly, who was prettier, her or shu jing? secondly, when the left divine general saw her, would he dote on her a little and not bear to touch her? was there anything more embarrassing than this? xiao ba knew that she was beautiful and was never stingy with showing off her beauty. however, if she had known that yan qing was the left divine general, she would never have asked such a question at that time! ¡°you liar¡ªhiss!¡± at this moment, yan qing¡¯s hand had already moved to the place where her bruises were the most serious. he exerted more strength in his palm. xiao ba gasped in pain and couldn¡¯t say anything else. she finally gave up. after all, she didn¡¯t have much strength left. and this man¡­ really couldn¡¯t be persuaded! fortunately, after this, yan qing¡¯s voice finally came. ¡°i¡¯m done.¡± xiao ba didn¡¯t move. yan qing was a little worried. ¡°xiao ba? you can get up now. i have to apply it on your shoulders too.¡± hearing this, xiao ba immediately felt uncomfortable. she turned her face away. her lips were pale, and her forehead was covered in fine sweat. ¡°i¡­ i don¡¯t have any strength¡­¡± seeing that she was indeed a little weak, yan qing¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. xiao ba prayed silently in her heart. go away, go away! i have really miscalculated and actually provoked him. this man doesn¡¯t understand what it means to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex! after all this, i¡¯m really crippled. yan qing, who was behind her, didn¡¯t speak for a while. just as xiao ba was secretly happy and thought he was about to leave, she suddenly felt a warm body approaching. she was stunned. before she could react, she was wrapped in a pair of strong arms. she turned around in shock and realized that she was actually¡­ carried by yan qing just like that? he sat her down in front of him and held her wrist with one hand, as if he planned to continue helping her apply the medicine. she was nervous and quickly pounced over to hug his arm. she almost leaned into his arms and said pitifully, ¡°brother yan qing, i was wrong!¡± Chapter 2503 - 2503 Side Story 7: Untitled 2503 side story 7: untitled she was really afraid of pain. seeing that yan qing was still planning to continue, she immediately pounced on him without care. yan qing was completely stunned. before he could react, a warm and fragrant ball of jade suddenly appeared in his arms. he held her waist with one hand and pressed her shoulder with the other. from the looks of it, it was as if he had directly pulled her into his arms. there was a slightly bitter medicinal fragrance on her body, but at this moment, she suddenly approached and leaned against him. that unique sweet and soft fragrance easily dispersed the medicinal fragrance and entered his nose. it was a slightly sweet fragrance. if it were anyone else, they might only feel that it was too strong, but it seemed to be perfect on her. she was so beautiful and charming. yan qing originally thought that her waist was the softest part of her body, but at this moment, he realized that he had been wrong. for a moment, his mind went blank. then, the tips of his ears turned red as if they were on fire! the hands on her waist and shoulders suddenly became helpless. xiao ba raised her head slightly and stared at him pitifully. she dragged out the last syllable slightly, looking aggrieved and delicate. ¡°brother yan qing?¡± the two of them were extremely close. when she spoke, her warm breath was unavoidable. he only had to look at her slightly, and he could see her eyes under her curved eyebrows. as if she was really afraid, she looked at him worriedly, her thick curly eyelashes trembling slightly. her eyelashes fluttered. it was like a feather brushed past his heart, causing an indescribable itch. looking down, she bit her red lips. she was already enchanting and beautiful to begin with, and she was blooming to the extreme. at this moment, her eyes were filled with tears, but it was an extremely rare appearance. just a glance was enough to make people pity her. ¡°don¡¯t cry.¡± yan qing held his breath and finally looked away. ¡°i won¡¯t touch you.¡± xiao ba¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°really?¡± when yan qing saw her expression, how could he not know that she did this on purpose? but¡­ in the end, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. more importantly, this posture was really¡ª ¡°let go first.¡± his gaze was still on the side, and his voice was a little tense. xiao ba was skeptical. he looks¡­ guilty? could it be that he plans to come again when i let go? it isn¡¯t like he isn¡¯t capable of doing that! she hugged his arm tightly and tilted her head slightly. she leaned in front of him and muttered softly, ¡°brother yan qing, you have to keep your word!¡± her eyes were clear and pure. yan qing suddenly looked a little disheveled, and his thin lips were pursed tightly. ¡°of course.¡± seeing that he didn¡¯t seem to be lying, xiao ba slowly let go. yan qing was about to stand up when xiao ba¡¯s hand suddenly slid down. then, she grabbed his palm and bit his arm hard! yan qing frowned slightly, but he didn¡¯t move as if he had expected it. xiao ba wanted to take this opportunity to take revenge. since yan qing was so ruthless, she would bite his arm directly! she was returning the favor! in the end, when she took a bite, his strong muscles were as hard as stones. not only did xiao ba not leave a single tooth mark, but it also made her teeth ache. with tears in her eyes, she glared at him angrily and shook his arm off. this man is too infuriating! yan qing took a deep breath and extended his arm again. ¡°if you want to bite, here you go.¡± just now, his thoughts were elsewhere, and he didn¡¯t relax for a moment, making her angry again. as if afraid that xiao ba would misunderstand, he continued, ¡°you can take your anger out on me.¡± this meant that he wouldn¡¯t do anything to defend himself and would let her do whatever she wanted. xiao ba was angry and frustrated. i wanted to regain my dignity, but in the end, it¡¯s even more embarrassing! what is this now? deliberately going easy on her? isn¡¯t that coaxing me to play? what¡¯s the point? she grabbed the pillow and burrowed under the blanket. ¡°i don¡¯t want it!¡± yan qing stood there for a moment. ¡°rest well then. i¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°come back!¡± xiao ba suddenly lifted the blanket again. ¡°come here!¡± yan qing stepped forward. xiao ba grunted. ¡°bend down a little. i have something to say.¡± yan qing leaned over. then, he felt her lean over. a sharp pain suddenly came from his neck¡ªit was xiao ba who bit his neck when he wasn¡¯t paying attention! her small teeth were sharp, and she bit his neck until some blood was drawn, but she didn¡¯t dare to go too far. she controlled herself and didn¡¯t let him bleed too much. of course, it was still very eye-catching on his neck. yan qing was stunned. he raised his hand and touched it. it hurt a little. xiao ba took a step back and pulled up the blanket to defend herself. ¡°i¡ªwe¡¯re even now!¡± she really didn¡¯t have the guts to fight yan qing. yan qing paused and asked, ¡°is that enough?¡± xiao ba was stunned. ¡°what?¡± yan qing said, ¡°if this can let you vent your anger, you can bite a few more times. it¡¯s just¡ª¡± he pursed his lips. ¡°next time, don¡¯t bite my neck.¡± xiao ba sized him up. this person¡­ isn¡¯t angry? from the looks of it, he is indeed sincere in apologizing¡­ ¡°why do you care where i bite? just accept it!¡± she glanced at him. didn¡¯t he ask me to endure it just now?! at that time, he didn¡¯t show any mercy! although she still said that, the anger in her eyes had indeed dissipated a lot, and yan qing felt relieved. ¡°then¡­ if there¡¯s nothing else, i¡¯ll leave first. the wound on your shoulder isn¡¯t as serious as the one on your waist. if you insist on refusing my help, you can take your time to recuperate.¡± with that, he picked up his sword and turned to leave. ¡­ yan qing walked out of the room and headed outside. soon, he returned to the fantasy divine hall. at this moment, yu mo was still helping the thirteen yue guards pack up. when he saw yan qing return from afar, he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. ¡°huh? why were you gone for so long?¡± wasn¡¯t it just sending her back home? yan qing didn¡¯t want to say anything else and turned to leave. yu mo moved and stood in front of him. he chuckled. ¡°i said, you guys¡ª¡± before he could finish speaking, he was suddenly stunned. he sized yan qing up. ¡°you¡­ why are you sweating so much?¡± a thin layer of sweat had already appeared on yan qing¡¯s forehead. even his body was slightly sweaty. yan qing¡¯s glabella froze slightly. he didn¡¯t speak and didn¡¯t stop walking. ¡°sigh¡­ damn!¡± yu mo chased after him and was about to continue asking when he suddenly realized something. he pointed at yan qing¡¯s neck in shock. ¡°what¡¯s going on!?¡± yan qing stopped in his tracks. he wanted to explain, but when the words were about to leave his mouth, he suddenly changed his mind. he paused before saying, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. someone bit me.¡± ¡°bitten by someone? who? who!¡± yu mo¡¯s mind was in a mess. ¡°xiao¡ª¡± only then did yan qing frown and look at him warningly. yu mo covered his mouth obediently. damn! this battle situation!? although it¡¯s a joyous occasion for my brother to marry a wife, this¡­ he couldn¡¯t help but lean closer. his voice was extremely low, filled with sympathy and envy. ¡°brother, you have to learn to control yourself. you¡ª¡± yan qing wanted to stab him, but he seemed to have thought of something. he took a deep breath and left. i have already controlled myself. Chapter 2504 - 2504 Side Story 8: Three Holy Forces 2504 side story 8: three holy forces yan qing returned to his residence and went into the bathroom to take a shower without hesitation. ¡­ when tuan zi woke up, it was already the next morning. she opened her swollen walnut-like eyes in a daze and realized that she seemed to be lying in a warm embrace. chu liuyue was hugging her as she lay down. her unique faint fragrance made tuan zi feel much more at ease. she wrinkled her nose and subconsciously grabbed chu liuyue¡¯s thin clothes tightly with her two small hands, carefully leaning into the latter¡¯s arms. her movements were very light, afraid that she would disturb her. but the next moment, chu liuyue¡¯s hand wrapped around her small body. ¡°you¡¯re awake?¡± her voice was extremely soft and gentle. tuan zi was stunned. she looked up and met those eyes that seemed to have ripples. she pursed her lips and asked softly, ¡°a¡¯yue, did i wake you up?¡± chu liuyue shook her head and placed her forehead on tuan zi¡¯s. she smiled and said, ¡°no, i woke up 15 minutes ago.¡± only then did tuan zi feel a little more at ease. she raised her small hand and rubbed her eyes. she felt so sore and painful. chu liuyue grabbed her hand and kissed her eyes gently. when she heard cen yi say that tuan zi had fainted from crying in front of mu qinghe and hong yao, she put down everything else and specially came over to take a look. that night, tuan zi didn¡¯t sleep well and almost cried the entire night. at first, she sat by the bed and coaxed her gently. later on, she realized that it wasn¡¯t very useful, so she took off her shoes and socks and went to bed to hug tuan zi to sleep. fortunately, in her arms, tuan zi finally calmed down and barely stopped sobbing in the latter half of the night. the pillow was also wet from crying. chu liuyue even specially changed her pillow later. she pinched tuan zi¡¯s face. ¡°do you want to sleep a little longer?¡± tuan zi shook her head and sat up. she looked around and realized that this was the room she and chu liuyue lived in after entering the fantasy divine hall. in the fantasy divine hall, many places had to be cleaned up and repaired, so cen yi still got them to send tuan zi back here. looking at the familiar surroundings, tuan zi felt a lump in her throat and was in a daze. chu liuyue also sat up. seeing her like this, her heart seemed to be twisted by something. needless to say, tuan zi must¡¯ve thought of hong yao. the next moment, tuan zi indeed muttered in a low voice, ¡°a¡¯yue, it was here where i had the last fight with hong yao.¡± chu liuyue hugged her. ¡°¡­at that time, i asked hong yao why it insisted on following mu qinghe, but it refused to say anything. i asked other questions, but it refused to answer. later on, i got angry and quarreled with it. i even chased it out.¡± as tuan zi spoke, she stretched out her two small arms and hugged chu liuyue¡¯s neck, burying her face in her shoulder. her voice was muffled and a little hoarse. ¡°if i had known¡­ if i had known, i would never have been angry with it! in the end, i-i didn¡¯t even have time to apologize to hong yao¡­¡± her voice gradually faded, and only her small body trembled slightly. chu liuyue¡¯s shoulders felt hot. she closed her eyes. the deaths of mu qinghe and hong yao were also a huge blow to her. of course, she had long wanted to kill mu qinghe, but in the end, she never expected that he had never thought of living at all. probably, from the moment he regained his memory and made up his mind, he had already expected the final outcome. as for hong yao¡­ she placed her chin on the top of tuan zi¡¯s head and said softly, ¡°hong yao likes you so much, so it¡¯ll definitely not be angry with you. if it sees you like this, it¡¯ll definitely be unhappy, right?¡± tuan zi hugged her. after a while, she whispered, ¡°¡­a¡¯yue, my eyes hurt. my throat hurts too. however¡­¡± she shook her head, her voice so low it was almost inaudible. ¡°my heart hurts the most.¡± she was tired of crying and really didn¡¯t want to cry anymore, but she couldn¡¯t control herself. even when she chose to burn herself in the end, it didn¡¯t seem to hurt as much. chu liuyue sighed in her heart and touched her head. it isn¡¯t good for tuan zi to remain so sad. after a moment, she let go of tuan zi and gently held her face with both hands. she asked, ¡°tuan zi, that¡¯s the choice of hong yao. neither you nor i can make any decisions for it, don¡¯t you think so?¡± how could she bear to let mu qinghe and hong yao, who had accompanied her for so many years, die? however, most of the things in this world weren¡¯t to one¡¯s liking. if a person never regretted making a choice, then it wasn¡¯t a pity. hearing her words, tuan zi didn¡¯t speak for a long time. actually, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand these principles, but she was really unwilling to accept reality. however, a¡¯yue was right. if there was another chance for mu qinghe and hong yao to choose again, their choices would definitely be the same. seeing that tuan zi¡¯s brows finally relaxed a little, chu liuyue touched her head again. ¡°tuan zi is the most obedient. you have to get better as soon as possible.¡± tuan zi suddenly thought of something and pursed her lips. she clenched her fists tightly. ¡°that¡¯s right! i still have to help clan leader grandpa reconstruct his body! also, the clansmen of godly phoenix mountain should wake up¡­¡± she was the red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡¯s young mistress and had already opened her ninth meridian. these responsibilities naturally fell on her. ¡°ah, there¡¯s also zi chen!¡± as tuan zi spoke, she took out a transparent, palm-sized, and reddish-gold ball. one could vaguely see a purple-gold soul inside. it was zi chen, who had already fallen asleep. ¡°a¡¯yue, how long will it take for zi chen to wake up?¡± chu liuyue glanced at it and tapped her nose. ¡°now that your bloodline power has been completely stimulated, it¡¯s the best for zi chen. letting zi chen stay with you is similar to letting him stay with me.¡± ¡°then, then¡­¡± tuan zi scratched her head. ¡°in that case, i¡¯ll have to guard zi chen well for the time being?¡± chu liuyue laughed. ¡°that¡¯s right. speaking of which, you¡¯ve taken care of him before, so you¡¯re not unfamiliar with him. when he recovers some of his soul power, we can consider reconstructing his body.¡± hearing this, tuan zi nodded solemnly. ¡°yes! i¡¯ll definitely take good care of him!¡± suddenly, she was stunned and looked at chu liuyue. ¡°a¡¯yue, why do you have¡­ three holy forces on you?¡± chu liuyue was stunned. ¡°what?¡± Chapter 2505 - 2505 Side Story 9: Prenatal Teaching 2505 side story 9: prenatal teaching twins. chu liuyue didn¡¯t expect to be pregnant with twins. when the news spread, the entire fantasy divine palace became lively. ¡­ in the room, chu liuyue was sitting on the bed and receiving everyone¡¯s ¡®attention.¡¯ the originally spacious space seemed a little crowded because there were too many people. rong xiu sat by the bed. then, it was dugu mobao and lan xiao. although diwu zhangze was only left with a soul now, he had occupied an extremely good position. behind them were shangguan jing, su li, and the others. tang ke didn¡¯t have much face. after the thirteen yue guards came, he was sent out the door. the surroundings were very quiet, and dugu mobao was taking chu liuyue¡¯s pulse. after a while, he let go. lan xiao couldn¡¯t wait to ask more. ¡°how is it? boy or girl?¡± everyone¡¯s attention was instantly focused. dugu mobao¡¯s expression was calm as he said, ¡°the two holy forces are equally matched. i can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re male or female for the time being.¡± ¡°ah¡ª¡± lan xiao looked regretful. everyone sighed in unison. the corner of chu liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. there is probably only one person in the world who tries to differentiate between men and women by the strength of their holy force. what is big baby thinking? ¡°we¡¯ll see again,¡± said dugu mobao. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± why do i feel that these people care more than me? rong xiu held her hand and gently placed it back under the blanket. his handsome and devilish face had a gentle expression. ¡°sons and daughters are all the same.¡± chu liuyue was confused. emperor, that doesn¡¯t seem to be what you said in the deserted garden that day, right?! she glanced at dugu mobao and the rest almost subconsciously. however, dugu mobao said, ¡°it¡¯s best if they¡¯re both daughters. otherwise, one daughter is fine.¡± chu liuyue said, ¡°big baby¡ª¡± rong xiu raised his brows and nodded in agreement. ¡°high priest is right.¡± as he spoke, he looked up slightly and glanced at chu liuyue with a smile. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± they seem to have an extraordinary tacit understanding in this matter¡­ ¡°they¡¯re all good! i have a younger brother and sister to play with!¡± tuan zi was nestled on the bed and lying beside chu liuyue, looking happy and excited. ever since she found out about this, she had been in this state of excitement. the joy and anticipation on her face were almost overflowing. this was really the best news! hua shuangshuang coughed and reminded her, ¡°tuan zi, you¡¯re the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress. the two young masters aren¡¯t considered your brother and sister.¡± have you forgotten that you have all the fiends in the world as your underlings?! tuan zi pouted and looked at chu liuyue. ¡°i don¡¯t care! in the future, they¡¯ll call me sister!¡± chu liuyue laughed and touched her round bun. ¡°sure.¡± tuan zi had followed her for many years and was already as close as family. coupled with the fact that she was still young and had already transformed into a human, chu liuyue subconsciously raised her as half a daughter. now, she would naturally listen to whatever tuan zi said. hearing her say this, tuan zi was even happier. she hugged her arm and said, ¡°a¡¯yue, you¡¯re amazing! you actually have two babies!¡± chu liuyue touched her nose and was about to speak when she saw rong xiu looking at her. he raised his eyebrows slightly and had a deep meaning. it was as if this praise was meant for him. chu liuyue¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. if not for the fact that there were so many people here, she believed that rong xiu would really say this. but the next moment, rong xiu retracted his meaningful gaze and smiled. ¡°i¡¯ve already asked yu mo to invite father-in-law and the others over. they should be here soon.¡± chu liuyue was stunned at first; then, her heart warmed. rong xiu was naturally talking about chu ning and shangguan you. the timing was perfect. on the one hand, she happened to be pregnant. on the other hand, by the time they arrived, the fantasy divine palace should have been completely cleaned up. she pinched rong xiu¡¯s palm. ¡°ten months of pregnancy. time flies. prenatal education has to be put on the agenda as soon as possible!¡± diwu zhangze finally found an opportunity to express his opinion. he looked back around. the thirteen yue guards immediately reacted. wu yao said, ¡°then, from tomorrow onward, i¡¯ll practice a set of fist techniques in front of master every day?¡± yu jiu asked, ¡°then, my sword technique?¡± lady shiyi asked, ¡°one yuan instrument per day?¡± chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± she looked around and realized that the thirteen yue guards were all here, except for one person. ¡°where¡¯s san san?¡± ¡­ at the same time, in a corner of the fantasy divine hall, a group of people was gathered. a fatty with a round figure was standing in the middle and shouting with all his might. ¡°come bet! goddess yue has two babies. come bet on their genders!¡± someone asked, ¡°third deity, why are the odds different in these three situations?¡± the probability is clearly the same! san san winked and chuckled. ¡°why are you asking so many questions? just bet!¡± how funny. the outcomes are two sons, one son and one daughter, or two daughters. how could they be the same? he clasped his hands together and prayed silently in his heart: young masters, san san¡¯s first windfall since his return is really counting on the two of you! ¡­ after a while, everyone in the room finally left. chu liuyue finally heaved a sigh of relief. after rejecting wu yao and the others¡¯ suggestions, she firmly rejected the requests of several people. among them was even shi fang¡¯s suggestion to come to the courtyard to plant a vegetable every day. tuan zi reached out and gently touched chu liuyue¡¯s abdomen. it still felt very strange. ¡°a¡¯yue, will the babies look like you?!¡± Chapter 2506 - 2506 Who Bit My Neck? 2506 who bit my neck? chu liuyue was slightly dazed. she had never thought about this before. however, this was her and rong xiu¡¯s child. be it resembling her or him, they would be good-looking. this feeling was very strange. ¡°it¡¯s naturally best for our daughter to resemble yue¡¯er.¡± rong xiu looked up and smiled at her. ¡°yue¡¯er is peerless.¡± however, chu liuyue suddenly laughed, and the corners of her lips curled up into a meaningful smile. ¡°if there¡¯s a little emperor to tease, it¡¯ll probably be very good too.¡± this man had always been calm and composed. his thoughts were also deeper than anyone else¡¯s. it was probably a little difficult to see him at a loss, but if there was another kid¡­ rong xiu seemed to have guessed her thoughts and raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°it¡¯s also very good to have a son who can make yue¡¯er happy.¡± chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± tuan zi looked at rong xiu and then at chu liuyue. she frowned slightly and thought about something seriously. chu liuyue glanced at her strangely. ¡°tuan zi, what are you thinking about?¡± tuan zi puffed up her cheeks and said in a young but serious voice, ¡°i¡¯m wondering if¡­ i should leave at that time?¡± if only zi chen were still awake! if something happens, we can still discuss it! rong xiu raised his eyebrows and glanced at her. perhaps it was because he wanted to have a daughter, but the more he looked at tuan zi, the more he liked her. in addition, she had cried all night last night. at this moment, her face was red, and her eyes were swollen. she looked even more pitiful. chu liuyue was caught between laughter and tears as she pinched her face. ¡°what is this little head thinking about all day?¡± ¡­ after walking out of the fantasy divine hall, xiao ba held her waist and walked forward. it didn¡¯t hurt that much at first, but after yan qing pressed it yesterday, it hurt a little more than before. the blood clots seemed to have gradually dissipated. she took a closer look and realized that it was even more serious. because she felt that it was too ugly, she changed her clothes today and covered her waist and arms tightly. ¡°eighth sister, why do you think master rejected my suggestion just now?¡± shi fang walked beside xiao ba and asked in confusion. ¡°i should start planting vegetables now. when the young masters are born, they¡¯ll be able to eat the freshest food!¡± xiao ba glanced at him faintly. ¡°although the young masters are master and the emperor¡¯s children, they won¡¯t have extraordinary abilities from the moment they¡¯re born. if you want them to eat your food¡­ there are still many years to go.¡± shi fang immediately understood. he coughed awkwardly and explained softly, ¡°then, it¡¯s the same if i feed master! now that she¡¯s pregnant with twins, she has to replenish more nutrition¡­¡± as he spoke, someone brushed past them. ¡°huh? lord left divine general?¡± shi fang hurriedly shouted. xiao ba pinched him hard. what is he shouting for!? i¡¯m frantically avoiding this god of plague! shi fang¡¯s face twitched in pain. only then did he realize what he had done wrong, but it was too late. yan qing stopped in his tracks and turned around with a calm expression. ¡°eighth deity, tenth deity.¡± xiao ba forced a smile. ¡°greetings, lord left divine general. goodbye, lord left divine general! we still have something on, so we¡¯ll leave first!¡± with that, she pulled shi fang to the side. but when shi fang saw yan qing¡¯s expression, he was instantly furious. no matter how she pulled, he refused to move. ¡°eighth deity? is that how you call my eighth sister?¡± yan qing paused before slowly asking, ¡°if i don¡¯t call her that, what else can i call her?¡± ¡°of course, it¡¯s¡ª¡± shi fang choked. he turned his head and whispered into xiao ba¡¯s ear, ¡°eighth sister, what did the left divine general call you when you were so affectionate in the past?¡± xiao ba¡¯s forehead throbbed violently, and she wished she could slap shi fang to death. does he think that someone as powerful as yan qing can¡¯t hear him?! ¡°why do you care!?¡± xiao ba said fiercely. ¡°i told you long ago that we have nothing to do with each other!¡± shi fang saw that xiao ba was so agitated and even wished she had nothing to do with yan qing at all. he thought that yan qing had done something overboard and hurt her heart. then, his heart burned with anger as he looked at yan qing angrily. ¡°how did you offend our eighth sister!?¡± with that, he patted xiao ba¡¯s arm comfortingly and said firmly, ¡°eighth sister, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll definitely avenge you!¡± then, without caring about xiao ba¡¯s obstruction, shi fang went straight forward. ¡°our eighth sister is an outstanding beauty, but you¡¯re so negligent. it¡¯s¡ª¡± his voice stopped abruptly. he widened his eyes and pointed at yan qing¡¯s neck in disbelief. ¡°you! you! what is this!?¡± although he didn¡¯t understand love affairs, he could tell that the red mark on yan qing¡¯s neck was clearly from being bitten! shi fang was furious, and his voice suddenly rose. ¡°yan qing, don¡¯t go too far! my eighth sister has just been injured, but you¡¯ve already hooked up with an unknown woman in private. you¡¯re really heartless! what are you doing to my eighth sister?!¡± shi fang was very angry. previously, he was only indignant about yan qing¡¯s distant attitude toward xiao ba. now, he was completely furious. there are countless good men in the world who likes our eighth sister. why does eighth sister have to delay her own happiness because of someone like yan qing? he is going to go too far! no wonder eighth sister had such an attitude toward him. his shout was very high-profile. everyone who walked out in twos and threes heard it and looked over. hua shuangshuang touched the little wind-stepping tiger on his shoulder. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? shi fang, what are you talking about?¡± si jing weighed the hammer in his hand and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°yan qing bullied xiao ba?¡± qi han¡¯s expression was cold, but there was a faint starlight under his feet. ¡°what¡¯s going on? tell me.¡± yu jiu silently carried the huge green sword. the group of people quietly surrounded yan qing in the middle, looking like they were about to attack if they were dissatisfied. in the distance, tang ke and yan ge saw this scene and stopped in their tracks. they looked at each other tacitly. ¡°danger.¡± ¡°don¡¯t disturb.¡± xiao ba stretched out her hand, her fingertips trembling. ¡°brother, brother¡­ no¡­¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t bully her.¡± yan qing was alone, but his aura didn¡¯t lose out. he looked up slightly and saw xiao ba squeezing in. ¡°coincidentally, everyone is here. i¡¯ll make things clear today¡ª¡± yan qing retracted his gaze. his handsome and cold face was calm as he interrupted xiao ba¡¯s explanation. ¡°eighth deity, why don¡¯t you tell everyone who bit my neck?¡± Chapter 2507 - 2507 Side Story 11: Untitled 2507 side story 11: untitled xiao ba: ¡°!!!¡± the next moment, everyone¡¯s gaze landed on her. xiao ba took a deep breath and turned her neck stiffly to look at yan qing. however, yan qing¡¯s expression was magnanimous and calm. there was no fluctuation on his iceberg-like face. it looked like he was really waiting for her to say it herself. the corners of xiao ba¡¯s mouth twitched. how can i say this!? originally, she had always wanted to find an opportunity to explain this matter to everyone and clarify that she had nothing to do with yan qing. now that there was a chance and everyone was here, in the end¡ª the surrounding gazes were silent, but they carried an inexplicable pressure. xiao ba forced a smile. ¡°it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s me¡­ i was careless¡­ hehe, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!¡± hua shuangshuang hugged the little wind-stepping tiger. si jing¡¯s hammer fell to the ground with a clang. qi han narrowed his eyes and glanced at yan qing. yu jiu staggered and almost threw the huge green sword on his shoulder. this means that¡­ shi fang gasped. ¡°eighth sister, you bit him!?¡± xiao ba glared at him. would he die if he shut his mouth?! otherwise, he can lower his voice! is he shouting so loudly because he¡¯s afraid that others won¡¯t know? the few of them sized up the two of them with strange looks. it turns out that it was xiao ba who did it? then, this¡ª ¡°ahem, it¡¯s really not what you think!¡± xiao ba quickly explained. ¡°it¡¯s just that yan qing helped me apply medicine yesterday and was too ruthless. in a moment of anger, i¡ª¡± ¡°apply medicine?¡± shi fang¡¯s gaze instantly landed on her waist. they all knew that their eighth sister had hurt her waist. if these two really had nothing to do with each other, could they¡­ do this? one had to know that although xiao ba was charming and enchanting, and her every frown and smile was flirtatious¡­ in fact, she was very distant from people she wasn¡¯t close to. now, she was actually willing to let yan qing help¡­ xiao ba immediately shut up, feeling a headache coming on. things seem to be getting worse¡­ at this moment, cen yi walked over from behind. his indifferent and long eyes first looked at yan qing and lingered on the red mark on his neck for a moment. yan qing instantly tensed up. the corners of cen yi¡¯s lips curled up slightly. then, he looked away and glanced at xiao ba, saying seriously, ¡°since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, let¡¯s get it out of the way,¡± xiao ba instantly pounced over as if she had seen her family. ¡°big brother, i knew you would believe me! i really didn¡¯t do it on purpose yesterday!¡± cen yi nodded, as if he didn¡¯t care. ¡°this was originally just a small matter. i don¡¯t think the left divine general will hold it against you. when your injuries get better in a few days, refine some clear sugar pills. perhaps master will want to eat them.¡± clear sugar pills weren¡¯t a powerful pill, but they tasted sour and sweet. xiao ba had occasionally refined them as a snack in the past. ¡°okay, okay, okay! i¡¯ll go later!¡± xiao ba only wanted to leave this place now. she was extremely grateful for cen yi¡¯s help. cen yi nodded. ¡°although the left divine general is magnanimous and won¡¯t make things difficult for you, in the future, such a mistake will still¡ª¡± ¡°i promise i won¡¯t do it again!¡± xiao ba replied smoothly. cen yi seemed to agree. ¡°that¡¯s good. among the thirteen yue guards, only you, shiyi, and shi¡¯er are the most precious. if there¡¯s anything you like, just take it. if you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t have to.¡± these words were quite straightforward, and even xiao ba was stunned for a moment. ¡°if there¡¯s anything that annoys you, feel free to say it. we¡¯ll help you.¡± at this point, cen yi looked at yan qing meaningfully. xiao ba hesitated for a moment. although yan qing had lied to her previously, when she thought about it carefully, he had his reasons. initially, she was indeed very angry. but after hearing what big brother said, she felt that the mistakes yan qing had committed weren¡¯t unforgivable¡­ if big brother and the others really joined forces, how could yan qing be a match for them? she rolled her eyes and smiled at cen yi. ¡°thank you, big brother. i understand!¡± however, after saying this, she didn¡¯t mention anything else. cen yi said, ¡°come with me. there are still some things that you need to deal with.¡± xiao ba immediately agreed, and the two of them left. after they left, the remaining people felt bored and dispersed. but when they left, they glanced at yan qing meaningfully. yan qing¡¯s sword-holding hand was slightly sweaty. after a moment, he turned around and left. ¡­ chu liuyue stood by the window and watched this scene with interest. it wasn¡¯t until yan qing¡¯s figure gradually disappeared that she retracted her gaze and looked at the man behind her with a faint smile. ¡°emperor, your people are indeed powerful. you want to trick our xiao ba without batting an eyelid?¡± previously, she had already felt that something was strange. after the life-and-death challenge, she had confirmed her guess. it had always been xiao ba who had designs on others. now, it was the other way around. the key was that she didn¡¯t seem to realize what was going on this time. rong xiu leaned against the couch and flipped through a book. hearing this, he looked up, and a faint smile flashed across his lips. ¡°how can it be considered a trick? he¡¯s just telling the truth.¡± chu liuyue sniggered. ¡°with the left divine general¡¯s strength, there¡¯s no reason for that small injury to remain until today. this thought¡­ seems to have been learned from you.¡± rong xiu laughed ambiguously. Chapter 2508 - 2508 Side Story 12: You Reap What You Sow 2508 side story 12: you reap what you sow tuan zi had already left with zi chen¡¯s soul, saying that she wanted to study how to help yi zhao reconstruct his body. hence, there were only rong xiu and chu liuyue in the room. hearing this, chu liuyue choked. as the saying went, it was easy to change a mountain and a river, but it was difficult to change one¡¯s nature. a certain someone was indeed as sly as before. she raised an eyebrow, walked over, and stood in front of the small couch. then, she leaned forward, getting close to rong xiu, and said slowly, ¡°¡­can i bite you too?¡± rong xiu was originally teasing her, but he didn¡¯t expect her to really respond. amidst his surprise, he smiled again as if with some joy. ¡°of course.¡± chu liuyue supported herself with one hand beside rong xiu and leaned even closer. rong xiu hugged her waist and supported her. although it wasn¡¯t obvious yet, the emperor had always been cautious. however, chu liuyue was already in front of him. she tilted her head slightly and was almost touching his neck. she blinked and glanced at rong xiu. ¡°can i really bite you?¡± rong xiu saw that she was almost half-lying in his arms. her starry eyes were round and bright, clear and pure, and there seemed to be a faint smile. he was tempted. the original joke seemed to be a little ambiguous now. he smiled at her. ¡°madam, you can do whatever you want.¡± it seemed like he was really not afraid of being bitten. hearing him say this, chu liuyue only moved her glabella slightly, and then leaned closer. before her lips could land, her warm breath landed on his neck. there were fine and soft strands of hair falling down, making him feel inexplicably itchy. rong xiu looked down at her and saw a head buried in his neck. but after waiting for a moment, the expected pain didn¡¯t come. she seemed to be a little hesitant. she leaned against him like this, almost half-lying in his arms. occasionally, she moved her head, but she didn¡¯t bite him for a long time. rong xiu could even clearly feel that her soft lips were only a millimeter away from him. as long as she was closer, she would¡ª however, she didn¡¯t move. gradually, the heat on his neck dissipated around her. the room was very quiet. he could clearly hear her breathing and heartbeat. he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°could it be that you regret¡ª¡± before he could finish speaking, he felt a subtle sting on the side of his neck. but accompanying this pain were heat and warmth that were even more difficult to ignore. she bit his neck and ground her teeth slowly. his eyes darkened slightly, and his grip on her waist gradually tightened. however, the pain quickly disappeared. right on the heels of that, rong xiu felt the head in front of him move. his thin lips curled up slightly as he chuckled. ¡°it seems like yue¡¯er is really reluctant¡ª¡± his voice stopped abruptly, and a dark muffled groan came from the depths of his throat. his voice was already extremely low and pleasant to the ears. at this moment, this muffled groan that seemed to be filled with forbearance and intolerance sounded, making it even more provocative. the entire room seemed to be filled with an inexplicable ambiguity. chu liuyue suddenly let go of the soft flesh on his neck and bit his adam¡¯s apple. hearing his voice, chu liuyue blinked and licked it gently again. rong xiu instantly tensed up. only then did chu liuyue look up from his arms and nod honestly. ¡°that¡¯s right. i naturally can¡¯t bear to hurt my husband.¡± rong xiu picked her up. before chu liuyue could react, she felt the world spin. she and rong xiu had already changed positions. he stared at her with a dangerous expression. his eyes were as dark as the starry night, and there seemed to be a vortex that could easily make people sink into him. he pinched her chin and wanted to take revenge. chu liuyue suddenly sighed. she slowly asked, ¡°what do you think our babies should be called?¡± rong xiu¡¯s movements froze, and he didn¡¯t continue. he took a deep breath and narrowed his phoenix eyes. then, his thin lips curled into an ambiguous smile. ¡°you¡¯re up to no good.¡± all these thoughts were used on me. chu liuyue seemed to have heard the sound of teeth grinding. she blinked, her expression innocent. ¡°didn¡¯t you suggest it? why are you saying that i¡¯m up to no good now? it¡¯s really unreasonable to play the blame game.¡± rong xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. after a while, he leaned closer and said word by word in a low voice, ¡°i¡¯ve waited 100,000 years. you¡¯ll be pregnant for ten months. i can afford to wait.¡± chu liuyue¡¯s heart moved slightly, but she saw that rong xiu had already stood up. he picked up the book that had fallen to the side and flipped through it nonchalantly. then, he turned around and walked toward the bookshelf on the other side. chu liuyue watched curiously and asked, ¡°why aren¡¯t you reading anymore? i remember you only read half of it.¡± ¡°i was just bored. there¡¯s nothing much to it.¡± rong xiu casually placed the book back on the bookshelf, and his gaze landed on the bookshelf again, as if he was searching for something. he seemed to be looking for another book. chu liuyue leaned against the couch and supported her chin with one hand. ¡°what book are you looking for? there aren¡¯t many books here. it can¡¯t compare to your qingyuan hall.¡± qingyuan hall was behind the fantasy divine hall. it was enveloped by a barrier and was a forbidden area. ordinary people couldn¡¯t easily approach it. even the people in the fantasy divine palace could only look from afar. but compared to the fantasy divine hall, the scale and aura there were actually even more shocking. as it was the land of the emperor, qingyuan hall was very secretive. to everyone, it wasn¡¯t as famous as the fantasy divine hall, so they naturally discussed it less. however, chu liuyue had been there before, so she naturally knew how many books there were. ¡°qingyuan hall doesn¡¯t have the book i¡¯m looking for,¡± rong xiu said lightly. chu liuyue was slightly stunned. ¡°oh?¡± rong xiu finally turned around and looked at her with a faint smile, but his eyes were filled with an ambiguous danger. ¡°it¡¯s filled with the world¡¯s top cultivation techniques, but there won¡¯t be anything like the heart cleansing incantation.¡± chu liuyue¡¯s face blushed slightly. she coughed and thought to herself, this person is purely looking for trouble for himself. why does he seem to be blaming me? looking at this scene, it¡¯s as if i owe him. at the thought of this, chu liuyue instantly felt evil. she stood up and walked to rong xiu. ¡°husband¡ª¡± she reached out and wrapped her arms around his lean waist. she looked up at him, her voice sweet and long¡ªwhich was rare¡ªwith a hint of wheedling. ¡°i¡¯m so sleepy¡­¡± rong xiu¡¯s forehead twitched. she leaned against his chest and rubbed against it gently. she said softly, ¡°you can hug me to sleep.¡± Chapter 2509 - 2509 Side Story 13: In the Future, Ill Repay You Double 2509 side story 13: in the future, i¡¯ll repay you double rong xiu looked down at her. after a moment, he wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°sure.¡± chu liuyue was stunned. she heard him lean close to her ear and whisper, ¡°i will definitely serve you comfortably.¡± the tips of chu liuyue¡¯s ears heated up. for some reason, she felt that it was a little dangerous. she coughed lightly and was about to say something when rong xiu grabbed her and walked to the bed. before she could react, she was already lying on the bed. rong xiu sat beside her and leaned against the head of the bed, hugging her shoulders with one hand. she looked up at him. rong xiu leaned over and kissed her glabella. ¡°sleep.¡± with that, he retreated slightly and took another book from the side to read, as if he planned to guard her like this. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± she reached out and hooked her weak fingers gently, pulling his slender hand. ¡°¡­are we sleeping like this?¡± rong xiu looked down at her. she blinked. ¡°i haven¡¯t taken off my clothes yet.¡± rong xiu was speechless. he took a deep breath and leaned closer, staring at her dangerously. chu liuyue shrugged and sighed helplessly. ¡°hasn¡¯t the emperor always been familiar with this?¡± rong xiu was speechless. ¡°back then, that token was clearly tied to my body, but the emperor only hooked it a few times and easily removed it, right?¡± chu liuyue seemed to have thought of something interesting as she looked at him with bright eyes. rong xiu glanced at her. ¡°that token is an item used by the evil spirit to search for the auras of you, the thirteen yue guards, and the others. if i hadn¡¯t deliberately suppressed it, it would¡¯ve exploded long before you ascended to the heavens. it¡¯s fine for them, but you can¡¯t expose yourself in advance.¡± the person who wanted to look for her was the heavenly dao. if she revealed her identity before she awakened, the situation would probably be irreversible. chu liuyue nodded thoughtfully. ¡°my husband has racked his brains to plan for me. i think i shouldn¡¯t have troubled you with such a small matter.¡± before rong xiu could speak, she undressed herself. ¡°then, i¡¯ll do it myself¡ª¡± for a moment, rong xiu wanted to leave. however, chu liuyue¡¯s movements were very fast. she took off her outerwear and revealed the red chiffon inner shirt. that color made her skin snow-white and extremely soft. she lay on the pillow and patted her side gently. ¡°let¡¯s sleep together.¡± rong xiu pressed his glabella and intuitively felt that the next few months would probably be even more torturous than the previous tens of thousands of years. but at this moment, a fair and soft hand had already reached over and pulled the jade belt around his waist. he held her hand and took a deep breath. ¡°i¡¯ll do it myself.¡± chu liuyue tilted her head to look at him and really let go. rong xiu threw the book aside. he simply couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. he first unbuckled the jade belt and took off his coat. with a long arm, he pulled the blanket over. just as he was about to lie down beside her, he heard her say, ¡°continue.¡± rong xiu was stunned and raised his eyebrows at her. ¡°what did you say?¡± chu liuyue grabbed his sleeve. ¡°when we first met in country yao chen, you weren¡¯t even afraid of being naked with me, let alone now.¡± rong xiu really couldn¡¯t win against her. seeing her stubborn expression, he could only smile. ¡°since madam has given the order, i¡¯ll naturally listen.¡± with that, he did as he was told. the snow-colored shirt loosened a little, revealing his firm and warm chest. however, she suddenly pounced over and hugged his waist. rong xiu was about to speak when he suddenly felt her hand land on his left shoulder. then, her low voice came from beside his ear. ¡°¡­it must hurt a lot.¡± these words were extremely light and faint, but he heard them clearly. chu liuyue leaned in his arms and stared at the perfect and tough body under her palm in a daze. the current rong xiu naturally didn¡¯t have any injuries on his body, but the scene that day remained in her mind and couldn¡¯t be forgotten. he had been deprived of tens of thousands of years of holy force and had to endure the pain of being cut into pieces. bones broke and flesh splattered. what could hurt more? even if rong xiu forcefully broke through in the end, the pain he had suffered couldn¡¯t be erased. wounds from the heavenly dao¡¯s punishment could heal, but some things would be left behind forever. she looked at him in a daze, her fingers unconsciously brushing his collarbone. she still remembered the wound here¡ªno, she remembered all the injuries on him. even though she could no longer see it, she remembered. a hand suddenly reached over and rubbed her head. at the same time, a sigh came from above. ¡°if yue¡¯er really feels sorry for me, don¡¯t bully me for the next few months.¡± chu liuyue retracted her thoughts and glared at him. then, she leaned even closer and burrowed into his arms. ¡°no.¡± with that, she leaned over and kissed his collarbone. ¡°i refuse.¡± deliberately ignoring the man¡¯s instantly tense body, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, ¡°rong xiu, you have many injuries on your body. i¡¯ll kiss one injury a day in the future.¡± even though the dust had settled, she still didn¡¯t know how to ease the pain in her heart. it seemed like this was the only way to be better. rong xiu looked at the person in his arms. his phoenix eyes darkened slightly, and something seemed to be surging in his eyes. he naturally knew what she was thinking. how could he not be moved? this person was the only love he had in his life, but¡­ could it be that she didn¡¯t realize that this wasn¡¯t comfort to him now but torture? he couldn¡¯t reject her no matter what. after a while, he pinched her chin and stared into her eyes. there was a smile on his lips, and his voice was low and hoarse, as if it was bewitching. ¡°sure.¡± ¡°in the future, i¡¯ll remember every place you kiss.¡± ¡°in the future, i¡¯ll definitely pay you back double.¡± Chapter 2510 - 2510 Side Story 14: You Cant Grab My Hair! 2510 side story 14: you can¡¯t grab my hair! phoenix mountain. the current phoenix mountain had already been razed to the ground, leaving only charred land. only a tender green heaven-wrecking holy seed emerged from it and swayed gently in the wind. there was a person standing with his hands behind his back¡ªthis person was miao zhen. he had been standing here for a long time. he represented apology, guilt, and self-reproach. the battle in the fantasy divine hall finally unveiled the truth from 10,000 years ago. it was only then that he realized how wrong he had been. he was filled with complicated emotions that were accumulated in his heart, making him look much older. he had always been extremely proud. even when he was harmed back then, he had never worn down his pride. but now¡­ the destruction of his ancestor¡¯s skeleton was a heavy blow to him. ¡°grandpa miao zhen?¡± a soft and clear voice suddenly sounded from behind. miao zhen immediately composed himself. when he turned back to look, his expression had already returned to normal. ¡°tuan zi? why are you here?¡± he knew that tuan zi had fainted from crying in front of the corpses of mu qinghe and hong yao. his heart ached for her. he thought that she wouldn¡¯t come here for the time being, but he didn¡¯t expect¡ª as he asked, he sized up tuan zi. her eyes were still swollen, and her nose was red. she still looked pitiful, but from her spirit and expression, she seemed to have recovered a lot. tuan zi pursed her lips and said, ¡°i¡¯m here to help clan leader grandpa reconstruct his body.¡± miao zhen was stunned. ¡°yi zhao?¡± yeah. previously, chu liuyue and tuan zi had worked together to deceive everyone and exchange yi zhao from the depths of the lightning pool. however, yi zhao¡¯s body had already been destroyed, leaving only a soul. tuan zi nodded and waved her hand. a reddish-gold feather appeared in front of her. now that she had already opened her ninth meridian¡­ logically speaking, she could do this. the reason why she chose phoenix mountain was naturally that this was the place where their ancestor, yi ling, had died. although this place had already¡­ however, the unique aura of the red-gold heavenly phoenix race lingered here for a long time. with this factor, the chances of success were estimated to be higher. miao zhen was relieved. it¡¯s rare for tuan zi to be so outstanding and pure. no wonder yi zhao doted on her so much previously. the reddish-gold feather floated quietly. tuan zi waved her small hand, and the surrounding heaven and earth force surged over with a scorching aura. perhaps because of the heaven-wrecking holy seed, the force contained abundant vitality. the luster on the golden feather seemed to be brighter. when tuan zi saw this, she was first happy, but then she thought of something and revealed a depressed expression. seeing her like this, miao zhen asked, ¡°is there something troubling you, tuan zi?¡± tuan zi nodded and sighed. ¡°although i can help clan leader grandpa nourish his soul, i can¡¯t help zi chen much.¡± after all, she and yi zhao came from the same sect and had the same bloodline. however, zi chen was more troublesome. miao zhen was stunned. only then did he remember that zi chen¡¯s current situation didn¡¯t seem to be good. the previous battle was too intense. zi chen was only left with a soul now. miao zhen thought for a moment before saying, ¡°let me help you.¡± tuan zi was stunned. ¡°previously, zi chen¡¯s body had a portion of my bloodline power after all. i can still help.¡± miao zhen¡¯s words made tuan zi¡¯s eyes gradually light up. yeah! with miao zhen¡¯s help, i can definitely help zi chen recover earlier! ¡°grandpa miao zhen, are you really willing to help me?¡± miao zhen laughed and touched her round bun. ¡°of course.¡± on the one hand, he felt guilty toward the red-gold heavenly phoenix race. on the other hand, because of the connection between his bloodline power and zi chen, he was indeed closer to him than others. of course, he was willing to help. tuan zi was overjoyed and hurriedly took out the palm-sized ball of light. ¡°here! zi chen is here! he¡¯s not awake yet!¡± if grandpa miao zhen makes a move, zi chen will definitely wake up faster. perhaps he can reconstruct his body as soon as possible! looking at tuan zi¡¯s sparkling eyes, miao zhen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°you¡¯re quite concerned about him.¡± ¡°of course!¡± tuan zi nodded vigorously. ¡°zi chen has saved me many times! moreover¡­ moreover, he¡¯s considered my younger brother. as a big sister, how can i sit back and do nothing?¡± miao zhen was speechless. the two of them didn¡¯t realize that when tuan zi said this, the soul in the ball of light moved quietly. miao zhen took it. he held his breath and focused. using his bloodline power as a guide, he attracted the surrounding force. soon, the color of the soul seemed to be a little richer than before. its aura seemed to be rising. tuan zi¡¯s senses were extremely sharp, and she immediately perked up. ¡°grandpa miao zhen is really impressive!¡± miao zhen laughed. ¡°it¡¯s probably because of the contract with goddess yue and the heaven-wrecking holy seed here. his soul is actually much stronger than i expected.¡± this made things even simpler. as long as he nurtured zi chen¡¯s soul for a period of time, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to reconstruct his body. knowing this, tuan zi felt much better. she found a clean place and sat cross-legged. she began to focus on helping yi zhao recover his strength. ¡°yo, why is it so lively here?¡± a voice with a lazy smile came. tuan zi and miao zhen turned around in unison and were stunned. it was yun muchen. because he had helped chu liuyue previously, everyone¡¯s attitude towards him was quite good. this person was unrestrained and free to come and go. it was also because of his special identity that no one questioned him too much. unexpectedly, at this moment, he suddenly appeared on phoenix mountain. yun muchen came in front of tuan zi, raised his eyebrows while smiling, and rubbed her round bun. ¡°did you cry?¡± tuan zi immediately protected her small head and pouted. ¡°apart from a¡¯yue, no one can grab my hair!¡± ¡°the little girl is young, but she has a bad temper.¡± yun muchen laughed and bent down to look at tuan zi at eye level. the corners of his lips were heretical. ¡°no one can grab your hair?¡± tuan zi snorted. ¡°of course!¡± ¡°then¡­ that green sparrow can¡¯t do it either?¡± Chapter 2511 - 2511 Side Story 15: Holy Body 2511 side story 15: holy body tuan zi was stunned. ¡°w-what did you say?!¡± green sparrow¡­ he is talking about hong yao. yun muchen raised his eyebrows and smiled at her. there was a hint of amusement in his flirtatious eyes. ¡°what, you¡¯re not fierce anymore?¡± tuan zi grabbed his hand and stuttered in shock, ¡°you have a way to get hong yao to come back, right!?¡± yun muchen shook his head with a smile. ¡°it¡¯s hard to say.¡± tuan zi was stunned. what¡¯s wrong with this person? if it¡¯s hard to say, then his previous words¡ª she looked at the person in front of her and felt a little nervous. hong yao has indeed perished¡ªi had seen it clearly. there is no chance of survival. however, the person in front of me¡­ could help a¡¯yue keep the music score for 10,000 years. he must be very powerful. maybe he really has a way!? ¡°i don¡¯t care! if you don¡¯t make things clear today, i won¡¯t let you leave!¡± tuan zi grabbed him tightly and actually planned to throw a tantrum and pester yun muchen. yun muchen laughed and easily pushed her small hand away. then, he flicked her forehead with his finger. ¡°your personality is really like your master¡¯s.¡± they had only met a few times, but she wanted him to help her. she was even so self-righteous. tuan zi pouted and rubbed her head. actually, it didn¡¯t hurt, but yun muchen¡¯s words still shocked her too much. she couldn¡¯t care less now. when miao zhen saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°young master yun, do you really have a way?¡± yun muchen smiled. ¡°this is a troublesome matter. i¡¯ve already helped yue¡¯er so much previously. now that i haven¡¯t gotten any benefits, you want me to do manual labor again? how can there be such a good thing?¡± he reached out and pinched tuan zi¡¯s face. ¡°if i¡¯m in a good mood, i might help.¡± tuan zi pouted. ¡°then, how can you be in a good mood?¡± yun muchen clicked his tongue. ¡°that¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡­ hence, in the following days, the most comfortable person in the entire fantasy divine hall¡ªapart from chu liuyue¡ªwas actually yun muchen. on account of his mysterious background, great strength, and the fact that he had indeed helped chu liuyue a lot, everyone turned a blind eye to his actions. tuan zi had been looking for him every day for the past few days. unfortunately, he didn¡¯t reveal anything, as if what he said that day was just a casual mention. later on, tuan zi went less because yi zhao¡¯s soul was gradually becoming stronger. yi zhao should be able to wake up soon. it wasn¡¯t difficult to reconstruct the body. the bones of the red-gold heavenly phoenix had always been left on godly phoenix mountain. at that time, she just had to get some for yi zhao. on the other side, zi chen¡¯s condition had also improved a lot. with miao zhen¡¯s help, it was different. moreover, zi chen and chu liuyue had a contract. just by relying on the power of this contract, it was already different from the past. it was much easier to do many things. however, tuan zi didn¡¯t tell chu liuyue what yun muchen said that day for the time being. she carefully suppressed it and tried her best to calm herself down and wait. she was waiting for a maybe, for a possibility. ¡­ on this day, chu liuyue sat in her room as usual. there was a game of chess in front of her. there was someone sitting opposite her. he had purple hair, purple eyes, and a noble posture. although he looked cute from afar, he couldn¡¯t hide his noble aura. especially that cold expression on his small face, it made him feel distant and indifferent but also unattainable. chu liuyue sighed in her heart. ever since she returned to the fantasy divine palace, big baby¡¯s dignity had increased day by day. it was probably because he had regained his position as the high priest¡­ of course, he was also very fierce and strict. to goddess yue, the high priest was like a father and a brother. he could be considered more than half a teacher. although he treated her extremely well, he was indeed more domineering. but to shangguan yue or chu liuyue, his attitude was softer and more doting. it was true that he was also quite strict in the red moon desert, but it was much better than when he was in the fantasy divine hall. ¡°your turn.¡± seeing that she was holding the chess piece and didn¡¯t place it for a long time, big baby¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he reminded her. chu liuyue paused and simply threw the chess piece into the seven chess jars at the side. ¡°i¡¯m not playing anymore.¡± only then did big baby look up at her with narrowed eyes. if it were in the past, she would definitely obediently pick up the chess pieces and continue. but now¡­ she stretched lazily and said, ¡°i¡¯m tired today. i¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡± after she was pregnant, she almost didn¡¯t have much of a reaction. the only thing was that she was sleepy. everyone knew this, so if she was tired, they would let her sleep as she pleased. now that she said this, big baby had nothing to say. big baby stared at her for a while. ¡°¡­you¡¯re becoming more and more lazy.¡± although he said that, he didn¡¯t reprimand her. he flicked his finger and put the chess piece back. ¡°keep the chessboard. we¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± chu liuyue sneered. ¡°who can withstand your scolding every day?¡± she originally thought that the thirteen yue guards were concerned enough about prenatal education, but she never expected that the fastest and most efficient person was actually big baby! ever since he found out that she was pregnant, he had come to play chess with her every day. although the emperor wasn¡¯t inferior to him and was even stronger¡­ in the end, this glorious mission was still held in big baby¡¯s hands. big baby glanced at her. ¡°what, do you want rong xiu to come over?¡± perhaps because they were like father and son, or like brothers, but he had never been polite to rong xiu. ¡°could it be that he¡¯s used to indulging you?¡± big baby said mercilessly. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± it was heart-wrenching! didn¡¯t i lose my memory and strength in the past? how is it all because of rong xiu indulging me? she snorted softly. big baby continued calmly, ¡°i just don¡¯t want to see you give birth to two children with worse qualifications than you. it¡¯s embarrassing.¡± chu liuyue said, ¡°¡­are you so sure that i¡¯m not talented? what if i¡¯m implicated by rong xiu?¡± the emperor, who was reading in the study, sneezed. big baby raised his eyebrows and glanced at her. ¡°oh?¡± chu liuyue felt guilty and touched her nose. ¡°¡­got it. i¡¯m bad.¡± on the surface, she admitted defeat, but she couldn¡¯t help but curse in her heart. these people are really too abnormal! big baby suddenly stood up. ¡°since you¡¯re tired, go and rest.¡± with that, he really planned to leave. ¡°wait a minute!¡± chu liuyue hurriedly stopped him. big baby glanced at her. ¡°anything else?¡± ¡°yes!¡± chu liuyue nodded firmly, but when the words reached her mouth, she hesitated. after a while, she asked, ¡°¡­what do you plan to do about the holy body?¡± there was no need to say anything else about lan xiao since there was no problem at all. diwu zhangze had been recuperating recently. if he found an opportunity, he could use the golden lightning to reconstruct his holy body. however¡­ big baby was a little troublesome. if he wanted to start over, he had to destroy his current holy body first. the high priest of the fantasy divine palace was a noble existence above millions of people. he shouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t always appear in his current appearance. he would have to endure the pain of the bone shattering soul powder again. Chapter 2512 - 2512 Side Story 16: Love 2512 side story 16: love big baby didn¡¯t turn around. wind blew in from outside the window, sweeping up the corners of his purple robe as faint streaks of light disappeared. after a while, he said, ¡°half a year later, i¡¯ll go into seclusion.¡± chu liuyue was stunned and thought to herself that he indeed had a plan. except¡­ ¡°why half a year later?¡± big baby finally turned his head halfway and raised his eyebrows slightly. his thick curly eyelashes trembled slightly, and a faint light flashed in his clear, pure, and slightly demonic eyes. he didn¡¯t say anything, but his gaze lingered on her abdomen for a moment. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± she ground her teeth. ¡°i can teach them well myself!¡± big baby said, ¡°oh?¡± this sentence was clear and calm, even more casual than the previous rhetorical question. but from beginning to end, he was suspicious of chu liuyue. her forehead twitched. in the end, she held her forehead helplessly. ¡°¡­got it!¡± it¡¯s troublesome to teach me, but now he wants to take over the two babies? he is really¡­ free! after getting the answer he wanted, the corners of big baby¡¯s lips curled up imperceptibly. then, he walked out. ¡­ several days passed in a row. the entire fantasy divine hall had already been reorganized. chu liuyue finally moved back to her original residence. however¡­ rong xiu also stayed in the fantasy divine hall. in the past 10,000 years, the emperor rarely stepped foot in the fantasy divine hall. rong xiu coming here caused people to be surprised that he would actually do such a thing. butu now that the emperor and goddess yue were already husband and wife, and goddess yue was pregnant, there was nothing wrong with doing this. ¡­ in the courtyard, xiao ba was lying on a rattan chair. her eyes were closed as if she were taking a nap. ¡°eighth sister.¡± two voices sounded at the same time. xiao ba opened her misty eyes and smiled when she saw who it was. ¡°sister shiyi, sister shi¡¯er, you¡¯re here? come over quickly!¡± the two girls walked over, each carrying a basket. when she saw what was inside, xiao ba¡¯s beautiful eyes lit up. ¡°this is¡ª¡± a fluffy, pink-white cluster of petals, gently falling and forming a perfectly blooming fragrant flower. it was obvious that the petals had been carefully chosen. every piece looked good. seeing that she was happy, lady shi¡¯er smiled and said softly, ¡°eighth sister, i heard that your injuries have healed. sister and i thought that you liked these things the most, so we specially brought some over.¡± lady shiyi nodded. ¡°they¡¯re all based on the criteria you had in the past.¡± xiao ba sat up and held her heart with both hands, feeling extremely touched. ¡°sister shiyi and sister shi¡¯er treat me the best!¡± the heavens have taken pity on me. i¡¯ve been taking medicinal baths recently. although it helps me recover from my injuries quickly, i feel like i have become a medicine jar when i smell this scent every day. i¡¯m about to go crazy. now that my injuries have healed, these two people sent this over. it¡¯s really to my liking! she pinched the two girls¡¯ faces gently and smiled as she took out a few bottles of pills and handed them over. ¡°it¡¯s indeed different now that you¡¯re back. our girls are getting prettier!¡± however, their appetites were getting bigger and bigger. fortunately, she was in charge of the medicinal mountain now, so it wasn¡¯t a problem for her to take out these things. lady shiyi¡¯s eyes lit up. she didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and took the bottles with both hands. ¡°thank you, eighth sister.¡± she gave half to lady shi¡¯er. seeing them like this, xiao ba asked, ¡°where¡¯s jian fengchi? he hasn¡¯t given you any refined pills recently?¡± although everything was settled now, jian fengchi seemed to be used to being squeezed dry. he could only accept his fate and give them some from time to time. lady shi¡¯er coughed and said softly, ¡°¡­we just came from eldest young master jian¡¯s place.¡± xiao ba was stunned. ¡°eh, i heard you call him brother-in-law before?¡± of course, she was calling him brother-in-law because of mu hongyu. lady shiyi said concisely, ¡°to collect money.¡± xiao ba was speechless. forget it. pretend i didn¡¯t ask. lady shi¡¯er poured out a handful of pills and placed them in her palm. she pinched them one at a time and ate them. as she ate, she asked, ¡°but then again, i think sister hongyu always seems to be impatient with eldest young master jian¡­ can it work out in the end?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t understand.¡± lady shiyi raised her head and downed a bottle. ¡°a fierce woman is afraid of a clingy man.¡± with eldest young master jian¡¯s personality, he could grind people over. xiao ba couldn¡¯t help but laugh and gently knocked on lady shiyi. ¡°who did sister shiyi hear this from all day long?¡± ¡°eldest young master jian said so himself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± xiao ba held her forehead with a headache. these words might really come from him. lady shi¡¯er looked at her and asked for guidance. ¡°eighth sister, your expression¡­ what do you mean? don¡¯t you think highly of them?¡± xiao ba laughed and tapped her chin with her slender and fair fingers. ¡°not at all. do you think that if hongyu wasn¡¯t interested in him at all, she would¡¯ve let him pester her for so long?¡± lady shiyi and lady shi¡¯er immediately agreed. ¡°i see¡­ but eighth sister, how did you know that sister hongyu likes him too?¡± it was really hard to tell usually. after all, the two of them bickered all day long; it was difficult for them to even stay quietly for an hour. seeing their reaction, xiao ba couldn¡¯t help but add with a smile, ¡°if a person likes another person, they definitely can¡¯t hide it. no matter how stupid they are, when they meet someone they like, they know what to do to please them.¡± ¡°eighth deity!¡± as she spoke, a young man¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside. the few of them turned around and saw a handsome man in his twenties. when he saw xiao ba and the others looking in his direction, a hint of excitement appeared on his face. but perhaps because of their status as deities, he didn¡¯t dare to act rashly. he only bowed respectfully. ¡°eighth deity, i¡¯ve recently developed a new prescription. i wonder if i can show it to you?¡± xiao ba rested her chin on her hand and sighed. ¡°but if it¡¯s someone you don¡¯t like, it won¡¯t be good. if too many such people come, it¡¯ll be even worse.¡± during this period of time, she had to reject countless such people every day. it was really annoying and harmful. lady shiyi raised her voice and said, ¡°no need! my eighth sister isn¡¯t free!¡± the man looked disappointed. he hesitated as if he was about to leave, but after taking two steps, he stopped. he looked at xiao ba and asked hesitantly, ¡°what kind of person does eighth deity like? i, i can change¡ª¡± xiao ba was rather helpless. now that the truth was out, even the fact that she had used yan qing as a shield was also known. everyone in the fantasy divine palace already knew that the two of them weren¡¯t related. if she was the left divine general¡¯s woman, no one would dare to have such thoughts. however, she wasn¡¯t. this time, they were really all here to woo her. it was so annoying. thinking of this, she was a little angry again. this anger came inexplicably, but it was difficult to disperse. the man refused to give up. ¡°eighth deity, you¡¯ll only know if you like me or not after spending time with me. after all, you and the left divine general aren¡¯t mutually in love. why don¡¯t you¡ª¡± xiao ba suddenly stood up. these words sound so¡­ unpleasant! Chapter 2513 - 2513 She Has Someone She Likes 2513 she has someone she likes ¡°so what?¡± she raised her voice and tucked her hair behind her ear, raising her eyebrows at him. this extremely simple action was done by her, but it was also unique. the charm in her bones and the enchantment in her eyes were really impossible to ignore. the man was a little infatuated. then, he saw xiao ba raise her red lips slightly and say with a faint smile, ¡°do i look like i¡¯m that free?¡± hearing her call herself that, the man¡¯s expression changed slightly. this was using her identity as a deity. the eighth deity was in charge of the medicinal mountain now, but although she had power, she was always gentle and charming. no matter who she saw, she always seemed to be smiling. this made many people forget her identity and still treat her as a beautiful and bewitching woman. she rarely used her identity to suppress others. unexpectedly, today¡ª no matter how insensible he was, he could tell that xiao ba was unhappy. ¡°i wouldn¡¯t dare! i wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± the man¡¯s face turned red, and he waved his hand nervously. ¡°si-since the eighth deity is busy, i¡­ won¡¯t disturb you anymore!¡± with that, he finally turned around and left reluctantly. there was still a hint of heartbreak on his face. it was obvious that he didn¡¯t expect to be rejected so bluntly. however, xiao ba crossed her arms and snorted. then, she turned around and walked back. lady shiyi and lady shi¡¯er looked at each other. after some deliberation, lady shiyi asked, ¡°eighth sister, you seem very angry?¡± xiao ba snorted. ¡°how can i not be angry when i¡¯m disturbed by these people?¡± lady shi¡¯er fiddled with the last pill in her hand and whispered hesitantly, ¡°however, it was like this in the past but¡­ eighth sister was rarely angry.¡± lady shiyi nodded in agreement. ¡°besides, that person just now wasn¡¯t bad.¡± this was the most important thing. who in the entire fantasy divine palace didn¡¯t know that the eighth deity was superficial? she was extremely beautiful and was naturally extremely picky when it came to men. it was even more so in terms of looks. she wouldn¡¯t even look at anyone who didn¡¯t catch her eye. therefore, although many people had come during this period of time, they were actually quite confident. at the very least, their looks weren¡¯t bad. as for other aspects, they could be considered to have their own merits. logically speaking, xiao ba wouldn¡¯t be angry if these people came. sometimes, when she was in a good mood, she would even say a few more words to relieve her boredom. but now¡­ she opened fire without hesitation. it was really rare. xiao ba frowned. ¡°do i?¡± lady shiyi nodded with certainty. ¡°you do.¡± ¡°i say, is he very handsome?¡± xiao ba glanced at the two girls suspiciously. ¡°why is your taste so bad now?¡± lady shiyi and lady shi¡¯er: ¡°¡­¡± to be fair, that person just now could be considered good looking¡­ why does eighth sister seem to dislike him? lady shi¡¯er swallowed the last pill in her hand. her cheeks puffed up slightly as she chewed and asked, ¡°eighth sister thinks he¡¯s not good-looking?¡± ¡°of course.¡± ¡°then, who¡¯s handsome?¡± xiao ba stopped in her tracks, but a handsome and cold face suddenly appeared in her mind. then, she was shocked, and her eyes widened. seeing her reaction, lady shi¡¯er was confused. she leaned toward her sister and asked in a low voice, ¡°sister, why is eighth sister reacting like this? it¡¯s as if she¡¯s frightened by something?¡± didn¡¯t i just ask who she thought was handsome¡­ in the past, eighth sister liked to talk about this topic. but now, this reaction is a little strange. lady shiyi was deep in thought. ¡°eighth sister¡­ seems to be thinking about someone.¡± the person who frightened her should be the person she thought of at this moment. she paused and suddenly inquired, ¡°eighth sister, who are you thinking about?¡± her sudden question woke xiao ba up. when she looked up, she saw the two girls¡¯ clear eyes. xiao ba suddenly felt a little embarrassed, as if a secret had been revealed. but¡ª she didn¡¯t even know what was going on! ¡°n-no.¡± she coughed and walked quickly toward the room. ¡°i suddenly remembered that there are some things i haven¡¯t done yet. you guys, help yourselves.¡± halfway through, she suddenly thought of something. she turned around, picked up the two baskets, and hurriedly left the house. lady shiyi and lady shi¡¯er: ¡°¡­¡± we didn¡¯t ask anything just now, right? eighth sister¡­ she is unfathomable. ¡°eighth sister seems to¡­ have someone she likes.¡± lady shi¡¯er was shocked and quickly swallowed the remaining half of the pill as her face turned red. ¡°re-really?! who is it?!¡± lady shiyi shook her head and touched her chin thoughtfully. ¡°from the looks of it, she just liked him not long ago¡­¡± suddenly, her eyes lit up. ¡°could it be young master yun?!¡± ¡­ ¡°ah-choo!¡± yun muchen, who had just arrived at phoenix mountain, suddenly sneezed. he rubbed his nose. ¡°who misses me so much¡­¡± tuan zi, who was standing at the side, looked at him faintly. ¡°maybe it¡¯s hong yao.¡± yun muchen was speechless. he ruffled tuan zi¡¯s hair and snorted. ¡°little girl, you have a sharp tongue. are all the women in the world so difficult to serve when they¡¯re young?¡± tuan zi was stunned. ¡°what?¡± yun muchen glanced at her. ¡°children don¡¯t have to care about adult matters.¡± tuan zi scoffed. yun muchen was speechless. ¡­ ¡°who do you think the eighth deity likes?¡± yu mo looked incredulous. lady shi¡¯er said with certainty, ¡°my sister said it must be him!¡± yu mo¡¯s mind was in a mess. ¡°how is that possible? wasn¡¯t she with yan¡ª¡± before he could finish, he looked up and bumped into a figure. yu mo immediately fell silent. yan qing held his sword and walked past the two of them expressionlessly. seeing this, yu mo hurriedly followed. ¡°hey! hey! wait!¡± yan qing stopped in his tracks. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± yu mo shivered. ¡°um¡­ it¡¯s fine. i¡¯m just asking. you haven¡¯t gone to look for the eighth deity recently? how can you do this? how can you give your wife to others?¡± yan qing frowned but didn¡¯t say anything. yu mo placed his arm on his shoulder and lowered his voice. ¡°in my opinion, although young master yun is better looking than you¡ªahem, no, we¡¯re in a favorable position! you have to strike first!¡± he rubbed his chin and smiled mischievously. ¡°anyway, you don¡¯t have any clean reputation to speak of anymore. why don¡¯t you follow the eighth deity?¡± Chapter 2514 - 2514 Side Story 18: Midnight 2514 side story 18: midnight yan qing flicked his arm away and strode forward. her footsteps were steady and windy, but her figure was quite thin, with a hint of coldness. yu mo staggered and almost fell to the ground. lady shi¡¯er asked softly, ¡°right divine general¡­ are you alright?¡± yu mo rubbed his face. ¡°it¡¯s fine! let¡¯s see how long this kid can be stubborn. hmph!¡± lady shi¡¯er was confused. ¡°what¡­ do you mean?¡± could it be¡­ the left divine general and eighth sister¡­ ¡°but weren¡¯t they¡­ acting previously¡­¡± lady shi¡¯er¡¯s voice became softer and softer. yu mo flicked her forehead lightly. ¡°stupid, have you never heard of a fake show being real?¡± lady shi¡¯er rubbed her head. it didn¡¯t hurt, but yu mo¡¯s words made her care even more. yu mo smiled mysteriously. ¡°do you think he¡¯s willing to support any girl?¡± the left divine general¡¯s reputation wasn¡¯t for nothing. then, he suddenly thought of something and felt sour and heartbroken. ¡°damn it. i¡¯ve been his brother for so many years, but he has never been gentle to me when i was injured!¡± tsk, all he cares about is the fairer sex! lady shi¡¯er looked at him silently. ¡°lord right divine general, do you really want the left divine general to be gentler to you?¡± yu mo said, ¡°¡­it was a slip of the tongue. don¡¯t mind it.¡± what a joke! i still want to live a few more years! ¡°oh.¡± ¡­ xiao ba finished washing up and sat in front of the bronze mirror to dry her hair. the beauty in the mirror was charming, but her eyes were a little out of focus at this moment, as if she was deep in thought. how could that be¡­ xiao ba thought in a daze. when did i have designs on the left divine general? initially, she didn¡¯t think so. but when she heard lady shiyi¡¯s question in the courtyard today, that face actually appeared in her mind first. although she had never interacted with any man seriously and didn¡¯t have much experience in relationships, she understood what this meant. in the past, when many people expressed their feelings for her, they would say that they missed her all day and night and couldn¡¯t sleep. now, she¡­ xiao ba covered her face in frustration. i¡¯m insane! there are so many men. why do i have to like him?! if it were anyone else, it would¡¯ve been fine¡ªthere would be no need to worry at all. i could just hook my fingers, and everything would go smoothly. but now?! i just pulled him into a big show and turned around to clarify our relationship in front of everyone! what should i do now? isn¡¯t it too embarrassing to go back on my words? no, that isn¡¯t right. he was never mine. at the thought of this, xiao ba¡¯s anger intensified. it was unknown if she was angry at yan qing or herself. piak! she slammed the hairbrush on the table and glared at herself in the mirror. she felt that she really had poor taste. what was so good about that iceberg face? he was old-fashioned, strict, and uninteresting. she would probably suffocate to death if they stayed together for a night. he was especially ruthless. at the thought of this, she lowered her eyes and looked at her waist. what¡¯s so good about a man who doesn¡¯t know how to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex!? she gritted her teeth, but she was even more frustrated. if that person had any thoughts about me, he would definitely not have hit me so hard that day. she gritted her teeth even harder. ¡°i¡¯m so beautiful. i¡¯ve been hanging around in front of him for so long, but¡ª¡± he didn¡¯t even look at me! she looked outside. it was already late at night. it was very quiet. apart from herself, there was no one else. ever since she drew the line between her and yan qing in public some time ago, she hadn¡¯t seen him until today. it had been so long! although the fantasy divine palace was huge, as long as one wanted to see someone, they would definitely be able to. but no! she was injured and couldn¡¯t go out. if yan qing really wanted to see her, how could he not have a chance? this meant he didn¡¯t want to see her. however, she didn¡¯t realize that even if anyone wanted to visit in the middle of the night, they wouldn¡¯t choose this time. the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. a cold breeze suddenly blew in from outside the window. she stood up and walked over, planning to close the window. however, she didn¡¯t pay attention and suddenly tripped over something! she twisted her feet and fell to the side uncontrollably. crash¡ª the things on the dressing table were swept to the ground, and bottles and jars shattered. and she herself fell hard to the ground. ¡°si¡ª¡± she gasped in pain. what kind of bad luck is this?! she widened her eyes in anger and looked at the culprit¡ªher shoe. it was still her favorite pair of shoes with broken jade beads and colorful drawings. she had just finished showering and only tidied up briefly before coming out. she hadn¡¯t put on her shoes properly. in the end, she accidentally sprained her ankle. when she saw the shoes, she suddenly remembered that this was the one yan qing had leaned over to help her put on. in the past, she didn¡¯t think much of it. now that she thought about it, she only felt even angrier. even this shoe had been touched by yan qing, and he had already betrayed her! xiao ba grabbed her shoes angrily and threw them outside. however, she didn¡¯t hear anything fall. she frowned and looked out the window. the door suddenly opened. when she heard the sound, she was shocked and turned around. when she looked, the thin and tall figure beside the door with a cold aura stunned her even more. ¡°yan qing?!¡± yan qing couldn¡¯t sleep. he had been busy with some matters recently and was finally free today. he should¡¯ve had a good rest, but he couldn¡¯t fall asleep no matter what. the words of yu mo and lady shi¡¯er during the day kept echoing in his ears. he simply got up again, and even he didn¡¯t know when he arrived at this place. xiao ba¡¯s movement pulled him back to his senses. only then did he realize what he was doing¡ªhe had silently arrived outside a girl¡¯s door and stood there for a long time. when he reacted, the tips of his ears seemed to be on fire in the deep night. this¡­ is really inappropriate. he knew that he should leave immediately, but he hesitated, unable to take that step. then, he heard a loud bang from the house. that voice sounded wrong. he wanted to come in directly, but he felt that it was really inappropriate in the middle of the night. but after waiting for a while, there was no movement inside. only, she threw out a shoe. under the night sky, he could see the appearance of the shoe very clearly. he was worried and finally decided to come over and take a look. when he pushed the door open, he was stunned for a moment. she must have just washed up¡ªher hair was still half-dry. it scattered around her casually, making her look even more pitiful. she was only wearing a thin and soft shirt, but even so, her hair fell over her body, easily outlining her exquisite and enchanting curves. there were also strands of hair on her cheeks that were half-wet. water droplets fell down and sank into her snow-white collar. she was like a spirit that swam over from the sea in the middle of the night. xiao ba looked at him and suddenly thought of her current appearance. her eyes flickered. just as she was about to speak, she felt her vision darken. yan qing threw a cloak and covered her tightly. Chapter 2515 - 2515 Side Story 19: Who Are You to Me? 2515 side story 19: who are you to me? xiao ba was speechless. she struggled to get out and looked at yan qing with a frown. ¡°lord left divine general, why are you here?¡± she looked around and saw no one else. hence, her gaze swept across yan qing even more impudently. it was fine before, but now that she realized that she had ill intentions toward him, she inexplicably felt a little guilty. but the more guilty she was, the calmer she looked, and the more ostentatious her reaction was. her temper even worsened. at the thought of this, her lips curled up slightly. ¡°to appear in a girl¡¯s room in the middle of the night¡­¡± ¡°i happened to pass by.¡± as yan qing spoke, he still stood by the door and didn¡¯t go forward. ¡°when i heard the sound, i wanted to come in and take a look.¡± with that, his expression seemed to turn even colder. ¡°this is¡ª¡± at the mention of this, xiao ba choked. i can¡¯t possibly say that i was too lost in my thoughts thinking about him and fell down accidentally, right? it would be too humiliating. from the corner of her eye, she saw that yan qing was still holding the shoe she had just thrown out. no wonder there was no sound of it hitting the ground¡­ as if sensing her gaze, yan qing lowered his eyes slightly and planned to put down the shoe. xiao ba pursed her red lips and said, ¡°i can¡¯t stand up.¡± yan qing paused and then looked up again. xiao ba lifted her shirt, revealing her swollen ankle and a fair and tender calf. yan qing subconsciously took a look, but then moved his gaze away as if he had been scalded. it wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t seen it before. after all, he had helped her put on her shoes previously. after hesitating for a moment, he looked up again and saw her wrapped in a wide and soft black cloak. her face wasn¡¯t covered in makeup, but she was still beautiful. the light shone on her eyes, and her thick and long eyelashes cast a faint shadow at the end of her eyes, making her look a little charming. but at this moment, she frowned slightly, as if she was quite distressed and a little aggrieved, adding 30% purity to her charm. she was really¡­ breathtakingly beautiful. yan qing sighed in his heart and finally walked over. ¡°give me your hand.¡± xiao ba reached out her hand. not only her hand, but even her arm was stretched out. the cloak slipped off her shoulders again. yan qing was stunned. xiao ba looked up at him and blinked in confusion. ¡°you¡­ want me to walk back myself?¡± yan qing swallowed his words. that was indeed my plan, but if i do this now¡­ it seems¡­ he thought for a moment and leaned over to grab her arm, planning to help her back. but as soon as he moved, xiao ba grabbed his neck even faster. it was obvious that she was planning to let him carry her back. yan qing froze. a fragrance mixed with some water vapor lingered over, making it almost easy to sink in. she leaned very close and wrapped her arms around his neck, as if she didn¡¯t mind the current situation at all. when he lowered his head, he could touch her face. it was so close. xiao ba turned to look at him. ¡°lord left divine general, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re unwilling to help me?¡± yan qing looked away and helped her put on her cloak again before carrying her horizontally. but from beginning to end, he didn¡¯t touch her much. xiao ba blinked and looked at him. hmm, what do i like about him? although his face is good looking, it¡¯s as cold as an iceberg. his strength isn¡¯t bad, but his muscles are too hard. i can¡¯t pinch him. he is especially quiet. thinking of this, xiao ba frowned slightly. what am i¡­ thinking? she was so focused on these things that she didn¡¯t even know when yan qing had carried her back to bed. she only came back to her senses when yan qing called her twice. ¡°¡­what?¡± yan qing¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°you¡­ can let go now.¡± xiao ba nodded and realized that she had returned to her bed, but she hadn¡¯t let go. she let go of him proficiently, and her soft and slender fingertips accidentally brushed across his neck. yan qing pursed his lips and stood up straight. she doesn¡¯t seem happy. is it because of me? he walked over and put away the two shoes that had fallen, then came back and placed them beside her bed. he said, ¡°since there¡¯s nothing else, i¡¯ll go back first.¡± it wasn¡¯t appropriate to stay too late. xiao ba looked at the shoes and said, ¡°wait. i don¡¯t want this pair of shoes anymore.¡± yan qing looked at her in surprise. ¡°you don¡¯t want it anymore?¡± doesn¡¯t she like it very much? previously, because she was worried that she would dirty her shoes, she didn¡¯t go down the reeds. she even asked me to help pick the herbs. now, she doesn¡¯t want it anymore? xiao ba lightly grunted. ¡°i just twisted my ankle while wearing it. i don¡¯t like it anymore, so i naturally don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± only then did yan qing understand. after thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°isn¡¯t this¡­ a little wasteful?¡± she liked these shoes very much, and they were still fine. it would be a pity to throw them away just because she sprained her ankle while wearing them. xiao ba didn¡¯t care. ¡°it¡¯s just a pair of shoes. what¡¯s there to waste?¡± yan qing looked down. these shoes were very gorgeous and exquisite. she had personally strung the broken jade beads on them, and even the painting on them was done by her. it was obvious that she was very satisfied and liked these shoes. he paused and asked, ¡°since you like it and don¡¯t want it anymore, what if you regret it in the future?¡± the speaker had no intentions, but the listener understood. xiao ba¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly glanced at yan qing. what does that mean? could he have seen something? but after staring at yan qing for a long time, his expression didn¡¯t change, and she couldn¡¯t decipher anything. when that pair of eyes looked over, it inexplicably made her heart skip a beat. she suddenly felt a little embarrassed, as if she had done something shameful. she wasn¡¯t used to this inexplicable feeling of weakness. hence, she got up from the bed the next moment and kneeled in front of yan qing, looking into his eyes. she raised her chin slightly, and the two of them were extremely close. then, as if joking, she said, ¡°who is the left divine general to me? why do you care so much?¡± yan qing was stunned. she was too close. it was late at night. the lights in the room lit up half the room, but it wasn¡¯t as bright as her face. the evening breeze blew, and the candle shadows swayed. their shadows seemed to overlap, like an extremely intimate posture. he retracted his gaze and said, ¡°my apologies.¡± xiao ba was stunned. the next moment, yan qing said, ¡°since it¡¯s a private matter, yan qing shouldn¡¯t say too much.¡± the expression on xiao ba¡¯s face gradually changed from confusion to disbelief. does this man know what he is talking about?! although she understood that with yan qing¡¯s personality, it was normal for him to say such things, she couldn¡¯t listen to him now! she had only understood her thoughts for less than half a day and was about to probe when this man said this? but after yan qing finished speaking, he took a step back and bowed before leaving. ¡°the wind is cold late at night. yan qing will take his leave first.¡± with that, he really turned around and left. ¡°wait a minute!¡± xiao ba subconsciously went to pull him, but she forgot that she was kneeling on the bed with injuries. when she moved, her entire body pounced forward. yan qing was quick-witted and planned to turn around to pull her. unfortunately, xiao ba was faster. in a moment of desperation, she hugged the left divine general¡¯s waist. Chapter 2516 - 2516 Side Story 20: I Like 2516 side story 20: i like at that moment, the thought that flashed across xiao ba¡¯s mind was: what a firm and slim waist. yan qing was tall and slender, and normally, his clothes didn¡¯t show it. yet, she had accidentally touched the muscles below his clothes clearly just now. it felt good to the touch, and she could not help but make contact again. yan qing¡¯s entire body stiffened. when he felt the soft and boneless hand faintly touching his waist, he took a deep breath in. ¡°eighth deity.¡± he spoke, and there was a hardly noticeable hint of restraint in his voice. this voice finally made xiao ba recover her senses. she was dazed for a moment and realized that she was half-lying on the bed. half her body was almost atop of yan qing. the key was that he was very tall. with this hug, her arms encircled his waist, and her face leaned very close to his. she was very close to the belt on his waist. she tilted her head, leaned forward, and looked up at him. she was even closer. yan qing¡¯s brows twitched as he almost uncontrollably pulled her up. xiao ba immediately sat on the bed obediently. ¡°is there anything else?¡± asked yan qing with tolerance. xiao ba saw that even though his expression didn¡¯t change, his eyes seemed to darken, and there were a few hints of coldness. she coughed, and her arrogant aura was instantly reduced. then, she reluctantly retracted her hand, but her gaze swept across his waist. ¡°n-nothing much¡­¡± the left divine general was one of the emperor¡¯s most trusted and capable confidants. he was very sensitive and observant. even if it was currently midnight and there were only candles lighting up the area, he could still see everything in the surroundings clearly¡ªincluding the impudent eyes of the woman before him landing on him. he did not know what expression to make. seeing him in this manner, xiao ba could not help but ask, ¡°you¡¯re not angry, right? i-is this considered offending you?¡± didn¡¯t i just hug and touch him!? what¡¯s there to be angry about? yan qing: ¡°¡­no.¡± ¡°how is that so? i think you¡¯re clearly angry!¡± xiao ba raised her head and lightly grunted. ¡°previously, you even touched my waist and rubbed it! compared to that, what does mine count for?¡± yan qing¡¯s body merged with the night sky and the candlelight. as his back was facing the light, she couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. at this moment, there seemed to be sparks landing and burning the ground. his lips moved, wanting to explain a thing or two. in the end, he swallowed all the words in his throat. he did not speak, probably because his actions that day were indeed to help her heal her wounds, but in the depths of his heart, he did have other intentions. now that they were in a stalemate, he seemed to want to expose his extremely secretive intentions. even though his hands were stained with much blood, he had always been straightforward, restrained, and courteous. after so long, he touched a girl¡¯s waist for the first time and had shameful thoughts. he felt that it was amiss and panicked, but among these emotions was unignorable greed and pleasure. there was a moment he almost thought that she had seen through everything, but, the moment he met her eyes, he was suddenly dazed. it seemed as if¡­ she did not see through it¡­ it was just regular bicker. he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart and avoided her gaze. however, xiao ba did not detect anything wrong with his expression because she did say it out of impulse. if it were other people, they might have such intentions. however, this person was¡­ yan qing! hence, she had never thought in other directions. seeing that yan qing did not speak, she just treated as if he did not want to hold it against her. xiao ba looked at his handsome and cold face. he looked down slightly, and she did not know what he was thinking. it was as if he did not take her to heart. thinking of this, xiao ba¡¯s blood boiled. suddenly, she leaned in closer and beckoned toward yan qing. ¡°left divine general.¡± yan qing was stunned. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± xiao ba¡¯s eyes curved up. she abruptly reached out, hooked his jade belt, and brought him forward. actually, yan qing did not move, but this was unimportant. she already knew his character and knew that he would not move forward. she just used this force to lean toward yan qing. her other hand was placed on his shoulders. yan qing¡¯s brows moved slightly. hu! wind blew in from the windows and extinguished the only candle. the room instantly darkened. the stars outside could not shine in. yan qing said, ¡°i¡¯ll light the candle.¡± then, he planned to leave. but the next moment, he was stunned. xiao ba leaned close to his ears, and her voice was soft. her warm breathing landed on his earlobes and neck. she chuckled softly. ¡°brother yan qing¡¯s waist is not bad. i like it.¡± the surroundings were pitch black. they were very close to each other, but he couldn¡¯t see her current expression. however, this one sentence clearly landed in his ears, and it was as if it was going to light up the blood in his body. there was a moment he almost uncontrollably looked at her. she seemed to have noticed it as she held his shoulders and looked over. he could see the delighted smile in her eyes. her expression had a few hints of delight and playfulness as she slowly said, ¡°this is actually called¡­ offending you. brother yan qing, do you understand?¡± ¡­ inside the room, chu liuyue leaned against rong xiu and read a book. suddenly, she heard rong xiu sigh. she glanced at him in confusion and saw rong xiu looking outside at something. she asked strangely, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± rong xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°nothing much. i just recalled how i¡¯d regularly sleep on your bed in the middle of the night when we were at country yao chen. yue¡¯er, were you annoyed?¡± chu liuyue did not expect him to ask about this, and she tentatively said, ¡°you¡­ didn¡¯t you do that because of the lost half of your holy meridian?¡± she managed to reincarnate in country yao chen because she borrowed half of rong xiu¡¯s holy meridian. after knowing of this, when she thought of the incidents from before, she thought that rong xiu did it to nourish the remaining holy meridian in his body. rong xiu smiled and said, ¡°that is part of the reason, but it¡¯s more because¡­ i missed you. you haven¡¯t replied to me. were you annoyed?¡± chu liuyue thought about it in detail. ¡°i¡­ don¡¯t think so¡­¡± that was strange. back then, many of rong xiu¡¯s methods were actually very inappropriate. but for some reason, she had never gotten angry. ¡°why did you suddenly ask about this?¡± rong xiu raised his brows. ¡°nothing much. now that i think back about it, yue¡¯er should have fallen in love with me at first sight, so you repeatedly tolerated my advances.¡± chu liuyue glanced at him. ¡°that¡¯s true. emperor, you¡¯re so charming that it¡¯s really hard for someone to get angry at you. even if we sleep together, i am the one taking advantage of you, right?¡± rong xiu chuckled lowly, leaned in, and said, ¡°you have taken much advantage of me.¡± chu liuyue stretched her arms wide open. ¡°i have the intention but not the strength.¡± rong xiu seemed to be used to the teasing, and his eyes did not falter. ¡°then, may i trouble yue¡¯er to save some strength for the future.¡± Chapter 2517 - 2517 Side Story 21: Wait 2517 side story 21: wait the entire night was silent. the second day, lady shiyi and lady shi¡¯er came to xiao ba¡¯s courtyard. they were stunned when they saw xiao ba, who kept stopping in her tracks. ¡°eighth sister, what¡¯s the matter?¡± the two ladies rapidly went forward and saw that one of xiao ba¡¯s feet was bare, and it was wrapped. xiao ba said, ¡°quick, help me to the side to rest.¡± lady shiyi and lady shi¡¯er followed her instructions and helped her to the lounge chair in the courtyard. after lying down, xiao ba sighed. ¡°sigh¡­¡± ¡°eighth sister, what¡¯s the matter? why do you look so tired?¡± asked lady shi¡¯er rather worriedly. xiao ba waved her hands weakly. ¡°nothing much. my heart is tired.¡± lady shiyi and lady shi¡¯er exchanged glances. eighth sister¡¯s appearance is rare¡­ ¡°eighth sister, weren¡¯t you fine yesterday? how did you get injured?¡± asked lady shiyi as she sat beside her. xiao ba sighed deeply. ¡°i accidentally hit it.¡± lady shi¡¯er saw the patches of black underneath xiao ba¡¯s eyes, as if she did not sleep well. originally, she wanted to ask further, but seeing the latter¡¯s appearance, she did not know how to initiate the question and changed the topic instead. ¡°eighth sister, i brought some phoenix-butterfly flowers for you.¡± xiao ba looked to the side and saw blossomed flowers in the basket. they were vibrant and looked very pleasant. she lazily acknowledged it. ¡°thank you, sister shiyi, sister shi¡¯er.¡± then, she closed her eyes as if she were very tired and also as if she were troubled by something. lady shiyi and her twin exchanged glances and saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. eighth sister usually cares about such items the most. now, for some reason, she can¡¯t be bothered to look at it? lady shiyi hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°eighth sister, why¡­ are you troubled?¡± after a temporary pause, xiao ba widened her eyes, sat up, pointed at her face, and asked, ¡°am i pretty?¡± the two of them were taken aback, but they still nodded. ¡°yes.¡± in the entire fantasy divine palace, who doesn¡¯t know that eighth sister is beautiful and mesmerizing? ¡°exactly¡­¡± muttered xiao ba. i¡¯m already so pretty and willingly sent herself into his arms, yet¡­ yan qing was unaffected?! she rubbed her temples. the scene from the previous night surfaced before her eyes. offended? of course, she did it on purpose. she was different from yan qing and different from the other women. since she had already detected his slight interest, she had to immediately take action. however¡­ she never expected yan qing to be as firm as a steel wall! in the middle of the night, they leaned so close to each other. logically speaking, any man wouldn¡¯t be able to hold himself back. however, yan qing did not move. no, to be more accurate, he did move¡ªhe pulled her away, pushed her back to bed, and even covered her with the blanket! he even said: ¡°thank you for teaching me. rest well.¡± then, he left. he left?! when he left, he didn¡¯t forget to help her close the door. even when his figure completely disappeared, xiao ba did not recover her senses for a long time. then, she almost didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. utter humiliation! in the past, it was always other people who chased after her. since when did she have to take the initiative? however, she tried it for the first time and was directly defeated. xiao ba was so angry that she grinded her teeth. of course, she wasn¡¯t angry at yan qing¡¯s reaction but¡­ the meaning behind it! xiao ba held her chin with one hand and was beyond frustrated. it¡¯s really very rare for a man to be unaffected. the reason¡­ is undoubtedly because he doesn¡¯t like me anymore. it¡¯s even more so for yan qing¡¯s character. she claimed she was angry, but she was more disappointed and regretful. yan qing doesn¡¯t even like someone like me. then, who does he like? ¡°if i knew this, i should have touched him a little more¡­¡± she said softly with hatred. ¡°eighth sister, what did you say?¡± asked lady shi¡¯er in confusion. xiao ba laid down in annoyance. ¡°nothing. i was just thinking that some men are really not men¡­¡± lady shi¡¯er was confused. however, lady shiyi seemed to have thought of something. she leaned in and softly asked, ¡°eighth sister, it¡¯s not very nice of you to say that about young master yun, right?¡± xiao ba was stunned. ¡°who?¡± lady shiyi was instantly stunned. ¡°not him? who is it then?¡± lady shi¡¯er also immediately reacted and covered her mouth. ¡°ah! it¡¯s really not young master yun? t-then¡ª¡± i¡¯ve told the right divine general something wrong! xiao ba looked at the two of them, able to tell their thoughts. she could not help but shake her head helplessly. ¡°what are you thinking about¡­ of course, it¡¯s not him.¡± ¡°then, who is it?¡± lady shiyi knitted her brows. lady shi¡¯er could not help but mutter, ¡°¡­in this world, is there anyone who doesn¡¯t like eighth sister?¡± xiao ba was hurt. ¡°he must be blind.¡± ¡­ yan qing was practicing his sword. yu mo walked in from outside but did not go close to him. he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms as he laughed and asked, ¡°hm, you came back at midnight. what did you do last night?¡± yan qing paused in his actions and retracted his sword as the sword light cut through the sky. he said, ¡°i couldn¡¯t sleep, so i took a walk.¡± yu mo smiled without speaking. he raised his brows and had a deep meaning in his eyes. yan qing knitted his brows and planned to leave. when their shoulders brushed past each other, yu mo nudged him with his elbow and softly said, ¡°well, how does it feel to guard eighth deity¡¯s door the whole night?¡± yan qing paused in his tracks and finally looked at him. yu mo shrugged his shoulders. ¡°sigh, what were you doing back then? you didn¡¯t even notice that i was there?¡± yan qing¡¯s gaze flickered, but he did not speak. he was thinking¡­ ¡°you really can hold it back.¡± yu mo patted his shoulders. ¡°tsk, i can only say one last thing. once the chance is gone, it will be gone forever.¡± yan qing kept quiet for a moment. ¡°i¡¯ll go see the emperor.¡± after walking for a distance, he saw a soldier-looking person walking over. ¡°left divine general.¡± that person bowed with cupped fists and had a very respectful attitude. ¡°something happened to the god residence realm. kindly take a look.¡± yan qing thought for a moment before nodding. he looked in a certain direction, as if he could still hear her seemingly smiling tease. he turned around and walked in another direction. ¡°show me the way.¡± ¡­ phoenix mountain. after a period of reworks, the current phoenix mountain didn¡¯t have the previous disheveled appearance. there were no more tall mountains but vibrant grass. tuan zi sat on a rock. there was a transparent red-golden ball of light before her. miao zhen returned to godly dragon island the day before. before he left, he returned zi chen¡¯s soul, saying that the problem was settled and that she just had to wait patiently. thus, she had been waiting here. ¡°hm¡­ zi chen, why haven¡¯t you woken up yet¡­¡± she held her face with two hands and softly muttered. ¡°sigh¡­¡± her eyelids started struggling to stay open, and she became slightly dazed. thus, she did not see a ray of purple light flashing across the ball. Chapter 2518 - 2518 Side Story 22: Return 2518 side story 22: return ¡°tuan zi!¡± a familiar voice came from behind. tuan zi turned around and called out in surprise, ¡°da shuang!¡± the incoming person was hua shuangshuang. he was very tall. with his long strides, he arrived in front of tuan zi in a few steps. the furry fellow jumped down from his shoulders and pounced toward tuan zi. tuan zi caught it immediately. it was the tiny wind-stepping tiger that hua shuangshuang brought around. after a period of time, it had grown by quite a bit. its originally slim figure became healthy, and its eyes were energetic. it rolled around in tuan zi¡¯s arms and was elated. its fur tickled tuan zi. ¡°enough, enough! i know you¡¯re capable!¡± logically speaking, now that tuan zi had opened her ninth meridian, the bloodline power in her body was extremely strong. normal fiends, even legendary fiends, wouldn¡¯t dare to approach her, let alone play around intimately. but perhaps this little wind-stepping tiger had spent a long time with hua shuangshuang and was considered close to tuan zi. thus, it was not afraid. instead of the respect and admiration it should have toward the ancient legendary fiend bloodline, it depended on her and liked her. tuan zi was also very happy. she loved crowds. after hong yao left and zi chen hibernated, she had been in a low mood for the recent period of time. now that she saw the little wind-stepping tiger and hua shuangshuang, the depressed atmosphere seemed to be reduced. hua shuangshuang sized tuan zi up. recently, many things had happened, and tuan zi¡¯s originally chubby face had slimmed down. her chin became much sharper, but she did seem like she was in a decent mood. ¡°tuan zi, you seem to have grown taller?¡± hua shuangshuang suddenly noticed something and asked. tuan zi was busy combing the little wind-stepping tiger¡¯s fur. when she heard this, she was stunned, and she looked up in shock. ¡°really?¡± hua shuangshuang walked forward and gestured with his hands. ¡°you did grow taller.¡± it didn¡¯t look very obvious at first glance, but one could tell if they compared in detail. tuan zi instantly jumped up in elation. ¡°really, really?! i grew taller?!¡± what a surprise! before this, tuan zi was worried about her small body. that was because after she took human form, her appearance did not really change. if she was human, after such a long period of time, she would definitely grow taller. however, tuan zi did not change much. she had asked quite a few people, but she didn¡¯t receive an answer. it was probably because her clansmen all gained human forms after they were a hundred years old. there had never been someone who could transform into human form at such a young age. of course, there were no such cases on the great phoenix dragon¡¯s side. hence, only time could slowly tell what kind of situation it was. ¡°a¡¯yue said that i can grow taller when i reach a hundred years old!¡± tuan zi gestured above her head. ¡°but now, it seems like it can be earlier?¡± hua shuangshuang thought for a moment before saying, ¡°perhaps¡­ it¡¯s also because you opened your ninth meridian?¡± tuan zi thought carefully and felt that it made sense. buzz¡ª a strange humming sound was heard out of nowhere. hua shuangshuang was dazed and instinctively looked at the ball of light behind tuan zi. however, this sound did not come from it, and it seemed to come from¡­ tuan zi? tuan zi was also dazed for a moment, but the next moment, she immediately reacted and widened her eyes in surprise and excitement. ¡°clan leader grandpa!¡± she could not wait and took out her red-golden feather. the originally iridescent feather shone brightly. at the same time, a familiar and strong suppression came from within! tuan zi was beyond emotional as her heart beat wildly. she stared at the red-golden feather without blinking. buzz¡ª the aura that surged out from within was increasingly shocking! then, a ray of light rushed out and slowly formed a translucent figure. suppression without anger, and the magnificent aura¡ªit was yi zhao! ¡°clan leader grandpa!¡± tuan zi was surprised beyond words. i thought that i had to wait for a while longer. i didn¡¯t expect clan leader grandpa to wake up! however, the current yi zhao only had a soul and no physical body. at this point, tuan zi suddenly cut her palm. a bright blood pearl silently flew out and landed on the lingering red-golden feather. the blood color rapidly spread across the feather. following that, the feather flew toward yi zhao and merged with his soul. the originally translucent figure became increasingly solid. hua shuangshuang stood not far away. he was shocked when he saw the scene. originally, he was still worried that it might be troublesome for yi zhao to reform his physical body. after all, yi zhao was the clan leader, so it wasn¡¯t easy to find skeletons that could tolerate his suppression. he didn¡¯t expect that tuan zi directly used her bloodline power to merge him with the ancestral golden feather and directly form a physical body for yi zhao. the balls of red-golden fire burned. the surrounding heaven and earth force seemed to be guided, surging over and entering yi zhao¡¯s body! tuan zi looked on nervously, not even daring to breathe. soon, yi zhao¡¯s physical body was quickly formed. at the same time, a few patterns appeared on his brows! ¡°clan leader grandpa is going to open his meridian?¡± tuan zi was first dazed before she spoke in surprise. hua shuangshuang was also very surprised. after thinking for a moment, he understood as he smiled and looked at tuan zi. ¡°it seems like senior yi zhao was about to open his meridian previously. with your help, he took the chance to break through.¡± it was very coincidental with good timing. as they spoke, yi zhao¡¯s aura strengthened! yi zhao¡­ finally opened his eighth meridian! the light gradually dimmed, and yi zhao¡¯s figure slowly became clearer. when the last bit of aura was retracted by him, a ball of dazzling fire bloomed in his eyes! finally, he looked at tuan zi, his usually stern face containing a few rare hints of emotion. after a while, he reached out, and his lips trembled undetectably. ¡°¡­tuan zi?¡± ¡°clan leader grandpa!¡± tuan zi ran over with her short legs. she held yi zhao¡¯s neck tightly, as if she was terrified that he would disappear again. ¡°clan leader grandpa, you finally woke up! how great!¡± yi zhao¡¯s heart tingled as he carried her up. feeling the soft ball in his arms, yi zhao closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and suppressed his overwhelming emotions with much difficulty. actually, he had already recovered his consciousness, but he couldn¡¯t truly wake up or talk to tuan zi. hence, he actually knew what happened during this period of time. he knew clearly how much tuan zi had suffered, and that was precisely why his heart hurt. yi zhao sighed deeply and lightly patted tuan zi¡¯s back. there was so much he wanted to say, but at this moment, he did not know how to start. hua shuangshuang spread his hands, smiled, and said, ¡°congratulations, senior yi zhao.¡± yi zhao nodded and looked at tuan zi, his voice gentle for once. ¡°tuan zi, do you want to return to godly phoenix mountain?¡± Chapter 2519 - 2519 Side Story 23: Longevity Lock 2519 side story 23: longevity lock tuan zi rubbed her wet eyes and straightened her body. ¡°godly phoenix mountain?¡± ¡°yes.¡± yi zhao sighed. ¡°speaking of which, i haven¡¯t gone back in too long. besides¡­ i have to personally undo the seal on godly phoenix mountain.¡± back then, many strange things had happened. he knew that something was amiss and sealed the entire godly phoenix mountain in his panic, commanding the clansmen to hibernate. now that everything was over, he should return to handle these. tuan zi heard it and was instantly elated as she nodded forcefully. ¡°okay, okay!¡± actually, she had thought of this previously. judging from her strength after she opened her ninth meridian, it wasn¡¯t that she could not solve it. however, that was the seal clan leader yi zhao left behind, so she felt that it was better for him to deal with it. of course, this contained the desire and hope for yi zhao to quickly wake up. yi zhao saw her adorable appearance and felt even more emotional. luckily¡­ luckily, everything has settled and is turning for the better. thinking of this, he looked to the side. ¡°zi chen hasn¡¯t woken up?¡± speaking of which, tuan zi pouted. ¡°yeah, but senior miao zhen said that he might be better in a while.¡± now that yi zhao had recovered, this was the only thing she was worried about¡­ ¡°that¡¯s great.¡± yi zhao nodded. ¡°let me inform the emperor and goddess yue before we go back.¡± ¡­ chu liuyue naturally approved of yi zhao¡¯s suggestion. previously, she had agreed that she would bring tuan zi back when she had the time. however, many things had happened and she could not find the time. now that there were many matters to handle at godly phoenix mountain, it was right for tuan zi to follow yi zhao back. originally, she wanted to follow them. it was a pity that she was pregnant, and the three priests and thirteen yue guards kept stopping her. that¡¯s right¡ªdiwu zhangze had become one of the three priests. however, he didn¡¯t really care about this himself. recently, he had been waiting for the lightning pool to be repaired as he wanted to reform his physical body as soon as possible. hence, while si jing was in charge of repairing the lightning pool, he regularly saw diwu zhangze¡¯s figure at the side. tuan zi naturally couldn¡¯t bear to leave her for long. she agreed to return back as soon as possible after settling the matters. even though chu liuyue was reluctant, tuan zi was the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress after all, and she should return to take a look. hence, tuan zi followed yi zhao back to godly phoenix mountain, and they brought zi chen with them. ever since chu liuyue passed zi chen to her, she took special care of him. before tuan zi left, she even specifically found yun muchen and wanted to trick him into exposing something. it was a pity that it did not succeed. she could only return sadly and planned to find him again after she returned. ¡­ chu liuyue put down the few herbs in her hands and looked up strangely. ¡°is xiao ba unwell?¡± ¡°yeah, she went back to her house to sleep early in the morning. she seemed to have not slept well last night.¡± lady shiyi nodded. chu liuyue was in deep thought and saw lady shi¡¯er hesitant with her words. then, she asked, ¡°shi¡¯er, is there something you would like to say?¡± ¡°huh? n-no¡­¡± lady shi¡¯er hurriedly denied, but her voice became increasingly softer. ¡°eighth sister didn¡¯t let us say it¡­¡± chu liuyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°what, does she have someone she likes?¡± lady shi¡¯er immediately widened her eyes in shock. lady shiyi was calmer. ¡°master, you long knew of this?¡± chu liuyue held her chin with one hand. ¡°not too long ago. besides, i wasn¡¯t sure at the start, but now¡­ i think so.¡± hearing her say this, lady shi¡¯er finally put down her burden and could not help but ask, ¡°t-then, master, you should know who eighth sister likes, right?¡± in her eyes, master was invincible. chu liuyue tapped her forehead lightly. ¡°nosy. since xiao ba refuses to say it, then i naturally can¡¯t say it.¡± such matters are up to the people involved. lady shi¡¯er felt regretful. however, they never disobeyed chu liuyue¡¯s words, so she nodded obediently. ¡°okay then.¡± after speaking for a while, chu liuyue brought the two of them home. they had been busy repairing the holy jade of chaos recently, and it used up their energy very quickly. thus, they ate even more than before. luckily, the current fantasy divine palace could afford to provide for them. after they left, chu liuyue fell into deep thought. she thought of something, and her lips curled up slightly. ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± rong xiu walked over from behind and gently asked, chu liuyue turned back to look at him and raised her brows slightly. ¡°why didn¡¯t i see the left divine general today?¡± rong xiu kissed her forehead. ¡°your husband is right here. why do you care about others?¡± chu liuyue glanced at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°he¡¯s your person. i naturally should care for him more.¡± rong xiu sat down leisurely, poured a cup of tea, and touched the porcelain teacup. ¡°are you sure that you¡¯re not preparing for him to become your person?¡± chu liuyue could not help but laugh. ¡°can you bear with it? that¡¯s your confident general that you nurtured with much difficulty.¡± rong xiu raised his eyebrows and glanced at her. ¡°even i¡¯m yours, let alone the rest. whatever you want, you can take it as long as i have it.¡± his tone was ordinary, as if he was saying something rightful. chu liuyue¡¯s heart felt warm, but she still grunted on the surface. ¡°that¡¯s a big present from you.¡± rong xiu¡¯s gaze landed on her stomach as he smiled with deep meaning and said, ¡°that¡¯s fine. yue¡¯er, you have already repaid me with two big presents.¡± chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°yue¡¯er! yue¡¯er!?¡± at this point, footsteps could be heard from outside. chu liuyue raised her eyes. ¡°father?¡± the incoming person was shangguan you. a few days ago, yu mo had fetched shangguan you, chu ning, and the rest over. previously, they had seen quite a bit of what happened through the 3,000 mirrors left in the human realm. hence, during the first two days that they were here, they were very worried and anxious, and they talked to chu liuyue for a long time. even if everything was settled, they couldn¡¯t help but feel pained when they thought of that day. luckily, chu liuyue¡¯s pregnancy had successfully averted their attention. recently, they had been focusing on this. shangguan you came to them and nodded at rong xiu, signaling that he did not have to stand up. then, he walked to chu liuyue and carefully took out two items from his sleeves. he said enthusiastically, ¡°yue¡¯er, quickly see what this is!¡± chu liuyue leaned over and saw two intricate longevity locks in shangguan you¡¯s hand. the silver longevity locks were meticulously embedded with crystal rubies. under the light, they shone brightly and were very beautiful. chu liuyue¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°this is¡­¡± ¡°i made them myself! how is it? is it nice?¡± shangguan you asked passionately. ¡°the color is coincidentally the same as your god realm!¡± chu liuyue took the two longevity locks. ¡°thank you, father. it looks very nice.¡± as she spoke, she saw the flowers engraved on it. she paused. ¡°father, this seems¡­ a little too exaggerated?¡± Chapter 2520 - 2520 Side Story 24: Emperor, Youre Not that Useless, Right? 2520 side story 24: emperor, you¡¯re not that useless, right? the item did look pleasant, and it was indeed extravagant. chu liuyue tried to hold it in, but it was to no avail. finally, she glanced at shangguan you doubtfully. she recalled that my father has extremely good taste in this aspect. why now¡­ shangguan you was also shocked. ¡°exaggerated? how is it? look at the surface¡ªit¡¯s engraved with peach blossoms. so many layers. how nice does it look!?¡± as he spoke, he looked hopeful. ¡°it¡¯s definitely beautiful when a girl wears it!¡± upon hearing this, rong xiu took a longevity lock from her hands and inspected it carefully. then, he nodded in agreement. ¡°it¡¯s indeed pretty. thank you, father-in-law.¡± shangguan you was comforted. ¡°see! even rong xiu thinks so!¡± chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± after some thinking, she struggled to say, ¡°t-then, if it¡¯s a boy and a girl¡­¡± ¡°get the boy to give in to the girl then. they can wear it together!¡± shangguan you seemed to have thought of an answer as he waved nonchalantly. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°yue¡¯er?¡± before she could speak, another familiar voice came from outside¡ªit was chu ning. ¡°father?¡± chu ning walked over. seeing that shangguan you had beaten him to it, his expression became incredulous. shangguan you seemed delighted as his gaze swept across the chest chu ning was holding. ¡°hm? chu ning? what a coincidence! you also came to send yue¡¯er a gift?¡± also? this means that he has already given her a gift. chu ning¡¯s gaze turned. he quickly saw the two longevity locks in rong xiu¡¯s hands and instantly understood. ¡°yeah. i made something small for the kids to play with.¡± as he spoke, he passed the chest over. ¡°yue¡¯er, take a look.¡± he was the same as shangguan you; he never thought of showing it to rong xiu. however, rong xiu did not mind as he raised his brows slightly and looked over. ¡°thank you, father.¡± chu liuyue took the box. the box was not locked. kada! it opened. two tiny rattle drums lay quietly. the rattle drums were also made meticulously. the handles were made from pinewood, and the drums themselves were slightly thin, and the strings had red pearls on it. the key was that the drum surface was very clean. it was simple and cute. chu liuyue secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and her smile was more genuine. ¡°thank you, father. i like it very much.¡± shangguan you glanced at it and lightly grunted. ¡°how plain. the girl will definitely like mine better.¡± chu ning squinted and said, ¡°yue¡¯er, try it.¡± chu liuyue was dazed and held one up strangely. she then turned it. the drum sound was crisp. he had clearly used superior materials for the rattle drum, but this was not important. there were countless sparks on the drum surface as it swayed with the sound of the drum. it shone brightly and looked very inviting! seeing this, shangguan you¡¯s face changed slightly. chu ning¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°the sparks will present different colors and patterns according to the rhythm. it¡¯s a pity i didn¡¯t have much time. if not, there can be more colors and patterns¡­¡± the corner of chu liuyue¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°n-no need. this is already enough¡­¡± it¡¯s too eye-catching. shangguan you grunted and said sourly, ¡°you have spent so much effort¡­¡± chu ning tidied his clothes. ¡°not really. it¡¯s just something girls like, so i added it in.¡± chu liuyue was speechless. something seems off¡­ ¡°hm? you¡¯re all here?¡± when shangguan jing came over, he saw the group of people and was shocked. he walked over with huge steps and quickly saw the longevity locks in rong xiu¡¯s hand, as well as the rattle drums in chu liuyue¡¯s. what else did he not understand? he scoffed. ¡°i was just wondering why the two of you didn¡¯t really go out recently. so you were working on these?¡± shangguan you coughed. ¡°ancestor.¡± chu ning laughed. ¡°senior shangguan, are you here to give presents too?¡± shangguan jing raised his brows and was not shocked that someone guessed it correctly. ¡°of course!¡± he smiled delightfully and looked at chu liuyue. ¡°yue¡¯er girlie, you¡¯ll definitely like the thing i give you the most!¡± when he entered, chu liuyue noticed that he hid his hands as if he were holding something. hearing this, chu liuyue was convinced. after all, ancestor is ancestor. he should be giving yuan instruments, not things like my fathers have given. however, she could not say such words. she coughed and said, ¡°i like the things that both my fathers gave me. i also like what you give. the heart is the most important¡ª¡± ¡°senior shangguan, what are you giving her? can you let us take a look? seeing how confident you are¡­ it mustn¡¯t be something ordinary, right?¡± before chu liuyue could finish, chu ning interrupted her. she looked up. seeing that chu ning seemed rather insistent, her head hurt. are they competing? what¡¯s there to fight about!? unexpectedly, shangguan you seemed instigated as he added, ¡°yeah! ancestor, what did you give? can we take a look at it?¡± chu liuyue¡¯s glabella twitched. chu ning is fine, yet shangguan you joined in¡­ in the past, how could these two people talk to ancestor in this manner? why are they suddenly so competitive? however, shangguan jing was not angry. not only was he not enraged, but he was even prideful. ¡°hah, you¡¯re indignant? i¡¯ll let you look at it!¡± as he spoke, he carefully took out the item from behind him. ¡°yue¡¯er, look! do you like it!?¡± two pairs of soft tiger-head shoes lay quietly in his palms. the shoes were very tiny, not even half the size of his palm. they were very intricate. shangguan jing was delighted. ¡°these are the tiger-head shoes i personally made! not only are they comfortable, but they¡¯re very useful! once they wear it, the girls will definitely run quickly!¡± chu liuyue¡¯s forehead throbbed. of course, the tiger-head shoes are adorable. besides, even if ancestor did not say it, i can tell that he has spent quite a bit of effort on it. this is a yuan instrument, but¡­ ¡°ancestor, why did you use a pink cloth?¡± shangguan jing gasped. ¡°is pink not nice? this cloth can act as a shield, and it¡¯s very precious. the pink is also very rare. i found it with much difficulty.¡± chu liuyue held her forehead and lied, ¡°l-looks good¡­¡± ¡°i knew it! look at the pink pearls here. i grinded those from tang ke¡¯s items! how beautiful!¡± shangguan you looked disappointed. ¡°ancestor is indeed capable.¡± chu ning sighed. ¡°i can¡¯t compare.¡± they truly thought that they had lost. rong xiu, who had always been elegant and pristine, stared at the tiger-head shoes. then, he sighed and said seriously, ¡°they¡¯re really very cute and pretty. thank you for your efforts.¡± shangguan jing shuddered. ¡°i knew that¡­ i¡¯d definitely win!¡± chu liuyue kept quiet for a moment before weakly asking, ¡°what if it¡¯s two so¡ª¡± suddenly, big baby pushed open the door to enter. hearing this, he knitted his brows and looked at rong xiu. ¡°you¡¯re not that useless, right?¡± Chapter 2521 - 2521 Side Story 25: Refuse 2521 side story 25: refuse rong xiu was speechless. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± shangguan jing stuffed the shoes into chu liuyue¡¯s hand as he waved. ¡°how can you!?¡± what are the chances!? big baby¡¯s gaze turned, and he saw chu liuyue and rong xiu holding items. he looked delighted for once. ¡°the items aren¡¯t bad.¡± chu liuyue took a deep breath in and decided not to fight with them on the matter. at the beginning, they said both girls and boys were fine. in the end? looking at the presents they gave, their intentions¡­ are easily revealed. big baby sat opposite chu liuyue. the crowd knew that he was starting his daily prenatal teaching. chu liuyue put away the items. big baby had already raised his hand and outlined a chessboard. the remaining few people did not leave and planned to watch the duel. however, chu liuyue suddenly thought of something, looked at rong xiu, and said, ¡°does the left divine general really not need anyone¡¯s help?¡± rong xiu curled his lips into a half-smile. ¡°nope. he¡¯ll be back soon.¡± chu liuyue thought for a while and could faintly guess rong xiu¡¯s intentions¡ªhe wanted them to solve it themselves. that isn¡¯t bad. it is indeed hard for others to intervene in matters of the heart. she smiled. ¡°then, i¡¯ll have to wait for a while before i can have the left divine general as my subordinate.¡± rong xiu raised his brows, picked up the teacup, and sipped on the tea. ¡°not exactly.¡± ¡­ xiao ba slept for a while. when she woke up, it was already evening. she glanced outside. the courtyard was very quiet, and nobody came. she became upset. she didn¡¯t know if she was angry that nobody came or whether she was angry at herself for actually waiting for someone. she grunted, lowering her head and glancing at her ankle. actually, it wasn¡¯t very serious; she just had to rest for a day or two. even if it were last night, she definitely could stand up. from the corner of her eyes, she saw the shoes neatly placed together. she knitted her brows and walked over to throw the shoes. however, she suddenly stopped her actions. after feeling conflicted for some time, she placed the shoes back. she came to the dressing table and looked at the person in the mirror. perhaps because she didn¡¯t rest well, but there were still hints of lethargy on her face, and her hair was messy. it seemed that she was far from her usual vibrant appearance. xiao ba clenched her teeth. dislike me if you wish! there are so many men in the world, yet i chose the one with the worst taste. who can i blame? i can¡¯t hang myself dead on a tree. yan qing has no interest in me. then, i¡¯ll just not like him. it¡¯s just a man after all. what¡¯s the big deal? ¡°sigh, it was better in the past¡­¡± she held her chin with one hand and missed her past days of freedom. luckily, not many people know of this, so it isn¡¯t too humiliating. there are so many people that like me. why must i obsess over yan qing? it will be better after a while. thinking of this, xiao ba was suddenly positive and was in a much better mood. she looked at the person in the copper mirror, blinked, and revealed a flirtatious and genuine smile. even if she still looked tired, her appearance was charming. if she tidied herself properly, she would look even better. she stood up, her figure curvy. ¡°i can¡¯t delay my beauty,¡± muttered xiao ba lightly. not knowing who she was talking to, she grunted. ¡°you will regret this one day!¡± ¡­ the next morning, xiao ba got ready and left the house energized. she was a heavenly doctor herself and naturally knew how to handle her own wounds. hence, she had basically recovered. she slowly went to the medicinal mountain. shi fang was cutting the grass on a mountain when she heard sounds from behind her. he turned around curiously and immediately understood what had happened. xiao ba was too pretty today. she already looked beautiful. when they saw her today, she completely revealed an unconcealable charm from head to toe. the sun shone on her, and she seemed especially gentle. she slowly walked over and easily stole everyone¡¯s gazes. ¡°eighth deity, you seem especially good looking today!¡± ¡°i think so too¡­ probably because your previous wound has healed?¡± ¡°i think so.¡± ¡°sigh, eighth deity is such a beauty. i wonder who will benefit from it. there are so many people who are trying to please her, but she doesn¡¯t like any of them.¡± ¡­ shi fang welcomed her and sized her up several times. ¡°eighth sister, you¡¯re better already?¡± xiao ba smiled, and quite a few people in the surroundings were stunned. she softly said, ¡°yup.¡± shi fang relaxed and was rather curious. ¡°even if you¡¯re fine, eighth sister, you can just rest. why¡­ did you come over today?¡± according to his understanding of his eighth sister, she would be lazy if she could. why did she suddenly dress up prettily and come to the medicinal mountain? this wasn¡¯t to say that she was not pretty before, but today¡­ her beauty had a hint of attack. xiao ba slowly said, ¡°nothing much. i was just thinking that you had been in charge of the medicinal mountain the entire time, so i should come over.¡± shi fang¡¯s lips moved, but he still swallowed the words in his throat. mm, although eighth sister is speaking with a smile, i instinctively feel that it is better not to offend her. she was eye-catchingly pretty, and she faintly had hints of combat intent. combat intent? who is she fighting with? shi fang did not quite understand, but he did not ask in detail. after busying himself in the medicinal mountain, he had a higher desire for survival. ¡°i¡¯ll leave you alone. i¡¯ll walk around.¡± xiao ba clearly did not plan to help shi fang deal with the mess. then, she slowly walked far away. ¡­ of course, xiao ba intentionally dolled herself up. originally, she wanted to let yan qing see that many people liked her even if he did not. in the end, she walked half the fantasy divine palace, but she did not see him. at night, she unintentionally realized that he had actually left the fantasy divine palace and went to the god residence realm. she busied herself for nothing. xiao ba sat in the house and harshly pulled at the petals. i walked until my feet hurt! who knew that he wasn¡¯t around? she looked up in frustration. there were many gifts in the courtyard, but she did not like them. actually, she had also been looking at people the entire time. she thought that since there were many people in the fantasy divine palace, she could definitely find a few she liked. in the end, for some reason, she didn¡¯t really like all those far and near to her. she only glanced at some of them and had found a few of their flaws. those who were good looking weren¡¯t strong enough. those who were strong did not have a suitable aura. anyway¡­ ¡°how annoying!¡± xiao ba suddenly stood up and turned around to sleep. ¡­ ten days passed in a flash. yan qing had not come back the entire time and had not much news. of course, if xiao ba wanted to find out, she could know a thing or two. however, she refused and suppressed it. today, she wanted to head over to chu liuyue as usual. halfway there, she heard some commotion from the heaven gate. her heart tingled as she instinctively looked over. Chapter 2522 - 2522 Side Story 26: Take Careless 2522 side story 26: take careless fantasy divine hall. at some corner. chu liuyue stood beside rong xiu, while yan qing was talking. ¡°¡­after peach blossom dock¡¯s barrier broke, fourth young master lin tried to repair it several times but did not succeed. the last time he did so, he was affected by the repulsion, and the force erupted. he himself is injured. luckily, the commotion has been appeased. i saw that fourth young master lin¡¯s injuries were too serious, so i brought him back.¡± chu liuyue¡¯s expression looked slightly solemn as she nodded. ¡°that should be the force the evil spirit left in it back then. now that the evil spirit is dead, the remaining force shouldn¡¯t be worried about. however, the suppression shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. lin zhifei isn¡¯t its match, so he ended up in this state.¡± as she spoke, she looked inside. xiao ba coincidentally walked out of the house. ¡°master.¡± she came to chu liuyue. chu liuyue asked, ¡°how¡¯s the injury?¡± xiao ba sighed.¡±the exterior wounds have pretty much healed, but the internal injuries are rather serious. even though his life is not in danger, he¡¯s still unconscious.i¡¯m not sure when he¡¯ll awaken. he probably needs quite some time to fully recover.¡± chu liuyue¡¯s heart sank slightly, but she knew that this was the best outcome. luckily, his life isn¡¯t in danger. there shouldn¡¯t be too big of a problem after he recuperates for a while. she nodded and instructed, ¡°during this period of time, you will be in charge of lin zhifei.¡± xiao ba was stunned. yan qing was also dazed as he looked over. however, he quickly retracted his gaze and had a normal expression. xiao ba pointed at herself strangely. ¡°me?¡± chu liuyue acknowledged. ¡°now that you¡¯re in charge of the medicinal mountain, it¡¯s more convenient for you to use herbs. you also handled his wounds. you know the injuries the best, so you should be in charge of him. however, you definitely can¡¯t handle him yourself, so i¡¯ll get jian fengchi to help you out.¡± hearing this, xiao ba felt that it made sense and immediately nodded. ¡°okay. master, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll definitely take good care of fourth young master lin.¡± chu liuyue nodded. then, she entered to check on lin zhifei before she left with rong xiu. there were only three people left in the house. xiao ba counted the herbs and planned to produce a pill. once she looked up, she realized that yan qing did not leave and was waiting outside. she knitted her brows. after that night, she was actually very annoyed at yan qing and wanted to salvage her situation. but after ten days, she didn¡¯t seem angry when she saw him again. there was no need. she was never a patient person. after some time, her feelings for him had also disappeared. besides, master had now instructed her to take care of lin zhifei. it would probably take quite some time and energy. she could not be bothered to think of the rest. hence, she did not speak and brought her herbs to the courtyard. she had to use too many pills, and she couldn¡¯t produce them in the house. on this side, yan qing was waiting for xiao ba. he waited for xiao ba to finish packing her items and walk over with much difficulty. he took a deep breath in and planned to speak. ¡°xiao¡ª¡± the moment he said a word, xiao ba brushed past his shoulders without even looking. yan qing pressed his lips against each other. he turned around, hastened his pace, and blocked her, saying, ¡°i have something to tell you.¡± xiao ba glanced at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°but i don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± how could he leave for ten days and not say anything? he left me waiting for so long. when he came back, he said that he had something to say, and he expected me to listen? i refuse! i¡¯ve always been hard to serve. since when was i obedient? even though xiao ba thought of this, she forgot that they weren¡¯t related. yan qing had no obligation to tell her if he stayed or left. yan qing paused and detected the coldness in her tone. he was hesitant, but he still said, ¡°just two sentences.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to hear a single word.¡± as xiao ba spoke, she walked past him and went forward. yan qing panicked. he instinctively stretched out and wanted to hold her wrist. ¡°hold on.¡± xiao ba¡¯s first reaction was to avoid. in the end, she wasn¡¯t careful and spilled all her herbs onto the floor. ¡°you!¡± xiao ba knitted her brows and was so angry that she laughed. ¡°left divine general, what do you mean? don¡¯t you find it offensive to randomly pull a lady¡¯s hand?¡± yan qing¡¯s fingers moved slightly, but he still let her go. ¡°i won¡¯t take up too much of your time.¡± however, xiao ba had already squatted down to pick up the herbs as she grunted. ¡°you¡¯re not taking up my time. you¡¯re taking up fourth young master lin¡¯s time.¡± the words in yan qing¡¯s throat were suddenly stuck. xiao ba did not look up, so she did not see his current expression. as she retrieved all the herbs, she said, ¡°fourth young master lin¡¯s injuries are very serious. time is extremely precious. what matter do you have that¡¯s so important that it is worth more than a human life?¡± yan qing¡¯s hand on the sword tightened slowly. xiao ba had already stood up and turned around to leave. it seemed like she did not wish to speak to him further. yan qing looked at her and suddenly asked, ¡°you¡¯re very worried about him?¡± xiao ba paused in her tracks. then, she turned around and glanced at yan qing in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°a physician has the heart of a parent. left divine general, haven¡¯t you heard of it before? besides, fourth young master lin is quite a nice person, and we can be considered friends. even if master didn¡¯t give any instructions, i would¡¯ve tried my best to nurse him back to good health.¡± after a momentary pause, she continued, ¡°his injuries are so serious. i would not leave him lying and not care about him.¡± yan qing lowered his eyes slightly. xiao ba naturally knew that she was being unreasonable. she did need someone with yan qing¡¯s standard to heal the wound on her waist to recover the fastest. however, she was angry and did not speak nicely. then, she walked to the courtyard and started producing pills. yan qing did not go forward and did not speak. he just recalled that when he walked out, lin zhifei lay on the bed and was unconscious with tightly shut eyes. his face was pale, but it did not affect his nonchalant and distant aura. at peach blossom dock previously, she once said that fourth young master lin was born with good looks. now, the person was right before her. she had to personally take care of lin zhifei until he woke up. coldness surfaced in yan qing¡¯s eyes. Chapter 2523 - 2523 Side Story 27: Injured 2523 side story 27: injured yan qing returned to his residence. yu mo was his neighbor. at this point, he was lying on a tree trunk with his hands supporting his head and his feet propped up. hearing the noise, yu mo turned around and looked over. seeing yan qing push open the door to enter, he looked shocked. ¡°you came back so quickly?¡± yan qing did not speak and went straight into the room. from the side, his handsome face was unaffected, but his surrounding aura was much colder. yu mo found it even more strange. he straightened his back and whistled. ¡°hey, you came back after so long. you didn¡¯t speak more to eighth deity?¡± it doesn¡¯t seem like it. yan qing stopped in his tracks. ¡°she¡¯s busy.¡± yu mo was dazed. ¡°what is she busy with?¡± yan qing¡¯s words were brief. ¡°lin zhifei is injured and unconscious. she is in charge of him in the future.¡± yu mo widened his eyes. ¡°that can¡¯t be?!¡± he jumped up and reached yan qing, staring at the latter in disbelief. ¡°since his injuries are so serious and he¡¯s even unconscious, then won¡¯t she have to care for many of his matters in the future? you can tolerate this?¡± there are other heavenly doctors in the fantasy divine palace. why was xiao ba picked? yan qing¡¯s brows twitched slightly, but he continued walking forward quietly. he did not wish to continue this topic now. however, yu mo stopped him. ¡°hey¡­ wait! you¡¯re going to just watch on? that lin zhifei is very handsome. if she takes care of him everyday¡­¡± yan qing¡¯s gaze landed on him coldly. yu mo coughed. ¡°ahem. brother, i don¡¯t mean to purposely agitate you! originally, your conditions weren¡¯t bad, but you¡¯re too stubborn, and your expressions are too ugly! look, you have a cold face all the time. which lady will like you? even though lin zhifei is also nonchalant, he¡¯s gentle and well-mannered. you can¡¯t compare to him!¡± yan qing lowered his eyes slightly. yu mo scratched his head. ¡°oh right, didn¡¯t you plan to find the emperor previously? you didn¡¯t say it?¡± yan qing paused. ¡°i¡¯ll think about it.¡± yu mo conflicted. ¡°you¡¯re going to continue dragging it? if this continues, you won¡¯t have a wife!¡± yan qing seemed like he didn¡¯t want to continue as he held his sword sheath, walked past yu mo, and continued forward. yu mo barely avoided him and grabbed his shoulders. ¡°listen to me¡ª¡± suddenly, his expression changed. yan qing¡¯s left shoulder was sticky and wet. he retracted his hand, and it was covered with blood. ¡°you¡¯re injured?¡± yan qing did not speak, seemingly annoyed as he walked into the house. yu mo was dazed for a moment and hurriedly followed him in. previously, he didn¡¯t realize it. now that he took a closer look, he noticed that yan qing¡¯s lips were slightly pale. he removed his outerwear and used the tip of his sword to rip open his left sleeve, revealing his firm upper body. perhaps because he didn¡¯t treat it well previously, but the cloth was already stuck to the wound. however, yan qing¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he directly ripped it off with some flesh. the wound opened again. yu mo glanced at it and indeed saw a long wound extend from his shoulder to his chest, cutting through his collarbone. it was just inches away from his heart. the flesh was flipped inside out, and it was so deep that one could see the bones. yu mo knitted his brows. yan qing actually did not treat such a serious wound. instead, he simply used his clothes to wrap it and came back? that was also why he managed to hide it so well. if yu mo did not pull his shoulders, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed that he was injured. ¡°what¡¯s with your wound? you got it in the god residence realm?¡± yan qing did not speak as he went to fetch water and started treating his own wound. the bowl of clear water quickly turned intensely red. he started putting medicine on it again. yu mo sat opposite him. ¡°what¡¯s the matter with you? you dragged such an injury until now?¡± yu mo was so angry that he laughed. ¡°do you think that you are made out of metal?¡± yan qing lowered his head. his injury had rotten slightly and looked shocking. waves of pain hit him, and his shoulders trembled slightly, but he did not scream. even his expression was as cold as usual. he seemed to be treating someone else¡¯s wound and not his own. after he applied the medication, he said, ¡°time is tight.¡± the simple few words caused yu mo to be stunned. they had worked together for so many years. he almost instantly understood what yan qing meant. the situation at the god residence realm should have been urgent. besides, lin zhifei¡¯s injuries were severe and could not be delayed, so he did not have the time to take care of his own wounds. according to yan qing¡¯s character, it was not strange for him to do such a thing. but¡­ ¡°does eighth deity know?¡± yan qing had already started wrapping his wound. he looked down slightly and did not have much of an expression. ¡°she doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡­ ¡°why didn¡¯t you let me say that yan qing is injured?¡± chu liuyue and rong xiu walked while holding hands. the surroundings were quiet. a few pinkish-white peach blossom petals landed on the marble from time to time. ¡°even though he suppressed the bloody aura, it¡­ should be quite severe.¡± rong xiu held her hand and raised his brows. ¡°if he doesn¡¯t want people to know about it, why expose it?¡± chu liuyue pondered for a moment. even though that¡¯s true, injuries¡­ ¡°why is he hiding it?¡± rong xiu smiled. ¡°if he wants to speak, he will naturally do so.¡± chu liuyue was dazed and instantly realized something. ¡°you mean¡ª¡± rong xiu smiled and did not say anything. after pausing for a moment, chu liuyue deeply said, ¡°emperor, are your people so similar to you and¡­ have so many tricks up their sleeves?¡± rong xiu said, ¡°not really. he has this character and always refuses to say that he¡¯s injured. however, he should quickly realize that some words must be said and that some wounds must be shown.¡± chu liuyue: ¡°¡­my xiao ba is so pitiful.¡± as she spoke, she took out a few sour plums and stuffed them in her mouth. the sour and sweet aura instantly filled her mouth. she squinted slightly. rong xiu looked at her and suddenly paused in his steps. chu liuyue turned around in confusion. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± her cheeks were still bulging, and her words could not be heard. rong xiu fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°yue¡¯er, instead of caring for others, you should think of me more.¡± chu liuyue widened her eyes slightly in shock and did not quite understand. ¡°what does that mean?¡± this entire world is his. what¡¯s there to be worried about? rong xiu¡¯s expression changed. he could very possibly be scolded as useless. Chapter 2524 - 2524 Side Story 28: Scheming 2524 side story 28: scheming this thought flashed across his mind. rong xiu¡¯s brows faintly twitched. then, he rubbed his nose. no, it shouldn¡¯t be. i have always been lucky. such a situation¡­ will likely not happen to me. ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± he leaned down and kissed her lips. ¡°i¡¯m just thinking that after the child is born, perhaps i won¡¯t get to guide the child.¡± chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± even though she really wanted to rebut, her words got stuck in her throat when she thought of how big baby and the rest insisted on giving her ¡®prenatal teaching.¡¯ mm¡­ what rong xiu said does make sense¡­ she thought for a moment before replying, ¡°it¡¯s fine. at that time, i¡¯ll definitely try my best to fight for you!¡± rong xiu glanced at her with a half-smile. ¡°oh?¡± chu liuyue lightly grunted. ¡°you don¡¯t believe me?¡± rong xiu shook his head and had a nonchalant smile. ¡°not really, but high priest and the rest are just doing it out of their love for the child.¡± chu liuyue sighed. of course, i know. rong xiu pulled her forward, but he was thinking of helping diwu zhangze reform his physical body as soon as possible. mm, bringing up a child requires a lot of time and resources. it¡¯ll be better with more people. ¡­ lin zhifei was still unconscious, but the pill-feeding process was quite smooth. a day had passed, and he already looked better. xiao ba sat by the bed and held her chin with one hand. she faintly felt lethargic and yawned. she always loved taking naps. recently, she was troubled by yan qing¡¯s matters for a long time and did not have a good rest. after a series of busying, she finally managed to stabilize lin zhifei¡¯s situation with much difficulty. as she relaxed, she felt tired. she perked up, but today¡¯s scenario surfaced in her mind. why did yan qing want to find me? at that time, she was fuming mad and directly shook him off. if she stopped now, she would feel some regret. after all, he spoke very little. the number of times he willingly talked to her was pathetically few. i should¡¯ve listened to him before i raged¡­ she leaned against the chair in defeat. noticing what she was thinking, she could not help but cover her face. i¡¯m so useless! he just came over to talk to me, and i keep thinking of him? in the end, he still left! xiao ba pouted and felt that her recent temper was horrible. she shook her head and decided not to think of it. she could not possibly grab yan qing and ask what he wanted to tell her. she became even more pessimistic. she could not help but look outside. the sky was going to darken. ¡°why has this jian fengchi not come yet?¡± ¡­ ¡°hey, your injury is really serious. if you had delayed treatment any longer, i¡¯m afraid half your arm would be useless.¡± jian fengchi saw yan qing¡¯s wound and helped him change his medicine while rewrapping the bandages. then, he took out a jade bottle and placed it on the table. ¡°take one pill a day, but there are only three pills here. you have to rest for half a month at least. i¡¯ll produce more for you later.¡± upon hearing this, yan qing nonchalantly said, ¡°this small injury doesn¡¯t matter.¡± he looked outside and reminded, ¡°you and eighth deity are taking turns to care for fourth young master lin. it should be your turn soon, right?¡± jian fengchi then suddenly thought of it and smacked his forehead. ¡°i almost forgot!¡± in the afternoon, he was originally packing the herbs that lin zhifei needed. in the end, yu mo suddenly came over and said that yan qing was injured, so he invited him over. he knew yan qing¡¯s capabilities and character. if it was not a particularly serious injury, he would not have called him. hence, he rushed over without hesitation. as expected, his treatment took a long time. he hastened his movements. while walking outside, he said, ¡°i¡¯ll head over first then. be more careful. i¡¯ll give you medicine later on.¡± yan qing stood up to send him off. ¡°thank you.¡± jian fengchi whipped his fan, and his figure quickly disappeared. yan qing stood by the door for a while. yu mo had previously left. now, only he was left behind. the air seemed to have a faint bloody scent lingering. yan qing leaned back, looked up slightly, and sighed. actually, he did not fully explain to yu mo previously. he said that time was tight because lin zhifei¡¯s injuries couldn¡¯t wait, and¡­ he did want to come back sooner. that night, he also waited outside the door for the entire night. he knew that she did not sleep the whole night and tossed and turned on her bed. from time to time, she spoke softly as if she was cussing in frustration. he heard some things clearly, while other bits were vague. hence, his feelings also rose and fell. this was also why he finally set his mind to see emperor. he could faintly feel what she wanted. thus, he did not want to wait or delay any longer. he never felt ten days to be more tortuous than the one he had just experienced. every second and minute was especially long. but when he came back, it seemed to be too late. the key was that she refused to even talk to him. she looked at him and coldly laughed. her tone was different from that night. yan qing rubbed his temples with a headache. i seem¡­ to have missed something. after thinking for a long time, he turned around and entered his room. when he passed by the table, he reached out, picked up the jade bottle, and scrutinized it for a moment. before jian fengchi left, he instructed him to take his medicine punctually. yan qing¡¯s expression changed slightly. then, he used his force and crushed the jade bottle and the pills within. ¡­ jian fengchi was indeed late. xiao ba was already very exhausted and lethargic. but when she saw jian fengchi, she immediately perked up. ¡°jian fengchi, how dare you!? you want to tire me to death?¡± jian fengchi knew that this person could not be offended, so he hurriedly cupped his fists and begged for forgiveness. ¡°ahem, forgive me, forgive me. i really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. i was just held back!¡± xiao ba crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°held back? what, did little hongyu not want you to leave?¡± other than mu hongyu, she really could not think of someone else that could take up jian fengchi¡¯s time. upon hearing this, jian fengchi was stumped. after a while, he said, ¡°there will be such a day sooner or later.¡± he walked to lin zhifei¡¯s bedside and took his pulse. as he took it, he said, ¡°if not because the left divine general is injured, how can i be late? if you really want to blame someone, blame him!¡± xiao ba was stunned. ¡°yan qing is injured?¡± Chapter 2525 - 2525 Side Story 29: Angry 2525 side story 29: angry ¡°you don¡¯t know?¡± jian fengchi found it weird. ¡°didn¡¯t he come back with lin zhifei? lin zhifei¡¯s injuries are serious, but his aren¡¯t minor either.¡± as he spoke, he gestured to his left shoulder. ¡°such a long stab wound, and it was so close to his heart. additionally, it seemed like he did not really treat it because he was rushing back. the wound had worsened. i spent a lot of effort on it.¡± xiao ba was dazed, and her heart seemed to tremble. yeah, they came back together. everyone knew that lin zhifei was unconscious, but nobody noticed yan qing¡¯s wound¡­ hearing jian fengchi¡¯s words, it seemed rather serious. i actually¡­ did not notice it at all? jian fengchi looked at her and noticed something. ¡°nobody¡­ checked his wound?¡± xiao ba suddenly felt guilty. she bent her fingers and softly said, ¡°¡­i didn¡¯t expect him to be injured¡­¡± he¡¯s the left divine general, the emperor¡¯s sharpest weapon. wherever the sword points toward, that place will be destroyed. how could he be injured? also, he did not show anything wrong. xiao ba knitted her brows. he just¡­ held it in? jian fengchi snorted. ¡°how interesting. he¡¯s also human, so he can naturally be injured. how can you do this? you took such good care of lin zhifei but didn¡¯t think of yan qing at all?¡± he closed his fan and touched his chin with the bone of the fan. he slowly said, ¡°you¡¯re too biased.¡± hearing this, xiao ba found it wrong and instinctively wanted to rebut. however, she did not know what to say, and she felt guilty for some reason. other than this, there¡­ seemed to be other unclear emotions. all in all, she was a mess. she hesitated on the spot for a moment and was still rather stubborn. she said, ¡°w-why did he not say it himself¡­ forget it. i¡¯ll take a look.¡± jian fengchi sized her up. how rare for this little ancestor to have such a reaction. i just said the previous sentences casually and had no intentions of actually blaming her. after all, yan qing could indeed hold it in. lin zhifei¡¯s injuries were more serious than his, so he probably did not say anything. if the situation was not tricky, he wouldn¡¯t have even called me. he smiled and said, ¡°that¡¯s fine. i¡¯ve already treated his wounds. he just has to rest for a month.¡± with yan qing¡¯s abilities, it showed that he was in big trouble if he had to rest for so long. jian fengchi glanced at the sky. ¡°it¡¯s quite late. go back. i¡¯ll just stand watch here.¡± xiao ba acknowledged him and was in no mood to continue fighting with him as she turned around to leave. the moment she took a few steps out, she heard jian fengchi nonchalantly say, ¡°oh right, yan qing still needs a few taiqing pills. later on, i have to trouble you to take care of lin zhifei as i find some time to produce it.¡± taiqing pills were extremely precious, and the medicinal effects were strong. normal people could not quite tolerate it unless they had to use it. xiao ba bit her lips and said in frustration, ¡°i got it!¡± ¡­ when the sky darkened, xiao ba was done washing up. she laid on her bed and planned to rest. she was exhausted, but for some reason, she tossed and turned and could not sleep. the bit of lethargy completely disappeared at some point. she widened her eyes and looked at the pitch-black room. jian fengchi¡¯s words kept echoing beside her ear from time to time, intersecting with the scene of her argument with yan qing in the day. of course, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t an argument. it was a one-sided tantrum. upon deeper thought, yan qing had never lashed out at her, nor said something harsh. he was too cold and stubborn. he was also harsh and decisive. when he could take action, he would not say another word. previously, i said so much. i wonder how he held it in¡­ xiao ba suddenly sat up. it won¡¯t kill to look at him! besides, he had once trespassed into my room in the middle of the night. thinking of this, she felt more comforted as she walked outside. ¡­ yan qing¡¯s residence wasn¡¯t considered near to the thirteen yue guards. luckily, the path was simple. in the dark, she did not meet many people. xiao ba was secretly frustrated. she did not know why she suddenly felt sheepish. during the entire way, she still felt very conflicted and hesitated quite a bit. however, she finally arrived. seeing the tightly shut door not far away, she was finally determined. since i¡¯m already here! then, she walked forward. she was about to knock on the door when she heard some sounds from inside. she paused her actions and leaned against the door to listen. the winds howled and pierced through the air. it seems like¡­ he is practicing his sword? even if they were a door apart, she could still feel the shockingly harsh sword aura. she suddenly widened her eyes. is he crazy, practicing at this hour? without thinking, she pushed open the door. ¡°yan qing! what are you doing?!¡± the moment she pushed in, yan qing brandished his sword and retracted it. he tilted his head and looked over. seeing that it was xiao ba, confusion flashed across his face. ¡°why are you here?¡± the moonlight was like the water, casting a thin layer of frost on his body. xiao ba was stumped by his question, but when she was guilty, she usually did not escape and was even more arrogant. hence, she did not answer yan qing¡¯s question, instead walking over and standing three steps before him. she raised her chin, her lips curled up in a playful manner. ¡°your arm is about to rot, yet you¡¯re still in the mood to practice the sword?¡± yan qing¡¯s thin lips pressed against each other. seeing his reaction, xiao ba¡¯s blood boiled even more. ¡°speak!¡± this person always acts in this manner. when i ask him three questions, he might not even reply to one. she walked forward again and smelled the faint bloody scent on his body and the bitter herbal fragrance. this caused her to be even more frustrated. ¡°what, are you not hiding it anymore?¡± yan qing paused for a moment before saying, ¡°i was just busy previously and couldn¡¯t care for it. i didn¡¯t intentionally hide it.¡± xiao ba grunted coldly and did not believe his words at all. she approached him again, and there was only half an arm¡¯s length between the duo. she tilted her head, and the night wind blew her hair. under the moonlight, she still looked charming. there seemed to be fires burning in her eyes, and they were shockingly bright. ¡°yan qing, do you think that i¡¯m not skilful enough and can¡¯t tell that you¡¯re injured, or do you think i¡¯m not good enough and don¡¯t have the right to treat you?¡± she looked down, and her gaze swept across the sword in his hands with a half-smile. ¡°or¡­ have you already decided that you don¡¯t want your arm?¡± such an interrogation was direct and straightforward, and she did not hide her anger at all. the surroundings were completely silent. the moonlight passed through the branches and cast a lonely shadow on the ground that swayed with the wind. yan qing looked at her. then, he said, ¡°i practiced the sword with my right hand.¡± xiao ba was dazed. ¡°my left shoulder is the injured one, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± xiao ba was dazed for a moment before her entire person was embarrassed! yan qing¡¯s hand on the sword loosened and tightened. he just looked at her and asked, ¡°you¡¯re angry. why?¡± Chapter 2526 - 2526 Side Story 30: Regret 2526 side story 30: regret why is she angry? xiao ba was stunned by this question. she subconsciously looked at yan qing and saw that his eyes were silent and deep. his eyes were relatively light. at this moment, they seemed to be covered in a thin layer of moonlight, like the moon that had soaked into a cold lake. they were cold and bright, but they were unfathomable. he had always been expressionless, but at this moment, when they looked at each other, she suddenly felt as if she had been scalded by something. ¡°b-because you lied to me!¡± she subconsciously avoided yan qing¡¯s gaze and quickly threw out a sentence. yan qing thought that this wasn¡¯t the answer he wanted to hear. hence, he said calmly, ¡°lin zhifei is injured and unconscious. his condition is critical. in that situation, it was indeed difficult for me to speak. besides¡ª¡± he paused. ¡°this isn¡¯t the first time i¡¯ve had such an injury. it¡¯s always been like this in the past. therefore, i didn¡¯t hide it on purpose, let alone lie to you.¡± his words made xiao ba feel even more complicated. in the past, she didn¡¯t know yan qing very well. how did she know that he was injured and didn¡¯t say anything? moreover, she had run in on impulse and questioned him. in the end¡­ she had even forgotten that he used his right hand to practice the sword. her originally arrogant aura immediately disappeared without a trace. ¡°oh, i see¡­¡± she stared at the ground and coughed lightly. then, me running over like this is really¡­ after holding it in for a long time, she finally asked, ¡°ho-how¡¯s your injury now? if there¡¯s nothing else, i¡¯ll leave first¡ª¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing. it¡¯s just a small injury,¡± yan qing replied casually. initially, xiao ba really planned to leave. when she heard this, she suddenly recalled jian fengchi¡¯s words. how could it be a small injury? her eyes fell on his shoulder. then, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°let me see then.¡± yan qing was stunned, but he quickly understood what she meant. he hesitated for a moment and then shook his head. ¡°there¡¯s no need. compared to lin zhifei¡¯s injuries, it¡¯s indeed nothing.¡± ¡°lin zhifei is lin zhifei, and you are you!¡± moreover, what¡¯s there to compare when it comes to injuries? when xiao ba saw his nonchalant expression, she was furious. she grabbed yan qing¡¯s right arm, pulled him into the house, and pressed him into the chair. the lights in the room were on, and there were shadows. then, she stood in front of him with her arms crossed and said, ¡°take it off!¡± ¡­ xiao ba swore that she really didn¡¯t have any other ulterior motives when she said this. but sometimes, things wouldn¡¯t develop in the direction she had expected. just like now. the weather was cold, and yan qing was wearing light clothes. when he moved, she could even see the muscles under his clothes rise and fall. perhaps because it was inconvenient for his left hand, he placed the sword on the table. after a moment of silence, he began to unbuckle it with his right hand. he raised his head slightly and started with the top one. the warm light outlined his handsome and cold side profile. his nose bridge was advanced, and his jaw was smooth. his protruding adam¡¯s apple was especially eye-catching for some reason. xiao ba stared at it, and a thought suddenly appeared in her mind. i wonder how it feels to touch it¡­ she quickly returned to her senses. crazy! i actually had such a thought?! but soon, her attention was drawn away again¡ªyan qing had already unbuttoned the first button and started to unbutton the second. he tilted his head. under his slightly loose collar, one could see his collarbone. he was thin and lean, but his body under his clothes seemed to contain vigorous strength. then, she thought, is a man¡¯s collarbone also so beautiful¡­ yan qing didn¡¯t seem to notice her current expression. ka. a soft sound could be heard. xiao ba was stunned for a moment. then, she saw yan qing untie the jade belt around his waist. the jade belt was placed on the table¡ªright under her nose. she glanced at it and suddenly remembered the scene when she stretched out her finger and hooked the jade belt that night. her face instantly heated up. yan qing asked, ¡°is that enough?¡± she was shocked and looked up subconsciously. yan qing was wearing a black shirt. even though it was loose, his thin waist could still be vaguely seen. the position of his left shoulder was indeed a little different. was it because of the bandaging? she said, ¡°no, i want to see your wound. how do i look like this?¡± yan qing paused and finally took off his shirt. the night wind blew gently, and the moonlight melted. the shadows of the trees danced. under the light, a thin but strong and muscular body came into view. usually, he looked thin, but now that he had taken off his clothes, it was obvious that the strength contained under those tough and beautiful muscles couldn¡¯t be underestimated. xiao ba was stunned for a moment before she saw the gauze wrapped around his left shoulder. it was also stained with blood. she frowned and walked forward again, asking, ¡°the wound is bleeding again?¡± then, she said firmly, ¡°it must¡¯ve been caused by your sword practice just now.¡± although they weren¡¯t on the same side, if he practiced the sword, it would more or less trigger his blood and qi, causing his injuries to worsen. it was normal. yan qing glanced at it and didn¡¯t seem to care much. ¡°maybe.¡± xiao ba glanced at him. ¡°you said you were fine just now? what do you mean now?!¡± she reached out to untie his gauze, intending to help deal with the bandage again. she was angry again, but soon, this anger dissipated. a bone-deep wound crossed his entire left shoulder and spread all the way to the edge of his chest. even though the medicine had been applied, it was still a shocking sight. xiao ba had already expected this, but the moment she really saw it, her heart still trembled. such an injury¡­ if it were any worse, his entire arm would¡¯ve been cut off, or his heart would have been pierced. he actually¡­ endured it just like that? if not for jian fengchi, no one would know that he had suffered such injuries and pain. xiao ba pursed her lips and felt suffocated. it was as if she wanted to flare up, but she had nowhere to vent her anger. deep in her heart, she felt sour and indescribable. she didn¡¯t say anything. she just got up to get hot water and a handkerchief to help him wipe away the oozing blood. her movements were very light. no one in the room spoke, so it was very quiet. after a while, yan qing turned to look at her, but he only saw her lowered eyes. her thick curly eyelashes trembled slightly, like a butterfly that was about to fly. he actually wanted to see her expression at this moment, but she seemed to be very focused. after wiping it, she began to apply the medicine again. when the powder landed on the wound, his body tensed for a moment, and his muscles twitched slightly. this action was very subtle, but xiao ba could see it clearly. she paused for a moment and moved more carefully. the two of them sat very close. when she applied the medicine, her warm breath landed on his body. her tender and soft hands rubbed against his skin from time to time. other than the pain, there was a gradually spreading itchiness. yan qing suddenly regretted it. Chapter 2527 - 2527 Why Are You Here? 2527 why are you here? this wound was very deep, and xiao ba was especially careful with it, so her movements couldn¡¯t help but be much slower. when she was finally done applying the medicine, she took a new gauze and began to bandage him. her arm went under his arm, looking as if she was hugging half his shoulder. after much effort, it was finally settled. xiao ba¡¯s forehead was already covered in a thin layer of sweat when she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°phew¡ªi¡¯m done.¡± yan qing turned to look at her and saw that a few strands of her hair were already drenched in sweat. they stuck to her forehead, and her face was slightly red as her eyes sparkled. under the light, she was indescribably beautiful. his adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his voice deepened. ¡°thank you.¡± when this voice fell into her ears, it inexplicably itched. they were so close that xiao ba could even feel the heat from his body. it was inexplicably hot. she retreated a little and quickly said, ¡°no need, no need. it¡¯s what i should do.¡± yan qing¡¯s eyes moved slightly. xiao ba hurriedly explained, ¡°you¡¯ve helped me before. take it as returning a favor.¡± yan qing paused and responded. then, he lowered his eyes slightly, thinking about something. she doesn¡¯t want to owe me a favor¡­ however, xiao ba didn¡¯t notice his expression. she only thought of the scene that day and subconsciously glanced down. hmm. although the light is very dim, one can still see his firm abs¡­ i still remember that it feels good, but it wasn¡¯t very real with clothes between them. now, i can see it clearly. it¡¯s so close. yan qing had already gotten up to put on his clothes. he half-turned around, and she could only see his back and half of his face. but at the same time, it was more specific¡ªspecifically, one could see his shoulder blades and the muscle lines on his waist. but after watching for a while, she realized that yan qing seemed to have encountered some trouble. his entire left shoulder was injured, and he couldn¡¯t raise his left arm at all, so this shirt wasn¡¯t easy to wear. ¡°how about i help you put it on?¡± before xiao ba could react, the words had already been spoken. as soon as she finished speaking, yan qing stopped in his tracks. xiao ba was also stunned, and the corners of her eyes twitched. why did i say what was on my mind?! the atmosphere in the room became inexplicably ambiguous and awkward. just as xiao ba was thinking about how to find an honorable reason for herself, yan qing finally spoke. ¡°i¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡± as he spoke, he really handed the clothes over. xiao ba glanced at him and saw that the man looked open and honest. that¡¯s true. since he is injured, he has to have some privileges¡­ besides, i¡¯ve already helped him so much. what¡¯s wrong with helping him wear another shirt? she coughed and stood up as well to help him get dressed. the left side was more troublesome. her movements were light and careful, but it was inevitable that she touched his body a few times. the right side was much easier. before xiao ba put on his clothes, she endured it and took the opportunity to glance at him. from his adam¡¯s apple to his collarbone, from his chest to his lower abdomen, this man was¡­ her movements dawdled, and she took a long time to button his shirt. there were two voices arguing in her heart. one was saying that he was already so seriously injured, but she was still thinking about such nonsense. it was too much! the other said that this was a rare opportunity. who knew when the next time would be? her waist had already been shown to him, so what if she looked at him now? besides, she wanted to see it! the voice in front instantly dissipated. yan qing looked down at the person in front of him. she was only at the height of his chest. at this moment, she leaned over slightly and helped him button up, so he could only see her black hair. since she was willing to help, he had no reason to refuse. however¡­ her movements seemed to be a little too slow. yan qing originally planned to do it himself, but at this moment, he suddenly felt an itch on his waist. it was her fingers that brushed gently across his waist. his breath caught in his throat and he swallowed the rest of his words. after much effort, there was only one button left. xiao ba raised her face slightly and busied herself with his collar. he could only turn his head slightly. after a while, xiao ba finally heaved a sigh of relief and looked up at him smugly. ¡°done! how is it? i¡ª¡± yan qing turned around. her voice stopped abruptly. they were too close. for a moment, she forgot the distance between the two of them. when she saw that the button was fastened, she subconsciously looked up to take credit. hearing the voice, yan qing lowered his head, and his lips brushed past her forehead. in fact, it was so light that she almost thought it was just a feather falling, but it was also very hot. it was like a spark falling, quickly setting her on fire and burning her entire body. yan qing seemed to freeze as well. the moonlight flowed in, outlining their shadows. the air around them seemed to have become warm and sticky, difficult to break free from. xiao ba stared ahead in a daze. at this moment, she naturally couldn¡¯t see his face. she was looking at his neck. in the silent confrontation, she saw yan qing¡¯s adam¡¯s apple move. xiao ba¡¯s face turned red. i have to go. i have to leave. if this continues¡­ i don¡¯t know what i will do. at the thought of this, she finally came back to her senses and took two steps back in panic. clang! the chair behind her fell to the ground with a dull thud. this sound finally woke yan qing up. he looked at her and frowned slightly before quickly relaxing. he seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes darkened. xiao ba thought to herself, is he going to say something rude again? fortunately, he didn¡¯t say anything. he just licked his lips unconsciously. xiao ba heard her heart skip a beat. her grip tightened and loosened. in the end, she grabbed the corner of her skirt and dodged his gaze as she stammered, ¡°i-i¡¯ll leave first!¡± with that, she walked out quickly, her footsteps hurried as if she wanted to hide from something. but just as she was about to step out of the door, there was a bang¡ªa hand passed over her shoulder and closed the door. he had appeared behind her at some point and was so close. she could smell his breathing. ¡°wait a minute,¡± yan qing said. ¡°i have another question.¡± he almost covered her entire body. when he spoke, his breath landed behind her ear. she turned around and pressed her back against the door. yan qing was right in front of her, easily trapping her in this small area with nowhere to escape. even though he was injured and could only use a sword with one hand, she knew very well that she was definitely not his match. she took a deep breath. ¡°ask what?¡± yan qing bent down slightly and looked at her at eye level. he stared into her eyes. she was charming and pure, enchanting, and innocent. although the lights were dim, he could still see every emotion in her eyes. he had never realized that he was so close to that answer. he asked, ¡°why did you come here tonight?¡± Chapter 2528 - 2528 Side Story 32: Night 2528 side story 32: night it was quite late at night, and the night breeze was slightly cold. the light outlined the man¡¯s lean and strong figure. his face was hidden in the dark and not very clear. only his eyes were especially cold and sharp. he was only wearing a thin shirt. from a distance, she could clearly feel the heat coming from his body. it seemed that even she felt inexplicably hot. her throat felt dry, and her heart seemed to be clenched tightly. the violent heartbeat echoed in her ears. her fingers, which were clutching the hem of her dress, moved. her palms were slightly sweaty. he asked her why she was here tonight. she hadn¡¯t thought about this before, but she couldn¡¯t sleep in bed, so she came. but at this moment, his straightforward question suddenly made her a little helpless and shocked. her red lips moved, and her thick and long eyelashes fluttered slightly. ¡°i wanted to come, so i came.¡± her voice was as soft as ever, with a little spoiled temper. however, he didn¡¯t seem to be satisfied with this answer. hence, he didn¡¯t retreat as xiao ba had expected and instead closed in. ¡°why did you want to come?¡± xiao ba was forced to lean back, but there was a door behind her. she really couldn¡¯t retreat anymore. her body was a little tense. even she didn¡¯t know where this nervousness came from. the candlelight was dim, and her vision was unclear. however, she could clearly feel yan qing¡¯s gaze on her face. for some reason, she suddenly panicked. she subconsciously looked away and muttered softly, ¡°why do you care?¡± yan qing didn¡¯t speak. he only looked at her quietly, as if he had extremely good patience. every minute and second felt extremely long. xiao ba felt a little dizzy. she felt that she had really lost badly in terms of aura. then, she mustered her courage and looked up at him. ¡°that¡¯s the second question. i refuse to answer it.¡± with that, she reached out to push the person in front of her without thinking. ¡°move aside, i¡¯m going back.¡± in her panic, she forgot that he was still injured and pressed against his wound. yan qing grunted and took half a step back, frowning slightly. xiao ba was shocked and immediately felt guilty. ¡°you¡ªare you alright? i didn¡¯t do it on purpose! i really¡ª¡± she hurriedly went forward to take a look at yan qing¡¯s injuries. yan qing shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± there was a hint of forbearance in his voice. xiao ba was in a mess. she had seen with her own eyes how serious yan qing¡¯s injuries were. it hadn¡¯t been easy for him to treat them, but she actually gave him this blow again. it was really adding fire to the flame. she wondered if the wound had opened again¡­ she bit her lip and hesitated for a long moment, but she didn¡¯t reach out to touch him again. her throat was tight, and her voice was dry. ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry¡­¡± to xiao ba, spitting out these words was really an extremely difficult thing. there were only three girls in the thirteen yue guard, and all of them were doted on. she was also the most beautiful and charming. no matter where she went, she was like the moon surrounded by stars. she was proud and wilful. how could she know how to say the words ¡®i¡¯m sorry?¡¯ but now, she said it without hesitation because¡­ she did feel very uncomfortable. although yan qing didn¡¯t lie to her or bully her from the beginning to the end, she still felt uncomfortable. thinking about it, perhaps it was guilt and grievance. but when mixed together, it became an incomparably complicated state of mind. there were many things she wanted to say, but when it reached her throat, she couldn¡¯t say anything. looking at her flustered and nervous appearance, yan qing sighed in his heart. i seem to have¡­ pushed her too hard. after thinking for a moment, he suppressed the many emotions in his heart and restrained his eyes. then, he let go, took a step back, and stood up straight. ¡°you don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± in an instant, xiao ba felt that the oppressive aura dissipated a lot. she glanced at yan qing quickly. ¡°are you really alright?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°that, that¡¯s good¡­¡± xiao ba actually wanted to check his injuries again, but the current situation¡­ didn¡¯t seem appropriate. she had a feeling that she should leave as soon as possible. there was something wrong with her tonight, and with yan qing. it was a little dangerous. as she thought about this, she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that yan qing really didn¡¯t plan to continue asking. bbut in yan qing¡¯s eyes, it was as if she had finally obtained a chance to escape. in the darkness, he frowned and his expression turned cold. however, xiao ba didn¡¯t see it. as she turned to open the door, she said unintentionally, ¡°then, i¡¯ll go back now. i still have to wake up early tomorrow to see lin zhifei¡ª¡± before she could finish, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist. right on the heels of that, an irresistible force came from behind. she exclaimed. by the time she reacted, she was already pulled over. someone stepped forward and pushed her against the door. the man, who had been calm just now, crossed the line again. this time, he leaned closer than before. his grip was strong as he grabbed her wrist tightly. xiao ba couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°it hurts!¡± yan qing softened his movements slightly, but he was still pressed in front of her, so close. he asked, ¡°what did you say?¡± xiao ba was shocked by his sudden action. when she heard the coldness in his voice, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. ¡°i, i¡­ i didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± she tried to struggle and raised her other hand, wanting to push him. but as soon as she touched his shoulder, she felt the gauze wrapped under his clothes. only then did she remember his injuries, and she didn¡¯t dare to move. just like that, one of her hands was tightly held by yan qing, making her place one hand on his shoulder, unable to move. she was completely restrained. xiao ba looked at him, but she couldn¡¯t see anything on his face. she only felt that he had never shown her such a cold expression. she immediately felt bitter and aggrieved. what is this? he left without saying a word. when he returned ten days later, not only did he not plan to explain to her, but he also hid his injuries, making me feel like an outsider. i knew that he was seriously injured, so she came over in the middle of the night. but how did he respond? apart from a word of thanks, there was nothing else! now that i want to leave, he refuses to let me go and even bullied me like this! xiao ba gritted her teeth and glared at him, her eyes burning. ¡°i said that i still have to take care of lin zhifei tomorrow! his injuries are much more serious than yours! what, is there a problem?!¡± ¡°are you unhappy? why are you unhappy?!¡± ¡°if you didn¡¯t hear me clearly just now, i¡¯ll say it again! not only will i treat his wound, but i¡¯ll also take care of his daily life! tomorrow, i¡¯ll¡ª¡± her voice stopped abruptly, and all the remaining syllables were swallowed by his lips. Chapter 2529 - 2529 Side Story 33: A Thought 2529 side story 33: a thought in an instant, all the sounds dissipated and all the scenery faded. the world seemed to have frozen into a silent painting. in the silence, sporadic flames burned. he pinned her against the door, gripped her hand, and kissed her lips. his figure easily enveloped her figure, and the two of them overlapped into a shadow. it was as if he wanted to swallow her silently. xiao ba¡¯s mind went blank. the touch on her lips was soft, slightly cold, and unfamiliar. as if because he was inexperienced, and he came over with anger, his movements were a little out of control and painful. this pain woke her up. she couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes slightly. her heart was beating violently, as if it wanted to jump out of her chest. it was as if a ball of fire had landed in her heart and exploded, shattering all her grievances and anger. in the blink of an eye, it burned away. in its place was endless heat and heat that wrapped around her and couldn¡¯t be broken free. she looked into his eyes in a daze, but she finally saw the flames hidden under the ice in his cold and sharp eyes. yan qing was also looking at her. he saw her snow-white skin, her flushed cheeks, and the surprise and embarrassment in her eyes. the roses swayed in the wind and were fragrant. even though it was thorny, he would still choose to hold it tightly and refuse to let go. he looked at her with deep eyes, bit her lips, and whispered, ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± his voice seemed to be a little hoarse in the night. as xiao ba listened, she thought in a daze, so this is what he sounds like when he kisses someone. his gaze was so direct and invasive that it was simply unavoidable. it also made her feel a rare shyness that she couldn¡¯t hide. bbut before she could think clearly, yan qing had already stepped forward again. he bent his long legs and placed his knee on hers, completely enveloping her. he was very tall and so close that she could only be forced to raise her head and accept his kiss. she was actually stunned and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. she was unbelievably obedient. it happened too suddenly and was too shocking and unbelievable. she didn¡¯t have the time and energy to think about what was going on. he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. it was smooth and soft, like top-quality silk. it seemed to slide gently through his fingers, but it was especially soft, making one curious. such a waist, under his palm, was enchanting and tactful. with that thought in mind, he did the same. he grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms. such an intimate posture allowed him to clearly measure every inch of her curves. his calloused palm easily covered her waist. it was rough and slightly painful. wherever it passed, there was an indescribable itch that spread uncontrollably. half of her body went limp in his arms. in the quiet night, the moonlight was gentle. the space around them was silent. only his hot and rapid breathing made the night noisy and hot. after an unknown period of time, yan qing finally let her go. he retreated a little and raised his head slightly, as if this could restrain the uncontrollable urge again. only his panting and surging eyes showed that he was definitely not as calm and composed as he looked on the surface. after a moment, he took a deep breath and finally regained some rationality. he focused on the person in front of him again. xiao ba¡¯s slender back was half-leaning against the door. her slender waist was still in his hand, and her entire body was very soft. if he hadn¡¯t been holding her, she might have slipped. she raised her head slightly, her cheeks already flushed. she had snow-white skin and black hair. her red lips were full and lustrous¡ªit was like a ripe fruit waiting for someone to pick it. his throat tightened. he looked away and into her eyes. it was as if her charm was about to overflow. just one glance almost caused his restraint to collapse again. but the next moment, her soul-stirring beautiful eyes were filled with tears. yan qing¡¯s rationality completely returned. his heart seemed to be clenched by something in an instant. after a while, he said, ¡°don¡¯t cry.¡± it would¡¯ve been better if he hadn¡¯t said anything. as soon as he finished speaking, xiao ba¡¯s eyes instantly turned red, and a crystal tear rolled down. panic flashed across yan qing¡¯s eyes. he was about to speak when he heard xiao ba¡¯s choked voice. ¡°what¡­ what do you mean?¡± he didn¡¯t say anything and didn¡¯t let me leave. he pressed me down and kissed me all over. when have i ever encountered such a situation? yan qing went to wipe her tears. she didn¡¯t move and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. her face was extremely red, filled with grievances and embarrassment. yan qing whispered, ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i couldn¡¯t help it.¡± xiao ba was stunned. she vaguely thought of something, and her face burned again. actually, her tears fell very suddenly, but she wasn¡¯t too angry. it was just that in recent days, she had accumulated too many emotions. that string was already tense. yan qing¡¯s sudden action finally broke the string. she bit her lip and asked indignantly, ¡°then¡­ are you going to write it off with just one apology?¡± how is he sorry? why would he be sorry? yan qing looked at her and suddenly let go. he turned around. xiao ba was in a daze when she saw yan qing take the sword on the table. he turned back to her and handed her the sword. ¡°if you¡¯re angry, you can attack me. i won¡¯t dodge.¡± xiao ba looked at the sword in front of her and was stunned for a moment. what yan qing means is¡­ ¡°do you want to die?¡± she was furious and looked up at him. ¡°do you think i don¡¯t dare to attack?¡± yan qing pursed his thin lips. ¡°no, it¡¯s just that what i¡¯m about to say might make you angry or angry. if you¡¯re angry, you can do anything you want.¡± xiao ba was a little stunned. she opened her teary eyes and asked, ¡°what¡ªwhat is it?¡± yan qing was silent for a moment. ¡°the reason why i insisted on asking you why you came tonight is that i¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± xiao ba¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°if you hadn¡¯t come, then forget it. however, you did.¡± he looked up slightly and fixed his gaze on the woman not far away from him. she seemed to understand something, and panic flashed across her eyes. yan qing continued, ¡°that day, i said i wanted to tell you something. whether you want to hear it or not, i have to say it now.¡± only then did xiao ba remember that she had indeed come over to ask about this. unfortunately, a series of things had happened, and she had forgotten. she subconsciously asked, ¡°what?¡± yan qing was silent for a moment. ¡°first sentence: i¡¯ve had feelings for you for a long time.¡± ¡°second sentence: if you¡¯re willing to marry me, my life is in your hands. if you¡¯re unwilling, i¡¯ll compensate you with my life for offending you so much just now.¡± he placed the sword in her hand. xiao ba felt her hand grip the cold and hard hilt. ¡°my life and death are up to you.¡± Chapter 2530 - 2530 Side Story 34: Hug Me 2530 side story 34: hug me his voice was as cold and low as ever, with a hint of hoarseness. every word hit her eardrums. after being stunned for a long time, xiao ba opened her mouth and finally found her voice. she asked softly, ¡°yan qing, are you¡­ chasing me?¡± yan qing replied, ¡°no, it¡¯s a marriage proposal.¡± xiao ba¡¯s face was hot. she really didn¡¯t expect to hear such words from yan qing after all this trouble. she looked down at her hand. the sword was lying quietly in her palm. yan qing had never taken this sword with him, but now, he handed it to her and said that his life and death were up to her. her heart was pounding again. yan qing¡¯s gaze landed on her, and it also seemed to be burning hot. her fingers curled up. in the deepest part of her heart, a small hole seemed to have been opened. more and more joy surged out and gradually filled her chest. her lips curled up quickly, but she said, ¡°who would use a sword as a marriage proposal? moreover, this is too fast.¡± fifteen minutes ago, she thought that yan qing didn¡¯t like her and lied to her to bully her. now, he suddenly wanted her to marry him¡­ this man had made her uneasy and sleepless recently. how could she agree so easily? yan qing held her hand and sent her forward. the sharp tip of the sword instantly pressed against his chest! xiao ba was shocked. her eyes widened, and she immediately wanted to stop. ¡°what are you doing!?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll give you the sword, which means i¡¯ll give you my life. if you think it¡¯s not enough, i can think of another way. if you think it¡¯s too fast, i can wait.¡± he paused for a moment. ¡°but don¡¯t make me wait too long.¡± xiao ba¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. how could she not understand what yan qing meant? he had already given her his life, but he actually said that it wasn¡¯t enough and that he could still think of other ways. what was more precious than this? he was willing to let her decide his life and death, but he was unwilling to wait too long. she pouted. ¡°let go.¡± yan qing was stunned. he hesitated for a moment and finally let go of her hand. he looked a little gloomy. now, he had already revealed all his trump cards and completely opened his heart to her, just to wait for her answer. if she refused¡­ xiao ba put away her sword, walked past yan qing, and placed the things on the table. she said, ¡°i¡¯ll return your sword to you.¡± yan qing¡¯s jaw tightened. the night wind blew over with a hint of coldness. in the end¡­ ¡°yan qing,¡± xiao ba called him from behind. yan qing regained his senses and finally turned to look at her. the two of them were only a few steps away. the lights were bright, and the dim yellow light shone on her face, outlining an extremely beautiful line on her body. she tilted her head. although her eyes were still red, her lips were already curled into a smile. her eyes were lively and charming as she asked, ¡°why did you leave that night?¡± yan qing immediately reacted. under her focused and ambiguous gaze, the tips of his ears turned red, but he still said word by word, ¡°because i want to know how you feel.¡± xiao ba was stunned. ¡°it was that night that i vaguely guessed what you were thinking. originally, i planned to see the emperor the next day and say that i wanted to marry you. however, there happened to be some trouble in the god residence realm at that time, so i didn¡¯t have time to say this.¡± i see. xiao ba was enlightened. she finally understood the knot in her heart. so he didn¡¯t just leave like that, but¡­ from that time onward, he wanted to marry me? i thought that it was just my own wishful thinking. xiao ba put her hands behind her back and asked casually, ¡°then¡­ can you say when you¡­ ahem, started to like me?¡± yan qing looked at her calmly. at this moment, there was no need to hide anymore. he said, ¡°on the day of emperor and goddess yue¡¯s wedding.¡± he thought that he would never forget that under the fireworks that filled the sky and the clamor of the world, there was a woman with a flamboyant and charming smile. she was wearing a colorful dress and jade fragments clinked. she so easily and irresistibly barged into his heart, and he couldn¡¯t forget her ever since. xiao ba had thought of many possibilities, but she was still very surprised to hear yan qing¡¯s words. ¡°so¡­ early?¡± her eyes widened slightly in surprise. yan qing heaved a sigh of relief. even though this outcome wasn¡¯t satisfactory, he felt much more relaxed after saying everything. xiao ba looked at him and said, ¡°yan qing, i have a question for you too.¡± yan qing nodded his head, indicating for her to speak bluntly. immediately after, he saw the woman¡ªwho looked like a nighttime fairy¡ªrevealing a hint of a smile. she asked softly, ¡°your left shoulder is injured, and you only have your right hand left. let me ask you then, do you want to hold a sword with this hand, or¡­ hug me?¡± ¡­ her voice was soft and sweet, as if it had some powerful attraction that tempted people to sink into it, making one¡¯s will dizzy. for a moment, yan qing thought he had heard wrongly. he looked at her steadily, not daring to miss any expression on her face as he desperately tried to confirm the guess that suddenly surged in his heart. one was the affirmation he had waited too long for. because he had thought and wondered for too long, he was a little uncertain at this point. after a moment, he asked, ¡°i didn¡¯t hear you clearly. say it again.¡± xiao ba walked up to him. her soft hand climbed onto his shoulder and wrapped around his neck. every inch was like a prairie fire. she looked straight at him, her eyes filled with laughter. the light fell into her eyes, swaying, enchanting, and almost intoxicating. she stood on her tiptoes and bit his ear. her scorching breath mixed with her ambiguous voice landed clearly in his heart. ¡°i said¡ªhug me.¡± Chapter 2531 - 2531 Thoughts 2531 thoughts in this world, perhaps there were no more bewitching words than this. something seemed to be rumbling in his mind. almost without hesitation, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms. he stared at her closely and said, ¡°you just said that you¡¯d return my sword to me¡­¡± ¡°what do i need your sword for?¡± xiao ba blinked, and the smile on her lips deepened. one of her hands slid down, and she pressed it against his hard chest. yan qing held his breath. ¡°i want to lean against here.¡± with a thin layer of clothes between her hand and his chest, she could still feel his heart beating violently. she hooked her fingers and slowly lowered them until they touched his firm abs. yan qing tensed up. ¡°i want to touch it.¡± she inched closer, her entire person almost merging into his arms. the fragrance that only belonged to her spread out, as if it was weaving an invisible net that easily bound him. he didn¡¯t want to, nor was he willing to struggle free. he just wanted to stay here and let her do whatever she wanted. her hand gently clung to him as she looked up. yan qing suddenly felt that his neck was numb and itchy. she went close to his neck and bit the button of his collar. it was the button that she had just buttoned up personally. he didn¡¯t see her move much, but he felt his collar loosen. that button didn¡¯t resist at all as she easily undid it. the collar was slightly open. when she breathed, the hot breath landed on his collarbone and neck, causing a small tremble. it was itchy and hot. she moved even closer. her red lips parted slightly, and her pearly white lips gently bit and rubbed against the adam¡¯s apple. ¡°i want to bite this.¡± her voice was a little vague, but because she was so close, it entered his mind very clearly. he took a deep breath in and finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. he grabbed her chin, lowered his head, and kissed her fiercely. xiao ba originally wanted to tease him, but she didn¡¯t expect him to move so quickly. sensing the dangerous aura on his body, she gasped and turned to run. however, how could she be yan qing¡¯s match? before she could take a step out, he picked her up and held her tightly in his arms. almost without hesitation, he pried open her lips and attacked her. xiao ba¡¯s legs went weak, and she could only wrap her arms around his neck. however, she was worried that she would touch his wound again. she couldn¡¯t retaliate at all and let him do whatever he wanted. she struggled and clutched his collar, her syllables vague. ¡°mm¡­ you¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re not sorry now¡­¡± yan qing paused, and his voice was terrifyingly low and hoarse. ¡°previously, i said sorry because i have much more thoughts in my heart than what i did.¡± xiao ba was stunned for a moment. then, she suddenly realized something, and her face turned red. ¡°you¡­¡± he leaned over and slowly asked, ¡°do you want to know about those areas you pointed out?¡± ¡­ xiao ba didn¡¯t know what the left divine general was thinking as his wound opened again. helpless, she treated his wound again. this torture lasted for a long time. in the room, the lights burned brightly. the two of them sat together and looked at each other¡¯s shadows intimately. xiao ba retracted her hand and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°done!¡± this time, she didn¡¯t dare to touch any other parts of yan qing¡¯s body other than his wound. if not, she was really worried that his wound wouldn¡¯t recover. there seemed to be a flirtatious aura in the air. yan qing looked at her. after thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°it¡¯s late. i¡¯ll send you back to rest.¡± xiao ba glared at him. ¡°you¡¯re chasing me away?¡± yan qing paused. ¡°we haven¡¯t decided on our status yet. besides, if you stay here the entire night¡­ i won¡¯t have to sleep the entire night.¡± ¡°oh.¡± xiao ba stopped. that makes sense¡­ ¡°then¡­ aiya!¡± originally, she wanted to nod in agreement and get up to leave, but she suddenly thought of something and yelled. yan qing¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± xiao ba pouted and covered her face. ¡°i just clarified it with big brother and the rest not long ago¡­¡± in the blink of an eye, i¡¯m with yan qing again. this¡ª she vaguely felt that her face hurt. besides, her instincts told her that yan qing wouldn¡¯t have a good time in the future. yan qing didn¡¯t really care about this. he was thinking of something else. ¡°i¡¯ll go see the emperor and goddess yue tomorrow. as for lin zhifei, i¡¯ll get someone else to replace you.¡± upon hearing this, xiao ba couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°brother yan qing, do you care so much?¡± unexpectedly, yan qing nodded. ¡°my injuries can be worse than his. if you must personally take care of someone, then¡­ that person can only be me.¡± xiao ba was stunned. then, she wrinkled her nose and wanted to say something to him. seeing his handsome and serious face, she swallowed her remaining words and snorted softly. ¡°then, let jian fengchi think for himself.¡± on the other end, jian fengchi¡ªwho was thinking about the formula¡ªhad his eyelids harshly twitch. he touched his eyes. ¡°why do i suddenly feel so uneasy?¡± at this moment, he had no idea that he had been heartlessly abandoned. ¡­ xiao ba stood up and prepared to leave. yan qing went to send her off. the moon was high in the sky, and it was the deepest part of the night. the night wind blew, and the shadows of the trees danced. the two of them walked side by side, their shadows lengthened by the moonlight. the surroundings were silent and a little cold. xiao ba looked up, but she felt that her face was still vaguely hot. yan qing held her hand. as he practiced the sword all year round, his palm had calluses, which were completely different from her soft hands. but at this moment, the feeling of friction was as real as ever. no one said anything, but they didn¡¯t feel cold. xiao ba recalled today¡¯s incident in her mind. before this, she would never have thought that there would be such a thrilling and hot night. it was like a dream. time seemed to pass especially quickly on the way. xiao ba felt that she was swaying. when she came back to her senses, she was already at her door. ¡°rest well,¡± said yan qing. xiao ba nodded, glanced at the sky, and pouted slightly. ¡°it¡¯s all your fault for making me sleep so late today. i¡¯m going to have dark circles tomorrow.¡± yan qing looked at her. after a moment, he shook his head and said, ¡°you won¡¯t. you¡¯re the prettiest no matter what.¡± xiao ba¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°since when did the left divine general say such words?¡± however, yan qing looked serious. ¡°back then, you asked the left divine general who he would think was prettier between you and shu jing. now, the answer is¡ªyou¡¯re prettier.¡± xiao ba was slightly stunned. ¡°you even asked if the left divine general would be reluctant to punish you when he saw you. his answer is the same¡ªunwilling.¡± even though he didn¡¯t confess his identity that day, these words were from his heart. xiao ba muttered, ¡°i-i know you all have your own difficulties¡­¡± back then, she felt that she had been lied to and was angry. but after thinking about it carefully, she didn¡¯t mind it so much. she didn¡¯t expect his explanation to come. ¡°but you still suffered grievances, right?¡± his gaze was clear and sincere. even if some things were in the past¡­ as long as she cared, he would explain them one by one and smoothen everything for her. xiao ba¡¯s gaze flickered. she held his hand and leaned in, chuckling softly. ¡°brother yan qing, it¡¯s not good for you to do this.¡± yan qing was slightly dazed. right on the heels of that, he heard her softly say, ¡°you have to recuperate well. perhaps i also want to know what you were thinking about just now.¡± her eyes were bright, cunning, and extremely charming. she didn¡¯t say anything. she only opened her red lips and silently said, ¡°even if you don¡¯t say it, you can show it to me.¡± Chapter 2532 - 2532 Side Story 36: Efficiency 2532 side story 36: efficiency that night, it was clear and bright. some people were in a mess, the roses swayed, and others couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡­ probably because she was really tired, but xiao ba slept deeply for once. when she woke up in the morning and thought of what happened last night, it still felt like a dream. she instinctively touched her lips¡ªthey were slightly swollen and hurt. only then did she confirm that everything that had happened yesterday had really happened. her face instantly turned red, and even her ears burned. ¡°ah¡ª¡± she whimpered softly and placed her slightly cold hand on her face. coldness and warmth overlapped, mixed with an intense heartbeat, one after another. how did i say those words last night? she didn¡¯t notice it at the time, but now that she thought about it, she was filled with shyness and embarrassment. she dawdled as she brushed her hair. she recalled that he had also held the back of her head last night, his fingers passing through her hair and intertwining. she looked at the person in the mirror and saw the woman inside. her face was red, and her eyes were sparkling. she was really¡ª she thought of something, and her cheeks burned. there seemed to be a warmth that surged from the bottom of her heart and quickly spread around her. in a daze, she couldn¡¯t help but think that with clothes between them, it indeed couldn¡¯t be compared to the feeling of touching him personally. realizing that she was thinking in an uncontrollable direction, xiao ba coughed and softly advised herself, ¡°¡­everyone loves beauty¡­¡± with this thought in mind, she got up to take a bath and changed her clothes. after tidying herself up, she walked out magnificently. ¡­ jian fengchi was waiting for xiao ba to come over. he had been standing guard by lin zhifei¡¯s bed the entire night. actually, at their cultivation level, it was fine if they didn¡¯t sleep for ten days or half a month. however, xiao ba was more sleepy and had always taken sleep very seriously. looking at the sun gradually rising outside, jian fengchi leaned against the chair and leisurely fanned himself. ¡°sigh, it seems like this lady overslept again¡­¡± as expected. jian fengchi thought, i¡¯ll just wait a little longer then. in the end, no one came over at noon. he helped lin zhifei change his dressing and looked outside. ¡°she can sleep so well?¡± time passed quickly, and it was already the afternoon. jian fengchi couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. it isn¡¯t a big deal for me to take care of lin zhifei myself, but she should at least inform me, right? besides, mu hongyu and i agreed to go to the medicinal mountain today. for this battle, i tortured mu hongyu for half a month! if i break my promise just like that¡­ jian fengchi¡¯s temples throbbed faintly. at this moment, a cough came from the side. he turned around and was rather surprised. lin zhifei, who had been unconscious on the bed for a long time, actually opened his eyes and woke up. jian fengchi walked over. ¡°you¡¯re awake?¡± lin zhifei reacted for a while. when his vision became clear, he then recognized jian fengchi. ¡°young master jian, young master jian, here¡­¡± ¡°this is the fantasy divine hall. yan qing brought you back.¡± jian fengchi¡¯s words were brief. ¡°xiao ba and i took turns to take care of you, but she¡¯s late today. how are you feeling?¡± lin zhifei woke up earlier than expected. this also proved that he had passed the most critical period. his face was pale, but his eyes were clear. he looked like he was in good spirits. hearing jian fengchi¡¯s words, he smiled slightly. ¡°i¡¯m fine. thank you.¡± ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re awake. during this period of time, you¡¯ll quickly recover as long as you recuperate here!¡± said jian fengchi with a smile. lin zhifei sized him up and asked, ¡°young master jian, is there something urgent?¡± he was extremely intelligent and good at reading people¡¯s body language. even if jian fengchi didn¡¯t say anything, he could tell what he was thinking. jian fengchi was shocked at first before he coughed. ¡°n-not really¡­ it¡¯s just that i originally had an appointment with a friend. the time is about to be up, but xiao ba hasn¡¯t come yet. she probably won¡¯t be able to make it.¡± as he spoke, he immediately said, ¡°don¡¯t worry. this has nothing to do with you, so don¡¯t take it to heart. after all, your life is more important.¡± lin zhifei looked apologetic. a moment later, he asked, ¡°the friend you¡¯re talking about is mu hongyu?¡± jian fengchi was about to speak when he heard familiar footsteps from outside. right on the heels of that, a graceful figure pushed open the door and entered. ¡°lin zhifei, i¡¯m here to see you!¡± the two people in the room looked over in unison. it was mu hongyu. she was wearing a red dress with large flowering begonias embroidered on the hem with golden thread. she looked lively and bright. the sun was shining brightly. when she came in, she looked as dazzling as ever. surprise flashed across jian fengchi¡¯s eyes. he usually knew how to make a woman happy. usually, a few sentences could make the other party burst with joy. but every time he met mu hongyu, those words seemed to be locked in his throat. he always didn¡¯t know how to describe and praise her. he just felt that this person was too bright and easily filled his gaze. this was especially so today. however, he quickly realized something and squinted his eyes dangerously. she has come to see lin zhifei? ¡°hm, you¡¯re awake?¡± mu hongyu was also quite shocked, and a smile appeared on her face. but from start to end, she didn¡¯t care about jian fengchi. jian fengchi held his fan with his chin. is she angry because i broke my promise? ¡°hongyu, i didn¡¯t purposely break my promise¡­¡± ¡°i know.¡± mu hongyu finally tilted her head, glanced at him, and raised her brows. ¡°xiao ba is busy now and doesn¡¯t have time to help you.¡± jian fengchi was stunned. ¡°what is she busy with?¡± mu hongyu smiled, and her almond-like eyes lit up. ¡°busy¡­ taking care of yan qing.¡± then, she said, ¡°oh right, you still don¡¯t know? he went to liuyue¡¯s side today and asked to marry xiao ba!¡± jian fengchi was stunned. ¡°what? the two of them¡­ are so fast?!¡± mu hongyu shrugged her shoulders and clicked her tongue again. ¡°he¡¯s indeed the emperor¡¯s man. he¡¯s really efficient.¡± jian fengchi suddenly felt his knees hurt. i have a contract and didn¡¯t make any progress at all, yet yan qing is already asking to marry xiao ba?! jian fengchi was very hurt. smiling slightly, lin zhifei looked at him and then at mu hongyu. ¡°hongyu, you didn¡¯t know that i woke up. you didn¡¯t come here to see me, right?¡± Chapter 2533 - 2533 Side Story 37: Marrying In 2533 side story 37: marrying in the left divine general and eighth deity were together. the left divine general even directly proposed to her in front of the palace, and the wedding date was set to be three months later. this news seemed to have wings. in a short period of time, it spread throughout the entire fantasy divine palace. almost everyone was shocked until their eyeballs dropped out. ¡°didn¡¯t they say that the two of them had nothing to do with each other? why did they become a couple in the blink of an eye? they even set their wedding date?!¡± ¡°tsk tsk, it seems like rumors really can¡¯t be completely believed. back at the life-and-death challenge, the left divine general personally saved her. he probably had such thoughts long ago!¡± ¡°i knew it. when the left divine general¡¯s identity was previously unknown, he had once gone to the medicinal mountain with the eighth deity. at that time, from beginning to end, the two of them were holding hands and were extremely intimate! if there was really nothing, with these two people¡¯s characters, would they do this?¡± ¡°hey! eighth deity is so beautiful. left divine general, what kind of luck do you have?¡± ¡°you can¡¯t say that. no matter what, the left divine general is the emperor¡¯s right-hand man. he¡¯s also extremely outstanding in all aspects. besides, i heard that the left divine general is marrying into the family!¡± ¡­ ¡°marry into the family?¡± yu mo was shocked. ¡°what does that mean?¡± yan qing sat at the table and was wiping his sword. hearing his question, he said calmly without looking up, ¡°nothing much. it just means i¡¯m moving house.¡± yu mo reacted for a moment and immediately understood. he raised his voice in disbelief. ¡°you want to move to eighth deity¡¯s residence from here?!¡± the thirteen yue guards belonged to the goddess yue, but he, yan qing, and the rest were subordinates to the emperor and were usually separated. even though they were all in the fantasy divine palace, the boundaries were still very clear. yu mo¡¯s heart ached. ¡°you can bear to leave me alone?!¡± yan qing paused in his actions and glanced at him coldly. hearing this, he really wanted to draw his sword. however, he still held it in and reminded expressionlessly, ¡°tang ke shouldn¡¯t be staying here soon, but yan ge will be accompanying you.¡± yu mo¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he rejected it without thinking. ¡°accompany what!?¡± it¡¯s terrifying just thinking about it! ¡°tang ke is also unreliable.¡± yu mo snorted. ¡°however, he had guarded mr. su for 10,000 years. now that mr. su is finally willing to agree, it¡¯s rare. as for you¡ª¡± yu mo scanned him from head to toe. ¡°tsk.¡± he leaned in closer and had a curious smile on his face. he lowered his voice and asked, ¡°hey, tell me¡ªhow did the eighth deity nod to you in just one night? how did you do it?¡± yan qing glanced at him. actually, he hadn¡¯t done it in one night. it was because his feelings had been accumulated for too long, and he had waited and been tortured for too long. there was only the last layer of window paper between them. thinking of this, he stood up and said, ¡°you don¡¯t understand.¡± yu mo was speechless. i seem to be despised! seeing that yan qing was about to walk out, yu mo instinctively asked, ¡°where are you going?¡± yan qing didn¡¯t stop in his tracks. ¡°i¡¯ll go change the dressing.¡± oh, i¡¯m going to find my wife. yu mo was sure that he was being looked down on! he said sourly, ¡°a married man is a different man. you¡¯re not even married yet, yet you¡¯re running to her every day.¡± yan qing stopped in his tracks. after a while, he said, ¡°where do you think the emperor lives now?¡± yu mo was speechless. that¡¯s right¡ªthe emperor had long moved to the fantasy divine hall and lived with goddess yue. today, he didn¡¯t even return to qingyuan hall! to talk about marrying into the family¡­ it was the emperor paving the way. yu mo grinded his teeth. ¡°it seems that the task of restoring the family¡¯s principles can only rely on me!¡± all of them ran away with their own wife! i¡¯m different. i have to bring mine back to show my status! ¡°right divine general.¡± a soft voice suddenly came from outside. the two of them looked up and saw a lady in a green dress standing at the door¡ªit was lady shi¡¯er. she looked at the two of them in a daze. ¡°what were you talking about just now?¡± ¡°cough!¡± yu mo coughed forcefully. ¡°nothing, nothing. yan qing is planning to find eighth deity.¡± as he spoke, he had already walked over. when he stood in front of lady shi¡¯er, his voice became much lighter. ¡°why are you here today?¡± lady shi¡¯er smiled and took out two small bottles in embarrassment. ¡°my sister said that these two bottles of rong ling pills are very precious and can¡¯t be accepted, so i came over to return them to you.¡± yu mo scratched his head. ¡°n-no. anyway, i don¡¯t need it myself. it¡¯s just nice to give it to you as a snack! besides, how can i take back what i gave away?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± lady shi¡¯er was a little conflicted. yan qing tilted his head, and his gaze landed on the two small jade bottles. his lips twitched. ¡°twelfth deity, these two bottles of rong ling pills were obtained from the emperor after yu mo risked his life to gain merits. there aren¡¯t many in the entire fantasy divine palace. since it¡¯s a token of appreciation, just accept it.¡± yu mo¡¯s forehead throbbed. he turned around and had an expression of being betrayed. what is going on? does he have to be so specific?! how can she accept it after knowing all that? as expected, lady shi¡¯er let out an ¡®ah¡¯ and shoved the item back into his hands determinedly. ¡°t-then, it¡¯s even more impossible.¡± yan qing ignored yu mo¡¯s murderous gaze as he lifted his sword and walked outside. what¡¯s wrong with marrying into the family? at the very least, i can be considered to have entered the family. some people might not even touch the doorstep. when he passed by yu mo, his lips curled up. wordless mockery. the corner of yu mo¡¯s lips twitched, but he couldn¡¯t take action in front of lady shi¡¯er. he could only brave himself and explain,¡±i-i still have a lot¡­¡± ¡°i can¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no use for me to keep it to myself.¡± ¡°but it¡¯s yours. you can use it sooner or later.¡± ¡°you¡ª¡± yu mo held his forehead with a headache. ¡­ godly phoenix mountain. after yi zhao returned, he quickly unlocked the seal and released all his clansmen. the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was protected to the greatest extent. godly phoenix mountain, which had been quiet for a long time, became lively again. as godly phoenix hall was still being renovated, tuan zi lived on a mountain at the side. she had a very fulfilling life every day. as she cultivated, she took care of zi chen and waited for him to wake up. she sat on the stone bench and swung her two small feet, a ball of light floating quietly on the table in front of her. compared to before, the aura of it was much stronger. tuan zi held her chin with both hands. ¡°oh, you should be awake soon¡­¡± ¡°young mistress!¡± a voice sounded. tuan zi turned around and smiled with curved eyes. ¡°yi ming, why are you here?¡± the incoming person was a young man who looked to be 16 or 17 years old. he was slender and handsome. ¡°i¡¯ve said it many times. just call me tuan zi!¡± yi ming smiled with the unique youthfulness and vitality of a young man. he walked to tuan zi. ¡°tuan zi.¡± Chapter 2534 - 2534 Side Story 38: Wake Up 2534 side story 38: wake up tuan zi looked up at him curiously. ¡°why are you looking for me?¡± when she spoke, her big black grape-like eyes flickered, and her voice was crisp and sweet. yi ming¡¯s face inexplicably heated up under her gaze. ¡°n-nothing much. it¡¯s just that¡­ the clan leader gave us a portion of the barrier to repair, but it¡¯s almost time, and there¡¯s still a lot of progress to go, so¡­ everyone wants you to help guide us.¡± although yi zhao had already tried his best to protect godly phoenix mountain to the greatest extent, quite a bit of damage was caused during the riot back then, including the barrier of godly phoenix mountain. yi zhao joined forces with the other elders to be in charge of most of it. the remaining small portion was left for the juniors in the clan, wanting to use this opportunity to temper and increase their strength. as the young mistress, tuan zi had the purest bloodline and had already opened all nine meridians. it was naturally easy for her to deal with these things. yi ming and the others were too embarrassed to ask the elders for help, so they came to ask tuan zi. hearing this, tuan zi nodded in agreement without thinking. ¡°okay!¡± as she spoke, she carefully put away the ball of light and jumped down from the stone stool. ¡°then, let¡¯s go over now!¡± yi ming heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, and the smile on his face relaxed a lot. in the beginning, they didn¡¯t want to come and ask tuan zi for help. young people were young and ambitious after all. they always had a little pride and wanted to rely on their own strength to solve all the problems. it was a pity that the barrier was too complicated. they studied it for a long time and used many methods, but in the end, they only failed again and again. helpless, everyone could only compromise. however, someone had to be the representative when it came to begging. besides, it was to beg tuan zi. she was younger than them, but her status was very noble. naturally, they had some fear and respect in their hearts and didn¡¯t dare to come over. everyone chose and finally decided to let yi ming do it. originally, he was also very embarrassed, but he didn¡¯t expect tuan zi to be much more lively and intimate than he had expected. other than her identity and bloodline, she really didn¡¯t seem any different from an ordinary lady. yi ming felt more at ease and was also a little curious about this young mistress. his gaze landed on her chubby hand, and he asked, ¡°the one inside should be¡ª¡± tuan zi nodded. ¡°it¡¯s zi chen!¡± everyone knew about this. when someone asked, she admitted it frankly. yi ming recalled how she had quietly guarded this ball of light just now, and his heart skipped a beat. anyone could tell that tuan zi was lively and active, but she had great patience when guarding zi chen and waiting for him to wake up. he smiled and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to be so close.¡± tuan zi raised her chin and looked delighted. ¡°of course! zi chen and i have a life-and-death relationship!¡± a few years ago, she had been working hard to defeat zi chen and be the boss. but after this series of events, she had already changed her strategy. as long as zi chen was fine, she could follow him! yi ming looked at her energetic appearance and smiled. ¡­ under yi ming¡¯s leadership, the two of them quickly arrived at another mountain peak. about ten young men and women were standing in the middle of the mountain. they were all the youngest existences in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. seeing yi ming and tuan zi arrive, everyone was faintly excited. ¡°young mistress is here!¡± ¡°he¡¯s actually so fast? it seems like yi ming didn¡¯t spend much effort to invite young mistress over!¡± ¡°i knew it. young mistress is pure and active. she¡¯d definitely be willing to help!¡± as they spoke, tuan zi¡¯s figure flashed, and she was already in front of them. ¡°greetings, young mistress.¡± the crowd bowed in unison. tuan zi waved her small hand and chuckled. ¡°there¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble! you can just call me tuan zi like yi ming!¡± the crowd was rather shocked and secretly exchanged glances. even though tuan zi had already returned for a period of time, she spent most of her time with the clan leader, the elders, and the rest, or she was busy with her own residence and rarely stayed with them. they didn¡¯t expect her to be so carefree in private. some people looked at yi ming. among them, yi ming was the most outstanding one. most of the time, they used yi ming as their backbone. yi ming laughed and pointed ahead. ¡°tuan zi, look¡ªthis is the portion of the barrier that the clan leader asked us to repair. the damage isn¡¯t especially serious, but it¡¯s very complicated to repair. we tried many times, but we didn¡¯t succeed.¡± hearing that he did call her that, everyone immediately felt much more at ease. this young mistress looks very easy to get along with. tuan zi looked in the direction he was pointing. ¡°oh, you¡¯re talking about this!¡± she went on her toes and arrived in front of the barrier. she was petite and looked even smaller in front of the barrier, but when she took action, everyone immediately realized how strong she was! she raised her small hand and drew a few streams of light in midair. the next moment, the surrounding heaven and earth force seemed to be led by this stream of light and silently surged over. even the entire barrier shook gently. right on the heels of that, the few streams of light overturned the damage and quickly transformed into more illusionary light, forming a strange pattern. a thick and shocking suppression faintly exuded from within. in no time, the damaged barrier gradually recovered under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes! gasps could be heard. tuan zi clapped her hands. ¡°there, that¡¯s it. but since clan leader grandpa said that he wants you to deal with it, i¡¯ll repair this small piece! i¡¯ll leave the rest to you, is that okay?¡± of course, no one would object. tuan zi¡¯s previous demonstration had already given them great inspiration. yi ming gave her a thumbs-up. ¡°tuan zi, you¡¯re amazing.¡± once he said this, the crowd started praising her. ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! so this method can be used. we actually didn¡¯t think of it before!¡± ¡°i really have to thank tuan zi!¡± ¡°tuan zi, do you think i¡¯m doing this right?¡± the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan had always reached adulthood by the age of 100. once they transformed into human form, they would look at least 15 or 16 years old. there was really no one like tuan zi, who looked like she was four or five years old. it was precisely because of this that everyone was even more curious about her. during the period when tuan zi came back, she had long become the focus of everyone¡¯s discussions. but because of her status as the young mistress, no one dared to approach her. now that they came into contact with her, they realized that she didn¡¯t put on any airs at all. after all, she was still young, so everyone quickly warmed up to her. tuan zi nodded with a smile. suddenly, a ripple came from her arms. she was shocked and hurriedly took out the ball of light. inside, light circulated, and the aura was rapidly intensifying! Chapter 2535 - 2535 Side Story 39: Senior? 2535 side story 39: senior? tuan zi¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and her heart beat wildly. zi chen! is he about to wake up?! when the surrounding dozen or so young men and women saw this, they were also taken aback by the suppression and retreated respectively. as they did so, they stared at the ball of light in shock and fear. right on the heels of that, purplish-golden light overflowed in the ball of light! the surrounding heaven and earth force started crazily gathering here! the pine trees swayed, and clouds gathered. the next moment, the ball of light shattered and a stream of light flew out! right on the heels of that, a tall figure appeared in front of everyone! in the beginning, it was just an apparition. but soon, the shattered ball of light actually transformed into specks of light and fused with the apparition. a terrifying and powerful pressure descended! a strange pattern appeared between that person¡¯s eyebrows and gradually condensed. it was like some kind of totem, or a vertical eye that was suffused with a rich purplish-gold color. amidst its elegance, there was a hint of flirtatiousness. his figure gradually solidified. tuan zi widened her black grape-like eyes and stared at him without blinking. that ball of light had a¡¯yue¡¯s strength. once zi chen¡¯s soul woke up, it could help him condense his body again. she thought that she had to wait for a long time, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be done so quickly! the others present were also shocked by this sudden scene. they were speechless and watched nervously. finally, the last bit of broken light completely fused into his body. at this point, his soul recovered, and his body reformed! he opened his eyes. it was a man who looked to be 28 or 29 years old. he was handsome and cold, with a natural charm. his black robe outlined his tall and slender figure. his eyes were cold, and his aura was outstanding. the surrounding young men and women were dazed. they long knew that the light ball that their young mistress lovingly protected every day contained a legendary three-eyed eagle¡¯s soul. that was also goddess yue¡¯s other legendary fiend. an existence that could be chosen by goddess yue was naturally not simple, especially when they heard that this legendary three-eyed eagle had an extremely close relationship with the great phoenix dragon clan leader, miao zhen. with such an identity and background, even the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡ªwhich had always been high and mighty¡ªdidn¡¯t dare to underestimate him at all. not to mention that their young mistress cared about this person the most. it was suspected that she would wait hundreds or thousands of years for him and guard his soul every day. however, it hadn¡¯t taken that long¡ªthis person actually woke up today! what surprised them even more was that this person¡­ no matter if it were his strength, suppression or his magnificent appearance, he was actually so¡­ outstanding. sensing the shocking aura, everyone¡¯s hearts immediately skipped a beat, and their attitudes became even more respectful and polite. the few young girls¡¯ faces were still slightly red. ¡°zi chen!¡± tuan zi had been staring closely and waiting. seeing that zi chen had really appeared in front of her unscathed again, the joy in her heart was difficult to suppress, and she yelled excitedly. zi chen looked at the little girl not far away. her fair and soft face was filled with a bright smile. her big watery eyes were curved, as if stars were shining in them. it was exactly the same as what he remembered. he lowered his body and reached out toward the little girl. ¡°tuan zi, come over.¡± tuan zi screamed and hurriedly ran over, jumping into his arms. she hugged his shoulders tightly and was so happy that she didn¡¯t know what to do. her adorable face was also covered in a faint red color, like a soft peach. ¡°zi chen! zi chen, you¡¯re finally awake! you don¡¯t know how long i¡¯ve been waiting!¡± as tuan zi spoke, she reached out, squeezed his shoulders, touched his collarbone, and patted his arm. the touch under her palm was firm and real, with a tinge of warmth. it was completely different from the hard and cold ball of light she held every day. this was zi chen! this was a living zi chen! zi chen was rendered rather helpless by her series of actions. her soft hand landed on his body, as if she were tickling him. he grabbed her small hand and was about to make her behave when he saw that the eyes of the girl in his arms were red. zi chen paused in his actions. the words in his throat suddenly got stuck, and he couldn¡¯t say them. tuan zi¡¯s eyes were red, and her small mouth pouted as if she wanted to hold back her tears. zi chen let go of her hand and patted her back. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m fine.¡± although he had indeed suffered extremely serious injuries previously, and his soul had almost scattered, he was still safe and sound in the end. ¡°wuwuwu¡­ wa!¡± tuan zi finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore, as she lay on his shoulders and cried loudly. her cries were loud, as if she was extremely aggrieved. zi chen frowned, but he could only hug her tighter and slowly pat her back to help her calm down. tuan zi clutched his clothes with both hands and cried uncontrollably. although on the surface, she looked as lively as before, as if there was no difference¡­ only she knew how she survived these days and nights. zi chen almost lost his life to help her. previously, zi chen had already saved her from danger several times. she had been thinking about it. it wasn¡¯t easy for her to open her ninth meridian, but she still couldn¡¯t protect him well. if zi chen really died like this, she would feel terrible for the rest of her life. hence, she waited day and night, hoping that zi chen could wake up early. luckily¡­ luckily, this day had finally come! the stone in her heart had finally been lifted after all these days, and she relaxed a lot. leaning in zi chen¡¯s arms, feeling his aura and hearing his voice, she finally confirmed that he was back! this feeling was indescribable. apart from a¡¯yue, the closest person to tuan zi was actually zi chen. although she was never convinced of him in the past and challenged him to a one-on-one battle time and time again, in actual fact, they supported each other and were close to each other through life-and-death experiences. she was actually quite dependent on zi chen. now, he was finally better! yi ming and the others, who were watching, were also stunned. who would¡¯ve thought that at that young age, she had already been reborn from the flames and opened her ninth meridian to help goddess yue snatch back fantasy divine hall? however, the greatest pride of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan was actually¡­ a crybaby? in the past, they only saw her as lively, proud, cute, and charming. who had ever seen her so soft and pitiful, lying on someone and crying? it was obvious that she cared and trusted this person very much. zi chen sighed lightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything. he only hugged her and let her cry to her heart¡¯s content. after a while, her sobbing gradually subsided. after venting all the grievances and sorrow in her heart, tuan zi gradually returned to her senses. realizing that her appearance was rather humiliating, her face turned red as she looked up at zi chen. ¡°are you done crying?¡± zi chen looked at her and asked. tuan zi touched his shirt that was wrinkled from her cries and softly said, ¡°¡­yes.¡± at this moment, a clear young man¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. ¡°senior zi chen, it¡¯s great that you can wake up. during this period of time, tuan zi has been guarding you day and night.¡± upon hearing this, zi chen¡¯s glabella twitched. Chapter 2536 - 2536 Side Story 40: What Kind of Lady does He Like 2536 side story 40: what kind of lady does he like he looked toward the person talking¡ªa handsome, tall, and young man who was either sixteen or seventeen years old. it was yi ming, who previously invited tuan zi. with his age and background, it was appropriate for him to address zi chen as ¡®senior.¡¯ however, zi chen felt upset when he heard it. ¡°i have stayed with tuan zi for many years, and we¡¯re as close as family. you don¡¯t have to be this polite,¡± said zi chen lightly. tuan zi stayed beside him and hugged his arm, nodding readily. ¡°yeah, yeah! zi chen and i are very close! you can just directly address him by his name!¡± if they call him senior, how should they calculate my seniority? yi ming was dazed for a moment but quickly revealed a smile. ¡°yes.¡± since these two people had said that, then they naturally had no reason to refute. zi chen looked at tuan zi and wiped her tears, scrutinizing her small face as he did so. perhaps she had suffered while guarding him, but her originally chubby face had slimmed down, showing her sharp chin. there were also patches of black below her eyes. ¡°you didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± he asked with the same light expression. tuan zi shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m not tired, i¡¯m not tired!¡± however, she yawned. zi chen raised his brows. tuan zi instantly covered her mouth and was embarrassed. in the beginning, she was not very tired. but now that zi chen woke up, she finally relaxed, and her entire person unwittingly loosened up. the lethargy overwhelmed her. ¡°i¡¯ll send you to rest,¡± said zi chen as he carried her and walked back. yi ming and the rest exchanged glances. tuan zi just came¡­ ¡°huh? i¡¯m fine¡­¡± tuan zi was still thinking of the barrier as she rested her chin on his shoulders, her voice soft. ¡°barrier, barrier¡­¡± zi chen turned around and looked at the crowd. ¡°i¡¯ll teach whoever hasn¡¯t learned yet.¡± no matter what, i have to send tuan zi back to rest first. the crowd hurriedly waved their hands. ¡°we got it¡ªwe all got it! tuan zi is so tired, so she should go back and rest properly!¡± ¡°yeah, yeah! we can do it ourselves!¡± tuan zi¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°i haven¡¯t played properly yet¡­¡± her love for playing had been suppressed during this time. now that it was finally unleashed, she wanted to stay with yi ming and the rest. however, her body did not allow for it, and zi chen¡¯s arms were warm and thick. the familiar aura wrapped her, and she could not help but be tired. looking at tuan zi¡¯s small face with hints of lethargy, yi ming¡¯s heart also hurt. he smiled at tuan zi and said, ¡°tuan zi, go back and rest first. when you¡¯re energized, we¡¯ll play with you.¡± tuan zi heard it and was elated. her eyes curved up as she smiled. ¡°okay!¡± the duo¡¯s figures gradually went far away. after a while, the crowd finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°whew¡­ this sir is amazing. he just stood there, and his suppression was suffocating!¡± ¡°yeah! he is goddess yue¡¯s legendary fiend¡­ he¡¯s indeed different. besides, his body has the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s bloodline. it doesn¡¯t lose out to us at all.¡± not only did he not lose, but they did not even dare to speak a word in front of zi chen. ¡°but tuan zi is the same too, yet there¡¯s no such suppression from her.¡± ¡°i heard that zi chen used to be the legendary three-eyed eagle clan leader. he was harsh and decisive, so he naturally trained for it. as for tuan zi, she has followed goddess yue since she was young and hasn¡¯t grown up yet. of course, they¡¯re different!¡± ¡°but even though zi chen looked cold, he treated tuan zi very nicely¡­¡± the few ladies discussed softly, and there was a faint blush on their faces as their eyes lit up. not to mention other aspects, but zi chen¡¯s looks were superior. he had the maturity and stability that young people did not have, as if everything was under his control. even tuan zi was especially obedient in front of him. such an aura was an especially lethal attraction to some women. it was no wonder they just took a few glances and already secretly admired zi chen, even though they did not even speak to him. ¡°what type do you think he likes?¡± some girls whispered with red faces. yi ming glanced at them helplessly. that person doesn¡¯t look like he is to be trifled with. previously, he did not even give them another glance. their intentions are for naught. he shook his head. ¡°let¡¯s repair the barrier first! don¡¯t let tuan zi laugh at us later.¡± ¡­ zi chen carried tuan zi and walked back. he held the back of her head and adjusted her body into a more comfortable position. she was a small ball, and she felt as light as a feather in his arms. though she was soft, she pressed on his heart heavily. he glanced down at her and slightly furrowed his brows when he thought of the scene at the fantasy divine hall. he never wanted to experience such a scene again. luckily, her body was warm, and her eyes were lively. he held her even tighter. tuan zi smacked her lips and clutched his clothes to speak. ¡°zi chen, why did you wake up so quickly? i thought i had to wait for a long time¡­¡± as if unaffected, zi chen retracted his gaze and looked to the front. ¡°the time is up, so i naturally woke up.¡± he had already recovered his consciousness long ago and could sense the commotion outside, including her cries, her laughter, and her mutters. he did not want her to wait for too long because the girl would be too pitiful in that scenario. ¡°oh, amazing!¡± tuan zi praised him and continued, ¡°a¡¯yue definitely knows too! when we¡¯re done with the matters here, we have to go back quickly! oh right, a¡¯yue is pregnant, and they¡¯re twins! i wonder if they¡¯ll be boys or girls¡­¡± she originally wanted to repeat everything that happened after zi chen fell into hibernation, but her voice became softer and softer as she spoke. in the end, she tilted her head and indeed fell asleep in his arms. ¡­ returning to the residence, zi chen came to the house and put tuan zi to bed with extremely light movements. his chest suddenly tightened. he looked down and saw tuan zi¡¯s hands still grabbing his clothes. he held her body with one hand, while the other loosened her grip. however, she suddenly knitted her brows as if she was agitated. terror and nervousness quickly flashed across her face. ¡°no! no¡­¡± it was as if she were afraid of losing something as she gripped his clothes even more tightly. her small body started to tremble. zi chen paused in his actions and guessed that she was having a nightmare. he thought for a moment, hugged her again, and lightly patted the back of her head. ¡°zi chen¡­ dangerous¡­¡± she muttered. her tone was unclear, but tears welled up in her tightly shut eyes. he was dazed. so¡­ she dreamed of him? after a moment, he recovered his senses and wiped away her tears. ¡°be good, tuan zi.¡± his voice was very low but light and warm. it was hard to imagine that such a cold and harsh person would use such a tone to speak. tuan zi¡¯s brows gradually relaxed. he rubbed her small feet. ¡°good girl.¡± Chapter 2537 - 2537 Side Story 41: Does He have Children? 2537 side story 41: does he have children? tuan zi slept especially soundly. when she woke up, it was already the next morning. she opened her eyes and stared at the mesh above her head for a moment. then, she gradually recalled what happened the previous day. oh right, i was going to teach yi ming and the rest how to repair the barrier. in the end, zi chen woke up, and i followed him back. as she thought, a voice sounded. ¡°you¡¯re awake?¡± she turned around and saw zi chen walking in from outside while holding a porcelain plate. the plate had round and pure red berries. she loved eating them. seeing food, tuan zi immediately woke up fully, jumping up from the bed and running over excitedly. ¡°zi chen! are all these for me?!¡± zi chen passed the porcelain plate over. he had no interest in such sour and sweet things, but he knew that tuan zi liked them, so he searched for them. tuan zi happily took the plate and started eating. the pure sour and sweet juices filled her mouth. she squinted her eyes in satisfaction as she exclaimed, ¡°zi chen, you¡¯re so nice!¡± zi chen glanced at her, and the corner of his lips curled up undetectably. he sat at the side. ¡°nobody is fighting with you.¡± as tuan zi ate, she smiled and wanted to stuff her entire face in the plate. when she was about done, she suddenly heard some familiar voices from outside. ¡°tuan zi, are you up?¡± upon hearing this, zi chen paused and looked outside. tuan zi finally looked up and saw more figures from the courtyard¡ªit was yi ming and the rest. she loudly yelled, ¡°i¡¯m awake!¡± as she spoke, she quickly stuffed the remaining few berries into her mouth. her cheeks bulged up, and her voice became unclear. ¡°w-wait¡ª¡± they definitely came to play with me! zi chen narrowed his eyes. ¡°why are you in a hurry? eat slowly.¡± tuan zi broke into a huge smile toward him, her face unable to conceal her excitement. zi chen saw that her lips were stained red, and he faintly felt his head hurt. however, tuan zi had already placed the plate down. she jumped down from the stool and planned to run outside. ¡°zi chen! i¡¯ll go out to play for a while¡ª¡± ¡°come over.¡± zi chen spoke lightly, but he did not allow for rejection. tuan zi looked at him in confusion. ¡°huh? what¡¯s the matter?¡± zi chen stared at her for a moment before he picked her up and came to the copper mirror. this was tuan zi¡¯s dressing table that yi zhao specifically picked for her. she glanced into the mirror and saw her messy look from eating. ¡°ahem¡­¡± she finally became embarrassed. zi chen squeezed the handkerchief from the pot of water he prepared at the side. ¡°look up.¡± tuan zi originally wanted to do it herself, but she looked up obediently. zi chen held her face and wanted to wipe it clean. very quickly, tuan zi recovered her chubby and white appearance. she held zi chen¡¯s hand, grabbed his finger and smiled. ¡°thank you, zi chen!¡± zi chen paused, retracted his hand, and did not speak. he simply threw the handkerchief back into the water before undoing her hair buns. she didn¡¯t sleep still and kept tossing and turning. this caused her hair to be messy. tuan zi also saw her current appearance. she didn¡¯t dare to walk out with a bird nest, so she let zi chen help her. but after some thinking, she looked up at him uneasily. ¡°zi chen, do you know how to tie hair?¡± zi chen flicked her forehead. ¡°don¡¯t casually move.¡± ¡°yes.¡± tuan zi obediently froze on the spot. when yi ming and the rest came in, they saw such a scene. tuan zi sat in front of the dressing table and held her face with both hands as her bare feet swayed in midair. the handsome, tall, and cold man stood behind her and helped her tie her hair. when he moved, the golden bell attached to the string kept making crisp sounds. ¡°ah¡­¡± yi ming and the rest immediately stopped in their tracks and were more nervous and restrained. ¡°z-zi chen, you¡¯re here too?¡± the people behind pushed forward, and yi ming helplessly walked to the front as he scratched his head in embarrassment. tuan zi¡¯s courtyard was quite big. they all thought that tuan zi was here herself, so they ran over excitedly. who knew zi chen was around and he was combing tuan zi¡¯s hair!? this scene looked¡­ rather weird, but probably because zi chen was too calm, it slowly caused one to think that there was nothing wrong. tuan zi saw them from the corner of her eyes and chirped, ¡°you¡¯re here? wait for me, i¡¯ll be done soon!¡± yi ming and the rest hurriedly said, ¡°no hurry.¡± zi chen¡¯s movements were not slow. in no time, he tied two buns for her. tuan zi moved left and right and said, ¡°zi chen, no! i want ribbons.¡± zi chen paused and adjusted. two small ribbons appeared on her head. this time, she was satisfied. she turned and smiled at zi chen. ¡°then, i¡¯ll go out to play!¡± zi chen acknowledged her and took a step back. tuan zi jumped down and ran toward the few of them. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± yi ming said with a smile, ¡°the barrier has been repaired. do you want to take a look?¡± ¡°okay!¡± tuan zi nodded excitedly and walked outside. however, one young woman did not move as she reluctantly asked softly, ¡°zi chen, are you not coming with us?¡± upon hearing this, zi chen paused in his tracks and glanced over. the young girl¡¯s face instantly blushed. after a moment, zi chen lightly said, ¡°no.¡± that young woman immediately looked disappointed. tuan zi came to ease the situation. ¡°zi chen prefers being alone. let¡¯s go ourselves!¡± then, she pulled her and left. although the young woman was reluctant, she could only compromise. the group of them left quickly. zi chen came to the window to sit down. sitting here, he could see the figures of the people leaving when he looked up. he looked for a while before he picked up a book to read. ¡­ tuan zi and the rest ran outside. after leaving that mountain, the few of them relaxed and slowly talked. ¡°tuan zi, zi chen is so nice to you!¡± tuan zi giggled. ¡°of course! we have experienced life and death together!¡± the young woman who asked zi chen earlier held it in, but she still couldn¡¯t hold herself back and softly asked, ¡°tuan zi, why did zi chen help you comb your hair? he seems very well-practiced! does he¡­ have children?¡± as she spoke, she seemed very worried. after all, he was once the clan leader. logically speaking¡ª tuan zi stumbled and almost fell. ¡°how is that possible? he doesn¡¯t even have a wife!¡± that young lady immediately heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°really?¡± ¡°of course!¡± speaking of this, tuan zi¡¯s eyes lit up. one must always return their favors. zi chen has helped her so many times, and now, it¡¯s time for me to settle his lifelong matter! Chapter 2538 - 2538 Side Story 42: Be Honest 2538 side story 42: be honest zi chen discovered that more and more people came to play with tuan zi. in the beginning, they were the youngest fifteen or sixteen year-old ladies. slowly, more and more come. additionally, there were many young ladies. even though the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s bloodline was not prosperous, there were quite a few of them. as they had long lives, they could maintain their young appearance for quite some time. after these ladies came, they didn¡¯t frequently bring tuan zi out and stayed behind with tuan zi for half a day. of course, zi chen was also around, and they kept talking to zi chen from time to time. actually, they had many topics to talk to zi chen about. he was the legendary three-eyed eagle clan leader, and he had half of miao zhen¡¯s bloodline power. he was also goddess yue¡¯s legendary three-eyed eagle. with so many layers of halos, he was flawless. even if he had always been humble and discreet, he could not hide the glory and pride that belonged to him. even the high and mighty red-gold heavenly phoenix clan admired and respected him. it was a pity that zi chen was not interested. his personality was very cold, and he rarely spoke. he was usually expressionless, and his entire body exuded a ¡®don¡¯t come near¡¯ aura. but the more he behaved in this manner, the more the ladies liked him. it was fine even if they sat together and took a few glances. zi chen gradually became annoyed. today, another lady around eighteen or nineteen years old came. she was very pretty and gentle. tuan zi pulled her over and excitedly introduced her to zi chen. ¡°zi chen, this is sister yi fu! she has been cultivating recently and just broke through yesterday. she has already opened her sixth meridian!¡± this was a new black horse amongst the younger generation of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. one had to know that other than yi zhao who previously opened his eighth meridian when he woke up, the most capable people out of the remaining clansmen was yi yu and the other elders who opened their sixth meridian. yi fu was very young, but she had already achieved this. she was not to be underestimated. zi chen sat at the front. tuan zi sat on his right, and yi fu sat on his left. tuan zi swayed her legs and looked at zi chen while holding her chin. she continuously blinked. ¡°zi chen, isn¡¯t sister yi fu amazing?¡± zi chen picked up his teacup and sipped on it without speaking. sixth meridian¡­ to an average person, it was indeed decent. however, he was not average. he had experienced too much and would not take such a ¡®genius¡¯ into consideration. in actual fact, as he woke up, miao zhen had already been led to open his eighth meridian. however, tuan zi did not know of this. yi fu sat at the side. she glanced at zi chen, and her cheeks blushed slightly, while her heart beat quickly. recently, zi chen had been living at godly phoenix mountain, and his name had spread far and wide. although he spent most of his time here and did not go out, with tuan zi¡¯s help, quite a few ladies had seen him. he had an extraordinary appearance. in the clan, those who were young had no charm, and those with charm had no looks. the key was¡­ his aura. such a thing was arbitrary and could not be pinpointed. even if some people did not say a thing, they could stand at a side and be eye-catching. zi chen was coincidentally such a person. if not, the distinguished ladies of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan would not willingly chase after him. yi fu smiled shyly and did not take zi chen¡¯s cold expression to heart. during this period, they knew that zi chen behaved in such a manner. other than his extraordinary patience toward tuan zi, he could not be bothered to speak to the rest. ¡°no, tuan zi is the best.¡± upon hearing this, before tuan zi said anything, zi chen continued speaking for once. ¡°she is the best.¡± reincarnated, opened her ninth meridian, and experienced life and death with goddess yue. such an existence was naturally worthy of this praise. tuan zi was stunned. how did the topic get to me? yi fu was shocked for a moment, but she quickly recovered her senses and went with zi chen¡¯s praise. ¡°yeah, tuan zi has always been our dream goal.¡± before tuan zi could speak, zi chen nonchalantly said, ¡°then, you¡¯re still quite far from this goal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± yi fu¡¯s face turned even redder. however, she wasn¡¯t shy this time but embarrassed. she was very smart and could tell what zi chen meant¡ªhe meant that she was not capable enough. ever since she opened her sixth meridian, her status in the clan rapidly improved, and she received praises everywhere. this was the first time someone told her to her face that she was not good enough. the lady¡¯s skin was thin, and she felt very awkward. tuan zi was anxious from looking by the side. what¡¯s going on? sister yi fu is already the most outstanding one from the younger generation in the clan! she¡¯s talented, has good looks, and has always been gentle. why doesn¡¯t zi chen like her? tuan zi secretly clenched her fists. it¡¯s okay! zi chen has always been alone and probably doesn¡¯t know how to woo girls. i should try for him! thinking of this, tuan zi excitedly asked, ¡°i heard that the flowers at phoenix godly mountain are blooming soon. they bloom once in a hundred years, and it¡¯s very beautiful! it¡¯s a pity that they only bloom at night and only for 15 minutes. it¡¯s very rare. zi chen, sister yi fu, do you want to look at it together at night?¡± ¡°okay¡ª¡± ¡°no.¡± before yi fu could finish, zi chen rejected without hesitation. the area instantly fell silent. tuan zi was dazed and crazily gave zi chen looks. what are you saying!? quickly grab the opportunity! zi chen glanced at her and understood. then, his thin lips curled up into a smile. he almost never smiled. now, although it curved up at such a slight angle, it had the cold, impudent, and sinister aura. this smile was bedazzling. tuan zi knew that zi chen had been trapped in the heavenly square cauldron for a thousand years. he was once very violent and cunning, but after he followed chu liuyue, he slowly lost his harshness. however, it did leave behind some scars. whatever that happened before left behind their marks. zi chen usually hid it very well, but in actual fact, the depths of his heart was still¡­ tuan zi couldn¡¯t pinpoint the feeling because zi chen had never treated her in such a manner. now that she saw him reveal such an expression, she found it strange. then, she heard zi chen ask, ¡°miss yi fu, do you really want to go?¡± yi fu¡¯s originally defeated heart lit up again, and she looked at him with hope. ¡°yeah. that scenery is really rare¡­¡± ¡°if i were miss yi fu, i wouldn¡¯t waste my time and energy on such irrelevant matters. i¡¯d work hard in cultivating to work toward my goal.¡± his voice was nonchalant. he didn¡¯t even look at her, as if he did not see her understanding expression. ¡°if not, the difference will¡­ just get bigger.¡± he spoke calmly, but yi fu felt very awkward. she stood up in panic and acknowledged zi chen¡¯s words before leaving in a hurry. seeing her face flush red, tuan zi immediately wanted to chase after her. ¡°sister yi fu!¡± before she ran out, her collar was lifted. ¡°yi tuan.¡± the cold and low voice came from the top of her head. this was the first time he called her by her full name. ¡°be more honest.¡± Chapter 2539 - 2539 Side Story 43: Cant See 2539 side story 43: can¡¯t see tuan zi turned around with much difficulty and was rather pitiful. ¡°i-i did this for you!¡± zi chen grunted coldly and let her go. ¡°use your thoughts on yourself.¡± then, he turned around to leave. tuan zi hurriedly followed. ¡°zi chen, why don¡¯t you like sister yi fu? she¡¯s so pretty! a-and those sisters previously, don¡¯t you like them?¡± he¡¯s too hard to serve! zi chen paused in his tracks and lowered his head to glance at her. ¡°i have to like those pretty ones?¡± tuan zi was stumped and felt guilty by his look. ¡°uh, um¡­ not really¡­¡± there were many pretty ladies in the world, but he could not have them all. she scratched her head. ¡°b-but you¡¯re already so old. aren¡¯t you going to marry¡ª¡± zi chen glanced at her lightly. ¡°what did you say?¡± tuan zi¡¯s eyes widened as she said confidently, ¡°i-i said that your suave and handsome appearance has attracted many ladies. you¡¯re amazing!¡± zi chen pressed her forehead. ¡°if you do such things again, i¡¯ll return to the fantasy divine palace first.¡± tuan zi¡¯s face fell. ¡°yes.¡± won¡¯t it be very boring if i¡¯m left here alone? zi chen warned the lady. then, he retracted his gaze in satisfaction and walked forward. the moment he took two steps forward, he suddenly thought of something. he stopped in his tracks and turned around. tuan zi felt confused by his gaze and touched her own face. ¡°zi chen, why are you looking at me like this? is there something on my face?¡± zi chen looked at her and paused slightly. ¡°tuan zi, did you¡­ grow taller?¡± ¡­ ¡°wow, tuan zi grew by 2.3 inches!¡± elder yi yu carried her up and carefully scrutinized her before giving an affirmative answer. ¡°you did grow taller!¡± tuan zi was excited, and her face blushed. ¡°really?!¡± she had turned into human form for a long time, but she still maintained the same appearance. this led her to think that she would always be small. elder yi yu pinched her nose. ¡°of course! grandpa yi yu remembers every single thing about you clearly!¡± feeling the authoritative gaze on his hand, yi yu turned around and saw yi zhao looking at his¡­ hand expressionlessly. yi yu¡¯s lips twitched, and he immediately retracted his hand sensibly. tsk, he only allows himself to be nice to tuan zi. yi zhao beckoned toward tuan zi. tuan zi ran over with her short legs. ¡°clan leader grandpa, am i going to grow very tall soon?¡± when yi zhao looked at her, his expression was especially gentle with a rare hint of love. ¡°it shouldn¡¯t be like this normally, but perhaps you opened your ninth meridian and was influenced by your bloodline power. thus, you grew quicker.¡± tuan zi was elated as she turned around and yelled at zi chen, ¡°zi chen, did you hear that? i¡¯ll be tall real soon! perhaps i¡¯ll be as tall as you!¡± zi chen: ¡°¡­try hard then.¡± yi zhao ruffled tuan zi¡¯s hair and said, ¡°previously, you were very busy, so i didn¡¯t speak. bbut since zi chen has already woken up, then¡­¡± his face seemed hesitant. tuan zi tilted her head and blinked. ¡°clan leader grandpa, do you need my help?¡± yi zhao laughed bitterly and helplessly. i really can¡¯t hide anything from her. ¡°yes.¡± he paused and was wondering how to speak. ¡°you also know that after the evil spirit woke up, godly phoenix hall was implicated. we forcefully relied on the ancestor¡¯s remaining aura to support it. now that the evil spirit is dead, ancestor¡­¡± hearing this, tuan zi¡¯s smile dimmed. she knew that her ancestor had transferred the agreement to her and was completely destroyed during the battle at the fantasy divine palace. then, his aura was naturally no longer around. yi zhao sighed. ¡°now, only you have opened your ninth meridian in the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. i¡¯m afraid we have to use your bloodline power to reform the godly phoenix hall.¡± even though he was the clan leader, only tuan zi could do this. tuan zi¡¯s lips pressed against each other as she nodded seriously. ¡°clan leader grandpa, don¡¯t worry. that¡¯s what i should do! i¡¯ll definitely do it well.¡± the current her had feelings toward the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. she naturally would not reject such a matter and would try her best to perfect it. ¡°but¡­ how should i do it?¡± yi zhao laughed. ¡°go to godly phoenix hall. you will understand the details when you get there.¡± this was the ability in the bloodline. tuan zi immediately agreed. ¡°okay!¡± at this point, zi chen suddenly asked, ¡°clan leader yi zhao, may i know how long tuan zi will take?¡± yi zhao knew that they wanted to return to see goddess yue. he smiled and answered, ¡°not too long. a few months at most.¡± tuan zi was then relieved. ¡°this means that i can still go back in time to see a¡¯yue give birth?¡± she did not want to miss such an important event. ¡°of course. but during this period, you have to stay in godly phoenix hall alone. yi yu and i will guard you from outside.¡± this process might be rather lonely and depressing for the active tuan zi. tuan zi nodded obediently. ¡°clan leader grandpa, don¡¯t worry. i know what to do at the appropriate time.¡± this matter concerned the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. she naturally would not let her guard down. as she spoke, she turned around to look at zi chen. ¡°zi chen, you have to wait for me here too!¡± zi chen nodded nonchalantly. ¡°ok.¡± ¡­ fantasy divine palace. the sun set, and the evening sun cast a light golden glow. in the courtyard, two muscular figures overlapped, and shadows of swords and knives appeared. clang! yu jiu pierced out, and the light-green light cut through the sky and went forward! yan qing¡¯s expression did not change as he blocked himself with his sword. then, with the flick of his wrist, he agilely avoided yu jiu¡¯s sword. whoosh¡ª the two of them fought with short weapons, and sparks flew! yu jiu raised his brows, took a breath, and smiled. ¡°left divine general, your body is recovering quite well. you can almost fight a complete battle with me.¡± yan qing¡¯s aura was more stable than his, but a layer of sweat also broke out on his forehead. when he heard this, he lightly said, ¡°weren¡¯t you also there when i fought with fifth deity three days ago?¡± during this period, the thirteen yue guards took turns to deal hands with him, so they knew his condition the best. yu jiu chuckled. ¡°i was just afraid that you were bored from recuperating, so i specifically came to energize you!¡± yan qing did not deny it. he knew clearly what intentions the thirteen yue guards had, but¡­ ¡°you don¡¯t have to do this,¡± said yan qing. ¡°the wedding date has been settled. before that, i won¡¯t be overboard.¡± yu jiu glanced at him and snorted. ¡°you thought that we were defending against you?¡± yan qing: ¡°¡­¡± the moment he said it, the door was pushed open. almost at the same time, yan qing and yu jiu let go and moved backward respectively! xiao ba walked in with a bright smile. ¡°brother yan qing, i¡¯ll help you apply your medication!¡± the two of them turned around simultaneously. xiao ba flew over like a butterfly as she held yan qing¡¯s arm, about to walk in. ¡°hey, your injury isn¡¯t well yet. how can you make such big movements? go in and let me see how your wound is healing¡ª¡± yu jiu¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°eighth sister!¡± xiao ba paused in her tracks, turned around, and looked over in shock. ¡°little nine, why are you here too?¡± yu jiu: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 2540 - 2540 Side Story 44: Im Afraid of Going Back on My Word 2540 side story 44: i¡¯m afraid of going back on my word yu jiu still braved himself and walked over. xiao ba was very upset at this. ¡°yu jiu, your eighth sister has something to do. can you not cause trouble?¡± yu jiu pointed his own nose in disbelief. ¡°eighth sister, when did you see me cause trouble?¡± didn¡¯t i just want to follow them and sit down?! xiao ba glanced at him. ¡°i saw it with my own two eyes.¡± yu jiu: ¡°¡­¡± xiao ba glanced at the sky. ¡°it¡¯s evening. why are you still here?¡± yu jiu asked, ¡°eighth sister, aren¡¯t you here too?¡± xiao ba looked at him strangely. ¡°brother yan qing is injured. haven¡¯t i been taking care of him recently?¡± yu jiu struggled for a moment but still did not say ¡®why do you stay later and later everyday.¡¯ ¡°t-then¡­ i feel quite unwell recently. eighth sister, can you check for me?¡± after some time, yu jiu found such an excuse. xiao ba rejected him mercilessly. ¡°do i look very bored?¡± ¡°¡­¡± at the side, yan qing¡ªwho did not really speak¡ªopened his mouth with much difficulty. ¡°your seventh and eleventh move lacks some energy. you can just train it more.¡± yu jiu¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he instinctively looked at xiao ba. as expected, xiao ba¡¯s expression instantly became dangerous. she smiled.¡±oh, yu jiu, so you came to find brother yan qing to practice your sword?¡± a chill ran down yu jiu¡¯s spine, and he immediately straightened his back. ¡°no, no! j-just¡­ i heard that left divine general¡¯s sword skills were out of this world. i-i specifically came here to ask for guidance. we just dueled for a bit¡ª¡± as he spoke, he held out his finger and gestured ¡®a short time.¡¯ xiao ba smiled even more warmly. ¡°really? you recalled that his sword skills are good, but did you remember that he¡¯s injured?¡± yu jiu instantly felt defeated. ¡°y-yes¡­¡± you keep coming over every day and want to bring the entire medicinal mountain over. who doesn¡¯t know that yan qing is injured!? xiao ba looked down and glanced at her own hands. the pretty manicured nails glowed slightly, and her fingers were very soft. then, she curved her eyes and asked kindly, ¡°yu jiu, if you really wish to practice and elevate your skills¡­ aren¡¯t master¡¯s sword skills amazing too?¡± kuang! yu jiu did not sit stably and slid off his chair. he forcefully supported himself using the table and stood up. ¡°e-eighth sister, who are you kidding? master is pregnant now!¡± if i dare to bring my sword to ask master for ¡®guidance,¡¯ i will definitely come out lying down. the emperor guards master everyday. ¡°oh, you know that too,¡± said xiao ba lazily. following that, she raised her brows and glanced at him. ¡°then, why are you still here?¡± yu jiu was on the brink of tears. ¡°i-i¡¯ll go back now and train diligently!¡± with that, he walked away sadly. at the door, he paused in his tracks and turned around as if he wanted to say something. xiao ba stood up, crossed her arms, and lazily said, ¡°what, do you want me to see you off?¡± ¡°no need!¡± yu jiu was frightened and ran out. seeing him running away in panic, xiao ba snorted and turned around to sit beside yan qing. as she took out the pill, she muttered, ¡°they¡¯re more and more daring¡­¡± looking at her bulging cheeks, yan qing¡¯s lips curled upat an extremely faint angle. ¡°it¡¯s a small matter. why get angry?¡± xiao ba lightly snorted. ¡°do you think i don¡¯t know? big brother and the rest didn¡¯t go easy on you for the past few days, right?¡± of course, cen yi didn¡¯t personally appear, but the thirteen yue guards had a telepathic connection. she just had to think to know that this was their uniform opinion. every day, xiao ba knew that they kept finding yan qing to ¡®duel.¡¯ yan qing shook his head. ¡°they¡¯re not putting me in a spot.¡± xiao ba glared at him. ¡°you don¡¯t have to put in a good word for them because of me. do you think i don¡¯t know them?¡± yan qing paused and then said, ¡°i mean¡­ i can handle that bit of ¡®dueling,¡¯ so it¡¯s not difficult for me. besides¡­¡± he looked at the lady beside him. the evening sun shone in from the windows and cast a warm light, which outlined her curves. every inch, every area was beyond perfect. even her brows had few rare hints of gentleness. they seemed unreachable, yet they were right before him. the lady the thirteen yue guard cherished for so many years had now become his. it was no wonder they acted in this manner. if it were him, he definitely would be reluctant. originally, xiao ba was quite upset. after all, her heart ached for her own man. but seeing that he did not seem injured, her displeasure quickly dissipated. detecting yan qing¡¯s gaze, her face strangely started to burn, and she stopped her actions. ¡°why are you looking at me?¡± she pouted. ¡°clothes.¡± yan qing touched the button at his collar with one hand. during this time, xiao ba was indeed in charge of his injury. as his defined finger unbuttoned his shirt, he saw xiao ba reach out and press her hand against his forehead. ¡°see, so much sweat.¡± yan qing paused. however, xiao ba did not seem to realize as she pouted while muttering, ¡°if you fight too aggressively, what will happen if your injury gets infected and you have a fever?¡± yan qing looked up at her with a slightly deep gaze. ¡°don¡¯t worry. my body has always been well.¡± xiao ba retracted her hand and touched his face with her soft fingers. she grunted. ¡°my heart hurts.¡± yan qing¡¯s breathing paused. then, he buttoned his shirt again. xiao ba was dazed. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± yan qing stood up and picked up the sword at the side. ¡°nothing. i just feel that i didn¡¯t finish the duel with ninth deity properly. i should continue.¡± xiao ba was confused. ¡°huh?¡± again? i¡¯ve chased him away. she stood up and instinctively pulled yan qing¡¯s sleeves. ¡®you really want to go out? your wound¡ª¡± ¡°my wound is fine. it has healed.¡± yan qing tilted his head. at this point, he back faced the light, and his handsome and cold face looked rather ambiguous under the light. he looked at her with glowing eyes. after a moment, he spoke with a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°i¡¯m afraid of going back on my word.¡± especially the promise he had just made. Chapter 2541 - 2541 Side Story 45: Bet 2541 side story 45: bet time slowly trickled past, and chu liuyue¡¯s baby bump could slowly be seen. inside the room, chu liuyue stood beside the window and was arranging her peach blossoms. on the branch, there were two tiny flowers that bloomed. the pinkish-white balls were very cute. when yun muchen walked in, he saw such a scene. ¡°oh, little yue¡¯er, you seem to have the leisure¡ª¡± before he finished speaking, he felt coldness at the back of his head as a physical gaze landed on him. he stopped in his tracks and instantly felt uneasy. from the corner of his eyes, he saw a tall figure walking behind the screen. that figure was rather familiar. yun muchen¡¯s eyelids twitched. tsk, this person is so patient. but luckily, that person seemed to be busy and did not come out. chu liuyue turned around, and her lips curled up. ¡°senior ah jing, aren¡¯t you very free too?¡± hearing her call him ¡®senior ah jing,¡¯ yun muchen¡¯s entire person felt uneasy. he had a bitter expression, and his handsome appearance looked pitiful. ¡°hey, can we just get over this chapter?¡± chu liuyue chuckled and did not continue putting him in a spot. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± yun muchen walked forward and passed her two wooden boxes. he smiled frivolously. ¡°nothing much. i came to give a present.¡± chu liuyue lowered her head and casually asked, ¡°what is it?¡± why did yun muchen suddenly give a present? as if noticing her confusion, yun muchen raised his chin. ¡°it¡¯s for your children. take a look at it.¡± chu liuyue glanced at him in shock. ¡°you have such a heart?¡± yun muchen was speechless. why does she make me sound so petty? he glanced behind the screen, and his gaze flickered. then, he leaned against the wall and smiled. ¡°of course. after all, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years. besides, i even helped you to guard the music score for 10,000 years. normal people¡­ can¡¯t compare to our relationship, right?¡± the moment he said this, yun muchen instantly felt his body turn cold. then, rong xiu¡¯s figure came out from behind the folding screen. he was decked in a cotton white robe. he was tall, and his sleeves were rolled up to his arm, revealing his firm muscles. yun muchen looked at him and saw that his hand was stained with some wood dust. he raised his brows. rong xiu looked over. then, his thin lips curled up slightly in a half-smile. ¡°the present that senior ah jing gave is definitely rare and extremely precious. thank you so much.¡± yun muchen was stumped. chu liuyue¡¯s way of addressing me is purely teasing, but rong xiu¡¯s sentence¡­ suddenly made me sound much older? rong xiu himself has lived for thousands of years! yun muchen had a face filled with grievances. originally, he wanted to refute him, but he thought of something and snorted. ¡°of course! after all, the child is little young master¡¯s. i have to dote on them like my own niece and nephew!¡± chu liuyue glanced at him in disdain. ¡°since when did i have you as an elder brother?¡± yun muchen ignored her and urged, ¡°quickly look! the child would definitely love it!¡± seeing his eager face, chu liuyue finally picked up the two wooden boxes and opened them. when she saw the items inside, she was slightly stunned. in the left one, an intricate dagger lay quietly. in the right one, it was¡­ an arrow. the two items were intricate. at first glance, they were clearly made from superior goods with heart. the dagger was embedded with rubies and looked beautiful. the dagger also had complicated patterns and looked elegant. rong xiu looked over and raised his brows slightly. yun muchen¡¯s lips broke into an even bigger smile as he kept asking, ¡°how is it? how is it? do you like it?¡± chu liuyue stared at the two items with much difficulty. mm, the item is good, and i like it very much, but¡­ the person beside me might not agree. as expected¡ª the next moment, she saw rong xiu close the two wooden boxes and return them to yun muchen. then, he lightly said, ¡°melt it and redo it.¡± yun muchen refused. ¡°i¡¯ve spent a lot of effort and time on them! why don¡¯t you want it?¡± this is¡­ for my two nephews! chu liuyue held her forehead with a headache. what are these people thinking? the gifts ancestor and the rest gave have already rendered me speechless, yet yun muchen joined in on the fun. rong xiu said, ¡°she won¡¯t be able to use it.¡± yun muchen leaned against the door frame and smiled frivolously. ¡°why won¡¯t they use it? emperor, i think highly of you! look at this dagger and this arrow¡ªboys love them the most!¡± rong xiu glanced at him nonchalantly.. then, on this day, everyone in the entire fantasy divine palace knew that emperor and young master yun had a friendly battle. in the end, young master yun bowed down to him. they heard that to thank the emperor for guiding him, young master yun made two intricate combs and two headbands as a gift for him overnight. in no time, the bet regarding the twins in goddess yue¡¯s stomach suddenly changed. the crowd all bet: two daughters¡ªit had to be two daughters! they had already revealed it so obviously! how could it be wrong? in the middle of the night, yun muchen dragged his sick body and stepped into the third deity¡¯s house with reduced determination. the third deity was overjoyed. before he could wear his clothes, he stared at him with bright eyes. ¡°young master yun, what do you want to bet on? how much do you want to bet?¡± yun muchen clenched his teeth and took out all of his assets, slamming them onto the table. ¡°all my assets! two sons¡ªi bet on two sons!¡± it will definitely go against what you really want! ¡­ Chapter 2542 - 2542 Side Story 46: Beginning of Growth 2542 side story 46: beginning of growth a month quickly passed. godly phoenix hall¡¯s light and the red-golden barrier wrapped the entire mountain. from afar, it was holy and distinguished, causing one to unwittingly feel admiration. a few figures were in the surroundings. the clansmen knew clearly that tuan zi had been inside during this period, repairing all areas of godly phoenix hall. this matter was important. hence, including yi zhao, a few people guarded the area. the other clansmen didn¡¯t dare to approach them, and they waited outside patiently. zi chen then stayed at the neighboring mountain, which was tuan zi¡¯s residence when she came back. he stayed alone. everyone felt that he preferred to be alone, thus fewer people came to visit him. of course, most of them were young ladies who came afraid and shy. they all had a tacit understanding of their intentions. it was a pity that zi chen was indeed too cold. some thin-skinned ones couldn¡¯t handle his cold treatment and did not come back again. the remaining few still insisted. however, as they didn¡¯t dare to offend him, they did not suddenly turn up and just took a glance from afar. when he unleashed his aura, normal people could not tolerate it. there was no lively atmosphere like when he was with tuan zi, and the surroundings were terrifyingly stiff and cold. everyone then realized that zi chen¡¯s previous gentleness and politeness were all in consideration of tuan zi. now that she was not around, he became even colder and nonchalant. zi chen did not take these things to heart. after settling those troubles, his peace and quiet resumed. however, it was too quiet. he was even¡­ not used to it. zi chen had always been cold and arrogant, but after following chu liuyue all these years and interacting with tuan zi, he had been silently influenced. suddenly, nobody willingly challenged him to a duel, nobody pulled him left and right, and nobody nagged at him by his side¡­ zi chen sat in his chair. he held his head with one hand, his head lowered to read a book. the sunlight poured in from the windows. the leaves rustled. peace and quiet but also dry. after some time, he closed the book and threw it aside. then, he stood up and glanced outside. his vision was great, and he could coincidentally see godly phoenix hall. once there was any commotion, he could immediately detect it. it was a pity that there was no noise for the past month. actually, this was something good, which proved that tuan zi was progressing smoothly. he rubbed his nose. at this point, the door was knocked. knock, knock. ¡°zi chen, are you inside?¡± a gentle and soft voice sounded. it was rather familiar. zi chen glanced over. actually, the door was not locked. the lady stood at the door and looked in. it was yi fu. seeing zi chen, her cheeks blushed slightly, and one could see the nervousness in her eyes. zi chen did not move. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± everyone knew that zi chen was cold and not approachable, let alone yi fu who was previously criticized by him. she knew his behavior even more clearly, so she didn¡¯t speak nonsense and directly said, ¡°zi chen, i-i recently met with some trouble in cultivation and want to duel with someone to find the source of the problem. i-i wonder if you have the time to guide me a little?¡± actually, she had asked this very politely. yi fu had already opened her sixth meridian, and there weren¡¯t many people who could go against her in the clan. the few elders were guarding godly phoenix hall or were busy with other matters, so they were not free. she wanted to find someone to fight her, but it was not easy. zi chen was very capable, so he could definitely guide her. additionally, everyone knew that he was very free. hearing her words, zi chen¡¯s expression was cold, and he did not immediately answer. yi fu curled her fingers rather nervously, and her heart hung high. actually, it wasn¡¯t that she really could not find someone else, but¡­ she was selfish. after being conflicted, she still came over. on the surface, zi chen seemed nonchalant. in actual fact, she had seen how tuan zi and zi chen interacted. he was actually a very patient person. to someone he did not know, he might be too lazy to spend time on them. however, he was great to people he was close to. she did not mind zi chen¡¯s coldness toward her. after all, they only met each other a few times and weren¡¯t even friends. after they spent some time with each other, his attitude would definitely change. she had pondered over her words for a long while and felt that zi chen would not reject her. then, she heard zi chen say, ¡°sorry, i don¡¯t have time.¡± the few words landed in yi fu¡¯s ears and stunned her. it stopped her words of gratitude. ¡°w-what?¡± she widened her eyes slightly and was dazed. no time? he stays here every day and doesn¡¯t do anything. how does he have no time? yi fu¡¯s face flashed white and red, and she felt extremely awkward. ¡°z-zi chen¡­ are you upset with me? did i do something wrong to offend you? please¡­ tell me honestly. i will apologize.¡± he clearly has something against me, right? but hearing her words, zi chen ignored her and walked away. he lightly said, ¡°you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± he had no time and energy to spend on someone irrelevant. however, yi fu did not believe him. she wanted to ask further when she saw zi chen take out a white porcelain plate, which was filled with red and juicy sour spiritual berries. then, he walked over to wash them. his fingers were very long, and he washed them in detail. it looked like a pleasant scene. yi fu was dazed at first before she slowly recovered her senses. she was in disbelief. ¡°y-you said you didn¡¯t have time b-because you want to do this?¡± zi chen did not even look up. ¡°not only that.¡± other than the sour berries, she liked to eat too many things. every day, he would change them to fresh ones and place them on a plate. when tuan zi came back, she could eat whenever. he did not find an interest in eating such things, but tuan zi had always liked them. as he washed them, he pinched one and put it in his mouth. it was sour and sweet, with a hint of chillness. zi chen flung the water droplet in his hands and raised his brows slightly. it seems¡­ decent. yi fu¡¯s eyes were open and mouth agape. she did not know what to say. this¡­ anyway, she felt that it was very inappropriate for her to continue staying here. zi chen did not even have the intent to invite her in. ¡°since this is so, i¡¯ll leave first then¡­¡± she spoke awkwardly. at this point, a phoenix roar came from godly phoenix hall! yi fu was shocked and immediately turned around. the next moment, she felt a cold breeze beside her. zi chen had already walked out of the house and was looking in the direction of the sound. the red-golden barrier vibrated like water ripples. then, they slowly gathered to the top and formed a gigantic, iridescent pattern¡ªthe red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s totem. following this, godly phoenix hall¡¯s door was opened. a tall and curvy figure stood behind it. zi chen was about to walk out and suddenly paused. then, he focused his gaze. Chapter 2543 - 2543 Side Story 47: I Really Miss You 2543 side story 47: i really miss you in the sky, the red-golden totem shone brightly. the sunlight shone down brightly, but it was not as eye-catching as the tall figure. it was a young woman who looked fifteen or sixteen years old. as he was a distance away, he could not see her five features clearly, but he could still feel her liveliness. she was decked in a red-golden dress. she had a thin waist, long legs, and a curvy figure. her dress reflected a faint light. as the sun shone, it dazzled especially. the dress was asymmetrical, and it reached her legs, revealing her white ankle and feet. the wind blew over, and the dress swayed with the wind like tumultuous fires. zi chen stared at that figure closely, and his mind was blank for a moment. it was clearly a very foreign appearance, but¡­ there was an unignorable familiarity. yi fu stood behind him. when she saw this scene, she covered her mouth in shock and surprise. ¡°that¡¯s¡­ tuan zi?!¡± hearing this, zi chen seemed to recover his senses. he stared at the young woman who walked out with light steps in a playful and lively manner. faintly, he could even hear the crisp sound of the bells moving. it landed in his ears and shook his heart. his gaze deepened slightly. the next moment, he smiled. ¡­ yi zhao and the rest¡ªwho were standing guard outside godly phoenix hall¡ªwere all stunned when they saw this scene and could not recover their senses. this young lady¡ª as they thought, they saw the lady look over and blink her blackberry-like eyes. they dazzled brightly. then, she smiled and two dimples appeared beside her lips as she chirped, ¡°clan leader grandpa!¡± the few of them were totally stunned. this voice had a uniquely teenage female¡¯s crispiness, but the happy tone was something they were very familiar with. a look of disbelief surfaced on yi zhao¡¯s usually stern face. there was faint agitation and elation in his eyes. ¡°¡­tuan zi?!¡± tuan zi walked over and smiled brighter. her hands were behind her back as she tilted her head and blinked playfully. ¡°clan leader grandpa, how long has it been? can¡¯t you recognize me?¡± this was the true tuan zi without a doubt. yi zhao and the rest finally recovered their senses and immediately surrounded tuan zi. they looked at her with curious gazes. ¡°tuan zi, is that you? why did you¡­ grow up?¡± it has only been a month! upon hearing this, tuan zi wrinkled her nose. ¡°clan leader grandpa, you lied to me! previously, you told me to stay inside for a while, but you didn¡¯t tell me that the flow of time was different from the outside world!¡± only a red-gold heavenly phoenix who had opened their ninth meridian could repair godly phoenix hall. after she went in, she studied it for some time. the problem was not hard to solve, but she had to enter a special space, which was left behind by the red-gold heavenly phoenix ancestor. without hesitation, tuan zi directly went in and focused on repairing godly phoenix hall. in the end, when she came out, she realized that she had spent a hundred years inside. thus, she had naturally grown up. as she had focused all her energy on repairing godly phoenix hall during the entire process, she did not find time especially torturous. now, when she opened the door, stood in front of the crowd, and welcomed their scrutinizing, she then suddenly realized that such a long time had passed. yi zhao and the rest were naturally happy, but they felt some slight disappointment. tuan zi had grown up, and they could no longer see the small ball whining. however, this was a good thing after all. seeing that tuan zi had become such a pretty lady, they were beyond emotional. people quickly came from the surroundings. tuan zi¡¯s commotion was too huge. from the moment she came out, she had attracted the entire clan¡¯s attention. originally, she was the most noticed existence in the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. now that she finally grew up and became a young lady, everyone was naturally curious and fought to come over. quite a few people quickly gathered in the square before godly phoenix hall. everyone surrounded tuan zi as they chatted with her and sized her up curiously and excitedly. however, nobody dared to get too near her. on the one hand, clan leader yi zhao and the rest were here. they were stern, and everyone did not dare to be reckless. on the other hand¡­ it was no longer the tiny and adorable girl that everyone wanted to hug standing in front of them. instead, it was an extremely beautiful young lady. yi ming and the rest also rushed over. when they saw the suddenly changed and breathtaking lady, they became urgent. the group of them exclaimed, ¡°tuan zi, are you really tuan zi?¡± ¡°wow, it has only been a month. you¡¯ve grown so much?¡± ¡°it won¡¯t be easy for us to hide you even if we want to! hahaha!¡± tuan zi was on decent terms with the younger generation and frequently ran behind them, so she was naturally close to them. she tilted her head and smiled. ¡°yeah!¡± this smile caused the few young men to blush, and they did not know what to say. she was¡­ too beautiful, too eye-catching. she was like a small sun, that was passionate and purse, causing one to be unable to forget her. yi ming stood at the front and was a step away from tuan zi. seeing her smile, his entire heart raced crazily. after a while, he said, ¡°tuan zi, you¡¯re¡­ very good-looking.¡± they were just a few simple words. once they were said, the suave young man¡¯s earlobes turned red. upon hearing this, tuan zi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°really?¡± yi ming¡¯s ears became redder, and even his handsome face blushed. however, he still nodded calmly. ¡°yes.¡± when the surrounding girls saw this scene, they instantly exclaimed ¡®oh.¡¯ ¡°yi ming, there are quite a few pretty ladies in our clan. why haven¡¯t i heard you praise any of them?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! in the past, we even thought that you were blind. why did you suddenly find tuan zi good-looking?¡± ¡°tuan zi is really good-looking!¡± ¡°what do you know? yi ming thinks that only tuan zi is good-looking!¡± they were all in their youth, so temptation and liking could easily fill their hearts. yi ming mustered up his courage. ¡°tuan zi¡ª¡± however, tuan zi did not hear his voice as her gaze looked past them and to the back. she saw something, and her face broke into a delighted smile. ¡°wait a minute. i¡¯ll go over first!¡± once she said that, she had already run over. yi ming was dazed as he strangely looked toward the crowd. a tall and fit black figure appeared behind them. his appearance was cold and handsome, nonchalant and prideful. just by standing there, one could not ignore his entire aura and suppression. tuan zi ran toward him. seeing the young lady jumping toward him, zi chen¡¯s lips curled up at an angle for once. he raised his hand and planned to touch the girl¡¯s head. the next moment, the young lady directly pounced into his arms. his body stiffened. he didn¡¯t know where to put his raised hand. tuan zi hugged his neck like countless times before. she rubbed against him obediently and delicately. ¡°zi chen! i missed you so much!¡± Chapter 2544 - 2544 Side Story 48: Grown Up 2544 side story 48: grown up the young girl¡¯s body was unbelievably soft. when she approached, the sweet fragrance entered his nose, making it impossible to avoid her. she threw herself into his arms with a very warm and soft aura. zi chen¡¯s hand paused for a moment before finally landing on the back of her shoulder. he patted her gently and smiled. ¡°yes.¡± tuan zi wasn¡¯t satisfied with his answer. she took a step back from his arms and looked up at him, pouting. ¡°but why didn¡¯t you say you missed me?¡± although it was only a month for zi chen, she had stayed inside for a hundred years! zi chen sized up the little girl in front of him. no, she shouldn¡¯t be called a little girl. the glutinous rice ball¡ªtuan zi, who originally only reached his thigh¡ªhad already grown to his chest. she was slender and tall, and her long dress outlined her waist extremely beautifully. her black hair was tied into a scorpion tail braid with a golden bell on a red string, revealing her smooth and full forehead. the chubby little face in his memory had also turned into a small and exquisite oval face. her facial features could still be vaguely seen from when she was young, but she was undoubtedly much prettier. the most familiar thing was her eyes. they were round as black and bright as black grapes, and they were clear and pure. her thick and long eyelashes curled up. when they trembled gently, they were like butterflies flying. her eyes were originally rather round, always carrying a natural cuteness, but the corners of her eyes were now slightly raised. when her eyelids fell, her eyes looked indescribably playful. she had a smile on her face, and the small dimples seemed to be filled with dazzling sunlight, energetic and dazzling. when she looked up, her expression was still the same, but she had really grown up. facing her gaze that contained a little wheedling and complaint, zi chen chuckled. ¡°yes, i miss you.¡± only then was tuan zi satisfied, and starlight seemed to fall from her eyes. she took a few more steps back and turned around. ¡°do i look good? zi chen, i¡¯ve grown up. do i look good?¡± she still looked like a child asking for candy. zi chen nodded. ¡°yes, you look good.¡± tuan zi immediately burst out with joy, and the smile on her lips widened. seeing her like this, zi chen sneered. ¡°didn¡¯t they already praise you just now?¡± ¡°that¡ªhow is it the same?¡± tuan zi scoffed. ¡°you¡¯re different from them!¡± zi chen¡¯s eyes flickered. to tuan zi, zi chen had lived with her for many years, and they had relied on each other for life and death. he was almost an existence second only to a¡¯yue. although yi ming and the others had a good relationship with her, they still couldn¡¯t be compared to zi chen. moreover, how difficult was it to hear praise from zi chen?! she was happy, and her eyes were bright. ¡°a¡¯yue will definitely be shocked when she sees me now!¡± as she spoke, she imagined the scene of reuniting with a¡¯yue. she couldn¡¯t wait to return to the fantasy divine hall now. zi chen said, ¡°if you want to return, you can do it anytime.¡± when tuan zi heard that, she lowered her little head in embarrassment. ¡°not yet. godly phoenix hall still needs to undergo final maintenance for about half a month.¡± although she missed a¡¯yue very much, she also wanted to settle everything here first. after all, she was still the red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡¯s young mistress. zi chen thought for a moment. ¡°do you still need to go in?¡± tuan zi shook her head and smiled again. ¡°that¡¯s not necessary! i only need four hours a day!¡± this wasn¡¯t difficult for her. upon hearing that, zi chen was relieved. she had always been playful, so it was really not easy for her to calm down. now, she could finally relax a little. even if she didn¡¯t say it, he knew that her mind was already thinking about something else. ¡°let¡¯s go back and rest?¡± zi chen asked. tuan zi nodded. ¡°okay!¡± she took a step forward and automatically grabbed zi chen¡¯s hand. as usual, she still only pulled a finger. zi chen lowered his eyes and took a calm look. in the past, it had become a habit for tuan zi to either lie in his arms and be hugged by him or follow beside him and pull one of his fingers. although she had already grown up, this habit of hers hadn¡¯t changed. however, tuan zi didn¡¯t seem to notice anything wrong. she turned around and waved at yi zhao and the others. ¡°clan leader grandpa, i¡¯ll go back first! i¡¯ll come later!¡± yi zhao and the others naturally had no objections and immediately agreed. tuan zi pulled zi chen and was about to leave. she had just taken a step when she sensed that zi chen didn¡¯t move. she looked at him in a daze. ¡°zi chen, what¡¯s wrong?¡± zi chen had already retracted his gaze the moment she looked over. he looked ahead calmly with a calm expression. the little girl had grown up, and her chubby little hand had already become slender and long. however, it was still as soft as before, as if it had no bones. he replied, ¡°nothing much. let¡¯s go.¡± tuan zi didn¡¯t doubt him. however, the two of them had just taken a few steps when a young man¡¯s clear and nervous voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°tuan zi!¡± tuan zi subconsciously turned around. ¡°yi ming? what¡¯s the matter?¡± zi chen didn¡¯t turn around because he only thought that they wanted to bid farewell to tuan zi. then, he heard yi ming ask, ¡°are you going back because of an urgent matter?¡± tuan zi was stunned and shook her head. ¡°no.¡± although she planned to go back and rest, her current state was actually very good. she opened her round and clear eyes and gazed at yi ming inquiringly, clearly asking for his intention silently. being stared at by such a pair of eyes, yi ming¡¯s ears were already red. the few youths behind him were pushing him and winking. after a while, yi ming stepped forward. he was a little uneasy and nervous, but he still asked softly, ¡°i think¡­ we¡¯re going to wind valley today. do you want to come?¡± wind valley was a valley on godly phoenix mountain, where the heaven and earth force was abundant. in the valley, half of it was filled with luxuriant flowers all year round, and the other half was covered in white snow that didn¡¯t melt all year round. the two extreme scenes fused together, strange and beautiful. the younger generation of the clan liked to go over and play. tuan zi was no exception. her eyes lit up immediately. ¡°okay!¡± with that, she let go of zi chen¡¯s hand and said hurriedly, ¡°zi chen, i won¡¯t go back with you first then!¡± before zi chen could answer, she had already run toward yi ming and the others. a group of people quickly surrounded her and walked in a certain direction with a smile. yi ming stood beside her. from this angle, she could still see the young man¡¯s eager and burning gaze land on her face. she seemed to have heard something and widened her eyes slightly, revealing a bright smile. everything happened in the blink of an eye. when zi chen returned to his senses, the girl snuggling beside him had already disappeared. he looked down and saw that there was still a trace of warmth on his fingertip. a breeze blew over, bringing with it a hint of coldness. after a long time, he raised his eyebrows and snorted. he seemed to be laughing in anger. so tuan zi has grown up? the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he muttered, ¡°she has really¡­ grown up.¡± Chapter 2545 - 2545 Side Story 49: Sour 2545 side story 49: sour zi chen replied to his own question. he returned to the room and glanced around. he saw the sour spiritual fruit that had been washed not long ago on the table and stopped in his tracks. then, he walked to the table and sat down, his long and well-defined fingers stretching out lazily. he pinched the largest and plumpest sour spiritual fruit and popped it into his mouth. he casually flipped open a book with a relaxed posture. just like every day before, he stayed quietly alone. after a while, he tore his gaze away from the book and looked out the window. it was empty and cold. his expression didn¡¯t change as he lowered his eyes again. tuan zi had always liked to go to wind valley to play in the past. now that she had finally come out, she would naturally stay there for a long time. he flipped to the next page. ¡­ time slowly passed. he had eaten a lot of the sour spiritual fruits on the plate. after reading one book, zi chen felt a little bored. he got up and went to the bookshelf to change to another one. when he walked past the window, he seemed to have subconsciously looked outside. it was silent. there was no one. he paused and looked away before turning around to sit back down. then, he lowered his head and flipped open the book, his eyelashes trembling slightly. it was actually¡­ the same book as before. for some reason, at that moment, he actually forgot his original plan to change books and returned with this book. he stared at the book for a few times before throwing it aside. he rubbed his temples and planned to take a nap. ¡­ when he opened his eyes again, warm orange light shone in from the window. he narrowed his eyes slightly in discomfort. after a moment, he focused. it was already dusk. the sun was setting in the west, and only half of the setting sun was left. it was hidden behind the flowing clouds that filled the sky, revealing a few wisps of light. half the sky was dyed a gorgeous color. zi chen half-leaned in the chair and looked at this beautiful and exquisite scene, stunned for a moment. then, he seemed to have thought of something and turned around to look into the room. ¡°tuan zi?¡± his cold and low voice echoed in the room, making it seem even colder. nobody responded, and this meant ¡­ she wasn¡¯t back yet. in fact, there was no need to check if she was here. with zi chen¡¯s current strength, all the commotion in this area couldn¡¯t escape his eyes and ears. therefore, he knew very well that not only did tuan zi not return to the house, but she didn¡¯t even return to this mountain. he really didn¡¯t even see her shadow. he was silent for a moment before looking at the sky again. after a while, he bent his index finger and knocked gently on the table. great. so she¡¯s having crazy fun, huh? he held his breath and saw most of the sour spiritual fruits on the table from the corner of his eye. in just a moment, he reached out without hesitation and slowly but firmly put the sour spiritual fruit into his mouth. from the looks of it, he didn¡¯t plan to leave any behind. ¡­ only when the sun completely set and hid in the forest did tuan zi return unsatisfied. she walked on the mountain road with light footsteps and a smile on her lips, clearly very happy. that lively and happy atmosphere made the young man beside her unable to help but laugh. ¡°tuan zi, are you very happy?¡± tuan zi nodded. ¡°of course! you don¡¯t even know how i spent my time inside!¡± in fact, all her attention and energy were focused on repairing godly phoenix hall at that time, so she didn¡¯t notice the passage of time. now that she was out, she realized that she was a little pitiful. she had never been a person who let herself suffer and thus immediately arranged 100 ways to compensate herself. even though she had yet to figure out how to achieve those 100 ways, that wasn¡¯t important! tuan zi was excited, her heart filled with joy and excitement. yi ming looked at her, and the girl smiled like a flower. he smiled and asked, ¡°then, did you have fun in wind valley today?¡± tuan zi smiled and nodded. ¡°i¡¯ve been busy previously and haven¡¯t had much fun!¡± today, she was following yi ming and the others. they were similar in age and had good relationships, so they got along very well. yi ming paused for a moment, and his heart beat faster. after thinking for a long time, he said, ¡°then¡ª¡± just as he finished speaking, tuan zi seemed to have sensed something and suddenly looked up. under the twilight, a figure was standing in front of the door. a faint coldness seemed to be wrapped around his tall and straight figure, making people subconsciously feel reverence. that pair of indifferent and deep eyes looked over. his gaze was very calm, as if there were no emotions. however, yi ming inexplicably felt his heart tighten. he felt that his thoughts had been seen through. for some reason, he suddenly couldn¡¯t say the words in his throat. however, tuan zi wasn¡¯t afraid of this. instead, she waved happily. ¡°zi chen! i¡¯m back!¡± zi chen only glanced at yi ming before his gaze quickly landed on tuan zi. yi ming secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but he was still a little reserved in the depths of his heart. zi chen asked calmly, ¡°you¡¯re not a child anymore, and you still have to trouble others to send you back?¡± yi ming was stunned. then, he wanted to explain. ¡°no¡­¡± tuan zi was also stunned, glancing at zi chen and then at yi ming. ¡°zi chen, yi ming lives very close to us. he just sent me back on the way! they all said that it¡¯s dark and that it¡¯s not good to walk alone¡­¡± in the dark, zi chen seemed to laugh, and his voice sounded a little lazy. ¡°you¡¯re the red-gold heavenly phoenix race¡¯s young mistress. now that you¡¯re even personally repairing godly phoenix hall, isn¡¯t this place free for you to come and go?¡± tuan zi was stunned for a moment before returning to her senses. ¡°that¡¯s true¡­¡± when she was about to return, everyone said so, so she didn¡¯t think too much and followed yi ming. now that she thought about it, she was indeed no longer a child. why would she need anyone to send her? right on the heels of that, she heard zi chen say calmly, ¡°since you feel that it¡¯s not good to walk when it¡¯s dark, come back before dark in the future.¡± he had a cold personality, and his tone had never been filled with unnecessary emotions. therefore, when these words sounded, they inexplicably had a hint of inviolable dignity. tuan zi was long used to his tone, but when she heard this condition, her face fell. ¡°huh? but i¡­¡± it wasn¡¯t easy for me to last until i grew up, and now that i¡¯m free, how could i be restricted like this? before she could finish speaking, she saw zi chen casually take a sour spiritual fruit and feed it to his mouth. her eyes immediately lit up, and she hurriedly rushed over. ¡°ah! my fruit!¡± all her thoughts were on food, and she actually forgot to say goodbye to yi ming. when she came in front of zi chen, she looked up and said, ¡°zi chen, what about mine? what about mine?¡± zi chen bit the fruit, and rich juice filled his mouth. he slowly said, ¡°this is the last one.¡± tuan zi : ¡°¡­¡± zi chen raised his chin. ¡°he sent you back. hurry up and thank him.¡± tuan zi bade farewell to yi ming listlessly without even looking at him. after eating a little too much, zi chen touched the roof of his mouth with the tip of his tongue and felt the roots of his teeth ache. he looked at the young man not far away and said slowly and coldly, ¡°thank you for sending our tuan zi back, but there¡¯s no need in the future.¡± Chapter 2546 - 2546 Side Story 50: Look Again, Ill Eat You Up. 2546 side story 50: look again, i¡¯ll eat you up. his tone was calm, and his voice was cold, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary. his eyes were deep and sharp. under his calm and indifferent gaze, there was a slight wave that seemed to see through everything. when yi ming heard this, he was stunned at first and then subconsciously met that gaze. in an instant, he felt that all his thoughts had been seen clearly. in the end, he still had the temperament of a young man. this was the first time he had encountered such a situation, so he immediately became nervous and a little helpless. ¡°zi, zi chen, i don¡¯t mean anything else. i just sent tuan zi back on the way. i¡­¡± ¡°that would be best.¡± zi chen interrupted him and turned to look at tuan zi, who had already walked into the room and didn¡¯t notice the situation here at all. as if sensing zi chen¡¯s gaze, tuan zi turned around and was still listless. she pouted. ¡°zi chen, what were you guys talking about just now?¡± her round and clear eyes were as clean and pure as crystal. zi chen retracted his gaze. ¡°nothing.¡± although the young lady had already grown up, her temperament was still similar to a child¡¯s. in this aspect, she was completely like a blank piece of paper. it was really unsafe. thinking of this, he looked up and glanced at yi ming expressionlessly. tuan zi followed his gaze, thought of something, and waved her hand. ¡°yi ming, i¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± hearing this answer, yi ming finally came back to his senses. he nodded and glanced at zi chen again before bidding the two of them farewell. the young man¡¯s figure then quickly disappeared in the darkness. zi chen stood by the door for a while before turning to return to his room. he closed the door and looked up slightly. tuan zi had already collapsed in the chair and looked listless. ¡°did you have fun today?¡± zi chen asked lightly. seeing him like this, tuan zi knew that he was holding her coming back too late against her. this matter is very serious, tuan zi thought solemnly. zi chen has always left all the good food for me, but today, he didn¡¯t even leave a sour spiritual fruit. it¡¯s obvious that he is really angry! ¡°i-it¡¯s okay¡­¡± the strong desire to live caused tuan zi to give an untrue answer. zi chen came closer and looked down at her. tuan zi looked up at him. ¡°do you remember what i said just now?¡± even though it was a question, his tone was clearly an affirmative statement. clearly, zi chen didn¡¯t leave her any room to bargain. tuan zi¡¯s mental health was about to be affected as she pouted. ¡°do you mean that i have to come back before dark?¡± zi chen didn¡¯t speak, but he clearly acknowledged it. tuan zi lowered her body and lay on the table, her fair and pretty chin gently resting on the back of her hand. ¡°b-but there was no such rule in the past!¡± ¡°that was in the past. now, it¡¯s different,¡± zi chen said concisely. tuan zi snorted in indignance. ¡°what¡¯s different? and i¡¯m already grown up! how can i be less free than when i was young? besides, i played very well with yi ming and the others in the past!¡± zi chen glanced at her. it was precisely because she has grown up that she has to be even more vigilant. tuan zi didn¡¯t feel it herself, but he could clearly see that when the group of kids looked at her, their gazes were passionate. the little girl has just grown up. if some brat kidnaps her¡­ aren¡¯t goddess yue and i the ones who will worry? thinking of this, zi chen felt that he should remind her tactfully. hence, he said, ¡°that¡¯s because there are always people with ill intentions, especially those who suddenly treat you very well. they might have ulterior motives.¡± tuan zi was stunned. zi chen guided her patiently. ¡°think about it. compared to the past, do they treat you¡­ differently?¡± tuan zi propped herself up, knitted her brows slightly, and thought carefully. then, she replied hesitantly, ¡°i think¡­ a little¡­¡± although yi ming and the others had treated her very well in the past, she felt that something was different today at wind valley. even though she was pure, she was very smart and was very sensitive to changes in feelings and emotions. ¡°but they should¡­¡± they were all her clansmen. she could feel that yi ming and the others had no ill intentions. ¡°now that you¡¯ve already grown up, you naturally have to be more careful about many things,¡± reminded zi chen as he looked into her eyes. when tuan zi heard this, she instantly felt that it made sense. in the past, zi chen rarely said such things to her, so she now felt that she had finally grown up and could interact and discuss with him on equal footing. she was a little happy. this feeling seemed to be¡­ better than when she was playing at wind valley. as she was thinking, zi chen had already walked to the side. water could be heard. tuan zi turned around unintentionally and instantly widened her eyes in surprise. she jumped out of the chair and went straight for zi chen. ¡°my sour spiritual fruit!¡± zi chen was holding a string of plump and crystallized red fruits. tuan zi¡¯s tiredness was swept away, and there was only this thing left in her eyes. she came to zi chen¡¯s side and reached out to take it. zi chen turned his body and let her hand land in the air. ¡°i haven¡¯t washed it yet. go back and wait.¡± tuan zi could only stop her actions. ¡°oh.¡± however, her eyes seemed to be glued to it. as she looked, she asked curiously, ¡°zi chen, didn¡¯t you just say that it was the last one?¡± zi chen glanced at her. ¡°is that enough to fill the gaps between your teeth?¡± he had prepared far more than she had thought. he was just teasing her just now. hearing this, tuan zi immediately guessed something and was extremely touched. ¡°zi chen, you¡¯re the best to me!¡± zi chen didn¡¯t speak. after washing the sour spiritual fruit in his hand, he handed it over and raised his chin. ¡°there are some other things you like behind the folding screen over there¡ª¡± tuan zi instantly screamed in surprise. ¡°really?!¡± she couldn¡¯t be bothered to take the sour spiritual fruit from zi chen¡¯s hand. she just turned around and quickly ran over. after a moment, she happily walked out from behind the folding screen and gazed at zi chen as if she were looking at her savior. ¡°wuwuwu, zi chen, you¡¯re really too good! as expected, choosing to be your underling back then was the wisest! wuwuwu!¡± zi chen stopped in his tracks. ¡°what did you say?¡± as tuan zi came to take the sour spiritual fruit in his hand, she muttered with a smile, ¡°what¡¯s so good about being a big sister!? it¡¯s better to¡­ hm?¡± seeing zi chen suddenly keep the item, tuan zi was dazed. why did he suddenly¡­ not let me eat anymore? zi chen turned around to leave. ¡°clean up all the messy thoughts in your mind first.¡± what is she thinking about every day? seeing this, tuan zi rushed to him and pounced on him. she hugged his arm and tilted her head, leaning forward and biting zi chen¡¯s hand. zi chen was half a beat slower and felt that his fingertips were soft and wet, with a subtle pain. his body instantly froze. the little girl in front of him bit a sour spiritual fruit from his hand. her cheeks puffed up slightly as she looked up at him smugly. ¡°how is it? i still ate it!¡± Chapter 2547 - 2547 Seen Before 2547 seen before zi chen handed over everything in his hand and turned to walk into the house. seeing his sudden cold reaction, tuan zi was dazed for a moment. she held the sour spiritual fruit and was about to go forward. ¡°zi chen, what¡¯s wrong?¡± could it be because he didn¡¯t snatch the things away? but he didn¡¯t seem to like these things to begin with¡­ hearing this voice, zi chen stopped in his tracks and didn¡¯t turn around. he only tilted his head and said lightly, ¡°it seems like your abilities have strengthened quite a bit.¡± hearing the praise, tuan zi instantly became happy. ¡°of course!¡± my hundred years inside godly phoenix hall haven¡¯t been in vain! zi chen nodded extremely lightly and turned around to walk forward. at the same time, his usual nonchalant voice sounded calmly. ¡°since this is so, let¡¯s try tomorrow.¡± tuan zi didn¡¯t react at first. after a moment, she realized what zi chen meant. she instantly perked up and widened her eyes, filled with hope and excitement. ¡°you¡¯re saying that we¡¯re going to fight tomorrow?¡± zi chen acknowledged it lightly and quickly disappeared behind the door. tuan zi stared at the empty room and was dazed for a few seconds before she hurriedly responded happily. ¡°then, it¡¯s a deal! you can¡¯t go back on your words!¡± zi chen didn¡¯t answer, but tuan zi knew that since he had said so, he definitely wouldn¡¯t go back on his word. in the past, she was the one who found ways to pester zi chen to duel. now, had the tables finally turned?! tuan zi held the sour spiritual fruit, turned around, and returned to the folding screen to eat happily. ¡­ zi chen returned to his room and sat in a chair nonchalantly and indifferently. the moonlight shone in through the window and landed on him. his face was half-bright and half-dark, as if it were plated with a faint jade color. only his deep and sharp eyes seemed to be covered in fog¡ªthey were thick and deep, impossible to touch. he could still hear the soft sounds from next door. this courtyard was actually not big, and his and tuan zi¡¯s rooms were next to each other. he could naturally hear most of the commotion from her room. one moment, it was the sound of eating food. the next moment, it was footsteps and the little girl¡¯s gurgling. bits and pieces of it were noisy, but it easily filled the originally silent space. it was as if¡­ the moment she came back, she crushed all the loneliness and coldness. zi chen sat quietly and listened for a while. the corner of his lips curled up slightly. in the past, he liked quietness. at some point, the overly quiet environment would often make him uncomfortable. now, it seemed like everything was finally back on track. i should¡­ be able to sleep well too. thinking of this, he pinched his glabella. but the moment he moved, he sharply sensed that there was still a hint of wetness and warmth on his fingers. he suddenly stopped his actions. after a moment, he retracted his hand and gently closed his eyes. there seemed to be a hint of helplessness and obscure emotions in his eyes. the young lady has grown up, but it¡¯s a pity that she wasn¡¯t guarded against anyone. some things really have to be taught bit by bit. ¡­ tuan zi had a good night¡¯s sleep. thinking that she could duel with zi chen today and test her current strength, she immediately climbed out of bed energetically. she briefly tidied up and rushed straight to zi chen¡¯s room. ¡°zi chen? zi chen, are you awake?¡± as she shouted, she pushed the door open and entered. the two of them were only separated by a wall. in the past, she had come and gone as she pleased and had never knocked on the door. it was the same today. like before, the door wasn¡¯t locked. she pushed the door open. ¡°i¡ª¡± before she could finish her sentence, she saw the situation in the room clearly, and her voice trailed off. zi chen actually¡­ just woke up. the more important thing was that he was standing by the bed and changing. his back was facing the door. from tuan zi¡¯s vision, she could only see his broad shoulders. his shoulder blades were slightly exposed, his muscles were beautiful and fit, and his waist was thin. hearing the voice, zi chen¡¯s brows knitted slightly. he quickly changed his clothes and turned to look at her. when tuan zi turned around, she could still vaguely see the firm muscles on his waist. she was stunned. anyone who met with such a scene early in the morning would probably not be able to hold on. after a pause, she met zi chen¡¯s inspecting gaze and seemed to have recovered her senses. she stretched out her hand and pointed, asking, ¡°zi chen, why are you¡­ naked?¡± ¡°¡­¡± zi chen tidied his clothes completely before walking toward her. he stood at the door. there was only a doorstep between the two of them. when he approached, the heat on his body seemed to spread over and enveloped the surroundings. zi chen looked down at her from above. seeing that someone who was still full of confidence had complained first, he finally reminded in a low voice, ¡°this is my room.¡± tuan zi finally came back to her senses and realized that she was in the wrong. she self-reflected and nodded without self-awareness. ¡°oh.¡± zi chen had long known that she would answer this way, so he didn¡¯t intend to pursue the matter. as he walked out, he said, ¡°in the future, remember to knock on anyone¡¯s door.¡± tuan zi puffed up her cheeks and acknowledged it. she took a step forward and followed him outside. she glanced at zi chen. ¡°zi chen, you didn¡¯t sleep well last night?¡± he looked a little tired. zi chen acknowledged and didn¡¯t say anything else. but in tuan zi¡¯s eyes, his appearance was extremely cold, and she knitted her brows slightly. although zi chen was indifferent, he had always been very good to her and very patient. it was very rare for him to appear like¡­ he didn¡¯t even want to talk. she felt uncomfortable for some reason. thinking of the previous scene, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°zi chen, are you¡­ angry about what happened just now?¡± at this moment, zi chen was thinking of something else and didn¡¯t pay much attention to her words. hearing this, he only shook his head. ¡°no.¡± however, his actions confirmed tuan zi¡¯s guess, and her frown deepened. why is he¡­ angry? this doesn¡¯t seem like a big deal, right? she thought for a moment and glanced at zi chen. he looked down slightly, and his expression was tired. the lines on the handsome side of his face were smooth, and his lips were straight. nobody knew what he was thinking. tuan zi couldn¡¯t help but snort and mutter softly. ¡°¡­why are you angry? it¡¯s not the first time i¡¯ve seen it¡­ i¡¯ve seen more!¡± zi chen stopped in his tracks. Chapter 2548 - 2548 Side Story 52: Differential Treatment 2548 side story 52: differential treatment when tuan zi was very young in the past, no matter what chu liuyue and zi chen did, they would basically not avoid her. after all, she was still a child back then, so they didn¡¯t take too much into consideration. she probably wasn¡¯t joking when she said she had seen his body before¡­ zi chen glanced at her. ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to say such things in the future.¡± after a pause, he added, ¡°especially in front of outsiders.¡± it was fine if it was someone on their own side, but it wouldn¡¯t be good if word got out. tuan zi originally wanted to defend herself, but when she met zi chen¡¯s deep and indifferent gaze, she felt inexplicably guilty and nodded obediently. ¡°oh.¡± zi chen was about to take this opportunity to explain more to her when his expression suddenly changed. as if sensing something, he looked outside. very quickly, a figure appeared outside the door. ¡°tuan zi, are you up?¡± this voice was very familiar¡ªyi ming. tuan zi was first elated and instinctively answered, ¡°i¡¯m up!¡± as she spoke, she walked out the door. the moment she stepped out of the doorstep, she suddenly thought of something and furrowed her brows. ah yes, yi ming had invited me to wind valley to play today, but i also agreed to duel with zi chen yesterday¡­ although everything happened on a first-come, first-serve basis, zi chen was very difficult to fight¡­ in the past, she would pester him for a long time, and he would only be willing to duel once in a while. the chance was really rare, and she couldn¡¯t bear to give it up. at this moment, zi chen walked over. his gaze swept across yi ming, and he raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°i almost forgot. you originally had an appointment today. then, another day.¡± as he spoke, he turned around to go back. he actually helped tuan zi make a choice without hesitation. yi ming was confused, but he was also very smart. seeing tuan zi¡¯s expression, he quickly realized something. ¡°¡­tuan zi, do you have anything else to do today?¡± tuan zi originally didn¡¯t want to break the agreement, but¡­ who knew when zi chen was talking about? compared to going to wind valley, she was more interested in dueling with zi chen! hence, she quickly made a decision. ¡°yes. i have something on at the last minute today. i¡¯m afraid i can¡¯t go with you.¡± tuan zi clasped her hands together and apologized in embarrassment. ¡°i¡¯m really sorry.¡± yi ming had actually already guessed it. hearing her say this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. but seeing that tuan zi really seemed to have something urgent to do, he couldn¡¯t say much. instead, he was afraid of delaying her, so he immediately shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s okay. since this is so, i¡¯ll come back tomorrow?¡± tuan zi hurriedly nodded. ¡°okay!¡± yi ming looked at her. during this trip, he hadn¡¯t even been able to get close to her and talk to her. but from her expression, it seemed like¡­ she was in a hurry to do something. he couldn¡¯t delay any longer and quickly bade farewell. after yi ming left, tuan zi turned around to look at zi chen. two small flames had already burned in her eyes. ¡°zi chen? come on!¡± seeing her excited appearance, zi chen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°okay.¡± ¡­ fantasy divine palace. there were only a few days left until the wedding between the left divine general and the eighth deity. these two people had extraordinary identities after all, so the wedding ceremony was naturally very grand. there were lanterns everywhere, and it was very lively. before they got married, the atmosphere was already especially lively. speaking of which, this could be considered the first joyous event after everything was settled. of course, everyone wanted it to be lively. fantasy divine hall. the moment chu liuyue arrived outside the study, she heard a familiar voice coming from inside. ¡°yes.¡± it was rong xiu¡¯s low and melodious voice; he seemed to be talking to someone. she paused. just as she was wondering if she should wait, she heard footsteps. rong xiu walked out of the house. when he saw her, a gentle smile appeared in his eyes. ¡°yue¡¯er, why are you here?¡± according to usual practice, she should be ¡®walking¡¯ or resting now. he didn¡¯t expect her to take the initiative to look for him. the emperor, who had been neglected for a long time, couldn¡¯t help but feel flattered. chu liuyue also smiled. ¡°i wanted to come over and give you something.¡± rong xiu raised his sharp brows slightly. i don¡¯t lack anything here. what is she planning to give? but before he could ask in detail, chu liuyue¡¯s gaze turned, and she looked into the study. ¡°yan qing?¡± she was a little surprised. yan qing had recently been busy preparing for the wedding, and he did many things himself. from the big ones like the preparations for every step, to the small ones like the dragon and phoenix candles in the bridal room, it seemed like yan qing was in charge. on the other hand, xiao ba was still very relaxed all day. the thing she was most diligent about was to take care of herself meticulously in all aspects. she had to be beautiful to a new height, from her hair to her toes! initially, chu liuyue was still a little worried that xiao ba wouldn¡¯t like the ones yan qing chose. later on, she found out that he always prepared a few sets of plans. after tidying them up, he would pass them to xiao ba for her to choose. in addition, perhaps because they had interacted for a long time, but yan qing had become increasingly clear about xiao ba¡¯s likes and dislikes. at this point, he could basically accurately choose what she wanted. hence, xiao ba¡¯s days were even more leisurely and relaxing. yan qing walked over and bowed. chu liuyue sized him up, smiled, and asked, ¡°oh right, have you recovered from your injuries?¡± yan qing nodded his head respectfully. bbut before he could say anything, chu liuyue stroked her chin again and said in agreement, ¡°that¡¯s true. with our xiao ba taking care of him every day, it¡¯s hard not to recover!¡± all these years, she had never seen xiao ba have such patience toward anyone. yan qing didn¡¯t expect her to say this. he was slightly dazed, and his gaze flickered. ¡°¡­yes.¡± thinking of something, the tips of his ears turned slightly red. however, chu liuyue didn¡¯t notice it and knew that yan qing was busy. she waved her hands and didn¡¯t forget to tease him ¡°go ahead and do your work, but you have to rest. if not, when you¡¯re really tired later, my xiao ba¡¯s heart will ache.¡± upon hearing this, rong xiu nodded his head. ¡°you can do whatever you want in the future. there¡¯s no need to ask for instructions.¡± yan qing seemed to heave a sigh of relief. after thanking her, he quickly left. rong xiu held chu liuyue¡¯s hand and walked into the house. chu liuyue curiously asked, ¡°why did yan qing suddenly look for you?¡± rong xiu smiled. ¡°it¡¯s not a big deal. he just came to ask for something.¡± as he spoke, he saw that chu liuyue was dazed and added, ¡°he asked for some things to use for the wedding. they¡¯re not very important, but it should be¡­ he felt that the eighth deity would like them, so he specially made this trip.¡± chu liuyue reacted for a while and finally understood something. ¡°this should be¡­ the first time he willingly asked you for something, right?¡± rong xiu tapped his chin, thought for a while, and smiled lazily. ¡°he had been on the brink of death several times in the past, but he didn¡¯t do this. i didn¡¯t expect him to speak up now for something small.¡± as the left divine general, it was as easy as abc for yan qing to get something from the emperor. however, his personality was cold and nonchalant, and he had never been like this. the first time he made an exception was for that woman. chu liuyue blinked. why do i suddenly feel that xiao ba has taken advantage of him? hm, it seems like i myself have benefited too¡­ rong xiu pinched her face. ¡°what do you want to give me today?¡± speaking of this, chu liuyue recovered her senses. she smiled, her starry eyes seeming to sparkle. then, she held his hand and placed it on her stomach. ¡°baby, greet your father.¡± rong xiu¡¯s expression changed slightly, and his palm warmed up. this is¡­ movement? he leaned in closer, his movements gentle and careful. he almost held his breath, terrified that he would miss something. fifteen minutes later. nothing happened. rong xiu raised his brows and looked at her. chu liuyue also found it strange. ¡°that¡¯s not right. i still felt it just now¡­¡± the first time the fetuses moved, it felt very strange. she knew that it was her and rong xiu¡¯s children, and it was the inheritance of their bloodline¡ªit was the deepest bond between them. hence, after detecting the commotion, she came over almost without hesitation. she didn¡¯t expect her children not to give her any face at all. she waited and waited, but there was still no movement. she softly muttered, ¡°but this seems to be more coincidental to begin with. besides, this is just the beginning. perhaps there aren¡¯t so many movements¡ª¡± as she spoke, she placed her hand on her stomach again. thunk. it was a light kick, as if something was gently kicking. her heart seemed to have been hit by something, and it was as soft as a sheet. she hurriedly grabbed rong xiu¡¯s hand. ¡°here, here! it moved just now!¡± rong xiu moved his hand over and pressed it against her skin under her thin shirt. there was no movement. chu liuyue was speechless. rong xiu raised his brows. ¡°they¡¯re already biased to their mother?¡± Chapter 2549 - 2549 Side Story 53 2549 side story 53 the rong family¡¯s future two ancestors clearly didn¡¯t plan to give their biological father any face. chu liuyue did not expect such a situation to happen, and she lightly coughed. ¡°um¡­ you two, be obedient. greet your father.¡± as she said this, something finally moved below rong xiu¡¯s palm. there seemed to be something kicking over twice, with an indescribable motion. rong xiu looked down slightly, and there seemed to be ripples in the depths of his phoenix eyes. before this, he had never expected to be this surprised and happy in his long and lonely life. some place in his heart seemed to be slowly filled. such a feeling¡­ he laughed and hugged her waist, pulling her into his arms and kissing her lips. ¡°it seems like they listen to you.¡± chu liuyue raised her brows. ¡°but they don¡¯t seem to listen to their father.¡± ¡°that¡¯s fine.¡± rong xiu hugged her waist with one hand and held her face with the other, gently kissing her lips. ¡°it¡¯s also cute if they¡¯re lively and playful. i can just spoil them.¡± just like how i treat her. chu liuyue was dazed for a moment and faintly felt that something was amiss. this¡­ should be saying that he treats girls and boys the same, right? originally, she wanted to ask but found it unnecessary. mm, they are both his children after all. how could he really treat them differently? that wouldn¡¯t be right. i have full confidence in my man. ¡°then¡­¡± she wanted to say something else when she felt that the hand on her waist was gently caressing her. the temperature became high. the hand on her face seemed to increase its strength as he kissed her more deeply. the two of them were very close, and there were only a few thin layers of cloth in between. the warmth on his body spread to her skin and extended to all her limbs. the overlapping breathing became warm as it landed on her thin and white neck, causing it to be numb. chu liuyue placed her hand on his chest and avoided his kiss. she then took a deep breath in, and the cold wind entered her chest, finally waking her up slightly. she shook her head. she clearly looked like she had rejected him, but when she spoke, her voice was superbly sweet. ¡°no¡­ r-rong xiu¡­¡± she called his name lightly with slurred syllables, but they seemed like feathers gently scratching his heart lethally. he tried very hard to restrain himself. his voice was terrifyingly hoarse as he spoke with much difficulty, ¡°it¡¯s going to be five months soon, right?¡± even though it was a question, his tone was affirmative. he naturally knew how long she had been pregnant for. he knew even more clearly that during this stage¡­ he leaned over and bit her soft earlobe. his voice seemed to be a seductive medicine as he tempted her. ¡°¡­i¡¯ll be lighter¡­ hm?¡± this was seeking her opinion. chu liuyue¡¯s cheeks flushed red as she looked at him. her sparkling bright eyes seemed to have lakewater, and they were hazy and crystal-like. rong xiu looked down slightly and instinctively thought of her charming appearance of her eyes being filled with lakewater. his breathing stopped, and his entire body became increasingly tense. he gently held her waist as he pulled her in to kiss. chu liuyue originally wanted to reject him, but with her hand on his chest and her entire person stuck close to him¡­ she knew his condition the best. thinking about it¡­ he had held it in for so long, and her heart did ache. she knew her body the best. rong xiu was also very restrained and knew his limits. besides, she had to admit that he had a lethal attraction toward her. her body became slightly gingerly, and her voice was light. ¡°t-then¡­¡± her rationality was smashed as she instinctively reached out to hug his neck and pull herself over. rong xiu¡¯s hand tightened. but at this moment, chu liuyue suddenly yelled. rong xiu knitted his sharp brows, and he became more awake. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± his tone was tense, hoarse, and with unconcealable nervousness. chu liuyue¡¯s face flushed red as she took half a step back, her eyes still watery. ¡°¡­the child just kicked me.¡± that force was not polite at all. actually, she did not find it painful, but that kick was enough to drag her rationality back. upon hearing this, rong xiu heaved a sigh of relief. as long as nothing happens to her, it¡¯s fine. it¡¯s just normal baby movements. he lightly rubbed her ears and softly coaxed, ¡°that¡¯s fine. it¡¯s good for children to be active.¡± he leaned in closer, and his breathing was still hot. it was boiling when it landed on her neck. but before he could kiss her voluptuous lips, a finger stopped him. chu liuyue¡¯s breathing was erratic, but her eyes were clear. she stretched out her index finger and placed it on his approaching lips. rong xiu looked at her to ask for permission, but his phoenix eyes still had deep seduction. he opened his mouth and slowly bit her finger. his eyes were filled with smiles as he stared straight at her. chu liuyue¡¯s heart jumped wildly, and her entire body warmed up. this man had always been pristine and elegant, high and mighty. as long as he wanted, he could easily cause many women to fall head over heels for him¡ªshe was not an exception, especially when he was originally hers. chu liuyue took a deep breath in and forced herself to calm down, still trying to make her voice sound calm. ¡°that¡¯s not good.¡± rong xiu raised his brows. chu liuyue looked up at him, paused, and added righteously, ¡°it¡¯s not safe for children. they¡¯re watching.¡± rong xiu¡¯s originally nonchalant yet indescribably attractive expression finally cracked slightly. Chapter 2550 - 2550 Side Story 54: Meeting Below the Night Sky 2550 side story 54: meeting below the night sky rong xiu finally realized later that the two ancestors weren¡¯t as easy to serve as he thought. he took a deep breath in. meeting chu liuyue¡¯s clear gaze, he still backed down. ¡°¡­okay.¡± i just have to continue waiting. anyway¡­ i¡¯m already used to it, thought rong xiu expressionlessly. chu liuyue saw that a layer of sweat had formed on his forehead and that his chin was still tense. her heart ached, and she found it funny. she jumped over to hug him and lightly rubbed around his neck. ¡°the children¡¯s dad is the best!¡± rong xiu was speechless. i don¡¯t really want to be praised at such a time. it¡¯s a pity that i have no other choice. he lightly ruffled her soft hair. when he smelled the familiar fragrance, he suppressed his temper a little. ¡°rest well. i¡¯ll go out for a while.¡± chu liuyue looked up at him strangely. ¡°what are you doing?¡± rong xiu curled his fingers slightly and knocked her forehead. ¡°to find yun muchen and the rest to duel with them.¡± he was too fiery, and he had to unleash it. additionally, the two fellows did not give him face. rong xiu felt rather strange. the gifts yun muchen had given previously were probably not enough, and he had to have more. rong xiu knew clearly what he had planned, but he could not let him continue talking inauspiciously. chu liuyue recalled the ¡®duel¡¯ between the two and could not help but silently weep sympathy tears for yun muchen. she nodded concernedly. ¡°be careful. don¡¯t beat him to death.¡± rong xiu nodded. ¡°i know.¡± ¡­ hence, another commotion happened in the fantasy divine palace. the emperor and young master yun fought intensely, and it was hard to determine the winner. in the end, to express his gratitude, young master yun found someone to embroider two dresses for the emperor and goddess yue. upon hearing this, the others could not sit still. the first to react was actually chu ning. he obtained quite a few threads and soft cloth from the fantasy divine hall. then, he directly brought them back to his residence and started sewing socks and other items. when shangguan you heard this, he hurriedly rushed over to check on the situation. originally, he thought that chu ning was not very good at such matters. in the end, when shangguan you saw the pairs of intricate and pretty socks, his entire person was unwell. not to mention an entire set of clothing, even with ducks and their pouting mouths! chu ning was holding the second set, which was exactly the same. shangguan you widened his eyes in shock, and his hands trembled slightly. ¡°y-you personally embroidered all of this?!¡± chu ning then looked up, his expression nonchalant, but he showed a few hints of pride and flaunting. ¡°mm, it¡¯s me. why?¡± shangguan you gasped. since when did chu ning have such skills! however, he didn¡¯t know that chu liuyue lost her mother when she was young and was brought up by chu ning single-handedly. thus, he was very good at taking care of girls. originally, shangguan you wanted to find out about his enemy¡¯s situation. in the end, he realized that the other party was too strong and that he had no chances of winning, so he went back defeatedly. after suffering overnight for three days, other than the dozens of wounds on his hand, there were no improvements. shangguan you thought for a moment and finally tried a new method¡ªhe started bringing books to read to chu liuyue. he couldn¡¯t do some things, but he could pick the ones he was good at! however, such good days did not last for long. he quickly realized that many people were fighting with him for this task, including his ancestor. there was no choice since chu liuyue only had so much time in a day, and they could not fight with rong xiu or dugu mobao. hence, they could only split the remaining time and take turns. they felt sour but could not give up fighting! when one was pregnant, the baby could hear voices. they should speak more and leave a good impression on them. hence, the prenatal fight had proceeded to a passionate stage. ¡­ in such an enthusiastic atmosphere, eighth deity and left divine general¡¯s wedding date approached. the day before the wedding, everything was decorated in a lively manner. zi chen and tuan zi finally returned to the fantasy divine palace on this day. before they reached the heaven gate, they heard bustling noises inside. the fireworks bloomed in the skies and were eye-catching. at this point, it was already evening. the sky was dark, and the stars sparkled brightly. wu yao had already heard of the news and was waiting for them at the heaven gate. hearing the noise, they hurriedly looked up. he first saw the man standing in front. a black robe with a tall figure and handsome appearance. wu yao broke into a smile and greeted, ¡°zi chen!¡± zi chen saw him, and his usually cold and nonchalant expression became warmer. he nodded. ¡°previously, i heard from master that you had already recovered, but i didn¡¯t get a chance to see you. i finally saw you now!¡± as wu yao spoke, he walked over and laughed loudly. zi chen was master¡¯s fiend, and they had gone through life and death together. the thirteen yue guards already treated zi chen as family. now that he saw zi chen safe and sound, he was naturally happy. this was a double happiness. ¡°oh right, where¡¯s tuan zi?¡± wu yao suddenly thought of something and scratched his head. ¡°didn¡¯t she come back with you?¡± the moment he said that, a head stuck out from behind before zi chen could answer. a playful face entered his view. ¡°brother wu yao!¡± wu yao was taken aback. previously, he knew that someone followed zi chen over. however, she seemed like a young lady, and he thought that it was a friend zi chen brought back, so he did not pay much attention to her. however, the lady before him¡­ had such a familiar tone? and that face and the aura¡­ wu yao suddenly widened his eyes. ¡°tuan zi?!¡± tuan zi blinked. ¡°it¡¯s me! brother wu yao, you don¡¯t recognize me?¡± wu yao held his chest and was in disbelief. this shock was too sudden, and he could not tolerate it! in such a short time, how did that fluffy ball turn into such a pretty young lady? tuan zi ran over excitedly. ¡°where¡¯s a¡¯yue!? i haven¡¯t seen her in a long time!¡± wu yao instinctively said, ¡°master is still at the fantasy divine hall.¡± the moment he said that, he felt a gust of wind brush past his ear. tuan zi had disappeared without a trace. wu yao was dazed and hadn¡¯t recovered his senses. zi chen simply explained the situation before he quickly followed. wu yao recovered his senses with much difficulty, turned around, and slapped his thigh. ¡°aiyo! our tuan zi is so pretty when she¡¯s all grown up!¡± ¡­ the fantasy divine palace was especially crowded today. the night sky and the fireworks intertwined, and many people came and went. zi chen followed tuan zi in. but before they reached the fantasy divine hall, zi chen saw tuan zi stop in an alley. he heaved a sigh of relief and slowly walked forward. ¡°how¡ª¡± before he finished his sentence, he looked up and saw two people leaning extremely close to each other in the dim and narrow area. one slim man was holding a sword with his back against the wall. he leaned down slightly. there was a pretty and flirtatious girl before him hooking his neck, going on her toes to kiss him. the flirtatious aura pierced through the night sky. zi chen¡¯s brows twitched as he immediately raised his hand and covered tuan zi¡¯s eyes. Chapter 2551 - 2551 Side Story 55: Preview 2551 side story 55: preview as if detecting something, the two people in the alley paused. xiao ba moved back slightly and looked over. there was nobody outside the alley. only the distant moving crowd was noisy. however, this place was very discreet, and nobody came over. ¡°there seemed to be someone here¡­¡± her voice was very light as if it had accidentally slipped out of her mouth with a few hints of flirtatiousness. that pair of charming eyes seemed to be stained with blurred water. but though she said that, she didn¡¯t seem fearful as her waist still leaned against the man beside her. yan qing looked down at her. her long lashes curled slightly, and her cheeks were red. her loose strands of hair were messy as they flowed with the wind and lightly stuck to her soft red lips. the intricate colors intertwined, and it was if they were silently seducing him. his eyes were gloomy. in actual fact, he had noticed that commotion earlier than xiao ba, so he quickly reacted and knew who those two auras belonged to. still¡ª ¡°there¡¯s no one,¡± said yan qing softly. xiao ba looked up at him. even though they were officially getting married the next day, she did not feel that it was real. besides, she had to be busy with many matters and barely even met yan qing recently. at this point, the two of them finally had some spare time. the gigantic fantasy divine palace was very crowded, and dazzling fireworks bloomed in the sky. nobody would notice such a small alley or even imagine that the two people who were getting married the next day would be hiding in such an isolated and quiet corner to silently hug and kiss each other. the bustling crowd and the iridescent lights were nearby, but this place seemed isolated from the rest. there were only the two of them. such a feeling¡­ was very mysterious with an inexplicable happiness. she blinked lightly. ¡°really?¡± in actual fact, from the beginning till now, she focused on the person before her and didn¡¯t have the energy to care about the rest. since yan qing said that, she believed him without much thinking. hence, without waiting for yan qing¡¯s reply, she continued, ¡°it¡¯s fine even if there¡¯s someone.¡± she hooked yan qing¡¯s neck, nestled in his arm, and lightly caressed him with a soft voice. anyway, he¡¯s mine. besides¡ª ¡°won¡¯t all of this be legitimate after tomorrow?¡± she said delightedly. ¡°no.¡± yan qing¡¯s voice sounded, which made xiao ba stunned. she widened her eyes slightly. ¡°what?¡± yan qing pressed his lips against each other tightly and said after a while, ¡°this¡­ has been natural since that day.¡± it was such a short sentence, but he said it with much effort. ¡°you¡¯re my fianc¨¦.¡± xiao ba blinked and later realized. yan qing means that¡­ hugging and kissing were originally my right as his fianc¨¦? so¡ª ¡°but i¡¯m not tomorrow.¡± xiao ba wanted to tease him. leaning in closer, she stared into his eyes and asked seemingly innocently, ¡°coincidentally, i wanted to ask you something, left divine general. after i become your wife, will there be any more changes? is there anything that i can do more legitimately?¡± yan qing was dazed for a moment. these two identities are naturally different, but they are all her¡ª following this, xiao ba asked lightly, ¡°previously, you refused to tell me whatever you were thinking of. then¡­ can i know tomorrow?¡± they were very close to each other, and her breathing landed in his ears. the pair of watery eyes revealed her intentions. they were like invisible hooks that easily trapped him. yan qing instantly understood. he placed his hand on her waist, and it instantly became warm. at that moment, there seemed to be fire burning. that day, xiao ba went back and thought about it repeatedly. she felt that she had the lower hand. hence, to salvage herself, she privately kept teasing yan qing. on the other hand, yan qing had never done anything more outrageous. most of the time, he recovered his usual cold and restraint self. the more he acted that way, the more xiao ba wanted to tease him¡ªuntil now. in such a situation, she directly said those words. yan qing tilted his head, his throat dry. ¡°let¡¯s talk about tomorrow¡¯s matters tomorrow.¡± his voice was very low, and one could hear the tenseness in it. xiao ba looked at him. then, her red lips slowly curled up into a smile with bad intentions. she hooked his neck and leaned toward his ears. when she spoke, her soft lips parted lightly and gently caressed his earlobe. however, yan qing could no longer focus here. he heard her voice with laughter. ¡°then¡­ do you need a preview of it?¡± ¡­ zi chen¡¯s actions were very fast. after he realized that the two were xiao ba and yan qing, he dragged tuan zi away without hesitation. tuan zi was obedient for once and was motionless as she allowed him to drag her away. it was only until the two of them turned into a rather empty corner that zi chen stopped in his tracks. after confirming that they were a distance away and nobody was around to disturb them, zi chen finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°¡­zi chen.¡± tuan zi¡¯s tiny voice sounded. ¡°can you let go of me?¡± zi chen was dazed and realized their situation. previously, they left in a hurry. just like before, he directly brought her into his arms. his arm now held her waist, and his other arm was on her face, blocking her eyes. at this point, he finally recovered his senses and realized that the tiny person in his arms was indeed different from before. they were equally soft but¡­ still different. when tuan zi spoke, she seemed to blink. the thick and curly lashes seemed like a small brush that lightly swept against zi chen¡¯s palm. itchy. zi chen immediately let go, taking a step back simultaneously and closing their gaps. after calming down, he said, ¡°we can also return to the fantasy divine hall from here. let¡¯s go.¡± however, tuan zi didn¡¯t seem to react. instead, she turned around in a daze. zi chen took a few steps out and realized that she did not follow. thus, he turned around to look. tuan zi stood rooted to the ground, her face flushed red. her circular and clear eyes sparkled with a hint of confusion and shyness. ¡°zi chen, just now¡­ was it sister xiao ba and brother yan qing?¡± she asked this carefully, but her tone was affirmative. zi chen rubbed his brows helplessly. she did see them. xiao ba is fine, yet yan qing still gave into her. if there was nobody else¡ª but upon deeper thought, the two were about to get married the next day. there was nothing wrong. besides, tuan zi originally ran over first and accidentally bumped into them. he became anxious for some reason and finally lightly acknowledged it. actually, it wasn¡¯t that tuan zi had not seen such a scene previously. after all, she had been picked up and thrown out by rong xiu more than once. however, it was different now. tuan zi was older, so her view and knowledge were different from before. as expected, tuan zi almost instinctively walked over. her lively face was filled with unconcealable curiosity. she stretched out two fingers and lightly placed them against each other. it was the first time she had such inquisitive thoughts. ¡°t-then, zi chen, how does it feel? it seems that sister xiao ba and brother yan qing really seem to like it!¡± zi chen¡¯s eyelids twitched harshly. Chapter 2552 - 2552 Side Story 56: Report 2552 side story 56: report he glanced at tuan zi with warning. ¡°a child shouldn¡¯t be so curious.¡± tuan zi was stunned. even though zi chen is cold, he is always gentle with me and rarely reveals such an expression. he seems¡­ rather unhappy? because i asked such a question? however, this isn¡¯t a very big matter, right? why can¡¯t i ask out of curiosity? i won¡¯t lose a piece of my flesh. tuan zi tried to explain herself. ¡°¡­but i¡¯ve already grown up!¡± this was irrefutable. she was in her teens. could he really still treat her as a child? everyone could tell that she had grown up. even those kids in the godly phoenix mountain had vastly different attitudes toward tuan zi, especially yi ming, who almost chased her to her house. thinking of this, zi chen¡¯s eyes darkened as he stepped forward. ¡°so what? your skills didn¡¯t improve by much.¡± tuan zi was instantly so angry that her cheeks bulged up. ¡°no!¡± my combat skills have greatly improved! however, zi chen is too capable, and i¡¯m not his match. that day, zi chen willingly challenged her to a duel. in the beginning, she was still rather excited. in the end, she lost before the time even reached 15 minutes. at that moment, she then realized that it wasn¡¯t just her¡ªzi chen¡¯s skills had also strengthened! besides, when they dealt hands in the past, he mostly gave in to her. this made tuan zi feel defeated for the whole afternoon. however, she quickly picked herself up with strong ambition. she swore that she would cultivate harder and fight to beat zi chen! it was decent if they could have a tie! hence, after that, she always stayed in her own residence. she was either cultivating or dueling with zi chen. zi chen¡¯s temper and patience seemed much better than before. after being tortured by her, he was not annoyed at all. but in this situation, she canceled her meeting with yi ming and the rest again. when she returned to the fantasy divine palace this time, it was her only time going out other than entering godly phoenix hall for maintenance works. thinking of this, she felt even more indignant. she tilted her head to look at zi chen. is he amazing just because he¡¯s capable? i just asked out of curiosity. what¡¯s there to get angry about? after a moment, she suddenly thought of something and grunted in delight. ¡°zi chen, you didn¡¯t answer my question. it probably isn¡¯t because¡­ you don¡¯t know it either, right?¡± zi chen¡¯s eyelids twitched. at that moment, tuan zi sharply felt that zi chen¡¯s aura had turned cold, but she was not afraid! instead, she acted as if she had found out a huge secret, and she shook her head and laughed. ¡°hahaha, i knew it!¡± zi chen had no spouse and spent most of his time trapped in the heavenly square cauldron. perhaps he doesn¡¯t even have a lady he likes. why would he have such experience and know such things? thinking of this, tuan zi smiled even more brightly, and she couldn¡¯t help but reach out and tap his shoulders. ¡°am i right? did i guess it?¡± zi chen: ¡°¡­¡± mm, she¡¯s grown up, but her abilities to annoy people have also strengthened. just as he was about to speak, tuan zi suddenly leaped to the front, tilted her head, and approached him. her blackberry-like eyes blinked lightly with her lashes. light shone in her eyes. ¡°zi chen, are you angry?¡± her lips still had a smile. zi chen¡¯s annoyance that came from nowhere dissipated suddenly. he averted his gaze and looked to the front. ¡°no.¡± ¡°that¡¯s great if you don¡¯t! i was just kidding!¡± tuan zi laughed out loud. ¡°it¡¯s very normal if you haven¡¯t met someone you like! a¡¯yue said that this depends on fate! sometimes, you have to wait for quite some time.¡± in the beginning, when she was thinking about getting a partner for zi chen, she actually did not consider so much. but after understanding zi chen¡¯s attitude, she realized that she did not do it well. besides, for some reason, after she saw sister xiao ba and brother yan qing together, she suddenly realized that liking someone was not precise. it was between two people and had nothing to do with others. zi chen glanced at her strangely, not expecting her to have such a realization. however, this was fine. he nodded. ¡°you¡¯re right, but you have to be careful about such a thing. you¡¯re still young and can¡¯t easily differentiate good and bad. if you meet someone you like, you have to report to me first.¡± ¡°huh?¡± tuan zi was instantly dazed. zi chen¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°your identity is special. some people might have ill intent toward you. i¡¯ll look out for you first before we show them to goddess yue.¡± tuan zi thought about it and felt that it made sense. but why¡­ does it seem weird? ¡°do you have a question?¡± zi chen glanced at her. tuan zi immediately shook her head. ¡°no!¡± speaking of which, it was great to get zi chen to look out for her. they had spent many years together, and their relationship was deep. zi chen always took extra care of her, like a senior and a brother. other than a¡¯yue, she trusted him the most and depended on him the most. to be honest, in her heart, zi chen¡¯s status was even higher than yi zhao and the rest. after all¡­ a¡¯yue and zi chen had occupied most of the first half of her life¡­ thinking of this, she smiled. ¡°then, if you also have someone you like, you must tell me first!¡± i want to inspect her properly! zi chen paused and finally acknowledged it. after receiving a satisfactory answer, tuan zi was elated. ¡°but they¡¯re all matters of the past. it¡¯s too early to talk about it now! it¡¯s very late. let¡¯s return to the fantasy divine hall as soon as possible and find a¡¯yue!¡± as she spoke, she pulled zi chen¡¯s hand and walked forward excitedly. after not seeing each other for a few months, she missed a¡¯yue to death! zi chen tightened his grip. then, the soft and warm contact overwhelmed him. he was forced to follow tuan zi forward and looked down. she was still grabbing his index finger¡ªit showed that she fully depended on him. however, she had grown up, and it seemed that her habits weren¡¯t very suitable for the current her. he thought for a moment before holding her hand. the warm palm easily wrapped hers. tuan zi was stunned, and she instinctively turned around. zi chen stood rooted to the spot and quickly let go of her hands. then¡­ she stepped forward. the two of them held hands and were originally very close. now, they were sharing each other¡¯s breaths. tuan zi instantly felt an extremely familiar yet foreign aura, and there was¡­ an indescribable suppression. without waiting for her to react, zi chen¡¯s hand already landed on her head. the bell rang. it seemed as if he had tidied a few loose strands of hair as he hid them under her dark hair. then, his hand landed on her collar, and his long fingers pressed on it lightly, tidying her messy collar. his hand was warm, and he quickly let go after touching. then, he took half a step back and sized her up. ¡°i¡¯m done.¡± since they were returning to see goddess yue, she had to look good. tuan zi welcomed his gaze and suddenly felt her face become warm. Chapter 2553 - 2553 Side Story 57: Come Back 2553 side story 57: come back chu liuyue had long heard of the news that tuan zi spent a hundred years in godly phoenix hall and became older. hence, after she found out that tuan zi and zi chen were preparing to return, she couldn¡¯t help but feel expectant and curious. tuan zi followed her for two lives, and she had always been a soft ball. she had never imagined tuan zi¡¯s appearance when she grew up. inside the fantasy divine hall, chu liuyue was playing chess with rong xiu. however, rong xiu quickly saw that she was rather distracted. he put away the chess piece, smiled, and said, ¡°they have already passed through the heaven gate and will be here soon.¡± chu liuyue lightly exhaled and looked out. ¡°i know.¡± her voice was slightly tense, and her stomach was overwhelmed with unconcealable curiosity and reminiscence. rong xiu held her hand. ¡°let me wait outside with you?¡± after hesitating slightly, chu liuyue shook her head. ¡°i should¡ª¡± ¡°a¡¯yue!¡± before she finished her sentence, a crisp and elated voice suddenly came from outside. chu liuyue¡¯s heart tingled as she immediately stood up and came to the door. the door was open. hence, she could instantly see the figure running toward her under the night sky. the fireworks bloomed in the night sky, like the overwhelming fire that day, but it was different¡ªbright, passionate, and dazzling. the rays of light shone, and the young lady¡¯s appearance gradually became clearer. she had a thin waist, and the red-golden dress outlined the young lady¡¯s curves. the asymmetrical dress flowed with the wind, revealing her thin legs and pretty ankles. when she ran, her long pigtails jumped and fell, and the bells rang crisply. the most eye-catching thing was her eyes. they were blackberry-like and spherical, and they dazzled. they were like two bowls of springwater, which were extremely pure. ¡°a¡¯yue!¡± seeing that chu liuyue had walked out of the main hall, tuan zi¡¯s eyes were shockingly bright. reminiscence rushed out almost at the highest speed. chu liuyue looked at the foreign yet familiar lady in a daze. fireworks bloomed behind her. she stepped on the bright light passionately. how familiar was this scene!? but the previous time, she had landed in the ferocious sea of fire, and she couldn¡¯t reach her. even after tuan zi was born in the fire and the matter had passed for some time, some memories were still deeply etched in her mind and could not be erased. it was a scene that would cause her entire body to tremble out of pain every time she recalled it. but now, the scene before her eyes gradually overlapped and merged with her memories. chu liuyue knew very clearly that the old scar was unerasable and that it would always exist. hence, at this point, something slowly and gently healed the past. her lips curled up slowly, and emotions surged in her eyes. ¡°tuan zi!¡± hearing this, tuan zi was even happier as she rushed forward. she was very fast. almost in the blink of an eye, she reached chu liuyue. she instinctively wanted to directly pounce into chu liuyue¡¯s arms. but when she saw the latter¡¯s protruding stomach, she finally reacted and stopped in her tracks. ¡°a¡¯yue! i¡¯m back!¡± perhaps because she came too anxiously, or she was too emotional, but tuan zi¡¯s breathing was rather erratic. her snow-white face was flushed red. chu liuyue looked at the young lady before her. actually, she had wondered if tuan zi would become foreign when she became older and if many things would change. but at this point, she realized that her worries were unnecessary. tuan zi was still tuan zi¡ªthe tuan zi who had accompanied her for many years, even until she died. she went forward and lightly ruffled tuan zi¡¯s hair before pinching her face. ¡°we haven¡¯t seen each other in so long. tuan zi, you¡¯re so pretty!¡± the familiar movement successfully caused tuan zi¡¯s eyes to swell up. she rubbed her eyes as she held chu liuyue¡¯s arm and softly said, ¡°a¡¯yue, i miss you so much.¡± it was still different. now, she couldn¡¯t jump into a¡¯yue¡¯s arms and whine. she could only hold the latter¡¯s hands and hug her arms. chu liuyue smiled and rubbed her head. ¡°i miss you too, tuan zi.¡± at this point, zi chen walked over as well. chu liuyue exchanged glances with him and nodded with a smile. zi chen had also followed her for many years. without speaking, they could easily understand each other¡¯s thoughts. chu liuyue held tuan zi¡¯s hand and walked inside. ¡°come, tell me¡ªwhat exactly happened recently?¡± speaking of this, tuan zi was instantly interested and immediately stuck close. rong xiu, who was ignored, was speechless. zi chen, who was forgotten, was also speechless. ¡­ that night, chu liuyue slept with tuan zi. they hadn¡¯t seen each other in a while and had too many things to say. tuan zi still felt her stomach very curiously, and her entire person was beyond emotional. she narrated many interesting matters regarding godly phoenix mountain. chu liuyue occasionally chimed in. most of the time, she was listening peacefully. however, tuan zi stopped after chattering for an hour. ¡°a¡¯yue, you should sleep!¡± chu liuyue was dazed. ¡°you don¡¯t want to talk anymore?¡± ¡°of course not.¡± tuan zi shook her head. ¡°but you need to rest!¡± even if she doesn¡¯t want to rest, her two babies need to sleep! hearing her reason, chu liuyue was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°who taught you all of this?¡± ¡°zi chen!¡± tuan zi looked proud. ¡°he has taught me many things!¡± even though zi chen wasn¡¯t personally experienced in many aspects, he was still much more mature than tuan zi. luckily, tuan zi was also smart. after a few reminders from zi chen, she understood. hearing her say this, chu liuyue relaxed. she was very relieved to leave tuan zi with zi chen. ¡­ the next day, the grand wedding began. the entire fantasy divine palace was bustling with people. of course, many people¡¯s hearts also shattered on this day. yan qing was the left divine general, one of the emperor¡¯s most trusted and capable confidants. even though he wasn¡¯t very humane, he was cold and handsome with superior word skills. he had attracted quite a few girls¡¯ hearts. as for the eighth deity.. needless to say, she was the most charming and mesmerizing passionate rose in the fantasy divine palace. who wouldn¡¯t want her? many people pursued her, and the queue could reach outside the heaven gate. yet, she was silently taken by the left divine general! the crowd sighed guiltily. they could only curse that the left divine general looked cold and traditional, but he was extremely cunning! who knew what methods he used to charm the prettiest flower in fantasy divine palace? they could not fight against him, so they could only use another method to salvage their pride. hence, this night, many people toasted yan qing, including the thirteen yue guards, who had also joined the team. the usually calm and pristine left divine general yan qing, who did not touch alcohol, did not reject any incoming person. Chapter 2554 - 2554 Side Story 58: Time 2554 side story 58: time the sky slowly darkened. the troublemakers had left, and only xiao ba was alone in the big room. she sat before the copper mirror and pushed away the jade beads before her forehead to scrutinize the person in the mirror. her originally pretty five features were even more charming with makeup. she lightly blinked. her slightly long lashes swept across two pairs of watery eyes, which seemed even more mesmerizing. xiao ba¡¯s red lips curled up in satisfaction. then, she turned around and sized up the room. everything here was decorated according to her likings. she naturally liked it when she looked at it now. she glanced outside. yan qing did not seem to be back. after going through so much, she was actually quite tired. after sitting for a while, lethargy kept overwhelming her. in the beginning, she still forced herself, but her consciousness became increasingly blurred. finally, she lay on the table and slept. ¡­ creak¡ª after some time, the sound of the door opening was heard. xiao ba recovered her consciousness and struggled to get up. she looked up and saw a familiar and tall figure walking toward her. ¡°yan qing¡­¡± she spoke softly with a blur. yan qing closed the door and came to her. before he reached her, the intense smell of alcohol attacked her first. xiao ba widened her eyes slightly. ¡°what¡­ how much have you drunk?¡± yan qing lowered his body and met her at eye-level. ¡°not much.¡± his voice was rather hoarse, with a hint of drunkness. seeing him in this state, how is it ¡®not much?¡¯ xiao ba thought of it and was rather helpless. she even laughed. ¡°did big brother and the rest force you to drink?¡± one just had to think to know that they definitely wouldn¡¯t give up on such a chance. yan qing fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°i¡¯m very happy.¡± xiao ba was dazed for a moment. yan qing¡¯s character was introverted, and he rarely spoke. it was even rarer for him to directly express his thoughts and emotions. after reacting for a while, she then realized and guessed what yan qing meant. this means that the¡­ thirteen yue guards had forced him to drink, which signifies that they have acknowledged his identity and are relieved to pass me to him. she thought about it and laughed. ¡°yan qing, i¡¯m also very happy.¡± the candlelight shone down. he looked over with the depths of his eyes, and there seemed to be waves surging inside, and it seemed unreal. they seemed to be hiding fires. even if he tried his best to control it, the warmth still exuded. his gaze landed on her face like sparks landing, which caused her face to burn slightly. ¡°what are you looking at?¡± asked xiao ba softly. yan qing suddenly laughed lightly. he leaned in closer and supported her face. the cold alcohol fragrance and the man¡¯s passionate aura mixed with each other and mesmerized her. ¡°looking at you,¡± said yan qing slowly with a hoarse voice. ¡°you¡¯re unbelievably beautiful.¡± xiao ba¡¯s face turned red. she had heard much praise for her looks for the past many years, but it was very rare for such words to come out of yan qing¡¯s mouth. she reached out and hit his forehead. ¡°you¡¯re really drunk¡­¡± if not, why would he say such words? yan qing held her hand and suddenly asked, ¡°have you eaten?¡± xiao ba was confused as to why he suddenly asked this. ¡°yup!¡± yan qing nodded. ¡°that¡¯s great.¡± ¡°great¡ªah!¡± before she could finish her sentence, yan qing swept her off her feet with his long arms. xiao ba was caught off-guard as she gasped in shock and instinctively hugged his neck. ¡°yan qing?¡± before she could ask anything, she felt yan qing carrying her to the bed. her spine landed on the soft pillow and blanket. yan qing held her ear with one hand, and he looked down at her from above. she suddenly woke up and placed her two hands on yan qing¡¯s chest. the two of them leaned very close to each other, and the surrounding temperature increased. even the space gradually seemed tight and squeezy. she felt nervous for some reason, and her heart beat wildly. even though this was natural and she had already prepared herself mentally, she realized at this point that¡­ it did not seem easy. after all, she was still shy. besides, she didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but she felt that yan qing seemed different from usual. perhaps because¡­ he was drunk? her heart beat like thunder as her face turned pink. yan qing looked at her for a while. his eyes were light, but they became deeper and darker as they surged with emotions she couldn¡¯t quite understand. she instinctively found it dangerous. xiao ba panicked from his gaze and felt that she was like meat on the butcher board, waiting to be chopped. her rare survival instinct urged her to speak. ¡°yan qing, you¡¯re drunk. shall i get some hangover soup for you?¡± as she spoke, she silently moved to the side. at this point, yan qing pressed down with his other arm and stopped her path, asking, ¡°where are you going?¡± when he spoke, his gaze swept past her face. shiny forehead, sharp nose, voluptuous lips¡­ ¡°isn¡¯t my hangover soup right here?¡±before he finished his sentence, he had already lowered her head to kiss her lips. he felt the person below him struggle, as if with an aggrieved whimper. ¡°¡­you¡¯re really drunk¡­¡± ¡°¡­mm.¡± he obediently acknowledged it, and his tone was hoarse. ¡°then¡­ try it?¡± there were many things she wanted to know and he had once thought of. he could show her bit by bit. ¡­ later on, xiao ba felt extreme regret. sometimes, humans can¡¯t have such a strong sense of curiosity! besides¡­ in the future, i will never allow big brother and the rest to make yan qing drunk! i was the one who was tortured in the end! ¡­ four months quickly passed. the peach blossoms bloomed, and the few pinkish-white petals landed with the wind. below the tree, chu liuyue and rong xiu sat opposite each other. there was a golden xuan formation between them. as chu liuyue looked at it, she said, ¡°i wonder how big baby is now.¡± a month before this, big baby closed himself off in seclusion. after so long, he did not make any noise. even though she trusted big baby¡¯s skills, she was still worried. rong xiu thought for a moment, smiled, and said, ¡°the high priest is very capable. i believe everything is fine.¡± chu liuyue nodded. ¡°i think¡ª¡± her voice suddenly paused, and her expression changed slightly. rong xiu was stunned and immediately dispersed the xuan formation as he walked to her. ¡°yue¡¯er¡ª¡± chu liuyue lightly grabbed his hand. ¡°i think i¡¯m about to give birth.¡± Chapter 2555 - 2555 Side Story 59: Baby 2555 side story 59: baby almost everyone came. in the room, one could faintly hear all sorts of busyness. outside the door, the crowd was silent, and they didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. shi fang surveyed the surroundings and couldn¡¯t help but softly ask, ¡°ninth brother, why do i feel that we are the ones giving birth, not master?¡± yu jiu glanced at him speechlessly. however, shi fang didn¡¯t detect his disdain as he clenched his fists, feeling extremely nervous. ¡°really. i-i¡¯m nervous.¡± this was the first time they had experienced such a matter. how could they not care about it? yu jiu chuckled. ¡°how useful.¡± shi fang glanced at his hand. ¡°if you¡¯re not nervous, why did you tremble?¡± yu jiu: ¡°¡­¡± cen yi looked over. ¡°shi fang.¡± shi fang hurriedly acknowledged him. ¡°big brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± cen yi raised his chin. ¡°prepare the nutritious medicine first. master will want to drink it later.¡± shi fang suddenly slapped his forehead. how did i forget this!? these few months, i have been taking care of the garden meticulously for this very moment! he hurriedly ran to prepare it. the remaining few people continued waiting. tuan zi stared at the door without blinking, and her breathing was light. if she wasn¡¯t worried that she would disturb them if she entered, she would¡¯ve rushed in. zi chen glanced at her. ¡°reach out.¡± his voice was low, and only tuan zi heard him. she tilted her head but did not look over. ¡°w-what¡¯s wrong?¡± her voice was nervous. zi chen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. then, he quickly resumed his usual nonchalance. tuan zi felt that something was stuffed into her hand. she instinctively lowered her head. it was a crystal-like sour spiritual berry, and it was icy cold. that chill almost spread from her palm to the rest of her body. she looked up in shock but saw that zi chen wasn¡¯t looking at her. his face was still cold and nonchalant. it seemed as though he wasn¡¯t the one who secretly gave her the berry. she pressed her lips against each other, and a dimple formed on her face. ¡­ lan xiao and diwu zhangze came a little later. ¡°how is it? how is it? did she give birth? has she given birth?¡± the moment lan xiao walked in, he asked a whole series of questions. then, he realized that everyone was still waiting. clearly, she had not given birth. lan xiao coughed, and his voice became lighter. shangguan jing suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°high priest isn¡¯t here yet?¡± diwu zhangze shook his head. ¡°he¡¯s not out of seclusion yet.¡± if dugu mobao was going to reform his physical body, he had to destroy his own holy body and start from scratch. even he and lan xiao could not guarantee that they would survive such pain. hence, they could only wait now. lan xiao surveyed the surroundings. ¡°where¡¯s the emperor?¡± shangguan jing said, ¡°inside guarding her.¡± lan xiao was dazed. diwu zhangze took some time to react. logically speaking, men shouldn¡¯t enter when women were giving birth. however, who could defy him? besides, that was yue¡¯er girlie. after a while, lan xiao laughed. ¡°really¡­¡± really speechless. for that girl, rong xiu could give up everything. accompanying her in is nothing. diwu zhangze also nodded emotionally. from the corner of his eyes, he saw yun muchen sitting on the chair and staring at the room sternly. he could not help but feel happy. ¡°young master yun, why are you here too?¡± yun muchen didn¡¯t reply as he opened his mouth and softly muttered something. ¡°what did you say?¡± diwu zhangze leaned in to listen. however, yun muchen immediately shut his mouth and glanced at him mysteriously. of course, he wouldn¡¯t say that he was muttering for the mother and children to be safe. that¡¯s right, mother and children to be safe! he was praying very seriously and genuinely. after all, he had gambled all of his assets! if he couldn¡¯t make a comeback, he might have to go back broke. diwu zhangze couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him as he laughed at the side. ¡°yue¡¯er girlie¡¯s daughter will definitely be as pretty as her!¡± yun muchen smiled slightly. ¡­ time passed slowly. to the crowd waiting outside, every second and minute were torturous. footsteps were suddenly heard from outside. this was now the most guarded place in the entire fantasy divine palace. ordinary people could not even enter, but the footsteps sounded foreign. the crowd turned around. there was a moment that the air seemed to freeze, and it was deadly silent. a tall young man slowly walked over. he was decked in red and looked very distinguished, yet that man had a cold and proud appearance as if he was doused in frost and coldness. one could not touch him and could only look up to him. his appearance was grand. from his forehead, to his nose, and to his chin, his lines were perfect with an unspeakable sharpness. that pair of eyes was like the purest and cleanest purple crystal, which was charming. the most eye-catching thing was his aura. even if he did not speak and just walked over slowly, he still had a strong aura, which caused one not dare to approach him. ¡°h-high priest¡­¡± someone softly called. the crowd recovered their senses and were shocked. who else could this be if it isn¡¯t high priest dugu mobao?! this was his true appearance. actually, the people here had mostly seen his previous appearance, but time had passed, and that figure was buried in the depths of their memories. they were used to seeing the high priest in his child form. they were used to seeing the adorable face with the icy cold pride. now that they saw him again, they naturally could not help but be shocked. however, he was indeed the high priest. inside the fantasy divine hall, he was below one person and above tens of thousands! lan xiao clenched his teeth. when he saw this face again, even he had to admit that it was better than his own looks. but luckily, there was a more outstanding rong xiu before him. thinking of this, lan xiao finally felt comfortable. dugu mobao ignored him. after he walked over, he was about to speak. suddenly¡ª cries of an infant were heard from the room! ¡°wah¡ª¡± the crowd fell silent, and then they became energetic! she gave birth! she gave birth! the crowd was stirred as they all looked over. diwu zhangze and the rest, who were originally sitting, hurriedly stood up. following that, another baby¡¯s cries were heard again. the two children seemed to be competing, and one scream was louder than the other. everyone was emotional, yet they patiently waited. after 15 minutes, xiao ba walked out first. she was so exhausted that she was covered in a thin layer of sweat, but her smile was bright. lan xiao first asked, ¡°how¡¯s yue¡¯er girlie? what about the children?¡± xiao ba exhaled lightly and smiled. ¡°everything is successful! master and the two young masters are resting inside!¡± without waiting for them to continue asking, she stretched out two fingers, smiled, and said, ¡°two little emperors! they¡¯re very healthy and lively!¡± the moment she said this, rong xiu coincidentally walked out of the room. the giant space fell into a strange silence. shangguan jing was anxious. ¡°two sons? not two girls?¡± xiao ba laughed. ¡°how can i see it wrongly!? the emperor has also personally verified it!¡± rong xiu paused in his tracks. everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on him. the next moment¡ª shangguan you sighe. ¡°sigh¡­¡± chu ning was in deep thought. ¡°mm¡­¡± shangguan jing knitted his brows. ¡°¡­oh¡­¡± lan xiao looked up. ¡°this¡­¡± diwu zhangze rubbed his hands. ¡°hey¡­¡± dugu mobao just looked at rong xiu. his lips curled up at an extremely faint angle as he finally spat out his first word after he reformed his holy body. ¡°pfft.¡± Chapter 2556 - 2556 Side Story 60: Help 2556 side story 60: help ¡°hahahaha!¡± energized and elated laughter suddenly sounded. yun muchen broke out into a bright and amazing smile as he walked over happily. the handsome and peerless appearance was filled with smiles. he walked from behind the crowd, as if the wind was blowing him forward¡ªextravagant wind! ¡°congratulations, rong xiu!¡± yun muchen¡¯s current mood was elated. he felt that even the air smelled like wealth, and it made him very comfortable! he came to rong xiu, blinked, and genuinely stuck up his thumb. ¡°tsk. they¡¯re not only things but two sons! look, how amazing! not to mention other things¡­ rong xiu, i have to concede to you for this! hahaha!¡± i knew it! i knew that it would be two sons! rong xiu turned his gaze to him. ¡°happy?¡± ¡°of course!¡± yun muchen naturally noticed the slight hint of danger, but he could not be bothered to deal with it. he just felt that there was never a moment like now that he found rong xiu¡¯s face so pleasing! ¡°i was thinking that you might not be able to use the two jade hair pendants i gave you previously, right? aiya, it¡¯s such a pity. those were made from superior materials and even took quite a bit of my time and effort! if i knew of this, i could¡¯ve made two tiny jade pendants. what do you think?¡± yun muchen said that it was a pity, but his face had an arrogant smile that was about to burst. he waved his hand. ¡°that¡¯s fine! anyway, that bit of money doesn¡¯t count much to me! besides, i still have that dagger and the bow from before. i¡¯ll give them to the two sons later!¡± he especially emphasized ¡®two sons.¡¯ then, he disregarded rong xiu¡¯s expression as he greeted the crowd. ¡°hey? didn¡¯t you personally send two longevity locks engraved with flowers? aiyo, what a pity! i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not suitable for boys to wear it!¡± ¡°right, right, you gave them rattle drums that time? tsk, it¡¯s too flowery. will boys like them?¡± ¡°oh, i recalled the two pairs of tiger-head shoes you personally embroidered¡­ are pink?¡± ¡­ shangguan you, chu ning, and shangguan jing¡¯s expressions became incredulous. they had never expected there not to be a girl at all! shangguan you struggled for a moment. ¡°¡­anyway, they can hide it in their collar. both boys and girls can wear it!¡± chu ning thought for a moment and recovered his composure. ¡°the rattle drums are just for playing. as for the socks¡­ they can still forcefully wear them.¡± shangguan jing did not speak and was miserable. i gave them tiger-head shoes! pink! throw them? those are treasures. keep it? the scene of two sons running around in those was so pretty that he didn¡¯t dare to imagine it. shangguan jing felt aggrieved. he could not help but glance at rong xiu and complain, ¡°rong xiu, how did you do this!?¡± rong xiu was speechless. lan xiao stroked his chin and was thinking of something else. ¡°who do the two sons look like?¡± once he said this, it immediately attracted the crowd¡¯s attention, and they all gazed at rong xiu. lan xiao also glanced at him. actually, this couple had extraordinary looks. their future child wouldn¡¯t be far from them, but¡ª they were two sons! they were perhaps more similar to rong xiu. once he thought that there were two miniature rong xius jumping in front of him, lan xiao¡¯s entire person felt uneasy. he could not help but ask, ¡°rong xiu, you should know yourself. the children look closer to yue¡¯er girlie, am i right?¡± rong xiu was speechless. if i could even control such matters, why would she give birth to two sons? lan xiao probably realized that he was being unreasonable, so he put his fist to his mouth and coughed. ¡°hope¡ªi just hope!¡± dugu mobao coldly said, ¡°no matter how good the sons are, they¡¯re still sons.¡± can they become a soft girl? no. there. there¡¯s no comparison. diwu zhangze looked left and right and finally decided to be the peacemaker. he advised solemnly, ¡°rong xiu, don¡¯t mind it. sons are fine too. they¡¯re all yue¡¯er¡¯s bloodline. we dote on them the same!¡± rong jiu took a deep breath in.he didn¡¯t seem to feel comforted by this sentence. diwu zhangze patted his shoulders, his gaze enthusiastic. ¡°that¡¯s fine. you still have many days ahead!¡± rong xiu fell silent for a moment. then, he smiled slightly. ¡°you¡¯re right.¡± ¡­ chu liuyue had long heard that bringing up children was more tiring than giving birth. however, she did not seem to have such a problem. the two children didn¡¯t cry or cause a scene, and they were especially intelligent. as the older brother, rong xiaoyan spent most of his time quietly, other than when he ate and slept. as the younger brother, rong xiaoxun was more lively. he giggled all day long, and his eyes were curved into crescents. besides, in the fantasy divine hall, there was a long line of people waiting to help take the children. sometimes, chu liuyue felt that she was too leisurely. rong xiu was pleased to see this. she had given birth to twins after all. although the entire process was smooth, it was still hard on her. he stood guard by the side, and his heart ached. hence, he now cared about chu liuyue¡¯s body the most. almost wherever yue¡¯er went, he would follow and took care of her delicately. he was extremely smart. even though he didn¡¯t have experience, there was nothing he could not do well if he wanted to do it. in that short amount of time, chu liuyue was raised to be very delicate, and she did not move much. ¡­ the moon was high in the sky. the two children were sleeping in their cots. chu liuyue sat at the side and watched the two small ones, and her heart turned soft. rong xiaoyan slept stably, while rong xiaoxun pouted and squeezed toward his brother. chu liuyue could not help but laugh lightly. rong xiu walked over and hugged her waist. ¡°i¡¯ll carry you back to rest.¡± it was already very late. chu liuyue hugged his neck, leaned in, and said, ¡°rong xiu, the cots you personally made seem very comfortable.¡± the two children slept inside peacefully. rong xiu acknowledged it. luckily, i still had some form of rationality and only made the cots intricately and magnanimously, without unnecessary decorations. if not, i couldn¡¯t continue letting the two sons use them. as the children were still young, they slept with them not far away from the bed. rong xiu took a few steps and sent chu liuyue back to the bed. he lay down beside her and lightly kissed her brows. chu liuyue suddenly clutched his clothes and softly called, ¡°rong xiu¡­¡± rong xiu leaned in. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­hurts a little¡­¡± her voice was even lighter. rong xiu was stunned. ¡°where does it hurt?¡± chu liuyue¡¯s face blushed red, and she whispered into his ear. rong xiu¡¯s dark eyes became especially dark in the late night. they were like vortexes that caused one to drown. he softly laughed. ¡°i should help you with such matters.¡± he had held it in for too long and waited for too long. in consideration of her body, he had practiced his resilience everyday. however, it was great if he could get some interest first¡ª but before his lips could land, he suddenly heard a loud cry from the side. ¡°woo!¡± Chapter 2557 - 2557 Side Story 61: Father and Son Game 2557 side story 61: father and son game rong xiaoxun was the one crying. he had been punched by his own brother in his sleep. without opening his eyes, he cried aggrievedly. then, rong xiaoyan was also woken up. he opened his eyes in a daze and bit his small fist, but he didn¡¯t cry. however, rong xiaoxun¡¯s combat skills alone were strong enough. rong xiu¡¯s body suddenly froze. chu liuyue pushed his shoulders. ¡°quickly take a look. why is the child crying?¡± rong xiu closed his eyes and got up. chu liuyue followed him over. seeing that rong xiaoxun was the only one crying, chu liuyue heaved a sigh of relief and carried him up to coax him. rong xiaoyan didn¡¯t cry, but he looked over pitifully. of course, he was looking at his own mother, so he didn¡¯t tell his own father anything. then, he naturally saw his brother nestled in his mother¡¯s arms very comfortably. rong xiaoyan blinked, pouted, and felt wronged. when chu liuyue saw this, she hurriedly said, ¡°rong xiu, coax him first.¡± rong xiu reached out and picked rong xiaoyan up. actually, he often did this and even hugged him more comfortably than chu liuyue, his mother. rong xiaoyan fell into a wide and firm embrace¡ªit was different from what he had imagined. then¡ª ¡°boohoo!¡± he was crying too. rong xiu¡¯s forehead twitched. chu liuyue looked over. rong xiaoyan rarely cried, and this made her heart ache. she thought for a moment. ¡°rong xiu, let me carry him!¡± perhaps children are naturally closer to their mothers, especially when they¡¯re young. rong xiu hesitated for a moment and finally passed rong xiaoyan over. luckily, they weren¡¯t heavy, so chu liuyue wasn¡¯t tired when she carried one each. the more important thing was that rong xiaoyan stopped crying the moment he landed in her arms. rong xiu watched quietly from the side. not crying anymore? great, there is no place for me as their father. chu liuyue hugged and coaxed them for a while, and the two little fellows finally fell asleep again. she raised her chin toward rong xiu and put the two brothers back together. the moment she retracted her hand, rong xiu hugged her back. ¡°continue.¡± his breath landed beside her ear, making her face turn red. she shook her head. ¡°it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore¡­¡± rong xiu paused. ¡°no, you hurt.¡± chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s what i should do. yue¡¯er, you don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony.¡± as he spoke, he pressed her down and reached out to lift her clothes. then, the cries came again. ¡°wuwuwuwuwu!¡± rong xiaoxun didn¡¯t know why he was hit again, but he cried the moment he opened his mouth. rong xiu laughed. what, do you have more strength after eating, and you¡¯re shouting even more energetically?! chu liuyue stuck her head out of his arms and looked over. ¡°he¡¯s crying again. i¡¯ll go take a look¡ª¡± ¡°i¡¯ll coax him. you can rest.¡± then, rong xiu stood up and walked over. chu liuyue thought that the emperor had successfully upgraded to ¡®father,¡¯ so she relaxed. then, she saw rong xiu walk to the crib. he didn¡¯t reach out to hug them. instead, he looked down at the two little fellows from above and lightly spat out a sentence. ¡°what, are you still hungry? do you know how embarrassing it is to vomit milk?¡± the cries suddenly stopped. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± rong xiu turned around and hugged her. ¡°i¡¯m done coaxing him.¡± chu liuyue looked at him with a complicated expression. ¡°rong xiu, do you¡­ usually coax people like this?¡± rong xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°of course not. at least, i don¡¯t do this when i¡¯m coaxing you.¡± then, he lowered his head and kissed her lips. his voice was low and hoarse. ¡°you dote on your son, but you should also dote on¡­ your husband¡­¡± Chapter 2558 - 2558 Side Story 62: Since Theyre Brothers, I Cant Show Favoritism 2558 side story 62: since they¡¯re brothers, i can¡¯t show favoritism chu liuyue felt a little tired recently. she coaxed the children during the day and rong xiu at night. although she didn¡¯t really need to take the initiative to do anything about these two things¡­ she still sharply sensed that rong xiaoxun and rong xiaoyan were born to be on bad terms with their father. xiao ba sat beside the crib and gazed at the two little ones sleeping quietly, loving them more than ever. she couldn¡¯t help but lower her voice and softly say, ¡°master, look at how obedient the two of them are!¡± they were soft balls with a milky fragrance. she was very careful when she touched them. seeing her infatuated and elated look, chu liuyue held it in and didn¡¯t expose the reason why the two of them slept so soundly in the day was mainly that they caused a huge commotion at night. ¡°i heard that the emperor has been coaxing them at night recently?¡± asked xiao ba curiously. chu liuyue nodded hesitantly. if that can be considered coaxing¡­ xiao ba clicked her tongue. it¡¯s really hard to imagine that someone like the emperor has such patience. chu liuyue silently swallowed her remaining words when she saw xiao ba¡¯s expression that said, ¡°the emperor and the two young masters are really kind and filial. how enviable.¡± suddenly, rong xiaoxun opened his eyes. xiao ba hurriedly covered her mouth and widened her eyes slightly. ah! could it be that she spoke too loudly and woke him up? he won¡¯t cry, right? just as she was nervously thinking, rong xiaoxun opened his eyes and stared at her calmly for a while. not only did he not cry, but he even clenched his fists and laughed. even though he was still very young, one could tell that his eyes were extremely similar to chu liuyue¡¯s. his eyes were pitch-black, bright, and clean, like a crystal that flickered with a dazzling light. when he smiled, his eyes curved up, and he looked even more likable. at a glance, he really looked like a small chu liuyue. xiao ba¡¯s heart melted when she saw rong xiaoxun¡¯s smile. ¡°wu! how cute!¡± chu liuyue glanced at rong xiaoxun. it seems like¡­ he has never smiled so happily at his own father before, right? just as she was thinking, rong xiaoyan woke up at the side. he rubbed his eyes and smelled the familiar fragrance. then, he opened his arms and leaned toward chu liuyue. chu liuyue carried him up. rong xiaoyan also smiled. even though it was very faint, his eyes were filled with dependence and happiness. his eyes and expression were more like rong xiu¡¯s, and they faintly revealed a few hints of cold elegance. xiao ba was very emotional. in the past, she had always heard that children were very noisy, especially these two, who had inherited the bloodline of the emperor and goddess yue. they were born to be much stronger than ordinary people. originally, she thought that it would be very torturous for these two brothers to be together, but this wasn¡¯t the case. these two were extremely obedient in front of chu liuyue! what kind of deities are they!? rong xiaoxun was dazed for a moment when he saw that his brother was already in his mother¡¯s arms, and he babbled as he asked for a hug. xiao ba reached out and picked him up. rong xiaoxun had a lively personality and was very close to everyone, so he could basically be hugged by anyone. but today, he seemed to have realized that he didn¡¯t receive the same treatment as his brother, so he was very insistent. even though he was in xiao ba¡¯s arms, his small head turned toward chu liuyue as he watched on with much desire. even if he couldn¡¯t speak, that pitiful gaze was enough to explain everything. chu liuyue had always upheld the philosophy of being impartial and taking a fair approach. after thinking for a while, she carried rong xiaoyan on her left and stretched out her right hand to take rong xiaoxun. rong xiaoxun¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. but the moment that short arm reached out, rong xiaoxun¡¯s small body was picked up by a pair of strong hands. the next moment, he lay in a slightly cold embrace. he looked up in a daze and saw his own father¡¯s face. then, he heard his father¡¯s nonchalant accusation. ¡°the two of you are too heavy now. what if your mother gets tired?¡± chu liuyue was stumped. i don¡¯t think i¡¯m so useless that i¡¯d beb tired from carrying two babies¡­ ¡°go back and play by yourself,¡± said rong xiu as he placed rong xiaoxun back into the crib. then, his gaze landed on rong xiaoyan, who was still stuck to chu liuyue¡¯s arms. rong xiaoyan unwittingly became nervous as he instinctively clenched his fists and tried hard to grab his mother¡¯s clothes. at the same time, he shrunk into chu liuyue¡¯s arms. seeing him like this, chu liuyue immediately patted rong xiaoyan lightly and glared at rong xiu. ¡°why are you so fierce?¡± look at these two brothers. they don¡¯t really like to be close to him. rong xiu raised his brows. he didn¡¯t argue with chu liuyue about whether he was fierce or not. he just glanced at rong xiaoyan, who had no intention of letting go. there was one thing about these two kids that wasn¡¯t bad, which was that they were more regular in their work and rest. the time to eat, drink, and poop every day was almost fixed. so¡­ shouldn¡¯t they go to the side and play by themselves later? his voice didn¡¯t fluctuate as he said, ¡°i suddenly thought of the two longevity locks. the two of them haven¡¯t worn them much before.¡± once he said this, rong xiaoyan instantly froze. chu liuyue said, ¡°they wore it once before, but xiaoyan didn¡¯t seem to like it very much.¡± rong xiu smiled, looked at rong xiaoyan, and said, ¡°it¡¯s all father-in-law¡¯s sincerity. i can¡¯t let him down.¡± chu liuyue thought for a while and felt that his words made sense. although the two small longevity locks were a little exaggerated, they were still very exquisite overall. it had indeed involved a lot of effort. besides, the two brothers were both very pretty. sometimes, they really looked better than a young lady. she also felt a little regretful that she couldn¡¯t give birth to a daughter. if she put these gifts aside again¡­ she thought for a while and looked at rong xiaoyan. ¡°xiaoyan, do you want to wear it?¡± rong xiaoyan still didn¡¯t know how to speak. hence, he planned to shake his head to reject her. but before he could move, rong xiaoxun suddenly cried out and stared at the spot in front of him with sparkling eyes. two longevity locks were swaying gently in front of him. at this moment, the sun was just right, shining brightly on the small silver locks. the intricate jade embedded on them was even clearer and smoother¡ªthey were extremely beautiful. even if it was a little exaggerated, it deserved to be praised. shangguan you had good taste. back then, he had spent a lot of effort thinking about this gift, so he naturally could take it out. of course, the condition was that it wasn¡¯t given to a boy. however, rong xiaoxun still didn¡¯t have this concept. he just purely felt that this thing looked good. previously, he only played with it for a while before it disappeared. now that he saw it again, he was naturally overjoyed. without thinking, he reached out and hugged the two longevity locks in his arms, chuckling. rong xiu smiled in satisfaction. ¡°see, he likes it very much. since they¡¯re brothers, i naturally can¡¯t play favorites.¡± hence, both of them had to wear it. rong xiaoxun was speechless. Chapter 2559 - 2559 Side Story 63: Miss You 2559 side story 63: miss you it had been a long time in the mountains. tuan zi spent her days in the fantasy divine palace especially happily, but she couldn¡¯t stay for long and had to return to godly phoenix mountain. previously, godly phoenix hall had almost been repaired. in order to catch up with xiao ba and yan qing¡¯s wedding, she had been busy for a long time before forcefully vacating a short period of time. now, she still had to go back and finish the last bit of things. originally, she wanted to call zi chen to go back with her, but miao zhen suddenly said that there was news about something. he said that he had something to discuss with zi chen and specially came to invite the latter. zi chen told tuan zi about this. although tuan zi felt regretful, she knew that miao zhen didn¡¯t speak easily. he should really have something to find zi chen for, so she didn¡¯t delay and told zi chen to go without worry. now that she had already grown up and opened her ninth meridian, even yi zhao might not be her match. godly phoenix mountain was considered her territory, so there was really nothing to worry about. hence, after discussing, the two of them took action on their own. ¡­ tuan zi was very fast. as she still wanted to go back and play with rong xiaoxun and rong xiaoyan as soon as possible, she had thought of settling godly phoenix mountain¡¯s matters as soon as possible. however, this matter concerned the entire red-gold heavenly phoenix clan after all, and every aspect had extremely detailed requirements. although tuan zi was usually playful, she knew what was important. she would never be careless and perfunctory in such a big matter. therefore, when she tried her best to completely repair godly phoenix hall, a full three months had passed. originally, it didn¡¯t take so long, but she later realized that there were also small problems in phoenix valley and other places in the clan. she thought for a moment and swiftly joined forces with yi zhao and the others to reform these places. in this way, the cultivation environment of the entire godly phoenix mountain would be improved. tuan zi had even specially strengthened the few barriers outside. back when she received the news that something had happened here, she, a¡¯yue, and the others rushed over and saw the frozen barrier. the huge godly phoenix mountain was terrifyingly silent. that scene was deeply engraved in her mind, causing her heart to tremble every time she thought of it later. hence, she strengthened godly phoenix mountain¡¯s defenses without hesitation. regarding this, the entire clan was naturally glad to see it and was elated. everyone was passionate and liked tuan zi. she was very strong and was undoubtedly the number one in the entire race. logically speaking, everyone respected and admired such a powerful existence. it was inevitable that they would feel distant. however, tuan zi wasn¡¯t old. even if it were the younger generation in the clan, she had to mostly call them brother and sister. she was also born beautiful and cute. when she smiled, her dimples were light, and her eyes were bright. it was hard not to like such a person. in the open and in the dark, many people admired her. but perhaps they felt that tuan zi was still young or they took into consideration her status as the young mistress¡­ even though there were many people who liked her, not a single one had confessed after so long. she was like the sun, passionate and bright, but she was also unattainable. this didn¡¯t mean that tuan zi was arrogant. on the contrary, she was lively, magnanimous, and very sincere. she always treated everyone equally and could get along with anyone. however, she had the top bloodline power and was goddess yue¡¯s contracted fiend. she accompanied goddess yue through life and death. her elegance came from her bones. originally, many youngsters missed her dearly and were already in front of her, planning to express their feelings. when they met her pair of black grape-like bright and clean eyes, they all shrunk back. it was too far away and dazzling, so they could only look up to it. most importantly, they could all tell that tuan zi was still ignorant in this aspect. she was as pure as a piece of white paper. anyone who saw her would want to take good care of her. therefore, even the most outstanding man in the clan, yi ming, didn¡¯t dare tell her his thoughts. what he did the most was accompany tuan zi every day and spend as much time as possible with her. he knew very well that tuan zi still treated him as a friend now, but he felt that as time passed, she would slowly understand. tuan zi really didn¡¯t notice it. she just felt that her time in the clan had been quite fulfilling. everyone was very good to her, and it was very lively. then, she wanted to go back¡ªshe missed a¡¯yue and zi chen. she had never been separated from them for so long before. coincidentally, the matter here had been completely resolved, so she directly told yi zhao and the others about her plans to go back. of course, she had also informed all her close friends. yi zhao and the others roughly knew what she was thinking, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t stop her. in actual fact, they were already very happy and satisfied that she could come back and stay for so long. however, the group of friends who were playing quite well all felt that it was a little sudden. the group of them ran to tuan zi to ask about the situation. tuan zi was packing her things in her residence. actually, there wasn¡¯t much to pack, and it was all bits and pieces. however, she could leave this matter to zi chen previously. when she was busy herself, she was a little helpless and would go about it for a long time. everyone sat together and chatted. ¡°tuan zi, are you really leaving?¡± tuan zi nodded. ¡°yeah! i¡¯m leaving tomorrow!¡± upon hearing this, the few of them exchanged glances. they didn¡¯t expect it to be so fast. yi ming hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°why are you in such a hurry? previously, you were busy and didn¡¯t have the time to play here.¡± once he said this, the remaining few people agreed. ¡°yeah! are you not going to wind valley?¡± ¡°previously, we were still discussing going to shuitou peak together. i heard that the scenery there is beautiful and that it¡¯s fun to play there!¡± ¡°you came back this time and have been busy in the clan, so you couldn¡¯t relax properly. why don¡¯t you stay for a while more?¡± ¡°yeah, yeah¡­¡± tuan zi was a little tempted, but she still shook her head determinedly in the end. ¡°i want to go back first. i can do these things any time, but i really miss a¡¯yue and the others.¡± she kicked her shoes. ¡°in the past three months, nobody even washed the sour spiritual fruit for me¡­¡± her voice was filled with disappointment and regret that she didn¡¯t even notice. yi ming was stunned for a moment and immediately said, ¡°then, let me help you¡ª¡± tuan zi shook her head. actually, this was just a small matter. she was long used to zi chen taking care of her. now that they were suddenly separated for three months, she had to handle all the major and minor matters alone. she wasn¡¯t used to it and felt that her heart was empty. it wasn¡¯t that she really wanted someone to serve her, but¡­ it was a little lonely. even if yi ming and the others accompanied her all day, she would still feel this way. hence, after much thinking, she felt that she should go back first. yi ming looked at her and suddenly asked, ¡°tuan zi, why hasn¡¯t zi chen come to see you once in the past three months?¡± Chapter 2560 - 2560 Side Story 64: His Patience Isnt Only For Me 2560 side story 64: his patience isn¡¯t only for me tuan zi was stunned. she subconsciously said, ¡°because¡­ he¡¯s very busy! grandpa miao zhen specially invited him to godly dragon island. i think it should be something important!¡± yi ming thought for a moment and found it strange. he questioned, ¡°you¡¯re the young mistress, and you¡¯ve opened your ninth meridian. there are many things in the clan that need to rely on you, but even so, you¡¯re not so busy that your feet don¡¯t even touch the ground. zi chen¡­ is still the legendary three-eyed eagle clan leader after all. he doesn¡¯t belong to the great phoenix dragon clan. what matter can cause him to be so worried?¡± tuan zi was stunned. before this, she really didn¡¯t think of this. she had indeed not heard that anything major had happened on godly dragon island. besides, with zi chen¡¯s identity, no one should be able to force him to do anything. then¡­ what had he been busy with for the past three months? although godly phoenix mountain and godly dragon island were very far apart, with zi chen¡¯s true strength, it wouldn¡¯t take too much time to make a round trip. tuan zi¡¯s delicate brows furrowed slightly. could it be that¡­ zi chen has really encountered some trouble? otherwise, there is really no reason for zi chen not to send any news after so long! she started to worry. bbut in the eyes of yi ming and the others, they only thought that she was angry at zi chen. yi ming was silent for a moment before advising, ¡°i just casually said it, so don¡¯t mind what i said¡ª¡± tuan zi looked at him in a daze and was rather confused. ¡°mind what?¡± yi ming choked. he suddenly didn¡¯t know how to say the rest. originally, he thought that tuan zi would definitely be dissatisfied with zi chen after hearing those words, but¡­ it didn¡¯t seem to be the case? tuan zi said righteously, ¡°he didn¡¯t come. he must¡¯ve been delayed by something!¡± the young girl¡¯s voice was crisp and clear. her face was bright, and her eyes were filled with absolute trust and dependence. such an expression and attitude was only because that person was zi chen. yi ming felt inexplicably suffocated. in actual fact, he had heard this name countless times from tuan zi¡¯s mouth during this period of time. all of them knew very clearly that zi chen was very important to tuan zi, and this understanding gradually deepened after interacting with tuan zi day after day. gradually, yi ming felt that tuan zi¡¯s trust and dependence were too heavy. of course, they were all goddess yue¡¯s legendary fiends and had experienced too much together, so it was understandable that they had a deep relationship. however, yi ming vaguely realized that this didn¡¯t seem¡­ good. tuan zi placed almost all her feelings on goddess yue and zi chen. there was no need to mention goddess yue, but zi chen¡ª if she continued like this, it would be very hard for others to move her heart and walk into her heart. that was because there were only so many ways to pursue a young girl. if he wanted to win her heart, he had to gain her trust and dependence. however, tuan zi had already given all of this to zi chen. to everyone, zi chen was like tuan zi¡¯s senior and also her brother. however, that wasn¡¯t the true relationship between them. one had to know that the two of them had an agreement with goddess yue. this also meant that their statuses were equal! tuan zi had said it herself. when she first met zi chen, she had fought with him countless times. but later on, when their relationship became good, it gradually turned from an intense battle to a match of convenience. how could their relationship be described as a simple senior and junior relationship? as for taking care of her¡­ it was only because tuan zi was naive that zi chen did more things for her. all in all, it was actually to protect tuan zi. however, tuan zi was definitely not an ignorant child. she had been by goddess yue¡¯s side, so what had she not seen and understood? her experience was much richer and more complicated than many adults a long time ago! however, goddess yue and zi chen still doted on her like a child and protected her. what could this be? it could only be because he doted on her too much. on the brink of death, zi chen had saved tuan zi¡¯s life. as usual, zi chen took care of her meticulously. all the storms were stopped and protected her heart like a crystal, clean and clear. the most important thing was that she had grown up. one day, she would like someone, and her unwavering trust in zi chen was a wall in front of all her other suitors. of course, that included him. although yi ming was young, he was also extremely smart. when he previously came to look for tuan zi, he was almost always rejected. zi chen had simply solved a big issue with little effort to deal with him. at that time, he actually felt that something was wrong. but now, zi chen had disappeared for three months without coming, making him waver again. he felt that perhaps he was really thinking too much? zi chen should really be out of the mentality of a father, brother, and elder, treating everyone who pursued tuan zi as enemies. however, seeing tuan zi¡¯s attitude, he felt a little uneasy. even if zi chen doesn¡¯t have such thoughts, what about tuan zi? the moment she is free, the first thing she thinks of is still goddess yue and zi chen. this is too passive. as yi ming thought, he finally said, ¡°tuan zi, i heard that fantasy divine palace is very big and beautiful. i haven¡¯t been there before, and i want to take a look. can i go with you?¡± when tuan zi heard this, she was instantly interested and hurriedly nodded. ¡°okay!¡± as she spoke, she surveyed her surroundings excitedly. ¡°everyone, if you want to go, let¡¯s go together! i¡¯ll bring you around!¡± that¡¯s my territory! hearing this, everyone was excited. fantasy divine palace¡ªthey had only heard of it before, but they had never been there. now that tuan zi had taken the initiative to invite her¡­ this opportunity was rare, so they naturally couldn¡¯t miss it! ¡°okay! we¡¯ll go with you then!¡± ¡°will this disturb¡ª¡± ¡°no, no!¡± tuan zi laughed heartily. ¡°let¡¯s go together!¡± yi ming was a little surprised, but this seemed to be good. anyway, he believed that sincerity made the world go round. as long as he stayed by tuan zi¡¯s side longer, he still had a lot of hope and would wait for her to realize his feelings for her. ¡­ the next day, the group of them followed tuan zi back to fantasy divine palace. apart from yi ming, there were still four people, two men and two women. they were all outstanding figures among the younger generation of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan. yi fu was one of them. everyone wasn¡¯t slow. under tuan zi¡¯s leadership, they quickly arrived. after passing the heaven gate, tuan zi wasn¡¯t in a hurry to bring people to the fantasy divine hall. instead, she brought them along the star path and walked forward bit by bit. as she walked, she introduced the surrounding scenery. yi ming and the others were still young after all, and their eyes were filled with unconcealable excitement and curiosity. suddenly, yi fu was stunned and looked ahead. ¡°tuan zi, isn¡¯t that zi chen?¡± ¡°what?¡± tuan zi was stunned and instinctively turned around to look. from afar, a familiar figure came into view. even if she only saw his back view, she still recognized at a glance that it was zi chen. tuan zi was a little confused. isn¡¯t he on godly dragon island? when did he return to the fantasy divine hall? i actually¡­ didn¡¯t know at all? she subconsciously wanted to call him, but she suddenly noticed that there was someone else beside zi chen. she was slender, and the corners of her dress fluttered. it was a girl. she was standing very close to zi chen, almost next to him. she looked up as if she was saying something. one could vaguely see her beautiful side profile. zi chen stood quietly, listening to her. he was very patient. Chapter 2561 - 2561 Side Story 65: Treats Her Equally Well 2561 side story 65: treats her equally well tuan zi was stunned on the spot for a moment, and a strange emotion quickly flashed across her heart. she couldn¡¯t even explain how she felt at this moment. yi ming looked over and subconsciously asked, ¡°isn¡¯t that zi chen? he returned to the fantasy divine palace?¡± as he asked, he looked at tuan zi. with just one glance, he could tell that tuan zi was also unaware of this. tuan zi instinctively nodded. at this moment, zi chen seemed to have sensed something and suddenly turned around to look. the girl beside him kept quiet at the right time and half-turned around. she looked like she was 17 or 18 years old. her facial features were exquisite and beautiful, but her face was a little pale, and there was a hint of weakness in her eyes. coupled with her slender and soft figure, she looked even more charming. it was an extremely fragile yet mesmerizing beauty. tuan zi¡¯s gaze swept past her face, and a thought flashed across her mind. i¡¯ve never seen this person before. she doesn¡¯t seem to be from fantasy divine palace? ¡°tuan zi.¡± zi chen spoke, his voice as low as ever. tuan zi instantly recovered her senses. zi chen waved his hand. ¡°come over.¡± hearing this, mu xuanxuan glanced at zi chen again. that man¡¯s sharp and cold eyes seemed to have unwittingly softened at this moment. she was a little shocked. she long knew that this man was cold and aloof. if clan leader miao zhen hadn¡¯t entrusted her to him, he probably wouldn¡¯t even have the patience to talk to her. this was the first time she had seen such an expression on his face. it could even be called¡­ gentle. moreover, his tone when he spoke was different from how he usually treated others. although the change was very subtle, it was still clear. she followed zi chen¡¯s gaze. a few young men and women were standing together, but she almost didn¡¯t need to think to immediately guess that zi chen was talking to the girl standing at the front. mu xuanxuan took a few more glances. that lady looked to be no more than 15 or 16 years old. her figure was slender and exquisite. her red-gold dress cut a thin waist, and her irregular lower body swayed around her fair and beautiful calves with a hint of playfulness. she used two red ropes to tie the scorpion-tailed pigtail with a golden bell at the end. the most eye-catching thing was still that small face. she was bright and pretty, ostentatious and passionate. her pair of eyes¡ªwhich were as black as a grape, watery, and brilliant¡ªwere as clean and pure as a fountain, and one could see to the end at one glance. this was a pure and well-protected lady. mu xuanxuan immediately guessed her identity. goddess yue¡¯s legendary fiend, the current young mistress of the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan! she had long heard that tuan zi was on good terms with zi chen. now that she saw the latter today, she indeed lived up to her reputation. ¡­ hearing zi chen¡¯s voice, tuan zi came back to her senses. she brought yi ming and the others forward and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°zi chen, when did you come back? i didn¡¯t even know?¡± zi chen paused. ¡°half a month ago.¡± tuan zi was a little surprised. i thought that zi chen had just returned, but¡­ he actually said that he¡¯s been back for half a month? then¡­ he hadn¡¯t gone to godly phoenix mountain to look for me for such a long time? as if seeing through tuan zi¡¯s thoughts, zi chen explained, ¡°i¡¯ve been busy with some things recently.¡± without asking, she knew that it was definitely related to the lady beside him. as if to confirm her guess, a faint smile bloomed on the lips of the woman beside zi chen. her voice was gentle. ¡°you¡¯re tuan zi, right? i¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± tuan zi looked at her and blinked. ¡°you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°i¡¯m mu xuanxuan.¡± standing nearby, tuan zi immediately saw quite a few things. ¡°what¡¯s your¡­ relationship with grandpa miao zhen?¡± mu xuanxuan was dazed, not expecting tuan zi to ask such a question. i haven¡¯t introduced myself. logically speaking, tuan zi shouldn¡¯t know¡­ seeing that she didn¡¯t answer, tuan zi thought that she didn¡¯t want to say it and said in embarrassment, ¡°um¡­ i guessed it because your bloodline power seems to be similar to senior miao zhen¡¯s. if i¡¯m wrong¡ª¡± mu xuanxuan understood. she smiled again, and her eyes were filled with emotion and admiration. ¡°no, you¡¯re right. the clan leader¡­ is my uncle.¡± i see. zi chen said, ¡°she¡¯s not in good health. she came over this time to use the lightning pool¡¯s strength to recuperate.¡± tuan zi nodded in understanding. actually, she could also discern this. mu xuanxuan¡¯s bloodline was very outstanding, but her aura was weak, seemingly due to congenital deficiencies. she indeed needed to recuperate. thinking of this, tuan zi smiled and said, ¡°then, it¡¯s right for you to come here! apart from the lightning pool, there are also many natural treasures at the medicinal mountain! if you need anything, just let me know!¡± mu xuanxuan¡¯s face turned slightly red as she quickly glanced at zi chen and shook her head. ¡°thank you, but¡­ i don¡¯t really need those. i¡¯m already very sorry for troubling zi chen.¡± tuan zi quickly reacted. zi chen¡¯s body has half the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s bloodline. it should be because of this that he said he¡¯s been busy for the past half a month. she responded, ¡°i see¡­ that¡¯s good. zi chen is very powerful. with his help, your body will definitely recover quickly!¡± mu xuanxuan nodded lightly, and her face seemed to turn even redder. however, zi chen didn¡¯t look at her and didn¡¯t seem to care much about these things. he sized the little girl up and undetectably knitted his brows. ¡°why did you lose weight?¡± when tuan zi heard this, she instantly felt wronged. wasn¡¯t it because he wasn¡¯t by my side, so i didn¡¯t eat so well!? isn¡¯t it normal to lose weight!? she didn¡¯t need to speak. with just a look, zi chen knew what she was thinking. he rubbed his brows. originally, he planned to look for tuan zi after settling the matters at godly dragon island. unexpectedly, miao zhen stuffed another mu xuanxuan over and asked him to help bring her back to fantasy divine palace no matter what to nurse her body back to health. mu xuanxuan was the most promising amongst the great phoenix dragon clan¡¯s younger generation, the one with the most hope of successfully opening the seventh meridian. since miao zhen had personally spoken, he naturally couldn¡¯t reject him. however, this delay lasted for too long. he didn¡¯t expect tuan zi to come back in advance and¡­ with so many people. zi chen¡¯s gaze swept across yi ming and the others. his expression was calm, but the few of them unwittingly became nervous. it couldn¡¯t be helped¡ªzi chen¡¯s aura was really strong. tuan zi also noticed this. she rolled her eyes and said, ¡°this is the first time yi ming and the others are here! then, i¡¯ll bring them around first?¡± zi chen acknowledged it. the two parties said a few simple words before separating again. tuan zi brought the group of people inside. the few of them only relaxed when they were quite a distance away. tuan zi laughed. ¡°why are you so nervous? zi chen is a very good person!¡± as she walked, she said, ¡°i haven¡¯t eaten zi chen¡¯s cooking in a long time! why don¡¯t we go together tonight?¡± yi ming glanced at her hesitantly. ¡°isn¡¯t he busy helping that mu xuanxuan recuperate? he still has such leisure time?¡± tuan zi found it strange. ¡°this won¡¯t delay him, right? and¡­ and it has always been like this in the past.¡± zi chen would give her whatever she wanted. only then did yi ming realize that tuan zi¡¯s mindset was indeed problematic. he said, ¡°that¡¯s in the past. now, it¡¯s the present. a person¡¯s time and energy are limited. if he gives more to others, he¡¯ll naturally give less to you.¡± tuan zi stopped in her tracks. she was inexplicably unhappy and retorted, ¡°no.¡± her tone was firm. ¡°zi chen will still be good to me.¡± Chapter 2562 - 2562 Side Story 66: Thoughts 2562 side story 66: thoughts yi fu turned around to glance at them. ¡°tuan zi, that miao xuanxuan seems to like zi chen.¡± tuan zi thought of it and nodded. ¡°i know.¡± it was so obvious, and she could naturally tell. when they were previously at godly phoenix mountain, quite a few people liked zi chen too. yi fu knew that tuan zi was mature in her thoughts; she would understand many matters, even if other people did not remind her. however, tuan zi seemed like she had no other emotions. yi fu thought about it and swallowed her remaining words. yi ming¡¯s lips moved. yi fu glanced at him and lightly shook her head. yi ming pressed his lips against each other and did not say a word. yi fu changed the topic and quickly shifted tuan zi¡¯s attention elsewhere. the group of people quickly forgot about this small matter. tuan zi was extremely familiar with fantasy divine palace. she was also very doted on, so she could bring her friends everywhere and they played well. at night, she settled them properly before she returned to chu liuyue¡¯s side. when tuan zi left, the few of them went their own ways. ¡°yi fu.¡± yi ming called her, hesitated for a moment, and still asked, ¡°why did you stop me today?¡± yi fu turned around and stared into his eyes for a while. her expression was very calm, and her gaze was light, but it made yi ming feel guilty. ¡°if i didn¡¯t stop you, what else would you say? you want to tell tuan zi that zi chen will neglect her because of miao xuanxuan? then reduce tuan zi¡¯s dependence on zi chen?¡± yi ming¡¯s thoughts were exposed, and his face instantly turned red. ¡°i-i didn¡¯t think that way. besides, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, right? if not for miao xuanxuan, why would zi chen not go to godly phoenix mountain to see tuan zi once in the last three months? since he already did that, why can¡¯t other people talk about him?¡± yi fu frowned. ¡°you clearly know that there¡¯s a reason behind this. clan leader miao zhen personally requested this, and zi chen has an extraordinary relationship with him. he can¡¯t possibly reject him.¡± however, yi ming suddenly sneered. ¡°can¡¯t reject? there¡¯s nothing that you can¡¯t reject in the world. if he really cares about tuan zi, he will have ways to handle this better. not asking or caring for three months¡­ i think he doesn¡¯t care about tuan zi at all.¡± yi fu fell silent for a moment. yi ming¡¯s words did make sense. with zi chen¡¯s skills, even if he had to help with some matters, he would still have the time to see tuan zi once. however, she recalled the scene of seeing zi chen today. he still treated tuan zi differently from other people. eyes would not lie. after thinking for a while, she still said, ¡°anyway, don¡¯t say such words in front of tuan zi in the future.¡± she glanced at yi ming. ¡°even if tuan zi really has a conflict with zi chen, she might not like you.¡± yi ming¡¯s lips instantly became paler. ¡°i don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°you know clearly if you do or not,¡± interrupted yi fu. yi ming was stumped for a long time. after a while, he sighed in a seemingly defeated yet indignant manner. upset, he said, ¡°i know.¡± it wasn¡¯t their first day of knowing tuan zi. how could they not know what kind of person she was? she definitely would not change her mind just because someone told her a few things. actually, after saying those words today, yi ming did feel some regret. he just hoped that tuan zi would like him, but he didn¡¯t want to see her angry or sad. seeing him in this manner, yi fu did not speak further and turned around to leave. yi ming saw her back view and suddenly asked, ¡°didn¡¯t¡­ you also like zi chen previously?¡± yi fu smiled and nodded. then, she shook her head. ¡°a little in the beginning, but¡­ not now.¡± a person like zi chen was easy to fall for. many girls in the clan had some interest in him, and she was not an exception. if not, she would not agree to tuan zi. but¡ª the day tuan zi left godly phoenix hall, she saw zi chen¡¯s expression when he looked at the distant figure. she knew that she had no chance. zi chen would only give such an expression to one person in his entire life, even if he might not have noticed it yet. thinking of this, yi fu could not help but helplessly shrug her shoulders. these two people are worrying. she lightly said, ¡°yi ming, no matter if you believe it or not, i still believe that some people are meant to be together.¡± ¡­ as she didn¡¯t return for three months, rong xiaoxun and rong xiaoyan had grown by quite a bit. now, the two brothers could forcefully hold the cot to walk. tuan zi carried them and kept kissing them. ¡°ahh! how cute!¡± after she carried rong xiaoyan, she hugged rong xiaoxun and was very busy. perhaps it was because tuan zi had an agreement with chu liuyue, but the two brothers were very close to tuan zi. rong xiaoyan still controlled himself as he placed his arm on tuan zi and squeezed out a smile. rong xiaoxun was already crazy as he lay in tuan zi¡¯s arms and refused to come down. chu liuyue watched on from the side, and she felt an inexplicable pleasure. in the past, tuan zi was tiny and lay in her arms¡ªshe was extremely cute. in the end, she had already grown up by so much in the blink of an eye. chu liuyue asked about a few matters regarding godly phoenix mountain, and tuan zi excitedly explained them. chu liuyue laughed when she heard this. ¡°you seem busier than zi chen.¡± speaking of zi chen, tuan zi thought of miao xuanxuan. she asked, ¡°oh right, a¡¯yue, miao xuanxuan¡¯s health problems seem pretty troublesome. did they ask you for help?¡± if she took action, she would get better sooner. chu liuyue shook her head. ¡°miao xuanxuan is very talented, and miao zhen has high hopes for her. he asked her to come and recuperate, and he also has intentions of training her.¡± in such situations, she naturally could not intervene. ¡°it should be enough with zi chen¡¯s help.¡± chu liuyue thought of something, and her lips curled up. ¡°besides, in this way, miao xuanxuan can stay here for a while longer. this is also miao zhen¡¯s intention.¡± hearing this, tuan zi felt that something was amiss. she asked in a daze, ¡°grandpa miao zhen¡¯s intention? why would he want miao xuanxuan to stay here longer?¡± chu liuyue placed one hand on the cot and lightly shook it. ¡°zi chen hasn¡¯t gotten married yet, and miao zhen admires him very much.¡± tuan zi took a while to react, but if she still did not understand at this stage, she could not be salvaged. she instinctively asked, ¡°then¡­ does zi chen know about grandpa miao zhen¡¯s intentions?¡± chu liuyue looked at her. ¡°what do you think?¡± zi chen was very smart and intelligent. besides, miao zhen did not really hide it. ¡°originally, i thought zi chen would reject him. but for some reason, he still agreed in the end,¡± said chu liuyue thoughtfully. ¡°perhaps zi chen does want to marry.¡± tuan zi was stunned. ¡°a¡¯yue, you¡¯re saying that he likes miao xuanxuan?¡± Chapter 2563 - 2563 Side Story 67: Start to Lose 2563 side story 67: start to lose the night breeze was slightly cold. the surroundings fell silent. tuan zi walked alone on the marble path, back to her residence. the moonlight elongated her figure, revealing her coldness. while walking distractedly, her head was lowered as if she was thinking. suddenly, a figure appeared before her, and she was about to bump into it. tuan zi immediately recovered her senses. in her panic, her body fell back uncontrollably. however, the other party was faster than her. the warm palm caught her arm and lightly stabilized her figure. ¡°why didn¡¯t you watch where you¡¯re going?¡± the familiar low voice sounded above her head. tuan zi heaved a sigh of relief. she looked up and saw that it was zi chen. she shook her head. ¡°i was thinking of some things.¡± zi chen¡¯s brows knitted undetectably. ¡°what happened?¡± she had always been active and happy with a smile on her face, but she seemed troubled now. ¡°what made you unhappy?¡± tuan zi immediately shook her head, but when she met zi chen¡¯s eyes, she seemed rather weak. is it¡­ that obvious? it seems like i can¡¯t hide my troubles at all¡­ zi chen saw her expression and was caught between laughter and tears. she really doesn¡¯t know how much her emotions are shown on her face. this time, she seems like she engraved the words ¡®why do you know so clearly that i¡¯m upset¡¯ on her face. tuan zi opened her mouth and wanted to ask about him and miao xuanxuan. but for some reason, there was hesitation in the depths of her heart, as if¡­ she did not really want to hear it. even though she was confused, she also felt that it was not suitable to speak about her secretive intentions. hence, she swallowed the remaining words and changed the topic. ¡°nothing. i¡¯m j-just tired¡­¡± zi chen stared at her for a while. she did not know how to lie. when she spoke, she did not even dare look at him. however, it did seem like she was unwilling to say it, so zi chen did not force her. he nodded. ¡°i heard that you did a lot at godly phoenix mountain. how amazing.¡± as he spoke, he instinctively wanted to reach out and pat her soft head. but halfway, his expression changed slightly, and he retracted his hand silently. tuan zi saw it clearly. she could not pinpoint it in her heart, but this time¡­ zi chen seemed rather different when he came back. she could not specify what was different, and she could only be upset. she acknowledged him without much energy. heard? tuan zi suddenly thought of what yi ming said during the day. was he really so busy that he did not have the time to find me? did he have too much confidence in me, or¡­ he doesn¡¯t care at all? originally, she absolutely trusted zi chen. but after talking to a¡¯yue previously, she finally realized that she seemed¡­ to have neglected something. a¡¯yue said that zi chen might not like miao xuanxuan now, but it did not mean that he would not in the future. he seemed to have tried to accept other people. a¡¯yue even said that recently, zi chen spent a lot of effort on miao xuanxuan¡¯s matters. what did this mean? ¡°it¡¯s very late. go back and rest.¡± not having tuan zi¡¯s reply, zi chen did not seem to mind either. ¡°i¡¯ve prepared your food and items.¡± tuan zi followed his gaze and realized that they were standing in front of her courtyard. and zi chen seemed¡­ to have come out from inside? tuan zi asked, ¡°ah! zi chen, did you help me prepare it?¡± zi chen nodded and said, ¡°you came back in a hurry today, so i couldn¡¯t prepare too much. just take these first.¡± tuan zi hurriedly shook her head and broke out into a bright smile. ¡°that¡¯s great! zi chen, you don¡¯t know how much i couldn¡¯t sleep and eat when you weren¡¯t around for the past three months!¡± she pouted and unwittingly whined. zi chen¡¯s eyes flickered. tuan zi pulled his hand and wanted to walk in. ¡°have you eaten? if not, let¡¯s go together!¡± however, zi chen did not move. he twisted his wrist slightly and easily broke free from tuan zi¡¯s hand. tuan zi¡¯s hand was suddenly empty, which caused her to be in a daze. ¡°zi chen?¡± ¡°i have something on. i can¡¯t accompany you today,¡± said zi chen. tuan zi¡¯s eyes widened slightly. she had never, never heard such words from zi chen. ¡°but¡ª¡± but weren¡¯t we together in the past? why is he suddenly busy now? looking at that nonchalant and prideful face, tuan zi suddenly thought of something and shouted out, ¡°are you busy with miao xuanxuan?¡± zi chen was about to deny it when he suddenly stopped and looked into her eyes. the tip of his tongue lightly hit the upper roof of his mouth as he lightly acknowledged it. he directly gave an affirmative answer, which caused tuan zi to not know what to do next. she really asked casually. who knew¡ª her mind was suddenly a mess, and there was something surging in her heart. after a while, she finally said, ¡°okay.¡± then, she raised her hand, and her thumb touched her brow bone. ¡°you can do your things then. i¡¯ll go back first!¡± zi chen stared at her closely and saw her emotions very clearly. it wasn¡¯t that his heart did not ache, but¡ª ¡°rest well. also, remember that you can¡¯t casually let anyone enter your room.¡± tuan zi was dazed. ¡°you¡¯re not just anyone.¡± zi chen seemed to laugh, but he did not say much and still turned around to leave. his figure was quickly swallowed by the night sky. it was until he couldn¡¯t be seen that tuan zi retracted her gaze and walked to her courtyard. very clearly, the room had been cleaned. there were all sorts of food she liked on the table. zi chen had taken care of her for many years and knew her likings the best. he naturally did such matters conveniently. tuan zi sat down beside the table. when she saw food in the past, she would definitely eat happily. but for some reason, she did not have an appetite today. in the past, zi chen always ate with her. even if there were many items he did not like. it was great that he just sat there. tuan zi thought in a daze and gently rubbed her stomach. i seem¡­ upset., and it doesn¡¯t seem like i¡¯m upset here. she lay on the table in defeat. the surroundings were silent. she rested on her shoulders, and her eyes were dazed when she saw the night sky outside. she knew that she was upset, and it seemed to be because of whatever zi chen said. does zi chen mean that he thinks miao xuanxuan is more important? does that also mean that he cares about her more? but didn¡¯t they just meet not long ago? are people all the same, and there is a limit to the amount of goodness they can give? she did not quite understand, but she faintly had a guess. they just started, and zi chen has already stopped accompanying me to eat. if zi chen really gets together with miao xuanxuan, then¡­ will i not even have any of this? Chapter 2564 - 2564 Side Story 68: Not Yours 2564 side story 68: not yours zi chen returned to his residence, but he didn¡¯t have something to be busy with, unlike what he had told tuan zi. on the contrary, his steps were leisurely, and his behavior was relaxed. he went to the table and sat down nonchalantly, pouring a cup of tea for himself. his fingers gently rubbed against the teacup. the tea was cold, but for some reason, his palm was rather warm. he leaned against the chair and looked down slightly. his eyes were dar as if he were in deep thought. countless scenes seemed to flash across his eyes, but that appearance became increasingly clear, almost engraved at the bottom of his heart. three months. he waited with much difficulty. when he received miao zhen¡¯s news, he initially wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible and go to godly phoenix mountain. however, he did not expect miao zhen to actually have other thoughts. when he realized that miao zhen really wanted to matchmake him and miao xuanxuan, he didn¡¯t give the latter any face and wanted to leave without speaking. why would he waste his time on such an irrelevant person? with this time, he would rather go to godly phoenix mountain and see who he wanted to see. however, miao zhen¡¯s later sentence caused him to stop in his tracks. at that time, miao zhen was very shocked when he saw his insistent attitude and found it strange. he asked, ¡°zi chen, you¡¯re rejecting me in this manner because you have a girl that you like?¡± zi chen stopped in his tracks, as if he heard a joke and directly denied it. ¡°senior miao zhen, why do you think so?¡± he had always been cold and emotionless, and he barely had the patience to talk to anyone. why would he have someone he liked? but for some reason, when he refuted miao zhen, he somehow¡­ had an inexplicable guilt that he couldn¡¯t state. miao zhen immediately laughed. he shook his head, smiled, and said, ¡°why are you so nervous if you don¡¯t have one? zi chen, you instinctively keep your distance with all women and don¡¯t even want to try. aren¡¯t you afraid of someone getting angry?¡± he wanted to say that he originally behaved in such a manner, but when he was about to speak, a blurred appearance suddenly flashed across his mind. the thoughts that surged into his mind caused him to be taken aback. actually, it was not his first time thinking of that face, but at that time and in that situation, he unknowingly thought about miao zhen¡¯s words again. hence, he finally realized that he had some dangerous thoughts hidden in the bottommost part of his heart. there seemed to be a paper window that was finally poked mercilessly. if it were before, he could plainly tell himself that it was the feelings that arose from experiencing many years of life and death together. but after miao zhen asked that, he finally could not continue lying to himself. he was even unsure when all of this started to change, but when he realized it, it was too late. then, he agreed to miao zhen¡¯s request and brought miao xuanxuan back to fantasy divine palace to nourish her body. when he recalled what tuan zi asked previously with her lonely eyes, his heart seemed to be tightly clutched. actually, he had no other reason for bringing miao xuanxuan back. he purely wanted to thank miao zhen for using those words to enlighten him. he did not think that tuan zi would misunderstand. originally, he wanted to explain, but her reaction made him realize another possibility¡ªa possibility that would cause his heart to race and boil when he thought of it. actually, he had his own selfish intentions for purposely not seeing tuan zi during these three months. he wanted to check himself and also see tuan zi¡¯s attitude. they had been together for too long. all the matters that happened earlier made zi chen clearly recognize that if they continued this situation, they would probably always be in this state. everything had to change. only then could he succeed. the three months were torturous. even if he had always intimately checked on her situation, it was still very torturous, especially when she knew that a certain kid was always following her around. there were a few times in the middle that he almost planned to go over, but he still held himself back. luckily¡­ it seemed to be worth it. thinking of the girl¡¯s aggrieved expression, he sighed lightly. i have to¡­ be faster¡­ ¡­ tuan zi did not sleep well the entire night. she had a nightmare. in the dream, zi chen prepared lots of delicious food for her. she rushed down but was stopped by zi chen. then, she saw miao xuanxuan sitting at the side. zi chen said, ¡°all these are prepared for xuanxuan. none are for you.¡± miao xuanxuan sat at the side and smiled gently. she was very angry and ran away with an empty stomach, but she suddenly returned to her own room. perhaps she had run for too long, so her ponytail was loose, and her soft hair had become messy. she planned to tidy it when she saw zi chen in front of the dressing table. miao xuanxuan was sitting in front of him. he was very close to her, and he even held miao xuanxuan¡¯s hair. his fingertips moved slightly as he took the two red strings with golden bells from her hand. ¡°xuanxuan looks better in this. you should choose something else.¡± tears welled up in tuan zi¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t know what to do and did not snatch it. she seemed like she didn¡¯t want to see it, so she turned around and ran away. she didn¡¯t know how long she had run for, and the surrounding scenery became blurred. her feet seemed to be tripped by something, and her body fell forward uncontrollably. suddenly, she saw zi chen appear in front of her. he was just inches away. as long as he reached out, he could save her. ¡°zi chen!¡± she hurriedly called him. however, zi chen just stood there and did not move. he even took half a step back away from her. tuan zi fell to the floor harshly. logically speaking, her physical strength was great, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt when she fell. but probably because it was in the dream, she felt an excruciating pain. she looked up and couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°zi chen, why didn¡¯t you help me!?¡± zi chen looked down at her from above. his voice was very familiar, but his words were foreign as he said, ¡°i¡¯m already married. i have to avoid contact. i¡¯m not yours.¡± tuan zi suddenly woke up from the shock. she sat up in her bed, and her face turned icy cold. she touched her face and realized that¡­ she cried in her nightmare. she sat there in a daze, and her heart seemed to be rolled into a ball. this is weird. why would i have such a weird dream? why was i so sad in my dream? if zi chen really wants to marry a wife and have children¡­ this would be the actual situation. knock, knock. someone knocked on the door just then. tuan zi acknowledged it softly. yi fu walked in. ¡°tuan zi, today we¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong?¡± she was smiling at first; then, she looked up and saw tuan zi¡¯s bloodshot eyes and tear-stained face. her clothes and hair were also messy, and she looked very pitiful. hearing the voice, tuan zi suddenly looked up and brainlessly asked, ¡°why isn¡¯t it mine?¡± Chapter 2565 - 2565 Side Story 69: Wait 2565 side story 69: wait yi fu naturally did not understand what she said. she quickly went forward, wiped tuan zi¡¯s tears, and asked softly and carefully, ¡°what¡¯s the matter? tuan zi, what do you want?¡± however, tuan zi pressed her lips against each other tightly and refused to speak. yi fu had never seen tuan zi reveal such an expression. she gently patted the latter¡¯s head. ¡°our tuan zi is very nice. she can have whatever she wants.¡± tuan zi finally recovered her senses and softly said, ¡°sister yi fu, i¡¯m fine. i just¡­ had a nightmare.¡± upon hearing this, yi fu heaved a sigh of relief. then, she smiled and said, ¡°you also said that it was a nightmare. those things are all fake. tuan zi, don¡¯t be scared.¡± originally, she came over to bring tuan zi out to play. but seeing tuan zi in this state, it seemed like¡­ ¡°i think you don¡¯t look too good. why don¡¯t we not go out today so that you can rest properly?¡± tuan zi nodded tiredly, but she suddenly straightened her body. ¡°no, i don¡¯t want to stay here. i want to go out.¡± won¡¯t i be still alone here? it¡¯s too hard to bear. yi fu just thought that she wanted to take a walk, so she agreed. ¡°then, let¡¯s tidy up and go out later? yi ming and the rest are waiting outside.¡± tuan zi acknowledged her. she stood up to wash her face and combed her hair again. the red string went through her hair and flipped in her fingers, while the golden bell rang crisply. tuan zi saw herself in the copper mirror and thought of the nightmare from the previous night. she suddenly knitted her brows, turned around, and asked, ¡°sister yi fu, do you think there¡¯s a limit to how nice a person can be? if they¡¯re good to someone, they can¡¯t be good to other people?¡± yi fu was dazed and thought that she was still talking about what yi ming said, so she replied, ¡°don¡¯t listen to yi ming¡¯s nonsense.¡± tuan zi¡¯s cheeks bulged out. why do i feel that it makes a little sense? yi fu thought of it and planned to say something more. ¡°actually, such matters can¡¯t be said precisely. the so-called ¡®good¡¯ can be different in many scenarios, and you can¡¯t generalize it.¡± tuan zi asked, ¡°like?¡± ¡°like¡­ emperor¡¯s goodness toward goddess yue and his goodness to the two little emperors are different.¡± yi fu thought to use the examples around tuan zi for her to understand bbetter. ¡°do you think the emperor would be as good as he is to goddess yue, toward someone else? however, he treats the two little emperors the same way.¡± ¡°some goodness can be shared equally, but some can¡¯t.¡± tuan zi fell silent for a long while. she seemed to understand, but she also seemed to be more confused. is zi chen¡¯s goodness toward me the same as how the emperor treats a¡¯yue or how the emperor treats rong xiaoxun and rong xiaoyan? forget it. the emperor isn¡¯t as nice to the two brothers than zi chen is to me. thinking of this, it seemed more like the former. tuan zi felt her head ache. she shook her head and planned to forget all of these messy thoughts. after packing, she stood up. ¡°sister yi fu, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ tuan zi had prepared herself mentally. she faintly felt that her thoughts weren¡¯t quite right now. additionally, as the dream had made her suffer, she was very worried that she would run into zi chen. in the end¡­ she worried too much. they walked around the fantasy divine palace and met many people but not zi chen. they also did not see miao xuanxuan. when tuan zi asked later on, she found out that zi chen had brought miao xuanxuan to the lightning pool in the morning. in actual fact, this was their arrangement during this period of time, but tuan zi had just returned and did not ask earlier. thus, she did not know. in this way, tuan zi wanted to go take a look. anyway, everyone could go to the lightning pool. she thought deeply and felt that there was nothing wrong with it. she was really just curious! besides, yi fu and the rest had not seen the lightning pool before. since they were here, they had to look at it. hence, the crowd went straight to the lightning pool. ¡­ when they reached the lightning pool, they saw the tall figure standing on the rock. the winds blew up his clothes, and they rustled. he stood with his hands behind his back and was very tall and handsome. even if it was just a back view, he still looked very authoritative. tuan zi glanced at him and was dazed. zi chen seemed¡­ as if he was really waiting for someone. of course, he was waiting for miao xuanxuan, who was receiving nourishment from the lightning bolts inside the lightning pool. tuan zi suddenly thought of the days when zi chen was still trapped and hibernating in the ball. at that time, she also waited for days and nights. all her patience was spent on this one person. in the end, he was actually waiting for someone else?! tuan zi was enraged, and her heart was bubbling with sourness. actually, she had a very good temper and rarely threw her tantrum toward people she was close to. but now¡­ without waiting for her to speak, zi chen seemed to notice something and turned around. the two parties weren¡¯t far from each other, and zi chen always had good vision. he immediately noticed tuan zi¡¯s slightly swollen eyes, and there seemed to be redness at the corner of her eyes. did she¡­ cry? zi chen¡¯s face darkened as his gaze, as sharp as blades, swept across yi ming and the rest. chills ran down the spines of yi ming and the others, not knowing how they had offended him. zi chen waved toward tuan zi. ¡°come over.¡± tuan zi originally didn¡¯t want to listen to him, but after hearing his voice, she strangely walked forward. when she reacted, she had already reached zi chen. he furrowed her brows, stared at the girl in front of him, and lightly wiped the corner of her eyes. ¡°who bullied you?¡± tuan zi thought of the incident the day before. she snorted coldly in her heart and tilted her face to avoid his hand. zi chen stopped in his movements. tuan zi glared at him, and her eyes were filled with unconcealable complaints. just as she was about to speak, a voice came from the side. ¡°tuan zi? you guys are here too?¡± tuan zi turned around and saw miao xuanxuan exiting from the lightning pool and walking toward them. at that moment, for some reason, she suddenly went forward, grabbed zi chen¡¯s hand, and buried her face. the warm and soft cheeks leaned against the back of his hand, causing zi chen to freeze. then, he heard the girl¡¯s aggrieved whimper. ¡°¡­i had a nightmare.¡± zi chen heaved a sigh of relief and gently patted her shoulders with his other hand as he asked, ¡°what did you dream about?¡± Chapter 2566 - 2566 Side Story 70: Important 2566 side story 70: important tuan zi naturally refused to say it. she hesitated for a moment before softly saying, ¡°i¡­ forgot.¡± zi chen held her chin, lifted her face up, and sized her up carefully. previously, he was rather far away and couldn¡¯t see her clearly. now that he was near, he indeed saw a faint patch of black below her slightly red eyes. this girl had always eaten, drunk, and slept without any burden. she rarely looked like this. he examined her, and his brows furrowed more tightly. then, he said, ¡°go back and sleep.¡± tuan zi was instantly stunned, not expecting him to say such words. she instinctively rejected him. ¡°but i already have plans with everyone¡­¡± zi chen looked up slightly, and his gaze swept across yi ming and the others. plans? he held tuan zi¡¯s wrist and pulled her away. ¡°cancel your plans today.¡± his voice was as nonchalant as usual, but the surrounding few people felt colder. when he walked past yi ming and the rest, they did not seem to recover their senses. however, zi chen suddenly stood still. he was very tall and had a strong aura. he stood before the crowd and caused them to feel fear. ¡°don¡¯t you guys know that tuan zi didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± he coldly asked. she¡¯s already in this state, yet you want to drag her out? upon hearing this, yi ming and the others were speechless. even though they wanted to defend themselves, they saw tuan zi¡¯s pitiful appearance and shut their mouths. tuan zi pulled zi chen¡¯s hand. ¡°i¡¯m fine¡­ i insisted on coming out¡­¡± she didn¡¯t want to stay alone and let her thoughts run wild. that dream kept replaying in her mind as well, but reality proved that her thoughts became messier after she saw zi chen. zi chen heard her defend them and felt stifled, but he still controlled his expression. ¡°follow me back.¡± he didn¡¯t speak further as he dragged tuan zi back after saying those few words. ding! tuan zi¡¯s mind quickly caught the main point. oh, zi chen is following me back? is he going to coax me to sleep like last time? thinking of this, her mood rapidly became better, and she became more obedient. ¡°oh, okay.¡± she coughed. seeing that zi chen was about to leave, miao xuanxuan¡ªwho just came up¡ªwas rather dazed. she opened her mouth. ¡°zi chen, i¡ª¡± in the past, zi chen would check on her recovery everyday. today¡­ zi chen did not even turn around. ¡°the remaining plans are the same as before.¡± actually, it was the same with or without his guidance. originally, he just wanted to return miao zhen the favor and had no other intentions. now that he saw that tuan zi didn¡¯t sleep well, he only thought of pulling her back so that she could catch up on her sleep. how could he think of anything else? before tuan zi could speak, she was directly brought away. the remaining group of people stood rooted to the spot and exchanged glances. after a long while, miao xuanxuan finally realized something and had a complicated expression. ¡°¡­it seems like zi chen is indeed very nice to tuan zi.¡± she faintly heard their conversations. just because she had a nightmare and did not sleep well, zi chen personally brought her back to rest. this¡­ yi fu glanced at her and smiled gently. ¡°yeah. in the past, zi chen prepared all of tuan zi¡¯s food and items. sometimes, when tuan zi threw tantrums at night, zi chen coaxed her to sleep.¡± yi fu pushed her loose strands of hair behind her ear and pretended that she did not see miao xuanxuan¡¯s slightly pale face. she slowly said, ¡°i heard that to save tuan zi, zi chen almost lost his life several times. but when zi chen hibernated, tuan zi looked after him day and night. hence, zi chen isn¡¯t the only one who treats her well. tuan zi treats him the same.¡± miao xuanxuan¡¯s lips were rather pale, and her entire person became anxious. they were both goddess yue¡¯s legendary fiends, and it was normal for them to have a good relationship. she had also long heard that they were very close, so she didn¡¯t quite notice previously. but now that she personally saw tuan zi, she realized that something was amiss. that was a young, pretty girl. the day before, she saw that zi chen didn¡¯t seem too intimate with tuan zi, so she relaxed slightly and felt that she was overthinking. but today¡¯s incident¡­ she was not dumb. the sudden attack made miao xuanxuan uncomfortable. she forcefully bade yi fu and the rest farewell before leaving in a hurry. before she left, her face seemed like it was attacked by snow¡ªit was white and pale. when she left, yi ming looked at yi fu and said in disapproval, ¡°why didn¡¯t you explain it clearly just now?¡± yi fu blinked. ¡°what? did i say anything wrong?¡± yi ming¡¯s heart hurt as he lowered his voice. ¡°when zi chen treated tuan zi in that manner, she was still young. however, did you see zi chen doing any of this after she grew up?¡± they had all seen clearly that zi chen treated tuan zi differently after she grew up. even though tuan zi didn¡¯t realize it herself, it was clear that zi chen had willingly drawn a boundary and obeyed it like everyone else. he treated her like a real young woman. he did not allow others to cross the boundary, and he stood by it in the same manner. of course, compared to others, zi chen was still the closest. tuan zi had no defense against him. as long as he wanted, he could break the invisible barrier at any time. but not him. this type of feeling became stronger when they met this time. yi fu acknowledged him and did not really care. ¡°but didn¡¯t he do it today?¡± wasn¡¯t she brought away by zi chen? yi ming was stumped. yi fu slowly said, ¡°why do you think she didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday?¡± ¡­ tuan zi obediently followed zi chen back to her own residence. when they reached the entrance, she recalled last night¡¯s incident and instinctively asked, ¡°zi chen, will you sleep with me tonight?¡± zi chen stopped in his tracks, and his eyelids twitched. she had also regularly said this in the past, but now¡ª he pressed his brows. ¡°i¡¯ll stay here.¡± tuan zi held the door. ¡°no, i can¡¯t sleep then. watch me sleep beside my bed.¡± zi chen¡¯s face was cold, and he originally refused to agree. however, he met her pitiful appearance and could not help but give in. he sighed helplessly in his heart and finally nodded. tuan zi was instantly elated. she pushed open her door to enter, rushed to the bed, kicked off her shoes, and lay quietly. a pair of eyes just looked at him calmly. zi chen didn¡¯t resist as he walked over and covered her with the blanket as usual. then, he sat on the chair by the side. ¡°sleep.¡± tuan zi revealed her small head and looked at him. she felt that the current situation was familiar yet foreign. after thinking for a while, she could not help but ask, ¡°¡­you came back just like that. will miao xuanxuan¡¯s body be okay?¡± zi chen shook his head and nonchalantly replied, ¡°that¡¯s not important.¡± tuan zi instinctively asked, ¡°then, what¡¯s important?¡± zi chen paused and lightly knocked against the chair handle. he faced the side and didn¡¯t look at her. he raised his eyes slightly as if he did not hear it, looking like¡­ he did not wish to answer. tuan zi pulled the blanket up and covered half her face. under the blanket, the corner of her lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up. Chapter 2567 - 2567 Side Story 71: Have or Not 2567 side story 71: have or not zi chen seemed to notice something as he turned around and glanced at her. ¡°why are you smiling?¡± tuan zi was stunned. her pair of blackberry-like eyes moved with shards of light. how did he know that i was smiling!? i¡¯ve already covered more than half of my face! however, she did not know that all her emotions were written in her eyes. he just had to look up to understand everything. after a moment, she said in an upset manner, ¡°i-i¡¯m not smiling!¡± seeing that the girl was embarrassed from being caught red-handed, zi chen didn¡¯t expose her. he just raised his brows slightly, and his lips curled up into an extremely faint smile. he stood up, walked over, and lightly flicked her white forehead. ¡°are you not going to sleep? close your eyes. be good.¡± tuan zi then closed her eyes. the thick and long lashes moved slightly, revealing some sparks in her eyes. zi chen straightened his body and took a few glances. following this, he retracted his gaze and exhaled silently in his heart. he really¡­ did not quite dare to look into her eyes. he felt that if he looked at them for too long, even she could tell. he stood quietly before the bed as he thought of something. then, he curled his fingers lightly. a little warm. in actual fact, he hadn¡¯t seen her in a long time and did miss her. but from yesterday until now, he had been controlling himself and did not contact her. he wanted her to realize that she was no longer a child like the past. anyone, especially the opposite gender, could no longer hug and kiss her like before, especially him¡­ after he noticed his feelings, any contact clearly had a layer of blurred color. tuan zi wasn¡¯t guarded against him, but he could not be unreasonable. tuan zi treated him like a family member and was long used to him. he had to take away this layer of identity. as she was precious, he had to be meticulous and careful. even though tuan zi¡¯s eyes were shut, her other senses were sharp. she could feel that zi chen was standing beside the bed. he was doing something and did not leave. her forehead faintly still had some warm contact left. actually, it was a very quick motion that could be ignored. but for some reason, it kept repeating in her mind, and she could not remove it. she thought of how zi chen used to regularly coax her to sleep. at that time, he was also very patient as he patted the back of her head lightly and comfortingly. it was just¡­ different from now. tuan zi couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes slightly to see what exactly he was doing. in the end, zi chen saw her the moment she moved. he glanced at her and was not surprised. ¡°you want to eat? or do you want to listen to a story?¡± thanks to this lady, he was very skilled in this area. he long knew that she wouldn¡¯t fall asleep so easily, so he was prepared. but hearing this, tuan zi was suddenly dazed. zi chen really behaved the same as before. sometimes, she made a scene and clung to him for very long. it was either for good food, she felt bored, or she wanted to listen to him speak. the food was very nice, but his stories weren¡¯t quite good. but hearing zi chen¡¯s nonchalant voice talking about the ordinary stories, she found them interesting. yet, she did not go for these today. she just¡­ wanted to look at him and talk to him properly. without hearing her reply, zi chen softly asked again. his face, calm and collected as usual without a hint of annoyance. but tuan zi had an unknown emotion. she was rather frustrated, and her heart was slightly cold. zi chen is actually just treating me like a child, right? but i¡¯m not one! thinking of the dream the previous night, zi chen in her dream gradually overlapped with the one before her. she clenched her teeth slightly, turned around, and faced him with her back. ¡°i don¡¯t want any!¡± zi chen found it strange. this temper came suddenly. he knitted his brows and saw her burying herself in the blanket, her messy hair on her pillow. without looking, he knew that she was angry. he thought for a while, and his voice was gentler. ¡°who bullied you? let me help you take revenge?¡± tuan zi was even angrier. it turns out that to zi chen, i¡¯m just a child who only knows how to eat, drink, and fight all day. she felt stifled and finally managed to spit out a sentence: ¡°i don¡¯t need you to coax me.¡± she suddenly realized that her series of actions today was really like a child being unreasonable. zi chen brought her back and coaxed her to sleep. what could that show? he didn¡¯t even know how terrible he was in the dream to her. he did not know anything. after a while, she heard the footsteps getting further and thought that he was leaving. she panicked and couldn¡¯t help but look. yet, zi chen just returned to his chair and lightly rubbed his brows as if he were thinking of a problem. she did not know that zi chen was just thinking of how he had offended her. besides that, he was also wondering if all girls had fluctuating emotions during puberty. he had never coaxed them before and was inexperienced. tuan zi thought of it and felt that her sentence was inappropriate. she calmed down, swiftly turned around, and looked at him. she said hesitantly, ¡°zi chen, let¡¯s talk?¡± zi chen looked up at her. actually, he had a feeling that tuan zi had something to say. he nodded. tuan zi pursed her lips and tried hard to make her voice sound normal. ¡°are¡­ you going to marry in the future?¡± according to a¡¯yue, zi chen should have such thoughts. she found it incredulous. after all, zi chen¡¯s rejecting attitude was rather obvious at godly phoenix mountain. how long has it been? perhaps a¡¯yue has thought wrongly¡­ she thought zi chen would immediately deny it, but she waited for a while, and zi chen still kept quiet. he sat there, leaned against the chair, and placed his wrist on the armrest. his attitude was relaxed. as his back faced the light, his expression was ambiguous. his face was nonchalant, but his eyes were dark. tuan zi unknowingly became nervous, and the air became thinner. just when she thought that zi chen wouldn¡¯t answer her, he looked at her and finally spoke. ¡°yes.¡± yes? yes! tuan zi was shocked, and her entire person became confused. how did this happen? didn¡¯t he not have this thought beforehand? when i previously said i would help him find a wife, he was still very angry. why did his attitude change by 180 degrees in the blink of an eye? she finally could not hold herself back, and she suddenly sat up. ¡°you can¡¯t!¡± zi chen raised his brows and looked at her with questioning intent. ¡°why can¡¯t i?¡± tuan zi was stumped. isn¡¯t it normal for him to want to marry someone and have kids? why did i say no? she grabbed her hair and squeezed her brain to think of an excuse. ¡°b-because¡­ a¡¯yue said that you must marry someone you like. y-you still don¡¯t have someone you like¡­ how can you be so casual?!¡± zi chen stared at her and slowly said, ¡°who says i don¡¯t?¡± Chapter 2568 - 2568 Side Story 72: Chase 2568 side story 72: chase ¡°and?¡± xiao ba stopped in her actions and placed the remaining petal back before she continued asking curiously, ¡°then, how did your friend react after hearing this?¡± tuan zi was dazed and muttered, ¡°um, it seems like she didn¡¯t say anything¡­ i-i think she slept¡­¡± xiao ba snorted and felt regret. ¡°how can she not say anything? don¡¯t you know how to ask?¡± ¡°a-ask what?¡± tuan zi was beyond confused. xiao ba shook her head helplessly. ¡°of course, ask him who he likes! this is such a good opportunity. how can she not ask? your friend is too dumb.¡± tuan zi¡¯s ears warmed up. ¡°she¡­ probably didn¡¯t think so much¡­¡± at that time, the impact was too huge, and she was stunned. then, she fell asleep in a daze. xiao ba grunted lightly, expecting better from that friend. ¡°you need to know your enemies to win all your battles. she hasn¡¯t even fought but escaped first. what is this? now, she doesn¡¯t even know who her love rival is¡­¡± as she spoke, she felt her head hurt. tuan zi shrunk her neck like a quail. seeing her in this manner, xiao ba could not help but chuckle. she patted tuan zi¡¯s head lovingly. ¡°okay, okay. i¡¯m not talking about you. why are you afraid?¡± tuan zi lowered her head. ¡°n-nothing. it¡¯s just¡­ my friend is quite close to me, so i¡¯m a little worried¡­ i see that she hasn¡¯t been sleeping or eating well lately¡­¡± xiao ba sighed and gently pinched her face. ¡°i can tell. did she also lead you to suffer? sigh, our tuan zi is good at everything, but you¡¯re too soft-hearted.¡± however, it sounds like tuan zi should be really quite close to that friend. if not, she wouldn¡¯t care so much. she also unknowingly found out that tuan zi seemed rather weak these two days and came to ask her in detail. then, she found out that tuan zi had a friend who met with some trouble. ¡°according to what you previously said, your friend knew him for quite some time but only recently discovered that she likes him?¡± tuan zi nodded, and her entire person seemed to be on fire. luckily, xiao ba was thinking seriously and did not notice her abnormality. ¡°were they on good terms previously?¡± tuan zi stammered, ¡°i guess¡­ quite good¡­¡± ¡°then, before this, did that man say that he has someone he likes?¡± ¡°¡­nope.¡± xiao ba suddenly thought of something, and her eyes lit up. ¡°in this case, could the person he¡¯s talking about be your friend?¡± tuan zi was dazed. ¡°i don¡¯t think so?¡± she thought for a while and struggled to explain, ¡°he seems to have¡­ always treated m-my friend as a younger sister¡ªno, treated her as a child¡­ i don¡¯t think this is very possible. besides, he does have another girl beside him, and he treats her well. he only said these words after that girl appeared.¡± with this connection, it was understood tacitly who he referred to. xiao ba knitted her brows slightly. ¡°i see¡­ that¡¯s indeed rather troublesome then¡­¡± she supported her chin with one hand. ¡°in that case, there might not be much hope.¡± tuan zi¡¯s face fell. xiao ba¡¯s heart ached as she hugged tuan zi and comforted her. what kind of scum broke tuan zi¡¯s friend¡¯s heart and even implicated tuan zi!? xiao ba scolded the other party in her heart, but she still had a gentle and sweet smile. she did not wish to see tuan zi suffer. after much thinking, she decided to salvage the issue. ¡°that man didn¡¯t say who he likes, right?¡± ¡°¡­mm.¡± ¡°he also didn¡¯t reject your friend to her face, right?¡± ¡°¡­yeah.¡± ¡°he¡¯s still not together with anyone now, right?¡± tuan zi thought about it closely and lightly nodded. xiao ba snapped her fingers. ¡°that¡¯s right! anyway, he¡¯s still single. she just has to pursue him!¡± tuan zi suddenly coughed and grabbed xiao ba¡¯s sleeves tightly, her entire person burning. ¡°w-what?¡± xiao ba patted her back and said, ¡°i¡¯m saying that your friend can pursue him since he hasn¡¯t decided! didn¡¯t you previously say that the man didn¡¯t know your friend¡¯s interest in him? perhaps she has a chance? hm?¡± tuan zi¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°t-that¡¯s not too good, right¡­¡± xiao ba thought that she had just grown up and was confused. she was inevitably shy when she heard such matters. she pressed her lips against each other and smiled, her eyes dazzling. ¡°little tuan zi, you still don¡¯t understand. actually, it¡¯s not very important who does the chasing. what¡¯s important is that your friend really likes him. if she doesn¡¯t even confess or try, won¡¯t she have regrets? she can¡¯t wait until he settles everything before she says these things, right?¡± as tuan zi listened, she felt that it made sense. she nodded in a daze. ¡°t-then, let me think¡­ i¡¯ll ask her to think¡­¡± xiao ba gently rubbed her face. ¡°if you have any issues, you can come find me!¡± ¡­ tuan zi started thinking about this problem seriously. later on, she realized¡­ that it was very hard. it was mainly because she had not much experience. not only did she have no experience of chasing other people, but she also had no experience of being pursued. it wasn¡¯t that nobody liked her. on the contrary, she had always been very attractive. in the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan alone, quite a few people had such interests in her. it was a pity that for so long, everyone loved, doted on her, and treated her preciously, so they didn¡¯t even dare to seriously confess to her. they were afraid that it was too sudden. thus, when tuan zi realized this, she did not even have an example for reference. she thought deeply. the person closest to me is a¡¯yue. she thought about a¡¯yue and the emperor¡­ how did the emperor chase her? ¡­ zi chen had not seen tuan zi these few days. it wasn¡¯t that he did not want to, but he realized that tuan zi seemed to have been intentionally and unintentionally avoiding him after he said those words. he reflected on it and felt that he was too anxious, even if he was already very careful and restrained. however, he really could not lie when she asked her those two questions. hence, he just allowed tuan zi to hide from him. at night, he returned to his residence. once he stepped into the courtyard, he felt that something was amiss. he paused in his tracks and looked into the room. the candles were lit, and there were faint noises. there was seemingly a familiar aura. he squinted his eyes slightly and still pushed the door to enter. hearing the noise, tuan zi knew that he was back. she hurriedly put away her things and sat behind the table alone. seeing the incoming person, her heart skipped a beat as she broke out into a huge smile. ¡°zi chen, you¡¯re back!¡± zi chen rapidly scanned the room. there was food on the table, and the bed¡­ was messy. it seemed like a ransacking had just happened here. he asked, ¡°what¡­ are you doing?¡± tuan zi looked enthusiastic. ¡°i brought some good food and even helped you make your bed!¡± zi chen fell silent for a moment. the food was clearly picked according to someone¡¯s own taste. as for the bed¡­ it was hard to tidy it. his lips moved, but he still walked over. ¡°you don¡¯t have to do these things.¡± he didn¡¯t spoil the girl for her to do such things. half of tuan zi¡¯s heart turned cold. she looked down and softly said, ¡°i thought you would be happy¡­¡± zi chen sat down beside her, and his brows twitched slightly when he heard her. he found it incredulous, but he still looked over reluctantly. the candles burned, and the jumping fire seemed to leap into the depths of his eyes, causing them to shine. after a while, he said, ¡°you have a request?¡± tuan zi immediately shook her head. ¡°no.¡± zi chen laughed. ¡°then, why are you suddenly so nice to me?¡± tuan zi still felt awkward. thinking of xiao ba¡¯s teachings earlier, she immediately suppressed her embarrassment. she coughed and tried hard to make herself seem natural. ¡°i just want to. is there something wrong?¡± in this world, there wouldn¡¯t be somebody who treated another person well for no reason, especially so suddenly. zi chen looked at her quietly and couldn¡¯t help but laugh in his heart when he saw her magnanimous look. she probably doesn¡¯t know how red her ears are. he didn¡¯t say much as he shifted the dishes she liked the most to her. ¡°let¡¯s eat.¡± tuan zi acknowledged him and found it warm, so she hurriedly picked up her bowl. she wanted to bury face in her bowl, completely forgetting that she came to treat him to food. zi chen sat at the side and ate slowly, but he seemed to be in an excellent mood. after he finished his meal, tuan zi¡¯s surrounding warmth finally dissipated. she ran to wash up before she directly walked to zi chen¡¯s bed. zi chen¡¯s eyelids twitched as he grabbed the back of her clothes. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°let¡¯s sleep together.¡± tuan zi turned around and blinked. in the past, didn¡¯t the emperor always go to a¡¯yue¡¯s room to warm her bed? seeing her expression, how could zi chen not know what she was thinking? he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°go back.¡± tuan zi originally refused, but seeing zi chen¡¯s insistent attitude, she could only give in. anyway, there were long days ahead. in the past, a¡¯yue always chased the emperor out. thinking of this, she quickly accepted her ¡®setback¡¯ and nodded smoothly. zi chen was worried and still sent her back personally. seeing that he wanted to leave, tuan zi hurriedly grabbed his sleeves and asked hesitantly, ¡°then¡­ zi chen, are you still going to help miao xuanxuan nurse her health? ahem, i¡¯m just casually asking¡ª¡± zi chen looked down at her and shook his head. ¡°today is the last day. from tomorrow onward, i¡¯ll hand her over to someone else.¡± ¡­ ¡°what? you won¡¯t care anymore? how can this be!? i¡¯m not a heavenly doctor, so how would i know any of this?!¡± facing zi chen¡¯s suggestion, si jing hurriedly shook his head and refused to agree. zi chen looked leisurely. ¡°her health has recovered up to ninety percent, and she just has to continue accepting nourishment in the lightning pool for a while longer. nobody needs to intervene. you¡¯re in charge of the lightning pool, so you¡¯re most suited for this.¡± si jing was stumped and still stiffly rejected him. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know that miao xuanxuan has other intentions toward you. i don¡¯t want to interfere!¡± he hated such matters the most. zi chen said, ¡°that¡¯s precisely why i need you to help me.¡± si jing glanced at him in shock. zi chen never begs other people. did he take the wrong medicine today? as if seeing through his doubts, zi chen laughed. ¡°¡­a girl is chasing me, so i don¡¯t want her to misunderstand.¡± Chapter 2569 - 2569 Side Story 73: Borrow to Try 2569 side story 73: borrow to try si jing¡¯s expression instantly became one of incredulity. after a long while, he recovered his senses. ¡°¡­since you¡¯re afraid of her misunderstanding, you must like her. if this is so, why can¡¯t you be direct?¡± why are you still acting? however, zi chen¡¯s brows moved slightly. directly say it? of course not. how do i know that the girl isn¡¯t being impulsive? what if she is only chasing me because she isn¡¯t used to not having my care? if she only wants someone to be nice to her, too many people can do it, so i¡¯m not special. what she wants wouldn¡¯t be me either. hence, no matter what, i can¡¯t say it now. si jing watched him from the side. he felt that even though this man had a handsome, cold, and peerless appearance, he had a stomach filled with bad water. he snorted. ¡°¡­you can even trick girls?¡± zi chen disregarded this accusation. how is this tricking? i can¡¯t dote on her enough, but other people can¡¯t hear this. si jing asked around but couldn¡¯t find out the girl¡¯s identity, so he eventually gave up. he had no choice¡ªzi chen had a special identity. no matter if it were his appearance, bloodline, or anything else, he was outstanding. there were indeed many girls who fell for him in the fantasy divine palace. originally, he thought that zi chen was cold and aloof and would definitely not waste his time and energy in such matters. he never expected¡­ the latter to fall for it! someone who could make zi chen spend so much effort also showed that he cared a lot for her. he just did not know who it was. ¡­ tuan zi realized that zi chen became much freer after he didn¡¯t care about miao xuanxuan¡¯s matters. however, this was good because it was more convenient for her. as she didn¡¯t have much experience, she privately consulted xiao ba several times. according to what xiao ba said, she could not be overly anxious when chasing others, but she also couldn¡¯t be too lazy. hence, she came once a day. sometimes, she brought a plate full of snacks, and at other times, she dueled with zi chen. however, most of the snacks still entered her stomach. there were wins and losses in the duels. all in all, she was rather happy. but although these days were relaxing and comfortable, there was not too much progress. in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. xiao ba dragged tuan zi over to ask. ¡°how is it? has your friend progressed smoothly?¡± tuan zi nodded in excitement. ¡°yes! he ate all the food she gave and used the items. when they dueled, he seemed even more serious than before!¡± once xiao ba heard it, she felt that there was a chance! she leaned in closer and asked excitedly and curiously, ¡°then¡­ did she find out the other party¡¯s attitude?¡± tuan zi was dazed. ¡°what¡­ attitude?¡± ¡°attitude toward your friend! from what you said, your friend did so much, so the other party should have some response, right?¡± tuan zi thought about it in detail and was dazed. xiao ba had a strange look. ¡°don¡¯t tell me that the other party really just accepted your friend¡¯s nice acts and¡­ didn¡¯t do or say anything?¡± tuan zi thought hard about it and struggled to refute. ¡°you can¡¯t say that¡­ it¡¯s just the same as before¡­¡± ¡°how can it be the same?!¡± xiao ba instantly raised her voice. she finally understood that the person was a scum who purposely tricked others! ¡°can¡¯t he tell how she treats him?¡± he accepted all her kind acts, but he didn¡¯t even say a word in the end? tuan zi felt that something was wrong.¡±but¡­ to m-my friend, he¡¯s also quite nice¡­¡± she softly played with her knuckles and counted. every time she brought him food to eat, she took away even more food. there were a few times she did not want to duel, but zi chen asked her himself and guided her quite a bit. how to put it? this was also considered being nice, right? hearing this, xiao ba fell into deep thought. after a while, she finally noticed a problem. ¡°he¡¯s not¡­ still treating your friend as a younger sister, right?¡± tuan zi¡¯s eyes widened slightly. how could it be? i¡¯ve clearly said it several times that i¡¯m not a child, a-and my current appearance is completely different from before. how could he still¡ª however, xiao ba felt that she guessed it right. ¡°it¡¯s most likely this! this won¡¯t do. if this goes on, even if she works a hundred times harder, it¡¯s useless.¡± tuan zi held her chin with both hands and was confused. ¡°what should we do then?¡± she didn¡¯t want to do this, but zi chen seemed like he did not understand anything. their recent interactions seemed to be the same as before, but she felt that something was amiss. unknowingly, she felt that there was an invisible barrier between them. xiao ba flung her hands lightly and painted her pretty nails. her red lips then curled up, and she slowly said, ¡°of course¡­ you have to make him realize that she¡¯s not a younger sister.¡± ¡­ when zi chen returned to his residence, he saw tuan zi waiting inside. a light smile flashed across his face. recently, she seemed to have clung to him even more. ¡°tuan zi.¡± after he entered, he called for her. however, tuan zi did not jump over as per usual. instead, she sat there and knitted her brows slightly. she had a stern look, as if she were thinking about something important. zi chen found it strange and called her again. tuan zi then recovered her senses. seeing that it was him, her face was rather nervous. zi chen took a few glances at her. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± tuan zi rubbed her two hands together and did not speak. zi chen had already sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. they were very close to each other. once she looked up, she saw his adam¡¯s apple. above it was his slightly plump lips. zi chen noticed that her gaze was stuck to him. he put down the cap, walked over, and looked at her sharply with an inspecting gaze. one of them stood, while the other sat. tuan zi was originally guilty. this time, she felt that the other party¡¯s aura was oppressive, and she did not know how to speak. her throat felt dry as she instinctively took her teacup and placed it in her hand. ¡°n-nothing much. i¡¯m just thirsty¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s¡ª¡±before zi chen could stop her, he saw her voluptuous lips on his tea cup. he could not say his remaining words no matter what. however, tuan zi didn¡¯t seem to notice him as she held the teacup and instinctively licked her lips. zi chen was instantly stunned, and his eyes darkened. the next moment, a soft sentence landed in his ears, which stunned him. ¡°¡­zi chen, do you recall the question i asked you when we came back for sister xiao ba and brother yan qing¡¯s wedding?¡± of course, i remember. thanks to the two of them, the girl started thinking about such matters once she grew up. but what is she saying now? tuan zi coughed and asked softly with red ears, ¡°then¡­ are you not curious?¡± zi chen stared at her. after a moment, he suppressed his wildly beating heart and tried hard to make his voice sound calm. ¡°so what if i¡¯m curious and so what if i¡¯m not?¡± tuan zi lightly clutched his clothes and pulled them down. ¡°since it¡¯s so¡­ t-then, why don¡¯t you let me borrow to try?¡± Chapter 2570 - 2570 Side Story 74: Learn A Little 2570 side story 74: learn a little the night breeze was slightly cold, and the moonlight was like water. the surroundings fell silent, but every word and sentence crashed into his ears and caused his mind to whir. there seemed to be something crazily surging in his chest as it rapidly spread to his limbs. he stood there upright with a distinguished aura. the surrounding coldness was long destroyed by the nameless heat and fire. he lowered his head and stared at her for a long time, but tuan zi seemed to feel increasingly embarrassed by his gaze. his gaze was clearly deep and mysterious, yet his eyes were burning like they could scorch someone. even if he did not speak, his suppression was still extremely strong and easily covered her. silent and quiet yet hot and tense. tuan zi suddenly felt more awake. what am i doing? what did i say?! borrow¡­ to try?! tuan zi¡¯s face flushed, and it burned! before zi chen came back, she had been waiting here for some time. many matters rushed through her mind. sister xiao ba is right. i¡¯ve already made it so obvious, but zi chen still acts the same as before in all areas. other than him not having any more contact with miao xuanxuan, there aren¡¯t many changes. he distanced himself from others, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be closer to me. how can this be? if he still treats me as a child, won¡¯t all my efforts be wasted? to break such a relationship, ordinary methods won¡¯t work. whatever i¡¯ve done is mostly the same as what he did before. then, what are some things we didn¡¯t do previously? what is unique that other relationships can¡¯t do? with a twist of fate, she recalled the scene she saw in the narrow and dark alley. even though she was confused at that time, she could still faintly feel that the strange atmosphere that surrounded two people and others could not enter. she was rather envious of it. hence, out of impulse, she said such words to him. zi chen didn¡¯t respond for a long time, which finally allowed her rationality to slowly return. she curled her fingers, and her entire person was overwhelmed with embarrassment. she wanted to curl up like a boiled prawn. zi chen looked at her and could tell that she was afraid. his lips curled up slightly. i still thought that the girl was capable, yet¡­ she is only strong on the outside. tuan zi could not stay any longer. such a strange atmosphere was making her go crazy! she felt slight regret, but she was also confused and helpless. clearly, she had also asked zi chen similar questions that day. but now that she talked about it again, she had completely different feelings. at that time, she asked it relaxingly, and zi chen also answered casually. but now¡­ her heart was about to jump out, and her surrounding blood seemed to circulate faster. her entire person seemed to be burning on some fire, and she didn¡¯t know where to put her hands and legs. finally, as if she couldn¡¯t take it, she suddenly stood up! ¡°i-if you don¡¯t want to, take it as if i didn¡¯t ask!¡± she felt humiliated and scrambled to salvage her dignity. ¡°i-i was just a little curious! a-anyway, i¡¯ll know it in the future¡ª¡± when tuan zi said such words, she did not really think. she just instinctively felt that no matter if it were rong xiu and a¡¯yue, or sister xiao ba and brother yan qing, they were all together with the people they liked. she felt that she could definitely do it too, and it was just a matter of time. she could not do it today, but she could do it in the future. anyway, zi chen was still very nice to her. at the very least, from his performance the past two days, her status was still temporarily at the top. one benefited from a convenient location. if she fought harder, there might be hope. actually, she also panicked from her impulsive actions. then, she lowered her head and wanted to run outside, but she did not see the man¡¯s suddenly darkened face. what does this mean? i didn¡¯t even say anything, yet she decided herself that i refuse. she¡­ also said that she will know in the future? how will she know? who is she going to find if she goes out now? he didn¡¯t forget that there were a few kids who had special intentions toward her in the fantasy divine palace. no, there were more than a few. previously, she did not know. but now that she finally had some knowledge in this aspect, how could those people sit still? he moved, and tuan zi went straight into his arms. her sharp nose hit against the firm and broad chest. it hurt, and it made tears well up in her eyes. she moved half a step back and looked at him begrudgingly. however, her eyes were wet and dazed. she seemed a little fierce but had no authority at all. instead, she seemed more aggrieved. ¡°¡­why did you stop me!?¡± however, zi chen seemed to sigh and ask, ¡°you really want to know?¡± tuan zi was dazed before she reacted to his sentence. her overwhelming emotions attacked her, and her heart became sour and soft. even she could not pinpoint where such feelings came from, and what they meant. originally, she wanted to deny it. however, when her gaze landed on the lips right before hers, she became hesitant. since i¡¯ve already asked¡­ if i miss it today, when do i have to wait until? what if i don¡¯t have the guts then¡­ after a while, she lightly coughed and finally mustered her remaining courage, nodding affirmatively. zi chen reached out and gently patted her head, his eyes containing hints of helplessness and love. ¡°only once.¡± he really didn¡¯t know if he could control himself, so this was the limit. tuan zi knitted her brows slightly. it wasn¡¯t that she felt that the man was petty, but¡­ what was with his gaze? why did it seem like he was watching a child pull a prank? she was already especially sensitive about it. now that she thought of it, her shyness and hesitance were replaced with indignance. she clenched her teeth, grabbed the clothes before his chest, and went on her toes. then, she quickly pecked his lips. like a dragonfly touching the water, just one touch. soft, cold. these were the first thoughts in her mind. following this, she heard her heart crazily beating. she retracted her hand in a daze and instinctively pressed down on her heart. never¡­ it seems to have never beaten so quickly before¡­ perhaps because this action was too daring and overboard, or his temperature was too high and aura too strong¡­ or perhaps she was too nervous and didn¡¯t have any other thoughts at this moment. everything happened too quickly and ended too early. she seemed to have hurriedly swallowed a berry, but because she didn¡¯t chew, she did not taste anything. ¡°d-done¡­¡± she stammered and seemed to be dizzy, ¡°t-there doesn¡¯t seem to be any feeling¡­¡± hearing this, zi chen finally became clear. he looked at her and suddenly laughed. ¡°is that so?¡± tuan zi unknowingly felt uneasy and acknowledged him in a daze. zi chen suddenly went forward, held her waist, and pressed her into his arms. the hand that was originally patting her head changed position strangely, and he held the back of her nape. with this intimate and restrictive movement, he finally expressed the only initiative he had recently taken as he lowered his head and kissed her. tuan zi realized something and suddenly widened her eyes. ¡°didn¡¯t you say just once¡ª¡± he stopped centimeters before her as his defined and forceful hand lightly pushed into her hair. his voice was low, with a hint of a smile. ¡°that¡¯s not counted. learn this.¡± before he finished his sentence, he sealed her mouth with a kiss and swallowed all the girl¡¯s curiosities and questions, patiently giving her the answer. Chapter 2571 - 2571 Side Story 75: Careless 2571 side story 75: careless it was like a dream. the fireworks from the dream bloomed iridescently, and the colorful rays of light shone everywhere, almost dazzling one¡¯s eyes and causing one to be mesmerized. tuan zi couldn¡¯t remember how she returned to her residence and how she slept. she faintly recalled that zi chen had sent her back, but¡­ she lay on the bed, tossing and turning the entire night. her entire person was burned by a silent fire, and she only managed to sleep right before dawn. this also caused her to wake up the next day with two dark patches, causing her to look less energized. after she woke up, she sat on her bed and hugged the blanket, feeling dazed for a long time. she couldn¡¯t help but touch her lips¡ªthey seemed a little swollen. as if she was burned, she hurriedly retracted her hand. however, there seemed to be some warmth that spread from it and wrapped around her entire person. everything that happened the previous night flashed across her mind slowly. of course, the so-called ¡®everything¡¯ was only that one thing. ¡°¡­oh!¡± she finally recovered her senses, whimpered, and buried her head under the blanket. what. have. i. done?! for some reason, when she previously thought about this, she was filled with curiosity and excitement. shyness and nervousness seemed to be ignorable. but now, after she ¡®experienced¡¯ it in detail, the slow awkwardness and humiliation overwhelmed her later. w-why did i do that?! she almost did not dare to think about it, but the scene kept playing in her mind. she could not recall the details, but the seductive temperature could not be erased from her memory. after some painful thoughts, tuan zi rapidly stood up and ran outside. ¡­ in the afternoon, the sun shone brightly. in the courtyard, the trees swayed. xiao ba was resting in the house. when yan qing walked in, he saw the figure lying quietly and walked lightly. when he came to xiao ba, he focused on her sleeping look for a while. as if detecting his existence, xiao ba woke up in a daze and forced her eyes open. ¡°brother yan qing¡­¡± yan qing acknowledged her before going up to take her outerwear. xiao ba closed her eyes and reached out to hug him. yan qing carried her and helped her wear the outerwear before he kneeled down on one knee and squeezed her thin ankle for her to wear her shoes. then, he carried her outside. she liked taking afternoon naps, but if she slept too much, it was hard for her to sleep at night. hence, at this time every day, yan qing would come and wake her up. the moment she entered, she smelled an alluring sweet fragrance. xiao ba nestled in yan qing¡¯s arms and recognized that it was the honey tea he had made today, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile. she had to drink different types of floral tea every day, and she had high standards. it required quite some time and energy. ever since she accidentally burned her hand, yan qing did not allow her to do it anymore. he had never given the task to other people and always did it himself. actually, the burn wound was nothing to her, but¡­ the left divine general was very talented, and his skills in this area quickly surpassed her. then, she swiftly gave up struggling and accepted it righteously. but the moment they sat, she heard yan qing say, ¡°tuan zi is here.¡± ¡°huh?¡± xiao ba was dazed and looked up. as expected, a red-golden figure came over in no time. xiao ba was elated and immediately waved her hand. ¡°tuan zi, quickly come over¡ª¡¯ tuan zi was quick and appeared before her. xiao ba knew that she loved sweet food the most and that she also liked this floral tea. she smiled and said, ¡°try this¡ªhm?¡± before she finished her sentence, she was taken aback when she saw tuan zi¡¯s look. ¡°who bullied our tuan zi?!¡± tuan zi hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°n-no¡­¡± xiao ba¡¯s gaze had already landed on her lips, and her eyes instantly became dangerous. after a while, she spoke with clenched teeth, ¡°which scoundrel?!¡± who exactly was it!? who dared to touch our tuan zi?! he must be maniacal! tuan zi doesn¡¯t know anything, yet she was tricked by someone?! xiao ba wasn¡¯t in the mood at all. she wanted to find the person and harshly beat him up! tuan zi originally wanted to defend herself, but she quickly realized that it was to no avail. she coughed. for some reason, she felt guilty and didn¡¯t know where to put her hand as her face burned. ¡°sister xiao ba, things aren¡¯t what you think they are¡­¡± seeing tuan zi¡¯s hesitant look, xiao ba suddenly understood. she widened her eyes slightly and raised her voice incredulously. ¡°wait, the friend you were talking abou is yourself?!¡± at this point, a familiar and pleasant voice came from outside. ¡°hm? why is it so crowded?¡± tuan zi and xiao ba were stunned in unison. then, they slowly turned around to look. chu liuyue walked in from outside. xiao ba looked behind her. chu liuyue smiled and said, ¡°ancestor is taking care of the two of them today, so i came out to take a breather.¡± then, she asked again, ¡°what are you talking about? friend?¡± xiao ba was instantly dumbfounded. tuan zi unwittingly shrunk her neck. noticing that the atmosphere was amiss, chu liuyue raised her brows slightly and looked straight at tuan zi. then, her gaze focused. the surrounding air seemed to freeze. after a moment, she slowly said, ¡°¡­who is going to explain to me what exactly is going on?¡± since she was dead either ways, xiao ba swiftly said painfully, ¡°master, i don¡¯t know which shameless scoundrel tricked our innocent tuan zi! that scum kept playing with tuan zi and even coaxed tuan zi into¡ª¡± tuan zi pulled her sleeves and tried to defend him. ¡°sister xiao ba, i-i went to kiss him¡­¡± xiao ba was infuriated. ¡°how can you do that? you¡¯re speaking for him after one kiss?! how can you be bribed so easily?¡± yan qing¡ªwho did not move at all at the side¡ªmoved his brows slightly and glanced at her. xiao ba was speechless. right, i don¡¯t have the right to say such words¡­ chu liuyue kept quiet for a moment. tuan zi still had a faint aura on her. others could not tell, but she recognized it at first instance. chu liuyue took a deep breath in and slowly held her forehead. ¡°i was careless¡­¡± Chapter 2572 - 2572 Side Story 76: Know 2572 side story 76: know a rumor had recently surfaced in the fantasy divine palace: goddess yue was planning to help her legendary fiend, the red-gold heavenly phoenix phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress¡ªyi tuan¡ªfind a spouse. everyone knew that this person had followed goddess yue through life and death for many years and was deeply doted on by her. now that she had grown up, she was bright and charming, lively, and cute. she was at the most likable age. in the open and in the dark, many people admired this person. now that the news of marriage was out, everyone naturally moved when they heard the news. as expected¡­ not long later, news really spread¡ª half a month later, in front of the fantasy divine hall, goddess yue and the emperor personally presided over the abbot¡¯s marriage recruitment. to be more accurate, it was a competition to find a wife. however, it didn¡¯t specify that one had to take first place. those who entered the top ten had the right to exchange blows with tuan zi. she could choose the one she liked the most as her future husband. for a moment, countless people were tempted. ¡­ bam! a low sound was heard in the room, and even the ground shook. zi chen stepped past the doorstep and felt this extraordinary fluctuation, but his expression didn¡¯t change. he only paused for a moment before continuing forward with a normal expression. inside the room, chu liuyue was reclining on the couch with one hand supporting her chin in a relaxed manner. rong xiaoyan and rong xiaoxun were both there. rong xiaoxun sat on the floor with a hammer in his arms. he had grabbed the hammer and smashed it against the ground earlier. the child didn¡¯t know how to control his strength. this time, he directly smashed the ground until it shook, and even his small body bounced up. his small butt hurt a little from the shaking, and even his round body trembled. he was wearing a silver-white shirt today. at a glance, he looked like a white meatball. this shock caused him to be dazed, and he instinctively looked at chu liuyue. he pouted and was about to cry in grievance. wuwuwu, it hurts! chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± she expressionlessly glanced at the hammer in rong xiaoxun¡¯s hands. ¡°i¡¯ve long said that this belongs to your uncle si jing. you¡¯re still young and can¡¯t touch it easily. do you regret it now?¡± speaking of which, rong xiaoxun just unintentionally saw the heavy and stern hammer two days ago, so he excitedly wanted to play with it. si jing let it slide and immediately left it behind. fortunately, the floor was extremely hard, and she had even specially set up a barrier. otherwise, she might not have been able to withstand his torture. rong xiaoxun knew that he was in the wrong, so he secretly turned his head away. on the other side, rong xiaoyan was sitting obediently beside her and staring seriously at a silver-red xuan formation in front of him. every chess piece on it had an indescribably powerful aura. he was just over a year old, but he had already displayed extremely shocking talent in cultivation. he was never interested in ordinary toys, but he once unintentionally saw chu liuyue setting up a xuan formation and liked it very much. seeing that he liked it, chu liuyue didn¡¯t hold herself back. when she was free, she would draw out a few xuan formations to coax him. the standard of this xuan formation wasn¡¯t low, especially when it was made by her¡ªit was natural and domineering. however, rong xiaoyan could stare at it for a long time. not only was he not uncomfortable at all, but his eyes were also sparkling. hearing the commotion, he didn¡¯t turn around. he just stretched out his small hand and tapped a certain spot on the xuan formation. the lines were like water ripples that rippled gently. boom! an even stronger fluctuation exploded in all directions! chu liuyue was long prepared. with a flick of her finger, a barrier enveloped her and instantly gathered the exploding energy. however, rong xiaoxun turned around, and his eyes were filled with excitement and expectations, clearly asking for praise. my performance this time is much better than the previous time! chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± she was a little worried. is the fantasy divine hall enough for the two of them to open? at this point, zi chen had already arrived in front of chu liuyue. ¡°master.¡± he bowed respectfully. rong xiaoyan and rong xiaoxun looked elated when they saw him. however, chu liuyue didn¡¯t move as she glanced at him in a seemingly smiling manner. ¡°zi chen, you¡¯re really capable.¡± zi chen was silent for a moment and finally laughed helplessly. ¡°what happened previously was zi chen¡¯s fault, but¡­ that was indeed what zi chen asked for.¡± chu liuyue rarely saw him show his emotions like this. previously, he hid it deeply, and she was busy, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. in the end¡ª ¡°tuan zi is still young,¡± she said. zi chen raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°but you¡¯re already planning to find a husband for her, aren¡¯t you?¡± chu liuyue tapped her fingers lightly. zi chen furrowed his glabella slightly between the brows. ¡°you¡­ refuse to agree?¡± chu liuyue snorted and glanced at him. ¡°originally, there was an age restriction in the rules of the competition.¡± zi chen instantly froze. ¡°if i really refuse to give you any chance, you won¡¯t even have the right to compete.¡± he then heaved a sigh of relief. after thinking for a while, he seemed to have fallen into deep thought. after a long time, he slowly said in a low voice, ¡°¡­back then, i was young, frivolous, and extremely proud. when i just became an adult, i forcefully took the position of legendary three-eyed eagle clan leader. later on, after a few experiences, i either hibernated or was dead, so i spent a thousand years in a daze.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve experienced too many life-and-death situations. compared to her innocence and purity, i¡¯m not worthy. but¡ª¡± he paused for a moment. every word seemed to be repeatedly thought for a long time before he finally spat it out. ¡°this is the first time i¡¯ve had such thoughts.¡± chu liuyue¡¯s brows moved slightly. after a moment, she smiled and said, ¡°then, why did you let tuan zi chase you so hard? i¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t know your thoughts.¡± zi chen nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll let her know.¡± Chapter 2573 - 2573 Side Story 77: Choose Only One Among Million People 2573 side story 77: choose only one among million people on this day, the sky was clear. in front of the fantasy divine hall, there were many people, and it was very lively. quite a few youngsters had faces filled with excitement and expectations as they looked at the young girl standing at the head of the table in admiration. her red-golden dress outlined her exquisite lines and sparkled under the sun. the irregular skirt dropped down her slender and fair calves. when the wind blew, she looked especially charming. her skin was smooth, and her five features were exquisite. the most eye-catching thing was that pair of black grape-like eyes that were extremely clear and bright. when she blinked lightly, her thick lashes swept across their hearts like a small brush. without asking, everyone knew that this was today¡¯s main character¡ªgoddess yue¡¯s legendary fiend and the red-gold heavenly phoenix clan¡¯s young mistress, yi tuan. she stood there cutely with a smile on her face. a small dimple appeared on her face, which was even more dazzling than the sunlight. chu liuyue and rong xiu sat beside each other. behind, the deities, the left and right divine generals, and the others had also come. the meaning of backing her up was self-evident. seeing this formation, anyone could tell how highly goddess yue thought of tuan zi. it was precisely because of this that many people became even more nervous, afraid that they wouldn¡¯t perform well and anger the people above. the rules were very simple. after cen yi briefly explained them, the competition began. as there were too many people signing up, even the competition venue was temporarily split into two parts and screened at the same time. the people in the arenas quickly fought to a stalemate. yi fu and the others were also watching from below. a young girl from the clan lowered her voice, but she still couldn¡¯t conceal her excitement. ¡°yi fu, these people want to marry tuan zi, right? there are really so many people!¡± yi fu smiled and nodded. no matter how one looked at it, tuan zi was definitely in high demand. it was reasonable to attract so many people. ¡°yi ming also went. i think there might be hope!¡± teaseed that young girl as she smiled. everyone in the clan knew his thoughts, and most of them thought very highly of him. yi fu asked, ¡°why are you so sure? although yi ming is powerful, he¡¯s not considered the top here.¡± that young girl chuckled. ¡°so what? he can definitely enter the top ten! at that time, can tuan zi still choose anyone else?¡± in their opinion, no matter if it were his identity as her clansman or his unconcealed sincerity, yi ming was definitely tuan zi¡¯s best choice. every time she was with yi ming, she was also very happy, right? wasn¡¯t this a sure win? yi fu didn¡¯t speak as her gaze landed on the person above. zi chen sat not far away from goddess yue, next to tuan zi. he sat there quietly, his expression as nonchalant and calm as usual. the battle below was in full swing, but he didn¡¯t seem to care at all. yi fu frowned. i really don¡¯t know what zi chen did to cause goddess yue to set up such a marriage recruitment for tuan zi. does he not want to fight anymore? ¡­ ¡°tuan zi, it¡¯s the same if you sit down and watch.¡± looking at the figure that kept shaking in front of her, chu liuyue finally spoke. tuan zi turned around and looked at her. she really wanted to sit too, but zi chen was beside her! after that night, this was the first time she had seen him. in the end, it was this scene¡­ although zi chen didn¡¯t say anything and looked no different from before, she still felt that something was wrong. actually, she wasn¡¯t very interested in this marriage recruitment¡­ she wanted to leave. as if detecting her thoughts, chu liuyue raised her brows and glanced at her. tuan zi pouted and finally sat down with much difficulty. her entire body leaned toward chu liuyue¡¯s side, almost as if she hoped that she would be separated from the right. zi chen glanced at her. ¡°sit properly.¡± tuan zi murmured, ¡°oh.¡± she forcefully moved her stiff limbs and sat properly. after a while, she finally couldn¡¯t help but secretly look over. zi chen was originally looking toward the stands, but at this moment, he seemed to have sensed something and turned to look. caught off-guard, their eyes met. his eyes were pitch black, and only the deepest part seemed to be suffused with a hint of purplish-golden. it was as if a secret wave was surging, and it seemingly wanted to overturn everything. tuan zi was stunned, and her heart trembled for some reason. however, such an expression only flashed across his eyes for a moment. in the blink of an eye, he had already calmed down and retracted his gaze. it was as if¡­ everything was just her illusion. for some reason, she felt guilty and felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. but zi chen didn¡¯t say anything. she suddenly thought of something. after hesitating for a long time, she leaned forward and softly asked, ¡°zi chen, you¡­ you¡­¡± she wanted to ask him if he would participate, but the words were stuck in her throat. zi chen looked over with a questioning expression. tuan zi scratched her head and dejectedly leaned against the chair. she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask. if he really had the heart, why would i need to ask? if he doesn¡¯t¡­ could i force him to participate? also, many things seem different after that kiss. thinking of that day, the tips of her ears burned again. however, the person beside her didn¡¯t move at all, as if he wanted to just watch from the side, which made her heart ache. she threw a tantrum at a certain someone, puffing up her cheeks and not speaking. ¡­ time slowly trickled past, and the competition became increasingly intense. perhaps it was because chu liuyue and rong xiu were holding down and presiding over the scene, but those with ordinary conditions didn¡¯t dare to join in the fun. hence, after a few rounds of selection, the remaining ones were indeed not bad. no matter if it were their looks or capabilities, they were quite outstanding. some of them were especially outstanding, and yi ming was one of them. many people had already started to secretly discuss who had the most hope of being liked by tuan zi. tuan zi¡¯s thoughts were wandering, and she didn¡¯t look at them carefully. however, she still watched the competition very seriously, as if she was really choosing seriously. when this burning gaze landed in the eyes of the youngsters in the arena, they felt even more encouraged and energized. they wished they could show off their most handsome and powerful appearance. ¡°which one do you like?¡± a low and cold voice suddenly sounded beside her ear. tuan zi was shocked and realized that the person asking was zi chen. he leaned against the chair and supported himself with one hand in a lazy posture. he didn¡¯t look at her, as if he were casually asking. tuan zi hesitated for a moment. at this point, there were only 20 people left in the arena. after this round ended, the ten people who won would enter the final selection. is he¡­ asking me to choose? tuan zi knitted her brows. ¡°they¡¯re all ok¡­¡± in her eyes, it was no different. as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt that zi chen¡¯s aura became colder. she glanced at him, still waiting for him to reply, but he didn¡¯t say a word. very quickly, the last ten people were all chosen. yi ming was among them. apart from him, the remaining few were actually not bad. at this moment, their gazes landed on tuan zi with unconcealable admiration and nervousness. ¡°tuan zi, take a closer look. did you choose anyone?¡± asked chu liuyue. everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on tuan zi. she blinked, but her throat seemed to be blocked. ¡°i¡­¡± she spat out a word with much difficulty. before she could finish her sentence, the person beside her suddenly stood up. ¡°since you can¡¯t choose, why don¡¯t i help you choose first?¡± once this voice sounded, it instantly caused the crowd to be stunned. countless people looked over in unison. looking at the tall and burly man in black with a cold aura around him, they were confused. w-what¡¯s going on? but very quickly, someone reacted. ¡°that¡¯s zi chen. he actually wants to help tuan zi choose?¡± ¡°these two are goddess yue¡¯s legendary fiends. they seem to have a good relationship. i heard that zi chen has always taken good care of tuan zi, so it¡¯s normal for him to help her check on them at this time.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true¡­ but why do i feel that it¡¯s¡­ difficult to pass his standards?¡± ¡°tuan zi didn¡¯t object either¡ªzi chen has already competed!¡± that¡¯s right. when zi chen asked that question, he had already gone into the arena without waiting for tuan zi¡¯s answer. tuan zi opened her mouth. seeing that things had already come to this, she could only nod and reply meaninglessly, ¡°¡­okay.¡± zi chen walked slowly and finally stood still. the youngsters present became nervous at the same time. there was no choice¡ªthe man¡¯s aura was too strong! just by standing there, he was almost suffocating. yi ming felt a little uneasy. he vaguely felt that something was wrong, so he stood up first. ¡°yi ming requests to battle! senior zi chen, i hope you won¡¯t hesitate to enlighten me!¡± he emphasized the word ¡®senior.¡¯ zi chen raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at him. ¡°ok.¡± his acquiescence was light, and the crowd was stunned for a moment. a young man at the side immediately said, ¡°then, let¡¯s retreat for the time being and empty the space¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡± zi chen spoke lightly. then, he raised his palm slightly. at this moment, an alarm rang in yi ming! he retreated without hesitation, wanting to avoid it! but the moment he took a step, his body uncontrollably froze on the spot, and he couldn¡¯t move anymore! an incomparably powerful pressure suddenly descended, almost making people despair. they could no longer say that they were lucky enough to escape! the next moment, a purplish-golden light flashed in zi chen¡¯s palm! yi ming¡¯s body instantly flew backward! bam! he landed heavily on the ground, and his body trembled. he spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face turned pale. zi chen glanced at him lightly, his tone nonchalant. ¡°you¡¯re out. next.¡± ¡­ in the next 15 minutes, the crowd heard this sentence a total of eight times. everything happened too quickly. before anyone could react, they saw that the competition had already ended. the few youngsters who were still filled with high spirits and hope just now had no combat strength in front of zi chen. they were all eliminated! moreover, it was all with one move! zi chen seemed to be unwilling to waste too much time on this, so he didn¡¯t hold back. apart from others, no one knew that the current him had already become so powerful! those people were outstanding, but they were completely inferior to him. hence, when they came back to their senses, there was only one young man left in the arena. zi chen raised his eyes slightly. that young man¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and his strong desire to live made him blurt out, ¡°i surrender! i give up!¡± without waiting for zi chen to reply, he decisively jumped off the arena, almost rolling and crawling away as he disappeared into the crowd. what¡¯s so important about marrying a wife? my life is more important! zi chen nodded slightly and revealed a rare look of satisfaction at this young man¡¯s understanding. he flicked his clothes and turned around. he stood with his hands behind his back and looked at tuan zi. ¡°choose,¡± he said. ¡­ dead silence. the crowd watched this scene with their mouths agape. at this moment, the ten youngsters in the arena had already been beaten down by zi chen, leaving him alone in the huge arena. what did he say? choose? nobody is left. what¡¯s there to choose?! xiao ba couldn¡¯t help but grind her teeth and roll her eyes. ¡°pfft! how shameless!¡± shi fang and the others also nodded with complicated gazes. ¡°i¡¯ve never seen such a shameless person.¡± originally, they thought that he was cold-hearted and emotionless, but who knew¡ª jian fengchi sighed and glanced at mu hongyu at the side. ¡°if i had his guts¡­¡± wouldn¡¯t she have long been mine?! tuan zi was also dazed. ¡°choose¡­ which one?¡± i don¡¯t think i have a choice! those who fell off the arena aren¡¯t even qualified. he really didn¡¯t leave any for me! once she said this, she was suddenly stunned. meeting that person¡¯s gaze, she suddenly realized something, and her heart beat rapidly. the surrounding crowd gradually sensed that something was amiss and fell silent. suspicious and inquisitive gazes swept between the two of them. this¡­ upon hearing this, zi chen only raised his brows. ¡°anyway, you must choose today.¡± all the options had been eliminated by him. if she had to choose, she could only choose him. tuan zi curled her fingers and asked softly, ¡°but¡­ didn¡¯t you say that you already have someone you like?¡± zi chen nodded his head, and an extremely faint smile appeared on his lips. ¡°what a coincidence. that person is you.¡± Chapter 2574 - 2574 Side Story 78: Freedom 2574 side story 78: freedom night. the moonlight was like water, and the shadows of the trees danced. in the courtyard, one person sat quietly. the refreshing and intense alcohol fragrance spread around. the person on the left was dressed in extravagant clothes with wide sleeves. he held a cup in one hand and looked lazy. his five features were beautiful, and his charm was peerless, especially that pair of eyes that were as blue as the sea and looked even deeper in the night sky. he raised his sharp brows slightly, with an indescribable charm. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect the always carefree eldest young master jian to use alcohol to drown his sorrows one day.¡± a clear and melodious voice sounded. then, a tall and composed figure silently appeared in the courtyard. before anyone could see how he moved, he had already reached the chair on the other side. jian fengchi looked up and smiled at him. ¡°young master yun, are you so free?¡± yun muchen¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he poured himself a cup. he placed the teacup in his hand and gently caressed it. he ignored his teasing and smiled. ¡°that¡¯s right. i¡¯ve been busy counting money and spending money recently. i¡¯m really very busy.¡± jian fengchi chuckled. everyone now knew that the birth of the two little emperors had caused yun muchen to completely turn the tables on the gambling table. now, he really had a lot of money. he originally had a distinguished status, so the amount of money he bet was also very shocking. in this situation, it was unimaginable how much he had earned. jian fengchi bet wrongly and lost quite a bit. hence, he was very upset when he saw yun muchen¡¯s face. ¡°this wine isn¡¯t free.¡± yun muchen laughed. ¡°i need to pay for wine to send me off?¡± jian fengchi was dazed and turned to look at him. ¡°you¡¯re leaving?¡± yun muchen blinked. ¡°yeah, i¡¯ve been here for quite some time. if i don¡¯t go back soon, my xiao hua will miss me to death. i can¡¯t bear to part with her.¡± as he spoke, he gently stroked his chin. ¡°coincidentally, i earned quite a bit this time. i¡¯ll go back and pick some good ones for her.¡± jian fengchi was confused. ¡°the person you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± yun muchen smiled and said, ¡°of course, it¡¯s my madam.¡± jian fengchi was even more shocked. ¡°you¡¯re already married?¡± ¡°what, is it very strange?¡± yun muchen glanced at him lightly. ¡°do you think everyone is like you?¡± jian fengchi instantly felt an arrow in his knee. even tuan zi had been shamelessly abducted by zi chen. he was still¡­ it was already enough to deal a blow, yet yun muchen¡¯s move was a fatal blow. jian fengchi fell into deep thoughts. i don¡¯t seem¡­ that bad, right? seeing jian fengchi¡¯s silence, yun muchen felt sympathy for him for some reason. he reached out and patted jian fengchi¡¯s shoulders. ¡°brother, don¡¯t be discouraged. there¡¯s always hope if you chase after her. at least, you don¡¯t have a brother, right?¡± jian fengchi glanced at him with deep meaning. this sentence sounds like there¡¯s clearly¡­ a story. yun muchen coughed and silently shed a tear of sympathy for himself. thinking of the history of fighting with him¡ªwho doted on his sister so much¡ªhe felt very sad. however, he naturally wouldn¡¯t say this. ¡°as long as people like you, so what if you wait a little longer?¡± upon hearing this, jian fengchi finished the remaining half of the cup of wine. it burned from his throat to his windpipe. a light breeze blew over, and the leaves rustled. the lights on the corridor were bright, casting a few shadows. he tilted his head, pressed his lips against each other, and fell silent. after a long time, he said, ¡°how do you know that she likes me?¡± yun muchen looked surprised. jian fengchi sighed lightly, his eyes darkening as if he were immersed in his memories. ¡°from country yao chen to ling xiao academy, to peach blossom dock, and finally to the fantasy divine palace¡­ i followed her wherever she went, but she was always avoiding me. there were many times when i felt that she should like me, but i¡¯m not sure now.¡± his voice was very light, but it was especially clear in the quiet night. yun muchen put down his wine cup. suddenly, his gaze turned, and he looked in a certain direction calmly. very quickly, he retracted his gaze and slowly asked, ¡°does this mean that you don¡¯t want to chase her anymore?¡± jian fengchi rubbed his temples. he had always had a good tolerance for alcohol, but he was a little tipsy from deliberately letting himself go today. the scene in front of him seemed to be covered in a layer of mist and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. after a long while, when yun muchen thought that he had acquiesced to the question, he finally spoke. ¡°if i don¡¯t chase her, who am i going to chase?¡± yun muchen¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°there are thousands of women in the world. why must you hang yourself to inflexible and stubborn? i heard that eldest young master jian used to be a famous flirt in tianling. i wonder how many women you had.¡± with jian fengchi¡¯s appearance, he was truly a troublemaker just by standing there. moreover, his current status and strength were extremely good. jian fengchi was silent for a moment and chuckled. ¡°you don¡¯t understand.¡± yun muchen laughed lightly. ¡°what don¡¯t i know? the onlooker sees the clearest. it¡¯s impossible to say that she really doesn¡¯t have any feelings for you, but have you never thought about why she refused to agree to you for so long?¡± jian fengchi looked up at him. ¡°it¡¯s all because you owed too many flirtatious debts in the past¡ª¡± ¡°bullshit!¡± jian fengchi suddenly yelled and interrupted him. ¡°i¡ª¡± he wanted to argue, but he swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue. yun muchen sized him up with much interest. the wind seemed to be stronger than before. he thought for a while before saying, ¡°brother, why don¡¯t we forget about it? if she doesn¡¯t like you, what¡¯s the use of holding that contract? can you really restrain her?¡± this sentence seemed to have poked jian fengchi¡¯s heart because he knew very clearly that it was indeed the closest connection between the two of them. once it was gone¡­ he didn¡¯t even have the right to pester her. as the drunkenness overwhelmed him, jian fengchi felt even more dizzy and painful. he finished the last bottle of wine in one go, and there seemed to be ripples in his eyes. bang. he slammed the bottle down as if he had made up his mind. then, he suddenly stood up. ¡°you¡¯re right.¡± he heaved a sigh of relief. i shouldn¡¯t tie her down. as he spoke, he walked toward mu hongyu¡¯s residence without hesitation. but the moment he walked a distance, he felt that there seemed to be another person in front of him. he stopped in his tracks and looked over. ¡°¡­hongyu?¡± at this moment, the two of them were standing in the corridor. a crystal lamp hung at the side and swayed gently with the wind. the candlelight landed on her face. ¡°hongyu, why are you here?¡± jian fengchi was so surprised that he almost thought he was hallucinating. it wasn¡¯t until his hand landed on her soft cheek that the warm touch reminded him that everything in front of him wasn¡¯t an illusion. he knew that he should retract his hand, but at this moment, he felt a little reluctant. ¡°i came to look for you because i have something to tell you,¡± mu hongyu said. her eyes were clear, as if she had never fallen for him for a moment. jian fengchi pressed down on her lips. ¡°don¡¯t say it.¡± he turned his head slightly, afraid that she would smell the alcohol, and took a deep breath in. then, he said, ¡°listen to me first.¡± mu hongyu stopped moving. jian fengchi paused for a while and took out an envelope from his arms. he looked down. ¡°this is¡­ your contract. i¡¯ll return it to you. hongyu, from today onward, you¡¯re free.¡± Chapter 2575 - 2575 Side Story 79: Marriage Letter 2575 side story 79: marriage letter after keeping quiet for a moment, mu hongyu took the contract. it was just a thin piece of paper, but at this moment, she felt that it weighed more than a thousand pounds. there were countless times when she wanted to take this item back from jian fengchi, but the moment he really returned it to her, her chest hurt dully. ¡°jian fengchi.¡± she asked softly, ¡°do you know why i came to look for you today?¡± jian fengchi looked down and stared at her. his eyes were like the sea, deep and bottomless, but there seemed to be waves surging in the dark. he thought for a moment, smiled, and said, ¡°why? do you need my help?¡± mu hongyu rarely took the initiative to look for him. after much thinking, this was probably the only reason. mu hongyu shook her head. ¡°no.¡± jian fengchi fell into deep thought again and rubbed his temples. then, i really don¡¯t know. ¡°¡­it seems like there¡¯s nothing important. i¡¯ll go and rest first then. anyway, i¡¯ve already returned this thing to you. you can go back in peace. you can do whatever you want in the future and be with whoever you want¡ª¡± he spoke halfway and suddenly pursed his lips. he couldn¡¯t say the remaining half of the sentence no matter what. he was sober and intoxicated at the same time. hence, he knew that he was just using the alcohol to convince himself to return the contract to her with much difficulty. however, he really couldn¡¯t say anything more. how long had he been chasing this girl? how could he bear to let her be with someone else? he didn¡¯t say anything else. in the end, he looked at her deeply. his gaze swept past her face in detail, as if he wanted to engrave it in his heart. finally, he let go and moved his body to walk past. mu hongyu suddenly pulled his wrist. ¡°hold on.¡± she half-turned around. ¡°jian fengchi, are you sure you¡¯re really returning this to me?¡± jian fengchi felt that he was really very drunk. he could actually see reluctance and reminiscence on her face. ¡°¡­mm, i¡¯ll return it to you.¡± he laughed, and his eyes were flirtatious and especially charming. he looked very carefree. ¡°originally, this item was a freak combination of factors, and i took advantage of it. it¡¯s only right for me to return it to you now.¡± mu hongyu didn¡¯t speak as she held the contract tightly. jian fengchi also didn¡¯t notice her current appearance. he just felt the night wind blow over, and the smell of alcohol overwhelmed him, causing him to feel increasingly uncomfortable. his thin lips curled up slightly as he laughed. then, he pressed his glabella and lazily said, ¡°¡­back then, i didn¡¯t expect that not only did i not take any advantage at all, but i even lost everything.¡± he had lost his entire person to her, but she refused to accept him. thinking of this, he smiled and shook his head as he turned around and walked to his room. mu hongyu stood rooted to the ground and gazed at him hesitantly. seeing that jian fengchi¡¯s steps seemed to stagger, she clenched her teeth and followed him, moving two steps behind him. jian fengchi turned around to look at her. his eyes were relaxed, and he looked over lazily. perhaps because he was drunk, his blue eyes were especially deep. mu hongyu felt guilty for some reason and hurriedly explained, ¡°you¡¯re quite drunk. i¡¯ll leave after you go in.¡± jian fengchi nodded and continued walking forward. after taking two steps, he suddenly chuckled. ¡°this is the first time you¡¯re chasing after me¡­¡± although they didn¡¯t mean the same thing, it was still comforting at this point. perhaps the wine was too spicy and the night was too cold, so he suddenly didn¡¯t want to think so much. mu hongyu didn¡¯t argue with him as she silently followed behind, as if she was really worried about her friend. creek! jian fengchi came to the door, pushed it open, and walked in. in the end, he was careless and tripped on the doorstep, and his body fell forward uncontrollably! ¡°be careful!¡± mu hongyu¡¯s reaction was extremely fast as she immediately flashed to jian fengchi and caught him. jian fengchi was a big man after all. now that he was drunk, his body was even heavier, and he almost brought mu hongyu down. mu hongyu took half-step back and forcefully supported him. but at this point, jian fengchi had almost completely jumped into her arms. ¡°jian fengchi?¡± she knitted her brows slightly. jian fengchi held her shoulders. however, just as mu hongyu thought that he was going to get up, he suddenly adjusted his position, placed his head on her shoulders, and gently rubbed against it. his warm lips unwittingly brushed past her ear. mu hongyu instantly widened her almond-like eyes. he was extremely close to her, and he tilted his head. if he wasn¡¯t careful, he would¡ª she patted jian fengchi. but before she could speak, he suddenly heard him mutter something softly. they were very close to each other, so she could hear it very clearly. ¡°little heartless one¡­¡± he closed his eyes tightly. as he was drunk, his face was flushed red. he knitted his sharp brows slightly. when he whispered, his tone was actually very aggrieved. for some reason, mu hongyu¡¯s heart suddenly softened. jian fengchi had always been arrogant and carefree. she had never heard him speak like this, nor seen him in such a state. he was actually like¡­ a child. mu hongyu was rather helpless as she softly retorted, ¡°who doesn¡¯t have a conscience? you¡¯re really playing the blame game.¡± he actually returned the contract to me! jian fengchi seemed to have heard her words, and his chin gently rested on her shoulders. then, he suddenly turned around and loudly scolded outside, ¡°yun muchen, you¡¯re talking nonsense! you¡¯re spouting nonsense! you¡¯re going to compensate for my reputation!¡± yun muchen had long disappeared. mu hongyu instantly felt her head ache. is he drunk or not?! ¡°okay, quickly go back and lie down!¡± jian fengchi was dazed and turned around. however, his handsome and flirtatious face looked especially aggrieved and pitiful. ¡°¡­i¡¯ve been chaste for so many years, but i¡¯ve never even hugged a lady¡¯s waist. however, my wife doesn¡¯t want me anymore¡­¡± he looked down and laughed bitterly. ¡°even if i say it, i¡¯m afraid nobody will believe me, right?¡± mu hongyu looked at him calmly. after some time, she sighed lightly. ¡°i believe you.¡± jian fengchi looked unrestrained, but he wasn¡¯t someone who messed around. mu hongyu had known him for so long. even if he had never explained it, she knew about it. jian fengchi looked at her, and his eyes were as clear as when they first met. she said she believed me. in an instant, it was as if a spark had fallen, burning his heart until it trembled slightly. almost uncontrollably, he took a step forward and held her face. an uncontrollable urge attacked him. he lowered his head slightly but finally stopped. he only closed his eyes and gently touched her forehead with restraint and cherish. ¡°¡­hongyu, you should go back quickly.¡± he spoke hoarsely. ¡°i¡¯m afraid i¡ª¡± he was so afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold himself back and kiss her. he thought and thought crazily, but how could he bear to? mu hongyu said, ¡°then, let go of me.¡± jian fengchi¡¯s chest felt stuffy, and he finally let go slowly. even if he was drunk, he didn¡¯t dare offend her at all. however, mu hongyu didn¡¯t leave as she raised the contract in her hands. the room was very dark, but her almond-like eyes were especially bright. she took his hand and put the item back. jian fengchi¡¯s entire body stiffened. mu hongyu lightly said, ¡°jian fengchi, i came to find you today to exchange something with you. i¡¯ll use this contract to exchange for a marriage agreement with you, okay?¡± Chapter 2576 - 2576 Side Story 80: Thank You 2576 side story 80: thank you marriage contract. when these two words landed in jian fengchi¡¯s ears, they were like thunder that struck jian fengchi¡¯s mind. he looked at mu hongyu in a daze. for a moment, he couldn¡¯t tell if this was reality or illusion. did i drink too much tonight and am very drunk, or¡­ ¡°¡­hongyu, you¡¯re¡­ willing to marry me?¡± his voice was very light, and there was a hint of caution. even if it was a dream, he didn¡¯t dare to disturb it. looking at his rare dazed appearance, mu hongyu was both angry and amused. that sentence just now was almost equivalent to me taking the initiative to propose. why didn¡¯t he nod immediately? even though she had a straightforward personality, she was still a lady and was still shy in such matters. saying that sentence had already used up all the courage she had accumulated with much difficulty. she snorted softly. ¡°it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re unwilling.¡± as she spoke, she took a step back and walked around jian fengchi, about to leave. jian fengchi grabbed her wrist and hugged her tightly. with the soft and fragrant jade in his arms, he even felt that he could hear her heartbeat. it was deafening when it mixed with his. ¡°how can that do?¡± he rested his chin on her shoulder, as if he was afraid that she would run away again. he hugged her extremely tightly. ¡°you¡¯ve already agreed. how can you go back on your word?¡± as he spoke, his lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up, and he chuckled softly. the scorching aura landed on mu hongyu¡¯s neck, causing her to itch. she moved away and placed her hands on jian fengchi¡¯s chest, wanting to push him away. this hug was too tight. ¡°jian fengchi, it hurts!¡± she stepped on jian fengchi¡¯s boots. jian fengchi felt the pain, but he couldn¡¯t care about himself. when he heard her say that it hurt, he hurriedly let go and looked down at her, his heart aching. ¡°did i hurt you?¡± mu hongyu saw his nervous and worried face and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°no, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± as she spoke, she raised her hand and gently rubbed it against her neck. ¡°it¡¯s just a little itchy.¡± when jian fengchi spoke just now, he was really too close. even if the two of them were separated now, the burning and itchy feeling seemed to still be on her skin. upon hearing this, jian fengchi blinked lightly. ¡°i¡¯ll help you then.¡± before mu hongyu could recover her senses, she felt the man in front of her approaching her again. he wrapped his long arm around her slender and soft waist and pulled her into his arms. probably because he made the same mistake as before and accidentally hurt her, his actions were still strong this time but much gentler. mu hongyu was dazed. ¡°what are you¡ª¡± her voice trailed off. all the words melted into the soft lips that gently landed on the side of her neck. mu hongyu¡¯s mind was blank. then, she suddenly widened her eyes and realized what had happened. her heart suddenly beat rapidly, almost jumping out of her chest. it was as if there was a fire burning there, and the scorching temperature quickly swept through her body. ¡°you!¡± she was extremely embarrassed. i never expected jian fengchi to actually, actually¡ªwhere exactly did he learn such a method? she took half a step back and looked up to see if this man was really drunk or pretending! detecting her actions, jian fengchi obediently let go again. after that, he lowered his head and gazed at her gently and expectantly. ¡°is this better?¡± there was drunkenness in his eyes, but they were especially clear. it was as if he had just used his hand to gently scratch her a few times. mu hongyu¡¯s face instantly flushed red. sensing that jian fengchi really didn¡¯t do anything else and was just waiting for her reply with a face filled with questions, she felt that she had thought wrongly. the strong smell of alcohol permeated the air. mu hongyu secretly felt regret. it¡¯s probably the aftereffects of the alcohol. what am i fighting with a drunk person for? after a while, she stammered, ¡°m-much better.¡± once the words left her mouth, her entire body seemed to burn. mu hongyu¡¯s head hurt. i didn¡¯t drink. why do i seem to be drunk too? when jian fengchi heard this answer, he seemed especially happy, and his lips curved up. ¡°that¡¯s great.¡± mu hongyu looked at him and felt that this man looked especially obedient. he didn¡¯t look like the carefree eldest young master jian that she had never seen before. their eyes met, and there seemed to be a faint flirtatious aura flowing. jian fengchi¡¯s face was indeed demonic. even if he didn¡¯t speak and just looked over quietly, he was still charming. mu hongyu gradually couldn¡¯t take it anymore and gently pushed him. ¡°let me help you to rest.¡± as she spoke, she led him into the house. jian fengchi was half a step behind her and obediently let her do whatever she wanted. behind, where mu hongyu couldn¡¯t see, his eyelashes fluttered as he raised his hand to gently brush his lips. he had indeed drunk quite a bit tonight, and all sorts of emotions in his heart were triggered by the alcoholic smell. however¡­ it was far from enough to make him drunk until he was unconscious. seeing that mu hongyu was still walking in, he looked up slightly and saw the especially soft and wide bed. her hand was soft and boneless. when she approached, she could still smell a faint fragrance. that aura was mixed with the alcoholic smell, making it even more alluring. no, i can¡¯t stay here. jian fengchi closed his eyes. ¡°lie down and rest first. when you fall asleep, i¡¯ll¡ª¡± before mu hongyu could finish her sentence, she felt jian fengchi suddenly stop behind her. she turned around in shock. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± jian fengchi glanced at her deeply. nothing much. he just didn¡¯t dare to stay in the same room as her. if not, he didn¡¯t know what else he would do. he held her hand tightly and seriously said, ¡°i don¡¯t want to sleep now.¡± mu hongyu was confused. ¡°then, what do you want to do?¡± jian fengchi paused. ¡°follow me.¡± ¡­ in another courtyard of fantasy divine palace. it was already late at night, but the lights were still on. the warm yellow light shone through the window, reflecting a tall figure. inside the house. tuan zi was sitting on the bed. she looked up and was elated. ¡°you haven¡¯t said it yet! did you like me first? if you don¡¯t make yourself clear today, i-i won¡¯t leave!¡± as she spoke, she swiftly lay down and occupied the entire bed. her eyes were filled with provocation, but her elated and arrogant expression was already very certain. zi chen pressed his glabella. i really didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this. after the commotion in the day, he didn¡¯t have much time to say anything. chu liuyue only said, ¡°let tuan zi think about it properly,¡± before bringing the stunned tuan zi away. in the end, tuan zi actually ran over on her own at night and kept asking him questions. only then did he know that chu liuyue meant for tuan zi to think about this properly¡­ he coughed lightly and walked to the side. ¡°i¡¯ll go take a shower. you can sleep here if you want. there¡¯s a small couch in the outer room¡ªi¡¯ll go there later.¡± tuan zi immediately jumped up and ran to him barefooted to stop him. ¡°then, i¡¯ll bathe with you!¡± i don¡¯t believe i can¡¯t find out! as soon as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open. ¡°zi chen, i brought hongyu over to thank¡ª¡± jian fengchi and mu hongyu stood outside the door and clearly saw tuan zi almost hugging zi chen. they even clearly heard her declaration. ¡°¡­thank you¡­¡± zi chen: ¡°¡­¡± tuan zi: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 2577 - 2577 Side Story 81: Congratulations 2577 side story 81: congratulations jian fengchi recovered his senses and coughed. ¡°sorry for the disturbance! we¡¯ll leave right away!¡± as he spoke, he directly held mu hongyu¡¯s wrist and turned around to leave. mu hongyu was still staring with her almond-like eyes in a daze. it was obvious that she hadn¡¯t recovered from her shock. ¡°you, you, you¡­¡± jian fengchi covered her mouth. when she spoke, her soft lips gently brushed past his palm in a soft and numbing manner. jian fengchi really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. he hugged her, terrified that she would say something she shouldn¡¯t. he looked at zi chen very sincerely. sensing the cold aura on that man, his glabella twitched. but thinking about it, it was understandable. which man wouldn¡¯t want to beat someone to death after being interrupted at this time? it wasn¡¯t easy for me to wait for mu hongyu to let go of her guard. i haven¡¯t even hugged her properly. how could i die here?! at this moment, jian fengchi regretted the decision he made 15 minutes ago. why did i come here!? wouldn¡¯t it be the same if i came to thank them tomorrow morning? tuan zi also realized that something was wrong. she turned around and looked at the two of them in a daze. meeting the duo¡¯s complicated and hesitant gazes, tuan zi¡¯s mind finally cleared up. what¡­ did i say just now?! b-bath together?! her mind whirred. ¡°it¡¯s not like that! you¡¯ve misunderstood!¡± zi chen looked down and gently glanced at the little girl in front of him. he could clearly see her instantly red ears. he laughed in his heart. i wonder who was so reckless just now and became so cowardly in the blink of an eye. she¡¯s just a paper tiger. jian fengchi immediately comforted, ¡°don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, we didn¡¯t misunderstand. your current relationship is normal, normal!¡± tuan zi was dazed for a moment before she slowly understood jian fengchi¡¯s words. relationship? that¡¯s right¡ªthe marriage recruitment is over, and zi chen won. then¡­ aren¡¯t we already¡­ however, i really came here to ask clearly! why would i think of anything else? she couldn¡¯t help but puff up her cheeks and defend herself. ¡°¡­i just came to ask zi chen some things. i don¡¯t really have any intention of washing up with him!¡± she was originally very confident, but her voice was crisp, sweet, and soft. when she said some words, there was inevitably a hint of flirtatiousness. the trio were speechless. after saying that, tuan zi also felt that it wasn¡¯t good to shout this out loud. she instantly choked. w-why did i make things worse?! she stood rooted to the ground and was so embarrassed that she didn¡¯t know where to place her hands and feet. fortunately, at this moment, the person behind her finally went forward and pulled her behind him. he looked up at the two people outside the door and spoke calmly and coldly. ¡°is there anything else?¡± jian fengchi was very smart and immediately planned to pull mu hongyu away from the battlefield. ¡°no! nothing happened at all! we didn¡¯t come here tonight! goodbye!¡± mu hongyu was still struggling, and her voice was unclear. ¡°¡­t-tuan zi¡­ follow us¡­¡± zi chen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, as he blocked the little girl¡¯s figure tightly. ¡°i¡¯ll send her back later.¡± there is no need for others to worry. mu hongyu watched on and was still worried. the series of events today is enough to prove that tuan zi is definitely not this old man¡¯s match! she¡ª mu hongyu wasn¡¯t weak, so jian fengchi didn¡¯t dare to really take action and froze. he thought for a while and finally went close to mu hongyu¡¯s ear, resting his chin on her shoulders. ¡°hongyu, my head hurts.¡± mu hongyu paused and turned around to glance at him. this man was looking at her. his glabella was slightly knitted, as if he was really uncomfortable. her heart softened. jian fengchi softly muttered, ¡°¡­zi chen doesn¡¯t even have enough time to dote on her. don¡¯t worry¡­¡± mu hongyu finally compromised. she turned around and glanced at zi chen before helping jian fengchi back. after the two of them took a few steps, jian fengchi silently turned around and secretly gave zi chen a thumbs-up. he was genuinely impressed. he had always prided himself on being flirtatious, but he had been tortured by love. and zi chen? the entire world thought that he was cold and heartless, cold and aloof, and might never marry in his entire life. unexpectedly¡­ it was fine if he didn¡¯t take action, but once he did, he directly took her down! jian fengchi was convinced and even faintly felt that this man was a little dog-like. but considering that he and mu hongyu could succeed because of their efforts, he didn¡¯t calculate so much. zi chen saw jian fengchi¡¯s actions. he raised his brows slightly and looked at the two figures leaning against each other. finally, he said, ¡°congratulations.¡± jian fengchi laughed, and mu hongyu poked his waist. ¡°what are you laughing at?¡± jian fengchi¡¯s smile deepened as he grabbed her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. ¡°nothing.¡± at this moment, the two of them had already walked out of the courtyard. there was no one around. mu hongyu stopped in her tracks and looked at him. ¡°jian fengchi, you¡¯re not drunk, right?¡± jian fengchi looked into her bright almond-like eyes. after a long time, he chuckled softly and finally lowered his head to tap her lips. in an instant, there seemed to be sparks spreading, intertwined with the rich and clear alcohol smell. he spoke softly, and his voice contained smiling intent, as if he was drunk but not drunk. ¡°¡­you knew about this long ago, right?¡± mu hongyu was silent for a moment. she took a step forward, grabbed his collar, and leaned in even closer, standing on her toes and kissing him back. yes, she knew all of this. however, she was willing to pretend that she didn¡¯t know and took this last step when he took 99 steps. ¡­ the duo¡¯s figures quickly disappeared. zi chen closed the door. as soon as he turned around, he saw the little girl with a red face. her previous impudence and boldness was like a balloon that was suddenly broken by jian fengchi and mu hongyu¡¯s sudden arrival, and she directly deflated. she was only left with embarrassment. she looked very conflicted, as if she hadn¡¯t thought of how to explain and was very helpless. zi chen leaned against the door and gazed at her quietly. tuan zi lightly scratched her chin. ¡°um¡­ why don¡¯t i leave first?¡± ¡°yes.¡± zi chen¡¯s low voice suddenly sounded in the quiet and almost stagnant room. tuan zi was dazed and looked up at him in confusion. ¡°huh?¡± zi chen waved at her. tuan zi didn¡¯t know what he was planning and went forward obediently. seeing her obedient appearance, zi chen raised his hand and stroked her hair. his long fingers gently moved the red string wrapped in her black hair. the golden bell rang lightly and crisply. tuan zi could feel his gaze focused on her. she faintly felt that it was a little hot. the next moment, she heard him say, ¡°i said that i did like you first and even earlier than you thought.¡± before he even realized it, some thoughts had already taken root. it was just waiting for an opportunity to quickly grow until it was enough to cover the sky and occupy everything he had. tuan zi then knew that he was answering her previous question. her heart started beating rapidly again. even though she had already guessed it, it felt different when she heard it with her own ears. zi chen gently pinched her ear and softly coaxed, ¡°so, you can think about when our wedding date should be set, right?¡± Chapter 2578 - 2578 Side Story 82: Weak 2578 side story 82: weak three years passed in the blink of an eye. outside the fantasy divine hall, at an isolated corner, two cute little balls in embroidered clothes were gathered together and whispering something. the little boy in white had exquisite eyebrows. he was only three or four years old, but his aura was very stable and cold, like a small adult. that small face seemed to be sculpted by the heavens, especially that pair of phoenix eyes which already had a vague outline of the future shape, with a cold elegance like floating ice and snow. the one in red looked 70 to 80% similar to him. on his extremely beautiful face, a pair of slightly round black eyes curved up, making him look even more cute and lively. when he smiled, his eyes were sparkling like a spring breeze that bloomed with millions of peach blossoms. although he was still young, one could vaguely see his peerless appearance and magnificence in the future. the two small heads were very close, and their expressions were more serious as if they were discussing something important. rong xiaoxun softly asked, ¡°¡­brother, is this really okay?¡± rong xiaoyan had two short arms behind his back. he raised his chin slightly and looked like he had everything under control as he said affirmatively, ¡°no problem. i¡¯ve already set up 11 king xuan formations outside the room. when stacked together, the power can¡¯t be underestimated.¡± hearing his confident voice, rong xiaoxun instantly felt much more at ease. anyway, everything will be fine if i follow my brother! rong xiaoyan asked again, ¡°have you prepared everything i told you to do?¡± rong xiaoxun hurriedly nodded. ¡°it¡¯s all done! i left a god realm in all seven directions of the fantasy divine palace!¡± upon hearing this, rong xiaoyan looked satisfied. ¡°very good.¡± rong xiaoxun hurriedly lifted his clothes, and a pink color suddenly appeared. ¡°just in case, i¡¯m still wearing this!¡± it was a pair of pink tiger-head shoes that looked extremely soft, but it was very painful to see when it was worn on a boy¡¯s feet. rong xiaoxun didn¡¯t seem to think so. these shoes were a little big back then, so it was just right to wear them now. he took out another pair of identical pink tiger-head shoes and handed them to rong xiaoyan. he urged enthusiastically, ¡°ancestor grandpa said that one¡¯s speed is comparable to a legendary warrior when they wear this! brother, here!¡± the moment rong xiaoyan saw that pair of shoes, his entire person became unwell. he pressed his lips against each other, and there was a hint of coldness in his eyes. ¡°¡­where did you find this?¡± after he was forced to wear it once, he was extremely determined to find a place to hide it. even his mother and the others didn¡¯t know where he had put it. he never expected rong xiaoxun to find out about it. not detecting his brother¡¯s dangerous tone, rong xiaoxun raised the shoes proudly. ¡°brother and i have telepathy! of course, i¡¯ll find it as soon as you hide it!¡± he passed it forward. ¡°brother, quickly put it on!¡± if rong xiaoxun was willing to wear it, he wouldn¡¯t be called by this name. with a cold face, he took the shoes and planned to keep them. this was ancestor grandpa¡¯s kind intentions, so he naturally couldn¡¯t throw the shoes away. however, it was impossible for him to wear them. seeing his actions, rong xiaoxun hurriedly held his wrist and asked in shock, ¡°brother, why aren¡¯t you wearing them?¡± without waiting for the person opposite to answer, he suddenly thought of something and came to a realization. ¡°ah! do you not know how to wear the shoes? then, i¡¯ll help you¡ª¡± as he spoke, he really squatted down and wanted to help his brother put on his shoes. rong xiaoyan closed his eyes and clutched the pair of shoes tightly. he recited in his heart that this was his younger brother ten times before he could resist the urge to take action. he pulled rong xiaoxun up. ¡°i¡¯m not wearing it anyway.¡± without waiting for rong xiaoxun to reply, he looked up at the sky¡ªit was almost dark. ¡°there¡¯s no time. quickly go in!¡± rong xiaoxun could only stop regretfully and was still a little worried. forget it. if he really can¡¯t make it later, i¡¯ll just drag my brother and run away! thinking of this, he finally nodded. rong xiaoyan tidied his clothes and walked forward with his short legs. rong xiaoxun hurriedly followed. the two small balls quickly arrived at the main entrance. knock, knock. rong xiaoyan knocked on the door. ¡°mother.¡± rong xiaoxun was very enthusiastic. ¡°mother, we¡¯re here!¡± rong xiaoyan¡¯s face darkened. however, the door opened quickly, and a slender figure appeared. chu liuyue looked at the two little fellows outside the door in shock. ¡°aren¡¯t you having the high priest¡¯s lesson today? why are you back so early?¡± rong xiaoyan looked up, restrained and obedient. ¡°what the high priest taught us today is relatively simple. we came back after finishing the work in advance.¡± chu liuyue raised her brows slightly. if i haven¡¯t recalled wrongly, they are learning king xuan master-level xuan formations recently, so dugu mobao chose the harder ones. they¡­ finished learning it just like that? she long knew that these two talents were shocking, but they still surprised her every time. rong xiaoyan asked, ¡°mother, do you want to inspect us?¡± chu liuyue stretched out her hand, and her gaze lingered on the door. there were several auras flowing silently on it. those who dare to take action here are out of their minds. there was a smile on her lips as she pulled the two of them into the house. ¡°no need. the two of you are very powerful¡ªi knew it long ago.¡± she patted their heads, her eyes were filled with admiration. the two children laughed as well. rong xiaoyan glanced at rong xiaoxun. rong xiaoxun understood what he meant. he hugged chu liuyue¡¯s arm and threw himself into her arms. ¡°mother, brother and i will sleep with you today! you haven¡¯t been with us in a long time!¡± chu liuyue blinked. rong xiu¡­ won¡¯t agree, right? ¡°have you asked your father?¡± rong xiaoxun immediately said, ¡°father won¡¯t come tonight!¡± chu liuyue¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°are you so sure?¡± rong xiaoxun was instantly stumped as he guiltily clutched his sleeves. rong xiaoyan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he said, ¡°the high priest said that there has been some small trouble in the fantasy divine hall recently, and father needs to personally resolve it. therefore, only we can accompany mother today.¡± small trouble? chu liuyue couldn¡¯t help but laugh. it¡¯s obvious who caused the small trouble. but seeing the two of them work so hard, she naturally had no reason to reject them. ¡°sure.¡± she picked up two of them and placed them on the bed. but at this moment, familiar footsteps came from outside the door. rong xiaoyan immediately pulled the blanket over, and rong xiaoxun rolled around on the bed. he leaned against his brother and closed his eyes cooperatively. he looked like he was already sound asleep. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± rong xiu had already arrived at the door. chu liuyue saw that his right hand seemed to be holding something that glowed with a faint silver-red light. she was dazed. that seems to be¡­ rong xiaoxun¡¯s god realm was the same as hers. at this moment, a buzzing sound was suddenly heard! outside the door, countless golden xuan formations suddenly appeared, and they shone brightly, blocking rong xiu outside! without asking, that was rong xiaoyan¡¯s doing. rong xiu raised his brows slightly. through this xuan formation, he saw two small balls bulging on the bed in the room. he tapped his fingertips lightly, and the xuan formation barrier that rong xiaoyan had spent so much effort on disappeared instantly! chu liuyue held her forehead in exasperation. i don¡¯t know what these two are thinking, but they actually thought that this could stop rong xiu? rong xiu looked at the two brothers who had occupied his seat with a playful expression. it¡¯s already like this, yet they¡¯re still pretending to sleep? he nonchalantly said, ¡°asleep?¡± rong xiaoxun lay under the blanket and grunted, ¡°asleep!¡± chu liuyue covered her face. rong xiaoyan clenched his teeth. rong xiaoxun was still yelling, ¡°i¡¯m really asleep!¡± rong xiu chuckled, but his tone was nonchalant. ¡°since they¡¯re asleep, don¡¯t disturb them. yue¡¯er, let¡¯s change to another place to sleep.¡± Chapter 2579 - 2579 Side Story 83: Emperor, Please Work Hard 2579 side story 83: emperor, please work hard ¡°no way!¡± rong xiaoxun lifted the blanket and climbed out of bed. it wasn¡¯t easy for brother and i to beat father to it. we¡¯ve even spent a lot of effort on this, but why is the outcome different from what we expected?! rong xiu raised his brows and looked down at the small ball from above. ¡°didn¡¯t you fall asleep?¡± rong xiaoxun was dazed. ah, i think¡­ i made a mistake¡­ he was dazed for a while as his gaze drifted, and he slowly lay back down. he clutched the small blanket and looked like he was sleepwalking as he asked in a childish voice, ¡°¡­mother said she wanted to accompany brother and me. am i dreaming?¡± he covered his forehead as if he hadn¡¯t recovered his senses. he gently patted himself, as if coaxing himself to sleep. ¡°rong xiaoxun, be good and sleep.¡± then, he carefully and seriously closed his eyes and tried his best to pretend that nothing had happened. chu liuyue: ¡°¡­¡± rong xiu¡¯s eyelids twitched. his gaze turned slightly, and he looked at rong xiaoyan, who didn¡¯t move at all as if he was sleeping very soundly and didn¡¯t plan to move at all. he coldly said, ¡°is this how you taught your younger brother?¡± rong xiaoyan, who was extremely proud, couldn¡¯t tolerate such humiliation. he clenched his teeth and finally resigned himself to his fate. he sat up and met rong xiu¡¯s gaze. due to rong xiaoxun¡¯s actions, the blanket was torn into a mess, and rong xiaoyan¡¯s hair was a little messy. a few strands of short hair curled up, making him look more playful for some reason. it was a stark contrast to his small, adult-like, cold, and calm face. he pressed his lips against each other and seriously defended himself. ¡°he¡¯s your son.¡± in other words, is there a need to ask whose iq he took after? rong xiu narrowed his eyes. rong xiaoyan looked at him fearlessly. the surrounding air seemed to gradually freeze. chu liuyue watched from the side, and her glabella twitched. rong xiaoyan was very similar to rong xiu, be it in terms of appearance or personality. now that the adult and the child were together, they really looked like they were carved from the same mold. my head hurts. rong xiu raised his hand, and the silver-red light on his fingertips was easily crushed and dissipated. rong xiaoxun originally opened his eyes a little, but when he saw this scene, his heart harshly skipped a beat. rong xiu lightly asked, ¡°do you think it¡¯s enough to set up seven god realms and 11 king xuan master-level xuan formations?¡± as early as when he came over, rong xiaoyan already knew that their little bit was really not enough in front of his father. however, it was a little difficult for him to take the initiative to admit this, especially with his mother around. he was silent. however, rong xiaoxun detected the danger. after hesitating for a long time, he still got up. ¡°father! i didn¡¯t do those seven god realms!¡± at this point, forget it! he who understands the times is a wise man! he blinked and looked over enthusiastically. ¡°xiaoxun loves father the most. why would i purposely cause trouble for father?¡± hearing this, the room suddenly fell silent. rong xiu paused for once. chu liuyue started doubting herself. ¡°¡­i wasn¡¯t like this when i was young¡­¡± rong xiaoyan was caught off-guard and glanced at his younger brother expressionlessly. rong xiaoxun was fearless. he had already recognized the situation and directly ignored rong xiaoyan at the side. he rubbed his eyes and moved his short legs to rong xiu¡¯s side, hugging him and shouting sweetly, ¡°father! actually, brother and i thought that you wouldn¡¯t come tonight and that we¡¯d be scared if we slept alone, so we came over! now that you¡¯re here, then, then we can rest assured!¡± he looked up and blinked his black and dazzling eyes. ¡°father, didn¡¯t you say that brother and i have to protect mother?¡± this sentence finally made the emperor feel much better. he raised his brows and glanced at rong xiaoxun. not bad. he¡¯s not stupid and is worth teaching. the expression in his eyes became much gentler, and rong xiaoxun finally relaxed. it seems like i can escape today! but before he could even smile, he heard his father slowly say, ¡°that¡¯s right, but in the entire fantasy divine palace, only your god realm and your mother¡¯s god realm is of this color.¡± rong xiaoxun¡¯s body stiffened. rong xiu¡¯s voice sounded amused as he slowly said, ¡°rong xiaoxun, do you think that your father would mistake your and your mother¡¯s auras?¡± rong xiaoxun pouted and finally ran away. he was extremely fast and rushed to the door in the blink of an eye! chu liuyue was shocked for a moment, but when she saw the obvious pink color on rong xiaoxun¡¯s feet, she fell into an even deeper silence. rong xiu naturally saw it too, but he didn¡¯t care about it. ever since he knew that he had two sons, he had already expected such a day. the impact back then was even greater than now. there was no point in talking about it. however, rong xiaoxun quickly returned and panted as he went to pull rong xiaoyan back. ¡°brother! run!¡± rong xiaoyan looked down slightly and glanced at him in contempt, his entire body filled with rejection. he easily avoided it. rong xiaoxun was shocked. ¡°brother?¡± isn¡¯t he afraid that father would be angry? however, rong xiaoyan had already thought it through. he stood up straight and exchanged glances with rong xiu. then, he tidied his messy hair and patted his clothes before looking at chu liuyue. ¡°mother, i want a younger sister.¡± rong xiu¡¯s cold aura instantly dissipated by quite a bit as he looked at his eldest son with a rare hint of satisfaction. chu liuyue, who was suddenly called, was speechless. rong xiaoyan didn¡¯t seem to notice it as he continued, ¡°recently, i¡¯ve actually often heard the high priest and ancestor grandpa talk about this, but they considered that it was hard on mother, so they didn¡¯t mention it in front of you. but¡­ brother and i have already grown up and can take care of ourselves. mother, you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± chu liuyue opened her mouth and didn¡¯t know what to say. rong xiu was the first to speak. ¡°alright, your mother and i know all of this. we¡¯ll do as we see fit. it¡¯s getting late. go back and sleep.¡± rong xiaoyan nodded in a reserved manner before he slowly walked toward the door. it was much better than rong xiaoxun, who was escaping in a sorry state. rong xiaoxun, who was following behind, gasped in shock when he saw that his father really didn¡¯t intend to pursue the matter. he followed rong xiaoyan respectfully. ¡°brother, you¡¯re amazing!¡± rong xiaoyan stopped in his tracks and glanced at him with a complicated gaze. he turned around and asked very seriously, ¡°father, can you give me a smarter sister this time?¡± ¡°please.¡± ¡­ the two little ones were still chased away mercilessly by the emperor. chu liuyue looked at the man with a darkened expression beside her and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°they¡¯re still young. why are you holding it against a child?¡± rong xiu pulled her into his arms. ¡°i wonder who they took after.¡± chu liuyue held his face and kissed his lips. she coaxed, ¡°you¡¯re still angry?¡± rong xiu tightened his grip. after a while, he smiled. ¡°no, but it did remind me of something.¡± he hugged her even tighter, as his palm gently rubbed her waist and buried in her shoulders. his usually low and cold voice seemed to be tinged with a hint of hoarseness. ¡°¡­it¡¯s time to work hard.¡± Chapter 2580 - 2580 Side Story 84: First Meeting 2580 side story 84: first meeting after a long night, chu liuyue couldn¡¯t even remember when she fell asleep. her last memory was that she seemed to have been pulled into a warm and spacious embrace. even in her sleep, she seemed to be able to smell the faint cold fragrance. she was exhausted, and her entire body was soft. she curled up in his arms and rested her forehead gently on his chest. her black hair spread out in a soft and slightly cold manner. she closed her eyes, and her thick and long eyelashes were still sparkling. rong xiu was satisfied, but he wasn¡¯t tired. he stopped her with one hand and grabbed her hand with the other, kissing her slender and fair fingers bit by bit. chu liuyue could vaguely feel the scorching temperature on her fingertips. her body moved slightly, but she didn¡¯t even have the strength to raise her hand. she could only grunt lightly. it was unknown if she was awake or dreaming as she muttered softly. rong xiu didn¡¯t hear her clearly, so he leaned in closer. ¡°yue¡¯er?¡± his lips landed on her neck again. chu liuyue shrunk slightly. this time, her voice was finally clearer. ¡°¡­why don¡¯t you¡­ give in to me¡­¡± her voice was vague and soft, as if she was babbling in her dreams. however, there was also a hint of grievance as if she were wheedling. it was soft and sweet, especially charming. rong xiu¡¯s body stiffened. seeing her so tired that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes, his heart ached. after a while, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°aren¡¯t i already giving in to you?¡± chu liuyue was in a daze, and it was unknown if she had heard him. she snuggled into his arms and gently bit his chest, as if to vent her anger. rong xiu¡¯s arm around her waist instantly tightened, and his phoenix-like eyes were extremely dark. chu liuyue instinctively felt that it was dangerous. she immediately moved backward, and her face flushed red. rong xiu went over to kiss her ear and clenched his teeth. ¡°i think you¡¯re not asleep?¡± as he spoke, he used some strength. chu liuyue felt the pain and finally opened her eyes. there seemed to be endless shards of light rippling in her intermediate eyes that were filled with mist. they were warm and watery, and one look at them was alluring. originally, rong xiu was just teasing her, but now that she looked at him, he instantly regretted it. he stared at her. chu liuyue realized something as she blinked and complained after a while, ¡°¡­i was already asleep. you woke me up.¡± rong jiu took a deep breath in. ¡°don¡¯t sleep anymore.¡± he walked forward, smiled, and said, ¡°didn¡¯t you say just now that i didn¡¯t give in to you? then, i¡¯ll learn to change it this time. what do you think?¡± chu liuyue glared at him angrily, but it was a pity that it didn¡¯t pose much of a threat. she held it in for a while before saying slowly, ¡°¡­do you still need to learn this? weren¡¯t you very good at it back in the academy?¡± she was talking about her days at ling xiao academy. rong xiu was dazed for a moment and didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly bring this up. in the end, his heart still ached for her. he didn¡¯t plan to really let her tire herself out again. when he heard this, he stopped what he was doing and raised his hand to gently rub her hair. ¡°at that time, it wasn¡¯t all for you.¡± rong xiu thought for a moment, as if he were recalling something. he spoke slowly, his low and hoarse voice carrying a few hints of deep smiling intent. chu liuyue grabbed the clothes in front of his chest and unwittingly stirred it. upon hearing this, she lightly grunted. ¡°you don¡¯t have to coax me. even the high priest knows that you were giving in to me.¡± it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t know rong xiu¡¯s abilities. however, rong xiu shook his head and explained seriously for once, ¡°at the same cultivation level, you did beat me many times.¡± chu liuyue looked up in shock. ¡°really?¡± ¡°of course.¡± rong xiu laughed. to protect her identity, he had been hiding his aura very well. unless it was a special situation, he was basically no different from an ordinary student normally. ¡°when i entered the academy, i just broke through to become a demigod. don¡¯t you know best?¡± said rong xiu lightly as he flicked a strand of her hair. chu liuyue¡¯s thoughts drifted away with his words, and she recalled many things from back then. after a long silence, she said in a low voice, ¡°yes, when you entered the academy, you were indeed only a demigod. however, you broke through to become a true god on the second day of school. did you forget?¡± this incident directly shocked the entire ling xiao academy. from then on, not only did rong xiu become famous in one battle, but she also became famous. this was because¡­ seriously speaking, rong xiu breaking through to become a true god had quite a bit to do with her. rong xiu seemed to have thought of something. then, he couldn¡¯t help but smile and kiss her. ¡°yue¡¯er, you can¡¯t kick someone to the curb when they¡¯ve outlived their usefulness, right? if it weren¡¯t for you, i planned to break through to become a true god after i graduated from ling xiao academy.¡± chu liuyue smiled and gently poked his chest. ¡°yeah. at that time, i thought that i was really lucky.¡± at that time, she had just ended her training at the red moon desert and was sent to the god residence realm by dugu mobao and the rest using special methods. at that time, even though she was young, she was very gutsy. even if she was alone, she wasn¡¯t afraid at all and went to ling xiao academy according to the instructions of dugu mobao and the rest. but in the god residence realm, someone like her was clearly a moving target that was waiting to be slaughtered. she quickly attracted many attacks. luckily, she met rong xiu. the young man was also alone. he was cold and arrogant, but he had extremely high combat strength. hence, the two of them hit it off and joined forces. after settling the trouble, the two of them were already exhausted. they simply rested in the messy and bloody arena. the two of them surrounded the bonfire, and the hot fire burned brightly. in the cold night, it was especially warm. her body was still stained with blood, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. she turned to look at the young man in snow-white clothes sitting beside her. she had never seen such a noble and beautiful face, as if it contained all the colors in the world. sensing her gaze, he also looked over. his phoenix-like eyes were as thick as the sea, reflecting her small figure. they stared at each other. her face slowly heated up. after a long time, she asked, ¡°where are you going next?¡± that young man didn¡¯t answer immediately and asked in return, ¡°what about you?¡± his voice was cold and melodious. they were clearly strangers, but she had inexplicably dispelled all her wariness and alertness. she seemed to have forgotten the warnings before she set off, and she honestly said, ¡°i¡¯m going to ling xiao academy.¡± then, she saw the young man¡¯s lips curl up slightly. ¡°what a coincidence. me too.¡± Chapter 2581 - 2581 Side Story 85: His 2581 side story 85: his ling xiao academy was the top academy in the god residence realm, but countless talents rushed over from all directions every year, hoping to cross that doorstep and become a student of the academy. as the only stronghold for ling xiao academy¡¯s assessment, fangzhou city was bustling with people all year round. early in the morning, a long queue had already formed somewhere in the city. elder hua feng from the peak sat behind the table and was long used to this scene. he methodically tested these young men and women who rushed over from all over. ¡°21 years old, stage-seven warrior, eliminated.¡± he glanced at the test results and shook his head. the young man standing in front of him was stunned. then, his face turned red and white. he lowered his head slightly, and his eyes were filled with unconcealable regret and disappointment. he struggled for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°elder, i¡¯ll be able to break through to become a stage-eight warrior very soon. can you give me a chance?¡± elder hua feng from the peak smiled, but his tone was very determined. ¡°come back when you break through then.¡± once they heard this, the crowd immediately understood that there was no hope at all. that young man clenched his teeth and still bowed in the end as he turned to leave, looking rather defeated. when the people who were still queuing behind saw this scene, they were speechless. ¡°a 21-year-old stage-seven warrior! he¡¯s quite talented, yet he was eliminated just like that?¡± ¡°as expected of ling xiao academy. its standards are really strict¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s quite a big difference between geniuses. those who can enter ling xiao academy naturally have to be the top few! i heard that this place is recruiting students every day, but there might not be many candidates in a month¡­¡± elder hua feng didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°next.¡± the young man behind hurriedly went forward. ¡­ time slowly trickled past. it was only when the golden sun sank to the west and the sky gradually darkened that there were fewer people standing around here. the long queue in the day had almost ended. after elder hua feng finished testing the last one, it was finally quieter. he rubbed his aching shoulders and neck and leaned against the chair. at this point, there were only 15 minutes left until his shift ended. elder xi, who was in charge of the next shift, walked over from behind and glanced at him happily. ¡°what, did you not meet any good seedlings today?¡± elder hua feng snorted lightly. ¡°isn¡¯t this very normal?¡± those who dared to come here were more or less talented. those people might be rare talents in their own territory, but they might not be able to catch their eye. what ling xiao academy didn¡¯t lack the most was top talents. the elders in the academy had always had high standards and wouldn¡¯t easily take a fancy to anyone. elder hua feng clapped his hands and stood up. ¡°alright, since you¡¯re already here, i¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± elder xi glanced at him in dissatisfaction. but before he could reject, he suddenly heard a clear and melodious voice. ¡°elders, may i know if this is ling xiao academy¡¯s recruitment point?¡± this voice was extremely good, like jade hitting each other. in an instant, it seemed to make the hot evening more refreshing. elder wen xi looked up. even elder hua feng, who planned to leave in advance, half-turned around and took a look. this glance caused the two elders to be slightly stunned. standing there were a young man and a young girl who looked to be no more than 17 or 18 years old. as ling xiao academy¡¯s elders, they saw youngsters of such age the most. but at this moment, the two elders were still stunned when they saw the two people standing side by side. that was because these two people were really too good-looking. that young girl was wearing a red outfit, and her thin waist was easily outlined by a black jade belt. her black hair was simply tied up, revealing an extremely beautiful face. even though she still looked young, it wasn¡¯t hard to see how beautiful she would be in the future. she stood there with a smile, and it seemed to make everything in the surroundings lose its color. no, this didn¡¯t include the young man in snow-white clothes standing beside her. he was extremely tall, and his five features were impeccable. there was a faint coldness in his eyes, making him look noble and indifferent. when the two of them stood together, they were simply like a pair of beauties, causing one to only admire and envy them. even the experienced two elders couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by their appearances. the person talking was that young girl. her lips curled up. ¡°are we too late?¡± the two elders glanced at each other. actually, under such circumstances, they would usually get them to go back first and wait for the next day. however, the two of them were really pretty, and when this lady smiled, it made people unable to reject her. anyway, there were only two of them, so the test should be over soon. elder hua feng waved his hands. ¡°if you were any later, you¡¯d have to wait for tomorrow. come, who will go first?¡± that young girl didn¡¯t answer immediately. instead, she looked at the young man beside her and smiled. ¡°you first?¡± that young man¡¯s originally cold expression instantly softened. he glanced at that young girl and lightly shook his head. ¡°you go first.¡± that young girl didn¡¯t seem surprised as she raised her brows and suddenly leaned in. she softly asked, ¡°you can¡¯t be testing your results just because you want to see mine, right?¡± after interacting with him on the way, she realized that this young man was good at everything, but¡­ he was too mysterious. when he took action, it was as if he was suppressing something. even in a life-and-death situation, he was still calm and composed. she guessed that this person had purposely hidden his abilities. originally, she wanted to take this chance to test his foundation, but she didn¡¯t expect¡ª she suddenly leaned in. that young man didn¡¯t seem to expect this, and he was dazed when he felt the warm and sweet aura. at random, his thin scarlet lips curled up slightly. ¡°since you want it, i¡¯ll go first.¡± as he spoke, he took a step forward. at the side, the two elders heard the duo¡¯s conversation clearly and were speechless. young children nowadays are too confident in themselves. he actually said that he can control the test results? which person who comes here doesn¡¯t try their best to show off all their talents? although the two of them were born well, their tone is too arrogant. they might not even be able to get in, yet they are thinking of hiding their abilities? they had seen too many young and frivolous people without much ability. at this moment, they couldn¡¯t help but be disappointed. they felt that the two of them were just children from aristocratic families who had come out to cause trouble. that young man had already placed his hand on the jade in charge of testing. he circulated the force in his body and inserted it. whir! a shocking fluctuation spread from the jade! right on the heels of that, an extremely bright line of words slowly appeared under the extremely shocked gazes of the two elders! nineteen years old, demigod! demigod? a demigod who isn¡¯t even 20?! elder hua feng¡¯s hands were trembling. ¡°wh-what¡¯s your name?¡± that young man lightly said, ¡°rong xiu.¡± he didn¡¯t seem surprised by this outcome. he quickly retracted his hand and looked at the young girl standing behind. that young girl tilted her head to take a look and was also shocked for a moment, but she quickly understood. ¡°as expected¡­¡± she muttered softly as she went forward and placed her hand on it. she wrinkled her nose and lightly grunted, ¡°i can¡¯t compare to you.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, another line of dazzling words appeared on it: eighteen years old, advanced stage-nine warrior! this indeed couldn¡¯t be compared to that young man, but she was definitely considered outstanding in ling xiao academy! elder wen xi widened his eyes. ¡°y-your name¡ª¡± that young girl let out a soft ¡®ah.¡¯ it doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to use my original name. her eyes flickered, and she suddenly smiled. ¡°my name is yue. as for my last name¡­¡± she stretched out her hand and pointed her slender and fair finger at the young man at the side, smiling with ill intentions. ¡°rong. the same rong.¡± Chapter 2582 - 2582 Side Story 86: Not Siblings 2582 side story 86: not siblings ling xiao academy recruited two geniuses. actually, this wasn¡¯t rare to the many elders and students in the academy, but the situation was rather different this time. that was because out of the two newcomers, there was a young man in his teens and was already a demigod! the other young woman was an all-rounder, though she paled in comparison. she was skilled as a warrior, xuan master, and a heavenly doctor. other than the fact that she hadn¡¯t broken through to become a legendary warrior and thus couldn¡¯t undergo the cultivation to become an armory refinement master, she was very outstanding in all other areas. even in ling xiao academy, such talent was superior. hence, when these two people came, they instantly caused quite a huge commotion in ling xiao academy. besides that, rumors had it that these two people were very good-looking. in this case, more people were secretly curious and started to wait to see them. but after much waiting, they did not see the two of them appear. everyone asked around and found out that the two of them had alerted the director once they entered the academy. hence, before the duo could do anything after coming, they entered dong huang clock tower first. ¡­ living room. shangguan yue came with rong xiu. once they stepped through the door, they saw an elder in white with a white beard. he looked kind and seemed like a deity. his eyes that looked over seemed as though they could see through everything. they were warm yet contained unignorable strong force. with just one glance, shangguan yue realized that this was the legendary ling xiao academy¡¯s current director¡ªnan suhuai. at this point, nan suhuai was also looking at the two of them. seeing the cold and distinguished young man in white, nan suhuai¡¯s gaze flickered, and he instinctively wanted to greet him. ¡°your¡ª¡± rong xiu looked up slightly and glanced at him. nan suhuai immediately cleared his mind and hurriedly swallowed his remaining words. his heart harshly skipped a beat. i actually forgot that there was someone beside him! thinking of this, he moved his gaze to the side and was slightly dazed. it was a young girl with peerless beauty and elegance in her bones. when she smiled, her eyes curved up and looked charming. nan suhuai secretly felt emotional. so it¡¯s this one¡­ the emperor told me to wait here, and it has been so many years that i thought i was being forgotten. i never thought that the day¡­ has finally come! he smiled. ¡°no need to stand on ceremony. i believe hua feng should¡¯ve already told you of my identity earlier.¡± shangguan yue nodded. ¡°greetings, director.¡± then, she lightly tugged the young man¡¯s sleeves. ¡°rong xiu, greet the director.¡± rong xiu raised his eyebrows slightly and readily followed good advice. ¡°greetings, director.¡± when nan suhuai heard this, he felt his head becoming bigger. but when he met the calm and suppressive eyes, he had to brave himself and continue. ¡°ahem. you¡¯re¡­ rong yue, right? i already know of your admission results. today, i asked you to come here because i have a question for you¡ªare¡­ you willing to be my disciple?¡± shangguan yue was instantly stunned. she had heard of ling xiao academy¡¯s director, nan suhuai. rumors had it that this person was extremely strong, and he was very picky. after all these years, he had not taken a disciple in. she was already very surprised that she was called over on her first day of admission. she never expected the director to directly ask her to be his student. she widened her eyes slightly and pointed at herself. ¡°you¡¯re talking about¡­ me?¡± did big baby and the rest reveal the news? but¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­back then, big baby had specifically told me to cultivate properly and not get into trouble¡­ nan suhuai was also rather nervous. he had no choice as that person was watching from the side! he coughed and asked seemingly in shock, ¡°you¡¯re reluctant? you need to know that you¡¯re a rare all-rounder talent. i¡¯ve searched for many years, but i didn¡¯t find anyone suitable. if you reject me, then¡­ won¡¯t i be unable to take in a disciple my entire life?¡± when he spoke to the end, his expression seemed as if he was in a difficult spot. it was as though shangguan yue¡¯s rejection would be a huge loss. shangguan yue was dazed for once. recovering her senses, she hurriedly said, ¡°why would that be? it¡¯s my honor to have you as my mentor!¡± she had quite a good impression of this director. besides, this was a rare opportunity that others couldn¡¯t even beg to have, so why would she reject it? seeing that she was shocked and surprised, rong xiu¡¯s lips curled up at a slightly faint angle. nan suhuai was very emotional. this lady was well-mannered, magnanimous, and very talented. he did like her quite a bit. shangguan yue blinked and suddenly thought of something. ¡°director, what about rong xiu? he¡¯s more talented than me. do you think¡ª¡± when rong xiu entered the academy, he only tested as a warrior, but she knew clearly that he wasn¡¯t weak in other aspects. hence, she felt that the director should take rong xiu in. however, she didn¡¯t expect the director¡¯s expression to suddenly change when he heard this. after a moment, the director said hesitantly, ¡°um¡­ i¡¯m afraid this is inappropriate¡­¡± shangguan yue was dazed. nan suhuai felt suffering. even if he was more daring, he would not dare to be this person¡¯s mentor. however, that lady looked straight at him. if he did not explain clearly, it would be more troublesome. finally, he stammered, ¡°um¡­ rong xiu and i have met each other once before, and i know him a little. he¡­ is not suited to cultivate under me.¡± shangguan yue looked disappointed. the director is the most capable one in the entire academy. if rong xiu loses this opportunity, he¡ª ¡°actually, nobody in the academy now is suitable to be rong xiu¡¯s mentor. why don¡¯t we do this? rong xiu, in the future, you can enter and leave the academy as you wish and cultivate on your own. if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, you can ask any of the elders. how is that?¡± this was the reason nan suhuai had thought of earlier. shangguan yue heard it and was extremely shocked. ling xiao academy¡­ is actually willing to have such an exception for rong xiu? in comparison, me becoming the director¡¯s disciple doesn¡¯t seem to count for much, right? she looked at rong xiu and saw that he nodded calmly, accepting it. ¡°thank you, director.¡± ¡­ the news seemed to have wings as it rapidly spread throughout ling xiao academy. at that moment, the crowd broke into an uproar! not to mention that the director took in a disciple, but he even allowed the other one not to have a mentor and could enter the academy to cultivate freely? wasn¡¯t this akin to making all the elders in the academy to become his mentor? how honorable was that!? they wondered what the two newcomers did to have such treatment! quite a few people were upset about this. they¡¯ve just come for one day, and they are going to trample all over us? the current newcomers are too arrogant! hence, shangguan yue and rong xiu were surrounded on their second morning. the one at the front was a man in his twenties. he had a large build with a shocking aura. his gaze landed on shangguan yue, and surprise quickly flashed across his originally harsh expression. ¡°rong yue?¡± but very quickly, a cold gaze landed on him, which sent a chill down his spine. he looked over and met with the icy cold gaze. he licked his lips and smiled. ¡°rong xiu, right? i¡¯m jiang ping and can be considered your senior. don¡¯t misunderstand. i¡¯m just here to ask junior sister rong yue if she has the time to duel.¡± without waiting for a reply, he teased, ¡°this is your younger sister¡¯s matters. i think you shouldn¡¯t interfere too much as an older brother, okay?¡± he could see this young man¡¯s enmity and that he clearly planned to reject him, so he said this directly. as they both had the last name ¡®rong,¡¯ everyone tacitly thought that they were siblings. upon hearing this, shangguan yue blinked. oh, there seems to be a misunderstanding¡­ however, rong xiu suddenly laughed. he looked to the side and glanced at the young girl beside him. ¡°¡­younger sister?¡± shangguan yue felt guilty for some reason. i seem to have caused trouble for rong xiu¡­ without waiting for her to reply, rong xiu had already retracted his gaze and lightly said to the crowd, ¡°she¡¯s not my younger sister.¡± the crowd, including jiang ping, was collectively stunned. not siblings? but these two people are unusually intimate. if they aren¡¯t siblings, could they be¡ª jiang ping knitted his brows, and his smile was rather cold. ¡°since this is so, you have even less right to care about her matters, right?¡± rong xiu¡¯s expression was nonchalant. ¡°you want to duel with her? ¡± jiang ping was stumped. this was just his excuse, but he did not want to admit it now. ¡°yeah! we¡¯re all ling xiao academy¡¯s students. isn¡¯t it very normal for us to duel?¡± rong xiu nodded. just when the crowd thought that he would move, they heard him say, ¡°you can fight with her, but you have to beat me first.¡± Chapter 2583 - 2583 Side Story 87: Support You 2583 side story 87: support you once he said this, the crowd fell into dead silence. everyone looked at rong xiu with a strange gaze. jiang ping was so angry that he laughed as he sized rong xiu up mockingly. ¡°just by yourself?¡± he had already heard that the new rong xiu was a demigod when he was still in his teens. just this talent and skill alone could surpass most students in the academy, but these people didn¡¯t include jiang ping. that was because he was a genuine true god! soft whispers started to sound in the surroundings. ¡°is rong xiu crazy? how dare he challenge jiang ping?¡± ¡°who doesn¡¯t know that jiang ping just broke through to become a true god last month and that his skills have greatly strengthened? even though it¡¯s outstanding for rong xiu to have broken through and become a demigod at this age, his cultivation level is still lower¡­¡± ¡°even though there is only a one word difference between a ¡®true god¡¯ and a ¡®demigod¡¯, the strength difference is between heaven and earth. this is the newcomer¡¯s third day in the academy, yet he dared to do this. youth really knows no fear!¡± ¡°when jiang ping was a demigod, he was already fifth on the qing yun ranking. now that he has broken through again, he has the potential to become first. these two newcomers could offend anyone, but they had to offend the strongest one.¡± ¡­ when shangguan yue heard this, her ears moved. she lightly coughed and leaned toward rong xiu. ¡°oh, brother xiu, did i cause trouble for you?¡± the young girl¡¯s clear and sweet voice swiped across his ears, with a hint of combat intent. rong xiu raised his brows slightly, tilted his head to look at her, and said with a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°what did you call me?¡± shangguan yue raised her chin and smiled like a flower. ¡°brother xiu.¡± during the whole way, the two of them had been addressing each other with their names. but after hearing that those people misunderstood they were siblings, shangguan yue found it funny. she used the name ¡®rong yue¡¯ because she was too lazy to think of another name. she didn¡¯t know such a mistake would be made. however, when jiang ping challenged her, she never thought that rong xiu would react faster than her. he stood before her with his tall figure and had an absolute protective stance. shangguan yue blinked. she was born distinguished and requested for perfection in many areas. thus, the feeling of being protected was really extremely rare for her. it was rather foreign, but¡­ it seemed not bad? actually, she was not someone who easily got close to others. however, she already trusted rong xiu a lot after knowing him for a month or so. she even brought him along and depended on him in a way that even she was unclear about. seeing him stand up for her, she didn¡¯t feel that it was amiss after finding it strange for a moment. she readily accepted it. in such a dangerous situation, she even had the mood to joke with him. even if the crowd all looked down on rong xiu and felt that his actions would cause trouble for himself, shangguan yue did not think so. perhaps it was because she had seen rong xiu attack, so she was very confident in him¡ªeven if jiang ping¡¯s cultivation level was slightly higher. rong xiu didn¡¯t speak as he looked into her eyes, and they seemed to darken. shangguan yue pulled his sleeves and softly asked, ¡°brother xiu, can you win?¡± she always felt that rong xiu had tricks up his sleeves. since he dared to accept it, he must have confidence. however, the other party was not weak. after all, he was a true god¡­ rong xiu looked at her and smiled extremely faintly. ¡°just watch.¡± as he spoke, his gaze turned and landed on jiang ping. his expression was especially calm, and his surrounding aura was composed. not only did he lack the embarrassment and fear of going against a strong warrior, but there was even a hint of nonchalant smile on his lips, as if he was in a good mood. he smiled and said, ¡°brother xiu will stand up for you.¡± ¡­ after a temporary silence, the crowd broke into an uproar. too arrogant! this newcomer is too cocky! he¡¯s just slightly talented and has the slight liking of the director, yet he actually dared to challenge jiang ping? hearing that tone, people who did not know would think that he would beat jiang ping into a pulp! however¡­ a demigod going against a true god¡ªeven a fool knew the result! at this moment, the crowd looked at rong xiu with complicated gazes. some were gloating, and they desperately wanted to see the newcomer be tortured into submission. others were hesitant as they were afraid that jiang ping would be too harsh and hurt rong xiu¡¯s peerless face. even more people were joining in the fun, curious to see how capable rong xiu was, such that the director could give him special care. however, shangguan yue was stunned. when she heard that sentence, she clearly felt her heart tighten. at one moment, she almost thought that her heart had stopped, but following that, the sudden and quick heartbeats drowned her. then, it was passionate and hot. it seemed as if something was about to rush out of her chest. she suddenly raised her hand and squeezed her earlobe. hot. rong xiu seemed to notice something as he tilted his head and looked over. she immediately put down her hands guiltily, averting her gaze and not looking at him. she never had such a feeling, as if something was about to lose control. at that moment, jiang ping was infuriated by rong xiu¡¯s arrogant attitude. he was so angry that he laughed. ¡°okay! since this is so, let¡¯s go to qing ming square and battle it out! what do you think?¡± the crowd kept quiet. if they went to qing ming square, this so-called ¡®challenge¡¯ would be real. according to the academy¡¯s usual rules, the two parties could casually attack during the fights in qing ming square as long as they did not harm each other¡¯s lives. if they really went there, rong xiu would most likely be beaten until he was handicapped! rong xiu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he nodded. ¡°ok.¡± someone could not help but remind, ¡°junior brother rong xiu, you guys just came, so you might not know. qing ming square¡ª¡± before he could finish, jiang ping suddenly interrupted him. ¡°since he has already agreed, others can¡¯t chime in.¡± this time, nobody dared to speak further. they were still scared of offending jiang ping. however, rong xiu did not seem to care as he brought the lady next to him and followed them calmly. ¡­ when they reached qing ming square, quite a few people were gathered there. they all heard the news and came to watch the show. a large space was emptied in the middle for their battle. jiang ping stood first and looked at rong xiu. he coldly smiled and said, ¡°in the competition, swords have no eyes. junior brother rong xiu, you have to be careful.¡± rong xiu ignored him. shangguan yue could not help but ask, ¡°then¡­ do you really have the confidence to fight someone who has a higher standard than you?¡± rong xiu paused for a moment and replied, ¡°who said he has a higher standard?¡± shangguan yue was dazed and slightly widened her eyes. quite a few people had also heard this, and they were all confused. rong xiu took a step forward, and his surrounding aura exploded! everyone¡¯s expressions changed drastically! jiang ping almost shrieked, ¡°true god?!¡± Chapter 2584 - 2584 Side Story 88: Rong Family 2584 side story 88: rong family this competition started suddenly and ended even faster. from start to end, rong xiu only used one move. jiang ping didn¡¯t retaliate as he failed miserably and directly fainted. the crowd didn¡¯t even see how rong xiu did it before he had already won. everyone had their eyes open and mouths agape. they stood rooted to their spot and could not recover their senses in a long while. originally, they thought that even if rong xiu was a true god, the fight wouldn¡¯t be easy. after all, jiang ping was also a true god, and their cultivation levels were the same. but at this point, they realized that they were wrong. it turned out that some people could have a heaven and earth difference even when they were at the same level, easily defeating their opponent. shangguan yue saw rong xiu take action before and knew that he did not show off his skills. but when she saw this scene, she was shocked for a very long time. she was extremely talented. especially after she went through the bitter torture at red moon desert, she could beat most of the people her age. however, rong xiu was clearly stronger than her! she faintly felt competitive. hence, she walked forward, her pair of starry eyes dazzling. ¡°rong xiu, will you fight with me?¡± even though they had known each other for a while, they had not truly dealt hands. her heart was itchy, and she was tempted to try. the silence in qing ming square was broken. everyone looked at shangguan yue in disbelief and thought that she was crazy. jiang ping, who was a true god, was beaten till he was half-dead with one move. how could a mere peak stage-nine warrior like her have the guts to challenge rong xiu? rong xiu turned around and guessed her thoughts when he saw her expression. he smiled. ¡°okay.¡± he agreed relaxingly, and shangguan yue was happy. she thought for a while before saying, ¡°with my current cultivation level, i definitely can¡¯t compete against you if i directly fight with you. i should find some people to train with¡­¡± as she spoke, her gaze turned toward dong huang clock tower. the black wall was empty, but she had already heard that the qing yun ranking was carved there. that was the ability ranking of all the students in ling xiao academy. it was split into four rankings. the top hundred students of every cultivation aspect could go on the ranking. she stroked her chin. ¡°i wonder who is a demigod on the warrior ranking¡­¡± she planned to challenge a demigod first to test the waters. this way, she could have some understanding when she fought rong xiu. hearing her words, rong xiu¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, and his expression became lighter. however, he had always been calm and composed, and he didn¡¯t show his emotions on his face. such a slight change was indeed hard to detect. ¡°you want to look at the qing yun ranking?¡± a low and melodious voice sounded. shangguan yue was suddenly alert as she turned around strangely. at some point, with a slightly raised chin and a focused gaze, rong xiu had reached behind her. she nodded and smiled straightforwardly. ¡°i have to be prepared if i want to beat you.¡± rong xiu didn¡¯t speak as he overtook her and walked to the front. he came below the dong huang clock tower. the crowd¡¯s gazes gathered. jiang ping was already carried away. logically speaking, the crowd should¡¯ve dispersed when the match ended. but seeing rong xiu¡¯s actions, nobody left. someone faintly guessed something, and they looked emotional, yet they did not dare to discuss loudly. rong xiu was a newcomer, but he was very strong and had a distinguished and imperious aura, which was carved in his bones. one did not dare to underestimate him. after rong xiu stood still, he turned around and said to shangguan yue, ¡°come and try.¡± shangguan yue guessed that he was targeting the qing yun ranking, but she did not expect him to call her and was shocked. ¡°me?¡± while she asked, she had already walked over. she stood beside rong xiu and quickly thought for a moment before she placed her hand on it. anyway, she had to test sooner or later. she held her breath in, split out some force, and inserted it into her palm. whir! with the whir, the black wall before her had many rays of crystallized light! following that, those light rays quickly formed names that were ranked. after a moment, the name at the bottom silently disappeared, and a new name formed¡ªrong yue! shangguan yue saw that name, blinked lightly, and retracted her hand. rong xiu knew that she did not try her best but did not mind it either. he reached out too. bzzt! bzzt! an extremely strong aura suddenly exploded from his palms! the crowd was shocked as they saw the name in fourth place¡ªjiang ping¡ªget silently crushed and replaced by rong xiu¡¯s name. he had beaten jiang ping in qing ming square, so he naturally could replace his ranking on the qing yun ranking. however, it wasn¡¯t finished. the crowd watched as the name continued to break through and surpass the three names in front, sitting in the top spot securely. on the bright and dazzling qing yun ranking, the new name that appeared swept to first place in such a strong manner, on its first time on the ranking. rong xiu didn¡¯t care about the others¡¯ gazes as he looked at the young girl beside him. she stared at the top spot with a fiery gaze. he laughed lightly, and there seemed to be a hint of temptation in his cold and low voice. ¡°is fighting with other people better than fighting with me?¡± absolutely not! everyone was cultivators. shangguan yue naturally knew that she would benefit much more if she went against someone strong. in the entire ling xiao academy, nobody was more suitable than rong xiu. she quickly made up her mind. ¡°i¡¯ll only fight with you!¡± one day, i can beat him! rong xiu nodded in satisfaction. then, his gaze landed at ¡®rong yue¡¯ at the bottom. thinking of those people¡¯s misunderstanding, he suddenly looked up at the roof of dong huang clock tower. ¡°director.¡± he said calmly, ¡°she doesn¡¯t have this last name. please help her.¡± even though he was a distance away, how could the director not hear him? however¡­ his request was too strange. when the crowd was in confusion, they saw the name on the qing yun ranking change. the ¡®rong¡¯ silently disappeared, and only ¡®yue¡¯ was left behind. since it was fake, erasing it was normal. however, everyone waited for a long time and didn¡¯t see the director add in shangguan yue¡¯s last name. such a special right was clearly only for the director¡¯s disciple. shangguan yue tilted her head and looked at rong xiu. she smiled and asked, ¡°you don¡¯t like me sharing your last name?¡± rong xiu paused, and there seemed to be ripples in the depths of his phoenix-like eyes. as the corner of his lips curled up slightly, he slowly spoke with a relaxed tone. ¡°if you want to join the rong family, another identity is more suitable.¡± Chapter 2585 - 2585 Side Story 89: Like 2585 side story 89: like rong xiu became famous from one battle. ling xiao academy had survived for many years, and it contained talents and geniuses from all over the world. however, there had never been one like rong xiu that directly broke through to become a true god on the second day of admission and even occupied the top position of the warrior qing yun ranking. he was truly the first person. ¡­ on some mountain, a person sat alone in the pavilion. it was shangguan yue. a set of chess was placed before her, and the black and white pieces fought intensely. it was rather lonely when she played chess with herself, but she had had this habit for many years. she was extremely talented as a xuan master, and it was especially obvious in chess. when she was in tianling, not to mention her peers, even the royal family elders might not beat her. after a while, she felt that it was more interesting to play against herself. however, she was rather distracted today¡ªshe was very stressed because their first assessment after entering the academy was about to begin. yet, she had not broken through to become a demigod. she was more than one stage away from rong xiu! with her current skills, she couldn¡¯t beat rong xiu no matter what¡­ ¡°sigh.¡± she sighed and stared at the chessboard as she lightly fiddled with a chess piece, unable to put it down. suddenly, a white and long hand came from behind and reached over to take the chess piece in between her fingers. the fingers touched, and the warmth was shared. as she didn¡¯t notice, the chess piece landed in the other party¡¯s hand. she was dazed and turned around to look. rong xiu had come behind her at some point. the black chess piece further showed his jade-like skin as he held it in between his fingers. however, he wore dark clothes today and looked extra murderous and harsh. ¡°rong xiu?¡± rong xiu stared at the chessboard for a while. hearing this, he did not immediately answer and lowered his body slightly. the two of them were originally very close to each other. now that he moved, they could share each other¡¯s breaths. shangguan yue could even clearly feel the warmth from his body, mixed with the faint cold fragrance that wrapped around her. her body stiffened slightly, and she instinctively held her breath in. rong xiu stretched out. piak! he put down the piece. at this point, he tilted his head slightly and looked over. he raised his brows slightly and moved his chin. ¡°see, why don¡¯t you put it here?¡± as he was near her, his low and melodious tone was especially mesmerizing. her long and thick lashes moved slightly. the absolute beauty was right in front of him, and the impact was huge. for some reason, she suddenly thought of rong xiu¡¯s words in front of the qing yun ranking that day. rong family member¡­ a gust of warmth suddenly attacked her. ¡°hm?¡± without waiting for her reply, rong xiu asked. shangguan yue quickly recovered her senses as she suppressed her emotions and looked at the chessboard. the stalemate was broken. her lips curved. ¡°as expected. you are also a xuan master.¡± before this, rong xiu didn¡¯t reveal any talent or skill in this aspect. but for some reason, she felt that he definitely was not just a warrior. as expected. rong xiu smiled and did not mind that she had guessed it. she looked up and smiled brightly, her eyes shining with a cunning light. ¡°give it a try?¡± she didn¡¯t believe that although she couldn¡¯t beat him as a warrior, she couldn¡¯t do so as a xuan master. rong xiu welcomed her smile, and his heart tingled. his gaze landed on her voluptuous lips for a moment, and his adam¡¯s apple moved. ¡°ok.¡± then, he averted his gaze, straightened his body, and sat on the opposing end. ¡­ the opponent was rong xiu. shangguan yue did not dare to treat him lightly. quickly, she confirmed her guess¡ªrong xiu¡¯s abilities in this area were not to be underestimated! she took out all her focus and energy. when she faced rong xiu, she was very calm and landed her pieces quickly. the game lasted until evening. piak! rong xiu placed a piece down. ¡°you lost.¡± shangguan yue stared at the chessboard before her silently and speechlessly. she had not¡­ lost to a peer in many years, especially after she had already experienced abnormal torture in the red moon desert, and many complicated xuan formations had filled her brain. how did i lose? she glanced at rong xiu with a complicated gaze. ¡°¡­i admire you.¡± rong xiu¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°i barely won this round. why don¡¯t we play again after the assessment?¡± how could shangguan yue reject him? she already roughly knew rong xiu¡¯s pattern when playing chess, and she could definitely win this time! ¡°it¡¯s a deal!¡± voices came from below the mountain. she stood up. ¡°okay, it¡¯s so late. we should go back¡ª¡± suddenly, her voice paused, and she looked to the front. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± rong xiu followed her line of sight. this was the mountaintop, and a cliff was by the side. on the opposite end, there was a lake near the continuous mountains. the lake surface shone brightly, and a pinkish-white translucent flower bloomed quietly. shangguan yue lightly muttered, ¡°this is¡­ a dancing lotus?¡± she had only heard of its name previously and never expected to see it here. and¡­ it was extremely beautiful. rong xiu glanced sideways at her. ¡°you like it?¡± shangguan yue smiled. ¡°yeah! this dancing lotus takes a hundred years to germinate, a hundred years to grow, and 300 years to bloom. for this one look, you have to wait five hundred years. that¡¯s extremely rare.¡± she took a few detailed glances and shook her head in regret. ¡°it¡¯s a pity that the flower seems like it¡¯s going to wilt.¡± she retracted her gaze. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ ling xiao academy would have a routine assessment every month, but this time, it was very special. the two newcomers had once again refreshed the crowd¡¯s knowledge of them. after the warrior ranking, shangguan yue simultaneously entered the xuan master ranking and the heavenly doctor ranking. the crowd had long heard that she was also an all-rounder, similar to the director. however, they did not pay much attention to her and felt that she should be strongest as a warrior. who knew that her other rankings in the other two aspects were much higher than the warrior aspect? and rong xiu¡ªhe went up the armory refinement master ranking. the crowd: ¡°¡­¡± at this stage, they finally realized what kind of horrifying existence these two people were. they had since started their miserable times of being crushed by the duo on the rankings. ¡­ the assessment ended, and the crowd looked at the duo differently. even if shangguan yue and rong xiu lost in that battle, they had already clearly known that the young girl was a maniac close to rong xiu! however, shangguan yue fought this battle with grievances. i didn¡¯t expect rong xiu to still be an armory refinement master! i have to win this back! hence, once the assessment ended, she brought rong xiu to the mountain and played chess to determine the winner. shangguan yue was ferocious and had harsh murderous intent. then¡­ she lost again. rong xiu still barely won. ¡°you¡­ didn¡¯t show your full strength, right?¡± she clenched her teeth. rong xiu smiled and replied, ¡°no. you improved greatly, but¡­ i didn¡¯t slack off either.¡± shangguan yue snorted. ¡°do you really think i don¡¯t know? recently, you¡¯ve been leaving early and coming back late. it¡¯s been hard to even see you. you didn¡¯t secretly find another place to cultivate, right?¡± rong xiu captured the main point. ¡°you really want to see me?¡± shangguan yue was speechless. ¡°recently, i made you angry several times, right? so, i prepared an apology gift for you.¡± shangguan yue was dazed. ¡°you don¡¯t have¡ª¡± ¡°look behind.¡± shangguan yue turned around in confusion. then, she realized that they had played till evening again. suddenly, her gaze focused. a sea of black and golden, and the warm orange hue stained the large patches of rainbow. almost half the sky had a dreamy color. far away, in between the mountains, a lake shone and rippled. the many dancing lotuses quietly bloomed on the lake surface. the pinkish-white, translucent petals swayed with the wind. when they merged with the evening hues, it was like a colorful water painting with passionate colors. rong xiu came to her side. ¡°do you like it?¡± shangguan yue¡¯s heart beat wildly. she turned around and looked right at him with her star-like eyes. after a moment, her lips curled slightly, and she looked into his eyes. ¡°i like it.¡± Chapter 2586 - 2586 Side Story 90: Mu Qinghe 2586 side story 90: mu qinghe tianling dynasty, imperial city. the intense night sky covered everything. the large mu residence was quiet. the faint moonlight poured in through the windows and landed on the figure sitting upright. it stained him with coldness. it was an extremely young man with a handsome appearance. from his brow bones to the tip of his nose, the lines were extremely smooth. his chin was sharp. he was still wearing the black armor from three days ago. yes, he had already stayed in this position and sat quietly for three days. this was also the longest three days in his life. countless scenes flashed across his mind. they seemed like a strange and distant dream yet extremely real. it was so real that he thought was currently in a dream. a gust of cold wind blew across the courtyard. the leaves rustled. he clearly did not do anything, but he felt exhausted. even when he had once gotten lost in the dahuang swamp with severe injuries but still walked for ten days without resting, he had not felt such lethargy. he closed his eyes and felt that everything in his mind was about to rip him open. after a long while, he opened his eyes. dawn was currently breaking. he stood up, came to the desk, and slowly scanned it. with his current status, he naturally ate, wore, and used the best. at first glance, the paper stopper, ink, and brush were extremely precious items. however, his gaze finally landed on the brush at the side. this was also made with good material, but probably because it was old, the years had left marks on it. it looked very unassuming. he picked up the brush. it was cold to the touch but very smooth and convenient. at that time, he almost could recall her soft hands and the warm contact when it landed on the back of his hand. ¡°you have to hold it like this,¡± she said with a smile, without any contempt toward him on her face¡ªeven when his hands were filled with swollen and rotten callouses. he thought of that scene and could not help but lightly rub the back of his right hand that was holding the brush. his lips curled up faintly. however, this smile quickly disappeared and had a layer of frost on it. knock, knock. knocks were heard from outside, with the guard¡¯s careful report. ¡°sir, her highness is going to xin li garden today. do you want to follow her?¡± in this mu residence, there was only one her highness¡ªthe crown princess. hearing this, mu qinghe¡¯s hand stopped. the ink-filled brush stopped in midair, and the ink landed drop by drop, spreading into a ball of black. after a moment, he opened that paper with a normal expression. then, he finally placed the brush down. his actions were very slow, and he seemed especially focused, but the palm that could hold a ton was shaking. he seemed to pour all his heart and soul into every brushstroke. there was clearly only one word, but he wrote it with much difficulty when he finished the last stroke, his lips were already pale. only that pair of eyes was so dark that one could not see the bottom. ¡°sir?¡± the person outside boldly urged again. these three days, the lord had been locking himself up in the study room and didn¡¯t make a sound. they were worried. only talking about the princess was useful. mu qinghe looked down at that word. yue. he closed his eyes. when he opened them again, all the emotions had dissipated, leaving behind endless harshness. ¡°go. have a hundred soldiers to follow her.¡± it was normal for the princess to go to xin li garden. usually, she wouldn¡¯t make a scene and rarely brought guards. a hundred soldiers and him were sufficient. sufficient to seal her path of survival. ¡­ very quickly, from xin li garden to the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall. mu qinghe had received her three calls for help. the thirteen yue guards were deployed to huli mountain, and all the useful people around her were trapped elsewhere. only he was reliable, but he did not move and crushed all the news. when the fire started burning the royal family¡¯s ancestral hall, he was not far away. crazy fires rushed to the sky and almost burned half of it. he knew that qi han tried his best to rush back and knew that many people wanted to save her. he pretended that he did not know. it was until later on, when time was almost up, that he finally brought them to extinguish the fire and save her. however, who could be saved? with the big fire, there were no corpses. mu qinghe searched in the fire and debris for a long, long time with reddened eyes. finally, he kneeled on the ground defeatedly and fainted. when he woke up again, jiang yucheng was also around. ¡°lord mu.¡± jiang yucheng¡¯s face no longer had the sorrowness he displayed when he faced the outsiders. he looked down at him from above and had a smile on his lips, with strange mockery. ¡°you should know that you¡¯re no longer her man from now on.¡± mu qinghe was silent for a long time, but finally, he smiled slightly under jiang yucheng¡¯s shocked gaze. he nodded and said, ¡°i know.¡± he never was. he did not have such luck, and he no longer dared to have such hope. ¡­ this fire then became mu qinghe¡¯s demon. every single day and night, this scene would surface in his mind. he could not recall how many times he had woken up in shock while trembling. he was covered in cold sweat, and the coldness entered his bones. he was tortured continuously and almost became a demon. this situation finally changed when he went to country yao chen and saw that young girl. he saw the pair of extremely familiar yet foreign eyes. the biggest difference was the gaze she looked over with¡ªshock, suspicion, disbelief. mu qinghe acted as if he had not noticed it. ever since then, the fire in his dream became a pair of eyes. he heard her interrogation: ¡°mu qinghe, how dare you betray me!?¡± every single word was like a sharp knife cutting into his body, causing fresh blood to drip out. he held his chest weakly and hopelessly. ¡°your highness¡­ i¡­.¡± none. even when he was alone, even in his dreams, he did not dare to say such words. he felt that this nightmare could only be solved by her personally. it would be great if she could personally kill him. ¡­ he finally waited for the day. the icy cold and sharp blade entered his flesh. he could feel his blood slowly flowing out, together with his warmth and vitality. however, he felt great. there was no other moment even better than this. he saw her awakened, he saw her come back, he saw her about to take back everything that belonged to her. as the first deity, he seemed to have lived for very long. he was always high and mighty and held great power, but it seemed like he had only truly lived in the decade or so in tianling. his life seemed to be a long nightmare. only some parts had warmth. actually, there were very few parts, but they were enough to comfort him his entire life. for this, he was willing to make all his choices. his vision gradually became blurry, and he finally could not take another look at that face. he smiled. luckily, i can finally be considered to have died usefully and got what i wanted. great. Chapter 2587 - 2587 Side Story 91: Follow Me 2587 side story 91: follow me when rong xiaoyan and rong xiaoxun were five years old, they finally had their younger sister, rong xiaoxi. the entire fantasy divine palace was overjoyed. the emperor was relieved. for the first time in five years, he received kind treatment from the high priest and the rest. there was no choice, as rong xiaoxun and rong xiaoyan caused too much trouble these few years. even the emperor kept getting criticized. with the small cub, the emperor could finally make a comeback. beside the cot, rong xiaoxun and rong xiaoyan stood beside each other and looked naively at the small girl who was lying in the cot. she was wrapped like a dumpling. rong xiaoxun¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity. ¡°it¡¯s my younger sister! she¡¯s so pretty!¡± rong xiaoyan glanced at the frowning rong xiaoxi as he nodded calmly and said in agreement, ¡°she¡¯s pretty.¡± sister was the prettiest. rong xiaoxun could not help but ask, ¡°mother, were brother and i like this when we were young?¡± before chu liuyue could speak, rong xiu lightly answered, ¡°you weren¡¯t as cute.¡± rong xiaoxun: woo, woo, woo. rong xiaoyan was already used to it. upon deeper thought, if his younger sister was the cutest in the world, would it not be very normal to lose against her? hence, he¡ªwho rarely obeyed his father¡ªdid not refute and nodded in intense agreement. rong xiaoxun, who was originally waiting for his brother to help him, was confused. ¡°brother, you think so too? but i feel that the gifts that ancestor and the rest gave were all great. at that time, what we had¡ª¡± were they good too? rong xiaoyan¡¯s face darkened as he forcefully clenched his teeth. ¡°are you saying that sister isn¡¯t as cute as you?¡± ¡°of course not!¡± rong xiaoxun immediately refuted. he smacked his mouth, thought about it seriously, and finally accepted the truth. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll be behind sister then. i¡¯m second! brother, don¡¯t fight with me!¡± rong xiaoyan grunted. he seriously said, ¡°sister will definitely be intelligent, smart, obedient, and mature in the future.¡± what is a stupid brother? sister is the best! ¡­ rong xiaoyan was only half-right. rong xiaoxi¡¯s talent was indeed outstanding, but she had nothing to do with ¡®obedient¡¯ and ¡®mature.¡¯ ever since she could walk and run, the entire fantasy divine palace was in a tizzy. this year, rong xiaoxi was three. she leaned toward her brothers and had a face filled with curiosity. ¡°big brother, second brother, i want to play at the star path!¡± this wasn¡¯t her first time making such requests, hence the brothers were not surprised at all. ¡°what¡¯s there to play at the star path?¡± rong xiaoxun spread his hands in boredom. ¡°they¡¯re all xuan formations.¡± even though they weren¡¯t difficult, rong xiaoxi was still too young. if she went over, she probably could not play. ¡°let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± rong xiaoxi refused. her happy smile instantly dropped. she looked down slightly, and her bright eyes seemed to have a hint of disappointment. ¡°i see¡­ but i saw that you guys always go there¡­¡± rong xiaoxun¡¯s heart instantly ached. he scratched his head and looked at rong xiaoyan. ¡°brother, why don¡¯t we bring xiaoxi over to take a look?¡± rong xiaoyan didn¡¯t speak as he gazed at rong xiaoxi nonchalantly, as if he had seen through everything. ¡°promise that you won¡¯t cause trouble.¡± rong xiaoxi nodded forcefully. ¡°i¡¯ll listen obediently!¡± she stepped out and hugged rong xiaoyan¡¯s thigh, her adorable face lighting up. ¡°i knew that brother is the best to me!¡± rong xiaoyan touched her head and reached out to hold her hand. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± rong xiaoxun pulled her to the other side. the sibling trio went to the star path. ¡­ someone was solving xuan formations on the star path. when they passed by, they coincidentally heard ¡®shoo.¡¯ a ball of light rushed to the sky and formed an iridescent and complicated xuan formation in midair. rong xiaoxi had seen such a scene many times. her eyes brightened up. ¡°me, me, me! i want it too!¡± rong xiaoxun patiently advised, ¡°xiaoxi, that¡¯s a great king xuan master-level xuan formation. you can¡¯t play with that yet.¡± rong xiaoxi seemed to understand. but it looks so nice¡­ they came to the heaven gate. starting from here, the star path extended to the fantasy divine hall. hence, the xuan formations here were the simplest. rong xiaoxi waved her hands. ¡°second brother, i still want to see.¡± this was naturally not hard for rong xiaoxun now. he agreed readily. he waved both his hands, and rays of light flew out. very quickly, a xuan formation lit up. rong xiaoxi watched happily. then, she walked to the side and waved her small hands. ¡°like this?¡± rong xiaoxun was about to say something when he saw the xuan formation in front of rong xiaoxi light up! she really set up the xuan formation! rong xiaoxun was shocked. even brother and i might not have set up a xuan formation of this level at her age. why is rong xiaoxi¡­ rong xiaoyan raised his brows slightly and was not very surprised. ¡°how many do you know?¡± rong xiaoxi was caught red-handed and instantly felt guilty as she chuckled. actually, she had been coming over secretly. after watching it for a long time, she naturally knew how to do it. she clenched her small fist, placed it at her lips, and coughed. ¡°n-not a lot¡­¡± rong xiaoyan asked, ¡°then do you know the xuan formation that person just set up?¡± rong xiaoxi exclaimed. then, she obediently said, ¡°no.¡± rong xiaoyan pulled her forward and quickly came to the person. when that person suddenly saw the three ancestors, he hurriedly bowed. rong xiaoyan waved his hands and gestured for him to not be nervous and that he just had to continue. that person was currently trying to solve a new great king xuan master-level xuan formation. rong xiaoxi pouted. ¡°big brother, i really don¡¯t know how¡­¡± rong xiaoyan ignored her and pointed at that person. ¡°you¡¯re wrong here.¡± that person was dazed and was instantly frightened. ¡°thank you¡ª¡± ¡°aiya! that¡¯s not right! big brother, you pointed out the wrong thing!¡± said rong xiaoxi instinctively as she glanced over. once she said this, the few of them fell silent. the scene was very awkward. rong xiaoxun rushed over. when he heard this, he suddenly realized something, and his expression turned strange. ¡°xiaoxi, you know this? then¡­ when you previously snuck out to play, you were the one who set up the xuan formation? i was even beaten up by ancestor over it!¡± rong xiaoxi: ¡°ahem, discreet.¡± rong xiaoyan smiled slightly. ¡°what else do you know?¡± ¡­ rong xiaoxi returned to the fantasy divine hall slowly, sitting on her own swing dejectedly. sigh. even though big brother and second brother expressed that they were willing to continue to take the rap for her, she didn¡¯t feel good being exposed. she could not casually go out to play anymore. suddenly, a force came from behind, and the swing moved lightly. she turned around in shock and saw a green sparrow. its entire body had green fire, and its red ruby eyes were clean and clear. it tilted its head to look at her. ¡°ninth-grade¡­ green sparrow?¡± muttered rong xiaoxi in shock. there doesn¡¯t seem to be a fiend of such grade in the fantasy divine palace? ¡°where did you come from?¡± she jumped down from the swing, ran to the green sparrow, and softly inquired. the green sparrow did not reply and just gazed at her quietly. rong xiaoxi stretched out her hand. ¡°do you want to play together?¡± it seemed to be considering something. after a while, it finally flew up and landed in her palms. it lowered its head slightly, and its furry head rubbed against her soft palm. it didn¡¯t know who it was, and it could not recall where it came from. ¡°xiaoxi?¡± a clear and melodious female voice sounded. rong xiaoxi stood up and turned around to yell excitedly, ¡°mother! i¡¯m here!¡± the green sparrow looked over. that was a foreign and extremely charming woman. it blinked. a tear suddenly fell. seeing this, rong xiaoxi¡¯s heart instantly ached, and she lightly touched it. ¡°don¡¯t worry! my mother is very nice! do you not have family? then¡­ follow me in the future?¡± it nodded. okay, follow her. Chapter 2588 - 2588 Side Story 92: Wish Fulfilled 2588 side story 92: wish fulfilled when heaven and earth were first formed, the world opened with a bang. millions of stars gathered and formed constellations. the sky was clear, and the ground was dim. everything had no end or boundary. day after day, the stars gathered. the golden light shone down. a figure slowly formed in the stiffened space. the snow turned into his clothes, the deep sea formed his eyes, and the starlight formed the light in his eyes. he ascended the heavenly dao and was born with the flow. he could hear all the winds in the world and see all the crowds in the human realm. he walked past the mountain peaks, around the lakes, and through the desert, seeing countless sceneries. everything was like a map that was very clear in his mind. everything in this world was in his eyes, but only in his eyes. the more he walked, the lonelier he got. until one day, he came to the chaotic heaven and earth. it seemed as if the wind blew his clothes up. he finally realized that he stepped into the daze, and the sun rose up. when he saw the scene clearly, his unaffected eyes finally had some light ripples. that was a peach blossom waiting to bloom. the pinkish-white petals closed quietly. this had gathered all the spiritual power in the earth, and the peach blossom was born in the chaos. he looked at it and planned to leave. everything in the world was limited. he ascended the heavenly dao and was natural. but the moment he took a step out, he smelled a light fragrance. his heart skipped a beat. after a moment, he turned around and reached out. ¡°come.¡± his low voice was like a holy song. the peach blossom flew over, spun around, and lightly landed in his palm. his thin lips had an extremely faint smile. at that time, he also did not know that this meeting was his fate. ¡­ his lonely life suddenly became interesting. it was his first time raising a peach blossom, so he naturally cared about it and took care of it properly. it absorbed the spiritual energy and was born. ever since it followed him and left its birthplace, its growth inevitably slowed down. he then split out a part of his force to nourish it every day. he brought it along, to the roads he had walked before and to the places he had gone before. it landed on his shoulders or stayed in his palm. years passed, and his body was stained with that cold fragrance. that peach blossom grew too slowly. ten thousand years had passed, but it had not bloomed. he wasn¡¯t in a rush and took care of it every day meticulously. in this manner, it finally bloomed after 30,000 years. the soft and thin petals bloomed, and the small flower bud swayed with the wind. after 50,000 years, its intelligence slowly grew. it started to land on his brows and tickle his nose when he was asleep to disturb him. occasionally, when he was writing on the record of the million gods, it purposely flew to the tip of its brush to stop him from moving. he wasn¡¯t annoyed and had unlimited patience. after 80,000 years, it fell into a deep sleep. he gathered the world¡¯s forces and formed the fantasy divine sea before building a fantasy divine palace. in the fantasy divine hall, he planted large patches of peach blossom trees. one morning in the 90,000th year, he felt a soft contact in his deep sleep. he opened his eyes. that peach blossom had already bloomed to its maximum and landed on his lips. he sat up, and his snow-white clothes were loose, revealing his nude and firm chest. that peach blossom began to move back. the next moment, a silver-red light wrapped it. a thin and curvy figure was wrapped by light as she appeared before him. her eyes were closed, her hair was like a waterfall, and her skin was snow white. below the light, one could faintly see her snow-white shoulders and her soft and thin waist. he bent his long leg and allowed his wrist to casually be put on his knees. his mannerism was distinguished and relaxed. he looked for a long time, and his phoenix-eyes deepend. after a while, he used his finger to lightly touch his lips, which curled up into a smile. ¡°you did it on purpose?¡± as if she heard it, her long and thick lashes moved slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. the starry and dazzling eyes, which were pure and clean, entered his view. ¡­ of course, he knew of the evil spirit that was born with her, but that was fine. he used himself as a vessel to help her out of it. he lied to the world. before this, he never thought that he would hide from the heavenly dao and the entire world one day. just because of his selfish intent. ¡­ he used 90,000 years to wait for her to be human. he used another 10,000 years to wait for her to come back. a hundred thousand slow years in the vast sea of time. greed, jealousy, hatred, love, desire were all sins. for one person, he committed all of them and could not be forgiven. he abandoned all his past, just for an unknown, for a possibility. he gambled with his life for a reunion. ¡­ from peach blossom dock to ling xiao academy, that was the time he finally obtained after a grueling 10,000 years. she forgot everything from before, but her eyes still dazzled. when she looked over, her eyes curved up. it was a pity that everything stopped when the evil spirit below million wine mountain woke up. he personally cut half his holy meridian and exchanged it for her rebirth to start all over again. their bones merged, and they depended on each other. in the middle of the night, the broken holy meridian always hurt, causing him to be unable to sleep. the moonlight shone in coldly and in a lonely manner. he sat on the bed alone and thought of the old times. he finally waited till the day that he was waiting in the forest outside country yao chen. they seemed like long years. he was already used to waiting. this time, she willingly came over. her eyes were filled with alertness and guardedness. her face was stained with blood, and s he looked very disheveled. he watched behind the waters. back during the chaos, she was still soft and clean. in the next thousands of years, he always spoiled her, and she became very delicate. but these few years, she had suffered so much more than she did when she was beside him. he walked over and ignored her guardedness and threat as he used his fingers to wipe away the blood on her face. the warmth below his fingers stuck to his body, and even the excruciating pain in the bones was reduced. he smiled and thought, she¡¯s finally back. ¡­ after entering the fantasy divine hall, he had two choices. if the heavenly dao only allowed one person to survive, it had to be her. if it did not allow it, he would go against the heavens. other than this, there were no discussions or compromises. all the holy force was removed, and every inch of his bones and flesh were crushed. it should¡¯ve hurt excruciatingly, but he looked at her, heard the words she said, and felt that nothing was more heartwarming than that. she chokingly requested for him to lie to her for the rest of her life. he knew that there were no loving words that were more touching than this, and he could not reject her. even if his body was destroyed, he still wanted to hold his peach blossom. he had once spent lonely and long years being high and mighty, but he finally wanted to enter the human realm and experience the emotions. he wanted to give all his flesh, his heart, and his thoughts to that one person, even if he had to bury himself in the mountains and disperse with the water current. he was willing to do so. ¡­ ¡°hubby?¡± when chu liuyue came to the palace, she saw rong xiu standing with his hands behind his back. rong xiaoyan was sitting in the palace, trying hard to solve a golden xuan formation his father had given him. a figure quickly flew in from outside, and golden lightning bolts followed. rong xiaoxun¡¯s head ached. ¡°stop chasing me! can i rest today, please?!¡± the few troublemaking golden lightning bolts went for his waist. rong xiaoxi came back from the medicinal mountain on xue xue, holding a bunch of herbs in her arms. a green sparrow suddenly flew over. rong xiaoxi hurriedly jumped down and explained, ¡°i just wanted to get xue xue¡¯s help. don¡¯t misunderstand¡ª¡± the green sparrow clutched xue xue¡¯s head and harshly pulled it! roar! xue xue bared its teeth in pain. seeing this, rong xiaoxi sensibly took a step back. the green sparrow sat on xue xue and beat it up. there was lion fur everywhere. but after that, xue xue wasn¡¯t angry as it lowered its head to coax the green sparrow. the green sparrow tilted its head with pride and flew back to rong xiaoxi¡¯s shoulder. rong xiaoxi coughed. ¡°okay, okay, xiaoxi likes you the most!¡± the green sparrow touched her face with its head. ¡­ ¡°i heard you gave yan qing a long vacation?¡± asked chu liuyue with a smile. rong xiu nodded. ¡°eighth deity is pregnant. he deserves it.¡± chu liuyue nodded. ¡°when xiao ba gives birth, zi chen should come back with tuan zi.¡± tuan zi wanted to play very much and kept running around all these years. zi chen then followed behind her. a gust of wind blew over. the pinkish-white petals fell. she reached out and interlocked with his ten fingers. she lightly said, ¡°rong xiu, i like you the most too.¡± rong xiu pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her lips. ¡°me too.¡± he thought he finally had a perfect ending. everything he wanted in his life was fulfilled.